Work Text:
where the wind passes through
yuri & estelle
.
.
i.
"Hold still, Yuri!~" Patty sings behind him, currently making two long braids. "I'll be done soon."
"Right, right." He is mildly tempted to look over his shoulder, but jests instead, "Just make sure I look good, Patty."
"Aye, aye!" she chimes, happily.
She occasionally hums to fill the silence, and Yuri absently looks out towards the sky from the large crate Patty managed to seat them on. With not much to do while aboard Ba'ul, he had given in to Patty's request to play with his hair, mainly out of his own boredom.
After a few more seconds of humming, Patty announces, "Done! Look, Yuri! We match now!"
Bringing his new braids over his shoulders, Yuri is not even fazed at the two red bows tied at the ends. There used to be some little girls in the Lower Quarter who thought he'd look great in puffy, pink ribbons of all things. He never understood how that worked. He still doesn't.
"I look fabulous," he plays along, chuckling weakly. (Okay, maybe the bows hurt his ego a little bit. Just a little . But at least he makes it work .) "Thanks, Patty."
Simpering, Patty sits right next to him, then mimics Yuri's crossed-arms pose. "Of course! Your hair is so smooth to work with, even smoother than a freshly-discovered pearl underwater! I could run my fingers through it forever…"
Yuri smiles casually when Karol and Rita walk by. Karol snorts loudly before hiding his mouth with a hand, and Rita looks at Yuri as if he'd just declared with strong conviction that the sky is brown.
Take it in stride , he instructs himself, then greets amicably, "'Sup, guys?"
"...Okay," Rita starts, looking a little disgusted, and Yuri knows it is never good when Rita does that, "did you lose a bet or something? I know you have long hair, but you don’t strike me as a fan of braids or hair bows."
Yuri ignores Karol's snickering that is conveniently getting louder and louder every passing second. "What? I can't get my hair done once in a while? For your information, this is Patty's hard work."
Next to him, Patty cheerfully waves at Karol and Rita, looking blissful. "Aye! Yuri's hair is so silky—you guys ought to try it too!"
Too? Yuri's eyes widen—
"Careful, Patty," Karol shakily says, another onslaught of laughter coming. "I might really take you up on that!" He bursts into newfound laughter.
Watching him grimly, Yuri thinks maybe he should at least ban people from using hair bows on him if it means some peace and quiet. He has memories of fistfighting with Flynn just to ensure some of that aforementioned peace and quiet with some of his pride left intact. Hair bows are instigators of chaos, it seems.
"What's going on?" Judith asks curiously, rounding from a corner with Estelle in tow.
"We heard a lot of laughing... Is Karol all right?" Estelle worriedly inquires.
Rita simply points to Yuri.
The girls look at him.
He actually squirms a little at the amused look Judith gives him, and pales when Estelle squeals, " Oh my — Yuri, that's so cute!" She runs up to him with bright eyes, clasping her hands together. He has to lean back and resist the urge to shield his eyes from the radiance her excitement is emitting. Estelle wears her heart on her sleeve so much, Yuri has come to realize. "These bows look so fitting on you! Why, I'm almost envious!" (At this point, Karol has to kneel down and wrap his arms around his stomach to support himself as his laughter continues, but finally stops when Rita punches him.)
"If you'd like, I could do your hair next, Estelle!" Patty cheekily offers, grinning broadly. "I have extra bows!"
Estelle vigorously turns to her, very piqued. "Oh! So you did this, Patty?"
She and Patty soon engage into a deep discussion about hair braiding styles, so Yuri quietly stands up to sneak away…
"Ah, ah," Judith scolds lightly, smacking his hands away from the hair bows. She accompanies him as Yuri rounds a corner away from everyone. "Don't take them off so soon, or else Patty will be sad. Keep them on for today."
"Today, as in: until midnight, after dinner?" he asks grimly, wondering where Flynn is. Yuri can handle Karol laughing his ass off at him. Karol is still a kid, after all—but not Flynn, and Flynn would totally laugh. That asshole.
His suffering must've been obvious, because Judith starts looking sympathetic even though Yuri can still make out a hint of amusement in the upward tilt of her lips. "Okay, how about until before dinner starts? I think Patty would appreciate seeing you walk around the ship like this, that she won't mind if you took them off by then."
Yuri doesn't mind people playing with his hair, but keeping the hairstyle up for several hours seems to be a whole different issue entirely. Not to mention, he reeeeeally doesn’t want to deal with an upset Patty either… "Yeah, fine," he concedes, resignedly. The things he does for people these days. Ugh.
Judith smiles amusedly, pumping up one fist. "That's the spirit. Go show the world your cute hair bows!" She gives him a friendly pat on the shoulder before trotting off somewhere, but Yuri knows this is the calm before the storm.
He is 100% correct, simply because he runs into Flynn and Repede after spending an hour idly wandering the ship. Flynn and Repede are carrying a few sacks of... Actually, Yuri has no idea what those are. He wasn’t in charge of shopping this time.
Flynn dumbly blinks at him, halting.
Repede also stops.
They both stare at him.
Yuri says nothing.
"..."
Silence.
Silence.
Repede snorts in amusement.
Silence.
"...Embracing your feminine side?" Flynn casually asks.
"What, this?" Yuri ignores another snort from Repede, tugging at one braid. "This... is all the rage. Patty did it for me."
Eyebrow arched, Flynn shares a look with Repede. "Oh, yes. That explains everything. I had thought for a moment you had decided to put our accessories to good use."
"Hey, I'm not touching those," Yuri says firmly, shaking his head. What is he going to do with fake angel wings, or weird glasses with funny eyes printed on the lenses, or those odd straw masks that are three times the size of his head, or even those fake mustaches? "These are from Patty's personal collection. They aren't that bad."
"Whatever you say," Flynn replies, smirking amusedly. This bastard. Flynn resumes walking, Repede trailing with him. Out of spite, Yuri also follows. "Am I the first to witness your stunning image change?"
Frowning at the gibe, Yuri counts with his fingers. "Let's see... Patty, Rita, Karol, Judy, and Estelle... Five, not counting you or Repede." (He hopes Raven is still taking his nap.)
"Ah, so almost the whole ship is aware." Gee, way to rub it in, Flynn. "This brings me back to when I accidentally tugged your hair when we were kids. I really thought it was fake until you told me you were growing it out."
"Even after two decades, my scalp still hurts," Yuri deadpans.
"I said I was sorry!" Yeah, right. The bastard doesn't even look apologetic. "I learned my lesson," Flynn adds, patiently. "Back when Lady Estellise and I first became acquainted, she sometimes had me help with her hair."
Yuri almost snorts. " You , helping with a princess' hair? Thought you're too clumsy for that."
"You think I didn't try telling her that?" Flynn dryly retorts. But soon after, he softens and looks fond. "She let me comb her hair, but even then, I didn't feel like I was suited for it. Still, I kept at it because I noticed Lady Estellise just really wanted a friend."
Yuri raises an eyebrow. "Did she not have friends or something?"
Flynn gives him a scolding look. "Apparently not. She was always by herself at the castle. The guards would accompany her if she were ever in the gardens, but they leave her alone when she goes to the royal library. If I had to peg a guess, it seemed like her safe haven there."
Come to think of it, Yuri does remember Estelle admitting to feeling lonely at the castle, back when she gave him her mother's memento to hold onto at Mantaic. That might have been her only connection to anyone. Maybe that's why she clung so much to the idea of reaching Flynn when Yuri first met her. He never really thought about it before: to grow up in the lap of luxury, yet also being friendless. It seems kinda sad, especially for someone like Estelle.
"Yuri—" Flynn lightly bumps a shoulder into him. "—don't tell Lady Estellise you know this, okay? She's finally happy being here with everyone. I'd rather not dampen her spirit."
"'Course I won't," he reassures, waving a hand dismissively. "I'd be heartless to trample on a young maiden's heart, or however Raven would word that."
“Thank you.” Flynn, still not used to Raven's identity, scrunches his face before using his shoulder to push open the door to the kitchen. "Well, I'll see you later then. I volunteered to make lunch today, and I think I'm on the path of discovering a new flavor!"
Belatedly, Yuri widens his eyes at the apron Flynn has been wearing this whole time. Those sacks he's been carrying with Repede must be the flour they restocked recently! Standing outside the kitchen, Yuri watches the door swing to an ominous close. There are some bangs and other concerning noises as Repede occasionally howls among the chaos, sounding apprehensive.
Oh, god.
Oh, god .
Today, Yuri decides, is possibly one of his worst days—and he's not referring to Karol laughing at his hair bows either.
.
.
ii.
"Aren't you hot at all, Yuri?" Karol wearily asks, fanning himself with a hand.
Yuri opens the inn door for the both of them. "Yeah, a little—but I can manage. It's not the first time we came to Mantaic, Karol."
They exit the inn, making their way back to everyone waiting by the lake. The guards who are always stationed here in Mantaic ignore them with polite indifference, but Yuri knows he’s still being watched. It's to be expected from an ex-criminal, he supposes. Karol starts whining about the hot weather again, and Yuri calls him out for taking on too much Brave Vesperia work. All these fetch quests are burning the poor kid out.
"It'd be good for you to take a break once in a while, y'know,” Yuri advises.
"But Brave Vesperia—"
Yuri attempts to look stern. "Break. Now."
"But—"
"Now."
Karol pouts as they return to everyone. Sometimes, Yuri has to remind himself that this is his boss, his twelve year-old boss.
Estelle, who had been standing the closest, curiously looks at them. "Is everything all right?"
"Yeah," answers Yuri, gesturing to Karol with a thumb. "It's just that Captain Karol won't act his age when I tell him to take a break."
"I'm fine!" Karol insists persistently, fanning himself again. "It's just a little hot, is all. I don't get how Yuri can take the heat so well with his hair down like that!"
Estelle softens. "It would be good to take a break. I don't think anyone will take it badly because we all know how hard you work, Karol."
"I second the lovely maiden!" Raven butts in, having been spectating. "My poor joints are all cracky and loud. You're still a young'un, so y'should take plenty of rest to avoid turning out like me, kiddo. Trust me, a sore back is the last thing y'need weighing ya down."
Judith, who had been sitting with Rita and Flynn under the shade of a tree, suggests, "How about we all go to Yumanju? I can't think of a better place to take a break."
"We do still have those lifetime passes," mentions Rita, thoughtfully. "After all the money we sacrificed and the hard work we did for their staff, I think we could afford to use them from time to time."
Estelle enthusiastically advocates the idea and even offers to give Rita a soothing massage after their bath. Judith asks for one as well, making Estelle perk happily, but Raven gets a fireball to the face from Rita for asking the same. Yuri loses track of the conversation by then, but he is the one to herd everyone back to the ship where Patty had been standing guard, and he is also present when Ba'ul lands in front of Yumanju twenty minutes later.
Karol had lost to Rita in a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, so the girls are enjoying the hot springs first. As much as Yuri wants to nap—because the girls take so criminally long—he has the (dis)honor of babysitting Raven while the staff cajoles Karol into free labor of mopping the whole building for them, and Flynn is loitering under pretenses of patrol. He normally doesn't give a damn what Raven does while they're at Yumanju, but Raven's blatant sexual harassment of Judith has been giving the guys a bad image. Yuri never cares what his reputation gets him banned from, but he'll care a little for the nice, relaxing hot springs.
"Hey, hey, don't stick too close," Raven complains, making a shooing gesture. "I ain't gonna peek this time!"
Yuri gives him a flat look. " 'This time?' ”
Raven quickly clicks his tongue, then says innocently, "I mean, I wasn't gonna peek at all . The steam's gettin' to my head. I think this old man needs to lie down."
"Then lie down," Yuri rolls his eyes. "Wouldn't want you accidentally dislocating a joint, Grandpa."
If anything, Raven looks more scandalized at being called Grandpa. "Woah there, son! I'm a little offended here!"
"I'm just worried about you, Grandpa. You said so yourself that your joints are pretty sensitive. Am I not supposed to care for the elderly?"
Raven opens his mouth, raises a finger in the air, pauses, says nothing, closes his mouth, and puts his hand down.
Yuri beams at him.
"’kay," Raven sulks, "but I really was gonna lie down."
"Go ahead."
"I'm doing it." As if to make some point, Raven starts to kneel down very slowly.
"Alright."
"Slowly..."
"Okay."
" Slooowly ..."
"Mhm."
Raven randomly points behind Yuri. "Oh, look! Flynn is tap dancin' over yonder!"
Yuri snorts. Flynn can’t dance even if it’s a life or death situation. "Nice try."
"What if I said he's waltzin' instead?"
"Worse."
"..." Raven looks as if he’s trying to find more excuses to make Yuri look away—
"Look, Estelle. This is an idiot in his natural habitat. Make sure you recognize his traits, that which being: sleaziness and pervertedness—"
Blinking, Yuri looks over his shoulder to see Estelle attentively watching Rita gesturing to Raven. Rita is donning her tank top and shorts, and Estelle is clad in a Yumanju-provided yukata. Judith and Patty are behind them, clad in similar yukatas. Finally , they're done.
"—Make sure you steer clear of his species," Rita is saying, to which Estelle nods. "He'll contaminate you if you're not careful."
Looking amused, Estelle is about to say something, but Raven cuts in with, "Hey, hey! Do y'all enjoy bullying your elders like this?!"
"No." Rita sneers, approaching him slowly. "Just you, you sleazebag."
Raven blanches, then takes off immediately as she chases him into the massage room. Yuri hears, I bet you were fantasizing about Judith again! , and a shrill scream, and then he entertains the thought of their party count permanently decreasing down by one. (The Schwann Brigade would be devastated.)
Silence.
Judith is the first to speak up, saying something about helping out at the souvenir area again before happily walking away and waving at them in parting. Patty then excuses herself to go find Repede, so Yuri is left with Estelle, who seems enthralled by the chaos that just transpired.
"Okaaay," he says, to fill the silence. From his peripheral vision, he can see Rita casually dusting her hands as she leaves the massage room. "Well then, I think I'll go in next since you girls are done now."
Estelle smiles, humored. "All right. I can tell you're worn out."
"I was Raven Watching," he reports, laughingly, "which is a separate job on its own."
She faces him and laughs, and Yuri notices something green in her hair.
"You're wearing it." He nods his chin towards her mother's memento, neatly pinning some of her hair back. "Does that mean you finally reevaluated yourself?"
A pause, then Estelle replies, "I have. When you first told me that, I felt a little lost. It was like you saw something in me that I couldn't see for myself. I thought long and hard for a while—but I think I felt more lost the harder I dwelled on it."
"So you lost sight of yourself," he surmises.
She nods, solemnly. "I suppose that made it easy for Alexei to use me like he did. ‘How could I fight against him when I was still fighting with myself?’ It hurt when that occurred to me."
He frowns. "But in the end, you broke free—and now you're here. Give yourself a little more credit."
"It's so you to say that, Yuri," she says fondly with a small smile. "Even when you've felt lost, you never let it get to you. You just kept on going, despite the obstacles you've met."
Yuri thinks back to his knight days: thinks of losing Captain Niren, thinks of unwillingly killing Repede's father, thinks of how wrong Estelle is because he's human too. He's felt angry before; unsure, sad, indignant. Lost. It was one hell of a ride.
"I've had my moments," he begins, almost nostalgically, "but remembering that I'm still alive is what keeps me going."
"Yes..." she agrees, distractedly. "My mother and father couldn't live long enough to watch me grow, but that is also why I must live. I don't want to waste the life they died giving me." She gently brushes the memento with her hand. "But of course, it was hard to do that on my own. It wasn't until after I started this journey that I was finally starting to feel... feel alive . Even though I had struggled to find answers for myself, I didn't want to give up this time. When I saw Karol trying to protect us all that day in Zopheir, I wanted to have that kind of bravery too."
"Don't we all?" he jests lightly.
Smiling, she resumes, "But you know... I think it was finally clear to me when you and everyone else came to my rescue. When you showed me this—" Estelle gestures to the hairpin. "—during our battle, I felt something in me stir. It was like the answer was always there, but I failed to notice it because I was clouded by my doubts." Her eyes close for a moment. "I won't waver this time, Yuri. I think I finally understand what it was you were trying to tell me that day, when you wanted to hold onto my mother's gift for me. Although I'm no longer lonely, I'll wear this pin because it's important to me. I won't be clinging to the past this way, because this is my mother's gift to me and I should treasure gifts, right?"
"Right," Yuri smiles. She has definitely come far from the sheltered princess he first met, the same one who didn’t know what a high five is or that chefs taste-test their own food. "Attagirl! I better not be seeing you go back on that now."
"You won't!" she promises, pumping up her fists stubbornly. As he laughs, she scrutinizes him.
He curiously regards her. "Is there something on me?"
"No…" she replies, trailing. "I just can't get used to the outfit you wear whenever we come here."
Oh, not again. He rolls his eyes for the umpteenth time. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone found something to complain about when I first wore it."
Her cheeks pinken. "I-I’m not complaining ! At least tie your hair up before you enter the hot springs, Yuri," she chides, embarrassedly. "I have an extra hair tie I lent Patty. Or would you rather prefer the hairpins Judith wears? Although, I don't have those with me..."
"...I'll take the hair tie," he answers resignedly. He’s going to tie his hair up anyway before getting into the water, so he might as well let her have her way.
"I'll tie it for you!” she volunteers, helpfully circling behind him.
Yuri patiently stands still for her, feeling her separating his hair into two sections—
“No pigtails,” he casually says.
She whines disappointedly, quietly regathering his hair into one section, the end tips brushing against his neck as she fashions a ponytail for him. “Oh, don’t be a spoilsport,” she sighs. “Pigtails would look cute with your kind of hair length.”
He turns around and gives her a look. “You must’ve been confusing me for Karol. I don’t think ‘cute’ suits me.”
"But you let Patty give you braids! The bows were so cute !"
"Estelle, please."
"No, Yuri," she is saying, as if she hadn't listened to him, "Your hair is ideal for pigtails. They would look so cute with Patty's hair bows."
He snorts, amused. "Is 'cute' supposed to be the trigger word for something?"
“Consider it my revenge,” Estelle smugly replies, “for the time you explicitly said I can’t be sexy.”
She’s rather vindictive for a princess. “You’re still not sexy, by the way.”
As she gasps indignantly, Yuri proceeds to walk away towards the men's dressing room, lazily raising up a hand in his departure. He doesn’t even have to look to know she’s sulking. She's pouting and scowling at him: like when he jump-scares her, like when she scolds him to tone his snark down, like when she gets scared that something bad might've happened to him.
Cute , he thinks.
.
.
iii.
"Look at 'em," he hears Raven mutter to his accomplice, somewhere at the middle of their camp site. "Their flow is so natural, I'm jealous."
Yuri quietly takes a few slices of bread, stacking them neatly to hand Estelle, who is seated next to him on the grass. Estelle happily takes the bread slices to set on a clean handkerchief, placing lettuce, tomatoes, and eggs in between. Taking a knife, she also cuts off the crusts before carefully slicing diagonally to make the sandwiches triangle-shaped. It's her turn to cook lunch today, and she wants him to see her 'amazing' progress of mastering sandwiches.
"I dunno about being jealous," whispers Karol, obliviously, "but I agree. They've always worked well together."
"Weren't ya traveling with 'em longer than I have?" Raven whispers back.
"Yeah? If I remember right, it was just them before I came along. Oh, and Repede—"
"Golly, I knew there was somethin' was goin' on."
"I dunno. I remember he said something about her having a crush on Flynn."
" P-Preposterous ! A triangle—"
As Karol desperately shushes Raven, Yuri briefly wonders why he's cursed to be around so many nosy people.
"Here you go, Yuri!" Estelle presents to him a clean-cut sandwich, looking very hopeful. "I know the original recipe said bread and eggs, but I wanted to add something healthier and nutritional. Try it for me?"
"Sure, Estelle." He accepts her experiment, taking a tentative bite and swallowing. Luckily, no one here is worse than Flynn at cooking. "Tastes great. The lettuce and tomatoes seem to balance out the eggs. I guess we can call this the modified Salad Sandwich now."
"I wanted to add a slice or two of ham," she mentions offhandedly. "Maybe I'll try that next time. Would you taste-test again for me?"
He's about to answer—
"Oooh, lucky. I wish Judith darlin' would cook for me …" Raven sulks, grumbling softly.
"No, I don't think she will," whispers Karol, innocently.
"Precisely why Yuri's so lucky."
"I don't think he'd want to help you cook either, though."
"Not that!!"
" Shhhh !"
The only reason Yuri hasn't called them out yet is because it's a waste of energy. It's a shame that Rita went shopping for books. "Yeah, I'm fine with that." He smiles at Estelle, blatantly ignoring the peanut gallery.
"Oh, wonderful!" She looks relieved. "I'm grateful I can always count on you."
"Happy to help, Estelle," he replies, sincerely.
She nods. "Thank you. It's nice that I don't have to worry about gossip when I'm with you—" Estelle casually raises her voice. "—but I would just like to clarify that I don't have a crush on Flynn."
Karol suddenly yelps and tumbles off the log he's been sitting on, his back landing on the grass while Raven is sputtering incoherently.
Recovering first, Raven clears his throat nonchalantly. "I take it we were bein' loud?"
"Yeah," Yuri answers, sighing. It's a good thing Flynn is shopping with everyone else at the nearest town for supplies. In truth, Estelle had to settle with sandwiches since they were running low on ingredients again. "Would it kill you guys to talk about something else?"
"But we’re bored !" Raven argues, as if it justifies everything. Karol nods supportively, dusting grass off his head. "All there's left for entertainment here are you two young'uns making sandwiches like yer married! Right in front of our eyes! Can ya blame us?"
How come everyone keeps assuming they're married?! Yuri tiredly asks, "Then why didn't you go with everyone else to town?"
"I didn't wanna walk," Raven says simply. (But Yuri still notices the way he briefly clutches at his heart, as if fatigued.)
Karol averts his eyes, pressing his fingers together awkwardly. "...I heard the Hunting Blades were spotted around that area."
Okay. Karol, he understands. "And you have the audacity to act defensive when I call you ‘Grandpa?’" Yuri says to Raven, sardonically.
Grandpa simpers slyly. "Hey, at least ya kids have a chaperone now."
"A chaperone ? I'm of legal age!" Yuri feels resigned. "But whatever. Do whatever you want, Gramps." He collects a few more slices of bread to give Estelle.
She takes them, immediately working. "Perhaps if you're that bored, you two could take a walk?" she says, conversationally. "It's a lovely day, after all."
"Yeah, go take a walk so that you can stay in shape, Gramps."
"Yuri!" Estelle scolds.
Yuri shrugs. "What? It's true anyway."
"Still."
"Would you rather them gossip?"
"N-No, of course not! But…"
"But nothing. You should tell them straight up if you don't like something, especially to Gramps."
"Name-calling is not nice!"
Yuri simpers. "Hey, just some harmless retribution. You don't see me calling Karol anything different."
"But Raven is older than us," she argues, "so we should show some respect."
Incredulously, Yuri blinks. "Respect? Estelle, he's the only one you don't high-five!" (“Yeah!” Raven agrees, pouting.)
"That's because he wants a hug , not a high-five!" Her cheeks pinken. "Hugs are… a little more intimate."
Yuri feigns contemplation, casually cupping his chin. "Then what was that hug you gave me all about? You know, the one in Za—"
"I-I was overwhelmed with happiness when I saw you were still alive!" explains Estelle, embarrassedly. Her face is red, and the bread slices lay forgotten. She pointedly avoids his eyes.
This time, he feigns obliviousness. "Even though you've ‘ always’ believed I was still alive?"
"Stop it, Yuri!" she shrieks.
"See? You were loud and clear just now. Why can't you tell Gramps and Karol to stop like that?"
"Because—" Estelle immediately stops, clamping her lips tightly.
"Because…?" he echoes, raising a hand to his ear.
Silence.
Silence.
( "Tension ," Raven whispers softly. Karol elbows him.)
Silence.
"...I don't know," she murmurs dimly, as if defeated.
Yuri is not blind. He's noticed it all: the way that she is the heart of their ragtag group, the honesty she always speaks with towards him, the tenderlike smiles, the way she sticks around him more than the others, the trust she has in him despite the murder his hands are stained with, the way she insists on being addressed as Estelle rather than Estellise , the way he can just quietly hand her something and she'd take it understandingly, the way she tightly clings to him when they hug—
Maybe he's been a little in love too.
So he says, "Don't think too hard. That's bad for you."
"Yes, well, while I've reconciled some of my issues, there are still other things I haven't touched on yet," she replies absently. She finally remembers about the sandwiches, laying each bread slice neatly. She takes some of the lettuce, looking down. “I’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Take your time,” he tells her. “Treat this journey as your self-reflection time, if you will. I mean, you already thought hard enough to want to live in Halure.”
“Yes…” Estelle softens her eyes. “I’ve thought about too many things while I’ve been with everyone here thus far, but I think I couldn't have made it this far without your encouragement, Yuri. You’ve been an inspiration to me, that much I can admit.”
He smiles fondly. He isn’t sure if he truly deserves so much credit, but this is Estelle—and Estelle is always genuine. Her heart bleeds kindness, and Yuri hardly sees that anymore these days. It reminds him that the world isn’t so hopeless with people like her. “Hey, easy there with the compliments, all right? That’s what traveling together is all about: you learn from each other, and you pick each other back up. On the field, we’re all equals—and I trust you to have my back, Estelle. You’re an inspiration too, so don’t overlook yourself.”
She looks so happy. “Right. I’ll try to remember that.”
He nods, watching her set up another sandwich—
“I think I’ll take this to-go!” Raven announces unnecessarily, suddenly approaching them, swiping two sandwiches, and walking away while dragging Karol by his collar. “C’mon, kiddo. You n’ me are gonna take that walk, far away from this sugary sight. Anymore n’ I might feel jealous and wistful for Judy. By golly, how I envy the youthful!”
“Ew, gross! And don’t crush my sandwich!” Karol complains, his voice fading as Raven grumpily drags him somewhere into the forest.
Silence.
After watching them wander off, Yuri and Estelle share a look before laughing. She goes back to making sandwiches, and Yuri watches with a smile. They stay like that until Flynn and the others come back from shopping.
.
.
iv.
“What’s with all the ruckus?” he asks tiredly, running a hand through his hair.
Karol notices him first and regards Yuri with a grim look. “Oh, nothing. Just Rita beating up Raven again. He accidentally walked in on her changing, from what I heard.”
“Yikes,” Yuri cringes, offering a prayer—
“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT , LASS!!!” Raven cries, sprinting past them to avoid a giant fireball. “IF I WERE TO PEEP ON ANYONE, ANYONE AT ALL, IT WOULD NOT BE YOU —”
“ DIE!!! ” Rita screeches venomously, somehow keeping up with him at great speed. Holding her tome in one hand, she chants another incantation before the two of them round the corner, then a shrill scream could be heard as something explodes. From that exact spot, a steady stream of smoke could be seen in the sky.
“...” Yuri kindly offers two prayers for Raven and decides to not complain about his nap being interrupted. He supposes this leaves him the afternoon to do anything he wants before Ba’ul drops off Estelle, Rita, and Flynn at Zaphias. Patty was already dropped off to where her ship was parked at, so it’s quieter without her around. Yuri liked her company enough to not be bored at least. “I’m going to check on Estelle,” he tells Karol, who simply nods and wanders off to assess the carnage Rita committed.
He finds her at the opposite end of the ship. She’s seated at a crate, polishing her mother’s memento on her lap.
“Yuri,” Estelle greets warmly. Then, her eyes drift upward to his head before smiling amusedly. “I take it that you were napping?”
Grimacing, Yuri asks, “I have bed hair, don’t I?” She nods, and he sighs before sitting next to her and trying to fix his hair. “I blame Raven. You saw how he was running and screaming.”
“That, I did,” she confirms, laughingly. She goes back to polishing her hairpin. “But that’s what makes it so lively here.”
“The chaos?” he deadpans.
Estelle nods, her smile dimming a little. “I’m going to miss it. Once Flynn, Rita, and I get dropped off at Zaphias, then you, Karol, and Raven at Dahngrest, our journey will really be over…”
He leans back on his hands, eyeing the clouds. “C’mon, let’s not sound so depressed! It’s not like we won’t ever see each other again.”
“Yes, but we won’t be on an adventure anymore!” she whines, pouting. “ That’s supposed to be the fun part. I never did enjoy those official meetings back home. They were so stuffy…”
“Your rebelliousness is showing again, Your Highness,” he jests.
She gives him a look. “Anyway, I’m thinking of making a detour to Halure first after Flynn and Rita get dropped off. If I’m going to live there, then I think I should find a suitable home first before making a concrete plan.”
“House-hunting, huh? Fun,” he comments. “I’d like to stick around to see what your taste in homes is like, but I also want to be there for Karol. He said he wanted to get things all set up for Brave Vesperia as soon as possible.”
“Sounds like we’ll both be busy,” she remarks offhandedly, staring at her hairpin. “I wonder if we can all at least meet up once in a while—just to catch up, you know?”
“We will,” he says, certain. “Besides, the commute time will only be a couple of minutes with Ba’ul anyway.” After a beat, he adds, “If you ever want to meet up, just let us know. Karol and Judy would definitely agree to it.”
She is quiet, then, “And you?”
He pokes her forehead. “Of course I’d come.”
Rubbing her forehead, Estelle laughs. “What if you’re busy?”
“Then I’ll come whenever I’m done with whatever I’m busy with.”
“What if...” She tries to think of something to retort.
“You should probably talk to Judy about that detour,” he says, noticing the familiar landscape, “since we’re getting closer to Halure right now.”
Estelle stirs, standing up to take a peek at the scenery. “O-Oh, I didn’t notice! I guess I should go then…” She then pauses, looking thoughtful about something. “Yuri.”
“Yeah?”
“Could I have a goodbye hug?” she asks timidly. He blinks. “S-Since I won’t be seeing you for a while! Um, it’s okay if you don’t—”
Yuri stifles a laugh, amused. Standing up from the crate, he opens his arms with a broad smile. “C’mon, I might as well let the princess have her hug before she leaves the nest, right?”
She pouts indignantly, but still embraces him nonetheless. He gently pats her back as her arms tighten around him, her fists balling up the back of his shirt. She says softly, “I think I already ‘left the nest’ a long time ago, so to speak.”
Knowingly, Yuri smiles. “You mean, back when you almost smashed a vase on my head? Or when you made me repair Flynn’s broken door even though we were sneaking out the castle while being chased? Or—"
Flushing, Estelle lightly shoves him away, breaking their hug and pointedly avoiding his eyes. “I think I’ll go talk to Judith now,” she declares, embarrassedly scurrying away. "GoodluckwithBraveVesperiawork!"
Watching her leave, he snorts, sits back down, and stares at the spot she was sitting at.
Even though she’s changed, Estelle will always be Estelle—and for that, Yuri thinks it’s easy to not notice when exactly he falls in love with her. Simply because he has been for a while now.
.
.
v.
“A deadline?” He raises an eyebrow, sipping the tea she prepared for him. On the floor beside his feet, Repede softly snores as he naps. “You even have those now?”
Estelle nods from her desk, her hands holding up piles of paper. “I figured giving myself deadlines would motivate me to finish my work more efficiently.”
“But…?” Yuri trails knowingly.
She averts her eyes sheepishly. “But I didn’t know that would only stress me out more since I keep changing my manuscript…”
“Then get rid of the deadline—problem solved!”
“But I want to work more professionally!” she whines. “For writers like me, it’s important when starting out!”
Yuri gives her a flat look. “Estelle… You look like you hardly slept for a week. Look, your hair ribbon is even crooked.”
Despite her embarrassment, she refuses to put her papers down. “Just a little longer, Yuri. I already revised these parts, so I just need to look over this half. The pile’s not even that big!”
He wonders if he picked the wrong day to visit her. She did, after all, complain that he should drop by more often—yet, here they are: Yuri casually sipping tea on her sofa during his day off while Estelle is drowning in work because of a self-imposed deadline. Man, being a writer seems hard. He thought all they had to do was write words on paper. “Keep it up and I might start calling you Princess Eye Bags.”
Estelle looks at him, pausing her work and scrunching her face. “I’m sorry, but that name sounds terrible.”
Leaning back on her sofa, he smiles radiantly. “And if you don’t stop working, I’ll keep calling you that.”
“...Is that a threat?” she asks, squinting at him.
“No,” he denies easily. “Just a consequence for your actions, Your Royal Sleep-Deprived Highness.”
Looking unamused, she turns back to her work. “I wish I could, Yuri, but I really need this part done while the idea is still fresh in my head. I promise I’ll rest after I look over these pages, okay?”
"I'll hold you to that, Princess Eye Bags." Crossing his legs, he glances at her clock. "Did you even eat lunch?"
"...No," she admits, scribbling something. "Not yet."
" 'Yet' being the keyword," Yuri quips, looking piteously at her. Decidedly, he sets down his teacup back on the coaster and stands up to head to her kitchen.
His footsteps make her look at him. "What are you doing?"
Checking her cupboards, he starts taking some ingredients, a jar of sauce, and a bag of pasta. "Um, making whatever the word is for lunch and dinner?" (Linner? Dunch?)
She widens her eyes. "Yuri, you don't have to—"
"I'm bored, Estelle," he casually replies, taking out a pot. "This'll keep me productive while you finish reading and fixing, like, thirty more pages."
" Ten more pages," she corrects, pouting. “Children’s books aren’t long like novels, but it still takes time putting the story together. Not to mention, the manuscript has to be finished anyway before I can add in illustrations.”
He whistles, awed. “It’s like you’re working three jobs simultaneously: princess, writer, and artist.”
“I like being involved! Even the mayor’s wife wants to see my manuscript when I finish it,” she replies, embarrassed. As Yuri sets up the pot on the stove with water, she goes back to work and adds, "Thank you, by the way. I've missed your cooking for a while now, actually."
He pries open the bag of pasta after borrowing her apron. "I thought you'd miss Judy's cooking more since she cooked the most."
Estelle sets a page aside, taking the next one to revise. "I miss her cooking too, but…"
"But…?" he echoes, opening the lid of the sauce jar. Judging from the fancy label, it looks like something she brought from the castle.
"But your cooking was the first time I ever ate something that tasted different."
His eyebrow arches. "'Different' as in 'bad?'" he jokes.
"No, no!" She scratches out a sentence. "It's hard to put it in words… I meant that I could tell that you put lots of care into your cooking."
He pauses. "Well, I did cook a lot for the others I grew up with. I didn't have much of a choice since only Flynn and I were old enough to be in the kitchen—and we both know what his cooking is like."
She laughs a little, moving onto the next page. "Still! You must've really adored those people for your food to taste so amazing!" After a beat, she teases, "Maybe half of it is natural talent, but the other half is from love! Didn't you say that was your secret ingredient anyway?"
"Woah, woah. A chef has his secrets, Estelle."
“Sorry,” she giggles, not apologetic at all.
Estelle eases back into her work and Yuri stays quiet to not disturb her. By the time she’s done, he prepares a plate of pasta for the two of them at her dining table. Beside them, Repede is lying on the floor, watching them idly.
“This isn’t fair!” Estelle bemoans after eating the first forkful of pasta.
Yuri blinks. “Wh—”
“This is so good,” she wails, twirling more pasta with her fork neatly. “Yuri, could you just… be my personal chef? I'll pay you!”
He amusedly smiles as Repede snorts. “Don’t you already have a whole kitchen staff waiting on you back in Zaphias?”
“Yes, but not here,” she pouts. “And while I’ve enjoyed the staff’s food, you have a knack with combining the spices and using the sauces I brought with me. I didn’t really know what to use them for, but I brought them anyway in case I felt like experimenting. Although, I have noticed my results turn out a little bland… This is not fair, Yuri!”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I can’t control how well you can master the culinary arts,” he apologizes politely. Then, he smiles. “On the bright side, you’re not at Flynn’s level of cooking experimentation, so that’s gotta count for something .” It’s a shame that Flynn and bad cooking cannot be reconciled. Then again, it may have been Yuri’s fault for giving Flynn the idea to try experimenting in the first place… This may, perhaps, be his biggest crime ever. Ever .
“...I don’t know if I should be glad or a little insulted,” admits Estelle.
“I think you’d hurt Flynn’s feelings for saying that,” he replies, amused. He resumes eating his own share of pasta. “I made enough to have leftovers, so eat them tomorrow, ‘kay?”
“Oh, right: you’re leaving soon,” she realizes, softly. “I will. Thank you for dropping by, Yuri.”
At her tone, he softens his eyes. “Don’t mention it. I told you I would, Estelle.”
“You and Repede are always welcomed here,” she says warmly.
“Now, if only the hostess didn’t neglect us for her work…” Yuri trails, feigning hurt.
Face pink, she stares at her pasta. “...What if I let you do whatever you want next time you come over? I won’t do any work and accompany you!”
He feels intrigued. “Whatever I want to do, huh? Tempting. I’ll consider it.”
“As long as it doesn’t break the law,” she adds, suspiciously eyeing him.
He smiles brightly. “Duly noted, Princess Eye Bags!”
“ Yuri!! ”
.
.
vi.
Sitting on a branch of a nearby tree, he watches Estelle read her story aloud to some of the Halure children. She is smiling warmly and narrating with enthusiasm, then she is pouting and scolding a little boy in the crowd for commenting on her illustrations. Yuri knows she is having fun, so he sits there and watches her from afar; watches the gestures of her fingers, the way she turns each page with care, the way she patiently answers any questions the children ask.
By now, Yuri has long accepted these feelings for her. He left them alone for a while, and now they’ve settled firmly.
It fills him with bittersweetness.
He’s certainly no remarkable guy, but he’s not low enough to be a scumbag either: Yuri knows how to say his pleases and thank yous ; knows how to help others, how to cook, how to do basic chores, how to fight—but he never really had a definite, solid plan for his life. He’s just tired of the shitty way society’s being run; how the law is still imperfect, how ‘justice’ still seems like a pipe dream. There’s no way he’d want to stay and see the train wreck it could cause, but it’s through those sorts of things that this is how he first met Estelle. It reminds him that he’s from one side of the coin, and she the other. If he hadn’t been jailed that day, perhaps they never would’ve met? He wouldn’t have been able to make the suggestion to go to Halure to look for Flynn, nor would she make the decision to live here—
“Wow, you sure look pensive.”
Yuri flickers a glance down. “A guy can’t think about things once in a while, Judy?”
Judith smiles, her hands clasped behind her back. “By all means, go ahead. I was more intrigued from the direction you’re pensively staring towards, Mister Obvious.”
He flatly looks at her. “How else do I keep watch if I don’t watch ?”
Leaning against the tree, she looks up and regards him with quiet amusement in her eyes. “I don’t recall it was in our job requirement to watch Estelle . We’re here to ask the mayor about information he has about the monsters we’re hunting nearby.”
“I know,” he replies, rolling his eyes. He shifts his position on the tree branch, letting one of his legs swing lazily. “But since our fearless leader is still discussing it with him, I might as well find something to do to kill time.”
“Which is to stare at our favorite princess?” Judith offers, innocently.
Yuri grimaces. “Judy…”
“So,” she replies, ignoring him, “what were you being so pensive about?” Then, she adds teasingly, “I already took a walk, so I might as well kill time by lending an ear.”
He takes another glance. Estelle is watching the children happily as she lets them flip through her book. “Things would’ve been very different if I hadn’t met Estelle.” Judith is quiet. “Made me start wondering how different life would’ve been, that’s all.”
“It would certainly be no fun without her,” she says gently. Judith stares at the sky, raising a hand to cradle some of the floating petals. “I’d say she was the heart of our group. I’ve never witnessed someone with such strong conviction until I met her. She’s a very sweet girl.”
“You mean stubborn,” he mutters.
Judith gives a small giggle. “That too, but it’s because of her stubbornness that our journey made so much progress! I’d be lying if I said I’ve been on more exciting journeys than the one I went on with you guys. That was probably the peak of my life!”
“Please, Judy,” he dryly says. “You caused a fair amount of trouble too, especially with Rita.”
“Well, everything’s fine now, so let’s not dwell on that anymore!” she cheerfully replies, pumping up a fist. “Is that really all you’ve been thinking about?”
Yuri shrugs. “Yeah. Why?”
Judith taps her chin thoughtfully. “Nothing. Just curious.”
“Coming from you, that worries me,” Yuri remarks, blasé.
She smiles pleasantly. “If I were you, I’d be more worried about the flowers Estelle just got from those little boys.”
“I’m guessing I’ll still be confused if I ask what that entails.”
“You should be jealous that boys are vying for her attention.”
He sighs, unfazed. “Are you that bored?”
“Yes,” she admits shamelessly, simpering. “But I suppose you got lucky this time. I see Karol coming over, so let’s get going.”
Leaping off the tree branch, Yuri shakes his head at her. He is about to walk with Judith to meet Karol—
“Yuri? I didn’t know you were here!”
Judith gives him a knowing look before resuming the walk towards Karol. Grimacing at her back, Yuri quickly turns around and greets with a smile, “Hey, Estelle. I was just about to leave, actually.”
Estelle looks a little disappointed, clutching her book to her chest while her other hand holds a fistful of handpicked flowers. “Oh, guild work then?”
Nodding, he says, “Monster hunting. Karol thought it was a good idea to get information from the mayor first before we started searching.” A beat of silence, then, “You seemed busy, so I didn’t say anything.”
She furrows her brows. “I wouldn’t have minded if you did. You know you’re always welcomed here, Yuri.”
“Wouldn’t want the kids glaring at me for interrupting story time,” he laughingly replies, but his eyes soften when she looks down and pouts, as if offended he didn’t come over to exchange greetings. “Hey, don’t look like that. You caught me, didn’t you?”
“And if I didn’t, you might’ve already left,” she sulks, grumpy.
He rubs the back of his neck, looking over his shoulder to see Judith and Karol watching him. Judith is amused and Karol is pointing to Halure's exit, as if to remind him of the time. “I’ll say hi next time then. After you’re done reading with them, ‘kay?”
She looks at Judith and Karol understandingly. “Okay. If you’re doing guild work, then I don’t mind. You must be in a hurry, so please don’t let me hold you up anymore.”
Estelle turns around to walk away—
“Wait,” Yuri calls out, suddenly.
Stopping, she curiously looks at him.
He balks.
Actually, he doesn’t know why he called out to her. It just happened .
Looking at her flowers, Yuri gently pries one of them from her hand—a cheery yellow one—and tucks it into her hair, behind her ear. Her hair is soft against his fingers. “At least wear one of them. They went through the trouble of picking these for you, after all.”
Estelle timidly averts her eyes. “I-I see… That makes sense. Thank you! Have a safe trip!”
“Will do!” He smiles and waves at her, making his way over to Judith and Karol. Judith teases him for making such a smooth save, but Yuri ignores her, only engaging with Karol about what information he got from the mayor. They are to go to the Quoi Woods and investigate a hidden area for their target, so they set off on foot for the short hike.
During the walk, Yuri sees those same flowers along the dirt path and thinks of how pretty they look when tucked in her hair.
.
.
vii.
Yuri sighs tiredly, leaning against the wall. It's barely been a few months, but the castle sure hasn't changed at all.
"Chin up," Flynn says next to him, looking amused. "I know you're supposed to be patrolling, but you could at least look like you're enjoying yourself while you're here."
Yuri gives him a flat look. " Enjoying myself ? I need to wear this outfit and walk around the whole night." He can't even talk with Judith or Karol for some company since they're all patrolling different areas. Flynn, on the other hand, makes a terrible chit-chat partner. He knows too much, and Yuri isn't in the mood to be teased.
"You even tied your hair up," Flynn goads, looking at Yuri's ponytail before composing himself. He idly looks at the mass of people wandering around. "Look, I know it must feel suffocating for you right now, Yuri—but remember, this is for Lady Estellise. It's her birthday, after all."
"Yeah, yeah," Yuri resignedly answers, a hand behind his nape. "That's why I got assigned the main room, right?" It's also technically a dance floor for those adventurous enough to dance, but there are also tables with chairs and tables with food set up towards the sides. Currently, Estelle is dancing with her cousin.
"Yes." Flynn smiles. "She really wanted you here."
Yuri clicks his tongue. "Flynn, I'm sure she can tell me that herself."
"She can, but I thought you should know anyway."
"I know you're a commandant, but meddling doesn't quite suit you."
"Who says I'm meddling?"
"Me."
Flynn rolls his eyes. "I'm merely keeping Lady Estellise's happiness in mind. I know you're not that much of a fool, Yuri."
"What does that have anything to do with this?" Yuri asks, dryly.
"A lot," Flynn retorts, getting ready to walk off. "Well, I'm off to check on Sodia and Judith's station. I’ll be back soon—but in the meantime, you ought to talk to Lady Estellise at least once, by the way."
As Flynn walks away, Yuri sulks. The bastard didn't need to say it like that .
He pushes himself off the wall to continue his patrol, diligently watching the room, then he starts wondering if his real job is to stop mobs of people pestering Estelle for a dance the more he watches her.
“Thank you, Yuri,” Estelle sighs, sounding weary. “While I’m not one to deny a dance when asked, I do think it was starting to pressure me a bit when they all came at me at once…”
Sympathetically, he replies, “No worries. Besides, my job tonight is to ward them off for you anyway.”
“My knight,” she jokes, giving him a onceover. “The outfit suits you better than I thought. I had them prepared for you, but I wasn’t sure if you’d like them.”
“I like them,” Yuri reassures her. The overall design of black and red and gold is rather nice to him. “I just need to get used to wearing them, is all. At least, that’s what Flynn told me.”
She nods, thoughtfully looking around the room before extending her hand to him. “Might I have this dance?”
He blinks, startled. “Uh, I don’t think I’m—”
“Not even for my birthday?” Estelle feigns disappointment, pretending to sigh sadly. She even lets her hand linger in the air dejectedly.
“...” His eyebrow twitches. “I can’t tell if I’m a good or bad influence on you,” he declares, accepting her hand reluctantly. Shifting into what he hopes to be the proper position, Yuri gently puts his other hand at her back.
Positioning her hand on his arm, she smiles teasingly. “They say you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, so I think I’m more worried about my feet being stepped on.”
“If you know your feet will get stepped on, then why did you ask me?”
She casually replies, “Because you haven’t talked to me at all until now.”
“So this was all some elaborate plan to corner me,” he remarks, beginning to lead. “But your concern is understandable. I suppose you’ll be the judge of my dancing tonight, Your Highness. Try not to score me so low, for I believe that my efforts are what matters more.”
“You’re doing great so far,” she compliments, face glowing. “Have you ever danced before?”
“Not really, but I did pick up some things while I was watching today.” He briefly twirls her. “Like this.”
“How charming,” Estelle softly teases. Her smile is so happy. “For a while, I had believed you’d be a clumsy dancer, but that was before I saw how nimble you are in battle. I’m pleasantly surprised.”
“Sorry,” he amusedly says, “I’m probably not as good as the other guys you’ve danced with tonight.”
“I don’t mind,” she gently admits, “because it’s you, Yuri.”
Something in his heart stirs at those words.
“...I see,” he replies, twirling her outward. When she twirls back in and he takes her hand again, his touch is careful and tentative and lets her palm sit in his. Her hand fits so achingly well. “I have a present for you, by the way.”
Estelle’s eyes widen a little. “For my birthday?”
He nods. “I’ll give it to you later—”
“No, I’d like it now!” she insists, then her face flushes embarrassedly. It briefly startles him. “I mean… I’m with you right now, so this’ll save you the trip back and forth to find me later!”
Resignedly, Yuri looks around the room. Fortunately for him, plenty of people are preoccupied with dancing or talking among themselves—but Flynn is right there, watching them with amusement. (When did that asshole come back anyway?) Nevertheless, he pauses their dance and reaches into his pocket for a thin, wrapped box to present her. He avoids her eyes as she curiously takes it.
“O-Oh…!” she gasps, prying the lid off to see the hairpin he got for her. “It’s… It’s so pretty…”
“...Happy birthday,” he lamely replies. “I saw it and thought it fits you.”
Estelle’s eyes soften. “It looks expensive, though.”
“Good thing I’ve made plenty of money through Brave Vesperia,” he weakly cracks.
“You… You used your guild earnings just to buy me this ?” She lifts the box for emphasis. The pink flower pin sitting inside glistens brightly under the chandelier light. “Yuri, I…”
“It’s your birthday,” he softly says. “You should get something nice for it, Estelle.”
She stares at the pin, her eyes full of something he cannot quite pinpoint. Taking off the hair clip she’d been wearing the whole night, she holds it in her hand and lets her hair fall to her shoulders. Exhaling sharply, she lifts the box to him and quietly asks, “Put it on me, please?”
He smiles, takes the pin, gently brushes her hair back, and inserts it behind her ear. Estelle lifts up a hand to brush her fingers across it, as if to feel it; as if to reassure herself that it’s not a dream. “See? I told you it fits y—”
She suddenly hugs him, burying her face into his chest. “Thank you,” she says, heartfelt.
Awkwardly, he pats her back gently. “Anytime.”
“It reminds me of back in Halure,” she murmurs.
Kindly, he says, “Flowers suit you. They’re as pretty as the girl who wears them.”
“Are you trying to indulge me?” She tilts her head up to squint at him.
Yuri smiles amusedly. “Only for today, Birthday Girl.”
She chortles, breaking their hug. Slipping her old hair clip into the gift box, she asks him, “Could we finish our dance then? I didn’t get to ‘evaluate’ your dancing yet.”
He fakes a polite bow, taking her hand again to resume leading. “If that’s what the birthday girl wants.”
Their dance continues. The whole time, the flower pin looks at home tucked in her hair. The whole time, no one comes up to ask her for a dance anymore. The whole time, Flynn watches and smiles at them. The whole time, Estelle beams at Yuri with genuinity in her eyes that he always remembers her for.
The whole time, Yuri knows she’s been in love with him too.
.
.
viii.
“ AH!! Wait, Estelle, it’s me!”
Estelle blinks, loosening the grip on the pencil she’d just weaponized. “O-Oh, I’m sorry, Karol! I thought you were an intruder…” Sheepishly, she puts her pencil down, closing her sketchbook. Yuri never knew she had one. “Please don’t sneak up on me like that, you guys…”
Looking pale, Karol pats his chest in relief. Yuri places a hand on his hip. “Sneaking up? We literally just walked right up to you.”
“But your shadows all hovered over me while I was looking down!” she whines, embarrassed. Clearing her throat, she asks instead, “Anyway, are you three here for guild work? Your last job was in Halure, if I recall correctly.”
“That was one of the other jobs we took on. This time, we’re doing a delivery job,” Judith helpfully says. “I usually come along for those since Ba’ul is needed for the commute. I’m glad I came along now, or else I would’ve missed you, Estelle. Were you at the castle for royal business?”
“Oh, not this time!” Estelle replies, shaking her head quickly. She lifts up her sketchbook, still seated on a bench. “I thought I could get inspiration here in the Citizen Quarter for the characters I have in mind for my next story. I was catching up with Rita before I came here, though.”
Yuri curiously extends his hand to take her sketchbook—
“Nooo!” She hugs it tightly to herself, hiding it from him.
He blinks. “I just wanted to take a peek…”
“No!” she rejects, imploringly. “I’m still working on them!”
“You’re going to include these drawings in the final product anyway, so I don’t see the harm—”
“ No !” Estelle insists, stubbornly.
Yuri raises an eyebrow. “...Are you hiding something in particular?”
“No!” she parrots again, hugging the sketchbook so tightly that he feels like it might rip in half eventually. “I just don’t want people to see it while it’s still incomplete, that’s all.”
“Says the one who lets the mayor’s wife look at her work-in-progress manuscripts,” he points out lazily.
She bristles embarrassedly. “That’s different…! She’s the mayor’s wife !”
“And what about us ?” Yuri asks, gesturing his hand out to his guild. “We’re your friends!”
Estelle pouts, sulking. She still doesn’t surrender her sketchbook, and Yuri is plain baffled.
“If you don’t want to share, then that’s okay,” Judith speaks up comfortingly. “It’s not like we’re artists ourselves anyway. I’ve personally enjoyed your previous book, so I know this new one will be just as great. I can manage without a sneak preview.”
“I kinda want to see it myself too…” Karol murmurs, then grunts when Judith lightly elbows him from behind. “I mean, yeah, Judith is right! It’s up to you to share or not. Don’t harass her about it, got it, Yuri?”
“I wasn’t harassing !”
“Her reaction begs to differ,” Judith pipes in, amused.
“Hey! Why’s everyone ganging up on me today?”
Guiltily looking between all three of them, Estelle meekly says, “I could show you… But only if it’s Judith!”
“Discrimination now?” Yuri dryly comments.
Estelle’s cheeks turn pink, standing up from her bench. “No! Because I’m more comfortable talking about this with her. Let’s go over there, Judith.”
Rolling his eyes, Yuri watches her and Judith occupy another bench away from him and Karol. When he looks at the back of Estelle’s head, he sees the flower pin he got for her birthday. The sight touches him a little, but he still has absolutely no idea what’s going on, and quite frankly, he isn’t in the mood to find out. He simply makes a suggestion to Karol that they should take a break and the two of them sit on the bench Estelle previously sat at, Yuri petting Repede’s head while Karol counts up the gald they earned today. It was a busy morning, but now it’s a slow afternoon.
Eventually, Judith wanders back to them, smiling to herself. Yuri, from experience, knows it’s not something he should ask. “I’m back!”
Karol, though, is not that sensible. “What did you talk about?”
“A secret between girls,” Judith answers, winking with a finger in front of her lips.
Then, Yuri feels her eyes on him in a contemplative manner. “Something you wanna ask me, Judy?”
Judith continues to smile. In the distance, Estelle is sitting on the bench by herself, fidgeting with the spine of her sketchbook. “Oh, no questions from me! I was just trying to imagine you with short hair, is all.” Yuri is confused, but all Judith does is happily clasp her hands together. “Now then! Since we’re done here in Zaphias, we should fly back to Dahngrest. I wanted to visit the tavern for a nice, cold drink. Let’s go!”
“I’ll stay,” Yuri decisively declares.
Judith opens her mouth—
“We’re done for today, so I’m gonna pick on Flynn for a bit,” he says knowingly.
“ Just Flynn?” she replies, entirely unconvinced. Nevertheless, she raises no more questions, only walking past him. “I’ll have Ba’ul pick you up later then. Come on, Karol. Didn’t you say you wanted to take a pit stop to Heliord for something they restocked recently?”
“Oh, yeah! Thanks, Judith!”
Judith and Karol start wandering to the Zaphias entrance, Karol chattering something about upgrade materials. Yuri eyes Estelle for a moment when those two are out of sight, shares a glance with Repede, then slowly approaches her.
“I’m sorry,” he tells her firstly. “I shouldn’t have done that earlier.”
“It’s okay,” she mumbles.
At her lackluster reply, he sighs softly and starts turning around. “I’m gonna pay Flynn a visit. I’ll see you la—”
Her head shoots up, eyes wide. “A-Ah! Wait!”
Yuri suddenly feels her snatch his sleeve. “Er, yeah?”
“...” Estelle looks like she’s trying to convince herself of something. “You can look,” she finally says, lifting up her sketchbook with one hand. She looks flustered. “But you have to promise not to laugh.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“...” She reddens even more. “Promise me, Yuri!” she whines, imploringly.
“Okay, I promise!” he replies, still feeling rather puzzled.
Letting go of him, Estelle slowly opens her sketchbook and flips to a page. She lifts it to his face, and Yuri sees scribbled notes on the margins and various shots of a character with purple—
Owlishly, he blinks. “...Is that me ?”
“ Inspired by you,” she corrects, her voice strained. “I had this character in mind, but no one I saw today really fit the image— A-And I… Well, I started to jot down whatever came to my mind, and…” She trails.
“And you thought that the best character design for this guy is me with short hair?” Yuri finishes, stifling a laugh.
“I was going to recolor his hair and eyes later!” Estelle defensively exclaims, shutting her sketchbook tightly. He cannot come up with any more descriptions for her face. It’s just so, so red . “You promised not to laugh!”
“And I didn’t laugh!” He grins and his jaw hurts.
“Silently laughing at me counts too!” She starts sulking.
“Y’know, I didn’t get a clear view of that...” He slowly extends his hand again, more teasingly this time. “Could I see it ag—”
“ NO .” Standing up, she defiantly marches away from him, heading towards the path of the Lower Quarter. She doesn’t bother turning around to look him in the face anymore. “If you are to visit Flynn, then you shouldn’t stall for time. I’ll talk to you another day. Goodbye, Yuri.” (Ooh, she’s mad .)
“Make sure to give me a good hair color! One that’s easy on the eyes!” he yells after her. “And while I’m at it, my eye color should match it too!”
Estelle snubs him, walking rigidly.
Chuckling to himself, he smiles at Repede who has been watching them. “She’s so funny, huh?”
Repede snorts, wagging his tail. “Woof, woof!”
Yuri starts heading to the Royal Quarter, amused. “Well, what can I say? I like her the best this way.”
Because only Estelle could ever think he’s the type of guy that can fit a character clearly designed to be a hero. Because only Estelle could ever make him feel like this: with her silly doodles of his hair cut short, or the way she makes fun of him for his ‘mediocre’ dancing, or how she thinks he would look great in pigtails, or—
Because Estelle .
.
.
ix.
“Hey, don’t look like that.”
Estelle snubs him, sulkingly.
Shaking his head, Yuri points out, “You said I could do whatever I want next time I come over, and you’d stop doing work to accompany me.”
“Well, yes” she admits, “but I didn’t think we’d be all the way up here.”
Leisurely, he crosses his arms behind his head, lying back down. “Relax. It’s safe.”
She gives him a look. “I’m not worried about us falling off—I’m more worried about all of our belongings falling off. Of all the things, you pick napping on the roof? Yuri, really?”
Yuri gives a noncommittal shrug. “I’m pretty sure napping is valid within the terms you presented to me, Estelle. If you don’t want to nap, then don’t.”
“Aw, but since I said I’d accompany you, I wanted to do something we could do together!” she whines, pouting. Estelle keeps her hands securely around the blanket on her lap, making sure the wind doesn’t carry it off. “Like… A picnic, or even a walk! Or I could fetch a book and read while you—”
“Ah, ah,” he interrupts, chidingly. “For you, books count as work. No books.”
She pouts harder. “What about visiting the fountain near the giant tree? It’s been newly revamped lately to be slightly bigger than before. They say your wish will come true if you toss in a coin and make a wish.”
“I’ll pass; I’m not very superstitious,” Yuri rejects, covering a yawn. “But knock yourself out.”
“Let’s go together!” she whines, tugging at his sleeve. “You can always nap whenever you want!”
Sitting up, he raises an eyebrow. “Do you have a wish you really want granted or something?”
Estelle pauses, looking thoughtful. “Maybe. I just wanted to spend today together since you know how rare it is that we’re both free. Karol gave you the day off, I don’t have any deadlines, and today’s so sunny—let’s go, Yuri!”
Eventually, it is Estelle who is victorious in this one-sided debate, so Yuri goes with her to the fountain. Repede joins them when they hop off the roof together, and Yuri has to wonder why no one swiped any of the coins from this fountain yet the moment they arrive. There's so much, all untouched. Maybe he’s just used to seeing people steal when he was younger?
“Really?” he flatly says, watching her fetch a coin from her dress pocket.
“Yes, really,” Estelle casually replies, tossing the coin. She closes her eyes and clasps her hands. Yuri quietly shares a look with Repede as they wait. “Are you sure you don’t want to try? It’s all in harmless fun,” she says, opening her eyes again.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” He wouldn’t know what to wish for anyway.
“Let’s go,” she says again. “The mayor’s wife convinced her husband to clear some space for a vegetable garden a while back. Anyone can tend to it, so I sometimes help out.” She jests, “If all you wanted was a nap, then maybe you can tag along with me and be productive for a change.”
“As you wish, Your Highness,” Yuri says, rolling his eyes. “I know you’re not gonna let me take that nap anyway.”
“Today is a Yuri and Estelle day, so of course I won't!” she laughs, leading him to a path near the item shop—the one leading up the hill. “Oh, and Repede too! Don’t think I forgot you!”
Repede snubs her. She pouts. Yuri is amused.
When they arrive at the garden, Estelle is the first to grab a watering can and an apron. She puts on the apron, hands the can to Yuri, then she takes a pack of seeds to plant. She says that she’s helping the mayor’s wife plant lettuce since the mayor doesn’t like carrots, and that Yuri is her unofficial helper of the day. Yuri is not one for garden work, but he still sticks around and waters the other vegetables anyway, and says how he’s only doing his job as a measly servant. When she is about to retort something, Estelle trips over one of the radishes and bumps into him. Some of the water from Yuri’s watering can splash her dress upon collision.
“Woah, Estelle!” He widens his eyes, scrutinizing the water dripping from her apron. “Are you okay…?”
She stares at her wet dress, quietly turns around to grab something, and—
Yuri is splashed with something cold. “Hey!”
Holding another watering can, Estelle tries to contain her giggles. “Now we’re even!”
Giving her a look, he calmly swings his watering can enough to splash her apron again. “Totally uncalled for. Unfair gameplay is not allowed.”
“ Unfair ?” she questions, challengingly.
“Your ambush,” he clarifies, gesturing at himself.
“I think it was well-deserved!” she happily says, splashing him again. “After all, you’re usually the one sneaking up on me. I’d like my moment to shine once in a while.”
He rolls his eyes, shaking his head to dry himself before splashing her back. She splashes him, he splashes her, she splashes him; it goes on for a while until— “I’m out of ammo,” he eventually announces, strolling away to sit on a backless bench nearby.
She sits next to him, setting her can by her feet. “Me too!” Laughing, she tries to squeeze the water from her dress while he does the same for his hair. “See? It’s not so bad doing garden work, right?”
“I humbly concede.” He amusedly smiles, his eyes flickering to the little petals stuck to her wet hair. The pinkness of the petals blends in very well with the pinkness of her hair. Despite her disheveled appearance, it looks charming in a way. “You have petals stuck in your hair.”
“You too,” she softly says, reaching up both hands to pick at his hair gently. “It’s more obvious on you, though. Sit tight; I’ll try to get them all.”
He lets her, a silence enveloping them. She has to lean in to inspect his hair, giving them a close proximity. He knows she’s not even aware of it. It becomes something special to Yuri: the way he trusts her to sit this close to him, the way she can just run her hands through his hair, the unspoken way of how everything they’ve been through together amounts to this one moment of peace and quiet with each other. They’ve come a long way, and maybe that’s how he can easily fall in love like this.
“Done!” Estelle sits up and lifts her palm, showing him all the wet petals she plucked from his hair. She smiles to his face, but when she meets his eyes, she quiets down and averts her gaze elsewhere. Repede had been annoyed by all the water and wandered off some time ago, so it’s just the two of them. To Yuri, the silence feels rather delicate. “Today was fun, right?”
He goes back to squeezing his hair dry. “Sure, if you call being drenched ‘fun.’”
She smiles almost shakily. “I would say so. It’s not often I get to have a water fight with someone, after all.”
“So I’m the first to give you the honor?” he softly jokes.
“Yes.” Estelle is quiet for a bit, then: “Did you know: you’re a lot of firsts for me, Yuri.”
“I am?” he says, calmly.
Nodding, she continues, “First high-five, first person who fed me sour fruit, first person who I know who had a bounty on his head, first person I know who enters through the windows, first person who I know complains about eating fried noodles in the desert—”
Yuri rolls his eyes. “I’m not liking where this is going.”
“—first person who taught me how to cook, first person who I told about my mother’s memento, first person who caught me when I broke free from Alexei’s hold,” she resumes, fondly, “first person who made me feel like I could take on the world!” A beat of silence, then, “First person I fell in love with.” She does not continue the list anymore.
Silence.
Silence.
“...Is that so?” he replies, softly.
She stares at the petals on her palm. “I’ve always thought about it,” she admits. “You really are an irreplaceable part of my memories.”
He is quiet. “Mine too.”
“I love you,” Estelle says in this silence.
Yuri smiles. “Me too.”
Her eyes start to widen, as if incredulous. “You… I thought— I— I didn’t think—”
Watching her, he laughs quietly. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but no, I’m not lying.”
“N-No, not that! I just…” She starts turning red. “...Nevermind.”
He’s supposed to be the embarrassed one here, but figures this is also quite characteristic of her. Yuri is obviously not well-versed in love, but neither is Estelle. Although they are both at the same starting point, he will still try to keep them afloat. “How eloquent of you.”
“...You’re mean,” she mutters, her cheeks and the tips of her ears all red.
Yuri snorts. Here they are: dripping wet in the mayor’s wife’s vegetable garden, the petals of Halure flowers still stuck in Estelle’s hair, and Yuri is laughing at her demonstration of eloquent stuttering. “Sorry.”
“If you’re really sorry, then…” She frowns, thinking of what to say. “Then you’ll close your eyes for me.”
“So that you can land a punch?” he dryly remarks, but knows that’s not it. And because of that, he complies anyway. He feels her fingers gently cradle his face. Her hands are still wet, yet the touch is warm. He picks up the sound of grass crunching, concludes that she is standing—
She tentatively kisses his forehead.
His eyes open slowly, watching her furrow her brows. Her face continues to linger close, as if uncertain to proceed—but he notices it anyway. Yuri softens and gently places his hands over hers, squeezing reassuringly. He never pries her hands off his face, but keeps them there instead. He steadies her. If she wanes, then he anchors her. It has always been his role to her. She’s already shining; Yuri’s just there to see how much she can shine.
At his smile, Estelle hesitantly bends down, closing her eyes. He meets her halfway, tilting his head up. It's a gentle kiss until she deepens it—
Suddenly, she leans in too much and they both topple over. Yuri falls backward off his seat, and Estelle lands above him with a yelp. They lie there like that: Yuri's back against the grass, his legs still sprawled on the bench, Estelle on his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs.
Silence.
Estelle starts to laugh. "I-I'm sorry!"
"Made me speechless. Literally," he weakly jokes, wincing from the collision. "You okay?"
She tilts her head up and kisses him again. "More than okay!"
He pats her head, a little embarrassed. His ears feel hot. "That's great, but can you get off me, please?"
Rolling off him, she lays on her back and interlocks her fingers at her stomach. "Could we stay like this for a bit? I'm still trying to process everything," she admits, sheepish.
The grass is prickly against his back, the shade of the tree is shielding their eyes from the sunlight, and the breeze is gentle. Yuri exhales to catch his breath. "Take as long as you want, but I'm pretty sure the mayor's wife would have questions for us."
Estelle sits up, pouting. She stands up and fixes her dress and brushes the grass off herself. "All right. I'll go fetch us towels then. I won't take long!"
As she leaves, Yuri sits back on the bench and smiles as he brushes himself off.
No matter what, Estelle will always stay as Estelle—and for that, he knows this is why he can easily let her kiss him. This is how he can easily find a place next to her—because he likes it when she shines on her own. Yuri may be there to steady her, but Estelle steadies him too. He steadies her spirit, but she steadies his heart.
Of all the people, he’s glad that he fell in love with her.
.
.
fin