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For days Hubert had been avoiding him and Ferdinand couldn't understand why. They had been courting for a while now, but a dark part of himself wondered if Hubert was thinking of ending it. Every time he tried to confront him about his absence he always made an excuse and hastily retreated. He tried to remember their meetings from the past week to see if he had said something that upset him, but he couldn't think of anything. The terrible feeling gnawed away at him though and he was so distracted that he could barely focus on any of his duties.
When he eventually had enough of it all he decided to confront him. He knocked on the door to Hubert’s office firmly and when the door opened he did not wait to be invited in before stepping through the threshold. “Hubert Von Vestra! What is the meaning of this?”
Hubert blinked at him, stunned silent for a few seconds, before slowly closing the door. “Ferdinand, I-”
He pointed a finger into his chest, halting whatever excuse was going to come from his lips next. “I have barely seen you for days! I demand to know why. Have I done something wrong?”
Hubert’s hands fell to his sides and a hint of panic flashed across his face. “What? No, not at all.”
“Then why?” Ferdinand asked, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. There were tears forming in his eyes and try as he might to keep them at bay one of them still managed to slip down his cheek. He brought his palm to wipe away the wet trail it had left, but it was a vain attempt when another one merely followed in its place.
“Ferdinand,” Hubert said again as he reached a hand towards him. He retracted it a second later, unsure if his comfort would be welcome. Instead he settled for fiddling with the button of his glove. Silence followed, charged and heavy like a thick cloud of miasma.
“Are you… tired of me?” Ferdinand asked at last. He didn't want to know, but he needed to. If this was it for them then he felt that the least Hubert could do was say it to his face. He expected a soft and cutting affirmation, the condolence of a tender goodbye kiss, the soft click of the door as he was led out the room.
It did not come, however.
Instead he heard a tired sigh and the whisper of his name upon shaky lips. He did not realize until then that he had closed his eyes and when he opened them he was surprised to see the blurry outline of Hubert kneeling before him as he held a small velvet box. Ferdinand’s hand lifted to his lips.
“Quite the opposite. I'm sorry for my absence and for making you worry. It's not an excuse but… I have been planning this with Lady Edelgard all week, hoping she might be able to help me come up with a more romantic way of doing this.”
“Hubert,” Ferdinand replied breathlessly. “Is that what I think it is?”
He nodded, a fond smile emerging at the corner of his lips. “It is.” He opened the box and extended the ring to him. “Ferdinand, will you marry-”
“Yes!” He replied before he could even finish his sentence and hugged him so tight that they both fell to the ground. He showered him with several kisses as Hubert's laugh filled his heart with warmth.