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There's something almost meditative about going through his sword forms entirely on his own. Ike's focus is honed in on moving through the familiar routines, concerned with nothing outside of the growing strain in his muscles and the cool bite of the wind on his sweaty skin. He enjoys it, though there's a part of him that'll always miss having a sparring partner that could challenge his sword work to better heights.
It's been years now since this training field has seen his father's skill, almost as long as it has been for Ike himself. Two wars and many seasons have passed since then. Sometimes he wonders if this field feels his father’s absence as much as he does, if it also longs for the time where he and Ike trained in these grounds without concern in their minds.
But he knows it's just his own doing, that he's the one ascribing his loneliness to this place.
He follows in his father's footsteps to the best of his ability, fighting alongside the memory of him, still nurturing hope that he might one day live up to be a match for his strength. Without his father there to test him, he will never be able to know now if he does, somehow that doesn't dissuade him from trying anyway. General Zelgius’ words have merely served as a cruel comfort in the end. Regardless of how they were meant, they pale in comparison to even his father’s harshest criticisms. Be it words of praise or admonishments to his form, Ike still wishes his father was there to tell them to him.
Ike's focus on his task is not enough to make him entirely oblivious to his surroundings. In a way, having his sword in hand makes him even more aware of them. His instincts have been sharpened for battle, to be aware of enemies coming from all directions and to react to minute changes in the field. So he notices as soon as someone walks up, light footsteps barely audible in the grass.
There aren't many options as to who it could be. Most of his friends prefer not to bother him while he's practicing unless they have something they need. His sister is an option. She keeps him company as he trains sometimes, taking a seat in the grass near the blossoming fields and either watching or entertaining herself with something she’s brought along. He thinks she feels the same sense of wrongness that he does, the weight of there being only two of them present rather than three.
Plausible as that guess is, Ike isn't surprised when Mist isn't standing there when he turns his head that way. Instead, there’s someone else who knows he's always welcome, too, or at least Ike hopes he does after all this time. He could never deny his companion's presence at his side.
Much like Mist, Soren will sometimes sit somewhere near with a book or some of his paperwork while Ike trains. There are times when he'll watch and offer commentary, though Ike’s favorite times are when he'll join him, training by his side despite the difference in their skillsets.
Whatever he's there for, Ike looks forward to it. They haven’t had much time for themselves today after leaving their bedroom, some time alone with his companion will be a welcome treat.
He's breathless as he puts away his practice sword and wipes off the sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve. A sharp contrast to Soren, who makes his way toward him with slow measured steps, well rested after having spent the past week unable to do much due to an injured shoulder acquired during their last job. There's barely any evidence of it, hidden as it is under his robes, but Ike can tell the wound has yet to relinquish its hold on his companion. It's visible in the tension in Soren's stance, and how he seems to be unconsciously guarding his left side.
"Soren," he says in greeting, trying to guess at the reason behind his visit by his expression. While he doesn't find any urgency there, it's clear to Ike that his companion has something on his mind – though, what exactly, he can't tell. "Did you need me for something?"
Instead of replying, Soren comes to a halt, then shakes his head in denial. He hovers, just for a moment, then continues making his way toward Ike, lips pursed in that way that tells Ike he’s reluctant to speak, and steps light in reflection of that hesitance as he crosses the space between them. Then, rather than stop when he reaches a comfortable distance from Ike, he continues until he's close enough to touch and leans his forehead against Ike's chest, wrapping his arms around his waist.
It's quite a surpris e coming from Soren, who so rarely seeks contact, especially when in such open spaces where anyone could walk by and see them. He’s always been reserved with his affections, ever reluctant to reach out on his own behalf even while welcoming all of Ike’s advances. Since the start of their relationship, Ike has come to know Soren to have all manner of tricks to ask for what he wants without quite having to ask for it, giving Ike the chance to reject him if he’d like. He never does, always glad to answer Soren’s light provocations with a kiss, or pull him into his embrace.
S even months after their conversation in the Tower of Guidance, he's become notably more confident when it comes to initiating kisses or drawing Ike into his arms, sometimes even sex, but that’s usually prefaced by some form of light teasing or open invitation. It’s clear that this isn’t what Soren is after here, everything about his demeanor tells Ike that comfort is what he’s after, which only makes this situation stranger.
It’s precisely during the moments where Soren needs comfort that he withdraws the most, preferring to deal with his feelings by himself rather than to trouble Ike with them. With this coming from the man who will get out of bed for a glass of water when he has a nightmare rather than wake him up, or go distract himself in the library or with work instead of sharing his troubling thoughts, Ike can’t help being alert, worried about just what could have happened to prompt this.
Thus, h e envelops Soren in his arms without hesitating , careful not to put pressure on his injured shoulder. "Did something happen?"
He doesn't think anything has gone wrong back at the fort, if that were the case Soren would already have asked him to see to it. No, whatever this is, it's something personal.
"No," Soren says sullenly, which tells Ike the answer is just the opposite.
But he doesn't want to push, at least not yet. Pressuring Soren for answers is more likely to make him shut down than to get them anywhere. Ike can be there and offer comfort without knowing what's wrong if that's what he needs. "Did you just miss me then?" he asks, placing a kiss on the crown of his head.
"Can't I?" Soren sighs. There's an amusing amount of honesty to his statement, enough that Ike might have been tricked into believing that this is all there is to his visit if he didn't know better. How like Soren, to be honest about this side of his feelings yet obscure just what brought him out here to seek out Ike’s support.
"Of course." Ike says just as sincerely. "Though if we're staying like this, we might want to switch to a better position."
Soren mumbles a vague assent, but makes no move to detach himself from Ike. If anything, he sinks deeper into his embrace, hiding his face in the crook of his neck. Ike doesn't want to pull away either, enough that he considers the idea of simply picking Soren up and rearranging them both. It's a tempting thought; it would be so easy to gather Soren in his arms and avoid any need for separation.
However, something tells him that he shouldn't disturb the quiet of this moment with such a sudden act. It's the sole reason why Ike manages to put enough distance between him and Soren to lead his companion toward a nearby tree where they could rest their backs while sitting in the grass.
Well, so that Ike could do so at least. While Soren takes a seat by his side, he quickly comes to the decision that leaning against Ike is a far preferable alternative to the tree. Despite it being a comparison Ike is sure Soren wouldn't enjoy , he can’t help thinking that Soren approaches him much like a cat would, slowly mak ing himself comfortable in Ike's arms while searching for a position that won't put pressure on his shoulder. In the end, he's halfway in his lap, an arrangement to which Ike has no complaints.
"Comfortable?" he asks once Soren is done, only half teasing.
Ike receives a glare in lieu of an answer, though it has little effect when Soren is now tucked snugly against him. Ike can still find the remains of his bad mood in the stiffness of his back and in the curve of his mouth, but some of the tension seems to have left him now that they've settled.
In hopes of making him feel better, he starts running a hand up and down his back, tracing mindless patterns with his fingertips. Soren sighs, melting further into him, so Ike guesses he must be doing something right.
It feels almost wrong to break the silence, still, Ike asks anyway. "Will you tell me what's wrong now?"
"Nothing's wrong," Soren insists, somehow even grumpier than before.
Ike pauses. "It isn't like you to lie," he points out, genuinely confused. For all that he'll keep his problems to himself, working through them silently before he's ready to share them, Soren isn't in the habit of actually lying about their existence, especially to him.
"I'm not lying, there isn't anything," Soren bites out, huffing in frustration. "Nothing happened, I've been working in my office the entire afternoon."
"Alright." That doesn't feel like the whole truth, but Ike accepts it all the same. He continues running circles on Soren's back, slow and steady, thinking it better to let Soren decide if he'd like to elaborate or not. “What were you working on?”
Soren relaxes again at the question, though he eyes Ike warily as he says. “The usual paperwork, there was nothing too interesting about it.”
“No particularly interesting new missions we might like to take?” he asks. Ike has no doubt that Soren knows exactly what he’s doing; how he’s directing the conversation away from the previous subject. Still, his companion melts into him, clearly happy to fall back into a topic where he’s more comfortable.
“Unless you find bandit skirmishes and aiding in farm work interesting, there was nothing worth talking about.”
“Well, to be honest I’d rather have that than too much excitement these days,” Although his status has ensured he can’t enjoy even these mundane missions as much as he would have before, Ike still honestly prefers them to the chaos that had been the war and its subsequent arrangements to ensure that peace would be kept this time. He’s hoping that the hero worship will die down, much as it did the first time. Sadly, that is an issue where the only remedy Ike can give it is time.
“I do too,” Soren sighs, smiling wistfully. It occurs to him that Soren, too, might miss those peaceful days when they weren’t known by so many. His expression speaks of a shared understanding about just what Ike has been longing for. “But it truly is nothing new to you.”
While Ike could speak his mind on the subject of the marks their acclaim has been leaving on their missions as of late, Ike doesn’t want to talk about something so negative right now. Soren would understand, would likely be happy to hear his thoughts, but this is Ike’s turn to comfort him. Soren so rarely comes to him with anything, he would never dare turn this the other way around.
So in the end what he can offer is a weak shrug. ”Fair enough.”
Soren glances at him and for a moment Ike is certain he can read all the thoughts going through his mind on his face, yet he makes no comment on it. Instead, he asks, “How about your day?”
It only adds to the strangeness of the situation. Soren has never been one to hesitate when it comes to such things, freely offering Ike comforting words no matter how small his troubles. The worry eating at him only grows stronger at yet another admission that Soren is not currently at his best. Ike wants to press him for answers, to know just what could have caused him to seek him out when he usually doesn’t, but once again he refrains from it.
Be patient, Ike reminds himself.
“There hasn't been much to speak of either,” he says, rummaging his mind for something to talk about. “Well, unless you want to hear all about Mist’s plans for her next romantic outing with Boyd.”
Soren snorts. “Somehow I get the idea that our ideas of a good time together are very different.”
“Mm-hmm,” Ike agrees, amused himself at how much he and his sister differ in this. There are many ways in which they’re similar, but they’re also glaringly obvious on the points where they contrast. “She’s excited for them to go to the festival in town next week; I think I’m happier that there’ll be almost no one home.”
It’s a given that Soren will stay with him. He thinks the two of them can have a nice time together; enjoy the rare extended privacy around the fort.
“That’ll be nice.” Soren’s eyes darken slightly as he looks at Ike, his expression something between suggestive and contemplative. “We can have our own plans, then.”
“Yeah,” Ike says quietly, voice coming out a little raspy as a consequence, “we can.”
One of Soren’s hands finds its way to Ike’s cheek, caressing it gently. “I wonder what we should do with all that free time.”
“I have a few ideas.” Ike punctuates his statement by nuzzling Soren’s cheek with his nose, stopping short of placing a kiss there.
“Care to tell me?” Soren murmurs, turning his face just so that Ike can feel his breath on his skin.
It’s a slightly awkward position, with Soren having been on his side, but it’s barely noticeable with Ike supporting his waist.
“What if I show you instead?” For a brief moment, Ike stops shy of Soren’s lips. Then, when his companion shows no sign of moving away, he closes the distance between them, pulling him into a kiss.
They fall into pace with each other, moving in tandem with the ease of familiarity. One of Ike’s hands travels through his companion’s back, wishing it were easier to reach the skin hidden underneath his robes, solely because he wants the pleasure of feeling him.
Soren’s lips are warm and soft against his own; Ike explores them without haste. He has no goal other than to taste him, to rediscover the slightly rough texture of his tongue, to drink in every little noise he makes and feel the faint pressed smiles Soren leaves against his mouth.
He kisses Soren until they're both breathless, to only then reluctantly pull away, placing a myriad of quick pecks on his lips when Soren whimpers at the loss of contact.
Neither of them speaks, no sound is made beside that of their breaths. Ike leaves a trail of kisses from the corner of Soren's lips down toward his shoulder. In turn, Soren leans back to give him better access. They pause briefly so he can adjust himself in Ike's lap, supporting his arms on Ike's shoulders so that he can find a more comfortable position.
Or at least that had been the intention. Soren comes to a halt mid motion, then proceeds to fall back onto Ike's chest rather than fully rise to his knees. Ike catches him despite his confusion, instinct taking over his response.
He's about to ask what happened when he registers that Soren has brought a hand to his shoulder, hunching into himself as he holds it. “Shit, I forgot about your shoulder,” he says instead, moving to run soothing circles on his back again. It's only once the lines in Soren's face have started to smooth back from his pained frown that he remembers to add, “I'm sorry.”
“So did I,” Soren replies. Ike can tell it's meant to be a reassurance, but anger at himself seeps into his companion's voice.
He sounds more upset than Ike would have expected, enough that it gives Ike pause. “Is the pain that bad? Do you need a vulnerary?”
“ No ,” Soren bites out, only to wince at the sharpness of his own voice. “I'm fine, Ike, truly,” he adds softly, much more like his usual self.
“Are you sure?” Ike can’t help insisting, though he makes sure to keep his tone gentle rather than forceful. It’s merely that, while he respects Soren’s assessment of his own condition, it’s unlike him to speak harshly when he doesn’t mean it – especially to Ike. He makes sure to say as much. “It’s just… you don't sound like it.“
“It's not… it's not that it's too much,“ Soren sighs. "What I am is tired of being in pain." it's almost a whine, said hidden in the crook of his neck. Ike can't look at him in that position, but he knows him well enough that he can guess at the degree of displeasure in the expression he must be making. " It’s there no matter what I do, even when I haven't done anything to provoke it. “
There’s nothing but tired sincerity in Soren's voice, and it hits Ike that this is what has been bothering him all along. He’d so readily assumed it must have been something severe to prompt Soren to come to him, that even though he’d known that his still healing wound was bound to bother him, it hadn’t occurred to Ike that it might have been the reason behind Soren’s odd mood. Not something new, nor extreme, but no less important to Ike.
Their current position prevents him from being able to reach his forehead as easily as he usually would, so Ike places a kiss on Soren’s temple, unsure how else to express his current feelings.”I’m sorry, Soren. It’s never fun recovering from wounds like that.”
He knows first hand how upsetting it can be to have one’s movements limited. There isn’t much more he can offer Soren than his sympathy, given that his body needs to heal on its own, but Ike will give him what comfort he can.
It’s still something of a wonder to him that he’s been sought out for this, that his prickly companion found it within himself to come to him with something so mundane in their line of work. Soren wouldn’t appreciate it if he drew attention to it, but Ike is happy to see how much more open he’s growing to be, how far they’ve come together as a pair.
Instead of giving voice to those thoughts, he gently runs a finger along Soren’s jaw, turning his face toward his own. “There might not be much I can do, but I’m here.”
Soren melts into his arms again. While it’s a little awkward due to the position they’d ended up in, having halted mid motion, Ike doesn’t comment on it, wrapping his arms around him as gently as he can not to make the pain any worse.
“That’s all I need,” Soren murmurs back.
There isn’t an answer Ike can give but another kiss.
He doesn’t mean to escalate it this time, yet as he’s about to pull back, Soren draws him back into his embrace, deepening the kiss. Ike complies without resistance, trying his best to compensate for the awkward position they’ve fallen into. Soren does too, wriggling in his lap in an attempt to move while avoiding placing pressure on his shoulder again.
In the end, Ike decides to save them both the trouble. With some effort, he separates himself from Soren, just enough to see him. “Come here, let me help,” he says. It’s the only warning he gives before placing his hands on Soren’s waist and lifting him up, earning himself a startled yelp.
But, despite being startled, Soren allows himself to be moved without resistance, wrapping his legs around Ike’s waist as Ike settles him in place. Soren’s arms find his shoulders again, though this time they rest on top of them without any pressure, while Ike keeps his hands where they are, supporting Soren’s back.
Being able to clearly see Soren’s expression is easily one of Ike’s favorite things about facing each other like this. The light blush coloring his cheeks betrays the disapproving look he’s giving Ike for moving him without notice, just as his darkened eyes tell him that he enjoyed it more than he’ll admit out loud.
Before he can say anything, Ike captures his lips with another kiss. He doesn’t linger for long, making a trail of kisses across his face until he can feel his frown soften under his lips.
“Ike,” he whines, falling back against Ike’s hands. It isn’t a true attempt to escape him, but it does prompt him to pause, leaning away to meet Soren’s even more flushed face.
“I thought a little distraction from the pain would be welcome,” he laughs.
Soren glares at him again, but there’s no heat to it. “Some warning would have been appreciated,” he says, not bothering to clarify what exactly he would have liked to be warned about – being moved or being kissed.
Ike stays silent, giving him time to recover his composure. Having ample experience in provoking his companion, he knows that he enjoys it, but that he’ll be happier if given a few seconds to gather himself, especially when he’s not at his best. He enjoys watching Soren both sharpen and soften at the same time, adjusting his posture yet looking at Ike with gentle eyes.
“I suppose that a distraction wouldn’t hurt…” he acquiesces, a playful smile on his lips. “But not here.”
It’s a needless warning, as Ike wouldn’t have dared to go further than what they’ve been doing where anyone from their family could have walked in, though it certainly serves to put an image into his mind that he’ll have to save to be examined later on.
“Not here,” he agrees. He thinks of standing up with Soren tangled in him as he is and carrying him to bed. It isn't a feasible wish with how many people there are at the fort right now, not only his companion but Ike himself would rather be discreet when they're around.
Besides, he's still sticky with sweat from his training session, and now covered in grass. While he doesn't mind it too much, he does have some manners.
“Although, if we're going to be in bed, I should probably take a bath first,” he grimaces.
Soren genuinely pouts at that, tugging at the ends of Ike's headband.
“You could join me,” Ike offers. “The warm water would be good for your shoulder.”
Soren tilts his head to the side, considering this. “I will,” he concedes. Then, after a pause, he continues, “if you promise not to break the bathtub again.”
It's Ike's turn to whine. “That happened one time.”
“It was one time too many to have a bathtub break while I was in it,” Soren says, entirely nonplussed.
And although Soren doesn’t say it, Ike is certain that exactly what they were doing when that happened didn’t make the surprise any more pleasant. Ike can admit that for his part, he regrets it, if only for the lecture Soren gave him immediately afterwards. For all that he loves Soren's commanding tone, he would rather not have it directed at him with so much genuine exasperation in the middle of sex ever again.
“You’re not the one still being teased for being clumsy enough to break a bathtub,” Ike grumbles. It’s half-hearted; he’d assumed the blame of his own accord, knowing Soren would probably have a heart attack if the others were to know just how exactly that situation came to be. But if his companion intends to tease him for it as well, he feels it’s his right to jokingly complain a little.
As expected, Soren blushes at the reminder of that. “You volunteered for that.”
“I did,” Ike huffs a laugh, feeling his heart melt with fondness. Then he says, as solemnly as he can, “I promise I won’t do it again. Will you join me then?”
“Yes,” Soren says, too promptly to not have already made his decision long before. Despite himself, Ike starts laughing again.
Ever efficient and quick to act, Soren silences him with the best weapon he has at his disposal: a kiss. It’s a counterproductive measure only in that they end up summarily distracted, lost in rediscovering each other’s taste.
Soren lets out a low whine when Ike bites the bottom of his lip, which only serves to make him less inclined to leave.
He kisses and kisses and kisses him until Soren finds it in himself to pull away a little, whispering against Ike's mouth, “We should go. “
“We should,” Ike agrees, resting his forehead against Soren's but otherwise making no move to pull away.
Soren laughs, a brief sound filled with tenderness. “ Ike. ”
Ike feigns as much innocence as he is able. “Yes?”
“I need you to let me go so I can stand up,” Soren says, sounding amusingly mournful about it.
“Do you really?”
Tugging impatiently at his headband, the look Soren gives him is so very unimpressed. “Yes.”
“I might have a better idea,” Ike grins.
This time Soren is far less surprised when Ike's hands hold tightly onto his thighs, keeping him securely supported against him as he stands up, smiling all the while. Ike will have to put him down before they reach the fort proper, but for the moment, he enjoys keeping him close.
Soren must be enjoying it as well, because all he does is roll his eyes and say, “Remember your promise.” He makes no protests, though he does hide his face in the crook of Ike’s neck.
Ike laughs. “I will, I will.”
He remains in silence for a couple of steps, walking slowly in order not to reach the point where he’ll have to put Soren down too fast. It’s a good day outside, and while he’s looking forward to the rest of their evening, he wants to linger in this moment for just a little while longer.
There’s a thought on the tip of his tongue that he feels should be said here, too, before meeting with others inevitably takes them away from this space where it can comfortably be said. Something that he’s reluctant to put into words, but wants to say nonetheless.
“I’m glad you came to see me,” he whispers, low enough that the words could have been drowned out by the wind if his mouth weren’t so close to Soren’s ear.
Soren's arms tighten around him, then he says, just as quietly, “I am too.”
In this position, Ike can't quite hug him back, but he leans his head against Soren's, trying to convey the same sentiment. Nothing more needs to be said on the subject, Ike knows Soren understands what he meant. It's always a good reminder of how close they are, how little they need to say to understand each other's hearts.
Although, when he's nearing the boundary of the training field. Ike comes to realize something he thinks he will later share with Soren. He feels lighter now than he’d been before Soren arrived; without his notice, he’d been weighed down by how alone he’d been feeling, his mind clouded by thoughts of his father’s passing.
Nothing could permanently rid him of that grief, but Soren’s presence had brought him back to the life he’s built since then, reminding Ike of the home he has in him and the rest of their family.
Ike thinks Soren would like to know that he’s brought him solace even when he didn’t intend for it. But he’ll save the thought for later, for after his companion has gotten past his own troubles. He wouldn’t dare turn the spotlight on himself beforehand when Soren so rarely seeks him for comfort.
No, all Ike plans to do now is spend his evening by Soren’s side; anything else can wait.