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The first time Clive saw the Lord Commander of Waloed, Cidolfus Telamon, was when the King of Waloed decided to have a treaty with Rosaria. A small country with no mother crystal backing them but yet King Barnabas decided to have an alliance with them. Clive saw how busy his father was, rushing between meetings and sending messages through stolas or messenger boys till King Barnabas sent his Lord Commander to negotiate with them instead. How his father's idea was in align with the king’s.
He's heard many tales of this Lord Commander, from his skills as a dominant, how easily he commands the lightning to obey him and his leadership. He's heard not only his skills as a swordsman, rare as it is to double wield a blade but this man rests his left arm against the hilt of his double swords with an ease nobody has. A cocky grin and a deep voice that had ladies swooning over him was what Jill giggled in his ears a few nights ago from what she heard.
Joshua grinned at him, poking his sides and asking questions of why does he like this Lord Commander so much? Why does he write so many letters but never send them?
Clive dodged the question by ushering them both to bed. Their quiet giggles and sneaking in the dark back to their rooms before their mother catches them stayed their questions. He lets out a loud sigh when he closes his bedroom door, shoulders sinking in silent relief but his heart won't stop beating so fast. He spies one of the letters he managed to gather the courage to write.
Its white envelope sealed shut with a dollop of wax before the insignia of the Phoenix crest was pressed into it, leaving its shape behind on the wax. He lifted the envelope up and very hesitantly placed the border of the hard paper against his lips in a quiet faint gesture of a kiss. His cheeks burned red and he nearly squealed like a maiden. No, he tells himself. He's the son of the duke, the firstborn and a First Shield. He sighed quietly and willed his fast beating heart to calm down so he may get ready for bed and deal with his duties tomorrow morning.
His father called all of them into his study room the next morning and Clive saw the stress lined in his shoulders and eyes. “We are expecting guests in a fortnight and they will be staying here for a month. I want all of you to be on your best behavior”, he eyed each one and the nod he received sent them scurrying off except for Clive.
“Should I be there for the greeting?”, he quietly asked, knowing how his mother would be if he showed his face.
Elwin gave him a sympathetic look but nodded. “You are my first born. It would be a great help if you could stay by your brother's side. They are still our enemies till the signing”.
Clive nodded his answer and left the study with a roll of his shoulders. He heard Joshua calling for him with ‘I want to be with Clive!’ tone of his. It brought a smile to his face. Best to rescue his little brother from whatever ‘evil clutches’ that has befallen on him. Jill smiled widely at him when she fell in step by his side, her own eyes twinkled in delight in deciding what mischief they'll get to today.
~~~
The arrival of the Lord Commander was nothing but a quiet fanfare. Clive stood next to Elwin and Joshua while his mother stood on the other side. Her glare was icy at him but she schooled her features when the guards announced the troupe of Waloed’s arrival. Clive's eyes widened in awe.
The Lord Commander sat on his chocobo, all poised and head held high with a troupe of 4 people at the back. A very small group to be coming to an unknown ground. He got down from his chocobo and turned to face them. Clive saw his mother's pinched look at the outfit the Lord Commander was wearing. A purple doublet that was open and revealed more skin than being covered up but Clive's eyes locked onto the twin swords strapped on his side and the way those green eyes scanned the area with caution in them hidden behind a veil of mirth.
Elwin stepped forward and shook hands with him.
“Lord Commander”, he said, nodding at him.
“Cid is just fine, your highness. We are here for an alliance”.
Clive's knees nearly buckled and his heart beat so fast. The rumors of his voice were true. How deep and husky that sound was and it really does make a person swoon. Clive willed his legs to not shake or his cheeks to turn red when Cid —
ohmyfuckingfounder!!!! He'slookingatme!!! —
turned to meet him.
“My eldest”, Elwin introduced him. “And my youngest, our Phoenix”.
“Is it true you can burn people to crisp with your lightning bolt and that Ramuh is always judging people?”, was Joshua's first greeting to Cid.
The gawked silence was loud but for the little phoenix was not. Cid laughed out loud, smiling widely at Joshua and waved the awkwardness away.
“Well, the old man does get grumpy”, Cid grinned before he let out a small spark of levin on Joshua's nose. “I reckon he likes ya”.
Annabella cleared her throat, a sign for Joshua to scurry over to her side and Clive stepped back, head bowed down. He briefly glanced up to find curious green eyes watching him when they passed him. Clive held his breath, his own eyes quickly glanced down to the dirt floor. A quiet chuckle that sounded amused was all that Clive heard before he saw they entered the castle and he's been ushered to follow Joshua around for the day.
~~~
It's been a couple of weeks since Cid arrived in Rosalith castle. He's seen how the bearers were treated. Slightly better than other places but still the same even with what the duke is trying to do. The duke’s sons on the other hand, Cid thinks, eyes glancing over to the training ground where he sees the eldest Rosfield training. Fiery wings spread around him in a circle, dodging the next sword strike with a parry of his own.
Cid was impressed with the boy. He can see potential in him and with some training of how to combine his magic with his sword skills, he'll be unstoppable he thinks. He lights his cigar with a spark of levin and watched the training from the window he was leaning against when he felt another presence sneaked up behind him.
The smell of thick aether and the red in the corner of his eye told him who it was. The youngest Rosfield peeked at him with his hands behind his back. He was about to stub the cigar away, knowing that he's a sick child when Joshua stopped his actions with a grin.
“I've never met an older dominant before”, was his first talk.
“Never met a young one either”, he smiled at him, stubbing the cigar and destroying it with a small bolt of levin. “Aren't you supposed to be doing some studying or something? Snuck off, did ya?”.
The grin got bigger. Oh what a cheeky boy this phoenix is. “I saw you looking at my brother. He's cool isn't he?”.
His green eyes softened a bit. Rosaria isn't a threat at all from what he can see, well except for the mother. He can smell some sort of plot being plotted but it's not his place to say since he's still an outsider. The little phoenix’s blue eyes sparkled with adoration for his brother and Cid finds it adorable.
“He is. With a bit of practice, he'll make a fine swordsman”.
“That's because he's my first shield. Oh, right. I'm not allowed to be near you for a long period before Clive has to find me. This is for you”, Joshua said, pulling out a white envelope with a wax seal on it and a very large, very knowing grin. “It's better if you read it in your room. Goodbye!”, and the little phoenix takes off, flying down the stairs in a way cheeky children gets up to.
Cid blinks at him. Such a weird child but then again, every dominant was a weird one, he thinks. He looks back down at the envelope, a letter and turns it over around to see it for any suspicious things. The letter was a harmless thing from what he can sense. The writing was cursive, neat and definitely was written by a noble. He doubts it's from the duke or the duchess. The ward perhaps but she didn't seem that interested in him and it's definitely not from the phoenix. That leaves the last person he can think of.
His gaze went over to watch Clive twirl away with a precision dodge before landing a blow back with his own. He suspects it's from the lad then. Curiosity won over and he returned back to his assigned room to carefully break the seal and pulled out the white letter.
It's a confession and a love letter. He finds it amusing but also cute. It's not signed at all but judging by Joshua's looks, he already knows who it is. He finds the irony of it that the lad has a crush on him and it's plain obvious for him to see. Very adorable indeed. And he pens his reply on a fresh piece of parchment and seals it with his own wax seal, ready to be given to the lad.
~~~
Nearly a week left in their stay, the treaty was signed, they shook hands and all was good with Elwin throwing a feast for him. Food and drinks were passed around the Shields and the few Waloed soldiers. A nod from their commander put them at ease and they laughed and mingled with the Shields. Cid’s eyes scanned for one young lad but found him neither in the crowd or with the family.
It was the girl, Elwin's ward, who quietly approached him with a grin of her own. He feels like the two younger ones are trying to set him up with Clive.
“He's out at the back courtyard”, she whispered and disappeared from him, going to sit with Joshua and the two smiled at him.
So he slinked away from the festive, grabbing his own wine cup and sipping on it when he found the said lad, sitting on top of the outside stairs. The moon was bright today and the moonlight lit the lad up in a silvery halo.
“Not one for the festive I see”, he spoke, watching Clive jump in shock.
“Lord Commander”, Clive said, rushing to stand but froze when Cid waved him and sat next to him. “I…can….”.
“Join me?”.
Clive slowly sat back down and clasped his hands tightly together in his lap. Cid lit a new cigar with a spark of levin and both sat in an awkward silence. Clive glanced at him from the corner of his eye and saw Cid doing the same. The older man leaned back against the higher steps with his elbows resting on it and his posture spoke of relaxation.
“Don't need to be so stiff lad”, he said, smiling at him. “Never did like the loud festives”.
“Yea….”, Clive said softly. “Never was one for cakes and ales”.
They fell into silence again and the air was less tense and awkward. Clive fidgeted a bit on his spot like a maiden waiting for something when a tap to his shoulder made him turn to see. Cid held an envelope in front of his face. A raise of his eyebrow and an easy smile was all Clive needed to look at the sealed letter.
He carefully took it. A chuckle made him look up. Cid winked at him.
Clive felt like he was going to die at the moment. His cheeks burst into a red color, flaming hot to touch and his heart sped up in tempo. He quickly covered his face with the letter, feeling lightheaded and like a blushing maiden. Cid really found the action to be adorable on him. His old heart fluttered before he turned his own face away to hide his own faint blush on his cheeks. With a deep breath, he stood up and ruffled Clive's hair before leaving him with a wave.
Clive couldn't sleep that night. His own cheeks burned so red at the feeling of Cid ruffling his hair and giving him a letter. He failed to realize his own letter he wrote was missing nor did he see Joshua and Jill's matching grins and high fiving each other before they scurried off to bed. Clive crushed the letter close to his chest, nearly squealing but he buried his face in his pillow and closed his eyes tightly to keep the image of Cid smiling at him and ruffling his hair as a close memory.
~~~
Cid didn't expect to meet Clive again after 13 years. He didn't expect to see the brand on his left cheek or the cold dead blue eyes staring back at him with a jaded look.
Oh, lad
, he thinks, pity filling him up.
What in god's name have they done to you?
.
He brings him back to the Hideaway and the hardened layers of being treated as a bearer begins to peel away and not long later Cid has what he feels is the Clive he once knew. The sweet teenager who was all sparkled eyed with him and the blush on his cheeks. Their plans for Oriflamme continue with Clive shifting through the paperwork Cid handed to him. He reads all the words with rapt attention before Cid waved something at him.
Something that looked old. What used to be a white envelope has now aged throughout the years and from what Clive can see is a broken wax seal. He gives Cid a puzzled look, unsure of what the letter is supposed to be when he sees the grin on the older man’s face.
A grin that looked like every other plan or shortcut is a bad idea. Clive wants to back away, run from the solar or bully Otto for any missions available, even the most mundane one he would take as long as he doesn't have to see what's in the letter.
“This I believe”, Cid says, handing the envelope to Clive. “Belongs to you”.
Clive frowned in answer, taking the envelope and studying it like how he studies the maps. His eyes stared at familiar handwriting, his handwriting and he flips the envelope to the back to see the broken Phoenix Crest wax stamp. He sees the date written on it and he flushes immediately.
His cheeks grew hot and dusted a rosy red color that Cid can see. How adorable, he thinks. Clive tried to burn the letter but Cid was fast, for his age, to snatch the letter away from Clive's hands and from the candle flame.
“Don't go burning my stuff”, he huffed, ignoring Clive's dying undignified sound. “You're the one who wrote it to me”.
“Then why do you still have it?”, Clive whined, walking over to try and grab the letter again. “Please just get rid of it. I don't ever remember giving it to you”.
“Why? It's adorable and I'm keeping it. Oho? Well, you have to thank Jill and your little brother for giving me the letter”.
“Cid please. Just ….. fuck……ah fucking founder…”, Clive covered his flaming face with his gloved hands. The cool metal of the gloves was a balm to his burning cheeks and he peeked one eye at Cid smiling softly at the aged letter. “You kept it. Why?”.
“It was one of the few things that Barnabas couldn't touch. It was something of mine you can say”, he snaked an arm around Clive's waist and tugged him close till he fell into his lap. “And it was one of the few things that reminded me of you since the fall of Phoenix Gate”.
“Cid….”.
“Leave it be Clive. Want to know why I still kept it?”, a nod was given to him. “Because you, lad, stole my heart on the day I gave you my letter in return”.
Clive's one cooled cheeks began to turn red, a deeper red than before. He plucked the letter out from Cid's hand. His eyes locked with Cid’s in return as he brought the letter close to his lips before placing a kiss on it. He heard the sharp intake of breath and the tightened of his arm around his waist. His chin was captured and his face was tilted down. Without any prompting, they both leaned into each other till lips met and Cid kissed Clive with every ounce of passion he had kept for him.
“Don't burn it”, Cid said, voice rough a bit and he buried his nose into Clive's collarbone, breathing in his scent of firewood and aether. “Well, Clive Rosfield. Would you be my saint valentine?”.
The answer he got was a hard kiss to his lips and being led to the bed. Clothes were thrown and Cid ravished the young man beneath him. He was pleased to see the limp in Clive's walk the next day.