Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Emilia stood at the edge of the field, arms crossed, lips pressed in a tight line. She wasn't watching him. She was merely ensuring that the crops were being tended to properly. That was all.

Yet, her eyes remained fixed on Subaru as he worked under the sun, his shirt tossed carelessly onto a fence post. His once slender frame had grown stronger, lean muscle subtly lining his arms and back, glistening with sweat as he dug his hands into the earth. He was covered in dirt, his brow furrowed in focus as he wiped the sweat from his face.

It drove her crazy.

She had been standing there far longer than she cared to admit, and the worst part? He was completely oblivious.

He just kept working, humming some ridiculous tune to himself, completely unaware of the way she had been watching him. It was frustrating. Infuriating. Why was she even looking?!

Emilia forced herself to turn away, huffing in annoyance, only to find her gaze drifting back again. This is ridiculous. She wasn't interested in him. She just... found it odd how much effort he put into something so simple.

Yeah. That was it.

She tried to convince herself of that as she continued to "casually observe" him for the next twenty minutes.

Emilia didn’t realize she had been staring for so long until a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

“My, my, Emilia,” Mother Fortuna’s gentle voice held a teasing tone. “What are you doing over here?”

Emilia stiffened, whipping around to face her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Fortuna raised an eyebrow, folding her arms in amusement. “Oh? So you haven’t been standing here all day, grimacing at poor Subaru while he works?”

Emilia opened her mouth, then closed it, her face heating up. “I wasn’t-! I wasn’t grimacing! I was just-” She groaned, running a hand through her silver hair in frustration. “It’s just-he’s so-ugh!”

Fortuna tilted her head, waiting.

Emilia scowled, her frustration bubbling over. “He doesn’t belong here! He’s just a stupid, stinky human! Always walking around acting like he fits in, even though he sticks out like a sore thumb! And-! And he’s always smiling, even when he’s covered in dirt! Who does that?! And why does he keep working so hard when nobody even expects him to? And why-” she gestured wildly at him “-does he look like that all of a sudden?! He used to be just a weakling, and now he’s-he’s-”

Emilia froze. Fortuna’s amused smile only widened.

“I see,” the older elf said simply, nodding in understanding.

“You see what?!” Emilia snapped, her entire face burning.

“Oh, nothing,” Fortuna hummed, her voice far too knowing. “I’ll leave you to… whatever it is you’re doing.”

Before Emilia could protest, Fortuna casually turned toward Subaru, raising a hand in farewell. “Good work, Subaru!”

Subaru, still oblivious, looked up from his work and beamed. “Oh! Thanks, Fortuna-san!” He waved back enthusiastically, not a care in the world.

Emilia felt something snap inside her.

Her hands clenched into fists, her face red with irritation. She turned away in a huff, stomping off.

The next day, Emilia found herself once again watching him.

Subaru was in the clearing, chopping firewood. The rhythmic thwack of the axe rang through the air as he split logs one after another. His sleeves were rolled up today, but his movements were just as ridiculous, chopping away like he had no care in the world.

Emilia hid behind a tree, peeking out from the side, her lips pursed in frustration.

How?

How did a weakling human like him manage to do something so physically demanding all day without collapsing? Just a few months ago, he had been winded from walking uphill. Now he was swinging an axe with ease, his movements steady and precise.

She scowled.

It didn’t make sense. He didn’t make sense.

“Why won’t he just leave?” she muttered under her breath.

Why was he still here? Why did he insist on being part of the village when he didn’t belong? Why did he keep working so hard, even when no one asked him to?

And why did it bother her so much?

Subaru, completely oblivious as always, wiped the sweat from his brow before grabbing another log. He hummed some off-key tune to himself, completely content, as if the world made perfect sense to him.

Emilia gritted her teeth.

Emilia stayed hidden behind the tree, convinced that Subaru was too wrapped up in his work to notice her. But then, to her horror, he paused mid-swing, looked up, and waved.

“Yo, Emilia!”

Her entire body tensed.

That idiot.

That absolute, brainless, stupid human!

With an irritated huff, she stomped over to him, arms crossed, her glare sharp enough to cut through stone. “What do you want?” she snapped.

Subaru blinked at her, completely unaffected by her anger. “Huh? Oh, nothing! Just saying hi. How’s your day been?”

Emilia’s eye twitched. 'How’s my day been?!'

As if he hadn’t been the cause of most of her frustration!

Before she could respond, Subaru wiped his hands on his pants, giving her a casual grin. “By the way, you look nice today.”

Emilia froze.

Her face went red. Was it from rage? Embarrassment? She didn’t know. She didn’t want to know.

All she did know was that she didn’t need compliments from some stinking human!

She pointed a finger at him, her whole body trembling. “I-! You-! Ugh! Just shut up and go back to work!”

Subaru shrugged. “Okay,” he said easily, as if she hadn’t just screamed at him. Then, without a care in the world, he picked up his axe and continued chopping wood.

Emilia stood there, fists clenched, breathing heavily.

And then, unable to take it any longer, she turned on her heel and stormed off, feeling like she was going to rip her hair out.

The warmth of the evening fire crackled gently in the hearth as Emilia sat at the dinner table with Mother Fortuna. The meal was simple but comforting, yet Emilia couldn’t shake the irritation still lingering from earlier that day.

And then Fortuna spoke.

“You know, Emilia,” she said with an amused smile, “you’re at the age where you should start thinking about finding a mate.”

The room went completely silent.

Emilia nearly choked on her food. She slammed her fork down, eyes wide with absolute horror.

“I-I’m not going to marry that low-down, stinking, pathetic human Subaru and be his wife!” she blurted out at lightning speed, her face burning.

Fortuna blinked, then ever so slowly covered her mouth to hide her growing laughter. “Oh my, Emilia,” she said, her voice filled with amusement. “I never mentioned Subaru at all.”

Emilia froze. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

Her face went from red to deep crimson as the weight of her own words crashed down on her. She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, but no words came out, only a strangled, incoherent noise of pure frustration.

Fortuna’s shoulders shook as she tried, and failed, to contain her laughter.

Emilia, meanwhile, felt like she was going to explode.

With a furious huff, she shoved her chair back and stormed off, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.

And that’s when it happened.

A vision. A terrible, terrible vision.

In her mind’s eye, she saw herself standing at an altar, dressed in a beautiful, ornate white gown. Flowers were woven into her silver hair, her hands clasped together nervously.

And in front of her…

Subaru stood there, wearing a finely tailored suit, smiling like the complete idiot he was.

Emilia nearly froths at the mouth as she shakes the thought from her head. 'No, no, NO!' What was wrong with her?!

She wanted to bang her head against a wall.

And more than anything, she wanted to scream.

The next day, Emilia found herself watching Subaru again. Not because she wanted to. It was just something to do when she had nothing else going on. That was all.

But today was different.

Subaru wasn’t working in the fields. He wasn’t chopping wood.

No, he was standing in the village square, surrounded by other female elves.

Emilia narrowed her eyes.

A small group of them had gathered around him, smiling, laughing, chatting like he was some fascinating creature they had just discovered. They asked him how he was doing, how much stronger he had gotten, complimenting him on his hard work.

One of them even had the audacity to rub his shoulders.

“Oh, Subaru,” the elf girl giggled. “You must be so sore after working so hard.”

Subaru, being his usual oblivious idiot self, just laughed and stretched his arms. “Haha, yeah, I guess I’ve been pushing myself a little. Thanks, that feels kinda nice.”

Emilia twitched.

A deep, inexplicable heat welled up in her chest. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

What. The. Hell.

Why did this make her so mad?

It’s not like she cared what that stupid human did. If he wanted to waste his time flirting, or getting flirted with, that was his problem. It wasn’t like she was watching him every day or anything.

…Except she was watching. And right now, she felt like she was going to explode.

She didn’t know why, but all she wanted to do at that moment was march over there, grab Subaru by the wrist, and drag him far, far away from those giggling elves.

Instead, she gritted her teeth, whipped around, and stormed off.

Dinner had barely started when Mother Fortuna struck.

“So, Emilia,” she said, her voice full of warmth and undeniable mischief, “do you plan on asking Subaru to court you yet?”

Emilia almost choked on her food. She slammed her hands on the table, eyes wide with outrage. “What?! Of course not! Why would I ever-?!”

Fortuna simply took a calm sip of her tea. “Oh? I just thought you’d be interested, considering how many other women were gathered around him today.”

Emilia gritted her teeth, her irritation boiling over. “I don’t care about that! Subaru can talk to whoever he wants! It doesn’t matter to me! He’s just some stupid human who works too hard for no reason and-”

She spiraled into another rant. A long, heated, entirely unnecessary rant about how he wasn’t attractive, how he wasn’t special, how he didn’t belong here, and how she definitely, absolutely, 100% had no interest in him whatsoever.

Fortuna simply smiled, shaking her head. “Emilia, dear,” she said, her voice filled with pure amusement, “you need to be honest with your feelings about Subaru.”

Emilia froze.

Her eye twitched. “What feelings?!”

“The ones that are making you so defensive.”

Emilia clenched her fists. “I-I’m not defensive! There’s nothing to be defensive about!”

Fortuna only gave her a knowing look, her smile far too smug for Emilia’s comfort. “You obviously have a crush on him, dear. You’ve just been dealing with it in… let’s say, a rather unique way.”

Emilia froze again.

Her whole body went stiff, her face heating up so fast she thought she might burst into flames. “Wha- I DO NOT! That’s ridiculous! Why would I-! Ugh!”

She wanted to yell more. To argue. To deny it. But she suddenly felt exhausted.

With a deep scowl, she stood up, pushed her chair back, and stomped off to bed without another word.

But the real problem started when she was laying down.

Because the moment she closed her eyes… all she could think about was Subaru.

How annoying he was.

How stupidly hardworking he was.

How he always smiled, even when things were difficult.

How he told her she looked nice.

How stronger he had gotten.

How… handsome he actually was when she really thought about it, especially his hair and eyes.

Emilia let out a strangled noise, buried her face in her pillow, and kicked her feet up and down in pure frustration.

“No, no, no, NO!” she muttered to herself. “I do NOT like him! I don’t!”

But deep down…

She couldn’t fool herself anymore.

Chapter Text

Subaru woke up feeling good.

The morning sun streamed through the small window of his cabin, casting a warm glow over the modest space. He stretched his arms above his head, letting out a long yawn before sitting up in bed.

His eyes wandered around his cabin. It was small, sure, definitely more cramped than the kind of place he used to dream about. But… it was cozy. The wooden walls, the handmade furniture, the faint scent of freshly cut firewood, it all had a rustic charm to it.

Plus, if he ever wanted more space, he could just build an extension. Simple as that, sort of.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Another day.”

It was still kind of insane when he thought about it.

A year ago, he had been nothing more than a loser shut-in NEET, a guy with zero life skills and no direction. Then suddenly he was thrown into a fantasy world, struggling just to survive.

And yet, somehow, he had adjusted.

He had gone from a useless teenager to a farmhand, learning how to till fields, chop wood, and handle all sorts of menial labor. He actually worked for a living now, something the old Subaru never would have imagined doing.

And, honestly? It didn't feel bad.

When he first arrived he learned the hard way that the capital had nothing for him. Too busy, too crowded, too hectic.

The first few days he had been there, he had almost gotten robbed five times. It was just too much, constant noise, constant movement, too many people with their own agendas. It was nothing like the worlds he had dreamed about in his shut in days. No grand adventures, no easy heroics, just struggle.

So, he left.

He drifted from place to place, working odd jobs to get by. With no proper education, he had no choice but to learn as he went. He picked up labor work, helped in shops, did whatever people would pay him for. Over time, he even learned the written language, slowly, clumsily, but he got there.

Eventually, he found himself with a group of traveling merchants, helping them with simple tasks in exchange for food and shelter. They were the ones who eventually brought him here, to this isolated elven village, far from everything.

The village had needed an extra hand. Subaru had needed a place to stay.

So, he stayed.

The rest was history.

There had been an old, beaten up cabin on the outskirts of the village, half collapsed, full of dust and decay. No one had been using it, so Subaru claimed it. He spent weeks fixing it up, repairing the walls, patching the roof, making it livable.

Now, several months later, he was part of the village. A farmhand, a laborer, a helper, whatever they needed, he did.

It wasn’t a grand life, but it everything still felt about right, it was a simple life.

One thing had been tugging at his mind lately though.

He was at that age.

Subaru hadn’t thought much about romance since coming to this world. He had been too focused on survival, too busy adjusting to his new life to worry about relationships. But the other night, Fortuna-san had pulled him aside for a private conversation.

She had asked him, quite bluntly, if he had thought about courting any of the elven women that had been coming on to him.

At the time, he had just laughed it off, assuming she was joking. But now that he was actually thinking about it, he realized something.

The girls in the village had been flirting with him?

Subaru ran a hand through his hair, staring blankly at the ceiling of his cabin. How had he not noticed?! Was he just that dense? Or had he been too busy working and adjusting to even realize?

Now that he looked back on it, it made sense. The way they would ask about his day, touch his arm, compliment how strong he was getting, it had all been signs. He just hadn’t connected the dots.

And now he had to wonder, should he do something about it?

He wasn’t opposed to a relationship. If anything, it was kind of nice knowing that there were people interested in him. But… how was he supposed to approach it? The customs in this world were different from home.

Something told him that he couldn't just walk up to someone and say, 'Hey, so I hear you like me, wanna date?'

That sounded stupid. Subaru groaned, rubbing his temples.

Maybe he should just let them know he was open to the idea… but how? Subaru sighed and shook his head.

He'd think about it later. For now, he had a morning routine to get through.

Getting up, he stretched out his arms, letting out a long yawn before heading to the small basin of water he kept near his door. He splashed some cool water on his face, washing away the lingering sleep before drying off with a rough cloth.

Once he felt a little more awake, he pulled on a simple shirt and pants, nothing fancy, just something comfortable enough to work in. His hands had gotten rougher from all the farm work, and his clothes had a few stitches here and there from wear and tear, but he had grown used to it.

With everything in order, he made his way to the small wooden counter where he kept his things to make tea.

Subaru hummed to himself as he boiled some water, letting the earthly scent of the leaves fill the room as he prepared a simple cup.

He leaned against the counter, taking a slow sip, enjoying the quiet.

It was still early in the morning, meaning he had a little time before work started. The village was just beginning to wake, birds chirping softly outside, the air crisp with the scent of the forest.

For now, he just relaxed.

The whole “relationship” thing he will deal with later.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sudden, violent knocking at his front door nearly made Subaru spill his tea.

“What the Hell?” He stared at the door, heart pounding. Was something happening? village emergency?

He rushed to the door, practically ripping it open.

Standing there, arms crossed, staring at him with a look of pure determination with those pretty violet eyes, was Emilia.

Subaru blinked.

“…Uh.” He quickly checked behind her, half-expecting to see someone chasing her, but she was alone. “Morning?”

She pointed directly at his face. “Are you single?” she demanded.

Subaru froze. His brain completely short-circuited.

“…What?”

Emilia’s expression didn’t change. “Are. You. Single?”

Subaru, still half-asleep, rubbed the back of his head. “Uh… yeah?" He sheepishly said.

Emilia nodded. “Good.”

She dropped her hand, turned slightly, and declared, “Today, you will spend the day with me. Meet me in the forest later.” Her face slightly tinted with a pink hue.

And just like that, without another word, without any explanation, she turned and walked away.

Subaru stood there, still holding his half-empty tea cup, watching her silver hair sway as she disappeared down the path.

His mind could not process what had just happened.

“…Huh?”

He looked down at his tea, as if it held the answers.

It didn’t.