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Soren couldn’t keep his eye off Ike. After professing his need for Ike’s friendship, this left an awkward feeling in the air. After battle reports or strategy meetings, their general quickly scampers off without so much as a passing glance.
Many times, Soren has tried to catch him in passing, only for Ike to make up an on-the-spot excuse. No rhyme or reason, it seems. Had it not been for the overwhelming concern, Soren would feel.. hurt. The one person he could rely on, now swift to avoid and shun.
Bearing his mark, Soren faced constant harassment and strife regarding his mere existence. This made friend-making difficult, and living his life even harder. For once, he was finally placed in a social circle that accepted him. Not only that, but one of which he managed to make a friend. Even confessed as such, spoken in plain, bold words that Ike was so-known for. He believed at this point their feelings would bloom, and they’d become closer than ever before. Soren knew full-well something was amiss.
“Ike,” Soren caught him in his tent, standing arms-crossed at the floor. “Do you have a moment?”
“No.” Ike stiffened his upper lip.
“Then make one. This matter is of most importance.”
“Has the enemy advanced? You said at the last meeting they’d be falling back to lead us towards a trap.”
“No. This isn’t that urgent. However—“
Ike turned his back, his cape flowing in the air, only to fall gently at his back. Even addressed directly, Ike couldn’t speak. He wasn’t one to hide much from others. Soren knows this to be true. “You know, general.” His lips rose deviously. “Your left eye twitches when you lie.”
“How—!” His body jolted, his straight posture faulting for a moment. “It doesn’t matter, Soren. I understand you’re worried. Let it be. And quit tracking that stuff! That’s creepy.”
“As.. as your friend, Ike. This is one command I cannot follow.” Soren turned back around. “Next time we meet, I will press further. Be that in public or private. Your position as a general has you acting tough… but inside.” Soren watched a shiver going down Ike’s spine. “What was it you told me? Right— you’re a big softie. With your permission, I’ll excuse myself.”
“You don’t have it.”
“Hm?”
Ike turned around. His arms were clutched against his shoulders. “You don’t have my permission to leave! You— you’re completely, uh, out of line! Insubordi.. insubordinate!”
“Where is this coming from? Did the apostle finally get to your head? When has insubordination ever been a point of concern for you? Or, even a word in your vocabulary?”
“Where is this coming from? Where are you coming from?! Did Mist tell you something?!” Ike sputtered, what seemed like anger, was stress-induced panic. “Tell her to keep it to herself! She has no idea what she’s talking about!”
“…”
“Well?”
Soren remained straight-faced and unreadable. He didn’t take this personally. He had struck a nerve. The only thing that pained him was Ike’s resistance to talk. Soren wanted to help him as he himself had been helped. “I haven’t spoken with Mist as of recent. Nor do I want to. I was hoping.”
He had a strained grip on the sleeve of his cloak, forcing back any emotion that could potentially show his feelings.
Feelings of sadness overwhelmed the strategist, the one person he felt he could trust with his life- extending his trust to him in the combat of a war, but not a petty matter in their private lives?
It’s unfair, to some extent, he believed. He holds no secrets, he shares himself with Ike without second thought. Yet he doesn’t get this treatment back?
“. . . Fine, Ike.” Soren huffed a deep breath from his nose. “I’ll see you at the next strategy meeting.”
He exited the tent.
“Fine!” Ike hadn’t calmed down just yet, clenching his fists so hard they might snap under their own pressure.
There was a tension so thick in the room, it almost felt tangible.
Soren and Ike, who typically stood right next to each other, had a whole table’s distance between one another. They refused to address each other by name. It was an important discussion, so it had to be done, but others in the room wished they could have just skipped the day.
Once it was over, Ike and Soren quickly excused themselves and exited swiftly one after another.
Watching this, and all the other members leave, Titania pulls Mist aside.
“Those two..”
Titania squinted her eyes, tilting her head towards Mist. “Do you understand what has them so distant?”
“Um.. well no- actually yes! But it’s.. private.”
Mist swayed her body and right, hands linked behind her back.
“This can’t go on much longer, Mist. I understand you want your brother’s secrecy kept, but this is warfare. Ike is a hot-headed commander- I can only imagine how this could affect him on the battlefield.”
“Mmm….”
“Mist!”
“H-HE HAS A BIG CRUSH ON SOREN THAT HE’S TOO SHY TO SPEAK AB-O-OOUTT!!”
“. . . A-A crush, you say? Ike? In love?”
“He- he told me about it awhile ago, and.. and he’s super embarrassed about it because he’s an awkward stubborn dummy! What’ll happen if he never says anything and bottles it up forever?! Then— THEN—!”
“Mist…. Pfft..”
Titania heartily chuckled and put a hand over her face.
“Oh, Mist.. surely- surely you jest?”
“What is there to joke about? This is no! Laughing! Matter!”
“You’re right, you’re right..”
She clears her throat, trying to act mature in the face of this childish game.
“Just watch, Mist. Okay? Those two are sure to work something out. Ike is stubborn, and maybe a little dense sometimes-“
“Hey!”
“—but!”
Titania smiles and pats Mist’s head.
“He’ll fess up in no time. Soren won’t have to wait long….
Not that it matters that much anyway. It’s Soren. He doesn’t care. He’ll get over it.”
Mist had big puppy-dog eyes. “Are you sure…?”
“I’m sure..
I hope..”
Soren had recluded himself into his quarters for the evening, deep into his studies to clear his head.
His neck ached, tipped down into a book of war strategies, reading and re-reading sections in hopes to find anything new..
So he told himself.
He was hardly internalizing anything. He merely wanted an escape. Reading had just become so routine, it was the only thing he could think to do.
“Soreeeenn.”
A peep came from the door.
Sigh…
“Yes? Whatever question you have for the meeting, you may refer it to Titania. She’s just as capable.”
He audibly shut the book loud enough to echo, “not that you need a reminder. What you’re doing is the same as always, Mist. Keep Titania vital, use a Psychic staff for others in the frontline for emergencies.”
“Not about that..”
“Then, do tell.”
He heard a step, quickly picking up a wind tome and blowing the door back in her face.
“From that side, preferably.”
“Mm..”
Mist kicked her feet on the ground.
“Have you and Ike made up yet?”
“. . .”
“I know you’re usually grouchy, but you definitely aren’t mean enough to stay mad at my brother-!”
“Are you done?”
Mist blinked, a confused smile on her face.
“Hm? Come again?”
“Let me rephrase.”
With another wave of his hand, the wind tome had another use wasted, the tent door flapping up and smacking the girl in the face. By the time she clawed it off, looking up, Soren sneered at her from above. “Get away. This matter doesn’t concern you.”
“You did what to Mist?!”
“I didn’t do anything. Please, she isn’t so frail.”
“When did you become like this, Soren?!”
The two loudly argued in Soren’s tent. Many passed as not to eavesdrop. But Titania and Mist, too deeply involved, had no such manners.
“I- It’s my fault, Titania..” Mist whimpered. “I just.. you said..”
“. . .” The red-head had no words to say, merely listening to the two’s argument.
“I expect an apology now! We’ll go right to her!”
“For what? Her trespassing into my tent? It seems you’ve a bigger head than mind, general. No wonder you rely so heavily on me.”
“. . .”
Even in the thick of their argument, Ike couldn’t help but notice how Soren’s expression hadn’t changed. Was he always so uncaring? Ike felt the trust he had for him was on the line here.
He felt like Soren’s emotions were both too hard to read, yet too important to ignore. What changed?
“. . .”
But this was no matter he would let slip by.
If Soren wanted to take it out on him, he would allow that. But Mist? This must be settled here. Here and now.
“Fine, Soren. You win.”
“Hm?”
“You want to know what bothered me the other day? You know- what started this?”
“Huh? I hadn’t thought about that case’s relevance in awhile. You can just forget that-“
“I love you.”
Soren’s heart skipped a beat, wincing as if in pain.
Ike’s voice had no romance in it. To be expected from him. But this level of intensity meant more than devotion. It was provocation, used as words to slice at him.
“You’re the only person I could firmly trust, Soren. This war- I’ve learned so many things about you, and you about me. No matter what, I knew, solemnly, you would be by my side. And I wanted nothing else. With you and Mist, I figured I didn’t need anything else.”
“Ike.. I-“
Ike threw off his cape, over at Soren.
“But now that you’ve brought my sister into this, I see clearly now. My trust has been misplaced.”
He turned around and headed for the door.
“. . .”
“You’ve given me no reason to stay.”
Soren’s knees felt weak, biting his lip,
“Why… why bother to tell me that now of all times? Do you mean to mock me? To offend me? To tease me? You bring that to me, just to strip it away.. for what purpose? .. ANSWER ME!”
Ike stopped at the door, turning his head back.
“You’ll get over it. You always do. Act like you care for once, and I may care back.”
He left the tent, seeing the eavesdroppers awaiting him outside.
“Go on about your businesses. If you need me, I’ll be in my tent.”
Ike had lost the heroic shine in his eyes, yet tried to keep a strong face. His younger sister could see clearly as day how he was truly feeling, watching him head off.
“Titania.. you said.”
Mist sniffled.
“And I was wrong.”
The older woman corrected.
“Soren’s apparently too naive to understand how to behave. To be expected from youth, but not from him.”
Soren? Naive?
Mist didn’t share this view of it. It was Ike who was out of line… Soren was just sad.
But with a conflict of interest, she decided not to speak her piece. Eventually Titania left, and after a bit, Mist did too.
There were several days of no communication. A hollow period of skirmishes, meetings, and prolonged silence. The troops at large had good morale, but the leaders had anything but.
Ike stopped attending, merely having the information relayed to him from Mist.
Soren kept himself hidden from the world.
Mist kept thinking..
Not that it matters that much anyway. It’s Soren. He doesn’t care. He’ll get over it.
You’ll get over it. You always do. Act like you care for once, and I may care too.
I know you’re usually grouchy, but you definitely aren’t mean enough to stay mad at my brother.
Everyone has been treating him as though he’s unbothered, Mist thought. That he remains unphased. But that couldn’t be true at all. If anything, he may be more affected by this than even Ike himself.
If this goes on until the war ends, by the end, they’ll stop talking. Ike, in his stupid stubbornness, would act as though he didn’t care. As would Soren. But Soren.. needs him.
They need each other. That was what Mist knew.
In a plan familiar to last time, Mist found herself outside Soren’s tent.
She clears her throat. “Soren.”
“. . .”
No response.
“S-Soren?”
“Yes. I am here. I was ignoring you.”
“I.. I wanted to apologize.”
Soren scoffed.
“I too would want to apologize if my big brother was as dense as Ike. Apology noted. Is that all?”
“Soren, please.”
“It’s been settled, Mist.”
Soren moved not a muscle from his desk, keeping his eye down on his book.
“What transpired happened already, give it a rest. If I were really so bothered, I’d have said so by now. Leave.”
“…mmm..”
“Hm?”
Mist bursted into the tent, an intense gaze in her eyes.
“Stoooppp!!! Stop acting like you don’t care, dang it! Stop acting like you’re not angry! Stop acting like you don’t want my brother’s love! Stop pushing me and him away! Stop! Being! Stupid!”
“. . . Care.. care. Hah! Ha! Both you and your brother can be delusional about this whole ‘act like you don’t care, but you do’ nonsense, but the truth of the matter is that I don’t!”
Soren has now gotten up from his seat, about two seconds from kicking her out again.
“And seriously- your brother’s love? I.. never needed that.”
“My brother has had the biggest crush on you ever! I swear, all he ever did was talk about you. Your smarts, your looks, your, um.. well- everything- ask him about it!”
Mist had begun crying, running up to Soren, causing him to trip back in response to her fast speed.
“That has to mean something to you! Anyone who’s anyone has to feel something when someone says ‘I love you’, and you’re no different!”
“Cease this, you crazed idiot! I said-“
“I KNOW! I know what you said, and I’m saying you’re a big, stupid.. STUPID LIAR!”
“. . .”
“Hah… hah.. hah..” She had run out of breath, catching it again, “stupid!”
“. . .”
“I just want.. you and.. my brother to get along again..”
“. . Your desperation is noted. Now, leave me.”
Mist was still catching her breath after her small rant, looking up at Soren.
“You can’t just.. ignore me-“
“Fool!”
Soren stomped.
“I said, specifically, that it’s NOTED.”
In his unfaltering demeanor of rudeness and hostility, Mist could swear there was a moment of weakness. Even telling her it was noted..
“You.. do care.”
She thought for a moment.. and then giggled with the tears still fresh in her eyes, putting a hand over her mouth. “You do care! Of course Soren cares!”
“Hmph. The sort of childness to be expected from you.”
“Mhm, mhm!”
And before he could get any angrier, she soared from the tent with her arms to her sides like a plane.
“. . Huh.”
Soren waited until the next strategy meeting.
On Mist’s command, due to how, quote, “super special” it was, Ike had to attend.
His eyes were glued to a map set out, not even slightly moving them up the whole time.
Orders were being given, the only thing clueing Soren in that he was listening were the little nods he gave after each statement.
Soren already ever-so-slightly missed how Ike would praise his strategic genius.
“And that will end the meeting, by your orders, general.”
“..mm.”
“However, I want a word with you. Can I take a moment of your time?”
“. . . I knew Mist was acting strange.”
The other attendants left, Soren putting his hands against the table.
“Speaking of Mist.. I… apologize.”
“Hm?”
“My actions against her were completely unacceptable. I bursted out with anger that was unprompted, pent up from something else that had been going on..”
Ike took a moment to scan Soren’s face. He knew he wasn’t above sweet-talking to handle some situations. However.. Ike could.. tell he wasn’t.
His gut didn’t have any issues believing Soren.
“Then I should apologize too.”
Ike nodded. “I was, um.. probably the reason you were so angry at the time. I didn’t handle that situation the best. I just thought that, um.. well— I was, y’know, nervous and all.”
“I could understand that, yes.”
“Listen, Soren. I didn’t mean to lash out like that last time. But..”
“It was Mist’s involvement that had you so on edge.”
“E- exactly. But that’s no excuse. It’s just- you never act like you care when stuff like that happens, and that makes me feel.. frustrated. I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall.”
“. . .”
Ike took a deep breath.
“I- don’t mean to blame you, sorry. This isn’t your fault. What I’m saying is- because of that, I said a bunch of stuff to try to get you to crack. Stuff I didn’t mean. I was hoping you’d apologize then. Even if I didn’t deserve it. I wasn’t thinking too hard at the ti- ..Soren?”
Soren suddenly seemed visibly nervous now. His body shook, and his eyes no longer tried to meet Ike’s.
“Continue. I apologize. The weather has gotten to me.”
A lie. But for what?
. . .
Ike closed his eyes.
Even now, Soren puts up a brave face, refusing to admit what bothers him so much.
It was something he just said that caused it.. I don’t blame you, no not that. I was hoping you’d apologize then, no..
I said a bunch of stuff to try to get you to crack; stuff I didn’t mean .
. . . Oh, Soren. But was now the time?
Ike felt nervous. Like when Soren had first approached him. Those nights spent talking with Soren, taking every glance at him that he could. All the times he played stoic to make Soren impressed. Learning about Soren, hoping they would get closer and closer.
Dreams spent kissing, nights spent wanting, days spent hoping.
His cheeks went red. He felt like a fool.
What if he was wrong? Saying that so suddenly at such a serious moment?
Just a bit.. more.
“Ike?”
“A- ah. Yes.”
Ike opened his eyes back up.
“My point has been.. I want our trust back, Soren. I know I don’t deserve it after all of this. But there is no one I can trust more than you. I mean it. No matter what I’ve ever said before.”
“. . O- of course, Ike.”
Soren had a small smile on his face. “You needn’t even say it. At your call, I will do anything required of me.”
“But-“
Ike tapped a finger on the table.
“No more.. no more secrets. No more running away from each other. That goes for me especially. This is more a promise from me than a demand for you, but..”
“No, you’re correct.”
Soren started to close the distance between them. “I ran away just as much as you. In such a pivotal moment, I ran away, afraid of confrontation. Before you blame yourself wholly, I too deserve to apologize.”
“..right.”
Ike got closer as well. With both getting closer, there was becoming very little distance between the two of them. “Just don’t go blaming yourself for all of this, okay? It was mostly me. You were right when you said my head is bigger than my mind.”
“And- and you were right when you said I’m… a b-big softie. One small fight and I crack under the pressure.”
“Heh..”
“. . .”
“. . .”
Now.
“Soren.. there was one thing I did mean during our fight though.”
“. . Ike, I-“
“No more secrets.”
“. . .”
Soren burnt up, his face becoming tomato colored in no time. Ike never thought he would see the day. But now, he didn’t have time to think about the adorableness of it.
“Do you know what I’m talking about, Soren?”
“I.. have an idea.”
“Let me say it again, Soren. This time, with feeling.”
Ike reached under the table. He fumbled around with a small compartment, typically made for holding a small pointing-stick, Ike had put a small, black box in it. And when he pulled it out, Soren audibly gasped.
He had planned on doing this during a strategy meeting, but now was the time.
“Soren..”
“Ike- this is- how…”
A small click popped as it opened, revealing a ring.
No diamond stood on top of it, and no gold shone. But regardless, what Ike meant by it was clear.
“I love you. That’s what I meant.”
“M-Marriage?”
Ike was now being lectured to by Titania. Not an angry lecture, just one to clear up confusion. He had told her his stunt, as he wanted to make his and Soren’s relationship known.
“Yes, Ike. What you did was what someone does when they want to.. when they want to marry.”
“Well, is there a problem with that?”
“Yes! You two haven’t even started dating!”
Ike scratched his head.
He didn’t see what the big deal was. Living his life as a contracted mercenary, it wasn’t like he was taught this sort of thing.
“So what? You date and then marry, right? Why?”
“Because dating can be.. casual! Marriage is absolute commitment, so that even the goddess witnesses your relationship!”
Titania could tell she wasn’t getting through at all, putting a hand on her forehead.
“Tell me- how did Soren react? Surely he knows about this more than you do.”
“He seemed pretty happy.”
“. . .”
“So. we’re both happyI- who cares what others think?”
“. . Well, I guess that makes sense.”
“So he and I are husbands now?”
“Not quite yet. There has to be a ceremony. But that’ll have to be after the war. Right now, you’re just fiancees.”
Ike was satisfied with that for now. Though, that name didn’t have the same appeal as ‘boyfriends’ did, or ‘husbands’.
“Is that all? I’ll leave the rest up-“
“Up to Soren, yes, yes. Honestly, Ike. Your father didn’t raise you as a brute. Yet you act the part.”
“I just don’t worry about the small stuff like he does. He gets worried about the small picture, he forgets the bigger picture, and I remind him of that.”
He had a grin on his face.
“We balance each other out.”
“Hmmm.. yeah. Right again..”
Titania turns the other way. She felt she hadn’t properly given Ike the lecture he very much required. But his puppy love obscured his view of things.
And in either case, this made him happy. In times of war, she should appreciate such things. “I suppose I’ll take my leave now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“BAAAAAAAHHHH!!”
Mist wagged her arms like some kind of deranged bird, hopping onto Soren’s bed and bouncing off it, “my big brother can be romantic like that?! What a shock!”
“Can you quiet down?!” Soren slammed his book on his desk and huffed, “it isn’t incredible enough to require a scream loud enough to cause alarm. Ike merely asked for my hand in marriage-”
“That’s wonderful!”
“- and I felt you deserved to know.”
Mist springs up onto her butt, wagging her legs up left and right off the bed, “well, I think it’s pretty incredible. What am I to you now? Am I your sister now?”
“Presumably, yes.”
“Don’t be smart with me!”
Mist got up to her feet on his bed, messing up his sheets, just to hop right off.
“You know Ike and I never learned much about marriage. You had better not treat my brother all mean just ‘cause he doesn’t know.” She slapped her palms together, “I mean it!”
Soren didn’t dignify her threat with so much as a bodily twitch, scoffing and taking a sip of water off his desk.
Mist started spouting off about something, but Soren had lost interest in it.
He did what he had to do to right things here…
Ike- that was all his mind could focus on.
And man.. what a happy thought to have the luxury of focusing on.