starpieces (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
starpieces) wrote2023-04-11 09:45 pm
starpieces) wrote2023-04-11 09:45 pm
Entry tags:
[Fic] Flynn/Yuri - I want to wake up where your love is
Title: I want to wake up where your love is
Fandom: Tales of Vesperia
Ship: Flynn/Yuri
Warnings: N/A, implied sex is all there is
AO3: Link
Summary: It’s winter, the season of love. And the season of trouble. Annoyingly enough, it’s getting increasingly harder to focus on that trouble when everyone around Flynn keeps trying to remind him of what marriage means. Yuri certainly isn’t any help whatsoever.
---
The invitation came on thick parchment with beautiful scrawling cursive spelling out his name on the front, and large intricate golden flowers weaving around the borders. The faint perfume wafting from it would have made Flynn wrinkle his nose, had he not been in front of an audience. It was ostentatious, but everything from Zaphias’ nobles tended to err on that side of things.
It read:
To Your Excellency Flynn Scifo,
We cordially invite you to partake in the unity ceremony between our Melissa Otois and Williard Beville, to take place on the tenth day, of the twelfth month, under the gaze of the goddess.
Yours honourably,
Sir Rex Otois
.
“...sir?” Flynn asked, raising his eyebrows in polite query. “I am honoured by the gesture from the Otois family, but with movements of blastia in the black market passing through Illycia--”
“I believe,” Ioder said with serenity, “that is why you must attend. Total unity between the Empire and Guilds must be displayed that night to send a clear message to all that wish to subvert the order we have carefully built.”
Flynn frowned.
“Still…surely a representative will be better suited--”
“No one can take your place, Flynn. Besides, I think it would do you well to take a night off,” Ioder said, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “Perhaps you could meet someone? Weddings have a way of putting thoughts in people’s heads. I’m aware you left many a noble girl’s heart broken--”
“Your Majesty-” Flynn protested, flustering visibly. It was just as well that it was only the two of them in the hall. Ioder laughed, his expression brightening with boyish joy that was passingly rare these days.
“Ah--and I believe Brave Vesperia had been invited too. It has been awhile, hasn’t it?”
That stopped Flynn’s protests in his tracks. Ioder’s gaze softened, and he turned his gaze outside. More than anyone, Ioder understood the pressures of Flynn’s position. Soon, it would be Ioder’s turn too. And then…
“Consider it part of your duties, Flynn. Take this day to enjoy seeing a day made simply to celebrate love.”
Flynn exhaled slowly, and bowed low.
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
He straightened, his armor clanking as he took his leave, his thoughts far away.
A wedding, huh?
If Flynn had been the type to assign blame, he would have laid it squarely at Emperor Ioder’s feet for putting the thoughts back into his head.
But he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t been thinking about this for years.
And the memory of that day he first started thinking about it rose unbidden in his mind.
---
The first wedding Flynn had seen had been between the local baker and a farmer’s daughter. It was also the first time they had seen the Lower Quarter’s tradition take place. A marriage was always a happy event in the Lower Quarter; this one was particularly happy because everyone had known the happy couple since they were children and were hoping all along they’d tie the knot.
Or so Mrs. Hanks said. Flynn and Yuri were too young to be sure. But Mrs. Hanks wasn’t a head-in-the-clouds-romantic like the innkeeper by any means, so Flynn was inclined to accept it. Flynn and Yuri had been dragged into helping the Lower Quarter celebrate. Well, Yuri had been dragged into helping the Lower Quarter celebrate. He was much more interested in frogs and snakes than helping set up bundles of wildflowers along the streets. Flynn had been a little more willing, helped they had the best view of the proceedings from up on the balcony, where he and Yuri were suppose to throw lilies (expensive flowers, the few they could afford) down onto the streets when the bride and groom were whisked away to their wedding feast.
He had always been a little fascinated by the idea of marriage. Growing old, never having to worry about being alone. He wondered what that was like. Happy, he thought. Married people must have been happy. Mr. Hanks and Mrs. Hanks certainly were, even if they argued sometimes.
He watched the glowing bride dressed in a blue dress and a chaplet of roses walk up the rickety cobblestone path to the fountain. The groom was waiting for her there, and like her, he was dressed in blue too. Even though both of them were dressed in clothes that were a little worn and they couldn’t perform the ceremony under the direct eye of a goddess statue, they looked happy. He watched, fascinated as the couple shared a glass of wine and fruit. Then, the groom held a coin out to the bride and she laughed, taking one half between her fingertips.
The coin glimmered a bright gold in the sun as it snapped in half.
“Isn’t that a waste?” Yuri asked, and Flynn startled. He hadn’t realised Yuri was still paying attention. “I mean, with that coin, we could have bought so much bread--ow!”
Yuri yelped as Mrs. Hanks swatted him over the head lightly with a rolling pin.
“Shush you. A coin shared between two binds them for life, as long as they’re willing to continue to share it. Only a selfish man would hoard a single coin to himself and no one else. A single coin is a very small price to pay to show someone you want to stay with them for the rest of your life.”
Yuri wrinkled his nose, because he was in that weird stage where anything with romance and love seemed to gross him out. Flynn watched the couple leave and remembered to toss the flowers down onto the crowd as they disappeared for the baker’s house.
“Forever, huh? That sounds nice,” Flynn said, a little wistful. Yuri rolled his eyes and dumped the rest of his flowers before he leaned onto Flynn heavily.
“I think sharing a sword is better than that.” Yuri grumbled. Flynn blinked, thought about it and laughed in agreement.
“Yeah! Definitely a sword.”
Mrs. Hanks swatted them both with the rolling pin this time and sent them downstairs to help bring the basket of food over to share in the feast.
But when Flynn thought about it later, he thought having both would be nice. A sword for a promise, a coin for time.
But maybe he was just being greedy. And Yuri was right. A coin could buy them a lot of bread, and they needed all the coins they could get to buy that sword they wanted.
“Does it have to be a coin, Mrs. Hanks?” Flynn asked as he helped her clean up. The feast had been amazing. Flynn had never seen so much food in his life and he felt bound to do the right thing, even though Yuri had run off on his own already and Mrs. Hanks hadn’t asked him to help. Mrs.Hanks’s lined brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, trying to place Flynn’s question before she laughed, a loud booming sound that was warm and bright instead of insulting.
“Of course not. The nobles you know, they share rings. They’re rich enough for it, unlike us. But I suppose as long as it’s round, people are happy with it as a sign of their shared life.,” Mrs. Hanks chuckled. Flynn hummed in thought.
“What about you? Did you have a shared coin with Mr. Hanks?”
Mrs. Hanks turned back to the dishes but Flynn could read the warm look on her face as he helped dry them.
“Aye, I did. It was lost a long time ago, but I will never forget that day we stood before the goddess’ statue and broke that coin. The look on his face...”
If Yuri had been here, he would have been gagging. But Flynn had been thoughtful instead. If he could share his life with anyone forever and ever…
There was really only one person Flynn wanted to have that with.
“Here,” Mrs. Hanks said gruffly, as she wiped her hands clean and handed Flynn a small, round honey cake, still warm and tasty and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Flynn’s eyes brightened.
“That’s for helping me with the dishes. Now go on and enjoy your day. You don’t need to hang around any longer doing boring work. Go share that with Yuri.”
‘Even though Yuri didn’t deserve it’ went unsaid.
“Thank you, Mrs. Hanks,” Flynn said very politely as he took the sweet - a rare, expensive treat - and cradled it carefully to his chest as he ran off in search of Yuri.
Yuri liked sweets much more than he did after all.
“Yuri!” Flynn called out as he ran around the back streets behind the inn, the honey cake safely wrapped up in a clean handkerchief. He knew all of Yuri’s favourite hiding spaces. It didn’t take long before he tracked Yuri down.
At this time of the day, Yuri liked to hang around the citizen’s quarter, chasing frogs by the bridge. He found Yuri by the river, wading in ankle deep water, splashing around, frowning very seriously at some flat pebbles he kept tossing back into the water.
“Yuri! There you are!” Flynn huffed as he jogged up to the river and paused by the bank. Yuri looked up at him, waved and studied the pebble in his hand before tossing it back into the river and climbing out.
“What’s that?” Yuri asked, looking interested in the bundle Flynn was carrying with great care.
“A treat from Mrs. Hanks. She said we should share.” Flynn sat down on the river bed, patting the space next to him for Yuri to join him. Yuri didn’t hesitate and he sat down on the grass with him, leaning in close and looking delighted as Flynn unwrapped the handkerchief to reveal the still-warm honey cake inside.
“A honey cake! You should have said so sooner,” Yuri complained, trying to dry his hands on his damp shirt before he reached out to take one side of the honey cake, while Flynn took the other.
“Mm, sorry.” Flynn hummed in agreement. He probably should have realised Yuri would have wanted to play by the river first today. “Ready…? One...two…”
They pulled the honey cake apart together, yelping and laughing when the gooey warm custard inside spilled onto their hands. They ate quickly, and messily and Flynn couldn’t help but think it was just like the bride and groom. Just messier.
“...Yuri...we’ll always be together, won't we?”
“Huh? Why are you asking such weird things?” Yuri complained. Flynn reddened and looked away.
“I...just…” Yuri leaned into him, shouldering him roughly.
“You know you’re stuck with me forever anyway. Get used to it.”
Flynn brightened and laughed too. Yuri had a way of saying the right thing sometimes.
“Yeah. I know.”
They finished their honey cake in silence, watching frogs leap from the bushes and away from the riverside.
“What were you looking for anyway?” Flynn asked as he finished the last of his half. Yuri shrugged, licking his fingers and making Flynn’s nose wrinkle as he handed Yuri the handkerchief to clean himself.
“Oh...nothing. None of the pebbles were round enough. Come on. Let’s go see if we can spy on the knights training sessions again.”
“Oh--it’s that time of the day isn’t it? Let’s go,” Flynn scrambled to his feet and brightened.
“Do you still have the big stick?”
“Yeah, I hid it under the bakery, so we should just…”
The two children laughed as they ran off, hand in hand.
--
Unlike the simplicity of the Lower Quarter, ceremonies for nobles, of course, were always laborious affairs. Flynn was lucky there were enough guildsmen looking distinctly uncomfortable in their three-piece suits milling around that no one had the chance to pay mind to his own quiet discomfort as the ceremony went on into the night, where there was finally time for a reprieve.
The castle was always resplendent in its opulence, but today, it had taken on a level beyond anything Flynn had remembered seeing before.
Carved swans of ice glittered under the chandeliers as the warm notes of the violins and harps resounded in the hall. White and blue roses were carefully arranged along the tables and twined around the pillars, with lengths of gauzy white silk fluttering in the cool night breeze.
Emperor Ioder had gone overboard for this event, as usual.
At the very end of the hall was the table of honor, where the blushing newly wed couple sat together, with their more severe parents at their sides. Emperor Ioder was with them, seemingly oblivious to the resentment amongst the elders as he exchanged warm pleasantries with the blushing couple, bestowing them a gift that was more than certainly worth its weight in gold.
“So when will it be your turn, Commandant Flynn?” A elderly gentleman asked, in the brief pause of the music.
Flynn pulled his gaze away from the dancing couples spinning around on the dance floor and took a moment to place the man’s question. From anyone else, Flynn might have baulked. But Lord Anjou was an old ally of Ioder’s and one of the few who had been blameless in the affairs and plots of the nobles that plagued the Empire for so long. He cared only for his family and their lands. A known romantic that was more than passingly fond of the opera. It stood to reason he’d be interested in this as well, with the bride being his niece.
“I beg your pardon?” Flynn asked.
The wedding was an important event, a symbol of the strengthening union between Empire and Guild. The love story of the Otois heiress and the Beville Guild’s heir would be one for the ages. Flynn understood the importance of the event even without Emperor Ioder’s gentle suggestion.
And so, Flynn had taken it upon himself to attend with enthusiasm, even though he felt very much out of place in such splendor and displays of riches, and ignored the itching need to throw himself back into his work.
It was important. But this casual display of wealth, almost frivolously so, would never sit well with him. But part of him had hoped to see someone else here too.
He scanned the crowds again, trying to catch any glimpse of Brave Vesperia and couldn’t find a single sign.
Even though they had been invited, with their rising prestige…
“Well, a young handsome man in your station surely must be fending off no shortage of offers,” Anjou laughed, drawing Flynn’s attention back to him. “Imagine! The youngest Commandant to walk the land, without a single paramour waiting in the shadows for your attention! I heard you were a workaholic, Commandant, but that won't do! I’m sure your beloved is as anxious as you are to ask for her hand in marriage--”
Flynn was glad he had refrained from helping himself to the champagne at the very moment, because it took all his willpower not to splutter as he tried to imagine Yuri of all people, waiting patiently for Flynn’s offer of marriage.
“I am afraid I must disappoint you, sir. There is no paramour in the shadows waiting for me to take their hand in marriage. I am, as you say, a workaholic. My devotion is to my country,” Flynn said, smoothing out his strained smile.
“Not too devoted that you forget to make a family, I hope. I bet if Alexei had been busy playing house, none of this-” Ending of the world, near total destruction of the city “-could have happened.”
Flynn’s smile went tight.
“Maybe so.”
The strings of violins picked up again and Flynn saw Emperor Ioder make a gesture.
“If you would excuse me,” Flynn begged his leave politely and quickly hurried away. But not without another scan around the room.
Well, he had little hopes of seeing Yuri in a place like this.
But as his mind replayed the wedding ceremony, he couldn’t help but remember his own clumsy early attempts at a marriage proposal. Not that he could get the words out the way he wanted to.
Flynn let the memory slip away with amusement; a marriage proposal with a honey cake? He wasn’t sure what he had been thinking back then.
If Yuri was open to it, surely--
No. He wouldn’t let himself get carried away.
Yuri didn’t need to be tied down. And Flynn wasn’t so needy that he needed something like that.
He took one final look around.
And there was still no sign of Brave Vesperia anywhere. Flynn tried not to let the thought of it get to him.
Brave Vesperia was strong. Yuri was strong. Flynn didn’t need to worry over him like he did three years ago, when Yuri had been raging at an unseen enemy and Flynn didn’t know how to call him back and tell him to just stop.
Yuri was in a much better place these days. Flynn could have faith in that.
Rain gently began to patter against the window, a soothing cadence to his walk back through the winding halls. The wedding had long ended, the couple sent off for the night, before they would make their way to Halure in the morning.
There was still enough time left in the night. Flynn could get some work done.
---
The rain didn’t stay soothing for long. It beat hard against the windows and tree branches whipped wildly at the glass. Flynn had long tuned out the noise, far too caught up in the reports laid out on his desk and a different sort of letter in his hands.
As a long standing member of nobility, I must insist on the Commandant recognising his duty to his people, rather than his attempts to please his allies to bolster his own standing. I have been waiting many days for a battalion of knights to escort me to my home, away from the unrest of Dahngrest, and yet, here I am, still waiting. Should this missive fail to receive an appropriate reply, then I, Lord Bakur would have to assume the Crown has abandoned its duty to its people--
Flynn exhaled as he readied his quill, trying to think of an appropriate reply. Alone, Flynn could say what was truly on his mind.
“Bastard…”
Bakur’s demand for the Crown to provide troops and protection for his caravans stuck in Dahngrest would have been rude at best, if not utterly brazen in its contempt for Ioder’s rule and Flynn’s work in rebuilding broken alliances and trust.
Besides…
His gaze fell on a missive from Hachette.
L. Bakur witnessed with blastia shells.
Ruin’s Gate witnessed speaking with Bakur.
Mages witnessed among Bakur’s people.
Flynn rubbed his forehead. If it had just been an impudent noble that had alienated every guild in existence, that would have been one thing. But this…
The window slammed open and Flynn jumped up, reaching for his sword instinctively as wind and rain swept through, sending a few documents flying through his room. Then he registered the figure in front of him and surprise bled back into irritation.
Flynn didn’t know when Yuri would show up again, after weeks in the dark, but it figured Yuri would decide to show up on a whim, on a night like this.
“Yuri! Be more careful when you come in,” Flynn scolded, his emotions a tangle of annoyance, exasperation and relief once he decided Yuri was indeed in one piece.
It made scolding Yuri easier.
“Yeah, yeah. Happy to see you too,” Yuri said and he shut the window behind him. He squelched past Flynn, uncaring of the puddles of water he left in his wake. Flynn tried very hard not to roll his eyes as he finished gathering his papers up again.
“You’re unbelievable. You disappear for weeks and you turn up like this? You’ll get sick, Yuri.”
“No I won’t. I’ve never been sick in my life.”
Flynn snorted. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Liar.”
Yuri had been sick at least once, actually. It had been terrifying at the time.
“You got me. I’m always full of lies,” Yuri said blithely, and he began to strip. Flynn blinked slowly, his gaze lingering on the droplets of water sliding down Yuri’s bare back.
“...glad you can be honest about that part.”
Yuri could always be a pain about these things. Distracting. Always so…
He shook his head, grabbed a towel from his cupboard and promptly began to scrub Yuri’s hair.
“Hey, cut that out--what are you--”
“Just hold still already. You’re getting water everywhere.”
When Yuri finally stopped squirming, Flynn’s movements slowed to something more gentle as he helped dry Yuri’s hair off properly.
“There.” Flynn stepped back, satisfied. Yuri scowled at him in turn, huffing.
“Happy?”
Flynn smiled, and wills himself to not be distracted by how nice Yuri’s bare skin looked under the flickering light of the fireplace.
“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse me…” There was a mess to clean up.
He picked up the vest, then the first, shaking them out to lay out properly in front of the fireplace, as if that was the only thing on his mind.
Flynn didn’t look up from his task, even when Yuri closed the distance between them and pressed himself against Flynn’s back. A shiver of heat slid down Flynn’s spine and he fumbled with Yuri’s shirt as he tried to lay it out flat and neat, so it wouldn’t wrinkle too much when it dried in the morning. If it dried.
Hot lips pressed to the nape of his neck and Flynn shivered in earnest, heat prickling all the way up his spine.
“You know honesty is your thing. Think you can show me some of that, instead of pretending you’re too busy handling laundry?”
There were a million things Flynn still had to do. That letter. Paperwork for the barracks. Figuring out assignments for the newly graduated knights.
But Yuri was here, whole, warm and tempting.
And Flynn was honest enough to admit he was too human to push that away. He huffed softly, dropping the shirt he had been straightening and turned to press himself into Yuri’s arms.
“I would hate to be dishonest. Welcome back, Yuri.”
He closed the distance between their lips, hot and eager and let Yuri push him down onto his bed, welcoming Yuri back in every way Yuri would allow.
They don’t get much rest when the grey light of dawn began to filter through the window to signal a new day.
Flynn hummed in contentment, murmuring softly as strands of Yuri’s hair tickled at his nose. It didn’t stop him from nuzzling softly and breathing in the mingled scent of him and Yuri, winding himself close.
Yuri grumbled in his sleep, fidgeting.
“You’re too warm,” he complained sleepily but he didn’t do anything to push Flynn away, like he would have done when it was summer and it really was too warm to stay too close for long.
Flynn hummed in acknowledgement.
“Sorry.” He sighed softly, studying the solid panes of Yuri’s body, the slope of his shoulder, curve of the back and the odd scar stretched out across his side. Flynn didn’t ask and Yuri never said anything. But sometimes, Flynn wondered.
“Are you going to tell me where you’ve been these past few months?” Flynn asked. He can’t remember how many times he checked Dahngrest to see if Brave Vesperia had been stationed by or the times he dropped by Aurnion to find Karol training new recruits but no Yuri or Repede anywhere within sight.
“Are you seriously asking me that now?” Yuri groaned, turning his head to bury his face in his pillow, as if Flynn wasn’t currently attached to his back. “You are such a workaholic.”
“Like you can talk.” Flynn’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t try very hard to keep tabs on Brave Vesperia - their exploits reached his ears without him having to say a thing, usually by well meaning knights who knew of his connection to them. But when they went to the ground, Flynn knew something was going on. And he knew how relentless Yuri could get.
Yuri was always trying to help people, always chasing after things so no one else had to take that on. Yuri was the one that needed to slow down. But he didn’t want to argue about that now.
“Yeah, I can,” Yuri said, huffing. “Later. I’ll tell you later. It’s probably nothing you don’t already know.”
Flynn nodded, pressing his face to Yuri’s shoulder as he held him close, as if to remind himself how real Yuri was. It wasn’t like him to get like this, Flynn told himself. He didn’t get clingy. Yuri would hate that.
But Yuri must have sensed something was different, because he didn’t protest too much about the warmth or the fact that Flynn couldn’t stop touching him. He slid his hands up, and rested them against Yuri’s chest.
“You missed a lot, yesterday.” Flynn finally said, after the silence stretched out long enough. He didn’t have to see Yuri’s face to know what kind of face he was pulling.
“What? The wedding? I don’t know why the air-headed prince bothered. I hate that kind of stuff.”
Flynn huffed, trying to find it within him to scold Yuri for that. Honestly…
“It was more than a wedding, you know. It was a symbol of the growing connections between the Empire and the Union--”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Still a wedding full of stuffy old rich people who want to complain about anything. Not interested. I had better things to do.”
Flynn hummed with laughter.
“Of course. Yuri Lowell could never be caught dead in a suit.” He pressed his lips to Yuri’s shoulder again. He was getting better about not prying. He redirects his words to something lighter. “ Too prim, too proper, how would anyone see him as the rogue he is--”
“Oi, I don’t sound like that--”
“No? I think you do.”
Yuri turned around and promptly shoved Flynn up against the blankets, drawing out a breathless little laugh from Flynn. Yuri’s hair slipped over his shoulders, framing them like a dark curtain.
“You want to try that again?”
Flynn reached up to touch Yuri’s face, smiling softly.
“No, not at all. I’m just glad you’re back.”
He watched the colour rise in Yuri’s pale cheeks, but he didn’t give Yuri a chance to pull away.
“How many times are you going to say that?” Yuri complained as Flynn wrestled him back into the bed.
“As many times as I want. You know how I am.” Flynn grinned, pressing another gentle kiss to Yuri’s cheek.
“You’re such a sap. You’re always like this after weddings,” Yuri groaned, giving Flynn a half-hearted shove. Flynn blinked.
“You think so?” He hadn’t thought he was that obvious. Some strange undefinable feeling rose up in his chest.
“Yeah.” But there was no real annoyance in Yuri’s voice, as he settled back against Flynn, ready to doze off once more. “If you wanna be like that, then you should just marry me and get it out of your system.”
Trust Yuri to say something like that when they were both too drowsy for Flynn to make sense of it immediately.
“Mm, I do...what?” But Yuri had rolled over, his eyes stubbornly closed, leaving Flynn flustered and wide awake.
”Yuri.”
“Quiet already. I’m sleeping.”
Flynn gaped at Yuri’s back, indignant all over again. For that, he really should just toss Yuri out of his bed. But the tips of Yuri’s ears were red and that kept the urge at bay. But only just.
“...if you say things like that, you won't be able to stop me, you know.” Flynn warned.
Yuri didn’t reply.
But they both knew what that meant. Settling himself again, Flynn closed his eyes, willing a few more hours of rest.
Then he could figure out what had to be dealt with first. He needed something better than a honey cake and a sword full of promises this time.
Stupid Yuri.
---
They don’t get a proper chance to talk in the morning.
Flynn woke up to a chill in his room and found his bed empty and the windows wide open, the clothes drying in front of the fireplace long gone.
Yuri was an utter bastard and Flynn could strangle Yuri on the spot. Shivering, he slipped out of bed to shut the windows firmly, noting the disturbance in his papers.
Honestly.
He grabbed a note wedged under a paper weight, taking in the messy scrawl at a glance
At the Comet. Need to take care of some things with Repede
No, he was still going to strangle Yuri. That didn’t help one bit.
Only Yuri would offer the worst kind of haphazard proposal and then go running like the coward he could be. It’s all Flynn can do to keep his steps calm and methodical as he pulled on his uniform and his armor, piece by piece.
Strangle Yuri. Listen to what he has to say. Strangle him again. And then--
He reaches into a drawer, studying the small box inside.
Well, that wouldn’t hurt to bring with him.
A knock at the door takes him out of his thoughts.
“Yes?”
“Sir, Witcher has returned to Zaphias with a report. Would you like to see him?” Sodia’s voice calls out through the door.
Flynn relaxes imperceptibly, unseen. He smoothes out his uniform, and places the box in his pocket. He opens the door, and smiles.
“Yes, of course. I’ll come to see him. Is he in his lab?”
---
One of the most wonderful things about Witcher was that Witcher did not like to go off on tangents (usually).He was efficient and straight to the point, delivering his report in a clinical way Flynn could appreciate.
From Witcher’s report, Flynn could deduce three things:
One, Bakur had been trying to get the former Aspio mages on side, to revive blastia.
Two, it would be impossible.The spirit conversion would not allow aer to exist in the form they once knew. All Bakur had to his name were pretty little gems and nothing more.
It certainly put Bakur’s insolent little letter in a new light. Flynn makes a mental note to delay a response as reasonably possible. The Empire, in fact, did not interfere in the matters of independent states.It was a fact everyone would come to understand with time. Bakur would simply have to take little bit longer than others to learn.
Third, Brave Vesperia definitely had their hands full causing as much trouble to Bakur’s businesses as possible. They had been busy, but in a way that seemed to suit them best.
Which explained why Yuri had returned in such a good mood after a long absence.
And that meant, Flynn could focus on personal business for once, without an ounce of guilt, once his daily duties were settled.
His good mood must have been palpable because every soldier he walked by seemed to straighten with extra enthusiasm with their salutes.
“Commandant!”
“Sir!”
Flynn nodded at the knights on guard at the castle steps, as he walked down, breathing in the crisp air of winter, the scent of earth after the rain still strong in the air.
The streets were always a little quiet after the rain and Flynn took the moment to enjoy walking through the Citizen’s quarter, unobserved with his beige cloak shielding his distinctive armor from view. A few passing shopkeepers called to him as they swept away the water from their shop fronts and Flynn raised his hand, a soft smile at his lips as he nodded in greeting.
The disparity between the Citizen’s quarter and the Lower Quarter wasn’t so obvious these days, when Flynn walked down the steep, winding steps. The buildings were sturdy with new bricks, and cobblestones paved the pathway down to the town’s centre. Things were changing, bit by bit.
But not everything, Flynn noted as Ted bolted out of the Comet, his mother’s voice rising up behind him from the inn.
“Ted! I can’t believe you--all that mud, all over my wooden floors!!”
Flynn stepped to the side before Ted could crash into him.
“Sorry, Ma. I didn’t mean to--gotta go! Hi Flynn! Bye Flynn! Yuri’s upstairs!”
“Thank you, Ted.”
“Don’t say sorry, Ted! Get back----oh, Flynn!” The change in Aimee’s demeanour was abrupt. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. Yuri came back last night. Like Ted said, he’s just upstairs fixing some things for me, if you want to see him--TED.”
“Thank you, Ms. Aimee,” Flynn smiled and left her to it. He carefully dried his feet by the mat, and made his way upstairs, greeted by a familiar bark.
“Repede.” Flynn brightened further as he knelt down to greet Repede properly, rubbing his ears. “I was wondering where you went. Yuri’s around, isn’t he?”
Repede barked, and pointed his nose further upstairs.
“On the roof? Fixing a hole? I’ll wait for him to come back down then.”
Flynn let himself into Yuri’s room, noting at least here nothing had changed. Yuri’s room was as sparsely decorated as ever. A small bed that was barely enough to fit two adult men, an old wooden table and a water basin. He wonders what it would look like if they had a place of their own--a room they could both equally claim as theirs. He imagined a bigger bed, soft blue curtains, a nice dog bed for Repede by the window so he could always enjoy his afternoon naps…
He shook his head.
Dusty books sat unread on the shelf and Flynn picked one up to flip through as he sat himself on Yuri’s bed, waiting for Yuri to finish with his chores.
It doesn’t take long.
“Finally. Can’t believe that’s the first thing I get hit with when I--” Yuri grouched as he swung himself back through the window and promptly froze with his leg half way through.
Flynn smiled, perfectly serene as he shut his book.
That was a funny expression. But Flynn still was debating the merits of strangling Yuri first.
“Get back in here, or I’ll drag you in myself.”
Yuri stared at Flynn for a long time, before slowly placing both his legs through the window and dropping in soundlessly. Good. Otherwise Flynn would have had to make good on his threat. That would have been fun for Flynn, but too much of a distraction to the things Flynn actually wanted to discuss with Yuri.
“Geez, what has gotten you so worked up this morning? Yuri grumbles, avoiding Flynn’s gaze as he set his tools to the side, and pretended to be busy with tidying up the mess of empty glass bottles on his table.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Flynn said. “Maybe it was because a certain someone decided to run away after proposing to me. I think that would get to anyone.”
Yuri whipped back around, indignant at the implied insult, and then turned pink and looked away again.
“Oi, I wasn’t running away. I had things to do. It’s not my fault you decided to sleep in for once.”
:”Of course you did.” Flynn huffed and stood up, closing the distance between the two of them. That was just so Yuri. He took Yuri’s hands in his and studied them. Yuri didn’t wear his heavy golden bangle anymore. There was no need, but it made Yuri’s hands look oddly delicate without it. They were reddened from the cold, calluses forming at the side of his fingers. “You really shouldn’t be running around without gloves for much longer. Your fingers will freeze off like this.”
“Like I’ve ever needed them. They get in my way.”
Flynn hummed in acknowledgement, squeezing Yuri’s hands gently.
Yuri was the worst. And yet, here was Flynn, ready to fall on his knees for him. What did that make Flynn?
An absolute idiot, probably.
“Then I’ll have to keep an eye on you. I heard from Witcher, by the way.”
Yuri cocked his head, distracted.
“That Apple-Head? Oh yeah, he did help us out quite a bit with our mission. Don’t think he was too happy about Rita bossing him around though.”
Flynn chuckled and nodded.
“I suppose I should thank Brave Vesperia for once again fixing a mess the Empire had created.”
“So you know then? About the blastia shells?”
“That they’re nothing more than shiny pieces of glass, with some level of sentimental value depending on the owner? Yes. We’ll clean up after Bakur if the Union is happy to hand him over to us, but otherwise…”
Flynn shook his head. He better not let Yuri get him too off topic.
“It was certainly a help for more things than one.” He hesitated and squeezed at Yuri’s hands. It hid his trembling. And Yuri still wasn’t looking him in the eye.
“Glad to be of help. Are you going to let me go now or are you trying to figure out how to put chains on me instead?”
“No---what? What kind of--” Flynn allowed there were some kind of bindings he wouldn’t mind seeing Yuri in, but that was not the place or time. “Stop being an idiot, Yuri. Just--let me talk.”
He let go of Yuri’s hands, cupping Yuri’s face between his own with painstaking gentleness. Yuri’s eyes met his and Flynn swallowed. He could always get lost in Yuri’s eyes. They were always such a warm gray, and gave him the feeling of coming home after the storm.
Always.
“Did you mean it, what you said last night?” Flynn asked, and if his voice wavered, well, it was just Yuri. And Yuri never held these kinds of weaknesses against him. He could see Yuri’s throat move and slowly, Yuri reached out to press a hand over Flynn’s, keeping him there.
“Have you ever known me to say anything I didn’t mean?” Yuri asked, his cheeks tinting with embarrassment.
Flynn laughed, shaky with relief.
“No. You would never.” He couldn’t help himself any more. He pressed his lips to Yuri’s, firm and needy.
“Like I said last night. You’re not going to be able to stop me anymore.” Flynn said, resting his forehead against Yuri’s. Yuri grinned, his expression softening in a way he never looked at anyone else.
Flynn wondered how he could have ever - even for a moment - doubted this.
“Yeah. I already know how stubborn you are.” Yuri leaned in for another kiss of his own, humming. “By the way, if you’re going to make an honest man out of me, honey cakes and pebbles aren’t going to cut it, you know.”
Flynn blinked, the words sinking in. Then he laughed. Oh, so that was what that time had been about.
It figured.
“No. I think we can take an upgrade from some old sword too, if we’re looking at making promises,” Flynn agreed, brushing a stray strand of hair from Yuri’s face. He took the small box out of his pocket, and pressed it into Yuri’s hands.
“Here. Open it.”
Yuri glanced down, frowning as he lifted the lid off. Inside was a simple silver bangle, embedded with glittering golden gems. Gems that used to be the blastia Flynn wore proudly on his chest for so long.
“...rings would only get in your way. And I wanted something that would last longer than a coin. Since blastia don’t have anything but sentimental value now…”
Yuri stepped back, and covered his face with one hand, the blush spreading right to his ears again.
“--...we can use it however we like. I hate you, you know that?”
Flynn smiled, and he knew how sappy he must look to Yuri. He didn’t care.
“I love you too.”
“Yeah, yeah--Repede, get that bag, would you?”
Repede barks, and trots inside with a worn little cloth pouch, trotting up to Flynn with an expectant look in his doggy gaze. Flynn let go of Yuri to take the bag, opening it in his hand, to find a long golden necklace fall out, with a shining red gem in the middle of a starburst.
Yuri’s blastia.
“Not. One. Word.” Yuri insisted, grabbing Flynn by the shoulders as Flynn blinked, feeling his eyes go hot. “Don’t--hey, you can’t start crying on me now!”
Yuri never did well when Flynn got teary. It was the sweetest part about Yuri that Flynn kept a secret deep in his heart. Only Flynn got to see this part of him.
Flynn laughed, happy tears springing up at the corner of his eyes. He hadn’t cried in years, and he doesn’t think he ever cried like this before.
He quite liked the feeling.
“Too bad. Remember? You can’t stop me. You better run if you don’t want to melt.”
In the blur of tears, he can’t quite make out Yuri’s expression. But he knew Yuri’s touch against his face and the heat of Yuri’s lips against his.
It was so warm, so gentle. Flynn could lose himself in it. And against his lips, he swears he could hear Yuri say:
“...Not this time.”
Fandom: Tales of Vesperia
Ship: Flynn/Yuri
Warnings: N/A, implied sex is all there is
AO3: Link
Summary: It’s winter, the season of love. And the season of trouble. Annoyingly enough, it’s getting increasingly harder to focus on that trouble when everyone around Flynn keeps trying to remind him of what marriage means. Yuri certainly isn’t any help whatsoever.
---
The invitation came on thick parchment with beautiful scrawling cursive spelling out his name on the front, and large intricate golden flowers weaving around the borders. The faint perfume wafting from it would have made Flynn wrinkle his nose, had he not been in front of an audience. It was ostentatious, but everything from Zaphias’ nobles tended to err on that side of things.
It read:
To Your Excellency Flynn Scifo,
We cordially invite you to partake in the unity ceremony between our Melissa Otois and Williard Beville, to take place on the tenth day, of the twelfth month, under the gaze of the goddess.
Yours honourably,
Sir Rex Otois
.
“...sir?” Flynn asked, raising his eyebrows in polite query. “I am honoured by the gesture from the Otois family, but with movements of blastia in the black market passing through Illycia--”
“I believe,” Ioder said with serenity, “that is why you must attend. Total unity between the Empire and Guilds must be displayed that night to send a clear message to all that wish to subvert the order we have carefully built.”
Flynn frowned.
“Still…surely a representative will be better suited--”
“No one can take your place, Flynn. Besides, I think it would do you well to take a night off,” Ioder said, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “Perhaps you could meet someone? Weddings have a way of putting thoughts in people’s heads. I’m aware you left many a noble girl’s heart broken--”
“Your Majesty-” Flynn protested, flustering visibly. It was just as well that it was only the two of them in the hall. Ioder laughed, his expression brightening with boyish joy that was passingly rare these days.
“Ah--and I believe Brave Vesperia had been invited too. It has been awhile, hasn’t it?”
That stopped Flynn’s protests in his tracks. Ioder’s gaze softened, and he turned his gaze outside. More than anyone, Ioder understood the pressures of Flynn’s position. Soon, it would be Ioder’s turn too. And then…
“Consider it part of your duties, Flynn. Take this day to enjoy seeing a day made simply to celebrate love.”
Flynn exhaled slowly, and bowed low.
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
He straightened, his armor clanking as he took his leave, his thoughts far away.
A wedding, huh?
If Flynn had been the type to assign blame, he would have laid it squarely at Emperor Ioder’s feet for putting the thoughts back into his head.
But he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t been thinking about this for years.
And the memory of that day he first started thinking about it rose unbidden in his mind.
---
The first wedding Flynn had seen had been between the local baker and a farmer’s daughter. It was also the first time they had seen the Lower Quarter’s tradition take place. A marriage was always a happy event in the Lower Quarter; this one was particularly happy because everyone had known the happy couple since they were children and were hoping all along they’d tie the knot.
Or so Mrs. Hanks said. Flynn and Yuri were too young to be sure. But Mrs. Hanks wasn’t a head-in-the-clouds-romantic like the innkeeper by any means, so Flynn was inclined to accept it. Flynn and Yuri had been dragged into helping the Lower Quarter celebrate. Well, Yuri had been dragged into helping the Lower Quarter celebrate. He was much more interested in frogs and snakes than helping set up bundles of wildflowers along the streets. Flynn had been a little more willing, helped they had the best view of the proceedings from up on the balcony, where he and Yuri were suppose to throw lilies (expensive flowers, the few they could afford) down onto the streets when the bride and groom were whisked away to their wedding feast.
He had always been a little fascinated by the idea of marriage. Growing old, never having to worry about being alone. He wondered what that was like. Happy, he thought. Married people must have been happy. Mr. Hanks and Mrs. Hanks certainly were, even if they argued sometimes.
He watched the glowing bride dressed in a blue dress and a chaplet of roses walk up the rickety cobblestone path to the fountain. The groom was waiting for her there, and like her, he was dressed in blue too. Even though both of them were dressed in clothes that were a little worn and they couldn’t perform the ceremony under the direct eye of a goddess statue, they looked happy. He watched, fascinated as the couple shared a glass of wine and fruit. Then, the groom held a coin out to the bride and she laughed, taking one half between her fingertips.
The coin glimmered a bright gold in the sun as it snapped in half.
“Isn’t that a waste?” Yuri asked, and Flynn startled. He hadn’t realised Yuri was still paying attention. “I mean, with that coin, we could have bought so much bread--ow!”
Yuri yelped as Mrs. Hanks swatted him over the head lightly with a rolling pin.
“Shush you. A coin shared between two binds them for life, as long as they’re willing to continue to share it. Only a selfish man would hoard a single coin to himself and no one else. A single coin is a very small price to pay to show someone you want to stay with them for the rest of your life.”
Yuri wrinkled his nose, because he was in that weird stage where anything with romance and love seemed to gross him out. Flynn watched the couple leave and remembered to toss the flowers down onto the crowd as they disappeared for the baker’s house.
“Forever, huh? That sounds nice,” Flynn said, a little wistful. Yuri rolled his eyes and dumped the rest of his flowers before he leaned onto Flynn heavily.
“I think sharing a sword is better than that.” Yuri grumbled. Flynn blinked, thought about it and laughed in agreement.
“Yeah! Definitely a sword.”
Mrs. Hanks swatted them both with the rolling pin this time and sent them downstairs to help bring the basket of food over to share in the feast.
But when Flynn thought about it later, he thought having both would be nice. A sword for a promise, a coin for time.
But maybe he was just being greedy. And Yuri was right. A coin could buy them a lot of bread, and they needed all the coins they could get to buy that sword they wanted.
“Does it have to be a coin, Mrs. Hanks?” Flynn asked as he helped her clean up. The feast had been amazing. Flynn had never seen so much food in his life and he felt bound to do the right thing, even though Yuri had run off on his own already and Mrs. Hanks hadn’t asked him to help. Mrs.Hanks’s lined brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, trying to place Flynn’s question before she laughed, a loud booming sound that was warm and bright instead of insulting.
“Of course not. The nobles you know, they share rings. They’re rich enough for it, unlike us. But I suppose as long as it’s round, people are happy with it as a sign of their shared life.,” Mrs. Hanks chuckled. Flynn hummed in thought.
“What about you? Did you have a shared coin with Mr. Hanks?”
Mrs. Hanks turned back to the dishes but Flynn could read the warm look on her face as he helped dry them.
“Aye, I did. It was lost a long time ago, but I will never forget that day we stood before the goddess’ statue and broke that coin. The look on his face...”
If Yuri had been here, he would have been gagging. But Flynn had been thoughtful instead. If he could share his life with anyone forever and ever…
There was really only one person Flynn wanted to have that with.
“Here,” Mrs. Hanks said gruffly, as she wiped her hands clean and handed Flynn a small, round honey cake, still warm and tasty and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Flynn’s eyes brightened.
“That’s for helping me with the dishes. Now go on and enjoy your day. You don’t need to hang around any longer doing boring work. Go share that with Yuri.”
‘Even though Yuri didn’t deserve it’ went unsaid.
“Thank you, Mrs. Hanks,” Flynn said very politely as he took the sweet - a rare, expensive treat - and cradled it carefully to his chest as he ran off in search of Yuri.
Yuri liked sweets much more than he did after all.
“Yuri!” Flynn called out as he ran around the back streets behind the inn, the honey cake safely wrapped up in a clean handkerchief. He knew all of Yuri’s favourite hiding spaces. It didn’t take long before he tracked Yuri down.
At this time of the day, Yuri liked to hang around the citizen’s quarter, chasing frogs by the bridge. He found Yuri by the river, wading in ankle deep water, splashing around, frowning very seriously at some flat pebbles he kept tossing back into the water.
“Yuri! There you are!” Flynn huffed as he jogged up to the river and paused by the bank. Yuri looked up at him, waved and studied the pebble in his hand before tossing it back into the river and climbing out.
“What’s that?” Yuri asked, looking interested in the bundle Flynn was carrying with great care.
“A treat from Mrs. Hanks. She said we should share.” Flynn sat down on the river bed, patting the space next to him for Yuri to join him. Yuri didn’t hesitate and he sat down on the grass with him, leaning in close and looking delighted as Flynn unwrapped the handkerchief to reveal the still-warm honey cake inside.
“A honey cake! You should have said so sooner,” Yuri complained, trying to dry his hands on his damp shirt before he reached out to take one side of the honey cake, while Flynn took the other.
“Mm, sorry.” Flynn hummed in agreement. He probably should have realised Yuri would have wanted to play by the river first today. “Ready…? One...two…”
They pulled the honey cake apart together, yelping and laughing when the gooey warm custard inside spilled onto their hands. They ate quickly, and messily and Flynn couldn’t help but think it was just like the bride and groom. Just messier.
“...Yuri...we’ll always be together, won't we?”
“Huh? Why are you asking such weird things?” Yuri complained. Flynn reddened and looked away.
“I...just…” Yuri leaned into him, shouldering him roughly.
“You know you’re stuck with me forever anyway. Get used to it.”
Flynn brightened and laughed too. Yuri had a way of saying the right thing sometimes.
“Yeah. I know.”
They finished their honey cake in silence, watching frogs leap from the bushes and away from the riverside.
“What were you looking for anyway?” Flynn asked as he finished the last of his half. Yuri shrugged, licking his fingers and making Flynn’s nose wrinkle as he handed Yuri the handkerchief to clean himself.
“Oh...nothing. None of the pebbles were round enough. Come on. Let’s go see if we can spy on the knights training sessions again.”
“Oh--it’s that time of the day isn’t it? Let’s go,” Flynn scrambled to his feet and brightened.
“Do you still have the big stick?”
“Yeah, I hid it under the bakery, so we should just…”
The two children laughed as they ran off, hand in hand.
--
Unlike the simplicity of the Lower Quarter, ceremonies for nobles, of course, were always laborious affairs. Flynn was lucky there were enough guildsmen looking distinctly uncomfortable in their three-piece suits milling around that no one had the chance to pay mind to his own quiet discomfort as the ceremony went on into the night, where there was finally time for a reprieve.
The castle was always resplendent in its opulence, but today, it had taken on a level beyond anything Flynn had remembered seeing before.
Carved swans of ice glittered under the chandeliers as the warm notes of the violins and harps resounded in the hall. White and blue roses were carefully arranged along the tables and twined around the pillars, with lengths of gauzy white silk fluttering in the cool night breeze.
Emperor Ioder had gone overboard for this event, as usual.
At the very end of the hall was the table of honor, where the blushing newly wed couple sat together, with their more severe parents at their sides. Emperor Ioder was with them, seemingly oblivious to the resentment amongst the elders as he exchanged warm pleasantries with the blushing couple, bestowing them a gift that was more than certainly worth its weight in gold.
“So when will it be your turn, Commandant Flynn?” A elderly gentleman asked, in the brief pause of the music.
Flynn pulled his gaze away from the dancing couples spinning around on the dance floor and took a moment to place the man’s question. From anyone else, Flynn might have baulked. But Lord Anjou was an old ally of Ioder’s and one of the few who had been blameless in the affairs and plots of the nobles that plagued the Empire for so long. He cared only for his family and their lands. A known romantic that was more than passingly fond of the opera. It stood to reason he’d be interested in this as well, with the bride being his niece.
“I beg your pardon?” Flynn asked.
The wedding was an important event, a symbol of the strengthening union between Empire and Guild. The love story of the Otois heiress and the Beville Guild’s heir would be one for the ages. Flynn understood the importance of the event even without Emperor Ioder’s gentle suggestion.
And so, Flynn had taken it upon himself to attend with enthusiasm, even though he felt very much out of place in such splendor and displays of riches, and ignored the itching need to throw himself back into his work.
It was important. But this casual display of wealth, almost frivolously so, would never sit well with him. But part of him had hoped to see someone else here too.
He scanned the crowds again, trying to catch any glimpse of Brave Vesperia and couldn’t find a single sign.
Even though they had been invited, with their rising prestige…
“Well, a young handsome man in your station surely must be fending off no shortage of offers,” Anjou laughed, drawing Flynn’s attention back to him. “Imagine! The youngest Commandant to walk the land, without a single paramour waiting in the shadows for your attention! I heard you were a workaholic, Commandant, but that won't do! I’m sure your beloved is as anxious as you are to ask for her hand in marriage--”
Flynn was glad he had refrained from helping himself to the champagne at the very moment, because it took all his willpower not to splutter as he tried to imagine Yuri of all people, waiting patiently for Flynn’s offer of marriage.
“I am afraid I must disappoint you, sir. There is no paramour in the shadows waiting for me to take their hand in marriage. I am, as you say, a workaholic. My devotion is to my country,” Flynn said, smoothing out his strained smile.
“Not too devoted that you forget to make a family, I hope. I bet if Alexei had been busy playing house, none of this-” Ending of the world, near total destruction of the city “-could have happened.”
Flynn’s smile went tight.
“Maybe so.”
The strings of violins picked up again and Flynn saw Emperor Ioder make a gesture.
“If you would excuse me,” Flynn begged his leave politely and quickly hurried away. But not without another scan around the room.
Well, he had little hopes of seeing Yuri in a place like this.
But as his mind replayed the wedding ceremony, he couldn’t help but remember his own clumsy early attempts at a marriage proposal. Not that he could get the words out the way he wanted to.
Flynn let the memory slip away with amusement; a marriage proposal with a honey cake? He wasn’t sure what he had been thinking back then.
If Yuri was open to it, surely--
No. He wouldn’t let himself get carried away.
Yuri didn’t need to be tied down. And Flynn wasn’t so needy that he needed something like that.
He took one final look around.
And there was still no sign of Brave Vesperia anywhere. Flynn tried not to let the thought of it get to him.
Brave Vesperia was strong. Yuri was strong. Flynn didn’t need to worry over him like he did three years ago, when Yuri had been raging at an unseen enemy and Flynn didn’t know how to call him back and tell him to just stop.
Yuri was in a much better place these days. Flynn could have faith in that.
Rain gently began to patter against the window, a soothing cadence to his walk back through the winding halls. The wedding had long ended, the couple sent off for the night, before they would make their way to Halure in the morning.
There was still enough time left in the night. Flynn could get some work done.
---
The rain didn’t stay soothing for long. It beat hard against the windows and tree branches whipped wildly at the glass. Flynn had long tuned out the noise, far too caught up in the reports laid out on his desk and a different sort of letter in his hands.
As a long standing member of nobility, I must insist on the Commandant recognising his duty to his people, rather than his attempts to please his allies to bolster his own standing. I have been waiting many days for a battalion of knights to escort me to my home, away from the unrest of Dahngrest, and yet, here I am, still waiting. Should this missive fail to receive an appropriate reply, then I, Lord Bakur would have to assume the Crown has abandoned its duty to its people--
Flynn exhaled as he readied his quill, trying to think of an appropriate reply. Alone, Flynn could say what was truly on his mind.
“Bastard…”
Bakur’s demand for the Crown to provide troops and protection for his caravans stuck in Dahngrest would have been rude at best, if not utterly brazen in its contempt for Ioder’s rule and Flynn’s work in rebuilding broken alliances and trust.
Besides…
His gaze fell on a missive from Hachette.
L. Bakur witnessed with blastia shells.
Ruin’s Gate witnessed speaking with Bakur.
Mages witnessed among Bakur’s people.
Flynn rubbed his forehead. If it had just been an impudent noble that had alienated every guild in existence, that would have been one thing. But this…
The window slammed open and Flynn jumped up, reaching for his sword instinctively as wind and rain swept through, sending a few documents flying through his room. Then he registered the figure in front of him and surprise bled back into irritation.
Flynn didn’t know when Yuri would show up again, after weeks in the dark, but it figured Yuri would decide to show up on a whim, on a night like this.
“Yuri! Be more careful when you come in,” Flynn scolded, his emotions a tangle of annoyance, exasperation and relief once he decided Yuri was indeed in one piece.
It made scolding Yuri easier.
“Yeah, yeah. Happy to see you too,” Yuri said and he shut the window behind him. He squelched past Flynn, uncaring of the puddles of water he left in his wake. Flynn tried very hard not to roll his eyes as he finished gathering his papers up again.
“You’re unbelievable. You disappear for weeks and you turn up like this? You’ll get sick, Yuri.”
“No I won’t. I’ve never been sick in my life.”
Flynn snorted. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Liar.”
Yuri had been sick at least once, actually. It had been terrifying at the time.
“You got me. I’m always full of lies,” Yuri said blithely, and he began to strip. Flynn blinked slowly, his gaze lingering on the droplets of water sliding down Yuri’s bare back.
“...glad you can be honest about that part.”
Yuri could always be a pain about these things. Distracting. Always so…
He shook his head, grabbed a towel from his cupboard and promptly began to scrub Yuri’s hair.
“Hey, cut that out--what are you--”
“Just hold still already. You’re getting water everywhere.”
When Yuri finally stopped squirming, Flynn’s movements slowed to something more gentle as he helped dry Yuri’s hair off properly.
“There.” Flynn stepped back, satisfied. Yuri scowled at him in turn, huffing.
“Happy?”
Flynn smiled, and wills himself to not be distracted by how nice Yuri’s bare skin looked under the flickering light of the fireplace.
“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse me…” There was a mess to clean up.
He picked up the vest, then the first, shaking them out to lay out properly in front of the fireplace, as if that was the only thing on his mind.
Flynn didn’t look up from his task, even when Yuri closed the distance between them and pressed himself against Flynn’s back. A shiver of heat slid down Flynn’s spine and he fumbled with Yuri’s shirt as he tried to lay it out flat and neat, so it wouldn’t wrinkle too much when it dried in the morning. If it dried.
Hot lips pressed to the nape of his neck and Flynn shivered in earnest, heat prickling all the way up his spine.
“You know honesty is your thing. Think you can show me some of that, instead of pretending you’re too busy handling laundry?”
There were a million things Flynn still had to do. That letter. Paperwork for the barracks. Figuring out assignments for the newly graduated knights.
But Yuri was here, whole, warm and tempting.
And Flynn was honest enough to admit he was too human to push that away. He huffed softly, dropping the shirt he had been straightening and turned to press himself into Yuri’s arms.
“I would hate to be dishonest. Welcome back, Yuri.”
He closed the distance between their lips, hot and eager and let Yuri push him down onto his bed, welcoming Yuri back in every way Yuri would allow.
They don’t get much rest when the grey light of dawn began to filter through the window to signal a new day.
Flynn hummed in contentment, murmuring softly as strands of Yuri’s hair tickled at his nose. It didn’t stop him from nuzzling softly and breathing in the mingled scent of him and Yuri, winding himself close.
Yuri grumbled in his sleep, fidgeting.
“You’re too warm,” he complained sleepily but he didn’t do anything to push Flynn away, like he would have done when it was summer and it really was too warm to stay too close for long.
Flynn hummed in acknowledgement.
“Sorry.” He sighed softly, studying the solid panes of Yuri’s body, the slope of his shoulder, curve of the back and the odd scar stretched out across his side. Flynn didn’t ask and Yuri never said anything. But sometimes, Flynn wondered.
“Are you going to tell me where you’ve been these past few months?” Flynn asked. He can’t remember how many times he checked Dahngrest to see if Brave Vesperia had been stationed by or the times he dropped by Aurnion to find Karol training new recruits but no Yuri or Repede anywhere within sight.
“Are you seriously asking me that now?” Yuri groaned, turning his head to bury his face in his pillow, as if Flynn wasn’t currently attached to his back. “You are such a workaholic.”
“Like you can talk.” Flynn’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t try very hard to keep tabs on Brave Vesperia - their exploits reached his ears without him having to say a thing, usually by well meaning knights who knew of his connection to them. But when they went to the ground, Flynn knew something was going on. And he knew how relentless Yuri could get.
Yuri was always trying to help people, always chasing after things so no one else had to take that on. Yuri was the one that needed to slow down. But he didn’t want to argue about that now.
“Yeah, I can,” Yuri said, huffing. “Later. I’ll tell you later. It’s probably nothing you don’t already know.”
Flynn nodded, pressing his face to Yuri’s shoulder as he held him close, as if to remind himself how real Yuri was. It wasn’t like him to get like this, Flynn told himself. He didn’t get clingy. Yuri would hate that.
But Yuri must have sensed something was different, because he didn’t protest too much about the warmth or the fact that Flynn couldn’t stop touching him. He slid his hands up, and rested them against Yuri’s chest.
“You missed a lot, yesterday.” Flynn finally said, after the silence stretched out long enough. He didn’t have to see Yuri’s face to know what kind of face he was pulling.
“What? The wedding? I don’t know why the air-headed prince bothered. I hate that kind of stuff.”
Flynn huffed, trying to find it within him to scold Yuri for that. Honestly…
“It was more than a wedding, you know. It was a symbol of the growing connections between the Empire and the Union--”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Still a wedding full of stuffy old rich people who want to complain about anything. Not interested. I had better things to do.”
Flynn hummed with laughter.
“Of course. Yuri Lowell could never be caught dead in a suit.” He pressed his lips to Yuri’s shoulder again. He was getting better about not prying. He redirects his words to something lighter. “ Too prim, too proper, how would anyone see him as the rogue he is--”
“Oi, I don’t sound like that--”
“No? I think you do.”
Yuri turned around and promptly shoved Flynn up against the blankets, drawing out a breathless little laugh from Flynn. Yuri’s hair slipped over his shoulders, framing them like a dark curtain.
“You want to try that again?”
Flynn reached up to touch Yuri’s face, smiling softly.
“No, not at all. I’m just glad you’re back.”
He watched the colour rise in Yuri’s pale cheeks, but he didn’t give Yuri a chance to pull away.
“How many times are you going to say that?” Yuri complained as Flynn wrestled him back into the bed.
“As many times as I want. You know how I am.” Flynn grinned, pressing another gentle kiss to Yuri’s cheek.
“You’re such a sap. You’re always like this after weddings,” Yuri groaned, giving Flynn a half-hearted shove. Flynn blinked.
“You think so?” He hadn’t thought he was that obvious. Some strange undefinable feeling rose up in his chest.
“Yeah.” But there was no real annoyance in Yuri’s voice, as he settled back against Flynn, ready to doze off once more. “If you wanna be like that, then you should just marry me and get it out of your system.”
Trust Yuri to say something like that when they were both too drowsy for Flynn to make sense of it immediately.
“Mm, I do...what?” But Yuri had rolled over, his eyes stubbornly closed, leaving Flynn flustered and wide awake.
”Yuri.”
“Quiet already. I’m sleeping.”
Flynn gaped at Yuri’s back, indignant all over again. For that, he really should just toss Yuri out of his bed. But the tips of Yuri’s ears were red and that kept the urge at bay. But only just.
“...if you say things like that, you won't be able to stop me, you know.” Flynn warned.
Yuri didn’t reply.
But they both knew what that meant. Settling himself again, Flynn closed his eyes, willing a few more hours of rest.
Then he could figure out what had to be dealt with first. He needed something better than a honey cake and a sword full of promises this time.
Stupid Yuri.
---
They don’t get a proper chance to talk in the morning.
Flynn woke up to a chill in his room and found his bed empty and the windows wide open, the clothes drying in front of the fireplace long gone.
Yuri was an utter bastard and Flynn could strangle Yuri on the spot. Shivering, he slipped out of bed to shut the windows firmly, noting the disturbance in his papers.
Honestly.
He grabbed a note wedged under a paper weight, taking in the messy scrawl at a glance
At the Comet. Need to take care of some things with Repede
No, he was still going to strangle Yuri. That didn’t help one bit.
Only Yuri would offer the worst kind of haphazard proposal and then go running like the coward he could be. It’s all Flynn can do to keep his steps calm and methodical as he pulled on his uniform and his armor, piece by piece.
Strangle Yuri. Listen to what he has to say. Strangle him again. And then--
He reaches into a drawer, studying the small box inside.
Well, that wouldn’t hurt to bring with him.
A knock at the door takes him out of his thoughts.
“Yes?”
“Sir, Witcher has returned to Zaphias with a report. Would you like to see him?” Sodia’s voice calls out through the door.
Flynn relaxes imperceptibly, unseen. He smoothes out his uniform, and places the box in his pocket. He opens the door, and smiles.
“Yes, of course. I’ll come to see him. Is he in his lab?”
---
One of the most wonderful things about Witcher was that Witcher did not like to go off on tangents (usually).He was efficient and straight to the point, delivering his report in a clinical way Flynn could appreciate.
From Witcher’s report, Flynn could deduce three things:
One, Bakur had been trying to get the former Aspio mages on side, to revive blastia.
Two, it would be impossible.The spirit conversion would not allow aer to exist in the form they once knew. All Bakur had to his name were pretty little gems and nothing more.
It certainly put Bakur’s insolent little letter in a new light. Flynn makes a mental note to delay a response as reasonably possible. The Empire, in fact, did not interfere in the matters of independent states.It was a fact everyone would come to understand with time. Bakur would simply have to take little bit longer than others to learn.
Third, Brave Vesperia definitely had their hands full causing as much trouble to Bakur’s businesses as possible. They had been busy, but in a way that seemed to suit them best.
Which explained why Yuri had returned in such a good mood after a long absence.
And that meant, Flynn could focus on personal business for once, without an ounce of guilt, once his daily duties were settled.
His good mood must have been palpable because every soldier he walked by seemed to straighten with extra enthusiasm with their salutes.
“Commandant!”
“Sir!”
Flynn nodded at the knights on guard at the castle steps, as he walked down, breathing in the crisp air of winter, the scent of earth after the rain still strong in the air.
The streets were always a little quiet after the rain and Flynn took the moment to enjoy walking through the Citizen’s quarter, unobserved with his beige cloak shielding his distinctive armor from view. A few passing shopkeepers called to him as they swept away the water from their shop fronts and Flynn raised his hand, a soft smile at his lips as he nodded in greeting.
The disparity between the Citizen’s quarter and the Lower Quarter wasn’t so obvious these days, when Flynn walked down the steep, winding steps. The buildings were sturdy with new bricks, and cobblestones paved the pathway down to the town’s centre. Things were changing, bit by bit.
But not everything, Flynn noted as Ted bolted out of the Comet, his mother’s voice rising up behind him from the inn.
“Ted! I can’t believe you--all that mud, all over my wooden floors!!”
Flynn stepped to the side before Ted could crash into him.
“Sorry, Ma. I didn’t mean to--gotta go! Hi Flynn! Bye Flynn! Yuri’s upstairs!”
“Thank you, Ted.”
“Don’t say sorry, Ted! Get back----oh, Flynn!” The change in Aimee’s demeanour was abrupt. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. Yuri came back last night. Like Ted said, he’s just upstairs fixing some things for me, if you want to see him--TED.”
“Thank you, Ms. Aimee,” Flynn smiled and left her to it. He carefully dried his feet by the mat, and made his way upstairs, greeted by a familiar bark.
“Repede.” Flynn brightened further as he knelt down to greet Repede properly, rubbing his ears. “I was wondering where you went. Yuri’s around, isn’t he?”
Repede barked, and pointed his nose further upstairs.
“On the roof? Fixing a hole? I’ll wait for him to come back down then.”
Flynn let himself into Yuri’s room, noting at least here nothing had changed. Yuri’s room was as sparsely decorated as ever. A small bed that was barely enough to fit two adult men, an old wooden table and a water basin. He wonders what it would look like if they had a place of their own--a room they could both equally claim as theirs. He imagined a bigger bed, soft blue curtains, a nice dog bed for Repede by the window so he could always enjoy his afternoon naps…
He shook his head.
Dusty books sat unread on the shelf and Flynn picked one up to flip through as he sat himself on Yuri’s bed, waiting for Yuri to finish with his chores.
It doesn’t take long.
“Finally. Can’t believe that’s the first thing I get hit with when I--” Yuri grouched as he swung himself back through the window and promptly froze with his leg half way through.
Flynn smiled, perfectly serene as he shut his book.
That was a funny expression. But Flynn still was debating the merits of strangling Yuri first.
“Get back in here, or I’ll drag you in myself.”
Yuri stared at Flynn for a long time, before slowly placing both his legs through the window and dropping in soundlessly. Good. Otherwise Flynn would have had to make good on his threat. That would have been fun for Flynn, but too much of a distraction to the things Flynn actually wanted to discuss with Yuri.
“Geez, what has gotten you so worked up this morning? Yuri grumbles, avoiding Flynn’s gaze as he set his tools to the side, and pretended to be busy with tidying up the mess of empty glass bottles on his table.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Flynn said. “Maybe it was because a certain someone decided to run away after proposing to me. I think that would get to anyone.”
Yuri whipped back around, indignant at the implied insult, and then turned pink and looked away again.
“Oi, I wasn’t running away. I had things to do. It’s not my fault you decided to sleep in for once.”
:”Of course you did.” Flynn huffed and stood up, closing the distance between the two of them. That was just so Yuri. He took Yuri’s hands in his and studied them. Yuri didn’t wear his heavy golden bangle anymore. There was no need, but it made Yuri’s hands look oddly delicate without it. They were reddened from the cold, calluses forming at the side of his fingers. “You really shouldn’t be running around without gloves for much longer. Your fingers will freeze off like this.”
“Like I’ve ever needed them. They get in my way.”
Flynn hummed in acknowledgement, squeezing Yuri’s hands gently.
Yuri was the worst. And yet, here was Flynn, ready to fall on his knees for him. What did that make Flynn?
An absolute idiot, probably.
“Then I’ll have to keep an eye on you. I heard from Witcher, by the way.”
Yuri cocked his head, distracted.
“That Apple-Head? Oh yeah, he did help us out quite a bit with our mission. Don’t think he was too happy about Rita bossing him around though.”
Flynn chuckled and nodded.
“I suppose I should thank Brave Vesperia for once again fixing a mess the Empire had created.”
“So you know then? About the blastia shells?”
“That they’re nothing more than shiny pieces of glass, with some level of sentimental value depending on the owner? Yes. We’ll clean up after Bakur if the Union is happy to hand him over to us, but otherwise…”
Flynn shook his head. He better not let Yuri get him too off topic.
“It was certainly a help for more things than one.” He hesitated and squeezed at Yuri’s hands. It hid his trembling. And Yuri still wasn’t looking him in the eye.
“Glad to be of help. Are you going to let me go now or are you trying to figure out how to put chains on me instead?”
“No---what? What kind of--” Flynn allowed there were some kind of bindings he wouldn’t mind seeing Yuri in, but that was not the place or time. “Stop being an idiot, Yuri. Just--let me talk.”
He let go of Yuri’s hands, cupping Yuri’s face between his own with painstaking gentleness. Yuri’s eyes met his and Flynn swallowed. He could always get lost in Yuri’s eyes. They were always such a warm gray, and gave him the feeling of coming home after the storm.
Always.
“Did you mean it, what you said last night?” Flynn asked, and if his voice wavered, well, it was just Yuri. And Yuri never held these kinds of weaknesses against him. He could see Yuri’s throat move and slowly, Yuri reached out to press a hand over Flynn’s, keeping him there.
“Have you ever known me to say anything I didn’t mean?” Yuri asked, his cheeks tinting with embarrassment.
Flynn laughed, shaky with relief.
“No. You would never.” He couldn’t help himself any more. He pressed his lips to Yuri’s, firm and needy.
“Like I said last night. You’re not going to be able to stop me anymore.” Flynn said, resting his forehead against Yuri’s. Yuri grinned, his expression softening in a way he never looked at anyone else.
Flynn wondered how he could have ever - even for a moment - doubted this.
“Yeah. I already know how stubborn you are.” Yuri leaned in for another kiss of his own, humming. “By the way, if you’re going to make an honest man out of me, honey cakes and pebbles aren’t going to cut it, you know.”
Flynn blinked, the words sinking in. Then he laughed. Oh, so that was what that time had been about.
It figured.
“No. I think we can take an upgrade from some old sword too, if we’re looking at making promises,” Flynn agreed, brushing a stray strand of hair from Yuri’s face. He took the small box out of his pocket, and pressed it into Yuri’s hands.
“Here. Open it.”
Yuri glanced down, frowning as he lifted the lid off. Inside was a simple silver bangle, embedded with glittering golden gems. Gems that used to be the blastia Flynn wore proudly on his chest for so long.
“...rings would only get in your way. And I wanted something that would last longer than a coin. Since blastia don’t have anything but sentimental value now…”
Yuri stepped back, and covered his face with one hand, the blush spreading right to his ears again.
“--...we can use it however we like. I hate you, you know that?”
Flynn smiled, and he knew how sappy he must look to Yuri. He didn’t care.
“I love you too.”
“Yeah, yeah--Repede, get that bag, would you?”
Repede barks, and trots inside with a worn little cloth pouch, trotting up to Flynn with an expectant look in his doggy gaze. Flynn let go of Yuri to take the bag, opening it in his hand, to find a long golden necklace fall out, with a shining red gem in the middle of a starburst.
Yuri’s blastia.
“Not. One. Word.” Yuri insisted, grabbing Flynn by the shoulders as Flynn blinked, feeling his eyes go hot. “Don’t--hey, you can’t start crying on me now!”
Yuri never did well when Flynn got teary. It was the sweetest part about Yuri that Flynn kept a secret deep in his heart. Only Flynn got to see this part of him.
Flynn laughed, happy tears springing up at the corner of his eyes. He hadn’t cried in years, and he doesn’t think he ever cried like this before.
He quite liked the feeling.
“Too bad. Remember? You can’t stop me. You better run if you don’t want to melt.”
In the blur of tears, he can’t quite make out Yuri’s expression. But he knew Yuri’s touch against his face and the heat of Yuri’s lips against his.
It was so warm, so gentle. Flynn could lose himself in it. And against his lips, he swears he could hear Yuri say:
“...Not this time.”