fic: Late June
May. 27th, 2021 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: Late June
Series: Fire Emblem: Echoes
Character/Pairing: Kamui/Leon, Valbar, Alm/Celica
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 3,274
Summary: Leon catches the bouquet at the bridal festival. But, when he almost falls over in the process, Kamui catches him.
Author's Note:
If Intsys won't give me these brides and grooms, then I'll just have to do it myself.
This also contains Alm/Celica and Boey/Mae. And, it references Boey/Mae canon ending where they have a lot of kids and she is preg.
Leon sighed, dreamily as he watched the beautiful procession. White flowers adorned all the walls of the gazebo. Everyone was dressed up fancy for the bridal festival, all in Leon originals.
"I love weddings. I would love to be a groom someday," Leon said.
Just imagine, a handsome groom in white all ready to promise to love Leon forever. They'd wake up together every day, and everyone would remark on how Leon was such a beautiful groom that he glowed with happiness even months afterwards.
And Leon would say of course, just look at the handsome man I married.
His husband would be so giving. He'd surprise Leon with a kiss and bring him breakfast, he'd always compliment and support his work, and they'd be downright epic in battle together. An utterly perfect match.
In his dreams, his ideal man was always in silhouette, but shaped like Valbar. Because, face it. The mold was broken when that god of a man was made. Mila worked extra hard on him.
But for Leon, he was always a tailor, never a groom.
Leon wore a white tux, with a feathered bow slung over his arm. His inner shirt was lavender, the same shade as his hair. He had one perfect make up to accentuate his features. Like the rest of his former mercenary trio, Leon wore a little purple flower in his pocket.
He'd personally tailored this tux, as well as the one for Valbar and Kamui as well. Valbar's was done with loving care, and Kamui's was done with the sentiment of if I don't do this, he'll probably wear a burlap sack to the bridal festival.
And my, did Valbar ever fill out that tux well. He was breathtakingly handsome with his strong chin, his strong arms, strong everything. His lack of any idea how handsome he was only made him more so.
(Yes, yes, he had let go of Valbar. But, he still had eyes. And Valbar was still oh so perfect.)
The surprise was that Kamui cleaned up nicely, even if he looked somewhat lost and uninterested in a festival dedicated to love and devotion. His dark hair was a little messy, mostly from the fact that he kept running his fingers through it.
Leon had even taken the time to decorate their weapons.
"Reminds me of when I got married," Valbar said. He tugged at the tie at his neck.
"Though it wasn't quite so...fancy."
"The wedding customs and dresses are a lot more different where I'm from," Kamui said.
Celica had a grand dress, with layers like feathers and a beautiful bouquet of red and green flowers. Each signified the flowers of Zofia and Rigel respectively, and how Alm and Celica united them.
This dress was the jewel of Leon's dress line. Considering how much she'd done to save the world, Queen Celica deserved the best.
Alm wore a tux fit for a king. With long suits etched in gold stitching and slightly rolled up sleeves. He'd somehow already managed to get it covered in both crumbs and cat hair. Celica playfully brushed away the evidence, but Leon saw.
Honestly, Alm couldn't resist snacking and petting every cat around, even for the bridal festival.
Both of them wore golden circlets of Valentia, the land they'd united.
"This reminds me back to that day, Alm," Celica said.
She took his hand.
"You look just as beautiful as then. Maybe even more," Alm said.
"You look pretty handsome yourself."
"I'm lucky to get to relive our wedding day again," Alm said.
Celica laughed. "Maybe don't overeat this time. You spent our wedding night with a tummy ache."
"But, you nursed me back to health," Alm said.
"Ah, ah, I see you eyeing that buffet," Celica said.
"It all looks so good, though."
"Well, I suppose a little won't hurt," Celica relented.
On the way, both she and Alm bent to pet a little ginger cat which had decided to come to the party as well.
Honestly! They were hopeless. By the time they were done, they'd have cat hair all over his precious wedding dress creations.
For Mae, he couldn't go quite as extravagant, because she wanted more utility and comfort.
Mae's dress was a little snug about her stomach. Leon had made sure to give it lots of stretch, so it wouldn't rip. She had a big, bright bouquet of pink flowers, a long veil, and a high-cut dress in an empire waistline.
She even had flowers braided into her pink pigtails.
Boey wore a long, dramatic cape with his white suit coat and tunic. He was, ever worried, and always at Mae's elbow to keep her from getting into trouble.
"Are you sure you're well enough to attend the festival? You're due any day now," Boey said.
"Don't be silly, Boey! I'll be fine. I wasn't about to miss this chance. Besides, it's great."
She patted her large belly. "I can use this to hold my snacks while I eat, and you get my more snacks. I won't be able to enjoy my nice little food holder until the next one comes."
And the next one coming was practically guaranteed. They were up to, what, six so far? It seemed almost every year he was getting a pregnancy announcement from them. He was fairly certain there were things to stop that sort of thing, but they never bothered and really liked their big family.
Whatever made them happy, he supposed. Leon didn't claim to understand, but they were different sorts than him.
Mae kissed his cheek. "You're a worrywort! It's not like I'll go into labor at the Bridal Festival, right?"
"I wish I could be so be so sure," Boey said.
"I'm not about to ruin Alm and Celica's big day," Mae said.
"Technically, it's our day too, right?"
Mae laughed. "You say that like we didn't just come for the buffet."
"Too true," Boey said.
*
Alm and Celica easily won the bridal festival, partly because Mae got exhausted and hungry and disappeared before the drawing even happened.
And maybe, in an ideal world, Leon could've been quite a challenger with his ideal groom by his side. But, for now, he'd let Alm and Celica have that win. They certainly deserved it.
There were so many beautiful decorations, white flowers as far as he could see. The many were full of friends from many countries, some new and some old.
Celica looked to Alm and smiled. She cleared her throat and addressed the crowd. All eyes were on her.
"It's time to throw the bouquet," Celica said.
Excited whispering filled the room around them.
"I hope whoever catches this is as happy as I am with you, Alm," Celica said.
Alm smiled at her. He had a cat in his lap, with another already rubbing on his leg. He'd already gotten so much different types of cat hair on his tux that it looked like Leon had added it as a fashion statement.
Leon hadn't had luck in love once in his life. With respect to all the other men and women who wanted that bouquet magic, he needed this. He'd already lost Nayush in battle, and any chance he could have with Valbar.
Askr was filled with so many handsome men. One of them had to be his. In some world he probably didn't even know of was some man who would take one look at him and be completely smitten.
And Leon just needed a little miracle. Just one.
He managed to push past all the other people who wanted their happy endings. Leon reached out so much that he felt himself start to fall. But, he felt the ribbon in his hands. Victory was his. His hands closed about the green and red bouquet.
"Sheesh, careful!"
"Oh, no! He's falling!"
But, Leon never hit the ground.
(Though it would've been worth it, if he had.)
Strong arms caught him and pulled him close, and held his hand, and part of the bouquet too. Leon blushed. His rescuer was actually pretty strong, and my! It felt so nice against his firm chest. Maybe the luck was already kicking in already?
He smelled great, too. A sort of scent he couldn't quite describe, like deep earthy wood and herbs.
Really, he wouldn't mind spending the rest of the festival right here.
"The stones are really hard. You could've cracked your head open. It would've been a mess."
Except, then he realized just who held him. And who held up the bouquet, too.
Kamui.
Of all the rescuers in the world, he had to get the one he didn't want.
He needed to send a message straight to Mila, and it would be nothing but Excuse me, what? What is this? Is this some kind of joke? I made a wish for my perfect guy and I got Kamui?
"No one deserves the bouquet more than you," Celica said.
"But Kamui caught Leon, and the bouquet too. What does that mean? Does that mean get gets a bit of the bouquet magic too?" Sharena said.
"Maybe it means they'll both get married to each other," Poppy said.
"How sweet! I hope they invite us all too the wedding!" Sharena said.
"I'm going to ignore that," Leon said.
"Is it worth anything? What do you even do with it?" Kamui said.
Of course, Kamui's mind had nothing but gold coins rattling up in there.
Anna shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately. I tried to sell it. It's supposed to bring love and happiness to the catcher. And help you find the beloved person you're going to be bound to forever."
"Eh, it was worth a shot. Here, it's your kind of thing," Kamui handed it over to Leon.
Maybe he'd trip into someone else. Because if this was Mila's guidance, she needed to rethink her advice.
"You're not exactly the kind of person I'd want that from," Leon said.
"Then throw it out, sell it to a blacksmith. I don't care," Kamui said.
All this time, Kamui hadn't let him go. Leon stepped away, out of Kamui's grip, a bit reluctantly. He didn't let go of the bouquet.
*
Leon wasn't about to say the night was ruined, but it'd certainly had a damper on it. Yes, he was proud of the way the dresses had come out (and how strong they were. Not a single rip! Though plenty of crumbs and cat hair. He couldn't do anything about that, though.) But, he couldn't stop fuming as he remembered how good it had felt in Kamui's arms.
How dare he have a good physique hidden under his loose clothes. The utter gall of him to be secretly more attractive than Leon ever wanted to admit he was.
Alm and Celica danced a slow wedding dance together across the cobblestone dance floor. Celica leaned in and rested her head against Alm's shoulder. Mae and Boey had danced a little earlier, but soon Mae needed to take a break when her feet had swollen, and needed another snack.
"Here, I got you food," Kamui said.
Kamui had a plate of everything Leon liked. Somehow, he'd remembered that Leon loved sweets. He somehow managed to always remember the little things when it came to Leon.
His favorite color, the things he liked, everything. He'd been there for so long, hadn't he? His bantering partner, his guardian on the battlefield, comrade in arms and at times, almost a friend.
"Thanks," Leon said curtly.
"You're still mad about that? I was just trying to keep you from being hurt. I didn't mean to ruin your big bouquet moment or anything," Kamui said.
Along the way, Kamui's flower at his chest had gotten a little bent.
"Come here," Leon said.
He straightened the flower at Kamui's collar. His fingers lingered there for a moment before he reluctantly pulled back.
"There. Fixed," Leon said.
"Look, let me just say this, okay?" Kamui said.
"Am I going to regret this?"
"Just let me go on. I'll shut up about it in a minute."
"Go ahead I'll time you," Leon said.
"You did a real good job with this wedding festival thing. All the clothes you designed are great. Sure, I don't care much about clothes--"
"You can say that again--" Leon cut in.
"But, even I can see all the care you put into it. And, one more thing," Kamui said.
Technically the minute had passed, but Leon let it slide.
"Whoever ends up at the end of the aisle is a lucky man. One day, you're going to find someone just perfect for you. I mean, sure. You're real handsome--I mean, for a guy. You got good skills with a bow and a needle. Nobody out here could out shoot or out sew you. And, you could charm the pants off of anyone. You'll be fine. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you don't have a line of guys just waiting for a chance with you."
Leave it to Kamui to make sure there was some kind of excuse, like he wasn't flirting at all, just being friendly really, but Leon saw right through it all. He always did.
"That's surprisingly sweet of you, Kamui," Leon said.
"Did you have to add the 'surprisingly' part?" Kamui said.
"Absolutely," Leon said.
Kamui brushed his hair back. With how mussed it was, this wasn't the first time he'd done that this day.
"And another thing. What do I know about love? Nothing, that's what. So, just take my love luck from the bouquet. I guess you weren't too thrilled to have me touch the bouquet so..." Kamui sighed. "Just take that luck. I don't need it."
"I don't know that it works like that," Leon said.
Because he couldn't take back the spark once Leon had noticed it. He couldn't take back the realization that Kamui had so carefully memorized his likes and needs, or that it felt really good against his chest, to the point where Leon might not actually mind ending up there again.
"Those are pretty nice words, coming from someone so uninterested in love, or me," Leon said teasingly.
Kamui rubbed at the back of his neck. His cheeks were faintly flushed. "We're back on this fight again? Just when I thought you'd let that one go."
"Which one? You'll have to be more specific. We have so many different fights," Leon said.
"The one where you're completely and utterly convinced I'm in love with you, to the point where I can't even ask you directions to the local weapon's shop without you thinking I'm flirting with you," Kamui said.
"Wishful thinking, maybe," Leon said.
Kamui glanced at him in utter shock.
"What?"
"What?" Leon said.
"Right, we're definitely right back at that fight again," Kamui said.
Leon stared out at the dance floor. After the dance of honor, it had filled up.
Even Valbar had found a shop girl to dance with. Even though he had technically given up on Valbar, Leon hadn't exactly been thrilled to see this. It wasn't fun to have it rubbed in his face that he'd never be enough for Valbar.
He thought back to what Kamui said. If anyone else had said something that kind to him, he probably would've been tempted to kiss them.
But, because it was Kamui, they'd bickered.
"A wallflower at a wedding festival I helped plan and tailored, just my luck," Leon said.
He let out a little sigh.
He glanced back to Kamui. He wasn't quite so bad. Leon couldn't quite fathom why he'd found Kamui so unworthy of any attention. Other than the cardinal sin of not being Valbar. But, not everyone could be Valbar, perfect except for one little glaring flaw of being straight.
"You want to dance?" Leon said.
Kamui grimaced. "Are you drunk? You know I'm bound to step on your feet, right? I don't even know these types of dances. They're different where I come from," Kamui said.
"You have fancy enough footwork on the battlefield. You'll manage. If you step on my feet, you're rubbing them better, all right?"
"Sure, I guess," Kamui said.
Kamui stared down at his hand, where they touched. The crowd was tired and drunk enough that they blended in well.
Leon led, though he rather liked the idea of being in the arms of a strong and graceful dancer, taking the 'dominant' role could be fun, too. Say what you would about Kamui (and he did), the guy had good reflexes. And he followed the steps, though it was a simple enough country dance, and not an elaborate waltz.
There were so many happy couples here, and for once, Leon wasn't on the side lines watching the men and women pair up in wedded bliss. Though in a thousand years he never would've imagined that it'd be Kamui's arms he was in.
Or that it would actually feel pretty good.
Leon could think of a hundred or more excuses to stay in Kamui's arms and hold him close if he tried.
"You're a good dancer. Real graceful," Kamui said.
"Surprised?" Leon teased.
"Nah, you're good at everything, seems like," Kamui said.
"You're doing it again," Leon said.
"What? I can't even compliment a guy without--"
"Making me think you're not so bad after all," Leon cut in.
"My bad, I'll make sure to never do that again," Kamui said dryly.
"Aaand, back to our usual fights," Leon said.
"Guess it was inevitable," Kamui said.
"Oh well, at least bickering with you is fun in its own way," Leon said.
Leon brushed his hair back. The heat had started to make his makeup melt and make his hair stick to his face. What unfortunate timing. Just when he was enjoying being a man's arms.
Maybe he'd even let himself think that Kamui might be even a little handsome in that tux.
"What is it? You grimaced suddenly," Kamui said.
"I'm parched," Leon said.
"I'll get you a drink," Kamui said.
Kamui let go of his hand, and headed out right away. He left Leon right there on the dance floor.
"Right in the middle of our dance? You win points for enthusiasm, I suppose," Leon said under his breath.
Leon watched him go. He'd memorized Leon's drink preferences too? Interesting... Who'd thought that Kamui could have such a good memory, or be so good at fetching him things?
How very useful of him.
When he thought of this silhouette of his perfect man, despite it being Valbar shaped, he was starting to see different edges. Someone to bicker with, who remembered everything about him, and always had his back in battle.
Someone who'd been there all along.
"Keep it up, Kamui, and I might just fall in love with you. Now wouldn't that be an interesting twist to my story?" Leon said.
Thankfully, Kamui didn't hear his little outburst. Leon would blame it on many things. The romanticism of the bridal festival, and catching the bouquet together. The way Kamui filled out that suit, and felt so good against him, and how he'd caught him.
What could Leon say? He was a romantic at heart. He was a sucker for a good love story, and what better was there both catching the bouquet at once, and then Kamui catching him? Now there were the seeds for a perfect love story if he ever saw one.
Series: Fire Emblem: Echoes
Character/Pairing: Kamui/Leon, Valbar, Alm/Celica
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 3,274
Summary: Leon catches the bouquet at the bridal festival. But, when he almost falls over in the process, Kamui catches him.
Author's Note:
If Intsys won't give me these brides and grooms, then I'll just have to do it myself.
This also contains Alm/Celica and Boey/Mae. And, it references Boey/Mae canon ending where they have a lot of kids and she is preg.
Leon sighed, dreamily as he watched the beautiful procession. White flowers adorned all the walls of the gazebo. Everyone was dressed up fancy for the bridal festival, all in Leon originals.
"I love weddings. I would love to be a groom someday," Leon said.
Just imagine, a handsome groom in white all ready to promise to love Leon forever. They'd wake up together every day, and everyone would remark on how Leon was such a beautiful groom that he glowed with happiness even months afterwards.
And Leon would say of course, just look at the handsome man I married.
His husband would be so giving. He'd surprise Leon with a kiss and bring him breakfast, he'd always compliment and support his work, and they'd be downright epic in battle together. An utterly perfect match.
In his dreams, his ideal man was always in silhouette, but shaped like Valbar. Because, face it. The mold was broken when that god of a man was made. Mila worked extra hard on him.
But for Leon, he was always a tailor, never a groom.
Leon wore a white tux, with a feathered bow slung over his arm. His inner shirt was lavender, the same shade as his hair. He had one perfect make up to accentuate his features. Like the rest of his former mercenary trio, Leon wore a little purple flower in his pocket.
He'd personally tailored this tux, as well as the one for Valbar and Kamui as well. Valbar's was done with loving care, and Kamui's was done with the sentiment of if I don't do this, he'll probably wear a burlap sack to the bridal festival.
And my, did Valbar ever fill out that tux well. He was breathtakingly handsome with his strong chin, his strong arms, strong everything. His lack of any idea how handsome he was only made him more so.
(Yes, yes, he had let go of Valbar. But, he still had eyes. And Valbar was still oh so perfect.)
The surprise was that Kamui cleaned up nicely, even if he looked somewhat lost and uninterested in a festival dedicated to love and devotion. His dark hair was a little messy, mostly from the fact that he kept running his fingers through it.
Leon had even taken the time to decorate their weapons.
"Reminds me of when I got married," Valbar said. He tugged at the tie at his neck.
"Though it wasn't quite so...fancy."
"The wedding customs and dresses are a lot more different where I'm from," Kamui said.
Celica had a grand dress, with layers like feathers and a beautiful bouquet of red and green flowers. Each signified the flowers of Zofia and Rigel respectively, and how Alm and Celica united them.
This dress was the jewel of Leon's dress line. Considering how much she'd done to save the world, Queen Celica deserved the best.
Alm wore a tux fit for a king. With long suits etched in gold stitching and slightly rolled up sleeves. He'd somehow already managed to get it covered in both crumbs and cat hair. Celica playfully brushed away the evidence, but Leon saw.
Honestly, Alm couldn't resist snacking and petting every cat around, even for the bridal festival.
Both of them wore golden circlets of Valentia, the land they'd united.
"This reminds me back to that day, Alm," Celica said.
She took his hand.
"You look just as beautiful as then. Maybe even more," Alm said.
"You look pretty handsome yourself."
"I'm lucky to get to relive our wedding day again," Alm said.
Celica laughed. "Maybe don't overeat this time. You spent our wedding night with a tummy ache."
"But, you nursed me back to health," Alm said.
"Ah, ah, I see you eyeing that buffet," Celica said.
"It all looks so good, though."
"Well, I suppose a little won't hurt," Celica relented.
On the way, both she and Alm bent to pet a little ginger cat which had decided to come to the party as well.
Honestly! They were hopeless. By the time they were done, they'd have cat hair all over his precious wedding dress creations.
For Mae, he couldn't go quite as extravagant, because she wanted more utility and comfort.
Mae's dress was a little snug about her stomach. Leon had made sure to give it lots of stretch, so it wouldn't rip. She had a big, bright bouquet of pink flowers, a long veil, and a high-cut dress in an empire waistline.
She even had flowers braided into her pink pigtails.
Boey wore a long, dramatic cape with his white suit coat and tunic. He was, ever worried, and always at Mae's elbow to keep her from getting into trouble.
"Are you sure you're well enough to attend the festival? You're due any day now," Boey said.
"Don't be silly, Boey! I'll be fine. I wasn't about to miss this chance. Besides, it's great."
She patted her large belly. "I can use this to hold my snacks while I eat, and you get my more snacks. I won't be able to enjoy my nice little food holder until the next one comes."
And the next one coming was practically guaranteed. They were up to, what, six so far? It seemed almost every year he was getting a pregnancy announcement from them. He was fairly certain there were things to stop that sort of thing, but they never bothered and really liked their big family.
Whatever made them happy, he supposed. Leon didn't claim to understand, but they were different sorts than him.
Mae kissed his cheek. "You're a worrywort! It's not like I'll go into labor at the Bridal Festival, right?"
"I wish I could be so be so sure," Boey said.
"I'm not about to ruin Alm and Celica's big day," Mae said.
"Technically, it's our day too, right?"
Mae laughed. "You say that like we didn't just come for the buffet."
"Too true," Boey said.
*
Alm and Celica easily won the bridal festival, partly because Mae got exhausted and hungry and disappeared before the drawing even happened.
And maybe, in an ideal world, Leon could've been quite a challenger with his ideal groom by his side. But, for now, he'd let Alm and Celica have that win. They certainly deserved it.
There were so many beautiful decorations, white flowers as far as he could see. The many were full of friends from many countries, some new and some old.
Celica looked to Alm and smiled. She cleared her throat and addressed the crowd. All eyes were on her.
"It's time to throw the bouquet," Celica said.
Excited whispering filled the room around them.
"I hope whoever catches this is as happy as I am with you, Alm," Celica said.
Alm smiled at her. He had a cat in his lap, with another already rubbing on his leg. He'd already gotten so much different types of cat hair on his tux that it looked like Leon had added it as a fashion statement.
Leon hadn't had luck in love once in his life. With respect to all the other men and women who wanted that bouquet magic, he needed this. He'd already lost Nayush in battle, and any chance he could have with Valbar.
Askr was filled with so many handsome men. One of them had to be his. In some world he probably didn't even know of was some man who would take one look at him and be completely smitten.
And Leon just needed a little miracle. Just one.
He managed to push past all the other people who wanted their happy endings. Leon reached out so much that he felt himself start to fall. But, he felt the ribbon in his hands. Victory was his. His hands closed about the green and red bouquet.
"Sheesh, careful!"
"Oh, no! He's falling!"
But, Leon never hit the ground.
(Though it would've been worth it, if he had.)
Strong arms caught him and pulled him close, and held his hand, and part of the bouquet too. Leon blushed. His rescuer was actually pretty strong, and my! It felt so nice against his firm chest. Maybe the luck was already kicking in already?
He smelled great, too. A sort of scent he couldn't quite describe, like deep earthy wood and herbs.
Really, he wouldn't mind spending the rest of the festival right here.
"The stones are really hard. You could've cracked your head open. It would've been a mess."
Except, then he realized just who held him. And who held up the bouquet, too.
Kamui.
Of all the rescuers in the world, he had to get the one he didn't want.
He needed to send a message straight to Mila, and it would be nothing but Excuse me, what? What is this? Is this some kind of joke? I made a wish for my perfect guy and I got Kamui?
"No one deserves the bouquet more than you," Celica said.
"But Kamui caught Leon, and the bouquet too. What does that mean? Does that mean get gets a bit of the bouquet magic too?" Sharena said.
"Maybe it means they'll both get married to each other," Poppy said.
"How sweet! I hope they invite us all too the wedding!" Sharena said.
"I'm going to ignore that," Leon said.
"Is it worth anything? What do you even do with it?" Kamui said.
Of course, Kamui's mind had nothing but gold coins rattling up in there.
Anna shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately. I tried to sell it. It's supposed to bring love and happiness to the catcher. And help you find the beloved person you're going to be bound to forever."
"Eh, it was worth a shot. Here, it's your kind of thing," Kamui handed it over to Leon.
Maybe he'd trip into someone else. Because if this was Mila's guidance, she needed to rethink her advice.
"You're not exactly the kind of person I'd want that from," Leon said.
"Then throw it out, sell it to a blacksmith. I don't care," Kamui said.
All this time, Kamui hadn't let him go. Leon stepped away, out of Kamui's grip, a bit reluctantly. He didn't let go of the bouquet.
*
Leon wasn't about to say the night was ruined, but it'd certainly had a damper on it. Yes, he was proud of the way the dresses had come out (and how strong they were. Not a single rip! Though plenty of crumbs and cat hair. He couldn't do anything about that, though.) But, he couldn't stop fuming as he remembered how good it had felt in Kamui's arms.
How dare he have a good physique hidden under his loose clothes. The utter gall of him to be secretly more attractive than Leon ever wanted to admit he was.
Alm and Celica danced a slow wedding dance together across the cobblestone dance floor. Celica leaned in and rested her head against Alm's shoulder. Mae and Boey had danced a little earlier, but soon Mae needed to take a break when her feet had swollen, and needed another snack.
"Here, I got you food," Kamui said.
Kamui had a plate of everything Leon liked. Somehow, he'd remembered that Leon loved sweets. He somehow managed to always remember the little things when it came to Leon.
His favorite color, the things he liked, everything. He'd been there for so long, hadn't he? His bantering partner, his guardian on the battlefield, comrade in arms and at times, almost a friend.
"Thanks," Leon said curtly.
"You're still mad about that? I was just trying to keep you from being hurt. I didn't mean to ruin your big bouquet moment or anything," Kamui said.
Along the way, Kamui's flower at his chest had gotten a little bent.
"Come here," Leon said.
He straightened the flower at Kamui's collar. His fingers lingered there for a moment before he reluctantly pulled back.
"There. Fixed," Leon said.
"Look, let me just say this, okay?" Kamui said.
"Am I going to regret this?"
"Just let me go on. I'll shut up about it in a minute."
"Go ahead I'll time you," Leon said.
"You did a real good job with this wedding festival thing. All the clothes you designed are great. Sure, I don't care much about clothes--"
"You can say that again--" Leon cut in.
"But, even I can see all the care you put into it. And, one more thing," Kamui said.
Technically the minute had passed, but Leon let it slide.
"Whoever ends up at the end of the aisle is a lucky man. One day, you're going to find someone just perfect for you. I mean, sure. You're real handsome--I mean, for a guy. You got good skills with a bow and a needle. Nobody out here could out shoot or out sew you. And, you could charm the pants off of anyone. You'll be fine. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you don't have a line of guys just waiting for a chance with you."
Leave it to Kamui to make sure there was some kind of excuse, like he wasn't flirting at all, just being friendly really, but Leon saw right through it all. He always did.
"That's surprisingly sweet of you, Kamui," Leon said.
"Did you have to add the 'surprisingly' part?" Kamui said.
"Absolutely," Leon said.
Kamui brushed his hair back. With how mussed it was, this wasn't the first time he'd done that this day.
"And another thing. What do I know about love? Nothing, that's what. So, just take my love luck from the bouquet. I guess you weren't too thrilled to have me touch the bouquet so..." Kamui sighed. "Just take that luck. I don't need it."
"I don't know that it works like that," Leon said.
Because he couldn't take back the spark once Leon had noticed it. He couldn't take back the realization that Kamui had so carefully memorized his likes and needs, or that it felt really good against his chest, to the point where Leon might not actually mind ending up there again.
"Those are pretty nice words, coming from someone so uninterested in love, or me," Leon said teasingly.
Kamui rubbed at the back of his neck. His cheeks were faintly flushed. "We're back on this fight again? Just when I thought you'd let that one go."
"Which one? You'll have to be more specific. We have so many different fights," Leon said.
"The one where you're completely and utterly convinced I'm in love with you, to the point where I can't even ask you directions to the local weapon's shop without you thinking I'm flirting with you," Kamui said.
"Wishful thinking, maybe," Leon said.
Kamui glanced at him in utter shock.
"What?"
"What?" Leon said.
"Right, we're definitely right back at that fight again," Kamui said.
Leon stared out at the dance floor. After the dance of honor, it had filled up.
Even Valbar had found a shop girl to dance with. Even though he had technically given up on Valbar, Leon hadn't exactly been thrilled to see this. It wasn't fun to have it rubbed in his face that he'd never be enough for Valbar.
He thought back to what Kamui said. If anyone else had said something that kind to him, he probably would've been tempted to kiss them.
But, because it was Kamui, they'd bickered.
"A wallflower at a wedding festival I helped plan and tailored, just my luck," Leon said.
He let out a little sigh.
He glanced back to Kamui. He wasn't quite so bad. Leon couldn't quite fathom why he'd found Kamui so unworthy of any attention. Other than the cardinal sin of not being Valbar. But, not everyone could be Valbar, perfect except for one little glaring flaw of being straight.
"You want to dance?" Leon said.
Kamui grimaced. "Are you drunk? You know I'm bound to step on your feet, right? I don't even know these types of dances. They're different where I come from," Kamui said.
"You have fancy enough footwork on the battlefield. You'll manage. If you step on my feet, you're rubbing them better, all right?"
"Sure, I guess," Kamui said.
Kamui stared down at his hand, where they touched. The crowd was tired and drunk enough that they blended in well.
Leon led, though he rather liked the idea of being in the arms of a strong and graceful dancer, taking the 'dominant' role could be fun, too. Say what you would about Kamui (and he did), the guy had good reflexes. And he followed the steps, though it was a simple enough country dance, and not an elaborate waltz.
There were so many happy couples here, and for once, Leon wasn't on the side lines watching the men and women pair up in wedded bliss. Though in a thousand years he never would've imagined that it'd be Kamui's arms he was in.
Or that it would actually feel pretty good.
Leon could think of a hundred or more excuses to stay in Kamui's arms and hold him close if he tried.
"You're a good dancer. Real graceful," Kamui said.
"Surprised?" Leon teased.
"Nah, you're good at everything, seems like," Kamui said.
"You're doing it again," Leon said.
"What? I can't even compliment a guy without--"
"Making me think you're not so bad after all," Leon cut in.
"My bad, I'll make sure to never do that again," Kamui said dryly.
"Aaand, back to our usual fights," Leon said.
"Guess it was inevitable," Kamui said.
"Oh well, at least bickering with you is fun in its own way," Leon said.
Leon brushed his hair back. The heat had started to make his makeup melt and make his hair stick to his face. What unfortunate timing. Just when he was enjoying being a man's arms.
Maybe he'd even let himself think that Kamui might be even a little handsome in that tux.
"What is it? You grimaced suddenly," Kamui said.
"I'm parched," Leon said.
"I'll get you a drink," Kamui said.
Kamui let go of his hand, and headed out right away. He left Leon right there on the dance floor.
"Right in the middle of our dance? You win points for enthusiasm, I suppose," Leon said under his breath.
Leon watched him go. He'd memorized Leon's drink preferences too? Interesting... Who'd thought that Kamui could have such a good memory, or be so good at fetching him things?
How very useful of him.
When he thought of this silhouette of his perfect man, despite it being Valbar shaped, he was starting to see different edges. Someone to bicker with, who remembered everything about him, and always had his back in battle.
Someone who'd been there all along.
"Keep it up, Kamui, and I might just fall in love with you. Now wouldn't that be an interesting twist to my story?" Leon said.
Thankfully, Kamui didn't hear his little outburst. Leon would blame it on many things. The romanticism of the bridal festival, and catching the bouquet together. The way Kamui filled out that suit, and felt so good against him, and how he'd caught him.
What could Leon say? He was a romantic at heart. He was a sucker for a good love story, and what better was there both catching the bouquet at once, and then Kamui catching him? Now there were the seeds for a perfect love story if he ever saw one.
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Date: 2021-05-28 05:33 pm (UTC)And I love the slow-burn prickly way you write Leon/Kamui. I always felt like Leon secretly wanted to be hit on by him, even if only for the fantasy of a jealous Valbar seeing it and going BACK OFF HE'S MINE. (I actually ship Leon with both Valbar AND Kamui, lol)
This makes me wanna write other bridal scenarios myself, but since I can't decide on a slowburn ship I'm gonna go with a duo I keep hoping we'll get in any romantic event because dammit Sitri needs to appear ALIVE in an FE game.
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Date: 2021-05-28 08:47 pm (UTC)I say go for it. FEH scenarios are very easy and satisfying fic to write. Also, you get to go "I told you so!" if something like it actually gets in game ahahah.
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Date: 2021-06-03 02:33 am (UTC)