![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
fic: House
Title: House
Series: FE9/10
Character/pairing: Ike/Soren, Mist
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Mist, Soren and Ike play house.
Word count:
Author's note:
Done for the IkeSoren zine. There's leftover sales that will start on 4/20/2024 see here for details. (I have it and can say it is 100% worth it. It's gorgeous and I'm very proud of everyone involved who worked to make such a work of art.)
Thanks to the on-staff editors at the zine for all betaing/editing.
Mildly divergent AU, but only in timeline. Assumes that Soren reunited when he was rather young and while Sephiran wiped some of his memories, the memories of Soren weren't taken with them.
The rest is the same, however.
Don't be underfoot. Go play, was the command. And so they did. The forest wasn't deep here. If they went out too far, they'd be in trouble. The crunch, crunch, crunch of leaves beneath their feet were golden and brown. Night came earlier now. More so every night. The path was familiar, so much they could even find it in the dark. Ike had taken a training sword and carved his and Soren's name into several trees. He'd gotten in trouble for that, and had to apologize to the trees, on Titania's command.
Look up, look up. The leave fell about them. A wind caught them, made them glide onto the path. Red all over. Mist lifted one leaf up to the sky.
"Soren says that's a Maple."
"Soren knows a lot," Mist said.
"I know. He's very smart," Ike said.
Soren smiled. That was rare. That was good.
It was a good day today. Sunny and warm. Titania said winter would come soon, and they would have to bundle up in warm coats.
But, it was not winter. Not yet.
The air was crisp and fresh. They breathed it in in big gulps. A leaf landed on Soren's nose, and Ike laughed.
Soren blinked several times as the leaf fell to the ground to join the rest.
They came to the circle of trees. Not too far from the fort. Close enough to be seen by Titania as she carried the baskets of laundry for Rhys, and hung them up to dry. Her red hair looked the same color as the maple leaves that crunched beneath her feet.
"Let's play house! You'll be the daddy, and Soren will be the mommy," Mist said.
"And what will you be?" Ike said.
"I'll be me. And I'll make mud pies. You have to eat them all up."
She squashed the mud pies in her hands. Her yellow dress, so beloved, was already caked in mud.
Soren wasn't so good at speaking. He'd recently learned to say Ike's name. Never had there been more happiness in a word said aloud than Soren saying Ike's name. He could write and read very well, incredibly well for someone his age. And even more, he had skills with magic--and could do the chanting involved. But speaking only came out as hoarse grunts, other than the few words he'd gleaned.
Still, he followed Ike everywhere, like a shadow. They had their own language. As Ike taught him hand gestures. He would lean in and listen to everything Soren couldn't say. His reading wasn't that good, but he'd tried to be better, for Soren's sake. Now he could read most of what Soren wrote down, though sometimes Soren used too big of words and he had to go to Rhys for help.
Soren wouldn't talk like this to anyone else but Ike. He'd turn his head away and shake it. He'd keep his red eyes down and never speak aloud to them.
Soren reached out, and Ike opened up his hand as they always did. Soren would trace letters on his palm. Even if he was often quiet, he was really smart. Sometimes Ike had to furrow his brow and focus on the words when they were big.
"Soren doesn't know what a mom does," Ike said.
"A mom would be like...Titania. Warm. And strong. And she wields an axe."
"Soren says he can't lift an axe."
"Well, the mommy does the magic then," Mist said.
Soren nodded.
"I think a dad swings his sword. Or axe," Mist said.
"That's what our dad does. One day, I'm going to be big and strong like dad," Ike said.
Ike began to swing a little stick around. Mist hummed as she gathered mud between her fingers and patted it down.
Soren focused for a moment and pulled out his book. His lips moved but there was no sound. Little fallen leaves rose up as a whorl of wind spun them up.
Mist gasped, and let out a little squeal of happiness. "Soren did a magic!"
"He did!" Ike said proudly.
Soren smiled, a bit shyly. He reached out for Ike's hands. Soren traced his fingers fast over Ike's palm.
"He says that's what mother's are supposed to do. Or so the story goes."
Soren moved his hands.
"Soren doesn't know much about mothers. Only what he reads in books. He doesn't remember his."
"I don't remember my mom either."
They laid down in the sun for a moment. The leaves golden and bright beneath them, above them, and falling down. Mist gathered up bunches and threw them up to the blue autumn skies. They rained down around her. Glittering and yellow. Like treasures. Mist would stuff leaves into her pockets but they'd turn brown and fade away.
Shinon said it was proof that nothing lasted.
Still, she kept them and kept them and kept them. Little bundles of leaves stuck away to remember fall until it came again.
"We need a house," Mist said.
She started to pile up fistfuls of sticks and leaves. It might be a house for a mouse, but it wouldn't even fit her toe.
"Soren says we need a found...dation and...frame for our house," Ike said haltingly. He had to focus on the words Soren wrote on his hands. He tightened his grip on Soren's, as he often did, and held tight. Soren looked away, face hot.
Soren pointed to the huge roots of the trees.
"There?"
Soren nodded.
Soren and Ike began to pile the leaves up, until they had a little leaf house. Enough to duck in and see slats of sunlight between them. Soren would raise his hands, and summon up a gust of wind to gather them from deeper in the forest.
Ike swung his sword at some invisible threat. A dark knight from a neighboring kingdom, come to blow his leaf house down. Soren managed to make a broom on on his own.
"Wow, it's magic!"
Soren shook his head.
"Soren says it isn't magic. He just tied some of the bigger fronds to a stick with some rope he brought with him."
Ike frowned. "I don't know what a frond is."
Soren pointed to the broom.
"A broom is a frond?" Mist said.
Soren shook his head and turned the broom over to show the bottom.
"Ohhhh," Mist and Ike said. Though they still didn't understand.
Soren began to sweep--with some help of his tome. Though it was all full of dirt, so it might take him a while.
Before long, she returned to her mud pies. They'd finally hardened in the sunlight.
"They baked good and long! Eat up!"
And they did. Though, Ike had some regrets. Even Soren managed to vocalize a ugh...bad.
"I think I want to go home," said Mist in a small voice. She couldn't help but sniffle. It was growing cold.
"My tummy hurts...."
And so they all went, mommy Soren and daddy Ike and Mist, as she would tell the story later on. All in a line, with Ike at the front, a stick in his hands wielded like a sword. Soren just behind him, slightly dizzy from the food, but clutching a tome. And Mist at the end, distracted by every flower, bit of moss and stone along the well-worn path home.
The autumn day was almost to a close. Night came sooner every day.
*
They returned home. It was cold, and the trees made dark and scary shapes over the golden sunset. And their stomachs cramped something fierce from Mist's pies.
"You got a tummy ache?"
"Mist made us mud pies. I had seconds," Ike said.
"That'd do it," Rhys said, and sighed. "Let me heal you up."
They were all covered in the light of a heal staff. Wrapped up warm and bright. Rhys brought them peppermint tea after, and warm, freshly baked bread from Oscar.
The hearth burned big and warm. The autumn chill was left behind.
"Come to the table and have some dinner. It'll make you feel better," Oscar said.
Oscar smiled.
"And maybe leave the pie making to me," Oscar said.
"Oscar, can you teach me how to make better mud pies?"
"I can teach you to cook, or try, at least. Not using mud is a start."
Soup came next. Warm and full of beans and slices of meat and vegetables, like Oscar always made it. Ike slurped it up loudly. Soren kept looking to him. For reassurance. For clues. He would reach out as if to say something and then just hold Ike's hand and not let go.
"You were worried, Soren? I'd never leave you behind!"
"Ike....Stay..."
"Soren talked some more!"
"Wow! He's learned new words," Mist said.
"Ike...always....stay?"
Soren's red eyes looked full of worry.
"Of course I'll always be with you, Soren. Did you have a bad dream again?"
Soren nodded.
"Then I'll fight your nightmares."
Ike had brought a stick to the table even though he wasn't supposed to. He lifted it up and nearly toppled over Mist's cup of water.
"Ike, you know that has to be left outside," Oscar said. His voice was calm, yet firm.
"Sorry, Oscar. I had to protect Soren from the nightmares."
"You can fight them later," Oscar said.
Mist lifted up her soup bowl and slurped down the last. Some of the soup dripped down her chin and onto her muddy dress.
"Today was the bestest day. I hope I remember it forever," Mist said.
"But we got tummy aches," Ike said.
"Stilll!"
"I found new leafs. Soren said new words. We made a little house. Good day, good day!"
"Good...Day..." Soren said.
"See, Soren agrees with me," Mist said.
"He's right. Today was a great day," Ike said.
"I hope you didn't fill up on Mist's mud pies too much to skip dessert," Oscar said.
He brought out a fresh and juicy apple pie. Each bite was delicious and warm.
"Yummyyyyyy~~~"
"Can I have another piece of pie, Oscar?"
"One more, but don't get another tummy ache," Oscar said.
They each got a slice and enjoyed every bite, though Ike ate too fast and had crumbs all over his face. Soren ate slowly, and curled into himself when he ate.
"Can we have apple pie every day, Oscar?" Ike said.
"Only when the apples are in season, I'm afraid," Oscar said.
"Awww..." Mist said.
"But that's what makes them so special," Oscar said.
"Special..." Mist said. She sounded out the word.
"What does that mean, Soren?" Ike said.
Soren pointed to Ike.
"You don't know?"
Soren shook his head. He took Ike's hand and spelled out a word.
"Me? I'm special?"
"All of you are special," Oscar said. He ruffled Ike's hair.
"Why don't you go get warmed up by the fire?" Oscar said.
*
Warm soup put them all right to sleep right in front of the hearth. Mist fell asleep against her brother and Soren curled up by Ike. Titania lifted her up and took her to bed first. A little yellow blanket tucked up tight around her. She was already off, dreaming of lands far away.
But Soren still clutched tight to Ike's hand, enough that she couldn't break them apart. So Titania tucked them up in the same bed together. Curled up close, hands held tight. Still dreaming of sticks and magic and playing house.
Holding hands even in their dreams.
Series: FE9/10
Character/pairing: Ike/Soren, Mist
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Mist, Soren and Ike play house.
Word count:
Author's note:
Done for the IkeSoren zine. There's leftover sales that will start on 4/20/2024 see here for details. (I have it and can say it is 100% worth it. It's gorgeous and I'm very proud of everyone involved who worked to make such a work of art.)
Thanks to the on-staff editors at the zine for all betaing/editing.
Mildly divergent AU, but only in timeline. Assumes that Soren reunited when he was rather young and while Sephiran wiped some of his memories, the memories of Soren weren't taken with them.
The rest is the same, however.
Don't be underfoot. Go play, was the command. And so they did. The forest wasn't deep here. If they went out too far, they'd be in trouble. The crunch, crunch, crunch of leaves beneath their feet were golden and brown. Night came earlier now. More so every night. The path was familiar, so much they could even find it in the dark. Ike had taken a training sword and carved his and Soren's name into several trees. He'd gotten in trouble for that, and had to apologize to the trees, on Titania's command.
Look up, look up. The leave fell about them. A wind caught them, made them glide onto the path. Red all over. Mist lifted one leaf up to the sky.
"Soren says that's a Maple."
"Soren knows a lot," Mist said.
"I know. He's very smart," Ike said.
Soren smiled. That was rare. That was good.
It was a good day today. Sunny and warm. Titania said winter would come soon, and they would have to bundle up in warm coats.
But, it was not winter. Not yet.
The air was crisp and fresh. They breathed it in in big gulps. A leaf landed on Soren's nose, and Ike laughed.
Soren blinked several times as the leaf fell to the ground to join the rest.
They came to the circle of trees. Not too far from the fort. Close enough to be seen by Titania as she carried the baskets of laundry for Rhys, and hung them up to dry. Her red hair looked the same color as the maple leaves that crunched beneath her feet.
"Let's play house! You'll be the daddy, and Soren will be the mommy," Mist said.
"And what will you be?" Ike said.
"I'll be me. And I'll make mud pies. You have to eat them all up."
She squashed the mud pies in her hands. Her yellow dress, so beloved, was already caked in mud.
Soren wasn't so good at speaking. He'd recently learned to say Ike's name. Never had there been more happiness in a word said aloud than Soren saying Ike's name. He could write and read very well, incredibly well for someone his age. And even more, he had skills with magic--and could do the chanting involved. But speaking only came out as hoarse grunts, other than the few words he'd gleaned.
Still, he followed Ike everywhere, like a shadow. They had their own language. As Ike taught him hand gestures. He would lean in and listen to everything Soren couldn't say. His reading wasn't that good, but he'd tried to be better, for Soren's sake. Now he could read most of what Soren wrote down, though sometimes Soren used too big of words and he had to go to Rhys for help.
Soren wouldn't talk like this to anyone else but Ike. He'd turn his head away and shake it. He'd keep his red eyes down and never speak aloud to them.
Soren reached out, and Ike opened up his hand as they always did. Soren would trace letters on his palm. Even if he was often quiet, he was really smart. Sometimes Ike had to furrow his brow and focus on the words when they were big.
"Soren doesn't know what a mom does," Ike said.
"A mom would be like...Titania. Warm. And strong. And she wields an axe."
"Soren says he can't lift an axe."
"Well, the mommy does the magic then," Mist said.
Soren nodded.
"I think a dad swings his sword. Or axe," Mist said.
"That's what our dad does. One day, I'm going to be big and strong like dad," Ike said.
Ike began to swing a little stick around. Mist hummed as she gathered mud between her fingers and patted it down.
Soren focused for a moment and pulled out his book. His lips moved but there was no sound. Little fallen leaves rose up as a whorl of wind spun them up.
Mist gasped, and let out a little squeal of happiness. "Soren did a magic!"
"He did!" Ike said proudly.
Soren smiled, a bit shyly. He reached out for Ike's hands. Soren traced his fingers fast over Ike's palm.
"He says that's what mother's are supposed to do. Or so the story goes."
Soren moved his hands.
"Soren doesn't know much about mothers. Only what he reads in books. He doesn't remember his."
"I don't remember my mom either."
They laid down in the sun for a moment. The leaves golden and bright beneath them, above them, and falling down. Mist gathered up bunches and threw them up to the blue autumn skies. They rained down around her. Glittering and yellow. Like treasures. Mist would stuff leaves into her pockets but they'd turn brown and fade away.
Shinon said it was proof that nothing lasted.
Still, she kept them and kept them and kept them. Little bundles of leaves stuck away to remember fall until it came again.
"We need a house," Mist said.
She started to pile up fistfuls of sticks and leaves. It might be a house for a mouse, but it wouldn't even fit her toe.
"Soren says we need a found...dation and...frame for our house," Ike said haltingly. He had to focus on the words Soren wrote on his hands. He tightened his grip on Soren's, as he often did, and held tight. Soren looked away, face hot.
Soren pointed to the huge roots of the trees.
"There?"
Soren nodded.
Soren and Ike began to pile the leaves up, until they had a little leaf house. Enough to duck in and see slats of sunlight between them. Soren would raise his hands, and summon up a gust of wind to gather them from deeper in the forest.
Ike swung his sword at some invisible threat. A dark knight from a neighboring kingdom, come to blow his leaf house down. Soren managed to make a broom on on his own.
"Wow, it's magic!"
Soren shook his head.
"Soren says it isn't magic. He just tied some of the bigger fronds to a stick with some rope he brought with him."
Ike frowned. "I don't know what a frond is."
Soren pointed to the broom.
"A broom is a frond?" Mist said.
Soren shook his head and turned the broom over to show the bottom.
"Ohhhh," Mist and Ike said. Though they still didn't understand.
Soren began to sweep--with some help of his tome. Though it was all full of dirt, so it might take him a while.
Before long, she returned to her mud pies. They'd finally hardened in the sunlight.
"They baked good and long! Eat up!"
And they did. Though, Ike had some regrets. Even Soren managed to vocalize a ugh...bad.
"I think I want to go home," said Mist in a small voice. She couldn't help but sniffle. It was growing cold.
"My tummy hurts...."
And so they all went, mommy Soren and daddy Ike and Mist, as she would tell the story later on. All in a line, with Ike at the front, a stick in his hands wielded like a sword. Soren just behind him, slightly dizzy from the food, but clutching a tome. And Mist at the end, distracted by every flower, bit of moss and stone along the well-worn path home.
The autumn day was almost to a close. Night came sooner every day.
*
They returned home. It was cold, and the trees made dark and scary shapes over the golden sunset. And their stomachs cramped something fierce from Mist's pies.
"You got a tummy ache?"
"Mist made us mud pies. I had seconds," Ike said.
"That'd do it," Rhys said, and sighed. "Let me heal you up."
They were all covered in the light of a heal staff. Wrapped up warm and bright. Rhys brought them peppermint tea after, and warm, freshly baked bread from Oscar.
The hearth burned big and warm. The autumn chill was left behind.
"Come to the table and have some dinner. It'll make you feel better," Oscar said.
Oscar smiled.
"And maybe leave the pie making to me," Oscar said.
"Oscar, can you teach me how to make better mud pies?"
"I can teach you to cook, or try, at least. Not using mud is a start."
Soup came next. Warm and full of beans and slices of meat and vegetables, like Oscar always made it. Ike slurped it up loudly. Soren kept looking to him. For reassurance. For clues. He would reach out as if to say something and then just hold Ike's hand and not let go.
"You were worried, Soren? I'd never leave you behind!"
"Ike....Stay..."
"Soren talked some more!"
"Wow! He's learned new words," Mist said.
"Ike...always....stay?"
Soren's red eyes looked full of worry.
"Of course I'll always be with you, Soren. Did you have a bad dream again?"
Soren nodded.
"Then I'll fight your nightmares."
Ike had brought a stick to the table even though he wasn't supposed to. He lifted it up and nearly toppled over Mist's cup of water.
"Ike, you know that has to be left outside," Oscar said. His voice was calm, yet firm.
"Sorry, Oscar. I had to protect Soren from the nightmares."
"You can fight them later," Oscar said.
Mist lifted up her soup bowl and slurped down the last. Some of the soup dripped down her chin and onto her muddy dress.
"Today was the bestest day. I hope I remember it forever," Mist said.
"But we got tummy aches," Ike said.
"Stilll!"
"I found new leafs. Soren said new words. We made a little house. Good day, good day!"
"Good...Day..." Soren said.
"See, Soren agrees with me," Mist said.
"He's right. Today was a great day," Ike said.
"I hope you didn't fill up on Mist's mud pies too much to skip dessert," Oscar said.
He brought out a fresh and juicy apple pie. Each bite was delicious and warm.
"Yummyyyyyy~~~"
"Can I have another piece of pie, Oscar?"
"One more, but don't get another tummy ache," Oscar said.
They each got a slice and enjoyed every bite, though Ike ate too fast and had crumbs all over his face. Soren ate slowly, and curled into himself when he ate.
"Can we have apple pie every day, Oscar?" Ike said.
"Only when the apples are in season, I'm afraid," Oscar said.
"Awww..." Mist said.
"But that's what makes them so special," Oscar said.
"Special..." Mist said. She sounded out the word.
"What does that mean, Soren?" Ike said.
Soren pointed to Ike.
"You don't know?"
Soren shook his head. He took Ike's hand and spelled out a word.
"Me? I'm special?"
"All of you are special," Oscar said. He ruffled Ike's hair.
"Why don't you go get warmed up by the fire?" Oscar said.
*
Warm soup put them all right to sleep right in front of the hearth. Mist fell asleep against her brother and Soren curled up by Ike. Titania lifted her up and took her to bed first. A little yellow blanket tucked up tight around her. She was already off, dreaming of lands far away.
But Soren still clutched tight to Ike's hand, enough that she couldn't break them apart. So Titania tucked them up in the same bed together. Curled up close, hands held tight. Still dreaming of sticks and magic and playing house.
Holding hands even in their dreams.