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Forever With You

Chapter 1

Three Years Later...

*****

It was early morning when Soren awoke. He felt comfortably warm, so he tried not to move. He found that he was always warm in Ike's loving embrace, whose arms were wound around his waist. With a sigh, he snuggled deeper into his lover's muscles, craving the contact that only Ike could give.

Unlike the sage, the bluenette was sleeping extremely soundly. But Soren's slightest movement always caused him to instinctively tighten his arms. He was shirtless, just as Soren liked, his taut muscles looking almost golden in the early morning light coming through the small, dusty window. He snuggled his face deeply into the sage's ebony hair.

"Mm..." his throat purred.

Soren smiled as Ike's embrace tightened. With Ike, everything was made simple. He looked at Soren and saw beyond his brand and draconic red eyes. He saw who the sage really was and loved him nonetheless. For that, Soren was eternally grateful; he would do anything for Ike. Anything at all.

Since admitting to their mutual love, the spell caster now spent his nights in comfort with Ike. Their excuse was that it saved room, though not many believed them. The mercenaries had their suspicions, but Soren didn't care whether they knew or not. He loved Ike, it was just that simple. They would have to kill him to take the bluenette away.

Ike's hand snaked up Soren's chest and his muscular fingers fixed on the sage's jaw, grip gentle. He leaned up slightly and pulled Soren's face up and around to his own, pressing their lips together. After a long, sensual kiss, the mercenary pulled away.

"Good morning," he whispered and kissed the boy's mark. He smiled as Soren turned around, switching so that they were chest to chest. He brushed a few strands of black hair from the spell caster’s face. "I'm going into town today. What will you be doing?" His voice was calm and quiet, and his fingers idly stroked Soren's bare side. The mercenaries were running low on food and other supplies, so Ike would be leaving that day with Oscar and Titania, returning from town later on that night fully resupplied.

"No doubt keeping my eye on Boyd, Rolf and Mia. Without the three of you, they’ll definitely cause trouble," the sage sullenly replied, although internally his heart was fluttering by the commander's presence. "Although, it's a shame to think I'll be spending the day without you... Are you certain that you won't need any help in town?" he asked, although he knew that three people were more than enough to carry back any supplies they needed. On top of that, Soren's upper-body strength was nonexistent. But he couldn't help but hope that there was some other way to be with the man he loved. The idea of Ike vanishing from sight, even for a moment, made the spell caster both anxious and irritable.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Ike said with a smile.

Soren gave his lover a pleading kiss on the jaw and trailed them up from his cheek to his nose, and finally down to his lips, where he placed kiss after kiss.

Ike returned each of them, his hand reaching to angle Soren's face as needed. Before the kisses became more heated, he pulled away from the addicting contact. "I love you," he said briskly, then pecked Soren again and sat up. He proceeded to get dressed in his usual mercenary garb. Soren groaned in annoyance, but sat up anyway.

The sage dressed quickly, as was his custom, and followed his lover out of the tent. It was a joke around the camp that the spell caster was Ike's shadow, and the name didn't come without cause. He had to follow Ike; every moment spent behind him was another moment with Ike in view. Another moment that his life had meaning. "You'll be back by dinner?" he asked, the love in his voice masked with a business-like tone.

Ike responded in the same manner as Titania approached.

"We should be. If we aren't, just make sure Boyd doesn't set anything on fire," He instructed. He looked to Titania without giving Soren another glance.

"Ike," Titania said as she approached. "Oscar and I are ready. I also prepared your mount." The red head looked from Ike to Soren. "Good morning, Soren." She said with a smile. The sage nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thanks," Ike responded idly, turning and walking away once he was sure the lady knight was finished speaking.

"Did he have a bad night?” Titania asked in reference to Ike’s seemingly bad mood. “You two do share a room..." Titania said, looking to the sage.

Soren shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "I share a room with him, but I don't keep tabs on his sleeping habits. I can assure you that he snored all night long...” Soren hoped briefly that his façade was flawless. “Perhaps he's concerned about Boyd being unattended to while he's in town," the sage lied, but he knew the lady knight saw right through it.

Titania was actually brutally aware of the bond between the two, but Soren chose to spare her the details. He hated having anyone but Ike in his business.

"I will be reorganizing supplies while you're out. Ike has informed me that you will return for dinner, and I will expect as much. Any later and I will send out a search party."

"Oh, hush," Mist giggled as she walked by, holding her signature basket of apples that she picked daily. "You sound like a worried mother. The war is over, Soren. You don't have to be so high strung anymore."

The sage didn’t respond. He turned on his heel and left, black robes billowing behind him. Titania looked at Mist.

"You're right, though." she agreed, and the two of them shrugged at the same time.

---

Ike, Titania, and Oscar all left within the hour and were in town in less than four. They took a while to let their horses refresh themselves and then took a few hours to resupply. Just as the three were regrouping at the stables and preparing to head back to the fort, shouts could suddenly be heard from the other side of town.

"What do you think that is?" Ike asked, reaching instinctively for Ragnell. Oscar reigned in his horse and Titania stopped tending to hers to listen. "It sounds like trouble…” Ike drawled in a bored tone. He clearly wasn’t in the mood; he wanted to go home. He drew Ragnell and sighed. "Let's go."

But the group didn’t get the chance to return home. Since it was just the three of them, the soldiers attacking the town had been too much, and the fight unfortunately didn’t last long.

Ike blinked in pain and groaned from his place in the street. Titania and Oscar were gone and he didn't know if they made it out safely or not. He prayed that they did, because he was of no help to them now.

Bandits sporting Begnion colors continued to ravage the town while he bled in the street. He hadn't even registered the archer until it was too late, and after he had been struck in the back, an assassin had broken his sword arm. While trying to retrieve Ragnell with his other arm, he had been struck down, taking an axe to the thigh and again to the chest.

He couldn't save anyone now. Not even himself.

---

Soren continued his pacing like a caged animal. He had been waiting by the front window, watching for his lover and friends to return. It was getting late and they still were nowhere to be seen. His persistent glances out the window gave him no comfort, and he could hear Shinon cracking quiet jokes about his actions to Gatrie.

"Little Miss Sage worried about her boyfriend," was all he could understand, but he ignored the comment. Ike was his focus and Shinon could be dealt with later. Once Ike was safely back at the fort.

"They should have been back by now," he growled, patience gone. He turned his attention to the group. "Any objections?"

"They could just be late!" Boyd offered, waving his hand and taking a sip from his drink that was sitting on the table.

"True, but that only happens when they have you or Gatrie slowing them down.” Soren spat. Gatrie pouted sarcastically and Boyd stuck his tongue out. “No, I have a bad feeling. I want to investigate," the tactician insisted, returning his gaze hopefully to the window.

"Soren,” Mist interjected, “You really are worrying over nothing. What danger could they have possibly run into? The war is over and every laguz on the continent is Ike's friend. They're fine, okay?"

But Soren just couldn’t shake that ominous feeling. He gazed out the window, face crumpling in a way that he would never show the people that stared at his back.

---

Oscar's body ached. He didn't know how much longer he would last on that blasted horse, let alone how much longer the horse would last. But he was pushing the both of them, for this was urgent.

At a normal pace, it took four hours to get to town. At a nonstop run, leaving no breaks for the horse or himself, it took Oscar a little under two. As he approached the mercenaries’ fort, he took a deep breath and shouted with everything he had, "PLEASE HURRY!"

Oscar's voice had been faint to those inside, but Soren's laguz heritage enabled him to hear both the lance knight's plea and fearful tone. In a heartbeat, the spell caster was out the door, meeting the emeralde as he rode into the fort. "What happened?" he demanded, voice rising with impatience and worry.

"Ambushed," Oscar replied between breaths. Soren’s heart skipped at the word. Oscar slid off the horse and rested against the animal, whose legs were shaking with exhaustion. "Titania and I… were separated... I hope she's alright, but… the town is in ruins... and Ike's by himself."

"Oscar!" Rhys called, rushing over, staff in hand. "By Ashera! What happened to you?" he asked, readying the Heal staff, only to have Soren yank it from his hand.

"Use Mist's!" the sage barked over his shoulder as he ran to the stables. He took the last available horse and tore out of the fort before the rest of the company made it out the door. He had little experience using staves, but the spell caster figured that now was as good a time as any to learn. If Ike needed him, he would do anything and everything for him. An angry wind gusted up from behind, propelling the horse and whipping Soren’s hair around his face.

Rhys gaped as he and the others watched Soren’s escaping form. "Oscar, what in the world...?" Rhys asked as the others joined them and crowded around Oscar. The emeralde backed away from the horse, his legs wobbly. Boyd caught him before he collapsed.

"Bandits.” He went to explain again. His breathing had evened out considerably. “They attacked the town. They actually looked like Begnion soldiers, which doesn't make any sense... Aren't they helping Daein rebuild while they don't have a ruler?"

Boyd scoffed. "Those assholes are probably getting in way over their heads. Probably want to control everyone now!”

“We don't have any more horses…” Mia interrupted, stroking the exhausted animal that had brought Oscar back to them. “It would take all night to get there on foot.”

Rhys sighed as he finished healing Oscar and returned Mist's staff. "We can only hope that Soren will return with Ike and Titania... Otherwise we will have to wait and see."

Rhys’ words lingered in the air as everyone went silent. The ominous feeling that had earlier haunted Soren came down on all of them with full force.

(End Chapter 1)

Description
Forever With You

Chapter 1

Three Years Later...

*****

It was early morning when Soren awoke. He felt comfortably warm, so he tried not to move. He found that he was always warm in Ike's loving embrace, whose arms were wound around his waist. With a sigh, he snuggled deeper into his lover's muscles, craving the contact that only Ike could give.

Unlike the sage, the bluenette was sleeping extremely soundly. But Soren's slightest movement always caused him to instinctively tighten his arms. He was shirtless, just as Soren liked, his taut muscles looking almost golden in the early morning light coming through the small, dusty window. He snuggled his face deeply into the sage's ebony hair.

"Mm..." his throat purred.

Soren smiled as Ike's embrace tightened. With Ike, everything was made simple. He looked at Soren and saw beyond his brand and draconic red eyes. He saw who the sage really was and loved him nonetheless. For that, Soren was eternally grateful; he would do anything for Ike. Anything at all.

Since admitting to their mutual love, the spell caster now spent his nights in comfort with Ike. Their excuse was that it saved room, though not many believed them. The mercenaries had their suspicions, but Soren didn't care whether they knew or not. He loved Ike, it was just that simple. They would have to kill him to take the bluenette away.

Ike's hand snaked up Soren's chest and his muscular fingers fixed on the sage's jaw, grip gentle. He leaned up slightly and pulled Soren's face up and around to his own, pressing their lips together. After a long, sensual kiss, the mercenary pulled away.

"Good morning," he whispered and kissed the boy's mark. He smiled as Soren turned around, switching so that they were chest to chest. He brushed a few strands of black hair from the spell caster’s face. "I'm going into town today. What will you be doing?" His voice was calm and quiet, and his fingers idly stroked Soren's bare side. The mercenaries were running low on food and other supplies, so Ike would be leaving that day with Oscar and Titania, returning from town later on that night fully resupplied.

"No doubt keeping my eye on Boyd, Rolf and Mia. Without the three of you, they’ll definitely cause trouble," the sage sullenly replied, although internally his heart was fluttering by the commander's presence. "Although, it's a shame to think I'll be spending the day without you... Are you certain that you won't need any help in town?" he asked, although he knew that three people were more than enough to carry back any supplies they needed. On top of that, Soren's upper-body strength was nonexistent. But he couldn't help but hope that there was some other way to be with the man he loved. The idea of Ike vanishing from sight, even for a moment, made the spell caster both anxious and irritable.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Ike said with a smile.

Soren gave his lover a pleading kiss on the jaw and trailed them up from his cheek to his nose, and finally down to his lips, where he placed kiss after kiss.

Ike returned each of them, his hand reaching to angle Soren's face as needed. Before the kisses became more heated, he pulled away from the addicting contact. "I love you," he said briskly, then pecked Soren again and sat up. He proceeded to get dressed in his usual mercenary garb. Soren groaned in annoyance, but sat up anyway.

The sage dressed quickly, as was his custom, and followed his lover out of the tent. It was a joke around the camp that the spell caster was Ike's shadow, and the name didn't come without cause. He had to follow Ike; every moment spent behind him was another moment with Ike in view. Another moment that his life had meaning. "You'll be back by dinner?" he asked, the love in his voice masked with a business-like tone.

Ike responded in the same manner as Titania approached.

"We should be. If we aren't, just make sure Boyd doesn't set anything on fire," He instructed. He looked to Titania without giving Soren another glance.

"Ike," Titania said as she approached. "Oscar and I are ready. I also prepared your mount." The red head looked from Ike to Soren. "Good morning, Soren." She said with a smile. The sage nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thanks," Ike responded idly, turning and walking away once he was sure the lady knight was finished speaking.

"Did he have a bad night?” Titania asked in reference to Ike’s seemingly bad mood. “You two do share a room..." Titania said, looking to the sage.

Soren shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "I share a room with him, but I don't keep tabs on his sleeping habits. I can assure you that he snored all night long...” Soren hoped briefly that his façade was flawless. “Perhaps he's concerned about Boyd being unattended to while he's in town," the sage lied, but he knew the lady knight saw right through it.

Titania was actually brutally aware of the bond between the two, but Soren chose to spare her the details. He hated having anyone but Ike in his business.

"I will be reorganizing supplies while you're out. Ike has informed me that you will return for dinner, and I will expect as much. Any later and I will send out a search party."

"Oh, hush," Mist giggled as she walked by, holding her signature basket of apples that she picked daily. "You sound like a worried mother. The war is over, Soren. You don't have to be so high strung anymore."

The sage didn’t respond. He turned on his heel and left, black robes billowing behind him. Titania looked at Mist.

"You're right, though." she agreed, and the two of them shrugged at the same time.

---

Ike, Titania, and Oscar all left within the hour and were in town in less than four. They took a while to let their horses refresh themselves and then took a few hours to resupply. Just as the three were regrouping at the stables and preparing to head back to the fort, shouts could suddenly be heard from the other side of town.

"What do you think that is?" Ike asked, reaching instinctively for Ragnell. Oscar reigned in his horse and Titania stopped tending to hers to listen. "It sounds like trouble…” Ike drawled in a bored tone. He clearly wasn’t in the mood; he wanted to go home. He drew Ragnell and sighed. "Let's go."

But the group didn’t get the chance to return home. Since it was just the three of them, the soldiers attacking the town had been too much, and the fight unfortunately didn’t last long.

Ike blinked in pain and groaned from his place in the street. Titania and Oscar were gone and he didn't know if they made it out safely or not. He prayed that they did, because he was of no help to them now.

Bandits sporting Begnion colors continued to ravage the town while he bled in the street. He hadn't even registered the archer until it was too late, and after he had been struck in the back, an assassin had broken his sword arm. While trying to retrieve Ragnell with his other arm, he had been struck down, taking an axe to the thigh and again to the chest.

He couldn't save anyone now. Not even himself.

---

Soren continued his pacing like a caged animal. He had been waiting by the front window, watching for his lover and friends to return. It was getting late and they still were nowhere to be seen. His persistent glances out the window gave him no comfort, and he could hear Shinon cracking quiet jokes about his actions to Gatrie.

"Little Miss Sage worried about her boyfriend," was all he could understand, but he ignored the comment. Ike was his focus and Shinon could be dealt with later. Once Ike was safely back at the fort.

"They should have been back by now," he growled, patience gone. He turned his attention to the group. "Any objections?"

"They could just be late!" Boyd offered, waving his hand and taking a sip from his drink that was sitting on the table.

"True, but that only happens when they have you or Gatrie slowing them down.” Soren spat. Gatrie pouted sarcastically and Boyd stuck his tongue out. “No, I have a bad feeling. I want to investigate," the tactician insisted, returning his gaze hopefully to the window.

"Soren,” Mist interjected, “You really are worrying over nothing. What danger could they have possibly run into? The war is over and every laguz on the continent is Ike's friend. They're fine, okay?"

But Soren just couldn’t shake that ominous feeling. He gazed out the window, face crumpling in a way that he would never show the people that stared at his back.

---

Oscar's body ached. He didn't know how much longer he would last on that blasted horse, let alone how much longer the horse would last. But he was pushing the both of them, for this was urgent.

At a normal pace, it took four hours to get to town. At a nonstop run, leaving no breaks for the horse or himself, it took Oscar a little under two. As he approached the mercenaries’ fort, he took a deep breath and shouted with everything he had, "PLEASE HURRY!"

Oscar's voice had been faint to those inside, but Soren's laguz heritage enabled him to hear both the lance knight's plea and fearful tone. In a heartbeat, the spell caster was out the door, meeting the emeralde as he rode into the fort. "What happened?" he demanded, voice rising with impatience and worry.

"Ambushed," Oscar replied between breaths. Soren’s heart skipped at the word. Oscar slid off the horse and rested against the animal, whose legs were shaking with exhaustion. "Titania and I… were separated... I hope she's alright, but… the town is in ruins... and Ike's by himself."

"Oscar!" Rhys called, rushing over, staff in hand. "By Ashera! What happened to you?" he asked, readying the Heal staff, only to have Soren yank it from his hand.

"Use Mist's!" the sage barked over his shoulder as he ran to the stables. He took the last available horse and tore out of the fort before the rest of the company made it out the door. He had little experience using staves, but the spell caster figured that now was as good a time as any to learn. If Ike needed him, he would do anything and everything for him. An angry wind gusted up from behind, propelling the horse and whipping Soren’s hair around his face.

Rhys gaped as he and the others watched Soren’s escaping form. "Oscar, what in the world...?" Rhys asked as the others joined them and crowded around Oscar. The emeralde backed away from the horse, his legs wobbly. Boyd caught him before he collapsed.

"Bandits.” He went to explain again. His breathing had evened out considerably. “They attacked the town. They actually looked like Begnion soldiers, which doesn't make any sense... Aren't they helping Daein rebuild while they don't have a ruler?"

Boyd scoffed. "Those assholes are probably getting in way over their heads. Probably want to control everyone now!”

“We don't have any more horses…” Mia interrupted, stroking the exhausted animal that had brought Oscar back to them. “It would take all night to get there on foot.”

Rhys sighed as he finished healing Oscar and returned Mist's staff. "We can only hope that Soren will return with Ike and Titania... Otherwise we will have to wait and see."

Rhys’ words lingered in the air as everyone went silent. The ominous feeling that had earlier haunted Soren came down on all of them with full force.

(End Chapter 1)