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Forever With You

Chapter 2

*****

For the first time in his life, Soren found himself wishing that he was full laguz instead of just half. A black dragon could have made the distance in three quarters of an hour, if not less. The horse was taking far too long for Soren's taste, and he ran the animal to near death as the smoke from the recovering town came into view.

The devastation was reminiscent of the day that Greil had gone berserk, but Soren allowed no time for strolls down memory lane. He did not see Ike among the litter of bodies, so he allowed himself to hope. Outside of a lone house on the edge of town, he noticed Titania's horse and raced towards it. Dismounting so fast that he nearly fell, he reached the door and proceeded to pound on it.

Oddly, Titania didn't look too surprised to see him. Soren didn’t acknowledge the fact that she was alive and well. "Where's Ike?" he demanded quickly.

"In the other room," Titania answered automatically. She was in borrowed clothes and her hair was tied loosely back, different from her usual braid. Soren stormed passed her, but she grabbed him by the shoulder. "Soren, the woman who lives here is taking care of him. But you aren't going to like what you see in there. They ganged up on him--"

Titania was interrupted as the young woman who was helping them came out of the room, holding a bowl filled with bloody rags. "Oh... who is this?"

"Out of my way," the Branded youth replied rudely, not caring to introduce himself. Whether or not the woman had been helping Ike was irrelevant. All that mattered was the here and now. The sage entered the back room that the young lady had just exited. He stopped immediately, horrified by what he found.

Ike was bandaged more than he had ever seen and seemed to be sleeping peacefully on the bed that sat against the wall. His eyes widened sadly and he searched for his voice. "Goddess, Ike!” he exclaimed finally, readying the staff he had been carrying. He forced all of his knowledge of magic and arcane arts into the healing relic, willing with all of his life force to save the one he loved. The blue light of Rhys’ staff flowed over him.

His wounds healed lightly. Not enough to move, but perhaps enough to be out of immediate danger. Soren sighed in relief, dropping the useless staff to the ground and kneeling by his lover's temporary bed. "Ike," he called softly, taking one strong hand into both of his own.

Ike didn't move. His eyes were closed and he didn't seem to register that his wounds were now healed slightly. But the moment that Soren touched him, his eyes flew open.

"Ah!” he grunted in pain, suddenly aware of his injuries. He swore quietly before looking over at his upset guest. His eyes widened. How long had he been passed out? "Soren?”

The sage breathed with relief and with a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that Titania wasn't watching, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Ike's. "I was so worried," he whispered softly, stroking the commander's cheeks. "You're my entire world, Ike. I couldn't go on without you." Soren whispered, carefully crawling into the bed to be with his lover. He cradled Ike's head in his arms and kissed him lightly on the temple.

Titania kept her distance as she observed the sage and her commander. Soren's devotion to Ike was more than obvious to anyone who paid attention and she had no doubt that they loved each other. But whether or not they had ever made love was a different story. With no suspicious trips to the river with their bed sheets and with no mysterious depletion in weapon oil, she had no reason to assume that they were.

"Someone's here!" The other woman indicated as she pointed out the window, her eyes pleading with Titania. The red head made her way over to the window as the woman left the room and was shocked to see none other than Sothe, the young boy that Ike had agreed to let join them during the Mad King’s War. Titania could see from a mile away that the boy had matured considerably. She glanced beside him at the silver head bobbing next to him as they ran.

Titania suddenly wasn't absorbed in the two lovers in the bedroom anymore. She grabbed her axe and opened the front door.

"Please, we aren't your enemy!" Sothe shouted as they approached. The emeralde ran up to the door, towing his female friend close behind. Titania looked down at the two, listening for whatever excuse he had for being there. "Do you remember me?” Sothe asked her, trying to catch his breath.

“Yes, you’re Sothe…”

“Yes,” he agreed quickly. “We've been fleeing Begnion soldiers. They're trying to kill us!” he looked around her. “Is Ike here?" He asked on a breath.

Ike almost closed his eyes to sleep in his lover's arms when he heard the noise from outside. "What’s that?" he asked quietly. Soren had also heard the noise, but he urged Ike to relax.

"Well, is Ike here or not?!" Sothe asked rudely, pushing past Titania when she didn’t answer him. He stalked into the main room and as he looked around, his eyes fell on Soren and Ike through the open doorway.

His stood frozen and his eyes locked with Soren's crimson orbs. He studied the position that his former commander was in and the loving way that the sage was holding him.

Ike?

Soren's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He had never particularly liked Sothe, and now he was not so sure he ever would. The dumbstruck look on the boy's face suggested that he was against Soren's actions, but what upset the sage the most was the sheer volume that the thief chose to speak in. He had disturbed Ike and for that, he would suffer. His narrowed eyes became angry red slits as he fixed the boy with his most sinister glare. Had his magic depended solely on emotion, Sothe would surely be dead.

In her most motherly way, Titania welcomed Sothe’s friend inside and softly questioned her, only to find that she and Sothe had been captured by Begnion soldiers while trying to return to Daein. They had done nothing wrong, so they fled to avoid prison. Sothe had brought them to the place where he was sure Ike would be, or at least near it.

"Right now, Commander Ike is... he was attacked earlier." Titania explained to the still bewildered Sothe as she nodded to the door. Sothe's fists clenched and he approached to stand in the doorway.

"Perhaps you should let him rest," he said through gritted teeth at the spell caster. Ike raised his head slightly to say something to Sothe, but winced as the action pulled at his wounds.

Soren ignored Sothe’s rude suggestion and stroked Ike's hair to ease him back down to rest. "Sh, take it easy. Your body's still healing." Once Ike was settled, the sage turned his full attention to Sothe. "I'm sorry, but are you a healer? I didn't think so. Return to the living area immediately if you wish to keep breathing... and keep your voice down. Ike is recovering."

Sothe took a step forward, eyes blazing, but Titania grabbed his arm.

"If you two do this now while Ike is trying to rest, I will skewer you both." she whispered through gritted teeth. She pulled Sothe away and went to grab Soren, who stood slowly from his position on the bed. She dragged him out as well. She closed the door as Ike lay back down. "All right, now whatever it is you two are fighting about, forget about it. Apparently, we have a situation with Begnion," Titania nodded at the silver haired girl who had taken a seat on the couch. "And it's a lot more important than your bickering."

"Those Begnion fools have gotten in way over their heads with our country." Sothe mumbled, leaning against the far wall away from Soren.

Soren turned his attention to the female stranger. From her energy, he knew her to be a spell caster as well as a branded, which did nothing to make him like her any more. "Begnion is after you," he stated, getting a shocked glance from the girl. "The troops were tracking you and trashed the town trying to find you."

Her guilty expression answered for her.

"Why are you so special? What is it that you’ve done that has Begnion after you?! If they hadn’t been trailing you, Ike—“

"Hey!" Sothe stepped in front of her, his voice raised dangerously. "Do not even think of blaming what happened to Ike on Micaiah! It’s not her fault!" Soren and Titania glanced at Micaiah as they learned her name. Soren prepared himself to argue, but Titania, having heard something that the others didn't, opened the door to Ike's room. Ike was trying to sit up, blankets falling from his shirtless and bandaged torso. Soren and Sothe both saw this and lurched forward, but Titania turned and glared at them.

"Stay. OUT!” Her voice leaked with venom and the two froze. She slammed the door.

Soren scowled. He glared at Sothe, letting the youth know that he considered him solely responsible for Ike's predicament. He turned back to Micaiah.

"You have yet to answer my question.” He reminded her, more calmly than before. “Regardless of your involvement in Ike's situation, why were Begnion soldiers after you?"

Micaiah looked up at the spell caster and stood to leave. "They are after us because they don't handle rebellion very well. And you’ll be glad to know that it wasn’t my decision to come to Ike for help—“ her tone sounded disrespectful.

"Micaiah, stop it. You don't have to explain yourself to this whelp." Sothe said quickly.

"Whelp?! I am clearly several years your elder, and you have the nerve--"

"Soren!"

Ike's voice split the air like the swipe of Ragnell and the three in the living room all turned to the doorway. Ike was leaning against the doorframe, trying to hold himself up. Titania stood beside her commander, looking intently at the group just as Ike was.

"Why do you three choose now of all times to bicker mindlessly to each other?!" Ike was obviously irritated and tired. Soren swallowed and bowed his head to his commander, his obedience for the bluenette apparent in his submissive posture.

"Forgive me, Ike... I have not been thinking clearly, but…please rest!” Soren’s head remained low. Sothe studied his movements, while Micaiah all but glared at the injured bluenette. “I can't bear to see you like this."

Ike's glare softened, and he let out a shaky sigh. "Whatever's going on, we'll discuss it at length in the morning. Our hostess has been kind enough to grant us an evening’s stay; in that short amount of time, you will all learn to get along."

Sothe turned his gaze to the floor, as did Micaiah, who nodded solemnly.

Titania gently took Ike’s arm and turned him back to his bed.

Soren let out a shaky sigh and straightened himself. He turned from the others in the room. He decided that he could swallow his hatred for Sothe for one evening. If it meant that much to Ike, he would do it without question. His primary concern now was how he would sleep without the comfort of his lover's embrace.

End Chapter Two

Description
Forever With You

Chapter 2

*****

For the first time in his life, Soren found himself wishing that he was full laguz instead of just half. A black dragon could have made the distance in three quarters of an hour, if not less. The horse was taking far too long for Soren's taste, and he ran the animal to near death as the smoke from the recovering town came into view.

The devastation was reminiscent of the day that Greil had gone berserk, but Soren allowed no time for strolls down memory lane. He did not see Ike among the litter of bodies, so he allowed himself to hope. Outside of a lone house on the edge of town, he noticed Titania's horse and raced towards it. Dismounting so fast that he nearly fell, he reached the door and proceeded to pound on it.

Oddly, Titania didn't look too surprised to see him. Soren didn’t acknowledge the fact that she was alive and well. "Where's Ike?" he demanded quickly.

"In the other room," Titania answered automatically. She was in borrowed clothes and her hair was tied loosely back, different from her usual braid. Soren stormed passed her, but she grabbed him by the shoulder. "Soren, the woman who lives here is taking care of him. But you aren't going to like what you see in there. They ganged up on him--"

Titania was interrupted as the young woman who was helping them came out of the room, holding a bowl filled with bloody rags. "Oh... who is this?"

"Out of my way," the Branded youth replied rudely, not caring to introduce himself. Whether or not the woman had been helping Ike was irrelevant. All that mattered was the here and now. The sage entered the back room that the young lady had just exited. He stopped immediately, horrified by what he found.

Ike was bandaged more than he had ever seen and seemed to be sleeping peacefully on the bed that sat against the wall. His eyes widened sadly and he searched for his voice. "Goddess, Ike!” he exclaimed finally, readying the staff he had been carrying. He forced all of his knowledge of magic and arcane arts into the healing relic, willing with all of his life force to save the one he loved. The blue light of Rhys’ staff flowed over him.

His wounds healed lightly. Not enough to move, but perhaps enough to be out of immediate danger. Soren sighed in relief, dropping the useless staff to the ground and kneeling by his lover's temporary bed. "Ike," he called softly, taking one strong hand into both of his own.

Ike didn't move. His eyes were closed and he didn't seem to register that his wounds were now healed slightly. But the moment that Soren touched him, his eyes flew open.

"Ah!” he grunted in pain, suddenly aware of his injuries. He swore quietly before looking over at his upset guest. His eyes widened. How long had he been passed out? "Soren?”

The sage breathed with relief and with a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that Titania wasn't watching, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Ike's. "I was so worried," he whispered softly, stroking the commander's cheeks. "You're my entire world, Ike. I couldn't go on without you." Soren whispered, carefully crawling into the bed to be with his lover. He cradled Ike's head in his arms and kissed him lightly on the temple.

Titania kept her distance as she observed the sage and her commander. Soren's devotion to Ike was more than obvious to anyone who paid attention and she had no doubt that they loved each other. But whether or not they had ever made love was a different story. With no suspicious trips to the river with their bed sheets and with no mysterious depletion in weapon oil, she had no reason to assume that they were.

"Someone's here!" The other woman indicated as she pointed out the window, her eyes pleading with Titania. The red head made her way over to the window as the woman left the room and was shocked to see none other than Sothe, the young boy that Ike had agreed to let join them during the Mad King’s War. Titania could see from a mile away that the boy had matured considerably. She glanced beside him at the silver head bobbing next to him as they ran.

Titania suddenly wasn't absorbed in the two lovers in the bedroom anymore. She grabbed her axe and opened the front door.

"Please, we aren't your enemy!" Sothe shouted as they approached. The emeralde ran up to the door, towing his female friend close behind. Titania looked down at the two, listening for whatever excuse he had for being there. "Do you remember me?” Sothe asked her, trying to catch his breath.

“Yes, you’re Sothe…”

“Yes,” he agreed quickly. “We've been fleeing Begnion soldiers. They're trying to kill us!” he looked around her. “Is Ike here?" He asked on a breath.

Ike almost closed his eyes to sleep in his lover's arms when he heard the noise from outside. "What’s that?" he asked quietly. Soren had also heard the noise, but he urged Ike to relax.

"Well, is Ike here or not?!" Sothe asked rudely, pushing past Titania when she didn’t answer him. He stalked into the main room and as he looked around, his eyes fell on Soren and Ike through the open doorway.

His stood frozen and his eyes locked with Soren's crimson orbs. He studied the position that his former commander was in and the loving way that the sage was holding him.

Ike?

Soren's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He had never particularly liked Sothe, and now he was not so sure he ever would. The dumbstruck look on the boy's face suggested that he was against Soren's actions, but what upset the sage the most was the sheer volume that the thief chose to speak in. He had disturbed Ike and for that, he would suffer. His narrowed eyes became angry red slits as he fixed the boy with his most sinister glare. Had his magic depended solely on emotion, Sothe would surely be dead.

In her most motherly way, Titania welcomed Sothe’s friend inside and softly questioned her, only to find that she and Sothe had been captured by Begnion soldiers while trying to return to Daein. They had done nothing wrong, so they fled to avoid prison. Sothe had brought them to the place where he was sure Ike would be, or at least near it.

"Right now, Commander Ike is... he was attacked earlier." Titania explained to the still bewildered Sothe as she nodded to the door. Sothe's fists clenched and he approached to stand in the doorway.

"Perhaps you should let him rest," he said through gritted teeth at the spell caster. Ike raised his head slightly to say something to Sothe, but winced as the action pulled at his wounds.

Soren ignored Sothe’s rude suggestion and stroked Ike's hair to ease him back down to rest. "Sh, take it easy. Your body's still healing." Once Ike was settled, the sage turned his full attention to Sothe. "I'm sorry, but are you a healer? I didn't think so. Return to the living area immediately if you wish to keep breathing... and keep your voice down. Ike is recovering."

Sothe took a step forward, eyes blazing, but Titania grabbed his arm.

"If you two do this now while Ike is trying to rest, I will skewer you both." she whispered through gritted teeth. She pulled Sothe away and went to grab Soren, who stood slowly from his position on the bed. She dragged him out as well. She closed the door as Ike lay back down. "All right, now whatever it is you two are fighting about, forget about it. Apparently, we have a situation with Begnion," Titania nodded at the silver haired girl who had taken a seat on the couch. "And it's a lot more important than your bickering."

"Those Begnion fools have gotten in way over their heads with our country." Sothe mumbled, leaning against the far wall away from Soren.

Soren turned his attention to the female stranger. From her energy, he knew her to be a spell caster as well as a branded, which did nothing to make him like her any more. "Begnion is after you," he stated, getting a shocked glance from the girl. "The troops were tracking you and trashed the town trying to find you."

Her guilty expression answered for her.

"Why are you so special? What is it that you’ve done that has Begnion after you?! If they hadn’t been trailing you, Ike—“

"Hey!" Sothe stepped in front of her, his voice raised dangerously. "Do not even think of blaming what happened to Ike on Micaiah! It’s not her fault!" Soren and Titania glanced at Micaiah as they learned her name. Soren prepared himself to argue, but Titania, having heard something that the others didn't, opened the door to Ike's room. Ike was trying to sit up, blankets falling from his shirtless and bandaged torso. Soren and Sothe both saw this and lurched forward, but Titania turned and glared at them.

"Stay. OUT!” Her voice leaked with venom and the two froze. She slammed the door.

Soren scowled. He glared at Sothe, letting the youth know that he considered him solely responsible for Ike's predicament. He turned back to Micaiah.

"You have yet to answer my question.” He reminded her, more calmly than before. “Regardless of your involvement in Ike's situation, why were Begnion soldiers after you?"

Micaiah looked up at the spell caster and stood to leave. "They are after us because they don't handle rebellion very well. And you’ll be glad to know that it wasn’t my decision to come to Ike for help—“ her tone sounded disrespectful.

"Micaiah, stop it. You don't have to explain yourself to this whelp." Sothe said quickly.

"Whelp?! I am clearly several years your elder, and you have the nerve--"

"Soren!"

Ike's voice split the air like the swipe of Ragnell and the three in the living room all turned to the doorway. Ike was leaning against the doorframe, trying to hold himself up. Titania stood beside her commander, looking intently at the group just as Ike was.

"Why do you three choose now of all times to bicker mindlessly to each other?!" Ike was obviously irritated and tired. Soren swallowed and bowed his head to his commander, his obedience for the bluenette apparent in his submissive posture.

"Forgive me, Ike... I have not been thinking clearly, but…please rest!” Soren’s head remained low. Sothe studied his movements, while Micaiah all but glared at the injured bluenette. “I can't bear to see you like this."

Ike's glare softened, and he let out a shaky sigh. "Whatever's going on, we'll discuss it at length in the morning. Our hostess has been kind enough to grant us an evening’s stay; in that short amount of time, you will all learn to get along."

Sothe turned his gaze to the floor, as did Micaiah, who nodded solemnly.

Titania gently took Ike’s arm and turned him back to his bed.

Soren let out a shaky sigh and straightened himself. He turned from the others in the room. He decided that he could swallow his hatred for Sothe for one evening. If it meant that much to Ike, he would do it without question. His primary concern now was how he would sleep without the comfort of his lover's embrace.

End Chapter Two