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Forever With You

Chapter Four

*****

The sun crept into Ike's tent, casting its golden rays across the sleeping sage and commander. Soren woke the instant the light touched his face, but relaxed once he remembered where he lay. Nothing relaxed him like a night of intense lovemaking with his commander. He had tried his best to keep quiet for both of their sakes, but he couldn't help occasionally moaning his lover's name.

He turned in his lover's arms and stroked his sleeping face, admiring how handsome the bluenette looked at rest. Early morning, while the two of them lay there, Ike asleep and Soren free to admire him, was the sage’s favorite part of day. He held his commander around the shoulders and placed a gentle string of kisses along the pale skin that was usually hidden under Ike's headband.

A shift in the light caught the sage's attention and he immediately sat up, glancing at the tent's entrance. His red eyes met and instantly clashed with Sothe's envious green ones.

Neither said a word; they only glared at each other with an intense passion, Sothe’s of jealousy, Soren’s of pure rage. The emeralde grimaced as he observed Soren's bare torso so close to Ike's equally exposed chest. Blankets covered their lower regions, but Sothe could tell from all the clothes on the floor that they were naked under there, too.

"I just came to wake the commander early," Sothe bit through gritted teeth. "But it seems there's a rat in his tent."

"I realize that there's a rodent in his tent. Perhaps I should send it back to Micaiah's tent, where it came from." The spell caster replied in an angry whisper as not to disturb Ike. Seeing Sothe’s eyes blaze with fury was enough to earn a smirk from Soren. The youth’s fists clenched and he opened his mouth to speak. He didn't get so much as a peep out as a hand fisted his shirt and jerked him out of the commander's tent.

"What do you think you're doing?" Titania asked, her voice dripping with authority. She glared at him. "I know you're our guest for the time being, but around here, we respect our commander." Sothe glared, but didn’t reply.

"Sothe?" Micaiah's voice reached them, her tone worried. "What did you do? Titania, what's the matter?" The red head released the thief's shirt and pushed him forward. He stumbled a step or two before standing straight.

"He was just going where he shouldn't." She said simply. Her actions were due partly to respect Soren's time with Ike; even though the sage didn't know that she knew, she felt they deserved time alone as much as possible. "Soren is Ike’s most trusted adviser. He’ll wake our commander when the time is right."

"Don't worry, Miss Titania. We'll leave Ike be.” Micaiah turned her attention to Sothe. “Come have breakfast with me, Sothe?"

"Good," Titania said. "Wake the others. I'll wait for Ike."

Inside the tent, Ike's eyes opened slightly and he stretched, then relaxed back into Soren’s embrace with a sigh. "How long have you been awake?" He murmured, tilting his head to look up at the sage.

Soren's contented smirk turned to a soft smile when he looked down at his newly awakened lover. "I haven't been up long; I thought I heard something, but it was just a rat. It's gone now," he assured, laying back down in his commander's grasp, favoring the bluenette's chest over the mattress. "It's still very early, Ike. The sun just came up, and we don't have to get up just yet," he hinted, placing a kiss on his lover's lips. His hands trailed down the swordsman's chest suggestively.

Ike yawned and rolled on top of the sage, causing him to laugh. "Really? This early? But everyone will wonder why you aren't so uptight today."

"Let them wonder," the sage replied, reaching up and kissing along his jaw. "And I recall you telling me some time ago that I needed to loosen up. This should help me do so."

Ike chuckled. "True, I did say that," he acknowledged, and nibbled on the spell caster's ear. Soren made a soft moan that had the commander aroused immediately. "Just try not to wake up the whole camp once we get started."

Mist couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she felt that Soren was in a far better mood than he usually was that day. He didn't scold her so harshly for wasting some of the rations when she burned breakfast, or losing one of Mia’s shirts in the laundry, so she knew that something was going on. When she brought it up with Titania, the knight had just smiled and said that Soren was having a good day, but that did nothing to explain why.

Mist let it go, but she did happen to bring it up with Micaiah, who was a good listener. She talked about how the more time Ike and Soren spent together, the happier it seemed to make him.

"They're obviously close friends," Micaiah observed. “Or in love.”

Mist giggled. "Is it even possible for two boys to love each other?" she asked, more of Sothe, who had been walking beside the Light mage.

Sothe stopped, shocked by the question. Micaiah turned eyes on the thief, wondering why he didn’t have an immediate answer. "Sothe?" The green haired youth turned on his heel, leaving Mist, Micaiah, and their question unanswered. He wandered to the back of the troop.

--

The next few days showed Sothe that Ike and Soren acted more as mere Commander and Tactician, not lovers who slept naked together. He concluded that they were keeping it a secret and he wondered briefly how he might use it to his advantage. Not normally so conniving, he didn’t give it much thought. He was dragged from his Ike-induced thoughts as multiple roars brought the entire troop to a standstill.

"Strange, we've only been over the border for an hour or so..." Soren said, looking up to Ike. "Do you think they're enemies?"

Ike shook his head. "I recognize that roar. I think it may be-- AH!!" Ike shouted, voice abnormally high, as a giant blue flash passed by his face. He put a hand to his chest as he tried to still his startled heart. Soren raised his arm to muffle his giggle with his robes.

Seconds later, Mordecai came into view, all the while changing back to his human appearance. "Friend-Ike!" he greeted gruffly with his signature smile and a large-armed embrace for the commander. "And others," he addressed of the larger group, not allowing his gaze to linger on Soren for any amount of time.

Ike smiled. "It's good to see you again, Mordecai. Is Lethe around?"

"She wanted to come," a familiar voice stated, and Ranulf slid into view with his usual feline grace. "But she's occupied elsewhere. Though she sends her greetings to the only decent beorc she's ever met."

"Ranulf," Ike nodded to his good friend. "Nice to see you again. You aren't with the king?"

"Afraid not. There's trouble about and the king wants to discuss it with you as soon as possible. Mordecai has come to take you back with us. I'm afraid he's the only one who isn't offended by the idea of carrying a beorc on his back, so you're the only one who can come back with us. Sorry to your two advisers," Ranulf added, looking at Titania and Soren.

The sage's eyes widened at the thought of being separated from his lover for the second time in the last few weeks.

Ike looked troubled for a moment, uncomfortable with the idea of leaving his group and Soren. He turned to Titania and the aforementioned sage. "Looks like I'm needed elsewhere," he said. Titania nodded.

"Ike, are you leaving?" Mist asked, approaching her brother and touching his arm. Micaiah stood behind her, rather pleased with the idea of Ike leaving them, but it did not show on her face. Ike nodded to his little sister.

"Yeah, the King of Gallia needs to see me." the bluenette nodded to Ranulf and Mordeca, then turned to his two advisers, not letting his gaze linger on his lover for fear of suspicion. "I trust you two can handle everything in my absence?"

Titania smiled. "Of course." Soren hummed quietly, trying not to look his commander in the eye. A strong hand landed on Ike's shoulder. It was Mordecai.

"Ike. We leave now?" he questioned. "Sunset comes soon, we must travel fast." Ike nodded. He had everything that he would need on his person, so he needn't go to the wagons for anything. Sothe watched from behind one of the wagons as Mordecai morphed again and Ike clumsily mounted him.

"W-whoa. Never rode a laguz before. This will be an experience." The bluenette said, causing his troop to laugh. Ranulf smiled and turned to Soren.

"Two more laguz should meet you a few miles from here to escort you." He said, so the tactician wouldn't mistake them for enemies. "Will you be okay?"

Soren rolled his eyes. "Of course, we aren't children. We're mercenaries, we can handle it."I won't be okay, of course.

He cast a final glance at his beloved commander before Mordecai launched into the nearby brush and the pounding of his giant paws reverberated all around. The sage almost felt like applauding Ike for hanging on. He could hear Titania organizing the group, but he couldn't concentrate on a word she was saying. Ike was gone, and it felt like his heart went with him.

Micaiah was relieved to have Ike gone, but was concerned when Sothe seemed just as distant and cold as Soren. She called his name softly, but received no reply.

Eventually the group met with their laguz escorts and made their way deeper into Gallia. Soren's drastic mood change from the early morning caught the mercenaries’ attention, but no one approached him on the subject. He pitched his tent with Titania's help, and prepared for a long night alone.

As Titania pulled the final rope to secure Soren's tent, Mist approached with polite steps, her silver-haired friend a few feet away.
"Titania?" The young Cleric asked. The red-haired Paladin looked up, as did Soren. "Would it be all right for me to stay in Micaiah's tent tonight? I won't be bunking with Ilyana, but she said it's okay."

"Oh, really? I don't see the problem.” Titania said with a smile at their new friendship. “Wait, then where will Sothe sleep? I'm certainly not allowing some strange boy to sleep in the same tent with Ilyana!" she said, earning an earnest glance from the two girls.

"Well, the only available tent left with a boy is..." Mist trailed off and looked at Soren with a grin. The sage's eyes widened in shocked fury.

"I absolutely refuse--"

"That will be fine! Good arrangement, girls." Titania winked at her fellow females and the three left Soren standing there in stupefied annoyance.

--

Anyone would concur that Sothe would declare to sleep outside rather than with Soren, something which Soren would wholeheartedly agree to. And just as the two were prepared to do just that, it began to rain.

Soren glared out the flap of his tent at the torrential rainstorm. He could feel Sothe's gaze on his back but he ignored it for the time being. "It's letting up," the sage lied, hoping that it would be enough to rid himself of the boy for a while.

"Liar," the emeralde replied, sharpening his stiletto.

The spell caster snorted and let the flap fall. "You don't see upset in the least that your girlfriend abandoned you," the sage muttered as he returned to his cot. Sothe cast the sage a hateful glance and gave his knife another swipe with the sharpening slab. It rang through the air with a sharp shing!

"She is not my girlfriend." He muttered through gritted teeth. He sharpened again. "Lately, she's been nothing more than an annoying little sister." Soren was a little surprised to hear the bitterness that Sothe's voice held toward the light mage. He didn't have much of a reply to the statement, so he just held his tome in his lap, his back to Sothe, and listened to the rain.

Ike... what are you doing right now?

"You're thinking about Ike, aren't you?" Sothe's voice wasn't rude or irritating; it was simply curious, his tone actually saying, You really love him, don't you?

"My thoughts never stray far from Ike. He is our commander and it is my duty to protect him with everything I have," he replied, although he wasn't so sure why he even bothered to make conversation. "And what of you, Sothe? When last we met you seemed completely devoted to finding your now annoying sister. What is your story?" he replied, equally curious, though his tone was edgy. If he could somehow direct the thief's attention back to Micaiah, he might forget about Ike.

"I found her. Not a lot behind that. I just realized all too quickly that... maybe we shouldn't be together." Sothe dodged that bullet gracefully and he brushed his slab down his blade. "I couldn't forget how much I enjoyed being a mercenary here, under Ike's command... and when the moment finally arose, I came to find him.

"But he had already found someone else." Sothe looked to Soren for eye contact then, but the sage was looking down, almost insulted at the fact that anyone other than himself could love the bluenette.

"Very true. He has," Soren stated simply, hoping to deliver a firm message to the boy. "He has given his whole heart away, and there is nothing left to look for. Be a mercenary if it pleases you, but try not to get in his way."

Sothe gently placed his blade back in its sheath and laid the slab next to it on his mat.

"Tell me, Soren. What makes you think he's given you his entire heart?" Sothe's question caused the sage's eyes to widen in sick realization. Sothe was onto something. Yes, Ike and Soren always told each other how much they loved each other, they slept together, and rarely spent any time apart. But was there the possibility that Ike would finally see the sage's true worth? That he could fall for someone else?

The crimson-eyed spell caster was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't reply.

--

Three days passed without incident between the two new roommates, although Soren was very eager to make it through to Caineghis’ castle to see Ike once again. They were deep into beast territory, and the sage found that he got the same treatment as always: the cats would look at him, scowl, and then deny his existence. Once again, he had become invisible.

Sothe's words constantly wore in his mind; how did he know for sure Ike's true feelings? Their relationship was a secret of the spell caster's accord, and the commander had already volunteered to share his feelings with the others. Soren feared their reaction, mostly because he knew in his heart that Ike could do better than him if he tried. A pretty woman of high status. One he could marry and have numerous children with. A mate without the prejudice that the sage carried.

He wanted Ike dearly, with every fiber of his being. And what sickened him was that he knew Sothe was much the same way.

The night before they reached Gallia's palace, the spell caster over heard the silver-haired maiden conversing with Mist, "I just don't get it. He's like a different person now... I always thought that we were so close, but now... it's like he doesn't even care about me."

"I'm sure he does," Mist soothed. "Maybe he's just worried. You should try talking to him."

"You should," Soren encouraged, earning surprised looks from both girls as he approached without warning. "We talked the other night, and he really misses you, Micaiah."

"What?" Micaiah's tone held nothing but surprise. She stood up straight and looked at the sage. "He misses me?"

Soren had to look away and roll his eyes. She IS annoying... "Yes. He told me." Soren lied smoothly. He didn't wait for a reply before stalking off into the forest, holding his wind tome close and a smirk on his face. Micaiah looked down at Mist, who smiled brightly up at her.

"See? Why don't you go talk to him?" Mist encouraged. The silver-haired mage smiled and scampered away.

Sothe had his back to the camp, once again curing his boredom by sharpening his blades. He froze when he felt two small, slender arms wrap around his torso. He turned in Micaiah's embrace and looked down at her.

"Sothe..." she murmured. He looked surprised and gently pulled away from her.

"What is it?"

She seemed confused at first, but smiled at him. "Well, we haven't spent a lot of time together, and I heard from Soren that you said you missed me..." Micaiah once again invaded his personal space and hugged him intimately. Sothe felt his patience wearing thin and a sliver of anger towards Soren, though that was normal these days.

"Micaiah, let me go." He pulled away, not so gently this time. Micaiah looked at him strangely.

"Sothe, what has been the matter with you lately?"

"The matter with me? What's the matter with you?!" Sothe's voice rose dangerously. He turned one of his most hateful glares on the girl. "Can't you take a hint?! I know you think there was something going on between us, but there isn't!"

Soren's eyes widened from his secluded area in the forest and he looked up from his tome when he heard Sothe's voice. Everyone in the camp stopped what they were doing to, not quite by choice, to listen.

"I don't need you hanging all over me every waking second!"

"S-Sothe!” Micaiah broke in, her face crumpling. “What are you trying to say?!"

"That I don't love you! I love Ike!"

Soren felt his heart stop and he dropped his tome, the pages flapping as the book hit the ground. Titania missed her target with her hand axe and it slammed into a nearby tree. Mist gasped, muttering a soft "Oh, no..."

Ten seconds crawled by and without warning, Shinon erupted into a fit of laughter. "Oh, this is too good!" he managed to force out, barely maintaining his balance on the crude log that served as his seat.

Sothe realized his mistake instantly and retracted further from the girl. Tears formed in the girl's golden eyes as she took a step back. With a gentle sob, she rushed off into the forest. Mist ran after her, also disappearing from sight. Grudgingly, Boyd volunteered to retrieve both girls, and Rolf insisted on joining him. Gatrie did his best to calm Shinon, who had finally toppled over in his hysteria. Titania barked at the archer to control himself.

While Sothe stood there in shock of the rapid chain of events, Mia, Rhys, and Oscar came to his side.

"Aw, Cutie! Who knew?" Mia greeted, leading the boy to the fire and urging him to sit down.

"Don't be ashamed of your feelings," Rhys encouraged when he saw the miserable expression on the boy's face.

"Embrace them," Oscar agreed with his traditional smile. "Ike is very understanding and has never really expressed a preference... You should tell him how you feel."

"OF COURSE!" Mia shouted, causing the group to jump. "Life's too short NOT to be with the one you love! Tell him as soon as we get to the palace tomorrow morning, Sothe!"

Soren's nails had been digging deeper and deeper into the palm of his hand until he had finally drawn blood, but that didn't matter to him. He made the decision then to abandon the campsite and sleep in the woods.

End Chapter Four

Description
Forever With You

Chapter Four

*****

The sun crept into Ike's tent, casting its golden rays across the sleeping sage and commander. Soren woke the instant the light touched his face, but relaxed once he remembered where he lay. Nothing relaxed him like a night of intense lovemaking with his commander. He had tried his best to keep quiet for both of their sakes, but he couldn't help occasionally moaning his lover's name.

He turned in his lover's arms and stroked his sleeping face, admiring how handsome the bluenette looked at rest. Early morning, while the two of them lay there, Ike asleep and Soren free to admire him, was the sage’s favorite part of day. He held his commander around the shoulders and placed a gentle string of kisses along the pale skin that was usually hidden under Ike's headband.

A shift in the light caught the sage's attention and he immediately sat up, glancing at the tent's entrance. His red eyes met and instantly clashed with Sothe's envious green ones.

Neither said a word; they only glared at each other with an intense passion, Sothe’s of jealousy, Soren’s of pure rage. The emeralde grimaced as he observed Soren's bare torso so close to Ike's equally exposed chest. Blankets covered their lower regions, but Sothe could tell from all the clothes on the floor that they were naked under there, too.

"I just came to wake the commander early," Sothe bit through gritted teeth. "But it seems there's a rat in his tent."

"I realize that there's a rodent in his tent. Perhaps I should send it back to Micaiah's tent, where it came from." The spell caster replied in an angry whisper as not to disturb Ike. Seeing Sothe’s eyes blaze with fury was enough to earn a smirk from Soren. The youth’s fists clenched and he opened his mouth to speak. He didn't get so much as a peep out as a hand fisted his shirt and jerked him out of the commander's tent.

"What do you think you're doing?" Titania asked, her voice dripping with authority. She glared at him. "I know you're our guest for the time being, but around here, we respect our commander." Sothe glared, but didn’t reply.

"Sothe?" Micaiah's voice reached them, her tone worried. "What did you do? Titania, what's the matter?" The red head released the thief's shirt and pushed him forward. He stumbled a step or two before standing straight.

"He was just going where he shouldn't." She said simply. Her actions were due partly to respect Soren's time with Ike; even though the sage didn't know that she knew, she felt they deserved time alone as much as possible. "Soren is Ike’s most trusted adviser. He’ll wake our commander when the time is right."

"Don't worry, Miss Titania. We'll leave Ike be.” Micaiah turned her attention to Sothe. “Come have breakfast with me, Sothe?"

"Good," Titania said. "Wake the others. I'll wait for Ike."

Inside the tent, Ike's eyes opened slightly and he stretched, then relaxed back into Soren’s embrace with a sigh. "How long have you been awake?" He murmured, tilting his head to look up at the sage.

Soren's contented smirk turned to a soft smile when he looked down at his newly awakened lover. "I haven't been up long; I thought I heard something, but it was just a rat. It's gone now," he assured, laying back down in his commander's grasp, favoring the bluenette's chest over the mattress. "It's still very early, Ike. The sun just came up, and we don't have to get up just yet," he hinted, placing a kiss on his lover's lips. His hands trailed down the swordsman's chest suggestively.

Ike yawned and rolled on top of the sage, causing him to laugh. "Really? This early? But everyone will wonder why you aren't so uptight today."

"Let them wonder," the sage replied, reaching up and kissing along his jaw. "And I recall you telling me some time ago that I needed to loosen up. This should help me do so."

Ike chuckled. "True, I did say that," he acknowledged, and nibbled on the spell caster's ear. Soren made a soft moan that had the commander aroused immediately. "Just try not to wake up the whole camp once we get started."

Mist couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she felt that Soren was in a far better mood than he usually was that day. He didn't scold her so harshly for wasting some of the rations when she burned breakfast, or losing one of Mia’s shirts in the laundry, so she knew that something was going on. When she brought it up with Titania, the knight had just smiled and said that Soren was having a good day, but that did nothing to explain why.

Mist let it go, but she did happen to bring it up with Micaiah, who was a good listener. She talked about how the more time Ike and Soren spent together, the happier it seemed to make him.

"They're obviously close friends," Micaiah observed. “Or in love.”

Mist giggled. "Is it even possible for two boys to love each other?" she asked, more of Sothe, who had been walking beside the Light mage.

Sothe stopped, shocked by the question. Micaiah turned eyes on the thief, wondering why he didn’t have an immediate answer. "Sothe?" The green haired youth turned on his heel, leaving Mist, Micaiah, and their question unanswered. He wandered to the back of the troop.

--

The next few days showed Sothe that Ike and Soren acted more as mere Commander and Tactician, not lovers who slept naked together. He concluded that they were keeping it a secret and he wondered briefly how he might use it to his advantage. Not normally so conniving, he didn’t give it much thought. He was dragged from his Ike-induced thoughts as multiple roars brought the entire troop to a standstill.

"Strange, we've only been over the border for an hour or so..." Soren said, looking up to Ike. "Do you think they're enemies?"

Ike shook his head. "I recognize that roar. I think it may be-- AH!!" Ike shouted, voice abnormally high, as a giant blue flash passed by his face. He put a hand to his chest as he tried to still his startled heart. Soren raised his arm to muffle his giggle with his robes.

Seconds later, Mordecai came into view, all the while changing back to his human appearance. "Friend-Ike!" he greeted gruffly with his signature smile and a large-armed embrace for the commander. "And others," he addressed of the larger group, not allowing his gaze to linger on Soren for any amount of time.

Ike smiled. "It's good to see you again, Mordecai. Is Lethe around?"

"She wanted to come," a familiar voice stated, and Ranulf slid into view with his usual feline grace. "But she's occupied elsewhere. Though she sends her greetings to the only decent beorc she's ever met."

"Ranulf," Ike nodded to his good friend. "Nice to see you again. You aren't with the king?"

"Afraid not. There's trouble about and the king wants to discuss it with you as soon as possible. Mordecai has come to take you back with us. I'm afraid he's the only one who isn't offended by the idea of carrying a beorc on his back, so you're the only one who can come back with us. Sorry to your two advisers," Ranulf added, looking at Titania and Soren.

The sage's eyes widened at the thought of being separated from his lover for the second time in the last few weeks.

Ike looked troubled for a moment, uncomfortable with the idea of leaving his group and Soren. He turned to Titania and the aforementioned sage. "Looks like I'm needed elsewhere," he said. Titania nodded.

"Ike, are you leaving?" Mist asked, approaching her brother and touching his arm. Micaiah stood behind her, rather pleased with the idea of Ike leaving them, but it did not show on her face. Ike nodded to his little sister.

"Yeah, the King of Gallia needs to see me." the bluenette nodded to Ranulf and Mordeca, then turned to his two advisers, not letting his gaze linger on his lover for fear of suspicion. "I trust you two can handle everything in my absence?"

Titania smiled. "Of course." Soren hummed quietly, trying not to look his commander in the eye. A strong hand landed on Ike's shoulder. It was Mordecai.

"Ike. We leave now?" he questioned. "Sunset comes soon, we must travel fast." Ike nodded. He had everything that he would need on his person, so he needn't go to the wagons for anything. Sothe watched from behind one of the wagons as Mordecai morphed again and Ike clumsily mounted him.

"W-whoa. Never rode a laguz before. This will be an experience." The bluenette said, causing his troop to laugh. Ranulf smiled and turned to Soren.

"Two more laguz should meet you a few miles from here to escort you." He said, so the tactician wouldn't mistake them for enemies. "Will you be okay?"

Soren rolled his eyes. "Of course, we aren't children. We're mercenaries, we can handle it."I won't be okay, of course.

He cast a final glance at his beloved commander before Mordecai launched into the nearby brush and the pounding of his giant paws reverberated all around. The sage almost felt like applauding Ike for hanging on. He could hear Titania organizing the group, but he couldn't concentrate on a word she was saying. Ike was gone, and it felt like his heart went with him.

Micaiah was relieved to have Ike gone, but was concerned when Sothe seemed just as distant and cold as Soren. She called his name softly, but received no reply.

Eventually the group met with their laguz escorts and made their way deeper into Gallia. Soren's drastic mood change from the early morning caught the mercenaries’ attention, but no one approached him on the subject. He pitched his tent with Titania's help, and prepared for a long night alone.

As Titania pulled the final rope to secure Soren's tent, Mist approached with polite steps, her silver-haired friend a few feet away.
"Titania?" The young Cleric asked. The red-haired Paladin looked up, as did Soren. "Would it be all right for me to stay in Micaiah's tent tonight? I won't be bunking with Ilyana, but she said it's okay."

"Oh, really? I don't see the problem.” Titania said with a smile at their new friendship. “Wait, then where will Sothe sleep? I'm certainly not allowing some strange boy to sleep in the same tent with Ilyana!" she said, earning an earnest glance from the two girls.

"Well, the only available tent left with a boy is..." Mist trailed off and looked at Soren with a grin. The sage's eyes widened in shocked fury.

"I absolutely refuse--"

"That will be fine! Good arrangement, girls." Titania winked at her fellow females and the three left Soren standing there in stupefied annoyance.

--

Anyone would concur that Sothe would declare to sleep outside rather than with Soren, something which Soren would wholeheartedly agree to. And just as the two were prepared to do just that, it began to rain.

Soren glared out the flap of his tent at the torrential rainstorm. He could feel Sothe's gaze on his back but he ignored it for the time being. "It's letting up," the sage lied, hoping that it would be enough to rid himself of the boy for a while.

"Liar," the emeralde replied, sharpening his stiletto.

The spell caster snorted and let the flap fall. "You don't see upset in the least that your girlfriend abandoned you," the sage muttered as he returned to his cot. Sothe cast the sage a hateful glance and gave his knife another swipe with the sharpening slab. It rang through the air with a sharp shing!

"She is not my girlfriend." He muttered through gritted teeth. He sharpened again. "Lately, she's been nothing more than an annoying little sister." Soren was a little surprised to hear the bitterness that Sothe's voice held toward the light mage. He didn't have much of a reply to the statement, so he just held his tome in his lap, his back to Sothe, and listened to the rain.

Ike... what are you doing right now?

"You're thinking about Ike, aren't you?" Sothe's voice wasn't rude or irritating; it was simply curious, his tone actually saying, You really love him, don't you?

"My thoughts never stray far from Ike. He is our commander and it is my duty to protect him with everything I have," he replied, although he wasn't so sure why he even bothered to make conversation. "And what of you, Sothe? When last we met you seemed completely devoted to finding your now annoying sister. What is your story?" he replied, equally curious, though his tone was edgy. If he could somehow direct the thief's attention back to Micaiah, he might forget about Ike.

"I found her. Not a lot behind that. I just realized all too quickly that... maybe we shouldn't be together." Sothe dodged that bullet gracefully and he brushed his slab down his blade. "I couldn't forget how much I enjoyed being a mercenary here, under Ike's command... and when the moment finally arose, I came to find him.

"But he had already found someone else." Sothe looked to Soren for eye contact then, but the sage was looking down, almost insulted at the fact that anyone other than himself could love the bluenette.

"Very true. He has," Soren stated simply, hoping to deliver a firm message to the boy. "He has given his whole heart away, and there is nothing left to look for. Be a mercenary if it pleases you, but try not to get in his way."

Sothe gently placed his blade back in its sheath and laid the slab next to it on his mat.

"Tell me, Soren. What makes you think he's given you his entire heart?" Sothe's question caused the sage's eyes to widen in sick realization. Sothe was onto something. Yes, Ike and Soren always told each other how much they loved each other, they slept together, and rarely spent any time apart. But was there the possibility that Ike would finally see the sage's true worth? That he could fall for someone else?

The crimson-eyed spell caster was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't reply.

--

Three days passed without incident between the two new roommates, although Soren was very eager to make it through to Caineghis’ castle to see Ike once again. They were deep into beast territory, and the sage found that he got the same treatment as always: the cats would look at him, scowl, and then deny his existence. Once again, he had become invisible.

Sothe's words constantly wore in his mind; how did he know for sure Ike's true feelings? Their relationship was a secret of the spell caster's accord, and the commander had already volunteered to share his feelings with the others. Soren feared their reaction, mostly because he knew in his heart that Ike could do better than him if he tried. A pretty woman of high status. One he could marry and have numerous children with. A mate without the prejudice that the sage carried.

He wanted Ike dearly, with every fiber of his being. And what sickened him was that he knew Sothe was much the same way.

The night before they reached Gallia's palace, the spell caster over heard the silver-haired maiden conversing with Mist, "I just don't get it. He's like a different person now... I always thought that we were so close, but now... it's like he doesn't even care about me."

"I'm sure he does," Mist soothed. "Maybe he's just worried. You should try talking to him."

"You should," Soren encouraged, earning surprised looks from both girls as he approached without warning. "We talked the other night, and he really misses you, Micaiah."

"What?" Micaiah's tone held nothing but surprise. She stood up straight and looked at the sage. "He misses me?"

Soren had to look away and roll his eyes. She IS annoying... "Yes. He told me." Soren lied smoothly. He didn't wait for a reply before stalking off into the forest, holding his wind tome close and a smirk on his face. Micaiah looked down at Mist, who smiled brightly up at her.

"See? Why don't you go talk to him?" Mist encouraged. The silver-haired mage smiled and scampered away.

Sothe had his back to the camp, once again curing his boredom by sharpening his blades. He froze when he felt two small, slender arms wrap around his torso. He turned in Micaiah's embrace and looked down at her.

"Sothe..." she murmured. He looked surprised and gently pulled away from her.

"What is it?"

She seemed confused at first, but smiled at him. "Well, we haven't spent a lot of time together, and I heard from Soren that you said you missed me..." Micaiah once again invaded his personal space and hugged him intimately. Sothe felt his patience wearing thin and a sliver of anger towards Soren, though that was normal these days.

"Micaiah, let me go." He pulled away, not so gently this time. Micaiah looked at him strangely.

"Sothe, what has been the matter with you lately?"

"The matter with me? What's the matter with you?!" Sothe's voice rose dangerously. He turned one of his most hateful glares on the girl. "Can't you take a hint?! I know you think there was something going on between us, but there isn't!"

Soren's eyes widened from his secluded area in the forest and he looked up from his tome when he heard Sothe's voice. Everyone in the camp stopped what they were doing to, not quite by choice, to listen.

"I don't need you hanging all over me every waking second!"

"S-Sothe!” Micaiah broke in, her face crumpling. “What are you trying to say?!"

"That I don't love you! I love Ike!"

Soren felt his heart stop and he dropped his tome, the pages flapping as the book hit the ground. Titania missed her target with her hand axe and it slammed into a nearby tree. Mist gasped, muttering a soft "Oh, no..."

Ten seconds crawled by and without warning, Shinon erupted into a fit of laughter. "Oh, this is too good!" he managed to force out, barely maintaining his balance on the crude log that served as his seat.

Sothe realized his mistake instantly and retracted further from the girl. Tears formed in the girl's golden eyes as she took a step back. With a gentle sob, she rushed off into the forest. Mist ran after her, also disappearing from sight. Grudgingly, Boyd volunteered to retrieve both girls, and Rolf insisted on joining him. Gatrie did his best to calm Shinon, who had finally toppled over in his hysteria. Titania barked at the archer to control himself.

While Sothe stood there in shock of the rapid chain of events, Mia, Rhys, and Oscar came to his side.

"Aw, Cutie! Who knew?" Mia greeted, leading the boy to the fire and urging him to sit down.

"Don't be ashamed of your feelings," Rhys encouraged when he saw the miserable expression on the boy's face.

"Embrace them," Oscar agreed with his traditional smile. "Ike is very understanding and has never really expressed a preference... You should tell him how you feel."

"OF COURSE!" Mia shouted, causing the group to jump. "Life's too short NOT to be with the one you love! Tell him as soon as we get to the palace tomorrow morning, Sothe!"

Soren's nails had been digging deeper and deeper into the palm of his hand until he had finally drawn blood, but that didn't matter to him. He made the decision then to abandon the campsite and sleep in the woods.

End Chapter Four