Chapter Text
Edelgard supposes she should try to enjoy this day of rest with the rest of the class, though she can’t help but to feel not entirely comfortable with it.
At least nobody mentioned the scars that cover her body – “incidents from training” she’ll call them if someone does – but still the idea of losing a day in idleness doesn’t completely sit with her.
Not that there’s anything she can do about it, even if she wanted to. At this point, she might as well try to make the most of it.
At least, this is what she was supposed to do, before someone decided to ruin it.
She’s just sunbathing when she feels someone picking her up and running up the beach.
- What?! -.
- C’mon Edelgard. Everybody needs a bath! -.
It’s Caspar. It’s Caspar and he’s taking her to the shore and no no no no.
She makes a huge splash, probably the most undignified moment of her life.
To be fair, only Hubert knows about her… problems with water, but that doesn’t mean anything as of now. As soon as she’s done with this, in fact, Caspar is going to pay.
How far has he thrown her? She can’t touch the ground with her feet. Oh no.
This is a problem.
What should she do now?
She tries her best to stay floating, moving her body in the way she’s seen people do, but no matter how frantically she moves, she keeps sinking.
Is this her end? Is this what manages to kill her?
No, it can’t be. She has to find a solution, but what can help her?
A pair of arms close around her, and Edelgard’s brought to the surface once again.
The first thing she sees, as she frantically catches her breath, isn’t something she was expecting: the person who has saved her is Ferdinand.
She would’ve expected Hubert, but not him.
- Edelgard! -.
Oh dear. Is he going to use this as an excuse to boost himself over her?
- Are you alright? -.
… Or maybe not, it seems.
- I’m fine… -, Edelgard mutters then, but she has to look away, not being able to sustain Ferdinand’s gaze. Ugh, the shame.
- Here, let me help you on the shore -.
Thankfully Caspar hasn’t thrown her too far; speaking of him, as soon as she’s back on her feet, Edelgard will kill him if Hubert hasn’t gotten to him first.
Ferdinand, on his part, is surprisingly gentle, something that Edelgard is still trying to reconcile with the image of him she has in her head, and Ferdinand notices that there’s something going on.
- Are you hurt anywhere, Edelgard? You seem weird -, he asks in fact.
- No… -, she replies, though she mustn’t have done such a good job at dissimulating.
- There is no need to lie, Edelgard. If you are hurt, it would be better if you say so… -.
- You’re acting weird! -.
- What? -, Ferdinand asks, surprised by that interruption.
It’s then that Edelgard feels like she’s in the wrong here. Maybe she has judged him too harshly: after all, even if he’s boisterous and sometimes genuinely annoying, he’s also a good person. She may not agree with his idealized idea of nobility, but she can admit that, by trying to adhere to that idealized standards, Ferdinand acts better than some other people.
She shakes her head then, and she forces herself to smile.
- It’s nothing, just a foolish thought -, she says.
Since they’ve arrived to a point where she can freely walk again, she puts some distance between Ferdinand and herself.
- I must go find Caspar. I have the feeling Hubert might be dealing with him -, she says, adding before turning away, - Thank you, Ferdinand -.
- Huh… you’re welcome? -, Ferdinand replies, feeling a bit perplexed as to what just happened. Why did Edelgard think he was being weird?
He thinks about asking her but she’s too far already for that. He’s missed his chance.
In all this, however, something stirs inside them both, something that doesn’t quell even after they get to Garreg Mach.
No matter how hard they try, there’s something that they cannot forget: the sensation of having each other in each other’s arms.