Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ike has a proposal - no, not that kind, he did that kind years ago - but of the fun kind.  But it’s a tough sell and he knows it.  So when he tells his idea to Soren, he expects the blank look he gets in return.

“I’m just saying, it’s been awhile since we’ve had, uh, couple time.”

“I’m not arguing that.”  Many a night ends with sleepy makeout sessions and every night ends with Ike wrapped around Soren, but rarely do nights end with sexy times, so Soren is also keenly aware about how long it’s been since they’ve had couple time.  

“And I know it’s, um, optimistic to think we could do it every day, but-”

The door bursts open.  At this point Ike and Soren have such dulled reactions to things like this that neither even looks up as Misania runs in and tackles Soren, showing off impressive arm strength to scale him like a cliff.  “Papa!  Papa I have a great new idea to add to my adventure list!  Priam said that he’s Daddy’s favorite so I have to do an adventure to make me his favorite instead!”  Then she seems to notice Ike there.  “Cover your ears please Daddy.”  

“But I don’t have favorites,” Ike points out. “Priam was lying.”

She gestures to him to cover his ears, and he sighs but does so.  He gets to watch two of his favorite people interact, one excited and the other bemused, but the only word he can hear is ‘carriage.’  Weird.  Oh well.  Then she gives Soren a kiss on the cheek and gestures for Ike to come over, and when he does she gives him a kiss on the cheek too.  Then she hops down and scurries away to do whatever craziness she does all day.

“Do I want to know?”

“It’s a secret.  Anyway, it’s not that I’m against trying for another challenge month, but the fact that we couldn’t even talk about it without an interruption makes me think this is not going to go smoothly.”

“But… when was the last time we had sex?”

“That is an excellent question, and an excellent point.”  Soren nods at him.  “As long as we’re flexible, we’ll be fine.  I’ll find the book and we’ll go to the second chapter.  Same rules as last time?”

“And end up with you force-feeding me vegetables again?”  Soren smirks at Ike’s completely normal protest.  “I’d say we roll with it.  If someone has ideas they can take control but otherwise we just work together.”

“But what if my idea is to make you watch me eat jerky?” he teases.

Ike sticks his tongue out at him.  “We’ll just have to fight about it.”

There is a knock on their door even though it’s still open.  Boyd is standing there with an expression of dull acceptance.  “So there’s an emergency flooding in that little town to the east.  Titania volunteered us to go.  I definitely did not overhear any of your weird stuff.”

Ike resists a facepalm.  Fate does not seem nice to him today.  Oh well.  Too bad, Fate.  He’s going to have sex with his husband whether you like it or not!  Just later. 

Chapter Text

Day One: Love bites * Rough sex * Impact play 

Ike finally gets a short break in the afternoon, so they use the opportunity to at least figure out the first day.  So he brings the book to Soren’s office and sits on his desk, uncaring of its protest against bearing his weight.  Stupid thing should be used to it by now.

“‘Impact play is the act of striking another as part of sexual gratification,’” Soren reads.  “‘It can be with hands or other implements.’”

Ike helplessly laughs.  “Ohhhh fuck no, absolutely fucking not.”  He’s honestly triggered at the mere thought.  

Soren hums as he glances over the rest of Chapter Two.  “There are a lot of repeats in here, it seems.  Not a bad thing.  But I do want to actually try some of the things we didn’t last time.”

“Soren…”

“What if I made that disinhibition potion again?”

“ Soren…”

He puts it all on the table.  “I think I want some extremely rough, primal sex where we end up covered in marks and you spit on my face while choking me out and you fuck me like a cheap whore whom you hate on a personal level.”

WELL.  Ike did not see that admission coming, at all.  

“With your consent, of course.”

He’s, uh… not… not so with it right now.  He wishes he were better at saying how he feels.  The thought of you fucked out of your mind and covered in marks left by me is hot.  Hell, all of that sounds hot except spitting on you.  But I would never, ever forgive myself if I hurt you, and there’s a 75% chance you have a panic attack during it and then what?  We both end up traumatized.  

Soren hums and stands up.  “Let’s table it.  Day two is tamer, and more importantly it helps with this.  But I’ll have to figure out a spell.”

Day One: Love bites * Rough sex * Impact play

Day One: shibari * bath/shower * thought/emotion sharing

Ike reads the prompts, grateful for the change.  “What needs a spell?” he asks, because he’s never heard of shibari.

“The emotion sharing, obviously.  Shibari is a form of bondage.”  He walks to the far corner of the room which is where his alchemy station is - it’s filled with trinkets and reagents that Ike could never understand even if he was subjected to the same training Soren was.  Meanwhile Ike takes the time to look over the explanation of shibari in the book, and it helpfully supplies pictures.

Oooo.

They don’t have rope - well, not rope soft enough for something like this - but ribbons could work.  

He thinks about it.  If given a choice, getting himself wrapped up has a sort of small appeal as long as he can break out, but he can picture tying Soren up and mmmmmmm, that is a sight.  Thumbs freaking up. 

So when Soren turns back to him with a scroll in hand, Ike holds up a long length of bright red ribbon he’d found.  “Can I please?”  Soren hesitates for a split second before nodding, so Ike smiles at him.  “Safe-word still applies, obviously.” 

“We could add another one,” Soren suggests, “I was thinking we could do one in the middle, like ‘this is something that is making us anxious but we’re not sold on ending it.’”   

“Good idea.  Obviously it has to be ‘Gatrie.’”  He grins as Soren laughs.   

“Oliver,” Soren says with a smile. 

“Ooooo, that is better,” Ike can agree.  “I accept.  So how do you feel about me tying you up?” 

“Not quite to Oliver-level, but I would be lying if said I wasn’t anxious.” 

“I’ll take care of that.”  Neither of them likes ceding control, really, both too high strung.  But that doesn’t mean it’s not great for them to do it every once in awhile.   

Soren casts a spell and then Ike goes through his bath routine, amused a little that the last time they did this the first prompt was also bath time 

(Although this time it wasn’t.  But Ike is not ready to confront what Soren would like from him, not yet.) 

and he is still an expert at making baths.  Granted, he is better at making quick baths for dirty children.  He warms up the water, tosses some rose petals on, and makes the only light in the room some small candles.  Then he goes off to find the trio – Priam is trying to learn to use a bow from Shinon while the twins are learning how to make cookies with Oscar – so he races back to the bathroom. 

Soren is standing there in just a light robe.  Ike is painfully reminded that it has been way too long since he last had sex, and Goddess Soren still turns him on like nothing else.  He walks to him, pulling him into his arms to kiss him gently.  Soren hands him the length of ribbon.  “What do you have in mind?” he quietly asks between kisses. 

“This.”  Ike pushes the robe off, exposing the extreme paleness of his lover’s body to the warm humid air.  He gently spins him around and begins to wrap up his arms in the ribbon, weaving it around and between his arms to bind them together and try to look as pretty as possible.  He constantly checks to make sure it’s not too tight, because having one’s arms pinned behind one’s back can be painful if done wrong.  But Soren asserts things are fine, so there we go. 

Then Ike disrobes and gets into the tub, picking Soren up to pull him onto his lap.  “Did you take care of yourself?” 

“Of course.”  Soren lets out a soft happy sigh as he’s lowered into the hot water.  Ike takes hold of the ribbon around his wrists, and Soren grimaces a little as Ike lowers him onto his cock.  It is tight, so tight, and hotter than the water, and Ike has to grimace too.  “Mmmmmm…. I missed this.” 

“Y-yeah.”  Ike is a little embarrassed at how his voice shakes.  Goddess, there is no better feeling in the world than this.  “There is something about how good it feels after a long time though.”  Then suddenly the spell comes into play and he gasps at the rush of pleasure hitting him all at once - the double sensation of what Soren is feeling and what he himself is feeling is overwhelming, making them both stop to collect themselves.

“Oh,” says Soren softly, eyes wide but unfocused, “I see how you, ngh, feel.  Okay.”

He starts to gently guide him up and down, up by his hips and down by the ribbon, Soren slowly rolling his hips.  Going this slow really heightens everything, and Ike bites his lower lip to give a little pain to break the pleasure haze.   There is this strange sensation of being full that he’s not used to, and it feels fucking good.   

He has to stop biting his lip when Soren kisses him deeply, their tongues slowly stroking the other as Ike’s cock slowly deep-strokes Soren’s ass.  It is absolute perfection.  

“You, ah,” Soren tries to stammer out, “you, you’re okay.  About.  The rough stuff.  I get it.”

Oh yeah, that was a thing they talked about today.  Soren must’ve tapped into his remaining nerves somehow.  “Not really important right now,” he says through gritted teeth.  All the feelings he’s getting from Soren are strong and clear, love lust safe full, over and over, and damn if it isn’t almost too much.  He lets go of the ribbon to grab Soren’s asscheeks in his hands, massaging.  He can feel Soren’s shoulders twitch as he tries to hold him back, but obviously the ribbons prevent this.  He lets out a soft sigh of frustration, but since he has the control over his hips he can at least roll them still.  

Ike forces his eyes open to take a look at this gorgeous sight – Soren, cheeks flushed and eyes glazed over, the bright red of the ribbon somewhat dulled from water but still striking in the darkness.  “I love you,” he whispers, because anything else is too loud in this soothing environment.   

“I love you too,” Soren whispers back, their deep kiss returning.  Not that it’s a surprise to either of them, both of them are practically screaming it through their temporary bond.  He lets out a gasp as Soren whimpers, his body tensing and throbbing in his orgasm, the hole coaxing his dick exquisitely.  He desperately wants to hold off on his own, but it’s a losing battle and it is mere seconds before he lets out a noise of pure pleasure and comes himself, hyper-focused on the feeling of his balls throbbing against Soren’s asscheeks but also getting the strange yet lovely feeling of being filled.

It is a long orgasm, a testament to how long it’s been since the last time they did this.  Soren’s ends before Ike’s, and he kisses him through it.  Ike only has half a mind to kiss him back, but he does try.  He waits until his cock starts softening to withdraw, reaching down to plug his hole with a finger.  Soren breathlessly chuckles.  “You going to follow me around the rest of the day to keep me plugged up?” 

“If only.”  They kiss again as Ike reluctantly removes his finger to instead spread the hole, allowing his seed out.  A damn shame.  Then he deftly unties the ribbon so Soren’s arms are freed again.  He shakes them a bit to get the blood flowing.  “What are the odds we have time to just actually take a bath?” 

“50-50.”  Soren kisses him again anyway, clearly indicating he wants to take his chances. 

And, for once, things work out, and they’re given quite a bit of private makeout time before they have to go back to their life.  The fading of the spell is both very disappointing but also relieving, because feeling two people’s emotions is weird and overwhelming.  Oh well. 

This is going to be a wonderful month.  

Ike: 👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻

Chapter Text

Grooming * Sex pollen * Forced orgasm

Soren takes the time out of his morning to scan the book in preparation of eventual activities.  At first he inwardly shrugs at the prompts until he remembers there’s a different meaning of ‘grooming’ and he looks into what this is referring to.  Surely they mean taking care of someone’s appearance, rather than-

They don’t.

He’s sick to his stomach, skin prickling as he reads the definition.   To put such a thing into a kink challenge?   He wants to hunt down and brutally murder whoever put that in there.  Some of the other prompts are suspect, but this one is beyond.  

The emotions are many and they are strong.  Shame, disgrace, terror, rage.  He hadn’t made the mistake of trusting others often in his youth, but it had hurt him deeply every single time.   So many disgusting humans with no empathy whatsoever, just greed and a need for domination even if it was just over a strange child.   He feels those feelings keenly, as if he were that strange child once again. 

 Combating with that is the father in him (or really, the ‘person with integrity’) who could never, ever harm a child in any way, let alone so perversely , and this inner strength is grounding in a way, reminding him that he is not a victim, he is not a mere toy to a harsh and demanding old man who lacked morals or even standards and had nothing to lose, he is an adult, he is-

“Papa?”

Soren drags his eyes from the page and looks into his son’s dark blue eyes, so like his other father’s that it makes him 

feel the sting of starvation in his belly, the grip of death around his throat and he’s going to die alone under this tree and no one cares no one cares no one cares noonecares

“Hey, Soren,” says a deep voice that he knows, somewhere, it’s so familiar, “can you come out?”

No he can’t, he’s safe under the tree -

he’s actually in the corner of the room huddled on the floor, shivering, and there’s Ike, kneeling by him, “Soren, please,

can you listen to me?  I won’t hurt you.”

That’s what they say, that’s what they all say, but it’s a lie all lies it always hurts and they always hurt and

“Soren, you’re safe.  Look at me, okay?”  The voice is trustworthy so he

forces his eyes open so he can see Ike, his husband, his lover, his soulmate, who is sitting right by him.  He’s here, in the fort, with his love, his family, he’s fine.  Ike takes both of his hands and gets him out standing.  “Walk with me, baby.  One foot in front of the other, just like that, that’s it, walk, baby, everything is fine.

I won’t let anything hurt you .” 

The presence is kind and warm and strong, and maybe just this once he can be strong enough to take the hand of someone who can help, maybe just this once there is truth being spoken, but he can see him in the corner of his eye, hear “boy, come here” and knows nothing he wants will be good but he has no choice 

“- you are safe, you are home, you are safe, you are home, just walk with me, tell me what you see right here, right now.”

Soren gulps, his eyes darting around their bedroom.  “B-b-b-bed.”

“Yes, that’s right, that’s our bed.  Still pretty new and very comfortable, a gift from your uncle.  What else?”

He can see the old man leering at him, feel the pulling of his hair, the -

“Damn it, not working.”  He is suddenly wrapped up tightly, surrounded by the scent and warmth of his Ike, and he starts shaking but grabs on tightly, closing his eyes to hide from the world.  

Ike will protect him.

Ike will protect him.

“Are you back, love?” Ike asks quietly as Soren’s brain slows down finally.  Soren can understand his hesitation - being held like this either calms him immediately, or sends him spiraling into a fight reflex.  

He forces his muscles to relax, and they hurt from how tense he got.  It grounds him.  “Yes.”

Ike sighs in relief and kisses his forehead.  Soren feels so faint he would not be standing without him.  But it’s okay, because Ike is strong and Ike will protect him.  He’s proven it time and time and time and time and time again, even if Soren doesn’t know why.   

“Who do I need to kill?” Ike asks softly.

“Whoever put ‘grooming’ in a kink challenge book,” Soren admits, relieved his brain is too tired to be upset to admit it.  He’s had plenty of flashbacks, but this one was the most vivid he’s had in quite some time.  “I’ll be fine.”  He weakly pushes at him, and Ike loosens his hold so he can slip free if he needs to.  

Something in his face must not be convincing, because Ike murmurs, “Well I won’t be okay unless you stay with me.  I’ll end up doing something stupid.”

He knows it’s manipulation, but goes along with it.  “Why, what nonsense and madness were you going to get into without me?”

“There’s a hole in the roof, and we have a trebuchet I was thinking of trying…”

Soren looks up at him.  “When did we get a trebuchet?”

“Actually we built it!  Boyd and Gatrie talked me into it.”

“… … … Well there’s your first problem.”

“They’re not always wrong.  Just usually,”

“And you’re seriously considering launching someone onto the roof with a trebuchet instead of using a ladder.”

“You can’t tell me it doesn’t sound fun.”

Soren drops his forehead to Ike’s shoulder.  “As long as you’re not the one flying, sure.”

“Ummmmmmmm Papa?”

They both look over to Priam, who is worriedly standing in the doorway with his hands wringing.  “I’m um, sorry I made you upset!”

Soren melts.  “No no Spawnling, you did nothing wrong.  I wasn’t seeing you there, I was… having some issues in my head.”

“And you calling for me was the exact right thing to do,” Ike agrees.  “Go tell Uncle Oscar that you earned extra cookies!”

Priam moves to jump for joy but stopped himself, looking to Soren for confirmation.  Soren smiles at him.  “Yes, go ahead.  And thank you.”  Priam grins and runs off, no longer worried about being in trouble.

Soren fondly sighs.  “Hopefully none of them ever see me have a flashback again.”

“Hopefully you never have any again,” Ike says softly.  “But let’s focus on the here and now.  You’ll feel better after you fire Gatrie from a trebuchet.”

Soren chuckles, closing his eyes.  “You’re not wrong.”

Ike  really hadn’t been wrong - launching Gatrie from a trebuchet did make him feel better.   Still, Soren is in no position to even talk about their game that night, and he’s asleep before his head hits the pillow.

The next morning he feels much better and is contemplative, petting Ike’s head as it rests on his chest.  It’s a cool and rainy morning, and the kids are all still asleep.  Ike looks like he might be only half awake.  “So… I’ve been thinking about today’s prompts.” 

“I used one of your ink pots to scratch out the grooming kink,” Ike voices, “but there’s another one I think next week, but it talks about like, hair brushing and stuff.” 

“Thank you,” Soren says softly, kissing Ike’s forehead.  

“No problem.  So today is sex pollen and forced orgasm.  Which is… interesting…” 

“The idea is that something has suddenly made you so insatiably horny that you feel like you might die if you don’t get off.  Which admittedly goes well with forced orgasm.” 

“Are you sure you’re okay with… more forceful stuff?” 

Soren has never been able to bring himself to talk to Ike about the particulars of his life.  What would be the point?  Ike can read between the lines and knows it wasn’t pleasant, that Ike was his first consensual experience.  Does he really need details?  The last time Ike inferred something a man got his skull bashed in.   

(Which, admittedly, Soren is still very… touched by.  Ike defending him always elicits such intense emotions from him.  It gives him such a sense of relief and security that it makes him both warm and fuzzy but also incredibly turned on. And that guy absolutely deserved it.) 

“Yes,” Soren finally says, remembering Ike asked him a question.  “My thought is, even if something happens I know you won’t hurt me, so it will be good for me to be… forced in a safe way.  And the pollen itself will make me very receptive.” 

“Hmmm.”   

“But I mean… Ike, this isn’t about just me.  If you’re not comfortable with it, then we won’t do it.  You have veto power too.” 

“I’m terrified of hurting you,” Ike admits, and Soren is shocked at how candid he is being and the intensity of his word choice.  Terrified .  “But I also know you’re tougher than I give you credit for, and that this is something you want, and that you’d be so hot fucked out of your mind.  So to say I’m conflicted is an understatement.” 

“The pollen shouldn’t let me want to back out,” Soren reasons.  “So emotionally I should be fine.  And I am physically tougher than you think I am.  So this should be fine.” 

Ike hums and finally picks his head up, looking at him.  “All right.  I trust you.” 

“And I you.”  They finally disentangle to get the day started.   

The way it always is, is that Soren can make a potion or spell for everything.  So even something as weird as “sex pollen” is something he can replicate in his alchemy station.  Neat, neat.  In order to replicate what the challenge actually is, there is a later activation or whatever for this sort of thing.   

It sets in riiiiight after Ike finishes the roof repair.  So he’s sitting on the roof of the fort when there’s this deep feeling like he desperately needs his mate and all other thoughts are gone.  He needs his warm willing body, his long silky hair, his dark eyes, soft lips, the scent of him, the delicious taste – yep, need is an accurate word.  He will die if he doesn’t get balls-deep inside him now .   

So he carefully dismounts the roof (yes using the ladder, Ike had to promise that he wouldn’t launch himself in the trebuchet so the ladder is readily available) and goes hunting for his wayward mate.  In theory he should be in their bedroom, but Ike quickly visits and nope, he’s not.  He might have to start tying him up in there so he stops leaving Ike’s protective bubble.   

He does find Soren in his office, looking a little flushed and unfocused.  He’s talking with another male – Shinon, rejected – so Ike grabs him by the arm and tosses him out of the office, closing and locking the door.  He barely turns around before Soren has tackled him against the door, narrowly avoiding a knob to his back that Ike probably wouldn’t feel if he had hit it.  Ike responds enthusiastically, their kiss deep and passionate and Ike is hard in seconds.  Perfect.   

He picks Soren up and walks him to the desk, sitting him on it for optimal height.  Granted Soren is the perfect size in every single way – Ike is a huge fan of how his brand is exactly at the height of Ike’s lips – but the desk is tall so he’s at absolutely perfect fucking height.  But first kissing.  Needs to make sure he’s receptive of course.  Ike would die if he forced him or hurt him.  Thankfully Soren seems very receptive, his tongue in Ike’s mouth as he tries to take his clothes off.  But that’s excessive – the only clothes not needed are their pants.  So he rips off Soren’s and drops his own quickly and efficiently.  Soren groans as he takes note of the fact that his pants are literally torn in half.  Ike checks with a finger that his very considerate mate is prepared for him – such an amazing lover he is, the only flaw of them both being male is often fixed by him in advance – before he balances him on the edge of the desk and just fucks him like they both need.   

Soren chokes out a cry as he wraps around him, nails digging into his back and shoulders as he holds on tight.  He just manages to say ‘fuck’ over and over as Ike does exactly that, moving his hips to get a quick and deep stroke going.   

It’s primal, Ike reestablishing his claim of his mate, rejoicing in their joining.  And of course, his mate is doing the same, because how the hell could Ike ever have anyone else after this?   “Mine,” he says, as a mantra in his ear, and Soren is so tight he can barely even move, and there is a sharp pain as Soren stifles a cry by biting Ike’s shoulder through his shirt.  It makes Ike’s world white out in pleasure and he has to grit his teeth as he keeps thrusting, and damn it’s hard to do anything when it feels so fucking good, and  

“Knock me up,” Soren whines, and 

“Fuck!”  Ike comes harder than he has in ages, clinging to him tightly and unmindful of his own strength, just keeping him close like he needs.

Aaaaaaand post-nut clarity hits next, the need gone with the orgasm.  He makes a noise of confusion at how he went from a 0 to 10 and back to a 0 so quickly, but hey.  He pulls out and relaxes his hold.  He does kind of still want to drag Soren back to their room and lock him in there, but that would get a Rexcalibur to the face for his trouble.

“You ripped my pants,” Soren says with amusement.  

“Sorry.”  Ike does feel bad, because Soren doesn’t appreciate Ike tearing his clothes as much as he laments the damage. 

“Also I don’t actually want you to get me pregnant,” he clarifies.

“I wouldn’t say yes even if you asked.”

“And you chucked Shinon out on his ass,” Soren finishes with a bigger grin as he hops down to adjust his robes.

“Yeah, I don’t feel nearly as bad about that as I do about your pants.”

“I hate both of you,” says Shinon through the door.

“Yeah yeah, yet you’re still listening,” Ike retorts, trying to not blush and stare as Soren finds a blanket to use as a makeshift robe.

“First of all, I was actually doing something important, and second of all, your stamina was terrible!”  

Ike throws open the door.  “It was a sex pollen!”

“Suuuuuuure,” Shinon drawls, “And I am completely sober.”

“You should be!”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Soren says demurely, sneaking by to go get dressed.  Ike considers following him, but pride, damn it.

Ike spends an embarrassing amount of time defending his ‘stamina.’  He’s not sure if it’s worth the orgasm.

Ike: 🤷 

Soren: 👍🏻

Chapter Text

Outdoor sex * Exhibitionism/Voyeurism * partner swapping

“Here we go again,” Ike mutters.  “Who would we let watch us, or who would we watch?  Neither sound good, honestly.”

Soren is firmly in the belief that they should be trying new things.  “Let’s go to the hot springs.” 

They’d found a natural hot spring not too far from the fort, which was a pleasant surprise to most of the people.  Adding amenities was on the to-do list but they’d been so busy that they hadn’t gotten to it yet.  Plus it certainly isn’t a priority for Soren.  But he knows Ike has wanted to have sex in a hot spring for literal years, and since it’s outside it’s technically exhibitionism so it would fit the prompt doubly so.

“No,” says Ike. 

Soren crosses his arms and sits, because he knows this is going to be an argument.  “I want to try it.” 

“No you don’t,” Ike retorts, also sitting.  “I know you.  You get nervous having sex in a bath tub and you’re terrified of the hot springs.” 

“I want to try it because of those things,” Soren replies. 

“No, you don’t,” Ike says again, “You only want it because I want it.”

Ike isn’t wrong, honestly.  Then Soren makes the biggest mistake he’s ever made, ever.  

“There’s… partner-swa-“

“ No .” It’s his General Voice, the one that cowed kings and queens alike.

Soren flinches a little.  “Bu-“

“ Don’t finish that sentence , ” Ike almost snarls.  “I’m not fucking anyone else, ever, for any reason, ever .” 

“Sorry,” Soren says quickly, shrinking in his seat.  Stupid, stupid!  He let his guilt over his sexual hang-ups come out of his mouth like an idiot.  As much as Soren wishes to do everything Ike wants, and wants to give him the freedom to do it with others if he needs, he really does not want that - if Ike slept with someone else he’d forgive him but it would hurt so bad but Ike deserves better but he knows Ike won’t take another lover because he’s too possessive of Soren to let him do it and -

The door closes.  Soren is horrified that Ike might have walked off, but the fact he locked them in their room might be worse.  All of Soren’s instincts are telling him to become as small as possible, unthreatening, just don’t make him madder.  Soren’s brain is telling him that he misspoke and Ike is pissed and this is a normal couple concern that will be resolved in the next five minutes once the confusion is cleared up.

Ike kneels in front of him.  “Look at me.”  It’s still his commanding voice, and Soren’s eyes are drawn to his immediately.  His face - there are so many emotions there that Soren picks up on quickly.  Anger, yes, but also hurt, and anxiety, and most predominantly sorrow.  “Do you think I would ever -“

“No,” Soren says quickly, “No I don’t.  I just let my insecurities get the better of me for a second.  I’m sorry.”

Ike sighs in relief and leans forward to press their foreheads together.  “Please don’t leave me,” he whispers.  

“Ike, you could fuck everyone in Tellius and I’d stay with you,” Soren assures him quietly, “My place is by your side.”

“I don’t want anyone else but you,” Ike states, “but… you aren’t asking because…?”

“I don’t either,” Soren reassures him.  “So you can go ahead and ask but my answer is still and will always be no.”

He lets out a deep sigh, deflating somewhat.  “So you were being insecure, not hinting you wanted a partner-swap.”

“Right.”  Soren sits up to kiss his forehead.  “So, let’s start this conversation over again.  The challenges are outdoor, exhibitionism and voyeurism, and partner-swapping.  I veto partner-swapping.”

“Me too.”

“I would like to try outdoor sex, and maybe by the hot spring would work?  We could make a little picnic of it.”

Ike considers. “All right, I accept. Midnight rendezvous at the hot spring.”  They share a kiss to seal the deal before going off to their day. 

In addition to his roles as sage, strategist, tertiary commander and bookkeeper for the Greil Mercenaries, Soren also fills the role of parent and teacher.  Some days are easier than others.  His children are all very intelligent in different ways - Lucien is generally good at everything, Misania is a reading and writing prodigy and willing to try everything, and when Priam applies himself he can do it all even if he does have to take breaks to run around.   Soren’s also gotten the honor of trying to teach little Kiera, who is a brat to shake the very heavens and makes Soren want to kick Boyd in the balls so he never gets anyone else pregnant. 

(He asked Rolf if Boyd was this bad when he was young, and Rolf’s mischievous smirk said it all.  Yes, yes he was.)

Today’s lesson has highlighted his children’s collective weakness: problem-solving. 

“A stranger comes up to you, says his name and says he is supposed to take you home,” Soren says, “What do you do?”   

“Well we are NOT friends just because I know his name,” Misania says with pride, and Soren feels a flicker of hope, “So I tell him my name too and then we are friends, so then we go on an adventure together!” 

The flame of hope has been extinguished.  “Incorrect.  You are still not friends.” 

“I kick him in the balls,” says Priam.   

“Acceptable.” 

“I zap him,” Lucien finishes. 

“Also acceptable.  You do not go with him and you find a trustworthy adult.”  Little Kiera is not up to this level, so she is content to draw for now thankfully.  So Soren continues, “Uncle Oscar has made dinner, but you do not know what it is.  What do you do?” 

“Woah,” said Misania, “I eat it ‘cause Uncle Oscar is awesome and I like trying new things!” 

“Correct.” 

“I eat the food ‘cause I’m hungry,” Priam says. 

“Correct.” 

“I zap him,” Lucien says with a scowl. 

“Incorrect.  You try it and then, if you don’t like it that’s fine, but you always try something new.”  Lucien does not look convinced.  No child is perfect and Lucien is very stuck in his ways.  Soren can’t judge too harshly.  “Next, you are playing with your younger cousin and she is not sharing.  What do you do?” 

“Take what I want from her ‘cause she’s a baby and kinda dumb,” Priam says. 

“Incorrect.” 

“Well I’m very good at sharing so I would share and if she won’t share with me I will tell her she is being a bad friend and then I will find something else to play with,” Misania says with pride, fancying herself a great sage of wisdom in the ways of friendship.   

“Acceptable.”   

“I zap her,” Lucien says. 

“Incorrect.  You either find another toy or tell an adult.  Next, Uncle Boyd offers to send you to the roof in a trebuchet.  What do you do?” 

“Uh duh I go flying in the trebuchet!” Priam exclaims, sounding excited. 

“Incorrect.” 

“Ask what is a trebuchet?” Misania chimes in.

“Acceptable.”  No need to answer. 

“I zap him,” Lucien asserts. 

“Also acceptable.” 

At this point Kiera messes up her picture and begins screeching at the top of her lungs for a new piece of parchment, as is her wont.  His children roll their eyes.  “Go to the calm-down corner,” Soren instructs as he guides the screaming toddler to said corner.  He spends a few minutes needing to make sure she stays there, and she screams that she hates him more than a few times.  Right now he hates her too so it’s just fine.  There is no better birth control than other people’s annoying children.

Ike comes in looking as if he’s seen a particularly disgusting ghost.   “Soren, Soren I have bad news.”

“Uh-oh…”

“Mist is pregnant again.”

Soren lets this information settle into his brain.  “Permission to go castrate Boyd?”  As if to explain why, Kiera chucks a calm-down-corner pillow at his back.  

“Permission granted.”

“Excuse me then,” Soren walks out to follow through on his threat.  Boyd needs to die.   

“Is this problem-solving?” Lucien asks. 

“In a sense,” Ike says with a snicker.  With Soren leaving, Kiera thinks this means she’s free from time-out, so Uncle Ike gets to step in.  The good news is that as weak as Ike is to his own children, he’s not at all weak to his niece and has no problem sticking to time-out.  It feels a bit like pissing in the creek because Boyd is a bigger wuss than Ike ever was, but the hope is eventually she will grow out of it.  She is cute, though.

Ike does get a good laugh when he watches Boyd sprint by in terror.   

The night is gorgeous – warm, dark and starlit, the moon large and full in the sky.  It turns out Soren’s night vision is abysmal, so Ike gets to lead the way while holding their basket of goodies – blankets and snacks, of course, plus a small lantern.  It makes Soren stupidly anxious, but it’s hard to be too worried with Ike here.  He’s even feeling fairly calm about where they’re going and what they’re going to be doing there.  He can hear the sound of a small waterfall and knows that means it’s close. 

It’s a hidden gem in the countryside, making the others so angry that they’d missed it despite being in the same area for years.  There is a small waterfall leading into a large, dark and deep pool with the only signs of human activity being a sign with a “Property of Greil Mercenaries” on it.  Not that they could actually claim to own it, but someone decided to try it seems. 

Ike opens their bags and puts down the blankets, stacking them to make it as comfortable as possible before he picks Soren up and sits him down on top of it, curling up around him.  They are about two feet from the edge, and it pricks Soren’s instincts but not enough to really make things bad.   Ike sets up the small lantern that Soren lights with a short cantrip.  Then he pulls out a bottle and two glasses, popping a cork and pouring what Soren thinks might be champagne.  “Really?  Why something so fancy?” 

Ike hands him the first glass.  “It’s the anniversary of when we became an official couple.” 

Soren is fondly exasperated.  “How are you so good with dates, and how am I not? ”   

Ike shrugs as he takes the second full glass and clinks them together.  “Happy anniversary.” 

“No regrets, by the way,” Soren has to say as he sips. He’s no expert but this is delicious as far as alcohol goes.  “Other than I wish I would have been brave enough to tell you how I felt sooner.” 

“That still puts you better than me, I had to have Ranulf tell me how I felt,” Ike says wryly.  “I’ve decided it’s because of the memory-crushing Sephiran did to me.” 

“We were also tee – young,” Soren points out, having to correct himself because if Ike had been 18, Soren would have been 20.  Which is an odd thought, really.  Ever since Ike declared they were the same age, Soren has always thought of it like that.  He’d been disappointed when Almedha said there was such a small age gap because he’d hoped he was much older so he might die closer to Ike with old age, but looking back if he’d been too much older than Ike their early romance would have been quite suspect.  Besides, now he is a spirit charmer and age differences are moot.  “Most people don’t stay with their firsts.” 

“I also have no regrets,” Ike says with a soft smile, lightly illuminated by the lantern and the moon and looking so handsome that Soren just wants to worship him, “You’re my first and only.”  Soren tilts his head up for a kiss, which Ike gives him.  “I’ve thought something like ‘I need to marry him’ pretty much daily.”   

Soren flushes, pleased.  “Despite our troublesome children?” 

“Ha, in part because of our troublesome children!  We’ve really made something special together – this company, and our family.  We’re unstoppable.” 

Soren grabs Ike by his sweatband and pulls him down into another kiss, this one deeper.  They relax into it, kissing when they aren’t drinking champagne. But soon Soren becomes mindful of the fact that they are here for a reason.  “I’m going to put my feet in the pool,” he says, because he’s feeling brave.

Ike considers.  “Can I go in?” 

“If you vow on your life you will not pull me in or splash me.” 

“Deal.”   Ike stands and strips completely as Soren takes his shoes and socks off before rolling his pants up to his knees.  Ike then slides in, going under before popping back up.  “Deeper than it looks.”  Soren puts his legs up to his knees in.  Ike swims to him, coming between his legs.  The way this is has them at equal height, ideal for kissing.   

Soren laments that he doesn’t like water, because this is so warm that he wants to melt into the pool.  Instead he kisses Ike deeply, cupping his face.  Ike’s body is glistening in the moon and lantern light, and Soren wants to lick every inch of him, but that’s not a good idea considering the circumstances.  Ike pulls Soren a little closer, but not into the water so Soren only tenses a little.  Soren wraps his legs around Ike, moving closer too just to kiss him.  It is an odd sensation that Soren is fully clothed while Ike is naked, but it’s not a bad feeling at all.  

“Lube in our bag,” Ike murmurs between kisses, which sound noisy considering how quiet the night is.  Soren finds it almost unbearably hot, and his mind helpfully filters out the sounds of nature around them just to make their kissing even louder.  He reaches over blindly to go through their bag to pull out a vulnerary vial, and he pops the cork to hold it over Ike’s cock, which is hard already.  He drips it on, watching with satisfaction even as Ike continues to kiss him.  Ike tries to pull Soren’s pants off but Soren bats his hand away, starting to spread the lube on Ike’s dick as they continue their kiss.   

Soren loves Ike’s body in general, but definitely does love his dick.  It’s proportionately long to his height, but the thickness is more so.  It is in Soren’s estimation the world’s most perfect cock, not that he has much to compare it to.  So stroking him off is lovely, even more so kissing him while stroking him off, and even even more so that they are being somewhat scandalous by being outside right now.  Soren gives a quick tight handjob, just the way Ike likes it when he wants to get off quickly, and Ike lets out a soft hiss of pleasure as he presses their foreheads together.   

“You can be louder,” Soren teases, “We’re all alone out here.” 

“I’d rather kiss you,” Ike quietly moans, kissing him more.   

Soren smiles, and then pushes Ike with all his strength to send him falling back into the pool.  He stands up and backs up to make sure Ike can’t retaliate, and Ike resurfaces and has to tread water from how deep it is.  “Really?” 

Soren is feeling really just… giddy.  Happy.  Playful.  Affectionate.  Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s adrenaline, maybe it’s just love.  “Don’t let me drown.”

“What?” 

Soren takes a deep breath and jumps in.  He goes under of course, but Ike’s hands are quickly on him to lift him enough for his head to come above water.  Ike holds him close effortlessly, and Soren can feel his legs occasionally kicking to keep them afloat.  The look in his eyes is one of awe.  

And for Soren, there is nothing in his world but Ike, no fear or anxiety at all, because he is being held and Ike will protect him.  He kisses him again, deeply, and Ike is right there with him in returning it.

“Although I’m honored you trusted me enough to jump in, you didn’t actually think I would let you drown, did you?” Ike asks with a smile against his lips.

Soren chuckles.  “Of course not.  Would be a waste considering how frequently you’ve saved my life.”

His clothes start to weigh him down some, but Soren has a feeling that Ike takes his clothes off because he wants him naked, not because he’s too heavy.  Soren slides his hands over Ike’s shoulders and his legs around his hips.  Ike has to remove Soren’s legs off him to get his pants off, but Soren doesn’t fight him.  This is all for Ike, so he gets to decide what he wants here.  And Soren knows it’s going well because Ike is still hard as a rock as well as making needy noises as they kiss.   

“There we go,” Ike murmurs as he moves so his feet can touch the floor.  Does make things easier, Soren would figure.   He puts down one foot and he can’t touch the floor, so he’s going to hold on for dear life.  What a travesty, clearly.

The water is so hot it feels incredible, way better than a bath.  And Soren’s adrenaline is so high from the anxiety and the thrill that it’s all balancing out into need .  He’s in a hot spring at midnight making love with his husband.  Ike has to do the holding and standing so Soren gets to roll his hips to grind their cocks together, both kissing like the other is their only source of oxygen.  He’s been craving make-out sessions lately, clearly.  It’s perfect and he loves it.   

Ike lets out a soft needy whiny noise as he comes between their stomachs, Soren kissing him through it.  He does cheat and keep his eyes open, watching his face – the furrow of his brow, the slight clench of his teeth.  “Let it out,” he whispers.   

“Fuck!” Ike exclaims, and it makes some insect voyeurs go quiet for a split second.  Soren beams as he continues to roll his hips, coax Ike’s orgasm from him greedily, not able to feel it in the heat of the water but not caring because it’s obviously happening.     

Ike slowly relaxes his grip, still holding him above water but not quite as covetously.  “Fuck that was good.” 

“And you lasted more than a minute,” Soren teases.   

Ike gives him a glare that Soren finds amusing.  Shinon will probably never let Ike live his shorter performance yesterday down.  Never mind that Ike has spent literal days fucking him in the past, because Shinon is a jerk.  Soren knows better but he likes to tease.  Ike can’t hold the dirty look and instead he smirks as he pushes through the water to the side of the spring – there is a small amount of rock before a short dip in, rather than a mini-beach, so Ike leans him over the edge of it on his stomach, legs and hips still in the water.  Then he lifts his hips up and starts to deeply lick his asshole, making Soren gasp from how good it feels.   

“It’s been way too long since I last did this,” Ike growls against his ass, tongue tracing the rim before he slides his entire tongue inside easily and eagerly.  Soren stifles a groan in his hand, and Ike playfully spanks him.  “You’re not allowed to be quiet either.” 

Soren reaches back and grabs Ike’s wet locks in his hand, gripping his head to hold him exactly where he is.  “I love you,” he breathes, and Ike dutifully continues his ministrations as he adjusts so he can stroke Soren’s dick at the same time as he tongue-fucks his ass.  It makes Soren come ashamedly fast, which he is not complaining about because it feels incredible and he is in heaven right here in this hot spring.   Words he never thought he’d say.

Eventually Ike pulls him back into the water, pressing up against his back.  “Next challenge I’m writing in rimming, I need to go down on you for like a day.”

“I won’t complain,” Soren says with a smile.  

Then they both hear the snap of a stick and look up.  There is no one there, but…

“Huh, maybe someone did watch us,” Ike muses, and Soren’s not sure if he’s red from blushing or the heat.

“I’m happier not knowing,” Soren admits, but honestly he’s too happy to care.

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

Slow and soft * rimming * Dacryphilia (crying/emotional release)

Soren and Ike ponder the prompts at breakfast that morning, sitting in the mess hall with the children..  “Hoo boy,” says Soren, which Ike feels sums it all up very well.  “Yeah… uh… I’ve cried enough in my life…” 

“Not that much,” Ike muses, “I’ve cried more than you have.” 

“Not counting more intimate moments,” as in, during really good sex, “there’s the tower, plus my two incidents in Goldoa.” 

“And I’ve got your parent issue in Goldoa, plus the entire three days that my parents were around.” 

“Woah,” says Priam, impatiently bouncing as he waits for breakfast, “You’ve both cried before?” 

“Some people say men shouldn’t show emotions, but those people are idiots,” Ike explains to him.  “Crying when you’re sad is completely normal and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” 

“I cry all the time,” Lucien volunteers.   

“Yeah, but you’re a baby,” Priam points out, making his younger brother pout at him.  “What?  You are.  Only babies carry around stuffed animals and safety blankets.” 

“Priam, be nice,” Ike chastises.  But as he says so, Lucien pulls out a wand from his blanket and waves it, making Priam glow with light.  Priam opens his mouth to find out what he did, but no noise comes out.   

As Ike’s brain catches up to what’s going on, Soren holds out a hand to their youngest.  “No, Lucien.  And don’t worry Priam, it’s temporary.”  With a huff Lucien hands over the silence staff he’d apparently stolen from Soren’s office.   

Ike shakes his head with amusement before noticing that Misania’s eyes are closed.  “What’s wrong?” he asks, reaching up to feel her forehead.  Very, very hot.  Uh oh.   

“I love you, Daddy,” she says sleepily.  

Soren scowls and reaches over the table to touch her forehead too.  Then he reaches out to touch Lucien’s, then Priam’s, and his face becomes incredibly anxious.  Ike mimics him and yep, all three are hot.  Triple uh-oh.   

Soren gets up and runs out, yelling for Rhys.   

“He’s so silly and I love him,” says Misania.   

“Oscar, watch them,” Ike calls as he chases Soren out.  “Soren, calm down!” 

Soren wrenches open Rhys’ door so hard it slams.  Rhys is reading and he falls off his bed in shock.  “You are on duty, my children are all sick and your one and only duty is to keep them alive!” 

“They’re not in danger of dying,” Ike voices. 

“Shut up, Ike!” 

Rhys gathers himself and comes out.  “Lead the way.”  Soren turns and marches back to the mess hall, Rhys and Ike following.   

“They have fevers,” Ike explains to Rhys.   

“Oh dear.  There are plenty of ways to deal with such a thing, never fret.” 

Soren pauses and whirls to look at him.  “I am fretting.  YOU are fretting.  Everyone is fretting!  No exceptions!”   

Rhys throws his hands up.  “Sorry.  I am taking this as serious as a battlefield wound.” 

“Good.”  Soren turns back and goes to the trio again.   

Oscar has presented them with pancakes, which Priam is eating with relish while Misania picks at hers and Lucien ignores his.  Lucien looks like he’s falling asleep.  “Thanks Uncle Oscar I love you,” Misania says sleepily.  Lucien huffs at her.  “Sorry Luci I love you too.” 

Rhys starts feeling foreheads.  “Yes, all have fevers.  Priam, how are you feeling otherwise?” 

“Fine,” says Priam, the spell having worn off, “except sore and tired and like I just wanna cough all the time and hungry and cold.” 

“… So not fine at all, then.” 

Priam scoffs.  “I always feel like this, I don’t need medicine.” 

“Ah yes, the Boyd, Soren and Ike school of dealing with illness,” Oscar says with a soft smile.  “‘Nothing is wrong!  Medicine is for weaklings!’” 

“And how are you, Misania?” Rhys asks her. 

“Hi Uncle Rhys I love you, but I think I’m dying,” she muses, “‘sonly splanation.” 

“You most likely have the flu,” Rhys says with a chuckle.  Ike is amused too at her assessment, but Soren goes extremely pale.

Ike is so amused by Soren’s overreaction that it makes it easier for him to stay calm.  “Soren, children get the flu all the time without dying, and we have a collection of remedies and medicine here in the fort.” 

“And I don’t have the flu,” Priam chimes in.   

 “That’s great Priam I love you,” says Misania sleepily.   

“So, everyone should eat their breakfast then lay down in cool clothing so their bodies can release the fever,” Rhys explains.  “We’ll also make sure they drink plenty of water.”  He gently takes Soren’s hand and squeezes it.  “You and I have had plenty of illnesses in our lives and lived.  We know what to do.” 

“This is different,” Soren insists, but without any of the demanding tone of previous orders.  Now he’s worried only, and Ike wants to just hug him and assure him everything will be okay. 

“I know,” Rhys says gently.  “But you’ve raised three smart, strong babies.” 

“Not a baby,” Priam has to argue.   

Lucien face-plants into his pancakes, too exhausted to stay awake.  Ike immediately picks him up, cuddling him and wiping off syrup with a sleeve.  “I’ll put him to bed.” 

Misania, eyes still closed, hops down from her seat.  “Okay Daddy it’s time for bed then I love you.” 

Ike snickers just a little bit.  “Do you want me to carry you, squirrel?” 

“Yes please Daddy I love you.”  Ike scoops her up and carries his twins to bed, finding it almost painfully cute how she insists that they sleep together.  His kids really are too cute for words sometimes.   Although the fact that she didn’t correct him calling her a squirrel is troubling.  

Once he gets them tucked in together, he hears Soren walk in with a Priam who is insisting that he’s fine.  “Quit arguing, this is not an option,” Soren says as he walks him into his own room and puts him in bed.  Ike notes that Priam hadn’t been physically fighting at all, and now he just pouts.  Soren is powerful.

Speaking of, he looks to Ike and Rhys, the latter having followed him in.   “Now then, I will be turning all the raw materials we have into vulneraries.  Rhys, you will be staying in the room with the twins to monitor them and Ike, you’ll be doing the same with Priam.  Then we’ll start an hourly vulnerary administration.  It can’t hurt.” 

“Ah, Soren, uh, I have a guest coming today…” 

Ike knows who he’s referring to immediately, and so does Soren.  “He can join you in your vigil.  In fact he should be able to pick up on any change in their statuses.” 

Rhys looks a little hopeless.  “Okay…”  

“Soooooreeeen,” Ike says with a helpless little laugh, “They don’t need constant supervision, they just need to sleep!” 

Titania calls, “Rhys, Ulki is here!” 

Moments later the laguz himself appears in their little wing of the fort.  “What are you volunteering me for?” he asks dully. 

 “You and Rhys are going to be spending your time in the room with my youngest children since they have the flu,” Soren informs him, “And maybe next time you do better scheduling.  Also, if you wake them up I will pluck your feathers and make them a new blanket.” 

It’s amusing for Ike to see Ulki, who has Soren by well over a foot and regularly snarks off to Tibarn, completely cowed.  It does make sense because Soren, an archsage specializing in wind magic, is singularly capable of murdering Ulki with impunity, and he doesn’t have a close bond with him like Tibarn does.  “Yes sir.” 

“Soren,” Rhys pleads, “They don’t need that much-” 

“Hi! It’s a party because Ranulf is here!” Ike jumps when Ranulf manifests at the entrance to their wing, grinning broadly with three large plush cats.  Ike fleetingly feels bad for him but there isn’t enough time to warn him off between his abrupt appearance and – 

“Good, you’re on Priam Duty,” Soren informs him.   

Ranulf’s ears droop.  “What?” 

“Ulki and Rhys will be watching the twins, and you’ll be watching Priam so Ike can help me,” Soren explains.  “Titania is welcome to join you, but again, if you wake him up-” 

“You know, I think you need a break,” Ike says cheerfully, picking up his husband in a fireman’s carry and quickly walking out before he orders everyone to watch them.  Soren tries to wiggle out of his hold, but Ike stays firm.  “They need sleep, not people staring at them.  I think the vulneraries are a bit overkill but I’ll help you make them while periodically checking on all three of them.  We don’t need to conscript everyone.  If any of them start to look worse then we can lock Rhys in.” 

Soren is silent as Ike drops him in his office.  “Soren,” he says quietly, “It will be fine.  It’s not even Lucien’s first flu.”  Soren’s hands are wringing in his sleeves.  “Soren.  You were abused and starved as a child and you survived.  They just have the flu.”  Soren nods, but he still looks anxious.  Ike fondly sighs and presses their foreheads together.  “So how do we make vulneraries?” 

Soren uses all of the raw materials they have to create an extensive collection of vulneraries.  He’s finishing the last one when there is a soft tap at his office door.  Soren looks and is surprised to see Ranulf, who is holding a very sleepy Misania.  “Rhys sent me on a mission for him.  She keeps sleepwalking.” 

“Luci needs snacks and the kittens need a stern talking to,” she says dreamily, her eyes shut.  “They said that my mama is fat and that’s a lie because I don’t have a mama and my papa and daddy aren’t fat at all.” 

“Kittens said no such thing,” Ranulf says with amusement. 

“Who is my mama?” she asks. 

Soren gently shakes her.  “Wake up, poppet.  I need you to drink something.” 

She opens her eyes, which are hazy.  “Okay Papa I love you.” 

“I love you too, silly girl.”  He hands her the bottle, and she drinks it.  

She lets out a happy sigh.  “My head doesn’t hurt anymore.” 

“That’s good.”  Soren feels her forehead.  “Yes, that did help. All right.”  He grabs a large satchel and piles the bottles in.  “All right, let’s go.”  He tries to pick it up but it weighs more than Priam.  Ike takes it from him.  “Thank you.” 

They walk back to the wing.  Soren is shocked that the entire company as well as their guests are hanging around in their sitting room and in the bedrooms.  Lucien is sitting on Uncle Rhys having a drink and Priam is arguing with Uncle Shinon about having to stay in bed. 

“Welcome back,” says Rolf with wry amusement.  He’s holding a pile of clothes.  “I’m on laundry duty.”  He walks past them.   

Mia is pouting, arms crossed.  “Give me back my mini-me.”

“No,” Ranulf retorts, sticking his tongue out at her.  She does the same back. 

Titania sits by Rhys, yawning.  “I’ll take him when he’s done with his drink.  I could use a nap.”  Rhys nods as he rubs Lucien’s back.  Lucien blushes, although that might be the fever.

“Priam, have I ever told you the story of how Uncle Shinon put a skirt on a tree?” Gatrie asks him, interrupting the argument.  Priam looks at him and then starts laughing, so Gatrie sits next to a wryly-amused Shinon. “It all started…” 

Soren feels a lot of feelings.  A lot of feelings.  Ike gives him a kiss on the temple before walking back in and putting down the bottles, splitting them into three equal piles.  “All right, we have a plan.  Thanks everyone, the parents can handle it from here.” 

“Team Aunts and Uncles are ready to help more if needed,” Oscar says with a serene smile as he covers a large platter of sliced fruit.  “Except of course for your sister and my brother who don’t want to risk Kiera getting sick.  But everyone else is ready to step in.” 

Ike smiles at them.  “Thanks, everyone.” 

Soren feels that annoying prickling behind his eyes.  “Yes, thank you everyone.”   

“Also your daughter needs to work on her kitty speak,” Ranulf says with a smirk as he carries her back to bed.  She asks who he means and then, clarifying he means her , tells him she loves him but also that wasn’t very nice.   

Everyone filters out, some more quick (Ulki) than others.  Rhys is the last one to leave as he hands off Lucien to Titania, who goes to the twins’ room and places Lucien back in bed with his sister before crawling in herself for a nap.  Ranulf, never one to pass up a nap, transforms into a cat to give them kitty cuddles.  Priam, who recognizes the sound of a transformation, leaves his bed to join the pile too.

Rhys closes the door to the twins’ crowded room.  “Call if you need anything,” he whispers to Ike and Soren before he leaves too. 

Ike shuts the door to the suite behind him.  A peaceful silence falls on the room.  Ike looks at Soren with soft eyes.  “Feel better?” 

“Yes.”  He scowls at himself though.  What is with his feelings?  His eyes are watering?  “What’s wrong with me?” 

Ike chuckles and walks over to him, pulling him into a hug.  “You’re touched that the others care so much that they came to help.  You’re happy.  But you’re still not completely used to the fact that the others like you so you’re also a little emotional about it.  Add on that you’re still worried about the kiddos and this makes sense.” 

“Oh.”  Soren feels his cheeks.  They’re wet.  “Ah damn it, I’m crying again.” 

Ike chuckles more, kissing his forehead.  “Yep.  Want me to go down on you so we meet the challenge?” 

Soren laughs too, burying his face in Ike’s shoulder.  “I could not be less in the mood if I tried, my love.  But thank you.”  He takes deep breaths to stop the tears.  “The others… aren’t that bad.” 

“We have a great family,” Ike agrees with a smile.   

Chapter Text

Slow and soft * rimming * Dacryphilia (crying/emotional release) (for real this time)

 “Am I dead?” Misania asks, all three doing much better three days later.  All children are just tired, no longer showing any other symptoms.   

“No,” Soren says with amusement as he gives them their last vulnerary bottles.  “Also you don’t have a mama per se, but I gave birth to you.  And Uncle Kitty has triple-checked that the only kittens are in the barn and none of them are slinging insults.” 

“Woah,” she says. 

“I wanna go see the kittens,” Lucien voices.   

“You may,” he says, “I trust you all to know your limits.” 

His children may frequently bicker, but they are all fans of cute things and they unanimously decide to go to the barn.  Soren finally feels like he can relax, and the tension leaving him makes him feel so faint he has to sit down in a boneless heap on their couch.  Ike sits by him, beginning to massage his shoulders.  “You did it, Papa,” he says quietly.  

Soren smiles tiredly.  “I haven’t slept in three days.  It’s like the war again.”  He grimaces despite himself as Ike’s thumbs go to the knotted muscles in his shoulder blades.  Ike lessens the pressure but Soren says, “No, that was fine, it was a good pain.”  He resumes the force again.  “Although he tried very hard, Priam was not as annoying as Skrimir, Bastian or Makalov.”

Ike softly chuckles.  “What ever happened to Makalov, anyway?”

“I assume the Begnionian mob took care of him.  Didn’t see him in Goldoa as part of Sanaki or Elincia’s retinue.”

“Oh well.”  He leans in to start kissing the back of Soren’s neck as he continues to massage his shoulders.  Even over the collar of his shirt it sends tingles throughout his body.  Ike truly knows all of his weaknesses.

“You trying to start something?” Soren has to ask as his eyes droop shut. 

“Not unless you want to.  But you’ve been so tense that I have been actively fighting doting on you, since I know you wouldn’t have humored me.  So, this is whatever you need right now.”  His hands start to slowly go down Soren’s arms, massaging the tenseness out and making Soren whimper in pain and relief.  “I will happily just massage you,” kiss, “or make love to you,” kiss, “or fuck you if that’s what you want.”  

“We should wait,” Soren murmurs, becoming increasingly turned on even as his head remains heavy, chin dropping to his chest both from the weight of exhaustion but also the need to give Ike full access to the hyper-sensitive back of his neck.  Ike takes advantage, sitting up closer to be able to focus on the base of his skull with kisses, licks and gentle sucking. 

“Nah, the kids and Ranulf will spend the rest of the day learning to speak cat, so the risk of someone interrupting us is pretty much not a thing.”  His hands massage Soren’s hands, which feels surprisingly good.  He’s learning his entire body has basically been one giant tense nerve for the last three days.  Ike picks up their hands and kisses the back of Soren’s before kissing his wedding and engagement rings and then pulling the tip of his thumb into his mouth to suck.  Soren forces his eyes open just enough to see, because Ike is working him expertly right now and he deserves to know the effect it’s having on him.  

Ike gives a small, satisfied smile before gently kissing his lips and returning to his neck and shoulders, his hands moving to massage his thighs.  He shifts again to guide Soren into leaning back against him, then gently leading one of Soren’s legs to drape over his.  Soren himself feels completely boneless and absolutely exhausted but so very, very good.

While one hand continues to massage a thigh, Ike’s other hand slides up his stomach to his chest and then clavicle.  “You purring is so sexy, you have no idea.”  Soren rebels just a little bit, not liking reminders that he can purr and quelling the sensation forcefully, but Ike counters by starting to stroke his cock through his pants.  “No no, let it out.”  Soren whimpers and the purr restarts, he can’t stop it.  The hand at his throat rubs where the purring originates before gently opening his shirt to gently stroke a nipple with his thumb.  “Thank you.”  

He eases Soren’s pants open to pull out his dick, and Soren’s eyes fall shut again before again making some sort of desperate, needy noise at Ike taking him in hand and starting to tend to him, grip tight and slow.  Between the hand on his cock, the fingers on his nipple and Ike’s continued kissing to his neck and shoulder, Soren is completely at his mercy and loving it.  He’s making sounds that he would be denying to his grave if he were more alert, and when he turns his head it’s to try to get Ike to kiss him.  “Ike,” he begs.  

“You’re so beautiful,” Ike whispers, kissing his lips lightly, not quite engaging, more teasing and sensual.  “What do you need?”

That’s an easy question to answer.  What does he always need?  “Inside,” he all but whimpers, “want you inside me, please, inside, inside…”. 

It’s Ike’s turn to make a needy noise, but his hand speeds up just a little.  “I want to be inside you too, but you begging…”. He gently pinches the head of his dick, making Soren jolt just a bit.  “More, please?”

Later Soren will appreciate how Ike is almost begging Soren to beg for him, but right now Soren is completely swept up in the moment, his toes curling and fingers clinging to Ike’s arms in the most amount of movement he can muster.  “Please Ike, need you,” Ike starts to stroke him off again, “need you inside me, please, please…”. Ike clearly can’t decide between kissing him or letting him beg, but it doesn’t matter because another kiss is what makes Soren come in his hand, letting out an absolutely shameful mewl as the tenseness of earlier returns in a different, more fulfilling way, his teeth clenching as everything is milked out of him, balls throbbing painfully hard.

“Thank you, thank you, I need inside you too, I love being inside you, I promise I’ll be inside you soon,” Ike is whispering in his ear as his quick tight pace continues.  “There it is, baby, let it all out.”  

At first Soren thinks he means his orgasm, but he quickly realizes he also means tears, because yes this was good enough and deep enough and desperate enough that he does in fact start to cry, both perfectly pleasured but also letting go of the anxiety of the last few days.  Ike finally starts to slow his hand again, kissing Soren through his tears and the end of his orgasm and his exhaustion all coming together at once.  “Haven’t seen you come that hard without me inside you before,” he muses, milking out the last few drops of seed before gathering it all into his hand.  At this point Soren is dizzy with emotions and tiredness and he’s starting to fade, so he’s not sure what’s happening anymore except for Ike’s gentle whisper of “rest now, baby, I’ve got you,” and then he is blissfully asleep.

Soren slowly blinks awake, curled up in bed wearing one of Ike’s tunics and a soft pair of pants.  He happily sighs, because he is an enormous softy and the scent of Ike on his shirt is so soothing to him, plus it’s a subtle gesture of intent on Ike’s part.  The only thing Ike likes seeing Soren in more than his clothes is lingerie.  

Some light is filtering in through the drawn curtains so it’s either dawn or dusk now, he’s not sure.  Either way he should be awake, so he forces himself out of bed, sliding his feet into a pair of slippers.  He feels light as air, like a hand had been around his heart but was now gone.  He blushes with a little shame as he recalls the pleasure from earlier - the shame not from the orgasm, no, and not even the crying, but the sheer needy begging Ike had managed to drag from him.  

Mmm… that being said… the begging wasn’t a lie… . That’s his cue to take care of things so that when they get alone time again Ike can fulfill his promise.  

He throws on a lounge robe - no need for anyone to see him wearing Ike’s shirt - and first goes to his office.  The good news is it’s dusk and everyone is eating dinner, so he’s undisturbed as he gets to realize with a sinking feeling that they are out of all vulneraries and ingredients thereof.

The problem is twofold.  One, in retrospect Soren spent an almost obscene amount of money, time and resources on overmedicating his children.  No regrets on that and he’ll just need to do some more jobs or implement a price hike to make up for it.  The more immediate concern is that this means their standard lube is gone.

Many things can be used as lubrication, but they stick to vulneraries for a very important reason - bluntly, they use vulneraries because they are lubricating and healing, because Ike is strong with a big dick and Soren is smaller and delicate with an ass very tight even after lots of stretching.  So non-healing lube is not ideal because unless Ike treats Soren like he’s made of porcelain then Soren will be feeling the aches the next day.

So he has a choice, what does he want more, to be pain-free or - oh who is he kidding, he wants Ike today and consequences be damned.  

Thankfully his alchemy station does have a selection of various oils for practical and medicinal purposes, but also for sexual purposes.  He keeps his nose out of other people’s personal business but it would be stupid to assume he and Ike are the only sexually active people in the fort (Rhys, Titania and Oscar are all in relationships and Mist is pregnant again with Boyd after all).  People can use the ingredients in his station as long as they don’t tell him about it because he does not want to know, thank you.   So he mixes a select few in one of the now-cleaned bottles and pockets it before going to the bathroom to take care of the rest of it.

It’s not much later after he’s done that Ike arrives back into their wing with the trio, all continuing to look completely healthy thank the dead Goddess.  “See, told you Papa just needed a long nap,” Ike says, smiling at him.  

“Papa!  Papa we learned to speak kitty and then went on an adventure to find catnip with Uncle Kitty and it was a lot of fun!” Misania cheers.  Seeing her back to normal makes him smile, too.  

“Also Dad said no pet kittens for us, which I think is lame,” Priam voices.  “Can you overrule him?”

“I won’t,” Soren says, bemused by his son’s audacity.  

They settle into the nighttime routine, teeth brushing and stories told and children put to bed.  Doors are barely closed before Ike takes him into his arms.  “You are feeling better, right?”

To answer, Soren hands him the bottle.  “Very.  But you promised me something…”

Ike picks him up to take him back to bed.  “I did.”  He lays him down before then crawling on over him, not beating around the bush at all.  Soren is on board with this, pulling Ike into a kiss.    “I also promised myself something.”  He kneels and pulls down Soren’s pants, eyes widening as he takes in the fact that Soren snuck on a pair of black mid-thigh stockings.  Soren chuckles at the look on his face.  

Ike pushes his knees up to his chest, taking in a good look at everything before he lays down to start rimming him with enthusiasm, looking out an indulgent “finally” under his breath that Soren barely picks up on before he’s too busy suppressing a cry.  He is incredibly sensitive there, even more so since Ike had made it clear almost a week ago that he was needing to do this for his own sake, not just Soren’s.  He does pause, and Soren resists a pout.  “The taste is different.” 

“Different lube,” Soren asserts, hoping Ike doesn’t think too hard about it.  To facilitate, he grabs Ike’s hair and pushes him back in.  Ike smirks and starts to lick at him again, swirling the tip of his tongue around and around before plunging it all the way, deeply lapping, making Soren’s toes curl at the stretch and, of course, the feeling of that flexible and strong tongue deep inside him.   

Ike closes his eyes and makes soft, indulgent noises as he licks him inside, nose gently nuzzling his perineum.   But he then looks at him and they keep eye-contact, and Soren makes sure to show his appreciation with his eyes.  Ike’s own eyes are dark with lust, and he pushes his legs a bit harder to lift his hips more to really get his tongue in as deep as possible.  “Fuck!”  One hand stays in Ike’s hair while the other reaches down to him, and Ike takes the hint and his hand, squeezing and rubbing Soren’s palm with a thumb as he continues to swirl his tongue.   

This is good, this is so good, he wants to just tell the whole world how amazing Ike is with his mouth, but he needs more, he needs so much more, consequences be damned.  “Ike, Ike please please clean your mouth and then get inside me while kissing me, please!” 

Ike shudders and withdraws his tongue, sitting up to get out of bed.  “Hang on.”  He rummages around in the bathroom, and Soren holds his knees to keep his legs up as he grabs the lube and starts reapplying it.  Ike comes back out and gets into bed, kissing him minty-fresh as he takes his own pants off.  He pauses to watch Soren’s fingers inside himself, and Soren nearly comes when Ike licks his lips.  He resists, this time, and gets back into bed, on top of Soren and bending him so much that his knees are over Ike’s shoulders.  Soren withdraws his fingers and Ike replaces it with his cock, making both of them let out quiet noises of lust at their anticipated reunion. 

It does feel different to Soren, and not in a good way.  The stretch is more painful than typical.  He doesn’t care, the pain adds something to it, and Soren takes Ike’s ass in his hands as Ike slowly sinks inside him, filling him up perfectly.  He keeps one hand on his ass and the other he brings back to his hair to pull him into a kiss.   

Ike lets out a hiss as their hips press together.  “Mmm, I missed you, missed this.”  The talk, as it almost always does, makes Soren shudder just a little, making Ike groan at the involuntary tightening of his body.   

“It’s only been four days since you were last inside me,” he whispers back, sharing a kiss.   

“Four days too long.”  He settles in, resting on his elbows to start thrusting, choosing a slow and gentle in-and-out that has Soren’s toes curling.  It’s all the way in and all the way out, almost, the head never leaving, nice and deep and loving and perfect.   

“Untouched,” Soren breathes, “I want to come untouched.”  It doesn’t happen often and it’s harder to achieve, but he knows Ike prides himself on being able to make him come without touching his dick and today is a day he wants it to happen too.  He’s probably not going to be able to walk tomorrow.  Oh freaking well.   

Ike grimaces just a little, speeding up.  “Soren, my Soren,” he says harshly as he hits his stride, only an inch or two of his cock leaving but the thrusts quick and strong, “I love-“  Soren drags him back into kissing, which he humors for a bit.  “Good?”

What a dumb question.  Very clearly they are both very much enjoying themselves.

“Just like this, this is perfect!” He can’t not kiss him, and this lasts quite a bit of time, a testament to Ike’s stamina and determination to get Soren to come just from fucking.  He can feel it building deep in his body.  “Ike, Ike!”

“Yeah baby, come all over my dick baby, no one beds you but me, it’s all for you-“

Soren actually whimpers a little as his teeth clench and he comes hard, toes curling and fingers digging into Ike’s skin, his ass squeezing so hard it’s not even throbbing so much as it is just cramping, giving ecstasy that’s just the right side of too much and it’s exactly what he needs.

“Thank you thank you thank you-“. Ike’s mantra gets bit off as he presses to him, jaw clenched and just grinding as he himself comes inside him.   Soren is just starting to recover so he pulls Ike back into a kiss, rolling his hips as best he can to help Ike get his.  

Eventually they both relax but remain entwined, kissing still.  Neither can seem to stop even though at this point Soren’s legs are so stretched it is pretty painful, so he does smack Ike’s ass as a hint for him to pull out.  He doesn’t, so Soren has to smack him again, and he does listen this time.  

“Sorry,” Ike says as he rolls onto his back so they’re laying next to each other as they catch their breaths.  Soren finally lowers his legs with a wince, stretching.  “Did I hurt you?”  Of course Ike would notice.

“No, I’m just getting old.  That was amazing.”  If he stays on his back Ike’s come will get on the sheets, and if he rolls over his own will, so he just sighs and rolls out of bed, ignoring protesting muscles to run to the bathroom for clean-up.  By the time he’s done with himself, he comes back out with a damp towel and has to chuckle at the fact that Ike is spread-out in bed and conked out.  Clearly he also hadn’t been sleeping well.  So Soren cleans him up and puts some pants on him in case they get any little visitors, and then fixes himself up, and gets into bed with him.  Even basically unconscious Ike curls around him as per usual, and Soren smiles to himself.  What a perfect day.  He can finally relax.

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

Stripping * Oral * Double penetration

Soren hears a knock on the door they use to receive intakes, and scowls because he is unused to people just dropping in.  There is a method to his madness that he has had for years.  So he’s already irritated when he walks to the door and opens it. 

He immediately slams it shut.  

“Seriously?” he hears Bastian say through the door.  “I have money!” 

“I don’t want your blood money!” he snaps back loud enough for him to hear.  “Go home!” 

“It’s nothing to do with any wars!” 

“I don’t care!  Go home!” 

“I want to talk to your manager!” 

“I am the manager!  We aren’t going to take your job!  Go home!” 

There isn’t a response, but Soren knows better than to think this is resolved so quickly.  He hears a crash from fairly far away – far enough that Bastian must have sprinted there – and he hobbles off after the sound (running is not happening today).  The timing is such that Titania is walking by and stops to watch as Bastian climbs in through the broken window.  “You’re paying for that!  Go home!” 

Bastian gets inside and brushes himself off.  “Hello fair Dame Titania!  I am here to hire the Greil Mercenaries-” 

“We aren’t accepting applications!” Soren snaps.  “Also did you use magic to smash that window?  I’m shocked it was able to break glass, because your magic is abysmal!” 

“You-”. Bastian pauses, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time.  His expression is purely judgmental and he turns up his nose.   “Ah.  I see.”   

Titania is chuckling.  She is fully aware of the rivalry between the two tactician wind mages.  Soren blew Bastian out of the competition magically before he signed a spirit pact, and it’s even more hilariously one-sided now.  Their tactical know-how superiority is more contentious, even though, again, Soren knows he’s got Bastian beat in that regard too.  As far as Soren is concerned, Bastian is a discount tall ugly Soren, the Wind tome to his Rexcaliber.  Which, Soren needs to point out, Bastian couldn’t use even if Soren handed it over.  “Why don’t you let me handle this one, Soren?” 

He glares at her.  “No.” 

Bastian turns to face Titania deliberately.  “I am hiring the Greil Mercenaries for an exceptional task!  Of course you will be handsomely rewarded for your-” 

“No!” 

“Soren,” Titania says with a warm smile, “if nothing else we can’t afford to turn away customers right now.” 

“What?  Why?” 

“I’ve already docked the pay from Boyd, Ike and Gatrie for the trebuchet but, considering… other, more understandable expenses… we’re still not quite out of debt.” 

Soren’s eye twitches as he processes this.  “Those morons took money from the emergency fund to pay for their fancy catapult?!” 

“They sure did.  I only found this out myself when I was trying to find extra money to buy materials for Rhys’ birthday present from the team.  I thought you knew, I’m sorry.” 

Soren’s fists clench.  “All right, you deal with Bob here and I’m going to go murder some people.”  He ignores the man’s protests that his name is Bastian as he immediately goes to his office.

Soren sits down with his logbook and puts on his glasses, needing them for reading nowadays.  Ike thinks they’re sexy so he doesn’t mind at all.  Anyway, between the trebuchet materials and his own flagrant spending on vulneraries, they are indeed in debt.  Shame on him for not noticing how bad it was sooner.  He also sees that Titania did in fact deduct some pay from Boyd, Ike and Gatrie.  A good first step, but not enough.   

Well, Bastian’s rich.  It’s one of the many things he won’t stop bragging about.  So Soren gathers his book and goes to Titania’s office where she’s sitting with him and a pot of tea.  “Soren, do we often get requests for things like parties?” she asks him when he walks in.   “I swear every time I take intakes it’s for something mundane like that.” 

“Yes, sadly.  I think the most audacious request was for us to do a strip show.  Obviously that was a no.”  He sits by her and looks at Bastian.  “So, let’s talk.  What do you want?” 

“I am creating a grand birthday party for Her Majesty the Queen of Crimea,” says Bastian with smug pride.  “I am hiring you all to attend and help plan it as a great surprise.  She holds you all in high esteem – some inexplicably so – and thus your attendance would be a delightful present.  For her.  You would leave in two days.”

Soren taps his fingers before he starts writing on a fresh piece of paper, plotting out materials, the price of them all putting in an appearance (Ike is premium but he only charges 50 gold for Gatrie and adds Shinon for free so he’s not being completely unreasonable), plus the cost of their time…. “300,000 for three days.”

Bastian’s jaw drops.  “You do realize the kingdom is still recovering from two wars!” 

“So are we. But I’m willing to negotiate.”  He slides over his calculations.   

The older man looks it over.  “You won’t have to pay for lodging or food – well you will have to pay for Ike’s food, but considering you’re charging 100,000 gold for Ike to even show up I’d think that includes food.  Insecure much?” 

“Soren,” Titania says with a helpless little laugh.   

“Not insecure, just mindful of his value,” Soren argues.   

Bastian looks like he wants to argue, but he knows Soren’s right.  “Fine, we will do set-up and planning, you’ll just have to show up.  200,000 for five days.” 

“Deal.”  That still gets them out of debt.  It’ll be annoying to go that far, but it’s worth it.  Plus Elincia isn’t his favorite person, but most of the company likes her enough to go to her birthday party.   She also isn’t his least favorite person, so he’s fine too. 

Bastian considers.  “If I add 50,000, would you considering having some of them doing a strip sh-“ 

“ Absolutely not. ” 

  Soren explains the plan to the entire company over dinner that night.  There are a few who look excited, but more who just sigh in resignation.   

Ike’s sigh is the biggest.  “She’s lucky she’s nice,” he says, defeated. 

It’s given Soren ideas, though.   

No, not the travel.  Definitely not anyone from the Crimean Royal Court.  Of course, the idea is due to the discussion of strip shows.   

The idea as a whole is unappealing to him.  He knows such things exist starring people of all genders and appealing to people of all genders, but none of it has ever drawn his interest.  And frankly the thought of the company doing such a thing is hilariously awkward and his practicality ends well before he ever wants to see someone like Rhys take his shirt off.

Except, of course, for Ike.  But no one is allowed to see such a thing other than him.  

Well, it can’t hurt to ask.  

This month has been worth it since day one, but the hot spring sex made it doubly worth it.  But Soren being bold enough to ask Ike to put on a strip tease for him?  Triply worth it.  Embarrassing?  Yes.  Kind of funny?  Also yes.  But if it’s something that Soren will like,  he will try his very best.   

Ike decides to start by swaying his hips, since it seems like the best course of action.  He can’t remember Soren’s striptease given it was years ago and Ike’d been so blind with lust. So he takes his shirt off and tosses it to Soren, not sure what else to do.   

Soren for his part is clearly enjoying himself.  He wolf-whistles.  “Take it all off!” 

Ike can’t stop giggles.  Then he starts laughing.  “This is so dumb!” 

Soren holds up a coin.  “Shake that money-maker, slut.”   

Ike tries to compose himself before he starts to roll his hips and ease his pants down.  Because he knows Soren likes it, he keeps them just below his hipbones.  Soren slides the coin into his pants, and Ike yelps.  “That’s cold!”   

Soren pulls it out, but then he’s unable to stop laughing too, so hard he giggle-snorts. “Well, this didn’t work out like I’d hoped!”   

“You called me a slut,” Ike says through laughs, having to sit down. 

“I’m sorry, I was trying to be authentic!” Soren apologizes with a laugh.   

“Then you-” Ike has to fight to get this out, “should’ve – gotten me a – a stripper pole!” 

They both crack up, Soren slinking to the floor so they can lean against each other.  “Could you imagine the collateral damage?” Soren asks, burying his face in his hands.   

“It would have to be a very strong pole,” Ike agrees, grinning at the mental image.   

Their laughter doubles as they picture it.  Then Soren makes it worse by sing-songing “IIII can seeeeee your wieeeeeneeeeer” in a way that makes Ike crack up so hard he gets hiccups even as he pulls his pants back up more appropriately, and puts his shirt back on. 

It takes time for them both to calm down from the laughing. Ike is thrilled, beyond thrilled really, that Soren finally lets his guard down to act like an immature teen sometimes.  “Where did this come from, anyway?” he finally asks. 

“Well it was one of the challenges, but really Bastian wanted to hire us to do a strip tease show for Elincia’s birthday,” Soren says wryly.  “I THINK he was joking.  But I said no.” 

“Darn,” says Ike, “I would accept getting paid to look like an idiot.” 

Soren leans against him more, still smiling.  “No.  But I know your ulterior motive, Mr. Trebuchet Thief.” 

Ike is a bit embarrassed.  “It turned out the pieces were a bit more expensive than we figured…. But it’s so much fun!  I will happily ‘shake my money maker’ to pay for the right to fling stuff.” 

“You’re a dork,” Soren says fondly.   

“What was the challenge?” Ike asks, suddenly remembering, “Besides strip-teasing.” 

“Uh, oral and double-penetration,” Soren says.   

Ike shakes his head.  “Yeah, no.  You’re still not walking right.”  Soren looks at him with some surprise, and Ike scoffs at him.  “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?” 

“Well… yes…” 

“Then you’ve clearly missed how overprotective I am,” he says wryly.  “Was I too rough?” 

“No, not at all.” 

Ike thinks about it.  “The lube?  Oh, duh.  That wasn’t a vulnerary.” 

“Right.” 

He thinks of the ramifications.  “So if we ever don’t use something healing, I hurt you?  Does that mean it always hurts you?” 

“No, no.  We’re fine, Ike, I promise.  I just need to stretch more.  But anyway, replacing vulneraries are my top priority right now – not just for our sex life, but just in case.”  Ike still feels a little bit guilty.  “But if nothing else, you having the hiccups is the opposite of sexy.  I think we’ll have to postpone.”  

Ike snickers.  “You using the word ‘wiener’ is the real boner killer.”  Soren smiles his acquiescence as they share a kiss.  

“Mmm, hey Ike?” Soren asks between kisses.

“Yeah?”

“How about when we go to Melior, we screw in Bastian’s bed?” he asks with a devilish grin.  

“ Soren!”

For roughly a week’s worth of travel, they’ll need to fill the cold closet with ice so they don’t lose any of the food. It’s hardly the first time and they have a method now: Soren makes the ice with magic, Ike carries it to the closet.  That’s how he finds Bastian.

“Huh?” Ike asks, because it’s not every day a nobleman is hanging out in their frozen foods.

“There is a - a little girl in this fort,” Bastian says from the corner where he is huddled, “and she is tremendously attention-seeking.”

“Ah, yep, that’s Misania.”  He stocks the ice.  “What kind of adventure did she want to take you on?”

“By no stretch of the imagination can ‘getting a ring to propose to someone eight times her age’ constitute an adventure, nor can learning to make cookies or getting a pet!”

Ike regards the other man thoughtfully.  Despite Soren’s protests to the contrary Bastian is not in fact a complete idiot, but he doesn’t notice the change in Ike’s demeanor.  “Well no, but she just wants to have fun.”

“‘Fun’ for her, not for me.  Ugh.”  His groan of dismay is impressive and theatrical, and Ike’s fist clenches.  “And she kept talking about us being friends .”  

Ike feels his jaw tense.  “Maybe you’re just a bad friend,” he says carefully.

“Or maybe the kids in this fort…”. Now Bastian picks up on Ike’s displeasure, “… are delightful.”

“Yes. Yes they are.  And Misania is the best friend any kid could have.”

“Yes!  Or, even more than that - she is a great friend to everyone!  Especially me! If you excuse me I’m, ah, going to go, um, on an adventure.”  He ran from the room.  

Ike sighs. He’s a bit proud of himself if only because not once did he threaten or do anything bad.  He just advocated for his daughter, that’s all.  

Soren comes in next.  “What did you do that made Bastian run away?”

“Just let him know that our daughter is a great friend.”

Soren scowls, mostly in confusion.  “Did he say otherwise…?”

“No, but he was probably going to call her an annoying brat.  But he didn’t, which is why he left this room unhurt.”

Ike is suddenly dragged out of the cold closet and into the pantry, and then shoved up against a wall with Soren pressing into him with full body contact.  The look in his eyes is one of mischief and arousal.  He then spins them so he’s the one up against the wall as he also undoes Ike’s pants.  “You are so sexy, papa wolf.” 

“You just like that I-”. Ike is cut off as Soren kneels and gets his dick in his mouth, tongue swirling as Ike hisses his pleasure out.  He does love the feeling of his cock getting hard inside Soren’s mouth and has to resist grinding.  “-was messing with Bastian.”  Soren hums his agreement and Ike stifles a groan into his arm.   

Feeling his cock get hard in Soren’s mouth and then down his throat is all he can focus on.  Soren grabs his ass and pulls him in, indicating Ike can fuck his face, and who is he to turn down such a lovely offer?  Still he’s careful because he doesn’t want to accidentally bash his skull on the wall.  Thank the Goddess for Soren’s poor gag reflex.  He keeps his thrusts slow and deep, recognizing Soren’s kink and saying, “I’d hurt anyone who hurt our kids or you, and kill anyone threatening my family.”  Soren groans, so Ike clearly hit the bullseye.  “I – ah – I’m keeping all of you safe, forever – ahh, Soren,” he hisses as Soren starts to fucking purr, providing amazing vibration, “fuck…” 

He tries so hard to level his breathing, because the feeling of Soren’s tongue on the underside of his cock, his throat swallowing rhythmically, the purring, plus the look of lust on Soren’s face are all going to test his stamina.  So he, needing to defend his pride, takes Soren’s hair and holds him still so he can pull out. It’s a huge mess of saliva as Soren gasps for air, but that’s almost as sexy as the blowjob itself so his dick doesn’t mind.  Soren recovers himself quickly and gives the head a kiss.  “What if someone is just rude?” he asks lowly, dragging his fingertips up and down the shaft teasingly.   

“Depends on how rude,” Ike says, entranced, “If they’re just mean, I’ll tell them off.  They’re racist they get punched.  Violent, they get killed.” Soren takes the head in his mouth to suck, his hands gripping tighter and starting to stroke at the base.  It feels great but really it’s the sight of it that’s getting to him.  “You are so sexy,” he grunts out.  Soren smiles around the head in his mouth before once again pressing down to get his entire cock deep in his throat.  The sight of it and the feeling are what makes Ike come undone, and he stifles a cry into his arm as he comes, balls throbbing against Soren’s chin as he presses forward instinctively, grinding.  As the pleasure recedes some, he relaxes hips so he stops crushing poor Soren’s head against the wall.   

Eventually he pulls out and sits on the floor, legs weak.  “Holy shit that was good.” 

Soren chuckles as he reaches down to fix Ike’s pants.  “Good.  Anytime you want an encore you know what to do.” 

“Can I brag to Bastian that mocking him gets me laid?” he has to ask, so incredibly amused and in love with the man sitting in front of him. 

He visibly considers it.  Ike knows he’s wrestling with the preference for privacy versus making Bastian’s life miserable.  “Sure.  But it’s not just that.  You… you being overprotective makes me so turned on.” 

He’s figured that out.  “Then I should return the favor.” 

“No thank you.  Save it for tomorrow.”   

“What’s the challenge for tomorrow?”  He’s disappointed, but not going to pressure him.   

“Oh right… mind control.  Ponder it, would you?  I know it’s… something to not go into lightly.” 

He’s not as anxious as he should be, really.  “Okay.  We’ll figure it out.”  Soren leans forward and kisses him on the lips gently, which Ike returns.  “Marry me,” he blurts. 

Soren blushes, pleased.  “Always.” 

The door to the pantry creeps open, and they see a spiky blue lock of hair that vanishes.  It makes him chuckle.  “Priam is hungry apparently.” He knows that Priam at least came after the sexy times, because he would basically die if a kid ever walks in in them doing anything that scandalous.

“Shocking,” Soren says wryly.  “Can you handle lunch?  I’ve got more packing to do.”   

“Sure.”  They separate and Ike goes about his day, surprisingly eager for tomorrow’s challenge.  

Chapter Text

Seduction * mind control * praise kink

Ike and Soren are silent as they ponder the ramifications of this challenge.  To Ike, the issue is not a lack of appeal, but the opposite, which confuses him.  He gets anxious at being restrained in body, but mind is okay?  What sense does that make?  He mentions this aloud, hoping Soren might have some insight.

He does, surprisingly enough.  “Oh! I get it now.  It’s not the lack of control that bothers you, it’s the inability to protect anyone when you’re restrained!”

Ike can feel his eyes widen as this hits him like a runaway horse.  The fact that he loves Soren taking control but it makes him anxious makes perfect sense now.  “Holy shit.”

“So mind control would be just fine for you, I’m thinking.  If something happened I could always order you to defend us.”

Ceding complete control to Soren’s whims, letting his husband use him as he needs, having no worries or cares because the person he loves and trusts more than anything has him well taken care of, but he can still step up if something happens?  No responsibilities, no pressure, but his family is still safely under his protection?

“Ohhhhhhh fuck yes.”

Soren softly laughs.  “This month is absolutely worth it now.  But what about all that appeals to you?”

“Having no care in the world except for what you want,” he admits, “but also knowing I can still protect you.  That being said, there’s really a mind control spell?  That’s a little… suspect.”  

“I agree.  I’ve never used it, obviously.  But, for better or worse, the first thing mages of old did with magic was destroy their enemies, and the second was spice up their sex life.  Mind control factors into both.”  Soren strokes his face, looking over him with thoughtfulness.  “So you’d be okay if we did this?”

Ike leans into his palm.  “More than okay.”

“Okay.  I’ll see you tonight, then.”  

Ike feels the most at peace he has ever felt in his life, like he is exactly where he should be doing exactly what he should be doing.  Soren is here with him and is the most gorgeous person in Tellius, wise and beautiful and trustworthy.  Ike would die for him without regrets.   

“Kneel,” Soren quietly instructs, and Ike immediately obeys.  This feels normal and natural – isn’t he supposed to be under a spell of some kind?  It just feels like it should be like this.  Soren steps up to him, running long fingernails through his hair as he holds Ike’s head to his stomach.  Ike is blessed, awed, inspired, full of adoration.  “You are so good,” he murmurs as he continues to lightly scratch his scalp, and Goddess Ike wishes he could purr to show how pleasured he is, “Such a sweet, strong man, an amazing husband and father.” He gently tugs Ike’s hair so he looks up.  “I’m going to take such good care of you, my love.  You deserve everything.” 

Ike is probably glowing with the kind words.  How honored he is that Soren finds him acceptable.   

“Are you worried about anything right now?” 

“No,” Ike says, and is surprised that it’s true.  He generally has a tiny bit of edge to his emotions, anticipation that he might need to protect his family, but that is gone now.   

“Good.  If that changes, tell me.” 

“Yes.” 

Soren sits, gently pulling Ike’s head onto his lap.  He continues to stroke his scalp with his nails and then his face with his hands, gently and lovingly, and Ike feels so good.  There is nothing in his world beyond his husband.   

Eventually his hands start to go lower, rubbing his neck and shoulders.  “Would you do anything I asked?” 

“Anything,” Ike agrees, voice mumbling now because of how lulled he is. 

“Hmm, good boy. Would I ever hurt you?” 

“No.”  And it wouldn’t matter if he did.  Ike is in love, deeply.  

“Very good.  Is there anything you want from me?”

“I want whatever you want,” he says dreamily.   

Soren continues to rub Ike’s head as he decides what he’s going to do next.  “Lay on the bed for me, love.  Face-down.” 

“Okay.”  Ike gets up and lays down, so peaceful and happy with no matter what Soren comes up with.   

“Keep your eyes closed and just relax,” he murmurs, and Ike gets a shiver up his spine as he complies.  Soren pulls his shirt off, and Ike is pretty sure he knows where this is going.  Great.  No complaints at all. 

Seconds later he feels Soren’s hand, warm and slippery as he glide over his back, spreading whatever it is over his skin.  “Wow, this spell is effective, I’ve never felt your muscles so loose,” Soren marvels as starts to apply pressure.  It makes Ike groan softly as he uses his thumbs to press hard on the sides of his spine.  “You can make as much noise as you like, darling.  You can also tell me if my pressure is too much or not enough, and you can tell me where you want me to focus, or ask me any questions.”   

“Right between my shoulder blades is perfect,” Ike groans out, breath hitching as Soren focuses there.  “Why are you being so nice to me?  The prompt is mind-control.” 

“Because I love you, and you’re doing a very good job of listening,” he replies, still working on his shoulders and shoulder-blades and turning Ike into goo on the bed.  “And you’d never relax this much without the spell.” 

“You could order me to pleasure you,” he replies, surprised at the relaxed slur of his voice.  Soren moves to work on his neck, and it makes his skin break into goosebumps.   

“I could, but this is more enjoyable for me.  Besides, I have plans.”

Goddess, Ike loves Soren so deeply it’s almost scary.  He’s so beautiful and smart and lovely and just perfect.  He kind of wants to do this to him next time.  Ike can admit he would also use the opportunity of “Soren has to comply with everything I say” as an excuse to just pamper the shit out of him without complaint.   

“How are you feeling?” Soren asks as he focuses on his arms.   

“I love you,” he says easily, “I love you so much.” 

Soren pauses in his ministrations.  “I love you too.  But being in love isn’t really a feeling.” 

“If you say so.” 

He massages Ike’s hands.  “Has anything been bothering you lately?” 

He considers.  “No.  I’m happy.  I love you so much, you’re so beautiful and wise and perfect and amazing and-” 

“That’s enough,” Soren says, and Ike can hear him smiling. 

“Okay.  And our kids are great, we’re doing good work as a team, my sister is happy, Titania is happy.  Sister-mom?  Momster?  Sisther? Whatever.  I don’t really want to go to Melior, but as long as we’re not staying long I’m okay with it.  Uh… oh I’m not thrilled that Priam keeps hanging around Shinon, but that’s mostly because Shinon is an asshole.  And I don’t know why his favorite is Misania and that bothers me too but better he like her than not.  I don’t have a favorite kid, I love all three of them even if they are super weird.  I can’t look at a glue stick or fish without thinking of Misania’s friendship rant.  And then there’s that guy in town, I think his name is like… Francis or something… who keeps hitting on you.  I want to punch him.  I haven’t punched him though.  But that’s all that’s wrong.” 

Soren chuckles more.  “That’s not his name, no, but I know who you’re talking about.  He’s not hitting on me, he’s just trying to make me pay more for my banana bread.  I’m proud of you for not punching him.”  Ike could preen with the praise if he wasn’t so tired.  Soren pulls his pants off and Ike shamelessly moans as Soren starts to massage his ass next, re-covering his hands with the oil first.  “You do have a lovely ass.” 

“Not as lovely as yours,” Ike says, “yours is the best ass ever of all time.” 

“Why thank you,” says Soren, squeezing his ass a little as he continues to work his way down.  He even massages Ike’s feet, which makes Ike basically melt even more than he had been.  “I’m very lucky to be your husband, and I’m grateful every day for you.  Roll over, please.”  Ike complies, and Soren methodically starts working his way back up.  He’s surprised to note his dick is soft still, which is weird.  This feels so good it should be hard.  “You can let yourself get aroused, love.”  Apparently that was what was missing, as Ike feels himself growing hard quickly and the intensity makes him gasp.  “Oh, wow.  This is body control too, apparently.  Are you comfortable with anything anal?” 

“It’s… okay,” Ike says, as always conflicted.  

“Be honest,” Soren chastises. 

“Sorry.  It’s conflicting for me.  Your ass is the pinnacle of asses and the perfect hole for my dick.  My butt is my butt.  So I know it feels good, but I can’t get over the fact that it’s my butt.” 

“Ah, I see.  May I try it today?  You are free to say no.” 

“I want you to do what you want.”   

“Hmmm… all right.  As always, you may tell me to stop if you need.”  He massages his abs before working up to his pecs, to his shoulders, and even his face.  He spends a lot of time on Ike’s jaw, which feels so good he could cry from the relief.  “Prop your legs up for me, love-light.” 

Ike immediately complies.  “I like the pet-names.” 

“Good, sweetling.  Obviously I have to make sure I don’t call you ‘poppet.’” 

“Yeah, that’s a kid term.  Hey, why do you call them spawnlings?” Ike asks, realizing he’s never done so before.

Soren is quiet for a few seconds.  “I don’t know,” he admits.  “I mean, I spawned them.  They spawned from me.  Therefore they are my spawnlings.”   

“It’s cute and funny,” Ike asserts, “I bet if you called them something else they’d be upset.” 

“I might have to try it sometime.”

Ike gasps as Soren finally takes his dick in hand, providing long strokes that Ike feels deeply.  Soren’s grip is as tight and has as much pressure as he’d applied to the rest of Ike’s body, so he has to grit his teeth a little at the sudden attention to a much more sensitive part of him.  

“I’m going to try a prostate massage for you,” Soren says quietly, soothing, “And you are welcome to tell me to stop if you wish.”  

“Okay,” Ike says, and it’s a weird feeling - not Soren’s finger going up his ass, no, but the fact that he logically knows he should be tense and awkward about this but he actually isn’t .  Indeed his body is compliant as Soren slides two fingers inside him, and he has to moan at the feeling of his prostate getting a deep massage.  Soren knows him and knows to not use as much pressure there, since Ike is very, very sensitive.  He feels like his body should be jerking, but it isn’t.  It’s so weird.  But he can relax and feel it, and it does feel very good now that he isn’t thinking so hard about it and he’s so relaxed.  “Ngggh.”

“Is that a good ngggh or a bad ngggh?” Soren asks with a teasing lilt.

“A good one,” Ike asserts, “You have amazing hands.  Can I move my body please?”

“Of course.”

Ike immediately throws his arm over his eyes as he ashamedly moans, his hips raising to give Soren more access and his breath quickening.  

“You’re doing an excellent job,” Soren says as he works him expertly, “I don’t want you to come just yet, but just relax and enjoy it.”

“Ah, Soren…”  Ike wants to come, he wants to come so bad, but Soren said not to and Soren is in charge.  So Ike doesn’t.  He just exists in this state of pleasure like he should be coming but he isn’t yet, and Goddess this is so weird but feels so good and -

“Not today, but I would like to try topping you again at some point,” Soren says softly, and Ike feels his dick jerk in his hand.

“What do you mean?” Ike asks, “Like taking control, or your dick in my ass?”

“The latter.  I do the former all the time, that’s hardly new.”

“Okay, if that’s what you want,” he says automatically.  

“We’ll build up to it,” he asserts, “For now, I want you to come just like-”  And Ike doesn’t hear anything more to that order because his body is all for it, and he chokes out a cry as he comes all over his own stomach, Soren’s fingers continuing their dick and ass massage to just absolutely wring it all out of him, and it’s such a weird feeling for something to be inside him, and it feels good , and Ike focuses on all these strong feelings his lover is bringing him.

Sadly, despite Soren not giving any order to stop, his body is physically unable to orgasm forever, and he grimaces as the massage turns from “just right” to “too much.”  Soren withdraws his fingers, leaving Ike a panting mess on their bed.  “Very, very good, love.”  He moves around to clean him up, Ike resting and recovering.  

Finally he comes back to stand by the bed, stripping methodically and entrancing Ike.  “So, now you’re going to be working for me,” Soren says as he lubes Ike back up.  Ike’s dick is quite happy with the continued attention.  “I plan on being very careful here, but I want rougher sex from you.  I plan on having you slowly increase strength and speed until it’s just below too much.  Your job is to trust me that I know my limits.” 

“Okay,” Ike says, and it’s weird – he knows that he’s previously not trusted Soren to know his limits, but now he just does.  Soren knows what he’s doing.  Ike’s job is to serve.   

Soren re-lubes his hands and Ike notices the bottle is a concoction – and Ike is slightly shocked to see that it is in fact a concoction, which is way more expensive than a vulnerary.  Clearly Soren thinks this is worth the cost.  He watches eagerly as Soren’s face twists at his own fingers inside himself, and Ike wishes they were his fingers instead.  Then Soren removes his fingers and kneels next to him, bending over so his ass is in the air but his upper body is resting on their pillows.  “Kneel behind me.” 

Ike gets up and does so.  He wants to protest, because Soren lubed himself but didn’t stretch himself.  But, again, he knows his place.  He rests his cock on Soren’s back, enjoying the size difference visual which is emphasized by the fact that Soren’s legs are still pressed together.   

“All right.  Gently, now, slide in.” 

Ike lines up and pushes – he grimaces at the sheer tightness, Soren gasping and gripping the pillow.  But he has his order, and he pushes and forces his way in, despite the press and despite how it almost hurts just a little because it’s so fucking tight .  When they’re pressed flushed together, Ike realizes his teeth are gritting.  It feels incredible, amazing, but damn.   

Soren is clinging to the pillow with a death grip, biting it, his legs shaking.  “Wa-wait.”  Ike holds still because that is his order.  “Okay.  Start slowly.”  He gasps as Ike obeys, slowly drawing his hips back, himself nearly whimpering at the fact that Soren’s ass is clinging to him.  This is truly the pinnacle of sex, how could he ever want anyone else after this?  Soren’s insane for ever feeling insecure.  The stroke back in is easier on his end, but Soren is still as tense as the first time, face red.  “Fuck, fuck, okay, a little faster.”   

Ike starts to speed up, movements smoother but the grip still tight.  But Soren is not telling him to stop or slow down, so Ike has to trust that he’s okay.  “Grip my hips,” he orders, and Ike does so, and the fact that he’s kneeling behind him with legs spread and Soren’s legs are pressed together and he’s holding his hips and they’re so small is just – fuck, Soren is so much smaller than he presents himself to others, not as short as people joke about but petite, yes he’s very petite, his body is perfect, and – “Just a little harder,” he orders, and Ike speeds up as ordered, setting a pace more akin to their typical, and his own anxiety starts to argue with the mind control but the spell wins, “Harder – more – more-” 

Soon Ike is thrusting at about half his strength and with a speed faster than he chooses to, and Soren is crying into the pillow but he holds out an arm with a thumbs-up.  Ike thanks the dead Goddess that he doesn’t ask for more, he’s clearly hit his limit, and he’s also thanking Soren’s foresight to soundproof the room because their hips colliding and Soren’s cries are getting louder the longer this goes on.  He can see his ass cheeks jiggle and that they’re red, and that his grip is leaving red marks, but this is what Soren wants so it’s what he gets.   

Soren arches his head back.  “Choke me,” he orders, and Ike immediately leans over to wrap his hand around Soren’s neck, squeezing.  Soren didn’t specify how hard, but Ike may be under mind control but he isn’t going to hurt him, just lightly pressing on his windpipe so Soren can still breathe but not well, and then it becomes too fucking tight because Soren comes hard, and Ike may not have been given permission but he’s still comes anyway because he doesn’t have a fucking choice.   

Their orgasm is intense but silent, because Ike wasn’t given permission to make noise and Soren is choked. Ike presses into him so hard while pulling back on his neck so that Soren’s back is in a beautiful arch, Ike mounting him from above before moving to press him into the bed for full-body contact.  Ike’s body is still responding to Soren’s order, grinding him hard into the mattress to fill him completely and deeply.  

Soren reaches a shaking hand up to pet Ike’s cheek and then snaps his fingers twice, and Ike immediately pushes himself up to check him over, letting go of his neck while pulling out and spinning him onto his back.  Soren is a wreck, face messy from tears and face red as he pants.  Ike is horrified he hurt him, but then Soren weakly laughs.  “So you’re - ha, stronger than I thought!  Holy - haha, I ah, overestimated myself.  Phew.”  Ike does not point out that he was only thrusting at about half his strength.  “That was - that was good, though.  Very, very good.  Are you okay?”

“Are you okay?” he retorts, just about ready to panic because his skin is bruising right in front of him.  

“Very.”  He reaches out with a shaking hand and grabs the concoction, which gets Ike back into the moment for him to grab it and apply it to Soren’s ass, hips and neck.  The skin healing quickly helps calm his nerves somewhat.  “Mmm, the spell is off, right?  Will you still kiss me even though it’s not an order?”  He holds his arms out. 

Ike looks at him head to toe.  He’s recovering well, just like normal rough sex.  So Ike does lean in to kiss him, accepting Soren pulling him down.  “On the plus side, now I know how hard I can push you without hurting you,” Ike muses, and Soren nods into the kiss.  “You’re tougher than I’ve been giving you credit for.”

“So are you,” he says wryly.  “But I thought that was fantastic.  You?”

Ike feels tired, not sure if it’s because of sex or because of the spell.  He thinks - the lack of anxiety was huge for him, the orgasms were pretty great, and he blew Soren’s mind.  All in all, a good time.  “Same.”

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

The team goes into a flurry of packing, still used to bringing what they felt they needed.  Soren continues to pack lightly for himself and Ike, and decides today to see what happens if he lets his spawnlings pack for themselves.  The answer is: Lucien draped head to toe in safety blankets while carrying bags overflowing with stuffed animals, a silence staff and Rexbolt; Misania packing about 12 wooden swords, her hair bow collection and nothing else; and Priam showing off he’d managed to get one of every weapon in wood and then an actual real dagger that promptly gets taken away from him.    None of them pack things like clothes.  Clearly practicality is not an inheritable trait. 

They make the trip with a large caravan and a bunch of tents, just like the old days.  Buttercup, Dandelion, and Sir Muffintop – Titania, Oscar and Mist’s horses, respectively – drag everything along while most people walk.  As per usual, Soren’s three children have vastly different reactions to this all.  Misania and Priam are talking about all the “cool stuff” they’re going to do in the big city, while Lucien is cuddled into a corner of the caravan with his ears covered.   

“You need to toughen him up, Ike,” Boyd says jovially, “There’s nothing to be afraid of!  Letting him be a wuss doesn’t help him.” 

“Hey Boyd,” Ike replies with the same happy energy, “Call him a wuss again and I’ll be something for you to be afraid of!” 

Boyd scoffs at him with a playful push on his shoulder.  “Come on man, you know I love the little guy.  I just think you baby him too much, is all.  He’s kinda dramatic, don’t you think?” 

“Hey Kiera,” says Ike, looking up to his niece who is on Boyd’s shoulders, “There’s a bee flying around here.” 

Immediately the little girl screeches at the top of her lungs, hitting Boyd’s head while looking around for the bee.  Boyd goes into damage control mode as he gets her down and tries to figure out where the bee is.  Soren, who had been observing all of this, smirks.  Mist comes over and smacks her brother on the back of the head before helping Boyd to calm their daughter.  Rolf gives Ike a high-five, but Oscar looks unamused. 

“It’s getting late and time to set up camp anyway,” Titania says, her look also unamused at Ike’s direction.  Speaking of dramatic, Bastian immediately marches to grab his tent pack and set it up.  Everyone else starts to do so as well, albeit with less ‘if I have to walk another step I’m going to set someone on fire’ energy.   

Soren is somewhat surprised by the emergence of Lucien into the opening of the caravan, draped in a safety blanket and cuddling Isolde and Rexbolt.  His face is set into a look of determination that is very Ike as he climbs out.  Then he stands there on the grass, clearly having met his goal of leaving the caravan.  Soren’s heart melts. 

“Hi Luci!” Misania cheers, running to him and glomping him tightly.  

Then Ranulf emerges from the caravan, yawning.  “Hey.  What gives?”  He pouts at his littlest nephew.  “That was some great napping.”   

“Sorry,” says Lucien to him with solemnity, “I gotta be a hero now.  I’m a Greil and Greils are heroes.”  Soren almost dies of cuteness that Lucien considers leaving the caravan to be heroic.  So damn cute!   

Priam is an adorable asshole as he says, “So then you’re gonna come on an adventure with us into the woods, right?”  Lucien adjusts his blanket to obscure his face, which is an answer in itself.   

“Nah, nobody is going into the woods,” Ike corrects as he grabs their tents too.  “It’s going to be dark soon.”   

“Oooo, spooky,” says Misania.   

“Can I have my own tent?” Priam asks.   

“We don’t have enough for you to have your own,” Soren says.  It doesn’t help that he knows Priam thinks he’s an adult, but he’s only just turned 11.  There is a 99% chance that he will get nervous in the middle of the night and come hide with him and Ike.   

“Oh come on!  I’m so sick of sharing with Mia and Luci,” he says with pout. 

“You have your own room,” Soren retorts.  “You only share space with them on vacations.” 

“That’s still a lot!”   

“Priam’s not cool enough for our tent,” Misania says with her hands on her hips.   

Lucien looks around to see other adults are all busy before he adds his two cents.  “Yeah, plus he talks in his sleep.” 

Priam gapes at his little siblings in betrayal.  “Hey!  I am way too cool, you mean!” 

Soren leaves them to fight it out.  He and Ike hadn’t talked about the challenge and admittedly the prospect isn’t promising, considering they’re surrounded by people and tent walls are thin.  They didn’t bring the book, but they could improvise. He can admit though that he has not once missed sex on the road.  He got enough of trying that during the wars.  It usually didn’t work out.  Plus then he remembers that Ranulf and Ulki are still here, so that really makes it a no-no - heightened laguz senses take away all privacy.  “Ulki,” he calls, knowing the hawk can hear him even as he flies through the sky, “Please scout for anyone nearby.”  There is a hawk shriek in reply that Soren assumes is acquiescence.  Ulki knows better than to test him.   

Minutes later, he is proven correct as Ulki lands in a nearby tree.  “So there are bandits, but they’re a distance away.  I’ll let you know if they start heading this way.” 

“Thank you.”  Soren nods at him.  He’s debating oln what he wants to do, but then he feels the winds shift just a little – it’s going to rain, and it’s going to rain hard.  “Never mind the tents,” he calls to the others.  “There’s going to be a major storm.  It’d be safer in the caravan.  It should start in about an hour.” 

He gets a number of weird looks, but he’s not questioned by anyone as they start to pack up what they’d started to put out.  He himself goes into the caravan to organize things so there’s enough room for them all to sit. 

Later he comes back out.  It’s dark now due to cloud cover, but it’s a warm night and everyone has scattered.  The exceptions are Soren, Shinon sitting by the fire, and Misania who runs up to him.  

He’s so curious.  It is obvious to everyone that Shinon’s favorite is Misania, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to him.  He’s not complaining - Shinon is an asshole, yes, but he’s not a monster, and not much is more reassuring than having a hyper-competent sniper with nothing against killing being overprotective of your daughter who has no safety skills.  If it turned out that Shinon had killed someone attempting to kidnap her and just never told him, he would honestly not be shocked.  But Shinon is mindful of his reputation, and Soren has never seen them interact in private.  So he remains quiet and hidden.

“Uncle Shinon!  Uncle Shinon I have the greatest idea for an adventure ever!!”  She starts to pace in front of him, hands rocking in her excitement.  “So Papa said that Evil Grandpapa’s Ancestral Blade is in Melior and that’s where we’re going so we gotta find it!”  Soren is impressed she remembers such a random detail from years ago.  

“Uh huh,” says Shinon.

“So we will of course need to do this in a clever disguise!  You will wear a big coat and I will sit on your shoulders, then we zip the coat up so no one sees you but I look super tall like an adult!  Then we get some paint and I will give myself a moo-stash.  I will say my name is, uh, um, Lusania and that I am here to see the grave of Evil Grandpapa, but I will NOT say that I want his Ancestral Blade because I don’t want them to know I’m gonna steal it because I know stealing is wrong and being a bad friend but this is a special exception and anyway I’m not friends with the people who run the graveyard yet.  So once we’re in the graveyard I am going to cry a whole lot to make people think I’m really sad that Evil Grandpapa went to Evil Heaven - I’m not because he was kind of a jerk-”

“Understatement,” Shinon says as Soren thinks it.

“- and once everyone is gone we will put the sword into the coat with us and then run back to everyone else and Papa will tell me I was being logical and using my brain and he’ll let me keep the sword!”

Soren puts his head into his hands with dismay.  No, no he would not be saying any such thing to her.  

Shinon is quiet for about a minute.  “By all rights it’s your papa’s.  Why don’t we just ask for it?” he finally suggests. 

Misania looks disappointed.  “Because that’s hardly adventurous.” 

“What’s more important, the adventure or getting the sword?” 

“Oh no.”  Her face furrows in concern.  “Well I want Evil Grandpapa’s Ancestral Blade because it’s mine to inherit and I want it and I like swords.  But I also want to do a daring heist and dramatic adventure.  Are you sure we can’t do both?” 

“Yep.”    

Good man, Soren thinks.  Agreeing with Shinon always makes him feel a little unclean, but him trying to talk her out of something so overly complicated is something he can appreciate.   

Misania sighs and sits on his lap.  “Today is a sad day.” 

“Yep,” he agrees, patting her back.   

Soren finally makes himself known, amused to see that Shinon stops patting her back.  “Misania Elena Greil, you do not plan to go somewhere without me or your father.” 

She looks at him with sorrow.  “But Papa, I need Evil Grandpapa’s Ancestral Blade!” 

“That’s all well and good, but you should be asking me or your father, not pestering poor Uncle Shinon into committing grand larceny.    Although thank you for not encouraging her, Shinon.”  The other man just shrugs.  “We can ask about it when we get to Melior.  No trench coats needed.” 

She lights up, jumping from Shinon to Soren.  “Thanks Papa!!! I’m so excited!!!!” 

Soren catches her, but does not specify that he wants to get the sword in case they need to sell it.  Anything they can use for insurance purposes is good to get in his book.  “Good, silly thing.  Now then, it’s time to start getting ready for bed.” 

“Aw man.  That’s sad.  I promised Uncle Bastian that I was gonna take him on an adventure, though.” 

“First of all, he is not your uncle. Second-”  He pauses as he feels water.

Misania looks up.  “Oh!  I felt a raindrop!” 

“As did I.  Let’s get inside before we get wet.”  

“Oh but Papa!  Papa-”. She is likely about to argue, but then there is the roll of thunder in the distance and she screams before running into the caravan.  Slowly everyone bustles back in, each taking in the items they’d brought back from the woods around – wood, herbs, and other such useful things.  Ike has Lucien so Soren has to go find Priam, who almost gets his butt grounded because he doesn’t respond to calls to come back.  As a consequence, they are both soaked before they get into the caravan, but at least they’re the last two.  The exception is Ulki, who remains in a tree, used to being out in inclement weather and his wings making sitting in a small space somewhat awkward.  Conversely, Ranulf is curled up and wrapped in the vast majority of blankets, acting as if he is being tortured because his ears are wet.

The caravan is cozy and comfortable, with a lantern in the middle making a soft atmosphere.  Ike wraps him and Priam in blankets, which is adorable and Soren appreciates it so much.  His hair is dripping so he has to wring it out and pile it on top of his head.   He is not nearly as dramatic as Ranulf.  Or Bastian, who is a cocoon in the corner.

A companionable silence falls on everyone inside.  In an amusing twist, Misania is hiding with Ike while Lucien and Priam sit next to the door so they can watch the storm.  Thankfully Kiera is asleep after her escapades with the imaginary bee.   

“Should we play truth or dare?” Boyd asks awkwardly.  This gets quite a few groans of dismay, which makes Soren chuckle.  Ike gives Soren a side-eye, which makes him smirk.  He will absolutely dare Ike to get his sister’s underwear, and Ike knows it.  “I mean, with rules.  Let’s not break any relationships or emotionally scar any kids.” 

“That makes it boring,” Shinon says with a shrug.  “Not that I would kiss any of you even with a dare.” 

“If I kissed you, it would change your world,” Ranulf says with a smirk.  Shinon glares at him. 

Lucien suddenly squeaks in fear and runs to the other side of the caravan with his twin, and Priam perks up.  “Someone’s coming,” he says, quivering in what is likely a mix of anticipation and fear.  Soren is sitting the closest to the entrance, so he peers into the darkness as well.  Everyone is on edge.    

A figure walks up to the caravan, hooded in the rain.  “Good evening,” he says, sounding quite chipper, “I wasn’t sure if you were aware, but this stretch of woods is dangerous.  For a small fee, my friends and I can help assure your safety.”  He leers at Soren, showing off rotting teeth.  “Fee can be waived for… certain services.” 

Priam, not the most polite boy, gags and runs to his siblings.  Soren nearly pukes.  Thankfully he has the rest of the company to be incredulous on his behalf.  “We will be fine, thank you,” Titania says, not looking at all worried.   

“Oh, you look like you’re a bunch of nice people, but trust me when I say that won’t keep you safe,” the man asserts.  “Lots of dangers.  And certain services would really be beneficial for everyone…” He winks at him.  Ugh.   Soren could live the rest of his life without extremely brazen evil perverts hitting on him.  

“We’re the Greil Mercenaries,” she says, deadpan.  

It is honestly funny for Soren to watch the man’s face fall.  “Oh,” he says, taking steps back into the rain, “I uh, I, uh, safe travels!”  And then he runs.  A few of the others laugh, and even Soren has to smile.  Ike is still scowling, but considering that Soren was the one propositioned, he’s not surprised.   

“A bit bold of them,” Mist muses.  “I think we might have to look into it more when we get back.” 

“They just offered us help,” Gatrie says, head tilted in confusion.  A couple of people roll their eyes.   

“They were extorting us,” Rolf tells him with a sigh.  Soren is sort of amused that Rolf of all people has to be one of Gatrie’s unlikely voices of reason, considering the rather sizeable age gap.

“Ohhhhh.  How rude!” 

“Yeah, we can wipe them out when we get back,” Ike agrees.   “Add it to our to-do list.  But considering I now have two shaking children who need cuddles, I’m gonna opt out of any games, thanks.”  He looks irritated, but Soren isn’t sure exactly why.  Cuddles are Ike’s favorite thing in the world.  He adjusts the twins and gets comfortable in a corner so he can sleep with them, because they will inevitably pass out from the day’s events.  Soren’s heart is filled with warmth.  

So he grabs a small bottle of wine, sipping it while watching the others play the world’s dullest game of truth or dare.  He’s eventually joined by Priam and the two cuddle together for warmth until they peacefully fall asleep to the sound of soft talk and storms.

Soren is shaken awake, having to groggily reorient himself.  The caravan is filled with sleeping people and the moon is high in the sky as the only source of light, but the storm is over at least.  He stretches as he registers it all and the fact that Ike is the one who has woken him up.  Priam is now settled in with his little siblings, so Ike must have moved him.  

Ike’s look is intense as he gestures with his head to the caravan entrance.  Soren nods and they both slip out, the atmosphere warm and humid.  Soren also notes that his blanket is different and dry.  So considerate, his husband.  

Once they are a decent distance away, Soren is about to ask Ike what he needs when he is picked up by the hips and held with his back against a tree, and more importantly Ike presses their lips together insistently.   He makes a noise of oh, okay as he returns the kiss, not questioning Ike’s mood.

“Mine,” Ike growls, making Soren shiver and wrap his legs tighter.  He starts up a thrusting grind, letting Soren feel just how badly he needs him.  

“Yours,” he agrees quietly, and Ike kisses him harder.  He’s torn between trying to figure out Ike’s mood versus just going with the flow.  But concern always wins, so he reaches up to cup Ike’s face with both hands and eases off the kiss.  “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” 

Ike sighs and steals another kiss.  “I just… need to make sure you’re mine.” 

Soren chuckles and kisses him again.  “Of course I am.  Worried I was going to whore myself out to a bunch of bandits?” 

“They’re all going to die the minute we get home,” Ike asserts.  “Of course I don’t think you’re going to do anything like that.  But it’s just…”  He curls a bit to be able to kiss Soren’s neck, sucking hickeys into it.  “Mine.” 

“Yours,” he agrees again breathlessly, tilting his neck back and letting Ike mark him up.  He has high-collared shirts, thankfully.  Ike is completely in control here, with his mouth on his neck and his hands holding Soren’s ass so he can grind them together.  Soren doesn’t mind whatsoever.   

“I’m yours too, you know,” Ike says lowly, making Soren shiver again.  He looks back up, waiting until Soren looks back at him.  “Can you say it, please?” 

Soren nods.  “You’re mine,” he whispers, because it feels a bit like sacrilege for him to dare.  But logically, he knows that, at least, Ike’s sexuality is all his.  Ike groans and kisses him harder for it, Soren melting into it.  “It’s still an odd thought, when I think about it too hard,” he muses as Ike returns to his neck.  “The world’s most handsome, strong and kindest man is also my husband and the father of my children.  Of the multitudes we’ve met who you could have chosen, you chose someone as flawed as me.”  

Ike chuckles against his throat.  “Says the gorgeous magic genius double-prince.”  

“The acerbic Branded,” he retorts. 

Ike lifts his head again to give him a kiss on the nose.  “Hurt people hurt people,” he says simply, “You were hurt, so you hurt others.  But I always saw through that.  And you’ve come so much further than just that cranky wet cat you used to be.” 

“Excuse you!” 

They both jump, but Ike lets Soren down so he can spin to protect him with his entire body.  Then they both register who said that.  “Ranulf, are you serious right now?” Ike demands.   

“Blush harder, Ike,” the cat man says with a grin.  “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.  But I was just going to go hunting for a bit, don’t worry.  It’s 3am after all!  And, a quickie against a tree is way less sexy than a hot spring midnight sex fest.”  His grin turns a little devilish.  “Also, Soren is not a cat! While technically he’s a dragon, his spirit is a squirrel!” 

“Go away, Ranulf!” Soren orders from behind Ike’s back. 

“No problem, enjoy your night, Bestie!”   

He hears Ranulf transform and run off.  “I was right, I was happier not knowing.” 

“I feel unclean,” says Ike, finally stepping away so Soren isn’t squished between him and the tree.   

He sighs as he shakes his legs out.  “What have I told you about shielding me with your body?” he asks, hands on his hips.   

“That it turns you on that I’m your beefcake,” he replies dryly. 

“That if you get hurt on my behalf then you’ll have to sleep on the couch,” he retorts, although he isn’t sure he’s ever actually made that threat. 

“You’ve never said that.” 

“Dang it.  Well, I’m saying it now.” 

A companionable silence falls on them.  “Well I don’t know about you, but Ranulf killed the mood for me.” 

“Oh for sure.”  He sighs again.  “We’ll just have to repay him in kind sometime.  Lucky us, we’ll have plenty of opportunity.  Do we want tonight to count for anything?” 

“Did you bring the challenge book?” 

“Of course not, that would be a waste of space.  And our children can read.  The last thing I want is them wondering what was so special about that book that we brought it along.” 

“Fair.  So I guess, when we get to Melior can we have some nice possessive sex?”  

Soren blushes at Ike’s frankness.  “I have no objection.” 

“Good.”  Ike takes his hand and lifts it to kiss the back of it before entwining their fingers to lead them back to the caravan.  “Maybe it’s your turn to start a prank war with Ranulf.” 

“He wouldn’t survive such a thing,” Soren says wryly.  “And, if you heard that Ranulf, I hope you know better than to test me.” 

There is an answering meow.  Soren isn’t fluent in cat, but he’s pretty sure that is an acquiescence.  He’s a pain in the ass, but not stupid.   

The night cuddles are nice, at least, and Soren sleeps peacefully and happily.   

Chapter Text

They arrive in Melior a few long, long days later.  Ike’s nerves are shot already, and this whole thing is going to make it a hundred times worse.  Oh well.  It’s his own fault for being delightful, apparently.  They’re greeted by Lucia on behalf of Queen Elincia, who is apparently sick this afternoon.  The twinkle in Lucia’s eye makes Ike pretty sure it’s pregnancy sickness.  Good for her. 

They get a nice little wing, not as fancy as what they had in Goldoa but still pretty nice.  Although with all the renovations they’ve made to the fort over the years their home is nothing to sneeze at, a castle is still always going to be fancier.   

The first issue comes when Ike overhears a conversation between his two dragons.  “So I want you to be as safe as possible,” Soren is saying to Lucien, the two finished packing and sitting together on a settee.  Ike stops his own unpacking to eavesdrop.  “So two things.  When you are out of the castle, keep your hood up or your hair covering your Brand.  Granted your curls are long enough to cover it, but be mindful.”  Ike scowls, and he’s about to interject but Soren continues, “And make sure to not purr in public.  These things were okay in Goldoa because we are part dragon and members of the Goldoan royal family, but here we are just two Branded in a sea of beorc.  I will obviously not let anyone hurt you, but be cautious.” 

“No,” Ike says, leaving the bedroom.  “No, Soren, no.  You and he can purr and show off your brands all you want.”  Lucien looks worried, but Soren scowls at him.  “You both have the right to be yourselves wherever you go.” 

“Ike, quit encouraging our son to get into unnecessary danger,” Soren says through gritted teeth. 

“I’m not,” Ike argues, coming to kneel in front of them.  “Nothing is going to happen to either of you.  You both deserve to do whatever you want, and anyone who objects answers to me.  I’m not saying go show your brands to everyone, but I am saying it’s not right you have to hide who you are.  You have nothing to be ashamed of and I’ll defend you for it.”

“Awww,” says Lucien, beaming.  “Thanks, Daddy.  You don’ have to defend me.” 

“Yes I do,” Ike retorts, “You’re my son and I love you.”  Lucien blushes hard enough his brand vanishes, and Ike resolves that they need a father-son day because Lucien is doing that thing where he thinks he’s not Ike’s son.   

“Ike,” Soren says more pointedly, “Quit encouraging our son to get into unnecessary danger.” 

“Lucien, could you please go help your brother and sister unpack?” Ike asks, keeping Soren’s gaze to show his determination in this.  Lucien nods and scurries out.  “He isn’t you as a kid, he isn’t defenseless, he has two people who killed a Goddess as his parents!  He and you deserve to be yourselves wherever you go, no matter what.” 

“You’re too idealistic and it will put our son into danger,” Soren says carefully.  “It takes one person with sufficient arm strength and a rock to prove it.” 

He shakes his head vehemently.  “No one will get that close.” 

“And how do you know that?  Since when have you had magical barrier powers that you can keep up all the time?  Magic that doesn’t exist, by the way!” 

“We don’t need that,” Ike argues, “This - the world has made so much progress since you were a kid!” 

“Not enough,” he shoots back.  “You just don’t hear the comments, the micro-aggressions.  I love that you believe in people, but people do not deserve the benefit of your doubt.  If anyone figures out what he is, he will be in danger no matter what you say.”

“You’re letting your past trauma affect his present.”

“Of course I am!  I refuse to let what happened to me happen to him!”

“It won’t.”

“It will!”

Soren is getting upset, so Ike sighs and backs off.  “So it looks like we’re not going to agree on this.   I guess we’ll find out who’s right with time.” 

“If I find out you encourage him to purr in public, you will regret it,” he replies coldly.  Ike knows that as much as Soren loves him, he definitely means it.  

But Ike means it, too.   “I’m not going to tempt fate and tell him to purr, but I am also not going to stop him if he starts,” Ike says again.  “And anyone who gives us a problem is going to regret it quickly.”  He can tell that Soren isn’t completely happy with that, but he stops arguing.  Ike feels the exact same way. 

Soren leaves to check on the children as Ike takes a few deep breaths to reorient himself.  He doesn’t need the kids seeing them fight.  He and Soren typically handle differences of opinion with a bit more calmness than this, but this whole situation presses both of their buttons. 

Thankfully the Queen of Not Reading the Atmosphere runs into the room carrying a pretty purple dress in her size.   “Daddy!  Daddy I’m gonna be a princess!!!” 

“This is considerate, there are quite a few outfits for the children for nicer activities in roughly their sizes,” Soren calls in.   

“You’re already MY princess,” Ike has to say as he pets her head.  “But that’s pretty.” 

“It’s so sparkly!  Look Daddy, it has diamonds!”  Ike snickers because they’re glass beads sewn in, but whatever.   

“I see that.  Super sparkly.  We’re going to the Queen’s birthday party, so we have to be dressed all nice.  But I can’t wait to see you dressed like a princess.” 

“The party is tomorrow,” Soren reports, coming back out.  “So put that back for now.  And make sure to look at all the dresses so you pick one you really like.” 

“Okay Papa!”  She squeals in joy and runs back in.  As usual, Ike finds it hard to be really upset when she is an unending beacon of joy.   

Then Ike and Soren are both shocked at a different squeal of joy from the one child of theirs less likely to engage in such exuberant displays.  “THERE’S A DRESS FOR ISOLDE TOO!” 

“What?” Soren asks as they both walk back into the bedroom.  In fact Lucien is trying to get a lovely little pink dress onto his soft blue rabbit.  “No way.” 

“That is absolutely hilarious and adorable,” Ike agrees.  “I guess he has a reputation.” 

“Whoever did that just moved up in my estimation.”  Soren smiles for the first time since they got here.  “If I had to guess, it would be Calill.”  He walks over and takes a good look at it, smiling as he spots some letters sewn in.  “I was right.”   It’s news to him that Calill still works for the royal family, but it does make sense.   “I owe her a thank-you.”   

Lucien gets it on and squeals in joy again.  “She’s so beautiful!”   

Ike has to softly laugh.  “Well we’re all unpacked, it seems. Now what?” 

“We’re free until tomorrow afternoon,” Soren reports.  “We could take naps, explore the castle, go find food-”. This immediately gets Priam, Ike and Misania agreeing, which makes Soren chuckle. Misania can put away as much food as Soren, so she’s not quite to Ike and Priam’s level thankfully but she still gets hungry easily.  “Shall we go find the castle kitchens, or go into town?” 

“Well now that I’m a princess, I wanna eat food in the castle,” Misania says happily.   

“You do know you were technically a princess before, right?” Soren has to ask her.  “Uncle Kurthnaga is a king, so as his grand-niece you are technically a princess.” 

“Woah,” she says, her little mind having exploded. 

“I’m gonna outlaw lace,” Priam says.  Ike smiles at the memory of Priam ordering him to give him his potatoes.   

“I’m gonna order mandatory naps and chocolate,” Lucien adds happily.  He’s cuddling his bunny, purring but still on his toes.  Ike knows him and knows he’ll be on his toes until they get home.  It makes him cuter, if anything.

“I remember you said that last time.  You would all be the cutest little power-drunk tyrants ever,” Ike says with a grin, cheered from his angrier mood.  “I would accept you as our new rulers.  But until then, let’s go get lunch.”  They cheer, and the family goes off to find the kitchens. 

The problem is, unfortunately, that Soren walks in front of him, wearing a shirt shorter than his typical tunics.

It is no secret at all that Ike is an ass man.  He can’t help it!   One could not be the spouse of Soren and not appreciate that ass.  It’s the perfect size for him to hold the cheeks in his hands, perky and soft and oh-so-tight both inside and out.  Add on the association with the most incredible pleasure, and Ike really has no choice but to absolutely love it.  It’s another reason why he never pushes for Soren to top - there is no way it could compare!  It’s kind of funny to him because the rest of the world makes him shrug, but Soren really makes him feel like the cliche sex-craving man.  And of course Ike knows all about how “everyone is gay for Soren,” and it’s not just because of his gorgeous looks and biting wit.

But he has to remain calm.  Not only is family around, but the way Soren is walking accentuates his butt and Ike knows it’s manipulation.  

… Absolutely successful manipulation, Ike decides as he openly stares.  The second he gets him alone… Well, Ike has pride everywhere except the bedroom.  If Soren is going to make him earn access to his ass, Ike will play along without qualms.  He has a feeling he will be needing to apologize and beg for forgiveness soon.  Oh well.  He still feels he’s right in insisting that Soren not let his past affect Lucien’s future, but if they’re a little cautious with Squeaker in the community it won’t hurt anything.  

He snaps out of his thoughts as they get to the mess hall.  As special guests of the Queen Herself they’re specially served by the chefs, and they make it clear they remember him, both for his love of meat and the amount he can eat in one sitting.  He’s used to it.  Not his fault he’s hungry.

It’s not long before they’re joined by Geoffrey, Lucia and Bastian, which is not ideal.  Nothing against the twins but Bastian brings out the worst in Soren.  He likes deadpan snarkers and that’s part of why he fell in love with Soren of all people in the first place, but they get so snippy with each other it can be a little tiring.  Plus Ike’s impulse is to put anyone insulting Soren into their place even though he knows full well Soren can dish it out and take it perfectly well in equal measure.  

Mmm, he sure can take it well… No, Ike, bad!

“Our Radiant Queen is indisposed, feeling unwell due to carrying the Hope of Crimea,” Bastian says with great pride.  

“Who’s the father, Geoffrey or Lucia?” Soren snarks.  As someone who is perfectly aware two women can have a baby, Ike knows the quip is actually against Bastian being a definite not-the-father, not a dig at Lucia and Elincia having anything going on.  “Also Micaiah has claimed all the sun imagery so you’ll have to fight her for that.”

“You haven’t changed at all,” Lucia says wryly.

“Micaiah is the dawn, and Elincia is the bright sun of the afternoon!”

“Uh huh.”

“So I’m sorry but I can’t marry you,” Misania chirps to Lucia, “‘cause I’m not supposed to marry whoever beats me in a duel, but instead they have to become my arch-rivals.  I mean I still have Uncle Fiancé Stefan on my list because if I had to choose just one I would choose him but it was a close call but he’s super cool so I picked him but anyone else who beats me in a duel gets to be an arch-rival.”  Ike feels his eye twitch.

Lucia wryly smiles.  “You’ve been around your Aunt Mia, I see.” 

“Yep!  She’s super cool and a real swordmaster just like you!” 

“Thanks for letting me know she’s back. I’ll keep my guard up.”   

Lucien stands up on his chair to whisper in Ike’s ear.  “Am I named after her?” 

“Nope,” Ike responds, “The name means Light, and we liked that for you.  You’re a pretty bright guy so it worked out great.”  He blushes heavily, aww.   

Geoffrey is quiet, watching the kids.  Ike can easily figure out why - the guy is methodical, so he’s observing to see what it’s like to have kids.  Not that the trio is the best example considering they’re all so weird but extremely sweet, but still.   

“So wait, why was that joke a joke?” Priam asks, “Are you guys like all dating or something?  Is that a thing?  I think that’s a thing, right?” 

Soren and Ike are both pained at him asking, because he’s way too young to be worrying about stuff like this.  Geoffrey turns red as Lucia smirks and Bastian jovially laughs.  “Oh, not quite,” the last man says.   

“It’s none of your business what other people do in a relationship,” Soren explains to Priam.  That’s rich coming from the one who made the joke in the first place.  “You’ll only have to worry about your own when you’re much older.” 

“Huh.  Well I hope it’s a thing because I want to marry Aunt Titania and she’s obviously with Uncle Kitty.  I don’t wanna be with Uncle Kitty though, because he’s kinda weird.” 

Lucien wistfully smiles.  Ike is more pained because he knows Lucien would also like to marry Titania.   

Soren deeply sighs.  “We’ve talked about this before, Priam.  It’s not appropriate for you to marry someone that much older than you.”  He opens his mouth to argue, but Soren cuts him off.  “No arguments.  The topic is over.”  He crosses his arms and pouts epically, but goes quiet. 

“Is this… common?” Geoffrey asks, looking worried.  “The… uh… marriage thing?” 

“Yep,” Ike says, “At least all three of ours have had crushes on adults.  To be fair though, they don’t get to see a lot of kids other than each other and their cousin.  I think it’s just a phase though.”  Geoffrey looks like he might be walking into a deadly cave instead of parenting. 

“Titania is gorgeous,” Bastian muses, and Lucia elbows him in the side.  “Not as much as you, of course!” 

Ike is pretty sure that the relationship is Geoffrey and Elincia are married, Elincia and Lucia are also lovers, and Bastian and Lucia are friends with benefits.  At least he hopes Lucia has more sense than to be in an actual relationship with Bastian (Ike doesn’t dislike the guy as much as Soren does, but he also isn’t a huge fan) and that Elincia doesn’t let Bastian sleep with her.  Admittedly, not that Ike cares what goes on in anyone’s bedroom besides his and Soren’s, he is a little weirded out by the fact it would be like if Soren and Mist were also in a relationship, and that’s just all kinds of wrong for all kinds of reasons.  But hey, whatever works for them.   

“Uh, this is an odd request, but… could I perhaps… well, our child is going to be a boy, so… could I maybe, you know… borrow one of yours?”  Geoffrey winces at the absolutely ridiculous wording of the request, visibly internally beating himself up about it.  “Just for the day, to see what it’s like?” 

Soren looks at him levelly.  “I just realized you and I have never interacted enough in non-war-council ways for me to realize just how socially awkward you are,” he muses, and Geoffrey actually winces again.  “You do realize that this is not a library, right?” 

“He just seeks to experience parenthood by going for the absolute greatest challenge he can - trying to interact with one of your children,” Bastian says darkly.   

“If it’s a challenge he wants then we should put a diaper on you and let him deal with your incessant whining all day,” Soren retorts.   

“You know, if they want to go hang out with you I don’t mind,” Ike says loudly, interjecting before this can escalate.   

“I wanna,” says Priam, perking up.  “I can be a king and order people around!” 

“I wanna do it too!” Misania protests, turning her gaze up to Geoffrey.  “Uncle Geoffrey can I please go with you and Priam??” 

“I’ll come along too,” Lucia says, rescuing her younger brother.  “It’ll be fun.”  The bluenettes cheer.  

Ike perks up.  He might be able to get Soren alone.  Granted, getting Lucien to go with someone else is a stretch.  “What about you, Squeaker?”   Predictably, he puts his arms up in an X.  This makes Geoffrey look hurt and Lucia look a little offended, so Ike explains, “We’ve got two dogs and a, well, rabbit as kids, basically.  Lucien here is not nearly as outgoing as the other two.”  

Lucien nods, and Lucia’s face turns into one of awwww.  But Lucien also makes it a point to whisper into Ike’s ear that just because Isolde is a rabbit it doesn’t mean she’s scared of things (she wouldn’t be good at making him brave if she were a coward, after all!) and he expects Ike to apologize to her.

“Sorry,” he says, internally snickering.  But now he is torn.  On the one hand, he does want to have some father-son bonding.  On the other hand, he really wants some husband-husband bonding in a way that means Lucien needs to go bye-bye.  But he can’t very well just kick the poor kid out!  

The obvious answer is obvious - Priam and Misania don’t take naps and Lucien does.  Or, “What if they took you to meet Ms. Calill, who made that nice dress for Isolde?”  Lucien immediately brightens up.

“Ah yes, she was very proud of that,” Geoffrey says, a smidge less awkward, “I’m sure she’d love to see if you liked it.”

Lucien proudly holds her up, lovely dress and all.  “Pink is her color, don’t you think?”  Ike again has to internally snicker - talking about plushes really is Lucien’s one thing he will bend the no-talking rule over.  “Although maybe I can ask Auntie Calill for a purple dress too!”  Lucia leans to whisper something to her brother, but Ike isn’t exactly sure what.  The proud father in Ike decides they’re talking about how cute Lucien is and how she hopes her new nephew/son is like him.  “And we need to say thank you for the lovely dress!”

“It’s an adventure!” Misania cheers.  

Bastian pinches the bridge of his nose.  “Going to meet a family friend is not an adventure!”

“Silly Uncle Bastian, everything is an adventure if you believe in yourself!  C’mon, let’s go!”  She grabs his hand and drags him out, much against his obvious will.  

Lucia is smiling as she stands.  “Amazing that all of the bickering back and forth didn’t faze him at all, but he’s been soundly defeated by a six-year-old.  Ah well.  Coming, Geoff?”

The latter stands, giving short bows to Ike and Soren.  “Thank you both again.  I promise I will defend them with my li-”. He balks as Priam takes off at a sprint, and he immediately pursues.  Lucia just laughs and takes her unintentional namesake with her.  This leaves Ike and Soren alone in the mess hall, the only other people being the chefs in the kitchen out of sight.

Soren sighs as he watches them leave.  “I hope they inspire Bastian to get a vasectomy.  The world doesn’t need him reproducing.”

“In the meantime, want to go find his room?” Ike asks with a suggestive smirk.  

Soren looks at him and his eyebrows shoot up.  “Oh.  Really?”

“If I can wait that long.”  He reaches over to start rubbing his lower back as he glances around to find some place a little more private.  

“Wow,” Soren marvels, “I, uh, didn’t think you’d be in the mood.”

“You aren’t?”

“Well I wasn’t, but you could convince me to be…”

“So you walking in front of me wasn’t intentional?”

Soren blinks before chortling.  “You got turned on watching me walk and thought I was trying to seduce you?”

“Your shirt is also shorter than usual!” Ike defends himself.  “I thought you were sending signals.”

“I was literally just existing, Ike,” Soren says, and Ike knows if they were in more privacy he would be openly laughing at him.

“Existing while sexy,” Ike counters.  “Come on, let’s take advantage of solo time.  I’ll get you to my level.”

Soren chuckles as he stands.  He glances behind himself to see his shirt rests right above the swell of his ass.  “I’m not even showing skin!  You made it sound like I was walking around in a corset or something.”

“It’s possible I was just seeing what I wanted to see,” Ike agrees, taking his hand and dragging him off.  He’d long ago figured out that he is where Priam and Misania learned to just take people to where they want them.  

At first Ike is going to take them back to their rooms, but there is a familiarity about the hallway he takes them down that makes him pause.  “Wait…” He walks to one room, testing the knob.  It’s unlocked, so he goes in. 

It’s a large room with a huge bed and large marble tub chiseled into the floor, fit for nobility; or, more specifically, fit for the young Crimean Lord who’d led the army to regain their lost capital.  Yes, this was the room he’d been awarded years ago and, more importantly, it was where he and Soren lost their virginity to each other.  The furniture is different, which is to be expected, but it’s definitely the same room.  

“Your memory is impeccable when you want it to be,” Soren muses, still holding his hand.  “This has to be the room you were given seventeen years ago… crazy, isn’t it?  We were so young.”

Soren lights the torches and locks the door behind them.  The room shows no sign that anyone else is staying in it, but Ike decides that if it turns out they hijacked the place he’ll just clean it really well afterwards.  He turns to take Soren into his arms.  “We were, but I already knew what I wanted, and that was you.  I’m glad we waited for a room, because I think first making love in a war tent is extremely unromantic.”

“You’ve always been a softie,” Soren says with a soft smile.  “How many roses died for you to give me some every day?”

“They died nobly.”  Ike kisses him.  “Want to recreate the experience?”

“Mmmm… well, that depends on if they have bath oil stocked here…” They kiss again and Soren leaves his arms to go look.  “Ah, they do.”  

“Good.”

“And we certainly don’t have to do a complete recreation.  I could live without us accidentally bumping heads three times.”  

“And I wasn’t brave enough to rim you back then so that’s something going to be different this time too,” Ike agrees.  Soren flushes.  “My dumbass younger self.”

“I wasn’t aware that was a thing until you did it the first time,” Soren admits, walking back to him with the bottle. He cranes his head back.  “Of course, you’re a lot bigger now.  You had maybe two inches on me back then.” 

Ike slowly moves his hands down Soren’s back and then grips his ass.  “You’re bigger than you were then, too.” 

“True.”  He goes onto his toes to kiss him, which Ike happily returns.  “Now then, in the spirit of our first time, this should roughly be the time you start rambling…”

Ike snorts.  “Do we have to be that true to life?  I mean I can make myself sound like an idiot if you really need that to get in the mood.  And in my defense it was my first time seeing you naked and it was a little overwhelming, considering up until then I’d only ever seen your naked collarbone.”  He does smile at the memory, because Soren had gotten sick of them both waffling and then dropped his robes in one fell swoop and made Ike’s poor little teenage mind explode.  They had both been a little drunk from the war afterparty, which hadn’t helped.   

Soren smirks and steps away from him, pulling his shirt over his head and then dropping his pants in a not dissimilar recreation of that experience years ago.  Back then Ike had gawked like an idiot, but he’s far more used to seeing Soren naked and so just decides to get started by going to his knees and kissing his stomach.   

He, unbidden, pictures the bandit that wanted him.  

Ike is possessive and overprotective of his loved ones.  One could chalk it up to trauma, but he isn’t completely convinced he wouldn’t be the exact same way even if he hadn’t seen family members violently die in front of him.  Still he’s very lucky in that Soren has made his fidelity clear.  He’s Ike’s, all Ike’s and no one else’s.  He’s even luckier that Soren finds his possessive streak a turn-on.  They were made for each other.

But that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t get jealous.

Soren has an amazing ability to discount any flirtation, deciding anyone showing interest in him is manipulation.  Couldn’t be further from the truth - Ike is keenly aware there is a long list of people wishing to be his lover.  It ranges from the pure lust of random passersby, the crush Skrimir definitely has on him (he said it himself, he likes people who sass him, and boy does Soren sass him), to something that probably could’ve been a meaningful relationship like Stefan was subtly offering.  

Frankly, it makes his blood boil to think about it.  

Still it drives home exactly how he wants this to go - an homage to the first time, a reiteration that Ike is Soren’s first, last, and only.  

(It’s terrible of him, but the fact Soren’s spirit pact makes him age at the same rate as Ike is just… well, terrible, but also a huge relief.  He’d once said that he wanted Soren to be happy without him as long as he was celibate, and that was still true.  It’s just that now there is going to be a much shorter timeframe for Soren to be without him.  Ugh, go away depressing thoughts.)

So he kisses his stomach first, yes, but certainly doesn’t stop there, kissing and gently suckling little hickeys into the sensitive skin of his hip bones, thighs, calves, feet... It makes his lover start to shake in his arms and definitely ruins his balance, so Ike guides him to sit on the bed.  Now that he doesn’t have to hold him up, he lets his hands explore all of him, caressing every single inch that his mouth isn’t on.  Soren is softly moaning, running his hands through Ike’s hair and pulling off his sweatband.  He pushes him so he’s curled up and Ike can get everywhere between his legs with his tongue, all over his cock, balls, ass, and perineum.  He licks and sucks to his heart’s content, which is a lot considering how much he enjoys it.   

“You don’t haaaave to,” Soren protests, pushing at his head.   

His cock is hard so he’s clearly enjoying it, so Ike growls his protest and Soren stops pushing.  “When we get home I am tying you up so I can eat you out for as long as I want.”  Soren shivers and it makes Ike smirk.  He keeps his hands traveling all over his body as he licks on his hole.  “Are you mine?” 

“All yours,” he agrees breathlessly.  “I’ve always been yours.”  He softly cries out when Ike works his tongue inside him, back arching but his hips held still by Ike.   

That’s not what he wants right now.  He withdraws his tongue.  “Look at me,” he orders.  Soren’s body is shaking as he complies, relaxing to look at him.  “Does anyone else ever go down on you like I do?” 

“No,” he says, working his fingers into Ike’s hair.  He doesn’t keep talking, because he knows what Ike needs right now. 

“I bet everyone wants to, because your ass is amazing,” he continues, swirling his tongue on the rim.  “But no one would do it as good as I do.” 

“No one else will ever get to,” Soren assures him, his eyes dark with lust as he keeps perfect eye-contact.  Ike doesn’t adjust what he’s doing, so Soren continues talking, “And even if they did, no one could compare – ah!”  He wraps his legs around Ike’s head and curls up as Ike’s tongue goes all the way back inside him, rewarding him.  “Ike, Ike you work me so well, you fuck me so - everything you do feels amazing, you’re the perfect lover - fuck!  Right there!”  Ike follows his instructions and keeps his tongue rubbing his walls as ordered, one hand continuing to rub him all over while the other takes his dick in his hand to stroke him off.  Soren’s hands are clenching and pulling his hair, which Ike just loves.  “I don’t need any more of this - please I want you to fuck me!” 

Ike withdraws his tongue again, lapping at his hole.  Yes there’s a whole rest of him to lick but damn does Ike love worshiping his ass.  “We didn’t do that our first time,” he teases.   

“We didn’t do this either,” he retorts.  “I thought we weren’t acting out as two inexperienced teenagers.” 

“True. Which means I can do this as much as I want.”  He gets back to work, damn it, pushing in to make Soren’s body curl up more.  In fact he reaches behind his back to hold him by his shoulders, so Soren can’t escape at all.  “I love how small you are,” he says, although it’s muffled because like hell he’s taking his tongue back out of him again.   

“I’m not that small,” Soren protests, voice a little whiny (which is adorable and sexy as hell), “You’re just huge.” 

“And you like it.” 

“You know that,” he agrees.   

Finally Ike takes his tongue back out again.  “You know, Skrimir is bigger than me.  So is Tibarn.” 

“I really don’t care about either of them,” he retorts.  “When we first got together we were almost the same size.  I’m not with you because I’m a size queen.” 

“But you are kind of a size queen,” he says with a little smirk and a kiss on his hole. 

He just sighs.  “I’m a you queen.  An Ike queen.  Ike, you could have a tiny penis and I would just top you instead.  I’m not with you because of your dick, or your size, or your strength, or your looks at all, I’m with you because I love you and I’ve loved you forever and I just happen to really think you’re sexy and I love the fact that you’re huge and you have a big dick, okay?  Is that what you wanted to hear?” 

Ike stands up, grabbing the oil.  “It’s pretty great, yeah.”  He starts to lube himself up. 

Soren reaches down to stop him from entering, redirecting the head of his dick to start sliding up and down before rolling at the hole slowly, teasingly.  He opens his mouth to talk when they hear someone out in the hallway saying something completely mundane, Ike’s pretty sure it’s just a comment about outfits, but it doesn’t matter what was said because he instinctively knows the voice and that it’s Aimee.   

Soren’s eyebrows shoot up as he looks down at his hand, holding a physical representation of how Ike is internally (and externally) shrinking in horror.  “Oh, wow.” 

“Sorry,” he says awkwardly, because the mood just went from a solid and steamy 10 out of 10 to a tiny wimpy 0.   Soren for his part lets go and just starts laughing as if this is the funniest thing in the whole world, which would be wonderful for literally any other reason than because Ike lost a hard-on from just hearing Aimee’s voice.  Ike isn’t offended, at least.  He gets what’s funny.  He has to chuckle too.  “Well, at least now you know I never cheated on you with Aimee.” 

“You could be the world’s straightest man and I would know you had never slept with Aimee,” Soren says.  He’s trying to calm himself but he giggle-snorts, which makes Ike laugh too.  Eventually they both quiet enough to listen for any noises outside the room, and it’s blissfully silent.  “Okay, I think she’s gone.  At least we know she’s here.  But hopefully she’s finally grown up enough to realize that you don’t like her.”  He rolls out of bed. 

“We saw her in Goldoa and she didn’t come up to me,” he reasons as he stands up too.  “Where are we going?”   

“The bath,” Soren replies as he piles his hair on top of his head.  “We can try to salvage this without forcing it, and if it doesn’t work we at least get a relaxing bath out of it.”  He lights a cantrip that warms up the water before climbing in, settling on the opposite side.  “Perfect, it’s hot now.  Go wash your mouth first, because I want to make out.” 

“Yes sir,” Ike says, following his tactician’s orders as always.  It’s a mere minute or two later before he joins Soren in the bath, leaning against the other wall so they’re looking at each other.  It’s a bit too hot for him, but he’s used to it by now.  Soren has been known to sun-bathe fully-clothed, after all.  The man likes to be hot.  He smiles a little at the sense of deja-vu, because a joint bath was part of their first time.  “Here we are, seventeen years later.  Almost half our lives.”   

Soren wistfully smiles.  “I remember being so nervous the water was shaking.  It was silly but I thought you’d reject me, even though you’d obviously just seen me naked and had a… strong reaction.” 

“You were silly,” Ike agrees, reaching out and pulling Soren across the bath into his arms.  Soren gives him a relaxed smile and they kiss, settling into making out.  Soren moves more fully onto his lap and straddles his hips so their dicks slide together, Soren’s still hard and Ike’s rising to the occasion once again.  He reaches over to grab the bath oil, holding Soren with one arm and the other popping the cork out to pour it on his hand, sliding his hand into the water to hold them together as Soren grinds.  Soren makes a soft, needy noise as they kiss, and Ike fleetingly feels bad that he’s made him wait after building him up so much.   

“You’re so much bigger than you were,” Soren breathes, hands stroking up and down Ike’s biceps and chest,  “I’ve grown maybe three inches taller and you grew nine, not to mention how much broader you got.”

“Do you know why I built these muscles?” he asks, and this moment is damn perfect, “To protect you.”

Soren kisses him harshly for that.  He’s shivering and Ike knows he’s close.  “I’ll protect you, too,” he says lowly, and Ike gently kisses him.  He knows for Soren that Ike’s declarations of protection and ownership are like an aphrodisiac, and conversely he doesn’t need that from Soren because he wants to the vanguard, but it’s not bad or anything.  “You know that, right?”

“You could kick my ass into next week if you wanted to,” Ike assures him, “I never underestimate you.  But I love being your protector.  I will never let anyone or anything hurt you.”

Soren gasps out his orgasm, so Ike doesn’t adjust his speed or strength of rubbing them together.  He steals a few kisses from him, then then Soren pins him to the side of the tub with a needy whine and deep kiss and Ike is surprised at himself coming too, making some kind of nngggkk noise that isn’t half as sexy.  Oh well.  

Eventually he withdraws his hand, letting them fully rest together.  “You know, considering I started out afraid of baths, we’ve had a lot of sex in water,” Soren muses.  

“See, just because you haven’t changed as much as I have doesn’t mean you haven’t changed,” Ike teases.  

Any response is cut off by door handle shaking followed by loud knocks on the door.  Ike and Soren both grimace as they realize that they have, in fact, stolen someone’s bedroom.  Oops. Awkward.

Eh.  Worth it.

Ike: 👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻

Chapter Text

Ike and Soren return to their suite, suitably embarrassed by everything.  The poor shmucks who got that room were also embarrassed, but it is what it is.  

The only ones back are Lucia and Lucien.  They are sitting at a table as Lucien pours her imaginary tea. She smiles at them softly .  “So we did find their tavern, but he was too nervous to go in.”  He nods in corroboration.  “Priam is still bossing around my brother, and your daughter would not stop talking about her plan to make her ‘Daddy’s favorite,’ and she’s gotten Bastian involved.”

“She’ll be my favorite if she offs him,” Soren has to say. Lucien giggles.  Lucia looks at him with a look very similar to Titania’s “seriously, Soren” look.  “But for some reason I’m not the one she’s worried about.”

Lucia is very wryly amused.  “Oh she explained everything in great detail.  According to her, everyone is everyone’s favorite everything, except Priam is Daddy’s favorite because Priam said so and more importantly he was Daddy’s squire and most importantly he got a real sword and she didn’t.”

“He stole a dagger,” Ike says with dismay.  

“So may I spoil her plan for you, Ike?”

He is very lovingly exasperated.  “Yes please.”

“Well, when I left she was cajoling Bastian into laying down in the path of a carriage so you could then watch her ‘be a hero’ by pulling him out of danger.”

Soren chuckles at the mental image even as Ike groans.  “She’s so weird.  Soren, why are our kids so weird?”

“Biology,” he has to say.  It makes Ike laugh. 

Ike, Soren and their youngest go out to look for the missing two spawnlings, as well as to see if Lucien is brave enough to go meet Ms. Calill.   They are treated to Misania and Bastian in a heated argument standing to the side of the main road, uncaring of the peasantry walking around them who are actively staring at the Count of Fayre arguing with a literal child.  “This does not prove anything,” the old man says firmly.  “If anything, having me tied up in front of a carriage makes you a villain, not a hero.” 

She sighs in great frustration.  “I would save you, silly!  Goodness, you are bad at listening.  Maybe we need to get your ears checked?  Do you think me helping you learn to hear will make my daddy love me most?” 

Ike moves a little faster to pick her up to stop the argument from continuing.  He holds her under his arm like a ball.  “Misania Elena Greil you are ridiculous.  I do not have favorites and killing Mr. Bastian will not make anyone my favorite.” 

“You’ll be my favorite,” Soren has to say.  Lucien, who is holding his hand, giggles.   

“If given a choice between being in your company or getting hit by a carriage, I choose the carriage,” says Bastian. 

“By all means, that sounds great for both of us then,” Soren replies.   

“Considering how short you are, it’d be easier for me to just push you into traffic and be done with it.”

“So do you know where Geoffrey is?” Ike asks loudly.  

“Yes, KING Geoffrey and your pet pig are at Amy’s Tavern.”  Bastian’s demeanor is like a ruffled bird.  He points down the road. 

“Hey,” says Ike, “I know you and Soren like roasting each other, but this is your only warning -  knock off the insults on my kids or you’ll regret it.” 

“He’s not insulting me,” Misania comments from her place at his side.  Ike doesn’t deign to answer that, because they all know she’s too pure to pick up on anything negative.  Bastian merely huffs but nods. 

“Amy’s Tavern is the one Calill and Largo own,” Soren chimes in.  “It’s A-M-Y Amy, not A-I-M-E-E Aimee.”
 

“That’s how you spell her name?  I think I like her even less than I did before.”  Ike sighs and starts walking in that direction.  Soren chuckles and follows.   

Lucien’s hand is shaking, so Soren grips it tighter.  “Ms. Calill is very nice, as is her husband Mr. Largo,” Soren explains to him.  “And their daughter is Ms. Amy, who is like us.” 

 
“I’m gonna be brave,” he says, face determined.  Soren smiles.

Soren doesn’t have many friends.  There are few in life he’s permitted to get that close, and he’s largely fine with the consequences.  So he wouldn’t go so far as to say that he and Calill are friends.  But he can admit some respect for her having hit the pinnacle of what a typical beorc could do with magic, and admire her for the audacity of adopting a Branded child and making no effort to pretend she was otherwise.  In fact he had once watched her set a man on fire for calling Amy a half-breed.  It was inspiring.  And since little Amy accurately noted Soren was, at the time, just Branded and not a spirit charmer, Calill had warmed up to him considerably.  They were somewhat inconsistent penpals.  Amy had been named prior to her adoption and was in no way named after Aimee, so everything was okay.

They walk into the busy tavern.  Amy, who is cleaning tables, looks up before her parents do and brightens at Lucien’s presence.  “Oh yay, you came back!” She comes over to them and grins at Soren.  “He came by to visit earlier but didn’t say anything.”

“That is his way,” Soren admits.  “He was very excited about Isolde’s dresses, but without me or Ike there he was likely too scared to talk.”

“So cute!” Amy gushes.  “He’s like a little porcelain doll!”  

“Ike!” Largo booms with joy, “Welcome to Amy’s Tavern, the place for the best roast in Melior!” 

“You know me well,” Ike says, finally relaxing as he lets Misania down.  Soren scans the area and almost laughs at how poor Geoffrey is sitting in a chair behind Priam’s chair, holding onto the back of his tunic.  However Priam is in no danger of running off since he’s sitting in front of a giant plate of food that he is happily scarfing down.  It takes mere minutes before Ike is sitting right next to him like a giant clone.  Soren is used to his family’s insane eating habits but feels a little sick since they ate like two hours ago.  Maybe the lot of them have tapeworms.   

Lucien is hiding behind Soren’s leg as Amy leans over to look at him closer to his face.  “You’re a dragon, right?  That’s so cool!  I think I’m part cat.  At least my mom says I’m cat-like.” 

“Sassy and sweet?  Very feline,” says Calill with a warm smile.  Her daughter sticks her tongue out at her.   “Also Ranulf said you’re an honorary cat, so that probably means you’re at least part.  Little Lucien, do you like those dresses for your bunny?” 

Lucien lights up, his visage clearly showing an inner battle for wanting to talk to people about Isolde but being overwhelmed by the new loud environment and large number of strangers.  “He likes them very much,” Soren supplies.  “Right?”  

His son nods. “Thank you!” he blurts.  Soren smiles at him and squeezes his hand again as both Calill and Amy look like they might melt. “She’s beautiful!” 

“She was always beautiful, but the right clothes just made her more so,” Calill says with a wink.  Lucien squeals not unlike his sister.  “Oh!  Soren, did I ever introduce you to Rose?” 

“No,” says Soren.  He knows she’s her new daughter, but they’ve never met.

Amy and Calill both beam as Calill goes up a flight of stairs.  “I’m a big sister,” Amy gushes.  Calill comes back down with a young girl who has brown eyes and dark pink hair, looking a little around Priam’s age if not younger, who has a prominent brand on her left upper arm.  Soren immediately knows she’s Branded and not just because of the birthmark.  

“Hi,” says the girl, quiet.   

“This is Rose,” Calill says with pride, “The newest addition to our family!” 

She might be his favorite person not in his family.  “Hello.  I’m Soren and this is my son Lucien.  I’m… friends with your mother.”  Calill gives herself a pat on the back.  
 

Misania immediately runs over.  “Hi!  I’m Misania Elena Greil but some people call me Mia!  You seem really cool so I hope we can be friends!”  Rose looks at her with great shock.  “And you have a cool birthmark like my Papa and little brother Luci but I don’t have one.  So I hope we can still be friends even though I don’t?” 

Rose clearly did not expect this response, and she lights up. “Yeah!  Let me show you my house!”  They run off together.  Lucien looks shocked but pursues too. 

It almost makes Soren cry that the lack of brand might make someone feel ostracized.  Calill is in fact crying, and so is Amy.  “I guess it’s a playdate if that’s all right with you,” Soren says, feeling a little awkward.  

“Definitely!” Amy cheers, running after them.  She’s quite a bit older, but clearly isn’t going to let that stop her from having fun.   

“Thank you, Calill,” Soren says to her quietly.  “You’re doing good things here.” 

“Of course!”  She is crying and smiling.  Largo walks over and wraps his one arm around her shoulder, before then walking over and hugging him.  Soren freezes, but Largo ignores his obvious-to-most “do not touch” vibes.  But then he goes back to cooking, so Soren lets it go.   

Priam runs over.  “Hey Papa, I wanna still be King but I kinda wanna go play with them too.  What should I do?” 

“You’re not King, so go play,” he says, amused.  Priam sticks his tongue out at him but runs upstairs.  Soren gives Calill a pouch of gold.  “For watching them.”  She pushes it away, so he tosses it onto the counter.  “And for feeding Ike.” 

“What about me?” Ike asks, mouth full of food.   

Soren chuckles.  “Nothing, nothing.”  He sits by him.  “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” 

He swallows.  “Sorry.”  He eats more.  “That was cute.  We have a whole Branded Brigade here.” 

“Don’t get complacent,” Soren warns, “But, it is nice.”  He helps himself to some of Ike’s cheese-drenched potatoes.  Ike’s look clearly says you are the only person in this world who I would let get away with that, and Soren smiles with smug pride.   

They have a nice afternoon. 

It turns into a sleepover for the children, which Calill is thrilled about.  Soren is beyond anxious, but when Ike gives him a sultry look he knows he’s going to be distracted from it.  He is placated when Oscar wants to share recipes and so he and Kieran opt to spend the night at the tavern, too.   

Ike and Soren walk back to the castle side by side.  “If I were part laguz, what do you think I’d be?” Ike asks casually.

Soren is surprised to realize that, while time has not healed this wound, time has dulled the pain of it quite a bit.  He can’t imagine he would have answered this question in good faith years ago.  “If I had to pick one, I’d say lion or wolf.”  

“Huh.  Not sure if lion was an insult.”

“Not at all.  Skrimir is a buffoon, but a strong and righteous one with a large appetite.  However you are a fair bit smarter and not as hairy.   But there is a reason I call you a papa wolf -  you are extremely loyal and extremely protective.  That being said, the likelihood that a wolf has descendants outside Hatari, and that neither Nailah nor Volug commented on it, means that I doubt you actually do have any wolf in you.”

“Hmm… disappointing, really.”  Ike is practically glowing, and Soren knows why - he feels validated that people are changing.  Soren is not nearly so optimistic, but it is nice for Ike to be happy so he keeps his mouth shut.  “You’ll have to tell Ranulf you think I’m part wolf, though.  Next time he gets under your skin.”

“So, the next time he is in my general vicinity, then.  Got it.”  

Ike chuckles, wrapping his arm around his waist and pulling him closer as they walk.  “So, I do want to… enjoy our free time tonight.”  Soren flushes despite himself.  “Are you in the mood for anything in particular?”

Soren muses on it, thinking back to some of the book’s prompts and their earlier ventures.  “Strength.  Building off what we did earlier.”

Ike’s fingers tap on his hip thoughtfully.  “You got it.”

“And…” this he whispers into his ear, “I desperately want you to come inside me.”  Ike’s fingers clench.

The second they’re back in the suite, Ike has him physically picked up and pushed against a wall, kissing him deeply and with desperation that sends tingles all over his body.  “Mine,” he growls, and there’s something different about the way he says it that has Soren enthralled.  He considers - it’s been days since Ike first wanted to establish his claim over him appropriately.  Plus, Largo did give him the world’s most awkward hug.  So hey, if it inspires him it inspires him.   

Soren kisses him and wraps around him with arms and legs.  “I’m yours, and you have the whole night to prove it.”

They keep kissing as Ike carries him to their bedroom, kicking the door shut.  Soren is trying to take Ike’s shirt off and feel his muscles at the same time, which thankfully do go together well.  For all that Ike putting on so much muscle threw him off years ago, he now greatly appreciates it.  Surprisingly, Ike doesn’t put him down, instead standing by the bed and holding him in the air while letting Soren disrobe them.  He can do their shirts at least.  He tries to roll his hips, but Ike has them still, his hands holding his ass.  

Ike gently bites his lower lip.  “Can you get our pants off?”  

“No, we’re too-”  He yelps in surprise as Ike tosses him onto the bed before descending on him again, resuming the kiss.  They both go back to taking their clothes off.  Ike’s desperation is a ridiculous turn-on, and so Soren starts to scan for a vulnerary.

“Look at me,” Ike growls, and Soren stops all movements to make eye contact.  Ike cups his face and then buries his fingers into his hair to kiss him deeply.   Soren relaxes, because he’s figuring it out quickly that Ike is feeling dominant and wants to be in complete control.  That’s just fine.  Usually they work together, but sometimes one wants to take over or one wants to be submissive and they roll with it.   

Ike kisses him again.  “I want to fuck you so good you don’t think about anyone else.”

“Yes, sir.”  He feels Ike shiver between his legs, and smiles a little.  As if he thinks about anyone else!  Ike’s already accomplished his goal and he hasn’t even started yet.  

Ike pauses and reaches over to grab their vulnerary from the nightstand where Soren put it after their afternoon misadventures.  Seconds later he’s back to kissing him deeply even as he can feel him shuffle around with the vulnerary, lifting one of Soren’s legs over his arm to open him up.  Because he is still Ike, he starts with one finger in a deep massage that has Soren moaning in his arms, and despite the severity of the need he’s still being meticulous and thorough in opening him and lubing him up.  It feels so good to have something inside him again that he’s melting into the bed, struggling to focus between the kiss and the fullness.  

Then they’re standing up again, Ike adjusting them so Soren’s thighs are over his arms and he’s grabbing Soren’s ass to hold him.  Then, angling him, he starts to thrust at a quick and strong pace that has Soren alternatively clenching his teeth at the strength but also singing his praises.   “How’s this?” he asks, not at all winded despite holding another human being in the air and fucking him.  Soren replies by cupping his face and kissing him deeply, holding on for dear life.  

It’s not his favorite position because he does feel bad for Ike and because it isn’t as deep as he generally likes, but it is thrilling to be held and completely at Ike’s mercy.  “I want your come,” he breathes between kisses, making Ike groan as their lips meet.  “Fill me up!”

“Yeah?  You want me to come inside you?”

Soren kisses him again.  “Breed me.”

Then Ike again tosses him onto the bed, effortless in maneuvering him, before then pressing him back and deeply entering him in one swift movement that has him wincing, a position that curls them together and gets Ike as deep inside as possible. He rocks, slow but hard, a different kind of overwhelming from the other day’s experimentation with rough sex.  This is more passionate, they’re more connected.  Soren’s toes curl over Ike’s thighs and his fingers dig into his arms, but all he can do is press his hips to Ike and enjoy the ride.  Ike is watching his face raptly, arms on his elbows so he can hold his head in place.  

“Good,” he chokes out.  “Fuuuck you’re deep!” He’s aware he sounds like a cheap whore, but it’s all very real.

“Inside you, one with you,” Ike murmurs, rolling his hips and pressing hard.  Soren cries out, weak to Ike’s voice and Ike in general.  Then one hand leaves his hair and goes to his cock, stroking it softly in a way that emphasizes the depth and strength of the thrusts.  “All over you, covering you.  I love you.”

“Fuck Ike, I love you and I love your dick!” He’s shamefully close to orgasm, but this is pressing all of his buttons in the best way possible.  “Breed me, get me pregnant again, come inside me!”  

Ike groans.  “Beg for it, baby.”  

“Ike please, please come inside me, please!”

“Oh fuck!”  Ike presses as hard as possible, burying balls-deep and driving home how Soren’s ass is really not meant to accommodate such a big dick but it’s fucking amazing even if it does make him cry out, and the feeling of Ike filling him is beyond addictive.  

“Thank you,” Soren mewls, on the edge of orgasm and watching as Ike grimaces and his hips instinctively buck.  He can feel Ike’s balls throbbing against his ass, and in this moment his own orgasm doesn’t matter whatsoever.  Even if it did, he’s so folded over that he can’t do anything about it.  

“Shit,” Ike breathes as he starts to rock again, slower this time, milking himself inside him.  Soren is beyond turned on as he strokes Ike’s face and scalp to encourage him to completely fill him.  He doesn’t want any more children, but he briefly thinks of Ike getting him pregnant and he cries out as he finally comes, surprisingly hard despite the fact that Ike is not actively fucking him.  Ike groans loudly and strokes Soren off again to really get him off as hard as possible.  It’s the most fulfilling orgasm he’s had in a long time.

Soren takes deep breaths as he comes down.  Ike pulls out and it feels like forever before he’s actually out.  He feels his come start to drip out so he forcefully tightens his ass to keep it all inside.  Ike kneels in front of him, not out of breath but with his dick obviously only half-hard and covered in his come and the vulnerary.  This gives the absolutely beautiful image of a huge, beautiful cock between his relatively thin thighs, a beautiful contrast.  

Soren reaches out and gently touches the head.  “How long until you’re ready again?”

He laughs quietly.  “Give me like fifteen minutes.”  Then he dives down to lick up Soren’s come from his stomach before swirling his tongue on the head of his dick, making him shiver and pet his head.

“You’re being so good to me,” he murmurs, enjoying the visual of a sweaty and pleased Ike cleaning him with his tongue.  

“I’ve just been wanting this for awhile so I’ve been thinking of what I would do next time I got you alone,” he answers, finishing his stomach and dick before kissing down.  He kisses his asshole and  scowls a little.  “My come does not taste nearly as good as yours.”

“Learn to eat fruits,” Soren replies with a chuckle.  

“I guess I owe you for all the times you’ve suffered it.”  Despite the complaint he delves his tongue in, curling it to pull his come out even as Soren can’t stop the gasps and moans at the beautiful feeling. 

“I wanted to be full of you,” he protests in a soft whine.

“I’m going to give you a fresher batch, don’t worry.”  He pauses.  “We’re still on the same page of no more kids, right?”

Soren has to laugh, albeit softly and breathlessly.  “Ye gods, Ike, yes.  It’s all kink.  With our luck a fourth child would have Priam’s bossiness, Misania’s lack of common sense and Lucien’s neuroses.”  Soren then remembers his spawnlings are gone and he feels a pang of anxiety, but his face must give it away because Ike plunges his tongue back in to deeply lap, less cleaning and more pleasuring, and thoughts beyond Ike are now gone again.  “Has it been fifteen minutes yet?”

Ike chuckles, making him moan with vibrations.  “You only love me for my dick,” he teases.

“Would you rather I didn’t love it?” he counters.  “You’re the only person who I’m sexually attracted to, but I can do my best to stop.”

“Noooo.”  He sits up, looking him over.  “Same here, by the way.”

“Good.”  He blushes, pleased.  He also gets up, going to get the vulnerary.  “Lay down on your back.” Ike immediately complies.

Soren wants to tease him, make him lose his patience and drive him to the brink.  He’s annoyingly in control and it’s time to change that.  And he knows just the way to do it. 

 He sits on Ike’s thighs, leaning back onto his elbows so that there is once again the beautiful image of huge hard cock throbbing between petite thighs, teasing them both.  Soren gets plenty of vulnerary onto his hand and begins to finger himself.  

“I can’t believe that fits inside me,” Soren purrs as he takes care of himself.  A bold start to their game, he knows, but go big or go home and he knows it’s very effective because Ike’s eyes are very, very focused.  “It’s almost the size of my thigh, and yet it has a warm, tight home inside me.”

“We belong together,” Ike breathes, staring.  “You were made for me.”

Soren smiles as he rolls his hips.  “Ike, please… you’re so hard… don’t you want to fill me up again?”

His cock visibly throbs.  “You know I do, baby. But… I think you need it more, don’t you?”   He’s not wrong, so Soren takes his dick in his hand and guides it to his ass, rubbing the head on his rim.  Both can’t stop staring at their almost-joining, and for a minute the only sound is the wet sound of their mutual teasing.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he purrs.

Ike nods.  “Opposites, but that’s why it feels so good.”  They both moan, almost giving in.  

He reaches out with his free hand and their fingers twine together so they intimately hold hands as they play.  “A petite slut paired off with a man twice his size.  It’s perfect.”  At this point they’re both grinding the thick cockhead into the small hole, both equally winning and losing their little game as they tease each other with the ultimate pleasure.  “I’m going to come the second you stretch me out again,” he begs, “please sir, please make me come on your cock again, I want you to come inside me so badly…”

Truthfully he’s so close to giving in, but it doesn’t matter because Ike tosses him off and onto the bed, on his stomach, and climbs on top of him, sliding inside urgently.  Soren wasn’t lying and it takes mere thrusts before he’s coming hard, biting and gripping the sheets.  Then Ike grabs his hair and pulls it, which makes him rip the sheets, but oh fucking well.  “Oh shit,” Ike whispers into his ear, “oh shit you feel amazing.”  

“I win,” he has to say with a soft laugh, just so pleased and happy and full.  

“You usually do,” Ike concedes, rolling his hips with strength and driving Soren back into bliss.  “This what you wanted?”

“Fuck yessssss.”  It’s not fast or rough, the focus is on depth and strength and filling him completely, and Ike has definitely understood what Soren was in the mood for.  Ike keeps hold of his hair and alternately turns his head into a kiss or focuses on sucking marks into his neck.  Soren goes a little cross eyed and he’s not ashamed to admit it.

“Come with me, baby,” Ike whispers in his ear, and Soren is fucking done, weakly crying out with his orgasm and pressing against Ike as hard as he can to keep this pleasurable ride going as long as possible.  It’s not too long before Ike loudly groans in his ear and Soren can feel him coming too, and Soren moans with the ecstasy of this moment.  Fucking fantastic. 

Ike is a beyond physically fit man, but even he has his limits and Soren is not at all surprised to feel his weight fall more solidly onto him.  He can still breathe so it’s just fine.  Ike laughs breathlessly.  “We made up for lost time, I think.”

“Oh definitely.”  Soren turns his head and they share a chaste kiss.  With the weight of Ike as a comfortable blanket, it isn’t too long before he falls asleep just like that.

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

Queen Elincia’s birthday party is a grand affair, and all the team is dressed to impress with gold-embroidered tunics and lovely long dresses, as well as hair and makeup professionally done.  It is extremely excessive and a little awkward. Soren refuses to let anyone touch his hair, so Ike volunteers to copy an intricate style that he manages to get right with some practice.  Ike does love to play with Soren’s hair, so it makes sense he would be good at styling it too.  

And one hairdresser tries a style with Misania’s hair down, and Ike uncomfortably jokes that he doesn’t recognize her without her trademark twintails, but it’s barely even a joke because the only time her hair isn’t up (at her insistence, of course) is when it’s getting washed.  It looks… wrong.  It eventually gets braided into a bun on her head that also looks wrong, but it gets all sorts of “gems” put in and she’s thrilled so it’s hard to argue.  The boys look dashing but not  so drastic. 

It starts with a feast in the banquet hall, with everyone being given water to drink instead of wine.  It is thus no surprise when King Geoffrey stands and raises a glass in toast to the health of his beloved wife, Queen, and mother of the future Prince of Crimea.  The hall bursts into applause.  Elincia herself is glowing and blushing.  Soren finds it a bit overkill, but there are benefits to being royalty.  

At this point servants go around to give food to everyone.  After the royal court, the Greil Mercenaries are served.  Soren is amused because Ike slinks in his seat, and this works enough for him to avoid getting a toast of his own.    

As typical, Soren’s focus is on his children.  Thankfully the bluenettes are content to sit and eat at first, and Lucien sits on his lap to accept being coaxed into eating.  It is not long before Misania gets up to run around the banquet hall, introducing herself to others.  Soren could stop her, but she’s hardly the only child running around and she’s in clear sight with guards stationed all over the room. 

Once the risk of identification is over, Ike inhales his food like a man starved.  “Quantity over quality, but it is what it is,” he says. 

“I think you missed your calling as a food critic,” Mist, who is on his other side, muses to him. 

Ike drops his fork.  “That’s a thing?!  I pretty much already do that!  I mean every time I eat something new I comment on it in my head or out loud.  Soren, Soren did you know this was a job?  I want this job.  I want to go everywhere and eat everything and give my feedback!” 

Soren fights laughing in public.  Mist is actively laughing.  “We would have to move to a larger city.  But with your reputation, you’d be a shoe-in I would think.” 

“An actual good consequence of this fame?  Sign me up.  Let’s do it.” 

“I’ll see what I can do,” he says.  He doesn’t relish the idea of moving to a big city, but if Ike really wants it he won’t say no.  They’d be able to get more money, if nothing else.  Maybe they could find or build a fort closer to Melior.   

Then he marvels at himself, pondering uprooting the entire team because Ike talks about wanting to be a food critic.  He’s a smitten sap, isn’t he.  Oh well.  It’s not like it would hurt any of the kids.  In fact, them getting to be around more children might actually be a good thing.  Of course, the more people around the more likely there’s to be danger….

A young girl with blue - Misania, sorry, he didn’t recognize her instinctively, runs up to him.  “Papa!  Papa there are so many kids I could be friends with!”   

“I see that,” he says with a smile. 

“Is it okay if I play with them?” 

“Just stay in my sight.” 

“Okay Papa!”  Misania gives him a kiss on the cheek and runs off again.   Lucien is shaking so he’s not going anywhere, and Priam is eating so he’s not going anywhere, so Soren eats and feeds his son and relaxes as much as possible.  Granted it’s hard to do so for a number of reasons, and not just because his daughter is off living her best life by befriending everyone.  This place brings back all the memories of those months after the Mad King’s War - his father’s war, which is an odd way to look at it but not untrue.  Those months had been torture in a different way from the war itself, but, in Soren’s opinion, just as awful if less bloody.  The only bright spot was Ike and Soren bringing their relationship out of the war tent and into a proper bedroom.  

But, he has to remind himself of this, they are here for mere days this time and will be going home shortly.  Five days total and today is day three.  And, since no one is nobility anymore, they can be as snarky as they please. They are still free.

Of course some things never change, so Ike is roped into dancing with Elincia and other much more outgoing people at the celebratory ball.  He’s grown physically and emotionally, since he has no issue telling strangers “no.” It’s amusing to watch as Gatrie trails Ike to try to pick up his rejects.  And of course the others are all over, mingling or dancing or drinking.

Ike walks up to him, flanked by three random women who are giving him googoo eyes.  “Please dance with me, beloved husband whom I adore?” 

Soren chuckles.  “You owe me,” he says, holding out his hand.  “Lucien, go with Uncle Rhys.”  He looks to Rhys, who is standing to the side with Ulki.  He nods at him and the little one scurries to his uncle as Ike takes his hand and kisses the back of it, pulling him onto the dance floor.  The women look absolutely enraged, but if anything Soren finds that funnier. 

Ike pulls him into the waltz.  They’re not very good at dancing, but they are better than they were in ye olden days.  “Thaaank you,” Ike says with great relief.  “It’s not fair I don’t get to show you off, you know.” 

“It’s plenty fair,” Soren retorts, moving with him, one hand holding his and the other on his shoulder.  “You’re handsome and charismatic.  Your burden to bear is that people want to be around you.” 

“Charismatic?  When did that happen?”  Ike spins him before pulling him back to the dance.  “And you’re the pretty half of this couple.”   

“You’re both hot, quick bickering,” Ranulf calls over from where he’s dancing with Titania.  She laughs at him.   

Soren glances around to see where everyone else is, but Ike dips him to get his attention back.  “Quit worrying.  Everyone is fine.”  He lifts him back up.  “Enjoy yourself.”   

Soren smiles up at him.  The room is atmospheric and lovely, and Ike is dressed to the nines and so is he, and he’s feeling confident for once in his life.  “I know we can’t recognize our daughter with her hair down, but I’ll admit you look very different without your sweatband.” 

“I feel a little naked,” Ike agrees.   

“Dashing,” Soren muses. 

“Don’t get used to it,” Ike says with a soft smile.   

“I prefer you as you, even if it’s nice to dress up once in awhile.”   

Ike spins him again.  “And you with your hair up is still a change for me,” he commiserates.  “I wonder what that says about us.” 

“We’re settled.”  The thought makes him happy. 

They dance in silence, occasionally greeting others who come close but otherwise Soren can freely admit he’s getting lost in his husband’s eyes.  He’s not one for public displays, but there is something gratifying about this, a way to show off to the world that they are indeed a couple and in love and belong together.  He decides that others are right and they even look good together, even if he feels his own appearance pales in comparison to Ike’s, the moon to his sun. 

“I’m done,” he says after awhile, his feet hurting and the self-consciousness finally catching up.  “But this was nice.”  Ike smiles at him and dips him again, kissing him.  Clearly he’s also enjoying the moment.  It makes Soren blush, pleased.  When Ike walks him back over to the side, he’s a smidge disappointed with himself even if he is relieved for the break. 

The kids make it about an hour in, and Misania manages to cajole both Ike and Shinon into dancing with her, which is honestly hilarious to watch for different reasons - the Daddy-Daughter dance because Ike tries so hard but he’s so much taller than her and she rejects him picking her up because “it’s not proper, silly” which means he has to bend forward, and Shinon because he actually looks perfectly fine with this although he does threaten to murder Boyd in his sleep when the latter man teases him about it.  Lucien remains with Soren.  Priam freestyle dances like the music is not an orchestral waltz and so looks like an absolutely adorable idiot.

But eventually spawnlings go to bed, and order is largely restored to the universe. … Except Soren has his own admirer for once, which is… odd.  

“How uncouth,” the man says, gesturing to the dance floor with a wave of his hand.  Soren can’t seem to focus enough to see any distinguishing details on him.  “You are a creature of poise and eloquence.  You deserve better than such a barbarian.”

“Ah yes, the way into a man’s bed - insult his husband,” Soren drawls.

“Good!” he says, and Soren is awe-inspired at this nobleman’s impressive ability to completely ignore his tone.  “You would look beautiful on the arm of an equally beautiful man such as myself.  You would look even more beautiful in my bed.”

Soren looks at him, forcing focus.  The man is a svelte blonde who is overdressed even for a queen’s birthday party.  The irony that his and Ike’s last sexual escapades were focused on how extremely muscular Ike is, is not lost on him.  “You’re not my type.”

“Ah, but I could be!  And you are assuredly my type.  Also, I am rich.”

“Are you trying to whore me out?” Soren asks with an eyebrow raise.

“Just to me, yes!”

Ye gods.  “Counteroffer, I will pay you to go throw yourself off the nearest balcony.”  

The man laughs with the nobleman’s laugh they all seem to have.  “Your wit is almost as beautiful as you!”

“That makes no sense,” he has to point out.

The nobleman is still not getting it.  “Come with me.  We will have the greatest night, and my guards will make sure your meathead of a husband doesn’t interfere.”

Soren sighs before looking at this stupid, stupid man.  “Look into my eyes.”

“Gladly,” he purrs, making intense eye contact.

“Keep looking.”

“Um.”  To his credit he does do so.

“Don’t stop, keep looking,” he orders.  

“Okay…”

“Look more.”

“What am I looking at?”  He’s starting to sound scared. Good.

“What do you see?” he counters.

“Your eyes!”

“What else?”

“Nothing!”

“Incorrect.  You are looking at all the fucks I give about you.”  

The nobleman’s face turns bright red and he storms out.  Soren toasts himself.  

The problem is that the world is getting blurrier and he’s feeling hot.  His heart is beating fast.  He decides to escape through the massive doors which even he in this state can tell are open.  They lead to a quiet, dark and cool hallway.  Soren is sweating and shaking as he leans against the wall and slides to the floor.  

Something is wrong, obviously.  He’s burning up, inside and out, and in more ways than one.  It’s not just a fever, it’s this feeling of a deep need that reminds him of when he was in heat.  But it’s not quite the same, the urge is different.  Fuck, he was drugged somehow.  

“Soren? Are you okay?”  There’s a blur of red sitting next to him, and he can tell it’s Titania even if she is wearing a deep burgundy dress very unlike her typical attire.  

“I think so,” Soren says, trying to focus on deep breaths, “I think I got drugged.” 

She takes his hand in hers, squeezing.  “Okay, okay, don’t worry, you’re safe.  Ranulf!” 

Seconds later, he hears Ranulf pad out of the ballroom.  “Oh geez, he’s in a bad way.” 

“He thinks he got drugged,” she explains.  He hears Ranulf hiss.  “I don’t want to leave him alone, so please go get Ike.” 

“On it.”   

“Thank you,” he whispers to Titania, filled with relief that she is here.   Being alone right now would be terrifying.

“Of course, darling.  You know you’re one of mine, don’t you?  Just like Ike and Mist.” 

He did not know that.  “Did you adopt me and I didn’t notice?” 

She chuckles.  “Exactly.  Silly.  Only took you over a decade to figure it out.”  Huh.  He will have to ponder this later.   She holds his hand with one hand and the other she rubs his back.  It spurs a physiological reaction in him that drives it home that the drug he was given was an aphrodisiac. Ike needs to get here now.   

It seems like an eternity before he hears Ike exclaim, “Sweet baby Yune what happened?”  Seconds later Ike kneels by him, checking his forehead with a hand.  

“He was drugged,” Titania explains.  “Don’t freak out, he seems to be lucid!” 

“I am,” he asserts.  The world goes sharply into focus and holy shit Ike is handsome.  Soren wants to climb him like a tree, ride him like a stallion and fuck him into next week all at the same time.  

“Excuse me!” yells a familiar haughty voice, and the four in the hallway look to the nobleman who had been rather poorly hitting on him earlier.  “I spent a lot of money on that potion, you were supposed to come find me!”

Soren groans and lets his head hit the wall.  “Someone dumber than Skrimir exists.  I didn’t think this was possible.”  

“Wait, you drugged Soren?!” Ike demands in a growl, and Soren wants to jump him.

“And expected him to get super horny and  find you?” Ranulf has to incredulously ask.  “Who even are you?”

“Ike, take him back to your rooms, I’ve got this.”  Titania stands and cracks her knuckles, and he can hear the sound of her high heels clicking on the stone floor before the sound of a very loud punch to the face.  

Ike is still staring down the hallway, so Soren takes the opportunity to grab him by his fancy tunic and yank him into a kiss.  Ike, startled, stands up with him.  Soren purrs loudly as he pulls Ike back into the kiss, standing on his toes before stepping closer and wrapping one leg around Ike’s.  He is  desperately full of need to the point it’s hard to do anything but kiss him even though clothes need to come off too, so really he needs to let go of Ike’s tunic-

“Hey,” he says, cupping Soren’s face to break their kiss, “Relax.”  He then takes Soren’s hands to slide his thumb under his fingers to break his grip.  “We need to get back to our rooms.  And Ranulf for the love of - I don’t know what, quit staring!”

“But it’s so pretty,” Ranulf says wistfully.  

As far as Soren is concerned, no one else exists.   His body vibrates more at them holding hands and the sight of his extremely sexy husband standing in front of him, looking at his face with concern that Soren finds far more erotic than the drug he’d been slipped.  “Mmm, I need you, I neeeeed you!”  He kisses him again.

“You” kiss “can’t” kiss “technically” kiss “consent-“

“Bullshit,” says Soren, finally letting him go, “You can say no but there’s a chance I’ll find someone willing and I really don’t want that-“

Ike kisses him harshly, shutting him up.  “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

“Good.  Take me to bed, dumbass.”

Ike scoops him up, walking back to their rooms in large steps.   Soren makes out with his neck as he does so, because he wants his mate to be receptive, of course.  

Thankfully the suite is dark and silent, the hatchlings all asleep.  Ike marches them directly to their bedroom, and Soren takes control from here.  “Put me down.”  Ike does so.  “Get your clothes off and get on the bed.”  Soren is forcing himself to keep as calm as possible, looking for the vulnerary.   

“Are you sure you want this?” Ike asks as he gets naked.  

It’s been years since Soren topped.  When they first began their sexual relationship, and they were far closer in size, they experimented plenty.  Soren preferred bottoming as a general rule because the feeling of Ike inside him was just so fulfilling.  Then Ike had his infamous growth spurt and, once they got past the triggered reactions, they both gravitated towards Ike topping because of how intense it all felt.  Soren did always get a little annoyed at how everyone assumed Ike topped as a show of dominance in and out of the bedroom, which was not true at all.   It was just personal preferences.

But right now, he really just wants to fuck him.  This aphrodisiac has given him this urge to just thrust into someone warm and willing and - 

“Very sure,” Soren replies, kneeling on the bed.  “But Ike - Ike I want to fuck you.”

“Uh, yeah?  That’s the point?”

Soren takes a deep breath.  Why is everyone so stupid today?  “As in, I want to top.”

“Oh.”  Ike looks surprised.  “If that’s what you need.”

He himself is hard as a rock and has been for some time, but he knows he’ll need to stretch Ike out thoroughly.  Even in his heat-addled mind, the thought of hurting Ike is abhorrent.  So he drops his own pants and gets onto the bed between Ike’s legs and pulls Ike’s hips onto his lap.  There is no time for any sort of cleaning, so this is going to be messy, but Soren does not give any fucks.  Pun unintended.  Instead he slides a finger up Ike’s asshole, immediately curving to give gentle strokes to his prostate.  He forces his instincts to calm.  He is not some sex-craved male caricature, he is Soren, he has complete control -

“Mmm, fuck,” Ike groans, throwing an arm over his face.  “Not so, nnngggh, hard!” 

Soren somehow manages to make it even softer, even as he inwardly admits that Ike may have just killed his self-control.  “That’s either going to be a great thing or a terrible thing,” he admits as he slides in a second finger.   

Ike is already a wreck, alternating between gritting his teeth or making soft moans.  His hips are raised and completely still as if he doesn’t know what to do with them.  “I forgot how, uh, intense this is!”  His hole is shaking around his fingers, and Soren is enthralled by the idea of how good this is going to feel around his dick.   

He presses in a third finger, and Ike grabs a pillow and puts it on his face.  It makes Soren laugh a little bit.  If Ike had to take an object the size of his own dick he might just die.  Of course Soren will never do such a thing, because his is going to be a challenge.   

When he feels that Ike is stretched enough, he lines himself up and presses in, as slowly and carefully as possible.  Ike’s death grip on the pillow noticeably increases as he lets out a loud “fuck!” into it.  Soren is not happy with this and rips the pillow from his hands, although Ike has to give it up.   He angles his hips while raptly watching Ike’s face, intent on stroking his prostate without pounding it - he can tell when he succeeds because Ike throws his head back as he groans, hips held perfectly still so Soren can properly ride him at the same angle.   He’s slick and hot and smooth and Soren fucks him with abandon.  “Just like - just like this - fuck your dick is big!”

Soren laughs a little, because he’s not particularly well-endowed but he supposes anything would feel big shoved up your ass if you’re not particularly used to it.  Ike’s dick is right there so he strokes it, choking out a pleasured gasp at the instinctive tightening of Ike’s body in response.  He slows his thrusts to really take in the gorgeous sight of his husband lying beneath him, body on display and eyes rolled back into his head.  Soren runs his hand over Ike’s chest and abs in appreciation as he continues to stroke his dick, and Ike comes hard in record time.  

It pulls Soren’s from him, much to his own shock, and damn does it feel amazing, like a deep itch being scratched or a hit of an intense drug.   He’s not able to do anything but bask in the feelings until there’s a hand in his hair and he’s pulled down into a kiss, tongues gently tangling in counterpoints to the more rigorous coupling.   “Are you okay?” Ike asks quietly.

Soren gives a gentle kiss.  “He paid way too much for that potion, it made me insatiably horny for a relatively small amount of time and I feel fine now.”   Indeed he feels himself softening inside Ike.   “How are you?”

“It was better than I expected,” he admits, which Soren is not sure if he’s offended or flattered by.  “And I do wish I would have punched that guy, but I guess Titania needed to be a mama bear so I can let that slide.”

“Wait, did you know Titania had adopted me?”

Ike blinks up at him and then sighs.  “Oh, you.  I know you’re convinced the others hate you, but come on.”  He tightens his legs and Soren finds himself dragged down to lay on Ike’s chest, completely wrapped around.  “I’m going to spend the next hour or so just telling you about how people like you.”

“This is false imprisonment,” Soren argues, but quite frankly he’s comfortable.   

“Also, top cleans up.”

“Not if I fall asleep first.”  He closes his eyes. 

“Ugh, fine.  You’re lucky you’re pretty.”

Ike: 👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻

Chapter Text

Ike wakes up the next morning and starts his day as he usually does - checking on everyone and trying to figure out where breakfast is.  He is amused at Soren giving him anxious glances - truly his husband is absolutely adorable, even if he will deny it for all time.  Unless Soren pulls out a tome, he could not hurt Ike if he tried, in bed or out.  Last night had been just fine in his books.  Plus Titania left a note saying the nobleman who drugged Soren was arrested, so that’s a win-win.   While he wishes Soren’s reintroduction to topping was a little less coerced, Soren doesn’t seem bothered by the circumstances so he won’t let it bother him either.

But after breakfast he feels like going out and doing something.  This stuffy castle brings back bad memories.  So he decides to steal Lucien.  “Hey Squeaker, wanna go shopping?” 

He gasps and looks up.  “What?  Me?” 

“Yes.  I want a daddy-son outing.”  Soren looks worried, but Ike smiles at his son.  “If you want to, of course.” 

Lucien gently tucks Isolde into his bed before running to him and looking up with big eyes.  “Are you sure?” 

“Yes, you goofball.”  He tickles him gently.  “I asked, didn’t I?”  Lucien nods brightly and Ike picks him up, putting him on his shoulders.  “We’re just gonna explore, Papa.” 

“Hmm.”  Soren goes to their bags and pulls out two stones that are roughly larger than his hand.  Oh right, their sending stones.  He puts one into a small satchel and gives it to Ike.  “Enjoy.  I’m going to have Priam go with the rest of the family so Misania and I,” he puts on an extremely cheerful, high-pitched voice, “can go on an amazing adventure to get Evil Grandpapa’s Ancestral Blade, and maybe we can find it an evil spirit too!”

“That was a good impression,” Ike says appreciatively as Lucien claps.  It does drive home that she may have Ike’s coloring and attitude but she has Soren’s more delicate features.  

“Why thank you.”  He chuckles, waving them off.  Ike takes his son on their own adventure - hopefully one without any evil spirits.

Ah yes, Melior.  Ike’s third least-favorite place after Sienne and Nevassa.   

Ike knows his son and knows to take him to go to some fancy store selling jewelry.  Much like his papa, Lucien is a huge fan of things that are shiny.   In fact, even though he’s typically too anxious to go too far, Lucien feels emboldened to walk around the store to look at everything on display.  It makes Ike grin.  “Can we get these for Mia’s pigtails?” he asks, pointing to two bracelets.   

He chuckles.  “I think we’ll stick with ribbons for now.  She’d lose anything that fancy, or give it away if someone asked her to.” 

Lucien giggles.  “Okay but I wanna get her a present!” 

“Awww, sure.  But we need to get something for you, too.”   

He gasps.  “I get a shiny?” 

“You get a shiny.”  He grins broader at his son’s squeal of joy and watches him go to run around the store.   

“I have more… interesting things in the back,” the store owner says to him, and Ike feels his ears turning red.  “For curious couples.” 

“Not with present company,” Ike says in a harsh whisper, wanting to smack the man on the back of the head for advertising his adult wares when Ike is there with a six-year-old.  He is a little interested in possibly coming back, though.  He is somewhat curious about it.  He’ll probably come with Soren.   

Then he hears a loud, booming voice, “Get outta here, sub-human!”

And then Lucien scurries from the other side of the store and hides behind Ike.   

Ike takes a fraction of a second to identify the one who yelled at his son and decide how he’s going to handle it.  The fact that he was too scared to zap anyone meant Lucien was very afraid.   So then Ike’s moving with complete intention.  “Oh it’s that kinda day, huh?”  He takes off his cloak and drapes it over Lucien so he doesn’t see this. 

The man, who is ugly and filled with hatred, balks.  “Sorry, sorry!”  He throws up his hands in surrender as he scrambles to the exit.

Ike cracks his knuckles and crosses the length of the store in about a second.  “Not accepted.”  He punches the man in his stupid evil face, sending him flying into the wall, literally.  “And you should never be around kids, so let’s make sure you don’t have any.”  The guy is stuck in the wall, so he’s at perfect height for Ike to kick him as hard as possible in the balls.  His scream of abject agony is so gratifying.  “You deserve worse,” he says before turning back to the store owner and more importantly Lucien, who is giving him a look of pure hero worship as he holds Ike’s cloak like one of his safety blankets.  He smiles at his baby as he walks to him and picks him back up. “Sorry for the damage,” he says to the owner.   

“No problem,” says the owner, although Ike has a feeling the man would not be so accommodating if he wasn’t worried about suffering the same fate.  Ike doesn’t go around punching people for no reason, but this guy doesn’t know that obviously.  “It’s, uh, minor damage, and the uh, customer was rude to your son.”   

“Yep, exactly.  How about lunch, Squeaker?”  He gives Lucien a smooch on the cheek.   

“You defended me, because I’m your son too,” Lucien says with a purr and a blush of happiness. 

Ike chuckles as he takes him to leave the store, deciding to not buy anything here anyway.  Just in case the owner agrees with the guy who got punched.  “You know that, you goofball.” 

“Well I worry you’re gonna forget me ‘cause Mia and Priam are like you and I’m kinda quiet,” Lucien “reasons.”

He flings him up to ride on his shoulders.  “Nope, not happening.” 

“And did you really punch that guy into the wall?” 

“Sure did.  No one is mean to my kids and gets away with it.” 

Lucien hugs his head.  “I’m sorry.” 

“You did nothing wrong,” Ike says.   

“Well I did, ‘cause I’m Branded,” he reasons, “I mean I musta done somethin’.” 

Ike sighs and walks to a bench, taking Lucien off his shoulders and sitting him down on it and kneeling in front of him.  “You did nothing wrong,” he says again.  “All you did was exist and have a dragon as a grandmama.  There is nothing wrong with you and you did nothing wrong.  I’m working on punching all the racists, I promise.”  Lucien giggles.  “So, what did you do wrong?” 

“Nothing,” he says with pride, and Ike kisses his Brand. 

“Oh, and do you want to know something cool?” 

“Uh always!” 

“Your Brand is not just any Brand.  Yours is just like your great-uncle Rajaion’s.  He was married to Great-Aunt Ena and is the father of baby Amarajeet.  And… well, it’s sad, but he died trying to save your papa, a long time ago.”  Lucien gasps.  “So he was a hero, too.”   

“Woah.”  He processes this.  “So I have like a lot of heroes in my family.” 

“Yep, you do.  Aaaaaand I bet you’ll be a hero someday, too.” 

Lucien blushes and throws himself into Ike’s arms for cuddles.  “I love you so much, Daddy!” 

“I love you too, Squeaker.  Now then, let’s go get some shiny stuff.” 

“Yay!” 

Ike is a weak man, despite the reputation.  He will do anything to make his family happy, whether it’s manual labor, sexual servicing, buying sweets, training with children, or doing tea parties.  It should not surprise anyone then that he finds another shop, this one run by people he actually knows.  The merchant caravan is set up in a relatively small building, and Ike can see all members bustling around as he and Lucien walk in.  Well, he walks in, Lucien still on his shoulders.  

Muston is running the front desk.  “Well I’ll be.  Ike?!”

“You’re not Ike, I am,” he has to joke as he holds out a hand.  They shake as Muston laughs.  “Long time no see.  How’s business?”

“Booming!  The Queen’s Birthday has been great for selling and buying.  Judging from the kid, I doubt you’re here for weapons though!”

It hits him how nice it feels that he isn’t here for weapons.  “Nope.  We’re on a shiny hunt.  By the way, this is Lucien, my and Soren’s youngest.”  He picks Lucien off his shoulders and puts him down.  “Luci, this is Muston.  He’s worked with plenty of beorc and laguz before so there’s no need to worry.”  He gives Muston a level look, just in case.  

Muston for his part seems to pick up on it.  “Definitely.  I’ve sold plenty of things to plenty of people.  But if you’re looking for shinies, let me get Aimee.”  Ike groans, and Muston laughs.  “Don’t worry, don’t worry, she’s given up.”  He sighs in relief. 

Lucien waits patiently, on his toes.  “This is exciting!”

“I’m glad, Squeaker.”  

Aimee walks out with Muston, her back straight and with her face completely serious.  “Ike.”

“Aimee,” he says.  “My son wants to shop.”

“Hmph.”  She looks down and immediately her face becomes very conflicted.  “Oh.  You again!  Is um, is Soren around?”

“No,” Ike assures her, snickering internally.  Watching Soren verbally eviscerate people is always memorable and sexy, but his smack-downs of Aimee have always been the greatest treat.  

She immediately relaxes and then smiles warmly at Lucien.  “Welcome to the shop!  Let’s see if we can’t find you something you like.” 

He broadly smiles then looks to Ike, who nods at him encouragingly.  Lucien walks to Aimee and they peer into a large glass cabinet.  Ike smiles as he watches them, curious to find out what his son will pick.  Meanwhile he himself also looks for something for Soren.  He spots amongst the jewelry a delicate silver chain with a garnet in the middle - a belly button ring and chain.   Immediately the belly dance Soren did years ago flashes into his mind.  And garnet is his birthstone and the color of his eyes, so Ike makes the decision that this is going to be his present for him.  Just because it is also a present for himself doesn’t mean anything bad!  

Lucien meanwhile looks just like a miniature Soren (if Soren had curly hair) as he inspects everything meticulously, inwardly debating on what he wants to get for whom.  He gestures for Ike to come over, so he kneels by him.  He points to the garnet belly-button ring and whispers into Ike’s ear that he thinks it’d be good for Papa because it’s Papa’s birthstone.  Ike dies a little inside at the idea of his son gifting his husband something that will likely be used to seduce himself, but tries to hide his pain on the matter.  “The, uh, garnet belly button ring,” he reports.  Lucien, being a child, immediately giggles at mentions of belly buttons as they are inherently hilarious apparently.  Aimee raises an eyebrow at him.  “You heard the man.”  Okay technically no she didn’t, but still.  She gets it out and places it into a box.  

Lucien then whispers into Ike’s ear that he thinks Priam would like a small pin of a sword.  “Yeah he would like it, until he stabs someone with it and it gets taken from him,” he replies, and Lucien makes a good point face.  “We’ll buy him a snack on the way back, how’s that?”  Lucien accepts this with a nod and returns his gaze to the cabinet.   He frowns and walks over to a different one, searching.

“I can’t handle how cute he is,” Aimee muses.

“I know, right?”  First thing he’s ever agreed with her on.

Finally he stomps his foot in frustration before coming back to Ike, whispering that the only thing good enough for his twin are two little bracelets that could go in her twintails.  Ike follows him and, as per usual, folds like a piece of paper.  “The two little bracelets.”  They’d have to be very careful, is all, even if Soren was going to kill him for this.  “I’ll grab a snack too for me, so now you need to find something for you.”

He beams and immediately points at a little charm of a lightning bolt that has an imbedded pearl.  As one who has gotten electrocuted countless times, he can admit it’s fitting.  “And lastly, the lightning bolt.”  Aimee is professional as she boxes everything up.  “Also I am contractually obligated to demand a discount.  Sorry, you’ve met my husband, you know how it is.”  She pales a little but obliges him.  Soren will be proud of Ike’s haggling skills, surely.

Victorious, they go back to the castle (nabbing some treats on the walk).

“Daddy Luci!  Daddy Luci look!”  Misania is waiting for them at the door like a dog, immediately grabbing Ike’s hand (Lucien was on his shoulders again) and jumping up and down.  “We gotted Evil Grandpapa’s Ancestral Blade!!!!!” 

Soren is sitting on a chair reading as he easily gestures to the fact that Gurgurant is now resting there, with Priam staring at it in awe.  Ike feels the hair on his neck rise up as he recalls the ridiculous precision that huge slab of metal had been wielded against him years ago.  Deep breaths, Ike.  Everything is okay.  The thing looks even bigger now than it did back then.  “Very cool.  I take it your adventure worked out okay then.” 

“Yep!  I sat on Papa’s shoulders and we zipped up a big coat and I painted a moo-stache on me so I looked like an adult and we stole it in a daring heist!” 

Lucien giggles like crazy.   

“We asked for it,” Soren chimes in.  She pouts at him.   

“Well Lucien and I had our own adventure,” Ike asserts, putting him down and handing him the box.   

Lucien opens it and takes out the belly button chain and takes it to Soren.  “For you, Papa!” 

Soren flushes awkwardly before recovering himself.  “Thank you, it’s lovely.” 

“Aaaand,” he runs back to take the bracelets and give them to his sister.  “For your hair!” 

“Woah!”  She squeals in joy.  “Thanks, Luci!  They’re so pretty!!!!”  Ike can see Soren’s eye twitch. 

 “You’re welcome!”  He then goes to the other box and pulls out sticky buns to give to Priam, and then to Ike.   

“Thanks!” Priam exclaims, just as excited about a snack as Misania had been about two expensive bracelets.  Ike has to agree on that, taking his own.   

“And I got me a necklace,” says Lucien with pride.  “I wanted to buy stuff for Auntie Mist and Auntie Titania but Daddy said we didn’t have the money.” 

“They’ll be okay,” Ike adds, although he makes a mental note he definitely owes Titania something for her defense of Soren.   

“So it seems like everyone was very productive today,” Soren says indulgently.  “Is there anything anyone else wants to do today or tomorrow?  We leave the day after.” 

Ike wouldn’t mind leaving early, but the kids look at each other as they start to debate what else they might do in the big city.  Then Lucien ruins everything by saying, “Oh yeah!  Daddy punched a guy into a wall and it was super cool.  Hey Papa, what’s a subhuman?” 

Ike literally feels the temperature in the room go down, and he’s not entirely sure what to do.  The source is, of course, Soren.  The kids notice it too, looking at him.  He’s sitting in the chair like a glacier, and there’s a wind starting.  The windows explode outwards and Soren stands up, leaving.  

“Stay here,” Ike orders before pursuing.  He follows him as he quickly strides through the castle, almost running.  The air feels crystalline in his wake, and Ike actually feels anxious.  He’s never seen Soren in such a state before - typically even an upset Soren is one who is calm and collected, generally going towards a frigid verbal evisceration rather than anything violent.  But as citizens and guards alike run out of his way, Ike is honestly not sure how this is going to go.  But he does know better than to try to get Soren to calm down.  

Soren is single-minded in his determination to get out of the city, and he doesn’t stop walking until he is at the edge of the nearest forest. Then suddenly there’s something like a hurricane forming, winds flying and disrupting everything around them and blowing outwards.  It’s sort of weirdly fascinating because the wind flies around him too, but while he has to shield his eyes from flying debris the wind itself doesn’t touch him.  “Soren!” 

Soren’s head snaps to look at him, his eyes glowing green as the wind somehow picks up.  He’s terrifying and beautiful at the same time.  “I told you this would happen,” he snarls, and somehow he can still hear him over the storm.  Ike tries to take a step forward, but the wind stops him in his tracks.  “I told you!” 

“You were right, I’m sorry!” Ike calls, hands up in surrender.   

This does not take the wind out of his sails, pun intended, and he starts directing the wind to slice down trees, the forest taking the brunt of his wrath.  “I hate this country!  I hate this entire continent, every single inch of it!  Fuck humans, fuck laguz, fuck Tellius!”  The cacophony gets louder as trees start to fall in a circle facing away from them.  Although Ike should by all rights be ripped apart right along with them, he’s still untouched.   

Everything stops abruptly - the wind, the destruction, the pulse of magic.  Soren, standing in a perfect circle of untouched grass, collapses to his knees and buries his face into his lap, huddled over and not moving.  Ike runs to him, looking him over for injuries - there aren’t any.  Soren’s hands are over his head, elbows plugging his ears.  Cue that Ike’s talking is not wanted right now.  So instead Ike covers him in his cloak and gently, slowly picks him up.  He doesn’t move, doesn’t respond, eyes blank.  Ike carries him away from the carnage, half terrified for the state he’s in and half in awe of the damage Soren had managed to do so quickly. 

The people of Melior are rightfully staring at them as Ike carries Soren through, but Ike doesn’t give one flying fig about them.  Thankfully the place is big enough he doesn’t see the racist who started this whole mess, but inwardly Ike curses him again.   They are approached by a familiar knight in all red.  Kieran salutes him.  “Good afternoon!  Reports of a hurricane now make complete sense!  Please feel free to pass unimpeded!”
 

“Thanks,” says Ike, relieved that he doesn’t have to explain anything.  He carries them back to their room, “subtly” being followed by Kieran to likely make sure he’s going where he’s supposed to go (but Kieran is the opposite of subtle) but not wanting to go anywhere else anyway.  Soren’s eyes are glazed over and to Ike there’s a wrong feeling that’s hard to describe.  Like something he didn’t really recognize as there before is gone.  It’s weird.  He assumes maybe Soren wiped out his magic with that display.  

But by the time they make it back to their room, Soren is back with him, so to speak.  “Sorry,” he says quietly. 

“Don’t apologize to me, the trees are the ones who need it,” he says as lightly as possible.  Ike feels a spark of hope at Soren’s lip twitching.  He sits on the settee, Soren firmly in his arms.  “I’m sorry,” he admits.  “I was wrong.  People are assholes.  I did punch the guy into a wall and kick him in the balls, for what it’s worth.” 

“You were also right,” Soren says softly, “People are assholes, yes, but you were there to keep him safe, too.  He clearly wasn’t offended by the person who was mean to him, and it sounds like you, uh, handled it expeditiously.” 

Ike chuckles, petting his hair.  “I did.  And yeah, Squeaker thought the guy was an idiot.  Which he was.” 

“Yes.”  Soren sighs, closing his eyes.  “Where are they?” 

As if on cue, the door to the kids’ room opens.  All three are standing there, staring.  Ike gives them a small smile, and they run in.  “That was so cool!” Priam yells, “The wind was everywhere but didn’t get any of us!” 

“I can butt-kick whoever made you so mad,” Misania offers.   

“Too late, Daddy already did,” Lucien chimes in.  “It was really cool too.” 

Ike isn’t sure exactly why at first, but one by one the team comes into their sitting room.  “So, team meeting,” Titania says softly.  “I know Ike has a reputation of hitting first and asking questions later for when he feels his family is threatened…” 

Ike feels a bit wary, because it’s a fact of life that he has no intention of changing.  It’s not like he’s a hyper-violent meathead.  His aggressions are purely defensive and calculated.   

“… but you’re not the only one,” she finishes.  

“Team Aunts and Uncles are here to defend the kids,” Oscar chimes in.  He smiles at his younger brother, who is bouncing Kiera on his lap.  “All of them.” 

“And that includes anyone who complains that Luci’s Branded,” Mia adds with a big grin.  “We don’t have time for that nonsense!” 

Ike is touched, but not surprised.  “Thanks, guys.” 

“We are a team,” Mist summarizes, “Even if I don’t really want to move so you can be a food critic.” 

Ike sticks his tongue out at his little sister.  “Don’t crush my dreams!” 

“Crush them into dust,” Shinon chimes in.

Ike fondly shakes his head.  “Kids, can you go with everyone else so I can take care of Papa?” he asks them, still petting Soren’s hair through the cloak.  The kids thankfully agree, and everyone clears out.   

“I’m okay,” says Soren, voice dull.  Ike still can feel the absence and it’s a little weird. 

“I’m not,” Ike says.  And then Soren makes that true by sitting up and taking off the cloak. 

There is a thick strip of white hair originating at the part in his hair and traveling down before it’s incorporated into the rest of his hair, a stark contrast.  

The world starts to spin for Ike, and he feels dizzy and out of his own body.  “This is fine,” he says, “Everything is fine, this is fine.” 

Soren scowls at him and, realizing he can’t see what Ike is looking at, he stands up and goes into the bathroom.  He comes back out seconds later and sits on Ike’s lap, straddling his hips and cupping his face.  “Don’t spiral.  Just look at me.” 

That doesn’t help, actually, because looking at Soren is looking at the streak of white in his hair, the first sign of aging, and it’s combined with the sight of a weapon that almost killed him and the fact that someone called his baby a subhuman, and Ike is unable to fucking breathe, his heart pounding hard enough it feels like it might burst from his chest, and he can feel his eyes burning, and Soren lost his cool just like twenty minutes ago, and  

Soren throws himself into his arms and hugs him tightly around the chest, pulling his head in so Ike’s nose is buried in the crux of his neck.  “Breathe with me, in and out.”  The scent is calming, soothing, a reminder of peace and normalcy, and Ike takes deep breaths through his nose over and over, eyes squeezing shut as the tears run down his face.  “It’s my own fault.  I lost my temper and drained my magic, and it must have made my hair turn white.  It’s absolutely fine.  I can feel it rebuilding as I sit here.  If the sight upsets you I can dye the hair streak.” 

“That’s not the problem,” Ike argues. 

“I know,” he says softly.  “Today was a trying day.  But we’re together.  We’ve got this.” 

Ike laughs a little helplessly.  “We’re both kind of messes right now.” 

“True, but again, we’re messes together.  A bonded pair of messes.” 

“According to our wedding vows, we’re a bonded pair of assholes,” he has to say, smiling at the memory.   

“Accurate,” Soren agrees, petting his hair.  “Sanaki wasn’t right about much, but she was right about that.” 

Ike finally lifts his head, and looks at his husband’s face.  If he’s aged much since signing a spirit pact, Ike can’t tell.  He still looks younger than he actually is, but not so much that anyone would ever accuse Ike of seducing a teenager.  Ike manages to match his breathing to his.  “That was mean,” he has to say, smiling and pressing their foreheads together.  “Just kind of proving her point.” 

“Far be it from me to prove Her Majesty the Empress of Begnion a liar.”   

They relax in each other’s arms, each giving and taking strength and peace from the other in equal measure.  “I’m sorry,” Soren says again.   

“Me too.”  Ike steals a kiss.  Once again he gets the need to make sure Soren is safe.  “I need to just cuddle you.”

Soren lets out a dramatic gasp.  “How scandalous!  Cuddles?  Next thing I know you’ll want to hold hands.”

“I actually do want to do that too,” he asserts, having to smile. He knows Soren is being silly to lighten the mood, and he lets himself go with it.  “Some spicy hand-holding.  And possibly, maybe, kiss you.”

“On the cheek, surely.”

“Possibly even the mouth.”  

Soren tsks.  “Think of the children!”

“Considering they exist because we like to kiss, they should really be okay with it,” he points out.  “Besides, we are still technically in a sex-challenge month!  Surely cuddles are one of the challenges.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t written that in there.”

“I will once we get home.  But for now,” he stands up, “I want to engage in highly scandalous cuddles and hand-holding.”

“And kissing,” Soren adds with a softer smile.

“And sleeping.”

“Kinky.”

Chapter Text

In light of the fact that the celebrations are over, plus Ike and Soren having mini freak outs, the team opts to go home early.   This unfortunately necessitates they refund some money, because Soren would never go back on a contract, which means having to actually bid adieu to their hosts.  Only Titania comes to see the royalty with them, the rest going to Amy’s Tavern.

“I greatly appreciate you all coming,” Elincia says to the three with happiness, glowing with her joy.  The years have been kind to her in all ways - she’s still youthful looking, personally fulfilled, and has the love and admiration of her subjects.  A far cry from the anxious and depressed girl from years ago.  Soren can feel happy for her now.  “It was so wonderful to see you!  Please come visit more often!”

“Thanks,” says Ike.  “I’m trying to convince Soren to let me be a food critic, which would mean we’d have to move to a big city, so maybe.”  Titania groans.  Ike’s new life goal is contentious.  Soren is amused by it.

“We have had a lovely time,” Titania adds with a wry smile.  “We’ll likely come back even if Ike doesn’t get a free meal out of it.”

“Says you,” Ike retorts with a small smile.

To Soren’s surprise, Bastian looks at him.  “So, you’re finally leaving.  While I won’t lie and say I enjoyed your company, I will say I appreciated having someone close to my intellect to verbally spar with.”

“I wouldn’t know what that’s like, no one is close to my intellect,” he replies.  

“Thank you all for coming to honor Queen Elincia’s birthday,” Geoffrey interrupts.  Soren is not sure why everyone is so keen on interrupting their perfectly reasonable discussions, but oh well.  Saves Bastian the shame.  “And safe travels home.   Also, good luck with Priam.  He’s incredibly fast for a pre-teen.”

“Don’t I know it,” Ike says wryly.  

“I got this for Lucien,” says Lucia, holding out a box.  Ike takes it and Soren has to open it - there’s a lovely tea set inside that has a sort of iridescent quality to it that makes it visually entrancing to him.  “To thank him for being such a gracious host, as well as the fantastic choice in name.”

“He’ll love this, thank you,” Ike says warmly.  

“That’s beautiful,” Soren agrees.

“It reminded me of light, in general, if that makes sense.”

“It’s a very thoughtful gift, thank you,” he says, sort of shocked.  This must have been very expensive.  But then again, Lucia is the consort of a queen.  She must be comfortable enough that she can spend ludicrously large sums of money on tea sets.  “Everyone has spoiled my children since we came, and I’m grateful.”

“They are very cute,” Elincia chimes in.  “I can’t wait to introduce them to my little one when he arrives.  Four months left!”

They engage in some more pleasantries that Soren tries to focus on, but can’t.  Ye gods he just wants to go home.  Eventually they do give a polite goodbye and start the walk to find the others at Amy’s Tavern.

He is filled with amusement when they get there because Amy and Rose have co-opted the twins and are in the process of making them look as identical as possible.  They’re both wearing cute dresses with frilly skirts and have their hair in twin-tails, albeit of course Lucien’s are much smaller and curly.  Misania is beaming with joy while Lucien looks extremely confused.  It does drive home that they really do have very similar facial structures.  Rose is adding ribbons into Lucien’s hair while Amy is getting out some makeup. 

“I want to keep them, Mama,” Amy says to Calill, who chuckles. 

“I think their parents would also like to keep them,” she replies as she works on some stir-fry. 

“They would,” Ike says.  “Wow.  This is almost too cute, though.  I’m kind of dying on the inside.”

“It is cute,” Soren agrees. 

“I bet you can’t tell which one is which!” Misania cheers. 

“A mystery for the ages,” he says.  “That being said, it’s time to go, so go return the dresses.”

“Awww.”  Amy pouts as they run off to go get changed. 

Soren looks and finds Priam following Largo around.  “There’s no way a dragon ripped off your arm!  I’m part dragon and I don’t wanna rip people’s arms off.  Tell me the REAL story!”

“Fine, fine.”  Largo is smiling.  “I lost my arm during the war.  Your dad was hungry, so he ate it.” 

Priam’s face is one of revulsion.  Ike grimaces.  “Did you seriously just tell my kid I’m a cannibal?”

“Yep,” says Largo with a broad grin.

“What even is my life?” he asks quietly, then he says, “I can’t believe I have to say it, but no, Priam, I am not a cannibal and did not eat Mr. Largo’s arm.”

“Aww,” he says, somewhat disappointed, “That would’ve been pretty cool.  And super creepy.”

“What actually happened was he pulled really hard on a door that needed pushed,” Ike continues.  Priam looks confused until he sees Largo start laughing and figures out it was a joke.  Then he laughs too.

“It fell off due to invasive questions from nosy children,” Soren says wryly.  His son sticks his tongue out at him.

“The real story is he lost his arm in an arm-wrestling competition with me,” Boyd chimes in.  He has been banished inside, with Mist dealing with their child outside by the horses.  Kiera inherited Mist’s love of horses and the girl can often be soothed by being near them.  “Broke the table, but snapped the arm right off.”

“Actually, I set it on fire when he didn’t do chores for a week,” Calill interjects, “So remember, always help around the house.”  Priam looks horrified, and Soren is amused.

“Lamb blossom, I would never!” Largo retorts with an exaggerated hurt look.  She nods her acquiescence.  Soren is confused at what the heck a lamb blossom is and why he uses it as a term of endearment.

“I remember when it happened!” Amy exclaims with joy, waving her arm in the air, “He wanted to prove he could fight two tigers with one arm so he pulled the other off!  He won but then realized he couldn’t reattach it!”

“Wrestling tigers?  None would dare!  Kitten, here’s what really happened,” Ranulf says with a mischievous grin, “he sold it and his leg because he needed to use it to pay for this tavern.  The tavern was so successful that he got the leg back.  It’s just that the down-payment cost him… an arm and a leg!”  More than a few people groan in agony at that terrible pun.

“That’s not true!” Kieran proclaims, clearly excited to be here and involved.  Soren hadn’t noticed him among the other mercenaries and he jumps a little.  “He lost the arm fighting a bear with me!  I chopped it off when it was grabbed by a rather aggressive grizzly, saving Largo’s life!”

“It wasn’t your ax, it was the grizzly,” Largo interjects, “Yes, young Priam, the real story is that I lost my arm wrestling a grizzly bear.  It ripped my arm off, so I ripped its arm off and we fought using the other’s arm.  It was a close fight, because my arm, even unattached, was so strong.  But you always have a right to bear arms.”

“That might be the coolest thing ever and I’ve decided that is true,” Priam says in awe.  Largo laughs and ruffles his hair.  Soren would consider it a good lesson in not asking invasive questions, but he knows that’s a lesson Priam will never learn. 

Soren walks over to Amy, Rose, and Calill.  “Ladies, thank you for hosting.”

“You’re welcome, Bestie,” Calill says with a wide smile.

“Hey!” Ranulf yells, “He’s MY Bestie!  I called dibs!”

“He introduced me as his friend,” she argues with pride.

“He said we were friends while he was high off his ass,” Ranulf retorts.  “We’ve been Besties for years!  Tell her, Bestie!”

“No,” says Soren. 

“I will deign to share him with you,” she says with a superior sniff. 

“Fine, you can be his Beorc Bestie and I’m his Laguz Bestie,” he gives in.

Soren gets Ike’s sentiment of how is this my life right now?   “This conversation is completely inane.  Right now I don’t particularly like either of you.”

“Stefan is his Branded Bestie, sorry Amy and Rose,” Ranulf says, the jovial tone not changing.  Ranulf really is an expert at disguising any disgust he might feel toward them. 

“I remember him, he would be my bestie too,” Amy says wistfully. 

“No,” says Ike, “None of you are his besties.  That’s me.  I am his Ultimate Bestie.  So back off my man.” 

Both Ranulf and Calill begin arguing the nuance of being one’s husband versus one’s best friend, and Soren opts to leave rather than listen to them.  They have to get moving, anyway.

Ridiculous.  People arguing over being his friend.   Best to focus on the traveling.  It’ll be nice to get home. 

He feels his lips turn up, despite himself.

The trip back was very uneventful, thank the dead Goddess.  Ike was quiet, which Soren respected.  He could tell that the presence of Gurgurant had messed with him, as did the streak in Soren’s hair.  Amusingly, Priam and Misania advocated for Soren dyeing the streak blue so that he matched them.  He hasn’t decided what to do about it.   Unfortunately, it really stands out, and everyone gives him odd looks.  He himself is subtly thrilled at the proof that he is, in fact, aging.  He is pushing 40, after all, and it is expected that he would have SOME signs.    

The fort’s front gate has been damaged, although not completely so – someone tried and failed to break in while they were gone.  Soren feels his hypothetical hackles rise as Titania has to use force and the key to get it open.  Ulki lands and confirms what he’s suspected – “So there’s a whole bandit camp about a mile from here.” 

“Goddess damn it,” Ike mutters.  “Who wants to scout it out?” 

“I’ll do it, I need a break,” Shinon grumbles, but he’s a decent tracker so no one argues with him. 

Boyd goes forward next to more closely examine the gate.  “It’ll be a tough fix.  It might be easier to make a new one.”

“I’ll go make sure nothing inside was disturbed,” Soren says, going into the fort.  He feels a bit like a mother duck as he has three ducklings following him around to check everything out.  Thankfully the inside is untouched.   

“Papa, are we gonna go on an adventure to smite the evil bandits?” Misania asks as they check every room.   

“You are not,” Soren replies.  “You are children.  We will resume our daily lives tomorrow with school and chores.”
 

“Booooo,” says Priam, “I wanna go help smite the bandits.” 

Soren does not feel that any of them, even Priam, is mature enough to understand the concept that fighting for real is bad.  Some day he will explain to them that training with their father is all well and good but actual, real, true violence is awful and to be avoided.  But unfortunately, Soren knows full well how exciting true membership looks when you’re on the outside looking in.  Greil had hired Soren upon meeting him (as charity, Soren can admit), but he didn’t go on any missions until he was older.  Both he and Ike had commiserated frequently on wanting to go places as full members… until they actually got to.   

“No,” he says easily.  “All right, it does seem the gate stopped them.  That’s good.  Uncle Shinon or Uncle Boyd can fix the gate and everything will be fine.” 

Lucien lets out a big sigh of relief.  Soren stated all that mostly for his benefit.  “Can I take a nap?” 

“Of course.”  He smiles a little as Lucien walks off, and Misania follows him to bed.  Priam continues to follow Soren as he walks back out to check on the others. 

“They’re pretty established,” Shinon is saying to the others.  “They have makeshift walls and everything.”

Soren feels his heart sink even as Ike gets a boyish grin on his face.  “I hate it when you’re right,” he mutters, and no one but Ike knows what he’s talking about.

His face is a blend of excited and determined.  “Gatrie, get your armor on.  You’re going in the trebuchet.”

“We spent days traveling, it wouldn’t be smart to attack today,” Rhys chimes in.   

“I can fix or replace the gate and then tomorrow we can take them out,” Boyd agrees, looking over the mechanisms still.   

“All right, who wants to babysit?” Soren asks.   

They all look among each other. 

“Normally I would volunteer, but I’m not going to lie, being flung in a trebuchet into enemy forces sounds like a lot of fun,” Gatrie admits. 

“You know what?  I want to stay home,” Titania says.  Soren can relate.  “Does that make me a bad deputy commander?” 

“Nah, it makes you a good aunt,” says Ike.  “Soren, you want to stay home too?” 

“You always offer, and I always say no,” he replies, because he will not let Ike go into danger by himself.  “By himself” means without Soren.   

“‘Ranulf, you want to stay home too?’” Ranulf chimes in with a semi-decent Ike impression.  “Yes, Ike, I would like to stay home too, thanks for asking.” 

“First of all, you don’t live here,” Ike retorts, “Second of all, no.  You don’t get an option.”  Ranulf sticks his tongue out at him. 

“‘Mist, you want to stay home too?’” Boyd adds with another semi-decent impression, “‘Yes, Ike, I would like to stay home!’” His Mist impression could use some work. 

“No,” says Mist.  “I am filled with a hormonal rage that I really need to take out on some stupid bandits that tried to break into my house.  I have a sword and some people are going to get sword-beamed in the face.” 

Boyd gets a look of worship in his eyes.  “Yes ma’am.”  Ike clearly wants to argue, but he knows better.   

“Again, this will all be tomorrow,” Oscar says, “After everyone has settled back home and gotten a good night's sleep.  We don’t want to try raiding an established bandit camp like this when we’re all dirty and tired from days of travel.” 

“Yes Mom,” says Shinon, walking inside.  Indeed most of the team goes in, leaving Boyd and Oscar to try fixing the gate.  Priam “helps.”

Ike sighs as he and Soren head to their own wing.  “Ugh, just what we needed.  At least the gate held.”   

“It’s a strong gate, that is for sure,” Soren agrees.  “Are you feeling okay?”   

He makes a noncommittal noise.  “Yeah.  I’m fine.  I’m happy to be home, just sick of everything.  Is it too much that I want to come home and not have to kill people?”   

“Apparently, yes.” 

“It just… makes me think of your little… outburst.”  Ike reaches up and fingers his white hair.  “We talked about leaving Tellius before.  When the kids are older.  I still want to.” 

“Same.”  It’s freeing to admit it now.  “Not quite yet, though.  Maybe when the twins are Priam’s age.” 

“That works for me.”  He keeps fidgeting with the hair streak.  He’s been doing it since it appeared.  Soren isn’t sure if petting it is something he finds triggering, soothing, or both.  “So tonight I want to sleep and cuddle.  Tomorrow I want to kill some bandits, and then come home and just… get the book out, get that back on track.” 

Soren flushes, pleased.  “All right.  That sounds just fine.”  

They go into their bedroom and Ike pulls out the book.  “I call dibs!”

“What is it?”  He starts unpacking.

“So two days’ worth - risk of getting caught, oral, facials, body worship, edging, creampie and dirty talk.”

“No,” Soren argues, “You did most of that last time!”

“You used mind control to do all of that to me,” he retorts.

Soren internally admits he’s got a point.  Still, he crosses his arms.  He can feel his cheeks flush at the memory of the sheer amount of fluff that Ike subjected him to the last time he did body worship.   If they did it again he might die this time.  “That didn’t count.” 

“It did,” Ike argues.  “It’s my turn to spoil you.  I called dibs.” 

“You need it more than I do,” Soren argues. 

“Pfffft.  No.  Soooooreeeeeeeen pleeeeaaaaaaase?”   

He folds. Ike rarely asks for much.  “Fine.” 

Ike smiles and walks to him, kissing his forehead.  “Good.  I wasn’t in the mood to argue any more but I absolutely would to get my way here.  But, first things first.  Sleep.” 

Soren sighs and resigns himself to his fate.  He’ll just have to keep an eye on the prompts for his chance to get revenge. 

Ranulf and Ulki are put to work mapping out the bandit camp.  Thankfully they have more hostages than actual bandits, but that makes the mercenaries’ job harder in trying to get everyone out alive.  Still at first the hostages had been reported as bandits, and that had almost led to a collective panic attack.   

So, once the numbers are figured out, it’s a fairly straight-forward plan. 

Soren cracks his back and takes steadying breaths as he walks up to the camp’s makeshift fencing – all huge planks of wood that could easily be crawled over.  He is spotted before he reaches their front entrance.  “Ey you!  This here is Smith Company territory!”

Wow.  They gave themselves a name?  That’s pretty cocky for a group of bandits who are picking a fight with the most experienced bandit-slaying group on the entire continent. 

“I know,” he says, raising his empty hands, “I was invited to pay a toll by one of you.  Handsome man with a sexy voice.” 

The guard is an unkempt woman holding a bow pointed at him.  She sighs deeply.  “Ah gawdess damnit Jim.”  She turns her face and yells into camp, “Oi! Jim!  You getting’ off ain’t payment!”

“It is with me,” Soren says with his cockiest smirk. 

Their front gate opens, and yes it’s the same bandit from that night in the rain.  He looks absolutely gob smacked to see him.  “Wait, you?  You actually came?”

Soren nods.  “I want to join in.  You got a good thing going on here.  Besides, I’ve always wanted to be in a gang-bang.” 

Jim looks him up and down.  Soren isn’t carrying any weapons.  Not that they know this, but he doesn’t need them anymore. 

“Ask what’s with the thing on his forehead, dumbass!” the woman bandit calls. 

“Uh, yeah?” Jim says, “You aren’t a spirit charmer, right?”

“It’s a birthmark.  I have one in a more… intimate location too, if you’d like to see it.”

“Come on in!” Jim exclaims, blushing.  Soren is going to feel bad killing him.  Just a little. 

“Gawdess damnit Jim,” the woman mutters as Soren follows him inside. 

The bandits are sitting around a fire, and Soren listens to them as he walks.  They’re talking about going back to the fort and trying again.  Soren knew they had to die, but then one of them says, “Yeah, so the people are home.  Looks like a strong bunch – buncha adults and four kids.  We can sell the kids but mosta the adults might haveta die.” 

“The so-called Greil Mercenaries,” says one, scoffing, “More like the – the – the Fail Mercenaries!”  They all laugh as if this is the funniest joke in the world. 

Soren internally rolls his eyes.  What a mood-swing, from “let’s sell children into slavery and murder a family” to “Fail Mercenaries.”  Idiots.  They clearly have no idea who they’re dealing with.

“Guys!” Jim exclaims, “I’m gonna get laid!”

Everyone groans as they look up.  Soren smirks at them all.  “We could make a party.”  He strides into their main cabin, completely confident.  To Soren’s absolute amusement, they all follow him in. The plan was only for some of them, maybe, to follow him in, but not all of them.  This is actually too easy.  It’s a little embarrassing.  A lot embarrassing, actually. 

Once inside the cabin, he quickly glances around.  There’s a bedroom, a basement, and a main sitting room.  The prisoners must be in the basement. 

Well, Soren has his part to play.  The only issue is that things will have to change and he can’t warn anyone.  Ideally, Soren was supposed to somehow waylay some of the bandits into the bedroom, but there’s far too many for that now.  But that doesn’t mean he can’t distract them and give the team an advantage anyway.  It’ll make Ranulf’s job of sneaking in to open the gate from the inside significantly easier. 

“I want to start off by giving you all a show,” he says.  “Consider it a repayment of letting me go the first time we met.” 

“See guys!  I told you I was gonna get laid!” Jim croons. Dear fucking dead Goddess.  It’s times like this where Soren wonders if he is in fact a genius, or just surrounded by very, very stupid people.

“Eventually,” Soren says, smirking as he draws a ribbon out of his sleeve suggestively.  This gets raucous cheering from his impromptu audience. 

He doesn’t get any further before there is an excited “WHEEEEEEEEEE!” and then Gatrie, in full plate, crashes through the front of the cabin and squishes a good half of the bandits.  Soren has to smile just a little.    

This of course causes chaos as the survivors start scrambling for weapons.  Through the gaping hole in the wall he can see the Mercenaries fighting their way inside – apparently there were more bandits in the camp itself, just a big chunk of them followed him.  Jim attacks him and Soren raises his hand to command the winds to throw him through the remaining half of the wall.  The building starts to teeter so he uses another gust to send Gatrie out and then runs out too before the entire structure collapses. 

Ike appears near him, a silver sword in his hand as he cuts down Jim.  Ike, he’s come to realize, is not a jealous person – he’s a possessive and most importantly defensive person.  If you are Soren, Priam, Misania, Lucien, Mist or Titania, then Ike will fight for you without qualms.  Soren loves it and returns the sentiment.   

“Really?” he still has to ask.

“You have met me before, right?” he asks as he glances around for additional bandits.  The team are swiftly handling any others, and Soren is extremely amused at Mist behaving like some sort of angel of death - clearly she had not been exaggerating about her existential rage.   Ike’s only other kill is one who manages to drag himself from the wreckage of the home, behind Soren.  Soren only has time to duck out of the way.   

There has always been a certain eroticism to fights that he has tried to quell within himself.  The thrill of life or death, the rush of defeating a foe trying to end him or his husband, and the visual feast that is Ike fighting for something.  More than once he’s had fantasies of tackling Ike on the battlefield.  It’s especially present when Ike saves his life, as he has done now.  

But before he can do more than just look at him, the team joins them with the collapsed home and missing prisoners.  Oh well.  He’d repay him during their love game.  Ike gives him a dark look that promises much the same.

“And here we are, once again dealing with the consequences of Ike being a moron,” Shinon says with a resigned sigh. 

“You look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn’t fling Gatrie into the enemy and I will call you a filthy liar,” Ike protests. 

“Of course I would!  Just not because I’m jealous.”

“I wasn’t jealous!  I was concerned about my husband’s safety!”

“Suuuuuure.  Your husband who could kill them all in his sleep.”

“Stop,” Soren says before they can keep arguing.  “I’m going to check to see if there are any survivors, bandit or otherwise. I trust you all can excavate properly.”  He walks off, amused at everything. 

Soren walks around the remains of the camp, ears open.  He hears Ike behind him, amused as always at his shadow.  How things have changed, where once upon a time he was Ike’s shadow.   

There is a barn with horses, and Soren doesn’t know much about horses but he knows enough to see that they have been well taken care of.  They can definitely sell them for a hefty profit.  There is another smaller shed by the back fence that is locked.  Ike hits the lock with his sword a few times and it falls to the ground.  Inside is a veritable treasure trove, with gold and jewelry and stolen goods that are more than they’ve made in small jobs in two months.   

“Even if this group hadn’t threatened us, taking them out is extremely lucrative,” Soren marvels.  “Between this and selling the horses, we’re set for the next two years as long as we don’t spend more than typical.” 

“Amazing that such a bunch of horny idiots managed to do so much damage in such a short amount of time,” Ike agrees.  “Too bad there’s no way to figure out who all got robbed.” 

Soren closes the door.  “Absolutely not, even if we could.  We killed the bandits, so we effectively bandited them.  It’s all ours now.  If you must embrace your altruism, we can put this money to making our lives better and therefore being more active in the community.  It all pays forward.” 

“Hm.”   

Soren continues scouting the area, but there is no one else.  The last place to look is behind a water basin, and there’s no one there.   It really must be that the prisoners are in the basement and they routed the bandits.  Good, that does make things — 

He is suddenly tackled to the ground, albeit in the most gentle way it is possible to tackle another human being and it’s Ike who lands on his back, not him.  “What?!”  

“Shhh.”  Ike reaches up and pulls Soren into a kiss, which Soren does not return because he’s still catching up to this.  “Come on, it’s fine.”   

“What are you doing?” he demands, somewhat redundantly.   

Ike gets a mischievous grin as he reaches down to undo Soren’s fly.  “When two people love each other…”   

“They fuck in a bandit camp?” 

“Pretty much.”  He shimmies down between Soren’s legs and goes right for his dick, wrapping his tongue around the flaccid length to coax it.  Soren is still catching up mentally speaking even as his body responds.   “Besides, it’s a challenge, remember?”

With Soren kneeling over Ike’s face, Ike starts to gently suck on his dick, focusing on the underneath with his tongue in particular and making Soren cover his own mouth to not make any noise.  His body is already on board but his brain catches up to this absurd idea that Ike is giving him a blowjob after a major fight.  It makes more sense when Ike reminds him it’s a challenge, but still.

“I still remember that I want to tie you up and go down on you for a day,” Ike says between kisses to the head.   

“I’m not going over there,” he can hear Ulki say.  Soren is mortified. 

He hears Rhys’ answering giggle.  “I can keep you safe from Soren.” 

“True, but I don’t want to risk it.  I am terrified of him on an existential level.” 

Soren wonders if that’s because he’s a wind mage or because he’s Branded, but he’s not given a chance to think about it as Ike takes his cock in his mouth and down his throat, sucking hard.   

“Oh… because he’s Branded?” Rhys asks, awkward.  Soren has never had a proper discussion on the topic with Rhys, although the whole team does know at this point.  Does Rhys find him an abomination like most of the church?  He’s never said as much, but it is obviously part of their teachings.  He might, and just was never mean enough to confront him about it.  But it doesn’t seem like something Rhys would feel or act on even if it was part of his faith.  He’s never been one to preach.   

“Would that be a problem?” Ulki asks, sounding curious. 

“Yes,” says Rhys.   

“Okay, because it’s not,” says Ulki.  “It’s because he can kill me easily with that wind magic of his, and more importantly I feel like he absolutely would if I tested him.  He is little but he is fierce.” 

He feel Ike chuckle, and it makes him bite down on his hand.   

“Nooo,” says Rhys, giggling.   

“Even Tibarn is afraid of him,” Ulki continues. 

“Well, I mean, Tibarn is afraid of Reyson and Leanne,” Rhys counters.  “They can’t kill him.” 

“But Soren could, is my point,” Ulki retorts.  “Now, would he kill me for interrupting his private time?  Maybe, maybe not.  I’m not risking it.  Let’s just tell the others that they’re dealing with the horses or something.” 

“You are very silly, but fine.  They can have their alone time.  They’re weird.  Before you get any ideas, no, I don’t want any of that right now.” 

“No way.”   

He hears them walk off.  Ike pops off his cock to stroke his balls with his tongue. “Told you everyone likes you,” he teases.   His tongue dives to rub his perineum before returning to his balls and back to the head of his dick.  “Not as much as I do, though.” 

“If I ever hear another argument about who my best friend is, I am going to set everyone involved on fire,” he replies, stroking Ike’s scalp.  Might as well enjoy himself since Ike isn’t going to stop.  “Also at no point did Ulki say he liked me.” 

“No, but he and Rhys both agreed that racism against you is not okay,” Ike says before gently suckling.  He gives it another kiss.  “And Rhys was willing to dump him if Ulki didn’t agree.” 

“Can you just shut up and suck my dick?” Soren demands of him playfully.  Ike grins and resumes his work, opting to angle Soren’s hips down so his cock goes completely down his throat, and he sucks hard and rubs with his tongue over and over, clearly trying to get Soren to come quickly.  Soren recovers his mouth to hide a mewl of pleasure as Ike tries to suck his life out through his cock.  Almost against his will he comes into that mouth, which Ike coaxes out of him steadily and with determination.  The only sound he makes is increased breathing as he focuses on the beautiful feeling, but as Ike keeps sucking he has to grimace some and he, ashamedly, lets out a soft little moan.

Ike takes that as his cue to  lift him off and lay him on his back.  Then he straddles Soren’s chest and starts to stroke himself off.  Soren catches his breath and doesn’t get a chance to reach up before Ike comes, his seed landing on his cheeks.   

Ike doesn’t give facials often.  He uses sex as a way to establish his claim over Soren frequently, but has made it clear he finds anything remotely debasing to be not appealing, and he considers coming on Soren’s face to be debasing.  So him willingly choosing to do this, instead of having Soren give him a facial, is a sign that he’s more rattled by Soren’s faux interest in the bandits than he’s willing to admit.  

Soren doesn’t mind at all.  He’s been pretty honest that Ike could do whatever he wants to him whenever he wants and Soren will do his best to oblige.  His only hard limit has been restraining his hands and then blocking his mouth.  Granted, Ike hasn’t pressed his limits too hard.  But he’s more than okay with Ike coming on his face.  He closes his eyes to let his come pool on his face, reaching up blindly to pet the head of his dick as he finishes jerking himself off.   

“Gods you’re gorgeous,” Ike says, and Soren can feel his fingers start to wipe his face clean.  “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be.”  He opens his eyes and sees Ike wiping his hands on the grass.  “Do you feel better?” 

Ike tucks them both back in.  “Yeah, thanks.”  He holds out his hand.

“You owed me for making me acknowledge that a trebuchet was not a complete waste of money,” he says, taking his hand and being hoisted to his feet.   They brush each other off before going back to the cabin.  The team has excavated the prisoners and are searching the basement.  Ike moves to tell them about the money, but Soren elbows him in the side.  It’s their money now, not the prisoners’.   

It takes all afternoon to get everyone healed and get all the money back to the fort, but they arrive home in time to get spawnlings to bed and for Soren to collapse into bed himself.  Finally, things can be back to normal.

Chapter Text

Ike is sitting on their settee perusing the book while Soren works in the bathroom.   “For every prompt that is ‘sleep with other people while slapping your partner in the face,’ there is ‘worship and adore your partner while sexually proving your love.’  A bit wishy-washy, but whatever.”

“It’s varied because it’s about whatever floats people’s boats,” Soren says as he fills up the tub.  Not for them, but because Misania has been outside playing in rain puddles with Rolf for a solid half an hour and will need a bath sooner rather than later.

“Hitting you or cheating on you sinks my boat,” Ike replies as he skims recommendations on body worship.  

Soren snickers in amusement.  “All right, done.  You know, for someone who is afraid of thunderstorms, I am shocked she’s outside playing in the rain.”

“Oh, you missed why she’s with Rolf then,” Ike says, “They’re on a fear-conquering adventure together.  They squished some centipedes for him and now he’s helping her with her fear of thunderstorms by playing in the rain.”

Soren gets the look on his face that Ike knows is his I cannot believe how wonderful all the adults in this company are towards my children, but I don’t want to ruin my aloof reputation by actually noting that out loud look.  “That’s adorable,” he finally says.  

“It is,” he agrees.  Especially since he’d gotten to watch their discussion on it and how both had been eager to help the other, but tried to weasel out of confronting their own phobia.   He feels that’s fair.  Personally, he’d help Rolf squish centipedes and Misania play in the rain all day, but would reject anything needle-related. 

Ranulf walks in, because he doesn’t believe in knocking.  “Hello hello, my vacation time is officially up, you may all finally resume placing things on tables like the heathens you are.”

“Huzzah,” says Soren, who is a smartass.

“Why am I friends with you?” he asks with a soft sigh and smile.

“Because I’m delightful,” he answers, deadpan.

“True!  I was nice and didn’t fight with Calill, but I know the truth that I’m your best Bestie.”

“You didn’t fight with Calill because she could have set you on fire,” he points out.

“Also that, yes.”

“And I’m just chopped liver, I guess,” Ike interjects.  

“You say that as if I don’t like a good chopped liver now and then!  Geez Ike, so insecure.  You know I think you’re okay.”

Ike looks at him with mock hurt.  “Okay?  Soren is your Bestie with a capital B, but I’m just okay?”

Ranulf shrugs.  “You’re chopped liver.”

Ike is amused, but also mindful of the layers this conversation has.  First, at this point he considers Ranulf his brother from a feline mother, and he knows it’s mutual.  Second, he knows that the cat response to being directly asked something  is to immediately lie, downplay or whatever.  And third, one thing Soren and Ike have in common is possessiveness, and while they’ve largely gotten over the jealousy of years ago, he knows Soren is convinced that, if nothing else, Ranulf has or had feelings for him.  Ranulf could plop down into his lap naked and Ike would say no thanks, but he also knows that isn’t going to happen.  But, if Soren can humor his jealousy issues (Stefan being the prime example), then Ike can humor his.  Marriage, folks.

“Eh, Soren is your Bestie and at this point Skrimir is my favorite feline, so it’s all good,” he says.

Ranulf huffs.  “That’s only because of his cooking.  You do know he still wants a threesome with you two, right?”

“Most people do,” Ike counters, “Can’t hold it against him.”  Actually Ike absolutely can, and does. 

“Quit bickering,” says Soren, amused.  

“Sorry, Bestie.  I just didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”  Then Ike sees his eyes scanning.  “Ooooo, classics. But why not do something new tonight?”  Ike isn’t sure what he’s talking about but then Ranulf takes the book, going through and skimming it.

“You should not have any idea about our sex life,” Soren says wryly.

Ranulf twitches his ears.  “Again, these ears are not just to make me look adorable.  I’m no Ulki, but I hear a lot of things I’d rather not.”  He settles on a new page and puts it down.  “Here you go, have fun.”

Ike is anxious as he looks.  It’s actually just a game of truth or dare written out.  He’s not anxious anymore.  “Interesting.  Thanks, I think.”  

“Now go home,” says Soren.

“You got it, Bestie!  Thanks for the vacation!  Oh yeah, Titania is coming with me.”

Ike feels his blood turn to ice.  “What?!  You can’t take her - she can’t just leave!  Performance reviews are soon and I was going to beg her to do everyone’s!”

“It turns out she has free will and can leave at any time, who knew?” Ranulf snarks,  “But seriously it’s her vacation and she’s earned it.”

“And I don’t mind doing performance reviews,” Soren chimes in, but that’s the quickest way to get everyone’s feelings hurt so Ike knows that’s a good old fashioned no from him.

Ike fights his heartbeat escalating to pounding in his chest, because he knows Ranulf is right.  Why is this setting him off so bad?  “Vacation, right?”

“Awwww, I’ll have to tell her you’re having a panic attack at the thought of her leaving,” Ranulf cooes, and then he hugs him which is weird but not unwelcome.  Ike just focuses on calming himself.  “Yes, just vacation.  She’ll come back, you adorable moronic kitten.”

Ike closes his eyes.  “A kitten, seriously?”

“If the Greil Mercenaries were a litter, you and Boyd and Gatrie would be the ones running into walls and stuck in bags all the time,” Ranulf asserts.  “I have head-canons for all of you, by the way.”

“Leave, Ranulf,” Soren says more firmly, coming over and waiting for them to separate.  

“You’re a fluffy black stray kitten who secretly loves getting ear pets,” he says.   Soren then yelps as Ranulf pulls him into the hug too.  As usual, contact with Soren does calm him some.  “Wow, he really is your emotional support dragon,” he marvels, “And sorry, I just always wanted a group hug.”  He lets them go.  

“I have three kittens of my own so I can’t be a kitten,” Ike argues.

“You are, though.  If you were a kitten you’d get lost in a box.  Quit questioning my expertise.  Anyway!  Chill out, Ike, Titania will eventually return well-rested and well taken care of.  Bye, Bestie! Bye, Chopped Liver!”  With a flounce of his tail, he departs.

“Soren,” says Ike, concerned, “why was I almost about to freak out?   I mean, not just because Ranulf basically called me a baby.”

“Because you’re just fine except when you don’t have access to your family members, of which she is one,” Soren replies, rubbing his back.  “But Ranulf was right - she and all of them are adults with agency and can come or go at any time.  I still remember how hard you took Mia’s leaving us.  But at least Titania is just on vacation, not out seeking adventure.”  

“Yeah, good point.  I got over Mia leaving for years, I can get over Titania leaving for weeks.”  He takes another deep breath and blows it out.  “Okay, I’ve got this.”

“You do,” he encourages.

“Except performance reviews.”  

“Again, you can delegate those.”

“Yeah, to who though?  You’re too mean.”

“You mean honest, but if you want nice, then you’ll probably want Oscar to do them.  Or you could always outsource to Priam.  He’d be honest and somewhat nice.”

Ike considers it, then snickers.  “Oh yes.  That’ll be hilarious.  I’m going to do it.  Honest, but biased and highly susceptible to bribery.  Oscar and Titania are getting raises, and no one else.”

“Acceptable.”  Soren strokes his cheek.  “Feel better?”

“Yeah.”  He sighs.  “I’ll focus on tonight.”

“Daddy Papa!  Daddy Papa look, I’m all wet!”  Misania runs in soaking wet and shivering.  “Uncle Rolf and I conquered our fears by squishing centipedes and playing in the rain except it turns out we’re both afraid of earthworms!!!”  As she gives this post-adventure report, Soren leaves and comes back to wrap her in a towel.

“You weren’t supposed to tell them that!” Rolf, also soaked, protests from the hallway.  He does laugh a little, because he knows she can’t keep a secret.  “Please don’t let my brothers know.”

“I don’t like them either,” Soren replies, although Ike knows it is for different reasons.   “By which I meant earthworms, not necessarily your brothers.”

“I’m really cold!” she exclaims, still shivering.

“There’s a warm bath all ready for you,” Soren says with a softness that Ike adores.  He just loves seeing Soren so content, but even more so that it’s clear he loves their daughter even though they are polar opposite personalities.  He imagines it’s the same sort of peace Soren feels watching Ike interact with Lucien.  Soren picks her up and takes her to bathe.  

Ike takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.  Everything is fine.  

“You know, I’m surprised you’re not more offended that Ranulf groups you in with Gatrie and my brother as the Team Idiots,” Rolf says.

It hits Ike that this is exactly the implication that Ranulf was making.  “That asshole!”  He decides to chase after him to kick his ass, figuring they couldn’t have gone too far.  He ignores Rolf laughing at him.

Soren and Ike curl up on their bed, kids asleep.  Ike pulls him into his arms, because he wants cuddles darn it.  Like their last game of truth or dare, they opt to get drunk for it.  They put the prompts into piles.  “I’ll pick truth.” 

“Chicken,” says Soren, smirking a little. He’s not ashamed.  Just because they’ve decided to not to use other prompts doesn’t mean that Soren might not hit him with some nasty dares he doesn’t want to risk!  He reaches out and grabs a slip of paper.  “What is your favorite sexual memory?”  He puts it into the discard pile. 

Ike thinks about it.  They’ve had a lot of good sex over the years and he’s not entirely sure if he has a favorite.  “Can I have more than one?” 

“Sure.” 

“This is not in any order.  So… um, there’s that shower with the, uh, what was it called…” 

“Omorashi,” Soren says with a pleased blush. 

“Yeah, that.  And our marathon sex in Gallia.  Oh, and after I punched that guy who hurt you as a kid.  And I liked your reward for me after the tournament in Goldoa, too.  I accidentally told Titania and Ranulf that you rocked my world, sorry.” 

His blush is a little more ashamed.  “How did that happen?” 

“I had a concussion.” 

“Ah… Well, at least it was a good thing you blabbed about.  Anyway, truth.” 

“Chicken,” Ike has to say as he grabs a paper.  “How would you describe my sexual personality, and what would you change about it if anything?” 

Soren sips his glass of wine as he thinks about it.  “A service top.  You are extremely giving and loving, and take very good care of me.  As for what I’d change… sometimes I wish you’d be more dominant, but generally speaking I find we are very compatible.” 

“What do you mean by that?” he has to ask, intrigued.   

“I’m sure that’s another prompt, so wait for it.” 

Ike pouts at him, but he doesn’t change his mind.  He sighs.  “Fine.  I’m comfy, so, truth again.” 

Soren picks up another piece of paper.  “Would you want a threesome with me and my best friend?” 

“No, unless I’m your best friend.  Which wouldn’t technically be a threesome.  Unless you cloned me, but honestly, even if you did, the other Ike and I would have to fight over it because I’m not sharing.  But if he’s me, he’d also want to not share.  But I’m the original so I would win.  Who is your non-me best friend, anyway?” 

Soren considers it.  “I… I honestly don’t know.  It seems odd to think of having friends.” 

“Awww honeeeey.”  Ike holds him tighter and kisses his forehead.  “You do have friends.  I know Ranulf would be immediately announcing his best friend status if he were here.” 

“He doesn’t actually believe that,” Soren argues, “He’s making fun of me.” 

“No he isn’t!  See, that’s the problem.  He’s bragging!  And messing with you, yes, but mostly bragging! A guy does not call you Bestie for years without actually meaning it.” 

“He would.” 

“Maybe, but not with such commitment.  My point is, I don’t know about best friends, but I do know that if nothing else Ranulf, Rhys and Calill definitely consider you a friend.  Mist considers you like a brother, and Titania has you in the sibling-child role she’s stuck me and Mist into.  Heck, Bastian might consider you a friend in the weirdest way possible.”  Soren makes a face like he wants to argue.  “I also know that I wouldn’t want a threesome with any of those people.” 

“Not even Ranulf?” 

Ike sighs.  “I know he makes you anxious, but no.  Honestly he’s flirted with you more than he’s flirted with me.  But I think part of that is fear.”  Soren laughs.  “Anyway, your turn.” 

“Let’s pick dare this time.”

He picks one up.  “Have sex in a new place in the house.  Oh geez,” Ike says automatically.  “Uh.” 

“It’s pretty late at night, so we shouldn’t get caught,” he reasons, “Unless you, uh, want to try doing it in someone’s bedroom.” 

Ike laughs a little.  “Ye gods no.” 

“We never did it in Bastian’s bedroom,” Soren says with a sad face.  “Granted, I don’t know if I could’ve gotten turned on in there.  Might’ve pissed on his bed instead.” 

“Soren!” Ike protests with another laugh.  “Gross!” 

“Yes, that’s the point.  But I don’t want to get up now.  I think sex outside should be the last thing we do.”

Ike considers it.  “Like a grand… uh… fin… end.  A grand end.  Sounds fine.”  

Soren plucks the piece of paper from Ike’s fingers and puts it into yet another pile.  “All right, then, truth or dare?”

“Sooooreeeeen, I’m not picking dare!”

“I’m not allowed to make up more dares!” he protests.

“I don’t trust you to have not done something sneaky, like adding more,” he accuses.  Soren looks a blend of amused and guilty.  “You did!!!”

“Only a little!”

Ike laughs.  “Cheater!  Why do you torment me so much?”

“Because it’s fun,” he admits.  

Ike reaches over and pushes the pile of dare prompts further away.  “No, nope, nope.  Truth.”

Soren gives in with a sigh, picking up a piece from the truth pile.  “What is your favorite sex position?”

Ike’s brain blanks out for a few seconds.  “Favorite?  Can I say ‘most of them’?”

“No.”

“I mean… it really depends on my mood, I guess.  I like good old-fashioned makeout-focused missionary, but there is something to be said about you face down ass up.”

Soren looks a little intrigued.  “We haven’t had sex like that in awhile.”

He thinks about it.  “When I was mind-controlled, but that’s it.  Dang.  Sorry.”

Soren shrugs, drinking some more.  “I feel like lately we’ve both been very kissy kissy smoochy smoochy.”

Ike grins, just a little.  “What a way to put it.  Smooch!”  Ike gives him a smooch.  “You’re right, though.”  He plucks the prompt from Soren’s fingers.  “What is your favorite sex position?”

“Cheater,” says Soren.

“This is a freebie,” Ike argues.  

“Fine.  I… hmm… I like the ones where we’re close together and can kiss, but especially when you take me prone, so me on my stomach and you on top.”  He fidgets a little, and Ike is entranced.  

“You’re getting turned on,” he notes not at all excessively.

“We’re drunk and talking about sex, of course I am,” he says awkwardly.  

“Do you want to take a break and actually do something?” he asks as he starts to pet Soren’s thigh suggestively.  

Soren’s eyes flutter as he leans in for a kiss, but the second Ike reciprocates he acts as if he hadn’t as he grabs a truth prompt and hands it to Ike.  “Here you are.”

Ike pouts at Soren’s teasing but reads, “Who would you want to watch us have sex?”

“That ship’s sailed, someone already did,” Soren says with a grimace. 

“Huh?  Who?”

“Whoever saw us in the hot spring.”

“Oh yeah.  Ranulf.”  He doesn’t know how to feel about that.

“No, Ranulf wasn’t here yet,” Soren retorts, “So someone else saw us and told him about it.”

He considers it.  This means it could’ve been anyone.  “Oh.  I don’t like this.  I mean, who would say anything?  I can’t imagine any of the others talking about our sex life with Ranulf.”

“… … … Titania is his girlfriend…”

They both go silent as this hits them.  Ike feels equally like he might puke but also like he needs something much stronger to drink.  “So, uh, truth.”

“Huh?  Oh, right…” Soren looks a little haunted as he picks up another prompt.  “What is your favorite part of my body, and why?”

Ah yes, distraction from terrible thoughts by thinking of Soren’s ass.  “My favorite?”

“Probably my feet,” he snarks.

“I have nothing against your feet, but I love your face the most and then of course your ass.”  

“I am honored my face is on the list at all,” Soren says with a little chuckle.  

Ike chuckles a little too before gently pushing on Soren’s arm to roll him onto his back.  He takes a minute to really look at his face.  There’s a softness and roundness to it now, a sign of decreased tension and improved health.  His gorgeous garnet eyes are as brilliant as ever, framed by eyelashes that he’s heard Mist and Mia lament they can’t steal from him.  Ike traces over the skin with his fingers, observing there are some wrinkles around his eyes and between his brow, but nothing that stands out.  His skin is smooth and pale, with a slight blush on his cheeks.  And of course there is his Brand, just a part of him that Ike loves too even if he hates how it has attracted hate.  Ridiculous.  He still has the most kissable lips. Ike finds him as gorgeous - no, more gorgeous than the day they met.  Shit, all this would’ve been nice to say out loud, huh?  Definitely part of the question.  But that’s a lot of words.  “You are so hot,” he decides.

Soren smiles a little.  “Thanks.  So are you.”

Ike gives him another smooch.  “So yeah, your face is first.  Your butt is second.  But I still remember polling people about who had the best ass in the army and you won hands-down!  That was a good time.  But,” he rolls off.  “Now it’s your turn.” 

Soren hums, closing his eyes and taking a few seconds to compose himself.  “Dare.”

“Aren’t you worried you’re going to get one you snuck in to torment me?” Ike asks as he grabs a prompt.  He is immediately filled with delight.  “Masturbate to orgasm while your partner watches.”  Soren’s eyes go wide and he rips the paper from Ike’s hand, but no way is Ike going to let him get out of it that easily.  “Hey, refusing is against the rules.”

“Er…”. He’s blushing extremely hard, and Ike thinks he’s sexy and adorable.  

He gives him a deep kiss of encouragement before gently pulling his pants down to mid-thigh.  As expected, he’s hard.  So’s Ike, so that works.  He rests his hand on Soren’s hip and settles in to watch.  Soren is getting redder in the face.  “I also like the rest of you, by the way.  Your stomach, your thighs, your dick… I mean yes I have my favorites, but I like all of you.”

“Thanks,” says Soren with a slightly strangled voice.  “Can I pick truth?”

“Nope.  Unless you wanna safe-word it.”

He looks like he’s definitely considering it.  “I haven’t actually, you know… done this in a long time.”

“Oh?  I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

“I know.  I haven’t felt the need to.”  He traces his fingers over his stomach and then on the skin of his cock.  Ike has to fight the urge to grab him, although he is very interested in the show.  “I’m either exhausted and not in the mood, or we’re having sex and I’m fulfilled that way.”

Ike gets comfortable, wrapping around him, one hand on his hip still and the other cradling his head.  He nuzzles into his hair a little.  “What do you think about?”

Soren’s face gets redder, somehow.  He takes a deep breath and Ike can see him steel himself.  “You… I like to picture you… sometimes it’s things we’ve done before, but sometimes I… embellish.”  He finally starts to stroke himself, using a fingertip to spread his precome.

“Mmm… how so?” Ike is so curious, but also loving the visual.  He wishes he could do it instead, but it is nice to watch.

“You… pull my hair, degrade me a bit, use me as you need… it’s all about what you want and what you need.”  He shifts as he properly takes himself in hand, stroking up and down with a tight grip.  “I can… usually… come pretty fast like this…”

“Yeah?”  Ike is turned on that Soren is so turned on.  “What do I tell you?”

“That you… nggh… that you own me, that I’m your slut, that you’ll… ah, you’ll protect me because you own me, and…”  Oh wow, he wasn’t joking at all because he’s visibly close.  “And you order me to come for you like a whore, but you’re so kind and you say my name and, and, ah…”

Ike kisses his earlobe, eyes firmly on his cock.  “Yeah, come for me, Soren.”

Soren gasps a little and clenches his teeth as he comes in  his own hand, Ike watching raptly and licking his lips.  He’s never gotten to watch Soren jerk off before but this is definitely not going to be the only time they do it, because damn is this beautiful.  He pets his trembling thighs and stomach while Soren milks himself before eventually he lets go, forcing deep breaths.  Ike, being a man of consideration for his partner, leans down to lick the come off Soren’s stomach.  He’s hard as a rock now but he holds it in check.  “That was fast.”

“First of all, I’ve been turned on for awhile,” Soren says with a wry smile, relaxed, “And second of all, that was the point.  My go-to quick fantasies.”  He pulls his pants back up.

“I’ll pick dare as long as I can veto anything too mean,” Ike says, to get them back on track and to hopefully get something to follow up on that sexy display.

Soren reaches out and grabs a dare.  “Oh come on!”

“What?”

“Write something sexy on your partner’s body,” he reads aloud.  

“Oooo!”  Ike sits up.   He’s never considered it before, but now that it’s in his head he has to try it.  “This is what you get for having a desk in our room too!”  He’s been trying for years to get all work related things into his office, but noooooooooo, he has to keep being a workaholic.  So Ike can shamble to his desk and grab his inkpot.  “Strip,” he says in his most commanding voice which isn’t commanding at all considering how drunk he is.  

Soren at least takes his shirt off.  Ike decides this is okay for now and hops back into bed, spinning Soren to lay on his stomach.  He starts out boldly by dipping a quill and drawing a big heart over Soren’s upper back.  It’s a little wiggly because of how ticklish he is, but it’s a heart for sure.  

Then he gets into the zone, deciding that he’s going to have fun with it.  He writes “sexy” on his hipbone, “perfect” on his neck, “bangin” on the small of his back, “gorgeous” on his shoulderblades, and then in a giant scrawl across his entire spine “MINE.”  The last one fills him with pride to see.  At least until Soren points out that “MINE” in this case would, barring an explanation as to its origins, refer to Soren, given it’s his body, and Ike, a genius, crosses it off and instead writes “IKE’S”.  This is smudgy because Soren laughs as he fixes it. 

Ike of course has to pull his pants down in order to keep writing “Ike’s” with hearts around them.  “I may be possessive but I am a loving possessive,” he rambles as he writes, continuing with compliments like “sexy” and “sweet” and “love” and “Ike’s” all over, “You’re mine and I’m yours, but in a loving way.” 

“You could treat me like a sex toy and I wouldn’t mind,” Soren chimes in.   

“I would mind,” Ike says.  He takes a moment to look his masterpiece over.  “Love it.  Now you just have to stay like that until it dries.” 

“I am not risking ink on this bedding,” he agrees.  “Pick me a truth then.” 

Ike nabs another piece of paper.  “When did you first realize you were attracted to me?” 

“Oh, that’s easy,” Soren replies, “It was the first time you dragged me into a bath with you.  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe from the water!’  The water was the least of my concerns then.” 

Ike smiles a little at his very stupid younger self.  “I had no ulterior motives, I swear!  The first time, anyway.  I just genuinely felt bad you were afraid of water and wanted to help.  Then I saw you submerged from the collarbone down and the rest is history.”   

Soren looks whimsical.  “You know, it’s odd that I feel bad we wasted so much time tip-toeing around each other… but that’s ridiculous, because we got together when we were very young.  We’re fine.” 

“More than fine,” Ike says, staring at his butt.  “Hey, can we go to our final dare?” 

“Am I dry?” 

“Yep.” 

 He stands up.  “So, where are we going?” 

“Uh… the mess hall, I guess.”  He stands too, anxious.   

“Shocker, you want to have sex by the food,” Soren drawls as he throws his shirt back on.

Ike laughs again, shaking his head no.  “I really thought that there was plenty of places to hide, but sure if you want to feed me I’m game.” 

Soren smiles too as he looks around.  “Oh, there it is!” He snickers as he walks to the door.   

“You forgot where the door is?”  

“I’m drunk, geez.”  They walk through the dark hallway together.   

The mess hall is, of course, empty and dark.  Ike drags Soren to the kitchen counter and looks around, grabbing a stack of kitchen towels and dropping them to the floor before adjusting Soren into kneeling on them.  Remembering what he said about prone, Ike kneels behind him as close as possible.  He can’t take him like that, but they can get as close as physically possible.  He kneels between Soren’s spread legs, every single inch of his front connected to Soren’s back.  He wraps him in his arms, happy as always at how he can hold him completely and shield him so effectively.  He wants to make out with his neck, but it’s got ink on it so he opts to go behind his ear instead.   

Soren pushes down his pants to his mid thigh.  “I prepared beforehand,” he breathes. 

“Perfect.” Ike opens his own and accepts the open invitation to slide inside.  He hisses his pleasure at the tight heat he loves and Soren’s eyes roll back.

“Hello?” he hears someone call from the front of the mess hall.  He jumps a little in shock and holds Soren tighter instinctively.  It’s Oscar.  Great.   Soren covers his mouth and then Ike’s mouth with his hands.  Ike wants to tease him, maybe start thrusting or making out with him and make him stay quiet regardless, but quite frankly Soren has already come once and Ike hasn’t yet, so he’d just be torturing himself.  The cock warming feels delightful if nothing else.  

They stay silent until they hear Oscar’s footsteps walking away.  Ike starts to roll his hips, keeping an eye on Soren’s face as he does because he’s getting in deep and Soren is shivering in his arms.  Soren does uncover his mouth at least so Ike whispers “Good?” in his ear as quietly as possible.

Soren nods, eyes wide.  His face shows it's a struggle, but a good struggle, so Ike finally relaxes and focuses on how amazing it feels to be buried so deep inside his husband, his body tight and hot and willing.  He feels the pleasure building, and he lets it take him over.  No need to drag this out.  He does feel a bit guilty when he sees Soren start to jerk himself off, but in his defense he is really drunk and really horny and Soren feels really good.  The only sounds are of their breathing until Soren lets out a tiny whimper and Ike’s done, holding Soren tightly and gritting his teeth as he finally, finally, finally comes inside him. “That’s it,” Soren breathes, and Ike grunts with another throb of pleasure.  

Eventually though he has to relax, withdraw, assess the situation.  He feels exhausted in the best way possible.  Soren takes over tidying the area up before he stands, taking Ike’s hand and encouraging him to his feet.  Thankfully they don’t run into anyone in the halls, and their suite is still silent.  They go into their bedroom and Soren immediately sighs in relief.  “That was close.”

Ike grabs him and drags him to bed.  “Cuddle.”

“Hygiene,” says Soren as he accepts manhandling.  

“Tomorrow.”  He falls asleep almost immediately.

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

Soren wakes up the next morning sick, sore, disgusting, and squished.  He throws out an arm to grab the antidote they’d left by the bed and downs it immediately, the hangover resolving soon after.  Now he’s just sore, disgusting and squished.  

He is long used to extricating himself from Ike’s octopus-like cuddles and manages to wiggle free.  Somehow Ike looks disappointed in his sleep.  He first goes to the mirror to see the damage.  He looks awful, and he can see smudged writing on his neck above the collar of his shirt.  He removes the shirt, which is only good for rags at this point, and has to resist laughing out loud at the nonsense Ike had written all over his back.  In particular, the way he didn’t wipe off or otherwise subtly remove the “MINE” but instead just covered it in more ink is very amusing to him.  Now he has a giant dark splotch on his spine.  

Part of him doesn’t want to take any of it off, however. 

Alas, he is a practical being at heart, and ink splotches would cause more questions and possibly ruin more shirts.  So he, with some sadness, gets out his own ink-removing concoction to work away the majority of the writing before he dresses for the day.  He quietly leaves the bedroom and closes the door behind him.  Noting it’s early - early enough that everyone else is asleep still - he opts to clean and fetch breakfast so they can eat in their suite.  He’s gotten everything mostly tidy by the time he’s joined by the children.  

He almost doesn’t hear the soft call of his name from the bedroom, but thankfully he does.  He goes in and finds Ike in their bathroom, naked and holding a ripped pair of pants in his shaking hands.  “Help,” he says, voice hollow.

Soren knows what this is.  Ike had a nightmare.  “Of course, Ike,” he says, moving around to grab cloths and clothes.  Ike never seems larger than when he’s vulnerable, for some odd reason.  Like there’s more Soren needs to take care of.  “What was it about?” he asks as he cleans.

Ike scowls at his shaking hands.  “The uh, the boulders.  And wyverns.  You know.”  He does.  “The kids were there though.   And Shinon of all people got killed, and that’s what pisses me off the most, because what is wrong with me?  I’ll cheer the day a boulder drops on that jackass, but I’m almost freaking out.”

Soren pulls an intact pair of pants up Ike’s legs and then puts a shirt on him.  “He is part of your protectorate.”

“No he isn’t,” he argues.  “You, the kids, Mist, Titania. Kind of the others, but definitely not him.”

“I’m not saying he’s your friend or even that you like each other, but he is part of your family,” he corrects. 

“I don’t like that.”  He pouts.  

He finds it absolutely adorable.  “Your subconscious has decided otherwise, sorry.  Go check on him.”  Ike won’t be back to normal until he assures Shinon is okay.  

Ike grumbles but acquiesces, quietly greeting the kids and telling them he’ll be right back before he walks out.  It’s not long before he hears, “Don’t check on me, you’re not my mom!”

“Your loss, maybe you wouldn’t be such an asshole if I was!” 

“Ooooo Daddy said a bad word,” Misania says as if this is the scandal of the century as Ike comes back in.  At least Ike looks much more content.

“He’s having a rough morning, but don’t copy it,” Soren says.  He is not surprised in the slightest to be picked up and placed on Ike’s lap, nor is he shocked as Ike wrangles the kids until he has everyone on top of him.  This isn’t the first time and it isn’t the last, so no one mentions it.   Silence falls for a few minutes as they eat.  Well, everyone but Ike, who instead watches over them protectively.

Priam puts his fork down.  “Papa,” he says, “I want to negotiate.”

“Oh?”  Soren regards his eldest with a raised eyebrow.

Priam sits up primly, clasping his hands together.  “You will agree that I have been very good lately.”

“Will I?  Interesting.”  He smirks a little as Priam looks like he hadn’t thought Soren might disagree with his starting arguments.  “I’ll allow it.  Continue.”

“And I believe you will agree that I often come into conflict with my younger siblings.”

“Agreed, at least with your sister.”  Priam will regret revealing that he can talk so primly if he wants to.

“My younger brother used a silence staff on me not long ago,” he counters.  Lucien does not look guilty.  “Therefore, the best conclusion one would arrive at is that, as such, it would be in the best interest to, if possible, seek a replacement, or perhaps, if a replacement is not possible, maybe a supplement.”  

Lucien looks affronted and Misania looks baffled.

“Hmmmm… is that so.”  He fights laughing.  Priam looks like he’s in the middle of a terrifying battle.  “One might contest the idea that replacement or supplementation is the best idea.  For one thing, where would you get more?”

“Priam, seriously?” Ike asks as he finally starts eating.  

“I believe that it is, um, two adults who make babies,” Priam says, “and that’s you two.  So you would.”  

“Then let’s act under this false assumption that your father and I would be willing to create more children,” Soren says.  “What would you have us do with the two we have?”

“As long as I get some better ones, I don’t care what you do with these two,” Priam says.  “I just feel that I, as a good boy, deserve an upgrade.”  

“I am so confused,” says Misania.

Lucien sighs.  “He’s trying to talk Papa into replacing us.”

She gasps with horror.  “That’s a thing?!”

“No it isn’t,” Ike says with a sigh.

“Not necessarily!” Priam argues, “I just want a new brother or sister who isn’t annoying or a weenie.”  As if to drive his point home, she pulls him into a headlock.

“Well it isn’t happening,” Ike says, unworried as they wrestle on top of him.  “You love each other and we’re not having more kids.  Quit fighting.”

The fighting continues, so Soren just says  “Children,”  in the same tone he always uses, just to see what happens.  While they do separate, he gets three baffled looks in return and watches with great amusement as they share anxious glances amongst themselves.

“Are you okay?” Priam asks with uncharacteristic hesitation.

“Yes,” he says, fighting a smile.

“Have you been replaced?” Misania asks with suspicion.  

“No.  Am I not allowed to refer to my children as such?”

Another awkward pause.  “No, not really,” Lucien admits.

“I told you they wouldn’t like it,” Ike chimes in.  

“Good, because I don’t like it either.  Anyway, spawnlings, it’s time for learning.”  They are all so relieved that none argue, which is funny to him.  He notes Ike’s fingers twitch on his fork.  Technically Ike is supposed to join the others to pick berries, but he is in charge and can bend the rules if he wants.  “And perhaps today Daddy can take a turn at trying to teach you.”

The kids are all game with this, even as Ike looks a little surprised at being volunteered.  Then he softens and smiles, sending Soren a thank you with his eyes.  Soren sends it back and walks with them to the school room.

Soren gets the pleasure of trying to work with Kiera on compliance training, which in reality is a negotiation of her trying to get access to the fruit he’s offering by any means other than the simple tasks he’s giving her.  She may be Mist and Boyd’s daughter, but she has the stubbornness of her uncles – namely, him and Ike.  He blames Boyd for it all, though. 

Ike decides to skip reading, writing or anything else like that and go right to problem solving.  He’s clearly having fun with it.  “So, you are playing outside when the sky opens up and starts raining puppies and kittens.  What do you do?”  Soren pinches the bridge of his nose, because that’s not a problem worth solving, Ike.

“Have a cat party!” Misania cheers.

“Uh, no,” says Lucien, “That’s not a thing.”

“I would keep every single one of them,” Priam asserts. 

“Gonna have a caaaaat partyyyyy,” Misania sings. 

“Okay, next,” Ike says, not giving the answer because there is no correct answer, Isaac, “You walk off and get lost,” okay, promising, “and walk up to a huge buffet of delicious food.”  Goddess damn it, Isaac.  “What do you do?”

“Eat the food,” all three say together, visibly confused as to the question. 

“Yep,” says Ike.  “Next, you go to take a shower and instead of water coming out, there’s just a whole lot of glitter.  What do you do?”

“Isaac,” Soren says sternly, using his full name so he knows Soren is serious, “ask real questions.”

“What?” he says with fake innocence, “I’m just trying to make them think outside the box.”

“That’s not the point,” he retorts, “The point is to go over what to do in situations that could actually happen.”

Ike sighs.  “No fun at all.”  Then he frowns just a little, eyes glancing around, before he gets up to walk across the room and pick Kiera up.  This stops her arguments for a spell as she is confused.  He then settles her into the calm-down corner.  He comes back and picks Soren up this time, carrying him over to the teacher’s chair.  He considers it, still frowning, and picks Soren up yet again to move him and the chair a couple inches to the left.  Then he walks to the door, closes it, and sits in front of it on the floor. The door opens inwards, so he’s effectively blocked it.  He looks satisfied.  “There we go.  Much better.  Anyway… okay, things that can actually happen.  You’re in town and a lady with dark hair comes up to you.  Do you remember what to do?”

They all put their arms into Xs.  “Not today, Crazy Aimee!”  It still makes Soren snicker.

“Although she was actually kinda nice,” says Lucien.  “I mean I was bad and stole a book and she didn’t get mad, and then she helped me find good shinies for everyone.”

Soren looks at Ike with a raised eyebrow.  “You saw her again and weren’t going to tell me?” he teases, knowing that the kids will get the wrong idea.

“Wait, is Crazy Aimee your ex-girlfriend?” Priam demands.

“Ye gods no,” says Ike defensively, “She wanted to be, but no way!”

“Papa is prettier,” says Lucien with a scowl.

“Yeah, I didn’t say it meant Daddy had good taste,” Priam counters.  “But it would mean he has a type.”

“Stop,” says Ike with pain as Soren resists laughing.

“Daddy has only ever loved Papa,” Misania argues. 

“Yes, thank you, Misania,” Ike says, harried.  “Ugh, the thought of dating her might be worse than my nightmare.”

“Are you afraid of her?” Priam asks.

“No,” Ike argues, “I just don’t like her.”

“Daddy is afraid of nothing!” Misania proclaims.  “He is a rock of super cool toughness and keeping calm.”

“Thank you, Mia,” says Ike with smug pride.

“Needles,” says Soren, “Aimee, and people getting hurt.  Also he fainted when he found out you were twins.”

The kids look at him in shock.  Ike gives Soren a look of pure betrayal.  Lucien is visibly anxious as he asks, “Oh, did you… not want me?”

Soren is pained that that is what Lucien took from the conversation, but Ike just scoffs.  “Of course I wanted you!  You were my Magic Bean and now you’re my Snuggly Squeaker!  I was just surprised at the time.”  Lucien blushes, pleased.  “Anyway, time for a serious question.  Uh.”  He looks a little pained as he thinks, and Soren can read him quite clearly - any serious, real question would undoubtedly be based on his own history and he doesn’t want to burst the children’s happy bubbles.  Besides, those are also questions that have no good answers.  What do you do if Daddy kills Papa?  What do you do when you find someone killing Daddy?

So Soren takes back over.  “You are playing and you hear the alarm siren go off.  What do you do?”

Yes, they still do those drills.  Yes, it is still monthly and can be at any time of the day.  Yes, the children are involved.  Yes, everyone still hates them.

“We go hide in your bedroom still, right?” Priam asks.  

“Correct,” Soren says.  

Lucien raises his hand excitedly.  “Oh, except if it’s a tornado, then we come here because there are no windows!”

“Also correct,” Soren agrees.  

Misania looks anxious before going into the calm down corner with her cousin.  “Meep.”  Kiera is happy for the company and curls up with her with giggles.  

Soren fondly sighs.  “There isn’t a tornado going on right now.  There hasn’t been since before your daddy and I lived here, either.”

“But,” Ike says, finally getting up and walking to the calm-down corner too, pulling the girls into cuddles, “nothing beats fear like cuddles!”

“I’ll take it!” Misania says with great anxiety, normally not one for cuddles because she’s “too busy,” per her own assessment.  Ike looks quite smug.

“Insatiable,” Soren says with a soft smile.  “Anyway, you’re all lucky as today I don’t feel like teaching any more.  Let’s go pick berries with the family.”  They cheer - yes, even his daughter who was cowering mere seconds before.

The intention had been to have a happy day accomplishing things with the team as a whole.  It has the unintentional side-effect of giving him quite the eye-candy.   

It’s kind of amusing to him.  The group is full of extremely muscular men.  One would assume that, given Ike is his type, he might also be attracted to Boyd, Gatrie or Oscar too.  Nope.  He has eyes for the hard pecs and ripped arms of exactly one man.  Ike is wearing a shirt, but if anything that makes it sexier to him. When he lifts his arms the shirt rises a bit, giving him a few of his hips and abs, yum.

“You’re drooling,” he hears Mia whisper in his ear mischievously.  It makes him jump, startled. 

“I am not!” 

“No, but you were staring,” she says with a shit-eating grin.  “Save it for your bedroom, yeah?  You’ve given Gatrie a crisis already.” 

“What?”  He turns to give her his full attention.   

Her grin does not change.  “Gave him quite a show at the hot springs.  And everyone is gay for Soren, the key to everyone’s closet!” she croons before she skips off to go pick berries. 

So, apparently it was Gatrie who spotted Soren and Ike in the hot springs.  That’s somehow better and worse than Titania being the one.  Granted, it’s been obvious for awhile that Gatrie has a crush on him, much to both of their consternations.  He does like to think that Gatrie’s not a voyeur and this was an accident, but who knows, honestly.  He decides that it was an accident for his own sanity, and for Gatrie’s continued health and life.   

Still, he recovers himself.  If he’s eye-fucking his husband enough that Mia of all people could pick up on it, he needs to regulate himself better.  Tonight, though, he’s scaling Mount Ike. 

They finish the day on a positive note, having accomplished everything that needed to be done.  Soren knows Ike claimed dibs, but he pushes him onto their bed.  “I’m in charge,” he asserts.   

Ike lands on his back, relaxed and arms spread.  “Sir yes sir.”   

Soren gets onto bed, straddling his knees and pushing up his shirt to expose his abs and pecs.  He leans down to start kissing and licking every single inch of skin like he’s wanted to for hours.  “I love your body,” he says as he kisses strong muscles, “but I do feel bad you work out so much.  You know I would still love your body if you relaxed a bit, right?”

“Yeah,” Ike breathes, running his fingers through his hair.  “But I need to keep you safe.”

Soren is still slightly ashamed of what is apparently his protection kink.  But it’s a primal desire that appeals to his basest self and he’s helpless to fight a moan as he keeps making out with Ike’s sharp abs.  He starts stroking his cock through his pants.  “You would anyway.  You’re so strong and brave.”

“Hey, wait a second, I called dibs,” Ike finally remembers with a scowl.  He gently takes a handful of Soren’s hair to lift his head away from his skin.  “Nice try.”  

“We can split it,” Soren suggests in what is most definitely not a whine, eyes fixated on those pecs.  

“Okay,” Ike says, guiding Soren’s mouth to his chest.  Soren gets to work worshiping, licking, kissing and sucking on his chest while he keeps rubbing him through his pants.  “You’re so good to me,” he says with a happy sigh, relaxing.  “Gorgeous and brilliant.”  He keeps his fingers in Soren’s hair, guiding his mouth to where he wants it.  For a time Soren gets to lick his nipples, which Ike clearly enjoys (albeit not as much as Soren does, alas).  “I’ve kept you safe, haven’t I?”

Soren nods as he suckles.  “No one has hurt me or the kids under your protection.”  

He looks a little conflicted as he admits, “Not since the war, I guess.”

Soren pushes against Ike’s hand so he lets him go, and then he climbs up to kiss him.  “I’m only alive because of you, so don’t beat yourself up.  Right now I want to worship you, so there’s no time for self-deprecation.”  

Ike blushes.  “Soren.”

“Ike.”  He kisses him again on the lips, then the chin, then his neck.  He settles in there, continuing to stroke his cock through his pants as he makes out with his neck.  He tastes amazing.

“I’m actually kind of a mess today,” he admits.

Soren pushes up again.  Ike does look conflicted.  “Then what do you need from me right now?”

Ike takes a deep breath as he thinks.  He’s not looking at him.  “Maybe we swap?”

Soren strokes his cheek.  “If that’s what you want.”

Ike picks him up and lays him on his back.  “Yeah.  I need to make sure you’re safe.”  He kneels over him, rubbing up and down his body over his clothes before he meticulously takes his shirt off.  His mouth goes to Soren’s scars before he can even say anything, it’s so fast.  

Once Soren catches up to what’s going on, he starts scratching at Ike’s scalp soothingly.  “My scars have faded quite a bit over time,” he observes quietly.

“You shouldn’t have any at all,” he argues as he continues to place kisses.

“They’re proof I survived,” he retorts.  

Ike considers it.  “Good point,” he relents, backing up to take off Soren’s pants before moving back in to kiss on his stomach, eventually lapping at the skin there.  It makes Soren’s skin prickle.  “The challenges were edging, creampie, body worship and dirty talk, right?”

“Right.”  He forces himself to relax.  “I suppose if you’re going to do the body worship, that leaves me with the dirty talk.”  

“Yep.”  Ike kisses and licks down his hip and then thigh, kneeling to raise Soren’s leg by the knee so he can lavish kisses on his calf, ankle, and then foot.

“If you tickle me, this ends here,” Soren warns.  Ike just chuckles and kisses the sole of his foot, and then of all things pulls a toe into his mouth to suck.  Soren finds it gross but pleasurable, his fingers gripping the sheets beneath him.  “That’s disgusting!”

“Nah, nothing about you is disgusting.”  Ike gives his foot more kisses before switching to the other foot to start the same treatment.  

“I will be even more if you’re giving me a tongue bath!”

“I’ve wanted to just,” Ike licks and kisses behind his knee, “taste you all over for days, possibly weeks.  I’m planning on edging you off with my tongue inside you.”

“You are amazing at it,” Soren admits, gazing up at him with what he hopes is a loving expression.  “I’ll admit sometimes I want to smugly tell the world how good you are in bed.”

“Go ahead, as long as I can brag too.”  He pushes his knees back to put Soren on complete display.

“Wait,” Soren says, “Let me go clean everything up first.  I wasn’t expecting you to be doing anything like this.”

Ike sighs and, of all things, leans in to kiss the side of Soren’s dick as he breathes deeply.  “Fine, fine.  I love your scent and taste but I know it’ll bug you.”

“It will,” he asserts.  Ike lets him go and Soren rolls out of bed.  “I’ll be right back.”  

He goes to the bathroom, swiftly taking care of everything.  Ike clearly has had a bad day, at least emotionally speaking, so Soren decides to give him a little surprise, too.

Ike’s eyes go wide when Soren exits their bathroom fresh, clean, and wearing nothing except simple black stockings that go up to mid-thigh.  It’s not even really fancy enough to be lingerie, but Ike is visibly entranced regardless as he climbs out of bed, picks Soren up, carries him back to bed, and then lays down on his back, making Soren straddle his face.  All teasing is done now as Ike holds Soren’s hips tight as he deeply licks, kisses and sucks at Soren’s perineum and ass like a man starved.  

Soren tries, as a general rule, to not be too loud during sex.  Yes they have a silencing spell, but he’s paranoid with three children not too far away.  But it’s hard to be Ike’s lover and quiet at the same time.  The passion he shows and their substantial size difference can be overwhelming.  And he’s pretty sure that Ike deliberately tries to make Soren moan when going down on him.  So he covers his mouth with one hand and holds his dick out of the way with the other so he can watch Ike’s face.  Ike smiles at him with his eyes before closing them and moaning indulgently, hands massaging Soren’s ass and occasionally spreading them to let his tongue get in deeper.

At a particularly pleasurable stroke, Soren withdraws his hand from his mouth to instead start stroking Ike’s scalp.  “You’re so good at this,” he whispers.  “Amazing, you feel so good.”  They keep eye contact as Ike gives and Soren takes, pleasing them both equally.  “Ah, Ike, just like-” he gasps as Ike settles into a steady, stroking rhythm that manages to touch everything at once, “-that, Ike, Ike-”. Then he grimaces as Ike bats Soren’s other hand out of the way to squeeze his dick.  “Ow!”

“Sorry.”  He lessens the squeeze a little, enough to prevent orgasm without hurting too much, before he resumes his oral worship.  

Soren’s thighs start to shake and he has to lean forward and rest his head on the wall at the top of his bed.  Ike takes advantage of his weakness to pull him onto his face more, and Soren starts to shiver as he can feel Ike breathing deeply as he kisses and licks.  Words are failing him.  “Ike,” is all he can think of, because right now it’s all he can come up with, “Ike, Ike, Ike, Ike…”. His toes curl and flex.  He doesn’t need to come, he just needs this to happen forever.  

“Do you want to come?” Ike whispers with a kiss to his asshole.

“I don’t care, just don’t stop!”

He can feel Ike smile as he resumes his deep lapping.  

Soren just keeps stroking his hair and scalp, keeping eye contact and losing himself.  “You’re working me so good,” he breathes, “so fucking good, Ike-“ He hisses as Ike stops the grip so hard and instead rubs under the head of his dick with a thorough thumb.  That’s enough for him, he’s coming, clenching down on Ike’s tongue as his body climaxes in a deep, needy way that Ike pulls from him with a consistent, steady mouth.  

When he stops spilling seed onto Ike’s forehead, Ike lifts him by the ass and sits up, guiding Soren strongly onto his cock.  Soren wraps his arms around his neck and holds on as Ike guides his hips in a strong, deep ride.  As Soren’s mouth is by Ike’s ear, he whispers into it, “So good, Ike, so deep, so good, keep going, Ike, Ike…”

“I’m close,” Ike grunts.

“Good, love, come inside me when you need-“ Ike actually chokes out a cry as he slams Soren’s hips to his, holding him tightly, deeply.  Soren kisses his ear and neck in encouragement.  Ike’s orgasm is long, his body shaking as he moves to hold Soren to him with both arms in a tight hug.  

He finally relaxes, leaning so his back is against the wall.  “I needed that,” he admits.  

Soren chuckles. “Clearly.”  Ike moves to kiss him, but Soren covers his mouth.  “Absolutely not.  Let’s go clean up before any kissing or cuddling.”

Ike sighs as if this is the greatest inconvenience known to man, but he then picks Soren up to clean them up.  Anything for kissing and cuddling, after all.

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

Erotic electrostimulation/post-rebellion sex/full nelson/ball worship

It’s the same old scene -  a blood-soaked swamp crawling with enemy forces and his group tasked with being a distraction. Ike is confident they can pull it off, at least at first – he trusts his team and knows there is little they can’t overcome. 

Until he sees the Black Knight.

His father’s murderer is standing there, flanking the ethereal general of Daein, armor caked in mud and blood with Alondite in his hand.  He wants to believe it’s someone else.  He wants to believe that he killed the Black Knight years ago.  But he knows it’s him.

It makes sense, looking back.  He was a teenager going up against a veteran, a novice facing someone trained by his father before his arm injuries.  Realistically, there was no way he would have won, no matter how much he tried to convince himself that he had. 

But he’s far from alone.  The Daeinites have somehow restocked their numbers despite years of being broken down by Begnion.  He feels that’s unfair.  He doesn’t want the country left destitute, but who let them build up another army?  Well, Begnion, obviously.  Whatever is going on down there. 

The foot soldiers he can handle.  They’re ill-trained, comparatively.  He dodges and parries, ever mindful of the elegant figure at his back.  He trusts his team wholly, but somehow more with Soren – with Soren, he knows they can accomplish everything.  The fact a full-plated knight and wyvern fall into the muck is testament to that.

But there’s an archer lining up a shot, so he moves away to take her out.  He’s attacked by a wyvern rider, and dispatches him too.  He sees Jill in the distance and hopes she has the sense to stay away.  Then he hears the whistle and crash of meteors, and everything goes to hell.

He’s seen it before, hundreds of times.  There is conversation but it is terse, neither combatant feeling too talkative.  Soren is using long-distance magic which is weaker than his usual spells, and while he can see the damage reflected in the armor he knows it’s not enough.   Ike is running but then

Soren has a sword shoved through his stomach.  It nearly bisects him before it is harshly withdrawn.  It’s from behind, and it’s Gurgurant.  The Mad King laughs.

And Ike… Ike freezes.

The battle continues on as his heart and soul drops to his knees and bleeds out in front of him, and he just stands there.  He –

“Daddy!”  He jolts awake in a light panic, sitting up in bed and with his daughter at the end of it holding a wood sword.  “Oh Daddy hi!  It’s just you!  I heard weird noises but I think you were having a nightmare!  I was gonna smite an evil monster and avenge you but I don’t have to!”

He laughs, shakily.  “Thanks for the thought.  Where’s Papa?”

She’s weird and can’t read the atmosphere, but she can be observant.  “Oh, you need to be needy with him.  I’ll go find him!”  She scurries off, yelling for her papa. 

Ike rubs his face with his hands as he focuses on calming himself.  Two sleeps in a row plagued by nightmares.  Not good.  He either needs to beg Soren to not leave bed until he wakes, or he needs a vacation, time to do nothing but train and eat and sleep and sex.  

His hands are shaking.  Thankfully this time he is already wearing pants - that would have been awkward - but he doesn’t try to put on a shirt.  When he gets like this, he can’t do anything without accidentally breaking it.

Broken like Soren’s dying body -

He bolts from bed to the bathroom, vomiting in the privy at least.  He’s shaking all over now.  He’s dead he’s dead he’s -

“There you are, love,” Soren says, and Ike is too emotionally wrought to even startle.  Ike looks at him, vision blurry, before he can’t stop himself pulling him into a hug.  Soren hugs him back, petting his back soothingly.  “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” he chokes out, “I can’t lose you.”  His voice hitches.  

“Well that’s good, because I’m not going anywhere,” Soren replies before kissing his temple.  He doesn’t ask why Ike’s in such a state.  He knows.  “Let’s get you up and about, all right?  You need normalcy right now.”

“I need you right now.”  He takes deep breaths through his nose, relying on the scent of ink and lavender to help.   It does.  It was a dream.  Soren is completely unharmed.

“I won’t leave your side,” he assures.  

“Daddy,” says Misania, poking her head into the bathroom, “Do you need a hug?”

Ike again chokes out a laugh.  He can’t say no to her.  “Sure, honey.”

She comes in too, throwing herself over Ike’s back.  “I hope you feel better!  You can still have a great day!”

“Thanks.”  He reaches up to pet her head before his hands are magnetized back to Soren.

“All right,” Soren says softly.  “Misania, could you go out so I can take care of Daddy?”

“I could help!”

“You’re a little small,” he says.

“Oh.  Sorry.  I’ll go get taller!  Bye!”  She gives them kisses and bolts out.

“All right then, up we go,” Soren murmurs, moving to stand.  Ike goes with him because he still can’t bear to let go.  “You’re doing so good, my love.  Let’s start with some water.”

Ike nods, going along.  He accepts the offer of a glass from their bedside carafe.  “I’m sorry.”  He chugs.

“You’ve done nothing wrong.”  Soren looks him over.  “I am concerned about this increase in nightmares.”

“Me too.  Could you stop leaving bed?  I don’t have any when you’re there.  Or, could we finally take that little honeymoon?”  It was something they’d brought up back in Goldoa.  

Soren looks thoughtful.  “It would put quite the burden on Mist if we left with Titania still gone, but we should be able to do it when she gets back.”

Ike nods.  “Yeah, I know she could do it but I don’t want to overwhelm my pregnant little sister.”

“Have you ever talked to her about her taking over the company?” Soren asks.

“No, not directly,” he admits.  “I plan on running it for a few more years at least and I’ll, you know, hopefully not die before I train her.”   He raises his glass in a toast to his father.

“If you do, Mist will be the least of your worries,” Soren says quite sweetly despite the threatening undertone.  “So that’s our plan.  I’ll wake you up when I get up and we’ll go away for a week once Titania comes home.”

Ike nods at first before the wording Soren used hits him.  “Hey, don’t wake me up!  Just stay in bed with me!”

“Beggars can’t be choosers, my love,” Soren says with a stroke to his cheek.   He looks him over and then, deciding he’s content with Ike’s state, leaves their room.  Ike is right behind him.   It’s going to be one of those days.

“Oh Daaaaddyyyyyy and Paaaapaaa,” Misania sings from the twins’ room.  They peek in and find the two setting up their table for a tea party.  “Come join us!  We’re celebrating me being able to erase making cookies and getting Evil Grandpapa’s Ancestral Blade off the Adventure List!”  She gestures to the plate in the middle of the table.  The set is the one Lucia got for Lucien.

“I think she should learn to make cake next,” Lucien chimes in. 

Ike looks to Soren to see if he’s going to stay.  Soren is visibly waffling.  The coup de grace is Lucien handing him a stuffed bunny (not Isolde of course - this one has golden fur, not blue).  Soren melts.  “All right.”

The twins cheer.  “Papa never does tea parties, so this is great!” Misania exclaims.

“So much gossip,” Lucien gushes.

Soren and Ike sit at the table.   Lucien finishes setting the table as Misania bolts off and comes back with her basket of bows.  She immediately pulls her chair over next to Ike’s and jumps on it, setting upon him to fill his hair.  He’s not surprised.  

Lucien finishes and sits.  “Okay!  We’re all good!”  He places a plain piece of parchment in the middle.  “Ta da!”

“Brand new!” Misania squeals.  “All sorts of new adventures to be had!”

“I feel as if I’m part of history,” Soren says, voice somehow both fondly indulging but also extremely sarcastic.  

“Clearly you need an adventure for new bows,” Ike says.  There’s so many in his hair that it’s weighing his head down a little.  He needs a haircut.  

“Silly Daddy, you can’t keep these,” she says with a giggle.

“Oh, darn.”

“So, what carry-overs do you have?” Soren asks, getting down to business.

“Well I still need to find a mysterious hermit to teach me forbidden sword techniques,” she says, “That’s still at the top.  Luci, can you do the writing so I can finish with the bows?”  She spins to start adding the rest into Soren’s hair.

“Sure!”  He starts scrawling.  His handwriting isn’t as good as hers, but it’s neater than Ike or Priam’s.

“I still need to get a pet,” she continues.

“No,” says Soren.

“And that’s why it’s an adventure!”

Ike chuckles at that logic, but he can’t move too much or else the bows will fall out.  

Soren pinches the bridge of his nose.  “You had a fish that died within days.”

“Oh yeah… um… well a doggie or kitty or wyvern would be tougher!  Or a frog or a hamster or even a, um, porcupine!”

“Get a pet,” Lucien says as he writes, “Specifics to be determined.”

“I also need to get a new middle name, so that’s a new one!”

“Hey,” Ike says, frowning, “Your middle name is great.  Unless you want to be Ikea.”

Soren’s look is unamused.  Misania giggles.  “No no, silly.  But my middle name is Elena and it turns out that’s Grandma’s name!”

“Yes,” says Soren, “That was the point.”

“But I have two grandmas,” she counters.  “I can’t have one and not the other!  But I don’t know Grandmama’s name.  Hence the need for an adventure.”

“Awwww,” Ike says, no longer offended on behalf of his mother.  “Her name is Almedha.”

She squeals in joy.  “So I’d be Misania Elena Almedha Greil!”

“That’s a lot of vowels,” Lucien muses.

Soren is very thoughtful, which he manages to make look mature despite the presence of a dozen or so bows in his hair.  “I suppose we could do as we did for your first name and merge two names together…”

“Woah!  Who are my names then?”

Ike is a little pained she hadn’t put that puzzle together yet.  “Aunt Mist and Aunt Titania.  Misania.”

“Woah.”  He clearly blew her mind.

“It would really just be Alena, with an A at the beginning,” Soren says.  “Would that be suitable for you?”

“Yeah!”  She hugs him around the shoulders.  “Okay so that’s an adventure that was completed pretty fast.”

“Should I write it down?”

“Nooooo, then I would have to get a new paper.  Next, I want to go visit Dragon Land and see Great Grandpapa Sneeze Name again, because I miss him a lot!”

“Aww,” says Ike.

“Absolutely not,” says Soren.  “Do you not remember people trying to kill us?”

She fondly sighs.  “I’m a great hero, I’m not afraid of anything!  But I just realized you need to go now, because you’re kind of an adventure buzzkill!  You’re just gonna tell me no for all of it!”

“Most of it,” Soren agrees.  “Heavens forbid I would like you to reach adulthood.”

“Not all of my heroics are dangerous!  I mean, getting a pet isn’t dangerous!”

“A porcupine would be.  A dog could be.  A-“

“Bye Papa, I love you!”  She gives him a giant smooch on the cheek.  “You can even keep wearing my bows!”

“Thank you,” he drawls, standing.

Ike still gets that pang of anxiety.  “Me too.  I will also argue against your adventures.”  He stands.  “Sorry.”  Both twins scoff at that but Ike leaves with Soren before they can rightly point out that Ike’s “no” means nothing.  He closes the door behind them.  “You look adorable with all those bows.”

“I know.  So do you.”  He wryly smiles and starts removing them.  “But we do not need them broken or scattered all over the house.”  He looks like he wants to say something but isn’t sure what, so Ike waits for him to find the words.  “I love that… for all of our… issues… they’re all three so innocent and sweet.  You would not look at the three of them and think their parents were war veterans.”

Ike considers, and it brings him peace as well.  “Yeah, for being born to two traumatized men and raised by a mercenary company, they’re really weird but really well-adjusted.  But I like to think we’re not so bad either.  Nightmares not counting.”

“We have each other,” Soren says carefully.  “It’s codependent of us, yes, but…”

“I don’t care,” Ike finishes.  “I need you and you need me and that works for us just fine.  Where is Priam, anyway?”

“Now that Misania has mastered cookies, Priam needs to surpass her.  He is currently learning how to make cookie cake.”

Ike thinks.  “Aren’t those just bigger cookies?”

“Don’t say that where Priam can hear, or else Oscar will have to come up with something else.”

Ike chuckles.  “Yeah, good point.”  He smiles.  “All right.  So, what adventures are we getting up to?”

“Intakes,” says Soren.  Ike groans, but goes with him anyway.  Soren wraps his arms around himself as they walk down the hall to his office.  “Do you feel a draft?”

“No,” Ike says, but he is a human hearth and wraps one arm around him to provide some heat.  “So who’s on the schedule?”

“Ugh, do you recall the nobleman who hired us to… um…”  He blinks a few times, as if he is woozy.  Ike looks him over.  He’s pale, but that’s not a surprise because he’s always pale.  “We… Oh, right, it was harvesting his crops.  He was an ass.”

 “Doesn’t narrow it down much, but whatever,” Ike says with a sigh.  Technically they have enough money to be picky with clients, but they’re sticking to the standards set by his father – everyone is accepted as long as the task isn’t morally reprehensible and they pay something.  Soren wobbles on his feet as they get outside his office, and now Ike is extremely worried. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Soren says, but his lips are white.

“Soren!” he snaps.

Soren opens the door to his office, where there is an asshole-looking jerk sitting there looking smug.  Around his neck is an amulet that looks like the talismans they used to see during the war, but he can tell it isn’t one.  Soren drops to his knees so fast that Ike barely can ease him down. 

“Soren!” he says again, looking over his husband who looks like his blood is all gone.  Soren just blinks, and then he passes out.

“Wow, this was worth every penny!” the man says, fingering the amulet.  “It promised nullifying magic and it delivered!  Smarmy douchebag.  He’ll never talk down to me again.”

Ike sees red. In fact, that is an understatement.  What he sees is a man who smuggled in some sort of anti-magic necklace specifically to hurt Soren.  His husband.  His to protect. 

“Mist!” he yells, an order.  He gets up and takes two steps to the desk and yanks the necklace off the man with force, slamming it on the ground and stomping it into dust.  And then he starts punching.

The next thing he knows is that he can’t move, both of his arms being held back and his sister is in his face.  “Ike!  Calm down!”  He keeps trying to push forward, dragging the two holding his arms with him.  “Ike!  Soren is waking up!  He needs you right now!”

His sister is smart.  That is probably the only thing he could have said to snap him out of this.  The man with the broken amulet is a bloody pulp on the floor, but he’s not dead from what Ike can tell.  He wishes he was, but knows that he technically doesn’t deserve it.  The threat is neutralized.  Then he realizes he hasn’t said anything.  “Right,” he says, forcing himself to relax.   Boyd and Gatrie are restraining him and neither lets go.  “I’m okay, just get that asshole out of my fort.”

“I have a feeling he won’t ever come back,” Boyd says quite wryly, letting Ike go finally.  

“I have a migraine from that amulet and Rhys puked on himself, so yeah he’s never coming back,” Mist agrees with a sigh of relief.  “Oh Ike.  Shinon carried Soren to the infirmary.”

“Thanks.”  He knows that while Shinon wouldn’t have doted on him or anything, he would have at least gotten him to a bed without spectacle.  He’s an asshole, not a monster.  Anyway, once Gatrie lets him go, Ike shakes his arms out because they hurt from the strength of the restraint.  “Okay.  Thanks.”  He leaves the office to go to the infirmary.

He’s conflicted.  Soren got hurt on his watch.  Rhys, Mist and Lucien all use magic too, so all of them could’ve been hurt as bad.  But he also handled it.  It felt pretty good to beat up someone who hurt Soren.  Like giving the finger to the Ashnard and Black Knight of his nightmares.  So he somehow feels better and worse than he did before.  

Soren is awake and with Rhys in the infirmary, both sipping water propped up.  Rhys does have some vomit on his shirt, poor guy.  “I really resent how effective that thing was,” Soren is saying, wincing slightly.

“Agreed,” Rhys says. “I felt it fairly far away, so I can’t imagine how you felt right next to it.”

“I fell to the floor like a bag of rocks, so that tells you.”

Ike hops into the bed with Soren even though it’s not designed for more than one person.  It creaks and he doesn’t care.  “You were more graceful than a bag of rocks,” he says.  Normally they try to limit showing too much affection in front of the others, but right now he doesn’t care and he curls up around him, head resting on his sternum.  Soren strokes his hair to acknowledge before both hands go back to his cup.  “I took great joy in smashing that thing to dust for you, and the guy’s added to the black list.”

“Good,” says Soren.

“I think we are being a bit dramatic,” Rhys says, “Beorc invented armor to make weapons less effective, so it makes sense they’d keep working on things to make magic less effective.”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but the fact he brought it to my house is what really makes me angry,” Soren admits.  “This isn’t a battlefield.  This is where I live.  Although it sounds like he didn’t think it would knock me unconscious.”

“I think he just wanted to one-up you,” Ike agrees.  “You probably pissed him off last time.”

“Me?  Piss someone off?  Never.”  Soren gives an angelic smile that is so fake it makes Ike snicker.  “Thankfully I have you to save me from the consequences of my actions.”

Rhys puts his feet on the floor.  “Back to normal.  How are you?”

“Also back to normal,” Soren lies, Ike can tell, “but cozy.  Thankfully that asshole was the only intake today.”

“Good!  Enjoy your cuddles then.”  Rhys leaves them. 

“How are you really?” Ike asks.

“I feel like a bowl of limp noodles,” he says, and Ike is happy that he didn’t bother lying.  “It was very strong, excessively so.  Sort of like if you brought Ragnell to a discussion - just completely over the top.”

“Is it still working even after I smashed it?” Ike asks.

“Somewhat,” Soren admits, now looking uncomfortable, “Obviously I am now conscious, but my magic isn’t back yet.”

“Oh.  Then I can-”. Ike moves to leave so he can take the dust outside, but Soren tightens his grip.  

“Don’t leave,” he says quietly.

He gets comfortable.  “I can do that.”  And like that, his bad feelings are gone.  Protection, comforting and cuddles win the day once again.

Ike seems to be in a better mood that night, which makes Soren happy.  Soren himself also feels back to normal after the misadventure of the afternoon.  The spirits are back, but a little silly.  He’s not surprised, and figures that this will be temporary.  “What’s the challenge today?” Ike asks apropos of nothing.  He’s lounging in bed as Soren is refilling the carafe.

“What?”  Soren blinks and then nods.  “Ah, right.  Let’s see…”. He pulls the book out of the nightstand.  “Erotic electrostimulation, post-rebellion sex,  full  nelson, and ball worship.”  He’s kind of disappointed.  He really just wants to suck Ike’s life out through his dick today.  He owes him.  Well, ball worship can go with that.

“Uh,” says Ike.  “Listen.  Years ago I would have been game to try electricity stuff, but… I’ve been zapped so much that it’s not appealing at all anymore.”  

Soren chuckles, fondly recalling the days when Lucien had no control of his magic.  He made his opinions well known even as an infant.  Put him down? Get zapped.  Talk too loudly?  Zapped.  Startle him?  Zapped.  Heaven forbid, separate him from his twin, a safety blanket or stuffed animal?  Zapped.  Heck, he used to zap when getting diapers changed.  Soren had to exclusively do his because Ike’s magic resistance was so poor.  And that’s not counting the prevalence of lighting-focused war mages.  

“Yeah, I can see how that might take any excitement out of it,” he agrees. 

“And what the heck is post-rebellion sex?” Ike asks.

Soren reads aloud, “‘For some, the thrill of engaging in illegal, immoral, or rebellious actions can promote a sense of arousal.  Please note that the authors of this book cannot be held responsible for any consequences of breaking the law or marital vows.’”

“Huh,” says Ike.  “Uh, we haven’t really broken the law, have we?”

Soren considers.  “We did in Goldoa, but nowhere else.”

His eyebrows rise a little.  “How did we do that?”

“Forms of sex not considered procreative are technically illegal there,” he explains.  “After all, they have issues with a low population.   But it’s not really enforced.” 

Ike is silent as he ponders it.  “That’s just wrong.  I hope Kurth fixes that.   But… should we send an apology letter?  I mean we did technically break the law.”

“Multiple times,” he adds, intensely amused by Ike.  Such a goodie two-shoes.

“Multiple times,” he agrees.  

“Multiple times we were very bad, rebels,” he teases.  “Shame on us.”

Amusingly, Ike does not look aroused - he looks ashamed.  He is precious and must be protected at any cost.  “Yeah… I mean, I sure didn’t know about it…”

“Ike, I am joking with you,” he says plainly.  “Even if it were a big deal, which it is not, it’s not like anything would have happened even if we were caught.  I mean, we have children, so clearly we did procreative acts in addition to not-procreative ones.  They have nothing to complain about.”  

“I guess. Uh, okay, so, what is a full nelson?”

Soren shows him the visual in the book.   Ike blushes terribly.  

“Are you that flexible?” he asks in a tiny voice.

“Only one way to find out.”   

Ike is silent as Soren finishes preparing for bed.  “You’ve never brought up… what you said before.  About… wanting it rougher.”

“You weren’t interested,” he replies.  “If you aren’t, then I’m not.”  

“That’s not fair to you,” Ike counters.  “I should be doing things you like.”

“You do,” he retorts.  All done, he sits on the bed next to him.  “Ike, I am extremely happy with our life, both in the bed and out.  And I’m not stupid - you could easily hurt me even if you were being careful, and I don’t think you would forgive yourself easily if you did.”  He nods his agreement.  “I would forgive you, of course, but I understand.”  He leans to rest his head on the side of his neck and kiss him there.  “So… I was wondering…”. He slides a hand down Ike’s bare chest to his loose pajama pants.  “Could I take care of you first?  I feel like I haven’t gotten to suck you off in awhile.”

“I’m not going to say no,” Ike says, tilting his head to kiss his forehead.  Soren lifts his head to kiss him on the lips as he pushes his pants down to his mid-thighs, and then he starts to slowly kiss his way down Ike’s body.  Considering the last time he tried this Ike stopped him, Soren decides to move quicker to settle between his legs and lick up the shaft. He feels Ike shiver underneath him.

Content that Ike won’t be stopping him this time, Soren takes his time kissing all over the beautiful cock in front of him, one he is intimately familiar with.  It gets hard for him and Soren coaxes it to lay on Ike’s stomach.  “There we are,” he murmurs, wrapping his hand around the head and starting to stroke just there where Ike is most sensitive.  Indeed he hisses and throws an arm to cover his eyes.  “Always so good for me, aren’t you?”  He licks over Ike’s balls, cleaning him with his tongue like a good little pet.  “I owe you.  You kept me safe.”

“Always,” he moans quietly.  

“My strong, big protector.”  Soren remains on Ike's legs as he reaches over to grab the vulnerary bottle, letting it drip over Ike's dick so he  can get a good lubed massage going.  Ike gasps softly, reaching down and petting Soren's hair with his free hand as the other arm remains over his eyes.  Soren relaxes into it, licks the lubrication over his balls as he gently laps over the sensitive skin, smiling as he feels them tighten for his mouth.  He has to be very tentative with this because Ike's balls are extremely sensitive, but he can cup them with his tongue and pull one into his mouth with the barest hint of sucking.  His hand continues to rub the upper half of his dick in a solid rolling rhythm, around and around. 

"Fuck this feels good," Ike breathes.  "You can suck a little more - ah!"  Soren responds before he even can finish the sentence.  "A little less than that - ahhhh."  Soren finds a happy medium. Ike melts into the bed.  "You and your mouth are amazing."

Now that his balls are tighter and lifting, Soren can also lap underneath them and  his perineum just a bit before returning to them.  Occasionally he licks up the shaft to where his hand is continuing to rub, and sometimes he switches to kissing.  "I could do this all day," he murmurs with another kiss.  He pictures leaving some kind of mark that he did this - nothing like a hickey, of course, but maybe lipstick?  Oh, he'll have to do that at some point.  That would be hot.  Proof that he is appropriately worshiping Ike like he deserves.

"I'm close," Ike blurts.  Soren switches to rubbing and stroking his balls with his hand as he takes the head of his cock in his mouth, letting it fill the space on his tongue as he sucks with purpose.  It's mere seconds before Ike comes in his mouth and Soren, like an eager cumslut, sucks every single drop out of him, swallowing it all down. Ike groans, his hand in Soren's hair tightening but him allowing Soren to do as he pleases until it becomes too much and he pulls his head back.  Soren gives it a kiss before he sits up. 

"Good?"

"So good," Ike says, clearly recovering.  He finally takes his arm off his face.  "You are so good at that."

"Thank you," he says with a little smirk.  "Lots of practice."

Ike smiles up at him.  "Give me a few minutes to pay you back." 

"Of course."  Soren gets up and sets his own additional preparations -physically he is ready, but he has to force the spirits into creating the sound-proof barrier.  They're less compliant than usual, but he's far more stubborn than they could ever be and the barrier comes up shortly thereafter. 

By the time he's done, Ike is off the bed and pulling Soren back into his arms, taking his clothes off.  "We'll have to take this slow so I don't accidentally hurt you, but I think I figured out how to do it."

"You're just lucky I can't put you into a full nelson," he lightly teases.  Ike chuckles and leads them back to bed, laying down on his back and pulling Soren onto his lap.  He  is careful as he loops his arms around Soren’s legs, pulling back to rest his hands on his shoulders.  Then he says “Pffflth” and Soren is confused until one of the hands comes off his shoulder and tosses his hair over his shoulder.  “Oh, sorry.”

“No worries.”  He adjusts.  “Is this okay?”

“Yeah, it’s not too much.”  Barely.  One of the images had the hands around the back of his head, but there’s no way he could possibly stretch that far.  Then he belatedly realizes that their mirror is in the perfect position that he can see everything and it is highly embarrassing, but before he can say or do anything Ike finds his mark and slides fully inside with one decisive stroke.

It’s fucking deep like this, and he can’t even be concerned with the mirror as he feels Ike shift to brace his legs and thrust up, gradually building a rhythm that Soren is helpless to contribute to or mess up because in this position he is helpless in general, and it’s deep, but the angle is stroking his walls in the best way, and he has to grit his teeth and his fingers search for something to grasp but find nothing, and then he realizes Ike can see his face in the mirror because he speeds up and he wouldn’t without that confirmation that this is good for him, and Soren’s toes curl as he comes untouched quickly, his body responding to Ike’s in the best way possible.  “Ike!”  It’s the only word in his world right now.

“You set a, a charm,” Ike pants as he fucks, “don’t forget, for sound, you can be loud.”

“Ike!” he cries, because he knows that’s what Ike needs and fuck he deserves it, “Ike!  Ike!!”  His orgasm is over but he gasps as he feels it in his soul that this is going to make me come again, quickly.

“Oh you like this,” Ike purrs from behind him, then “Holy shit!”  But it’s not the good kind of “holy shit,” because then Ike is tossing Soren off him onto the bed and running towards the windows.  Soren winces with embarrassment as Ike pulls down a curtain and stomps on it, putting out the fire.  Then Ike laughs, wholly, full-hearted, deeply, the kind of laugh Soren hasn’t heard from him in a long time.  “You set the drapes on fire again!”

He knows.  He hasn’t lost control of his magic like that in years.  The last time was apparently the shower sex and was why the room got so steamy.   “Sorry.”

Ike shakes his head as he laughs more, “Sorry, I can’t stop laughing!  You’re welcome I guess!”

“It’s because of that pendant,” he says, deciding to outsource his shame, “It’s kind of made my magic wonky.”

Ike pulls his head in for a kiss.  “Don’t be embarrassed.  That was hot.”  Then he snickers.  “Pun unintended.”  Soren grabs the pillow and hits him with it, which makes Ike laugh harder.  

“So we should probably postpone this,” he admits with some disappointment, “Until my magic is better under control.”

“Or we’re in a room with nothing flammable,” Ike jokes, so Soren hits him with the pillow again. 

So it kind of ends prematurely, but they both got good orgasms from it, something to try again, and Ike is ending the day in a great mood.  Soren can’t complain, even if he feels totally justified hitting Ike with a pillow of few more times.

Chapter Text

Ike is awoken when he is flung out of bed by a cold gust, his blankets and pillows coming with him and cushioning his landing.  He hears Soren chuckle so he, once he gets his bearings, sits up to glare at him over the bed.  Soren doesn’t look the least bit guilty.  “You are almost impossible to wake up.”

“But flinging me across the room was your best option?” he demands, trying to look hurt.

“It was the most fun,” he admits.  “I have discharges today if you’d like to join me, Priam is still in the kitchen learning to cook, Misania is trying to teach Kiera to be a good friend, and Lucien woke up with a headache so he’s staying in bed.”

Ike is tempted by Squeaker Snuggles, but Soren looks radiant this morning from the amusement and burst of magic.  I want to fuck him so good he cries, he thinks, unbidden.   It seems like a good idea.  “I’ll join you.”  To that end, he nabs the smut book (Soren doesn't like calling it that, but to Ike it's the smut book) and follows him to his office.  Soren quirks his eyebrow just a little, but doesn't say anything as they walk. 

Thankfully the discharges Soren handles are completely uneventful.  Just people thanking them for their help and  paying them for it.   It lets Ike peruse the smut book while keeping an eye on everything.  

He’s been thinking - Soren has wanted something a little rougher, right?  It’s not that Ike can’t or won’t do rough sex.  He just won’t do painful or degrading sex.  Surely there’s some sort of compromise here?  The book is helpful to that end, with coming up with positions and techniques,  even if it feels not kinky at all to read about prostates or how to make a man have multiple orgasms.  But there are diagrams and he does get ideas that he can definitely do, as well as a couple positions to rule out based on their size differences.  

He settles on making today’s prompts overstimulation, multiple orgasms, and from-behind.  More rough, but still focused on Soren’s pleasure.  Perfect.  Amusingly, the book writers call it “beast-laguz style.”  He can think of a few laguz who would be offended.

"Absolutely not," says Soren as he looks at a letter, and the vehemence of his tone startles him.  It's just the two of them and at first Ike is surprised that they're alone, but he should be used to it by now - he doesn't focus on a lot, but when he does he goes all-in.  Ike peers at what Soren is so horrified at, and quite frankly he's also horrified, if not more so.

You are cordially ^ invited

             (reluctantly)

to the Grand Wedding of Empress Sanaki Kirsch Altina

to Tormod, Ambassador and Son of Muarim

In the Free Nation of Begnion

This invitation is for the Greil Mercenaries, esteemed allies ^ of the Crown of Begnion                                                                                                                                   (and irritations)

Note: You are not being "paid to attend."  You should be paying ME to come to MY WEDDING.   Also, anyone who takes attention away from me on my wedding day will be flogged with a rotten tree branch and then set on fire -S

(There is a crude drawing of a butt) SHORT! -T

"No," he agrees.  "No no no no no."

"We're not going," Soren says.

"I would say set the letter on fire, but I think they would feel good about that," Ike agrees. 

They sit in silence for about a minute.  “I am disturbed,” Soren says at length.  “Sanaki and Tormod is a match made in the pits of the abyss.  Begnion is going to be in flames sooner rather than later.”

Ike has a terrifying thought.  “Do you think they got together at our wedding?”

Soren looks at Ike with horror.  Ike is pretty sure that his look is not much better.  

There is a soft knock on the door.  “Hey - oh, what’s wrong?” Mist immediately picks up on their distress.  Soren points to the letter, and Mist reads it.  Her face soon has a matching look of disgust.

“I was thinking of making a dessert with all the berries,” he hears Oscar say before the man himself pokes his head into Soren’s office.  “Oh dear.  Did we see something disgusting?”

“Yes,” say Ike, Soren and Mist.  Oscar reads the letter and looks horrified too.

“Hey Boss!” Mia croons as she comes in next, “You can’t hide here forever!  Oh geez, did someone die?  What’s… Sanaki and…”. Her voice trails off and her face becomes one of disgust.

“Are we having a party?” Gatrie asks as he also comes in.  Soren’s office is now filled with people.  “Oh, how lovely!  A wedding invitation…. For… what?  Tormod?  Tormod?!”

Shinon pokes a head over his shoulder.  “Oh fuck no,” he says. 

“Language,” says Rhys from the hallway.  He stands on his toes to peer in and read.  “What the flying fuck?  Sanaki and Tormod?”

“Did someone say Sanaki and Tormod?” Boyd demands from down the hallway, “Because that is messed up!”

“It’s real,” says Oscar.

“Wait, what?”  Boyd runs in and reads the invitation too.  “Oh.”

It’s not long before Rolf, the last adult not present, comes in to see what’s going on.  The Greil Mercenaries as a whole stare at each other and then the letter and then each other with appropriate levels of absolute disdain.  Rhys performs a sign of the Goddess that repels evil.  Ike is surprised the letter does not spontaneously combust.

“Okay,” says Mist slowly, “I am going to say we dispose of the letter carefully and pretend we never got it.”

“Setting it on fire would be appropriate on multiple levels,” Oscar suggests. 

“We don’t want to encourage them, even from a distance!” Mia argues.  Most of the team agrees with this.

“At least Titania isn’t here to say something like we should be happy for them,” Rolf says.  “I don’t care how nice you are, we can’t be happy for this.”

“What if they have kids?” Soren asks aloud.

“You are a sick bastard,” Shinon says.  “Don’t even think about that!”

“You’re right,” Soren agrees, and that’s a first, “That’s just… wrong-er.  That’s not even a word.  But it’s true.”

Ike knows he has to be the leader right now, so he pushes aside his disgust and grabs the invitation.  “All right everybody, back to work.  I am going to take this and bury it in the courtyard under the poison ivy patch, and we will never speak of this again.”  

Slowly the team disburses, and Ike follows through on his plan.  For the rest of the day though he has a sinking feeling in his soul that he has to actively fight off.  It’s across the continent.  No fire can travel that far!  And this is NOT his and Soren’s fault.  Their love is pure and true and right and no way could it result in something like this.  Everything will be fine.  

And very far away.

Squeaker Snuggles are rejuvenating, and Ike takes full advantage.  It helps that Lucien feels better than he did in the morning so there’s no worry on that front.  

Ike is in a pleasant half-doze as he hears rolling thunder in the distance.  He debates on getting up because he knows Misania will be scared, and Soren on edge, but he’s comfy.  Thankfully Lucien is the opposite of afraid as he runs to the window, opening it up so he can get closer to the incoming storm.  It’s a quirk of being a mage - Soren gets the same sort of anticipation when the winds shift, too.  It makes sense Lucien would be drawn to lightning.  

He hears the door to the wing of the fort open loudly.   He yawns as he gets up to join them.  “I’m brave! Uncle Rolf and I fought our worries and I am not afraid!”  Misania is very obviously trying to convince herself of this.

“One afternoon playing in the rain is not going to erase a phobia,” Soren counsels.  “You will be fine, but you’re allowed to be nervous.”

“Why are you afraid, anyway?” Priam asks, sounding curious.

“Oh, because Papa is,” she replies honestly, “And he has a good point - thunder is loud and scary and lightning goes bzzzzzzzap and then you’re dead!”

Soren looks uncomfortable.  Ike interjects, “Dragons are weak to lightning magic, so Papa is wary of lightning in general.”  That’s true, but not the complete truth.  The kids don’t know of Soren’s background, though.  “For Luci, because lightning is his innate magic, it kind of overrules the dragon thing.  You on the other hand are just afraid because it’s normal to be afraid of stuff.”

“Daddy!”  Completely ignoring everything, she runs to give him a glomp of anxiety.  Ike picks her up.

Priam’s head tilts.  “Aw man.  I guess that makes sense but it’s kinda lame because then I should also be afraid since I’m part dragon.  But I’m also not afraid of anything.  So I guess it all makes sense.”   Ike is consistently amused at Priam’s insistence on reminding everyone he is part dragon.  Years ago Soren mused that if Priam ever found out the truth he would never drop it, and damn if he wasn’t absolutely right.   

As Priam talks, Ike gets Misania wrapped in a blanket.  “Sure, Priam.  Hey Squeaker, you want to help comfort your sister?”  Lucien bolts from the bedroom with a look of determination.  Ike has to chuckle as he puts her on the couch and Lucien immediately jumps up to cuddle around her.  It makes her giggle damply.  It’s not often he gets to comfort her.  Then Ike looks to his oldest.  “You want to help?”

Priam visibly waffles.  Ike knows him - he’s not a cuddler, but he can be a comforter when he wants.  That’s Priam in a nutshell though - he can do or be anything when, and only when, he wants.  Much like his parents.  Finally he nods and gets onto the couch with his littles.  “So, ‘snot so bad, ‘cause we’re indoors and lightning strikes tall stuff and wet stuff…”

Ike leaves them to their cuddle of comfort as he gently takes Soren’s hand, gesturing with his head to the bedroom.  Soren replies with a raised eyebrow but follows.  Once they’re in their bedroom, Ike pulls him into his arms, because he can.  He’s way better than he was yesterday, but he could still use the comfort and he knows Soren could, too.  Soren lets out a soft sigh and leans in to his embrace.  They stand in silence for a few minutes, just relaxing and feeling.

“I RSVP’d no,” Soren says, his eyes closed and face resting on Ike’s chest.  

“That’s nicer than I was planning,” Ike admits.  “But then again, I imagine you weren’t very nice about it.”

“Lies and slander.  I was very nice.  I just reminded her that she was not to talk to me unless she had something important to say, and the impending torching of Mainal Cathedral did not meet that threshold.”

Ike has to laugh softly.  “Her wedding doesn’t count as important?”

“Only to her.”

He kisses his forehead.  “You are kind of an asshole, but I love that about you,” he murmurs, holding him close.   “You know that, right?”

Soren looks up at him, curious.  “Are you all right?”

Ike isn’t sure how to put his feelings into words.  “Yeah.  Just… feeling grateful today.”

Soren considers it.  “I suppose that’s better than anxious and overprotective.”

“It is.  But you didn’t answer my question.  You do know I love the fact you’re kind of a jerk sometimes, I hope.”

“Such a charmer,” Soren says wryly.  “That’s not really a question.”

“My point is that you can snark off at anyone you want for any reason and I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he asserts, not sure why he feels so intent on making sure this gets across.  “Just… be yourself.  You, as you are, every part of you.  I’ll protect you.”

Soren stands on his toes and kisses Ike gently on the lips.  “I know.  I’ll refrain from making racist comments, at least. You taking that hit from Mordecai gave me nightmares.”

“True, that wasn’t fun.  Stick with insulting people who deserve it for things they can control.”  Ike kisses him back, relieved Soren seems to understand him.  

“You’re still feeling overprotective from the last few days, especially yesterday, but you’re also not anxious today,” Soren observes.  “So it’s translating out as you needing to make reassurances.”

“Maybe.”

“Perhaps I can go pick a fight with someone and you could beat them up for me?  My treat.”

Ike kisses him again, but he can’t stop smiling.  “A perfectly normal couple bonding experience, right?”

“Sure, why not.”  They kiss again, and Ike strokes a long dark lock of hair behind his ear.  “What are today’s prompts?”

Ike doesn’t tell Soren he cheated and made his own.  “Overstimulation, multiple orgasms, and from-behind.”  To make it clear who is going to be the lucky one, he rubs his ass with a hand.  

He wryly smiles.  “I’m in for quite the night then, aren’t I?”

“You sure are.  I’ve been thinking about it all day.”

Then there is a loud clap of thunder and Soren instinctively presses against him, so Ike wraps his arms around him, waiting until it passes.  They both hear a quiet “meep” from the sitting room.  “I have plans for us later, but I think this would be a good afternoon to do nothing but be a family,” Ike muses.  “Just sneak out at some point to get prepped.”  Soren agrees with a nod and they go back to the sitting room to have a relaxing rest of the day.

The storm is light, but it lasts all day and into the night.  Ike practices some sword moves, but mostly he watches his family protectively and pictures fucking his husband.  Adorably Priam volunteers to sleep with his siblings to keep them safe, which equally adorably Misania seems relieved by.  Lucien just likes snuggles in general.  The older two need sleeping draughts, but they sleep soundly once given.

Ike guides Soren to their room, locking them in.  “Put on the soundproof barrier, please.”  

Soren’s hands glow green as he moves them as if conducting an small orchestra before there is a soft shimmer on the door and walls.  “There.”  He steals a kiss.  “Do your worst.”

“My best, you mean.”  Ike steals it back.  “My worst would be leaving you alone.”  He manhandles him onto the bed, on his stomach.  In a twist that Ike is sure shocks Soren to his core, he grabs their vulnerary, pulls down his pants, and gets his mouth all over that ass he’s been thinking about all damn day.  

“Why are you so obsessed with my ass?” Soren asks, laughing into the pillow as Ike showers it with kisses.

“You’re not an ass man, you can’t appreciate it,” he retorts, grabbing another pillow to prop his hips up.  “But you do things like ‘be happy’ and ‘walk around me’ and I can’t help it, I have to!”  He flattens his tongue and licks up and down, thoroughly enjoying himself. 

“So this is my fault?” Soren asks, still chuckling but with a somewhat deeper tone to it, one of a dragon being pleased.  “Way to blame the victim here.”  

“‘Victim,’” he echoes with amusement.  “Sure.”  He would happily eat Soren out forever, but he is on a mission.  He strips them both efficiently first, of course, before reaching into his supplies and grabbing a ribbon that he firmly ties around his own cock and balls.  This will test his stamina, but he’s determined.  “Just like this,” he murmurs as he gets Soren correctly adjusted - on his stomach with his hips propped.  “It’s supposed to let me stroke your prostate more, especially with our size difference.”  He rubs those ass cheeks as he admires his handiwork before he lubes himself up.  He then grabs some silk and puts it around Soren’s dick; the thrusting should, in theory, stroke Soren’s cock in the pillow and silk.  Double stimulation, double pleasure.

“With you having a huge dick, you mean,” Soren teases, looking up at him with hearts in his eyes.  “Come on, then.  I’m supposed to be overstim—“.  His eyes widen as Ike uses his distraction to slide completely inside him in one thrust before he pushes his face back into his pillow.   And then, because Ike is feeling dominant and charitable, he grabs a fistful of Soren’s hair at the root to control his head, pulling it back as he starts to fuck him.   His other hand stays at Soren’s hip, stroking the expanse of rib to knee.  He feels Soren drape his legs over his and tighten as if to make sure he doesn’t leave.   Excessive, but hot.

The placement of their mirror lets him see Soren’s face, which was completely intentional.  Soren’s teeth are gritted but somehow he’s smiling, fingers in a death grip on the pillow.  Knowing he’s doing him right, Ike focuses on taking deep breaths and pushing his own pleasure out of his mind, completely focused on his lover’s.  

For a time the only sounds are soft moans, breathing, and the plap-plap-plap of colliding hips.   The book steered him correctly, because he can feel Soren’s hole squeeze down and flutter around him with an early orgasm, Soren himself gracing that with a whimper.  “One,” Ike whispers, keeping the exact same pace and strength and eager to see how much he can wring out of him.  

Soren has no refractory period, which is probably because he’s half laguz, but who really knows.  It lets Ike, when Soren will let him, absolutely rock his world.  He’s just gasping as his body shakes, helpless underneath him and holding on for the ride.  His second orgasm clearly catches him off guard as he lets out a soft exclamation of shock and arches his hips a little bit more, letting Ike get even deeper.  

“Two,” he counts, so pleased.  This is exactly what he was wanting to pull off.  “How is it?”

“Good,” Soren mewls, actually mewls, and Ike has to quickly stop or else even the tie and willpower is not going to be enough.  Soren doesn’t even seem to notice though, just instinctively wiggling his hips to keep his pleasure going.  Good.  Ike takes a deep breath and starts back up, getting  to the same deep pace he was at.  He watches as Soren’s face changes to his so-good-he-might-cry one, Ike’s personal favorite, as he starts to babble in pleasure and lust, the rest of his body completely slack and pliant under him.  “Oh… it’s so good… Ike, I’m yours-“  He gasps as his ass tenses up so hard Ike almost struggles to keep going.  

“Three,” Ike hisses, because it almost hurts in the best way.  The orgasms are coming closer together.  He might be able to get one long, continuous orgasm out of him.  The hand at Soren’s hip tightens to keep him at the perfect level and arch now that Soren himself isn’t able to do much more than just feel.  Soren lets out a high-pitched whine as his body again tenses and throbs.  “Four.  Don’t forget the safe word.”

“Don’t you dare fucking stop,” Soren orders in a sob, which might be the sexiest thing he’s ever done.   He is really testing Ike’s self-control today, but Ike bites down on his tongue to make sure he doesn’t lose it.  It almost doesn’t work.  Soren throws out a hand blindly to grab on to Ike’s wrist, so Ike lets go of his hip to hold his hand instead, leaning forward to pin it by his head.  “Oh fuck!”  He clearly comes again, feet kicking behind Ike’s knees.

He is almost beyond words seeing Soren lose his mind.  “Five.”  Soren’s free hand reaches up, slowly and shaking, and digs into Ike’s hair now that he can reach, pulling his head down.  Ike arches his back to keep the same angle as he allows this, having to let go of Soren’s hair to brace himself better.  Soren weakly turns his head and Ike has to kiss him, not getting much of a response but knowing that’s what he wants.  

“I’m yours?” Soren asks breathlessly, and Ike is pretty sure there are tears.  Perfect.

“You’re mine,” he assures, and Soren wails with another orgasm.  This is the sexiest sound Ike has ever heard.  “Six.”  He knows talking makes Soren lose control, but it’s so hard to think right now, him having to grit his own teeth at the perfect pressure around his dick, let alone talk.  “Mine to protect, mine to fuck, all mine, my Soren.”  

He’s done it, he can feel Soren’s ass stop any sort of loosening whatsoever, just one long continuous climax that has him crying into the pillow, their hands still linked and Soren’s other pulling on Ike’s hair like an anchor.  Ike just chants “mine” because that’s all he can think of, and it’s enough if Soren’s body is to be believed.   He himself is right on the brink of his own, the sight of Soren losing his mind somehow letting him stave it off, until Soren sobs out “you’re breaking me” and Ike comes hard, so hard he shouts into the pillow as he buries deep and grinds Soren into the bed, filling him up completely as they come their brains out together.  

It’s perfect.  Glorious.  Hot and tight and wet and every good adjective.  When he comes back to himself he’s gulping for air and he’s ripped the sheets.  Oh fucking well.   He can sew.  He feels amazing, if exhausted.  He glances up and sees the room is a complete mess, as if a strong wind knocked everything around - which, of course, it most likely did.  He quietly and tiredly laughs to himself.  Thankfully the soundproof barrier is still up, because he imagines none of this was quiet.

True to form, Soren has passed out.  Ike isn’t far behind.  

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

Ike awakens before Soren and has to give him a vulnerary massage so he can even walk properly.  Judging from the very enthusiastic blowjob this earns him, his efforts were much appreciated.  Thankfully the kids don’t wake up until the adults are cleaning the wreckage and there’s some plausible deniability about why Papa accidentally released a windstorm in the bedroom.  Soren admits to Ike that they may have to hold off on rough sex for a few days.  He’s just incredibly smug.  

The storm unfortunately continues throughout the entire next day and into the one after.   It keeps Soren and Misania on edge, but in contrast it makes Ike feel lazy, cozy and domestic.   For fun, he pulls out an old game his father made out of wood where you roll a ball to knock down pins, and he teaches his sons how to play.  The boys don’t have a lot in common, so it’s nice to get them playing together sometimes.  Priam really is a great big brother when he wants to be, and Lucien looks up to him when he isn’t stealing silence staves to make him shut up.  Just like the best of siblings.  

The fun ends when Rolf appears at the door, breathing hard and looking panicked.  “Soren’s messed up.”

Ike winces as he gets up.  “Where?”

“Mess hall!”  Rolf runs off, leading the way.  Ike takes this as a sign it’s serious and runs past him.  He hears the boys follow.

“What happened?” he asks as they sprint.

“Plate broke, then they hid,” Rolf answers.

The mess hall is empty except for Oscar, who is cleaning the broken plate.  “In the kitchen,” he says, voice terse, and Ike keeps his run through and into the kitchen.  

No one is in here, at least it seems so, until he hears Misania’s muffled voice saying “Don’t worry, I’m scared too but I can keep you safe I think!”  He follows it to a cupboard that he slowly opens.  Soren is indeed curled up in the cupboard, Misania squished in with him.  He’s tightly packed in and hiding his face.  “Daddy, Daddy hi!  We’re hiding from the scary storms!”  The boys catch up, Priam then Lucien.

“Oscar and Rolf,” Ike calls softly, not wanting to startle the spelunkers, “can you take the kids for a minute?”

“Yes, of course.”  Oscar looks visibly upset, like Rolf.  It makes sense - Soren has a reputation as being completely unflappable, so seeing him break down and not expecting it must be shocking.  Ike is the only one who knows just how messed up Soren can get internally.  “Come here, kids.  Let your daddy handle it.”  

They argue, but Ike interjects, “You all need to go.  Papa will be fine, but he needs quiet.”  Adorably they all cover their mouths.  “And you to be out of sight.  It’ll confuse him.”  He can’t imagine how Soren reconciles there being a random little girl, who is “his age” but significantly smaller, hiding with him.

“We won’t go far,” Rolf assures, gently guiding the boys out.  

Misania gives Ike her biggest pout, but he remains firm.  Then there’s another roll of thunder and she screams and runs into his arms.  He inwardly curses because this made Soren even smaller, if that was even possible.  “See, honey?  You scared him.”

She takes deep breaths and gets tears in her eyes.  “Oh, sorry, Papa!  Sorry, Daddy!”  She runs out crying. 

Ike feels bad with what little mental resources he has that aren’t thinking of how to best help his husband, but at least it got her to leave.  “It’s just us now, Soren.  You and me.  Your Ike is here for you, always.”  There is another rumble of thunder and Ike silently cusses it out.  “You’re inside a fort.  Sometimes there’s leaks but it’s pretty solid and you haven’t had to be outside in a storm in over 10 years.”  

He has flashbacks himself of those nights on the road during the wars if storms popped up, and how Soren would keep it together before becoming an anxious wreck in private with him, even before they were a couple.  

“Sometimes you and Lucien even like watching the lightning together.”  There is some movement in the cupboard, and Ike starts to feel some relief.  “I think what happened is there was thunder, one of you got spooked and accidentally broke a plate, and you panicked and hid.”  

As he says it, he realizes that yes, this is not just about the storm - when Soren is piqued he can get tense at things breaking.  This is a triple whammy of an innate draconic wariness of lightning, prior trauma related to being stranded outside and vulnerable to the weather, and a reaction to the abuse he also suffered.  No wonder he’s not snapping out of it quickly.  

“The second Titania gets back we are going on a honeymoon,” he asserts.  “You need a break.”

Silence falls on the two, but he can see Soren moving just a little bit more, likely trying to see out from between his arms.  Ike knows he has to talk more to really get Soren through this and remind him he’s an adult, so he continues, “Oh and we had really good sex last night, like really good.  You trashed our room on accident.  I wonder if maybe you were tired today and that kind of factored in here?  I hope not.  And the boys learned how to play a game my dad made today, it was nice to find something they could play that was competitive but not, you know, obviously going one way or the other.  Priam is a lot stronger and bigger but Luci is wicked smart.  So uh, they’re both okay.  Not a shock that Mia got scared though.  I mean our daughter, not the swordmaster Mia, she’s not afraid of storms I don’t think.”

“I’m fine now,” says a hoarse voice from the cupboard, “except I’m stuck.”

Ike sighs in relief.  Soren doesn’t talk at all when he has flashbacks.  “Can I pull you out?”

“Yes, please.”

Ike reaches in and has to kind of wiggle him around to rescue him, but he does successfully extricate him.  Like usual, he’s limp, cold and sweaty.  “I’ve got you,” he murmurs, kissing his forehead.  “I’ll take you to bed.”

“Mis’?”

“She’s fine, but will likely say sorry though.”

“S’ fine.”  He’s so exhausted that he doesn’t even say more, just passing out in his arms.  Ike sighs heavily and lifts him up, carrying him to bed as promised.  

The storm continues, settling into more rain but less thunder and lightning.  Soren naps, which is great because it gives Ike time to talk Misania around.  She’d ended up bawling her eyes out with her Aunt Mia, talking about, of all things, seppuku (apparently something found in a swordsmanship story?) as the only way to get over this dishonor.  Mia is generally great with kids who are happy but visibly overwhelmed when she can’t make them that way, so she gives Ike a look of major relief as he comes to save her.

“I can’t go back!  Papa will hate me forever!” Misania wails.  “I made him sad and scared!”

“Nope, he already forgave you,” Ike asserts as he takes her in a tight hug.  Much like her papa, it helps her calm quickly.  “Just next time listen to me better, okay?  Think of it like when Luci gets scared.  If you act afraid then it makes him worse, right?  Same thing.”

She nods, sniffles.  “I need to go make him some presents,” she decides.  “So he won’t be afraid.”

“That’s a good idea!” Mia exclaims, finally seeing the light at the end of this tunnel.  “The thunder is over, so why don’t we go pick some flowers and make him a cool bookmark?  And maybe we can catch him a kitten or something!”

“No pets,” Ike says automatically, reaching over to facepalm her.  “We’ve got a lot going on as it is and I know you aren’t going to be any help.” She blows a raspberry on his hand, so he retracts it.  

“Oh but Daddy, Daddy that’s a really good idea!  Kittens are very cute!”

“They are, but also a lot of work.   The bookmark is a good idea.”  He puts her down.  “Go have fun.”  Somehow Mia and Misania manage to drag each other out to the courtyard where it’s drizzling.  One fire out, he walks back towards their wing.  

To his surprise, Oscar is waiting there, blocking the door.  “Can we talk?”  He looks… disturbed is the best way to put it.  “So.  Um.  So Soren…”. Ike isn’t sure what Oscar is thinking or going to say, so he waits.  “For all he rules the fort with an iron fist and can kill us all with a few words… I saw him hide in a cupboard today.”

“You did,” Ike agrees, not liking that anyone saw him in that state.  “Don’t tell anyone.  And make sure Rolf doesn’t either.”

“Of course.  I… I don’t like that there wasn’t anything I could do.  He was terrified.  What… I mean, it’s not my business, but what…?”

“It’s not,” Ike says, more tense than he should.

“Right.  How can I help?  He was terrified.”

He sighs, just a little, as he thinks.  “Good question.”  

They stand in silence.

“Did I do anything wrong?” he asks.

“No,” he assures.  “That was a freak accident of a few things going wrong - the storm, the surprise from the plate breaking.  And thanks for helping me get the kids away.  You were great.”

“Why…” his voice trails off, “why would the kids not help?  It’s obvious he loves them… right?”

“Oh, definitely.  It’s… this does not leave this hallway.”   Oscar looks deadly serious as he nods.  “It’s… he has flashbacks, sometimes.  Thinks he’s a little kid again, which is… not good.  Seeing the actual kids confuses him and can make him spiral more.  They know to come find me, and usually I can talk him out of it.”

Oscar visibly digests this before he nods again.  “I see.  Hopefully it doesn’t happen again, but it sounds like it’s happened a lot.”

“Less as time goes on, but yeah.”

“So, it was the… the breaking plate?  We can get new ones.  Wood or something, maybe melt down some weapons into something.  Sorry.  Thank you.”  Before Ike can thank him, he pauses and holds out a small satchel, warm and sweet-smelling.  “For him.”

“Oscar, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Ike asserts as he takes the goodies.  “No one alive did anything wrong.  I’ll pass these on when he’s feeling better.  Thanks.  And tell Rolf I say thanks, too.”

“Of course.”  Oscar doesn’t look completely convinced as he spins and leaves.  Ike sighs, but then smiles just a little.  It looks like Oscar adopted Soren as a little brother, too.  It’ll make him blush.

Soren wakes up that afternoon, acting as if nothing happened and all is well.  He eats the baked goods, personally thanks Oscar and Rolf, and reassures Misania that she is forgiven.  

(“Look Papa I’m really sorry that I scareded you but I made you a bookmark,” she says with tears as she holds out flowers tied together at their stems.

He takes them, smiling gently.  “Thank you, poppet. Making a gift for someone when you feel sorry is a very nice thing, but I forgive you anyway.  You were scared.”

She nods and throws herself into his arms.  “I hope I protected you okay though!”

He chuckles, hugging her back.  “You don’t protect me, I protect you.  Silly girl.”

“I mean, the little you.  The little you in your head.”  Soren looks shocked, and Ike is too, honestly.  “I like the little you and want him to feel safe.  We could be best friends, I just know it, and I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him even if I can’t fight storms yet.”

Soren visibly does not know what to say, so Ike comes into the room and sits by them, just in case.  “You can’t fight storms ever,” he says lightly.  “That’s not possible.”

“You can fight anything scary,” she asserts, looking determined as she cuddles into her papa, “even if it’s just making sure everyone stays safe!”

“Making sure you and others are safe is the best way to deal with things that are scary,” Soren says carefully.  “You are being logical and using your brain.”

That turns her day into the Best Day Ever, and she squeals in joy before hugging them both and running off to tell Aunt Mia about it.  Soren buries his face in his knees, but doesn’t cry.  

“I guess she’s my daughter,” Ike says ruefully, to lighten the mood, and Soren chortles.)

Ike trails him to make sure there is no relapse, but thankfully there isn’t.  Life goes on.

Then the next day Titania comes back in a light dress, with a light tan, and having a massive amount of large beautiful flowers woven into her equally massive crimson braid.  It’s taken about ten years off her face - all the more impressive considering she doesn’t look almost 50 in the first place.  

(It must be pointed out that she is also horrified by the idea of going to Sanaki and Tormod’s wedding. “Oh hell no,” is what she says when she hears about the invitation). 

Ike feels a smidge bad about it, but he says he’s glad she had a nice time but reminds her to do performance reviews, gives the kids goodbye smooches, and tells the others they’re on Uncle/Aunt Duty before he drags Soren out of the fort.

The story is that years ago Lord Ike was gifted a grand cottage in the countryside to do with as he pleased, and he’s kept it with sporadic visits for upkeep ever since. He’d wanted to get rid of it but got overruled by everyone else, and now he can admit it’s nice to have for times like this, where someone needs to get away. 

Ike does a brisk walk around the house, checking every room for intruders or signs of tampering. No squatters, it looks like. Good.  The kitchen is still filled with food. Also good. So Ike goes back and finds Soren in the sitting room, making a fire in the grand fireplace. “Really? You’re cold?”

“A little,” Soren replies, taking a step back once the fire comes to life. “Mostly, I feel like indulging your more… romantic inclinations.”

Ike is thrilled. “Lovemaking in front of the fireplace?”  He is an enormous sap, that is for sure.  No shame.  At home their fireplace is in the common room. 

“Exactly.” 

Ike steps up to him, cupping his face and kissing him. All stress fades away as their lips move together. They’re here for a whole week, together alone. It’s lovely. Then his stomach growls and he sheepishly separates. “In like, an hour?”

Soren gives him a peck on the lips, a smile on his face. “Go eat.” Ike gives him another kiss and then goes to fill one appetite before he can the other.

Once he finishes eating, he seeks Soren out again. This time he finds him curled up on a settee in the sitting room under a blanket. Ike is a little worried at this point. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

Soren looks up at him. He looks fine, at least. “Yes, of course. Just have a chill. I think you’ll be taking care of it.”

“I can do that.” Ike walks over and scoops Soren up in his arms, revealing underneath the blanket is a light silk robe over a set of black lingerie – bra, panty, and stockings. Ike almost drops him in shock at this very unexpected but very appreciated surprise. “Oh fuck Soren you are so hot,” he blurts, taking him back to the fireplace to lay him down in front of it, on a thick rug that he imagines was placed here for this purpose.

“It’s one of the challenges.  I took advantage of the extra prep time,” Soren says, smiling up at him and reaching up to stroke his face. Ike kisses his palms, one after the other, before twineing their hands together and pinning his hands above his head, leaning in for a deep kiss. 

They settle into it, Ike putting most of his weight on Soren and their hands still connected. For awhile Ike just lets this happen, focusing on the stroking of their lips and the press of their bodies together. He gradually releases his hands to switch to holding both of Soren’s in his one, the other hand free to travel up and down Soren’s leg and hip, over the stocking and bare expanse of his thigh, occasionally playing with the strap of the panties over his hip. He wants to pull them off, but also keep them on.  It’s the problem he always faces when Soren dresses up for him.

“What are the challenges?” he asks, pushing up just to get a good look at the gorgeous man underneath him.

“It wasn’t technically today’s, but the day with romantic sex also had lingerie and size difference.”

Ike chuckles with another kiss.  “All of our sex has size difference.”

“Don’t I know it,” he says wryly.

“I like it,” he clarifies, kissing his neck.  Soren relaxes and tilts his head back. He softly sucks a hickey on his throat before kneeling to pull his own shirt off, getting sweaty from the heat of the fire.  Soren immediately takes advantage of his free hands to pet over Ike’s chest and abs until Ike leans back in, at which point Soren wraps his arms and legs around him to pull him in close.  

Ike’s hands can’t stop moving all over the smooth skin and silk adorning his husband, and he can’t stop kissing him either.  The only sounds he hears are their soft moans, their lips moving together, and the crackle of the fire.  Soren’s hands are all over his back before he gently scratches his nails downward to his hips to remove his pants.  Ike sits up so he can take those wandering hands and pin them back above his head, returning to their kiss.

Soren tries to talk with Ike’s tongue in his mouth, so Ike stops the kiss.  “Stop,” he says, voice a little shaky. 

It’s not their safe word, but it doesn’t need to be.  Ike moves to kneel so they’re not touching - rather, so he is not touching Soren, but Soren keeps his legs locked and he doesn’t mind.  He looks him over.  He seems okay, so that’s good.

Soren looks embarrassed but admits, “I couldn’t use my hands or voice.  It was starting to… be bad.  I’m still not… 100 percent.”

“Oh, sorry.”  He’s not entirely sure why that has been Soren’s hard limit, but he respects it.  It doesn’t matter why.   “We can take a break.”

“No need… um, Ike... You see, with my magic, if I can talk I can cast, and if I can move my hands I can cast,” he admits, looking ashamed and staring at the fire.  “When I can’t do either…”

“… you feel helpless,” Ike finishes.  It makes perfect sense.  Considering the nearly-debilitating flashback he had just the other day, he completely understands Soren’s need to not feel helpless.

“You’re not offended?” he asks, glancing up with hesitation.

“Of course not,” he says, confused.   “Why would I be?”

“Because… it implies that I think you’d hurt me.  I don’t need a way to defend myself with you, but…”

Oh, that makes sense.   “I know I’ll never hurt you, you know I’ll never hurt you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have triggers or want to be able to defend yourself at all times.”  Soren still looks like he’s disappointed in himself.  “I don’t like being restrained too much either.  But it doesn’t matter anyway - you can tell me to stop at any time for any reason and I will.  You know that.  You don’t have to feel bad.”

“Same,” he agrees, finally looking back to normal.   He holds his arms out.  “Get back down here.”  

Ike smiles and moves back into his arms, resuming the kissing easily.  Deciding to be safe rather than sorry, he rolls over so he’s the one on his back with Soren straddling him.  There’s a few reasons - one, give Soren more control; two, make it a lot easier to stare at him; and three, open him up for being touched all over.  And yet, despite the fact that they’ve spent quite a bit of time lately just kissing, Ike can’t stop making out with him.  Everything else can wait. 

He does decide to undo Soren's ponytail, loving the long locks of hair that fall in front of him and down his back.  It's down past his knees now, and it tickles over Ike’s stomach and thighs as Soren sits up.  Soren rests his hands on Ike's abs as he starts to slowly rock, Ike pushing his panties to the side and his own pants down to bring them skin to skin.  It's been awhile since they did it like this.  It does turn him on a bit that his cock is so much bigger than Soren’s - not in a machismo way, but because they fit together perfectly, and it all emphasizes Ike’s role as protector.

Soren is in complete control, resting his hands on Ike's chest as he rolls his hips perfectly.  With the lighting from the fire he looks like an incubus sent here to lead Ike into a life of sin, and damn if Ike wouldn't go happily if asked.  He keeps one hand holding them together, and the other rubs over the back of Soren's hips to encourage the movement.  The feeling of their dicks sliding together is not as intense as being inside him, but it still feels fantastic.  Soren's head arches back - clearly he agrees.   

There's just one thing missing, so Ike sits up to be able to make out with his neck.  There, this is just perfect.  "I love you," he murmurs as he kisses and suckles.  Soren wraps his arms around his head to hold him in place, so Ike gets to taste his sweat and skin to his heart's content.  "This is perfect.  I want to marry you." 

Soren laughs, breathless.  "What will you do if I ever say no?" 

Ike squeezes his hand, just a bit, and is rewarded with a slight grimace.  "Cry.  Beg."  

Soren lowers his head, using Ike's hair to pull his head back so they can kiss lips to lips.  "If I ever say no, it means I've been replaced or possessed by something.  Or you've pissed me off." 

Ike smiles.  He knows Soren would never say no for real.  "It's too late anyway, you're stuck with me." 

They deeply kiss, Soren licking the sweat off his upper lip when it's not in his mouth.  It turns out making love in front of the fireplace is actually really hot, who would have thought?  He doesn't mind.  He's always hot, and Soren becomes so much more sensual when he's warm.   

Ike grunts a little as he comes in his hand, loving the feeling of them pressed together so intimately.  "We need to do it like this more often," Soren breathes against Ike's lips as he focuses on the pleasure.  He has to withdraw his hand when he becomes too sensitive, but he does note that Soren didn't come, so he lifts him up in his arms so his dick is level with his own face, pulling it into his mouth.  He holds Soren’s body in the air like that easily, making him gasp and moan with the suction and strength display.   "IIIIIIIke..." 

He hums in agreement.  He wishes there was a mirror nearby.  Soren gasps and comes into his mouth, which Ike happily sucks out of him.   

He lays him back down, pleased as they both get their breath back.  He considers what to do with the panties before deciding they’re more annoying than sexy and he slides them off.  Even if they don’t do anything else, it lets him get the sexy image.   He takes the bra off too.  Soren in stockings and a robe is peak hotness.  

He gasps as Soren’s silk-clad feet start to rub his dick gently, up and down.  

He’s never considered feet as a sexual thing before.  Oh sure if they’re by his head he’ll kiss them or massage them, but Soren is ticklish and generally doesn’t like his feet being touched anyway.  But this vision, of Soren playfully rubbing and stroking his rapidly-hardening cock with feet covered in stockings, is making him become a big fan.   

“Lean back,” Soren encourages, and he’s helpless to resist, laying on his back and propping up on his elbows.  They both focus on the movement of Soren’s feet, him curling his toes to wrap around his dick as best as possible before deciding one foot can do that and the other can stroke up and down the full length.  It is extremely erotic and Ike is hard in record time, entranced.  “What an absolutely gorgeous cock you have,” he purrs, and Ike groans in pleasurable agony.  “Long but not too long, but way too thick.  It’s absolutely perfect, just like the rest of you.  My handsome, strong protector.”  Ike’s breath catches.  Soren’s talk is hitting all of his buttons in the best way.   He curls his toes around the head of his dick, the other continuing its rhythmic petting, the dampening silk like heaven.  

He almost protests as Soren moves, but it’s just to come closer, bending his knees so he can bring his hands into play, petting all over Ike’s abs and thighs as his feet do their work.  It’s so much stimulation that Ike finds himself gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into the thick carpet underneath him.  

“‘Feet’ was another prompt, but I wasn’t terribly interested at first,” Soren murmurs, Ike barely comprehending the words, “but I changed my mind.  You’ll come for me just like this, won’t you?”  Ike nods frantically.  Soren’s hands go to the head of his dick while his feet stroke the lower half.  It is insane-feeling in the best way.  “Good.”  He lets out an embarrassing whimper as he does come, getting the privilege of Soren coaxing it out of him with four points of stimulation.   He shudders and Soren stops, adjusting to lick Ike’s come off his abs.  He’s shivering and can’t stop, reaching up to gently pet Soren’s head.  

His dick is done for awhile, that second orgasm taking a lot out of him, but he’s still happy when Soren crawls up into his arms to resume kissing.  “I don’t want anything more than to just kiss,” he says softly, and who is Ike to argue with that order?  

They spend the rest of the day twined together in front of the fireplace, making out like teenagers.  It’s a great start to their mini-honeymoon.

Chapter Text

It becomes apparent as Soren wakes up the next morning that there is, in fact, something wrong with him.  At first, he’s pissed that he’s sick on his break.  He’s feverish and uncomfortable and… empty?

Ugggghhhh.  He recognizes this feeling now.  He’s not sick, he’s in heat. 

He's never been in heat as a male before.  Likely because it doesn't make any sense - he can't get pregnant!  Hopefully.  Now he's doubting himself, no matter how stupid it is.  But there isn't any sort of benefit - just a pervasive neediness that he can't picture being soothed by anything other than his mate deep inside him.  Self-lubrication would be nice, if messy and kind of disturbing to think about too much.  But they have plenty of vulneraries here.  So he grabs one and goes to find his husband.

Ike is doing push-ups in the kitchen, which is open with plenty of room despite the presence of ice boxes, a hearth and counters.  He's shirtless and Soren almost drools despite himself.  He's been honest before that if Ike let himself go Soren would still love and be attracted to him, but he's given him a strong attraction to muscles and strength.  If only Ike could fight someone for him, bench-press him and fuck him at the same time...

He walks into the kitchen and calmly sits on Ike's back.  Ike doesn't even flinch with the extra weight.  "Good morning," he says, sounding winded as he continues.  He's clearly been at this awhile.  "Had too much energy."

"There are definitely better ways to deal with that," he says, and Ike pauses on the up push.  "I was promised a honeymoon."

"You were," he agrees, voice low and more seductive, "Hop off."

Soren gets off and Ike jumps to his feet.  As soon as he does, Soren throws himself into his arms, kissing and hoping to show his passion nonverbally.  He hands him the vulnerary even as they keep kissing, the heat in him turning into a blaze far hotter than the hearth ever could be.  Ike picks him up and sits him on the counter, not breaking the kiss and returning the lust at first before slightly frowning.  “Do you have a fever?”

"Fuck me," he orders, not in the mood for anything but and hoping Ike moves on.

"Yes sir," he says with a little smirk, stroking over Soren’s face in a not-subtle attempt to check his temperature.  "Feeling needy?"

"I'm feeling like your job is to tend to me," he retorts.  "I'm woefully unfilled and unsatisfied and that," he bites his lower lip gently, "is your fault."

Ike pauses.  "Wait a second, you definitely have a fever, and you ordering me around plus the fever, this is familiar - are you in heat again?"

"I think so."  No use denying it.  "My guess is because I'm relaxed for the first time in a long time.  And maybe because I’m away from the kids?  I don't know.  I don't care.  You're my mate and you need to take care of me."  Ike shudders which Soren can feel throughout his whole body, his hips instinctively bucking forward and letting Soren know that he is very interested.    He reaches down to grab Ike through his pants. 

Ike kisses him deeply, tangling their tongues together as a promise.  But then he backs up.  Soren isn't too worried because his eyes are dark with intent.  "Let me go grab the potions.  I'm going to prove that you'll never need another mate."

Soren reaches up and strokes his cheek.  "I'm sure you will."  Ike can't resist another kiss before he runs off and sprints up the stairs to go to their collection of items. 

As time passes, as short as it is, he's becoming quite the mess.  His body is tight and trembling, desperate, needy.  It would be downright shameful if it wasn't a secret between him and Ike.  But here he can be his basest self.  He knows he can be as desperate as he wants.  He can be half-dragon and Ike will not judge him for it. 

It's so nice to be so certain.

Ike comes back with two empty bottles that he places by the sink before he rushes back to Soren’s arms, resuming the kiss.  It makes him feel hot, desperate, needy, all those adjectives he should feel bad about.  And this just from kissing!  

Ike pulls his pants off and balances Soren in his arms so his hips are off the counter, which gives him the opportunity to start prepping him with the other hand. Normally his fingers require adjustment, but not in this state. Now nothing that isn't coming on Ike's cock is going to be enough. He keeps kissing him, wrapping around him and completely confident that Ike can support him. "Hurry up," he demands. 

Ike laughs a little as he spreads his fingers. "Just a little more."

"Hurry up," he orders again, biting his lower lip. 

Ike groans deeply. "You're speaking in draconic I think," he moans out, kissing harder.  He's not sure how true that is. He's just talking.  "Fuck, baby, I've got you, I promise." He hisses as Ike presses into his prostate, and Ike withdrawing his fingers gets a noise of neediness from him. "So good for me. I love you, baby. Soren, my Soren." Ike takes his hips again in both hands and thrusts in, completely filling him in one decisive stroke. Soren gasps loudly, the feeling of being stretched and filled like he's needed just too much in the best way. "Mmmngk, you need this, don't you?" Soren's eyes roll back into his head as Ike starts to fuck him like he's wanted, all deep strokes in and almost all the way out before reentering, gradually speeding up. Ike's hands remain possessively on his hips, although it's not really needed because Soren is clinging to him so hard that he couldn't be pried off if Ike tried to. "Mine. My mate. Mine. Mine."

Soren hits his first orgasm quickly, biting into Ike's shoulder to mark him and claim him in turn as his entire body throbs in ecstasy, focused on the feeling of that perfect dick inside him. His own cock is sandwiched between them tightly, jostled by the thrusting and not needing any more stimulation. His fingers and toes curl, digging nails in. He's vaguely aware he is talking in what is definitely not Common, but it feels correct in his soul. 

Ike switches from thrusting to grinding, stretching and stirring inside him so good that he almost wants to cry. "Thaaat's it, baby, that's it, get what you need, I took the aphrodisiac, I'll fuck you as long as you need, come all over my dick, it's all for you-" He lets out a primal snarl as he fills Soren up with come, making Soren's own orgasm resurge with a vengeance, the two clinging tightly to each other in the middle of the kitchen. 

Soren had gotten so tight that, when the orgasm ends, he's covered in sweat and all muscles are weak. He can't even focus his eyes, the orgasm was that good. He's boneless, and Ike is the only reason he's not a heap on the ground. 

He feels Ike take a deep breath in and let it out. "Wow," he says, adjusting his hold to carry Soren into the sitting room - which is far closer than the bedroom - and sitting down on the couch, still buried inside him. He pets Soren's back over his shirt, Soren trembling in his arms. "I'm here for you. Any time and any place. If you need me, just come to me or call for me."

"Free use," Soren murmurs, basking in his afterglow. 

"What's that?"

"The idea that a partner is sexually available for the other no matter what." Soren's heat is starting to encroach again, his hips involuntarily rolling on Ike's lap. "It was one of the kinks in the book."

Ike tilts his head over the back of the couch in order to find Soren's lips for a kiss. "Yeah.  Use me, baby. I'm yours." Soren deeply kisses him, his tongue sliding in against Ike's as he resumes their grind.

Soren is completely instinctive in his mating now, eventually no longer able to even kiss as he’s too focused on how full he feels.  His ass is stretched tight around Ike’s perfect cock and it’s all he can think about.  Ike keeps stroking all over his body, overstimulating him, as he finds the perfect angle to ride him.  

He’s making embarrassing needy sounds as he finds his pleasure.  “Come inside me,” he whimpers, “Ike, Ike, Ike!”

“Oh shit!”  Ike wraps his arms around him tightly, holding his hip in a hand to stop the grind.  “You keep saying my name like that and this round isn’t going to last long!”

Don’t threaten him with a good time.  “Ike, Ike you feel so good, Ike…” He just really needs to say Ike’s name, to let his mate hear he’s doing a good job.  

“Fuck, Soren!”  The arms tighten harder as he presses his hips up hard, breeding him properly and making Soren’s eyes roll in his head as he hits his next needy climax with him. 

“Ahhh…”. Soren happily sighs and nuzzles into his mate’s neck.  “Much better, thank you.”

He scoffs.  “I don’t need thanks to have sex with you, but you’re welcome.”  

Soren dismounts on shaky legs.  “Now I need to make my nest.  This room is not acceptable.”  

“Hang on.”  Ike runs from the room and comes back with a cork.  “Here.” He’s not averse, and plugs himself up.  Makes less of a mess, makes Ike happy, makes him feel full.  Everyone wins.  

Then he scours the whole house for every blanket, pillow or remotely soft object he can find, debating at first between the sitting room versus the bedroom as the location of his nest before deciding that the sitting room location, with its proximity to a bathroom and the kitchen, is more suitable, so he drags the mattress downstairs.  Well he tries to, anyway.  It’s too heavy and cumbersome so Ike has to actually do it.  But then he realizes something unacceptable - there’s two doors to this room.  One leads to the kitchen, the other to a patio.  Yes the patio is fenced in, but still, absolutely not.   So he grabs the mattress and starts to go back up.

“Woah woah woah,” says Ike, standing in front of him, “What’s wrong?”

“The door,” he says, pointing to this very unwanted part of the house.  “It leads outside.”

“Yes?  And?”

“It’s dangerous,” he says, starting again.  Ike takes his hand and Soren feels the heat through him again, whimpering as he drops the edge of the mattress.  

“Here, we are not taking that thing back upstairs, but…”. He drags it across the room, then moves the couch, and rearranges things so the mattress is in the corner, blocking the door.  Logically he knows this is fine, that there is no way anyone is getting in.  But he’s still anxious.  Ike helps by getting all the blankets and pillows onto the bed, high enough that soon it’s hard to even tell there’s a door there.  It calms his nerves.   “Whoever comes here after us is going to be so confused, but this does look cozy.”

“I’m not done,” Soren says, “It needs decorating.”

“We can take a break?” Ike suggests, taking his hand.  

Soren has to summon all of his willpower.  “No.”  He goes off to find things around the house that would be acceptable decor.  There isn’t much, alas - just forks and other such items, statuary… and then he finds himself holding a plate.

He’s tried to ignore the whole plate debacle.   Oscar and Rolf knowing  are bad enough (he knows Oscar won’t say anything as he’s too nice, and Rolf is afraid of him), but the  “my daughter is aware that I have traumatic flashbacks and wants to befriend me out of them” aspect is worse.  He doesn’t like his children knowing his weaknesses, nor does he want them worrying about him.  They shouldn’t have to do either.  But they are intelligent, and it was wishful thinking on his part to assume they wouldn’t figure out what was going on.  He considers - there is a memory-wiping spell, but if Ike is any indication it isn’t very elegant. He wants them to forget this one thing, not their entire lives.  There isn’t much else to do on that front, even if does twist his insides.  

Large hands cup his and remove the plate from his grasp.  “Let’s not worry about any of that,” Ike says soothingly as he places it on the counter.  He kisses the back of his neck.  It’s manipulation that works wonders, the heat in his blood wiping away all feelings except need.  Ike diligently makes out with the back of his neck, Soren turning into goo in his arms, as he gently guides him back to the sitting room, his nest, which is still under-done.  

“It needs more,” he argues quite meekly even as he’s led to his knees on the bed.   

“Nope.”  Ike kneels behind him, getting Soren to relax his upper body.  “It’s fine.”

“It’s not,” he protests even as he moans with Ike tugging out the cork and replacing it with his tongue.  Ike makes a little uh huh noise but his focus is on licking inside him.  It’s deep and rhythmic, stroking and stretching sensitive walls that immediately clamp down before he forces himself to relax.  He doesn’t want to hurt  Ike’s lovely, talented  tongue.  “It’s… too sparse…”. He shudders as Ike presses onto his prostate.  “Too… too… not enough…”. He gasps as Ike pushes his whole tongue up his ass, his hips instinctively pulling away at the sudden filling.  “I meant treasures!”  

“Mmmm,” is all Ike says as he deeply laps before he pulls his tongue out.  “You’re the only treasure here.”  He laps at his hole languidly.

“That was so corny I think you probably planted a field somewhere,” he says with a groan of dismay and pleasure.

Ike chuckles.  “If all dragons in heat are like you, then no wonder they have issues with population.  I’m here eating you out and you’re talking about shinies and corn.”  As if to remedy that, he brings a hand into play, stroking Soren’s cock from base to head and back soothingly, grip just tight enough to take his breath away.   Content now, he slides his tongue back in.

None of this is quite right.   There’s still two doors instead of one, and there’s not enough trinkets in here.  His brain is stubbornly focused on those two things.  His body, however, starts to take over, focused on the way Ike is servicing him and slowly rolling his hips on that perfect tongue.  

He used to feel awkward when Ike would rim him, because it was ostensibly something for solely Soren’s pleasure and he wasn’t sure how to handle it, adding on how some depict the act as degradation.  But thankfully it was very easy to figure out that Ike found it very pleasurable, him with his oral fixation, and as long as Ike didn’t find it degrading then who cares what others think?   

He is a puddle of lust in their bed, but he still feels the sense of this isn’t enough.  He is in heat, after all.  “You need to breed me,” he orders.  Probably not that commanding coming from someone whose eyes are rolled back in his head, but still.  

“Huh?” Ike asks, suckling the rim.  It makes him shiver.   “You talked all growly again.”

He focuses more.  “Breed me properly,” he orders again, finally looking back at him.  Ike’s eyes are dark with arousal and amusement.  

“Let me go wash my mouth.  How do you want me?”

As Ike leaves him, he rolls onto his back.  He considers, although focusing on anything beyond the need is difficult.  “I want to try full nelson again.”

Ike grins as he comes back in.  “In a room with a fireplace?  Bold choice.”

Soren is unamused.  “Never mind.  Your services are no longer required.”  He grabs his blankets and covers himself as grandly as possible.  

Ike laughs as he comes back to bed.   “You know I’m just teasing.  I’m at your service, remember?” He crawls up to kiss him on the nose.  “I’ll do anything you want me to.  Including shutting up.”  

“I doubt that’ll last long,” he snarks, but kisses back.  

“And the whole ‘you destroying things due to really good sex’ thing makes the potion I took redundant,” he confesses as they kiss again, this time with more heat.   “Making you lose control…. What do you want from me?  I’ll do anything.”

He’s still a little miffed.   “Then beg for it,” he teases with another kiss.

To his surprise, Ike actually moans and deepens the kiss.  “Please, Soren, please let me fuck you,” he says, the urgency returning to their kiss.  Soren rewards him by starting to remove the blankets.  “Please, I just need to be inside you again, do you feel how hard I am for you?”  Once his hand is free, Ike takes it and guides it to his cock.  Soren doesn’t stroke it, just lets his hand rest.  “I promise I’ll make you come first, but Goddess Soren I need your sweet little hole, please?”  Soren starts stroking him now, so Ike cups his face to deepen the kiss.  “I’ll breed you I swear, your heat will end when you’re pregnant with my baby, please-”

Soren finally gets up, pushing back into Ike’s arms to kiss him with more passion, his lust overriding everything.  “Yes,” he breathes against Ike’s lips.

Ike pins him back down into the nest with deeper kissing, Soren surrendering to the heat in his blood.  "Do you still want full nelson?"

"No, you lost that privilege," he still has to retort.  Ike chuckles, adjusts them, and then takes him. He closes his eyes  as he’s pinned onto his back, hips raised and fingers clinging to Ike’s back, accepting the consistent, steady strong thrusts, his cock sandwiched between them.  It’s a strong reminder that, for all of his willpower, he is currently at the mercy of his biology and his biology wants to get bred, logically or not.  Everything feels sharper for having been delayed, and he’s coming shamefully fast with a whimper.  Ike graces this with a grunt, but keeps going.  

He’s reduced to sensations.  The feeling of their chests and stomachs pressed together, of his legs hooked around Ike’s, of the sweat on Ike’s back under his fingertips, of this deep need being fulfilled so good he could cry, and of the softness underneath cradling him.  Ike holds him tight, arms wrapped around him to hold his shoulders, emphasizing the size difference in their embrace.  His mate is strong, taking care of him, their hatchlings are perfect and will be again.  This is exactly where he needs to be, and exactly what he needs to be doing.  

When Ike buries deep and groans out his own orgasm, Soren barely even notices, he’s so lulled. He just lets out a noise of happiness and satisfaction, petting Ike's head. Ike is kissing his neck lazily, he's comfortable, he's… frowning.

“The door is still there," he says, tilting his head to look at the covered door.  It does have the audacity to still be there.

Ike lets out a deep, sincere, world-weary sigh.

Ike gets the mattress back upstairs, but otherwise he stays out of Soren's nesting. It is, frankly, adorable, even if he makes Soren make a potion to reverse the aphrodisiac before he gets started. The whole "free use" thing flies out the window as Soren will-powers away the heat neediness in favor of making the bedroom perfect. 

Steps include: removing the bed frame (someone could hide underneath the bed, apparently); getting mattresses from other rooms into the main bedroom so there is effectively no floor; gathering every single soft item and shiny thing into the bedroom (he even looks in the cellar and attic, as well as outside, he is extremely thorough and Ike has to stop him from leaving the premises too far); organizing everything so the shinies are not on the beds but instead meticulously placed in a hoard in the far corner while the soft things cover every mattress, centered on the opposite side from the shinies; and last but not least setting up a shelf with food, water, and his vulnerary/alchemy supplies.  By the time he is done, Ike is napping in the center of the nest. It is very comfortable, so he can give Soren that much.  He feels it’s kind of a shame it didn’t happen the last time Soren went into heat, but it does make sense - he’d been in his home, after all.  

He is awoken by a light weight settling on his hips. "You were almost useless," Soren accuses him, straddling his waist and looking down at him with judgment. 

He smiles despite himself. This bossy, demanding Soren is equal parts sexy and hilarious. "In my defense, I had no idea what you were doing. This is a bit beyond a pillow fort." 

Soren looks affronted as he opens up Ike's pants. "A pillow fort? Did you just call my nest a pillow fort?" 

"I said beyond a fort." He rubs Soren's butt. "I'm not going to lie, this place looks great and it's super cozy. You're welcome to do this to our room at home too."

"I probably will." Soren starts to lube him up. Apparently free use is back in business. Ike's dick does rise to the challenge, having gotten quite a nice break.  So he relaxes and lets Soren take over. He, after all, knows what he needs. He adjusts them together and sinks down, taking Ike back into the world's most amazing ass. His own eyes roll back as he grips the blankets beneath him so he doesn't end up bruising Soren any more than he already has. Soren starts to rock back and forth, letting out a deep moan of gratification as he braces his arms on Ike's chest. "Much better," he quietly says as his hips pick up movement speed. "Much, much better." 

"The sex or the pillow fort?" Ike has to ask.

In response, Soren reaches over and grabs a pillow to hit Ike in the face with. He laughs. "I will kick you out of my nest if you call it a pillow fort again," Soren says imperiously but with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. 

"Considering the only other place to sleep is the couch with no blankets or pillows, I will be good," he promises, smiling up at the man on top of him, just so in love with him despite the weirdness. Soren settles in, riding Ike like he needs, and Ike focuses on the look on his face instead of the exquisiteness around his dick. This is about Soren, this is all for him. 

His fingers curl with his orgasm, scratching Ike's chest. He doesn't mind. In fact, he likes it when Soren marks him up.  The feeling of Soren’s body coaxing him pulls Ike’s orgasm from him - not intense, but perfectly pleasurable.

He reaches up to pull Soren down into his arms, holding him and rubbing his back as he trembles. "I do so love you," he murmurs.

"I'm ridiculous," he argues, sounding quite pleased regardless. “I mean, I’m literally in heat.  It’s absurd.”

"A little. But I still want to marry you."

"We've been married for almost thirteen years."

"Yeah." Ike smiles.  Then he frowns as it hits him that their anniversary is coming up - they got married at the end of May, and it’s mid-April now.  He’ll have to plan something special.  It’s just been so hectic he’s forgotten.  Add on the twins will be turning… ugh… seven in June… then he turns thirty-six in July… ugh.  He feels old.

He realizes Soren is completely passed out on top of  him.  He chuckles, kisses his temple, and takes solace in the fact that yes, he’s getting older, but he’s getting older with the love of his life.  What better fate is there?

Chapter Text

Soren is absolutely lost.  He’s on his back, Ike’s arm under his knees to keep his legs up, slowly thrusting into him on his side.  His ankles are bound together.  His wrists are bound together and his hands are being held by Ike’s other one.  He’s blindfolded, his head looking to the side; even though he can’t see him, their lips are a mere inch apart.  It makes everything more intense and brain-wiping.   And Ike knows him, knows that he needs his voice to keep calm and is giving that to him when they aren’t kissing.  “You look gorgeous like this,” Ike murmurs, “Do you feel good?”  Soren can’t even answer, he’s too overwhelmed, so he just kisses him again.  “Good.  I’ve loved taking care of you.  We’ve needed to get away, to do nothing but make love.  We still got another day, baby.  Another whole day of me servicing you like you need.”  Soren gasps and comes.  His balls are completely empty but it still feels amazing.  “Mmmngk, good boy.”  Another kiss with trembling lips.  “I could spend the rest of my life with my dick inside you and die happy.”

Soren even notes in the far corner of his mind that he's the one instigating kisses, Ike isn't - likely to make sure that he always can talk if he wants to. And he does want to. "I love you, I love you, I love you..." This is just a whispered mantra pouring out of his soul as Ike rocks them and he kisses him. This moment is perfect. Everything is perfect. Things like orgasms are completely inconsequential. This is just about the fact that Ike is inside of him, that they're making love, that they're together. 

"By the way, you have sexy toes," Ike pants out. "I never thought I'd say that." Soren breathlessly laughs. "They're twitching with your pleasure. It's so hot." Soren kisses him, both because he wants to kiss him and because he wants him to shut up. 

At this point, neither of them have any seed left to spend, with Ike relying on potions to keep up the pace. But the pleasure is enough. He doesn't need... wait. He doesn't need to be filled?

He lets out a happy sigh. "The heat's over."

Ike sighs in relief too. "Does that mean you're pregnant?" Soren gives him an unamused look underneath his blindfold, and Ike chuckles with a kiss to his nose. "Because I don't think I'm ready to be a father."

"Too late," Soren says, relaxing. Ike slowly lets him down and starts to untie him. Once he can see again, he looks around the room with a new eye. It's kind of a mess, but a cozy one.  "How did I get all these mattresses in here?" he marvels as Ike moves around to clean them up, including picking Soren up to move him a few feet to the left out of the sweaty spots.

"Beats me. I just did the one. You did the rest." Ike is visibly amused as he drinks the aphrodisiac cancelation potion. "Are you going to do this at home?"

"No, we use under the bed for storage." He sighs and accepts the glass of water Ike offers him. "Sorry about all this."

Ike fondly shakes his head. "No need. I need a long nap before I can do anything else, though."

Soren holds out his arms. "Deal." Ike moves into them, and they both fall asleep in record time.

They both sleep over twelve hours, silent and unmoving in cuddling. 

"So it's our last day," Ike reports the next morning as they eat breakfast. "What are you thinking?"

Honestly, Soren is done with sex. He just got sexed up for almost a whole week. He taps his lips as he thinks about it. "Want to go run errands then go home? I do miss the children and want to get them gifts. If we don't bring something back for Priam I know he's going to stage a rebellion."

Ike's head tilts as he thinks about it. "That's true. Sure, why not?"

So they pack up their minimal supplies and start the trek to the closest town.

Soren is slightly wary because this town  is where they went when they saw the man who sent him into a flashback and then Ike caused a public disturbance, but he's ready this time.  Soren isn’t sure what will happen if he sees him again.  A lot of that time period has blurred in his brain, due to youth and hunger, but some people stand out clearly.  Only one for a good reason.

But he DOES see him. He's a stall owner, selling knit items. Soren can't bring himself to set foot near that stall. He feels sparks up and down his spine, his heart racing. Hey kid, you look hungry, I got something you can eat…

No. No no no. Absolutely not. He refuses. He gulps in a breath and looks at Ike, who is purchasing, of course, second lunch. Everything is fine. Ike isn't going to let anything happen to him. He turns to look at the man - because he's more anxious not seeing him - but now he's gone. Soren catches sight of his back as he runs into the nearest building. 

Oh. He's afraid and hiding. That is... reassuring. 

"You okay?" Ike asks as he hands him grilled meats on a stick. He looks around the crowd.

"Yes," Soren says, taking a bite. He can't taste it. "I just... saw a familiar face, but he ran."

Ike goes rigid and icy. "Oh?"

His mind is in two places now. Half of him is in the moment, with Ike, grabbing lunch before they go looking for "souvenirs." Half of him is remembering that day many years ago. This is absurd. He's an adult, it's been literal years, and he can easily kill anyone who looks at him funny. He's an archsage who uses tomes as a conduit but can control spirits and magical forces without them. He doesn't even need to use his words - he can literally kill someone with a hand gesture. And that's not counting his 6'5" wall-of-muscle extremely-overprotective husband who has a tendency to punch first and ask questions later and stabbed a literal goddess. 

He forces a breath, and looks around. He sees Ike, obviously, but also stalls and peasants out doing their work. He hears birds and people talking. He feels his clothes and the stick in his hand. He tastes the meat and roasted vegetables from the skewer. He smells clean air and the scent of cooking food. 

"I'm fine," he asserts, feeling much more centered. "We're not buying jewelry for anyone."

Ike playfully pouts, but Soren can tell he’s more focused on the market.  “You left the belly button ring at home.  You owe me.”

“You allowed our child to buy me jewelry designed to seduce you,” he counters, “You owe me.”

“Did the last week not count?”

“That was for both of us.”  Ike had made his consent enthusiastically known.

“Okay, fair.  Fine, no jewelry.” 

Then his eyes catch something.  A building with dark windows and a sign saying Beasts & Beorc Pleasure Paradise: Adult Shoppe Arni Village Branch.

“What a terrible name,” he muses.  Ike turns to see what he’s looking at, and he immediately blushes.  Now Soren wants to see what’s in there, if only because Ike can be a bit prudish outside of the bedroom still, so he walks over to see.

“Soren, I don’t know about this… we’re going to a sex shop in broad daylight!  And what if it’s like, a brothel?”

“Then we leave.”  He opens the door, and is faced with a rather homey looking storefront with filled shelves.  “That is a lot of penises,” he says, because there are,  in fact, a lot of penises.  Penises of all colors, materials and sizes, and true to the sign out front there are penises modelled after beast laguz and even dragons.   There are just a lot of penises.

“Welcome!” the proprietor calls.  She’s an older woman who is quite jovial.  “We have far more than just penises, although even my couples with multiple penises can enjoy a good dildo!”

“Ehhh,” says Ike, completely overwhelmed.

Soren is extremely amused by him.  “We are fine on that front, thank you.  I’m more interested in things that are less common.”  

The owner is visibly excited.  “Oh, I have so many options!  That being said, you may still want to reconsider the dildos - some of my best sellers are the ‘Skrimir’s Pride’ and the ‘Good Boy Wolf Knotting Dildo’, if you change your mind.”  She gestures over to an obscenely large dildo with barbs on it, as well as one with canine genitalia.  “But my absolute best seller is the ‘Goldoa Shall Not Move Self-Adhering Dragon Cock!’  Modelled after the King of Dragons!  Well, the old one.”  

Soren has seen a lot of horrible, mind-scarring things, and a monstrous dildo modelled off his grandfather’s draconic penis is now at the very top of the list.  It is also, he notes, extremely expensive.  “Absolutely not.”

“No way is Skrimir that big,” he hears Ike mutter.

“Other things, then, other things… let’s see, we have plenty of beads, cock sleeves, rings, things for vaginas in case either of you have one of those… a huge selection!”  She pauses.  “But really, couples absolutely rave about the ‘Goldoa Shall Not Move Self-Adhering Dragon Cock’, it is my best seller for a reason-”

“Woman, if you try to sell me a dildo modelled off my grandfather’s transformed penis one more time, I am going to buy nothing from your store, march home, and write him a letter letting him know you’re using his dick without his consent,” Soren snaps in a sentence that is unholy and cursed. 

The woman is mortified.  “Oh!  Uh.  Um.  Shop around.  Um.  If you need, uh, guidance, ask, but um.  Uh.  Happy shopping!”  She runs off to clean her spotless counter.

Meanwhile Ike is still looking in dildos with a mix of fascination and horror.  “No way!  I mean I know you stretch pretty well but some of these look fatal!  I mean this one is not even a beast laguz but it’s huge!”  Then he pales.  

Soren is curious, so he looks and reads it’s called ‘The Hero of Cumea’.  “That is… disturbing.”  He realizes that if this is a sex shop where the owner makes dildos based on famous people, then it’s only logical that of course Ike of all people would have one in his “honor.”  So he forces himself to see the humor in this, if only because ribbing on Ike can be entertaining.  “You slut, you’ve probably fucked most of the country by now.”

“Oh my sweet dead baby Yune,” Ike mourns, covering his face.

“Were you a volunteer model or did you at least get paid?  Would that make you a prostitute as well?”

“Soren!! I never!!!  That isn’t my penis!!!!”

“Of course not, it’s a dildo based on your penis.”  He picks it up.  It’s made of glass and has a heavy weight to it.   “Hmmm, not big enough.  You’re exonerated.  Or you were cold on modeling day.”

“I want to leave the continent and never come back,” Ike says, his entire face beet red and still hiding in his hands.   

“Not for a few years more, yet.”

The store owner has been sliding closer to them since they began discussing this, and she finally jumps in.  “Wait, you’re Ike?  This is amazing!  Please, please, I beg you, model for me and I’ll let you buy anything you want for free!  I have to know if my intuition was right!”

Ike is absolutely horrified.  “No!  What is wrong with you?!”

“I have a business to run!”

Soren is greatly enjoying Ike’s having a crisis in front of him, but he also has a husband to protect, so he looks to the woman.  “Listen, I know he’s famous and has an absolutely fantastic dick, but he’s obviously uncomfortable and not consenting to having this in your shop.  Get rid of them.”

She looks crestfallen, but nods.  “It’s not fun if it’s not consensual,” she agrees.

“Thank you,” Ike says, strained.

 “Besides, my beorc models don’t sell as well as the laguz.  The people here are kinky.”

“I’m going to wait outside,” Ike blurts before he flees the store.

Soren chuckles at him before collecting himself.  It would be a waste to not buy some of the more unique things he’s seen… and the store owner doesn’t even argue against giving him the ‘Hero of Cumea’ for free.

They come back home a week after they left, as planned.  In a way that makes Soren feel a little offended but also pleased, the kids are happy to see them but make it clear they weren't biting their fingernails off while awaiting their return.  That’s all well and good, since this gives them time to put away all the inappropriate souvenirs before handing out the appropriate ones.

Titania greets them at the main doors to the fort.  "So performance reviews are done except for mine and Soren's," she says with judgment, making Ike look quite proud of himself, "and Ulki has gone home.  However, Kieran has shown up... and so has Skrimir." 

Ike and Soren both don't say anything.   

 
She shrugs, awkward.  "It actually gets worse…”

Ike looks agonized.  "Kieran I understand.  He comes plenty, because his husband lives here.  But what the ever-loving crap is Skrimir doing here?!"  Soren is slightly amused that Ike spoke as if Titania had not said anything, because clearly there’s more to the story.

"Tiny one!  My second-favorite beorc!"  Skrimir comes outside, a very smug Lucien cuddled in his arms.  "After this powerful dragon cub.  And Ike, my fourth-favorite!" 

"Fourth?" Ike demands, recovering.  
 

 
"Titania is third," he says, pleased.  Ike turns bright red.  Titania just sighs. 

"Be careful!" Soren snaps at Skrimir, seeing that subconsciously Skrimir is hugging a little tighter, "If you hurt my son I swear to every deity known to man I will end you."   

Skrimir does not take him seriously - or, more likely, he does take him seriously but knows he won’t hurt his new stuffed animal.  "Yes!  Silly.  Only gentleness.  The beorc are frail."  He nuzzles Lucien.  Lucien lets out a world-weary sigh, but still smiles.   

Soren wants to set a deadline that he has to leave by, but he's stopped by how content Lucien looks being the plush for someone so huge.  "Good." 

"And Skrimir is here because you’re mediating a border dispute between Gallia and Begnion,” Titania adds, looking pained.  Ike facepalms. 

“The little one is,” Skrimir interjects, visage turning irritated.  Ike un-facepalms.   “The Begnion Ambassador is not here yet.  He is… unlikeable.”

Soren digests that.  “How did I get volunteered for diplomatic negotiations?!”

“You’re getting paid,” Skrimir says quickly.  “And because you are… um…”. He looks at Titania, but Lucien chimes in with “impartial!” and Skrimir nuzzles him (much to his obvious glee) “impartial!  And you are scary with words.  I am not.  And my uncle says I cannot eat the man from Begnion.  A shame.  I bet he tastes like veal.  But Begnion keeps trying to steal Gallian trees.”

Soren feels a smile slowly spread on his face, unable to hide his glee as this all hits him.  Carte blanche to verbally eviscerate assholes is a rare treat.  “I see.” 

“I knew you would accept this job,” Titania says smugly.  

“Giving him full insulting rights towards a Begnion delegate and Skrimir?” Ike translates, “Yeah, this is basically his birthday.  We invite Bastian and Nasir over and it’ll be the solstice too.”

“Only if we can tape Bastian’s mouth shut,” Soren agrees.  He walks over to Skrimir and Lucien, standing on his toes to give his baby a cheek smooch, before he takes his bags.  “I’ll come find you later, poppet,” he assures.  Lucien beams at him.  

Ike looks discomfited as he carries the rest of their bags to their rooms with him.  Soren can hear Kieran encouraging Misania and Priam, so he's likely "sparring" with them.  Spawnlings accounted for, he feels much calmer.  "Do you want to get my performance review out of the way today?" 

Ike visibly ponders it, before smirking.  "I'm afraid that you're not going to get a good review..." 

Soren smirks too.  "Oh no.  However shall I keep my job?" 

"We can discuss it during your review."  He tosses their bags into the sitting room and then immediately turns to walk to Soren’s office.  Soren nabs one of his new purchases as he follows.

Ike closes the door and locks it.  "Goddess, we just spent almost a whole week doing nothing but having sex and I'm still not done with you."

"Don't sexually harass your employees," he teases.   

"But it's so much fun," he says, plopping himself into Soren's typical seat before comfortably crossing his legs.  "So, like I said, the review is pretty bad.  Your employment is on the line." 

"I've been nothing but an exemplary employee," he protests.  "I need this job!  I'm a single father!" 

Ike pauses.  It's clear he's offended.  Ike is so much fun to roleplay with because he often forgets it's pretend.   

"So please don't fire me," he continues, putting on his saddest look.  "I'll do anything to keep my job!" 

Ike gets back into the role, relaxing.  "Anything, you say?  I have a few ideas." 

Soren gasps, scandalized.  "But I'm married!" 

Ike puts his hand in front of his mouth.  It's obvious to hide a smile.  "You're both married and a single father?" 

"Yes," he asserts.  "So I'm desperate to keep my job, but it's also incredibly scandalous for me to cheat on my husband." 

"Well maybe if your husband did more to help out, you wouldn't need to be prostating yourself to me."
 

"Prostrate," he corrects. 

Ike looks unamused.  "Now you're definitely going to have to suck my dick to keep your job." 

"Subtle."    But Soren goes to his knees and crawls to him, looking up as sultry as possible.  "If that's what you need, I aim to please, sir.  I'll do anything for you."  Ike swallows hard and uncrosses his legs.  That's gratifying.  He comes to kneel in front of him, between his spread legs, rubbing over his thighs.  "Is this what you're wanting?"  He rubs him through his pants.  "Oh my.  Is this real?  You're so much bigger than my husband." 

Ike laughs. "You always do this!" 

Soren is confused.  "What?" 

"When we roleplay cheating, you make yourself married to an asshole with a tiny dick.  Are you hinting at something?  Should I be offended?" 

Soren lets his head hit his knee.  "Yes.  I am in fact implying that you, Ike, are an absent father and a jerk with a tiny dick.  I definitely did not see a dildo modelled after your dick just yesterday." Ike groans in dismay.   He looks back up at him, smiling.  "Now then, I'm trying to save my job here."  He opens up Ike's pants and coaxes his cock out.  It's half-hard, so Soren starts with caresses and kisses.  "You have an amazing cock.  I never go down on my husband, but for you..." 

Ike smiles.  "If you're going to get so much out of it, then maybe I need to come up with something else.  You're not supposed to enjoy it." 

Soren pauses, considering.  "There are... ways to make it more... unpleasant, or even other acts you could make me do to please you that would be more... derogatory." 

They stare at each other. 

"Oliver," Ike says.  Soren sits back on his ankles, patiently waiting for Ike to gather his thoughts.  "I don't want to degrade you." 

"Okay," Soren agrees.  He would accept whatever Ike did to him, but is not shocked at all that this would be Ike's hard limit.  "The scenario is a bit degrading as a concept, but the blowjob is not.  Are you comfortable with that?"  He nods, so Soren leans back in, resting his upper body on Ike's thighs so he can get a very intimate angle with his cock.   He then introduces one of his new purchases - a cock sleeve that is open at both sides so he can still suck him off.  He eases it down over the head and shaft, hearing Ike’s breath draw in at the unfamiliar sensation.  Once it’s at the base, he jerks Ike off as normal but watches as his body betrays how it’s different, with the cock jumping or him awkwardly shifting in his seat.  “How is this?”

“Oh,” is all Ike says, and precome is dripping from the tip already.  Soren licks it up and starts to suckle the head lovingly, rolling his tongue in sync with his hand.  This is perfect and he’s got no complaints if this makes Ike come fast.  “Good, but, weird!”  Soren chuckles, and Ike groans loud enough he covers his own mouth as he does come atypically fast into Soren’s waiting mouth.  Someday he will get Ike to eat just fruit so it tastes good, but he still pools it in his mouth to show Ike the load before he swallows it.

Ike needily moans as he pulls Soren up by his hair to kiss him deeply, tongue tasting to see if he missed anything before shivering when of course it became clear he didn’t.  “I love you,” Ike murmurs with another kiss.

Soren smiles against his lips as he removes the sleeve.  “I hope I convinced you to give me a good review.”

“I’ll do you better - how about you marry me and take half my company?”  

He laughs softly.  “After one blowjob?  I’m honored.”  

They both look at the locked door as they hear footsteps running, quickly tidying up with practiced hands before they hear the thunk of their son colliding and then knocking loudly.  “Hey!  I told you guys locked doors are unfair!”

Ike answers the door and immediately pulls Priam upside down and tickles him, making him laugh loudly.  “It doesn’t matter YOU think they’re unfair, people are allowed their privacy!”

“Not from me!” Priam declares through his giggles.  When Ike puts him down, Priam tackles him in a hug.  “Hi!”

“Hi, Squirt,” he says with a grin, hugging back.  

Priam then runs to hug Soren, not as forcefully.  Soren hugs his eldest lovingly.  “I hope you were good while we were gone?”

“Well yeah!  I tried to do performance reviews but Aunt Titania said no, so that was lame.  Then I learned to make cookie cake and it was awesome, but that’s when Uncle Skrimir showed up so I kept an eye on him.  And then Uncle Kieran showed up and we have done a LOT of training, and is it just me or does Uncle Kieran never get, like, bored of training?”

“It’s not just you,” Ike and Soren say together.  

“And so yeah that was me.  Um Mia and Luci did lame stuff but I dunno what.  Oh, Dad!  I think I figured out Aether!  C’mon!”  He runs back to Ike, grabs his hand, and drags him out.  As per usual, although Ike could brace himself and refuse to go, internally he is helpless to resist and they go off.  

Soren chuckles to himself.  It’s truly like they never left at all.

Chapter Text

Soren cannot believe that his life has become “looking up tree law,” but here he is.  Looking up tree law.  Specifically the laws of Begnion and Gallia that he can use in the upcoming negotiation.  Even Lucien, who is a boy who loves learning and reading, cannot handle the monotony of this research.  

Soren does  gets Skrimir “helping.”  Yay.

“No, trial by combat is not an acceptable way to mediate issues in Begnion law,” he says in response to Skrimir’s expected question.  

“But it is in Gallia,” he counters.  “And the trees were in Gallia.”

The conflict is thus: there is about a two-mile stretch of land on the border between Begnion and Gallia that has been recently targeted for rare lumber.  From what he can tell, all of the land is in fact Gallian by rights as acknowledged by everyone, but Begnion is trying to assert its dominance and claiming that the land and its trees are theirs anyway.  It’s an open-and-shut case for anyone who did a modicum of research, but that is not and has never been Gallian protocol.  Hence Skrimir’s continued insistence that he just needs to beat the Begnion delegate to solve the problem.

“It’s not needed anyway,” he says.  “As an impartial arbiter, I can already tell you that you’re in the right.  Their delegate will come, I’ll insult them,  they’ll have to pay restitution, and you’ll get to go home.”

He pouts.  “I am also on vacation.  Ranulf says this place is fun.”

Soren sighs.  “It’s only fun for him because he’s getting away from you.”  He stacks his paperwork up.  “Also because he has three kittens clinging to their Uncle Kitty constantly.  You unfortunately came at the same time as Kieran, so you’re not as in high demand.  That being said…”. He walks over and opens the office door.  All three of his children look up with excitement and run past him to their Uncle Skrimir, Misania scaling him like a tree and the boys getting pulled into those huge arms.

 “You’ve been out there for awhile,” the big lion observes as he hugs the boys and then reaches over to pet the girl.  “Silly cubs.”

“Waiting for you was really boring,” Priam accuses.  Skrimir laughs.  

Soren leaves his office, pleasantly surprised Ike is not also lying in wait.  He’s actually quite proud of him for that, knowing Skrimir is one of the few whom Ike is suspicious of.  Skrimir follows him, and Soren fights down annoyance.  

“I could make you lunch as thanks,” Skrimir offers.  “Or hunt something for you.  We are friends.”

Soren nearly growls in frustration as he turns to give him his full attention.  He would grab him by the ear if he could reach one.  “Listen,” he says firmly, “You and I are not friends.  We are mortal enemies.  I hate you and everything you hold dear.  I am training my children to destroy you and your children and their children, and our houses will be locked in bloody conflict for eternity.”

Skrimir just looks over his shoulder at Misania, who has glomped onto his back.   She giggles.  Then he looks at Priam and Lucien in his arms.  They also giggle.

“They are luring you into a false sense of security,” he says.

“Yes,” says Skrimir, and Soren is annoyed he clearly isn’t taking him seriously.  There used to be a time everyone took Soren seriously, and he misses that.  “I wanted to say - I am sorry.”

Soren scowls.  “For what?”

“Your… strategies.  In the war.  You would have won had I not been an idiot.  I was also an idiot for not saying it sooner - I am sorry.”

He considers it, and sighs.  “You’re over a decade late, but I know felines don’t apologize.  So.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you are forgiven.   But I hope it goes without saying that should something remotely similar occur in the future, I can and will immolate you with great joy and enthusiasm.”  He looks confused.  “Immolate means to kill you by setting you on fire.”

“Ohhhh.”  Then he slowly smiles.   “I love when you threaten to murder me.” He pauses for dramatic effect.  “It’s hot.”  

“Ugh.”  He walks away.  “You’re unforgiven.”  Skrimir laughs boisterously.

No sooner does he turn the corner than he is grabbed and dragged into a supply closet with a yelp and then manhandled to lean up against the shelving.  Once he gets his bearings, he is not shocked at all by the presence of Ike nor his mischievous smile over his shoulder.  “Hi,” he whispers before curling his body over his.  He’s already hard.  

“Hi yourself,” Soren whispers back as Ike adjusts their pants down to their thighs.  “I take it you missed me?”

“Mmhmm.”  Ike slides his cock between his thighs, and Soren presses his legs together.  They both reach down to tangle their fingers together around their pressed-together dicks and Ike takes his other hand in his to brace against the wall.  He then resolutely starts making out with the space behind Soren’s ear as they rock together, Soren himself gradually hardening.  It does feel nice.   “Good?”

Soren hums his approval.  “Were you jealous?”

“Not exactly,” he whispers back.  “More possessive.”

“Well I’m done with Skrimir for now, you don’t have to be,” he counters.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No.”   

Ike stands up a bit more fully and pulls Soren by the hair (gently) so they can kiss upside down, Soren’s back in a strong arch.  Yes, Ike is affected by Skrimir’s presence in the fort.  How… promising.  But for now he can accept this quickie for what it is - passionate kissing and them stroking their dicks together.  

“Soren,” Ike gasps out, “Can I come on your face?”

Oh, he is very affected.  “Not now,” he says, “I can’t make a mess.  But tonight, if you’re good.”  

Ike and Soren kiss and rub each other to orgasm in the supply closet quickly after that, both mindful that one or the other could be summoned to something else.  But now Soren has ideas.

 
Ike makes plenty of stops during his work day, bringing snacks and drinks and sometimes just a hug.  It is absolutely adorable because Soren knows exactly what he’s doing.  Normally Soren would be more annoyed at the increased supervision, but he can accept this more easily knowing that mere years ago Ike would have refused to leave his office at all.  

He finishes up a contract as Ike comes in yet again.  “How bored can you possibly be?” he asks with amusement, because this time he doesn’t even have any visible excuse for interrupting him.  

“Very,” he admits, “I even did Titania’s performance review.  The kids are still all over Skrimir or Kieran, my jobs are all done, Oscar won’t let me in the kitchen and you’re still working.  Is it weird I’m really annoyed that Lucien likes Skrimir so much?”  He sits on his desk, which lets out its customary groan of dismay.

“Are you sure it’s not just because Skrimir himself is really annoying?” he has to ask.

Ike smirks a smidge.  “Yeah.  If he hadn’t made it very clear he would like to sleep with you, I wouldn’t even find him that annoying to be honest.  Which is why I can’t figure out why this bothers me.”

Soren taps his chin as he thinks about it.  “Because Skrimir fills the same niche you do - large, warm, protective, and holds him like a plush.  Or, because you think it means me as a child would have liked Skrimir too?  Which would not have been the case.”

Ike visibly considers this.  “Both,” he admits with annoyance.  “Damn it.”

Soren shakes his head no.  “You’re still his father, he adores you more than anyone.”  Ike looks a little bashfully pleased.  “And-”

The spawnlings run into Soren’s office, each looking absolutely baffled.  “We could’ve been half Skrimir?” Priam demands.

Soren feels a sinking feeling.  “What?”

“Uncle Shinon said that Uncle Skrimir has ‘the hots’ for Papa,” Misania explains with consternation.  “But sometimes Uncle Shinon isn’t very nice and he says stuff to make Daddy mad, but then Uncle Rolf agreed with him!”

“We would look really cute with lion ears, but otherwise I don’t want to be half Skrimir,” Lucien chimes in.  

“I want to be able to turn into a lion!” Priam declares.  

“Hey Soren,” says Ike.

“They are expendable,” Soren assures him.  Ike runs out of the room and Soren can hear Rolf yell “he’s coming!” along with the sound of fleeing footsteps.  

“So we need to figure out how I can be part Dad, part dragon and part lion,” Priam says to him.  Soren just pinches the bridge of his nose.  … And silently admits Lucien has a point about the ears.  But still, absolutely not.

It takes a large amount of time for Soren to age-appropriately explain that children cannot have three biological parents, that even if they could they couldn’t transform, and more to the point Soren wouldn’t touch Skrimir with a ten-foot pole even if  he were the last man on the planet.  He deducts the hour consultation from Shinon and Rolf’s salaries. 

The delegate from Begnion arrives later that day, after Ike had pounded Shinon and Rolf for their "observations" and returned to boredom.  For fun, Ike decides to sit in on the negotiations. 

As in, he sneaks in under Soren's desk.   

It’s times like this Ike marvels at himself and how much he has changed.  In the beginning, he didn’t even feel comfortable kissing Soren in public, let alone giving him a blowjob during a meeting.  He's not sure when it happened - some time during or after their last sex month - but now he just doesn't care.  In fact, Skrimir being in the room is actually motivation.  Can he make Soren have an orgasm with Skrimir there?  Will Skrimir be able to smell it happening?

Yes, Skrimir's presence has bothered him.  He knows Soren would never do anything outside the marriage, and he knows Skrimir respects them both enough to never force it, but still.  People who show interest in Soren are on Ike's “no” list.  Lucien actually liking Skrimir, when he typically doesn't like anyone who doesn't live at the fort (and even then he's shy around his aunts and uncles), just makes it worse.   

So Ike gets cozy under Soren's desk.  The desk certainly hadn't been carved specifically so Ike can fit under it just like this, not at all!  He likes listening to Soren's voice, and he likes to test his willpower.  Unfortunately, Soren's willpower is intensive.  Ike is pretty sure he's never succeeded in making him lose focus.   

Ike waits silently while Soren, Skrimir and the Begnion delegate (some dude named Gary, thankfully not a senator) get comfortable.  Soren gives Ike a sideways thumb, which is his way of saying that if Ike wants to start something he's game, but also doesn't mind if Ike doesn't.  Ike definitely wants to start something, so he starts by stroking his thighs with both hands.  He can feel Soren shiver.  

Soren reviews the pertinent laws involving sovereign territory in both Begnion and Gallia, and highlights where both nations adhered to or defied said laws.  In a twist that shocks Ike to the core of his being, the issue is Begnion illegally cutting down trees, and so they are completely in the wrong. Shock, horror, scandal.

Ike meanwhile eases his pants open and gently starts to lick all over his cock, coaxing and tasting it.  He wraps his tongue around it and squeezes it a few times as well.  Although he does get hard, Soren doesn’t falter.

The delegate, despite not being a senator, still shows the humility and reasonableness that his nation is known for.  "The Empire of Begnion does not need permission to harvest rare lumber!" 

"It does from other nations," Soren says.  Ike can hear Skrimir growling.  No wonder he hired Soren for this, he's very clearly not good at debating.  "I literally just finished describing all the ways the Empire of Begnion does in fact need permission.  It's not my fault you weren't paying attention."  Ike sucks the head of his dick to reward that level of sass, starting to ease his head down.

"How dare you!"  Gary declares, and Ike hears the scratching of his chair as he likely stands up dramatically. 

"King Skrimir, is Gallia open to selling the lumber to Begnion?" Soren asks, completely unimpressed with Gary's theatrical performance. 

"Yes, that has always been an option," Skrimir says, voice still low and growly.   

They could have just bought the damn stuff?!  This is the dumbest thing I have ever had to listen to, and I spent months in Melior and Mainal Cathedral.  Goddess, I hate Begnion.  It is the worst country!  

Ike takes Soren’s cock completely into his mouth and down his throat.  He remains there, comfortable and swallowing soothingly.  This is pleasing all of his instincts, so he decides this is what he’s going to do.  

"So what I'm hearing is that the Empire of Begnion is incapable of purchasing rare lumber, which sounds like a financial problem you need to solve internally," Soren says.  Ike is amused that every time Soren says 'the Empire of Begnion' his tone is increasingly sarcastic.  At least someone is having fun.  And no, he doesn’t at all sound like he’s getting a blowjob.  

Gary has, from what Ike can hear, not sat down yet.  "The Empire of Begnion of course can afford to purchase what we require!  We simply-" 

"-refuse to, which means there's no deal and we're done here." 

"The Empire of Begnion does not need permission!" Gary insists. 

He hears shuffling papers.  "Then this would necessitate a declaration of war for infringing upon the sovereignty of the Nation of Gallia.  Gallia currently has mutual defense pacts with Crimea, Phoenicias, Goldoa, and ironically Begnion.  Talks are also in place between Gallia, Daein and Kilvas for the same thing and are likely to be solidified by the time your declaration is complete. Personally speaking I think Empress Sanaki would have you publically drawn and quartered before you made the continent sink into chaos and anarchy over wood, but you are currently acting on her behalf and so, it's your choice.  Are you going to drop this issue or start the third world war in thirty years because you're feeling petty and cheap?"  

Ike chances a rub on the spot between his cock and balls with his tongue to let him know Ike is appreciating all of this.  Soren is at his sexiest when he's being deliberately sexy (duh), and also when he's being snarky and mocking.  Again, Soren has no physical sign that he’s at all affected other than he’s hard.  

"Oh!"  Skrimir sounds excited now.  "We could solve this in trial by combat instead, right?" 

Soren deeply sighs.  "No.  It's nice to know both of you lack basic listening and comprehension skills." 

"Aw man..."  Ike can picture Skrimir's ears drooping in disappointment. 

"Fine!  The Empire of Begnion does not tolerate this disrespect!  You can be assured Empress Sanaki will hear of this!" 

"And when you tell her, add on that I say this doesn't count as important and so I don't want to hear from her," Soren says.  Gary storms out, slamming the door behind him. 

Skrimir laughs.  Ike does too, frankly, but even if he were doing so with a mouth and throat not full of dick no one could possibly hear him over Skrimir's boisterousness.  "I missed you insulting assholes!" 

“An odd compliment, but I’ll take it.”

“Why do you never insult Ike?”

Ike knows Soren well enough to almost hear the eyebrow raise.  “Who says I don’t?  I don’t discriminate.”

“But you are… nicer.”

“He’s my husband?  What is your point?”

“I will give you all of my dessert tonight if you mock Ike like you do everyone else.”

Ike pauses in his sucking, frowning.

“You’re trying to bribe me to insult my husband?”

“Yes.”

Soren is silent for approximately two minutes. “I am both kink shaming and kink questioning you.”

He can hear Skrimir’s grin.  “But you’ll do it?”

“Depends on what dessert is.  Plus you need to take Priam on a lion ride.”

“Deal.”

“Now leave me alone.”

Skrimir stands up.  “And you are great at not showing pleasure.  Or else Ike is just bad at sucking cock.”

Ike’s eyes widen in recognition before he glares and his fists clench.  He doubles his sucking.

“He took offense to that,” Soren says.  “On that note, get out.”

Ike hears Skrimir leave, chuckling.  He sits up, ignoring his sore throat.   “Did you just agree to publicly mock me in exchange for chocolate cake?”

“Oh, it’s chocolate cake tonight?”  Soren reaches under his desk to stroke his fingers through Ike’s hair soothingly.  “Sorry then.  Unless you want to bribe me to go easy on you.”

Ike pouts but rests his head on Soren’s lap.  “What if instead I give my cake and you insult him instead?”

“Hmmm…” Ike can see the formation of Soren’s evil plan.  “Then it’s a conflict of interest.  He asked first, so his request gets precedence.  Can you sweeten the deal?”  

Ike is about to do just that when the door slams open.  “I demand you repay me for your blasphemous, treasonous words against me and the Begnion Empire by, by going on a date with me!” Gary yells.  “You are the most beautiful and infuriating twink I have ever met and I would have you as my consort!”  Even Ike, a man who is possessive and protective, is amused.  He can hear the waver in his voice - this is a guy shooting his shot, badly.

Soren actually makes a pffft noise before laughing.  “Are you related to Lord Francois in Melior by chance?”

“Yes!  He is my cousin!  What is your point!”

“Hah, knew it.  Listen, I have never been a citizen so I am incapable of being treasonous against the Empire of Begnion.  More importantly, my husband who is over around six and a half feet tall of pure muscle has been under my desk giving me a blowjob and I would like to reward him, so you are not needed or wanted.” Ike corroborates this by taking Soren’s dick back into his mouth.  “Get out!”

Gary does have the grace to leave, at least, and Ike hears the doors shut.  He resumes throating him, feeling content with this.  Soren says he has an oral fixation, and he might be right, because having his mouth on Soren makes him feel so peaceful.

Soren lets out a soft, happy sigh, relaxing in his seat.  “You are very convincing.”

He pops back up to kiss the head.  “So why couldn’t you at least show a little enjoyment?  I mean, now Skrimir thinks I’m bad at pleasuring you.”  He takes him back down, and now Soren moans.  

“I hate showing any sort of… mmmm… off-task behavior… which you know.  Which is your point.”

“A little,” he agrees with a full mouth.  

“Do you want me to have a loud showy orgasm in hopes he hears me?” he asks, breathless.

“Nah, knowing my luck lately someone else will be close by.”  He finally starts using good technique, expertly stroking Soren off with his mouth and tongue while his hands rub up and down his thighs.  In contrast to the unaffected attitude he has shown for the last half hour, his eyes flutter shut and he finally comes in Ike’s eager mouth.  Ike licks his lips to make sure he got everything.  Soren is forcing himself to slowly breathe to keep calm.  "Feel better?" 

"I felt fine before," he teases gently, "Do you feel better?"   

"Yeah."  He rests his head on Soren's lap again.   

"Do you want me to return the favor?"

"Nah.  There's no need." 

"Hmmm..."  Soren taps his fingers on his thigh.  "Tomorrow, then.  I have a feeling you have a lot of emotions to work through." 

"I do,"  he admits, not thrilled at it.  "Sorry.  I know you're not going to do anything, I swear." 

"Don't worry, I know you know.  You're overprotective, and don't trust anyone not in the family," Soren says, and Ike can agree that's true.  "Your hackles rise any time someone you don't trust shows up, and sometimes when people you DO trust show up.  Meanwhile, I'm the one dealing with all the strangers, so I'm much more used to it than you are."  

"Yeah, I guess."  He sighs.  “So does that put me ahead of Skrimir?”

“It sure does, although to be fair he deserves time to retaliate.  But, I don’t think I’m up to dinner tonight anyway.  I was hoping that blowjob would stop it, but I’m getting a migraine.”

Ike winces in sympathy and finally wiggles out from under the desk.  His legs are asleep.  “Shit, I’m sorry, you should have said something.”

He shakes his head no.  “I’m just having the aura.”

Ike winces again.  This means Soren’s day is over, because the auras come before debilitating pain.  Once he gets feelings in his legs, he picks Soren up bridal-style, uncaring of his protesting, and carries him out of the office to their bedroom.  He sees Skrimir, Kieran, Oscar and the kids down the hallway, the redheaded paladin challenging the lion to a duel and the lion accepting jovially.  Oscar looks fretful and the bluenettes are cheering it on.  Lucien however sees Ike and Soren and scurries down the hallway.  This, unfortunately, results in everyone looking, so Ike quickly turns to block Soren from their sight.  “Hey Squeaker, what’s up?” he asks as casually as possible.

Lucien catches up and walks with them, on his toes.  When they turn the corner, he breathes a sigh of relief and drops down onto his heels. “They’re all so loud.”

“Tell me about it,” Soren grumbles.

“Well Papa is gonna need quiet time, so maybe you can take a nap with him?”

Lucien perks up and nods.  Soren smiles tiredly.  So Ike gets the pleasure of putting his dragons to bed, tucking them both in and assuring the room is as dark as possible.  He fetches a bucket just in case and leaves them to rest together.

What to do now, though?  He’s bored again, unfortunately.  He walks through the fort to check on everything. 

Ike makes it a point to walk by the guest room, where Gary and his two aides are discussing the situation.  So he waits until he has Gary’s attention, points to his eyes, and then points to him.  Gary pales hilariously and Ike continues his journey.  

Rhys is in the infirmary cleaning up blood stains.  “You should be the one doing this,” he scolds Ike upon seeing him.

“Rolf and Shinon deserved to get their asses kicked,” he retorts.  “You should’ve made them do it.”  He tsks at him, but Ike is unashamed.  “So, I was wondering if I could have your portion of dessert tomorrow.  I’ll make it up to you.”

Rhys just sighs.  “Skrimir beat you to it.”

”And you’d choose him over me?” he asks, trying to look as hurt as possible.

Clearly he is now on Rhys’ Shit List.  “Yes, considering - and I cannot believe I’m saying this - he’s not the one engaging in wanton violence.”

”Fine, I have other people I can ask,” he says before he continues on his walk.

Next he comes up upon his sisters as they’re leaving to go walk to the barn.  “How did the meeting go?” Titania asks, so Ike joins them.  

They have a sizable collection of horses in the barn now.  A horde of horses?  Whatever. They’d kept the ones in the worst condition from the bandit camp to rehabilitate them and sold the rest for a tidy profit. “It went exactly as expected.  Begnion denied all wrongdoing, Skrimir growled a lot and offered to fight, and Soren insulted both of them with joy.  And it turns out Begnion could have saved us all a meeting by just buying what they wanted, but it wouldn’t be Begnion if they did things the easy way.”

They step into the mustiness of the barn.  It makes Ike’s eyes itch, but he soldiers on, grabbing a brush and starting to groom Buttercup, Titania’s beast of a warhorse.  The stallion flicks his tail and accepts the pampering.  Kieran’s horse, Lord Reginald Montgomery Esquire von Neigh, huffs in protest of not getting first brush.  Ike doesn’t feel bad because that horse bites and he is not dealing with it.

“That is painfully true,” Mist agrees, starting to clean the hooves of one of the rescues.  The filly was brought back from the brink and she fondly snuffles all over Mist’s hair.  “I really like and respect Sigrun and Tanith, but wouldn’t cry if the entire country burnt down.”

“All countries have their flaws,” Titania chides them half-heartedly as she starts escorting horses outside.  

“Yeah, but not ‘let’s plunge the continent into yet another war, this time over trees’ level of flaws,” Ike retorts.  

“Oh, Ike, I was wondering if I could treat Misania to a girls’ day after Kieran and Skrimir leave,” Mist says, chipper.  “The other ladies have confirmed.  I just really feel like taking care of people, you know?”

“Awww.”  At first Ike is happy at the idea, but it reminds him of one of the kink prompts - grooming of the ethical kind.  He doesn’t know any of that stuff, so this might be a good chance to learn.  “Can I join too?”

She giggles.  “Thank you for not being one of those ‘real men don’t take care of themselves or touch anything pink’ men.  It took years to break Boyd out of the habit and he still would never let me pluck his eyebrows.  Meanwhile I know you’re the one doing Misania’s twintails.”

“I do her and Lucien’s hair primarily,” he says, pleased.  “Soren is always worried about her losing the bows and he never uses enough of the hair oil for Luci’s curls.”

“I wonder, would Ashnard have had curly hair if he didn’t style it?  Is that where Luci gets it from?”

Ike pauses.  It’s not a thought that sits well with him.  “Doesn’t Almedha have curls?  I feel if her hair was short it would be curly.  I think he got them from her.”

“There was a lot going on that week and I didn’t see her much, so maybe.”  She shrugs.  “Anyway, sure, you can be an honorary girl.”

”Thanks.  Also, can I have your portion of dessert tomorrow?  It’s for a very important reason.  I’m not even going to be the one eating  it.”

”Do I want to know?”  She looks unconvinced.

”Skrimir and I are bribing Soren into having a public mocking of each other,” Ike admits.  “Skrimir started it, but I’m gathering my materials because I’d rather not have to cry.”

She scoffs.  “As if Soren would insult you that much anyway.  Knowing him, he’d probably say your hair is messy and consider his job done.”

He unconsciously fixes his hair.  “And that would hurt my feelings and make me cry.  Pleeeeeeease?”

“Uggggggh.  Fiiiiiine.  But I call dibs on one of your desserts!”

“Deal!  Hey Titania…”  He goes out to pester her.  She gives in way faster than Mist does.  

Lines are drawn: Mist, Titania, Rolf (under threat of a second beatdown) and Oscar pledge Ike their portion.  Boyd, Rhys, Kieran, Gatrie and Mia are on Team Skrimir.  Shinon refuses to give his to either, which is not a surprise.  But this means the children are the tie-breakers.  

Ike can admit it’s not worth it.  Priam will hold his dessert hostage in hopes of requiring sacrifices to him, which Ike is not going to do.  Lucien will give Ike his, he knows.  Misania will have a full-blown meltdown over having to choose between her daddy or “fiancé.”  And Kiera is so young she doesn’t even get enough dessert worth bargaining for.  So in the end, presuming the dessert is still cake, unless something unexpected happens Soren will be getting a full cake to himself and will happily publicly insult Ike for the entertainment of all.  Unless, of course, Ike cheats.  

Lucien rejoins the living after his nap, but Soren remains in bed.  Ike periodically checks on him, and cleans the puke bucket that he apparently used at some point, but Soren never acknowledges him.  Cheating can happen later then.

Dinner comes with everyone present except Soren and the Begnion delegate.  Ike is slightly amused that Skrimir is visibly disappointed.  “Sorry big guy, no entertainment for you tonight,” Ike informs him.  

“Ah, the little one did get sick.  I could smell it.  Pity he is so frail.”

“Why do you call him that anyway?” Priam asks him.  “His name is Papa.”  Skrimir laughs.  

“Tomorrow’s dessert is going to be chocolate cheesecake, one of Soren’s favorites, just to sweeten the deal,” Oscar says with a pleased smile.

“My beloved continues to create meals and confections beyond the scope of mortal men!” Kieran proclaims boisterously, giving his spouse a hug around the shoulders.  “Talented in so many ways, worthy of my continued fealty and archrivalry!” 

“This team has an overwhelming amount of simps,” Shinon mutters.  Ike has no idea what that term means, but figures it’s an insult. 

“Why don’t you and Aunt Mia become archrivals?” Misania asks Kieran.  “I mean you both like training and fighting and want rivals, so you could rival each other!!!”  

Ike has to admit it just seems… … … wrong.  And apparently they agree, because Mia and Kieran just awkwardly look at each other and shrug half-heartedly.  Then Mia brightens and exclaims, “Look outside!  A squirrel!” And Misania immediately runs to go look out the windows.  Crisis averted.

“So I have to ask, why are you trying to bribe Soren into insulting me publicly?” Ike has to ask Skrimir.  Skrimir just smirks, and he awkwardly stares at him.  “Okay, I am also kink shaming and kink questioning you.”

“What does that mean?” Lucien asks, and Ike almost bites his own tongue.  Some day he will be better at censoring himself with children present.

“It means they’re both simps for your papa,” Shinon informs him.  If anything Lucien is even more confused.  

Titania is visibly tired and done with the nonsense of her family and friends.  “I’ll bite, Shinon.  What’s a simp?”

“It’s something I made up,” he says with undue pride.  “A guy who bends over backwards to get laid.  Gatrie was the first, but he’s just one of many.”  More than a few people tell him he’s dumb, but it doesn’t faze him one bit.  Gatrie just looks proud.  

“Why didn’t you ever use the spell yourself?” Ike asks that night.

“Hmm?  What spell?”  Soren looks over at him with curiosity.  He is unfortunately back at his desk in their bedroom, but the fact he’s wearing pajamas and a robe, plus his hair is down and loose (a rare treat), tells Ike he’s still feeling a little weak.  He’ll just have to wait for the opportunity to take him back to bed.  

“To summon spirits,” he explains.  “Like Luci did.  With our parents.”

“Well I couldn’t have summoned yours, if that’s what you’re asking.  It only works on the caster, and neither you nor Mist have the magic to pull it off.  As for me…”. He scoffs quietly.  “To see people who I thought abandoned me?  No thank you.”  Then he pauses, and Ike can tell he’s thinking.  And then, magically, he starts laughing hysterically.  Big, deep laughs, so hard he gets teary, laying-on-his-desk, can’t-breathe-correctly laughing.  Ike just smiles and tries to not be confused as he waits.  “Could you imagine!  If I had!”  He laughs harder.

Ike pictures it.  His mind conjures a little Soren, standing in a summoning circle with bloody palms, looking absolutely baffled and disturbed watching the spirits of Ashnard the Mad King and Almedha Princess of Dragons scream at each other. And Ike can admit that okay, yes, that is hilarious, and he laughs too.  “Good point.  Hindsight.”

Soren shakes his head over and over as he laughs, forcing himself to calm.  “Thank you for this,” he says once his breath is back under his control, “I needed the laugh.  What brought this on?”

“Mist asked about where Luci got his curls from, and it made me curious considering if he could do it as a kid, so could you,” Ike explains.  “By the way, who would you say was more magically strong at the age of six, you or him?”

“Me,” Soren says.  “I’m not being arrogant, and he’s very strong with raw power, but not to my level. And obviously he isn’t undergoing the training I had to.”  He looks uncomfortable, so Ike decides to change the subject, picking him up from his desk and laying him in bed.  “Oh?  Are you bribing me some more?”

“I have to, because Skrimir out-earned me with cheesecake,” he agrees, laying next to him.  He gently cups his face and strokes his cheekbone with a thumb, Soren’s eyes fluttering shut.  In this state, post-migraine, any touch to his head or face has to be barely touching or else it hurts him.  “You’re beautiful,” he whispers.  And he is - his hair down makes him seem more fragile, but that just makes Ike want to protect him more.  “I get why everyone wants you.”

He huffs a little.  “They do not.  And I don’t want anyone else.”  Ike leans in to start kissing at his neck, Soren languidly arching it to give him more access.  “I do find it funny how much we’ve swapped.”

“Hmm?” Ike can see the hints of marks from his kisses on the pale, sensitive skin.  It is calming, reassuring to see, but something about placing his visible claim on Soren is just scratching the insecure itch he’s had all day.  So as he makes out with his lover’s neck, throat, and all the way up behind his ear, he gently sucks hickeys in.  They’ll show over the collars of his shirts tomorrow.  Soren will be cross, but he can’t bring himself to care.

“When we were younger, I was the one anxiously trailing you, trying to protect you and do what you needed, and seething at any perceived interest you showed others or were shown in turn,” he muses, completely relaxing, boneless in their bed.  “Now you’re the one always checking on me and thinking about coming on my face to mark your territory.”

“Sorry.”  He starts to rub over Soren’s chest, feeling the silk of his sleepwear (he doesn’t splurge on much, but he does on things to make sleep more comfortable) over the delicate spread of his ribcage.  Every one of his protective instincts are on alert right now, with so many extra people in the fort and Soren feeling weak, and it’s bringing out these competing desires - pamper him, love him, own him.  His Soren.  His to protect.  And only his.  

“I’m not.”  He turns his head to kiss the top of Ike’s, slowly reaching up to place one petite hand on his.  It sends a surge of protective lust through him, given how Soren’s hand is so elegant, small and soft and pale, compared to his own. He starts to push Ike’s hand down his body, Ike allowing it.  He was going to work his way down there anyway. 

Ike continues to suckle hickeys into his neck as he allows Soren to direct his hand to his hips. Because his husband is very concerned with not making messes, he eases his pants down and his shirt up to expose his cock to the cool night air, taking it in hand. Ike waxes poetic about Soren's ass with frequency, but the rest of him is lovely too. His dick is perfectly straight and proportioned to the rest of him, making it absolutely ideal for sucking... and surprisingly good at stroking his prostate that one time he topped recently.  He's considering letting it happen again. But not right now. In this mindset, he needs to fill him and protect him and worship him. 

"Kiss me," Soren murmurs, and Ike is helpless to resist, sitting up to bring their lips together.  They start with gently lip movements and soft sucking, just a sweet romantic kiss, as Ike continues to stroke his cock. Soren winces almost imperceptibly, but Ike picks up on it and rolls off to get into their nightstand to fetch the vulnerary. He adds some to his hand, which makes the glide of his calloused hand over Soren's cock significantly smoother. 

For a time they are content to live in this moment, just kissing with Ike pleasuring him, but it's not long until both of them are wanting a little bit more. Soren once again pushes Ike's hand down, this time to between his legs. Ike adds additional vulnerary to his fingers and sets about the arduous but most rewarding task to start stretching him open. 

Soren lets out a soft sigh as Ike's finger enters him, gently petting and lubricating his walls.  "Hurry up," he mumbles, and Ike grins a little as he enters a second finger. 

"So impatient," he teases. "We're not in a hurry."

"Yes we are," he argues with a soft smile, forcing his eyes open to find the vulnerary. Ike considers stopping him, but decides against it. To Ike's absolutely delighted surprise, Soren lubricates his own fingers and enters them into his own hole alongside Ike's. Ike watches, mesmerized, as Soren fingers and prepares himself for him. He swallows hard, fighting the urge to replace his own fingers with his tongue instead. 

"You're gorgeous," Ike breathes, sitting up on his elbow to watch his whole body more appreciatively. His neck is now covered in hickeys, marks of Ike's ownership, his face is relaxed and pleasured, his cock is hard and slick, and he's rolling his hips on their hands. 

"Gorgeous enough for you to do something about it?" he asks with an amused lilt. 

"Yeah." Ike withdraws his fingers from Soren's hole, gets an ample amount of vulnerary onto his own cock, and waits for Soren to withdraw his own hand before he starts his insertion. Despite the limited stretching, Soren moans with satisfaction as he drapes their legs together, keeping himself open to him. 

Ike can admit in moments like this, it's never enough. Being inside him, kissing him, loving him, it's somehow not enough. He wishes he could meld their bodies together, become one person, somehow transcend everything. It can't happen, of course. Nor does he truly want it to, because if they were one person then Ike couldn’t stare at him.  But he wishes for more as he starts to thrust, returning their lips together. 

One thing he can do is kiss him, and so he does, over and over, keeping their lips together only to separate for Soren to moan and mewl with his orgasms; once they're over, he immediately starts kissing him again. He pushes his own pleasure as far away as possible. He doesn't want this to end, never wants to come because that would mean it's over. This is perfect. This is enough.

Except, of course, biology can't be denied, and neither can Soren. "You too," he gasps with another orgasm, "Come inside, come inside, come inside..."

And he's helpless. He groans, burying his face in the crook of Soren's neck, filling his husband with his seed, an excessive but undeniable sign of affection and love. Soren's hands rub up and down his back soothingly, and Ike feels himself start to shiver. It's primal, lovely, necessary, draining.

Usually Ike has the energy and wherewithal to clean them up afterwards, but he can't. He's exhausted, emotional. Pulling out, leaving him, all of it is just not happening. And Soren doesn't complain, his face relaxed enough and a slight purr in his chest that makes Ike think he may have even started to fall asleep. It seems as good an idea as any, and he follows behind shortly thereafter.

Chapter Text

"Here is the reparations contract, accounting for the replacement of the cut-down trees as well as fines for intruding on the territory of another nation," Soren says, presenting his immaculately-written-and-researched contract.  They’re back in his office the next morning, Ike having joined them.  "The EmPiRe Of BeGnIoN," he drawls, because it's fun at this point to make his tone increasingly mocking with each time he's forced to say those words, "has two months to make the necessary payments before the cost increases. There are three copies, and you'll both sign all three. One will stay here, and each of you will get one." He presents them to Skrimir first. 

Skrimir looks disappointed as he writes some approximation of his name and title onto the three pages. "This would have been far faster with a fight."

"Skrimir Montgomery Gallia," Soren says firmly, as if he were talking to Priam, "The answer is no."

"That's not my middle name," he pouts as he hands the pages to Gary. Gary immediately rips them in half.

Soren fetches three more copies. "If you intend on making this a fight, I encourage you to stop now because you cannot out-stubborn me," Soren tells him pointedly, also as if he were talking to Priam. "Sanaki should have warned you of what you were dealing with, but clearly she didn't. You are some bureaucrat, and I led the armies that defeated the Mad King and the Mad Goddess. At this point the vast majority of royal persons on this continent fear me, and for good reason. I do not recommend you test me."

"I don't fear you," Skrimir says after a moment of silence, "I just find you very sexy." Ike scowls.

"You didn't interrupt me; you get a cookie," Soren says. Skrimir perks up. "And I don't care about your sexual preferences. So, Gary, your job is literally to sign this paperwork, so sign the damn paperwork so you can go home."

"Not until you go on a date with me!" he declares.

"Dear dead Goddess, you two are assholes," Ike chimes in, "He's married! To me! Do you really think I'm going to let him go on a date with either of you?!"

"I wasn't asking for a date," Skrimir points out. 

"Do not speak to me in such a way, peasant," Gary orders without any steam, because he's realized that he's got too much pride and nothing to back it up with. 

To Soren's utter shock, Ike stands up, walks over, and steps behind him.  Both hands go to his collar and, before Soren can tell him no, a swift yank sends buttons flying everywhere and puts his marked-up chest and throat on display, another shirt ruined.  "He's mine," Ike purrs, licking up the back of his neck, "Aren't you, Soren?"

Soren is hot. Embarrassed, turned on, shocked. Ike's hand going down the front of his pants does not help. Then he yelps as Ike bites him. 

"Tell these men that you're my slut, baby," Ike continues, starting to stroke him off. 

"Yes, I’m your slut," Soren breathes, overwhelmed. Why is he letting this happen? "I'm yours, Ike, and only yours."

Ike's hand moves from his collarbone to his hair, pulling his face to kiss him as reward. It's a deep kiss with tongue. "Good boy," Ike murmurs, and Soren shivers. "You see, gentlemen, I get why you both want him. I really do. I want him too." He bends Soren over his desk, grinding his hips into his ass pointedly. "But he's taken. After all, no one could possibly fuck him as good as I can. Right, love?"

"Right," he says, chancing a glance at their enraptured audience. Why isn’t he stopping this?!

Suddenly the breath is knocked out of him by the unexpected intrusion of a big dick.  Where did his pants go?  Despite the fact there was no prep, it's not painful at all and his eyes roll back. "I'm a lucky man," Ike continues as he thrusts, "This petite body, beautiful face, brilliant mind and perfect, fuckable ass are all mine." He spanks Soren hard enough that he jumps. "See how it’s a perfect bubble butt? But he's so tight inside for me. You can look, but not touch." He grabs Soren's hair and pulls him up to kiss him, Soren's body in a tight arch that's almost painful. "Because what happens if someone touches you, Soren?"

"You'll kill them," he breathes and Ike kisses him hard. The world is spinning, he can't believe this is happening, he wants this to stop, he doesn't want this to ever stop -

Soren wakes up with two-hundred-some pounds of muscle on top of him, a half-hard dick inside him, and the sound of Ike softly snoring in his ear.  He immediately blushes heavily as he connects what was apparently a dream to reality.  No, Ike did not actually smack his ass in front of clients.

(… disappointingly.  Although Soren would kill him if he ever did.  … probably.)

Usually they sleep with Ike spooning him, not on top of him, so it's a little harder to sneak his way out, but he manages it with time, patience and flexibility.  He has to stretch from being held still for so long, and he goes to the bathroom to clean himself. He laughs aloud at the fact that his neck is covered in hickeys.  Apparently his subconsciousness picked up on that, hence why it was in the dream.  Professionalism and his own sense of propriety would indicate he should wear a very high collar, or possibly even use a vulnerary to heal the damage. 

He chooses a tunic with a v-neck, and a smirk.

The kids are confused, and he casually explains that he got bit by a bug that led to lots of scratching, but it feels fine now. All the adults know. Skrimir laughs, clearly amused by Ike's staking his claim, but oddly enough Gary of all people is direly offended. 

He sits down with the two of them in his office as they prepare to discuss the restitution now that war is off the table, and he pulls out three copies of the contract.  He tries to not blush.  It’s easier since Ike is not in the room.

"The audacity," Gary seethes. 

"If he never took me into his bed, you have no chance," Skrimir says jovially. 

"And neither of you are ever getting near my bedroom, let alone my bed," Soren confirms, looking through his paperwork for any errors.  And in contrast to his dream, Gary signs the papers. He's clearly irritated, but he doesn't pull any shenanigans. Soren is somehow relieved and disappointed. It's possible he's a lunatic. 

As such, the negotiations end on a positive note, with Gary and his entourage leaving with their signed contract and Skrimir quite happy with how things went. Soren, though also pleased with the results, feels it's anticlimactic. And of course Skrimir doesn't leave the fort, so that's another annoyance to deal with. 

He checks his calendar. It's a budget and taxes day, which means no visitors or anything of the sort. He might be able to talk Ike into something when he does his typical visit…

It's about an hour later that Ike shows up, bringing lunch. "I figure that if we're doing a point system, surely I have more points than Skrimir right now, right?" he asks apropos of nothing, making Soren startle and look up at him. "Here, just some cheese sandwiches but it's better than nothing."

"True," he can admit, pushing his work to the side. He'd made great progress in this relatively short period of time. "As for points, well... hm... all right, so the starting points regarding my cheesecake," Ike snickers but Soren has no shame "were 5 points for you, and 6 points for him. You gave me a lovely blowjob and some good sex, so that's two points. But, Skrimir also handled these negotiations like an adult, so I have to give him a point for that. So you're tied."

"That seems a little contrived," Ike protests with a small pout. Soren certainly didn't do this on purpose to make them even. 

He taps his fingers on the desk and gives Ike a look he hopes is alluring. "I can think of a way for you to gain a couple more points..." 

"Go on..."

He stands up and walks to Ike, draping his body on his and looking up at him. "I want to roleplay again."

Ike responds by rubbing his hands up and down his back before squeezing his butt. "I'm listening."

"I want you to pretend that Skrimir and-or Gary are still in the room," he explains. "You know they both wanted to sleep with me. I want you to prove to them that-"

Soren doesn't even get to finish his sentence before Ike swipes every last thing off his desk, picks him up, and sits him on it. "That you're mine?" he growls lowly. Soren nearly whines in arousal as he nods and kisses him in return. It's so nice when his shot-in-the-dark ideas work out nicely for both of them! One of many kinks they've shared is the love of establishing their claim on each other. It took a few years for Soren to be comfortable doing it back, but he's always loved being Ike's and Ike has always loved making it clear to everyone that he is.  

“I prepared myself before you came,” Soren breathes out between kissing.  Ike of course takes that as an invitation to pull him back off the desk and onto his feet before spinning him around and forcing his chest onto the desk, bent over at the waist.  He feels Ike kneel behind him as he himself remembers that there is a door, and with a wave of his hand he seals it shut magically (and temporarily, of course).  

“How many spells do you know?” Ike asks as he pulls Soren’s pants down.

“A lo-ooooooht…”  Soren gasps and grips the sides of his desk as Ike wastes no time lapping at his hole like it’s dessert, his tongue flat and rhythmic between his asscheeks.  He yelps a little when Ike occasionally nips his skin, but it’s more surprising than painful.  He’s marking his territory, and the thought makes Soren groan and his cock jerk against the wood of his desk.  

Ike’s large hands rub up and down his thighs and sides, over and over, overstimulating and pleasing as he works his tongue inside him, contentedly moaning to himself as he does.  No matter how many times Ike does this for him, he somehow never truly gets used to it - it always feels strange and pleasurable, giving him goosebumps and making his body somehow both tense up but also melt.  He vaguely recalls long ago when they discussed a hypothetical orgy, where Ike had insisted that he would make rimming Soren his utmost priority, and the thought makes him bite his lip to stop a shameful mewl.  So many years later, and his mindset is still the same.

Ike finally withdraws his tongue to place kisses on his hole, making him shiver pleasantly.  “Would you let anyone else do this to you?”  As if to influence his answer, Ike adds two fingers inside him to thoroughly massage his prostate, making him gasp and his teeth clench when his tongue rejoins them.

“Never,” he breathes, looking down at him while reaching to pet Ike’s hair.  Watching this happen is almost too much, as Ike keeps eye contact with a lustful gaze that betrays just how much he enjoys this.  “I would use a paralyze staff on someone watching.”

Ike closes his eyes with a soft moan, and Soren can hear him shuffle around to get his hand down his own pants.  Clearly he likes the idea, so he forces himself to keep painting this picture for them.  “So they wouldn’t have a choice but to see and keep their hands to themselves.  So they could only watch my face as you stretch me out so good with your tongue and fingers…”. They both moan now, both getting into it.  “Knowing they’ll never get to know what I taste like, because all of me is only for you…”

Ike opens his eyes again, tongue withdrawing to tease on his stretched-out rim.  “Yeah?  And why is that?”

“Because you’re perfect for me,” he admits, and the factual statement leaving his mouth heightens his own arousal, so he warns, “Ike, I’m gonna-”

“You don’t have to warn me,” Ike teases him gently, but he responds to it as his hand comes out from stroking his own cock to instead stroking Soren’s, around the head in a circle as if to make sure there’s no mess (how considerate), and the extra stimulation does send him over the edge into his first orgasm, legs shaking as he focuses on breathing through it and on the throbbing pleasure between his thighs.  “There you go, come for me baby…”. Soren folds his arms under his head to bury his face in his sleeves, stifling the pleasured noises that are coming from him.  

Ike leaves him shaking with the aftershocks, standing to go rummaging through his desk.  He pulls out a vulnerary bottle, and Soren breathlessly laughs. “You would sneak one in, wouldn’t you.”

“I’ve started keeping bottles hidden everywhere just in case,” he confesses, and Soren’s eyes go right to Ike stroking his own dick, lubing it up.  He can see his own come in the mix.

“That really is a perfect fucking cock,” he says, licking his lips without thinking about it and standing on his toes to raise his hips.  “Show our audience how well you use it.”

“Gladly.”  Ike steps back behind him, lining them up and sliding in with effort, making them both deeply moan at their rejoining.  It never gets easier, and he never gets used to this either.  It’s perfect, though.  He doesn’t want to get desensitized to this.  “You take me so well, baby.”

“Like I was meant to,” he agrees, pushing up on his hands to arch his back.  Ike assists by gripping his hair and gently tugging it backwards, just enough to be uncomfortable but not enough to be painful, as he then braces himself his desk too with his other arm, getting in even closer and settling for a swift, strong pace focused on depth.  Soren holds his position and looks at him, and before he can ask for a kiss Ike gives him one.  

“And our, ngh, audience,” Ike softly continues to narrate between kisses, “they can tell by looking at you that you’re craving this, that you know you’re mine and only I can make you feel so good…”

Soren lets go of his desk to instead reach behind him to grab Ike’s shoulders, because touching his husband is always a priority and he knows Ike won’t let his chest get pushed back down.  He’s finding it hard to focus on the words, the picture they’ve been painting together fading like watercolors in his mind.  The pleasure is too good, the feeling of being covered and controlled and filled is mind-melting and utterly distracting,  “Only you, always you, forever you, just you - I lo-“. He’s cut off when Ike tugs a little harder on his hair to pull him back into a kiss that he uses to stifle the moan of ecstasy he lets out as he fills Soren up like he’s needed.  Ike doesn’t let him speak, conquering his mouth with his own with an instinctive twining of their tongues and sucking of his lips.  

Soren is close again, so close again but he has to let go of Ike’s shoulder to stroke his own cock to get him there.  He gasps loudly in shock as a mere rub is all it takes to get him off - this is quick, even for him, and he can’t feel ashamed or complain about it.  

“Fuck,” Ike pants out before biting on Soren’s shoulder through his tunic.  If anything this sets Soren’s orgasm even higher, the pain adding a lovely element that heightens everything.  

They stand together, each attending to their own orgasm, before finally Ike guides them down to their knees so they can recover.  

“That was good,” Soren says once his breath is under control again.  “I think we would have gotten the point across.”  

Ike chuckles and kisses where he bit.  “I know I feel better.  Never gonna look at a paralyze staff the same way again, though.”

“You’re safe from me,” Soren assures him, turning his head to kiss his lips.  Their lips move together quite sweetly, the sound the only thing in the room for some time before he finally sighs in resignation.  “But I have work to do.”

“I’m happy with this,” Ike says, pulling out his softened cock and then catching Soren off-guard with the cork from the vulnerary bottle replacing his dick.  “Is this okay?”

“Can I clean up, or do you want me to keep it for awhile?” he asks, although he knows the answer.  

“Please?”  Ike looks so sweet even when he’s asking for something decidedly not.  

He fondly sighs. “No promises that I’ll keep it in for too long, but fine.”  

“Thank you,” he chirps with another kiss, and Soren really can’t say no to him for anything. 

Later on (well after he gave up trying to go through his mundanities with an improvised butt plug, sorry Ike) Soren is going to check on everyone when he hears a knock on the door they use to receive intakes.  He scowls, because he is unused to people just dropping in.  There is a method to his madness that he has had for years.  So he’s already irritated when he walks to the door and opens it.  

He immediately slams it shut.  

“Seriously?” says the voice of Nasir outside.

“Go away!” Soren orders.

“I’m here on behalf of King Kurthnaga at the behest of Ike,” Nasir says with a dull voice.  

“I don’t care!”  

Despite this, Nasir has the audacity to open the door.  He’s carrying a tome.  He is very obviously trying to not look amused.  Soren knows Nasir considers him an adorable hatchling and he hates it.  “He was interested in learning the draconic language.”

Soren cannot believe Ike did something so stupid and they will be having words.  “Great.  Give over the book and leave.”

“It’s one of a kind and needs to return with me.”  

Soren is about to call bullshit when there is a blur of colors and his daughter glomps Nasir.  “Eeee! Great Uncle Nasir!  This is so exciting!  I'm so happy you're visiting my house because I visited yours before!  Oh, oh this is great!  I have so many letters for Great Grandpapa Sneeze Name!  Could you please give them to him?  I miss him a lot and I hope he's been a good friend!"

He is serenely smiling.  "I certainly can deliver your letters.  He has been a good friend since your talk."

She squeals in joy.  "I'm so happy to hear it!  I'll have to tell him in a letter that I'm proud of him!  Bye for now!”  She runs off to presumably do so.

Soren’s eye is twitching.  “Great.  Just… great.  I’ll tell Ike to fix his mistake.   I don’t want to know you’re here.  You can sleep outside, in the poison ivy patch.”  

“Yes, sir.”

“Shut up, Nasir.”  He turns on his feet to go find and chastise Ike for this, the idiot.  

Ike is outside, sparring with Skrimir.   He is dual-wielding Ragnell and Alondite, and Soren is briefly anxious that he’s challenging himself so hard until he spots poor Rhys, who has a death grip on a recover staff, huddled under the nearest tree.  Still Soren’s presence stops the fight, everyone looking to him as he walks over.  “Isaac!”  

Ike flinches.  Wise of him.   “Yes, love of my life?” he asks warily.

“You invited Nasir?!”

“What?! No I didn’t!”

“Well he’s here because of you asking for a book on draconic,” he accuses, getting up close to make it clear he is displeased.  It does make him feel better that Ike is appropriately cowed.  “I’m not dealing with him.  I refuse.  I’ve spent a week with Skrimir and I am done.”

Skrimir starts purring, and Soren shoots him a death glare.  “I’m happy you like me more than Nasir,” he explains.  

Ike holds his hands up in surrender.  “This isn’t my fault then, it’s Kurth’s!  I just asked for a guide or something, he’s the one who sent Nasir!  In fact, I’m mad at him too!  He’s officially my least favorite in-law, because he knows how you feel about Nasir and sent him anyway!”

Soren can consider this a fair point, but he’s still mad.  “Fix it.”

“Does this mean I win?” Skrimir asks.

Soren sighs in frustration, but Ike perks up.  “What if we combine forces and ask Soren to publicly mock Nasir?  I mean, you still get your kink and I don’t question my life choices, plus let’s be honest, no one likes Nasir.”

Skrimir considers it, head tilting in thought before he nods.  “Agreed.  Not as fun as him insulting you, but he will be more savage with Nasir.”

“For the record,” Rhys chimes in, “I’m not kink shaming, but I am kink questioning too.”

Skrimir shrugs.  “I like what I like.”

“So what I’m hearing is that I’m getting a whole cheesecake to myself in exchange for publicly mocking Nasir?” Soren translates.  “Something I would gleefully do for free?  I accept this compromise.  However, you,” he points to Ike, “are still dealing with him.”

“Yes sir,” he says with a tiny grin.

“Shut up, Ike.”  It really rolls off the tongue at this point.  

(“Your name is Isaac?”  Skrimir sounds delighted.

“Only when I’m in trouble,” Ike admits ruefully.

“Well, let’s get back to sparring… Isaac.”

“See, stuff like this is why no one likes you either.”

Skrimir laughs.)

He walks back to the fort and his office, tidying it all back up to avoid more work.  His head is throbbing - not a migraine, but annoying and painful all the same.  There’s just so much going on.  He has taxes to file, he has no idea what two of his spawnlings are up to, and having Skrimir and Nasir in the fort irks him.  

There is a gentle knock at his door - it’s open, so he can see it’s Oscar.  “Oh my, if it’s not too rude to say, you look like you need a break.”

“Nasir is here.”

“Ohhhhhhh.”  He grabs a broom and dustpan, starting to sweep the floor.  “How are you otherwise?”

“No,” he says with all the gentleness he can muster.  Oscar has struggled in the past weeks to treat Soren as he used to, after the incident in the mess hall.  Soren has tried to be patient with him, largely based on the fact that Oscar has always been a calm, dependable presence and so has earned his good graces.  But that doesn’t mean he will tolerate his, or anyone’s, pity.

“Oh!”  Oscar pauses.  “No, no.  Please.  I’d like to think anyone would see a member of the family cleaning and in visible pain and want to help.  Well, not Shinon, but anyone else, and even then sometimes Shinon surprises me.  Besides, you’re not the only one dodging something.”

Soren accepts this explanation, for now.  “And that would be…?”

“Luci has a silence staff, and I have a feeling he’s not supposed to…”

Soren deeply sighs.  If even his child who is typically avoidant of causing trouble is acting up, “I need a drink.”

Oscar chuckles.  “I will give him a lot of credit though.  I think you’ll understand why.”  He leads him towards the library - it’s not terribly large but the team has enough readers to justify a dedicated room for books - and Soren can hear a very passionate Kieran.

“I am conflicted!!  On the one hand, your comedic timing is impeccable!  I was mid sentence when you foully struck from the shadows, ending my explanation to you about the importance of remaining awake throughout the day!  On the other hand!  I am your beloved uncle, guiding you towards your grand destiny!  It is considered rude to interrupt, as your father has likely taught you, and yes this counts as interruption!  It is considered dishonorable, and is likely to earn you a fearsome rivalry should you engage in such a thing with the wrong person!  I am simply attempting to keep you-”

By the time Oscar and Soren get to the room, it is silent again.  Kieran is completely still as if he cannot comprehend not being able to talk, and Lucien is silently giggling and kicking his legs in amusement.  He doesn’t even bother to hide the staff when he sees Soren, and he holds up the stolen wand.  Soren takes it, giving his son a bemused look as he does so.  He can’t truly judge him.   “If ever I questioned if you were my son…” Lucien giggles audibly this time.  

“I hope you never did,” Oscar adds his two cents.  He is also smiling, and if anything this makes Kieran pout more.  “Sweetie, I warned you he’s Soren’s son.   You shouldn’t be surprised.”  Kieran makes an okay, fair face, but it’s silent. “Yes, the innocent face can be deceiving.”  Lucien giggles more.  This makes Soren smile.  At Lucien’s age, people assumed he had foul intentions…. How nice it is that the world is better for his son.  

"Is Priam still with Shinon?" 

"No," Oscar says, "He's moved on to Gatrie to learn to use a lance.  I offered, but I apparently make him hungry."   

Soren smiles a little.  Yes, that's Priam all right.  "Thank you.  Lucien, do you want a nap?"  His son shakes his head.  He's going to get cranky later.  "All right.  Quit bullying Uncle Kieran."  He giggles silently again.  "Gentlemen," he says with an incline of his head to the two adults before he leaves to go procrastinate on his work.   

Taxes filed and budgets balanced, Soren decides he's earned the bottle of wine he fleeces from the cellar.  He doesn't drink a lot - he dislikes the loss of control - but today is a day where he feels he deserves a good buzz.  He curls up with a book in their suite's sitting room, in his pajamas with a soft blanket, and gets comfortable.  He can’t stop yawning. 

Priam is the first one back.  He looks haunted as he walks in, so Soren looks up from his book to him.  "Papa," he says, brow furrowed slightly, "Um. What is wrong with Uncle Gatrie?" 

"How long do you have?" Soren asks in response. 

Priam shakes his head.  "Um.  Okay.  So okay I asked him if he could teach me to use a lance, right?  Since I gotta learn to use all weapons.  He agreed, right, and we got some training in, but then he uh started to talk about star-crossed lovers and the mistakes he's made with girls." 

"I swear he has more personality than that, but not much of one," Soren says with a drink.   

"Well listen, I'm a hero and a helper and apparently a great sage of wisdom with love," Priam continues, "So I said, okay, let's pick one of your um, exes?  Your exes and see if we can't get back in touch.  He acted like he never once thought of this..." 

"He probably did not."  Soren is extremely amused by Priam's bafflement. 

"So we started with a letter.  To someone named Lyre, which kinda sounds familiar." 

He deeply sighs.  "She's Gallian and one of your Uncle Kitty's tags-along.  He more likely than not has no chance." 

"Yeah... considering he professed his undying love for her and her cute kitty cat ears and then said that he promised he'd keep Uncle Shinon away from her this time...  I mean... listen... that means he introduced her to Uncle Shinon last time?!" 

"He sure did."  Soren heard of this incident via a laughing-hysterically Ranulf after the fact.  "Yes, that is the level of intelligence he is operating under."   

Priam visibly has no words.  "Um.  He's gonna die alone, isn't he." 

"He is.  I recommend you go take a shower or bath to get the stupid decisions wiped away from you."  To Soren's joy, Priam doesn't argue and he instead shuffles to his room to grab his night time supplies before marching to the bathroom.   This is a delightful change of pace, as Priam likes to argue against activities of daily living.  He takes a long drink of wine before returning to his book. 

The pages blur together, but he’s better able to focus when Ike, the twins, and a squeaky-clean Priam come back.  "I still feel like I have stupid on me," Priam is saying to Ike.  The twins are exhausted in his arms, and Ike himself is amused.   

"And now you know to never ask your uncle for advice on anything," Ike agrees.  "He's great in a fight, awesome with a lance and a good uncle, but it's only a matter of time before he wakes up in a tub full of ice missing some vital organs." 

"Huh?"   

"Never mind.  Bedtime, Squirt."  Ike puts them all to sleep.  By the time he comes back out, Soren is finished with the first wine bottle and is on to the second.  "That kind of day, huh?"   

"Yes.  Did you see Nasir?" 

"On a bench outside - Misania was with him talking his ear off about her letters to Great Grandpapa Sneeze Name.  I let him use the guest room Gary was just in." 

Soren shakes his head with judgment.  "Considering I told him to sleep in the poison ivy patch, he's extremely lucky you're the one handling him now, although your kindness disappoints me." 

Ike chuckles and pulls Soren onto his lap, spooning him.  "Are we ever going to try to get our daughter to say Dheginsea’s actual name?”

“His name is now Great Grandpapa Sneeze Name, and I’m sure that makes him happy,” Soren says with a shrug.  

“What are you reading?" 

"It's a romance story," he admits, no shame when with Ike, "A prince is secretly in love with his champion, but his father the king tries to separate them by holding a tournament to find the prince a new consort from royalty.  So the prince helps his champion win behind the scenes.  Cliché, but enjoyable." 

Ike hums contentedly.  "I'd complete a tournament for you and become your consort."  He raises Soren's left hand and kisses the back of it.  "Glad to not have to, though." 

"Glad to not be a prince."  Soren turns his head and they share a kiss.   "What's the challenge, anyway?" 

"Are you sober enough?"  He looks him over worriedly.  

Soren chuckles.  "I'm fine.  Just a smidge buzzed and tired.”  They kiss again.  

"I have no idea what the challenge is.  Let me go check the Smut Book."  Ike gets up to go to their bedroom. 

"Don’t call it the Smut Book.  And don't cheat!" Soren softly calls after him.  He finishes his chapter and puts the book down, patiently waiting for Ike while resting his eyes.   Just for a bit…

“Face-fucking, mirror sex, and reverse cowgirl,” Ike reports as he comes back in.  “Any of those appeal?” He sounds like he’s so far away, and Soren’s eyes are so heavy and he can’t open them… surely he can just rest a little more.  “Uh huh… color me shocked you actually fell asleep before sex…”  Soren is about to argue that he’s not asleep, but then he feels Ike pick him up and that does, in the end, lull him to an early bedtime.  

Chapter Text

Soren wakes up comfortable and happy in bed, not even hung over.  However, the comfort ends when he realizes how late it is.  It turns out they slept in - common with Ike, not with Soren.   The problem is that his sleeping in often becomes a  game called “see how much we can do wrong without Papa waking up to tell us no.”  It’s a rare day when all three get grounded at the same time, but the sitting room being traversed by six barn kittens and three baby ducks means today is a rare day.

He’s frustrated.  Skrimir and Nasir are at his house, and now he has to be the mean no-fun parent who has to implement consequences.  All three children try crying to get him to let them keep at least one kitten and duckling, but Soren is not impressed by tears.  Instead he makes them all write reports about proper care of cats and ducks and why they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they do not have the maturity to take care of them.  The twins like writing, but even they are upset.  

The worst part though is he feels wrong.   Something is off.  He logically knows he’s not being too harsh, no one is hurt, but he thinks of himself when he was a child and the wound may be healed but it left a deep scar.  He’s so stressed and annoyed that he’s spiraling.  But he shouldn’t be stressed or annoyed and he knows it!  Everything is fine.  

He has the children in their school room and is overseeing their writing assignments when there’s a knock on the door before it opens.  It’s Ike, and Soren bristles because he knows what’s coming.  

“Dad, save us!” Priam cries out dramatically with terrible acting.  He wants to appear distressed but he can’t fake it through the annoyance.  “Papa is torturing us!”

“My hand hurts,” Misania mourns.

“And he’s making us write lies,” Lucien chimes in, “I had to write that I can’t handle having a pet duck, but I definitely could!”

“Considering I had to clean out cat and duck poop from the carpet, you’ll get no sympathy from me,” Ike says wryly, but the kids as per usual don’t take Ike’s no as a no, and they start talking over each other.  

He can’t breathe.  He can’t even see.  His heart is escalating in its beats  and his eyes are burning.  He needs to get out.  But he’s a parent, and he needs to stick to the consequences he’s set up, and there’s nothing to be upset about, and-

“ENOUGH!” he yells, shocking everyone in the room including himself.  He doesn’t yell.  He never raises his voice.  The room’s silence is not comforting, it is deafening, and he can’t handle it anymore and he 

Flees.

No one and nothing registers as he walks the hallway from the school room to his bedroom, reacting instinctively to run away to his safe place.  Everything is too out in the open, even the bed, but the closet is small and quiet and filled with soft items and it works just fine.   The jostling knocks one of Ike’s shirts to the floor, so he grabs it and holds it tight.

He sits there, curled up in the corner of the closet, with the sound of his breathing and the scent of Ike’s shirt as his comfort.  It’s grounding, soothing, keeping him in the here and now.  

Time passes, he doesn’t know how much, until the door to the closet opens a crack and he can see Ike on the other side.  “Hi, Soren,” he says soothingly, “are you with me?”

He nods.  Words aren’t coming to him, but he’s in the present.

“Okay, good.  Titania is treating the trio like she treats slackers, and everyone else is just relaxing.  You have nothing to concern yourself with today, okay?”

“I hurt them,” he whispers, “and made them cry.”

“I knew it,” Ike says, emboldened by Soren talking,  “I knew that’s what set you off.  Baby, you were being a parent, not a tyrant or like your old sage.  The kids were being dramatic because they got in trouble.  Did you hit them?”  He shakes his head no.  “Did you make them do something they couldn’t?”  No again.  “Exactly.  So, they’re fine, you’re fine, everything’s fine.”  Ike opens the door and pulls Soren out, onto his lap and holding him.  “Some day you’ll learn to ask for help, or to delegate stuff you do.  Not today, but some day.”

“You are terrible at being the mean parent,” Soren retorts, closing his eyes.

“You’re not the mean parent either,” Ike protests, “you’re stricter than me, yeah, but you’re not mean.  Besides, this was my wakeup call, I need to be stricter so you get a break .”  He pets his hair and they sit together in silence. 

“Yes you do,” not that Soren believes for a second that Ike will manage it, “and I need to be more lenient.”  The quiet calmness is rejuvenating, and Soren sighs and makes himself sit up.  “I feel better.”

“Good.”  Ike kisses his Brand.  “We don’t have to do anything, but we have kids out, free time…”

He chuckles.  “Do we have free time?  I technically don’t.”

“You do now!  Do you want to do the challenge?”

“What was it, again?” 

“Face-fucking, reverse cowgirl, and mirror sex.”

He considers it as Ike cuddles him tighter, still cozy on the floor outside the closet.  “None of those are turn-offs.  You?”

“You fucking my face and riding me in front of a mirror is pretty much my definition of great sex,” Ike says earnestly.   “I don’t suppose I can get you to wear fancy stockings too?”

“Feeling daring, are we?” he teases.  “What have you done to warrant my treating you so nicely?”

“I was very good yesterday.  We had some good sex in your office, I convinced Oscar to save the cheesecake considering you read through dinner again, and I didn’t get my head knocked off by Skrimir.  And I did not let the kids out of their punishment.”

“You also invited Nasir into my house…  I guess I can be nice.  Perhaps if you fucked my face instead?”

Ike pouts.  “But… we could rock-paper-sword it?”

“Deal.”  

They both hold up their hands.  It takes six rounds before Ike is crowned the winner.  He beams.  “You go clean yourself up and I’ll find the stockings!”

Soren chuckles as he gets up, stretching.  “That was for the face fucking, not stockings.”  But he doesn’t actually mind, so really he’s just giving Ike a hard time about this for fun.  He’ll wear the stockings if it makes him happy.  

He cleans himself up, accepts the black silk stockings with lace at the top that Ike encourages him to wear,  and puts on a robe before he comes out of their bathroom to find Ike poring over the challenge book (he refuses to call it the smut book) looking conflicted.  “There are a bunch of recommendations,” he says without looking up, “and I can’t decide.  I love you sitting on my face, but you can get a lot deeper if I’m on my back with you standing next to the bed.”

Soren blushes just a little at how frank Ike is being with this discussion.  The man knows what he likes and will advocate for himself, that is for sure.  Preparing himself didn’t get him hardening, but Ike’s enthusiasm definitely is.  He walks over and peers at the diagrams in the book.  “Do I get a say in this?”

“I was just about to leave it up to you, in fact.”

“Then I would prefer the first option.  I feel uncomfortable at the idea of my balls in your eyes.”

“Fair.  It’s all the same to me.”  He lays down on his back, easily picking Soren up by the hips to make him straddle his face.  Soren makes a shocked noise, but he shouldn’t be shocked at all really.   And then, defeating the purpose of Soren being the one in charge, Ike keeps a hold of his hips and pulls his dick into his mouth.  

He draws in a breath as he adjusts to that warm, eager mouth.  He leans against the wall so he can watch, see the look of satisfaction in Ike’s eyes and run his fingers through his mussed hair.  He slowly moves his hips, taking his time to build up a rhythm that feels good for him and doesn’t hurt his husband.   Ike’s hands travel all over his body to encourage him, removing his robe before focusing on his ass and thighs.  But there’s something they forgot, so he pulls out despite Ike’s attempts to keep him inside.  “If you need me to stop, pinch me,” he says, because shame on him for not doing that before.

Ike kisses the head of his dick.  “Okay, but quit holding back on me.  I can take it and I want it.”

Keeping eye contact is too intense, so he closes his eyes and forces himself to give Ike what he wants - proper use.  Ike provides a lovely suction and a firm tongue, and an almost overwhelming level of touch all over his body.  He's torn - this does feel fantastic, and his head arches back with the pleasure, but he feels guilty doing this and his impulse is to get it over with.  But the way Ike massages his ass and pulls it closer tells him he wants more, and he wants to give him what he wants.  So he speeds up, focusing on the instincts inside him to move to the pace he subconsciously likes, knowing Ike can handle it.  

Ike's hands are everywhere - his back, shoulders, arms, neck, ass, thighs - but it's him giving a gentle massage to his feet that sends Soren over the edge, clawing at the wall and toes curling as he comes down Ike's throat.  And of course Ike’s mouth keeps going, sucking timed with the pulses perfectly, so he covers his own mouth to keep quiet as Ike sucks his life out through his dick.  Not that his office blowjob was bad or anything, but this one is significantly better to the point his legs are shaking.  

When Soren can finally relax, Ike eases him onto his back before settling in to kiss his neck.  This time Soren is awake enough to feel the sucking, and he is slightly amused.  "I'll have to heal those too," he warns, "The kids were baffled and I don't feel like explaining to them the concept of a hickey." 

"Fair."  He doesn't stop though.  "Goddess, I love you." 

Soren blushes, pleased.  "Likewise.  What are you thinking for the next round?" 

To his not-surprise, Ike lifts him back up and rolls them so he's on top again, but shifts them so they're on the bed horizontally.  "If you turn around, the mirror is right there.   I'm ready when you are."  He doesn’t stop kissing his neck and chest.

Soren looks over his shoulder, and the mirror is in fact right there.  He'd missed it earlier, but it'd given Ike a perfect view of him during the blowjob.  He blushes more.  He's not a fan of mirror sex, overall.  He doesn't like seeing himself in general, let alone when he becomes a sweaty, desperate mess.  To him, it's like taking the exquisite painting known as Ike and ruining it with his crayon self.  But Ike clearly disagrees, and he wants to please him, so he takes deep breaths to center himself as he rubs all over Ike’s back and thinks about what he’s going to do.  He spins around so he’s back-to-chest with him, holding up Ike’s cock and slowly sinking down on him, comfortably in his lap.  Ike keeps holding him tightly and kissing his neck, patiently waiting for Soren to get adjusted on him.  

Phew, okay.  If he doesn’t look at the mirror, then he’s fine.  “I think you’re supposed to lay down,” he points out, and Ike shuffles forward to lay his head on the pillow, leaving him straddling him.

Ugh, the mirror.  Why did he agree to a mirror?  He’s so pale and thin.  But he’s done this before, and in fact embellished it to make Ike feel better, so why is this bothering him so much?  He closes his eyes and rolls his hips, trying to get himself back in the mood.  The least he can do is get Ike off.  

“Try leaning forward,” Ike suggests, startling him.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he lies - and it is a lie, he feels strangely trapped.  

“Nope,” says Ike, pulling Soren off his lap and flipping him around so they’re face-to-face again.  Soren is so used to being manhandled that it doesn’t bother him.  “You’re not okay, I can tell.”

He sighs, frustrated that Ike saw right through him.  

“Here, hang on.”  He gets out of bed to grab a glass of water and give Soren his robe back, pulling on a pair of pants to hide his erection.   Soren knows Ike will not proceed thinking Soren is not into it, so he doesn’t argue.  He’s irritated with himself more so than anything else.  “I don’t want a martyr in bed.”

“I’m not,” he argues.  Ike gets back into bed, cuddling him.  “I was… I don’t want to say not enjoying it, because I was, but it wasn’t… I don’t know.”

Ike hums, rubbing his head.  “How are you feeling? If I'm honest… I feel like you’ve been sort of… off for a while.  More sensitive.  More headaches, more touchy, just not quite yourself.”

“You too, a bit,” Soren points out.  “More nightmares, more anxious.”

“Yeah… ever since we got home from the birthday party, it’s just been weird.”

He thinks back to their time in Melior.  Surely he’s moved on from Lucien’s incident?  And the drug was just an aphrodisiac.  Or maybe, Sanaki and Tormod’s wedding announcement came not long after…

“Noooo,” says Ike, looking disturbed, and Soren looks at him with curiosity.  “Nooo, it can’t be, but…”

“Full sentences,” Soren instructs.

“Listen, this is going to sound crazy, but we’ve both been more touchy since we got Gurgurant.  Is it possible… I know this sounds crazy, but is it actually possible that it has an evil spirit?”

“It’s… not im possible…”. Soren pushes himself up to go see if he can figure this out, because now he’s genuinely concerned.  “I’m not familiar with curses but I am with spirits, magical spirits genuinely don’t act with any sort of moral compass…”

They have a fourth room for when the twins inevitably want to sleep separately.  For now, it remains securely (and magically) locked and is where they store Ragnell, Alondite, Rexcalibur, Forsetti, Rexbolt, and now Gurgurant.  He opens the magical bindings and finds himself meticulously inspecting a sword as big as he is, his heart beating atypically hard as he sends out a small cantrip, testing.  The blade glows malevolently.  “Son of a bitch.”

“She did it,” Ike says in shock, “she actually did it, how did she do it?!”

“Just because Misania has insisted for literal years that she needs to find Evil Grandpapa’s Ancestral Blade an evil spirit does not mean she actually managed to get one,” Soren retorts, although frankly he has no other idea about how this could have happened.  “It’s not out of the question her desire sort of manifested it, but that’s a stretch.”

Meanwhile Ike has his face in his hands and he’s laughing helplessly.  “So do we redeem it through the power of friendship?  That was her plan.”

“Absolutely not,” Soren says, also unable to suppress a chuckle at the absurdity.  “She can never know about this, ever.  She would never let it go.”  Ike laughs a little harder.  “This is your fault, you know.  You’re the one insistent on befriending everyone.  Your mother said she is just like you.”

“Oh Goddess,” Ike mourns as he keeps laughing, because he knows this is in fact his fault.  “In my defense, if I wasn’t that way we would never have met!”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” he says more gently.  It’s one of the many qualities of Ike’s that Soren loves and is baffled by.   “But I’ll talk to Rhys and do some research.  Exorcisms can’t be that hard.  If worse comes to worse we will send the thing home with Nasir or Skrimir.”  

Ike just laughs more, shaking his head, as Soren smiles and goes to solve this - getting actually dressed first, of course.  

The good news is that Rhys is familiar with exorcisms, and his lips are sealed about telling anyone.  While he explains it is more likely a result of the evil the blade was used for corrupting it, there is a non-zero chance that Misania did actually will an evil spirit into existence and they really don’t need that in their lives. 

Soren and Ike then bury the damn thing in the poison ivy patch for Nasir to sleep on, along with the decomposed invitation from Sanaki and Tormod.  

“So,” Ike says after it’s all said and done and they’re alone again, cuddled in bed, “I don’t know if it was the ridiculousness of the situation or the fact that the sword is gone, but I feel like a weight is off my shoulders.”

“It is odd to say it, but ‘our daughter somehow manifested an evil spirit to possess the sword my father used to start a world war’ did in fact cheer me up,” Soren agrees, chuckling. “It deserves to slowly rust in the dirt, forgotten.  And making Nasir sleep on it is a bonus.”

Ike smiles a little, shaking his head no. “I told you that I let him have the guest room.”

“And I told you that you fill me with disappointment.”

“But you’ll still get to mock him!  That should make you happy, right?”

“True.  But I need to think about it, you know?  This can’t be just any mocking.  I want him to question his life choices.  It’s also no fun if he expects it, so I need to time it right.  And I don’t actually want to put effort into it because I don’t want him to feel special and I don’t want to waste time thinking about him.  So it’s complicated.”

Ike nuzzles into his neck, placing a kiss through his shirt.  “Just to make sure I didn’t miss anything, we still just hate him for blackmailing you, right?”

“Right.  And because he’s an unlikeable asshole.”

Ike chuckles more, although he is somewhat worried that there might be more to the story that he missed. “But he didn’t do anything else?  I ask because I know you hold grudges, and I want to make sure he didn’t actually hurt you or do anything I’m not aware of since then.”

Soren rolls to face him.  Thankfully he seems more relaxed as he strokes Ike’s cheeks and hair.  “No, nothing like that.  He blackmailed me, betrayed your and Mist’s trust, and I just dislike him on a personal level.”

That’s relieving.  Ike closes his eyes, holding Soren to him comfortably and allowing the petting to his face with a pleased smile.  Occasionally he kisses Soren’s palm.  Their legs are twined together as they relax.

“It is very cute you said we hate him,” Soren continues, “but I don’t recommend you take up all my grudges, for your sanity’s sake.  You’re not actually my champion.”

“Sure I am,” Ike says lowly, voice almost a purr, “and your consort.”  He leans forward to initiate a relaxed, deep and loving kiss.  Soren relaxes as their lips move together and Ike’s tongue slides into his mouth.  He lets out a soft mewl of pleasure.  He’s so happy, loving these moments of closeness. “Besides, I hold grudges too.  He blackmailed you and that pisses me off.  Skrimir ruined our army plans and that also pisses me off.  And Bastian threatened to have me murdered if he thought I was sketchy, which I can understand but doesn’t mean I like the guy either.”

Soren backs his head up.  “He what?”

Ike sees the shock on his face and chuckles, leaning back in to kiss his cheeks, chin and down to his neck.  “You didn’t know that?  So you just hate him for no reason?”  

“He’s a bloviating ignoramus who thinks he’s better than me, I had no idea - oh for his health and safety he’d best pray he never sees me again.  As if I would let anything happen to you!  And-“

Ike can’t stop chuckling as he kisses him again.  “It’s fine, it didn’t happen and didn’t need to happen.  Let’s get back to what we were doing.”  Soren begrudgingly accepts the kissing. “What do you need from me?”

Soren thoughtfully hums.  “I’m feeling much better, so perhaps we pick up where we left off?”

Ike brightens at the opportunity.  “Or we could start over and you could fuck my face again!”

Soren fondly sighs.  “Again?  How many times do you need to suck my dick before you’re happy?”

“All the times,” Ike says cheerfully.  “I still want to tie you up and go down on you all day.”

“Pervert,” he says with fondness, adjusting so his back is to Ike’s chest.  “We can pick up where we left off, eventually.”  He relaxes and they focus on kissing once again.  He could kiss Soren for hours if given the opportunity -

Then suddenly he jumps off Ike and pulls the covers up over their hips, even as Ike is left confused and lonely.

“That’s not how I go through doors, Auntie Titania,” he hears Misania protest.  Oh, oh geez, he did not hear the door open!

“You don’t get to slam open doors when you’re grounded,” Titania says firmly.  Then there is a knock at their bedroom.  “The twins’ reports are all done.  Priam is only half done, but now he’s made it into a battle of wills that he has no chance of winning.  Luci and Mia would like to apologize.”

Soren takes a glance over the two of them - they look completely innocuous - so he says, “They can come in.”

Titania opens the door, and his littles shuffle in, looking down at the carpet.  “Sorry Papa, sorry Daddy,” they say in unison.  

“You are forgiven,” Soren assures them.  “I am also sorry that I yelled.  I was not feeling well.”  

Misania moves to glomp him, but Titania is too fast and nabs her by the back of her dress.  “If he’s not feeling well, then we should stay away.”  Her look is knowing.  Ike is mortified.  “I can tell you feel bad though, so why don’t we go train?”  Misania gasps and looks up at her with awe.  “And Luci, you can join if you want.”  He blushes and nods.  He’s not going to do a single second of training.  “I’ll make Priam finish his writing outside watching, I’m sure that will motivate him.  Feel better, you two.”  She guides them out, Misania excitedly chirping about showing Auntie Titania all her cool new sword moves.

Once the doors are all shut quietly, Ike sighs.  “Thanks for having great hearing, because I didn’t hear them coming in and that could’ve been a disaster.  How none of them have ever walked in on us naked is a straight-up miracle.”

“Not a miracle, just being cautious,” he replies, moving back into his arms like they were before.  “Now then, where were we?” 

Taking this as the invitation it is, Ike’s hands go all over him - pulling up his shirt to tweak his nipples while gently before traveling all over the skin of his chest and stomach.  Then Soren makes an ‘oh, right!’ noise and leaves his arms again, and Ike is going to get offended soon. Or, at least that is Ike’s initial reaction before Soren comes back out carrying a string of beads.  Then he’s just confused.  “What is that?” 

“These are called anal beads,” Soren explains as he comes back to bed.  “They’re designed for extra stimulation.  I figure this is a good time to try them out.”

Ike is about to ask where he got them from, but flushes as he remembers the store.  Ugh.  Finding out there’s a dildo in his “honor” is nothing he’d ever wanted to happen.  “Sure, how do they work?”

Soren lets out a tiny snort of ‘did you seriously ask that question?’ “They go up the ass.  In this case, mine.”  

He fondly sighs and resumes making out with the back of his neck.  That usually decreases the sass, and shortly after he starts Soren melts into him, finally relaxing.  

With more kisses and pets, he slowly disrobes his husband, who sensually grinds back against him in a way that makes Ike want to skip foreplay altogether.  Technically speaking they did foreplay an hour or so ago, right?  And Ike had gotten Soren off, but not himself.  

No Ike, no.  Bad.  You are a thoughtful and considerate lover, darn it.  

Face-fucking was the prompt, he considers as they kiss, but they already did that.  The other two were reverse cowgirl and mirrors.  He opens an eye to check - the mirror is perfectly positioned and he can see them curled up together, kissing and completely enamored with each other.   Perfect.  Once he gets Soren’s pants off, he checks and feels he’s not as lubed as he would like just as Soren reaches over to their nightstand to grab their vulnerary.  Then suddenly he’s on his back on the bed with Soren straddling his hips, facing him to keep kissing.  Ike can still get caught off guard by how fast Soren moves sometimes.

Soren completely takes over, kissing and grinding on top of him as Ike pets his back soothingly.  He feels Soren shift around and hears the sound of slickening, his own cock hardening more in anticipation.  There is none of the earlier hesitation, thankfully, Soren feeling relaxed and sensual in his arms.  Any time Soren tries to stop the kiss, Ike restarts it insistently, at least until Soren finally mounts him.

“Pull the string when we’re about to come,” Soren breathes as his ass comes to rest on Ike’s hips.

It is strange , feeling those little balls pressed up against the top of his dick, to the degree of being a little painful; Soren is so, so tight and perfect, made for him, so the addition of something else inside is too much.  But Soren, oh Soren is losing his mind on top of him and that completely erases any discomfort.  His hips are barely moving, he’s clearly found a good angle, and he looks like he’s about to cry in the best way possible.  And the little whimpers he’s making?  If Ike’s dick wasn’t getting squeezed tight with hard balls pressing into it, he’d have the opposite problem he’s having now because he’d already be done.  

Soren clings to his shirt with a death grip as he keeps rolling his hips, his thighs shaking a little that lets Ike know he’s close.  Remembering the instruction, he takes the string attached to the beads and pulls.

There is no sight in this world, or any other, more beautiful than Soren reaching climax.  As Ike grits his teeth against the strange, painful sensation, Soren lets out a scandalous mewl of pleasure, his eyes squeezed shut and mouthing the word Ike over and over again, his body shaking and a mess forming on Ike’s stomach.  He’s not sure what’s sexier to him - his “I feel so good I might cry” face, the way he’s clinging to Ike like he might die if they’re separated, or the instinctive twitch of his hips as he gets off.  Oddly enough, Ike is thankful for the beads because they let him watch Soren, which he finds way better than his own orgasm by far. 

At long last, Soren relaxes and Ike hugs him close, petting his back and hair.  “Good?” he asks at length.

“Mmmm.”  He nuzzles the top of his head under his chin.  Oh Soren and his post-sex sleepies, Ike muses fondly, but then Soren says, “You didn’t come.”

“I’m fine,” he says, “Watching you was more than enough for me.”

He sits up, bracing his hands on his chest.  He looks very satisfied, but he still says, “I take it the beads didn’t feel as good for you as for me.”

“It’s fine,” Ike says again, petting his cheek.  “You gave my alone time fantasies plenty of ammunition."  Even as he says it, Ike knows that Soren is going to throw the martyr comment back in his face.

He wryly smiles.  “What happened to not wanting a martyr in bed?”

Yep, called it.  “It’s different when it’s me,” he argues.  Soren just raises an eyebrow at him.  “Somehow.”

“It’s not, but we’re both more into giving than receiving,” Soren muses, leaning to start kissing at Ike’s neck before he sits back up and somehow spins around on Ike’s dick, which looks difficult but Soren is nothing if not flexible.  Then Soren rocks his world by slowly leaning forward which has the absolutely delightful effect of showing off his hole stretched around Ike’s dick.  Soren adjusts so he’s kneeling as he continues to slowly move his hips,  showing off now, up and down up and down.  His hole is so small and tight, the rim red from the stretch over Ike’s cock.  Ike massages his ass cheeks and rubs the rim with a thumb, soothing.  He’s at a loss for words, though.  This is just so fucking sexy though, and Ike grits his teeth and forces his eyes to stay open as he finally, finally, finally comes.

Soren rides him until he’s empty before dismounting and going to clean up.  Ike lays in bed and basks in the post-sex happy feelings and lets Soren clean him for once.  And then, once Soren is done, he grabs him by the arm and pulls him in for cuddles and a nap.  Soren really has the best idea by falling asleep after sex!

Ike: 👍🏻👍🏻

Soren: 👍🏻👍🏻

Chapter Text

“Tell me what exactly I am looking at,” Soren says as he looks at six fluffy bird creatures strutting around the courtyard.  “And why.”

Mia has her hands on her hips and a smile of pride on her face.  “They’re silkie chickens!  I got them for acting as a duelist for a farmer and her annoying neighbor.  Aren’t they cute?  I know they’re new, but I would die for them.”

They are oddly adorable, looking far more furry than feathery.  However, “I literally grounded my spawnlings yesterday for the same thing. As Team Dad, I should ground you, too.”  It will never not amuse him that he of all people somehow got voted to be Team Dad.  Titania being his co-dad at least makes more sense.

She pouts.  “Aw c’mon, I can take care of them!  Pllleeeaaaaase?”

He hasn’t quite made up his mind.  He considers the clucking hens and asks, “Do they have names?”

“No,” she admits, “I can’t decide on a theme I like.”

To his surprise, he knows what to do.  He points to each one.  “The black one is Eloise, blue is Gertrude, grey is Marguerite, Pearl is obviously the white one, Beatrice is the golden brown one, and the stupid one is Aimee.”  He points to the final chicken, a speckled hen that is attempting to eat a rock larger than her head.

Mia is silent before she suddenly grins.  “No wonder everyone calls you a genius.  Now I can pretend they’re high-society old ladies!  And Aimee.”

They pause as they hear a swearing Shinon stumbling into the courtyard.  He is very obviously hungover and not happy about it.  “What is that godawful noise?!”

“Chickens!” Mia exclaims.

“Some of us need to sleep, you crazy bitch!”  Shinon kicks at a chicken, but misses.  One wouldn’t know he’d missed by the way the flock rises as one, fluttering into the air and attacking him.  He lets out quite the impressive shriek before running out pursued by chickens.

“He so deserved that,” Mia huffs with her arms crossed.

Soren feels the corners of his lips turn up with satisfaction.  “They can stay.”

Meanwhile, Ike is dealing with the other Mia - namely, the one who is somehow more flighty and yet more mature than the adult.  Specifically he is putting her hair up in twintails.  “Are you sure you don’t want to try a new style?” he asks as he wraps the base in ribbons, “They would be pretty cute braided with a ribbon in.  Or maybe as enormous buns on top of your head.”  Mmm, buns.  He’s hungry.

“Hmmmm…”  Despite the fact that she looks like she is considering it, Ike knows she’s just humoring him.  “No thanks.  It’s hard to do adventures with a different hairstyle.”

“What if we cut it?  Your hair is almost as long as Papa’s.”

“Noooooo, I definitely can’t do any adventures with short hair, silly.”  She says it so confidently that Ike can’t even argue with her despite the extreme lack of logic.  “And today is a great day for an adventure!”

He glances out the window.  It’s a bright, sunny and beautiful day.  “It sure is.  What are you planning on doing?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking really hard about doing an adventure to help the little Papa, the one who’s afraid of stuff.  Luci is afraid of everything too, right?  So I gotta help Luci to be brave to learn how to make kids braver so then I can help the little Papa be brave too.”

Ike inwardly flinches.  How to say “actually, your brother is an adorable baby coward while your papa is traumatized, so no that’s not going to work even if you did manage to somehow directly deal with the little Soren”?  Better to redirect her a bit.  “Is helping your brother become braver on the Adventure List?”

“Yes, although he refused to write it himself.  He said he was brave enough already and then ran to hide under his bed because there was a ghost.  I don’t think there was actually a ghost, but I offered to befriend the ghost, which is harder than it sounds, but he said no and made me hide with him and Isolde under the bed.”

Ike does not say that there was in fact a ghost.  That is a secret he will take to his grave, pun intended.  “Can I see the updated list?”

“Sure!”  To his surprise, she fetches a piece of paper out of a pocket and hands it to him.

******************* Find a mysterious hermit to become my master and teach me forbidden sword techniques***************** 

Get a pet (specifics to be determined) Papa said no: porcupines, dogs, cats, ducks

Explore an evil cave/castle/forest 

Befriend a ghost 

Learn to make cake

Inherit Alondite

Marry Uncle Fiancée Stefan

Help Papa conquer the world

Defeat Archrival Priam in a duel

Slay a great and terrible beast 

Get Evil Grandpapa’s ancestral blade a suitable evil spirit

Help Luci be brave (rude)

Help Little Papa be brave

Go visit Dragon Land and Great Grandpapa Sneeze Name so we can keep being Best Friends (hey!) (Sorry Luci of course you’re my bestest friend)

Help Uncle Bastian be less dumb

Hear Papa purr

Ike is chagrined.  This is your fault, you know.  You’re the one insistent on befriending everyone.  Your mother said she is just like you.  Yeah yeah, he knows, thanks for pointing that out, Soren.  His mom may have been lying though!  Maybe this is because she’s related to Mist.  He has no problem throwing his sister under the carriage. This is Mist’s fault.  Oh right, she wanted to do a spa day.  “We talked about the evil spirit thing, remember?”

“Of course, but that’s why it’s an adventure!  I bet I can do it.”

She did, alas.  “And... the uh... Papa purring thing... I would take that off.  He... well, the little Papa you talk about is Papa as a kid.  He was taught purring is very bad.  He doesn't purr anymore.  It's not an adventure because you'd be making him do something he doesn't want to."

She gets tears in her eyes.  "That's so sad!  Papa should be able to purr just like Luci and Uncle Kitty do!" 

“I agree, and he knows it, but… he doesn’t.”  Ike hates it, personally.  Soren had explained to him that Lucien purring and walking on his toes are two things that were beaten out of him at a young age.  He was anxious at their son doing both for a depressingly long time.  “So please take it off.”  She wibbles, but scurries off to scratch it out.  Thankfully Ike remembers a way to salvage the situation.  “Anyway, I just remembered Auntie Mist wanted to do a girls’ spa day today.”  She was going to wait until Kieran and Skrimir left, but got impatient.  “Sounds fun, right?”

She tries to look happy.  “Yeah!  I don’t know what that means though!”

He resists a snicker.  In truth, he’s been looking forward to this.  He’s mindful of the prompt for the body worship/pampering/grooming.  Ike isn’t entirely sure how this stuff works, but he knows Mist does!  “Let’s go find out together.”

“There’s mud on my faaace,” Misania sings as he and she recline together, Mist giggling as she applies some sort of clay mask on his face.  She’d already gotten Mia and Misania done and Titania was next on her list.  Misania’s hair is down now, undoing the work he’d done earlier, which is still a weird sight to him.  “Muuuud on my faaaaace…”

“It’s not mud!” Mist says with a laugh, “It’s clay!  It makes your skin super soft.”

“There’s claaaaay on my faaaaace…”

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Titania asks with a little anxiety that Ike finds kind of funny. 

“No!  This is all about relaxing.”  Mist’s smile turns watery and then she bursts into tears.  

Ike registers this and gets up to comfort her, but he’s beaten by Titania, who hugs her.  “What’s wrong?” she asks quietly, petting her hair. 

“Why is Boyd such a dumbass?  Why does Kiera like him more?  Why is she so – so – I love her but she’s such a brat!  This next one will be too!  All of my kids will be brats!”  Mist breaks down into sobs.  Ike, Mia and Misania exchange awkward glances.   

“Um, well, she’s just not a good friend yet,” Misania counsels, “I’m working on it though and I bet she can have a better day tomorrow!” 

Mist chortles a little.  Ike adds, “I can beat up Boyd for you.”  It’s about the best he can do. It’s a miracle that Misania isn’t a spoiled brat too.   

“No, that won’t help, he’s already worried Soren is going to pop out of the shadows and castrate him,” she says through little crying giggles.   

“How about I spend the whole week with him and Kiera, making sure he keeps a backbone?” Titania offers.  “More if needed.” 

She slowly calms.  “That’s a great idea.  Oscar tried but Boyd isn’t afraid of him.” 

“And maybe I can take her around too, teach her some sword stuff,” Mia offers, “It needs discipline and you can’t tantrum yourself into being good with a sword.”  Misania looks at her with hurt.  “Of course you can join me too!”  She beams.   

“So we can work on it.  It takes a village to raise a child – or, in our case, a mercenary team,” Titania says soothingly, still petting a calming Mist’s head.  “She’s a smart girl and you’re a great mother, so we just need to whip Boyd into shape.” 

“He mocked me for years for spoiling my kids, so it just figures that he’d be the biggest cream puff ever,” Ike adds.  “But if I can learn, so can he.” 

“You don’t spoil me,” Misania points out.  Ike just looks at her.  “Okay, maybe you do.  But I’m cute.” 

“You are very cute,” he agrees with a snicker.   

Mist finally separates from Titania, taking deep breaths.  She forces a smile onto her face.  “Anyway!  Sorry about that.  This is a relaxing happy time.  I’m enjoying pampering you all.  So no, Titania, you’re not getting out of it.”  Titania chuckles (although Ike can tell she was hoping to get out of it) as she lays back down.   

“Auntie Mist,” Misania asks, “Are you feeling better?  Because if you’re sad that would make me sad too so I would need to cry because when we’re sad we cry and that’s okay.” 

Mist grins at her niece.  “I’m feeling a lot better, thank you!  No need to cry.  It would mess up your mask anyway.  Speaking of, we can wash yours and Aunt Mia’s off!” 

“Yay!”   

Mist continues on the spa day, and Ike is treated to a facial, mani (not a pedi as Mist refuses to touch his feet, which he feels is fair) complete with painting his nails pink, and eyebrow plucking (that Ike was pretty sure Mist was doing because it causes pain, not because his eyebrows were particularly untamed).  It is all stuff he can do with Soren, although not the eyebrows because Soren’s are impeccable. Then Mist proves herself just a little bit of an asshole by letting Misania put makeup on him.  She tries, but he ends up looking like a scary clown and she allows him to wash it all off before he leaves.

Once the spa day is over, he feels relaxed and happy for the rest of his day.  So, time to check on all his people.  To his shock, he goes into the courtyard and finds Priam playing with a bunch of strange furry bird things, with Oscar overseeing.  That is a thing, apparently.  He’s not going to ask.  Although Priam covered in fluff is adorable.

So he keeps going and finds Soren in his office.  And, ugh, Gary?  What is he doing back?  Ike stays back, not sure if he needs to intervene but getting an angle he can still watch from.

“The Most Holy Empress has in addition sent a magical message designed for long-distance contact,” Gary says as he holds something out in his hand, “the pinnacle of magic as found by our glorious Apostle.  She wishes to address General Ike directly.”

“No,” says Soren, waving his own hand.  There is a short flash of light and Ike can now see a tiny ethereal Sanaki over Gary’s palm, appearing from a small amethyst.  “What do you want now?”

Sanaki has finally grown up a little, as she doesn’t immediately start to insist Soren address her with more deference. She knows better.  “Greetings, Soren of the Greil Mercenaries,” the vision says with the same “bratty but trying to sound dignified” tone she always has.  “I am informing you that your RSVP no to my wedding is being denied.  You all need to come.”

Ike is filled with dismay.  

Soren replies levelly, “We discussed your invitation as a team, and responses included 'fuck no,' and 'what the hell' and 'absolutely not.' I'm pretty sure there is not enough money in your coffers to justify us coming to your wedding."

"This is not an option!" Sanaki demands. "Your absence will cause consternation in my people. They expect the famous General to come. He at least needs to show up."

"One condition," says Soren, and Ike's heart sinks. What does he mean, one condition? 

"Done."

"I will give a toast to the lovely couple," he continues as if Sanaki hadn’t interrupted.  "I will be sure to espouse the couple’s virtues, such as being petite and having magical abilities charitably described as slightly above average."

The vision of Sanaki is quiet for approximately thirty seconds. "Gary, slap him."

Gary raises his hand to do so, and Ike makes himself known by grabbing that hand and twisting his arm behind his back. He doesn't go any further because the guy is under orders and he didn't actually touch Soren. "Hi Pipsqueak," he says cheerfully as he easily subdues the delegate, "I agree with Soren.  I will come to the wedding if I can make a speech too, after his.  My topic can be about how the lovely couple set the forest on fire at my wedding after losing a fireball-throwing contest. And then for good measure Soren and I can go find a forest to torch, to make it fair. Surely you have more than just the Serenes."

Sanaki is silent, her fists clenched. "I hate both of you,” she says at length.  “You are bad people."

"I am a bad person, one who is taller and much more magically powerful than you and your future spouse," Soren agrees. 

"You are not! I saw you in Goldoa - you and I are the same height and have the same magical prowess!"

"My magic has doubled and I've grown another inch since then," he retorts.  Her eyebrows shoot up  in shock.  "Bye, Sanaki.  We might send a gift."  With a wave of his hand, her picture fades. 

Gary covers his face in dismay.  Meanwhile, Ike stares at Soren and thinks he's the sexiest thing to ever grace Tellius.  "Get out, Gary."

"Where to?  I'm going to get fired for sure," Gary laments.

"Don't really care, Gary."  To make that clear, he grabs Gary by the arm and throws him out of Soren's office, shutting and locking the door behind him.  Then, to make his intentions known, he sweeps all of Soren's supplies off his desk before sitting him on it.  He looks him over to assess consent, and also to see if that last quip was accurate.  "Have you really gotten taller?"

"Yes," he admits, amused.  "I was expecting to grow even more, given I sort of 'unlocked' my aging, but it seems I am destined to be 5’8”.  I'm sure it makes you very upset."

"I can't even joke about that, I love your height even if I appreciate that you wear heels so your brand is at my lips," Ike admits, starting to kiss him all over, ignoring that he’s still clothed.  Besides, he knows that by most standards Soren is a normal height and he's just surrounded by very tall people - Soren is the shortest adult but Mia and Rhys are not much taller, Rolf and Mist are an inch or two taller, and everyone else is over 6 feet tall.  "All of you, really.  Especially your brain - we can get out of everything from now on by insisting we have to make a speech if we show up.  That's genius, you're a genius!  Marry me, right now."

Soren laughs breathlessly as he tilts his head back so Ike can kiss his neck.  "We don't have time for anything right now, either a wedding or couple time.  Besides, what is the challenge?"

Ike pouts, but sighs his agreement.  "Fiiiiine.  It's pampering and body worship."

Soren raises an eyebrow at him.  "How much of that did you make up?"

"Guilty as charged."  He kisses his forehead.  "By the way, there's these weird fluffy things that Priam is playing with in the courtyard?”

"Ah yes, the ladies.  Mia got them, and we can keep them."

Ike is genuinely surprised at that.  "You?  Agreed to keep animals?"

"It's a long story, but I hope they prove themselves in your presence.  You'll enjoy it.  Just be nice to them."  Soren jumps off his desk, looking at the items all over his floor.  "You can clean that all up."  Ike gives him a pout, but Soren is unswayed.

There is the sound of crying, making Ike and Soren look up.  Lucien runs into the office, clearly on the verge of breaking down as he pushes his stuffed bunny and her detached ear into Ike’s hands.  “S-s-s-save her please!” 

“Awww,” Ike says, taking bunny and ear, “Don’t worry, it’s an easy fix.” 

Lucien nods and then pulls off his safety blanket and tosses it to the floor, stomping on it. 

“What are you doing?” Soren has to ask even as Ike goes to get thread.  “You’re going to ruin your blanket.”

“It didn’t keep her safe!” he declares with incredible sorrow and the rage of betrayal.

Oh, safety blanket.  Ike melts on the inside.  Soren explains, “Poppet, it doesn’t keep anything safe, it makes you feel safe.”  Dear Goddess he is absolutely precious and adorable and Ike could just smother him in love.  “Besides, Isolde will be fine soon enough.”

Ike hums his agreement as he sits down at the desk with some thread and starts to sew her ear back on.  Lucien starts to cry harder at seeing her getting poked with a needle, despondent, and Soren picks him up to cuddle him.  He and Ike share a look of bemusement and this kid is too cute over his head even as Soren picks up the discarded blanket, tossing it to the hallway to add to the laundry.  Ike quickly fixes her and tugs the ear gently to check the strength of the stitch before he hands her to Soren, who gently coaxes her into Lucien’s hands.  “See?  Good as new.”

Lucien hugs her tightly, stammering out his thanks as he takes deep gulping breaths.  He calms remarkably quickly now that he is reunited with Isolde.  He lets out a deep sigh of relief.  “Much better.  Thank you!” He gives Soren a kiss on the cheek, then Ike one, and then scurries off, most likely to his bedroom to grab another blanket before going out to whatever he was doing before.  

“He is too damn cute,” Ike laments, “They’re all too damn cute!”

“He was mad at the blanket for not keeping his stuffed bunny safe,” Soren agrees, “At this rate he’s going to be a teenager still sleeping with Isolde and I am okay with that.”

“Oh Goddess don’t even go there, we still have a ton of time until any of them are teenagers!  I can’t even picture it and I don’t want to!”

“Priam basically is one, on the inside… or, he’s basically still a toddler, depending on his mood,” Soren counters, looking around his office.  “You may have saved Isolde, but you’re still cleaning this all up.”  Ike sighs and gets to work, knowing he deserves it.

The ladies are a big hit with everyone, and the entire company is out in the courtyard that afternoon.  Ike is finally looking at the book Nasir brought, but the rest are gathered around the chirping chickens.  Most of the team is alternatively petting or feeding the chickens while giving Soren odd looks because he's sitting with them.  Kieran, Oscar and Gatrie are off making a coop for them with Misania “helping” by holding Gertrude.  Lucien is on Soren’s lap, holding a plush chicken and sucking his thumb in nervousness as he gets used to them.  Priam conversely is laying on the ground and covered in chickens.  He is visibly living his best life.

“So why is this one named Aimee?” Rhys asks, referring to the white one.

“That’s Pearl.  The speckled one is Aimee.”  Aimee the Hen is still trying to eat the same rock.

“Oh.”  Rhys giggles.

"I do not understand," Skrimir says.  The ladies stay away from him.  "Why are we befriending the food?"

"We're not eating them!" Mia tells him firmly.  "They're my best friends!"

"Don’t laguz have pets?" Rolf asks Skrimir. 

The lion shakes his head no.  "That is a beorc thing.  The only animals we live with are cats, and they are more like roommates than something we take care of." 

"You would think cats would be wary of living with laguz," Rolf marvels. 

Skrimir snorts in amusement.  "You've never talked to a cat.  The laguz and the non-laguz cats are VERY alike.”

Rolf snickers.  “Sassy, I bet.”

“Exactly.  A ten-pound creature should not be so bold, but, cats are cats."

"As a dragon, I should be able to understand lizards," Priam complains as he sits up.   He pulls Beatrice onto his lap, the chicken remarkably calm about this.  

"You're still not a dragon," Soren says wryly.  Priam sticks his tongue out at him.  Soren had long ago stopped caring when he did that - it wasn’t worth any argument or punishment.  Besides, it just makes Priam seem younger and more cute.  "And I for one am glad I can't understand any animals.  I already talk to too many people, I don't need more conversations."

"You love us," Mia scoffs at him.  He doesn't deign to answer.  "Come here, Marguerite!"  She makes cooing noises and the chicken walks up to her.  They're remarkably friendly.

"Gentle hands!" Mist says to her daughter, who keeps trying to pull feathers.  Eloise pecks Kiera and Boyd smacks the bird, and then the flock attacks Boyd's face.  The man gets up and runs out screaming with the avenging birds of death chasing him out.  Even the one absent with Misania flies out.  Kiera is baffled.

Silence falls in the courtyard. Priam pouts at his lack of lap bird.  “That explains why you like them," Ike comments from the bench.  Soren just smirks. 

Mia is beaming.  “They can’t even really fly and they’re never mean otherwise, but they attack with a vengeance!”

"The only reason I am here is because I don't want them attacking me again," Shinon agrees. 

"I'm here to make Boyd be a good dad, but the chickens might do a better job of that," Titania admits. 

"Oh, we're going to make Boyd finally be a parent?  I'm so ready for this!" Rolf is very excited. 

"I'm in," Shinon says with a little too much sadism. 

“Me too!” Priam cheers.

The team devolves into discussing their plans to make Boyd suffer - er, make Boyd become a good parent.  Now that his chicken revenge squad is out and about, Soren goes to look at the book Ike is reading before going to his own room, amused.  What a lovely day.

That night, kids asleep, Ike squints as he looks at the Smut Book for any other ideas.  “You don’t really have a lot of body hair.”

“Nope.  Apparently it’s a dragon thing.”  He knows Soren is not complaining.  The only person who really knows is Ike, and Soren is not so insecure in his masculinity that he feels he’s been cursed by the powers that be to have  little body hair.  Besides, he more than makes up for it with the hair on his head, which now goes down past his knees. 

“So my idea of grooming you is going to be to pamper you, just so you know.”  He brushes Soren’s bangs behind his ear. 

“That’s pretty much what it is,” Soren points out.  “Make me look pretty.”

“You could be covered in mud and still be pretty.  Now, relax.”  Ike brandishes his big brush and smiles at Soren, who then sits in his writing chair to give best access.  Ike sits behind him, pulling out the ties to start brushing.  He pauses as he gets the brush going through the strands like water.  “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked why you keep your hair so long.”

Soren hums thoughtfully, so relaxed and lulled right now.  He lets very few touch his hair, but Ike knows he feels so very nice to have something gently scrape his scalp.  “Really?  Usually people first ask me ‘what is that thing on your forehead,’ ‘why are you such a massive asshole,’ and ‘why is your hair so long.’  I just tell them it’s none of your business, because I am, and because I like it.”

“Fair on the answer, but you’re not an asshole.  And your hair does suit you.”

Soren smiles a little.  “And that’s what it is about now.  But… well, when I was taken in by the monastery, they shaved me because of the knots and infestation on my head.  It was traumatizing, as you can imagine.  I can look back and see it makes sense to do it that way, but I didn’t understand what was happening.”  He shudders. Ike scowls, but knows he can’t relate or fight his memories, so he stays quiet.  “I vowed to myself I would never let it get to that condition again, and I would never cut it again either.  I do occasionally trim the split ends but otherwise I’ve kept to it.”  He shrugs.  “Now I just like it.  Makes the muscles in my neck strong at least.”

“I love your hair,” Ike says, although that’s no secret, “and I’m glad you keep it long for you, not because of anything bad anymore.”  He holds it up.  “Although I always do wonder what you would look like if it were short.”

“Like Kurthnaga, I imagine.”

“You two don’t look that much alike,” Ike retorts, “He’s cute, and you’re gorgeous.”

“Flatterer.”  

They go back to silence as Ike continues to brush.  There is a lot of hair, after all.  It’s in immaculate condition, the individual strands fair but as a whole thick and soft, evidence he takes care of it well… except Ike can tell that the white streak is still there.  Well, he somehow dyed it black, but that means it’s darker than the rest of his hair.  So it still sticks out if you’re looking for it.  Ike quells the twists in his guts to keep brushing.

 He debates on how he wants to handle this - the hair completely down is a lovely sight, but so is the hair completely up.  In the end, he decides to tie up and pin his hair on top of his head in a loose beautiful bun, leaning in to kiss the back of his neck with gentle lips, giving a gentle massage of his shoulders over his clothes while he thinks of what to do next.  He picks up Soren's hands, already soft and perfectly manicured.  "You did half my job for me."

"If I don't keep my hands soft, I get papercuts all day," he explains.

He sighs and picks him up, carrying him into bed and laying him down on his back.  "Fine, fine, overachiever.  I'll give you a full-body massage, how is that?"

"That's fine.  If I fall asleep, keep going."  He all but melts into the blankets.

"If I sex you when you’re asleep that’s called somnophilia, says the Smut Book," Ike feels smart as he says this as he starts to strip him, getting out a vulnerary to start his work.  Vulneraries, the gift that keeps on giving.  He starts with his jawline, considering how amazing that felt on him when Soren did it, and he's extremely mindful of every twitch or expression of irritation or pain.  It looks pleasure-painful, so he keeps going, with his temples, then down to his shoulders, pecs, arms, hands, hips, thighs, calves, and then to his feet.  He doesn't get hard, and looks like he's asleep, but he's purring quite loudly. 

Ike wonders if he should bring up Misania’s new goal at all, but if he is, now would be a good time.  He’ll risk it.  Soren needs to know he’s accepted by everyone.  “Our daughter wants you to be comfortable purring everywhere.”

As expected, Soren immediately shuts down the purring at all as his eyes widen.  “What?”

Ike kisses Soren’s toes as he keeps massaging his foot.  “You deserve to be yourself wherever you go.  Hearing you purr is on the adventure list.”

“You can’t really be telling me that while you’re fondling my toes,” Soren accuses him.  

He chuckles, kissing the sole of his foot and smiling a little more at how it curls.  “You were being really loud, it felt like a good time.”

“Sorry,” he says immediately, looking ashamed.  

“Don’t be.  I want you to purr whenever you feel like it.  It’ll be hard for me to stop associating you purring with sex, but that’s fine by me.”  Soren deeply flushes.  “And heck, if you want to start walking on your toes you can do that too, I don’t care.”

Soren is visibly extremely uncomfortable, so Ike leans into his arms to kiss him deeply, sweetly, romantically, focusing on channeling his love into the kiss.  “Also,” he says after a few more pecks, “the book Nasir brought is… interesting.  You say a lot of bad words when you’re coming.”

“Really?  I’ll have to take a look at it too, sometime.”  Then he makes Ike shut up by dragging him into kissing more. 

Ike humors him for a few more minutes before rolling him onto his stomach and starting to massage his back.  “I now know how to give you a facial, mani, sort of a pedi, and pluck your eyebrows.  Mist let Misania give me makeup and it was not a flattering look, I wouldn’t recommend her as a stylist.”  Soren chortles.  “Any of that appeal?”

He hums before looking at Ike over his shoulder tiredly.  “Honestly?  I just want cuddles.”

“Twist my arm, why don’t you.”  As if he would ever in a million years reject cuddles!  “Besides, I doubt my makeup skills are any better than hers, honestly.” He starts the massage up again on his shoulders and the back of his neck, working his way down his spine with kisses as he goes.  Of course he gives that ass a massage, having to tell his own body to keep it down, before he gets cozy in bed with his husband, laying on top of him and putting his weight on his arms.  “How is this?”

“You can put your weight on me,” he murmurs, lulled, and Ike smiles and adjusts them into prime cuddling positions - namely, on their sides with Ike spooning him but also wrapped around him enough to act as a blanket.  Sometimes he is  Soren’s safety blanket and Soren is his plush.  It works just fine for them.  He nuzzles in close, closes his eyes, and falls asleep too.

Chapter Text

Ike is in a great mood the next morning as he follows Soren to his office, staring at his ass as he walks in front of him.  “So today’s prompts are prone and choking.  Technically scat too, but I know we both veto that.  Prone and choking though, that’s right up your alley, right?”

“Are you really willing to choke me?” Soren asks back as he scans a document in his hand.

“Sort of,” he says, “the book pointed out that my arm around your neck is technically me choking you, only as long as I don’t tighten it too much it gives you the freedom to press your throat as much or little as you want.”

Soren pauses in his walk and Ike has to quickly halt himself lest he run into him.  “Oh.”  

He moves in front of him just to make sure - and yep, he looks interested, like he hadn’t thought of that before, as opposed to nervous or disgusted.  “Think about it?”

“I will,” he agrees, and then they both look at the intake door when they hear an impatient knock.  It is, of course, not an intake day.  Ike feels himself bristling.  In contrast Soren deeply sighs, resigned.  “Bets on who’s pestering us now?”

He thinks.  “Another snob from Begnion trying to get us to come down there.”

“A solid guess.  Judging from my life recently, I’m guessing it’s Bastian again, Aimee, or Lethe.”  As in, the three people not currently at the fort who annoy him the most.  They walk together to the door and Soren opens it, revealing it is in fact Lethe.  

Ike still holds a grudge against her for holding Soren at crossbow point all those years ago, although he can logically get that she thought he’d somehow kidnapped or hurt Ranulf.  Still he finds himself moving in front of Soren on instinct.  “Hi, welcome to the fort, what do you need?”

Her arms are crossed and she’s scowling - but that means nothing because she’s always scowling.  “I’m here for Skrimir.”

“Thank fuck,” Soren says with undisguised relief from behind him.  “He needs to go home already.”

“Agreed,” the cat says as she marches past them, on a mission.  Curious, Ike follows as she makes a beeline for Skrimir, somehow - obviously she can smell him out, because she finds him even though he’s hiding inside one of the kitchen cupboards.   Ike is genuinely impressed.  “King Skrimir!  The negotiations should be over!”

“They aren’t!” he protests from his hiding spot.  

She marches over to the cupboard and opens it.  He is squished in there pretty good, but he manages to reach out and pull the door shut again.  “King Skrimir,” she says more firmly, “You have a country to run.”

“I am, from here,” he argues.  

She opens the door again.  He closes it again.  This happens four more times, each time her face getting redder.  Ike is still confused as to how he even got in there in the first place.

“Fine, we’ll do this the hard way,” she growls, whipping out a stone.  It glows in the palm of her hand as she says into it, “He’s gone rogue.”  So much for the magic being so fancy-shmancy and Begnion only.

It is less than ten minutes later that Lyre, Ranulf, Kyza and Mordecai arrive too, and Ike can’t stop watching this fascinating situation a little guiltily.  They can’t get the leverage to drag him out, so instead they somehow bust out screwdrivers and mallets and start taking apart the cabinet.  Oscar is going to be pissed.  Eventually it’s weakened enough that Skrimir’s sheer weight makes it fall apart and he comes tumbling out.  

Ike expects Skrimir’ll make a run for it, but Mordecai has already blocked the exit.  So, Skrimir lays on the ground like a limp fish.  The other five felines each grab a limb, with Lyre grabbing his tail of all things, and working together they get him about two feet before he shifts and they all collapse in a giant pile.  He stays shifted, a massive lion just taking up most of the space in a relatively small room.  

The group reconvenes to discuss this.  “We might need to send a message to King Caineghis,” Mordecai suggests.

Ranulf is visibly exasperated.  “He’s not scared of Caineghis.  We’ll have to summon Giffca.”  Skrimir protests this - Ike may not be able to understand his words, but his tone is pretty obvious.

“In the meantime, maybe we can lure him out with buffalo and catnip?” Lyre suggests, not looking optimistic.  “Except I’m not hunting any buffalo. They scare me.”

“Then why did you suggest it?” Lethe demands of her.  She sticks her tongue out at her.

“We could dismember him,” Kyza suggests dully.  

“You always say that, but it’s always illegal,” Ranulf retorts. “And so is blowing him up, setting him on fire, setting the building on fire, or any other war crimes.”

“You have to admit you’re tempted, though,” Kyza replies breezily, looking at their nails disinterestedly.

“Of course I am!  But for some reason he is our king and that would be considered treason.”

Skrimir rolls onto his back, legs spread and completely relaxed.   He is very smug and obviously not offended at the threats to his health and safety.

“Does he still have a crush on the Parentless boy?  Maybe we can offer him a kiss,” Lethe volunteers.

“No,” says Ike, getting all their attention.  “Keep thinking.”

“Are you going to stand there gawking, or will you actually do something useful?” Ranulf accuses.

“Gawking.  Is this the real reason why your king stays home in war?  Because when they leave they won’t go home?”

“You’re somewhat smarter than you look, not that that says much,” Lethe retorts rather cattily.  He’s not offended, for obvious reasons.  “This is a common problem.  There’s no good solution.  We could move him by each shifting and biting on, but that would cause a fight.”

“And be very awkward and taste bad,” Mordecai agrees.  “So, we wait?”  None of his teammates look happy at the suggestion.

Ike is torn.  Overall he doesn’t like the idea of waiting.  He feels he can’t really drop his guard with all these guests around.  But seeing Giffca have to browbeat Skrimir into complying like he’s a dumb cub might be worth it.  “You’re all welcome to stay, I guess.  Not sure where you’ll sleep, but we’ll figure it out.  And I’ll get Priam to annoy Skrimir in the meantime.”

“As if summoned by magic, Priam the Hero has arrived!” said boy declares dramatically from behind him, and Ike turns in time to see him strike a pose with his hands on his hips.  “I’m bored.”

“Shocker,” says Ike.  “Uncle Skrimir needs to go home, can you help?”

Priam scoffs.  “Of course! Although I don’t want him to go home,  he’s pretty cool and he owes me a ride.  But I can get him to go!”  He saunters past Ike and starts to try to push Skrimir out.  As one can imagine, he doesn’t get far.  Skrimir knocks him over, curls up beside him, and starts licking his hair.  Priam is not pleased, but Skrimir purrs loudly.

“Good luck,” Ike says with amusement, leaving them all to it.

“Daddy!  Daddy I have the greatest idea for an adventure!”  

Ike is not startled out of his weeding by the approaching of his beans.  Misania is excited and Lucien is nervous. Grass is green.  “Yeah?”  

“We can help Luci be brave by talking to… a stranger!!!!”  She is very proud of this.  “There are a bunch of kitties in the kitchen and we don’t know their names yet!”

Ike, as usual, goes along with it by instinct, but frankly she’s got a great idea.  “That’s a great idea.  I know just the one, too.”  Lucien’s worried look intensifies.  “You’ll see.  Trust me, Squeaker.”  He stands up, wipes the dirt on his pants, and scoops them both up.  

The Gallians are all still in the kitchen and mess hall, although Priam is gone.  Skrimir is still transformed and Kyza is poking him with a stick in the kitchen, and the cats are in the mess hall tinkering with the trebuchet.  Mordecai is also in the mess hall and is covered in chickens.  

“Hey,” he says softly, to clue Mordecai in that this will take a gentle approach - Mordecai may be among the most gentle people Ike has ever met, but he is still a tiger and a warrior, after all, and he doesn’t want to take any chances here.  “I’d really like you to meet my son.  Misania, go play, okay?  I’ve got this.”

“But can I cross it off the Adventure List if you do it?” she asks as he sits with Lucien in his lap and puts her on her feet on the floor.  

“Sure,” he says.

“Great!  Good luck, Luci!  Hi Uncle Kitty!!!! And hi, my name is Misania Alena Greil but some people used to call me Mia!” She runs off to go ‘help’ the cats.

“To clarify, he’s afraid of strangers, not laguz,” Ike explains.  “Skrimir is one of his favorite people.  But this is hard for him, and you’re one of the nicest people I know.”

Mordecai is serene, petting chickens.  He nods and smiles at Lucien, but says nothing.  Lucien is shaking in Ike’s arms, Ike letting him appraise him in peace.  Gradually he relaxes, and Ike smiles.  Lucien waves at Mordecai, who waves back.  

“Can you tell him your name?” Ike encourages. 

Lucien nods and leans over.  Ike assists him getting closer to whisper into Mordecai’s ear.  Mordecai smiles broadly.  “Hello Lucien.  I am Mordecai of Gallia.  You are brave.”  Lucien blushes heavily.

“Good job!” Ike praises.  “Usually that takes way longer,” he explains to Mordecai.  

Mordecai downright beams.  It’s frankly adorable.  “Would you like to pet my squirrel?” Lucien’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and Mordecai holds out a huge hand with a sleeping baby squirrel curled up in it.  “I am…”. He frowns and growls something in the direction of the other cats.

“Nursing,” Lucien supplies, very quietly but technically out loud, and Ike could cry in pride.  It’s Mordecai’s turn to look surprised.  “Uncle Kitty is working on teaching us kitty speak.”