Summary: "I can't help it," Ashe murmured, lying down on the unmade bedroll and pulling Yuri with him, "I love you." Over the years, Yuri had learned not to trust those words from anyone but his mother.
Then Ashe said it to him one day, and all the walls he'd worked so hard to build were less than paper.
(Ashe and Yuri make up after a fight with sex. Yuri is scared of his feelings.)
Part of the Three Hopes Become One 'verse.
In hindsight, maybe sneaking a dead body into House Menja to frame the heir as a killer unless Viscount Mejna ponied up half their gold and dropped their support of Duke Aegir was dangerous. Maybe there were at least a dozen ways it could go pear-shaped. And maybe it was best to let Hubert deal with anything involving House Aegir.
But that didn't mean Ashe had to lecture him in front of the entire dinner table. Which, to be fair, consisted of only the two of them, Shez, and the other Abyssal Four. But while most of the army knew better than to butt into other people's private business, Hapi, Constance, and Balthus had Opinions. The problem with living underground with the same three people for a bunch of years was they got to know you, they understood you, and they would side with your overprotective boyfriend.
By now, Yuri knew better than to expect that Ashe wouldn't say something. He knew damn well Ashe wanted to protect him and ever since they'd started dating he'd doubled down. Most criminals Yuri did business with gave him a fair deal mainly so they wouldn't get shot at by who they termed "the Mockingbird's Shadow", or just gave him the money outright without demanding anything in return.
But can't he be a little less annoying about it? Even my own mother doesn't raise such a fuss over what I do when she's not around! Of course, she didn't know everything he got up to, and as much as he hated to deny it she'd worry herself even sicker if she did. And she'd side with Ashe harder than anyone.
And deep down, he knew damn well why Ashe reacted the way he did. Why everyone sided with him. And he knew even more that maybe he owed Ashe an apology for calling him an overprotective pain in the ass.
If they'd been somewhere warmer, he'd bring flowers. If he'd had a chance to do any baking, he'd bring sweets. Instead, he climbed down from the watchtower where he'd spent the last few hours sulking and made his way to his and Ashe's tent. Words would have to be enough for now.
Luckily, Ashe was still awake. He looked surprised to see Yuri, though, as if they hadn't been sharing a tent for the last two moons.
"I'm sorry." Best to just rip the bandage off. Ashe didn't hold grudges easily, but he was stubborn as a mule when it came to Yuri's safety. "Not for calling you overprotective, because you are, but for being so nasty about it. I know you just didn't want me getting way in over my head."
"I'm sorry too, Yuri," Ashe said. By now Yuri was no longer surprised by this, even if their arguments were 100% his fault Ashe would take some sort of responsibility because he was too damn nice for his own good sometimes. "Not for calling you out for being reckless, but we could have gone somewhere more private before I lectured you. And I didn't mean to imply you were too stupid to realize the danger. I know you're not."
He moved over on the bedroll and patted the space beside him, and Yuri sat down. Ashe hugged him, burying his face in his shoulder.
"You're not going to stop worrying and lecturing me, though, are you?"
"I can't help it," Ashe murmured, lying down on the unmade bedroll and pulling Yuri with him, "I love you."
Only one person besides his mother ever said that to him, always in the hopes that Yuri would say it back. But from just that one person Yuri had learned not to trust those words, no matter how much honey they dripped with or how many caresses they came with.
Then Ashe said it to him one day, and all the walls he'd worked so hard to build were less than paper.
I love you too. Stars above help me, I love you too.
Their lips came together, their hands hastily undoing the buckles and other fasteners of each other's clothes. Not as desperately as two weeks ago after a certain rescue mission had led to monsters, friendly fire, and Yuri nearly being captured and sold by a crooked merchant; Ashe had nearly blown a gasket when he found out about that part, and against their better judgement they'd fallen into bed together.
That seemed to be their thing, jumping each other's bones after a brush with death or an argument.
Their clothes lay in a messy heap halfway off the bed, Yuri kicking them onto the floor as Ashe reached under the pillow for some salve. Two slick fingers pressed into him; even though Yuri often made a show of insisting he didn't need it, the prep work was always gentle and Ashe went out of his way to make it feel good. Because you deserve it, no matter what those nobles and that bastard thought.
It didn't undo what those years in Enbarr and the Count had done, but it was nice being told he deserved to be treated well by someone who followed through on it. Even if Ashe could go overboard at times, part of Yuri liked that.
The fingers withdrew, replaced by Ashe's cock pressed against him. For someone so slender and wiry Ashe was quite gifted. Not as big as someone like Balthus or Dedue, but big enough that he could fuck Yuri ten times in a night and he'd still feel the loss by the time Ashe pulled out.
"I love you," Ashe whispered. Even if it was just a tiff or an argument, Ashe always felt the need to remind him. Yuri raised his hips, pulling Ashe in closer, meeting those soft green eyes.
"Then show me."
Sometimes Ashe's first thrusts were slow. Tender, gentle. This time he went at it full throttle right from the outset, hard and deep and driving. Peppering Yuri's skin with kisses before claiming his lips again, Yuri's legs wrapping tightly around Ashe's waist, pulling him in as deep as he could. His hands gripping Ashe's shoulders, nails digging into his skin.
Unlike most of his past fucks, Ashe didn't mind when Yuri scratched or nicked him. I've been hurt worse in battle, your nails are nothing. Shit, everything about Ashe was different from past fucks; the closest he'd ever had to this before was with the other Abyssal Four and they were just outcasts with benefits.
But Ashe kept moving, fucking him with zero restraint, breaking the kiss to look into his eyes.
"Ashe," he murmured.
"Yuri."
And with one more sharp thrust Yuri saw stars, felt Ashe's release inside him, the world falling away except for the two of them. Floating in nothing, feeling everything.
Overwhelming in the best way.
Nothing scared him more than how much Ashe loved him, except how much he loved Ashe back.
Ashe pulled out and they nestled under the covers, Yuri's head on Ashe's shoulder and Ashe's arms tight around him. Another murmur of those words, and Yuri smiled, rolling his eyes a little.
"I love you, too." My impossible ray of sunshine. Ugh, did I really just think that? Ashe's cornball ways might rub off on him someday, and that was scarier than even the most intense feelings he had.
Oh well. He may be a cornball on top of an overprotective pain in the ass, but he's my cornball on top of an overprotective pain in the ass.