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we're flying through the night
[There are a lot of things Hubert knows for certain.
He knows that Lady Edelgard will take the throne and usher in a new era for Fódlan. He knows that his duty is to serve Lady Edelgard, regardless of personal cost. He knows that he would do anything and everything for her. He knows that his entire being is devoted to her, completely. He knows that nothing can stand in the way of her conquest or of his devotion.
He also knows that he's been coughing up flower petals for exactly a week now.
Hanahaki Disease is certainly not uncommon in the monastery; most of them are a bunch of stupid teenagers, it certainly isn't surprising that several of them have managed to find themselves developing feelings for someone. Such a stupid, pointless thing should have been limited to the dumb teenagers who have nothing to worry about but grades and their stupid, pointless feelings for one another.
This shouldn't be happening to someone like him. Perhaps he would be taking the situation more seriously if his feelings were for Lady Edelgard - although a situation like that is a bit horrifying to imagine. He would never betray her trust in such a way. He loves her, certainly. But not like that. That would only cause problems.
No, these feelings have come from someone else; someone entirely unexpected.
Marianne.
It's been four months since they met. In truth, he doesn't recall much of their first interaction. Claude had called Lady Edelgard over (which meant he had come with her) to introduce the others in his house as they ate breakfast. All he can remember is assessing the individuals to see if any of them could potentially be useful to the future Empress or if they could pose a threat. Marianne hadn't stood out at the time.
She hadn't stood out much when they'd first ended up talking either. It had been during some downtime, when she was tending to the animals and he was doing his usual patrols around the grounds. He'd startled the horses she was tending to so badly it had taken her quite a long time to calm them down. He had lingered a bit - curiosity compelling him to stay and watch - but he doesn't recall much of their conversation that day. Marianne was just as quiet as he had figured.
They met a few times like that, where she took care of the horses and pegasi and he watched. Despite being the most intimidating student in the academy (because he was certainly more intimidating than Dedue), she had let him remain there without much in the way of commentary.
Eventually, she ended up joining their class. Professor Byleth is certainly a skilled instructor (despite their lack of experience in teaching), so it was no surprise that Marianne had eventually left the Golden Deer to join up with them. Not that he's really aware why Marianne had joined - he hasn't asked her. It's the most logical conclusion, though.
From there, they were set to stable duty together. He'd tried to get the professor to change their mind and stick him with Lady Edelgard, but they had refused to budge. Lady Edelgard also seems to be fine with her current job with Dorothea, so he supposes he can't complain too much... Even so, it's left him with a lot of time to get to know Marianne.
Oh, sure, they don't really talk that much. At first, it was difficult to work with her. She was so quiet and he was completely inexperienced at tending to animals, and the whole thing was a mess. But eventually she started explaining how and why she was doing things to help calm the animals, and while they certainly don't like him, they're beginning to warm up a bit.
He would have just left it at that, and maybe this whole Hanahaki disaster wouldn't have happened. But instead, he decided he needed to be three steps ahead - as always - and asked Marianne to teach him to ride. A horse, of course, he wouldn't dare get near a wyvern or a pegasus. Hopefully no one was aware of that little problem.
Marianne had agreed, and riding lessons have been going surprisingly smoothly. Hubert was taught to ride as a child, but his mastery of horses is... lacking. Desperately lacking. If he has to fight on horseback, he'll definitely die. So learning to train a horse and teach it to respond to his commands is important, and Marianne has been helping tremendously.
Well, she was helping. Before the whole Hanahaki disaster thing.
He hasn't seen her in three days. Not that he's avoiding her. Or keeping track of the days. No, that isn't it at all. It's just that he's been terribly busy with Lady Edelgard's plans - they still can't do anything just yet, but every step is another one closer to her victory. It's slow-going, but it's a necessity.
In truth, he's been distant from everyone, even her. He has work to do, certainly. But he also has to keep these stupid petals to himself so no one finds out. Admitting that he has a problem sounds like a horrible idea. It would just cause Lady Edelgard to worry and the other students of the Black Eagles house to tease him mercilessly. So no, he won't do that. Once he has the time, he'll simply track down Professor Manuela and make her remove this stupid thing. The memories he'll lose don't matter to him.
(Never mind that he could do this at any point and waiting only makes it worse.)
Today isn't really any better than any of the days before it. He can usually get through the days with only two coughing jags, and he's been lucky enough to hide it from everyone. Today continues that trend - but only barely.
It strikes him when he's in the library, searching through financial records for information that could assist Lady Edelgard. The near-choking feeling hits him suddenly, and he coughs up more than a handful of delicate, white petals. The fact that they're still white is good - it hasn't been long enough to risk staining them red. Perhaps that's the one good thing about this - at least he's coughing up light-colored petals.
Linhardt is in the library, but even the rough, nearly-pained sounds of coughing up flower petals isn't enough to wake him. Hubert can be thankful of that much, but he's certainly not wasting any more time in here. He puts the books away, grabs the petals, and leaves. Hubert heads back to his room in a hurry, those petals clutched tightly in hand so no one will see them. No one can know about this.
...He's missed a single petal, but surely that isn't important.]
He knows that Lady Edelgard will take the throne and usher in a new era for Fódlan. He knows that his duty is to serve Lady Edelgard, regardless of personal cost. He knows that he would do anything and everything for her. He knows that his entire being is devoted to her, completely. He knows that nothing can stand in the way of her conquest or of his devotion.
He also knows that he's been coughing up flower petals for exactly a week now.
Hanahaki Disease is certainly not uncommon in the monastery; most of them are a bunch of stupid teenagers, it certainly isn't surprising that several of them have managed to find themselves developing feelings for someone. Such a stupid, pointless thing should have been limited to the dumb teenagers who have nothing to worry about but grades and their stupid, pointless feelings for one another.
This shouldn't be happening to someone like him. Perhaps he would be taking the situation more seriously if his feelings were for Lady Edelgard - although a situation like that is a bit horrifying to imagine. He would never betray her trust in such a way. He loves her, certainly. But not like that. That would only cause problems.
No, these feelings have come from someone else; someone entirely unexpected.
Marianne.
It's been four months since they met. In truth, he doesn't recall much of their first interaction. Claude had called Lady Edelgard over (which meant he had come with her) to introduce the others in his house as they ate breakfast. All he can remember is assessing the individuals to see if any of them could potentially be useful to the future Empress or if they could pose a threat. Marianne hadn't stood out at the time.
She hadn't stood out much when they'd first ended up talking either. It had been during some downtime, when she was tending to the animals and he was doing his usual patrols around the grounds. He'd startled the horses she was tending to so badly it had taken her quite a long time to calm them down. He had lingered a bit - curiosity compelling him to stay and watch - but he doesn't recall much of their conversation that day. Marianne was just as quiet as he had figured.
They met a few times like that, where she took care of the horses and pegasi and he watched. Despite being the most intimidating student in the academy (because he was certainly more intimidating than Dedue), she had let him remain there without much in the way of commentary.
Eventually, she ended up joining their class. Professor Byleth is certainly a skilled instructor (despite their lack of experience in teaching), so it was no surprise that Marianne had eventually left the Golden Deer to join up with them. Not that he's really aware why Marianne had joined - he hasn't asked her. It's the most logical conclusion, though.
From there, they were set to stable duty together. He'd tried to get the professor to change their mind and stick him with Lady Edelgard, but they had refused to budge. Lady Edelgard also seems to be fine with her current job with Dorothea, so he supposes he can't complain too much... Even so, it's left him with a lot of time to get to know Marianne.
Oh, sure, they don't really talk that much. At first, it was difficult to work with her. She was so quiet and he was completely inexperienced at tending to animals, and the whole thing was a mess. But eventually she started explaining how and why she was doing things to help calm the animals, and while they certainly don't like him, they're beginning to warm up a bit.
He would have just left it at that, and maybe this whole Hanahaki disaster wouldn't have happened. But instead, he decided he needed to be three steps ahead - as always - and asked Marianne to teach him to ride. A horse, of course, he wouldn't dare get near a wyvern or a pegasus. Hopefully no one was aware of that little problem.
Marianne had agreed, and riding lessons have been going surprisingly smoothly. Hubert was taught to ride as a child, but his mastery of horses is... lacking. Desperately lacking. If he has to fight on horseback, he'll definitely die. So learning to train a horse and teach it to respond to his commands is important, and Marianne has been helping tremendously.
Well, she was helping. Before the whole Hanahaki disaster thing.
He hasn't seen her in three days. Not that he's avoiding her. Or keeping track of the days. No, that isn't it at all. It's just that he's been terribly busy with Lady Edelgard's plans - they still can't do anything just yet, but every step is another one closer to her victory. It's slow-going, but it's a necessity.
In truth, he's been distant from everyone, even her. He has work to do, certainly. But he also has to keep these stupid petals to himself so no one finds out. Admitting that he has a problem sounds like a horrible idea. It would just cause Lady Edelgard to worry and the other students of the Black Eagles house to tease him mercilessly. So no, he won't do that. Once he has the time, he'll simply track down Professor Manuela and make her remove this stupid thing. The memories he'll lose don't matter to him.
(Never mind that he could do this at any point and waiting only makes it worse.)
Today isn't really any better than any of the days before it. He can usually get through the days with only two coughing jags, and he's been lucky enough to hide it from everyone. Today continues that trend - but only barely.
It strikes him when he's in the library, searching through financial records for information that could assist Lady Edelgard. The near-choking feeling hits him suddenly, and he coughs up more than a handful of delicate, white petals. The fact that they're still white is good - it hasn't been long enough to risk staining them red. Perhaps that's the one good thing about this - at least he's coughing up light-colored petals.
Linhardt is in the library, but even the rough, nearly-pained sounds of coughing up flower petals isn't enough to wake him. Hubert can be thankful of that much, but he's certainly not wasting any more time in here. He puts the books away, grabs the petals, and leaves. Hubert heads back to his room in a hurry, those petals clutched tightly in hand so no one will see them. No one can know about this.
...He's missed a single petal, but surely that isn't important.]
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[The disdain is obvious in his voice, and the way he speaks of them - despite being a noble himself - is harsh.
He shakes his head a bit once that's out there, though.]
Nevertheless, I'm pleased I could help teach you. You've picked this up very quickly.
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[Marianne could never possibly be that disdainful, ever, in her life, so like. Mood, Hubert? Big mood, at that. Seriously, it's so unnecessary.
But Marianne doesn't settle on that for long either, smiling.]
I really appreciate it. I'm...I'm sure I'll bring our house victory in the Cup. And I think that much will be enjoyable.
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Even if you don't win, you'll put up an excellent fight. Before you leave, I'd like to see you run through the routine on your own, to make sure you don't have any issues with the dip at the end.
[But for now... For now he wants to stay close, to let her continue leading until her steps are just as confident and certain as his own. She doesn't need to win the cup; knowing she has the confidence in her skills to think she can is far more than enough for him.]
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[...Marianne titters, the slightest bit.]
I don't think I could dip you without us falling on the floor, anyway. And that would be a bit of a mess, wouldn't it?
[It's a joke, but Marianne doesn't want to leave his side either. She's gotten comfortable here, and it's wonderful.]
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[Mostly to his pride, but also any physical injuries that could result from that. It's stated as a joke, anyway.]
Let's keep practicing until you're certain you have it down.
[An excuse to remain this close, an excuse not to let her go just yet. It's one he'll happily take.]
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[Even if Marianne could absolutely heal any physical injuries of his, the emotional ones are something she doubts she could deal with. So it would be best to avoid it, honestly.]
Let's. [...] I'm, um...really enjoying this. A lot. I...
[Marianne feels any braveness in her words slip away quickly, a light flush settling on her cheeks.]
I-it isn't important. Let's just...keep going.
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[He doesn't stop, allowing her to continue leading, though he tips his head slightly to the side as he studies her. His expression is still light, but it's hardly fair to call his expression a smile when it's really more of a smirk.]
You can tell me anything, Marianne. You don't need to be shy around me.
[Despite the smirk, the words are... well, okay, they're not gentle, but they're soft and not teasing at all despite the word choice.]
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...I don't know if I want this to end. It's...really so much fun, and I feel...safe here. Secure. I-I know that sounds silly, and I know I'll have to leave, but...
[Marianne trails off there, clearly embarrassed.]
Please forget I said anything...I'm asking far too much.
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Nonsense. If there's something you wish to ask of me, then do so.
[He hesitates for a moment, then presses onward.]
I wish to help you in any way I can, Marianne. So if there's something I can do for you, I'd like to hear it.
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[Really, that is all she wanted to ask. To stay there, for a little while longer, but Marianne isn't sure how long she could stretch that. She feels herself flush as she thinks about how close they had been when they dipped earlier, how little space there had been, and--
How much she wanted to kiss him. Marianne's heart thumps a bit--she can't ask him that, she can't, and Hubert can likely see the vaguely stressed look on Marianne's face as she tries to get herself to ask it.]
It's not--it's not something I need help with but it's...something I...want to do. But it's not proper, not when we're only courting. But I was...thinking, about when you dipped me earlier, and...how close we were, and...
[Marianne's eyes scrunch shut, and she shakes her head. She doesn't know if she can finish that.]
I don't...want to be too forward...
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It isn't particularly difficult to work out what she wants, and it isn't like he's opposed at all. But he refrains because Marianne is gentle and kind and genuine, things he isn't and never could be. He has no regrets about courting her and desires so much more from it, but he worries about driving her off. Being too forward, being too forceful, being... well, everything he is, really. She would be well within her rights to leave at any moment.
And yet every time he has a chance to show his true colors - to take what he wants without a second thought - he hesitates. It isn't as though he can shield her from who he truly is. She'll find out one way or another and then...
That's when she'll want to turn her back on him, he's sure. If things go the way he's thinking they will, she won't have anywhere to run.
The idea ties his stomach in knots in ways he's never felt before, but as always, he pushes thoughts like that aside. Now isn't the time or place to start doubting himself, or Lady Edelgard, or their plans. Everything that can be used to their advantage will be. No exceptions.
Marianne doesn't deserve that. She deserves so much better than him. He should pull away, try to make this easier for when his inevitable betrayal hits her.
But he doesn't.]
You don't need to worry about being too forward. I don't particularly care whether it's proper or not.
[They've stopped dancing by now, and the hand that was on her shoulder moves to cup her cheek, tipping her head up as he leans in closer. They're so agonizingly close and he wants nothing more than to bridge that last gap and press his lips to hers.
But he doesn't, only watching, waiting for permission.]
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That doesn't happen, though. Marianne hears his words and her eyes shoot open in shock, looking at him like she's surprised that he'd say something like that. He doesn't care? Isn't he Edelgard's right hand man? Surely he'd care, surely he would, surely he should--
And yet as he cups her cheek and tips her head up, Marianne isn't sure she can deny herself any longer. Either of them, maybe. They're so agonizingly close and if he's not going to bridge that gap...]
Oh, Hubert...
[He won't need to ask for permission. Hubert's given his, essentially, and Marianne moves that last bit of the way in to meet his lips with her own, gentle and kind as ever. Very nervous, and eyes open to watch Hubert's reaction to see if she needs to stop, but...
She's wanted this for so long, and it feels like her heart is going to stop. Like nothing in this world matters except for them, for this little room and the distance they've closed between each other.]
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The hand on her cheek moves back to the back of her head, beneath her braid. To keep her head tipped up, and perhaps to keep her there, because he can't bear the idea of her pulling away just yet. He keeps the kiss chaste even though he'd like nothing more than to deepen it.
It's... really nice, in a way he wasn't aware anything really could be. It's a bit embarrassing that a simple kiss can break down his walls like this...]
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And yet as she feels him move his hand to the back of her head, she feels there's no other place she'd rather be, than kissing him right now. Marianne is more than happy to keep this chaste, because she'd probably die if she deepened it, but...this is nice. It's wonderful, really, and Marianne's hands move themselves up to Hubert's shoulders to hold on.]
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Not that he minds it right now, of course. He only breaks the kiss when he needs to breathe, but he doesn't move away from her. His hand remains at the back of her head, gently pressed there. He's not really sure what to say, so against his better judgement, he allows himself to speak without thinking it through.]
You're bold. I like it.
[...Well, no one said it was going to be anything good...]
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...
Of course, she's not expecting something so embarrassing and her face proceeds to go entirely red.]
W-well--well-- [it's fine, marianne just feels like a portable heater right now, it's fine] I'm, um, glad you...like it. I-I'm not very used to being, um, being this bold or brash or, or, or--
[marianne.exe has crashed. would you like to send an error report?]
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He presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth as if to make up for it. Or maybe it's to tease her further. Either way works.]
You're very cute, you know. I look forward to seeing more of your hidden bold nature in the future.
[Okay, he's definitely teasing now.]
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I--you're--
[...Yeah no, if he doesn't stop her she's gonna bury her red face in her hands and even if there's the hint of a smile on her face, Marianne is just. Embarrassed as fuck.]
I-I'm not sure 'cute' is the right word--
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You're free to argue, but I'm afraid it's not very convincing right now.
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[It's a weak protest, but Marianne finally opens her hands a little bit to peek at Hubert some with a smile on her face.]
H--How would you feel if I c--called you cute...?
[she's. she's trying so hard]
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I'd have to question your taste. I don't believe it's possible for someone like me to be considered cute.
[He sounds really damn amused at the idea, honestly...]
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Marianne goes back to hiding her face in her hands, just. Trying not to scream externally. Internally? Nothing but screaming, babey.]
I-I...I disagree, but...
[...sigh.]
You shouldn't question it. I-I like you, after all, and I...I think you're...um...
[Great, now her face is heating up worse, and the ending to that comes out as a squeak more than a word.]
handsome.
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...Well, you have my thanks.
[He's. He's trying real hard not to go pink, but it's a losing battle. The openly confused expression is probably a damn good indicator of how caught off-guard he is by something as simple as that.]
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Marianne winds up giggling a bit, peeking to open her eyes and see Hubert's expression at his rather openly shocked words. Her hands finally come down from her face and she seems happy, at any rate.]
It's...only the truth, Hubert. That's all.
[Marianne's far too kind to tease, but at least they're suffering together now!!]
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[It's. It's fine?? This is fine. A little embarrassing, but kind of nice too...]
Ah, it is starting to get late... Would you care to run through it again so I can instruct you on the dip?
[He's already taking a step back so he can get a better look at her form, which is definitely not an excuse to get away from being embarrassed, nope!!]
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