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It's nearing dusk and Leonie is training in the field just outside the village as usual. She keeps an old rag handy for when she needs to dab at her sweat, but she usually loses it after a few repetitions of dance-like moves perfect for evasion. She likes to believe her senses have gotten really good but today something surprises her. Leonie nearly drops her lance as she catches a splash of purple and a man's face during a spin.
“Lorenz?” Sure enough, it's him. He's in gaudy bright armor and she doesn't know how she could have expected anything different. It's Lorenz, after all.
He smiles, a hand going up to touch his hair and rest on his cheek lightly in that way he always used to, showing how calm and collected he could be. Leonie can't help but return the smile, the fondness of it all bringing tears to her eyes.
“Leonie dear, there's no need for tear-shedding!” Lorenz laughs, his head tilting back and Leonie gets a glimpse of his teeth before he remembers where he is and covers his mouth because maintaining propriety is something that never ceases.
“I-I know, It's just…what are you doing here?” Leonie shakes her head and wills herself to hold her tears back, setting her lance against the stump she often used as a seat. She walks up to Lorenz and she sees clearly now, something is really different about him. He used to have the disposition and haircut of a young boy, but things have changed. His face is hardened by age, his lean frame has filled out considerably, and his hair now longer on one side and spilling over his shoulder. But mostly it's the way he holds her gaze, and how she could see five different emotions in his eyes. He never once looks away from her and it makes Leonie drop her gaze with an imperceptible shiver.
“It is a… special occasion. We agreed to meet, remember? We all did.” He says it with a thick voice unusually tainted with a solemn tone, not the lilt she was used to. Leonie looks at his face and sees that his eyes are closed, the hand at his side clenched into a fist. She recalls the pain and bloodshed, remembers the death of Jeralt, the loss of their teacher, and she wants to collapse then and there. Lorenz opens his eyes and can see how the recalled memories have darkened Leonie's features. He realizes he'd rather that not be the case, putting a comforting hand to her shoulder. “Come, now. It should be a joyous affair, reuniting with the others.” He offers a sad smile.
“You're right.” Leonie wipes under her eyes and lets go of a long breath she didn't know she was holding in. She briefly wonders why he would stop in her village first instead of making the trip to Garreg Mach on his own, but perhaps it was just the proximity that made it a convenient enough trip. Plus travelling together could be safer, especially in these times. "I guess just give me some time to round up my battalion, and we can get going."
“Oh, of course! I didn't mean to set out tonight,” Lorenz says hastily. Leonie thinks she imagines a blush painting his cheeks. “I planned to catch up with an old friend first.”
Leonie slowly realizes that she's the friend he means and her eyes widen. “O-oh!”
Perhaps it wasn't just convenience that led him there. If Lorenz is nervous it doesn't show anymore, a calm smile replacing his previous flustered appearance. He's so… handsome, she thinks, and places a hand over her mouth to make sure she doesn't say it out loud.
“Is… something the matter?” He asks, concern drawing his features down and Leonie can finally clear her head.
“No! I was just thinking—uh, about a-accommodations! You're probably tired and I sure am after all that training!” Leonie forces a laugh and starts heading up the hill to town, lance in hand and Lorenz following shortly after with graceful strides, one hand leading his horse. “You can stay with me, obviously. I have room in the stable, something decent to eat I'm sure… and we can head out in the morning.”
Lorenz walks beside Leonie as she rambles on, making a sound of surprise as he stops. “Leonie, your hair!”
Leonie blinks dumbly, because that clearly wasn't on topic or anything. “Uh yeah? I let it grow a bit.” She holds up her small side ponytail as if it were a show of proof of some sort. She frowns when Lorenz just stares at her, saying “What?” in mild irritation.
Lorenz chuckles. “I mean it as a compliment, do not worry. It's… charming. It suits you.”
Leonie grumbles and looks away but continues their conversation. They do catch up, Leonie has been doing mercenary work to pay back her village and to cover her own expenses, doing quite well for herself for times of war anyway. They talk about the state of the alliance and how Lorenz isn't too happy about his father's position, but there's not much he can do in his position without raising alarm.
They laugh over dinner about their monastery days, and sure enough they argue over who will take the couch (Lorenz wins) and Leonie is restless all night, both excited and extremely terrified of what may await them at Garreg Mach. She’s almost grateful though, because she fears what she would dream about, images of that day flashing behind her eyelids. On many occasions she's woken up with her blanket held tight in her fists as sobs shook her body.
When the sun starts peeking in she throws off her blanket with a sigh. She gets dressed and secretly hopes Lorenz is still sleeping, but when she opens her door she doesn’t see him on the couch. It worries her for a moment until she hears a warm voice from the kitchen.
“Tea?” Lorenz’s head pops out from the entryway, his long hair hanging down like a curtain.
She laughs and takes the cup he holds out to her because she probably really needs it right now. “I really missed you,” she admits, internally blaming it on the exhaustion. But she really means it as he looks back at her, his eyes sparkling as he tells her the same.
The trip isn’t as long or grueling as Leonie thought it was going to be, but she didn’t think she’d have a distraction like the one riding beside her now. It’s hard for her to be grumpy when Lorenz always kept up an energetic flow of conversation, and it helps that the weather isn’t too bad either. If she’s tired anymore she doesn’t feel it until they’re staring at the monastery atop the hill.
“Well, we made it.” Leonie closes her eyes and she can hear old conversations and laughter in the common room. She imagines Hilda rolling her eyes as Claude details his weekend spent pranking, and Byleth…
She opens her eyes to see Lorenz looking down at her. He moves his horse, brushing against her leg when it nears, to reach over and swipe a thumb over her cheek. She didn't even realize she'd started crying, waving a hand in apology but Lorenz ignores it. “It's okay,” he says firmly. She knows he means it, that she shouldn't feel guilty for her feelings, that she's safe here. She sighs and lets her tears flow, just for a bit longer.
When her breaths seem to come evenly, she feels a squeeze to her hand. Lorenz turns his gaze up at the monastery. “You've lost much, but what lies up there counts for something, right?”
She opens her mouth to agree when a loud holler comes from behind them. “Lorenz! Leonie!!!!”
Leonie spins around and she can see Hilda with her hands cupped over her face, amplifying her already booming voice across the field. Leonie scrambles off her horse and barely has time to open her arms before Hilda is throwing herself into Leonie's chest. “Hilda, I can't believe it… you're actually here…”
“Well of course! I made a promise too, you know.”
Lorenz shoots Leonie a look that says ‘I told you so’ and she chuckles, tightening her grip on Hilda. "I don't know how I doubted you.”
“Whoa, what was that?” Hilda breaks free and points up above the monastery. The three watch in alarm as a wyvern heads skyward when suddenly it dips into a harsh dive within the monastery’s walls.
“Something is wrong.” Lorenz's gaze hardens as he turns to look at the pair beside him. "Hilda, you ride with Leonie. I'm going to go ahead." His eyes lock onto Leonie's for a few seconds. "Be careful," he says, before tugging the rains in his grasp, advancing quickly uphill.
"What was that about?" Hilda stares at Leonie, who's still looking in Lorenz's direction. Leonie shakes her head and turns, reaching up to pull herself onto her horse.
"Nothing." She gives Hilda a pointed look and Hilda rolls her eyes before taking Leonie's outstretched hand to help hoist her up.
"Forget I asked," she muses from behind Leonie before Leonie kicks down and follows the path Lorenz disappeared onto.
When they finally make it onto the monastery grounds they find a group of bandits, who seem way too organized for regular passersby. Leonie scans the horizon to locate any allies they could help. "O-over there," Hilda shouts, pointing to their left. "Is that the professor? And the others?"
Leonie charges forward, getting Hilda just close enough to let her dismount safely. With a quick thanks Hilda hoists up her axe and rushes in to cover Byleth's flank. The wyvern passes overhead and Claude beams down at the pair before he heads over the deteriorating walls ahead of them. Byleth looks over and finally notices the two. Leonie's nearly in tears again when their eyes meet.
"Professor! You're alive!" She wants to rush over for a proper greeting but a couple of thieves break through the shrubbery. "Guess we'd better handle this before I celebrate though, huh?" Hilda's axe handles the two with ease and Leonie motions for Byleth to go ahead and meet up with Claude beyond the wall. Byleth nods, shooting a grateful smile at Leonie before running ahead. Leonie trails along the entrance, jabbing at an archer crouching behind a column and turns back to Hilda. "We're clear, come on!"
Hilda hops up onto Leonie's horse and they head inside. When she scans the left side of the field she sees Lorenz and Ignatz who waves at her as they sidle up to her flank. Leonie silently thanks the goddess that he's okay, she hopes they're all okay.
When they catch up with Byleth and Claude, she’s so relieved. Marianne, Lysithea and Raphael made it too, just like they promised. Claude looks happier than anyone, but there's a telling glint in his expression when he suggests they regroup inside to hear him out.
They gather in the cathedral and Claude cuts to the chase. “Now that we’ve dealt with those violent bandits, we could potentially use this place as our base of operations again.”
Hilda is the first to speak, leaning casually on her axe, “What could you possibly mean by that?”
Claude explains that its actually a great location strategically to give the Leicester Alliance an advantage in the war. Lysithea interrupts in surprise. “Are you suggesting we fight back against the Empire?”
Lorenz huffs in agreement. “Aren’t you getting a bit ahead of yourself? The Alliance is in complete discord at present.”
“And, as leader of the Imperial faction of the Alliance, isn’t Count Gloucester, your father, the main cause of that discord?” Claude returns.
“I…” Lorenz drops his gaze. “Yes, that is true. It was inevitable. Our house’s territory is close to Imperial land, after all. Had we not consented to vassalage under the Empire, they would have invaded immediately.” He states it with confidence but it's twinged with regret. He’d hoped for the past five years to go differently, and though his father’s decisions were not his own, he still assumed blame for their house’s ties. He hoped to remedy that in any way he could, it was one reason why he showed up at the monastery after all.
“Naturally,” Claude smirks, his expression cool and refined with experience in the craft of war. “And, to be clear, I have no problem with your house maintaining its Imperial ties until we’re sufficiently prepared to revolt. The Empire is the cause of the infighting. If we rid ourselves of them, the situation should resolve itself.”
Claude watches the faces of his former classmates mull over the proposition. He's asking for a lot, he would be throwing his friends into the frontlines and he doesn’t expect everyone to be okay with that. He was pleasantly surprised when everyone agrees to join the cause. Hilda jokes that Lorenz might have other sentiments back home, but his face is steeled in determination like the rest of theirs, his will to fight for Fodlan his top priority. Also he needed to look after Claude if he was going to be in charge, he jokes.
Claude works on getting Byleth to join them when the Knights of Seiros pour into the hall, led by Seteth. He’s equally amazed as the Golden Deer that Byleth is alive, and that seems to instill hope in all of them. Claude shares a look with Byleth and just like that, it’s like they never left. The Golden Deer are chatty and excited, and Leonie swears she can see tears welling up in Claude’s eyes. He glances over and winks, taking a quick swipe under his eyes. Leonie nods back in a small agreement to keep that detail to herself.
Somehow Hilda gets everyone to agree to fix up the monastery as best as they can for a while, and they plan their next war council before they break apart to head to their respective quarters.
Before Leonie can walk away, she feels an arm snake around her shoulders and its to see Hilda’s grin before she drags her over to where Lorenz is standing. “So you’re coming to the dark side with us huh?” Hilda says, bumping Lorenz with an elbow. Leonie frees herself from Hilda’s grasp and shoots her a dark look. Lorenz doesn’t notice.
“Of course,” he says, turning to them with a sincere expression, his eyes shining with a newfound resolve, despite Hilda’s teasing. Leonie catches his gaze and for some reason she can’t look away. “I will always do what's best for Fódlan despite my father’s decisions, and that is why I am on Claude's side. On your side.” He says it with a sweeping hand toward the entire group, but his eyes stay locked on Leonie's.
“Aww, Lorenz. You’re gonna make me cry.” Hilda holds her hands up to her face in her signature gesture. “I’m so glad we’re all here.”
“Yeah, me too.” Leonie is still looking at Lorenz when he returns her smile.
A few days later and everyone is spent from clearing all the rubble and a council meeting that goes on into the night, and they would have skipped dinner if Raphael didn’t complain about it. Dinner that night is tense and heavy as the thought of anyone next to them in the dining hall could be the next to die for this war. Leonie can see Lorenz a table over and she looks down at the item she’s hiding under her hand. It’s something he gave to her and she thinks she should return it, Leonie not being one to keep unpaid debts open after all. Not like she didn’t already try to give it back. She always meant to, but the last time she nearly forgot she even had it and when she brought it to Lorenz he’d distracted her. Throwing it into her desk that night, she forgot all about it in their final days at Garreg Mach.
When she opened her drawer to clean it out she recognized it immediately, dusted it off and washed it before slipping it between her outer and inner garments and above her heart.
She almost misses it when Lorenz gets up to leave, quickly tucking the handkerchief back into her clothes and nearly jumping from her seat in her haste. She takes a few big steps to catch up with Lorenz at the door before he could head downstairs and to the dormitory.
"Wait up, I have something for you."
Lorenz turns and Leonie stops walking just before she could bump into him. “Ah, Leonie!” He gives her one of his bright smiles that always made her chest feel a little tight even if she wouldn’t admit it. “Hm? Something for me?”
“This.” She pulls the handkerchief from her shirt and holds it tightly in her fist. “I tried to give it to you once before. Years ago,” she explains and she feels her ears go hot. Leonie's curled fingers extend and reveal a small folded piece of fabric.
“Leonie...” He stares at it, truly taken aback. He never expected to see it again, his intention never being to receive it back.
“My dear friend,” Lorenz gives her a gentle smile. He tilts his head up in that gallant way of his, hooking some strands of hair behind his ear. “It remains as I said before. I gave this to you.”
His hands are hiding under crossed arms so Leonie has no way of forcing him to take it. She glares and looks back up at his face, and his cool expression frustrates her even more. “You also said that its a noble’s duty. I don’t want a show of a noble’s duty, so take it,” she grits the words out with her mouth nearly clamped closed, hoping her tone will make it so he stops taking this so lightly.
Lorenz eyes her, and she’s not sure what to make of the expression on his face. Finally, he sighs. “If we’re reliving old memories, allow me to remind you of another. You once told me a story about a mercenary who came to your village. Among many valuable learnings, tucked away was a small keepsake… The point being, I thought you were one for sentimental treasures. But perhaps you need your reasons.”
“Sentimental… treasures?” Leonie repeats, genuinely confused.
Lorenz shakes his head and the smile accompanying it isn't nearly as bright as usual. Leonie opens her mouth to argue some more but he continues. “I shalln't say more on this matter, I worry it will do neither of us any good. I bid you good night, Leonie.”
With that, his lean legs lead him down the path past the greenhouse and into the entrance to the second floor of the dormitory. Lorenz doesn’t turn or slow his steps until he disappears from her sight, and if it weren’t for the fact that she was currently stunned, Leonie might have stormed after him.
When Leonie walks back to her room she closes the door roughly, switching between pacing and leaning against things before she admits to herself that she’s upset. Why was it so important to her? Why is she thinking about a stupid handkerchief right now instead of sleeping?
She tells herself it's because he refused all her earnest attempts to return it, and that really pissed her off.
With that thought repeating in her mind, Leonie marches to the second floor, up to his room, and knocks on his door. She's so worked up that, you know what, she won’t just wait for him to get there, so she shoves the door open. Leonie takes a couple of steps into the room and is met with Lorenz's look of surprise as hes standing in line with his doorway, prepared to answer for whoever was knocking at this hour. She sighs, silently thankful that he's still awake, and slams the door behind her.
“Look, Lorenz you need to take this because—” Leonie turns back, holding the handkerchief out to him and intends to push it into Lorenz's hand but she stops when she realizes the state he's in. Her hand accidentally bumps into Lorenz's chest, and his eyes widen at the unexpected contact. It had been a couple of hours since the conversation, but it looked like he hadn't been sleeping just yet. Leonie could tell that he was at least trying to, as he was lacking his outerwear and his hair was out of place like it had been ruffled by his bedsheets. Lorenz seems to catch up with what Leonie was trying to say as she stares, dumbfounded.
“You came here... to give this to me?” Lorenz looks down at her hand but doesn't make a move to accept it. “This matter could not be dealt with in the morning?”
Leonie's face flares up. "Okay see! I knew you would say that and that's exactly why I'm here! I wont have you distract me from the point again. Now shut up and take this thing!"
Lorenz huffs, his chest rising and falling with the action and Leonie's eyes follow the movement. He flips some hair over his shoulder in mild indignation. “Leonie, honestly, this–”
A harsh gasp leaves his lips as Leonie pulls him forward by the thin cloth of his shirt. She raises her head up and meets his lips in a hurried crash. Lorenz almost stumbles when her chest meets his, his hands steadying himself and landing on Leonie's waist.
Leonie's mouth is searing hot on his, her free hand losing its way in his long hair. She sighs against his mouth, unaware herself of how long she’d waited to do that. She tugs at the strands slightly in her firm grasp, making their mouths move impossibly close against each other, and Lorenz’s head is spinning, his grip tightening on her hips.
Lorenz feels that same feeling in his chest he knows so well, except its different. The dull ache is replaced by a heat he’d never experienced and he’s dangerously close to never looking back to his old days of keeping his thoughts to himself. But this, its abrupt but wonderful and Lorenz doesn’t know what it means but he’ll take it. Could she feel the same? All this time…
Suddenly he feels the shriek on his lips as Leonie pulls away. It's odd, he can still feel the presence of her kiss, but now there's a cold gap of air between their bodies. It should not be possible, he thinks.
Leonie wipes at her mouth but she can still feel the touch of Lorenz on her lips. She peers up at him, almost scared to see his reaction, but his face doesn't tell her much. If anything, it looks kind of blank. There’s a blush gracing his features, an unusual tone to his fair skin and Leonie finds it an attractive look for him.
“S-shit. I'm so sorry, that was so…inappropriate…” Leonie trails off as her flustered explanation is met with warm laughter. “Huh?” She places a hand on her hip, her head tilting as she's about to demand that Lorenz tell her what's so funny.
Lorenz doesn't look bothered, rather his face has an odd glimmer to it. Leonie is taken aback. For someone who’s so prideful in his appearance, he had been breaking that composure quite often around her.
"Foolish girl." The words come out soft as Lorenz chuckles a single puff of air. He steps forward, boldly reaching a hand out and cupping Leonie's cheek. “Do you truly not know what it means?" He nods his head toward the handkerchief tucked in her hand. “What I've been trying to tell you all these years?”
Leonie blinks in confusion, what could a napkin mean to anyone? That they were friends and would forget that they were from two different worlds? Perhaps. It had come to be somewhat of a symbol of their friendship. But why did his gaze look so serious, why did he always insist that she keep the stupid thing?
“Lorenz… I–” Leonie attempts to swallow around the lump in her throat, or focus on anything but his amethyst eyes. Lorenz's rich voice clears the air in her stead. He drops his hand down to her arm and puts on a reassuring smile.
“Leonie, you needn't say anything. I've learned enough from our time together.” With a squeeze to her forearm, he leads her to the door, giving her a gentle nudge. “Now, go get some rest. We have a lot of training to do if we're to take on the empire.”
Leonie walks forward numbly. When she makes it right outside the doorway, Lorenz gives her another warm and composed smile before he closes the door, his face lightly dusted with red the only indication that this wasn’t just any normal night.
Leonie holds her hand to her chest and feels that her heart is racing. She looks down and enclosed in her grip is that familiar piece of fabric. "Again?" She groans at herself for forgetting about the damned thing once more.
He has to know what he's doing, Leonie reasoned. It was too convenient that two times now she would forget something like that. She was a reliable and hardworking person, after all. “Just what the hell are you playing at, Gloucester.”
Leonie manages to sleep for a few hours, but when she’s left turning over in bed she gets out and sneaks away to one of her favorite spots. There was not much use in trying to sleep more, she never needed that much, and she could use the time to think and clear her head anyway. She climbs up the outer wall of the monastery behind the pond, and plops down atop the wall, leaning back on her hands to look at the sky. It was still somewhat early, but the sky was lightening to interesting and familiar shades of purple.
She sighs to herself and looks down at the horizon before she could get herself worked up again, and its faint and nearly undetectable but she sees something moving. The panic settles in and she takes a leap off the wall, landing on the grass and stumbling as she runs through the main building. She had to find Claude, and fast.
She finally spots him, talking to Byleth atop the Goddess Tower. Leonie’s throat burns as she stops just before them and tries to catch her breath. “Professor! Claude! We’re under attack!”
Claude has already turned to her, but between Leonie’s gulps for breath, he didn’t catch what she said. “I guess we’ll have to cut our conversation short. What’s going on, Leonie?”
Leonie tries to form sentences around the panic in her chest. “It’s a small group, but some Imperial troops are headed this way. It looks like they were stationed nearby.”
“I’ve got to hand it to Edelgard. Nothing gets past that woman.” Claude looks tired, irritated, and as anxious as Leonie feels. No one really anticipated the war coming to them, and this soon. Byleth mumbles some words in agreement, and the two make quick work of assembling their forces, Knights of Serios included.
Leonie’s in the front lines, as usual. She doesn’t get much of an opportunity to let her thoughts wander, but she knows Lorenz’s location all the while, like it's something she can’t help but do. The battle is grueling, the Imperial troops outnumber them and they have to spread their troops out wide to keep up their defense of the monastery’s entrances. Leonie ends up heading out far to pick off pegasus knights with her bow before they get a chance to scale the walls.
Claude has something planned, as usual, so when he gives the signal, the field goes up in flames and engulfs the enemy troops. Its gruesome but necessary, any longer and every one of them would have passed out from exhaustion at some point. When they’re all walking unsteadily back into the monastery, Leonie catches sight of Lorenz. She knows something is off, especially when he tries to side-step her and hide his injuries.
“Lorenz. Let me see it.” She holds out her hand expectantly but Lorenz just stares. She sighs, reaching for his arm and turning it gently in her grasp. Leonie gasps when she sees the gash that runs up the back of his hand. It isn’t that deep but she can’t be sure if the tendons are all in working order.
"It’s only a scratch, Leonie. I’m all right," Lorenz says, but he winces when he tries to flex the muscles in his hand.
Leonie keeps his hand over hers and supports its weight while she searches her clothes with the other. “One mistake like that in battle and you’re done. This is your weapon hand, isn’t it? Let me stop the blood.”
Lorenz stares silently, his eyes transfixed on the spot where their hands are touching as Leonie turns a glass bottle over his wounds as a cleanser. "Apologies for the trouble," he says softly, watching Leonie's face.
"No trouble," she doesnt look up, and doesn’t even react as the fluid mixed with Lorenz’s blood runs down over her hand and arm that’s holding him. She must really care, Lorenz thinks. “And no apologies. ‘Thanks’ is what you say when a friend helps you out."
Lorenz lets out a soft sigh. As much as he tries to keep their discussion delicate lately, Leonie is great at reminding him of how he truly feels. However, the discussion of their relationship often lead to disagreements. He wouldn’t mind it now, needing the distraction, but even Leonie must realize that things were changing between them.
“Ah, darn…” Lorenz blinks as Leonie keeps searching her clothing and sighing in frustration.
“What’s wrong?” He asks.
Leonie looks like she almost doesn't want to say anything, catching her lip in between her teeth and nibbling at it before she speaks. “I need a bandage to stop the bleeding, but this is all I’ve got.” She holds up the small folded material for Lorenz to see.
“My handkerchief.” It’s more of a statement than anything.
“I was only carrying it around to give back to you, anyway. Mind if I use it for this?” She says it guiltily and Lorenz thinks they both see the irony and double meaning in it now. Giving it back to him now seems to make her slightly sad, even if she was always determined to give it back.
“Very well. I suppose that’s fitting, in a way.”
"I guess so. Not that I’m happy you’re bleeding." Leonie can't help the small smile from growing on her face though, as she wraps the fabric around his hand, finally. "I am glad you’ll accept it though. In the past, you might have refused it," she says with a pointed look.
“Yes. I might have made it an issue of commoners giving aid to the nobility, or some such.”
“I didn’t understand why you were so strict about it, but I think I kind of get it now.” Leonie meets his eyes briefly as she's figuring out a way to secure the wrapping. “You know, if every noble were like you, the world would be a better place.”
Lorenz chuckles lightly. “Perhaps. But you were right. Many great deeds are accomplished by friends working together,” he pauses like he’s considering something carefully. “Especially when those friends are as capable as you.”
“Me?” Leonie pauses and looks up at him now.
Lorenz nods and takes a breath before he continues. “I hope this is not the first time I have told you this, Leonie, but you are an exceptional individual. By insisting on matters of status in dealing with you, I have done you a terrible disservice.” He smiles and reaches out to place his other hand on top of hers. "For that, please accept my apology. Let us promise to look out for one another, as friends, from now on."
Leonie scoffs, they were obviously past this kind of formality by now. “No need for vows. That’s how I’ve always seen it. You weren’t wrong about nobles and commoners each having their own roles,” she admits. “But the important thing is we help each other.”
Lorenz takes his free hand back and brushes his hair behind his ear. But this time when he does it, it almost looks like a nervous tick. Maybe it always was one. His palm feels sweaty in hers and his voice is more hushed than usual. He swallows before he speaks. “That is precisely what being friends with you has helped me to understand...”
Leonie wonders why he’s acting so strange suddenly, when another person with heavy injuries is rushed past the two. She winces and doesn’t have to imagine what pain would make someone groan that way. She realizes then that Lorenz was saying something and was now studying her face. “Huh? Sorry, what did you say?”
Lorenz laughs, shaking his head slightly. “I said, I hope we’ll always give each other support.”
His hand twitches slightly under hers and she realizes that she was still holding it. “S-sorry!” she says, dropping her arms to her sides.
“It’s quite alright,” Lorenz says softly, studying his hand now wrapped in the handkerchief. "I shall retire to my quarters now. Thank you, Leonie.”
Once again, Leonie is left standing in Lorenz's wake. He’s moving slowly this time, though, so maybe she’ll catch up, she thinks as she jogs in the direction he went. She finds him on the secluded path between the stairs to the dining hall and the pond.
“Lorenz.”
He turns and Leonie is right there, startling Lorenz and he shifts so he won't stumble backward. Leonie studies his face for any reaction as she takes his injured hand slowly and holds it up between them. His arm is stiff, both for fear that it’ll pain him if he bends it in any way, and also because he’s unsure of what Leonie intends to do with it.
When Leonie is certain that his hand is secured and safely cradled in hers, she leans forward and touches her lips to his. This time, its Lorenz who moves, placing his free hand against her cheek and deepening the kiss. It's all Leonie can do to keep her hands unclenched over his as he steps closer and molds his lips to hers, as it sends tingles up her back and throughout her body. Lorenz's fingers brush against her skin comfortingly and as if he's memorizing the details of her face. When the kiss breaks, Leonie's eyes follow the tear trailing down Lorenz's face before she realizes they're both crying.
The sudden absence of Lorenz's warmth in her hand made her realize something. She wanted more than the arguments over helping each other as friends. In fact, she didn’t want to be friends at all.
Lorenz’s voice is low, and his eyes look like dancing lights when the light catches on the tears in them. "Perhaps you know this now, but I'll say it aloud for your ears. I love you."
Leonie nods, squeezing her eyes closed and more tears are forced out. “I love you,” she places a feather-like kiss to the unmarred part of his fingertips. “I-I was so scared…”
Lorenz pulls her into his chest in an embrace, like he’s always wanted to do to comfort her. He wraps his arms around her back, a light touch with his right while his left hand rubs small circles against her as she sobs. “I know, Leonie… I’ve felt much the same watching you head into battle. I would tell you not to, but I fear my wishes must come secondary to our plight.” He lets his chin rest against the crown of her hair and sighs. “It comforts me at least to know we can fight together, no matter the outcome.”
Leonie makes a noise of agreement and relaxes into him. She knows she smells of blood, her skin is sticky, and they’re both exhausted, but she doesn’t want to think about those things right now. She just needs to know that he’s safe, that he’s there.
Leonie breaks the silence after an indeterminable amount of time. “So, are you gonna tell me what it means?” Lorenz looks down at Leonie quizzically, so Leonie nods toward his makeshift bandage. “The handkerchief.”
Lorenz answers with a laugh, and she feels the rumble in his chest against her skin. “Nevermind that old thing, Leonie.”
He looks like he's considering something, then he takes Leonie's cheek in his hand again, tilting her face upwards and placing a chaste kiss on her lips. When he pulls back, his face stays close to hers as he murmurs. “When this war is over, I will replace it with something better.”