Finé and Izetta reacting to their first kiss, or first date?
[[Thank you for this ask anon! And I apologize for the utterly abysmal wait time. I hope you all like this! I’d love to help keep this fandom going.]]
The sun hadn’t quite risen yet. Fog, rather than people, filled the streets, a fact which hardly caught Finé by surprise–the early autumn wind seemed to effortlessly pass through her several layers and chill her right to the bone. The fact that she was walking probably helped, but…
“I’m fine,” Izetta said with a laugh. She turned back to look at Finé, who could feel heat rising to her cheeks–her attempt to check on Izetta unnoticed had clearly failed. She was leaning to the side, obviously trying to look around Izetta to make sure all of the blankets on her lap were intact, and that none had been caught in the spokes of the wheelchair.
“If you say so. I won’t hesitate to lend you my coat, though.” Izetta’s singsong giggle rang through the air once more. “I’m serious!” retorted Finé with false indignance, though she could hardly be angry with such a sweet sound in her ears.
The morning’s silence resumed; aside from the rare chirping bird, the only sound was Izetta’s wheelchair rolling across the cobblestones. Bianca and Adele were surely nearby as well, but the royal guards’ presence was easy to forget–their silence was a honed skill, after all, and there was no lack of hiding places.
The heart of Landsbruck boasted establishments of all sorts: tailors, inns, restaurants, concert halls, art galleries… Of course, at this hour, the shop windows functioned better as mirrors, what with their interiors dark and empty.
Elvira had made all sorts of suggestions before they’d set out this morning. What to wear, where to go, what to eat, who to see… but this time, Finé simply refused with a smile, recalling how her tutor’s involvement made Izetta uncomfortable before. She appreciated Elvira’s enthusiasm, of course, but Finé was sure that she could take care of their plans. This time, it wasn’t about Eylstadt, it wasn’t about Ortfiné Fredericka or the White Witch Reborn. Today was about Finé and Izetta, two girls in love.
“Tell me if you see anything you like,” Finé said softly.
“Now? I’m not sure if that's…”
“We might–we’ll be back soon enough.”
“Right!” Izetta responded, apparently ignoring the implications of the other girl’s mistake.
Finé breathed a small sigh of relief at Izetta’s cheerful tone. She wanted today to be perfect, or as close to perfect as was possible, and she cursed herself for nearly ruining everything before the day had even begun. They would be back. Together. She would make sure of it. They would be back, in broad daylight, enjoying themselves like any other couple in Eylstadt, with no more pressing worries than which shops to visit or what desserts to eat.
However convenient it might have been, Finé would not have Izetta hidden away for the rest of her life. The war had made their circumstances difficult–the world thought Izetta was dead, but… It would work, damn it–they would work. Finé would make sure of it. Izetta, of all people, deserved that much. She would do anything to keep Izetta safe, but nothing could convince Finé that keeping her love hidden was the only way.
“Finé? It’ll be alright.”
Izetta was looking back at Finé, her brow furrowed with concern. A part of her regretted making Izetta worry, but her gratitude far outweighed the guilt. It might have come across as empty reassurances from anyone else, but with those few words, Finé’s heart began to slow. She breathed deeply, crisp air filling her lungs, and felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she watched her breath turn to fog in the cold. Only around Izetta could she truly let her guard down, could she truly confess her fears, her insecurities… for all the time she spent years ago calling her “princess”, Izetta never seemed to care about whatever title Finé possessed at the time.
“Um, also, we sort of… passed Kirsch Baum…”
“What?!” Finé turned around, and sure enough, the bakery was a dozen paces behind them. But when she looked back at Izetta, her apology died on her lips. She was greeted with the most wonderful sight–a smile she knew well and loved dearly. A smile that she knew from experience was infectious. She couldn’t help but grin as she turned Izetta around, their laughter filling the desolate street.
It had been ages since she’d seen the gardens–and never had she been there during autumn. There weren’t quite so many flowers as usual, but the changing leaves were every bit as colorful. The trees along their path looked to be ablaze, every leaf a more vibrant hue than the last.
But no matter how beautiful the foliage, it hardly compared to her present company.
Izetta and Finé had stopped in a pavilion of sorts, illuminated by the ardent rays of the setting sun. No roof hid the sky from view, but intricate trellises had been arranged in a circle, forming a wall of flora broken only by the small gap from which they’d entered. At its center stood a small table with a single chair at the far end.
Izetta didn’t recognize the table. It wasn’t as if she’d memorized every piece of furniture in the palace–there was far too much–but she thought this particular piece might have been made with her in mind. It was a bit lower than one might expect, but its height allowed her to remain situated in her wheelchair, hence the single chair for Finé. Even that was a bit more stout than others she’d seen.
Once the pair settled in, Izetta found herself smiling.
“It’s a lovely view, isn’t it?” Finé asked with a smile of her own.
“Well…” Finé cocked her head to the side. Izetta felt heat rising to her cheeks. “I was just… thinking about how nice it is to see you like this. I usually have to look up.” Her smile grew wider, seemingly of its own accord. “I guess I was appreciating the view, after all.”
Finé’s short laugh was as contagious as ever. After a moment, though, her expression darkened. “Does it bother you? I had the table made to fit your chair, I never even… I hadn’t realized–”
“Whenever we’re together–whenever I have the chance to see you–I’m far too happy to be bothered by something like that.”
With that, Finé’s smile returned… but this sort of smile was usually reserved for others–heads of state, visiting dignitaries, even trusted advisors. An elegant curve of the lips, nothing more. Izetta knew that that wasn’t what happiness looked like on Finé. Her eyes didn’t sparkle, for one. Her nose didn’t wrinkle–even the tips of Finé’s ears had turned red once she realized that Izetta noticed, having mistaken Izetta’s delighted giggle for anything but adoration. The early days of their relationship had been full of moments like that–learning the little things about each other, since a war looming overhead had robbed them of such opportunities before. A war with consequences for which Finé still clearly blamed herself, even though Izetta had fought willingly.
“Fighting for Eylstadt gave me a purpose, you know.” Finé frowned and bowed her head, looking anywhere but at Izetta. “After Grandma died, I was always running, and then I was captured, and…” she took a deep breath, reaching across the table to take Finé’s hands into her own. Finally their gazes met once again. “A lot of bad things happened, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I was happier than I’d ever been since the day we met.”
This wasn’t the first time she’d said something like this, and so Finé’s response was little more than an echo–unchanging, hollow, quieter and less certain each time. “But you didn’t deserve to be hurt. You deserved better than this, and I…”
This time the echo was cut short by a long breath as Finé closed her eyes.
“And I will not burden you with this yet again." She let out a heavy sigh as she stood, and made her way around the table until she stood right before Izetta. "It may be selfish of me, but I'm just glad you're alive. I... I don't know what I would do without you. I think I'll always carry that guilt with me, but no price is too great if it means you'll be here." She knelt down, apparently caring not at all for the dirt underfoot that would surely soil her dress, and wrapped her arms softly around Izetta, resting her head against the other girl's chest.
Izetta wrapped her arms around Finé in turn, and she could not have said how long they stayed like that. It would have been paradise, she thought, to simply remain that way forever--holding Finé in her arms, breathing in the scent of her soft, golden hair, slowly stroking her back and merely existing with the one she loved most in this world. The use of her legs, she thought silently, was a small price to pay for this happiness that had once been completely unknown to her.
After a blissful stretch of time, they disentangled themselves with all the haste of a billowy cloud creeping its way across a midsummer sky. Finé looked up at her, still crouching, their faces a hair's breadth apart.
“Do you mind if I…” Finé trailed off, her words carried away by the cool autumn breeze.
It was a rare thing indeed to see the Archduchess of Eylstadt lose her nerve.
She moved backward and started to stand, but before she could pull away further, Izetta brought her hand up to Finé’s cheek, catching a few golden locks in the process. The world itself seemed to stop in that moment–purple eyes widened to meet Izetta’s, matching her own surprise. They’d shared a kiss once, on the eve of her battle with Sophie–a single happy night in the midst of war–but it seemed like eons ago. For all the happiness it had brought her at the time, the memory now brought with it pain as well. That kiss had been a farewell to the girl she loved so dearly. She had been so sure that she would never return…
Izetta brought her lips to Finé’s. They were soft, just like before, and warm, just like before, and sweeter than any pie in the world, just like before. But now there were no tears welling in her eyes; she did not ache with the strain of the Magic Stone. Now she felt light, and giddy, and with a start she realized that this was the closest thing to magic she’d ever felt since giving up her power.
When she finally leaned back, she opened her eyes to see Finé staring, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Finé caught her intentions even before she’d uttered a word.
“You’re braver than I am.” Though tears had begun to roll down her cheeks, Finé laughed. “I know you hate to make me cry–oh, Izetta,” she sighed, bringing a hand up to cup Izetta’s face, “don’t worry. Right now, I’m happier than I can ever remember,” she sniffed, wiping her tears with her other hand. “You’re here, and you’re safe, and–”
“And I love you,” Izetta blurted out, “Finé.”
“And I love you, Izetta.” Finé’s kiss was shorter, but just as heartfelt. She wrapped her arms around Izetta, the same way she had in another life, on a frigid mountaintop beneath the moon. This time, Izetta thought, she wasn’t sure Finé would ever let go–but this time, she’d never need to. “Always.”
