Title: Seize the Moment
Characters/Pairing: Yuri Leclerc/Ashe Ubert
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: None
Notes: Azure Gleam route. Post-story, spoilers apply.

--

“I’m not letting you go,” Yuri replied tartly, hands on his hips. “King Dimitri has tons of knights. Let them hunt down some of those creeps still haunting what’s left of the Empire. I’m getting sick of him always coming to you for all these missions—for someone who doesn’t want to let his friends get hurt, he sure loves putting them in danger.” When Ashe still wouldn’t say anything, he decided to add, “Besides, as the Lord of the Underworld, I have officially kidnapped you.”

“It’s sweet that you’re worried.” Ashe, damn him, refused to rise to his bait. He simply smiled at Yuri as he tightened his bowstring. “But you and I both know that a traditionally trained knight isn’t the best choice in this choice. Prime Minister von Ochs has reason to believe someone is targeting the former Emperor while she’s still recovering—and we need to reconcile with what’s left of the Empire after the Kingdom sort of broke away from the Church.” He shrugged. “He needs someone that can sneak in, take out the assassin if needed, and then make it so the Prime Minister saved the day on her own. That’ll secure her some much needed good PR and soften her feelings for the Kingdom. That’ll give us a much-needed ally.”

Yuri really wanted to argue some more, but Ashe had a point. The Kingdom had not officially stopped supporting the Central Church—but it had opted for a more neutral position when Claude (now King Claude) started his war of words/occasional border skirmish with Rhea. King Dimitri’s refusal to fight another war for Rhea had led her to not openly undermine his authority—she was too pragmatic for that—but start suggesting to some of the disgruntled Kingdom nobles that the Central Church was more aligned with their values than the King, even attempting to mend bridges with the Western Church to secure a foothold in Kingdom politics again. She had suffered setbacks, but had enjoyed enough successes—a noble donating their money to the Central Church rather than the Kingdom here, another one conveniently having a ‘vision’ and begging the King to submit to the Goddess’s will rather than the ‘cruel King Claude’ there—that it was clear that King Dimitri needed all the support he could get. Asking the former Empire (now called the Ardrestian Union these days, which despite its chaotic status did enjoy the rarity of commoners choosing their minister alongside nobles) was a bold move, but all King Dimitri had left at this point were bold moves.

Yuri tossed his cloak over his shoulder as dramatically as he could. “Fine. Die nobly or whatever because you love justice more than me. See if I care. I never needed anyone. I’m fine with dying alone. In fact, I prefer it. Fewer people weeping over me or whatever. I don’t want salt in my hair before they bury me.”

Ashe gave him a stern look. “Yuri.”

He hated that after two years of being together, Ashe could now dispel his darker feelings with only a look. That, of course, left him with only being vulnerable. “I’m tired of you nearly getting killed on these damned missions,” he finally said out loud. “And yes, I know I do the same thing—and that you don’t like it when I risk my life. But…”

Ashe stood up, playing with Yuri’s ponytail. “But?” He prompted gently.

“It’s different with you. It’s always different with you.” This was going to sound dramatic, but he lived for that, so. “Even the Lord of the Underworld needs a guiding light. No pressure, babe, but that’s you.”

“Well, a guiding light needs shadows to rest in after their work is done,” Ashe said before he kissed Yuri. And damn, but it was so hard not to cry at that. “But I’m not going to die. You know I have people who need me to care for them.”

“If anything happened to you, I would protect your siblings for the rest of their lives,” Yuri swore.

“I know. And you’re already doing so much for them.” Ashe kissed him again. “But I need to as well. So, I promise I’ll come back to them and you.”

“Okay.” It was hard to believe that. He had lost too many people in his life to believe that. But he had to now, or he couldn’t bear it. He needed Ashe. And perhaps it was time to formalize that.

Yuri pulled away. “Hold on.” He rummaged in a desk drawer, finding the pendant he had bought but hadn’t had the courage to offer until now. He placed the simple piece of jewelry on the drawer, then took a small knife. After only a moment’s hesitation, he cut off a lock of his hair.

Ashe blinked in surprise as Yuri placed the lock in the pendant, then offered it to him. “I don’t know what to say. I know how you feel about your hair.”

Yuri flipped his now only slightly marred tresses in agreement. “Very true. But if you’re coming back alive, you’ll need a good luck charm, friend.”

“Thanks.” Ashe smiled at him warmly. Then his face fell as he realized something. “I don’t have anything for you.”

Yuri gave him a wink. “Come back alive. That’s all I need.”

--

They didn’t make love that night. They never did before Ashe went on missions. He needed his energy for the difficult days ahead. Instead, Ashe spooned him like he always did.

“Hey, Ashe?”

“Hm?” Ashe’s voice was muddled with sleep.

“… Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell you when you get back.”

--

As Ashe predicted, the work Yuri threw himself into to try to forget Ashe was in danger was perilous. It wasn’t as intense as trying to stop an assassin, but the shitty nobles he was stealing from would have no qualms with sticking a sword in his gut if they caught him. Luckily for him, he was too good for things to come to that. Ashe was as well, but…

The mission was taking longer than Ashe had predicted. That had happened before. Yuri’s best spies in Enbarr had not heard anything. That had also happened before. But like always, the fear that Ashe would leave him, nothing left but a name in Yuri’s book, ate at his soul as always.

It was dark, but the moon was so bright he needed no lantern. Yuri’s only companions were the barren winter trees. So, he felt safe enough to whisper to himself that he should have told Ashe.

“Tell me what?”

Yuri managed to stop himself from making a comment about ghosts as he pretended to not be surprised that Ashe had snuck up on him. Still, he took Ashe’s face in his hands, just to play it safe. Yep, he was real. “I thought you were on a mission.”

“And I completed it.” Ashe smiled at him like it was normal to go from assassinating assassins in the still impressive Enbarr to then sneaking into what remained of Rowe territory and surprising one’s boyfriend. “Edelgard’s doing much better, by the way. Her memory’s still foggy, but she knew I was the kid who liked reading and baking back at school. I could see the relief on the Prime Minister’s face when she said that.”

“That’s fantastic, but I’m more worried about you.” Yuri pinched Ashe’s cheeks gently, just to double check. “Are you hurt? I can heal you. If you’re hungry, I have some dried berries on me.”

“Oh, Yuri.” Ashe’s eyes were so vividly green that Yuri couldn’t look away. “You’re an angel, you know that?”

“Pfft. I think that might be the first time someone’s called me that.”

“It’s true. And I’ll take you up on those berries.” After Yuri gave him a handful, Ashe nibbled as they began walking home. “It did get pretty intense sometimes. You know that pendant you gave me? With the lock of your hair?”

“Yes?” Yuri said in a neutral tone.

Ashe smiled at him. “Being able to see part of you in those three moments I had to myself kept me from panicking. So, thanks.”

“I’m glad. But there was another reason I gave you the pendant.”

“Oh.” Ashe’s smile was just a little bit mischievous as he pieced it together. “Does that have anything to do with what you were going to tell me?”

It was time to be honest, for once. Besides, he suspected Ashe already knew. “It was part of my plan to propose marriage to you, but I got scared that if I asked you right before a mission, I’d be tempting fate, and you’d get your butt killed… Ashe?”

Okay, Ashe had not already known. Not if he was gazing at Yuri, eyes wide. Yuri was about to play it off as a joke—but Ashe was smiling again. “I wish you’d told me, Yuri. You’re supposed to both exchange gifts when you get engaged.”

Yuri pulled Ashe close to him as they began walking home. “Like I said before, you being alive is more than enough of a gift for me. Hey, Mercedes is in town. I bet she’d marry us first thing in the morning.”

Ashe pretended to frown. “I was hoping to at least invite our loved ones, but you never know what tomorrow will bring. When it comes to you, Yuri, I want to seize the moment.”

--

Final Notes: The argument Yuri and Ashe have in the beginning was inspired by a scene in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where Jadzia Dax gets understandably mad when her boyfriend (and eventual husband) Worf goes on a super dangerous mission without telling her beforehand. Also, I think Jadzia/Worf and Yuri/Ashe would have some interesting double dates. Jadzia and Yuri are similar in temperament, so it can go really well or really poorly lol.