Title: Silver Ring
Fandom: Fire Emblem: Three Hopes
Characters/Pairing: Yuri/Ashe
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Spoilers for the Azure Gleam route. Canonical past illnesses, canonical familial death.
Notes: Takes place after Azure Gleam. Written for , the prompt is "loss of possessions."

“Okay,” Ashe conceded. His voice was hushed, but he could not keep the frustration from leaking into his tone. “You’re brilliant and I don’t always understand your logic right away. But stealing a trinket from a man twice your size? And he calls himself an ‘acolyte of the Death God Gang’? Yuri, this isn’t just reckless; it makes no business sense!” He would always hate how Yuri would willingly throw himself into danger. However, he understood that someone had to take those risks. But this? This was bravado at best and foolishness at worse. Yuri was too smart to make such decisions. Yet here they were, cowering in a cramped alley together in the dead of night after Yuri had irked a soldier by stealing back a small piece of jewelry that even Ashe could tell wasn’t worth much.

Yuri silently glared into the distance. If it was anyone else, Ashe would have just assumed that they made a mistake. But this was Yuri. There was always—always—a deeper reason behind his actions. That was one of the many reasons Ashe found him attractive (and annoying).

Ashe waited for Yuri to explain the small detail Ashe had missed. That it was enchanted and/or the key to a more fantastic treasure needed to help others. That he was on a secret mission for the Commander. Anything that would explain why they were waiting for the Death God Gang to find them and live up to their name.

Yuri remained silent.

“Yuri,” Ashe insisted quietly. “I can’t help you unless you tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s my mother’s ring.”

“What?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Yuri breathed. “Some chump thought he’d make a name for himself by stealing the ring on the Lord of the Underworld’s hand. Normally, that would never happen, but even Lords of the Underworld need to sleep, and the little shit figured out where and when I pass out. And yes, Ashe, I know it’s just an object. I don’t care. Go home if you don’t wanna die because I want to hold onto something no one cares about but me.”

Ashe had yet to meet Yuri’s mother. The war was wrapping up and her health was delicate. But he remembered how Yuri’s face would light up when he received a letter detailing her week… or go pale when she was reporting a health scare.

He also remembered how when the plague took his birth parents away, the knights refused to let him retrieve their rings, coats, or anything in the house. Everything had to be burnt to reduce the risk of the children catching the illness.

… Or how despite King Dimitri’s protests, the more ‘traditional’ lords won out, and Lonato’s body had been cremated unceremoniously as a traitor to the crown—as well as ransacking his castle. All the books and mementos were long gone, most likely war trophies for noble he had never met in his life. It was only because Seteth intervened that his siblings were safe in a church as far from the war as possible instead of being taken as prisoners. And it was only because Yuri, Catherine, and the Commander had saved his life that Ashe hadn’t been killed by the remainders of House Gaspard.

He'd lost so much and would never have a chance to get it back. Yuri, however, still had his chance.

“Now I understand,” Ashe whispered. It wasn’t wise to kiss your boyfriend when you were both fighting for your lives, but Yuri wasn’t the only one who led with his heart sometimes. “Let’s make sure they never touch her ring again.”

Yuri gazed at him, trying and failing to hide his confusion. “So, you’re not mad?”

“Not after learning your reasons.” Ashe held up a finger to his lips when they heard footfalls. He reached for an arrow while Yuri’s grip tightened on his sword. The men after them were highly skilled, but Yuri and Ashe fought dirty. Ashe would shoot their sword arms, then Yuri would stop them before they could recover. It was a tactic that had worked for them in the past countless times. They just had to stay quiet.

“Hey, Craig, I’m really glad we found this horse. We wouldn’t have been able to catch up with those punks if we hadn’t.”

Ashe could feel the blood drain from his face.

He glanced at Yuri—who was doing his infamous pre-sneeze glare. He mouthed, Can you hold it in?

Yuri shook his head miserably.

--

Craig of the Death God Gang was having a wonderful day. Yeah, the Lord of the Underworld had stolen that cheap ring back but he was going to get it back. And then all the bandits in the Kingdom would come flocking to his gang begging to sign up. He and Josh had the Lord and his scrawny shadow of a bodyguard on the run. All they had to do now was—

What was that muffled sound he had just heard?

“In the name of justice!” the scrawny shadow screamed as he shot them each in the shoulder with an arrow.

Out of all the things Craig noticed as they were bested and then arrested (apparently the shadow was also a knight), it was that despite the cold weather, the knightly shadow wore only one glove.

--

“I’m sorry for fighting with you earlier,” Ashe shouted over his shoulder so Yuri could hear. They were escorting the horse (a beautiful silvery mare) home. Thanks to Yuri’s allergies, he had to keep his distance. “If I had known why you wanted that ring back, I would have gotten it for you right away.”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that Ashe,” Yuri quipped, sounding only slightly stuffy. “If anything, I should apologize for getting your glove gross.”

Ashe shrugged. “I’ve done worse to survive.” Not that his plan to muffle Yuri’s sneeze had worked, but still. Yuri had survived and he had his mother’s ring back. That was what mattered.

“I’m also sorry about not telling you why I was chasing after that ring before it was almost too late.”

When Yuri sounded like that—somehow gentle and regretful at the same time like he was praying more than talking—Ashe knew he was being sincere. “Yuri, it’s fine.” He trusted the mare enough to leave her so he could approach Yuri. He took Yuri’s hand—pale, slim, adorned only with the silver band—in his own. “I’m not expecting you to trust me with every little thing. It takes time to bring down one’s walls, especially when you’re trying to build a life together.” There were things about himself he wasn’t sure he could tell anyone, even Yuri. Especially Yuri. It wasn’t going to stop him from trying.

The mare was munching on some grass. “Let’s take a break,” Ashe proposed. “If you want, you can tell me about your mother. Or just some more heavy-handed snark. Whichever you’re in the mood for.”

Yuri smirked, and to Ashe’s happy surprise, told him a little about his mother. Not much. Just some of her defining traits. She was bold and snarky, but also pious and always took care of those in need. She reminded him of Yuri. When Ashe stated that out loud, Yuri made a dismissive sound even as he blushed.

Any day where he understood Yuri better was a wonderful day for Ashe.