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The Truth Shall Set You Free	By : lissatyger Category: +A through F > Fire Emblem (all) > Fire Emblem (all) Views: 4973 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Title:
The Truth Shall Set You Free

Author: Moontyger

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Ike/Soren

Other Characters: Titania, Tanith,
Elincia

Warning: Yes, this is yaoi, but if
you know the characters, you should know that.

Disclaimer: I own neither Fire
Emblem nor any of the characters and I am making no profit off
this story.

It didn't take Ike long to notice the same thing Soren had:
everyone knew about them. He saw the looks; heard the whispers.
Naturally he was embarrassed, but he refused to let himself care.
Much. And he is determined that no one else will see his
embarrassment. Let people talk; they had done nothing wrong!

Ike may be the general in charge of
this army, but he is also approachable, much more so than Soren.
More than that, he has friends. So it doesn't surprise him that,
with the gossip about his new bed partner all over the army, most of
the Greil Mercenaries feel the need to tease him about it at some
point during the day. At least Oscar seems genuinely happy for him.
Rhys does, too, insisting that Ike needs some happiness and he is
glad he found it.

Titania, on the other hand, is not
pleased. But then, she never has liked Soren and has particularly
come to dislike him now that they are co-advisors. “Really,
Ike,” she said, “I thought you had better taste. And
what were you thinking, taking a lover so openly anyway? Don't you
care about the effect it will have on army morale and respect for
your command? Honestly, Soren should know better, too, and I would
have thought he would be the first to lecture you about creating a
bad impression.”

“It does sound like something he
would say,” Ike admitted. “But then that is all the more
reason I am surprised to hear you say it. That's not like you.”

Titania looked somewhat abashed at
this. “No, I suppose it isn't. I just don't think this is a
very good idea. Not here, not now, and probably not ever.”

Ike was amused at this. “And
when has thinking ever had anything to do with sex? Or love, for
that matter?”

“You should still think about
it, before it is too late. Maybe I am too biased to see the
situation clearly, but-”

Ike interrupted her. “You are.
And it is too late. Just accept it or don't; either way, my
love life is not up for debate, nor is it something on which I need
your advice.” He sounded angry because he was. Damn Titania
anyway! He was finally happy for the first time in a long time and
she wanted to take that away from him because she didn't like his
lover? What did she expect of him?

“Fine. But I don't think this
is what your father would have wanted for you.” Titania strode
off somewhere, clearly in a snit. Ike watched her go and pondered
her parting words. Was she right?

He thought about it for a long time
and really couldn't come up with an answer. The truth was, Greil had
never really talked much with him about sex or relationships and he
had no idea what he would have thought. It was true that in this,
Titania had known his father better. But it was still possible that
her emotions were clouding her judgment. Wouldn't his father have
wanted him to be happy? And Greil had always liked Soren and valued
his opinion, not to mention encouraged his friendship with Ike, so
why would he have disapproved? It bothers him that he isn't sure.

Ike can't help but wonder what his
sister thinks. Surely she has heard by now; everyone else has, but
he hasn't seen her all day. He hopes she isn't upset about it, too.
Maybe Mist is just too embarrassed to discuss it with him. Despite
their long friendship, Boyd certainly seems to be. He keeps seeing
him try to approach from the corner of his eye, and then flushing and
turning away awkwardly every time he is almost close enough to
actually talk to him.

Ike sighs. Hopefully he will get over
it in time, and Titania and possibly Mist, too. Because the truth
is, while he might think about their opinions and even care about
them, he wasn't going to change his mind on this. All he has to do
is think about last night, or even this morning, waking to find Soren
cuddled against him, and he knows he won't leave him anytime soon.

No one else really bothered him about
it until they had set up camp that night. Then Tanith came to the
command tent and made it clear they needed to have a serious talk
about the gossip amongst the troops. Ike sighed, but complied. He
couldn't blow Tanith off the way he had Titania; the troops from
Begnion were just too important. He didn't want to have this
discussion and especially not now, when he hadn't seen Soren all day,
but he has a strong sense of duty, so he sits down and prepares to
listen.

“Of course,” she began,
“You have to know this looks bad. Any relationship would, but
especially one with someone who is not only one of your chief
advisors but also your staff officer.”

“How so? He had both those
positions before this; had them under my father, in fact.”

Tanith sighed. “This is exactly
the problem. Soren is the one who should be in here telling you
this, but he is too involved to do it. People are going to worry
that it will affect the advice he gives you; that he will tell you
what he thinks you want to hear. Or that you are more likely to take
his advice, even if it is not what you should be doing. And they'll
worry about you being overprotective of him in battle and making bad
decisions because of it. I worry about these things, so I know
others will, too.”

Ike thought about it. “Only
those who don't know him well will worry about the first concern.
Other than about our relationship, he would never change his advice
to make me happy. It is too important to him to give good, honest
advice for him to lie to me about what he really thinks. As far as
being more likely to take his advice, once again, I would think
people who know me would know better than that. I am my own man and
I will make up my own mind, no matter how I feel about the person
giving me advice.”

Tanith gave him an appraising look and
he met her eyes squarely. “You are probably right about both,
but troop morale and opinion is important, so you'll need to work on
making sure everyone in this army knows these things, not just those
who know the two of you well.”

He sighs. He tries to make sure he
spends time with every one of his troops so they know and trust him
as much as possible, but it isn't easy and right now, he doesn't
really want to take the time. Dammit, he had just begun this
relationship and he wanted to spend every waking moment with his new
love, but circumstances seem to be dictating that he will hardly see
him. But he knows Tanith is probably right and further, he knows
Soren will understand, even if it isn't what either of them wants.
“I'll do my best. I already try to make sure my troops know me
and find me accessible and I will ensure that continues.”

“You should try and have Soren
make more of an effort to be accessible as well, although it may not
be easy for him. It will help if they know both of you, not just
you. And the last concern?” Tanith wasn't about to let him
off the hook. Maybe Ike hadn't wanted this position, but since he
was in it, she expected him to do the best job possible. People's
lives depended on his decisions.

Ike thinks about it. The idea of
losing Soren, a loss for which he would feel responsible, is
horrible. He would be devastated, but he also knows the mage can
take care of himself. Nor is his the only life for which he is
responsible and none of the others should be less precious. “All
I can do is be aware of the problem and promise I will do my best not
to let my feelings affect my decisions. I'll have a better idea how
much of a problem it will or won't be after our next battle, which I
am sure will be soon. The Daeins are surely not going to let us
march through their entire country without more fighting!”

Tanith nodded. “Fair enough. I
will speak with you about it more then.”

“Besides,” Ike grinned at
her, “I can't imagine Soren letting me try to protect him in
battle any more than usual. He isn't the kind of person who would
accept being treated as less than competent, particularly when I
should know better.”

Tanith smiled back at him, seeming
pleased by his responses. “I am glad you are sensible about
this. You're still young, so I feared you would be completely
unreasonable where your emotions and hormones are concerned. I feel
much more at ease after this conversation.”

“I may be young, but I really do
take this position seriously. People depend on me and I won't let
them down if I can help it.”

“Then there is just one last
thing.” Tanith bit her lip and looked away, before meeting
Ike's eyes again. “Maybe I shouldn't say this, but you should
make your choice with your eyes open. You do know what you are
giving up by choosing this relationship, right?”

Ike is honestly confused. “Maybe
I don't, because I'm not sure I know what you mean.”

She sighs. “I was afraid of
this. Ike... when this war is over... you could very easily be the
next King of Crimea, if you wanted.”

“WHAT?!?” He is utterly
shocked; the idea had never entered his mind. He takes a moment to
gather his thoughts and then asks in a lower voice, “What do
you mean?”

“As the general who liberates
the country, it would be very easy to take the throne by popular
accolade and the army would give you the powerbase to do it. And
further... did you not notice how Elincia feels about you? Taking it
by marriage to the princess would be even easier.”

Ike flushed. The princess... and him?
He'd never even considered it. Why would a princess want to have
anything to do with the mere son of a mercenary commander? And being
king... nothing had been further from his mind. “I... I never
noticed. And I never meant to give her any encouragement to think
that way about me. I didn't....” He pauses again to think.
“King? I didn't even want to be a noble at all; I certainly
have no desire to be King! I'd be a terrible King. I'm no good at
politics or diplomacy on my own!”

Tanith laughs. “That's probably
true, but you wouldn't be expected to do it without advisors.”
She stands and just looks at him for a long moment. “Anyway, I
thought you should know and think about it. It isn't too late to
change your mind. If you really wanted to, you two could work
something out on the side, though it seems hard on Elincia. But
you'd hardly be the first monarch or noble with a lover other than
your spouse. Marriage amongst the nobility is rarely for love.”

Ike shakes his head. “I don't
think I could do that. And I doubt I'll change my mind. But thank
you for your honesty. I will do my best to live up to my
responsibilities.”

After she leaves, he sits and just
thinks for a few moments, stunned. Him, a king. It is a hard
concept to try to wrap his brain around. Then he gives himself a
mental shake and goes off to find Soren. He doesn't really want to
be a king after all, and he does want to see the man he loves, so
what does he really have to think about?

* * *

Ike finds Soren in his tent, hard at
work on the endless paperwork that seemed to be involved with running
an army. He is frowning and running a hand through his hair
distractedly, but he looks up and smiles when he sees Ike. “I'm
sorry I hadn't made it over to see you yet. I'd just gotten caught
up in all of this and I hadn't really gotten much work done last
night...” Despite his words, he looks pleased that Ike has
sought him out and he puts down the paper in his hand readily enough.

Ike closes the distance between them
swiftly, feeling almost as if he flew, and then he has pulled Soren
out of his chair and is kissing him desperately. He feels
lightheaded when he finally breaks the kiss and nearly falls onto the
bedding. Soren sits beside him more gracefully than Ike had managed
and takes his hand, caressing the palm gently, tracing the lines of
it. It makes him shiver and Soren smiles shyly, an expression he is
certain no other has ever seen on his face, and pulls the hand up and
begins slowly sucking on his fingers, one at a time. Ike moans
softly and feels himself harden at the sensation. He meets the ruby
eyes that are looking at him so knowingly and so lustfully and loses
control.

It has been a long, hard day full of
confusing emotions and it seems like he hasn't seen his new lover in
forever. He can't help himself (although to be honest, he isn't
trying very hard) and he practically tackles Soren and starts ripping
clothes off him.

Soren laughs and grabs his hands.
“Wait, wait, let me do that. I might need these again.”
They both know Ike could easily break his grip, but he accepts the
rebuke and lets the mage remove his robes in a more careful manner,
watching hungrily. Then he removes his own clothes as fast as he
physically can before crawling into bed beside him and holding him
tightly.

“I missed you,” he says
and is surprised at the tightness in his throat as he says it. Had
he really been so afraid that he was going to lose him? Maybe he had
been and just hadn't admitted it to himself. It's not like a
relationship with him doesn't come with a lot of baggage, as the
conversation with Tanith had so forcibly reminded him, and he knew
the gossip must have been hard on Soren as well.

“I missed you, too,” Soren
replies softly. For a moment he lowered his gaze, then he looked up
again, staring intently into the sapphire eyes that seemed to promise
so much. “I'm... glad you still want me. I was afraid you'd
change your mind.”

“Never. I told you I loved you,
and I do. I won't let circumstances or the opinion of anyone else
take you from me. I am yours as long as you desire it.” Ike
kissed him again, determined to prove the truth of his words.
Tongues twined around each other and breathing quickened and it was a
long while before either of them was really thinking again.

Ike looks at the man in bed with him
longingly and can't stop himself from running his hands all over him,
caressing and teasing. His skin is so soft and smooth and beautiful
to his eyes and to his touch. He is amazed that he can feel this way
about anyone as he tastes the vulnerable pale neck that is so
temptingly near his lips, then lets his mouth roam freely, pleased at
the sounds he elicits from Soren. “Let me make love to you,”
he whispers, and is gratified to hear his lover whimper with desire
before replying.

“Yes,” Soren says, and
that is all Ike needs to hear. He pays more attention now to where
his hands and mouth go, concentrating solely on giving pleasure. He
wants his love-making to show Soren how much he treasures him. Words
really aren't enough and he hopes he will understand what Ike is
trying to say by worshiping his body with his own.

He feels the body beneath his
trembling with need, hips thrusting unconsciously, and smiles
lasciviously. “Please,” Soren gasps, “take me...
now. I want you so much...” and his words trail off into a
moan as Ike slides already-lubricated fingers inside him carefully,
glad he had come prepared. He can hear the need that is more than
physical in Soren's voice and he longs to fulfill it for both of
them. It seems to take both forever and no time at all before he is
confident they are both ready and replaces his fingers with his
aching erection.

Perhaps because of the stress of the
day, it feels more intense than before. He is more conscious of the
intimacy of being actually inside his lover, almost part of him, and
he hears himself moaning words that can never really express the
incredible feeling, both physical and emotional. Soren seems to want
this just as much and moves under him desperately, hands on Ike's
hips, the nails digging into the skin. Ike knows neither of them
will last long, but it doesn't seem to matter, and his orgasm, when
he lets it come, is one of the most intense he can remember.

Afterwards, he feels exhausted, but
relieved, as though this had given him reassurance he desperately
needed. Soren, far more organized than Ike, produces a towel and
cleans them both before curling back up in Ike's arms.

They should really talk now, of
course. He has important things to say, about trying to be more
accessible so the troops will feel they can trust Soren to be Ike's
advisor as well as his lover, but he doesn't want to talk about
problems or responsibilities right now. Instead he pulls him close
and strokes his hair, pleased at the expression of absolute trust in
the red eyes he loves. At this moment, he feels certain he made the
right choice.

Soren's smile is almost heartbreaking,
it is so happy and he knows by comparison how sad and afraid he must
have been for all the years Ike had known him. “That,”
he says softly, “was incredible. I never dreamed it could be
like this. I am so glad you accepted my love.” For a moment,
his happiness seems clouded, then it is gone and Ike isn't sure he
had ever really seen it. “I never dreamed you really would.”

Ike's answering smile was ecstatic.
“I love you so very much, Soren. I'm sorry I made you wait so
long. But now that I have you, I won't leave you. Already, I can't
imagine being without you.” And it was true. He felt as
though a hole in his heart that he had never noticed had been filled.

Soren put out the lamp and they
snuggled together to sleep. Things were left unsaid, but both felt
that the really important matters had been settled. Everything else
can wait until morning.

* * *

It was raining outside, but
Elincia scarcely noticed, except that it helped to hide her tears.
She had heard the rumors that day, although some had thought to try
to keep them from her, and tonight, she had gone to find the truth of
them for herself. Now, she wished she hadn't. She had stood here in
the dark and damp listening to Ike make love and say all the words
she longed to hear, but not to her. She felt her heart would
shatter. He had never truly been hers, but oh, she had hoped.

She's not sure how long she
stands there after the tent she is watching goes dark and silent and
she knows they are asleep. Finally, she turns and walks away,
wishing she could forget this night had ever happened.
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The Truth Shall Set You Free