Title: Affinity
Author: Eralk Fang
Fandom: Fire Emblem 7
Rating: PG for Sain being Sain.
Summary: Sain explains his "curse" to Lucius. Vaguely slashy.
Notes: based entirely around the line "Hey, baby, what's your affinity?". Against my best wishes, I have started liking Sain. dammit.

"Hello, lovely one! May I ask what your affinity is?"

A few moments later, Sain sat down next to Lucius, delicately touching a slap-mark on his face.

"Sain, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why do you keep doing that? I'm sure there are better and less direct ways to a woman's heart." Lucius looked up from his new book of light magic.

"It's a long story and it involves props. Do you still want to hear it?"

"I've got time."

Sain got to his feet and offered Lucius his hand. "Come along."

"Where are we going?"

"To my tent."

"Can't you just bring the things out here?"

"I hear Serra has devised a new hairstyle for you."

Lucius took Sain's hand and the cavalier led him to his tent. It was surprisingly clean for Sain's tent, as if he'd been expecting company.

Lucius settled on the cot that served as a bed while Sain dug through a chest in the corner. With a sound of triumph, he produced a very heavy book and a quill. He sat down rather close to Lucius.

"Now, when I was a young boy, this book was given to me."

"What is it?" Lucius asked.

"I'm getting there. When I was a young boy, an old hag of a druid placed a curse on me."

Lucius made a sound of sympathy. "What did you do?"

"I broke her favorite stained glass window playing with a lance. But that's not important! She cursed me by giving me this book." Sain tapped on its cover. "She told me I must repeat everything in this book, every word, to a woman."

Sain opened the book and placed half of it on Lucius' lap. The book was filled with hundreds of lines Lucius had heard Sain use, including the one Sain had almost used on him when they had first met. Many of them were crossed out. Sain put the quill to the page and scratched out the line he had just used.

"I am only a third through. But unless I finish it, I will never find my true love!" He sighed dramatically.

"Oh, how horrible!" Lucius cried, clasping Sain's hands in his. "You poor thing!"

Sain made another dramatic sigh. "If only I found a woman with as pure a heart as yours, this would not be such a terrible, terrible curse. Oh, woe is me!"

Sain picked up the book and dropped it on the cot to his left. It was so heavy the cot bounced and, while both men bounced, Sain kept his balance. Lucius didn't, and fell into Sain's arms. Sain tightened his arms around the monk.

"Oh, Lucius, you are truly a saint! But I am undeserving of your pity and sympathetic embraces. This is my curse to bear."

Lucius, who had turned a rather unbecoming shade of crimson, was fortunately saved by the tent flap opening.

"What are you doing to Lucius, Sain?" Kent's voice came from the tent entrance.

"I was just telling Lucius about my curse!" Sain said brightly, not letting go of the blond. Kent made a sound similar to a disbelieving cluck.

"Yes! He hasn't done anything wrong!" Lucius declared. "I think!"

"Lucius, Raven is looking for you. Sain, shall I tell him you've been monopolizing Lucius' time in your tent?"

"Ah... no, that's quite alright. In fact, I've left something on the fire, I really ought to check on it-" Sain made a hasty exit, leaving Lucius alone on the cot.

Lucius left the tent and found Raven soon enough. He was glowering at the surrounding shrubberies. "Lord Raymond, you wished to see me?"

"Yes. Where have you been?"

"With Sain. He was telling me about his curse, it's really quite interesting."

"Sain, then?" Raven considered this. "I think I need to have a little chat with him."

"Oh. Will this be like the time Sain had dinner with Priscilla?"

"Vaguely."

"Alright, then."