Summary: While everyone else in the Lux Guild knows Valentine's Day, one member doesn't know exactly what to do on this particular day. So he get's to figure out what to do for his girlfriend...

Ships: Korey x Hilda

AN: At some point, I unintentionally mentioned an EO prompt from TheShatteredRose about the Guild Master matchmaking a couple. It just felt fitting, considering it's Valentine's Day where I'm posting this. If anything, I'm sorry this couldn't be any longer, cause school was in the way, and I wasn't quite willing to go through this mid-school. Just goes to show how much I could've prepared for this more than ever, so this is technically a drabble. I hope you enjoy it regardless.

"You haven't participated in Valentine's Day?!" Keiko's voice rang throughout the guild house. Despite the start of the afternoon, some people in Korey's guild have been pondering over how they're gonna spend Valentine's Day. That was, until Keiko's sudden outburst caught everyone's attention, before some of them slowly continued trying to ignore the outburst from the Therian woman.

"What, is it strange not to? I personally never found the point when I was a child." Korey inquired, scratching his head in total confusion.

"Sheesh, Korey..." The twin sister, Demetria, spoke up, after making sure her sister wasn't yelling their ears off. "I know you may have reasons to not like it, but even if that's the case now, you still have to do something to at least feel like you've accomplished something today."

"Do something like what?" Korey asked, raising an eyebrow. Demetria could only facepalm at the Fencer's mere naivety to how Valentine's Day works... And he's been in a relationship for at least a few days, how should he not know how one day in an entire year goes?

"Some roses could work. Many girls love flowers." A black and yellow haired Pugilist named Ayako suggested. "Oh, I've heard tons of girls have a sweet tooth for chocolate." Bortos added.

"Hell, you can probably even find something in the labyrinth if it would make her happy. Just have an Ariadne Thread with ya and you should be fine!" Ayako continued, grabbing their item compendium and placed it inside Korey's bag. Korey sighed, "But wouldn't that take forev-"

Way before he could even finish, Keiko grabbed Korey's bag and grabbed his hand, interrupting him mid-sentence. "Just get going, buster! You've got a date to accomplish!" The brown haired Therian complained, tossing the Fencer out of the house, throwing the bag right beside him.

Korey groaned, rubbing his head and gets up, facing the Therian that kicked him out of his own guild house. "Keiko, what are you-" Korey began, walking up to Keiko, only to be shoved away from her by the same person he was attempting to get pass.

"And don't come back until you've found something!" Keiko declared, closing the door and locked it, leaving Korey to search for something on his own. He took a deep breath, and went to retrieve his bag on the ground.

"Guess I should've known Keiko was this determined, even when it's not meeting people of royal blood." The brown haired fencer sighed. "I better get going. Don't want to waste my afternoon for naught." Korey took the initial steps to Iorys' shopping avenue, as apart from Syrik's store leading into the avenue of food and other interesting things, it was the main attention for crowds of people waiting in line could be seen.

He glanced around, seeing a variety of things related to Valentine's Day on display. Some stores were selling cards specifically meant for today, another few were selling heart shaped boxes containing something within them. Some Brouni's have gathered flowers from the labyrinth and are selling them to the commoners. There were even some Earthlains and Celestrians selling chocolate.

"Sheesh, this place is brimming with merchants and shop owners wanting to sell their Valentine's stock..." Korey began murmuring to himself, as he tried to replay his guild members' words in his head. "Flowers, chocolate, or something from the labyrinth... Sounds like I'm in for a long afternoon if that's the c- aahh!" Not keeping a great eye on his surroundings, he eventually bumped into someone, clanking his head against some armor, quickly rubbing his head to try and ease the pain.

"Oh, Korey. Are you alright?" A familiar voice inquired, as Korey looked up to see the metal person he ran into was none other than Egar.

"E-Egar? What're you doing out here?" Korey asked, stuttering a bit on his words as Egar turned to converse with him.

"I'm buying a few things for my family." Egar began, "Since the Explorer's Guild has provided a back up in my place for today, I figured I'd spend some time getting to be with the ones I love."

Korey placed his hand to the side as he listened to Egar. "I didn't know you had a family, Egar." He blinked, as the black armored man merely gave him a light shrug in response.

"Not anyone I meet must know about one's personal life." Egar responded. "Sometimes, those same people might perish and it wouldn't be any different." He added, as Korey couldn't help but feel like he understood how Egar felt on his stance about sharing personal life.

"But I digress, what brings you to the shopping avenue today?" Egar's question snapped Korey back to reality, as he tried to quickly recalled the reason why. "Well, you see," He began, hoping he wasn't rushing his lines in a hurry. "Keiko kind of kicked me out of the house til I find something for Hilda..."

Although it was not easy seeing the man's face under his helmet, Egar was rather surprised by this news. "Ah, you and Hilda are dating now?" He inquired.

"Y-Yes. I figured it's the one thing I can do to make her happy, but ever since that little incident in Jenetta's inn, it's more or less official news that she and I are dating." Korey chuckled, almost embarrassed to even speak about the event at the inn.

Egar tilted his head to the side a little bit, but decided not to dwell on it. "I suppose I can offer you some advice, though some of this stuff may not apply particularly to Valentine's Day." Egar began, soon making Korey tilt his head in confusion, though showing interest in what the man had to say.

"Truth be told, Valentine's Day is a minuscule holiday. It can fly by pretty quick if you're not aware of the time." He started, speaking loud enough so Korey can hear him through the crowd of people.

"Always cherish the moments you and Hilda spend together. Valentine's Day is not all about flowers and chocolates, it can simply be just spending the time with the ones you love, be it friends, or family. Got everything committed to memory so far?" Egar continued, asking Korey if he was memorizing it. Korey nodded in response.

"It's also important to tell your loved one that you love them at every possibility. It doesn't have to be done constantly, or on this particular holiday, but that'll make the bonds you share with Hilda a lot more better. Do you understand?" The armored man finished his explanation, asking if Korey understood it all.

"I understand. I guess I shouldn't have neglected such a holiday growing up, otherwise I'd be a wiser man in this situation." Korey sighed, scratching his head.

"To be honest, I think you and Hilda are perfect for each other." Egar hummed, catching Korey off guard. "Y-You really t-think that?" He stuttered, as Egar nodded in response.

"I may not be a matchmaker, but when I see a pair that has grown a lot together, I want to make sure that they're the kind of couple that works. Not by encouragement, not by near-embarrassing moments set up by guild members, but as a couple who form together naturally on their own. You and Hilda will have a much better life together than what Byron can ever imagine prior to Hilda's replacement." Egar explained his thoughts to Korey.

"Y-You're kind of embarrassing me right now, though..." Korey's cheeks were red, trying to hide his embarrassed face. Egar chuckled at seeing the sight. "I guess shouldn't keep you any longer. Here, take some of these."

Egar reaches into his bag and takes out a few items. He gives Korey a banquet of flowers, whose petals are like crystals, and a few box of chocolates. "A-Are you sure I can have these?" Korey asked, unsure if Egar should be giving him these particular items.

Egar nodded. "I can always find more of them from the shops around here. Besides, my family doesn't live far from where I work. Figured it would be better to give you a head-start, along with the advice I gave you."

"Ah... Thanks, Egar." The brown haired fencer thanked, placing the boxes of chocolate in his bag, doing his best to conceal the banquet. "I hope you have a wonderful time with your family, Egar." He added.

"No problem, Korey. Hope you and Hilda have a wonderful afternoon." Egar gave his thanks, as the two made their way back to where they were going. "Well, that was surprisingly easy. I don't even know the type of flower this is, but I'm sure Hilda would love it."

Korey hummed to himself, making sure the contents in his bag doesn't fall. He sees some of his guild members outside the guild house. Bortos looks up at Korey as he approaches them.

"That didn't take long. Did you find something?" The Brouni asked.

Korey gave him a nod. "These were given to me by Egar." Keiko blinked in surprise.

"Eh?! Our guild master gave you a flower and some chocolate?" Korey and some of the other guild members covered their ears, flinching in surprise from Keiko's yell.

"Not so loud, Keiko!" Kyo exclaimed, followed by a swift apology by the Therian. "Still, it's quite surprising to hear our guild master be such a matchmaker." Demetria noted, placing a finger on her chin.

"He only does it to the couple he thinks will work, like, me and Hilda." Korey mentioned, feeling Ayako place his hand on his shoulder. "Heh, that's rather admirable of our guild master. Always knowing what's best for the couples that really matter out there." The Pugilist grinned, patting Korey's back.

"Anyways, we're gonna be heading out to do our own Valentine's gifting routine. Ayako suggested the thought while you were gone." Kyo began, after telling the Pugilist to remove his hand from his shoulder.

"We not know how long we're gonna be gone, so Korey be sure he don't fall asleep part way through the afternoon." Ion added. "Alright, you guys go have fun. I'm gonna be spending my afternoon with Hilda." Korey grinned, hoping his guild members have fun.

"Oooh, can I- uwaaaah!" Keiko was interrupted by her sister grabbing her Therian ear, dragging her away from Korey. "You won't have time to watch them, Keiko, now let's go!" Demetria sighed.

"Ooooowwww, you can at least pull a little lighteeeeeeer!" Keiko groaned, as the others chuckled, before bidding farewell to Korey for the afternoon, as Korey went back inside his guild house, closing the door behind him. The absolute silence of the guild house now compared to a few minutes earlier was honestly quite soothing.

"Sure feels rather quiet without a whole guild inside..." He hummed, looking around the now empty halls. He can assume his other guild members were likely off to try and get some more progress on their maps to make sure they're ready to turn in to Ramus.

"It sure is. At least there will be no distractions for us this afternoon." Hilda's voice soon reached his ears, as he turned to see the Harbinger coming downstairs.

"Though I suppose it's for the best, considering what today is." She added. Korey blinked, but shortly nodded afterwards.

"Yeah. Keiko would've been a huge distraction, had Demetria not brought her along." Korey said, hearing Hilda giggle a bit. "Anyways, I've prepared an area just for us." Hilda hummed, motioning Korey to follow her.

They soon find themselves in the lobby, with the fireplace as the only source of light. The sweet smell of roses filled the room by a vase of flowers in the middle of the room. Some hand-made paper hearts were attached to the ceiling, and the couch had a blanket to the side.

"That honeymoon room may have inspired a couple of ideas within me..." Hilda explained, hoping he didn't mind the change of the lobby. Korey grew a smile on his face as he looked around. It's not much, but he can tell that she did her best.

"I think you did a wonderful job with the decor, Hilda." He complimented, seeing her smile at him. "Thanks, Korey. Anyways, come sit with me." Hilda sat down on the couch, soon followed by Korey.

"I, uh..." Korey began, as he tried to begin a conversation. "I went out earlier to get some things." He took out the banquet of flowers from the bag he placed onto the ground. Hilda gasped in surprise, looking at the flowers within it.

"Are those... Crystal Flowers?" She inquired. "I suppose they are," Korey replied. "I didn't have the time to ask what they were named..."

Hilda takes the banquet, and looks at it. "It's so beautiful... Even holding it up and looking through the petals to see the flames makes it all the more enchanting." She grinned, as Korey saw what she was talking about, and was honestly astonished.

"You're right, Hilda. I suppose even that's a charm of its own beauty." He hummed, before seeing Hilda place one of the flowers in her hair with care.

"Thanks for the flowers, Korey. Did you get anything else while you were out?" She inquired, as Korey blinked, snapping back to reality.

"O-Oh, right... I only really got some chocolate here." He admitted, taking out one of the few boxes of chocolate in his bag. "Heh, I suppose that makes two of us." Hilda commented.

"Huh?" Korey was puzzled, before Hilda takes out a similar looking heart shaped box from behind her back. "Your sister took me Valentine's shopping and we ended up buying a variety of chocolate. Misaki said you had such a strong liking for chocolate ever since you were growing up." She explained.

"Oh yeah, that's true... but I didn't expect Misaki to be this persistent when it came to Valentine's Day." He admitted, a bit confused on why his sister would go out of her way for one holiday. "Perhaps she just wants her big brother to truly be happy." Hilda suggested, seeing Korey's cheeks turn red, his eyes averting from Hilda. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Your face is turning red." She grinned, seeing his eyes quickly gaze at her. "I-I don't k-know what you're talking about!" He stuttered, not doing a great job at subverting the subject.

"Yes, you do. Stop trying to hide it, Korey, it's just the two of us here..." Hilda sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. He sighed, placing his hands in his lap. "Y-You're right, Hilda... my apologies." He apologized, feeling Hilda's hand remove itself from his shoulder, before opening the box of chocolates in her lap.

"What are you-" Korey was about to ask, when Hilda interrupts him. "I've seen other couples do this, so I wanted us to feed each other some chocolate..."

She picks one up small bit of chocolate in her hand, moving her hand towards Korey's lips. Not willing to question why she's willing to go through with it, Korey opens his mouth to accept the chocolate, chewing on the candy for a few seconds. "So, how is it?" She asked, patiently awaiting an answer from him.

Korey finally gulped down the candy in his mouth, smirking with glee. "Feels so good to finally eat chocolate again, like I'm reliving my childhood." Hilda giggled, seemingly pleased with his answer.

"That's good to hear. Now, do what I just did." She urged, as Korey picked up a chocolate from the already opened box, repeating the motions Hilda did for him, seeing the candy vanish into her mouth. "Mmmm..." Hilda hummed, as she began biting into the candy.

"So sweet and chewy..." She chirped, already loving the taste of the chocolate in her mouth. "You never had chocolate before?" Korey inquired, after letting Hilda swallow the chocolate a few moments later.

"This is the first time I've ever ate one. Byron never really gave me chocolate, and mostly went all out with flowers and affection..." She explained. Korey simply scoffed upon hearing Byron's name again...

"He must not have been a fan of chocolate..." He commented, merely making a guess at best. "Perhaps he was, though I never bothered to ask him at the time." She shrugged, setting aside the subject as they continued to feed each other some of the chocolate from the box.

They eventually stopped, not wanting to have severe stomachaches from eating too many pieces of chocolate. Hilda's hands made their way over to Korey's hands, feeling his hands tangle with her fingers. Her golden yellow eyes stared lovingly into his azure blue eyes.

His loving smile just made her smile in return. She felt more secure around Korey than with Byron... And all that Korey did throughout their journey through Yggdrasil made her so glad she chose to be with him.

"I love you, Korey." Hilda proclaimed. "And I love you too, Hilda. I wouldn't want it any other way..." Korey purred, soon locking lips with each other, and closed their eyes.

Some of the chocolate still remained on their lips, but to them, it just made it all the more lovely. She felt her body move towards Korey's, as he lowered his back onto the couch. His arms soon wrapped around her, letting the Harbinger continue to kiss him.

She placed her hands on his cheek, feeling the smooth skin of the person she loved. Hilda felt him run his hand smoothly across her back, making her moan. They continued to kiss for a while, taking a few breaks in between. The fireplace kept them warm throughout their moment of romance, though Hilda soon took the nearby blanket and placed it above her, enveloping her and Korey in the blanket.

Then, they lied there. Embracing each other and listening to the cracks and snaps of the fireplace. It felt quite lovely... almost as if they did not have a care in the world.

"You know, it's a shame Valentine's Day doesn't last forever..." Hilda spoke up after some time. "Yeah, but even after that, we'll still tell each other that we love each other." Korey chuckled, as Hilda's head soon got up to face him, a smile still forming on her face.

"I suppose that's true..." She giggled, letting her nose come into contact with Korey's nose, as their eyes stared at each other again. "Heh, your eyes are giving off such a happy aura, Hilda." He noted, as he soon placed his hand on her cheek, unable to hold back a smile coming on his face.

"So are yours, dear..." Hilda added, before her instincts told her to go for the kiss, bringing the Fencer below her into another kiss. He didn't mind it one bit, soon losing track of time as he and Hilda continued to kiss each other into the night. This was one Valentine's Day he was never going to forget...