OVERALL STORY WARNINGS: SPOILERS, swearing, violence, and some implications of adult themes will be present! :3

(***Sumia/Gaius, Chrom/Avatar(Rorie), and more!)

*Hey-o everyone! How're your playthroughs of Fire Emblem Awakening going? I've run through mine once so far and started a new file, but I'm working on grabbing up as many supports between people as I can before I progress with the new file! :) I have to say, that I am a huge supporter of Sumia and Gaius...:'3

*It's not as if I don't think Su's other supports like with HENRY aren't adorable, or that Gaius's supports with other girls like Olivia aren't super cute because I really love them, too, but... I just think Sumia and Gaius are perfect for each other. So this story is kind of like a capsule for all of their encounters with one another, (and others of course! ;), their supports, the love that flourishes between them (So it might get kinda fluffy sometimes), and their struggles.

*It is a dual perspective story, but for everyone's sake, it's pretty clean cut! Gaius's chapters will be the odd numbered chapters, and Sumia will have the even ones! :)

*I really hope you enjoy the read!*

~*Thank you!*~

The Bee Hunters

Chapter One: The Sticky Thief

People aren't really people; they're savages. In my line of work, you get to be reminded of that little nugget on a regular basis.

We cut people up and just watch 'em bleed like they were part of some circus show, and all just for a little spending money. I mean, I figure you've gotta be pretty desperate if you'd be willing to hack your friends up for earnings that you spend on cheap harlots, anyway.

Tonight at the base was rough. This mission was tying everyone's smallclothes in a knot. Clyde was preaching on and on about respecting our employers, and how I had a knack for pissin' 'em off. He wanted that to stop, but I just shrugged and he didn't like that. The thing of it was that they never paid us enough in my opinion. This guy was no exception. He thought since he was some sort of big cheese or whatever that he was exempt from a proper payment. Our group was the best around, but just drooled over him. But when you're a thief for as long as I am and you get caught for this junk, the repercussions aren't a cake walk.

I spent quite a few years in the clink after blundering a personal mission for a friend, Thom, and it wasn't as easy to endure as everyone told me it was. They brand you with burning irons and treat you like a rabid canine and feed you mush until you throw it all up and can't move. They hit you and scream and make you work and let you sleep for three whole hours a night before they run by and smash their dishware against your bars. And then they expect you to be in a good mood. I always tried to be in one, but I was the only one and sick more often than not. Pretty sure I was gonna keel in there, but I made it. Personally, if those are the stakes, I'd like a little more incentive.

Me and Thom were the only savvy thieves in our group, and even he'd been leaning more towards killing lately. This left me to do double the work for the same amount of pay. I tried to be a nice guy, but having some tall, lanky, gray-skinned, freaky-looking guy waltz in, screw with the order of things here and pay us less than average was a little too nice for my tastes.

Since he came around and acted like he owned the joint, I thought it was my place to knock him down a peg. All that seemed to do was bring the wrath down on me.

Earlier he had us line up and questioned us about our specialties. Told us he knew one of us was a thief and that was it, but that he wanted to give a guess at who it was. I wondered why it mattered, but thought it must've had something to do with formations and whatnot. After a few laps back and forth, he stopped in front of me. He smelled like old garlic...

"You." He said.

"Me?"

"I have decided that you must be the thief." He paused. "You're the only one who does not don facial scars."

"Just pretty good at avoiding skirmishes." I responded simply.

"So I am correct."

"If I tell you, will you give me the rest of those bonbons I saw you eating earlier?"

"Gaius!" Clyde screamed.

"Okay, then maybe you'd be willing to buy me my own? The fancy ones? The things are small but they cost-"

"GAIUS!" The man looked puzzled, but held a hand up to silence Clyde. He smiled, and it was not the prettiest thing. I think it may have been more alarming than anything. He took a step closer to me and I wanted to take a step back, but fought myself not to.

"Will you assist us, tomorrow, thief?" He asked, and the room was silent. He gave me a look when I didn't answer and chewed my sucker instead. He raised an eyebrow and lifted his hand to my face. Then he tried to pluck it out of my mouth! Uncle Benji said that I should use my candies to shut my trap in times that called for it; namely, situations with interrogations. It just became habit after a while. Not to mention, I loved my candy. No one was allowed to take it from me. No one. So I clenched my jaw.

He tried to pull, and I watched his face twist and contort into one full of fury before he gave up and launched an open palm into my face instead. The sucker was almost jammed clear down my throat and I choked and coughed and sputtered and nearly upchucked. I managed to pull it out before I did and caught my breath enough to give him a shaky reply.

"Yup." I wanted to say something else, but... I felt my nose drip, too. Damn nosebleeds.

"Very good, thief." He eyed me, sneered, gave Clyde a nod, and strode across the room to the exit; his posse following closely behind.

The room was quiet for a bit longer until everyone broke from the line and carried on. Thom approached me with a smile and I glanced over to see Clyde fuming against the wall next to the door leading outside.

"He got ya good, didn't he?" He smirked. "Weird feller."

"Freaky twat." I coughed and wiped my nose. The sucker didn't taste as good anymore. I needed a tart; I had some at home.

"So you're gonna come tomorrow, then?"

"Guess so. I'm not a job-skipper."

"Even if the employer tries to choke you with your own candy?"

"At least that kind of death would be sweet."

"Er, gotta run!" He said suddenly and then I knew why. After all, Clyde wasn't about to just sit there and let me socialize.

"Nice stunt you pulled there, Gaius." He gave me a fake smile that I knew'd turn into a huge frown.

"Enjoyed that, did you?" I asked.

"You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days." The twisted smirk was still there as he wandered closer to me until he wasn't even an arms length away.

The area was about empty now, which wasn't really the best if I ended up annoying boss-man to the point of no return. On top of picking locks, that was my other specialty.

"Where's your flavor, Boss?" I asked him with a crooked grin until he clutched my collar and forced me into the wall behind me. I smacked my head and almost choked on my sucker again. His breath was heaving and his face was close. "H-he's a-"

"I don't care what he is- he's paying for you and your uncle's asses to eat this week. So shut your mouth before I stitch it up myself." He growled. There was that frown.

"I make us more money than he's-"

"Gaius," He whispered. A gloved hand moved to my face and clenched it tightly. He was way closer than I felt comfortable with. "You got one job to do tomorrow. One job."

"What is everyone else doing-"

"That doesn't ma-tter." He said. "Just one job."

I tried to struggle against him, but figured he was in a rancid mood today and he'd probably stick me if I pushed him too much. "If you screw it up, Gods help you."

"So if I do it good, do I get to bring another slice of bread home to uncle B?" I chuckled at my own sarcasm, but groaned and grimaced when he gripped my hair and wrenched my head back.

"I think you like this." He said. "I think you like making me mad." I heard him unsheathe the knife connected to his thigh and I gripped his face and shoved him away before he could use it, attempting to make my escape. Before I could though, he recovered quickly and caught my cloak. I tore out of the cloth, but felt the edge of his blade slide by my back and his other hand grip my shirt collar before I could leave. He yanked me backwards and I landed on my ass just beneath him, facing the rest of the room. I was about to leap up, but he gripped my chin and guided it upwards before I could. The cold steel of his dagger was pressed against my throat so I just sat there, breathing heavily.

"Okay, okay! Crivens, Boss." I nearly shouted.

"You'll be here tomorrow morning, Gaius." He said. He was doing that feral eye thing; they were wide and wild. "You'll be ready to open that vault and get that treasure for us, Gaius." He nodded and I felt more pressure on my neck. "Right, Gaius? Tell me, 'yes boss.' Go on, tell me."

I just stared at him like he was drunk and he nodded my head for me.

"Good."

. . . . .

I was being followed on my way home, and that'd never happened before. Probably Kasper. The prick.

They only did that kinda thing to people they didn't trust, but the truth of the matter was, I was the only one acting normal. Clyde had always been a pretty easy-going guy; I grew up with him and he laughed at my jokes, not threatened to cut my throat; even if it was in front of our employer. In fact, there wasn't a time that he'd ever drawn his blade on me. Ever since Uncle Benji nabbed me from the streets when I was a lad and introduced me to the guy and the group, I was always praised for my 'talent' and apparent knack for thievery. Made me wonder if maybe the employer was paying him a bit more than he let on so his dedication to him surpassed his dedication to me.

Whatever the reason, I guess I had to watch myself and just do my job. It almost seemed time to bail... Ha. Maybe they did have a reason to watch me after all.

It was probably around midnight by the time I shook Kasper and headed home. Benji was still awake, sitting on a wooden chair in front of the window facing opposite the front door, gnawing on a sucker stick.

"Hey-o Bob." I said. He didn't look at me, but he sighed.

"Tracking you, now, eh?" He said. He always knew. "Who'd you piss off today? Your employer, again?"

"Isn't it passed your bedtime?"

"Takin' that as a yes." He turned towards me and stared hard. "Gaius-"

"Listen, Bob. I can explain this better than it's coming off-"

"No you listen, Gaius." He interrupted. His face was stern, but softened when he looked me over. "You remember when you were ten and I told you about my son and how he was like the little baby bird that flew from the nest?"

"Yep."

"I think it's about time for you to fly from the nest, too. Not for my benefit, but for yours." I wasn't really sure how to reply. He wanted me out... I wasn't sure where I'd go, but-

"You're getting into a lot of trouble lately and it's not safe for you here anymore."

"So you'd rather have me implore on the streets, then?" I blurted out, but regained my composure instantly afterward. "Nah, it's fine. I'm twenty. I oughta go."

"This ain't about age, Gaius. I just don't want them to mark your head, find ya and kill you dead."

"I understand, but... They won't. Soon as this employer's job is done, they'll fix themselves."

He didn't say anything, but he looked to the floor. "Why do they got Kasper on your ass?"

"Kasper's a dunce."

"He's always had his eyes on you. Don't like you." He said. "Why would they tail you? What did you say today?"

"Nil."

"Don't lie. You badmouth someone? Complaining?"

"I told 'em I'd be there tomorrow for the job. Clyde went on a frenzy and drew on me. Not a big deal."

His eyes widened and he put a hand on his head.

"Gaius, get out of there."

"But-"

"Don't go tomorrow; pack your things tonight, and be ready to fly in the morning."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Unless you wanna go in and get yourself skinned, yes."

"What-"

"If Clyde's drawing his weapon on you, you're on his blacklist."

"It's not Clyde, the employer's a nut! He's supposedly some important guy so he's got everyone wrapped around his ugly little-"

"Wait," Bob's face wrinkled, but he straightened. "I think I understand now."

He sat for a moment longer, silent and thinking, before he got up and approached me.

"Y'know what you do?" He asked suddenly.

"Nope."

"You go in tomorrow." He said, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You got a plan, or...-"

"Go tomorrow and if it looks suspicious, dip out. If it seems all right, dip out anyway. I don't trust your judgments. But if..." He paused.

"...If there happens to be any interventionists, you tag along with them."

"This isn't a parade, Bob. No one knows about-"

"Trust me. With where you're going, and what you're doing, people will intervene." He said. " And I'd guess they'd be more than happy to recruit a guy with your skill set. Pay a lot for ya, too."

"You think so?" I ignored the fact that I had no clue about where or what we were going or doing. A lot of times, that was just how things played out.

"I know so." He said. "Good enough plan for your tastes?"

"A little bland, but I think I can manage."

I wasn't absolutely convinced they were aiming to off me, but Uncle Benji was. And he knew things. I was never really sure how, but he did. I did know, though, that I was being left out of the meetings for this "important" mission, knew almost nothing about it, was confronted with an entire group of brainsick puppies, and there was always a reason.

"Oh, and Gaius,"

"Yeah?"

"Don't fight to flee tomorrow,"

"Er... Oookay...?"

"Fight to kill."

This and the next chapter take place just prior to the game events in Chapter Six: The Foreseer!

Just an FYI- The tall freaky looking guy is Validar.

AND BOB IS HIS UNCLE BENJI. It's just another one of his nicknames! ;P

Since we don't really get an idea about Gaius and his time before those events play out, I thought I'd put a little light on them and give him a bit of solid backstory! I tried to incorporate things he says in supports as far as words and hints at his life before the Shepherds in this, so I hope I conveyed him to your liking! 3 I adore Gaius and wouldn't want to ruin him! ;w; If he does seem a bit off, just know he'll Gaius it up more when he joins with the Shepherds! ;)

Next we've got The Clumsy Shepherd, Sumia! :)

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and are eager for the next!

Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated; they're like presents to me! If you've got the time and have questions about anything at all, please feel free to leave one, or PM me! I'm always excited to meet new peeps! :D

~*Have a great day/night!*~

*Thanks again!*