Displays of Affection

Warnings: No plot. Sappiness. Friends and lovebirds being idiots.

Pairings: Judith x Rita. Yuri x Estelle.

Notes: Post-game about three years. Established relationships.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Vesperia.

Judith and Rita had locked lips in front of Estelle exactly eighteen times since the princess had hopped onto the Fiertia ten days ago.

Perhaps Estelle should have been concerned or embarrassed at the fact that she had even bothered to keep count, but tonight she was too preoccupied with the strange sense of irritation rising up within her as her two best friends turned their attention away from the three-player board game in favor of moving in for Kiss #19 of this girls-only roadtrip. And that was baffling, because annoyance wasn't something Estelle was supposed to feel from watching this display of affection.

Estelle cared deeply for both Rita and Judith, and she had been immensely happy for them ever since they had gotten together, especially since neither of them had ever been very good at showing their own emotions. Normally, Estelle was overjoyed whenever she saw both her cherished friends express their love for each other so openly and so easily.

But right now, witnessing their romance was making her uncomfortable. And the fact that she couldn't understand why only made Estelle feel all the more terrible.

"Hey!" Rita cried once she pulled away and looked back down at the game. The mage turned to glare at Judith, a hint of amusement in her voice as she declared, "You moved your piece!"

Estelle herself had been too absorbed in her thoughts to notice, but a quick glance at the board proved that indeed, Judith's piece was not in the same place it had been before the kiss.

Judith responded to the accusation with a smile that was anything but innocent. "Did I?"

"You did!" Rita shoved Judith's shoulder. "You cheater. Trying to distract me." Though Rita acted indignant, her bright expression displayed nothing but laughter and love, and where that usually would have made Estelle grin at their adorable antics, it instead made her stomach churn unpleasantly.

"Can you prove it?" Judith challenged, but a telltale giggle indicated that she was both guilty of the crime and entirely unashamed of it. She even seemed pleased to have been caught.

"Your piece moved!" Rita huffed playfully, mock-exasperated, then turned expectantly towards the princess. "Hey Estelle, you saw, didn't you?"

"Huh? Oh, I-I, um..." Estelle fumbled for words before deciding she couldn't bear to be part of this conversation anymore. Her mood was getting worse the longer she stayed around the couple and she didn't want to bring them down with her. "I-I'm sorry Rita, Judith, but I think I'll turn in for tonight. I want to be well rested when we reach the capital tomorrow."

Before the two could react, the princess abruptly stood, gave a curt bow in their direction, and hurriedly escaped to close herself inside the cabin. After shutting the door behind her, she flopped herself onto her bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and attempted to somehow make herself fall asleep while staring up at the bunk above her.

The door opened again a few minutes later.

Estelle held back a sigh. She supposed it was too much to hope that her friends would actually buy her poor excuse or leave her alone.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rita sounded worried as she sat at the foot of Estelle's bed and Judith opted to kneel by the princess's pillow.

"If it's about me cheating, I'm sorry," Judith added. "I only meant it as a joke. I knew you'd notice right away."

Estelle, already feeling a little better from their concern for her, giggled softly. "No, it's nothing like that, Judith. That was pretty funny."

Rita furrowed her brow. "Then what's wrong?"

Estelle shifted into a sitting position. "I'm not so sure myself. When you two were kissing, I..." She flushed, embarrassed to admit the reason she was upset, especially when she still didn't quite understand it herself. "I mean, you both get to kiss so much and be with each other so often, and...I just..."

"You're jealous?" Judith guessed.

"No! That's not—" Estelle started to protest, but suddenly cut herself off as realization dawned. After a moment, her shoulders sagged and she was unable to suppress her sigh this time. Leave it to Judith to be more perceptive about Estelle's feelings than Estelle herself. "...Actually, yes," the princess admitted, as much to herself as to them. "I think I am."

"Jealous?" Rita repeated incredulously. "What do you have to be jealous for? You've got Yuri, don't you?"

At the mention of her boyfriend, Estelle pursed her lips sadly. "I haven't seen him in three months."

"Huh?" Rita cocked her head. "How come?"

"We've both been very busy, I suppose," Estelle murmured. "I was on a diplomatic trip for some time, and then Yuri got called to Dahngrest, and after that I was staying in Halure and then Yuri had to go working in Aurnion and I ended up hitching a ride with you two." She looked helplessly between her two friends. "I just...I've never been away from him for so long before."

"You miss him," Judith said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Estelle confessed, looking down at the sheets. "I'm sorry. I sound like I'm so dependent on him."

Judith adopted a mature and even motherly sort of expression. "Missing someone you love isn't the same as dependence, Estelle."

"Yeah," Rita chimed in, grinning herself. "You seem to be doing just fine all things considered."

Something in Estelle's chest bloomed with warmth to receive their support, and her lips curled into a timid but grateful smile. "Thank you. Both of you." The princess shot them both fond glances. "I still hope Yuri will be back in Zaphias by tomorrow, though."

"I'm sure he will." Judith laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "In the meantime, it is getting rather late. You should get some rest."

"Yeah, and don't worry." Rita stood up and put her hands on her hips determinedly. "Judith and I won't get touchy with each other anymore."

Judith's eyes took on a barely perceptible, playful glint. "At least, not until you're asleep."

Rita instantly went pink in the face and glared at her girlfriend. "H-hey! Don't say stuff like that!"

Estelle herself was fighting back her own blush at Judith's teasing, but managed to find it in herself to counter, a hint wickedly, "Well, as long as you two don't wake me up again." It was a bluff, really—Estelle could hazard a few guesses as to what went on between the couple late at night, but the deep sleeper of a princess had never actually witnessed them in action.

Still, Rita flushed a much deeper shade of red at the statement and even Judith widened her eyes just slightly in shock, indicating that Estelle's suspicions were correct. "Again?" the Krityan echoed, her usual composure slipping for a moment.

Rita balked, stammering. "W-wait, Estelle, what do you mean by that!?"

Estelle shrugged at them, mustering her best poker face, overly satisfied with herself for pulling it off as well as she did. After watching her friends squirm a second longer, she let out a mischievous burst of laughter. "Oh, I'm kidding!" Laying back down, she swiftly buried herself beneath the covers again with a dismissive call of "Goodnight!"

Rita grumbled a bit and Judith put a hand on her hip, but then they both shook their heads goodnaturedly and went to their own beds.

Estelle just grinned to herself, glowing with triumph and joy, and waited contentedly for sleep to take her.

"Estelle." Rita's voice in her ear and a gentle shaking of her shoulders coaxed Estelle into awareness. "Estelle, wake up."

"Hmm?" The princess groggily rubbed at her eyes and slowly started to shift on the mattress.

"We're in the capital," Judith chimed in, and that got Estelle's attention so quickly that she jerked up into a sitting position and jolted herself awake.

"The capital?" she repeated, looking between both her friends, and at Judith's affirming nod, excitement welled up within her. She leaped out of bed, brushing past Rita and Judith, grabbing her comb along the way and starting to work through her hair so that she would at least be a little more presentable when she went to town. "Oh, just give me a minute, I'll get ready—"

"Estelle," Rita called sharply, and there was a sort of urgency in her tone that made Estelle pause. When she turned to look around at Rita, the mage seemed nervous. "We have to tell you something."

Estelle, sensing that something was wrong, glanced towards Judith, whose expression was something closer to solemn. "We went ahead and asked around the lower quarter while you were out," the Krityan added. "Yuri hasn't come back yet."

And just like that, Estelle's good mood was sent plummeting. She froze mid-brush, her fingers still clenched a little too hard around a knot in her hair.

"O-oh," she mumbled blankly once she was able to speak again. With a stiff yank, she pulled the comb free and suddenly decided that getting ready didn't really matter anymore. Disappointment sunk in, made her stomach churn and formed an unpleasant lump in her throat.

"We're sorry, Estelle." Rita turned away, almost as if unable to look Estelle in the face. She was biting her lip, too. Could Rita really be that upset just because Estelle hadn't gotten what she wanted?

Estelle closed her eyes, swallowed twice to remove the lump, then shook her head. "No, it's alright. It can't be helped, I suppose." She mustered a smile at her friends, and it was weak but at least it was something. Estelle wasn't going to let something as simple as a little separation keep her down. "I can go without Yuri for a little longer."

Estelle meant it, too, and with her mood slightly lifted, she grabbed her bag, stuffed her comb in with all the rest of her things, and slung the pack over her shoulder. She rushed to the cabin door and swung it open, intent on heading straight for the castle...

She didn't even take two steps before a black blur enveloped her vision and a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from her front.

Those arms pulled her into an embrace and she squeaked in surprise, and she was left too stunned to react up until a voice uttered, "Hey Estelle. Long time no see." It was a very familiar voice, warm and teasing and loving and the very last one she had expected to hear, and that finally snapped Estelle out of her stupor.

"Yuri!?" Shocked and confused, she twisted herself out of his grip and pulled back to get a better view before confirming that yes, it was indeed him. "B-but how? They said you..."

But when Estelle turned around to look towards the girls in the cabin, she trailed off, because Judith was smirking and Rita was doubled over cackling—what Estelle had taken as signs of sympathetic sorrow must have really just been the mage's attempts to hold back laughter—and that was enough for Estelle to realize she'd been tricked.

She ought to have been at least a little upset, so she tried to glare at the two, but her sheer elation at the fact that Yuri was here after all won out over all else, and the most she could muster was nothing more than a slightly miffed but ultimately playful pout. Then Estelle whirled to face Yuri again and lunged before he could react, flinging her arms around his middle and burying her face in his chest. The princess felt a bit vengefully satisfied when he let out a winded grunt of surprise and stumbled backwards, but it took only a moment for him to regain his balance and return the hug.

"Yuri, you're mean!" Estelle accused, but she was giggling joyously as she treasured the feel of his arms around her.

Yuri shook with laughter. "Oh come on, just me? It was their idea, you know."

"You're all mean, then," Estelle amended, but the prank had long since been forgiven and she hugged him tighter in glee. "I missed you."

He chuckled, sending her heart aflutter as a pleasant warmth came to her cheeks. "Right back at you."

When they finally pulled away from each other, Estelle was in much higher spirits, and she was beaming as she exchanged goodbyes with the girls and followed Yuri off of the Fiertia. As Ba'ul began to ascend into the air, Estelle looked over her shoulder and managed to catch one last glimpse of Judith and Rita sharing a kiss in the cabin before Judith closed the door and the ship flew off into the distance.

Estelle smiled fondly. She had a good idea as to what they were getting up to in there, now that they were alone together.

And, the princess decided as she locked gazes with Yuri and threw her arms around his neck and planted her lips upon his, it was about time she took a page out of their book.

More Notes:

-I ship the two ships that nobody else ships and I'm not even sorry for it.

-My headcanon is that after the game, the girls totally get together on the Fiertia every once in a while just to travel around the world together and have like week long roadtrips/sleepovers.

-Yes, Judith and Rita do it sometimes when Estelle's asleep. Only when they're really in the mood, though, and they try really hard to be quiet about it.

-On that note, it's pretty much confirmed in-game that the princess is a deep sleeper. I feel like Estelle would be the last to wake up in the morning, too, at least compared to the other girls.

-Sorry this fic is so pointless. I just needed cutesy stuff in my life and this is entirely self-indulgent.