Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of its characters; this is just a story for fun.

A Special Day

The first rays of sunlight had only just begun to peek over the horizon as a certain young swordswoman stepped outside into the crisp dawn. Tucking a few unruly strands of purple hair behind her ear and adjusting the pair of wooden training swords hanging at her hip, she took a deep breath of the cool morning air and allowed herself a small smile.

Today was the day; she could feel it.

Today would be the day when she would finally triumph over her greatest rival.

Today would be the day when Ike—her friend, her hero, and the greatest swordsman in all of Tellius—would finally taste defeat.

And even more importantly, today would be the day that Mia would finally receive from him what she had long desired.

With an extra bounce in her step, and the smile still on her face, Mia eagerly set off to get in some practice warm-ups before challenging her blue-haired commander. She returned nearly an hour later, almost running into Mist as the younger woman carried a basket of laundry outside.

"It just isn't right to have that much energy this early in the morning, Mia," Mist declared with an exasperated but friendly smile as she regained her balance after their near collision.

"Sorry, Mist, sorry," the swordswoman apologized with a giggle. "Today is just an extra special day! Where's your brother?"
Mist raised an eyebrow and her smile widened. "Is today finally the day?"

"It is!" Mia chirped excitedly. "That's why I need to find your brother! And Rhys, we might need him too."

"Titania took Rhys with her to the market, but if you need a healer then I'm your girl!" Mist replied, her own excitement growing at the prospect of what the day might hold. "Ike should be in the main hall with Soren. I need to hang up these clothes first, so don't start without me!"

"Sure thing. Thanks Mist!" Mia exclaimed brightly, suddenly grabbing the younger woman in a tight hug made somewhat awkward by the basket of clothes she carried. As Mist hurried to tend to the laundry, Mia rushed inside the Greil Mercenaries' fort in search of Ike.

Reaching the door to the main hall, she paused for a brief moment. Today was a special day—a special day requires a special entrance. One has to set the mood after all, and she knew just what to do.

Inside, Ike was listening to Soren go over the day's plans, trying not to fall asleep, when the door to the chamber abruptly exploded inward, barely remaining on its hinges. Ike nearly fell out of his chair in surprise, and even the ever-stoic Soren had raised eyebrows at the sudden intrusion.

"Commander! Today is the day!" Mia sang triumphantly from the shattered remains of the doorway. "I challenge you to a duel at dawn!"

Her declaration was met with a long pause as Ike and Soren stared wide-eyed between her and the broken door.

"Good morning to you too, Mia," Ike chuckled, finally breaking the silence as he readjusted himself in his chair.

"Doors have handles for a reason, you know," added Soren, pinching the bridge of his nose with an irritated sigh. "You're even worse than Boyd. Who's going to fix that now?"

"I'll worry about that later," Mia replied with an impatient wave of her hand. "Right now, I've got business with the boss."

"If you hadn't noticed, he currently has business with me," Soren rebutted slowly, as if Mia wouldn't understand any other way. "We were in the middle of discussing—"

"I'm sure our discussion can wait another hour or so, can't it?" Ike suddenly interrupted, standing up his chair and stretching briefly. "Besides, I can't say no to a challenge like that, can I?" He flashed Mia a quick smile, which she returned happily.

There was a brief pause before Soren let out a defeated sigh. "Why do I even bother? Fine; we'll continue later."

"Perfect," Ike replied gladly. "Lead the way, Mia."

The energetic swordswoman beamed brightly and motioned for them to follow before she went skipping down the corridor. Ike and Soren trailed behind her, trying to keep up with the brisk pace she had set.

"I really don't understand why she is so persistent, and always so early in the morning," Soren muttered as they walked.

"That's just the way she is," Ike replied with a brief smile. "And to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. I think I've learned as much from her as she has from me."

"Obviously, since she has yet to defeat you. She once asked me to keep track of the results of your little duels, you know. I stopped counting after two hundred."

"I'm impressed you agreed to at all."

"It's my job—I must monitor everyone's performance so I can adjust strategies accordingly," Soren stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I figured you would say something like that," Ike responded with a small smirk. "So what do you think today's results will be?"

"Nothing will change," Soren affirmed immediately, but after a brief pause his eyes narrowed and he continued, "But I must say that she appears unusually confident today. She's never lacked for bravado, despite her record of losses, but today seems different. She must have something planned, so I would exercise caution."

"I always do."

Soren snorted and rolled his eyes in response. "Of course you do."

Outside, Mia found Mist already waiting for her in the courtyard that often served as the mercenaries' training ground. She had recruited Boyd to help her with the laundry, and he stood behind her nearly half-asleep hanging clothes from the line.

"Did you find him?" Mist asked excitedly as Mia approached.

"Yep, he'll be out any second!" the violet-haired swordswoman answered with equal enthusiasm. "Wait, where's your staff?"

"I totally forgot!" Mist gasped, her large blue eyes opened wide. "I'll be right back! Don't start without me!" She immediately rushed off in search of her healing staff, brushing past Ike and Soren as they entered the courtyard.

"This happens everyday, so why is Mist suddenly so excited?" Boyd mused drowsily as he watched the young woman disappear. "What's so special about today?"

"Today's the day I'm gonna win!" Mia answered firmly, striking a triumphant pose.

"I'll believe that when I see it," snorted the green-haired warrior. "You've already lost, what, several hundred times?"

"Like you've done any better against him," Mia retorted, swiftly ending Boyd's mirth. "Besides, all those defeats just mean I'm better prepared to win today!"

"I love your optimism, Mia, but it's going to take more than that to beat me," Ike interjected as he came to stand behind her with Soren in tow. "I see you've already got the training swords. Are you ready to get started?"

"Not yet, we've got to wait for Mist to grab her staff. I don't want you hurt too badly," Mia answered with a sweet voice yet devious smile.

Ike smirked in response, but before he could retort another voice sounded in the courtyard.

"What's all the excitement about around here? And why so early?!" Gatrie, the mercenaries' armored knight, inquired with an immense yawn as he stepped out into the courtyard. "Mist almost just ran me over. Do we have to go save the world again already?"

"Nah, it's just another one of Mia's duels," answered Boyd, responding to Gatrie's yawn with one of his own. "She's even more excited than usual to get knocked out this morning."

"That only happened once!" Mia retorted, fixing Boyd with an indignant glare. "And it was only because my training sword broke!"

"Sure, blame it all on the sword," Boyd snickered. "You should've seen Ike's face after he carried you back to camp though—I don't think I've ever seen him so flustered. And when Mist and Titania started chewing him out, he was red as a tomato! It was hilarious!"

"To you maybe," Ike countered, a hint of pink suddenly coloring his usual stoic countenance while Gatrie joined in Boyd's laughter.

The faint blush did not go unnoticed by Mia, who found the rare sight incredibly endearing and couldn't resisting teasing him some herself.

"Aw, were you really that worried about me?" she asked coyly, sidling up closer to the hero, whose cheeks darkened a shade further.

"Of course I was. I thought I had really hurt you. I would never want that," he answered, rubbing the back of neck with a large hand as he avoided meeting her eyes.

Mia couldn't resist a giggle as she continued, "I am really that important to you?"

Ike looked down at her quizzically, surprised by the question. After all the battles they had fought side-by-side and everything they had been through together, he thought the answer would've been obvious. If it wasn't, he would have to make it so. Grabbing one of her slim hands, he finally met her gaze and stared deeply into her large emerald eyes.

"Yes, you are," he answered firmly. "More than you know. We're a team, remember?"

Now it was Mia's turn to blush as she tore her eyes away from Ike's intense blue-eyed gaze and stared at their joined hands. Boyd, Gatrie, and even Soren watched the display with wide eyes for a moment before Boyd and Gatrie began snickering again.

"And what do you two find so funny?" Ike inquired as he released Mia's hand, sending a warning glare to his companions that only made them laugh harder.

"Oh nothing, Commander," Gatrie replied with a final chuckle. "As interesting as this little scene is, and despite how fun it might be to watch Mia lose yet again, I think I'm going to go back to bed."

"Oh no you're not," Mist suddenly declared, appearing behind Gatrie with her staff in hand and giving him a noticeable scare. "I think you need to see this."

"Why?" inquired the armored knight after recovering from the shock of Mist's sudden appearance.

"Because today Mia is going to win," Mist answered, sharing a smile with the violet-haired swordswoman.

Gatrie was going to argue the point, but the dangerous glint in the young healer's eyes and the menacing way she suddenly held her staff made him reconsider.

"Perfect!" announced Mia, clapping her hands together excitedly as Gatrie went to stand beside Boyd. Taking one of the wooden training swords from her belt, she offered it Ike, who took it with a nod of thanks and gave the large chunk of wood a few test swings. "Before we get started though, I thought we could make today's duel a little more interesting," she added, drawing her own wooden blade.

Ike raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

"A wager!" Mia replied, a mischievous twinkle appearing in her emerald eyes. "The loser has to do whatever the winner asks!"

"I suppose we could do that," Ike answered with a shrug. It wasn't the strangest thing she had ever suggested to mix up their usual sparring sessions. "I'm not even sure what I would even ask you to do though."

"Make her do all your laundry for a month!" Boyd offered with a grin.

"Make her do everyone's laundry for a month!" added Gatrie, to which Boyd nodded eagerly in approval before they both received a sudden punch on the arm from Mist.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea," Soren interjected abruptly.

Ike regarded his loyal staff officer with slight frown. "Weren't you the one saying just a moment ago that nothing would change? You think I can't win?"

"I'm saying you shouldn't agree to such terms so hastily when you don't even know what she might ask of you. She is definitely up to something."

"Oh be quiet, Soren," Mia interrupted quickly, frowning at the sullen strategist. "Just ignore him, Boss. So what'd you say? Do you accept?"

Ike only took a moment to ponder the question. "Of course. I hope you're ready, Mia!" he declared with a smile as Soren rolled his eyes.

"Do you really mean it?" Mia asked, her demeanor suddenly serious. "You'll give me whatever I ask, no matter what?"

"I give you my word, and you know I always keep my promises," Ike answered firmly, despite Soren's immediate protests. "But you'll have to win first."

Mia's smile abruptly returned, becoming the brightest it had been all morning. "Oh I wouldn't worry about that," she said happily as she assumed her guard stance. "The stage is now set, and the moment is perfect. Prepare yourself, Commander!"

"I already have," Ike replied with a grin, assuming his stance as well. "Get ready!"

There was a brief pause as the two veterans stared one another down, each with a determined smile upon their lips. The only sound in the entire courtyard was the soft rustling of leaves as the morning breeze swept through the surrounding trees. The tension in the air was suddenly palpable, but just as quickly as it appeared it was abruptly shattered. In the blink of an eye, both fighters darted forward and exchanged a flurry of blows, loud clacks and clangs reverberating through the air each time their wooden blades connected. After a series of powerful strokes and deft parries, the pair stepped back from one another for a moment, only to charge forward again and lock blades.

"You've got this, Mia! Show no mercy!" Mist called from the sidelines as the two fighters stared each other down with swords crossed.

"Glad to have your support, Mist," Ike grunted sarcastically, his eyes not leaving Mia's. "So much for relying on family."

"It's for your own good, Ike!" Mist replied with an impish grin. "No pressure."

Ike simply grunted in response. Gathering his immense strength, he prepared to break the deadlock and shove Mia off balance. When he pushed forward however, Mia deflected his momentum and stepped to the side. Ike stumbled forward as Mia stepped around him and struck at his unprotected back with a triumphant smile. Her grin quickly faded though when Ike proved agile enough to roll forward and avoid her attack.

"Not bad, Mia," he congratulated with a grin and returned to his feet and resumed his guard. "But you'll have to do better than that."

"Just you wait, Boss," Mia retorted, her smile returning as quickly as it had left.

The two warriors immediately clashed once more, each seeking weaknesses in the other's defense. With her superior speed, Mia was able to press the attack and keep Ike on the defensive, but his guard seemed impenetrable as every strike she made was skillfully parried and countered.

That just meant she had to move even faster.

Breaking off her attack and leaping back, Mia changed her guard into a stance that made Ike's eyes widen.

"ASTRA!"

Mia suddenly closed the gap between them in an instant, her wooden blade a brown blur that Ike just barely managed to avoid, blocking two lightning-quick strikes, dodging a third, and parrying a fourth, shoving Mia back long enough for him unleash his own signature move.

"AETHER!"

With an upward swing of his sword that Mia narrowly evaded, Ike leapt into the air and came crashing back down with another swing of tremendous force. A deafening crack echoed throughout the courtyard as the two techniques collided, the wood of their training swords beginning to splinter. Both combatants were now starting to breathe heavily, though both still held a smile as they stared each other down with their blades crossed once again.

"You've gotten better, Mia," Ike remarked lightly between breaths. "You almost had me there, but I've seen all these moves before. Don't you have anything new?"

Mia's smile suddenly became a sly smirk. "Well, how about this!"

The agile swordswoman again released the pressure behind her blade, but this time, instead of stumbling forward Ike anticipated the move and immediately went for a quick stab to her now exposed center. Mia managed to deflect the strike enough so that it barely grazed her side and then suddenly grabbed Ike's now outstretched arm with one hand. Ike's eyes narrowed and he quickly grabbed Mia's sword arm with his free hand before she could deliver any winning strokes. To his surprise however, Mia's smile only widened as he did so. Before the hero could react, Mia swiftly pulled her arms back, abruptly pulling him closer to her as she closed her eyes, leaned forward, and brought their lips crashing together in a sudden kiss.

Silence filled the air for a brief moment as the three male onlookers stared wide-eyed in utter shock while the single female onlooker sported a triumphant grin. Nobody's eyes were wider than Ike's however. The warrior's instinctual reaction to an opponent getting so close would've been to pull away, but Mia had already tightened her grip on his arm into an inescapable vice and when she abruptly deepened the kiss Ike found he suddenly couldn't think of anything else but the soft feeling of her lips on his and how she smelled faintly of wildflowers.

His mind thus engaged, Ike barely even noticed as Mia swiftly swept one of her legs behind his. Opening her eyes, Mia finally broke the kiss with a breathless, contented smile before suddenly releasing her grip on his arm and shoving him hard in chest. Ike immediately fell over backwards, tripping over her outstretched leg. He barely managed to prevent himself from falling flat on his back before Mia had brought her wooden blade under his chin, her face alight with a warm smile and faint blush.
"I win," she said simply as Ike looked up at her, his face bright red and his eyes filled with a strange mixture of confusion, amusement, and adoration. "That move new enough for you?"

"What was that?" Boyd suddenly cried out, having recovered enough from his shock to find his voice. "Was that even legal?"

"Why does that never happen to me?!" Gatrie added woefully at the same time.

"Unbelievable," Soren muttered, dropping his hand into his palm to hide his own embarrassment at the whole situation.

Mist couldn't stop laughing long enough to add anything intelligible.

After a moment of sitting on the ground in shock, Ike shook his head and also began to laugh. "I certainly did not expect that. I suppose it's my own fault though—I did ask for something new," he admitted with a rueful smirk.

Mia couldn't resist joining the laughter as she pulled her wooden blade away from his neck and tucked it under her belt. "And I'm glad to have given it to you," she said, her smile coy as she offered a hand to help Ike up off the ground. "You know the deal now, don't you? You have to do whatever I ask! No backing out now!"

"I know, I know," Ike replied bluntly, accepting her hand and getting back on his feet. "I promised I would, didn't I? I always keep my promises. So, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Mia glanced over at the other mercenaries, who were now all watching eagerly to see what she would demand as her reward. Even the ever-aloof Soren looked on with wide-eyed anticipation. While the men waited see what would happen next, Mist gave Mia a wink and thumbs up, causing the lively swordswoman's grin to widen further. Turning back to Ike, who stood waiting expectantly, she drew near to him, stood on her tiptoes and began whispering in his ear. The hero's cheeks, which had largely recovered from his earlier embarrassment, suddenly began to heat up once more as Mia voiced her desire in his ear.

"And the sooner, the better," she finished happily, raising her voice loud enough for all to hear. She then left Ike staring at her wide-eyed and skipped over to Mist, who immediately congratulated her with a bone-crushing hug.

"We need to go tell Oscar and Rolf the good news!" Mist declared excitedly, starting to drag Mia towards the fort.

"Oh don't worry—I intend to make sure all of Tellius knows!" Mia chirped happily as she followed the younger woman inside.

As soon as the women began to leave, all the men immediately swarmed Ike, bombarding him with questions as he stood there, eyes wide and cheeks flushed.

"Well, what did she want?" Boyd asked eagerly. "Please tell me we all get to watch if it's something embarrassing!"

"And how was that kiss? You looked pretty into it!" Gatrie added with a sly grin, patting Ike on the back. "Our young commander is finally growing up! I'm jealous!"

"More importantly," Soren interrupted, sending Gatrie and Boyd an irritated glare. "What was the "good news" those two were talking about spreading? I warned you Mia was up to something—if this damages our reputation, do not expect my help in restoring it."

Ike took a moment to find his voice. "She wanted me to get her something."

"To get her what?" the other three erupted in unison.

Ike rubbed the back of his neck, and despite his embarrassment about the whole thing, he couldn't resist the small smile tugging at his lips.

"She wanted me to give her a wedding ring."

End

Author's Note: So, what do you think? This was my first fanfic, so I would love to hear some opinions. This is all to help improve my writing skills, so constructive reviews and tips would be very much appreciated. I'm especially not very good at writing romance or relationships in general I think. I do love these characters though. If people liked this, I might do a few more oneshots with them. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the story!