Fire Emblem: Fates x Reader Oneshots

Undisclosed Desires (Niles x Reader)

The war council had run late that night and even long after it was over, you had stayed up for hours scrutinizing your strategy for weaknesses. It was so late, you had sent even Jakob to bed despite his resolve to stay up with you. He relented in the end, but not before insisting on brewing you one last pot of tea.

You had long finished off the pot and were now wishing you had a second as you rubbed your tired eyes. Perhaps it was time for you to retire for the night. But not before you took a long, scalding hot bath to soothe the tension that had crept into your neck and shoulders during the long hours spent bent over the map. At this late hour, the bath house would likely be empty and you could spend as long as you wanted soaking in the huge, steaming bath.

The grounds were empty as you followed the path to the bath house, letting the light of the waxing moon guide your way. An owl hooted in a tree somewhere, and you heard the distant clank of armour as a guard on night watch patrolled the ramparts. There was not a soul in sight. It only proved all the more promising that you could bathe undisturbed.

You stripped off your armour and underclothes in the locker room, not bothering to wrap yourself in a towel; no one was there to see you. It felt good to be rid of that heavy armour. You had red indentations in your skin from where the hard edges had dug into you while you were asleep. It was a sight you had grown familiar with—one that accompanied the dark circles under your eyes and the permanent crick in your neck.

Steam wafted in from the bath carrying the scent of the various salts and essential oils added to the water to soothe the aching muscles of soldiers after a long battle. You could feel yourself growing drowsy with the scent, a pleasant fog already lowering over your mind like a warm blanket.

Without further hesitation, you entered the huge marble room, the sound of your bare feet against the tiles dampened by the thick curtain of fog. You tested the water first with your toe before stepping in. You let out a small groan of pleasure as the heat enveloped you, instantly soothing your stiff joints.

"Hm... You're more adventurous than I thought, Lady [Name]."

You yelped at the sound of the voice, your cry echoing off the tiled walls. The steam cleared slightly to reveal Niles leaning casually back against the edge of the bath, silver hair smoothed back from his face and entirely unabashed in his nakedness.

You stood and covered yourself hurriedly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think anyone would be here at this time of night. I'll leave right away..."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, it's nothing I haven't seen before," he said with a sly grin. "And I'm sure nothing you haven't either. Stay, I don't bite." His eye twinkled dangerously. "Much."

You hesitated in reaching for your towel. It couldn't hurt to stay, could it? Niles could be uncouth at times, but he wasn't unpleasant company. Nor was he unpleasant to look at in the slightest. The rising steam made it hard to see clearly in the stifling room, but his tanned, powerful chest was on full display, glistening with condensation. The corner of his mouth twitched in a smirk as he caught you eyeing him.

"A-alright... But no peeking!" you said, sinking back down into the water up to your chin and turning your back to Niles. You let out a contented sigh as you relaxed, the knots in your back already easing.

"Wouldn't dream of it, milady," said Niles, the smirk evident in his voice. The two of you soaked in silence for a time, then: "So... Burning the midnight oil, are we? Don't princesses need their beauty sleep?"

You sighed. "How can I sleep when there is still so much to do? So much to prepare?"

"You know, you don't have to do all of this yourself. That's what advisors are for." He sounded amused.