More affected than I realized... Because of something Felix did. More than ever, he's glad he can at least work out how to bring those he loves some joy through his actions, because he knows for a fact that nothing he ever could possibly say would make Claude this happy. Sometimes he thinks that's why it's hard for him to watch Claude and Sylvain together--not because he doesn't want that, but because he knows he can never live up to either of them when it comes to what they can do for each other with words and affection.

But that's okay, he thinks. He's Felix, and he doesn't have to be anyone else. They've all said as much, one way or another. So maybe he can't be charming and affectionate like Sylvain, or earnest and sweet like Dimitri, or inspiring and comforting like Claude. (Or kind and humble like Grant.) But he can be himself, and apparently they love him just for that.

Claude's tugging breaks him out of his thoughts and he hurries to keep up, chuckling. "You could just ask them instead of opening with bribery right out of the gate, you know. It's probably unnecessary. And if you find a bow you like, just mark it with your initials so you can find it again later."

Felix thinks he's probably smiling too much by the time Claude's dragged them all the way there, but it's hard to care when his boyfriend's so excited and a gentle warmth seems to be filling his chest.

He lets Claude handle talking to the staff, half-listening as he turns to survey the field. The breeze is a little chilly, but at least it's not that windy; taking the wind into account when shooting a bow outdoors is one of those things Felix hasn't mastered yet.

Fortunately, the staff is accommodating enough that Claude doesn't have to bribe anyone. They can reserve specific weapons if they like, and it turns out not that many people come to the archery club before spring begins, let alone near Valentine's Day--so there's no trouble in setting them up alongside each other. And, maybe most importantly in Felix's mind, they're allowed to have Pokemon out, since it's not crowded. (Although fortunately, they don't have to rely on their own teams to retrieve arrows; the club employs Pokemon to do that for them.)

When Claude finally finishes, Felix chuckles to himself at the faintly relieved look on the staff member's face as they move to inspect the bows available. He has a lot more strength in his arms than most people give him credit for, but the muscles he's developed best aren't the same ones used in archery; he doesn't plan to choose a weapon with too heavy a draw.

He's still smiling when he glances over to Claude. "How does their equipment look? Passable?"

Felix steps closer to look at the bow in question. "Huh. I wouldn't have expected much room for advancement. A bow is a bow. Or so I thought. Well, here's your chance to do what you do best, Claude. Learn."

His smile turns into a bit of a smirk, before he surveys the weapons himself and begins to investigate a few of the smaller ones. Still, he's keeping his eyes mostly on Claude--partially just to watch him act like a kid in a candy store, and partially because it makes sense to wait until the actual archer has worked out exactly how these modern bows work before choosing one.

"Sensible." Felix chooses an ordinary wooden bow as well, testing a few until he finds one with a draw that's comfortable for him. Then he shoulders a quiver from the rack and turns back to Claude. "Ready?"

Usually, training with a bow is fine. It's an interesting challenge, one very different from Felix's usual, and he likes the gratification of being able to visibly see his improvements even without an opponent. But he finds ranged combat fairly boring, and he's not the biggest fan of shooting outdoors because it adds so many factors to take into account--whether the arrow will land somewhere irretrievable, random sounds breaking his concentration, and of course the wind. He suspects all the tedious on-the-fly calculation necessary to fire with accuracy when wind is involved is as thrilling to Claude as it is annoying to Felix.

Today, though, he's enjoying archery a lot more than usual. It's not just because watching Claude shoot is mesmerizing, although that's certainly part of it. Felix also finds a thrill in challenging himself to try to surpass his best with Claude watching him. It's not, he tells himself, a desire to impress Claude. It's a way of pushing himself in the presence of a master archer, just as Byleth and Geralt inspire him to push himself. (But secretly, it is also a desire to impress Claude.)

Once his lover takes to the sky, though, Felix puts down the bow in favor of his Gear so that he can take pictures and video of the spectacle that is Claude von Riegan. Now that he's not in the midst of battle or focusing on his own training, he can fully appreciate the immense skill it takes to do all this nonsense, even in ways Felix hadn't considered before. Like the fact that when Claude shoots mid-leap, there's a split second at the apex of it where he almost hangs in the air, and he fires in that split second--which means minimizing any movement that could affect his accuracy, both from falling and from the turbulence of his mount.

So it's not just showing off and mind games, after all, huh? Goddess, he's so fucking brilliant. Is there anything he couldn't excel at if he tried?

But there comes a moment, while he's in the middle of filming, when Claude does something Felix has never seen him do before, not even at Gronder. It's so ludicrous that at first Felix thinks something must be wrong with one of the Pokemon--why else would Claude be doing this? But no, he's just...ratcheting up the stakes because he feels like it. Anyone watching the video later will be able to clearly hear Felix say "what the fuck" in that moment.

When Claude finally comes down and they go to return their gear, Felix is scowling, but he doesn't say a word. Not here in a wide open place, where anyone could hear and watch them. No, he waits until they've left the community center behind before he stops walking and turns on Claude with a finger jabbing into his chest.

"You idiot. You incredible bastard. Challenging yourself is one thing, but you could have fallen to your death."

"That's exactly my point. Don't pretend you don't know how much more complicated bringing a ranged weapon into something like that makes it. The other nonsense you pull, you've done with a bow before. That was new. What was I supposed to do if you fell, you nitwit?"

Felix jabs him with his finger again to make sure his point is made.

Felix blinks at him, then blinks at him again.

"...Excuse me?"

"What the hell makes you think I would have heard that we can't die?" He narrows his eyes. "If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny."

"That...that makes no sense!" Even Felix himself isn't sure why he's fuming about this. Other than - "The dead can't be resurrected. People die and they don't come back."

A strange thought hits him, then, and his rant ends prematurely and abruptly as he glances away. "But you believe it, so I believe it. But...doesn't that strike you as the kind of thing that happens in dreams?"

A kneejerk reaction of disgust boils up from somewhere in Felix's chest, the familiar furious defiance that makes his hackles rise, makes him want to shove away what part of him perceives as pity in the sudden surge of emotions going through him like a storm. He shoves it back down, swallowing and training his eyes on some spot over Claude's shoulder. He rests his hands on the other man's waist in an attempt at showing somehow that he's not angry. Not with Claude, anyway.

"It's perverse either way. But..." He nods. "If we're all at less risk, then...yes. That's good." His gaze shifts back up to Claude's face and he frowns. "But that doesn't mean I want to watch you fall and break your neck, you reckless buffoon. So just..." He huffs a breath out through his nose. "Just warn me next time."

"Well, you're both reckless buffoons," Felix grumbles. His face scrunches up and he leans back a little at this cutesy...thing Claude is doing.

"Hmph. Yet. I'm sure you'll come up with some soon enough. But good." He pulls his hands back and turns to start walking again. "I recorded it. So we can show it to Dimitri and the others."