Bit of an angst one-shot this time, hope you enjoy!

(Note; this one-shot has been rewritten)

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Empty. Dim-lit. The only thing filling the room was Ike. Sitting alone on the couch, his hands clasped together, it had been long since Marth left the house. Hour after hour, Ike had waited, his patience growing shorter - his wish to see Marth return home, growing bigger. Where are you? The only thing stuck in Ike's head, the same question - over and over.

Eventually, the front door creaked open, slowly. In came the light from their porch and a shadowy figure became visible in the doorway. Ike's eyes darted towards the figure as he shot up from the couch and bolted to his feet.

"I'm back..." A weak voice mumbled, the door shutting behind them. Flipping the light switch on, it revealed Marth. Injured. In pain. His arm, weak and gripped tightly by his other hand. His back, slightly slumped over. Stains of blood and rips on his clothes. Whatever spirits he had fought this time, the battles seemed to be more...brutal. At the very least, the prince was relieved to be alive.

"It took you longer than usual." Ike pointed out, his voice low and serious as he crossed his arms. His eyes examined every inch of Marth, from head to toe. He felt his heart sink as he saw how much pain his beloved was in.

Averting his gaze away from the man in front of him, sweat began to form on Marth's forehead as he opened his dry mouth to speak. "I... I know. I was told to free more spirits and fighters today," Marth glanced back at Ike, his mouth forcing a smile. "That's all. It's...nothing to worry about." His smile faded away as Ike stepped closer, getting a better look at him.

Gently pulling Marth's Falchion away from his grasp, Ike placed it down on the floor, leaning it against the wall. As he looked back at the shorter male, his hand raised to Marth's cheek, cradling it. Ike's thumb traced across the side of the prince's face as he wiped away any smeared blood. Lifting Marth's chin up, Ike took a closer look as his eyes began to fixate on a small slit in the prince's cheek.

Marth nearly blushed at how close they were together. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes locked with Ike's for a moment, then broke contact as he kept checking on Marth's injuries. As they made eye contact once more, Ike's eyes had a cold stare, looking Marth dead in the eyes. "Who did this to you?" He murmured, his voice stern, fighting back from anger.

The prince swallowed a knot in his throat as he struggled to offer an explanation. With a huff, Ike let go of Marth and walked back to the couch, reaching behind it to pull out his sword. His hand firmly gripped Ragnell's handle as he made his way back to the door, his hand hovering over the door knob. Glancing over his shoulder, Ike spoke once more, "I'm going to ask you again. Who...did this to you?"

As his eyes widened in fear, Marth threw his hands up in a fit of fright and rushed in front of Ike, pushing him away from the door. "Please, Ike!" He blurted out, blocking Ike's exit. "I-It was just a few scars! Don't go out there and hurt yourself!"

Ike's hand reached for Marth's shoulder as he pulled him away from the door, forcefully, fully enraged. "Why shouldn't I?!" He shot back, his voice raised. "If anything, I should be the one out there, not you!"

"But it's my responsibility to-"

"It's MY responsibility to make sure you're safe and unharmed." The furious mercenary yelled louder, his finger now pointed to the prince's chest. "Look at yourself; you're severely hurt!"

Marth's heart pounded as he felt the pulse beat in his head. His hand desperately held onto Ike's own as he pulled away. "You still need time to heal from your last fight, you- you can't go back yet. I'm here to cover the days you can't!" His voice was shaking at every word. It's not normal for him to see Ike so upset.

"You should've known when to stop. If you quit after your first wound, then you wouldn't have been in this condition in the first place!" Ike slapped the prince's hand away, causing Marth to flinch. "I can't believe you were so- so...naive!"

The shorter male opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the courage to begin any sentence. In that moment, he noticed his vision start to blur and felt a wet substance form within his eyelids. He was crying.

A brief moment of silence drifted among the two as Ike relaxed his expression. He had gone too far. Hovering his quivering hand above Marth's shoulder, he sighed. With one breath, Ike gently pulled the prince towards his body, embracing him. Deeply exhaling, he quietly muttered into the prince's soft hair, "I'm sorry, my love. I lost myself for a moment there." Lifting the prince's chin up, he looked at him endearingly and continued, "I didn't mean to lash out on purpose."

Hesitantly looking away from the mercenary, Marth pulled away as he quickly wiped a tear from his cheek. "Alright... But, please..." Wrapping his arms around the navy bluenette, he finished, "Don't go back out there. You're still in the process of recovery too..."

With a small nod, Ike breathed a sigh of relief as he led both of them towards the nearby couch. They collapsed onto the soft, fluffy cushions before huddling close together.

Under his warm breath, Ike mumbled, "Never be afraid to take a brief respite when you fight." Pulling Marth closer, he gently spoke, "I don't know what I'd do if you never showed up one day."