Hello hello. Here is a little drabble to get back into the spirit of writing and try to flesh out a neutral (as neutral as one can make a changeable character) Sara Ryder.
I took the liberty of changing some slight ME information. I know that Shepard wasn’t exactly the glorified hero who was paraded around after ME1 as I may have made it seem, but I took some inspiration off of this link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AWz8nYAQy6IFtR7xEd-Hw6X8eRN5oocbjI9rVtbwEmKRjFTm2spO2sU/
It works within the timeline as well, since ME1 ends in 2183 CE and the launch of Andromeda Initiative isn’t until 2185 CE.
Either way, enjoy!
The first-time oxygen struggled to find its way into the lungs of the eldest twin, Sara Ryder, was the night the entirety of her world came crashing down around her. Her mother, her beautiful, doting, outgoing, and ingenious mother, was sick. AEND, an acronym that hardly made sense to her still maturing brain, bounced around repeatedly in an attempt to recall some knowledge of what the disease was.
In the moment, she could not. Her focus was waning and all she could think of was the grim expression that stayed hidden behind the masks her parents wore. Their smiles may have been there, soft and reassuring in the best way one can when delivering such news, but their eyes held all their fears. Sara could not, for the life of her, recall what AEND stood for. Instead, she felt the searing pain in her throat, the tortuous squeeze around her heart, and the stinging behind her eyes as she stared blankly ahead.
“I understand.” The words tumbled out from too stiff lips in a whispered tone, choked out into the deafening silence. A moment later, that silence shattered; a wail of pure terror and pain piercing the air.
It had never hurt to breathe before.
The next notable time Sara could recall struggling to maintain her automatic rhythm of intaking air was when she and Scott were glued to the place they stood. Their arms bent in the proudest salute they could express. Their backs were as straight as either of them could manage. Their smiles, the pride they felt in their fellow human for the honor being bestowed upon the savior, were just barely masked by their composed disposition; being the children of Alec Ryder had taught them some emotional control at least.
Today they were amongst the crowd of Alliance soldiers, civilians, passer-byers, and the like who had gathered to see the Shepard-Commander return a war-hero. Seeing the impossible-to-compare-or-compete-with hero in the flesh had taken the breath of Sara away. In the moment, with the sun shining down on the stone-faced hero, Sara knew that she, too, wanted to blaze a path into the earth she treaded on reminiscent of Shepard’s but one still very much her own.
It was only the crack in Scott’s composed face, the twitch of his lips, that let her breathe the sigh she had been holding back. They would blaze a path together, surely.
As she boarded the Ark Hyperion, Sara realized that the burning in her chest, the tightening in her throat, washed away as she stared out at the world she was leaving behind. The feeling was not from nerves, like she had hoped, but had been constantly present in her life for the past few months she now realized. It was only with the knowledge that she was leaving everything behind that she came to terms with why she had felt like she was constantly under water lately.
Ellen Ryder had passed away. The family was broken; a mother gone. Alec Ryder had become distant, secluded and too worried about his work to love his children. A father detached and built a wall to protect his mending heart. Anxiety and depression lurked in the wisps of her shadow. They followed her and were always present. They had formed in such a way that it became a layer of the things that made her, her. Another chip in her Milky Way armor, she supposed. Another chip in her armor she was leaving behind.
Things were different now, however. She, Scott, and their father were leaving the tragedy-ridden life six-hundred years behind them. When they woke up in Andromeda they would still feel the lingering touches of the lives they left behind, but they would have nowhere to go but forward. Perhaps they could smile again together again.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh air in, Sara absentmindedly rubbed her chest before she pivoted on her heels and walked with pride guiding her stride. She would speak with her family before they were set in stasis.
Scott wasn’t waking up with her. Scott wasn’t going to explore their new home together with her. Scott wasn’t going on the first expedition to Habitat 7 with her. Scott wasn’t waking up.
The medical professionals assured her he would survive, and she nodded. There was nothing else she could do. Suiting up felt like a chore and her fogged filled mind raced back to the life they had just escaped; did they even escape it or had tragedy followed them here as well? Surely Andromeda would offer hope, not sorrow.
As the man, Liam, spoke to her as they descended, one thought echoed loudly in the frightening space of her mind: breathe. All she had to do was breathe and she would make it back to the Hyperion with everyone, and new information, in tow.
Pain. Burning hot pain. The familiar sting of tears. The sound of her heartbeat thundering in her ears. No way to breathe. My helmet, she absently thought as she clawed at her throat for betraying her. It had always, even in the worst of times, allowed her some relief. It allowed her some chance at life. But now? She felt as if she a fire had started in her chest and was spreading madly.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
And then there was her father. What he said was lost to her, but the look on his face was unmistakable. There was nothing good would come from this. Somewhere, some bitter part of her mind cackled in a delirious state. So, tragedy did follow her here as well.
As his helmet took the place of hers, she gasped in as much of the gas she had been lacking. Lungs filled, depleted, filled, depleted. Over and over she greedily sucked down what her body needed most. Soon, though, a new pain took hold of her and black dots started to form in her vision. Tears spilled and her chest felt as if it was going to collapse just like her body had seconds ago.
But how will he breathe?
The N7 helmet in her hand slipped between her fingers and clattered onto the floor of his—no, they were hers now—quarters. Her father, the man who steeled his heart after the loss of his wife and pushed his children away, had spared her from an untimely death. The thought alone surfaced so many emotions that all she could do was choke out a sob, clenching and unclenching her fist to try and steady herself.
Sliding back onto the too large bed, Sara rolled over to stare at his enclosed case of memorabilia. Was her life even worth saving? He had been the pathfinder who was needed to lead thousands of people and he left it all to her. He had been an N7 officer. He had been the one who created SAM. He had accomplished so much that his death seemed so pitiable.
She may not have suffocated out there, but surely it was a better death than suffocating under the weight shoved onto her shoulders in exchange for life. It was better than suffocating from the guilt, she knew, for sure.
Unfocused eyes were trained below her towards the research room of the Tempest. Her crew was fluttering about, joking and working all at once and she was perched in the meeting room overhead. People, in relatively good dispositions, were here for her. They were under her command, following her to save the Andromeda Galaxy. A twenty-two-year-old, a six-hundred-year-old woman if some wanted to be technical, was the leading these people to, quite possibly, their deaths.
Was this really the best the Nexus could do for these people? Was she really all they had to throw at the wall and see if anything stuck? She had to be, she supposed. There was no rescue team, no big Plan B. She was the last hope to make sure thousands upon thousands of people and aliens did not perish. She was what she had always hoped to be, a Shepard of her own breeding; trial by fire wasn’t exactly how she envisioned this moment, though, and currently, she hadn’t earned the title of a hero.
With a shaky breath, her fingers squeeze around the bar as her eyes fell shut
Breathe.
You are capable of doing this.
Breathe.
Your father did not die so you can falter.
Breathe.
When she opened her eyes, they caught sight of the alien man who had made the armory his home. His eyes spoke of his concern, but his features twisted into a smile at the sight of her. The breath she had taken stayed trapped in her throat and the all too familiar burn came rushing back to her. With darkened cheeks, she gave him a curt nod and slipped away to head down the set of steps furthest from him. As she took them two at a time, slipped past the questioning crew members, and disappeared down the ladder to her quarters, one loud thought thundered and shook her to her core: breathe.
Can you write something for M!corrin and Camilla. Thanks!
[M!Corrin x Camilla – Hope you enjoy it love.
Warnings - Slight Spoilers toConquest(?)]
With another glance thrown towards the mirror, your eyesnarrowed at the image sprawled onto the reflective material. Displayed withinthe glass cage was an image that you hardly recognized. It was of yourself. Youwere completely dolled up, much to your displeasure, and the only thing thatwas truly out of place was the deep frown embedded into your features. Yourarmor was new, shined and polished hundreds of times, and the cloth beneath itwas shaded in colors of your kingdom, of Nohr. On your body was the crest ofthe family, which you wore proudly, though it didn’t make you detest thisattire any less. In fact, the only thing that didn’t seem so constricted andconfined was your unruly hair that had been left alone after the maids dealtwith hours of pain because of it.
“C’mon, this is ridiculous.” You muttered to yourself, tearingyour gaze away from the mirror in favor of literally anything else. You lovedyour family, sure, but ever since the war ended Xander had been holding moreand more royal gatherings to try and reestablish lost connections over theyears. Sure, it was genius, but you really detested the stuffy air thatsurrounded these events.
“Darling, do try and smile.” A velvety voice called from thedoorway of your room.
Turning to meet the sound of the voice, you were greetedwith a jaw dropping sight. There, before you, stood your wife. She was dressedin freshly fetched armor as well, though hers was much more revealing than whatshe normally wore. Colors of the kingdom twisted and clung to the curves of herbody and the metallic accessories only managed to amplify that. Her hair laythe same as always, though in this light you swore it was much shinier thannormal. Her hands were in the dark gloves, same as always, but this time theywere not accompanied by the armor. She had somehow managed to lookthreateningly delicate all at once.
A smile tugged at your lips and you could not help paddingyour way across the room to meet her. Though she made it easy on you and metyour body half way.
Her arms swung around your neck and your fingers slid downher sides until they sat on her hips. In silence, you red hues scanned over heronce more. Deep down inside, you knew you wanted to keep her all to yourself.Even though it was well known throughout the land that the two of you had wed,you still knew that eyes pried. Especially when a woman of Camilla’s caliber walkedinto the room. After all, she gave off an air that just drew people in. Whowouldn’t want to know such a beautiful woman anyways?
“There it is. See, I knew you would look so much better withsuch a pretty little feature added to your face.” The female hummed out,leaning up to place a chaste kiss on your lips.
“I reserve it only for you most days, my love.” You mumbledas your forehead came to rest on her own.
Moments like these left you in an absolutely blissful stuporand you thanked the Gods that you had decided to marry the woman before you.All the time spent worrying about what others would think of you and the waritself had denied you many years together with her as man and wife, but it allseemed so trivial now.
“I have noticed. Perhaps negotiations would go better forour dear brother if he did not have two younger family members with absolutelyterrifying expressions on their faces.”
“What fun would it be if he achieved everything without some resistance?” The words left yourmouth and were followed by a chuckle when you saw the look the lady before youmade. “Come now Camilla. Xander has the persuasive power to turn the tide ofany vote with or without the full cooperation of Leo and myself.”
The banter exchanged between the two of you had continued onfor some time, and eventually, you both sat on your shared bed and continued tomerely talk and joke about. The event was long since forgotten since the bothof you had become much more intrigued with this battle of wits.
Though, with one glance outside the window at the settingsun, panic finally set in and you quickly jumped from the bed. “Camilla! Thegathering! Surely it has started many hours ago and we have yet to show face!”
Expecting her to get up and follow you swiftly, you hadturned and started to move towards to the door. However, you were not expectingher fingers to adeptly wrap around your wrist and tug you backwards.
Crashing onto the plush comforter, your eyes met the gaze ofyour wife’s seeing as she was now situated directly above of your figure. Witha devilish grin on her lips, she let out something akin to a purr as she leaneddown and placed a kiss to the corner of your own lips.
“Seeing as we are so late, my dear Corrin, why don’t we justenjoy this peaceful time?” Camilla hummed out, her fingers ghosting over thefabric and metal plates that littered your body. “We so rarely get actual timeto ourselves where we know no one will come to whisk us away or interrupt us.”
Any shred of composure you had left was tossed away just aseasily as the woman above you was tossing aside the armor that covered yourfigure. With bright red features, your hands found her face and you promptlypulled her down into a heated kiss.
‘Gods.’ Youthought as two bodies slowly started to move in sync against one another. ‘Fatemust have truly smiled down on me.’
Hours later, a very angry and disgruntled Xander had stumbled across your room.Though, from what he had heard going on from behind the door, he knew farbetter than to disturb the both of you and was quick to leave.
After that, the two of you were no longer to speak beforeroyal gatherings and he may have insisted that your shared room be movedfurther away from pure, innocent Elise’s room.
If you're doing requests for fates, can you maybe do a f!corrin and keaton post? maybe something about him finding her in a compromising position or something?
[F!Corrin and Keaton - Hope you enjoyed it! :D ]
“Corrin, can I borrow you for a moment?”
“Big sister! Big sister! Come and play with me!”
“We need to address battle plans, Corrin.”
“Sister, a word?”
The amount of frustration building up in your wolfskinhusband as he sat under the shade of a tree in the camp was unbearable. Histail swishing angrily from side to side at a near killer pace was a deadgiveaway to that very fact. You, his adorable, friendly, hardworking, kind, andover accommodating wife, his treasure, were being whisked away by everyone andanyone under the sun. It was no different from any other day this past week, henoted, but today he desperately wanted to be with you. Today, for whateverreason, he felt the loneliness stronger than he had previously. These feelings hadreached an all-time high.
A big battle was fast approaching and he hardly had any timeto spend with you before it save for some hours at night. Even then, however,you only allowed a few hours of rest before you left him in favor of cateringto everyone else and their needs. It was frustrating and somewhere mixed in allthat annoyance was a deep-rooted fear. A fear that you two were drifting apart.A fear that you were becoming bored with him and his antics. A fear that hewould look over one day and you truly wouldn’t be there, not because you werebusy, but because you had slipped away.
It was ridiculous, he knew that somewhere deep down inside,but he could not calm these worries. You were his whole world and if you everleft him, he would be lost.
With a heavy sigh, the male’s tail flicked back and fortheven faster, his eyes trying to find where you had been dragged off now. Muchto his surprise, and relief, your figure was approaching him.
“What are you doing sitting out here? You normally are outlooking for treasure.” You said softly, your feet carrying you to his side.
Gently, you sat down beside him, your head immediatelycoming to rest on his shoulder. Though what should have been a peaceful andhappy moment was not. The moment you touched him, he stiffened and somethingakin to a growl left his lips.
Brows furrowed, you glanced up at him with a confused expressionlaced onto your features. “Keaton? What’s wrong?”
Instead of getting an answer from your husband, you weregreeted with nearly toppling over face first into the ground. His back was thelast thing you saw, save for his tail stillswishing around like a mad man.
You let out a tuff of air and ran a hand through your hairto try and fix the stray strands that fell out of place. What was his problem?
Now far away from you, the wolfskin felt a little bad havingleft you all alone. After all, he had just been sulking about not spending timewith you. He couldn’t help it though. The moment you were close to him all hecould smell on you was the scent of other men. It lingered all over you and ifhe didn’t leave he surely would have done something vulgar just to make sure itwas his scent that was laced throughout your skin.
That’s why he had to leave. He couldn’t handle being besideyou in this state. He’d have embarrassed you through and through and he knewhow much you hated that.
After your husband stormed away, you decided to pay a visitto the kitsune that was his friend after their little hunt in the forest awhile back. Perhaps you could gather information from him about why yourhusband was acting cold. Had you offended him? Had you somehow managed todestroy one of his treasures? You didn’t know, but maybe the other male did.
Though, hours into the conversation, you had found outnothing. In fact, you were so far off topic you had almost forgotten about yourstubborn wolf. It still lingering in the back of your mind, and the further thesun set, the more anxious you were becoming. You knew sooner or later you wouldhave to face him, and without adequate knowledge as to what you did wrong, youwondered if he would even show face tonight in the shared quarters.
This anxiety had not gone unnoticed by the kistune.
“Corrin! Why don’t you help me brush my fur? You’ll get achance to feel what the most desirable fur in the world feels like!” Kaden saidhas he plopped down on his bed beside you, a fancy but worn brush in his hand. “Comeon, it’ll be great.”
“I suppose I can do that.” You hummed, trying to play offthe excitement you were feeling. After all, Kaden did have amazingly soft fur(you just would never admit it verbally for fear that your husband might killhim). “I would be honored, in fact.”
And with a shared burst of laughter, the grooming festbegan.
It was going swimmingly until an unexpected visitor burstinto the room hollering your name.
You, who had been balancing on your knees atop the bed toget a better angle at brushing some of Kaden’s fur, had been startled by thesuddenly noise and tumbled forward with a shriek. Instinctively, the fox hadturned to catch you before you hit the ground. This left the two of you in arather seductive position. You weresituated above Kaden, palms pressed flat against his chest and knees on eitherside of the male. Your lower half was literally seated directly on his. To makematters worse, his hands were on your waist and part of his clothing was comingundone from the sudden and awkward movements.
With wide red eyes you looked up at the intruder, too shellshocked to move. It is in that moment that you had realized it was Keaton whomyou stumbled across and, with yet another shriek, you scurried off of Kaden. “K-Keaton!Gods, you scared me.”
Your words, however, were unheard as the male scooped youup. Swiftly you were thrown over his shoulder, his hands possessively holdingyour body as his eyes shot daggers at the other male. The animalistic growlthat tore from his throat startled you and made the fox immediately try anddefend himself.
With the other left blubbering like an idiot, you wereescorted back towards your room with. The silence that settled over you bothslowly eating away at you.
If you thought him mad before, you feared what this was.
When you both were in your room, you having been depositedon your bed in an unceremonious fashion, he wasted no time in crawling on topof your figure. His now dagger like gaze was directed at you and any words youhad previously thought of speaking were lodged in your throat. There was no wayyou were going to get through to him, and even if you could, you were toonervous to try.
“Corrin.” He stated, his arms caging you in and forcing yourgaze to meet his.
“I swear to you, Keaton, it wasn’t what it looked like! Y-Youjust have the worst timing ever…” You muttered after moments under his harshgaze.
He didn’t care much for what you had to say and started totug away at your armor, tossing it all aside in a heap on the floor. “We’ve gotto get his scent of you, nonetheless. I could deal with everyone else’s, buthis? I’d rather die than be reminded he touched you.”
A deep blush fell over your features when his hands now startedto feverously work at discarding the remaining material while his head dippedtowards your ear. Words of exactly howhe’d make sure his scent would be the only one remaining on you after tonightspilled from his lips and with each one the darker you blushed.
You were in for a real punishment (or treat, truthfully)tonight.
[Yet another little drabble for the fates fandom. This one is Leo and F!Corrin – Birthright path spoilers]
It had been years since the war had come to an end. Prince Leo of Nohr had taken over his kingdom and Prince Ryoma had taken control of his. The two, while struggling to see eye to eye at first, had made great strides in maintaining the peace their beloved family and friends fought to create. Both kingdoms honored the deceased, the lives lost to the madness that came from the reign of King Garon, by working through each obstacle that was presented before them.
This peace would not be broken now. Not after so many lives had been lost to obtain it. It was still a blossoming flower and its life would not be stomped out. Especially since the fair princess was still willing to throw everything to the wind, leave everything she knew and loved if need be, to protect it.
You had already lost so much, so you would be damned to the many Hells before you allowed this tranquility to shatter before your eyes.
Rumors of specialized groups forming were spreading throughout both kingdoms. People in Nohr still despised the country of Hoshido for destroying their royal family, for making them lose their beloved crowned prince and adorable princess. People in Hoshido were angry that their royal family had been wounded so much by the burden of the war. Their beloved returned princess, you, had been forced to suffer and the people knew it. Besides, they were still irrationally angry and distraught over the loss of their queen and they wanted Nohr to feel some type of pain they had.
That is, at the very least, what you had heard from your many trips to cities of both kingdoms. After all, where you went, whispers seemed to follow you, and with your keen sense of hearing, you could hear all the voices of the displeased citizens.
It had been happening more frequently now, though, and with each whisper of forming a group to strike against the other, you felt sicker than the moment before. Deep in the pit of your stomach, you could feel knots forming and it took all you had in you not to frown. These people were threatening the peace you had been relishing in the past few years.
“Corrin!” A rather annoyed voice finally broke through your mental fog and your eyes flickered over towards the direction it came from. Up ahead, more than a good thirty paces in front of you was your brother Takumi, standing with his arms crossed over his chest as he impatiently tapped his fingers against his skin. “How far behind were you planning on falling?” The archer asked, annoyance written all over his features. He had called for you more than twice, after all.
“Sorry.” You replied rather flatly, your bare feet making little sound against the pavement as you jogged to catch up to the male. “I wasn’t really paying much attention to how fast you were walking.”
“You weren’t paying attention to anything.” He corrected, his tone curt. You both were due to meet with your older brother in a little while, and at the rate you were going, you would make them both late. “It was your idea to come to town anyways. At the very least act like you want to be here.”
“I do want to be here. I just don’t want to go to that meeting with Ryoma.” With that, Takumi scoffed and left the matter alone. It was a good excuse. After all, who wanted to be stuck inside in yet another stuffy meeting when the weather was so beautiful today? Takumi surely didn’t, and with the typical pep in your step missing, he assumed it to be true for you as well.
“Beg pardon?” Your voice was faint and would have been missed if all eyes were not already turned to face you.
It was one surprise after another today, it seemed. The first surprise came in the form of a person.
When you and Takumi came into the meeting room, after having to near sprint throughout the castle due to your little slow down earlier, you were swooped up into the unmistakable hold of your older sister, Camilla. She publicly showered you in love and it took quite a lot of convincing to have her release you so you could properly begin the meeting. No one had answered the question as to why she was there, but instead, had ushered the meeting along with urgency.
Now the second surprise came in the form of an idea. An idea which revolved around you, no less.
“It is the best option to get information on the situation in the subtest of ways.” Ryoma stated in his calm and even tone, though his face was twisted in some sort of conflicted fashion. The idea was outlandish and hardly subtle at first glance, but at the roots of it all, it seemed brilliant. Though you also saw many downsides to it.
“Big brother, please be reasonable. Even if I agreed to this, it is harmful at its very core. Once the plan is over, there will surely be some type of repercussions.” You said in an attempt to weasel your way out of this plan. You didn’t think your heart could take it, truthfully.
“Those will be minimal compared to the repercussions that will arise if we leave matters unattended.”
“Camilla, what has Leo—“
“He has given the all clear on the idea, sweetie. I think it is a wonderful idea as well. After all, my adorable little sister will be back in her home for so long.”
There was an audible groan that left your lips and you slouched in the plush chair.
“So what do you think, Corrin? Will you do it?” Your big brother pressed you, wanting an answer sooner than you were ready to give.
“It is for the good of both of the kingdoms. How could I say no?” You grumbled, your body sinking even lower towards the ground as you were greeted with bright smiles and words of thanks and encouragement by all those in the room.
So you would visit Nohr under the false pretensions that you were possibly going to marry the king, Leo. By doing this, hopefully the rebellion groups that still despised the other kingdom would slowly die down or at least lose their footing. Great, fantastic. How bad could it be? All you had to do was act utterly in love with your younger brother, the king. It wouldn’t be too hard. Especially since you truly did love him.
You could sacrifice your heart to obtain security that the peace would be maintained. At the very least, with the conclusion of this, you would hopefully be over your deep rooted crush on Leo.
How very wrong you had been.
It had been a few weeks now, and even after many embarrassing moments and fake moments two lovers would share, you were still unable to feel easy around Leo. Any moment your hands brushed, he leaned too close for comfort, or he even so much as brushed against you, you wanted to recoil away from him.
Your heart was a mess, constantly racing and pounding in your ears. You always felt on edge and your jumpy behavior had not gone unnoticed by the male. He, in fact, was quite displeased with your reactions; though he was thankful you could keep yourself together whenever it was needed. You were supposed to possibly be marrying him, after all, and jumpy behavior would have ticked off someone that it was all a ruse.
“Are you planning on actually sleeping anytime soon, Corrin?” Leo called to you from your shared bed (it seemed only proper to do for it convinced the castle workers as well that this marriage was going to happen).
He had not minded your skittishness the first few times this had occurred, but after weeks, he was miffed. You two were so close before you left for Hoshido, and even following your supposed betrayal, he had thought fondly of you when not in the view of prying eyes. You both smoothed things over after the war too. So why, now when you both had the chance to be together as a family again, did you do everything in your power to stay away from him?
“I will sleep in a little. I just have a bit more to write…” Your voice drifted off, your fingers digging into the pen that it almost snapped in your palm. You were nervous, again, and judging by the sound of his voice, he was angry at you.
“Put the pen down. We have very little to do tomorrow, save for entering town, so you will have ample time to finish whatever it is you are working on.”
“It will only take a moment to—“
“You will put that pen down and come to bed immediately. I am tired of your games, Corrin.” He snapped, angry with himself for his voice becoming so sharp. Especially when he saw you flinch at the sound of it as it echoing in the room.
For a moment, you were still. Hand frozen midsentence, body ridged, heart racing. Finally, with a sigh, you set aside the work you were doing and started to drag yourself towards the shared bed.
A stiff, smothering silence fell over the two of you for a while and it made it impossible to sleep. Judging by the breathing of the king next to you, you had assumed he had fallen asleep, however. That was comforting in its own right. He didn’t hate you so much that he lost sleep over it, at least. With that peace of mind, you rolled over to look at the male beside you.
In the past few years, he had changed. He features were more mature, but still unmistakably Leo like. His hair was still as golden blond as ever, and with sleep falling over him, his skin and worry seemed smoothed away. Save for the obvious touches of age, he looked as handsome as ever.
“I’m so sorry.” You mumbled breathlessly, fingers reaching over to ghost over the cheeks of the man lying beside you. “I never meant to trouble you, Leo, but this is just so hard for me. Pretend or not, to me, this would be a dream come true. To marry the man I have loved for so long…” Fingers mindlessly traced from his cheeks to his lips, your thumb brushing over his before a deep scarlet covered your own features. What were you doing?!
You instantly retracted your hand from him, though it only got a few millimeters away from his skin before something warm and strong caught your wrist. As your mind registered that the feeling was a hand, your red hues flickered to the male in front of you, a shriek nearly leaving your lips when his eyes found your gaze.
“L-Leo!” You exclaimed, the previous shade of red on your face nothing compared to the one coating your skin now. “What-What are you d-doing awake?”
Silence.
Instead of being greeted with any verbal response, you only saw his gaze linger and his lips part slightly as if to speak, only to shut again. It was gut wrenching, heart breaking. Had he heard you? Surely he had. And it that was true, look how mad and disgusted you made him feel. He couldn’t even speak.
“Leo..?” You tried again, tears starting to unknowingly prick your eyes. What had you just broken?
Words were not your answer, but instead, the young male tugged your wrist and pulled your entire being flat against his chest. Releasing your wrist, he buried his fingers in your locks of hair while his other arm wrapped tightly around your waist. You were stuck, pressed tightly against his warm chest.
The tears spilled over now.
“Leo—“
“Silence.” He said, though his tone was nothing compared to what it was a little while ago.
You wanted to desperately look into his eyes to try and understand what was going on, to see any sign as to what type of answer he would be giving you. His hand, however, kept your head on his chest.
Another few seconds passed before you felt his grip loosen on you. The hand in your hair rested on your cheek and forced your gaze upwards. When it met his, you still were unsure what to think. Was he conflicted? Did he pity you? Hate you?
“Who gave you permission to act in such a cute fashion, Corrin?” Leo spoke, his fingers brushing away tears that still escaped your eyes. “To corner a man the way you did is very improper.”
You only met him with a scoff, your eyes drifting away from his features. ‘You were never supposed to know about this, you big bully.’ You thought as he pulled your attention back to him.
“Is this why you have been avoiding me?”
“I did not do it on purpose…” Your words were soft, almost as if they could be easily broken in an instant. “I had planned to just follow Ryoma’s orders and leave it at that, but the more time we spent together, the harder it was to convince myself this would end. I know we were once so close, as close as blood siblings, but I fell in love with you Leo. I am sorry.”
“You are a fool. Have you ever thought of yourself, even for a moment?”
“I...”
“You were willing to sacrifice your own heart for the sake of the kingdoms?”
“… Everyone lost something for this peace, Leo. I could stand to lose one more thing if it meant the rest of the people could continue to live in this happiness we all created.”
The bed shifted and creaked as the male had. A sigh left his lips before he rolled the two of you over. His arms were on either side of your head, his body lingering over yours as you met his gaze once again with wide eyes.
“Stubborn woman.” He stated simply before his head leaned down, his lips hovering inches from your own. “Stop being so selfless. I will not allow the woman I love to stand alone any longer.” And before anything registered, before you had a chance to react, the warm lips you had just brushed were on your own.
Your arms immediately found his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as a way to pull him closer to you.
For the first time over the entire course of this assignment, you had actually felt happy about agreeing to it. You also were a much more convincing couple after that night as well.
After all the worries of yours had been eased away that night, with a long talk and many kisses and cuddles, news of the happy couple spread throughout the two kingdoms. Except this time, instead of it being hushed whispers of a possible marriage between the two, it was loud and cheerful shouts of an engagement.
Leo, King of Nohr, and the princess of Hoshido who had been raised in the dark country, Corrin, were to marry.
The news came as a shock to your siblings in Hoshido, and in fact, they protested at first (after all, they had just become use to your presence in the castle). It only took one look at your happy expression, however, for them to quiet their protests. And, well, you promised you would visit at least once a month, much to your husband-to-be’s displeasure.
With that news came the silence of the possible rebellion groups. This union was yet another reinforcement of peace, one that many actually took to heart this time. Besides, the love both kingdoms felt for their royals was too immense to disapprove of the joining of such a happy couple.
“Oh my, Lady Corrin is going to be staying in Nohr once more? How lucky am I?” A slick voice commented at the scene of blubbering royals from the neighboring kingdom fawning over the princess before they were to depart for their own home. “I cannot wait to—“
“Niles. Would you like to explain to me what type of thoughts you are having about my fiancée?”
“Wonderful ones, I assure you, Lord Leo.”
“Do not make me get Nyx to put yet another curse on you.”
“Can you not even be bothered to punish me, yourself? I long for the day you—“
[This is another old work from fanfiction,net of Levi and Mikasa. Just a cute little thing I enjoyed doing.]
We'll always be so perfectly… happy.
"Where is the Corporal?"
"Isn't he with the commander?"
"That's odd. Mikasa is missing too."
"God damn it, those two…"
The rustling of dead leaves tumbling about on the ground, crashing into the earth before lifting up once more only to repeat the process, filled the comfortable silence that had settled on the two members of the Survey Corps. It was a peaceful moment in time, one where they both could relax and just take in the serenity the walls occasionally offered, which in itself was becoming more and more rare. No speaking had to happen between them though, for whenever they were together, that was enough. Still, Mikasa couldn't help but look over to her superior when she finally noticed he was even quieter than usual.
Maybe he had fallen asleep? It wasn't out of the ordinary because, after all, Levi worked a lot to not only train her but his other squad members. He had paper work, had to watch Eren, had to clean till he was satisfied with the place; he was a busy body and she couldn't recall the last time she saw him sleep.
Those endless black eyes moved from the clouds over to the face of the Corporal. Levi had his back pressed against the sole tree on the hill they were on, his right leg pulled up so his right arm could rest atop it, and his head seemed to hang lower than normal. His ebony locks blew in the breeze and covered his eyes. When her curiosity got the better of her, the sound of rustling and shifting about could be distinctly heard, for it shattered that blissful silence even if only for a moment. Normally he would move and crack an eye whenever Mikasa fidgeted and this time he didn't.
Yeah, he was definitely asleep.
She had attributed his sharp sense to her moving to his expert skills, but occasionally she wondered if he was just paranoid he would wake up alone. She even allowed her thoughts to drift and dream that, yes, Levi actually worried that he would one day wake up and look around and never see the second strongest soldier humanity had to offer.
It didn't matter now, however, because Levi didn't have to worry about that- not if she had something to say about it. So, with that in mind, Ackerman settled down right beside him. Her back faced him and those same black eyes that had been searching for answers just a moment ago where now watching blades of grass move whenever the wind picked up.
Up there on their hill, the one that anyone could find them on when both were missing was as close to heaven as they were going to get on this planet, but that was okay. Everything was okay up here. It was even better when the days they were up here were days off, like today, because that meant no one would bother them.
It was like a rule that they were not to be bothered (which, knowing Levi, probably was at this point because when they first started going up to that hill everyone followed and he loathed it) and everyone followed it.
Up there it was only Mikasa and Levi and that's how they liked it.
No one really noticed when Eren and Mikasa started to drift apart, well Eren did but no matter what he did she never tried to patch up gap and instead let it grow, and no one noticed when Levi and Ackerman had grown so close. Everything that happened seemed natural and it felt like it was right, so no one even bothered to question it.
Seeing humanity's strongest pair actually working together was something anyone and everyone tried to keep in place. Soft murmurs, shy glances, awkward encounters, all of those were much more appreciated than their normal arguments (especially when some got so bad it took half the squad to grab Mikasa and the other half to grab Levi). So that's why the pair was allowed the day to themselves.
"Nng…" The shuffling sound rang out into the air once more and this time it wasn't coming from the female. "Ackerman?"
God, his voice was so husky and so deep when he spoke after waking up. Just his voice caused the inexperience in love woman to shiver.
"Hm?" She purred as she rolled her body onto its back so their eyes could meet. She had to admit, it was a little disheartening and concerning for him to wake up already when he needed more sleep, but those opinions never passed her lips.
"…"
It wasn't a smile and it wasn't a smirk that crossed his face. It was a mixture of an appreciative and loving glance intermingled with adoration and contemplation. An odd look, no doubt, but it was one expression only she was able to view and she loved seeing it regardless.
Without a word, the Corporal motioned to his lover and she moved instinctively. Sitting side by side, arms just barley touching, eyes locked… that is how they were sitting. Finally, one gave in and placed their lips against the other pair that had been taunting them for far too long.
The kiss was gentle and loving at first, but it didn't exactly fit either of them very well. While they could be very soft people everyone knew that it wasn't them. When you put those two in a room it wasn't exactly the quietest thing.
Within seconds, it turned a bit more heated. There was a war of attrition going on between the two. Tongues ran along each other's lips, pressed against one another, twirled and tangled within the other, and waged a seemingly endless battle with no clear victor in sight.
Time seemed to stand still and as their lips finally parted, bruised and connected by a thin stand of saliva, only Mikasa seemed to be breathing unevenly- though she was doing a damn fine job of hiding it.
Another timeless moment passed before Rivaille had brought his hand up to gently brush those soft, black locks away from lightly sun-kissed skin. Since when had he become so gentle, on occasions, with this female? He couldn't count the number of fights on his fingers. Some escalated so far that weapons were drawn and articles of furniture were thrown about. They were probably comical looking but no one had the guts to say so.
Who could blame them though?
"…"
"Rest, Rivaille. You're pushing yourself too far too often."
"…"
"I'll be right here the whole time."
"…"
"… I'm not leaving."
"You better not, that's an order."
"Rivaille I-"
"I love you too, now let me sleep."
And that's how most of their days passed together. Whenever they were in the eye of the public, everything was kept professional and strictly minimum contact, though rumors of them dating spread far faster than they had anticipated. It didn't matter, though, because they still acted mature and respectful outside of their private time.
Now when they were alone? That was a different story. It ranged anywhere from peaceful and silent days of just relaxing and cuddling, maybe even walking about town as civilians and not soldiers. Then other times it was just them and their room, any repressed emotions spilling out and pouring through their actions- telling a story with just the way their bodies moved. When Mikasa was thinking of something she normally became more rigid, worked faster and sharper, and her eyes always seemed dull. Levi moved fluently still, but everything he did was forceful. He grabbed a pen, nine times out of ten it shattered and spilled out, and so on.
It was when they were like this that they normally released it onto one another- never in words, but in actions.
Days after those bad ones, both would have bruises and small scratches on their skin. There would be bite marks and claw marks, red skin, you name it. They went at it and they loved it, relished it.
It was their outlet.
Each other knew the pain of losing someone important.
Each knew the pressure and weight of carrying humanity's hope on their shoulders.
Each knew that no matter what, they would live and survive, if only for the other.
Never, never ever, would they give up.
With love like this, love that only comes once in a lifetime, they would be fools to let it go. And while they weren't the most ethical people, they were some of the brightest.
Humanity's strongest soldiers, a pair, a couple, lovers- how ironic.
[This is a Levi x Mikasa one shot I wrote and shared on the fanfiction website awhile back. It follows no real timeline in the plot.]
Click.
Click.
Click.
The echoing of footsteps could be heard throughout the entire mansion that housed the Survey Corps. It was steady and very evenly spaced out as it approached the room which Corporal Levi resided in. Humanity's strongest soldier had just recently returned from a duo mission and there were questions that plagued everyone's mind once they had caught sight of their superior. Having said nothing and having just returned back to his space, no one knew what had happened or if it was even a success. The commander was nowhere to be found and anyone who knew something wasn't talking.
Of course, one boy wasn't going to just sit around twiddling his thumbs, not when it involved her at least.
Eren was the kid stepping up to Levi's room in such a calm manner that it shocked most who passed him. This brat, the one who was so influenced by emotions and determination, seemed blank. It was surprising, yes, but people expected it when they only saw Levi return- His partner nowhere to be found.
There was no way, none what so ever, that the second strongest fell. No, she would never. Levi and her, they were the perfect team. Sure, they didn't always get along and sure there were times when one would get so hot-headed it almost cost them everything, but the two were a team. They knew how to fight, how to kill, how to survive. "If he let her down…" Eren breathed out, his voice the only thing showing his true emotions because it wavered and cracked, "If he let her down…"
From behind the mahogany door came yelling- that was surprise number one. Not once could the brat recall a time when Levi raised his voice the way he was now. The second thing that surprised him was that he seemed to be the second to arrive at the Corporal's door.
There, on the ground, on the right side of the door sat Armin. The blond had an almost exasperated look on his face, one arm wrapped around his knees as it held them to his chest, while his other hand held up his head. "Armin? What are you doing here?"
"Waiting to speak with the Corporal," He replied, an exhausted sigh escaping after it.
"How long have you been sitting here? Who's in there with him?"
"About an hour or so, I think. And I believe it is Mikasa, if I am hearing the voices correctly."
"…" Though Eren wouldn't admit it, hearing the screaming match and the death threats from behind the door relaxed him and took away the clenching in his heart.
Screaming.
She was screaming.
Mikasa was screaming.
That meant she was alive and well. She must have come later, showed up when everyone was so concerned with the fact Levi returned.
"Oh thank God."
"Armin?"
"Eh? Eren?"
"How long have we been sitting here?"
"Six hours."
"Ugh…"
That's right. The two had situated themselves out of the room where the duo where. The plan was to just wait for Mikasa to storm out and then take her out to relax and have fun, but it seemed that she was never going to leave there.
How could anyone argue for six hours?!
"You know maybe I want to come back and not smell the wonderful stench of Bleach."
"Well excuse me for wanting to make sure you don't get sick!"
Why did it turn out like this? They had been so happy, carefree almost on the way back, but as soon as the female came into Rivaille's room, it all went downhill.
Their argument started out so serious, Levi saying something about wanting her to take off the next expedition because she was burning herself out. Well, that stubbornness she possessed seemed to disagree and she quickly shot that idea down.
Everything escalated from there, and then suddenly, they were here- throwing stupid things back and forth at one another. Mikasa would say Levi's cleaning habits were too hard to deal with and he would simply retort with the fact that if she wouldn't let herself get so filthy he wouldn't need to use twenty-three gallons of Bleach a week just to keep their space clean.
"Don't you think my getting sick should be one of the least of our worries right now?"
"You are my only worry!"
"I can handle myself, Corporal."
"Rivaille!"
"You're so-"
"Just shut up and get the damn shower before the bacteria from your coat get you si- Where do you think you are going?"
"Back outside the walls!"
"Ackerman don't you dare."
"Why? It's more enjoyable than being around you."
"Get a shower. That's an order."
"Fuck you."
The next sound that came from the room was enough to incite a scream from both the idiots sitting outside the door.
Eyes quickly moved to the shaking door, curiosity and worry rippling through them.
"Let go."
"You offered me something that I can't refuse, Ackerman."
And then Armin and Eren were banging on the door and calling to probably the scariest man alive that he really should just let Mikasa go before she got mad.
To which they got a grunt and a short- "If that door is damaged you'll both be in a far worse position than Ackerman."
"… Let's go Armin."
Before they could take more than five steps, Levi's voice called out in a very menacing tone. "Sit there until we can have our chat, you two."
[A little Takumi x F!Corrin drabble. Spoilers for the Birthright path are contained within this.]
Even today, days after the coronation of the beloved Prince Ryoma, the air in Hoshido was thick with excitement and radiated happiness. The city buzzed with countless happy people, all of whom expected to see the royal family around and just as elated as well. It was magnificent, extravagant, and certainly something one like yourself, a formerly sheltered princess who was raised in an entirely different country, was not use to. Still, you loved it all the same. Well, you enjoyed it when you weren’t being tugged every which way by your siblings, your retainers, and the wills of the masses who so desperately wanted to see the returned royalty that brought on this peaceful time, that is. At first it had been so thrilling that you welcomed every new thing that needed your attention, but as the days dragged on, you slowly found the illusion wearing off. You were exhausted, and with that exhaustion came the lack of mental control; something you had been so desperately holding onto so you could keep the nagging feelings in your heart buried just a little while longer. However, today, when the chance arose for you to slip away from the organized chaos, you jumped on it (much to the displeasure of your retainers).
That is why, at this very moment, you sat under the shade of a tall tree with your knees tucked tightly against your chest. Your back was pressed deep into the hard surface and you let out yet another loud sigh as your ruby red hues flickered up towards the large body of water just a few paces in front of you. You had met Azura here. The night your big brother had been crowned king, he had found you here. So it only seemed fitting that you ran away to wallow in your own thoughts here as well.
While everyone else seemed to enjoy this feeling in the air, it felt like a heavy burden to you. It was suffocating, surrounding you and tugging at every little insecurity you had tried to shove out of existence. It was because of your determination, and the help of many wonderful people, that you had succeeded in ending the war. However, it was also your fault that many sorrows plagued both countries.
You had killed your siblings. Elise had to save you because you were not strong enough, smart enough, or persuasive enough to get Xander to listen to you. Xander had perished by your hand, protecting you yet again in his last few moments on this plane of existence. He had loved you wholeheartedly till the bitter end. Azura had passed because you could not conquer the monster controlling your father without her. You, again, had been too weak. Lilith was lost to you, trading her life for yours. And, Gods, you had almost lost Kaze as well because you were incompetent and too slow to react when the cliff gave way. Each loss tugged at your heart, and this happiness that was surrounding you only served as a reminder of those you had failed to save and those who had been wounded or lost something to this war as well.
“What is the point in all of this celebrating?” You had finally wondered aloud, your arms curling around your legs so you could pull them tighter to your chest. It was the only action keeping you from falling apart at the seams. “Those who deserved this happiness the most do not get to relish in it. I am the reason they are not here today…”
With that thought lingering in your mind, your head came to rest on top of your knees as a sob worked its way through your chest and up your throat. Though the barrier that was your lips, the ones pressed into such a tight, thin line, kept the noise from echoing too far out. Eyes and ears were everywhere after all, and the last thing you needed was someone coming to find you in such a pitiful state.
He had noticed your sudden absence from everything. The time seemed to drag on longer. The air around him felt much stiffer without your presence. Everything just felt a little heavier without your laughter or smile around. Where his beautiful, lively and positive wife had run off to, the young prince was not sure, but he intended to find you.
Though, when he did manage to slip away himself, he had not expected it to be such a difficult task. Typically you stuck to places you knew around the castle. Yet your room was empty, his room was empty, the garden held no sign that you had been there, and when he asked the bustling workers inside, they had admitted to not having seen you since early this morning when they had helped prepare you for the day’s work. Kaze was nowhere to be found (which Takumi was sure to mentally scold you for, for you picked a ninja to serve you and it made it harder on him in situations like these) and he refused to give your attitude filled butler the satisfaction of knowing he needed his help to locate his own wife (or that he had even lost you in the first place).
So for the next few hours, the archer checked everywhere he could possibly think of. Though he hated to admit it, the longer this took, the more he felt worry settle in his chest. No one would have hurt you, would they? No one in Hoshido thought you a traitor, did they? Impossible. He had been the stubborn one at first, but that was what felt like millenniums ago. So surely no one else could have such feelings, especially since you were so well accepted, publicly and privately, by the family. Surely the masses had noticed and would not dare harm the beloved princess, his beloved princess.
“Corrin?” A familiar voice called out and startled you so much so that your body jerked and the little ball you had tucked yourself into crumbled away. “What do you think you are—Were you… were you out here crying?”
Instantly, your hands reached to desperately wipe at your eyes as a forced laugh bubbled out and poorly hid the truth. “T-Takumi, you’re worrying too much. I-I was just tired from all the activities today and started to nod off. The exhaustion is tiring out my eyes as well.” The blatantly obvious lie was proceeded by a hitched breath, your own body betraying you as the smile on your lips didn’t offer the same pungency it normally did. In fact, the forced smile made your husband’s face twist into a mixture of emotions. From what you could make out, he was torn between more than just a handful of emotions and all of them seemed to either worry or wound him in some way.
“Corrin, do not lie to me.” The young prince state as he moved towards you, immediately tugging you against his chest and holding you there with a tight grip. Had he not been so concerned for you, his cheeks surely would have been inflamed. While you had been married for a few months now, he still was embarrassed about little things like this, though with all the gut wrenching feelings in his body now, those flustering thoughts hardly had room in his mind. “What troubles you so much that you feel the need to hide away out here all alone?”
There was a silence that fell between you two for some time. In your mind, you swore to stay silent and not bring up this pain to anyone else so you would not drag them down during such a momentous time, but your heart and body trembled in desperation to be heard. And so, you opted to sit in conflicted silence and soak up the scent of your beloved and enjoy the gentle touches he offered to soothe away the stress in your body.
Finally, after some time, your quivering lips moved. At first, they only formed strangled sounds of sobs, a new onslaught of tears streaming down your face as you buried deeper into the warmth your husband provided. “I-It’s my fault!” You choked out after another moment, fingers clutching desperately onto his clothes as if he would suddenly disappear the moment you released him. “Xander, Elise, everyone… They deserved this peace too, Takumi! They deserved it and I took it away from them.”
There was a shifting noise and then the arms you so desperately needed to hold onto where pulling your body even closer to his own. In fact, by the time all was said and done, you sat on his lap as he continued to try and soothe your trembling by rubbing small circles in your back.
“That is not true and you know it.” The prince stated, one of his hands moving to cup your cheek as he brushed away a few tears. “Those two, everyone, gave something for this peace. It was you, however, who sacrificed the most, who suffered the most, and for the better of everyone no less. I am sure that all of those people who gave you their trust, their faith, are at peace knowing you did not betray it. You followed through with your promise and you, yourself, are finally able to lay your sword down again and rest.” He paused, unsure if his words were doing anything to comfort you. Though, judging by the sound of the sobs slowly starting to come under control, he was hopeful they were truly getting through to you.
“Listen to me, Corrin. You have been forced to make impossible decision after impossible decision and all this time you tried to shoulder it alone. You are not alone now. I am here. This burden is ours. And until you feel like it has truly lifted off your shoulders, I will continue to carry it with you.” Takumi said softly, his lips ghosting over the top of your head before he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. Immediately after, he rested his own on yours and smiled down at you. “You know that, don’t you?”
There was another moment of silence, though this one was much shorter, and instead of tears, you greeted the lovely archer with a faint smile. “I love you, Takumi.” You breathed out. Sure you still felt like this happiness was wasted on you, but your husband was right. He was beside you and you were no longer going to have to fight these demons alone. Besides, somehow you knew his words were true. Xander, Elise, Azura, everyone… They all wanted the best for you and since you had kept your word and delivered peace onto the two kingdoms, hopefully they were truly at peace themselves.
“I love you so much.” You repeated, hands gliding up his body until they encased both of his cheeks. “I know that you are there for me, so I hope you know I am there for you as well. Even when you get flustered and all red in the face like you are now.”
“I-I am not red in the face nor am I flustered.” He protested immediately, the blush that had barely been noticeable before now darkening a great deal. “You need to get your eyes checked.”
“I will when you finally learn how to be more honest.” You laughed, which in turn, earned you a pinch. “O-Ow! Sheesh, you don’t have to be mean to me, you know?”
“That’s for leaving me to deal with all those people alone today, Corrin. It’s your own fault.”
“Indeed. You both seem to be enjoying your time out here while we have work that needs attended to.” Yet another familiar voice echoed in the air, causing you both to stiffen and grimace, your eyes meeting one another before they fell on the intruder.
“Big brother, I can explain.” You were silenced by a mere gesture of his hand, Ryoma having a faint smile on his lips. “Come, Corrin, Takumi, these are matters best discussed at home.”
And that is how the two of you ended up getting a lecture from not only your older brother about skipping out on royal functions, but from the four retainers about suddenly disappearing without so much as a single word.
It may have been boring, but at least you could get in some time to sit in the rather comfortable lap of your husband the entire time (much to the displeasure of the others, though having known you cried earlier, they spared you both that lecture).
