Straight to the Heart
You were on a hunting expedition in the woods with Kiragi, but for some reason he looked confused. His head turned to the right and then to the left peering at a map unrolled in his hands. He looked quite perplexed as he pouted in confusion. You giggled at his adorableness, but you soon regretted it as he spun around to look at you.
"What are you laughing about, Corrin?" he asked raising his eyebrows.
"Sorry," you apologized. "I was just thinking about… something funny."
You had not told him the truth. You had sworn to yourself that you would never tell him how you truly felt. What you really were giggling about was how adorable he looked when he made that face. The truth was you did not want him to find out that you were actually in love with him. The reason why you would never tell him was because there was too much of an age gap between the two of you, and you were afraid that it would be looked down upon. You were 19 years old, and you were in love with a 14-year-old, how had it come to this? You sighed at the thought of how funny love was and who people fall in love with.
"Corrin, are you… okay?" Kiragi asked waving a hand in front of your face.
"Oh! you exclaimed in surprise blushing. "I-I'm fine!"
He was so close to you his face was almost touching your face. You backed up one step to put some distance between the two of you, but Kiragi cocked his head to the side almost as if he did not understand what you were doing.
"Why are you backing away from me?" Kiragi asked in confusion taking a step closer to you.
Now, he was the same distance to you as before. To keep yourself from dying of embarrassment and having your secret revealed. You thought of something to say to break the awkwardness, although you sounded like a complete idiot.
"N-Nothing!" you stuttered with a gulp as you felt your heart beating at a million times per second, "Here, let me see the map."
You grabbed the map out of his hands before he could get any more suspicious of your actions. You noticed something was wrong with the map at the exact moment you held it up to your face.
"…Kiragi, the map was upside down." you said flipping the map right side up.
"Really?! Now, I feel embarrassed! Heh! Sorry…," he said with a shrug acting like it did not matter.
The fact was that you had noticed something about Kiragi's expression that no one else would have apart from those who were close to Kiragi. He was pretending that it did not affect him that he had messed up, but the truth was he was hiding the disappointment he felt. Your heart tore at the mere thought that he was feeling bad, so unconsciously you reached out to him.
You wrapped your arms around him and brought him to your chest. You held him tightly and petted his head.
"It's alright," you said in a soothing voice. "Everyone makes mistakes; it does not change how I think about you. You don't have to hide your emotions or pretend that you are someone else around me."
Kiragi looked up at you in shock as you realized what you had just done. You had hugged him and told him how you felt!?
Quickly, you let go of him and turned away from him to hide your embarrassment. "Sorry," you announced abruptly not turning to look at him.
Suddenly, you felt a strong grip around your wrist whipping you around and pulling you towards a nearby tree.
Two hands slam against the tree trunk on either side of you as Kiragi looked at you with an angry expression across his face. His eyebrows were knitted and his eyes pierced directly into yours. You had never seen Kiragi with this expression before. You were a little afraid, but then he spoke.
"Why do you always treat me like a child?!" he yelled in a huff. "What did you mean when you said those words? I want to know what you honestly think of me!"
"I-I," you stuttered. If you told him the truth, it could ruin your friendship, and you did not want that. But, on the other hand, if you did not reveal to him your true feelings, you might regret it for the rest of your life. You decided to follow your heart.
"The truth is…," you said blushing profusely looking him straight in the eyes, I think you are a wonderful, kind, easygoing, and sincere person. …And I have fallen totally head over heels for you. I love you."
Kiragi stared at you in utter shock. You knew this was the end of your friendship, but at least he now knew the truth.
"I know you don't feel the same way," You said with a pained laugh that pierced your heart. "I just hope you do not hold this against me… I am truly… sorry." You were trying to hold back the tears that stung your eyes and show a brave face, but it was difficult.
You felt a mouth forcefully press down on yours. Kiragi bit your lip with his teeth urging you to open your mouth. At that moment, his mouth closed over yours as he kissed you aggressively.
"Mmm…"
Tears streamed down your face as you sunk to your knees defenseless. When he finally let go, you both gasped for breath. You did not know what had just happened. Everything had faded away when he had kissed you.
Kiragi smiled as he wiped the tears from your eyes. "Don't cry," he said. "I do not like seeing the woman I love in tears."
You look up at him in surprise. "You love me?" you questioned not believing your ears.
"Yes! I love you. You are my most favorite person in the whole world!" he announced excitedly getting up.
You looked down in embarrassment, a blush spreading across your face.
Suddenly, he grabs your chin and lifts your head up to meet his face. "Just don't treat me like a little kid anymore, alright?" he said with a mischievous grin. "Or there will be consequences."
"…What consequ-," you said. He put a finger to your lips to stop you from continuing.
"Do I need to remind you?" he said with a smirk.
For a little kid, he sure knew how to kiss and make your heart pound. You did not know if you would last much longer.
You shake your head from side to side. "Good." he said in conclusion letting you go.
"What will the others think?" you asked in worry. "I am a lot older than you…"
"It does not matter what they think! I love you and that's all that matters." he exclaimed happily.
Now, Kiragi was back to his enthusiastic and easygoing child-like self. In some ways, you were relieved. You did not even know that Kiragi had a serious side to him, not that you minded. You loved everything about him, and you were excited to find out even more.
You smiled wiping the few remnants of tears from your eyes and stood up. You walked over to Kiragi and intertwined your fingers with his, holding his hand. He looked down at both your hands and blushed. He looked into your eyes at a loss for words in embarrassment. He was so cute!
"Let's go home!" you announced. "We have to tell the others the good news."
You use the map to lead the both of you out of the forest and back to the Hoshidan castle. The entire time Kiragi is silent, but grips your hand tightly.
"…Corrin," Kiragi mumbled quietly in embarrassment. "I'm sorry about earlier. I do not know what came over me to act that way."
You turn to him in surprise. "It's fine," you said with a slight blush. "It's only natural to be… like that with the one you love. I did not mind that side of you, I-I kind of liked it."
"You did?" he questioned in naïve surprise.
You nodded slowly not meeting his eyes.
You were just as awkward and embarrassed as him. You had never been in a romantic relationship with anyone before.
Kiragi smiled gripping your hand more tightly than before turning your attention towards him.
"C-Can I kiss you again before we meet up with everyone else?" he asked.
You nodded and his lips moved over yours with kisses like sweet honey. You felt like you were melting as your knees began to give way. He caught you in his arms just as you were about to fall.
"W-We need to tell the others the good news," you said with a gasp in remembrance.
"Y-Yes, sorry!" he said stopping, his eyes widening in realization.
"Let's go tell my father and mother!" Kiragi suddenly announced to break the awkwardness between the both of you.
"Father!" Kiragi called entering the castle, "Mother! We have something to tell you."
There was no one there, so we decided to look in the nearby training arena. There we found Takumi shooting arrows with his Fujin Yumi and Azura sitting not too far away watching him.
"Father! Mother! We're getting married!"
"No, Kiragi you cannot wield the Fujin Yumi just yet." Takumi sighed in slight annoyance not turning around as if the discussion was a common occurrence. Azura on the other hand gasped, turned around, and stared in shock.
"That's not what I said," he announced loudly. "I SAID CORRIN AND I ARE GETTING MARRIED!"
Takumi turned and stared with his mouth gaping open at Kiragi and you holding hands.
"HUUUUUUUUUUUH!?" he yelled loudly in surprised. Takumi looked like there was no life left in him. He was as pale as a sheet.
"W-Well as long as you love each other I am happy for you Kiragi," Azura said putting on a nervous smile.
"Thanks mom!" Kiragi exclaimed with a grin.
"I think your father is just a little in shock that's all. He will recover soon." Azura continued. "You should tell your brother the er- good news."
"M-kay," Kiragi said smiling.
You felt bad about springing this on both of them especially the way Kiragi announced it. But, at least you did not have to hide your relationship from anyone. Kiragi's honesty was one of the qualities you loved about him after all. You could not wait for what your future together with Kiragi would bring, and you knew without a doubt that his arrow had gone straight to your heart.
"I love you," you said leaning on his shoulder as you walked with Kiragi hand in hand. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"I love you, too," he said smiling. "I never want to be apart from you, either."