The Westermarck Effect

Elise clapped her hands together excitedly, alerting Corrin to her presence. "You sly dog!"

Corrin's face lit a bright shade of red.

Elise strutted through the grass towards Corrin, smirking. "I see those flowers, don't think I don't! I know exactly what kind those are, too—those are 'I-totally-have-a-sweetheart' flowers." She winked. "Who's the lucky lady, Corrin? You can tell me!"

Corrin looked down at the flowers. He continued to blush, but a small grin sprouted on his face. "You got me, Elise. I know exactly what these flowers are."

"So you ARE sweet on a girl!" Elise chattered, practically jumping up and down in delight.

"Yeah." Corrin faced Elise seriously and held out the flowers. "…Here." He bit his lip, awaiting her reply.

Elise casually accepted the flowers. "Sure!" She turned, as though ready to walk back to the Castle with him. "So, who're these for?"

Corrin's face fell somewhat. He thought she would get it by now. "Elise… They're for you."

Elise's smile wavered as she tried to puzzle out Corrin's words. "For me…?" She looked down at the flowers, still confused. "But… this isn't, like, a love thing, this is a LOVE love thing."

"I know."

Corrin watched Elise's face journey through every stage of realization. Suddenly, she gasped in surprise, dropping the flowers.

"Oh!" Elise exclaimed nervously. Her face adopted an even brighter red hue than Corrin's. "Y-You mean me? Like, me, Elise?"

"Yeah," Corrin laughed. "Elise, I know we've been like siblings for a long time, but we aren't siblings. I gave you those flowers because I care for you very deeply, and I want to protect you forever."

Elise was hyperventilating. "A-Are you asking me…?"

"To be with me, yes." Corrin took to wringing his hands. "Elise… Will you marry me? I want to spend the rest of my life keeping you safe and making you smile."

He waited expectantly for her answer.

"…And that's when I panicked and ran away," Elise finished, nodding.

Camilla, Leo, and Xander frowned. They placed their food back on their respective plates and stared at Elise.

"…So, that's all?" Leo said. "You didn't even say anything?"

Elise sighed. "Okay, fine, it wasn't the most mature way to deal with it, but I had to get out of there! He freaked me out with that!" She pouted. "I don't suppose he could've been kidding."

"Kidding? It's not like our Corrin to kid about such things," said Camilla. "I think he has a genuine crush on you, sweetie!"

"But that's gross!" said Elise. "He—He's my brother!"

"Not by blood," Leo pointed out.

"Th-That doesn't matter! We've been like siblings since forever. I can't think of him that way!"

"Why not?" asked Camilla. "I certainly could."

Xander bobbed his head quietly.

"Oh yeah? Leo, wouldn't it feel weird if Corrin proposed to you?"

"That's different," Leo stated flatly. "I'm male. It would be awkward regardless."

Elise looked to her three siblings, dumbfounded. "…You guys don't have a problem with this? Seriously? It's CORRIN!"

"Elise, darling," Camilla said, stroking Elise's hair, "if Corrin proposed to me, I would snatch him up in a heartbeat." She giggled. "I'd be thrilled, to be honest! To have him as mine, all mine, forever…" She smiled. "But of course I would defer to you, darling. I would never deprive Corrin his happiness."

"No, Camilla! Y-You can't have him either!" Elise pointed at Xander and Leo. "And neither can you guys! It's weird!"

"No arguments here," Leo muttered.

Camilla pouted. "Now now, Elise. Have you truly thought this through? You and Corrin get along so well! I could easily see you two as a couple. Certainly, the cutest couple Nohr has ever seen…"

Elise hesitated. "…I dunno, Camilla… It doesn't feel right."

"I can't understand why," Leo stated.

"Ahem."

All eyes turned to Xander, breaking his silence at last.

He looked into Elise's eyes, a measure of warm, thoughtful concern in his own. He offered her a pleasant smile. "Elise, I understand that this is a very difficult decision for you," he said calmly. "If you want a piece of my advice, here it is: follow your heart. Let your feelings guide the way, and you'll figure out which choice is the right one."

The table was silent for a moment.

Elise's lips parted slightly as she collected her words. "…Wow, Xander… just, wow… I can't think of anything you could possibly say that could be any more unhelpful."

Camilla and Leo nodded in agreement.

Xander's expression turned grumpy, and he stood from the table. "Fine then. Do whatever you want. I have actual problems to worry about."

The other three watched Xander storm out of the mess hall, his feelings apparently hurt. He wouldn't be back for a while.

As the door opened, Elise caught a glimpse of Corrin standing outside: a jolt of fear ran down her spine. "I've gotta get out of here," she whispered, and dashed for the kitchens—she knew of another exit back there.

Leo watched his sister go. "Camilla, can you believe—" He paused, noticing Camilla was already back into her food.

Camilla looked at him, chewing. She slowly stopped. "…Mwhat?"

Elise looked over each shoulder, and, finding herself free of pursuers, she doubled over, panting for breath. Geez, I feel bad, running from Corrin like this.

"Elise?"

Elise jumped, startled. "Oh! Azura!" She put her hand over her heart, smiling in relief. "You scared me, Big Sis."

Azura frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Why are you out of breath?"

"What, me?" Elise stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. "I was just, uh… running laps. Working on my fitness. Did you know I can do twenty push-ups now? Pretty crazy!"

Azura sighed. "I suppose you don't have to tell me the truth if you don't want to." She turned away.

"W-Wait!" Elise grabbed Azura's arm. "Okay, I lied! I'm actually running from Corrin."

Azura's eyes narrowed. "…Really?"

"For realsies," Elise whispered conspiratorially. She let go of Azura.

"Okay, then. Why?"

Elise bit her lip. "It's—It's really weird. He proposed to me, Azura! Like, a marriage thing!"

Azura smiled. "That's very sweet."

Elise blinked, disbelieving. "…What."

"I don't understand why you ran away," Azura added. "I've been wondering when he would ever pop the question, given your obvious relationship."

"SIBLING relationship! SIBLING!" Elise shouted, stomping her foot childishly. "It's not like that!"

Azura frowned. "Oh… So that's the problem. You see him more like a brother…"

"Yes, because he is my brother! Come on, people, why does no one else get it?"

"Well, he isn't," Azura stated.

"He might as well have been, and that's what matters," Elise huffed.

"I don't know," said Azura, frowning thoughtfully. "To be honest, I'm not sure how the rules work for that. Incest isn't too terrible among royalty—to my understanding, it happens quite often, though usually between cousins."

Elise made a face. "I-I don't care if it's "okay", I think it's gross!"

"Do you really, though?" Azura pried. "You and Corrin are very… hmm… Touchy-feely, I suppose. You enjoy latching onto his arm or holding his hand, and you seem so happy whenever he pats you on the head."

Elise hesitated. "…Isn't that normal little-sister stuff, though?"

Azura hummed in laughter. "Not particularly. Neither Sakura nor Hinoka would do such things to either Takumi or Ryoma, not to mention Corrin himself."

Elise pouted. "Could you not—"

"Come to think of it," Azura murmured amusedly, "I believe Sakura even had a crush on Corrin, and they are related. Now that I think about it, that situation is practically a reverse of this one! You and Sakura are quite alike."

"Ugh!" Elise spat. "You're comparing me to your Hoshido sisters AGAIN? That's it, Azura, I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Azura sighed as Elise stormed away. "Not again… I guess I'd better get her some more chocolates."

Corrin's Castle was big and just full of hiding spots. Elise, who had previously explored this fort from top to bottom, had no trouble hiding from her would-be suitor for several hours.

As she sat in a rather cozy barrel in the prison's storage room, reading a book by candlelight, a nefarious idea popped into her head.

She shut her book, grinning widely.

"Felicia!" Elise strode forward, still wearing the same grin. "C'mere, would ya?"

Felicia hesitantly left her spot by the throne, bringing her clipboard with her. She felt anxiety crawl up her back for every second she wasn't at her post and ready to help Corrin manage the Castle's minutia.

"Y-Yes? How can I help you, Princess Elise?" Felicia asked nervously.

"It's not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you," Elise said, winking. She put her arm over Felicia's shoulder; due to their height difference, Felicia had to duck down to keep her balance. "Felicia dear, you've known my brother for a really long time, right?"

"Lord Xander, you mean?"

"No."

Felicia paused. "…Lord Leo, then?"

Elise ground her teeth, irritated. "No, I'm talking about Corrin."

"Oh, right!" Felicia giggled. "Honestly, I forgot you used to be siblings!"

"Haven't we all!" Elise snapped. She took a breath, calming down. "Okay, Felicia, I've got a deal for you. If you do me a teensy little favor, I'll give you a whole week off to do whatever you want, with pay." She smirked. "You can relax in the hot spring, bet on the arena, sleep in…"

Felicia frowned. "Um, I don't—"

"You could work on your balance…"

Felicia's eyes widened as she remembered the catastrophic Tea-Spilling Apocalypse of Last Week. Those shelves would never be the same.

"Go on?"

Elise chuckled in superiority. She knew just the right buttons to push. "Okay, so you know how you've known Corrin since forever?"

"Sure…"

"And how much you've always liked helping him, as if you were treating yourself by being his maid?"

"I guess… Wait, I've never told—"

"So it's agreed!" Elise cheered, patting Felicia on the back roughly and pushing her forward. "Be a dear and go propose to him, please."

Felicia staggered away from Elise, mortified. Her face adopted a rich, red hue. "Wh-What?!"

"You heard me," said Elise jovially. "If you like him so much, go tell him how you feel! Propose!"

"I—I—I've never even thought about a-anything like th-that," Felicia stammered. "I don't know if I l-like him that way…"

Elise frowned. "Of course you do! Now, go tell him, and he'll forget all about this whole 'incest' thing."

"Hmm… I suppose I—" Felicia did a double-take. "Wait, what incest thing?" She put two and two together and gasped. "Lord Corrin proposed to you!"

"Wha—well, yeah, but—"

Felicia grasped Elise's hands, beaming. "I am so happy for you, Princess!"

Elise shook Felicia off. "Well, I'm not! Now, do we have our deal or what?"

Felicia shook her head. "No way! I couldn't stand between Lord Corrin and the one he loves, nuh-uh."

"B-But the hot springs, and the balance—!" Elise cut herself off, frowning at Felicia's stubbornness. Pot and kettle. "Fine then! I'm the princess of Nohr. I command you to go throw away your own feelings and make my not-brother marry you instead!"

"Nope! Sorry, Princess, but I follow Lord Corrin's orders, not yours." She tapped her chin mischievously. "Now that I think about it… You're probably hiding from him, so I should summon him here. Oh, what a helpful servant I would be!"

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving," Elise muttered, turning away. Felicia giggled.

Two newcomers stood ahead of her. Leo's arms were crossed, while Camilla wore her amused smile.

Elise groaned. "What do you guys want?"

"Just here to try talking sense into you again," Camilla hummed.

Elise rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

Felicia quietly slipped away.

"Darling, it just breaks my heart that you can't see how you feel about Corrin," Camilla cooed.

"But I do see—"

"No, I don't believe you do," Camilla interrupted. "You and Corrin have always been so inseparable… You go everywhere together, you do everything together—for goodness sake, you even fight together on the battlefield! And with a synergy most of our army envies."

Elise really wanted to argue, but couldn't find the words.

Leo stepped in. "I looked into what you were talking about before," he said. "What you've described sounds like a phenomenon called 'reverse sexual imprinting.' Basically, people who grew up together—with some restrictions—can't, or don't, like each other in that way. It's a mechanism to prevent inbreeding, seems like."

"There!" Elise said, smirking confidently. "Leo gets it. Finally, I'm not alone here!"

Leo's eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid that's not the case, Elise. Those restrictions are important. This sort of imprinting occurs between people raised together very closely—which none of us were with Corrin, given that we were raised in the capital while he was raised in the Northern Fortress on his own. That flaw makes the theory crumble." He shrugged. "You just have some kind of weird aversion to being with Corrin."

Elise frowned. "What? No, that can't be true! I-I like Corrin a lot…" She suddenly shook her head. "What am I saying?! Fine! Maybe you're right, Leo. Maybe I just hate Corrin—and maybe I need to tell him straight that we can never be together!"

"What?"

Elise flinched, turning toward the new voice. Corrin stood behind her, wearing a look of utmost betrayal. (Felicia, mouth wide, tried to sneak away.)

"Y-You hate me?" Corrin said. "That can't be true… I thought…" His expression slowly changed from shock to resignation. "…I see. So, I guess that's a 'no,' then."

Elise got over her initial mortification and scrambled for words. "N-No! Well, yeah, but I mean—um—"

"You could've at least given me a straight answer," Corrin sighed. "I thought you were hiding because I took you by surprise; that's pretty normal for you. But now I know the real reason."

"Corrin, it's not that I don't like you, it's that I don't like you like that!"

"Don't listen to her, Corrin," Leo stated matter-of-factly. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Elise whirled on her brother. "What? Y-Yes I do, Leo!"

"No you don't," Camilla added.

"Dang it, Camilla!"

"Don't 'dang it' me, sweetie. You're in the wrong here."

Elise and Camilla quickly devolved into a shouting match.

Corrin was now thoroughly confused. His mind told him Elise probably wasn't lying (or she didn't think she was lying, at least), but his heart really wanted to believe the others.

"I have an idea," Leo put out over the noise, quieting his sisters. "A way to determine how you really feel about Corrin, and therefore be able to give him a straight answer."

Elise pouted. "Fine, if it shuts you both up. Fire away, Leo."

Leo gestured between Elise and her suitor. "Give him a kiss."

Corrin alit a bright red, but Elise just crossed her arms, huffing. "What do I care? That wouldn't prove anything. I kiss him all the time!"

Leo and Camilla exchanged a knowing glance.

Leo then looked down on Elise. "Elise, I mean on the lips. Not the cheeks or forehead. Actual romantic stuff."

Elise joined Corrin in the Blushing Club. "What?! No way! That's the opposite of what needs to happen!"

Camilla clapped her hands together giddily. "Oh, this is an excellent plan! Good work, Leo!"

Leo smiled. "I aim to please."

Elise, still a bright shade of crimson, let her stubbornness get the better of her. "…Fine! I'll give him a little kiss if it settles this once and for all."

"Y-You really don't have to if you don't want to," Corrin assured hesitantly.

"Anything to get everyone off my back!" she snapped. "And then we can go back to the way things were."

Corrin frowned. "Elise…"

"So it's decided," said Leo. He seemed pleased with himself. "I suppose a five-second long kiss would be enough."

"Hardly!" Camilla interjected. "They should kiss for at least twenty."

"TWENTY?!" Elise exclaimed.

Leo nodded. "Yes, it seems you're right, sister. Twenty would definitely be better." He gestured at Elise. "Go on, then. Twenty seconds of kissing; chaste, if you wish."

Elise fumed. "C-Can I at least take breaks?"

"Don't be too enthusiastic," Corrin sighed.

"Ruling?" Leo asked Camilla.

Camilla nodded. "I'll allow it."

Leo nodded at Elise. "Twenty seconds, and you can break if you want. Keep in mind, the more breaks you take, the more times you have to kiss him, and the longer this will take in the long run."

"Ah, get to, you mean," Camilla corrected.

"Yes, my mistake."

"Have to," Elise muttered sullenly. She would be stubborn to the end if she had to be.

But right now, she had to focus. Leo's right about the breaks. I need to take as few as possible. Just gotta power through it! Elise turned to Corrin, frowning determinedly. Be strong, Elise!

"A-Are you really sure about this?" Corrin asked. His blush had mostly died down, but his cheeks were still rosy with embarrassment.

"Hmph!" Elise placed her hands on Corrin's face, holding him still. She puffed up her cheeks, held her breath, and dived in.

She couldn't really feel much. Her cheeks mostly interfered with the kiss, which was exactly how she wanted it.

Unfortunately, she didn't take much of a breath before holding it, and soon had to break off, looking away to catch her breath.

"Four seconds isn't going to cut it by any means," Leo scolded.

Okay, so holding my breath is out, Elise thought irritably. Y'know, I should really just take this like a fighter. Head on! Sixteen more seconds is nothin'! Determination welled in her.

"You can do it, Eli—" Camilla began, but was interrupted by Elise forcefully reinitiating the kiss, no puffing up this time. "…Oh, my."

Leo raised an eyebrow at Elise's vehemence.

Elise quickly realized her mistake—in her determination, she had kissed Corrin with much more vigor than she had intended. And, like, a REAL kiss, too! But there was no going back, now. She'd already set the pace, so it was too late to back down.

Corrin sure seems into this, Elise thought. He really does like me. I can definitely tell—Wh-Whoa there! Did he just put his hands on my hips?!

She wanted to open her eyes to glance down, but figured she wouldn't see much anyway. I guess my hands are on his face, though. So we're even…?

Their lips separated briefly, making Elise think Corrin was pulling away—but he definitely wasn't, as he leapt back in with even more intensity. Elise couldn't help but smile at Corrin's enthusiasm. He REALLY likes me, she thought.

Her arms were getting tired of holding his face like that—she was sore from that morning's push-up session, she realized—so she looped her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes. Corrin's hands moved around to hug her.

…This… isn't so bad, I guess, Elise thought. Maybe I should at least ENTERTAIN the thought of marrying him. I mean, everyone else is okay with it… and not much would change between us, since we're so close already.

The pace seemed to be slowing down, but Corrin would have none of it, and reinitiated the quick tempo.

'Miss Elise Corrin's-Last-Name,' Elise thought, amused. That would be so cute. I wonder what our children would—

Her eyes opened wide. Oh my gods, CHILDREN!

The shock forced her to break away, and she stepped back, covering her mouth with her hand. Corrin backed off as well, the red having returned to his cheeks in full force.

"That's only fourteen," Leo grumbled. "She's still got six to go."

That was only TEN seconds?! Elise thought. Geez, that felt like an eternity!

"Hmm." Camilla made a T with her hands and called, "Time out! Elise, get over here." She shooed Leo away.

Elise hustled over and huddled next to Camilla. "Here," Camilla said, giving Elise a water bottle. "You're doing great out there, kid. How're you feeling?"

Elise put a hand on her hip, taking a long drag from her water bottle with the other. She finished and poured some of the water on her head, before handing the bottle back to Camilla. "Not good. I thought about us having kids. Spooked me."

"That's rough, but don't let it shake you." Camilla fanned Elise with her hand. "You've got six more seconds, okay? Then you're home free."

Elise nodded. "Got it, coach."

"Oh, one more thing." Camilla took Elise's shoulders, grinning excitedly. "You kissed Corrin! What's it like?!"

Meanwhile, in Leo's corner:

Corrin downed a swig of water. "You're doing great out there, champ," Leo said. "How aroused are you right now?"

"Wha—Leo!" Corrin said defensively. After a pause, he sighed. "…Ridiculously."

"Then we're halfway there," said Leo encouragingly, patting Corrin on the shoulder. "Looks like it's time to wrap this up. Six more seconds."

"Yeah," Corrin said unconfidently, and he headed back into the fray.

Corrin and Elise stood opposite of each other, awkward.

"Listen," Corrin began. "We really don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Backing out?"

"No. I want to do this, but it really seems like this is making you miserable."

Elise frowned. "I-It's not! Well, I mean, it's… I mean…" Man, I just can't put this into words. Hate to say it, but do I even know what I mean?

She took a breath, composing herself. "Let's just… knock out those last six seconds, okay? Then we can talk or whatever…"

Corrin frowned. "Okay."

Elise took a nervous step closer, as did Corrin. Elise looked down at Corrin's hands, and slowly reached for one. She interlaced her fingers through Corrin's, and followed through with the other hand.

Elise looked up at Corrin. Both were keenly aware of the two onlookers.

Okay, Elise thought nervously, and closed her eyes, lifting up onto her tiptoes. Corrin leaned down and kissed her again.

It was much less vigorous than their previous kiss, but not as comically chaste as the first.

She tried her hardest not to think. It's just Corrin, she thought. It's just, like… the guy that… that always…

Her mind went blank without effort. She released one of his hands and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him in harder. His now-free hand settled on her back, likewise pulling her up. The pace started to quicken.

"All right, that's twenty," came Leo's voice.

Their kiss continued.

"I said, that's time," Leo insisted, and the pair awoke and quickly split apart. Camilla covered her mouth to hide her grin.

"Th-There," Elise muttered, putting distance between her and Corrin. "Y-You got what you wanted, Leo. Twenty seconds." Though it felt like fifteen.

"Twenty-three, to be more accurate," said Leo.

Camilla giggled. "So, how do you feel, darling?"

"Like a mess." Elise glanced over at Corrin. "But uh… Inconclusive." He met her eye for a second, and she quickly looked away.

Leo soured. "Inconclusive? I was sure that'd work." Camilla patted him on the shoulder consolingly.

Corrin frowned. "…Sorry, Leo. I hoped it would work, too." He sighed dejectedly. "Sorry to you too, Elise…"

"I-I didn't say I decided against it!" Elise said hurriedly. "Just that I h…haven't decided, yet."

Eyebrows raised from the other three.

"Rea~lly?" said Camilla, a surprised smile on her face. "So you are considering it, now?"

"I—I—" Elise pouted. "I don't know, okay? I-I mean, he's still my brother in the end." She silenced both of her real siblings with a pointer finger: "You know what I mean!"

"What will it take to make you decide, then?" Corrin asked. "What can I do to make you see me differently?"

Elise looked at her feet. "…I don't know. Honestly, Corrin, I wish I could tell you, but I really don't know!"

"You wish that?" said Camilla. "So you do like him. You like him like that, even."

"But she can't dispel her old view of him," Leo noted. He smirked inwardly. It DID work! Good job, Leo.

"Um… Um…" Elise ran over to Corrin and grabbed his hand. "I need to talk to you alone!"

Corrin blinked. "S-Sure, Elise." He let her lead him to somewhere more private.

Camilla watched them go. "Honestly, Leo, I just cannot fight this smile on my face right now."

Leo cleared his throat, looking away. "S-Some people might think a high-five is in order, for a job well done."

Camilla hummed, offering a hand.

"…Oh, if you insist," Leo said, masking his excitement. They high-fived.

Corrin closed the door to his room. Elise already stood in the middle, wringing her hands nervously.

"Corrin," Elise opened, "I need you to be, like, SUPER duper honest with me. Okay?"

"Of course, Elise. I'd never lie to you."

"You would if you thought you'd hurt my feelings by telling the truth," Elise insisted. "I need you to be brutal. Okay?"

Corrin frowned. "…Okay."

Elise pulled up a chair from Corrin's table and sat. Corrin placed a chair across from her and sat as well.

"Corrin, is there any way… ANY way at all… that things can just… go back to the way they were?" Elise sniffed, teary-eyed. "I was so happy before."

Corrin winced. She did say brutal. "...No. I'm sorry, but that can't happen anymore."

"But why?" Elise leaned forward, more tears coming. "I liked it when you were my brother! We could hang out, and be cool and friends and whatever! I was so happy, Corrin! Let's go back to that, please!"

"Things have changed," said Corrin grimly. "I'll still feel the way I do, and now, you know too. There's no way we could be that close again."

"Well then, i-it's your fault, isn't it?!" Elise shouted. "You ruined this!"

Corrin grimaced. "I did. But it was only because I had to tell you how I felt." He looked down. "…I was so certain you felt the same way…"

Elise began to cry. "W-Well… Fine, then! I'll just marry you, and… and then things will go back, right? Yes!" She placed her hands atop Corrin's. "Yes, I'll marry you, okay?"

Corrin gently pushed Elise's hands off. "…Is that the only reason? If you would only marry me for that, then you shouldn't do it."

Elise was shivering now, sniffing repeatedly. She wiped her eyes. "Gods, C-Corrin, why did you have to d-do this to me? You're so mean!"

Corrin winced.

"To shove all this… all this super-complicated stuff on me… I wasn't ready, okay?! I'm not ready to be married! I'm not ready to have kids!" She buried her face in her hands, crying her heart out. "Th-That wasn't fair, Corrin! You're horrible!"

Corrin watched her cry for a moment, painfully. He decided to take a gamble.

Corrin moved his chair to sit next to Elise and put an arm around her shoulder. Thankfully, she accepted the olive branch, and buried her head in Corrin's chest.

"You're right," Corrin sighed, petting her head soothingly. "I should've been more perceptive… should've known that you only thought of me as a brother. …If you want, I'll really, really try to let things go back to how they were. Back to where we're just close friends, siblings even, and no more." He chuckled. "We don't have to get married for that. I want you to find someone else—someone you actually love, hopefully someone you can be as close with as you were with me—and be just as happy." He peered down at her, trying to catch her eye. "Okay?"

She looked up at him, still shivering with sobs. Slowly, she nodded, and Corrin eased her off of him.

Elise tried to calm down, taking shaky breaths. Corrin rested his arms on his knees, a depression taking hold of him.

Elise clenched her hands atop her lap. He's lying, obviously. He was right that we can't be like we used to be anymore. Soon we'll drift apart, and then we'll hardly even be friends, and then we'll start disliking each other, and then the family will start taking sides, and then we'll have a mini Hoshido-Nohr situation going on, and…

She talked herself into crying even harder. Corrin sighed and put his arm around her again.

This SUCKS! Gods, I hate him so much right now, but I want to be friends again! I want to hold his hand all the time, and I want him to pat my head, and I want to fight the bad guys with him… She shook her head, tears streaming. This ruined EVERYTHING! I-I don't know if I even want to marry ANYONE anymore! 'Oh, I want you to be happy, blah blah blah!' Up yours, Corrin! Who else would I even marry, huh?

Her eyes widened, and the tears suddenly stopped.

…Who else WOULD I marry?

The revelation astounded her. There's no one better. I'll NEVER meet anyone like Corrin. She looked up at him. Who am I looking for? 'Exactly Corrin, but without thinking we were siblings before?'…

Was…

Was it all in my head?

…It WAS all in my head…

…And I do like him like that.

"Corrin!" she said quickly, sitting up and looking him in the eye.

Corrin blinked. Her tears had just… halted. Just gone.

Elise half-mindedly wiped the drying tear streaks on her cheeks and took one of Corrin's hands. "I—I know this'll be hard to swallow, s-since I just kinda melted down a minute ago, and I called you n-names… But, I mean it, okay?" She shook his hand emphatically. "Promise you'll believe me, okay?"

Corrin's mouth opened, bewildered. "O-Of course, Elise."

Elise summoned up all of her courage, drawing her face into a determined expression. Using this strength, she mustered up the most difficult phrase she'd ever spoken: "Yes."

"…What?"

"Dang it!" Elise said, kicking herself. "I meant 'I do!' That would've gotten the point across so much better." She pouted.

"The point…?" Corrin's eyes widened. "Elise, are you saying…"

"N-No, shut up, let me say it!" Elise said. "Um—Um—Corrin!" She squeezed his hand. "I love you! Like, LOVE love! If we were in that field again, I would totally pick those flowers for you!" She beamed. "Marry me!"

Corrin's face grew into a wide smile. "But all those things you said…"

"I meant them!" said Elise. "Call me stubborn, but I think I was in the right all along." She winked. "I've just changed my mind!"

Corrin shook his head disbelievingly, still grinning. "…Someday, Elise, I hope I'm able to crack open that head of yours and figure out exactly how your mind works."

Elise giggled. "Well, I pride myself in being hard to read." She suddenly turned serious. "Corrin! I just proposed to you! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Corrin laughed. "After everything we've been through today, do you really not know my answer?"

"I want to hear it from you!" She crossed her arms, smirking. "You've been such a jerk to me today, I deserve that much."

Corrin grinned and rolled his eyes. "If you insist." He took both of Elise's hands. "Elise, thank you for your proposal, but… gee, I dunno. I used to think you were my sister…"

Elise hit him on the arm. "You are such a jerk!"

Corrin laughed loudly. "Haha! Fine, fine, you win! I would be happy to marry you, Elise. I love you."

Elise was smug. "There it is." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now we can go back to the way things were, and also make out a lot."

Corrin flushed red. Elise laughed; she always knew the right buttons to push.

Corrin and Elise stepped out of the cabin hand-in-hand. Leo and Camilla both stood outside, as expected, but Xander had also joined the party.

Camilla clutched her heart. "You did it! You two are so cute!"

"Knew you could do it," said Leo, sneaking in another high-five for Corrin. "Congratulations, you two."

"Ahem."

All eyes turned to Xander.

Xander clasped his hands behind his back, smiling. He seemed to be hiding some eagerness behind that smile. "So," he said, nodding at Elise. "I'm very happy things worked out between you two. Did, ah… Did my advice come in handy after all?"

Elise slowly forced a smile. "…Um, y-yep! You bet, Xander." She patted him on the arm reassuringly, and walked away with her fiancée and two siblings.

Xander watched them go. "I knew it was good advice," he muttered to himself, smirking.

He allowed himself a smug fist-pump before following the others.

-END-

Author's note:

This is definitely the lightest story I've ever done. Writing this was a really good time. Not to mention that this is the quickest story I've ever written—I started it on Sunday (the 20th) and finished it on Wednesday (the 23rd)!

(Also, why isn't there a tag for the Fire Emblem Fates continent yet?)

Thanks for reading!