We're in the midst of a heated battle. Enemies surround us. We're fighting with everything we've got, but I don't know if it will be enough. I don't know if we can win. I push back a foe, and plunge Yato through him. He gasps, gurgles, blood dripping from his lips. I pull my sword from him, and he collapses to the ground, finished. The next moment, another takes his place.

I'm cut and bleeding in a dozen different places, but I barely have a chance to notice. I don't even feel the pain. I've gone numb. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I'll feel it later, even if I'm healed by a festal, the ghost of the wounds will flare up and ache for a while until they're healed completely.

But there's nothing I can do except keep fighting. Keep fighting and hope I survive.

When I am victorious again with another lifeless body at my feet, I finally have a chance to pause, gasping for breathing, yato gleaming red. For the moment, I'm safe. I look around me to see if everyone's ok. If anyone needs help. Nearby are my family and comrades waging battles of their own. Seeing that they have their situations under control, my gaze searches for someone in particular. Jakob. I know he'll be nearby. He's always nearby.

My loyal protector.

When I don't immediately spot him, I panic and spin, searching. Finally I see him a short distance off, slashing a foe with his dagger. I sigh with relief that he's relatively ok. I'm about to turn again when my eye catches something. I freeze and look again. There! In the cover of trees, an archer, his gaze turned towards Jakob.

Before I know what I'm doing, I'm running. "Jakob!" I screech, but he doesn't hear me. He dodges his opponent's slash and returns one of his own. I look back into the trees, and again find the archer. He's raising his bow. I won't be in time. I'm not going to make it! I put everything I've got into running. I have to make it. I have to make it. The archer nocks an arrow and pulls back the string. I'm almost there. My eyes twitch back to Jakob just as he finishes off his enemy. "Jakob!" Again I yell his name, and I'm close enough this time for him to hear me. He turns, but I'm looking into the trees just as the archer releases his arrow. I scream, and throw myself in front of Jakob. The arrow hits my stomach. I sprawl across the dirt with a cry of pain, fire roaring through my veins, blackness flickering at the edges of my vision. I fight to remain conscious as time slows to a crawl, my blood seeping into the earth.

There's… there's ringing in my ears. Somewhere nearby I hear a tortured cry, but it's muffled by the ringing. I know that voice. Who's voice is that? I look up, and see Jakob hurling his dagger into the trees. I blink. So, so slowly. I don't want to open my eyes again, but I do anyway, forcing them wider bit by bit. In the trees I see an archer clutching his chest, blood soaking his clothing. The life leaves his eyes, and he collapses, first to his knees, then flat on his face. I look away.

I hear myself breathing. In. And out. But it sounds strange, sort of… fluid. And there's this dreadful pounding sounding in my ears, and my stomach hurts. I'm so… I'm so hot, but I'm shivering. I can't stop shivering. A face suddenly appears above me. His expression is filled with terror. He has long gray hair, braided and carefully tied at his back. It takes me a minute to remember his name. Jakob. That's right. My beautiful Jakob. I want to smile, but I just don't have the strength. I breathe his name instead, carefully making my mouth form those two simple syllables. But the blackness is nearly blocking out my vision now, and when I blink a second time, I can't open my eyes again.

I awake to a pain that throbs with each beat of my heart. I groan, and immediately realize how terribly, terribly thirsty I am. I hear my name spoken, and I feel my hand tightly clasped between someone else's. I crack my eyes open slowly, cautiously, and blink a few times to clear my vision. Hovering over me is Jakob, concern written all over his face, and I realize it's his hands that are clasping mine.

I try to say his name, but my mouth is so dry I can't speak. A light turns on in his eyes, and he says "Water, of course." He sets my hand down softly and moves out of sight for a moment. Carefully I try to turn my neck, feeling like my entire body is nearly too stiff and too sore to move at all. With another groan, I manage it, just as Jakob returns with a glass of water. With more gentleness than a mother for her newborn, he slides his arm under my back and lifts me a few inches, putting the glass to my lips. "Slowly, slowly," he mutters anxiously when I try to drink too much too quickly. He keeps the stream of water thin, but I take what I can get.

When I've had enough, he carefully lays me down again, setting the glass on a small table within easy reach. "How are you feeling?" He asks worriedly, his voice thick. "Is there anything I can get for you, do for you? Anything at all?"

I try my voice out, but it's scratchy and croaky. I clear my throat and try again, but it's only slightly improved. "I'm… achy. But I'm alive, which is more than I expected." I try a smile, but Jakob's frown deepens, and his eyes glisten with tears. I wince. He must have been worried about me. I shouldn't have said that. "As for what you can do for me," I rasp, lifting my hand a few inches. "You can take my hand in yours again." He does, immediately, clasping it tightly. He raises it to his lips and places a small kiss on my thumb as he sits in a chair right next to me. Absently I wonder how long he's been sitting there watching over me. I suspect it's been quite a while, and my heart swells at the thought.

"My Lady…" Jakob starts cautiously, his shining eyes searching my face. "I know I should let you rest, but I can't… I can't wait. Please forgive me, but I have to ask. Why… Why did you do it?"

I know what he means, of course. How could I not? But heat creeps into my cheeks, and I feel foolish for blushing at a time like this, so I reply with, "What do you mean?"

He searches for words, but it takes him a moment to form any. "My life. You… You saved my life by throwing yourself in front of me. You took an arrow that very nearly killed you…" He swallows thickly. "You did that for me..." Shaking his head in confusion, "Why?"

My blush deepens, and I want to look away from him, but… But his dark eyes hold mine, and I can't look away. "Isn't it obvious?" I murmur.

He lays my hand down and moves so close to me, he fills my vision. He cups my cheek. "I-I don't know," he whispers. "I've been sitting here for hours, not knowing if you were going to wake up. The entire time I've been wondering, warring within myself. Why did you do it? …Why did you do it? You have to tell me. I can hardly let myself hope unless I hear the words."

"Jakob," I sigh. "My dear sweet Jakob." I hesitate, but there's no other way of saying it. There's no possible way of being subtle after I nearly killed myself to save him. I look at him carefully and speak the truth. "I love you."

His eyes shut at my words, his mouth forming a grimace as his fingernails gently scrape across my cheek, and I can't tell what he's thinking. This was not the immediate reaction I was hoping for. Is he… Is he upset? Dismayed? Angry? The tears he had been holding back finally spill down his cheeks, and I flinch at the sight of them. "Jakob?" I whisper, confused.

"Oh, Corrin," he groans. "Oh, Corrin," he repeats and sloppily kisses my jaw. His tears fall on my cheek, and he kisses my skin where they land, his expression only able to be described as reverential worship. His fingers curl against my face just as a tear lands on my lips. I taste salt as he looks as me. He hesitates for only a moment before crushing his mouth to mine, kissing me hard. I taste more salt on his lips and on his tongue, and I arch back instinctively, allowing him better access. He groans again, deepening his kiss until I can't think straight.

I'm full of pins and needles and absolutely breathless. But I don't want him to stop. My arms wind around his shoulders, weakly pulling him closer as he holds my face in his hands. My skin is wet with his tears and his warm kisses, and if I had the strength, I'd pull him down and sit on top of him and wrap my arms around him and kiss him until he no longer had the heart to cry.

Instead, he trails kisses along my skin, and slides onto the bed, laying along the small space of the mattress next to me. He looks at me with a mix of such pain and such adoration that he takes my breath away. "Jakob," I whisper, touching his face.

"Corrin," he replies, his voice hoarse. He takes my hand again and squeezes it gently. "You must never again risk your life to save mine. I couldn't live in this world without you. You have no idea how terrified I was… All that blood…" He shuts his eyes in anguish. "I thought I had lost you. You wouldn't wake up. Even when I healed your wounds you were barely breathing." He brings my hand to his face, brushing the back of it against his cheek. "You've been unconscious for two days. I didn't know if you would ever wake up."

Two days? So long? Only now with Jakob two inches from me do I notice the bags under his eyes, his unkempt hair, his ragged face. Has he slept or eaten at all since I was hurt? Gods, my dear Jakob! No wonder he was crying. He's so tired and drained from hunger and worry that he's probably nearly as weak as I am.

"I'm so sorry," I say. "I'm so sorry I made you worry. In the heat of the battle, I didn't see another way of saving you, and I couldn't… I couldn't let you die. You mean too much to me."

He tenderly kisses my knuckles one by one and then looks at me. "I'm not worthy," he rasps. "I'm not worthy of your love, but I don't have the willpower to leave you. I need you. It's selfish, but I need you, Corrin. I can't live without you."

Words die on my tongue. How do I tell him how I feel? Worthy? He's everything to me. I need him so badly, I'm not sure what I would do if he wasn't with me. Before my lips can form the words to express this, he inches closer to me and buries his face in my neck, kissing there once or twice. His arm loops possessively and protectively over my body, his other hand holding mine, and he just stays there, totally relaxed against me. Within moments his breathing deepens, finally able to let the exhaustion overwhelm him after hours of diligent vigil.

I let out a breath contentedly, happy that he is able to find sleep.

Totally comfortable in his embrace, my own eyes grow heavy, my mind and spirit still worn from my ordeal. I blink slowly, but before I drift off, I have to tell him. I squeeze Jakob's hand and whisper to his sleeping form simply, "You are worthy, Jakob. You are worthy."