Title: Scar Tissue

Pairing: Corrin/Jakob

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I forgot to say this in my other story, but I claim no ownership of anything in the Fire Emblem franchise. This fanfiction is being written out of pure enjoyment for the games, specifically Fates: Conquest. All rights go to Nintendo and other respective owners of the franchise.

Author's Note: Still a fluffy story, but is somewhat 'post-lemon' in nature, if you know what I mean. Is 'lemon' still a term on this site? My age might be showing, haha!

-START-

Oh my gods.

Corrin's head fell upon a well-placed pillow, which was a miracle considering the immense state of disarray the bed was in. It was also one of the many times that evening the stubborn cushion had clung to its spot on the bed and prevented her head from repetitively hitting the headboard.

The woman was in such a state of bliss that she barely had the strength to speak. All she could do was mutter her fiancé's name, and draw her arms even tighter around his body.

His name was a sigh on her raw lips. "Jakob…"

Spasms rolled over joined bodies likes ocean waves, causing them to cling to each other as the tremors seared their bodies. Jakob's arms remained tight around her waist, his face against her neck. His lips placed sweet kisses along her jaw while they enjoyed the last seconds of their blissful union before they'd be forced back to reality.

A few seconds later, Jakob rolled off of her relaxed on the mattress beside her. Corrin rolled on her side to face him, sweeping some of her silver hair from his flushed face. She took him into her arms again, and in return, he instantly pulled her close and held her tightly against his racing heart. The two could barely resist being apart from each other. When she moaned his name, it took a lot of effort on his part to not cover her lips and kiss her again.

"Corrin..." he whispered, keeping her close as she snuggled closer to him.

They were both hot and sweaty, but he honestly couldn't care. Normally such a state would have him itching to take a shower and scrub himself clean to maintain his presentable image. With Corrin, he didn't mind his flushed state, or hers, as they rested together in her bed located in the castle's private quarters.

"That was…" she said, resting her cheek against his chest.

"That was quite an improvement over last time," he said with a deep chuckle, which caused Corrin to pout playfully.

"Hey!"

It wasn't a lie. Their last time had also been their first time, and it had been far from perfect. Heads were accidentally bumped, buttons were stubborn and most of the situations had ended up more awkwardly hilarious than sexy. However, they'd still laughed sincerely at each uncomfortable moment together.

Their second time together, which had ended mere moments before, had rendered her completely breathless and left Jakob moaning her name like a mantra. It was a massive improvement, to say the least.

"Well, you're not wrong," she relented with a laugh, sweeping her hand across his face to stroke his still blushing cheek. "As good as it was, I still loved both times."

Gods, he was gorgeous. She remembered think that he was cute as a child, when he was still a bundle of nerves and resentment dropped off at their doorstep. She'd always found him endearing and, once she'd broken through his tough shell and befriended him as a child, she remembered loving his smile more than anyone else's. Now, she had the opportunity to enjoy all of him and pay tribute to every inch of his beautiful and surprisingly muscular body with a new form of appreciation.

"You loved both?" he asked with a lofted brow. She giggled and cupped his face in her hands, placing a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Yes," she replied. "I loved both because they were with you."

The man turned a little red, but smiled softly at her. There was such warmth and affection in his gaze and smile that Corrin almost felt too humbled to remain in the room. She still couldn't believe that he loved her, let alone that he seemed to legitimately cherish her with the same passion that she did him. She would have never thought that her butler, who was assigned to remain at her side but nothing more, would fall for her. Now, as she laid with with their limbs tangles and hair mussed, it seemed like the most natural state in the world.

"I think I agree with you," he said finally.

He slowly sat up, bringing her with him. Jakob kept one arm securely wrapped around her waist and propped her up until she could rest against his chest, her cheek over his thudding heart. The bedsheets fell away, and Corrin didn't bother to lift them back up again to conceal herself. His gaze caressed her entire body, remembered all the places he's kissed and worshiped. The man felt a little surge of embarrassment as he noticed some reddish lovebites starting to form on her skin.

The sight of her nude body pressed against his and the feeling of her hot flesh molded against his body was absolutely heavenly, especially because he could also look upon her smiling face and slightly sleepy expression.

"You agree?" she asked happily.

The silver-haired man nodded. "I think they were both times were absolutely amazing. I mean…our first time was definitely awkward and uncomfortable…but whose isn't? I've always been under the impression that such is the case for most couples."

Corrin nodded, turning her head so she could yawn against his shoulder. Jakob found the gesture absolutely adorable and started running his hand up and down her back, gently massaging the soreness he knew would be especially evident in a few hours.

Speaking of, he also felt a lingering ache in his own muscles. Their love-making had definitely taken a toll on his body as well. Not that he minded of course. However, especially in his arms and back, he knew he'd be incredibly sore once dawn came. Performing his morning routine of butler duties would definitely be a more arduous event than usual.

It would also no doubt make the grueling trial of getting out of bed even harder. It was already difficult because he hated mornings, and also because he didn't want to leave the beautiful sight of his fiancée sleeping beside him, her white hair and deep lips making her look nothing short of angelic. His gaze licked down her arms and flat stomach, all the way up to her slender collar. Every part of her was perfect.

"Hey, Jakob?" Corrin asked, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

Corrin pushed herself back from Jakob, opting to sit in a position that straddled his waist. Her crimson eyes moved from his face and down his body, wandering over every slope and plane. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "I didn't notice last time, but you have a lot of scars."

The butler's hand went to her waist, resting there and helping to steady her body. "Yes, I do."

Corrin's slender hands reached out to trace the faint, whitish line of an old wound that ran down his toned abdomen. It wasn't the only one. The same marks were scattered about his shoulders and arms. Each one varied slightly in shape and color, indicating they'd been made by different weapons and had originated from different sources of pain. She cringed at the thought of her Jakob being put through such pain, and suddenly felt guilt about all the battles she had brought him into.

When pain flashed across her face at the thought, Jakob was there to caress her cheek and bring her back to reality. "My lady, if my scars upset you, you needn't look at them."

"It's not that," she replied hastily, reassuring him that she wasn't disgusted by his body. She could never feel revulsion at the sight of him. "It's just…I didn't realize how often you got hurt. I feel guilty."

His face softened and he shook his head in denial. "No, Corrin, please don't feel that way. There's no reason for you to feel any guilt."

"How could I not?" she asked gently, averting her gaze from his to look at his hand. There was another jagged scar across his palm, which still had traces of bluish bruising along the edges. It must have been new. It had to have been from one of the battles…one of the dangerous battles she was leading, of course.

"My love, please listen," Jakob said, his hand gently seizing her jaw to turn her head back in his direction. The visage on his face was a picture of complete sincerity. "Some of these scars are from battles. That is true."

Sadness threatened to eclipse Corrin's face, but Jakob attempted to delay it by flashing her one of his own smiles. He continued talking before she had the opportunity to blame herself again.

"However, some of these scars are not from noble battles," he told her. Corrin blinked, and he elaborated. "They're from my childhood, before I arrived in the fortress to serve you and your family. Some are from my early training with Gunter. Some are from fighting alongside you."

She tensed. "Jakob…"

Her gaze wandered down to her own body, and she suddenly remembered that she also had scars. There were at least a dozen raised marks zigzagging across each arm and leg, lessening in quality as they reached her belly and thighs. That was to be expected, considering how often she went to battle. Her Nohrian armor and newfound dragon form sometimes protected her, but not always.

The butler softly threaded his fingers through her hair, pushing her bangs off her face so he could see her clearly without any obstruction. "I don't have as many scars from fighting alongside you because you always protect me. You've protected me since we were children. That's why, even if I get wounded from our fights, those are the scars that I cherish more than the others. Those scars were more than worth it."

Corrin wasn't sure how she felt at his words. Tendrils of elation and dismay fought for dominance in her head, but in her heart, she knew how she felt. The corners of her mouth lifted in a very slight smile.

"Oh, Jakob…" she said.

"Besides, you have even more scars than I do," he noted tenderly, looking over her bare body. Leftover wounds from their countless battles all over the country had left her flesh torn and bruised, but he never found her anything less than beautiful for a second.

Each scar was a testament to her hard work and devotion to her people. Each jagged mark was a symbol of her undying devotion to her family and friends. Each healed patch was proof of her bravery and selflessness as she pushed forward in her mission of establishing peace between Nohr and Hoshido. He couldn't fathom how anyone could find her scars unsightly. He certainly didn't.

"Yeah, I guess do," she said shyly, suddenly tempted to reach for the sheet to cover her body. "I guess I still have some work to do as a warrior, huh? All the scars, yet I wear more armor than you do…and I didn't have any scars as a child either. It seems I still have a ways to go."

She chuckled dryly, but Jakob's face remained completely serious.

"That's not what I meant," he said, his voice clear as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her temple. The rest of his words were whispered into her ear. "Corrin, you have more scars than me. You also fight more battles than me. You save more lives than I do. You've earned every single scar on your body by fighting for and defending others, not by running away or giving up. I think every single one is beautiful. Like you."

Corrin's face colored darkly. "You mean that? You don't find them discouraging? I would think so many scars might make me look weak."

"Never," he replied, not skipping a beat.

Jakob leaned down to kiss one particular scar that ran across her shoulder and stopped just above the swell of her left breast. She remembered clearly; that wound had been left by a Brass Naginata from one of their earliest fights. She remembered the blinding pain when it pierced her armor. She also remembered when Azura had run beside her a second later to deliver the finishing blow and kill the solider that had hurt her. It was the first time she'd seen Azura attack someone so eagerly.

His lips wandered to another scar than ran up her forearm. Against her will, Corrin remembered when an arrow had pierced her arm in the same spot. She also remembered the sound of the warrior's anguished cries as Jakob tossed a dagger into their chest, and then rushed to her side to heal her would in the middle of battle, putting her wellness ahead of his own safety.

When his warm lips caressed the spot, she let out a sigh of delight.

"I'll kiss every single scar," he promised her passionately. "I want you to know that I'm serious. I'll always cherish every part of you."

"I know," she said with an overjoyed grin. Corrin looped her arms around her head and embraced him tightly, pressing his head against her smooth décolleté. Slowly, her hand slid down his arm and lifted his palm to her mouth, placing a kiss on the scar she'd looked at earlier. It was Jakob's turn to sigh in bliss at the gesture.

"As will I," she promised in turn. "I'll kiss every scar on your body."

He couldn't hold back a chuckle and, finding their bodies intertwined yet again, he slowly lowered her back onto the mattress so they could relax together again. Jakob laid down first, with Corrin following him and using his arm as a pillow.

"I think if we each keep our promise, we'll be up until dawn sharing kisses," he said shyly.

Corrin couldn't help but laugh. "After so many kisses, we'd probably end up right back in bed again."

"What a tragedy that would be," Jakob replied jokingly.

Both chuckled at the truth behind that statement, which neither rejected the very real possibility of. The couple took a few minutes to snuggle back into whatever blankets were still left on the bed and look out the window, where the starlit night was slowly fading into a sea of purple and orange. It would be dawn soon. It was unbelievable that time had passed so quickly.

"You know," Corrin said, looking up at him coyly from her place beside him. "The sun will come up in a few hours. Going to sleep now would just be…kind of pointless."

Jakob lifted a brow in amusement, liking the direction her logic was taking them. "Yeah?"

Corrin bit her lip playfully in response to the tone in his voice. Of course he would know where she was going, and their level of closeness in that regard made her heart swell and her cheeks warm substantially.

"Sooo," she continued, inching her hands back up his arms until they looped over his neck. She slowly lifted her hips off the mattress until her body was covering his, keeping him pinned to the bed beneath her. "I was thinking, maybe we stay up for a few more hours and then go to the hot springs together before anyone else wakes up?"

He pretended to muse over the question, and she couldn't resist playing along with his teasing.

"Although, I know you're not necessarily a morning person," she muttered, tossing her hair back so she could view his form clearly. "Do you think you're up for the challenge?"

Jakob's smile was absolutely wicked as he reached up to take a lock of her white hair, looping it around his fingers. The action caused her to lower her head into a passionate kiss.

"I think I can make an exception this one time," he challenged with a little growl, quite enjoying the sight of her body above his. In less than a second, he twisted their bodies so he was on top, and Corrin let out a squeal of delight as the last of the covers, and the last pillow, flew off the bed.

-END-

I see a lot of 'pre-lemon' stories on this site, so I thought this might be a nice change of pace.

Also, I cannot stress how 'surprisingly muscular' Jakob is because the first time I went to the Accessory Shop, of course I looked at everyone in their swimsuits/underwear. For Jakob, I was literally like, "DAAAAMN."

Anyway, thank you so much for reading!