Pre-Script A/N:
Based on a Q&A prompt on which halves of a couple would be more likely to do what.
1. "Which one would propose?"
The bus ride home was a bit long, but Flora always appreciated how it gave her time to think. Things were a little shaky in her department at the university. There were an increase in professors leaving over dissatisfaction with their pay, especially since that chaotic meeting right before the mid-terms. In her four years of teaching at East Dia University, Flora had already seen quite a few professors walk in and out those doors. Other than the department head, the only constants were her and that obnoxious Azama.
Still… Did the school really have to allocate so much extra money to the sports team? Surely the wyverns' stables are luxurious enough… Flora sighed. If she could be honest with herself, she was also tempted to leave. But the Ice Tribalist knew she was too reliable. And while the money could have been more, she could not turn it down. But her biggest reason was that she simply loved her classes too much.
Contemporary Ice Tribe Culture and Northern Literature, two different curriculums which allowed Flora to share her culture with the next generation. She simply had so much to share, that she could hardly fit them into a single semester each time. The professor proudly remembered a day from her early childhood, when she joined her father in attendance to a protest, pushing for more awareness of their tribe's culture in the Dia's educational district. Back then, Flora did not really understand what they were doing, but she did cherish one of the fonder memories she and her father shared. Also, a cameraman actually asked young Flora a question, and she was able to answer. Flora had no memory of what the question was, but it felt exciting at the time.
Flora let out an exhausted breath. This whole semester was just a headache, and they were only three months in. Thank the gods that it's Friday. I'm gonna need this rest.
Vvvvvvt! Vvvvvvt!
"Hm?" Flora snapped out of her thoughts to tend to her phone. She had received a text message from Corrin.
/Corrin: Hey flora! Im taking u out to dinner! o: dont worry about paying, its my treat (ur gonna insist anyway tho, right? XD)
Flora barely stifled a giggle at that message. Corrin, the best friend she had fallen for, had always been trying to pamper her. And each time, Flora would try to downplay herself, feeling a little unworthy of such expenditures. It caused a few disruptions in the relationship, but they worked through it as a team. At the very least, they reached the point where they could joke about it.
The other reason Flora found the text so funny was because this was the text message from a police officer. Oh sure, Corrin had demonstrated the competence of an officer on many occasions. But as soon as his work ended…
/Flora: No, it's all right. In fact, this will allow me to save up and pay a tutor to teach you Nohrian.
/Corrin: […]
She smiled, waiting for the response.
/Flora: No, it's all right. In fact, this will allow me to save up and pay a tutor to teach you Nohrian.
/Corrin: Rude! Come on flora im not one of ur students lol
/Flora: Sometimes it feels like it.
The textual quips went back and forth like this for a few minutes, and Flora enjoyed all of it. This was just the reliever she needed after a long day. Not to mention the promised dinner date.
/Flora: So, where will we be going tonight?
/Corrin: Deez Cuts!
/Flora: …How romantic.
/Corrin: lololol jk jk… we're going to little vine
Flora's eyes widened at that. By fancy restaurant standards, Little Vine really was not that special. But she had a weakness for it all the same. She quickly prepared her response.
/Corrin: lololol jk jk… we're going to little vine
/Flora: My, taking me to my favorite place and paying for it? What's the occasion, Corrin?
/Corrin: what, I cant treat you? you wound me ;p
The professor giggled. Her stress from work had already been forgotten. Tonight would be a good one.
…
Flora was surprised with Corrin. That was not to say Corrin had poor etiquette or table manners, nor that he could not be serious about fine dining. Rather, she was concerned with the fact that her date had behaved in an incredibly stilted manner. Overly polite, taking small bites, fretting over which fork to use (even though this place only had one fork and knife to a patron), and even… trying to sit completely still. Not even policework seemed to phase Corrin this much. Overall, it was a far cry from the liveliness man on the other end of her text conversation.
"Corrin… Is something wrong?" Flora asked, grimacing slightly. "You've been… kind of weird, to be honest."
"Oh? Uh, have I? Heh… heh… Uhh…" Corrin administered a napkin to his forehead. "I guess, uh… well…"
The Tribalist smirked. "Is it because you're wearing shoes right now?"
"Wha? No! Geez Flora, give me some credit! Heheheh…" Corrin's laughter put Flora at ease. Her little taunt took the edge off the atmosphere, as planned. "Oh boy… I think I'd better just come out with it."
"Come out with it?" Flora frowned. She sighed. "Oh dear… Is something going on with work?"
Corrin frantically waved. "Oh, no, no, nothing like that! It's… about… It's about us."
"Huh?" This caught Flora's attention. Well, to her knowledge, this could only mean one of two things. One option was that Corrin was about to suggest they split up, that their relationship was not working. Oh gods, that's it, isn't it?! I drove him away, I'd bet, with all my griping about work! Was I too bitter?! No, wait! Is Corrin interested in someone else?! It's not like I can compete with anyone! Oh, my icy heart…!
Then she shook her head. Wait, stop that, Flora! Quit being so dramatic, why do you keep jumping to the worst conclusion?! You're worth more than that! Besides, you and Corrin have known each other long enough that you would've picked up the signs if it weren't working out. Have a little more faith in yourself! Then Flora gave a pause. It's just the nerves talking, that's all. It's probably something good! ...Since we have known each other that long… and Corrin was clearly excited about this date… then… the reason he must be so nervous is-!
Flora gasped.
By the time the professor had worked through the two choices in her head, she could already see Corrin taking a knee beside their table. He must have been saying a few other things while Flora had been having her episode.
"So you… probably already figured it out, but you deserve to be asked anyway." Corrin fished out a small box and held it out before Flora, revealing a ring. "Flora, you've been my best friend for so long now. I'd…" A gulp. "It'd make me the happiest man in the world if I could wake up beside you every morning. Will you marry me?"
"Oh, Corrin!" Euphoria rushed through Flora's veins, as she got out of their booth and onto her own knees, arms wrapped around Corrin. They must have looked silly in the middle of the restaurant, but Flora only cared about Corrin in that moment. The temperature was dropping, but Flora vowed to keep her beloved warm enough. "Of course I'll marry you! This is… I'm so happy! I can't… I can't keep it all in!"
Flora began to chuckle, though tears ran down her eyes. The warmth inside her grew as she felt Corrin's arms returning her hug. Her eyes were shut, but she could tell from the sound of his voice that her excitement was mutual. "Oh, thank you, Flora! I'm so glad you feel the same!"
"Heh… Of course I feel the same! I'm marrying my best friend!"
2. "Which one buys groceries?"
At the local Valmart in Dia, Flora had easily found all her supplies. Unlike her sister, she fancied herself an efficient shopper. Flora entered the store, gathered her desired items in the quickest route possible, and made her way out. She even tried to use the self-checkout whenever possible. Honestly, I don't know how some people find it fun to shop. It's just walking around and losing money…
Flora pulled out her phone. Of course she knew what she and her husband needed, but there was a little extra money for a snack. They alternated in which one of them got to pick the snack, and it was Corrin's turn. He could not make split-second decisions to save his life, an observation which gave Flora a strange sense of déjà vu. So she simply told Corrin to consider his options, and text her. She would take no longer than twenty minutes, before driving back home. And as it turned out, Corrin had responded.
/Corrin: Do they have oreos? I dont want the generic kind tho
/Flora: You can't even tell the difference.
/Corrin: But I caaaaaan! Theyre not made with love like the real ones are theyre just cheap
She rolled her gray eyes, but a smirk had formed all the same.
/Flora: If you love those cookies so much, why don't you marry them?
/Corrin: Im not good enough for them, what if they say no?
/Flora: Hmm…
/Flora: Well, you ARE a huge dork.
/Corrin: …thanks.
/Flora: So if the cookies won't have you, I will~
Flora giggled to herself, unaware of the blonde woman standing over her shoulder.
"Is this really what the two of you talk about? You're such dorks! Hahahaha!" In response, Flora nearly jumped out of her skin and turned to face the other woman.
"Charlotte, I told you to stop prying!"
"Hey, you were the one who was in such a big hurry!" Charlotte teased. "Now are we gonna get your groceries home, and we can finally get to that movie?"
Well, I can't argue with that. Flora sighed and put her phone away. She would just have to see what cookies she could find.
3. "Which one kills the spiders?"
Corrin and Flora sat together on the couch, watching a movie together. It was a film made quite a few years ago, that much was certain. And it was… an odd movie. Corrin had been enjoying it more than his wife.
"I don't get it, what did the drug dealer have to do with anything?!" Flora asked. "There was nothing telling us that Denny had anything to do with drugs!"
Chuckling, the off-duty officer turned to his wife. "You're still thinking about that scene? That happened ago."
"I want to know if they're going to follow through with it!"
"Flora, you haven't noticed that this movie just picks ideas up and drops them without a second thought?" He began to laugh before mimicking an expression seen earlier in the film. "You're tearing me apart, Flora!"
Flora could not help but sigh at the overly bad acting- both from her husband and the movie. As it happened, she took notice of a small arachnid on top of the couple's coffee table. "Spider…"
"A spider?!" Corrin repeated. His entire body recoiled, as he curled up onto the couch, not letting bare feet touch the carpet. "Where?! Flora, don't play games with me, where's the spider?!" Internally, Corrin moaned. You can do police work, but you can't stand up to a mere spider… Way to go, Corrin.
Flora took the opportunity to glare at the spider. She had a certain way about her. Anyone who suffered the fate of having those gray windows boring into them would soon find themselves feeling more than a little nippy, if the emotional discomfort was not already enough. Corrin had often joked that Flora would make a great interrogator, if the whole professor thing went south.
So it was that Flora glared at the spider, enough to will a pinpointed amount of ice with which to encase the body. That took care of that. Corrin, having finally spotted the spider, sighed with relief. "Thanks, Flora."
"You're lucky I didn't do that to you, for making me sit through this stupid movie."
4. "Which one comes home drunk at 3AM?"
Silas winced, watching Corrin wobble out of the bar and into the passenger's seat of his car. Initially, the two came to the bar to support their friend Owain's new band. And of course, being a bar, there was a selection of alcoholic beverages available. Since Silas was the driver, it meant Corrin got to indulge. He promised Silas that he would drink for the both of them… and he did.
The silver-haired man honestly felt a bit guilty over this, because Corrin was not a heavy drinker by nature. But when he felt he owed Silas… "Corrin, are you feeling okay? You know, other than being drunk?"
"Yeeeh… yeh. I jes gotta find m'phone."
Silas observed that Corrin was already holding his phone. "Um… You mean that one?"
"Oh! Yeeh. Imma text her. Mmmmy wife," Corrin slurred. At that, Silas winced.
"Uh, are you sure? She knew we were going out tonight. I can probably just-"
"No iss fine, Silas, iss fine…"
/Corrin: BBy we Re on oyr wY bCk I lpbe uuuu :2
Corrin leaned back in his seat, basking in the immense satisfaction of a job well done. On the other side of the car, Silas himself received a text.
/Flora: Did you get my husband drunk?
/Flora: Again?
/Silas: Errr…
/Silas: Kinda yeah
/Flora: […]
Beads of sweat rolled down Silas's face. He glanced over to Corrin, still kind of in his own world. He did even seem aware that the car had not started. Eventually, Flora finally responded.
/Silas: Kinda yeah
/Flora: I'm not dealing with this crap at this ungodly hour.
/Flora: The apartment door will be unlocked. But YOU will be helping him up the stairs.
/Silas: Yes ma'am.
5. "Which one remembers to feed the fish?"
Flora looked upon the fishes in the tank, in hers and Corrin's shared apartment. She sighed, carrying no feelings for this pet. But Corrin brought it home after he was working security at a fair somewhere in town. Apparently a small child said he was not allowed to keep a goldfish, and gave it to the first adult he ran into- Corrin.
Big softy that he was, Corrin kept the fish with him and went home with it. Flora had told him that the fish was not going to last very long, and that they were better off finding a humane way of disposing it. Corrin, however, took it as a challenge, and went on to do all the necessary reading. He bought a fish tank and even a few extra fish, and suddenly the married couple had a school of fish to look after.
As if I wanted a second school to deal with… Flora smiled as she fed them. But what did I expect? Corrin loves his animals. I'm almost surprised he didn't become a veterinarian like his sister. …It probably helped that other pets were not allowed in this complex. And honestly, feeding Corrin's fish while he was at work and it was a weekend was such a non-effort, that Flora did not mind.
6. "Which one initiates a duet?"
It was a long weekend, and an opportunity where both Corrin and Flora had time off work. So they decided to make the most of it and head out of town. Corrin, as the driver, had a big grin on his face. "It's been ages since I've been to the beach! It'll be great! I'll finally learn how to surf, maybe we can play some volleyball, and I don't even have to wear shoes!"
Flora sighed, her eyes looking duller than they admittedly usually were. "Yeah… Sounds like a good time…"
Hearing that response, Corrin frowned. He knew that some of the other teachers at the university were using her as a scapegoat for some kind of controversy. Something about accusing her of being a brownnoser to the head of the department. But really, she mostly kept to herself at work. It led to some malicious whispering and Flora tried her best not to let it get to her, she told him. But sometimes he would come home and find her playing Sims… and killing them.
In essence, Flora needed to get away for a day. And that was Corrin's ulterior motive for getting to the beach. That, and wanting to go to the beach. But it appeared she was still distracted. Well then, I guess I'll just have to use my secret weapon!
Corrin began to hum. His wife ignored it at first, but then the lyrics kicked in. "All around me are familiar faces… Worn-out faces, worn-out places…" That got Flora's attention. She slowly turned her head toward her husband, and mouthed 'what', with confusion clear on her gray eyes. Corrin kept going. "Bright and early for the daily races… Going nowhere, going nowhere…"
"Corrin what are you doing?"
He sheepishly smiled, briefly turning his eyes off the road and onto Flora. "Uh, singing. Do you feel better?"
"What?! No, that… That was a sad song, why would that make me feel better?!" She chuckled. "You goof… Hmhmhmhm…" Despite that, though, her chuckles soon became full giggles. Hearing her laughter, Corrin only grinned.
"All right, I'll try a happier song," he said through his smile. After clearing his throat, Corrin started back up. "Hello darkness, my old friend-"
"Pfffft, hahahaha! Oh, good job, Corrin, that's… that's much happier! Ahahahaha!"
"I've come to talk with you again. Because a vision softly creeping…"
Quickly getting over her giggles, Flora joined Corrin for the next line:
"Left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted… in my brain, still remains… within the sounds of silence."
Unable to take any more, both Corrin and Flora burst into laughter. Though as the cop calmed down, he could still hear his wife in the middle of her laughing fit, and smiled. It was his favorite sound.
Secret weapon. Works every time!
7. "Which one falls asleep first?"
"Corrin, you know I'm going to win. I can be very competitive."
Sitting alone on their couch and talking into his cellphone, Corrin grinned. "I knew the risks! There is-" he yawned, "no way… you'll beat me this time." His eyelids were heavy. "Your… jetlag… will beat you."
It was a little game Corrin and Flora liked to play whenever they were apart for the night. They called it 'Tired Chicken'. Whichever was the first to fall asleep was the loser. And the winner got bragging rights. That was about it, but Flora took the initial suggestion of a contest more seriously than Corrin anticipated. Wanting to humor her and seeing no harm, Corrin agreed. Next thing either of them knew, it was just a thing between them.
"Do you forget all the nights I've spent staying up and grading exams?"
"Do you forget all the nights I've been on stakeouts?" Corrin countered.
"This isn't even my first trip to my parents' house this year! My body will probably remember how to deal with it from last time."
"Well… I…" Corrin sluggishly looked around for something he had seemingly left on the couch beside him. Within a minute, he found it, some black, mesh mask with red eyes. He sloppily put it on over his face. "I have the All-Night Mask!"
He could hear Flora yawning on the other end. "You do know that's just a prop I got from the auction site, right? It's not… it's not gonna… work…"
The mask-wearing off-duty cop smiled at the exhaustion in his wife's voice. Or he could, if not for his own lack of energy. "Perception… will make reality… for me. If I believe the mask will… work, then it's fine…" Finally, his eyes shut entirely. "Zzzzz…."
Flora's mild giggle was heard on the other end. "That means I win…" She yawned. "Goodnight, Corrin… I love you… I should probably hang… up now…"
8. "Which one wakes the other at 3AM, asking for pancakes?"
Flora was enjoying her dream immensely, thank you very much. In her dream, her control over ice was replaced with the power to conjure small candies at will, and she remembered it just in time to not need to buy any snacks at the movie theater. She and Charlotte were sneaking in to see the newest superhero movie, and the inside of the theater was smaller than she remembered, but still comfortable enough. They got to the scene where characters from an entirely different movie showed up when Corrin finally brought Flora to the waking world.
"Flora… hey… Flora?" Corrin gently shook her, speaking in a low tone, but still trying to rouse her. "Flora, you need to wake up." He chuckled. "I'll go find the Fimbulvetr app on my phone and do what you do to me, I'm not afraid."
"Ugh…" Flora slowly sat up, rubbing her left eye. "The difference is that it's usually important and you're a heavy sleeper…" she moaned. In contrast, Flora had a relatively easy time waking up. And as far as she knew, there were no special occasions today. In fact, it was a weekend, so she was admittedly a little curious why Corrin would take her up at- "Three in the morning?!"
Corrin nodded. "Yeah. Flora, don't you remember? Nohrian House of Pancakes is doing that 24-hour special… whatever-it-was. I almost forgot, but we need to go!"
Incredulously, Flora looked over at her husband. "…You woke me up at three in the morning… for pancakes."
"Delicious pancakes!"
"Pancakes we could've eaten at our normal wake-up hour."
"That's just it, though!" Corrin countered. "It started at six in the morning yesterday! So by the time we wake up, the deal will be over!"
Flora sighed. "…Fine. We'll go get your stupid pancakes."
Immediately, Corrin winced. "Uhh… I'm-I'm sorry I didn't mean… I just-"
"No, no, breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Flora insisted, though her voice implied some resentment. I mean… they do make good pancakes. Buuut… I do think a lesson is in order… I'll mull it over during breakfast.
9. "Which one would send unwanted lewd photos to the other?"
Sitting in her office during her lunch break, Flora sat and considered which book she would have to omit from her Northern Literature class, due to sheer time restraints. When she caught sign of the time, a wicked grin appeared on her face. Oh, soon Corrin will be able to call. I bet he'll have a lot to say..
VVVVVT! VVVVVVT!
And speak of the devil… Putting on her best attempt at a saccharine voice, Flora answered the phone. "Hello my love, whatever have I done to be graced with a call from you?"
"Flora, what gives?!"
Her sinister smile remained, and she felt that Corrin knew it was there. "Why, Corrin, what do you mean?"
"Sending me a…" she could hear him lower his voice, "…a lewd picture on my phone while I'm doing paperwork?! It's very distracting!"
If Flora could be honest with herself, she was actually a little touched that Corrin found her so attractive that a picture like that would mess with him in such a way. Of course she knew that Corrin loved her with all his being, but… a little reminder never hurt. Besides, he deserved to get flustered. "Maybe next time you'll think before waking me up early in the morning for pancakes."
"…So wait… If I keep waking you up, you'll send me more pictures like that? …I could get used to that."
The professor's eyes widened as she heard the taunting confidence in his tone. …Well that backfired! That's okay, though. Dad didn't raise a quitter! "Or maybe instead I'll just send you a picture of those zombies from that movie we were watching. Consider that one a warning photo."
"Aah! Okay, okay! Got it!"
She laughed. Corrin had lost this one. Letting the subject settle a bit, Flora finally spoke up again. "So anyway, how has the rest of your day been so far?"
10. "Which one would brag about their Karate skill, even though they never passed Yellow Belt?"
Flora sat in the bleachers of the university's gymnasium. There were no classes today, but there was a biannual karate tournament being held, and Flora always made a point to attend. Charlotte was busy this weekend anyway, and Corrin was at work. So she would just watch the tournament like usual. Besides, her brother-in-law was competing at the Brownbelt level, so that would be interesting to see…
…at least, it would be. If he were present. Flora looked all around, and saw no sign of Ryoma anywhere. "That's odd…"
She checked the time on her phone and noticed that it was Corrin's lunch break right now. He and Ryoma had been talking a lot, these past few days, so maybe he would know something.
/Flora: Corrin, are you free to text?
/Corrin: Sure whats up flora?
/Flora: I'm watching the Karate event at the university, and I noticed Ryoma isn't here.
/Flora: Is he all right?
/Corrin: Oh you go to those?
/Flora: …Corrin, I've gone to these every year.
/Flora: My sister even competed in one of them.
/Corrin: O: I didnt know that!
/Flora: Seriously?
Flora raised an eyebrow. Corrin and Felicia got along famously. In fact, they were even an item for a year. This was a few years before he and Flora began dating. But in all that time, Felicia had been a regular at the Karate tournaments, and she talked about how much she enjoyed it. Did she never talk about it to Corrin? Huh. A gasp. Oh, Corrin's been texting.
/Flora: Seriously?
/Corrin: Really I never knew
/Corrin: But anyway, about ryoma
/Corrin: Hes sick and couldnt make it
Seeing that, she frowned.
/Flora: Oh, well that's too bad. I hope he feels better soon.
/Corrin: Lol I told him he needed his sleep
/Corrin: Ryoma has a brown belt but I am the grandmaster in this family
/Flora: What?
/Corrin: I mean im better at karate than Ryoma
Flora gave a wry grin as she prepared her response.
/Flora: Is that so? Because your brother and Oboro would tell a different story.
/Corrin: When was this? O_o
/Flora: It was during the video conference call last Saturday when Oboro was showing me and Charlotte her new fabrics.
/Flora: I thought one of them looked like a Karate gi, and we got to talking about everyone in your family taking Karate.
/Flora: You only earned a yellow belt.
/Corrin: […]
She did not enjoy bursting Corrin's bubble. But she had enough of a hard time remembering to keep her self-esteem up. No need to make things harder by putting up with someone falsifying their accomplishments. Least of all her own husband.
/Flora: You only earned a yellow belt.
/Corrin: Well… just because thats true that doesnt mean im worse
/Flora: Corrin.
/Corrin: Ok ok im sorry
/Corrin: Ryomas the only one who stuck with it anyway
That much Flora knew, but she appreciated the honesty. In the meanwhile, this meant she had no one to root for in this tournament. It's fun, but I really just wanted to see Ryoma go. Felicia left her program two years ago, so it'd be weird for her to show up here. I guess I'll just have to see what happens.
11. "Which one comes to a complete stop outside a candy store?"
One thing that Corrin and Flora would do as a couple was to go on walks around the mall. It was a large mall, and there was this whole system put into it. One would start at one of the mall's entrances, then follow little marks on the ground, all the way around the mall's edges. By the time they returned to the starting point, the walkers would have traveled an entire mile. A favored exercise among the elderly. And Flora.
But it was a nice way to spend time together, so Corrin had no problems. Except for the fact that every single time, without fail, Flora would stop in front of the candy store.
"Flora, come on…"
"Just a minute, Corrin, be patient."
Corrin rolled his eyes. "Flora, you never even go into the store."
"I… I might!" his wife challenged.
"You… might go into the store." He put his hands on his hips. "Why might you not?"
Flora scoffed. "For your information, maybe I just don't want to spend money needlessly."
Huh. Well she's got a point there. Corrin nodded. "All right, fair point. But you've been working hard lately, setting up those Finals. Personally I think you earned it." He shrugged. "Heck, if you want real my opinion, I don't think you ever need an excuse to buy candy. Candy's good! Besides, how expensive could it be?"
She thoughtfully put a finger to her chin. "Well, since it's a specialty store, it'll probably cost a bit more than it would at a convenience store, or as an impulse purchase at the supermarket… Hmm… Do I think I should go for it? I wonder…"
Oh geez. It's amazing how focused and efficient she is… But then comes the part where she spends hours weighing her options. Corrin's mind flashed back to the night he brought home more fish for their tank and he allowed Flora to name half of them. After a half hour, she came back to him with a list of preferred names, complete with a short essay on why each name was perfect for the fishes, and why Corrin should feel inclined to accept those names. Her essay even had the proper formatting. It was ridiculous.
"Okay Flora, I'm just gonna… let you work through this quagmire of yours. I'll see you in a mile." With that, he walked off.
"On one hand…"
…
Half an hour later, Corrin returned to the candy store, and sure enough, Flora was still deliberating. Sighing, Corrin simply walked into the store.
"Huh? Corrin?"
He walked right up to the clerk and pointed to the candy he knew to be Flora's favorite, the novelty-colored chocolate F&Es. "How much for a bag of different-colored F&Es?"
"The small bag is 20 gold, the medium bag is 60 gold, the large is-"
Corrin nodded. "She'd like medium, she never really likes to go too far in either direction." He reached for his wallet and pulled out a card. The clerk knowingly pressed a few buttons on the register, allowing Corrin to swipe his card through the slot.
"All right, do you know which colors you'd like, and would you like the receipt?" the clerk asked.
Corrin smiled. Thank goodness I know her favorite colors too, otherwise she'd spend another half hour thinking over which ones… "The white ones and all forms of blue. And no thanks, on the receipt."
By now, Flora had made her way into the store. "Corrin, you… you didn't have to do that for me."
"Nah but I wanted to. Besides…" He sheepishly smiled. "I finished the entire walk, and you hadn't moved a muscle since I left."
Hearing that, Flora blushed. "I… I didn't?"
"N-no."
"…Oh." Flora bashfully turned away from Corrin. "I… I'm sorry about that. It must be pretty annoying when I get like that. I… I really should learn to-" Her rambling was interrupted by an arm around her shoulder and a peck on the cheek. "Oh!"
"Don't worry about it."
Unbeknownst to the loving couple, the clerk was ready with Corrin's order of candies. They had a look on their face that suggested that this was nowhere near the first mushy couple to walk in, and they were in fact a little sick of them. But Corrin and Flora were in too good a mood to notice.
12. "Which one would do a ridiculous stunt and then blow a sarcastic kiss?"
It was nice whenever Flora and Corrin would be asked to babysit little Kiragi for the evening, while Takumi and Oboro were having a date night. The toddler got along with Corrin so well, that there was a joke that Corrin and Kiragi could trade places, and everyone else would go on with their lives as if nothing happened. And he always seemed to want Flora to come outside and play with him and Corrin. Flora was not really one for outdoor activities, but it was nice to be included.
On the subject of these invitations, Flora looked up from the book she was reading in time to see little Kiragi standing before her in the living room. "Kiragi, I think it's time you went to bed."
"But it's not dark!" he whined.
Flora smiled. She would honestly believe it without second thought if Corrin told her that he behaved like this as a child. "I know, Kiragi, but it almost is, and you have a big day at school tomorrow." She set the book down, placed her hands on her lap, and leaned forward. "If you go right now, I'll let you have a cookie! How's that?"
Hearing that, the boy's eyes lit up instantly. "Cookie!"
"That's right! So let's get you ready for bed."
"Ah! Ah! Uncle Corn's still outside!"
Trying not to laugh at her nephew's mispronunciation of her husband's name, Flora raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, we can't let him be a bad influence, can we? You get into your pajamas, and I'll go talk to your uncle."
"He's a bad what?"
Flora kept smiling as she stood up. "It means he's not acting the way you should be."
…
"Corrin… what are you doing?" Flora knew what she thought Corrin was doing. But was he actually stupid enough to try it? From the looks of it, he was in the backyard, on the swing set- standing on the swing set, and holding a determined gleam in his eyes. She observed that the trampoline had been moved across the yard from the position she had last remembered. This could be bad. "Corrin, please tell me you're not trying to do some stupid stunt."
"Don't worry Flora, it'll be fine!"
Flora folded her arms. "Corrin, do I really have to tell you not to jump off the swing and onto the trampoline?! What if Kiragi saw it?!"
"That's just it!" Corrin kept talking as he swung. "He wanted to do it, but I told him it'd be too dangerous. So I said I'd do it for him. I thought maybe he'd think it'd be cool to watch. And maybe if I did get hurt, he wouldn't want to try it himself!"
She could only bring herself to blink. "C-Corrin… that is… the most stupid thing you've ever thought of."
"BANZAI!" Corrin finally leapt off the swing, briefly soaring through the air, and landed firmly on the trampoline. "Woo! Yea-heah!"
"Corrin, that was incredibly reckless!" Flora's only response was for Corrin wink at her and blow a kiss. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Flora returned to the interior. Sometimes she wondered if she and Corrin would ever have a child of their own. But honestly, it often felt like she had already married a child.
13. "Which one kills someone, and which one hides the body?"
"Flora, you killed him!" Corrin yelled.
"I know that, Corrin."
"He's just… dead!"
"It's okay, I'll just have the body put in a dumpster."
"Flora, you're married to a cop. Don't you think you should try to go for something I wouldn't have thought of?"
"Well it's not like you're able to tell anyone!"
"Hmph. I would if I could. You just had that guy killed in cold blood!"
"Well that's just what he gets. If you don't like it, deal with it."
"Geez Flora. You're scary when you play Sims."
With that said, Corrin walked off, leaving Flora to her computer game.
14. "Which one wears less clothing around the house?"
Summer was officially upon the town of Dia. And with the AC busted, things tended to run a little hot in Corrin and Flora's apartment. Oddly enough, while Corrin comfortably sprawled on the couch in a pair of shorts, with no shoes or shirt, he could not help but notice Flora was still wearing all the clothes she would normally wear, as she sat in the armchair. Shaking his head, Corrin called over to her. "Flora… aren't you hot?"
Looking up from her book, Flora raised her eyebrow. "Um… Thank you?"
"No I meant… Well, you are hot. But I was talking about temperature."
"Oh… No, not really." Back to her book.
"Seriously? It's like… 80 degrees!"
Not even bothering to look up from her book, Flora shrugged. "Well you know my family's from the Ice Tribe. Our blood keeps us cool."
"Ugh! Lucky! You don't get too hot in the summer and you're never cold in the winter!" Corrin griped.
"Well, I do need to stay hydrated even more than usual…" Now that she had commented on it, she decided it was a good time to reach for the glass of water close to her chair. She took a nice swig and put it back. "There is a bit of a cost to keeping myself cooler."
Corrin blinked. "Wait… if you can conjure ice… Flora! Quick! Blast me with ice like you do some mornings!"
She ran a few fingers through her hair. "Corrin, I'm not going to just sit here and expend all my energy to keep you cool. Just plug in that fan that we bought! Or use your Fimbulvetr app!"
"Awww. Fiiiiine." Corrin got up and went to go search for the fan.
15. "Which one would have a sentimental moment for no reason?"
Once again, Flora sat in her office. A new school year had begun, and her teaching schedule was mostly the same. A few of the same annoying professors were there, two of them were new, and she was ready for another year of great classes and lousy coworkers. Until she received a phone call. It was from Corrin.
Flora picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Flora. Are you busy right now?"
The professor shook her head. "Not really. I've been prepping these classes for a few years now, so I kinda can kind of just do it an autopilot while we talk. How's your day?"
"Well now that I'm talking to you, it's a lot better."
She smirked. "You brownnoser."
"I just… I still can't get over the fact that we're finally married!"
"Hmhm. Well, you got me there. What was it, about half a year ago now?" Flora asked.
"It still feels like yesterday when I proposed. Oh gods, I was nervous. You're just… so passionate about everything you do, I love how much you love your class."
"Well thank you very much, Corrin, that was nice of you to say," Flora told him. She had been working on her self-esteem more in the past few months. And with Corrin by her side, it was easier for Flora to gradually let go of her insecurities, or at least find contentment in her own idiosyncrasies. "Did you have anything important you wanted to say?"
"Telling you how amazing you are isn't important?"
With no other response, Flora just began to laugh. "Corrin, you are such a sap! Hahahaha!"
On the other end of the line, Corrin's own laughter was audible. "Yeah, yeah, hahaha, even I'll admit that. I just wanted to see how you'd react if I just started gushing out of nowhere. I mean, it's all true, but you don't need me to call you in the middle of the day to know that."
"No, but… I do still appreciate it. Thank you, Corrin." She flashed a wicked grin. "You are the light of my life, you are my star, my moon, my-"
"Aaah! Okay enough, I get it! Too cheesy!"
"Hahahahahaha! Sorry, sorry…" Flora wiped a tear from her eye. "I couldn't help it! Ah… Is there anything else you wanted to say?"
"…Actually no."
"All right, well we should get back to work soon. I'll see you tonight, Corrin." She made a kissing noise, indicating that she would have given him a kiss if he were present. He repeated to her, and that was the end of the call.
Flora fought the urge to sigh. He was really just spending his lunch break prank calling his wife with overly sentimental word vomit. But… she did not entirely mind that. Childish though he may be, it came with a certain sincerity that not too many people had anymore. Corrin always wore his feelings on his sleeves, he was the kind of guy who could have a great conversation with just about any person one introduced him to, and become their friend by the end of the day.
So to know that, of all people, she was the one he most wanted to spend his life with… It warmed Flora's heart immensely.
Post-Script A/N:
It occurs to me that I got my account on this website 10 years ago today. I was already going to write this, but I decided to power through and have it up to celebrate a decade of being on this site.
If you've followed my other Fire Emblem stuff, you'd know I have a major soft spot for Flora in Fates, and that I think she and Corrin make a nice couple. A friend of mine was doing some kind of "give me a couple and I'll tell you which one does what" things on tumblr, so I asked her about Florrin. And then I decided to turn the results into a fic. At first I wondered which version of Corrin to go with. But I settled on M!Corrin, since I'd been using F!Corrin for Whirlpool and Leo vs The World. I was going to attempt to keep a neutral Corrin, but it ended up feeling too forced.
This was the list, by the way:
proposes – Corrin
shops for groceries - Flora
kills the spiders - Flora. With her icy stare.
comes home drunk at 3am - Corrin
remembers to feed the fish - Flora
initiates duets - Corrin
falls asleep first - Corrin
plans spontaneous trips - also Corrin!
wakes the other up at 3am demanding pancakes - Corrin
sends the other unsolicited nudes - Flora. To get back for the 3am pancakes.
brags about knowing karate even though they never made it past yellow belt - Corrin
comes to a complete halt outside bakeries/candy shops - Flora
blows sarcastic kisses after doing ridiculous s**t - Corrin
killed the guy (also, which hid the body) - Flora
wears the least clothing around the house - Corrin
has icky sentimental moments for no apparent reason - Corrin
Took a few liberties with some of the contexts for these, and I cut out the spontaneous trip one, since it was redundant. But overall writing this just gave me a nice fuzzy feeling. I also wanted to kind of try my hand at writing an established couple, it seemed like something I could use more practice with.
It's a little mushy, but I tried not to get too carried away with it, and I wanted to avoid the idea of one of them being generally better than the other. Both in the couple have their moments of foolishness, and both also contribute to the positives of their relationship. Maybe Flora's the one who has to rein Corrin in a bit more often than the reverse, but hopefully it's clear that the two are very committed to each other.
Wow, look at me writing a modern-AU ship story. Again. Tell that to the P.T. of 10 years ago and he'd probably have a seizure, haha. So what's next for me? Well I can't really say for sure. I haven't forgotten that Gray Whirlpool exists. I'll try to see what happens. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this. Here's to another 10 years of sharing my ideas, and seeing other writers do the same.