Note: Welcome to Corrwain Week 2018! Hope you enjoy all the pieces! Stories is loosely based on "More Than This" by Vanessa Carlton.

Corrwain Week 2018

Day 1

Stories

Odin smothered a yawn and poked at the fire in the center of the ring of stones with a long stick. Crickets chirped in the distance, their songs and the crackling of campfire filling the quiet. The moon, half-waning, cast a dim glow over the campground. He hugged his knees to his chest, resting his chin atop them. Night guard duty was the worst. Odin had always been more of an early riser, up with the sun. Conversely, it meant by day's end, he was exhausted, and he typically fell asleep soon after his head met the pillows. So taking the watch from midnight to dawn was always a struggle for him. He was honestly so tired that he lacked the energy to even talk to himself, so he sat in silence, staring into the flames, his mind somewhere else. However, the sound of approaching footsteps roused him from his daze. Head snapping up, he reached for the tome tucked at his side as the figure came into the light.

"So you're the one on dawn duty tonight, Odin."

"L-Lady Corrin?!" he said, jaw slacking open as he blinked excessively. Catching his stupor, he cleared his throat. "What brings you out at this ungodly hour, milady?"

"I woke from a dream and couldn't fall back to sleep," Corrin said with a shrug, which explained why she was in only her bed shorts and a tunic, a blanket drawn around her shoulders. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course not, milady," said Odin, proffering a hand to indicate she could sit wherever she liked. He expected she would seat herself opposite him since it was closest to her, but instead she circled around the fire and settled beside him. The close proximity made his heart drum a bit faster; lately, being around the princess made him feel a bit uneasy, like his heart was running a marathon. It made his palms sweaty and his skin prickle with some sort of...desire, his head screaming ridiculous ideas, like touching her hair or pulling her close. He assumed it was a result of his usual need for physical contact—he'd always been a bit clingy, to be honest—but this somehow felt different than his usual touch-starved spells, because it only happened when she was around, and only with her, no one else.

"How are you holding up?" Corrin asked, smiling softly at him. "Dawn duty is always the roughest watch."

"I can feel the power draining out of me, like some dreadful magic is sapping my energy," he admitted with a huffed chuckle.

"You poor thing," she said with a grin, patting his arm, a gesture that rippled chills through him.

"I must admit, though I cloak myself in darkness, my brain favors the daytime," he said, lips twitching into a small smile.

"That explains why you're always so chipper in the mornings," Corrin said, drawing her knees in and laying her cheek against one, facing toward him. "I envy you for that; I'm a disaster with mornings before coffee."

"Lord Leo is of a similar disposition," Odin said. "I...may have suffered his wrath on more than one occasion."

Corrin giggled, a bubbly sound that made him beam every time he heard it. He was grateful he could have frank conversations like this with her; through their many conversations, the pair of them had become good friends, and in that regard, he considered their closeness to rival his relationships with Laslow and Selena. It was refreshing to let his guard down a little, to be openly honest with someone. He liked it, he...liked that it was with Corrin.

"Maybe you can teach us how to be more tolerant in the morning, then," she said with a warm smile.

"I fear that may be too arduous a task, milady; your brother is immune to my encouragement."

"Then maybe just teach me, then," she said, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Challenge accepted, Lady Corrin," he said, winking at her. They both laughed at this, a cozy atmosphere between them. "So, forgive me for prying," he said, "but you mentioned a dream awoke you from your restful slumber. What sort was it? We can't have our noble leader plagued by nightmares."

Her face fell at the question, and he instantly regretted it. "I guess...yeah, I think it was a nightmare, you're right," she said softly, eyes drifting toward the fire.

Eyebrows tipping upward, Odin frowned. "My apologies, Lady Corrin, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay, Odin," said Corrin, turning back to him and shaking her head. "I always know you mean well," she added, gripping his arm for reassurance. Her fingers lingered there just long enough that it made his chest tighten before she pulled away again. "In my dream, I was taken back to the Northern Fortress and forbidden to leave again. I begged to be set free, or to at least see my siblings, but I was left there, all alone." Her eyes lidded as she stared into the flames. "It reminded me of all the times I felt lonely growing up. All the...All the nights I cried myself to sleep, thinking I'd be trapped there forever, never knowing why."

A pang of sadness crept into his chest, and he had to bury another of those strong urges to take her in his arms. "I'm truly sorry," he said. "I...Is there something I can do? Odin Dark won't stand idly by when a friend is in need."

She smiled, heartfelt and kind, a look in her eyes that broke his heart. "It's all right, Odin. I decided to take a walk to clear my head and ended up here. And, in a way, you're already helping me." When he tilted his head in query, she glanced shyly at her feet. "I was happy to see you're the one on watch tonight, because I was just thinking that I wanted to see you, to have you cheer me up like you always do. So," she said, locking eyes with him again, "all you need to do to help is be your usual self. That's enough for me."

Scorching heat flooded his cheeks, and he was suddenly grateful the glow of the firelight wasn't bright enough to make this fact noticeable. Clearing his throat, he ruffled his hair, a nervous tick. "I'm glad I can be of assistance, Lady Corrin," he said with a small smile. "Still, I'm sorry that you went through such troubles."

"Well, we don't get to choose how our childhoods turn out, do we?" Corrin said with a sigh.

"N...No...I don't suppose we do," he said, face darkening. He stared absently at the fire, falling silent.

"...Odin?" Corrin asked with concern after a long pause.

"...I admit, in some way, I understand your loneliness," Odin said, a twinge of sadness in his voice. "My parents were often away when I was younger. Every time they would leave, I was left with a lingering anxiety that they would never return from whatever conflict they left to quell. Then one day, when I was a little older...they didn't."

"Oh gods, Odin...I'm so sorry," she said, eyebrows rising. She scooted closer to him and placed a hand on his arm. "That's awful."

"We don't get to choose how our childhoods turn out," he said, smile bitter. "However, we do get to choose how they shape us. For me, I vowed to get stronger, so I could protect what I had left. I think," he said, turning to her, his smile softening, "that the loneliness and sadness we both felt in our youth made us who we are today. I can't speak for you, milady, but I'm pretty happy with who I am."

Corrin stared back at his impudent grin, and a smile split her face, cheeks dimpling. "Me too," she said. She leaned her head on his shoulder, her arms curling around his bicep to hug it to her, and, taking her lead, Odin rested his cheek against the crown of her head. They sat in silence, pops from the fire and cricket chirps filling the void. "Still," she said abruptly, "I'm sure we both have good stories to tell from our childhoods, right? I know I do."

"Absolutely," Odin agreed. "I've no shortage of fond memories to recall. After all, they're apart of my origin story as a chosen hero."

A soft giggle answered him. "Recall one for me, then," said Corrin, her thumb stroking against his arm.

Her touch electrified him, filling him with an upsurge of energy. "Very well then," he said, affecting his typical tone. "Odin Dark has tales of all sorts to delight and amaze. However," he said, grin quirking, "I think it's only fair if milady shares her own stories as well."

She hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "Sure. I have lots I can share, too."

They spent the next several hours trading stories, some humorous, others heartfelt. Odin shared tales of how his father tried to teach him horse combat but how he was absolutely terrible at it, from hitting the horse in the head with his weapon to falling off backwards on numerous occasions. Corrin recounted a time she and her siblings played hide and seek on the Fortress grounds and Leo got stuck in a tree. Back and forth they went, laughing all the while, huddled together by the slowly dying fire. As dawn approached, their energy flagged, the pair of them yawning and pausing for long interims between stories. Her head remained on his shoulder throughout, and since she didn't protest, he kept his cheek firmly snuggled against her. It was cozy and dreamlike, being this close to her, swapping anecdote after anecdote. In all honesty, it made him inexplicably happy, and he wanted it to go on forever.

The glow of morning light crept on the horizon, the two of them staring into the distance in another drowsy silence. Vibrant orange softened the blackness of the night sky, and in the circle of stones, only cinders remained, their light fading with each passing moment.

"The sunrise is beautiful," Corrin said in almost a whisper.

Eyes burning and sagging, Odin glanced at the horizon, smothering a yawn. "It pales in comparison to your beauty," he said, not really aware of what he was saying.

There was a short pause, and then Corrin huffed a chuckle. "Is that so?"

"Nn," Odin muttered, his cheek nuzzling against her with his nod. "Your radiance out—" He yawned again, continuing through it, "—outshines nature itself." He was on the cusp of dozing, his eyelids heavy and his brain foggy to the point of blunt honesty. "It's why everyone loves you."

"Everyone, huh?" she said, a tone of mischief in her voice. She reached and brushed her fingers against the hand resting against his stomach. "Even you?"

"Especially me," said Odin, weaving his fingers between hers and pulling her hand in to lock in place. "Corrin, you're...I…" A silence fell between them, his steady, rhythmic breathing indicating he'd fallen asleep mid-sentence.

When he didn't continue, Corrin shifted her head on his shoulder. "...Odin?"

"Buh, I'm up," he said groggily, head shooting upright.

Giggling, Corrin sat up and petted his cheek. "Odin, you don't even know what you're saying right now, do you?" she said, her smile adoring.

"Of course I do," he said, eyebrows shifting indignantly. He snuggled into her palm, adding, "I'm saying you're the keeper of my heart."

She bit at her lip, cheeks pinkening. "Yeah?"

"Mm-hm," Odin mumbled, eyes drooping closed again.

"Odin…"

He peeked from beneath his lashes at her, and the heady, almost anxious look in her eyes made him lift his head. Something inside him, be it exhaustion or clarity, made him bold, and he bent forward, cupping her cheek with one hand.

The kiss was gentle but brief, because the moment their lips connected, a surge of adrenaline jolted him awake, finally comprehending everything he'd just said and was now doing. With a yelp, he rocketed backward, sputtering noises of shock. "Oh my gods, what did I—L-Lady Corrin, forgive me, I lost my head—oh gods, what is wrong with me—p-please, don't be angry, I just—!"

He continued to ramble in this manner, hands flailing frantically as his face flooded with color. Corrin blinked, watching his confidence unravel by the second. With a huffed snort, she burst with laughter, a hand coming up to cover her face. Odin gaped at her, taken aback by her sudden fit of giggles.

"Uh...L-Lady Corrin?" Odin said, confusion heavy in his voice and expression.

Two hands clasped Odin's cheeks, and before he could comprehend what was happening, Corrin's lips were upon his. He made a few muffled sounds of surprise in her mouth, but when she pulled away and gave him a smile warmer than the sun, realization struck him, his eyebrows jumping upward, which only made Corrin giggle again. Grinning from ear to ear, he leaned forward, and they met for a series of sweet kisses, Corrin sighing contently as his fingers looped locks of her hair. Finally, all those urges to hold her close were sated, his heart keeping a blissful rhythm as Corrin mapped the inside of his mouth and meshed her fingers in his hair. The warmth of the new day, the taste of her in his mouth, the faint smell of the dying coals, the light brushes of her skin against his as he welcomed her advance into his arms—he couldn't wish for anything more perfect than this.

Winded, they separated, foreheads pressed together, noses lovingly touching. With a small giggle, Corrin said, "I guess I don't have to worry about being lonely anymore, do I?"

Pecking her lips again, Odin chuckled, "Indeed not. And if ever you are, you know where to find me."

"Will you swap stories with me then, too?" she asked, smiling tenderly at him. "I want to know everything about you, Odin. Until you have no more tales to tell."

"I'm afraid that's impossible, my love," he said, thumb stroking against her cheek. "Because the best ones still lie ahead with you."