Hello, everyone!

Fire Emblem is one of my top fandoms, and as I just finished Fire Emblem Fates, I was motivating into writing this fanfiction!

I know not much people support this ship, or Takumi/Elise, but I adore it, as it it was on of my most loved.

Even if you do not enjoy this ship, please give the time to read it and review and tell me how to improve my writing! Thank you to everyone who actually attempts to read this!

And finally, big thanks to my idiot of a partner-in-crime, who motivated me to keep writing!

Now, on to the one-shot!

- CelestialScript

Doki-Doki: Heartbeats

"Takumi! Takumi! Takumiiiiiii!" a familiar call echoed through the air, a feminine voice calling out his name. Takumi barely even flinched-he'd gotten used to the excited screeches of the far-too-enthusiastic young princess of Nohr.

The girl of the subject was racing up to him, twin tails bobbing up and down from the wind that swept through the range. Warily eyeing her hands, expecting for her to grasping a game or book, he was surprised to see that they were bare of anything, let alone a heavy novel.

"Hey, Takumi!" the two had ceased referring to formal titles long ago, and now stuck to first-name basis. Ever since the troubadour had managed to interest him in Nohrian books, games, and sweets, they had been swift friends, much to the amusement of their elder siblings.

"Whatcha doin'?" Elise collapsed onto the grass next to his booted feet, in a very un-ladylike manner. He suppressed a smile as he thought what Subaki, his sister's male retainer, would think if he caught sight of the princess behaving in such a way.

The healer herself could have cared less; to prove this point, he noted on how she was sprawled out on her stomach, nimble fingers weaving blades of lush, dewed grass together into a tidy plait. A moment later, the thin blades cracked and fell apart.

"Training," Takumi answered, shifting his concentration back onto the weapon that he was wielding, as to create the magical bowstring and arrow, he could not focus on anything but the weapon. A cerulean gleam appeared, followed by an arrow created purely of the light.

"Oh, that's so amazing!" a girly voice chirped into his ear, exhilarated. That was all that was needed to snap his focus from the Yumi.

"Elise!" he sighed as the brilliance vanished until a spark remained, which, after briefly flickering, disappeared. "Don't go breaking my attention like this! In order to be able to strike my prey without flaw, my attentiveness must be completely on the…" Trailing off when noticing the Nohrian girl was not giving the slightest bit of heed to him, Takumi halted, deciding to save a few breaths.

Rolling over to her back, she gazed up at the azure sky, blonde locks tossing from the gentle breeze, fingering the Modena pendant dangling from her pale neck. Deciding she was a lost cause, the archer shook his head with false contempt, resuming to creating the light bowstring.

Just as the first spark flared, Elise spoke up once again, tone faintly dreamy and lost, but mostly curious and hopeful. "Takumi, who do you like?"

"Eh?!" once again, his awareness slipped and the glimmer faded away, but Takumi barely gave notice. His eyes were fixed upon the female who had gotten up from her previous position and was now sitting cross-legged, peering up at him, violet orbs gleaming, expecting a response.

"W-well-" he was stuttering, splendid. "I l-like a lot of people. My brother and sisters, Hinata and Oboro…"

"No, not like that!" her normal voice had returned, to his relief. "Like… Like-like?" a mischievous smile was playing across her lips, one that rarely made its appearance. "Someone who makes your heart go doki-doki?" the dreamy tone had surfaced yet again, and Takumi just knew that a deep crimson was dusting his cheeks and nose at the moment.

"Isn't that… A little private information?" he squawked, fingers fidgeting with his bow, which he was clutching a little more tightly than he usually did, sweat-dropping.

"Whaaaat? But we're frieeeends." Elise protested, scrunching up her nose while drawing out the e. He averted his sight from her, desperately telling himself that he didn't find the gesture cute.

"Well then, it's a secret." he shot back stubbornly, trying to end the trembling of his hands.

"Mmm." she slouched down, then brightened up as a lightbulb popped in her head. "I know! I'll guess who and if I guess right, you're going to have to tell me!"

"Huh? No-"

The intent girl straightened up, opening her mouth to let a flow of names erupt, but not before declaring something that went like, "Yay!" or "IALLREADYLOVETHISGAME!" but he was not sure, as the words sped out of her lips before he could comprehend what she said.

"Kagerou!"

"No, as she is already soon to be married to Saizo!"

"It could be unrequited love!" she had said but he'd objected, so Elise silently crossed the female ninja's name off from her mental list.

"Reina."

"Her love for battle and bloodshed is too much for my taste."

"But she is so nice after you get to know her!" she argued, but he shook his head.

"Rinkah, the Flame tribe's princess?"

"Far too improper and messy."

"Hey, that's mean! I'm improper!"

Frowning faintly, he responded by saying that she was just carefree and less mature than usual ladies her years of age.

"Um, Charlotte?" Elise asked, alluding to the Nohrian border guard.

Resisting shuddering, Takumi gave a shake of his head.

"Hana?"

Another rejection from the sniper.

The "game" as she called it, went on, each lady being disapproved by Takumi.

"Whew, you're so picky!"

He shrugged. "Don't I have to be careful about the one I choose to live with and love for the rest of my life?"

"You're right…" she scowled and thoughtfully looked down at her hands until the name of a well-known beauty made its way to her mind. "I got it!"

"What?" he glanced down at her, bewildered.

"I know who you like-like!" The gleam that had been dancing in her orbs before had diminished for some reason, although he couldn't come up for why.

"You know who I like-like?" he could feel cold sweat on his neck. Please do not figure out. Please do not figure out. He willed silently, fear gripping his heart.

"Camilla, my big sister!"

"W-what?!" Takumi blinked, shocked, realizing whom she was talking about. Then he began laughing, amused.

"I got it right, didn't I?"

Finally stopping his pealing laughs, he rested his chin on his hand. "Wrong again, Elise, I'm afraid. And I am certain that Ryoma is smitten with your elder sister."

"B-but." she seemed to be convinced that he was in love with the malig knight, beginning to protest.

He interrupted, speaking loudly, "I have to be making my way to my private quarters, Elise, I'm sorry. Sakura will go hysterical if I do not bid my farewell now."

With that, he turned on his heel and marched away, fully reassured that the troubadour would not attempt to follow him, as the thought of speaking to the girl made his insides churn. Alas, he was incorrect.

"I like-like someone." the Nohrian princess's voice wafted into his ear. Whisking his head to his right, he caught sight of Elise by his side, skipping in rhythm to his broad strides. "He makes my heart go doki-doki whenever I talk to him, touch him, or even see him!"

"Oh. That is… good..." was the only response Takumi could muster. Inside, fragments of his heart broke apart, squeezed and crushed. Suddenly, he yearned to be as far from her as possible, and quickened his pace, hoping to outrun her.

Unfazed, she only skipped faster. "How… Is he like?" he questioned, the feeling his heart crumbling still apparent.

"Well…" she paused, pondering. "He has so many qualities I don't even know where to start!"

"How about how's he… like?"

Her beam only lit up more. "He's kind, he's caring, he's handsome, he's brave, he's strong, he's smart, he's skilled, he's…"

Takumi, no longer listening, had lost track of what she was saying. At each characteristic, she informed him that this person she "like-liked" had, a splinter of his heart fell into a dark void.

"He seems really wonderful." The devastated archer mumbled, pushing back tears that threatened to crush the floodgates. Stay strong, Takumi! "He is very fortunate for having a girl with the likes of you loving him…" he told her, voice void of emotions.

He wasn't sure, but was that a pale pink creeping up her neck?

Twisting herself to meet his eyes, she held his gaze for a moment, until he dropped his down to his leather gloved hands.

"Do you really think so?" she asked, tone even, neck cocked to the side, awaiting his answer.

Instead of verbally answering, Takumi wordlessly nodded, then shot his head down, pretending to fumble with his bow. He could feel a slight flush rising to his cheeks and he wondered if Elise noticed.

"What else characteristics does this man possess?" It was not as if he wanted to know-on the contrary, he wistfully wished to close his wrists around the person of the subject.

Immediately after stating his question, he became aware that the princess seemed to be hesitating, something that was rare for the open girl.

"He's… From Hoshido." she began, looking away from him.

That made Takumi start.

"H-Hoshido?" A spring bounced in his mind, but he pushed away the thought.

She nodded slowly, seemingly avoiding his eyes, although he could not interpret why.

"What else?" He asked, fighting to keep his tone even.

Elise peered up at Takumi, expression unreadable.

"He's a prince, he's an amazing archer, he makes my heart go doki-doki, and I wouldn't trade the world for him."

It took the prince a few moments to process what the Nohrian had just poured out from her heart.

The phrases prince, archer, and from Hoshido hit him especially hard.

The only person that Takumi knew of that was a prince from Hoshido and an archer...

The background seemed to suddenly fade around him, and the loud shouts and voices becoming only a quiet buzzing in his ears as he processed what she meant.

"You-you… You just…" He spluttered, barely conscious that Elise had stepped several steps closer to him. "I… Me… You…"

She was blushing, Takumi realized faintly, hard and thick. A deep crimson that rivaled his elder sister Hinoka's short ruby curls. And when had she gotten so near him?

"Yes, Dummy." she gave a gentle laugh, fingers fidgeting. "You're the one I like-like!"

He gaped, speechless.

This isn't possible.

How could-?

All those things she had told him, he realized, about the man she "like-liked," had been regarding him.

"You still didn't get it, right?" The blonde girl sighed, shaking her head. "For being the smartest man in Hoshido as people say, you're actually dumb when it comes to this." Her eyes lit up mysteriously, and she looked up at him, in a new sense. "Oooh, I know! Maybe this will clear it up!"

Reaching up, her hand fastened itself to the neck lining of his kimono, and he gulped anxiously.

"W-what are you-" Elise didn't give him a chance to finish when she yanked his collar roughly, forcing him to stoop down and stare into her lavender eyes, if not only for a second.

His cries of pain and protest were muffled by a warm pair of lips, which pressed themselves to his cold ones, to his surprise.

Eyes widening as he realized what she had done, he quickly overcame his shock. Wrapping an arm around her waist, the other cupping her chin, he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, eyelids fluttering shut, hair twisting with hers.

They held the embrace for what seemed like several minutes, though only seconds, before breaking apart, faces flushed, breathless, and hands intertwined. Avoiding each other's gaze, both stepped back, Elise's eyes darting everywhere, but at Takumi.

Thankfully, it was her that broke the awkward silence that had descended over them.

"Now do you get what I meant?" She was looking into his eyes again now, into his hazel ones.

"You… Like-like me." He said, barely in a whisper. "Romantically."

She beamed. "Bingo! You finally got it!" Then, as if just processing what she had done, Elise's head shot down, furiously blushing. "I u-um… Sorry that I sprung on you like that..."

Takumi gulped. This was his moment, he knew very well. If he did not say anything now, he would regret for the rest of his life. So he strode forward, inhaled a breath, and forced the words out, out from where they had been buried for so long.

"I-it's okay." He said quietly, unable to keep the stutters out of his words. "I-I… I… Like-like you to. A lot. More than anyone else I've ever..." trailing off, he stopped before accidentally almost spilling out the word, "loved."

There, he had said it. He'd never felt so vulnerable and weak as he did at this time, hands clasping hers, eyelids screwed up and squeezed shut.

Takumi was gifted with a pleasant and expected surprise; the air was knocked out of him, due to the gleeful and joyous healer. She'd enveloped him in a tight clutch, lively and shining eyes, peeping at him from his chest.

"Yay! I'm so happy!" she clamored, her hands tightening on its grasp. "I can't believe that you actually like-like me!" she squealed, squeezing his waist harder.

"Strange, I was thinking the exact thing you have just informed me." He muttered, embarrassed by her antics, but he could feel a warm and bubbly feeling rising up in his chest.

"Do you really like-like me?" she asked, as if not satisfied with him already giving her his cringe-worthy confession.

Flushed, he confirmed her answer by leaning down and pulling her in for another kiss, but with this one, Elise's hands had crept to the sides of his face, brushing the bangs out from his face.

"I love you too!"

She giggled at the color the four simple words had brought to his face, sending him to become a stuttering mess. Takumi heard himself utter something unintelligible, which went somewhere along the lines of "I think I love you too" or "I-I."

He couldn't have been happier than he was at that moment, with the girl he'd been loving for the past few months embracing him; giggling and laughing, the fragrance of cinnamon and sugar scenting her pale, smooth skin and sleek blonde tresses. Nothing could ruin how he felt at this instant.

Well, maybe Elise could.

Currently, she was peering up at him with a peculiar expression written on her; a mixture of amusement and adoration, but at the same time as if she was resisting bursting into peals of laughter.

"What is it?" he asked, maybe a bit harshly, but she paid no heed. Instead, she pressed her delicate ear to his chest and smiled.

"Doki-doki," she breathed, tracing circles on the surface of his arm with her fingers. Takumi went beet-red. Clearly, his heart was racing at the current time and the princess had figured it out.

"S-shut up."

The only response the archer obtained was an innocent giggle from the troubadour.

The End