"—And that's why kinshi are such feathery assholes." Takumi's eyes lit up in a way Leo hadn't seen before. He could get excited while talking about plants, but nothing like—

Takumi sat up a bit, his smile vanishing and cheeks a little pale as he looked at Leo. "Shit, Leo; get out of here before—" Leo blinked and looked over at the tent flap when it rustled and shrunk into René's grasp under her gaze.

"Leo-dono, René-san, I would suggest you leave now so I can attend to Takumi-sama." Oboro's voice froze the entire inside of the tent and Leo felt René's grip on him tighten. The woman looked about ready to roast them alive. Leo shook in René's grasp but he felt his retainer's tense nod.

"Let's go, Prince Leo." His face burned as René pulled him into a bridal carry out of the tent, but his feet met the ground a short distance later, an arm wrapped around hi waist. He just buried his face in the man's shoulder, his fingernails breaking through the fabric of his shirt. What had he done to deserve that? If anything, Oboro should have thanked him for helping cheer her lord up but—

"You should get some sleep. It's been a long day and you overexerted yourself." Leo wished he could deny it, but he ragdolled against René. He gave a weak nod and clung to the older man, eyes burning as he felt the hard stares from the Hoshidan.s Apparently, where Takumi made his tent wasn't a secret to them, so they knew who he'd gone to see. René just kept a tight hold on him, expression daring anybody to try something. Thankfully, nobody did, and Leo collapsed in his tent after sitting on the rough cot.

Somehow, Leo wasn't surprised when he felt air rushing past his face coupled with the telltale bob of wyvern wings. Normally, he would've helped break down camp, but he'd entirely missed it and just snuggled deeper into Camilla's arms. He felt her brush her lips through his hair and looked up at her. A faint smile adorned her face and he returned it as best he could.

"Using Lustrate really killed you, huh?" Her voice barely reached above its usual whisper and he nodded as he closed his eyes. Developing the spell had been hell, but he hadn't expected just how taxing it would be to actually use it. It was nothing compared to what Iago had done to him over the years, but still…

He let out a breath and ragdolled against Camilla, unable to support his weight. She gave him a gentle squeeze before his head lolled to the side, the wind singing him to slumber.

Leo looked around to see the inside of his tent again. René sat next to his cot, head bobbing a little. He brushed his fingers over his knee and the man snapped awake, scanning the area before relaxing and smiling. "Good evening, Prince Leo. Are you feeling any better?"

He pushed himself into a sitting position, thankful the world didn't spin. He still felt heavy, but he nodded. René placed a plate in his lap and downed the food. Even with the looming stress of Windmire and other battles crawling ever closer, after not eating the whole day, he couldn't deny his body the nutrition it needed. He pushed himself off the cot and headed to the war tent, starting on his usual plans.

The hours ticked by and he frowned when he realised Takumi hadn't shown up yet. He usually appeared by now to distract him so he could eat and they talked. It'd been this way for two weeks now, so where…? Well, he could still be feeling weak from taking in Nohr's poisonous magic, so he couldn't blame him for it. Of course, he also didn't seem the type to rest easily either so…

He put his quill down and traced his steps back through the Hoshidan camp to where Takumi's tent should have been, but the spot stood empty and he gripped his pants. Perhaps he'd made it elsewhere? Takumi was very unpredictable, so it was possible, yet the way the Hoshidan soldiers had acted the night before… It suggested this was his usual tenting spot so…

Where was he?

Taking a deep breath, he plunged back into the camp and headed for Ryoma's tent. He jiggled the flap and Ryoma looked up from his desk, giving Leo a warm smile. "Please come in, Prince Leo." A slight shiver went down his spine, but he steeled himself and sipped slipped in, taking a seat in an open chair Ryoma pulled out for him. "What can I do for you tonight?"

Leo ran a hand through his hair before starting to tap with his free one. Where's Takumi ? He couldn't help but worry about his new…friend. With what Takumi had shared with him last night…he hoped it was an accurate label.

Ryoma just frowned and sighed, putting his brush to the side. "Unfortunately, it seems like he's running away at the moment, so I'm uncertain." He interlaced his fingers and rested his chin atop them. Leo just blinked at the comment. Takumi…running away? That was the last thing he'd expected of his friend. He seemed so strong and self assured. Why would he…?

"I have a feeling I know what's running through your head, but I won't break my little brother's trust." Emotion flickered through the giant's eyes, but what they were, Leo wasn't sure. Regret? Fear? Sadness? Ryoma's shoulders dropped a bit, so all he could be certain of was they weighed on him greatly.

Is there anything I can do to help? I know Akiba-san can probably handle this better than I can, though… He dropped his gaze to his lap before closing his eyes. Yes, he had helped distract Takumi the previous night, but he'd just turned the tactic he'd learned back on him. Actually comforting someone was beyond him since Camilla and Elise claimed that skill.

"All I can suggest is trying to talk to him, but be warned: he'll try to wall you out." Leo's head snapped up, though his expression crumbled and Ryoma sighed. "I'm sorry, Prince Leo. My brother is just very…guarded." He shifted in his seat and Leo shook his head, falling silent for a few moments until he signed again.

...If he's going to guard himself, is there anyway around it? Leo didn't want to set their relationship back by this and he just… He just didn't want to lose Takumi. He could sense the loneliness and didn't want Takumi to push him out of his life because of fear. Looking back, he started to see the cracks, but he forced his thoughts away to look back at Ryoma.

The elder prince pondered, a hand covering his mouth until he gave one slow, cautious nod. "...He's normally hard to catch off guard, but there is one surefire method. He drops his guard in places he feels safe in tandem with focusing on one activity. Try sneaking up on him when he's practicing archery. On the campaign trail, that tends to be in the very early morning hours around three or four. Normally, I wouldn't divulge this information to anybody, but I know it's out of concern and you won't use it to hurt him." Ryoma gave him another warm smile and Ryoma's cheeks heated a little. The man really reminded him of his sister in a lot of ways, but he nodded. "And knowing how he is, he's likely to be starting earlier than that tomorrow morning and going until camp starts to rise."

Leo put both of his hands on his legs, bowing to Ryoma as low as he could before pulling back up. Thank you .

"You're welcome…Leo. Is it okay for me to call you that?" His cheeks warmed further, but he managed a small smile and nodded. Ryoma returned the gesture and Leo excused himself, slipping into Camilla's tent.

He explained what had happened and that he wanted her to wake him up around two. He had slept the majority of the day away, but Lustrate had still exhausted him. Of course, his sister gave another faint smile and nodded, pulling him into her arms. "You know I'll be awake anyway, so it's no trouble, dear. Would you like one of Mama Katerina's lullabies to help?" Leo nodded and closed his eyes, listening to the gentle melody and surrendering to the magic's effects.

Leo groaned and forced his eyes open when the gentle shake roused him. Camilla's purple hair flooded his vision and a gentle kiss on his forehead helped rouse him further. He unfurled and stretched, wincing at the soreness in his muscles. "Good evening, my little star." She smiled at him and patted his head, ushering him out of the tent.

Glancing up, Leo saw the time was around three, so he inhaled before heading over to the Hoshidan side of camp. He heard René stalk the long shadows after him, but he made no fuss a as he made a straight course for the Hoshidan archer practice range. He stopped in the shadows of the entrance and heard the distinct sound of arrows hitting a target, though the lack of a bow string's hum made him raise an eyebrow.

Peeking around, he squinted, trying to make out anything in the eerie pitch darkness. How in the gods' names could any archer operate—

Okay, so, his grandfather and René could, but they came from western Nohr; it was expected. But a Hoshidan archer? The only one gne good enough (to his knowledge at least) was…

René slipped up to Leo's side and peered into the range for a moment before nodding. "There's not too much to be wary of. Go about fifteen paces forward, thirty right, then twenty left. You should be within about two-thirds of a meter within him." He flashed his retainer a smile before following the directions to the letter.

Leo knew he was in close enough range to grab Takumi now. He could feel the minute shifts in the nearby darkness, though he still strained to hear the thrum. He forced himself still while he waited for Takumi to draw another arrow.

When he did, he wrapped his arms around his waist.

Takumi let out a yelp and Leo's eyes widened when they lifted off the ground much more than he expected and crashed down. He felt his breath leave him and he gripped his chest, struggling for breath. He barely registered the light above him, and the sensation passed from a spell. He looked up at Takumi, regretting this course of action.

The other prince glared down at him and he sat up, scrambling back a bit, but a firm hand kept him from going too far. "Leo, what the hell were you thinking and h—"

Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Takumi's neck, shaking a bit. He felt the other's shoulders drop and heard a sigh. "…Leo…" His voice barely raised above a whisper.

"Takumi, please don't wall me out. I-I'm sorry if taking you off battles hurt you, but especially after hearing what you said last night, I couldn't help but—"

" Leo ." The soft but firm word silenced him and Takumi put a finger under his chin and he let his head tilt upward. The other prince's features softened and Leo let himself relax a little bit, but he still remained tense. His heart pounded from the earlier expression and he fought the urge to flee.

He felt Takumi's arms shift behind him and pull him into a hug, so he buried his face in his shoulder. "…I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to burden you either…" Leo blinked and glanced up at him, though he looked away. Did Takumi really think he was a burden…? But…how…? He was one of Hoshi—

Oh.

Oh .

He'd have to think on that later, though, and he reached up, placing one hand on Takumi's cheek, making him look down. Leo smiled up at him, though he didn't get a return one. … I know you're afraid to trust me, but I'm the last person to judge . Takumi bit his lip before sighing, then settled into a sitting position, Leo in his lap. His cheeks burned but he said nothing as he looked up at Takumi.

"…War is my only purpose…"

What? How could that be? He knew so much, though…

"Ever since I was four, this has been my primary concern." Takumi pulled the Fuujin Yumi's concealed form off a chain under his shirt, resting it in his palm. Leo just kept his gaze on him, letting him speak his piece.

"I wanted Cami-nee back more than anything, so I dedicated myself to mastering the Fuujin Yumi. It's…not like the other divine weapons. I need insane levels of concentration just to make the bowstring appear, let alone use it." He sighed and shook his head. "Plus, it's the only reminder I have of okaa-chan. I wanted to stay connected to her, so I took it up on top of wanting to rescue Cami-nee.

"I-I…was scared. Okaa-chan had died not too long before the kidnapping and I saw everything… I didn't want to lose anybody again, so I walled. I became Hoshido's best warrior and mage through applying myself. It was so easy to get lost and it protected me." A tear dripped onto Leo's forehead and he reached up to wipe away Takumi's tears. He saw the other prince's lip quiver and could easily tell this was hard for him. Leo couldn't blem him in the slightest since his own past was so difficult. He hadn't known just how hard things could be in Hoshido. The grass had always been greener (quite literally), but now it seemed to hide grey and black beneath it.

Takumi sniffled and bowed his head, but continued a moment later. "War… War is my only purpose. I'm smart, sure, but it all feeds into my use of the Fuujin Yumi. What…what am I supposed to do with out battle? I wanted my sister back, but I always knew her return would make me useless . But it came even sooner than I thought…" He broke off in a sob, burying his face in his hands.

Leo's heart sank and he froze. OH gods… He hadn't expected Takumi to open up to him like this. He didn't know what to do, how to comfort him. This was Elise and Camilla's area of expertise. Even Xander knew how to handle this better. He really was—

Gods, they were so similar.

It was starting to get unnerving.

But he shifted and placed his forehead against Takumi's, getting the other prince to drop his hands into his lap, though he kept his gaze averted. "…I get it." That made their eyes lock and he saw Takumi's pupils dilated to their maximum.

"What? But… How?"

"I mainly serve as Nohr's chief tactician. After this war is over… I'll have nothing left. I'm good with magic, but I don't have the temperament to deal with politics. What good is a tactician with no army to lead?" He ignored the small cough and a sad smile spread on his face. With how Ryoma and Camilla were, the nations would be at peace with no chance of war under their rule. Plus, with Elise and Xander helping with political delegations between the varying tribes, it left him with little to do other than assist Nohrian farmers during the growing season. Even that was limited and between his frail health and sensitive temperament, it left him very little purpose. The last thing he wanted to do was spend his days locked in some library away from people, but it seemed his only choice.

He was absolutely useless in the areas that mattered most.

Leo's face heated when Takumi placed one of his hands on his cheeks. Despite the tears still trailing down, the other prince managed a frail smile. "We really are birds of a feather, huh?"

Leo gave a faint smile of his own and nodded. "Yeah, You won't—?" He broke off in a coughing fit and Takumi put his hands on his shoulders to steady him.

"No. No more walling or running." Leo nodded and settled back into Takumi's arms, closing his eyes. "Did you eat today?"

Leo just smiled as he nodded.

This chapter was a ride to write start to finish.

Why?

Because literally nothing went the way I planned it. Leo had his own ideas of what he was going to do and he did them.

I had expected him to endure a few sessions of Takumi walling and being politely distant (though not snapping), then talk to Ryoma about it, but nope. He decided to go to talk to Ryoma and skip all of that. I'm not complaining, but it's just funny how the author can be just as much a spectator as the audience.

When it comes down to it, Leo and Takumi are the ones in control of this, so I'm basically just sitting back and letting them do their thing. I have a few suggestions for what they might do, but they decide if they do it or not.

Also, if anybody wants a little bit more information on how the Fuujin Yumi works, feel free to check out the oneshot Wings of Dreams. It's narrated by the spirit in the bow (sort of) and explains a bit about the divine weapons and how they work.