I woke up in a lot of pain. My legs felt like they were drenched in boiling hot cooking oil. Everything hurt and yet… I realized that I was in a warm and comfortable bed.

"Where am I?" I barely managed to say.

"We are in Fort Gungnir's medical bay. Thanks to you, Thrasir retreated and we were able to get here safely. I had to carry you here." Alfonse said sternly.

Alfonse had tried to put a serious face on, but his eyes were bloodshot and his face was tear stained. It was evident that he had been crying over me the entire time. A wave of shame and guilt washed over me. I couldn't even begin to think about how he was feeling at the moment.

All I could think of was how I failed my dear sweet prince. I was a failure, weak and useless. Forever a damsel in distress, never really helping out on the battlefield and when I did, it always resulted in something like this. I hated it. I hated myself. The pain was too much.

"Do you have any idea how much you worried everyone? I was worried sick about you! I thought that you were going to die." Alfonse began to lecture me.

I remained silent. There was nothing that I could say that could make it better. There was not a damn I could do to make it better. I was stupid and an idiot. Only a fool would jump off of a speeding pegasus like that.

"Honestly what were you thinking doing that stunt? You could've gotten yourself killed doing that!"

Alfonse clenched his fist. I knew that I was in for it. I could tell that he was beyond furious with me just by how his voice seemed to be lower than normal. I could feel myself flinching.

"I… I… was a fool." I eventually croaked out.

"Well at least we can both agree on that." Alfonse said bitterly.

"Could you at least hear me out? I'm not going to make excuses or anything, just… I'm not sure honestly. I guess there are some things I want to get off my chest."

"Then why would you risk yourself like that? Do you have any idea how heartbroken I would be if you died and I couldn't protect you? I don't think I would be able to forgive myself if that happened."

"Everything that Thrasir said about me is true. I'm weak and pathetic. The only way i can really defend myself if you're not around is if I use my head to pull one of those 'stunts' as you call them. I cant hold my own in a fight but… I can't hide behind you forever. I've always known I was useless. I have my tactics and Breidablik and that's it. I thought I got over it but… in reality I've been pushing my feelings aside. After this war I'll-"

"Give up? Run away?"

I flinched once more and curled myself up into a ball. I was too embarrassed to admit it but… I did briefly consider resigning after the war ended. There was a voice in the back of my mind that was screaming at me, telling me that I am no longer fit to command this army alongside Alfonse.

"I know you are better than that, my love. You… how many times do I have to get it through your thick skull that you aren't useless? How can I get that through to you if you never talk to me about these things? I've never thought you were useless. Kiran, you have the brightest mind of the army and yet… you go and put yourself in danger with no consideration for the people who care about you most."

"I just feel so frustrated watching you fight for your life and not being able to do much about it. I don't feel like I'm pulling enough weight around he-"

"That's enough. Listen to me, if anything I feel like you carry too much of it. I will arrange for a practice session when you get out of the medical bay, but this needs to stop Kiran. No more recklessly putting yourself in danger. No more crazy stunts. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Not because I think you are weak, but because you were always there when I needed you."

"Well of course I was there! It wouldn't be right for me to watch you suffer and then do nothing about it, Al! Out of everyone in the Order, besides me I guess, you bear the most responsibility. You are tasked with the heavy burden of leading your kingdom and I've seen how much you struggle because of it. You're so kind and compassionate and when you smile, I can't help but want to be there for you."

"Kiran, I have a confession to make."

"Huh? Alfonse what are you-"

"When we first met, I had never intended to make friends with you, let alone fall in love with you. Now, I find that I don't feel quite like myself when you're not near me. It has put me in a rather delicate position, you see. The more you have to lose, the worse it will hurt when you do. I used to think that in order to remain strong as a prince, I had to distance myself from the others. While others were open to the pain, I was still bitter about Zacherias leaving us. We didn't get along at first because you were rightfully upset at us for taking you away from your home and because I had convinced myself that I couldn't trust anyone besides my sister and Anna."

"Yeah… we were both jerks to each other back then. I don't know what changed exactly, but as I got to know you, I found myself befriending you." I chuckled.

"You never did give up on me. It's because of you that I eventually realized the folly of my ways. If I had continued to think that distancing myself from others was a reasonable course of action, then I would be less of a man than I am now. So don't even believe for a second that you're useless. You're not baggage that I carry around because I have to."

"Alfonse… you really are too good for a fool like me."

"Then we are both fools." He chuckled.

It was then I realized how close we were to each other. The gap that we had between us had closed up rather quickly. He was practically inches away from my face.

"Would it be foolish if we…?"

"Perhaps it would be… but if loving you is foolish, I'll remain a fool all my life" he whispered.

He gently caressed my face with his hands and slowly pulled mine closer to his. As I realized what was happening, his lips met mine...and I melted into his embrace. I realized in the corner of my mind that his lips tasted surprisingly sweet, and that I liked it a lot. As we continued to kiss, though, that information was forgotten and I was lost in his desperate yet gentle touch.

I felt such a huge wave of euphoria as he continued being intimate with me. 'Oh dear gods, we are finally kissing! Am I dreaming?'

I felt so happy in that moment that I let out a small moan. I suddenly felt him removing himself from me. I mentally cursed myself for scaring him off like that. I sighed as I opened my eyes, a dreamy expression on my face as I wished he would've let himself stay like that longer.

"Don't stop now, you were doing so well"

"B-but…" Alfonse looked so flustered. I couldn't help but think that he was being adorable.

"Please… don't stop. I… I need this. I need you. Please" I begged, desperate for more of his touch.

"O-ok…"

He ran his fingers through my hair again before closing in again and we quickly continued kissing each other. We deepened the kiss. It was as if we were starving for each other's touch. We stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, but eventually had to break apart from the kiss to catch our breaths.

A small part of me wished we could go even further but I knew it would be too much too soon. Instead, I held onto him in a warm embrace.

"T-that was amazing! I've never thought I'd be doing this with you, but now I wish I had done it sooner!"

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment, my sweet prince."

"By the gods, you have no idea how happy you make when you call me that. Please… could you call me that again whenever we are alone together?"

"Mmhmm. As you wish, my prince." I hummed.

"Kiran, I just want you to know that you've made me feel like I am the happiest man alive right now. My heart belongs to you now."

"I will guard it with all of my might, my prince."

There was a knock on the front door to the infirmary door. I looked at Al apologetically before letting the person on the other side of the door come into the room.

"Kiran, it's good to see that you're finally awake. I was starting to get worried that my healing wasn't working on you. You broke a quite few bones so it took quite a while to get you back to normal. You should be almost completely healed, but I will be doing another round of healing to get you back on your feet again. You'll feel sore afterwards."

"Thank you, Mercedes. We really do appreciate it. I can rest much easier knowing that she'll be back on her feet again."

"It's no problem at all."

Mercedes' eyes darted back and forth between Alfonse and me. She fumbled a bit when she pulled out her healing staff. While it was normal for her to be a little clumsy at times I wondered if there was something wrong this time.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked

"Well I don't know if it's my place to say this but… I think the both of you should apologize to Cynthia and Chrom."

"I understand that my actions may have caused Cynthia some undue stress but Chrom? What did I do that would warrant an apology?"

"Kiran you only really need to apologize to Cynthia for being reckless. I'm mainly talking about Prince Alfonse's behavior after you jumped off of Andromeda."

I immediately glared at Alfonse, knowing that he must've tried to chew Cynthia out while I was still passed out. This had to be corrected immediately. I wasn't going to tolerate this any further.

"Can you please ask Cynthia and Chrom to come visit me when you are finished with this?"

"Of course, Kiran. I worry about you very much and I just want to see you succeed. Part of the Order's success rides on your natural charms and leadership skills. I can't help but feel like an overprotective big sister with you sometimes."

"I believe the role of overprotective protector has been filled twice over. It's the thought that counts though"

"Yes, I suppose that is true." She hummed.

I shot a glare at him. It felt so jarring to go from being over the moon with him one moment, to wanting to chuck him out of the room the next.

"Alfonse, did you really lash out at Cynthia?"

"I didn't lash out at her. I merely reprimanded her for putting you in danger."

"It was my fault, not hers. Al, you cannot punish others for following my orders. She only did as I told her to, and nothing more."

"While that may be true that she was just following your orders, it is our job to protect you. You know that you aren't a strong fighter so please don't pull those stunts again."

"Apologize to Cynthia and I will do as you say."

Alfonse folded his arms and frowned. "Very well then. I will assent for now."

I looked straight into his eyes and I knew that despite the kiss we shared, he was still very disappointed in me. I also realized that this conversation wasn't finished. Not by a long shot.

"Almost done, Kiran." Mercedes said softly.

"Thank you Mercedes. Did Eir heal up ok?"

"Mmmhmm. She's more worried about you than anything else. You should talk to her later and let her know that you're better again."

"Right. I guess I have a lot more people to apologize to."

"I understand your frustration with being on the sidelines but you can't always jump into the thick things and expect to come out unscathed. I worry that one day, you will get injured and my staff won't be able to heal you. Healing magic and vulnaries can only get you so far. It's enough to send shivers down anyone's spine."

Alfonse pulled me closer to him. I could barely breathe from the crushing force of his embrace. He shakily ran his fingers through my hair as if I was going to dissolve right in front of him.

"Hey Alfonse… would you mind watching over me while I summon tomorrow?"

"You'll get hurt."

"We need more healers, dear. I'm asking because I know I will be extremely vulnerable during and after the ceremony. You make me feel safe even when we are in enemy territory."

"I don't wish to see you hurting yourself trying to summon but… I will concede if Mercedes agrees to provide the usual healing support for that day"

"I will be more than happy to help the both of you. I am curious to see how the summoning process works and…if possible I want to see someone from the officer's academy get summoned. I know it's selfish, but my spirits would be lifted if I could be with Annie again"

"Well the summoning process is mostly random but I will give it my best shot. It'll be my way of showing my thanks to you."

"Ok. Just remember to take care of yourself for now. You may be fully healed but proper rest is still important."

"Don't worry I will make sure she gets the rest she needs. I'll be escorting her to our room."

"Our room? I mean, I'm not complaining but that's very bold of you."

"It'll be easier to watch over you if we sleep in the same room together."

"Well I suppose I can't fault you for that logic. Lead the way, Al."

"Take care you two. I'll go to Cynthia and Chrom and let them know that you want to speak with them."

Alfonse scooped me up from the bed I was lying in before I could even get up on my own. I pouted at him and muttered that it was embarrassing and that I could probably walk fine on my own now. I wasn't used to being carried around everywhere like that.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe. I'm disappointed in your recent behavior but I am not doing this to punish you. You are my summoner, Kiran. Please allow me to indulge in my desire to protect you. I don't want to let you go."

"I don't want to let go either, my sweet prince." I whispered.

"You're enjoying this."

"Well… maybe a little bit. I don't like making you worry about me but I wouldn't mind having you carry me to our room like this occasionally. I also wouldn't mind cuddling with you tonight. It would help with the nightmares I have been getting lately."

"A-as you wish, my love. Gods… I still can't believe it. If we weren't in the middle of Hel right now I'd wonder if this was a dream"

"It would be a strange and wonderful dream if it were. This whole thing seems like something out of a fairytale."

"Hold on. I need to unlock the door." Al gently put me down in front of the room that we were going to stay in. He grabbed a set of keys from his pockets and unlocked the door.

In all honesty I was feeling pretty good after Mercedes patched me up. I could have walked away from him if I wanted to. I couldn't bring myself to do it, though. I was still a bit of a mess. After two years of crushing on Alfonse, I found out that he likes me back and then later we kissed… but then he also went and took his frustrations out on Cynthia and Chrom. I felt confused as to what I was supposed to be feeling. Anger? Love?

"My prince, back there was one thing I forgot to tell you when we were talking about what happened earlier."

"And what would that be?" He asked as he opened the door for me.

"The last straw was not the insults directed at me. I mean, It did hurt but that wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back"

"Straws can't break backs, Kiran" Alfonse looked at me confused.

"It's just an expression Al. It's used to describe something minor that causes an unpredictable or sudden reaction. It's usually caused by a cumulative effect of a bunch of other things being added together."

"Oh. Thanks for the clarification…"

Gods he looked so cute when he's embarrassed. It's one reason I have taken to teasing him on a few occasions.

"I have another question… What is a camel?"

"Oh. Um… it's an animal from my world that's adapted to living in the deserts. It has four legs and long eyelashes. They have one or two humps on their back depending on what part of the world they are from. They are famous for being able to survive without drinking water for a long time. People who live in the desert used to ride them instead of horses for thousands of years but with the invention of cars, they aren't used as often. I wish that I could give you a more accurate description, but I'm not a zoologist and I don't have access to the internet right now"

"I'm sorry for interrupting what you were saying earlier, but in all of my studies of all the worlds in the castle archives… well I've yet to come across a creature with that description before! That sounds incredible!"

I snorted in an attempt to suppress my laughter. I thought that he was always cute when he gets excited when he comes across information that he finds interesting and fascinating to him. His eyes always seem to light up and his smile… well his smile always made me feel a little weak in the knees but especially when it's as genuine and bright as it is right now.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing. I just can't help but think about how cute you are when you get excited like this. I'll take you to the local zoo if we ever get to my world. I don't think there are camels there but I am willing to bet that there are plenty of creatures in my world that are different from yours."

"Th-Thanks. I would love that. Er.. um… so back to what you were saying earlier about Thrasir…"

"Oh her? Yeah I hate her. If Líf is you, the Thrasir would likely be an older version of Veronica. I still don't like our Veronica very much, so forgive me if I'm not too fond of Thrasir insulting you like that. You aren't a dog that blindly follows me around! You deserve better than that."

"It would be my choice and my choice alone to follow you. I will guard you with my life. You deserve nothing less than that."

"I really am a weak fool then. That's far more than I deserve. We should be equal partners not master and pet. Unless you're into that sort of thing, I guess."

"K-Kiran! Must you make it sound so crass?"

"So does that mean I'm right?"

"N-no! That's ridiculous! Besides… I don't think actually pretending to be a dog would be appropriate!"

"Well I didn't mean it exactly like that but yeah I suppose that wouldn't be an appropriate topic at the moment. I think we're already pushing it as it is considering that we are still in Hel. This place is a real mood killer you know?"

"Kiran, you were almost killed on multiple occasions and your main complaint is that it ruins the mood? Honestly, you need to get your priorities back in order"

"Hey! I'll have you know that I have a lot of petty complaints about this realm. Like… how this place literally smells like rotting corpses. I was hoping that I would go nose blind to it eventually, but nope. Everyday I ask myself why they can't smell like roses. Then I remember that when you die, the muscles relax during the decomposition process and all of your bodily fluids leak out of every possible hole that you have in your body. That also includes human excrement."

"That's… far more information than I needed to know."

"Hey I prefer to know what's going to happen to my body after I die you know. Death is still a natural part of life, whether we like it or not. It is highly likely that even after we defeat Hel, the cycle of life and death will continue. The difference is that we won't have a death goddess killing everything indiscriminately."

"R-right. I can't say that I look forward to dying one day, but I believe that you might be correct in your assumption."

We then heard someone knocking on our door. "Kiran? Are you in here? My daughter and I wish to have a word with you"

"Come right in"

Alfonse subtly averted his gaze from Chrom and Cynthia as they both walked in. His stubborn side was showing through once more. I tugged at his cape as a gentle reminder that there was no need for that.

The father daughter duo walked into the room. I quietly braced myself for the lecture that I knew was going to come my way.

"Kiran, how are you feeling right now? We came as soon as we heard that you woke up." Chrom asked.

"A little worse for wear. I feel much better after Mercedes patched me up. I've been working her to the bone and well… I have decided to do a summoning for another healer. Though, that's not important right now."

"I disagree. I've seen what summoning does to you firsthand. Are you sure that you'll be fine?"

"I will have Al and Mercedes keeping watch over me. It'll hurt like hell, pun unintended."

"Alright, but do not be afraid to rely on all of us. You and Robin both tend to take on too many burdens at once. We all rely on each other and the bonds of friendship that we all have forged together are strong. Never forget that."

"Yes, indeed. It is one of the reasons I have called you up here. I would like to apologize for the trouble that I have caused you and Cynthia. It was uncalled for and unbecoming of me to put myself in danger the way I did."

Chrom shook his head "I accept your apology, Kiran. The stress of this war is probably taking a bigger toll on you than most of us realize. That is why I wanted to remind you that you aren't the only one that can shoulder the burdens that you carry. The more shoulders, the better."

I snickered. I don't know why exactly, but it made me laugh a little. Alfonse looked at me questioningly. I guess he was confused about what I was laughing at.

"Kiran, are you ok?" Al asked.

"I-I'm fine. I'm sorry, but I don't know what came over me. I guess it really is stress catching up to me."

"Don't worry Kiran, you can leave the leg work to us. As a member of the Justice Cabal, I wanna help! Heroes help their friends!" Cynthia said with a prideful grin.

"But you guys already do all of the-"

"Kiran. We already talked about this. Let the fighters do the fighting." Alfonse said sternly.

"Fine but you still need to apologize for screaming at Cynthia."

"And I already told you. I did no such thing. I only reprimanded her."

"And I told you that you still need to apologize or you won't get any headpats"

I noticed that Al's left eyebrow was twitching. He then sighed to himself as if he had been defeated.

"You drive a hard bargain, my love."

Alfonse then looked at our two guests straight in the eyes as best as he could muster. "Cynthia, I am sorry for taking my frustrations out on you. I was upset and worried for Kiran, but that was no excuse for how I acted."

"Apology accepted! I'm just glad our Summoner is safe. I really like her and well… I know what it's like to lose people. I dunno why, but there's just something about Kiran that makes me want to root for her!"

Al smiled at me smugly and wrapped his arms around me. "See? You aren't useless. You bring plenty of things to the table."

"Now you are just saying things. Besides, you still haven't apologized to Chrom."

"No. I won't allow you to speak so lowly of yourself. Look at me." Alfonse cupped my face and gently turned my head to face towards his own.

"I don't know why you seem so down on yourself, but it needs to stop."

"When did you start being so assertive? Er… I mean I kinda like seeing this side to you and all but…"

"Only when I need to be. I much prefer… well… nevermind. F-forget that."

"Sorry but I've already committed it to my memory. In any case… I will do my best to carry us to victory." I sighed

"No, Kiran. It won't just be you. We will all carry each other to victory. Together."

"Yes, I suppose I would like that very much." I then shot a glare at my boyfriend.

"R-right. Chrom, I would like to apologize to you as well. I don't have anything to say that I haven't already said to Cynthia but-"

"Say nothing further. I accept your apology. However there are some matters I wish to discuss with you later."

"A-and what would we be talking about?"

"Er...It's best not to say in front of the summoner. Look, um… it's a man to man sort of thing. I'm not the most experienced in those sorts of matters but… you know." Chrom looked mildly uncomfortable, but I had a feeling that this 'private talk' between the two of them will yield some interesting results.

Alfonse's face immediately went straight to beet red. I snickered at the sight of my beloved prince becoming more awkward and silent.

"This will be after the summoning right?"

"Of course." Chrom confirmed.

"Ok then. Just be cautious of your surroundings. I know it's kinda hypocritical of me to say that considering I'm the reason you two were arguing in the first place but even I worry about… well you know…"

"I understand. We may be in a familiar place, but we're still in the middle enemy territory. We mustn't become complacent. It's to that end that I will assign Cynthia to be your personal guard for tomorrow." Al said smugly.

If this was a chess game between Al and I over who would win the final argument… he just won. He checked me and I had no moves left to make.

"Awesome! Hey Kiran, let's gather up all the girls and hangout! We can tell each other stories about our heroic exploits and braid each other's hair!"

"B-but we are in a literal hellhole right now! I'm not sure if that would be a good idea…" I stumbled

"Psshhaw! Please. Hey Alfonse what do you think? Kiran would be surrounded by me, Sharena, Anna, Eir and Mercedes. She'll definitely be well protected."

"Normally I would agree with Kiran. However, as you most astutely pointed out, she'll be surrounded by trusted allies. My tactician's safety is my top priority, so I think it'll do her some good."

"I can't believe that you are going over my head! Don't I even get a say in this?"

"I'm afraid not, my dearest. This is for your own good. Go have some fun. That's an order."

I grumbled to myself knowing that whenever Al gets like this, his mind would already be made up. I knew that he wasn't going to budge on this at all.

"Fine. You win this one, but mark my words… I will have my rev- er I mean I'll have my way with you… damn now that sounds like something Niles would say. Whatever. Point is, you will get your just desserts soon enough."

"It's the price I am willing to pay for your safety." He chuckled.

"Should we leave you two alone for now?" Chrom asked awkwardly.

"R-right. You may leave if you want. My apologies." I said nervously.

"It's no problem. It may not be the best of times, but it's great that you have each other. We'll see you after the summoning tomorrow"

"I'll look forward to seeing you then."

As our two guests left, I let out a sigh of relief. I thanked Askr that it was over. I had one main hurdle left, and tomorrow will be a step in overcoming the looming threat that is the Sovereign of Death.

A/N:

So this took a lot longer than planned but I've finally managed to finish this chapter. But on the bright side, they finally kissed!

Also overprotective Al. I always saw him as the type of person that would become extremely protective of their SO.

Also, I will be moving out of state in about a month. My parents ate moving and that means Im moving too because I dont make enough money to be able to live on my own. I'm telling you figuring out how to be become an independent adult while in the middle of the pandemic is a nightmare in of itself.

Also the sleepover in Hel will be a thing now. I've decided. My original plans will still fit but with added shenanigans.