The markets of Hoshido were remarkably splendid. Albeit a small town that sat on the border, never had she seen so many people packed so tightly together before. New sights, new smells, new sounds, new—
She lurched back.
"Laslow?" She swiveled her head. A stand of flowers, delivered straight from Nohr! or so the merchant claimed. Laslow leaned over the arranged bouquets. A wisp of a smile tugged at his lips, his eyes narrowed in fondness, as if he were lost in memory. She swallowed nervously as she recognized the expression well. Sometimes during the war he'd take on a such a face, so lost in his thoughts.
She had seen the same on their wedding way. She witnessed him staring absently at the sky, so deep in contemplation that he hadn't responded to her first few calls. Sometimes she'd fear she'd lose him to his thoughts.
The fear clung to her like a spirit. Carefully, she unhooked their linked arms. The movement didn't faze him in the slightest. She stilled her trembling fingers and lightly tugged on his shoulder, calling his name.
"Oh, I'm sorry, love. I was simply awed by the beauty of these flowers," his eyes did not stray from the bouquet, "of course, not as beautiful as you." Ah, classic Laslow. Corrin broke into a smile, glancing at the stand for a brief moment, before moving to divert his attention elsewhere.
"Come on, Laslow, we haven't even seen the rest yet! You're not going to dawdle all day, are you?" she teased, her voice pitched unusually high as she tried to pry him away. She slipped into the space between him and the stand, to be sure that she was the only one in his line of view.
"Of course, my love." They finally locked eyes, and he smiled. "We haven't even reached the heart of the town yet!" Renewed with spirit, the couple continued their path, weaving through the crowd. Corrin laughed, exuberant from succeeding. Yet...
Corrin glanced over her shoulder in the general direction of the stand. The pit of her stomach stirred with unease. Unsettled, she promised to go back to the stand later, without the accompaniment of her dear husband next time.
As they settled in their rented room, Corrin carefully lifted the flowers she had bought in secret. "I... have a surprise for you." She held out the delicately wrapped bouquet of daisies in her hands. The blue ribbon furled around her fingers.
Laslow's expression brightened almost immediately, as he gingerly took the bouquet, cradling it as if it were the most precious thing. Corrin felt stung.
"Corrin, love, I-this is amazing." He inhaled the daisies deeply, eyes fluttering shut. "How did you know?"
"You were looking at them earlier. Thought it would make a nice surprise," she chirped, busying herself with the bags on the table, organizing the contents within.
"Thank you, my dear." He swept her in his arms, nuzzling the side of his face into her hair.
"I'll bring a vase," she said as they separated.
He simply nodded, still awed at the tiny white flowers.
The rustling of the sheets woke her. She pried an eye open. The ceiling of the room was illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight. She turned her head slightly to the right where Laslow settled. He nestled into his pillow, with a pocket-sized, brown leather journal in one hand and a pen in another. A diary, as she remembered, to hold both old and new memories. A piece of his existence, as he called it once.
"Did I wake you, love?" He noticed her sudden shift in posture, and smoothed her hair back.
"No, well, yes, I suppose." No point in being polite about it at this point. Laslow's night owlish tendencies had woken her more than a few times, light sleeper as she was. She yawned and scooted closer to him, curling her body to enjoy his newly-added warmth. She eyed the leather book in his hand, eager to snatch it and pour over its content. But she promised to wait. Wait until he was ready to spill its content himself.
"Sorry, love, I was about to tuck in." He smiled apologetically, setting aside his notebook atop his bedside drawer. She noticed the vase then, in the dimly glowing light.
"Are those the flowers I bought?" she drowsily asked.
"Oh, yes, I couldn't help but to set them here instead."
"You must be very fond of them," she murmured, eyes flittering shut.
"I am." After a pause: "They just... remind me of my sister is all," he stated wistfully.
"I... didn't know you had a sister." She didn't know many things about Laslow's family, really. His mother was a dancer, that she knew and freely admitted. His parents were kind, his father a... sheepherder or some sort. The heavy feeling sunk in again, and she hated the way it tugged at her heart.
"Ah, I never brought her up, did I?" He closed his eyes in contemplation, before speaking, "My older sister was... an amazing person, simply put. She was a born leader, never backing down in the face of adversity. If it weren't for her, I don't think any of us would have made it."
She didn't ask who 'us' was, but quietly laid and listened. She learned early on that he rambled a bit more during the nights, and often touched on subjects he kept deeply locked away.
"Daisies were her favorite flowers, actually. Back home, there were fields of them. She loved jumping into them when we were kids-always got her dress dirty." He chuckled fondly. "I'll never forget the look in her eye, when they were burnt away during... during the war." His voice cracked then as he wandered into painful territory. A silence permeated the air.
"You... must miss her a lot," Corrin slowly said, breaking the silence.
After a beat, "I do."
"It must be hard being so far from home."
Another beat, "It is."
Biting her lip in contemplation, she said, heart thundering all the while, "Laslow, you," she swallowed thickly, dread pooling in the pit of her stomach, "I think it'd be best for you to go home, after all." She leaned up on her arms, slowly rising.
"Corrin, I've already made my decision," he stated sharply. She furrowed her brow at his steely tone. Always, always, he always avoided the issue at hand and her temper flared.
"But Laslow, you don't seem happy here," she stressed, gripping the sheets tightly. She saw his unhappiness in the way he got lost in his thoughts, in his memories. The way he looked at familiar things and how his eyes glazed over, reflecting another place far from Hoshido, far from Nohr, and even farther than Valla. She tried to keep him away from the things that caused those occurrences, and she knew it was selfish of her to do so. But she so badly wished him to stay, and she could only imagine the terrible loneliness she would feel upon his absence.
"I am happy here, Corrin. What would make you think I wasn't?" He gently pried her fingers from the sheets, entwining their hands together.
"Because you miss them, don't you? If it were me, I don't think I could bear being so far from my family, never being able to see them again." She tightened her hold and worried her lip.
"Oh, love, I," he sighed, pulling her in, "I do miss them. Not a day passes when I think of the people I left behind. But," he gently tilts her chin up, softly pressing his lips against hers. "I have a new family now, with you. And I don't regret a single second of it. So, don't you dare try to send me away. You're stuck with me, now and forever." He nuzzled her cheek with his nose, eliciting a short laugh from her as his hairs tickled her.
"I'm-I'm sorry, Laslow. I've just been thinking all these selfish things for a while. I was afraid that someday... we'd have to part ways. But we're a unit now, huh?" She held up their shared hand. Even in the dim light, the blue gem in her ring shone.
"That's right," another kiss," and I promise to never leave your side. So, no more talk of parting ways or the such," he chastised playfully, resting her hand on his cheek, nestling into it.
They share one last, lingering kiss, before settling for the night. Their hands remained intertwined, promising an everlasting future.
A/N: cheesy endings everywhere. I apologize but endings are not my strong suit.
But hey part 2 posted. I have some other smaller, fluffy one-shots for Laslow x F!Corrin as well. I generally write these in my free time, however, so progress will be slow otl.
And thanks for the feedback and to all who reviewed! You guys rock, cheers!