Can everyone just humor me, go on Youtube, and search up Chasing Cars by Joshua Sanders, and start to listen to it once they start to walk to go see the stars? You won't regret it, I promise.

Corrin had just collapsed on her bed, her feet positively aching.

At this moment, Corrin only had one thing on her mind and that was sleep.

The sooner she could snuggle up under the blankets, the better, that was such intense training, and in such cold, it exhausted her in a way she didn't even know she could be exhausted.

Sitting up, she began to pull off one of her boots right until a knock startled her, drawing her away from her revelry.

Jamming her foot back in her boot, Corrin jogged over to the door, a skip in her step as she attempted to readjust her foot back in place.

"Coming!"She chimed.

It wasn't unreasonably late, yet it was such an odd hour to visit.

The sun had already set considerably long ago, and it was a completely inappropriate time to request for Jakob to make refreshments if they were hoping to come inside. It would be so embarrassing if someone were to think her a bad hostess.

Corrin took a deep breath, bracing for the worse, it could only be bad news if someone were to visit so late.

With incredulity, she opened the door, letting the grim cold air mix with the hot in her room, and immediately felt a smile flourish on her face as the happiness manifested from within.

"Takumi?"Corrin said breathlessly, tired from the jog to the door.

Takumi didn't return her level of happiness, but in his own way, he was happy to see her. He admittedly was fond of the girl, not as fond as she was of him, but now he wouldn't vehemently deny his growing friendship with her.

The corners of his mouth tugged into a small grin as he clutched the bundle at his side closer.

He looked around her room, attempting to gauge if she was occupied in a conversation or activity previous to his arrival before motioning back with his thumb and an all knowing smirk.

"Get something warmer on. I want to take you somewhere." He imparted, wanting the surprise to remain a mystery.

"What are we-"

"Don't worry about that now...you'll find out later." He cinched with a wink, taking a step to allow her to the close the door in order to allow her to select the appropriate attire in order to brave the cold they were about to endure.

Corrin exited her room after a brief interval of scuffling around attempting to find her warmest items of clothing to wear.

She was adjusting her shawl when she had finally decided to depart with Takumi, curiously contemplating what Takumi was holding so close to him. It was wrapped in a blanket, and if she listened closely, under the sound of the wind, she could hear the sloshing of a liquid. She looked up at him, attempting to assay what he was thinking. He glimpsed at her before pointing up to the sky with a simper on his face.

Corrrin earnestly glanced up, feeling her breath being stolen away almost immediately.

The stars.

He was taking her to see the stars.

They were so utterly enchanting from here, she could only imagine what they looked like from where Takumi was taking her.

"You know,"Corrin began as her and Takumi walked together in sync. "Come to think about it, this will be my first real time looking at the stars. From the fortress, I could see them, but it's different." She mused out loud.

There was still times Takumi failed to remember just how sheltered his sister's life had been until only awhile ago. She was almost like a child she thought of the world so idealistically. She had hardly been out to experience it, or to learn about what it really was like.

"And you've been out...what?"He asked, attempting to recollect when they first met.

"Ten months."She replied.

So much had changed since then, it was nearly impossible to comprehend. He was glad though. He couldn't have imagined what would have become of Hoshido and Nohr if direct action wasn't taken.

"Do you miss it?" He inquired. "Nohr I mean."

Corrin took a moment of silence to ponder the question. She didn't miss it with all her siblings at her side, not really. She couldn't miss a place she never got to explore or grow to love, and truthfully, Nohr wasn't all bad memories.

"I would, I mean...I still feel homesick for Hoshido."Takumi said abruptly, thinking of the land that would hopefully be waiting when he returned if they succeeded in their quest.

He was about to take the lead in order to insure they got to the field in a timely manner when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He tilted his head questionably at Corrin's actions when he met her bore. She was doing it again. She was looking at him with those eyes that saw through him.

"You are home."She said.

She meant to say that he was her home. His arms a castle, his words a fortress.

He cocked his head with a smile before taking her arm in his and continuing to guide her to the snow covered meadow.

Even in the darkness of winter, it was beautiful. He could only imagine what it looked like in full bloom when spring came around.

Corrin was speechless. She had seen so many beautiful things in her travels, but never like this.

"C'mon."Takumi invited as they began to make the promenade to the center of the meadow.

"Close your eyes."He demanded excitedly.

Corrin looked at him dubiously before obliging to his request, listening to the crunch of snow under his feet and the rustle of the blanket as he laid it on the ground. For a brief moment, the noises ceased, and she felt a gentle touch on her shoulders, leading her to sit. She could hear more crepitation as Takumi presumably sat across from her, peaking her curiosity. Tenaciously, she cracked an eye open to peek at him, in which he quickly noticed.

"Att! I said to close your eyes!"He scolded, in which she squeezed her eyes shut and wrinkled her nose.

She felt something at her lips, something wooden, as a fruity alcoholic aroma emitted from whatever the box contained. Cautiously, she opened her lips to feel the cool crisp liquid enter her mouth in which left with a pleasant warm burn once ingested. She licked her lips, attempting to figure out what she had just drank.

"You can open them now."Takumi permitted.

He was staring at her expectantly, a wooden shuki set laying out in front of her. She had figured she had been served something that contained alcohol, yet she wasn't expecting this. The sake he had served was hardly what she had remembered it to taste like.

"It's a disservice to serve you warm sake..I wanted you to taste what it should be like."He admitted bashfully as he attempted to hand her a masu to drink from.

"Oh no no! The last time I had this stuff, I was drunk like you wouldn't believe!"She deflected worriedly. Takumi snorted.

"Don't worry, the alcohol content in this is considerably lower than the warm one. Even you should be fine."He urged as she took the box into her hands.

She sipped as he poured himself a drink, looking up at the stars in the sky. It truly was beyond anything she could have ever imagined. The sky practically glittered so many stars filled it, all of each which had their own unique story.

"You see that one?"Takumi asked as he pointed to a particularly bright star that stood out. Takumi took a large sip before laying on his back in order to view it properly. Corrin followed suit and laid beside him.

"That one's named after father."He cogitated with a dreamy sigh before pointing at another large star. "And that one after his father, our grandfather, and another star from his father before him."He explained as Corrin watched in awe, cordially drinking in his every last word.

They laid side by side on the blanket like that for while, listening to the sound of each other's breath and their own heartbeats, indulging in the moment and each other's company, knowing that this moment was unique only to them, one they might not ever get to experience again. Their cold fingertips connected as they watched the sky, each wanting to only look at each other though.

"Corrin?" Takumi appealed, rolling onto his side in order to view her.

"Yes?"She responded.

"When...you...confided in me, your story was funny yes, but it wasn't a real secret, not like the ones I hold." He admitted hesitantly, watching her breath in the cold air as she exhaled and inhaled.

"I was in love once."She confided, rotating onto her right side in order to look at him. He studied her, her soft brow, her endearingly long eyelashes and soft blush that laid on her cheeks.

"With who?"He whispered, taking notice of how the moonlight reflected off her hair.

"Xander."She answered simply but uncomfortably.

Takumi's breath hitched. So that's what that night was. He had loved her, and in return, she had loved him back.

"A part of me still loves him really..."She acknowledged.

"Then why not be with him?"Takumi catechized.

Corrin rolled back onto her back at that question, unwilling to answer it.

"If only it was that simple."She hummed, attempting to remove the memories of her past lover that had flooded back to her. She had held love in her hands and had thrown it away. Here he was offering to reconcile the love, but she couldn't do that to him. A decision was made, she could never remove the future king of Nohr away from the throne he had so struggled to achieve. She also couldn't join him by his side. Not like this.

"That's my biggest regret...flaw...whatever you want to call it."She whispered darkly,

It wasn't hard to pick up that she didn't wish to expand on the topic further. He understood though, without having been in love, he knew what it was like to love a person so intensely and to not be able to have them. He thought of his mother and father, and the memory he worked so hard to maintain of them.

"You're really great, you know that? Sorry if I don't say it enough."He interrupted the silence between them precipitously and immediately regretted it as soon as he realized the words that had left his mouth. Corrin looked at him with a soft smile, going back onto her side to look at him.

Those words...they were the kindest thing that he had ever said to her. It really shocked her to know that he thought of her that way...because she thought pretty highly of him too.

"Thank you."She smiled, pressing her forehead to his.

Takumi felt a warm wetness on his face, and ragged breathing against his skin. Was she...crying?

Tenderly, he stroked her tears away with his thumb, feeling his heart ache in pain. He didn't like her crying like this. In fact he hated it, it made him feel so uncomfortable and at edge. She wasn't supposed to do this, she was supposed to be the strong one, not him.

But it wasn't about what she was 'supposed' to do anymore to him. It was about what she needed to do. And right now, he needed to be the strong one for both of them.

He took her in his arms and held her as tight as possible, as she sobbed against his chest, clinging onto the fabric of the back of his shirt. He was sure his shirt would need a good wash now with the snot and tear stains he felt soaking through,but he could always get a new one. He could never replace Corrin.

He felt so safe and warm. So comforting and loving. Corrin was still unsure of what had taken over her, causing her to cry like that. She had vowed she wouldn't let her emotions get the better of her in front of someone like that, and yet, here she was, so unashamed to let the contents of her heart out.

"Hey...hey, don't cry."He urged, wiping her tears away again. She peered up at him, attempting to force out a smile for his sake.

"I know, I must be acting like a complete fool."She laughed embarrassingly.

"No...not at all."He whispered, cupping her face with his hands. She rested her small soft hand over top his large roughed calloused ones.

In that juncture, they saw each other for who they were at the same time, and they were absolutely enthralled with the person in front of them. Eyes met and hearts leaped as their faces inched closer and closer.

"It's ok to do this...we're only half siblings anyway, no one has to know but us." Xander's voice echoed, causing Corrin to jump away.

This was...wrong.

It would never be right, they would never be right.

Takumi looked at her questionably, trying to figure out what was about to happen, it was an almost unearthly moment, one like he had never felt before, as his body took control without him thinking. Had he tried to kiss his sister?

He was an extremely sick man, who needed help.

He didn't feel nearly the same way about Corrin as he ever would Oboro. Corrin would remain his sister, and he would love her as a brother dose.

Corrin hurriedly drank the remaining contents of the sake in her box, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve and then with force, setting it down.

Takumi sat up, wanting desperately to say something to her, to explain, and yet, he couldn't.

"W-We should head back."Corrin suggested, standing up as unexpectedly as she had drank the sake.

Takumi could only weakly nod his head in agreement, as his heart felt the polar opposite, and began to pack up.

It really was for the best, as they were to take part in an activity that was so morally grave, that neither could recover from.

Yet...he didn't ever want to do that with Hinoka or Sakura, only Corrin,

It had to be the distance between them over the years that created tension, it was the only logical explanation as he caught her in a moment of emotional vulnerability.

Takumi carefully wrapped up his sake set and the two began their way back. The sky was starting to lighten. They must have had been there so long that dawn was approaching.

Corrin trailed behind Takumi as she followed him back, watching the sun peaking through, attempting to rise. It was nearly as beautiful as the night sky.

It was as if her and Takumi were that night sky and early morning dawn. The two things that fought and struggled for power, as she stored constellations of the past with their own stories within herself, and Takumi was the break of new day, attempting to cancel the dark out. Both so close and yet so far.

They wouldn't ever acknowledge the moment. It was just fleeting emotion, they would've kissed anyone had they been there for the moment, and by chance, the people who happened to be there was them.

The walk seemed more drawn out and long than any other they had preformed, and the only walk where the silence was awkward and unbearable, an oddity and first time for them.

"Did you um...make that sake yourself?"Corrin attempted. She couldn't bear the silence.

"Yes...did you uh, like it?"He responded stiffly. It was as if he had forgotten how to speak.

"It was very nice."She murmured before the silence returned to haunt them. They couldn't go on like that.

"About what happened..."Corrin suggested, roughly scratching the back of her neck. Takumi's heart stopped.

"Nothing happened."He stated plainly. If they didn't talk about it, then it would cease to exist. Corrin clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"We can't pretend-"

"I SAID, I don't want to talk about it!"He snapped, his hands bawling into careful fists.

Corrin stared at him sadly as he felt the shame growing more and more.

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have spoken to you like that...it's not right."He admitted before she walked towards him.

"What happened between us is normal for a man and woman, especially those who spent so much time apart."She attempted to explain. How many times had she tried to come to terms with the weight of hers and Xander's relationship.

Takumi weakly nodded, averting his eyes from hers. He couldn't look into her eyes right now, he'd just fall back in.

He offered his arm to her, and she gingerly held on. He was much stronger than he appeared, it was no surprise he had built up muscle over years of archery.

The mood eased considerably after that as they walked back. They still failed to speak, and the silence wasn't comfortable, but it was tolerable enough for now.

She was grateful for when they arrived back in camp, the light of morning consuming the world around them. She would only get a couple hours of sleep, but they'd be worth it.

She had began to make her way up to her quarters when he called out to her.

"Corrin!"He jogged up to her, as breathless as she was when she greeted him at night.

She didn't respond but looked up at him earnestly.

From within his pocket, he withdrew a dried and pressed winter rose and placed it in her palm, the milky white had faded into a gentle soft purple playing against her skin. She smiled a rare smile, reserved only for him.

"These are my favorite...thank you."She said before pulling him in close.

Her favorite flower was a rose that really wasn't a rose at all.