Hi! This was a piece written for the Hapi shipping zine! It was so wonderful to contribute to this, and I am beyond happy that I could write something sweet and Hapi and Coco being married and in love. Thank you to all the mods who made this possible!

And without further ado, onto the fic!

"Yeah, yeah, no, and yeah." Hapi raised her arms above her head and let out a long yawn, the sound bouncing about the great hall's arches. "Does that answer everything?"

The contractor in front of her blinked and shuffled through his papers with fumbling fingers. "Um, almost, Lady Nuvelle."

Hapi could feel the sigh in her throat, but she pushed it down with another yawn. Even though she and Constance had been married for several moons, it still felt disconcerting to be called 'Lady.' It was like getting called by a nickname that didn't quite fit—but Hapi knew to pick her battles. She was barely in the mood for talking with the contractor. If she told him to stop treating her like a fussy noble, then Hapi would have to deal with another awkward conversation. Yeah, no thanks.

"I, um. I wanted to, um—why did you say 'no' to the proposed flooring for the ballroom?" the contractor asked, bouncing his finger against his papers.

"Coco doesn't like beige," Hapi said. "Says it's too boring."

"So…what color would Countess Nuvelle like?"

Hapi shrugged. "Something else. It's up to you to figure that one out. Not me."

"A-As you say, Lady Nuvelle."

A new sigh began to rise up within her. Before Hapi could give in to the urge, she waved the contractor to the door and walked away, relieved to finally finish her business for the day.

Hapi strolled through the twisting hallways of House Nuvelle, her low heels making soft sounds on the waves of light purple carpet that covered the stone floorings. The rugs were one of the first changes Coco had made to the house since inheriting it from the now-defunct House Hrym—something to honor the tastes of Coco's late mother, if Hapi remembered right. It was a sentimental touch that made the old house feel less like a crypt and more like a home, especially as Hapi followed the well-worn path deeper into the centuries-old estate.

She didn't announce her entrance to Coco's study. Knowing her wife, if Hapi tried knocking before entering, Coco would complain about getting distracted from a new breakthrough or train of thought that would surely lead to a new magical discovery. So Hapi pushed the heavy door open and stepped into the large candlelit room. She weaved her way between high stacks of tomes, papers, and diagrams that filled the study with the musty smell of old and new books.

"Ah, my dearest Hapi!" Coco chimed without looking up from a piece of parchment that covered more than half of her enormous oak desk. Even in the enormous study, the desk was the focal piece, especially since the room's large windows were always covered by thick velvet curtains. "How are you? Has your day been fortuitous?"

"I guess." Hapi brushed off a set of papers that covered up the green chaise lounge that was opposite the desk, promptly crashing onto it with a muffled thump. "The lead constructor had some boring questions, but it should be all good now. How's your stuff going? Any progress?"

"You dare question my progress? Hahaha!" Coco's fingers traced a circular pattern that covered half of the parchment paper before her. "I've found an ancient diagram from the old Count Hrym—one that may prove useful for my next experiment!"

"You sure you should be in here instead of with the contractor?" Hapi asked. She rolled her shoulders, teasing out the tension that had been building in them for several hours. "He asked about the ballroom tiles, and I'm pretty sure you would've given him a more detailed answer than I did. I'm already exhausted just thinking about how little I talked to the guy."

"I'm sure that you gave him more than enough information," Coco said. "I trust you to help realize my vision for House Nuvelle. And if talking with him for so little made you this exhausted, then I'm certain that talking to him for longer would have been a waste of your valuable time."

Coco looked up from her work, the flickering candles casting light shadows over her face. That's when Hapi noticed the beginning of eyebags forming under her wife's eyes, and when she looked closer, Hapi could see that some of Coco's hair had fallen out of the ribbon she used to keep her hair tied back while researching.

"Are you saying that my time is more valuable than yours?" Hapi asked.

"Of course not," Coco said. Her chest rose and fell suddenly—a telltale sign that she was repressing a heavy yawn. "My time is plenty valuable, and I need it to research new avenues to relieve you of your condition."

Hapi lolled her head onto the chaise lounge's armrest. "But that means you've been spending a lot of time cooped up in your study."

"A small price to pay," Coco said, flames from the candlelight shining in her bright purple eyes. "It is my duty as your wife to help you in any way I can, is it not? Just as you are helping me."

Another yawn left Hapi's lips, but it quickly turned into a soft smirk. Because even though she could see that Coco looked as tired as Hapi felt, there was a force behind Coco's eyes; a force that would tell all of Fódlan that Constance von Nuvelle was on a mission, and that nothing would stand in her way of accomplishing it.

It was one of the many things Hapi loved about her.

"Guess so," Hapi said. And despite the exhaustion that told her that sleeping in a chaise lounge would probably not ruin her back, she pushed herself up and went to tug on Coco's arm. "Come on. Let's go get some sleep in an actual bed."

"I cannot!" Coco cried. "You get some rest, Hapi. I still have work to do before my next experiment."

Hapi pulled her hand away. "…You sure, Coco?"

Coco didn't answer. She simply turned back to her diagram, with a look in her eyes that told Hapi she'd stay there until morning.

"Wow, Coco," Hapi whistled as she took in the courtyard before her. "Didn't expect you to pull out all the stops."

In front of them was an entire entourage of mages, lined in a neat square that surrounded an empty plot of land in House Nuvelle's courtyard. They were all dressed in heavy mage robes, designed specifically to provide protection from monster gashes, even as blistering sunlight bared down on them from above.

"I do not deserve your praise, my dearest Hapi," Coco said in a low voice, the harsh sunlight emphasizing the creases of her frown. "For I have only been able to prepare a small number of mages. And worst of all, I fear that my experiment has failed to relieve you of your condition, and that you will still summon a monster once you sigh. My inadequacy is surely the reason why you have such a grim frown on your face. I can only offer my humblest of apologies."

"It's not that, Coco," Hapi said, and it honestly wasn't. This was the first time in several days that Hapi had been able to see Coco outside of meals and the occasional rest hours even the mighty Countess Nuvelle was forced to admit she needed. While Hapi appreciated Coco's focus on her monster condition, sometimes it was nice to just spend time with her wife.

Hapi rolled her neck, humming in relief when it popped with a slight crack. "It's some dumb noble business people want us to look into. The out-of-territory merchants are trying to butt in on the locals' businesses, and we're the only ones with the authority to do something about it."

"It is business you should not have to trouble yourself with." Coco bowed in her head in unnecessary shame. "Complain as you wish, Hapi. And if it makes you sigh, we are prepared to defeat the monster you may summon. Though I doubt I will contribute much to the effort."

Hapi huffed and rolled her eyes, because of course Coco would be dramatic about this. "Says the person who prepped all of these mages. As for the merchants…it could be worse, but it's not good. The locals want exclusive business, the out-of-territory merchants want equal treatment, and no matter what I say, everyone just starts blabbing away. Yadda this, yadda that, yadda, yadda, yadda. There's no way to please everyone, and I have to listen to aaaaall of it."

And right there, in the middle of the giant courtyard lined with battle-ready mages, Hapi let out a deep, long-suffering sigh.

Hapi wasn't surprised when an enormous snake burst from the ground. The monster hissed and bared its tusk-like fangs, whistling in anger at the two dozen mages that immediately began pelting it with beams of multi-colored magic.

The monster bellowed as all the mages hit it with their strongest spells. Agnea's Arrows tore at its scales, Ragnaroks crashed into its reptilian body, and Fimbulvetrs encased it in shards of sharp ice.

With a flourish of her arms, Constance brought down a massive Bolting spell that split the sky with waves of thunder and lightning. Beside her, Hapi launched out a wave of purple mist, covering the monster's entire body with the full force of a Hades spell.

The monster fell dead at their feet. It never even got the chance to attack.

"Forgive me, Hapi," Coco said immediately, "for my experiment was all for naught."

Hapi shook her head. "Don't beat yourself up, Coco. We knew that this likely wasn't gonna be the solution."

When Coco didn't respond, Hapi turned back to the courtyard. All of the mages were wiping off bits of dust from their uniforms, and many nearly tripped on the leftover monster parts that now littered the entire courtyard. From a magical research standpoint, it was clear that Coco's experiment had failed. Whatever weird crest magic Coco had done on Hapi last night hadn't even slowed down the arrival of a monster, much less stopped one from appearing.

Hapi had brought a monster. But even though the whole thing should've made her want to sigh again…she smiled.

"At least we got some extra monster parts," she said. And maybe it was because she was enjoying the time spent with her wife, but a strangely optimistic tone entered her voice. "Maybe some of the merchants will take 'em."

Coco nodded gravely. "Perhaps you could use them to incentivize the signing of a contract. Then, at least, my failure would have done some sliver of good."

"Monster parts in exchange for a deal." Hapi's smile grew. "Yeah, I think that could work."

"Ahaha!" Coco cheered as she reclined on the set of plush pillows. "Oh, Hapi, this is such a wonderful idea! It almost makes me jealous that I had not thought of it myself."

"Wow, high praise," Hapi said as she laid beside her wife. "Makes me wish I'd thought of this earlier."

The two of them melted into the soft cushions as they stared up at the brilliant night sky. Deciding that the two of them needed a break from all the noble business, Hapi had used one of the perks that came with being Lady Nuvelle to instruct the servants to bring the softest pillows they had to the enormous balcony connected to House Nuvelle's master bedroom. The cushions were arranged in a way that let the women lounge comfortably under the stars, and next to them were small side tables filled to the brim with fruits, pastries, and teas that wafted with the scent of bergamot and cinnamon.

And the night was beautiful. It was clear, with no clouds in the sky, and it let Hapi take in the brilliant stars. Hundreds of lights dotted the world above her. Hapi let her eyes trail over the familiar constellations. It was comforting, for Hapi, to know that she could always come back to the stars, glittering in the night.

"The sky is wonderful tonight!" Coco said with a beaming smile. "Even the stars themselves seem to shine brighter now that we're here."

"I think that's because your eyes are adjusting to being out of your study, for once." Hapi stretched her arms and legs like a cat winding down for a nap. "I don't understand how you can peer over books and diagrams all day. Seeing you hunched over like that gives me a crick in the neck."

"Do not underestimate the strength of House Nuvelle's neck muscles! Our bodies were born to withstand long nights of studying and research!"

Hapi raised an eyebrow. "Is that even a thing?"

"Of course!" Coco tore her eyes away from the sky and toward Hapi, readjusting her neck on the velvet pillow beneath her. The moon above them was only half-full, but it gave Hapi enough light to see Coco's soft, concerned smile. "But I will say, it is quite lovely to spend the night with you, Hapi. And I insist that you must rest tonight. I can see those eyebags on your face, and do not try to dismiss my concerns for your health. I will not have my wife work herself to exhaustion."

"I won't, Coco. Promise." Hapi hummed as she let herself sink deeper into the cushions. "It's just been a long couple of months. The good thing is that the constructors finished the ballroom yesterday, and the out-of-territory merchants have finally settled on a contract with the locals. I'm glad that's done, but I do miss poking in on some of the fights. It was pretty entertaining."

"I hope you do not regret taking on so much responsibility," Coco said somberly. "It is only because you married me that such burdens weigh upon your shoulders, when they should have weighed upon mine."

"Coco, I don't mind," Hapi said. "I've told you already. I'm happy to help out, even if it means dealing with all this pesky noble business and learning boring government stuff. Who knew running a territory was this much work."

"And yet you have been handling it beautifully." Coco reached out and took Hapi's hand in her own. "I expected nothing less of my wonderful wife."

"Haha. I'll take that as a compliment." Hapi gave Coco's hand a quick squeeze. "It's nice to finally spend time with you. Just the two of us, you know?"

Hapi's eyes drifted down to their conjoined hands. Coco's hand was soft, thin, and Hapi spotted an ink stain at the tip of her wife's pointer finger. With her thumb, Hapi reached out and rubbed at the stain until the ink disappeared.

"Hapi…is something on your mind?"

Hapi shrugged against the pillows. "Guess I'm happy to see you out of your study and, you know, actually hanging out with me."

Coco shifted beside her. "Oh no…Hapi, have I been neglecting you?"

"Neglecting?" Hapi looked up to see that Coco had turned to face her fully. Worry shone in her wife's eyes. "Eh, I wouldn't say that's the right word. You've been focused on helping me, but not so much on spending time with me."

Coco sucked in a tight breath. "Oh, Hapi. Forgive me. I did not realize, and now…and now I fear that I have hurt you."

Hapi huffed and rolled her eyes. "It's nothing as dramatic as that," she said honestly.

"But it is!" Coco suddenly sat up straight and gripped Hapi's hand tighter, like she was afraid that Hapi would disappear into the night if she were to let go. "Hapi, when I took you as my wife, I vowed to be there for you and support you in every manner I can. And in my determination to finish my research, I have put you aside. That is a fault that I seek to rectify immediately!"

Hapi shook her head as she felt a dreamy smile come across her face. "You already help me, Coco."

It was true. Because even with the many new duties that came with being Countess Nuvelle, Coco insisted on making time to study Hapi's condition. When Hapi off-handedly told Coco about a guard who grumbled about having to be near the 'living monster-bait', Coco stormed through the house to fire the man and banish him from the territory. And whenever the two of them had time to spend with one another, Hapi would always feel her stresses and worries melt away.

"But I fear I have barely begun to repay you for all the help you've given me," Coco said. She shook her head and sighed, the dim moonlight catching in her hair and casting shadows across her face. "And I fear that I owe you an apology. I did not realize how my research had interrupted the time between us. While I will not give up in my quest to alleviate your condition, I refuse to let it drive a wedge between the two of us!"

For a moment, Hapi marveled at Coco's words. Sure, she'd always known that Coco had a penchant for the dramatic, but she didn't expect her wife to sound so determined about this. Stating her new promise in the same tone and cadence she used when vowing to bring House Nuvelle back to its former glory.

Coco's words were firm, comforting, and they filled Hapi with warmth.

"Well," Hapi said with a lazy grin, "if you really wanna make it up to me, then you can start by passing me the grapes. I'm hungry, and you don't want me sighing from hunger, now do you?"

"I do not." Coco immediately twisted around and snatched the plate from the side table, presenting the grapes to Hapi with a flourish of her wrist that nearly made the fruit fall onto the cushions beneath them. "Your grapes, my dearest."

With her free hand, Hapi grabbed a bundle of grapes that were teetering at the edge of the plate and popped them in her mouth. "Don't mind if I do."

The night continued on like that, with Coco and Hapi passing fruits, pastries, and cups of tea to each other. They talked about Coco's plans for the guest bedrooms, about the serpent constellation that Hapi had loved since childhood, and about tidbits of gossip they'd heard from one of the chattier maids. They were conversations that didn't really talk about big, important matters, and Hapi liked that. She liked that she could talk to Coco about anything that came to mind.

"I think we should make these stargazing nights a tradition," Coco said after a while. With gentle fingers, she brought Hapi's hand to her lips and kissed it. "That way I will always make time for the two of us. No research, no duties, no monsters. Just us."

Hapi smiled and pulled Coco's hand toward her, pressing her own lips to the back of Coco's hand. "Just us," she echoed. "Yeah. I like the sound of that."

And with only the stars and the moon above them as witnesses, Hapi and Coco leaned forward and kissed each other. They did it slowly, gently, and kindly. It was the kind of kiss that brokered no rush or urgency—only a steady presence that was as pure as it was devoted.

"Everything is in place once more," Coco said, her eyes squinting beneath the harsh sunlight. "Though I doubt we will have a different result."

"Don't sell yourself short yet, Coco," Hapi said. She gently guided Coco further out into the courtyard where the usual retinue of battle-ready mages were awaiting them. "Maybe it'll work this time."

"Your uncharacteristic optimism is wasted on someone like me," Coco murmured.

Hapi smirked. "I don't think so."

They stopped at the very edge of the courtyard. Coco turned to Hapi with a grim frown and raised her hands.

"Prepare yourself, Hapi." A mixture of purple and green lights appeared in Coco's palms, stretching themselves into thin rays of light that circled her fingertips. "Aufer maledictionem, aufer malum…"

As Coco continued her chanting, the ribbons of magic deftly flew toward Hapi, carefully twisting themselves around her body, wrapping her in waves of violet and emerald light. The magic surrounded her, but she didn't feel trapped. No. This magic was safe. This magic was warm.

As she watched Coco cast her spell, Hapi found herself thinking of the last few moons at Coco's side. She thought of the dumb business with the contractors, of the frustrating dealings with the merchants, and of the countless sighs she almost let out.

The more she thought of it, the more she realized that all those troubles didn't really matter. Because at the end of the day, Hapi had Coco. She had her wife—her intelligent, committed, and amazing wife—there by her side. A person whom she loved with all her heart, and who loved Hapi just as fiercely in return.

As long as Hapi had the woman she loved by her side, then who cares what troubles and tribulations awaited them? Who cares if they never found a cure for Hapi's condition? At the end of the day, what made Hapi, well, happy, was being with Coco.

And that's what matters, Hapi thought. It's you and me, Coco. You and me against the world.

Coco's chanting slowed to a halt, and the purple and green lights faded along with it. But Hapi could still feel the magic around her, like an invisible blanket that warmed her from head to toe.

And with a contented smile on her face, Hapi sighed.