Corrin smoothed the hem of dress down again for the umpteenth time, taking a sharp breath of the cool night air. The buzz of the festival rumbled around her. Bubbles of bright laughter, the murmur of conversations lost in the thrum of music. Corrin scanned the crowd again, hurriedly shooting glances around the plaza.

"I'm sure Lord Takumi will be here any second now," Jakob reassured her again. He stood by her side, a gentle smile on his face.

"Right." Corrin sounded less-than-sure. She swallowed, finding her mouth dry. Nerves fluttered around in her belly, her fingers itching for something to distract her. Again, she fumbled with the hem of her dress. Again, she brushed her hair off her shoulder.

"Do I look all right?" Corrin asked. "Truly?"

Jakob's patient smile never wavered. "You look beautiful. Truly. And I'm sure Lord Takumi will think the same."

His words may have been said only to reassure her but it began to work. "It's not too much? Camilla insisted on putting makeup on me…" Even when Corrin protested, her big sister won in the end. They settled in the middle, a touch of colour on her cheeks, a dab of soft pink lipstick and a thin line of eye-liner to accentuate her eyes. She couldn't see herself now but felt more conspicuous than ever.

"It's perfect, milady. You have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you, Jakob." Corrin breathed a soft sight. This was a night for the two of them. For her and Takumi. A night to escape. To relax, to take a moment and be a normal couple, not two royals struggling to rebuild a fallen country. Corrin gazed down at the diamond ring sitting beautifully on her left hand. Joy welled up inside her at the sight, whenever the diamond caught the light and drew her eyes to it. It continuously stole her breath. That it was real. That this life they had together was real.

Her heart began to race. It fluttered with nerves, with excitement. Even without thinking, she continuously scanned the crowd for Takumi. She shouldn't have come early. It only made each passing minute, each second ticking by painful.

"What if he doesn't enjoy himself?" Corrin began again, thoughts racing, rattling through her brain. "I know Hoshido and Nohr are allies now but asking him to come to a Nohrian festival… maybe I should've–" The words in her mouth caught as she saw him. Cold air rushed into her lungs in a silent gasp, her eyes fixed on his face, the golden lantern light flickering across his handsome features. He had yet to spot her, his own eyes searching the crowd. For a moment, and even longer, Corrin was mesmerised. His silver hair almost dazzled in the light. It was tied up in that familiar red ribbon, swishing gently down his back. And his clothes – she was speechless at how good, how handsome he looked in Nohrian formal wear. The dark suit accented with gold, the white collar buttoned up to his neck, the long sleeves he fiddled with as he searched. The black suit pants were perfectly tailored, slim fitting and flattering. Corrin had never imagined before that Nohrian clothes would suit him, let alone leave her utterly speechless.

He may as well have been a Nohrian Noble. He wore it with grace, with ease, a slight frown on his face as he glanced across the crowd until his eyes met hers. And then it was his turn to stare. Corrin dimpled, flushing beneath the intensity of his stare, the warmth in his eyes. The world slowed as he stilled, taking the moment to really, truly, look at her.

It couldn't have been more than a few seconds but with Corrin's heart fluttering in her chest, pounding in her ears, it could've been minutes, hours. The widening of his eyes, the way his mouth dropped open, he was just as stunned as she'd been. Utterly speechless. He drew up to her in quick, long strides, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Corrin–" He was breathless. Her name fumbled past his lips as he stood but a breath or two away. Close but not close enough, Corrin found herself leaning towards him, lost in his gaze.

"Hi." It came out as a sigh, soft and light, almost drowned out by the bustle of the crowd. Even with the swarm of people they might as well have been alone. All she saw was him, the reflection of herself in his warm eyes.

"I'm… I'm not late, am I?" Worry flashed in his eyes and Corrin almost laughed. The bubble of nerves inside her had burst at the sight of him and left her giddy. It was almost as though they'd gone back to the nervous, fumbling days when they'd first dated. Unsure of what to say, flushing at the slightest meeting of eyes, the slightest brush of fingers.

"You're right on time." Corrin couldn't stop smiling. Takumi relaxed at her words, the tight hold of his shoulders releasing all at once like a sigh. "You look… really good in Nohrian clothes." Corrin took that as an excuse to brush her fingers across his collar, resting them just below his shoulders. It was such a simple touch but it had her fingers tingling. She cast her eyes away with her movement, embarrassed at how forward she was, how she longed to touch him. Her hands lingered. Takumi didn't pull away.

"So do you." His voice was a warm breath in her ear. A shiver rushed down her spine, filling her blood, her veins, with a thrum of heat. Corrin searched his eyes, finding they held the same heat as hers. As easy as those words had come, a blush rose to his cheeks just the same. The love, the desire in his eyes threatened to consume her. It drew her in. It was an addiction, she knew, but followed it all the same. Neither moved, to pull away or draw closer. They revelled in the moment. In the adoration in each other's eyes, the silence they shared.

The festival music swelled, a cheer rising from the crowd, and Corrin startled. She ducked her head, drew a quick step back, leaving an amicable, close distance between them. "Should… should we go?" She nodded to the plaza, to the many stalls set up in the streets beyond.

A smile twitched on Takumi's lips. "Let's go."

His hand slipped into hers casually, without a word. Corrin's embarrassment fell away. They walked in time, side by side, shoulder to shoulder. No one payed them any mind. To the crowd, to the world, they were just another couple. There were no prying eyes. No questions. They could take their time, wandering the plaza with no goal in mind. As they walked, Takumi played with her fingers. His fingers entwined with hers, loosened, then held hers again. He dusted his thumb across the back of her hand, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Each ministration sent a spark of warmth through Corrin. A rush of love. It was perfect, how such a simple thing could bring her so much joy. She didn't need anything else but him beside her. Her gaze, again and again, fell back to him. As stunning as the lights drawn up overhead were, they paled in comparison to the way the light danced in Takumi's eyes. Corrin enjoyed sharing the street food with him more than eating it herself.

"Mm," Corrin hummed as she savoured the sweet candied apple. "You should try this!" She offered it to him, holding the skewer between her fingers, the shiny red apple inches from his lips. Takumi reached for the skewer and she yanked it away. "Uh-uh!" she chided, levelling it towards his lips again. Takumi caught on to her plan as he saw her smirk. His lips twitched. He glanced between the candied apple right in front of his lips and Corrin. She was teasing him. Plain and simple. The heat rising to his face was ridiculous, but they were surrounded by people. By strangers. And his eyes kept focusing on the bite she'd taken, where her lips had been seconds earlier.

There was no winning with Corrin, though Takumi honestly didn't mind. "Fine," he grumbled, leaning in and taking a swift bite, making sure his eyes never left hers. As she went to pull the apple away, Takumi caught her hand, keeping it in place and took another, slower bite of the apple. The night air didn't feel as cold. Corrin's lips parted with a silent gasp. In sharing the apple, something she'd meant as innocent, they'd drawn closer than before. Takumi's eyes flicked to her lips, hazy desire washing over them. It was so sudden, so intense, that Corrin wet her lips without thinking, only to have Takumi's eyes follow the movement of her tongue.

Corrin's eyes fell to Takumi's lips in turn. He was so close. Barely a breath away, and with the candied apple forgotten, Takumi still holding her hand, there was nothing between them. Nothing to stop her leaning closer. Until something sticky dripped onto her hand. She yelped and jumped back, snatching her hand back to see the candied coating of the apple had dripped onto her hand. Her heart raced from the shock, thundering, deafening in her ears. It wasn't just the shock. It was Takumi. How close they'd been. How close she'd been to…

"It's making a mess," Corrin said lightly, the shock of it all cracking her voice. She licked off the remains of the gooey candy from the back of her hand, taking the moment to calm herself, to wish the blush off her cheeks. It wasn't as if they hadn't kissed before. They had. Many, many times. The kisses they'd shared over their many months together ranged from short and sweet to heavy and dizzying, but this was different. It felt different. The nervous air around them, the desire in Takumi's eyes, the fact that they were here as just normal people… It was a rush of emotions that left her wanting more. Despite the nerves. Despite being in public. The anonymity of it all gave her a rush.

Corrin let Takumi finish the candied apple and they continued through the festival, hand-in-hand as before, but the air between them had changed. It was charged. Warmer than before. Corrin was hyper aware of every movement Takumi made, of her hand in his. And the brush of his thumb that had been comforting before now lit her blood aflame. She wouldn't have minded if all they did was walk around the plaza for the rest of the night. Each minute, each second she spent with him was bliss. It was a miracle. Against all odds, they were together. They were alive. They were in love.

After rounding the plaza, Corrin tugged Takumi towards the centre where groups of people, parents and children, friends, couples, were dancing. The music was light and cheery, an upbeat tune that had people dancing and twirling, laughing into the night.

"Let's dance!" Corrin called to Takumi with a bright smile, tugging him towards the centre by his hand. A look of panic rushed across his face. "Oh, come on. It'll be fun!" Her smile softened. She beckoned him with a gentle pull, their hands still entwined.

"I… I've never danced like this." He glanced to the people dancing. They all seemed so happy. So lost in the moment, smiling at each other, laughing so easily. So freely. They had no cares in the world.

He looked back to Corrin, to her smile. Her eyes were so bright, sparkling with excitement, with adoration for him despite all his shortcomings. Just like those dancers, he was entranced. Lost in her eyes, in the moment, and found himself walking with her into the throng of dancers. If it was with her, he didn't mind.

"Just follow my lead," Corrin said, and easily fell into step with the other dancers. She twirled and skipped with the music, her dress swishing around her legs. Her hair shone in the light, her eyes gleamed like diamonds. And her smile was breath taking. Without thinking, Takumi followed her lead. He extended his hand and she twirled on cue, spinning back to him with a bubble of laughter. It had him smiling. He loosened up with each step, each turn they made around each other. All he heard was the music and the sweet trickle of her laughter, and she was all he saw.

When the music ended, they were breathless with laughter, panting and smiling at each other.

"See? That wasn't too bad," Corrin said, nudging him gentle with her elbow.

He couldn't help but smile in return. He was about to ask her for another dance, to continue, the words forming on his tongue, when the music changed. It was slower. Softer. The people dancing switched, forming pairs, holding each other close. They swayed slowly, gently, to the music. Takumi and Corrin stared at the dancers then each other.

Corrin held out her hand. "Do you want to…?"

He took it without thinking, pulling her close. It was like a lung-full of air after being underwater, having her so close. She settled in his arms as if it were natural, as if she were at home here. Her hand drifted down off his shoulder to rest on his chest. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck, letting herself relish in his closeness, his warmth. She couldn't help the flush on her cheeks, the blush rising up to the very tips of her ears. They swayed in time, barely moving a single step, lingering together.

A heartbeat drowned out the music but whether it was Corrin's or Takumi's, neither knew. Their hearts could have been beating, thundering, in sync for all they knew. Even as they danced, Takumi played with her fingers. Squeezing her hand, tugging gently on her fingers, as if to make sure it was real. Corrin was already breathless but when Takumi rested his cheek against the top of her head it was as if she couldn't breathe. His lips brushed the tips of her ears. A gentle peck, his lips cool against her burning skin. She stole a shuddery breath. It was almost more than she could handle. Her heart swelled with love for him, filled to bursting. It ached.

"…You look beautiful…" A whisper beneath his breath, it was all she could hear. "…Perfect…" He pressed another sweet kiss to her ear, drifting lower this time. His lips barely left her skin as they followed the path of her ear to her cheek. "I don't deserve you."

His words pierced her heart. Corrin took both her hands and cupped his cheeks, pulling him back so they were face-to-face, so he could see the pain in her eyes. Her lips trembled. His parted as he went to speak but she shook her head.

"You deserve so much…" Hot tears spilled from her eyes. Her throat tightened, clamping down, threatening to stifle her words, but she forced herself to speak. She would tell him as many times as he needed. "I love you. So, please… don't say that."

Takumi's sigh, shaky and broken, brushed her lips as he rested his forehead against hers. "Corrin…"

No longer dancing, they lingered close. Sharing tears, sharing a moment. The music continued, two dancers frozen, standing close as the world carried on without them.

"I love you," Takumi croaked. He reached up and brushed away her tears. She smiled at his touch, dropping her hands to his shoulders. She leant close, pressing her lips to his briefly, but it was all he needed to know his words, his doubt, was forgiven. And gods, did he love her. He saw his future in her, in her eyes, her smile. A future with her. Full of love, of everything she said he deserved. And he believed her.

His reply was a kiss. A sweet caress, holding her closer, their lips melding together for a lingering moment. A moment that tasted of candied apples and love. A moment they shared in anonymity, in the dark, as they danced.

And it was perfect.

AN: I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH.