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A hush fell over the Astral Plane. Anankos was meant to be defeated the following morning. A meal was eaten, weapons and armor readied. The hardest task was the last one: getting enough rest for the battle ahead.
Perhaps the one that needed rest the most was having more trouble than he ever remembered having. So he sought out the person that always put his heart at ease.
"Corrin," Azura said when she met him at the entrance to her room. "Come in. Would you like some tea?"
"Tea keeps you up, doesn't it?" he said, his voice soft. He followed her towards her bed, having a seat on it after she did.
"This one has chamomile and mint. It's supposed to help with sleep," she explained. Then, after a moment, she added, "I hope it works."
"I'll have a cup," he said, cupping his hands around the one she handed him. "...This is yours?"
"Yes, I didn't bring another."
"Can I finish it?"
"I could if you would like me to, so you could have a fresh one."
Corrin considered it, then brought it to his lips. He smiled over the rim. "It's sweet."
The smile was warm, and Azura felt warm feeling it nearby. "Honey is also supposed to help."
He drank the cup quietly. The two of them shared their presence in an easy silence.
"Azura?"
"What is it, Corrin?"
He didn't answer for a long moment. She waited, sensing heavy words about to be spoken. Slowly, draconic features pushed out of his skin: scales budded along his arms, and his ears stretched out like whips behind his head. Azura did not often see Corrin lose his grip on his form under distress, so she was alert as she observed him.
"Tomorrow...if we don't succeed, it's more than just the end of us. This much you've taught me."
She nodded.
Corrin rested his nails...claws...no, nails against each other. He forced his hands back to normal after hearing the sound of his nails tapping together. "Azura."
"Yes, Corrin? I'm here."
"I'll do what I have to in order to make sure we succeed," he said. "And if I need to give up my life in order to do that...I'll do what I must."
Her eyes went wide and her jaw parted, though she kept her lips sealed. He stared at his hands.
"I understand," she said. She placed a hand near him, and when he turned towards it, moved it towards his own. His fingers curled, feather-light, against hers.
He was silent awhile, gathering strength from her touch. Then, he looked up at her, a faint smile on his face. "We'll make it through tomorrow," he said, pressing his thumb against the back of her hand.
She tried to smile back. She felt lighter-hearted, truly, hearing that, but she still knew too much to be so confident.
"We'll make it through tomorrow, and I want to go back to Hoshido with you and eat more of those colorful balls on a stick," Corrin said, touching his shoulder to hers.
That managed to bring a laugh out of her. "The colored ones are for festivals."
"Oh," he said. "I was going to eat the green and red ones and leave the white ones for you."
The mental image finally brought a smile to Azura's face. "Well, they're normally all white, so I guess I get to eat all of them."
"Oh! Well, I would let you eat them all. They're called dango, right?"
"They are."
Corrin leaned against her, tentatively resting his head against hers. "I want to share or give you lots of dango."
She felt her smile squiggle across her face and hoped he couldn't tell how bittersweet it was. She tucked her face against his neck.
Neither had anything to say for a long moment. He gently rubbed his cheek against her hair, his breath warm.
"I have something to ask of you," he began.
Despite feeling far, far away, she nodded.
"Will you marry me? After the war?"
She took a few breaths in and out, her eyes slipping shut. He didn't ask her if anything was wrong or otherwise rush her for an answer, so she considered how honest she could be.
"I expect you to propose," she said, in a smaller voice than she would have hoped. "I would like to be properly proposed to. So that I may accept it."
"With a ring and a speech and getting on one knee?"
"If that's what you're planning, yes."
He moved so he laid his face against hers, resting his smile against her brow. She arched into the touch, pushing herself against his body. He tucked her close to him, and his breath was warm...
Even though they had discovered they shared blood, they loved each other, truly and deeply. It was comforting, thinking about a bright future.
Despite this, she could not allow herself to become complacent. It was a future that she could spend time imagining, but could not believe in.
"If I die, but you live..." Azura began, almost too afraid to finish her thought. She took a deep breath. "Promise me you'll try to be happy. That you'll find someone else to love."
Corrin was silent awhile. His breath was deep against the top of her head, as if he was sighing. She chided herself mentally - they had just settled down in comfort, and she had to bring him down again...
"Then promise me the same," he said finally.
She managed a dry chuckle. "I don't think I could love another. I think I would rather become a lonesome wanderer, performing for far-off lands."
Something moved against her head. He was frowning, no doubt. "Would that make you happy?"
"I think I could learn to be happy that way, yes."
He hummed gently. "Learning to be happy..." he murmured.
Azura allowed herself to imagine what she would have become without the weight of the Vallite legacy on her. A songstress of legend, one that only existed for a brief moment, but was spoken of for generations because of her mystery and ability. That seemed like a longevity she could be satisfied with.
"Let's not think of that sort of thing now," Corrin said. "Let's think of something that will give us strength."
She closed her eyes, her thoughts turning to oceans and the night sky. Perhaps not things that could give her strength, but ones that calmed her. And amongst the serene images... "I am thinking of a kind, gentle soul."
He made a wondering noise. She gently nuzzled him in response.
"The person I'm thinking about," he said, "is beautiful and wise and strong."
Azura hummed, playing with the idea of combining all the things she was thinking about. Corrin on the ocean waves at night, perhaps even as a dragon, drifting in the waves. It was an image that held dark thoughts at bay.
"We should try to sleep," Corrin said. "Or at least lie down and get some rest."
"Yes."
Neither of them wanted to leave each other alone, so of course they shared the bed. Of course Corrin curled up around Azura, wrapping his arms around her. She would have appreciated the gesture more if she didn't sense limbs stiff with tension.
She breathed out of her nose, studying him for a moment longer. He was watching her, looking at her with eyes that were heavy with thought. "You need to relax," she said, quietly but firmly.
Corrin's eyes widened in the darkness. He shuffled his shoulders, and when he stilled, she could tell that he was more relaxed than before. Then, as if deciding his previous position wasn't comfortable enough, he shifted so his chin was resting on her head. Her eyes slipped shut.
"Then you need to let yourself enjoy the moment," he said, with no trace of hostility.
Being chided in such a way caught her by surprise, since he'd been quiet for so long. Still, she tried to do as she was told, letting herself go limp in his grasp. Apparently satisfied, Corrin closed his eyes.
The quiet stretched on. Azura began to see objects in the dark: the shape of her nightstand, the little desk where she kept books, and the teapot, long since cooled. A window, slightly ajar, letting in air. Just observing those objects, noticing their forms cloaked and altered by the dark, was calming.
Then, it occurred to her: this was the last night she would be alive, the last night she would ever notice these things. It was not news to her, having known this day would come, but having it so close and tangible made her body stiff and her mouth pasty. The realization she didn't want to die was a bit more novel, and it made bile churn in her chest. She shifted in the sheets, trying not to be sick.
Corrin noticed her discomfort immediately. "What's wrong?"
She swallowed. Or tried to. "Touch me," she breathed. "Please."
He didn't hesitate, reaching over to her face and brushing hair away from her eyes. "Like this? Or more?"
"Good," she murmured, trying to fight any more dark thoughts by focusing on the sensation. "That's...no, wait." It wasn't enough. Her mind pounded with bitter thoughts, each more morbid than the last. Her lifeless body, if she were to even leave one behind, amongst the bodies of others... "More, please..."
He curled around her, holding her close to his body so that he could roll onto his back with her on top of him. She could see pain and uncertainty in his features, which hurt her all the more. What sort of lover was she, asking him to fight her intrusive thoughts when she should be telling him she would be leaving instead? She knew it would hurt him, but the sooner he knew, the sooner he could recover. The less he would worry about her the next day, and the more he could focus on winning the battle that mattered so much more than her last few hours.
Draconic hands settled on her back, taking care not to bring claws close to her skin or clothing, and then wings folded on top of them. The weight that surrounded her was a blanket of security, and she could feel the tension draining from her muscles. It was a pleasant distraction, both the weight and the thought that this was a dragon that had appeared not because of his own worry, but out of a desire to protect.
"Do you need more than this?" he asked, his words soft.
Azura tucked her face close to his, tangling a hand in his hair. After a moment, he pressed gentle, tentative kisses to her neck.
He is so warm, she thought, feeling his skin brush against hers as they breathed together. Warm with life and love...
A little bit too warm, unfortunately. She felt discomfort crawling underneath her skin, urging her towards a cooler area of the bed. Something that she was more used to.
Skin wants cold, just like cold heart, a bitter thought jeered. She made a noise at it, hoping to get it out before it started rattling in the inside of her skull. She heard a similar noise underneath her, Corrin's chest jerking as he made it, and it made her giggle.
"I love you," he whispered. "Tomorrow, the war will be over, and you can rest."
Azura sighed and closed her eyes. Yes, she would rest then...