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Corrin wasn’t quite sure where he was. The room was in seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
“Corrin!” A familiar voice called out, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“Takumi…Ryoma.” Corrin gasped, unable to believe his eyes. “Y-you’re here! You’re alive!”
“Of course we are, little brother.” Ryoma said, a warm smile on his face.
“Why wouldn’t we be, Corrin?” Takumi asked. Corrin’s head throbbed.
“At Castle Shirasagi… I thought you both were dead…” Corrin said, but it came out as more of a question than a statement.
“If we died, big brother, then how are we standing here right now.” Takumi asked.
“We can’t be dead Corrin.” Ryoma added. “You promised Hinoka you would save us.”
“But I-” Corrin started, but Takumi cut him off.
“But you couldn’t save us, could you.” He said, his voice was suddenly sharp. “You lied to our big sister.”
“Why did you lie to me, Corrin.” A voice said from behind him. He turned to find Hinoka and Sakura behind him.
“I didn’t mean to lie.” Corrin said, his composure beginning to break.
“Then why did you?” Sakura asked.
“WHY DID YOU TAKE THEM FROM US?” She howled.
“You let me die for you.” Ryoma said, his expression grim.
“And you killed me, brother!” Takumi yelled. “How could you kill your own brother!”
“T-that’s not how it happened. I didn’t want that for either of you!” Corrin yelled. “You chose it on your own!” He shouted at Ryoma. “I BEGGED you not to!” He turned to Takumi “And you asked me to free you, that your ‘life’ was a prison!”
“You mean that ‘vision’ you had?” Takumi said, his tone mocking.
“You just wanted something to pin the guilt of betraying your family on.” Ryoma spat.
“I’m surprised Nohrian scum like you, who would choose to side against their own family can even feel guilt.” Takumi said.
“I spent years training and hoping to find you.” Hinoka said
“You couldn’t even keep one simple promise.” Ryoma said.
“First you killed mother.” Takumi started.
“You took her away from us, and then left us yourself.” Sakura finished.
“That wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know that would happen!” Corrin said
“Always quick to shift the blame, little brother.” Ryoma said, shaking his head in disgust. Corrin began to fold in on himself as his Hoshidan siblings drew closer.
“I wish that you’d never come back.” Ryoma said.
“Even those filthy Nohrians deserve better than you.” Takumi muttered.
“I can’t believe I wasted my time trying to save you” Hinoka hissed.
“I wish you weren’t my brother.” Sakura said.
All four of his Hoshidan siblings kept closing in on him, hurling insult after insult at him.
“You took everything from us.” They all shouted in unison
“No more!” Corrin cried. “Please, no more!”
“I wish I had never given birth to you.” He heard his mother say. “You were a mistake.”
And then he broke.
~~~
Niles awoke to the sounds of crying and whimpering coming from his husband. He looked over and saw that Corrin was shaking, and drenched in sweat.
“Ryoma…Takumi. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry!” He cried.
“Corrin! Wake up!” Niles said gently shaking him awake. Corrin immediately bolted upright, gasping for air as he looked around. After a few moments he stilled.
“Your face was full of pain, and not the good kind. Did you have a bad dream?” Niles asked.
“You could say that.” Corrin said.
“Want to talk about it?” Niles asked, moving in closer. Corrin did the same, burrowing into his husband’s embrace, taking a deep breath.
“I dreamt my family…my other family hated me, and that they blamed me for mother’s death as well as Ryoma and Takumi’s. They told me they wished I’d never come back to Hoshido. And then my mother…”
He had to pause a moment to regain his composure.
“My mother said she wished I had never been born. That I was a mistake.” He finished. He looked away, but Niles could see the tears in his eyes reflecting in the pale moonlight filtering in from outside. Instantly, Niles pulled Corrin into a tight hug.
“I cannot claim to know how your siblings truly feel, my prince, but from what know of them, they would not blame you. But if there is one thing I am sure of in this world, it is that you could never be a mistake.”
The room was quiet for a while after that, save for the sounds of Corrin trying to regulate his breathing.
Niles was unsure of how to proceed. He knew that, like him, Corrin valued alone time when he was down as much as he might long for company
“Would you like me to stay, or would you like some space.” Niles whispered, rubbing circle’s into his weeping husband’s back. Corrin’s grip tightened on him in response.
“Please, stay…if you would. I just really need to have you here right now.” Corrin said, exhaustion from the lack of sleep and emotional exertion audible in his voice.
“With pleasure, my love. I would like nothing more.” Niles said, smiling as Corrin curled more into him.
Before meeting Corrin, Niles could never have pictured himself in this type of situation, comforting another person in such an intimate way.
But right now, he couldn’t imagine himself anywhere else.