Happenstance (Fire Emblem Fates)

Dusk

A/N: Warning. This chapter has some gore and blood so if you're not into that, I apologize. Anankos is still a bloodthirsty dragon, no matter how attached he is to Takumi.

Note: The chapters will not always be consecutive plot-wise. They might jump around in time and not pick up exactly where they ended. This picks up later in the day from the previous chapter. I hope this clears up any confusion.

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Do your parents ever supervise you? Anankos knew it was a rhetorical question but felt the need to fill the silence. The dragon knew well that Takumi's family was caring, but it seemed like he was always forgotten. Both parents worked and splitting time between five children was nigh impossible. And when they spent time with the children, Takumi was never the top priority. It left Anankos feeling unsettled that his parents would let a seven-year-old wander alone at night.

The boy chuckled at that one, continuing his stride through the woods. "I guess they trust me enough to be alone. It says something about my independence, doesn't it?"

Anankos audibly scoffed, a smirk evident in his tone. Independent? You realize you're keeping yourself company with a voice in your head, right?

As much as he loved the child, he always indulged himself in bouts of snarkiness. Constant coddling and kissing up got boring after awhile, and Anankos liked to have his fun. He would never hurt Takumi, but teasing and mocking him were fair game.

"I can always just ignore you, y'know," he snarked halfheartedly, eyes trailing to the mason jar in his hands. It was empty at the moment but that would change once he got to the innards of the forest.

The dragon may have replied but Takumi was struck in awe upon the sight. The clearing was small and was surrounded by low-cut trees, but the real treasure was the occasional flicker of lights in the air.

You came out here to catch fireflies?

The unimpressed tone was completely disregarded by Takumi, his eyes lighting up just at the sight of the creatures. The dim light of dusk encroached the area and the incessant flickers left the boy breathless.

"Ryu! Isn't it beautiful?" The mirth in his voice said it all; and to Anankos, it was a welcome contrast to how emotional he felt in the morning. Despite how stupid the concept of catching fireflies seemed to the ancient dragon, it seemed to make his partner happy, so the least he could do was encourage the child.

Yes, it truly is. You had better start capturing them, you shouldn't be staying out this late into the night. There was concern in his statement, reassured by the exhaustion he felt in Takumi's bones. He knew the boy had had a long day and this was his release, but Anankos did not need to walk the body into the house and risk being confronted by Mikoto again. He already feared the woman discovering his identity, so he would take caution and use the body sparingly.

Takumi grinned past his weariness, laughing to himself as he did his best to capture the fireflies. Many flew away from him but he had captured a respectable amount in his attempts. His panting was mixed with giggles, and he smirked in triumph as he sealed the jar. "Look at how many I caught!"

Anankos hummed in response, eyeing the moon rising steadily past the horizon. That is more than enough, Taki. You should start heading home, it's getting dark out.

Takumi nodded, taking one last glance at the clearing and the remaining fireflies before turning on his heel. The walk to his house would take fifteen minutes at most, and he thought back on what Ryuurei had said. Why had his family allowed him to go alone this close to night? He had been lying about thinking himself independent, but did his parents believe that? Or did they not care enough to watch after him? Maybe he was disposable and they were waiting for him to go missing...