Facade (Xander/Takumi)
Takumi couldn't believe how easy everything had been, but here he was, Crown Prince Xander kneeling before him at the mercy of his sacred bow.
When Hoshido's talks with Nohr proved to go nowhere, and the attacks on their kingdom didn't cease, the royal siblings became desperate. They would lower themselves to the dirty tactics of their foes if necessary, but they wouldn't allow their home to crumble before their sight.
This new plan was all Takumi's idea, he was a good actor, he would be ideal for the job. Not that he would have wanted his sisters or his brother to risk themselves like that. Ryoma was too important, Hinoka too explosive, Sakura too naive.
And how lucky was Takumi that Xander was already fascinated with his vitriolic attitude for some reason or another, maybe because he was the loudest, maybe because he still refused to shake his hand, maybe because he still refused to meet his eyes. Maybe Prince Xander took it as a challenge. He was eager to please, and Takumi showed too glad to receive his supposedly subtle attentions, he didn't even have to reciprocate much. A look here, a blush there, a smile every once in a while. Poor fool.
Takumi would have never expected to make him fall so hard and so quick and just like that, but here he was, Crown Prince Xander kneeling before him too shocked and hurt to defend himself.
The only thing Takumi had to do now was fire the shot. He was point-blank, he couldn't fail.
He just had to let go of the bow string.
He just had to–
Take Xander prisoner. Yes, that would be a much better idea.
And no, it wasn’t that he suddenly couldn’t make the shot anymore.