Apparently it's Fire Emblem Rare Pair week or something. You Americans have weird holidays. Well, enjoy 's first Ricken/Cordelia fic.
"No.", Severa said sharply, glaring at her father with crossed arms and a gritted teeth.
"C'mon, pumpkin, it's not that bad, surely...", Ricken sighed. He'd been dreading this conversation since he had left for Valm a few months ago.
"It is, Daddy, it really is.", she deadpanned. "It's fuzzy and misshapen and looks like it's some sort of mould. You CAN'T keep it, Mother and Oma would flip, and mini me would probably cry.", she stated matter-of-factly.
"Why would we do that?" Severa and Ricken turned to see Cordelia standing in the doorway, holding hands with the toddler version of Severa. One glance at Ricken told her the whole story. "Oh my..."
"I-I'm home, honey...", he mumbled out, somewhat unnerved by the sight of his wife's jaw dropping. She stepped closer as if she couldn't believe her own eyes at the two metre distance. Yet the sight didn't change, there was no mistaking it...Ricken had grown a short, uneven, curly beard. He bashfully looked away as she examined it in detail, eventually running her unoccupied hand through it to test it's thickness.
"EW! MOTHER!", Severa snapped, grabbing Cordelia's arm and yanking it away. "Don't touch it! It's probably got like, diseases or worms or-"
"I like it.", she said with a smile.
"YOU WHAT?!", Severa screamed. Ricken's face lit up like a beacon.
"R-really?"
"Yes.", Cordelia continued. "I mean, it needs to be about twice as long and properly combed, but I think it's very attractive. Very...manly."
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!", Severa continued to protest. "IT-"
"Severa Rotbart! Would you please stop screaming?", Cordelia exclaimed.
"Yes Mother.", she said pettily. "Sorry Mother, I'll just shut up and watch you make goo-goo eyes at a beard, Mother." Cordelia just sighed deeply, Ricken would have tried to defuse the situation if little Severa hadn't started to tug on his robes.
Seeing a way to settle this fast so that they could actually move past his beard and to the whole 'welcome home' part of his return, he hoisted his littlest girl into his arms and held her close to her face. "Well, what do you think, my little apple?" The girl just stared at him for a few moments, then ran her hands through his beard, giggling softly.
"Looks like you're out voted, Severa.", Cordelia said with a smirk.
"We'll see about that!", she snarled as she dashed out of the room. "Opa! Oma! Daddy's home and he's brought something disgusting with him!" Ricken and Cordelia chuckled and shook their heads, setting their littlest down and each taking ahold of her tiny hands, following their biggest.
'It's good to be home.'
See, it's a clever title because Ricken is a German name, and 'Rotbart' is German for 'red beard', and, oh, whatever, I'm gonna go play AOE2. See you on National Potato Day!