Happy Birthday Lucina
Hey everybody, it's Lucina's birthday! *audience cheers* And to celebrate, I've written a fic for this day just like a bunch of other people are probably gonna do! *audience cheers* And it features GeromeXLucina! *audience boos* Oh come on, don't be like that. You get plenty of RobinXLucina goodness with my current main project Precocious Love (which I am working on Chapter 4 by the way, so don't worry), not to mention the hundreds of other RobinXLucina fics out there. So let's try to keep an open mind and do something a little different. Whaddya say people? Will you join me in trying this new crazy thing!?
*a brick is thrown at my head* OW! That could've killed me if I wasn't immortal! You people are relentless! Y'know what, fine, be that way! But I'm still posting the damn story!
Rating: T for mentions of drug use and strong language in the author's notes.
All was well in the city of Ylisstol. People were walking around town, the markets were making good business, and the kids were playing in the fields. Even the royal palace was relatively quiet, with the exception of the footsteps that could be heard as Gerome strode down its halls, determined to reach his destination.
It has been a few months since the Shepherds achieved what the Masked Rider originally thought to be impossible. They defeated Grima, ended his existence for good, and changed the future for the better. Afterwards, there was simply a matter of where do the children go from here. It turned out there was no chance for them to go back to their present time, but strangely, no one minded at all. The parents took it upon themselves to take in their offspring to live with them, and the latter happily accepted as it meant that they never have to leave the families they once lost.
Being the son of the famed tactician of the Shepherds meant that Gerome and his sister, Morgan, got to live with him in the palace and be treated like royalty. Sure it was nice, but he couldn't care less about that sort of thing. As long as his family was well, he would've been happy living in a rundown shack for all he minded. Granted, he was still apprehensive about calling Mikal and Cherche "his parents", and they and Morgan usually get on his nerves as their jovial natures clash with his more aloof one, but it was nice to have them back in his life, even if he wouldn't show it.
Though there was one thing he did enjoy about living in the palace. Lucina, daughter of the Exalt and his sweetheart, also resides within the royal walls, meaning they could now be together every day. Of course they weren't sharing a room though. Naga forbid what Chrom might do to Gerome if they tried and he found out.
However, Lucina was also the reason why Gerome was making haste through the corridors. Her birthday was coming up and he had no clue what to give her. True, Lucina normally didn't put much thought into her birthday like he does, but now that they defeated the Fell Dragon and could experience a peaceful life again, she wanted to relive those moments she had back in the good ol' days, no matter how childish it seemed. And while she would probably settle for anything as a present, Gerome wanted to make his girlfriend's first real birthday in a long time a good one.
Unfortunately, it seems that only Morgan inherited their father's creativity. The wyvern rider racked his brain for days on end, but he just couldn't come up with any idea of what to get his girlfriend. With the date rapidly approaching, Gerome felt desperate, so he was going to swallow his pride and ask for help from the two people he avoids way more than he should.
His parents.
He finally managed to find them on one of the palace's many balconies, sitting at a table with Lucina's parents, Chrom and Olivia. Cherche was currently four months pregnant (no doubt with the Gerome of this time), while the others were cooing over her and the baby inside. Especially Mikal.
"I can feel him kicking." said Mikal, rubbing his wife's belly. "That means he's healthy, right?"
"It does Mikal." Cherche replied. "You don't have to worry."
"Who says I'm worried? I'm just excited to be a father." Mikal affirmed.
"Being a parent is a lot of work." Chrom mentioned.
"So was making sure all of you guys wouldn't die under my command, and I did pretty well with that if I do say so myself."
The Exalt put on a teasing smile. "Eh, 7.8 out of 10. Too much annoyance." He rated jokingly.
"Be nice." Olivia scolded her husband, although her expression showed she wasn't serious and having just as much fun. "Don't listen to him Mikal. You'll be a great father."
"Thanks Olivia. I know I'll treasure every moment with him." Mikal paused as he thought about what he just said. "At least until he grows up and starts brooding all the time."
All four of them shared a good laugh at that. At this moment, Gerome walked up to them, which got the chuckling friends to calm down.
"Speak of the Fell Dragon." Mikal commented. "How's my favorite son doing?"
"He is still in your wife's womb. I am doing adequate." Gerome scoffed, dismissing the fact that he is still the purple-haired tactician's son.
Mikal remained unfazed at the remark though. "Yep can't wait to raise you like that again." He playfully rolled his eyes and entered teasing mode. "Now don't be like that. I know having a new baby brother is a big change for everyone, but I will still love you just as much as I did before."
Gerome glared hard behind his mask. "That wasn't what I meant and you know it."
"I just wanna make sure you two are gonna get along. Now come on over here and feel your baby brother/past self kicking."
After spending so much time with his father, Gerome didn't even bat an eye at what he just said. "It's disturbing how normal statements like those are with us."
"Well you and your friends were the ones who time travelled from the future, creating these paradoxes in the first place." Cherche pointed out. "Though I suppose it doesn't help that I married such a loveable buffoon who keeps mentioning them."
"Aw shucks." Mikal waved his hand once, pretending as if he was no big deal.
At this point, Gerome felt like he made a huge mistake coming here for advice. It hasn't even been five minutes and already he could feel an aneurism coming.
Fortunately, Olivia noticed how agitated he was and decided to help him out. "Is there anything we can do for you Gerome?"
"There is actually." he admitted. "Mikal, Cherche, I…" He let out a reluctant sigh. "Require your help."
Chrom raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You must be desperate if you're asking them." He knew that Gerome wasn't the most extroverted person when it came to most people, especially his parents. At first he wasn't keen on having his daughter be with someone like that (but then again, he didn't like the idea of Lucina being with someone period), but after saving the world and getting to know Gerome better, he realized that's just how he is, and that deep down, he's a good person.
Besides, Chrom could actually sympathize with Gerome. Despite being his best friend, Chrom will admit that Mikal can be a handful.
"Clearly." Gerome replied.
Cherche gave her son a warm look. "It's alright. You know you can talk to us about anything."
Mikal too went into his fatherly mode. "Yeah, just tell us what's eating you and we'll do everything we can to help."
Gerome fought the urge to smile and continued to act indifferent. "Fine. As you know, Lucina's birthday is coming up. And I…simply cannot think of a gift to give her." He looked down at the ground, embarrassed that he confessed to all of this. But it will all be worth it if he can give the bluenette the perfect present.
However, he didn't get a single peep out from anybody, and the silence was killing him. He looked up with the intent to find out what was going on and saw that the four adults were giving him a weird look.
"What?" Gerome asked.
Olivia was the first to break out of her stupor and began giggling. "That's what you're worried about?" she inquired. "Gerome, Lucina will appreciate any gift you her."
"I'm well aware. I just feel that she deserves the perfect present after everything she's been through and all she's done for us. All she's done for me."
"Aww, how sweet! My daughter must be so happy to have such a thoughtful boyfriend."
Gerome couldn't help but blush, but didn't say anything else.
"That still doesn't answer the bigger question." stated Chrom. "Lucina's birthday isn't until three weeks from now. Why are you so concerned about getting her a present so soon?"
"I prefer to not wait until the last minute until the last minute for these types of situations." the Masked Rider simply answered.
"Planning ahead, huh?" Mikal proudly noted. "Good to finally see you're taking after your old man."
"I'm not taking that as a compliment." Gerome grunted.
"Hey, I got my birthday gift for her already. Now will you take the compliment?"
That got everyone around the tactician to look at him with surprise. "You got her a present already?" questioned Chrom.
"Like I said, I plan ahead. I am the master tactician after all." Mikal bragged. "But I hate to break it to you son, I already got her the perfect present."
"And what would that be?" Gerome asked.
"Marijuana!" Mikal pulled out a plastic bag with the aforementioned drug inside from within his coat and held it up triumphantly.
Everyone else had their own reaction to this news, none of which could really be considered positive. Cherche quirked an eyebrow, Gerome was doing his damnedest to resist the urge to facepalm in exasperation, and Chrom and Olivia just looked angry and appalled.
"Marijuana?" Chrom couldn't believe this. "Are you serious!?"
"Yep!" Mikal confirmed with no shame detected in his voice. It was safe to assume he didn't see a problem with any of this. "This stuff can be pretty expensive, so I figured I could save her a few coins and get her some as a gift."
"I repeat, Marijuana? Are you serious!?"
"It's right here isn't it?" Mikal waved the bag in front of his friend's face.
"You are not giving our daughter Marijuana!" declared Olivia.
"Why not?"
"Well for starters, it's illegal." Chrom pointed out.
"It is?" Mikal's face held an expression of confusion before it suddenly brightened as if he just came up with an idea. "Wait, that's it! You can get Chrom to pass a law to legalize weed right in front of Lucina! It can be a joint gift between the two of you. You'll both have something to give her, it shows her that you two finally get along, and she'll be able to smoke her pot in peace. It's perfect!"
"We're not doing that." Gerome rejected the idea.
"Why would you even think that's an appropriate gift to give to anyone, let alone my daughter!?" Chrom demanded an answer. "She doesn't even smoke!"
"…She doesn't?" Mikal questioned.
"NO! What made you think she did!?"
"Well her birthday is 4/20."
"Oh for the love of— RRRRRGH!"
"Fine, fine. I won't give Lucina pot for her birthday." Mikal relented, trying to make sure his friend wouldn't pop a vein. "But since I'm the master tactician, I've got a backup gift just in case."
"What fresh hell do you have in store this time?" Gerome deadpanned.
"Glad you asked. I have for your girlfriend a nice article of clothing that I just know she'll love." his father affirmed.
"Oh, so an eye-searing madness?" Cherche half-jested. Gerome, Chrom, and Olivia cringed at that. While they all loved Lucina, there was no denying that her taste in fashion is…awful, there's just no other way to put it.
"Don't worry, it's not nearly as overbearing as what she usually picks out." Mikal went digging through his coat again and pulled out a rolled up cloth.
"TADA!" He unraveled the cloth with a flourish, which revealed itself to be a red tunic much like the blue one she usually wears. However, this tunic had a particular symbol on the chest that just rubbed everyone the wrong way. It was that of a white circle, and inside it, a black tilted cross with each of its legs bended at a 90° angle at their halfway marks.
"Erm…what exactly is that symbol supposed to be?" Olivia tentatively asked.
"I have no idea." admitted Mikal. "But it sure is abstract, and Lucina loves that kind of stuff on what she wears."
"True…" Cherche stated. "But don't you think you should learn what it is first before giving it to her?"
"Alright, quit beating around the bush. What's the problem with this tunic?"
"We just don't think Lucina would like it." Olivia responded.
"Is this because it doesn't make you wanna vomit the moment you lay eyes on it?"
Chrom spoke up. "Well…yeah that actually might be a legitimate reason. But it's also just that one symbol makes us…uncomfortable."
"Hmm…" Mikal took a closer look at his gift. "I think I see what you're getting at." The other three parents sighed out of relief. "I should find the tailor I got this from and have him plaster this symbol all over it."
"Oh Naga, no." Chrom muttered in despair.
Gerome let out a sigh of frustration. At this point, he realized that Mikal probably isn't the best person to ask for advice on this matter. Fortunately, he still had one other parent that could maybe help him, and turned to face her.
"Cherche do you have any ideas for what I should get for Lucina?"
The rose-haired woman put a finger to her chin and pretended to think. "Hmm…I'm not sure if I'm the right person to ask. Maybe you should try asking a close relative."
Gerome grumbled, understanding what she was asking of him, as she would do this from time to time. "…Mother, do you have any ideas for what I should get for Lucina?"
Cherche put on an innocent smile. "Why yes dear son of mine, I do believe I know what to get her." She enjoyed her son's irritated grunting for a few more seconds before speaking more seriously. "Gerome, you and Lucina have been dating each other for quite a while now, right? Don't you think it's about time to pop the question?"
The Masked Rider was taken aback by what he just heard and couldn't help but blush. "Y-you mean…marriage?"
Now this was a subject that interested everyone at the table. "Oh yeah! When are you finally gonna propose?" Mikal happily inquired.
Gerome was hesitant to answer, which is highly unlike his usual personality. "Don't you think it's too soon for us to be wed?"
"You've been dating for several months." the tactician commented. "I can easily tell you that's way longer than anyone of us has courted their spouse. Besides, you two already admitted that you love each other your whole lives. Hell those necklaces that you two wear might as well be engagement rings."
Gerome looked down at the necklace around his neck as he lifted it up a bit. It was half of the mask he gave Lucina so she could conceal her identity when she came to the past. After it was cut in two, she kept it all this time and turned the pieces into matching necklaces and gave one to him for his birthday. It was to signify the two future Shepherds as a couple, and it was by far the most touching present Gerome has ever received.
"She talks very highly about you a lot Gerome." Olivia chirped up. "And the topic of spending the rest of her life with you has come up before, so it wouldn't be a surprise if—"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Chrom shouted standing up and slamming his arms on the table. "Dating is one thing, but she is too young to be married so soon!"
There were plenty of sighs and eye rolls amongst the parents as the bluenette man showed off how overprotective he is over his daughter once again.
Gerome however, surprisingly didn't budge, and just continued to stare at his necklace. "I'm…just not sure I'm ready for such a commitment." he confessed.
"Oh so now my daughter isn't good enough for you!?" Chrom suddenly flip-flopped his opinion. "You really are a piece of work!"
"What's your problem?" Mikal asked his friend in an attempt to reason with him. "You were okay with them dating for the last three out of nine months, but them marrying gets your jimmies rustled? I mean when you think about it, marriage is just lifelong dating."
"I-…I-…!" Chrom was finally starting to calm down and sat back in his chair and put his hand on his head. "I just don't like seeing my little girl growing up so fast."
"I know sweetie." Olivia comforted her husband. "But she's a big girl now, and you have to learn to let go. We still have a baby girl that you can dote on."
"It's just so hard." Chrom somberly confessed.
"So is this decision." Gerome spoke. He finally looked up from his necklace. "I need more time."
"We understand." said Cherche. "But you still need to get Lucina a gift. So how about this? We'll walk around the marketplace and see if we can find something there."
Gerome raised an eyebrow under his mask. "We? As in you're coming along?"
"Of course." Cherche stood up. "I mean why not?"
Mikal suddenly gained a concerned look. "Wait, is it okay for you to walk around that much while you're pregnant? Will you and the baby be okay?"
Cherche gave her husband a sweet smile. "We'll be fine. I need to get some exercise anyway."
"You better get going." urged Chrom. "Otherwise this one," he jabbed his thumb at Mikal, "will give your baby pot."
"I still don't see what the big deal is." Mikal tried to defend himself. "Marijuana does less damage to you than alcohol, and we drink at the local pub all the time."
"And who told you that?" the Exalt asked, skeptical of this fact. "The person who gave you the drugs?"
"Yeah, Miriel told me."
"Miriel gave you Marijuana!?"
"Yeah, she's studying them for medicinal purposes or something. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"
Gerome knew this bickering would go on for a long time. And frankly, he was sick of it five minutes ago. "Let's just go."
Cherche nodded her head, her delightful mood not even phased by the argument. Mother and son left while the two fathers continued to squabble.
"MARIJUANA!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" Chrom shouted accusingly.
"She doesn't smoke it!? Are you serious!?" Mikal countered.
The marketplace was still bustling in the early afternoon as Gerome and Cherche walked around aimlessly to see if anything could qualify as a good gift. At least it seemed to be aimless walking. Cherche was leading the way while her son followed, but it almost seemed like she was going a set path in the latter's eyes. However, Gerome mostly pushed that thought to the side as he was solely focused on his main priority of finding a gift.
They passed by a leatherworker, which gave the male wyvern rider the possible idea of getting Lucina a new sheath for her Falchion. He scrapped that thought since while the future Exalt does keep up her training, she probably would like to avoid anymore fights if she could help it, and most likely wouldn't want a reminder about any possible future battles.
Another plan came to him as they came across a fruit stand. Perhaps he could make a dinner reservation for the two of them at an exquisite restaurant. Sure they have five-star meals every day at the palace, but with all the commotion that comes from his and Owain's family, it would be a nice change of pace to have a quiet romantic evening to themselves. At the very least, it's a good backup.
"AAAAAAIIIIEEEEE!" A shrill woman's voice shrieked. Everyone in the vicinity turned to its location, with Gerome already prepared to engage in combat if need be. But what he saw shocked him more than any bandit raid could. He was witnessing a man with one knee on the ground and holding out an open ring box to a lady.
"Yes! Yes I will marry you!" The woman exclaimed as she jumped into the gentleman's arms. The people around them awwed and soon went back to their business.
Gerome however remained frozen in place. How he envied that man at that moment. Being able to propose to the woman he loved, while the future Shepherd can't help but feel inner turmoil from just the thought of doing it himself. It's just not fair.
"You know I was exactly like her when your father proposed to me." Cherche said from behind as she walked up to her son. "Well on the inside at least. If I did that in front of him, he would never let me live it down."
Gerome didn't reply, and instead just looked down at the ground deep in thought. Cherche could only sigh at his current behavior.
"Gerome, what's wrong?" the pregnant woman asked. "You clearly love Lucina and want to be together with her, so why don't you want to propose? Are you afraid of commitment?"
"There's a multitude of reasons." Gerome finally spoke. "Namely, as foolish as it may sound, I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"The future." Gerome stated. "For my entire adult life, I've done nothing but fight for the survival of myself and my friends, only to see everyone else around me perish before my eyes. We may have slain Grima, but what's to stop another threat from rising and ending those close to me. I simply cannot bear witness to any more deaths."
"Is that why you're always so distant towards me and your father? Because you're that afraid of being hurt if you lose us?" Gerome didn't answer, and Cherche knew she assumed correctly. "Gerome, I know it's been hard for you to go through that hellish future, and I can't even begin to imagine what kind of trauma was inflicted, but you can't live life like this. It's not healthy, and you're not being fair to your companions around you. How are you supposed to be with Lucina if you keep pushing her away?"
"In truth, I have been trying to rectify these issues since I professed my love to her. From the moment she returned my feelings, I felt that maybe I could resolve my worries by using her compassion to support me. She doesn't know of any of this of course, and she shouldn't be tied down to someone with all these insecurities. She deserves better than that."
"While it's good to know you're trying to work through this, you don't have to do this alone. Lucina would be more than willing help you out. Your father and I are more than willing to help you out. We all have our weaknesses, but that's why we can rely on each other to overcome them."
Gerome kept silent, but Cherche knew he was still listening so she continued lecturing.
"And I don't believe for a second that you're not worthy of her. The fact that you care about what she thinks and want what's best for her shows that she couldn't find a more considerate and loving person to court her. But I bet that's not the real reason you haven't proposed to Lucina yet. I bet the real reason is that you think that if she were to die if you two weren't married, it would hurt less. Well I can tell you right now that you are wrong. In fact it'll hurt more because you will always live with the regret that you never truly went the final step in showing how much she meant to you. And not just that, but you're also hurting her by not giving her that moment of happiness that she wants and deserves. So if not for your sake, at least do it for hers."
And with that mouthful said, Gerome lifted up his head and looked like he was finally ready to contribute to the conversation. "I understand. Though there is still one other matter that concerns me." He turned his head to face his mother. "Cherche, when you married Mikal, was it really as simple an experience as he said?"
Cherche understood what he was getting at and couldn't blame him for it. "I'll be honest, it's a big step in any relationship. There will be hardships and maybe even some big changes in your life. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. You'll never know unless you try." She gave Gerome an encouraging smile. "I took that risk, and I've never regretted it since. So…what will you do?"
Gerome lowered his head for a second before picking it up again. "I'll do it." he stated with firm resolve. "I'm going to propose to Lucina."
Cherche's smile grew even bigger. "I knew you'd make the right choice. Of course you're still going to need a ring to give her. Fortunately, there just so happens to be a jewelry shop behind us."
Gerome looked behind him and saw that there indeed was a jewelry shop behind them. It suddenly finally clicked in his head why his mother went a certain path.
"You planned all of this didn't you?" he accused.
Cherche gave him a playful smirk. "The talk and trip over here, yes. The proposing couple just happened to be a lucky coincidence."
The Masked Rider grumbled and walked past her to go straight to the shop. Cherche wasn't upset though, and in fact giggled at his behavior.
Once Gerome entered the jewelry shop, he was immediately greeted by the salesman. "Welcome valued customer. How may I help you on this fine day?"
"I'm looking for an engagement ring." Gerome answered, not one to beat around the bush.
"Aaah, ready to commit to that special woman, right? Or guy." The salesman could feel the glare behind Gerome's mask once he said that last part. "Hey it's okay if that's the case. Love can bloom wherever."
"It's a woman." Gerome clarified. "Now just show me the rings."
"Alright, alright. Here is what we have to offer." The salesman directed Gerome to where the rings were, upon which the latter started searching for the right one.
Soon, covered eyes laid upon a golden band topped off with a gorgeous sapphire. It was simple in taste, yet beautiful nonetheless. Just like his darling Lucina.
"That one." Gerome pointed to the special ring.
"Excellent choice." commented the salesman. "Would you like any engravings on it?"
Gerome took some time to think about it and thought it would be nice if on the sides there were dragon engravings like the ones on the bluenette's tiara. He also would like it if on the inside of the ring, there could be the words "My Princess". He realized how sappy that sounded, but decided he could maybe indulge in it just this once (and only this once).
He told the salesman what he had in mind, who nodded in understanding. "Alright, your total comes to 1,300 coins."
Gerome visibly flinched at the amount given. He digged through his pockets, only to find a small satchel that held around only 300 coins.
"Is there a problem?" asked the Salesman.
Gerome just stared at his money full of insufficient funds. "I…don't have enough money."
"Yes you do." a voice called out as a larger pouch full of coins was placed on the counter. Both men turned to see a rosette pregnant woman who just entered the shop. "You left your extra coins with me in case you needed some more, remember?"
The purple-haired man stood there slack-jawed, surprised at what Cherche was doing.
"Very well. I'll get to work on the engraving right away." The salesman took the engagement ring and walked to the room in the back of the store.
Cherche looked to her son with a smile, who finally seemed to comprehend what just happened. "I'll make sure to pay you back after this." Gerome promised.
Strangely, Cherche actually frowned at what she just heard. "I thought I raised you better than that." she said, her voice tinged with a scolding tone that caught Gerome off-guard. "Remember what I just told you, you don't have to do everything alone. I'm doing this because I want to give you the happiness that you and my future daughter-in-law deserve. So I better not see a single coin in return."
And like that, Gerome was so touched that his mother was willing to do this much for him, that he knew he had to show his appreciation in the best way he knew how. "Thanks…Mother."
Cherche gave the warmest smile she could muster, happy that she didn't have to force that name out of him for once. "Anytime."
Three Weeks Later…
Lucina's birthday was finally here, and so far the party in the palace was going off without a hitch. Despite her insistence that she didn't really want a huge extravagant party, most of the Shepherds arrived anyway and reassured her that it wasn't a big party under the justification that it's only just them who know about this.
A flimsy excuse, but the future Exalt wouldn't deny that she was happy that all these people came just for her. Besides, they would most likely just mingle with each other like they did back when they celebrated parties during the war, and it's always nice to catch up with everyone.
However, even with all the jovial festivities going on around him, Gerome couldn't help but constantly feel anxious and finger the ring box in his pocket. Yes, he vowed to finally propose to the woman he loved, but that still didn't make him any less nervous about doing so. At this point he was observing everything around him to try to take his mind off of his anxiety. There were presents stacked on a nearby table, soldiers stationed around the cake so a certain thief wouldn't steal any, and Lissa and Maribelle chatting with the lovely birthday girl herself— and just like that, he's full on nervous again.
"Okay everybody! It's time to bring out the cakes for our special little girls!" Olivia called out holding a blue-haired infant.
The baby was of course the Lucina of this time, but to avoid confusion, her parents renamed the newborn child "Lucia". Not the most creative change, but considering Gerome once overheard his father thinking about naming his soon to be born son "Nitro Maverick", Lucia should consider herself lucky.
Everyone gathered at the table with both birthday girls seated next to each other. The soldiers carefully brought the cake to the elder princess and a small cupcake with a single candle to the young one. While doing this, they eyed Gaius who was practically drooling.
"Don't even think about it." Olivia warned the ginger.
"Relax babe." Gaius tried to reassure her. "My hand still stings from the stab wound you gave me the last time I tried to steal candy from Blue Jr. Jr."
Everybody sang Happy Birthday and the two girls simultaneously blew out the candles on their individual cakes. Even the more stoic members like Gerome himself had to admit that was cute. As Olivia cut the main cake, she announced that Lucina could start opening presents.
"Ooh, ooh! Open mine first! Open mine first!" Mikal exclaimed like a kid with his present in his hands.
"Alright Mikal." Lucina smiled and accepted the gift, beginning to tear off the wrapping paper.
Gerome, Cherche, Chrom, and Oliva couldn't help but look apprehensive. During the past three weeks, they managed to convince Mikal to forgo his original gift ideas and plan to give her a proper one. Unfortunately, against their better judgment, they never bothered to check with him beforehand to see if his present really was appropriate.
"Oh my." Lucina gasped as Mikal's gift was revealed. "What a lovely handbag."
The four worriers looked at what the swordswoman was holding and let out a sigh of relief. In her hands was a finely crafted handbag made of some sort of woven material that would make any woman envious that it's not in their possession. Crisis averted.
"Right?" Mikal said. "Top quality too. Now you can go shopping in style."
"Thank you very much Mikal." Lucina thanked.
"And the best part is, it's made of hemp."
And there it was. The reason why the four had a right to be wary in the first place.
"Hemp?" questioned Lucina. It was safe to assume she didn't know that hemp was another term for marijuana.
Mikal leaned in close to her face and whispered "Take the hint."
Lucina looked confused, but thought nothing of it. "Well I'm not sure what hemp is, but it certainly feels and smells nice."
"Okay, that's enough of that!" Chrom suddenly proclaimed loudly and gently took the handbag away from his daughter and put it to the side. "Lucina, you go ahead and open the rest of your presents. Mikal and I are going to have a chat outside."
"What— no!" Mikal protested. "I don't wanna go outside. The party's in here."
"Hey, it's beautiful outside. We've been indoors all day." Chrom argued. His tone then got slightly more dangerous with each sentence. "Now we are going to go outside. Get some fresh air. And have a nice. Long. Chat." Before Mikal could object further, Chrom dragged him away.
Fortunately, the rest of the party went smoothly without any other abnormalities like that. The rest of the presents were opened (it turned out Inigo got Lucina a new sheath, so it's a good thing Gerome didn't go with that idea after all), cake was eaten (too bad for Gaius, the soldiers made sure he only got one slice), and everyone continued to engage in conversations with each other. Eventually, Gerome managed to catch Lucina alone and invited her to the balcony.
"I can assume you're enjoying the festivities?" Gerome started off the conversation.
"I was about to ask you the same." replied Lucina. "I know how little you care for such celebrations."
"It doesn't matter what I think. This is your day. As long as you're happy, then so am I."
"Then you must be overwhelmed with joy, for I can hardly contain my excitement. The party, the cake, the presents. I know it all seems childish, but I truly enjoy feeling like a little girl again."
"I'm glad to hear that." This was it. It was time to ignore the quickening pace of his heartbeat and make his move. "However, you still haven't received my gift."
"O-oh no Gerome. You didn't have to—"
"I wanted to." he cut her off, now not being able to control his blush. "Just like you wanted to give me these necklaces." He pointed to the one he was wearing around his neck.
Now Lucina's face turned red as well. "I understand. Very well."
Gerome knew this was his cue to continue. "I know you said you enjoyed feeling like a little girl, but now I want to make you a woman."
"W-what?"
Gerome got down on one knee and took out the ring box out of his pocket, causing the love of his life to gasp. "Lucina, we have been with each other since the very beginning. We have fought together against Grima both in the future and in this time as well. You are everything to me. I don't know what lies ahead before us, but I do know I want you by my side when those challenges arise. So will you do me the honors? Will you marry me?"
He opened the box, revealing the beautiful engraved ring inside. For what seemed like forever, Lucina remained quiet, seemingly unable to speak. After a few more seconds, she finally managed to choke out a single word.
"Yes." She appeared to have found her voice and repeated herself louder each time. "Yes. Yes! A thousand times YES!"
Gerome couldn't keep the surprised grin off his face. "You will?"
"Of course I will! I love you. And no matter what the future holds, I'll cherish every moment."
The now engaged couple looked to each other lovingly. Gerome slipped the ring on his new fiancé's finger and stood up.
"Thank you Lucina." The wyvern rider took off his signature mask and looked directly into Lucina's eyes. "From today onward we'll hone our edges, together. We'll carve a path to happiness through whatever fate may bring."
They then sealed the moment with a long passionate kiss, making a perfect end to a perfect proposal.
"Aaaaaawwww…"
The two lovers broke apart and saw all of the Shepherds in the entryway of the balcony, causing their faces to turn bright crimson. And who else should be in front of the Shepherds besides Gerome's embarrassing father, Mikal, whose face was now battered and bruised, complete with a black eye. Although if one looked closely in the group, they could see Chrom in the same condition. So whatever "chat" those two had, someone clearly fought back.
"It's about time." Mikal commented.
"You were watching us!?" Gerome tried accuse angrily, but just came off as even more embarrassed.
"Of course we were. I've been waiting too long for this." He chuckled and walked up to the couple, wrapping his arms around them. "Congratulations! And Lucina, let me be the first to say 'Welcome to the family!'"
"I can understand if you want to opt out." Gerome said dryly to the swordswoman.
"I don't see why I would want to. I wouldn't mind having Mikal as a father-in-law." Gerome couldn't tell if Lucina was joking or not (it wouldn't be a bad thing if she suddenly knew how to).
"Thank you Lucina. It's nice to be appreciated." Mikal let go of the two and walked back to the Shepherds.
"Of course, if we are going to talk about exasperating relatives, you do know this means you'll be related to Inigo." Lucina pointed out to her future husband.
Gerome grimaced for a split second. He completely forgot about that. "I'll manage to survive."
"That's the spirit!" the philanderer's voice called out and an arm wrapped around Gerome's shoulders, not unlike his father just did. "And this means you'll still be able to be my wingman, right?"
"No it doesn't." Lucina vehemently declined for Gerome.
"Oh come on now sis. Maybe if you two were married it would be uncouth, but since you're only engaged, that should mean—" Lucina flicked Falchion partially out of her new sheath with her thumb, its sharp steel blade gleaming menacingly. "He cannot be my wingman! No sirree! It was a pleasure to have your services Gerome, but now there can only be one woman in your life! I'll just see if Brady is available instead!" And with that, he scurried off.
Gerome couldn't help but smile. Some things will never change about the two of them, but that's probably for the best.
"Alright everyone!" Mikal announced. "We've got a new reason to celebrate! This is in honor of Gerome and Lucina's newfound engagement!" The rest of Shepherds cheered and started to party even harder.
The couple just smiled at each other and held each other's hand. "Come on. We still have a party to attend." Gerome said.
Lucina simply nodded her head and they went inside. Only one thought ran through her mind, and in the words of her new father-in-law no less. This is the best birthday ever…of all time.
If you figured out what that abstract symbol obviously was, you have every reason to hate me (I am one sick fuck).
But yeah, after looking this over a second time, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to post this story. I probably should've done something along the lines of wacky birthday hijinks that Lucina somehow gets roped into, instead of just making a bunch of black comedy jokes about the date of her birthday. I think it's a clear sign that I'm getting too comfortable on this site, or I'm finally starting to really lose it (Oh who am I kidding? I can easily confirm it's both!). It also probably doesn't help that it focuses more on Gerome than Lucina (what can I say, I done goofed).
Tell you what, if this fic becomes relatively popular enough and I get enough requests to do so, I'll write a second chapter showing what our favorite female lord is doing during that time. But I gotta warn you, if I do decide to write that second chapter, it won't be coming out for a while. It definitely won't be the next thing I post, because next on my list is Chapter 4 of Precocious Love. I'd tell you to stick around for that, but due to life punching me in the gut and my unstable emotions constantly, it's starting to look more and more bleak that I can get it out by this month. Sooo...please be patient I guess?
So until then (and if you don't kick me off the internet for writing this), Happy Lucina's Birthday everybody (that's an official holiday now, shut up)!