Been a while since I've posted anything... Well, general disclaimer for the whole work: I don't own Fire Emblem/Nintendo/Nintendo Products/etc.
Other business: If you happen to be a reader of Ylissian North, that particular work is on indefinite hiatus. While I'm still working on The Last Valkyrie, I've hit a wall with my first work. It's been written into a nasty corner that there's really no good work around for, at least not without overhauling earlier chapters. Because of its surprising popularity (you guys have no idea how happy that made me), I decided to add a different slice of life AU to my writing list. Some stuff will be the same, some stuff different.
Enjoy!
"I've never seen a calculus problem so incredibly, impressively, incorrectly solved before," Robin said. Gaius proudly straightened up on the couch, and Robin stifled a giggle at his puffed up peacock face. "You realized you just crashed two trains together because you accelerated them instead of braking, right?"
Gaius leaned against Robin's shoulder to smile one of his bone melting, stomach warming grins. "I wasn't the engineer who put two trains on the same track running in opposite directions. This problem is stupid. I'll never use this in real life, and therefore, I don't have to learn how to do it correctly." Robin actually giggled this time.
"False. You need this for your calculus exam tomorrow which you are doing an abysmal job studying for," Robin said. It was the age-old problem in tutoring a friend. Lack of concentration. Well, correction. Robin was having zero issues concentrating. Mostly on Gaius's radiant, chocolate eyes and his amazingly soft hair that Robin knew was amazingly soft because you didn't grow up next door to your best friend without ruffling his hair at least once. Aaaaand there she was ogling him, again. Oblivious, Gaius bent over his math problem.
If all her love stories and rom coms had taught her anything, Robin knew love really was a battle field. A complex grid of potentials where juuuuust the right decision could lead you to victory, and calculating precisely how far to sit from her childhood crush on her couch gave Robin the same thrill she got from solving a multivariate equation. If only Gaius would see how storybook their romance was. He was her adorable childhood crush, and she was the girl next door who had stuck with him through thick and thin. They would make a classic couple, and she loved him. If only he would just confess already. "But really. This problem in particular is especially stupid." Gaius dropped his pencil with a sigh. "You know what we should do?"
"Math?"
"Math is for nerds." Robin quirked an eyebrow. "You know you're my math nerd, and I love you for it, but you're still a nerd." There it was, the casual 'I love you,' the depressing side effect of being the heroine in the best friends turned lovers romance. Robin tucked her knees up to her chest and sunk a little lower into her living room couch. Ignoring the stomach sinking disappointment that Gaius could say those words to her so simply, Robin frowned at the boy.
"You know you're well on your way to failing this test, right?"
Gaius rolled his eyes. "You worry too much." With a sly smile, the boy set his math aside and plucked the textbook from Robin's unresisting hands. "You need to learn how to have some fun."
"Fun?" A smile was already pulling at her lips, a smile only Gaius could tease out.
"Mmmhmm. F. U. N. Fun. It's this thing people do sometimes that doesn't involve math or math club or curling up in your room alone with one of your romance novels on a Friday night." Gaius grinned. "Sumia's doing a poetry reading at the Ylissian Grind tonight. We should go."
"Sumia of the gorgeous smile, satin skin, and eyes that sparkle like sapphires?" Robin tried not to sound bitter. Sumia was temporary, like the occasional girls that had come before her. It was a classic story maneuver, the string of temporary, short-lived crushes that masked the boy's true feelings for his girlfriend-to-be. The stories neglected to mention how much it sucked.
"You forgot voice of an angel," Gaius said with a sigh. It was a joke, but it made Robin feel a little sick anyways.
It would all be okay, Robin reminded herself. It would all work out in the end. "You don't even like poetry. Or coffee. If you want to do something fun, we could—"
"Mmm, Bubbles, tonight I'm educating you in fun, and I say you should throw on one of your shirts that isn't emblazoned with the pi symbol and go out on the town with me tonight." Gaius smirked. Robin wasn't quite sure if he knew how flirtatious it looked or how weak she was to the little curl of his lips. With Gaius, you could never quite tell how much was calculated and how much was sheer obliviousness.
Oh, she could feel her will crumbling. "You're bringing your textbook, and we're studying there." Before Gaius could protest, Robin held up a finger. "Those are the conditions. No calculus, no go."
"Nerd." Gaius tugged gently on one of her ponytails and grinned. "Be outside in five. I'll bring the math."
Robin hadn't actually been to the Ylissian Grind before, but based on the confidence with which Gaius strode into the café, he had. The coffee shop was much more homey than the chain stores that dotted almost every street corner. Wooden tables and chairs cluttered the small space next to squishy couches and haphazard bookcases.
They were late. Sumia was already at the microphone in the corner, huddled on a stool speaking out to a small, approving audience. As Gaius sauntered towards one of the tables closest to the mic, Robin could feel the regret sinking in. Gaius dumped his backpack onto his chair, ignoring the wooden squeak at the new weight. Robin eyed her own chair dubiously. When she gave it a soft push, the chair wobbled.
"I think this place is older than my…" Gaius wasn't listening. He was staring—admiring the girl at the microphone like she hung the sun, moon, and stars. Robin didn't get it. Well, correction, she got that Sumia filled the 'dream girl' role that best friend romances always had to get the heroine to realize her feelings for her hero, but Robin knew she had those feelings since she was five. She didn't need Sumia and her shiny hair and perfect skin in this story. Robin cleared her throat, and Gaius flinched back to her. "You said you'd buy my coffee, and then we'd start math?"
"Oh, Bubbles. All work and no play." Robin let Gaius whirl her around by the shoulders and guide her towards the register. The smell of coffee beans was even stronger by the counter. Combined with the display case filled with colorful pastries and sweets, the smell reminded Robin that dinner had been hours ago. Her stomach let out a plaintive growl, and Gaius descended into snickers. "Classy."
Gaius was too close. His teasing comment warmed her ear and subsequently her face. Robin felt ridiculously hyperaware of his hands on her shoulders, the smell of his detergent and shampoo, and most importantly the fact that Gaius's mouth was about… a freakin' inch away from her ear. There was no willing away the steamy thoughts or the flush in her cheeks. "I… uh…"
"Order something to eat, too. On me." With a little push, Gaius released Robin towards the counter. The cashier smiled pleasantly down at her, but Robin spun back to Gaius.
"A-are you sure? I don't want to be—"
"Pffft. You need more meat on your bones. Let me treat you," Gaius said. She should not be getting so excited and fluttery over a dessert. Robin could feel the goofy smile spreading across her face anyways. Little moments like this reminded her that her giant crush would pay off in the end.
Turning back to the cashier, Robin beamed up at the boy. He was tall, with olive hair and an endearing splash of freckles. Girls probably found him cute, Robin supposed, but her heart belonged to one guy alone. "What can I get you?"
Robin glanced up at the menu. It was mostly unintelligible. "A… coffee?" The cashier nodded encouragingly. "And…" Robin had to will herself not to skip over to the pastry display. Little pastel cakes and cookies decorated little lace decorated glass plates. Maybe, just maybe Gaius would split with her. And then subsequently realize his hidden feelings for her over cake. "Um… Did you want to…" Gaius wasn't looking again. Instead he was gazing out at Sumia, who looked unfortunately good under the soft café lighting. Robin felt a lot less giddy. Pointing to one of the pastries, Robin ignored the cashier's sympathetic smile. "That one."
As the cashier prepared her order, Robin sunk her hands into her pockets and shuffled back to Gaius's side. "What did you—Ooo, a chocolate croissant? You know those are my favorite, Bubbles. I'm gonna have to sneak a bite."
Right. Robin knew his favorite foods, colors, superheroes, even Gaius's favorite day of the week. They were meant to be. Feeling a little better, Robin took the mug and plate the cashier handed her with a smile. "Hey…" Gaius lifted up a little sign that had been hung on the register. "You guys are hiring?"
"Mmhmm." The cashier pulled an application out from under the register. "Are you interested? No experience necessary."
"Actually… yeah."
"You want to work in a coffee shop? You don't even like coffee unless it's drowned in sugar." Gaius shrugged. Oh. His little glance back to Sumia answered all of Robin's questions. "Y-you can't just get a job because a cute girl gets her coffee here. What about… What about your grades? Math?"
"There's more to the world than math, Bubbles," Gaius said. He was teasing. Again. Always teasing and never quite getting it.
"I know that. Just—"
"And your rom coms. I'm just… trying something different. Artsy." Gaius turned back to the cashier. "A… vanilla latte, extra vanilla, and I'm paying for hers too."
What even was a latte? And why was it so important to be artsy all of a sudden? Or go to poetry night? Robin liked things the way they were. Gaius tucked the application into his pocket, and Robin watched his little half smile with growing dread. She didn't like this one bit. As Gaius swept up his strange latte thing, Robin shot a very unheroic scowl at Sumia. "Do you want an application, too, miss?"
"Huh?" Robin pulled her gaze away from the pretty brunette to the cashier who was smiling at her again. "Uh… No. I don't know a coffee thingy from… a different coffee thingy."
"Trying new things isn't exactly her strong suit. Stubborn as an ox," Gaius said. It was an affectionate statement, but it made Robin irrationally irritated anyways. "Name's Gaius. I'll be back with the application."
"I'm Stahl. Hopefully we'll be working together." Fascinating, but Robin could already feel her thoughts being pulled back to Sumia. There was a strategy to this somehow. So what if she introduced Gaius to all these new things? At the end of the day, Gaius confided in her, Robin, his best friend, neighbor—
Gaius nudged Robin forward. "And this space cadet is Robin. You're really in need of that coffee, huh?" Her chest felt strangely icy, so Robin settled for a nod and a tight lipped smile. The look Stahl tossed between the pair while Gaius dug through his wallet was not at all lost on her. Summoning up her willpower, Robin forced herself to act sunny.
Math tutoring was turning into an abysmal mess. Robin wanted to dislike Sumia, but that would be extremely petty of her. At the same time, every second Gaius spent daydreamily staring at the poet made it harder and harder to pretend she didn't care. "I didn't know you liked poetry so much," Robin said.
It sounded almost catty. Robin winced internally as Gaius finally looked at her. "I'm full of secrets, Bubbles. Sumia's really good. Isn't she?"
"I guess? You know I'm not good at that kinda thing. Now, if you wanted me to calculate the rate of change of fluid…" Gaius wasn't listening. Again. "I just don't get what's so great about poetry, I guess."
"Well, art's never been your strong suit. Remember when we took that pottery class and you made a rock. Hey, it's fine. Everyone's got their strengths." Gaius leaned over his math to lower his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "If she were a guy though… I bet you'd get it then."
"H-huh?"
Gaius winked and then, as Robin's face reddened, burst into poorly muted laughter. "Pfft, you're such an innocent, Bubbles. Everyone knows there's something inherently, universally sexy in an artist."
Before he could register her eyebrows slowly rising into her hairline, Gaius had already turned away. Something inherently, universally sexy in being able to read into a microphone? What? She felt like she was going to vomit again. Scooping up her empty coffee cup, Robin slid out of her seat. "I-I'm going to… get more… You're not even listening." Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Robin made her way back to the counter.
"More coffee?" Stahl glanced from Robin's mug to Robin herself. "That'd make your fourth cup."
Great. Someone was keeping mental tally of how many times Gaius had reminded her that her crush was, for the moment, unrequited. "What? The sign says free refills."
"Yeah… but I don't want to be responsible for your caffeine induced heart attack." Stahl picked up the mug anyways. "How 'bout hot chocolate?" As Robin gave him a short nod, Stahl smiled. It was much more innocent than Gaius's, heartwarming, but lacking in toe-curling giddiness. Robin glanced back to Gaius with a sad sigh. He was still entirely enthralled by Sumia and her angelic voice. "You should just tell him how you feel," Stahl said.
"Wh-What? Uh, tell who what exactly?"
"The boy you came in with. You like him, right?"
"I… uh... I-is it that obvious?"
Stahl shook his head. "I'm just good at reading the signs. If you don't tell him, I dunno if he'll ever find out." Now there was a prospect. Robin could already picture her future, dying ancient and alone with fifty thousand cats, all because she wasn't artsy enough. Why couldn't Gaius have found being nationally ranked in mathematics competitions sexy? What did she have to do to get him to notice her?
"Wait. If you can read my body language, can you read my friend's? What… uh… What does he think about me?" The barista fixed her with a little frown. "Or that's off limits." Robin turned back to Gaius. She wasn't entirely sure he had even blinked while she was talking with Stahl. He was still ogling Sumia like she was a work of fine art.
"Here." Stahl nudged the coffee cup into her elbow. The rich scent of chocolate was comforting, but it did little to untie the knot snarling in her chest. "Really. You should just tell him how you feel. You'll feel better for it."
Robin glanced down at the mug. She should technically just take it and head back to her table but… She wanted just once for Gaius to notice she was gone. Maybe Stahl fell into the B Boy role, the guy to make Gaius finally realize his feelings for her. "You seem awfully knowledgeable."
The attempt at small talk surprised Stahl. Robin took a sip of her cocoa and watched the boy's eyes widen. "Hmm… I wouldn't say that. It just gets easier with practice. Like…" Stahl leaned across the counter and pointed into the crowd. Robin followed his finger to a blue haired, well dressed boy sipping from a mug of his own. The boy looked far too classy for the establishment. "He fancies her." Stahl moved his finger to another table. Sitting around it were two redheads, familiar from school, Sully and… Cordelia, friends of Sumia, and, as Robin knew them, friends of Chrom, her brother's best friend. "Sully, the fierce looking one with the pixie cut. He's pretending to read his book, but he's sitting all weird so he can still get a good view of her. I think he's worried that if he hits on her she'll punch his lights out. Which is probably accurate. Sully and I have shared classes since elementary school. Scary lady."
"Oh. A gendered reversal of the classic 'pretty girl, tough guy.' Cute." Stahl gave her an odd look. "What? I'm a romance novel pro. But anyways, that display doesn't count 'cuz you knew Sully already. How about her?" Robin gestured towards the brunette bent over a book of her own.
"Umm…" After a moment of staring, Stahl pointed to a giant of a man, whose scarred face clashed with the cozy coffee shop. "Him. She… comes here to read… pretty frequently, because she seems pretty comfortable in her spot, and he… looks a lot more uncomfortable. I don't think he gets the poetry."
"Ooooo. I can picture it now. She likes him, but she's also in hardcore denial. Doesn't want to admit that she could like a musclebound meathead like him. Equally cute. You should help them," Robin said.
"I should help? I'm just the barista." Stahl pushed himself off the counter with a tiny shake of his head.
"But… love." Robin frowned. "And you gave me advice. Why not them?"
"You didn't even take my advice. Shouldn't you go back to your friend and tell him your feelings?" The boy swept up a rag and began to scrub at a coffee stain on the counter. He wasn't exactly pushing her away, so Robin decided to roll with it.
"Maybe you shouldn't help. Your advice sucks." Stahl looked a little confused. "You don't just tell a guy you like him. Rule number one, he makes the first move. I guess you can make an exception given a suitable dramatic moment, but rule number one is pretty strict. If you just tell a guy you like him, you ruin the whole dramatic buildup. The moment loses all its squee worthiness."
"Um… right." Stahl ruffled his hair. "I'm not very good at the whole… courtship thing, I guess. Seems like honesty is always best."
"Pfffft, that's not how it works. If honesty was best, romance novels would be a lot shorter and a lot more boring." Robin looked to Gaius. He still hadn't realized how long she was taking. "It's all about getting him to… notice you as…" Robin trailed off. "As someone different. I'm not artsy, but I could be artsy if… I… worked here. If I worked here! If I worked here, then Gaius would have to see me differently, he'd realize his feelings for me, and then he'd finally confess to me. You're hiring?" Stahl nodded slowly. "I want to apply."
"This is the exact opposite of hon—"
"Application? Please?" Robin flashed Stahl her most innocent, angelic smile.
The boy was a pushover, and after a moment of fluttering eyelashes and a puppy dog stare, Stahl sighed. "You know you'll actual have to work, right? You can't just stand at the register until Gaius realizes his feelings for you."
Robin rolled her eyes. "If I half-ass it, then it won't work. I know what I'm doing. This is tactics."
"O…kay. Well, just… here, I guess. No experience necessary." Stahl pushed an application across the counter. Robin swept it up with a giddy grin. After this, Gaius would have to notice her. With this application, Robin would turn her romance around.
Feedback is totally 100% welcome! Most pairings are open to request.
