Author: Rapis-Razuri
Beta: N/A
Prompt: Arguing
Word Count: 1,367
Notes: Some Olivia-Inigo mother-son bonding. For the record, there isn't an argument in this chapter, more like the aftermath of an argument.

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Five minutes after a conversation with her uncharacteristically sombre husband, Olivia found her way to the medical tent in concern. The person who she was searching for was still there, laying on one of the cots with one neatly bandaged leg stretched out and the other lightly kicking the ground below. When he heard her come in, he sat up, though still keeping his injured leg outstretched.

"Mother?"

Olivia rushed to her son's side. "Are you alright?" she asked, "Henry told me you hurt your leg in battle today."

"I'm fine," Inigo replied with a shrug, "Brady patched me up. He said I'll be as good as new in no time." Even as he said this, he too seemed unusually melancholic. Sighing, the rose-haired dancer gently ruffled his hair, the same color as his father's.

"Are you still thinking about what happened between you and Henry?" she asked gently. His injury wasn't the only thing that prompted her worry. "He was really worried about you."

"He told you?" Inigo sighed, "I'm not surprised. He could never seem to keep anything a secret from you."

Olivia laughed lightly, "I don't think that Henry is bad at keeping secrets from me," she said, "It's more like the fact that he is incredibly truthful most of the time and that it's pretty easy to tell when something is troubling him."

The tips of Inigo's lips twitched, as if he was trying not to laugh at his father's expense. "Fair enough, Mother." He shook his head. "But no...I'm not really thinking about that...well, actually I am, but something else too."

"Is that so?" Olivia raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to talk? I am your mother. Maybe I can help."

There was a brief flash of emotion in Inigo's eyes. "You used to do this back in my time too," he said quietly, "Whenever something was troubling me, you would offer to talk."

"Oh." Though she already accepted him as her child, Olivia was still getting used to the idea that she has raised, or rather, will raise, him in the future.

"You know what happened between me and father," Inigo began, "but a few days ago, Lucina said nearly the same thing to me."

"Lucina?" Olivia thought of Robin's navy-haired daughter. The princess from the future was so driven and serious to a fault, Olivia could imagine that she would be easily annoyed by Inigo's perpetual cheeriness.

"...I just wanted to see her smile again, just as she used to..." by this point, Inigo seemed to be off in his own little world. Still, Olivia listened to every word that came out of his mouth. He spoke so fondly of her, so different from how he usually talked about the random village maids he attempted to woo, that she started to wonder.

"...but I guess with everything weighing down on her, it wasn't meant to be."

"Tell me, Inigo," the dancer began timidly, knowing she was about in step in very dangerous waters, "do you...love her?"

Inigo didn't reply at once.

"Yes," he said softly, the melancholy look becoming one of wistful longing, "I've always liked her since the day we met." He smiled as he recalled the memory. "It was the first time you and Father took me to Castle Ylisse. I got lost and she helped me find you. I haven't told you that story yet, have I?"

"No, you haven't," Olivia shook her head. She was curious to know what happened in that particular day in his life, but now wasn't the time. Then she frowned when she thought of something. "But wait... if you always liked Lucina, then why do you flirt so much with other women?"

"Well...it started out with me taking your advice," Olivia cringed at the thought of that. When the present day version of Inigo is born, she will definitely not mention Maribelle's 'shock therapy' idea to him. Ever. "I thought if I can learn to talk to other girls, then maybe one day I'll be brave enough to tell her how I feel, but when I got older I realized... even though she's always treated me as an equal, she's still royalty and I'm...not. She deserves so much better than a sellsword." Inigo sighed again, almost deeply enough to rival one of Cordelia's. "After that, I just kept on flirting, hoping it was just a phase I'll get over one day, but nope. My feelings for her haven't changed. If anything, they only got stronger."

"Oh Inigo," Olivia had no idea what to make of this newest revelation. Seeing the sadness in her son's eyes brought her pain too. She wanted to make him feel better, and, being close friends with Lucina's mother, she thinks she knows how to begin. "But you know what? I think you're forgetting a very crucial detail."

"I am?"

"Ylissian nobles didn't approve of Lucina's mother at first, you know?" Olivia said in a matter-of-fact tone. It was a fairly well known fact among the Shepherds that were present during the wedding, so she doesn't think Robin would be angry at her for telling this to Inigo. "They argued that she was an amnesiac with no memory of who she was before Chrom found her. For all they knew, she could have been a spy or a criminal from another country."

"Um... okay?" He wasn't getting the point she wanted to make.

"But it didn't stop Chrom from marrying Robin did it?" She smiled encouragingly and hoped the advice she was about to give him wouldn't turn out the same why as the one her future self did before, "If Lucina is anything like her father, she won't care if you were a mercenary or the son of a noble, so don't let her titles and heritage scare you into hiding your feelings. Isn't it better to tell her and be rejected than stay silent and wonder what could have been?"

Inigo gazed down at his hands. "Perhaps," he said, "but if she rejects me, I imagine a good cry and a day of sulking won't be able to fix it."

Yes that is true, Olivia thought. The last thing she wanted to see was a broken heart, but she didn't want him to miss out on this chance either. "Falling in love with someone will always put your heart in a vulnerable place," she said carefully. "Heartbreak will always be a risk, but ask yourself: is she worth that risk?"

There was anouther moment of silence as Inigo mulled over her words. What he did next was a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. He reached out and hugged her. Briefly stunned, but recovering quickly, Olivia hugged him back.

"Yes," he said with a grin when he pulled back, but still holding her shoulders. "Yes, she is worth it. I will tell her, but not until this war is over. Thank you, Mother."

"Anytime sweetheart," It felt so strange to give her son advice concerning matters of the heart before she's even had the opportunity to hold him as a baby. Regardless, it was still gratifying to know that she could be here for him, especially knowing that in some other time she had left him to fend for himself. She felt happy by making him happy. Is this what it feels like to be a mother? She didn't give birth to him, but she knew in her heart that she would fight anyone like an angered grizzly bear if they intended to do him harm. If it was, then this was a feeling she could get used to.

Seeing that her son was back to his usual disposition, Olivia giggled and lightly tousled his hair again. "After all, if do you marry Lucina one day, I will become sisters with my best friend!"

"Mom!"

"Teehee... Sorry. I guess it is a little too early to be thinking of that, isn't it?"

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A/N: There was a moment of hilarious in hindsight during my first playthrough that permanently cemented Olivia and female!Robin as BFFs in my headcanon. I imagine them being all gushy when Inigo and Lucina announce that they're together while Chrom and Henry throw death threats around like confetti.

Speaking of playthroughs, I'm thinking about starting a Chrom Solo this Friday (three day weekend, yay!). That should be fun.