With an arm woven under his shoulders, Lucina led her father up the stairs. She kept her steps in pace with his. Whenever his body shuddered to give a cough, she stopped and held him steady.
After the third cough, Chrom huffed. "You don't have to do this, you know," he said.
"Nonsense," she replied. "It's always been my pleasure."
"I was talking about helping me up the stairs."
"As was I."
Chrom gave her a funny look. She returned it with a look of her own, her eyebrow raised.
"I'm sick, not old."
"I'm not taking chances, not when you're forty-four already."
"Forty-five. And it's not that old."
"Is my assistance unwelcome?" she asked.
"No no, not that. It's just a rather strange thing to say."
"Is it? As a civil servant, serving others should always be a pleasure." A smile wormed its way to her lips, and her mind wandered to the past. "You said it yourself when you visited the police academy."
"Yes, I remember."
"You also said it when you visited my high school. And when you visited my middle school as well. And–"
"I get it, I get it," he said, cutting her off. He shook his head. "Using my own words against me."
Lucina frowned. "Do you not like it?"
"No, it's... it's great that you can go out of your way to help people, but don't you have anything better to do?"
Lucina's frown deepened. In a way, that was his way of telling her that, yes, it did bother him.
"Why does it bother you so much?" she asked. "Do I speak too much? Is it how I'm supporting you?"
"None of that. I just think you spend too much time around me. Don't you have anything you want to do? Any goals of your own?"
"Right now, my only goal is getting you to bed."
Chrom huffed again, and his eyes strayed to the floor.
They climbed up in silence for a few seconds more. Their footsteps rang hollow in the stairwell, echoing off the tight walls, drowning out the faint sounds of chatter behind them. Shadows moved in the light from below as it nipped at their heels, growing weaker and weaker with each step.
Lucina felt her father stumble. She tightened her grip around him as he coughed again, and a smile tugged at her lips when he muttered his gratitude a second after.
"That party," he said, nodding downstairs, "sure was something, wasn't it?"
"It was, father."
"Quite the attendance list. Everyone showed up."
"Of course they would, father. They're your friends."
He looked up at her, and his brows drew down. "I know that. I'm sick. Not old. Remember?"
"You're forty-four, father. Er... forty-five."
"I'm no old man."
"I never said you were an old man."
"You implied it."
"You interpreted it, didn't you?"
Chrom chuckled. As he quieted down, a small smile remained on his lips.
They'd reached the top of the stairs now. Guiding her father along, Lucina led him to his bedroom just down the hall. She pushed the door open for him, and as he walked past her, he looked over.
"Forty-five, huh? Forty-five years of being alive. Forty-five birthdays. I'm sure I've said it before, but it's the birthdays I've spent with you that I treasure the most."
"Father..."
"Each year, some people come, some people don't. Sometimes they bring others with them. Boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives. But you never fail to show up, and that's all any father could ask for." He frowned. "That said, you always show up alone. You never bring anyone with you."
"That's because I have no one to bring."
Chrom pouted. The expression looked rather strange on his face. "That's no fun. Won't you get lonely?"
"I have you, father. That is enough."
"That's what I'm worried about."
The bedsprings groaned as Chrom lay his body over the mattress. His smile seemed almost sad, sad enough to tug at Lucina's heartstrings. She wasn't heartless.
"Don't be so down, father," she said, kneeling down to look him in the eye. "I'll find someone someday."
He snorted. "You'd better. I'd like some grandchildren, you know."
"Yes, I know."
She turned on her heel. Silence was all that stayed between them as she headed for the door. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, moving to close it, Chrom held up a hand to stop her.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'm fine. I just thought of something." The corners of his lips twitched. "Is it possible you've not found anyone because you don't want me to share those embarrassing baby photos with them?"
"Father. I burned that book," Lucina said, her expression the flattest she could manage.
"Is that so?"
The way he chuckled had her narrowing her eyes. When he turned his back, she knew something was up.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing." A pause. "Though, I thought, since you're so young, you'd know that everything is digital nowadays. I still have an electronic album of your baby photos I can show anytime I wish."
Lucina wanted to know where. She wanted to pester him until he gave in (because the gods knew he would) so she could get rid of that album as well.
But it was late, and she didn't have the patience for it tonight.
Silently cursing the gods for her impatience, she said, "Father. Go to bed."
"I love you, Luci."
The door stopped inches away from closing. A sigh escaped Lucina's lips. "I love you too," she said.
Then the door clicked shut.
When Lucina went back downstairs, she found it empty. Aside from a few chairs out of place, and one or two dishes laid haphazardly on the table she could just barely see from the stairwell.
Although he had a decent job, her father was not a wealthy man. His house, as a result, was fairly cramped, even without all the people he'd invited for his birthday.
And now, with all of them gone, it looked nice and cozy. It was a house she'd grown up in, and with the sound of chatter no longer hanging in the air, it felt familiar once more.
"I suppose everyone has already headed home," Lucina said. "There's nobody left here but me."
"Ouch."
Lucina glanced down. Draped over the couch like a lazy kitten, Robin met her gaze with a smirk, her coat spread out under her. One of her father's oldest friends, and one of the biggest nuisances in her life.
"Sticks and stones, Lucina. I thought your old man would've taught you better," she said.
"What are you still doing here?" Lucina said, plopping herself down on a nearby chair.
"I'm waiting for my ride. Something which, if I remember, you don't have."
"So I took a taxi here," Lucina said, frowning. "What is your point?"
"Unless you plan on staying here, I can have my driver drop you off at your apartment."
"And if I do plan on staying?"
Robin waved a hand over her head. "Then feel free to leech off your father's kindness as much as you want."
"I'm not leeching off anyone!" Lucina said, and she put a hand to her chest. "It's just for one day!"
"I don't know, Lucina. The last time you said that you didn't come back for a week."
"I got caught up in... police business here. I told you."
"Lucina. I visited that week. Your father said you had the week off."
Lucina coughed into her hand. "You were there? How come I never saw you?"
"It wasn't as if I sent you a hundred messages asking to meet up, didn't I? You didn't block me, did you?"
"No! I would never do such a thing!"
"Oh I'm sure you wouldn't."
Huffing, Lucina said, "You could try texting me right now. My phone will ring."
"It will now that I've unblocked myself," Robin said, and she tossed the phone to Lucina.
Lucina yelped. She fumbled with the device, tossing it from hand to hand before she finally snatched it out of the air. She unlocked it with a swipe of a finger, and sure enough, Robin had sent her a few dozen messages that she hadn't had the chance to see.
The most recent one read: "If you were going to try lying to me, at least you could've tried to cover your tracks."
"You left it on the coffee table when the food was ready," Robin said before she could ask where she'd found it. "Just like you did with this set of files. They're not important, are they?"
"Give me that!" Lucina said, and she snatched the stack of papers out of Robin's hand. "I thought I told you I come here to get away from the city!"
"I'm sorry? Do I look like a city to you?"
"You live in the city! I come here to get away from you!"
Now it was Robin's turn to huff, and she crossed her arms. "And I thought I told you that you need to put your work down every now and then. Spend some time to hang out with your friends." Robin paused. "You do have friends, don't you?"
"I do! I have Cynthia. I have Severa and–"
"And the last time you've stuck up a conversation with them was..." Robin hummed and looked away, though Lucina knew that she didn't really need the time to think and was just doing it for show. "You know, I don't believe you've ever stuck up a conversation with them. Not in your recent history, anyway. It's always been them checking up on you. Isn't that funny?"
"No, it's not. Why were you looking at my messages?"
"Is there anything wrong with me wanting to keep tabs on friends and family?"
"A little."
"Well, you weren't talking to me, so I just thought I'd do a little private catching-up. You certainly weren't going to tell me if you had any issues you needed dealing with."
Lucina groaned, though not without a smidgen of guilt. As annoying as she was, Robin was a friend, and all this could have been avoided if she hadn't tried to avoid her. "Look, is there anything you want from me before you go back to the city?"
Robin smiled, and the sudden light in her eyes promised mischief. "Well, if you'd like to make it up to me, why don't you join me for a trip down to the Exalt's Festival? I hear that they're returning to Ylisstol sometime this week. We used to go there all the time, remember?"
"I remember. I'm not as old and senile as you."
"At least I'm still young enough to have fun. Last I recall, you never wanted to take any of the rides because you thought they were too scary."
Lucina took offense to that. She'd grown out of that, surely.
"In any case, I can't go. I have work to do."
"Oh?" Robin's tone took on a playful edge. "Are you sure it's simply because you have no one to go with you?"
"You're one to talk. You're just as single as I."
Robin scoffed. "For your information, I do have a boyfriend. He's the one who's picking me up today. You wouldn't know, since you have yet to meet him."
"And I won't believe he exists until I meet him. You said it yourself: the day the matchmaker becomes the matched is the day I'd stop fretting over my father. And that has yet to happen, hasn't it?" Lucina gave Robin a lopsided smile. "Speaking of which, have you found someone to share my rent?"
"Actually," Robin said, brightening, "I did find you a roommate. An old friend of your father's, someone named Jody Summers."
"Truly?"
"Come on. Would I lie to you?"
Lucina snorted. She didn't respond, and for a minute, no one spoke. She was comfortable to keep it that way, at least until Robin left.
"You're not the only one who cares, you know."
"Hm?" Lucina glanced up at Robin.
"I actually told my boyfriend to pick me up late so I could help Chrom." Robin chuckled dryly. "Though I suppose with you here, I needn't have tried."
"I mean no offense to you," Lucina groaned, "or Uncle Lon'qu or Aunt Lissa, but he is my father. Am I not supposed to help him?"
Robin shook her head. "No. Just... you never take time to enjoy yourself, by yourself."
"Robin."
"Get yourself a day off to go there, and let some of us help in your stead."
"Robin." Lucina pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, even as Robin fell silent. She should have seen this coming; it was an argument that always seemed to break out whenever her father was involved, and one that she never enjoyed.
"I have one case," she said. "One case left before I can get that promotion, and I can pay to have my father's illness treated. I don't have time for the festival or anything frivolous like that."
"Come on. It's not as if he only has a week left to live. The doctors say the illness won't take a turn for the worse for years. Your father wouldn't want you to put aside everything for him."
"What my father would want won't matter if he's dead!" Lucina snapped. "You can't say the illness won't suddenly accelerate without warning."
"Then let me help," Robin said. "I can pay for you."
And there it was. Every time, Robin would give her a way out.
It was an option she could not take.
"Robin, you have your cafe to take care of. I cannot ask you to stretch yourself thin for our sake."
Robin frowned, and she turned away. "Speak for yourself."
The silence that followed was more awkward than the last. Lucina could sense Robin's displeasure. It was never a pleasant thing to discuss, and they could never agree on how to handle it.
The cushions rustled as she pushed herself to her feet. "I will be heading out for some air," Lucina said. "Feel free to stay until your driver gets here. I shouldn't be gone for long."
"My boyfriend shouldn't be far off, either," Robin said. "I'll be out of your hair within half an hour."
"I'll see you tomorrow." Lucina turned and headed for the door.
"You'd better."
The cool night air washed over Lucina's face as she stepped outside. It felt nice just to let the cold caress her cheeks. Lucina pushed through the desire to simply bask in the breeze, and she walked down the steps and into the night.
Down the road, she saw a pair of headlights approach. As they drew closer, she was able to make out the shape of a car, painted a deep blue.
That must be the boyfriend Robin spoke about, she thought. It's either that, or her brother. It would not be unlike her to try to fool me like that.
Her eyes drifted away, and she swept them over her surroundings. Not a single window glowed with light, the neighborhood around her completely asleep. It was a nice, serene picture, one she could fondly remember running through late at night years ago.
She wasn't here to enjoy the sights, however.
From the stack of papers in her hand, she pulled out an index card. Ylisstol Field, it read.
Lucina glanced off into the distance. Over the sleeping neighborhood, Lucina saw lights flicker over a grassy plain, a tower keeping watch over it all. No planes flew overhead, not at this hour.
A sigh pushed itself through her lips. Keeping the piece of paper in front of her, Lucina pulled out her phone and put it to her ear.
"Hello? Yes, I'd like to take a taxi to Ylisstol Field." She paused to let the person on the other end speak.
"Yes. I'd like one now if it's convenient. And no, this isn't some ill-thought-out practical joke."
Before anyone asks, I decided to make Brotherhood of Smash bi-weekly. I know I said I'll have this as my Saturday fic, but I'm going to try to alternate between this and Brotherhood of Smash to see it helps keep me motivated to update both. I was originally going to take this in a more comedic direction, like all my other romance-based stories, but I couldn't find a version of an opening that clicked with me and was funny enough, so I decided to take a more serious approach.
For anyone who hasn't been following me on the Super Smash Prose discord server (invite code is: gDK48ua, I'm quite active there), I've been somewhat excited to write this fic for a while. Aside from Buttercups Over Tea and Hitting the Books, I've not done many ship-fics, even though I have so many I want to get to. I know it might seem like just another one of my Fire Emblem fics, what with all the mentions of the Fire Emblem cast, but trust me, I'll get into the Smash Bros bits soon enough.
Also, shoutout to Rie Sonomura, who's responsible for getting me into the S. S. Falconcina. If you think this looks interesting, check out their stuff if you want more, because updates are going to be slow.
Next update comes out in two weeks. Until then, I wish you all well, and stay safe!
