Robin's cafe was nestled snugly between an Italian restaurant and a bookstore on Fell Street. The Barracks, she'd named it, and had marked it with a sign hanging above in big bold letters. Lucina thought the name rather silly, but it wasn't as if she could go back in time to convince Robin to change it.

The name wasn't the only thing she found annoying. As soon as she pushed the glass door open and walked in, she was greeted with an annoying jingle. It was some generic summer-themed pop song–probably the same one as last year. Robin was cheap like that.

At least everything else was notable calmer. Even though it was relatively early, the clock on the back wall reading eight twenty am, there weren't too many people here. The Barracks was quiet, even on the best of days, with only about four to six customers seated at the round tables scattered around the room. Some clutched steaming cups of coffee, while others busied themselves digging into their breakfast. Lucina would have to consider buying one for herself later, but right now, she was here for a different reason.

Pulling back a wooden chair by the intricately designed pattern on the back, Lucina plopped herself down, propped her leg up on the table, and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. Half a minute had barely passed before a short boy with curly pink hair and a pink shirt that looked way too big for him walked up to her with a notepad in hand.

"Hi, miss!" the boy said, a cheerful smile on his face. "What do you want?"

Lucina gave the boy a flat look. "Do you work here? I didn't know Robin had any employees."

The boy glanced back at the counter, and worry briefly flashed across his face. "I don't know. I think so," he replied.

Lucina frowned. "You think so? That's... not really something I'd want to hear. Did Robin hire you?"

"Miss Robin told me to ask what you wanted."

"Is she paying you, at least?"

When the boy shook his head, Lucina only sighed. If she was being honest, it was just like Robin to do this. Waving the boy away, Lucina said, "Can you get Robin? There are some things I would like to speak to her about."

The boy hummed. "Okay!" he chirped, and with that sunny grin on his face, he skipped back toward the back door. He slipped through, and a few seconds later, Robin came back up. When she saw Lucina, her face lit up, and she sauntered over.

"Lucina! So glad you could make it." As she threw herself down on the chair across Lucina, she gave Robin that obnoxious look that Lucina had never liked. "I see you've already met Kirby. What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Lucina huffed. "I think it's against the law to hire children and pay them nothing."

"Children? Oh, no, don't worry," Robin said, shaking her head and giving her a reassuring smile that was anything but. "He's my kid."

It was at that moment that Lucina was glad she hadn't ordered any coffee earlier, because if she had, it would have all gone to waste right there. She still choked on the air, however, and it took her a moment to stop gagging.

"Your kid?" Lucina hissed. "When did you have a kid?"

Robin made a so-so gesture. "He's not mine, really, but I am dating his father, so that makes me his guardian as well."

"You're dating someone?" Lucina blinked. "When did that happen?"

"I told you that last night. Were you not listening?"

Lucina shook her head and groaned. "No, I was, I'm simply dealing with a lot," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You are now?" Robin propped her head against one of her arms and smiled in that way that always rubbed Lucina the wrong way. "Would you like me to help?"

"You're not going to leave me alone if I say no, would you?"

Robin's smile widened, as if it hadn't already been wide enough, and she spread her arms. "Come on, Lucina. You know me."

Lucina looked her dead in the eyes. "Yes, I do."

A moment of silence passed. Slowly, Robin's smile fell, as did her arms.

"It's police work," Lucina said. "That is all I can tell you."

"Ah. Police work." Robin nodded, and she gave Lucina an understanding look that said she really didn't understand it at all. "Then maybe we should talk about something else?"

Lucina's eyes narrowed. "Yes. We should speak of something entirely unrelated, and something that you won't try to turn into a discussion about my work."

"Yes, yes." Robin tapped the table and craned her head over her shoulder. "Kirby! Remember that cup of espresso I had you make this morning? Pour us two of that, will you? And..." She turned back to Lucina and leaned across to whisper, "You had breakfast this morning, right? Ah, you stayed with Chrom last night, who am I kidding."

"I had eggs and toast," Lucina murmured.

"Lucina, we both know that isn't real food."

Lucina raised her eyes to glare at Robin. "Is there something wrong with the way my father cooks?"

"I don't know," Robin said, shrugging. "Is there something wrong with free breakfast?"

"Surely you can't afford that." Lucina motioned to the room around them and its sparse furnishings and almost bare wooden walls, save for a few photographs hanging on the wall that Lucina was fairly sure still had watermarks on them.

"I can't, but," she said, reaching across to pat Lucina on the shoulders, "I am your friend, and as your friend, I want to make sure you look refreshed and ready when we meet your new roommate." Robin clapped her hands and pointed at Lucina. "That is something we can talk about, isn't it?"

Lucina huffed, but she let herself fall back into her seat. "I suppose so."

"That's great!" Turning back to the boy kicking the ground near the counter, Robin pointed at Lucina and nodded. "Get us two slices of blueberry pie, too. Do you think you can do that?"

The boy nodded, and as Robin waved him away, he disappeared behind the counter.

"So," Lucina said when Robin turned back to her, "this... Jody Summers, what is she like?"

"What, you didn't ask your father?" Robin asked, frowning.

Lucina shook her head. "I didn't have time to. You've spoken with her, though. What was your impression?"

"Eh. She was friends with your father back when they served in the same unit, and I can certainly see why they hit it off. They're both strict, law-abiding, and all business. If your father was able to get along with her, I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"I should hope so. I can't afford to have any distractions right now."

"Of course. I'm sure she'll understand not to distract you from–"

"Miss Robin," the boy, Kirby, interrupted as he stopped right next to their table, a tray in his hands. "I got you your drinks."

Robin glanced up and smiled. "Thank you. Now, could you set down the tray on the table–slowly, I might add–and give both me and Miss Lucina our drinks?" As Kirby followed through, Robin motioned toward Lucina and said, "Speaking of, I haven't formally introduced you, have I? Kirby, this is Miss Lucina. She's the daughter of one of my friends. Also, she's a cop. Did I mention that before? I don't know if I have, but now I have, so." Robin shrugged.

At that, Kirby's eyes lit up, and he turned to Lucina with the biggest grin she'd ever seen. "Wow, you're a cop, Miss Lucina? That's amazing!"

"Detective, actually," Lucina said.

"Really? That's even more amazing! Have you caught any bad guys yet? Who are they? Can you tell me about them?"

Lucina shot Robin a look, before she replied, "I'm afraid I can't. It's secret police stuff. But." She paused, and she lowered her head and pretended to scan the room. "I can tell you when there are less people around. Once you're finished with working, that is."

Kirby's eyes widened, and he stood a little straighter, looking between her and Robin. "Oh, that's right! Is there anything else you want to eat?"

Robin clicked her tongue, and she pointed back at the counter. "Some blueberry pie would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Huh?" Kirby followed her gaze to the two slices still sitting in the back, and he squeaked. "Oh no, I forgot! I'm going to go get them now!"

Robin chuckled as Kirby scrambled back to fetch them their pies. Lucina didn't share her humor. "Couldn't you be a little kinder?" she asked.

"Don't worry," Robin said, brushing her off. "He knows I mean no harm. It's his first time helping around the shop, and he's doing quite well." Robin paused. "Actually, perhaps I should be the one asking you to be kind to him."

"Why?" Lucina asked, taking a sip of the espresso. At once, the brittle and bitter flavor of the coffee splashed over her face like a bucket of cold water, biting down on her tongue and leaving the entire inside of her mouth feeling like a raisin. It took all that she had not to gag at how strong it was, and when she glared back at Robin, she found the other woman had left her cup completely untouched.

"Because," Robin said, picking up the coffee and swirling it in her hands, "it's his first time making coffee too. I'll admit, it's not amazing, but he's got the spirit."

Lucina hummed. "I'm hardly surprised. You get your hands on a young, impressionable child, and the first thing you do is try to mold him into your image. That is so very much like you."

"Hey, you can't say it's a bad thing, can you?" Robin grinned. Lucina wanted to tell her that she was wrong, but opted to take another sip from her horribly bitter coffee. "Besides, he's already plenty independent. There isn't much I could do to "mold him in my image" anyway. In fact, if you took a look at him and his father, you could hardly tell they were related."

"Is that so?" Lucina gave Robin a curious glance. "What is his father like?"

"What is there to say? He's quiet, he keeps to himself. He's smart, too. Incredibly smart. You wouldn't believe how smart he is."

"I think I can imagine."

"Don't get smart with me," Robin huffed. "If I were to have a partner, I would like them to be able to match wits with me. It's no fun knowing every trick they could pull. Sometimes, a few surprises can be nice." Robin paused, and she checked the clock on the wall. "Speaking of, what would you look for in a romantic partner? Your father has probably asked you that before, but I can't help but be curious as well."

"What do I want in a partner?" Lucina sighed. "I've never really thought about it before; it's never been important to me. I have my father. I don't need anyone else."

"Yes, you have told me that before, but if you had to date someone, what would you want them to be like?"

"I don't know. I suppose I would just want them to work well with me. There's not much point in living together with someone if they just get in your way. Speaking of which, do you mind setting the terms for me? I'm much too tired to think straight."

"Don't worry, Lucina. Consider it done."


Falcon was just about done when he finally found his way to the cafe.

Not only had he run completely late, but he'd also gotten completely lost on his way here. The Falcon Flyer's GPS has told him that he needed to turn through Valm Street, but when he reached the intersection he was supposed to cross, he'd found the road completely blocked off by the police. When he'd asked why, they only told him that someone had trashed an antique store. Maybe it would have been a good idea to question him, but Falcon was in a hurry, so he had turned onto Awakening Avenue to get past.

As it turned out, Ylisse's streets were a lot more complicated than that. They twisted and turned in the most confusing ways, suddenly changing direction when you thought they would go straight and lead you back, and it had taken Falcon twelve minutes and fifty dollars to find his way to Fell Street.

For what had to be the sixth time today, Falcon glanced down at the note in his hand. "Meet up at The Barracks," it said. He looked up at the cafe in front of him.

"The Baron," it read in bright, yellow letters.

"Excuse me," he said, waving down a pale-skinned man on the street. "Do you know where the Barracks cafe is?"

"The Barracks cafe?" The man jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Stop at the intersection and take a left. The cafe will be three blocks down."

Falcon followed his gaze. "Which intersection?" he asked, but the man had already begun to jog away. "Hey! Which intersection is it?"

As it turned out, he had meant the first intersection. Falcon supposed that made sense, but a little clarification wouldn't have hurt.

Pushing down his frustration as he pushed open the door, Falcon scanned the room and everyone in it. Everyone here looked completely normal, so perhaps he would have been able to let his guard down, but Falcon took no chances, keeping his hand clenched tight and his teeth clenched tighter.

There was a couple sitting by the window, a young man snapping photos of his chocolate muffin, and near the back of the cafe, there was–

Falcon narrowed his eyes. Wait, is that the policewoman from last night?

She looked different in broad daylight. Her skin was just a little more pink, and her hair was a little more blue, as was her jacket, though when he looked a little closer, he could see that it was the same jacket as last night. Her face looked a little softer, and without darkness to hide it, he could make out the rings under her eyes. She must have been up all night, some of which was probably his fault.

The policewoman was also sitting with another woman, one with white hair fastened into pigtails in a dark purple sweatshirt. They were discussing something animatedly over two cups of coffee and two slices of blueberry pie, and now that he thought about it, he'd been staring for a while now, hadn't he?

Quickly tearing his eyes away, Falcon finished his scan and searched for the owner of the cafe. Jody had given him little to go off, other than the fact that her name was Robin. Or was it his? He might have had less trouble remembering if he'd slept better last night, but such was his life.

He looked around again, and this time, he spotted a blue-haired man coming out of the back room and sliding behind the counter. That must have been Robin, then. He could have sworn Jody said it was a woman, but his memory was hardly intact after the fuss last night.

"So," he said, strolling up to counter, "you must be Robin."

Robin briefly tore his eyes from the plate, and wow, he did not know someone's eyes could be that shade of yellow.

Falcon tried not to let that distract him, quickly setting his mind back on track. "I'm here for the room you put up the offer for. Is that still up? If it is, I'm afraid I can only pay half the rent right now, but–"

The man put up a hand, silencing Falcon immediately. Falcon frowned, confused, until the man pointed over his shoulder and said, "You're looking for her."

Falcon glanced over his shoulder, following his gaze to the table at the back. The one with the policewoman and the white-haired woman, sipping away at their coffee as they conversed with hushed voices.

"You've got to be kidding me," Falcon mumbled under his breath.

The man at the counter made an inquisitive sound and gave him a sideways look. Falcon waved dismissively at him. "It's nothing. I'm terribly sorry for interrupting you."

The man gave a grunt in what might have been either acceptance or annoyance. Falcon didn't bother to ask. Instead, he began to carefully make his way over to the back table.

"Excuse me."

As soon as he spoke, the two women fell silent and turned to look at him. Normally, Falcon was not a very nervous person, but as soon as the policewoman laid her eyes on him, he started to wonder if she recognized him.

No, that would be impossible, he thought to himself. I don't have my helmet, I'm wearing the same clothes, not to mention I act completely different. I'm not Captain Falcon here, I'm Douglas J. Falcon.

"Is something the matter?" The policewoman's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

Falcon blinked, before he looked between the two of them. "Is one of you Robin?"

The white-haired woman stood up and smiled. "That would be me. What do you need?"

"I'm here for the room you put the offer for. Is it still up?"

Robin exchanged a look with the policewoman. For a moment, he thought he'd done something wrong. Maybe they'd mistaken him for Blood Falcon? That had happened once back at home, though now Jody knew not to mix them up.

Then again, this wasn't home, and when neither woman said anything for the longest time, Falcon couldn't help but feel like he was about to be arrested.

"Sorry, but..." Robin glanced at him, then back at the policewoman. "We were under the impression that someone named Jody Summer was going to rent the room."

Falcon paused. "She never told you that she was renting a room for me?"

"No."

"I see." Falcon took in a deep breath, then turned to the policewoman. "And your name wouldn't happen to be Chrom, would it?"

"No, it's not. He's my father." Falcon breathed a sigh of relief. "Though... I am the one who put the room up for rent. Not him."

I should have known, Falcon groaned internally.

"Ms. Robin, you wouldn't happen to have any other rooms up for rent, would you?"

Robin shook her head, her pigtails swinging by her face as she did. "I'm afraid not. Lucina here is the only one who lives upstairs."

Beside her, Lucina bowed her head. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm sure you could find somewhere else to rent, could you?"

Sure, it's no problem, was what Falcon would have loved to say, but as he fingered through his almost empty wallet, he came to the sinking realization that, no, he couldn't just search for another room, since this was the only one he could afford.

Falcon let out a slow, long breath. Let the past be in the past. She got in my way, but I can let that go if I have no other option.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can," Falcon said, wincing. "I'm a little strapped for cash, and this is the only place within my budget."

The policewoman looked conflicted about that. She frowned, peering into her cup and humming, before she said, "I'm sorry, but I can't–"

"Okay then."

The policewoman's eyes snapped to Robin. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

Robin rolled her eyes, and she whispered back, "Come on, have a heart, Lucina. You need the money, and he needs a cheap place to stay." She turned back to Falcon and grinned in a way that Falcon wasn't quite sure what to make of. "You can stay here for as long as it takes for you to find a cheaper place. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a cafe to run, so Lucina here will give you the rundown on what the terms are."

Robin's chair scraped back as she shot to her feet. For some odd reason, Robin turned to wink at Lucina, but before Falcon could think too hard about it, she scurried toward the counter.

"Robin, wait! You said you would explain the–" But Robin had already gone through the back doors, leaving Falcon alone with Lucina

After an awkward pause, Lucina sighed. "Or, she could force me to do it anyway. That figures, the jerk." She hesitated, then nodded at Falcon. "Why don't you take a seat. It feels awkward if I'm the only one sitting. And help yourself, too. Robin hasn't touched any of it, and now I realize why."

Falcon did as he was told, sitting down in Robin's unoccupied seat. As he took the coffee cup and raised it to his lips, however, Lucina said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's–"

Whatever she had been about to say, Falcon didn't hear it. He couldn't hear anything over the sound of blood pounding in his ears, or feel anything when he felt the bitter flavor smack him in the face. Falcon grimaced, and he looked down into his cup, horrified.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Poorly made coffee," Lucina replied. "Robin's been teaching someone else how to make coffee, and, being her, she seems to have nothing better to do than to make us her test subjects."

"That's fantastic. I suppose I didn't need to sleep tonight, anyway," Falcon mumbled, clutching at his head.

"I can sympathize with that."

As soon as the taste dulled, he decided it would be best to get this over with as quickly as possible. "So then," he clasped his hands on the table, "what are your terms?"


Hey all. I don't know how early I promised to bring this upload. It was either last week, or the week before. Either way, sorry it took a while to get back into the swing of things. I was busy writing other things. Probably would have published that if it wasn't nonsensical garbage. Writing in the dead of night can only take you so far, I suppose.

With each chapter I write, I am reminded of how much fun just writing two people do stuff together is. The only original story I've been writing up so far is two people in a bathroom. It's the simplest things in life that are easy to enjoy, so enjoy them I shall, so on so forth.

Anyway, I have come to the decision that Tuesday is a little early to be posting stuff. I don't write Sundays usually, because that's when I work, so Wednesday or Thursday might be a better idea. It's not like that's what I was already doing. Since I'll probably be updating another fic next week, I'll try to get another chapter done by the week after that, though since I don't think many people read these footnotes, I suppose these have become more reminders to myself than anything.

Until then, take care of yourselves out there, and stay safe!