To my lovely reviewers:

First, a general thank you!

The Zubatman: M!Robin will definitely appear, probably sooner rather than later.

Anon Guest: As for the endgame... only time will tell. ;)

FireEdge: Yes! Write me Stahl/Robin stories! I'll read them all! And that goes for all my readers! Anyways... It's definitely a more episodic story, but there will be a few plot lines that stretch across multiple chapters. Certain romances may get a second chapter, and the main characters get their own arcs that stretch over the story. While these will all primarily happen in the cafe, the characters will get plenty of interactions outside of it, too. I've already got the gratuitous unrealistic high school party with alcohol planned! As for Robin and Stahl, their relationship dynamic is already one of my favorites to write, and I can't wait for you all to read it grow... :)

InterludeLife: There is not a set schedule. I'll tryyyyy to update once a week at least, but that's tentative. What'll probably happen is that I'll write a lot when I can and hopefully have at least a chapter a week.

Cormag Ravenstaff: Of course Anna's in charge! Gotta rake in that gold. And that's essentially the format of the story. Robin and Gaius, however, have a mess of their own that definitely starts to come to the forefront before the story's final chapter. I'm reading your stuff! Gotta catch up!

pureshadow013: The Fire Emblem pairing system was totally where I got the inspiration from. I knew what I wanted to do with Robin's romance, and then when searching for a plot, it was seriously just a 'what would that be like in real life' epiphany. Minus stalking Noire in the bushes to confirm galeforce.

Blazing Sceptile: Future children will totally appear! I love them with the passion of a thousand suns!

And now enjoy!

Gaius crouched behind the wooden café counter and glared at Stahl. "No one's that… mild all the time. He's suspicious, Bubbles," Gaius said. He sunk a little lower, narrowed eyes just visible over the countertop, trained on Stahl like he expected the boy to jump at them. "I think it's his nose. It's just… there. On his face. I can't tear my eyes away."

"Stahl has a perfectly fine nose, and maybe he's just more mature than you are," Robin said. Scolding Gaius never got her anywhere, but Gaius's subsequent pout always mirrored a small child's in the cutest way possible. "Also, you can't crouch there all night. At some point we'll get customers, and they'll need to be able to get their drinks."

"I'm mature." Gaius quirked an eyebrow at Robin's snort. It lasted all of five seconds before the boy began to snicker. "Maturity is for losers. He's just so… boring. What do you guys even talk about? Coffee? Your… hideous uniforms? More coffee?"

"You seemed to like him well enough when he gave us job applications. Stahl's just more… low-key. I'm sure if you just talked to him, you'd see that he can be fun," Robin said. She wanted them to get along, but if she just flat out told Gaius that, there was a fifty-fifty chance he'd do the opposite just to tease her. Stahl, at least, hadn't caught on to Gaius's new wariness. He was occupied with straightening the pastry display, blissful little smile on his face.

"I saw you taught him our fist bump," Gaius said. There was an odd hint of something in his voice. Vulnerability, hostility, jealousy, Robin couldn't tell, but she spun back to Gaius eagerly. His eyes were unreadable, but maybe he was actually, finally advancing their love story.

"Do you… need something from me, Gaius?" Perhaps Stahl wasn't as occupied as she thought. As the boy walked over to them, Robin resisted the urge to tug at her hair. For someone so good at reading body language, Stahl couldn't read when a situation had good romantic atmosphere at all. Gaius wiggled his eyebrows, and Stahl stood at Robin's side, uncomfortably shifting his feet. "You've been staring at me for five minutes now, and—"

"It's your nose." Stahl rubbed his nose with a mystified expression. "Mmmmnope. It's still there." Gaius pushed himself back up as Stahl continued to rub at his nose. Flashing Robin a wicked grin and a wave, Gaius began to saunter away. "I'm heading out, Bubbles. My work here is done."

"Gaius…" The boy ignored her plaintive plea, and the café door swung behind him with an unapologetic jingle. Whatever flash of honesty Gaius just displayed, it was once more buried under his playful exterior like a pirate's chest in the sand.

Stahl tugged on Robin's sleeve. Robin spun to the boy only to find him with a sheepish flush. "Is my nose still…? I got chocolate on it again, didn't I?"

"You're fine. Gaius is just in a mood." Robin sighed. Gaius somehow managed to be infuriating and attractive at the same time. She couldn't get mad at him. Shoving the problematic boy to the back of her mind, Robin poked Stahl's arm with a grin. "Buuuut, on another note, I learned my lattes, so as promised…"

"As promised, I'll help you with the next couple." Stahl granted her a return smile. His smiles, Robin had quickly learned, pulled at his mouth with a soft sincerity that crinkled the tip of his nose. How Gaius could suspect a smile like that of anything was a mystery. "So juuust give me a second to work out who likes who in here."

Robin glanced out over the café. It was getting late and on a school night besides, so while smattered with college students, the coffee shop was almost deserted. "Do you enjoy reading people?" Stahl frowned, confusion at her sudden question plain in his eyes. "I just want to..." Figure out if you ever have any fun. "Get to know you," Robin said.

"Umm… Yes?" Apparently that motive sounded suspicious, because Robin heard hesitation in Stahl's voice. With a shake of his head, Stahl straightened back up. "Looks like you're out of luck. No one here's interested in anyone."

Sighing, Robin flopped against the counter. "Shifts after nine are the worse. There's never anyone here."

"If you want, Anna usually lets us work on homework. At least, I think she lets us. She also doesn't usually leave the office, so she may not actually know I do homework here," Stahl said. He pulled a stack of flashcards from under the register with an exaggerated grin. "And is anything really more fun than memorizing your early Plegian authors?"

"I don't know. Is there anything more fun?"

Stahl only looked more confused at her abrupt question, but before Robin could backtrack, the café door burst open with a tinkle. A tiny girl dashed up to the counter, hands clutched around a bundled up coat and a musclebound boy close on her heels. "I need your people medicine. It's an emergency," the girl said.

"Of course, who needs it?" Stahl asked, eyes wide. Without that queue, Robin wouldn't have known he was worried at all because his voice sounded as even as usual. Low-key was right.

The girl gently placed the coat on the counter. As Robin frowned at it, she could have sworn the fabric rustled. "Pringles." She would've thought it was a joke if the girl wasn't dead serious. But then, everything about the girl was strange, Robin decided, from her fluffy dyed green hair to her summery clothes on a chilly autumn night.

Stahl glanced between the tiny girl and her huge companion. "And which one of you is… Pringles, exactly?"

"I'm not Pringles. I'm Nowi." Nowi pulled the other boy forward. Where Nowi was stick-like and lithe, the boy was rippling muscles and the finesse of a blundering ox. "And he's… he's… I'm not really sure. Who are you?"

"I'm the Vaike." Vaike puffed up a little. "And that's my coat."

The coat moved again, and Robin flinched back into Stahl. He steadied her with a questioning sound. "It moved."

"Well, duh," Nowi said, flipping some hair over her shoulder. "It's not dead yet."

"It? Pringles?" Stahl asked. Nowi nodded. "And how many… legs does Pringles have?"

"Pringles is dyin'. Teach ain't got no time for this guessing junk," Vaike said. He unwound the coat bundle in a strong yank. The pigeon inside flapped frantically, but before Robin could even panic over the potential loose bird in the café, it settled back down with a pitiful coo. Something was wrong with the bird's wing. "Poor little guy. Look how sad he is."

"An alley cat tried to get 'em, but I spooked it away. Vaike lent me a coat to carry Pringles, and then we ran to the nearest open store. He needs your people medicine so I can bandage up his scratched wing." Nowi pushed Pringles's makeshift nest across the counter.

Stahl lifted the bundle with the tips of his fingers and a sympathetic frown. "I'm not so sure our medicine supplies will be good for Pringles. There's a vet's office right down the street though. I can show you where it is, and Vaike can walk you there," Stahl said, holding the bird out to Nowi.

"But it's an emergency." Nowi stomped a tiny foot. Behind her, Vaike crossed his arms, flexing his intimidating muscles with a dark glare. "You have to help me. I'll cry if you don't."

Robin chewed on her lip. Nowi was already beginning to sniffle. "The vet's office might already be closed. It's kinda late." Robin leaned towards Stahl. "Maybe we should just help her."

"Does anyone here actually know how to fix Pringles's wing?" Stahl asked. Vaike shrugged, equally exasperated and confused. Nowi sniffled louder. "Unless someone here can help..."

Nowi began to cry harder, little tears rolling down her cheeks getting fatter by the second. Tearing his helpless eyes away from the girl, Vaike whipped the duffle bag off his shoulder and rummaged through it. "Teach's got athletic tape, regular tape, glue, and a phone that gets internet. Quit blubberin', and leave this one to the Vaike."

Just as quickly as she started, Nowi stopped crying. Sweeping the coat from Stahl's hands, Nowi stuck her tongue out at him before dashing after Vaike. The pair dumped the bird and Vaike's bag on the table and set to work. "You know they're about to make a bird splint on one of our tables, right?" Robin said.

"Yeah… but I promised you I'd help," Stahl said. He sounded more resigned than upset, but one of his hands was already threaded through his hair. Stahl wanted to help the bird and still refused. Robin frowned. "With the next couple. You learned your lattes, and I think… I just encouraged them to glue a bird together."

"He likes her! Awwwww…" Robin gazed out at Nowi and Vaike. Vaike already had the tape in one hand, phone in the other, as Nowi looked on in admiration. "But that's seriously the worst start to a love story ever. You're really miserable at this."

"Nothing says romance like—Dear Naga, please just let me get Nowi and Vaike the med kit," Stahl begged.

"Steamy," Robin said. "I'll try and keep them from taping Pringles back together without you." Stahl dashed back to the office before Robin could even finish. Steeling herself for whatever crazy plan the two had concocted, Robin walked over to Nowi and Vaike.

Pringles had been freed from its coat and now twittered on a wooden table. Whenever the pigeon made a miserable hop to freedom, Nowi nudged it back with a finger. As if Pringles could sense its fate, the bird continued to hop away from Vaike anyways. "It says here that we need to bandage his wings to his body. Which is best regular tape or athletic tape?" Vaike asked.

Nowi and Vaike both frowned at the tapes in Vaike's hands. Robin pulled out a seat next to Nowi. "Why don't we try actual bandages?"

They stared at her in a long moment of silence. Nowi and Vaike were actually weighing it against the tapes, Robin decided with an internal cringe. "Out of our options it does seem the best," Nowi said. Rubbing a finger across Pringle's beak, Nowi smiled. "Pringles likes it, too."

"You can talk to pigeons?" Vaike asked. He looked astounded. Robin really hoped these two never named children after her, mostly because she was already afraid for the safety of their theoretical child. "I've never met someone so smart before. The Vaike can't even talk to people."

"Well, the Nowi says thanks." Nowi giggled.

Whatever little moment was building, Stahl ruined it by dumping the medicine case on the table. "Okay. So we're probably violating a hundred Health and Safety codes, but I think we can make it marginally better if we keep Pringles on a napkin. Also… we have bandages… ummm… Do pigeons need disinfectant?"

Vaike shrugged. "The internet says we bandage his wings and take him to the vet soon as possible," Vaike said. "Nothin' about disinwhatsit."

Stahl nodded and pulled the roll of bandages out of the Ylissian Grind's previously untouched medicine kit. "Pringles probably likes you best, Nowi, so do you want to do the honors?" Stahl asked. Nowi began to unravel the bandages with a grin. Actually wrapping the bird's wings proved simple, and outside of a few sad, little flutters, Pringles remained still on his napkins.

Scooping up the bandaged pigeon, Nowi held him up with a proud grin. "Ta-da. With some love and cuddles, I bet he'll be as good as new."

"And a visit to the vet's office, remember?" Stahl said with a stern frown.

"If you think you might forget, maybe you and Vaike should trade numbers or something? Then he could remind you—And maybe you and I should trade numbers. Just in case Vaike forgets," Robin said, handing Nowi her phone.

"The Vaike has a memory like a steel trap." Vaike's grin faded under Robin's reprimanding stare. Somehow this felt less like setting up a couple and more like wrangling a pair of children. As Nowi traded numbers with everyone, Robin supposed that if nothing else came from this, at least they saved a pigeon.

Gaius and Stahl weren't quite getting along. They weren't not getting along, but Robin bet that was only because Stahl didn't realize Gaius was trying to mess with him. Today, Gaius had moved from crouching on the counter to just sitting on the edge of it and slowly stealing Danish samples from the plate by the register. "Seriously, have we confirmed anything interesting about him? Because if not, there's really no reason for you to waste your time, Bubbles."

"Be nice." Robin glanced at Gaius as he popped another Danish sample in his mouth while staring at Stahl. "And stop antagonizing him. What's the poor guy done to you?"

Gaius scowled. "I'm not quite sure… Have you ever just looked at a person and wanted to vomit? You're way too nice to him. I'm just balancing you out while maintaining a mildly threatening presence at your shoulder so he doesn't get any ideas."

Ideas? Like romantic ideas? Was Gaius playing the protective not-quite-boyfriend to her—"Did you just want an entire Danish, Gaius?" Gaius narrowed his eyes at Stahl with open suspicion. Once again, Stahl managed to notice Gaius just as Robin was getting to the good part. She was going to be forever alone, Robin decided. "They're left over from the morning, so if you want one..." Gaius slid off the counter to crouch on the ground again. Stahl looked to Robin with concern. "I… Why… Um… Is he okay?"

"Don't even worry about it. He's just…" The doorbell jingled, freeing Robin from her awkward situation and announcing the entrance of Nowi and Vaike. Robin struggled to hide her grin. Walking in together was just one step away from dating in book world. "Nowi, Vaike! How's Pringles?"

The girl bounded up to the counter with a grin like sunshine. "Pringles is doing great. The vet said we shouldn't take him everywhere, but we can take him to the park sometimes."

"And Teach remembered to text," Vaike said proudly.

"His fingers are so buff that he can press like five buttons at once. He showed me in the waiting room." Cute, Robin supposed. Nowi found it attractive, judging by the awe across her face. "So… I was wondering if you guys wanted to come to the park with us? Tomorrow? We were going to bring Pringles and bird seed and see if we could find his bird friends. Also, there's a strange man on the ground. I accidentally stepped on his fingers, and now he looks sad."

"Well, that's probably karma, hmm, Gaius?" Robin glanced to Stahl. Perhaps all it took to loosen him up was a change in environment. "About tomorrow… we'd love to?"

"Of course." Stahl froze. "Um. Wait. What?" Stahl asked.

"Yeah." Gaius pulled himself back up to scowl at Robin. "What?"

"It'd be good to go out. Have some fun," Robin said, returning Gaius's sulk with a reproaching frown.

Gaius rolled his eyes and collapsed against the counter with an exasperated huff. "Bubbles, this is not what I meant about… fun. If you go, I'm going, too." Gaius twisted his head to Stahl. "Her mother doesn't like her going anywhere with a guy without a responsible chaperone. I don't think they'll even let her hold someone's hand until she's thirty. Just so you know."

The meaning in Gaius's meaningful stare was lost on Stahl, who only returned it with perplexed innocence. "Fun!" Nowi declared. Hopefully. Robin could only wish that a little quality time together would show Gaius that Stahl wasn't as dull as he seemed to think.

As the capitol of Ylisse, Ylistol was a sprawling metropolis with little nature. The city's main park still tried to make up for that in sprawling green as far as the eye could see. Provided that eye didn't look beyond the block, of course. It still collected plenty of wildlife, and after ten minutes of bird feed, Nowi had a bird sitting on her hand, happily twittering with Pringles in her other, Stahl had six, Gaius none, and Vaike looked like he came straight out of a princess cartoon, a dozen birds hopping across the boy's arms. Robin glanced down at her own birdless state and untouched handful of bird seed and slumped a little lower on the grass. "I don't understand how Vaike has fifty-some odd birds and not a single one has come to see me."

"Vaike's like a rock so birds like him best," Nowi said. It was a dubious compliment, but Vaike beamed happily. Nowi glanced up from Pringles to assess Robin. "Then it's Stahl. He's kinda like a bird. Harmless but wary. Then me, because I'm already holding Pringles. Then you and Gaius last. I think you might actually be between me and Stahl, but Gaius is a cat. Allll the birds are scared of him, so they won't go near you. You need to sit further apart."

"I like this girl." Gaius gave Nowi a smile that truly did look feline. "She gets me."

"Just… tone down your cat vibes for a bit." Gaius turned his feline expression on Robin. Her face heated up at once, but it didn't crush her desire to befriend a bird, just like a romantic heroine straight from a novel. Robin fixed Gaius with her best doe eyes. "Pleeeease. I want to hold a bird." She was way too close to Gaius, and even as the scent of his shampoo mixed with something almost sweet was making her slightly weak in the knees, Gaius himself looked almost panicked.

"Here," Stahl said softly. Robin flinched, and whatever spell he had been under broken, Gaius rolled his eyes. The birds on his arms and shoulders fluttered their wings but didn't fly away at his words or the slow motion of his arm as he extended his hand towards Robin. "Just give me your hand."

Ignoring Gaius's snort, Robin raised her hand to Stahl's. Gently, the boy rested his fingertips over hers, and the bird sitting on his palm peeped. While most of Stahl's bird seed was gone, the sparrow eyed Robin's pile with a second thoughtful chirp. As the bird hesitantly hopped towards Robin's hand, Gaius sighed loudly.

"Boop." Gaius poked Robin's side. With a little gasp, Robin and Stahl both flinched. Bird seed spilled across the grass as the small flock of birds they had all collected flew away. "It was taking too long. And birds are for eating." Resting his head on Robin's shoulder, Gaius fixed her with a languid stare that heated her skin. "Besides, Bubbles and I kinda need to head out. Plans and all that."

"Plans?" Robin couldn't quite remember if they had made plans at all. Gaius's face inches from hers was turning her brain into a fuzzy, pink mush. "Um. Yeah. Plans."

"I should go, too," Stahl said.

"No need to move on our account." Stahl tossed a pointed glance to Nowi and Vaike, now occupied pouring out more bird seed, as Robin nudged Gaius. He refused to look away from her anyways.

"If Stahl says he needs to leave, maybe he should head out with us. It's starting to get late, so he shouldn't… be… wandering around the city by himself." A terrible excuse, but the city was huge. Maybe Gaius would just go along with it for once.

"How old is he again?" So much for cooperative Gaius.

Willing herself not to react to his pouty complaint, Robin rose to her feet, Stahl and Gaius shortly behind. Nowi pulled away from Vaike to offer up Pringles. "You need to say bye to our child. He'll pine away if you neglect him." Pringles nudged Robin's palm and then Stahl's with a little coo. Gaius hovered in the background, fingers playing impatiently with the hem of Robin's coat.

"Robiiiiiin, I'm hungry," Gaius said, tugging on Robin's coat.

"How old are you again?" Gaius whined like a puppy. "I'm sorry, Nowi, but we've got to go. Someone's behaving like an antsy five year old. It's getting kinda late, so you and Vaike should walk back together. He can protect you from all the bad guys," Robin said.

Nowi beamed at Vaike. "Or maybe Pringles will protect us," Vaike said. Robin giggled. It awkwardly died off as Vaike and Nowi stared at her in utter confusion. It seemed they were serious.

Robin only had a second for a quick wave before Gaius dragged her away, his impatient hands pulling at her coat sleeve. Robin could feel the warmth from his hand on the back of her own hand. Almost not quite touching. "I think that went well," Stahl said, finally caught up to Robin's side. "Between Nowi and Vaike, I mean. They seemed really relaxed around each other."

"Mission accomplished?" Robin spun around in Gaius's grasp to present her fist to Stahl. He bumped hers with one of his delicate smiles that crinkled the tip of his nose. They truly did suit him, and if Gaius only saw that… "Um. What are your plans before work? Did you want to—"

Gaius tugged her into his side in a motion so rough and unexpected, Robin squeaked. Stahl pretended not to see it, and her relief at the action surprised her. "I actually do have plans tonight. Maybe next time?" Stahl smiled at the pair. "It was fun though. Today with the birds. And it was nice to see you, too, Gaius." Gaius pouted. "I've gotta catch the subway, so… I'll see you at work, actually. In a few hours, huh?" Waving a final goodbye, Stahl turned away from Robin and Gaius at the next street corner.

As soon as Stahl was out of hearing range, Robin spun to Gaius. At the disappointed shake of her head, Gaius recoiled, releasing her sleeve. "What's wrong with you? Stahl's obviously making an effort to befriend you."

"Nothin'." After a long pause, Gaius's scowl deepened. "I didn't think you liked birds. And by birds I mean birds… and then also bird boy."

"I never said I didn't like Stahl. You don't like Stahl, and I don't know why, because he's perfectly harmless," Robin said.

Gaius kicked a pebble, sending it skittering across the sidewalk. "The fist bump is our thing."

He was glumly focused on his feet, and Robin hated to see Gaius like that. Especially when it was her fault. The heroine should always make her hero happy. "If it bothers you so much, then he and I can stop. You just need to ask. I'll always listen to you."

Gaius sighed. "Right. Yeah. Sorry. I just… I dunno." The boy rammed his hands into his pockets and continued to study the sidewalk. "Just… Can we take a raincheck on the plans tonight? I'm kinda tired all of a sudden." With a supportive smile, Robin nodded. If a little space was what Gaius needed, then of course she would give it to him. She would give him anything. Unconditionally.

Per usual, I love hearing feedback of any kind. Pairing requests are welcome, too! I'm also thinking of introducing a fourth character into the current main core of three. At the moment, it's between the secondary love interest for Gaius (whose identity is still up for grabs!) and/or a friend for Robin and Robin's brother. If anyone wants to see someone get focus in one of those roles, just say the word!