Title: Touch of Another's Hand
Description: Late one evening Robin and Lucina find themselves talking after the other Shepherds have gone to bed. When the topic turns to Lucina's duty to save the world, will Robin let his feelings for her be known?
Notes: Takes place immediately following Robin and Lucina's A-support conversation
"I...can handle it." Lucina said at last, breaking the silence between them since Robin had posed his question. The hesitance at which she spoke was unmistakeable, as if struck by sudden doubt her ability to shoulder her self-imposed duty.
Robin sat motionless, gazing on the dwindling campfire that had been the focal point for the evening's meal. The other Shepherds had long since retired to their tents or taken up first first watch around the camp's perimeter. Only he and Lucina had lingered, passing the waning hours with talk. It was then that the conversation had turned to Lucina's future, and the nature of her mission in the past.
At last he moved, nodded slowly. Calling her out on it wasn't the wisest choice now: it would be more likely to upset her than do any real good. Gods, something about even the thought of Lucina being upset with him was unbearable. "Perhaps," he managed, doing his best to hide his frown.
Picking up a discarded stick, he poked the at the fire absently, working out what he should say. Why not just tell her what you think? Or are you unable to do even that, the cold, self loathing voice that had become all-too familiar as of late chinded. He realised then that he was holding his breath, releasing it with a pent of sigh. Being passive wouldn't help any. "Just…" He paused again, frowning. "...Will you promise me to take better care of yourself?"
At this question Lucina turned to look directly at him, her expression hard as if searching for some ulterior motive behind his words. For an instant her eyes narrowed into a suspicious glare, then she relaxed, her expression softening. "For you...yes," she said softly, scratching at her seat absently.
"Ah...a relief to hear," Robin replied, exhaling with a pleased ah-ha.
"And a relief for me that you care, Robin. Thank you." Lucina smiled slightly, looking away as she finished. It might have been nothing more than a trick of the flickering firelight, but Robin thought he saw Lucina's flush pink, if only for a moment.
Smiling too, Robin returned his gaze back to the campfire. She was happy that he cared. Something about those simple words inspired a sudden, giddy joy, a tingle running up his spine as he repeated them in his head. Knowing someone he cared about approved of him too… that was something special.
It was so that he didn't notice his own hand inching slowly to his right, acting on some unconscious desire, towards where Lucina's hand rested against the log. His hand covered her's, a tingle of warmth shooting up his arm as their skin met. For a moment his only thought was as its texture, soft and delicate despite the swordsman's calluses covering her palm.
Then, with a jolt, he yanked his hand away, Lucina's reaction mirroring his own in perfect unison.
"I-I… I should really be going. It must be almost time for me to take over watch duty from Sir Frederick," Lucina stammered, her eyes meeting his. This time there was no mistaking the fact that she was blushing, her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Robin's own face burned, mortified by his forwardness. "Lucina, I…"
And then she was gone, hurrying out of sight before he could even finish his apology.
"Gods, I'm so stupid," Robin groaned, cradling his head in his hands as slumped in his seat.
He'd acted without thinking: accomplishing nothing other than driving her away. Of course she'd be embarrassed, a man she considered a friend: a man who was her father's best friend, had placed his hand on her's in a gesture reserved for an far relationship of far more intimacy than theirs ever could be. He didn't even know why he did it either, its not like he had any real desire to-
Oh, who was he kidding. He'd had feeling for her since the moment he'd seen her unmasked in that courtyard almost two years before. Perhaps before that, even, since the moment they'd first met. She'd been disguised as a man then, leading to many other questions he'd had to ask himself.
Robin sighed into his hands. None of that mattered at any rate, it would never work out between them. She was his best friend's daughter, and even if only a small handful of years lay between them he could not erase the generation wide gap. And what happens when this is over? She'll return to her own time, that's what, a voice in the back of his head chided. How could you be with her then?
Even if that could be ignored, how could he hope to think she harbored feeling for him in return? Not when she was so strong and brave and kind and beautiful, gods was she beautiful, while he… While he wasn't strong nor particularly brave. She deserved someone like her, someone strong enough to stand by her side and keep her safe, who could help her face the countless hardships she's faced her whole life. He? He could barely help to bear the weight of the duty that had been lain upon her.
She deserves so much better than me….
Yet try as he might his mind kept wandering back to the sensation of Lucina's skin against the palm of his hand: its softness and warmth. He blushed again, embarrassed at the directions his thoughts had taken.
He was doomed, simple as that.
. . . . .
Lucina slumped against a tree once she was far out of sight, covering her face in her hands. "Naga, how could I be so foolish?" She whispered, letting herself slide down the length the tree until she sat down in the grass. What could she do now? In truth she had more than an hour's time before she was set to relieve Sir Frederick's watch. She couldn't return to her tent now, nor could she return back to the fireside with Robin...
Robin.
Gods, what did Robin think of her now? It hadn't been his fault he'd accidentally place his hand on her's, she'd been the one who'd inched her hand towards towards him. The embarrassed look on the tactician's face flashed in her mind a second time, her heart plummeting in her chest. Of course she'd embarrassed him: she was still a child to him, no matter how few years separated them in this time. A child… a child foolishly in love with her father's best friend, a man who in her own time had been decades her senior.
"A childhood crush, nothing more," she told herself, her voice a faint whisper of breath.
Lucina sighed, knowing the words were a lie the instant she spoke them. Perhaps it had started as that. Certainly, she had harbored some affection for her father's friend while growing up, something she'd thought was long since past her. Then she'd come to this time, only to find that affection rekindled. She'd gotten to how her father's tactician, had a chance to see who he really was.
He was so much more open in this timeline, in her future he'd always seemed distant and almost sad. Perhaps it was because of his lost memories, something that never had been in her own timeline. Or maybe it was merely because he was younger in this time and had not yet faced the same hardships of his future counterpart. Maybe that was the trouble of it, here she could not see him as the mysterious and brooding man she'd remembered from her childhood, but as a close friend.
Its hopeless to think it could ever work between us, Lucina told herself, shaking her head in the futility of desiring otherwise. He doesn't care for me like that, he just… he's just is looking after me the same way he does everyone else. And even if he did, I'm another world. Once my duty is done, you must leave. I know I must. She continued with similar arguments, repeating against and again every reason to the foolishness of it all.
He deserves someone who can stay by his side, something I can never do...
Yet despite it all, she could not keep her thoughts from sensation of Robin's hand brushing against her own. And how right it had felt.
Author's Note: I figured it was about time I write something that takes place before Robin and Lucina are couple. I figured it would be nice to have them both acting like big dorks and getting embarrassed, not to mention them both just assuming the other doesn't feel the same way they do.
In other news, I have hit writer's block on the retelling of Morgan's recruitment mission, so that oneshot is going to the back burner. So expect more of these shorted ones for the time being.