Title: Modern Day AU

Description: Today is a big day for Robin, one he is scarcely prepared for. Today is the day he and Lucina finally go on their first date as a couple. That is, if he can survive the schoolday until then.

Notes: This is actually not a completely normal Modern Day AU, as while it is set in a modern day setting, there is more to it than that. I am curious to see if anyone can figure out what the AU is, as I subtly hinted at what it is throughout the one-shot. All I will say is that this is an AU I have been brainstorming ideas about for some time now.

Robin slipped his hands into the pocket of his coat, hunching his shoulders to better bury his chin into the scarf wrapped around his neck.

Already feels like winter and November's only just started, Robin mused. Trugging onward, he continued down the street, making his way to the station. Even so early in the morning, Akanea was already bustling with life, the town's sleepy suburbs waking up to meet the new day.

In truth, nothing about the past year had been normal. At least for him and his friends. But, at least, seeing the rest of the town go about business as usual, brought a smile to his face. In the end he wouldn't have it anyother way.

Let's just see to it that it stays that way.

Robin arrived at the station a couple minutes before his train arrived. From there it would be a twenty minute ride to Irisu High. If he managed to find a seat, he might be able to catch up on some reading or get ahead on his school work. But, considering how nervous he already felt today… well, he suspected he wouldn't really be able to focus on studying.

Him, nervous? Why should he? He and his friends had faced far worse dangers since the spring and on a near weekly basis. What reason did he have to be frightened of something as silly as a date?

Right?

…Right?

Okay, yeah, this clearly wasn't working. If anything, trying to convince himself otherwise had only made him feel embarrassed now on top of absolutely terrified. He could only thank whatever gods may or may not be listening that Lucina had left early that morning. If he'd run into her before this afternoon, he might have fled the scene in an absolute panic.

The unflappable leader, flees house rather than talk to the girl he's going on a date with. Truly a tale for the ages.

Before Robin could stew in own dread any longer, a computerized voice chimed in over the train car's speakers, announcing that they'd reached his stop.

'"Oh, thank god. Robin breathed in relief, hurrying for the sliding doors as they opened.

Stepping onto the platform, Robin made his way down his usual route towards the school's front gates. Irisu was already alive with activity, students bustling around the entrance, some stopping to chat and catch up with friends, others hurrying inside.

"Yo! Robin, wait up," a voice called out.

Robin stopped, and turned back, catching Owain sprinting towards him. Not that it was much of a feat. You'd have to be practically blind not the pick out the bright yellow jacket his fellow second year always wore.

He made sure to step aside as Owain came to a skidding halt. He definitely did not intend on ever repeating the first day of class, when the then absolute stranger had crashed headlong into him as he'd stood at the school's gates.

"We meet again, oh fated rival. Ye who wears a thousand masks," Owain began with his usual theatrics. The man was born for the drama club, no doubt, and Robin wanted to already cover his ears. Last thing he needed was Owain's lines getting stuck in his head. "A new day has cast light onto this darkened world, but I can sense the shadows of fear lying within you. To that, I say, join me, as we shall merge our powers together to shatter the-"

"Owain," Robin said, interrupting Owain's speech. He'd hoped the warning tone would be enough to get Owain to respond in a less dramatic fashion.

"Uh, wanna hang out after class?" Owain asked normally. "You seem a bit down, I mean."

"Actually, I so happen to already have plans this afternoon," Robin replied, starting forward once more, only now adjusting his pace to keep alongside Owain. No matter the circumstances, Owain always moved at a hurry. Which was odd, considering that he knew him well enough to know that were absolutely no situation where Owain would want to get to school any quicker.

Robin tugged at his scarf, already feeling himself begin to sweat a bit. "It's rather important, so I'm afraid I can't change my plans now. Sorry."

Why? Why did you had to lie! You could have just left it at 'I have plans'! He doesn't need your life story, screamed a voice in the back of his head, his own voice of logic giving it's warning coming far too late to have done him any damn good.

"Yet again, you refuse my invitation. Why must you walk such a burdensome path, allowing yourself to be consumed by the chaotic nature of the darkened light? You must allow the chance for the serene grace of the spirits to refill your soul, so you may rejuvenate and be ready to face the darkness of the chaos so that-"

"Owain…" Robin repeated as he had before, this time more than a bit of exasperation seeping into his tone.

"I mean, you're always busy, man. You sure you can't take a break? Keep working this hard, and you're bound to let the pressure get to you," Owain explained, again speaking in an actual normal tone.

"Well, you know me. Always busy," Robin answered, sweating even more know. He swallowed hard. Stop. Stop making it worse! You're smarter than this Robin. Please act like it.

Coming to a stop at his shoe locker, Robin took off his coat, pulling out his school shoes before stuffing it inside. He casual shoes and scarf followed, just barely managing to fit in the small box.

Standing, he straightened his uniform, trying his best to play it a bit cool and not have to explain why he was so-

"Robin, are you feeling well? You are acting very strange," Owain noted.

Dammit!

"Uh, well, I, uhhh… you see…"

Blissfully, he was saved at that very moment by the arrival of one of two's mutual friends and fellow second year, Severa, who spotted them as she entered the school.

"Morning Robin, morning moron," Severa greeted them both in turn, casually pulling off her shoes and tossing them into her locker on the other side the row before looping back around to join them.

"Severa, just the one I desire to arrive in my time of need. Our esteemed companion here refused my noble invitation of a day of merriment spent in the company of his fellows. Perhaps you, the crimson maiden of the biting tongue, could break the spell that had fallen over his mind!" Owain proclaimed, not seeming to have even noticed, or at the very least not cared, of the manner which Severa had referred to him.

Severa blinked once, staring at him. Then she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright… so if I understood that correctly, you are saying Robin refused to hang out with you after class? You don't need to tell me, just nod if I'm right. Or else."

Owain blanched at the threat, indicating it was so with a hasty nod.

"H-Honesty, I don't see what the big deal is. I am just busy, you know. Things happened. N-Nothing odd about that," Robin stammered. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did you add that last bit?!

Severa blinked again, it becoming Robin's turn to suffer under her icy stare. Then suddenly understanding spread over her features, a big, smug smirk appearing at her lips. "Oh, I see exactly what's going on. Don't worry about it say no more," Severa told him.

Huh? What was she…

"Come on, Owain. If he says he's busy, then he's busy. Besides, you know Gangrel will tan your hide if you're late for class again. Get a move on," Grabbing Owain by the arm, Severa began at once pulling him along. She turned back, flashing Robin a knowing wink before dragging the now flailing and protesting Owain along with her.

It was at that very moment that Robin finally grasped what she was suggesting, the way she'd winked all but confirming it for him.

She knows! How does she know?! Robin began to sweat again, his hands shaking as absolute terror took hold of him. Who told her? We were so careful to keep our relationship a secret. The only person who could have possibly figured it out would be-

Dammit, Cynthia. Robin's shoulders slumped wearily, grumbling under his breath. Of course Lucina's younger sister hadn't been able to keep her mouth shut. Even after they'd both tried to impress upon her the importance of keeping things on the down low for now.

If I survive today, it's going to be a miracle.

. . . . .

Sure enough, the rest of the school day ended up being what could only be described as abject torture. Time had seemed to have slowed to a snail's pace, each minute feeling like hours as Robin only grew more and more nervious for the afternoon. He had found himself simultaneously wishing it would be over already, while another part of him wanted nothing more than to put it off for as long as possible.

But eventually the final bell rang, classes ending for the day.

Robin made his way to his locker with all haste he could muster, grabbing his coat and slipping away before any of his others friends could intercept him. Last thing he needed now was having to make more excuses and slip into another nervous panic.

Returning to the home as quickly as he could, Robin changed out of his school uniform and into the button-down shirt and sports jacket from the back of his closet. He was glad he'd made sure to pack nicer clothes when he'd moved to Akanea for the year, even if this was the first time he'd needed to wear it.

Then, mustering his courage, he headed back outside to meet his date.

He arrived at the park they'd planned to meet at first. Due to the weather, the park was empty. The last golden leaves rustled in the trees, the sound of distant cars carrying out in the distance.

Robin pulled out his phone, checking for texts. Nothing. Alright, don't panic. It's only been five minutes. She'd probably just running late, he told himself.

Another minute passed. Robin began to pace, dread gnawing at him. What if she changed her mind? What if she's not coming? What if she realized this is all a mistake? Not that I can blame her, really. Probably should have expected this, realized that we-

"Robin?"

Robin froze dead in his tracks. For a moment he stood there, his back turned to the voice. Then, swallowing his courage, he forced his body to turn, his gaze falling upon the very person he'd both wanted and dreaded to see.

It took every bit of composure he had not to gasp out loud.

Gone was Lucina's usual simple and practical attire. Gone were the dress pants, navy turtleneck, and blue pea coat she alway wore when not in her school uniform. Only the red and blue striped scarf she always wore remained.

Lucina wore a simple blue blouse over a white dress that extended to her knees. Her white leggings and black shoes completed the ensemble. She'd let her hair out, the blue locks cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. Normally she kept her hair up in a ponytail or had it braided and bundled up to look as though she had short hair.

Seeing the normally rather tomboyish, no-nonsense girl dressed so femininely was quite shocking. Not that Robin was complaining. Breathtaking, would be a good word to describe her in that moment.

"Robin, I… sorry I'm late. Severa stopped me on my way out of class. She seems to have somehow found out about… us… S-She insisted on helping me get ready for tonight," Lucina apologized, bowing her head. Her face had turned bright red, the bow she made having seemingly been half to simply disguise that fact. "I tried to talk her out of it, but she would not listen to reason. It's really quite embarrassing."

She shook her head, fidgeting with the old, worn satchel clutched in her hands. Seems she there were two things of her usual attire that she'd kept along with her. "So, I… um… I hope my appearance doesn't… displease you. I'm not sure how you'd feel, but I figured I should try to dress the part for our… date…" she trailed off, averting her gaze as her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of scarlet.

"No, of course it doesn't displease me! You look beautiful, Lucina. Not to say that you normally don't look beautiful. Of course I don't mean to say that. I just mean that you still- ... .right now I mean- I just really think it-" Robin stammered out, the rest of words lost in an unintelligible babble. He tugged the collar of his jacket, feeling himself sweat yet again despite the chilly air. "Wow, is it just me or does it feel really hot right now. Let's, why don't we… change the subject! Yes, talk about something else! Do what people on dates do!"

"Yes! Of course! Let's!" Lucina agreed sharply, leaping upon his suggestion with equal fervor to his own. This reaction ended up being one of the most reassuring things she could have done. After all, knowing that she was just as much of a nervous wreck as he was right now went a long way to helping him feel less self conscious about it.

We are both terrible at this, aren't we?

Silence hung in the air as they both stared blankly at each other. Robin blinked. Then Lucina blinked. Neither able to work up the courage to speak.

"So, umm… how have you been?" Robin asked lamely, finally breaching the silence. Smooth, Robin. Real smooth. A regular Casanova, right here, came the now very sarcastic voice at the back of his head.

"I have been well, all things considering. You?" Lucina replied.

"Best I can be considered how things have been," Robin answered, his response just as stilted and awkward as before.

Silence yet again.

"Okay, ummm, so, this clearly isn't working. Sorry, I am really nervous, and when I get nervous I panic, and now I am talking too much, which is weird for me and-" Robin stammered, feeling his face become even more red.

"Robin," Lucina interrupted.

"- and a really want to make this work and-"

Without warning Lucina stepped forward, grabbing his hand and holding it tight.

Robin abruptly stopped speaking, staring back at Lucina. She had frozen too, her face somehow even redder than before. He was sure his had turned a matching shade of scarlet.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Lucina started

"No, it's fine I-"

"We don't need to hold hands, I should have asked before I-"

"No, it's alright. I… Can we keep holding hands, please?" Robin finished.

"Oh, of course." With his consent given, Lucina squeezed his hand even tighter.

Robin returned the gesture in kind. He felt light headed, as if his brain could scarcely comprehend what just happened. It was like when he'd finally worked up the courage to confess what she meant to him. It had felt like he was dreaming, when she had returned his feelings in kind.

But, just like it had then, it also felt somehow right. Like this was how it was all meant to be. Like he had nothing to be worried about, feeling her hand wrapped around his.

"Well, I guess we should get going. If we wait much longer, it'll be dark before we can make it to the beach in time."

"Oh, yes, of course. I'd almost forgotten," Lucina gave a small, nervous smile that made Robin's heart flutter. God, he never got tired of seeing her smile. It was so rare to see her truly happy. It was a smile he wished she had more reasons to show. She deserved that much, more than anyone, he felt.

Smiling back, and with her hand still clutched in his, the two set off for the station, and to the rest of the evening they'd planned to spend together.

. . . . .

The setting sun glinted on the water, it's light gold tinged in pink as it scattered across the gently tossed waves. The two of them sat on the concrete steps that led down to the beachfront, the only sound that of the ocean lapping against the sandy shore.

All in all, their date had gone a lot better than Robin had imagined. They'd taken it slow, first strolling the boardwalk together, taking in the sights and sounds of the oceanfront. After that, they'd shared the meal Lucina had packed for them both. Robin would have insisted on making the meal himself… were he to have any skill at cooking. After the disaster that had been his last attempt at preparing a cake for a friend's birthday… well, he'd wisely opted to let her handle it.

After that the two of them had found a nice quiet spot on the beach to watch the sunset. A perfect way to wrap up the date, if he did say so himself. Sure, the date had been nothing extravagant, but it was more than enough. Afterall, what mattered more was having had the chance to spend time together not as mere friends, but as a proper couple.

"It's so peaceful, isn't it?" Lucina said, watching the sunset alongside him. She sighed, shaking her head. "I wish it could always be like this."

"It will someday," Robin replied. "We just have to believe it will be, and we can make it happen."

Lucina turned to look at him, and odd, incredulous look on her face. Then without warning a choked laugh fell from her lips, one she quickly tried to stifle with a hand.

"Wh-what? What's so funny?" Robin asked, alarmed by this reaction. Had he said something wrong?

"No, it's just… you're normally so serious. Not that I'm one to talk in that regard. But to hear you speak as such…" she stifled another laugh, bringing up her other hand to cover her lips. "I often forget that deep down, you are quite the hopeless optimist, are you not?"

"Oh, sorry, it just sort of… I hope I didn't come off as too cheesy did I?"

"No, it's quite alright. It suits you, Robin. Because as ridiculous as it may sound, hearing those words come from you… I always can believe that it's true" she replied, lowering her hands from her lips. "I am afraid I have a tendency to dwell on the negative. I always have. Sometimes I wish I could be more like you and the others in that regard. But even now, I find it difficult to fully lower my guard." Her smile faltered at that final remark, her eyes cast downward. "I sometimes wonder if I truly deserve any of this. You. All the others. Having friends."

"Lucina…" Robin slipped his hand down, placing it on top her her's. He picked up her hand slightly, just enough to curl his fingers around it. "There's no one who deserves happiness more than you. Don't dwell on the past. The Lucina here before me has come a long way from the girl I met the first day I moved into town. We've all grown."

"Truly?" Lucina asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Of course. There is nothing to be ashamed of, Lucina. We've all had to see the worst parts of ourselves, but we've all come out stronger. It's the Lucina that faced that reality and refused to let it stop her from being who she was that is the Lucina I came to fall in love with, after all."

"R-Robin, did you just say that you-" Lucina stammered, her eyes going wide. "I… it's not the first time you've said it, but…it still gives me chills to hear you tell me so openly."

"Huh, I suppose I did," Robin noted, feeling his cheeks burn. "But I meant every word. I can't help myself, not when I have a girl as cute and stunning as you seated next to me," he added with a smile.

"Robin!" Lucina scolded sharply, a laugh falling from her lips. She pressed the back of her free hand to her face, stifling more giggles "Please stop, you're embarrassing me. I don't deserve such flattery."

"Oh, is that so?" Robin asked, arching an eyebrow. His grin widened, his earlier nervousness having now completely faded. "Because I have more compliments left, if you want to hear them. I could also add something about how strong and brave you are. Or how kind and caring and selfless you are. Or perhaps I could just repeat what I said before: that I love you, Lucina."

"Robin, I-" Lucina blinked, her words trailing off in an unintelligible stammer. "I love you too. Always." She place her free hand on his, leaning forward until her forehead pressed against his. She closed her eyes, and Robin closed his eyes too. Then he felt her lips brush against his own.

He took back what he said before. This was the perfect way to cap off the day they'd spent together.