Title: Robcina Week 2023 Day 1 - Beginnings

Description: He often wondered when it started: when Lucina had first fallen in love with him. He knew, afterall, when and why he'd fallen for her. But now, with so little time left, he had to ask.

Notes: Set Immediately follows the conversation of Love Across Time: Chapter 12, prior to the conclusion of Fire Emblem Awakening, a few days after chapter 23 of the game.

Words: 1932

"When did you first fall in love with me?" Robin asked.

"Hmmm?" Lucina murmured, seeming to have been almost nodding off again. It had grown even later since they'd begun talking about Robin's future-past self, but sleep had still proved elusive to them both. Perhaps it was the uncertainty of their inevitable confrontation with Grima that made sleep difficult… or maybe it just made spending as much time as possible with one another too enticing a prospect when any day could very well be their last.

Still, with how sleepy Lucina seemed to have gotten once more, Robin at once considered withdrawing the question for not. "Sorry, if you're tired it can-"

"No, it's quite alright, Robin," Lucina assured him, already seeming more away. She sat up best she could, still cradled as she was against him, held in each other's arms. "I am just a bit surprised at the question. What brings this on?"

"Talking about future-me made me think… well, about how our relationship only happened due to how different I ended up being without my memories. So I just wondered, when did you realize it," he explained. He smiles slightly, adding. "Granted, you had your crush on future-me before that, but that was so long ago for you I can't imagine it had much barring on our relationship this time around."

"What!?" Lucina nearly jolted upright, had she not been still entangled in their shared embrace, so complete was her surprise. "I-I... never said anything about a- how did you-" she stammered, now very awake and uncharacteristically flustered by the accusation.

Robin laughed, wrapping his arm tighter around his wife and giving her a kiss. "I suspected from the way you talked about me, future me, I mean. I wasn't sure until your reaction, which I think just about confirms it."

"I… Robin, please!" Lucina protested, her face turning such a bright shade of crimson he was almost sure he could see it actually glow in the darkness. "I was a child, it wasn't anything serious! You know how it can be… this handsome, mysterious man who… stop laughing!" she demanded as Robin laughed.

"Okay, okay," Robin relented, easing back on the teasing. "I just thought it was cute. But…" his expression turned more serious once more. "...back to my question. When did you first start falling in love with me, this me." He motioned to his chest. "I still don't know why you, well…" He shrugged.

"I…" Lucina was silent for a moment, so long that if not for her eyes remaining open, Robin would have thought she'd finally dosed off. Minutes crawled by, until at last her pensive expression broke with slow, careful words. "I… I am not entirely sure. I don't think there was any one moment where I fell in love with you. I was suspicious of you, knowing of my fathers death, and how you would be the foremost suspect."

"Which you were right about," Robin noted. "I did kill Chrom in your future, against my–his–will or not," he added, doing his best to remember their earlier conversation and emphasize how he and his future self were not the same.

Lucina nodded, but continued. "But it was, I think, thanks to watching you so closely, that I saw the kind of person you were. How you always went out of your way and beyond to help every one of the Shepherds, no matter how small, frivolous, or outright insane those problems proved to be.

This got a genuine chuckle from him. Insane was… definitely a word for some of the issues he was tasked to solve. If he'd have to pick, playing matchmaker for a wyvern was a definite highlight of the 'bizarre experience' category. Wait, Lucina was in the army when I helped Cherche with that. Was she spying on me during that whole ordeal?

"During that time, I found myself talking to you more and more. And just like with everyone else, you were always willing to listen to every one of my problems, helping to assuage the worst of my fears and self-doubts," Lucina told him. He caught a slight mistiness in her eyes, even as a smile spread across her lips. "I always wished I could be more like you in that regard. To be strong enough to shoulder so much, to allow the support others needed. To help bring out the very best in everyone."

"Yet, even though you were acting with selflessness, shouldering so much… i could always see the enjoyment you took through helping others," Lucina added, her expression becoming almost wisful. "Despite the hardships you found yourself in because of it, you still had fun with everything you did, because it was with people you cared about. I could not help but envy it that.

Robin tried to reply, only to fall silent as Lucina continued. He didn't want to interrupt."But it was that, in the end, that struck me the most. In always being there for me, for my father, and for every one of us: I saw someone so selfless, someone who cared so truly and deeply for all those around him… how could I not find that admirable? How could I not find myself falling for that person, even if I doubted you could have ever shared those feelings in return. When that person was also so brave, dashing, and so very clever like you are." She laughed, seeming almost bemused at her own words. "I thought I was a fool, if you must know. A fool for allowing myself to believe your kindness towards me was anything more than what you extended towards any other of the Shepherds. That my feelings could end up anymore more than yet another childish crush."

Now it was Robin's turn to remain silent, at a loss for words. He hadn't really realized. Just how much she'd shared his own doubts about their feelings being reciprocated, "So you never knew? That I felt the same?"

"No. Not until that day where you came to me, a bouquet of flowers in hand. Not until you told me that you loved me, something not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine you'd ever say to me." She laughed, shaking her head. "Sometimes I wonder if this is all yet a dream, so improbable all this still seems."

Again Robin was silent. He closed his eyes, trying to work up the courage to utter his next words. He'd never admitted what he was about to say, for it always seemed so embarrassing, yet also… so obvious. Though perhaps it had really only been to himself.

"I loved you from the start," he said at last. He opened his eyes, seeing a look of confusion and bewilderment in her eyes.

"Since…"

"Since I first saw your face, unmasked that night during the assassination attempt. I… I tried my best to hide it, but there in the moonlight, I thought I was staring at an angel or perhaps even a goddess, so beautiful you were. This strong, brave, and determined warrior maiden, there for all to say." He felt his face blush, even more deeply than Lucina's own at what he'd just said. The very not-at-all veiled compliments. He laughed, the sound nervous, trying his best to dispel the tension. Or, at least, feel less embarrassed at the words coming from his own mouth, "It was that determination that struck me most. I could see it in your eyes, in how you carried yourself. 'This was someone who never gave up, no matter what', I thought to myself. I wanted to believe I had a fraction of that strength, that resolve." He smiled, adding in mirror of Lucina's own earlier admission, "That's what I found so admirable within you. Something I couldn't help but be attracted to."

Then, without missing a beat, he let the other shoe drop."And then two years later I found out you were Chrom's daughter and I thought 'well, there goes that. Best case scenario, Chrom never finds out you had a crush on his time traveling daughter and you make it another day not finding yourself on Falchion's pointy, sharp business end'. Truly, a horrible doom I'd found myself in."

"Robin, you can not be serious. I was being so forthright, and here you are making terrible jokes," Lucina scolded through the stifled laughter that fell from her lips at this.

"Joke? I am being dead serious here, Lucina. I was genuinely terrified for my life. Have you seen your father angry? I was absolutely certain I'd gotten myself into mortal peril," he assured her, only being, if he was forced to admit, just a bit, extremely slightly melodramatic here.

"Okay, okay, fine. But you still attempted to court me, did you not? Despite your evident 'mortal peril' you'd gotten yourself into," Lucina relented, though not at all in regards to her laughter.

"I… okay yes, despite my best judgment.. I couldn't help myself. Talking with you, learning of your past… I saw all my impressions of you confirmed and more," he said, growing serious. "You suffered so much hardship, Lucina. Sacrifice so much of yourself, your own happiness, despite how hopeless it all seemed. You never never gave up, sacrificed so much, did so much to save everyone… I felt like you were so much stronger than me. That you deserved so much more than all this…"

He trailed off, motioning around him, to the world, to everything. "That you deserved to be happy. So much that I felt like I had to try. To try to somehow bring you that happiness… to this day, I'm still striving for that goal. That's-"

"That's all that you ever wanted," Lucina finished for him, repeating his words on that sunset field. She stared at him, holding him tighter. "You know I want the same for you as well, don't you? You've also sacrificed so much, cared so much for others… it's okay to let yourself have happiness also."

"Lucina…" Robin started.

"I know it may seem unfair for me to say so, knowing my own tendencies to not accept the very same advice, but, I truly mean it all the same. You deserve to be happy, even if you can't see it yourself. Your life matters so much as well. Don't throw that away thinking you are undeserving."

Robin at once wondered if Lucina had guessed the course of action he was already considering, even as he had not yet spoken his suspicions of what his connection to Grima might allow. Then he realized of course she guessed it. She knew him as well as he knew himself. Perhaps better. It was only natural she'd realized it.

Yet… try as he might, he could not bring himself to tell her. It was too painful. He knew the cost. He knew the pain he would cause her if he went through that course of action.

"Robin, though we talk of how our relationship began. Please, don't let this battle be the ending. Don't let it, promise me," Lucina pleased, clinging to him yet tighter.

"I promise," he whispered back. He tried to best to mean it, knowing how that promise conflicted with his other promises, those to ensure her future, no matter what. He had to find a way, he realized. To keep both. To do the impossible if need be.

That was a tactician's job, he reminded himself. "I promise," he told her more strongly. This time, he felt, he could believe those words himself