Title: Robcina Week 2025 Day 4 - Modern AU

Description: Another year draws to a close. In a few months Robin would have to leave town and his ability to spend time with his girlfriend Lucina would become far less frequent. So with it being Christmas Eve, Robin takes the chance to form more memories with her

Notes: Takes place after all of the other Persona Au chapters, those being chapters 41, 47, 61, 64, 68, 74,75, 79, and 87.

Words: 2903

That morning, Robin awoke without his alarm going off.

It was so nice to wake up on his own for once. To get to sleep in, without school or needing to maintain a sleep schedule to force him up. Even on Sundays, he used an alarm and did his best to sleep in, or else following Monday morning would be even more torturous.

But today was different. Not only was it a holiday, but also the beginning of a week-long winter break until after the New Year.

Yawning, Robin threw off his covers and stretched lazily. The old analog clock on his wall he'd bought at the antique shop, showed it was long past nine in the morning, quickly approaching ten.

Not too late, at least. It would be a shame to waste the entire day sleeping.

Getting up, Robin went to the window, throwing back the curtains. A blanket of snow greeted him, covering Akanea in a sea of white. Even now, flakes continued to gently fall, drifting on a gentle breeze. It was the first major snow of the year, and quite a bit of it. The weather forecast had said there was a chance of snow overnight, but he honestly hadn't expected it to be anything substantial.

A pleasant surprise, and the fitting one for the occasion. It was always nice to get snow on Christmas, or at least Christmas Eve, as it was today.

Behind him, his phone buzzed once. A text message. Spinning on his heels, Robin reached for it. He paused for a moment, then hastily snatched it up and unlocked the screen the instant he saw the notification. It was from Lucina.

My girlfriend.

The thought still sent his heart aflutter. They'd only been officially dating for just over two months now. It still didn't feel a hundred percent real sometimes, something that often caused him to overthink every interaction he had with her since, terrified he may somehow screw this up. But it was exciting too, for all the anxiety and uncertainty. Those came hand-in-hand for your first relationship.

Smiling and trying to keep his hands from trembling, Robin read the text.

ROBIN.

DO U WANT 2 SPEND CHRISTMAS EVE WITH ME?

POSTSCRIPT: IF YOU R NOT BUSY, WE CAN MEET AT THE SHRINE. I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU.

LUCINA.

Abbreviations now, Lucina? What's next? Emojis? Robin thought, laughing.

"Lucina has asked to spend Christmas Eve with you…"

"Will you spend time with Lucina?"

He began to type a response, but then thought better of it, tossing the phone onto his futon and heading for the door.

Coming down the hall, he saw that Lucina's door was already open, so he popped his head inside. "You know, I am right down the hall. You could just ask me."

Lucina yelped in surprise, fumbling with her phone. She was sitting on her own futon, having been peering intently at her phone so intently that he almost wondered if she was attempting to summon a response.

Robin did his best not to laugh or make any "aww" sounds. That might have been the most adorable noise he'd ever heard her make.

"Robin, I-I.. Y-You- I-I," she stammered, face turning crimson.

"And yes, I would love to spend Christmas Eve with you. I will see you at the shrine later. Though I imagine we'll see each other before then. Something tells me Cynthia will be dragging us out into the snow before long."

A thrown pillow, snatched up from the futon, smacked into the half-open door. It was aimed with precision, delivering just enough force to swing the door mostly closed, Robin ducking back in time to avoid suffering the horrible fate of it gently bumping into him.

Robin stood there for a moment, succeeding in stifling more laughter at the adorable reaction from his very flustered girlfriend. Only when he was sure he could talk without embarrassing her further with any guffawing did he speak. "So, probable snowball-fight with Cynthia in a bit, date at the shrine tonight?" he asked, speaking through the door.

"...Yes. See you then," came the muffled response. It sounded as though Lucina had buried her face into another, unthrown pillow.

Not for the first time, Robin considered how much he liked seeing this side of her. She always tried to be so serious and focused all the time, so the moments where she dropped the mask and got to be herself were truly endearing.

She was so cute. Though, as saying that only embarrassed her more, he kept his lips sealed on that point. At least this time.

Returning to his room, Robin stepped about getting ready for the day. He'd need to dig out his warmest clothes, since his usual winter coat alone probably wouldn't be enough to stand up to an extended snowy adventure that Lucina's younger sister would expectedly be forcing upon them.

. . . . .

Sure enough, it hadn't been long before Cynthia had come along to drag the two of them outside for an extended snowball fight and sledding on the nearest hill. In addition to, as could have been expected, Owain joining them, Cynthia had somehow managed to convince both Inigo and Gerome to join them. Severa had, of course, flatly refused to humor the offer, not even coming outside as Cynthia repeatedly hammered on her door and threw snowballs at her window while everyone else waited.

It was only several hours later, clothes damp and freezing, did they return home, the sun already beginning to sink towards the horizon once they were back inside and warm.

Just enough time to get ready.

Tossing his winter clothes into a pile, Robin quickly changed into those he'd set out ahead of time. Since his heavier coat wouldn't likely be dry in time for the date, he'd decided to dress in layers. A white long-sleeve shirt with a t-shirt underneath and brown dress pants formed the next layer. A dark purple sweater formed the next layer, followed by a gray and his charcoal colored peacoat.

Hopefully it will be warm enough, Robin thought, glancing out the window. It was already nearly dark, and would get much colder than it had been with the coming nightfall.

Stooping down, he reached for the small wrapped box he'd stowed underneath his shelving set. He'd bought the gift weeks ago, hiding it away there until today. While he doubted Lucina would snoop around his room, he was almost certain that Cynthia would. The last thing he wanted was her peaking at a gift that wasn't even for her.

Tucking it into the pocket of his coat, Robin made his way outside, pulling on his hat and gloves before stepping outside.

"Robin."

He nearly jumped in surprise at the voice, having not noticed her as he turned to lock the door behind him. He'd head Lucina leaving a few minutes before he'd come down, so in truth Robin had expected to find her waiting for him at the train station or the shrine itself, not just outside the home.

Lucina stood at the edge of the sidewalk, illuminated by the street lamp overhead. Flakes of snow drifted around her, glinting where they passed into the beam of light. She, too, had changed from her usual winter attire, trading her dark blue coat for a lighter azure-hued peacoat with brass buttons. Her hair, pulled back into a loose ponytail, looser than her usual one, was held in place with a butterfly clip, and instead of a hat, she wore white earmuffs. Otherwise, her outfit was what he expected, wearing what looked to be black pants and a dress shirt whose color was just barely visible where the top button of her coat was undone to allow her signature blue-and-red scarf to be worn. Both hands were in her pockets, one fidgeting with something.

"Ah, sorry," Robin apologized, embarrassed by his flustered reaction. "I didn't think you'd be waiting here."

"I considered heading to the train station, but I thought it would be nice… to walk there together, I mean," she said, blushing. "That is, if you don't mind. I apologize, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's alright. I am glad," Robin told her.

Lucina's expression relaxed somewhat, and she managed a nervous smile. "Oh, good. Shall we then?" She withdrew her hands from her coat, extending one awkwardly towards him, her cheeks flushing an even brighter red as she did. The gesture was unmistakable.

"Oh, uh, r-right," Robin stammered, finding himself blushing down as he hurried to join her, taking the offered hand.

Holding hands, they walked through the streets in silence, the only sound the crunch of their boots in the snow and the occasional rush of the wind or muffled sounds of celebrations coming from inside the homes they passed. It was so peaceful now, accumulated snow glittering in the streetlamps, the snowfall having slowed by now to a gentle rate, the lighter flakes dancing in the wind as they drifted down. Occasionally, they passed others trudging through the snow, mostly other couples leaving for or returning from their own dates.

At least we won't stand out, Robin thought. He and Lucina hadn't quite gotten past the awkward, self-conscious stage of their relationship, where public shows of affection felt natural, yet so he was glad there weren't too many people out at this time.

Reaching the train station, Robin found a bench clear of snow beneath an overhang for them to sit while they waited. The trains would be infrequent today due to the holiday, so they waited for some time, mostly making small talk as they did so. Eventually, though, the train trundled along, allowing them to get inside to take it to the other side of town. It was a familiar route, as the shine was close to the station they got off at for school. The two listened to music together while they went, each taking an earbud, passing away usual twenty-minute train ride before they arrived at their destination

The north part of Akanea was the oldest part of the city, bordering the woods that sat in the shadows of the nearby mountains. It consisted mainly of older buildings that had survived centuries, the larger homes of the oldest families still living in, as well as a few known landmarks./ The old Shinto shrine was one of these. Irisu High School was another, both sitting right along the town's edge.

Walking along the old crumbled stone wall that flanked the path towards the shrine, Robin couldn't help but find his eyes drawn to the gap in the centuries-old fortification large enough for someone to slip through, and the dirt path that led to the darkened forest beyond. He wondered how things were there, in the Outrealms. They'd solved the case, so the matter should be settled now, and things at last returned to normal.

Why, then, did something still feel unfinished?

He could not ponder that long, however, as Lucina pulled him, and the trail vanished behind them. Pushing the thought aside, Robin turned his attention back to the present as the two climbed the steps that led up the hill to the shrine.

The shrine, it seemed, had already been decorated for the coming new year. Strings of paper lanterns had been put out by the shrine's attendants, illuminating the aging structure in warm, golden light that flickered and swayed amongst the dancing snow. The shrine, however, was empty, the caretakers having likely retired for the evening, and no one else was visiting at the present. The two of them, however, had clearly not been the only visitors, as a few sets of recent tracks could be seen in the snow, leading to and from the shrine.

Taking a seat on the top steps, the two sat there in silence for a moment, taking in the sight of the town below, the lights shining almost like candles in the darkness, and the falling snow.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Lucina said.

"It is," Robin agreed. He swallowed, feeling suddenly very nervous. Reaching for the present he'd brought for her.

Lucina beat him to the punch, withdrawing a paper-wrapped parcel from her coat. "Here, I got you this," she said, offering it to him. "Sorry, it's not more nicely wrapped. I knitted this myself and only just finished yesterday, so I did not have time. I hope you like it," she explained, rambling a bit as he accepted the gift and tore away at the paper wrapping.

It was… a sweater, and clearly hand-knitted just as she'd said. What gave him pause, however, was the myriad of clashing colors woven together with no real rhyme or reason. It certainly was… something, he'd give her that. But, given what he knew about her fashion sense, not unexpected.

"I h-hope you like it. I worked very hard to make it on time. I made a second one as well, for me. So we'll match," she told him, her voice carrying such earnestness that what apprehension Robin felt over having to wear an eye-catching piece of apparel was quickly melted away.

Lucina worked hard to make this for me. How could I not appreciate it, Robin thought. "Thank you. It means a lot. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it."

Bowing his head in thanks, he slipped her present into his coat pocket, the tight bundle just barely fitting there as he retrieved his own gift. "I'm afraid I didn't make something myself for you, but I hope you'll like it just the same."

Smiling as she accepted the gift, her expression soothing away his fears, Lucina opened the box, her eyes widening slightly as she withdrew the object from inside. It was the watch he'd picked out for her, its metallic case glinting silver, the light catching the engraved pattern of butterflies and flowers set around the clock-face.

Robin pulled back his sleeve, showing her his own matching watch. It was identical to hers, but for the engravings. Instead of the flowery pattern, his was geometric and more abstract, looking almost like a shelf stacked with books and scrolls. "Seems we did have somewhat the same idea. Both of us got something matching we can wear."

"Robin, this…"

"Turn it over," he told her.

Looking at the back, Lucian's eyes fell on where both their names were engraved on the back-plate of the watch, surrounded by an inlaid heart.

"I thought that if both our names were together like this, then it would be almost like we were still, well, together here even after I leave in the spring," Robin explained. "Something to remind us of each other, while we are away."

"How… how much was this?" Lucina asked, visibly shocked by the gift.

"It… wasn't cheap," Robin admitted. As much as he'd have preferred to channel Inigo and claim, in a suave manner, that it wasn't that bad, he knew Lucina was too clever for that. "I had to save up for a while, luckily the night jobs paid enough for me to afford it."

"Robin, you didn't need to," Lucina said, her voice a whisper, in protest, "I can't accept this, to think you spent so much-"

"No, I didn't. But I wanted to. To thank you," Robin assured her.

"Thank me?"

"For being here with me. For… well, everything, this year. Without you, without everyone… this year wouldn't have been the wonderful experience that it's been," Robin said. He laughed. "When I arrived here, I was certain it would be miserable. But thanks to you, I was wrong. And I can't thank you enough for that."

"I… then I have no choice but to accept this gift, it seems." Lucina laughed, at last relenting. "I supposed in return to all that… well, if not for you, this year wouldn't have been special either. I wouldn't change any of that, even if I could."

"Even having the solve the murders?" Robin asked. He reached out, taking her hand again and squeezing it.

"Yes, even that."

Taking the watch from her, she allowed him now to place it around her wrist, the two of them fumbling together with their gloved hands to do -up the strap. At last getting it secured, Robin started to turn away, only to be stopped as Lucina suddenly leaned in, kissing him on the cheek.

For an moment, neither of them moved a muscle. He was shocked and struggling to process what had just happened, Lucina seemingly caught off guard by her own actions. Then her face flushed crimson, certain matching the hue of his own burning cheeks.

"I-I…" Lucina stammered.

Robin, acting entirely on impulse, leaned in, returning the kiss with one of his own. Both their faces turned an even deeper shade of red in response to this.

"Sorry I-I-"

"No, it's. I shouldn't-"

"No, I was the-"

"..."

"..."

They looked away from each other in embarrassment, silence falling between them. Then, after a moment, Lucina broke the quiet.

"Thank you, Robin. For tonight. Your gift means a lot, and I'll treasure it along with the memories we made together this year," she told him. She shifted closer, until their shoulders almost touched.

"As will I," he said, reaching into his pocket to feel the sweater she'd given him.

"You spend a long time talking with Lucina at the shrine. Christmas Eve continues…"