Youthful Exuberance

  Being from an apocalyptic future, Lucina had almost forgotten how happy her life was used to be. She remembered being so blissful with her parents and brother. She remembered how loving her mother and father were, especially to each other. Even when hell was thrown right at them, Lucina vividly remembered how his parents would do anything and everything to make their perfect little family smile and laugh.

  Now that she was back in the past, seeing how her parents met and fell in love was one of a child’s greatest joy. Her parents were truly loving and courageous in the dark future, but they were also serious, fearless without any ounce of doubt flashing in their eyes. So to have this opportunity, this chance to see their younger selves acting around one another, it did bring a huge smile on a daughter’s face.

  That, and sheer bafflement to see how they truly acted around each other.

---

  “Robin, your king requests your attention immediately.”

  “Not now, Chrom. I’m busy sorting out the weaponry.”

  “Robiiiiin!” The more she denied, the louder he groaned. Arms still rested on her shoulders, Chrom then embraced the petite tactician and tugged her from behind.

  “C-Chrom!” Due to the sudden tug, her footing slipped. Thankfully, her back hit his chest, earning her a guiltless sound of a chuckle. “Dear let me go!” Quickly Robin shot a glare as she looked up at him. However, all that was seen was a smile, so honest yet boastful, further thickening the growl that vibrated in her throat.

  “You can’t deny Your Majesty’s request, you know.” And with that, he lazily placed his chin on the top of her head.

  Slightly flinching at the light pressure, the growl in her chest only slithered through quivering lips until Robin finally elbowed his stomach. “I said let me go, you doof!”

---

  “What did I tell you about training around someplace breakable?!”

  His lips were pressed together, yet twitching as he was at lost at whether or not to answer the question. “Well…” The Falchion hidden behind his back was fiddled with his fingers. Slowly he took a deep breath, all the while trying to ignore the demonic glare from his beloved wife. “You told me…” Lightly he kicked one foot forward, “not to train around someplace…” and looked down like a child being scolded. “breakable.”

  Arms crossed against her chest, Robin inhaled sharply and raised one eyebrow. “And what did you do?” Although she faced him, her eyes darted around the area. Countless broken branches and fallen trees sprawled in her vision. Some even accidentally landed on one of the tents; thankfully there were no people or anything important in the said tent. If there were, she could have had a huge fit that it could practically match the horror of Grima’s.

  A twinge of guilt swirling in her chest for yelling at him, Robin faced Chrom. The blue-haired lord still faced down, still had one foot mindlessly tracing circles on the dirt, and most of all, still looking woeful as ever as if he was about to cry.

  In all honesty, now that she looked at him, Robin felt like laughing instead.

---

  “Dear I love you,” A sharp glare was given to the cockiest smirk she had ever seen, “but please give me my book back before I strangle you.”

  That grin almost burst to a hearty laugh once he heard the ‘threat’. “No offense, love.” Left hand still stretched upwards as he held the book, Chrom leaned a bit closer and pressed his lips onto the top of her head. “But can you reach my neck?”

  The next thing he knew, a sharp pain on his right foot jolted straight to his brain that Chrom basically dropped the book and burst to a pained scream.

---

  “Ugh I hate this I hate this I hate this!” Over and over and over she ranted. Though it seemed endless, that never seemed to fade the smile on his face. One hand gently patting her hooded head, he fidgeted slightly so that his bent leg wouldn’t feel numb since she was lying her head on top of it.

  “I’m sure you didn’t mean it, dear.” Chrom tried to tug the hood off. But the more he did, the more Robin pulled it closer to her whole face. Breathing a soft, amused chuckle, he just let it be and instead squeezed her right hand. “Robin, Frederick and the others had already cleaned the mess hall, and Cherche and Stahl had made a new batch. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty that you almost starved the army anymore.”

  “Ha ha.” A hint of an annoyed growl bit her tongue as she responded. Fingers still firmly tugging on her large hoodie, Robin shook her head and groaned shamefully. “It’s more than that. I didn’t expect the stupid broth to explode!” Upon remembering the horror of her cooking suddenly bursting like a bomb once she set the pot on the table, the flush of red on her face only reddened as brightly as the sun. “I can never trust myself to cook ever again.”

  She heard his laughter, one that only quickened her heartbeat and burned the crimson colour in her face. “Chrom you’re not helping!”

---

  “CHROM PUT ME DOWN!”

  “I rather not.”

  “CHROM!”

  Without so much of another response, Chrom continued to run as fast as he could. With hands stretched upwards and his dear wife lying in his palms, he quickened his pace. Jealousy still spiraling in his sharp blue eyes, the great lord spotted the strategy tent. “We have a strategy meeting anyways-”

  “No we don’t!” Quickly and sharply she replied, voice though muffled by her cupped hands. A splash of crimson shaded her face, and Robin was utterly terrified to open her eyes for she knew almost everyone in the camp was witnessing the idiotic ordeal. “I know very well you’re trying to pry me away from my sparring session with Inigo-”

  “STRATEGY!” Upon hearing that coquettish mercenary’s name, that faint spark of jealousy in his heart only burst anew. “We are strategizing and that’s final!” And with that, he dashed faster, almost accidentally dropping her in the process.

  “Chrom!” Immediately her arms spread apart for vain balance. The bright shade tracing all the way to her ears, Robin glared downwards and tried to shoot poisonous daggers in her vision. “I distinctively remember that we have two children! Not three-”

  “Can’t hear you dear I’m too busy loving you right now.”

  “CHROM!”

---

  Everything. All of it. Every single moment since she’d arrived and joined the Shepherds, all Lucina had seen were pure nonsense that was deemed quite unbelievable. She knew her parents loved each other. She knew her father was a very loving man especially to his own wife. But never in her life would that Lucina thought that would they be so…childish.

  “Hey Sis!”

 Mouth slightly agape, she looked to her right, only to see Morgan happily plopping a seat beside her. “What are you doing?” Taking a bite of the apple in his right hand, the young prince took another apple from under his robe and offered it to her.

  Still caught in a minor state of bewilderment, Lucina still took the fruit and silently slid her eyes to the left. Following the direction that she was showing, Morgan looked forward, then blinked in shock to see Chrom running and lifting an obviously angry Robin toward the strategy tent.

  “I never thought that Mother and Father would be so…” A line of a baffled smirk almost tugged her lips, “ecstatic…”

  Morgan didn’t reply immediately, but a huge smile did curve his face as he took another bite of his apple. “Well, as long as they’re happy, then I’m happy.” Lightly he bumped her with his shoulder. A joyful chuckle, as well as the clear sounds of chewing, rang into her ears, and Lucina only rolled her eyes at his nonchalant reaction.

  She did break to a small laugh herself though. “I guess you’re right.” Returning his bump with a nudge of her own, the two children laughed again and continued to observe their energetic parents together.

  Being from an apocalyptic future, Lucina had almost forgotten how happy her life was used to be. And witnessing such a situation only reminded her of the joy she’d missed and would soon have.

  Even if that reminder was her mother embarrassingly screaming, “PUT ME DOWN OR I WILL ELWIND YOU ALL THE WAY TO FEROX!”

END