#Fire Emblem Frederick | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

good-beanswrites · 1 year

Text

Fe Aspec Week Day 4: Platonic Intimacy

I started writing out a drabble about last year's platonic intimacy art, but as I wrote it actually became more focused on a previous converstion they would've had. (This fits into the intricately crafted Frobin slow burn fic in my head that will probably never make it to the page, but) this takes place on the voyage to Valm after recruiting Morgan/some of the children

Sailors often speak about the silence and stillness of the sea on a peaceful night. How it stretches for miles under the huge, round moon. The Shepherds hardly noticed any of that as the party on the ship’s deck grew more lively. Voices rose up into the night, some following along with Olivia’s song, but most just wildly cheering the dancers on.

Lanterns spilled their light in flickering patterns across the deck. Armor and helmets had been shed in favor of light clothes and bare feet. Between the sailors and soldiers onboard, there was a small band carrying the jaunty melody with the help of their citterns and flutes and tambourines.

Though several royals and nobles spun around the deck, this certainly wasn’t the proper dancing of the court. It was filled with rhythmic jumping and spinning and lifting and swinging one another. They weren’t strung along by a set of steps; they were driven forward with the music and rowdy calls of the onlookers.

Robin was in no way an onlooker. She whirled around the deck, her bare feet sending her flying around her comrades. She tipped her head back and laughed along with the others– it had been so long since she’d laughed like that. She looked to where Frederick leaned against one of the ship’s rails. It was one of the extremely rare occasions Robin saw him without his heavy armor plating. It must have taken an immense amount of persuasion to get him out on deck with simple clothes, though his lance did still rest within arm’s reach. He nodded to Robin as they met eyes. He made a movement towards the group dancing.

The memory of the previous night’s conversation hung in her mind, and she returned the smile.

—

There had been no moon, then. Clouds hid any sign of lights from the heavens, though thankfully it carried no threat of a storm.

Some strange tension had grown between Robin and Frederick, though she was confused as to where it stemmed from. They had been growing closer as the war continued. Neither of them spoke the words out loud, but it was clear to all that their bond had become something more than comrades – something more than friends. There had been brief late-night confessions and delirious commitments in the whirlwind of the war, and they knew the path they were headed for.

And then all his warmth had vanished with the arrival of Morgan. Meeting the young man had been the best day of Robin’s life. Though there were some years missing in the middle, she had felt a mothers’ love and pride like she never had before in her chest. And Frederick, who the group had went ahead and introduced as Morgan’s father, became distant to both of them. His treatment of Robin bordered his attitude when the pair had first met: it was as if he was always waiting for a grand betrayal from her.

But she was a clever woman (she was appointed tactician for a reason, after all), and had some guesses to the source of his behavior. Morgan had no memories of his father. Frederick may worry that he had suffered an early death in the future. Or perhaps he worried that he was an absent father. Robin knew the latter could never happen, and she was determined the first would never come to pass.

Now that they weren’t running from battle to battle, she hoped to confront him about it. The voyage had been peaceful. That night was especially quiet, and the pair stood at the front of the deck by themselves.

“Chrom wants to hold a party tomorrow evening,” she said, hoping to break the tension with something easy.

“We should be preparing for the ordeals of Valm, not letting our guard down with nights of drink and desire.” His voice was cold.

Robin’s smile wavered, but she pressed on. “I think it’s a good idea to keep up morale. Everyone has been exhausted of late. It will benefit them on the battlefield to lift their spirits while they can.”

Frederick continued staring out at the sea in silence.

“In fact, I had hoped to request one dance with you. I’ve seen how strict you are with footwork during drills, I take it you’ll be winning all the hearts as the most in-time dancer out there.”

“I shall have to decline. I am not as eager as you may think to loosen up like that.”

“I’ve seen you plenty loose on the battlefield! If you’re worried that I’m the clumsy one, I can assure you I’ve made a living off of predicting others’ movements. Your toes are in no danger.”

“Why don’t you dance with Stahl?” He blurted. “Or perhaps Vaike, he’s taken quite the shining to you.” The comments were meant to sting, but they sounded resigned to Robin’s trained ear.

“I don’t wish to dance with either of them,” she said carefully. “I wish to dance with you.”

“I shall sorely disappoint you, milady.”

“You do not want to dance with me?”

“You would be happier with another. They are far better at it than I. You both would enjoy it more than I should.”

Robin couldn’t tell when exactly they had stopped talking about dancing.

“I would be no happier, I can assure you. Frederick,” she placed her hand lightly on his arm, though he was still shielded by layers of armor. “You are not the jealous type. What is this really about?”

“Indeed, this is not jealousy. It is the simple truth. You will dance with someone else. It’s already set in stone.”

Robin’s head spun with the roundabout speech, trying to find the source of his analogy. “Does this have something to do with Morgan? Do you… not want children?”

“I… I would love children, milady. But I do not want to have children.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I have known for a long time I would never have any. And so you need not lie to me any longer. I’m certain whoever you meet who gives you Morgan will be perfect for you. But there’s no reason for us to drag this little affair out any longer than need be.”

He turned to leave. Robin hooked her finger around a corner of his gauntlets and pulled him back.

He glared. Then she began to giggle. It turned to full-on laughter. Frederick bristled, confused.

“That’s what all this is about?” She sucked in a breath. “My, sometimes you surprise me with how dim-witted you can be.”

“E-excuse me?”

“Freddy bear,” she knew he hated the nickname, but the relief washing over her caused it to slip out. They were going to be alright. “Have I not mentioned that I share the same attitude about having children?”

“What does that matter, if your son is standing right here before us?”

“And do you really believe I’d dare burden any children with a bloodline like this?” She held up her hand, marked with those cursed eyes. Then she took Frederick’s hand in it. “Morgan is adopted. He knows that. I… assumed you knew that as well.”

His eyes had widened in shock. “He… You mean, we…” His gaze lowered in a combination of relief and shame. Robin pulled him into an awkward hug, his armor clanking.

“Oh Frederick… all this time, you were so hurt. You truly thought I would run off with someone else after everything we’ve been through?” She allowed herself one more laugh. “With Vaike, of all people?”

This made him smile weakly. “I’m terribly sorry, milady. Things happened so quickly, I never stopped to question the conclusions I leapt to.”

“I wish I could have spoken to you about all this earlier.”

“No, I should have trusted you.”

“Eh,” she nudged him playfully. “It’s not the first time for that.”

—

The musicians called for another song, something joyful and silly that all the Shepherds knew by heart. The group dispersed across the deck. Though it came with an initial show of exasperation, Frederick joined Robin in the center of the ship.

Their conversation the previous night had continued into the late hours, finally addressing many things that they were afraid of leaving unsaid now. But now, neither needed to say anything. Just as they could communicate wordlessly on the battlefield, they understood each other as they danced.

Between Frederick’s perfected physical control and Robin’s eye for the next step, the pair took control of the song. Though they weren’t as mesmerizing as Olivia or her son, their perfect synchronization earned them hollers from nearby partiers. They wove around each other. They swung and pulled and turned. Frederick lifted Robin into the air. She pulled him close.

Though they had the same thrill of a good fight, neither felt the familiar tension of war – they sang along with the Ylissean melody. Frederick’s stoic expression had broken into a wide grin. And when Morgan appeared from the crowd to cheer them on, he only smiled wider.

#fe aspec week 2023 #fe awakening #fe robin #fe frederick #fire emblem awakening #fire emblem robin #fire emblem frederick #frobin #this was inspired both by my playthough when i (pre ace self-discovery) was very confused why i hated that the game forced me to have a #baby despite loving morgan #and also by my headcanon that robin wouldnt want to pass down her 'cursed' bloodline #and it fixes some of the timeline paradoxes #bear with me because its been actually forever since ive written either of them #fanfic

13 notes · View notes