100 Theme Challenge

Note: I do not own Fire Emblem or any characters inside.

Theme 21: Never Again

The clamor of the Shepherd's camp echoed through the cold evening air, joining the cricket's chirp and the owl's call in the orchestra of night. Spirits were high, as the merry band of soldiers had recently won a glorious battle to bring the Valmese Emporer Walhart to an end.

Tactician Robin joined the party rather late in the night, refusing to partake in the festivities until a debriefing with Chrom, Frederick, Virion, Say'ri, and Lucina was completed, along with a three hour long study of the battle's tactics and strategy. By the time he was finished with his ritualistic after-battle routine, it was well past midnight.

Wandering through the maze of tents, the tactician found the source of the clamor: all other Shepherds had gathered around the camp's firepit for a small victory celebration.

The heavenly scent of burning cherrywood and Feroxi firewine found Robin's nose and filled his heart with a hearty, comforting embrace. The warmth was desperately needed during the chilly Valmese winter. His boots felt lighter as they carried him quickly to join the party.

There were a few small groups of soldiers, each sitting on a section of log or positioned on the ground. Robin spotted Chrom and Lucina sitting side by side, socializing with Vaike, Sully, Stahl, and Frederick (The former of which was blatantly wasted, loudly babbling with his arms around his friends in a tight hug, and the latter of which was intently tending the fire with an arsenal of kindling and timbers). Robin started towards his commanding officers when a familiar, inebriated voice caught his ear.

"Robiinnnn~!" The feminine, flirtatious voice cooed. Another group of cloaked and blanketed figures gathered in a large circle, highlighted by the firelight that casted dancing shadows across their faces and bodies. The orange glow framed Lissa, clad in a heavy fur coat, who hurriedly waved to the tactician. "Robin! C'mere!" The princess wasn't aware of just how loud she hollered until Maribelle, who was sitting tall on the section of log next to the younger blonde, whispered some unknown command into Lissa's ear.

With a cockeyed, goofy grin, Lissa disregarded her best friend's words and scooted over in her seat, almost knocking Maribelle off the log as she did so. "Here, Robin~!" The girl patted the spot next to her, her tone wavering and flamboyant and loud enough to deafen someone.

The girl had caught the attention of half the other Shepherds that gathered near the fire, but their gossiping whispers fell on the princess's deaf ears. She was dressed heavily, her small and petite figure dwarfed by a few layers that she held tight around her. The coat that perched upon her shoulders was of magnificent quality, and was the only article of clothing that could be seen. Her cloak and blouse were hidden beneath the monstrosity of a jacket. However, Lissa preferred to wear the thing as a blanket, the hood atop her head but her arms free from the sleeves. The hood was coated in fur, and flattened the girl's blonde twintails against her forehead, almost like bangs. Lissa's eyes, ever so sparkling and bright, seemed to be slightly dulled by a haze of sorts. They were unfocused, darting from person to object to person, and were hidden often with each slow and frequent blink.

Robin's two-second-study of the princess had one conclusion: the princess was drunk. And as the tactician took a seat next to the girl, making sure to give Maribelle a silent nod of apology for Lissa's abrasive actions, the sour smell of her breath confirmed it.

"Finally out of your dumb tent?" Lissa asked, having some trouble correctly pronouncing the hard consonant sounds. She clumsily scooted close to the tactician's left side, cheeks tinged a bright pink. Whether it was from the alcohol or the heat of the fire, who knew.

Robin hesitated, substituting a response for a quick nod to satisfy the girl. But he quickly looked up at the other members of the small circle with raised, cautious eyebrows. Gaius, who sat on his right, shrugged with an amused and teasing smirk. Nowi, sitting directly across from Robin on the ground, simply sat cross-legged on the ground, playing with a few blades of grass at her feet and chatting with Ricken, busying himself with the same task. Robin wasn't sure she was paying much attention. And Cherche, to the right of Nowi, sat perched upon a large stone with her hands folded in her lap, spoke up. "We've… Decided to let her have some fun tonight." The rose haired knight confessed. "Although no one considered her non-existent tolerance."

Lon'qu, sandwiched uncomfortably between Cherche and Maribelle, swirled around a nip of firewine in his flask, content with staying silent. A simple grunt was all he needed to acknowledge the drunken princess.

Gaius spoke next, taking the lollipop out from its place in his mouth. "Hey, isn't she too young to be drinkin' anyways?"

"Yeah, she still has to wait a couple of years," a confused Robin pondered, pausing for a second. "Who gave you that?" Robin asked, turning to the girl beside him and motioning towards the small mug she held with two shaky hands.

"Found it. It was-" Lissa cut herself off with a very unladylike belch (Maribelle's reaction fell somewhere between a humored snort and a disgusted gasp), "-I got it from the, found it from th' caravan… Everyone here is drinking! Why can't I?" She slurred, still struggling to overcome the rough consonant sounds. She leaned her cheek against Robin's shoulder, her confidence bolstered by the gin she held close to her body.

Everyone in the small circle could see the intimate closeness between the two, as well as Robin's confused, flustered reaction. With cheeks as red as the flames of the bonfire, his mind screamed at him to gently distance himself, to think of how a vassal should act around his princess. His heart slammed against his ribs.

But Lissa sighed dreamily, fluttering eyes meeting Robin's in a coquettish gaze. The toothy, lopsided grin returned to her lips, curling the edges of her mouth upwards. There was no way that Robin could possibly disturb the girl.

"Yer- hic- doing it again!" Lissa interjected, sloppy giggles following. "That rubby thing with yer face! Hee hee, it's cute~!" Again, the princess had forgotten her sense of volume due to the alcohol, and caught the ears of the surrounding friends.

Now everyone was staring. The piercing gazes of the Shepherds around him triggered a fierce blush in Robin's cheeks and eartips, and by Naga, Robin wanted to escape by any means possible. The myriad of faces he was getting… Horrified from Maribelle, puzzled by Lon'qu, amused by Cherche (that motherly personality of hers surfaced in her maternal, tender grin), puzzled from Ricken, and giddy from both Nowi and Gaius. That was too much social interaction and death glares for one night, Robin mentally noted. Please, let me cherish my dignity back in my tent!

"Bloody Hells, Lissa!" Maribelle shrieked, hollering among the chuckles of Cherche and Nowi and the eruption of laughter from Gaius. "Get yourself together, dear! You're making quite the barbarian of yourself!" Keeping her voice down after a few other heads turned in other groups around the bonfire, Maribelle continued with a hushed undertone, trying her hardest to keep her collected composure. "Prince Chrom would be mortified to see you in such a…" She paused, looking from Lissa to Robin, and back again, "...compromising position."

"Aw, shut it," came the snarky retort from the princess. She slowly, sat up from her lean against Robin's shoulder, the goofy grin never leaving her face. "You're no fun. Get the schtick out from yer butt and have fun! You need t' relax once in awhile, you prude…" A giggle escaped her lips, before crashing back against Robin's side.

However, it didn't go as smoothly as the drunk girl had anticipated. Her remaining liquor left her mug as she collided against Robin, spilling the gin across Robin's lap- and more importantly- his beloved coat.

A hush fell upon the small group of Shepherds, cutting the hearty laughter short.

No one dared mess with the tactician's coat.

And Lissa knew, even in her impaired state, the extent of the sacrilege she had committed. She shot up like a rocket in her seat, eyes wide as dinner plates. Her mouth open and closed, clumsily trying to find the words to frantically, drunkenly, apologize to Robin.

Only the sound of the crackling bonfire and the chirp of cicadas remained. And no one dared to move, not counting the paranoid ticks that Drunk Lissa tried to subdue. Not a single person knew what to expect from the tactician. He had never been overly angry before. But no one had ever angered him. Soiling his coat would probably anger him. Robin was never seen without his coat. And now, the sticky, fragrant gin soaked the thing.

Eventually, Lissa managed to utter some sort of apology. A mess of words were muttered, none of which could be heard by anyone, but it was a start.

"I, uh… R- Robinnn, I-" The drunk princess babbled.

Robin just sighed. A long, tired exhale. He rose like a giant, towering over the rest of the Shepherds who sat in the circle, whether on logs, rocks, or the ground. He simply rubbed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head, eyes cast downwards.

And then he spoke, stern and slightly intimidating.

"Up."

Such a vague command, but Lissa knew it was meant for her. She scrambled to her feet, still clutching the newly-emptied mug to her chest. The pale cheeks of the princess seemed to radiate a soft shade of pink, a side effect of both the alcohol and immense embarrassment. The heavy coat around her shoulders flopped to the ground, allowing her pigtails to spring upwards, now free from the confines of her hood.

Robin turned, eyes meeting Lissa's. His lips were a thin line, eyes sharp, face unreadable. It both frightened the princess, while also softening her nervousness.

"Time for you to go to bed, Lissa."

That was all Robin needed to have the girl nodding over and over. She set the tin mug on the ground, and with an unsteady step, made her way towards the maze of tents. Robin followed, side by side, arm outstretched for the drunken girl to grasp. With short, staggering strides, the two walked in silence.

After making their way past the mess tent, medical supply, and briefing marquee, they arrived at Lissa's personal tent. Robin stopped outside, his arm returning to his side as Lissa let go, finally comfortable to walk without assistance. Opening the curtain, she ducked inside the dark space, pausing to turn around. She looked up at the silent man, looking through her brain to find the correct words, and subsequently trying to piece them together to form a coherent sentence.

"Robin…?" Quiet as a mouse, but he still heard her.

He turned, meeting her eyes.

"Thanks… For not killing me 'bout yer coat, and walkin' me back… I- I owe you one, huh?" The goofy smile returned, her fright dissipated. Robin's coat was dripping with gin and his trousers were soaked at the lap, compromising the tactician's dignity as well.

"You do owe me one. And I'm cashing in that favor immediately." Robin tried his best to hold back a small grin, peering into Lissa's tent. Its canvas walls caught the light of the campfire and the full moon.

"Don't touch another drop of alcohol until you're older. Never again." And with that, Robin stepped away, letting the tent fall back into its place.

Lissa held those words as she collapsed onto her bedroll, staring at the ceiling. No, rather she held onto the sound of Robin's words. His voice, deep and caring, resonated with her as her intoxicated mind welcomed the approach of sleep.

Even though she embarrassed the both of them, even though she spilled her drink on his coat (his coat!), he didn't just cuss her out and send her to bed. Robin cared enough to walk her back to her tent and make sure she was safe.

Paired with the intoxicating sound of Robin's voice, her own mind added a comment: "Why didn't you use your drunkenness to kiss that damn man?"

A/N

I'm back, and with a new name. Long time coming.

I've been very busy for a long while and scrapped this prompt probably five times. Maybe I'll post a second chapter for this prompt, because I hate to waste my work.

Just want to thank those who've stuck around and want to welcome those just joining the story. I need to recap some stuff:

The prompts are from this website: kathrineroid~wordpress~com/2011/09/25/100-themes-challenge-writing-prompts/ (replace the ~ with . fanfic~net hates urls)

Chapters should be relatively short but I tend to write way more than necessary for a 100 Theme Challenge.

The chapters won't usually have correlations between them (with a few exceptions).

Some chapters might be AUs.

Again, thanks for reading and please leave some feedback.