Chapter Text
When Vaike woke up, his arms were empty.
He frowned as his fingers dug circles into the feathered mattress. The cool sheets indicated his wife had left some time ago, and the fledgling dawn peeking out from the horizon meant she had departed in the dark.
Vaike grunted, curling his hands around the thin sheets until they were tight fists. He really didn’t want to get up, not with the night he’d had. His head ached, his legs were stiff, and his heart drooped heavily against his ribs, twisting and squirming with every breath he took. It would be easy to pretend Robin had grown restless and decided to roam the camp or help out with the night watch.
But Robin was hardly that predictable, and after last night, he doubted she'd fall so effortlessly back into the camp’s daily routines.
Another grunt escaped Vaike before he pulled himself from out of the blankets. Goosebumps pricked at his exposed back and shoulders, the night air cooler than he anticipated. He usually wasn’t one for shirts (and with a body like his, why would he be), but the thought of running into Maribelle or Frederick and listening to their inevitable lectures on proper morning attire didn’t sound all too appealing. Any other night, he would play along and swipe a few jabs at their own gaudy clothes.
Tonight however, as the scent of burnt wax clung to his skin and the image of Morgan’s sobbing, dirty face continued to flash across his eyes, Vaike wasn’t in the mood for such banter. Probably couldn’t fake it if he tried.
He shuffled off the bed and walked over to the large sack he kept most of his possessions in. Very little of the sack was dedicated to clothing: a few stray boots, a spare loincloth and a pair of loose breeches made up the majority of his daily outfits. A little more digging around and Vaike found the black sweater Sully gifted him for his last birthday. It was thick and a little snug in the arms, but there wasn’t much else he could wear other than the outfit Robin had brought him from the Outrealms. And there were too many buttons and zippers he’d have to fuss with – could take him hours before he was outside of the tent in that (though, if he wasn’t on a time crunch, he might consider it – Robin found him particularly dashing in that ensemble).
After he slipped on the sweater and his other pair of breeches, Vaike exited the tent and surveyed the camp from a distance. His eyes caught onto Yarne and Severa walking along the outskirts of the camp, their backs turned to him. On the hill to the left of the camp, Owain and Cynthia were nestled against each other, looking out onto the flat, grassy plains. Either pair might know where Robin had scampered off to, but there would be little reason for Robin to venture out onto the plains alone. And he suspected that she’d be stopped by just about anyone if that had been her plan all along. As much as Vaike hated to admit it, she was still Grima’s intended vassal – everyone in the camp save for Robin’s closest confidants remained wary of her and the harm she could unintentionally create.
Vaike turned his attention to the right of the camp, where a wide stream glistened in the fading moonlight. Chrom always insisted they make camp near a readily available water source; easier to cook and clean and the whatnot. And, after a strenuous day of training and preparation, Robin was fond of walking alongside the stream or lake they were camped near. She’d often ask for Vaike to accompany her, and they’d talk about food or gossip about their friends. Sometimes they wouldn’t talk at all.
If Robin was looking for a distraction, a place to sit still and be, the stream was Vaike’s safest bet.
His steps were soft and quiet as he moved through the camp, doing his best to not rouse any of the others from their slumber. While Vaike and Robin had had the most difficult situation – leaving their child behind without friend or parent to care for him – the other parents had been just as reluctant to leave their children in such a desolate world. Tharja and Stahl had been particularly unwilling to give Noire over to her friends; the witch all but threatened cross-dimensional bodily harm if they didn’t keep Noire safe and healthy.
When he reached the foot of the stream, he turned his head away from the plains to the west and towards the small forest in the east. He didn't think Robin would venture too far into past the forest's entrance. Maybe if the stream pooled into a pond...Robin could be sitting alongside its shore by now, watching the waves drift lazily up the damp sand and grazing the tips of her bare toes. She liked to take off her boots whenever she could, after all. Said it made her feel grounded, like she was a part of the earth.
"She's gone that way, in case you wanted some confirmation."
Vaike blinked and swerved his head to the side, though there was hardly much need to. The overbearing monotone, the hint of condescension - Tharja's voice was truly one of a kind. And though the sun had yet to reach the horizon, Vaike could make out her bored, vacant expression just as easily as he could on the brightest of days.
"What are you doing out here, Tharja?" Vaike asked as he stood at his full height, unable to control the way his nose wrinkled when they met each other's stares. Tharja didn't make it much of a secret that she disliked him, scoffing at any and all opinions he had, and practically gagging any time he was in the same vicinity as Robin. Vaike knew she had thought little of him before, but once he and Robin married, well...
It was like being haunted.
"I couldn't sleep," Tharja admitted, taking a step closer to the stream, her bare feet curling around the damp grass at its edge. Vaike noticed she was wearing one of Stahl's older practice shirts - it sagged on her shoulders and grazed the tops of her knees. He could forget how tiny she was compared to the rest of their camp, given her terribly frightening magical abilities, "Stahl was snoring and I thought I could get some fresh air before brewing a silencing draught. I saw Robin go that way as I was leaving my tent, but I didn't follow."
"Good thing you didn't," Vaike replied, "I doubt she wants any of your attention right now."
Tharja narrowed her eyes, the corners of her lips starting to curve into a sneer, "Stahl and I went through the same thing as you two did, imbecile. I would not disturb her while she grieves over her child. We may have escaped that hellhole, but we'll probably never know what happened to the children we left behind."
Vaike didn't necessarily respond to the venom dripping from her voice, but he did feel a stab of guilt wedge into his ribs. Tharja was right - she and Stahl had left behind a very wounded Noire. Chrom had provided the children with as much elixirs as he could, but Noire needed more than that. She needed rest, and that was something she could not be afforded with Grima and its Risen biting at their heels.
And he and Robin...they'd left Morgan all on his own.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Tharja," Vaike said, the words sounding all too foreign against his tongue. He may not like Tharja, he may think Stahl deserved ten times more than a witch who sought chaos and demise, but at the very least, she cared about her family. Vaike had to respect that, "I sometimes forget -”
"Robin isn't my most important person anymore?" Tharja finished his sentence, the slightest hint of a genuine smile brightening her face, "I still think she deserves much more than an ugly louse like you, but you do make her happy, however perplexing I find that to be. But even if that wasn't the case, Stahl is the man I intend to be with for the rest of my life, and I'll take care of my daughter just as any mother would. You have no reason to fear me, Vaike."
"No reason to fear you?" Vaike cocked a brow, a wide smirk plastering itself onto his face, "I liked the rest of your little speech, but the Teach knows when he's being lied to."
"Oh, do you?" Tharja challenged as she crossed her arms, her eyes sparkling in the dying moonlight, "Maybe we'll have to test that little theory of yours soon."
"Ha, yeah. Maybe," Vaike agreed and turned back towards the forest. He waved one hand into the air, indicating his departure, "But right now, I gotta see what Robin's up to. Don't want her sulking by a lake all day. At least not without me!"
"Very well," Tharja replied, "I wish you good luck."
"See ya!"
He heard her depart as he continued to walk away, probably off to her tent to watch Stahl sleep like the romantic creep she was. Though, to be fair, Stahl probably thought it was cute.
What a sap, Vaike chuckled to himself, digging his fingers into the waistline of his pants. The air was a little cooler than expected, but it was nothing that required further clothing. Besides, he didn't want to go back to the tent without Robin.
Vaike followed the stream into the forest, his pace brisk. His eyes skimmed over the large, surrounding trees, and his mind barely registered all the plant life cropping out on either side of the water. Had he been with Robin, she would've been fascinated by each new flower and plant her eyes took in. And if she felt so inclined, she would pick her favorite and press it into one of her older tactical notebooks. Vaike could almost picture her brilliant, smiling face beside him, gently pressing her new treasure underneath her nose.
It could be awhile until he saw that kind of smile on his wife again. Not after last night...
It wasn't long before he reached a clearing where the stream widened, filling into a large pond no more than a hundred meters away. And, as he had guessed, Robin was sitting with her back turned to him, her feet bare and a purple shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Vaike let out a small sigh of relief before taking off his boots, and soon dragged his feet against the chilled dirt.
Robin heard his approach, her head lifting a little during his initial steps. He didn't wait for her to turn to and possibly whip out her spell book - the last thing he needed was a bolt of lightning to the head. His voice soon filled the clearing, though he was surprised by how strained it felt against his throat, "You know, you could've woke me up. Not that any wife of mine needs help with stray Risen, but hey. A guy can worry."
He could hear her chuckle as he closed in on her, the sound both tired and giddy. She didn't reply until he was standing above her, a teasing glimmer dancing across her eyes, "Maybe I just wanted to see if you could find me. And you looked really cute in your sleep tonight - almost felt like a crime to try and wake you."
"Oh? Testing the Ol' Teach?" Vaike asked as he plopped down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He pressed a quick kiss into her cheek, and the giggle that soon escaped her warmed the depths of his chest, "Good to know I passed with flying colors."
"You sure did," she replied while leaning into his touch, nestling her head against the base of his collarbone. She took a deep breath and snaked one hand up his chest, scrunching his sweater in-between her thin fingers. Vaike soon wrapped his other arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head, unsure if he should reply.
Because, despite his intentions on seeking Robin out - comforting her, making sure she was alright and safe and free of any nightmares - he had questions of his own. Questions that the two of them needed to answer together, along with questions he wasn't sure he wanted answered. One in particular kept nibbling at the back of his head, born out of morbid curiosity. When the Morgan of that future past had first looked upon him, there had been nothing. No recognition, no familiarity - Vaike had been no different than a stranger to him. Confusion, even fear had been prevalent in Morgan's sunken grey eyes, but had Vaike not unveiled who he really was...
"Do you think he's okay?" Robin asked, her voice laced with concern. She tilted her head up, chin digging into Vaike's thick shoulder. Their eyes soon locked, and Vaike was caught off-guard by the stray tear streaking her cheek, "That he's safe, and sleeping well? I gave him all the money I had and a few elixirs, but...will it be enough? I...I don't want him to get in trouble with Grima, if he decided to return to her..."
Vaike wanted to reassure her, to pull her in as close as possible and whisper that everything would be well. That Morgan would find a village to look after him and use the money on a place to stay and good food to eat. Their Morgan would do that, undoubtedly.
But neither Vaike nor Robin knew much of the Morgan they had left behind. He had been manipulated and abused (that much was obvious), but could he really break away from the monster masquerading as his mother? Could he really change after one meeting with a father who wasn't really his, with a mother who was such a sharp contrast to everything he had known of her before?
Vaike shuddered against his wife, his eyes beginning to water over. There was no easy answer, no easy fix for the thoughts lingering in both of their heads.
After another deep breath, Vaike closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers against Robin's thick robes. He briefly caught the scent of Robin's daytime perfume, a mix of lilies and passion fruit, and it relaxed him. Eased him into an answer that was not necessarily comforting, but the only honest one he could provide, "I don't know, Robin. I have no idea what that Morgan is gonna do. If he runs away, and Grima finds him...that could mean serious trouble. Same if he goes back. Grima...that monster could kill him at any time it pleases. And I - shit, I'm sorry, Robin. I don't know what else to say. That kid's on his own and I feel sick just thinking of all the horrible ends he can meet."
A few tears slipped past Vaike's cheeks, unwilling suppress this vulnerability. Perhaps, even a month ago, Vaike might have stifled them, if only to prove to himself how strong and resistant he was to the heartbreak surrounding his life. But, as he felt Robin's shoulders shake against his chest, her muffled sobs drenching his sweater, Vaike knew that if he didn't cry alongside his wife and grieve over all the dreadful possibilities....it wouldn't make him any more of a man. It would just make him an asshole.
Robin looked up again soon after, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Vaike's damp sweater. She bit at her lip, her eyebrows wedged together. Her cheeks were flushed pink despite the early morning chill, and her forehead crinkled as she spoke once more. This time, her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she was afraid of the trees listening in on their conversation, "Vaike...that Morgan. He told me he didn't know who you were."
Vaike's heart jumped into his throat, and his arms numbed. He had already known that, but to hear Robin confirm it was something else entirely. For his own son to not know who he was, who he had been. It terrified him.
But still, he replied to Robin as steadily as he could, a single tear rolling down his face, "Yeah....yeah, that's right. He had no idea who I was until I almost outright told him."
Robin stiffened in his arms, and he felt her fingers dig into the thick fabric of his breeches. Her face dipped further away from him, but the slight whimper in-between her breaths betrayed her. And suddenly, Vaike knew she had come to the same realization he had.
"Robin," Vaike said as he pulled her a little bit closer, coaxing her to look up at him, "there is no way in hell you can blame yourself for anything that filthy monster did."
She struggled against him, leaning back and trying her best to gather distance between them. It was as if she couldn't bear to be near him, as if sitting in his lap and meeting his eyes had the power to kill him, "There's still no excuse for it. I...in that future, Grima consumed me, and I...they..."
Another whimper escaped her, and Vaike's heart squirmed at the sound. He didn't like seeing her like this, broken up about all the countless futures and possibilities that could await them. Or, in Vaike's case, could disappear.
"You don't know if it was Grima who killed me there, Robin," Vaike replied, "Maybe I died in battle, before Grima took you. Maybe it was Validar or -"
"No, I know it was them," Robin objected, her voice carrying more weight than before, "I know what they're like, what they want to do all the people I love. And you...I love you the most, Vaike! And they know that - seen that! Grima wouldn't pass on such an opportunity. I...I know what they're capable of."
Robin paused and met Vaike's gaze, an endless stream of tears streaking her face and dripping off her chin. She looked both frail and resolute, both afraid and assured as she continued, "They'd be delighted to watch someone who loved me wither and perish before their eyes, to see all their hopes disappear. By the gods, they took my son and used him! Used him against all my friends and their children! What would stop them from killing you? From erasing you from Morgan's life? Grima wants to take everything from me and in that life, I -"
"You didn't let it do anything, Robin," Vaike interrupted, grabbing onto one of her hands and pushing it into his chest, "Grima is a monster. A really fucking ugly and evil monster that does whatever it can to make your life a living hell. Its only goal is to have you and make you its puppet. I'm sure, in whatever life you had in that time...that you did everything you possibly could before Grima took over. I'm sure - I know you fought so hard to keep everyone safe, to keep all of us away from that piece of crap that calls itself a god. You can't blame yourself Robin...it's another time, another world."
When she remained silent, her stare directed to the hand still sitting on his chest, Vaike took a deep, shuddering breath and continued, "How do you think I feel about all of this, Robin?"
Robin glanced up, a hint of curiosity flickering across her cool, gray eyes, "How you feel?"
"About you being taken over by Grima...how do you think that makes me feel?" Vaike repeated while his chest tightened, making it harder to speak, "I wasn't able to protect you in that world - I wasn't strong enough to save you. In that world...I feel like I let it happen."
His wife's stare widened and she panicked underneath him, her free hand reaching out to cup his face. Before she could speak however, Vaike took her hand and placed it on his cheek, reveling in the way it cooled and soothed his warm, chapped skin. What he would give to stay like this for a day, a week, a year...to sit beside a pond and feel Robin against him, his legs wrapped around hers, her hand in his.
But he wouldn't give up his future. And he wouldn't give up his son.
"I guess..." Robin started, doing her best to smile as more tears continued to fall off her face, "I guess we both weren't strong enough. I want to save you, you want to save me... but we weren't enough to even save ourselves."
Vaike returned her fragmented smile, leaning in to kiss the top of her forehead. Her skin tasted like salt and felt damp, but he didn't mind. Her even accepting the gesture - accepting his embrace and his kiss - would always be enough, "It means we gotta work harder than ever now. Because we ain't just protecting each other anymore. There's a kid that needs saving, too."
Robin nodded, a faint chuckle escaping her, "You're right."
And when Vaike leaned back, his wife's eyes were steady, all the tears wiped clean from her face, "I'll be the wife you need, Vaike. I promise."
"And I'm gonna be the husband you deserve," Vaike replied as he stood up, bringing Robin along with him. Morning was upon them now, birds chirping and trees rustling from every direction. Vaike wouldn't mind staying awhile longer, let Robin compose herself as they strolled along the pond, but...
"You think Morgan's up?" Robin asked, taking Vaike by the arm. She led them off the firm sand and onto the path Vaike had followed, gathering their boots and hoisting them up on her shoulder, "I was hoping to surprise him with that cornbread he likes for breakfast."
"Probably," Vaike shrugged, doing his best to emulate her mood. There was a sudden spring in her step, and he wondered if the change in subject was meant to distract him from all the thoughts continuing to loom around in his head, "Little man has always been an early riser....remember the last time he tried to surprise us in the morning?"
Robin's ears tinged pink, but her grin still widened and a giggle soon escaped her throat, "Don't remind me! It's a miracle he even bought that whole nightmare excuse."
"Or maybe he was just playing dumb," Vaike replied, taking Robin's response as a good sign. Maybe if she was around Morgan and the others, she wouldn't have much time to think either. "You never know...he could turn out like his old man after all."
"You mean hiding behind bushes and watching his friends bathe?" Robin asked, her voice a touch heavier, "Not sure if that's the ideal son I'm hoping for."
Vaike sputtered, but said nothing to defend himself. She was right - and always would be, "You're never letting that go, huh?"
"Nope!" Robin exclaimed, her eyes shining, "As if!"
And perhaps, in a few hours, it would feel like they had let that world and its future go all too easily. That, alone, they would sit up and stare out into the darkness during the oncoming nights, thinking about the boy they had left behind. About the one who could be lost or dead, about the one they could never and would never save.
But that future was not their future. And in this world (and in this life), they still had a boy to save.
A boy that, they hoped, would never be misguided.