A series of short stories for Chrobin Week 2016. Each story is inspired by and titled with a line from a different song by a different artist.

Day 3: Dancing

Song: Hachigatsu no Serenade by Suga Shikao

"Robin!"

A young woman with dark red hair looked up from her list of inventory, her thoughts still revolving around tomes and shields. It took a moment for her to realize she was being called.

"Oh, Chrom! What is it?" she said, smiling at the captain of the Shepherds. She was pleased to see him, as usual.

He returned the smile. "Did you need any help with that?" he asked, pointing at the barrels full of newly delivered equipment.

"With the inventory? Don't you have anything more important to do?" she said, looking back down at her list and crossing out an item with her quill.

"Don't you? Last time I checked, you were our tactician, not in charge of the armory."

"Kellam was supposed to take care of it, but we haven't seen him for days," Robin replied, counting out axes.

"Again?!"

"I don't know how he does it, he really should become a spy instead of a knight."

Chrom laughed, and Robin felt her heart skip a beat. His laugh was her favorite sound in the world.

"Well, if he turns up I'll tell him our tactician has a new role for him. Should I sort out the weapons by grade?" he asked, taking a look at the nearest barrel.

"If you really have nothing better to do..."

"I don't."

"Be my guest," she said. She tried to act as nonchalantly as possible, but it was hard to keep a level head while he worked next to her. Every time their hands touched accidentally her stomach made a somersault, and she couldn't help sneaking a glance at his handsome face from time to time.

Unfortunately, she kept forgetting what she was counting every time she did.

"Did we order a whole crate of steel axes?!" he asked suddenly, causing her to jump with guilt. She had been admiring his broad shoulders instead of checking if there were enough spears.

"O-oh, yeah. Vaike keeps losing them, so Anna cut us a cheap deal. Or so she says, anyway," she replied, busying herself with the nearest box of tomes. It took her a minute to remember she'd already gone over it.

Dammit, I'll have to start all over at this rate-

"Milord! We have a visitor!"

Robin and Chrom both looked up to see Frederick hurrying down the path toward them.

"Oh, hello Frederick," Robin said, glad to have an excuse not to feel like she'd been doing a shoddy job.

"Hello," he said briskly, and Robin sighed. Frederick was still terribly suspicious of her; since they'd found her lying in a field without a single memory but her name, he'd made it his personal mission to keep an eye on her. Just in case.

"I take it that Khan Basilio has arrived?" Chrom asked, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"Yes, milord," Frederick said. "Your presence is required immediately-"

"Alright, let's go then," he interrupted. If left unchecked, Frederick would talk forever and a day. They began to walk away when he stopped and turned back toward Robin. "What, aren't you coming?"

"M-me?"

"Of course, you're my chief tactician," he smiled. Robin felt like the air was knocked out of her lungs.

"Oh, in that case..."

"Milord, is it wise to have an outsider-"

"Frederick, I've told you a million times. I trust Robin with my life." Her face instantly went red, though no one seemed to notice. She hurried forward, but when she came up next to Chrom, Frederick gave her a distrustful glare.

I'll make you eat bear meat if it's the last thing I do, she thought, annoyed. A moment later she forgot all about him.

"Chrom! It's good to see you're doing well." Basilio was a large, coarse man. He was one of the Khans of Regna Ferox, though Chrom had helped his rival, Flavia, win the dominant seat in the last tournament for power. More recently, Basilio had helped the Shepherds escape from a trap after Exalt Emmeryn had been killed, and he had promised to bring reinforcements for the upcoming battle against Plegia.

"It's good to see you too, Khan Basilio," Chrom said, shaking his hand. "Thank you again for your help, we wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for you."

"Don't mention it, boy," Basilio said, nodding solemnly. No one mentioned Emmeryn, it was still a very painful topic, even a month later. "And you, Robin wasn't it? The tactician who's too clever for her own good, eh?"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Basilio," Robin smiled.

"Ha!" he let out a loud boom of a laugh. "If only half the women I knew thought it was a pleasure to see me!"

Frederick coughed quietly behind them.

"Anyway, onto business," Chrom said quickly. "About reinforcements-"

"Right, I've brought you every last man I promised." Basilio said, nodding. "And I've done you one better; you'll like this, I guarantee it," he grinned. "Olivia!"

A young woman stepped into the tent, clasping her hands nervously. She was clad very lightly for a soldier; her navel was exposed and her clothes were made of a rather sheer fabric, though she carried a sword at her waist. Robin immediately recognized her as the woman who had helped organize their escape from Plegia.

"Oh, you're the one who-" Chrom had obviously recognized her as well.

"G-good afternoon," she said, bowing toward them. "It's nice to see you again, milord. Y-you probably don't remember my name, but I'm O-Olivia, Khan Basilio's dancer."

"A dancer?" Robin asked, curious.

"Y-yes." Olivia said, averting her eyes. "I-I'm afraid I'm not very good, though."

Basilio roared with laughter. "Not very good?! Gods, Olivia you could sell a diamond for a pebble's price with that humility. She's brilliant; she's an excellent morale booster before a good battle, and she's no amateur at the sword either," he explained.

"Is that so? I'd love to see you dance sometime," Chrom said, smiling kindly at her. Olivia flushed and for some reason Robin's stomach began to ache.

Did I forget to eat again? she thought, but she couldn't remember.

"Good, because we're having a feast tonight to celebrate, and there's nothing like a dance to round out a good feast," Basilio grinned.

"Wait, what are we celebrating exactly?" Robin asked, confused.

"Our arrival of course," Basilio replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "If we want to beat that dirty Plegian king, we'll all need to be in high spirits when we set out."

"Basilio... we're not setting out for another two weeks," Chrom said.

"So? You can never start building morale too early," he said stubbornly. Robin privately disagreed.

Basilio hadn't been exaggerating. From the moment the drums started beating in the evening torchlight, Olivia changed into an entirely different person. There was no sign of the shy girl who thought she was a bad dancer; instead, all they could see was a beauty, graceful and seductive, who knew exactly how to enrapture an audience. Every sway of her hips, every flick of her wrist, was irresistibly lovely, and Robin found herself enchanted by the dance that unfolded in front of them.

The drums grew more insistent, and in response she drew her sword, tossing it into the air as if it were nothing more than a toy. Everyone flinched whenever the blade seemed ready to fall on her, but she always caught it by the hilt, just in time. She was clearly a very adept swordswoman; Robin could see it in her stance, through the fluidity of her movements. She subconsciously began to consider where best to place someone with that kind of skill on the battlefield when the drums suddenly stopped and Olivia flew straight at Chrom with her sword. Several people gasped and Robin immediately got to her feet.

"Chrom!"

But it was merely a part of the dance; in one swift movement she fell to her knees, offering him her blade with a resolute, fierce look in her eyes. Robin breathed a sigh of relief... until she realized that Chrom was blushing.

It wasn't just him; Olivia was breathing hard after moving around so much and her pose was incredibly suggestive, especially since her clothes were so revealing. Half the army, including several women, seemed to have lost their ability to think as they stared at her, and Robin suddenly realized what a valuable asset Basilio had given them.

If only Chrom wasn't staring at her like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Robin was very subdued for the next few days. She felt dirty, somehow, like she'd witnessed something not meant for her to see. Even after the dance was over, Olivia and Chrom didn't move for a very long time; it was Basilio who broke the tense silence and began applauding, but Robin could see that they had been completely lost in each others' gazes. Her heart ached to remember it. She had never seen him look at anyone like that before, like he was utterly bewitched, and Robin found herself wishing that Olivia had never joined the Shepherds at all.

She hated herself for that thought almost immediately. She liked to think she was a fair and sensible person, and Olivia had done nothing wrong to deserve such ill will. And if Robin's intuition was right, and Olivia did have an interest in Chrom... well, it wasn't like she was the first. Even Robin wasn't the first, and she had long since learned that petty jealousy was only a detriment to the running of an army.

We're allies, first and foremost, she reminded herself as she sat at the edge of the river, scrubbing her clothes clean. Chrom is a very kind and attractive man... plenty of girls in the army must notice him on a daily basis. Olivia is the same as the rest of us, and I don't want to hate her for such a dumb reason. I want to get to know her on my own terms.

Her nail suddenly got caught in the washboard and she cursed, dropping her bar of soap into the water. Luckily, the current was very slow, so she merely leaned forward to fish it out.

She stopped. She'd seen her reflection in the water and been startled by how tired she looked. There were dark bags under her eyes from all the late nights she worked, and her skin looked ghastly. There was a good amount of dirt smudged on her cheeks and there was a scar across her jaw that she'd gotten several battles ago. Her hair was coarse and frazzled; she rarely had time to take care of it so she just pulled it up in the mornings.

I look... like a soldier, she realized. She looked down at her hands; they were calloused and rough, and there were blisters on the joints. She'd once had nice hands; she had taken care to wear gloves so as not to hurt herself, but over time she'd forgotten to use them. She had never been a beauty, not like Olivia, but she was still ashamed to see herself now, so worn after being on the march for so long.

It's a good thing I don't own a mirror, she thought bitterly, diving for the bar of soap. A tactician has no time to feel bad for herself.

But after remembering the look that Chrom had given Olivia, she did anyway.

It wasn't like Robin to wallow in her feelings, however. She was the type to take action, and once she'd finished feeling sorry for herself, she decided to do something about the whole issue.

Alright, you can't expect to catch his attention the same way as Olivia did, she reasoned to herself. And you can't expect the other girls, including Olivia, to back off, because they have just as much of a right to like him as you do. So if you want Chrom, you're going to have to work for it. You can't afford to wait until after the war is over or it might be too late. You have your own strengths, Robin. So. What are they?

She stared around her tent for a moment. She caught sight of her criminally underused hair brush and winced.

Okay, first, I'll brush my hair, then I'll find my strengths.

She sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her hair tie out, running her fingers through the tangled locks.

Ugh when was the last time I did this?! She finally managed to pull through a particularly nasty knot and got to work on the rest. Anyway, you don't have the looks to compete with Olivia, or Cordelia for that matter. You're not the best warrior in camp, or the most interesting... but you probably are the cleverest, I guess. Which is a good thing in battle, but... ehh... I'll come back to that. You're definitely not a dancer... or even graceful for that matter... but you're good at magic...?

She paused. "Why the hell am I only good at war?!" she said aloud, frustrated. I can't even say I'm great at it because we have people like Sully on our side, and she's fantastic... and attractive at the same time... She groaned and fell back on her bed, her brush abandoned.

"I just want him to like me," she sighed, covering her eyes with the back of her hand. "Is that such a terrible thing to want?"

She reached for the book she'd been reading earlier, thinking that it might be best to think about this another time, when she saw the cover and got an idea.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

Chrom had come along at her insistence, but she hadn't explained to him what she needed him for. It was the middle of the night, and most of the camp was asleep.

"Hold on, just wait a bit," she said, leading the way through the bushes.

"You're not going to hit me over the head and reveal yourself as a traitor, are you?" he asked, though Robin could hear the joke in his voice.

"Haha, not funny," she said, frowning back at him.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself," he said, a playful smile on his lips.

"Keep it up, mister, and we're turning right around," she warned.

"I don't even know what we're doing out here," he complained. "Is there any point to all the secrecy?"

"It's a surprise," she muttered. "Just... trust me, okay?"

"Fine," he said, giving a bemused sigh. "I trust you know what you're doing."

She led him around the camp and through a bit of the woods until they came to a large clearing. The river passed right through, filling the night air with the gentle sound of running water.

"Here we are," she said cheerfully. She walked over to a fallen log and motioned for him to sit down with her.

"Uh, you brought me out here to show me the river?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I brought you here to see that," she said, pointing up at the sky.

It was a clear, moonless night, so the stars were especially bright. A path of white illuminated the darkness, millions of stars all blinking together, glistening like the sunlight on a river's surface. Every few seconds a light streaked across the sky. It all looked... alive.

Chrom stared silently, his mouth slightly agape. Robin felt a sense of pride burn within her.

"It's a yearly phenomenon," she explained, pulling a small book from her coat pocket. "For some reason, every year around this time, there's a few days when the stars fall throughout the night. I learned about it in my studies; magic relies on these sorts of things, so tonight is supposed to be an especially good time for light magic. I thought... you might want to see it," she added, feeling self conscious.

"Wow... it's beautiful," he said, his voice awed. "I've never seen stars move like that before."

"I'm glad you like it," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.

"But..." he turned to face her. "Why are you only showing me?"

Robin felt her throat tighten.

"Uhm... well... you've been so busy lately... and things have been... hard on you... I just thought..."

Why can't I just be honest?! she mentally berated herself.

"That's just like you," he said. "Always thinking about others before yourself. Don't you know that there will be rumors if people find out we were spending time together alone at night?"

She blushed at the implication. "I, um, well..."

"I'd hate for people to get the wrong idea," he said, a sad smile on his lips. "You're my friend, I don't want to be the cause of bad rumors."

Oh gods damn it!

"Chrom!" she said aloud, standing up and shutting her eyes tightly. Courage, Robin... if there's something you have in spades, it's the courage to do the things no one else would even consider doing. You can do this! "I... I didn't just bring you here to see the stars," she said, clenching her fists tightly. Her palms were sweaty and she was having trouble catching her breath, but she soldiered on. "I don't care if there are... rumors... I wanted to tell you that- that I..."

She had to stop and catch her breath, and Chrom stood up to help. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm f-fine," she gasped, holding out a hand. Breathe, dammit!

"Should we go back to the infirmary?! Maybe Lissa can take a look-"

"No! I'm just... I'm just in love with you!"

She hadn't realized that she'd shouted until she heard her own voice echoing back to her from the woods. She clapped her hands over her mouth, horrified.

"You- what?!" His face went from pale to red in a millisecond and he stepped back out of shock.

"I... I wasn't going to tell you like this, not at first," she said miserably, sinking back onto the log. "I was going to wait until after the war... but I saw how you looked at Olivia during her dance, and I... I was jealous... I wanted to do something to show you that I care about you, even if I'm not beautiful or interesting like her... I'm an idiot," she moaned, burying her face into her sleeves.

There was a good minute of silence, and Robin started to wonder if Chrom hadn't just left. But then he spoke.

"I... I'm sorry, I should have realized earlier," he sighed. She looked up to see him awkwardly scratching at his hair. "I'm the real idiot here. I'm sorry for causing you so much distress."

"N-no, it's not like it's your fault," she said, her voice muffled by her coat. "And I don't expect anything from you. I just... wanted you to know. I understand if you don't want to see me again..."

"Why would I want that?" He sank down in front of her and tugged her sleeves away from her face. "You're kind, and thoughtful... smart, and even if you don't think so, you're an amazing woman. I've always been in awe of you, and hearing your feelings makes me incredibly happy." Robin's heart thudded painfully in her chest as he spoke.

"Please stop, you're going to raise my hopes for nothing," she said, looking away from his earnest eyes.

"Oh for the love of Naga... Robin, what part of this conversation makes you think I'm about to reject you?!"

"You... aren't?"

"Of course not! You think I was always looking for you for no reason?! Why do you think we kept bumping into each other in camp, or why I was always eager to help you with your work?" He was completely flushed now, but he kept going. "Gods, If I keep this in any longer I'm going to explode... Robin, I've been in love with you for ages. I'm just sorry for never figuring out you felt the same way."

"You... huh?!" She was completely taken aback. "But... you never... and that thing with Olivia..."

"Are you insane?! True, I was captivated, but c'mon, I'm not made of stone! And you looked just as entranced, I saw you! She's an amazing dancer, and very pretty, I'll admit, but I hardly know her! Gods, anyone would react the way I did if she'd knelt in front of them."

"Then..."

"Do I have to say it again?! I love you, Robin, not Olivia, not anyone else in this entire army. You." He reached out and took her face in his hands gently. "Do you understand now?"

She thought her heart might stop.

"R-really?"

"Really."

"But... I'm so... plain, and dull... and I definitely can't dance," she mumbled, completely overwhelmed.

"What part of you is plain, huh? All I see is a lovely young woman, tired, maybe, but only because she works so hard to protect each and every person in this army. In my eyes, you're the most beautiful, most hardworking girl there is. And I can't dance for the life of me, so we're even. I just hope we'll never be asked to dance together," he grinned.

"But if there's ever a wedding between our friends-" she began, losing her head slightly.

"Oh, bloody hell, you're right," he said, looking horrified at the thought. "Weddings mean we have to dance... In that case, we'll have to start practicing now, because I have every intention of marrying you as soon as we're back in Ylisstol." He got up and held out a hand for her. "May I have this dance?"

She stared up at him, flustered beyond belief. "Wh-what? But... there's no music," she said blankly. Still, she took his hand all the same.

"We don't need any," he said, his voice much too close to her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"But I'll step on your feet."

"I don't care. I'll probably step on yours too."

They stared at each other for a moment and laughed. The sound echoed through the darkness, and for the rest of the night, the stars watched over each clumsy, heartfelt step they took together.

"Please, today, let's go for a walk

Alone through the town tonight

Because, you see, in the moonlight

The usual things look so beautiful."