Author's note- I don't really have much creative writing experience. I tried very diligently to look for errors, I am sorry if I failed to find them all. Hopefully the time being 2:30 in the morning won't have to be an excuse. I felt like writing this. I like the couple and I felt like a one-shot would be a good enough length. If it gets a decent reception I may do more, but know you have been warned.
Disclaimer- I don't own Fire emblem...or anything for that matter.
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Jubilation would be an understatement to describe this day in Ylisse. Confetti was thrown on the streets, people were dancing, games were being played outside, their exalt Chrom wouldn't have it any other way for a moment like this.
The tactician for the Ylissean army has arrived home.
"Chrom, I uh, think you overdid it" Robin said, somewhat embarrassed for the level of celebration in his honor. Chrom shook his head as if the tactician couldn't be any more wrong.
"Because the hero who defeated Grima and saved the world coming home isn't worth it right?" he said sarcastically. Robin went with it and waved to the throngs of people until he entered the castle.
Upon reaching the castle he was surprised to see all the shepherds. They have went on to live their lives but for today they came back for this occasion.
They were all there. There was Vaike looking for his axe, Cherche knitting some clothes, Miriel studying how Stahl's hair stays the way it does. They all seemed so peaceful and excited. But there was one who seemed to have something on her mind, she stayed in the corner reading a dark tome.
"Tharja..." Robin said in the echoes of his mind. He wondered how would she react from his return. Before he sacrificed himself he didn't treat her well, ignoring her in fact. He didn't speak a word to her until she spoke to him to help him break from Grima's control.
Robin's reverie was interrupted by Chrom announcing Robin arrived.
"Look who's back guys!" Chrom smiled. The shepherds happily approached Robin.
"What was it like being dead for a little while?" Vaike bluntly asked.
"I don't know," Robin replied, shrugging his shoulders "I don't remember any dreams or anything. I just remember waking up and seeing Chrom help me up."
"Now that you are back I can make another edition to your biography!" Anna said gleefully "Cha-ching- I mean, glad to have you back!" she continued. Robin knew Anna's heart was in the right place though.
Robin proceeded to answer their questions. He noticed Tharja stayed in the back, her head turned somewhere else. She liked to stay in the shadows but he never saw her in such a somber mood. He often snuck a peek at her while talking with the other shepherds. After a while Chrom noticed Robin seemed to be in thought and felt like he needed some space.
"But ok, that's enough for now I think," the exalt said, placing his hand on Robin's shoulder and turning his head to him "Robin how about you get some rest before dinner? Sumia will make some pies for desert." Sumia smiled, and so did Chrom. He really loved her pies.
"Thanks guys," Robin nodded "I am so happy to see you guys again, and at a time of peace."
Later that day, Robin stood atop a cliff looking over a large lake. The sun was setting, giving the sky an orange hue. The tactician always paid attention to the details of nature, finding them beautiful and peaceful but at this moment his mind is too clogged up to notice the beautiful landscape.
"Is it my fault she is like this?" He wondered. Robin kept replaying images in his head about the last battle. Before he struck Grima with the final blow, he remembers Tharja running, running faster than he ever saw her run towards him, screaming "wait!"
He couldn't wonder much longer by himself, he noticed Tharja has been behind him. He felt relieved "At least she isn't avoiding me?" He thought.
"How long were you there?" He asked her.
"The whole time." Tharja let out a laugh, approaching him, "You used to be good at noticing me following you."
"I am a little rusty I suppose." Robin smirked, ruffling his white hair. There was an awkward paused between the two. Robin failed to find a way to start a conversation about his actions before Grima. Lucky for him Tharja can be a little more blunt.
"You said more to me now than the last week before you died." Tharja said, staring at him. She was giving him the interrogation stare. The only other time Robin saw it was when he agreed to spend the whole day with her but showed up 2 hours late. It didn't matter the shepherds needed him, she needed him more, a week long itchy nose hex seemed to be punishment enough.
Robin paused before eventually mustering up the courage to speak, "Well, it was tough, and I was so stressed. I am sorry about that Tharja" Tharja's expression didn't change. The answer wasn't good enough for her.
"That's why you were sitting with the other shepherds then right?" Tharja remarked "Whenever I approached you, you would leave. When I got close to you, you screamed at me to get away." Robin looked at her with an apologetic expression as she continued rebuking him.
"And this whole time while you were gone, I waited and waited for you to come back. You actually do come back and I ask you about why you were ignoring me and what do you say? 'It was tough...'"
Robin tried to interject "Tharja I-"
but he couldn't stop her. Tharja continued "I began to think you felt the same way for me the way I do for you." Her voice began to escalate, Robin never saw her like this, "People call me a dark person but people know how I feel. You treated me like a puppet. I don't think it's worth it anymore" Tharja began to turn around and leave.
"Tharja wait!" The tactician screamed, now giving her a look of his own.
"You want to know why I wasn't talking with you?" He asked without waiting for Tharja's response "Somewhere between knowing of Validar's control of me and knowing I could destroy Grima by sacrificing myself, I was preparing to give my life away to destroy him. I was completely ready to do so but whenever I saw you, it became too hard." Tharja became shocked and out of words.
Robin didn't stop though. His voice started to screech occasionally, holding himself back the best he can, "Every time I saw you I thought to myself 'maybe there is a way to stop him and be with you. There has to be a way! There must be a way!' But there wasn't a way Tharja, it was all I could do to go on with it"
Robin rubbed his temple, wiping a small tear from his eye before continuing. "Before I finished Grima off, I turned to look at you. Even then I almost didn't do it. I want to be with you so much. I never felt so bad than I have at that moment. And it wasn't because I was going to go, but because I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life with you."
Tharja was caught up in a mixture of emotions. Happiness, from the fact that Robin does love her. Guilt from being mad at him and realizing he did it only out of love. "Is that true?" Was all she could ask him.
"Of course" Robin replied, "I love you Tharja. I love everything about you." he began approaching her. "I love the way your eyes hide in your hair during awkward moments. I love the way you laugh. I love when I prevent an enemy from attacking you and help you finish him off, then you say 'I can handle myself.' But most of all, I love you for who you are. The true person that you hide when you are around everyone. I know the heart you have deep inside and it is beautiful."
Tharja felt a little embarrassed, her eyes concealed by her hair "This is who I am. I don't know what you are talking about."
"See that!" Robin replied, pointing at her face "That's the expression I love."
"Ok I get it" The dark mage said plainly, color returning to her face. Robin grabbed her hands, holding them with his, his cheeks becoming red. He started to kneel down.
"The thing I am most happy about being back is that I can be with you. What do you say? Will you marry me?"
Tharja started blushing as well. She has been waiting for this for years. It's almost too good to be true, but something is missing.
"N-no!" She exclaimed, "I can't! Not like this!"
"Oh." Robin said disappointedly. Before he could say anything else, she turned him around, facing away from her.
"...There. Now try it again." She suggested. Robin sighed "Consistent as always" He thought to himself.
"Um, well, I guess if this makes you more comfortable..." He said, still red as a tomato "In truth I'm getting used to it myself..."
"Good. heh heh" Tharja smiled, waiting for him to say...
"Tharja, will you marry me?" He asked her.
"Yes!" she screamed then jumped on his back.
"I can't believe you made me love you," she said, her eyes shimmering "course, if you back out, I'll murder you in your sleep..."
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Author's note- If you got to here, it means you read it, good stuff (if you just went down with the arrow key...good enough too I guess). I hope you guys enjoy it. It probably should've been multiple chapters but I was worried of not finishing it. Hopefully we can get more fanfics of Robin x Tharja out there, it's a cute couple I think. Have a good one and enjoy your day.
