i started playing fe:a and m!robin is sUCH A CUTIE GOD EVERYONE IS CUTE KILL ME
When Chrom had a problem, it was, naturally, everyone's business.
So when he figured out that how he felt about Robin wasn't really at all what he should have been feeling towards his tactician, he went straight to Frederick.
"Milord," he greeted, standing impossibly straighter.
"I like someone. What do I do?"
The knight looked caught off-guard by the question and would have thought it a joke if not for the desperate tone underlying Chrom's voice.
"Perhaps," he started slowly, "you could bring her some flowers, as a token of your affection."
Flowers, Chrom thought. Not what I would have expected from frederick the wary. Despite his doubts, he followed the advice because it was from Frederick and Frederick was usually right.
And so he somehow ended up in front Robin's tent, followed by a trail of flower petals.
"Chrom?"
Chrom glanced at the tactician around an armful of flowers.
"Hey, Robin."
The shorter man looked questioningly at the petals that showered around him. "What's all this for?"
Glancing away, Chrom gave a shy smile although it was hidden by the flowers. "You," he simply said, pushing past him into Robin's tent and dropping his precious cargo on top of the small desk in the middle of the tent.
Robin chuckled. "What kind of joke is this?"
"No joke. I just...thought you could do with some color. Your tent is so awfully drab, you know." A pale eyebrow rose at the explanation but he didn't question further. Sometimes Chrom was just weird.
...
Chrom was still sneezing flower petals and smelling of roses when he came across Lon'qu the next day.
Might as well try my luck.
"Strength is what's important. They will understand this, and be greatly humbled if you present them with a worthy weapon," he rumbled when Chrom asked what he should do.
He really, really doubted Robin would be very impressed with a weapon, but Lon'qu was smart so maybe it would work.
Venturing to the storage tent, Chrom spent the better part of the next two hours going through all the tomes and swords they had until, exhausted and bleeding from numerous cuts on his hands, he sat back and sighed.
"I bet Robin doesn't even need a new weapon," he muttered to himself, reaching out with his foot and kicking a box. It fell over and a crooked sword toppled out.
Curious, Chrom stood and made his way over to it.
It certainly looked like a worthy weapon. And Chrom knew that while Robin had his magic tomes and a silver sword, he didn't have this sword.
Glancing around nervously (even though he was the commander and had all rights over all the weapons anyway), he snatched it up and made his way over to a local forge where he enhanced the blade to its full potential.
With the weapon hefted over his shoulder, he made his way back to camp, back to Robin's tent.
"Robin," he called, pushing his way through the tent flap. "I'm coming in."
Robin sat studying a tome at his desk, the flowers from earlier scattered over it and across the little room. A single red rose lay on the small bedside table, next to a candle and a book. Chrom ignored the warm feeling the sight gave him and turned his full attention to Robin. The tactician's dark eyes were trained on the blade Chrom held.
"That's a levin sword," he said with a hushed air, voice filled with awe. "Where did you-how did you get that?"
"You like it?"
Robin blinked and shook himself out of his stupor. "It's an incredibly rare-and powerful- weapon. You're lucky to have one!"
"No," Chrom began cheerfully, "you are. It's yours, now."
"Chrom! I couldn't possibly accept such a-"
"Yeah, well, you're going to. It's a gift, Robin, I want you to have it." The man stared at him until Chrom was worried he broke. "Please tell me you know what a gift is."
That thankfully seemed to push Robin into action because he turned a dark look on Chrom and scowled. "Indeed I do. But I don't understand why. Is there some special occasion today that I forgot about?"
"No, no. It's just-" Chrom struggled trying to come up with a reason that didn't blatantly announce his undying attraction to the man. "It's just a...a thank you gift. You really do make an excellent tactician. I don't know where I'd be without you."
"Dead in a ditch, I presume." Robin smiled softly and took the sword by its hilt when Chrom held it out to him. He lifted it to his eyes carefully, examining the blade and the magic-infused gemstone in the hilt in amazement. "Thank you."
"No problem."
Robin glanced up at him with that same little smile, eyes warm with appreciation and maybe something else if Chrom wanted to get his hopes up. He reached up and placed his hand against Chrom's shoulder, thumb brushing against his neck. "No, really. Thank you, Chrom. This means a lot to me."
Chrom left Robin's tent later, cheeks hurting from the smile plastered on his face.
...
He was a little less desperate and a little more hopeful when Nowi pranced up to him, grinning from ear to ear and giggling. "Find her something shiny!"
"Beg pardon?"
"The girl you like!" Nowi pouted and looked very much as if that should have been obvious. "Find her something real pretty and shiny. She'll love it!"
"Oh, er, right. I'll start looking."
The manakete rolled her eyes and her smile came back full-force. "No, silly, you won't find anything good by yourself. I'll help you find something, c'mon!"
"Wait, I-"
She grabbed Chrom's wrist and dragged him out of the camp and into the nearby town, despite his (very, very) many protests.
"Look, look at these!" Pulling him closer to the stall she was examining, Chrom saw that all it was was a little booth with sparkly trinkets and gemstones. "Well?"
Chrom sighed and indulged her, scanning the objects.
"I don't think-" A faint beam of sunlight trickled through a hole in the stall's overhang, falling on a small jewel that reflected the light in a rainbow of colors.
Nowi followed his gaze and turned to the merchant with a cheerful smile. "He'll take that one."
After she payed for the little rock, they made it back to the camp. Nowi fished a length of black cord out of her pocket and held out her hand to Chrom. "Gimme." Unsure of what else to do, he handed her the jewel and watched as she precariously wrapped the cord around it. "There. Now she can wear it like a necklace. You're welcome."
"Er, thanks?"
"Promise you'll tell me how much she likes it!"
Chrom just nodded and turned to go find his tactician.
He ran into robin, literally, near his own tent. The blonde groaned and rubbed his head where Chrom had accidentally smacked with his own. "Sorry about that," Chrom muttered, eyes watering. "I was looking for you, but I didn't think I'd find you like that."
"You can always find me if you use your head." They both snickered. "Did you need me for something?"
"No, not exactly. Uh, I have something for you."
"Not another sword, I hope."
"Not quite." Chrom rolled his eyes. Without explaining, he took stepped closer to Robin and reached up to pull the tied cord over his head. The jewel at the end nestled snugly at the dip between his collar bones.
"What is this?" Robin touched the jewel with a fingertip in wonder.
"A gift." Dark eyes stared at him, unimpressed. "Okay, okay, it's...well, it's pretty. I thought you would like it."
Robin hummed in thought, rolling the stone between his finger and thumb. "I'm not one for aesthetic value."
Chrom's face fell as he muttered, "Oh. Right."
"But," the blonde added, "I do like it."
"You do?"
"I truly do."
The smile that stretched across his face mirrored the one Robin wore.
...
Tharja stalked up to him after Chrom fell the last of the Risen horde that ambushed their camp.
"I find hexes work excellently if someone needs a little...extra incentive," she said with a dark grin. Wondering how she even knew about his romantic pursuits, Chrom shuddered and left as quick as humanely possible, ruling out ever asking her for advice.
Later, it crossed his mind that she probably wouldn't have been so supportive if she knew exactly who it was he liked.
...
Everyone likes candy, Chrom thought when he spotted Gaius hanging around the makeshift mess hall. Maybe he has an extra lollipop I can borrow. (Or pry from his cold dead fingers, came the more logical part of Chrom's mind.)
"Yeah, get 'em something sweet," the thief suggested through a mouthful of lollipop. "Y'know, like some bonbons or a cinnamon bun. Speaking of cinnamon buns..."
Chrom stared helplessly as Gaius wondered off in search of the sweet pastry.
"Wait, Gaius!"
Chrom was convinced that the Shepherds had no idea whatsoever about romance and maybe he should stop taking their advice, and maybe he should start following his own.
...
The sky was dark by the time Chrom made it to Robin's tent, but a pale glow flickering from inside told him the tactician was still awake. It didn't surprise him, really.
"Robin?" he called, glancing around to see if any of the other Shepherds were around. A second later, the tent flap was pushed aside to reveal the slighter man.
"Chrom," he greeted, stepping aside to give him room to enter. He didn't seem very surprised that the commander was there. The tent flap closed as Chrom ducked under it. Making a beeline for Robin's cot, where the sheets were still wrinkled and the tactician's dark cloak was laid across it, Chrom stole a glance back at Robin. It was never not shocking how much smaller he seemed when he wasn't wearing it. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing. You. Er, I mean, it's just always surprising to see you without your cloak."
"Hmm," was Robin's only response as he peered at the other man. Chrom shifted uncomfortably under the gaze, sinking onto the cot with a sigh. The mattress under him depressed as Robin perched at his side. "Is something wrong?"
Yes, Chrom wanted to scream. Yes, something is very wrong and it's your fault.
"No," he said and winced when Robin gave him the most unimpressed look he'd ever seen. "Alright, yeah, but it's-it's not important."
Robin hummed and narrowed his eyes at him. "It isn't good to keep things in, Chrom. It may harm your abilities in battle." Chrom's shoulders sagged as he groaned, frustration seeping through his expression. "Chrom?" Robin was watching him with one pale eyebrow raised, looking vaguely amused.
Steeling his nerve, the commander stood up abruptly and caught Robin's gaze. "Look," he started, taking a step towards the other. "Just...I like you. Okay?"
Almost absently, Robin reached up with one hand to touch the necklace Chrom gave him. "I like you too. So what's the problem?"
Chrom barely suppressed a groan and very nearly ripped his hair out. "No, I like you, Robin. As in, I have feelings for you. Romantic ones," he added as an afterthought as he glared at the ground.
"I know." Robin sounded amused, and then he was making a sound that sounded suspiciously like chuckling, and when Chrom's eyes darted up, he realized it was because Robin was chuckling.
His hand rose to rest defensively on the hilt on Falchion. "Don't laugh at me," he muttered, wondering why the sound made his chest hurt so bad. With more force, he asked, "And what do you mean, you know?"
Robin held his hands up in surrender when Chrom touched his blade. "I'm not laughing at you, Chrom." Dark eyes flitted to the side and a gentle smile curved his lips. "It's just, friends don't really give friends the things you've been bringing me, unless there's something else. And really, you can't go anywhere in the barracks without hearing something about you and your valiant efforts to capture one of the Shepherd's affections."
"So you-you knew this whole time?" The commander's voice rose an octave and his eyebrows lowered, highly resembling a kicked puppy. "And you didn't even say anything?"
Robin seemed to consider for a moment, remotely guilty only for making Chrom look so hurt. "It was rather nice, having someone fuss over me like you've been. But then, you always have done that, haven't you...hm."
When the blonde Shepherd took a step towards him, Chrom didn't know whether to feel threatened or elated.
Robin took another step, and another, until he was nearly up against Chrom's chest. Dark eyes, nearly hidden under a pale mess of hair, peered up at him to make up for the inch or two height difference. Frozen, Chrom stared back.
He started when a slim hand wrapped around his wrist and tugged him forward into Robin's arms.
"You idiot," he murmured into Chrom's shoulder. "You don't need to bury me in gifts to win me over." Silence held over them for a long minute before Robin added, so softly that Chrom wasn't sure he really said it, "You had me from the start."
Chrom could feel the heat coming off Robin's face against his shoulder. He suspected his own face was just as red.
Without thinking about it first (as he was prone to doing), Chrom grabbed the other's shoulders and pulled him away, just enough to look into his eyes. He hesitated for only a moment before leaning forwards, slowly so Robin would have a chance to object if he wanted.
Chrom hoped he wouldn't. Chrom really hoped he wouldn't.
Robin didn't move except for tilting his head up and stretching to meet Chrom's lips. His tactician's mouth was chapped and bitten and his teeth nicked Chrom's lip at one point.
Chrom had never had a more perfect kiss.