Notes: Currently on a Fire Emblem spree. I'm about to finish Awakening and oh my gosh, I've been so obssessed with it recently. There are no words to describe my love and feels for this game...except that it is hands down the best video game I have EVER played. Anyway, prepare for FE13 stories for the rest of the summer! ;)

Of Fate and Destiny

He proposed to her twice, she only accepted once.

...

...

However much it pained Chrom to think about it, he knew he and Robin were never meant to be together. He had Exalted Blood in him, and she was of Fell Dragon Blood. Of course, he would never judge her based on who her father or ancestors were, but there was also the fact that he was the general of his army and Robin was his chief tactician. Their first responsibility was to the soldiers they led, not to each other.

Their marriage would never work out.

But he couldn't just let her go; he loved her too much for that. Chrom admired everything about her: her cleverness and intelligence, her witty and funny personality, her skill and speed in battle. When they fought together, it was as everything should be—they were in perfect synchronization, leaving no weak spots, working together in a flawless harmony. He wished everything could be like that, but he knew it didn't work that way.

He had to try, at least. He had always been reckless, taking risks with an all-or-nothing attitude, something Frederick had often admonished him about. Now he was going to charge into what had to be the most important moment of his life.

That evening, he took Robin out to dinner at one of the restaurants in the nearby village, well-known for its delectable food and luxurious desserts. Chrom smiled as he watched her enjoy the food, exclaiming at how rich and savory it was, but all the while his heart was pounding in his chest and he was so nervous he was starting to sweat. He didn't think he could choke down a single bite, and even though he managed to eat a little, he couldn't taste the food at all.

During dessert, he finally worked up the courage to ask her. After she had taken her first bite, he leaned forward and said, "Hey, Robin?"

"Yeah?" She was smiling at him, in a way that made his heart beat faster. It gave him the courage to go on. It's all or nothing, Chrom.

"I...I think I'm in love with you. I haven't been able to keep my mind off you lately, and I was hoping that maybe...maybe we could more than friends." With that, Chrom presented to her the ring from the royal house of Ylisse, the one his parents had made for him when he was born. He watched hopefully as her eyes widened at the sight of the precious treasure and she dropped her spoon with shock.

"Chrom, I-I... I wish I could, but..." Robin's smile disappeared, her voice trailing off. All of a sudden, her voice broke with anguish, and she burst into tears. "Do you know what this means? I...I can't accept. It would never work out!" With that, she fled from him into the night, disappearing out the door of the restaurant.

"Robin! Wait!" he yelled after her, but she was already gone. He was left gazing sadly at the ring in his hands, his heart feeling like it had been shattered to pieces.

...

...

For the next few weeks, Robin kept avoiding his gaze, and whenever he tried to speak to her, she would only exchange a brief, abrupt word with him before leaving. Chrom didn't know how much longer he could stand her silent treatment. He wouldn't have minded as much if they were still friends—of course, it would break his heart, but at least they'd still be as close as ever. But she had rejected him and wouldn't talk to him anymore, and he felt like he'd lost his whole world.

His appetite was even gone, which was saying a lot. Eventually, Lissa noticed something was up and confronted him one day after dinner. "Okay, mister! Just what's going on with you?" she demanded. "You mope around camp all day and hardly say a single word at dinnertime, let alone eat anything!"

When he hesitated, wondering how much he should tell her, she put her hands on her hips. "And don't lie and say nothing's wrong, because I know you a little too well for your own good!" His younger sister sighed, clearly exasperated with him. "Seriously, Chrom, what's up? You can tell me, of all people!"

Chrom let out a heavy sigh of his own. "Okay, fine. It's...Robin."

He was about to go off on a long rant about how life wasn't fair, but to his surprise, Lissa interrupted him. "You love her, don't you?" she said with a knowing smile.

"How did you know?" he wondered. Was it really that obvious?

"C'mon, how could I not know? You've been staring at her longingly all day for the past few weeks now!"

"Gods, if you of all people noticed, I should really be worried," Chrom muttered to himself under his breath. But she apparently heard, and punched him in the arm indignantly.

"Ha, very funny."

He rubbed his arm and sighed again. "Okay, okay. But I proposed to her already, and she said something about it not being able to work out before she ran away crying. So what should I do?" As soon as the question left his lips, he was struck by the ludicrousness of it all. Here he was, asking his little sister for love advice. He must have seemed more pathetic than he thought.

"I think you should propose to her again!" Lissa exclaimed cheerfully. Chrom quickly shushed her before looking around frantically to see if there was anyone in earshot, but the room was empty.

"Why would I do that? She already rejected me!" He was incredulous.

"Yeah, well, try again. Talk to her. I'm sure she loves you too! Honest!" She patted him on the back. "You don't want to come off as a wimp, do you?"

Chrom sighed, for the third time that conversation. He should have known his younger sister would suggest something like this.

"Besides, you've never been someone to let something like that stop you, right?" Lissa grinned, and as soon as she said it, he knew it was true. He had always been a stubborn one—once he set his mind on something, he would do anything to get it. His sister was right, he realized with some surprise. She knew him better than he knew himself.

The expression on his face must have betrayed him though, because Lissa slugged him in the arm again. "Hey, why the shocked face?" she protested. "I can be smart too! I just don't always show it!"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Chrom replied with a smirk, his spirits suddenly buoyant again. She huffed and threw another punch at him, and he grabbed his arm in pain. "OW! Stop that!" For someone so small and delicate, she was surprisingly strong. But of course, if he ever said that in front of her, she would have his head off.

...

...

That evening, Chrom waited until after the war council before he cautiously approached Robin's tent. She had treated him normally during the meeting—whenever they were discussing tactics or something practical, she always addressed him like she used to. It was only when he tried to converse casually with her that she put on an aloof mask and refused to talk. He hesitated for a moment, lingered by the entrance of her tent. "Robin?" he called cautiously, wondering if he was still welcome.

"Chrom? Come in."

He came in to find her working, planning out their strategy for the next battle. She was hunched over a desk scattered with paper and various maps, and despite himself, Chrom grinned. It was just like her, working this late at night.

"So what did you want?" She glanced up from her papers long enough to look him in the eye. He took a deep breath and forced himself to go on.

"I don't know, it's just that we haven't been as close as we used to, and I..." He faltered.

Robin sighed, and gave him almost a pitying look. "Look," she said coldly, "I'm sorry that things are so awkward between us now, but—"

"I just want us to get married!" Chrom burst out without thinking, surprising even himself. "Robin, you're the love of my life. I love you with all my heart and soul, and I know you feel the same way about me." When she began to protest, he cut her off, not knowing where this sudden burst of courage came from. "Don't try to deny it—I know you do. So why can't we be married?"

"Chrom, it's—it's just that..." Robin's face was calm and emotionless, but he could tell she was about to break, he could hear it in her wavering voice. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this. It's impossible." She turned away, back to her papers, and Chrom saw her discretely brushing away tears. "Now if you don't mind, I'm trying to—"

"Robin!" He grabbed her wrist, rather forcefully, and she stared up at him in shock. "Listen to me. Nothing's impossible if we make it possible."

"Yes, but—" Her voice broke, and suddenly her facade shattered and she was crying openly. He gathered her in her arms and held her close, something he had always dreamed of being able to do, while she wept into his shoulder. "Chrom... I love you too. I can't ever stop thinking about you, but this isn't going to work out. You're the leader of this army, and I'm the tactician. What's everyone else going to think?"

"I don't care what anyone else thinks," Chrom insisted, stroking her hair gently. It was as soft and silky as he'd always imagined it to be.

"But our duty is to them, and that's not going to happen if we're married. And also, think about it. You're the Exalt of Ylisse, and I—I have Fell Dragon Blood in me. We were never meant to be together."

"Robin. Don't say that. I don't care what kind of blood you have; I'll still love you no matter what. Understand?" After a while, she nodded brokenly. "And as for the army—we will continue to do what we must, but they'll understand if we take the time off for each other now and then."

Despite himself, he smiled down at the sobbing Robin in his arms. He'd never seen her as emotional as this before, and it was a refreshing sight, a nice change, for once. Now he knew two sides of the woman he loved—her calm, calculating side when she was planning another deadly strategy, and this one.

Chrom loved them both.

He took her face in his hands, brushed a few stray strands of hair away, and kissed her. Robin gasped slightly but returned the kiss, clinging on to him like her life depended on it, and at that moment he felt like they were infinite, that nothing would ever separate them—they could do anything together, even conquer the world.

"So, Robin," he said as she finally pulled away. "Now that all that's over, what do you say? Will you marry me?" He held out the ring and she gazed at it, stunned, as if she wasn't worthy enough to wear it. Finally, she took it and admired it, running her fingers over the engraved crest of the royal house of Ylisse.

"Of course!" Robin was crying tears of joy now, and Chrom noticed that she was positively beaming. "Chrom... I... Thank you. For everything."

He was about to tell her it was no problem, that he was ready to do anything for her if she would only ask, when suddenly the entrance to the tent burst open and a mob of cheering people came flooding inside, Lissa at the front. He recognized Stahl, Sully, even Frederick in the crowd congratulating him on getting engaged.

"Ha, I told you Robin loved you," Lissa said with a smirk. "My big brother's finally getting married!" Chrom jumped to his feet, his cheeks probably bright red. He didn't know whether to be relieved, embarrassed, or angry.

"Lissa! Were you guys spying on us?"

He would have her head off, for this one.

Author's Note:

Okay so this has to be like the sappiest thing I've ever written, but since I dislike almost any kind of mushy-gushy stuff, that's not saying very much. Except these two... I seriously can't get enough of them. They break my heart, but in a good way :') I really can't express how much I love this pairing. Chrom and Robin are perfect for each other in every way. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this because I totally did!