Chapter Ten

sweet rob and hella delia

Chrom sat on the living room couch doing absolutely nothing, still groggy due to sleep deprivation from last night's cacophony of moans. Olivia was still sleeping when he woke, and he made sure to don the blue-and-white striped sweater she had knitted before he left their room.

A knock on the door resounded through the house as Chrom stood up, the wool from the sweater brushing up against his skin. The knock repeated as Chrom shambled to the door, gripping the brown doorknob tightly with his hand. Cold air wafted into the living room as Chrom swung open the medium sized door; a red-haired boy wearing a brown coat stood outside the doorway as the morning sun shone behind him.

"H-hello sir, can I speak to the leader of this house?" The boy asked nervously, his eyes darting around the room.

"You're looking at him. What can I do for you?" Chrom questioned as he leaned his arm against the doorway, the wool from the sweater irritating his skin.

"I was wondering if… I was wondering if I could... " The boy stuttered and tripped over his own words. "I was wondering if I could join your group."

"Yeah sure, what's your na- Hang on, I recognize you." Chrom's brain searched through people that'd he seen around campus. "You're that Ricken kid, right?"

"I wouldn't call myself a kid, but yes that's my name," Ricken answered.

"You look like you're fourteen years old. Regardless, come inside where it's warm." Chrom pointed his thumb behind him and held the door open as Ricken walked in, chunks of snow falling off his boots onto the doormat. "So what are your interests?" Chrom's voice was tired and monotone as he shut the door before falling onto the couch.

"Well first off: I'm not fourteen, I'm nineteen years old." Ricken sat down on the blue recliner opposite the sofas.

"You sure about that?" Chrom asked as he rested against the back of the couch, his sweater continuing to itch his skin.

"Yes. Secondly, I wanted to join your group-"

"The Shepherds," Chrom interjected.

"I wanted to join the Shepherds." Ricken sighed; Chrom couldn't help but smirk. "Because you people seem really nice, and I haven't made any friends since the school year started."

"I'm flattered, but what are your interests?" Chrom asked again.

"Well, I like reading comic books." Ricken's cheeks flushed, slightly embarrassed with how boyish he had revealed himself to be.

"Is Batman your favorite?" Chrom asked in a dull tone.

"How did you?" Ricken was taken aback.

"Everyone loves Batman," Chrom answered.

"I don't like Batman." A low voice responded, which caused Chrom to jump in his seat.

"Gah! Who's there?" Chrom stood up and searched the room, peeking his head into the kitchen and seeing Stahl slumped against the fridge, Maribelle resting beside him. "Looks like they had one too many drinks." Chrom thought before walking back to the sofa.

"It's me, Kellam. You know, the guy sitting right next to you?" Kellam responded, his beige shirt and pants effectively camouflaging him.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Chrom asked as he cautiously sat back down.

"The last hour or so. I tried to get your attention, but you looked like you were thinking about something and I didn't want to interrupt you." Kellam responded as he sank into the couch.

"Do not forget that I exist," Miriel said as she poked her head from beside Kellam, his muscled chest hiding her from the side.

"Even Miriel's here?" Chrom sighed.

"I was a late arrival, but may I suggest you look into the nurturing your optics?" Miriel suggested; Kellam noticed the confused look on Chrom's face. He nudged Miriel with his shoulder.

"English, please." He whispered in her ear.

"Ah yes, glasses. You should buy glasses." Miriel pointed to her bifocals before resting her hand on Kellam's lap.

"Oh, no thanks," Chrom replied. "Regardless, you two must know Ricken by now."

"Hey there." Kellam waved to Ricken. Ricken gestured back and sank into the recliner.

"A fond greeting to you." Miriel stood up and shook Ricken's hand, returning not to her seat but to sit on Kellam's muscled thighs. Chrom shuffled further along the couch as he looked at the couple with growing discomfort. His gaze shifted to Ricken, whose cheeks were completely flush. "So Ricken, you desire more friends?"

"Well, I would always appreciate more friends," Ricken said meekly.

"You know what you need? A girlfriend." Vaike stated as he stood at the top of the staircase, his hands at his hips.

"Dammit Vaike, how did you get any sleep?" Chrom questioned as he watched Vaike slide down the wooden staircase railing.

"Nothing can stop me from catching some z's!" Vaike yelled as he divebombed onto the couch; he glanced up to see Kellam staring at him. "Kellam! My man! How've you been?" Vaike asked enthusiastically as he held his hand up. Kellam shook it slowly as he smiled.

"I saw you last night…" Kellam replied awkwardly as Vaike pulled his hand away.

"Whatever. So Ricken needs a girlfriend? I'm on it. What's your type?" Vaike asked as he turned to face Ricken.

"I really don't need a girlfriend." Ricken continued to blush.

"Oh man, you really are young, huh?" Vaike laughed as he lied on his back. "Do you like tall girls or short ones?"

"Tall," Ricken grumbled as he bit his lip.

"Long hair or short hair?" Chrom asked, realizing that Vaike was onto something.

"Either. But preferably long." Ricken sank even lower into the recliner, the realization that he wasn't getting out of this firmly planted in his mind.

"Okay, these two knuckleheads will get you nowhere," Lissa called out as she leaned over the railing of the second floor, her blond ponytails disheveled and frayed.

"Babe, how did you wake up this early?" Vaike asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I don't know, the man yelling as he slid down the stair railing?" Lissa wiped her eyes with her thumbs as she trotted down the carpeted stairs.

"Sorry about that," Vaike said as he held his arms out; Lissa hugged him begrudgingly as she sat next to him.

"Now is there anyone that you have a crush on?" Lissa asked as she held her head in the palm of her hand.

"Well, there's this girl Cherche, but she's already dating some Virion dude." Ricken started to blush even more.

"She just dumped Virion, so..." Chrom suggested. "You should ask her out. Catch her on the rebound."

"You really think so?" Ricken asked, the sound of hope in his voice.

"Yes." Everyone on the couch replied.

"Okay, I'll ask her out. She frequents this pub in town every Saturday, so I'll go there tonight. But first, I need to grab my stuff from my dorm." Ricken stood up and grabbed his coat.

"I'm going with you. That way I can continue to give you advice." Chrom hurriedly got on his feet and slid his boots on. "If Olivia comes downstairs before I get back, tell her I went with the new guy to get his things."

"Alright," Kellam said as he continued to sit on the couch while Ricken opened the door, frigid air drifting through the room. Lissa shivered, which prompted Vaike to huddle next to her. Chrom walked out behind Ricken and shut the door behind him.

Almost immediately afterward, Sumia exited her room as Gaius followed her down the stairs. He sat down on the couch without saying a word as Sumia sat next to him, who was giggling quietly.

"Nice job waking everyone up," Vaike stated dryly as he removed his head from Lissa's shoulder.

"Hey, it's not my fault Sumia's a sore loser at Uno," Gaius laughed while Sumia became very confused.

"Wait, what? We didn't play Uno, we had se-" Sumia almost finished her sentence before Gaius quickly covered her mouth.

"Several fun rounds of card games!" Gaius pretended to finish her sentence as he laughed nervously, silently praying that he covered his tracks well.

"I did not know people played card games during sexual reproduction." Miriel uttered as she adjusted her glasses.

"What!? The very idea that I would fornicate with Sumia is, frankly, insulting." Gaius folded his arms as he scowled. Sumia took the opportunity to clear up the confusion.

"We had sex." Sumia related bluntly as everyone rolled their eyes.

"Called it!" Stahl drunkenly exclaimed from the kitchen.

"We did it before it was cool," Kellam grumbled as Miriel turned her head around.

"There is no need to be upset." Miriel kissed him on the cheek as her fingers combed through his short black hair.

"This is exactly why I don't disclose my personal activities. Screw all you gay heterosexuals!" Gaius raised his middle finger as he walked up the stairs.

"Gaius!" Sumia sighed and rolled her eyes before chasing after Gaius. Miriel's brain was still reeling from that oxymoron. Sumia followed him into their room, watching as he removed his shirt.

"Thanks for embarrassing me in public," Gaius stated as he slipped underneath the covers of his bed, resting on his side as he faced Sumia, who still had the look of disappointment in her eyes.

"But we just got out of bed," Sumia complained as she continued to stand.

"Well, then maybe you should've accepted my Uno story." He folded his arms and frowned as Sumia sighed.

"Why are you so defensive about sex? It's not like everyone in this house is a virgin."

"Most people don't go around boasting about how they got a dick in their ass." Gaius' tone was becoming more and more aggravated with each second.

"But we didn't-" Sumia would've finished that sentence but was interrupted.

"It was an example!" He yelled before standing up. "Can you please just not talk about it next time?"

"Alright, fine." Sumia tossed his shirt to him; he promptly fitted it over his torso.

In the room down the hallway, however, Robin lied awake on his back in Cordelia's bed, Cordelia's sleeping head resting on his shoulder as he checked his phone.

"some new guy named ricken just joined the shepherds, and i was wondering if you could help me out" Chrom had texted him.

"What exactly do you need?" Robin texted back.

"im helping him ask someone out tonight, and i would really like it if you and cordelia came along for advice or something"

"Sure, just let me ask her."

"Yes," Cordelia answered drowsily, her eyes squinting as they focused on Robin's phone. "Tell him I can be the designated driver."

"She said yes, and she'll drive." Robin sent the text and held Cordelia's slim frame tightly with his other arm.

"alright olivia might be coming too, so we'll go around 7-ish" Immediately after Chrom had sent that text Robin placed his phone on the bed stand.

"I still can't believe how wonderful last night was," Cordelia stated quietly, her body still sore.

"No kidding." Robin dragged her finger along his face.

"Shouldn't we get breakfast?" Cordelia looked at the clock behind Robin and noticed the time, which was roughly quarter to nine.

"Five more minutes," Robin said as he held her tightly in an embrace, her warm hands wrapping around his back as he kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," Cordelia said as she closed her eyes. Something stirred in Robin's mind, a question he had wanted to ask ever since they first met.

"Is your hair naturally red?" He began to focus on Cordelia's hair, which fell off of Robin's frame into little ends.

"Yes. I inherited its color from my father, and I grow it out long like my mother's." Cordelia responded without opening her eyes.

Later that evening, Chrom sat on his stool next to Olivia and Ricken, his drink resting on the hardwood bar until he downed another gulp. "So where's Cherche?" Chrom looked at Ricken, who wore an adorable miniature suit and tie. Ricken had directed Cordelia to the local pub; Robin and Cordelia sat at a nearby booth by themselves as loud disco music played over the sound system.

"Right over there." Ricken pointed to a woman whose well kept pink hair went well past her shoulders. She was currently sitting at a high table by herself, her blue shirt revealing most of her back. Chrom recognized her from around the campus as the girl who was always carrying Virion's textbooks.

"She's got a pretty nice butt," Olivia stated bluntly as she focused on Cherche's gray skinny jeans. Ricken stared at Olivia, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. "What? I'm allowed to acknowledge a good butt, right?"

"Now I know why you like her." Chrom nudged Ricken on the shoulder while he grinned.

"S-Shut up!" Ricken stuttered as he stood up from the leather-clad stool. He pushed the stool inwards and waved to Chrom and Olivia as he walked towards Cherche.

"Five dollars says he's getting rejected," Olivia whispered in Chrom's ear with glee.

Eh, I think he's got a chance." Chrom sipped his drink as he watched Ricken sit down next to Cherche.

"Did you ever have a relationship before we met?" Olivia asked, her curiosity about Chrom's life never fully satiated.

"Oh, yeah, this girl Sully and I had an on-and-off relationship lasting through high school. Nothing serious, but it was still something." Chrom took another swill of his drink while he answered.

"How come I don't see here around the campus?" Olivia racked her brain but was certain Sully was not at the university.

"After Highschool, she left to join the Military. I threw her a goodbye party the day before she left too." Chrom glanced out the window before settling his gaze on Olivia, her pink hair falling behind her back.

"Huh. I know that was unrelated, but I was just curious." The bartender put Olivia's pink drink in front of her, and she took a sip before glancing at Ricken again.

"Well, I got a question for you." Chrom continued to focus on Olivia's hair. "Is your hair naturally pink?"

"Oh, this?" Olivia held a clump of her ponytail with her hand. "Dyed. Originally it was light brown, but I thought pink looked better. I could ask you the same question, though." Olivia answered as she ran her fingers through Chrom's short blue hair.

"It's a recessive gene in my family tree. Only specific generations have blue hair, and apparently, some generations had red hair, and some had green hair." Chrom pulled his head away from Olivia's hand before turning to look at Ricken. "Now let's watch and see how this goes."

"H-Hello there." Ricken squeaked as he sat down on the chair left of Cherche's, his feet dangling above the ground.

"Hm?" Cherche grunted as she turned to face him, her silver dragon-wing earrings clanking as she turned her head. "Oh, you're that Ricken boy, right?"

Ricken detected a slight french accent in her voice. "Yeah, uh, I heard about what happened with Virion. Are you alright?" Ricken asked as he stared at her pretty face.

"I'll be fine. I was just getting tired of his constant parties and whatnot. Besides, he was not fond of Minerva, which is a big no-no in my book." Cherche fumbled with her brown bag that sat on the table; it had air holes punctured into it. "Do you want to see Minervi-kins?"

"Sure," Ricken replied, his brain pondering what was in her purse. "Is it a pet? It's probably a pet." After fumbling with her bag for a moment, Cherche finally felt the reptilian scales of Minerva as she gripped her shell.

"Found you!" Cherche said excitedly as she pulled a medium-sized tortoise out of her bag. "Aw, you adorable petite… Give mommy a kiss." Cherche held the tortoise up to her face, its scaly head nuzzled against her cheek as she smiled brightly. Ricken cleared his throat, which caused Cherche to remember that she was in the presence of company. She put Minerva down on the table and watched as the tortoise walked slowly from one end to the other. "She is très adorable, no?" Cherche looked at Ricken, her pink irises wide. Ricken stared at the tortoise, its beady eyes darting around the room.

"She is pretty cute." He smiled awkwardly as Minerva slowly walked towards him. "Please don't bite me, please don't bite me." He repeated inside his head, hoping that the turtle had the ability to read minds.

"I'm glad you agree." Cherche watched as Minerva walked off the table onto Ricken's lap, her shell cushioning her fall as she laid on her back.

"What the?!" Ricken exclaimed as he held his hands up. Cherche quickly grabbed his arms and he squealed internally as her warm hands held him down.

"Don't do that. She interprets that as an act of violence, and I would prefer if she didn't bite you." Cherche's voice was smooth as silk.

"What exactly should I do then?" Ricken asked as Cherche let go of his arms.

"Pet her shell. She adores that." Cherche demonstrated by running her hand across Minerva's bumped shell. She reacted by pulling her brown head inside her shell, her clawed legs digging into Ricken's pants.

"Like this?" Ricken asked as he copied Cherche's hand movements; Minerva kept her head inside her shell.

"Precisely. I think she likes you, no?" Cherche smiled brightly as she looked at Ricken.

"So uh, I have a question," Ricken asked as the tortoise rested on his lap, his cheeks blushing profusely.

"I think I know where this is going." Cherche mentally ran through possible answers.

"I've been pondering this question for a while now, and I was wondering, would you be interested in going out with me?" Ricken leaned into the pose Chrom showed him, his arm bent slightly at the elbow to instill confidence. Chrom immediately read the pose and noticed the tortoise on Ricken's lap.

"Why is there a tortoise on Ricken?" Chrom asked Olivia.

"Wait, what! Cherche has a pet turtle?!" Olivia searched around the club and noticed the brown tortoise resting on Ricken.

"Tortoise. Turtles have flippers, tortoises have feet. Also, it looks like he's asking her out." Chrom replied, unable to read Cherche's expression as her back was facing him.

Cherche bit her lip as she pondered his question. "You are très cute, you cared about my feelings, and Minerva seems to adore you, so yes. I would like to go out with you, bu-" Cherche picked Minerva off of Ricken and put her inside the purse as Ricken interrupted her sentence.

"Great! I'm so happy right now! Ricken smiled ecstatically as he stood up. "Do you want to go dancing?" He asked as he held out his hand, only now noticing the frown on Cherche's face.

"But…" Cherche stalled her sentence, carefully thinking about her words. "I really need to be by myself for a while. I just got out of a year-long relationship with Virion, and I feel emotionally exhausted.

"Oh." Ricken retracted his hand as he smiled awkwardly.

"It's not you or anything, I just need a break from dating. Maybe in a couple months, we could be together." Cherche stood up, a flustered look on her face. "I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing."

"It's fine. So what you're saying is…" Ricken asked, desperate to keep the conversation going.

"Four months from now, I'll be ready to date someone like you." Cherche reassured him as she sat back down in her seat.

"Okay," Ricken smiled. "In the meantime, though, do you want to hang out as friends?"

"I'd like that. Here's my number," Cherche pulled out her phone and read out her number to Ricken. He put her contact info on his phone before putting it away and waved to Cherche as he walked back towards the bar.

"So how did it go?" Chrom asked as he glanced at Cherche, who smiled as she sat at her table.

"Well, she said she would date me in four months. But until then we're just friends." Ricken sighed as he slumped next to Chrom.

"Look on the bright side, you made a new friend. And hopefully, in four months you'll have a girlfriend." Olivia softly patted him on the back.

"Thanks for helping me with this guys," Ricken smiled as he stood up, his confidence slightly returning.

Meanwhile, Robin's ears were filled with disco music as he watched Cordelia gaze sullenly at what he presumed was Chrom. He couldn't tell due to the position of the booth, but all signs pointed to Chrom.

"Cordelia?" He asked as he waved his hand in front of her.

"Gah! What?!" Cordelia jumped backward, her red eyes darting around the ceiling before settling on Robin.

"Were you focusing on Chrom or something?" Robin asked, a tinge of jealousy in his tone.

"Oh, don't be absurd. I'm over Chrom, and you don't need to worry about him." Cordelia reassured him as she swirled her strawberry drink.

"Okay, but what exactly were you so focused on?" Robin asked. Cordelia mumbled quietly, and Robin leaned his head closer to her. "Can you speak up please?" Robin asked again, and Cordelia slammed her hands down on the table before she inhaled a sharp breath.

"I was looking at Cherche's breasts, okay!" Cordelia yelled, and Robin leaned back in surprise.

"Alright, but why?" Robin replied calmly.

"Look at those things! They're so big she could probably smother somebody with them!" Cordelia's expressions were full of rage as she pointed in the general direction of Cherche. "I wish I had-" Cordelia quickly covered her mouth before she continued.

"Are you well?" Robin asked, concerned about Cordelia's self-image.

"You're disappointed with my bust size, and I know that for a fact," Cordelia moaned as she got out of her side the booth and huddled next to Robin. "If you wish to break up with me, I'll understand."

"Okay, just wait a second." Robin held her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulders, her red hair moving rhythmically with her head motions. "There is no single thing in this world that can make me disappointed in you." Robin gave her a tender smile, and Cordelia paused her tears.

"Truly?" She asked as her frown began to change into a smile.

"Yes. I love you with all of my heart, and you're perfect just the way you are." Robin made sure to put emphasis on the word perfect. "Do you want to play a game to cheer you up?"

"I'd love that," Cordelia said as she kissed Robin on the cheek and walked back to her side of the booth. "Thank you."

Robin had set up a game of checkers on his phone, and after three minutes his unbeatable strategy crumbled to dust due to Cordelia's wits. "I can't believe you beat me." Robin groaned as his final piece was trapped on all sides. Cordelia had herded his piece just below the upper left corner of the board and blocked it off to ensure he couldn't move.

"They called me 'Little Lady Genius' for a reason." Cordelia reminded him, her beautiful smile preventing him from leaving the booth.

"Just end the game already." Robin moaned as he slumped onto the hardwood table.

"Not yet, be patient," Cordelia smiled as she held his phone, her fingers tapping the screen as she took his turns for him. After a few moments, her pieces were in place and she scooted next to Robin as she showed him the board.

"What did you do?" Robin asked as he noticed all her pieces were arranged to make a heart. "Oh." Robin couldn't help but smile as he noticed this.

"I love you," Cordelia said as she rested her head on Robin's shoulder. Robin nuzzled his head next to hers while Chrom, Olivia, and Ricken all watched this scene unfold from the bar. Soon after Chrom realized it was time to depart.

"Alright, so I guess we should get going," Chrom said as he started walking towards the booth that Robin and Cordelia sat in. "I hate to interrupt this," He said as he pulled his phone out. "But we should get going." Chrom pointed to his phone, which displayed the time of 9:30 PM.

"Well, looks like we should depart," Cordelia said as she stood up, and held Robin's arm as they walked out behind Chrom. Cordelia led everyone back to her red car; Robin sat in the passenger seat while everyone else sat in the second row.

"So Ricken, how did it go?" Robin asked as he turned his head to face the back seating row.

"Well, I made a new friend, and hopefully, in four months I'll have a girlfriend," Ricken recited what Olivia had told him. Cordelia detected a slight trace of disappointment in his tone.

"You got very lucky tonight. The worst thing a woman can tell you is 'No', but she kept your feelings in mind." Cordelia reminded Ricken as she gripped the steering wheel of her car.

"I suppose," Ricken responded sullenly while he looked out the window. Olivia gripped Chrom's hand tightly as she sat next to him, an image of a washing machine appearing in her mind.

"Did you tell Robin and Cordelia about our sheets?" She whispered into Chrom's ear.

"Dammit, I forgot about that." Chrom sighed as he tapped Robin lightly on the shoulder.

"Hm?" Robin turned his head to face the back, again.

"Uh, can you and Cordelia sleep on the couch tonight?" Chrom asked.

"Why?" Cordelia inquired as she focused at the oncoming exits on the road.

"Well, Olivia and I have our sheets in the wash, so we need someplace to sleep," Chrom stated. Robin remembered that he offered his room to Ricken, as he and Cordelia used to have two collective rooms, and now Gaius and Sumia were the only ones with that title. Originally, everyone that wasn't in a couple had their own room, but since everyone (besides Ricken) was now in a couple, most of them merged rooms to ensure everyone did have a room.

"But why didn't you put your sheets in the wash earlier?" Cordelia questioned as she pulled her car into the university parking lot.

"We forgot, plain and simple," Olivia stated as she climbed over Chrom's lap to exit the car. Chrom and Ricken exited the automobile as well, and soon everyone was outside the car.

"But why can't you just borrow Gaius' or Sumia's room?" Cordelia asked her completely justifiable question.

"Because Gaius and Sumia are really defensive about their rooms." Chrom's answer was flimsy at best, but Robin decided that fighting would get no progress whatsoever.

"Fine, but you owe us," Robin stated as he began walking towards the house, Cordelia's arms wrapped snuggly around his own.

"I agree." Cordelia glanced at Chrom before continuing to walk with Robin, the moon above looking as beautiful as ever.

"You two are awesome," Chrom said as he followed after the two, Olivia and Ricken close behind him. When they returned to the house, Chrom and Olivia hurriedly scampered up the stairs to Cordelia's room as they giggled like children. Robin sat down on the couch, and Cordelia laid next to him as Ricken walked towards Robin's former room.

"Well, goodnight." Ricken waved to them as he stood in the open doorway.

"Goodnight." The couple responded as they rested on the couch.

"I'll be right back," Cordelia spoke as she walked towards the freezer, returning moments later with two spoons and a tub of moose tracks ice cream.

"Thank you," Robin said as he grabbed a spoon and began shoveling ice cream into his mouth. "This is not how I imagined tonight would be." He laughed to himself while he chewed on the chocolate inside the ice cream.

"It may be unorthodox, but I like it," Cordelia said as she licked her lips.

"That much is apparent, but still." Robin folded his arms and pouted. Cordelia set the tub on his legs and scooted next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as she downed another spoonful of delicious ice cream.

"Would watching a movie help lessen your discomfort?" Cordelia asked, the warmth of Robin's cloak acting as a personal heater.

"I'll see if anything good is on," Robin said as grabbed the black television remote off the hardwood table, and scrolled through menus until he noticed an interesting title in the recordings. "What's A Christmas Story?" He asked; Cordelia almost spat her dessert out.

"You've never seen A Christmas Story?! What kind of horrible upbringing did you have?" Cordelia responded.

"I wouldn't know, due to amnesia." Robin chuckled, and Cordelia couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Well, we are watching it as soon as I return," Cordelia stated as she threw the empty ice cream tub into the trash and went upstairs to her room. She opened the door and sighed as she noticed that Olivia was wearing nothing but undergarments while waving her hips seductively in front of Chrom, her rear only mere centimeters away from his flush face. "Of course, this happens in my room," Cordelia muttered as she strode through the room. Chrom jumped in shock as he noticed her.

"C-Cordelia!" Chrom stuttered as he stood up hurriedly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for you to find out this way." Cordelia looked at him, a disgusted look on her face.

"Next time you wish to use my bed for lap dances, please inform me so I can prevent it from happening." She stated as she rolled her eyes, searching through her closet for that blue nightgown she had purchased.

"Yes, ma'am," Olivia answered meekly as Cordelia found the gown. Cordelia grabbed her comforter and a pillow of her bed before walking out of her room. Chrom let out a sigh of relief, but not before Cordelia peeked her head through the doorway.

"Please don't get any bodily fluids on my bed, or else I'm making you two wash my bedspread tomorrow." Cordelia intonated before leaving to the bathroom, where she changed into her pale blue nightgown.

The gown came with panties to match it, and after sliding them up her leg and admiring her figure in the mirror, she noticed that due to the transparency of said gown, she essentially was wearing nothing. The gown held itself on her chest thanks to two straps around her shoulders, and it split into a downwards V after the area that held her breasts. The V went down the length of her stomach, and as such her entire legs were bare.

She wrapped the thick comforter around her body and left the bathroom. "He's going to love this." She thought as she stood at the top of the staircase. "Oh, Robin!" She exclaimed in a sultry tone as Robin looked up to see here. Cordelia threw the comforter over the balcony and onto the couch, her smile one most lewd.

"There you are- Oh my God…" Robin cut himself off as he noticed her transparent nightgown, his face turning beet-red.

"I knew you would enjoy this," Cordelia stated as she strutted down the stairs, swaying her hips from side to side. Unfortunately, swaying her hips would prove to be her downfall, as her foot slipped in the middle of the staircase; Robin could only watch as she tripped down a flight of stairs.

"Ow! Shit! Fuck! Goddammit! Motherfucker! Ah!" Cordelia yelled as she fell on her back and slid down the staircase, each step bumping against her head until she laid in a heap at the base while Robin hurriedly scrambled next to her. She gasped for air while a searing pain coursed through her body. Robin delicately lifted her off the ground and transported her to the couch.

"Are you alright?" Robin asked as he slowly set her down on the couch. Cordelia opened her mouth but couldn't respond, the throbbing of her head preventing her from thinking. "Looks like you got the wind knocked out of you." Robin rested on his knees as Cordelia laid on the couch. After a minute of silence, Cordelia finally felt as though she could speak again.

"Damn, that stings." She croaked, her voice frail as Robin kissed her on the cheek. He walked towards the kitchen, returning with multiple packets of ice clutched in his hands.

"Where does it hurt?" He asked. Cordelia sat upright on the couch and pointed to her back and her head. Robin wedged the pack between her back and the cushion of the couch before sitting down next to her. He placed another packet at the back of her head and supported it his hand. She nuzzled her head into his shoulder while she waited for the pain to subside, which occurred after a mere five minutes of silent understanding between the two.

"Well, that was a very Sumia-like thing for me to do," Cordelia mumbled as she stood up and returned the ice packs to the fridge. She came back and placed herself across Robin's lap, her red hair falling off the side of the couch.

"How so?" Robin asked while he wrapped his arms around Cordelia's waist, his eyebrow raised.

"She's constantly tripping all the time. One time she tumbled down a hill and into a lake." Cordelia stated as she draped the blanket over her. "Shall we get the movie started?" She ran her fingers through his white hair as she smiled.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Robin said as he hit the play button, and lowered the volume as not to disturb anyone. After an hour, Robin continued to lie on his back, and Cordelia lied on her front atop Robin's chest while the movie played in the background. Robin's cloak was bundled up on the ground, and neither of them focused on the movie.

"Tell me something, Robin. Why is it that the more time we spend together, the more attracted I become to you?" Cordelia asked as she nuzzled her head against Robin's.

"Why thank you. You're very stunning as well." Robin replied as he felt her messy red hair in between his fingers. After fifteen minutes, Cordelia tapped Robin on the shoulder to check if he was awake. He made no motions, so she assumed he was asleep. She pulled her head closer to his left ear.

"So I've been thinking about how tender you just were, and I realized something. Let's get married!" She whispered softly. Robin's heart skipped a beat but he made no indication that he was awake.

"Did she just? Oh my God." His thoughts scrambled frantically as his heartbeat continued to quicken.

"You probably can't hear me, though, so please forget I said that." Cordelia murmured as she fell asleep.

I TOLD YOU MAN! I TOLD YOU ABOUT STAIRS!