"Are you all right? That's the end of him." Chrom is propping him up, smiling. Robin's back. Back inside his recurring dream.

Oh, no.

"Thanks to you we carried the day. We can rest easy now. At long last…" Chrom runs a thumb along his cheek, and smoothes the tactician's hair back. In the distance, their enemy is disappearing into a sea of swirling black dust.

Robin feels his vision begin to flicker and redden. A surge of anger rolls through his body.

Robin knew was about to come, and he wished he could close his eyes. Chrom's brow creases.

"...What's wrong? Hey, hang on-" Chrom cuts himself off with a pained sound, and inwardly Robin screams. A long, sharp bolt is protruding from his stomach.

"It's not…" Chrom swallows, trying to grasp the lightning, but to no avail. Robin tries to reach for him.

The prince tries to say something else, but all Robin can hear is maniacal laughter. The laughter of the Mad King moments before he died. Flashes of memories from the war fill his mind, countless soldiers slaughtered. The Mad King as he lay on the ground, the life leaving his body.

Robin was a murderer. And nothing would ever change that fact.

Robin gasps, suddenly sitting up, and feels a wave of lightheadedness. The tactician holds his head, sitting with it against his knees as the nauseous feeling washes over him, breathing hard. The down blanket covering him is too warm, and he kicks it off. In a second, Chrom is sitting up next to him.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" The prince grasps Robin's shoulder, and his other rests on his back. He's wide awake, and prepared.

Chrom had insisted on Robin staying in his bed when he began to protest after a few minutes of laying with him, to which the tactician had replied with a bright red blush and stammered words. Were they ready for that, so early in their relationship? They had only just started kissing, which Robin still felt awkward about.

However, it was completely innocent, with the prince promptly falling asleep next to him. Robin didn't dare remove his own clothes in order to get more comfortable, feeling self conscious of the number of scars across his body as well as the fact he was with Chrom. The wound from the arrow had healed into a large brown blot on his pale skin, with a puckered mark.

"N-Nightmare," Robin manages, and places a hand over his mouth. He felt sick.

Chrom rubs his back, and reaches to grab his waterskin from the ornate bedside table. "Here, have something to drink."

Robin shakily grabs it from him, and gulps it down. Normally the nausea would fade… and it already was. He sighs, sitting up a little straighter. "Thank you. Sorry. I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

Chrom bites his lip. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Before Chrom had even finished the question, the tactician was already quickly shaking his head. How would the prince react to being told that he constantly died in Robin's dreams, at his own hand?

"Okay," Chrom says, and wraps his arm around Robin's shoulder. "But if you ever need to, I'm here for you. Okay?"

Robin rests his head on Chrom's shoulder, and wraps his own arms around the prince's waist. "Thank you, Chrom."

They sit like this for a moment. He hadn't any idea about what time it was. The room was faintly lit from the moon, shadowing on Chrom's features. Robin looks up at the prince. He's so handsome, and Robin blushes.

"Chrom… maybe I should leave. I'm sure Stahl is wondering where I am." Besides, it would lead to a less awkward encounter in the morning.

The prince pouts, holding him closer. "It's so late now, though."

Robin hadn't expected Chrom to be the clingy type. Hell, he hadn't even expected them to go into a relationship full stop. The prince's preference had always been assumed to be women. Perhaps he didn't care?

Robin presses a kiss to Chrom's cheek. "Okay, okay. I'll stay. Even if I'm not a woman, I'm sure me emerging from your bedroom tomorrow will raise some eyebrows."

Chrom shrugs tiredly, smiling, and releases the tactician to stretch back out on his bed. The prince's hair is all messed up. "You'd be surprised. I normally wake myself up for training early, and hardly any of the staff are upstairs during that time. Now stop worrying so much, Robin. I wouldn't have invited you to stay if I were. I'm going to go back to sleep."

He promptly shuts his eyes, pulling the covers up around them, feigning sleep. Robin chuckles, a little nervously, curling up next to him.

For the longest time, Robin just lay there in the dark, unable to sleep again. Maybe it was the unfamiliar room, or the fact that they could easily be found out, or that Robin was simply both afraid and excited to be here. In the faint moonlight, Robin could see Chrom's face as he slept. He was so serene, and almost childlike.

But why would Chrom choose him? Yes, the prince had also killed, but who knew Robin's past? Perhaps he'd been a bloodthirsty Plegian who followed the Grimleal. Secretly Robin hated how much he doubted their relationship. It was unfair on the prince, if he was certain he wanted to be with Robin. The tactician frowns, and gently runs his fingers through Chrom's dark blue hair.

The morning came quickly, but Chrom still slept. Robin was still unable to, and felt the tiredness making him nauseous. He continued to run his fingers through his hair, lightly so as to not wake him. He'd been thinking all night, envisioning strategy and thinking about his relationship with Chrom.

Robin pauses. He could hear a strange, yet familiar shuffle and clang of armour, outside of Chrom's room and it was coming closer. Could it be coming to his room?

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door, and Robin bolts.

He hastily throws himself off the bed and under it, out of sheer terror of their relationship being found out, just in time for Frederick to open the door with a checklist in hand. Chrom cracks an eye open.

"Huh? Frederick?"

The knight bows slightly, reading off the paper, and Robin presses his sleeve to his mouth. His heart was racing. "Good morning, milord. I thought you might be training but you weren't at the grounds yet. I've a list of tasks to do today from the new Heirarch in preparation for your coronation, as well as…"

Frederick trails off, staring at Robin's coat hanging on the chair in Chrom's room. He raises an stoic eyebrow, but continues. "As well as a list of weapons and food items we need restocked that you should confirm the costs before we buy any more."

Robin can't see Chrom's face from where he is, but he can hear the strained tiredness in his voice. "Er, thank you Frederick. I'll have a look over them now."

The knight steps closer, placing them on Chrom's dresser, and Robin shuffles back. The underneath of his bed wasn't well hidden. It was simply delicately twisted bars of brass hiding him from Frederick. Gods, the state he was in. Thankfully his strategy had worked somewhat.

"Milord, would you like me to return Robin's coat for you? You've much to do today." The tactician tightens his knuckles, and Chrom's feet touch the floor as he stands up.

"Thanks Frederick, but it's fine. I'll run into him at some point today." Chrom collects the notes, and with another short bow Frederick finally leaves. Robin breathes out a sigh of relief.

Chrom, hearing the sound, gets down on all fours to look under the bed. He grins ear to ear when he sees the tactician. "Ah, I see you're awake. Good strategy, Robin."

Robin winces. "What happened to waking up at the crack of dawn? I felt too awkward to wake you up…"

Chrom chuckles. He doesn't look tired, but he sounds tired. "My apologies. I didn't expect to sleep in like that. Come out from under there."

Robin obeys, crawling out the other side, and sits on the bed. He truly felt exhausted now. Chrom walks around to sit next to him. He has his to-do list in front of him.

"Did you sleep enough tonight?" The prince asks, noting the tired shapes underneath Robin's eyes, and the tactician shakes his head. He runs a hand through his own white fluffy hair, feeling the knots.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee then go to the library… You don't think Frederick is still around, do you?"

Chrom smiles, and shakes his head. "He'd be beginning Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour. We're probably safe to leave now."

The prince begins to shrug off his shirt to change, and Robin turns bright red at the sight of his muscles and bare chest. Hastily, he turns away. Chrom was obviously very comfortable in his body, and Robin slightly regretted not being as comfortable as him the night before.

O~O~O

Robin had hastily left, bright red, to continue his studies in the library. He hadn't even gone to get changed in fear of Stahl asking questions. For most of the day he was hunched over a game board, biting his lip while strategizing difficult ways of winning.

"So if the cavaliers spread out in a fan... And the pegasus knights sweep in from the flank…" He muses, and sips from his coffee that was no longer warm.

Virion approaches the tactician. "Goodness, I can practically see smoke rising from your head. Whatever could have you working at such a fevered tilt?"

"I'm practicing strategies and scenarios on this game board." Robin's eyes don't waver from the game pieces, and he slowly moves one. "After a hundred forced marches, these pieces are still ready for more. It saves me from running everyone ragged with training exercises."

"How very clever. You even carved little enemy forces for them to fight…" Virion smiles, picking up one of the pieces, and Robin's eyes travel up. "I'm impressed. And that doesn't happen often… with other people, I mean."

Robin smiles a little. "Well, as long as I control friend and foe alike, it's not as effective as I'd prefer. After all, I can't plan for the unexpected when I know all the moves ahead of time." If Chrom wasn't so busy, he'd definitely ask him, especially given he led the Shepherds alone for a time.

Virion takes that as an invitation to sit. "Then permit me to be your opponent. I shall strike with the nobility of the lion and defend with the grace of the swan!"

"Because swans are...good defenders?" Robin raises his eyebrow. "Er, never mind. But aren't you busy arranging your wedding, Virion?"

The archer and Miriel had decided to marry immediately after Chrom's coronation, so as to, in Virion's own words, not 'take the spotlight away from such an event'. Virion waves away Robin's words.

"We have plenty of time to finish preparations. But now that I'm getting married Robin, it makes me even more of a connoisseur on women. If you're ever having lady problems, you know who to come to."

Virion winks, and Robin flushes red. He'd never had an interest in women. "Er… thanks. Anyway. I accept your challenge. We'll take turns moving units until one of us claims the other's commander. Agreed?"

"Agreed and agreed again! Oh, what fun!" Robin clears the game pieces as Virion speaks, and resets them. "Begin, please. By all means."

And thus, the two started their pretend battle. Virion was surprisingly tactical, placing units in prime positions as bait, and eventually had Robin cornered.

Robin has the sleeve of his coat pressed to his mouth, and he suddenly throws his arms out. "Hold! I need to retract my last move."

Virion smirks, and slowly moves his piece. "Ha ha! If only all enemy generals were so generous! But alas, this is war… Checkmate, my good sir."

"Blast! I hate to admit it, but I am well and truly beaten." Robin winces. Losing wasn't something that sat well with him. Thankfully, this was only a game.

"Oh ho! I told you I was both a lion and a swan, did I not?" The archer's smile widens, and he clears the game board.

"More like a chicken and the far end of a horse!" Robin crosses his arms, watching him move the pieces. "I'm no noble lord, but your strategy wasn't exactly what I'd call honorable."

"Heavens! Aren't we plainspoken." Virion raises an eyebrow at the tactician.

Robin smiles. "Still, I appreciate the practice. Thank you, Virion."

"If you wish me to unleash my dishonorable strategies again, you have but to ask." Virion smiles, and stands. "I'd best find Miriel. She's somewhere in here reading…"

Robin watches the archer leave, and thinks of his own partner… how exciting it must be for Miriel and Virion to know they would soon be marrying. Robin bites his lip. He truly longed for the same, but it was so early in their relationship… which was supposed to be a secret. Being with the future exalt like this would make him an instant target, especially given their situation.

The tactician stands, and packs away the game board and his coffee mug. He longed the taste of another strong, hot coffee, and headed to the mess hall.

He passes Frederick, who nods at the tactician, smiling kindly. "Ah, I see Chrom found you to return your coat."

What? Robin suddenly remembers that morning, and awkwardly smiles. "Er, yeah. I'm grateful he did. I love this coat."

He felt his voice go higher pitched, and inwardly cringes, walking past the confused Frederick quickly. Nobody was to know of what happened yesterday. Robin doubted it would happen again for a while, as well. Being invited to stay in Chrom's room was definitely a one-off.

How the tactician was wrong.

O~O~O

I've already started chapter 12, which is gonna detail on Chrom's coronation and some more future events. I'm still unsure about adding in some more kinky stuff haha. I've never posted that type of thing online. But I have a few chapters to think about that. Please leave a review if you want to let me know what you think! Or PM my account if you'd prefer. Also hello to all of my new followers! I appreciate all of you, thank you so much!

*edit* My first upload of this had some problems, so I've re-uploaded it and I'm checking my past chapters for similar mistakes like with scene breaks. Sorry about that!