Chapter 37: Playing with Fire

Simplicity was what Lon'qu favoured. He traveled light and only with his bare necessities. A black travel bag hung on his shoulder and a suitcase trailed behind him. The jetlag was going to be a pain to overcome, but he would pop some melatonin and be at his optimum within a couple days.

The concierge at Seraph Towers smiled at him. "Mr. Sun, I thought you weren't returning a couple months later."

"Work finished early," said Lon'qu.

"It's nice to see you back, Mr. Sun."

"Thank you."

When Lon'qu arrived at Robin's place, his irritation was exacerbated in a split second. The pug was barking but eventually stopped when he recognized Lon'qu. There was a mountain and a landslide of cigarette butts in an ashtray on the coffee table—most likely Priam. Garbage was everywhere (a sign that the place hadn't been cleaned in a while). He swore he hired a cleaner who had a clean background check to take care of the other two 'adults' while he was gone. And to top it off, there was some strange redhead sleeping on the couch in the living room.

Frowning, he approached the intruder. Was this the man Robin was seeing?

Only one word came to mind: slob.

The redhead snored in a bed of candy wrappers. On the floor were little golden cardboard plates for cakes that had been licked clean most likely by the dog. His clothes weren't in tatters but they were worn down and the black dye of the fabric had faded from all the washes. There was a twist in his gut. Lon'qu thought Robin had some degree of standard.

Where was she? And why was he sleeping out here? Did they have a fight?

"She's not here."

Lon'qu turned around and gave Priam a slight bow of his head. "Priam."

"That's Gaius. He's our new tech guy."

"Tech guy?"

"Hacker."

"Why is he here sleeping on the couch in her home?"

The older man shrugged and sipped his coffee. "He needed a place to stay and the brat has more than enough rooms for everyone."

"I see." This degree of generosity and openness for a potential criminal wasn't something Robin possessed. The only answer that came to mind was that she had had her arm twisted or something else. "And where is Miss Grima?"

"She's at her boy toy's place."

Lon'qu nodded, exhaling slowly. "Which room is available?"

"The one near hers."

Without another word, Lon'qu carried his luggage to the room beside Robin's. The bed was already made and there was a small desk and a chair. One thing did bother Lon'qu: the washroom connected his room to hers. He suppressed his sigh. This reminded him of the situation at Grima Manor. Too close for comfort.

Priam knocked on the opened door. "Did she tell you she was seeing anyone?"

"She mentioned it." By accident. Lon'qu opened his travel bag to pull out his belongings.

"She never told you who she's seeing though?" asked Priam.

"No."

"Aren't you curious?"

Lon'qu stopped unpacking and faced Priam. "Should I be concerned? You must've done a background check on him."

He tossed a USB stick at Lon'qu, who caught it. "Take a look when you're done settling in."

Priam yawned and left Lon'qu to his own devices. The first thing Lon'qu did was close the door. Then, he pulled out his laptop and plugged in the USB stick. There was a single untitled file on the memory stick. He clicked on the file and there was a short list of documents. Lon'qu selected the first one and a window opened.

'Chrom Exalt' was written beside a familiar photo of a blue-haired man.

Captain of the Special Tactics and Investigative Division

Fuck.

Chrom woke up with Robin's hair in his mouth. It was long when it wasn't tied back. Beside him, her body gently rose and fell with her even breathing. He inhaled and yawned. Frederick had been stern with Chrom and told him to sleep in before coming to work today because had had spent too many days working unnecessary overtime hours. The urge to relieve himself won against his desire to remain in bed with Robin.

When he returned, Robin was awake in bed, blinking away the sleep in her eyes. Yawning, she mumbled, "You're going to be late for work."

Chrom joined her in bed and pulled her in close to him. "Frederick ordered me to come in around eleven today, so I can get some rest. He thinks I'm working too much."

"You are."

He kissed her. "I'm fine."

"You are terrible at lying. Please don't ever get taken in for interrogation."

"Hey, I'd do fine."

"Sure."

Normally, he would've gone for a jog in the morning, but he didn't have it in him to leave Robin. He never admitted it out loud, and often, he spent his time in denial, but he knew. He knew that it was highly likely that their days were numbered. Chrom withheld a sigh and put a bright smile on. Optimism was the best remedy at the moment.

He got out of bed and stretched. "I'm going to shower. We can grab something to eat before I head back to work. I can drop you off on the way."

"Okay." A smile twitched on her face. Then, she chewed her bottom lip.

"What?"

Robin didn't answer right away. Instead, she sat up in the bed.

Chuckling, he asked, "What is it? Do you want me to stay in bed with you a little longer?"

She shook her head. "No, it's umm…can I…?"

He waited.

"Can I join you?" The words left her lips in a rush. She lowered her eyes and blushed.

Chrom laughed, causing Robin to look up from her lap.

"Don't laugh me," she grumbled.

"Come join me. We can save water and the environment by showering together."

Her moans made his blood rush downward. It made him want to coax more of them out of her since she gave them to him so sparingly. When they began to be intimate at the start of their relationship, she held her pleasured sighs behind her guarded scars and insecurities. Compared to that, she had opened up a lot.

"C-Chrom." Her fingers dug into his deltoids. "I swear to the gods, if you leave a mark…Ah…" Her empty threat echoed in the hot shower.

Robin got her revenge when she started to play with him. The hot water made it difficult to breathe, their naked bodies warming further from touch. And now with her jerking him off, it was worse.

"Robin," he groaned.

She had that smile. The smile he rarely saw, where he knew she was enjoying holding power over him. It was why it made her such a good top when she was in the mood for it. They were going to have a lot of fun this morning. He could be a little late for work…

He leaned in to kiss her but misstepped causing Robin to lose balance. She yelped and slipped backwards. Chrom caught her just in time but lost his own footing.

"Fuck!"

He grabbed the shower curtain in last ditch efforts to remain standing. The shower curtain ripped off one ring at a time before the rod snapped off. Limbs flailed. Bottles flew off the corners of the tub. Chrom landed on his back and was winded when Robin fell on top of him. Water sprayed into the rest of the washroom.

"Chrom? Chrom? Are you okay?" shrieked Robin frantically.

Chrom groaned. "I think I hit my head." He couldn't find her in the shower curtain tangle.

"I'm stuck."

"I think I broke something," Chrom confessed. "Can you doctor me?"

"Did I break your penis?"

"No, I don't think so?" Thank Naga. "Wait. You can break your dick?"

Cold air rushed over their naked bodies once the shower curtain stopped acting as a barrier. The shower continued to sprinkle water all over the washroom, and the vinyl tangle squirmed.

After failed attempts at escaping their predicament, Robin admitted, "I'm stuck."

"You sure you didn't hit your head?" She ran her hands all over his body outside of the washroom but not in a sexy way. It was strictly clinical.

"No." Chrom stood there in a towel in his room.

"I think you'll be okay," said Robin. "Keep an eye on your tailbone though. You fell pretty hard and then I fell on top of you."

"Are you okay?" asked Chrom.

"I hit my side. We'll probably both have some bruises tomorrow, but it's fine. Don't worry about me," said Robin, shivering in nothing but a towel. "You seriously need to get one of those shower mats for your shower. We could've been hurt really badly."

"I also need a new shower curtain and rod." He rubbed his neck trying to get the crick out.

"What hurts?" demanded Robin.

"Nothing." He smiled at her.

Robin pursed her lips at him.

"Seriously, I'm fine." His eyes fell on the love bite he had marked on her neck. She didn't seem to have noticed yet. Chrom pretended he was innocent. Robin was too busy fretting over him anyway.

"I guess I'll stay at work for a couple days since the gym has a shower—"

"Oh, shut up. You're just trying to find an excuse to live at work again."

"But I can't shower at home."

"You can stay at my place."

"But I thought you had guests."

"Whatever, it's fine."

"Great. I'll pack my stuff and stay over until I install the shower rod."

Robin narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?"

"You didn't plan that, did you? I know you've been wanting to stay at my place for a while."

He gasped, pretending to be offended. "Babe, I would never."

"Uh-huh."

"L-Lon'qu?" Robin's bag slid off her shoulder and landed on the kitchen floor with a soft thud.

"Miss Grima." Lon'qu nodded. "Nice to see you again."

"What are you doing here? I thought I was going to see you in Plegia."

Lon'qu frowned. "Why is that, Miss?"

"Because I'm returning to Plegia soon," said Robin quietly.

That was one thing no one told him. He found himself even more annoyed with Priam.

"When are we leaving for Plegia?" he asked.

"Start of September," said Robin.

A little less than two months.

"I understand."

"Do I get a hug?" asked Robin.

It didn't seem right to embrace her. He was supposed to keep his distance.

She walked over to him with open arms and a bright smile. Hesitantly, he accepted her. Her hair smelled sweet and fruity: a variation of her preferred shampoo. Her smaller frame felt warm against his thin white shirt.

"It's nice to have you back. I missed you." She stepped back.

Robin pulled out a stool from the kitchen island table and sat down. Her hair was wet and braided into a dark thick rope over her shoulder. The braid hid a patch of marred skin on her neck but failed to conceal the edges.

Lon'qu eyed the mark.

"How was Chon'sin? How's your sister?"

"More humid than Ylisse. She's doing well," said Lon'qu. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I have. I ate breakfast with…umm…" She laughed softly to herself. "I ate. Don't worry about it."

"Bubbles!" exclaimed the redhead, joining the two old colleagues. "How was it at Blue's house?"

Lon'qu didn't like how informal he spoke to Robin and how Gaius knew who she was seeing too. "Mind your manners, Gaius."

"It's fine," said Robin. "And it's none of your business, Gaius."

"You never told me you had a hunk watching over you, Bubbles."

"Leave him alone, Gaius."

"Seeing how wet your hair is, you must've had some fun." The hacker had a Cheshire grin that bothered Lon'qu. "Share the details. I promise to not hit on Smiles for the rest of the day if you do."

"You've nicknamed him already?" asked Priam, joining the trio in the kitchen.

"Yup, based on that blindingly, charming smile of his."

Priam snorted before turning his attention to Robin. "Hey, brat."

"Hey, manwhore," said Robin.

The home had gotten rather loud in Lon'qu's absence. He didn't like that there were more people present. It meant more distractions. More liabilities.

"Brat, you do know your hair isn't hiding the fact that you have the biggest hickey ever," said Priam.

Her face coloured to a brilliant shade of red, her mouth opening and closing.

"So, it's fine when you're whoring yourself out, but I decide to take a shower with my boyfriend and I should be ashamed?"

"Never said that."

"Stop staring at me!" she screamed at all three men.

"Yeah, don't shame her. She's allowed to do the adult sexy times in the shower with anyone she wants. I'm all for it, Bubbles." Gaius gave her a thumbs up.

"You." Robin pointed a finger at Gaius. Shut up or get out."

"Robin, I believe myself to be a warrior for the sexual revolution."

"Gods! Now, Lon'qu probably thinks that you rubbed off on me!" Robin threw her hands up into the air and stormed off.

Robin blankly stared at the shelves of coffee in the grocery store. She hadn't had expected to see Lon'qu back in Ylisse this soon. It was going to be a sausagefest in her home with Chrom also staying at her place until he fixed the shower rod. How could she have been so naive about all of this? Maybe she could just hire someone to go in and fix the shower rod tonight. Beside her, Lon'qu waited, resting against the shopping car, blinking away sleep and jetlag.

"Lon'qu."

"Hm?" He straightened.

"Do you know how to install a shower rod?" She grabbed Priam's usual coffee off of the shelf and tossed it into the full cart. Great. How exactly did she end up feeding three other people? She had no clue. Wait…why was she paying for everything? They ate more than starving beasts.

Lon'qu yawned. "Why?"

"Nevermind. It's nothing."

He frowned but didn't pursue it to Robin's relief. "Okay."

"You didn't have to come back yet," said Robin pulling the front of the cart down the aisle.

"It seemed like you needed me."

Robin glanced over her shoulder. He made her sound like she couldn't survive without him.

Priam blinked several times at Robin. "Sorry, repeat that. I couldn't hear you over your stupidity."

"Chrom might be staying over a couple days," murmured Robin.

He grabbed the pillow on his couch and chucked it at Robin on the other couch, but Lon'qu caught it midair before it even made it across, inciting a murderous pillow fight. "Might? Is he staying or not?"

"Oh, real mature!" snapped Robin.

"Do they always fight like this?" asked Gaius, who joined the three in the living room.

"Yup. Like a cat and dog," grumbled Lon'qu.

"Smiles," Gaius put an arm around Lon'qu's neck, "get some sleep—"

Out of reflex, Lon'qu grabbed his arm, twisted it and pinned Gaius over the back of the couch.

"Ow, ow, ow! I give in!" shouted Gaius.

Priam snorted. Robin sighed. Lon'qu released him, grumbling under his breath and shaking his head. "Don't touch me."

"That sounds brilliant, brat. Let's just bring in a fucking specialized pig agent into a home that houses a criminal lawyer—" Priam counted a finger—"someone who probably is a motherfucking assassin"—he counted off another finger—"and probably an internationally wanted hacker." Priam counted off the last third finger. "Oh, and how could I forget. The heiress to biggest criminal syndicate based in Plegia, and possibly the world."

Lon'qu glared at Priam.

"Don't give me that look. Cavities knows, stick-up-my-butt," scoffed Priam.

"Wait, you're an assassin?" repeated Gaius.

"No," said Lon'qu bluntly. "Priam is exaggerating."

"I…"

"'I' what?" said Priam.

"I think you're all forgetting I own everything here. I'm paying for everything, including the food you all shit out the moment you inhale it," snapped Robin.

This time, Lon'qu sighed. Priam set off her temper. Despite everyone in this room, he knew Robin had a terrifying wrath that reared its head once in a blue moon. It was rarer than a flying pig, but he had seen glimpses of it.

"For the love of Naga, Priam! You've done worse shit!"

"Like what?"

"Like that time you brought a fucking prostitute home to Grandpa's when I was nine when you were supposed to watch me!"

"Hey! That was an accident, and you were at least eleven!"

Gaius added fuel to the fire by laughing so hard he started to cry. Gold Digger started to claw at Lon'qu's leg and bork and bark.

"How do you bring a prostitute home by accident?" shouted Robin.

"This is actually kinda hilarious," remarked Gaius.

"No one's perfect, ya little shit!" argued Priam.

"I can keep going you monster! I have tons of examples of you doing worse shit!"

Priam stood up from the couch. "You're insufferable."

"Wow, big word for such a small mind." She snorted.

"I'm staying out late tonight anyway."

Robin narrowed her eyes, standing up herself. "What was the point of getting upset then?" she hissed. "Late for you is like four in the morning!"

Priam grinned and chuckled. "I just like giving you a rough time. It's fun watching you get worked up."

"Burn in hell, Priam." She shoved past him and slammed her room door behind her.

"Already there, brat!"

Lon'qu looked at him in exasperation. That was so unnecessary.

"What?" said Priam. "I like having fun once in a while."

"It looked more like you were taking your stress out on her," said Lon'qu.

Priam shrugged. "I forgot. You don't know what fun is. Oi, Gaius. We're staying out tonight. I don't want to deal with Chrome or whatever his name is. And we have work to do."

"Are you paying me for this?" asked Gaius.

"Didn't the brat strike a deal with you? She's probably paying you more than your worth because she's stupidly generous," said Priam. "I wouldn't push my luck."

"Where are we staying?" asked Gaius.

"Iunno, maybe the Speedwing? I stayed there last time and it wasn't that bad," said Priam.

"Sure. Do I need to bring my stuff?" asked Gaius.

"Maybe your laptop."

"What are you doing, Priam?" asked Lon'qu.

"Just a little couple things for Robin," said Priam. "Do you wanna tag along? The guy she's seeing has more training than you—"

Lon'qu doubted that.

"—why don't you relax and get yourself adjusted the next couple days?"

Chrom parked his car on the street before heading up Seraph Tower. He finished a lot later than he had intended, but Robin told him it was fine and to be careful on his way. When he climbed out of the car with an overnight bag in hand, he glanced around his surroundings, hand gripping the top of the car door. There had been no clues to him being tailed. Yet, there was an uncomfortable feeling of being watched like prey.

He wasn't even in uniform, because Robin told him half-asleep that the uniform made her incredibly uneasy, so there was no giveaway of his occupation. Chrom slammed the door shut and locked his car before shoving his keys into his pocket. Once he stepped onto the sidewalk to walk into Robin's building, he walked backwards to double-check his surroundings. The only times he felt this uneasy were during nighttime. It was only sundown. Perhaps the gravity at work was making him paranoid. He could defend himself in hand-to-hand combat. As long as no one laid a finger on his friends, family, and Robin, he could handle whatever crap was thrown at him.

Robin had sent him a pretty detailed text on what to expect. The friendly concierge. The four elevators. Which way to turn when he got off. Chrom followed her instructions and found himself standing in front of her door. He pressed the doorbell, which set off the dog inside.

Chrom waited. Nothing.

He rang the door bell again. The barking failed to cease.

This time, he pulled out his phone from his pocket to call Robin. Before it got the third ring, the door opened.

Chrom had expected someone smaller in stature. Instead, a man that made an awoken hibernating bear look like a teddy bear stood before him. He had fresh bed head. His dress shirt was crumpled and partially unbuttoned.

He glowered at Chrom.

"I might have the wrong door," said Chrom. "Does Robin live here?" He swore he had the right door. Wait, this man looked familiar. "Aren't you Robin's bodyguard?"

The man didn't say anything. He just stood there with the pug barking behind him.

"I didn't know you were back already."

"I arrived yesterday night."

"Chrom," he introduced himself, extending a hand.

"Lon'qu." The bodyguard had a firm grip. "I'll go find her."

Chrom caught the door while Lon'qu turned around to pick up the pug and tucked him under his arm. He had been here before, so he knew where Robin's room was. But he decided to stay put until Robin invited him into her room.

Down the hall past the kitchen, he heard something drop onto the ground, a flutter of papers, and muted conversation. Curiously, Chrom poked his head down the hallway Lon'qu went down. The bedroom at the end leaked a weak light from underneath the door.

Robin came out of the room disheveled, kind of like how Lon'qu looked earlier. She laughed. "Did you fall asleep in your dress shirt again?"

"Yeah." His tone was far softer towards her than to Chrom.

"Didn't you bring something more comfortable to wear?" asked Robin, locking the door after Lon'qu came out, pug still in arm.

"I haven't fully unpacked yet."

"Jetlag's a bitch, huh?"

Lon'qu grunted.

Robin patted him on his shoulder. "I promise to not get into too much trouble until you've recovered from your jetlag."

"Babe," Chrom called her.

Both Robin and Lon'qu's heads snapped down to where he stood.

"C-Chrom?" Robin hurried over to him, cheeks flushed, glancing over her shoulder. "I thought you said you were going to be later."

"It is later." He leaned to kiss her to find that his lips landed on her cheek and not her lips.

"Did you remember to eat today?" Robin placed her hands on either side of him like she was greeting a friend.

"Yeah, at work," said Chrom. "You?"

"I haven't eaten yet. Lon'qu?" asked Robin.

Lon'qu stood a couple steps away from them. Gold Digger struggled but soon gave in that the bodyguard wasn't going to release him. "Would you like me to make something for you, Miss Grima?"

"No, I meant, if you've eaten anything," clarified Robin.

"Not hungry. I need to head out soon anyway," gruffed Lon'qu.

"What were you doing?" asked Chrom.

"Hmm?"

Lon'qu glared at him. Chrom ignored him.

"Nothing," said Robin. "Just…studying."

"You're already a doctor. You really want to do more studying?" Chrom chuckled.

She smiled and grabbed his hand. "I'm hungry." Robin pulled him out of the dark hallway and into the kitchen.

Chrom almost didn't notice Lon'qu escaping in the background. He possessed a stealth that almost rivaled Kellam. If the pug hadn't sneezed on Lon'qu's way to his room, Chrom wouldn't have noticed him. Robin made him drop his guard. That was a good thing though. He couldn't always be on the job.

"So, you wanna share what you were studying?" Chrom tugged at her hand.

"Why? Just boring stuff."

"Because I'm curious."

Robin withdrew her hand from his to search the fridge. "Politics. You know. For when I'm back home. My father's kinda the—"

"President, right."

"Yeah, so I should probably update myself on what's been going back home."

Home.

She sighed. "Responsibilities of a presidential daughter. And as a democratic citizen."

His chest tightened. She was preparing for her return to Plegia.

Because her back was turned to him, there was no way of knowing how she felt about going back. Robin handed him a small plastic container behind her. Chrom accepted it and set it on the kitchen island. Then, she dug through the crisper drawer and pulled out a bag of grapes.

"Is this all you're eating?" asked Chrom. "Potato salad and grapes?"

"Yeah, it's enough." She busied herself with washing the grapes. "How was work?"

"Busy. I don't want to think about it," admitted Chrom.

"What do you wanna do?"

It bothered him that she hadn't made eye contact at all since he'd arrived. What made her so uncomfortable about his presence in her own home?

"Is everything alright, Robin?" asked Chrom.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Robin turned off the tap and drained the grapes.

"I'm not one to read too deep into things, but you avoided my hello kiss and you just seem—"

Robin walked over to him, stood up on her tippy toes, and peck him on his mouth. "There. Nothing's wrong."

"Miss Grima."

The small metal bowl of washed grapes landed on the floor. Little green ovals rolled away to escape their fate of being eaten.

Lon'qu stood a couple feet away. He had changed into a different white dress shirt and tightened a slim black tie. A suit jacket was draped over his arm. Despite his fresh change of clothes, he still looked exhausted.

Chrom watched a bright red colour his girlfriend's face.

"Lon'qu…hey…"

"I'm heading out. Do you want me to take the dog?" Lon'qu had directed the question at Robin, but his focus was on Chrom.

"Up to you."

Lon'qu nodded once. "I'll take him."

"O-Okay. What time are you coming home?" asked Robin.

"Late."

"Come home safe," Robin called out as he left.

Mumbling at her own stupidity, she dropped to the floor to pick up the grapes. Each grape landed rang the metal bowl. Chrom joined her and helped her pick up the fruit.

"Robin, what was that?" inquired Chrom.

She stopped, and for the first time today, she met his eyes. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I just am."

"Is there something between you and Lon'qu?"

"What? No! Of course not! That would be so unprofessional. Everyone would shit bricks." Robin searched his face for a response. "Chrom, I told you. I've known him since I was nineteen. There's nothing. If something was going to happen, it would've happened by now. Don't be silly."

"Then what was that? You completely lost all of your composure. I've never seen you like that before except when we're intimate."

Robin quickly picked up the remaining grapes and stood up. "We've always kissed and touched in private. I'm just embarrassed for Lon'qu to see the more…private aspects of my life."

A part of him felt stupid for suspecting anything. Robin gripped the bowl and bowed her head. Now, he felt bad for making her feel so ashamed.

"I'm sorry." Chrom pressed a kiss on her forehead and embraced her. "I think the stress of work might be getting to me."

Robin tensed in his arms and nodded. "It's fine."

The couple treated themselves to a bottle of ambrosia from Priam's private collection, earlier moments put behind them. Robin rested her head against the back of the couch, her legs draped over his. Chrom had his free hand on her thigh.

"What?" A smile grew on her rosy face.

"What what?"

"You're giving me a funny look. We're not fucking here, Chrom. Not a chance. Knowing my luck, someone's going to come home in the middle of it." Robin gulped down some of the ambrosia. "I'm never going to hear the end of it."

"Oh, come on. Don't say 'fucking'. It's so crude." Chrom squeezed her thigh.

"Then what would you call it?"

"I'll tell you if you give me a proper kiss," said Chrom.

Robin rolled her eyes. "Come here then."

She weaved her fingers into his hair and then to the back of his neck. Gingerly, she kissed him, tasted him, and savoured him. Before he could get more, she smiled and leaned back.

"How drunk are you?" asked Chrom softly.

"I'm offended!" Robin threw her head back and laughed. "So tell me. What would you call us fucking then?" She brought up the glass to her mouth.

"Making love."

Robin coughed into her glass. "Damn, son. You're getting real smooth," she said in between her violent coughs. "I thought you were going to say 'pancakes'. Or make a terrible pun with your name."

Chrom shrugged, laughing with her. "That works too. I do like making you Chrom."

She slapped the hand on her thigh. "Shame on you! That was awful!"

"Ouch! Okay, maybe I deserved that."

"So. I have about eight weeks left until I leave," started Robin.

Chrom's face fell. "Right."

She bit her lip. "Is there anything you wanna do together before I leave?"

"Aside from figuring out a way to make you stay?"

"Chrom…"

"How about my family's cottage? I'll see if I can get a weekend off."

"Where is it?"

"Near the Plegian border. My great-grandfather bought a plot of land after the Plegian-Ylissean War, since land was dirt cheap back then, especially near the border. Then, he saved up and built a cottage."

"That's neat."

"Yeah, we had to fight our relatives off. They were picking at us like vultures when our parents passed. Lissa and I were too young to do anything, and poor Emm had to put up with their shit."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not realistic of me to wish crime away, but if organized crime like the Grima Syndicate didn't exist, maybe they'd still be around."

Robin lowered her gaze and sighed. "Probably. Did you ever find who did it?"

"No. I looked over their case so many times that I've memorized it. All I can gather is that they got caught up in a case that had something to do with the Grima Syndicate and I guess they didn't like what my parents found."

"They were lawyers, right?"

"Dad was a lawyer. Mom was an investigator. I was supposed to be a lawyer to take up the firm. Never happened."

"I'm glad you're not a lawyer. I don't trust them. Then again…I don't really trust cops either. I guess I don't trust a lot of people."

Chrom chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed. We're not all bad."

"I know. Anyway, can we do my list?"

"Your list?"

"The one you said 'no' to."

"No."

Robin huffed and pouted. "But those are all the trending food places! We can go during the day."

"I work during the day."

"Eugh."

"It's not safe, with all the stuff going on at the moment, babe. Just do this for me. Please?"

"Fine, but we should go out more. Like outside dates. I'll let you decide on where we can go."

"Deal."

Lon'qu returned after the start of sunrise without the pug. He slipped off his shoes, picked them up, and put them away in the closet. Murmuring in the background tickled his hearing. He loosened his tie as he walked to his bedroom. But he slowed when he saw that Robin's door was ajar.

Chrom was already dressed, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Are you leaving already, snuggle bunny?" she mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm meeting Vaike at the gym before work." He leaned into the pile of blanket, kissing her.

Lon'qu narrowed his eyes.

"Stay a little longer?" Sleep sank words. Robin's arm reached out from the blanket and wrapped around Chrom's neck. "What time is it?"

"Five." He laughed. "I need to go, babe."

"Will I see you tonight?" Robin yawned.

"Of course."

"One more kiss?"

Chrom complied.

At this point, Lon'qu reached in Robin's room to grab the door handle. He closed the door, not wanting to intrude any further, and went to his own room. Lon'qu yanked off his tie and tossed it onto his desk. His fingers nimbly unbuttoned the first couple buttons of his shirt before collapsing onto his bed.

As he laid on his bed, his nerves calmed enough for him to hear his heart pounding in his ears. The bed molded to every muscle and curve of his body. He released a tired sigh. His eyes grew heavier until finally he enjoyed a moment of relaxation.

A scream pierced into his room. His eyes shot open and he immediately sat up. The laughter that followed soothed his alertness before twisting something in his chest.

"Stop that!" She laughed again. "Go to work."

Lon'qu sat on his bed and buried his face into his hands.

Robin was playing with fire.

And he was going to be burned too.

A/N: T^T I'm sorry... I was being a full-time student with a thesis and two jobs...

But I'm back.

Any tips for burning out on writing? I've had to write so many papers that writing has become extremely challenging.