This chapter was originally going to be two different parts, but I figured that it worked pretty coherently as one chapter. A little more dramatic than the usual whitepatch affair.

This chapter was named after a FRIENDS quote.

Chrom's not stupid.

Sure, he can be a little oblivious at times. Sumia mentioned that there was someone in the army who had a crush on him before they even began flirting with one another, but she would never tell him who.

But Chrom wasn't stupid.

He didn't notice that many things that had to do with him, but he kept a pretty close eye on his daughters.

For example, he noticed how Cynthia spent a lot of time with Gerome. Clearly she had eyes for him. It didn't really matter if the feeling was mutual, although based off of some of the gushing he overheard from Sumia and Cherche, it probably was.

He planned on confronting the distant young man about it at some point, but it was very difficult to get some personal alone time with him, especially without the overprotective wyvern breathing down his neck.

He trusted that both his daughters were able to take care of themselves when it came to those boys of the past. They grew up alongside one another, so they probably knew what they were doing.

Which brought him to his current problem.

Robin was definitely not from the past. As far as he knew, anyway. He decided that, if he was around the day Lucina was born, he was considered to be a part of Chrom's generation.

It was subtle at first. Robin and Lucina had to spend a lot of time together, seeing as they were paired off in battle. They spent a lot of time sparing and running drills. Chrom didn't mind that. It was a way to keep both his best friend and his daughter safe.

However, it was the additional activities that began to tip Chrom off. They would always walk around together, doing things and talking about stuff. Chrom gave them the benefit of the doubt, assuming that they were simply talking about war things or the doomed future, as many people often did. However, he overheard one of their conversations from behind a crate and discovered that they were just having simple conversation.

The long chats in the meal halls and the 'coincidental' chore pairings were what really sealed the deal for Chrom.

That, and a slip-up from Cynthia when she was ranting about love when he asked her to help pick out an anniversary present for Sumia.

His best friend and his daughter?!

This had to stop. He didn't know what Robin's intentions were, but he knew a way to give his friend the benefit of the doubt and separate him from his daughter.

Chrom wasn't necessarily the last person Robin wanted to enter his tent, but he definitely wasn't the first.

Honestly, a part of him was holding out hope that Lucina would barge in one day, tear off her clothes and...well, stuff.

He knew she liked him, and he was certain that he liked her. The question he was asking himself was why he didn't just proclaim his...like to Lucina and get on with the courtship thing.

Chrom was, in fact, the most ironic person to enter his tent, given how he was the answer to that question. Robin owed everything to Chrom, even if he didn't act like it all the time. He basically adopted him as a brother and gave him a successful life. Even when they both felt like they failed, the other was always there to pick them up.

It was the kind of friendship that made Robin hesitate to act on his feelings.

"Chrom!" Robin exclaimed. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to discuss the combat pairings for the next battle." Chrom replied.

"Alright." Robin said, gesturing to his map. "What about them?"

"I want you by my side." Chrom said.

"I'm flattered, but I think Sumia would be opposed to our love." Robin joked. "And it sure would confuse the girls."

"You know what I mean." Chrom said. "I want you with me in the next battle."

"Wish I could say I could do that, but our battle formation is pretty ironclad at this point." Robin said. "I can't just switch around working pairs willy nilly. What would I do with Sumia and Lucina?"

"Pair them together." Chrom replied. "Lucina would work well with her mother."

"Actually, I've found that pairing Lucina up with anyone related to her is harmful to the battle strategy, since she'll be focused on protecting them as opposed to herself." Robin replied.

"Then put her with Donny or Anna or someone." Chrom replied, growing irritated.

` "You specifically told me not to put her with Donny." Robin commented.

"Donny's not a problem" Chrom replied.

"So this isn't about me." Robin said. "This is about Lucina."

"Robin." Chrom said, sternly. "Put Lucina with Donny."

"Chrom." Robin sighed. "You're being childish. She's better suited by my side"

"You forget your place." Chrom said, losing his temper.

"I'm doing what's best for the army!" Robin exclaimed.

"I am your prince and you will do as I say!" He shouted, before he could stop himself.

A heavy silence followed the pulling of rank. A look of irritation, anger, and disbelief found it's way to Robin's face as he looked at Chrom.

"Very well, sir." Robin said firmly, moving some pieces on the map. "We will take the head of the group wild Lucina and Donny will take our old position. I'll see you in battle, your highness." Robin condescendingly bowed at Chrom and left the tent.

"Robin, I…" Chrom said, before stopping himself. Telling Robin to do anything would just make matters worse.

That wasn't suppose to happen. This was just about stopping a budding romance between Robin and Lucina. Now he may have just ruined his relationship with his best friend.

This couldn't get worse.

It got worse.

It got very worse.

Chrom was pacing outside the medical tent. It wasn't supposed to go like that.

Lucina had been wounded in the last battle. Badly wounded. Wounded enough for Lissa and Libra to instantly hover over her the second they could. The two medics were hard at work mending her wounds.

Still, the fact of the matter was that his daughter had gotten hurt.

Apparently, it could have potentially been avoided if someone with a ranged moveset was at her side…

As if on cue, Robin appeared, dashing over to the medical tent. He pushed Chrom out-of-the-way and stuck his head through the tent.

A second later, Robin came reeling back out, clutching his head in pain.

"Still working!" Lissa's voice shouted from the tent.

Robin muttered a few curses under his breath, sitting down. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"This is all my fault…" He said sadly.

Chrom sat down next to him. "It's clearly my fault. I made you change the battle plans."

"And I let you make me." Robin said. "See? Still my fault."

They sat there in an uncomfortable silence.

Chrom broke it.

"So...How's Donnel?" He asked.

"I had to make sure he understood none of this was his fault." Robin replied. "I wouldn't want the poor kid to think he might have…" He didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"Robin." Chrom said. "I'm...I'm sorry about earlier. I was being immature and I was out of line."

"Still my fault." Robin said. "It's my unofficial job to make sure you don't fuck up anything too badly, and I messed that up. Your mistakes are my mistakes."

"We really do sound like an old married couple." Chrom admitted.

Robin laughed. "...I understand why you were uncomfortable, so, for the good of the army, I decided to look over the battle plans and see if I can make some rearrangements."

Chrom looked at Robin. "Robin, if we learned anything from today-"

"It's that you should be allowed to randomly pair people off." Robin replied. "There's a science behind it. This all happened because we didn't communicate and we rushed into a decision. I could easily pair Lucina off with someone else. Donnel was just a bad choice. Noire would have been a better choice, given how comfortable they are with one another and how they complement one another. I could literally be put with anybody." He got up. "I'm going to reorganize our battle layout to accommodate this." He said sadly.

"So you won't be training with Lucina anymore?" Chrom asked.

"Well, there wouldn't be much of a reason to." Robin said sadly. "After all, if we aren't partners, what would we be? She's just my best friend's daughter." He looked at the tent. "When she wakes up, can you tell her she has to start training with Noire?"

Chrom looked at Robin, his friend, his most trusted companion, the smartest person in the army, and he could honestly say that he had never seen his eyes more lifeless than they were now.

Before Robin could walk away, Chrom groaned in annoyance.

"No, I'm not going tell her." Chrom said. "And you're not going to reorganize the battle strategy." He paused. "Unless we recruit someone else. Then you can reorganize it."

"What are you saying?" Robin asked, looking at Chrom.

"What I'm saying is that, if you screw this up, I will show you exactly how sharp the Falchion can be." Chrom replied.

Robin stared at Chrom.

"...You're kind of creeping me out, Robin." Chrom said. "Are you going to say-ugh!"

Robin pulled Chrom into a hug. They held it for a few seconds, with Chrom awkwardly patting Robin's back, before quickly releasing one another.

"Sorry. I kinda got caught up in the moment." Robin admitted.

"That's no problem." Chrom said. "Now, get some sleep."

"I was actually kinda hoping I could talk to-"

"I get first dibs." Chrom said. "I made her. You're not even her boyfriend yet."

"Right." Robin said. "Well...Tell her I said I have some good news for her tomorrow." Robin replied. "Goodnight, Chrom." Robin bowed, an exaggerated, lighthearted bow, before retreating to his tent.

Chrom smiled to himself.

His best friend and his daughter.

So this chapter explored a different approach to the relationship between Chrom and Robin in regards to this ship. Specifically, I wanted to see a Robin conflicted with his loyalty to Chrom and his attraction to Lucina. Seeing as, at this point, it's only an attraction, Robin would, with reluctance, keep his loyalty to Chrom. If he were in love with Lucina, it would be the other way around.

I also wanted Chrom to be the one to start the relationship. I've seen it explored once or twice, but most of the time it's just "CHROM SHAME CASTRATION MAD MAD."

Rest assure I will parody that approach in a later chapter.