Bright Flame
"She is stronger than any steel he has ever come across."
A collection of Priam/Robin drabbles, from their first meeting to post-game.

Part II - second
Rating: K+
Word count: 3,177
Summary: "I look forward to our first session, Master Priam." Their strange relationship takes flight.

A/N: Part 2 is up! A little fast paced but hopefully there was enough detail in it to make it seem natural. Plays out like their supports, though more summarized with some added tidbits in it!

I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down
And out of all these things I've done
I think I love you better now

-Lego House, Ed Sheeran

vi.

He does interact with the other shepherds, but it's not often. They seem more intimated by him than anything. It does bother him, somewhat, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. Sometimes, Sully and Stahl will come up and watch him for a while, and he'll offer some advice on how to train better, but they haven't actually trained together, though Sully intends on challenging him one day. He prefers training alone, to stand the mightiest of warriors on the battlefield. It's the way he always followed.

Priam explains this to Robin when she asks him to join them for group training, and though she tells him that it's her duty to build the force of the army, she comes up with another thought.

"Well, individual strength is important," she taps her chin at her words. He did have a pretty good point. "Perhaps I should train solo more often."

"Anyone who dares step onto a battlefield needs to be physically ready." He says in a gruff voice. Robin places her hands on her hips, smiling at Priam.

"Then perhaps you would be so kind as to provide me with some training?"

For a moment, he hesitates. "You're asking to be my pupil?"

"Well, why not? Everyone agrees your martial prowess is second to none." She rocks on her heels a bit. "Besides, I haven't sparred with anyone one-on-one in a few years or so and to be honest, my sword skills aren't the best. I could really use the extra training!" There's that look in her eye again. It's a look she gets when she's ready to fight. She had the same look when they faced each other. He's seen it a few times now.

He pauses for a moment and finally agrees to train her. She does a small cheer before stopping and quickly getting back into her professional persona.

"I look forward to our first session, Master Priam."

Their strange relationship takes flight.

vii.

The conqueror and his army falls. But Priam knows it's not the end of it. He had been alerted that a new threat would be among them soon.

After the conqueror's death, he continues to train Robin, whom he's become more familiar with. He finally got her to stop calling him 'Master Priam' after about a week - they were equals. He was not above her. She didn't need to call him that. It sort of made him uncomfortable but he laughed at it as well, considering it brought him back to his early years when people started showing up to challenge him.

She's strong and fierce, despite her small size. It doesn't surprise him. They first time they battled, she almost got him. She's still behind in terms of strength but she's close and she's only getting better with the blade each and every day. Her tactics are a lot better than his, he knows that. He thinks about asking her for advice, but holds back.

When they're not training, they find themselves conversing with each other. She tells him what she remembers and everything about the shepherds; he tells her about his life on the island. Their conversations change topics a lot but it's nothing bad.

She learns his inability to use Aether, the skill that the Radiant Hero was able to use. It's the first time he's actually talked about it. He explains that he was ashamed at first, when he was younger, but 'life goes on'. He had learned that he should not rely on one skill to define him. Robin can't help but smile and nod at what he says, saying how she agrees with him. Even without Aether, he's still very strong.

They have a lot to talk about. Their hands accidentally touch. He's quick to pull away, as he's not used to something like that.

For a month now, she has been his pupil.

One day, Robin manages to convince Priam to eat in the mess hall with the others. "It'll be fun! I mean, until Owain and Inigo start arguing, but it's still fun! Come on, Priam, everyone's been asking about you – especially Cynthia and Owain. It would be nice to eat with everyone instead of eating with just a small group of loners." She laughs a bit when he gives her a look and she quickly apologizes for being rude, though she says this in between laughs.

He hesitates but he finally says yes. Seeing her smile brings a smile to his face. Her cheerfulness is contagious; at least, that's what he thought at first. He follows her to the mess hall, a wave of greetings coming his way which he returns, and he sits down next to Robin.

It's a fun evening. He can barely keep up with all the different conversations going on. He talks with the others, shares his stories with them, laughs with them...

It's all a new feeling to him. Sure, he's eaten with a big group before but something about this was different. He felt a bit more at home. He's eaten with the shepherds before but he was always rather quiet, never really speaking up unless someone spoke to him. He wasn't shy; he just didn't have a lot to say at the moment. Maybe it was because he was still adjusting to the new setting and new faces. He can't lie and say he doesn't enjoy this, though.

Robin sneaks glances at Priam with a smile on her face. Their hands touch again but neither of them pulls away. Maybe they just didn't realize fully that their hands were slightly over each other.

Her hand is soft and warm. It's another new feeling. Priam decides that he doesn't mind it.

viii.

"Robin?"

It's been a long time since he left the island. He keeps training with Robin and they continue to spend time together. He helped her with some tactics and strategy plans, though they ended up falling asleep together in the Barracks. Of course, once everyone heard of what happened, they teased the two. It was rather embarrassing for both of them.

Right now, he's looking for some things left in the Barracks – clothing, in particular.

"Oh, hey, Priam," she speaks to him casually. She's actually one of the few shepherds to speak that way towards him. Sully ( who he became fast friends with ) is a bit more casual than Robin. He's grown quite fond of both Sully and Stahl; they've actually all had a training session with each other the other day. It's been years since Priam's trained with a group.

"I left some belongings here." He looks around, making sure he didn't miss them. "You didn't happen to see them, did you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you..." When he gives her a confused look, she's continues. "I had a little spare time, so I thought I'd do your laundry for you."

"My... Laundry?"

"I also patched some of the larger holes." The smile she gives him is kind. "I hope you're not upset. Should I have asked first?"

"No, it's fine. But...why would you do such a thing?" He's curious. No one ever does anything for him. Well, to be honest, no one ever reaches out to him as a mere man. He hadn't really noticed that either, though.

"Well, you've spent so much time teaching me about swordplay and you've helped me keep my mind off of some things..." She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear before looking back up at the male. "I needed some way to repay you. This was the best I could come up with."

Priam can feel his cheeks heat up. Why the hell was he blushing over this? Granted, he wasn't too personal about his stuff, though he always did his own laundry. He turned away slightly, hoping that Robin didn't see his face. "I see. Still, it was unnecessary. I can wash my own clothes."

Robin opens her mouth to protest, until she catches his face. "Hold on a second... Priam, are you blushing?"

He curses under his breath and turns back to her. The blush on his face is very visible now as he raises his voice. "Me? Blush? Of course not! What foolishness! I am a warrior of the sword. Nothing can faze me!" He grits his teeth, "nothing!"

Of course, this only makes Robin laugh. She has a beautiful laugh. It reminds him of the wind, for some odd reason. "You're red as a tomato!" The tactician reaches up, gently touching his face. It's warm and rather cute when he's embarrassed. "I never thought I'd see the day."

He slightly flinches at the touch. He's used to sharp and hostile forms of affection; nothing like this. Her touch is gentle and inviting and he stops himself from nuzzling his cheek against the palm of her hand. Her hand is soft, just like the day he touched it. It only makes his face heat up more.

"S-Silence, I'm not blushing!" He backs away from her. "… I must go. You have my thanks, for the laundry." With that, he's gone, exiting the barracks as quickly as he could. The entire day goes by in a blur. He feels dizzy, but it's not a bad kind of dizzy. There's a warm feeling in his chest. It's a warm feeling he's felt for a while now. Every time he's in her presence. There's some sort of touch she has. It's a gentle touch – one that's maternal and gentle.

Priam touches his cheek. He could still feel her hand against it.

This feeling was new to him.

After some thinking, he decided he liked this feeling.

ix.

For the next few days, she's in his mind. Actually, she was on his mind much longer than that. It's a new feeling, for a man who dedicates his life to the blade. He still thinks about his path but for the most part, Robin dominates his thoughts. He thinks about her smile and laugh – as well as her strength.

She is gentle and caring and yet, it's stronger than any steel he's come across.

He talks to Olivia, Chrom's wife, about it. Of course, his face heats up when she mentions how cute it is. He asks if there's any medication for this feeling, which makes the dancer laugh a bit.

"There's no medication for this. Priam, you're in love!"

Is it love? Had he really fallen in love with Robin? He thinks about it. Without Robin, he probably wouldn't have opened up to any of the other shepherds, or at least, open up to them that soon. Without Robin, he wouldn't have found another strength – one that was stronger than steel. She's changed him. It's not a bad change, though.

Maybe he was missing this all along, the warmth and care of another person. She attracts him – with her beauty, her strength and her gentleness. No, it's her gentleness that is her strength as well. The way she cares for the others in battle was something that always interested him. He warned her that if she kept diving in the protect someone, she could end up hurt.

"I bleed for my friends, Priam." She tells him as she rolls her shoulders a bit. "I guess I should be a bit more careful though. I would just feel awful if I watched someone dear to me fall because I didn't do anything."

"I understand that," he says as he bandages up her arm, "but the army needs you to move forward."

"The army needs everyone in order to move forward."

Her words made him stop for a minute. Perhaps her words had some truth to them. He respected the concept of teamwork, and he always did his part when it came to it, but for him he preferred working alone. Her words and actions made him think as they traveled back to the camp.

"You'll need someone to look after you, then, if you keep jumping in like that. Like I said, we need you to move forward as well. You're one of us, just in general." Robin stops walking. Priam looks back at her. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"Oh, no, it's just… Well, I know the others think of me as one of their own, but sometimes I feel like they put a little too much faith in me, especially Chrom. So to have someone treat me like a regular person… It's nice, I guess." Ah, he did always wonder if it bothered her. Chrom speaks highly of her, as he should, but Priam wonders if the lord has ever really second-guessed Robin's actions.

She's working hard for the others, for him too. Cherche dropped a hint that Priam was very special to Robin.

"I noticed she was fixing your clothing," the Wyvern Knight hummed. "She seemed so happy, the happiest I've ever seen her. I don't think it's because she was sewing, either." She can't help but laugh when she sees Priam's ears reddening quickly. To have someone think of him like that really was a bit embarrassing.

When he's in the market, he spots a ring. It's rather expensive, and Priam isn't the type to really care about how expensive an item is or about gold in general ( "I don't give a rat's tail about gold," he told Stahl one time. ). But, looking at it, he thinks that it would look good on Robin. He wants it to be a token of his respect, for her.

The way of the sword has been his life line, and he knows it always will be, but now, he had something else to fight for.

x.

He's a nervous wreck when he finally finds Robin, though he manages to hide his nervousness with his usual, stoic look. She's in the barracks, reading a book. He feels bad for disturbing her but Sully and Stahl were pressuring him to get it over with.

When Robin spots Priam, she smiles. "Oh, hello, Priam," he notices her fidgeting a bit. She always did that when she was excited, he's noticed in the past months he's been with her. "Are we due for another fencing lesson?"

Priam takes a breath, "No. I wanted to...thank you again." He feels nervous and tries to shove that feeling out of him. "...For taking care of my clothing. This is for you... I bought it from a merchant in the last town." He presents her the ring. In an instant, Robin's eyes ( or eye ) light up. The ring is so beautiful, she can't believe it.

"Why, Priam, what an ornate ring!" There's a small pause. "Er, hold on a moment. Are you asking me—"

"It has no special meaning, mind!" Oof, maybe he was a bit rough with his voice. He lowers it, realizing his tone probably wasn't nice to listen to. "It's just a token of gratitude. I'm no expert on women's accessories... I just picked something at random."

He's lying of course. He glances at her face. Is that disappointed in her face? She seems rather down that it had no special meaning. She smiles again, though it's not as radiant as before.

"Well, you did quite well. I think it's lovely." She takes it gently, admiring it. "Still, it must have cost a fortune. Isn't it a little extravagant for a thank-you gift?"

She's catching on. Or maybe she's just asking too many innocent questions. Keeping the façade up is hard work. If it was anyone else, he could do it easily. But he can't keep lying to Robin, especially after that face she made when he told her the ring wasn't special.

"Priam, is something wrong?" She must have noticed the look on his face.

"Damn, but you are persistent..." He finally sighs out. It earns a head tilt from the younger girl. "Very well, I admit, it's not a thank-you gift. It's a token of my great...respect. I am a man who is dedicated to combat and the way of the sword." There's a blush on his face but he does not look away. Instead, he looks her straight in the eye.

"However, in recent weeks, it has been you who dominates my thoughts." He feels his confidence coming back up. He's sure of his words now. He wants to make them known.

"And I...think I have fallen...in love."

He doesn't want to hide anymore.

Robin takes a moment to register his words and suddenly, he face flares up. "Wait, a-are you serious?!"

"Of course I'm serious!" Whoops, his voice just rose again. He quiets it down. "Why would I joke about something like this?"

Robin stumbles on her words and all that she can get out is 'when' and 'why'. But her face says a lot; she's happy. She's absolutely happy that she means something so special to him. Priam scoots in closer, finding his hand reaching for her smaller one.

"In your heart, I've found a new way to live. You have been gentle and caring to me, yet still stronger than any steel. All my life, I have lived only for the blade." Their fingers finally entwine and they're looking in each other's eyes. He sees the sparkle, the passion that he saw the first time they met. "But now I want to live for you." Her hand is warm and soft and he just wants to hold it for a long time.

"Oh, Priam, I just had to be sure your feelings were heartfelt!" She fidgets even more. She doesn't even hide her emotions. She feels like crying out of happiness. "I feel the same way! I have for... It feels like such a long time."

His eyes light up in an instant. "Then you'll say yes, for true?" Suddenly, he wraps his arms around her and picks her up. He can't help but spin around with her, laughing. He doesn't even try to hide his emotions anymore. "Oh! Huzzah! Huzzah!"

Robin laughs as she holds on to him. Once he stops, she presses her forehead against his. "Why, Priam, I've never seen you so...emotional." It was something new to her. It was almost cute.

"I would not normally allow myself such a...display. It is a bit strange for me, but I don't want to hide my emotions any longer." He pauses for a minute. "You don't hate it, do you?"

"No, I think it's cute! It's poetic, too. Perhaps for you, a pen truly would be mightier than a sword."

He can't help but make a face at it, which only makes Robin laugh even more as she pulls her forehead away from his. Their fingers entwine once more as he leans in, pressing his lips against her's. They remain like that for a while, until they pull away to breathe.

"You give my strength new purpose and meaning. I'll let the world burn before I see you hurt."

It's a promise he'll keep – for a long time.