Chrom I ~The Wind at my Back~

"You are the wind at my back and the sword at my side. Together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world…just you and me."

The new Exalt of Ylisse was not a subtle man that was for sure. When he was acting shifty and awkward, you just KNEW something was up and he was doing a bad job of hiding it.

And it was usually just a guessing game as to WHAT was bothering him. And Robin just about hated it.

Chrom's chief tactician pouted a little as she placed her hands upon her hips, spotting her 'lord' walking around nearby, oblivious to her presence. Now, she was just getting more and more annoyed by it all. He seemed to be purposely ignoring her whenever she tried to speak with him about anything. He'd stammer about something he needed to do and just rush off without another word.

"Chrom!"

"ACK!"

Yeah, that wasn't going to help him at all.

Robin stormed her way over to him, her cheeks puffed up (which Chrom found rather adorable, weirdly) and her arms folded under her breasts, quickly getting into his personal space, making sure he had no way out.

"Care to explain yourself?"

"E-Explain what?"

"Why you've been ignoring me for so long?"

"H-Have I? I apologize, Robin! I didn't mean to-!"

"Didn't mean to?! Oh Gods, Chrom, you're an idiot. I've been trying to talk to you for days about the strategies of our upcoming battle-"

"Yes, and I've been busy! I apologize, Robin, I really have to-" "Go? No, Chrom! What is so important that you won't talk to your chief strategist?!"

"Y-You see, umm…Well…Lissa…she…I got nothing."

"So you ARE avoiding me!"

Not good at hiding things, like I said. Chrom isn't a man of subtlety. He is a man of pure emotion and that's the only thing he can use to really communicate how he feels. So, when he tries to hide his feelings, it goes south VERY quickly.

"Gods, no! I haven't been avoiding you, per say…I've been…nervous, I guess!"

"What have you been nervous for?"

"W-Well…you're backing me into a corner here, Robin…"

"Of course I am! I want to know what's been making you so 'nervous' that you stopped wanting to talk to me!"

"Stopped wanting to-Robin, that's not what it is at all! I've wanted to talk to you for days! In fact, you're one of the people I ALWAYS want to talk to!"

It wasn't a surprise that Robin CLEARLY didn't believe him, raising her brow at the Exalt. Chrom had been like this since the death of his sister, forcing him into the position of Exalt…for a week, he was distant…but, after that, he seemed better and even more positive. He must have had a lot of thinking to do after her death and the defeat of Gangrel. But, for the past week or so, Chrom then just became distant to Robin. Everyone else got the same treatment as ever…

She was kind of jealous…

"R-Robing…Emm being gone…well, I've had to think about a lot of things. I've been thinking about the things she would want me to do. She'd want me to be happy…and, I do know ways to be happy. But…the problem is…I don't know how to do that…"

"What does this have to do with you ignoring me? We all had to think a lot after Emmeryn's death, but-"

"P-Please, hear me out! This…this is important and…I'm not sure I can hold back…"

"Umm…okay?"

This could only go well.

Chrom's breathing seemed to grow heavy as he face grew very red, worrying Robin. She tried raising her arms up to help the man, but he just waved her off, like he wasn't acting strange at all.

He looked into her eyes, showing pure determination. Cue more confusion for Robin as she just raised a brow.

"Robin, what makes me the happiest is you! After Emm died, I didn't think I could recover, but…thinking of you made me realize that I still had things to do in this world before I just let myself go like that!"

"Chrom, what are you-?"

"I'm not done!"

"O-Oh…"

Now was Robin's turn to feel flustered, her face slowly heating up as Chrom seemed to become more confident in his words.

"Emmeryn…would want me to be happy…but, to be happy, I'd have to be incredibly selfish. Would you hate me if I started being selfish?"

"Sometimes being selfish is something we all need to do. Even if it's just for a while."

"No, I…I hope I can be selfish for the rest of my life, if it means I can have the one thing that would make me the happiest man alive."

"Well…what would make you happy?"

At this point, Robin would have been DUMB to not realize where Chrom was going. Her face was just as red as his now as she fumbled with her coat sleeves, looking at anything other than Chrom, who seemed to take offense to this, trying his best to move into her eyesight again.

"Please, Robin. I need you to look me in the eye when I say this…"

"C-Chrom, please, I'm not sure this is-"

"Please!"

Oh Gods, he was getting loud and even he noticed it, wincing at his own voice, letting out a mumbled apology.

"C-Chrom…I think I know where you're going with this…"

"T-Then…is this all in vain? I-I promise, if you say no to anything I say, I don't mind! I'll stay as your friend! I-I mean…well…Robin…You're a smart woman…you've probably already realized that I'm in love with you. I'm…head over heels for you…and I have been for so long now. I knew you were special the first moment we fought side by side. I'm…I'm happy just to be by your side as a friend."

She was conflicted…Oh, so conflicted.

"Chrom-"

"Robin, I'm very sorry about all of this-!"

"Would you let me answer? You don't seem to want me to respond to you."

"I-I'm nervous…but that's pretty obvious, huh? Haha…I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. Chrom…It looks like you've rambled on enough to have said your peace, so, I can't say anything like 'you don't know what you're talking about'…" Which was kind of sad, that would have been a good way out of this situation. "But…is this really what you want?"

"I know that this is what I've wanted to say for a while, Robin. I'm sorry it had to come out like this…I didn't really plan for anything. But I ended up avoiding you, just in case you reacted badly…"

"I wouldn't react badly. I'm honored that the Exalt of Ylisse would consider me good enough for him. But-"

"Don't say such things, Robin. You are perfect for any man. If you reject me, well…whoever you choose to be by your side as husband is a lucky man."

Well, she spoke the truth. She was honored that a man of such high standing would fall for her. She was just an amnesiac he found in a field. She didn't know if she was a commoner or if she had ANY high standing at all, wherever she came from.

She didn't know how to respond, except…with truth.

"Chrom, I…Would it be wise for you to be in a romantic relationship with your tactician?"

"I…I'm not sure…"

"Maybe that's your answer. We may have defeated Gangrel, but a war can still be on the horizon."

"But, for now we have peace. I…I wouldn't care about what anyone thought! I wouldn't be biased, I wouldn't treat you so much differently on the battlefield-!"

"Chrom, you're rambling again."

"S-Sorry…"

This was going on for way too long. The outcome could only go one way…anyone would be stupid not to have fallen for the rightful king of Ylisse. Yes, even Robin would be the first to admit that Chrom was a very attractive young man and he was kind, cared for everyone…if it wasn't for him, she didn't know if she'd even be alive. He had taken good care of her, even if she could have been a spy…

She…She might have been in love with him…

"Chrom, I…well…Gods, now I'm all nervous…I…I want to accept this…I do want to be by your side, as more than just your friend of tactician…"

"Y-You do?"

"Yes, of course. But…I'm scared that it will harm your reputation."

"To hell with my reputation!" Robin jumped when she felt Chrom's strong arms wrapping around her smaller figure, practically lifting her off the floor with a grin on his face, nuzzling his cheek into her own. "Just hearing that you'd want to be by my side makes me the happiest man alive, Robin! You are the reason I can carry on…and I wish for you to be mine, Robin."

His arms loosened as he let himself move backwards, keeping his hands, softly, on Robin's shoulders, a grin spreading across his flushed features as he watched his strategist's face become more and more embarrassed.

"I-I'm…I'm glad…I-I accept! I'd…love to be yours, Chrom…"

"Oh, Robin…You've made me the happiest man alive! Thank you…"