Title: Smile of Wishes

Author: Haikoui

Summary: Chrom is getting married, and all Robin can do is think about leaving. Not as sad as it sounds, hopefully. Oneshot. Chrom/Sumia, onesided Chrom/m!Robin. Set about half a year after the death of Mad King Gangrel.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All characters belong to Fire Emblem and Nintendo.

Notes: My first FE:A story. I hope you all enjoy it. I don't normally ship slash, not because I don't like it, but because unless the characters are genuinely set up to go in that direction, I won't be inclined to go that way. But I found it extremely hard to put Chrom with anyone other than Robin altogether, even with male Robin. In the end, I chose Olivia, but only because Sumia bothers me in ways I can't even explain. But I am so obsessed with both versions of Robin that I will always prefer Chrom and Robin together no matter what gender Robin is.

In this fic, I opted for Chrom going canon with Sumia. Whatever.

Smile of Wishes

Chrom… was wed in the halidom, of course.

He wasn't dressed in his armor, the way many of the Shepherds had always envisioned him. Of course, none of them truly expected the general to get married so quickly, but with the passing of the Exalt, it was necessary for the crown prince to be wed and to bring life to an heir to the throne, should anything else happen.

It was what Robin told himself every night leading up to the wedding to keep his mind at ease, to calm his anger at the traditions that had to be kept, the rules that had to be followed.

Sumia was beautiful. Indeed, she was, with her curls and her blush and her charming clumsiness. She was gentle, loving, caring—everything a wife and a mother had to be in order to raise a family worthy of the Brand. And yet, she was fierce and loyal, a Shepherd with whom anyone would be privileged to be partnered.

The day of the wedding, she was dressed in what seemed to be light pink, nearly white, pegasi feathers, her train extending behind her for a number of feet before leaving a shine of glitter wherever it moved. Her forearms were adorned with markings of winged creatures, and in her hair, white feathers delicately held a veil in front of her lovely face.

And Chrom—he was robed in black. No, not black—dark blue, darker than his own hair, about as dark as the night sky. He was smiling the same smile he had worn when he first found Robin the field. The same smile as when Lon'qu awkwardly approached him and told him he was in love with Lissa. The same smile as when Gaius took him out to the fair for fun. The same smile as when Chrom himself pestered to know who Robin was hopelessly in love with…

To Chrom's left Robin stood. He had the perfect view. He could see Chrom's smile slacken as he caught sight of Sumia in awe; he could see Sumia glow from behind her veil; he could see Lissa, sweet, sweet Lissa, biting her lip from saying one word, because she knew all about Robin.

Somewhere in the crowd, he noticed the lack of red hair. There was the orange of Gaius a couple spaces away from Robin as one of the groomsmen, but there was no vibrant red, the telltale sign of Cordelia. She was in the same predicament as Robin—he knew that for a fact. Though he rarely talked to her at all, he understood her perfectly. The only difference was she had decided not to show.

The words that left the priest's mouth were nothing but hums to him as he looked beyond Chrom and Sumia to Lissa on the other side of the alter. Her eyes were wet with tears. To anyone else, she would have appeared ecstatic. To him, she was as upset as he, because she knew. The priest called for objections, and had Robin not marginally shook his head, he was certain she would have burst his feelings for all of Ylisse to see and hear.

Vows were said on either side. Chrom's were confident, strong. He looked forward to his future. And Sumia was glorious, the words forming on her tongue like sugar. Just like that—they were bound for life and even after death. Chrom could not look happier. And he… well, Robin tried his best to feel happy for him, but the pain inside was too hard to ignore and shove away.

The reception afterward, Robin did not go to.

Instead, he went to the barracks, which were empty. Everyone was out celebrating the union of the crown prince and his beloved. Robin sat on a crate in a corner and stared unseeingly at the world map on the wall.

The Plegian War was over, and Chrom was wed, and there was no need for a tactician during a time of peace. He could leave. Start over. He could go to Regna Ferox and help out Flavia and Basilio, or he could even go overseas to Valm… he could travel the world. He could even go to Plegia. Maybe their new king would be more welcoming than the last…

But, thought Robin as his eyes finally focused on his surroundings, I don't think I could ever leave this place. Lissa would never forgive him, nor would Frederick, who—as much as he seemed to detest Robin in the beginning—genuinely liked Robin as a person.

It seemed as though minutes had passed with Robin sitting by himself in the barracks. But when he turned his eyes to the window, the sun was setting, and the orange glow filtered lazily into the room.

There was a click of the door and it opened a second later.

"Robin," said Chrom, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Robin's head turned to the prince in the doorway, who was still clad in his formal robes. "The reception just finished," Chrom continued, closing the door and pulling up a chair to sit in front of Robin. "I didn't see you there at all. I thought maybe you weren't feeling well, so I went to go check your room, but you weren't there. Are you alright?"

"I'm just fine, Chrom," said Robin, his lips quirking upward in response. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you," said Chrom. "That means a lot, coming from you." He paused, his eyes searching Robin's. "You aren't fine, though. You look like you're about to get up and run."

"I won't run."

"Good."

There was a moment of silence. Neither of them moved. Robin's eyes turned from Chrom's to the sunset behind him through the window of the barracks. Chrom said nothing, but Robin could feel his eyes on him.

"Why didn't you come to the reception, Robin?" Chrom asked him after a moment.

He knew it was coming. He knew he should have said something to evade it, to have the subject not be brought up. The lump in Robin's throat prevented him from saying anything at all.

Chrom sighed. "I see."

Robin's head shot back to him. Chrom looked extremely uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," said Chrom. "Really, I am. I… I didn't know. But Sumia came to me and—well, we bonded. Sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I weren't the general, if she had seen you in battle—maybe things would have turned out differently—I'm sorry, Robin. It's just how things turned out."

That didn't sound right at all. Robin's brows furrowed. "What in Ylisse are you talking about?"

"You're in love with Sumia," said Chrom, as though it were obvious now.

If the truth hadn't been so painful, Robin would have laughed in his face. "No," said Robin quickly. "No, no. That's not it at all."

"What?"

Of course, thought Robin, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Of course. Chrom's too oblivious to figure something like that out.

"I'm not in love with Sumia," said Robin, sighing. It would have been so much easier if he were. "I barely even know her. I just know she bakes really, really good pies."

"You should try one," said Chrom.

"Maybe later," said Robin.

Chrom exhaled, obviously frustrated and relieved at the same time. "Alright. So you're not—good. Good. I thought I'd have to exile you, or something," he said jokingly. "But don't take that the wrong way, I'd never—Gods, this is coming out all wrong. Alright. Let's just forget about it. Why didn't you come to the reception?"

"It doesn't matter why I didn't come."

"You're my best man," said Chrom gently. "Of course it matters. We missed you."

A bitter chuckle escaped Robin as he caught the last of the sunlight dying away from the window. "I was thinking," said Robin, "if I should leave."

Another moment of silence came after his words, and then Chrom said firmly, "That's ridiculous. You're staying right here."

"I could go to Regna Ferox," Robin continued, looking out the window behind Chrom's head as the prince stared at him.

"No," said Chrom.

"Or Valm. I could go there. I've heard there's some trouble."

"Absolutely not," said Chrom.

"Or maybe Plegia. I could help out over there. The state is in disarray, chaos—I could—"

"Out of the question," said Chrom, his answers becoming increasingly vehement with each passing suggestion. "You're staying here."

"And do what, Chrom?" Robin shot back, finally locking eyes with his. "You don't need me here. Not anymore. Not—not when you—"

The lump in his throat seemed to have tripled in size. Robin's breath caught. Chrom, taken aback, said to him, "Not when I what?"

Robin said nothing.

"Not when I what, Robin?"

"Not when you have Sumia," said Robin quietly.

Chrom watched him, confused. "I don't understand. Sumia is my wife. You are my best friend. Those are two completely different things. They are not interchangeable." He faltered for a second, before adding, "We need you, Robin. Of course we need you."

Robin's stomach twisted.

"I need you," Chrom said. He waited another second before repeating, "I need you."

His eyes latched onto the deep blue of the prince's. Chrom likely had no idea how much the words meant to him. And yet, here he was, looking at Robin like he was the finest treasure in all of Ylisse, finer than the Fire Emblem itself. Chrom smiled at him, the same smile he wore when he found Robin the field, the same smile he wore when Lon'qu told him he was in love with Lissa, the same smile he wore when he married Sumia earlier today—

"You're smiling," said Robin. "I…"

"I'm smiling because I'm happy," said Chrom. "Isn't that why people smile?"

"Yes, but—"

"You make me happy, Robin," said Chrom. "It's that simple."

Gods, if anyone were listening to Chrom speak other than Robin, his words would have been edging on treason. Chrom was awkwardly blunt at times and this was one moment of many. "Don't say that, Chrom."

"And why not?"

"If anyone hears you," Robin began, "they might think you're married to me, instead."

Chrom threw his head back and barked a laugh. "So be it. It might as well be true!"

"Chrom—" Robin bit his tongue. "Chrom, I'm being serious!"

"I am, too!" Chrom grinned widely at him. "To an extent, anyway."

"Chrom—you can't just—"

"Why not, Robin?"

"Because," said Robin furiously, "I'm not in love with Sumia, I'm in love with you!"

Chrom's smile seemed stuck on his face. "What?"

Gods damn you, Robin. You said it. How could you say it? "You heard me." Robin's eyes dropped to his hands, to the marking on the back of his right palm. "That's why I wasn't at the reception."

The prince said nothing, his smile slowly dropping from his lips. The barracks were nearly dark, now, with moonlight inking the room in a pale white. In the deep blue night, Chrom's formally robed figure was becoming nearly indiscernible from the darkness around him.

Robin put his head in his hands as the silence grew long. He shouldn't have said that. He shouldn't have even bothered—he should've told Chrom he didn't come because he was tired, or because he was sick, or because—how could he have messed this up? He was a master tactician. He should have been able to do this better—

"Robin," said Chrom, "look at me."

With shaking hands, Robin turned his eyes to Chrom, who had moved his chair closer to him. "I wish," said Chrom, "that I could say the same thing. Gods, I wish it beyond anything else in the world." He inhaled shakily, taking hold of Robin's right hand with both of his own. "I do not ever, ever want to see you in pain. It kills me to see you like this. I know it's not as easy as telling you to—to find a lady who will make you forget about what you feel now. Lon'qu has told me quite a few times that that doesn't work. In the end, he simply accepted what he felt for Lissa and… well, I expect they'll be married soon."

He took another shaky breath. "So… well, I can't tell you to just… find someone else. I wish I could tell you what you want, Robin. Truly! Honestly. But the halidom needs an heir, and… the idea of… two men…" Chrom was bright red now, and he stumbled on his words like the time Robin had seen Chrom confused about Libra's gender. "Well, it isn't something that would be kindly accepted—"

"Yes," said Robin. "I know."

Chrom looked thankful he didn't have to expand on that idea. Robin, meanwhile, was trying his best to keep his hand still as the prince looked down and—unconsciously?—traced the marking on the back of Robin's right hand. "You're incredibly special to me, Robin," Chrom continued gently. "You are. I would venture to say you are the most important person in my life."

"Sumia—" Robin began, incredulous, but Chrom cut him off.

"I love Sumia," said Chrom. "I am incredibly lucky to be graced with her presence, and I am fortunate to have her bear my future children. She… she is my wife, Robin. You have to understand that. Of course we love each other. But you, Robin—you are my other half. You are the wind at my back. The sword at my side. Do you understand?"

Robin said nothing. He had no clue how to respond, no idea what to say.

"So," said Chrom, seeming to have found his footing, now, "I hope that will appease you in some way. I can't give you what you want. I wish I could. But I can offer you my companionship as… well, as a friend. That's as honest as I can put it." The next words that came from his lips, Robin never expected to hear in his life. "I would die for you, Robin. I hope you know that."

"As I would do for you," said Robin, his eyes dropping to his hand, which was still held in both of Chrom's.

Chrom blew a heavy stream of air from his lips before chuckling. "Well," he said lightly, "since you so graciously missed my reception, we need to remedy that right away."

"What—"

"Get up," he said, pushing himself out of his chair and moving it to the side. The room was completely dark now, with the exception of the moonlight coming in through the window. "You missed all the dancing and food. I don't have any food on me—anything I had was taken by Gaius—so you're going to dance with me."

"Chrom," said Robin, "you can't do this to me. Besides, it's your wedding night. Sumia is waiting for you."

"Sumia will understand," said Chrom, batting the words away easily. "She was practically pushing me out the door of the hall to find you. Come on, get up." He grabbed hold of Robin's hand again and pulled the tactician to his feet.

Robin swallowed, shaking his head as Chrom smiled at him. "I have no clue how to dance."

"Okay. We'll fix that, too."

"What? No, that's not what I meant," said Robin helplessly.

"Hey," said Chrom, "you should know that by now, when I put my mind to something, we get that something done, and we get that something done well. Ready?"

Before Robin could say no, Chrom groaned. "I forgot. We don't have music. Are you okay with that?"

"Well, honestly, I'm not okay with any of this—"

"It'll be fun. I promise. We haven't had fun in such a long time, Robin. At least let me do this for you. If you want, I'll sing along so that we have music. I don't even sing, so you should be honored!"

"Oh, please," said Robin, "please don't sing."

Chrom swung Robin's right hand to the side and laid another hand on his shoulder. "I'll make this easy," said Chrom. "Put your hand on my waist."

"You're very confident about this," said Robin. Just put it all to the back of your head. You are friends, Robin. He's helping you. Just… let all of it go. With those words in his head, he felt himself relax.

"The number of dance classes I've had in my youth is impossible to count," said Chrom. "Put your hand on my waist. There you go. Now puff up your chest like Frederick does when he gets flustered. Yes, that's it. Ready?"

"I suppose," Robin conceded.

"Alright," said Chrom, a wide smile splitting his lips. He stepped back, and Robin stepped forward; Chrom stepped to the side, and Robin followed; Chrom stepped forward, and Robin stepped back; Chrom stepped to the side, and Robin, once more, followed. It was hardly seconds in until Robin realized Chrom was teaching him a simple waltz.

"Now," said Chrom as they moved, "isn't this easy?"

"Yes," agreed Robin. "It is." He paused. "This is what you spent your childhood learning?"

Chrom hmmmed. "This and others. It was a bore. Emm… she was great at it, of course. Would you believe Lissa hates dancing?"

Yes, Robin could believe that.

As they danced, Chrom hummed along, thankfully not as bad as Robin had feared, but not nearly as good as some maidens would have hoped. Eventually, he stopped and smiled again at Robin. "This is better than any wedding reception I could have thrown."

"I can't imagine," said Robin, shaking his head. "I… thank you, Chrom." He removed his hand from Chrom's waist and pulled away. "Thank you. This was wonderful."

"I'm glad," said Chrom. He stood for a small while with Robin in the dark before he said softly, "Lissa was looking for you at the reception. She left Lon'qu to try to find you before I told her I would find you myself. She was about to tear all her hair off her head."

Robin gave a low laugh. "Lissa was looking for me because she was worried. She's very perceptive, your sister."

"I see," said Chrom. He looked down, then back up at Robin after a few seconds, seeming to heavily contemplate something. "Thank you for understanding, Robin. And thank you for telling me. Hopefully you will look upon this day in the future as a day that has blessed you."

"I can't promise that," said Robin. "But I'll do my best."

Chrom made his way to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?" The underlying question was clear. He wanted to know if Robin would still leave.

"Yes," said Robin. "Have a good night, Chrom."

Chrom smiled once more—the same smile he wore when he found Robin in the field, the same smile he wore when he had danced with Robin only minutes earlier—and shut the door to the barracks behind him.

Robin did not return to his room that night. Instead, he slept in the barracks with his robe wrapped around him, hoping to clear his mind of dancing and humming and wishing. And so he did, except for the smiling. All he dreamt of were smiles.

I hope it was in character. I have no clue if they were in character. Also, this ended up pretty fluffy, and I totally wasn't intending on it, so… yup, definitely not as sad as it could have been.

I have nothing wrong with Sumia personally. I just hate her supports with Chrom and I just hate the typical "clumsy dainty girl who loves animals gets the guy" type of thing. But she's lovely. I like her more with Frederick. Actually, I like Lissa more with Frederick, but for the purposes of this she had to go with Lon'qu, who I normally pair with Olivia. And there's no way I'd pair Sumia with Gaius—I put him with Cordelia. I've thought about Henry but in the end I always get either lazy with working on it, or I regret putting Henry with Cherche, and it just becomes a mess. Sorry for the babbling.

No matter Robin's gender, I will always, always, always put Chrom with Robin. I just love them. How rude. Why is their story so great?

Anyway, thanks for reading. Please review!