#jisonshin

"Eyes up front before you drop off." Robin rattles off, tapping Gaius on the chin so he stayed upright and passing him his coffee, "And we're not doing Peter Pan here, Gaius."

"Look me in the eye and say that I'm not playing the part of a beardless and much more handsome Captain Hook, Bubbles."

Robin snickers, "Yeah, I guess. With both your hands and legs too."

Gaius seems to fall silent then, taking a long sip of his coffee and staring at Robin.

"...Hmm? What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing." Gaius says. For some reason, there's a smirk on his face, "Now. Down to business. Gimme the goods."

"I should really stop buying you these." Robin says with a sigh, but he's already passed the bag of candy over to Gaius, who promptly tears it open.

"Yeah, but think about the devastating impact it'll have on my life. I'll drop out of college, sell off my books and lose myself in the underground market."

"More than you have already?"

"Hey, I've done a few under the table deals. Doesn't mean I'm back in there yet."

Robin sips his coffee. Closes his eyes.

"Rough day?"

"The usual."

"You should skip today's shift."

"I need the money."

"Donny knows you need a day off as much as I do."

"I still don't feel right skipping."

"You probably have an excuse when you look like the dead?"

"That's the second time I've heard that." Robin murmurs, "...Maybe I...should go to bed for at least a little while."

"Really." There's a curious glint in Gaius' eyes now, "...Hey, Bubbles? Did you meet Blue again today?"

"Blue?" Robin blinks, "Oh, you mean Chrom. Yeah, as a matter of fact I did. How did you know?"

"I have my ways." Gaius asks, still smirking, "So, what did you talk about?"

"Mm, just things. Nothing all that important. Why?"

"Nothing much. Just thought you'd hit it off with him right away. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Well..." Robin pauses, "I suppose? He did seem kind of nice."

"Huh. Nice. Interesting."

"...Why are you getting hung up over this?"

"It's just pretty important for me that my two best friends get along. Y'know?" Gaius says seriously.

"Oh...really?" Gaius...never mentioned that he thought of Robin as his best friend. That was...

That felt really nice to hear.

"Yeah. Now go on, get to sleeping."

"I will. Thanks, Gaius."

Once Robin's disappeared back into his flat, Gaius grins and pops the rest of his candy in his mouth.

"Hook, line and sinker. The studious types always went for pretty faces."

"Who's the pretty face?" Gaius almost falls off the ledge. Almost.

A hand grabs his vest at the last minute and he hears Cordelia sigh.

"Would it kill you to stand behind the ledge like a normal person?"

"Pretty sure I almost died there", Gaius points out, "And I know that you and Bubbles have my back so."

"Oh, Robin was out here too?"

"Just missed him. He went off to sleep."

"I worry about him." Cordelia says with a sigh, "He needs his rest."

"You worry about all of us. I do agree with you on the 'getting rest' part." Gaius puts his hand on his chin thoughtfully, "I did come up with a scheme to solve that though."

"...Does this involve the pretty face from earlier?"

"Yup."

"...I can't even argue properly with you now." She says with a yawn, "Just make sure it isn't like the time with Maribelle and the punch."

"I didn't even know she'd show up! Would you ever let that go?"

"Only if you make breakfast today?"

"Fine. I'm not hungry though."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhm." Gaius says, discreetly tucking the bag of candy in his pocket.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Oh my god you like someone."

There's a distinct thunk in the distance, echoed by another thunk when Chrom drops his mug. Spilling  coffee all over his hand, "Ow, shit!"

"Whoa, be careful!" Lissa yells, gingerly setting his cup upright.

"W-what did you say?!"

"Uh. That you like someone?" Lissa asks and when Chrom flinches again, she says, "Oh come on, big brother. You can't be more obvious!"

"What do you mean?!"

"You've been staring off into space for the past hour. And your fork keeps missing your mouth and poking your cheek." Lissa informs him with a giggle, "Classic lovestruck look, by the way."

Emmeryn chooses that moment to walk up to them, piling their plate with more French toast.

"Emm, Emm, Chrom has someone he likes!" Lissa says excitedly and Chrom feels like he's back in elementary again.

"Really?" Emmeryn asks and she smiles at him.

Chrom knows that smile. His cheeks heat up.

"Who's the lucky lady?" Lissa demands, "Do I know her?! Do I need to sic Falchion on her?!"

"Why would you...no! Lissa, if you keep dropping your pet frog on random people, you're gonna lose him." Chrom says, "And I don't...like...anyone."

"Yeah, no. That's a big fat lie and you're horrible at lying." Lissa pouts at him, "Fess up!"

"No, because there's no-one I like."

"Liar! Who is it, tell meeeeeeeeeee!!"

"No!"

"Big brother!"

"I said no!"

"Chrom." Emmeryn says simply.

"His name is Robin."

"Wha- that fast?! And...wait." Lissa blinks, "Rob...Robin? As in that...wait a second?!" Lissa bangs her hands on the table and Emmeryn swiftly yanks the teacups from the table before they spill over, "Are you talking about that Robin?! The guy that once slept in the town library because he didn't notice that he was locked in because of closing hours?! The guy who caused our French teacher to quit because he never stopped asking questions that she couldn't answer?! The guy who started Olivia's belly-dancing classes because he walked out on town in a girl's costume?!"

"Wh-when exactly did all that happen?!"

"It wouldn't kill you to stick your head out in the real world sometimes!"

"Tea, Lissa." Emmeryn pushes a cup near the girl, looking at her expectantly. When Lissa picks up the cup, still eyeing her brother, Emmeryn turns to Chrom, "So how long?"

"Huh?"

"How long have you liked him, Chrom?" Emmeryn asks with a smile.

"I...I'm not even sure that I...like him."

Lissa scoffs.

"You haven't stuttered this much since you met Ganga in third grade. And we all know how that turned out."

"Maybe not the best example?" Emmeryn points out.

"I can still hear the laughing..." Chrom groans, collapsing on the table.

"...Y'know, it's not a big deal to me if my brother and my best friend start dating." Lissa says finally, "I don't mind that you're both guys either."

"Lissa-"

"My problem is that it's Robin, Chrom. Robin." Lissa leans back on her chair, "He's been through...a lot. A whole lot of bad things that shouldn't have happened to a nice person like him."

"Bad things?"

There's a lot of things going on with him. And I don't  want him getting hurt again." Lissa says, "I mean. You don't even know if you like him, right?"

"Yeah but..."

"Just...hold off on him for now. Ok?" Lissa says.

"Sis..."

"So, apparently the new bakery has the best cinnamon buns! We should try them out sometime!"

That's the end of it, huh?

Chrom somehow didn't think so.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Hey Gregor? Do you like someone?"

Clack!

Robin looks up and sees that the older man had dropped his knife and was openly gaping at him.

"What?"

"Gregor...not take drugs from Tharja on accident, right?"

"Huh?"

"Robin say he's in love. Gregor make sure that it not bad dream."

"...What's so strange about me liking someone in that way?" Robin says, carefully emphasising the like part.

"Robin say that he have no time for that nonsense just yesterday." Gregor says pointedly.

"Yeah, but that was because you had that weird dream."

"So, Gregor not Robin's type, eh?"

"Gregor. You and I both know that you're extremely handsome and very charming, so don't pull that on me. And I still don't have time for romance. Can't I be asking because I'm curious?"

"Robin is curious all the time," Gregor says with a sharp look, "Robin the intelligent type. And the intelligent type don't ask things until they need things."

"Humour me."

"...Gregor don't have anyone like that now." Gregor says finally, "But Gregor have met some very beautiful women. And men." He adds with a side-eyed glance towards Robin, "With beautiful people all around, Gregor lose heart many times."

"Has it ever been with someone you've...just met?"

"Yes, but mostly very bad decisions."

"So even you think so."

"It depends on person though. Who Robin fall in love with?"

"It's not love. It's too early for that."

"So, Robin want to fall in love with person?"

"I'm just saying that it's too early for that. I barely know him. Sure he seems nice and all but..."

"Is he good-looking?"

"What?"

"Is he good-looking? He can not be like Gregor but..."

Robin seems to mull this over, "...Yeah. Yeah, he is. And he's...he acts really cute too."

"Aha! Robin loves this man!"

"What, no I don't, I-"

"Robin never smile like that before. Is lovestruck look, Gregor has seen many times-"

"It's...! That, I do not look lovestruck-!!"

"Excuse me...Robin?"

"Huh?" Robin looks up, "Oh! Emmeryn!"

"Good evening!" She says with a smile, "I wanted to to thank you for the other day. For helping me with the groceries, I mean. I wanted to thank you sooner, but I couldn't find you."

"Robin has thing of blending in." Gregor says pointedly, offering a hand to shake. When Emmeryn does so, he continues, "Gregor keep telling him that sometimes he need to stand out."

"And I keep telling you, attention's a bad thing where I'm concerned." Robin murmurs quietly. To Emmeryn, he continues, "How are Lissa and Chrom doing?"

"Oh, both of them are fine! Chrom actually was with me up till just now. He mentioned you at breakfast today."

"R-really? What did he say?"

"He admired your acting ability. Well, I saw that for myself. You make quite an excellent Lord of times past."

"O-oh. Tell him thanks from me!"

"Hrmph." Is Gregor's input, but he doesn't say anything else.

Robin's then aware that he's grinning like a fool and composes himself before Emmeryn asks, "You know Gaius as well right?"

"Yeah, he's a good friend. My next-door neighbour. Why?"

"Wait. Your brother with Gaius right now?" Gregor curses.

"Huh? Gregor?"

"Tonight bad night to have meeting, pretty lady. Chrom in big trouble."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Hey, Gaius?"

"Mm?"

"Do you like someone?"

Clatter!

"H-hey, don't drop your lockpick!"

"S-sorry. I-I think...did you spike my soda with something earlier? I told you I can't drink before I do this!"

"No!" Chrom looks back towards the corner and whispers, "I just asked if you had anyone you liked, what's with that reaction?!"

"Well, because it's you asking." Gaius flutters his hand over to Chrom, like he was insinuating something, "You, the infamously-dense Prince of Shepherds."

"...What's with that nickname?"

"Catchy isn't it? Princess loved it. And it describes you to a T so it was popular with the masses."

"...Masses?"

"You get girls thrown at you on a daily basis and don't make one move. It's not even an issue of being a gentleman or anything; you honestly don't realise." There's a satisfying click then and Gaius grins as he sneaks inside, "Keep lookout, princey boy."

"That's..." It was true that Lissa said he was dense in those matters but that was Lissa. He wasn't that bad right?

He wasn't all that dense that the answer would be in his face and he wouldn't realise...right?

"Blue!"

"Wh-what?!"

Too late, Chrom notices the flashlight in the distance.

The man yells something, he doesn't really hear. It's not for long because Gaius yanks him back and they're running down a corridor.

More yelling. Chrom yanks his hood up, heart pounding in his ears.

Suddenly, a fork in the path. Gaius isn't with him anymore.

The guard is still chasing him.

How long had he been running?

He trips on something and falls, his mind a mess of foul curses.

I'm gonna get caught...!

He hides his face. Almost doesn't see the blur behind the guard.

There's the unmistakeable sound of something hitting flesh and the guard falls. He's...knocked out.

His attacker kneels before Chrom.

Was Chrom that far gone already? The face of the person before him was..."Robin?"

"Hey." Robin says and the way he's smiling makes Chrom's heart skip a beat. Or dozen. It was Robin but why was he...

"Isn't that the costume from the play?"

"I had to wear this so they won't recognise me." Robin says as he helped Chrom up, "Come on. We'll go get Gaius and get out of here."

"But..."

"Gregor told us today wasn't a good night to steal question papers. Emmeryn already told me that you said you'd spent a night at a friend's house...and Gaius most probably won't back till sunrise because he told Cordelia so..." Robin pauses, scratches his cheek.

Even in the dim moonlight, there's an unmistakeable blush on his face.

"...I-If you want you can...stay with me till things blow over?"

What was with this strange turn of events.

What was with that offer.

This was all happening too fast. Hell, Chrom only knew him for about a couple of days, he didn't even know him that well.

But...

"Thank you." Chrom says and he swears he feels a tiny squeeze of the hand that's taken his.

And as they walk, Robin gives him the sweetest smile he's ever seen.