Work Text:
Just one cup more(of happiness)
A Fire Emblem: Awakening fanfiction
Caffeine addiction was the walking punchline of every single student currently pursuing higher studies. Even more so if that particular student happened to be pursuing academic magic/physical training drills with plans of joining the country's army; there was a particularly popular joke amongst healers of expecting brown blood every time they had to cut into a mage.
Being a prince and needing to do all of these things, Chrom was expecting to be hooked onto the stuff by the time he was 12.
...Less expecting, more dreading, actually. And seeing as he was also heavily advised to temper his food intake to avoid both addictions and accidental poisoning, he made sure to avoid drinking coffee and staying up past midnight unless he absolutely had to. Of course, there were exceptions. He is still a college student.
And he had a perfect run of that. Up until a few months ago.
And all it took to break his streak was a very attractive barista.
Chrom sighs and sips more of the accursed stuff while pretending to look over his report. It's already completed, ready for sending. And yet. He held back.
He was supposed to send it by midnight of the next day, so he can put it off for a little longer right? It did count for a substantial amount of his grade and he didn't have any other exams to write or projects to do. And he was just here for a little peace and quiet, away from prying eyes and the general, stiff air of the castle, and hey, he was due for another walk around the capital in disguise, to make sure of...his subjects and such.
Even if he was limiting this particular walk around to this particular alleyway where this particular coffee house sat, far from the beaten path. And mostly empty.
"..."
And Chrom just barely resists the urge to just. Faceplant on the table.
Gods, he was absolutely done for.
"Is everything okay?"
Chrom doesn't manage the suppress the urge to backpedal against the comfy chair as Robin's face pops into view. Much, uh. Much closer than he expected.
"Imfine!" Chrom coughs out somehow and it comes as an embarrassing squeak.
"Oh! Sorry." Robin apologizes and draws back a little, "Uh, sorry for startling you."
"It's..." Chrom clears his throat. "It's alright." He manages and he's relieved that he sounds a lot more composed and actually prince-like now. Even if he was pretending not to be one, "Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied."
"No, I should be the one apologizing." Robin says, "...I've been told that I have a bad habit of intruding into personal space before."
A habit that Chrom has no particular issue with. But anyway.
"You just seemed...very preoccupied."
Of course, he was also very sharp, as Chrom had come to learn in the more-than-few times he'd visited. Extraordinarily attentive to his customers, to the point that they called him by name and shared personal stories with him.
Gentle, kind, funny, attractive, oh Naga, he had absolutely no chance. None.
"I am. Kind of. Personal...stuff.It's been kind of a busy day."
"Busy?"
"I'd...have liked it if today was much more relaxed and such, y'know? I came here to unwind but I can't even do that."
"I see."
But Robin doesn't pry with him. For some reason.
There's a space between them that extends beyond the personal reach, that Chrom is acutely aware of.
"If the music is too distracting for you, I can turn it off. It's not like there's anyone else in the cafe."
"Oh no, it's fine. I've actually developed something of a taste for it." A side effect of the diplomatic balls that he was gently coerced to attend.
"I see. Anything particular in mind you want to switch to? I've found that good music often helps when working on something. Or just if you want some time to yourself."
"Not...not really. It's fine. I'm fine." Chrom clamps his mouth shut before he says anything else that sounds stupid.
"...Tell you what. I'll whip something up for you."
"Whip...what?"
"You'll see." Robin says, with that. With that cute, slightly lopsided grin that looked so absolutely good on him that Chrom forgot how to breathe for a bit. And Chrom is still reeling from the effects of it as Robin ducks back into the kitchen.
"..."
"..."
"...Uuuugh." He does faceplant into the table now.
In the middle of his one-man misery party, he hears some...loud banging and clanging coming from in there. He turns his head towards the kitchen.
"...Is...Is everything all right in there?"
"Fine! Everythinfine!!!' Robin says hurriedly in the midst of...something yowling, "Ow!"
That does make him look up. "Robin?"
"I'm...okay!"
"You sure?"
"Mmhm! Just...stay there!"
When Robin does come back out, it's with another coffee cup and a familiar little shadow around his neck.
"Sorry about that." Robin says sheepishly, "I, uh. Had to wrestle him away from the counter."
The dragon just hisses at him again.
"He's grumpy." Robin says.
"That could have something to do with the flower crown on his head."
"He needs to appreciate them more. Plus pink roses suit him."
Chrom blinks at it and the dragon actually seems to hiss at that. Like it's resenting being looked at, "I...didn't even know they came in sizes that small."
"They don't." Robin admits.
"They don't?"
"I shrunk them." And there's a slightly impish grin on his face now, "Kind of against the rules I know. Don't tell anyone, okay?"
"...I won't."
It's a bit awkward when Chrom was part of the royalty that made the rules. But he nods. "You're a mage?"
"I was one. This guy's my main priority though, now."
"So you're a tamer now?"
There's an. Abnormally loud hiss from the dragon now.
"Don't uh. He doesn't like being called a familiar."
"I see that."
There's a strange expression on his face.
It's something close to sadness.
Chrom takes the cup and takes a sip.
"...This is...really good."
"Is it?"
There's a warmth that seeps through his blood and bones.
"I didn't...I didn't cast a spell on it, promise. I just added some extra herbs."
"I know. It's good." Chrom smiles up at him, "Thank you, Robin."
"..."
"Robin?"
The brush of petals against his hair and Chrom blinks as Robin withdraws back. His shaky grin had melded into a softer, more genuine smile.
"Heh. Pink roses suit you too."
"...Do...do they?"
Aaaaaand his brain seems to have shut down.
"They do."
"..."
Chrom barely even manages a wince as he downs the entire cup of coffee in one go and stands up abruptly.
"Okaythanksforthecoffeeleftsomemoneyonthecounter B Y E"
"Chrom?!"
And he dashes out. Runs out of there like a bat fresh out of hell.
At the entrance to the alleyway, he just leans against the wall, gasping.
His heart. Going a thousand miles an hour. Oh gods, if Vaike could see him now, he'd never let Chrom hear the end of it.
It's not from the physical exertion. It's not.
"That was so...so cute."
"Was it now."
There was not a girlish shriek from him, Chrom thinks to himself determinedly, ten seconds later.
"Robin?"
A sigh. "You forgot this."
And Chrom's laptop is pushed into his hands. "Oh, uh. Thanks."
"Mmhm. Also, your change."
"Thanks."
"And a cake."
"Uh."
"Don't ask."
"One question?"
"I said, don't ask."
"Why do you look so much like Robin?"
The Robin lookalike just sighs. "He doesn't know yet."
"Doesn't know."
"Tell him soon or I will, little prince."
"...!!!"
He brushes the rose petals out of his own hair, seemingly oblivious to Chrom's outburst and grumbles, "Wretched...things. Also, if I see any information of him being a mage and any of the Ylissean forces at our door, you will have...a problem on your hands."
"A...uh. A problem."
"You didn't pay attention in history class, did you."
"..."
"...Thank him for the coffee next time."
"I, uh. I will. Sorry."
"The cafe's covered in these garish...things." He says, shaking flowers out of his sleeves, "So he likes them. I don't."
"..."
"Are you paying attention?"
"Y-yessir."
"Dull. Now leave."
"Y...es."
That is definitely not a familiar, Chrom thinks to himself as he takes a peek at the cake.
Pauses.
Then smiles.
"...I have two things to thank him for now." He says, to himself as he reads the birthday message on top of the cake again and again. It honestly looked too good to eat.
And he walks away from the cafe, the weight of the day already off his shoulders.
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