Work Text:
In the lone hours of the night, Robin steps along the familiar route towards the library.
He's spent most of his time there since returning back to the living when Hel had woken him for his role as tactician, reading over the texts left in ruins. Nothing more or less.
There is no one in sight within the library walls, Robin observes while passing through the silence. The humans, the living, are usually asleep during the night when the moon casts it's light above in the dark sky aside from the night dwellers. However, the dead do not sleep. Robin himself knows that he doesn't require sleep as the contract that had kept him bonded to Hel kept him awake all hours, so he does not require sleep to still be of use to the summoner when needed.
Stepping through the rows of the many archives the library holds in the dim light, a soft purple glow also accompanying between shelves, eyes glance across the textures along the spine of the books across. Robin finds what he is seeking for soon enough, raising his hand to pull out a book from between many others.
As his gaze roams through the first few pages, this surely would help him, become of use, Robin thinks before closing the cover and holding it close to take back to the room he's been confined too.
Because he wants to understand.
It's strange, Robin thinks. That he wants, has a desire, something that had been stripped away from him under Hel's contract. The reasoning for him to enter through the library doors had been to seek out answers for the things he doesn't understand, or rather, about the phenomenon that spreads across him. Although he would stay in one signaler place until called for, it was Chrom who had told him that he should visit the library if he weren't around to explain something unknown to him.
Robin wants to understand these human emotions that were once also within himself, apart of himself, understand how Chrom feels. It's proven to be difficult. Human emotions dive deeper, branching out into many different sections. But the simpler ones, emotions, happiness, sadness and anger...
Flipping through the pages, Robin's seen those emotions flicker across Chrom's features when they're together. Wither it be out on the battlefield or the exalt seeking out his company.
Many hours after the sun's rays have risen, seeping in through the cracks of the curtains, Robin only pauses his reading when he is summoned to meet with the summoner.
"What's the formation, Robin?"
Robin doesn't answer straight away, his eyes scanning over the battlefield ahead, the enemy not yet sighted. The tactician turns to meet those bright pools of blue of Chrom's gaze that wait patiently for his answer.
"We will continue in our current formation as per usual." Robin says, to everyone gathered around. The current task at hand is to defeat the opposing foes and retrieve some items for the summoner they ordered before the team Robin had been assigned to left Askr's castle grounds, a mundane task.
"Alright." Chrom sends a smile to the tactician, his bow at the ready for when they would encounter the enemies.
Robin simply nods in the exalt's direction before casting dull eyes towards the other two members of the four man team with another nod before they distance themselves, keeping their sights ahead for the enemies.
This isn't the first time they've all fought alongside each other so Robin doesn't concern himself, not that he could know the meaning behind the emotion, when they all do split off from each other. This team had been constructed solely for the purpose that each member wouldn't have to watch each other's backs during combat. They all individually are capable of standing on their own.
"I can never read those two even though we've fought together out on the battlefield so many times already... Actually, if I'm being honest, they both kind of intimidate me." Chrom's voice breaks the silence with his usual chatter, still lingering close by the tactician's side.
Robin flickers his gaze toward Chrom before shifting it back down to his tome in his grasp to weld it's magic. Robin hums in response, informing Chrom that he is listening to him speak. It's still strange, having another filling the silence that usually surrounds him.
Chrom never minds his lack of response, continuing to speak.
"Truthfully, I can't wait to head back to the castle. We've been out here all day, and don't tell Frederick but, I'm kind of exhausted." A short sigh escapes from the exalt, slightly slouching.
That strange phenomenon makes itself known after hearing the exalt's words, Robin's gaze trailing back onto Chrom beside him. He opens his mouth to speak but words fail him, he is unsure of what to say exactly, what this strange phenomenon is. Chrom appears to understand for him, however.
"Oh, uh, you don't need to worry, Robin. I'm still fine to continue on with our mission. Really, there's no need to worry about me! In fact, we should be more focused for when the enemies appear." Chrom rubs at the back of his head, assuring the tactician.
That word strikes Robin, worry.
Had he been worried for Chrom? Robin doesn't have time to think about it as he discards the thought in a instant when the enemy makes themselves known then, and soon enough they're engaged in battle.
Robin doesn't have any human emotions, so, he doesn't feel any remorse, guilt, when he casts sparks of lightening that electrocutes the opposing enemy and leaving a burnt corpse left behind. Not now or the many times he's taken countless lives already.
With a quick scan across the battlefield they've taken down most of the enemies, only a few stragglers left remaining. It's unnecessary of him but Robin makes quick work of locating the exalt, to provide any aid. He spots the familiar shades of blue battling against a few foes, the tactician beginning to make his way over.
Chrom is capable of handling himself, Robin knows, having observed the exalts strength in battle many times. Chrom won't fall so easily. Yet, when one of the foes manages to get behind the exalts back, that phenomenon spreads over every inch of his cold body.
Humans bleed and die, Robin's entire existence is proof of that.
Chrom is filled with life, still breathes, is still alive unlike him, a walking corpse that doesn't belong amongst the living.
Robin doesn't falter, doesn't hesitate to place himself in front of Chrom to shield, to protect him from the enemy.
He doesn't feel pain, doesn't fear for his own being as steel pierces right through him, through the substance that fills his entire body, through the dark tattered fabric of his coat, such concepts foreign to him.
Because he is already dead.
"ROBIN!" Chrom shouts, although his voice sounds distant to Robin's ears even though the exalt had been near.
Despite not feeling pain, when the enemy's blade is drawn out of him Robin falls to his knees, as if he'd had been affected by the sword pierced right through him. A clawed hand goes over to place atop where the gash from the enemy's sword had pierced and Robin could only stare down at the eerie substance pouring out from him, purple staining his hand and fabric, as if he were bleeding.
Like if he were human, alive.
"Robin! You're... Are you alright?!" Chrom is kneeling beside the tactician soon enough, concern in his voice while the enemies have been struck down not to far from them. One of his hands go to the wound that gives off the illusion that he is bleeding but Robin catches it before Chrom could stain his gloves.
"It's fine. There's no need to concern yourself, Chrom." Robin says calmly, brushing the exalts concerns for him aside. It isn't as if he's in any pain, nor can feel any in the matter. Chrom's only concerns should be on the enemies ahead of them.
"But...!" Chrom trails off, his concern still in his tone and expression. "It's fine, Chrom. I'm not..." Robin begins, moving to stand to his feet as the substance still pours out from him. In the next instant, a strange sensation washes over Robin as he falters, Chrom catching him before the tactician could fall towards the ground.
"Hey! Robin, what's wrong?! You're clearly not fine!" Chrom's voice sounds distant again as Robin's vision blurs, finds that he can't respond as eyelids grow heavy.
"Robin! Hey—!"
For once in a long while, Robin closes his eyes as cold dark silence takes him.
He has to wonder if he had been useful to Chrom.
He finds himself laying atop a bed once eyelids blink open. Robin doesn't sleep, for him it's only been a instance since they had been out on the battlefield.
Moving to sit up, he finds that there is a weight preventing him shifting any further. Robin blinks, eyes trailing ahead and onto the cause of the weight.
"Chrom..." A name comes out from between cold lips. Robin doesn't know what compels him as he reaches out a hand, brushes dark blue bangs to the side as Chrom is there, resting.
Perhaps his cold touch woke the exalt, because he stirs.
"Robin...?" Chrom mummers softly, his eyes slowly blinking awake from where he is positioned over Robin's laps, seated on a chair. Robin only stares as Chrom suddenly jolts upright in his seat, eyes widen and fully awake. "Robin! You're awake!"
"Yes." Robin simply responds.
"Robin, are you alright?! Or uh, are you feeling fine?!" Chrom questions, his gaze filled with concern for the tactician. Robin doesn't answer for a moment while his gaze falls to where the gash had been prior, no hints of ever taken damage along with the substance that fills him having been restored.
"Yes, I am alright." Robin lifts his gaze to look across at the exalt. "I'm so relieved! I, I was worried when you didn't wake after being brought back and well... you don't exactly breathe...." Chrom trails off as his eyes scan over Robin's form, a frown on his lips. "You lost a lot of, er, that substance. That woman, Hel, said as much..."
"I see..." Robin mummers quietly. So he had fallen in battle, then.
"Robin," Chrom starts, the tone of his voice catching Robin's attention as he meets his gaze.
There's an emotion laced within those azure, something Robin seen before. There are times when Chrom looks back at him like that, something so remorseful, mournful.
"You... I, I was so scared, Robin." Chrom bites at his lower lip, his hands fisting atop the bed sheets for a moment before they find Robin's own resting near, holding on. "I know that the summoner's contract prevents us from... you know, but, you... after that sword had pierced right through you... you looked like as if you really had...."
"Chrom," Robin speaks after the exalt trails off, his sentence unfinished.
"I am already dead." He finishes for him.
And it's the truth, that he is dead. There is no need for Chrom to feel any concern for him, not when Robin isn't so much as human anymore by the eerie soft glow of the substance that fills him, a walking corpse.
"There isn't any need to worry about my being, Chrom." Robin starts, his dull gaze falling towards where the exalts hands are still grasped around his cold ones. "As long as you weren't harmed, is all that matters."
"Are you saying that yours doesn't? That your own life doesn't matter?" Robin trails his gaze to meet Chrom's own and he can't look away, not when the exalt holds their gaze, something having shifted. Unknown emotions within those azure that Robin can't understand, can't put a name to that expression. It's something, something that reminds him of burning flames, yet something so familiar.
"Yes." Robin answers, and that expression in Chrom's eyes seem to intensify. "I'm not alive, Chrom. I don't feel pain if that is what you're concerned about—"
It takes Robin off guard when arms embrace him then. He can't feel, the dead do not feel but, he thinks that he can feel warmth, the life in Chrom as he holds him close.
"Robin... You're as much as alive as I am." Chrom says, his grip tightening around the tactician even more as Robin could only sit still in the other's hold. His hands lay motionless against the sheets, unsure while Chrom continues. "Your life matters, it matters to me. So please, don't say such things, Robin."
That strange phenomenon spreads all over Robin when Chrom withdraws away, his hands moving to find Robin's own cold ones to grasp ahold once more, somehow warm despite the fact Robin cannot feel.
That phenomenon...
It's completely different then that of before, at hearing those words and when a smile crosses over Chrom's lips, Robin could only nod in response, his fingers curling around his own.
"Thank you, Chrom."
Perhaps, Robin thinks, that only Chrom could make him feel alive.