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fe-fictions · 2 months

Note

I may have sent this one in pre new year, but could you maybe write some Frederick angst with hypothermia (in honor of the freezing weather; the angstier the better). No pressure, of course, and happy new year!!! 🥳

(It's starting to warm up, so here's one last freezing story before we welcome a stupid hot spring U V U / )

The village in the high north of Ferox was besieged by Risen. It wasn’t a terribly difficult job to dispatch them, on their own.

It was the weather, the sheer number of civilians, and the swiftly sinking sun that was creating a whole host of dangers and threatened your plans.

Frederick tried his damndest to keep things in line, barking out echoes of your orders to those who couldn’t hear your voice over the howling winds.

The civilians who could pay attention to him and focus outside of screaming in fear at the sight of the undead, were able to get somewhat organized into a barreling crowd, rushing towards the back of the village. Getting them as far from the fight as possible was key.

“Sumia!! Get me a number on what’s left-- we’re losing daylight and I need a body count!” Your orders cracked across the field like a whip, demanding the attention of those wh ocould hear you. Frederick was fighting up ahead, ready for the battle to shift towards its end.

It was never that Risen were particularly powerful or challenging; it was always the numbers.

Whoever summoned them, they did everything in their power to tire out the Shepherds so they might pick off a few from their ranks.

It was particularly distressing between the civilians, the snow, and the never-ending hoarde of monsters.

“I’ve got two dozen left to the southeast, and another 14 to the direct south!”

Well, almost never-ending.

“That’s not bad…we can rout them quickly if we keep pushing them away from the village!!” You realized, “Frederick, I need you in the backline, protecting the gates with Stahl and Sully. I’ll take the mages, and we’ll clear the Risen in the field. If any stragglers get near-”

“They will be dispatched.” Frederick confirmed, giving you a curt nod before pulling Hebert around and galloping back into the town.

With the push to clear the remaining enemies, but made it easier to work around the rest. He charged back to the gates, rallying the civilians that were struggling to escape the hoard and shepherding them to the chief’s home, the furthest back in the village territory.

It was the safest place they could be, while the army handled the rest of the battle.

------------------------

It wouldn’t be until two more hours before the battle finally ended. The cavaliers had successfully kept the bastards from the villagers, and had hurried as many civilians as possible into the safety of the chief’s home. It was quite cramped, but it was indeed protective of the innocent people.

“Lieutenant!!” Chrom’s voice cut across the billowing wind, frost and ice piercing any exposed skin with no mercy. The snow seemed to be getting worse, making it harder for Frederick to spot the prince…especially with the white cape and blue clothes that seemed to blend into the landscape.

“Milord! Is it done?”

“They’ve been cleared- I think we’re all right. The only problem is the villagers- we found multiple out in the field trying to escape from Risen. I don’t know how many more there are. Robin and the others went into the forest to try and recover people spotted running away, but they’ll need help.”

“They went deeper into the forest?” Frederick repeated when the Exalt crunched his way over, the snow halfway to their knees. A knot of worry lowered his brow, feeling a stirring in his chest.

He had been militant in educating you on the dangers of winter weather; especially given your Plegian constitution; the desert environment couldn’t have been more different from Ferox. You weren’t exactly built for the snow, but with education and plenty of precautions taken, you would be fine.

He wasn’t sure how well that would hold up if you were navigating the frozen tundra alone.

“How long ago did they start the search?” He demanded, looking back into the crowd milling about inside the bursting house.

“It was little over a half hour, I believe.” He thought hard, eyes narrowed against the snow. “We need to organize a search party to make sure everyone comes back safe. Are the horses handling the cold well enough to work through it a bit longer?”

“Hebert is still strong enough to carry on; I’ll inform the pegasus riders and the rest of the cavalier squadron what we need to do.”

The Shepherds quickly rallied around the Exalt when he informed them of the situation. The chieftain managed to pull together focus among his citizens, asking if anyone was missing.

A few families were missing siblings or cousins, some friends and some more prone to panic than others.

But it was fewer than a dozen. How far could they have wandered that Robin and the others weren’t back yet?

“Frederick, take my flare spell; it’s the last one I’ve got, but I assume you’ll want to wait to return until everyone’s accounted for.”

“I will make certain we have saved everyone.” Frederick promised, taking the small tome into hand and tucking it into his cloak.

The search party left the warmth they craved to return to the bitter cold. Even in those few minutes of planning their search, the wind grew much faster and biting.

It did not settle the pit in his stomach any less.

“The wind is too strong for voices to be heard over it; save your strength and don’t send up any signals unless you or the civilians you find are in immediate danger! Am I understood?!”

“Sir, yes sir!!”

And with that, they burst into the unforgiving snow once more. The knight could only hope that you were safe and healthy, returning with as many villagers as you could manage.

The alternative would be unthinkable.

------------------------

If you were struggling with snow blindness before the storm got worse, it was completely impossible to see, now.

Between the wind whipping your hair about your face, and the ice crystals forming on your lashes, it was a miserable challenge just to put a coherent thought together.

A sliver of panic was setting in, but you were determined not to let it show. Not when you had a child in your arms, shivering violently against your chest. You held them tightly, having them underneath your coat and buttoned in to protect against the cold, but even with the woolen interior that Frederick had sewn in, you were finding it difficult to maintain either of your temperatures.

If the child had been a little older, perhaps you could’ve gone farther and gotten closer to the village before you lost sight of everything, altogether.

But there was little time to regret it. Your limbs were growing more numb by the second, and all you knew was to keep moving forward.

One of the many navigational skills Frederick had taught you was to focus on the moss on the southern side of trees; it always grew on the southern side.

…Right?

That didn’t seem right.

The fog in your brain was getting thicker. Heavier, much like your limbs. With a shaking gasp, you tried to take in more air; each breath filled your lungs with ice.

“Aaah!!”

The child’s squeal vibrated against your chest, startling you; it seemed like you’d lost your balance. With a staggering few steps, you fought to stay upright, the wind beating into your body making it far more difficult than it should ever be.

“S-sorry…sorry…” You mumbled, tightening your grip on the little one. At least, you thought you did. You told your fingers to press into their small body, but…you weren’t sure if that mental command had traveled to your hands.

You couldn’t feel them anymore.

The pain of your struggle onward was getting harder to focus on. The numbness was worse. You kept apologizing. The word “sorry” left your mouth again…and again…

Where was the village? No…where were the trees? It was all so white…so blinding…

“Robin!!”

You felt the child jolt in your arms; someone had called your name. It must be loud, because the child started squirming, shouting back.

It was hard to hear even that much, though you could vaguely feel the vibrations of their voice against your chest.

“Gods, Robin!! What the hells happened?!”

You kept hearing a voice, but you didn’t recognize it. There was a flash of brown hair that came into view, and a big, blob that appeared to be walking on four sticks.

The young one squirmed from your arms, just as a pair of large hands came to your shoulders. You couldn’t feel them squeeze, but you felt the world suddenly stop.

They must have caught you. There was a frantic, muffled noise in front of you…was that their voice? Gods, you were so tired.

That was just about the last thing that crossed your mind, before the blinding white tilted into darkness.

-------------------------

Hebert was whinnying with great displeasure, having to go back into the punishing cold. Frederick understood the feeling well, but he was far more worried about locating his missing wife.

It hadn’t been long after he’d prepared the Shepherds for the search before he heard the panicked wails of a young mother; her little boy hadn’t come back.

He’d been separated in the panic, trying to get all the civilians away from the battle. He was too young to be out there alone; no way he could find his way back in all the madness.

That, and the storm was so bad now, that little one would surely be dead if he wasn’t found.

Frederick prayed to every god he could think of that you had found the boy, and the pair of you were quickly on your way back to the village.

“Onward, Hebert!! Faster!!” He snapped the reins, pushing as fast as he could go. It was a grueling process; the hopes of spotting the black coat in this sea of ice were becoming dashed with every passing moment.

After ten minutes, there was still no luck. Frederick’s heartbeat quickened, the dread creeping in with every slam of Hebert’s hooves into the ground.

It wasn’t fast enough.

Every second you were out there, the chances of survival were slipping away. They were going to run out of time to get you and return to the village.

If things got any worse, they’d have to go back empty hande.

He searched the ky for a flare, flistened for someone shouting they’d found you. But of coufres, no signs came to suggest you were found.

That would be far too easy.

Frederick dug his heels in, prssing further into the white and prayed for your safety.

He bore the brunt of the ice for twelve more minutes…when he finally had a breakthrough.

A single, dark blot against the horizon.

It was moving slowly, moving away from him…but it was no doubt a person. He He pressed forward despite Hebert’s whinnied protests, the wind picking up speed and blowing at the poor beasts’ side.

“A little farther Hebert. We’re almost- you!! You, there!!”

He shouted out at the sight of the distant figure. They did not seem to acknowledge his voice.

“Robin?! Is that you??” He shouted louder. The distance was quickly closing, and the blot turned into what was without a doubt your coat. The patterns on the sleeves were purple; there was only one person it could possibly be.

“H-help!! Help, please!!”

A small body was running towards him, forcing Hebert to a stop. Frederick quickly closed the distance with his dismount, finding a small child trudging towards him with a complete lack of balance and coordination. The poor thing must have had his limbs half frozen.

“You must be the child that went missing.” Frederick found it hard to speak over the weather’s howls, but the boy acknowledged him, welcoming the knight’s hands as he lifted him up, placing him on Hebert’s saddle. Quickly, he unclasped his cloak, draping it around the boy. He seemed lucid and sound, and looked warmer than he would’ve thought.

“I-I don’t need much help-- it’s her. She needs it.” The boy pointed back to the figure who he’d looked away from.

The figure that had turned slowly, clearly confused.

The fear struck him like a lightning bolt.

“Gods, Robin!!” He sprinted to you, grasping your shoulders. You didn’t acknowledge him at all. "What the hells happened??"

Your eyes were glassy; skin pale, lips blue. Well past blue.

You were on You looked on the verge of death.

“It’s all right, I’ve got you.” He bit back the panic, fumbling the flare from his pocket and launching it into the sky. The magic made the bright red sigil impossible to miss.

It was the one saving grace they had.

“Don’t worry, I’m here. I’ve got the boy. You did brilliantly.” He said, tearing his scarf from his neck and wrapping it around your neck.

It bothered him more when you didn’t react to his actions.

“Robin?”

You blinked, a slurred “Sorry” falling from your lips. Then your knees buckled. A strangled noise escaped him when you suddenly fell, the whole of your body weight coming against his hands. He nearly dropped you into the snow.

“Dammit…!” He growled, finding the strength to lift you to his chest, carrying you back to his restless horse. The others would arive soon- surely they’d seen the flare by now, hovering bright and shining in the sky.

He had found you. He was bringing you to safety…but this was only the beginning of teh battle.

With a twist of his heart, he turned Hebert around and started the race back to teh village.

This was a battle you could still lose.

-------------------------

It was a merc that some Shepherds had met them halfway back to the village; Frederick had you wrapped up in the cloak with the boy, trying desperately to retain some of your body heat. When Sully and Maribelle caught up to him, they had her pulled from Hebert and placed into a village cart, its wheels carefully grafted to handle the snow far better than poor Hebert’s hooves could.

It mdae the return much easier; Maribelle was quick in administering first aide, focusing on yourr injuries and the frostbite nipping into your skin even as the ice turned her perfect curls into a frantic mop.

“She’s got hypothermia,” Maribelle deduced as they rushed through the front gates. “She’s losing her body emperature fast- she needs more than what I can do, and she needs emergency medics, now!!”

There was little more that needed to be said.

Frederick handed the boy off to his weeping parents, but had little tim eto accept their thanks; you were already being pulled frmo the cart and rushed to the cleric’s housewith the SHepherds’ best healers in tow.

He followed after them, Chrom and Ricken rushing with armfuls of blankets and enchanted stones to warm you quickly.

“Put her there, Frederick!” Lissa’s hand pointed to the pallet of blankets all but thrown together on the floor. The few beds were already filled with a mix of injured soldier and civilian alike.

You could only make do with what you had.

Frederick grit his teeth, following the command and lowering you carefully onto the blankets. His gloves were soaked through when he withdrew; your clothes were sopping wet.

“We need privacy-- Chrom, get those sheets up on the lines, here; fasten them so no one can look in.”

The prince did not dawdle, handing off the thicker blankets he and Ricken brought and started to fasten up the sheets around the clothes line hastily tacked up during the rush to protect the tactician’s privacy.

Frederick well understood what was happening, and had already begun to remove your clothes; the coat, sweater, scarf and tunic were difficult to peel away, but mercifully, your underclothes were not beyond rescue.

As soon as you were out from under your layers, he had you bundled tightly beneath the blankets, pressing the warming stones to your palms and your feet, and another to your chest.

He fought to suppress the anguish in his heart when he saw the tips of your fingers and toes had grown discolored. Had hypothermia already set in?

Was it already too...

“Frederick, armor off, now!!”

“Yes, milady!”

The buckles were being undone just as Lissa darted to the floor beside you, strategically speaking healing spells over the more dire areas in need of repair.

Your breathing had yet to steady, and your pulse was still weak. Maribelle looked utterly frantic, working opposite the princess to try and stabilize your temperature.

Frederick’s armor was fully off, clattering off of him in lieu of his carefully setting it on its stand. There would be little time for procedure. Not when you needed him.

“Your clothes, are they-?”

“They are dry, milady. If it is not enough body heat quickly enough, I will take them off. Give me the order when you must.” His words were clipped, the knight wasting not a second longer before lifting the blankets and joining you beneath them.

Gingerly, cautiously, you were pulled into him, making sure not to hold you in a way that would inhibit the healers from getting to you.

He cradled your head to his neck, your nose like ice against his skin. You were still so cold…this was surely a nightmare, wasn’t it?

“Stay with her, just like that. Any loss of body heat could be deadly for her, at this point.” Maribelle instructed in a grave tone.

Frederick squeezed you closer. The thundering of his heart was deafening in his ears…surely, you could hear it.

-------------------------

The first thought you had when your thoughts finally came out of the darkness was that you were very, very warm.

That wouldn’t make any sense, considering the last place you were was in the middle of a raging blizzard.

Then your second thought was that you couldn’t really move. It felt like you were being held by someone. Was it the little boy? The child that-

Oh, gods, where was he?

“Ungh…”

You couldn’t quite form words, yet. Your mind was filled with fog. And your head hurt. Well, really, a lot of you hurt. As your consciousness started to come through the grogginess, you felt a shift around you.

“Robin?”

Your vision was still blurred, despite rapid blinks attempting to clarify what you were looking at. Or rather, what you were looking for. All you could really see was the knitting of a thick, dark blue tunic…it smelled quite familiar.

“Robin, can you hear me? Are you- Milady, I think she’s coming to.”

That sounded like Frederick’s voice. The hands that were on you retreated from your back, one gingerly cupping your cheek, tilting your face up.

Your vision went from the dark blue haziness into a much brighter, warmer shift of light. You found yourself looking up, into the blurry vision of your husband’s face.

You’d recognize that cowlick anywhere.

“Robin…you’re finally awake…can you hear me? A-are you…?” He sounded so fragile. What could’ve happened that would have him so worried?

It did bother you, but there was a much more important matter at hand.

“Boy…t-the…the boy…”

“Thank the gods.” He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, holding you tighter. He pressed you to his chest, his other hand threading into your hair. He buried his face in your neck, and you could feel the grimace on his lips. “You’re all right…!”

“Fred…the child, he’s-”

“He’s all right. You saved him.” He spoke softly, his voice vibrating pleasantly along your skin. “I found you both, just in time. He’s with his parents, and you’re in the cleric’s home.”

The cleric’s home.

“Lissa’s nearby. She’ll come to check on you in a moment. You were…it was touch and go for a while.”

Oh. That explained the tremor in his fingertips.

“What happened?”

“When I found you…you were unresponsive. The boy had actually run from you to come and get me. It was right when I’d gotten to you, that you collapsed. Your hands…you were frostbitten, and you’d been walking the wrong way, and…and you were delirious.”

You raised your hands to his chest, fingers curled into his tunic. They did not seem to be frostbitten any longer, at least. They were stiff and sore, but they weren’t discolored.

“I don’t remember much, I’m afraid.” Your voice was hoarse, despite the best attempts to clear your throat. Frederick stroked your hair, an attempt at comfort for the both of you. “But I’m…so glad you found me.”

“I would not have lost you to the winter.” He murmured, “I refused to. I know how much you hate the cold.”

“Ha.” You pressed your face into his chest, snuggling as close as you could. His hand tightened on your waist, and you were acutely aware that his calloused fingers were pressed to your skin. “Um…am I…?”

“Your clothes were utterly soaked through. We had to undress you, but rest assured, it is just the two of us. Lissa was kind enough to prepare some privacy for you while treating you.”

“I see.” You were too tired to be embarrassed. Given the circumstances, you weren’t surprised that was the course of action taken. “Well…thank you. For coming to my aid.”

“Good wife, I will not hesitate to do so. Just as you do the same for me.” He hummed, pressing a kiss to your forehead. You curled your arms around his back, hugging him as tightly as you could.

You pushed your leg between his, all but wrapping yourself around your husband with the energy you could spare.

He had been so worried. You could feel the remnants of the stress in his form, how he had yet to fully relax despite cradling you so closely.

It was his favorite place to be, in the best of circumstances. Having you close in his embrace was a luxury that you had not been afforded since the Plegians first struck.

Perhaps being put in mortal danger wasn’t so bad, if this is what awaited you on the other side. Though you were careful not to speak of such a thing while your husband doted on you, remarking here and there about how utterly frightened he’d been at the thought you’d been lost in the snow.

Instead you simply lavished in his warmth, rising from your delightfully cozy nest to be examined by a tearful Lissa, and later to enjoy a bowl of hot stew lovingly prepared by your relieved comrades.

It would be a few days before you were back on your feet, but Frederick was with you every step of the way to make sure you recovered fully (and you were sure to give him as much physical comfort as possible in that time…there couldn’t have been enough hugs and kisses in the world until he was confident you were all right).

#frederick #robin #fe 13 #fe awakening #fire emblem awakening #fe: awakening #fe-fictions #fe fictions #fredrobin #Frederick x robin #f!mu #f!robin #fem!robin #angst #hurt and comfort #blizzard prompt #we love some good ole hurt and comfort for Mr. freddybear #good to be back #this was way longer than I had planned it to be but you KNOW how I get with Frederick ;;;;

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fe-fictions · 10 months

Note

How about a story where Robin is dating someone else and Frederick is pining in the background, wallowing how he missed his shot to confess after the war. Yet, he overhears Robin's lover saying that he's only dating Robin to get close to Ylissean's elite. *Holds hands up in prayer* Please make it happen!

(I wrote this for sooo long and it got so much longer than I meant to...it just feels so nice to be writing for Frederick again ;; U ;; )

He was never the type to be regretful, or feel like he’d missed something important. No, he did his best to live honorably and live his life to the absolute fullest.

The struggle came when he realized he had feelings for you. Feelings that he was determined to push aside until the war ended, until things had calmed down enough that he could plan a proper path to courtship with you.

But the knight had taken too long. When he finally felt that he was ready to tell you, he discovered that you were in a relationship with one of the soldiers that had fought valiantly.

In fact, there was little Frederick could find wrong with him; he was charming and kind, friendly with everyone he met, and especially gracious around nobility and royalty among the ranks. Not only that, but he did had a terrible habit of making you laugh quite easily.

Frederick would be lying if he said it didn’t drive him up a wall. The man was quite talented when it came to getting under the lieutenant’s skin, and he was making it even more difficult for him to get any closer to you.

After all, you were already a high profile individual, so your free time was sparse. But now, the time that you had once spent training him to stomach bear meat and helping him put out and start the camp fires had suddenly disappeared.

Chrom was the first to notice the sudden distance being put between his lieutenant and tactician, although that was namely because of how much more often your new beau had been making an appearance.

The pair of men were sitting in the prince’s tent, enjoying a rousing game of chess, when his Exalt brought the subject up.

“So…Robin’s new relationship is rather…interesting, isn’t it?”

Frederick hoped the twitch of his eye did not betray his otherwise flawless poker face. He moved his rook forward.

“It is certainly quite the change of pace for Robin, yes. It seems that they get along well.”

“I suppose so, yes…but sometimes, I do wonder about his intentions.” Chrom replied, moving his own piece as he spoke.

“What do you mean, milord? You think his intentions with Robin are malicious?”

“Not necessarily malicious, no…but I do not believe his motivations are purely because he wishes to court Robin.”

“Please elaborate, milord.”

“Well, he seems to have taken a lot of interest in the nobility, lately. He’ll tag along with Robin to a council meeting or training session, but he’ll usually float off to speak with Maribelle, or Sumia…sometimes, he’ll corner Lissa.”

“Corner?” Frederick echoed, bristling, “You mean he is trying to ‘play the field’ with the the noblewomen of your court, Prince Chrom? That is unacceptable! Not only because it is harassment towards those fine women, but also because he's taking advantage of Robin!”

“Now, don’t get too far ahead of yourself, Frederick.” Chrom quickly cut in before Frederick could throw in another passionate paragraph about the virtues this man clearly lacked.

The knight huffed, trying his best to retain his patience (and failing).

“I can’t prove anything. I just know what I saw. If his intentions are beyond Robin, we’ll need to figure out what he wants.”

“I will conduct a most in-depth investigation, milord. You needn’t worry.” Frederick rose from his seat, bowing deeply to Chrom. “ I will personally investigate the matter at hand and return with results immediately!”

“But the game isn’t…ah, nevermind.” Chrom sighed, starting to reset the board after the tent flap closed. “You’ve always had one hells of a soft spot for her, anyway.”

------------------------

If there was one thing that everyone around you knew, it was that you always knew more than you let on...and such knowledge you withheld should never be tested.

While the war was over and there was no longer any need for such a keen eye while everyone made the long journey home…you did find that it was getting increasingly difficult to ignore the behavior your lover was portraying.

It started with small mentions of your relationship with the royal family. How you and Chrom seemed to be quite close, and how Lissa got on with you well.

Maribelle was the next mentioned, followed by Sumia, and Ricken…

It didn’t take long to notice his fascination seemed solely focused on the wealthiest of the Shepherds, rather than the whole of your friend group.

He had little interest in Frederick, Vaike, or Stahl…at first you wondered if it was because they were men…but then you realized they weren’t exactly of “noble” birth.

But you opted to ignore it, since he would let the subject go whenever you expressed interest in speaking of something else.

But then he would invite himself into meetings or conversations when you were standing next to them.

If Maribelle and Ricken were talking about strategies for rebuillding the Ylissean economy, it wouldn’t take long for him to appear and start to engage the pair and leave you behind.

Baking with Sumia? He was an excellent baking assistant (for Sumia).

Planning pranks on Virion with Lissa? He had just the thing to really get under the archer’s skin…

It was becoming stifling.

The one thing you were grateful for was that he never seemed able to get close to Chrom, as hard as he tried.

You supposed you had Frederick to thank for that. He didn’t seem fond of your choice in boyfriend, even though his only flaw was he seemed to be overly curious about the wealthier individuals.

“I’ve been meaning to ask…” You had him on a walk one afternoon, doing a lazy patrol of the camp while they set up for the night. “Are you happy with me?”

He seemed genuinely stunned when you asked that, a bewildered smile on his lips.

“Why, whatever do you mean? I find myself enraptured with you more and more with every passing day.”

“I would be inclined to believe that, if I didn’t find you gallivanting around with practically every other Shepherd except for me.”

“What? I’m certain that’s not true.”

“Whenever I’m with Lissa or Sumia, you’re chatting with them like I’m not there. And if Ricken comes over, you’re slinging your arm around his shoulders and carting him away before I can even say hello! It’s a constant issue.”

“You’ll have to forgive me, my dear. It was never my intention to do such a thing. Besides, I think you’re overreacting a bit. I’m just trying to get to know your friends better. You want me to have a good relationship with them, don’t you?”

“Sure, but…” You hesitated, finding it difficult to pull the words together. “But it seems like you’re only interested in a few of my friends. You don’t seem to be interested in Stahl, or Donnel…Frederick is an excellent man to befriend, but you turn your nose up when you see him! A-and that’s not to mention Panne, Tharja or Libra…it just seems like you’re only trying to befriend them because they’ve got notoriety, whereas the others don’t.”

“Hah…it seems I wasn’t as careful as I thought.” Your beau sighed, running a hand through his hair, “You see, Robin, it isn’t false that I want to spend more time with your friends and colleagues who are of noble birth compared to others. But I have a good reason for it!”

“Really?” You quirked an eyebrow, already unimpresed with his confession.

It had already felt as though he was using you to step over and connect with the wealthy. Outright admitting it wasn’t something you were pleased to hear.

“I am doing it for us, Robin! You see, we don’t have the opportunities afforded to those who are of high social standing. If not just you, but the both of us are highly regarded by those in the upper echelons of society, then it will only result in upward mobility for both of us!”

“I can understand that, but…I’m friends with them because they’re good people. Not because I wanted to become a noble, myself.”

“It’s certainly very commendable that you can think that way, Robin, but I’m afraid that’s naïve. You have no idea what it’s like to suffer through challenges that nobility simply breeze past! If I- that is, if we- can move forward and garner that notoriety, think of how much better our futures will be! And the future for our family!”

“Our fami-” You stuttered, eyes blown wide, “What on earth are you talking about?! We’ve barely been together for a few months! You want to have a family with me?”

“Of course! You’re an excellent tactician, and you know so many wonderful, affluent people. It will be to our advantage if we marry!”

“Um…I…think I need to take a walk.” You moved away from him, holding out a hand to stop him when his mouth opened in protest. “Alone, please.”

When you moved away from him, you felt quite shaken. Perhaps it was because you were feeling so out of sorts that it was clear on your face.

You received a few odd looks from other Shepherds, but it was Frederick who expressed the first concern.

“Robin,” His voice was gentle, but loud enough to draw you out of your thoughts. You looked up at him not realizing you were looking deeply troubled. “...Are you all right?”

“Yes, I am, I…” You trailed off, glancing back. The soldier you fancied had already run off somewhere. Likely to chase after the nobles, or maybe sniff out Chrom.

“You do not sound certain.” He was not convinced, “Would you like to talk about what’s troubling you? Perhaps I could be of assistance.”

“I’d hate to bother you with it. It’s…rather trivial, really. And it involves my courtship.”

Frederick did not hesitate, waving a dismissive hand. “I am your ally and friend, above all else. If your relationship troubles you, I wish for you to feel safe enough that you can confide in me.”

The two of you headed away from the camp, finding a peaceful patch of wildflowers to take a moment and enjoy the quiet.

He could practically see the discomfort radiating off you, and it did make him worry about what was going on.

Thankfully, it would not take long for you to explain what the issue was.

“He’s…he’s a good person, I think. We get along more often than not, but lately it feels like he’s not looking to spend time with me.” You sighed, resting your chin on your palm, “It feels like he’s using me to get close to others.”

“Others of notable rank.” Frederick added. You glanced over at him, and he shrugged. “It is not subtle, Robin. He is not as careful as he thinks he is.”

“So you suspect ulterior motives?” Your question was met with a ready nod, the man just shrugging in response. “I asked him about it. He said he’s trying to get close to the nobility for both our sakes. He wants our ‘family’ to have an easier life, an easier path than what he and I have as…non-nobles.”

Frederick had worked very hard to suppress the choke when you said the word “family”.

“I see. And do you intend to…settle down with this…individual?”

“I don’t know what I intend to do.” You shook your head, “We’ve only been dating for a few months! We’re nowhere near serious enough for that to have crossed my mind. But it's clear he wants it, and if he’s trying to do all this, er, connection building with the royals and nobles of Ylisse, then…I don’t know, maybe it’s good?”

“But if you aren’t looking to marry him…”

“There's no reason for him to say all that.” You huffed, “I don’t know what I want. The way Lissa and Sumia talk about love, it seems like they’re sure. But when he spoke of marriage and family with me…I don’t know, it didn't make me feel sure.”

“It is certainly a conundrum.” Frederick agreed with you, looking up at the sky. “If you wish to hear my point of view-”

“-Which I do-”

“-I do not believe that he is pursuing the nobility with good intentions. I do not mean to speak ill of his character, but he is not the first nor the last to use others as a means to build his reputation.”

“So you don’t think that he’s doing it for ‘us’?”

Frederick hesitated, looking at you for a long moment. “I do not wish to demean his character, especially when he is not able to defend himself. But…I do not feel that he has the right intention. His actions betray his words, Robin.”

You looked away, frown deep. “Yeah.”

He felt that he said something wrong in that moment, finding a twist in his heart when he saw the hurt in your eyes.

“I did not mean to upset you. I just…I have seen this behavior before. There are many who would find ways to get close to the nobility to enrich themselves. Many friendships and relationships have been broken in the name of self preservation.”

“It makes sense.” You agreed, though you were still unable to really look at him. Frederick wanted to reach out, to hold your hand or put a comforting arm around your shoulders, or…anything to alleviate that pain.

“I’m sorry. And if it is any consolation, I may not be correct- if you speak with him again, perhaps he will tell you his true motives or-”

“No, I don’t think so.” You shook your head, “He does push me away when he gets a chance to get close to one of the Shepherds he wants to speak to. And he’ll forget me in a conversation to focus on others. I went along with it for a while because I didn’t want to deal with the fallout, I guess. But the fact remains that he’s…definitely not with me for me.”

Frederick sighed softly, finding the confidence to at least put a hand on your shoulder. You leaned into his touch, still distraught, but welcoming of his comfort, at least.

“I’m sorry, Robin. I hope that by telling you these things, it does help you more than harm you.”

“Thanks, Freddybear.” You smiled softly, even if he did roll his eyes. “It’s always comforting to know you’re looking out for me. I value your opinion greatly, even if it doesn’t seem like it, sometimes.”

“Most of the time.”

“Perhaps, yes.” You laughed, if only for a few sweet seconds. A comfortable silence fell over the two of you, staring out at the moonlit flowers. “Well…I suppose I ought to get it over with sooner rather than later, right?”

“It doesn’t have to be tonight. You’ve dealt with enough stress as it is. Some rest may do you quite well.”

“I suppose you’re right,” You agreed, but the conversation had to pause suddenly when the sound of hurriedly crunched leaves reached your ears.

You both turned to find Chrom all but rushing through the thicket into the valley with you, and he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the two of you.

“Thank the gods, you’re both here. Robin, are you aware that your, er, partner is waiting outside my tent?”

You shared a look with Frederick. “No, I wasn’t. Why is he…?”

“I don’t know. I was dozing off one moment, and the next he was standing at the entrance asking if I’d like to discuss politics and strategy and whatever else- I-I don’t even know what, but I just laid there and stayed silent for fifteen minutes, and he still wouldn’t leave!”

“Ah.” You shook your head, earning a sympathetic look from Frederick. “I’ll go have a word with him, and after that, hopefully you won’t have to worry about dealing with his antics ever again.”

“Sounds good.” Chrom’s shoulders dropped with relief, “If it’s all the same, do you mind if I stay here a little while, Frederick? I snuck out the back of the tent and I don’t plan on going back if he’s still going to hover at the entrance for a while. The man is…creepily determined.”

“Understood, milord.” Frederick rose to his feet, offering his hand to help you up as well.

You nodded to both of them, “I’ll go handle this right now. If I don’t come back, it’s because I’ve collapsed in my tent out of sheer exhaustion.”

“Please let me know if you need anything, Robin.” Frederick said, his hand still lingering in yours. “Oh, and…if I may…”

“Yes?”

“I want you to know that I would never take you for granted, or use you for my own ends. I respect you, and value you too deeply to ever allow that to happen.”

“O-oh…um…” You blushed, stunned by the sudden admission. Your hand slipped away to nervously tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, “Well, thank you, Frederick. That means a lot.”

You lingered only a moment longer before you headed off to complete your less than enjoyable task, leaving the two men to watch after you in the dark.

Chrom glanced over at the knight, who seemed keen not to lose sight of you.

“That wasn’t exactly subtle, Frederick.”

“I am aware.”

“What happened to playing the long game?”

“There is no game to be played, milord.” Frederick smiled softly, “It is only my wish to seize this opportunity, to become closer with Robin now that it has presented itself.”

“I wish you luck, my friend. Though I doubt you’ll need it- she does tend to have a strange taste in men. You ought to be courting her in no time.”

“Milord, please.”

#frederick #robin #fe 13 #fire emblem awakening #fe awakening #fredrobin #frederick x robin #fe fictions #fe-fictions #f!robin #fem!robin #f!mu #fluff #hurt and comfort #freddybear will always go to bat for his robin #and we love that for him

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