Fire Emblem: High School Years (High School AU) - Junior Year

Chapter 23: Emotional Support

Anna

In my boyfriend's eyes, I was a cat. I was somewhat aloof and standoffish, quick on my feet, clever, and it took me some time to warm up to him. I also got distracted by lights and feathers but that's beside the point. My affection was hard to earn, and my trust didn't come easily. So, I was a cat.

So in my eyes, Chrom was a dog. A big, fluffy, lovable dog. He trusted everyone he met and remembered if you wronged him or anyone he cares about. He was insanely alert and perceptive, but also a big oaf. He was always warm and cuddly, eager to snuggle. And sometimes all it took to shut him up was a scratch behind the ears.

In our current situation, his dog-side was showing. We were curled up on my couch, watching a movie with his head in my lap, my fingers carding through his messy blue locks. He hummed whenever I gently scratched my nails against his scalp, unconsciously trying to get closer to me (as if he wasn't close already).

Despite how naturally cuddly he was, he was only this clingy when he was stressed. Guess it's up to me to calm his nerves; not that I have a problem with that.

I nudged his head with my knee, lowering the volume on the TV. "Talk to me."

"'m fine," he grumbled.

"No, you're not." I moved my hand from his hair to the nape of his neck, another one of his weak spots. "You're worried about something."

He was pliant under my touch. "Nope."

"Chrom."

"Anna."

I scratched his skin carefully. "I can read you like a book, love," I sighed. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't feel like it - I won't force you. But I think talking about your troubles will do you some good."

He was silent for a few minutes, either too distracted by the movie or debating on if he should be vulnerable. Then, he finally spoke, "...I'm still hooked up over this student council thing."

"Ah." I returned to his hair. "You gonna run?"

He brought his own hand up to rest on my knee, blowing air through his nose. "I dunno... I don't think it's a good idea. I don't want there to be any speculations of foul play, and I'm not that good of a leader-"

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard, and I've lived with an emotionally abusive father." Huh. Way to cope, Anna. "Anyway, you're a fantastic leader!"

Chrom rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah? How so?"

Where do I even begin? "You're excellent at delegating tasks, you can make plans with our entire friend group and make sure they follow through, every single group project you're in is flawless because you're at the helm... Oh, and what about you stepping up and teaching some of the underclassmen marchers?"

"That's because all of that comes naturally to me! ...Oh."

I smiled at him, rewarding him with a scratch behind the ears. "See?" I leaned down to kiss his cheek. "You don't have to make a decision now, but I truly think you'll make a fantastic president."

He looked up at me, stormy-blue eyes pleading. "You think so?"

"Oh, darling..." I brushed back his bangs. With someone like him leading our class, great things are bound to happen. Chrom's a leader through and through and nothing can change my mind about that. "I know so."

*****
THESE IDIOTS ARE IN LOVE AND VERY SOFT FOR EACH OTHER. EASE THE BOY'S NERVES. HE'S FEELING ANXIETY AND HE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. AHHHH. Anyway, I'm currently on my way to a Japanese speaking competition so woosh. Thank you so much for reading and look forward to reading more!

Currently listening to: "I've Got You Under my Skin" - Frank Sinatra