#and I forgot about byleth fish eyes

[flamebloom]

pov: you're divulging you're deepest darkest secrets to your professor

[lysissisyl]

6 months

To @patricia-von-arundel, who is the most wonderful woman in this world and the love of my life. Thank you for changing everything. 💜

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Byleth was late. Byleth was never late. It was part of her mercenary training: timing is vital for a mercenary.

Edelgard also knew her schedule and she was always in her study at that time of the day, so why wasn’t she, today of all days? She was sitting at the table, the teapot in the middle, pastries on an elaborated tray. It had taken her 5 attempts to manage to brew tea the way Byleth did; not Bergamot this time, a rare, exotic green tea that Byleth had been looking for for a while. She really hoped she had made it right... At least she knew the pastries were good. She had spent a week practicing, burned a ton (when they actually reached the oven), made a mess balancing the ingredients more times than she could count. She probably fed all the fauna in Enbar, rats included. Damn! She threw away and distributed so many of her disasters to the animals there that one day she had found a rat waiting outside of the kitchens! She couldn’t help a yelp and had Hubert running in, his hands wrapped in dark magic, ready to fight a monster probably. He had almost pulverized the small beast. He would have if she hadn’t stopped him. She hated the damn rats, but she had seen the tiny mice waiting under a bush nearby and realized that bold critter was trying to feed its family. Thinking about family made her soft. Silly. She had taken an half burned cookie from the bag, cut it into pieces and thrown it to the rat. Then she had shut the door as fast as she could, hands shaking. Stupid. But the cookies were perfect today. So was the tea, as far as she could tell. The teapot and teacups were matching and matched the colors of the glaze: a mix of red and blue that reminded her of them. Everything was where it was supposed to be, except for Byleth. She stood up and started pacing; she went back and forth, from the table to the window, three times, then three more, to check the gardens, but also to be able to think. She looked at her own reflection in the glass. She wasn’t wearing her regalia; in its place, a much more simple attire, more practical, something that would have been comfortable enough for basically anything, fishing included. Long, stretchy, black riding pants, a jacket with golden buttons and red trimmings, a white blouse with golden embroideries barely visible under it. The high boots completed the unusual look. Her long, white hair was loose, with only the two familiar ribbons adorning it. It looked a bit different from her Garreg Mach days, a little bit more savage, perhaps, free to move when she did, occasionally forcing her to brush them aside from her eyes; it often leant on her shoulders, caressing her cheeks. She found it unnerving, but Byleth found it cute. Only six month...and she looked so different. It wasn’t just her outfit - that was just for the day - or the absence of the crown. Her posture wasn’t as tense, her eyes were still sharp, but not as angry, and the faint smile that curved her lips when she thought that it was all because of Byleth was natural and sweet. She still had bad days, she still felt overwhelmed by all the responsibilities, by how demanding her routine could be, sometimes she still felt exhausted in the evening. She still had nightmares from time to time. Not everything was perfect as the tea table set behind her, but...Byleth was there on the bad days as she was on the bright ones, reminding her everything was going to be alright. When she felt overwhelmed, she took her hand, made her take a break, let her rest her head on her shoulder and told her stories, beautiful stories and dreams. She told her about how they were making them true. When she woke up shaking from a nightmare, she could hide in her arms, listening to her heart beat until hers stopped screaming and running. The reason her shoulders and back weren’t stiff today was that Byleth had massaged them gently yesterday, washing all the tension from the day away before going to bed. She had taken that habit after seeing her in pain. Edelgard had protested more than once, but they were both stubborn and, in the end, she had realized that Byleth loved feeling her melt under her touch. She sighed at the thought: she could almost feel it... Hearing the door brought her back to reality. She blushed realizing Byleth had chosen that exact moment to come in. She shook her head to chase away that thought that still made her shiver. Even being late, her timing sure was perfect. She let out a very different sigh.

Byleth looked at the table, then at Edelgard, a warm smile making her eyes shine in a way that was getting more and more common. Edelgard had to fight the instinct to run to her and kiss her until the tea got cold. She gestured for her to sit and went back to her chair, pouring some tea for them both before doing the same. Byleth kept observing her every move, a faint smile still on her face. “Thank you, El.” “There is no reason to thank me. At least try the tea first: I don’t have your expertise.” Edelgard stared while she took a sip, almost holding her breath. Byleth  widened her eyes in surprise. “You found it! Oh, El...” Her eyes were so hard to read now, but also so warm... “it’s perfect, just perfect.” Edelgard was suddenly aware of how rigidly she was sitting. She let go. “I want to make today perfect.” “You always want to make things perfect, El.” Byleth teased. “This is different.” She was sulking just a bit, then her voice grew softer. “Today is special.” “Is it?” “Do you remember what happened six months ago?” “We won the war. Is it why we’re celebrating?” Edelgard sighed, playing with her ring with her other hand. Byleth could be so oblivious sometimes! It didn’t hurt her. She knew her well, she knew she loved her. She was just...Byleth. “It’s been six months since the day you gave me this ring, the day I knew you wanted to stay, you were choosing me...” she hesitated “forever.” Byleth tilted her head. “Why do people care about this kind of things? I love you every day, I feel lucky every day I spend by your side. Why should today be different?” Edelgard giggled. That was so very Byleth and so sweet. She didn’t care at all that she forgot about their anniversary: she just wanted to look that beautiful woman in the eyes, tell her what a gift she was and kiss the crumbs off her lips. Speaking of crumbs, Byleth was staring at the other half of a cookie in her hand. “This is peculiar.” “In what sense?” She tried to hide the worried note in her voice. “They’re different from any I’ve found around here. Very rich on cinnamon. Are the cookies exotic too?” Edelgard paled. “Is something wrong with them?” “No, not at all. I actually like them a lot. I want to know where I can find them.” Edelgard’s cheeks turned a delightful red. “I...m-made them.” “That’s great! That sure makes it easy to get more!” She looked like a happy kid. Edelgard’s smile was smug and wide. “You can have them anytime, my love.”

After finishing their tea, it was time for the next step. Edelgard had thought about that day a lot, about what Byleth would have loved, but, in the end, she had realized Byleth was still learning that herself, so the best gift she could offer her was probably a day to just improvise and discover things together. No planning for once. “I cleared my schedule for today.  As I said, I want to make this day perfect for you, so...make a wish, make all the wishes you can think of. We can do anything. Today, I’ll be the one following you.” “No plans, no organizing, no schedules, nothing?”  Byleth raised an eyebrow, teasing again. “Don’t make me regret it!” “I promise you won’t.” The smirk on her face made her wonder which troubles she had just gotten herself into.”

To Edelgard’s surprised, Byleth’s first request was to go to town for some shopping. Even stranger, she came back with an elegant pair of trousers a formal jacket and a blouse, an outfit that looked like a fancier version of what Edelgard was wearing. She sure appreciated seeing it on Byleth. She tried not to stare. And failed. Byleth giggled.

Their second stop was at a flower shop. Byleth went in alone and came out with some roses and a carnation plant in a vase. She offered it to Edelgard with a smile. “I thought you could like a plant for your study or we could keep it in our room. I prefer plants to flowers. Flowers die. This plant is something we can keep and nourish. And I want to give you life.” The look on Edelgard’s face went from confusion, to surprise, to endearment. The way Byleth thought sure was weird, but so was hers and they could understand  each other amazingly well. She had appreciated and cherished all the flowers Byleth had given her in their monastery days, but she knew she would have loved this plant a hundred times more. She loved how Byleth had started questioning things, reading them in a completely different wa now that her emotions were so much stronger. She wondered how hard and exciting everything could be to her. That was part of why she had structured the day like that, after all: she wanted Byleth to express herself.

Byleth’s third request surprised her in a different way. She asked to go by the river, right south from Embar, to the cove where it met the see. She hadn’t been there in years, so many years... Walking there with Byleth felt so nostalgic and so different at the same time… She could feel her hand in hers, holding gently, but firmly. She could feel the warmth of her skin and the marks left by the sword. Familiar. Reassuring. She had run to the cove many times in the past, wild and excited, but it was another time, another life, another El. Walking there like this felt a bit like going back, a bit like going on. She turned toward Byleth. “Have I ever told you about where my love for the opera comes from?” Byleth shook her head. “One of my older sisters was very fond of the opera. I was still too young to be brought to the theater and definitely too young to properly understand it, so were most of my brothers. One day we teased her a little too much about her daydreams and ended up making her cry, so later we wanted to surprise her, to make up for it. We asked our oldest brother; he tried to explain us what an opera play was at his best and we went to the cove and tried to set up a show for her. She was so happy and we had so much fun that we decided to make it a small ritual between us. We did it every time one of us was down or when we wanted to celebrate something. It was a way to tell each other ‘I love you’. I started to grow pretty fond of it myself. One day, my sister took us girls apart and told us our father was concerned about our future, that she could see it, that he had told her; she believed she was going to be engaged soon and that we would have followed. She was a very romantic young girl, always reading some love story or daydreaming about her future husband. She asked us to celebrate the day of her engagement with one of our plays, one inspired by the cheesy stories she liked. I said I wanted an adventurous tale for mine, full of swords and mighty fights. She told us we could all choose one, that that could be another little siblings rituals. When she told the boys, they all made faces, but they all agreed in the end. It was very silly. It was the week before I was taken to Faerghus.” She stopped, staring into the distance for a few seconds, then shook her head again. “Sorry, I rambled.” Byleth smiled. “The story of the heroic imperial princess who fought terrible monsters and saved the innocents, uh?” She glared at her. “Don’t laugh at me!” She didn’t sound truly irritated. “I’m not. Actually...that’s more or less what happened.” Edelgard’s eyes met hers. “Don’t laugh at me.” She sounded sad and bitter. “I am not. You changed everything, El.”

There was a strict passage between high rocks to cross before reaching the shore. It looked smaller now, tighter. Edelgard sure didn’t mind walking pressed against Byleth. Once they crossed it and got to the other side, she froze. There was a stage on the sand, not made of old boards and branches found on the shore, a real one. The curtains were fancy and velvety, not white sheets and colorful blankets stolen from the palace. (How many times had the servants yelled at them?) There was a huge blanket on the sand in front of the stage, with a full dinner for two displayed on it. Hubert was standing at its right. He bowed and gestured them to sit. Byleth nodded. “Thank you, Hubert.” He showed them a small grin in response. “Anything for Lady Edelgard.” Edelgard shifted her focus from one to the other, then gave Byleth a questioning look. “You hadn’t told me about that story, not until today. But...Hubert did, a few weeks ago. He was there too.” She explained. “When I told him I wanted to organize something special for you and that I was thinking about bringing you here and to the opera right after, he told me about the past. He wanted me to be aware and careful. I thought about something else.” “You...” but the curtain opened. To Edelgard’s surprise, it was Dorothea appearing on the scene. She hadn’t properly been back to the company after the war, but she still liked to perform from time to time, as a hobby now. She had convinced the Mittelfrank company to do her a favor that day. Manuela had written the script. For a while, Edelgard wondered why her former classmate wasn’t playing the main part, the emperor's part, then remembered her own words, years ago, when she had said that no story about her would have been complete without a Dorothea. The fact that she wanted to strangle both her and Byleth for making a play about her was soon forgotten, except for when Dorothea sang that song from their Garreg Mach days again. ‘Hail the mighty Edelgard...’ The mighty Edelgard was as red as her regalia. Byleth made a comment about it being a shame that she wasn’t wearing it, that earned her a very cute glare.

At the end of the play, Edelgard was at a loss for words. When Dorothea approached them and Byleth handed her the roses, she wanted to say thanks, but all that came out was “Why?” “Byleth contacted me around a month ago, telling me about her crazy plan for your anniversary, so I pulled some strings. She also helped me setting things up this morning, before Hubert could get here without raising suspicions.” She winked. That’s why she was late... Then another thought crossed Edelgard's mind, making her frown. “Anniversary?” Her eyes moved from Dorothea to Byleth. “You were wondering why people actually cared about it earlier.” Byleth grinned. “I was. And I still believe what I said. I love you every day. I feel lucky to be with you every day. Anniversaries aren’t different. But...why would I miss a chance to make you smile?” She smirked. “You liar!” Edelgard was only half-pretending to sulk. Byleth greened. “I didn’t lie. I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.” It looked like deceiving could be vital for a mercenary too.

[flawedvictori]

Flowers and Sorbet

Marianne had never, ever wished she wasn't gay.

Sure, it was hard sometimes, never quite being sure if other girls were flirting or just being friendly, but... girls were pretty. Beautiful, really.

Beautiful, kind, strong... and the girls at Garreg Mach, especially. Everyone always seemed ready to help each other, and no one ever lost their patience with her for being so... scared.

It was nice, having so many gorgeous, talented, kind women around...

And then there was Hilda.

Hilda, who always made an effort to be close to her.

Hilda, who was so breathtakingly beautiful, and so strong, and so, so gentle with her.

Hilda, who would immediately shut down anyone who wasn't being patient with her.

Hilda, who she absolutely had the biggest crush on in the world...

Hilda, who was totally, completely, frustratingly straight.

Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course! Hilda was her best friend, and she'd support her, no matter who she loved.

Not that Marianne could ever figure out who it was;Hilda had hinted at having a crush on someone, but had never given any details.

Which suited her just fine, really. Not knowing meant she didn't have to compare herself to whatever guy it was and come up lacking.

It was... nice, really, to spend time with Hilda and imagine what being with her would be like, even if it was something she could never have.

/

Hilda... made it really hard not to imagine it, sometimes.

And today was definitely one of those times. She'd had Professor Byleth knock on her door in the early hours of the morning with a 'formal' invitation to a picnic.

Said invitation's envelope was completely covered in pastel hearts and the invitation itself had been painstakingly written out by hand, every letter perfectly formed.

She'd seemingly even bribed the professor, as she'd made sure to give Marianne an actual smile before she dashed off at an honestly dangerous speed.

/

Marianne shows up on time, naturally. To her surprise, Hilda's already waiting there, rolling a flower between her fingers.

Hilda stands when she sees her, immediately nodding at her as a greeting, and Marianne nods back, taking a seat on the picnic blanket when Hilda offers it.

"I was starting to worry the professor forgot to deliver your invitation." Hilda admits, chuckling and looking away. "She kept talking about getting back to fishing, and I... oh, right!" She reaches into the picnic basket, pulling out a small container and handing it to her. "You have NO idea how hard it was to get the kitchen to give me some peach sorbet, but the professor did that, like, friendly thing she does, you know the one?"

Marianne just nods, already scooping up some of the sorbet and smiling at the familiar taste.

"Yeah, so... she did that, and they gave me some, and..." She trails off, going a little red and looking away as Marianne instinctively reaches for a napkin, assuming there's something on her lip.

"Did I get it?" She asks, after a moment of dabbing, and Hilda just shakes her head, smiling too.

"No, you're just... really pretty when you smile, is all." She swallows, leaning closer and reaching up to tuck a bit of Marianne's hair behind her ear and gently thread the stem of the flower with her hair, before leaning back and nodding. "Perfect. You're... beautiful, you know?"

Marianne just... smiles, her heart sinking a bit.

She'd never, ever, ever wanted to be straight, but... it was hard, t have fallen so hard for someone so str-

Hilda leans forward and kisses her, and Marianne's brain short-circuits.

Her lips are every bit as soft as she'd imagined, and even if the kiss is hesitant and unsure she doesn't want it to stop...

And then Hilda pulls back, a weak, scared smile on her face-

And Marianne kisses her again, the food set aside and forgotten as all her dreams seem to come true at once, and its so perfect, and...

And she's never been happier.

/

That night, as she's heading back to her room from dinner, Professor Byleth meets her eyes and shoots her that small smile she always does, and Marianne...

She smiles back, ducking her head in thanks.

Byleth's little smile becomes a bit bigger, and she raises a hand as she heads back to her own room.

[nexttrickanvils]

FE3H Fic: Stay With Me

So I’ve had this idea for a while and I’d been sick and miserable this week so I figured that was as good a reason as any to finally write this. Enjoy some sickfic.

Title: Stay With Me

Characters: F!Byleth Eisner, Claude Von Reigan, brief appearances by the rest of the Golden Deer, Manuela Casagranda

Ship: F!Byleth x Claude

Notes: Sickfic, spoilers for Chapter 9, Academy phase/pre-time skip, nothing super romantic aside from some face touching and pining.

---------

They should have known something was wrong.

He should have known something was wrong.

It was obvious that Jeralt’s death had hit Teach hard but Claude and the rest of the Golden Deer didn’t realize just how hard until now.

Teach seemed sluggish during today’s class, Hilda had to point out to her when someone asked a question multiple times, and there were moments where she seemingly forgot what she was saying in the first place.

Claude couldn’t help but worry.

“Hey Teach, maybe we should end class early. You don’t seem like you’re really into the material today.” He said in a lighthearted tone

She gave a look that Claude thinks was supposed to be a glare but he’s not entirely sure.

“I don’t… I don’t know what you’re planning Claude but we will finish when the bell rings as usual.”

Lysithea spoke up, “Actually Professor, I agree with Claude. You don’t seem well...”

“I’M FINE!” Teach shouted in response

Everyone stared at her in concern, none of the Golden Deer had ever seen her snap at a student like that. Teach seemed to be lucid enough to recognize what she did and gave an apologetic look.

“I-I apologize. I shouldn’t have yelled. I’m just… I… I’m… ugh… my head...”

Claude stood up from his seat and walked towards her.

“Teach, it’s okay. Nobody’s gonna be mad at you for taking a day off...”

“Cla… sta… uhhh.”

Teach seemed to wobble on her feet and then immediately collapsed, Claude quickly catching her before she hit the ground. Right away, he could feel her burning up in his arms.

“Someone get Manuela! Raph, help me carry Teach to her room!”

Marianne and Raphael rushed over to the two of them while the rest ran to go find Professor Manuela.

Raphael gently lifted up Teach from Claude’s arms and quickly carried her to the dormitories with Marianne and Claude following behind.

When they finally arrived at Teach’s room, Raphael slowly laid their professor on top of her bed. Marianne for her part, took the chair at the desk, and sat down next to the bed as she sent pulse after pulse of healing magic to Teach. While Marianne’s magic can’t cure the illness, it could at least ease the discomfort.

Meanwhile all Claude could think of was any other moments when Teach seemed off. Now that he thinks about it, he hadn’t really seen her taking it easy since Jeralt’s death. Usually he’d find her fishing or volunteering in the greenhouse or even helping the kitchen staff between lessons and training. But lately if she wasn’t teaching, she was training and if she wasn’t training, she was teaching.

‘Dammit, Teach. Why didn’t you say anything? How did we… how did I not notice…’

It wasn’t long before the rest of the Deer arrived with Manuela, who proceeded to shoo everyone out (though not before thanking Marianne for her help.)

“I guess all we can do is wait.” Remarked Hilda in a quiet tone

The others nodded and went their separate ways for now… all except Claude.

Instead of walking away, Claude went back to Teach’s door and sat down next to it. Through the door, he could hear fabric shifting (Manuela probably getting Teach out of her armor and into something more comfortable) along with some worried mumbling.

“Hanneman and I told you that we’d be willing to handle the workload for you. How did you get yourself into a state like this?”

Guess Claude and the Deer weren’t the only ones that Teach was hiding from.

Suddenly the door swung open and Manuela walked out, maybe she was getting something from the infirmary or some food for Teach.

Well whatever the reason, the door was wide open…

Once he was sure that no one else was around that could see, Claude slipped into the room and immediately saw Teach under a couple layers of blankets. If it weren’t for her heavy breathing and the red in her face, one would have thought she was just sleeping.

Claude sighs and begins to turn around. He really shouldn’t be staying in here, Manuela will probably be back soon and she’ll take better care of Teach than Claude could just standing and staring like an idi…

“Claude?”

At the sound of his name, Claude turns around and sees Teach looking at him with hazy unfocused eyes.

“Uh… hey Teach… y-you gave us all quite the scare earlier but uh… glad to see you’re still with us? I guess? I should really head out and...”

“Please… don’t leave...”

Claude stared at her… delirious, she was delirious that had to be it. But if she really is delirious wouldn’t it be worse to leave her alone?

Without thinking twice, Claude sat down in the chair next to the bed and offered his hand. He watched as Teach slowly reached for it. Despite her current state, her grip on his hand was tight. He could also feel her trying to tug him closer, so he moved himself and the chair closer and closer till his knees bumped into the bed.

At that point, Teach pulled his hand close to her face and rested against his palm. Claude could feel his cheeks heating up and turning red. If he wasn’t afraid that he’d accidentally drag her off the bed, he would have pulled his hand away.

“T-Teach?”

“Please stay… I don’t want… I don’t want to lose anyone else...” She said as tears began to well up in her eyes

Oh… okay… he sees how this is…

Claude relaxes and even swipes his thumb to catch her falling tears.

“It’s okay Teach… I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

He hears a small hiccup as she continues to cry.

“I… I couldn’t save him… I wasn’t… wasn’t fast enough… strong enough… tried to turn back and...”

“Tried to turn…? Teach, it wasn’t your fault, you can’t blame yourself and training yourself to exhaustion isn’t going to help.”

“It hurts… it hurts so much and… and… what if I lose you too?”

Claude gives her a comforting smile, “I’m a big boy, Teach, you don’t have to protect me.”

“But you’re...”

“Your student, I know...”

“No… you’re… you’re special to me...”

Claude’s eyes widened at her statement. She didn’t really mean that right? It was just the delirium… right?

Before he could say anything else, Teach lifted up her other hand and placed it on his cheek. Claude feels himself tense up, again afraid to move, as she starts to caress his blushing face. He sees the smallest hint of a smile on her face.

“You’re… a friend...”

A friend… y-yeah… of course that’s what she meant and she’s just feeling a little extra touchy-feely because she’s sick and grieving and vulnerable…

That thought doesn’t stop him from leaning into her touch.

“Eh heh… I’m uh… flattered. I consider you a… a friend too.”

Honestly… she’s become that and more to him… and it only took him till the Ball to realize what that really meant.

“Promise me… promise me you’ll be okay… promise you won’t leave...”

He knows he can’t promise her that but…

“I promise… just as long as you promise to take better care of yourself. I can’t stay by your bed all day you know. Now come on, go rest.”

Teach lets out a small laughing huff as she finally pulls her hands back. After a minute or two, she closes her eyes. Claude gently brushes a few strands of hair from her face and stands up… and is immediately greeted by Manuela holding a bowl of water and some towels.

“Oh! Professor Manuela… thanks for taking care of Teach… I just wanted to check up on her and… how… how long have you been standing there?”

“Around the time you were assuring her that Jeralt’s death wasn’t her fault. Don’t worry Claude, I know you’re not the kind of cad that would take advantage of an ailing woman.”

“Eh heh heh… thanks?”

Claude steps aside as Manuela walks in and places the bowl on the nightstand.

“I do have to say though: I’m glad she has you.” She remarked

“What do you mean?”

“You had to admit that Byleth was bit of an odd one when she first arrived; very curt and to the point, wasn’t very expressive. I know mercenaries tend to steel themselves for their work but still… I couldn’t help but worry if there were times where Byleth forgot that she’s still human.”

Claude stayed quiet; he couldn’t really tell Manuela the truth that he and Teach discovered in Jeralt’s journal. That she lacked a heartbeat. That even as a baby she didn’t cry or laugh or smile.

Manuela continued as she dampened one of the towels.

“But I did notice her changing over the year and honestly I think the brightest I’ve seen her smile is when she’s with her students. I suppose you all made quite an impact on her, especially you in particular Claude. So thank you for being there for her.”

Claude could feel the blush returning to his face as he tried to put his carefree mask back on.

“Yeah that’s the Golden Deer for ya, making an impact. I… uh… I should head out, let you work in peace. Let me… I mean let us know when Teach starts feeling better. Thanks again, Professor.”

He wasn’t sure if it was because he was getting rusty or if Manuela was more observant that he gave her credit for but Claude could tell she didn’t quite buy his little act.

“Alright, you have a good day, Claude.” Manuela replied with a smile and a wink

Claude stepped out of the room and slowly and carefully closed the door. Once he was sure the door was closed, Claude ran.

He got some stares from other students but at the moment, he didn’t care. When he finally reached his room, Claude shut the door and sank down against it.

“...You’re special to me...”

He trusts her… he loves her… he knows that.

“I suppose you all made quite an impact on her, especially you in particular Claude.”

Claude shakes his head, Teach said she saw him as a friend and besides he’s still her student. While he’s more than happy to break some rules, this is a boundary he feels he shouldn’t cross.

...And yet…

“...Promise you won’t leave...”

Maybe Byleth needed Claude as much as he needed her...

[withlove-so]

Hi I really love your writing!!! Do you think I could get a fic where Byleth is cleaning up Caspar's wounds after a particularly nasty battle??? Thank you!!! uwu 💖💖💖

Anything for my cute waifu uwu 💕

I might have gone a bit… too crazy with it, but I hope it’s enjoyable. I also did just a sort a reader perspective rather than Byleth, so I hope that’s okay!

(I’m sorry if the cut doesn’t work mobile users, I’m not sure if it’s gonna work)

—

Word count: 2,037

Fluff; mentions of blood, minor

— — —

Your Shield

Ever since Caspar was a just a student, he had a tendency to put himself needlessly in danger. It seemed like nobody was allowed to get hurt as long as he was around. It didn’t matter if it was an axe threatening to slice through someone’s throat or a simple slash from a dagger, he was rushing over ready to keep them safe. After Caspar had nearly been skewered during one of the skirmishes, you had tried helplessly to stop his reckless behavior.

“What, it’s not like I actually got stabbed, I moved my shield in time!”

“Yes, you protected yourself this time. But look, you just moved the blow, it still scrapped your side. You need to realize your not invincible Cas.”

“So, I was just supposed to let you get killed? Was I supposed to just stand there and watch it happen?”

“Nobody in this army is made of glass, myself included. We can take care of ourselves. We aren’t going to magically die off if you don’t come over to protect us.”

“Maybe not, but I’m not going to just stand around and wait for it to happen. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

He was difficult to understand back then. Even now, you supposed, since he was virtually unchanged. He was still head strong, reckless, a bit too noisy for his own good, and still charging head first into danger. The amount of times you’d seen him trudge into the medical tent after a fight was uncountable. The amount of times he’d walked in with blood coating his body, whether it was his own or someone else’s you couldn’t tell, was absolutely sickening to see. But no matter how many times you lectured him, he never seemed to listen.

You feared that, one day, this negligence would be his down fall.

And prayed that the Goddess wouldn’t see it as a challenge.

Fighting former classmates never seemed to get easier. Even if they were supposed to be our enemies, it was impossible to look at them and not see their face from years ago, smiling and laughing the days away. Now more than ever did you understand this as you stood at Gronder field, surrounded on all sides by the people you thought you’d always be with. Having to face them now… It felt unbearable.

Standing face to face with Felix, someone you’d spared with often, ate together, hell you’d even seen him smile once or twice, it was like twisting the knife.

“Felix, please,” Despite what your words, you begin to nock your arrow, “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“It does. As long as you stand against us, this is how it has to be.” You’d expected a frontal assault, for him to charge in sword bared and ready to cut through your defenses. That you’d have time to prep your arrow, to shoot him down before he could close the distance. But of course that’s not what happened because when is war ever that simple, when are soldiers ever so easy to read.

Not even Felix would fight a losing battle.

He flicks his wrist up, electricity sparking at his finger tips. When had he learned magic? Over the five years, he’d really grown a lot. He was so much like his father. Perhaps, if he killed you, you’d see him on the other side. You fumbled desperately, trying to take aim before he released but you could feel the energy closing in and it was blinding in your eyes and just as you thought you’d feel the life leave your body as lightning entered it, you were enveloped in cool shadows. Sparks practically traveled through his eyes, that damned grin he always wore was torn up as he gasped out in pain. His shield, the one thing he promised would keep him safe, laid lamely on the ground, covered in dust. His hand sat heavily on your shoulders.. And he was shaking.

Did Caspar ever shake?

He chuckled a bit, tried to say something but it died out on his tongue as his knees gave out under him and Oh no please don’t let him die Goddess I’m begging you PLEASE!

Your eyes met Felix’s for a moment, his eyes unsympathetic. Unwavering. But he turned away all the same, his sword gripped in frustration. There wasn’t time to worry about him now. You tried to desperately move Caspar away from the fighting, but he was much heavier than you had anticipated. You managed to hide him behind a tree trunk, gasping heavily from exhaustion. But at least he would be safe. For the most part.

His eyes still hadn’t opened, but he was mumbling something under his breath.

“Caspar… Caspar open your eyes! Dammit…” You didn’t know much about healing, but you had to try something. So you flipped him over ever so slightly, just enough to see his back. The sight made you want to gag. His shirt had been torn by the blast, leaving the cloth charred. His back, already covered in scars and even some fresh wounds, now had a spider web of energy pulsating through. The light zig zagged all through out his back, cutting through scars long closed and allowing fresh blood to seep through. You blinked away from the sight, relaxing your thoughts before raising a tentative hand to his back.

Many soldiers had said that healing magic felt like a tickle, or like a soft light was enveloping them before slowly vanishing into nothing. Yet as you tried to now, Caspar groaned out, shifting ever so slightly away with the little energy he had. The strike must have affected him deeply… perhaps the blast had hurt him so deeply your magic couldn’t reach… fear over took your common sense as you continued to try and heal him. It took a lot of time and energy, but the light did begin to fade from the veins. The scar still showed through, plain as day, but at least he didn’t seem to be in as much pain. Placing one hand lightly against his back, you felt your own head begin to fuzz. Perhaps you had… exhausted ju… just a bit too… m…… m

m……………

…

…….

As the light began to return to your eyes, you had to blink to even properly process it. It was irritating for just a moment, and just as you wished you could close your eyes and fall back asleep, suddenly your memory was flooded. Everything that happened came to you in waves and yours snapped open.

“Caspar! Caspar, where-“ You whipped your head around desperately, relief flooding your system when you saw him sat on the floor, eating a small snack.

Goddess, bless you for this. He’s awake and alive and here now with that damnably dumb look. Thank you for this chance.

You wanted to yell, get angry at him for what he did, make him regret returning to the living, but all you could do was sob. Tears trailed down your face as you tried to get the words out you so desperately wanted to say. To give him thanks for saving your life, to tell him you were glad he was still alive, to tell him…

But all that came out was a bubbly cry.

“Cas… Cas you moron! You absolute idiot!! You stupid, stupid, stupid!” You hadn’t used that nickname for a long time now… you’d forgot how natural it felt on your tongue.

He couldn’t seem to respond, his eyes were clearly guilty but he wasn’t sure what to do, or what to say.

“Don’t you ever do that again! If you do, I’ll… I’ll make sure to kill you myself! I,” you hiccuped, “I… dammit… you’re alive…. You’re alive.”

“I am.”

“You’re back… you’re back, is it…?”

“Scarred? Still hurting? Yea. It still feels like I just got struck to be honest. But, there’s no way I’d ever take back what I did.”

“Cas, you almost died! Not just got hurt, but died! If you had died because of my mistake, do you know how-! How-!” Nothing seemed to be making any sense, you were shaking to your mind was whirling with everything you wanted to say, it all just started tumbling out.

“I would have, would have been crushed. If you had just… and I couldn’t see you. I couldn’t spar with you again, or eat with you, or fish or or- I wouldn’t have you Cas! Just like… just like everyone else. They’re either dead or, or their gone somewhere else or they want us dead and I! Cas I don’t think I could handle losing someone else, not you or Dorothea or even Hubert! Please, please I’m begging you… I know, I know you want to keep us safe but, please, just… stay alive. Please.”

The room was silent beyond the occasional sobbing that once again escaped your lips. Until you finally got your quiet response.

“I… can try. I’ll try to stay alive. I can’t promise I won’t try and protect you but… I’ll do my best to survive, okay?” By the Goddess, he really was a moron.

He was an idiot.

A half wit.

And absolute nut case.

And you loved him.

You couldn’t help but chuckle. Did that make you a half wit as well? Perhaps.

“You’re so stupid Cas… that’s the opposite of what I asked but… hah, alright, I’ll take what I can get.”

And then struck by silence once again.

“You know,” Caspar dared a look in your direction, his thumbs twiddling about distractedly, “I… I’m glad you’re okay. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to you on time, that if I were too slow, Felix might have…” Caspar was acting uncharacteristically bashful, glancing around at his hands, the wall, just about anything other than your eyes.

You hopped up, slowly at first due to your aching muscles, and slumped down onto the floor next to Caspar. You looked at his back and, sure enough, there were the zig zagging marks covering his entire back. You lightly placed your finger tips on to one of the veins, letting out a small sigh, “Had I been just a bit faster… you wouldn’t have this marking now.”

“What? No, this isn’t your fault I just… Ah, it’s mine, I know I’m reckless and a danger to myself, but I couldn’t stand around.”

“You never could… could you.”

“Heh… I guess not”

You trace your finger across another familiar marking. A large, now slightly opened gash from their days at the academy. The very scar that had caused you to lash out at Caspar for his recklessness all those years ago. It must have been extra sensitive from the damage it took, Caspar shook underneath your touch. You take your finger away, mumbling out an apology.

In an instant, your met face to face with the same lightning charged eyes. Now filled with excitement and wonder and…

His smile was beaming, curling lovingly around his eyes as he let out a small laugh.

“You don’t think something like this is going to hurt me do you? I’m much tougher than that, just look at me! I can handle just about anything.”

“Anything? That’s a bold statement Bergliez. Think you can live up to it?” You smirked at your taunt, you couldn’t help but want to entertain him.

“Of course! Anything you can dish out, I can take ten fold.”

“Really?” A mischievous thought wormed it’s way into your head, and maybe it was from the exhaustion or the heat of the moment, but you didn’t think to stop yourself, “Can you handle this Cas?”

You leaned forward, closing the already short distance between you. His lips were dry and cracked from the attack and yet it was the sweetest feeling in the world. As you pulled back, resting your forehead lightly against his own, you could help but feel cocky after seeing the expression you’d left him with.

Embarrassment, confusion, happiness, all wrapped up into one long sputter, “Wha, I um… that, you. Did you just, did /we?/ Did that happen just now I didn’t, this isn’t like some fantasy my fried brain cooked up, this actually happened, right?”

“As long as my own brain isn’t fried, I’d say it actually happened.”

“Well, if that’s all you got, then I can dish it out ten fold, just like I said!”

[bae-leth]

advice box time!

On free days, Byleth slept in. 

Often, he slept too in, if there was such a thing; one notable incident consisted of him sleeping nearly an entire day, and the healers believed he had gone into a coma.

Thus, he made it his life’s work never to have free days, and to keep himself in a perpetual rhythm of healthy stress.

Manuela often asked him to tea, and he would often politely decline; but if he had no classes to teach, he would ask her to tea. Of course she would accept, and he would be squirming in his seat for a good five hours. That was the way he preferred it.

If the other professors were busy, Byleth sorted through the advice box. The students often came to him in the form of papers and quills for their pressing questions, if they were too nervous to approach him directly. Of all the academy’s faculty, Byleth was the most honest and trustworthy, according to the students he had helped—thus, students from every house had come to him for aid.

Today was a free day, and Byleth was exhausted. He woke at his usual time (before the sky abandoned its dark blue cloak and donned a paler color) and got dressed, got undressed and took a cold shower when he forgot to take one before, and got dressed again. He picked up his books and his papers and left his living quarters. Then, he returned to his living quarters and made his bed before leaving once more.

Byleth hadn’t checked the advice box in quite a while, so he wasn’t wholly surprised to see the wooden bin on his desk nearly bursting with slips of parchment. 

The young teacher arranged his belongings neatly and then sat down to work, picking up the box and placing it in front of him.

The first slip had neat, legible handwriting with an air of dignity to their lines and curves. Byleth recognized the scrawl as belonging to Edelgard.

“Hello, Teacher,

I hope I am not interrupting your busy schedule. If I am, please do not hesitate to place this note aside and attend to more important matters.

Sincerely, Edelgard von Hresvelg.”

  It seemed Edelgard had forgotten to mention her problem in its entirety. In her pursuit for perfection, she often left out many an important element in her work.

Byleth fished out another note, the handwriting on which most definitely belonged to Hilda. It was loopy and the dots of her “i”s were large and distracting.

  “Dear Professor:

Father is asking me what I want for my birthday. He offered either a snow white horse or a silver necklace with a pretty butterfly charm. My dilemma: I want both!! What should I do??? Please help!

From Hilda.”

  Byleth folded and tore a similarly-shaped slip of paper from a sheet he had lying around and dipped the tip of his jay tail quill—according to Ignatz, blue jays represented truthfulness—into his inkwell. Then, he started to write.

  “Hilda,

A horse isn’t something you can buy while roaming a marketplace with pocket money. A horse is a living creature, and even more importantly, a companion. It will breathe the same air and run the same plains as you, and it will require much care and company to earn its trust. A horse is a magnificent thing that will surely benefit you in the future as well as the present, but it is also a challenge.

Recently, your marks in the stables have been quite low. If you are unprepared to care for the pegasi and the horses at the monastery, I believe you may be unprepared to care for a horse of your own.

However, while a necklace’s beauty is eternal, its glamour is short-lived. And I have seen you often in the halls with a new piece of jewelry every day…but it may just turn out to be the safest option. Ask your father for the necklace, or propose another potential gift.

Signed, Professor Byleth.”

  Byleth, pleased with his work, folded up his response before the ink could dry and had to write it all over again.

The next slip he picked up was illegible, so he tossed it.

The one after, however, belonged to Edelgard again.

  “Hello, Teacher!

Please forgive my previous note. I seem to have omitted my reason for asking your assistance. I am growing worried for Linhardt; he seems to be sleeping more and more, and I’m afraid his marks may suffer. I’ve employed Caspar to keep an eye out for him, but I still am unsure of how he will fare in the approaching exams. Will you please suggest to me how I ought to help him?

Sincerely, Edelgard von Hresvelg.”

  Byleth folded and ripped a new piece of paper.

  “Edelgard,

Thank you for your concern over Linhardt and his studies. However, I believe it should be him who is contacting me and asking for help. His ability to fall asleep anywhere and at any time is quite impressive, but he is doing surprisingly well in his courses. There is no need to worry for him academically.

As for what you can do, you can suggest that he should talk to me, if my teaching is contributing to his sleepiness.

Signed, Professor Byleth.”

  Byleth waited until the ink was dried before he folded up his response and placed it on his desk, to be distributed to the students later in the day.

He unfolded another slip.

  “Hi, Teacher,

I want to cook something for Professor Jeritza, but he won’t talk to me! I tried asking everyone if they knew his favorite food, and Sylvain said salt fish, but I think he was joking around. Do you know?

- Annette.”

  “Annette,

I do believe his favorite food is in fact salt fish.

Signed, Professor Byleth.”

  “Good day morning, Professor Byleth,

I’m having trouble with the history lesson about the church construction of the Church of Seiros. Can I please get some help? after lunch someday?

Thank you,

Bernadeta Bernadetta von Varley.”

  “Bernadetta,

Of course. Feel free to come whenever you’d like.

Signed, Professor Byleth.”

  “Hey, Teach!

I keep tryna get Dimitri and Edelgard to have tea with me, but they keep saying no. They used to come with me all the time! But not anymore! What’s up with them?

Claude”

  “Claude,

Exams are in less than two days.

Signed, Professor Byleth.”

  The advice box kept Byleth busy until sunset. He leaned his head back to stretch his neck, and he heard a soft knock on the door from across the deserted lecture hall.

“Come in,” he called.

In came Annette, holding a small plate of food in her hands. Byleth suddenly remembered that he hadn’t eaten the entire day. 

“Hi, Teacher! I, um, I made pudding for dessert today. I didn’t see you in the dining hall, so I looked around the monastery for you! Here.” Annette hurried over, her gray blue eyes excited as she placed her creation on Byleth’s desk. On the little white plate sat a small portion of chocolate pudding, which wobbled this way and that whenever Annette shifted the plate’s position.

“Oh, thank you, Annette, that’s very nice of you.” Byleth smiled at the student, whose cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and he picked up the note she had for her. “I have something to give you as well.”

Annette gasped and took it eagerly. “Thank you, Teacher!”

“Of course.” The orange-haired young woman danced off between the rows of tables, humming as she read the note. She stopped at the door, then turned back.

“…It is?”

Byleth nodded.

Annette blinked, her expression one of bewilderment, then disappeared behind the heavy door and out into the hall beyond it.

Byleth gladly ate the pudding, then fell asleep at his desk.

 ((the ending is lazy bhdfhsd thabk you for reading))

----------

notes from bae:

AHHH you were so fast!! and I love this so much??? the attention to detail in the letters, from Hilda’s dilemma over which gift to get, to all the crossings out in Bernie’s piece.... I LOVE IT ALLL

[ayma-nidiot]

The Ride - Sylvix fic Chapter 26

Also on AO3.

Chapter 26 – Surprises, Surprises

“So… Remind me how I ended up being the bridesmaid of honour?” Ingrid pouted the entire time Annette, Mercedes, and Dorothea tended to her appearance.

“You and me both.” Cyril happened to walk by. “How I ended up as the ring bearer, I will never know. I’ve hardly even spoken to the lucky couple today.”

“That’s because Rhea and our new archbishop trust you,” Annette replied with a smile.

“And you, my lovely Ingrid, are you really surprised?” Dorothea continued to braid Ingrid’s short hair. “Not only were you the first one to find out about their relationship, but you’re also the best friend of them both.”

“Whatever. I just think you three are using this wedding as an excuse to douse all the women with makeup.”

“The flower girl thinks she did a good job!” Flayn, with floral barrettes and even rosier cheeks, gave Ingrid a thumbs up as she walked by. “Say, are we going to get started soon? I heard there will be a lot of fish dishes at the reception. Which of course is half the fun.”

“There’s just one problem… We’ve got a couple of late guests.” Mercedes thought as she heard two men shouting outside. “Ah, here they come now!”

The late guests in question sped right past the women and straight to Sylvain’s quarters. “Hey! Where’s the man of the hour, huh?”

“You mean one of the men of the hour,” Sylvain corrected. He was embarrassed not just at his father’s late arrival, but also at his behaviour. It didn’t suit someone of his age. “No, let me guess why you’re late… It’s because of the pretty women around the monastery, isn’t it?”

“No… It’s um… because it’s been a while since I attended the Academy, and I had to ask for directions.”

“In other words, it’s because of the pretty women around the monastery.” Even though the margrave still acted like a womanizer all these years, Sylvain couldn’t ever really be mad at him. Sylvain bowed at the waist to Felix’s uncle. “Duke Fraldarius, it’s an honour to meet you. I am Sylvain Jose Gautier, the son of Margrave Gautier.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about you from my older brother before he died. Thank you for taking care of my younger nephew all this time.”

“Speaking of which, where is the blushing bride… er, groom?” Margrave Gautier asked.

“You’ll see him soon enough…” Sylvain got up as the bell of the Goddess Tower rang. Before he stepped onto the stairs, he looked up the tower and the golden sunrise backdrop. “And he will look wonderful.”

An hour later, Dorothea had just finished styling Felix’s hair into a low bun, letting a few strands hang at the sides. Annette and Mercedes stood back to look at the traditional Fraldarius clothes they worked hard to put on him. “Aww, you look so handsome! Sylvain is soooo lucky!” they squealed in unison.

“Okay, I’m handsome.” Felix started walking hastily to the Goddess Tower. “I’m handsome and very late for my own wedding. Ah!”

“Felix, watch out!” Ingrid tried to warn as Felix tripped on his cape. “Oh!”

A 10-year-old boy saved Felix from an embarrassing face plant. “Hey mister, are you okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” Felix knelt at the boy’s level. He could tell from his clothes and appearance that he was a common boy from Fraldarius. “You saved me, young man.”

The boy just now noticed Felix’s regal attire. “Hey, are you by chance Felix Hugo Fraldarius?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, man, this is the best day ever!” The boy happily jumped up and down. “Mom and Dad used to tell me all kinds of stories about you and what an awesome soldier you were!”

“They did?”

“You bet!” The boy did a few air punches. “They told me one time that you killed a boar with your bare hands.”

“Oh, that was probably just some gossip from your friends.” Felix chuckled, and was surprised when the boy didn’t laugh back.

“I… didn’t really have many friends growing up. When my mom and dad died, all my classmates thought it was because they had enough of me.” The boy began to cry. “I never really had any kind of cool parental figures after my parents’ deaths, either. I… had to live on my own. You were really the only role model I’ve had.”

“Well, I’m about to change that for you!” Felix declared proudly. “There’s going to be a really cool wedding at the Goddess Tower, and I’d love for you to come. There will be lots of yummy food and fun games. And there certainly won’t be any of those mean bullies that you’ve met.”

“Really?” The boy not only stopped crying, he lit up.

“Of course!” Mercedes took the boy by the hand while giving Felix a sidelong stare. “Now come, you don’t want to be late like a certain someone.”

The sun had arisen completely now while the birds fled from their previous hiding places. A spacious crowd gathered under the balcony of the Goddess Tower as Flayn tossed flowers from there. Mercedes couldn’t contain her excitement at the wedding about to commence. “Aww, I should have put some concealer on him at least…”

“Maybe you’ll find a chance to if you visit Fraldarius,” replied Ingrid, lifting Felix’s long cape off the ground while he walked.

As he stepped out from the shade, Felix shielded his face from the sun and the oncoming doves with his arm. Even as he walked to the balcony, he could hardly look at his soon-to-be husband in the eye.

Sylvain brushed aside Felix’s bangs and spoke softly, “Hey. Don’t be shy now of all times; let me see your beautiful face.”

Byleth, the newly appointed archbishop of the Church, grinned at this adorable display as she gestured for silence from the excited crowd below. “O holy Sothis! We stand before you today to ask for your blessings upon Sylvain Jose Gautier and Felix Hugo Fraldarius as they become joined in marriage. May you shower them with many years together, filled with love, light, and fortune. May their homelands become more prosperous with each passing day as the people will grow to respect them.”

Byleth’s conclusion of her speech prompted Sylvain to begin stating his vows. “I have lived a life full of unsavoury tendencies. I thought that I could never find true love because of my Crest. I thought that it was my only redeemable quality. But the day I met you, I started to believe that maybe, just maybe, I really do have worth. I’ve grown to love myself – and you – in all these years we’ve known one another. I’ll protect you with everything I have; this I swear.”

How am I supposed to top that? Felix had rehearsed his vows several times but at that moment, his mind drew a blank. “I… don’t have a way with words like you. People never forgot to remind me of it, and for the longest time, I didn’t care what they thought of me. What need for pretty words have I, a swordsman so dedicated to his training? It took all the practice in the world just to prepare me for this moment… But for me, it was worth it, to let all of Fódlan know how much I love you. It was worth it to be able to tell you that I will cherish and protect you for as long as I live.”

After a short pause, Byleth continued, “Do you, Sylvain Jose Gautier, take Felix Hugo Fraldarius as your husband?”

“I do!” Sylvain answered with a wink as he put his family ring on Felix’s finger.

“And do you, Felix Hugo Fraldarius, take Sylvain Jose Gautier as your husband?”

“I do.” Felix did the same, and there was no shyness in his voice now.

“Then by the power invested in I, Byleth Eisner, archbishop of the Church of Seiros… I now pronounce the two of you spouses for life.” Byleth gave Sylvain a wink and whispered, “Go on, hotshot, give him a big kiss.”

Don’t need to tell me that, Professor, Sylvain thought as he clasped the back of Felix’s head and kissed him for a long time.

“Aww!” The ten-year-old boy from earlier cheered, along with other monastery residents from the ground. “So this big wedding was for Felix, huh?”

Felix finally broke the kiss gently and now faced the crowd. “Oh, and I thought I’d like to take this opportunity to make an important announcement, particularly to my fellow citizens of Fraldarius. I accept the title of the Duke of Fraldarius… and so does my husband.”

“Whoa…” A few citizens were surprised, but most appeared to accept it.

“But wait…” A young man from Gautier spoke up. “Then who’s going to inherit House Gautier?”

Sylvain expected and feared for this topic to come up, but he didn’t want to lie to his people. “I pass that title to my brother Miklan.” Sylvain turned to his best man. “That is, if he is willing.”

“What?” The mention of Miklan’s name sparked whispers throughout. “He’s alive?”

“Yes.” Miklan turned around. “Though at times I don’t think I deserved to be… I am glad to be now, if only to atone for what I have done. If at any time the people think I don’t deserve this title, I will willingly step before a jury, and you may do what you will. But all I ask is this chance to gain your trust.”

“Miklan…” Margrave Gautier hadn’t seen his son in such a long while, not even after the Battle of Enbarr. To make sure that his elder son was not an apparition, he ran as fast as he could up the Goddess Tower’s stairs to get a good look at him.

Miklan didn’t expect this to occur, and didn’t really want it, either. He shifted uncomfortably before saying, “H-Hello, Father. It’s been a while.”

“You’re… alive.” The margrave’s voice sounded void of emotion. “How?”

“It’s a long story.” Miklan secretly brandished his Crest. “So, um… about the title-”

“I can’t say I’m 100% comfortable with it yet, but if Sylvain approves, then I will approve too.”

“I’m… um… glad, I guess.” Miklan could look at his father now, and noticed the margrave shedding a few tears.

“Oh, haha… Don’t mind me. I’m just… hoping… that we can at least try to get along as a family. I’m glad to have the chance.”

“Aaaand here come the waterworks!” Sylvain took the both of them in for a group hug, spurring many members of the crowd to also cry. Just as he was getting caught in the family bonding, he noticed a young black-haired boy standing just inside the shadow behind the balcony. “Oh? Who might you be, young man?”

“Ah, he’s a citizen of Fraldarius,” Felix cut in. “He actually saved me from damaging my ‘pretty face’ earlier.”

“So what brings you here?” Sylvain knelt down.

“I just… wanted to say to Felix that… Congratulations.” The ten-year-old boy grinned. “You’re right about having fun. I’ve already met a lot of really nice kids just now. I’m thankful.”

Felix pondered a while before asking the boy, “Young man, what is your name?”

“I’m Remy, sir.”

“How would you like to live with Sylvain and I?” Felix gave a quick glance to his husband for approval, which Sylvain readily gave. “We will give you the life that was stolen from you too soon.”

“I can have a family again?” Remy started crying tears of joy. “I… I… I would love to!”

“Oh, quit your crying!” Sylvain chuckled as he carried the boy, letting the crowd see him. “Everyone, I present to you Remy, the third in line to Fraldarius’ throne!”

“Aww, right!” Remy did a little victory pose, getting a huge confidence boost from the approving crowd. “Look out, world, I’m going to be a great soldier just like Papa!”

After the crowd had died down, and the wedding festivities had already started, Sylvain and Felix descended the stairs. Sylvain wasn’t surprised that Dorothea had caught the bouquet Felix had thrown, and now she bragged that one day she would be with her “beloved Ingrid.”

“Sylvain?” Felix took note of how silent Sylvain had become after they got back to the ground level. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Sylvain watched as Remy played with his new friends from the monastery. He was especially friendly to an 8-year-old Gautier girl and her 1-year-old sister who just started learning how to walk. The two older kids flew a sewn-up doll around, much to the 1-year-old’s amusement. “I’m just… I don’t know, I didn’t take you for the type to want kids someday.”

“Surprises, surprises.” Felix smiled as he gripped his husband’s hand. “That kid has been through a lot… I figured that I’d give him a fresh start. A new life.”

“Maybe this is wishful thinking, but… I hope we will live our lives in sheer happiness, for years without end.”

[iamalivenow]

It's understandable, he supposes.

Watching his usually flat-faced professor be on the verge of tears for an entire week straight makes sense. Claude was on the other side of the field when Jeralt was struck down and coming across that, stoic professor over their father's body weeping harder then the rain wasn't exactly easy on him. Or on the rest of his class.

But for some reason, he really thought they'd snap back to normal on Monday.

Callous of him, maybe. He's sure if he told them they wouldn't care all that much. Maybe he's just immature when it comes to this sort of thing. He really shouldn't be, of course, he presumably makes widows and orphans every other week when they're tasked with clearing about a bandit camp or pushed in the direction of dangerous heretics, but still. This is Teach- Teach who smiled, maybe twenty-seven times, since they've met.

It's not like they really did emotions.

"We should do something." Hilda leans forward as conspiratorially as she physically could.

They sit at a dinner table together- well- everyone other then Leonie who's maybe taking it even worse then Teach was. The other students avoid them for the most part, though he sees them give his professor their condolences as they sprint down the halls like always.

"Do what?" Lorenz leans back in his seat, stolen wine almost sloshing out of his cup and onto his uniform. "How do we even begin to replace-"

"No one said anything about replacing." Claude reaches past Ignatz to push him upward. If they draw too much attention, no amount of lying will get them out of trouble for stealing communion wine.

"Yeah, just cheering them up a little." Lysithea makes a face. "Pay attention."

"We can cheer them up more than a little." Hilda frowns. "I mean, if we want to be realistic." She drags the word out until everyone, everyone but Claude, stares at her. "We'd all be dead without them."

"That is..." Marianne, who to her credit did hold out the longest, lifts the cup to her lips and drinks. "...Probably true- isn't it?"

"Mmhm." Raphael nods- "For sure."

"Well maybe you would have-" Lorenz' mumbling goes ignored.

What do they even like, he wonders. Fishing? Can they do something with fishing? Cooking maybe? They invited him to cook with them a few times. Gardening? Singing? He doesn't know anything about them, a fact that usually irritates him but now it's little other than guilt.

Should he feel guilty for not knowing his professor's hobbies?

He sighs, and the others turn to look at him.

Well, he is the leader, after all.

"Just- Just be good. Try harder than usual. They like when we're good at class."

Because they're a teacher.

And maybe sixteen of those twenty-seven times were in the classroom.

"Just study? That's the plan?" Hilda gives him an incredulous look, which, fair. His reputation does always precede him. "Really?"

"It's not a bad plan." Ignatz mumbles. "We shouldn't add more stress to their lives. While they mourn."

"I'll tell Leonie," Lysithea says, and stands up slowly, teetering only a little from the drink. "Does anyone know where she is?"

"Stables. I'll go with you, if that's alright?" After a nod, Marianne follows after her. One by one they all trail away from the table, hiding they're drunkenness as best they can. He's left staring at Hilda, who's left staring at him.

"Really, though. What are you planning?"

"I don't always have a plan."

"Claude."

He doesn't always have a plan. When he really needs one, they seem more elusive than Grand Relics.

"Just don't whine about not wanting to work too loudly, okay? Give them a break." She pouts, which is expected but agrees anyway, eventually, after emptying her cup.

"You too, then." She says. "With your weird cagey questions."

He really thought he was more subtle.

Goes to show what little he knows.

…

Things settle into some semblance of normality.

They just have more guest lecturers then usual.

Teach invites him out to tea, and he always tries to make time. He spends longer then he needs to, really, in the gazebo with them because for once the sad wet eyes shift back to neutral and he thinks he can push the trauma back at least for a while.

That's the best any of them can do, offer distractions, and behave. The day of the tournament sneaks up on him, mostly because it was never something he really paid attention to. He knew that sometimes Teach would enter them into it, Raphael and Lysithea had the most victories among them, and any prize money would be spent on them, which seems fair.

He's never done one before, which is why it's a bit of a shock when his professor sprints past the dining hall before turning on a coin when they spot him out of the corner of their eye.

"Sure." He says, even though he has books he has to get through and letters he has to write.

Because it's Teach.

They give him a new bow, silver arrows, tight string. He grips it tight as they walk to the training pit together.

"So I just shoot arrows at people?" They nod, say something about it being just like a normal battlefield, but, you know, people you see on a regular basis. "Sure."

Why they're not shooting at targets, he doesn't understand, but he gets into the training pit and knocks his arrow. Just don't get hit. He's usually great at that sort of thing. He goes three rounds before taking any real damage, and it's worth it just to see Teach clap for every round of success he sees. He gets an arrow through his shoulder in round four and Teach rushes over to pull it out and push a potion into his hands.

"I'm fine. Relax." He gives them his smile and tries not to show any pain. At least not on his face. "The magic will do most of the work anyway."

Felix puts up way more of a fight then he thought he would, considering Claude's never seen him with a bow before, and there is something that is probably very worrying about hearing cheers when he looses an arrow through Felix's calf but just like everything else he puts it in the back of his mind because Teach comes over and picks him up, spins him in the air and praises him.

"Didn't know you could lift me." He laughs when his feet touch the ground again. "You look way too scrawny." They deck him in the shoulder, and he laughs again.

They look barely human at all most of the time, but they're smiling now, (twenty-eight), and Claude sighs.

Fate is really weird like that.

…

He sits in his room, Jeralt's diary open in front of him.

Weirdly enough, there isn't a section on the god that apparently lived in Teach's head, who would have thought.

Just as Teach finally cheered up, or just got so angry that they forgot about their dead father, their... goddess, that's still so weird to admit or think about, died for them too. Or not died, but disappeared in a way that made his professor sad. Again.

He really doesn't know why he cares so much, because Teach preforms the same, fights the same, instructs the same, sad or not sad. They're always lethal, always driven, always brilliant. He closes the book slowly and rubs his eyes. It's already pitch black outside.

Sneaking down to get food is probably not actually worth it, but he does it anyway.

He almost gets caught by knights twice, but he makes it into the kitchens in one piece.

"Of course, you're here." Teach stares up at him like a- He laughs quietly and slips back to the stoves. "Like a deer." He says and looks at the stew they're making. "I thought you looked like a deer. You're staring."

They apologize and stare down at their cooking food. Their weird hair seems to hang even lower than usual. Are they growing it out?

"Why didn't you eat earlier?" He almost jumps. Their voice comes from nowhere, like a ghost of the Cathedral.

"Got distracted." He finds a clean spoon and gets a mouthful of steaming liquid before they can swat at him. "Jeralt's diary is just really interesting. When it's not about how well you kill bandits."

"Not exciting enough anymore?" Their hair hangs in front of their face now.

"I can only watch you murder bandits so many times before it starts to lose its appeal. What can I say? You're pretty one-note Teach."

Which is maybe the biggest lie he's ever told.

They stay in silence after that, Teach occasionally stirring their pot and Claude leaning on the counter and thinking about how wild his professor is.

"Hey, Teach? What's your name?"

"Byleth."

"Huh." He says. "Did your father name you that?" They shrug. Well, they did tell him that they didn't know their mother. Despite reading pages and pages of love letters and forlorn sighing, he didn't know their mother's name or Teach's name either.

At some point, the stew is done.

The old church creaks as they eat in the same silence. Teach's eyes almost seem to glow in the dim light.

God touched.

He remembers a conversation they had months ago about Gods and feels his face heat up a little.

"You're really unreadable, you know that?"

They just shrug again, and finish their soup.

[strawberries-in-december]

have started ng+ golden deer now that there's enough distance to my bl run that the idea of white clouds doesn't make me break out in hives and here are my super unpopular opinions thus far:

- i like lorenz more than claude. i know this is heresy, but nothing about claude has gripped me so far. he's just sort of there

- all you haters have bad taste cyril's supports are still amazing

- actually i think that after lorenz leonie is my fave

- i rly liked marianne in my bl run but so many of her in-house supports are so samey. boring. am dreading bernadetta tbh

- actually most of the class doesn't really catch my attention. i like lorenz and leonie, lysithea is incredibly hit or miss (that ignatz support is Bad), ignatz is okay i guess, i'm torn on hilda and hoping she gets better post skip, and raphael is just there

- am playing as f!byleth this run and her model is just. So Ugly. weird big fish eyes and weird tiny mouth and bad outfits

- all the students going 'omg you're so great professor! a tactical genius!' meanwhile i have to reload bc i forgot to reclass lysithea out of armour knight on the death knight level

[lysissisyl]

Happy Fake Birthday

To @patricia-von-arundel, because I’m smitten. 💜

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Byleth was spending that day like any other day. She had trained in the early morning and now she was looking for Edelgard to offer some help with papers, strategies or anything else she was working on.

The emperor had always been very busy since the end of the war. They had won, but there were so many things left! TWSITD were still out there, as weakened as they could be, and haunting them down was a priority. There were still nobles attempting rebellions and scheming. There were offices that were still vacant. Then Empire, and the Kingdom and the Alliance even more, were still repairing all the damages, adapting to the new system. Edelgard always said she could take care of it all, but she was clearly overwhelmed, even with all her Eagles helping. Byleth was the only one she actually allowed near the most delicate and personal documents. She was the one she shared her strategies and battle plans with. So Byleth did her best to help and remind her El to take a break and take care of herself too. That day, though, Edelgard wasn’t in her study. Odd.

That day wasn’t like any other, not for Edelgard. She had decided it herself, but this didn’t make it any less special. When she had told Hubert that she needed a free day, he had looked at her like he was wondering if a slitherer had killed his emperor and secretly taken her place. She couldn’t blame him. She couldn’t remember taking any before, not a full day. Luckily for her, he decided she wasn’t suspicious enough to require further questioning. She had planned everything in advance. She had sent letters to Petra in the Bridgids, to her former professors, to all the Eagles and other schoolmates currently far from Enbar.

She had challenged herself in ways that would have made Byleth laugh. (She was sure Mercedes would’ve never let her near the kitchen again.) She had planned everything, like she always did, but she was still nervous. Was it a good idea? She knew the truth now. Was she being ridiculous? But she had missed so many! Did she do it all right? Not that Byleth had any previous experiences for comparison, but she truly wanted to make it right. She was walking to the window and back, pacing. Were they late? No, they weren’t. She was early.

Were they now? No, still early.

She sighed.

Byleth found a note on the desk: “I have some errands. Go fishing. I will stop there on my way back to help you carry the fish home.” She frowned. Odder.

Well, odd or not, she really wanted to go fishing now, and she wanted to meet Edelgard there and walk back together even more. She found her fishing rod and baits already packed and ready to go. Another note was on the side: “ I hope you will enjoy this wonderful day, my love.”

This was going from odd to suspicious. It was also very lovely, especially since she could see how Edelgard’s hands trembled writing those last two words. She had started calling her that after she proposed, but she was clearly not used to it yet. Her voice got half a tone higher every time and she still occasionally stuttered. Lovely (even if she would have probably argued about that word).

They were late now. Where were they? She had told them the time many times, she has made sure they all arrived in town in advance. They were there, so why weren’t they there?

A knock. A familiar one. Hubert.

She stopped in front of the window and turned around. “Come in.”

Hubert barely took a step in. “Your guests are here, Lady Edelgard.”

She almost sighed in relief. “They’re late.”

“Two minutes late, lady Edelgard.”

She sighed this time. “You know what to do, Hubert. Go.”

He nodded and left.

Edelgard walked straight to the gardens, where she knew her guests had been led. She got past the fancy flower beds and hedges, to a more secluded area. It wasn’t one of the greenest, but it was the perfect place for fires. Some had been prepared in the gravel, surrounded by blankets, benches, big pillows and swings. She wanted to roast the fishes there, like Byleth used to do with Jeralt as a child. Her ex classmates were there, chatting happily in small groups. (Manuela and Hanneman were arguing happily.) They were having fun all together for the first time after their Garreg Mach days. Someone softer would’ve cried.

Byleth had filled two baskets and was working on the third one when she heard the footsteps. Quiet, very controlled, almost sneaky. Definitely not Edelgard’s, but almost as familiar. Hubert waited respectfully for her to pull the fish out. She freed it from the line and threw it in the basket.

“Lady Edelgard sent me to help you with the fish. She apologizes for not being here in person as expected.”

ODD.

“I can carry the fish.” And Edelgard knew. She knew she could probably carry the fish and Hubert.

“I am aware, but you know her as much as I do. She would have never accepted not to be here without doing anything to make up for it.”

Byleth took the half filled basket and handed it to Hubert. “I know.” Then she grabbed the other two.

It wasn’t a long walk back to the palace, but Byleth spent it all wondering why she was sharing it with him. He was calm, now and when he approached her. That meant that Edelgard was perfectly fine and he knew. Byleth knew Edelgard was too much of a workaholic not to stick to her schedule and she wasn’t even in her study that morning. Maybe a meeting that required some extra time? But they usually handled them together. Talking to a problematic noble? She usually used the throne room for that and Byleth had checked it. Most of the errands outside of the Palace were taken care of by servants, the Eagles or Hubert. If any required Edelgard’s presence, Byleth was usually with her. It was always her or Hubert. Or both. Something personal then? Likely, but...why didn’t she know? She obviously respected Edelgard’s privacy, but she also knew that she had shared everything with her in the last few months. Was she overthinking it? No, she knew Edelgard and all that was suspicious.

The atmosphere in the gardens was cheerful and made Edelgard smile, but nothing warmed her heart like seeing Byleth there, the look on her face when she saw her and all her students. The Byleth who fought by her side during the war would have acknowledged it all with a brief, faint smile and a sincere “thank you”, but things had changed so much from then! She could see the surprise, then her brain putting all the information together, and making the joy emerge in her eyes. The smile she offered her wasn’t faint, nor faded. Edelgard could feel the emotion in her voice when she looked into her eyes and said “thank you” at least three times. She could feel how her hand squeezed hers when they turned toward their friends together.

“El?”

“You thanked me enough already, my love.”

“I just wanted to ask you something. Did you send Hubert because you’re a bad liar?”

Too unexpected not to make her flustered. She started complaining, but she changed her mind. “ I can’t lie to you, my love.”

“I’ll take it as a yes.” Byleth grinned and Edelgard’s protests lost the few coherence they had.

Then Byleth got serious again. She looked at all the students reunited, then at the wonderful woman who clearly reunited them for her. “Can I ask why?”

Edelgard blushed. It suddenly seemed very stupid, but she still said it. “Years ago I asked you about your birthday and you told me you didn’t know the day you were born, that you and Captain Jeralt had never celebrated it. I told you you could just choose one. You chose today. I know we learned your true birthday on Jeralt’s diary, but...” she stopped. That really sounded stupid.

“El?”

“If you plan to tease me more, my love, I may threaten to cook the fish too.”

“ No, I...” Hesitation was unusual, new, the sign she was dealing with emotions she was still learning to know. “ I just thought that I haven’t thanked you enough at all.”

The words surprised her, but the kiss that followed completely took her ability to think away. It lasted an instant and forever. For a long moment Edelgard forgot about the war, TWSITD, all the responsibilities, worries and duties. She was just El again, and El ran to her friends, with the brightest smile they had ever seen.

It was only minutes later that Byleth remembered Edelgard’s words. She took a deep breath and turned to face her, a rare veil of fear in her eyes. “ What else did you cook?!”

“ The cake...” Silence. “ Don’t worry. Mercedes helped.”