Archive of Our Own

Smoke vanished into thin air with every push and inhale of her lungs. The woman didn't like the taste, but the effect it had on her every now and then. Turning her thoughts rather blank, instead of inner turmoils unleashing themself upon her. Byleth couldn't say for certain if it was truly the smoking on itself or more likely her strong believe that it was and therefore the solution. Nonetheless, it became a very shitty habit and she knew she would regret it someday. At least it didn't happen every day, usually only at days where she woke up after a terrible nightmare; sweaty dark green hair nestled against her forehead and a pulse as rapid as if she had ran a marathon. Only then she'd sit on her balcony, arms rested against the balustrade and the chill air against the parts of her skin that weren't clothed. Calmess came quickly that way and she would fall asleep again within minutes, instead of hours. Byleth knew for certain what kept her awake almost every night. 

The death of her father. 

It's been around five years since then. Since the day Jeralt Eisner had been murdered in front of her own eyes. In disbelief she had stared at the red headed girl she only had known fleetingly. Jeralt had a lot of enemies, that much Byleth had known. The work of the police in a state like Fódlan was filled with danger. There were a lot of people hating the leading position of Church and Kingdom. During a public event with the Archbishop Rhea and the current king, there had been an assassination attempt on both of their lives. There was no comfort in thinking it wasn't personal regarding her father's death. Jeralt had known the risk and it had taken him from her. She wasn't angry at him. Not any more, at least. There was no way in dwelling in anger and resentment. The assassin had been sentenced and that had been all Byleth could have asked for, no matter how her thoughts sometimes drifted into dark places. Everyone who lost a loved one wished the baddest things upon the offender. It was only natural, Byleth had hoped, and found reassurance in the arms of her friends. Friends, that became like a family over a short amount of time. 

As if her thoughts had left her head to fly up to the balcony right over her, she suddenly saw pink hair falling over the railing above, a pale face blinking down at the woman. It almost seemed like a scene from a fairytale. Although Byleth wasn't too keen to pull herself up to another floor with the help of the long hair of her friend. She could easily use the door and the stairs. 

"That bad again, huh?" The pink haired girl huffed sadly, crossing the arms under her chin to rest it on the balustrade of her own balcony. There wasn't an answer in form of words. Instead, Byleth nodded unnecessarily, since the girl couldn't fully see her, and took a last deep inhale of her cigarette, until she put if out inside the ashtray on her right hand side. 

"I figured." The woman above continued knowingly, the silence her answer. "Heard you cry, wondered if you would be outside and then I saw you lighting the balcony on fire. The smoke was unmistakable." A soft smile crossed the girls face and she leaned it to the side. 

"You heard me?" Byleth finally answered. She had never been much of a talker, but that hadn't stopped her from gathering a group of fantastic and supportive friends. Some giving her more attention than others, but they loved her nonetheless. Which she returned dearly. "I'm sorry, Hilda." She continued with a sigh, palming her tired eyes. "I'm probably stealing you some beauty sleep these days."

"Nah" Erupted harshly from Hilda's throat. "Don't worry, By. No restless night can unsettle this beauty." She pointed at her face, bright with a smile. "Besides, if anything, I'm more worried about you. Wanna grab lunch tomorrow? We could talk a little and cheer you up." 

There was no way in denying an offer from Hilda, even if Byleth had been opposed to the idea of going out and doing anything. That much she had learned from the lazy, but cheerful  girl. With a soft nod they bid their farewell for now and returned to their respective beds.

And once again, she was gone within seconds.

---

Hilda Goneril was that kind of friend, who slept way too long at any given chance. Byleth on the other hand rarely slept till 10am, usually already full of fresh bread and the best (and cheapest) spread on top. This time, though, she had given in to eat with her pink haired friend, which she might have regretted a little, given how hungry she turned with every passing hour. And when Byleth got hungry, everyone of her friends knew it's best not to start arguments with her. One could say, that's where she buried her anger that elsewhere never occurred.  

"It's about damn time, young lady!" Byleth groaned, finally hearing a ringing at her door with a woman and her wide smile behind. She wore a cute strapless and short dark dress over a white blouse and as always, she looked stunning. Byleth aspired to be as confident in her looks as Hilda was, even though all her friends would reassure her that she had nothing to worry about. A remark crossed her mind, as a friend of hers once said: "If I may say, you are remarkably endowed. No man could possibly resist a charm like yours." In which Hilda had replied: "Lorenz, did you just complimented her boobs ?" And suddenly a banter between the two kindled. "I am afraid that's not exactly what I said. At least there is a special class to my words, unlike yours." All of them had rolled their eyes and started laughing at their discussion, well aware there was no harm within their words.

"Sorry" Hilda chirped, scratching her cheek with one finger and still smiling, this time a little mischievous. "I, uh, had to organise something. Took longer than expected." 

"Is that so?" Byleth answered in an expectant question, raising one eyebrow. "What did you organise? Your biorhythm?"

"Ha, ha, early bird. Remember who kept me awake." She countered teasingly, noticing the small flinch of Byleth and her soft sigh of guilt. "Anyway" Hilda quickly tried to change the subject to their main topic. "Come on, I'll tell you what I'm planning once we're too full to have silly comebacks for each other."

---

"So, I need you to keep Claude busy for tomorrow." 

Byleth choked a little on her scrambled eggs, also realising she had put way too much salt on top. Or it could have been the crispy bacon. Probably both. Most likely a combination of all three occurrences. Hilda hadn't seemed to have noticed Byleth's outburst of the small self control she inhabited regarding the topic that was Claude von Riegan. Drowning her whole glass of coke in one go, she passed it off towards the salt anyway. Just in case.

Claude was the first true friend she had made when she came to Garreg Mach; a city, so old it represented the church in some ancient way. The old town consisted of buildings from over a thousand years. Of course they had all been taken care off, otherwise they would have been long forgotten. Garreg Mach wasn't her hometown, neither was it of her friends, reason why she didn't know much about Fódlani history, but so far no one had complained. They all had come for different reasons to Garreg Mach. Religious believes, a new beginning or to get away from the hectic life around Fódlan. Also, it was known for the best educational services, an oasis for scholars and students. And that's how all of them met; at the biggest Academy on the entire continent. Or specifically, that's how Byleth met Claude. A walking jokester, with a passion towards herbs - in fact only the dangerous ones - as well as a serious side whenever it was necessary. At first he had trust issues towards everyone he met, but it wasn't too hard to win over his heart in favor of a long lasting friendship. Hilda, as his best friend from the beginning, didn't truly let him ride on his trust issues anyway, there had been no other way to than accept his fate and have people around him at any given time. Byleth had grown fond of the tall brunette quite quickly. That wasn't hard, after all. Claude had a way of talking to let everyone feel appreciated and for that matter, willing to do whatever he wanted. Extending one hand in exchange of a deal, so to say. He almost got away with everything he wanted, which meant a lot since he wasn't from Fódlan. Actually, he was, but other people didn't truly care and loved their racism and superior mannerism too much to give a single thought about their actions. As the son of an Almyran and a Fódlani, life wasn't really easy for him, no matter where he went. He wasn't a privileged white guy and that was enough for most folks, a reason for him to be scared to let his guards down just to be hurt in the end. Which never happened, to Hilda's rising confidence in knowledge of human nature. 

Reason why Byleth lost countenance in the first place wasn't hanging out with her friend per se; actually, she had a wild crush on him for as long as she could remember. And being alone with him never truly helped her misere. Especially after all of them grew out of their teenage years into mid twenties. 

And for some odd reason, Byleth suspected Hilda to be onto something without having ever talked about this subject. The almost innocent smile on her pink haired friend just didn't truly convince her.

"Why, though?" Byleth finally managed to croak out, after clearing her throat. Eyes fixed on the still full plate in front of her, too afraid to cross her gaze with Hilda. 

The mentioned woman stretched her arms and bent them behind her head, sliding a little deeper into her with red fake leather coated seat. "You seriously don't know?" She clicked her tongue. "And here I thought we're friends, man."

As if a question mark had appeared over Byleth's head, she tilted it in the process to underline her confusion. "It's his birthday, you silly!" A laugh crawled out of Hilda's slim throat and she pointed lazily at her friend, feeling somehow ready again to start a harmful quarrel. "But then again, you don't even know in which year you were born. So I guess that's no surprise. For what we know, you could already be fourty!" Byleth shook her head, at least a little amused and without much further ado she dove back into eating her well deserved breakfast. 

"And why do I have to 'keep him busy'? Wouldn't it be a lot nicer if we all spent the day with him? If he's able to, that said. Maybe he already has plans. He hasn't said anything, not that I remember that is." A stream of words flowed from her mouth, eager to avoid a dawning situation. It wasn't like Byleth didn't want to meet him in privat. They did quite frequently, but a girl could only contain her crush that much. She needed a break at some point. Regain her consciousness and dive back in into a peaceful and guarded conversation with her male best friend. That's it. He's male and a friend. She didn't want to turn into one of those friends who couldn't just be friends, and thence destroy their perfect bond altogether. 

Suddenly she noticed how selfish she sounded. She didn't want to be the complicated part in their friendship and yet she already treated him as avoidable just because she couldn't keep it in her pants. 

"You truly should get better sleep, By." Hilda sighed. "Guess why I had to organize shit this morning. Raph is currently taking care of planning the food, Linhart offered his place, you know how close he's with Marianne. They both are getting the apartment ready tomorrow. And Ignatz, well, y'know him. He ain't keeping secrets from Claude. Actually, no one of us does. Don't get me started with Lorenz and Lysithea. If I ask them, only one of them will join the party and I'm afraid Claude's skinny ass won't be the winner. You're the only fitting role for this. He won't be asking you any questions about our absence, that's for sure." A knowing smile crossed her lips and Byleth didn't like the implication at all. "We're throwing a nice party for our deer leader ."

Suddenly, Hilda fumbled with her pink handbag, which she had carefully placed next to her. A phone resurfaced from the darkness within. A few clicks and she shoved it towards her companion. "I actually wanted to keep it a surprise for all of us tomorrow. But I'm too excited." Probably another reason why she refused to keep Claude busy for the day as well. A picture appeared. A picture of a banner, to be exact. This time Byleth turned to smile softly. The yellowish banner showed golden embroidery, with a neat writing The Golden Deer . "Ain't this cute? Isn't it?" 

The Golden Deer had been their group name for years. They had agreed on it at some point in their crossed lives, probably drunk as fuck. Byleth couldn't even recall the moment in which Claude had gotten the idea in the first place, but no one complained. It gave them a sense of cohesion to the point not a single soul of their group wanted it gone. Especially since the developed jokes due to the wordplay were too good to be missed. Claude, proud as ever, wouldn't have given up on his glorious idea anyway. "It looks fantastic! Did you made it yourself?" 

Happy with the praise, Hilda beamed brightly at her, showing her teeth. "Almost" she confessed, but no guilt within her. "I asked a few mates. Mercedes for example! You remember her, right? She helped me getting the right fabrics."

After a round of chit chat concerning the coming birthday party their morning ended with contentment. Indeed Hilda had managed to lift her spirits and all the bad nights didn't matter as much as it had before. It still lingered deep in the back of her head, but it wasn't as important anymore. Hilda had instructed her into the plan, so Byleth had some planning to do herself. After all Claude was rather attentive and he would wonder why none of his friends had time for him, besides Byleth. Or he wouldn't. She never knew exactly what was going on inside his pretty head. 

Claude loved the quality time with his friends, as always. Byleth never had the impression he had a feeling of missing out anything whenever they did something together, no matter how boring it may have seemed to anybody else. Even walks through the woods and parks around Garreg Mach. Byleth never grew used to the feeling of being appreciated by him, another reason why it had been impossible not to be too fond of his presence. The dark green haired woman tried her best to figure out to make the most of their time tomorrow. Plans of which he probably had no ideas of yet. Byleth loved spending hours at dinners and pubs, never restricted herself from eating whatever she wanted. It wasn't like she had to turn herself upside down just to be liked by someone. Her friends were proof of it. 

A walk through the outsides of an ancient castle calmed her excited nerves, helping her to figure out what to do with their almost endless time on the next day. The tourism these days had grown much. People from everywhere around the continent, even outside Fódlan, visited to see the Church of Seiros. Open for everyone who wished to learn and listen. Not everything was accessible, of course not. The Archbishop still inhabited the Church, but no one except the believers were allowed to see her. Byleth was unsure if she actually liked all the souvenir shops and sorts around the main Churchcastle. After all, it all felt kinda… capitalistic. Then again, this way the Church wouldn't be forgotten in growing times. It worked, that's all that mattered. 

History lived in these old walls. History, that could be read on information boards. History, so old, everyone wondered how much of it was really true. About bloody and gruesome wars, of a creator goddess, of the beginning and almost end. Garreg Mach Monastery had always been an academy. At least it wasn't for war anymore. Byleth wondered, if she had lived in these times, would she still think of silly things like birthday parties and a crush she tried to suppress? A soft giggle chimed from her. Probably not. There would have been only thoughts about war and surviving. No time for lovey dovey feelings. But then again, if her friends had been there. If Claude would have lived during these times... She shook her head silently. There was no reason to dwell on what ifs . Besides, she had almost, for a single moment, forgotten her inner trouble towards this problem , which frankly, wasn't truly one. With a soft sigh, she pulled her phone out to be greeted by several messages. One in particular caught her attention and breath likewise. She opened the messenger app and scrolled through the conversations to click on Claude's name. He'd changed the picture again, she noticed. She always did and it made her cringe towards herself. It was a headshot of his smile, a fitting yellow shirt peeked over the corner of the picture. He was wearing sunglasses and had dirt on his left cheek, probably from wrestling with Raphael at the beach, who she saw in the background posing as the winner, probably. Byleth noticed her bright smile and covered her mouth quickly, as if anyone passing by cared about a stranger smiling at their phone. Eventually she checked the message he had sended her a few minutes ago. "u free tomorrow?"

Eloquent as ever, Byleth snickered, and convenient as well. She answered him right away, with not much thought to it. "No" She started and sent it. As if Claude had waited for her to answer, his online status popped up on the top and swiftly, another post appeared. A gif of a crying dude, tears falling like a waterfall. "I'm sorry, I've got a date with a handsome fella, you probably don't know him." She teased, knowing fully well Claude wasn't going to believe it anyway. Byleth shared everything with her friends, Hilda in particular and if her pink haired friend knew, everyone did at some point or another. Claude's answer appeared, consisting of several question marks. "Dimitri?" Came as well. Byleth knew that it wasn't meant in all seriousness, yet she couldn't shake off the feeling of maybe he wasn't joking at all. Sometimes it was hard to seperate the jokes and sarcasm from honesty. At last, another message appeared. "U can't fool me, B. Dimitri is mine. If u date him, u gotta date me 2." 

"Is that an open invitation? Besides, I don't wanna watch you guys ride into the sunset, cuz you forgot me during you guys' makeout." With a snicker she waited for his responds. Joking with innuendos was always easy with him, even though nothing ever happened between the two of them. The thought might had left a little sting. It was just the chaotic way they all acted. At some point Claude had suggested to call them the golden meme instead. 

"I'd never forget you, B." Upon reading the message, Byleth could physically feel his wink on her. "Anyway, can I be the handsome fella for tomorrow?" Byleth cursed and wiped her cheeks with a free hand, as if trying to get the red colour off. "Fun thing you ask, I wanted to ask you anyway. Anything specific where you wanna meet?” As before, Claude didn’t wait too long to answer. His usually short answers were a blessing when it came to planning and chatting. Whereas in person, he’d talk so much, it was almost impossible to join their own conversation. “Not a thing, just want to see you.” Ah, Byleth said out loud, holding the phone close to her chest, a giddy feeling rushing through her veins. She didn’t know how to respond to this confession, so she decided to ignore it altogether. “Meet me at twelve at the parking lot of the red canyon. We could go for a walk and maybe eat something later, whatever you want.” Byleth always felt some kind of connection towards the forest of and around the Red Canyon. According to Fódlan’s history, it was some kind of important place, happenings of almost long forgotten times. No tourist was allowed to get too close to the canyons itself, marking it as a sacred place. But the woods were made for long walks and hikes. She remembered wasting away lots of time there with her dad, whenever he was allowed to be with his daughter. “Whatever I want?” Claude teased as always, bringing her back from her thoughts that weren’t too good for her mental health anyway. “Sure thing, c u there!”

And with that, they left their conversation for the day. Although.., Byleth suddenly raised from the park bench in sheer horror. She had no gift for him, not even a single idea. Claude loved gifts, no matter what kind, yet Byleth always tried to find the best one. The feeling was mutual within their group of friends. No one expected anything, but were glad whenever they received a reminder of their bond. And everyone knew Byleth was… special in her decision regarding gifts, to say the least. They loved it, but not a single soul would expect a grown woman to gift them a collection of feathers. Everything came with a personal story, why exactly she thought of the other and hence gifting her founds. As someone who grew up with a healthy love towards nature, it only felt natural. She remembered how she used to gift her father stones she had found at rivers and during their hikes. And Jeralt had kept all of them. When he died, her curiosity with items of nature kinda died off. Picked flowers used to adorn her windowside and the balcony. But, well, it used to. The first time Hilda had received an ordinary basket with goods she had been happy, but also absolutely concerned. It wasn’t like Byleth to just buy things, instead she used to create something herself she had found somewhere in the woods. Everyone else would have thought of it as odd or even weird, but her friends knew it made her even more special and absolutely fitting. Claude had told her several times before, that he didn’t need presents. He just wanted to spent time with his friends and some sappy stuff, that they were present enough in his life. But that wasn’t enough for Byleth. She only had the remains of half a day and a quest to fulfill.

---

Way too late Byleth flopped into her bed and buried her face into pillow, she had build and sweated too much for the perfect gift. She already feared he wouldn’t like it, even though that wasn’t like him at all. The longer she laid there, the worse her thoughts became. Restlessness at its best, she figured. With a glance up from her pillow, she stared at the balcony door, remembering there was a small but unhealthy solution. Peeling herself off from her blankets, she tiptoed over to the door, opening it slowly. As if fearing anyone, specifically Hilda, would hear her. She used to scold her whenever she saw her smoking, but it stopped once she knew the reason. She might have not agreed, but there was no point in reasoning with a stubborn person like Byleth. She sat down on the cold wooden stool, grabbing the almost empty package and pulled out a cancerous stick. Just in the moment that she clicked with the lighter, a shriek resounded probably over the whole neighborhood. “What the fuck are you doin’, young lady?” Hilda scolded once again. In shock, Byleth almost lost the lighter, while the cigarette had fallen from her hands and landed in the dirt of the balcony, which she rarely cared for these days. “Goddess, damnit.” The victim wheezed. “Do you have a tracker implanted into me or how do you always know when I’m here?”

“If I had, I wouldn’t tell you.” She snickered in response. “But lucky for you, I just happen to admire the view. And to tell you to stop!”

“So we’re back to guilt tripping?” During the process of responding, Byleth snatched the cigarette from the ground, leaning back into her chair that made awful sounds of regret. 

“Kinda” Hilda avowed. “I just don’t want you to smell like death tomorrow.”

“Why? You wanna make out? It’s not my birthday, you know.” She sneered jokingly, tilting her head, even though she couldn’t truly see the pink haired girl, only heard her voice above, like some kind of scolding goddess. The sudden silence sprouted terrible foreboding in her. 

Hilda knew. She also knew, that Byleth knew. Reason why the silence became unbearable and for an unconscious cause, Byleth found herself sticking the cigarette back into the package. But she wouldn’t let Hilda get the satisfaction of a win. A sigh tuned in, followed by a big yawn from the pink haired goddess above. "Birthday boy wouldn't like it to smell this shit on you." 

"So, we're truly back at it again. Since when do I bent myself for the liking of someone else?" There was too much truth in her words, that it almost wasn't playful anymore. "Besides, why does it matter anyway? We'll go for a walk and arrive at the party just in time."

"Sure" Hilda whistled sharply, the sound of footsteps above causing Byleth to look up, bending over the railing and meeting her friends eyes, as she smiled manically at her. "You aren't smoking, though."

"Hilda Valentine Goneril, go to bed or I will make you." Byleth grunted, averting her eyes from the teasing and knowing look on her friend.

Hilda chuckled. "I'm in danger."

Another groan followed, but it didn't stuck this time. With a sigh, Byleth wiped over her face. "Am I this obvious?" 

"Usually, no. Actual reason why I picked you as bait and distraction." She crossed her arms over the railing again, looking down at her blushing face, although it was possible a result of the cold night. "Buuuut" she chimed. "I'm afraid I know you long enough to identify your kind of lovesick glances." 

"I have what?" Byleth gulped, embarrassment washing over her. 

"Yeah. When we first met you I was sure you were some kind of robot. Like, you never laughed or smiled. You used to look at us like some kind of different species. I'm glad we're well past that stage. But your glances towards Claude" She stopped to have a moment of thoughts to herself, pressing her left hand against her cheek, glancing over the view filled with trees, streets and other apartments. "It's super cute. I wasn't sure in the beginning, you're pretty hard to read. But guuurl, your crush is obvious as heaven." Byleth didn't know Hilda was much a believer for her to call the existence of a Goddess above obvious, she started to furiously blush regardless.

"You think he knows?" She voiced her panic suddenly, without trying to deny anything. There was no way of escaping Hilda. If she had tried, it would have only gotten worse. Hilda on the other hand clicked with her tongue, pulled an unreadable face and silently shook her head. "Not a chance. No offense, but Claude is an idiot. He knows how to lie and expects from everyone to do the same. He's rather oblivious to genuine feelings. I'm glad we managed to warm up to him enough to be friends, eh." That was good, Byleth thought. Not the lying part of course, but the fact, that he probably didn't know. It still bothered her to be that obvious. 

"The others don't know, as well." Hilda reassured suddenly. As if, once again, knowing exactly what was brooding in her head. Was she a mind-reader in disguise? "Pretty sure of it, at least. You know me, I'm the one everyone comes to for these sort of things. Remember this girl Lorenz had brought with him once? Poor little lady. I had to help him break up with her, cuz he was too chicken. If Lorenz can talk to me about lovey dovey stuff, anyone can. I never knew he was capable of guilt." Hilda drifted off into nostalgic memories, forgetting their current subject for a fleeting moment. "That said" She returned. "Your little secret is safe with me."

"Thank you."

"But" She chimed back in, not giving Byleth time to say anything else. "You gotta tell him, though."

There was silence and a shifting noise, leaving Hilda to nothingness until she spoke up again. "Byleth?"

But Byleth was long gone back inside her appartement, fleeing from this kind of extortion, leaving Hilda alone with a petit and winning smile on her face. For once, Byleth slept till the next morning without unpleasant dreams in days.

---

So much damn heat. It grew to be the hottest day in the month of the Blue Sea Moon, Byleth noticed. Just standing and waiting was enough for a thin layer of sweat being plastered on her forehead. She'd thank Hilda later for having chosen her wardrobe this morning. First time in years where her friend had woken up early, just to burst into her apartment and stick her nose into her clothes. Despite Hilda's protests, they managed to agree on nothing too revealing. As much as Byleth didn't mind to serve as a little eye-candy, it wasn't her style at all. A high waisted skirt and a form fitting shirt were enough. For Hilda "showing her legs for days" was a good compromise. However, Byleth regretted her choice anyway. She wasn't much a fan of colors, tending to put on anything as dark as possible, black or dark blue. She remembered well the confused faces of her friends, when she met them dressed in a white summer dress back in the moon of Verdant Rain a year ago. The sun wasn't helping much, soaking into the black fabric like it was trying to create a new sun. Byleth was lucky to have not chosen her characteristic lace tights. With her mobile in hand, she kept up with the business going on in a private birthday group. Checking now and then if everything went as planned. Probably reason why Hilda had been up early on a weekend. Just when Byleth made sure Claude hadn't sent her another message regarding his arrival, a shadow appeared in front of her, blocking the gruesome sun. "The youth and their phones." greeted Claude, smiling teasingly at her. Averting her attention from the phone, she could have fainted right there and then and blamed the heat later on without being suspicious. 

Claude had grown a faint beard along the edges of his sharp featured face, his usual messy brown hair pushed back out of his sight with a few strands still resisting. Goddess, she groaned internally. Why was he allowed to be so handsome? Byleth wasn't surprised that he didn't sweat one bit. With her phone finally resting in her small leather backpack with golden ornaments, which she had been gifted by Raphael with the help of Hilda a few birthdays ago, she smiled at him in return and hopped up to wrap her arms around his neck, expecting him to catch her in return. Which he did, lifting her up in the process and swinging a little from left to right. "Happy Birthday, Claude." 

"Thank you, B." A little huff crossed her lips the second she touched the ground again. 

Awkwardness settled in and Byleth didn't like the feeling one bit, being sure she was the one to have pushed it into the space between them. "I hope you don't mind having your ass dragged out again just to walk." Not having stopped to smile due to lack of what-else to do, she felt her cheeks sting.

"Ah, don't worry" he answered, carefree as always. "It's better than sitting around doing nothing. You know I can't stay at one place for too long." Leaving it at that, they turned towards the entrance of the nearby forest and it turned out to be a delight. The wood prevented the heat to settle in and the shadows managed to wipe away any kind of sweat. Furthermore, back into known territory, Byleth's uneasy mind found rest, fully aware she couldn't let a crush decide over the way she treated her friends. 

"Did your father call you?" She asked at some point, feeling the rotten leaves and pebbles give in by every step. 

"You know my old man. He wouldn't even call if he were lying in his deathbed" Claude joked, looking up into the sky of leaves. "Mom did though. They're thinking about visiting next year when we graduate."

"That's sweet! I always wanted to meet your parents."

"You do?" Claude raised an eyebrow. In amusement, he watched attentively how Byleth checked out her surroundings. "Well, stay in line, B. Hilda's called shotgun." 

"She hasn't met your parents yet?" Byleth exclaimed confused, furrowing the spot between her brows.

"Uh-uh" Came the negative sound. "Almyra is pretty far off into the east and my parents aren't really fond of Fódlan. Well, my dad isn't. I'm lucky enough that my mother is missing her homeland." 

Excitement rose in the smaller woman's eyes. Maybe she compensated the lack of her own parents; with her mother gone while giving birth to her and her father murdered, there wasn't much parental love she could have absorbed. "Uhhh!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down a little. Claude was taken aback for a second, not used to her openly expressing her happiness in this way. "We could show them our favorite places!" Byleth had stepped closer and sneaked an arm around his own, hooking herself up to him. "You think they'll like the woods? The observatory? We haven't been there in ages!" 

Instead of answering her right away, he glanced down at her, a genuine soft smile on his lips. Byleth met his eyes, feeling her excitement subsiding and being transitioned to embarrassment. Her cheeks tinted red right before she let go of his arms, freeing him involuntarily. "Uhm, sorry. I- uhm. I don't know what got into me for a second." 

"Don't worry" He reassured, draping his now freed arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer again, walking slowly with her at his side. "Mom would love... it." They traveled through the woods in comfortable closeness. However, Byleth was painfully aware of her red cheeks, but she decided not to linger on the throught. Not for too long, at least.

---

"How come you won't throw a party today?" Byleth asked curiously, leaning against the backrest of her chair, picking lazily into the cake on the plate before of her, just to shove it graceless into her mouth. 

"I'm not a fan of parties." He answered, plainly. 

Byleth spluttered, holding her hand up to cover her mouth, not wanting to look as unpleasant as she felt. She'd die one of these days, if her friends won't stop to baffle her. "Is everything alright?" Claude asked concerned, lifting himself up from his seat, ready to help her if needed. Byleth shook her head quickly, almost straining her neck. Yet, Claude got back onto his chair, worry plastered on his face. "It's-" She swallowed heavily, glad to have oxygen back in her lungs. "It's okay. Happens quite often these days." Byleth waved it off nonchalant. "How come?" She returned to the conversation as if nothing had happened. Fortunately, Claude did the same, relaxing again. "Ain't like I don't enjoy a massive feast." He explained, laughing barely audible. "But all the shambles isn't quite my thing. Although, I wouldn't mind just to sit with my favorite deer s." Claude sighed. "Guess I missed that opportunity, but Hilda acted rather strange these days. It's been impossible to ask anything." Hilda been right. Firstly, Claude was absolutely oblivious and Byleth loved it, secondly, she noticed once again why she had to spent time with him instead of Hilda herself. Why was it impossible for anyone to keep secrets? Then again, Byleth wasted more time with not being too obvious with her crush, the whole party aspect wasn't even that important to her right now. 

"Whatever is going on in that petite head of hers, it's a mystery to us all." Byleth laughed the conversation off and shrugged in the process of doing so. With her attention back to the traterious cake, they fell back into chit-chat about everything and nothing. 

"How are you, though?" Claude wondered at some point, already done with his gifted cake, sipping on his coffee, holding the mug with both hands, resting his elbows on the table. 

"I'm good."

"Don't lie to me, By." He returned firmly, tilting his head in a sad expression. Byleth returned the intonation, playing with the handle of her hot chocolate mug. 

"I'm having nightmares again." She confessed finally, feeling some weight being lifted from her shoulders, despite Claude not having done anything except to ask. 

"'bout your father?" He figured. 

"Hmh." Byleth nodded, staring at the now empty plate. 

"I'm sorry. Wish I could help you in some way. We all do." Their eyes met for a short amount of time in which Byleth threw him a mournful smile. 

"Don't worry. This ain't your burden to wear. I'm glad enough to spent time with all of you. Usually that helps immensely." Getting uncomfortable with the necessary topic, she put effort in retract it. "How about you?"

Claude wasn't the kind of person to push her too much. He was curious, as always, and caring. It had taken him almost a whole year just to warm up to their group of friends and being honest with all of them. The second he cared, he didn't accept any kind of lies. "You know little ol' me, I'm happy as always. Especially with you as company." How , Byleth wondered. His flirty mannerisms threw her off evermore. Turning something almost unbearable into this. Byleth wondered if he knew what it did to her. Then again, if he wouldn't, why would he bother to leave her flustered? 

"That's… good." She saved herself from saying anything that he'd most definitely use against her at some point. She wouldn't want to throw logs into the teasing pit. "Only the best for our birthday boy." 

"Our?" He looked around himself, as if in search for a hidden camera. "I thought this is some exclusive business."

Byleth snickered, emptying her mug, closing her eyes for a second to shove her nose into the glowing sunlight. "It sure is. Wouldn't want to share you with anyone."

"Not even Dimitri?" He joked, watching her pale face averting the sunlight like a mirror. 

"Not in a million years." 

Byleth watched Claude's reaction, searching for any kind of honesty regarding her mild confession. But he was just smiling, like he always did. Contrary to his usual behavior, his smile reached his eyes this time. Byleth couldn't bear his stare for too long, not without breaking into a blushing puddle. Trying to change the subject once again, she got interrupted by Claude himself. She assumed he had noticed her ashamed behavior. 

"What is going on over there?" Pointing behind his dark haired companion, Byleth turned in her seat, shamelessly staring at a group of people, dressed up in medieval robes and dresses. Some of the women wore flower crowns, the men armed with swords and knives. One of the girls with long blond hair, twirled into a beautiful braid, wore shining armor, just as heavily armed as her male friends. They were moving towards the churchcastle, where suddenly loud noises erupted, as well as music. Byleth hadn't noticed the mass of people charging towards the inner circle of the castle before. Some were dressed just like the group of people that had caught their attention, others were normal tourists and vistors. "I didn't know there was going to be a festival." Excitement rose in her, shoving any embarrassment away. "You wanna check it out?" Claude sprang up on his feet, almost kicking over the table. "Absolutely!"

---

The fair, they learned, was the first one ever to grace Garreg Mach's holy grounds. They had received a personal permission from the Archbishop herself, granting them the opportunity to bring history back to life. It's been a mystery to Byleth how she could have missed any information for this, but she was glad for the opportunity to spent the time with Claude without boredom crawling towards them. Not like that would ever happen. She could meet him anywhere and he'd still bring a smile to her face. The fair was free, for their surprise, but the activities weren't. Lots of booths were to entertain the children, roaming over the place, laughing maniacally. There were puppeteers, options to ride and pet horses and huge piles of hay for them to play in. The adults, though, were allowed to spent their times with shopping, eating and heavy drinking. Mead and beer, everywhere. Byleth's stomach voiced it's interest upon smelling the delicious food. She was so close to eat everything, but even she had her limit. She needed to choose wisely if at all. While contemplating over what to eat, she wandered with Claude at his side over the grounds of the castle. Spirited music was coming from a stage nearby, people danced in front, kids running in circles and men were drinking with their women. Some were already wasted and Byleth wondered, when they had started to drink or if the mead was to be feared. While Byleth was still fixed on the freely dancing people, Claude was watching a dark skinned man draw a young girl, sitting on a small stool, hands cupped in each other in her lap. She had a picked flower behind her ear, waiting for the final product. The man showed her the picture and she beamed brightly. It was a fine pencil sketch and as far as Claude could tell from the position he was awkwardly standing, the man had managed to represent her features perfectly. He had drawn her head and parts of her shoulders. With the flower still behind her ear, he also gave her a delicate tiara, probably due to the medieval matter. The girl thanked the man and rushed to her parents in delight, shaking the picture in her hands. 

"Interested, Sir?" The man asked, now looking directly at Claude, who had been lost in the thoughts for a moment. "Huh?" He had answered improper. 

"Yes!" Byleth suddenly exclaimed, tugging at her companions sleeve. Claude hadn't noticed her arrival. The artist chuckled, pointing at the stool, as well as providing a second one. Excitedly, Byleth sat down, scooting a little closer to the other seat. Reluctantly, Claude gave in, yet not opposed in the idea itself. Suddenly, the man asked Claude something in a foreign tongue, causing him to widen his eyes. Byleth watched the two of them having a round of smalltalk, feeling left out, she pouted. The artist turned the canvas horizontally, taking the pencil in his left hand and started drawing. Since they were two people, it took a little longer, but at least a few people around them were drawn to the art of the man. One woman in particular made a sound close to admiration, tugging at her partners hand in hers. Byleth felt rather comfortable. Unconsciously, she had snaked her arm around Claude's, leaning against his shoulder but merely touching it. It was a picture after all! She wouldn't want to just sit there, as if they weren't close. Besides, Byleth needed to let her crushing show now and then. Hoping for any kind of sign from his side. The man clapped his hands, freed the picture and smiled softly at them. Byleth took it in her hands and stared blankly for a few seconds. The faces staring back resembled them so much, it almost freezed her blood. But, on contrary to their living counterpart, they both wore some kind of crowns. Byleth's seemed more elegant, with swirls and jewels. Claude's was more bulky, also adorned with gemstones. Byleth swallowed hard. She wasn't denying that the picture was absolutely beautiful, in fact, it hit her heart deeply. But she wasn't quite sure if Claude was that much liking the idea, after all, the artist had portrait them as a couple. "It's beautiful!" She finally managed to croak nonetheless, smiling warmly at the man. The man smiled back, nodding friendly. Claude cleared his throat and told the artist something in his mother tongue, Byleth had suspected. Byleth rolled the picture carefully, storing it in her backpack, while Claude thanked the man even more, paying him despite the refusal of the artist itself. 

"What did you tell him?" Byleth asked once they returned to their walk again. 

"That he's a great artist… and where he's from in Almyra. Just some unimportant smalltalk." He answered quickly. Byleth noticed, that he was either lying or just not telling everything. 

"Okay." She smiled. "Are you okay? You seem a little uneasy?" 

"Huh?" Claude's head turned to her, his green eyes piercing into her gaze. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking. It's… unimportant." 

Since Byleth didn't want to push him any further, she returned to admiring the market. Glancing over jewellery, leather works and clothes. Whenever she saw anything interesting - in this case a falconer - she would grab his hand in hers. Pulling him with her, discreetly loving the feeling of his palm against hers. Not once he pulled away, albeit being baffled. Byleth felt more like one of the overly aflutter children, whereas Claude turned into the position of an unconcerned parent. 

At some point, Byleth almost stumbled over a sign, stopping in front, inspecting it. It belonged to a tent next to them, depicting it as fortune teller. The sign actually pointed out, that the person was able to tell the past, the future and anything regarding a possible reincarnation. Byleth snorted. She didn't believe in any of this, but it sounded like fun. Thinking about the picture in her back, who knew if they were kings and queens in old times. Claude, not believing in anything regarding religion or magic, wasn't able to stop her from going in anyway.

They were greeted by a young woman, hiding behind a veil, her eyes dark within the shallow light. She just pointed at the spot in front of her, not talking much. It helped immensely to create a suspenseful atmosphere. Byleth enjoyed every single second.

With rising interest Byleth sat down onto the expensive looking hammock, watching the elegant woman, clothed in a fine black dress, taking Claude's hands in hers, his palms facing upwards. "What was your name again, dear?" She hummed mysteriously. Claude cackled quietly, enjoying the attention. It wasn't like Byleth believed in anything remotely magical. The woman claimed to know the past and the future of any individual, and Byleth enjoyed the fun to play along. After telling her his name, the woman started humming again. Byleth couldn't make out a certain tune she might have recognized, but liking the sound nevertheless. A shrill gasp escaped the woman, inspecting his palms and his face, forcing Claude to stare anywhere but into her eyes. "Claude you say" She repeated. "All I see is a man named Khalid, wearing your face with honor." With narrowed eyes Byleth watched his face as well, noticing the heavy gulp that couldn't be withhold. "A duke, I see." The woman continued, swaying her head from left to right, chanting inwardly. "No" She interrupted herself, her eyes open wide. "A prince as well, a king even." The wise woman turned Claude's hand in hers, trying to find more evidence to her words. "Living in two different worlds, one for birthright, another for a greater call, returning for… love.." A glance towards Byleth's side startled the young woman, absolutely invested in the story the other woman had started. "You're an archer, aren't you?" The woman turned to his hands again, inspecting them furthermore. "The best, there was." Taken aback by the doubtful observation, Claude drew his hands back in discomfort. "Ok-ay.." Was all he said for a few fleeting moments, before turning to stand up from his seat, ready to leave the place. But he underestimated Byleth's commitment. She sprang up as well and swung herself into the seat in front of the woman as well, beaming excitedly at her. The Storyteller smiled softly back at her, presenting her open hands towards the dark haired woman.  Without complaint, it was Claude's turn to rest on the hammock, studying the happening. It didn't take long for the woman to start her humming again, slower this time and… different. This time, though, it awakened something in her. As if she had heard the tune before. Blankly, she stared at the woman, waiting expectantly for words. "The fallen star, the progenitor god." She mumbled. "The Goddess' vessel, wielder of the Sword of the Creator..." The woman's eyes widened as she stared at her awaiting. Byleth didn't know what she waited for, instead she huffed in response. "The one to unite her people, Kingdom and Church, serving as their savior, with help of her most trustworthy." Again, she glanced to the side, startling Claude for once. "Byleth Eisner, the divine saint." With that, it was Byleth's turn to stop the serenade, swallowing hard. She couldn't remember telling the woman her name. It left her utterly unsettled. They thanked quickly, maintaining courtesy, since she hadn't done anything wrong. Her payment happened to be a donation for an orphanage and Byleth recalled having put a day's salary inside, with Claude doing the same. Once they stepped outside, they both sighed simultaneously. "Mead?" Claude offered, pointing at a booth nearby. "Please." She answered, without missing a beat.

Resting on a free bench next to the booth and with mead in a jug in their hands, they watched the hustle and bustle of their surroundings. Children playing in a mountain of hay, parents laughing, checking out booths with jewellery or eating fresh made goods. They had sat there next to each other in comfortable silence, until Byleth shoved her shoulder against his upper arm. "When were you going to tell me your name ain't Claude, huh?" She teased, smiling warmly. Claude grimaced and hunched over a little, suddenly very interested in the remains of his mead. Byleth didn't expect him to not laugh or at least smile. "Are you okay?"

"My dad named me Khalid." He confessed, turning her mouth dry all out of a sudden. "Mom just thought it wouldn't truly help me getting along in Fódlan, so she gave me a more accepted name."

"How did she…?"

"That's the scary part, to be honest. Like, sheesh, she knew your name, too. As if it were the easiest thing to know." They shook themself in unison, letting loose of their shared malaise. 

"Well, I have yet to discover I'm a Goddess." Byleth finally chimed in return, trying not to care too much for the show they had received. "And I hope you did not hide the fact that you're a prince, king, duke… whatever. Although, your secret is safe with me. Otherwise Lorenz will suddenly overcome his odium and will try to marry you." That, at least, earned her a laugh and a shove in return. 

"Thank you, Lady Byleth." He teased, back to his former and charming self. "As long as we'll reunite the people of Fódlan, I going to be happy and a trustworthy companion." 

Byleth giggled, a wholeheartedly giggle. We . That sounded nice. With her jug raised high, she turned to Claude and waited for him to do the same. "A toast to us, I'd say!" She exclaimed. Their jugs met with a cling and maybe she made a promise to herself to tell him how she felt. Maybe.

---

"Oh shit" Byleth breathed, her mobile in her hand. Hilda was already sending death threats, also telling her in private if she was "getting dicked", she should tell her, only excuse she'd accept. Claude came back from returning the jugs. "We gotta go." Byleth explained. She hurriedly put her phone back, rising from the bench, gesturing him to follow. It seemed they had spent their time well and good, forgetting the passing time. Byleth should have led him to Linhardt's apartment half an hour ago. She completely had lost her track of time, especially since the days were longer than usual. "Why?" Claude only managed to wonder, following her without protest. "I forgot something important." At this point, Byleth suspected him to have caught on to something. After all, he wasn't stupid. Usually, he was the one with a handful of surprises up his sleeves and he was extraordinarily good at keeping secrets. Unlike Byleth in her panic state. They hurriedly traveled to the exit towards the next cable car, hoping one would take them to their destination anytime soon. "Do you mind me asking what you've forgotten?" He stared at her with a frown, watching her fidgeting with her fingers. "I do mind." she answered quickly, straightening her skirt not knowing what else to do. "Does it have anything to do with Hilda's reserved behavior?" He poked furthermore. He was crossing his arms by now, keeping a watchful eye on her. "No" Byleth tried, meeting his eyes. She turned beet red in panic and helplessness and stumbled towards him, lifting her arms to press her hands over his eyes. "Don't look at me like that, I won't say anything, till we're there." Claude chuckled warmly, catching her wrists to tore them from his sight. "And where is that mysterious place called there ?"  

"Stop it!" She whined, twisting her arms in his hold without much effort. "Shhh. You'll know soon. Just keep quiet." Although, Claude never truly listened, too busy listening to his own voice. 

"Make me." He clicked with his tongue, tilting his head a little. And winked. Byleth groaned internally. He was a cruel bastard and he most definitely knew. Fortunately, their cable car arrived, forcing Claude to let go of her and being led inside. They drove for a few minutes, until Byleth hushed him out of the vehicle. The brunette checked his surroundings, trying to figure out where he had been abducted to. Without hesitation, Byleth took his hand, leading him down the street, farther away from the central city. "Ah" Claude suddenly hummed. "Linhardt and Marianne." The dark haired woman didn't dare to look at him in fear of giving him too much satisfaction. Instead, she stayed silent altogether. At last, ringing the bell, the tension disappeared from her. They joged up the stairs and were greeted by Marianne herself. She waved at them, an innocent smile on her lips. "Hello, friends." She wrapped Byleth in a fleeting hug, turning to Claude to do the same. "Happy Birthday, Claude." She giggled meekly, leading them inside. 

There, all of their friends jumped into their field of view, screaming from the top of their lungs towards the birthday boy. Claude experienced a mild heart attack, holding the space on his chest with one hand, shoving the other in his hair. "Goddess, damnit." He mumbled breathless. "If you all wanted to kill me, just do it quickly." Silence returned, until the brunette laughed. "I'm glad to see y'all too." He stepped into the room, allowing himself to be pulled into a massive bear hug coming from Hilda. Leonie had to step in at some point, peeling her off of the poor guy, just to embrace him ever so tightly, patting his back. When it was Raphael's turn, they shove each other playfully with Claude ending up in a headlock, getting his brown hair messed up. "I knew I heard something." Linhardt yawned, shuffling through the hall towards Byleth, who was standing there with Marianne. "Hey." He greeted tiredly. 

"Thanks for letting us crash your place."

"Goddess, please don't." He joked, rubbing his eyes. "Unless you all will clean it up again."

"I'll make sure they will." Byleth promised, watching Claude trying to save himself from Raphael. Leonie chimed in, trying to pry of the arm, almost toppling over in the process. Lysithea, who had been sitting next to Lorenz on the other side of the room, pitied him and stepped forward as well. Suddenly jumping with full force onto Raphael's back, slinging her arms around his neck. The tall beast yelped helplessly, finally letting go of their leader. Loud laughing resonated through the walls and the sound of fighting finally subsided. "Saved by a child." Claude joked, catching his breath, grabbing Lysithea's shoulders to wrap her into a hug as well. Angrily, she boxed into his sides, writhing in his embrace. "I'm not a child, you moron." Lorenz, sitting on an armchair, kneaded his temples, wondering if it was worth to have come. He wasn't spared by Claude, since he had showed no effort in gratulating the brunette. He spread his arms and got closer to the man with lilac hair, falling forward on top of him, almost choking him. Lorenz gasped, regret plastered all over his face. "Let go of me." He halfheartedly plead. "You gonna mess up my hair."

"I hate it to break it to you" Claude stepped back, inspecting Lorenz. "but that already happened a long time ago and it ain't my fault." His interlocutor sighed, kicking after the brunette in hopes of scaring him enough to leave him alone. "I love you too, buddy." Claude chuckled, turning to finally get a view of the preparations his friends had done. Two tables were graced by the finest of dishes, several bottles of liquor and Claude feared, they'd all be wasted at the end of the day. Finally glancing upwards, he caught a glimpse of the banner Hilda had prepared. He stepped out of the room to earn a proper view. "Wow" he breathed, smiling brightly. "Let me guess. Hilda?" The outcalled woman grinned sheepishly, brushing her foot over the ground as if ashamed. "So much effort, from you? C'mere, you witch!" She scuttled over to him, hugging him even tighter than before. 

"Where is Ignatz?" Byleth asked, turning to Marianne. The blue haired saint shrugged. "He's probably just too late. Don't worry, he'll come." A reassuring smile grazed her features and Byleth was sure, Marianne could convince her of everything. 

"-and you!" Byleth felt spoken to all of a sudden. Hilda charged at her, boxing her upper arm. "Why were you late?!" 

"Uh" The supposed Goddess, according to a very convincing mysterious woman, shrugged. 

"We lost track of time, that's it. Might be my fault. Y'know B is too polite to have her phone out all the time to check the time. Would've been pretty rude, don't you think?" Claude chimed in, picking at one of her pigtails. Hilda threw a knowing glance at her friend, a slight tug at the corner of her lips visible to Byleth and only her. 

"Alright guys! Let's get to it! Raph has spent ages in the kitchen." The pink haired, pretty bossy, woman clapped her hands and turned around to the living room. Byleth and Claude followed last, a quick exchange of a glimpse at each other and a wink from him, before he laid a hand on her back to technically shove her inside. 

---

The food had been godlike . And the alcohol had been even better. The Deer's hadn't noticed how drunk they all had become within the hours of mingling and playful teasing. Which meant a lot since they had eaten plenty of Raphael's fantastic buffet. There were a few exceptions, though. Lorenz wasn't much of a drinker and Claude, for some unknown reason, hesitated whenever he was offered a drink. Hilda and Byleth on the other hand didn't. They gulped down everything that came into an arms length and soon they were dancing freely to some tunes the pink haired fawn had offered. With each others hands in the grip of the other, they twisted and turned, giggling while doing so. Unfortunately, they hadn't even noticed Ignatz's arrival, who was staring blankly at the group, almost like to have been invited for whole different party, and he was now painfully aware of his sober presence. Even Marianne, Goddess bless her, turned tipsy. They all assumed she felt comfortable enough around them to at least try to let loose. No one was pressuring her and reassuring, that she still would be fun to be around even if she decided not to drink at all. At some point they started singing loudly, not a care in the world. Frankly, they hadn't. They were mostly rich kids with an easy life, going to an expensive private school, showing some kind of modesty, most of them living in flats and the best part of it all, they were friends. With personalities so different from one another, Byleth felt like she could freely adapt to some and still feel unique. Ignatz had brought a gaming console, trying his best not to be stomped upon while connecting it with the television. Hilda was the first to notice - between her and her also heavily drunk friend - the newest addition to their group. She fell on her knees, pulling Byleth with her and hugging their friend tightly around his left side, while Byleth took his free right. Ignatz wheezed, however laughing. "Oh, we miss'd you, sunshine." Hilda mumbled, tightening her grip. Byleth chimed in. "We thought you'd forgott'n us." The young man with glasses chuckled, finally plugging the console in, also managed to escape the deathgrip of his friends. "What're we gonna play?" Byleth simpered, her eyes shining rather hazy. Ignatz shrugged. "I don't know, I brought a few games. We should let Claude decide."

Claude, who had watched the scenery from afar, sitting next to Lorenz, whose unharmful disgust was placed all over his face, took the games in his hands, eagerly browsing through it. Byleth, in her dazed mind, couldn't tell if Lorenz's mood was directed towards them or Claude, either way, she didn't feel like she wanted it to change. The man with lilac hair wasn't one to smile genuine very often, but whenever he did, it was special and she liked that aspect about him.

"I'd say we're ready for some beating!" Claude exclaimed, throwing the chosen game into Ignatz general direction, who caught it mid air; a move that earned him a whistle of approval from Hilda. Everyone who wanted to beat each other virtually - and probably in person as well - gathered together. Leonie and Lysithea sat next to each other on pillows on the ground, Claude and Lorenz remained on the couch, whereas Hilda had claimed the comfortable armchair. Raphael, Linhart and Marianne met on the balcony, probably doing some stuff that Byleth would have loved to join, but she directed her attention towards Claude and the game. For some drunk reason, he was her priority. Probably deciding on what her sober mind couldn't. Stressed out, she searched for a place to sit, turning around herself a few times, awaiting eyes upon her. Hilda hiccuped in her direction, poking her with her feet to gain her sight. "Guess you gotta… force someone to make room for you." She snorted unattractive and rather obviously nodded to their birthday boy. At any other time, Byleth would have snarled at her, as well as blushing hard. Although this time, she beamed brightly, acting like Hilda was a genius incarnate. The dark haired woman waddled over to the brunette, who threw a glance at her filled with sheer horror. Claude shook his head lightly, but couldn't stop Byleth from sitting down sideways onto his lap. Claude cleared his throat inaudible, trying not to act on it. "That's not exactly what I meant" Hilda laughed. "but it's fine. Isn't it, Claaaaude?"

Claude didn't answer, trying his best to stare at the television with every given might. Together they fought over which character to play, who'd be the best to use and groaned in unison due to Hilda wasting time away to customize her character. In defense, there were just a few color options, yet it took her ages to decide. Claude shifted underneath the firm body, waving it off as a search for a better position to play, since his view was partially blocked. 

What started as a group activity, turned into a war quickly. They ranted endlessly, insulting each other for foul play, acting like they were attacking one another for reasons outside the game mechanic. At some point, Byleth extended her hand towards the screen in a mad gesture. "Why you always attacking Claude!" She wasn't talking to the player itself or who might be the reason for her wrath. "I'm gonna fight Kirby's stupid ass!"

Ignatz gasped hurt. "Kirby ain't stupid!"

---

With a decreasing number of participants through hours of playing, they returned to chatting. Hilda joined her friends outside, complaining of the weird smelling smoke. Leonie and Lysithea talked about everything regarding the academy, their drunkenness subsiding slowly, while Lorenz tried to help with constructive criticism regarding Ignatz's lovelife - in which the latter hadn't much to say to or much experience in, but he enjoyed the chat either way.

Byleth on the other hand, hadn't changed her position on top of Claude much, even though the seat next to him was free by now. She had thrown her legs over, pointing to the armrest on the other side, leaning back against the one behind her, while her arm rested around his shoulder, the free one lying on her lap. Even in her drunk state, she was sure the brunette had relaxed. He wasn't sitting uptight anymore, his legs a little parted to give her more space to rest on, at least that's what she assumed. But the best part, and Byleth only hoped to remember after hours of sleep, was that one hand of his on her thigh. He wasn't doing anything, it was just… there. And yet she felt some kind of familiarity, noticing that no one truly cared. At least not in a dismissive way and she wondered, why she always thought they could. Her mind was twisting around itself. So many thoughts she couldn't decipher yet. Was she liking it? Could she imagine being like that with him forever? Well, forever was a big word. It was already too late till she realized she was staring at him. After all, she hadn't much room to choose where her eyes landed on. She would rather look at him, than Lorenz' back or the gathering on the balcony. 

"What are you thinking?" Claude asked, merely a whisper. He was searching her face, a slight arch on the corner of his lips. 

"You've got wrinkles." She hummed with a slur, reaching up to his face to lightly point at the sides of his eyes. 

Claude huffed. "Well, that's charming, but as the gentleman that I am, I'll take it as a compliment."

"It is." Byleth exclaimed without noticing his slight resentment. "Means you smile a lot."

"Not sure that's an indicator, but go on." 

"I've still got a present for you." She remembered suddenly, frowning upon realisation. 

"You do?" Claude was sincerely surprised. Like usual, he didn't expect anything.

"Yeah, but it's at home. Couldn't have carried it to the date we had. Would have been suspicious." 

"We had a date?" His eyes widened, tilting his head in question, not sure how much honesty he could find in her current state. Then again, she rarely lied and right now, there was no point in starting to.

"I mean…" She cleared her throat, a faint blush on her cheeks that hadn't been there before and so close to each other, there was no way in missing. "... unconsciously we called it like that. Like in the texts we send."

The brunette seemed to think hard with narrowed eyes. Once he caught on to the conversation, he grinned. "So I truly am the handsome fella?"

He wasn't trying to avoid her assumption, which she never intended to blurt out like that, still she was grateful for no dismissing on his part. Byleth wasn't quite sure though. For all she knew, he could be polite. Like always. Absentmindedly she brushed her free hand along his jawline, taking every time her slow brain had to brush over his neatly trimmed beard. Claude's hand on her thigh twitched for a second, squeezing the fabric of her skirt and the subtle flesh underneath. Only then did she notice, that she hadn't answered him yet. 

"Alright guys" Hilda squealed loudly for everyone to hear, while stepping back inside. "I'm hitting the sheets." She yawned noisy to underline her statement, glancing towards the touchy pair. Although Byleth was still staring at Claude, not even a flinch coming from her, his head had turned to his friend, his warm hand withdrawing with a quick flick. "You coming with me, By?" 

"Hm?" 

"I asked if you'll go home as well, you drunk baby." Hilda had spent lots of time retreating to water during her digression in 'Linhardt and the wonderous world of weed', whereas Byleth got left behind with being tipsy as fuck. Even though she hadn't comprehended the true meaning of Hilda's words, Byleth stood up, swaying dangerously towards her friend. "Oh, geez." She giggled to herself. 

"I'll go with you two." Claude suggested, standing up in time to keep Byleth from knocking over a bottle and a few glasses. 

"That's okay. I won't carry her, would make me all sweaty." Hilda winced at the image. 

Profusely, Byleth had bid her farewell to her friends and stabilized by her companions, they marched to their final destination for the night.

---

She was heavy, Claude noticed. After all, she was drunk and didn't truly care how much weight she put onto him. Stumbling now and then, it was hard for Claude to let go of her and fumble in her bag to find the keys to her apartment. She'd slipped to one side, almost plopping to the ground, however with a smile on her face.

Hilda had suspiciously left them at some point. Saying she was about to puke and had scuttled away, preventing any kind of helpless cry coming from Claude.

Yet glad to help Byleth furthermore, Claude opened the door and sweeped her of the floor, snaking a hand around her back, while his other arm grabbed the hollow of her knees, lifting her from the ground. She giggled, throwing her own arm over his shoulder, trying to keep her posture. Still, she wasn't too keen on cooperating. Instead, with her free hand, she touched his face again and it was the most distracting thing. Almost as distracting as to have her sit on his lap. "You doing this with all your friends when you're drunk?" Frankly, Claude knew she did, but still he couldn't shake off the feeling that the looks she was giving him were his alone. Byleth's fingertips ran over the edges of his face, utterly drawn towards his sharp features. "No" She had mumbled though. "Only the ones that I like." It wasn't too convincing, since she liked all her friends. At some point, they reached the bedroom. Claude let go of her, lying her down onto the bed, hearing Byleth groan due to the sudden lack of contact. The brunette tried his best to help her get out of her shoes, surely it wasn't all too comfortable. Finished with his task, he grabbed the blanket and threw it over her. Byleth had stretched her arms upwards, awaiting the moment of warmth and flopped them down again onto the fabric. The woman turned from one side to another in search for the best position, closing her eyes ready to sleep. Claude smiled softly at her, stepping towards the hallway that would lead him outside. "Claude" She murmured, just loud enough for him to hear, breaking the silence anyway. He moved back to her, expecting her to ask for any kind of help. Water, another blanket, aspirin. 

"Would you sleep with me?" Her eyes fluttered and she smiled pleased with herself. Claude cleared his throat, suspecting she wasn't aware of the implication of her plea. Lastly, Byleth patted the spot next to her. Claude's face went suspiciously blank for a second, giving the impression of heavy calculating. Still, he shove his own shoes from his feet and crawled towards the spot she had decided on. It wasn't the most comfortable way to sleep, still dressed in itchy day wear. Yet, he couldn't mind too long. Byleth scooted over, pressing herself against his side and he felt his breath hitch for a moment. Carefully, he draped his arm around her, pulling her closer in the process. Claude stared down at his wasted friend and he sighed heavily, for reasons yet unknown to Byleth. She fell into a peaceful slumber to the feeling of his warm hands caressing her back.

+++

In shock, Byleth woke up. She couldn't remember a nightmare, yet, she felt like something absolutely terrifying had come upon her. Besides this, her mouth felt extraordinary dry. Concentrating heavily, the dark haired woman remembered the past day. The party at Marianne and Linhardt; Hilda and her dancing hard to some beats, Lorenz being Lorenz, Leonie hugging her tightly as she cried due to suppressed feelings - blaming the alcohol-, Ignatz being devastated of Kirby being called stupid, Lysithea getting almost into a fight with Claude, her sitting on his lap.

Claude!

Like a cat with rabies, she jaggedly swung the blanket from her body, almost flying out of the bed. She was still wearing her clothes from the day before. Embarrassment came back to her like a long lost friend. How much had she drunk? Besides, where was the person she vividly could recall crawling into her bed? Byleth searched every room, stopping at the bathroom to fix the mess on her head upon noticing, as well as getting the terrible taste from her tongue. She continued her search but couldn't find him anywhere. She assumed he had left early. Byleth couldn't blame him. It must have been terrible boring to sleep next to her drunk ass. 

And then there he was, standing at the railing on her balcony, back faced towards her. Quietly, she opened the door, but not sneaky enough. The brunette turned to her, smiling. She swallowed hard. "Hey" She managed to croak. Leaning back with crossed arms, he tilted his head. "Good morning  sleepyhead." Despite the warmth of the early sun shining in, chills traveled through her body. "How awkward have I been?" She asked, rubbing her face with both hands. 

"Depends." He answered, swaying his head from left to right. 

"Depends on what?"

"If it's awkward for you. Me and the Deer's aren't complaining yet. So I guess you're good." Fervently, Byleth hoped that all she thought to have remembered, were just fever dreams of sobering up. On the other hand, he was also an exceptional good liar. "How are you feeling, though?" He interrupted her internal panic. 

"Better than I'd have suspected." She yawned, stretching her back and fully aware of her awkward stance within the door frame. Just when she wanted to get to the chair and sit down, she flinched by virtue of his sudden movement.

"Good" He had said, shaking something in his hand, that Byleth didn't recognized at first. "Then you can probably tell me what this is." He held the cigarette package up high, which wasn't a big deal, since Claude had grown to tower over almost everyone in their group, except Raphael. Encouraged to join his examination, Byleth raised her hands in a try of no avail to snatch the package from his hands. "C'mon" She whined. "Give them back. I need them."

"I've never seen you smoke" He voiced his observation. "So how could you need them?" Byleth hadn't noticed how she had rested the hand, that wasn't trying to catch the goods, on his chest for support. Upon hearing his words, she sighed and gave in. "I smoke when I can't sleep, cuz of… y'know." The playful smile that had graced his mouth disappeared, sudden guilt washing over. "As a distraction?" He assumed. 

"Kinda." Byleth watched him putting them back onto the table, but it wasn't relief she felt. Still, they were her only hope of calming to the point of sleeping peaceful through the rest of the night. 

"Maybe you should look for a better and healthy habit, though. You do you, but don't risk your life like that." It wasn't like she'd just one day flop down and die, although it suddenly felt like it. She disliked the guilt-tripping of her friends. It wasn't like they were wrong, yet she would rather smoke, than wake several times a night to the screams of herself and the death of the only family through blood that she had. "Another habit?" She playfully asked, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms under her chest. "I don't know" Claude shrugged. "Knitting, maybe?" Byleth shoved him playfully. "You only want a nice, itchy sweater, don't you?" Claude tilted his head from one side to the other, than nodding vehemently. "And I'd wear it proudly!" He laughed wholeheartedly and it was the most beautiful sound Byleth could listen to for all eternity. She had to tell him. She really wanted to, but Byleth wasn't much of talker or even good at explaining, at least that's what she assumed of herself. 

"Or…" Byleth whispered, carried away from her thoughts and his laughter. He looked almost angelic. The early sunlight shining against him from behind, giving him some kind of halo. He was absolutely beautiful. She saw him next to her, like in a haste dream, his hand on her leg, squeezing it lightly. Her handsome fella. Even though he was more than that to her. Not just some friend. Someone she wanted to feel even more touches from, someone she could be closer to than to other. Even more, she wanted to see his smile every morning, roll her eyes at his jokes at any given time, spent hours with him - as his. She was about to risk a lot, she figured. As a matter of fact not her life, but it most definitely felt like it. She wished, if he might be disgusted, she could just turn back the time and rethink her actions. But she couldn't. 

Her right hand flew into his neck, nearly knocking him forward. Courageously, she dove in, standing on tiptoes in front of him, her lips gracing over his. The moment she didn't feel a hesitant flinch and no kind of repent from her side, she kissed him. Her eyes fluttered shut, encouraged by his sudden tight grip around her, lifting her even higher than she could possible reach. Both her arms were now crossed behind his neck, his hands roaming over her back and sides. The only indication of time were the rising heat in her entire body and her trembling hands looking for enough halt to keep her weak knees from falling. Turning breathless, they parted, looking each other in widened eyes, fully aware of what just happened. "I- uhm… didn't expect… this." He confessed, cheeks only faintly tinted red. "Are you sure… you aren't still, you know, drunk?" Byleth turned to look to the ground, gnawing on her lips, missing the pressure. To think she would only kiss him while not being hyper aware of her surroundings… wasn't that much of a lie. It seemed she had more courage to dive into new territory while not caring for consequences. However, it wasn't the case right now. She cared. A lot. "Pretty sure." She answered with a thin voice. Claude reached to rise her gaze, cupping her face with both of his hands, leaning down to kiss the corners of her mouth. Byleth giggled softly, regaining confidence, reaching up to shove her hands into his soft, brown hair, scratching softly over his scalp. He hummed in response. "Then it's a habit I might get used to. I just" He kissed her chaste on the lips. "need to make sure." 

Although she rode with the flow of their kissing, relishing in the feeling of his soft mouth on hers, his tongue sometimes playfully drifting against hers, she was quite literally screaming inside. Having him so close had felt like an open invitation for her. She could have asked him, instead of pressuring him into the situation. But Byleth knew, he wouldn't do anything he didn't want and the thought sparked a massive flame in her. He wanted her? It was too good to be true. The smaller woman gasped into the sensual kiss, yearning for every so single touch coming from him. By now, she was pressed against him, back arched slightly, while he bend down to meet her halfway. The so called butterflies were freed from their cage of denial and she feared they'd escape her too fast, the sensation too good to be missed. The kiss grew sloppier and Byleth suspected, if Hilda was awake and sitting on the balcony, she would know. The sounds coming from them were unmistakable. Her face was completely red by now, her chest rising and sinking in a fast pace, her hands desperately clinging on his shoulders and neck. She might have been ashamed, if he weren't digging his fingers into her hip in the same manner. "You wanna" Claude sighed against her cheek, planting several kisses close to her ear. "go inside?" A shiver ran over her spine, noticeable even for him and he grinned triumphant. Byleth nodded, lost for words over the implication. Claude's hands traveled downwards, brushing over her backside to the hollow of her knees. Byleth understood his plan and jumped up, swinging her legs around his hips, his tight grip keeping her stable in his arms. She helped him open the balcony door, stumbling inside towards the bed. Through all the way, Byleth had kissed every part of his face he hadn't needed to bring them safely inside. She had kept her hands around his neck and in his hair, nibbling on the shell of his ear. Softly, Claude let her down onto the mattress, watching her shove herself upwards the bed even more. With rising anticipation, Byleth met his green eyes, drowning in their color while he came closer. She greeted him with spread legs and a hand in his neck, while the other fumbled with the collar of his shirt. Perfectly aligned, they returned to their ecstatic kissing. Breathing heavily through their noses while exchanging fluids from one tongue to the other. Underneath his heavy body, Byleth grew unbearable hot, her pulse hammering against her neck. She needed to lose clothes as soon as possible. Hoping her incentive would ring any bells for him. Claude had traveled from her lips to her neck in no time, leaving soft kisses over accessible skin. Mellow sounds left her throat, eyes involuntarily closed. She wanted to see him, yet her lust driven mind intervened. She sneakily shoved her hands in between them, pulling at the collar once more, starting to unbutton his shirt, running her hands over his firm skin. Luckily, he caught on to something, sitting back on to his heels. Claude watched her wince due to the sudden lack of weight she quickly had grown accustomed to. Turning into the more active part, he got rid of his shirt, watching Byleth bite her lip and he might have received a major ego boost. She sat up as well, running her hands over his darker skin, a huge contrast compared to her paleness. Claude had wide shoulders, she noticed. Finally being allowed to look at him in this way. Wanting. His hips were slim, but he wasn't thin. The outline of muscles visible and the welcoming V of his hips, pointing into his pants, turned her mouth dry. "Like what you see, By?" He japed, leaning forward to peck at her lips. This time she hummed in agreement, shoving her skirt down a little to free the hem of her own shirt, pulling it over her head in one go. 

Claude inhaled sharply, staring at her unashamed. "You are absolutely gorgeous." He sighed, reaching towards her, fingertips brushing over her stomach upwards to her trapped breasts, resting heavy in a black lace bra. The compliment left her flustered even more, scooting closer to him to reach his shoulders, pulling him into a thanking kiss. Claude took the chance to get a hold of the fastener, fumbling with an annoyed groan, until he managed to open it. Byleth slipped the straps from her shoulders, leaving Claude to the task of throwing it from the bed. The bared woman fell back into the mattress, waiting for him to do anything, as long as it included touching her. The brunette leaned down, kissing her hip, biting softly into the soft skin that gave in with every dig of his fingers. Claude enjoyed the taste of her, loving the feel against his skin and lips. He kissed upwards, cupping one breast with a free hand, while the other gave him support. His mouth wrapped around a hardening bud, his tongue swirling over the obvious sensible skin. Barely audible moans tuned in and Claude loved the sound of her; for him, because of him.

"I've wished for this moment to come for so long." She confessed trapped in a bliss, pulling lighty at his hair, remembering the effect it had before and Claude didn't disappoint, humming in delight.

"I did, too." He breathed against the wetness he had left behind. Claude had found his firm place between her legs again, traveling upwards from her bare chest, over her collarbone to her neck. His hips were pressed against her middle and she could feel him, more than ever. Byleth ran her hands over his shoulders, his muscles moving underneath her fingertips with every shift of his position. She couldn't believe her ears for a moment, even though everything indicated the truth behind his words. "You did?" She still asked.

Claude chuckled lightly against her jawline, his voice vibrating against her skin. She couldn't resist but lean her head farther backwards, giving him more skin to claim with his mouth and teeth. He wasn't holding back one bit and Byleth was sure to have at least some visible marks she hopefully wouldn't need to explain. "You really were out of your mind yesterday, weren't you?" The loss of contact made her search for his eyes, which were already on her. "Oh no, what did I do?" 

"Don't worry, really, but it means you hadn't noticed. I was so afraid you would." Since he had raised a bit to start an almost atmosphere breaking conversation, Byleth kept her hands occupied with shoving her palms over his chest and neck, occasionally cupping his face and running her thumb over his lips, which he sweetly kissed. It almost made her heart burst out of her chest. Questioning, she squinted her eyes at him. "You really want to make me say it?" Claude cleared his throat, noticing her faint nod. "Well, let's say I got a little too excited to have you on my lap. 'Twas hard to keep my posture." 

Byleth couldn't prevent the laugh coming from her, which Claude didn't take too well. He was pouting at her like the teenage boy he once was and it was exactly the image she had in mind when picturing the past situation. Before he managed to defend himself, she was pulling him down, kissing him softly. "Now I wonder if I really been that drunk to not notice or…" She glanced down, shrugging quizzical. The brunette closed his eyes and made a hurtful noise. "Ouch, you're really out there hurting my feelings. Unbelievable." Byleth snorted amused, however parting her legs in the process even more, allowing herself more space to reach her hands into. "Prove me wrong." She teased, drowning in the sound of his hiss when her palm pressed against the definitely perceptible bulge still trapped in two layers of fabric. Their mouths met once again, eradicating any further remarks. It was her turn to get annoyed by the button and the zipper of his pants, while getting to know the pattern of his leading kiss. She groaned into his mouth, receiving a small laugh in return, succeeding in her battle against the convenient craftsmanship in the end. Clumsily, she helped him get out of the heavy fabric, another stage completed, still she was longing for way more progress. They had turned sides by now. Byleth had pinned down her partner, pressing her body against him, both her legs on either side of his hips. With every move of her own, intentional or unconsciously, he moaned into their kiss, their tongues brushing against the other. Warm hands were holding her thighs harsh, almost bruising them. His fingertips digging deep into her skin, until they decided to get a taste of her cheeks, kneading them hungrily. In one swift motion, he shoved a hand into her pants, getting a feeling of her already wet cunt. Her whole body shivered, tensed and relaxed again within a span of seconds. Softly, Byleth sighed against his lips, knowing fully well that he enjoyed the thought of her being wet was his doing. Which it was as a matter of fact. His fingers were testing the waters, now and then dipping into her, savoring her reactions. Byleth caught herself involuntarily jerking downwards with her hips, looking for friction she yearned for. Claude was painfully hard by now, she could tell by the way he furrowed his brows with every fleeting contact, whimpering softly - and an obvious reason "I was definitely drunk." Byleth admitted breathless, sucking at his lower lip. Looking for more contact, she grinded down on him, drawing a long moan out of him. It was a rare sight for her to see him lost for words and she figured, that she liked that side of him just as much. Actually, she liked everything about him. "Goddess" She sighed, sitting back on his lap, hands stabilizing herself on his stomach. "I wonder how you'd-" Claude's sneaky, long middle finger disappeared to the knuckle in her warmth, stealing her voice mid-sentence. Breathing in long and deep gave her time to recollect herself. 

"I wonder, too." Claude answered instead, low and thoughtful. Just in the moment in which Byleth tried to speak again, he curled his finger slightly, before moving in and out, feeling her tense her inner muscles whenever he pulled back. A futile attempt to keep him inside. "Someone's eager." He commented with a chuckle, smiling with one side of his mouth. Byleth couldn't truly think of any witty remark, probably since he wasn't wrong. What had started as an attempt to show instead of tell what she always thought of when she looked at the man beneath her, had turned into so much more. She wasn't opposed, after all they were grown adults. Where was the point in denying the attraction they held for each other? Byleth didn't feel like she was jumping head first into a mistake, but she couldn't be sure of the thoughts of him. After all, she needed yet to discover an ability in mind reading. "Do you think… we're going too fast?" She wondered aloud. Claude's movement within her came to a halt in less than a second. It seemed to her, that only then the possibility crossed his mind. "Does it for you?" He asked, withdrawing his finger from her soaking middle, not a fleeting moment of shame on his face when he gripped her skirt, cleaning his digit. Byleth didn't mind. In fact, she was more drawn to his concerned features. Worry shining in his green eyes. He propped himself up on his elbows after that, searching her face for an answer, since it didn't come right away. "No." She smiled softly. "But I don't want to push you. I've truly been pretty… eager." 

He sat up by now, urging her to lean back to give him space. His fingertips were brushing lightly over her cheek, shoving away a few dark strands of her hair, hooking them up behind her ear. "You aren't pushing me. I want this. I really, really, want you. I'll try not to sound too mushy, but Byleth... I like you. A lot, but we don't have to do this if it's too fast forward." 

Byleth hummed, leaning into the touch. "I like you, too, Claude. I want it, truly. I want you as well." Pulled against him by his hand caressing the back of her head, they fell into a series of comfortable kissing, recapturing the heated embrace they had shared beforehand. With moans and giggles alike filling the room, they undressed each other till their vulnerable bodies were pressed to the other. The pale woman had been turned to her back against the mattress, bending her legs to his hips, feeling everything that belonged to him. She had rarely allowed herself to think of one of her friends in indecent ways, but she suspected that wouldn't be the matter anymore after this day. Sensuous, Claude nipped at her skin, coercing sinful sounds out of her delicate chest. The sensation of his breath against her skin and her arousal rising to its peak, urged her to reach between them. Since she knew her own body like no other, Byleth circled her index and middle finger over the hard clitoris for a start. In relief, she got rid of her needed breath, closing her eyes shortly. Afterwards, she regained enough confidence to turn her palm and seized his thick cock gently. Encouraged by his sigh, Byleth started to stroke him as best as she could given her rather trapped position. She ran her palm over the leaking tip, using the precome to move more fluidly over his arousal, earning herself a musical moan. Although she was giving him some treatment she had most definitely unconsciously avoided before, he wasn't averting his attention from caressing her body. Actually, Byleth had the feeling it even grew more hurriedly. Claude was everywhere. His hand on her body, tickling her sides and legs, his smooth lips on her mouth, jawline, neck, collarbone and breasts. In her heated condition, she wondered if he had doublicated himself at some point. Even though the imagination was thrilling, it was also terrifying and not exactly what she would have wanted their first night together to be. 

"Goddess" she repeated, huffing through the nose. "I need you inside me." Byleth felt him twitch in her hands, which caused her to smile skittishly. Despite her plea, she reluctantly let go of him, just to push him backwards, taking a mental image of this sight. Disheveled brown hair sticking into every direction possible, chest heaving and sinking in a fast pace, the soft line of hair underneath his navel pointing directly at the pleasure of both of them. Byleth reached down between her legs, parting her wet lips invitingly, noticing how Claude's breath hitched due to the lewd display. "Claude?" Byleth chirped, snapping with her free hand. "Are you ok?" Finally, he met her eyes, an almost perilous grin forming on his lips. "Absolutely." He replied, palming his erection quickly, suddenly gripping her legs to pull her closer, wrapping the soft thighs around his waist loosely. "I'm the luckiest man alive." Carefully, he lined himself up with her entrance, pushing in only the tip. He never lost sight of her features in doing so, watching them tense and relax, using her reactions as a voiceless guide. Byleth couldn't withstand the desire crashing into her like a huge wave. She had wanted him before, but feeling him awfully slow entering her, pushed her over the edge of the beach, into the water itself she had wanted to be in so desperately. A long breathless moan of his name hushed over her parted lips. He was teasing her or actually cared to not hurt her. Either way, it annoyed her, yet she couldn't find the strength to do anything to change it. Byleth threw her hands over to his, rested against her hips he cautiously pulled closer and closer. She dug her fingers into his wrists, almost janking at him in hopes to fasten the process. "Sheesh, Byleth." He breathed. "I'm not even halfway in." 

"I know." She groaned through gritted teeth and got a throaty laugh in response. Still, Claude had mercy on her and quickened his pace. Diving further, faster. Byleth was glad, but indeed got punished for it. It strained, pain tugging at her muscles. It wasn't anything she couldn't bear, but she probably would get teased by someone specific if he learned of her impatient mistake. Byleth had concentrated on relaxing as much as she could that she hadn't noticed when he stopped moving, his hips completely pressed against hers. Daring to open her eyes in fear of getting scolded, the first thing she saw was Claude biting the knuckle of his fist. She followed his gaze towards the part where they were joined and with her pain denial subsiding, her arousal returned and with it came excitement. She hoped she wouldn't wake up from a drunk fever dream, realising he wasn't even there. However, the sight was something to remember forever. Byleth let go of his wrists, stretching her hands towards him, waiting for him to regain his composure. Accepting her invitation, he finally bend down, greeting her with a needy kiss. "Now I don't have to wonder anymore." He sighed with a smile, grinding his hips against her, without pulling back, leaving them time to adjust to each others presence. 

"You feel amazing." Byleth moaned, cupping his face, brushing her thumbs over his cheeks. Playfully, she tensed her inner muscles around him, demonstrating how tight she was. Claude shuddered, mumbling something between a groan and a hiss that resembled a "Likewise". Teasingly tensing once more and loosening the grip with her thighs around his waist, indicating that he could move whenever he wanted. Whatever had happened with his patience, probably left to die at some corner of his mind, he withdrew and dove back into her in one motion. Their breaths fleetingly, almost tossed aside in favor of long drawn sensual moans. Claude rolled his hips against her, leading a desirable dance, leaving Byleth twitching and curling her toes. Nuzzling his neck, she softly bit into his skin, apologising with a kiss soon after. This was an unjustifiable forbidden dream come true. Her blood boiling and rushing through her ears, almost drowning their equally enjoyable sounds. Claude's even rhythm tested her furthermore. Byleth knew she liked it faster, but this was equally nice. Amazing, even. It felt right and loving. He was kissing her at any given chance, if not her mouth then any other part of her face. In other moments searching for her eyes, half lidded and dark, despite the sunlight flooding into the room. He cared and that was everything she had always wished for, a reason why she cared just as much. At some point, Byleth rocked her hips into his, meeting his thrusts as good as she could, arching her back against him, hands pressing into his back. The slight shift in her position served for her own pleasure, letting him hit just the right spot deep within her. 

"By…" Claude groaned low, a sound she still wasn't used to. At least not yet, but she was willing to hear it more often. He had sensed the change of her reaction, her cunt pulsating approvingly to his efforts. His trembling hand ran downwards over her side, taking a hold of her soft hip, digging into it, holding her in place and assisting her in her motions. "Clau--de." She swallowed through pants, gasping now and then, noticing a familiar tug in her lower region, a sting almost; pulling at her body like a puppeteer. With every well aimed push against the right button, her head spun even faster around her. Whenever she closed her eyes, she feared to faint, lights flashing through the dark, his lasciviously noises buzzing inside her ears, paired with the rush of blood. She felt incredible heavenly, her heart aching from the amount of appreciation she felt towards her partner. His patience, his worry of hurting her, his… love. She may be kind of afraid of the word and not sure she could ever fully grasp the meaning of it, but she assumed - and hoped - his eyes weren't lying for once. That the way he was studying her, shimmering whenever they shared a peaceful glance, meant something more. Something she desired to know the meaning of. Something she hoped to convey just as well. 

Quite literally shaken out of her thoughts, Byleth jerked forward, almost hitting her head against Claude's well shaped nose. She hadn't expected to find a thumb that wasn't hers circling over her overly sensitive clitoris. Byleth clung to him like she was afraid to fall, pressing her fingertips into his firm back. The stinging got harder to ignore, reminding her of a gruesome end they eventually had to endure and accept. She tensed and slackened alternately, her moans experimenting with high pitched tunes. Claude's rhythm had turned irregular, attempting to either let her go first, or letting himself be pulled over the edge with her. "Byleth, I might…" He tried to warn, giving her the option to decide, after all they hadn't really talked about the matter beforehand. Gasping harshly, she clenched around him in a mad grip, her arms wrapped around his neck dangerously tight. "Pleeease, do it." She whined through gritted teeth and he did as she pleased. Pushing in a final time, deep and forceful, Byleth felt him come inside of her, filling her well and proper. This time, he buried his face inside the crook between her shoulder and her neck, heart thumping fast enough for her to sense as well. She twitched underneath, legs pressed tightly around him, her fingernails boring into his back and her voice broke during her orgasm, a gasping end to their performance. Every quick stutter of his hips, caused her to wince slightly, overstimulating be cursed. 

Motionless, they both caught their breaths, clinging to each other with no intention to let go. However, they needed to. Claude retreated slowly and reluctantly, before turning to his side and lying down beside Byleth. The woman trapped in a ringing aftermath tinnitus, rolled over to him on her front, leaning her chin against his chest, smiling moony. 

"Thank you." She mumbled, regaining her hearing. Sweetly, she kissed his chest, approving of his arm dragging her partly on top of him. With her fingertips she drew small circles over the faint chest hair, growing on the center. 

"For what?" He wondered, caressing her back absentmindedly. 

"Nothing specific. For everything, I guess. For being you, being here, for sticking around even if I've been weird back then."

"You still are." He joked. "Ouch." And got slightly punched for it, his waist her victim. "Alright, alright. If you thank me, I have to thank you, too." Attentively, she waited for an explanation, looking up to his slightly glistening face. The rising sun illuminated the room, covering them in rich gold. Even if it had been words out of a simple yet slightly eerie booth at a fair, he indeed looked very princly.

"I've never been sure if you liked me as much as I like you. If you hadn't kissed me… I probably never would have known." While voicing the confession, Byleth felt his heartbeat quicken once again. It was a exhilarating sound and feeling alike and she couldn't help but rest her ear against it. She reached over his chest to his arm, searching for his hand that found hers slightly faster. Intertwined they got a more conscious feeling for each others hands, since their touches at the fair had been rather fleetingly. "Even with what happened yesterday? I mean I sat on your lap." 

"Lap sitting ain't romantic feeling exclusive, I'm certain. And you tend to get touchy when drunk. Reason why I didn't drink. Was afraid of saying something stupid, which isn't stupid, you know what I mean, but I guess… that was totally unnecessary." 

"I'm glad we kissed when sober." She conceded. "Would have been a shame to not enjoy fully." 

Abruptly, she rose from her position, pushing herself out of the sheets. Butt naked, she tiptoed towards her desk, reaching underneath. Claude enjoyed the view to the fullest, tilting his head with a dreamy smile across his lips. “What are you doing, pretty?” 

“I’ve… still… got something for you.” She pulled at the unknowing attention grabber harshly and almost plopped down. Wobbly knees were making her way back harder, glad she hadn’t run off too far. Despite the admirable view he had been presented, his attention drifted from her to the huge present in her hands. She knelt down on the mattress, smiling excited. “Open it.” 

The present was wrapped up in simple paper of yellow color. It was huge and rectangular, almost as long as his whole body. He sat up and opened it carefully. He was greeted by a white unprinted carton, prolonging his excitement. Byleth barely contained herself, her wide smile hurting her cheeks. She grabbed the papers and threw them off of the bed. To further extend the wait, Claude made sure to take his time in opening the carton, but once he got a glimpse of the insides, he couldn’t wait any longer. Resting in form fittingly cut foam, a bow emerged. It seemed heavy and expensive. Three spikes on each slim side, pointing away from the wielder. Close to the handle, inside a recess, rested a red gemstone, mat and smooth. Claude firmly believed it was most definitely handmade. Details he couldn’t truly see within the dim lights. “Byleth… where… where did you find this?” He wasn’t able to convey sincerely his gratitude. Pleased with herself, Byleth shuffled closer to him, pulling a blanket over them towards their hips, leaning with her head against his shoulder, watching him pull the Bow out of the box, running his fingertips featherlight over the work. “I went to the antique shop near the castle. I had to negotiate a lot, but I think he liked me. Otherwise he wouldn’t have sold it. He had taken good care of it, but it was still dusty and the string had been broken. Took my time to restore it as good as possible. I don’t know if it’s the real deal, but the shopkeeper had lots of stories to tell about this bow. He said it’s called Failnaught, which I think is ironic, since… it was partly broken. But I knew I had to get it, because he said - and now listen well - it once belonged to the House Riegan. Can you believe it? Couldn’t have let that slip away. I hope it works now, but it’s too pretty to wear down.”

Claude lacked the words to thank her, instead, he took another glance at the bow, put it carefully back into the box, shoved it away and quickly rolled on top of his beloved friend. “Thank you so much.” He still managed to whisper against Byleth’s lips, kissing her deeply. “You’re welcome.” She answered softly, happy for the repetition of their previous doing.

---

Lazily, they had spent most of the morning in bed, sure to be exhausted enough to last a week, but a girl gotta eat and Claude was certain to starve anytime soon as well. While the brunette took a deserved shower, Byleth sat on the balcony, needing a little bit of fresh air. She glanced at the package of cigarettes, her fingers flinching. In spite of her longing, she didn’t give in, reminding herself to steal another kiss from Claude, once he was done. A habit she most definitely could get used to in exchange. She shove the package away, just in case, staring outside. It was a nice morning, the heat of the previous day slowly returning. 

“Oh~ Byleth~” A voice sang above her, pink hair peeking over the railing above. 

“Morning, Hilda.” Byleth chirped, her cheerfulness audible. “Did you sleep well?”

“Absolutely. How was he?”

“Amazing-" She huffed, showing off her worn out posture, even if Hilda couldn’t see her, straightening her back with an unpleasant sound. Suddenly, she widened her eyes in shock. "Wait a second!”

Hilda’s laugh resonated in her out of a sudden very blank brain and she cursed herself for having fallen for an easy trick as this one. Admittedly, Byleth would have told her anyway. She wouldn’t want to keep it a secret and she was sure, Claude wouldn’t either. He had convinced her of it that much. Twice. 

“So, since that worked out quite fast-” Hilda clicked with her tongue, dangling her arms over the balcony, awakening the impulse in Byleth to reach up and high five her triumphantly. The pink haired woman cleared her throat. “Any chance that you two might help me as well? I’m pretty shitty in confessing. Urgh. It involves so much effort.”

“Ok? With what?”

“With me and Marianne.”

Well, that was surprising and somewhat thrilling. 

But Byleth always loved a good challenge and right now, everything seemed possible.