Just an Oneshot to test the waters and see where this can go.
Loving most if not all the Characters on Fire Emblem:Three Houses right so I'm gonna write about my favorite characters and see where I go.
Written by GingerKitsune, Does not own Characters.
"Hey Teach?"
Byleth looks up at the voice that comes out of nowhere in the dark. She knows who the voice belongs to though, so she looks back down at her assignment.
Without lifting her head from the battle plans to protect the monastery from the invading Empire she answers, "Yes Claude?"
"I got a question." He says slowing walking out of the dark hallway into the lowly lit Cardinal Room. Just a candle beside Byleth, the only source of light around them.
"Yes?" She answers without looking up.
Claude makes his way up the middle of the desks to stand in front of Byleth. He looks down at her looking down at the blueprints of the monastery and surrounding walls. He stands there for a moment trying to decide how to word his question, he's never been in this place before. The Cardinal Room, or all the questions dancing on his lips.
Byleth finally looks up at him because of the unusual quietness of the Golden Deer leader, "Claude are you alright?"
"Would you believe me if I said yes?" He answers back looking into her eyes, the only eyes he could trust inside the monastery walls, if not the whole of Fodlan.
Her eyes give away the answer, the sad smile she's wearing in her mind. "No," she grabs his hand and looks at his face finally. The confusing, the fear, the feeling of not knowing, Claude's only true fear. The unknown.
They've had conversations before of Claude wanting to know everything because the only thing everyone fears, him including, is the unknown. Especially, with this surprise attack coming out of nowhere she can't blame him for feeling the way he does.
She squeezes his hand and stands up and comes around the desk not releasing his hand, "Claude we're all concerned and afraid, no one saw this coming, so its okay you didn't either," She hugs him. "It's okay you couldn't have prevented it."
Claude hugs her back, "How could I have not seen it coming, a whole army, a whole war at our doorstep." Byleth squeezes him once again inside the hug feeling him getting tense.
"Claude, I didn't see it either, neither did Rhea, Seteth, the Knight of Serios. You can't blame yourself for everything you don't know." She steps back grabbing a hold of both his hands. Looking at him she knows she needs to do something to make him feel better, to get him out of his own head. "But something you can do is help me prepare, I need a master tactician to help me plan our rebuttal. Do you think you can do that? We have 2 weeks, alone I don't think I could do it by myself but together you and I can do anything. How bout it?"
'There it is' Byleth thought, she sees the signature Von Riegan grins growing on Claude's face.
"Try me," he answers, looking at her in the eyes grinning.
Over the next two weeks they were together every night going through all the scenarios, the battle plans, where they could come from etc. wasting away paper after paper. They had already been close before this whole thing happened in the Holy Maluseum but they past two weeks really have shown their compatibility of working with each other. Yes they would argue here and there own plans but eventually one would admit defeat or they would come up with a whole new one together.
Claude knew that these feelings he already had for his Teach had just blossomed into something more. And with now the cancelation of the school year for the planning of the incoming war, everything was up in the air. What would happen if he fell, or if somehow Byleth fell? Where would he go if the Monastery fell, where would Byleth go? All Byleth had was her dad and the mercenary group and with both all but gone what would she do? Could he offer her an escape, somewhere to go if everything didn't play out as they expected? He has to, he couldn't lose her. And with the attack coming tomorrow, he had to do it fast, but how? Tonight they were meeting in the Cardinal Room one last time before the attack so that's it. He had to do it.
All day he was preparing, both for the upcoming battle, and for his confession to Byleth. Would she accept his feelings? Flirting with her and every other girl was easy, but with real feelings this was all new to him. And she rarely showed her feelings, yes a smile here and there for him, but otherwise for everyone else, nothing. He just had to come out with it, show her that he truly did care about her and her well being. That this wasn't just some kid crushing on his teaching, but true feeling towards someone else.
He slowly walked through the grand hall, to the stairs, hallway, and he finally came to rest in front of the Cardinal Room doors. This was it, he can do this but why would his hands move? Open the door? Even Knock? He was standing there fighting with himself when finally something knocked him out of his thoughts, "Claude?"
He jumped, and turned towards the voice, "Howdy Teach!" he stutters out.
"What were you doing just standing there?" Byleth tilts her head with a straight face, eyebrows raised.
Claude smiles at the cute jester."Just thinking too much, you know me." He smiles wider, "You ready Teach for the final hoorah?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," She turns the doorknob and leaves the door open walking to her usual spot at the head of the table.
Claude follows, finally finding himself sitting next to the green haired beauty next to him. They get into it right away finalizing everything, but somehow his mind was everywhere else. He kept looking at her trying to think, when to tell her, can I even bring myself to tell her. THey were both leaning over the blueprints of the monastery when finally she's had enough.
She turns towards him and scolds him like a teacher does, "Claude, are you alright, you're not your usual self and I need you here with me right now. This is the last time we have before the battle."
Their faces are so close as they both are leaning over the desk looking at the map, 'Fuck it', are Claude's final thoughts before he takes his last chance. He kisses her.
He was about to pull away when all of a sudden he feels the impossible happen, she starts to kiss him back. He is taken back for a moment before he finally snaps out of it and stands them straight up wrapping his arms around her. After them kissing for a minute he finally pulls back and looks down at her and she returns his gaze.
Either of them say anything for a while before Claude can't help the silence anymore, "So Teach you finally fell for my charm, huh?" He grins down at her and she does the most unexpected thing to him, she blushes.
Byleth clears her throat before answering, "If I remember correctly you kissed me first, so that logic is reversed."
Claude smiles wider at her reply, "Fine, fine, I guess you're right Teach. Your charm is higher than mine," He lays a hand on her cheek, "way higher." He lays a kiss on her forehead.
Her blush returns, but disappears as fast as it appeared, "Claude, why did you do that? I'm your teacher, there's a huge battle tomorrow that could change everything. I just don't understand…" She trails off.
Claude feels her confusion, and to tell the truth he understands. She's told him before that she just doesn't feel emotion like the normal person does. She feels it, it's just it's just so diminished that sometimes she's just sure about what she's feeling because she just doesn't know. The only time she's ever cried was when her father died, and after that she became numb again to the emotions that should have consumed her.
He steps up to the plate to try to help me as much as he can, "Teach…"
"Byleth," she squeaks out, "call me Byleth."
His smile returns, "Byleth, I know it's hard for you. Being teacher and student doesn't matter going into tomorrow, we are soldiers. And who cares, we're about the same age what can Seteth really do? Fire you? If so I'll take you in like there's no tomorrow, no questions asked. And with the battle tomorrow, that gives me even more reason to tell you how I feel because who knows if you or I will both have another tomorrow, so this was my last chance to tell you how I really feel."
He stops to think of a way to explain her own feelings to her without overstepping any boundaries, "Then as for your own feelings I can't help you there, but you kissed me back so you must feel something right?" She nods her head and he continues, "try to tell me how you feel and I'll try to help you understand them."
She pauses for a minute trying to bring her own feelings into words. "Whenever you're around I'm glad, I feel like my guard doesn't have to be up and I can just enjoy your company."
"Me too Bylet. When you're around I am nothing but happy and whenever you smile at something I say those feelings quadruple. I know I can trust you with 'some'," he winks at her and she smiles and his heart flutters, "of my secrets and having fun with you day after day is not even a question anymore." He squeezes her to him, "God Byleth it's so hard to explain, but to tell you I love you."
"Love…," Byleth thinks out loud and finally she smiles up at him, "If that's what love is Claude then I suppose I love you to. All those things you explained are how I feel when I'm around you. I like when you smile, it makes me smile. When you are not around I search for you and wish you were. I love when you tease me, it makes me happy to have your attention. Then when you were there for me when my father died, it just meant so much." She looks down remembering those couple weeks, the promise of him being there and he actually was. That made her feel just so important, when she needed it the most. "And when you just kissed me everything just felt so….right." She trailed off just looking at his lips.
Claude grins, "Well then, let me help you just one more time," and again he captures her lips with his.
They continue to kiss each other for a very long time, exploring this new sensation, and each other's mouths. Eventually Byleth ended up against the wall Claude leaning over her with his hands resting against her hips, her hands grabbing his uniform tightly needing the contact from him. Eventually Claude had her tiny frame off the ground and pinned up against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist.
Things were just starting heat off even more before Byleth finally came to her senses and created a little bit of space between them. "Claude, stop," she heavily breathed out, "I know where this is going but I have to tell you I'm not ready quite yet, and we must get some rest before tomorrow."
Claude stopped, putting her back down to her feet, and stood there leaned over her for a minute to compose himself from the steamy makeout session. When he finally got himself back together he nodded and looked up at her. "I agree, and I'm sorry I just loose myself with you, but you're right." He grabs her hand and kisses it. "I need all the rest in order to protect you tomorrow."
It was her turn to grin, "You can try, but I think I can take care of myself. It's you I'm worried about, so I'll try my best to protect you."
Claude laughs, "Well in that case you need all the rest you can to protect my crazy ass. But I have one request, will you sleep with me tonight. Not like that but just in the same bed, I just want to hold you I think as nervous as I am that'll really help us both, correct?"
Byleth nods her head and smiles, "I agree, sorry I'm all new to this but I'll gladly explore this new feeling with you all I can."
Claude surprises Byleth by picking her up in bridal style and starts to walk to his room kissing her on the cheek one last time, "It's alright if you can trust anyone it's me. I promise."
They made it to Claude's bedroom and he sets her down onto her feet. He quickly strips down to his under clothes, usually more than he sleeps in, but he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable. He sits on his bed and pats the spot beside him, urging her to hurry.
Byleth smiles and takes off her armor, then cape when she feels Claude's eyes following her, as she loses articles of clothing. She smiles, and slows herself down taking her time, taking off her chest piece to reveal just her crop top. Then bends over stripping herself of her boots, then leggings when she finally looks up at Claude who she sees jumps when he knows he's been caught, "Sorry." He squeaks out and looks away.
She makes her way over to him in only her crop top and shorts, and sits next to him. "It's okay, I watched you too." She giggles. 'Wells that's a sound he could get used to,' Claude thinks and pulls her to him. He lays down and lays her head onto his chest then kisses the top of her head.
He quickly feels her fall asleep as her breath evens out, while he's laying there thinking about what all can hold. To tell the truth it scares him because as much as they have planned everything out, to try to think like Edelgard and her movements, they just don't know. As his thoughts start to wander further out of control, Byleth moves, squeezing him into a hug as if she can feel him starting to freak out. He smiles, calms down and just knows that with every scenario that plays out, he can count on Byleth to be there for him. And if he could just into the unknown with anyone, it's her.
If only he knew what tomorrow really held...
Hope you all liked it, let me know!
I might continue this into a whole story that continues after the time-skip but I'm not sure yet. We'll see wheres this goes and if everyone like it. Have a good day!