The former Golden Deer students and transfers decided to make the short trek back to Garreg Mach. As much as they were all happy that their Professor was alive and well all this time, they gave Sylvain and Byleth plenty of alone time to make up for the years they lost. He carried her back on his Wyvern, Astarte, delighting over Byleth's overexcitement of flying through the night sky. They didn't speak, but rather enjoyed each other's presence, especially Sylvain, who had desired to feel her near him for so many years. He made sure that Astarte was flying at a moderate speed, not eager to let this moment go.

As they settled down at Garreg Mach, they joined the rest of the students for a war council meeting in the Cathedral. All the while, Sylvain and Byleth couldn't keep their eyes off of each other. Byleth tried to keep herself focused on the task at hand, listening to Claude's speech and plan for the Alliance to ally itself with the Church of Seiros, but she couldn't help but look at Sylvain. He had grown so much, and it didn't help that he had become significantly more handsome. His hair was a tad bit longer, and he was a lot more built up than before. Perhaps it was his grey armor bulking him up, but there was no way that it was that thick. Even though his height had changed slightly, he almost towered over her now. His face almost always projected a tender gaze whenever he looked at her, so much more honest than five years ago.

While the students had clamoured together, Byleth was also surprised by the Knights of Seiros reuniting with them again. It almost seemed too convenient, as if it were destiny seeing each other again. However, Byleth was unconcerned, she was just happy that despite everything that they went through without her, they were all okay.

The night waned on, and after taking time to visit and converse with everyone, she wanted to get some quiet time away from the crowd. She walked outside of the Cathedral to look at the Goddess Tower. She smiled at herself as she could see Sylvain on the balcony watching his Wyvern fly overhead. Byleth could feel herself flush, as she walked to the entrance of the Goddess Tower. It almost seemed like going back in time, climbing the staircase as her heels clicked on the stone steps. As she finally got to the top she could see Sylvain patiently waiting for her. He was leaning against the wall facing her with a playful grin.

She returned it with her own, "Hi" She said shyly, still uneasy over being reunited with him.

Sylvain's warm gaze peered through her, "Hi, yourself. It seems you managed to slip away from the others. That's good, I wanted you all to myself." He winked at Byleth, as she blushed furiously.

"I see the years haven't toned down your flirting." Byleth teased, walking towards him with a saunter.

Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh yeah, I'm a bit out of practice, so I'm going to have to admit, my flirtation game is really weak."

Byleth smiled, "Such a shame, I was looking forward to some new material from you, Commander Gautier."

Sylvain chuckled, "Ah, so you know about my rank. Should've known Claude would tell you."

Byleth looked down on the ground, sighing, "I heard what my disappearance did to you. It makes my heart weep. I didn't mean to hurt you so deeply."

Sylvain gently lifted her face to look at him, "Hey, don't worry about it, By. I'm just glad you're okay now. So no more of this 'I made my boyfriend upset by disappearing for five years, and now I feel guilty', pity party."

Byleth hummed, grabbing his other hand and intertwining their fingers, "I suppose you must have questions for me."

Sylvain shrugged, "Can't say that I wouldn't. What happened, Byleth? From what my spies told me, you just appeared out of nowhere with no knowledge of the past five years."

Byleth's eyes widened, "You're very well informed, how did you know?"

Sylvain smirked, playing with their fingers, "You do know I command my own forces, right? Part of that force is a spy network. I use it mostly to detect the enemies movements, but there's a small subsect of spies that were in charge of finding you. They, or rather she, found the man that discovered you and then relayed that message to me, personally."

Byleth blinked, surprised at Sylvain's words, "You...were looking for me?"

Sylvain smiled sadly, "You really think I'd just give up on you? There was no body, no trace of you. Somehow I knew you weren't dead and I wasn't going to let you go that easily. And besides, I don't like breaking my promises."

Byleth looked at him with a loving fondness, "I didn't realize I meant that much to you."

Sylvain cupped her cheek, "You mean the world to me." Byleth leaned into his touch, "Now, back to my question: What happened?"

Byleth let out a breath, walking away from Sylvain and leaned over the balcony, "I was chasing after Rhea worried that she was about to be devoured by a group of Demonic Beasts. They were all over her but I managed to get them off of her. After that she asked me why I had come to her. I didn't realize it, but it seemed I had stumbled into a trap."

Sylvain shook his head, and sighed deeply "You would think after the time with Monica, you would learn not to rush into danger?"

Byleth pouted at him, "I didn't think I would end up falling off a cliff after doing so."

Sylvain's eyes went wide, as he exclaimed, "You WHAT?! How did you fall?! How are you still alive?! Not that I'm upset that you're okay, I just...you really shouldn't be…living if you fell from a great height."

Byleth chuckled, "I thought the same. I was knocked back off my feet by those people that Solon was a part of. I managed to gain my footing but the ground I was on crumbled apart, and I fell down a deep cavern. I don't remember if I ever hit the ground, I just remember there being darkness and then...I woke up five years later."

Sylvain cocked his head to the side, "So, what you're saying is…?"

"I fell asleep," Byleth finished his thought, "I don't know how that helped me and allowed me to survive, but I did, it just took me several years to recover."

Sylvain nodded his head, "That explains why my spy and the man I questioned said you acted so strangely."

Byleth narrowed her eyes on Sylvain and crossed her arms, "You interrogated that poor villager I saw?"

Sylvain chuckled nervously, "I didn't interrogate him, I just asked him about you. I wouldn't harm an innocent man! And besides I compensated him for his help. I may be battle weary and hardened, but I'm not completely heartless."

"...yeah." Byleth mumbled, her heart felt heavy with the reminder of everything she had lost while she was away. Sylvain must have sensed it as he gently embraced her from behind, locking his arms around her waist.

"What are you feeling, By?" He asked softly, rubbing his face next to hers.

"I've...lost five years of my life...It's so jarring. I missed out on seeing all of you grow into your own. And I've lost time with the one I love." She said looking at Sylvain's tender gaze in the corner of her eyes.

"That doesn't mean we can't start over." Sylvain replied, holding her tighter to his chest.

"Sylvain…" Byleth whispered, almost as a plea.

"Bunk with me, Byleth, I don't want to wake up tomorrow without you by my side." Sylvain said, closing his eyes and letting his emotions flow out, "I may have changed a lot over the years, I'm not as carefree as I used to be, but I never stopped thinking about you. By the Goddess, Byleth, I've...I've never felt this strongly about anyone. When I lost you, I felt like a piece of me died. Like I could never be happy, truly happy, with another ever again. The idea of moving on...it never crossed my mind. I know it probably made my folks angry, to not have a back up plan should I fall. However, there's no other woman like you Byleth, there never will be. So please, don't leave me. Not now, not ever again."

Byleth hummed appreciatively, "It seems like your charm still has a hold of me, Gautier. I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping alone anyways, considering the last time I did, I woke up five years later." She felt him chuckle as she turned to face him, seeing his pain and relief on his face all at once. She stroked his cheek lovingly, her bright green eyes sparkling under the starlight, "As I look at you now, I realize how much you had to grow up."

Sylvain looked at her grabbing her waist near him, "You kinda have to in war. Sad as it may be. Do I disappoint you?"

Byleth's cheeks instantly were dusted a light pink, "...No, I would say you're very impressive...physically."

Sylvain's face changed into a wicked smile as he leaned down and whispered huskily in her ear, "Is that so, Professor? I impress you? Well isn't that convenient, since all I've thought about while looking at you across the room is how I'm still captivated by you."

Byleth giggled, playfully shoving him away, "I'm being serious, Syl!"

Sylvain laughed, holding her closer despite her protests, "I am too, By! You're still as gorgeous as ever."

Byleth pulled away from him, grasping his hand and tugging Sylvain to follow. She gave a loving look to him which he gave back, his own blush growing, "It is getting late Sylvain, we should retire for the evening."

Sylvain smirked, "To bed or to sleep?" he asked suggestively, with a spark in his eyes.

Byleth's eyes widened and she blushed furiously, "I...I don't think I'm ready for that kind of reunion yet, just...give me some time...sorry."

Sylvain intertwined their fingers, giving a light squeeze, "I don't mind waiting, Byleth. I've already waited for a while, what's a few more days or weeks?"

She smiled as she led him out, "I don't think I've answered your request, Syl."

"Oh? Which one?" Sylvain asked as he held her closer to him.

"To never leave you again," Byleth looked into his eyes, before nuzzling into his shoulder, "Like I could ever say no to you."

Sylvain's heart skipped a beat before snuggling closer to her, "Good, I wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

They both left the Goddess Tower, heading towards the old dorm rooms of the Officer's Academy. Many of the former students had already taken up their former bedrooms. Byleth told Sylvain that she'd rather be in his room, it offered the most privacy and she wanted to be able to escape there whenever she was feeling pretty down. Sylvain agreed wholeheartedly, and almost blushing at the fact the last time they were in this room, things got pretty heated. Of course, he'd like to take things further but he knew she was quite apprehensive, and that night they shared was one of the rare instances she didn't think about any of the consequences of her actions.

Sylvain wasn't even quite sure he was ready, despite his suggestive comments. It had been so long since he had been with a woman, five long years in fact. He felt as if now he was the inexperienced one. It wasn't like he completely lost the ability to seduce a woman; it was more of the idea that it wasn't palatable anymore unless it was Byleth. Which left him out of practice, and very insecure as to where to start. Flirting was natural to him, despite being out of the game for that period of time. But when it came to everything else, damn he felt like a fool.

As he steadily unpacked, Byleth decided to take a trip to Manuela's office to see if she had any extra clothes for her to wear. Sleeping for five years doesn't really give you the time allowance to prepare to stay at the monastery for an extended period of time. Sylvain on the other hand stripped off his armor and sat at his old desk with a teal undershirt, trimmed at the collar with fur, and burgundy trousers. He took his boots off and finally let out a breath of relief, relaxing before he grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill with ink. He knew he had to let his father know he was okay and that he had finally found Byleth. However, he was painfully aware that he did in fact leave the command of his forces with someone else and abandoned his post. That alone made Sylvain very hesitant to write this letter, but he knew his father would be worried senseless. So he tried his best to pen out the details of his absence. As he started to finish out the letter he heard a knock on his door. He placed his quill on it's inkwell and walked to the door to reveal Byleth carrying several changes of clothes.

"Sorry, but could you help me out here? I've been struggling to carry everything up here." Byleth said with a small and sheepish grin.

Sylvain chuckled, "Sure, give those to me, I'll put them away for you."

Byleth looked amused, "I seem to be putting you to work already, are you sure you're okay with that?"

Sylvain immediately placed the pile of clothes on his bed, and quickly arranged and folded them, "Please, Byleth, making sure my stuff is cleaned is my thing."

"Technically, that's mine. Not yours, Syl." Byleth smirked. She peered over his desk as he started placing her clothes in a nearby drawer, looking down at the letter Sylvain had written.

To My Father Margrave Sylvestre Victor Gautier,

As you may have already figured out, I've joined up with the Leader of the Leicester Alliance, Claude von Riegen, along with many of our allies and friends. I apologize for not being there to inform you, or to relay this information to you in a timely manner. However, some news came up that made me certain that I had to leave the homefront. I understand if you're upset and I kind of expect it in your next letter to me, but I have to do this Faerghus.

I'm not sure how much Augustus has told you, but I received a tip that Byleth Eisner was alive and wandering around Garreg Mach as well. You know me too well to abandon an opportunity such as this. I did indeed find her, she's well and ready to take the fight to the Empire. For now, I'm staying with her. It seems for some strange reason she had been sleeping for the past five years. As crazy as it sounds, I believe her. It's just something you come to accept when you know her. We've decided to rekindle our courtship, but I doubt that would be news to you.

I'm not sure how to end this in a better way, but I do hope you and mother are doing well. If you ever need supplies or assistance in territories, please inform me as soon as you can.

Your Son,

~Commander Sylvain Jose Gautier

"I see you sign your letters with your rank, it's almost as if you're proud of it." Byleth said while she read it to herself.

Sylvain chuckled, placing the last article of clothing into the drawers and laying out some night clothes for Byleth, "Eh, more like I'm fine with it now."

"What? With being a leader? I thought the Sylvain I knew didn't like being in charge of anything." Byleth said with a spark in her eyes.

"That Sylvain had to grow up a bit while you were away, my love." Sylvain winked, placing a hand on his hip.

Byleth shook her head at him before continuing "In that letter, it states that your father didn't know you left the Faerghus Loyalists. Is that true?"

Sylvain sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah, I kind of left in a rush with the others. Especially after hearing you were alive. It was...a hard decision. I've really grown attached to my troops."

"You seem a bit...regretful." Byleth cocked her head to the side in confusion.

Sylvain sadly smiled, "That obvious, huh? Don't get me wrong, I would've found a way to find you and reunite with you. However...I'm the heir of House Gautier, and I'm fighting alongside a bunch of Alliance people? I can just imagine my father's face contorted in anger and the delightful words he must have used to describe me."

Byleth watched as Sylvain paced around the room, "Do you feel as if you should've stayed in Faerghus?"

Sylvain gave a short laugh, "I don't know how staying and fighting for Faerghus would have helped." Sylvain turned to face Byleth, with an exasperated look, "Sorry, Byleth. I don't regret my decisions. I'm just thinking out loud. And I'm hoping I haven't made a big mistake."

"That's understandable, do you think the Empire will try to attack Faerghus while we are away?" Byleth asked as she sat down on the bed fiddling with her night clothes.

"Not likely," Sylvain answered, his arms crossed as he looked out his bedroom window, "It's still winter which means that food supplies and weapons being traded are going to be slowed down. I wouldn't put it past the Empire should an attack come. I just hope it won't come anytime soon." He looked at her with a strange fondness that left Byleth confused.

She smiled sheepishly, "You're staring at me."

Sylvain walked to her and grasped her hands, "I'm just beyond happy you're back. There were so many times I wished you were around. I'm glad you're back. Your skills are worth more than a whole army."

She looked at him with a teasing glance, "Just my skills, huh?"

Sylvain mirrored her own face, "There are very few women that can best you, dearest."

Byleth giggled, "'Dearest'? That's a new one, I was more interested in the fact you decided to only highlight my fighting prowess. Is that the only reason you missed me?" She winked at him.

Sylvain blushed, leaning down to her eye level, pecking her on the nose, "There were many things I missed. Your alluring gaze, loving embrace, and your tempting body all kept me wanting you back."

Byleth reached up and gave a tender kiss to Sylvain's lips. They stayed like this for a moment, releasing each other to stare into the other's eyes, "I think your flirting is starting to reappear."

Sylvain smiled, "I can't help it, By, you're my muse."

Byleth grabbed the nightgown off the bed and stood in the corner of Sylvain's room, "That's nice to hear, but I have to get changed, do you mind?"

Sylvain's sly grin grew, "You do realize I've seen you naked before, Byleth. It's no real shock to me."

Byleth grew very flustered, shying her face away, "T-That's different! I'm getting changed for bed, not for a night of pleasure."

Sylvain's low chuckle sent shivers down her spine, "I could easily change that, my love."

Byleth growled, "I'm not in the mood, Gautier!"

Sylvain laughed loudly, raising his hands in self defense, "Okay okay, I'll back off Byleth. No need to flay me alive. I'll turn around, if it makes you comfortable." He said covering his eyes and turning to face the opposite wall. Byleth quickly changed into her night gown, removing all of her armor and placing it near Sylvain's armor pieces, and folding her underclothes and placing it on the chair nearby.

"Okay, you can look now." Byleth said as she rubbed Sylvain's back.

He turned back around, giving her a small smile, "That was quick and just so you know I didn't peek at you, Byleth."

"How very comforting," Byleth teased as she climbed into the bed that she had entered five years ago. The memory giving her excitement and contentment, "We should probably turn in the night. We will need to start up early, at dawn, to start cleaning up the monastery and to make the War Council meeting."

Sylvain nodded, "Right, mind if you scoot over a bit." Byleth moved her body closer to the wall adjacent to the bed, allowing Sylvain to lie down next to her. Sylvain magically blew out the lights from the candles in the room, only allowing the moon's glow to filter into the room. He felt Byleth snuggle under his chin and laying on his chest, sighing contentedly. Sylvain couldn't help but pull her in closer. After all of these years, waiting for her, it was oddly satisfying to have such a quiet moment with her. Just having her breath in and out and feeling her warm body on his was nothing short of a miracle. He'd never be able to repay the Goddess for the kindness of returning Byleth to him, but he prayed that night that this feeling of love would never fade.