Claude's room was quiet. Too quiet.

That wouldn't have been an issue if there were a political meeting coming up, or a battle he needed to plan for. Then holing one's self up for an entire day would make sense. This sort of quiet though, was different. Especially for someone so boisterous and everywhere like Claude usually was.

Byleth knew quiet like the back of her hand, and this sort of quiet only had one other name. Her heels clicked on the marble as she approached his door and knocked.

A weak "come in" reached her ears, which was a promising sign. She turned the knob and went in.

Claude was sat at his desk, hunched over something, a gloveless hand clawed up in his hair with deep concentration. At the sounds of her shoes on his carpet he turned. His eyes softened like they usually did at seeing her.

"Oh, hey Teach, what can I do ya for?"

Byleth ignored the impulse to narrow her eyes at him. Something was definitely off. His voice lacked it's usual conviction and lightness. The tired circles under his eyes were nothing new, but it was their hollowness, the shortness of his smile that really tipped her off.

"I came to check on you." She walked closer and leaned against his desk with a fold of her arms. "You missed dinner."

He seemed to take note of her assertive posture and looming presence, and unconsciously leaned away from it. His hand scratched at his neck as he lied, "Looks like I worried you. Sorry about that. I got caught up in some plans and lost track of time. You'll see the pay off soon though, I promise."

"Claude." Byleth stressed, leaning forward. "You missed dinner. They made pheasant." She met his eyes with her signature stare. It was a look of intense focus she'd only use when she'd move to strike down targets. "Stop lying to me. What's troubling you?"

A solid few seconds passed as Claude studied her with widened eyes. In fairness she'd never been this direct with him, but he'd also never been this avoidant with her. At rare times like this, when they pushed each other farthest from themselves, she wished she could tell what he was thinking.

Either way, her tactics worked and he caved.

Shoulders slacked, he let out a sigh and looked away. "Of course I can't get anything past you." He said it more to himself than her, Byleth realized. "It's not like I put up a good fight either."

She smirked, once again the victor. "Your performance was lackluster at best."

"Yeesh, that bad huh?"

"I think even Raphael would be worried."

"Alright now you're just being mean!"

Byleth actually laughed at that, and saw that Claude had offered a genuine smile too. But then it was gone. It seemed she had to try a gentler approach before anything would stick.

She reached out and put her hand over his. "You know you can trust me." It wasn't a question, it was a fact, and they both knew it. There was too much evidence to back it up.

Byleth felt his hand curl closed, and again he looked away. She thought maybe she really wouldn't get anything out of him at first, but then his other hand was on top of hers.

"Yeah, I do." He conceded, and took a breath. "My mother's fallen ill."

Byleth immediately understood. Claude was too level headed to get worked up over nothing. His mother was dying. "Will you go to her?" she asked.

Pain washed over him. "We're at such a crucial stage in the war and political affairs within Fodlan right now. I..." he trailed off, running a hand through his hair. His eyes drifted down to the paper, what was now clearly a letter, that he'd been staring at when Byleth had come in. "I was asked to return home."

Byleth's face and posture softened at his open confliction. From her third party perspective, there was no choice. Family always came first. Yet, Claude was truly so principled and driven, he didn't want to risk leaving where he thought he was needed most. Where the world, where their shared dream, seemed to need him most.

She smiled and knelt down to look him in the eyes. "My friend." Those words captured him. It was something she'd never said outright. "Your dream is my dream. Your goals are my own." She stroked his hand with her thumb. "Go to your mother. I'll take full command and tie up the loose ends while you're gone."

Byleth watched as surface feelings, deeper emotions, reasonings, and thoughts rushed through his mind at the proposition. Had he really not considered it an option?

Claude creased his brows and opened to protest "But what if - I can't ask - "

"You can and you will." She cut him off. "You already know the choice you need to make. I'm simply cutting off any other foolish ideas from that whirlwind of a mind you have." She said with another smirk.

Byleth was stunned when Claude's eyes slowly watered, and he shook his head to compose himself. He squeezed her hand before letting it go with a ghost of a laugh. "You really are somethin else, Teach."

"I know." Byleth winked for good measure, before moving to stand and leave. "I'll let you get packed. It'll be a long journey." She strode to the door, before Claude stopped her.

"Hey."

There was a strange weight in the way he said it. It made something odd twist in her belly. Byleth turned and saw the most complex bundle of emotions he'd ever openly shown with her. Worse yet, she couldn't even decipher it. For the first time in a while there was something on her old student's face that was a complete mystery to her. What on earth?

"Teach, listen, uhm."

Word whiskers? What other odd behaviors would he throw at her today?

After some obvious internal grappling, he seemed to become much more himself. His eyes seemed alight again, but somehow, much more grieved.

"Claude," She laughed, more in nervousness than anything else. "I'm sure it can wait until-"

"No listen to me, please. It's important, since we're already being so honest right now. You shared your allegiance with my goals. I have to tell you the rest of my plan now. It's, only fair."

She took a few steps forward to show she was listening. She couldn't stop herself from folding her arms again though.

Claude cleared his throat knowing full well what he was going to do to her, to them, with what he was about to say next.

"If, if I go home now, I need you to understand that I don't know if I'll be coming back here. To Fodlan. Ever."