Crestwood
Claude tracked the Stranger on the scooter back to Raph's. He watched as she nervously looked around, unlocked her door, and hurried inside Room 2. Not wanting to knock on her door during the night, Claude returned the next day to introduce himself. He knocked and heard someone scrounging around, but no one answered. He knocked again and heard nothing. He knocked again, and a high-pitched voice said, "Wrong room! Please leave, thanks bye!"
Claude replied, "Hello? My name is Claude. I just wanted to introduce myself since you seem new in town."
The voice replied, "Not new in town - just don't leave the room much. Have a great day!"
The conversation was going nowhere, so Claude said goodbye through the door. He looked up at the darkening sky, "Hmm, looks like a storm is coming," he thought aloud.
Edelgard quietly ate her breakfast while watching the morning weather report. The meteorologist was excitedly explaining about a storm front coming through the area later that evening. Byleth rushed by with her toothbrush in her mouth and spat her toothpaste out in the sink. Edelgard gave her a questioning look. "I have to be a work at 7:15! I overslept!" she exclaimed and continued to hurry around.
"It's 7:10, Byleth. You have plenty of time to get to the station before 8:00."
Byleth frantically smoothed down her clothes. "Well, there was a lot of crime last night, so I've got a lot of paperwork to catch up on. Sooo much paperwork."
Edelgard narrowed her eyes at Byleth, "I'm sure nothing catastrophic will happen in the next five minutes."
She slammed the door, leaving Edelgard to finish her oatmeal.
Byleth ran into Ashe's and flopped down at her usual booth. She used her cellphone to check the time and then fixed her hair with the camera. Then she pulled a Varley book out of her bag and pretended to read it.
Dimitri, followed by Monica, soon entered. Dimitri paid for his coffee and walked over to Byleth. "Good morning," he said hesitantly.
Byleth looked up for her book and said entirely too loudly, "Good morning, Dimitri!"
Dimitri rubbed the back of his neck, "I, uh, should go. I'm going to be late for work. Arundel has Monica interning with me now."
Byleth flashed a smile, "Well, isn't that adorable. Have a great day!"
Monica was waiting at the door with her coffee, giving Byleth a death glare. Dimitri said goodbye to Byleth and rejoined Monica. As they were leaving, Edelgard entered the diner. Byleth tried to hide behind her book, but it was too late. She could feel a pair of violet eyes staring at her. Edelgard sauntered over to Byleth's booth and sat down, "Wow, look at the paperwork. You were right - how do you find time to finish it all?"
Byleth sank in her seat, "He's always here at 7:15," she mumbled.
"Yeah, with Monica - his new intern - his new intern assigned by Arundel himself," Edelgard retorted.
Byleth threw her hands up, "I know - it's just nice to come here and see him. Even for a little while."
Edelgard patted her hand, "Hey, it's okay. But maybe you need to stop these visits. I think they'll hurt more in the long run.
Garreg Mach, 1185
Byleth started the morning off by visiting Dimitri in the cathedral. Perhaps he would be in a better frame of mind today now that everyone had returned to the monastery. She grabbed a little breakfast from the dining hall and brought it with her. His back was to her, staring at a ruined section of the wall. Her heels clicked on the floor as she carefully walked up to him. "Dimitri?" she said softly. There was no response. She waited for several minutes, but he did not turn around. She left the tray on a pew and quietly slipped out.
Crestwood
Byleth stopped by the pharmacy to pick up emergency supplies for the upcoming storm - candles, matches, and a couple of flashlights. Byleth thought making an emergency kit would be an excellent way to show her appreciation to Edelgard for letting her live rent-free. Things were going well until Monica bumped right into her. Monica squeaked and then let something fall loudly out of her hand. Instead of picking it up, Monica sighed, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Bella."
Byleth gritted her teeth, "It's still Byleth." She bent down to pick up the object that Monica still could not bother to reach for. It was a box of condoms. Byleth stared at it. Monica pulled it from her hands and skipped away without even saying thank you. Shaken, Byleth stood back up and checked to make sure nothing had fallen out of her basket. A hand touched her shoulder, and she spun around. It was Arundel, "I trust you can be discreet, Miss Eisner." He smirked and walked away.
Garreg Mach, 1185
Byleth continued to bring Dimitri meals, but he refused to even look at her. Sometimes he growled, "Leave me!" Most of the time, he ignored her. Other times, he was pleading with his father or Glenn to give him time. It broke Byleth's heart, but she continued to go back to him.
One morning, she could hear crying as she approached. He was on his knees with his hands in his hair, begging his father for forgiveness. She didn't want to startle him, so she gently asked, "Dimitri, what troubles you?" This time he spun around and charged her, "What do you want?" he roared.
She resisted the urge to back away and held out the tray, "I came to check on you. Everyone is worried about you. I'm worried about you."
He laughed bitterly, "I see. We should leave at once. I need to find Edelgard and kill her."
Byleth set down the tray and sighed, "We can't do that just yet. We need to prepare."
He crossed his arms and turned around, "I don't have the luxury of time like the rest of you fools! I will leave and do it alone if I must."
He refused to speak to her or look at her anymore. With a heavy heart, Byleth left.
Crestwood
Byleth walked home from the pharmacy. At least she was saving gas mileage by living in this tiny town. She tried to think of anything but her encounter with Monica. It was one thing for Dimitri to try to stay in his uncle's good graces for his "investigation," but sleeping with Monica didn't seem like something he would stoop to. Unless he had feelings for her, and then, then what?
"Ugh!" she exclaimed as she walked. She was blessedly distracted by a cooing sound coming from some greenery. She took out one of her new flashlights and looked around. A small white dove was struggling in one of the bushes. Its little leg had become trapped. She set her things down and tried to reach in the bushes carefully. Frightened, it began to slap her with its wings and nipped her fingers with its tiny beak. "Hey! Ouch! Look, do you want help or not?"
"Who are you talking to?" a voice asked. She pulled her hands out of the bush and saw Dimitri standing over her, looking confused.
"Oh, just communicating with the local wildlife. Embracing my inner Disney princess." Byleth replied.
Dimitri laughed and knelt next to her to look in the bush. He helped hold the leaves back while Byleth gently untangled the dove's leg. She expected it to fly away, but it just stayed in her arms. Not knowing much about birds, she held it out in her open hands and gently raised her arms to let it know it was free to fly. The bird just stared at her. "Maybe it's hurt?" Dimitri suggested. "Let's have Dr. Edmund look at her."
The walk to the vet was quiet but pleasant. Occasionally, Dimitri's arm would brush against hers, and Byleth's heart would flutter. Each time, she would take a deep breath and will herself to settle down. He had already made his priorities clear. Occasionally the stupid bird would bite her, abruptly taking her out of her thoughts.
Dr. Marianne Edmund barely made eye contact with either of them, instead focusing entirely on the bird. While the creature had only interacted with Byleth through biting and blank staring, it cuddled close to Marianne and made soft cooing noises. Marianne whispered to it as she examined the bird for broken bones. Finally, the blue-haired woman spoke to the two humans in the room, "The good news is that she doesn't have any broken bones." She lowered her large eyes again, "Unfortunately, she's a North Atlantic dove. She probably got separated from her flock while migrating. They mate for life. That means if she doesn't go back to her flock -"
"- she'll be alone forever," Byleth finished.
Marianne nodded at Byleth and then gently placed the dove in a carrier. The bird flapped her wings and squawked. "She's not happy here. She misses her family," Marianne said sadly.
Byleth took the carrier, "Then we'll just have to make her happy again."
Dimitri followed Byleth out of the vet's office. "You don't seriously think you're going to reunite that bird with her flock with this storm coming?"
Byleth continued to walk, "Please, it's rain - not a hurricane, or a tornado, or a volcano. I'll be fine."
"It's really not a safe idea, Byleth."
She turned around and put one hand on her hip, "Look, she's going to be alone forever. Away from her family. Away from her mate. That's horrible. I'm going to fix it, and I don't need your help. Goodbye, Dimitri."
Ailell, 1185
Ailell was even more unpleasant than the legends had led Byleth to believe. Byleth felt the scorching heat on her cheeks, and her armor felt like it had been glued to her. What was supposed to be a secret meeting soon turned into an ambush by Lord Gwendal, and they had no choice but to fight their way out.
A cavalier rushed Byleth with his lance. She quickly knocked him off his horse and stabbed him to death. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the assassin behind her until his sword was in her face. Blood came out of his mouth as a lance ran through his side. Dimitri snapped at her, "You should stay behind me."
Byleth snapped, "Why would I want to do that? You haven't even spoken to me in weeks. I can manage myself. It isn't like you're going to watch out for me anyway." She raised the Sword of the Creator and ran further into the fray.
Crestwood
The rain began as Byleth walked to the woods outside Crestwood. She pulled her hood up and continued, figuring the flock couldn't be too far away from where she found the bird initially. As she continued down the wooded path, the rain became more burdensome, but she pressed on. Just because she would be alone forever, it didn't mean this bird had to be too. She climbed up an embankment looking over a ravine. Finally, she heard cooing in the trees. "See, I said I would find them for you. Let's get you back."
She set the cage down and stepped back. The ground below her gave way from the rain, and she lost her balance. She started to fall into the ravine but grabbed a root. She looked down, and it was going to be a dangerously long fall. She cried out as she tried to use her free hand to pull herself up. Suddenly, she felt a strong arm grab hers. "Hold on tight!" Dimitri called out.
He pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. Her head was on his chest, and she could feel his heart pounding. She could have stayed right there forever if there wasn't a massive downpour. "I couldn't let you come out here alone," he said.
Remembering herself, she pulled away, "I'm fine. Thanks. Saved me the trouble of pulling myself up."
She tried to go back to the birdcage, but Dimitri grabbed her arm, "You can't possibly still want to release that bird in this storm?"
"Her flock is right here, and I have to do it right now!" Byleth cried.
"It's too dangerous. There's too much lightning. We have to go." Dimitri picked up the cage and took Byleth by the hand. She reluctantly agreed.
Ailell, 1185
Byleth and Dimitri continued to cut through enemies in the searing heat while doing their best to ignore each other. The fighting was brutal, and Byleth was out of pulses. Dimitri continued to behave carelessly, cutting through enemies without concern for his or others' safety. He finally reached Lord Gwendal and taunted, "I had better kill a pet and return his head to his master!"
They circled around each other, stabbing at each other with their lances. Finally, Dimitri prevailed, and Gwendal breathed his last, thanking Dimitri for giving him a good death. Dimitri knelt next to him, disgusted, "Now he is just a corpse."
He was too busy mocking Gwendal to notice a small soldier in armor raise her dagger. She screamed, "You filthy monster! Die!" and plunged the blade into Dimitri's shoulder.
She raised her dagger again, and Dimitri was too stunned to react. There was no time. Byleth threw herself on top of Dimitri. The girl stabbed her back repeatedly. Her vision darkened, and she heard Dimitri cry out her name.
Crestwood
They ran through the forest in the rain, Byleth holding Dimitri's hand. There was a structure in the distance, and they approached it. It was a little cabin. Dimitri banged on the door, but no one answered. He tried the door, but it was locked. Byleth kicked it open. Dimitri looked at Byleth, but Byleth shrugged. They entered, and Dimitri called out, but the cabin was empty. "Probably is someone's vacation home. They won't be here during the off-season," Dimitri said.
Byleth shivered, and Dimitri grabbed some blankets off the bed. He wrapped them around her and led her to the sofa. She watched him start a fire in the fireplace and return to sit with her. He tried to put his arm around her, and she scooted away. He frowned, "What is going on with you today?"
She pulled the blankets around her shoulders, "What is going on? You shot me down, and I still have feelings for you." Dimitri's eyes widened. "Why do you think I go to Ashe's every morning at 7:15? It's to see you. I don't know why because it just makes me miserable, because every time I see you, it reminds me that you chose your vow to the dead or whatever instead of me. And that's why I didn't want you to come to the woods with me. Cause being around you is - well, it's too painful."
Dimitri looked down at the floor and whispered, "Is that so? Well, you're the reason I go to Ashe's at 7:15."
Byleth was surprised but skeptical, "What about Monica and her giant box of condoms?"
This time Dimitri looked stunned, "What? Ew. No."
They both laughed and looked at each other. He had such a beautiful face. Such beautiful eyes. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her lips. He stiffened for a moment but then put his arms around her and lowered her onto her back. He moved from her lips to her neck, kissing more fervently each time while she lifted his shirt and placed her hands on his back.
Then the bird started shrieking, and Byleth cursed to herself.
"The rain stopped - let's give her one more chance to go home." Dimitri looked deeply disappointed, and she gave him a light kiss. "I know, but I'm not ready to be a parent to a spinster bird."
She grabbed the carrier and ran outside, Dimitri close behind. There was a flock of birds above them crying out. Byleth opened the carrier door, and the bird flew up into the air. Dimitri wrapped his arms around Byleth as they watched them fly away.
Although she wanted to stay in his arms, she remembered how she felt when he told her he didn't have a future to promise her. She pulled away, "Dimitri, you're just going to run off again when we get back to town. You've made your choice."
Dmitri ran a hand through his hair, "I know, but you don't understand. I can still hear my father and all those who died that day. They want me to find out who did this to them. But when I'm with you, they're not so loud. It's like I have two lives - one with the dead and one with you. Please, let me stay with you."
Byleth shook her head and began to walk home, leaving Dimitri standing alone.
Garreg Mach 1185
Mercedes poured as much of her healing magic into Byleth. It was enough to stabilize her. Dimitri carried her all the way back to the monastery and remained at her bedside until she regained consciousness. She was pleasantly surprised to find him l with her until he opened his mouth. "Professor, how could you do that? The punishment was mine to bear!"
He turned around to leave, but Byleth sat up, "Hello, to you too, Dimitri. Where are you off to? Enbarr? Will that appease the dead?"
He returned to her side, "You have no idea what you are talking about. Hatred. Regret. Those burdens fall on the shoulders of those who are left behind. And so, I must continue down this path! I already told you as much! It is far too late to stop."
She stretched out her hand, "You've suffered enough, and it's time to forgive yourself."
He knelt by her, "But then what would I live for?"
"Live for what you believe in, Dimitri."
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, "Your hands are so warm, have they always been?"
Crestwood
The next morning, Byleth ordered her coffee to go at 7:45 am. As she was paying, Dimitri walked in, saw her, and promptly turned around to leave. Hapi handed Byleth her coffee with a smirk. Byleth took a sip and said, "Oh hell," and went after Dimitri. She followed him down a side street. Without turning around, he said, "It's 7:45, and I'm trying not to see you."
She continued to follow him, "I'm trying not to see you either.
He turned around, "Well, how do we stop seeing each other?"
She walked up to him and pressed him against the wall, "Apparently, we can't."
They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed, unaware that Arundel was watching them disapprovingly from his car.