Now we get a variation on the Byleth/Dorothea B-support. And something I've wanted to do with said support for a while.
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Chapter 38 – Weaknesses (Horsebow Moon)
The following week went by far more peacefully at Garreg Mach. With Flayn recovered, the students were able to go back to their studies and training. Flayn had even been permitted by Seteth to join the Black Eagles in Byleth's lectures, having been made an honorary member of the house. It allowed Byleth to keep a close eye on the green-haired girl.
Byleth was dressed in her teaching attire rather than her combat gear, her wardrobe bearing some resemblance to the students' uniforms. She had even started learning how to use make-up, courtesy of Annette and Hilda. Byleth didn't use much, and she might have found it pointless before, but even she had to admit that it made teaching easier.
The bell rang for the end of the day's lecture.
Dum… Dum dun dun… Dom…
"That will be all for today, everyone," said Byleth as the students rose from their seats. "Remember that mid-terms will be coming soon, and I expect the best from you all. That includes you, Linhardt."
Linhardt let out a groggy groan at being mentioned, something which didn't sit well with Byleth, but she knew the young healer would pass his tests. Despite his slothfulness, he was a brilliant intellectual.
Over the next few minutes, the Black Eagles slowly made their way out of the classroom to see to their own activities for the rest of the day. But as the classroom was emptied, Byleth noticed Dorothea still seated in a corner of the room, her expression one of depression.
Byleth looked at her with pity. Dorothea still hadn't fully recovered from her near-death experience. Flayn had been able to cope thanks to everyone's support, and even Monica seemed to have a drastic personality change after being reintegrated into the Black Eagles, but Dorothea had been somber for the whole week.
Taking a deep breath, Byleth knew she was going to have to speak with the diva on the matter.
"Dorothea?" Byleth asked as she walked up to her.
Startled, Dorothea looked up and said, "O-Oh, Professor! Did you need something?"
"The lecture is over. Everyone else is gone. Is everything alright?"
"Oh, don't worry. It's nothing…"
Byleth said nothing, but she continued to stare Dorothea in the eye. The brunette relented after a few seconds with a sigh.
"Actually, could we talk for a bit? Somewhere a bit more… private?"
"Of course."
"Good. Let's head back to my room. I… don't want people overhearing us."
…
Byleth had insisted on making a detour before she and Dorothea made their way to the diva's room. Dorothea now held a bowl of Saghert and Cream in her lap as she sat on her bedside. However, she had barely eaten any of it, and had only done so at Byleth's prompting.
After a moment, Dorothea sighed, set her bowl aside, and asked, "Can I tell you something, Professor?" Byleth nodded, so Dorothea said, "I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I find you to be a little difficult to be around. I know, I know. I'm your student and you're just trying to watch out for me. But the way you look at me sometimes… it's like you're seeing right through me."
"Seeing through you?" asked Byleth.
"Don't worry. I know you don't mean anything bad by it. I'm just too self-conscious, I guess." Sighing again, Dorothea added, "You know this, but I don't have anything to call my own. No land, no birthright, no fortune. And, compared to you, little knowledge or battle skill. Because of that, I've always clung to my image as a diva. Even after leaving the stage, I've sort of kept up the act. But when I look at you, it's like your eyes are accusing me… Telling me that you see right through it. That's what I mean when I say it's difficult being around you. Not to mention all the trouble I seem to get in when you're around."
"I… I'm sorry."
"Again, it's not your fault, Professor. I guess I've just been unlucky as of late. I mean, I've almost died three times in as many weeks. First at Conand Tower, then with Count Varley, and then… well, you know. And because of all that, you keep seeing my vulnerable side, behind the singer and the starlet. And I don't like how you keep seeing it… the side of myself I hate…"
"What do you mean?"
"What do I – Professor, you know what I mean! You must've heard me when I was… when I was begging for my life!"
It clicked in for Byleth what Dorothea was getting at by this point, but she allowed the diva to continue as the brunette's voice began to waver.
"You know, people say that when you're face to face with death, you find out what kind of person you really are. And each time I almost died I was just… I couldn't think of anything else but myself! When the Death Knight had his hand around my throat, all I could do was beg for him to spare my life! When he chased me, I didn't think for a second about Flayn or Mercedes! All I was thinking about was saving myself!" Dorothea buried her face in her hands and whimpered, "And that's not the first time that's happened either! When I was an orphan, I had to run from people after my life more times than I can remember. When I was in the opera, men and women would come after me, whether out of jealousy or lust or whatever. And each time, each time I had to run or hide, I only ever cared about saving my own skin! No one else ever mattered! What kind of person does that make me? What does that say about who I really am? It says I'm a coward, that's what! A coward who only gives a damn about herself! And I hate it! I hate being the scared, selfish, helpless damsel, like in my plays!"
Dorothea was now crying again, her self-esteem at an all-time low.
After a good ten seconds, Dorothea felt Byleth place her hand on her shoulder.
"You're not selfish, Dorothea," said Byleth.
Dorothea said nothing for a moment as she looked up at her, and then she turned away from Byleth as she said, "You don't mean that. You're just saying it."
"I do mean it, Dorothea. If you truly cared only about yourself, you wouldn't have saved me when I fell from the ledge at Conand Tower."
Dorothea made a short gasp of epiphany at this as her green eyes shot wide open.
"If you were selfish, you wouldn't have stayed and helped Anna and I against the Death Knight. A truly selfish person would have fled, but you stayed."
"But I… I left Flayn and Mercedes…"
"It's not cowardice to run from a fight you can't win. You did the only thing you could. If you had stood and fought, we never would have made it in time to help you."
Dorothea was silent for a moment, and then asked, "How do you do it?"
"Huh?"
"How are you always so brave? How come nothing ever scares you?"
Byleth paused for a moment, and then said, "I do get scared."
Dorothea looked at Byleth with an expression of disbelief.
"I was scared when I heard you screaming in the tunnels. I was afraid we weren't going to make it in time. I kept thinking we'd be too late, or that we wouldn't be able to defeat the Death Knight. I… was afraid of letting you down."
Dorothea couldn't find anything to say.
"But being brave means doing what you're afraid to do," Byleth continued. "You can't be brave if you're not scared. That's something my father taught me when I was a child."
Dorothea paused for a moment to think it over, and then said, "Wow… that's good advice. But… it sounds easier said than done."
"It is. To be honest, I actually wish I would get scared more often."
"What? Why would you want that?"
"There's a fine line between being brave and being foolhardy. I'd rather not be the latter."
"Oh. I see…"
To Byleth's relief, a smile came across Dorothea's face. The two were silent as the singer pondered all that Byleth had said. She gingerly picked up her bowl of Saghert and Cream and took another bite of the desert, the flavor helping her think. Minutes passed in silence as Dorothea continued to eat.
Then, struck by an idea, Dorothea asked, "Hey, uh, this might sound nuts, but maybe you could show me some kind of weakness of yours?"
"Excuse me?" Byleth asked, surprised by such a question.
"You know my biggest fears… my weaknesses. If I know another one of yours, maybe I'll feel less, I don't know… vulnerable."
"Well, if it would really help…"
"Excellent. Well then, don't mind me."
As she said this, Dorothea rose from her seat and walked over to sit next to Byleth on her bed. She looked as though she were returning to her usual verve.
With a small giggle, Dorothea said, "I bet I know your weakness. It's not mental, is it? It's physical! You're ticklish! Here, I'll prove it."
With that, Dorothea brought her hands to Byleth's sides and stroked her.
"That's right. The next time you gaze into my soul, I know just how I'll retaliate!"
Dorothea continued stroking Byleth's sides, trying to get a reaction out of her. But then, after a few seconds, she stopped upon realizing that Byleth wasn't giving off the reaction she wanted. Instead of a fit of laughter, Byleth was staring back at her with a look of chagrin.
"Um… Professor?" Dorothea asked in confusion. "What's with you? Why aren't you reacting to anything I'm doing?"
The look on Byleth's face spoke for her. She clearly didn't find it all that amusing.
"Oh, come on! I thought that was funny! I swear, it's like your heart isn't even beating!"
Byleth decided it best not to respond to Dorothea's remark.
"Oh well, I didn't really think a little tease like that would be enough to get to you, anyway. Though I was giving it my all. You're pretty tough to resist that."
But then, as Byleth continued to stare at Dorothea, the singer got a more lurid idea.
With a grin, Dorothea said, "Hmm… well then, if not your sides… Then how about these?"
Without warning, Dorothea's hands shot up and each grabbed a handful of Byleth's huge breasts through her shirt. Byleth blinked as she made an audible gasp of confusion, as though being groped hadn't fully registered to her. Then, as she looked down to see Dorothea clenching her bountiful chest, the diva's hands unable to fully grasp all of the teacher's ripe mounds, her pupils narrowed as it fully sunk in.
To Dorothea's delight, Byleth let out a loud, uncharacteristic shriek.
"D-D-D-DOROTHEA!?"
Immediately, Byleth wrenched herself free of Dorothea's grasp and sprung off the bedside, her hands covering her chest defensively. Dorothea laughed at this, not expecting Byleth's reaction to be so expressive.
"Aha! I knew it! I knew you had to have a weakness of some kind!" Dorothea said happily. Then, with a sly smile, she added, "Figures it'd be those huge things. You're even bigger than me."
"Dorothea Arnault, that was completely inappropriate!" Byleth stammered. "You don't just go around grabbing other people's chests without permission!"
"Oh, I see. So, if I wanted to do that again, would I need your permission, Professor?"
Byleth made a loud, disapproving glower at this, to which Dorothea let out another giggle.
Then, as she looked at Byleth again, she added, "By the way, you're adorable when you're blushing."
Confused, Byleth looked at Dorothea's mirror. Just as Dorothea said, she saw that her cheeks had turned red as a tomato.
"I don't think I've ever seen you make such a cute face," Dorothea teased.
With a loud huff of embarrassment, Byleth darted out of Dorothea's room.
Dorothea couldn't help but fall back onto her bed at this and laugh.
…
Byleth gasped for breath as she shut herself back in her quarters. To her relief, no one had been around when she had screamed. Her cheeks were still red with embarrassment; she had never been this flustered before in her life.
"My, my, who would have thought it?" said a familiar voice.
Byleth's face blanched as Sothis appeared before her.
"All it takes is a simple fondling and you scream like a child."
"Sh-Shut up!" Byleth snapped with a glare. "I don't want to hear it from you!"
Sothis then frowned as she said, "I know that look in your eye. You were just about to make fun of my child-like body, weren't you? You were about to make some remark at my expense regarding your voluptuous form." With sarcasm, Sothis added, "How very mature of you."
"I-I wasn't– I didn't–"
"You were thinking it."
Byleth suddenly felt her face flush even redder at this. And it only continued to flush with color as Sothis began to laugh.
"To think you are so easily flustered," said Sothis. "Perhaps I should thank that singing girl for showing me such an amusing spectacle. But if anything, you should be thanking each other."
"Huh? Why?" Byleth asked in confusion.
"Now, now, I think I will let you figure that out. But I do believe that she will be right as rain when next you see her." Sothis then made a yawn and said, "I am suddenly very sleepy once more. Please leave me to my rest."
In a shimmer of green light, Sothis vanished from Byleth's sight, leaving the teacher to ponder what she meant.
Tell me, was this too much of a mood whiplash?
The thing is, the moment I saw the B-Support in-game, I knew I wanted to make an ecchi version of it. But I wonder if I should've kept it separate from Byleth coaxing Dorothea out of her PTSD. Oh well, hope you enjoyed the groping scene.