It was long, long past curfew.
Were Marianne to be caught, she would surely be scolded. Some sort of minor punishment would undoubtedly be pushed onto her were they to catch her tiptoeing through the academy grounds at this hour. Goddess knows how many chores she would be forced to complete if she were to be caught…
And yet, she was determined.
She was on a mission.
As quietly as she could, the bundled-up student darted through the snow. Each step she made was lighter than a feather, but the sound of the crunching snow seemed to echo endlessly in the frigid, winter's night.
It was nerve-wracking. The last thing Marianne wanted was to be caught breaking curfew. People spoke about her behind her back enough as it was, she did not want to give them more fuel to their fires of hatred.
But, she could not help but marvel at this snowy night. That fear dulled into a nagging worry as her eyes took in the beautiful sea of white.
There was something beautiful about a snow-covered ground. Something lovely about watching the flakes flutter down from the heavens above, reflecting the moon's light as if they were small beacons in the dark.
As she walked through Garreg Mach, her eyes focused on the falling snow, it truly felt like she was the only person here- as if she was the sole inhabitant of this sleepy academy. There was something calming about that fact. The officer's academy was always so rowdy… Always bustling, always moving, as if it was its very own entity. Sometimes, it was a little too much for her to handle.
Being the only person awake and watching the snow was very peaceful. It was a peace that she had not felt in a very, very long time.
Hugging her coat a little closer to her chest, she quickened her pace. Now was not the time to get lost in the scenery. Her friend needed her, after all.
A few seconds of trudging through ankle-high snow later, Marianne made it to the stables.
Taking a few cursory looks around, she bee-lined directly to the stable gate where Dorte was held.
"D-Dorte?" She whispered.
At her tiny and shaky voice, the horse's head perked up. As his eyes landed on Marianne, the steed let out a tinny whinny.
He looked happy to see her.
Seeing someone being happy to see her made Marianne… well, happy. Even if Dorte was a horse, he was still a friend.
It was… nice being wanted.
"You must be cold." Marianne smiled.
Dorte bobbed his head up and down. Most people wouldn't see a response in this, but Marianne was not most people.
"I-I brought you something."
With a trembling hand, Marianne removed the folded blanket from beneath her arm. Unfurling it, she draped the cloth over her friend's back.
"I-i-it's cold, so I thought you could use a blanket."
It was hard to speak through the clattering of her teeth, but Dorte seemed to understand it well enough.
Pulling out her final present, Marianne offered him a crisp, fresh apple.
Dorte excepted the token of their friendship happily, nearly chomping her hand as he devoured the tasty treat.
Marianne giggled, giving her buddy a few pats and rubs on the head.
Truthfully, Marianne loved Dorte. He was a very close friend, and perhaps the person she was the most comfortable conversing with.
With Dorte, Marianne didn't have to worry. He always accepted her. He was always happy to see her. She didn't have to worry about annoying him, or being a bother… She didn't have to worry about Dorte gossiping about her or giving her suspicious looks because… well, he was a horse.
Marianne didn't have to worry about Dorte abandoning her or hating her. She did not have to worry about how he might judge her.
Her horse friend was easy. Marianne understood him.
People… people were different.
Marianne's hand grew still, her smile growing rueful.
As much as she wanted to stay here a little while longer, it was best for her to return to her room before-
The student yelped as she felt something warm wrap around her shoulders. She would have nearly jumped out of her skin had it not been for the pair of sturdy hands that briefly held her shoulders in place.
"It is cold."
A gruff voice agreed. It was sharp. Emotionless.
Marianne froze. She recognized it instantly.
She was caught red-handed. By perhaps the last person she wanted…
"Dorte and I wouldn't want to see you get sick."
Her eyes widened as an arm snaked over her shoulder. There was a mug in his hand. From the steam swirling near the rim and the pleasant aroma of chocolate ticking her nose, Marianne could tell it was freshly prepared hot chocolate.
She dumbly accepted it.
"Good night, Marianne. Don't stay up too late."
Before she could even register what happened, Professor Byleth walked away. She hadn't even had the chance to catch his eyes before he left. Without another word he just… walked away. He didn't scold her, he didn't lecture her or turn her in… He just left. Marianne wasn't as well-versed in human interaction as say, Hilda or Claude, but even she knew that was somewhat strange.
The jacketless professor stepped through the snow and back towards where the dormitories were located. Marianne watched him go until the black of his armor faded into the night.
Still dumbstruck, she glanced at the mug of hot chocolate warming her hands. It smelled… heavenly.
With Byleth's jacket staving off the cold, she took a small sip.
It tasted as wonderful as it smelled.
Dorte tossed his head as Marianne's smile returned.
Heyo! Thanks for reading, everyone.
So, basically this story is exactly as it looks like. Small chapters where Marianne gets to be happy. This pretty much sums up the entirety of what this story will be (maybe some minor romance we'll see). Yeah, not much of an outline here. I just want some fluff.
This won't be anything as grand as Love in the Dark, as that's still my main squeeze, but I thought it'd be fun to write a chapter for this once and while when I've got writer's block or I want to stretch my writing muscles. So, do not fret if you read my other story, Love in the Dark will always take precedence!
But, yeah... This sounded like something fun and simple to do on the side. I love Marianne and she deserves THE ENTIRE WORLD