Post-game chapter is so necessary due to how disappointed I was that Claude simply up and left. I know he had reasons and my understanding is that it took him mere months to achieve his goal (which is insane), but I'm still a little mad.

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I missed you

Byleth had never expected herself to be so relieved upon seeing a white wyvern. But while she heard of the Almyran colors on the flags carried by the oncoming groups, her eyes could only register one thing. Barbarossa was here. And on his back, coming back to her like a dashing King from tales of old, was Claude von Riegan, wearing a crown and commanding hundreds of men.

Oh if she hadn't been in such a dire situation, she could have slapped him. He needed a dozen slaps just for leaving, and right as their eyes met, she flipped around, raising her blade to face the soldiers that were attacking Garrech Mach.

She was apostle and queen. She was teacher and preacher for a religion that had altered her life from the day she was born. Her mind would reel whenever she thought of her birth. Of the fact her heart was that of someone else.

Her lungs screamed as she faced soldier after soldier, her arms unwavering, her robes floating around her. With their new reinforcement, the battle was over in a flash. Byleth made it a point to check on her men, even though Cyril and Shamir were already doing so. Which meant she needed to face Claude now.

"Hey Teach! I mean, Byleth, sorry," Claude added in a whisper, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

She couldn't help the sentiment he'd grown a little larger in the shoulders yet, her eyes sticking to his as she greeted him with the smallest curtsy.

"Your highness."

"Oh please, none of that."

She could see his retinue standing close-by, and discovered a fire in her chest at the idea it would be harder than ever to have him to her alone.

"I still need to thank you for backing us up," she insisted, wondering if some of her accumulated irritation was showing on her face. She kept her mouth thin and neutral, searching his eyes for the words he'd told her.

"I want you by my side. I love you."

Something within ached and she had yet to understand what it was, there was so much she couldn't fathom…

"I missed you," she whispered, grateful to the fact no bitterness colored her voice.

Claude bit on his lower lip, the hint of a smirk showing, his eyes softening.

"Did you now? I missed you too," he added, taking a step closer to her.

That maintained a very decent distance between them, a distance that irked Byleth beyond words at this point. She erased it, ignoring his extended hands to link her arms behind his neck, using some of her weight to make him lean down. She saw the surprise on his face and the blush on his cheeks, offering him a brief smile before kissing him fully. The exclamations of shock and encouragement were instantaneous, Byleth clearly making out the words "So that's our queen!". Claude was too shell-shocked to react, his hands finding her waist and awkwardly gripping it despite the sword at her side. His lips felt warm and also soft. He was adorably hesitant, and she liked the impression, despite wishing he was already comfortable kissing her. They had so much time to make up for.

They parted too soon to her liking, Claude nearly coming after her for more, halting himself as he heard his people asking.

"Your highness, is this your betrothed?"

"I… Did I give you the impression every woman of Fodlan greeted me this way?" he shot back, his arms remaining around Byleth's frame.

"We don't know people's customs well in this land, if there's anything we need to learn…" a young man added, sounding playful.

Byleth wondered if she had to worry about any lady from her ranks. Claude loved both of his countries, but he hadn't told her about Almyra as much as she would have liked. It had taken him forever to simply use the country's name.

"I want to ask for my favor now," she told him, keeping her voice low enough, no one but him could hear her.

"Now?" he repeated, gulping down as his nervousness rose a little more.

Claude looked both flustered and taken aback by her actions and Byleth hoped her behavior right now wasn't going to turn him away from her. She was always so quiet and reserved and he liked how mysterious that made her. Watching him go after opening herself up to him made her felt like a spurn lover. She wore the ring he gave her as a pendant, refusing to put it on her finger until his promise had held.

"It's been nearly a year since I last saw you," she observed. "And while saying you missed me, there was only one letter that made it past the border."

"Byleth, I don't think now is the best…"

She didn't like the impression she was being difficult, but she couldn't help the many worries she'd collected over the past few months. They'd been through a lot of things together, but all in all, he didn't need her by his side when he'd gone to Almyra to rise his way up to being a full-fledged king.

"Claude, please," she insisted, her hands holding to the golden fabric weaving an intricate pattern across his chest.

He ran one hand through her pale hair, his lips pinched together as he gathered just what she meant when she said she'd missed him. He hated the idea his absence could have hurt her.

"Guys, can you give us some space?" he shouted over his shoulder, giving them half a minute to disperse before whistling for his wyvern, the animal making his way through the ranks of soldiers and stretching his wings to give them a semblance of shelter.

Byleth let out the breath she had been holding, surprised she was this anxious. Looking up into Claude's eyes, she was greeted by the widest grin she'd seen on his face.

"I was worried you weren't even eager to see me," he confessed. "Even your letters sound neutral!"

Blinking, she shook her head at him.

"Only because what you wrote was mundane and…!"

He cut her off with a kiss, less hesitant, but still looking for his bearings, Byleth letting herself go lax between his arms just to test his reaction. He gasped, holding her even closer to him, the hilt of her sword digging into his side.

"Are you okay?"

"I barely tasted the feel of your arms around me before," she observed. "I'm beyond eager."

She pulled him in for another kiss, teasing his lower lip between hers, letting out a sigh of approval when he pushed her backward, her back hitting the wyvern's hind-leg. Barbarossa let out a rumbling sound, but didn't move away and Byleth carefully held on to Claude, cupping his face with both hands. In between kisses, she heard him cursing about battle gloves, soon feeling his bare hands burrowing in her hair to grasp the back of her head.

It seemed that now, he wouldn't let anything hold him back and she'd hoped for this from the moment he'd made her chest clench almost painfully with the smile in his eyes. She leaned back further, pulling him after her, humming and breathing roughly into the following kisses. And as suddenly as the storm of passion had started, it was brought to a halt, Claude lowering his head into the crook of her neck to catch his breath.

"Byleth, my dear Byleth, I'm sorry I left you wanting. I missed you terribly, I just…"

"I love you," she managed, his sharp intake of air making her wonder if his new shivers were good.

He pulled back enough to look at her, her hands dropping to hold onto his shoulders as their eyes locked.

"You do? I… I asked if you'd marry me, but I can't remember if you said yes," he admitted sheepishly. "I've been facing all sorts of thing, but seeing you again while not knowing if I… Did you say yes back then?"

"How could I? You were leaving. Dropping everything at my feet to go face monsters and danger on your own. I thought yes. But do you really want a thing like me as your queen?"

"You're not a thing. You're beautiful. And inspiring."

Now it was her turn to swallow, hoping it would help the knot in her throat vanishing.

"Are you really Claude? That's a lot of compliments in a single breath."

"You're surprised only because I didn't let you see my enamored self yet."

"I remember you blushing before."

The flush in his cheeks intensified at that, Byleth smiling at him.

"You might have caught bits and pieces," Claude admitted. "But I still need an answer to that question. We don't have to wait any longer, we can be together. You just have to say you want it."

"I want you," she said instead, taking his breath away and hoping her eyes weren't filling up with tears. She was so happy to have him here after all this time.

The next kiss was wet and a little salty, but neither of them minded. They were both so relieved to be together again.

"Claude Von Riegan!" Seteth called out, "I believe we have been patient enough."

"Why is he calling my name like that? He knows you're here." Claude sighed.

"But I'm the Apostle. It involves some privileges."

He chuckled, planting a kiss on her hair before tugging her to her feet, wondering if she felt just as dizzy as he was himself.

"Does being engaged to you gives me any form of privileges?" he enquired playfully.

Byleth crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving him a thoughtful look.

"I have a few ideas, but we need to statute on why my love isn't enough on its own…"

"I did not say that!" he protested, mentally cursing for the fact Barbarossa picked that exact moment to stretch his wings and expose them to their surrounding audience.

"You sir are going to swim in rough waters for the rest of your life if you marry this lady," one of his subordinates laughed.

Claude rolled his eyes at him, feeling Byleth's arms wrapping around him again and the light pressure of her head against his chest. He hugged her back with one arm. It seemed the wait he'd put her under meant there would be no shortage of public display of affection.

"As long as I'm not alone," he whispered, making sure she was the only one hearing it.

To be continued…

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Smut might be in the next chapter. Let me know what you thought of this one!