Title: lover trysts

Prompt: 13. kissing discretely

Characters/Pairings: Sylvain/F!Byleth

A/N: For Anon, who picked number 13, kissing discretely! Sylvain is such a flirt, but I like writing him a little flustered.

Summary: It had been a while since Sylvain had gone on a proper date with Byleth. Well, patrolling and inspecting damage wasn't really proper, but it was a date all the same.

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There was something absolutely calming about strolling through Garreg Mach in the afternoon. A strong sun, nonexistent breeze, and the soft warble of birds, and it was easy for Sylvain to forget about his worries. Well, mostly easy. He cast an idle eye on his surroundings, on the slowly reducing piles of rubble, on the scorch marks on the wall. Despite his former classmates' best efforts, the signs of battle were not so simply erased.

Still, it was a nice day. Even in the midst of a raging war, it was important to take time off and recuperate. Sylvain glanced at the dark-haired woman next to him and grinned. Honestly, it had been ages since he'd gone on a date with Byleth.

Dating. He was dating Byleth. They were lovers. He could get used to calling her girlfriend.

Interlacing his hands behind his head, he glanced curiously at the clipboard in her hand. "What're you doing again?"

"Patrolling and taking stock," Byleth stated. Almost all of her sentences felt like a confirmation of a fact. "I need to see how the repairs are going."

"Ah, two very important duties." Sylvain nodded sagely. It wasn't a proper date, but he'd take what he could get. "What do you think?"

Byleth frowned, looking up from her notes. "It's…" She paused, looking at the crumbling columns and collapsed entranceways. Her fingers curled into a tight fist. "It's getting there."

That was the word for it. The monastery was getting there. His classmates were getting there. Five years was a long time and even though he'd known some of these people almost all his life, Sylvain felt like he was relearning who they were. Though, it must be worse for Byleth. For her, five years ago was just yesterday. What did it look like in her eyes, to see everything change but have no context for it? He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

She was here today, at least. Whatever came next, she'd witness it. He'd make sure of it. When she looked at him questioningly, Sylvain smiled and pointed at an overturned bench. "I remember spending a lot of time on that bench."

Byleth stared at him before turning to the bench. "Yes, you rejected a lot of girls there."

He winced. "Maybe not a lot—"

Byleth snorted and shook her head. "A lot."

"Fine, fine." Perhaps that wasn't the best memory to bring up. Directing her down a corridor to what used to be the gazebo, he said, "When this is fixed, we can have tea here again. It was really cute when you invited me."

At that, Byleth smiled, her expression tender. "I'd like that."

"It's a date." Brimming with confidence, Sylvain pointed at a corner. "That's where I used to kiss—" He cut himself off. Maybe that wasn't the right story to share. Instead, he turned to where a door hung off its hinges. "I liked sneaking in—" Nope, another memory best kept to himself.

Actually, now that he thought about it, almost every memory he had of the monastery was filled with secret trysts and discrete kisses. Like the stables or the training room or—damn. Ingrid hadn't been kidding when she'd yelled at him. The school felt like a minefield now and desperate, he searched for a spot that didn't have former fling attached to it. For once, he didn't want to send a girl home crying.

No, he wanted their burgeoning to last.

Byleth's lips quirked, amused. "It's good to see making girls cry wasn't the only thing you did."

"Byleth!" Sylvain flushed, his ears burning from embarrassment. Just how many of his breakups did she witness? If only he had listened to Ingrid.

Byleth's expression didn't change and he hoped she was just teasing him. "I—"

"Sylvain!" Ingrid's voice echoed through the stone corridors. "Where are you?"

He frowned. It was like she had a sixth sense for these things. Maybe she'd honed after years of cleaning up his messes. Looking over his shoulder, he sighed. While Ingrid wasn't in sight yet, it was only a matter of time before she dragged him off for some task or the other. Turning back to Byleth, he squeezed her hand. "I wanted to spend more time together, but alas, duty calls."

An unreadable expression crossed Byleth's face and she nodded. "It does."

Sylvain sighed again. His girlfriend was a little stoic, to say the least. It was adorable, truly was, but sometimes…sometimes he wished it was easier to guess what she was thinking. To know what she felt. If the feeling that threatened to overwhelm him wasn't as big for her. "Call me next time you're patrolling!" He raised her hand and kissed while winking. "Cute dates like these are fun."

She bit her lip. "They are."

"Sylvain!" Ingrid was closer now, frustration leaking into her voice. He glanced down the corridor once more and caught sight of her green dress.

"Co—"

"Sylvain." Interrupting him, Byleth stepped back into the shadow of a column.

"Yes, love?" he asked, automatically stepping after her.

Without warning, she tugged his tie, yanking him down before kissing him firmly. Her other hand gripped his hair, pulling him closer before finally letting go. Gently, she murmured against his lips, "I wanted to spend more time together too."

With an enigmatic smile, she slipped off down the hall.

"There you are!" Ingrid grumbled, her footsteps clanking against the granite floor. "Why didn't you answer me?"

"S-sorry," Sylvain muttered, pressing his burning face against the cool stone column. And here he thought he was the flirt, the charming one. If he fell for Byleth any faster, he was going to drown.