Byleth stood among the crowd in the sidelines, content to watch as the students did their waltz at the center of the ball room. Normally dressed in her mercenary attire, she was now wearing a navy blue dress and silver high heels, with the dress complimenting her blue eyes and dark turquoise hair. Her hair had been picked up into a bun for tonight's event, though neither her hairstyle nor her outfit were anything she could take credit for. All of that went to Mercedes and Annette of the Blue Lions — who made the request to do her hair with eager faces — and her own students, Hilda and Marianne of the Golden Deer, who picked out the lovely dress and shoes for her respectively. And speaking of Marianne...
She noticed her dancing with Ashe, the shy blue-haired girl and the upbeat freckled boy from the Blue Lions complementing each other surprisingly well. There was also Hilda and Caspar, Lysithea and Cyril, and Lorenz and Leonie. Linhardt was off dozing at one of the tables, and Raphael and Ignatz were standing by the food area, with the massive boy stuffing his face with all the delicacies while the shorter and scrawnier boy tried to get him to slow down. It dawned on her that a certain someone she had been looking forward to seeing tonight wasn't among her other Deer.
Where's Claude?
She craned her neck to search for him through the large room when she spotted him a short distance away to her right. As if on cue, the young man locked eyes with her and waved with a grin on his face, before he started to approach her. She tensed up and gasped at the sight of him. He already looked charming before, but tonight he was looking even more handsome. His usually curly and unruly brown hair was now all tidied up and slicked back, and he was sporting a black tuxedo jacket over a yellow shirt with black dress pants and shoes. When he finally reached her, he extended a hand out towards her with his palm facing upward.
"Greetings, fair lady! If it is not too much to ask, I was wondering if I may have the honor of sharing a dance with you?"
He spoke with an elegant and pompous tone that definitely did not suit him, another one of his attempts at humor. But his joking could not mask the fear and excitement in his eyes, which signalled to her that he had been looking forward to this as much as she had. Still, her own anxiety swelling within caused her to hesitate. "I don't know, Claude. I mean, I've never danced before, and I—"
"It's okay. You can learn as we go along." Any further protests were silenced when he gently took her hand in his own, and led her to the dance floor. When they reached the center, he turned towards her again. "Here, give me your other hand." She nervously did as he asked, and he gently placed it on his right shoulder before resting his free hand on her waist. The sudden contact there made her feel off, but not in an unpleasant way. If she had to describe it, it actually made her feel warm. It wasn't something she had ever experienced before, considering her life as a mercenary. But it was surely something she could get used to.
They hadn't even started dancing yet, and they were already rapidly drawing attention to themselves.
"Claude, people are starting to look this way!" she whispered, her eyes darting towards the growing onlookers.
"Don't worry about them. Right now, it's just you and me, Teach. This is our night."
She flashed him a tender smile. "All right."
As they began their dance, however, they became increasingly and painfully aware of just how inexperienced they were at this.
Literally.
"Ack!" Claude gritted his teeth and twisted his face in pain as her heel stabbed into his shoe.
"Oh! Claude, I'm so sorry!" Byleth said, completely mortified from making such a simple slip-up. "I didn't mean to—"
His laughter at the incident took her by surprise. "It's alright, Teach. There's no harm done. See? I can still go on." He tapped his injured foot on the ground to prove a point.
Byleth wasn't too sure about that, but she didn't want to stop what they started either, so she didn't question him further. "If you say so." Getting back into position, they resumed their waltz. Once again, it didn't last very long. "Ah!" She tripped on Claude's foot as they attempted to spin with the music, and she fell over sideways. With quick reflexes, he managed to catch her before she hit the ground, and he pulled her up.
"Whoops! Sorry, Teach! That one was on me." They made several more attempts to perform the dance properly, resulting in several more failures when a bashful Claude finally admitted, "Okay, so it turns out that I may not know what I'm doing either."
Byleth laughed. "I suppose that makes us both amateurs."
His smile widened at the sound of her soft laughter, and he ended up sharing in it as well. "You may be right." They ignored the snickers and mumblings that were aimed their way, too absorbed with one another to even care how others judged their dancing skills, or lack thereof. "You look stunning tonight, Teach."
Byleth's face grew slightly pink at his sudden compliment. "Thank you. You as well."
The silence that abruptly followed after surprised them both as the music ceased before it began anew, signaling everyone to change dancing partners. She looked reluctantly at Claude, who also returned her expression. Still, he respectfully made a move to step back and allow someone else to dance with her, when she firmly grasped his hand and pulled him back. He looked at her perplexed while coupled with a subtle hint of curiosity.
"Hey, can we go somewhere else?" She quickly added, "Somewhere private?"
He was about to protest, telling her that it wouldn't be fair for the next person who wanted to be her partner. But seeing that desperate look in those beautiful blue puppy eyes of hers, he couldn't possibly say no. Plus, he would only be lying to himself if he said that he didn't want to have her for a little longer. And Claude Von Riegan doesn't lie. Mostly. "Sure, do you have a place in mind? The whole monestary is packed for tonight's occasion, so I can't imagine there being a lot of places we could go."
Byleth considered their possible options, until it hit her.
"I might have an idea."
•••
"I gotta say, Teach, it's pretty bold of you to pick here of all places," Claude said as they reached the top of the spiraling staircase of the Goddess Tower. "You know, since it's forbidden to come here and all, and you're working for the church. What will you do if we get caught?"
Byleth walked towards one of the open windows overlooking the rest of the monestary, and rested her arms against the ledge. "I'm sorry for dragging you all the way here, but I just couldn't help it," she said wearily as she watched the festivities taking place below them. "I needed to get away from everything for a while and catch my breath, and this was the only rational option I could think of."
"You don't have to apologize, Teach." Claude mimicked her movement, leaning on the ledge with his fingers interlocked. "You know, there's nothing wrong with admitting you're not comfortable in a noisy crowd," he said while following her gaze. He lowered his head, and the smile on his face began to falter before it vanished entirely, his mood becoming somber. "Really, I get it. I'm the same way."
Byleth shook her head with a scoff. "You? I don't believe it."
He turned to her with a grin. "Ha! See right through me, do you? But I really do mean it. Parties aren't for me. Music and fun are all well and good, but those dances the nobles do are... something else." He grimaced as he said that last part.
She laughed. "I'll say. We were practically tripping over each other's feet just to keep up with everyone else. I'm surprised that you don't know how to dance either."
He looked away while scratching the back of his neck. "Well, I was never really taught to do that sort of thing. My upbringing was... lacking in certain ways."
She raised an eyebrow in hearing this. "Even though you're the heir to the Alliance?"
Claude nodded. "Even so. I may have secured a fancy new title, but who I am on the inside..." His voice trailed off when he looked back and noticed her with her arms wrapped together tightly and shaking as a strong breeze blew past them. "Hey, are you cold?" He realized it was a stupid question to ask, but he couldn't help but be concerned for her.
Byleth found it pretty endearing, but she put on her usual stoic face to allay his worry. "It's a little chilly out, but it's nothing I can't handle. I'll be fine." She became quizzical when he started taking his jacket off. It shortly turned to surprise when he approached her and wrapped it gently around her shoulders, before he went back to where he was standing before. "T-Thank you."
"Don't mention it." An awkward silence came between the two of them. Averting the other's gaze, they chose instead to look up at the dark blue sky above them. After a long pause, Claude spoke up. "Say, Teach... have you heard the legends about this tower?"
She looked at him. "I might have came across a few whispers here and there, yes." In truth, she was more than aware of the rumors that had been spreading among students regarding the Goddess Tower. Why, even the monastery's jovial gatekeeper had brought up the subject to her in passing the previous weekend. Still, she enjoyed listening to Claude whenever he talked about a subject that caught his interest, and she wasn't about to ruin that for him now.
Sure enough, he began to go on one of his typical ardent speeches.
"They say if a man and a woman pray for the same thing here, on this night, the goddess will grant their wish without fail," he said, still keeping his eyes ahead and fixed towards the sky.
She tilted her head with a slight frown. "Why tonight exactly?"
Claude shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe it has something to do with celebrating the anniversary of the monastery's completion. Maybe the goddess comes down from above on this night and this night alone to celebrate with us. Even goddesses like to party, right?"
There he goes, Byleth thought to herself, her lips curling up in amusement.
"The truth is that it's just a legend the students here like to tell. It's not based on any real facts. But I suppose it would be a waste to pass up a chance of having our wish granted. What do you say, Teach? Care to try?"
She silently blinked her eyes at him a few times while processing the last part that he said.
Then, they shot wide open. "Wait, what?!"
He started at the sound of her raising her voice. "Hey, no need to be so jumpy! It was just a thought that came to my head." He put a hand to his forehead, wincing in embarrassment. "I get it, though, it wouldn't be right for us to make a wish together, considering you're my Teach, and I'm your student—"
She quickly shook her head and waved her hand at him. "N-No, it's not that! I mean, I don't mind making a wish with you."
His face lit up as he dropped his hand. "Really? That's great!"
She continued bashfully. "It's just that, I wouldn't know where to begin. What would we even pray for?"
Claude crossed his arms with a frown as he pondered. "Hm... Let's see... How about we pray for our ambitions to come true? You don't exactly seem like the selfish type, but even you must have an ambition or two."
Her face fell, as her eyes dropped down towards the ongoing ball again. "Well, it's not exactly an ambition per se. Actually, it's more of a hope..."
Behind her, she was clutching her right arm with her left hand, which didn't go unnoticed by Claude. He chuckled. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Teach! Everyone has something they long for, including myself. Without even realizing it, I found myself holding tight to some pretty big ambitions." His face took on a determined look, as he locked eyes with her. "If you would... I would love for you to share in those ambitions with me."
"Claude..." Her mouth was agape, as she listened to him pour his heart out to her with absolute earnestness. A rare occurrence, which he reserved just for her, and only her.
He quickly tore his gaze away, coughing into his fist. "But all that aside, let's get started. Let's pray to the goddess before she tuckers out for the evening. Okay... Here goes." Placing a hand to his chest, while waving the other around like an actor performing a scene in a stage play, he began. "Oh, divine Goddess! Hear our prayers! We beseech you and your radiance! Please, grant us that which we seek!" He rested his hands on his waist, and waited for a reply.
Silence.
"Huh, I think that should do it. The goddess'll make our dreams come true now, yeah?" he said, turning back to Byleth.
She folded her arms against her chest, lifting an index finger to her chin with a lopsided smile on her face. "I wonder..."
He threw his hands up in the air, and shrugged. "Well, at any rate, we've done all we can. Whether we actually believe our dreams will come true or not is up to us."
"I suppose you're right..." They took another moment to stargaze, this time enjoying the silence that fell between them. "... I had a lot of fun tonight, Claude. Thank you."
"Hey, the night isn't over yet." With a grin, he gestured towards the stairs. "Come on, we should head back. I'm sure everyone is looking for you." He flashed her another wink. "Just promise to spare the last dance for me. Okay, Teach? I swear, so long as it's not one of those goofy noble dances, I am a treasure on the dance floor!"
Byleth giggled. "I'll hold you to that... but first—"
His smile vanished. "Yeah, Teach?"
She turned her head away, darting a glance at him before averting her gaze again. "Do you think you can close your eyes for me?"
He tilted his head, and blinked. "What? Why?"
"Just do it!"
"... Alright." Once his eyes were shut, he heard her let out a long breath, followed by the sound of her high heels clicking against the ground towards him. They stopped right in front of him, the short pause starting to make him anxious. He tensed up when something cool and moist grazed the corner of his lips. When he opened his eyes to look at her, she was covering her mouth while looking away with rosy cheeks. "Teach... was that a— Oof!"
He let out a grunt as she shoved his jacket into his chest with her other hand. "Here, you can have this back! And, uh... I'll see you back at the ball!" She took off downstairs, leaving him standing alone in the Goddess Tower with his jacket in his hands. He would've laughed at the sight if he wasn't still in shock at what just happened. As he slowly lifted a hand to where she kissed him, a blush appeared on his face, which was accompanied by a small smile.
"You really are something, Teach."
•••
I kissed Claude! I kissed my student! Byleth repeated in her head as she walked out of the Goddess Tower with her face buried in her hands.
"Well, well, I didn't think you'd actually pull it off! Color me surprised!" Sothis said.
The green-haired girl materialized in front of her. "What am I going to do, Sothis?!" Byleth said to her with a panicked look. "If Seteth and Lady Rhea find out about this, I'll lose my job as a professor for sure! I may even get executed for this!"
The little apparition crossed her arms and scrunched her face in thought. "True, they won't take too kindly to hear that you've been grooming one of your students. Perhaps you should've thought of that before making a move on him."
"Sothis, I'm being serious!"
She broke character, and let out a laugh. "Sorry, sorry! It's just too much fun to scold you. Honestly, I think you're worrying too much. It's clear that the interest you have in him has always been mutual on his end as well, even before you became his professor."
Byleth looked at her with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "You really think so?"
Sothis held a hand to her chest, and scoffed. "Of course I do! Who do you think you're talking to?!" She pinched her forehead with a sigh while shaking her head. "Any way, what I'm trying to say is, the time is fast approaching when he will have to leave the monastery. When that comes to pass, he will no longer be your student, nor you, his instructor." With an evil smirk, she added, "Instead, he'll be the one in a position of power this time, with him being the sovereign duke of Leceister, and you, a measly professor."
Byleth grimaced. "I suppose you have a point when you put it like that, but..."
"... Do you regret kissing him?"
"What?!" When she looked back at Sothis, there was no longer any mischievousness written on her face. Instead, it was replaced with an expression of concern, the kind a mother would have for her child. Which was funny, considering she was the young one, while Byleth was the adult. As Sothis patiently waited for her reply, she lowered her head and pondered. It didn't take long to give her an answer. She smiled. "No... Actually, I think I liked it."
Sothis' face hardened. "Then I'll cut to the heart of the matter. Do you love him?"
"Do I... love him?" She thought back to their first meeting, their victory feast after the mock battle, and all the following battles they had endured together afterward. She thought of the times he would see her after each lecture, whether to ask her about the lesson they learned that day, or just to talk with her. She thought of all the times they would sneak into the library together late at night to do research on Crests (along with other mysteries about the Seiros faith), or of all the conversations they would have over tea. Not to mention how he would tease her whenever he caught her staring for too long, and the way he would look back at her when no one else was around.
It's that smile of his! That striking smile with those beautiful green eyes!
Her thoughts were interrupted by Sothis' snickering. "That blush on your face says it all. You're totally smitten with him! And don't even try to deny it!" She let out another hearty laugh.
"... Alright, then I won't."
With a pleased look on her face, the goddess folded her arms across her chest, and nodded. "See, that's more like i— Huh?!"
"Yeah, that's right, I admitted it. Now, be quiet, Sothis. I have a ball to get back to, and a promise to keep!" Byleth said with a big grin, taking great satisfaction in hearing the little gremlin shriek with her eyes shot wide open. Her strides grew more determined, as she crossed the bridge from the cathedral back to the reception hall — where the sound of music could still be heard playing along with students' laughter as they danced. Regardless of what her future held, she could at least look forward to enjoying the rest of her night, all the while anticipating that final dance with her beloved Claude.
"Hey, Teach, wait up!"
And speaking of Claude. Her smile deepened. "I was wondering when you would show up!" She turned to see him leaving the cathedral in a run, making his way towards her. "Ready to get back in there?" she asked him once he had caught up to her at the center of the bridge.
He returned her smile. "Sure, but first—" Before she could react, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her towards him. Her eyes went wide as his warm lips came into contact with hers, but she quickly threw caution to the wind, slowly closing them while leaning into the kiss. Their first proper kiss. She pulled down on his jacket, while he held her tightly by her waist, both of them afraid to let this moment end. Eventually, they were forced to separate, their breaths coming out like mist in the cold air as they panted. "There, now we're even," he said with an awkward laugh, his face just as red as hers. He walked past her without looking back once, and stopped in front of the doors to the reception hall. He grabbed one of the knobs. "I'll see you inside... Byleth."
She watched in stunned silence as he went inside, and the door shut behind him. He called me by my name...
Deep in her subconscious, she heard Sothis yelling. "You dolt! That's what your simple mind is focusing on?!"
"I thought I asked you to be quiet."
"Hah! As if I'd take orders from you! Remember your place, whelp! And why are you still standing there?! He's waiting for you!"
Byleth shook her head with a sheepish smile. "Right... Let's go, Sothis."