There's a pause before a laugh escapes her, easy and warm. Though they had technically been closer while they danced, the cover of the night makes their walk more private than the ballroom. More intimate.
"No doubt he will." Byleth can picture the swordsman as he was earlier, characteristic frown on his face. At least his harsh lines had been softened by the others who have become so precious to her, as they surrounded him. "I'm surprised they managed to keep him here the entire night. I thought he would've escaped long before it was over."
"I think he wanted to make sure we managed in the end. Not that he'd ever admit it," Dimitri shakes his head with a rueful little laugh. He glances down at her and cocks his head.
"Much like us, he has responsibilities and appearances to keep up."
"So he does," Byleth murmurs, thinking of the much more volatile student Felix had been before. He's grown up; they all have.
"He cares much more than he wants to admit... only now, he's more open to showing it." Shaking herself from her thoughts, she smiles up at Dimitri. "Part of that, no doubt thanks to you."
For a moment, she's tempted to shake her head and deny it. It would've seemed laughable to her before, that someone like her could influence her students, and yet Byleth's starting to see that she might've impacted them more than she believed. And been impacted by them in turn.
Byleth wonders if Dimitri has trouble believing the same of himself, too.
"It's the same for you." Is what she finally says, tilting her head to consider him. "Even if I did help Felix, as you've said, I doubt he'd accept your kingship if he didn't believe in you--having that peace of mind has more weight than you think."
"I think he considers me a friend... although for a long time I thought we couldn't possibly be anymore. So I'm pleased he's come around in his own way."
He's still prickly, of course, but he isn't quite as quick to hurly insults as he used to be. Dimitri counts that as a win, in some respects. He turns a corner and then starts up the steps to the next level. Her room should be up here somewhere, right?
"Strange in what way?" To her, it had always seemed inevitable Felix and Dimitri would mend their bridge someday. Even when Felix was at his prickliest, he hadn't been able to leave his old friend alone.
As they reach the top of the stairs, it's Byleth who steers them toward her room. The lock clicks as she opens it with her key, and after stepping in, she pauses by the drawer to light the candles. The room fills with a warm, soft glow.
"For a long time, I didn't think he would ever come around," he replies with a rueful smile. For a time he had also been lost in his own darkness - so seeing any sort of future had been difficult.
He finds himself in her room, not quite of what to do with himself, and after a second he hesitantly lowers himself into one of the chairs to wait.
"It's been a long time since we've managed being alone, hasn't it?"
"It has." Not surprising at all, given everything. Everyone had been desperate for the war to end, and they'd filled the last stretch of it with both meetings and training. "I want to believe we'll find more time to spend together, now that the recovery has begun."
Byleth lingers by the desk, where she keeps her supply of teas and cups. It's late already, and she hasn't even given Dimitri what she meant to yet, but it's been a long day, and they could both use something warm and relaxing. Selfishly, she also wants to keep him here as long as he's willing to stay.
"Tea, Dimitri?" She smiles at him over her shoulder. "I still have plenty of chamomile."
"Oh, if you're going to make some, then... yes. I'll happily take a cup," he replies, starting slightly. His lips spread in another smile and he starts to get to his feet.
With a raised brow, Byleth gestures for him to stay where he is. It's just like him, to be so willing to lend her a hand, even when the day is about him.
"No need. I'm perfectly happy handling this," she tells him, filling her kettle with water from the jug, then placing it by the fire to warm. Her hands are both gentle and precise as they measure out the chamomile flowers, pouring them into teapot.
"It's comforting. Doing this," she admits as she carries it over, teacups rattling quietly on the tray as she sets it down on the table. A ritual of sorts that she hadn't had the time for back when she traveled with her father.
"Well, as you wish..." He seems a little unsure to be just sitting and waiting around, but that's always how he's been. He wants to help. He reaches up as if to take the tray from her and then shakes his head and lets her set it down.
"It is, honestly... almost like we're back in school. But everything is different and... that's fine. We've lived so much. We've done so much. It's hard to really fathom it now that we're on the other side of it all."
Dimitri's aborted movement doesn't go unnoticed, a ghost of a smile flitting across her lips. Byleth slides into the other chair, busying herself with the teacups. Normally, she'd feel this setup inadequate, with just the tea and no other treats to offer, but they've just come from a celebration with plenty of food prepared for the monastery's visitors. It doesn't feel necessary, especially for something as cozy as this.
"Any kind of change can be...jarring," she says, thinking back to her first days as a teacher, uncertain and floundering to make sense of her new life. "But we'll adjust eventually. It's a good change that we all fought for."
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returns from the dead (seems appropriate for this character)
"No doubt he will." Byleth can picture the swordsman as he was earlier, characteristic frown on his face. At least his harsh lines had been softened by the others who have become so precious to her, as they surrounded him. "I'm surprised they managed to keep him here the entire night. I thought he would've escaped long before it was over."
super appropriate
"Much like us, he has responsibilities and appearances to keep up."
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"He cares much more than he wants to admit... only now, he's more open to showing it." Shaking herself from her thoughts, she smiles up at Dimitri. "Part of that, no doubt thanks to you."
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Especially since for a while Felix seemed to actively detest him. Not that Dimitri really blamed him for it.
"Don't under-rate your own influence."
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Byleth wonders if Dimitri has trouble believing the same of himself, too.
"It's the same for you." Is what she finally says, tilting her head to consider him. "Even if I did help Felix, as you've said, I doubt he'd accept your kingship if he didn't believe in you--having that peace of mind has more weight than you think."
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He's still prickly, of course, but he isn't quite as quick to hurly insults as he used to be. Dimitri counts that as a win, in some respects. He turns a corner and then starts up the steps to the next level. Her room should be up here somewhere, right?
"Still strange to think about, though."
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As they reach the top of the stairs, it's Byleth who steers them toward her room. The lock clicks as she opens it with her key, and after stepping in, she pauses by the drawer to light the candles. The room fills with a warm, soft glow.
no subject
He finds himself in her room, not quite of what to do with himself, and after a second he hesitantly lowers himself into one of the chairs to wait.
"It's been a long time since we've managed being alone, hasn't it?"
Not counting tonight, obviously.
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Byleth lingers by the desk, where she keeps her supply of teas and cups. It's late already, and she hasn't even given Dimitri what she meant to yet, but it's been a long day, and they could both use something warm and relaxing. Selfishly, she also wants to keep him here as long as he's willing to stay.
"Tea, Dimitri?" She smiles at him over her shoulder. "I still have plenty of chamomile."
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"Do you need help with anything?"
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"No need. I'm perfectly happy handling this," she tells him, filling her kettle with water from the jug, then placing it by the fire to warm. Her hands are both gentle and precise as they measure out the chamomile flowers, pouring them into teapot.
"It's comforting. Doing this," she admits as she carries it over, teacups rattling quietly on the tray as she sets it down on the table. A ritual of sorts that she hadn't had the time for back when she traveled with her father.
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"It is, honestly... almost like we're back in school. But everything is different and... that's fine. We've lived so much. We've done so much. It's hard to really fathom it now that we're on the other side of it all."
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"Any kind of change can be...jarring," she says, thinking back to her first days as a teacher, uncertain and floundering to make sense of her new life. "But we'll adjust eventually. It's a good change that we all fought for."
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He takes a breath, letting the scent of the tea waft over him. It's familiar. Comforting.
"We'll manage, though. One way or another. After everything... I don't think anything else will ever be quite as challenging."