Chapter Text
Sylvain was giving Felix a knowing, teasing smirk as they sat next to each other in the dining hall and Byleth could tell if Sylvain didn't either move in the next few seconds or drop whatever it was he was doing, Felix was going to punch the red head and wouldn't hold back.
"Professor!" Sylvain greeted her with a wave and a bright smile, dropping the look he was giving Felix. She gave a nod in acknowledgement so he knew she wasn't ignoring him. "Felix here is being so uncooperative! So how about you and me go get some tea?" She blinked over to Felix who was looking away in the other direction, clearly frustrated with his childhood friend. It seemed he was so mad that his ears were turning red.
"Sure, that sounds lovely," Byleth agreed. This cause Sylvain's beaming smile turn into a more mischievous one. She couldn't help but be confused as to why but he had already thrown an arm around her shoulder and was leading her away.
"There have been a few things I've been wanting to talk to you about. We already know about my girlfriend issues but you, Professor, what about any boyfriends or girlfriends you have? Any crushes? Oh, I know! Have you had any dirty thoughts about--"
THUD!!
She whipped her attention in the direction of the loud noise behind her but only saw an overturned chair where Felix once sat and said man storming off.
"Don't mind him," Sylvain mused. She could see how pleased he was with his teasing. She wasn't quite sure what about those questions would have bothered Felix since it was her that Sylvain was questioning.
"You shouldn't tease him so much. I wouldn't put it past him to actually kill you one day for going too far," Byleth commented but Sylvain could only laugh in response.
"Tell me, professor, do you even know what I was teasing him about?" She shook her head. "Then don't worry about it too much! So about that tea…"
When tea was ready, they sat in silence for a bit before Sylvain started up conversation.
"Okay, professor, I gotta know! I'm begging you to tell me if you've had any boyfriends before, even girlfriends you know I don't judge!" Sylvain practically begged. However Byleth sat in silence and sipped her bergamot tea which she noticed Sylvain always had on hand.
"Okay no love partner, what about a forbidden love for one of your students?" He noticed her expression shift at this a little but she still said nothing. "Is it Dimitri? Felix? Ingrid? Wait, wait don't tell me, is it me?" More silence. She wasn't going to budge this one.
"What about doing the dirty? You lived as a mercenary before becoming our professor surely there was someone who--"
Her eyes shot towards him and away from her tea. Her gaze sharp and almost threatening despite her flat expression.
"I get it, I get it," he tried to laugh it off and moved the conversation to his magic training. He found his former professor now more chatty than before.
-
Later that evening Sylvain had entered the training grounds where Felix was undoubtedly training by himself. He could hear the swing of the sword before he had even entered. Seems like Felix was still steaming from earlier.
"Feli--" Felix had his training sword already pointing at the Gautier heir.
"If you're not here to train, leave."
"Buuut don't you want to hear the juicy details about what the professor told me during our lovely tea conversation?" Sylvain threw out the bait and waited. He could see the gears turn in the head of his long time friend. Felix didn't want to bite. He didn't want to show any sign of interest he had for their former professor. It was almost amusing to watch his expression change. It was very fluid in its changes.
"Fine! I'll bite!" He threw his hands up in the air in defeat.
"She said…" Silence. The asshole was drawing it out. Felix eye twitched in annoyance.
"...she said?"
"That…"
"If you don't hurry it up I'm going to deck you."
Sylvain laughed and shrugged, "fine, fine, she didn't answer any of my questions revolving around her love life. She answered me about training techniques, teas, fishing, gardening, but when I asked anything about boyfriends, sex life, and the like, I was just met with silence."
"You really are shameless, aren't you?" Felix was a bit relieved to hear that though. He should have expected it honestly knowing Byleth. She wasn't the most openly… emotional or affectionate. But he couldn't help but let his brain consider it. She was only human after all. Not to mention, while she didn't show it often, she did have feelings. Which having spent enough time with her, he's been able to pick up on the little nuances of her emotions.
"However," Sylvain drawled on, "considering how she avoided my questions and just the little reactions she had, which I probably wouldn't have noticed if I didn't know her well enough, makes me think she does have affections for someone, and not just anyone. I'm talking about someone I know."
"Who? You?" Felix let out a cynical laugh. Sylvain had a twinkle in his eye, like he knew something that Felix didn't. Some key information that Felix didn't have.
"I've narrowed it down to two," Sylvain held up two fingers, waiting for Felix to continue asking.
"Spit it out then, I could be training right now," he was getting a little fed up with Sylvain's stupid game if he kept this up.
"You or Dimitri," Sylvain answered, still with that gleam in his eye. "You see, I've noticed our beloved professor hasn't left our king's vicinity for very long periods of time. She always sticks close to him unless she's getting basic human needs taken care of such as sleeping, eating, bathing at the sauna, or she's checking in on everyone to make sure we're all not neglecting our health or training, orrrr," he drawled it out again as if to piss off Felix more and then pointed at Felix, "spending time training with you. Which according to my chart of the professor spends her day--"
"Do you really have nothing better to do? You really stalked her and made a chart of her schedule? When did you even have the time?"
Felix wasn't sure there actually was a chart but really couldn’t put it past Sylvain.
"She spends most of her free time sparring with you." Felix found that one hard to believe. She certainly had other things to do than train with him. He mulled over it for a bit, thinking of all the times he had sparred with the green haired woman and came to the revelation that lately, she had been training with him quite often. “See, see, your face is telling it all. You’re realizing it too.”
“But you also said she could be in love with the boar,” Felix pointed out and that thought put his anger on simmer. He didn’t want to think about it, but who was he to stop her from pursuing her own love life? “Anyway, this conversation is pointless,” Felix started to walk away.
“Is it pointless? Cause I mean last night when I caught you… ya know…”
Felix was mortified. His face was full on red. He could honestly die right then and there and he would be fine with it. Or he could kill Sylvain and nobody living would ever know.
The latter option was most tempting.
"Come on, man, I'm just glad to know you aren't some robot. It's normal for guys like us to--"
"Stop it," Felix hid his burning cheeks in his hands as he shook his head. "I thought we were done with this topic after I told you to drop it at lunch."
"Ohhhh no, trust me, we're not," Sylvain was fucking with him and Felix knew it. Yup. He was going to kill him. There was no other way around it. "I think I speak for the rest of the guys that were in our class--"
"You don't."
"--when I say that we've all rubbed one out for our professor. Pretty sure the gatekeeper has the hots for her too."
"Hey Sylvain," Felix brought his hands away from his face and took a deep breath. His eyes went sharp and he swung his fist right into Sylvain's gut but he knew Felix was going to take a swing eventually and had his own hands read to catch any fist headed toward him. "Die."
"Sorry, man, can't do that. Who else is going to help be your wingman with the professor? Cause you certainly won't be able to win her on your own like this."
Felix turned with a huff and walked away without a word. Sylvain smiled with a shake of his head, "if he thinks I'm not gonna meddle more after this, he's got another thing coming."