Chapter Text
A boy with brown hair and green eyes snuck quietly through the darkened halls of Garreg Mach Monastery, nary a sound to be made as he silently opened the door to one of the four classrooms of the Officer Academy. With practiced ease, he withdrew a small unconscious rat and tied it by a small harness in the rafters while attaching a counter-weight that would fall once morning hit.
The dusk-skinned boy grinned as he looked at his handiwork in appreciation. “And another job well done for the Golden Deers,” he grinned. “Oh man, I can’t wait for Edelgard to spring this-”
“Claude, why exactly have you set up a counter-weight trap tied to Edelgards seat?” a monotone voice piped up from behind him causing him to jump in surprise.
“GAh!” Claude half-screamed before he muffled his mouth and turned around. Green eyes fell onto the stoic form of his fellow house leader. “Byleth! I’ve told you, you have got to stop sneaking up on me!” he hissed as he calmed down his beating heart.
A dark blue-green haired teen stood before Clause in a male silver Officer’s Academy uniform. He was tall and well-built in stature but had a face made of stone.
“…I have been following you openly for the past ten minutes, I held your ladder as you were getting up to the rafters so you would not accidentally hurt yourself. I have not been sneaking up on you.” Byleth replied impassively.
“You did?” Claude asked to which Byleth merely nodded. “Huh…” he muttered before he gave Byleth a look and grinned.
“Wanna prank Dimitri?”
“It would not be wise nor prudent to prank either of the house leaders, especially not the royalty of neither Adrestia or Faerghus.”
“Ah man, they need to lighten up a bit! You know it’s true,” Claude gave a charming grin, trying his best to persuade him.
“I would suggest setting them on fire then if you wish for them to lighten up.”
Claude stopped for a moment and stared at Byleth, having temporarily forgotten that his fellow house leader could take some things much too literally at times. It was also quite difficult if ever to tell if he were joking or being completely serious considering with his stone-like face.
“That was a joke."
Claude gave a quiet laugh as he slung his arm around the shoulders of the Successor to the Church of Seiros and inheritor of the title of Archbishop.
“If you help me prank Dmitri, I’ll pay for those fishing baits you like so much the next time the Eastern Merchant comes by.”
“I also wish for some tea for the next time I invite someone for a tea party.”
“Am I included on that tea party list?”
“If you wish.”
“Awesome, I’ll get some of my favourites!” Claude grinned.
Byleth nodded with the very basest glimmer in his eyes. “I shall get some honey from the kitchen and pluck some feathers from the roosters.”
“And I, shall be stealing some of Caspar’s hair and voila! Inter-house war!”
“I thought we were merely pranking them?”
“I thought you were a stone-cold golem.”
Byleth stopped for a moment and thought before looking to Claude. “We should trap the Golden Deer and White Dragon classrooms as well to claim ignorance.”
Claude gave him a megawatt grin. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around!"
“I keep you around for the tea and fish bait.
“Awww, you don’t mean that!”
“I do.” Byleth admitted with a stony face causing Claude’s grin to drop like a rock and give his fellow house leader a look of disappointed dismay. “I wish to keep Flayn out of the prank, I do not think Seteth would appreciate her getting pranked.”
Claude's face fell even further but lit up at an interesting prospect. “What about you?”
Byleth nodded.
“To truly send the impression of ignorance, I cannot be spared.”
“Aw yes!” Claude cheered before stopping in realization. “You’re going to prank me, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I shall.”
“…That sounds like a challenge.”
“It is not.”
“It’s a challenge.”
“I will throw you into the lake should you do more than necessary.”
“I can swim.”
No one heard as something hit the water with a loud splash, and sputtering emanated from the fishing lake.
“I haven’t pranked you yet!” Claude growled as he got soaked to the bone. On the fishing pier Byleth looked down at him impassively.
“I believe in pre-emptively striking my enemies.”
“I thought we were friends!
“I can get the necessary funds for tea and bait on my own accord. I wish you a good night.” Byleth replied with a stony face before returning to his Dormitory.
Jeralt watched from a balcony and shook his head before turning in for the night. The things he did to see his son smile.