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Claude wasn’t someone who was restless.

Unlike the royalty in Garreg Mach Monastery, namely Dimitri and Edelgard, Claude wasn’t raised up as someone who had to be firm and strict all the time. He was the carefree one out of the three of them, and he preferred it. He liked to think of himself as a tactician of sorts, which helped him keep his cool all the time.

Today, however, was different. He couldn’t sleep no matter how hard he tried, a nagging feeling in his gut keeping him up. As if something, or someone was in trouble. As such, he was wandering around the monastery, seeing where his gut feeling would take him.

Claude soon found himself back at the dorms, passing by each room with no avail. Peaceful snores were all he heard whenever he pressed his ear to the door. Despite finding no signs of immediate danger or panic, he wasn’t calmed. He could have sworn it was somewhere near here…

Just as he was about to move downstairs, a muffled scream echoed through the halls, alerting Claude. He could recognize that voice from anywhere.

“Dimitri.” he whispered, panic filling his body. His legs began to move, sprinting towards the house leader’s room. Arriving at the door, Claude threw it open without a second thought.

“Dimitri!-” he exclaimed, but stopped as their gaze met. Sweat trickled down Dimitri’s forehead, his breathing laboured and his eyes wide open, as if he saw a ghost. His eyes were bloodshot, tears streaked on his cheeks.

“What are you doing here?” Dimitri yelled, flustered and angry that Claude had walked in without a warning. “Get out of my room, Claude.” he hissed, quickly swiping away the remainder of his tears on his sleeve.

Instead of leaving, Claude slowly closed the door, continuing to examine Dimitri. He had never seen him so… vulnerable before.

“I told you to leave!” Dimitri spoke, watching the Golden Deer house leader step closer to him. “I… I don’t need your help!”

Without a word, he sat next to Dimitri, gently taking his free hand. The latter was shocked by the action, but didn’t move away. “You have nightmares, don’t you?” Claude whispered, stroking his knuckles.

“And what does that mean to you?” Dimitri spat, looking away. “I can deal with my own problems alone.” Slipping his hand out of Claude’s grasp, he shifted his body away from him.

A playful grin on his face, Claude ran a finger down Dimitri’s back, tracing the figure of his spine. Annoyed, he turned back. “What was that-”

Dimitri was caught off guard by Claude pulling him into an embrace, one hand around his shoulders, the other gently stroking the back of his head.

“Sometimes, you need to accept help.” he whispered. “It’s okay to be weak.”

Dimitri hated it. He hated how Claude was so willing to help him, despite the fact that they were from different nations. If people heard about the heirs of the Leicester Alliance and the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus interacting in such a way, they’d riot. It was as simple as pushing him away.

But he didn’t. Deep inside of him, there was a small part of himself that craved the warmth and kindness that Claude gave him. It whispered to him, telling Dimitri to accept and give in. When was the last time he had felt the embrace of a loved one?

Loved one. He wondered if it was right to call Claude his loved one. They were just friends and allies. Nothing more. That was what Dimitri had told himself, over and over again.

But friends wouldn’t feel their hearts race whenever they looked at each other, would they? Share smiles that no one else would see, have fleeting moments where they’d grasp each other’s hands, squeezing them tight as good luck before a fight. 

Friends wouldn’t daydream about the taste of their lips, would they?

Claude figured that Dimitri’s silence was a solid “no” to his attempt in trying to help, beginning to move away from him. However, he was met with retaliation, as Dimitri wrapped his arms around Claude, pulling him back.

“Don’t leave,” he whispered, burrowing his head in Claude’s shoulder. “Please.”

A choked sob slipped from Dimitri’s lips, his body trembling as tears flooded down his cheeks. He didn’t want to cry, to be weak in front of what could be his enemy in the near future. Nonetheless, Claude let him in with open arms, with kindness that could reach no bounds. A sense of safety that Dimitri hadn’t been able to feel ever since his father passed away.

The two of them sat unmoving, the comfort of each other’s presence filling up the silence. Dimitri didn’t take long to calm himself down, his sobs fading into hiccups as he got his breathing back to normal.

Pulling away from their embrace, Claude gently cupped Dimitri’s face in his hands, wiping away the remainder of his tears with the pads of his thumbs. “Tears aren’t a pretty look on your face, your highness.” he commented, smiling when Dimitri narrowed his eyes at him.

It felt so wrong, yet felt so right.

“Claude,” Dimitri started, making said man look at him with curious eyes. “What… What are we?” he asked, removing his hands from his face. “What boundaries have we overstepped?”

With a small smile, Claude placed his hands on his lap, moving away. “I am whatever you want us to be. Friends, allies, fellow comrades.” Despite his relaxed nature, there seemed to be something he was holding back from saying.

“And if I want us to be more than that?” Dimitri asked, closing the gap between them once more. The smile on Claude’s face widened, and he couldn’t help but laugh a little, leaning forwards so that their lips were inches apart.

“Then I will gladly accept.”

Dimitri finally knew what Claude’s lips tasted like. Sweet candy and Almyran pine needle tea.

Claude knew that war was a bad thing, but being knee deep in commanding an army, suffering casualties every day in said war was more stressful than he thought it would be.

He wasn’t expecting to be in a war, five years ago. Five years ago, he was only 17, happily training in the Officers’ Academy before being thrown headfirst into a war against his friends.

Edelgard. He should have known there was something about her. With the fact that she was never there whenever the Flame Emperor was around, he should have connected the dots easily. Now he was fighting against the fierce Adrestian Empire and keeping the opposers in Alliance at bay.

And… Dimitri. God, Dimitri. A whole five years since he last saw his boyfriend. Or ex. Claude assumed they were exes now, considering that they hadn’t seen each other in such a long time. To think that they went from hugs and kisses to swords and blood in just mere moments.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss Dimitri. Having to now see him as an enemy hurt him deeply, but that was the cost for being the heirs to different nations. Over time, Claude missed him less, and before he knew it, he barely remembered Dimitri as his lover. (That being said, if the two of them met face to face once again, Claude was sure he’d break down in tears.)

Despite fighting against the Empire together, their troops occasionally meeting during battle, the two of them never met face to face. Both of them were too busy strategizing their advance on Edelgard. Right now, Claude was in the midst of invading, planning to head to Gronder Field.

He knew that the Edelgard was strong, perhaps too strong for the Alliance, but Claude had a plan. He assumed that if the Imperial army was to invade as well, then Dimitri would be there as their leader. If he could convince him to join forces, then maybe they’d have a chance.

Maybe was the keyword.

With each step he took, his army following right behind, Claude grew more anxious. The unsettling feeling in his gut came back once more, but he bit it back to the best of his abilities. Now was not the time.

He and his troops soon arrived at Gronder. In front of him, Edelgard and the Empire. To his right, Dimitri and the Kingdom’s army.

“Dimitri.” Claude whispered, having set his sights on him. Time and war changed him drastically, compared to the wellkept man he knew back then. His hair grown out and messy, an eyepatch he wore on his right, perhaps due to a mishap during a battle.

The scowl on Dimitri’s face was one that Claude had never seen before. Filled with so much hatred, his eyes dead set on Edelgard. Despite the prince’s calm composure, there was something behind it all.

He knew that Dimitri had been overthrown and was struggling to regain his throne, being arrested and almost executed shortly after the monastery was attacked. Claude knew that he had witnessed Edelgard attempt to take the Holy Tomb, and the amount of rage that filled his body was uncontrollable. Claude had been there during the incident, and nothing could calm Dimitri down. He couldn’t blame him. Your own step-sister, the one you made so many memories with as a child, having betrayed you for such a long time? It must had broken him.

But, to think that it had swallowed him up to such an extent? This wasn’t the Dimitri he knew. This wasn’t the lover he once had. This was a different man.

Without a word, Edelgard’s mages sent a wave of fireballs at both armies, surprising their troops. Biting his lip, Claude watched his beloved soldiers fall, the grass burning along with their flesh.

“Know that I will tear your head from your shoulders!” Dimitri yelled, his spear at his side as he bore his eyes right into Edelgard’s gaze. “The dead must have their tribute.” he spoke, stepping forward to the front lines.

Compelled to do the same, Claude walked towards his fallen men, surveying the damage. “As big class reunions go, this one’s gotta be the worst in history.” he muttered, bitter about the losses.

“Years ago, we fought here as classmates.” Edelgard declared, her voice unwavering as she stepped to face the other two. “But not today.” she whispered, as if a wave of regret washed over her. Her army thought otherwise, unsheathing their swords to prepare for battle.

“Kill every last one of them!”

As if a switch was flipped, Dimitri’s eyes changed. God, his eyes. Claude had never seen such insanity in a man before. Charging headfirst into the battle, piercing the hearts of so many of the Empire’s troops as if they were just fodder.

Despite being deterred, Claude raised his arm, swinging it down to send his troops in. Bow in hand, he rushed in as well, praying that his plan would work out. Though backing up his troops by firing well aimed shots to protect them from any surprise attacks, it was becoming hard to do so with so many people around him.

Retreating to safer ground, Claude let a shrill whistle escape his lips, and in seconds, a wyvern flew over, landing next to him.

“Be careful.” he whispered to it, hoisting himself onto its back as it ascended into the air. With the air advantage, he was able to take down his enemies with ease, hoping to get rid of the nasty mages on Edelgard’s side.

It proved to be successful, though a few pegasi riders caught onto his idea and began targeting him. Weaving through their arrows and javelins, Claude directed his wyvern to a nearby forest in order to take cover. To his surprise, he wasn’t the only one who thought the same.

There, sitting in the middle of a small clearing all alone, was Dimitri. Despite the small amount of time they had been fighting for, he had already sustained a heavy amount of damage, blood staining his armor. His lust for bloodshed seemed to have dulled his sense of pain.

Carefully lowering himself to the treetops, Claude called out to him. “Hey!” he yelled, getting no response. “You need to calm down, Dimitri! Edelgard’s your enemy, right?” he continued. “It doesn’t make sense for us to fight!”

Slowly picking himself up, Dimitri yanked at his lance, removing it from the earth. “Shut up!” he yelled, using up his strength to aim it right at Claude. With one mighty swing, he let loose with a roar.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

With no time to react, Claude barely avoided getting speared in the face, the body of the weapon embedded deeply in the neck of his wyvern. A pained roar escaped its mouth, losing all strength and plummeting to the ground. Claude barely managed to not get crushed by its body, flinging himself off at the last moment.

His stomach ached, his breath knocked out of his body and ribs bruised from the impact. That definitely was not the expected reaction.

Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground, grunting at the pain in his entire body. Shakily, he made his way over to his wyvern, gently cradling its head in his arms. “I’m sorry.” he whispered, trying to give it comfort in its last moments. “Thank you for everything. Rest well.”

With one last cry, his wyvern shut its eyes for the last time, passing on. Placing its head on the ground, Claude muttered a few words in Almyran tongue, something he had unintentionally inherited from his father and his allies.

Now, for Dimitri.

“You.” he snarled, approaching the prince with a glare. “Really? I try and give you hospitality, and this is how you repay me?”

“I never wanted your hospitality to begin with.” Dimitri answered, his words blunt and to the point. “It’s been five years, Claude. Things aren’t how they were anymore.”

As right as the prince was, Claude didn’t want to accept it. Things weren’t the same as five years ago. He couldn’t go up to Dimitri with a smile on his face, grasping his hand and lacing their fingers together. Not now.

He wished it was.

“So I guess everything meant nothing, huh?” he whispered, unable to stop the tears forming in his eyes. “I should have figured as much. With how batshit crazy you are now, it’ll be hard to ever see the old Dimitri again. My Dimitri.”

Unsheathing his sword, Claude walked towards Dimitri, holding the point right at his throat. “Know that I will not fight you. May it be because the Alliance is weak, or merely because of my own selfish desires.” he declared, watching how the prince did nothing to stop him. “If the time comes for one of us to be eliminated by the other, then so be it. But know that I do not wish for this to happen.”

Lowering his sword, Claude sheathed it. “Call me weak for keeping my feelings close, but I still miss you dearly.” he spoke in a low tone. “It pains me to see you like this, but I am glad you are still alive. I hope you still are after this battle.” Without another word, Claude walked away, leaving Dimitri to dwell.

The Boar Prince could have killed Claude right there. His bloodlust was yelling at him, screaming for him to do something, anything to the Alliance leader. Punch him, choke him. Hell, steal his sword and stab him.

But Dimitri didn’t do a thing.

He wasn’t sure why, at first. Maybe it was because he was tired from fighting, his injuries hindering him severely. Maybe it was the hope that Claude would fall in battle regardless.

Eventually, Dimitri realized it was because he still held Claude dearly to his heart, and wouldn’t dare injure him. If you took away his bloodlust, and the fact that they were enemies on this field, Dimitri would have run over and held him close, not daring to let go.

But his insanity was far from normal. Dimitri did things that he didn’t know he could do. He killed as if he wasn’t the scared prince he was five years ago, not wanting to take a life so eagerly. He wanted to kill Edelgard, someone of his own flesh and blood, so desperately.

But Claude? A man who was outcast by both Almyra and Fodlan for being of mixed blood? Someone who Dimitri never knew until the Officers’ Academy? He didn’t want to kill him. God, he didn’t want to even see him fall in battle. If that ever happened, well, he’d lose all of his remaining sanity, the little that he had left.

Dimitri wished that he wasn’t so broken.

As Claude rushed right into the heat of battle, disappointed that he was unable to compromise with Dimitri and the fact that his precious wyvern was dead, he was attacked by someone he didn’t expect to see.

“Teach! So you’re still alive!” he cheered, narrowly dodging the whip-like blade of the Sword of the Creator. Byleth merely nodded, their stance ready to fight.

“You’ve grown.” they spoke, their voice still the same monotone as it was back then.

“I mean, it has been five years. Time hasn’t touched you at all, it seems. What are the secrets to your perfect skin?” Claude joked, making the hint of a smile appear on Byleth’s face.

“I can’t believe you’re joking on the battlefield, especially seeing how we’re enemies.” they replied, but Claude just chuckled.

“Well, we aren’t even attacking each other, so I’m calling a quick truce right now.” Claude declared, though drawing his bow to take down another Kingdom soldier. Byleth quickly reacted, swinging their sword at him once more.

“Hey!” Claude yelled, jumping back. “What was that for?”

“You just killed one of my own men. How else am I to respond?” they retorted.

“So you’re still siding with the Blue Lions, huh? I should have figured. Hey Teach, can I ask you a favour?”

“I’m all ears.”

“If you can, please, bring Dimitri back.”

Byleth froze at Claude’s words, stopping to look at him. Never in their life, from teaching at the academy, had they seen Claude look this desperate. “I don’t want to fight him. I just… want him back.” he begged.

Byleth knew the pain of losing a loved one. When Jeralt died, they were unconsolable for a whole week. But, to see your loved one still alive, but in such a state? Unable to even go a day without lusting to kill, completely changing into a new person. It hurt Byleth to see their student like this.

Poor Claude, they thought. He hadn’t seen Dimitri in years, only to find out that he became this monster. The hurt in his eyes reminded Byleth of themselves.

“...I’ll do my best.” they finally answered, making Claude smile.

“Thank you Teach. Stay safe, okay? Don’t die on us!” With a little salute, Claude fled from their encounter. Judging by the number of troops he had left, it seemed like the best idea was to retreat.

Edelgard was planning to do the same. Her troops were still the largest out of them all, but enough casualties had been made for her to resort to a different plan.

“Retreat!” she ordered, and her men quickly followed her orders. Those who were currently engaged in battle with the Alliance or Imperial army either finished their job quickly or distracted their enemy to give them time to run.

“Do not chase them further!” Claude yelled, “There is no use to waste our lives in chasing an unwinnable fight! Let us heal our wounds first.” With a cheer, they all followed his orders, retreating back to their original lines. Healers began to do their work, taking care of wounds and soothing pain.

“Don’t you dare run from me! Edelgard!”

A roar ripped through the battlefield, and everyone looked to see Dimitri, covered in blood and limping, run through to try and chase the Emperor. Everyone knew it would be fruitless, but the prince continued anyways.

“Oh no, Dimitri!” Hilda yelled, her face stricken with terror. Claude looked at where her gaze was, and he instantly began to run towards him.

His own men, rushing towards him with their spears pointed right at him while the prince was lying on the ground, the strength in his body gone. Claude was so far away, there was no way he would be able to reach Dimitri in time. If he had his damn wyvern, then maybe, but the Boar Prince had taken his steed down in one try.

Well, chances were meant to be taken, right?

Nocking an arrow into Failnaught, Claude took aim at the soldier in front, crossing his fingers that it would hit. “Dear Goddess, don’t fail me now.” he muttered, letting the arrow fly.

Luckily for him, the Goddess gave him mercy, allowing his arrow to strike the soldier square in the shoulder. With a groan, he stumbled, making those behind him trip over themselves as well.

“Byleth!” Claude yelled, praying that his former teacher would cooperate with him just for this moment. Running towards Dimitri, he struggled to bring him to his feet, slinging his arm around his shoulders. His ex had grown a lot over the past 5 years, a good few inches taller than Claude, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

“Come on Dima, let’s go.” Claude whispered, unintentionally using Dimitri’s pet name back when they were dating. In the corner of his eyes, he could see Byleth taking care of the traitors in their army, no mercy given.

Out of nowhere, a horrible, blossoming pain struck his leg. Biting his lip, Claude looked down to see an arrow embedded deep into his thigh, making it harder to walk.

“Your army is a bitch, you know that?” he muttered to Dimitri, knowing he wouldn’t answer. “Tell them not to betray their own leader, will you?” With each step, blood trickled down his leg, and he could feel himself going numb. Just a little bit more to go.

Eventually, Claude had made it to his frontlines, where Byleth was waiting. It seemed as if an unspoken truce had fallen between the two armies, none of their soldiers fighting. “Claude, your leg!” Lysithea exclaimed, watching as the half-Almyran handed over Dimitri to his former professor.

“It’s nothing too bad.” he spoke, gritting his teeth. Grabbing hold of the arrow’s shaft, he ripped it out harshly, a grunt of pain escaping his lips. “Get Marianne, will you?” he whispered, pressing his hand to the wound. A few of his men nodded, running off.

“You’ll bleed to death by the time she arrives, you fool.” Lysithea commented, casting a quick heal spell. “I’m afraid I cannot do much, but this should be enough to ease the pain and slow the bleeding.”

“Thank you, Lysithea.”

While his wounds were being tended to, Claude turned back to Byleth, who had since handed Dimitri over to the healers in their army. “Thank you, Claude.” they spoke.

“It’s nothing. It wouldn’t be a fair fight without your leader.” he answered, ignoring Marianne’s reprimandings for ripping the arrow out of his leg as she casted Physic. Deep inside, he knew that that wasn’t the reason at all. Byleth knew as well.

Love. Love was what made Claude save Dimitri.

“So, unspoken truce? Until the prince wakes up and is well enough to make his decisions?” Claude suggested, shakily standing up.

“Truce.” Byleth echoed, holding out their hand. Claude took it in a firm grip, and the two shook hands. “I hope to see you once more, alive and well.”

Claude smiled. “I could say the same to you, Teach. Take care.” With one final nod to each other, the two turned back to their respective armies, making their way back to safer grounds and out of the Empire’s territory.

Claude prayed he’d be able to see Dimitri one last time.

Dimitri usually dreamed of darkness. Of his family members whispering to him. Of those who died telling him to avenge their deaths. To kill the ones that killed them.

It was different tonight.

The same darkness swallowed him up as it did every night, making him wade in ankle-deep water. Or was it water? Whenever he’d touch it, it would be black, as dark as ink and as thick as blood. He could feel it stain his skin, seeping into his body to corrupt him.

There were no whispers tonight, and for a split moment, Dimitri thought he was somehow cured.

And then, a figure appeared before him. Dressed in clothing that was reminiscent of Almyran clothing, a familiar yellow cape hanging from his shoulder.

Claude.

Taking careful steps towards him, they quickened when Dimitri saw him fall to the ground.

“Claude!” he yelled, kneeling besides him to pull him out of the water. “Claude!” he screamed.

The Alliance leader wasn’t moving. He was covered in the inky water, dripping off of him in little pearls. His heart didn’t beat. His chest didn’t move with a single breath. His once emerald eyes were dull, as if the colour had completely drained away.

Panic surged through Dimitri’s body as he held him close to his chest, desperately wanting to feel the warmth that he craved once more. Claude was cold. Too cold.

Boohoo. He’s dead.

A voice resonated through his mind, sounding different from the usual ones.

Look at you. You almost killed him back at Gronder, and yet here you are now, clinging onto him like a parasite.

Dimitri shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the voice. No. That wasn’t him at Gronder. It was someone else. Someone who had lost their way and didn’t know what to do.

Claude will die if you don’t do something.

Dimitri couldn’t feel Claude’s body anymore. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was that same dark liquid dripping off his arms, so sticky and thick. The only thing left was his yellow cape, which was slowly swallowed up by the darkness into nothing.

He still loved Claude. But at this rate, what could he do?

Gritting his teeth, Claude barely pulled out his sword in time, parrying a blow from an Imperial soldier. “God, when they hell are they coming?” he grumbled, thrusting his blade into the soldier’s chest. Retreating, a shrill whistle escaped his lips, and a white wyvern flew from the sky, landing harshly next to Claude.

Mounting his steed, his wyvern began to beat its wings, gaining altitude and allowing him to see the entirety of Deidriu. “To the harbor, Lune.” he muttered, and she gave a mighty roar, soaring towards the area.

“Are those the banners of House Blaiddyd?” an imperial soldier yelled, and Claude smiled.

“Ah, so they’re finally here.”

Landing at the harbor, Claude dismounted Lune, sending her away to someplace safe while they continued fighting. There weren’t as many enemies here than there were at the heart of the city, but all of them were out for his blood. Claude did his best to fend them off, guiding his troops to sustain minimal damage to themselves and as much bloodshed as he could to the Imperial army.

What was merely an hour felt like days. Each casualty struck him harshly, only making him more determined to win. Soldier after soldier fell to the ground, staining the cracks of the cobblestone red, as well as their weapons.

“Retreat!” he heard one soldier yell from the back. “Lord Arundel has fallen!”

Surprised yells resounded through the ranks, and with stumbling feet, the rest of the enemies fled. Cries of victory waved through his troops, all of them congratulating their win and praising each other.

Claude, on the other hand, walked away from the harbor, going down the steps and seeing two familiar faces.

“...even if we had managed to capture him alive, judging by the way he was acting…” Dimitri trailed off, deep into conversation with their former professor.

“We should rejoice in our victory.” Byleth spoke, patting him on the shoulder.

“Teach is absolutely right.” he called out, making the two of them turn in his direction. “We should take this rare opportunity to let off some tension.” he suggested, a large smile on his face.

At the sight of the Alliance leader, Dimitri smiled, nodding towards him. “It’s been a long time Claude. I am glad to see that you are safe.” he responded.

Dimitri looked… new. He wasn’t the same man that Claude had met months ago during their fight on Gronder. The insanity in his eyes was gone, and he was much more kept than before. Tears pricked his eyes, but Claude held them back for the moment. Byleth really did bring his Dimitri back.

“I could say the same to you, Dimitri. The last time I saw you was in that nightmare of Gronder. I can’t say I’m surprised that you really did come to help us. You must have become soft-hearted, haven’t you?” he joked, and Dimitri laughed. Oh, how Claude had missed his beautiful laugh.

“You wouldn’t have set up a defensive battle if that were the case. We only just barely made it on time. Just how confident were you that we’d answer your call?” the king asked, making Claude go on a long spiel about how everything was planned out since they had decided to take back the Kingdom. While Dimitri was busy nodding along to everything, Byleth seemed… preoccupied.

“Oh, I think Sylvain is calling for me.” they spoke, cutting off Claude. “I’ll leave you two to it.” Making eye contact with Claude, they winked, before running off to leave the two of them alone.

They stood there in awkward silence for a few moments, before Claude spoke up. “So, are you leaving soon?” he asked, his voice much quieter than it was before.

“Yes, I’m afraid so. We can’t just sit around and let Edelgard do whatever she wants.” Dimitri answered. The Alliance leader fumbled with his hands, refraining from making eye contact with him.

“...At least stay for one day. I’m sure the people of Deidriu would love to celebrate the victory. Besides, you did most of the work, I was backed into a corner half the time. Let your soldiers rest as well.” he suggested. “Besides, this’ll be the last time Deidriu can proudly call themselves the Alliance.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Reluctantly, Claude looked at Dimitri, his piercing green eyes meeting the soft blue of the king’s. “I’m stepping down as the Alliance leader. From this day forward, the Leicester Alliance is no more.” he announced, reaching behind him to grab Failnaught. Grabbing Dimitri’s wrist, he pressed the relic into his hands.

Dimitri stared at him as if he were a madman. “Claude, whatever do you mean? This has to be a joke.”

A small laugh erupted from his throat, and Claude shook his head. “It isn’t. Long ago, we separated from the Kingdom. I’m merely putting them back together. And before you argue, the lords of the roundtable conference have already agreed. They will follow your footsteps.”

“But what about you?” Failnaught fell to the ground with a clatter. Grasping Claude’s shoulders, Dimitri shook him gently. “Where will you go?”

“I leave to see my dreams come to fruition. I leave for Almyra.” he whispered. Tears welled up in his eyes, and this time, he didn’t do anything to stop them. One after another, they began to fall, streaking his cheeks.

“I’m sorry that I have to leave.” he sobbed. “I wanted so desperately to reconcile with you once more and catch up, but I can’t. Please, you need to win, okay? So that I can see you again.”

Without a word, Dimitri pulled Claude to his chest, holding him tight as he cried into the fur of his cape. A gloved hand nestled into his hair, his nose tickling the crown of his head. Dimitri hadn’t noticed how much taller he was than before.

“I missed you.” Dimitri whispered, feeling Claude’s arms wrap around his torso. “I’m sorry for what I did back then. I hated myself for pushing you away like that. I wanted to hug you like this back at Gronder, but I was too adrift to even realize it.” he explained.

“Shut up.” Claude spoke, muffled by Dimitri’s cape. “Just shut up. Let me have this moment.”

And so he did. The two leaders, in a tight embrace in the middle of Deidriu’s harbor. There was nothing to hear but the faint cheers of the soldiers and the splashes of the sea.

How long had it been since they held each other in their arms? The last time they could remember was before Edelgard had attacked the monastery. It had really been more than five years.

Five years since they last held hands. Five years since they shared kisses. 

Five years too many.

Claude didn’t want to let go of Dimitri. He wanted to stay like this for as long as he could, his body craving the warmth that they held. But there were things to do. Streets to be cleaned up and bodies to be buried before he’d abdicate his position and leave for Almyra.

Tentatively pulling away, Claude moved his hands to Dimitri’s face, slowly letting his fingers remember. His hand lingered at the eyepatch that adorned his face, before moving to his hair.

“Remember the time when you wanted me to braid your hair?” he whispered, running his hands through it. “I told you to grow it out first. Now look at you.”

“Will you do it for me?” Dimitri asked, and Claude nodded. Gently, he began to braid a part of his hair, his fingers moving swiftly having done it so many times before. Once he was done, Claude dug through the pouch on his waist, pulling out a little metal clasp to hold the ends together.

“Isn’t this-”

“From our academy days? Yeah.” he answered. “I kept it for memories. Now you can keep it to remember me.”

As Dimitri stared into Claude’s eyes, he couldn’t help but remember the nightmare he had. Of Claude dying. Of his body being so cold, and the light in his eyes gone.

“Dima? Why are you crying?” Claude asked, surprised at the sudden tears as he began to wipe them away.

“I… I had a nightmare. A while ago, after Gronder.” he started, his breath shaky. “You were dead. I couldn’t save you. Your body was so cold and your eyes were so dull and glassy and nothing I did would bring you back and I was so scared I-”

A choked sob escaped his lips, tears flooding his eyes. As much as he tried to compose himself, each breath ended up as hiccups, his chest hurting and his lungs desperate for air.

“Breathe. You’re okay. I’m right here, Dima. I’m not leaving you.” Claude whispered, taking Dimitri’s hands and lacing their fingers together. It was reminiscent to five years ago, when Claude had stumbled upon Dimitri’s nightmares. He had pressed himself against Claude’s shoulder, his tears staining his clothes.

“I won’t be dying anytime soon, alright?” he muttered, gently stroking the king’s hair. “I know I have to leave for Almyra, but as soon as I get things figured out and make a treaty with Fodlan, I’ll be back for you. You have my word.”

Dimitri just nodded, unable to muster up the strength to speak. Carefully, Claude pressed a quick kiss to his lips, wiping away the remainder of his tears. “I love you.” he whispered. “I love you so much. I won’t forget about you.”

“...I love you too.” Dimitri muttered, almost embarrassed to say so.

Chuckling, Claude slowly pulled away, creating more distance between the two, their hands still laced together.

“Also,” Dimitri started, making Claude stop in his tracks. “I’m sorry for… killing your wyvern. I’ll make it up to you. Get you another one or something.” he mumbled, unsure of what else to say.

Claude burst out laughing, squeezing his hands. “Oh, silly. There’s no need for that. I already have another wyvern.” he explained.

“Oh. Okay.”

“But, you can pay me back by giving me your hand in marriage!”

“Claude!”