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On the night of the ball, two figures cuddled close together under the moonlight, not needing any words to fill the silence and merely finding comfort in each other’s presence. The only sound was that of crickets chirping off in the distance.
Dimitri’s and Claude’s gazes were fixed on the night sky, admiring how beautiful it looked with the clouds completely cleared away to reveal twinkling diamonds on a blanket of midnight blue. It didn’t take away from the fact that it was unbearably cold outside though, especially with them being at the top of the Goddess Tower balcony during the Ethereal Moon, when the chance of snow was at its highest. The wind would constantly pass by to chill their bones, causing them to shiver ever so slightly and huddle closer together; The cold bothered Claude more so than Dimitri. It was Claude’s plan, though, to sneak past security and into the Goddess Tower for a moment of privacy with his boyfriend. Still, he didn’t regret it, even if he was basically turning into a human popsicle. They had danced together, losing themselves in each other’s eyes and letting muscle memory carry them both away into their own little world. They swayed to the beat of their synchronized hearts until the meaning of time was lost and their feet ached (even then, they still continued until one nearly fell from exhaustion).
Now they were resting in silence, fingers intertwined and leaning into each other for warmth, breaths coming out in white clouds. Then, Claude decided to break the silence.
“I like looking at the starry sky, you know. It’s a really nice way to clear my head and reevaluate myself. It’s also simply fascinating as well.” He had said with a smile, his eyes shining with wonderment. Dimitri turned to look at him, giving his undivided attention to the other boy with a look of unadulterated fondness. Claude continued, “There’s so much we don’t know about the stars, the moon, and the sun that it’s fascinating but also terrifying. Do you ever wonder what’s out there, Dima? What the moon and stars actually are?” The brunette asked, turning to meet a pair of sapphire eyes.
Dimitri took a moment to think about the question, pulling Claude closer to him and humming thoughtfully.
“I suppose you’re right about that. The unknown can be more frightening than a dozen dragons. But I have to be honest, I haven’t really thought too much about it until you mentioned it.” He finally replied, glancing back upwards. Claude’s curiosity had begun to spark his own about the sky above them. There were a few beats of silence until the duke heir spoke once more.
“Maybe we’ll find out one day. Even though it frightens me, it oddly comforts me as well.” Squeezing Dimitri’s hand ever-so-slightly, he shifted his weight to one foot, becoming increasingly uncomfortable by the second. The prince seemed to notice this and squeezed back reassuringly, letting Claude know that he was here for him. A few more beats and Claude finally continued. “It comforts me because it’s so vast and seemingly endless. Something like the sky seems so unreal. And when I compare it to my goals and dreams, the sky makes it seem so small. Makes it seem achievable even for someone like me. Because if something so extraordinary like the sun, the moon, and the starry sky exist, then I feel like my dreams can become a reality as well. Do you know what I mean?” His voice was a bit shaky; whether or not it was from the cold making him shiver or his emotions, Dimitri didn’t know. He didn’t pry either.
Claude was no longer looking at the sky though. No, he was looking beyond that, eyes shining with a mix of both wistfulness and hopefulness. Even with this unusual display of genuine emotion, Dimitri could tell that he was holding back tremendously. Still, it made him overjoyed that Claude was able to open up this much to him, even if it was just a bit.
Maybe that was one of the flaws of their relationship. They found both it arduous to open up to other people in general, so building trust between and dependence on each other was a high hurdle for them. Still, they were improving and working on it, little by little, to overcome that obstacle together.
“I can understand what you’re saying. No worries.” Dimitri responded with a nod, his thumb softly stroking Claude’s. “You must have some big dreams though, to have to compare it to the sky for it to look small. No matter, I know you will be able to achieve it, amazing as you are.”
“Thank you.” Came a quiet murmur. The other, slightly shorter boy had nearly put his entire weight on Dimitri by now, feeling a wave of relief and pure joy wash over him. “Yeah, it really is a big dream.” Burying his face in the blond’s shoulder, he took in the distinct scent of sweat that was most likely from their waltz from earlier. The smell of sweat really shouldn’t be this endearing to him, but it was.
There was still something distantly nagging Claude though.
Even as the poster boy of secrets and mystery, he didn’t exactly like keeping secrets all to himself. Especially from Dimitri. He trusted Dimitri, and wanted to let him know that. He wanted to tell him everything: his past, his dreams, aspirations, who he really was. He wasn’t ready yet, though. He was scared.. scared of what would happen if he let his walls fall even for just a second. He had spent years to build a protective wall, to not show vulnerability, and rely only on himself. It was all so he wouldn’t be hurt again, but to shed light on his true self for another with a possibility of being hurt was a really frightening thought. Still, it bothered Claude that he was keeping things from one of the very few people he trusted.
“I really want to tell you something,” Claude shifted his head to look up at Dimitri, “but I’m not quite ready yet. I’m sorry. I just… it’s just…” for once, he was struggling to find the right words, looking uncharacteristically lost. “I trust you. I really do. They’re just some things I’ve never really told anybody. Not even my own parents. I want to tell you. I really do, but I don’t actually think I’m mentally ready yet. I promise to tell you though. I will, I swear. I don’t know when that is, but I will. I just… I don’t want to hide anything from you anymore, even though I still sort of am. It’s selfish of me, I know, but what can I say? I’m a selfish man.” He lets out a little laugh, a weak and brittle thing. “I just don’t want to lie to you. If you really want to know though, I’ll tell you. Just say the word.” Anxiously, he glanced between Dimitri and the view below them.
His heart dropped when he felt Dimitri’s hand pull away from his own, fear beginning to overflow within him. Had he said something wrong? Should he have just kept his mouth shut? His mind snapped from his train of thought as Dimitri took both of his hands into his own, bringing them up to his face to kiss his knuckles gingerly. “I will not force you to tell me anything. I thank you for letting me know about this. It brings me joy to know that you trust me enough to tell me this. I’ll wait for you for as long as it may take, and when you’re ready, I’ll be ready with open arms.” He paused, his eyes seemed to go dark for a moment, contemplating for a bit before snapping back and continuing. “There is something I wish to tell you as well. I suppose it’s not all a secret, but I wish to tell you anyway. It’s still quite uncomfortable to talk about though, so can you wait for me as well?”
Claude couldn’t help the wide grin on his face as he squeezed Dimitri’s hand and nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, I’ll wait for you, Dima. Definitely.” They shared smiles with each other, having this small peaceful moment to themselves.
That was, until the wind blew particularly more harshly than before. They both shuddered, shuffling closer together.
“Maybe we should start heading back. It’s getting late and more chilly by the second. We wouldn’t want you to get sick, either. Don’t you have to go on a mission with Teach tomorrow?” Claude suggested as he lead them back off of the balcony and inside. It was still cold, but it shielded them from the wind, making it much better.
“Ah, yes. I suppose you’re right about that, but I can handle the cold well.” Dimitri nodded in agreement anyway, but sounded a bit disappointed. Of course, Claude caught this and turned to him with a sly smile and a wink.
“Oh, your Princeliness, I’ll miss you dearly as well. As much as I want to bask under the moonlight with you, we have things to do tomorrow. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt falling asleep during your mission because I kept you up all night.” He said, returning back to his usual carefree and teasing self. “I’ll promise you this though. As soon as you get back from your mission, we can have a little date at the gazebo with your favorite tea. Sound good?”
The blond was a bit flustered by this, but couldn’t help the tug of his lips into a big smile as he nodded once more.
And together, they descended down the Goddess Tower, hand in hand. When they reached the bottom, they shared a gentle and chaste kiss before departing on their own ways. Claude decided that he would retire for the night and said that Dimitri should as well, but the prince declined, saying that he would take a walk around first before going to sleep. Claude stared him down for a while, trying to silently convince him to sleep now, but when he found out that it wouldn’t work, he sighed in defeat, giving him another peck on the lips and making him promise that he would go straight to bed afterwards. Dimitri couldn’t really promise that, but he promised that he would try his very best.
Then, Dimitri was alone, walking through the empty courtyard. His mind replayed the events of their dance together and their conversation, and for once, he felt as if the ghosts that often plagued him were distant. They were still there, but they were far away. Right now, Dimitri could only think of Claude.
Maybe. He thought with a small smile gracing his lips, that maybe one day, they’ll be able to fully open their hearts to each other and be able to confide in one another. Previously, it had scared him to tell Claude about his past, but now, it doesn't seem too bad. To rely on Claude and for Claude to rely on him. To love and trust each other no matter what for the rest of their days. It sounded nice and, in that moment, achievable.
In the distance, he saw Professor Byleth, who was seeming to be taking a break from the commotion of the ball. Having nothing better to do, he decided to approach his professor and strike up a conversation. Thoughts of Claude never left him though, and he decided he would have to blame Claude for him not being able to get adequate sleep.