Chapter Text
[10:09pm] itsthegautiercheese posted a photo: put_a_ring_on_it.jpg
My man dimitri finally pops the question! Congratzzzz
Now you have a plus one and no excuses not to attend my wedding #justengaged #romanceisreal
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[10:10pm] private message from Hilda <3:
Hilda <3: yo is gautiers message real?
Hilda <3: u wud tell me sth this imp rite?
Hilda <3: rite?
Hilda <3: answ me
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[10:45pm] message from: mother
Mitya, what’s this I hear about an engagement? When we haven’t even met the young lady in question? Call me in the morning.
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[11:00am]
Claude stares at the slew of messages and notifications on his phone, groans, and throws the cover back over his head. He knew this would happen if news got out, which is why he had turned his phone off last night.
He inches closer to the warmth of his bed before groaning again, louder this time, thinking about having to respond as his phone beeps again.
“Claude?” Next to him, his boyfriend, no scratch that, fiance , half rolls in their cramped bed and scoops Claude up into his arms. Claude wraps a leg up and they are so close that he could hear every breath.
“Good morning dear,” Dimitri says, slurring his words into Claude’s shoulders.
“And good morning to you fiance,” Claude responds, voice lilting and teasing and he twists to look at his handsome face. He lightly traces Dimitri’s right eye gently, observing the damaged tissue underneath. Dimitri pulls back for a moment, staring at Claude before remembering the night they had before and his cheeks turn red.
Dimitri buries his face into the pillows but doesn’t let go of Claude, “You said yes.”
“I did,” Claude grins.
“I cannot believe you said yes.”
Claude’s grin grows wider, “You are too cute.”
Suddenly, Dimitri snaps up and pulls Claude up into his lap. Claude yelps at the sudden movement as he is lifted. “I’m the cute one?”
“Oi! Okay okay, we’re both cute We make the cutest couple in Fodlan!” Claude flails a bit before clinging onto his fiance’s shoulder, his beautiful broad shoulders. “As fun as this is, I have to answer Hilda before she calls the national guard in for keeping all this from her and I think you need to explain to me how Sylvain found out we got engaged when that only happened last night.”
Dimitri freezes, both of his eyes widen, “Oh. Oh no.”
--
[6:04pm]
Classes are done for the week, and Claude is making his way to a restaurant to meet up with his new fiance at the bar.
He doesn’t think he will never get tired of calling Dimitri his fiance, at least, not until they get married and he gets to tease him with a dozen more new titles and nicknames. The proposal is also something Claude will never forget, remember Dimitri smoothly asking the important question and then blushing with his face completely red the next when Claude pounced on him.
Claude also remembers Dimitri being dick deep inside him and yet he will duck his head whenever it is mentioned outside of bed. The duality of his fiance always fascinates him in that Dimitri will be smooth as butter one moment and then acting like a blushing egg the next. It never fails to charm Claude.
Dimitri had also texted him during his classes that apparently he accidentally sent Sylvain, a childhood friend of Dimitri’s and a mutual friend of theirs, the photo that Claude had taken of their hands laced together with matching rings. Sylvain quickly put two and two together and proceeded to freak out on his social media account.
As Claude enters the restaurant while glancing at his phone, he chuckles. Sylvain is smarter than he appears, but he still can act like a complete dunce. Perhaps his upcoming marriage to Felix will calm him down.
Then again, Felix isn’t exactly a miracle worker. More like an angry bird who will whack you over and over for stupidity.
He spots his fiance sitting on one of the tall stools at the bar and heads over, “Hey Dima.”
“Claude!” Dimitri exclaims, putting his phone away and pulling up a stool, “How was your day?”
Dimitri is really like a puppy, a chivalric puppy, sometimes, and has the energy like one too. Claude has no idea how he manages to juggle being captain of the football and fencing teams. Then again, Claude leads the archery team and competes in swimming on the side so maybe they are just both overachievers.
They swap stories from their day while nibbling on some chips with a cheesy dip, and then Dimitri asks something in a slightly more serious tone.
“So I was wondering if perhaps you have given any thought as to where our wedding will take place?” Dimitri asks, setting his glass down.
“Hm?” Claude stops drinking from his straw and stares at Dimitri incredulously, “We were engaged just last night. You’re already thinking about this?”
“I want to marry you,” Dimitri says as simple as that, and Claude feels his cheeks heat up a bit at the honest words.
He sets his glass down, “Okay, where do you think we should do it?”
“Perhaps… Fhirdiad?”
Claude raises his eyebrows, “Isn’t that where Sylvain and Felix’s wedding is going to be at? Are we copying them now?”
“No, it’s not because of them,” Dimitri says this with a glance to the side. He seems slightly nervous to say it so Claude waits patiently.
Dimitri takes a small breath, “It’s because that is where my parents live, and they want to meet you.”
Claude stares at him, “Your parents?”
Dimitri nods and grabs another chip. A small silence settles between them, punctuated by Dimitri’s small crunching noise.
Claude leans back in his chair, an old habit of his when he is trying to digest new information or deciding what to say, “That’s neat!” He says, trying to sound as casual as he can. “Maybe I’ll finally learn where you got that handsome eyepatch?”
Dimitri sputters, fingering his eyepatch band self-consciously. Claude finds the act endearing, “Claude! You know that this is not hereditary.”
“I know, I was just kidding.” Claude says, patting his shoulder tenderly.
His fiance sighs, ”I still have some ways to go before I understand all of your jests.”
Sometimes Claude cannot believe his boyfriend slash fiance is real, “You’re doing just fine.”
Even if he just gave Claude the biggest shock in their relationship so far.
--
[6:45pm] private message from claudiedeer:
Claudiedeer: hilda
Claudiedeer: hilda holy shit
Claudiedeer: dima wants me 2 meet w parents
Claudiedeer: didnt know he had parents??
Hilda: y wud u think that? every1 has parents
Claudiedeer: he never mentions his! only friends
Hilda: so u thot they wer ded
Claudiedeer: i didnt want to bring it up in case it was that!
Claudiedeer: he wants me 2 meet his parents
Claudiedeer: and marry in fhirdiad
Claudiedeer: wat do i do
Hilda: wel meet his parents at least
Hilda: my fam’s house borders faerghus 2 hrs by car from fhirdi
Hilda: come visit after
Hilda: we can plan 4 wedding
Hilda: vent about new in laws
Claudiedeer: wat will i do w/o youuuuu
Hilda: get shot down and die ofc
Claudiedeer: ofc
--
[8:21pm]
Two hands and two rings joined togerher are depicted on the small phone screen before being turned off. A woman at the window stares at the blank phone in her hand with a look of disgust wrinkling her smooth face.
“So little Dimitri wants to get married does he?” The woman mutters to herself. She had thought the trauma from his childhood would prevent him from making new connections with people. That was true all throughout his schooling, his only friends being family friends and staff, until he left for Garreg Mach University.
Now she has to meet the little witch who threatens to take her influence away. Perhaps scare her away or make Dimitri dislike her or… ask her associates to get rid of her.
There are many possibilities, and she has time to figure that out since both of them will be visiting.
Time to find out if this relationship is all that strong, or if she can crumble it like she did with the Faerghan plague.