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Loud music can be heard in Dorothea’s home as students from Garreg Mach University poured in to join the current festivities. Students from every course and all walks of life mingled with one another as they ate, drank, danced, or played games and there was no authority figure in sight. Truly, it was the best time to celebrate.
What exactly are they celebrating, you ask? Simple: Garreg Mach University’s hockey team just won the last game of the season earlier in the day, cementing their status as this year’s undisputed champions. Of course, as soon as they were allowed, Dorothea held a party to celebrate and no one in their right mind was going to say no. Dorothea’s parties are one of the best parties that happen in the university, after all. Something exciting was always bound to happen.
Were she an average person, Edelgard would guess that was one of the reasons why she even came. But she isn’t; she’s quite content with her life so she has no need to search for such frivolities right now. She only came to the party because Dorothea was her best friend and she would never let it go if she spent the weekend cooped up in her penthouse apartment playing games again. Besides, she was already out of the apartment anyway, having decided to accompany Dorothea in supporting the Hockey team in their championship game. Now, she was cooped up by the couch, minding her own business as she nursed a drink in her hands. Dorothea, on the other hand, was off entertaining guests with her girlfriend Petra, who was the hockey team’s left wing.
“Penny for your thoughts?” A familiar voice asked as she felt the couch dip beside her. Edelgard looked up and smiled when she saw her stepbrother Dimitri next to her.
“Nothing you need to worry your pretty head about.” She answered as she took a sip from her cup, wincing as she felt the vodka burn down her throat.
“I’m surprised Hubert isn’t anywhere near you tonight.” Dimitri said as he took a swig from his own beer.
“He went home for the weekend. Something about his father needing his assistance.” Edelgard responded. “Good game today, by the way. You did well.”
Dimitri blushed but accepted her compliments, nonetheless. He was the team’s right wing so it was his job to prevent the opponent from getting anywhere near the defensemen. His stature was enough to intimidate their opponents from trying too hard to get past him.
“I’m surprised you came to be honest. I thought you’d be too busy with your studies or you’d like to stay home and play.” He stated as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Dorothea dragged me out. Plus I figured it would be a nice change of pace. I’ll probably just play on Dorothea’s console though.” She responded. Dimitri merely hummed in response, not noticing Edelgard grab the two controllers in the coffee table in front of her until she handed him the other one.
“Come on, play a few rounds with me, I’d like to kick your ass in Soul Calibur.” She said in a challenging tone. With a scoff, he shifted his gaze to the TV in front of them.
“You’re on.” He said with a smirk and their game began.
Byleth had to take a moment to take in her surroundings as she entered Dorothea’s home. The music was loud and there were too many people crammed in one space. Immediately, she made a beeline for the kitchen, trying to look for any familiar faces in the crowd. Finding none, she decided to grab a drink instead. People who passed by her congratulated her for bringing their university the victory, as expected of the hockey team’s captain. It was a team effort, however. She wouldn’t have won without them. From where she stood, she gradually began to spot familiar faces; Claude was in one corner with Marianne and Hilda, Sylvain was hitting on a bunch of women as usual, while Ashe and Ingrid spoke with Dorothea and Petra. Just as she was about to take a sip of her drink, she saw who was probably the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen in her life.
Thanks to her introvertedness, Byleth was never one to feel or show any emotions other than stoicism. But the moment she laid her eyes on that girl in the red knee length dress, sitting on the couch talking to and playing games with Dimitri with such familiarity, she felt her heart beat faster than ever. She had half a mind to approach but out of nowhere her view was blocked.
“Hey, there’s the woman of the hour. How you doin’, Byleth?” Claude greeted her as he wrapped an arm around her neck.
“Claude.” Was her simple greeting.
“What? No hug for your good pal Claude? I mean I did just save the game and allowed you to score the winning shot.” He playfully teased. Byleth merely rolled her eyes; it’s true. As the goalkeeper, Claude did block that puck from getting in their goal before passing it on to Byleth to score the win. But now she was kinda regretting it; he was gonna lord this over her.
“Seriously though, what’s going on with you?” He asked as he leaned on the kitchen counter next to her. Byleth, on the other hand, didn’t take her eyes off white haired girl a few feet away from them.
“Who is she?” She asked as she took a sip of her drink. “I don’t think I’ve seen her before.”
“Who? Ah, Edelgard von Hresvelg. Wealthy heiress and political major. Not surprised you haven’t seen her; she doesn’t usually attend Dorothea’s parties...or the hockey games. Prefers to stay home and study or play games according to the others.” He responded. Byleth merely nodded along with his words.
“So, what’s she doing hanging around Dimitri?” She asked this time. Claude, however, could only shrug.
“Beats me. For all we know, they could’ve been dating all this time and we just didn’t know.”
For some reason, the thought of Edelgard dating Dimitri caused Byleth to feel a spike of jealousy in her stomach.
“Really now?” She asked before taking another sip of her drink. From where she stood, Byleth continued to silently observe Edelgard from afar; surprisingly enough, the heiress was ridiculously good at games. Dimitri could barely touch her character and she even managed to goad him to throwing himself off the ring with a well-timed jump. As they were waiting for their next round to start, Edelgard began to look around and Byleth almost forgot to breathe for a moment when their gazes met. Goddess, she was so beautiful. Unfortunately, it was a moment that ended too soon as Edelgard’s focus shifted to the game she was playing once again. With a sigh, Byleth turned her attention to the nearby platter of food, deciding to grab a few to eat while she spoke to Claude.
Just as she finished eating, however, she was thoroughly surprised by what happened next. Dimitri spotted them and he dragged Edelgard from her perch on the couch to bring her closer.
“Claude, Byleth. I’ve been looking for you two.” He greeted them, his hands still linked with Edelgard’s, who was observing the two with a passive expression on her face. For the first time in Byleth’s life, she felt somewhat nervous by someone else’s presence.
“‘Sup, pretty boy.” Claude greeted him with a high five. “Yeah, we saw you earlier actually but you and your girlfriend seemed to be having fun so Byleth and I decided to be good pals and leave you two alone, right Byleth?”
Rolling her eyes in amusement, Byleth decided to nod and play along. Though deep down,she hoped that there was a rational explanation for Edelgard and Dimitri’s closeness other than a secret romance.
“Girlfriend? Edelgard isn’t my girlfriend.” Dimitri said in amusement. Before Claude can say anything else, Edelgard interjected, equally amused.
“Dimitri and I are stepsiblings.”
Oh thank the goddess. If she wasn’t conscious about not wanting to be obvious, Byleth would’ve released a sign of relief. Stepsiblings, huh? So, that explains it. Honestly, Byleth should’ve realized sooner; Dimitri had spoken about his stepsister on more than one occasion but he never told them her name.
“No way!” The dark haired boy exclaimed, his eyes shining like the cat that caught the cream. “So, this is the elusive stepsister you’ve told us so much, Dimitri. It’s nice to meet you; Claude von Riegan. I’m on the hockey team with Dimitri.”
“I noticed. That was some good goalkeeping. I’ve never seen anyone move that fast.” Edelgard complimented him.
“Why thank you. But if there’s anyone who’s faster than me, it would be the captain over here. Speaking of which, introduce yourself, Captain.”
For a moment, Byleth shot him a look; he’s up to something, she just knew it. Nevertheless, it would be rude to leave her hanging.
“Byleth Eisner.” She said as she held her hand out. Immediately, Edelgard took it to shake her hand. Goddess, even her hands are so soft.
“It’s nice to meet you, Byleth.”
“Well, you two ladies have fun. I’m taking pretty boy here to mingle.” Claude said before he dragged Dimitri away. For a moment, both women awkwardly stood next to one another as they grabbed drinks.
“So, do you want to play Soul Calibur?” Byleth asked her. She was never one for video games, preferring to spend her time on the ice to practice hockey, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t know how to play. And if it would help her spend a little more time with Edelgard, then that was fine with her.
“I don’t mind.” Edelgard answered. “Just don’t whine when I crush you.”
The pair shared a laugh in amusement before finally piping down and Byleth nodded.
“Oh you are so on.”
“Wow, you are ridiculously good at this.” Byleth said, eyes wide in amazement as Edelgard beat her in their game for what must’ve been the 7th time in a row. At first, she won a few games but then Edelgard stopped pulling her punches and she’s hardly won since.
“Years of practice.” Was all Edelgard said in response as she put the controller down and grabbed her drink again.
“I can see that.” The teal haired hockey player said as she too took a sip of her drink. For a moment, silence prevailed between the two of them once more, neither speaking a word to one another. People still mingled around them, the loud music still blared, but it was well into the night so Edelgard decided it was time to go home.
“Well, I should go. This was fun. It was nice meeting you, Byleth. Good game out there, by the way.” Edelgard praised her as she stood. Byleth, on the other hand, remained seated but nonetheless, she nodded her head in appreciation of her kind words.
“Thank you, Edelgard.” She responded, still mesmerized by her grace and beauty. With a smile and a small wave, Edelgard left, passing by Dorothea for a moment to tell her that she was leaving. Before Byleth knew it, Edelgard was out the door. For a moment, she sat there, taking a few sips of her beer before jolting up. Like a woman possessed, Byleth followed after Edelgard. Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten far yet so she chased after her.
“Wait! Edelgard, wait!” She called for her. Immediately, the white haired beauty stopped and turned to her with a confused look on her face.
“Byleth, what is it?” She asked in curiosity. She took a moment to catch her breath but once she did, she straightened up and cleared her throat.
“Can-Can I walk you home?” Byleth asked, somewhat nervously. If her father or Claude saw her now, he’d never let this go. “Unless, you don’t want to. That’s fine as well.”
“Oh, well, thank you for your offer, Byleth. I accept.” She said and almost immediately, Byleth offered her arm to her before they started walking once again. Edelgard’s apartment wasn’t far from the campus but it sure did feel like it with how much they enjoyed their talk.
As they spoke, Byleth learned that Edelgard was the youngest child of her very wealthy family with 10 overprotective paternal half-siblings. Despite her privilege, she said she decided to take up a political major in hopes of helping where she can one day. Byleth even learned of her surprisingly intense love for video games and how she picked it up from one of her older sisters. Byleth, on the other hand, told her things about herself that she’s never told anyone. Not even Claude.
She told her about how they moved around from city to city when she was young and little anecdotes about her childhood with her parents. She told her about how she eventually grew to love hockey thanks to her father and how settling down in Garreg Mach University for Jeralt’s coaching job was the first time Byleth ever really felt stable and at home. Edelgard learned that despite her talent on the ice bringing her offers from various professional hockey teams, she decided to earn a degree first. She knew the offers will always be there; every team was hankering to have the Ashen Demon on their roster after all.
“Have you tried it before?” Byleth asked her as they walked.
“Hockey? Nope, I don’t think I have. One of my brothers, Maximillian, used to play during his time in school, though. I much preferred ice skating.” Edelgard admitted as she rubbed her bare arms for warmth.
“Somehow, I’m not surprised.” The teal haired girl said as she shucked her letterman jacket off and draped it over Edelgard’s shoulders. “It suits you.”
“Ice skating or your jacket?” The shorter woman playfully asked as they stopped in their tracks.
“Both. I would love to see you on the ice. But right now, I think you look good wearing my letterman.” Byleth coolly complimented her as she brushed a lock of hair away from Edelgard’s face. The heiress could only hope that her blush wasn’t too obvious as she playfully shoved her away.
Usually, Edelgard wasn’t this playful with anyone outside her circle of friends. Being a wealthy heiress tends to dictate how well your social life goes; you’ll either have true friends who see you for who you are or people who only see you for what you can give them.
But for some reason, being playful and letting her guard down came very easily with Byleth. For reasons unknown, Edelgard felt...safe, comfortable even, with her. As if they had known one another for a long time. Around Byleth, she can let loose and just be Edelgard.
It took them a few more minutes to get to her apartment after that, as they decided to take the scenic route and have a moonlit stroll by the university’s lake. They talked about almost anything and everything and quite frankly, they enjoyed it.
But all good and enjoyable things must come to an end. And their enjoyable thing ended when they stopped right in front of Edelgard’s apartment lobby.
“Well, this is my stop. Thank you for walking me home, Byleth.” Edelgard said. She made a move to remove the jacket but Byleth stopped her hands in their track.
“No...uh...keep it for now. It’s a chilly night.” She said with a gentle smile. Byleth chuckled at the look of surprise on Edelgard’s face.
“But won’t you be cold?” Edelgard asked, concern apparent in her tone. This time, Byleth couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as she shook her head.
“Ah, when you spend as much time on the ice as you do, it’s hard to get cold sometimes.” She responded. “Seriously, keep it. I insist.”
Knowing that she won’t be able to fight her on this, Edelgard merely nodded in appreciation. Then, she stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to Byleth’s cheek. Both their cheeks turned a nice shade of red at the action.
“Thank you. Good night, Byleth.” The heiress whispered before she made a move to enter the door. Byleth intended to walk away as well. But for some reason, something forced her to turn around and…
“Wait.”
Startled by her sudden call, Edelgard rapidly turned around as well, only to be met by Byleth once more.
“What is it?”
“Go out with me.” Was all Byleth said with nary a hint of emotion on her face. Edelgard couldn’t help but blink owlishly at her as she tried to process her words.
“I’m sorry. Would you be so kind as to repeat what you just said?” The heiress requested. Then, Byleth, the Ashen Demon, the Captain of Garreg Mach’s hockey team who was well known for her stoicism, took a deep breath. Almost as if she was trying to calm her nerves. Finally, she spoke.
“W-Would you like to go out with me? Get dinner or coffee sometime? I know a great place around campus that’s quiet most days.” Byleth said as she came closer. “Or if you’d like, we can just have dinner at my place or yours. Honestly, I don’t care where so long as you say yes.”
It was baffling to Byleth, to be honest. Since she started college, both men and women threw themselves at her feet but they never really interested her. But somehow, this girl-this woman-who was minding her own business and playing games with her stepbrother at a house party, managed to completely capture her attention. She would be lying if she said she didn’t intrigue her and she wanted to know more about the silver haired beauty that stood before her. Wanted to know why she found her so interesting.
“Oh-I-uh-I would love to go to dinner with you, Byleth.” Edelgard replied, uncharacteristically bashful this time. “I’m free on the coming Saturday if that works for you.”
Byleth’s heart began to beat faster at her response. Yes. She said yes.
“Great. I’ll pick you up then.” She said as she tried to hold her excitement in. With their final farewells, they went their separate ways. Before she got far, however, Edelgard called for her. She turned almost immediately, being the confused one this time.
“You can pick me up at around 7.” Edelgard told her before she entered her building. For a moment, Byleth lingered, watching her enter the elevator as her jacket hung around her petite frame. With one last wave, she disappeared behind the steel doors as it ascended to the highest floor. The teal haired girl let out a smile as she stood there before muttering a few words.
“It’s a date.”
And the rest, as they say, is history.
It’s been four years since that night Byleth walked Edelgard home and asked her out for their first date. Neither of them knew it at the time but that date would be the first of many and eventually, they did become a couple. According to Dorothea, they were even seen as the cutest couple on campus. By the time their first anniversary rolled around, they took the plunge and began living together and it was bliss from then on. Sure, they had their problems and arguments but it was nothing communication and their love couldn’t fix.
Now, with graduation just around the corner, Byleth stood by the lake, observing Edelgard as she sat on a bench with her sketchbook on her lap, no doubt drawing the scenery that lay before her. As opposed to that cold night, they were meeting up at the lake during the day, as the sunset reflected on the lake’s waters. Gradually, Byleth made her approach.
As she walked, Byleth came to the realization that for the past four years, Edelgard didn’t change much. She was still the same girl who wanted to make a difference in the world. The same girl who had a big heart and ten overprotective half-siblings (Byleth should know; she didn’t think it was possible for her to sweat that much than the day Edelgard brought her over to meet her brothers and sisters). The same girl who loved video games with a passion.
But most of all, she was still the same girl that Byleth fell madly in love with ever since she first laid eyes on her.
So, yes, not much changed with Edelgard these past four years and not much changed with her either. But there was one thing she was hoping to change. Before she reached Edelgard, Byleth dug deep into her pocket and let out a breath of relief at feeling the ring box stored there. Four years of being together and finally, Byleth came to another realization: Edelgard was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Steeling herself, she began to walk once more and as she approached, the heiress looked up from her sketchpad and greeted her with a smile.
“Hey, you.” Edelgard said as she put her sketchpad away. Byleth immediately sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders before giving her a chaste yet loving kiss.
“Hello. I missed you.” Byleth murmured as she moved her arms to wrap them around her waist and gave her warm embrace. Eventually, they separated but they didn’t move far from one another, with Byleth’s arms remaining around her shoulders while Edelgard wrapped her own around her waist before laying her head on the crook of the teal haired woman’s neck.
“I missed you too.” Edelgard replied as her eyes remained on the scenery before them. “It’s beautiful.”
Byleth hummed in agreement as she savored their moment. With graduation fast approaching, it would be hard to find moments like this again. So Byleth resolved to remain here for as long as she could with the woman she loved with all her heart next to her. After a few moments of silence, Edelgard spoke up again.
“Byleth?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we stay here for a moment longer?” She requested, not tearing her eyes from the lake. With a chuckle, Byleth pressed her lips to the top of Edelgard’s head.
“For as long as you’d like, my heart.” She responded.
It was the perfect backdrop. Just the two of them by the lake, the sunset reflecting on the waters, giving it an ethereal glow. Byleth could separate herself from her and before her lover could ask, she could get down on one knee, present her mother’s ring to her, and ask Edelgard for her hand in marriage. Byleth could go on a spiel as to why Edelgard is the one for her, list all the qualities that made her fall in love with her time and time again as well as the ones that drove her crazy at times, before ending it by saying that she would like to marry her as soon as she could properly provide for the two of them so they won’t have to rely on her father’s money. In her eyes, it was the perfect plan. One that she could easily execute immediately.
But for now, that could wait. Her beloved asked if they could stay like this for a while and Byleth had no intention of denying her.
Even if it did feel like that ring box was burning a hole through her pocket.