Chapter Text
Haru’s house is big. Huge. The kitchen follows suit, clearly, as even the marble-countered island could seat a party of twelve or so. It’s Byleth’s first visit, and she feels lucky to have been extended the opportunity. “I’ll give you the first choice on the tea for today, Haru. I’m curious about your preferences.” Even with the extensive space, however, Haru has set out a small table,just for the two of them, decorated with a tray of butter cookies and a bowl for sugar cubes.
“Hm. Normally I choose something more subdued, but today…” She spins a well-organized revolving tower of countless varieties of tea. “Today I want to do something a bit out of the ordinary for myself. I’ve fallen into a rut with tea -- I’d like to branch out, and this is the perfect opportunity! How about… Orange spice?”
“Sounds fantastic.”
Haru scoops the loose leaves into a pot’s filter, then sits to make conversation while the two wait for it to steep.
For once, Byleth observes proper etiquette at her seat. “So, Haru, I must admit that I didn’t expect your choice of weapon to be the greataxe.”
“Neither did I, to be honest. But now that I’ve used it, I can hardly imagine using anything else.” She brings one curled hand up to cover her mouth as she giggles.
“We can get to a lesson later when you have the time, but I can at least use this time to explain the basics of wielding one, if you’d like.”
“Oh, I’d love that!”
“Then I’ll start with basics: Using any weapon with a bladed edge requires a good grip. Your hands need to be positioned to build up enough speed, but the more important facet of technique is a proper angle. If you don’t hold the axe correctly, you won’t strike with the blade, which ruins the efficacy of the weapon. You’ll find that most axe handles are more elliptical in shape for this purpose. Just pay attention to how it feels in your hands, and you’ll manage to get the hang of it. Secondly, use the momentum of the weapon to your advantage. It’s heavy, which means that following through is a curse without accuracy, but a blessing with a good strike. Especially if you leverage gravity as a tool. You see…”
Their conversation goes on and on. Partly one-sided, as Byleth walks Haru through proper usage of the weaponry. Even so, Haru is attentive through Byleth’s entire spiel, nodding in affirmation, hands daintily upon her knees. Only when the tea is ready to drink does Byleth realize her unintentional dominance over the conversation. As soon as she’s aware, she shakes her head and finishes the explanation.
“Oh, sorry Haru. I’m talking your ear off, I’m sure.” She reaches to the pot and pours a generous cup for each. The steamy aroma fills the atmosphere within moments: Citrus, the tanginess of orange, underlined by a stark contrast of cinnamon.
Haru blows atop the liquid to ease it to a more potable temperature. “Don’t worry, Byleth. I think it’s magnificent that you know so much about all these different kinds of weapons. You’ve taught everyone about them, correct?”
“Not without some proper research on my part first, but there are some I’m lucky enough to have used. I actually tried out the axe before picking up the segmented blade. I learned a lot, but decided that it wasn’t for me.” Byleth is more courageous with her tea, and she regrets it. Not too hot to drink, but too hot to enjoy the flavor.
“I see! How interesting.”
Might as well address the elephant in the massive room. “...How have you been faring after the loss of your father, Haru?”
She twirls a finger in the fluffy waves of her hair. “I’m managing. It’s been difficult dealing with the company, keeping up with class, and putting up with my fiance’s… nonsense.”
Byleth squints. Did she hear that right? “Fiance? Was your father unable to cancel that arrangement?”
“It seems not. Even so, Sugimura-kun seems to keep mentioning some contract’s stipulations.” She sighs. This is completely unfair and she knows it.
“I can flip him again, if you’d like.”
At that, she giggles. It almost sounds carefree. Almost. “Maybe so, if he tries to harm either of us again. I would certainly make no motion to stop you. Did he ever interfere with your job at all?”
“Not even a bit. I knew he’d be too spineless to do anything about it. I know his type -- all bark, no bite.” Now, Byleth relaxes her posture. Her tea has sufficiently cooled to a crisp, bracing heat. It tastes even more delicious than it smells.
“I believe he still thinks we were together romantically that evening… I’m sorry for the horrible things he said to you.” She sips her tea, calm, eyes closed. “You were correct, however. He has very little room to speak in terms of age difference. He is twenty years old, after all.”
“He made it all the more satisfying to slam him into the concrete. He hasn’t harmed you in any way, has he? Or spoken to you like that at all?”
Haru sets her tea down a moment after savoring the complex flavor. “Thankfully not. I haven’t been forced to spend time with him in private.”
“Good. I won’t hesitate to put him into the ground again.” Byleth closes her eyes, shakes her head, exhales, all sorrowful. “You deserve better than all of this, Haru. Better than being orphaned at your age, better than inheriting an international business, better than that awful, awful fiance.”
“I think so, too, Byleth. But there’s not much to be done about it for now.”
“There is, but I know I can’t think of anything. This is outside my scope of experiences. Akira might be able to help, right?”
“He’s already been very helpful, yes. Actually, he’s been giving magnificent advice on how to stand up to all of them.”
“Good. If he knows how to do anything, it’s rebel.”
After a chuckle, the conversation returns to a lighthearted trail. The tea is delicious, but the company makes it uniquely so.