Work Text:
One of the things Dimitri was looking the most forward to was a good night of rest with Byleth by his side.
But sometimes, his plans were thrown over the floor.
The king squinted his eye in the dark of the night, a single candle flickering in a faraway corner. The warmth was tempting him to return to its merciful embrace, calling him back. But the small curse of the woman he shared his night’s rest with yanked him out of the seduction, and he shot up into an upright position.
“Byleth?”
A squeak echoed through their chambers, and his single blue eye found her, standing near the door with a candle in her hand, green hair glittering in the candlelight. Her eyes instead were widened, concern and worry deep in her orbs, and his heart sank.
“Byleth?” All possible scenarios were running through his head – she was in pain, something was bothering her, everything was ending, it was just a dream after all-
She left you-
Finally, she regained some sense-
As if she would have stayed with you.
“Dima.” But the sound of her voice brought him back at once, a soft edge and scolding tone sneaking into her words. “Why are you awake?” She returned, sitting on the edge of his side of their bed, and her hand reached for his face, cupping his cheek. “It’s late in the night; you should get some sleep.”
He grasped her hand against his skin, pressed closer. “I’ve heard how you woke up. Is something the matter?” His lone blue eye searched for any sign of discomfort. “Did you have a nightmare? Are you in pain?”
Despite the harsh voices screaming in his ears, a smile bloomed on her lips. “I’m alright, don’t worry about it. It’s just-”
I knew it- she wanted to leave you.
Nobody wants you, boar king.
You get what you deserve-
He croaked out a 'what', and he watched how her face fell all of a sudden. She leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. “Dimitri, listen to me. Look at me, okay?”
Byleth’s voice reached out to him, the soothing tone that managed to tear the piece of cotton in his ears apart. He inhaled his fear, staring into her orbs. So close, so beautiful, the king was sure he saw sparkles flying in the green color of her eyes. “Yes.”
“Take deep breaths. Repeat what I do,” The woman took many deep breaths. He repeated. “Very good,” she whispered in the darkness of their chamber. “Again.”
Seconds passed, and the voices quietened. He let out a deep breath. “Thank you, my love.”
“You’re welcome.” A kiss pressed against his temple was enough reassurance for him. “Better now? Shall I fetch something for you?”
“It’s-it’s alright.” A moment of silence passed between them. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He saw her blinking in the faint light of the candle she had put on his bedside table. “Is something wrong?”
He got an answer. But not the one he was expecting.
A loud growl was a hollow sound through their chambers. Silence followed as a companion, and his wife turned cherry red from zero to hero. With her red cheeks, she looked away, a hand pressed against her face. “I’m hungry.”
The voices died immediately, and Dimitri was living in the present once more. He blinked, watched how his wife let out a deep sigh, and another growl hit the walls and returned to them. “I was craving something sweet, and I didn’t want to wake you up.”
Silence. Then a sound. A chuckle. A snort. Until he couldn’t help but laugh out loud, a hand on his mouth. “Forgive me, beloved, but I-!”
His heart both calmed and went faster. A sensation of relief coursed through his veins, and he took a deep breath, grasping her hands tightly in his and pulling them away from her blushing face. “I apologize, I’ve expected something different.”
Her pout was pulling at the corners of his mouth. “I can’t do anything against it. If the baby demands, then I should heed their wishes.”
Dimitri looked at his wife. At her sparkling green orbs and her beautiful pout, which changed into a wistful smile. He cupped her cheeks once more, and she nuzzled his hands. “Let me get something for you, beloved.”
“No, Dimitri, it’s alright.” She murmured against his hands in a groggy voice, and he heard how sleep was slowly creeping to her. “You’ve just returned from Gloucester. You were traveling for so long. I go, I don’t mind-.”
“Byleth.” He caressed the heavy bags under her eyes with his thumbs. “I haven’t been here for nearly a full moon. Let me do something for you and our baby.”
She resisted but failed to a kiss against her cheek, her eyelids, and her forehead. With a soft sigh, she leaned against his chest, humming when his arms pulled her close in a hug.
“Okay.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. “But only if you are truly okay with it.”
“I am, beloved.” And to prove his point, the king leaned down and sealed their lips with a gentle kiss, admiring her plush mouth and leaning his forehead against hers. “Try to find some rest,” he whispered. “I’ll be right back.”
After Cornelia’s tyranny ended and the war was won, Dimitri did his best to nurse Faerghus back to its old self. His childhood was filled with warm memories, the castle staff helping his father to raise him, and doing their best to make him happy: a pattern he wanted to recreate.
To find out that the staff, who have once watched over him, were nothing but slaves during those five years broke his heart, shattered it into multiple pieces. Worked until their very last, soldiers provoking them to fight back just to get a reason to throw them in prison. Starved and bleeding, he made sure that the people would be nursed back to health and gave them the option to stay if they so wished.
The kitchens were usually empty during the night, giving them the time to rest properly. Therefore, it was rare to see the kitchen lit.
But the sweet scent dominated his attention, and the light humming coming from behind the small jar gave her identity right away.
“Mercedes?”
“Dimitri?”
Opening the door, he immediately recognized her, standing in front of a counter with various bowls surrounding a spot, covered by flour and the shape of her hands as a mark. Her face brightened in an instant, a smile jumping on her lips and her blue eyes shining. “My, do I need to worry about seeing you this late?” She tilted her head, shaking her hands once and flour flew over the counter. “Didn’t you just return from Gloucester? Are you alright?”
“Of course. Thank you for your concern, Mercedes.” He looks at the bowls, at the finished sweets waiting to be baked. His gaze softened. “For Dedue?”
A blush spread on her cheek, and a glow started to dominate her face. “Oh, yes. Since it’s his birthday tomorrow, I want to surprise him with a nice breakfast.” She smiled cheekily. “Would you allow him to take some time off tomorrow morning, Dimitri?”
“Of course. He deserves it with all the things he’s been doing for us.” Dimitri lowered his shoulders. “But, pardon when I ask you, Mercedes, but do you know where the cooks have stored the sweets?”
“Oh?” She blinked until something wicked appeared on her face, and Dimitri wasn’t aware that she was able to pull off such an expression. “Did her grace send you to fetch her something?”
Plus, he didn’t want to know how she got to that thought that quickly.
“Then I’ve got you covered. It’s perfect timing, actually.”
And it was. Not a second before he could comprehend the situation, she had already packed a couple of sweets into a dainty, hand-stitched cloth and offered it to him.
“For her grace. I hope she will like it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve made enough, don’t worry. Take them.”
Dimitri let out a deep breath. Smiled.
“Thank you, Mercedes. Truly.”
“Beloved?”
With his little package, he quickly opened and closed the door, sneaked into the room. Excluding a single candle on her side of the bed, it was dark.
“Byleth?”
Her name echoed through the entirety of the room, and yet, he gained no response. With naked feet, he tapped over the floor and reached the sight that let him laugh out, quietly, of course, and he felt a feeling of love run through his veins.
Byleth, his beloved queen and wife and mother of his child, was curled up in a ball in his side of the bed, her hair falling down her arms and pooling under her body. She was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling peacefully.
The king let out a sigh. He put the little package on the table, sat on the edge, and caressed her hair.
“Take all the rest you need, beloved,” He kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams.”