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Dimitri knew that love at first sight wasn't real; such a concept was only found in the fairytail stories that his stepmother read to him as a child. But to say that Dimitri wasn't enamored with the mercenary that saved his and the other house leaders' lives would be untrue. He was intrigued by her but also unnerved by her; she did not speak much and seemed to rarely emote, if that was even humanly possible. Despite all of this, he did want to learn about Byleth more in earnest.
He only became more interested in Byleth as a person when he learned that she would be a professor at the academy, and even more so when he learned that she was teaching his house, the Blue Lions.
To say that he was excited at the prospect of being taught by such a talented person would be an understatement, but as the prince of Faerghus, he kept his composure and remained professional.
Slowly, over time, Dimitri started to see Byleth open up more; she greeted everyone with a smile, became more talkative, and spent time with her students outside of the classroom, whether that be at the training grounds, at the dining hall, or the fishing dock.
As she opened up to her students, Dimitri started to fall for her. It started only as admiration, where he would watch intently to her teachings and demonstrations. It then became infatuation, where he would occasionally catch himself stare at her during class. Her eyes, a sweet blue, and her hair, a soft and deep turquoise color. She was a hardened mercenary but walked with such grace.
The prince always thought he masked his affections pretty well, but that would not seem to be the case, as Sylvain, the ever so observant, caught on rather quickly. And it didn't help that he would tell Felix and Ingrid of Dimitri's latest crush (an act that earned the Gautier a slap on the back of the head). The prince would deny this, but he wasn't a very good liar when it came to such intense feelings.
Dimitri wanted to be able to show his professor his affects towards her, but knew he couldn't. What would happen if a rumor of a teacher-student relationship got out in the public? It would be incredibly embarrassing as well as a reputation killer. So instead, Dimitri admired and loved from afar.
But another side of him would ridicule himself for straying from his goal. His trauma would never let him be able to be a normal young adult. He never dare let his dear professor in on his darkest secrets, especially considering how highly she talked about him, to him.
If I could begin to be
Half of what you think of me
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love
Dimitri wanted to be what his professor thought he was: a kindhearted, thoughtful young man. But he felt like he was not that, he was a boar.
When I see the way you act
Wondering when I'm coming back
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you
The way she complimented and praised her students, and how each of the Blue Lions students would blush or thank Byleth. Dimitri wanted to feel like he earned her respect.
I always thought I might be bad
Now I'm sure that it's true
'Cause I think you're so good
And I'm nothing like you
And when the prince had his depressive episodes (though he would never tell), the professor would take notice and do whatever it took to help him feel better. They'd talk over tea, and Byleth was able to get the Prince of Faerghus to lower his defenses. For once he felt safe despite being vulnerable. She was his safe space.
Look at you go
I just adore you
I wish that I knew
What makes you think I'm so special?
Did he deserve her affection? Did he deserve his attention? Dimitri felt like whatever the professor dealt him, he was unworthy, but he craved it nonetheless, even when his ghosts would tell him it was a waste of time. Revenge is the goal.
If I could begin to do
Something that does right by you
I would do about anything
I would even learn how to love
Dimitri realized he tried desperately to impress his dear professor. He just wanted to seem like the perfect student in her eyes; trying so hard to do everything right by her, even if there were no consequences. He dedicated everything he had in the Battle of Eagle and Lion, and in the mission to help Byleth avenge Jeralt.
When I see the way you look
Shaken by how long it took
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you
The ball came soon enough, and the prince was whisked away by multitudes of dance partners who favored him. He would oblige kindly, but he knew he wanted to get a dance with his dear professor. But she too seemed to be swept up in the party, being asked by plenty of male students and even some female ones as well.
He was able to steal away his professor (though he would never word it like that) and took her to the Goddess Tower. They discussed their philosophies, and how the school year was going, as well as the silly little rumor about the tower: where if a man and woman meet and make a wish together, their wish would come true. Dimitri joked to Byleth that staying together forever would be an appropriate wish. Her frown was a sign to Dimitri that such a joke was not to be taken lightly, but in truth he was serious, he would just never admit it.
And then The Flame Emperor - no, Edelgard, revealed herself to him and showed him that the Tragedy of Duscur was nothing more than a stepping stone for her plans. Byleth grasped onto his wrist, which he shook off, not giving her a chance to stop him. He marched towards his stepsister, and then shifted into a full blown assault, massacring her soldiers. That was the last time he let petty things like love and worthiness cloud his goal. Only rage was left. He could finally get revenge.
The war started. Edelgard started a full-blown war. Before he knew it, he was swept up in the action, fending off Imperial troops and doing his best to defend Garreg Mach, even though all he wanted to do was appease the ghosts and have Edelgard's head mounted on a stick.
But then they lost the Professor. Dimitri's heart broke. His dear professor is gone, and her body was nowhere to be found. He damned the goddess for so cruelly taking away yet another loved companion of his.
Love like you
Love me like you
Revenge consumed him. Even when his beloved professor came back, he was too preoccupied with the hauntings of his ghosts to pay attention to her. He had lost everything. His psychosis worsened over the years. He knew revenge had taken over him but he didn't try to stop it; that's why he couldn't look her in the eye anymore.
I always thought I might be bad
Now I'm sure that it's true
'Cause I think you're so good
And I'm nothing like you
Even as he stood by, groveling in the past of what was and what he could have done, Byleth pushed forward and helped her dear former students and the Church of Seiros into winning the five year war. She did everything she could to keep them together. Gilbert assisted the broken prince in affairs such as food supply and acquiring more allies in the war. He tried to talk to Dimitri, but he was having none of it. Dimitri just wanted the nightmares to end, even if dying was the price.
But Dimitri never got his wish. Instead, Rodrigue sacrificed himself for the prince, who represented a new hope for Fódlan. The goddess never gave Dimitti what he wanted. He wished for his own life to end, but instead, she took the life of a dear comrade, a dear friend.
He was at his breaking point, but he suddenly found Byleth by his side, ready to comfort him and offer her support, as she has always tried to do for the past year. He wanted to reject her warmth, he didn't deserve it. The way he mercilessly slaughtered hundreds of people, the way he pushed away his close friends and allies. He did not deserve such kindness, and yet here his professor was, offering. She gave him her hand. How were her hands so warm, inviting, and gentle, despite the freezing rain?
Look at you go
I just adore you
I wish that I knew
What makes you think I'm so special?
It took him so long, it took him the death of a father figure, for him to reach out to Byleth and pull himself from the grasp of his demons. From then on, he gave it his all to fix his mistakes; he retook Fhirdiad, erased the remaining influence the Empire had on the Holy Kingdom, and saved Claude and Derdriu from an Imperial attack. He did everything in his power to make amends with his allies, and he was gifted with their acceptance and happiness that he was his old self once again. Byleth smiled, proud of what Dimitri had done, and Dimitri could only glance away, embarrassed.
If only it didn't take so long for him to change, then maybe he wouldn't have put Byleth through this emotional turmoil. She did not deserve it.
If I could begin to do
Something that does right by you
I would do about anything
I would even learn how to love
The Prince of Faerghus lead his army to Enbarr, the Imperial capital. They took down Hubert, and made their way into the castle. Edelgard had transformed into a grotesque monster, removing any semblance of humanity. He almost reminded Dimitri of how he used to be.
It was a difficult battle with many close calls and lots of bloodshed, but Dimitri and Byleth were able to take down Edelgard. He offered his stepsister a chance of redemption. Stubborn in her ideals, she refused and threw the dagger that Dimitri gifted to her. In return, he killed her.
As they left the throne room, Dimitri wished it could have been different. He wanted to look back, but Byleth, knowing how hurt he was, refused to let him, because the past is in the past now and they had to move forward.
When I see the way you look
Shaken by how long it took
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love...
Dimitri and Byleth were to become the king and archbishop, respectively, and worked tirelessly and quickly to rebuild a war torn Fódlan. Oh how difficult it was. If only work allowed time for a respite. He had to tell her his feelings. So at the Goddess Tower, yet again, he was able to steal her away. His heart was thumping wildly, anxious about his proposal. There was so much he wanted to say to her, like how wonderful she was and how he fell in love with her during his school days. How safe and secure she made him feel, even when the days were bad. How much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, his beloved.
Instead his proposal came out awkward and silly. He wanted to curl up in a ball, her silence was killing him. But she pulled out a ring of her own, asking Dimitri to marry her.
He was elated. The one he loved, loved him back. He never felt he was deserving of her love, but if she thought he was, then perhaps he was.
You
She was his, and he was hers.
You
Nothing could separate them.
You
Dimitri finally felt at home.
You