Work Text:
Sylvain found himself sitting alone at lunch, lost in thought. It was a hot day, even by Garreg Mach’s standards. The sun hung high in the sky, leaving pockets of shade as the only respite from it’s intense rays.
For the Blue Lions’ most recent mission, they had been sent to recover the Gautier family’s relic from Sylvain’s estranged brother, Miklan. He had never cared for Miklan, but what they had seen… What happened to Miklan was...
“Sylvain! I was hoping I might find you here.” Dimitri said as he approached. Dedue followed behind, silent as ever. “Our last mission must weigh heavily upon you.”
“Whaddya mean?” Sylvain said, plastering his usual smile to his face. Oh, right. The part where my brother turned into a monster and we had to kill him. No, I’m fine, really. He had enough practice being fake happy to be able to fool just about anyone. If he tried hard enough, he could even fool himself.
“Your brother. I know the two of you were not exactly close, but I thought perhaps his fate would still weigh heavy on you.” Dimitri said, his face warping with concern and confusion. “If I am mistaken, I apologize. It is not my intention to overstep the bounds of our friendship.”
“Oh, that? Nah, you’re fine. I imagine I’m not any worse off than anyone else who had to see what he became.” Sylvain took a bite of his lunch before continuing with his mouth half-full. “Well, I guess there is one thing that’s bothering me.”
“Please, if I can be of any assistance you need only ask.” Dimitri sat across from Sylvain. Dedue stood behind Dimitri’s right shoulder, though his expression had softened into something Sylvain could not read.
Take away this damn crest from me. “I’m not so sure you can help with this one. It’s a little out of your reach.” Sylvain shrugged, careful not to let his mask crack.
“Sylvain, I am the next ruler of Faerghus. I assure you, I give you my word, that I will do anything in my power to assist you.” Dimitri was staring so intently, Sylvain almost felt bad. Of course Dimitri wanted to help.
Sorry Dimitri. This is my burden, not yours. “It’s so hot here. Back home I could wear a full suit of armor and be a comfortable temperature, but here I find myself tempted to strip down right here just for some relief!”
Dimitri paused, reading Sylvain for a moment, then smiled. “It is quite hot. In fact, I believe I saw Felix practicing his swordplay shirtless as I was walking past the training hall on my way here.”
“Damn, Felix is stripping now? Perhaps we should inform his father.” Sylvain grinned.
“This heat is nothing compared to the heat you’ll earn from Felix should you mention him to his father.” Dimitri said with a chuckle. “I do fear you may have been right about your problem being beyond my reach, however. I’m sure if you asked Claude, though, he would come up with some scheme to help you.”
Dimitri and Sylvain laughed while Dedue stood by with a smirk on his face. Sylvain stopped laughing slowly, careful to make sure it seemed normal. “I appreciate you reaching out, Dimitri. But really, I’m fine.”
“Alright. Should anything change, you know where to find me.” Dimitri stood up and politely nodded before walking away, Dedue close behind.
“Yeah.” Sylvain waited until Dimitri was gone to drop his fake smile. Maybe I should just go lay down.
Sylvain left the mess hall and headed towards the dorms. As he walked, he shivered, rubbing his hands against his chest. Damn body. Damn blood. I should be burning up, but ever since Miklan died I’ve been freezing. What's wrong with me?
When he returned to his room, Sylvain locked the door behind him. He wrapped himself up in his covers and stared at the ceiling. Maybe tomorrow I won’t feel so cold and numb. He laid there for several hours, reliving his brother’s last moments, watching bloody scenes replay on the backs of his eyelids. Eventually, he fell asleep, where his nightmares continued.