Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Did you hear about what happened at the goddess tower last night?”

“That Gautier guy was up to no good again, right? Was it the same girl from last week?”

“No, a new one!”

“Not surprising at all…”

The sound of students whispering filled the air around Claude, bringing about a sense of familiarity. He was no stranger to whispers and rumors, seeing how he was the subject of most, if not all of them. They were almost like a soundtrack to his daily life ever since he first entered the Officer’s Academy. However, it was the new topic of those whispers from the pair seated next to him that puzzled him. He frowned as he lifted his cup of tea to his lips, taking a sip as the duo next to him got up from their seats to leave the gazebo.

“...Do you know what that's about?” Claude asked Hilda after their teatime neighbors were out of earshot.

“Know about what?” Hilda asked with the tilt of her head. “Ohhh, you must be talking about the rumors! Apparently that Sylvain guy from the Blue Lion house is up to no good again,” she said with a sigh. “Honestly, it’s like he’s trying to get caught!”

Claude raised a questioning brow and Hilda continued, “He’s always found fooling around with different girls, sleeping during class, invading personal spaces–it almost makes me wonder how he hasn’t gotten kicked out by now.”

“Sounds like quite the troublemaker.”

“Takes one to know one, doesn’t it,” Hilda teased, earning a roll of the eyes from Claude.

“Believe it or not, troublemakers make the best allies,” he responded after taking another sip of his tea. “I think I’ll talk to his princeliness about a little student exchange and see if this Sylvain guy would like to join the Golden Deer.”

“You can’t be serious, Claude. Seteth will be on our case even more if you recruit him!”

“Have a little faith in people, Hils,” Claude responded, pushing his seat back to stand up. “Now if you excuse me, I have a proposition to make.”

He gave a curt bow and turned on the balls of his heels to walk away. Behind him, Claude could hear Hilda calling his name, but the sound of her voice faded with every step he took. It was one thing for their peers to whisper about him, their curiosity knowing no end with questions of his background and how he came to be next in line to lead the Alliance. But for them to talk of another student sleeping around in all senses of the word, there had to be more than meets the eye.

Claude spent the next few minutes approaching various students, bearing the question of Sylvain’s whereabouts. After a handful of inquiries–and a couple of slide remarks–he was directed towards the cathedral, where he found the redhead leaning over the half-wall that fenced the bridge.

“Sylvain, my dear friend, I’ve been looking for you!” Claude exclaimed as he approached him.

Sylvain blinked, as if snapping out of a daze, before turning his attention to Claude. He raised an eyebrow before offering a forced smile. “You found me, what’s up?” He asked, standing straight.

“I come with a proposition. You, me, Golden Deer; what do you say?”

Sylvain remained silent for a few seconds, his face reflecting brief consideration.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m happy with the Blue Lion.”

“Glad you could see it my way– What?”

“I’m happy with the Blue Lion,” Sylvain repeated. “I have no reason to transfer. Unless joining the Golden Deer offers something beneficial to me that I can’t get in my current house?”

“Well…”

“Thanks for the offer, Claude. I’ll catch you around sometime,” Sylvain gave him a two finger salute and walked off, leaving Claude to his own company and lingering thoughts.

He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering how could that have gone so poorly. Then again, lack of preparations and acting on his own accord without taking any precautions was a recipe for failure. It was uncharacteristic of him, but his curiosity got the better of him. Claude sighed, deciding it was time to go to the drawing board and come up with a surefire plan that would be flawless! But in order to do that, he had to get to know his target better.

Time and patience, he reminded himself.

...and he continued to remind himself of that as the days went on.

If there was anything Claude was proud of, it was his determination to get what he wanted. He was constantly told that he was too stubborn for his own good, always coming up with new schemes to ensure he had the upper hand in things.

This was one of those instances where his stubbornness got the better of him.

For the next few days, Claude found himself trailing behind Sylvain at a distance. Most times were unintentional, seeing how he would go about his own business and find the redhead in the same vicinity as him. Other times, well, he may or may not have been actively seeking his target and forced to hide when he couldn’t play it off as fate for their meeting.

It was only after a late afternoon run-in at the marketplace that he was finally confronted.

Claude found Sylvain looking at the new goods that had arrived in the marketplace. He took it upon himself to also take a look, favoring the array of teas that were displayed on the opposite side from where Sylvain stood. As the seconds passed, Claude slowly made his way over to where the other was looking. His eyes skimmed the baskets, curious of their contents until he found something that piqued his interest–a single chess set, new and decorated with reds and gold accents.

Without much thought, Claude reached for it and, much to his surprise, Sylvain must have had the same idea. When their hands met over the item, they were both quick to pull away and looked at each other with curious expressions.

“Didn’t know you were into chess,” Claude commented with a short laugh.

“And I would’ve assumed you’d have a set already,” Sylvain responded with a laugh of his own.

“Guess you can say I’m in the market for a new one,” Claude said with a wink. “It appears that this is the only set though. I don’t mind splitting the cost if you don’t.”

“That’s fine by me,” Sylvain responded, a grin tugging at his lips. “But don’t you think it would be a little challenging to share a chess set of all things?”

Claude hummed, bringing a finger up to tap his chin. “How about we play a match and see who gets to keep proper ownership of it? Winner owns it, loser gets to borrow it whenever he wants. Sounds fair?”

Sylvain raised an eyebrow, releasing a soft chuckle as he shook his head in disbelief. “Sounds fair to me.”

They inquired about the price and gave the merchant their halves of the total before settling down in a spot near the fishing pond to begin their game. It was a pleasing feeling to open up a new chess set, not knowing what to expect of the board and its pieces. As expected, it was as beautiful as Claude anticipated from seeing the outside alone. The pieces were set up and in no time, they began their game.

The first few moves were played in silence, the only sounds coming from their surroundings and the click of the pieces hitting the board.

Claude was impressed with how quick Sylvain analyzed the board and made his decisions. He figured Sylvain must have felt the same way judging how he raised his brow at his last move. When it was Claude’s turn again, he reached for one of his pawns and paused when Sylvain finally broke their silence to ask him a question.

“Why have you been following me?”

Claude placed the piece down, hesitating to remove his hand away but ultimately doing so as he returned it to his lap. Not meeting Sylvain’s gaze, he responded, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Gold isn’t exactly a color that blends in so easily with the background,” Sylvain said as he took his turn. “So why? Is it that you’re still trying to figure out a way to get me to join your house?”

“You’re more perceptive than you lead on. What can I say, you’ve piqued my interest.”

“Do you really want a ‘troublemaker’ like myself on your team?”

Claude finally made his last move, rendering Sylvain’s pawns to be useless and leaving his King nowhere to move. “Us troublemakers have to stick together,” he said, lifting his head to give his opponent a wink.

Sylvain was lost for words as they cleaned the board and returned the pieces to their case. Claude announced he was heading back to the dormitory for the rest of the day and Sylvain joined him, mentioning he wanted to drop the chess set off in his room before heading to the dining hall for dinner.

During their short walk, they filled the silence with small talk about the weather and what they think will be served for dinner. At Claude’s door, they paused.

“Just let me know whenever you want to borrow this. Hopefully I won’t be in the middle of using it,” Sylvain said, flashing what Claude came to know as one of his signature smiles.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s all yours.”

“Didn’t you say-”

“I have a perfectly good chess set that I can use, so no need for another one. However, if you ever change your mind about our conversation, you know where to find me. Thanks for the company, Sylvain,” Claude said, opening the door to his room and stepping inside before Sylvain could further question him.

Behind him, he could hear the beginnings of a sentence slip the other’s lips before he was met with the click of his lock.

It was muffled, but he just barely heard Sylvain’s voice say “thanks” followed by the sound of his footsteps walking away.

Claude leaned his back against the wood of the door and inhaled deeply, replaying the last image of Sylvain’s smile in his head. This was going to get tricky if he wasn’t careful.

Since their impromptu chess match, Claude and Sylvain saw each other more often. Claude made his presence more obvious and Sylvain made an effort to confront Claude whenever he saw him around–by chance or not. Soon, their brief meetings turned into conversations, and conversations turned into making plans to meet up with each other after classes and training sessions for tea, dinner, or the occasional late night walk.

Their latest rendezvous turned into a tea session under the gazebo. Claude brought up his favorite tea blend from back home and how it was hard to find it in Fódlan, something that must have caught Sylvain’s interest considering how he inquired about the ingredients.

“Lucky for you, my mother sent a care package with some. Care to join me for tea and try it?”

It was late in the day but the tea was just as enjoyable as Claude remembered it to be. By the look of Sylvain’s pleased expression, he must have taken a liking to it as well. When the teapot was emptied and only crumbs remained on the platters, they figured it was time to call an end to their session and return the dishes to the kitchen for cleaning.

Claude offered to help the staff clean and Sylvain joined him, eventually bringing about laughs and narrowed looks from the various staff members from the fun they were having and the messes they were creating with mere soap and water. It was almost as though they were children again, fascinated by all the bubbles they created. When they finished cleaning their mess of splashed water and then some, they headed back to the dormitory soon after.

After they descended the staircase of the lawn before their destination, Claude stopped in his tracks. Sylvain had only taken a few steps more in front of him before noticing he stopped and turned around to ask what was wrong.

“Are you feeling a little risky tonight?” Claude asked, wearing a smirk that meant he was up to no good.

“Depends. What did you have in mind?” Sylvain asked in return, eyes glinting with mischief.

“Come, follow me!” Claude whispered, grabbing Sylvain’s hand before breaking into a sprint towards the library.

Behind him, it took Sylvain a few steps to gather his footing before he was running by Claude’s side. The two were cautious in their steps and looked out for wandering eyes that may have stopped them otherwise. The library was known to be closed before dinnertime, something that was done as a way of keeping students from wandering the premises later than they should. But that didn’t stop Claude before, especially after he realized the doors were never truly locked to begin with.

They climbed the staircase and briskly turned corners towards their destination. Claude pushed open the door with practiced ease and they slipped inside the dark room.

“Damn. I forgot to bring something to light the candles,” he mumbled, patting his pockets and cursing himself for being too eager to prepare himself.

“No worries, I’ve got it.” Next to him, Sylvain snapped his fingers and sent a spark towards each candle stick, illuminating the room in less time than Claude ever could.

“Learning magic?” Claude asked with a dry laugh.

“Figured it would be a useful thing to know. Turns out it is,” Sylvain responded with a wink, stepping further into the library to find a section to catch his attention.

Claude ignored the weight that settled in his chest and he followed Sylvain’s lead.

Faced with the multitude of books on shelves, he leaned over to examine the titles more carefully and see if anything new had been added since the last time had ventured up there–the last time being that morning.

“I love coming here after hours,” Claude said, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as his fingertips caress the spines of various novels and myths. “Students are held up in their rooms, staff members are unsuspecting–it’s just me and an endless amount of words scrawled upon aged parchment.” He paused, chuckling before he added, “And now you too, I suppose.”

“Do you plan on making me a permanent part of your late night library escapades?” Sylvain asked with a tinge of playfulness as he met Claude’s side.

“Only if you want to,” Claude responded, sparing a glance towards Sylvain. His attention lingered over him as Sylvain became occupied with reading the titles lined up one after another. Details he never bothered to even think twice about were suddenly highlighted and Claude found himself unable to look away.

Sylvain’s hair was the first thing he noticed–bright and fiery against the glow of the library’s candles, styled with what Claude could only assume to be a type of wax. Upon closer inspection, he could see various strands that had managed to escape from its hold and stick out in all sorts of directions thanks to the elements throughout the day. He bites his tongue to keep from laughing and his eyes continue to travel downwards..

The next thing he noticed was the amused crinkle at the edges of Sylvain’s honeyed eyes and how those very eyes were warm and almost inviting–were they always like that? It didn’t stop there either; the hint of stubble threatening to reveal itself against skin that was just shy of being sun kissed, the way Sylvain’s Adam apple bobbed with every dry swallow, how his tongue darted out to wet chapped lips that Claude almost wished he could lean forward and kis-

Claude quickly turned his head to face the books in front of him once more, taking out the first book his hand found. He held it tight, perhaps a little too tight as he felt the decor of the leather press into his skin, but it didn’t matter at the time. What mattered was getting his thoughts under control again and executing his plan.

“What’cha got there?” He asked, feigning interest in what was in the other’s hands.

“Fauna and Flora of Fodlan,” Sylvain responded, turning the book over in his hand and examining the cover. “Volume three,” he added with a chuckle. “Yourself?”

That was a good question. What did he have..?

“Beginner’s Guide to Gardening, apparently,” Claude read with a laugh of his own before returning the book to its home. It was then that an idea struck him and his distracted searching turned into one with purpose. He stepped over to another section of the wall, fingertips sliding over titles that had surely been forgotten over time before stopping at the one he had in mind. From its nook, Claude pulled out a book; medium sized and bounded with black leather and a silver frame.

“Not to say that learning about plants and animals aren’t important but if you want a good read, may I suggest this?” He asked, turning the book over in his hands for one final look before stepping closer to Sylvain to hand it to him. “The Goddess’ Nightshade,” he said with a grin. “It’s an anthology of journal entries about first encounters with various poisonous plants. It’s no fairytale, but hey, you might find it useful one day” Claude explained. “I know I found myself staying up the entire night just to finish it the first time I read it.”

“That good, huh?” Sylvain asked, taking the book from Claude's hand. “If we’re suggesting books, then I think I have one of my own that you might like,” He walked over to the far side of the library, briefly hidden from Claude’s sight behind one of the ladders. It was after a few seconds of impatience that Claude decided to follow the path Sylvain had taken and found him hunched over, looking through the second to last shelf on the wall.

“Where is it… where is… ah ha! Found it!” Sylvain exclaimed, grinning as he pulled out whatever it was he was looking for from its spot as Claude approached him. He pinned the book given to him with his arm and he used his hands to briefly flip through the pages before using his free arm to extend the book out to him. Claude smiled and took the book from Sylvain, looking down at the pastel blue and gold cover.

Looking down at what he had been given, Claude raised an eyebrow at the pastel blue and gold cover. “Tale of the Seasons,” he read, unable to help the chuckle that escaped past his lips. “I didn’t know you were a fairytale kind of guy.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Riegan,” Sylvain responded with a smile that matched the playfulness in his voice. “I promise it’s a good read; it’s no encyclopedia but it helped me get through some of my toughest moments back in the day.”

“Is that so? I look forward to reading this then. Who knows, maybe I’ll even bump it up on my list so I can get around to it sooner,” Claude laughed.

In return, Sylvain laughed as well. “Can’t wait to know what you think,” he said. “Hey… I hope you don’t find this rude, but I really should be heading back to my room. If Felix catches me sleeping in again, he’ll have my head.”

Claude felt his chest grow heavy. He was too caught up in their exchange to properly bring up the idea of him joining the Golden Deer again. Not only that, but he realized that he didn’t want their evening to end this early. Nonetheless, he waved a dismissive hand.

“Worry not, my friend. There will always be other evenings, right? Plus, I don’t think we’ll be away from each other for too long,” Claude said, gesturing with the book he was holding.

“Yeah,” Sylvain agreed. “I’ll see you around then.”

“See you around,” Claude echoed and watched Sylvain make his way out of the library. He gave it a few seconds, wondering if the other would change his mind and turn around to spend the night with him after all. But heavy footsteps faded into silence and Claude accepted the fact that luck was not on his side, deciding to return to his own room as well. Had he been brave enough to run after Sylvain, they might have been able to at least walk back to the dorm together. Instead, he took his time and counted the stars until he was in the privacy of his own quarters for yet another evening.

Claude placed the book he carried on the top of his bed and took off his jacket. He tossed it onto the back of his chair, doing the same with the rest of his uniform before changing into his loungewear and finally sitting down for what felt like the first time that day. Though exhaustion washed over him, and the plush of his bed was inviting, he found himself sitting back against the wall instead. Claude pulled his bed sheet over his lap and reached for the book he had set down, flipping it open to the first page.

He might not have been able to make the proposition as planned, but he was given an opportunity to learn about his target. He couldn’t have been more grateful for that and thus used the last of his energy to begin the first chapter, imagining that Sylvain was doing the same.

Days passed since their exchange in the library; and though some of their interactions were shorter, they grew more frequent. They found each other on multiple occasions with their book in tow, either alone in their hand or bundled within stacks for their classes. Conversations went from their daily occurrences to remembering something they wanted to ask about in regards to the tales. Sometimes, they even went as far as to skip class and huddle up in the greenhouse or one of their rooms to continue reading together in the peace of one another’s company.

One afternoon, after they both updated the other that they had finished their reading, they met for another chess session by the fishing pond.

“So what’d you think about the book?” Sylvain asked and he moved forward one of his pieces before crossing his wrists over his lap, waiting for Claude to make his next move.

“It was interesting. I didn’t particularly like the idea of a damsel in distress, but it did well to set the stage for when she stood up against her parents,” Claude responded as he tapped his chin in thought, eyes glued to the chess board. He made his move.

“Truly a cliche written in its time,” Sylvain said with a light chuckle.

“I can see why you hold the story close to your heart though. A child standing up for what she believes in, finding love, happiness–it’s something we all wish to achieve,” Claude glanced at Sylvain as he spoke, their eyes meeting for only a second before he looked back down. “Some more than others.”

They spent the next few moves in silence, the only sound coming from the birds chirping around them and the sounds of their chess pieces tapping against the board and each other. Claude’s eyes skimmed over the board one last time before a smirk met his lips. He moved his Knight next to the other he placed earlier, the pieces threatening Sylvain’s King. There was nowhere on the board left for him to move.

“Checkmate.”

Sylvain blinked, his eyebrows furrowed as he examined the board and all its remaining pieces. Claude could practically see the thought process of him coming up with every move possible, all of them resulting in a loss. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“How did you-?” Sylvain started.

“It’s all about knowing where your opponent is going to move before they know themselves,” Claude said.

Sylvain lifted his head, gaze shifting from the board to Claude. He remained silent for only a second before releasing a bubble of a laugh while shaking his head. “It’s no wonder you’re the leader of the Deer,” he said. “Guess I’ll have to brush up my skills.”

Claude merely smiled, acknowledging Sylvain's words with the action. He began to move their pieces back on the board and to their respective homes. “Do you have time for one more round?”

“I should. Didn’t exactly make any plans for today.”

“Oh? Should I feel honored that I get to have Sir Gautier’s time and attention then?” Claude asked, sarcasm dripping from his words. He earned a playful shove of the shoulder from Sylvain and laughed in response.

They started their new game, taking turns with moving their pieces where they saw fit. Sometime after their first few moves, Sylvain spoke up.

“Hey Claude?” He asked in hopes of grabbing his attention.

“Mm?” Claude hummed, lost in trying to figure out where his next pawn should go.

“Are you still looking to recruit for your house?”

Claude froze and he immediately looked up. He thought Sylvain was trying to distract him, an attempt to throw him off his game in order to win this round. But upon seeing his expression, he knew he was serious with his question.

“Perhaps. Are you trying to say you’re interesting?”

“You can say that.”

“Well, you’re in luck then,” Claude said, pausing only to move his next piece. He then looked back to Sylvain and grinned. “Welcome to the Golden Deer.”