Chapter Text
Felix was getting sick and damn tired of watching the Boar sulk all day, melting into his own personal puddle in the front of the cathedral.
From where he stood discreetly behind a pillar, he strained his ears to listen to the wayward prince’s ramblings, mostly consisting of nonsense, hissed replies to voices only the Boar could hear.
It was irritating, highly irritating, and yet he couldn’t keep himself away. Day in and day out Felix stood nearby, far away so that he was (hopefully) not noticed, but close enough to step in if he needed to save the Boar from himself. He knew that there were a dozen other people around that could help out, but for some reason he either didn’t trust them to, or didn’t want them to. Why ever that would be the case, he had no idea. He might have clung to Dimitri’s arm when they were children, but that was obviously no longer the case. So then where was this . . . protectiveness coming from?
The professor passed him on that particular day on their usual rounds across the monastery.
“Watching him again I see?”
Felix jumped at the sudden voice, then quickly recovered himself, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “He’s pathetic,” he scoffed. “Pouting in his corner like a child who got their favorite toy taken away.”
“He has been through a lot,” Byleth said, then when Felix opened his mouth to protest they continued on. “But I agree. He is neglecting himself and putting the army in jeopardy.”
Felix sighed, tapping his foot on the stone floor impatiently. “Then do something about it.”
Byleth took a pause, thinking for a moment. They brought up a hand to rub at their chin. “We could get him a gift.”
“We? A gift?” Felix balked, unfurling his arms and clenching his fists at his sides. “How the hell is that going to help?”
Byleth shrugged. “It will make him feel wanted and loved, and give him something to treasure and take care of,” their gaze floated towards the man in question, still hunched over the pile of rubble he always stood by. “Something that’s not his weapon, that is.”
Felix scoffed again. “If he can’t even get himself to bathe regularly I highly doubt some little trinket will get better treatment.”
“We’ll just have to see then.” And before Felix could disagree, Byleth was walking out of the cathedral, requesting that Felix join them at the marketplace tomorrow after training.
Felix huffed, turning back to watch over the Boar. To his disappointment, he could not help but cycle through a list of possible gifts in his head.
Now who was the pathetic one?
_____
The weather outside was windy, a little bit cloudy, but otherwise quite pleasant.
Sure enough, right after they had finished their sparring match, Felix had just enough time to rinse off the sweat before Byleth was tugging him along through the marketplace, just as promised. They passed idly by multiple stalls toting their wares. Due to the war there wasn’t much in the way of fine china or anything similar, but there were still some germs to be found.
After rummaging through a bin of simple jewelery and considering giving up altogether, Byleth pulled him to a stop in front of a smaller stand. It sold clothing fitting for the upcoming season, nothing too exciting, but in one corner of the table stood a gathering of stuffed animals.
Among the collection was a plush yellow lion, with a mane made of real fur. Byleth took hold of the toy, holding it closer to their face to confirm its quality. They held it out to Felix. “How is this?”
Felix laughed incredulously. “It’s a child’s plaything,” he stated simply.
“It’s a lion.”
“I can see that.”
“Don’t you think it’s rather fitting?”
“Fitting?” Felix clenched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath and calming himself before he caused a scene in the middle of the plaza. “He has no need for a stuffed animal.”
Byleth turned the lion back towards themself. “It’s cute. Don’t you think it’s perfect?
Felix laughed again. “Sure,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s absolutely perfect . He’ll love it,” he mocked.
To his dismay, Byleth nodded and turned to the shop owner, fishing out their coin purse from their pocket.
He reached out his hand to stop them. “Wait! I was just joking, it’s a stupid gift!”
All he got was a blank stare in return. “But you said it was perfect, that he’d love it.” Either Byleth just didn’t understand tone, or was seriously messing with him. Honestly all of their interactions read this way, and the line between joking and sincerity had blurred long ago.
Felix should have protested more, thrown a fit, took the lion from their grasp and tossed it over the walls.
But instead he sighed and retracted his hand, crossing his arms over his chest like he usually did. “Fine. But you’re giving it to him. I don’t want to be seen with that thing.”
The faintest hint of a smile crossed Byleth’s face then, and they were content to drop a few coins on the stall’s table, thanking the owner for the sale, and leading the trek back into the monastery.
“I wonder what he’ll name him,” Byleth pondered aloud.
Felix bit back an exacerbated scream.
_____
From back behind the pillar he watched as Byleth stepped carefully up to stand beside the Boar, who had once again taken to sitting amongst the scattered remains of the altar.
“For you,” Byleth turned to the man, holding out the plush in their hand.
Dimitri tilted his head at the object, silent for a long moment.
“A toy,” he grumbled.
Byleth nodded firmly, giving the plush a little shake and waving it in front of the man’s face. “It’s a lion,” they confirmed. “It’s rather cute, don’t you think?”
Dimitri’s laugh was hollow, more a grunt than anything else. “I don’t have any use for such a thing. Get it out of my sight.” He turned back towards the front of the cathedral, mumbling words Felix could not catch.
Byleth shook their head. “It’s a gift, you have to take it.”
Another grumble. “A gift .”
“A gift,” Byleth gave the toy another tempting jiggle. “Felix picked it out for you. We think it might help you feel better.”
Felix choked on his own spit, about to step in and interrupt them when suddenly Dimitri turned back towards the former professor and snatched the stuffed animal right from their hands.
He gawked as the prince fumbled with the limp arms of the toy, playing with it, and held it in his lap.
“How is this supposed to help?” Dimitri asked in the softest voice Felix had heard from the man in years, though not completely devoid of its usual hoarseness.
Byleth faintly smiled again, watching with a fond look while the prince continued to hold the toy. “It is something for you to cherish and take care of.”
Dimitri huffed, but nonetheless pulled the lion in just a bit closer to his chest. “I’ll keep it.”
No doubt satisfied with their success, Byleth gave Dimitri a short farewell then came to stand by where Felix had been hiding.
“I can’t believe he took it,” Felix continued to watch as the prince continued to stare at the toy with his good eye. “The Boar actually took it.”
“Because it’s the first gift he’s received in a long time,” Byleth reasoned. “And because it came from you.”
“From me?” Felix shook his head. “No, I think it was your charm that did it. You have a weird way with people, you know that?”
Byleth hummed thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
The pair watched Dimitri for a little while longer, until their looming hunger became hard to ignore, and then they were exiting for the Dining Hall.