Chapter Text
It didn’t seem fair to Yuri that he would be made to sit in on a lecture on a day like this. With only a few more weeks until the rainy season, there was a sense of restlessness in the classroom as students prayed for the lecture to end so they could laze about in the sun and do whatever they wanted. Yuri should have known that when he agreed to join the professor’s class that he would be required to sit in on every lecture but quite frankly, he wasn’t thinking about the possible consequences of once again being a student at the academy. Truthfully, he only joined the Golden Deer House because he found the new professor to be a bit of an interesting character. A mercenary turned teacher, now there was a fascinating tale.
It had been about two weeks since he found the professor wandering Abyss. Well, “stumbled” was the word they used but Yuri didn’t buy it one bit. One didn’t just happen into Abyss by accident. As long as they minded themselves though, he didn’t care enough to look into it. Everyone had their surprises. What caught him off guard the most though was when they asked if he would return to the surface with them and join their class. The question surprised him. He wasn’t sure what the professor saw in him that made them think he would make for a good student but he accepted the offer anyways, with the expectation that he would still be spending much of his time below ground.
Soon enough, the rest of the Ashen Wolves joined him. Balthus followed just a day after him, then Hapi, and finally Constance. He wondered how Byleth was able to convince them all, surely it wasn’t as simple as that.
Keeping to their deal, Yuri rarely spent any time outside of lecture on the surface. From the time he was dismissed to the time he was called back to class, he spent his days in Abyss like he always had, tending to his people, keeping tabs on rivals, and making deals and trades. Despite how little he was on the surface though, he still picked up things about his new classmates. For the most part they seemed like normal, run of the mill, privileged academy students. For the most part.
Yuri rested his head in his hand, lightly scratching against the desk with his nails as Byleth lectured about the common battle formations. He drifted in and out of focus as he thought of other things, notably the curious Golden Deer House Leader.
From what he could tell about the guy, he was nothing but persistent. Every day after class Claude had tried to follow him into Abyss and every day Yuri had to lose him. Abyss was no place for a noble of such high standing, even if Constance would have his head for saying such a thing. It was getting irritating. Whatever he wanted from him, Yuri hoped he would drop it. He didn’t have time to babysit.
Distantly, Yuri could hear the bells of the cathedral beginning to ring. Knowing that was his queue, he gathered his things quickly and stood up, only to pause as Byleth lifted their hand, halting their class. “One moment,” they spoke, closing the textbook in their hands and tapping the board. “Please remember to complete your group tasks if you have been assigned this week. And no pawning them off to one of your classmates either.”
“It doesn’t count if I asked and they agreed to do it for me, Professor!” Hilda called from the back of the class.
Byleth shook their head. “And no taking on another student’s task.” They added, causing Hilda to groan.
Yuri chuckled quietly at the antics as he finished gathering his notes. He learned that those types of exchanges were common here. Luckily, he hadn’t needed to worry about adding the chores to his schedule. If he did, he may have taken a note out of Hilda’s book. Stepping towards the door, he paused when he saw Claude leaning against the doorway, an easy grin on his face. “Hey, Yuri!” He greeted him cheerily, causing Yuri to carefully narrow his eyes at the House Leader. He could recognize the airy tone in his voice. It sounded like that of someone who was just about to get their way. “You aren’t thinking of skipping out on your chores, are you? Not after what Teach said, surely.”
“Sorry to disappoint but I don’t partake in these little ‘group tasks’. The professor and I have an understanding and I don’t need to do anything but attend their lectures and help out on your missions.” Yuri explained with a sharp grin of his own. A grin which tightened when he noticed how Claude didn’t back down. What was he doing?
“Yes, I know about your arrangement. You offer your help to Teach and spend the rest of your time in Abyss. As House Leader though, I didn’t think I could just stand idly by while one of my fellow classmates was missing out on valuable team building. So I asked Teach to pair you with me for a group task this week.” Claude explained, stretching his arms up and behind his head.
Yuri turned to the professor, who only offered him a shrug in return. Damn it. He didn’t count on the former mercenary being so easily persuaded. Perhaps Claude was more convincing than he first thought, though he wasn’t sure how much he liked him taking advantage of their professor like that. He sighed, weighing his options before deciding it wasn’t worth the trouble that would go into trying to sneak out of this. A few hours listening to Claude’s chatter wouldn’t be the end of him and his men could survive on their own for a while. If anything the only thing he worried about was having to hear the endless barrage of questions that the Golden Deer House Leader always seemed to have. “Fine. What is it we have to do?”
“You two need to tend to the stables. It’s better if you start sooner than later, there’s a lot to do.” The Professor called, earning a quick nod from Claude and a sour frown from Yuri. Horses? He would have taken sky duty or weeding or pretty much anything else.
“Lovely. Well, let’s get this over with, then.” He deadpanned, stepping out of the classroom ahead of Claude. He was a few steps ahead as they made their way to the stables, making it so that if Claude were going to have an opportunity to talk it would need to be on his own terms. He didn’t seem irritated by that though. In fact, he was wholly quiet until they finally reached the stables. It kept Yuri on guard, waiting, listening, knowing what would come but not knowing when.
He stopped just where the brick path turned into dirt and hay, overlooking the stables with a noticeable grimace. Horses - anything with fur really - did a number on his allergies. He could manage being around them for a few minutes but once his eyes started getting watery it was all downhill from there. Yuri tried to keep his contact with the creatures down to a minimum, keep his looks intact and his comfort secure, but it seemed like he couldn’t avoid it this time and now Claude would have to see him when he was most unsightly. If he ever got his hands on Byleth…
“So!” Claude’s voice rang ahead of him as the other man stepped towards the horses, giving one an affectionate pat on the nose as it stuck its head out to greet him. “Where would you like to start, partner? You get the first crack.”
Fine. Yuri could play his game. “I suppose I’ll start over here, I can sort and put the equipment away.” He opted to stay as far from the animals as he could, eying the racks of saddles and reins that, in reality, really wasn’t too horribly organized already. Far from the horses; far from Claude. Not that he thought that would shut him up, he just wanted to send a message.
“Alright, shouldn’t take you too long, what with your keen eye.” Claude nodded after a moment, flashing him an easy grin, turning to grab a bag of feed. “I’ll start with feeding the horses then.”
“Shouldn’t you start with mucking the stables first? Seems like you might be causing more mess for yourself to clean up.” Yuri pointed out.
“Maybe. But I’d rather feed them now and clean later than have to clean up twice. Besides, that’s a two man job and you’re already preoccupied.”
“You seem rather bent on working with me,” Yuri finally pointed out, causing him to take a pause from opening the feed bag. “I know your game, von Riegan. Get on with your questions before you waste your time.” If they continued at the pace they were at, they could go round and round for hours and nothing would ever be resolved. He'd rather get this over and done with now so he didn’t need to worry about another time.
“Forward! I like that about you, Yuri. You always cut right to the chase when you know what you’re up against.” Claude responded with a wink as he returned to his work. “You're right about me having questions. How could I not? Ever since I arrived here I’ve been hearing all sorts of rumors flying around about an underground city of misfits and outcasts, and all of a sudden you appear right in the palm of my hand, the very leader of these people. It’s like it’s fate.”
Amused, Yuri smirked as he hefted a saddle over his arms. “You make it sound as if I’m some sort of mythical figure. Truly, I’m not all of that, but I won’t stop you from imagining.” Sometimes the rumors of Abyss worked in his favor, they kept would-be “adventurers” from sticking their nose where it didn’t belong and enemies from daring to enter his turf. If someone as prominent as the future archduke of the Alliance has even heard the rumors then the grapevine must be doing its thing. Even if some of his actions were glorified or his image was twisted he didn’t care.
“Well, you may not seem like some powerful overlord but I think we both know how looks can be deceiving.” Claude chirped, catching Yuri’s attention.
“Yeah. Right. You’ve got a point there. Well, go on, then. Ask your questions.”
“Well thank you! I was going to ask with or without your permission by the way,” Yuri snorted at that, “I’ve heard tell of a ‘Savage Mockingbird’ pulling all the strings in Abyss and even beyond. That’s you, isn’t it?”
Yuri kept his expression perfectly blank, taking a second before responding. “How could I possibly have all that power? You give me too much credit.” He insisted with a steady voice.
“Or maybe you don’t give yourself enough,” Claude pointed out with a light tone. The sound of feed being poured filled the air as silence followed. Yuri took the opportunity to straighten a few of the saddles, switching the reins to match each one and cursing himself when he realized he had finished. “You seem like the kind that revels in secrecy and misdirection.”
A shrewd take. Yuri wondered how he could make the assumption so quickly. This was only the first time they had been left alone together. “Well, then you can imagine how taxing I find this interrogation.”
“Answering a few questions from a curious mind won’t kill you. If you think I’m asking out of malice then you’re sorely mistaken, I just find you and Abyss fascinating. Think I could visit someday?”
“Hah. Not a chance. You’ll get your neck wringed out, if not by me then someone else.” Yuri shot him down with a wry smile. But Claude didn’t seem to back down.
“I’m sure you’ll let me visit someday. I can be pretty persistent, if you hadn’t noticed yet.” Oh, Yuri noticed. That tenacity could be his undoing; he’s seen people meet their fate for less. He had half a mind to warn the other man to keep his distance if he didn’t feel like meeting an early grave but so far, he was relatively harmless, if not annoying.
“Is that the only thing going for you?” Yuri asked lightly, buying himself some time by fiddling around with some of the straps on the saddles, making himself look busy.
Claude chuckled and Yuri quickly glanced up, noticing the hollow sound. “If it was, I would probably be long dead, at least according to you.” He said but elaborated no further. There was another pause as the horses ate their fill, Claude taking the time to pat one on the neck as he eyed Yuri from afar, like he was carefully studying him. Under his gaze Yuri remained firm. He knew how to react under pressure but there was no coldness behind his eyes. No hunger. The most Yuri could describe it was curiosity.
Finally, Claude was the one to break the silence. “Do you have anything against horses?”
The question caught Yuri off guard. “Of course not,” He responded quickly. Claude’s smile tilted a bit as he motioned him over with a hand but he stood firmly in place. “I just think you’re doing a fine job on your own. Wouldn't be fair of me to intrude.”
“Oh, Yuri,” Claude sighed. “You’re starting to sound like Hilda. You aren’t trying to get out of our group task are you?” He teased him.
“You think so little of me,” Yuri retorted, his indignation sounding thin, “And here I thought you were singing my praises.”
“Would you like to prove me wrong?”
Slowly, Yuri conceded, approaching the stable with confident steps and stopping at Claude’s side. “Well? Where should we start since you’re such an expert on group tasks.” He asked with crossed arms, relinquishing his control to see where this would go.
“I always start with sweeping away all the hay and other debris. Here,” Claude dipped out of the stable to grab one of the brooms that rested on the wall and handed it off to Yuri. “I’ll start on the left side, you can start on the right.”
“Sure.” Yuri said with a curt nod. He eyed the horses as he entered the stable, watching to make sure he didn’t get too close to one. He knew that it was going to all be for naught but he would rather minimize what he knew was going to come. Immediately he could feel his nose start to tingle from all the horse hair.
The two worked in tandem, sweeping the muck towards the center of the stable to be tossed later. For a while, Claude was silent, leaving Yuri to fill the silence with an occasional sniffle. He kept his head down as he focused on his work, not daring to call too much attention to his struggle. He was certain that Claude was more observant than he let on; he knew that he could tell he was struggling. Though up until now he reveled in the quiet, he was beginning to wonder if Claude was sizing him up now.
“Did you breathe in some dust? It does get pretty gross in here.” He finally asked. Yuri looked up to see that Claude hadn’t stopped working, keeping his eyes to the floor even as he addressed him.
“I might have. Truth is though, I’m allergic to horses. Not exactly ideal considering where we are.” He admitted, his point being highlighted as he sneezed just after.
“And you didn’t say anything?” Claude asked, now stopping his work.
“It’s not that big of a deal. The most that happens is that I lose my beautiful face for a while.” He insisted.
“And that beautiful face is very important to you,” Claude suggested, stepping towards Yuri and taking the broom from his hands. “Let’s get you out of here, as much as I would have loved mucking a stable with you all afternoon, health comes first.”
Despite his current state, Yuri managed a grin. “Look at you, already looking after your subjects, how noble of you.”
“It’s my burden to bear,” Claude agreed with a sagely nod, earning a chuckle from Yuri. He still hadn’t looked at him though. Even as he took the broom from him and led him out of the stable, Claude kept his gaze forward, relaxed, but not on Yuri. After all afternoon of him keeping his eyes on Yuri, it was easy to notice.
“I don’t really look so bad that you can’t even look at me anymore, so I?” Yuri kept his voice light and joking but he was genuinely curious.
Claude smirked. “Do you truly miss the attention so much?” He teased and Yuri rolled his eyes. “I know you put a lot of effort into the way you look. Hilda won’t shut up about your makeup and she’s about a day away from asking you what eyeshadow you use, by the way. I figured you didn’t want people looking at you if you weren’t as put together as you liked to be.”
Yuri was surprised by his reasoning. It was oddly considerate coming from a man who nearly cornered him into an interrogation. But perhaps a little assumptive of him too. “Do you really think I’m that vain?” He asked, mocking offense.
Claude held his hands up in surrender. “I never try to make assumptions, I’m simply acting in my best interest. Who knows? You could bite my head off for seeing you like this for all I know.”
“I’m still debating it,” Yuri replied, earning a small laugh from Claude. “I don’t care though. You’ve got nothing I want.” He added as he rested a shoulder against the wall, away from the stables. Already his eyes were watering less but he didn’t risk running a hand over them and making any smudges worse.
“Nothing? I find that hard to believe coming from the Savage Mockingbird.”
“You won’t let that go will you?” He asked with a frown and Claude shrugged. “Fine. Go chasing shadows, I don’t care. Is it so hard for you to believe you have nothing to offer me?”
“I mean,” Claude began, kicking a small rock away as he studied the ground. “A little bit. As the future heir to House Riegan, I would undoubtedly have plenty of resources for you to exploit. Surely you would want to buddy up with me. Not to call you out or anything.”
“I suppose that’s one avenue available to me,” Yuri agreed, “But Leicester is a rather long way away from Abyss. Maybe I’m trying to keep everything local.” He pointed out. With all Claude already seemed to know, he wasn’t at all surprised that he thought Yuri might try to get close to him. In fact, it wasn’t entirely a bad idea. The Alliance was a mess, with all sorts of nobles at each other’s throats, it would be the perfect place to extend his reach. Abyss was his first priority though and with resources already being a struggle to find, he couldn’t afford to explore unlikely options.
“Fair enough. Just thought I might brace myself in case you try to use me to your own advantage.”
“Sounds like you’re used to something like that happening.” Yuri noticed, stepping away to view himself in a nearby water trough. He frowned when he noticed how smudged his mascara looked, sighing as he took out his handkerchief and began to wipe it away, not minding at all if Claude happened to see.
“I’m an heir to a rather impressive piece of land; not to brag. Everyone wants something. If they don’t already think I’m illegitimate.” Claude sighed, his voice remaining easy and conversational.
In a way, Yuri could relate. In this world, everyone wanted something from someone. He supposed even nobles couldn’t escape that, though he’s never really thought of it before. A noble’s wants could never compare to his needs.
“Didn’t think that would still be an issue. I’ve heard your legitimacy has been confirmed for a while now.”
“I didn’t realize I was such a hot topic,” Claude spoke, sounding a bit amused but in a way that hinted to Yuri he wasn’t being genuine. “Nobles are always vying for power, I think some see me as a weak link. Apparently having a Crest isn’t enough proof of my ancestry.”
“Can’t blame people for being skeptical. Word is that you just appeared out of nowhere.”
“I came from an offshoot of House Riegan.”
Yuri wasn’t so sure. He knew enough about politics to know that if House Riegan was in such dire straits, they would have been searching for an heir years earlier. For Claude to just show up was odd. Suspect, even. If Claude didn’t want to share the truth now then Yuri was certain he would find it sooner or later. Maybe it was his turn to be curious. “Sure. Lucky you.”
Using the water trough, Yuri began to fix his makeup, luckily he kept a small palette and brush in his pocket at all times, just in case he needed a touch up. He meticulously applied the makeup with careful practice, only being satisfied once he deemed his work perfect. With his allergies under control he turned around to face Claude who was still looking away from him. “So? Is this better?” He asked.
Claude slowly lifted his gaze, studying Yuri’s face with steady eyes before breaking out into a crooked grin. “Perfect as always.” He complimented with a nod.
“I’m flattered,” Yuri replied with a dry smile. “You’re an interesting guy, Claude.”
“Yeah?” He asked, not taking his eyes away. “What was it that tipped you off?”
“I had you pinned as an overconfident spoiled noble brat. Turns out you’re pretty mindful too.” Yuri explained, grinning at the way Claude side eyed him. His reactions were careful and practiced, something Yuri could tell in an instant. It wasn’t just that he was observant and intelligent. It’s that he had a thirst to know everything without revealing anything in return that caught Yuri’s attention. He could play this game for hours and still get nowhere with him.
“I feel like I should be offended.” Claude chuckled, easily brushing him off. “I find you interesting too, though I think you would prefer to be left alone.”
“You hit the nail on the head, friend,” Yuri agreed, “I think I would rather be anywhere else right now.”
“Well, I’ve got what I wanted for now,” Yuri doubted that. “I suppose I could finish up here. There’s not a terrible amount left to do.”
“I’m impressed,” Yuri added with crossed arms, catching Claude’s attention yet again. “A noble such as yourself offering to take the burden of a commoner like me? Careful there, von Riegan, rumors may start to spread.” He chided.
Claude seemed unfazed, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t mind a few rumors, I can definitely handle them.”
Yuri didn’t doubt that. If there was one thing he knew for sure about Claude von Riegan, it was that rumors seemed to abound about the guy. From his heritage, to his lack of a noble disposition, to what nefarious schemes he could possibly be cooking up. Yuri knew there was something about him. In turn, it seemed Claude knew there was more to Yuri than he portrayed. As curious as he was, Yuri may want to keep him at an arm’s length.
“Well, seeing as I just touched up my lovely face, I’ll have to take you up on your offer. You did put me in this position in the first place so I’ll consider this payback.” No use arguing with him, Yuri wanted to go back underground anyways. Maybe spend some time by himself, analyzing the strange character that Claude was.
Claude waved him off, saying something about them being even now, but before Yuri could begin to leave, Balthus rounded the corner, looking like he had just run half way across Fódlan.
“Balthus! To what do we owe this pleasure?” Claude greeted with an easy smile but Yuri knew something was up instantly. Balthus wasn’t one to rush unless there was something pressing.
“There… you are… pal” He panted, leaning a hand against the wall.
Yuri’s gaze sharpened dangerously. “What happened now?”
“You aren’t going to be happy about this….”
“What?”
“One of the guys…may or may not have…made off with you…um…loot.”