#fe35

Thought drawing all the Fire Emblems (besides the Opera of Light, sorry I love you) would be a good way to celebrate the 35th anniversary!

So I’ve never posted any writing on Tumblr before, but I wrote this short fic for FE3H (because I’m addicted) and it’s actually supposed to be for something a lot longer, but I thought it worked well as a one-shot, so here we are! Also, I may not have all the facts straight, but it’s fan fiction, so who cares? ;)

Spoilers for Byleth’s character. You’ve been warned.

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Take Care of Yourself

Byleth’s mind was racing as she continued to walk quickly and quietly up the stairs. The revelations in her father’s diary were more than she could bear. There was only one person to go to about it, though she hoped he wouldn’t inquire too much about what was the matter. She could trust him. She was sure she could trust him.

If the monastery grounds were dark, the second floor of the dormitory was even darker. Both were equally as void of people milling about. It’d been a few days since she’d really seen anyone, hadn’t it? What would he say to having her show up so suddenly?

She walked slowly, though everything in her was screaming at her to run. She couldn’t wake any of the other students. They would want to know what she was doing in the dormitory so late at night, and who she was there to see. Rumors would only start from there, and she didn’t need that. She also didn’t need to be harassed about how she was handling her father’s death, and she was certain that would happen as well if anyone were to be alerted to her presence. She wasn’t handling it well, as a matter of fact; why else would she be half-crazed striding down the hallway, seeking something that she knew would only serve to hurt her more?

Coming to a stop at the correct door, she knocked quietly. Felix and Sylvain’s rooms were on either side, and she didn’t need either of them knowing she was here so late. Felix would act indifferent about it, but she was sure she’d get an earful about spending time with the “boar prince” later on. And Sylvain would only jump to conclusions.

From inside the room came the sound of shuffling sheets and light footsteps, and then the door inched open and she came face to face with a very sleepy-looking Dimitri. “Professor?” he said, fighting off a yawn. His brows were knit in confusion as he looked her over. “Is something the matter? Are you okay?”

She held one finger to her lips and gently shushed him, anxiously eyeing the dark hallway to either side of her. “I’m - I’m okay, I’m just - ” She broke off, unsure of where to begin.

Dimitri gave a small smile and stepped aside, opening the door a little wider. “Come in?” he asked, voice quieter than it had been before. She smiled gratefully at him and stepped inside. With the door shut firmly behind them, he turned to her, stifling another yawn and rubbing one eye with his fist. “What can I do for you, Professor?”

She nervously looked him over, taking in his baggy white sleep shirt and equally loose pants. She’d never seen him look so relaxed, and here she was, disturbing him. Was this really a good idea? “I… I have a request,” she said after a moment. Dimitri’s eyebrows raised. “But I need you to not ask me any questions about it.”

He huffed out a short, soft laugh, but nodded. “What do you need?”

“Can I… Can I feel your heartbeat?”

Dimitri’s eyebrows shot up once more, and the surprise in his blue eyes was clear. “P-Professor?” he stuttered out, unsure. But one look at the anxious way she was watching him made his decision for him. “I know you said no questions, but I do hope you’ll tell me what this is all about someday,” he said. Then he took her right hand in his left and pulled her to him.

He spread her fingers against the left side of his chest, palm pressed firmly against the back of her hand. There was enough space between them that she only just had to bend her elbow, but her focus was on the light, steady beat of his heart beneath her hand. She fought a gasp and looked up at him, eyes alight with some emotion she couldn’t discern for herself as they locked eyes. His pulse fluttered under her palm. She looked away from him, back to her hand. “This is…”

“Professor?” His voice was soft. She didn’t speak.

After a moment, she stepped closer. Dimitri dropped his hand back to his side, even as Byleth stepped ever closer and hesitantly rested her head against his chest, positioning herself to listen. He stood perfectly still, watching her. His heart, having calmed down a little, beat out a steady rhythm, a soft echo in her ear. For a moment, she marveled at having never felt or heard something so breathtaking. Then she pressed her hand against her own chest, desperately hoping to feel something - anything - and prove Jeralt’s diary wrong. 

But there was nothing.

The tears began to fall against her will, quietly slipping down her cheeks without so much as a sound on her part. Nothing, there was nothing there. How was she alive? Why had she never realized how strange she was? What was she, really? Her breath hitched and her shoulders shook, and the tears began to fall faster. Still, she made no sound. Save the full-on sobbing for when she was back in the quiet of her room, or maybe the captain’s quarters. She really should have been going, to save both herself and Dimitri any further embarrassment.

But just as she was about to step away and flee the room, Dimitri’s hand came to rest against her hair, his fingers gently sliding through the strands to press her firmly against him. He said nothing, and he didn’t move any further, but it was enough.

They stood like that for a while, neither of them speaking, neither of them acknowledging Byleth’s sniffling. When she was finally composed enough to step back, Dimitri let her, and politely looked away as she wiped her eyes. “I hope that was helpful,” he said lightly to the wall, hands clasped behind his back.

She cleared her throat. “It was, thanks.” A pause. She turned toward the door. “Get some sleep, Dimitri. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

“It’s alright. Hey, Professor?” She stopped, hand hovering over the doorknob. Dimitri fixed her with an unexpectedly stern expression. “Take care of yourself, okay? We’re all here for you if you need us.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line and turned back to the door, quietly pulling it open. Her throat was growing tight. “Goodnight, Dimitri.”