#ihtlfy

Ferdinand dodged Byleth’s strike and aimed his wooden lance high— only to have Byleth roll out of the way, wooden sword already up. Across the training grounds, Ferdinand could see flashes of magic as Dorothea and Flayn sparred, cheered and critiqued by Annette and Lysithea respectively. Varg, Leonie, and Caspar were practicing hand to hand combat in yet another corner of the grounds. Linhardt, Bernadetta, and Lorenz were camped out near the archery targets, Linhardt talking about the different bows he’d read about and Bernadetta soaking up the information like a dry plant. 

Stepsiding Byleth’s next attack, Ferdinand tried to drop and aim a sweep at their legs. Byleth had anticipated this and jumped over his lance. They then took advantage of his momentum to kick the lance from his grip all together, sending it spinning clean out of reach. Byleth’s sword aimed for Ferdinand’s neck, seconds away from taking the winning blow, but Ferdinand saw it coming. He shot up and out from his crouched position and aimed his body at Byleth’s middle. 

The two fell to the ground, Byleth letting out a noise as the wind was knocked from them. Ferdinand tried to pin Byleth’s sword arm before they could get it up again, using his weight against their torso to stop them simply pushing him off. He was so concentrated on her melee weapon, however, that he missed a crucial detail.

Byleth reached out and slapped their hand firmly against Ferdinand’s chest. A weak fire spell made Ferdinand rear back, smacking his shirt. “Bolganone,” Byleth said as they sat up. Ferdinand cowled. In a real fight, he would have been blasted backward, certainly burnt and likely winding up in another fight wherever he landed. Byleth’s simple Fire had gotten the point across.

Swatting the last of the embers from his shirt, Ferdinand’s scowl fell into a grimace. “You win this round then, Professor,” he conceded. “Do you have time for another? We could switch our weapons this time.”

Byleth shook their head and stood up. “It’s time for your birthday tea,” they said.

Varg whipped around. “It’s your birthday?!” They cried— and took a hit from Leonie as a result. Caspar burst out laughing as Varg stumbled, a hand over their cheek. Leonie, also laughing, was already approaching them with a healing spell spreading over her palm. 

With everyone distracted, Byleth pulled Ferdinand to his feet and lead him to the doors. Ferdinand sent what he hoped was an apologetic wave to Varg as they left. He really should have said something to his friend but honestly, he would have forgotten himself if not for the other Eagles wishing him a hearty happy birthday over breakfast. A side effect of not celebrating his birthday for a few years, perhaps. 

It was a short and well trodden walk to Byleth’s room from the training grounds, yet Byleth didn’t let go of Ferdinand. “Are you sure there is not something more pressing to be done, Professor?” Ferdinand asked as he tried to subtly slip from their hold.

Byleth gripped him lighter. “You’re not getting out of this.”

“I-I do not wish to, I only meant—”

Byleth opened their door. Inside was that same tea table, those same chairs. Nostalgia eclipsed the rest of Ferdinand’s confusion and he found himself breathing deeply, taking in the unique scent of Byleth’s room and the teapot streaming at the center of the table.

“I did not realize how much I missed this,” he confessed as Byleth finally released his arm. They motioned for Ferdinand to sit, shutting the door behind them. Ferdinand sat and watched as Byleth came around to stand behind their chair. They gripped the back of it, leaning over to look Ferdinand directly in the face. Their stare was so intense it had Ferdinand sitting up straighter. 

“Professor?”

“Ferdinand.” Byleth’s expression softened. “I wanted to thank you.”

Ferdinand found himself staring now.

“It hasn’t gone unnoticed how much you do for everyone here. You’ve been pushing yourself for months to keep this army afloat. Everything I ask— nothing is too insignificant for you to take on or too much for you to handle. I don’t want to think of how overwhelmed I would feel if you hadn’t stepped up the first day we came back.

“You’re invaluable, Ferdinand.” They graced him with a smile. “I wanted to take today to thank you for all that. I don’t say it enough.”

It was near exactly what Ferdinand had been hoping someone would say to him back during school. The affirmation that he was needed, making a difference, commendable.

He couldn’t stand to hear another word.

“I am merely doing my part,” Ferdinand said, lowering his head to his empty tea cup. “There is no need for praise. I should be able to do so much more. Without the backing of House Aegir, I have to be capable all on my own. I am nowhere near the level I should be.”

He kept his eyes down as Byleth shifted. They picked up the tea pot and began to pour. Almyran pine needle tea streamed into his cup, the sharp fragrance surrounding him instantly. “Everything I just said, on top of helping with the orphans, and you still feel like you should be doing more? Those are high expectations.”

Ferdinand nodded. 

Byleth finished pouring and sat across from him. They reached over to rest a hand on his wrist. Ferdinand looked up at them. “I will do everything I can to help you meet your goals,” Byleth said, voice solemn and heavy with promise. 

Throat tight, eyes stinging, Ferdinand took their hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “I deeply appreciate that, Professor.”

Once upon a time, Ferdinand might not have noticed the warmth in their eyes or the slight quirk of their mouth. But Ferdinand had been working alongside Professor Byleth long enough to see the levity in their face. “Call me Byleth. I think you’ve earned that much.” they stated. Before Ferdinand could object, they pulled their hand away. “Now, at least for today, let yourself relax. Tomorrow we can make up a new training regimen together.” 

It was tempting to argue the point further but Ferdinand’s sore muscles bade him to sit back and accept defeat. His various bumps and bruises shrunk from his awareness as he held his cup of tea with both hands, mirroring Byleth.

News of Gronder could reach them at any time. The knot in this stomach that tightened every time he pictured Hubert marching onto the field was ever present. But right now, in this room on this day, Ferdinand let himself be just another student having tea with his professor.