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Dimitri had a problem. He was in love with his professor. Being in love with her came the need to always be around her, it was maddening. She wasn’t just his mentor, but the mentor to the Blue Lions as a whole. He had just as much claim to her as any of his classmates and yet he still wished she’d only be his. For a while, he was able to ignore such feelings but no matter how hard he tried those dark thoughts would creep up on him. It was foolish to crave someone who he knew he’d always have to share.
Byleth had been spending her free time training Dedue. He didn’t mind it at first, Dedue was his friend. He was happy to see someone occupying his time besides himself and the Professor was, well, the Professor. He didn’t have any say on which students she spent time with. She had been meeting with Dedue to work on his hand to hand combat. To Dimitri’s surprise she was able to hold her own against his much larger classmate. He was sure he’d never get to wrestle with the Professor for reasons regarding the strength from his crest. It was fine. He was fine. He just had to keep telling himself that. It was foolish of him to be jealous of Dedue due to their friendship. Jealousy was a trait not befit for a crown prince. Despite all reasoning, he still found himself making up an excuse to pass the training area and spying on the pair.
Dimitri had a big problem indeed. Today, instead of just Dedue, Raphael had joined them in their training. He hadn’t meant to spy on them, truly. As he passed the training hall for his own use, he'd seen the trio. He watched as the two muscular men clashed. Byleth would stop them every so often to correct their forms. She always looked so small in comparison to them and he wondered if she’d look as small in his own embrace.
It wasn’t fair to him. He was one of the strongest students at the academy, if not the strongest. Didn’t he deserve some one-on-one physical training?
“Oh! Your Highness, what are you doing here?”
Sylvain’s voice caught Dimitri off guard, as he quickly turned around to face the red head. “Oh..um…I was just…the Professor…” He could feel his face starting to heat up at being caught spying. He was stuttering as he spoke, hoping that Sylvain would just leave him alone. Dimitri was not a lucky man.
“Oh is the Professor wearing her training gear again?! You know her tits look massive in tha-” Before Sylvain could even hope to finish that sentence, Dimitri had covered his mouth and moved him away from the training area.
“Sylvain, please don’t speak of the Professor in those regards.”
“Oh c’mon, I know you think about it too, your Highness,” He grinned, then crossed his arms. The grin was annoying, but the confident look in his eyes meant Sylvain was scheming something and Dimitri countlessly found himself at the center of each ridiculous idea . “Alright fine, so then what were you spying on?”
Before Dimitri could block his path, Sylvain looked behind him and watched the trio work on their moves. A devious thought crossed Sylvain’s mind. He had a very wicked thought that could help his Prince down the line with the very obvious crush he had on the Professor.
“Sylvain…,” Dimitri could already feel a slight migraine coming from whatever Sylvain was going to blurt out next.
Sylvain nodded, examining the trio.“Oh, I see. The Professor likes them buff, how interesting.”
“What?!” Dimitri was sure his voice cracked at the shock of what Sylvain had said. He was expecting something ridiculous, but not anything like that. “Surely, you jest!”
“Nah. Why else would she be training them specifically? Maybe it’s her kink. She might like a guy who can manhandle her.” The offensive redhead shrugged. “Eh. Not my problem.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sylvain turned to walk away. He stopped only for a moment to look back at the prince over his shoulder. “You know… Aren’t you the strongest one here? If I had your abilities, I’d have the professor swooning over me in no time.”
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For a straight week, since that incident with Sylvain, Dimitri could think of nothing else. Was this another trick to mess with him, or was there some truth to what Sylvain had said? He spent the week analyzing all that the Professor did. It was rather adorable to him how much the professor was a creature of habit. Every morning she’d head to the dining hall before class, petting every cat she passed on her way. Her love of animals was endearing. After a stop to grab whatever fruit was available she’d head to the classroom to write her notes for the morning lecture. Dimitri noted that every Wednesday the professor would get up earlier to meet her father. He still wasn’t sure what the two of them did together as he made sure to never intrude on those meetings. Family was important and Dimitri wasn’t going to ruin her precious time with his presence.
After class, she’d sometimes join Dimitri or another classmate to discuss the morning lecture while they ate lunch before heading to the dock to fish. On rare occasions she would even ask him about his classmates, gossiping together over food he would barely touch. The camaraderie of enjoying a meal with her was enough to sustain him through the day. Afternoon classes were held in the field and each day was a different specialty. The days he shared his expertise in ranged combat with his lance were always his favorite. It was harder to follow her schedule in the evening. Students had a curfew at night and she often was awake well past it, roaming the monastery. He’d seen her pass the dorms often at odd hours of the night. It seemed Insomnia was something they shared in common.
Studying her schedule had proven fruitless for the most part. He had made sure to note any sort of hint that would make Sylvain’s statement true but hadn’t found much to back it up. One of the only hints at a possible ‘muscle kink,’ as Sylvain had called it, was the smallest upturn of her pretty lips when she’d watch Dedue and Raphael train or get a form down correctly. Surely, it was just her being a good teacher and not because that had attracted her. There was no way his precious Professor would abandon him for a pair of muscles… right?
Dimitri had a theory and was going to test it out as soon as he could. If the professor liked strength, then he’d show himself off. Sure, he wasn’t as big as Dedue or Raphael but he wasn’t small either. His enhanced strength from his crest more than made up for it. He’d find ways to get his dear Professor looking back his way if it was the last thing he did.
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Having spent the previous weeks trailing after the Professor made it easier for him to enact his plan. Sylvain was going to eat his words. The dock was where he was going to try out his plan of action. He enjoyed fishing enough but that wasn't going to be impressive enough for her. Like Sylvain had said, he needed to impress her to get her attention back on him and he just happened to know hand fishing.
Rodrigue had taken him and Felix on a camping trip when he was younger, it was to help him take his mind off Ducur. While Dimitri didn’t remember much of the trip, he did remember how to handfish for bullheads. He knew they were in the lake here, he'd seen the professor catch one or two herself after a bit of a struggle. He was rusty but with some practice he was sure he'd be able to catch one. Dimitri had spent most of his sleepless night alone at the lake the day prior, practicing what Rodrigue had taught him. He'd only managed to catch one but he had the disadvantage of practicing under the moonlight so he didn't worry too much about it.
The day he was going to test his theory on the Professor was a warmer one and perhaps luck was on his side for once. While his classmates were enjoying their break from classes, Dimitri had bolted out of the classroom to make it to the lake before Byleth. He rolled up his trousers, not wanting to get them too dirty and took off his boots, carrying them over to the greenhouse. He knew the bullheads liked a bit of darkness in the day and the water by the greenhouse had a small area more shady than the rest. It was the perfect place to catch one and kept him partially out of view from others but in perfect view of the dock. He stepped down into the lake, the cold water giving him a quick chill before he adjusted to it. The water was murky but he could make out a few small fish swimming by his toes, exploring the invader in their space. Deciding that he probably looked foolish with the rest of his uniform on, he took off his cape and jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his white undershirt to expose his forearms and keep himself as tidy as possible. He knew he wasn’t as big as dedue but he wasn’t small by any means either, he just hoped she noticed that.
As the minutes passed waiting for the professor, Dimitri began to feel a little self conscious. He probably looked like a right fool just standing in a lake, dressed in nothing but his undershirt and trousers. He was about to get out of the lake when he turned and saw the Professor heading towards the dock.
Time seemed to slow as she placed her books down by the edge, grabbing a pole to borrow and walking to the edge of the dock. A warm breeze blew, framing her face with her long dark teal hair. As she adjusted her hair to rest behind her ears, a bit of the reflection of the water below seemed to make her violet eyes sparkle in the light. Dimitri forgot how to breathe.
He took an unconscious step towards her, then another and soon the shallow end of the water gave out and he would have fallen straight into the lake if he didn’t catch himself. The slight commotion alerted Byleth and she turned to look at him, a look of confusion on her face. His own eyes widened as he must look crazy to her and quickly had to think of something to say. “Ah…Professor, isn’t it just a lovely day for fishing?” He gave an awkward smile and her own lips turned up ever just so, seeming to be pleased with what he said.
Dimitri had her attention now, or rather she was at least aware of his presence. He decided it was time to do what he set out to do and catch a bullhead with his own bare hands. Crouching lower into the water he looked for any movement, spotting a fin moving away. He went to reach for it but missed, splashing a bit of water in his face and thinking he might have done with a little more practice.
“The fishing poles are rentable Dimitri, you don’t have to use your hands.” The sweet sing-song voice of his beloved professor teased him.
He jumped and turned to see the professor on the edge of the walkway, looking down at him. “Oh, um…” Dimitri stammered. “Yes of course Professor….this is something I learned when I was younger and thought I should practice.” He rubbed the little water dripping on his face off with his arm, feeling his face redden. Avoiding her eyes for fear of what he might say once lost in them he turned his back to her and focused on the water once more. “I hope I’m not disturbing you, Professor.” He couldn’t help himself and snuck a quick peek over his shoulder at her. She truly was a vision, a goddess in her own right.
“Not at all, do you mind if I watch? Father tried teaching me when I was younger but I wasn’t very good at it.” Byleth was squatting by him, rocking on her heel to indicate her silent excitement.
Well, now the pressure was on for him to catch a fish. He didn’t even care if it was a small one. He just knew he had to catch something. While her enthusiasm lit a fire in him, he didn’t like being compared to her father. The thought didn’t sit well with him. He was trying to get the professor to develop feelings for himself, not think of her father.
Dimitri took a minute to catch his breath and recenter his focus. With renewed determination he spotted what he hoped was a fish within reach. It was near the end of the shallow water. He crouched deeper into the lake, submerged up to his chest and went in for the grab, feeling the slimy texture of the fish’s scales. He reached in and hooked his fist in the bullhead's mouth. Taking a breath and dipping below the surface he grabbed the body with his free arm and pulled. It wasn’t the biggest bullhead he’d seen but it was still a rather large catch.
A giggle, a sound that was a pure symphony to his ears. “Impressive Dimitri… however, I’m afraid your clothing didn’t survive the catch.” Byleth had not only laughed but was now smiling at him, only for him.
“Professor…” This was a good day and Dimitri thanked his past self for whatever good he had done to be blessed with such a sight. He wanted to embrace her but the fish in his hold was trying to get free so he had to tighten his hold on it. He carried it with ease towards the edge of the lake, never taking his eyes off her smile. The fact he was dripping wet and could feel his clothing sticking to him was the last thought on his mind, there was only her. “Would you…like my catch?”
“Are you sure?” Her head tilted to the side with her question, looking adorably like a confused puppy in his eyes.
With a nod he went to hand her the fish only for it to slap its tail hard into Dimitri’s face, leaving him both fishless and with a nice red mark on his cheek. Byleth had to cover her mouth to hide the laugh that threatened to escape and Dimitri contemplated faking his own death in that moment.
“My apologies Professor, you didn’t get wet by that did you?” He rubbed at his cheek as he leaned against the edge of the walkway, looking up at her.
Byleth shook her head and crouched down, face to face with Dimitri and yet not close enough for his liking. “I’m fine. You should dry up before you catch a cold. I have a surprise for my lions this weekend. I don’t think you’ll want to miss it.” She reached out, patting him on the head once before standing back up and walking off to get her things and head to her next lesson of the day.
Dimitri sighed, his wet hair falling onto his face and hung his head in defeat. Sure she had given him a pat on the head and while that touch had made his heart flutter, it wasn’t enough for him. He needed more from her, craved her attention on him and only ever him. In his frustration he slammed a clenched fist on the ledge beside him, cracking the foundation at the impact.
“Well don’t you look like a wild animal,” Felix scoffed at the Prince’s actions, looking away from his spot in the greenhouse with Sylvain. “Didn’t pay attention to my old man’s lessons did you?”
“Aw, I think he looks more like a sad wet dog.” The redhead grinned as he walked over to the ledge, making sure not to step on any cracks before he sat and ruffled Dimitri’s hair. “That could have gone over better, don’t you think?”
“I’m not in the mood Sylvain” Dimitri frowned, swatting the other’s hand away from him as he hoisted himself out of the lake and back onto dry land. He grabbed his dry clothes and boots. He was going to walk away but a sudden thought prevented him. “How long were you two watching?”
“Too long,” Felix answered first. “The entire time, your royal dampness,” Sylvain added with his usual annoying grin. The red head got up and made his way back over to Felix’s side, wrapping an arm around Felix’s shoulders which was quickly pushed off.
Dimitri could feel the start of a migraine once more and while he was wet and cold he knew it wasn’t from him catching a cold. “...Please don’t tell the others.” He knew Felix wouldn’t but Sylvain was another story. How the two of them had evaded him and somehow found themselves in the greenhouse watching him was a mystery and one he wasn’t sure he’d ever solve. The bigger mystery was how Sylvain had managed to convince Felix to join in the spectacle that was his love life.
Felix just rolled his eyes and started walking away, having had enough already. “Fine, fine. You owe me one next time,” Sylvain said as he ran after Felix, leaving Dimitri to make a very wet walk of shame back to his dormitory.
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The rest of the week had been torture for Dimitri. Every moment he saw the Professor was another moment he had to relive his embarrassment in front of her, not that there were many private moments with her. She barely spoke to him all week after the incident. It didn’t help that each night as he’d closed his eyes to sleep all he could think of were her sparkling eyes as she smiled at him. That smile would be the death of him and he’d savor every moment of it. He thought of her in his arms, lips parted and slightly swollen from the kisses he’s ravished her with, those big eyes only looking at him—
A snap.
His quill snapped in his fingers, getting ink all over his notes and snapping him back to the reality that was Byleth’s lecture.
“Is everything alright?” Byleth looked a touch concerned when she saw the mess on his desk. She set the book she was holding down and grabbed a handkerchief from her desk, handing it to Dimitri to help him.
“Apologies, Professor.” He took the cloth from her and was about to clean the mess but thought against it for a moment. Byleth turned to continue her lecture as Dimitri swapped the handkerchief with his own, cleaning up the mess and paying attention now.
“...As I was saying, tomorrow is a day off normally but I’d like to do something a little different with you all. You’ve all been doing well with combat, but your survival skills as a whole have been lacking so tomorrow we’re going camping. Please make sure you are all packed to leave after dawn.” A collective groan sounded in the classroom at the announcement. “We won’t be leaving the academy's grounds so no need to groan. It’s supposed to be warm tomorrow so dress accordingly.”
Once they were dismissed, Dimitri headed over to Mercedes to stop her from leaving. "Mercedes, might I request some of your time?" He had hoped she wasn't busy.
"Of course, is everything alright, your Highness?" Mercedes smiled, ever the sweet hearted soul she was.
"You once promised you'd teach me how to mend my garments, is the offer still available?" He spoke in an almost hushed tone, not wanting anyone else in the classroom and especially not Byleth to hear what he was asking.
"I offered it, didn't I? I believe we could work on it today after classes." Mercedes had no idea why all of a sudden the prince was asking to learn sewing, but she had a feeling it had to do with the trip tomorrow.
"Perfect. I’ll meet you at your room later.” Before Mercedes could even agree to their meeting location, Dimitri went and grabbed his things and made way to his dorm room to pack, Byleth’s handkerchief clutched firmly in his grasp.
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Dimitri was the first of the students at the front gate in the morning, the only other person being Byleth herself. He stretched as he walked down the corridor to the gate. The summer uniforms were much more comfortable than the ones they wore to class, it was nice to have his arms free with nothing but a loose sleeve to cover him. The fitted vest had been a little tight for his liking and he felt a little small as he had looked at his reflection in the mirror that morning. He felt his waist was too slim but it did make his shoulders look broader. His eyes were another story. The dark circles were very apparent from his lack of sleep and he had spent a good 5 minutes trying to make himself look refreshed before leaving.
He’d brought a travel pack and the sturdiest training lance he could find. Upon seeing his beloved Professor, he noticed she barely had anything extra with her, dressed too in the summer uniform. He wasn’t sure if professors were even allowed to wear the same uniforms as their students and with how tight the high waisted skirt was on her, he had to force himself not to look anywhere but her face. This morning her dark teal hair was tied in a ponytail, a style he hadn’t seen her use before, it would have shown off her slender neck had the uniform not been covering it. “Good Morning, Professor. I trust you slept well last night?”
“More or less,” Byleth stretched her arms and leaned back, effectively cracking her back before she let out a yawn. “Did you get any sleep?” Violet met Azure and Dimitri’s heart skipped a beat.
“Of course.” A lie. “I hope this isn’t too untoward of me, but you look very beautiful this morning, Professor.” He smiled at her but that smile quickly vanished as he realized what he said. “Not that you don’t look good everyday, I simply mean you look lovely with your hair up.” His flushed face was met with one of Byleth’s soft smiles, easily missed if you weren’t paying attention.
“You look tired” She replied back rather bluntly and he saw her eyes give him a look over. She had the hint of a frown on her face as she moved closer to him, invading his personal space. “Dimitri…”
The color seemed to leave his face the moment she invaded his space. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her close, he was just unsure he could will his body enough to not reach out and grab her. “Professor I…I assure you I’m fine. I was excited for the trip and had a little trouble sleeping. I will be alright.” It wasn’t a total lie this time but it was still only half the truth.
His white lie seemed to have placated Byleth for the moment and she reached out to move his hair out of his eyes. “Can’t have the head of my house not at his best. Do get some sleep tonight.”
Dimitri nodded, he was sure if he even tried to speak that nothing coherent would ever leave his lips in that moment.
“Your Highness, I’m surprised you arrived before me. I thought we would leave together.” Dedue walked out onto the gate carrying his own supplies and a tent as well. Dimitri mentally sighed in relief to have a reason to step away from the professor at that moment. He needed to remember how to breathe before making more of a fool of himself.
“Good Morning Dedue, I woke up a little earlier than expected so I went on ahead. I apologize.” That was another lie, he'd barely slept last night. He walked over to Dedue then and set his bag down by him. “Do you need any help with your things?”
“Not at all, it’s my duty to assist you.” Dedue shifted the tent bag, making sure it was secure over his shoulder.
“Dedue, I insist.” Dimitri extended his hand, waiting for the other to comply. “Please, it’s too early and the gesture is appreciated, but I will take it from you if you refuse. It’s my fault for leaving you to carry it all.”
There was a moment before Dedue nodded and handed him the heavy pack. “As you wish, your Highness.”
Dimitri adjusted the new weight on his shoulders before picking up the other bag he'd brought. The moment he had all his baggage on he felt his vest tighten on him a little more. He had a thought that maybe he’d have to get a new one after this trip but he assumed it was a problem for a later time.
“Professor, I passed Mercedes in the dining hall making us food for later, she informed me she would be out shortly. It seems the others are almost all awake as well.” Dedue gave Byleth his morning report and she seemed to nod, telling them she’d be right back as she left them to make sure the others were almost ready.
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The Blue Lions were at the campsite within the hour and soon Byleth was sending them on tasks to set everything up. Dimitri and Dedue had the biggest tent and as such Ashe was going to stay with them in it. Sylvain and Felix would be sharing a tent, despite Byleth’s better judgment. The Professor would be with Ingrid, while Annette and Mercedes had their own. The weapons for training were stored by the professor’s tent, as were any other provisions. Once Byleth had personally made sure every tent was properly secured, they all settled for a picnic with the lunch Mercedes had made for them.
The field they had set up camp in was open and near a nice set of blueberry bushes on one side and what sounded like a brook on the other. There was adequate shade, the only thing missing was a designated pit for a fire. The class split into teams after lunch, Annette and Mercedes were berry picking. Ashe and Dedue went off to catch some fish for later. Ingrid and Felix were sparring with Byleth, which left the fire duties to Sylvain and Dimitri.
Sylvain had brought his axe which was coming in handy more for chopping wood than training at the moment. The action was repetitive and quickly got boring for him. He looked at Dimitri setting up a clear space to put the fire wood and then over to the Professor who was facing their direction as she worked with Felix and Ingrid. He grinned as a devious thought came to his mind. “Hey, your Majesty, you think you could help break the wood up?”
Dimitri stopped what he was doing and looked up at Sylvain with a look of confusion on his face. “How? You’re the only one with an axe.”
Sylvain rolled his eyes and pointed to the prince, as if the answer was obvious. “You have a crest, don’t you? Just rip the logs apart. I’ve seen you do worse to metal.”
A silence settled between them as Dimitri tried to figure out if Sylvain’s idea was just plain idiotic or actually made sense. He couldn’t really see any drawbacks to it other than he might get a splinter or two. “...Let me grab my gloves.” As Dimitri walked away, Sylvain sat on the tree he had been chopping up, excited to watch the show.
Dimitri walked back from his tent, putting his gloves on as he did. Looking at the pile of wood Sylvain had already chopped but not halved. He picked one up and studied it in his hand, figuring out the best way to handle this. Both hands gripped onto the wood and in one quick motion he tore the wood in two like it was a sheet of paper, his chest flexing slightly with the action. Suddenly, the wood being torn wasn’t the only ripping sound he heard. He froze, looking at Sylvain. His chest didn’t feel as tight anymore.
“...Sylvain…” Shaken, Dimitri was afraid to move.
The redhead had clearly heard the noise too, quickly going to see what happened. His laughter was uncontrollable.
“Sylvain… what just ripped?”
Wrapping an arm around the Prince, Sylvain shook his head, a shit eating grin on his face. “Your Highness, I believe you’ve just destroyed your vest.”
Panicked, Dimitri reached behind himself as far as he could and felt the torn material. He pulled at the tan vest and it easily came off him, leaving him in just his undershirt. “I just had this laundered…” His voice was barely above a whisper, in disbelief at the situation.
While Sylvain couldn’t take credit for making Dimitri flex his own vest off, the commotion seemed to have caught the Professor’s attention just as Sylvain had thought it would. When she noticed him grinning at her she turned to focus back at the other students. Oh, Sylvain was so enjoying playing matchmaker to them. “Eh, you can get another one made when we get back but since you already ruined your clothing, wanna do something else?”
“Of course not. What could you possibly be wanting me to do now?” Dimitri was still upset over his vest. Despite the tear he folded it to the best of his ability. While he doubted it was salvageable he held hope someone would be able to mend it. He tucked it under his arm for later.
“Aw c’mon! You totally distracted the professor once already, why not just do it again?” Sylvain tilted his head in the direction of the professor but Dimitri wasn’t taking the bait this time. He didn’t bother to look and instead went back to working on the fire pit.
“Enough Sylvain, either finish the wood or go bother someone else.”
That wouldn’t do for Sylvain. He had to think of something to get Dimitri to be fun again. Oh, that was right. Dimitri did owe him one for not blabbing to the class about the incident at the lake. “I’m calling in the favor you owe me.”
Dimitri was silent before he turned, dropping the rocks in his hand and the vest. “Fine. What do you want me to do?” He cursed his chivalrous nature and that he made a promise like that to Sylvain in the first place.
“We have nothing to sit on around the campfire, right?” Sylvain gestured to the firepit, noting its lack of chairs.
“We can sit on the ground, Sylvain.” Dimitri wasn’t in the mood for this.
“Your Highness, I’m disappointed in you. You’ll have our lovely ladies sitting on the dirt with their fresh new uniforms?” Sylvain acted hurt and shocked, a hand on his heart in disbelief.
“....Please, just spit it out.”
“Rocks, big rocks. How about you go get us some boulders to sit on?”
That wasn’t the worst thing Sylvain could have asked him to do. He used to do that easily as a child and while he hadn’t in awhile he was older now. Not sure exactly why this was Sylvain’s chosen fate, he shrugged and headed off towards the brooke he’d heard before knowing it was the most likely spot to find boulders around.
It’d taken him a good hour to find enough dry boulders for them to sit on, since most of the area around the campsite was rather flat. He was able to carry two at a time. Upon his return with the first set of boulders, he saw Sylvain resting by the firepit and taking a nap, the lazy ass. Placing one of the boulders down gently so as to not disturb him, he took the other and yeeted it, purposely missing sylvain but the noise of the impact woke him up. “Whoa! What the fuck!?”
“You could have at least finished the wood, Sylvain. If I come back and you’re sleeping again, the next one won’t miss.” Dimitri wasn’t serious, of course, but at least Sylvain was getting up and going back to his task.
Multiple trips and nine boulders later, Dimitri returned with the last of the scavenged rocks. On his arrival, he noticed the fire was already alight. It seemed Sylvain hadn’t slacked off too much. The Professor had already found herself a seat, waving at him on his return back. He smiled at her, easily tossing the last one a few feet in front of him for him to sit on himself. The amber glow of the fire served to accentuate her delicate facial features. She was a vision. The Professor gave him a quick look over and was about to say something before Mercedes and Dedue arrived with the deboned fish to start cooking. Maybe he would have to thank Sylvain for the suggestion later but Dimitri didn’t want to give him the satisfaction to gloat about it.
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The next day was humid, hot and overcast. Even Felix, who was always up for a fight, was feeling the heat. It was barely past noon and already Dimitri could feel an oppressive heat on him. He still wasn’t used to summers at Garreg Mach, Fhirdiad summers were warm but never this unpleasant. He was almost glad to have ripped his vest yesterday as he was sure the added fabric would have ended him early. Rubbing the sweat off his brow with his sleeve, he sighed as he looked over at the Professor who still had energy in her, unaffected by the heat. She had faced each student in a one-on-one fight and now it was his turn. The others were resting on the side of the clearing, in the shade, either mending a bruise or trying to cool off. He spun the lance in his hand as if it was as light as a baton, ready for whatever was coming for him.
“Don’t let the heat distract you, Dimitri.” While Byleth’s comment of concern for the prince didn’t go unnoticed, that was the only hint of a lesson she was giving him. This wasn’t his Professor. He was facing the Ashen Demon. The very same Ashen Demon he had glimpsed at during their first meeting. As he readied himself, he let out a breath. Without warning, she kicked off and charged at him. He barely had time to react. He braced, ready for the impact of her sword striking his lance. Hit after hit, Dimitri found himself on the defensive. The strikes were strong, despite the use of training weapons. The thought of using his Crest passed through his mind, but he decided against it. What felt like several minutes of constant blocking finally passes, and he sees his opening. With a flourish of his lance he forces distance between them, and the mock fight stalls temporarily.
Sweat drips from Dimitri’s brow. He could feel his once loose shirt now clinging to his sweat drenched back. The radiant heat from the sun in the afternoon sky beating down on his battlefield. Across from him, he sees Byleth’s eyes. The eyes of the Ashen Demon, emotionless, cold. The advantage was his, but he hesitated to press his attack. Sensing this, Byleth charged him again. Dimitri struggled to maintain his defense, his iron wall, blocking strike after strike. He couldn’t let her get a clean hit in, or else he’d find himself in the dirt. Seeing another chance, he swung his lance downward.
Byleth effortlessly dodges his strike, and the impact of his lance hitting the earth below causes it to shatter. He stood, weaponless, breathless, across from his Professor. His hand gripped tightly what remained of his lance, a splintered stick, barely long enough to be called a weapon. He refused to yield. All he could do was continue to block, parry, and dodge his opponent’s attacks. His breathing was ragged. Before he knew it, he was on his back to the ground. Byleth held her sword to his neck as if asking him to surrender. Her eyes bothered him. It was the first time those eyes instilled a sense of fear in him. They lacked the gentleness he’d come to adore.
He hated how hot it was, he hated that he had trouble breathing. But most of all he hated that look in her eyes, hated seeing her so closed off to him. In the back of his mind he knew this was how she fought, she was giving her all against him to help him train but he couldn’t be rational about it. Even knowing these things in his mind, they left his heart heavy. Such a cold, callous look was not befitting of the Professor he held dear. Her eyes, normally of the purest, deepest purple, now looked like a void of sadness. It felt wrong. His beloved Goddess was gone. The Ashen Demon was the one he faced.
He couldn’t be her enemy, he refused to accept it. Something snapped in him at having to fight her, having to be her enemy even in a mock battle. He activated his crest, grabbing the dulled blade of the sword and pulling it with such force out of her hand that he sliced open his own to toss it aside. In her shock he used his leg to knock her down and pinned her by her arms. His bleeding hands stained the white of her blouse a crimson red. His azure eyes clouded over, as any clear sky turns to storms. The turbulence within him threatened to overwhelm him. He wanted his Professor back. "Don't look at me like that, Professor..." he whispered, keeping her pinned, even tightening his grip. He stared through pained eyes at Byleth for what seemed like an eternity. As time resumed its normal course he could only hope she would be the same Professor he cherished.
Byleth was stunned into silence. She hadn’t even tried to struggle against him, knowing it was pointless. She knew Dimitri was strong but he’d never acted like this before. The faintest pink dusted her cheeks, lips parted as she caught her breath.“I yield,” she said but before he could move off her, the others were rushing toward them. Dedue grabbed Dimitri off of her and checked on his bleeding hands while the others were making sure their teacher was okay. There was a cacophony of sounds, of the others making sure he was alright and their beloved professor.
“You wild boar! What the hell is wrong with you?” Felix was in his face but Dedue stepped between the two. Dimitri wasn’t listening. The pain in his hands was only now starting to register and with it so were his actions. He’d overreacted, there was no denying it and catching a glance of her concerned face for him had him wanting to run away.
“I’m fine.” Byleth had to get some air between the group of worried students and showed she didn’t have a scratch on her despite the drying blood on her sleeves that did not belong to her. She had Mercedes help Dedue in healing Dimitri’s hands to stop the bleeding and close the cuts on them before making sure the other students were calmed down and busy with tasks.
Dimitri hadn’t said a word while Dedue cleaned up his hands and Mercedes healed him. He didn’t say a word when they asked him if he was okay now. He just simply nodded his head and stayed where he was, unable to move from his spot. It was evening by the time he came back to camp. The others were all in their school issued loungewear and cleaned up from earlier. Food had already been passed out and eaten. There was a plate for him left for him by the fire but he wasn’t hungry. He went to his shared tent and changed, trying to sleep off the day instead. He lay restless in his tent for a few hours, listening to the sound of his classmates getting ready for bed. He faked sleep when Ashe and Dedue entered the tent, waiting for the both of them to sleep before he left, heading over to the fire and sitting in solitude.
He stayed like this, alone by a slowly dying fire until he heard some commotion by Felix and Sylvain’s tent. Felix soon emerged, enraged at whatever had happened and stormed off, having not noticed him. Sylvain emerged a little while later sporting a nasty red mark on his hand. He’d looked at where Felix went off towards but instead headed to the fire, giving Dimitri a little wave before joining him. Dimitri didn’t ask him what happened but he had a feeling.
Dimitri sighed as he threw another piece of wood into the fire. Despite the heat of that day, the night air had a chill to it. While his body was exhausted, his mind was racing from the events of today. Once again he'd made a fool of himself and this time his whole class had seen it. He wasn't sure how he was going to face the coming dawn. He’d let his emotions get the better of him, he’d shown his professor what a monster he really was.
"She’s not mad, you know. She’s just worried about you. If you just tell her you like her I'm sure the professor would not only understand you better, but she might even reciprocate." Sylvain didn't look up at him as he spoke, clearly in his own head as well. The red mark on his face was still very bright and irritated but Dimitri was sure that wasn't the real reason Sylvain looked so uncharacteristically down.
While that cocky grin that usually plastered Sylvain’s face was annoying, Dimitri found he enjoyed seeing Sylvain upset even less. "Perhaps Sylvain, you should take your own advice for once."
Sylvain rubbed his red cheek and a sad smile came to his face. "Yeah, I might have had a better chance if I was honest." The two stayed like that for a while, not saying anything but content that they both weren’t alone right now. Branches cracked in the distance as Sylvain turned to watch Felix returning to their shared tent. "I mean it though, I think the professor would be happy to hear your feelings." The redhead stood up and walked over to Dimitri, patting him on the shoulder. "Try and get some sleep." With a genuine smile he left to apologize to Felix.
This was different. Dimitri couldn't remember the last time he had a heart to heart with Sylvain or even any of his classmates since the academy. It reminded him of when they were younger, when titles and etiquette were for the adults and they could just be children. It brought a smile to his face and he reached down to throw some sand into the slowly dying flames. Perhaps Sylvain was right, maybe after an apology and a confession perhaps things would be okay. It would at least be good for him and the rest of his classmates for him to air out his feelings.
Feeling his chest a bit lighter, he stood and made his way to his shared tent, pausing by the professor's tent for a moment. She slept with the flap open and he could see her peaceful face alight with whatever enjoyable dream she was having. "Sweet dreams Professor."
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Dimitri kept to himself that next morning as they all packed up and headed back into the monastery. The rest of his class seemed to act like yesterday’s sparring match never happened for the most part. Felix was more put off by him than usual and the Professor had barely spoken to him but everyone else was fine. Sylvain had actually helped him pack since his hand was still bandaged and a little sore.
“Don’t forget to talk to her!” Sylvain had whispered to him as he passed by, carrying his and Felix’s bags.
Unfortunately for Dimitri, there was no proper moment on the trip back to get her alone to talk to. By the time they were back at the dorms, everyone split up and headed to their rooms. Before Dimitri could get the professor alone she actually came up to him, that concerned look from yesterday on her face again. She spoke before he could even open his mouth. “We’re having tea in an hour. I want you to put your things away, get cleaned up and come meet me.”
With that she was off, leaving no room for an argument. Dimitri hurried to his room, tossing his bags to the corner so he could get ready as quickly as possible. He started to unpack his things and found the handkerchief she had given him the other day. He took it out and made sure to neatly fold it, tying it up with a blue ribbon he’d had laying around. He put the rest of his things away and ran off to shower and get ready for his tea date.
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Byleth was already dressed in her usual attire when Dimitri arrived in the gardens. He was 90% sure that Byleth was going to leave his house after what happened and this was going to be her way of telling him gently, over tea. Dimitri slowed to a walk when he saw her setting the afternoon tea, gently placing the teapot on the table and rearranging some of the treats. The present in his pocket felt heavy as he walked over, his footsteps a little heavy to alert her of his presence. She turned and looked at him, her expression unreadable at that moment.
“Professor, before you say anything I wish to apologize for my actions yesterday.” He tried to look at her face as he spoke but found it unbearable and instead turned his direction to the walkway. “I took the spar too far. I should have yielded to you…I,” Sighing he closed his eyes, fists clenched as he heard her approach him and then stop. Opening his eyes he met hers and once she had his attention she shook her head.
“No, Dimitri. I didn’t hold back and neither did you. The point of the camping trip was to see your survival skills and you showed me you’ll do anything for that.” She reached out to him and took his hands in her own. Her hands were much smaller than his, but her touch was warm and tender. Unwrapping the crude bandages on him that he had clearly done himself, she looked over the healed cuts.
“Professor…you aren’t mad?” This wasn’t happening, there was no way she was being so gentle to him after what he did.
“Oh, I’m mad. Mad that you hurt yourself.” She looked up to meet his gaze and her unreadable expression changed to one of mirth. “Tell me what’s been bothering you and I’ll call us even.” Those same soft hands gave him a squeeze before leading him to the table so he could sit. As their hands parted he almost felt like a piece of him was stolen. She sat across from him and poured each of them a cup of tea, waiting for him to speak.
“...I…” He paused, starting from the beginning was the best course of action but it was hard. Dimitri reached for the offered tea cup, the soothing scent of chamomile hitting his nose. His favorite, of course she knew his favorite. “I noticed you had stopped training with me. I became jealous, seeing you personally teaching the others. You aren’t my private tutor, but even still. The thought of sharing you made me uneasy. I apologize for my behavior, Professor.”
The mirth in her face didn’t fade as she took her own tea, adding a copious amount of sugar cups before bringing the cup to her lips for a sip. “...And?”
With a sigh Dimitri took a sip of his own tea, the taste nearly nonexistent to him but the warmth from the tea was soothing at least. “Sylvain got it into my head that perhaps….you were interested in a certain type of man so I tried to impress you...with my strength.”
Laughter. She was laughing at him, not too loudly but she was finding the situation funny somehow. It was the complete opposite reaction he was expecting.
“While Sylvain is very wrong and you shouldn’t have let him get to you... you did get my attention.”
Her gaze at him from behind her teacup had him adjusting in his seat. Had he heard her right? Was this Byleth’s way of saying she found him attractive? Luckily, he had swallowed his tea already or he might have made a fool of himself and spilled it on himself.
“However, I don’t think it’s appropriate.” Byleth put her tea down, her eyes never leaving his gaze as she spoke. “At least, not until you graduate.”
Now he knew he was dreaming. Byleth, his lovely professor didn’t mind that he had feelings for her. Perhaps that spar yesterday had actually ended with him unconscious and this was all a fever dream. “Professor…you…what are you saying?”
“You’re sweet and strong Dimitri. I like you but you’re my student and I don’t think it would be very good for the future King of Fhirdiad to be having an affair with his professor while a student…don’t you agree?”
So blunt. She was so blunt and Dimitri envied her for that. His face must have been as red as the jam in the desserts next to him. She liked him, his beloved professor, his crush, liked him in return. She wasn’t discouraging his affections but rather telling him to wait. He could wait, he would wait however long she needed if there was even a chance of being able to be hers. He got up from his seat and went to her side, kneeling beside her as he took her hand in his. “Professor, I will wait however long you need. I’ll make myself worthy of your affections no matter what it takes. I-” A single finger pressed against his lips, causing him to pause.
“Byleth. In private, call me Byleth.”
He gave her hand a squeeze and nodded. “Byleth.” Her name felt right. It was his alone to speak. That pink tint came to her face as he said her name. He wanted to lean in and kiss her soft blush but he remembered the gift in his pocket and took it out. “I wanted to return this to you.”
Byleth tilted her head as she accepted the small wrapped cloth. She gave a tug on the pretty blue bow and examined her old handkerchief. She unfolded it and to her surprise was a rather crudely embroidered head of a lion in blue thread. She absolutely adored it and thought it the cutest misshapen lion she’d ever seen. “Dimitri, did you sew this yourself?”
“I had a bit of assistance from Mercedes. It’s the reason I didn’t sleep the night before the trip. I apologize if it’s not very good.” Looking back at his own handiwork or rather lack thereof he could still feel the faint prick of the countless needles he had broken trying to embroider in the dead of night.
“It’s cute.” She smiled and leaned down, placing a chaste kiss to his forehead. She leaned back in her chair after and rubbed her cheek against the lion. “This is what I like about you Dimitri. You’re so strong yet you have the capability to be gentle. Now I'll always have my lions with me.”
She had called him strong, she liked him being gentle and she saw his work as a keepsake for his class. He fell in love with her all over again at that moment. “Byleth, may I kiss you?” He knew it was forward of him to ask but he couldn’t hold back.
Looking around them to make sure they were alone she nodded quickly, patting her cheek. It wasn’t a kiss on her lips but Dimitri was happy just to be able to touch her intimately at all. He’d take what he could get for now, he was going to show how patient could be. Leaning up he tenderly caressed her cheek, his hand feeling so warm against her. She leaned into his touch, those eyes he loved so much closing shut for a moment as he leaned in and pressed a kiss at the edge of her lips. He didn’t linger but he savored every moment of it.
Dimitri had a very big problem indeed, he had been given a taste of his professor and now he had to wait until graduation for more.