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“Good job, Dimitri.”
Such simple praise, and yet Dimitri could feel the warmth rushing through his body. He glanced at the professor shyly, mesmerized as ever by the slight curve of her lips and the pride that lit up her eyes. Without any care for his station, she reached up and ruffled his hair.
A greater birthday gift surely could not exist.
“You answered every tactics question correctly. And you’ve made good progress with riding too,” Byleth continued, making a note on his page of the class’s training journal. She was always so organized. Dimitri was – the Blue Lions were truly blessed to have her as their teacher. “I want you to take the paladin exam at the end of this moon. Classes are cancelled next week, so you’ll need to work hard over the break.”
Dimitri nodded eagerly. “Of course, Professor,” he rushed to say. In all of his years of private tutoring, he’d never felt such desperation to please his teachers. There was something different about Byleth though. “I will train everyday, I swear it.”
“Don’t overwork yourself,” the professor chided lightly. From another, Dimitri might have felt ashamed to need the rebuke. From her, his joy only grew stronger. “I’ve prepared a training schedule for us.”
For us.
An even better birthday gift did exist, apparently. Dimitri felt like he was floating. An entire week of private lessons with Byleth. Of her undivided attention, and praise, and smile…
“Here. Read this after class.” Byleth handed him a slender tome, her fingers brushing against his gauntlets. “Come see me at the training grounds an hour before the dinner bell. We’ll work on your javelin throwing today.”
It wasn’t the most conventional way to spend one’s birthday, but Dimitri could think of none better. It would certainly be preferable to the miserable court festivities he was accustomed to. “Yes, Professor.”
“Don’t be late.” Byleth favoured him with another hint of a smile before turning her attention back to the journal. “Dismissed. Return to your seat.”
Standing up from his chair, Dimitri bowed deeply. “I will not disappoint you, Professor.”
“You never could.”
The words were so soft that Dimitri was certain he must have imagined them. He didn’t have a chance to ask though – when his eyes snapped back to the professor, she was already calling Ashe up to her desk for his tutoring session.
Still, there was a spring to his step while he walked back to his desk. Not even Felix’s disgusted scoff could touch his good mood.
For the first time in years, Dimitri felt something other than grief on his birthday.
It was difficult not to run as Dimitri made his way to the training grounds. Despite the early hour, the sun was already beginning to set (fitting, that he had been born on the longest night of the year) and a faint dusting of snow drifted from above. It was hardly as impressive as the snows of Fhirdiad, but he felt nostalgic all the same. And surely the professor would look lovely, with a myriad of snowflakes shimmering in her dark hair and her cheeks flushed from the cold air…
When he reached the door to the training grounds, Dimitri paused to compose himself. The focus of this lesson might be on practical technique, but he’d been sure to prepare a set of questions and comments based on his assigned reading that afternoon, so that she could see how serious he was about the paladin exam. Perhaps she might even be impressed enough to praise him again.
Thoughts spinning around that delightful idea, Dimitri pushed open the door and –
“Happy Birthday!!”
His hand was on the hilt of his sword in an instant. Dimitri hardly breathed, his heart racing as the dead screamed of danger. It took a moment for the words to make sense in his head, for his eyes to register the sight before him.
When it did, he felt a lump in his throat.
The training grounds had been decorated with streamers and paper flowers in varying shades of blue and silver. Someone had dragged in a table too, covering it in sweets and sandwiches, and no less that three pots of tea. A large banner hung off the far wall, drawings of lions surrounding the “Happy Birthday” scrawled in childish writing.
The orphans that he and Byleth had been teaching were clustered together, beaming as they watched him with expectant eyes. Big and small, they were hardly able to contain their excitement. His classmates were there too – even Felix, though he was facing a training dummy and pretending not to care – and a few other students and knights he’d befriended during the year. And of course there was –
The professor.
Byleth.
She was smiling when she approached him. Dimitri felt dizzy, too distracted to think – but the feeling of her hand on his was like a strike of lightning through his veins.
“I was against surprising you,” Byleth said, soft enough that only he could hear. She pried his hand off the hilt of his sword, safely encasing it between her two warm hands instead. “But the children said it was necessary for a successful party.”
“I…” Dimitri cleared his throat, and let his tension fade away. He peered over the professor at the waiting crowd and smiled. For once, it was genuine. “I do not know what to say. Other than – thank you. Truly, from the bottom of my heart.”
His gratitude unleashed whatever force had kept the orphans contained. Before Dimitri knew what was happening, he and Byleth were surrounded by cheering children. They clung to him, babbling over each other too loudly to make out any words, but Dimitri grinned all the same. The other attendees approached next, more coherent but just as pleasant when they wished him happy birthday.
For each one, Byleth remained by his side.
Eventually, cries to cut the cake began to ring out around the training grounds. Smiling bashfully, Dimitri made his way to the table. A large cake sat in the middle, its dark blue icing interspersed with silver flowers and the Crest of Blaiddyd piped on top.
“I made it,” the professor stated, and Dimitri’s heart nearly stopped. He wasn’t sure how much more bliss he could endure. “It’s a cheesecake.”
Dimitri smiled, just for her. “Then I am certain the taste will be as lovely as its beauty.”
Someone groaned, and a few others giggled, but Dimitri paid them no mind as he picked up the waiting knife. As carefully as he could, he slid it through the cake.
“Hey, Professor!” Sylvain called out from somewhere in the crowd. An instinctive dread crept down Dimitri’s spine. “Make sure you look closely at the knife! It’s tradition that if you get icing on it, you have to tell everyone who you’re in lo- – ow!”
Dimitri mentally thanked whichever of his friends had silenced Sylvain. Ignoring the professor’s curious look, he rushed to bury the knife back in the cake and finished cutting the first piece. He placed it on a waiting plate and handed it to her – though food held little appeal to him, watching Byleth eat was always a pleasure.
But to his surprise, the professor held the fork up to his mouth instead, a piece of cake speared on its end. Dimitri’s face began to burn. Surely she couldn’t actually intend for him to – to…
“You first,” Byleth ordered.
And as always, Dimitri obeyed.
He did his best to ignore the hush that fell over the crowd, its silence broken only by giggles and hissed whispers, and someone (Sylvain) whistling in the distance. Leaning down, Dimitri closed his mouth around the fork – that Byleth was holding, like they were courting, and behaving in a scandalous manner in front of everyone (including children!) – and pulled back to chew on the piece of cake.
It was as tasteless as any other food he’d had in the past five years, so Dimitri focused on the texture instead. Even if he couldn’t comment on the flavour, he could at least offer a genuine compliment on how smooth and soft it was.
Except.
The cake was too smooth. And dense. Solid, even. With no crumbs. It almost felt like…
Byleth blinked at him slowly, her expression deadly serious. “Do you like it? It’s a…cheese cake.”
The feeling started in Dimitri’s stomach, then bubbled up to his chest. He started to shake, his shoulders trembling with restraint. And then the laughter tore free from him, echoing in the silence.
“Oh, Professor. That was dreadful!” Dimitri finally managed to choke out between the laughs. Tears gathered in his eyes, happy for once in his life. “I have not laughed so hard, since – since…Well. I cannot remember!”
Byleth studied him with her usual intensity, though there was a softness to her eyes that took away what little breath remained to him. “I’m glad. I like your laugh.”
Goddess, this woman didn’t know what she did to him. Dimitri watched her in awe, heart overflowing with emotion. And when her lips curved upward, pleased and proud –
She was perfect. Utterly perfect.
The rest of the evening passed as pleasantly as it had begun. Mercedes produced the real cake, tiered and spectacular, and no doubt delicious (though in Dimitri’s heart, nothing compared to the gift his professor had prepared). The tea was poured and the food passed around, laughter and conversation filling the grounds. Dimitri mingled with his classmates and joined in the children’s games, moving from one group to the next with surprising pleasure. Truly, it was a wonderful birthday.
The sun had fully set by the time he found himself back by the professor’s side. She joined him on one of the benches, away from the increasingly chaotic centre of the party (Claude’s fault, somehow, though Dimitri wasn’t even sure that he’d been officially invited). A child was passed out in his arms, sleeping peacefully against his chest despite the nearby shrieks and cheers.
Dimitri glanced at Byleth from the corner of his eye. Someone had lit the lanterns along the walls, casting a warm orange glow over her delicate features, and snowflakes glittered in her hair, even prettier than he’d imagined.
“Thank you, Professor,” Dimitri said quietly. When she tilted her head, he smiled. “For the party. You planned it all, I assume?”
Byleth shrugged, but a tiny smile graced her face. “It was the kids’ idea. I just helped.” She looked between him and the sleeping child. “They really love you. You’ll be a wonderful father one day.”
Even in the cool night air, his face began to burn. Thoughts of parenthood while Byleth sat so close was a dangerous prospect – especially when she brushed away a lock of the sleeping child’s hair, her expression softened with affection.
As the crown prince, Dimitri had always known that one day he would sire an heir for the good of his kingdom. He’d never thought much of it as child, simply one more expectation on his shoulders. But ever since Duscur, the thought had filled him with dread. No child deserved a beast for a father. No child deserved to be left alone after a parent’s early death.
But perhaps with the right mother, to guide them in the future…
Dimitri looked away, pretending to clear his throat. “Ah. Well. Anyway. You really tricked me with that story about training for the paladin exam, Professor. I never would have guessed you were actually planning a surprise party!”
“It wasn’t a trick,” Byleth stated. Her brows were slightly slanted, a clear sign of confusion. “You’re still taking the paladin exam. Our training starts tomorrow.”
Oh.
A celebration with those closest to him and a week of private lessons from the professor?
Dimitri leaned back against the wall and smiled. His heart only grew lighter when Byleth shuffled closer and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing in contentment as they shared each other’s warmth.
“Happy birthday, Dimitri,” she murmured.
Truly, a greater gift could not exist.