All This Time

One Week

A week had gone by.

One week. That was it? Byleth missed everything about Claude; his hands eliciting a fire on her skin, his sparkling emerald eyes, his nervous habit of running a hand through his chocolatey hair and how he twirled an arrow to hide his nervousness. Most of all, she missed his smile.

His real smile. Not the one that he used insincerely, but the one that was somehow more of a relaxed and lazy grin. Byleth's eyes closed in appeasement as she pictured her beloved's handsome features...

Claude, I miss you so much...

"I love you, Teach," Claude breathed warmly as they kissed passionately, his hands roaming her bare skin. Byleth ran her hands through his hair so she could kiss him better.

You don't have to go, Byleth had thought as his fingertips grazed her shoulders, making her shiver in pleasure. No, she couldn't be selfish. The best thing she could do was enjoy the little time they had left...

"I love you too, Claude," Byleth gasped as he kissed her with even more conviction, his lips dancing against hers. "I love you so much..."

Byleth sighed dreamily at the thought of the memory. That had been the wild night before he'd left for Almyra. Byleth had to fight the urge to guilt trip him to stay...she knew he needed to go out achieve his goal.

Still, it hurt.

Byleth got to her feet, heading to the Golden Deer classroom. She was wearing her usual uniform, as opposed to her Archbishop getup. It was a small act of defiance in her mind; a rejection of the identity forced upon her.

Byleth was supposed to visit Rhea today. The former Archbishop was still on her assumed deathbed. Byleth really didn't want to see another friend of hers leave for all eternity, especially since Rhea had finally admitted the truth.

"It's up to you if you want to forgive her, Teach," Claude shrugged unknowingly, playing with her hair. "But I think everyone deserves a second chance. We make mistakes, we're all human."

How come the second Byleth had chosen to heed his advice, she was punished? Byleth had forgiven Rhea, and destiny had decided to kill her off. How was that fair at all?

"Life has never been fair."

Byleth remembered telling Claude those words so many times. Yet now that it was being repeated toward her, she could hardly accept the truth of it all...

The sight of the Golden Deer classroom already comforted Byleth to no end. She walked down the middle, sitting where Claude normally had.

His belongings were still inside the desk. Byleth wrapped her hands around a small ball. She smiled to herself; he'd often used to throw this against the wall when he was bored. At the time, Byleth had been annoyed at his negligence, and Lorenz had scolded him about the 'duties of a noble'.

Now, Byleth missed his mischievous antics. She'd do anything, give up anything just to have him by her side again. Even if he was annoying her, at least he was there.

She rummaged around further in his desk, closing her fingers around a piece of paper. Byleth pulled it out, revealing a white card with golden decorations. It said the words 'Hey Teach~' on the front. Apparently Claude had left her a little gift...

Byleth delicately opened the card, gasping as a little paper cut out of a deer unfolded upon opening the card. She placed one hand over her mouth in surprise, a happy little sob escaping her lips.

Dear Teach,

If you're reading this, then that probably means I've gone to fulfill my mission. I'm sorry that I have to leave. I've probably told you this a million times... But I've got a dream to make sure no one goes through what I did. I'm sorry that our happiness has to come between this. I'm sorry for not being the man you deserve. You deserve a break more than I do, and here I am shoving queenly duties upon you...

Well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I can't prioritize us...but once this war is over, I promise that I'll never, ever take my eyes off of you. I love you, Teach. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now...

I promise that I'll love you, now, and forever. But only if you'll have me still when I come home.

Love,
Claude

Byleth sniffled upon reading the letter. No, she wasn't mad at him. She understood. She hated their circumstances, though. Why wasn't Almyra already united to begin with?

It was selfish, and Byleth knew that...but she just missed him so much.

My love, I'll be awaiting your return. And I'll have you...no matter what.