All This Time

Girls Night

"Professor, Professor! Come on, we're having a girls night!"

Byleth furrowed her brow as the girls of the Golden Deer knocked on her door. Specifically, Hilda's voice was impatiently demanding their teacher's presence. Byleth sighed, walking over to her door before opening it.

"Hello, girls-"

"Professor! You have to come with us!" Lysithea's eyes shone with excitement before anyone else could jump in. "There's going to be cake! Maybe some pastries, and-uh...I mean, it's not that exciting."

"Wait, where are we even going?" Byleth questioned, confused. "Also-girls night? What's wrong with the boys?"

"Oh, Professor!" Hilda giggled innocently, not matching the mischievous look on her face. She twirled her hair with her finger. "Nothing! But we've got to talk about things only we can know!"

"Uh...I'm afraid I've never been good at gossip," Ingrid shrugged awkwardly, smoothing down her skirt. She still wore her armor, mostly out of habit. "Does this mean I should be excused?"

"No! You have to stay," Dorothea commanded, looking over at Leonie, who she knew was feeling the same way. "It's for all of us girls!"

"I am most excited to be doing a girls night out!" Flayn grinned, rocking back and forth on her heels. "...Where will we be going?"

"Oh, right!" Hilda dropped her hands, glancing away from the shy Marianne. "Come on, let's go!"

"Where are we going-!?" Byleth wasn't allowed to finish her question as she was pulled out of her room and dragged along. Byleth just shrugged and accepted it; she knew no harm would come to her. Still, it was strange to be carried around like this.

They arrived in some underground area, lit with dim candlelights. They were surrounded by an enormous library. Byleth wondered just what was in there...

"Where are we?" Byleth found herself asking, voicing the thoughts of everyone around her.

"I don't know. I found this place the other day and showed Hilda," Marianne replied quietly, glancing around at the multitude of books. "We could go north, but I don't want to travel too far. Hilda suggested we use this place for a secret meeting."

"Secret meeting?"

"Yes!" Hilda shushed everyone with a wide smile on her face. "Come on. We've got to talk...about the baby, of course! Oh, and let's be honest, who's hiding a relationship from us? Is it you, Lysithea?"

"What? No!" Lysithea immediately denied, looking somewhat disappointed. "So is this really what we're here to talk about? I thought that this would be more interesting."

"Well, we can talk about whatever," Hilda explained, and hurriedly pulled something out from behind a desk. "Here, have some pastries everyone! I didn't make them, give your thanks to the chef."

"Actually, I would like to hear about your child," Leonie grabbed a pastry after everyone else did, munching on it absentmindedly. "A mixture of you and Claude, hm? Oh, and Captain Jeralt, of course...this is gonna be one great kid."

"Do you want a girl or a boy, Professor?" Marianne asked timidly, making sure she didn't spill her pastry onto the ground. "A little...er..."

"A little Claudeleth!" Dorothea repeated the term in absolute fondness. "I can see it now! A beautiful little girl with dark skin and your minty green hair,
and-"

"Oh, well...I'd actually hope that my child didn't take this hair color," Byleth admitted, grabbing a pastry of her own. "If my child inherited my old hair color, that would be alright. That was what I was genetically born with...so I'd hope that that's what my child would receive. I don't want my child to have to deal with any sort of divine revelation. That can start and end with me."

"Fair," Lysithea agreed, and Byleth chuckled inwardly at how engaged the younger girl was in the conversation despite claiming she was uninterested. "Well, how about a boy?"

"Oh, I know! He'd have Claude's eyes for sure," Dorothea clapped her hands in excitement. "But he'd definitely take after you with your skin. Oh, how cute!"

"You guys seem to be enjoying fantasizing what my child will look like," Byleth said in amusement. "The kid won't come for a long while. I think you're all getting carried away."

"Maybe, but I'm not mad about that."

"So, anyone else got anything to share?" Hilda asked after finishing her baked pastry. Ingrid averted her eyes awkwardly, and this was not missed by the deceptively perceptive Hilda. "Ahah! What do you have to say, Ingrid?"

"I...Um..." Ingrid fidgeted awkwardly before finally spitting it out. "Well...I'm getting married, actually."

"What!?" Leonie almost spit out her food, covering her mouth just in time. She wiped at her mouth, chewing and swallowing before repeating her sentiment. "You're getting married? To who?"

"Is it because of your father...?"

"No! I...I actually really love him," Ingrid felt her cheeks glowing red. "This is so embarrassing."

"DON'T LEAVE US WAITING!" Hilda exclaimed excitedly. She turned to Dorothea, who was admittedly much less enthusiastic. "Come on, Dorothea! Help!"

"Who are you getting married to?"

"This is so awkward," Ingrid covered her face with her hands as everyone looked at her in anticipation. She separated her fingers, showing her eyes before quietly muttering her answer. "...I'm in love with Sylvain!"

"Ahah! Called it!" Hilda squealed, embracing Ingrid in a tight hug. "You guys are so cute together! I've been telling Marianne this for the past five years!"

"Was it truly so obvious?" Ingrid mumbled. Everyone laughed, and then agreed in some sort of way.

"When's the wedding?" Byleth questioned, taking a bite of her vanilla pastry. Ingrid shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sometime after yours," Ingrid revealed, her awkward look turning into a gradual smile. "We both agreed it was only right."

"I'm so happy for you," Byleth smiled. "All my Golden Deer are growing up so fast...anyone else have anything they want to say?"

"Um...Lorenz has also been asking about what I plan to do now that the war is over," Marianne said shyly.

"Wow, really? He treats you so well," Hilda agreed wholeheartedly. She'd witnessed him bring the timid girl out of her shell. "You're so lucky!"

"Thanks, Hilda.."

"Alright, this was a good idea," Leonie finally admitted. "This is fun."

"Yes, it is. Thank you, girls."