Days passed...but Byleth still felt the weight of her impending death coming in.
Jeralt had returned to the bar yesterday, but neither of them were the same. Jeralt kept to himself while Byleth tried to pretend as if life was alright.
At least she had Claude to keep her company. He was doing his best to keep the atmosphere light,
providing jokes and trying to ease the Eisner's up. He offered comforting advice to Byleth, and while Byleth appreciated it, the advice didn't help.
Mostly because said advice was directed to her already dead mother.
No, Byleth hadn't told Claude about what was really bothering them. After all, it wasn't his business, and Byleth didn't want to think about it. She avoided any thought that would remind her about her future...
Any thought.
"Hey, Teach? You alright?" Claude asked as he passed by her. She was leaning on the counter, making a drink. The bar was busy, which hadn't left her much time to talk. The two of them and Shamir were on duty. "You're looking pale."
"What? Oh, I'm fine," Byleth shook her head adamantly, mixing the drink quickly. It was almost closing time, much to Byleth's displeasure. "Don't worry about me."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Claude questioned with a slight frown. Byleth nodded before handing the drink off to the boy who had asked for the margarita.
"Yes, Claude," Byleth said evenly. She hated the fact that she was lying to him, especially when he had become her fast friend, but she couldn't bear to even think or talk about her future. It was better if she just forgot about it, and Claude remained clueless. "I appreciate your ongoing concern, but I'm fine."
"If you say so."
The night continued, and just like the other nights, Claude kept her company by talking and laughing. Unlike the other times, where Byleth had simply offered up a small, fake smile (and he'd known it was fake, too) Byleth felt herself actually having a good time. For the first time since the dreadful news, Byleth actually managed to genuinely smile. The thought of her death still lingered in the far back of her mind, but his words made her focus on the thought of happiness rather than departure.
"So, Teach..." Claude began to propose a question as the last customer left the bar hastily. Shamir has gone early; her shift was finished before them. He leaned onto the counter, taking a moment to relax before they had to clean. "What's the most exciting thing you've ever done before?"
"Run this bar," Byleth said honestly before grabbing a mop. She began to wipe at the floors after submerging her mop in the soapy water. "That's...Pretty much it."
"Nothing else? C'mon, Teach. Tell me your secret," Claude smiled playfully, not understanding the double meaning of what he was saying. Byleth pressed her lips together, uttering a silent sigh.
"There is none," Byleth said blandly, the reminder of her secret plaguing her mind. It wasn't his fault, but even the smallest of words seemed to trigger those thoughts. She looked down for a brief moment, before remembering that she needed to appear as if nothing was wrong. "Remember? I haven't done much."
"And you should remember how I said I was going to change that," Claude pointed out, pausing where he was putting away clean dishes to walk over to her.
Byleth had no idea what his intentions were in the first place, but Claude had forgotten one fact as he walked over;
The floor was slippery from where she'd been mopping.
As he walked over, he suddenly slid on the wet floor, skidding forward and toward Byleth. His momentum overtook him, and Byleth's eyes widened as he crashed into her. They crumbled to the ground, making them groan out in pain.
"Sorry! Sorry," Claude apologized profusely. Byleth was pinned underneath his weight, and her eyes widened at how his head had fallen onto her chest. "Uh, your heart is beating really fast..." His eyes suddenly widened, and he backpedaled off of her quickly. "Sorry. That was an accident."
"No, it's fine," Byleth shook her head, distracted as she brought a hand to her chest. Her heart was beating. In her distress, Byleth had completely blocked out the memory of her heart beating. The memory of how her heart was failing her... "...Let's just finish this up, alright?"
Claude frowned as they both stood and continued to close up the shop. He didn't know what was going on...but he could tell his Teach was hiding something.
And he was going to find out.
YOU ARE READING
Race Against Time
Fanfiction"BYLETH, YOU'RE DYING." Those were the words Byleth Eisner had heard her entire life...but it had never rang true. She had always known that the doctors were wrong, that she was going to keep living, but the fear of death was constant. Born with a h...
