Race Against Time

Something Fun

It was one fifteen in the morning, and Claude still wasn't there.

Byleth impatiently awaited for Claude to arrive,
tapping her foot on the ground. She was eager to know just what he had planned, and if his plan would actually succeed or not. After all, there was no guarantee that Byleth would enjoy this in the first place.

But...she hoped he would.

"Alright, kid. Where are you heading?" Shamir Nevrand questioned, her brow cocked in staid curiosity. Shamir was a stoic, calm bartender who tended to snark Jeralt quite a bit. Byleth tilted her head quizzically, not understanding what Shamir was asking.

"What?"

"You keep eyeing the door," Shamir said plainly as she washed the dishes. "You heading out?"

"...Yeah," Byleth admitted somewhat guiltily. What would her father think? "Will you guys be alright?"

"Who do you think we are, a bunch of incompetent fools?" Shamir scoffed at the thought as she scrubbed a plate more fiercely. "We'll be fine."

"Yeah, don't worry about us!" Leonie grinned as she made her way over, a proud look on her face as they conversed. "We'll be okay."

"Right," Byleth nodded, glad that all her bartenders were trustworthy. Jeralt was amazing for only accepting the best of the best. "I know I can count on you guys."

The door swung open, accompanied by a little jingle of bells to signify it was opening. Byleth glanced over, relieved to finally see Claude.

"So sorry! I-Wait, hold on," Claude panted, resting his hands on his thighs. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I ran here as fast as I could."

"It's fine," Byleth stepped out from behind the counter, grabbing her belongings. Noting the stares from the other customers, Byleth gestured toward the door. "Let's take this outside."

"Oh, right! My bad."

They walked outside, and Claude slipped her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. The venue is across the street...I thought it wouldn't run late," Claude apologized profusely as the door closed behind them. "But it did. My bad."

He came from there? Huh. I wonder what we're doing.

"It's alright," Byleth shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide how overly curious she was about his plan. "So...what are we doing at this place?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

Byleth inwardly cursed as he saw right though here and he grinned sheepishly at her. Byleth couldn't help a smile from creeping onto her face just from seeing his excited smirk.

"Ah, haven't seen that lovely smile of yours lately," Claude teased lightly. "Your mom must be recovering, then."

"Y-Yeah," Byleth stumbled over her lie. After all, her mother had been dead since birth, it was weird to even hear someone refer to her in the present tense. "She is."

"Well, give her my regards from Claude von Riegan himself," Claude smiled, but his grin grew wider as they caught sight of the venue. "Ah, here it is! Come on, Teach."

Byleth followed him inside, a confused look on her face. It was dimly lit inside, with some tables and candles. There was a corner with musical instruments and a guy with purple hair singing gravely. Byleth frowned. Were they at...another bar?

"Did you take me away from my bar to send us to another one? Are we not good enough?"

"What? No! No, that's not it," Claude quickly reassured her quickly, shaking his head to dissuade any thoughts like that. "This isn't a bar...this is a lounge. Yes, alcohol is offered here...but the main event is the music."

"I...don't understand," Byleth felt slightly down upon the reveal. "This is...almost the same as my own bar."

"Your bar may have music, but this is constant live music! The drinks aren't important...it's the music!" Claude protested, seating them down at a free table. "Come on, Teach. Just sit...and listen."

Byleth looked at him skeptically. She had never been a big fan of music. It had never made her feel anything at all, so Byleth opted for silence rather than needless sound. What would make this so different?

"Come on, Teach," Claude sat down, a smile on his face. "Just trust me."

Byleth sighed, still unsure...but if Claude thought it would help, Byleth supposed there was no harm in trying.

"...Alright."

The singer continued, but only for a bit. The vaguely feminine looking boy got off the little platform, and a band got onto the little stage. They had a guitar and someone was seated at the little drum set. Just what was going on-?

Byleth found herself surprised as the music began to play. The sound was harmonic and symphonic, pleasing to her ear. Something about it was just so different than the pop music that was normally on the radio. There was musicality to this, a groove that just made...

It made her feel very warm inside.

The singer's voice was smooth and soothing to listen to. Byleth had to admit that while this wasn't what she'd been expecting from a wild boy like Claude, she actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

Just as he had expected.

"Alright, this is pretty nice," Byleth admitted in a hushed whisper, and Claude only smiled wider in victory. "You win."

"Told you to trust me, Teach."

The song ended, and the venue full of people exploded into applause. Byleth found herself clapping, actually enjoying herself, much to her surprise.

A couple of slower songs continued. Byleth have could listened to her voice all day, and as the chorus came around, people began to get up and dance in the middle of the floor. Claude grinned.

"C'mon, Teach! Let's go."

"Oh, no, Claude. I don't dance," Byleth immediately began to shake her head in refusal as he stood. She laughed in amusement, but continued to deny his advances. "No, I mean it. I really can't."

"Everyone can dance, Teach," Claude told her brightly, a wide smile on his face. He held out his hand toward her, gesturing for her to take it. "Dancing isn't about being good...it's about having fun. How can you be bad at it if you're having fun?"

"That's the thing," Byleth said with a small, sad frown. "I've never had fun. I've always been terrible, and just overall miserable-"

"-And I'm here to fix that," Claude offered her a wider, soft smile. He reached his hand out further, a hopeful look in his bright emerald eyes. "Come on, Teach. Don't you wanna be happy?"

Byleth glanced at the unwavering kindness in his eyes, and she nodded. Yes, she wanted to be happy...if she wanted to be happy, she'd have to trust him. Trusting him had been working out for her well, hadn't it? Byleth took his hand, and he pulled her onto the dance floor with a wide grin.

"Good. Let's dance, Teach!"