Race Against Time

Lazy Day

It was a peaceful morning in Claude's house.

Byleth could hear the birds chirping in the faint distance, and the slight sound of a fan churning. She blearily opened her eyes, confused as to where she was.

The bedspread was a beautiful shade of gold draped over her, and...wow. Everything was indeed the same shade. Byleth wasn't sure what she had expected, but this wasn't it.

But she liked this anyway.

Aside from the varying shades of gold, Byleth looked up to see the fan. Something caught her eye, and she leaned her head backwards to see an upside-down deer plastered on a poster.

A deer?

Byleth felt her pillow shift just the slightest, and something wrapped around her tighter. As she investigated the situation, she noted that it was indeed Claude's muscular arm wrapped around her body, his heat against her back, and his other arm was underneath her head.

Oh.

Byleth had forgotten falling asleep with him; not because it was a bad experience, but because she'd fallen asleep immediately in his warm embrace. He had heated her up almost entirely. Claude definitely won the award for the best person to cuddle with, she was so comfortable...

Byleth slowly turned around to face him. Just as before, he looked so peaceful in his sleep. Well, now she could admit it to herself since they were dating; he looked so cute while he was sleeping.

He wasn't drooling this time, but Byleth still found him just as adorable. Just like everyone else, she had expected Claude to just stay as flirtatious in his sleep as he always was. It was nice to see that proved wrong.

Byleth had to resist the urge to pinch his precious little cheeks-

Okay, he wasn't a baby. Still, though. It was the first time she'd actually found someone so adorable in the first place...Byleth slowly reached up to trail her thumb down his cheek in admiration...

"You really like looking at my face, don't you?"

Byleth suddenly gasped as he opened his emerald eyes and cheekily flashed her a smile. Byleth quickly retracted her hand, a blush evident on her face.

"No idea what you're talking about," Byleth hurriedly denied the obvious fact. "No idea at
all."

"Right."

"It's the truth!"

Claude didn't reply, but his lazy little smirk said it all. He instead just sat up, disengaging from their snuggles. Byleth could already feel the cold air creeping up on her without his warm embrace...

She leaned backward into her hands lazily. She could honestly spend the whole day in bed here, but Claude was up to go let Magnolia outside. Byleth yawned again. Did they really have to get up and going...?

"I've got it!" Claude suddenly popped back into the room, a bright look on his face. Byleth just blinked twice. She hadn't been expecting him to just come out of nowhere...

"Got what?"

"Well, I've been thinking...About your hair," Claude clarified after Byleth shot him a look.

"And?"

"...I know someone with the same colored hair. Do you remember the Archbishop I was talking about, the one that-"

"Rhea?" Byleth interrupted, and Claude looked surprised before nodding.

"Yes."

"I've actually met her. On the beach. I also already asked her if she knew anything about my condition, since she saw my hair and she freaked out."

"Did she have anything to say about your hair?"

Byleth paused at this question. Well, Rhea hadn't told her anything about her hair except the fact that she was apparently destined to unite the companies, even though she was literally telling Claude to go in that opposite direction...Byleth was sure Claude didn't want to hear about that, so...

"Nothing," Byleth lied. Guilt slowly began to trickle down to the pit of her stomach, settling in uneasily as she lied. A little white lie didn't hurt anyone, did it...? "She said she was born with hers and that she's never had any problems."

"Huh...Well, I'm sure I can get more out of her," Claude said with a determined look in his eyes. Byleth just shook her head frantically.

"No, it's alright," Byleth said hurriedly. "I really think she told me as much as she knew. Besides...I really don't want to do anything today. Could you just...come back to bed? We can have a lazy day, maybe...?"

"You know...I wouldn't be appalled to that. Just let me make sure Magnolia is alright...and then I'll be right back."

As Byleth waited for him to return, she took the time to scour his room a little bit better. He had scattered papers all over his desk, and Byleth could just barely make out the words heart conditions on the front. A lone basketball sat in the corner of the room, and pictures of Claude and his friends were hung around the room. Byleth could see Hilda on a couple of the pictures, she recognized Lorenz from his terrible haircut...but it was one picture that stopped her dead in her tracks.

Claude was winking at the camera, his arms around Dimitri and Edelgard's shoulders. All of them were smiling. It brought a frown to Byleth's face. Claude had never seemed particularly close with any of them, but maybe Byleth had misjudged that situation. Maybe deep down, Claude really did miss them...

Maybe Claude really wanted to get together with his two friends. But in order for that to happen, Claude had to relent...and Byleth couldn't afford to have him go back to that life. He didn't want to abandon his dream, she didn't want him to go back to a horrid life.

It seemed there was no perfect path here...

"I'm back!" Claude strolled in, and Byleth plastered a smile on her face as she patted the bed next to her. He sat, quickly talk the opportunity to cuddle with her.

Byleth had no complaints about that.

"I'm glad you're here," Byleth mumbled into his embrace. He smiled, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Me, too."