Race Against Time

Nausea and Headaches

Time passed rapidly, far too rapidly.

True to his word, Yuri had actually taken down those corruption the Adrestian Empire as well as Cornelia. Edelgard and Dimitri agreed to unite the companies, and while Byleth didn't see Claude as much as she wanted, he still made time for her. Everything was seeming to pass by just fine until winter swept through Fódlan, covering streets in ice and filling the air with chilly temperatures as snow fell from the sky regularly.

Byleth awoke to her body feeling hot all over as her head pulsated quickly and her stomach turned.

She groaned out quietly, turning over to her side in bed. It was no use, she couldn't get comfortable. Her movement quickly woke up Claude, who sleepily draped his arm over her.

"Go back to sleep," He mumbled before nuzzling his nose into her silky green hair. Byleth melted into his embrace, even as her body felt like it was being engulfed by flames.

"I can't. I don't feel good..."

Instantly, he was awake. He moved his hand up to her forehead as he sat up. Claude frowned before leaving the warmth of the bed. Byleth sighed, weakly trying to make him come back, but it was no use. Her body was just too tired...

He came back with a glass of water and medicine. He sat down on the bed, handing her the glass of water.

"Here. Drink up," Claude advised, and Byleth just nodded, too weak to respond to him. The water did help to soothe her twisting stomach just the smallest bit. "You have a fever."

"Well, that's just...amazing," Byleth couldn't help but make an annoyed comment before taking the medicine from Claude. "Sorry..." Byleth sighed. "I can take care of myself, it's all good."

"Oh, I know," Claude grinned. "But you're gonna be bored here all alone, so why don't I keep you company?"

"But...Doesn't the actual company need you?" Byleth downed the medicine before relaxing backward into the soft comforts of the bed. She pushed the covers off of herself, just laying there sprawled out. "Of course I want you here, but you're juggling full time jobs that need you there for every second. Trust me, I get it, remember?"

"Yeah, I know...But I also need to make time for you. You're the priority, above everything else, so..."

"Aw," Byleth manages a small smile. "Thanks, Claude...I love you."

"Love ya too, Teach."

His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her more intently, but he just shook his head and didn't question it. Byleth wasn't sure what he was looking at, but she didn't have the energy to ask. She just sighed and let her head hit the pillow once more.

Claude stayed true to his word, and Byleth stayed in bed for the entire day. He brought her breakfast and lunch, homemade, and while he wasn't the best cook, he certainly didn't suck at it whatsoever. The soft, chewy waffles and freshly cut strawberries was more than enough for Byleth as the immaculate taste filled her mouth with sweet flavor. He had brought her a garbage can, since she had said she felt like throwing up. Honestly, while Byleth really could have taken care of herself, it was nice to have someone make breakfast and care for her.

"Go to bed, Teach," Claude said after Byleth placed her now empty plate onto the dresser next to her.

"I want to stay up and talk with you. It'll make me feel better than any sleep."

"Your body probably wouldn't think so."

"I'm-" Byleth was about to make a joke about the amount of time she had left before she managed to stop herself. She couldn't think like that. "I'm okay."

"You'll get better quicker if you just slept..."

"No, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway," Byleth bit her lip. Try as she might, the thought of her illness wouldn't stop bothering her. Was this the end? It hadn't been a year yet. Byleth still had time...or had Manuela been wrong in her calculations? Maybe Byleth was about to pass away? Claude deserved to know her suspicions...but Byleth honestly just didn't want t deal with his worry. So she swallowed her thoughts and put on a weak smile. "I'm not tired."

"...Will cuddling make you sleep better?" Claude shrugged, and Byleth couldn't help but laugh.

"Always...But I don't want to get you sick. You should probably stay far away."

"Sick or not, I'll be by your side."

Byleth just smiled before cuddling closer to her boyfriend. The familiar smell of pine enveloped her, and the scent itself comforted Byleth. She lulled herself to sleep, completely unaware of her completely green hair, or the fact that a full year was only a couple months away...