Chapter Text
It was snowing.
Normally, he didn’t mind looking at the snow. It gave him a strangely nostalgic feeling, even though he could count the times he had seen snow on one hand… actually. Make that two. This was his sixth time seeing snow.
“Sure wish I had brought some gloves…” he lamented, breathing on his hands and shoving them in his jacket pockets.
At least it wouldn’t take him long to get back to his nice and warm apartment.
It was a Friday night, and though his friends had invited him to go out for some fun, he honestly wanted to do nothing but go home. It was one of those days, where he’d rather just quietly pass the evening before curling up beneath the duvet and going to sleep early.
A notification buzzed in his phone. Great, just when his hands were starting to get warm… It was probably just spam.
Another notification. And another. A torrent of them demanded his attention.
The young man grumbled, taking out his phone to make sure that there was nothing wrong— But when he pulled it out, like some sort of twisted joke, his phone’s screen shut off, indicating that it had run out of battery.
He let out a deep, mournful sigh. But when he did, he had a feeling that someone else had sighed at the same time as he did. He took a moment to take in his surroundings.
“Great, I’ve been stood up again,” a voice reached his ears, cutting through the hubbub. “Guess I’ll get some consolation fried chicken and beer now…”
That voice.
He couldn’t have known it. But he knew it. It was one that he had wanted to hear, for a time that seemed longer than he could’ve ever lived. His feet pulled him towards the source. His hand reached out for her. He wanted— he needed to take her hand. To feel her kind, warm hands once more—
“Excuse me!” He called out to her. His hand grasped hers.
When he touched her— it felt as if he had finally been able to take a gulp of air after holding it for far too long. When his eyes met hers, it was as if the dawn finally broke through a long winter night.
Finally. Finally—
“I found you,” Dimitri whispered.
“Huh?” Byleth blinked, then rose an eyebrow. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”
“Ah—“ he let go of her hand, realizing just how weird he was acting.
Though, he wanted nothing more but to reach for her once again and never let her go.
“I’m sorry,” he cleared his throat. “I… have a question. If I told you that I have this feeling that I’ve been searching and looking for you for an eternity, and now that I’ve met you I’m finally complete… How quickly would you call the police on me?”
“Hm…” She cupped her chin, her breath coming out in small puffs of white smoke. “I mean, I’d think that’s a kinda lousy pick-up line? But, it’s just cheesy enough that it might be endearing in a way. I guess being hot makes it work?”
Oh, Sothis, please have mercy. Was she teasing him? Or did she honestly think he looked hot? Was it bad that… he was hoping for the latter? He felt his face grow hot, and his knees shake.
“Have you used that before?”
“Excuse me?”
“Have you used that pick-up line before?”
“I-I can’t say I have, no. I’m… I’ve never…” he babbled. “I don’t usually— Goddess. I know this must sound like a lie, but I’ve never said anything like that ever before in my life!”
She stared him.
He wanted to crawl into a hole and just die.
But alas. The Goddess wasn’t merciful enough to let him go easy. It seemed that he’d have to suffer coming off as a creep to someone that he —for some reason— had somehow been in love with since forever.
“Well then, handsome weirdo, why don’t we get to actually know each other over some coffee? My treat,” she smiled at him. “Though… you’ll think me crazy, but I have this feeling you might prefer chamomile tea? Am I right?”
…Perhaps Sothis was actually quite merciful.