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“With the legends associated with this place, I’m surprised it isn’t crawling with students,” Yuri says as he takes the last step, walks onto the landing. He seems content to wander, to look, but he pauses in the middle of the room, looks over his shoulder and smiles at Byleth. “Or maybe they saw you here and were too scared to try and sneak inside.” Byleth still has one hand on the balcony as Yuri resumes his wandering. Steadily, surely, he closes the distance, chooses the spot closest to Byleth. Yuri leans back against the railing, tilts his head upwards towards Byleth.
“Are you escaping from their fancy ball? Thought you’d find some refuge here?” Byleth nods once at his question. Yuri smirks, lets his chin drop and shakes his head, full of mirth. “Really? You didn’t enjoy dancing with all the students who could get their hands on you?” He’s getting easier to understand. The blank face of the Ashen Demon was something to behold, at first, but he’s not as expressionless as many would believe. As Yuri looks back at him, he can see the slight frown between his brows, and Byleth shakes his head three times. “Well, you’ll have no refuge here, because I’m not afraid of you.” He practically crows it.
The frown softens. Something akin to a smile takes its place, Byleth’s eyes full of soft fondness. Yuri looks away, clears his throat. He takes his hands away from the balcony, allows himself to sink down. His hands at fists on his side, he looks at the cobwebs which twist in the moonlight. It’s not entirely surprising, or unwelcome, when Byleth sits down beside him. Byleth splays his hands flat against the cool cobblestone, rests his head back against the balcony. “The legends… if you believe in such things, one says that any wish made here will come true,” Yuri speaks slowly. “What would you wish for?”
Byleth bends a knee as he tilts his head thoughtfully, and lets his arm rest over his knee. His other hand is still splayed between them. The frown has made a re-appearance, and he seems to search the crack of each stone for an answer. In the end, he simply shrugs. Yuri snorts amusement, “For someone so decisive in battle, you sure are useless everywhere else.” He watches Byleth’s shoulders fall, his gaze drop to the floor between them. “Don’t worry, I don’t mean it. You’re plenty capable.” Byleth takes a moment to rub the back of his neck before resting his arm on his knee again, pointing at Yuri.
“My wish? Let’s see…” Yuri’s gaze drifts around the opening to the balcony. Vines curl around stone, their roots so far below, now reaching for the heavens. He follows the line of the entrance, to the railing, all the way around to – Yuri leans a little closer to Byleth, his fist shifting with him. He reaches out a single finger, lets it rest against the back of Byleth’s hand. “What if I wished to get to know you better?” Byleth holds Yuri’s gaze unflinchingly, the cool midnight breeze sending stray wisps of dark hair curling against his temple.
“You don’t need to waste a wish for that,” Byleth says, his voice low, barely more than a whisper. Still, it echoes deeper, sounds warmer than any other voice Yuri has heard before.
“It wouldn’t be a waste to me,” Yuri tells him. A sick feeling of satisfaction coils in his belly as Byleth breaks the gaze for only a moment, the slightest hint of a blush on his cheeks. Then he looks back, the color clearing away as quickly as it had come. “The other legend, the one that really gets students excited, is that if two people share a vow at the Goddess Tower, they’ll be bound together forever. Doesn’t that sound interesting?” Yuri’s finger is still resting atop Byleth’s hand. Byleth nods slowly.
“Then, let’s make a vow,” Yuri says, his other hand moving between them in a clenched fist, save for an extended pinky. Byleth looks curiously at it for a moment, then moves his arm from his knee to link his pinky with Yuri’s. Byleth’s skin is cool, his touch tentative but sure. Yuri keeps them tightly locked together. “No lying. Ever. About anything, big or small. Even if everything else falls apart, we’re never going to have to guess about trusting each other.” Byleth’s face is mere inches from his. Yuri’s lips are slightly parted, waited on baited breath to see if Byleth accepts that vow. It’s only now that he thinks of the possibility that Byleth could refuse. Byleth gives Yuri a small nod, the slightest squeeze of his pinky.
“Now I’ll have to think of all the questions I want to ask you,” Yuri says, “I wonder where to begin?” Byleth’s back straightens, stiffens, his eyes widening with the sudden realization of the implications in the promise he just made. Yuri laughs as he breaks their link, pulls back his hand. Byleth mirrors him. “I’ll try not to take advantage of it. You realize you could do the same thing, right?” Byleth shakes his head. He did not. Yuri stifles more laughter. Sometimes he’s unbelievably easy to read.
“Well,” Yuri says as he rises to his feet, brushes the dust off his trousers, “it’s something for you to think about until our next meeting.” Byleth’s hands are folded in his lap as Byleth looks up at him. “You shouldn’t stay away from the ball too long. Someone might miss you.” Byleth looks unbelievably weary at the suggestion, aging a decade in a single breath. Yuri smiles at poor Byleth. Fine, he’ll be the one to take pity on him. “Or you could come hide out with me, where it’s certain no one will find you.” Yuri extends his hand. Without hesitation, Byleth takes it, and Yuri hauls him to his feet.