ℒ ((FUCK ME UP I WANNA READ THIS))
It had been years since Claude had last seen Byleth, and he wished it hadn’t been like this. He wished it could’ve been someplace else- Not the battlefield, not when she was against them. She was Blue Lions, through and through; He should never have had his hopes up that she would’ve come to him-
But there was a feeling in his chest, a tightening, one that he was all too familiar with. One that had been present for years before- One that he hadn’t known what it meant at first...
He hadn’t even realized, when she had fallen, why it hurt so much. Not until now. He thought it was because she was a dear friend, a mentor to him- But now? Now he knew better. He recognized this pain, he knew what it meant...
He had fallen for the professor at some point, and it was only now that he was realizing it-
A time that she was going to defeat him, and the remaining members of his house. Unless he beat her first, but even then- What was the point? Dimitri would be the one to defeat him, then; They may have been friends before, but he had changed, they had all changed. And now, he didn’t know if his past friend would be so forgiving.
If he were to die... Let it be by Byleth’s sword. It would be suiting for him; The person who had taught him to trust, and one final betrayal.
Steeling himself, Claude entered the battle. And for once, he truly hoped this would be his last.