Emerald Rain

Love and War:

Dimitri:

It all clicked now.

Everything Byleth had done and said before it made sense, she was preparing to leave them.

Dimitri's heart ached at the thought of it, this whole time she had hid this pain from all of them going onward for the future of Fodlan knowing it would lead to her demise...

And yet, she still followed this path.

Byleth hadn't tried to move from Dimitri's embrace, they just stood there in silence.

It drove him mad.

He wanted to know more. For instance, why tell him now. But...

It seemed hard enough for her to even tell him this, he won't pry further than she is comfortable with.

"Dimitri?" Byleth murmured into his chest, "Are you angry?" she asked quietly.

Truthfully, Dimitri didn't know the answer to that. He was upset, yes. But it felt less directed at her and more at the situation.

Wait.

Is that why she didn't tell him? Because she was worried that he would be upset with her? Was she truly that frightened of him?

Dimitri quickly shook that thought from his mind, if she felt that way, he would not be holding her at the moment.

"Dimitri?" Byleth said softly and lifted her head so it was no longer buried in his chest, she looked up at him.

Right. He had not yet answered her question.

Dimitri shook his head, "No, I'm not angry at you Byleth" he reassured "Although I do wish that I had been told sooner" he added.

"In my defense I was going to tell you sooner" Byleth blurted out "You told me to tell you when I was ready" she added and paused for a moment "So, in a way it's kind of your own fault" she concluded with a small laugh.

Dimitri frowned slightly, "Is that right" he said sternly and shook his head.

Byleth stared up at him with a sad smile on her face, "Dimitri, if you would prefer to be ignorant towards this I can always go back" she said quietly.

Dimitri shook his head, "Please don't do that" he said softly it made him wonder had she done that before?

"I don't want you to be hurt afterwards Dimitri, I think you should reconsider," Byleth said sternly.

Dimitri frowned, "You pushing me away won't change my feelings afterwards Byleth" he said then fell quiet "Truthfully, I have a hard time believing that you will actually perish alongside her" he added.

Byleth sighed, "Dimitri, you can't have hope for it" she said sadly "Please don't get your hopes up" she added.

Don't get his hopes up? How could he not?

How could she just accept that she will die so blatantly... Did she even care?

Dimitri hated that she was like him in that aspect, he didn't want her to accept this fate. To accept her death.

Maybe it was purely selfish, but... He wanted Byleth to reject that idea of it. What does Sothis know anyway?

"I'm sorry Byleth, but I cannot accept that as fact I have to believe that there is a chance that you leave that battle unscathed" Dimitri said sternly "I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but I refuse to believe that" he added.

Byleth was silent for a moment, Dimitri couldn't quite read her expression. "Thank you, Dimitri" Byleth said softly and tucked her head back into his chest.