Chapter Text
While Garreg Mach was their centre of operation, it was not uncommon for Byleth and the former blue lions to leave the monastery to attend to local problems: from bandits to demonic beasts, the Empire wasn’t their only source of trouble.
On the occasion that their group would travel many days, they would camp outside. It was kind of nostalgic: falling back into an old routine reminiscent of their school-days, the group would split themselves in different missions.
Sylvain and Felix would search for wood, while keeping an eye open for hidden enemies. Ingrid would scout the sky and watch the camp from above on her pegasus. Annette and Mercedes would tend to the wounded or install the bedding. Dedue would gather comestible herbs and ingredients, while Ashe started the fire he would use to cook. Byleth was usually the one hunting, bringing back a prey he would skin and prepare for Ashe to use.
Fresh food was always better for the morale, but they had some rations that nobody liked if need be. Bad food was better than no food. It was no time to be picky. Still, it was fortunate that Byleth was a good hunter.
Dimitri would stand to the side, often drenched in blood or gore from the fight. He would not drop his guard, his eye surveying camp and its surrounding. Dedue, Byleth, or Ashe when he was feeling brave, would brought him food that he would accept grudgingly and ate quickly.
Not today. As they were beginning to establish a camp for the night, Dimitri had disappeared. Dedue had been quick to note and was ready to go to his pursuit. The professor had stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
“He will be back.” Byleth’s tone was absolute, his conviction unwavering. The prince shield nodded in acceptance. He trusted his old professor’s judgment. Still, if his highness wasn’t back before the night, Dedue would go after him. Byleth knew and would probably follow.
Byleth was readying himself for a hunt when a nearby breaking branch shifted his attention from his arrows to the forest. Something was coming. Big. Probably dangerous. Byleth’s hand was already on his sword. The leaves parted to reveal Dimitri. He was carrying something on his shoulder like it weighted nothing. No apparent injuries. In five steps he had cross from forest to camp and was standing in front of the professor. It was a dead boar he was hoisting. Freshly killed, its neck snapped in half.
“For you.”
The animal was deposed at Byleth feet. It made a loud sound and the earth trembled a little. Byleth estimated the boar weight to at least a hundred kilo. It would be more than enough for everyone, with a little extra to spare for the next day.
Everyone in the camp was silent. Nobody moved.
“Thank you.” Simply replied Byleth.
Dimitri nodded, before retreating to the outskirt of their little campsite like usual. Close but not too close. His eye was fixated on Byleth. Or maybe it was on the boar he had just brought. Loosing no time, Byleth traded his bow for a hunter knife, and began to work.
Whispers were traded behind him. He heard a “what the hell?” from Sylvain, and the hushed voices of both Annette and Mercedes.
The boar was most unusual coming from Dimitri it’s true. Those days, the prince was more active on the battlefield than in helping set camp. Still, it was a good effort from his part. It’s nice that he was trying to help.
Byleth had no time for useless hopes. He knew that Dimitri would escape from the darkness. For as long as necessary, Byleth would hold out his hand, ready to bring him to the light. There was no doubt in his mind.
But he was a little happy to see Dimitri doing something for others.
That night, Byleth was the one to bring him food. It was a stew with a delightful aroma, the well cooked meat separating with ease. Dimitri accepted his portion in silence. Byleth looked at him, deciphering his mood, before sitting next to him. For a moment, Dimitri stilled, before relaxing infinitesimally. Byleth took it as acceptance and began eating. What they were doing was no different from what they had done multiple times before. Standing side by side, in silence. Still, Byleth was feeling as if something was starting to change.
On the next day, it was an elk that Dimitri brought back.
The prince had once again disappeared right after it was decided to camp. This time, everyone had noticed his absence, and commented on it. He was probably hunting again.
“Is the battlefield not even enough for the boar now?” had remarked Felix.
Was it possible? For a moment, Byleth wondered, before remembering yesterday. “For you” had uttered Dimitri. It was no carnage or blood lust, but an attempt to provide help. It was a good thing. Next to an hour later, Dimitri came back. The prince was uninjured from the hunt and carrying an elk. Impressive, managing to track and kill one, and to bring it to camp. The animal was relatively small for his specie, probably young, but it was still more than enough.
Byleth didn’t have the heart to tell Dimitri that the boar from yesterday would have sufficed to make it back to the monastery. Dimitri was not smiling (he didn’t smile much now), but there was something in his eye, like a spark. Maybe something akin to pride?
Again, Dimitri went to him with his kill. Byleth had his hunting knife, still sheathed. It was better to have no weapon drawn in Dimitri proximity.
“For you.” The elk, like the boar, made a loud noise when touching the ground.
“Thank you.” Byleth responded once more.
The rest of the blue lions were already furiously whispering to each other.
The third kill was in Byleth’s eyes both stupid and impressive.
They would be back to Garreg Mach the next day, and already had more meat that was necessary. Not one to waste, Byleth had still prepared the excess, fuming it using the wood they had gathered. It was good meat. They had more than enough. Hunting would be a loss of energy. Maybe he should have verbalized to Dimitri that hunting would not be necessary? Dimitri might have thought that fresh food was the best way to help.
As they were setting camp, the prince had escaped from their notice and slipped into the forest. It was already too late before they realized it. They could only wait for him to come back, probably with another animal. But as the sun was setting down and Dimitri had yet to come back, worry began to spread around camp. Dimitri was strong, stronger than most, but he may have encountered beasts, bandits, or something worst. He may have been in danger. Ashe and Annette were visibly anxious. Dedue was already taking his axe, ready to investigate.
Then, a noise was heard from the forest. Friend or foes? Dimitri maybe? The head of a massive bear appeared from behind the branches. Dedue and Byleth readied themselves for a fight. Dimitri head followed suit: he was carrying the corpse of an adult brown bear.
Byleth took in the scene of the prince carrying a mass of fur nearly double his size on his back. Dimitri seemed to have more problem with the bulk of the thing rather than the no doubt heavy weight of the animal. Ignoring the fact that no normal human could bear this load. As the professor was looking at the pristine fur of the beast, he realized that Dimitri had probably killed the bear with his bare hand, like the boar and the elk. Was he injured? It was difficult to see with the mass of fur blocking the way. But he was having no problem walking, and no blood followed his path. Good.
Dimitri presented the bear to Byleth. As he stood, liberated of the weight of his prey, Byleth could attest that no injuries had befallen him. He nodded to himself, satisfied. Still, while very impressive, Byleth would have liked him to stay at camp rather than endanger himself needlessly. They had no need for meat. He had probably noticed it too. After all, Dimitri had watch Byleth working on fuming the extra.
Byleth tried to open his mouth to both compliment and admonish him, but Dimitri beat him to it.
“For you.”
Any words Byleth wanted to say died in his throat. There it was again, this spark in Dimitri blue eye. The professor still couldn’t identify what it meant, but it was something good. Something warm. An ember in the darkness.
“Thank you.” Byleth found himself incapable of saying something else.
“You know, I still can’t understand what’s happening.” Sylvain started.
Once Dimitri had returned, the rest of the blue lions had gone back to the fire. Dedue had joined them again, once he had been sure his liege would not go back to the forest for a ridiculous reason. But the prince was simply watching Byleth, who had begun to skin the enormous bear. He had brought back an entire bear. Ridiculous.
Like the night before, and the night before, the young adults were trying to pierce the mystery of Dimitri’s hunting spree. Felix was sure that the boar was losing it and that battlefield kills were not enough for him. Mercedes was more optimistic, supposing that he was only trying to help in his own way. “Maybe he wanted more protein?” was Annette proposition.
“What of it? The killing or the animals getting bigger and bigger?” Felix responded sarcastically.
“All of it! Why is he suddenly hunting? Is he trying to show off to the professor?”
“It’s true that the professor is usually the one hunting… maybe he is trying to soften his workload?” Mercedes suggested.
“I’m more concerned with the size of his prey… Felix is right, they are getting bigger and bigger.” Ingrid added.
“Maybe next he will bring back a demonic beast? That would make for an interesting plate.” Sylvain joked.
Around the fire, eyes widen in horror.
“Oh goddess, would Dimitri fight a demonic beast with his bare hand?” Annette questioned, slightly panicked.
“Relax, I’m sure he is not stupid enough to do that…”
“…”
Dedue didn’t believe his highness stupid enough. Still, he was not in the best state of mind at the moment… The Duscur man resolved himself to following his liege, if a new hunt was to take place. Better be safe.
Ashe, who had been looking at the bear, professor and Dimitri, finally went back to the conversation.
“Is he trying to bring the professor gifts?”
Silence.
“That’s a good one, Ashe! But maybe you should stick to tea, flowers, and books for your future presents.” Sylvain gently mocked.
Embarrassed, Ashe tried to justify his thoughts.
“Cats at the monastery would do it! Maybe he is like them? Not that his highness is a cat, or any sort of animal but…”
“He surely behaves like one.” Felix interrupted.
Sylvain, who was laughing, went abruptly silent.
“Oh … He is trying to bring gifts to the professor… Is he… is he trying to seduce the professor?”
Dimitri's crush at the academy had been obvious. It was a poorly hidden secret that only Byleth had seemed blind to. The blue lions all remembered lovestruck glances across the classroom, blushes in the training hall at the sight of their professor in action, and tea parties from which he would come back smiling from ear to ear.
It was also why the loss of the professor had had such a devastating impact on Dimitri crumbling psyche.
Now that they were all reunited, they had hoped that Byleth presence would help him come back to them. But even the professor was no magical solution. Still, they had hope. Their teacher would not be giving up. They couldn’t either.
But it was kind of surprising that Dimitri first step toward his humanity would be to try to offer strange gifts to their professor… or maybe not that surprising.
“Dimitri has terrible taste. First a dagger, now dead animals…” Sylvain was lamenting.
“You want to know the worst part? It’s kinda working.”
Away from them, Dimitri eye was locked on Byleth. The bear was skinned, and the professor had begun to extract the meat. As he was operating, and probably sensing the prince’s gaze on him, Byleth raised his head. Their eyes meet. Byleth smiled, the corner of his mouth pushed upward.
Sylvain groaned.