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Seteth woke up with the morning sun. His room in the church faced east, allowing the warmth the morning brought into his room.
Normally, he woke up to only the sound of faint footsteps down the hall and occasional dog barking down below. Today however, there was a soft muttering under the blanket next to him.
Seteth carefully pulled the blanket down to see who was lying there.
The new professor was laying on his back, eyes clothes and mouth muttering something in his sleep. He noticed the man was shirtless, and Seteth almost felt his heart stop.
Thinking back, last night had been a big faculty meeting. It was supposed to be to discuss issues arising with the students, but Manuela had brought in a full cart of alcholic beverages.
Rhea had laughed and insisted that the issues weren't as bad as Seteth was making them out to be, and that everyone deserved a night off. Seteth was never a drinker, but Rhea and Manuela watched him closely to make sure he had at least one drink.
He wasn't a lightweight at all, quite the opposite, but Manuela knew how to make a strong drink.
After the two had left him alone, finally, Seteth resigned himself to watching the other faculty members drink themselves into a stupor. Manuela and Hanneman began a loud argument over nothing, resulting in Hanneman stumbling over a chair. Rhea simply sipped a drink and spoke warmly to a few of the combat teachers.
Seteth found himself looking for the Academy's latest addition. He found him standing stiffly in a corner, slowly drinking his own glass. His face was as blank as ever, aside from a faint grimace every sip he took.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about the young man. He was a seasoned warrior, and despite his quiet nature, his students were among the best the Academy had ever seen.
Perhaps tonight was a good opportunity to learn more about him.
Seteth made his way over, setting his empty glass down on an empty table.
"Good evening, professor."
"Seteth." Byleth lifted his chin to greet him. "This is some faculty meeting."
"Now you sound like Jeralt." Seteth had heard that very line from the man's father during meetings with the Knights' leadership.
"Well, he is my father. Allegedly."
That seemed to be a running joke between the two men.
"We were meant to talk about how to help some of the more troubled students, but that clearly isn't going to happen tonight." Seteth found himself sighing at the derailed gathering.
"This is probably better." Byleth grimaced as he took another sip. "The kids will work themselves out."
"We should still assist them in their process."
"Things work how they're meant to." Byleth finally finished the drink he had and shook his head. "If they want to go in the world, they'll figure it out."
"How old are you, professor?" Seteth knew the man wasn't much older than those students.
"I already told you. I don't know." Byleth fold his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Does that matter?"
"Perhaps. You tend to have a more hands-off approach to your students. Many other professors believe it is our duty to lead the children into their lives as adults."
Byleth shrugged. "They gotta walk alone at some point."
Seteth didn't respond to that. As a father, he liked to be very involved in his child's life, and he had taken that to the professors before Byleth had come. The sudents tended responded well to having adults look after them.
Manuela stumbled by, interrupting their conversation. "Byleth, honey, you need to loosen up! You're so stiff!" She looped her arm through Byleth's, leaning her weight on him.
"I'm not."
"Then why are you talking to Mr. Frowny Face here?"
Byleth rose an eyebrow at her. Seteth was use to Manuela's drunken nicknames for him.
Something seemed to click in her brain as Byleth glanced over to him. "Oh. I see what this is. Professor, I never took you as the type."
"What?"
"Seteth will be a tough nut to crack." She tapped Byleth on the chest. "You gotta really spell it out for him. But I believe in you."
"I don't know what's happening."
Manuela giggled, blindly pointing to Seteth. "I know how men like you flirt. You act all stoic but it's a game. You wanna get in Seteth's pants."
Byleth frowned, the most emotion Seteth had ever seen. Seteth could feel his own face heating up. To suggest such a thing–
Byleth pulled his arm free. "Manuela."
She laughed again, too loud. "Fine. I'll leave you two be. But don't say I never did anything for you."
Byleth watched her go. If Seteth didn't know any better, he could have sworn Byleth was blushing. He may have even been upset at the woman.
"Manuela is certainly a character." Seteth found himself saying. Maybe it was an attempt to ease Byleth's mood again.
"I think I'm going to leave." Byleth said, pushing himself off the wall.
"I'll walk you out."
Byleth looked like he wanted to say something, but ended up keeping quiet.
The two ducked out into the hallway. Byleth kept quiet, walking slightly ahead of Seteth.
Manuela's words rang in the back of Seteth's head. He didn't think they were true, but the way Byleth had clammed up seemed weird.
"Professor, about what Manuela said…"
"I don't want to talk about that." That was enough to say that they should.
"But perhaps we should."
"She was drunk."
"She doesn't make things up."
Seteth found himself pushed up against the brick in a dark corner. Byleth was shorter than him, but still cut an intimidating figure in the dark.
"She doesn't." Byleth admitted.
So Byleth did carry feelings.
Seteth wasn't sure what came over him in that moment, but one moment he was glancing at Byleth's lips, and the next they were kissing.
Seteth never made it a secret tjat he was curious about Byleth. He knew that curiosity was morphing into something else, but he never took the time to unpack those feelings. But now Byleth was forcing him too.
Neither of them were drunk, but it seemed Manuela's alcohol had loosened them up enough to find themselves here, in Seteth's room. Thankfully, Seteth had had the forethought to close the blinds that morning.
---
Seteth stopped himself remembering what happened after.
Looking at the man in his bed, Seteth sighed, carefully reaching over to brush the dark hair from his face. He really was quite beautiful.
Against his better judgement, he found his gaze drifting downward, down his neck and across his collarbones. A faint scar made its way across his left shoulder. For such a experienced fighter, Byleth didn't seem to have too many scars. Perhaps he would have to observe his sparring sessions at some point….
Byleth took a sharp breath and opened his eyes.
Seteth quickly pulled his hand back, shifting away from him.
"This isn't my room." He sat up, seemingly already wide awake.
"No, it's not."
Byleth turned his head to him. "Seteth."
"Good Morning."
"Well, I guess that explains the… dream." Byleth shook his head. "I didn't mean to sleep here."
Seteth remembered last night, Byleth lazily throwing an arm over his stomach, muttering to himself. It had been a very long time since Seteth had felt such an embrace.
"I don't mind."
He almost caught the hint of a smirk on Byleth's face. The man's very subtle facial expressions were somehow endearing.
Byleth laid back down, leaving the blanket around his waist. Seteth found himself wanting to touch him again. He let his hand hover over Byleth's ribs, hesitating, until he heard Byleth laugh softly.
"You don't have to ask."
Seteth nodded, settling back in the sheets with him.
"It's been a long time since I shared my bed." He found himself admitting.
"I could tell."
"What?" Seteth almost sat back up in shame. He knew he was rusty but–
"I'm joking." Byleth was apparently a joker. "But you do seem the type."
Seteth let the conversation die there. They lay in silence, Seteth watching his fingers trace the lean muscle across Byleth's chest.
"Where did you get this scar?" Seteth asked, letting his thumb run across the scar on his shoulder he'd noticed earlier.
"That was from my second mission with my dad's company. Took an axe in the shoulder." It couldn't have been that old then.
There didn't seem to be much of a story behind the scar, or more likely, Byleth just didn't want to tell it.
Another, incredibly pale scar caught his eye. This one lay right over Byleth's heart.
"What about this one?" Seteth asked.
The scar was almost the same color as Byleth's skin. The only clue that wasn't was the slight raise to it and the sparse chest hair circling the area.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
Byleth shook his head. "It's been there forever."
"I see."
Their time was cut short by a knock at the door. It seemed Seteth was needed for a meeting with Rhea. Byleth had some work he needed to do, so they agreed to discretely part ways for now.
Byleth gave him a short kiss before disappearing down the hall. It would seem Seteth had stumbled into something with him.
---
Later in the day, Seteth was in his office, trying to focus on his paperwork, but his mind kept drifting back to the morning. Waking up next to someone had been such a far away concept for a very long time. Seteth almost considered going out to find Byleth to invite him back. Perhaps he could get Byleth to tell the truth about that scar….
"Somebody's feeling good." A gruff voice came through his door.
Seteth looked up to see Jeralt standing in his doorway. The man had a stack of papers crumpled in his hands.
"I got that paperwork you wanted." Jeralt invited himself in and laid the stack on his desk.
"Thank you."
For just a second, Seteth almost asked about that scar.
“You got something on your mind.” Jeralt didn’t frame it as a question.
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
“It’s about my boy, isn’t it?” How Jeralt and Byleth could get into his head like this, he would never know. Many times Byleth had phrased the question he had bouncing in his head without Seteth even saying it.
“I suppose it is.” Would Jeralt be upset he had invited his son into his bed? Seteth wasn’t weak or unexperienced in battle, but it had been a long time since he had been called to bear his lance.
“Relax. I saw you and the kid practically draped over each other last night.” Jeralt rolled his eyes. “I been tell telling him to make a move for a few weeks now.”
“Oh.”
“So what is it? He do something weird? I got news for you, Seteth. Byleth’s a weird guy. Real weird sometimes.” Jeralt wasn’t lying.
“It was a scar. On his chest.”
“Oh. That.” Jeralt sighed and took a seat. “He’s had that pretty much since he was born.”
“So he wasn’t lying about not knowing.”
“Oh no. There’s no way he’d remember. I never even found out why.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t allowed in the room during his birth. I couldn’t see him for three days after he was born. And when I finally got to hold him, he had this fresh, stitched scar across his chest.” Jeralt’s eyes had drifted off, seeing into his past. “I know his mother had a real rough time giving birth. I think it was something to do with his heart.”
“His mother never told you?”
“No. She was unconscious for several days after.” Something was off in his voice. “But, Byleth turned out fine. He’s healthy and alive, which is all I can ask for.”
“You make a good point.”
“Well, if that’s all, I’m gonna go. I promised one of the guys I’d buy him lunch.” With that, Jeralt disappeared out the door.
So Byleth wasn’t lying about not knowing, but Jeralt was lying about something else in his story. How curious.
Before Seteth could continue his brooding over the matter, there was a short knock at his door and Byleth’s head popped in.
“Hey, you hungry?” He had a soft smile on his face.
Seteth stood up. “I believe so.”