[closed] March Catch All

[nastyboy]

Who: Team Femblemtroika (Grant, Chip, Dimitri, Sylvain, Claude, Felix, Jinx, Razor, Ashe, Annette, Lysithea - with people going in and out as they please)
What: Please let this group just fall asleep in Olivine for a while with nothing exploding, they beg you
When: March
Where: The Olivine City general area
Rating: T

Comments

B

[vrdantwind]

[Claude, who is doing the absolute opposite of cooling down Dimitri's hot skin and is instead all but wrapped around him to leech his heat, stirs to blink sleepily up at him.] No, I love you. [Even halfway to dozing and with his brain muddled from fever, this seems like the easiest question in the world to answer.

But then he frowns, as his brain tries to dissect the question a little more and he realizes maybe that's not the right answer. What if Dimitri gets upset Claude said he doesn't like him? It sounds like the sort of weird thing Dimitri would get upset over. He should be more specific.] I mean, I like you too...but I love you even more.

[nastyboy]

[Funnily enough, it's just the presence of a "no" and a lag in processing what he's heard that has Dimitri start to slump. But Claude talks an awful lot for a flat no- wait, that is in character as well.]

[...Hold on, he's saying more things.]

They are different?

[vrdantwind]

I don't know. Maybe? Not really? I don't think I'd love you if I didn't also like you. [Claude settles his face back into the crook of Dimitri's neck.] But you can like someone without loving them, so they can be different, I guess...

But I love you and like you. I was just making a joke when I said no...you know, bait and switch. 'No, I don't like you...I love you, actually.' Except I like you, too, so I didn't even mean it.

[Claude's honestly babbling a little. It's part fussing that he upset Dimitri, but just as much him trying to marshal his unusually slippery thoughts out loud in a stream of consciousness sort of way. Grant would definitely recognize this as sounding a bit like when Claude is drunk, which has a similar effect on him.]

[nastyboy]

[wow that is a lot of words. Dimitri listens in silence, letting the words filter in as they come.]

....I do love you.

[that's sure the answer to this question that claude isn't asking]

[vrdantwind]

[Claude doesn't honestly remember if he said anything this is relevant to anyway, so he simply melts a little.] I love you too. [He nuzzles against Dimitri's chest.] So...you don't have to ask. I'll always like you. And love you.

[nastyboy]

Mmm....

[Best he can, Dimitri tugs Claude close against his chest and sighs against his hair. Claude's hair feels nice. Even messed up as it is. Maybe especially because it's messed up?]

Even after I put my gauntlet across your face.... I tried to be careful....

[vrdantwind]

[More stuff Claude can't follow, more confusion that Claude's not sure whether or not it'd still be present even if he were well.]

Careful of what?

[nastyboy]

Of hurting you.

[What, is he not making any sense? Dimitri feels he's making sense. Then again, a lot of things make sense (or don't) when your skull feels full of hot cotton and you're sleepy.]

[....Give him a minute.]

When we met in Cherrygrove...

[vrdantwind]

You were worried even back then? [That stirs Claude enough to pay a bit more attention, and it gets a tiny smile.] I thought you could barely stand me...

[nastyboy]

...Thought you were frustrating, and you were so loud... but I didn't want to hurt you...

[Whups, his throat is clogging up, and it has nothing to do with how gross he feels. Well, how physically gross he feels.]

I'm sorry, Claude... I love you.

[vrdantwind]

[Claude snuggles closer, closing his eyes and smiling.] I love you too, نور چشمم. And you don't have to apologize. I never thought you'd hurt me.

[He certainly hadn't ever seemed afraid of Dimitri...even after Dimitri had hurt him the one time. Claude's either a slow learner or a big gambler.]

[nastyboy]

But I could have... But you didn't care...

[And frankly, Dimitri still isn't sure if this is a slow learning thing or just something else entirely.]

[vrdantwind]

I cared, but...you were worth the risk. Worth believing in. I...wanted to be right. Right that you cared enough about me not to.

[nastyboy]

I care.... I'm sorry when I've hurt you before.

[Even if he can't remember it, even if it hasn't happened for him yet, it was still done by his hand, wasn't it? And so...]

I will never... hurt you again, Claude. Never. I will always keep you safe.

[vrdantwind]

You don't have to apologize, نور چشمم. [Claude closes his eyes.] You told me to get out of your way...but I put myself there anyway. Even when you were a mess...you wouldn't have gone out of your way to hurt me. I could've listened to your warning...

[But hearing that promise does feel good. Whether or not Claude necessarily needs to be kept safe...it means a lot that someone - that Dimitri - wants to give him that.]

I'll keep you safe, too. [He says the words sleepily, but he means them.] You've been hurt too much already...I won't let you get hurt anymore.

[nastyboy]

Even still... Even still.

[He should never have raised his lance in the first place.]

I don't want you to get hurt keeping me safe... Claude. I'm so tired of people getting hurt in my name..

[His family, servants who'd tried their best, Glenn, Dedue... He's so tired of it.]

[vrdantwind]

I didn't say I'd get hurt for you. I just want to keep you safe. I should be smart enough to do that without anybody having to get hurt...

[Although maybe not right now.]

[nastyboy]

Good. [Dimitri's body seems to relax almost instantly at those words, and he gives a small yawn.] Good...

You are the most brilliant person in the world... I know you can do it. And I will be here for you the entire time...