"Claude, what are you doing?"

Claude looked up at his teacher, standing behind him. She fixed him with a confused look.

The noble scion of house Reigan, future Sovereign Duke of the Leicester Alliance, House Leader of the Golden Deer, peerless archer and tamer of wyverns, Claude von Reigan the first, picked up the cat in front of him and held him up to Byleth.

"Cat."

"Meow," the tabby cooed. It swatted out a paw and poked Byleth's leg.

"I assigned you a tactics analysis of Empire tactics through the past fifty years that's due tomorrow. Shouldn't you be getting to that?"

Claude stood up, still holding the kitty. He held it up to her nose and said, "Stella, boop."

The cat, Stella, reached out and booped Byleth's nose.

Byleth blinked and Claude deposited Stella into her hands. He turned to walk away, tilting his head around to say, "I already finished it."

"Claude, what are you doing?"

Claude fought the smile off his face. "Teach, I've got no idea what you're talking about."

Byleth turned across the classroom. "Hilda, what is Claude doing?"

Hilda stopped playing with Marianne's hair and looked at her close friend and House Leader. "He's wearing a cat, duh."

Claude gave Stella some scratches beneath her jaw as her body splayed over the noble's head. "Something wrong with my cat hat, Teach?"

Byleth's eyes twitched.

"Meow."

"That's right, Stella."

"Claude, what are you doing?"

"Looking for Stella," he said, poking around the logs that just always seemed to be by the fishing pond. "I have food for her and she wasn't where she always is."

"Come with me," Byleth said. "I know a spot."

Byleth took him to her room, which of course prompted a: "Well, well, Teach, I didn't know you were in the habit of bringing handsome men back to your room."

Sitting on her desk was Stella, sleeping.

"You found her!"

"She won't leave me," despaired Byleth. "I can't take care of a cat."

"I'll help," Claude immediately offered. "In exchange, you totally have to let me say a dirty joke I just thought of."

Claude did. Byleth slapped him.

"Meow."

The two started to make Byleth's room a home for the cat.

"Claude, what are you doing?"

"Visiting Stella." Claude tickled her with an owl feather. Stella tried to snatch it out of the air, failing.

"Claude, this is my room. You can't just come in here."

"But Stella." Claude held up the tabby.

"Meow."

Byleth's heart melted and she set her leather bag on her bed. She took a seat by Claude and let Stella lick her hand.

"Just this once."

"Claude, what are you doing?"

Claude rushed by her with a few rolls of bandages. "Stella hurt herself!"

Byleth's eyes flashed and she ran alongside with Claude to the classroom. Claude had cleared off a table and the cat laid there.

"Meowwww." Stella hung her head in pain.

Byleth looked at her paw that was bleeding slightly from the tiniest of cuts. She looked over at Claude, fumbling with bandages. "You needed that many?"

"She's hurt!" he cried, aghast.

Byleth looked at the cat and stared into its hurt eyes. She blinked.

"Awww," Byleth cooed, booping Stella's nose as Claude wrapped her paw up.

Claude's smile was wider than a wyvern's wingspan, but Byleth didn't notice.

"Claude, what are you doing?"

"She has a hat."

"Yes, I can see she has a hat. What are you doing?"

"I'm wearing a cat wearing a hat."

"You're ridiculous."

"You know you love me."

"Claude, what are you doing?"

Claude didn't answer. He'd fallen asleep next to her, leaning on her shoulder while Stella slept in their laps, spread out. Clearly he'd been spending too many nights reading instead of sleeping.

She'd have to have words with him about that.

But for now, she was content to just let him lay there. He smelled nice, after all.

Stella rolled on their laps, purring contently.

This wasn't so bad.

Author Notes: Just something short while I procrastinate on homework and work on Emails.

Since I know people will ask, the joke was: "Wow, Byleth, I didn't know you were the type of teacher to take students back to her room and show them her pussy."