A/N: So... I wrote this at 3 A.M. when I couldn't sleep. Also, I am infinitely mad that the actual ball scene is 55 seconds long, so I wrote the rest of it. Enjoy :)

The glimmer of the moon and stars bathed the monastery with a peaceful tranquility while the faint whispers of love danced upon the wind. Well, that is certainly how most students described the night of the ball; Byleth had heard enough gossip about it in the days leading up to it to write a romantic novella about it. Who would have guessed there were so many ways to describe the night sky? The students of the monastery certainly didn't disappoint. And Manuela wasn't kidding when she said they were an 'odd bunch'.

Yet, when the night of the ball had finally arrived, Byleth found herself surprised to find there was some truth to their chatter. Perhaps it was the flicker of the chandelier lights covering the halls in a pale golden hue, or the after-effects of the champagne she had indulged herself on, or even the look of first love the couples exchanged as they danced to the melody of harps and strings, but Byleth had to admit the air of romance that wafted through the hall was strangely intoxicating. Not that she would yield to such a feeling, of course…

Edelgard and Dimitri barely left the dancefloor since the orchestra had begun to play. Byleth assumed it had something to do with feeling it was their duty as house leaders to dance with every student in their house. Surely there must have been a veritable train of students silently praying to the Goddess for their house leaders to accompany them to the Goddess Tower after the ball. What was that story again? That if two people swore an oath at the Goddess Tower on the night of the ball, their wish would come true? Or their destinies would be intertwined? Something of that sort. No wonder it was such a popular story...

Byleth snickered under her breath. How quiet and romantic could the Goddess Tower be if legions of students were going to occupy it in an hour's time? And considering the amount of dancing Edelgard and Dimitri would be doing, it would be a miracle if their legs didn't give out while they climbed the stairs to the tower afterwards. Edelgard would insist she was fine through laboured breaths while Dimitri would profusely apologize for his lack of stamina. Byleth smiled warmly at the students as she watched them from the sidelines: Raphael and Ingrid marvelling over the food, Ignatz admiring the gorgeous scenery he would surely paint tomorrow, Sylvain getting slapped by the fourth (or fifth?) girl that evening… Sure, they were an 'odd bunch' but she had grown so affectionate towards the students at Garreg Mach, and especially towards the future leaders of Fódlan. Such endearing students they were, but she could read them like open books.

And there was one house leader she just couldn't read at all.

Byleth's gaze traveled across the sea of dancing students and those waiting eagerly on the sidelines when she was surprised to find a splash of yellow not more than a few steps away from her. Claude offered her an animated smile when their eyes met, causing her cheeks to flush crimson. How long had he been watching her? Did he simply intend to wait until she noticed him? Did he do this on purpose knowing full well she'd be taken aback?

Of course he did. She knew him well enough to be aware of his schemes, no matter how innocent they may be.

Claude chuckled under his breath as the professor eyed him nervously. Was she truly not aware that she was the talk of the ball? He had heard whispers in the air of students yearning to dance with the mystifying new professor but lacking the spine to simply approach and ask. Lucky him. He'd be the first to ask and pave the way for them, but he wasn't certain he'd be able to let her go once they made it to the dancefloor.

Byleth's heart skipped a beat when he began walking towards her. Did he truly intend to ask her to dance? No other student had approached her, but she hadn't specifically been instructed not to dance. And to be quite frank, considering how much fun the students seemed to be having, she'd be lying if she said she had no intention of dancing at all… just a few minutes on the dancefloor couldn't hurt.

Claude didn't speak a word when he slowed to a halt before her, but his gestures said it all. Cupping her hand in his, and with a small wink and a smile in her direction… Byleth's breath suddenly hitched as her knees grew weak. She almost wished he would have simply asked her to dance. Was he even aware of the power a simple wink of his had over her? She was certain there were entire operas written about men of his beauty and charm and yet… Goodness gracious, how much champagne did she drink to even have thoughts like this?

He smiled warmly as he took her silent blush for consent, guiding her to the dancefloor. Byleth almost shivered as he gently placed his hand at her waist, taking her hand in his as she slid her other onto his shoulder. There was so much space between them and yet her nerves could barely handle being so close. And as the soft melody picked up, he began to guide her as they glided across the dancefloor, his steps fluid and delicate.

The strange irony of it all almost made Byleth snicker. Claude had so vehemently opposed dancing at the ball just a few days prior, expressing how uptight noble dances were; and yet here he was, dancing as gracefully as any noble in the room, his gentle steps almost second nature as he kept his tender gaze on her. Goodness, she had to get those flushed cheeks of hers under control; she'd hate for any of the students watching to get the wrong idea. More so, she didn't think she'd be able to handle Claude's relentless teasing tomorrow morning. Although she's certain he must have noticed by now, otherwise he wouldn't look at her that way…

The music swelled as the strings blended harmoniously, and Byleth couldn't help but raise her eyes and meet his gaze. His verdant green eyes were like a spring rain in the forest; quiet and tranquil on the surface yet hiding a great loneliness within.

"Hey, maybe that's why you and I get along so well. Folks like us should stick together. As house leader, I'll do all I can to help you out. We can start by making time for more little chats like this"

She had thankfully bitten her tongue seconds before blurting out how incredibly happy she'd be to chat with him again. It was one of their first conversations and yet, looking back, Byleth could hardly believe how one-sided that conversation had been. He knew so little about her and yet he perfectly surmised how lonely the life of a mercenary could truly be, even with her father to accompany her. He was able to see so clearly into her soul with just a shred of information, and yet he barely revealed anything about himself during that brief interaction. But his teacher was no fool; his silver tongue could only hide so much. He expressed that folks like them should stick together, and maybe that's why they got along so well…

Was he lonely too?

Claude picked up his pace as he kept up with the orchestra, guiding her around the dancefloor once more. She had spent so much time dancing in the last week as she helped the student representatives practice for the White Heron Cup; the steps were like second nature to her. And yet, dancing with him felt nothing like it had in the courtyard behind the dining hall. Back then she was focused on the students' form and steps; now, all she could see was Claude.

"I wasn't born into a life of luxury. Ever since I was a child, I've always been seen as...different from those around me. An outsider of sorts. I've been resented and hated. There have even been attempts on my life. I don't believe I've earned such treatment, but that's how it goes for people like me."

Byleth had heard talks of attempts on the house leaders' lives in the past. It was sad to think about, but Edelgard had confirmed that it was simply part of being a future leader of Fódlan. Still, to hear him speak so candidly of his past, and to see a glimmer of sadness behind his cunning grin… Byleth couldn't help but pity him. He had been so quiet about his mysterious past until that moment. To experience this brief moment of trust and honesty strangely made her more sad than happy.

Is this why he always schemed?

"If anyone knows what I'm talking about, it must be you. Eh, Teach? I get the feeling you know what it's like to be an outsider. The moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you weren't like everyone else."

Were they truly so similar?

Byleth had probably heard that same refrain ten times over, and the blur of the ballroom had become more than familiar to her. Did the orchestra know how to play any other song? Did they plan on looping the same one over and over, for hours on end, and hope no one would notice? How long had they been dancing? Did Claude ever plan to let her go? No… no, she really hoped not.

"Hey, Teach. Do you believe in gods?"

She had never given the idea of gods a second thought until she came to the monastery. The life of a mercenary spared little time for gods; it was kill or be killed. Transitioning from a godless world to one where a divine Goddess was revered above all else… took quite a bit of getting used to. Surely, he must have known that when he asked her that question. It was common knowledge that she had led a fairly ignorant life before Garreg Mach. At the time she merely cocked her head to the side, trying to decipher his true intentions with asking her such a strange question. She had begun to grow wise to his manner of speech, it seemed.

"Of course, miracles can happen. And by that, I mean things that are completely outside of your control. Things that only seem to add up if you believe in the concept of fate... Things like... well, meeting you, for example."

She blinked and pursed her lips as his words resurfaced in her mind. Did he truly wonder if their meeting was a result of divine intervention? Such a thing sounded much more suited for someone like Lorenz or Sylvain to say, though they would be nothing but empty words if they passed from their lips…

They must have been dancing for quite some time. The dancefloor had already begun to empty, and the other house leaders were nowhere to be seen. Or perhaps Byleth simply couldn't focus on anything other than his emerald gaze, reading her every thought as they swayed across the ballroom.

"Before I met you, I never imagined that it was possible for someone like you to exist. And yet, now that I know you, your presence in my life has quickly become invaluable. In fact, it's hard to imagine making my dreams come true without your help. Because of that, I can't believe for a second that our meeting was just a coincidence. That means it must have been fate. Maybe it was a miracle. Or maybe some god empathized with me and my dreams."

Did he have to say it that way? Did he have to speak words that tinted her cheeks crimson and made her palms sweaty? Did he have to add that playful smirk and that stupid wink along with it? His words had already cast their magic on her; the rest was just overkill.

Did he somehow know that she asked herself the same questions? How it was possible for someone such as he to exist? How she thanked her lucky stars every day for the twist of fate that brought them together? Perhaps Claude dreamed bigger dreams than she did; dreams that spanned beyond Fódlan's borders. And maybe, just maybe, he couldn't imagine those dreams coming true without her by his side. After all, he had said as much…

Perhaps, with time, he could learn more about her. Perhaps she could unravel the mystery behind his gentle gaze. Perhaps they could make their dreams come true walking side by side. Perhaps she could even grow to love him…

She silently wished he'd read her thoughts through her eyes as they danced. He had done it so many times before.

"…H-huh?"

He slowed to a stop and blinked in confusion, snapping Byleth out of her trance. What could possibly have made him stop dancing? And just when she was enjoying herself so much…

Wait.

What happened to the music?

Claude and Byleth glanced around the ballroom, only to find it completely devoid of students. They barely noticed they had lost track of time and had been dancing alone for awhile. Goddess knew how late it must have been for the band to begin packing up their instruments while students were still on the dancefloor... Byleth snickered as Claude took a small step back, holding both her hands in his. "Looks like we overstayed our welcome, huh Teach?" he chuckled.

"It seems so," she smiled, "I'm sorry for keeping you so long."

"No apologies needed. I'm sorry for keeping you away from all the students who wanted to dance with you."

Byleth giggled. Certainly, that couldn't be the case; no one other than Claude asked her for a dance. He must have been teasing her again. Although she much preferred this outcome, if she was being honest.

"Hey, Teach?"

She lifted her gaze, marvelling at the gentle smile he displayed uniquely for her. The after-effects of the champagne had long since faded, yet the crimson blush remained painted on her cheeks and the foolish grin remained plastered on her lips. Goodness, this young man and his captivating smile was going to be the death of her.

With one arm at his back and one folded in front, he gave her a short yet earnest bow. "Thank you for dancing with me. I had a great time. In fact… I think it was the most fun I've ever had."

She'd be lying if she didn't agree. If only the night would never end. "Me too, Claude."

And as he raised his eyes to meet hers, Byleth felt her heart melt, for his smile had finally seemed to reach his eyes.