Claude yawned as he leaned on his shopping cart. Hilda skittered from aisle to aisle as he sluggishly kept up. She'd flit past, tossing something into the cart as she made her way to the next destination.

Hilda was staying with him for the holidays, for the Millennium Festival. Her parents and Holst were busy or something so Hilda had declared she stay with him 'lest she not wither away in boredom'. Not that Claude's parents minded, they adored Hilda. His mother had told him to marry her.

Claude deigned not to tell Marianne that. He doubted Hilda's girlfriend, meek as she was, would enjoy that.

"Look, aren't we done?" he groaned.

Hila dropped a loaf of bread in. "It's Goneril tradition that if someone else is hosting you for a holiday, you make them a meal." She paused. "And Marianne is coming."

Claude snorted. "Only you would invite your girlfriend over to someone else's family gathering."

"Psh, they'll love her. And it'll get your dad off my back about trying to set me up with you. I love that man like a father, but no."

They made their way to the front of the store. It was quiet, the morning snow storm keeping most shoppers away. And employees, it seemed. Claude couldn't remember seeing anyone in uniform until he got to the checkout lanes.

Even there, there was just one green haired woman staring off into the distance. Hilda dragged the cart up and began to pile stuff on the conveyor belt.

The woman blinked. "Oh, did you find everything okay?"

That voice.

Claude blinked away some sleep. "Wait, fuck, Byleth Eisner?"

The woman, nametag reading 'By', blinked. "Claude?"

Hilda looked at her best friend, then to the new girl, then back to Claude. She smelled drama.

"Damn, it's been ages." Claude brushed his hair back out of his eyes.

"You two know each other?" Hilda prodded, eyes eager.

Byleth nodded. "We dated in high school. It's been a while."

Claude stared at her for a while as she did the same. Then, "You're looking good, By."

"Thanks," she said, neutrally. "Let's get you rung up here."

The rest of their time in proximity passed without any further comment in regards to Claude. Hilda looked ready to burst at the seams with questions.

He pushed the cart out of the lane and took one last look at his ex. She was looking at him too.

Huh.

"Okay," Hilda said, not even waiting until they were out of the store. "What was that."

"Byleth Eisner, ex-girlfriend." Claude looked back at the store as they walked through the tundra. "And the one who got away."

"Tell me everything." Hilda demanded. And when Hilda demands, she gets her way.

Author Notes: So my longtime readers know I'm sentimental and always try to update on the 23rd of December because it's the anniversary of when I started writing. So here I am! Year seven done, going into year eight. Time flies.

There's that saying that it takes either ten years or a thousand hours to master something. That's bullshit when it comes to art. I am nowhere near being a master despite being close to either of those. Ah, I'm rambling. The point it is, keep at it no matter what.

So this was supposed to be a oneshot, but about thirty words into writing it I realized that was wrong. So we'll get this in some short parts. I'm thinking four? Five chapters total? Something easy like that to take on while I'm relaxing for the holidays.

Emails chapter is coming soon! Intended it to be done today but oops.