[ His own housemates’ reactions are easy to predict—and none of them apt to match Hubert’s intensity. A trait evident even in the limited and not especially pleasant time Dimitri has spent in the other man’s presence. Unlike Edelgard, his reputation is not cultivated on a ground of stand-offishness and reserve, so the sight of him with a leader from another house is unlikely to sprout rumours by itself. The depth of their discussion and the state of their clothing, on the other hand...
Well, that’s enough to breed curiosity. It all serves to make him grateful that none of the Blue Lions know of his connection to Edelgard, neither as the identity of his mysterious childhood friend nor the mother they share in common. In the absence of that information, the only responses he needs anticipate are Sylvain’s somewhat disturbing imagination, Dedue’s tireless concern, and a round of harmless curiosity from the rest. Exhausting but ultimately innocuous.
After the heaviness of the last several minutes, it’s a relief to continue moving forward. The simple act of walking a serviceable distraction in comparison to their earlier position, the inspection behind her searching gaze, particularly in the face of his next confession. It is... a bit humiliating. ]
No, your title had nothing to do with it.
[ Originally, at least. ]
At first... I wasn’t certain if you’d forgotten entirely or if you were merely choosing to treat me as a stranger. If it was the latter, I did not think it right to intrude or insist otherwise.
[ No matter how much the thought had hurt, he had assumed she must have her reasons. Just as she does for holding others at a distance or maintaining such harsh self-control. Even if that justification may only boil down to pride. ]
When it became obvious that was not the case and you truly had no memory of our friendship... Weeks had passed. There were few opportunities to find the time or the right words to explain that history. [ He’d wondered, more than once, how insignificant those days must have been in her eyes to be left behind so easily. If his inability to let go was based on the truth of his memories or if the tragedies that followed had blinded him the reality and left an illusion of warmth in its place. ] Eventually, it seemed preferable to keep those thoughts to myself rather than burden you with stories of the distant past. Especially when we’ve both changed significantly. Too much so to define our relationship on events from years ago.
[ Spoken out loud, it sounds like excuse after excuse, all arranged in the service of preventing a single awkward conversation. Yet they’d felt sturdier and far less selfish in the privacy of his own mind. ]
no subject
Well, that’s enough to breed curiosity. It all serves to make him grateful that none of the Blue Lions know of his connection to Edelgard, neither as the identity of his mysterious childhood friend nor the mother they share in common. In the absence of that information, the only responses he needs anticipate are Sylvain’s somewhat disturbing imagination, Dedue’s tireless concern, and a round of harmless curiosity from the rest. Exhausting but ultimately innocuous.
After the heaviness of the last several minutes, it’s a relief to continue moving forward. The simple act of walking a serviceable distraction in comparison to their earlier position, the inspection behind her searching gaze, particularly in the face of his next confession. It is... a bit humiliating. ]
No, your title had nothing to do with it.
[ Originally, at least. ]
At first... I wasn’t certain if you’d forgotten entirely or if you were merely choosing to treat me as a stranger. If it was the latter, I did not think it right to intrude or insist otherwise.
[ No matter how much the thought had hurt, he had assumed she must have her reasons. Just as she does for holding others at a distance or maintaining such harsh self-control. Even if that justification may only boil down to pride. ]
When it became obvious that was not the case and you truly had no memory of our friendship... Weeks had passed. There were few opportunities to find the time or the right words to explain that history. [ He’d wondered, more than once, how insignificant those days must have been in her eyes to be left behind so easily. If his inability to let go was based on the truth of his memories or if the tragedies that followed had blinded him the reality and left an illusion of warmth in its place. ] Eventually, it seemed preferable to keep those thoughts to myself rather than burden you with stories of the distant past. Especially when we’ve both changed significantly. Too much so to define our relationship on events from years ago.
[ Spoken out loud, it sounds like excuse after excuse, all arranged in the service of preventing a single awkward conversation. Yet they’d felt sturdier and far less selfish in the privacy of his own mind. ]