perfectteatime | Victory Road Inbox

Okay, yeah, in retrospect Claude should have known this was coming. Grant isn't good at keeping things pent up once he's finally decided to voice them and he's too conscientious to keep someone in suspense. Of course he was going to launch pretty quickly into why they were here.

The main problem is that Claude, still high-key uneasy with coming out in the open with his feelings first to somebody, without knowing what's going to happen...well, he'd wanted to sort of...ease into it. Sideways, maybe. An inch at a time. Just to test the waters. But Grant's just cannonballed into the pool, for the both of them, and Claude's suddenly soaking wet and scrambling to recover.

It's not a bad approach by any means; it's probably a much healthier one than Claude's. It just...isn't one Claude had been ready for. But that's on him for letting Grant lead the way, isn't it? Of course Grant was going to take charge when Claude was holding himself back too much to do it.

So, after one sizzling moment of internal, existential panic, Claude clears his throat, feeling like the proverbial emperor realizing that whether he's been scammed or whether there just aren't that many truly discerning individuals in the world...either way, he's functionally naked in public and needs to figure out how to deal with it. He also squeezes Grant's hand, and hopes it's not too hard.

"That's very to the point, yes," he says, with a bright, glassy smile. "I actually would've started at the other end, with asking if you're interested in pursuing anything beyond the platonic with either - or both - of us to begin with. Our officially dating would kind of be the logical outcome of your saying yes to that, you could say. But it's really just different ways of asking the same thing."

Grant's really getting some insight into how much of Claude's composure can be a show with all this - particularly through the connection of their hands. He seems pretty collected outwardly, but his anxiety through his grip on Grant's hand is very obvious. A constant, minute flexing of his fingers.

How do people do this sort of thing, and why do they do it? Claude suspects that if it had been up to him to approach his objects of interest and submit himself to the sensation of high-key dying like a worm on a hook in order to initiate relationships with them, then rather than his current reality of having six entire boyfriends, he'd still be single. Obviously the payoff is worth it, but while actively on the hook, he's hard-pressed to believe it. Right now, anything feels like it'd be preferable, including being actively on fire.

He absolutely did not anticipate this. Surprising, to say the least. Right now anyways, he had kind of accepted to let things simmer down but here they are! He blinks, the dull surprise clear on his face as they both speak.

"Oh- I... really?" Stupid question. Of course really. He did after all, come on fairly hard himself before. Shocking when that actually works though. So far, he has been the one to approach things like this though, so it's a pleasant thing to be asked in turn.

Oh! Right! They probably want an answer-

"Wow." Not the answer he was looking for but look- he isn't immune to fluster or flattery. He's just very... flat most of the time. This though, shows on his face as he searches for the right words.

Getting to his feet at last, he reaches out, taking both their hands in either of his. His quiet nature doesn't really lend to him bein very wordy, he lets actions speak for him most of the time. But to this, he steps in and gives them both a soft, chaste kiss. One for Grant and one for Claude. A small smile on his mouth when he steps back.

"Yes. I would love that." He pauses, brows knitting faintly, "I can't believe how lucky I am."

Of course, the moment Grant voices their shared reason for being here, he's questioning his own approach. Claude doesn't like barreling into things that way, he knows that-- maybe he should have let Claude set the pace. But... then again, if they'd taken too long, they could have stressed Byleth out more. Maybe he should have only mentioned what he was here for and let Claude add in his part? Fuck. What if he's about to get them both rejected, just like that, and he didn't even give Claude the chance to cushion himself against it?

There's another degree of tension winding up in his shoulders when Claude replies. Fuck. He rubs his thumb over the surface of Claude's knuckles, hoping desperately that that... somehow communicates an apology.

And then they just have to wait for a reply. It doesn't take too long, at least - he can't quite let himself hope at first, no matter how cute Byleth's fluster is, but-- just moments later, there's not much room left for doubt.

Grant swallows, staring down at both his hands as he struggles to form words, but-- yeah, there are the tears, words aren't gonna happen. He just nods, instead.

Okay...being direct might almost be worth the heart attack it gave Claude, just to see the way Byleth blushes and looks almost shy for a moment. That's so cute that Claude's dragged right out of his panic attack to marvel at it.

And then Byleth kisses them, and it's okay, the vulnerability didn't go badly, and...Claude just has to lean against Grant as he laughs a bit, breathlessly. "Oh, man. Is this actually what confessing to someone else always feels like? You even kinda expressed interest before, Teach, and I still wanted to die. I owe some people some apologies for teasing them about not just making a move already, if this is how hard it is to actually do it." Relief has him willing to admit to the nerves that he now knows weren't really necessary, and no longer matter.

But then he looks up at Grant, even as he feels the man's shaking a little, and his expression turns to one of fond...not concern, exactly, so much as understanding. "Hey, hey..." He reaches up to gently cup Grant's face. "I know, it's okay. You did great. Better than I did, honestly."

If Byleth hasn't seen how sweet Claude can be when he's soothing Grant, he's getting a nice chance now. A fringe benefit of his getting pulled deeper into the polycule - not only does he get to enjoy relationships with them, he gets to enjoy their relationships with each other, too.

"Oh--" Grant certainly did seem to be holding in so much anxiety, only having it overflow now. His immediate concern, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket for the man and wrapping him in a tight hug while Claude comforts him.

"You did. I agree. You both did very well, I'm proud of you." It is heartwarming to see Claude so open and tender. Something he's going to bookmark for later. Something he hopes for the privilege to see more of. For now though, he pulls them both close. Pets their hair and allows Grant to get his feelings out.

"I am overjoyed." Though it may not look or sound it. He's getting better at visibly expressing himself- after all, even smiling used to be a rare thing. Now it comes far more easily. "Would you like me to make some tea for us?"

Grant gives a shakey laugh, with that familiar sort of nervous edge that clings to almost everything he says in the aftermath of stress like this; he leans into the comfort from both of them, trying to even out his breathing. "I-I didn't mean to just... to jump into things before you were ready to, Claude."

As if Claude hadn't just told him he did a good job, but-- look, he's gotta get that part out there.

"That... that would be great, Byleth."

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