Dimivain Week: Day 1 - jealousy/fake dating

[warmskies]

 "Dimitri, I need you to date me," Sylvain tells him, which is how Dimitri knows that the rest of his day is going to be an absolute mess.

Despite the fact that he suspects he really ought to, Dimitri doesn't turn and walk away right then and there. Instead, he simply takes a breath, and crosses his arms. "Dare I ask why you want me to date you?" he asks. "This is rather out of the blue, after all, especially with how many girls seek your attention."

"Normally they seek my attention," Sylvain corrects with a twist of his lips. In just a moment, he seems to remember himself, and his expression smooths into a slightly sheepish smile. "But, well... Lately, I've been having a mysterious case of really bad luck. Or, rather, I think one guy's absolutely rotten luck and influence on women has somehow attached itself to me, like a bad stain that won't go away."

Oh. That's what all this is about. Dimitri can't stop the smile that creeps onto his face. "Does this have to do with your bet with Lorenz?" he asks. The words are hardly out of his mouth before Sylvain grimaces again. Well, that just proves him right, doesn't it?

Dimitri tries very hard, most of the time, to not take any particular personal satisfaction out of someone else's misfortune. It's an ugly thing, really, and he knows how it can feel as well to be miserable and suffering. Yet he would be a liar if he said that he hasn't been watching Sylvain and Lorenz's ridiculous and obnoxious bet with no small end of amusement. For the first time in a long while, Sylvain's room right besides his had been quiet, and he's gotten the additional bonus of watching his dear friend not get into another ill-fated relationship - quite the opposite.

Part of his delight is, of course, that he has a slightly easier time going to sleep now, with the room besides his quiet. Dimitri has a difficult time finding sleep as it is, mind filled with so much - the demands of the fallen, what lecture he's trying to remember, the events for the next day, metal scraping grinding piercing. Hearing Sylvain's... proclivities has definitely not helped matters. It would explain why he's been able to sleep easier, lately.

Alternatively, well... Maybe he's just glad that Sylvain's no longer being stolen away by other people. Dimitri knows that's rather childish of him, of course. They aren't children anymore, when he and Felix and Ingrid could all have Sylvain's attention on them and them alone. He'd been happy to give it to them, and they'd all been happy to drink it up, as though they were parched from days without drinking. It had maybe been a little frustrating for them to all reach puberty, and, even a little before that, just watch Sylvain get interested in so many girls. Girls who he doesn't even seem to care for, and never did.

It's probably that childish part of him that's so pleased to see Sylvain forced to look back to him again, even if it's in such an absurd situation as this. "Honestly," he says, shaking his head. Dimitri doesn't stop smiling a little, however. It really is quite hard to do. "I thought your bet had to do with women?" And Dimitri is very distinctly not a woman, and he'll never become one.

Sylvain lifts up his hands, pointer finger on each raised up. "Not quite!" he corrects. "The original discussion did have to do with girls, but the bet never said that we had to successfully court one. Just that we had to be successful in general."

"And Lorenz will not spot that it is a deception if you simply waltz up to him saying that you've charmed me?"

"That's why I will not do that," Sylvain says, sweeping his hands out to the side. "All you have to do is stand there in place while he's watching, and then agree when I come up to you, complimenting you and asking if you would like to go on a date. It won't even be that hard! You've seen me go at it, you know how charming I can be. And hey, who knows-" He winks over at Dimitri, flicking his fingers in his direction. "You'll probably fall for me sincerely if you're the target for once. Maybe you can even learn something, so that you don't get into anymore trouble like with that one girl-"

"Sylvain!" Dimitri flushes from head to toe in pure undiluted embarrassment, and finds himself straightening his own spine until it could put spears to shame. "Honestly, if you keep bringing that up... Ugh!"

As is typical of Sylvain, he very clearly doesn't regret anything he's said. All he does is grin. "Well, how about this... If you agree to play the willing party for this whole thing, then I do solemnly swear that I will never again bring up the time that you took a girl out on a date, and accidentally made a mess so huge that you had to run to my room and hide in it for a night, all while I swept her off her feet so that she'd forget about you-"

This is what he gets for trying to get involved in such silliness. "Ugh, be quiet, be quiet!" he groans, holding one hand up while he hides his face behind the other. "Honestly, and now you leap to blackmail! I will be in quite a spot of trouble when I ascend to the throne, with you under my wing." Dimitri peers out past his fingers, huffing and trying not to seem too childish. If he becomes too immature now, what will become of them? "Why are you asking me this, instead of Ingrid, or Felix?" Especially Felix, who is Sylvain's best friend.

Then again, he supposes the answer is obvious even before Sylvain snorts in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Ingrid would put me to death herself, after all the trouble my flirting seems to give her. Felix would get annoyed at me for distracting him from his training. You're the best option that I have, Dimitri."

Should he go along with it? Dimitri sighs, sliding his hand away from his face. Honestly, all of this feels rather like a terrible idea.... Surely it won't work, will it? Lorenz may be the kind of person who is a little too high on his horse, and his personality can be lacking when it comes to anything his father tells him to do, but... He is not actually a fool. He has his intelligence. Will he really fall for something like this? And Dimitri knows that he can be a good person as well, when he's not so full of himself... It would feel a little mean to get in the way of such a ridiculous bet between two people who are, ultimately, that all that bad at heart.

....Then again, the whole thing has gone on really far too long. It would probably be a relief to all of the young women of Garreg Mach if someone were to put a stop to it. Certainly it would never stop Lorenz and Sylvain from flirting in the future, but at least it could lower the intensity in which their bet has made it all. Who knows? Maybe it would even be enough of an embarrassment that they'd stop for a while. That would be nice, although Dimitri suspects unlikely.

"If he realizes this farce, then I shall take no responsibility," Dimitri finally says, succumbing to the nonsense that is happening here. "But can you at least promise me that, one, you will cease to speak of that embarrassing incident, and, two, you will at least give me warning before you pull your nonsense."

Sylvain swells up with delighted pride far too quickly and easily. "Of course, Dimitri!" he says, laughing at he slings his arm around Dimitri's shoulders. Oh, if only he was Dedue's height, and could avoid this sort of thing... This jovial sort of reaction isn't what he feels at all. "You don't have to worry about a thing. All you have to do is relax, be charmed by my impeccable skills, and then we'll, like, have an outing or two, have a little bit of fun while imagining Lorenz fuming, and then pretend to call it off."

Pretend to call it off... That almost makes it sound as though they would carry on in secret, and Dimitri finds that the blush on his face does not lose any of its intensity. If anything, it only worsens. "Have you ever ended a relationship so amicably before?" he asks. "It may be hard to swallow down."

Dimitri has never been much of a marksman, bows shattering underneath his grasp and string snapping between his fingers, but it seems he's hit a bulls eye in this area, if nothing else. Sylvain winces. "Hey, now, that's a bit harsh," he says, although he doesn't seem to quite believe it. "It's happened, a few times, at least. And hey, uh, who knows? Maybe this could be the start of a good trend."

The start of a good trend... That really would be a good thing. If Sylvain could stop having such disastrous break ups so often, or if he could even settle down with someone nicely, it would be a good thing. Dimitri can't imagine that Sylvain actually likes those break ups, or the things that people say about him.

So why does it bother him, thinking about it all like that?

Either way, well, it would be nice to spend some time with Sylvain again, and he supposes it would be in the best interest of all of them to end that ridiculous bet as soon as possible. He may even get Sylvain to stop teasing him; it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he could hold this event over Sylvain's head too, actually. And so Dimitri gives his exasperated agreement, and Sylvain in turns gives a rough time for when he'll pull off this whole show.

A part of Dimitri wonders if he should tell one of the others about this sort of thing, just so that he can have another person agree with him on how ridiculous this all is. Yet he supposes he can see the dilemma that Sylvain was in as well, for this sort of thing: Felix won't look at him for more than two seconds without his lips curling in disgust, and Ingrid would probably go to berate Sylvain for dragging Dimitri into this sort of nonsensical little bet. It's actually kind of strange. When he thinks of Ingrid putting a stop to all of this nonsense, berating Sylvain for putting the crown prince into such a situation...

It actually makes him want to go through with it all the more, turning his feelings around almost completely. Why is that?

Dimitri doesn't actually have to think too hard on the answer for that. For all that Sylvain occasionally teases him with his title, he doesn't treat him like anyone else treats him. Ingrid, Ashe, Dedue - they all treat him as they feel his bloodline deserves. He can understand the respect in such actions, of course, how it means they care for him in their own way, but, well... It is tiring, at times, to be reminded of his responsibilities by those he wishes he could be closer to. What is a title, anyway, really? All it means is that he was, on some level, born fortunate.... even if fortune seems to be in low supply in his life.

But Sylvain is one of the few people who hasn't treated him like that for a long time now. If anything, sometimes it feels as though he's always treated him as that same young boy who, along with Felix and Ingrid, clung onto his coat tails as they followed him as noisily as a flock of chicks. Dimitri supposes he should be annoyed that he's treated like that.

It's just so refreshing. So reassuring, sometimes, to have someone that can look him in the face and still tease him so easily. It isn't proper at all, and yet Sylvain still does it. Sometimes, Dimitri almost finds himself envious of how easily Sylvain carries himself.

And then he considers how it looks when Ingrid smacks at him with her practice lance every day on the courtyard when another disastrous break up has happened, and he decides he's fine how he is.

Or, well, he had decided he was fine how he was. Now he's found himself in this kind of position, helping pull a prank upon another student. That's really terribly un-prince-like. Juvenile, even. When was the last time he ever pranked anyone before? Dimitri thinks it was as a child...

Not that he very much looks like he's going to be pranking anyone, on the day that everything is to take place. He just looks to be in a rather normal situation, the same he's in on most days: having a quiet cup of tea during their free spot of time in the afternoon, watching people walk on by peacefully. If he really had his way, then Dimitri would be going on a horse ride, honestly, or training more, or seeing if the children down in the town would like more sword lessons... Well, this is what he agreed to, in the end.

It is a simple thing, to spot when Sylvain plans to execute this little prank of his. He and Lorenz are incredibly distinctive people, at the end of the day. Not only are both of them a decent height in their own ways, but both of them catch the eye thanks to the vivid colors of their hair. Anyone could spot that distinctive Gautier red from a mile away, and the brilliantly deep hue of Lorenz's own purple hair makes him hard to miss in a crowd even before he insists on introducing himself grandly. It is a good thing, to be so eyecatching in noble circles, especially when one wants to be eyecatching... and that is very much true for both of them.

Dimitri continues to patiently sip at this tea, watching the pair subtly from the corner of his eye. People like Felix would think him no good at subtlety, and maybe that is true in some matters, such as when it comes to battle. Yet it would be a poor crown prince of any country that could not watch how politics and social interactions are developing. Dimitri merely prefers to not bother with such a game here, in a place where they should all be equal. He's quite good at being quiet and unexpected. People are surprised by him every time.

Both Sylvain and Lorenz are engaged in a quiet but rather intense conversation with one another, their heads bowed close in a way that implies not intimacy but instead the idea that they might go at it like mountain goats which to shove their rival off a cliff. It is clear as day to see that Sylvain is extremely confident and relaxed even from this distance. Why wouldn't he be? He has everything arranged to go his way.

Surely Lorenz must sense something is amiss as well. His face is screwed up in a suspicious scowl, eyes narrowed as he says something to Sylvain. With his tongue, no doubt it would be quite insulting on any other day.

This day is simply not stacked in his favor. After a loud laugh, Sylvain glances around at the area where tea is often had by the various students of Garreg Mach. He points out a couple of people there at the different tables, only for Lorenz to cross his arms and scoff about something. Dimitri has a feeling he knows what Lorenz is berating Sylvain about. At this rate, the two fools have hit on just about every girl here at Garreg Mach... Trying again would just be embarrassing for either of them, and no doubt they'd be turned down for a second time. Once is certainly bad enough.

With a wave of his hand, Sylvain considers the setting once again... and Dimitri knows what is coming when Sylvain points to him at long last. It is actually quite a struggle to keep his face composed when Lorenz's jaw drops right open, and he is left, presumably, speechless at the audacity of what Sylvain is proposing.

That, or he's making an aghast noise that's gone so high only dogs can hear it.

Sylvain does not wait for him to recover. Instead, he winks and waggles his pointer fingers at him even as he twists around to make his way directly over to Dimitri. Well, this is it, he supposes. Best that he just... go along with whatever nonsense that Sylvain has planned. Dimitri takes one more sip of his tea just to help him find the willpower to go along with this whole ridiculous scheme and looks up to Sylvain when the redhead is finally close enough. "Sylvain," he says politely, and likes to think he manages a neutral enough tone. This doesn't give away anything, does it?

At least Sylvain is still going ahead with it, however it looks. He winks, as playful and relaxed as ever. Is there a better actor than Sylvain? Dimitri wonders, at times. "Hey there, boss," he says, playfully using that silly little nickname. Dimitri honestly prefers it a bit better to any royal way of addressing him. "It looks like you're enjoying some tea this lovely afternoon... But all by yourself?"

This feels silly. It feels so incredibly silly. Dimitri takes another sip of his tea, because he's not entirely sure how he's going to be charmed at this rate. It would be very easy to shoot Sylvain down completely like this, but he supposes he did agree to the scheme. He ought to leave some sort of opening for Sylvain to go ahead through, or at least make the attempt. "It is not too bad a thing, to have tea on my own," Dimitri says, which is true. Slightly less mortifying if he breaks a teacup on his own instead of with someone watching. "I have been people watching, to pass the time." This is also not technically untrue. Dimitri doesn't like to lie.

"So you've just been relaxing, huh?" Sylvain muses. Both of them are highly aware of the mortified but highly keen way that Lorenz is watching them from a short distance. Surely close enough to listen in on the conversation. "You  know, I almost feel jealous."

"Of the tea?" Dimitri asks, not able to see where this is going, exactly. Is this a way to slink into having tea with him, although he hardly needs ask? Well, he supposes that is one way to start off a flirtatious conversation with him....

Yet Sylvain shakes his head with a light laugh. "It's not of you having tea, I can promise you that." Sylvain grins, those eyes of his so warm that they could serve as a home's hearth. They're his prettiest feature, if Dimitri is honest. "I was actually thinking of how I'd be lucky if I were any one of the people you'd watched while you've been drinking tea, even if it was only an idle glance. Who wouldn't wish to be caught under those beautiful blue eyes of yours?"

Dimitri goes red. It happens so instantly that he's almost dizzy from the sheer amount of blood rushing to his face. Which is - this is stupid. Ridiculous. Plenty of people have complimented his eyes before, eligible young women introduced to him by their noble mothers or uncles or fathers, all of them hoping to take on the Blaiddyd name for themselves.

He's heard them all, at this point. His hair that shines like gold, his eyes as blue as the sky, a jawline like the mountains that protect their home - that last one, he has to admit, was at least creative and interesting. She liked poetry, if he recalls correctly. Not so much political marriages, or, he thinks, men.

So why is it that Sylvain paying such attention to his eyes has him blushing like a silly school boy? It takes Dimitri a moment to recover, coughing into one fist. Is this how he was able to charm girls so well in the past? Maybe he can somewhat understand the appeal, now. Although that only makes him wish that Sylvain would cut this bad habit all the more... "I had no idea you paid so much attention to my eyes, Sylvain," he manages after a moment, putting his hand down carefully to curl around the handle of his teacup once more. If he's not at least this careful, he'll shatter it, and that will ruin this whole play. 

Already quite obviously pleased with how this interaction is going so far, Sylvain folds his hands behind his head. "Is there anyone who wouldn't pay attention to your eyes after meeting you?" he says, quite smoothly. "Honestly, it's probably only polite manners that keep people from pointing them out more, or else I bet they'd never stop. Well, fortunately for me, I know how to be rude from time to time, as you well know." Sylvain winks again. Dimitri never noticed how much he winked before. "I hope you won't hold it against me."

"Of course not, Sylvain." Trying to regain his cool, Dimitri takes another sip of his tea. He cannot even imagine what's getting him so flustered, but he should be able to regain his demeanor with the reassuring smell of chamomile in his nose. "I would never hold that against you."

"That's good, because I'd like to hope that you'd hold something a little more physical against me."

The tea was a mistake. Dimitri nearly chokes on it, and the teacup drops a little less elegantly than he would like back onto its plate. The smile is promptly wiped from Sylvain's face as Dimitri smutters, and he lowers his hands, hovering around Dimitri's back in concern. "Sylvain," he wheezes, past a throat that feels as though it's going to clog up for good.

"Sorry, sorry!" Sylvain says, and he even sounds apologetic for a moment before he laughs, picking up a napkin to hold out to him. "The chance was too easy for me to ignore it... I know what they say about low hanging fruit, but temptation is temptation, huh?"

Dabbing at his mouth with the napkin, Dimitri glowers sulkily up at Sylvain from behind the white. Honestly! All these years, and Sylvain is still such a trickster at times. What is he going to do with him? Well, perhaps that's a stupid question. What Dimitri is apparently going to do is go on a sham of a date with this man, all so that a ridiculous bet can finally be put to rest. "You should truly watch your words, you know," he says, falling into a light scolding. He can't help it, honestly, but he thinks he's allowed this much after almost choking. "And when we are in public, Sylvain!"

"I understand, I understand." Sylvain's chuckle, at least, is a little sheepish, and he scratches at his cheek before an idea seems to light up behind his eyes. "Actually... Why don't I make it up to you?"

"Make it up to me?" Dimitri echoes, even though he has a solid idea of where this conversation may be going.

Sylvain just nods, resting his hand against the table while he leans against it. He's smiling again to Dimitri. "Yeah, I'll make it up to you, what just happened. Why don't I treat you to a date? I know that you're the kind of guy who's always working hard over in the training yards, and when we head out. When's the last time that you relaxed?" Reaching up, he taps his lips with one finger. His lips which are, Dimitri must admit, at least a little distracting. "I'll pamper you completely, Mitya."

He's a prince. Dimitri really hardly needs more pampering. And yet when he thinks of Sylvain... Ugh! Dimitri coughs into his hand again, trying not to look at Sylvain and get further distracted. "If you are to make up for being so crude today, then I expect quite a fine date, you know," he says, making sure to repeat that phrase even though it makes his stupid heart twist.

A date. Honestly now. If it weren't for what Sylvain had spoken with him about before, and if this weren't to bother Lorenz in particular, then Dimitri would never have repeated the word. He would have been too busy wondering if Sylvain had a fever of some sort.

Regardless, this seems to be everything that Sylvain has needed for this little prank over Lorenz, and he pulls away with a happy grin. Really, he's happier than Dimitri would have thought he'd be for a joke this minor. Does his reputation as a womanizer really mean that much? If only he could have that kind of pride in his good lancework, instead... "You won't be disappointed, Dimitri, I promise," Sylvain says cheerfully. "I'm not the kind of guy who would fail at this sort of thing. Now, should I leave you back to your people watching and tea?"

It is practically a sin to waste tea. For that reason alone, Dimitri makes sure to finish off his cup before he pushes himself up to his feet. "I believe it would be best for me to tidy up after nearly choking," he comments dryly, which just earns another laugh from Sylvain. "So I will take my leave here, thank you."

"Then I'll clean up the tea set in your stead." Sylvain smiles to him, stepping aside so that Dimitri can leave his seat without any problems. "Consider that another little thing that's the least I could do for you."

With how Lorenz is gaping, and the heated conversation that will no doubt take place... Dimitri supposes that may be for the best. He nods slightly, and smiles. "If you do not mind, Sylvain, then I will entrust you with such a thing. Just as much as I am entrusting you with concocting a fine date to escort me on." With that, he gives a small bow as is only befitting, and takes his leave. Even as he's still walking away, he can hear Lorenz's footsteps, and the angry sound of his hissed whispers.

Sylvain recounts it all to him later that very day, cackling a little bit as he does so. "Oh, you should have seen his face," Sylvain says, grinning widely as he flops onto Dimitri's bed as though it were his very own. Dimitri lets him have it; it's not as though his room is otherwise prepared for guests. It's a dorm room, not some sort of manor or castle where he can entertain. "He was so outraged, too, trying to say that this wasn't the same at all, and how could I end my wonderful noble lineage..." It doesn't escape Dimitri that Sylvain's tone changes, with those last few words. Something a little quieter, not so mirthful. Venomous.

There is a lot that Dimitri could say in response to that, and just as much that he isn't sure he's allowed to say. The Gautier family is... difficult, is the most polite way to put it, and perhaps a politeness that isn't deserved. Yet he adores Sylvain, cares for him. What if a careless word were to hurt him?

So he sidesteps it, at least for the time being, and just inclines his head towards Sylvain. "Well, regardless of his own outdated and rather ignorant views on how a noble family should continue onwards... Didn't you convince him in the end?"

That's enough to lighten up Sylvain once more, and he grins a little more earnestly. "Well, more like I browbeat him into accepting the win," Sylvain laughs. "I just had to point out that if I were talented enough to even charm a man, then that meant my charm was the real deal."

"Even if you did not actually charm me at all," Dimitri points out.

The whole thing was fabricated. While he knows just because of the base facts that Sylvain has quite a good streak with women most of the time, it's difficult to make the claim that his charms are real by using Dimitri as an example. They conspired together to make this work out. It's all just a fake little prank.

Sylvain should know this, so it really is impressive that he can say such a thing like how it's the real deal with that in mind. That's what Dimitri thinks, anyway, up until Sylvain leans back on his hands to observe him curiously. "I wonder," he says, and chuckles a bit when Dimitri blinks at him. "I mean, yeah, I know that we both agreed to make it happen beforehand, but, you know... You blushed really prettily back there, Mitya."

It really isn't fair, for Sylvain to use an old childhood nickname like that, while pointing out something so embarrassing. Even worse, Dimitri blushes once again at being called out, and so he turns away from Sylvain with a huff so that he can return to the books he has on his desk. He had meant to do some studying so that he could keep up with the rest of his class, and yet now look where he is. "That was purely by accident, so you need not think much of it."

"By accident, huh?" Sylvain still looks far too pleased with himself, and the day in general, when Dimitri dares to glance back at him. "You could just admit that my charms really are impressive! A blush isn't the kind of thing that someone can just fake, especially when they know what's coming. C'moooon, admit it, I'm a smooth talker!"

"I shall admit you are a menace," Dimitri huffs. "It has just been some time since I have heard compliments towards myself, that is all." Maybe that really is it, too. In the last year or so, he's been far too busy to properly entertain guests and, now that he is a proper adult who will likely take the throne once he has finished his education here, most people have been trying to ingratiate themselves to him in different ways than shallow compliments. Mostly his lancework, his knowledge of politics, the things that will prove if he will truly be a good king or not. No doubt it is obvious to anyone with eyes that those are the things he cares about, more than looks.

A low hum rolls through the air behind him, and there's a creak of the bed, sheets shifting against each other. "That's honestly a shame," Sylvain says, approaching him from behind as he reads. "You really are amazing in terms of looks, Mitya. You should be told you're amazing more often."

Does he? Honestly, Dimitri must disagree, he really must. Maybe the surface level is appealing to the eyes, with blond hair he can afford to keep clean, and blue eyes that shine clearly... But that is all it is. Just surface level nonsense, hiding behind it a despicable monster that Dimitri wishes would just die already. That thing deserves nothing, and certainly not to be told how amazing he is. The only reason for it to keep going on... is to do what is right upon the world, put down justice's punishment down on those who deserve it, and make right what was wrong.

If not for that...

Before Dimitri can tell Sylvain as much, although certainly not all of that, there's a weight against his back, and arms winding around his shoulders and front. "When I take you out on that date I promised you," he says, "then I'll give you so much compliments that you'll stay red for days."

It is unbelievable, the kind of things that Sylvain can say while sounding so sincere about it - like it really is a travesty that Dimitri hasn't been complimented on the color of his eyes before, that he hasn't been told he's handsome or beautiful or whatever else it is that Sylvain would say. Equally unbelievable is the way that it still send something going up Dimitri's spine, subtle and soft.

What can he say to that? He should still refuse, of course, and yet the words feel difficult to actually form.

So of course that is around the time that there is a frantic pounding at his door, and two very familiar voices speaking together at once. "Your Highness, if I could see you-!"

That would be Ingrid. The second one that comes right after is Annette. "Dimitri, is it really true-!" The question doesn't have a chance to finish, because right while the words are still being spoken, the door suddenly tumbles open, and Annette right through it with Ingrid standing behind her in pure shock.

The sight the two of them stumble onto probably doesn't help matters, actually.

Annette straightens up almost immediately, both of her hands slapping over her mouth while she stares with wide eyes. Ingrid is only a tad better on account of the fact that she didn't fall through the door, her jaw having dropped open. A moment of tense silence weighs down over all of them, and Dimitri finds his face heating up impossibly quickly and impossibly hot once again.

Why did this have to happen right when Sylvain had his arms around his shoulders? While he was trying to read? Dimitri isn't an idiot, he knows how this must look. And he knows that Ingrid is going to gut Sylvain right here on his bedroom floor!

The one thing that saves Sylvain and his bedroom floor is the presence of Annette, who makes a high pitched little squeal behind her hands. "So it was true!" she exclaims, and Dimitri winces. Oh no. Of course - all of that happened in public, and also in front of Lorenz, with a mouth large enough to catch fish. "Oh my gosh! And you guys have been moving so quickly! Oh no, but we're interrupting!"

"Wh-" Ingrid looks from Sylvain to Annette, frazzled, but remembering how to close her own mouth. Poor Ingrid. Dimitri had really meant to bring it up with someone before this sort of thing could happen, he swears. "But Annette-!"

There is not but-ing Annette. All she does is grab Ingrid's hand, her eyes sparkling. "Just pretend like we never popped in here at all!" Annette gushes. "And I really hope you guys enjoy your date! Oh, I can't wait to tell Mercie!" Despite having such a petite frame, Annette really is a force of nature. Even Ingrid, who trains so reliably, can't fight against her as Annette tugs her away from the door even as she shuts it. It's hard to deny a bubbly girl like Annette who can also lift hammers without even a second's thought.

For a second, him and Sylvain just sit there in frozen silence, and listen to the sound of their footsteps clacking along the stone outside. It's only when those sharp sounds have faded that the air drains of all its tension. Dimitri slumps forward, groaning into his hands while the book lays abandoned on his desk. Sylvain, of course, takes it all much more easily as he laughs right there against Dimitri's ear.

"Well, I really hadn't planned it, but it looks like this whole thing just got a little sturdier in terms of believability! Oh boy, the rumor mongers are going to be thriving tonight and tomorrow, I bet. Probably the rest of the week."

"I do not want to be the subject of such nonsense for a week!" Dimitri groans, feeling Sylvain's arms slide away from his body. It's almost a pity, but honestly, it's also for the better. He thinks he's going to die, just thinking about this all on its own, let alone without the influence of every single idiot chattering on the grapevine.

Sylvain pats his back sympathetically. "Listen, it'll probably pick up again when we break it off for the masses," Sylvain tells him, "but that will all fade away again after a while, and the next big drama or rumor will take up everyone's attention. That's how it usually goes with these sorts of things. Well, that's how it will probably go, honestly." He shrugs when Dimitri glances back at him. "Usually I'm the one who starts up the rumor mill again, but I'm used to it. Sometimes it's even handy to know what terrible thing they're saying about me. If I was ignorant about that much gossip, then it wouldn't say much good of me at all!" And he laughs.

How can he laugh so easily about things like that? Dimitri falls quiet, wondering that simple question. He knows that Sylvain is smart, because of how Annette has cheerfully gushed about him, because of how he taught them so many things when they were but children. He knows that Sylvain is loyal, because he is still here despite everything.

It's just this one thing that always seems to do him in, this terrible habit of flirting with women that he doesn't even seem to care for, the repercussions of which always seem to manifest - whether in a bruise on his cheek when he's slapped with a fist full of rings, or rumors that haunt the monastery. He can't be happy doing all of it. Dimitri can't see how he could be. So why is he always up to this sort of nonsense...?

Worse yet, Dimitri doesn't know how on earth he can stop Sylvain. It wouldn't feel right to use his authority on this sort of matter, and trying to tell Sylvain that he should stop being such a flirt has done nothing besides earn Dimitri a time hiding in his room away from a girl. What can he do?

Maybe this entire stupid bet is actually for the better. "If it would pick up again at our breaking up, then that means it would have lowered over the course of our dating, isn't that right?" Dimitri points out. "Then perhaps I should simply never break up with you, Sylvain." It's not the most traditional method of solving such a problem, but Dimitri imagines it would solve the problem.

Despite how he's always poking him about how traditional and stuffy he can be on things such as manners and trying to juggle atrocious noble politics, this particular little twist catches Sylvain off-guard. He stares at him, jaw agape just like Ingrid's was a short while ago. After a moment, with a sharp shake of his head, he just laughs it off. "Jeez, so it looks like I'm finally getting you to lighten up in the end! I guess I should count that as a victory, right?" Before Dimitri can correct him in that he is 100% serious, Sylvain straightens up and dusts himself off. "Anyway, while it was great to see the look on Ingrid's face, and this will definitely help reinforce my win with Lorenz, I should probably get going, huh? I promised you that I would give you a wonderful date. Can't let you think I'm lacking by doing anything less than perfect! Seeya, boss~."

And just like that, he's gone and out of the room in the blink of an eye.

Well, it's fine if he's going to think like that. Dimitri supposes that words really only do so much in the end anyway. Actions are what really matter. While Sylvain does deserve someone better than him, Dimitri can at least help him out with a matter such as this.

Besides... Perhaps, if he were honest with himself, he could admit that the appeal of having a date with Sylvain is something he very much wants to experience as well.

Monstrous of him, he knows. He agreed to this whole thing just because Sylvain is a dear friend of his, and he wanted to help him get out of a rather stupid little bind. And, you know. Erase the fact that he had to hide in Sylvain's room from every single one of their conversations in the future. that he could be getting into all of this just because he wants to spend more time with Sylvain... What is he, a spoiled child?

Despite how monstrous and immature it must be, he still ends up meeting Sylvain out for their date right outside of the Garreg Mach gates. It is just a little bit bothersome, honestly. Many of the students like to leave to go down into town, enjoy themselves, fulfill minor little errands for themselves or a teacher or a friend. That means there is absolutely no end to the people who glance at him as they pass by, no doubt more than aware of the rumor that is probably swirling throughout the halls. As crown prince, he tends to draw people's attention, but he really thought that it had died down a little bit by this point... That was probably just wistful thinking on his part.

At least Sylvain is there in fairly short time, grinning as he raises a hand to Dimitri while the other guides a pair of fine horses along with him from out the gates. "Hey there, Dimitri! Glad to see you still waited for me~."

"I am not the kind of person who would leave a companion waiting," Dimitri says, glancing up to the horses. One of them is his own, a pretty mare with a particularly thick coat in the most lovely of maple colors. The other is one he's fairly certain he's seen Sylvain ride a few times, a pale horse with a dappled coat. "So we'll be riding into town, then? That is a bit of work for a simple outing." Horses need to be taken care of as well, after all, and that means finding the proper stable down in the city depending on how long they'll be out, and making sure that they don't get hurt...

They're not going that far, really. The town and Garreg Mach are close, and so a simple little walk into town would potentially take longer, but it would be easier in the end. Granted, Dimitri has to admit that he also though it would give the usual couples more of a time "together", so to speak... Not that he has any experience in that area.

Sylvain smiles at him, and there's something secretive behind his eyes. "Well, you like riding horses - have ever since we were kids, remember?" Sylvain says fondly, handing one set of reins over to Dimitri. "I thought you'd enjoy it a bit more if we went down to town like this. Honestly, it's not that much work. Horses are pretty easy to handle when you know what you're doing. Especially a pair that know us so well." He pats the side of his own steed, reassuring her even if there's not much need for it. At least she doesn't mind much at all, snorting right into his hair.

It's.... nice, to be considered like this. Dimitri wonders what the difference is, between those who have often tried to use his likes and hobbies as a way to get into his good graces, and Sylvain simply considering how he likes horseback riding here.

A question he can ponder at a later time, surely, instead of getting lost in his own head right before a date, however fake that might be. Dimitri strokes his own horse's neck, and smiles. "I suppose it is hardly any secret... Then, shall we take of? I admit that I have been interested in seeing just what exactly you have planned for a date."

"For a handsome and high class guy like you? Only the best, Mitya." That nickname again... Dimitri thinks his heart might leap out of his chest if he keeps hearing it.

The ride down into town really doesn't take that long at all, thanks to the fine legs of their horses. Despite that, Dimitri enjoys it, but he always enjoys a ride no matter how long or short. Underneath the dappled shadows brought to them by the trees, surrounded by beautiful greenery, who could not enjoy a time such as this? Maybe his good mood shows on his face, because Sylvain is smiling right at him the next time that Dimitri glances over to his dear friend. It's a softer expression than he was expecting, honestly. 

"What do you like about horseback riding that puts you in such an amazing mood?" Sylvain asks, when their eyes have met.

Why does that sound so familiar... Dimitri chuckles. "I think you asked me that once when we were children," he says as they make a turn, and the town comes clearly into view. "It was... roughly around a year after I'd had my riding lessons, I think? It was not long since then, that I'm certain of."

"Sometimes, it really amazes me the kinds of things that you remember." Sylvain chuckles again, rubbing the back of his neck. "But yeah, I guess I did ask something like that when we were younger, didn't I...? I guess it's just been something I was always curious about. My family was always pushing me to do everything that was necessary as a Gautier." There it is again, that quiet undercurrent of venom. "So horseriding really always did feel like such a chore to me when I was young, even though I did genuinely like the horses. It was probably just me projecting things at the time, if I'm honest, but I always felt like they understood where I was coming from."

Dimitri understands that, he thinks. He can understand it coming from Sylvain, and the way he would stay so close to them more than his family, his brother, any of those associated with Gautier. He never felt as though his father was making him suffer. But Sylvain...

Sylvain chuckles again. "But then I'd watch you get better at riding horses, and how you'd be so happy just having the chance.. It was like seeing it get turned around on its head, this thing I was just as used to. Probably a little more used to, actually, since I'm older than you. Somehow, seeing you get so happy about it made me happier as well, whenever we went out riding together."

So it's like that... Dimitri falls silence a moment as he thinks about it, the question that Sylvain has presented to him. He's thought about it plenty of times before, of course. Dimitri often feels he has to reflect on what he's doing, before someone else can first. Thinking of himself while not being himself. But while horseback riding, well. "I feel like I can be away from everything, while I'm riding," Dimitri says quietly, as they leave the comforting shade of the trees into morning sunlight. The last stretch of road into town. "Synchronizing myself with my horse, focusing on just my breath and the air around me... I can simply focus on myself, for a short while. Just me and another living creature." Ugh. It sounds so embarrassing when he puts it like that - or maybe it's simply because he has to say it in front of Sylvain that it seems so embarrassing. Dimitri shakes his head. "Well, I do hope that makes sense."

"You worry too much!" Sylvain laughs, eyes shining. They almost have an amber hue, a brown so warm that Dimitri could soak in it, when the light catches them this way. "Dimitri, you've spent too long studying words and politics to fail here. I get it. Trust me."

If Dimitri didn't trust him, then he wouldn't be going out on such a silly little thing like this - this fake date born from the falsified win of a bet. Dimitri trusts Sylvain to at least do his best, to bring him to somewhere nice, to take care of their horses. Sylvain does, of course, because he is reliable in this area. The stable they go to take their horses to is well built, and the stablehands seem to be reliable, although Dimitri must admit that it is not as though he is an expert in such matters.

And where Sylvain takes him to.... Dimitri blinks when it is just a simple little inn, tucked away from the main hustle and bustle that travelers usually traverse. "They do the local breads and such here for the townspeople," Sylvain says when he comes back with a small basket filled with bread, and a cut of meat. A few vegetables. "And some of the nuns and priests, too." He winks at Dimitri. "This'll be a nice little thing for later~." With that, he gently drapes a cloth across the basket, keeping its contents hidden out of sight.

What a peculiar choice. Dimitri is left wondering about what's going through Sylvain's head, just what else he has planned. Fortunately, he's not left in the dark for the rest of Sylvain's plans. He thought their destination in town would lead them to a nice little inn with a bar in it. A place like this wouldn't be the norm in the average town, but this is a town that is far from normal, with its proximity to Garreg Mach.

Dimitri understands why, of course. With how many nobles and influential merchants or knights send their children there to be raised in the art of tactics and battle properly, it would only be expected that their tastes are a bit pickier as well. While Dimitri would never say that Garreg Mach's food is lacking, he knows quite well that there are others who long for things more specific. More rich in flavor, or at least appearance, instead of simple church plates and bowls.

He doesn't really understand it all that well, honestly, and a part of him wonders if this sort of thing is the influence of any one particular country or not. If it is the gluttonous nobles of the Empire, or the merchants of the Alliance who wish to prove they've moved up, or even those of his own Kingdom. Dimitri likes to think that his own are more sensible than to care about such trifling matters, but, then, once upon a time, he also thought the Kingdom to be good enough to not retaliate against an entire country when he said they were not to blame. Surely his own uncle would enjoy such presentation, although Dimitri knows it likely does not speak well of him to think in that way.

But just because he doesn't see the point in such things doesn't mean that he has any reason to be hard on those who have tried so hard to prepare a beautiful place. "It is a lovely inn," he says once he and Sylvain find their seat at a table of finely carved wood. From the corner of his eye, he can see an older woman who looks like the owner swell up in pride. "I can see why you chose it."

In more ways than one, as a matter of fact. It doesn't escape his attention that a few people from their school are also seated at various tables. Well, this was probably planned a good deal in advance, the choosing of this in, and for exactly this reason. All just fodder to help secure Sylvain's victory. Dimitri has to admit that it is rather clever, in that political sort of way. He understands that the role of a Margrave, at least in Faerghus, is simply to function as a fine military leader... But in the dining halls of noble families, surely Sylvain could outwit them all, if he so chose.

That he doesn't show this side of him more... Dimitri thinks he's almost infuriated, sometimes. But is it because Sylvain acts such a fool, or because he wants to stay hidden like that? He wishes he could tell.

At least it is easier to tell that Sylvain seems quite pleased by his compliment, even if not as much so as the owner. He grins, the kind of expression that goes to his eyes instead of staying just on his mouth. "Hey, if I took the future King of Faerghus to just any place, I'd be called cheap, you know," Sylvain says with a laugh. "You started to really like gratin soups once you became a teenager, right? I let the chefs here know ahead of time, so hopefully it's perfectly to your tastes."

If Sylvain puts this kind of effort into every girl he romances, then Dimitri could see just how he'd be so popular. Unnecessary for him, honestly, and in fact quite useless... But it is nice, he supposes, in theory, to be pampered on an individual level like this. But it is nothing truly special... Maybe he just says that because it won't affect his enjoyment of the meal at all.

And it really is a pleasant meal, Dimitri can recognize that. The presentation is quite nice, in terms of everything from start to finish. The workers of the inn are kept neat and clean, as presentation is a part of the service they offer. Intricate designs are painted on the plates and bowls they eat from, with utensils made out of nice good silver so that no one need worry about a poisoning attempt. They can sit for the entirety of their meal without worrying about their rears becoming sore, and the atmosphere is quite pleasant. Apparently in the evenings, a local violinist even comes to play for some music... But that's the sort of thing that risks coming into Garreg Mach late at night and being on the receiving end of Seteth's ire.

Of course, all of that can be meaningless without the right partner... and Sylvain fulfills that role rather admirably. Even for how much he loves to tease Dimitri, he also has a great understanding of the social scene that is happening throughout Garreg Mach. He talks of the chess matches that Hubert tries to win against Claude, of how Raphael and Ingrid have had meals together as she's tried to instill in him a sense of knighthood, and how the various teachers of Garreg Mach are all getting up to the kind of shenanigans that would make Seteth put his head in his hand.

It's the kind of thing he missed, honestly... being able to talk with Sylvain so casually, when Felix was having his sword lessons, and Ingrid would learn how to ride horses from Glenn. Maybe it was because Sylvain was older that he was able to talk so casually to Dimitri when they were younger... Why he can still do that now.

Dimitri wishes that he could do the same thing now, really. He wishes he had the freedom to do so. But with all eyes on him as the only remaining Blaiddyd Crest, with his uncle already having behaved so recklessly....

"You know, I could have thought that I was doing a really good job at dining and talking with you," Sylvain remarks when they finally head back onto the street with their stomachs settled after some talking. "Yet I feel like your brain was a million miles away more than once. You still can't relax even on a date, huh? That's the sort of thing which explains why a girl like that one from before wouldn't be able to stick around."

It would be easy to scold him, especially since he's bringing up an old matter that he said he wouldn't... Except Dimitri has to admit that he's right, and he lets out a sigh. "I apologize, Sylvain," he says quietly as he glances up towards the sky. Still somewhere in the afternoon. He supposes he'll have enough time to practice with his lance before dinner. Maybe Felix will even bother to deal with his presence enough for a spar. Dimitri takes what moments he can get with his old friends, even if it's all become so twisted since when they were children. "I suppose I was just thinking on some... things of the past." He makes an effort to smile. He likes to think he even succeeds. "But the date was very nice, thank you."

A part of him is expecting to be interrogated on the matter. Isn't Sylvain's silly little reputation at stake here, and all that? Instead, a sly grin crosses Sylvain's face. "Who said the date was over just yet?" he asks, and offers his arm to Dimitri in a way that's never been done for him before. "Come on. The fun's just begun."

Sylvain leads him back to the stables where they left their horses, that basket still on his arm from earlier. It's not been very long since the two of them have been away, so of course they're in fine condition. When Sylvain leads them away from town, however, it isn't in the direction of Garreg Mach. Instead, it is elsewhere, on one of the many roads that leads out and away from town. Away from the church.

While there are a lot of things Dimitri could say about Garreg Mach, about the Church of Seiros, with not all of them being exactly pleasant... It's hard to say the same about the area surrounding it. If anything, he only has wonderful things to say when it comes to the beautiful land that the church has settled its main monastery in.

Fields roll out from it, the road cutting a path through it, and Dimitri knows that deer occasionally flick through the bright greenery of it all. In nearby areas, forests offer safe haven and shade, the perfect spots for an amateur hunter to go see what they may be able to snag for their own dinner. Dimitri has gone hunting on a few occasions, but not there. No, for the forests, he goes to find some tranquility as his horse makes her way through the paths that have been forged there over time. Adding to all of it, in the distance, the sight of mountains that are such a familiar comfort to him, towering over all as they reach for the sky...

"There we go," Sylvain says, a lot more satisfied, and Dimitri blinks, turning to look over to him. Atop his own steed, Sylvain makes a rather dashing sight, and the smile on his face only enhances that feeling all the more. Maybe it is simply Dimitri wanting to be greedy, but he thinks it is the kind of smile those girls have never gotten to see before. "You look much better now."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"Your expression. It's a lot more relaxed, now. No tension wrinkling that pretty little forehead of yours, or making your shoulders hunch up." Sylvain laughs a little bit. "Well, I figured you'd get like that! You're not really one for really fancy or ostentatious stuff, are you?" He winks, all playful. "No, you're the guy who likes replacement gloves, and grindstones for his weapons. For a guy like you who wears his heart on his sleeve, that much is easy to see for anyone who's actually paying attention."

Sylvain may say that, but it is actually a rare person who pays such attention to Dimitri on this level. Not for it to be... personal. Some people knows he likes lances, but they don't know that he prefers a simple and sturdy blade to something intricate and useless. They know that he likes soup, but not because it goes down easier than anything else a bit more physical.

Does Sylvain already know? Dimitri wonders if he does. He wonders if it matters, and if he's overthinking all of this.

Regardless... He smiles, glad that Sylvain really is paying him such mind. "So this is the grand finish to your date, or is there even more after this?" he asks. "Because I couldn't begin to imagine what else you could do."

A sheepish chuckles rolls out of Sylvain, and he ruffles the back of his hair. As though it needs to get any messier. "Nah, this is pretty much it. A nice ride through the forest, and then settling in by the river for a light meal. What we ate at the inn wasn't too much, and it's been long enough that your stomach should be good for a round two." There's that teasing light in his eyes again as he looks over to Dimitri. "I should work on fattening you up, so all the little old ladies who work in the castle don't worry over how thing you are so much."

"I can still fight just well and have survived in the wilderness when I was taught how to fight!" Dimitri exclaims, trying very hard to not whine. With the way Sylvain grins, he suspects he's failed on that bit. "They fuss so much over nothing."

"What a thing for the crown prince to say over his worried subjects!" It is a good thing they are on horses, or who knows what Dimitri would do in regards to Sylvain's teasing. For now, all he can do is swat his hand out at him, separated by the distance their steeds require. "Hey, there's that temper of yours again!"

Dimitri scoffs, even as he smiles. Sylvain is smiling too. That's right... This is how it should be with them again, instead of the distance between them being more to do with his station instead of their horses. "Perhaps you should stop baiting this temper of mine if you do not want to see it so often," Dimitri encounters, turning his face to the sun as they leave the forest, towards the river he can see glittering underneath the noon sun. "Or do you desire my attention that much, Sylvain?"

"Ooooh, you've got me now. I'm still just a six year old, pulling the pigtails of girls so that they look my way," Sylvain teases him. That's an exaggeration, of course. Sylvain never tugged any girl's hair, because he was a good boy at his heart, and also Ingrid learned how to tackle people at a very young age.

Well, even if he's just poking fun at him, at the things he's said... "You hardly need pull my hair," Dimitri says, looking away from Sylvain, and to the river. There's a heat on his neck, his jaw, that he tells himself is the sun. "Not to get my attention, or go on more dates like this in the future."

"And what's that mean?" Sylvain asks, although Dimitri isn't sure what expression he's making as he says it.

"It means I would like to go on another date with you, Sylvain."