OKAY SO THIS IS ANOTHER REQUEST FROM MY PARTNER HI BABE

They didn't give me a prompt so I decided to take this into my own hands 

This was originally going to be a different prompt but I ran my fingers through my hair and a bunch fell out so... 

This is a chapter about alopecia! I have alopecia areatta which causes my hair to fall out in clumps then regrow blonde/grey/white and shorter or not grow back at all. It's one of my biggest insecurities but I never see this condition in fiction ever so I want to make all my fellow lovelies with this condition feel seen and loved. And who better to do that then the Master Tactician himself? 

Enjoy! 

Brief disclaimer: Reader can use any pronouns but has long/long-ish hair. 

[This chapter mentions anxiety and insecurities and involves a lot of fluff and words of affirmation.] 

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When you walked into the classroom wearing one of Dorothea's hats, barely anyone cared. 

Lysithea and Marianne even complimented you, saying you looked really great and the hat framed your head really well! Lorenz said you look stunning. No one else really seemed to notice your new outfit choice. 

Besides a pair of deep green eyes that seemed fixated on your form. 

Claude seemed to be hyper-analyzing your new hat. Sure, his eyes would wander to you occasionally when class was a bit too boring. Yet this was a new change. He'll have to ask you about it later. 

The goddess or fortune seemed to be smiling down on him seeing as Professor Byleth assigned a partner project as the homework for the week. He immediately gravitated to you when the project was announced. 

"Hey, Y/N, would you mind being my partner for the project?" The question was innocent, sure. Yet the smile he gave you didn't fully reach his eyes which instead seemed to be analyzing you. Waiting for your response. 

You looked into his eyes to see if he was planning anything malicious. The usually hard to read master schemer didn't hold any bad intentions in his gaze. It seemed like he genuinely wanted to get to know you. 

"Sure, Claude. I'd love to," that's all he needed to hear before he was dragging you by the arm from the classroom to the bridge in front of the cathedral. He sat on the railing of the bridge, opting to swing his legs over the edge. You decided to remain standing, deeming his actions a bit too dangerous for your liking. 

"So. What's with the hat?" His questioning hit right out the gate. You didn't exactly know how to respond. 

You knew Claude before class started. You knew everyone. Your class had been at the monastery for a few months before classes officially started. You were originally going to join the Black Eagles yet Claude managed to charm his way into your heart and brain, and you joined the Golden Deer instead. Edelgard was a bit upset but understood your decision all the same. You still had tea and lunch with the Black Eagles class on occasion. 

You still hadn't responded to Claude. He had turned his head to look at you. You were still looking out over the monastery from the bridge. The view was captivating at this time of year. 

You gently sighed. Do you lie to him? Would he be able to tell you're lying? You could just say it was a new fashion choice. Would he believe that? Sometimes you swear he can see right through you. It was useless lying to him. He would just press you and press you until you finally told him exactly what was bothering you. He does that all the time. 

That, and you trust him. 

Sure, he's a schemer. He plays pranks and jokes every now and then. 

But he's also very emotionally intelligent. 

One night you ended up in the library after having a nightmare. Claude was in there too, trying to find Seteths secret stash of "inappropriate" books. Also known as books that may or may not reflect negatively on or reveal the true intentions of the church of Seiros. Claude is hell bent on reading every single one he can. 

That night you trudged up to his side, a blanket still tightly wrapped around your shoulders. He asked no questions, passed no judgement, just listened to what you had to say. Listened to your fears and anxieties. Gently held your hand as you shook and cried. Helped calm you down from a panic attack with kind words and gentle reminders that you're here, you're awake, your friends and family are all okay, you're alive. He's here. He's here. 

You knew you had nothing to fear with him. 

Back to the present, you sighed and took off the borrowed hat. You gently ran your fingers through your hair, grimacing as you saw strands of hair between your fingers. You shook your hand out and watched as the strands fell from the bridge to the ground down below. 

"It's getting worse," you finally said. "It's aggravated by stress. That much I know. Every time I run my hands through my hair, more falls out. I can still feel the spots where it hasn't grown back. They're so... Prominent. So obvious. I notice them every single time. It's the thing I am the most insecure about. It's not just my head, either. It's on my arms and legs. Ever wonder why I never wear anything besides pants, even in the warmer moons?"

Claude remembered taking note of that when the two of you first met. You wore pants all the time, your white dress shirt tucked into them and covered by vest with the academies emblem embroidered into it. He thought you looked amazing even then. 

"Y'know, I never noticed," he lied. "But you look great no matter what. If anyone calls any attention to your hair, it should only be to say how beautiful your hair is, not to make fun of you for losing it. I can't say I totally understand everything you're going through. But I know what it's like to be insecure over something you have no real control over. When I first came to the Alliance to shadow under my grandfather, I thought I stood out like a sore thumb. I mean anyone could tell I'm not from Fodlan if they looked closely enough. But once you realize that they aren't looking at you maliciously, it's easier to relax." Then, he was telling the truth. Seeing you finally turn your face to look at him, he continued. 

"I think you're stunning, hair or no. I know other people think the same too. Not only are you a sight for sore eyes, you're so kind and nice to everyone you've ever met, regardless of status. Before you even joined the Golden Deer everyone was asking if you were going to join our class. The little deerlings were overjoyed to know you picked our class. Of course, I was too. You intrigue me, Y/N. I can't get enough of you." His words were so sincere. No joking smile, his eyes were full of genuine admiration. You felt emotionally safe. You shared your biggest insecurities with him. Just like that night in the library he comforted you with kind words and affection. 

"How about this? We go back to the monastery and I fix us some tea." He got up from his place on the bridge and gently held your hand again, waiting for your response. 

"Claude..." You shyly turned to look at him again. "I would really appreciate that. Thank you." 

Hearing your words of consent, he started walking, leading you to the courtyard of the monastery. Once the tea and snacks were splayed on the table in front of you, Claude set off on his mission. His mission to make you relax. 

His elbows were on the table, resting his chin on the palms of his hand, leaning over slightly to look at you closely while you were laughing across the table from him. Your eyes were closed as you threw your head back to laugh loudly. Claude held a fond smile on his face, happy to see you smiling and laughing. 

"And apparently, both men didn't get away from that interaction without a slap. They both think they were the better smooth talker but you know Lorenz and Sylvain. They're lucky they walked away with only a slap! I'm sure Ingrid gave Sylvain an earful once he got back to the academy. I know Lysithea didn't let Lorenz go without a very long lecture about respect and boundaries. She may be young but she sure knows how to lay in to him." You laughed even harder at that. The small Lysithea grilling Lorenz about leaving women alone is definitely a sight to behold. 

You felt the stress dissipating from your body. The chamomile tea Claude picked did wonders for relaxation. He also remembered your favorite snacks! He really was quite observant. 

"Thank you for the tea, Claude," you said once you finally stopped laughing hysterically. 

"No problem, Y/N! Anything to hear that melodic laughter of yours," his eyes reflected the fond smile on his face. His expression was genuine which is a rare sight for him. One of his hands let go of his chin as he shifted the weight of his head onto the other. He reached his now empty hand out for you to hold if you wanted to. And you did. You let the hand that wasn't holding your teacup hold onto his calloused hand. When you reciprocated the gesture, he gently squeezed your hand. 

The tea was the best you've ever had. 

Claude was glad to see you not stressed. Neither of you even noticed that your hat remained on the back of the chair. 

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1.6k words 

This chapter

Leave it to Claude to know and remember every single small detail that you mention like ever XD 

Next chapter will be a character of my choosing >:)