#Just took a look at this and realized it said Clause instead of Claude

[aria-upside-down]

Some of my favorite bisexual characters

•Will Solace (Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus)

•Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

•Nick Nelson (Heartstopper)

•Leo Peterson (Little Pickle Town)

•Claude LeMeut (Miraculous Office AU)

[doctorcanon]

Modern AU First Draft

So this is the first draft of the party scene. I’m think about doing something a little more...dramatic. Maybe making Dimitri a bit meaner and Edelgard a bit drunker. Also Claude a little more unhelpful. But I do wanna mention if you know a person who could be facing problems with addiction...don’t talk to them like this. Edelgard isn’t perfect, but she really is concerned for Dimitri’s health and she really misses her mother. Also she has a Ph.D because I goddamn said so. Tw: Alcoholism, Drug use, Addiction though not explicitly said out loud.

Edelgard does quite well for herself, thank you very much. She doesn’t need accolades, praise or empty platitudes to be proud of what she’s accomplished. All her sleepless nights came to fruition when she finally walked across that stage to get her doctorate degree. She’s perfectly content knowing she has a corner office waiting for her. She can finally make real changes in the world. That’s celebration enough, in her opinion. However, it doesn’t seem like her opinion matters because she’s standing in the middle of this extravagant party in her best red dress drinking wine and eating hors d'oeuvres with her father’s friends and distant relatives. She’s told her father countless times how much she loves this hotel and its view of the waterfront but that didn’t necessarily mean “rent me a band and an open bar”. Uncomfortable she may be, his heart is in the right place. So the least she can do is make the rounds and weather the night.

Even Dimitri dragged himself out of whatever hole he comes from. She hasn’t seen him since he lost his eye and it looks like he hasn’t had a chance to get that prosthetic the doctors talked about. The eye patch is a little conspicuous. She doesn’t know why her father even invited him. It’s not like they talk much. Dimitri isn’t exactly good for her reputation and even more detrimental to her work. Does he even realize she’s here?

“Staring at him isn’t going to make it less awkward.��� Edelgard winces. She should’ve known Claude would be watching. She carves a smile onto her face. Sure enough, she finds Claude sipping a martini and sitting at the table he’s clearly not assigned to. “Just go over there, this is painful to watch.” He tosses back what’s left of his drink. 

“Then stop watching.” Edelgard chides irritably. 

“Oh come on, you literally told me that you’ve been...” He straightened himself in a poor imitation of her, “...thinking about him more than necessary.” Edelgard scoffs and grabs a glass of champagne from the nearest waiter. Claude is never wrong. Dimitri looks lost, holding a rocks glass and glancing about at people he doesn’t know anymore. Edelgard wonders if that a side effect of his medication. “This is the perfect opportunity to nag him in a completely inconspicuous way. Just picture it: The prodigal brother…”

“Step-brother.” Edelgard corrects.

“Look, I can’t create a narrative if you’re going to interrupt.” Claude replies sourly. Edelgard has to admit, Dimitri is at least trying. He’s wearing a suit but seems to have lost his tie. She swears he walked in with one. He clearly stopped cutting his hair but has the decency to tie it into a messy ponytail. He’s drinking something dark from a rocks glass. That’s strange...she thought he was on medication. Losing an eye isn’t something your body just gets over. “Just go over there, Edie. He won’t bite.” Edelgard doubts that. She takes a look at her champagne glass and downs it. “Attagirl!” She ignores Claude and marches over to Dimitri like a woman with a goddamn Ph.D. 

“Hello, Dimitri.” She says, almost sternly. Dimitri whips around and seems shocked to see her. Good lord, this is her father’s party. Did he forget why he was here? “How are you?” It’s a loaded question with many answers. She’s just going to trust him to pick the most polite one. 

“Fine.” He says quickly. “Just um...just fine.” At a loss, Dimitri oscillates and Edelgard has to clench her fist from rolling her eyes. Must he be so helplessly awkward? Nevertheless, her wayward step-brother seems to find his footing. “And you?”

“Happy.” She says hyperaware that her tone suggests otherwise. Dimitri pauses in his drinking but does her the courtesy of keeping his mouth shut. “Over the moon, in fact. It took five years to get my Ph.D. I move into my new office after New Year’s.” Remain cordial. Deep breaths. There’s nothing to be angry about. Yet.

“That’s great, El.” Oh god. “That’s...that’s really great. Congratulations. I wish I could’ve been there at your graduation ceremony.” Edelgard freezes.

“That’s right.” She replies a bit guiltily. “You weren’t at the graduation…” 

“I was in vision therapy.” Dimitri explains. “Even though my sight has mostly recovered, driving is still difficult in certain conditions and my friends don’t want me driving at night especially. I can’t exactly get a ride share outside of town without it costing quite a bit.” Edelgard can’t help but feel a tiny bit guilty. She didn’t bother sending him a formal invitation. 

“You have a ride tonight, though, right?” She asks. Dimitri leans into the mundane conversation like it’s the only thing keeping him upright.

“Yes, yes, of course.” He says. “Dedue would kill me if I tried to drive by myself in the snow.” Edelgard has heard of Dedue many times but has only seen him a few and hears him speak even less. Apparently, he’s the person teaching Dimitri how to act like a normal human being. His lessons must use alcohol as a reward because Dimitri gets another Old Fashioned.

“What are you drinking?” She asks way too innocently.

“Whiskey.” Dimitri says simply before taking a rather loud gulp. Oh no. The open bar is a bad idea.

“Are you not on medication?” She asks. She’s about as transparent as a clean window but she just can’t help herself. She can’t let a man on pain medication get drunk at her - well...her father’s...party. 

“Not today.” That seems unlikely. “The socket is empty, so no prosthetic fittings, no headaches, no sharp flashes or phantom eye twitching. It’s almost like I was never born with one.” There’s a dangerous edge to her brother’s voice. He takes two big swallows and places his drink back on the bar. “The doctor says it’ll be like I never lost it.” He says a bit quieter. She almost doesn’t hear him over the jazzy rendition of Sleigh Bells. His glass is full again. Wow, that bartender really isn’t paying attention, is she? Dimitri leans back and says. “Thank you, could you get my sister some more champagne?” Edelgard looks down at her glass. It’s empty. Has she really been sipping at it this whole time? She accepts the next full glass with a quiet thank you. “Are you going to be in town until New Year’s?”

“Yes, I am. Dad’s selling the old house.” Edelgard replies. Dimitri takes a few drinks of his whiskey. How many is that now, three? “You should slow down.” She says disparagingly. “Even if you aren’t on medication, that can’t be good for you.” 

“I get a list of what I should do from my doctor everyday, El.” Dimitri counters. “I know exactly what I should and shouldn’t be doing.” That might’ve been a bridge too far but four glasses of champagne tells her it doesn’t matter. 

“Well now you have one more person telling you. Perhaps that’ll make it stick.” Someone leaves the bar, sensing the tension. Dimitri staightens himself up like he’s bracing himself. She doesn’t appreciate the implication that she’s something to be withstood instead of respected. She gets enough of that from her colleagues. She won’t tolerate it from her so-called brother. “Your recovery is important. Your body has to be sound to heal itself. You’re not going to grow another eye but what if it doesn’t heal properly?” Dimitri opens his mouth to respond but she cuts him off. “It’s Christmas, Dimitri. Don’t waste it at the bar. Honestly, they haven’t even served the food. Pull yourself together.” She leans over, making eye contact with the bartender. “Cut him off.” With that, she struts off. 

Clause watches from his seat. That...didn’t go as planned.

Edelgard doesn’t think she’s angry. Just disappointed. She mourned over their mother too but she went out and did something about it. Now she has her corner office and can get to making real change in the world. She’ll continue to rise above her grief as much as possible. She supposes some people sink and Dimitri has always been just beyond her grasp. She feels hot and flushed. Her chest burns. She turns on the water and splashes her face a few times. Thank God for waterproof eyeliner. Claude is always right. She’s been thinking about more than just her father selling the house. It’s about her whole family. Maybe she’s just worried about Dimitri. They don’t talk much and he isn’t exactly a social media person so she can’t check on him. With the house gone, he’s the only connection to her mother she’ll have left. 

“Edie?” It’s Dorthea. Edelgard composes herself. She must look a sight, bending over the sink with water dripping from her hair and face. “I saw you talking with Dimitri, is everything alright?” 

“Hm? Oh yes, I had to cut him off though. I think he was enjoying that whiskey a little too much.” Edelgard feels a burn in her chest and she clears her throat with a frown. “I think I might’ve had a little too much champagne before dinner.” She digs into her clutch bag. “Here, help my touch up my makeup.” 

By the time Dorthea has her “Instagram Ready” - Dorthea’s words, not hers - dinner is served. The buffet is quite fancy and decked out with carving stations. She feels a small thrill of childish glee at the sight of the pasta bar. Suddenly, Dimitri is the farthest thing from her mind. She enjoys the company she keeps. Flanked by Dorthea and Hubert, she’s surrounded by friends and family who support her in everything she’s accomplished. Her father beams. It’s rare to see him so unrestrained. Despite her misgivings, she starts to ease into it. After a while, she feels great. Even though she asks for water instead of another glass of champagne. She even spares her friends a few dances. Hubert leads her in a makeshift waltz when suddenly the speaker bursts into microphone feedback.

“Sorry, sorry everyone, sorry.” 

“Uh oh…” Someone mutters. Dimitri is up on the stage with the band. His jacket, ponytail and tie are gone. Edelgard rages at the sight of a Double Old Fashioned in the idiot’s hand. She’s not alone either. The jazz singer looks like she might kill Dimitri for her microphone. 

“Sorry, I won’t be long I just wanted to uh...make a toast…” She can smell his boozy breath from here. She gave that bartender explicit instructions. She will lodge a thorough complaint with hotel staffing. “To Edelgard!” She looks around. No one knows what to do. She suddenly remembers that saying about trainwrecks. You just can’t look away. “Congratulations on getting your Ph.D. You’re a full on Doctor of Anthropology. Which...sounds like apology but it’s still great like...you’ve been passionate about this stuff since you were like...nine. And that’s just so good, you know? But I have a doctor for a sister! That’s like...the best right?” This is the most complimentary drunken rant she’s ever heard. “Edel...El’s the best, you know? Even though you were a bitch to me a minute ago, you’re still the best.” He pauses and suddenly Edelgard is filled with panic that he might vomit, instead he continues. “You know...mom would’ve been so proud.” That panic turns to something quite different but it still squeezes her heart just the same. “She talked about you, all the time. Even when you weren’t around, you know?” Suddenly, Edelgard feels eyes on her. “She really loves you. I just wanted to tell you that. You’re ambi...ambitious...smart and...and that’s why she loved you more than m -”

In a streak of black and gold, Claude nearly tackles Dimitri and with the jazz singer’s help, wrestles the microphone from Dimitri’s hands. He ignores the weak “I wasn’t done yet!” but the taller man is too drunk to fight back. The dance floor lets out a sigh of relief.

“Whoo! Sorry about that, folks. It looks like Dimitri needs some water and a cab home.” Claude says struggling to keep Dimitri upright. “I’m going to go...do that… and Manuela…” He looks back at the singer. She nods. “...is gonna sing us back into the Christmas mood.” He practically shoves Dimitri off the stage and through the crowd. Deathly awkward silence follows as everyone tries to process what just happened. 

“Edelgard?” Hubert’s voice doesn’t quite reach her. She forgets dancing and bolts after her brother and old classmate. She doesn’t catch up with them until they’re outside. Apparently Dimitri stopped to vomit into the foliage. Somehow Claude got the valet to deliver them a bottle of water. The kid is just eager to get away from the god-awful noises. She could strangle Dimitri for embarrassing her her like that. To invoke their mother this close to Christmas might as well be a crime. She scowls in disgust. She wants to be angry. Furious even. She wants to kick him over into the bushes and into his own puke so he can choke on it. Of course, she doesn’t. Dimitri might be a drunken mess but she can’t shake the nostalgia tearing at her chest. 

They never talk about Mom. After the funeral they wordlessly agreed to never bring her up. Yet now Edelgard feels her lurking just beneath the surface. It seems like Dimitri has been thinking about her lately too. Perhaps he already knew her father wanted to sell the house. Claude might have cut him off, but she knows how he was going to finish that sentence. From her perspective, her mother clearly preferred Dimitri. Whatever. It’s pointless to dwell on it now. Their mother is dead. Why would he even talk about her in the present tense? 

“That’s it big guy, get it all out…” Claude says patting Dimitri on the back. He sounds comforting but he’s standing at a distance. He wants to help the poor trainwreck, not ruin his custom made kaftan; this thing cost a fortune. Claude gives her a look. “I’ll let you kick him over if you want.” She would rather think that Claude is a low grade psychic than accept that she’s so easy to read. “Stay with him. I’m gonna call someone.” Edelgard opens her mouth to argue but Claude is already halfway down the driveway. The valet comes toddling back with a cold bottle of water. He cracks a joke about the hotel bar but Edelgard doesn’t have it in her to pretend it’s funny. Bending down, she tries to get Dimitri to drink.

“Here, just a little bit.” Edelgard says as levelly as she can. Dimitri pushes the bottle away at first but she shoves it back into his hands. “If you don’t drink, I’m going to parade you around this party by the ear and make you apologize to everyone like I did at Aunt Cornelia’s wedding.” With that, Dimitri spitefully tries to chug the bottle only to end up puking up half it and the rest of the shrimp toast. Pathetic. “Dimitri, be honest with me.” Dimitri is a big man, towering over her at 6’2” and nearly 200lbs of muscle. Whiskey might be potent but the man is sloppy blackout drunk. “Were you drunk before you got here?” She asks. She doesn’t need an answer other than the long, guilty silence. She growls out her frustration. “You’re pathetic, you know that?”

“I know…”

“No. You don’t know.” Edelgard says. “If you did you’d be trying to change instead spiralling further and further out of control.” Something in her catches fire. “You want to talk about Mom tonight? Well she would be horrified of what you’ve become. You didn’t finish school, you can’t hold down a job. Are you even paying rent?” He can’t answer her. She might as well be talking to a corpse. Dimitri took the sweet, dependable boy he used to be and poisoned him to death. He could be great. Her mother didn’t raise failures. Where are his friends, she wonders. Do they see what he’s become? Do they even care? Or perhaps they’ve dragged him down with them. “This isn’t what she wanted for you.” She scoffs. “No one wants this for you.”

“I know.”

“Then do something about it.” Edelgard growls. She opens her mouth to say more but Claude comes flouncing back. 

“Hey, one of his friends is on the way.” He says. There’s a pause. She doesn’t like the way Claude’s eyes rake over her. He squints a little before easing into his laid back posture. “Go back to the party. I got him.” He says. She doesn’t even thank him, she just turns on her heel and makes a beeline back to the upstairs ballroom. 

The fire, burning so bright just a moment ago, snuffs out the second she’s alone in the elevator. All that’s left is ashes. They destroyed something tonight. Now she’s bereft. Little by little traces of her mother slip through her fingers. She can’t get them back. By the time she gets to the second floor, she’s crying. Not just a few tears but actual heavy sobbing that she can’t seem to tamp down. Even her eyeliner gives up and streams down her face with her tears. She only calms down when Hubert runs to her rescue. 

She spends the rest of the party with her father reminiscing about Mom. She doesn’t think about Dimitri again until the following morning with a text from Claude. Apparently, they’ll be spending Christmas in the hospital.