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“Drat!”
He’s just walking into the main hall when he hears Hilda’s grumbling. She’s holding a piece of string in her hands and fussing with the metal clasp at the end.
“Is something wrong?”
“Yeah, the clasp I bought at the market won’t stay shut! I should’ve tested it out before I got started on this necklace, but I got all sidetracked by other stuff,” she says. Knowing Hilda it was by sweet-talking the male students into doing her chores for her, but it’s not his job to lecture her.
“May I look at it?” She hesitates, but shrugs, handing it over to him anyway as he sits down.
“Least you won’t break it,” she mutters. “No offense to Prince Dimitri, of course.”
“None taken.” Dedue absolutely adores Dimitri, would defend him with his life and will gladly snarl at Felix for insulting him. But he knows all about the broken scissors and needles from his attempts at sewing, and the story of how he once broke a sword clean in half just by swinging it.
With utmost care and precision, he examines every inch of the small object, quickly identifying the issue.
“The pieces are mismatched,” he explains. “Perhaps it was poorly made or the merchant sold you a mismatched set by accident, but the receiving end is too large.” Hilda buries her face in her hands with a groan.
“Great! Marianne’s birthday is in two weeks and the merchant won’t come this way again for another three! I’ll never finish this in time!” She sighs. “Maybe I’ve still got time to make her a brooch or a hair clip.” Dedue shakes his head.
“This is easy enough to fix,” he says. “Will you come with me to the blacksmith?” Hilda blinks.
“The blacksmith here? I thought she only did weapons and shields and stuff.”
“A blacksmith is capable of working with anything metal,” he says. “Even better, this should be easily fixed with common smithing stones, which we have a surplus of. However, being made of pure silver, it will not be inexpensive to fix.” Hilda grins.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of money! I’ll foot the bill.”
They have to leave the clasp overnight, which Hilda’s not happy about, but the blacksmith knows exactly what to do and promises it will look as if it always fit properly. At the market, Hilda treats herself to a new hair clip and when she spots another new merchant, buys a silver charm in the shape of a bird. It costs three times as much as a wooden charm would but she gladly hands over the money.
They return to the monastery, and she suddenly stops and looks up at him.
“Hey, Dedue? How do you know so much about metal and blacksmithing?” she asks. “You never struck me as a weapons expert. I mean, I mostly see you around the kitchen and the greenhouse or the knights’ hall, and I know you train with Prince Dimitri a lot. But how did you know what the clasp was made of and what it’d take?”
“My father was a blacksmith,” he says.
“Was?” A pause. “Oh, right, the whole Tragedy of Duscur thing. Sorry.”
“It is fine.” He’s not sure what else to say. Hilda is known to be flighty and self-centered and even during wartime doesn’t seem very focused on anything political outside her own territory, much less the rest of the world.
But ever since his return to Garreg Mach and his adjustment to the unexpected alliance between all three factions, he’s seen a different side to her. One that would do anything to make her friends smile, who may not care much for politics but worries about Claude’s well-being in the face of their homeland’s anger at him for siding with the Kingdom and the Empire both at once. A woman unwilling to settle for less when it comes to making someone she loves a gift, even if it means spending money on having a part fixed and buying another component when she could just as easily give up and buy something.
“Thanks, though,” she says after a long silence. “You’re a lifesaver. Marianne...really means a lot to me. Just seeing her brightens my day, I know she can be a handful with her clumsiness but I don’t care because she tries so hard, and I just...really love to see her smile.”
Dedue gives the barest hint of a chuckle.
“In other words, she is to you what His Highness...Dimitri is to me.” It’s still strange, calling him by that name, but after nearly dying and being separated from Dimitri for so long and how open Dimitri is with his affections, it would be wrong to deny him such simple joys and keep the barrier between them.
Hilda actually blushes.
“You noticed, huh? I was going to give her a love letter but I don’t want to put her on the spot like that on her birthday, you know?”
“I think the necklace alone will be enough to convey your feelings to her. Sometimes a gift made with love and care can speak more than words alone,” Dedue says. “My father also knew something about making trinkets from metal, not only weapons. Every year for his and Mother’s anniversary, he would make her a charm shaped like something she loved - a flower, an animal, an object.” He closes his eyes. “She wore them all on a necklace, but sadly it was lost to the flames or I would have saved it.” Hilda whimpers, clasping her hands in front of her chest.
“Dedue, I’m so sorry. I dunno the whole story or anything about Kingdom politics, but...you shouldn’t have had to go through that. Losing your family.”
“You do not need to apologize. But...your sentiment is appreciated.” Over time, he’s learned to accept others’ kindness. Prejudice against Duscur still runs rampant, but among their circle, he’s welcome. Even Felix has learned to be decent to him (especially when Dimitri is nearby). “The blacksmith said the clasp should be ready tomorrow morning.”
“Great! Wanna come with me to pick it up?” Dedue blinks.
“You have been to the market alone many times.”
“Yeah, but it’s fun to go with a friend!”
“You...” He eyes her curiously. “You think of me as a friend.”
“Why not? You helped me out, we’re fighting on the same side, you’re really nice, why shouldn’t I?”
He wonders what it’s like to go through life making decisions so easily, never second-guessing yourself, following your heart. Especially when it comes to befriending someone like Dedue. But Hilda is a kind girl, a social butterfly, someone who may sweet-talk people into doing her chores but will always be grateful and appreciative of them for their help.
“I’d like that,” he finally says, smiling a little.
“Great! And if you want I can help you pick out something for Prince Dimitri. His birthday is next moon, right.” It is, and Dedue does need to at least get some idea of what to give him. Or at least, materials for something to make for him.
“I would appreciate your assistance.”