[Byleth turned when he heard Yuri rouse, and made a complicated expression at the explanation he gave. Well, he'd never truly known his birthday, but he was hardly going to doubt Yuri if he said today was the likely date for it. He was just mildly flummoxed over all this effort being put towards celebrating it.]
...I haven't, no. I'm, a little confused why it's something to be celebrated, but...
[He looked back at the cake, and the gifts, feeling strange at the sight of them. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, though. He felt genuinely... happy, if still confused.]
...I'm grateful for the effort you put in for me. Sorry if my surprise made me seem unappreciative.
[ The short version, the unhelpful version, was what naturally sprang to Yuri's lips first. Any other explanation was bound to sound highly sentimental. He wasn't entirely certain how it would sound coming from him, having long regarded himself as cold for all his guarded nature.
Even so, he had opened that door. It wouldn't be fair to Byleth to give him mixed information when such commonplace events as birthday celebrations were foreign to him. The same had held true for Hayame when she'd inquired about such things over Communion. ]
Usually, [ he began only to halt, debate with himself, link his fingers where his hands rested on his lap. ] it's something someone does because they're grateful you were born. That you exist and are part of their life. Not that they usually think about it so deeply, but that's what it boils down to.
[ At its core, Yuri had understood it as much, because his mother always tried so hard to mark the occasion no matter how little they had or how bleak the world outside became. She always emphasized how he was her gift from the goddess, so of course they were going to celebrate. That had stuck with him and assuredly always would.
Yuri didn't know why it was different for Byleth and Jeralt, but it wasn't for him to question. He could only state the facts as he understood them. ]
Usually, I expect, people who care about you just view it as your special day and would like to make you happy.
[ Not that he...didn't make something of a campaign of trying to lift Byleth's spirits since arriving here, seeing how much stress he carried and how frankly insane all of this was but still. It was a a special occasion. ]
...does that mean you're grateful that I was born and am now a part of your life?
[Trust Byleth to hyperfocus on that one thing and ask Yuri so bluntly about it!
His question was genuine, though, as if the concept of anyone aside from his father being grateful about his existence was something a little strange, but in a pleasant kind of way. He was used to people cursing the existence of the Ashen Demon, or confessing relief at him lending his blade to their cause, but never had anyone said "I am grateful you were born and entered my life". Well, not so plainly, which was the language Byleth understood best.
So, obviously, he connected the dots here, and the dots said that Yuri therefore fell under that bracket, that he was grateful to him, that he saw Byleth's existence as something to celebrate. Which was... well, sweet, if he had to be honest.]
[ Leave it to Byleth to cut through so many words and hone in on the core of the matter. Yuri's hands fidgeted where he'd placed them, if only slightly, because he wasn't accustomed to speaking so plainly about sentimental matters. Yet he knew Byleth would understand it best, and his lengthy explanation had been in that effort. ]
...It does.
[ He refrained from adding that surely it was only natural that he feel that way after the time they'd spent together, even if it was a temptation to do so. Rationalizing the matter away would only serve to muddy it with Byleth — he understood that by now. ]
I wouldn't do these things for someone if I felt otherwise.
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no subject
...I haven't, no. I'm, a little confused why it's something to be celebrated, but...
[He looked back at the cake, and the gifts, feeling strange at the sight of them. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, though. He felt genuinely... happy, if still confused.]
...I'm grateful for the effort you put in for me. Sorry if my surprise made me seem unappreciative.
no subject
[ The short version, the unhelpful version, was what naturally sprang to Yuri's lips first. Any other explanation was bound to sound highly sentimental. He wasn't entirely certain how it would sound coming from him, having long regarded himself as cold for all his guarded nature.
Even so, he had opened that door. It wouldn't be fair to Byleth to give him mixed information when such commonplace events as birthday celebrations were foreign to him. The same had held true for Hayame when she'd inquired about such things over Communion. ]
Usually, [ he began only to halt, debate with himself, link his fingers where his hands rested on his lap. ] it's something someone does because they're grateful you were born. That you exist and are part of their life. Not that they usually think about it so deeply, but that's what it boils down to.
[ At its core, Yuri had understood it as much, because his mother always tried so hard to mark the occasion no matter how little they had or how bleak the world outside became. She always emphasized how he was her gift from the goddess, so of course they were going to celebrate. That had stuck with him and assuredly always would.
Yuri didn't know why it was different for Byleth and Jeralt, but it wasn't for him to question. He could only state the facts as he understood them. ]
Usually, I expect, people who care about you just view it as your special day and would like to make you happy.
[ Not that he...didn't make something of a campaign of trying to lift Byleth's spirits since arriving here, seeing how much stress he carried and how frankly insane all of this was but still. It was a a special occasion. ]
no subject
[Trust Byleth to hyperfocus on that one thing and ask Yuri so bluntly about it!
His question was genuine, though, as if the concept of anyone aside from his father being grateful about his existence was something a little strange, but in a pleasant kind of way. He was used to people cursing the existence of the Ashen Demon, or confessing relief at him lending his blade to their cause, but never had anyone said "I am grateful you were born and entered my life". Well, not so plainly, which was the language Byleth understood best.
So, obviously, he connected the dots here, and the dots said that Yuri therefore fell under that bracket, that he was grateful to him, that he saw Byleth's existence as something to celebrate. Which was... well, sweet, if he had to be honest.]
no subject
...It does.
[ He refrained from adding that surely it was only natural that he feel that way after the time they'd spent together, even if it was a temptation to do so. Rationalizing the matter away would only serve to muddy it with Byleth — he understood that by now. ]
I wouldn't do these things for someone if I felt otherwise.
[ It'd be strange, for one thing. ]