isleofavalon | Horsebow Moon, Day 20 [Closed, NSFW]

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Horsebow Moon, Day 20 [Closed, NSFW]

🧙 WHO: Edelgard, Byleth
⚔️️ WHAT: It's her dear teacher's/common-law wife's birthday, and Edelgard has no chill. The party's over, but there's one more gift to give.
🕒 WHEN: September 20th
🗺️ WHERE: Edelgard and Byleth's house
⚠️ WARNINGS: Excessive fluff. The Byleth thread gets rather NSFW after a short while, so proceed with caution, it's explicit.

There had been a small to-do for Byleth's birthday; Edelgard had taken meticulous care to note everyone in Avalon, from a Fódlan or not, who they had become friendly with, and sent out invitations for a get-together. After all, Byleth had touched and improved the lives of so many from their own world, there were many who would celebrate with her, even if she was not the one they remembered from their own worlds. It had gone...surprisingly well. There had been cake, discussion, even a few small (and not so small, thanks to Edelgard) gifts for the former mercenary.

But the last gift, that one was just for the two of them. Once the sun had set and the last of the guests had been seen out, Edelgard had gotten to work, retrieving The Item from her studio, the room which Byleth had been forbidden from entering by Imperial decree, all month. Then a few minutes of set up in the living room, and Edelgard is ready.

"There. Are you sitting comfortably, my teacher?" She's seated in the middle of the living room, with a tired and thoroughly stuffed Aloysius curled up on the couch nearby paying some slight attention, with a glass of red wine Edelgard has prepared for her. She's been to art viewings before (though never for her own work), so she knows how these things go.

The portrait stands on its easel in front of Byleth, covered by a tarp to keep the surprise from being spoiled before the reveal.

Edelgard traces a finger along the back of Byleth's shoulders. She's let her hair down now that everyone else has left, something she now only does in the private moments she and her beloved have together. It's important to Edelgard that only Byleth has that privilege now.

"If you are, we can begin."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The thread is closed, but if your character would have come and given Byleth a birthday present feel free to list it here.]

In addition to the last present, Edelgard also revealed that she had purchased and furnished a fishing boat for Byleth. There's room for three people to sit comfortably should she be inclined to invite anyone to come out with her. It has no name, unless Byleth feels like giving it one.

Marianne's gift to Byleth is a basket of sugar cookies decorated to look like fish from a local bakery. Tucked in with the cookies is a small bag with a charm of an eagle in flight in it and a note:

I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Byleth. In this world, like any other, I am honored to call you a friend.

Love, Marianne

Byleth is used to being the one getting Edelgard to humor her on some bit of a ceremonial flourish for something between them, so being treated to it is something of a novelty. She sips once at her glass but otherwise leaves it be, already feeling a gentle buzz from the drinks taken during the party.

She leans a bit into her wife's touch, letting out a pleasant hum as she does so. Edelgard's obvious investment in this painting as something for them has her intrigued.

"Perfectly. I'm excited to see it," Byleth says, a touch of loving amusement in her voice, "I've been too long in suspense already, my heart."

"That you have." Edelgard agrees, stepping out from behind Byleth and approaching the covered painting. "So, that being the case, I present you your gift."

There's no dramatic whipping away, no grand unveiling. What Edelgard has created is too precious for that, and it deserves to be treated with care and love, not flash and grandiosity. She gently pulls the tarp back over the painting so that it is revealed in full.

A cityscape, at dawn, the sun rising over green hills beyond the alabaster walls, drawn in the impressionist style of her school years Edelgard has worked to reclaim. It isn't a one to one recreation, but the architecture, canals and the presence of landmarks like the Mittelfrank Opera House mean it is easily recognized as Enbarr, the Imperial capital. In the foreground, a white stone railing surrounded by green and flowers; the rooftop gardens of the Imperial Palace that serve as their cherished retreat from the stresses of rule, where they may enjoy each other's company without fear of interruption. But the familiar chairs sit empty, the table devoid of tea and cakes. Instead, a red cloak and grey jacket are draped over each chair, while a golden, horned crown lies abandoned on the table. Above, taking flight over the city are two eagles, one coloured dark blue with a large wingspan. Flying next to it, a smaller red eagle keeps pace as they fly away together from the palace, and beyond the walls. They fly towards the green hills and the rising sun to greet this new day together, and what it might hold for them. There is a dreamlike quality to the painting, the edges misty and indistinct, giving it a hazy, ethereal quality. At the bottom of the mahogany frame, a a small bronze nameplate set into the wood identifies this work of art, a promise given form, as merely

The Future.

"What do you think?" Edelgard ask quietly.

Byleth freezes as she takes it in, eyes going wide. From their favored place amid the pressures of the Empire, with its view of the heart of the world they were striving to make; and then the symbols left behind, the unmistakable image of the two eagles. She hadn't seen very much of Edelgard's art before they came to Avalon, the one portrait sketch aside—there had never been time—but she recalls their discussion about how her style had changed as she tried to force herself to perceive the world in its harshest terms; she's heard how the hope of what it could be bled out, forcing her shapes and colors into dry sharpness. The change in style since coming to Avalon had been remarkable. With every sketch, every canvas, she could see Edelgard hoping again... dreaming again.

She sits upright, mouth hanging slightly open as she reaches out, fingertips hovering over the oil-painted birds leaving the city behind. She doesn't dare touch the canvas directly, at least, not now.

"El..." Byleth breathes out, eyes beginning to water. The sentiments behind the piece are all things they've discussed and sworn to one another before, but seeing it given shape and substance like this—nearly able to feel the love and hope that suffuses each brushstroke—is overwhelming. She sets her glass aside, and for her answer reaches up from her seat with both hands to pull her Emperor down into a fierce, wanting kiss.

Her heart soars at Byleth's stunned, emotional reaction to the painting. It's all she could have hoped for and more, inspired by the discussion they shared back in Celliwig, after the attempt on Arthur's life. She committed all of her hopes, her dreams, and her heart onto this canvas, to convey the newfound sense of hope Byleth has helped her find, and it seems as always, her teacher understood Edelgard's intentions perfectly. The tears in Byleth's eyes are all the confirmation she needs.

Edelgard gladly lets herself be pulled down, returning the kiss with a hunger easily equal to Byleth's own. She slides easily into the older woman's lap, one hand snaking around to cup the back of her head, while the other comes to rest just below her collarbone as she and Byleth express their love for each other with fierce passion.

When they're finally done, their lips pull away, but Edelgard simply rests her forehead against Byleth, not rising from her lap, wanting to keep her close. "Happy birthday, my love." She murmurs softly. "Today, and all the ones yet to come."

She draws in a shaky breath when Edelgard breaks off the kiss, holding her just as close. "As long as you're there... yes, they will be," Byleth murmurs, voice thick with emotion, letting her fingers weave into Edelgard's hair.

"Every day I have with you is a gift... one I strive to be worthy of." She shifts somewhat, pressing a kiss to the corner of Edelgard's mouth, then on to her jaw, her neck. Her free hand slips to her wife's hip, before pulling her a bit closer, fingers untucking her shirt to trace over her skin. This might not be the most opportune place, even for the fairly tentative explorations they've done up to now, and she'll either stop or move if Edelgard asks. Her comfort is paramount, as ever.

"Thank you, for today. For everything."

A small gasp escapes Edelgard's lips as she feels Byleth's fingers against her skin, her own breath coming heavily as Byleth showers her with affection. "You proved it long ago, my love." She says shakily, between breaths, the hand against Byleth's collarbone drifting further down her chest. "All I want...all I desire is for you to be you."

"Byleth..." She begins after a moment, her eyes looking deep into her lover's. "I'm ready." It's something they've been working on together quietly, since they arrived, even moreso since they left the hotel and found a great deal more privacy. Edelgard's past has left her scarred in more ways than one, and though the desire to be with her, to give herself utterly to Byleth has always been there, taking that last step had been...difficult for her. But with patience, love, and understanding they had worked to release Edelgard from that discomfort.

In truth, she'd been ready days ago. And her body had ached at the thought that they could be together the way she'd always dreamed of, but she'd waited. This was going to be...important. Special. They were more together, and so they deserved more than just a regular exchange of passion. And with Byleth's birthday fast approaching, Edelgard knew how to make this long-dreamed of moment...more.

"Everything that I am is yours, and I offer myself to you freely, and without fear. Love me tonight, Byleth. Be with me. I need to feel you." What had been a dull ache the last few days was now a ravenous, desperate hunger, her skin burning with the sensation of Byleth's touch.

"I need you. Please..."

If asked, Byleth would have said this aspect of their relationship wasn't important to her. It was something she'd wanted, yes, but her occasional frustration—especially on those nights when Edelgard had felt bold enough to touch her before they stopped—had been nothing compared to ensuring her love felt safe and secure as they tested the boundaries. If Edelgard had decided she didn't want to do this at all, then that would have been that, and she would have been perfectly content.

Still, there's no masking the desire in her eyes as Edelgard makes her offer—pleads with her, really. "Not here," Byleth begins, before brushing her lips against hers and shifting the position of her arms—one behind Edelgard's knees, the other behind her back.

"Hold onto me," she murmurs, rising to her feet with the smaller woman in a bridal carry. "I'm taking you to bed."

"Thought you'd never offer." She breathes heavily, wrapping her arms around the older woman's neck and collarbone as Byleth rises to her feet, fingers lacing together where they meet. She also takes opportunity to begin planting her own series of kisses up and down Byleth's neck; an appetizer to keep herself sated before the main course.

It's a long trip up the stairs after all.

Byleth's eyes flutter shut as Edelgard begins that rain of affection, feeling her heartrate speed up as her breathing grows heavy. She moves quickly to the staircase, and climbs as fast as she can with her wife in her arms. The door to their bedroom is cast open and left standing, before Byleth deposits her onto the bed.

She shifts forward and captures Edelgard's lips in another heated kiss, thumbing open the button of the other woman's trousers with one hand and beginning to unbutton her own shirt with the other. It's a little awkward, but she's making it work so far.

It's exhilarating, and Edelgard returns the kiss with fire, before pulling away, cupping her lover with both hands. "B...Byleth, wait, wait. Let me..." Edelgard breathes. She withdraws her hands, and reaches for Byleth's shirt, leaving the older woman free to concentrate on more...important matters.

At the rate Edelgard is working, Byleth's shirt will be off in no time.

Byleth slows down when Edelgard urges her to, before nodding and letting her wife work at the buttons herself. Her face flushes as she leans forward to start unbuttoning the Emperor's own shirt, the jacket to her suit already left behind. It's clear Edelgard is ready for this to move quickly, from how fast she works at her shirt, so Byleth will have to return the favor.

Before very long at all, Byleth's shirt hangs open and untucked and she shrugs it off in a rush, finally getting Edelgard's fully open as well. "You're so beautiful, El," Byleth breathes out, bringing her hand closer to her and placing a kiss to one of the scars on her hand. She watches her face as she begins to slide Edelgard's trousers down her legs, fingertips ghosting over her skin as she does.

Edelgard lets out an involuntary gasp as she feels Byleth's kiss upon her scars, and not one from battle. Her secret shame...the reason she's so meticulous about covering up in public, a reminder of pain and loss and sorrow forever marking her...yet Byleth finds it beautiful. Not a mark of shame, but of strength. Something to be worshipped.

How did she ever get so lucky to find this woman? How is her life...this, and not the tragedy any half-decent playwright would have written it to be? It feels unreal. She feels unreal, and yet...there's nothing unreal about the sensations she's causing in Edelgard as she slithers out of her trousers, her shirt hanging open.

The sensation of her fingers causing Edelgard to shiver with a spasm of pleasure. "Byleth..." Her beloved's—no, her wife's—name comes out breathless, almost a moan, hungry and needful. "I love you. I love you so much..." She finds focus to pull Byleth's own open shirt down off her shoulders and down her arms.

"Don't stop touching me. Please...I need to feel you..."

Byleth hums against Edelgard's skin, letting her eyes slip closed. They've endured much, but... they have one another. There are no isolated emperors or saints with hearts of ice or stone here, and even with the masks they must continue to wear when they go home, their future is bright.

"I love you too," her voice is nearly as breathless, wanting, as she lets her shirt fall away, "more than anything. I'll give you all you want." Her hands move up to Edelgard's hips, her love's underwear having been done away with along with the trousers. There are so many things she wants to do for her, so much she wants to express. She trails her lips up the flat plane of her stomach, leaving kisses here and there on her abs, as her fingertips slip up between her legs, teasing briefly around her inner thighs while she reaches behind herself to unhook her bra. Finally, Byleth drags her fingers against Edelgard's mound, digits beginning to rub at her slit. Her eyes shift up to try to meet the other woman's, eager to see her reaction.

She can barely stand it, the kisses along her belly, the teasing along her thighs before Byleth finally—finally—makes her move. Edelgard's back arches in response to the sensation of Byleth's hand against her folds. She's already wet, even just from this. "Ah-aaaaahhhh!" She looks down to meet Byleth's, gaze, running a hand through the older woman's shaggy, blue hair. Her gorgeous blue hair. "That's...ah, that's...that feels so...so good...yes...more. Please, more..." With her other hand, she grasps for Byleth's to take it in her own.

"I just...want you...only you..." Her eyes squeeze shut. "More than anything..."

"You have me, El," Byleth hums against her skin, twining their fingers together, "always."

She plants another kiss just below Edelgard's ribs as she begins to work her fingers, marveling at the heat of her and how she reacts to every touch. That mass of blue hair—only back to its natural shade thanks to Edelgard—shifts up, as Byleth places a languid, loving kiss between her breasts. Finally, she shifts her hand forward as a test, dipping one and then a second fingertip inside of her, only up to the distal joint.

Her eyes flick up towards her again, in hopes of gauging her reaction.

"More?"

Edited 2021-12-08 08:42 (UTC)

Edelgard gives Byleth's hand a tight squeeze after their fingers lock together. At this point, speech appears to be out of the question. As Byleth moves to place the kiss, Edelgard's other hand slides down her bare back, fingers tracing along her own battle-marked skin, finding one long scar just below the small of her back, and tracing her finger gently along it's path.

Byleth is damaged, like she is. The life of a mercenary is a hard one, even before the war, but she is no less beautiful for it. Indeed, she is moreso, for each scar represents a trial overcome, a danger surpassed as Byleth trudged ever forward... towards Edelgard's outstretched hand.

She never thought she would know this joy. The touch of a lover, in all its myriad, intimate ways. The promise of a life beyond her dream of a better Fódlan, her duty to cast down the false saint of Garreg Mach, and the snakes curled in the dark, waiting to strike. The possibility...of a family of her own making. To one day hold a child in her arms and know it was hers and that it would have a long, happy life free of the pain Edelgard endured. That no child would ever again suffer in the dark like she had. Now all these things lie open before her, just waiting to be seized and Edelgard wonders how she could ever have fooled herself into thinking she did not desperately crave them. And it is all thanks to the woman currently making love to her now, who saw the Tragedy of Edelgard von Hresvelg still being written, and said "No." and took it upon herself to change the ending in its entirety.

It's too much to put into words for her right now as her back arches again at her lover's touch. So at Byleth's question, all Edelgard can do is nod quickly, her eyes closed tight and yet wet at the edges with tears of pyre and unadulterated joy, chest heaving with panting breaths, consent given for her wife to continue.

Edited 2021-12-08 09:14 (UTC)

Far too many of Byleth's own scars are as old or older than Edelgard's own, faded or stretched by time and growth. Where the majority of Edelgard's older ones are purposeful, done with careful and cruel intent, nearly all of Byleth's are the random and scattered marks of a life spent in battle. Some are marks of timelines abandoned, of wounds she never received at all in this life but whose scars linger nonetheless.

It was not just that she saved Edelgard. That averted tragedy was not hers alone. No, their might-have-been tragedy was one intertwined, that left them opposed despite everything. They were made to be dehumanized, to destroy one another, to be vessels and living weapons in this shadow war that has caught humanity in the crossfire for too long. Both of them saved one another, and she will always insist on that.

Her breath catches slightly at the worshipping attention to that scar—one that by now she can't remember the source of—and she tilts her head up, pressing a kiss to Edelgard's jaw as she pushes her middle finger fully into her, before following it with her index. Byleth's chest presses against Edelgard's torso, and she brings their joined hands together to kiss the inside of her wife's wrist as she sets her fingers in motion.

"I love you," she repeats in a breath, face flushed as she leans down to kiss Edelgard properly.

"Ahhhhh...h-ha...haa...." Edelgard shakes with each finger, before finally simply letting it all out in one long, passionate moan of joy, her body spasming under Byleth's. "By...Byleth..." She can't quite muster more words than that right now, worked up as she is, but if Byleth need a proper response, she need only look into Edelgard's eyes, which say far more than words ever could. About her, their life, and what this night means to them both.

As the older woman leans down again, Edelgard not only receives it hungrily, but her hand goes to the back of her neck, cradling her close. And since it is Byleth's birthday and her wife cannot be expected to do all the work, Edelgard's other hand reaches up to Byleth's chest, massaging one ample breast, her fingers toying with her wife's hard nipple.

Byleth has many fine, and admirable qualities, and there isn't a single part of her Edelgard does not wholly, and entirely love with all of her being, but it must be said, her taste in women has always run towards the...voluptuous, and in that particular area, Byleth is more than she could ever have dreamed of.

About 200% more, if she's being honest.

Edited 2021-12-08 21:54 (UTC)

In many ways, this is their wedding night. While the eventual ceremony they hope for is a fanciful dream, proof that they've finally won and left it all behind... that will not be for years. This, after everything that's happened today, with Edelgard writhing beneath her and their passions at a fever pitch... it is real, it's immediate. They may already consider themselves to be wed, but this seals it for Byleth. Her eyes meet Edelgard's before they pull each other into the kiss, and her fingers maintain their pace, curling slightly on each inward stroke while her thumb seeks out her wife's clit.

She finally breaks off the kiss and shivers at the attention to her chest. Of course, her breast overfills Edelgard's grasp, spilling between her fingers as she lavishes that attention on her.

"El," Byleth finally moans out quietly, breath catching, touching her forehead to Edelgard's own. "Touch me... however you like. It's all right."

She can't manage more than that, at present. Her free hand strokes Edelgard's hair, before moving down to brush at her tears with her thumb.

Every stroke of Byleth's fingers inside of her causes a small jolt, and a cry of pleasure, save for when they kiss. Edelgard has given up any pretense of restraint, of trying to hold anything in. This is not a time when matters of decorum are important, after all...and she wants Byleth to know just how much she's enjoying herself. She expects she probably enjoys listening.

They're both already slick with sweat and other liquids besides as Edelgard leans into Byleth's brush. She manages as nod at the consent given, taking Byleth's hand after, a moment, running her fingers over her wife's...before directing them down to her mouth, and then past her lips so they can feel the sensation of her tongue running over them in long, greedy licks. Her other hand continues to work Byleth's breast, since she appears to be enjoying the attention, which she will be giving more thorough attention momentarily, but Byleth's fingers were too tempting to pass up.

As she sucks them, she meets the blue eyes above her own with a lidded, sultry stare, before kissing down her hand and arm. Finally, she pulls away, and brushes her hand against Byleth's cheek.

"Lie on your back, my love..."

Oh, that is more than unfair. Byleth feels her breath catch in her throat when Edelgard begins to suck on her fingers, not even to mention the look she gives her while doing it. How many ideas has Edelgard had? She knows that her Emperor held a candle for her for years—how much of that was given over to fantasies she could only now indulge?

"As Your Majesty commands," she huffs, laughter bubbling up as she leans down to steal another quick kiss—before rolling over and pulling Edelgard along with her, flashing a disheveled grin up towards her wife from her new position.

It is in fact a great many fantasies Edelgard has accumulated over five years of longing and desire. And now, free of any uncertainties or shame, and her wife's consent, Edelgard is emboldened.

And yet still not a match for Byleth, in some respects. A wholly undignified half-yelp, half-moan as they turn over together; Byleth has not yet removed her fingers. Edelgard steadies herself with a hand against the mattress, needing a moment after that, meeting Byleth's all-too-cheeky grin with a smile and shaky laugh of her own. Then, after a moment, she rises, adjusting her position to better straddle Byleth, probably finally dislodging her fingers from inside Edelgard's slit.

She runs a hand through her long hair, giving it a shake, a display far more sensual than it needs to be, and clearly for the other woman's benefit, naked and slick with sweat as she is. "Such presumption, General Eisner." She replies, running a finger from Byleth's collarbone, down between her breasts, and to her belly, her tone both Imperial as it is sultry, the smile playing about her lips an indication that this is more about adding spice to an evening already thick with it, and not as a true admonishment. "I think it time for a reminder as to why it is I who am Emperor." And for good measure, her body undulates, grinding her slit against Byleth's to punctuate her point.

Keeping that movement going, Edelgard leans back down, reaching back towards Byleth's bare breasts reaching up for the nipple and rubbing it carefully between two fingers. Meanwhile, Edelgard gives the other a more personal touch by working it with her mouth, taking hungry mouthfuls as she approaches her true target. Her tongue runs over every inch while she stares up at Byleth with that same sultry look, her eyes never breaking contact, or indeed, her grinding.

Edited 2021-12-09 04:16 (UTC)

She laughs while they lay in disarray on the bed, leaning forward to kiss her equally disheveled lover again while they take a moment to recover from the pure absurdity of it all. Byleth's eyes widen as Edelgard straddles her, letting both of her hands fall to the bed before taking hold of her hips in each, letting her hands glide briefly up her sides. She takes in the sight of her wife above her and lets out a moan as Edelgard begins moving, eyes falling half-lidded.

"Of... course, my Emperor," she breathes out, hips rolling up against her in return, shivering at the finger that trails its way down her front.

Byleth casts her head back as Edelgard begins working so eagerly at her breasts, that normally unruly hair even more askew as it spreads beneath her like a jagged halo, a lock plastered to her forehead with sweat. She looks down as well as she can, trying to maintain that eye contact even with the rush of sensations moving through her.

"Mmn...!" she gasps out on one particular shift as they press and grind against one another. Byleth rolls her hips up harder in response and lets her left hand rest on Edelgard's hip to make sure they can keep this position going, while the other settles on her cheek, fingers half-woven into her white hair.

"El, you're so..." The game falls to the wayside. Byleth isn't sure what word she wants here, or what could even sum up what she feels for her in this moment. "D-don't stop..."

Edited 2021-12-09 17:07 (UTC)

Edelgard lets out a gasp of her own as Byleth mimics the grinding motion, panting with arousal, her own movement never ceasing. She feels light-headed, like she could float away save for the pressure building between her (and Byleth's she assumes) legs. "Nnnn...ha..." Recovering herself, she offers Byleth a warm, loving smile, enjoying the sight of the normally unflappable High General of Adrestia looking quite a bit unmade and flustered. She leans hard into Byleth's hand, breathing heavily, sliding her other hand down her breast, to trace a pattern of scars along her firm, muscular abdomen.

It's almost unfair what hearing Byleth so...undone...barely able to form coherent sentences, from her touch alone, does to Edelgard. In fact, she's once again finding it harder to do so herself, the way she and Byleth are undulating against each other. It takes two to trib, after, all. So she merely nods, and then, with some effort, is able to ask a question of her wife.

"Hhhhhh...nnn...h-harder?" Oh she can barely think straight at this point.

Byleth's breathing grows more and more unsteady as they move against one another. She moves her left hand from her hip to settle between them, two fingers rubbing around Edelgard's clit while they maintain this tangled motion.

All that she sees, all that she can think about, is her. Byleth's not as vocal as Edelgard is, but it's obvious just from a look how undone she feels. There's the occasional heavy breath, soft moan or sigh as they move together, but nothing quite like the sounds coming from her lover. Tension and heat pool within her, pressure growing as she chases more of that friction. She shudders from head to toe in response to Edelgard's question, nodding rapidly.

"Yes—" Byleth manages to plead, breathless.

Edited (typo) 2021-12-10 05:18 (UTC)

Edelgard is quick to oblige, increasing the intensity and fervor of her gyrations against Byleth, and the effect is almost immediate, another cry of pleasure loosening from her lips, and Byleth's fingers where they are does not help. "Ah-aaaaaaaaaaaah! Ah, Byleth, Byleth...Byleth..." She repeats the name over and over, perhaps the closest thing she will ever get to offering a prayer, and said with the same devotion, but not to a god, but the woman who turned away from divinity to live as a human, for herself, and for love, and to not be what the False Saint had intended her to be.

The heat and pressure that started between her legs have been building across her entire body, and it's about to give way to climax. She reaches again for Byleth's hand, taking it in her own.

"Byleth, I'm almost....h-hhhhhhhaaaaa...I'm almost..." She presses her other hand to her forehead, deep in ardour.

At this point, it won't be much longer, especially if Byleth gives her wife the final push, assuming she's not entirely overcome herself.

The idea of worship might have alienated Byleth, but these shows of devotion from Edelgard mean the world. After all, if Byleth believes in anything, it's her, first and foremost. Her fingers press harder, before her fingertips dare to tease at her clit directly. She maintains their friction, hips moving fiercely back against Edelgard's in return. She's enjoying it, she's close and maddeningly so, but it may not be a position she'll care to often revisit. Still, she's just glad to get to explore this with her to begin with.

"Close," Byleth hisses, bringing their clasped hands to her lips and trailing a pattern of kisses up Edelgard's hand and forearm as she keeps moving, keeps trying to push her to that peak. "So close, El...!"

"B-Byleth, I...I...I...nnnnggggggggggggggghaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Edelgard finally shudders forcefully against Byleth as she reaches her climax, thanks in no small part to her wife's efforts matching her own, the area where their mounds move against each other becoming slick with her juices as she cums, a sensation far stronger and more intense than she had ever been expecting, so hard that once the euphoria begins to wear off, she feels dizzy, and lightheaded.

She falls against Byleth, steadying herself with a hand pressed to the mattress above the older woman's shoulder, hair falling about her. She remains there, panting hard for a second before lowering herself gently onto Byleth's chest, nesting her head in the crook of her neck, kissing it gently a few times before settling back down.

"...H...Happy birthday, my teacher." She manages finally, her words steadying as she goes, using the pet name, the one only she ever used, now heavy with affection and meaning. "I love you. With all that I am."

Byleth's own climax strikes her on seeing and feeling Edelgard lose herself to hers. She cries out, back arching and head tossing back as the wave of it washes over her. "I... mmn..." she draws in a deep and shaky breath as Edelgard collapses against her, bringing up a hand to rub at her wife's back.

"I know. And I feel the same, my heart," Byleth says. Even as tired as she is, she tilts her head down to press a firm kiss into Edelgard's hair. She remains quiet for a long moment, content to be wrapped up with her while her heart settles its incessant pounding.

"... After you abdicate," Byleth murmurs, holding her close, "where do you imagine us?" They have discussed what they want for the future in general terms, but she wants to hear what vision Edelgard has of those days in more detail. "The coast? Countryside?"

Legs entangled with each other, Edelgard hums softly, feeling the hands on her back, the kiss on her hair. It's amazing how quickly exhaustion sets in, after that incredible heat, that incredible burning passion and the joyous sensation of Byleth making love to her (and making love to her in turn). But she's not ready to sleep yet, and neither is Byleth. So instead, she simply nuzzles lovingly against her wife's neck, snuggling closer to her, cradling the side of her head with one arm to run fingers through her hair.

"I had thought we might travel." She murmurs contentedly after a moment. "Around Fódlan and elsewhere." Brigid, Dagda...Almyra, possibly if things work with its soon-to-be-new king (who has hopefully learned from his experiences in a war that did not turn in his favour). "Mmm, but not right away. After the pressures of rule, I'm going to want you all to myself for awhile."

But as to the question of where she envisions them spending that time together...the rest of their lives, Edelgard finally looks up towards Byleth, meeting her gaze, adjusting herself gently so they can better converse. "The countryside does appeal." She says, brushing a damp lock of hair away with a finger. She has thought of this, of course, but unlike naming the Black Eagle Strike Force, the answer to this question seemed clear as day to her. "...The fields and forests around Remire Village are especially picturesque, I thought." She says, reddening around her cheeks like the lovestruck schoolgirl she still essentially is, even after all these years. "And the village is well on its way to recovery, even during the war...in ten years or so, I daresay it would be back to the way it was when...when we first met there." Of course that's the real reason Edelgard pictures Remire as a strong contender for where they might put down roots, even though the guilt she carries from what Solon did to the villagers has never left. She might not have been responsible, but her association with the madman, well...she's never been able to fully divest herself of it, even though Solon died long ago at Byleth's hands.

Edelgard traces a finger behind Byleth's ear. "A good place to build a home, put down roots, to...to.." her voice wavers only slightly. "...start a family, if we were so inclined."

She can't help but feel her heart start to beat a little faster, now that she's raised the possibility, since it's something they haven't really discussed since coming together.

Byleth lets her eyes slip closed in response to Edelgard's affections, humming at how closely she nestles in. The warmth and intimacy of it all washes over her, and she allows her fingers to run through Edelgard's hair in return as she leans into her touch.

"Mm. Traveling would be nice," she murmurs in response, voice warm. "but if you'd like me to yourself before any of that... I happily offer myself." Byleth's eyes open again when Edelgard shifts to face her, and she cannot help the smile that tugs at her lips as the Emperor begins to grow visibly flustered while answering the question. She nods at the suggestion of building a home, of establishing roots—people know Byleth there, and while it may not be the most truly anonymous place for them to go as a result, they are unlikely to be troubled by anyone. They remember Jeralt's strange girl who'd helped them time and time again, even in the face of tragedy, not the Wings of the Hegemon. Regardless of the resemblance her new wife might bear to the coins and portraits, they would be treated as anyone else might.

Then Edelgard manages to finish her suggestion, and Byleth's own face reddens somewhat, heartrate accelerating as she meets her gaze. "You... I... yes, El, if that's what you want. I would like that very much." There are so many questions that immediately spring to mind, but she decides none of them matter. Whatever method they might take will not be a relevant concern for quite some time. A quietly demanding mew sounds from the doorframe to their bedroom, though, as Aloysius makes his way inside. Byleth can't help a genuine laugh, tossing her head back slightly and resting her forearm over her head as the cat begins seeking attention.

"It seems our son has his own ideas," she huffs, lips quirked into a smile as she looks to her wife.

Edited 2021-12-23 05:58 (UTC)

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