Once the twilight of the gods fades to night, no one is quite sure what to do. When they emerge to the public, there is too much to say and not enough words to say them. While everyone looks to Alm to speak–both as the heir to Rigel and slayer of Duma–he knows where his limits lie. He's never had the right and proper words, only the basic instincts that have guided his heart, and right now, those instincts are all tangled up and confused.
"Duma is dead." It's announced in a monotone with all the aplomb of stating he's finished his chore, but at the same time he doesn't feel capable of saying much more.
It seems all at once, both parties remember he is still not quite a man. Just like that, everyone jumps into motion, pitching in wherever they could. All were need to help lay the dead to rest, and so they let the grief move them in accord for now.
Through the entire process, Alm does not leave Celica's side. He doesn't notice how much he's clinging to her, until she begins to heal those injured. At first she tries to wave him away, confident she can handle it herself, but for some reason that just makes his grip on her arm all the more tighter.
Celica turns her head to look him in the eye and her red curls sway past his face. They're matted with dirt and blood now, but despite her appearance, her gaze is just as stubborn and determined as usual.
"Please…" His voice comes out in barely a whisper. "…I don't want to be separated from you again."
An emotion flashes across her face, but it passes before he can place it. In the blink of an eye she's returned to being the pious priestess she's grown into after all these years. He's so terrified that she'll break from his touch with a sharp scolding or admonishment when she covers his hand with hers, but instead she simply slides it down her arm until it is entwined in her other hand.
"I don't want to leave your side either…" They cling to each other like that until they return to Rigel Castle.
By then it is late. After such chaos, the staff simply shows them all to guest rooms they respectively collapse in.
And even then, they still do not let go of each other. Once they are shown a room and finally alone together, it is as if the whole world breathes a sigh of relief at the same time. It's hard to tell who kisses who first. Regardless Alm ends up pinning Celica against the door as her right leg hooks around his side. When they break apart, she leans forward to press her mouth against the base of his neck and bites down hard.
The moan that escapes his lips is simply obscene.
As frantic as they are, they might have finished things right there, but their armor limited their movements. That proved to be the only force able to peel themselves off each other. But as soon as their respective outfits were discarded in a heap on the floor, they were on the bed, devouring each other once more.
It dimly occurs to him that this could be a mistake, but it is hard to keep a good grip on his thoughts with the way Celica sucks on his bottom lip. His fingertips burn like fire, hungering to graze every patch of skin on her body. When they reach her inner thigh, Celica shudders in such delight hat his one goal for the night transforms into drawing out that sound from her as many times as possible.
When he teases her entrance, she's almost dripping wet. Alm can't imagine a scene more arousing than that. Experimentally he thrusts a finger in and out as his other hand massages her breast. Celica's breath hitches in her throat, and while the sound sends a jolt of heat straight to his groin, he tries to pull himself out of the haze of hormones before he can be lost completely.
"…you alright?" He searches her expression for any signs of pain of discomfort, but instead all he finds is the same needy lust he's overcome with.
"Mhmm, Alm…more–" She wraps her hand around two of his fingers and guides them between her legs. When he strokes the particular spot she wants, Celica all but shrieks in pleasure. The sound's so addicting Alm wants nothing more than to get drunk on it. He pecks kisses from her shoulder to the valley of her breasts, determined to travel down until both his tongue and hand are working in tandem to drive her mad.
But as he licks at the the curve of her stomach, he can't help but slow to stop. Just like the rest of her, it's absolutely beautiful, yet that manages to unnerve him all the more.
He didn't even leave a scar…
"Alm?" Celica sits up, her brow furrowed with worry.
"You almost died," Despite everything, he can't stop his voice from cracking. "I almost killed you."
Celica cups his cheek, tears forming in her eyes as well. "I did die…"
And just like that, they're both crying. Alm buries her face in her shoulder because now that the adrenaline of the battle is wearing off, those moments with Mila are all too real. It's only by her grace that they're both alive right now. He doesn't want to think of what would have happened if she hadn't called out to him, if when he had driven his sword through Celica, blood instead of golden light had stained his hands.
But before he can dwell on all those horrible thoughts, Celica pulls him in for a bruising kiss. When she rocks her hips against him, it feels like the world shrinks down to nothing but their two bodies.
Her touch on his arousal drives him wild, feather-light and teasing. There's no hesitation in him anymore if they should go all the way or not, and from her eagerness Celica must feel the same. She takes him in, and Alm is barely able to hold back a choked curse. She's so warm around him, it makes his vision blurry. The pace they fall into is so erratic and frenzied he fears he'll leave bruises on her hips, but when he tries to remove his hands, Celica moves to cover them with her own.
"I wouldn't mind you leaving something there." Before he can answer, she slips her tongue past his lips, and he shivers so fiercely he can feel it pass between their conjoined bodies.
One of Duma's last wishes had been that Alm would fill Valentia with Mila's love. As important as it must be, right now he rather cherish and fill Celica with his love instead. For all their lives, it has felt as if the universe had been determined to tear them apart. After all they've suffered, Duma should allow Alm to lose himself to this one indulgence.
With his next thrust, a guttural cry claws its way out of his throat. Pure whiteness blinds his vision and it isn't long before he hears Celica's scream joining his. They climb down from the high together, but even as he pulls out from her, he still can't let her go.
"We should get married…" It slips out his mouth without him realizing it, and Celica pauses in right in the middle of nuzzling his chest. The full brunt of his words only hit him now, but their weight only strengthen his desire.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He tilts her chin so that she is looking him in the eye. "If you feel the same, then why should we wait?"
Instead of answering right away, Celica traces patterns up and down. They're abstract and vague, but something about them still soothe Alm, even as his heart hammers in his chest.
"Spend tonight with me." She answers with a content sigh. "Right now that's all I need. Tomorrow's too fragile, so I'll take whatever you can give me now."
As they settle in, Alm muses that her request is more than enough for him. If she asked for each day they had together, he'd allow her every second he could offer.
No matter what the futures hold, as they fall to sleep, they know at least nobody can take this from them.
A.N. Figured after all the angst and drama I've put them through with PLBT, they deserved something a few degrees lighter, so when I got a request for celicalm smut, I thought some healing h/c would be nice