Present
The rhythmic beating of hundreds of horseshoes grew louder as flocks of winged silhouettes against the full moon, frightened from their perches, took to the midnight sky in hopes of finding a safer home until dawn. Hearing the noise in the distance and noting the sudden movements in the surrounding trees, the guard in the eastern lookout tower of Otonokizaka Castle lit a new torch, signaling the gatekeeper to prepare for the return of the rapidly approaching army. The gears creaked and the broad wooden doors slowly awoke, creating a moment of weakness in the impressive, fortified castle.
Even though it was only a short scouting expedition around the outskirts of their castle town, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms created more trouble than necessary for the unit with unexpected landslides and startled horses during the journey. Seeing the mysterious, foreign forest path slowly change into the familiar route back home was a great relief.
Two orange specks came into view, growing larger as the tempo went a little faster. The torches soon revealed the white walls and gray stones of Otonokizaka Castle. The lead rider gripped the reins with one hand tightly before letting go with the other, notifying the others that they neared their destination.
A young woman stood near the smooth wooden railing of the deck wrapped around the upper level of the castle, her gaze flickering between the cavalry's path and the inner ward beyond the gate. The moonlight enveloped her figure in an enchanting outline and danced in her jade colored eyes. It was a picturesque sight, the lights of the night capturing a fragile beauty in her lonely figure, which threatened to disappear if disturbed.
The paper door facing her back slid open, revealing a kneeling handmaid.
"Hime-sama, Ayase-dono will be returning shortly," the servant bowed in respect. Not even glancing at the new presence, Nozomi responded with a smile teasing the corners of her lips, "Yes, thank you. Please prepare a bath. The weather has not been kind these past few days. I'm sure it will be appreciated."
"Understood, hime-sama," the servant bowed again before quietly retreating. Light footsteps faded away, and Nozomi was left in silence again.
The horses slowed to a brisk trot as their riders loosened the reins upon passing through the gate into the safety of Otonokizaka Castle. Within the outer walls of the castle, they lined up in perfectly even rows and waited for the gate to groan to a close behind the last horseman before the commander dismounted with the others following suit. Tired after days of continuous riding, both the soldiers and horses went off to a well-deserved rest. A servant approached the commander and kneeled, "Welcome back, Ayase-dono. I suspect you are tired after your scouting mission. A bath has been prepared for you."
"Ah, thank you. A few days in humid, muddy conditions can really wear a man out," the commander took of his helmet, revealing pale golden hair tied together at the base of his neck. "A proper bath and night's sleep away from the elements seems heavenly right now."
Eri nearly ran to the bath house in the inner complex after stepping inside, but out of consideration for the castle's slumbering patrons, quickly made his way to his room first. He untied his armor, uncharacteristically and haphazardly dropping each piece on the ground with a dull thud, leaving a scattered mess in the room. He only kept his dark blue gi on, which was victim to mud, rain, and sweat the last few days. Then, it was straight to the bath with a fresh set of clothes waiting for him.
In the warm environment of the private bath house, Eri eagerly stripped down to nothing and efficiently scrubbed the dirt off, leaving streaks of sensitive skin where the grime especially set in, before entering the bath. Finally, his aching muscles grumbling in pain with every movement were appeased the instant warm water and steam made contact with bare flesh. Eri let out a quietsigh of content. However, his vulnerable relaxation was short lived.
Suddenly, his ears pricked up as he heard footsteps faintly approach. Moving to the other side of the bath shrouded in steam with shoulders knotting up once more, he warily questioned, "Who's there?"
"Ara, the splendid warrior Eri-dono can't even discern who these footsteps belong to?"
Upon hearing the familiar, melodic but teasing voice, Eri was allowed to relax again, "Nozomi, you know I'm always on guard out of habit." The paper screen slid open, revealing the priestess carrying her own set of clothes.
"If only your obstinate grandfather didn't insist on raising you as a boy," she started to complain, closing the screen behind her and starting to undress. "Minami-sama wouldn't care if you just told everybody the truth."
"This again?...It can't be helped. You know there was no other choice. Arisa was also born a girl; naturally, any clan needs a male successor to carry on the lineage and family name. I guess by the time I began living here, it was more difficult to not be reserved, isolated… It was the only life I knew," the blonde resignedly responded, sinking a bit lower into the bath, eyes downcast.
Nozomi stopped in the middle of untying her hair.
Silence.
"Hm…" Nozomi quietly started. "Well, one good thing did come from it though. I will always get to be by Ericchi's side and don't have to worry about losing you to any unworthy suitors," she giggled at how her companion's disposition flushed a darker shade of red, not from the heat of the bath, before dipping into the water and making her way next to Eri.
Embarrassed, the other occupant turned away, bringing a hand up in an attempt to hide her still blushing face. Not offended at all, but inadvertently smiling even wider and gazing at Eri with kinder eyes, Nozomi loosened Eri's ponytail, allowing the golden hair to pool around her, buoyant on the water's surface like petals of a sunflower. She gently began to work her hands over the tension in her tired soldier's shoulders, "Ne, I was pretty lonely these past few days you know?"
Eri closed her eyes, letting out a deeper sigh and leaning into Nozomi, approving and greatly appreciative of the current situation. She slowly inhaled the intoxicating scent of lilac and lavender. "I'm sorry, Nozomi, but with word from our spies that the Kira and Erena clans entered into an alliance, Minami-sama decided to send me out and see if there would be anything afoot."
Nozomi reached forward and wrapped her arms around Eri's torso, pulling her into a closer embrace. "I guess you're just going to have to make up for it then."
"…With you, I could spend an eternity and happily choose to spend another," Eri laced her fingers with Nozomi's and turned to face her, tenderly kissing her on the forehead. Now, it was Nozomi's turn to be flustered.
"Mou, Ericchi! Hidoi yo! Stop teasing!" With slightly furrowed brows, Nozomi pouted and withdrew her hands from Eri's, before reaching up to grasp her lover's neck, tilting Eri's head down and hungrily capturing her lips. Eri reciprocated lovingly, smiling into the kiss, as it was a rare occasion to see Nozomi so bothered.
Pulling apart and slightly panting, Eri backed Nozomi up to the edge of the bath and planted her hands on the frame, bringing their foreheads together. Both were able to feel the heat growing in their cheeks, unable to think of anything else but their most precious person. Each anxiously tempted the other to make the next move, intensely poring into each other's eyes, burning and aflame with carnal desire.
Eri, having the upper hand from before, ended the impasse, giving into Nozomi's blushing, desperate expression. She leaned down and whispered with usually clear eyes now clouded by love and lust, her hot breath tickling her princess's sensitive ears.
"Nozomi," her lover's name tantalizingly rolled off Eri's tongue, "I want…to feel you."
"Eri, please…" Unused to being the prey, Nozomi could only squeak out a timid, pained reply, as if Eri's lithe touch was the only remedy to her feverish disposition.
Hands moving to intertwine with Nozomi's, Eri slowly and appreciatively trailed light kisses along Nozomi's collarbone, her pale skin being marked with Eri's signature. The blonde worked her way lower and lower, as emerald eyes misted over from pleasure and the simple fact of Eri's presence.
AN: I'm sorry, I can't write any type of mature scene at all - my head ends up spinning from all of the yuri~ I will just leave the rest to your imagination. I do not own Love Live! or any associated copyrighted material.