Living a life repeatedly could be exhausting. It could be dull. At worst, it could be maddening. Living Byleth's inevitably war-torn life could wear on the psyche in a host of unique ways- ways that she did her best to stamp out as soon as she noticed them creeping around the darker corners of her mind. Absence of purpose, absence of drive, absence of willpower. These could be fatal to her, of course, but given her perpetual life cycle, that hardly seemed problematic. No, it was her spirit that needed revitalization.
Something about Felix had been an awakening in this particular lifetime. She hadn't expected it to come from him; by all appearances, one might think him a fatalist, or even nihilist. On the contrary, few understood the value of life like the second son of house Fraldarius. Gradually, one sparring match at a time, she had come to see the challenge his steely glare placed before her. With every battle, be it alongside or against his blade, he silently charged her with continuing to live- continuing to be strong.
"Lady Byleth? We've just received word that Duke Fraldarius is set to return this afternoon."
Byleth's hand unconsciously moved to rest on the hilt of her sword. She smiled, a warm yet eager smile.
"That's great to hear, thank you." she replied simply enough, but the maids who lingered after she departed shared a cautious glance. Without a word, both knew to stay clear of the manor's entrance hall- at least, until their Lord and Lady had concluded their usual greetings.
That had been hours ago by now, and no amount of pacing could calm Byleth's anxious anticipation. One may think that after a month apart from Felix, a few more hours of waiting would be negligible. On the contrary, knowing that she would soon see her husband once more only made the minutes drag themselves along like wounded soldiers.
By early afternoon, she was on her third lap through the entirety of the manor. Up on a second floor balcony with a view toward town, she glimpsed a familiar banner en route. Her face lit up, her hand gripped her sword. Without a care for how childish she may appear, she bounded down towards the entrance, taking the stairs two or even three at a time.
Upon reaching the main gate, she stole a moment to straighten her hair, and perhaps look as though she hadn't come running to meet him like a lonesome puppy. Goddess. Did he get like this when she went away for official business? The thought of Felix leaping down the stairs was an amusing one to be sure.
There- finally!
Felix led the entourage of guards who insisted on accompanying him on these trips; nevermind that placing himself at the front-most position practically nulled the point of having guards to begin with. He cut quite a dashing figure on horseback. Dark hair flitted around his sharp features, and his posture was tight, controlled and strong. He approached at a speed that was surely too fast for safety in a populated area, but the moment he caught sight of Byleth waiting at the gate, he slowed, and jumped down from his steed. In a single motion, he tossed his cloak over the saddle, then rounded on her. The smile he wore was charged, full of the thrills their reunion would bring. They each drew a blade from their hip in perfect unison, and the match was on once again.
Felix's weapon collided with Byleth's, and the shock of the force behind the blow reverberated through the steel and up her arm. She grinned. He must have really missed her. As usual, Felix was firmly on the offensive, but there was a noticeable spark in his movements today. He swung diagonally upward, Byleth expertly sidestepped. Using the continuing momentum, he circled around and brought his sword down at her opposite side. She deflected, pushing his blade askew, though he righted himself in an instant.
"Cutting it awfully close today," he said amidst the whirring and clashing of blades, "is this some sort of handicap, or have you gone soft in my absence?"
"Talk big after you win, dear." She put on a good show of confidence, but he wasn't wrong- her blocks were delayed, and her dodges left far less breathing room than she'd prefer. As their duel progressed into the manor's main entrance, she did her best to keep up, despite her distractions. Here, the echoes of their clashing blades vibrated from the walls throughout the open hall. Yet even among the din, Byleth was far more interested in amber eyes, sculpted cheekbones and hard muscle. She would not fool herself; she knew that she was far off her game, and she knew the reason. Her husband had made a singular request of her before his departure, and the results had her restless. In his gaze, she saw that he knew as well as she the kind of circumstances she was enduring.
The scrape of metal edge on edge screamed in her ear as Byleth blocked another swing, dragging the blade away and to the side. In the brief second this afforded her, she ducked around to flank him between herself and the nearest wall. Moving with the agile unpredictability of a mercenary, she crouched down and struck at his legs. Felix leapt back to dodge, but this put him at an unsteady angle. Yet rather than scramble to fix his footing, he let himself fall back into the wall, using the leverage to spin to the side and avoid the incoming lunge. The point of her blade struck paint and plaster. Now steady on his feet, Felix made his move.
He closed the distance between them, and with a single arm around her waist, pulled Byleth flush to his body and planted his lips firmly on hers. Legs trembling, she let out a fraction of a truly pathetic whimper, but he held. Leaning against her until her body arched back over his arm, Felix tilted his head into the kiss, brow furrowed, breathing heavy. Their bodies shared the heat of their duel and of their pent up lusts. Chests rose and fell with labored breath even as their lips pressed into one another.
Slowly, very slowly, Felix parted from her, though he still held her body close. A few dazed moments passed before Byleth managed to clear the sparks from her eyes and mind. Once she rejoined her senses, she was met by the tip of his sword pointed at her throat. She thought of her own weapon, but realized that at some point, she had dropped it to the floor.
"I think I win this round." Felix said with an insufferable smirk.
"Some victory," she grumbled, though her cheeks burned red and her own grin betrayed her, "that was a dirty tactic- dangling food over a starved woman."
"You'll have your fill." He said simply. With that, he sheathed his sword, then effortlessly lifted Byleth into his arms. She scoffed, though she couldn't help leaning against his chest.
"I'm perfectly capable of walking."
"I know fully well what you're capable of," Felix said, a playful edge in his voice and already making his way towards their quarters, "Indulge me. It's been a long month. Speaking of which…" his smirk widened, his voice lowered, "did you obey my request?"
Ugh. That infuriating request. His request that she not pleasure herself even once while he was away. He must know without asking that she had followed through. Nothing else could cause her swordsmanship to be so sloppy, so distracted. Byleth's body ached desperately. It was enough to be with him again, but being carried like this, his scent overtook her- the scent of weapon oil and sweat and something else that was delicious and masculine and so completely Felix.
"I… of course I did," she said after a pause. Glancing over his shoulder, she saw that the various servers and others in the employ of the Fraldarius manor had begun to re-emerge and go about their business in the now hazard-free entrance hall. Byleth knew and admired that Felix had little concern for what impressions others may have of him, but she couldn't help an attempt at casual normalcy. She cleared her throat as they passed others going about their business, yet casting amused glances their way as he carried her up flights of stairs and through corridors.
"Ho-How is the King?" she asked.
"The Boar? Same as ever. He asked about you. But honestly," Felix said as they rounded the last corner towards their bedroom, "he's the last thing on my mind right now."
In a fluid sequence, he nudged the door open, then kicked it shut, placed Byleth back on her feet, and forced her back against it, pinning her between the hardwood and his body. His kiss was fiery, aggressive even, the passion ringing through her mind and all but drowning out the sound of the lock clicking shut in the handle beside her. His tongue invaded her mouth, wrestling with hers and pulling moans of pleasure from her throat one by one. Byleth burned all the way to her core; it wasn't like her to be passive, but she found herself happily paralyzed by his rough handling after being without him for so long.
"Mmm-!" she arched into him as he bit her lip hard, dragging it between his teeth before returning to her in full. Amidst breathless kisses, Felix managed to rip off his gloves. Immediately, his hands pushed under her shirt, running fingernails along her back and raising goosebumps across her skin. He felt her gasp into their kiss, and grinned, never fully pulling away from her lips even as he murmured,
"Sensitive."
"Iss… S'your fault… Mm!" Byleth tugged him closer by the front of his clothing as his teeth found her neck, "A whole… month… c-couldn't even masturbate…!" she whimpered, high and needy, as he sucked at the sensitive skin just below her ear. Her trembling hands tried and failed to make some progress on getting his outer layers off of him. Damn him for wearing so much clothing. All she managed was to open a couple of the buttons on his coat.
"Yeesh…" he pulled away just enough to finish removing this and the white shirt beneath it, dropping them to the floor, "You're hopeless, you know that?"
Byleth knew this game, and she knew Felix too well to let him get away with his 'too stoic for affection' play-acting. She tugged him back to her by the belt loops of his pants, kissing him deeply to his evident pleasure.
"Is it so hopeless to desire you, Felix Hugo Fraldarius?" she teased between kisses. His fist against the door trapped her once again, and she felt his deep intake of breath as her hands traced the hard contours of his abs from atop his black undershirt. "Is it hopeless to want my strong, handsome husband to make love to me?"
"Byleth…" he whispered, his voice rasping in his throat. The next kiss she granted him was delicate, and almost innocent.
"I must be completely hopeless," her eyelashes fluttered up at him sweetly, but her hand eased down between his legs to trace his hardening member as it strained against his pants, "because even while I couldn't pleasure myself, every night I imagined your return, and the incredible things you'd do to me-"
"Damnit, Byleth-!" Felix snarled, his head dropped down into the crook of her neck to punish her fair skin with his tongue and teeth. Briefly, she felt his cock throb in her palm, but he seized her by the wrist and pinned her once again. Evidently satisfied that she would behave, his hand traveled down her waist and hips to the hem of her shorts.
"You've always been weak to compliments," she said coyly. Yet her confident tone wasn't to last; he doubled down at her neck and collarbones, leaving harsh love-bites, causing her to openly whimper and moan for him.
"I don't need flattery," he grumbled against her skin, all the while his wandering hand made its way down the front of her clothing, "I just… like to know that you want me."
As his fingers reached the heat between her thighs and pushed insistantly past her lower lips, he could feel exactly how badly she did want him. Letting out a shuddering groan of his own, Felix slid a long finger along her entrance, then back up toward her clit. Now slickened with her overflowing arousal, his fingertip rolled tight circles around her stiffened clitorus, immediately setting her legs shaking beneath her. Byleth gasped his name and she instinctively began to grind herself against his hand. Felix was not a gentle lover, and in this lifetime, she adored that about him. The attractions and desires he struggled to express with words were effortlessly laid bare in the way he purred into her ear, the merciless, forceful movements of his fingers at her most sensitive spots, and how his free hand clung to her, desperate to touch as much of her as he could.
Somewhere in the kissing, biting, panting frenzy, he'd managed to pull down the front of Byleth's shorts and tights further so his hand could more freely access her. Two fingers plunged into her while the heel of his palm kept firm against her clit. She gasped, squirming in his grasp and struggling to keep herself upright. The sudden pressure of the two digits pulsing inside of her was intense, rough even, but Felix knew her body as well as his own both in war and pleasure. He felt her squeeze and shift around his fingers, and knew that she would happily receive all of his pent up longings.
Felix forced himself to part his lips from Byleth's body so he could watch her expressions. Her lovely complexion was tinted a lusty pink, her damp lips hung slightly parted with her panting breath. He curled his fingers in, pressing against her inner walls, and watched as her eyes became unfocused and her legs shook. With his free hand, he nudged her chin towards him, forcing her to meet his gaze. She was so close- so dearly close to the release he'd selfishly denied her all month.
"Don't." he said, as his pace slowed. Byleth whined his name, trying desperately to grind her body onto his hand.
"Felix…! Please-!"
"I want to feel it when you cum." Felix said bluntly, though his cheeks betrayed a subtle blush. His fingers eased out of her, but she continued to protest,
"A whole month, Felix!" she pouted, "And you could pleasure yourself whenever you wanted, while I-"
"I didn't, you know. Not once." amber eyes darted down over her body, "Sometimes I… had to just force myself to stop thinking about you."
Byleth chewed at her lower lip, now smiling playfully at the flush across her husband's face. That new information certainly changed things. She was well acquainted with Felix's appetites. He didn't often deprive himself. Grabbing him by the front of his turtleneck, she kissed his lips deeply, and felt him sigh appreciatively into her. His cock twitched, now achingly hard for her, and even this simple kiss made his blood run scorching hot. When she pulled away, her pointed gaze told him clearly what she wanted, and that she was done waiting.
With a mock sigh, he rolled his eyes and reached down to work on unfastening his boots. Byleth knew well enough not to take his outward irritability at face value; his body, and the ravenous way he'd been touching and kissing her since the moment he had her alone told her plenty of how he truly felt.
She was quicker ridding herself of the barrier of clothing than Felix, and she'd long since run out of patience. He hadn't even started on his pants, and was currently struggling with his shirt half way over his head. Byleth gave a short laugh, then started pushing him back towards their bed with cool hands firmly on his abdomen.
"He-Hey, woah!"
The back of his knees hit the bed, and he fell onto his back among the plush blankets. At first, he looked ready to spit out more of his usual bitter commentary, but something in the sight of Byleth eagerly climbing onto his lap silenced him. He watched with rapt attention as she reached down to open the front of his pants- a gesture which squeezed her breasts together beautifully before him. Felix swallowed hard, shirt all but forgotten in a wrinkled mess around his arms above him. It only returned to his mind when his eyes had taken in every inch of her glorious body and he realized that he needed to touch her.
Wrestling his shirt from his arms, tossing it to the floor without a thought, his hands immediately sought her out. He knew she could be hard. She could be powerful, unstoppable. But under his rough and calloused fingers, she was soft, even leaning into him as muscles relaxed and skin flushed. In a rather cat-like way, she shifted and responded to him, guiding his touch to where she wanted it most. Even now, months past their wedding night, Felix had to remind himself that this was real and not some tragic delusion; this radiant woman mewing and sighing at his touch was his, truly and completely.
Once she'd freed his rigid member from its restraints, she eyed it with unabashed hunger, running greedy hands along its full length. Felix whispered her name, his grip tight on the womanly swell of her thighs likely to leave more than a few reminders of his fingernails across her skin. Meanwhile, Byleth watched as his torso tensed and flexed beneath her- a landscape of hardened muscle punctuated by an intricate web of old scars. His cock throbbed powerfully in her hands, and she held back an admiring groan.
"Byleth," he said once more, voice soft but laden with barely contained passion, "I thought you needed to cum."
She gave a short laugh, though she relented and began to position herself over him. Even quick brushes of his cockhead along her inner thighs as she aligned him with a hand only enhanced their mutual anticipation.
"Now who's hopeless?" she teased, pressing the tip of his cock to her tight entrance, but holding off just a moment longer. The expression on his face was too delicious- submissive, even. It was in his voice, too, an unspoken but driving desire to service the woman he adored,
"Come on, stop being difficult," his hips pushed upward, but he only managed to rub his hard shaft between her lips, nudging her clit pleasurably along the way, "Let me fuck you already- p-please…!"
Please? Byleth bit her bottom lip. He's desperate enough to have suddenly discovered manners. Not to say she wasn't every bit as eager, but she was enjoying this rare side of her husband. Ultimately his erection, bulging and rock-hard between her lower lips, was far too compelling an argument.
Slowly, she lowered herself onto him, her soaked warmth swallowing him inch by inch. The pair uttered a sigh in unison. His battle-worn hands held her tighter still, her complexion burned red with arousal. She had hoped to take her time to enjoy him, to settle and let herself adjust to his invading manhood. Yet the moment she had taken him to the base, Byleth began moving her hips with him, grinding the veins and the curve of his member along her insides, fucking herself on his cock.
To start, Felix could hardly keep up. His breath hitched unevenly in his throat, while Byleth let hers out in heavy moans and gasps. It was enough to feel himself held snug inside of her, the bumps and contours of her pussy relentlessly massaging his member that had been without her attention for so long. But then there were her expressions, her euphoric cries, all egging him on and reminding him that, yes, she wanted him, needed him even, and longed for relief that only he could offer.
Byleth knew she would not last long. Pent up as she was, overly sensitive to his touch and his movements, she could already feel her pleasure knotting tight in her core, building towards release. She leaned forward and supported herself with hands on his chest. While her hands pawed at him, she rode him hard, whimpering happily as she forced herself down onto his cock again and again. The curve of his shaft pressed his tip into the sensitive nerves behind her clit, dragging the swollen head against her at the perfect angle with each pass. Eventually, chasing her pleasure had her bucking her hips onto him with such force that her thighs began to ache and tremble.
Ugh, just a little more, I'm so close…!
"You're… you're shaking," Felix said, barely more than a heated whisper, "C'mere." With a hand, he pulled her by the arm down onto his chest, then held her tight around the waist. His other hand grabbed onto her upper thigh, ostensibly to support and steady her, but the feeling of her plump flesh pushing back into his hand wasn't bad either.
"Relax, will you? Let- let me take over."
If Byleth had any objections, they were dashed the moment she felt him thrust upward into her. Giving a delighted little yelp, she let herself melt into his strong arms. His lower hand traveled to her backside, gripping her tight and spreading her just a little more for him as his cock pounded into her from below. He was breathtaking like this- consumed and driven in the pursuit of their pleasure, dark hair messily splayed out across the pillow behind him and fair skin tinted red and dotted with bite marks. Byleth's adoring gaze was glassy and unfocused, blurred with pleasure. Sex with Felix was usually rough and intense, even aggressive, but something about being without one another for so long amplified every movement, every tingling nerve. She kissed him, hungry and messy, tongue and teeth ravaging his surprisingly soft lips, yet soon her high, helpless gasps broke her away from him.
"Felix-! I'm, I'm…!" her voice failed her. He pushed his throbbing cock into her, his hold on her body forcing her to take him as deep into her as she could fit him. Then, he held, his typically sharp eyes now tender as he watched his love come undone in his arms. Byleth forced herself to face him- she knew he loved to watch her when she came. Whimpering his name, her body shook, her pussy tightened and coiled around his length, her fingernails dragging along his chest.
Her husband met her half-lidded eyes with a sort of pleading, needy look in his own. She felt him swell inside of her, stretching her even as she rode out the end of her climax. Watching her orgasm always did rile him, but this time, it was too much to endure. Panting, grunting, he eased out of her, then forcefully buried his length in her to the base. Her warrior's strength had all but abandoned her; her climax leaving her limp and mewling contentedly as Felix finally reached his own peak.
"Ahhh…! Mmm-!" Felix pulled her down to him and silenced his moans by burrowing his lips in the crook of her neck as he began to release inside of her. The built up lusts of a month apart shot into her warmth, each pulse of his cum sending pleasurable shivers up from the base of her spine. Hot and thick, he soon filled her up completely until she felt him let out a heavy sigh against her skin, and his muscles relaxed all at once.
After a few quiet moments to catch their breath, Felix finally pulled out of her. Once Byleth had regained the ability to speak, she smiled warmly and said,
"I missed you too-"
"I love you," Felix cut in. Speaking firmly, practically glaring at her with the intensity of his emotion, he declared his affections as though he were challenging her to a duel. Byleth smiled and idly brushed stray bangs from his face.
"I love you too, Felix."
At some point, Byleth had gotten into the habit of usually saying his name when expressing her feelings for him. After all, he needed to know that it was him, and truly him, who had won her over.
She did discuss the matter of her infinite reincarnation with him, eventually. In one of her past lives, she had opened up to tell Linhardt about her circumstances in extensive detail, and ever since that lifetime, she had at least attempted to explain herself to her lover in each new cycle. The results varied dramatically. Felix's reaction had been one of her favorites.
"Okay, so if that's all true, so what?" he'd said, then reached out a hand to run his fingers across her cheek, "The you who's right here in front of me is mine."
Byleth didn't often blush anymore, but this bold and simple statement warmed her through. Her hand rested atop his, and she leaned into his touch. Felix paused, perhaps to process all she had told her in a little more depth. He was not adept at hiding his feelings, so if she was unable to parse his expression, then he must be working through something comparatively complex.
"That said," he soon added, "It sounds to me like we're likely to be enemies in at least some of your lives. Or at least, on opposing sides of a battlefield or two."
He spoke flippantly, as though this was all only natural to him, and strangely, that felt reasonable to Byleth. She nodded.
"Then I have one request, for all of your lives to come," he moved a step closer, taking her hand in his, "If ever you have to kill me- or, kill me again, since I'm sure you've had to do it before-" she flinched, and he knew he'd guessed right. It hardly mattered. "When we face one another again some day, make it a real fight."
Her smile turned bittersweet, but she nodded once again. She started to speak, but he went on,
"And kill me properly if you must, understand? Dying by magic or arrow would be an embarrassment."
"I get it, Felix, honestly I kind of figured that-"
"If you're going to fight me at a distance at all, it had better be with the Sword of the Creator, so at least it would still be a sword fight, and-"
Byleth silenced him with a firm, deep kiss. Apparently, this succeeded in clearing his thoughts. His hands came to rest on her upper arms and he pulled her closer.
Of course, he had meant what he'd told her. Only this life mattered to him. This life with her, where he could hold her in his bed, admire her in battle, and call her his and his alone until whatever death awaited him. He trusted Byleth to handle the rest.