A/N: Third installment to my Rivetra Royals/Regency Romance AU!
Part 1: stars are falling all for us
Part 2: the whirling ways of stars that pass
I never planned on writing another part for this alternate universe of mine but I've been reading a lot of regency romances recently so here we are! This is my first time writing smut, I would love to know what you all think! Smut is at the end. As always, constructive criticisms are welcome and happy reading!
SUMMARY:
Kenny smiles as he watches the children - who are technically no longer children - chase each other just a few feet away from where he is waiting for his sister for an afternoon tea.
He could hear them shouting and laughing from where he's seated and he catches a glimpse of the look on Levi's face just as they run past him into the garden maze.
Levi looks predatory and he's got a feeling that once his nephew finally catches up with Petra - who runs incredibly fast for someone so delicate - he will devour her.
King Ral arrived in Mirrorlake Hall - the ancient seat of power of House Ackerman, so named after the lake in the castle grounds that shines like a mirror under the light of midday - five days before the wedding.
He remembers the first time he was in these halls. He was young then - but not younger than Petra was when she first came to Sina. His parents had brought him along for a visit. Sina and Karanese had always been great and powerful allies - that is why Sina is the only country he sought help from during the Uprising.
His daughter greets him in the courtyard of Mirrorlake Hall with an embrace so fierce he feared that she might break his old bones.
"You look wonderful, my sweet," he kisses her forehead.
"You look tired, father. Come -" she loops her arm in his "- let me show you to your bed-chamber. It's just down the hall from mine."
"Petra, I need to make an appearance before the Queen. It is only customary that I do so," he says as his daughter tugs at him so that he starts walking.
She nods and says mhmm but she doesn't stop dragging him along - passing hallways and climbing stairs. They come in front of the great hall - or what he thinks is the great hall - and he plants his feet on the ground, forcing Petra to stop in her tracks.
"Petra."
"It's fine, father. Really. Kuchel says she will see you at supper. You must get some rest first."
He blinks at the informal way his daughter calls the Queen of Sina - not in a disrespectful way, no, but rather in a way someone might call one's closest and dearest friend or family.
And then it occurs to him that Petra is, in fact, a part of the Ackerman family - not yet by name but by spirit and soul. She had long been an Ackerman - he belatedly realizes - and his heart swells in his chest. He loves his daughter more than anything else in the world and it brings him so much joy and comfort that she is marrying into a family who would be good and kind to her - just as she is good and kind to everyone else around her.
Levi seeks out King Ral the following day.
He knows that he and Petra are soon to be married, and have been betrothed to each other for near a decade now - even if the betrothal was called off for over a year but Levi - he likes to think of himself as a tad bit traditional - believes that he needs to formally ask for Petra's hand in marriage. And so, this is where he finds himself, outside King Ral's bed-chamber at the first light of dawn.
"I don't think his grace is up yet, your grace," the guard outside King Ral's door says after Levi announces his intent of speaking with the king.
"Oh. Well, I'll wait here then."
Levi thinks that it is a waste of time to wait for the king to wake in his own chambers - which is on the other side of the castle and took him a good five minutes of walking. And so, he waits.
And waits.
And waits.
Levi fell asleep while waiting. He hasn't had much sleep in the last few days with all the anxiety the wedding planning has brought with it.
The guard nudged Levi with his boot to wake him just as King Ral stepped out of his chamber.
"Your grace!" King Ral blinks and he watches in amusement as Levi scrambles to his feet, a smile playing at the corner of the old man's lips, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Levi bows, "Good morning, your grace. May I speak with you?"
"Of course. Come, let us fetch Petra, and break our fasts together. You look as if you've slept on the castle's stone floor all night!"
Levi stops him with a hand on his arm before he can even take a step. "In private, your grace."
King Ral looks at him and tries to search his face for any indication as to why the prince of Sina would want to speak with him without the company of Petra - nor anyone that is.
He finds it odd.
Then it occurs to him that he doesn't know the young prince - only basing what he knew of him on the stories his daughter had told him and from what little encounters they've had in the past years. He thinks this would be a good time as any to get to know his future son-in-law.
He allows Levi to usher him back into his bedchamber. He cocks his head to the side as Levi clears his throat and fumbles with his cravat and just stands there...
King Ral finds his future son-in-law a bit odd indeed.
He chuckles to himself - the poor boy is nervous, he can tell. He moves to stand by the floor-length window in his room to soak in the warmth from the rising sun and to allow the prince a bit of space - who looks as if he is going to soil himself just by being within 3 feet of the king.
Levi stops trying to fix his cravat (which was never really out of place) when he notices the king move to the other side of the room.
Damnit! He must think of me as some lunatic now.
He follows the king toward the window and swallows. His throat had gone dry. He had practiced this speech countless times before - had even sought the help of his uncle to act as King Ral - but now that the moment has come he is speechless. And he realizes that he is scared. His heart thuds against his chest and he's starting to sweat but he has to do this. He knows he has to - no, he needs to.
He clears his throat and tugs at his cravat, straightening his back as he does so. He thinks of Petra and of how brave she is and how her bravery makes him brave and suddenly he doesn't feel as scared anymore, and he knows that with her, he can do anything.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he says, "Your Grace, I would like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. "
"I knew you would say that."
Levi can't quite hide the surprise on his face.
King Ral places a hand on his shoulder, "As a father, I will always think that my Petra is too young to marry, even if she's 40 years of age, I will still think that she is too young."
The king smiles at him, "And - I have no intention of offending you, Levi - but I will always think that no one in this world could ever deserve my daughter."
Levi thinks that that is only fair - even he knows that he doesn't deserve Petra, not in a million years. She is too good for him but for some absurd reason she loves him back and perhaps most importantly, she chose him.
It is humbling.
He and the king must have been thinking the same thing for the next words that came out of the king's mouth were she chose you and that is enough for me.
Levi wants to weep.
Levi follows the musical sound of her laughter into the forest.
He finds her with her hand against a tree, trying to catch her breath. He creeps up on her and whispers you shouldn't have run, Petra.
She squeals and Levi wraps his arms around her before she can make her escape. She squirms in his arms and giggles. He turns her around and pins her against the tree as he attacks her with his fingers - tickling her until she nearly cried of laughter.
"Stop!" She says in between bouts of mirth.
He stops his assault to allow her to recover before saying, "you shouldn't have run from me, dear wife."
She tilts her head up at him, a coy smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "I am not yet your wife."
He dips his head closer and takes her hand, placing it over his chest, "In my heart you already are."
It knocks her breath away. She stares into his eyes and she feels like she could drown in them and she does not want to be saved.
She reaches up, traces his bottom lip, and whispers, "kiss me."
"Gladly."
His kiss was soft and gentle, chaste and sweet and Petra can't help but smile into the kiss. But there is mischief in the air and feeling a little devious, she nips at his lips and giggled when he groaned at the back of his throat. Her playfulness spurred him on and his kisses grew in intensity, his tongue probing at the corner of her mouth. Her heartbeat quickens and she moans - opening up to him.
He presses her against the tree as one of his hands drift from her waist up to her breast and gives it a squeeze, she mewls and arches into his touch. She feels as if there is a fire inside her and he is stoking its flames. She wraps her arms around his neck for support as his lips leave hers to plant open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat.
He pulls the neckline of her peach-colored dress down and she gasps as her breasts pop out. All Levi could do was stare and admire how perfect she is.
"Beautiful," he whispered and her knees nearly gave out.
He lowers his head and runs his tongue against a pert nipple before capturing it into his mouth while his hand palms her other breast. Petra moans his name and arches into him, pushing more of her into his touch, into his mouth, and Levi instinctively bucks against her.
She gasps at the feel of his arousal against her thigh causing her knees to truly give out under her. Levi quickly grabs hold of her before she sinks to the forest floor and hooks one of her legs around his waist - all the while canting into her, letting her feel his desire. Petra thinks that she could die with the headiness of it all. It's all too much and she knows that what they are doing isn't something unmarried couples do and yet she wants more.
"Levi, ahh, I want -" she pants and tugs at his hair, forcing him to stop suckling at her breast.
"What do you want, Petra?"
"I want you closer."
He grunts and bucks into her, nearly losing his wits at the sound of her lust-filled voice. Dear God he wants to devour her, claim her as his right here in the forest with all the sentinel trees around them. But he has to wait. He knows he has to wait no matter how much his blood screams for him to take her and sink to his knees and do wicked things to her - he has to stop.
Her first should be perfect and not just some heated romp in the forest. Levi thinks that they can still continue this little tryst once they are married and free to make love anywhere and everywhere but right now he needs to stop. He has waited for her all these years, he can wait a couple of days more.
And so, he gives her one final searing kiss, one final roll of his hips, before pushing himself off of her. She protests at the loss of his body against her and it nearly broke his resolve.
Levi steps back and places his hands on her shoulder, keeping her at bay. She pouts at him and he almost laughs at the look of disappointment and annoyance on her face.
"Not yet, love."
"When?" She asks as she rights herself, allowing him to pat her wild hair down to look presentable.
She is so eager and he loves her all the more for it. He drops a kiss at the crown of her head, "Soon."
Queen Kuchel Ackerman knew that Petra's mother died in the birthing bed.
The poor girl spent the early years of her life with no maternal guidance and Kuchel's heart breaks every time she remembers how hard it must have been for Petra. A father can provide guidance and protection and wisdom but a mother can give all that and more. And surely, nothing can replace a mother's comforting warmth.
She believes that no girl should grow up without a mother. And so, she immediately took Petra under her wing when the girl first arrived in Sina all those years ago. She is sitting in her study now, recalling all of her shared memories with Petra when she hears a rap from her door.
Her brother Kenny strides inside the room before she can even utter the word enter.
"Brother, it is good to see you," She smiles at him and allows her brother to drop a kiss on her cheek.
Kenny takes a seat on the couch beside her writing desk, throwing his arm over the back of it and crossing his extended legs by the ankles, "have you talked to Petra?"
Kuchel's brows furrow and she gives her brother a look that seems to ask about what?
"About you know - Oh, for goodness sake Kuchel! About the wedding night!"
Oh was all Kuchel could say as her cheeks flush. She'd forgotten.
"Oh, dear. It must have slipped my mind with all the wedding planning and all that," she said as she cups her cheek with her hand.
With her as the closest thing Petra has to a mother, Kuchel is the only person in the whole country, and perhaps even in the whole world, who could possibly educate Petra about what happens during the wedding night to a newlywed man and woman.
She hadn't really thought about it in all honesty - she was truly distracted with all the planning. But now that Kenny has brought her attention to it, she feels like crawling into a hole in the earth and waste away. Never in her life had she thought that she'd have to give this awfully awkward talk to a daughter with Levi as an only child.
Kenny stares at his sister's face as she just sat there unblinking at some spot on the castle walls past his head, her other hand fisting and unfisting at the fabric of her dress. He has a sudden urge to wave his hand in front of her or to snap his fingers beside her ear to bring her out of her reverie.
"I must speak to her soon, right?" she murmurs just as he was about to grab her by the shoulders and give her a good shake.
"Of course," came his curt reply, "that is unless you want me to talk to her. But that's rather unceremonious as well as improper, don't you think, dear sister?"
"Indeed. It rather is." she nods and finally blinks. Kenny was afraid she would dry her eyes out.
"It is settled then. You shall talk to her tonight -"
"Tonight?" disbelief evident in her tone. It's too soon. She needs to prepare. She doesn't even know what to say!
"Yes. Tonight."
"But -"
"No buts-" Kenny leans over and gives her other cheek a pat " - the wedding is in two days!"
And with that, Kenny pushes himself off the couch and walks out of the room leaving a rather panicked Kuchel in his wake.
The following night, Kenny Ackerman finds himself practically dragging the Queen of Sina across the castle to Petra Ral's chambers.
"Unhand me at once, brother! This is not the way a queen should be treated!" Kuchel twists her neck to try and bite the hand gripping her arm.
"Don't even think about it," Kenny stops and shoots his sister a glare.
"You can't delay this talk any longer, Kuchel. You of all people should know that." Kenny sighs as he loosens his grip on her arm after she elbows him.
"I know - " she finally shakes him off of her "- but you don't have to drag me like some pig to the slaughter."
"I was planning to go later tonight when everyone else is asleep," she further explains with a roll of her eyes.
"Forgive me, sweet sister, if I find that hard to believe," Kenny retorts as he resumes walking. He knows his sister. She will put this off for as long as she can - though he does not know the reason why - and then she will panic at the very last minute and he will have to swoop in and help her.
But he can't help her with this.
Kenny knocks on Petra's door, "Petra, the queen is here to speak with you."
"Just a moment!" came Petra's voice from behind the door and when she opens them, Kenny all but shoves Kuchel inside of Petra's chambers.
I will kill you Kuchel mouths to her brother as Petra's gaze darts from the queen to her brother and then back to the queen.
"You do that, dear sister. I will be waiting right here," Kenny says with a smug smile as he shuts the door.
Kuchel fumes - she hates being treated like a child by her own bloody brother. She's a queen, goddamnit!
Petra could only watch with growing curiosity as the queen of Sina balls her fists and stomps her foot - all the while grumbling under her breath about how stupid and insufferable her brother is.
Petra giggles as she moves to her vanity just as the Queen of Sina cusses at her brother on the other side of the door.
Kuchel sees movement in her periphery and blood rushes to her cheeks as she remembers where she is and why she's here. She follows Petra and promptly apologizes for her decidedly unqueenly-like behavior.
"Let me help you with that," Kuchel offers to unbraid and brush her hair and Petra smiles gratefully as she hands the queen her silver-backed hairbrush with its intricate pattern of lavenders.
"It's lovely," Kuchel says as she runs her thumb on the pattern.
"It used to be my mother's."
"You must miss her," Kuchel gives a lock of her hair a gentle tug to loosen it from its braid.
"I didn't know her," Petra suddenly couldn't look the queen in the eye and twiddles with her thumbs instead.
"You can still miss someone you didn't know."
Petra remains silent and ponders on the thought, allowing Kuchel to brush her long sunset-colored hair. She suppose she does miss her. She doesn't regret being born - far from it - but she does feel a profound longing for the mother she never had, for the mother she never knew. Petra wonders how different her life would have been had her mother lived. She wishes that her mother was the one brushing her hair on the night before her wedding and not the mother of her husband-to-be but she is grateful for Kuchel all the same.
Kuchel had been a mother to her and she loves her fiercely.
Sensing that the princess is deep in thought, Kuchel continued to brush her hair - admiring the darker shade it took under the low light from the beeswax candle on her vanity. She loves Petra's hair. She thinks it's the most loveliest of colors and seems to vary in shade depending on the light.
"I love the color of your hair. It's very beautiful," Kuchel says as she finishes brushing Petra's hair.
Petra can't help but preen at the compliment. She gives her thanks and, remembering the scene earlier, asks, "If I may be so blunt, your grace, what is it you wanted to speak to me with?"
Kuchel blushes and sighs before moving to sit on the settee at the foot of Petra's bed, "I suppose I can't put it off any longer."
"It's ah -" Kuchel wrings her hands and sheepishly says "- it's about the wedding night, you see."
Petra perks up - intrigued at what the queen has to say.
"My father came by to talk to me about the same thing. I'm not too green - " she blushes as she remembers what almost happened in the forest, she thinks that it has something to do with the wedding night "- I've heard some of the servants talking about it. But I don't really know what it is, the servants would stop their chatter when I asked them about it and all my father said about it was that I'm expected to perform certain acts and that he is certain that I will enjoy it."
She sits beside the queen and continues, "But how am I to perform them when I don't even know what these acts are let alone enjoy them."
She all nearly but whined. She truly is at a loss. She's heard from the servants that it has to be a mutual thing between those involved and looking back, it was only Levi who did something. All she did was gasp and cling onto him and tug at his hair - she really didn't do much.
Kuchel tried to recall what her own mother had said to her on the night before her own wedding but all that came out of her mouth was I'm fairly certain that my son will teach it to you.
Petra cocks her head to the side, "teach what?"
Kuchel blushed even further, the tips of her ears turning pink, and Petra felt almost sorry for the queen - who appears to be very uncomfortable.
"You know…things," she stands and gestures at nothing in particular.
"What things?" Petra insisted and stood to follow the queen.
"My son will know. You mustn't be nervous. I'm sure he will be very gentle and considerate and it will be a very lovely moment." She explains as she moves towards the door.
"That is all I came here to say, Petra. Have a good night."
And before Petra could throw herself to block the queen's path - Kuchel dashes out of the door leaving a rather confused Petra behind.
The wedding came by in a blur and by afternoon the newlyweds were on their way to Starfall Manor - the Ackerman's summer vacation home by the Ragako Sea.
Petra had always loved going to Starfall. Many of her cherished memories from her girlhood happened here - from the first time she's seen stars falling to earth to the first time she's seen fireflies by the Trost River that goes out into the sea.
She steals a glance at Levi and flushes. Her father and the queen had told her not to be nervous, and she is trying, really, but this anticipation is making her stomach do somersaults and her heart hammer away in her chest.
The carriage rolls on and on and the bumps in the road only make her dizzy. She scoots over to Levi - who's been dozing off on the other side of the carriage bench - and rests her head on his shoulder. She takes his hand in hers thinking that perhaps by touching him the nauseating feeling would stop.
She was not wrong though.
His proximity quiets the anxiety brewing within her. He stirs and lifts her gloved hand to his lips murmuring something about getting some rest. She settles closer against him and he presses a kiss against the crown of her head.
They arrive by nightfall - just in time for supper. The servants had prepared an extravagant meal. There is spiced pumpkin soup, roasted duck in plum sauce, potted hare, trout baked in clay, lemon cakes frosted with sugar for dessert, and sweet wine to wash it all down.
They couldn't possibly finish everything though - as the cook prepared a meal that could serve at least 30 people - so they called upon every servant to dine with them. And if truth be told, Petra enjoyed this meal more than the one served right after their wedding for lunch.
Later that evening, Petra finds herself alone with her thoughts in their own bedchamber.
Their own.
She smiles at the thought. And although technically the Queen of Sina owns this bed chamber and all of Starfall Manor, she finds it strangely comforting to have something she and Levi can call their own - they are married now after all and everything from this point on she will have to share with him. From her thoughts to her worries to her very soul and to - and at this particular thought, she blushes - her bed.
She figures that perhaps she has already shared some parts of her to him. Her feelings for one. And her lips and her breasts and -
Petra is blushing terribly now and her heart is thumping wildly in her chest as she removes the pins in her hair and loosens it from its coiffure. If what happened in the forest is telling of what a wedding night should be then she suppose she will enjoy her wedding night but she is still a bit apprehensive. She still doesn't know what to do, she doesn't want to disappoint Levi. She only wants to be good to him and to always bring him joy and unending devotion and -
A sharp knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts.
Levi peers in, "may I come in?"
The mere sound of his voice filled her stomach with butterflies, "Of course."
Levi walks over to where she is seated in front of the vanity at the corner of the room and watches her remove the last of the hairpins.
He clears his throat, "Are you tired? You should get some rest."
"Are you tired?" she asks back, reaching for her late mother's silver brush to untangle her hair.
She sees him shake his head on the smooth surface of her mirror and waits for him to reply but there is only silence - one that is growing more awkward by the minute. Petra wonders why he's just standing there watching her brush her hair with his arms crossed and looking as stiff as a statue with its matching eternal frown.
She is suddenly self-conscious and the flutterings in her stomach are only getting worse with his proximity and her hyperawareness of him - she is about to ask him to turn around or perhaps ask him to walk over to the bed when he finally speaks.
"I think it is best that we get some rest for tonight."
She turns to look up at him and cocks her head, "What are you trying to say?"
He swallows, "What I'm trying to say is, we've traveled for quite some time and I -" he tugs at his cravat "- I think it's best that we should retire for the night."
Her stomach drops. Is he really saying what she thinks he's saying? A marriage is not truly a marriage without consummation.
"But we have to consummate the wedding!" She reasons out.
Levi nods and flushes under the low light, "y-yes, we could… what I mean is... yes, we should."
Petra's head bobs in agreement and she finally realizes why he's been acting so strangely. Levi is nervous. Her jaw drops at the absurdity of it - Levi had never been nervous around her.
"You're nervous," she whispers, barely audible.
"What? N-no!" He all but stammers. She gasps. He truly is nervous, Levi never chokes on his words.
"You are. Your mother said you would know what to do. Do you know what to do?" She's standing now and moving towards him.
"Of course I - " His voice comes out higher, a bit panicked, but she continues, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Because I don't know what to do. How are we going to consummate the wedding? Are we even married if we don't?"
She's full-on panicking now - Levi can tell.
"It is clear both of us are not yet ready."
"What are you -" she begins to say but Levi holds up a hand to stop her as he slowly inches towards the door.
"I will first take my leave and return after an hour so that we might collect ourselves."
But before Petra can even say anything in return, Levi hastily walks out the door and there is nothing else she could do but gape.
Levi sank to the floor with his back against the door and buried his face in his hands. He groans. He had planned what he would do to her on their way to Starfall Manor - from the way he'd kiss her to the way he'd touch her and make her his. He was certain that tonight was going to be wonderful and perfect but things don't always go as planned and now he's ruined it. He left her alone in their bedroom for God's sake! She must think that he finds her undesirable and it's making him want to vomit.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Levi squeezes at his temples with the heels of his palm. He must go right back in and get on his knees and kiss the hem of her dress and apologize. Or he could just wait here all night and pray that she falls asleep and forgets about his complete display of idiocy on the morrow. Or he could try to calm himself and make love to her all night or -
There are so many things running through his head but one thing's certain - he wants her. He wants her even more than he did in the forest but he is terrified. It's not that he doesn't know what to do, it's just that it's Petra - the light of his life - and he does not want to disappoint her. He just wants to be good for her and be everything she needs and -
Goddamnit!
He needs a drink.
True to his word, Levi returns calm and more like himself an hour later. He finds Petra seated on the windowsill, staring at the floor and fidgeting with the fabric of her nightgown.
He walks over to her and whispers her name. Her head snaps up to him and she quickly gets to her feet, crossing the small distance between them.
She takes his hand in hers and plants a kiss against his knuckles, "I've been thinking about what you said and I - " she swallows, lifting her eyes to his "- I don't care if we never consummate the wedding. All I care about is you and our marriage is true. Even without the consummation."
Her heart is pounding in her chest as she says this - she needs him to believe that she truly does not care. All she cares about is him and all she wants is to be with him. Wedding night be damned.
She gives him a small smile and Levi's heart swells in his chest. All this time all she was thinking about was his comfort. How did he get so lucky? To have the most gentle and most considerate of women to be his wife. He feels his throat close and there are so many emotions crashing over him and for a brief second, he fears as if he might combust from the sheer amount of them all.
He lifts his other hand to cup her face, gently running the pad of his thumb across her cheek, and stares into her eyes that are as bright as her hair and he sees nothing but sincerity and pure adoration in them. And he is once again floored by her devotion to him. He wants to say something - anything, really - about how much he loves her and how grateful he is for her but he fears that he is not articulate enough.
And so, he brushes a lock of her hair over her ear instead, leaning in close and whispering, "have I told you before -" he inhales, her scent intoxicating, "that I love your hair?"
Her smile grew wide, "Your mother told me the same thing."
"Oh? Did she now? Must I now compete with my mother for your affections?" he teases as he pries his other hand from hers, settling them on the curve of her hip as he inches her towards the bed.
She giggles and Levi thinks that nothing would be lovelier than kissing her at this very moment and so, he asks, "May I kiss you?"
He feels her cheeks flush with warmth beneath his fingers as she licks her lips and nods.
Levi closes the distance between them and presses his lips to hers reverently.
He has never kissed her this way before - so achingly tender and sweet - and her heart feels as if it might burst right out of her chest. Kissing him felt good, it felt right - her worries and anxieties melting away with every caress from his lips. She threads her hands in his hair to urge him on and she feels the familiar warmth of desire pooling at the pit of her stomach as she opens up to him, allowing him to caress the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He tastes like bourbon and she moans. Levi groans and tightens his hands on her hips as she mimics his ministrations, slipping her tongue past his lips and drinking him in.
Levi moves his kisses from her mouth to her jaw and tells her to turn. She does so and all the while his lips never leave her skin. He gathers her hair over a shoulder and she shivers as he presses a searing kiss at the other exposed to him. Levi gently nips at the sensitive skin just below her ear and asks her do you want this, Petra?
She hums her assent and she feels his breath tickle at the tiny hairs at the back of her head and soon his fingers are fumbling at the fabric-covered buttons of her gown and his lips are planting heated kisses down the length of her spine. Her breathing hitches as she feels his lips at the small of her back and his hand tightens at her hips. She is vaguely aware of the wetness seeping out of her and she presses her legs together, slightly uncomfortable with the feeling of it.
He caresses and squeezes up her sides, the tips of his fingers skimming at the edge of her breasts and making her heart flutter, before planting them on her shoulders and slowly slipping her gown off of her, leaving her in nothing but her small clothes and her thigh high stockings.
He turns her to face him once more and wastes no time to cup one of her breasts and sucks and bites at the swell of it, making sure to leave a mark. Petra has yet to register the sting of it when she whines at the feel of his tongue soothing over the bite mark.
Her back arches as he does the same to her other breast. Petra feels unsteady on her feet and she clutches at his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt. She whispers his name as he gently lowers her on the bed, settling himself between her spread legs. She aches for him and she feels her core flutter at his gaze. Her arousal soaking through the material of her underwear, making it cling to her skin.
Levi curses under his breath at the sight of her dripping for him. He squeezes at her knees, before pulling off his shirt and tossing it over the side of the bed. He is straining in his breeches and he leans over her, letting her feel how hard he is as he rolls his hips against her. She whimpers as her hands fly to his arms, knuckles going white as she clutches for dear life. Petra is convinced that she might pass out from the mere sensation of him at her core - and he's not even fully bared before her.
She thinks that it is unfair that she is naked before him and that he's still partially clothed and so, she removed her trembling fingers from her vice grip on his arm and moved them to the waistband of his breeches, tugging at them. Levi takes the hint and he briefly pulls away from her and discards the rest of his clothes.
Petra's eyes grow wide at the sight of him, her heart thudding inside her chest. She wants to touch him, to feel him hot and heavy in her hands but before she can even reach out to do so, he is already upon her - kissing her and palming her left breast.
"Are we - are we doing it now? Are we consummating the wedding?" she asks in between breathy moans and Levi thinks that her moans are something he will never tire of hearing as he kneads her breasts with his hands.
"Mhmm," he hums against the column of her throat, rubbing himself agonizingly slow along her cloth covered center. Petra mewls his name and he briefly loses control, bucking into her and groaning.
"You're so wet for me, Petra."
She takes a sharp intake of breath before continuing, "W-what do I do? Tell me, ahh, what to do Levi."
"Nothing," he says before running his tongue against a pert nipple, making her whine. He teases the other with his thumb and she bucks off the bed, pressing her pelvis against his.
"Let me do everything. Let me worship you," he runs his tongue across the valley between her breasts before sucking a nipple into his mouth.
He trails his lips down the smooth plane of her stomach, his tongue briefly flicking out to tickle her belly button before planting an open-mouthed kiss on her mons. Petra gasps, her head spinning, and she feels Levi smirk against her skin. He is loving this too much - the sounds of her voice and the way her body responds to his touch - and she is more than willing to give him more, to give him anything and everything he wants.
She lifts herself up on her elbows to peer down at him. She catches his eyes and there is a wicked glint in them. She shivers and she is absolutely certain that she will pass out before all this is over but all other thoughts fly from her as she feels Levi's lips at the inside of her thighs - kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin.
Petra takes a sharp intake of breath at the feel of his lips at her core, tasting her over the soaked material of her underwear. He runs his tongue along her cloth covered entrance, the fabric adding such delicious friction it's making her see stars. She keens and her hands fist at the bedsheets. Levi pulls at the strings tying her underwear and tosses it aside. She squirms as he continues to lap and suck at her, her eyes screwing shut as she focuses on the feel of his lips against her. He grips her hip and steadies her with one of his hands while the fingers of his other hand find their way inside of her. Petra moans and throws her head back, her spine arching as Levi's fingers move in and out of her torturously and his teeth tease at her clit.
She is close - Levi can tell with the fluttering of her walls around his fingers and with the way her thighs quiver against the side of his head. He sucks at her clit and Petra bucks off the bed, her hands flying to his hair and tugging. The pounding in her chest is too much, the feel of his tongue against her and his fingers inside her is too much and she can't quite decide if she wants him to stop or to continue. But she's almost there - even if she doesn't know what there is and so she presses his head closer to her, mewling as he groans against her.
"Levi, please -" she moans "- I'm c-close to something."
Levi removes his fingers from inside of her and she cries out in protest. But before she can even plead for him to touch her again, his tongue is already upon her, lapping at her in earnest as his thumb traces agonizing circles against her clit. The pressure inside her is building, higher and higher and higher, until it reaches a pinnacle and with one last roll of his tongue against her, she crashes - waves of pleasure rippling through her like electricity, making her body jerk and tremble uncontrollably.
He laps at every last drop of her, moaning at her taste, "You taste so sweet, darling."
She writhes and tugs at his hair, wanting him to stop teasing her - too sensitive from her orgasm. He lifts his head from between her legs and she instantly regrets the loss of his tongue against her but he kisses her instead - letting her taste herself on his tongue. Petra moans at the back of her throat at the raciness of it. If this is how good it felt to be with Levi she would've married him sooner. How she survived all her life without this feeling of pure and utter bliss she cannot tell.
He breaks the kiss and she feels him rest his forehead against hers, breaths mingling, he whispers, "I want -" he swallows, gently rolling his hips against her " - I want to be inside you, Petra."
Her eyes fly open and her breathing hitches at the feel of him pressing at her entrance. "T-there's more?"
He stills at her question.
Levi chuckles and kisses the tip of her nose, "Why, yes, of course there's more."
A smile spreads across her face despite the confusion she is feeling, "Why are you laughing? Did I do something wrong?"
Levi shakes his head and kisses her again. Smiling against her lips, he says, "Nothing. You were wonderful."
Her smile grows wider and this time she is the one who pulls him in for another kiss, "You were wonderful, too."
Levi lifts himself on his left forearm and brushes away the stray strands of hair clinging to her face with his right hand, "Petra, I - I want to give you more."
She stares into his eyes with adoration and with her hand cupping his cheek, she whispers, "I want more, too. If it's with you, I want everything."
And there it is again - her undying love and devotion. He loves her, that much is true, but she will always love him more and he knows that he can never measure up to the love she has for him but he will try, for the rest of his life, he will try. He kisses her then, slow and tender.
"This might hurt," he breathes against her lips and she gives him the tiniest of nods.
Levi removes his hand from her face and slips it between their bodies to position himself at her entrance, "I want you to tell me if it hurts and I will stop. I do not wish to hurt you."
She nods again, more determined this time.
"I want you, Levi. I want this. I don't care if it hurts," she murmurs as she snakes a hand at the back of his head, tangling her fingers in his hair before pulling him in for a heated kiss.
My lionheart. Levi thinks fondly as he returns the intensity of her kisses and slowly, slowly pushes himself inside of her. When one of her hands clutches at his bicep and the other tightens in his hair - Levi stills.
He breaks the kiss, searching her face. Petra's eyes are screwed shut and her brows are furrowed. Levi drops kisses on her cheeks and mutters his apologies as his hand flies to her hip and caresses her there.
"It stings," Petra says as she tries to make sense of the sensation of him inside of her. It is not unpleasant and she is grateful that Levi is trying his best to make this as comfortable for her as possible.
"Would you like me to stop?" Levi's voice is full of concern and she shakes her head at him.
"If you stop now -" Petra takes a deep breath, digging her nails into his bicep "- I will never forgive you."
Levi nods then even though she can't see him do so and tells her that he will start moving again. With his forehead pressed against hers, watching her expression, he sinks himself further inside her. He groans. She feels even better than he had imagined. It feels divine to be buried deep within her and he kisses her once more, allowing her to get accustomed to the feel of him inside her.
She feels stretched out and full - so full. She thinks that if he starts moving again, she's going to see stars behind her eyes and die a little death. And the thing is, she wants that. She wants to feel more of him, taste more of him. She wants his very being - his very soul.
She orders him to move and he does so. Slow at first, pulling himself halfway out of her before burying himself in her once more. He sets a torturous rhythm and Petra arches her back and rolls her hips to meet his. She moans as the hand on her hip finds its way to her clit - his fingers rubbing her in slow circles. She whimpers his name and he briefly loses his rhythm. She loves how tender and considerate he's being but it is not enough. She wants more. She wants him to go deeper, faster, harder. She wants him to be ruthless, punishing even, with his pace.
So, she wraps her legs around his waist, digging her heels at the base of his spine, pulling him closer, whispering what she wants in his ear.
More, Levi.
Something in him shifts at the sound of her wanton voice, begging for him to go harder, faster, deeper. He obeys her, of course. He would do everything to please her. He increases his pace, grunting in her ear at how amazing she feels. She matches his rhythm, her hips snapping to his. The sound of slapping flesh and their ragged breaths are the only things that fill the night air.
He bites and sucks at her neck and -
Too good, she thinks, too good. She's wound up tight and she feels as if she is burning - the blood in her veins have become liquid light.
It's too much and yet not enough.
Petra wraps her arms around his shoulder, pressing herself against him as her hips cant towards his relentlessly. Her mind is a mess - she can no longer think straight. All she knows is the sensation of him moving within her, his fingers unforgiving against her in their pursuit to give her pleasure.
She moans Levi's name and yes, faster, more.
"Levi, I'm -"
She's close - her walls squeezing around him, her thighs trembling around his waist.
Levi kisses her hard in the mouth, "Petra, ahh -" his voice choked and wanting, "look at me. I want - I want to see you come undone."
Her eyes flutter open and she gasps at the look on his face - flushed and lust drunk. His movement grows more frantic and she keens as he twists her clit between his thumb and forefinger and it is enough to bring her over the edge. Her toes curl and she tosses her head back against the pillows and cries out his name as he keeps moving in and out of her, riding out her orgasm.
She whimpers as aftershocks quake through her body. She takes Levi's face in her hands and she kisses him, slow and languid, a complete contrast to the way Levi's hips continue to pound into her, hard and fast, chasing after his own release.
Levi grunts her name against her lips as he drives into her over and over and over. She lets him use her however he pleases - too content in her post-orgasmic state to even care how overly sensitive she is, how the sensation now deliciously borders on pain.
His name spills from her lips like a litany as her nails dig into the skin of his back. He gives one hard roll of his hips before he stills - shouting her name as he comes undone, spilling himself inside of her.
He collapses on top of her and Levi is vaguely aware of her fingers lightly tracing soothing circles on his back, a far cry from the way her nails were piercing his skin just moments before.
Levi plants lazy kisses against her shoulder and Petra plays with his damp hair as they whisper hushed I love yous.
They remain in each other's embrace for a while, letting their heart rates slow and basking in the afterglow.
It is Levi who moves first. He pulls himself out of her and Petra gives an oh of surprise as she feels their combined wetness drip out of her.
Levi clicks his tongue, "We've made a mess."
He rolls them over to avoid the mess they've made on the sheets and Petra can't help but smile fondly at him before resting her cheek against his chest, letting sleep take over her.
He kisses the crown of her head and whispers, "but it's a mess I'd gladly make with you again."