Byleth finally got away from the party. She had been struggling with the sheer amount of socialization she had to do for the event, which was something that she planned on being slightly intoxicated for to properly enjoy, but even a minimal buzz couldn't save her from the horrific thought of actually having to dance with someone in front of others. She had never learned to dance, so it would've likely resulted in someone being terribly injured, knowing her luck.
It wasn't about the people there, the faculty and students of Garreg Mach to be specific. Most of whom, if not all, were people she loved and trusted. It was more about the concentration of it all. So many people in one relatively small space, it was just far too much. Instead she opted to sneak away amidst a waltz after turning down a dance from both Claude and Sylvain, who thankfully took it in stride.
It was frustrating because, in theory, she wanted to be there. She wasn't much older than her students, in fact she was the same age as her oldest ones, so this kind of activity should've seemed appealing, right? From an observational standpoint, it was. She saw her friends and pupils who had worked so hard, and come so far, finally get to cut loose and have a little bit of fun. And by extension, she could've joined them.
But that was the problem. Without guidance, without a lesson plan, without something concrete to propel her forward, she was totally lost. When she started she was often interpreted as icy and sullen, when in actuality she was a mess on the inside, being lumped with so much undue responsibility, being put under such stress, her initial stoicism was nothing more than a coping mechanism. Thankfully her students had broken down some of her barriers, and she did enjoy spending time with them, but it had to have context, otherwise she'd shut down and panic. She never knew why, she had always been a portrait of a level-head, but that was just when it was her and her father. It was very different now. She had improved, surely, but why wasn't it enough to matter?
Instead of going back to her quarters, she arrived at one of her favorite little alcoves she had discovered whilst working there. A small stone room with a balcony that overlooked the mountains and plains that was adjacent to the cathedral. She'd come there on sleepless nights and put her head on straight to the best of her ability. All it took was a quiet breeze and the night sky to make it feel worth the long walk to get there.
Normally, she'd lean against the enclosing wall, elbows on the stone, propping up her head, and just stare for minutes on end. Tonight was different though, as she almost let vertigo have the best of her when her slight buzz made looking downward at anything a difficult task. So instead, she simply pressed her back into the wall, sat down, pulling her knees up close to her chest, and played with the small clovers that sprouted between the stone tiles.
'Hey now Byleth, stop fussing with the ground and help me out here, would you?' Her departed father's voice distantly rang.
It was a habit she never broke, despite what her guardian's attempts to do so. She had found herself sitting like that a lot lately, like she did frequently as a child, ever since her father died. She had only just really realized it, too. She wasn't sure why she did it, or how it helped, or even if it DID help, but she didn't fight it anymore.
Her ability to fight her impulses had diminished lately. Sorting out her complicated feelings and priorities simply wasn't a luxury her mental health could afford. It all boiled down to one thing: she missed her dad.
She never had much of a childhood, and even now her teen years were burdened with the expectation and responsibility of adulthood. It was the one thing she could do to remind herself she was still young. Still just a girl who wanted a hug from her dad, and wanted to connect with a world she felt entirely out of touch with. Thank St. Seiros for her students, giving her just enough to anchor herself.
"Professor?"
Only one girl had a voice soft enough to sound that light and pillowy, soft to the point where it managed not to scare Byleth despite being caught off guard.
In the doorway across from her stood Mercedes, whose approach managed to be so quiet that Byleth hadn't even heard footsteps. It was Mercedes, so this made sense of course, but it was still unexpected to see someone else there. She hadn't seen what Mercedes was doing exactly back at the party, but she knew her student wasn't exactly the type to be chatting it up with anyone either. She was a picture of radiant beauty that evening, her peach-colored hair full of volume, nearly reflecting the moonlight in all its luster. Her deep, blue set eyes looked unusually sad that night, a sadness that seemed to never really fade despite her mood.
Mercedes was an oddball, for sure, but an oddball that Byleth took a great liking too. The girl seemed like she would shatter like glass if touched, but proved to be essential and tough on the battlefield. She was merciless when she wanted to be, but compassionate and smart when it was called for. She was also often withdrawn and preferred to be alone, so Byleth always felt an unspoken but recognized kinship with her.
"Hello Mercedes," She said, at first slightly recoiling at the sound of her own voice.
Mercedes looked at her curiously.
"Is everything alright? Are you feeling well?" She asked, head tilted slight as she approached.
Byleth sighed.
"I... think so? I have had better moments but I have also certainly had worse," She said matter-of-factly.
Mercedes gaze softened a bit as she found herself standing just a few feet from her teacher. She hadnt spoken with her one on one since the night of Jeralt's funeral, when she was one of the few genuine sources of comfort. Byleth managed to keep her emotions in check almost always, no matter how severe, which didn't help her people skills, but it meant that she could compartmentalize difficult things rather easily. But then, when the wound was still fresh, she was a broken. She sobbed in her quarters for hours, and her only solace was Mercedes and Annette showing up to comfort her, just sitting with her as she cried.
She knew Mercedes was concerned for her, especially regarding how everything was being handled when it came to her own well-being. She had gone back to seeming like her regular self, more or less, and once you've seen someone break down that way, a little concern when it seems like it never even happened is inevitable.
"That wasn't very convincing, are you sure?" She followed up as she sat next to Byleth on the stone floor.
She nodded.
"As okay as I am capable of being. I just don't do very well in crowds like that,"
Mercedes nodded.
"I know what you mean. It can be a bit scary. At least when we're fighting we have an objective,"
Truer words had never been spoken. There was no 'win state' when it came to human connection, as far as Byleth was concerned anyway.
"So how did you know I'd be here?" Byleth asked returning to plucking the clovers and attempting to tie them into little knots.
"Oh, well, I came to the chapel late one evening for prayer and saw you through the doorway, just staring out for a long time," she answered, "Every night I've come here I've seen you, actually, so I figured you'd be here and not your dorm,"
Byleth was taken aback by two things. Firstly, that Mercedes had managed to be so quiet when even the smallest of footsteps would thunderously echo in the chapel, and secondly, that she had been, in some capacity, watched by Mercedes without knowing. She knew it likely wasn't done with intent, but it was a weird feeling.
"Oh, well, you could've said something. I'm not cranky when I'm tired, thankfully," she said, slightly masking her discomfort.
Mercedes smiled.
"That's kind of you to say. I might from now on, but I didn't want to interrupt you. You always look so deep in thought, I wouldn't want to impose,"
Byleth shook her head, eyes still affixed to the ground as she made more knots.
"Never. Always happy to talk to you, Mercedes. I consider us friends, you know?"
Byleth hated how she sounded so dry. It was tough trying to put the right amount of feeling into a given phrase as of late. She didn't want to come off as disingenuous, but she also knew that Mercedes of all people would understand.
"That's... very nice of you to say. I'm glad," she said with a small, cute blush.
"So did you want to talk or were you just curious as to where I ran off to?" Byleth inquired.
Mercedes straightened up a little bit, turning a bit more towards Byleth.
"A bit of both, actually. I did want to make sure you were alright, of course. Both right now and... Er... generally,"
Byleth looked up at the girl with a smile.
"Thank you, Mercedes. It's nice to know you all are as concerned for me as I am you. I can't lie, I find everything to be very difficult now that Jeralt is gone, and I want to be strong, and I want to improve, but I also just want to be myself. And every day that passes I'm less sure about how to handle all of that,"
Mercedes nodded intently with understanding.
"I see, I'm very sorry. About everything. If there's ever anything I can do, please, just ask. You do so much for us, it's only right we return the favor,"
That level of honest sincerity, that kindness, that's what Byleth loved about Mercedes. She always knew what page she was on with her, and for that she was very grateful.
"You're very sweet. If I do think of anything you'll be the first to know, okay?" She posed.
Mercedes nodded, returning Byleth's smile.
"That's very nice to hear. Im sorry if I'm still disturbing you by being here, if you would like to be alone, I understand," she said, sounding more and more like a concerned grandmother.
Byleth set down the last clover, looking at Mercedes dead on... had she been sitting that closely to her the whole time?
"Actually I think your company has lifted my spirits somewhat. Unless you're eager to be elsewhere I wouldn't mind if you stayed... though I can't promise I'll be any shade of 'entertaining'" she said half chuckling.
"Of course you are!" Mercedes excitedly stated, playfully pushing against her teacher's shoulder.
The last time someone had touched her in such a manner had been too far back in her memory to accurately recall. Perhaps Jeralt had when she was much younger, as she didn't have any friends or peers to keep company and be rowdy alongside.
"I don't know about that. It may not seem it, but I am well-aware of my status as being... how would you say... somewhat intimidating?"
Mercedes looked slightly shocked, giving a light gasp.
"You? Intimidating? Perhaps it's my bias but I just simply cannot fathom drawing such a conclusion! Whoever says these things must not be familiar with you and frankly, I won't have it,"
It was a rare opportunity to see Mercedes become so fiery over something, even if it was quite mild by ordinary standards. Byleth was never one to speak in such a casual manner, she at least wanted to appear like she took her job seriously for the sake of those who had taken her in, but she was endeared further to Mercedes by her inclination towards verbosity even when angry. It was quite adorable when the girl had a bit of a pout to punctuate her thoughts.
"That's quite kind of you, I'm not sure what I deserved to be graced by your pleasantries this eveni- well, any evening, really,"
Mercedes still frowned at her a bit.
"Professor-"
"Byleth," she interrupted with a smirk, catching her student off guard.
"Byleth... I am simply crestfallen to hear you say such things about yourself. I've always known you to be humble but this is ridiculous, you've done so much to deserve my kindness, and the kindness of everyone here! You've been a wonderful instructor, you've kept us all safe and happy despite our unfortunate circumstances, and while your personality isn't as forward as the rest of us, I know it's because you have an immense pressure on you. We can barely take care of ourselves and we're the same age as you are! You look out for everyone... the goddess has blessed you with such an overwhelming amount of love... and-"
Byleth, who was nearly teary-eyed from the girl's unexpected onslaught of positive affirmation, raised her brow.
"And?"
Mercedes looked slightly choked up herself, but like her teacher, it had come from an excess of positive emotion.
"And you deserve to know that, even if you don't agree with me, and due to your humility, I suspect you won't,"
A tear rolled down Byleth's cheek as the two girl's made eye contact. She laughed a bit, wiping it away.
"I won't, but simply to head you say that, it means so much to me,"
And she meant every word. It wasn't as if she was waiting for her students to get in line and shower her with praise, for numerous reasons. But here, in this setting, it was different. Especially considering it was from the person who she was likely to believe the most. Mercedes managed to well up, tears escaping both her eyes, but all she did was stare into Byleth's eyes with a melancholic smile that seemed to hide something unsaid. The Professor lifted her hand, and gently brushed the tears from her face on each side, briefly running her fingers along Mercedes' silk skin, gliding just over her jaw bone as she ceased. Both of them smiled, but didn't take their eyes off of the other.
There was something intoxicating about Mercedes, and being so close to her. She had seemed to sidle closer and closer to her subconsciously as they spoke, and their clothes were lightly brushing against each other. The peach-blonde's eyes glimmered in the starlight like ocean jewels, still slightly welled up making them all the more brilliant, as Byleth's darker, almost abyssal eyes reflected the moon perfectly for Mercedes to see. From a distance the girl was still a startling beauty, someone who looked like she was from a bygone era where everyone was mythically beautiful. She looked the part of the saints she so idolized very well, she would've fit right in amongst them as a sculpture or painting. And Byleth, who put no more than exactly what she had to in terms of effort regarding how she looked, was simply breathtaking. She hardly needed any effort to stand out, her face carved with an undue maturity she no doubt earned from her mercenary days. However it was still tinged with a youthful splendor that she couldn't rid herself of if she tried.
Neither girl could've guessed how long they had been sitting there, unmoving, unblinking. Minutes? Hours? It was a timeless void where nothing seemed to exist, and by all accounts, that was just fine. Both of their hearts begin to beat in rapid unison as every infinite second passed, as it was becoming more and more apparent what was actually going on now.
"Byleth," Mercedes whispered, the second syllable evaporating from her mouth much quieter from the first, unable to say anything beyond that.
Byleth couldn't even manage that.
In a swift, but still elegant push inward, both girls dove into each other slowly, eyes half lidded to make certain the other was actually responding in kind. Their lips met in the space between them, locking fervently as the kiss solidified. For a few seconds, neither of them dared moved, both out of a sudden sense of shock and because they didn't want the moment to end because it felt just a bit too close to perfect.
The kiss broke, and each girl backed away an inch or so, mostly to process what happened. It was so sudden and so confident that the implications simply didn't have the time to set in.
"Mercedes I-"
Mercedes brought her finger to the professor's mouth, silencing her, but not forcefully, gently.
"Please, listen to what I have to say," she said, looking a bit more mournful than her kiss suggested.
Byleth nervously swallowed, and nodded, still entirely unsure what was going on and what it meant.
"Byleth... I think I have loved you for a great deal of time," she began nervously, "I thought at first it was simply admiration, and perhaps just being in awe of your beauty amidst your character, but I knew it was more than that. The way you help us, the way you teach, your ability to balance confidence and humility, I feel like perhaps I have seen you in a way that maybe others have not. They see faults where I see the truth about you, that you're strong, and smart, and determined, and nothing will get in your way. Your lack of ego is astonishing. I didn't know what my feelings were, or what they meant, so I decided to look for guidance. I decided to pray. After weeks of toiling away, trying to look inward and find answers, I feel as if the goddess herself made it clear to me. That it was love. True, honest, and overwhelming love that I feel had only grown... and tonight... I wanted to tell you that because you don't deserve to be here. You don't deserve a single bad thing that's befallen you, and yet here you sit, composed and still willing to go on. I don't know if I have the kind of spirit that would let me survive as you have. The thought of you, alone, simply breaks my heart. If it brings you comfort, then it eases my worrying, but I was never entirely sure. Perhaps you felt like an outsider, that you didn't belong, and that... is something I cannot allow,"
She put her hand on her cheek, grazing her skin and going upward, taking a bit of hair in her hand.
"You are wanted. You are appreciated. You are loved. I swear it by all that I am. And I know I am not alone,"
Byleth's bigger, slightly less becoming tears had arrived, growing with every melodic sentence. The fact that anyone cared this much, and was willing to go to this length, meant more than anything in the world. She choked back a sob as she laughed a bit, simply overwhelmed by the joy.
"Mercedes... you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Inside and out, and I cannot tell you how much I needed to hear you say those things,"
She leaned in, planting a kiss on the girl's cheek, eliciting a rosy blush. Mercedes giggled a bit.
Byleth had never kissed anyone before, nor had she ever been kissed. It wasn't from a lack of desire for the experience, but it was certainly lower on the long list of priorities she had so she hadn't paid it much mind. The fact that their first kiss was a more mutual affair felt special, as Mercedes didn't seem the type to take such initiative, initiative that Byleth appreciated immensely.
She pulled her in again, hand still in her hair, using it to ease her head towards her, as both girls closed their eyes and kissed again. This time it was less hesitant, deeper, and felt like it was happening more in real time.
Her head was swimming. It had been like she had forgotten how to think the past few minutes, so once her senses returned to her, she actively acknowledged she was kissing Mercedes. The girl's lips were soft and delicate, and her passionate enthusiasm of pressing them against hers was making her hair stand up. She had never thought it would feel this good.
Both she and Mercedes were aware they had an affinity for the same sex. It was a lot later of a realization for Byleth as her social growth had mostly been from time with Jeralt, but once she hit puberty, it was quite clear how she felt. She had imagined both men and women when she started masturbating, which was becoming an activity she was doing more and more as the stress piled onto her. She had even caught herself staring at Manuela's rather provocative outfits, unable to rip away her gaze, which she knew was the professor's intention. Mercedes however was simply more inclined towards women since she was younger. She had kissed other girls in her childhood as younger people often did, just for the sake of it in order to try it out. Once she was a teenager she tried to actively court other girls but found it difficult, as there weren't a great many options in her environment so close to the church, so never anything serious. Once arriving at Garreg Mach she thought about trying it all again now that she was finally amidst such a diverse group of people her age, but was both too busy and too nervous. She frequently hung out with Dorothea, for the sake of trying to learn some things, as she was someone who was both into girls and very sharp when it came to interacting with people, but it didn't get her far. Not long after, Byleth came along, and she became the focus.
The kissing picked up speed a bit, as they began to take a hold of the other girl and began to open their mouths a bit more so they could repeat it over and over without stopping. Byleth felt her heart beating out of her chest, whereas Mercedes felt a blissful, strange, serene calm that enveloped her totally.
The kiss broke once more, but they still clung to each other, pressing their foreheads together softly.
"I'm sorry if this was... rather... sudden," Mercedes whispered.
She just laughed.
"It was sudden, but I appreciate it nonetheless," she followed up.
She gave her a light kiss on each cheek, then lifting her chin upwards so that they stared into one another like before.
"Mercedes, would you like to come back to my room? Where things are more comfortable and less-"
She looked around quizzically.
"Outside?" She said slyly.
Mercedes nodded quickly, fully appreciating both the offer and the implications thereof.
"I would like that immensely," she said with childish glee and a grin.
Byleth was still nervous, but the adrenaline and enthusiasm she felt canceled it out and then some. She was emboldened. She was going to have a great night, her worries and circumstance be damned. All she needed was one girl.
And even after the offer, Mercedes didn't exit from her state of lovesteuck bliss. She simply stood up, tightly holding onto her teacher's hand, and happily joined her as they walked inside, fighting the urge to sprint to her room. Her confession had gone better than she hoped in her wildest dreams, and even then had some to spare. She was going to make sure the woman she loved knew exactly how much she loved her, and that her words were miles away from empty. She was ecstatic, and nothing could take that feeling away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The walk back to Byleth's room felt like it lasted forever, but in a good way. They walked hand in hand, commenting on whatever they laid their eyes on to remove any chance of an awkward silence. Mercedes mentioned how she had once caught Sylvain's horribly awry attempt at flirting with Petra, who was so put off that she resorted to telling him she couldn't understand him to get him to let up, which finally came to an end when he received a deserving smack from Ingrid, who dragged him back to the Black Eagles' Professor to be scolded. Byleth told her the time she found Edelgard and Dorothea kissing near the pond one evening, which came as a slight shock to Mercedes seeing as no one thought Edelgard was seeing anyone, and Dorothea hadn't ever mentioned anything about it. They passed by the building in which everyone had gathered, contrasted beautifully against the night's sky. They could hear the crowd from outside, and still daintily snuck about as to not arouse suspicion. The last thing they needed was to be spotted and have the students harassing poor Mercedes as to where she and the professor had scampered off to.
Arriving in Byleth's quarters was surreal, even if the surroundings were a bit familiar. She had some accrued clutter on her desk, definitely more than your average student, but aside from that, it was just like everyone else's. Mercedes figured something would've been enhanced or improved upon due to her status, but instead it was almost familiar looking. This was good though, as it made her feel more familiar and at ease.
The two walked into the room, still holding hands, immediately drawn over to the bed. There was a mixture of elation and tightness in their chests that they experienced mutually, even the once calmed Mercedes felt a bit on edge. Everything simply felt more... real.
Byleth turned to the other girl, smiling, trying to also communicate how awkward she felt by appearing a bit dopey, eliciting a laugh from Mercedes that she attempted to cover with her hand. She had never seen her teacher so expressive before.
"So... here we are," She declared uncertainly.
Mercedes nodded, taking her teacher's hand and raising it up, placing it on her shoulder, brushing it slightly over her hair.
"Here we are," she softly whispered back.
Byleth felt something within her break, she felt almost like she could hear it. It was like shattered glass inside her stomach. She was normally someone who always had a plan, some kind of structure, but now, this was the head of the moment. This was entirely unprompted and unexpected. She had absolutely no clue what she was doing.
She pulled Mercedes over to her bed, and each of them sat on the comfortable, modestly sized mattress, both sitting up straight on the edge of the bed.
Perhaps it came from the both of them having more passive personalities. Byleth may have been an elegant balancing act to keep the mess inside her hidden, but at the end of the day she was still very shy and very apprehensive about things she wasn't accustomed to. Things she had grown to understand and work with had come from adversity, being thrust into this environment with little to no warning. She was never one to take initiative, her strengths were all in being reactive, not proactive.
Mercedes was in a similar boat. She was quiet, modest, and was certainly seen as being soft and a bit air-headed on occasion, when in reality she was just distracted. She would stand up for herself or others, and was often subject to fits of anxiousness that caused her to misinterpret people's intentions, but around Byleth, she never had to worry about that. She knew she'd be understood. Nevertheless, she was certainly for more of a B-type personality than an A.
To make it all that much more difficult, neither girl knew what the other girl wanted, or expected. They both knew what to do should things become intimate, and despite lack of experience, neither girl felt too burdened by that. It was really more in the nature of what this little visit had intended to be. Unbeknownst to the other, each girl felt similarly about the situation.
"Byleth, may I ask you something?" Mercedes asked politely.
That snapped her briefly out of her worrying for a moment, as she smiled at her friend's consideration. She nodded.
"Well, I must ask... a few things, if that's alright," she said somewhat more timidly.
Byleth leaned in, catching Mercedes off guard by kissing her on the lips firmly, but it was a calming, chaste kiss that let Mercedes close her eyes for a moment, that lasted the perfect amount of time.
"Go ahead Mercy, I'm listening,"
She blushed yet again from being called by her nickname.
"Well, first question, have you ever done this before?" She asked, thumbs twiddling in her lap.
"No, actually," Byleth responded, "In fact you got my first kiss,"
Mercedes nodded.
"Okay, well, I wanted to ask before we erm... got started," she said, unable to totally abandon her overactive nerves.
It was strange, while it had been paired with a confession of honest feelings, mutual feelings, Mercedes still knew what was happening here. This was something casual that came about because of passion and joy, combined with the fact that both girls just happened to be in a position where a night of casual sex might do them both a little good, so it put the both of them in a grey area. It was almost as if what they were doing was separate from their actual feelings, but also inexplicably intertwined in every facet. It made her feel a bit guilty as well, as her feelings were certainly first and foremost what mattered, but she also couldn't help but experience a deep, longing want upon looking at Byleth. It wasn't something she was used to, overwhelming sexual desire, but it was there in full force that night. She didn't want to rush things, but she also knew that both of them wanted, and needed this. That affection, comfort, and pleasure could ease their worries a bit. She simply wanted to see more. To feel more.
Byleth on the other hand didn't really feel guilty at all. She was in a vulnerable state, sure, but not one where her judgment was impaired. She knew where she stood, but it was strange imagining actually doing something with a close friend. However her more base instincts told her to leave her anxiety about it all behind so she could enjoy this. She would've never pegged Mercedes to be the type for spontaneous casual sex because it was so antithetical to who she appeared to be, but looks can certainly be deceiving.
"The second thing is, I just wanted to know, if maybe there was anything you liked? I'd be happy to accommodate," she said with a nervous smile that was still somehow tinged with lust that the girl had never been seen with.
Byleth thought about that for a moment.
"Well, not specifically I don't think. But uh... well... hm,"
Her head was now swimming with all kinds of sinful thoughts that would appear and disappear rapidly. Truth be told, there were a lot of things that she wanted to do, to try, or just to feel.
"Well uh, I've... Gods this is embarrassing," she said finally turning a bit pink.
Mercedes nodded in encouragement.
"It's not. No judgment. In fact I'll appreciate it, it'll help me do a better job if I know something specific,"
Byleth decided to swallow her pride, as she wasn't sure how much longer she could contain herself without laying the girl next to her down and kissing her from head to toe.
"Well I-I've always wondered what it was like for someone to go down on me," she said hurrying out the last part as much as possible.
Much to her surprise Mercedes's expression didn't change. She simply nodded and smiled.
"That's a good start, we can make that work," she teased.
Mercedes, in a more forward display than her teacher would've ever thought possible, then put her hand right above her knee, slowly sliding it along the length of her leg, grazing the edge of her thigh. She was good for someone with no experience, as Byleth thought she might've passed out.
"Well w-what about you?" She asked hurriedly.
"Hm?" Mercy responded after a few seconds lost in the sight before her.
"What about you? Can I do anything for you? Anything you'd like?"
The smile came right back as she leaned in, to get a better angle to approach her with, and kissed her partner with as much vigor as she could muster.
"Actually," She said pulling away, "if you don't mind, I'd like to use tonight to focus on you, if that's alright. Making you feel good will make me feel good,"
At first, she wanted to protest. First out of genuine courtesy for her, and secondly because she was still looking forward to getting to return the favor in whatever form that took. But the look Mercedes had was one that told her everything. She wanted to please her. To help her. To make her feel wanted, held, and valued, just like she had said.
"Y-Yeah that's fine. If you change your mind let me know, though. Really, I don't mind," she said as she also began to touch the other girl, hand starting at her waist and slowly being dragged upwards, until it went under Mercedes shirt. She could feel fabric on one side, her soft skin on the other, and she ran up her fingers slowly. Mercedes sat there, closing her eyes for a moment as she let it happen, soaking it in, not entirely certain what exactly Byleth was up to, seeing as they had just made an agreement.
"As long as maybe I get to see a bit more of you," Byleth said with a wink.
And before she could even be adequately turned on by her teacher's silver tongue, she felt a warm hand slide under her bra, fingers dancing their way onto her.
At a slight angle so they could lie down more comfortably, Byleth pushed the girl down slowly onto the bed, head on the pillow, allowing her to pull her legs up slowly, not taking her hand from under her shirt. Eventually she lied down normally, and Byleth then used her other hand to repeat the task of her first. She had only brushed against them briefly, but now, she cupped Mercedes breasts in each hand very gently, seeing her react. She simply closed her eyes and let out a deep content sigh, clearly enjoying the contact.
She more effectively straddled the girl, but kept her hands locked in place, suddenly not totally sure what to do behind indulge her curiosity. She began to grasp them the smallest bit tighter, eliciting a brief moan from the girl beneath her.
"Hey, do you mind if I-"
Mercedes cut her off immediately.
"Go ahead," She said softly, "It feels very nice,"
Thankfully they both seemed to be on the same page.
"I've never felt another girl's breasts like this," Byleth said, "I'm sorry, is this strange?"
She ceased her motions temporarily, until Mercy grabbed one of her hands signaling for her to continue.
"It's okay. It's not. It feels really nice, and I've never had anyone touch them before so there's a first time for everything," she said playfully.
She found this side of the girl to be incredibly, overwhelmingly hot in how soft and casual she remained.
Her boobs were bigger than they let on from her normal clothes. She reached back to unclasp the bra and ultimately did so, allowing the girl to remove her shirt and bra entirely so that she was topless. She took a moment to simply admire the girl, who may have been a mage, but was built like a knight. She had toned muscles, defined if not obvious abs, and breasts that were larger than her figure suggested. Putting her hands on them again made the girl shudder with glee, and it certainly did something for her as well. They were soft, and just fun to touch and knead a little bit. Hearing Mercedes moan from her slightly indelicate touch was something very knew, a side she had never seen or heard before. Her small noises and mannerisms were exclusive to the bedroom, and she felt like the luckiest woman on earth to experience them as she did.
Before she got totally hypnotized by it, she leaned down, hands still massaging, to kiss her lover. This time she went more for an open mouthed kiss that immediately brought their tongues together. Mercedes kept making noises and sounds into her mouth that seemed to travel straight into her heart and make her feel like she had butterflies inside her. She just loved the feel of the other girl, from head to toe. And for a slightly introverted church going woman, she was a remarkable kisser.
It was then that the dynamic shifted, amidst being lost in the kiss and the contact of their tongues, Mercedes took her hands and slipped them under Byleth's top in a swift motion, tugging at it upwards until the kiss ended. Byleth only realized it last minute, and fumbled a bit lifting her too over her head. She almost instinctively covered her chest, both out of modesty and of the sudden abrupt change in temperature for her. For a moment, as she tossed her top aside, Mercedes got to look at her, and all of her thoughts were deliciously sinful.
Mercedes may have had boobs that were more sizable than she let on because of her modest wardrobe, but without Byleth's breastplate or top, the blue-haired woman seemed to be able to warp space itself. Her breasts were hidden by what had to be a magic trick, but for the time being, she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. As Byleth unclasped her bra, Mercedes shuddered slightly as she saw her teacher half-naked.
"Wow," was all Mercedes could muster.
Byleth wasn't sure if she had ever STOPPED blushing, but even if she hadn't, she turned a shade redder there and then. She had always thought of her bust size as more inconvenient than anything, bras were a pain to wear and shop for, they made her balance more difficult to maintain while training and fighting, and with armor on, they made things very uncomfortable, hence her usually modest clothing choices. But, on the other hand, it was nice to feel complimented and appreciated on some level for her body. Validation she didn't know she needed.
Mercedes pulled herself up a bit, helping Byleth remain still whilst still stradling her. Now they were in a position where Byleth was basically just sitting in her lap. Mercedes looked up at her, hands gracefully sliding up the sides of her torso, sending shockwaves of light pressure up and down her skin, resonating throughout her body and being absorbed by her spine. Two gentle hands were all it took to get her hot and bothered.
Mercedes then brought her attention to her breasts, placing her hands gently on them as she looked Byleth in the eye for permission, and proceeded as she nodded. She felt a bit naughty as she finally took some initiative, as strictly speaking, the church didn't exactly encourage sexual relations between those who were unmarried. They weren't as puritanical as they were in the past, progress had been made over the past 200 years, what they were doing would be considered ill-advised at best, but she didn't really care. She was overwhelmed by attraction and love, and that was all she needed.
Mercedes lightly squeezed and rubbed Byleth, just as she had done to her. The feeling was nice, her slightly cold hands slowly warming up to the touch, feeling her chest expand and Byleth's breathing became slightly more rapid, her chest inhaling and exhaling, almost doing her work for her. It was slightly chilly out, so both women's nipples were hardened, and upon noticing this, Mercedes aimed to take advantage of it to really kick things back into her favor.
She pulled her legs out from under Byleth ever-so-slightly, hearing her whine as she used her hands to prop herself upright, almost getting them on eye-level.
Mercedes leaned in, and Byleth closed her eyes, assuming she was going for another kiss, but soon realized that wasn't the case. She felt Mercedes hot tongue begin to lick around her right nipple, and while surprised, she did nothing to stop it, letting the sensation take over and fill her with ever-increasing warmth. She began to softly suck a bit, another surprise, but she still welcomed it, also enjoying the feeling of her left breast being massaged at the same time by Mercedes' dainty, yet dexterous fingers. Nothing could top that feeling... at least not yet.
With her eyes closed and her breathing steadied, Mercedes seemed to lull the girl into a trance as she did her work. She found herself slowly falling backwards onto the bed, slow enough to not feel rushed, but fast enough to be barely noticed. Mercedes loved the feeling too, almost getting to control her partner's body through sheer pleasure. She loved running her tongue along her breasts for the sake of texture, but sucking was something else, it felt like she was somehow attached to Byleth even more when she did it. Her tongue also made small laps around the nipple as she sucked, leaving the entranced Byleth to marvel at how such a small area on her body granted her such overwhelming stimulus.
Before she knew it, she was on the bed, back on the mattress, with the willowy mage now on top of her, looking down to admire her beauty. She giggled.
"I'm sorry if I got carried away. You're just so pretty," she said with an almost unbearable amount of innocence that nearly peaked Byleth's already high stage of arousel.
"No, it was wonderful," she squeaked out.
Mercedes then took her right hand, and slowly but surely, made it to Byleth's belly button, and then grazed the skin beneath that, arriving at the top of her pants. She then strategically stuck her hand in the girl's pants, but kept it above her small clothes, only *just* touching the area where her center was supposed to be. Byleth shuddered for what must've been the sixth time that evening.
A few of her fingers danced over her underwear, making the lightest of physical contact that was driving Byleth crazy. Mercedes then leaned forward, keeping her hand where it was initially, and became eye level with her teacher, using her other hand to prop herself up a bit to get there. She laid down on her side, just next to Byleth, who sat there in furious anticipation. Mercedes then planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Are you ready?" She asked, sounding more sultry than Byleth would've thought possible for her.
She nodded, only because opening her mouth would've resulted in a plea to get the woman to fuck her.
The blonde smiled, and began to make out once more as her hand readjusted, finally going under and reaching their target destination.
Mercedes wasn't experienced in this area, she only knew what she knew from herself and what she had read in some less than stellar novels in the library, but she was confident in her ability to try bravely. She hadn't expected the girl to be so wet, but she wasn't even sure how wet she was since she was so focused on her. Byleth felt like she was going to scream into Mercedes' mouth when she changed from lightly rubbing her lips to slipped one finger inside and just feeling her pussy up and down. A sensation that, for Byleth at the present moment, felt somewhere between agony and bliss. It was different from when she used her own fingers, there was simply a more urgent, primal, and unpredictable element here that masturbation didn't provide. Knowing where your movements were going, that removed a lot of the tension of lovemaking.
The girl on top broke the kiss, and softly but gently began to kiss down her neck, and then even dragging her tongue across the Byleth's color and in between her breasts. Mercy fought the desire to return to her breasts as a whole, but kept her downward progression as her fingering became slower and more measured. With each kiss, she pumped more methodically, making Byleth yearn for her to skip a few to get to her destination.
She briefly took her hand out of her pants and rugged at the hem of them, pulling them down to expose Byleth completely. She pulled them down past her thighs just to get a good look at everything, and stopped there so she could truly begin to please her lover.
Byleth had enviable legs as is, and above them and below her waist, was her eager and waiting pussy. Mercedes had seen other girls, occasionally Byleth, naked in the shower before, but it felt like in the context of bathing, that it simply wasn't sexual, even if she did sneak a few lingering peaks when it struck her fancy, but this was different. She hadn't shaven in a bit, so there was some hair above, but nothing wild. Her lips were pink and puffy from the teasing, and at her center she glistened slightly. Mercedes was marveling it the way you'd marvel a beautiful orchid, and then remembered why she was there in the first place.
And upon seeing it, her desire intensified. She had never thought about it like this, but with the girl in front of her, she was desperate to taste her. She looked at Byleth's pleading, puppy dog eyes that begged her to finally begin engaging in meaningful sex behind heavy foreplay, and she figured it was about time.
She leaned in, getting in between the girl's legs, until she was only inches from her. She could smell a bit of sweat mixed with something else, a kind of heated arousal she'd never smelled before, but it was something that got her going. She had no clue what she was doing, but she knew she wanted to do it.
She eagerly lunged in, immediately spreading the girl's lips and sticking out her tongue, opening her mouth so she could do her best to cover everything. She began to eat her out by dragging her tongue any which way she could, just to stimulate her, Also sucking a bit, gaging for a reaction.
She tasted sweet, but also a bit tangy, a hint of galvanized metal that you'd taste if you had ever put a coin in your mouth. It was strange, but she liked it. The more wet she became, the more it coated her tongue so that she could taste more. She dragged around until she felt something a bit harder, and without hesitation, began to swirl her tongue around the clit before sucking on it as well.
Her hot tongue felt like it was nearly on fire inside her. It was so much better than she had ever imagined, and Mercedes' eagerness And sloppiness only encouraged that. She had to bite her own knuckle to avoid making obnoxiously load moans as the girl went down on her. Her half-lidded eyes looked at Mercedes, who had them firmly affixed on Byleth's face the whole time. As soon as they made eye contact, the intensity picked up, the connection with their gaze with the combined sight of seeing another girl eat her out was overwhelming.
Byleth couldn't even stand it, she took one hand, and grabbed Mercedes' hair with a bit of force, pulling her inward as much as possible, and to Mercedes' shock, she managed to stick her tongue deeper inside, and pressed into her at her request. She thought about perhaps using a finger to help, but with how wet the girl was and how tight she felt, she wasn't sure that was going to matter. Regardless, Mercedes had never been so aroused in her life. Indulging like this proved to be a wonderful venture.
Byleth's mouth opened but nothing came out, she sat up slightly, and still pressing against Mercedes, dipping the tongue in and out of her, making contact with her clit whenever she could. Seeing those eager, bright eyes eating her pussy was enough to drive her mad, and maybe enough to drive that same madness away again.
She slowed down for a moment taking long, agonizing drags of her tongue both inside and around her pussy, right before immediately going for the clit so she could get her teacher to Climax.
All the sounds in the room were of Byleth's heavy breathing and the sheets ruffling, but Byleth felt like she was inside of a bomb that was in the process of blowing up perpetually. There was a light sucking sound that matched up with Mercy's tongue movements that made her pleasure even more tangible. For support, Mercedes' put her hands under Byleth's shapely ass, pulling her in even more as she applied full force.
Byleth came so hard she immediately felt embarrassed. It wasn't quite a squirting, which almost never happened to her, but her orgasm released a wave of thin fluid onto her partner's face almost immediately. She bucked up ward with a final thrust as Mercedes already began to clean her up, letting her descend back onto the mattress as she licked her clean, her warm tongue lapping up whatever was left of her finishing. She would take any excuse to keep herself there, and that was proving to be worthwhile.
Meanwhile, as she was still being licked, Byleth laid back in the glorious light of the afterglow. The post-orgasm high that she had always longed for. She had shut her eyes, but was so out of it, she nearly didn't realize the other girl had finished, and was now right beside her, singling eagerly, her face still a little soaked.
Without even thinking, Byleth lunges forward and kissed Mercedes, a raw, passionate kiss that let her invade the girl's mouth, letting her taste herself a bit, which was odd, but undeniably hot and exhilarating.
When the kiss stopped, both girls laid back, side by side. After a moment of rest and heavy breathing, Byleth began to give her lover soft kisses on her cheek down to her neck.
"Did I do well, Professor?"
She wouldve scolded her for not using her name, but under this context, she found the usage to be very hot, so she said nothing of the sort.
"You were wonderful, my love," she said giving her a peck on the lips.
The girl's then stared into each other longingly just like they had earlier, and became lost in one another. It was like having a conversation without words. A conversation so enthralling that Mercedes didn't even realize that Byleth had stuck her hand down the woman's pants, beginning to tease.
"I know you said you wanted to focus on me but..." she started, "You just gave me the best orgasm of my life, and I gotta cool down a bit, but I'd love to do a couple things while we wait, if you'd like,"
Mercedes was finally on the receiving end, and she felt incredibly spoiled to have someone so interested in her body.
"I would like that a lot," she said melodically.
"Lovely," Byleth said, sticking a finger inside the other girl, "and maybe if I tease you long enough to get horny again, we can eat each other out at the same time,"
The tone of her voice was so wicked, she could've got Mercedes' to do anything under the sun with that sultry tone. All she could do was nod as she was fingered.
Byleth loved feeling how tight the girl was, her walls expanding and contracting around her one finger, soft and wet, she could've done it all day. And for all she knew, that was precisely what they'd be doing.
She went in for the kiss again as she picked up speed, hearing things moaned into her mouth like 'oh Byleth' and 'yes please' on occasion, starting to slow down and speed up at different intervals to edge her as much as possible.
The night became a haze of primal lust, each girl getting their chance to scream, moan, and cum at different times throughout all the late hours of the morning until they couldn't anymore. Not even battle made the two that exhausted, but it was very well earned, and resulted in the two girls sleeping next to each other totally naked in a mess of sheets and pillows that, while messy, felt like a dream.
Mercedes fell asleep in her arms, and began to softly breathe, making her sound so calm, serene, and soft. She snuggled into her shoulder, and knew there was no place she'd rather be, and that there was no one she'd rather be with.