Just a heads-up: There is a small lemon at the very end of this chapter.
Breakfast the next morning was a lively affair, as once again Mom insisted that he bring his friends over to eat together before they got started on their day of rest. She had even promised the group an actual feast for dinner and from her hurried mutterings Rean learned that she intended to rope Maple and Sister Lisa into assisting. He wanted to tell her that she didn't need to go through all that effort for them, but he knew from that look in her eyes that she would not be dissuaded.
The others left first as he first went to check on his father once again. Once he ascertained that his condition was still steadily improving he exited his home to take in the beautiful sight of Ymir in winter. Seeing the kids out and about like nothing terrible had happened was a weight off his shoulders.
Speaking of, the hushed conversation that Alf and Kiki were having was enough to pique his interest and so he decided to investigate further. That ended up being for the best as the two kids wanted to mimic his master and make a paper crane to give to his Dad to speed up his recovery. A noble sentiment, but the fact that they wanted to use a fuki leaf, which meant a trip to Ymir Valley was alarming. Not a place for children to go.
So naturally he offered to fetch it in their stead. Sure, fighting monsters in the valley might not be the most optimal use of a rest day, but a little light exercise never hurt anyone. And perhaps the others would be interested in joining in? Sure they fought well enough together yesterday, but it had been a month since they had been separated and practicing as a team might be for the best. Especially as none of them had ever fought alongside Captain Claire.
Something which was made painfully obvious to him when he offered to help said captain in strengthening the villages defenses. While surveying one of the paths leading into Ymir they were accosted by a significant group of monsters. It should have been a lengthy and difficult fight.
Instead, Captain Claire awed Rean by ending the entire battle in a mere instant thanks to her use of mirror devices and absurdly complex mathematical formulas to cause a single shot from her orbal pistol to reflect multiple times and take out every creature in a single shot. Sure he had known by reputation that Claire was a skilled warrior on the level of Instructor Sara, but seeing her in action was something else entirely. Yet another reminder of just how far he still needed to go.
After spending a little longer doing what little he could to assist in setting up surveillance equipment the swordsman excused himself. He was planning on going inside and warming up for a bit, but that idea died as soon as he saw Toval digging through the snow in search of something. Curious, he approached the bracer only to find out that he was searching for his mom's wedding ring which had slipped off her hand during the confusion of the jaeger attack.
Given that it was his own mom and he felt bad about the bracer searching alone, Rean elected to help out. Although Ymir wasn't the largest village, it certainly felt a lot bigger when searching for such a tiny object, even when limiting the search area to the path she would have taken on that day. The two were at it for well over an hour, but never once did Toval lose confidence in their ability to succeed and his belief paid off when Rean noticed the glint of a gemstone in a recently shoveled pile of snow.
After returning it to Mom the two freezing men finally followed on Rean's original idea to warm up by taking a bath. There the two had an enlightening conversation as the young Schwarzer found himself chatting with the easy going man and admitting his original intention of becoming a soldier and leaving his family in peace.
But that was no longer his goal. The time spent at Thors, especially the last couple months, had done wonders for the boy as he now fully understood that he wasn't a burden on his family. But with that acceptance came the realization that now he no longer knew what he wanted to do with himself in the future.
But Toval was not upset by that lackluster answer Far from it, in fact. He seemed almost nostalgic. The reason for that became clear when the bracer opened up a bit about his life before his current profession. While he didn't go into many details, it was clear that he had been drifting along doing unsavory things until he took a job from Micht and had an encounter that changed his life, leading him down the path of a bracer.
Oddly enough that story sounded awfully familiar to Rean, but he couldn't quite place why.
After getting dressed he bid farewell to the bracer and set out in search of his friends. Elliot he found inside the tavern. He had thought his younger friend would be on cloud nine after earning the approval and support of his father, but oddly enough the musician seemed to be troubled about something. When he offered to lend an ear Elliot instead decided to play something for him with his trusty violin.
While he was no expert, Rean was familiar with music, especially the music that Elliot played. So it wasn't hard for him to notice something off with his playing. The music wasn't bad, per se, but the feel was different, only adding to his belief that something was troubling his friend. It almost felt inevitable that one of his violin strings snapped, putting an end to the brief performance.
After that he finally opened up to Rean about his fears that music held no place in a world gripped by war. That even if the war finally ended there would be no need for him in it. It was an understandable fear, but Rean felt fairly confident that Elliot was wrong.
There was always a need for music. Erebonia's history was steeped in bloody conflict, but the art of music had persevered through all the centuries and he didn't think that this current civil war would change that. It had only been a month and a half since their highly successful concert, after all. Eventually peace would return and musicians like Elliot would become in high demand.
Or at least that was what he thought. Perhaps he was wrong. Still, it seemed that his words had had the intended effect of cheering up Elliot, so that was enough for him. With spirits renewed the two went back to Elliot's room in The Phoenix Wings, passing by Machias on the way and spent a few minutes repairing his violin.
Curious as to what his other friend was doing, Rean returned to Machias and discovered that he was doing his best to help out around town. Admirable, but they were supposed to be resting. Although perhaps he wasn't the best one to be thinking that? Thankfully Machias didn't call him out on it, and promised that as soon as he finished his current task he would retire back into the inn and do some nice relaxing... studying.
While that didn't sound at all nice or relaxing, Rean couldn't help but feel some strange compulsion to join in, especially after finding out that Patrick and their Class I rivals were still at the academy. He didn't want to lose to them, even in something as mundane as classwork. So with some reluctance he assisted Machias in his final chore before the two went back inside to hit the books.
Still, even if it was studying, spending the time studying with friends wasn't all bad. It was a reminder of simpler times when they were all trying to cram for the exams. It got even better when Elliot returned with Fie in tow, and after some prodding from Machias the two joined in and turned it into a true group study session.
There was one oddity with the entire situation, and that was Fie. The problem was that outside of a little snark at the start she wasn't creating any problems with the group. Something that was entirely alien to her. Normally she would be the last person to willingly participate in a group study session, but this time she quietly sat there, only talking when Machias directed a question towards her.
She was clearly distracted by something and he felt he had a good idea what it was, so after helping Machias put all the books away at the end of the session he set out in pursuit of the girl. It took some time, but he eventually found her back inside his home.
The fact that she didn't immediately notice him was another obvious sign that she was distracted, although she did look back at him as he approached. "...Fie?"
She let out a long suffering sigh. "Great. Should have figured you would come after me. You're too nosy for your own good." Despite her words he didn't think she looked all that unhappy to see him.
"You want to talk about it?" Rean fully expected the girl to refuse, but asked anyways.
Surprisingly, she hesitated briefly before shaking her head. "Not right now." He was ready to leave it at that, but she wasn't finished yet. "I'll come talk to you later, I just need to get my thoughts in order first. Is that alright?"
Considering it was far more than he had expected, not to mention just how vulnerable the usually stoic girl looked, he couldn't help but find those terms more than agreeable. "Of course. Take all the time you need. So what are you doing right now?"
Come to find out, the girl had been thinking about cooking of all things. The past month had shown the former jaeger that she lacked experience at making anything beyond the most basic dishes and eating his mom's delicious cooking had only made the issue bigger in her mind. The only thing she knew how to make well were the ration bars that they used in Zephyr while in the field. Rean was curious about that and offered her the use of his family's kitchen and his own assistance, which she readily accepted.
He understood what she meant as soon as she completed one of her ration bars and let him try it. It certainly achieved its goal, as pretty much everything used in its creation was designed to give the body the energy and nutrients it needed, while in a nice compact form that would probably last a while. The only problem was that it tasted like sawdust. Great for survival, but awful in every other situation.
So he suggested that they work on improving the flavor to make it more palpable. It didn't quite solve her desire to improve at cooking, but perhaps figuring out how to make something as plain as a ration bar into a more exciting meal would be a good lesson for other dishes? The reasoning was sound and so she agreed to the idea.
Come to find out making a dish taste better by testing out random ingredients was a lot harder than he had expected. Either the items they added failed to improve the bar's taste, or it did, but also changed the texture until it ended up as a nasty looking sludge. Try as they might, they failed to find something that accomplished both, and not wanting to keep wasting food the two reluctantly went upstairs to secure the help of his mom.
Something which the older woman was more than happy to provide, although she had a teasing grin on her face as she looked at the two. Now with the added assistance they returned to the kitchen. Lucia took one look at their failed concoctions and listened to their explanation before immediately going to her seasoning cabinet to retrieve a handful of different herbs, which she added to the mix.
With the food cooking she turned to the two. "I'm glad we're finally getting the chance to chat like this." She focused her eyes on Fie. "We've already been introduced, of course, but it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Fie. I've heard a lot about you."
Rean's eyes widened in horror. Oh no. This was his mom meeting one of his girlfriends. He hadn't thought about that when he proposed seeking her help.
Given how suddenly nervous and uncomfortable his partner looked, neither had she. "Um..."
Rean paled as he knew that look his mom was sporting. That was the look of someone who was about to say something to embarrass him. "You don't need to be so nervous, dear. After all, you're practically family now, aren't you?" And there it was.
"Family? Already?" Despite her own embarrassment at the situation Fie couldn't help but look curious. "But you don't know me or my past..."
"Oh, if you're talking about your history as a jaeger, we already know about that." Both teens stared at the older woman in shock. Sure, Rean had written a lot about all of his classmates during their time at Thors, but never once did he mention anything personal like that. Seeing the two looks his mom shrugged. "What? You didn't think we would be curious about the girl who stole my son's heart? Teo has plenty of connections so we did a little digging."
"...And you aren't bothered by that?"
Mom shook her head. "It does bother us that circumstances forced you into such an awful situation at such a young age, but that doesn't affect our opinion of you at all. Instead we chose to listen to Rean's letters, which always painted you as a bright young woman with a great sense of humor and a fierce desire to protect those close to you. By those accounts we should be thanking you for looking after our Rean."
It was a shame that there were no flat hard surfaces nearby, as the young swordsman felt the need to bash his head against something until he forgot this entire conversation took place. Fie, while still clearly reeling from shock at such easy acceptance from his mom, had managed to recover enough to mask her emotions with an easy grin. "Trust me, it wasn't an easy task, but I suppose it was worth it in the end." Both women giggled at his expense.
If nothing else Rean was happy that his mom was so accepting of her and that Fie in turn was starting to relax around his mom. Further conversation was placed on halt as the ration bars were now finished. The two Class VII members were awed at just how much of a difference a few herbs made. The bars looked just like Fie's original creations, but with a nice pleasant color to them. Testing one they discovered that while it was still mostly the same bar, it now had a nice fresh aroma to it, making it far more agreeable to their stomachs.
With her mission finished, Lucia took her leave, but not before giving one final parting message. "Know that you're always welcome in our house. I'm sure Teo will be glad to meet you once he finally wakes up." Turning from Fie to him, she continued. "Hurry up and find the rest of your classmates. I still need to meet Laura."
"Your mom seems... nice." Fie commented lamely after the older woman had departed.
"Haha..." What could he say to that? Of course his mom was nice. Quite possibly the nicest mom in all of Erebonia. But it would have been nicer if she didn't choose to embarrass him in front of Fie.
After that the two continued for a little while longer. While these enhanced food rations still weren't a worthy substitute for a real meal, that luxury wasn't something they could be assured of while being fugitives against the Noble Alliance. And since they were designed to last they could keep a few on hand without worry.
That task took them into the afternoon, and after a quick lunch she inquired as to what else he was planning to do that day. That was when he remembered the promise to the kids. "You're going out into Ymir Valley... to look for some leaves?" The half-lidded look she gave made clear how unimpressed she was by the notion.
"Err... Originally I was just thinking that it would be good practice for all of us, you know? A nice little warm-up before we leave again tomorrow." Her expression didn't change and Rean deflated.
"Or you're just a big softy who can't say no to anyone." Despite the criticism a sly smile adorned her face. "C'mon. Let's go find the others."
Technically it would have been quicker to just call them with their orbments, but walking around the village together wasn't a bad use of their time. Everyone was easy to find and all agreed to meet up as soon as they finished whatever it was they were working on. Once finished the two waited by the village exit for the others to arrive.
"Tomorrow you should go to the Nord Highlands." She commented aloud.
That surprised him. "Really?" He had assumed that she would want to go to Legram just as much as he did.
"Trust me, I want to find Laura just as much as you do." She was easily able to read his thoughts. "Did you look at the maps while we were at Garrelia?"
He blinked in thought. No, he actually hadn't. He had been so focused on everything else going on that he didn't take advantage of that chance to learn about what was going on elsewhere. He couldn't help but feel a modicum of shame at that failure.
"Don't worry about it." Which she noticed immediately. "The main thing is that there's something going on in Nord. They didn't have details, but it was clear that there's a lot of fighting in the Highlands."
That news caused Rean some anguish. The Nord Highlands were one of the most beautiful places he had ever gone to, and the thought that war had broken out there was a sobering one. Especially as Group A had worked so hard to prevent just such a thing from happening only a few months prior. Hopefully Gaius and the others were alright...
"Alright. Nord it is. Hopefully it won't take too long." Saving his endangered friends came first, naturally, but damnit if he still didn't want to go to Legram as soon as possible.
Eventually the others arrived and as a group they set forth into the Ymir Valley. He knew that any leaves of worthwhile size would probably be a ways off the beaten path, but with such a formidable group on hand he wasn't at all worried about the myriad monsters running about. Although he couldn't help but share a befuddled glance with the bracer as they encountered a rather dangerous group of enemies. There weren't any monkey monsters in the area just a few days ago, so why were they there and attacking humans now?
Despite that oddity, and the insanity that was Annabelle peacefully fishing away while monsters were running amok just a few arge away (for some reason when he voiced that thought out loud he earned a few unimpressed looks from his classmates), the group made rapid progress. They found the first fuki leaf wasn't all that far from the angler's position.
Still needing the second one, the group continued deeper into the valley. Despite being the newest member on their team, Claire proved herself to the students and bracer. Unlike Toval who mostly worked alone or with a singular partner, the RMP Captain was used to working with an entire squad. Between her unparalleled analytical skills and her clear and concise orders, her mere presence was enough to enhance their overall coordination and skill to new heights.
With any aggressive monster suitably punished for their mistake, it wasn't long before Rean spotted a second leaf in the snow. To his surprise, this one was a brilliant ruby color. Red fuki leafs were rare, and considering these were to be used to help his dad, the swordsman couldn't help but think it was a good omen.
With the task finished the group began the trek back to Ymir. Briefly he contemplated sticking around in the valley for a while longer to emulate Annabelle, but decided that it was too late in the day to begin fishing or any other long project. A shame, as he had also been considering seeing if any of his friends wanted to learn how to snowboard, but that could wait for another day, preferably once the entire class was reassembled.
The group once again split up after returning to Ymir, but that wouldn't last long as all were expected to be at the Schwarzer manor for dinner lest they risk the wrath of his mother, a risk which not even the most battle-hardened members of their group seemed willing to take. For his part he contented himself with delivering the leafs to the two children. It might not have been the most vital of missions, but seeing the joy on Kiki and Alf's faces made it all worthwhile. Leaves in hand the two departed to the tavern to work on their cranes. Rean could only look forward to their creations.
With everything finished and nightfall rapidly approaching, he made his return home to relax and wait for dinner. He attempted to help his mom set up, but the older woman shooed him away angrily with a ladle, insisting that he was a guest in his own household and that he should wait at the table for the others to arrive. Chastised, and more than a little confused, he did just that, greeting his friends as they arrived one at a time.
Dinner, obviously, was spectacular. When his mom had said that she was going to prepare a feast for them she seriously meant it. He felt a little guilty at seeing so many dishes when he knew Ymir was so isolated from trade at the moment, but considering just how completely enthralled Fie, Elliot, and Machias were at the myriad food items he decided to ignore that feeling and simply enjoy the meal with everyone else.
After dinner he bade farewell to his friends as they were all returning to the inn for the night and he too left for his own bedroom. There was still some time before bed so he felt now was as good a time as any to get back into his old groove and return to practicing the other Eight Leaves forms he had been working on before everything went crazy.
Or at least that had been his intention, as just a few minutes after starting the door to his bedroom opened without warning, interrupting his training. To his surprise, the person at the door wasn't his mother, but instead his silver-haired girlfriend. "Fie? What are you doing here? …And you really should knock first."
She ignored that last bit as she entered his bedroom. "You said you wanted to talk, right? Well here I am." She sat herself on his bed.
He did his best to school his surprise that she was actually following through so quickly, but he was pleased all the same. And yet, it was clear that despite her snarky greeting that the girl was clearly uncomfortable about the topic of discussion as her eyes darted about nervously. Understandable given the circumstances, but it meant that he would need to press her lest she clam up. "You seemed distracted earlier. Does it have anything to do with our encounter yesterday?"
"...Yes." She looked like she was about to say something more, but closed her mouth. A few seconds later she tried again. "I just-" Yet again she trailed off.
Fie had always been a quiet girl, but in all the time Rean had known her he had never once seen her struggle to find the words she wanted to say. "Was it their appearance, or what they said?" Time to offer his help.
"Both." She latched onto his question like the lifeline it was. "Just seeing and listening to them as if nothing had happened brought back all kinds of old memories. It was as if nothing had changed and I was still in Zephyr. And yet... They abandoned me! They turned their backs on me and left like it was the easiest thing to do. So how can they act as if nothing had changed?" Now that the floodgates were open the girl was rambling, but getting it off her chest was a good thing.
He continued to patiently listen as she struggled with her feelings. "...I already knew they were our enemies and had made peace with that, but I had forgotten just how strong they were. Xeno held us both off by himself, and he still wasn't going all out. I know I've gotten stronger in the last year, and yet the gulf between us is so wide. And yet the only way they will tell me what I want to know is if I make them with force...!" With her rant finished she had to pause and take in deep breaths, all the while staring at her hands as if cursing her own weakness.
"Then we'll just have to grow stronger." His reply earned him a dubious look and he could understand why. "I know it won't be easy and the odds are definitely against us as there are so many powerful individuals on the other side..." The Noble Alliance, Zephyr, the Imperial Liberation Front, the mysterious Ouroboros, Crow. "...but I know we can do it."
"Wow. Is this supposed to be a pep talk? It kinda sucks. Not one of your best performances" The words were negative, but there was the tiniest hint of a teasing grin on her face. Rean took that as a good sign.
"You try coming up with these speeches all the time!" He mock complained. "Let me ask you this: Do you have any regrets with how things are?"
She immediately shook her head. "None. It sucked a lot at first, but if they hadn't abandoned me I wouldn't have ended up at Thors. Meeting you and Laura. Emma, Elliot, Machias, all the others... Could have done without Sara, though."
Rean sweatdropped. She couldn't resist the urge to take a shot at their missing instructor even when the bracer was absent, could she? Still, Instructor Sara usually deserved it. "Right. And I'm sure that once we find them all they'll be willing to help you find the answers you seek. I know I am."
"I know that... It's just so frustrating. Seeing them so close like that, but knowing just how hard it'll be to get them to talk."
Rean hummed thoughtfully as he thought back to that encounter. "True... But I'm not so sure that it will be as hard as you think." His comment earned him a curious stare, so he elaborated. "It's like you said yesterday: They weren't taking us seriously. If they had really treated us like enemies than I don't think it would have turned out so well." Sure, Xeno kicking him still hurt, but he hadn't ever truly thought that they were out to hurt him. Well, during the battle, that was. Afterwords was a whole different story, and one he didn't want to think about... "I get the feeling that they might be more willing to talk, but at a different time or place."
"Knowing them? It's possible. Sounds like they disobeyed their orders just to mess with us... You're probably right. I'm sure we'll be seeing them again soon."
"I'm trying not to think about that..."
She giggled slightly at his deadpan comment. He wasn't sure if his words had had their desired effect in allaying her fears, but at least she seemed a lot cheerful. "Relax. I'm sure they won't do anything that bad to you. Although..." Her smile became a lot more teasing. "They probably won't be happy to find out that you invited me into your bedroom~"
"Urk!" Technically she had invited herself in, but he doubted he would ever convince those two of that if they found out.
Clearly she had been expecting such a reaction. "Tell me, Rean. Am I the first girl you have brought to your room?"
"Fie!"
"Gonna take that as a yes." It seemed that despite her teasing the situation was only now beginning to dawn on her. With a curious look she stood from his bed and began to look around. "So this is your room..."
The swordsman suddenly felt self conscious. Sure it wasn't all that different from the time spent in his dorm room in Trista, but he couldn't help but feel nervous as she walked around taking in the sights. From the plant that his mom had been kind enough to take care of during his absence, to the eastern-style writings on his wall. Next she glanced at the wall mount with tachi resting on it and the bookshelf with all of his books. From there she looked at the table which was bare save for the bottle of pills haphazardly resting on it...
His eyes widened in shock and horror.
Of course something so out of place was sure to catch her attention and he could only stare in mute horror as she picked up the offending object to inspect it more thoroughly. Desperately he tried to say something to stop the girl, but the broken noises coming from his mouth accomplished nothing of the sort.
After a few seconds of reading the label comprehension dawned on Fie as her normally lidded eyes widened in shock and redness suffused her face. "R-Rean...?"
Not even the incident with Alisa on the first day had felt as awkward as the compromising position he now found himself in. "I-It was a gift. From the P-Prince." The words came out in a rush as he frantically tried to defend himself. "During the festival!"
Fortunately for his sanity, the girl nodded, seemingly buying his explanation. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding as he thought the embarrassing situation was resolved- "But why do you still have it? The festival was over a month and a half ago. You would have needed to bring it with you on Valimar..."
"Uhh... I-I forgot about it?" It was the truth, but he winced knowing just how lame it sounded, even to him.
Her gaze shifted from him, to the object in her hand, and back to him. "...Is this something you want?"
"No!" He yelled out in a rush, before realizing what he had just said. "I mean... I-I don't know?" He didn't want her to think he was completely adverse to the idea, but at the same time he didn't want to give the impression that he was seeking it out immediately and-
"A shame."
His inner ramblings died after hearing her comment. "W-What?"
"I said it's a shame." She tried to keep her usual cool attitude, but the fact she was completely red and refusing to look him in the eyes revealed her true feelings. "When I was in Zephyr it seemed like most of the older members were always having sex during the peaceful times. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Wouldn't mind trying it myself..."
Despite his inner turmoil, Rean couldn't help but frown at that. Sure he understood that soldiers and especially mercenaries sought out the pleasures of the flesh during their downtime, but that wasn't for him. "It shouldn't be like that, Fie. Something like that should only be done with someone you love-"
"But I love you!" She almost looked to be on the verge of tears. "It actually scares me just how quickly you managed to worm your way into my cold heart! As conflicted as I felt after seeing my old family again, never once did I feel any regret for how things turned out. Being with you has made me... happy."
"I..." He had no idea what to say as his previous protests died in his throat. Sure they had been dating since that night at the baths, but this was the first time anyone had actually admitted to loving him. He was so confused.
"You still have trouble believing it, don't you?" He couldn't help but flinch under her knowing gaze. He knew that it was still a problem of his, but knowing it and getting over it were two entirely different matters. The look in her eyes softened. "I know it isn't easy for you, so let me show you instead."
In one deft movement she crossed the room and before he could even comprehend what was happening Fie was sitting on his lap and her lips were smashed against his. This was nothing like the previous times they had kissed. There was nothing hesitant or tentative about her actions. This was pure passion as the sensation of her lips and the friction of their bodies threatened to overwhelm him.
His eyes widened in shock. The tongue that was exploring his mouth was not his own!
After several tortuously blissful seconds the need for air was too much for the girl and she reluctantly separated. The heated look on her face and gleam on her lips threatened to drive him mad with lust. "You are loved, Rean. And not just by me, either. I know the others care about you too."
The others... That triggered a thought that threatened to douse the inferno swelling within in. "What about Laura?"
"Seriously?" Fie asked, pulling away with a deadpan expression on her face. "Here I am offering myself to you and you are thinking about another girl?"
"Er.." Once again he found himself at a loss for words. When she phrased it like that it sounded really wrong!
But if he thought he truly screwed up he was mistaken, as Fie giggled. "Kidding. I know our relationship is... weird. I've actually thought about it these past few weeks..." She appeared contemplative as she trailed off, but eventually snapped back into the moment. "It's something we'll talk about once we find Laura."
"I see...?" He really didn't, but that might be because his brain had long since checked out by this point.
Fie frowned. "If you really don't want to continue then I'll back off."
"I..." He was sure that there was a dozen reasons why this was a bad idea at the moment. "I..." His mom was sleeping just a few rooms away, for instance. "I..." But at the end of the day he was a hormonal teenager with a pretty girl sitting on his lap. "I... want it." He muttered out breathlessly.
It seems he picked the correct answer as she grinned. "That's what I wanted to hear." Before she lunged forward and kissed him yet again.
The heated exchange continued for a while longer and Rean lost himself to the moment. The two were on autopilot as they made out on his bed, with her hands roaming under his shirt. He couldn't help but whine slightly as she eventually pulled them away, but he didn't realize the reason why until he heard the sound of an object hitting the floor.
Pulling back just enough to sate his curiosity he discovered that the object in question was Fie's jacket, which had joined her scarf on the floor. Had he been so out of it that he didn't even notice her removing those articles of clothing? In confusion he looked up to confirm that she was indeed missing those items, only to freeze as he discovered she was in the middle of removing her top.
It was a good thing that she was occupied with pulling her shirt over her head as that meant she wasn't immediately able to notice his slack-jawed stare, but who could fault him for that? This was the first time he had ever seen a girl topless, after all. And sure while Fie was certainly smaller than the average girl, that didn't make her breasts any less beautiful in his biased opinion. They were so close that a part of him wanted to lunge forward and-
He paused as he realized that Fie had long since finished and was now staring at him in a mix of amusement and embarrassment. Although he knew there was no way he could deny where his focus had lain, he opened his mouth to say something – anything – to salvage what little remained of his dignity. "...How do you stay warm wearing so little?"
He winced. That was the lamest thing he had ever said in his life, but it was the first thing that came to mind. But Fie merely laughed despite her own awkward embarrassment, most likely finding his reaction to be amusing. Once finished she looked down at him with visible excitement. "So are you just gonna sit there or are you gonna takes your clothes off too?"
Oh. Right. His clothes. That was a good idea. Especially as they had long since become very tight and uncomfortable on him. Hurriedly he moved to comply with that request, beginning with his boots, but it was hard as he was very distracted watching Fie do the same.
Which was why he still had his pants on by the time his lover had completely finished disrobing. She didn't seem at all bothered by that as she kneeled down in front of him. "Let me help you with that." Although she said that in her normal expressionless tone, the offer sent an excited thrill through his body.
Nervously he watched as his lover fumble briefly with his buckle before letting out a victorious noise as she finally succeeded. His heart hammered as she pulled his pants and underwear down with tantalizing slowness. The cold rush of air let him know the moment she reached his erection.
"Hmm... Not bad."
"Not... bad?" He couldn't help but question it. Was that a good thing or not?
Once again she giggled as she finished removing his pants. "So it's true. All men worry about their size. Cute. But I'm serious. This is better than most I've seen." Geez. Just what was daily life in Zephyr like if Fie had this much experience with penises?
Now that they were both naked she once again returned to straddling his lap. This time, however, with no clothes in between them the feeling was markedly different and far more exciting. Especially as she lifted herself to align the two of them together.
He expected her to immediately drop down, but instead she hesitated. "Fie...?"
"I-Its nothing. I guess I'm just a bit more nervous than I thought..."
Hearing that she was just as nervous as he felt was a relief to him, even if the girl had been far better at hiding it thus far. "We can stop if you want?" It would be no easy feat, however. He knew his self-control was hanging on by a thread.
Fortunately for his sanity, that didn't appear to be something he needed to test as Fie shook her head. "Nope. I want this as much as you." As if taking his offer as a personal challenge she began to lower herself onto him. Hastily he reached out and grabbed onto her hips to guide her down-
Tightness. That was the only word that Rean could use to describe the feeling as the two connected at the most intimate level possible. Although he had no other point of reference there was little doubt in his mind that he would never experience anything as tight as that moment. It was painful, but oh so pleasurable and it took considerable willpower to not burst right there.
He received some relief when she stopped halfway down. It was only as he felt the barrier that he understood why. Sure, he understood that it was a part of the process, but the thought of hurting someone so dear to him didn't sit well. "Fie-" He wasn't sure what he was about to say to her, but it was a moot point as with a gasp the silver-haired girl forced herself down the remaining way in one single motion, letting out a pained gasp as she broke through that final obstacle.
"I'm fine." She muttered quickly, but the look on her face didn't convince him at all. Deciding to take the initiative he was the one to move in for the kiss this time, if only to distract her from the pain, something which seemed very receptive of. This time he could take solace in the fact that he was holding his own against her efforts to dominate his mouth, as pleasurable of a defeat as that had been.
They remained in that position for a few minutes as Rean tried his best to ignore the crushing desire to begin moving his body until she was ready. Instead he contented himself by letting his hands roam on her body, trailing down her sides before eventually finding a home on her rear. He couldn't help himself from giving it a quick squeeze, earning a pleased gasp from Fie as he marveled at just how firm her butt really was.
That must have been enough of a rest for Fie, as the girl once again began to lift herself up. Rean couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret once the connection was severed, but that was short-lived as she sank back onto him, causing a fresh wave of pleasure to shoot through his body. Again she raised herself, but this time he used his hands to assist, and when she came down he thrust upwards, matching her movement with his own. That was the right move to make as he found himself further inside of her than he had previously, and both teens let out delighted moans in unison.
With their bodies now moving of their own volition Rean couldn't help but stare at the beautiful creature bouncing on his lap in awe. Everything about her, from the pleased sounds she made each time he thrust into her, to the seductive smile on her face that no one else but he would ever get to see, to her petite breasts which bounced enticingly in front of his face with every move she made-
"Do it." She hissed. He regrettably looked up from her chest in confusion. "M-My boobs. I don't mind. I-It makes me happy."
He needed no further invitation as he closed the distance between the two and latched onto her right breast with his lips. He felt a swell of pride at the moan she let out from such an action. With permission given he took his time as he savored every second of her chest, kissing, licking, sucking, and even biting her nipple. Each action caused his lover to make a different wondrous sound and he did what he could to memorize each and every one for future use. Her other breast did not go unattended as he freed one of his hands so it could freely explore that part her of body.
The next few minutes were a blur as the two continued their lovemaking. The only sounds in his room were the sounds of their frantic coupling and the pleased noises they made after each and every motion. It was an experience he wished could last forever.
And yet as much as he wished that, their inexperience meant that such a thing was impossible. Already he could feel himself hitting his limit. "I'm going to-!"
"Hang on!" She pleaded as her movements grew more frantic. "I'm almost there!"
What she was asking of him was nearly impossible, especially as she locked her legs around his back to generate maximum friction between their bodies. Each and every thrust was a struggle and knew it was one that he couldn't win. Still, for her sake he would try his hardest.
Through his lust-addled mind he desperately tried to recall all the lessons he went through with his master on controlling his emotions and keeping calm, even in the most intense of situations, but none of it seemed to work in that moment. What was the point of dedicating his life to his sword when none of it mattered in the most important times?
Inevitably, it was a battle that he could not win and with one final shout of his lover's name he erupted, filling the girl with his love. Much to his relief, it seemed that he had managed to hold on just long enough, as his orgasm was the final piece needed to trigger her own. The two remained locked in place as they rode out the waves of their pleasure together.
All strength left his body and he allowed himself to fall backwards onto his bed, carrying Fie down on top of him. There they remained for a few minutes as they worked to catch their breath. He didn't lament his exhaustion, however, as it meant he had no choice but to focus on the warm chartreuse orbs he had become so fond of as the two laid there together.
The moment finally ended when Fie let out a loud yawn. She grinned sheepishly before slowly pulling herself off of him. He watched as she crawled her way up his bed with the obvious intention of falling asleep. This gave him the chance to truly see the results of their lovemaking. She was a total mess of sweat and... other fluids and looking at himself showed that he was no better off.
But as badly as they needed to wash up he couldn't bring himself to care. It was a bit early in the evening, but even had his body had the strength to do something else there was nowhere he wanted to be more than under the blankets with her. So that's what he did.
As the two lay together and sleep rapidly approached he couldn't help but think back to what had just transpired. There were so many things he wanted to say and do, but decided that it could wait until the next day.
But there was one thing that she had said that deserved a response immediately. "Fie?" He couldn't tell if the former jaeger was still awake or not.
"Mmm?" Luckily, it seemed she was.
"...I love you too."
Way back at the start of this story I decided that I wanted to move out of my comfort zone a bit, and smut was one of the things I wanted to dabble with. Obviously this one was less a hot and spicy flavor and more an awkward first time, but baby steps. A part of me feels like this was too fast, but than I look over and see that this story is now officially one year old and is over 200k words long and wonder how the hell that happened.
Now don't expect these scenes to ever become a major part of the story, although you can probably expect a few more down the line. I mean Laura deserves her moment, right? And maybe Rean will be a little more confident?
Hah. I say all that, but like 90% of the reason I wanted this to happen is cause I am already planning to have fun with the others. Just imagine how everyone else is gonna react when they find out.
Their classmates
Sara
His family
His students
...Xeno
...Leo
…Rutger
...Victor S. Arseid
Now I kinda feel bad for Rean...
