They're eating together in the dining hall, and surprisingly, no one tries to sit with them. The emperor is endlessly grateful, just wanting Byleth to herself. But that thought gives her pause, because she knows plenty of other people also want to talk to the professor. Perhaps she wants to see them too. What if I am taking up too much of her time. The emperor sips her water and glances at Byleth who's looking at her in the same way. However, when their eyes meet, Byleth seems to twitch and her head turns away. It's never something she noticed the teacher doing before, even with a room full of new students who were eyeing her top to bottom for… a multitude of reasons. Perhaps it is a nervous tick she developed? Now Edelgard won't take her eyes off of the professor, and Byleth twitches again, always her head, not anyplace along her back or her hands.
"My teacher?"
"Mm?" Byleth even sounds a bit more tense, hyper fixating on the bread she is tearing up and placing into her warm soup.
"I noticed that lately the others have not been coming up to you as frequently. Do you worry that I am keeping them away?"
"I don't see why that'd be your fault," Byleth says, scratching her nose before looking down at her black shirt which is covered in cat hair. "Er… there haven't been nearly as many cats around." Byleth picks at some of the hair and forms a bit of a pile on a napkin. Edelgard chuckles, imagining that someone who is allergic is going to sit there and cough up a storm. "The only place the cats are now is by the fishing dock. The guy there had a fit the other day," Byleth says, grinning at Edelgard, "The cats took all the fish he laid out."
"That sounds like a personal problem, then." Byleth laughs at her blatancy and Edelgard's heart rate comes alive.
"You're funny when you're sassy like that."
"Why thank you," Edelgard sniffs, finally digging into the best part of her meal, the dessert. "Where do you think most of the cats went, my teacher?"
"I dunno," Byleth says, her mouth turned down on one side. "Hopefully they're ok. Yuri said that he was going to take them and eat them a few times."
"Surely it was in jest," Edelgard amusedly replies.
"Yes because I told him that if he ate them, that I'd eat him."
"Of course. That is the logical conclusion to make."
"Edelgard, I just miss the kitties," Byleth whines, dropping her forehead into her hand. "The little black ones were the best too. They acted all pouty but they cuddled the best."
"The Hresvelgion Whiskers?" Byleth blinks and sits upright again.
"No relation?"
"Very much a relation," Edelgard answers around a mouthful of pudding, not even caring how improper it is. "They were bred in Enbarr."
"That's so cool!" Byleth exclaims, rocking the table as her knee bounces. "Is there like… a cat factory or something?"
"Cat factory?" Ferdinand cuts in, walking past them with a tray of biscuits and coffee. "Professor, if you want to see a cat factory, I swear that I will make such a wish a reality." Edelgard immediately frowns.
"You can't promise that," Edelgard scoffs. Ferdinand puffs out his chest in defiance.
"Of course I can! Anything our teacher wants, she gets," Ferdinand insists, handing Byleth a biscuit she thanks him for.
"My teacher, not ours," Edelgard whispers under her breath. Then she feels hot with embarrassment and stands up. "We do not need to bring her to a… a cat… factory. I will merely bring the cats to you."
"Hold on now," Ferdinand remarks irritably, "I said I would do one thing for her and now–"
"-I said I was going to do it first," Edelgard argues, flailing her hand around as Ferdinand continues to hold his stupid tray and raise his stupid voice. Byleth just laughs at them both, getting up and walking away as they continue arguing like cat and dog.
But who is the cat and who is the dog? Byleth wonders with a massive grin.
—
It's not a very late or particularly exhausting day, but Byleth makes her way back to her room around eight, wanting to change her clothes and write down a few things she plans on teaching some soldiers later. Her mind is wandering, and she doesn't notice the emperor, dressed down in just dark long sleeve clothes, waving to her near the Abyss entrance.
"Professor!" Byleth finally turns, her eyes flickering in recognition.
"Oh, hey." She looks around. "What were you doing down there?" Edelgard just shakes her head like it was a long story.
"Meet me on the north side of the cathedral tomorrow around ten. It will be worth it," Edelgard promises, a secret smile on her face as she heads off towards her own room.
"Um. Alright. Goodnight." She shuts her door quickly, leaning up against it with her back.
Her smile was perfect, Byleth thinks to herself, remembering how it shone in the setting sun's hazy light. When she finally settles into bed, one arm under her head, she glances at the armored teddy bear she has sitting on her desk; a present for Edelgard for next time. Honestly, she's just perfect.
—
9:55 A.M.;
Byleth is running towards the place they'll be meeting. Bernadetta sees her booking it and murmurs something before sprinting in the opposite direction.
"I left you cake Bernie!"
"AHH!"
"You're welcome!"
She skids to a stop once she steps into the monastery, waving to Manuela and Dorothea who are sitting in the first pew, definitely gossiping and not praying. They motion for her to come over but she shakes her head and mouths her apology. The teacher rounds the corner of the left exit and hears… cats. A lot of cats. Byleth walks faster in the direction of it, just about jumping down the steps before noticing that just outside the gates is a PEN of cats.
"What?!" Byleth squawks. She's hardly ever surprised by something. Two figures behind her begin to chuckle lightly.
"Heya friend."
"Yuri," Byleth starts, looking between him and Edelgard. "Did you…?"
"Yeah, the emperor actually paid me to find cats and put them here for you. Super weird thing to get called up for but… yeah." Byleth perks up and looks at Edelgard as if she is the very sun her Earth revolves around. "I said I did it…"
"Are you really going to take this from me?" Edelgard whispers to him with a pouty face. Yuri sighs at the two as Byleth snatches the emperor and hugs her so fiercely it lifts her off the ground.
"I can't believe you got the cats back here! Now that they're back in the church I can let them out of that thing, right?"
"They are yours, so, whatever you wish is fine," Edelgard squeaks, still being held as tight as can be; she hates it when Byleth lets go. The teacher scrambles to let them out, desperately wanting to touch them. It's endearing how she talks back to them as they meow and purr at her, watching everything she does to untie the pen. Three fly out of the cage, booking it up the stairs together while most of the others seem to sort of… trip over themselves and fall over Byleth's cloak and feet.
"They're just really high on catnip right now," Yuri informs the two women, scratching the back of his neck. "So can I go? I have a bunch of idiots downstairs who will fall apart if I don't babysit them."
"Sure," Edelgard says, "Thank you for your help."
"Yeah, for real," Byleth adds, smiling at him as she picks up a cat and has its paw waving goodbye. Yuri actually blushes before he scurries away.
"Why are the dumb ones so hot sometimes?" he panics to himself.
—
Byleth spent a majority of her day playing with the cats, following some of them as they got settled into the grand monastery. One of the cats, a Hresvelgion Whisker, seems to like being in and out of her room the most. In fact, the cat is sitting with her as she writes, tucking itself up against the armored bear meant for Edelgard. The sight has yet to make her not smile.
Time goes by, the cat is well and truly asleep, and she figures it's closer to ten when there's a knock on her door.
"Who is it?" Byleth asks, alarming the cat who cracks one eye open.
"Edelgard." The teacher gets up with a start, not even putting her wet pen back in its pot. She opens the door to find Edelgard out of her dress and with her hair down. Her coat is similar to the one she used to wear, with the small chest cut out and the gold plating. The shorts and tights are on as well, but they're both black, same with her gloves. "Hi."
"Hi," Byleth says back, just as softly. Edelgard's eyes happen to move into the room, and she spots the cat next to the plush.
"What an adorable sight. You bought the sweet thing a toy?"
"No," Byleth answers, picking at her t-shirt's hem. "I actually got that bear for you." Edelgard lets out a little breath and tries to move in before remembering her manners.
"Ah. May I…?"
"Always." Edelgard smiles, and again, the light from outside just lights up her face, making Byleth pause and appreciate it before the emperor turns away and heads in. Byleth literally has to catch her breath. She leaves the door cracked open, because tonight is a bit hotter than usual. Edelgard holds her hand out to the cat who only sniffs her once before its whiskers bristle.
"...So you do not like me then. You have something I want regardless."
"You're gonna have to take it from 'em like the conqueror you are, Your Majesty." Edelgard groans at the joke and bypasses the cat, who slaps her arm. "Now we have a casualty."
"You failed to protect me, professor." This time it's Byleth's turn to groan. The cat looks at Byleth and then jumps down, landing with a heavy thud and a pissed off meow. "It was mine," Edelgard says to the cat sweetly.
Mwrrrrr.
The cat leaves, slapping its tail against the door.
"See ya kitty." Byleth turns her head back to find Edelgard hugging the bear and waving at Byleth much like she did with the cat to Yuri. "Ah," Byleth hicks. "That's… that's cute."
"You gave me one much like this five years ago." Edelgard smiles as she tucks her nose against the back of the bear's white head. "I felt terrible when I had to leave it behind after the siege."
"You're a big softy so I sort of figured that out the last time I visited your room." Edelgard hums. "You lost one so you got rid of all of the other ones you had." Edelgard flusteredly hides her face further. "I can read you like a book these days."
"Sometimes reading is especially difficult," Edelgard grumbles, looking anywhere else in the dim room.
"Maybe. But the more time you spend with a book, the more intimately you come to know it." Byleth tips her head to the side, proud of her little analogy.
"...And how many other books are you reading?" Edelgard asks, her voice stilted.
"Just one."
"Good," Edelgard finishes, squeezing the bear gleefully in her arms. "On a different note, it is unbearably hot upstairs tonight. I have a feeling I will not be sleeping much."
"Sleep naked," Byleth offers with a smug grin she can't hide.
"Shush," Edelgard retorts, throwing the bear at Byleth's face. She catches it, it's just funny. "How about we go for a walk?" Byleth hands the emperor her bear back and nods enthusiastically.
—
There isn't too much to say, they just wander around, looking at things. Edelgard is especially dear, still hugging her bear as they go.
"You complain about the heat but you're holding that fluffy thing still."
"Allow me to both suffer and be happy." Byleth playfully pokes at the thing's foot, and Edelgard protectively covers it. "Be nice."
"You only ever say that to Hubert."
"I will say it to whoever is pestering," Edelgard states, and Byleth definiantly places her whole hand on the bear's helmet. "Hands off!" Edelgard orders. Byleth is about to say something when they notice some odd shuffling. The two of them follow it curiously, passing the gazebo area outside of the dining hall.
They accidentally stumble onto two merchants they recognize huddled together. The woman is atop of his lap, sprawled out on the grass, kissing each other passionately. Both the teacher and emperor are so unfamiliar with intimacy that they take a few seconds longer than they should before Edelgard lightly clears her throat and pulls Byleth away from the area.
Neither of them say much as they walk… and both of their minds drift back to what they saw. A question burns the back of the emperor's mind, and she notices Byleth twitch again, having been caught staring at Edelgard.
"Have you ever done that before?" Edelgard abruptly asks, her voice more quiet than usual, which is fitting for this time of night regardless. Byleth's lips purse at the question, which is an odd feeling for her, one that causes her to try and itch at it. It gives her the appearance of being timid as she answers,
"No." Edelgard's relieved smile comes out with a little breath.
"Thank goodness." Byleth's feet slow down, forcing Edelgard to do the same.
"How come?" Byleth questions, dropping her hand with a smack against her hip. The emperor looks to be panicking slightly, probably not meaning to have even said that.
"Just–It would have… been… a waste," she laughs awkwardly, "For you to have wasted your first kiss on someone undeserving." Byleth's nerves come alight, covering her skin in pesky goosebumps before she shakes it off and notices how Edelgard is walking with a bit of an anxious wobble herself.
"Who would be deserving of my kiss then?" Byleth asks, sort of teasing without using the proper voice for such a thing. With her tone being what it is, Edelgard actually takes the question seriously, and gravely.
"Not me, I suppose."
"What? Why not?" Byleth presses, and Edelgard sort of looks at her affronted.
"Huh?" Edelgard asks, very inelegant which forces a chuckle up Byleth throat.
"You immediately thought of yourself kissing me," Byleth states, so casually, and Edelgard goes stiff, feeling like a deer in headlights. "So why wouldn't you deserve to kiss me?" Byleth wonders, surprised by her own words once they're out of her mouth. She hasn't realized until now how much she's been tiptoeing around Edelgard, mostly because of the way her heart gives her pause when she's around the emperor. It's nice being blunt again; maybe she can sort of slip into that mask once in a while, she realizes.
"I…" Edelgard stands there limply, feeling like she's on trial or something, and Byleth stares right through her. Her logical mind struggles to think of anything as little pathetic noises leave her lips before she, angry at herself, decides to deflect. "I have just never kissed anyone either."
"Oh." Byleth blinks, and then this adorable grin takes over her face as she swings one arm around, balling her fist and then loosening it. The action reminds Edelgard of all the times Byleth would win spars but she was too sweet to outwardly show celebration for herself in the face of a student or friend. "That's good." This time, it's Edelgard who blinks in surprise. "I thought you would have kissed Hubert."
"No!" Byleth laughs outwardly, sniffing it back once it echoes down the hallway. Edelgard can't help but do the same, amused by how quickly that answer came to her. The two look at one another, smiles still gracing their faces. Slowly however, Byleth's smile fades and her head turns back to the direction of that couple. "What is it?" Edelgard kindly asks, not realizing that her hand is reaching towards Byleth's arm as if to regain her attention as quickly as possible. The teacher looks down at her hand, then at the emperor's face, filled with concern. She twitches slightly, and her blue eyes drop to Edelgard's nose, and lastly, her lips. Of course, the emperor sees where she's looking and can just about feel the heat of her stare. On instinct, her lips slightly part and Byleth's features seem to do the same as her head leans in a little.
The hot air seems as stiff as them, and the sweat on their back almost tickles as they both take a step closer to the other. Neither of them close their eyes the closer they get, something they don't exactly know or want to do when they've never gotten to see the other's eyes close enough to count each lash. Just as Edelgard feels Byleth's faint breath against her mouth,
"-Your Majesty." The two women split apart, their hearts leaping up into their throats before Hubert's very specific and calculated toe tap alerts them to where he is, nearly right behind Byleth. The professor spins on her heel and she looks at him, then Edelgard, then back to him, and shakes her head with a sigh before quickly walking away without a word being said. Edelgard feels like she can't even breathe, even though her entire body wants to scream for Byleth to come back. Hubert frowns a little, watching after the teacher who cuts a corner and smacks her arm against the stone rather roughly. Then two-and-two click a bit too late, and he looks down at Edelgard with uncharacteristically large eyes. "Were you about to share a kiss with…?" Edelgard suddenly snaps out of her stupor and smacks his shoulder.
"Why do you have the worst timing?!" Edelgard shuffles away just as quickly and gracefully as Byleth did, in the opposite direction. She has steam basically emitting from her ears as Hubert rubs his temples.
"So they are not as clueless as I feared," he whispers to himself. Oh, but he was supposed to tell her something… He follows after her at a snail's pace.
—
They don't talk the next day, something everyone seems to comment on.
Byleth goes to the training grounds in the morning.
"You're here early," Caspar comments, already tossing her a sword. "Where's Edelgard?"
Sigh.
Edelgard goes to her meeting with Hubert before lunch, ten minutes early. Before she even sat down.
"Early?" Hubert asks in confusion. "Where is the Professor?"
Sigh.
Byleth eats by the fishing dock, watching Petra fish in her animated way. Her foot creaks on the dock, and the Brigidian Queen turns around.
"Hello! Is Edelgard not with you yet, professor?"
SIGH.
Edelgard tries to go for a nap. She slept for only an hour last night. On her way there, the same pouty black cat is outside her door, but Bernadetta seems to have followed it up here.
"H-hi. I saw this little baby come up. I was hoping the professor was going to be with you," Bernadetta worries.
SIGH.
—
Edelgard twists and turns in her bed, sweating through her clothes and her sheets. It feels disgusting as she tries to pull it away from her breasts and the material snaps back. Something furry touches her foot and she sits up. It's the bear from… Byleth. She groans before changing into regular clothes and heading outside.
She hurries down the dormitory steps and is blindsided when she exits the stairway and smacks into a blur of black and blue. It's only when her eyes readjust that she sees who it is.
"My teacher."
"Edelgard." They sort of sniff the air in greeting, and then say nothing. The emperor bites the inside of her lip before attempting to walk away, not caring about where she goes as long as it isn't here. She gets merely five feet before Byleth clears her throat. "It's pretty hot again. What's Enbarr like in summer?"
"Hotter than this." Edelgard doesn't turn back, too scared to look at Byleth again. Both of them clearly wanted the kiss to happen, but Edelgard feels particularly outed. She didn't want such a big step to merely happen like that, in the middle of the night in some offhand hallway in Garreg Mach. She wanted it to be special, maybe after Byleth and her had shared their feelings in an even more special place. Or maybe I am just being an idiot who is looking the gift horse in the mouth. "Enbarr's heat is miserable. I tend to get ill from the heat, too. Which is why my mother took me to Faerghus in the summers."
"I see." There's a pause. "Or you could just sleep naked," Byleth says, chuckling lightly. Edelgard turns around, her own little amused grin on her face.
"Do you want to see me naked that badly?" Both of them pause again. "Actually… don't answ–"
"-Maybe a little bit," Byleth says, her head twitching before she scratches the back of it. Words don't exist in Edelgard's mind anymore. "If Adrestia is actually hotter than this though… I think I'll die when we go back."
"I–The–Adrestia–Not as–Wait," Edelgard breathes, bending over slightly. "You plan on coming with me to the palace?'
"Was I not supposed to want to?" Byleth rebuttals meekly.
"Well, yes, if you would like to be with me longer."
"I do. I always want to be with you," Byleth answers, not meaning exactly what it implies… but… also what it implies. Too cowardly to comment on it exactly, Edelgard suggests,
"Then we shall figure out a way to make it more comfortable for you." And that's it. They decided Byleth will go to Adrestia once the TWISTD battle is over with, something Edelgard had been worrying about more and more often. "I wonder if Constance has a way to make some odd item that will help us out."
"Wanna go now?" Byleth suggests, holding her arm out. Edelgard looks at it, a little taken aback. "Too noble?"
"No. Allow me," Edelgard replies, wrapping both her arms into the pit of Byleth's elbow.
—
As they walk underground, no one says hello to Edelgard really, just Byleth.
"Hi, Professor!"
"Hello."
"No running today, Professor?" Byleth smiles and waves.
"It's you! Hello!"
"Hello."
"Look who is ever the popular woman," Edelgard points out, letting go of Byleth's arm when she spots Balthus.
"Ah, it's nothing," Byleth bashfully remarks. She looks down at where their arms were connected, a little wrinkle between her brows that Edelgard can't comment on because Balthus is approaching like a boulder.
"Professor," he belts, holding his hand up in the air that Byleth sighs at before hopping up and slapping it. It makes Edelgard's heart melt. "Been a while."
"Who's here?" Happi asks from someplace by the merchants.
"Argh, nothing gets around her, huh?" Byleth shakes her head with a delightfully meek grin. "Well come on. Let's get drinks."
"No we are actually here for Constance," Edelgard interrupts, putting a hand on his massive bicep when he throws his other arm around Byleth's neck.
"Her Majesty is here for me?!" Edelgard has to dull out the squeak before her ears feel normal again.
"Hello, Constance." Edelgard has only a second to turn before the blonde is bouncing into view, Happi following behind with her hands on her hips. "For once, I am asking for your help."
"Edelgard," Byleth murmurs with a laugh. Edelgard grins and pushes her away.
"My time has come!" Constance squeals, clapping her hands together. "Oh oh oh! I got it! You need a love spell!"
"What?" both Happi and Edelgard blanch.
"Coco she's already got a–"
"-You can only fall deeperrr," Constance sings, slapping Happi away much like Edelgard. "I've totally got you covered!"
"No thank you," Edelgard coughs, unable to look at Byleth as the teacher stares at her blatantly. "Just… tell me if you have a way to make a room cooler."
"What? Just sleep naked," Constance says. Edelgard's entire face falls and Byleth laughs into her fist.
"Don't think about the Professor's woman, naked!" Balthus barks. Now there are many people watching and Edelgard is getting red.
"You two have no tact…" Happi comments, walking away and pulling Balthus with her.
"Wait wait wait!" he tries, being taken away regardless.
"I would… really… prefer not to," Edelgard answers with a glare that not even Constance can match.
"Ok, ok," the blonde goes, raising her hands up defensively. "Come with me to my room. I have something." They follow her closely, Edelgard hoping that this isn't some trap and that the whole process will speed up. Suddenly Constance is spinning on her heels and Byleth almost smacks right into her. The mage catches her with a single finger placed against her neck somewhat threateningly. "Promise me you will tell no one what this is once you leave the room with it. Got a deal?"
"Get your finger off of my teacher and we will." Constance raises a brow and steps back, her hand on the knob of her bedroom door. She glares at the two women who blink in confusion before she swings her door open and grabs them both, throwing them inside. "My patience is being tested," Edelgard growls into Byleth's ear.
"I… can't even argue with you." The door slams shut and the candles go on. Every shelf, every surface Constance has, is covered in experiments and scraps. But there's this breeze coming from someplace and–Byleth looks at the foot of Constance's very particularly made bed and her eyes widen. "Cool air!"
"SHHH!" Constance throws herself on top of it like a protective raccoon before slowly handing it to Byleth. "You need a spell to activate and deactivate it. I've… finally made a second one."
"What is it?" Byleth asks, showing it to Edelgard and blowing her flowing white hair everywhere before the emperor sets her hand on top and lowers it. "Sorry."
"It's like a hand fan but it fans on its own." Her voice is peppier again. "Neat huh?" Edelgard looks between her and the small fan and just gawks.
"Constance, THIS is the sort of ingenuity we need in the world, not crushed sugar with color."
"SPRINKLES need to EXIST, Your Majesty!" Happi and Balthus howl in the background like hyenas.
"Shut up!" Yuri tells them.
Their voices sounded close… Constance teleports to a corner of her room, right across from her bed, and rips a poster off the wall revealing a hole big enough to stick a hand through.
"Count on Constance to know the right place at the right time," Balthus blurts.
"Can you stop embarrassing me in front of Her Majesty for once?!"
"Girl," Happi huffs tiredly, "You are doing that your damn self." Byleth clears her throat so as not to laugh, but Edelgard just seems very over everything.
"Are we not going to comment on the fact that they made a hole that looks into your bedroom?" Edelgard asks incredulously, rubbing her temples. For the first time ever, she's actually worried for Constance.
"It's a whole thing," Constance sighs, shrugging. Happi and Balthus share an amused look before Balthus repeats,
"A HOLE thing." they laugh again, and this time Constance growls and hits them both with her fist through the hole.
"We are going to take this and leave," Edelgard decides, grabbing the fan and hiding it in her over the shoulder cloak. The three of them are busy fighting and pulling on Constance's arm apparently. "Byleth?"
"Ready."
"Have a goodnight," Edelgard calls over their shoulder and they run down the halls.
"Wait! But I have sprinkles and ice cream and—"
"Aaaand they're gone. Get over it," Yuri tells her with a scowl, only his head poking out of the dusty classroom.
—
"I have literally never ran out of there faster," Byleth pants, closing the manhole to the Abyss. Edelgard throws her head back and holds up the fan victoriously just to make Byleth laugh again.
"The strife was worth it in the end." Byleth straightens up and hooks an arm around Edelgard's back, both of them settling into the closeness rather well. They stare at the device, looking over every inch of it and wrinkling their lips when they find blonde hair stuck to the bottom.
"Oh," Byleth says as Edelgard flicks the hair away. "There's only one fan and two of us." Edelgard blinks.
"Oh."
….
"So who's bedroom are we sleeping in?" Byleth asks very matter-of-factly. Edelgard almost coughs up a lung.
"You propose we share? Really?"
"Why not? It makes sense to me."
"But–" Edelgard sputters before clearing her head with a hard shake. "I am too old to have sleepovers with friends."
"We're more than friends," Byleth reminds her easily. Edelgard whines. "I thought we were."
"Yes we are like family or, or something else, I don't know. I just–now I am very flustered so let us just–g-go to your room and I will be forcedtosettledown." Byleth has the decency to act surprised, and Edelgard at least feels less silly as Byleth's mouth opens and closes like a fish.
"But you're wearing all those hot clothes and I don't imagine you'd wanna wear my clothes right?"
"Fine, fine. Come with me," Edelgard decides, bringing Byleth along by the wrist. Halfway past the first floor rooms, Byleth shakes herself free and sets her hand against Edelgard's, holding it. The emperor nearly trips over herself at the feeling.
"Heh. You're so cute."
"Please! I am going to combust."
"Let's get you naked then."
"Professor! Please!" Edelgard nearly screams out a whine and Byleth finally stops, grinning like a fool at her feet as they go.
—
"I always wondered what your bed would feel like," Byleth comments, jumping up on it and scooching against the wall. She sprawls out on the burgundy top covers, one hand under her head as she stays propped up against the three firm pillows. "It's soft and silky like I imagined."
"Yes, it is very lovely. Now turn away and keep your eyes closed." Byleth doesn't ask why, she just does it, tucking her face into her arm. The emperor stands there a minute, her long button up pajamas in hand as she makes sure her teacher obeys. She's not surprised that Byleth does. She changes swiftly, trying as usual not to look down at herself. Once the chore is done, she quietly says her thanks.
"Sure," Byleth replies, getting comfortable again while also looking at Edelgard who sets the fan on the table. "It feels better here for sure. Temperature wise."
"Indeed." The emperor stretches her arms before getting in bed, something Byleth notices she has to hop to do. While they lounge quietly, Edelgard has one foot flat on the comforter while her other leg hooks over her knee, and her second foot seems to dangle in the air. Byleth looks at it and grins slightly.
"Feet are kind of weird." Very calmly, Edelgard uncrosses her leg and straightens them both out. Byleth lets out an unexpected laugh that sounds like a tiny little hee hee. "Yours are nice though, but that was funny how you…" She snickers again and shakes her head up at the ceiling. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel weird."
"You did not make me feel weird, I just," Edelgard clicks her tongue, "I really do not like feet."
"Why? Are you ticklish?" Edelgard shivers at the thought.
"I hope to never know!" The emperor gulps, sitting for a moment before she feels Byleth staring at her with a very poorly hidden sly smile. Danger brings Edelgard's nerves to the forefront, and when Byleth moves a single inch, Edelgard stuffs her feet into the sheets, flips on her side, and kicks them over the side of the bed out of reach. "Don't you dare!" Byleth chuckles, and it's the only thing that can ease Edelgard's pounding heart.
"I haven't ever seen you move that quick with all that armor you wear."
"This is an especially threatening situation."
"Mm, right. As if there's no other part of you that's not ticklish." Edelgard wrinkles her lip.
"I invited you into my bed for safety from the heat, not to be harassed by your pestering." Despite the apparent harshness of her words that would drive most other people away, Byleth is hardly even deterred. She gets it. This is just part of how Edelgard teases her back.
"I'll be good," Byleth assures her, tucking her hands back under her head. Soon Edelgard untucks her feet and relaxes fully onto the bed again, her side pressed against Byleth's as they share the space more fully. Neither of them are exactly tired now that they actually have the luxury of sleep. Honestly though, when they're together, there is always something much better to do than sleep. "I've only ever shared a bed with my father." Byleth's tone certainly shifts, and her overall aura feels a lot heavier. Edelgard flips onto her side, her arm tucked under her head to face the professor.
A dozen or so memories Byleth hasn't thought about since they happened flood the space behind her eyelids every time she blinks. With every blink, her eyes get wetter, and after a dangerous sniff threatens to unleash another, Byleth weakly turns on her side and faces the wall, her back to Edelgard who hasn't stopped looking at her.
"...I had many siblings, but none of them compared to my sister, Monet." Byleth's ears perked up. Edelgard never talked about family specifics. "She was the only person I ever shared a bed with, until now." Byleth's eyes burn in a different way now, one she didn't know quite how to handle.
Edelgard lets herself talk, she laughs as she explains how her sister used to snort when Edelgard pouted. She huffs when she recalls the time her and her sister play fought and it ended with Edelgard flinging her off the bed and making her older sister cry which then got Edelgard grounded for four days; she laughed again remembering how her sister stayed by her door each of those nights, explaining what her bruises had looked like depending on the lighting. The emperor told her so many stories, but as she wound down… Byleth's heart sank.
"She was the last one to die," Edelgard hoarsely reveals. It's obvious she's trying to detach from the words, her voice attempting to be monotone but failing as she goes on and gets more and more emotional, nasally. "She tried so hard for me. To live longer, so I wouldn't be alone. But the longer she stayed alive, the worse they were to her." Edelgard's breath hitches, and Byleth carefully turns, facing the emperor who seems startled when their eyes connect after so long. Of course, with Byleth looking at her, Edelgard is self-conscious about her wet lashes, and she presses the side of her face further into her pillow, hiding herself again. Byleth doesn't like that. So, the professor doesn't try to think much as she gets up on one elbow and uses her free hand to wipe under Edelgard's exposed eye.
"Thanks for sharing that with me," Byleth says, her voice as calm and collected as it always is when Edelgard really needs it. And suddenly Edelgard isn't feeling that deep and painful sadness she was, because she's alive, here and now, with her teacher, her friend, her–her what? Edelgard sits up, and Byleth follows.
"Monet had a secret boyfriend, actually." Byleth grins a little, probably imagining how that even came about in what sounded to be a strict royal household. "She once attempted to explain to me how kissing works." The older woman's face grows serious and a little confused as Edelgard's body language grows anxious. "My teacher…? I… have liked you for a long, long time now."
"?!"
"Surely this is the wrong time and place for such an admission, I simply…" Edelgard sighs, not able to gather the strength to look at Byleth who's clutching at her overworking heart.
"I like you too."
"No, I meant I like you, as in–" Edelgard shuts herself up as the switch flips in her head. "You–You like me?" Edelgard repeats, flabbergasted. "What?"
"What do you mean, what? I thought it was obvious." Byleth can't help but laugh. "How could I not?" The emperor's eyes stay wide and she drops her head, holding it as she makes a very indignant squeak. The professor chuckles again, scratching the back of her neck. "I do have a ring, actually, um, in my room."
"What?!" Edelgard gasps out, her head snapping up and nearly hitting Byleth's chin. "I-I am going to die," she pants, grabbing at her own heart through her nightgown. "A ring. A ring!" the emperor squeals, covering her mouth afterwards. Byleth smiles so wide her eyes crinkle in that way that causes Edelgard's whole body to be wracked with delighted shivers. "I am t-thoroughly overwhelmed."
"Me too."
"You are acting so casual though," Edelgard bleats, busy fanning herself off with both hands. As swift as wind, Byleth grabs both of them and brings them to her lips. She finds enough bravery in her to kiss each knuckle.
"If you were to kiss me right now, I'd probably burst into flames." They both share a laugh that only dies down long enough for Edelgard to feel a rush of anxiety.
"I have to be the one to kiss you?" Byleth smirks in response, even though there is a bashful blush on her cheeks. "This is not at all how I imagined this would go."
"Imagined it, did you?"
"Hush," Edelgard groans, picking at the sheets under her as she shifts so she's on her knees. "Of course I imagined it. You are you and you are irresistible and charming and fearless and wise and so sweet and–" her rambling ends abruptly when lips press into hers. She forgets to close her eyes, but that doesn't seem to matter because Byleth pulls back with the fiercest blush on her face within three seconds tops. Immediately after, the teacher yips victoriously and fist pumps the air.
"YES! I finally did it!" Byleth howls, loud enough that any hopes of Hubert not knowing they're together, in Edelgard's bedroom, are dashed.
Edelgard realizes she just doesn't care enough to worry about it.
The emperor laughs, airy and just as loud as Byleth while the teacher continues to shimmy her shoulders and abuse the air. It's probably poignant that they aren't really making eye contact, but it doesn't matter. None of this might have been how Edelgard imagined it, but it has turned out to be even better. It's real!
Once Byleth's little celebration does end, Edelgard feels comfortable enough to press herself closer against the teacher, who readily accepts her. They fumble a little, not used to holding someone else on a bed, not even knowing where to put their legs before Byleth spreads hers and Edelgard slides between them. Everything but their heart rates become quiet as they hold each other, Edelgard's face tucked against the side of Byleth's neck, Byleth's arms snug around Edelgard's lower back. Byleth remembers seeing Dorothea with a random date of hers a long time ago, and when he had hugged her, he had kissed her head, near her ear. She seemed to squirm, a reaction that went above Byleth's understanding, but now in this setting, she finds herself wanting to do anything that'll get a reaction out of the emperor.
This is Edelgard. Actually Edelgard!
"I can't believe this is real," Byleth murmurs, her lips near but not yet against the emperor's head. "Can we kiss more?" Edelgard nods desperately, her gentle lilac eyes that look tired or cold in front of others looking as honest and open as always when in her teacher's presence. "Would it be ok if I kissed your face, too?"
"Yes," Edelgard answers, feeling a little silly by how her voice wavered. "Sorry if I seem a bit nervous again. I am always a little nervous around you–oh but not in a bad way! I just want to impress you and–and–That sounds pathetic. I am twenty-two years old, why am I still just a blubbering girl when you are here?" Byleth kisses her cheek, a little too close to her eye before moving down.
"It's all new, it's ok. And you don't have to try to impress me, you always make me proud, El."
"You called me El!" Edelgard squawks, grabbing Byleth's short sleeves. "I nearly forgot I told you about that name." Elation floods the emperor's body and she drops fully against her teacher, breathing her in.
"It suits you," Byleth says, her mouth against Edelgard's earlobe. The emperor's shoulder bounces in reaction, so the older woman tries to push it a little more, kissing it with closed lips multiple times before Edelgard makes a quiet noise of appreciation. Byleth tries to kiss more, leading multiple paths with her mouth just to have every single one be obstructed by how Edelgard is tucking her face securely into Byleth's shoulder as her lilac eyes roll into the back of her head. Everything Byleth is doing is driving her wild, she can't believe it's all happening. "...I can't really kiss you like this though."
"Oh. Right. Silly me," Edelgard sniffs, pushing her hair out of her eyes before Byleth takes over that job, tucking it back. Edelgard isn't sure why Byleth's fingers feel as good as they do, but she's obsessed. Byleth doesn't kiss her right away, and the burning sting of wanting it to happen has Edelgard licking her own lips while staring up at the older woman. "A-are you ready?"
"There's no rush," Byleth says, trying to calm herself down. She wants to really kiss Edelgard this time, not that she knows how. The other stuff was easy. "I also… dunno how to really kiss."
"You already did it, though?" Byleth sniffs in response and timidly looks away. "You mean a deeper kiss?" The teacher nods. "Monet said that it can be oddly wet."
"Ah." Byleth wrinkles her brow. "Yeah, like… if you use your tongue, I guess. Dorothea seems to–Ergh. I don't want to think about that." Edelgard seems to agree, shivering slightly at the thought of Dorothea kissing anyone even if she is genuinely gorgeous. I certainly do not like to entertain the idea of any of my friends kissing anyone. Just Byleth. NOT them KISSING Byleth, but–
"We seem to be at a standstill of knowledge then," Edelgard lightly jokes, easing Byleth by rubbing the side of her neck, underneath all of her surprisingly soft choppy hair.
"I guess we can just learn together, right?" Byleth suggests impishly, her nose playfully bumping into Edelgard's. Enthusiastically, Edelgard nods and tips her chin up again, just so Byleth can reach her easier. Her eagerness relaxes the waves of acid sloshing around in Byleth's stomach at the prospect of kissing the emperor seriously, so at least there's that. Not quite knowing where to put either of their hands, Edelgard just keeps her one hand on Byleth's neck while the other settles on her thigh she's still swedged against; meanwhile Byleth decides to settle her hands firmly on Edelgard's waist, around navel height to be safe. She doesn't actually know what type of touching Edelgard is comfortable with, so she distracts herself by asking. "Where are you good with me touching you? In general."
"Anywhere," Edelgard answers much quicker than Byleth ever expected. "As long as everything is over my clothes," she adds shyly and somewhat ashamedly, the latter Byleth doesn't understand as much. Apparently Edelgard is still proficient at "reading Byleth faces" because she reminds her that, "My body is hard to look at, let alone touch."
"I'll stay over the clothes, don't worry. It's whatever you're comfortable with."
"T-thank you," Edelgard breathes, her chin still tipped as her hazy eyes clear up. "Professor…"
"Call me by my name." She kisses Edelgard at the tail end, always trying to surprise the emperor it seems. Though it doesn't matter, nothing matters except for Byleth kissing her. Edelgard involuntarily lets out a little noise as Byleth slowly pecks her lip harder, and then… stops. Their faces are only a breath apart, and Byleth swallows jaggedly before kissing the younger woman again, this time firm from the start. Still, Byleth isn't yet deepening it, so Edelgard decides to part her lips first.
The teacher wasn't quite expecting it to happen like that so she sucks in a breath and cracks one eye to watch what Edelgard does; the emperor naturally leans in further, because even if they're both straight as sticks in posture, their mouths aren't so trepidation prone. It feels really good, once Edelgard sucks on Byleth's bottom lip, even if it's a bit more eager than it needs to be. Once their lips are connected though, Edelgard doesn't know to just pull back and kiss again, so Byleth figures that part out, and when they do it again, it flows better, the next time, more so. It's a cycle the both of them are thrilled to repeat.
When Byleth cracks her eye open again, she takes notice of the way pale brows quirk when she sucks on the teacher's bottom lip, and she flushes fully as Edelgard's hand on her neck threads through her indigo hair. Everything is soft, non-demanding, and incredibly open for change. They keep kissing, both gaining enough confidence to try and touch the other, even if their brains aren't quite used to doing both. Edelgard seems to be more naturally passionate with her touches, that one hand in her hair rubbing at Byleth's skull perfectly while her hand on the teacher's thigh squeezes when Byleth nips at her bottom lip.
"Mm. How did you know to do that?" Edelgard asks, trying to regain some breath before not giving the older woman the chance to answer because she starts kissing her again. Byleth smiles into it, finding that she really enjoys a needy Edelgard who takes what she wants. Byleth can do that too; her hand drags up Edelgard's side, mostly just her fingertips, before settling just below the younger woman's underarm. Daringly, Byleth uses this position to test the waters, and her thumb hitches back so she can rub against the side of Edelgard's still-wrapped breast. Edelgard's breath is let out against Byleth's chin before she looks down, and then up again, with a burning look in her eye that stokes an unusually fervent fire in Byleth's loins. Both of them groan, probably for similar reasons. Edelgard doesn't say anything though, and Byleth doesn't stop touching the side of her breast, instead kneading it a bit harder. She's nowhere near the peak but Edelgard swears it feels just as good somehow.
Yet it's Byleth who moans.
Edelgard stops functioning at the sound, and she freezes up. The second hand on her waist raises at the height of the first, and now both of the older woman's thumbs are traveling along the underside of her breasts. Byleth's head is tipped forward, watching her own fingers and most likely just taking the time to appreciate staring at Edelgard's breasts because, honestly, she's never starred before. Part of that is the lack of heartbeat causing her sexdrive to be unusually low, and also, because when she did get curious, it didn't feel right to sexualize the young woman she cared so much about. Yeah, Edelgard never had reservations like that, nor does she now. Edelgard's wanted to stare at Byleth's generous breasts since she officially became her professor, and she wanted to touch them two weeks into realizing she had any sort of fuzzy feelings for her. Right now is no different.
Still, she wants to let Byleth enjoy herself as well. That doesn't mean there's not a serious itch in her spine, urging her to take those hands and place them fully on her own breasts. Her hips rock once, twice, and then she loses patience.
"Touch me," Edelgard begs, grabbing Byleth's wrists and moving them where she needs them. The whimper that leaves the teacher's mouth is quickly repeated because once Byleth is in, she's all in, and she squeezes them with vigor. "Unngh."
"El," Byleth groans, shutting her eyes tight as she drops her forehead against the other woman's and squeezes again. "Don't start making noises like that or I'm gonna get way too excited."
"That sounds a bit more like a promise than a threa–hah. Literally how does that feel so good?" Edelgard keeps her hands on Byleth's, not because she thinks they'll go away, but because she wants to appreciate every miniscule movement her teacher makes. Both of their foreheads are hot just like the rest of their faces, only getting worse with every suggestive action they take. Byleth seems to be really confident now, encouraged by whatever babbling Edelgard is letting slip. Nipples that hardened slightly because of the idea of getting touched become fully hard when Byleth gently rolls her knuckle over just one. "Hhh!" At her startled noise, Byleth stops.
"You ok?"
"More than ok. Touch me again." Byleth sniffs back a chuckle and touches the two nipples at the same time. "Unngh."
"Are you always this sensitive here?"
"I have never really checked," Edelgard answers bashfully, her voice doing that thing Byleth loves where it gets high at the middle and end. She sounds younger that way. "This is… a little embarrassing," she mumbles through a shiver.
"Don't be embarrassed. You're…" Byleth wracks her brain for the word. "You're really sexy right now." Edelgard sits up abruptly, getting on her haunches, still holding Byleth in place on her chest of course.
"That is also a first."
"Good, cuz I'd be pretty angry if someone else had said that to you," Byleth states in all her dominant glory. If Edelgard was standing up she'd probably be going weak at the knees. She nearly does the second best thing, collapse backwards, when Byleth kisses her and pinches her nipples between dexterous fingertips. It's nearly absurd how far the both of them bend towards the bed, still kissing, before Edelgard has to adjust and get her legs out the way. Byleth towers over her now, something she fantasized about often as a teenager.
There's always been intensity in Byleth's eyes, especially when she focuses on Edelgard. She has her lip between her teeth, one hand on Edelgard's hip to keep her steady and the other on the bed, keeping her above her as she lays the emperor backward on the bed. She stares down at Edelgard, just looking at her before she leans in and kisses her, absolutely dominating Edelgard's mouth for the first time. The feeling of it is perfect, absolutely perfect. Edelgard's legs try to come up but Byleth is sort of straddling her thighs, pinning them there. The emperor fights that discomfort, opening her mouth for Byleth further.
With their kisses, Edelgard's senses are starting to overload and soon Byleth's tongue is against Edelgard's bottom lip, and the gasp Edelgard lets out allows the teacher to sneak her tongue in but then Byleth grabs her other wrist, holding her down on both her hip and her arm and-panic!
"B-Byleth!" The tone of her voice pulls the teacher out of it right away. When she releases Edelgard's wrist, the emperor snatches it back and presses it against her own chest protectively. "I have to stop. Itwastoomuch. I thought I could handle it but that has never happened before."
"El," Byleth cuts in, letting go of Edelgard entirely and sitting up so the emperor can catch her breath that she's extinguishing as she talks faster and faster.
"It–I–I liked it the entire time, I–please do not think that I–"
"-Edelgard, catch your breath." The emperor obediently sucks in, hiccuping on it. "Did that happen because of me being on top of you?"
"I liked that part the best," Edelgard admits, still lying on her back.
"Was I just going too fast?" Byleth worries.
"You held me down," Edelgard explains slowly, shutting her eyes. "Feeling… restrained… scares me." Byleth immediately understands why, and the guilt hits her like a bolt of thoron. The teacher gently pulls Edelgard up so they're both sitting on the back of their calves.
"I'll never do it again," Byleth swears. Edelgard easily believes her. "And please tell me if I ever do something that you don't like. Just like you did. But don't wait."
"Ok. Sorry."
"Don't say sorry," Byleth corrects, her fingers bumping against Edelgard's chin before she holds it up for the younger woman. "It's not your fault that the things that happened left their mental mark on you." Edelgard grits her teeth, trying to accept that. "Anyway… I uh, wanna stop." Byleth smiles sheepishly and pauses, kissing Edelgard softly. "Can't get too carried away. I've gotta stop."
"Well… why?" Edelgard suggests with a lip half bitten. "I said so, about the other thing, but… if we slow down…?" Byleth rubs her eyes that suddenly feel a lot more tired than they did a few minutes ago, and Edelgard sympathetically smiles. "Ah. Perhaps you are right. We should sleep soon."
"Thanks." They quietly shift under the light covers, again checking that the fan is running. It feels much more comfortable now, them lying together in the bed. Byleth doesn't feel as awkward pulling Edelgard closer either, holding her with both arms as they cuddle up front to back.
"Tonight was really special," Edelgard says, her voice tired now as well. Byleth nods, kissing the back of the emperor's head. "It also means a lot that you are my first." Looking over her shoulder, Edelgard finds Byleth lost for words, as if she's humbled, in a sense.
"You too." They share a sleepy smile before Edelgard rests her head, turned away from the older woman again. "I don't really know how this stuff is supposed to work, but, El? I really do want to be with you. Always."
….
"That sounds like a proposal," Edelgard chokes out. She can hardly believe those words were just said, even after their shared kisses that felt like a lot more than just kisses.
"Not yet," Byleth states tellingly.
"Either way. Yes and yes. I want to be with you just the same," Edelgard agrees excitedly, turning so quickly she gets dizzy. Byleth smirks and kisses her, just a few pecks, but it's enough.
Anything with Byleth is enough, and anything with Edelgard is enough.