Head Over Heels Part 3 – A Metallover's Self Insert Apocryphal Tale
I took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air, looking out over the scenery with an appraising eye as I exhaled. Say'ri hadn't been lying when she had said that the temple near our fort had some of the best views in all of Chon'sin, and leaning against the railing as I watched the sun setting between the mountains, I believed her.
There was a sense of loneliness and isolation here, so far up and separated from the world. It almost felt like I was the last man on earth. If not for the matching deep breath and sigh from the woman beside me, that is.
"Wow, isn't in incredible?" Sumia asked, her voice hushed with awe.
"It really is," I agreed, before smirking. "And I don't usually appreciate nature, so when I say that shit, you know it's true."
Sumia giggled a little, and we stood there in companionable silence for a time, watching the sun slowly sink lower and the wind rustle through the trees. I leaned my elbows on the railing, content to watch the splendor of nature with a small smile on my face while Sumia stood enraptured beside me.
I leaned forward, meaning to rest my elbow on the railing and my chin on my hand, but I gave a small snort when I put my chin on my crippled hand and it slid right back off, the appendage refusing to hold the weight. I almost smacked my head directly into the railing, but caught myself at the last moment, much to Sumia's amusement.
"You forgot your brace again," she said.
"Yeah, I noticed," I sighed, shaking my head. "Still getting used to this shit."
Sumia cleared her throat, obviously trying very hard not to laugh if the grin on her face was any indication.
"Here," she said, pulling her scarf off.
I watched with a blank expression as she took my crippled hand and began to wrap the scarf around my hand and wrist, like a compression bandage. She tied the woolen scarf off near my elbow, patting my hand through the thick fabric.
"There, that should help," she said with a smile. "Just be careful. It won't be as good as the brace."
"My hero," I laughed, pulling her in for a quick hug.
We went back to watching the scenery after we separated, a little closer to each other now, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Well, I wasn't particularly thinking anything groundbreaking; just wondering when I'd gotten so comfortable with Sumia touching me. I still really didn't like to be touched, a fact that had irked Morgan to no end initially; the girl was a hugger. Thoughts of my daughter clinging to me to 'get me over it faster' brought another smile to my face as the sun set.
After a time, when the sky was beginning to fade from the brilliant fiery orange into a darker, twilight purple, Sumia sighed and leaned her head against my shoulder.
"What's up? Getting cold?" I asked.
"A little," she admitted, leaning into me and wrapping her arms around my own. "But this is nice. I don't want to head back yet."
"Want the scarf back?"
"No, you hold onto it."
"I mean, I can't hold anything and that's the problem."
"You know what I meant."
There was a brief moment as we both grinned a little at the comfortable banter.
"I think the monks might get pissed off if we stay here all night," I snickered.
"So let them," Sumia mumbled.
I scoffed and smirked, leaning my head on top of Sumia's, and we stayed like that a little longer.
We had a strange sort of connection, Sumia and I. Ever since I had freaked out when she'd shown me the pile of books she carried around with her, we'd become reading buddies; then, while we'd been setting Cordelia up with Chrom, we'd become friends. We worked well together as The Wing Commander and The General. I trusted her. And I really can't say that about a lot of people.
I loved her. I'd known forever, but had never said anything. She was too important to me, her friendship too valuable to me, to risk losing.
"It's like we're the only two people in the world right now," she said quietly.
"You know, I was just thinking that," I chuckled.
Sumia giggled a little, nestling closer to me.
"It's like something from the end of one of my novels," she sighed.
"I'll have you know that the ending of my serial will be much less clichéd," I scoffed.
"Sometimes I like clichés," Sumia pouted.
"Ah, yes, like the butler that was actually the murderer in The Haunting of Midland Manor?" I asked with a smirk.
"That one's a bad example and you know it," Sumia laughed. "Gods, but that book was terrible. It's like the author had never even had a butler before."
"Hey, neither have I," I pointed out.
"Yes, but you associate with Frederick," Sumia said.
"Okay. Point," I laughed.
Sumia nestled comfortably against me, a small flood of warmth blossoming through my chest as she did. The Wing Commander gave another contended sigh, closing her eyes and basking in the last dying rays of the setting sun.
"I like this," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I like that I can just relax with you. That I don't have to be the Wing Commander. Or a royal retainer. I can just be Sumia with you."
"You're lucky I happen to like you," I scoffed playfully.
"And I…" Sumia trailed off, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"And I think I may have fallen for you."
I froze for barely a split second before what she had said registered. And then a smirk rose to my face, a throaty chuckle starting from my belly and making its way up as I registered exactly how she had worded it.
"I'm serious!" Sumia said, pulling back and glaring at me.
With a stab of guilt, I realized she now had tears in her eyes.
"No! No, I'm sorry, I love you, too, I'm just… think about how you just said that," I said quickly.
Sumia went still, blinking a few times with a slack expression.
"You… you love me?" she asked.
"Uh… yeah? I think you're missing the point, though."
Sumia laughed a little, a thick, emotional sound.
"I'm sorry, I just… I always screw these things up," she said, looking down.
"Actually, I'd say this one's on me," I said. "I shouldn't have tried to make a joke… sorry… argh I'm fucking this up… see? This is why I didn't say anything earlier!"
"Earlier?" Sumia repeated, quirking her head a little.
"Shit," I muttered.
"So, all this time you've…" she trailed off.
"Been madly in love with you, yes," I admitted with a long sigh. "I didn't want to fuck up the good thing we had going, though. I mean, we have to work together and… well, you're one of my best friends. I didn't want to chase you off. I couldn't… couldn't risk losing you."
Sumia's eyes welled up, and she gave a pathetic sniffle as she clasped her hands over her heart. I reached up with my good hand, only hesitating for a moment before I ran my thumb over her cheek to wipe away her tears, cupping the side of her face as she leaned into the contact.
"I didn't… didn't think you felt the same way," she admitted. "I never thought you would. It's like a storybook ending!"
"Again, a little clichéd for me…" I smirked.
"It's not totally clichéd," Sumia said, stepping forward. "You haven't kissed me yet."
I grinned, leaning down and pressing my lips to hers as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling herself up into my embrace. I held her close to me, wrapping my crippled arm around her waist and moving my good hand from her cheek to thread through her long brown hair.
As far as kisses go, it was fairly chaste. No tongue. Just a firm pressing together of the lips, a little nibbling. Nothing amazing.
And yet, as warmth spread from my lips through my entire body, I found myself thinking that it was probably up there with the best kisses of my life.
Sumia sighed as we separated, her eyes still closed as she leaned her forehead against mine.
The sun finally dipped below the mountains, the first stars beginning to come out now.
"So… uh… what now?" I asked after a moment.
"Now? Happily ever after," Sumia giggled.
"Well, okay, but… like, do we share a tent? Do we get married? Like… what now-now?" I elaborated. "It's been a while since I've been in an actual relationship, so… uh… yeah."
Sumia made a thoughtful sound before giggling again, pressing herself closer to me.
"You will marry me, right?" she whispered.
"Soon as I get a ring," I agreed quickly, an embarrassed grin rising to my features.
There was a small chiming sound of something hitting the polished floorboards at our feet, a small golden ring rolling to a stop beside my boot.
"Here! Give her this!" someone stage whispered.
"Cynthia, what the fuck are you doing!?"
"Blood and thunder, you're going to get us caught!"
"But it was so sweet! And now he has to propose!"
"Am I doomed to be a bastard in this timeline as well!?"
"You may be a bastard, but you still got to inherit the Duchy-"
"Shhhhhhh! They'll hear us!"
It was at this point I sighed and dropped my head, my chin resting on my chest, and Sumia started to giggle uncontrollably.
"Girls!" I snapped in my best dad voice.
Silence fell, like the jungle in the presence of a predator. Everything stopped for a few seconds before I heard Morgan's voice again.
"Shit. Busted."
"Get your asses out here," I said with an angry sigh.
There was another moment of silence, before one of the sliding screens opened and the girls all filed out onto the verandah.
Morgan and Noire both had the decency to look contrite, but Cynthia had that excited puppy look on her face again.
"Mother! I can't believe it! I'm so excited!" she squealed, bouncing over to Sumia.
Cynthia stumbled, though, slipping and faceplanting with an impressive thud.
"Ouch. That had to hurt. Like mother like daughter, though, right?"
I groaned again and looked up as a fourth person stepped out onto the verandah, Robin grinning with a slight pink tint to her cheeks.
"Robin, seriously?" I muttered.
"Hey, you're my best friend! I wanted to make sure you didn't mess this up!" the tactician grinned unapologetically. "And Cynthia, you literally knew this was going to happen."
"I didn't know it'd be right now though!" the younger woman said, rubbing her forehead.
"Yeah! We're all rooting for you, dad!" Morgan said excitedly.
Noire just nodded, stepping forward and picking up the ring still on the ground as Sumia helped Cynthia up. The younger pegasus knight attacked her mother with a fierce hug right away, resulting in much squealing and laughter.
"Is there anyone else behind that screen?" I groaned in exasperation.
The screen slid a little further, revealing Su'ko standing in the shadows with the ghost of a smile on her thin lips. We looked at each other for a moment before I sighed and rolled my eyes.
"You get a pass."
"What!?" Morgan squawked indignantly.
"Blood and thunder!" Noire growled.
Cynthia was still too busy gushing over a beaming Sumia to join in, her words long since lost any form of coherency.
"Well, I mean, she does already follow him around twenty-four-seven as is," Robin pointed out.
"I feel like we're getting distracted here," I ground out, turning a glare on my three daughters and my best friend.
They all froze, Cynthia stopping mid-sentence with her mouth open wide. They all looked around awkwardly before Cynthia huffed.
"I'm sick of pretending I'm not your daughter," she said. "I was ready to hang you over the railing until you admitted how you felt!"
"Yeah, you two have been dancing around each other long enough," Morgan added, emboldened by her (apparent) sister's words.
"I'm just here for moral support," Noire piped up. "Not that you weren't a great mom when I lost mine, Sumia, ah, mom- I mean, ma'am, b-but… uh…"
"Just stop while you're ahead," Robin chuckled.
Noire groaned and nodded, blushing as she tried to look as small as possible.
Sumia giggled as I groaned and ran a hand down my face. I gave her an apologetic look, the Wing Commander smiling sunnily as she bounced over and wrapped herself around my arm.
"It's okay, isn't it?" she laughed. "I mean, the order is backwards, but I'm okay with sharing this moment with… w-with our family."
She blushed as she finished, but didn't look away from me.
I sighed and nodded, holding my hand out to Noire.
"Ring."
There was an audible excited gasp from those present as Noire thrust the little gold band towards me. Cynthia's keepsake from her mother in the future, the ring I gave Sumia in the other timeline.
"This is just a placeholder until I get the real thing," I said, pointedly quirking a brow at Cynthia.
Sumia nodded and held her hand out to me.
I smirked, pulling the ring back from her.
"Actually, if we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this right," I said.
I took a step back from Sumia as her brow dipped a little in confusion, before her eyes widened as I dropped to one knee.
"Sumia of Midland, I love you," I said, looking up at her with a heavy blush spreading across my own face. "I would give my life for you. Will you do me the honor of sharing that life and becoming my wife?"
"I do! I mean I will! I mean I love you!" Sumia half-sobbed, half-laughed.
I slid the ring onto her finger, and the four girls cheered again as I stood back up and rubbed the back of my head. Hugs were exchanged all around, and there was much laughter and smiling. Sumia gave me another chaste kiss on the lips, and I grinned down at her-
"Yes, yes, congratulations! Now will you please leave? Your noise is interrupting our evening devotions!"
We all froze again as we looked up to see a very incensed head monk glaring at us, his arms crossed over his robes as he tapped his foot impatiently, reminding me that this was, actually, a place of worship we were having this moment in.
"Heh. Uh. Sorry," I said.
"Seriously, six fucking eyes, why does Grima need six fucking eyes?" I asked no one in particular.
Of course, I was sitting alone in my tent, so no answer was forthcoming.
We were camped near one of the larger western oases in Plegia, having moved back up north-westerly from the Dragon's Table. After, of course, we'd gotten Chrom Awakened. And Lucina. And Owain. And even Lissa and Severa. I wasn't taking chances.
This was it.
Grima was here.
All my plans were now in motion, and I was stuck now playing the waiting game.
I hated the waiting game; patience was not a virtue I was in ample supply of.
I stared absently at the reports and orders spread out over my table, a small, soft smile rising to my lips as my fingertips brushed over Sumia's signature and seal. Only, it wasn't Midland's seal anymore; it was Baham's. It was mine.
We had been married just before leaving Valm, in a lovely little camp ceremony surrounded by our friends, presided over by Libra and witnessed by Naga's Voice herself (who had bawled like a baby the entire time, much to my silent amusement and Say'ri's embarrassment).
Or that had been the plan, anyway.
Word had gotten out, though, among the troops in the Royal Ylissean First, and literally every surviving soldier had shown up. More than a thousand men and women, all told. The roughest, meanest soldiers that had just finished marching through the hell that had been the Valm campaign, all cleaned up and decked out in their dress uniforms, many crying just as much as Tiki. I'd spotted Jeremiah tearing up a little, and Erutreya was pretty interested in the ground during the exchanging of vows. Even Tennabree had been a little misty-eyed, the Plegian woman smiling broadly the entire service. Olivia had cried, hiccupping and sobbing even as she stood at attention with a watery smile on her face. Ricken had stared in delighted wonder, and I had the feeling that Laurent would have been taking notes on the service if he'd been allowed. Virion had worn a smug grin every time I glared over at him, leaving no doubt to who the mastermind was.
At least Sumia's Pegasus Knights only numbered about twenty… and they'd all cried, too.
We would still be having a great big reception party for the nobility back home after Grima was gone, but it was official. I was off the market.
Nothing had really changed, though. Sumia and I had spent almost all our free time together before, anyway. Now we just shared a tent, too. And Cynthia and Morgan were both a lot happier now that they didn't have to pretend they didn't know who their Father or Mother was, respectively.
I suddenly felt a flood of warmth against my back as a pair of arms encircled me, my wife resting her chin atop my head.
Still sounded weird, even to me. 'My wife'.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"Trying to figure out who the mystery hero is in The Phantom Pegasus Knight," I said reflexively.
"You still haven't finished that yet?" Sumia asked with a soft chuckle, the sound vibrating through her and into my back.
"You keep me pretty busy during what was once my reading time," I deadpanned, closing my eyes and leaning back into her embrace.
Sumia giggled a little, her hold on me tightening. We stayed like this for a time, and I took a brief moment to luxuriate in the feeling and warmth of the woman I loved. She had clearly just bathed, the scent of the floral soap she and all the women in camp insisted on using still strong in her hair and on her skin. The skin of her arms was still a little flushed from the hot water, smooth to the touch and warm beneath my calloused fingers where I idly traced them.
I always felt bad, touching her skin to skin. I hadn't taken care of myself in the years I'd been in Ylisse. My hands were rough, calloused, my face lined and weathered. Sumia still looked like she had all those years ago when we'd met; she was still bright and lively, still soft and silken to the touch, still… young. It made me feel guilty. But it also made me feel alive again in a way I hadn't since that first fight back in Southtown, if I were totally honest.
Sumia made a soft humming sound, nuzzling the top of my head with her cheek.
"You're nervous," she said softly.
I gave a small, self-depreciating laugh. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"
"Of course not," she said, and even though I couldn't see her I could hear the smile in her voice. "Bad for morale, right?"
"Immortals don't get nervous," I sighed. "What time is it?"
"It's late," she said. "Second watch just started."
"Shit, already?"
"You should be getting some rest," Sumia said.
"I know," I sighed again. "I'm not tired, though. We're moving on the coast. We're almost there. A few more days, tops, and then… it's the endgame."
"And you're nervous."
"I'm fucking terrified," I admitted.
Sumia shifted, her breath warm against my ear as she leaned forward, her lips pressing ever-so-lightly against my cheek.
"I am, too," she admitted.
I shifted, moving away just enough to turn and face her before pulling her sideways onto my lap. She automatically moved against me, securing herself with her arms around the back of my neck as I held her close and her head resting on my chest. Once she was settled, I placed a small, gentle kiss atop her crown.
"We're going to win," I told her. "There's no way we can lose. Not after all the effort that Robin and I have put in."
"I know," Sumia sighed. "It's just… the waiting."
"Ugh, god damn, I know," I groaned with a smirk.
Sumia giggled a little in my arms, shifting a little to press herself closer to me. The little camp chair squeaked in protest at the added weight. We ignored it.
"I have a fun idea," I said after a moment. "Let's run away. Ignore the end of the world. Chrom and Lucina and Robin can all deal with it. Let's just retire. Fuck it. I'm too old and tired for this shit."
"You're not that old," Sumia laughed. "Besides, I know you; you could never live with yourself if you walked away from this."
I couldn't help but scoff. "You sure about that?"
Sumia laughed again, the sound bringing an instant smile to my face. She tilted her head back, planting a kiss on my jaw.
"Yes," she said. "I know you. And I have a better idea."
"Does it involve beer? Because, if so, I'm all for it."
Sumia chuckled again, moving one arm off my neck to turn my head before kissing me hard. She pulled back after a moment, both eyebrows raised with a small grin on her face.
"Oh," I said.
"Uh-huh," Sumia laughed.
"I've ruined you," I said. "You were such a nice girl. And I've ruined you."
She just grinned, leaning forward for another harder, hungrier kiss. She parted my lips with her tongue, and I responded in kind. We continued like this for a time, before I eventually pulled back. I moved one hand beneath her knees, the other holding her tight against me as I rose to my feet. Sumia gave a startled laugh, her arms reflexively wrapping around my neck again to take the weight off my crippled hand. I only had to shuffle forward a few steps before we were at the bedroll we shared, the 'double cot' we'd been given having long since been traded for the marginally more comfortable bedroll.
Sumia laughed again as I knelt down, depositing her atop the sheets. She dragged me down with her, arms still around my neck, a trio of small kisses on my lips on the way.
"Yes, you've ruined me," she said, her voice taking on a husky tone. "You'd better accept responsibility."
Then she did something new, wrapping one leg around my waist and pushing, pulling with her arms and flipping me over. I gave a small grunt as she settled on my lap, leaning over me with an impish smile and a pink tint to her cheeks. Her eyes seemed to glow in the gloom of the tent, her teeth like a white slash in the darkness. I found myself swallowing heavily as the blood instantly started rerouting through my body.
"I have ruined you," I repeated. "And I am okay with that."
Sumia chuckled, the sound almost more like a purr low in her chest, and leaned down for another hungry, desperate kiss. I responded by leaning up, my head leaving the bedroll as we met halfway, my abs screaming in protest after only a few moments in this position. I ignored them.
Deciding to enjoy the passive role for a change, I placed my hands on the tops of Sumia's thighs, gently running them up until my fingertips brushed the bottom of her riding skirt. Even this was enough to elicit a response, Sumia grinding slowly against my lap in time with the movement of my hands.
Her hair fell over her shoulder and onto my face, tickling my nose.
"Gah! This is why I shave my head!" I muttered, taking my hands from her thighs and brushing her thick hair back.
Sumia chuckled a little, taking the opportunity to sit up and undo the clasp at the neck of her riding dress. With a few quick movements her dress was open to her waist, and she pulled the garment off over her head. With a quirked brow I realized that she wasn't wearing her usual chest bindings. Following suit, I sat up to pull off my shirt, only to find Sumia's hands already yanking the shirt up, exposing my stomach and chest, her breath coming faster now and her blush increasing. I lifted my arms, letting her pull the shirt over my head, then fling it aside carelessly into the tent.
Hopefully it wouldn't land on the lamp and start a fire again, but by the time I'd thought that I'd already pulled Sumia flush against me, breasts pressed firmly to my chest, our lips and tongues meeting again, and I honestly couldn't have cared less if the whole camp had burned down in that moment.
Now wearing only the small shorts she wore under the riding dress, Sumia ground her hips against mine, still on top of me. She gave a low moan into my mouth as we kissed, and I could feel my manhood pressing into her where she ground against me.
I turned my head away a little, Sumia following me with more kisses on the corner of my mouth.
"As much… as I like this… position…" I said around her lips. "How are… how are we supposed to get our pants off?"
The light of reason finally seemed to return to my wife's eyes for a moment as she pulled back, her breasts beautifully bouncing with the movement and making it very hard for me to retain what little composure I had left.
"Pants off," Sumia said, her voice breathy.
She slid off me, landing on her butt at my side, and we both rushed to get our pants off at the same time. By sheer dint of the fact hers were but a fraction of my own jeans, she finished first, and just as my pants found my ankles, I went rigid as Sumia wrapped her hand around my member.
"Whoa! Not while I'm-" was as far as I got before her first stroke.
Holy shit I really did ruin her, I thought, falling back onto my back and looking up at the amorous smile above me.
Wasting no time, Sumia swung one leg over me and was on top of me again, her entrance hovering just above my manhood as she got the angle right. With a heated moan she dropped her hips, and I was enveloped in in mind numbing warmth. Only, unlike usual, there was resistance. Not unpleasant resistance, but I didn't slide in as easily as usual. I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts from the abyss of 'time to fuck' enough to form coherent words again.
"What's the rush?" I asked, lifting my head back up worriedly.
Sumia looked up from where we were connected, panting now, with a small, embarrassed smile.
"Was I that obvious?" she asked meekly.
I pushed myself up onto my elbows, and still inside her I sat up and pulled her against my chest.
"Little bit," I said. "Not that I mind. It's kinda really hot. But you don't usually miss an opportunity to let me pamper you a little."
She nodded against my shoulder, taking a shuddering breath before speaking.
"I'm… scared," she admitted. "These could be our final days, and I don't… want to regret anything. I want to spend as much time being with you as I can. However I can. I don't… don't want to even think a-about… losing you…"
I shushed her, running one hand through her hair as I pulled her closer with the other on the small of her back.
"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered to her, before leaning back again. "But I would like a second to finish taking off my pants."
Sumia snorted against my shoulder before laughing as I began to kick my feet a little to dislodge the jeans and trunks still around my ankles. Of course, due to the fact that I was still inside Sumia while I was doing this, her quiet laughter shifted to small gasps at my movements. I will admit I may have been rocking my hips a little on purpose. I kicked my pants away Sumia grinning down at me from my lap.
"Don't think I couldn't tell what you were doing," she said.
"Hey, you came on to me," I pointed out, grinning a little myself.
"Is that right?" Sumia asked, leaning forward…
… and grinding her hips against mine with the motion.
I grit my teeth to stop from groaning, Sumia still grinning down at me. Her blush had returned in full force, though, her breath coming out in small gasps she was clearly trying to hide.
"Hey, you ruined me," she said, copying my earlier tone.
I quirked a brow, giving a small push upwards with my hips. Sumia yelped, her eyes widening momentarily before she frowned down at my shit-eating-grin. The frown only lasted a moment before a matching grin broke out on her face, and she leaned down to brush her lips to mine.
Where her kisses before had been hungry and desperate, this time Sumia's touch was soft and tender, her pace far slower as she slowly rubbed herself against me. I brushed one hand up through her hair against the back of her head, deepening the kiss a little as our tongues met again. I reached up with my crippled hand, gently cupping one of Sumia's breasts, eliciting another soft moan out of her.
It was beginning to get hot in the tent now, a thin sheen of sweat coating us both as we both began to move faster. It didn't take long for Sumia's movements to go from grinding to small bounces on my lap, her forehead resting against mine as she began to gasp from exertion and pleasure in equal amounts. I leaned back, supporting myself with my good hand as the other steadied her on top of me, Sumia giving a cry and arching her back as she continued to bounce. I began thrusting upwards, our hips meeting with a perverse slapping sound, Sumia's gasps becoming moans now with every movement.
"Harder," she gasped.
With a mental shrug, I dug in my heels and thrust upwards harder. Sumia screamed, throwing her head back, and if not for my hand steadying her back she probably would have fallen off of me.
"Like that, keep going," she moaned.
"Weren't you… supposed to… take the… lead?" I asked between thrusts.
"It feels so good though…" Sumia moaned, bobbing in time to my movements.
I grit my teeth and sped up, much to Sumia's approval if the rising pitch of her voice was any indication. I could tell she was getting close, though, from the way she was tightening around me, and from the cute little gasps she gave in between every moan (it was a tell I'd figured out pretty early on). I wasn't exactly going to last a whole hell of a lot longer myself, so with that in mind I took my hand off the small of Sumia's back and wedged it between us. She had just long enough to lean back forward, resting both hands on my shoulders, before I began to vigorously rub at the most sensitive part of her anatomy, earning a pleased shriek right in my ear for my troubles.
She clenched like a vice around my manhood, her legs going rigid as her core trembled, Sumia trying to muffle her cries by biting down on my shoulder. I thrust upwards a few more times, eager to finish myself right now, and with one last growl and a rush of release I buried my face in her hair and unloaded inside of her.
Sumia trembled a few more times before collapsing on my chest, both of us gasping for breath in the afterglow. We sat there for a time, probably no more than a minute or two, simply catching our breath.
"I'm going to need… another bath now…" Sumia panted with a weak chuckle.
I fell backwards, dragging her with me and draping her on top of me. I groped around at our side, looking for the corner of the blanket before flipping it up and over top of us.
"In the morning," I said, wrapping both arms around her.
"But we'll both stink in the morning!" Sumia laughed.
Despite her protests, she wriggled off my top and melded herself to my side, nuzzling her cheek against my shoulder until she was comfortable.
"Then we'll have to just bathe together, won't we?" I asked, lifting my head just enough to plant a kiss on top of hers.
We lay like that for a time, Sumia absently tracing her fingers across my chest as I ran my own through her hair.
"Thank you," she whispered finally.
"Don't mention it," I smiled.
"Mm. I love you, Ben," she said with a yawn.
"I love you, too."
"What about the lamp?"
"Fuck the lamp, I ain't getting up again."
"You shouldn't waste lamp oil while we're in the field."
"Ugh. Fine. Su! Su'ko!? It's okay, we're done now! Come turn off the lamp for us! Su- argh, what!?"
"Will you…! Stop! Stop shouting!" Sumia giggled, swatting me weakly on the chest, torn between humor and outrage.
I couldn't help but offer her a tired grin, and the both of us laughed until we fell asleep.
At some point after I closed my eyes Su'ko must have ninjaed her way in and out of the tent, because the lamp was out and still half full in the morning. The mess we'd made under the blanket was hell come morning, too, but for that night we both slept soundly.
I sat on a crate looking up at Origin Peak from the beach we'd landed on, catching my breath. Just making landfall had been ridiculously hard for us, and there was still fighting in the southern corner of the beach, where Virion and Ricken were taking care of a group of particularly nasty Risen that had dug in. Chrom's boat had just landed with the majority of the Shepherds, and they were unloading up on the Northern stretch of the beach, under the careful watch of the Pegasus Knights and Sumia. Cordelia was flying with them, as were Gerome and Cherche, so there was more than enough oomph if they needed it.
Leaving me to sit and wait with the rest of the men as the VIPs made their way off the boats.
Behind me I could practically hear Noire wringing her hands around her bow as she looked up at the mountaintop. Morgan was somewhere in the press acting as my adjutant, shouting orders and trying to distract herself any way she could.
I glanced up as a shadow passed overhead, an old pegasus swooping low and only narrowly missing slapping the top of my head with its wing. Cynthia reined the flying horse into a trot before jumping from the saddle and rushing over to me.
"Didn't your mother tell you not to land so close to other people?" I drawled.
"Didn't mom tell you to stop sitting around where the soldiers can see you?" Cynthia shot back.
"I'm the boss, I do what I want," I said, quirking a brow.
"C'mon, dad! Heroes don't sit around!" she laughed, pulling me up. "Besides, I'm here to tell you that the landing is finished! Exalt Chrom and the Shepherds are ready to go."
"I'm coming, I'm coming, stop yanking at me!" I groaned, letting her pull me up. "Morgan! Morgan, is everything-"
"Ready and waiting your word, sir," my second-born said, suddenly appearing at my side.
"Ugh. Stop hanging out with Su'ko," I groaned. "Signal the troops, get em moving. We're just the escort for this part, so make sure the unit commanders-"
"Know to follow the Exalt's orders? Already done," Morgan said, turning away and hefting a small signal flag above her head.
I quirked a brow at her for a moment until the signal horns started honking, the ordered rows of the Ylissean Royal Regular Army moving out.
I swear, she was gunning for my job…
"Alright, Cynthia, go tell your mother…" I started to say.
I trailed off, though, when Cynthia wrapped her arms around me in a big hug, burying her face in my shoulder.
"Be careful today, okay?" she asked without looking up.
"Um. Sure? I'm not even in the front ranks today," I said, patting her on the back.
"But you are coming with us when we face Grima, right?" she asked, looking up at me now.
I gave her my best lopsided Han Solo grin.
"You bet your ass I am," I told her. "I'll be right there in the thick of it, holding up the heroes of the story, just the way I always have."
"You gotta start giving yourself more credit than that, dad," Morgan said, frowning as she turned back to us. "You know how Chrom gets when you talk him up and talk yourself down."
"I wasn't talking about Chrom," I said. "I was talking about you three."
"Aw. Blood and thunder, dad," Noire sniffled.
Cynthia made a weird, keening squeak and redoubled her hug, almost picking me up.
"I love you so much, daddy!" she squealed. "I'll make you proud today, just you watch! That scaly bastard won't know what hit him!"
"Language, missy," I laughed, patting her on the head. "Alright, get outta here. Go tell your mom we're coming."
"Right!" Cynthia said, hopping back from me and striking a pose. "Pegasus Knight Cynthia, on the job!"
I smiled as I watched her practically skip back to her mount, leaping up into the saddle and urging it back into the sky before she was even settled. Once she was gone, I turned to my other two daughters, smiling broadly.
"Let's go show that scaly bastard what happens when he fucks with my family," I said.
"Dad," Morgan sighed. "Language."
AN: Here it is, the last Apocryphal Tale for a while. I initially debated cutting the sexy times from the middle of the chapter and keeping it as a '(P)atreon exclusive' kinda thing, but honestly, it was the first bone-town scene I've ever written and didn't immediately delete while blushing like a schoolgirl, so I figured I'd let it ride. I also found it incredibly difficult to write. My editor can attest to that fact. As can the multitude of IMs he got along the lines of 'I'm a hack', 'I should give up', 'I never should have agreed to this', etc, etc.
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