Practice

Summary: Sofia goes to Cedric after a particularly horrifying nightmare, and after telling him about it, she asks him to distract her from it in a way only he can.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Believe it or not… I wrote maybe thirty percent of this. Haha. Mr. Shortman92 did most of the work, since I've been very busy recently, and was gracious enough to allow me to "work my magic" and Aqua-fy this as much as I could. So we'll call this a Shortqua collab instead of AquaMan, considering he did the majority of what you'll see. Um… Brace yourself! Lol. It's sweet, but it's… It's something new. 😉 But considering all the changes coming up soon, we'll call this a tactical step in the right direction. 😊 And yes, those changes are coming. I promise you.

A/N 2: Also, as Shortman indicated when he mentioned this story, consider this our Christmas/Wassailia gift to you guys, and my last story of 2020. Hopefully you'll see far more coming up in 2021, because I still have a few seasons to cover before I begin my doctoral program (PS: I got in!). We shall see. Have a great holiday season, stay safe and warm, and I'll see you all next year! ~Aqua

*Story*

Darkness... That's all Sofia could see, and it was unnerving. Where was she? How had she gotten here? Why was it so dark? And why was she lying on her back, unable to move? Then, from the darkness, she saw two green eyes moving toward her. She didn't know why, but these eyes made her extremely uncomfortable. The eyes stopped right above her abdomen, and then there was light. Not a lot, but enough to make out the shape of the figure those eyes belonged to. They appeared to belong to a female, but in the low light, she couldn't see any further details other than that.

The shadowy figure then reached out a hand, hovering it over Sofia's abdomen, and causing her a pain like nothing she'd ever felt. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She couldn't move, she couldn't scream for help, and there didn't seem to be anyone else around. She was truly helpless to stop…whatever this was. She closed her eyes tightly as tears began rolling down her cheeks. It felt as though she were being ripped apart from the inside out. And then, she heard a strange sound… Like a baby crying. And suddenly she felt numb… …What? What was…this? Then everything went black and silent once again, and Sofia began to panic, fearing whatever fresh torture may come next.

Sofia sat straight up in her bed, panting, heart pounding, and tears still flowing down her face. What was that? A nightmare? Or…a premonition? And she couldn't place why, but for some reason, she felt a hollow emptiness inside, as if she'd lost someone. No…as if someone had been taken from her. Then, without warning, she began clutching her stomach and sobbing. Why? Why was she so upset? This wasn't exactly her first nightmare. She'd had plenty in the past, some of which had turned out to be warnings of things to come. Was that what this was? She sincerely hoped not. They still had to deal with those Elementals, and she really didn't think she could handle something else on top of that.

She glanced to the side of her bed where the girls normally slept. Thankfully, they were having a little indoor camping sleepover with Corban and Miranda in the observatory. She didn't need them seeing her like this. It would surely upset them. Still…she needed some form of comfort at this moment. She slowly smiled despite her tears as she realized exactly who she could get it from…

She used the sheet to dry her face as best as she could and slid out of bed, stepped into some comfy slippers, and quietly left her room, wearing only a pair of light blue pajama capri pants and a matching top with spaghetti straps (due to the warmer evening), heading for the tower that she now practically lived in. She hummed softly at the thought. 'Hmm… Not quite yet.'

Cedric, also in his matching dark green pajama pants and button-up pajama shirt, had just settled down to sleep when he heard a very familiar knock at his door. He sat up, removing his covers. "What is that girl doing, knocking on my door at this hour?" he asked himself as he rose from his bed and headed into his workshop. "She's always urging me to get more sleep, and when I finally try to go to sleep at a somewhat reasonable hour? She knocks! Because of course she does…" He shook his head, chuckling in amusement at the whole thing. He opened the door to his workshop. "Sofia, do you know what time it-? Oh!" He was caught off guard as she immediately embraced him, hugging him tightly. But he did return her hug.

They stayed that way for a few moments, before Cedric gently released her, taking a step back to look down at his partner. "So, to what do I owe this late-night visit?" Then a thought occurred to him, one both invigorating and daunting at the same time. "Wait… Is this about that 'thing' we need to talk about?"

Sofia looked confused at first, then she blushed as it dawned on her what he meant. She gently smacked his arm. "No! It's not about that, Cedric…" She then looked down as she admitted, "I actually came here because I… I had a bad dream. A nightmare, really…" She looked back up into his eyes pleadingly. "Can I come in and talk to you about it? Please?"

Cedric was a little surprised by how desperate she seemed, but also at the fact that she was asking him. "My dear, you don't need to ask. Come in!" He ushered her inside and led her to his room, and as they both sat on his bed, he couldn't help but chuckle softly at this situation. "You know… I'm a little surprised. You used to come to me a lot when you were younger if you had a nightmare. But the last time that happened was…" He paused to think about it for a moment before smiling. "Ah, yes… I remember now. You were fifteen the last time. That whole Princess Imaldrina fiasco. We were both having nightmares then. Ah, memories." He smiled as Sofia giggled at how he seemed to be reminiscing fondly about such a terrible time in their lives. "Still… You've been through a lot since then, and you haven't come to me for any nightmares. So, I have to wonder what you could possibly have dreamt that would send you here…"

Sofia looked away. She was a bit embarrassed. He was right. She'd not needed him for this kind of thing in years. But if he was willing to listen, she might as well tell him. And so she did. She told him all about her nightmare, and how it had made her feel, both in her dream and after she'd woken up. By the end of it, after having recalled the horrific realness of the dream, she was shaking, terrified, and close to tears again. She gasped softly as she felt arms wrapping around her from behind. "Cedric…"

"Shh, it's okay, Sofia," Cedric whispered as he began to gently rub circles on her stomach through her pajama top, a soft and soothing motion to alleviate her fears. "It was just a bad dream. You're perfectly safe now…"

Sofia felt a bit shy all of a sudden. Sure, she'd done something similar to him when Zeke had hit him in the stomach back during the Royal Rumble event, but that was different. Still… She couldn't deny that she was thoroughly enjoying this, despite the circumstances that had led to it. In fact, this whole intimate setting was making her feel rather affectionate, since they were completely alone…

"Hey… Cedric?" She glanced over her shoulder at her partner, and seeing him nod, she blushed as she continued with, "You know, I'm, um…" Her blush spread more across her cheeks as she continued, "I…am really enjoying all this attention. I do feel better now, here with you... It's going to take a while for me to forget that dream, but at least I'm currently distracted from thinking about it." She smiled sweetly as he watched her curiously. "But… If you really wanted to distract me, you could…help me practice…some more…" Then, without warning, she sat up and turned in his arms, wrapping her own around him as she leaned forward and placed a warm, pliant kiss on his neck.

"S-Sofia…" He was a bit stunned by her actions, but… Her warmth enveloped him in a comforting and pleasant way he hadn't been expecting.

"Remember this? I really enjoyed when you did this the first time on the galleon." She gently kissed his neck a second time, this time lingering for a few seconds longer before sitting back and gazing up into his eyes. "Are you enjoying it too, Cedric?"

Cedric could hardly believe what was happening. His princess was kissing him on the neck, and she even seemed to want to continue. They were alone in his room, in their own kingdom. Not on a ship far away, and not pretending to be a married couple. She was doing this for no reason other than the fact that she wanted to. But she had asked him a question, hadn't she?

"I am enjoying it, my love, very much," he responded as he lifted her chin up higher, his thumb gently caressing her lips. He leaned forward, slowly, both of their eyes closing as he kissed her…on the corner of her mouth. 'Not yet, you fool!' he mentally chided himself. 'Soon…'

As he pulled away, he watched his partner open her eyes, a dazed look on her face. And then, she did something that surprised him. She adjusted her position so that her entire body was facing his, and then she moved as close to him as she could, sitting between his legs and wrapping hers around him as she reached up and around his neck, entwining her fingers together and using her thumbs to play with the hair on the nape of his neck as she looked at him questioningly.

Her cheeks tinged a soft pink as she felt that familiar sensation along her lips. Granted, he'd kissed her on the corner of her mouth rather than… But still… Meanwhile, she had another matter to tend to now, and it made her blush a little more. "Where did that come from, Cedric? You called me 'my love' again, but we're no longer pretending to be married…"

Cedric blushed at being called out on that. He was saying that more and more often lately, practically without even thinking about it, and it was getting hard for him not to say it. It came as naturally to him now as 'my dear' or 'my darling Sofia' did. "Um, well… As I once told you, Sofia, I never really knew unconditional love until you came into my life. The love that I have for the people in this castle, for our daughters, and for you… You unlocked that within me by loving me all these years. For that, it only seems appropriate that I call you 'my love.'"

Sofia was astonished by his words. He'd said similar things before, but not quite like this. "Well, when you put it that way, it does make sense. I guess…I'm your love." She giggled, the memory of his nickname for her caressing both her ears and her heart. "Yeah, I… I think I could get used to that." She glanced down at the bed, still blushing, and added quietly, "But that's not all… Earlier, with the way you leaned in like that… Well… I-I thought for sure you were going to…to really kiss me." Honestly, saying that out loud was much more nerve-wracking than she cared to admit, but she was trying her hardest not to show it. This was Cedric…

"And…" Cedric hesitated before asking, "Were you…disappointed o-or…relieved…when I didn't?" He wasn't really sure why he'd asked that question, but he had, and he couldn't take it back.

Sofia's eyes widened at his query as a full blush spread across her cheeks. Why would he ask such an embarrassing question? How was she supposed to answer said question? She then grinned sheepishly as she settled on, "A little of both?" Seeing his surprised but confused expression, she explained, "We both already agreed that we're not quite ready for that, but if it had happened… Well, I wouldn't exactly have minded." She smiled sweetly up at him before glancing away again, her blush now more prominent on her cheeks as she chose her next words carefully. "Still… We're completely alone now. We both seem to enjoy these new, more…intimate forms of affection. I-I guess I'm just…" She shrugged, avoiding his gaze momentarily. "I'm just afraid we'll get…carried away…" Oh, she definitely couldn't look at him now. Not after admitting that! The implications of those words…

Then she heard Cedric chuckling. "My dear, you needn't worry about that." Seeing the confusion evident on her face, he continued, "I think we both know our limits at this point. Besides, neither of us knows what we're doing when it comes to this sort of thing. Not really, anyway… I'm sure we've only gotten this far on pure instinct alone." They both laughed quietly before Cedric smirked. "Although… I'm extremely grateful we're in the privacy of my room right now. Could you imagine someone, especially your father or Baileywick, finding us in such a…compromising position?" To emphasize his point, he lightly placed his hands on her knees, which were still wrapped around him.

"O-Oh!" Sofia, exclaimed, blushing darker in embarrassment as she finally realized the position that she'd accidentally put them in. "I-I'm so sorry, Cedric! I wasn't even thinking. I just…wanted to be closer to you. It's like you said: instincts, you know…" She laughed nervously and sat back, attempting to remove her legs from the sorcerer, only to look at him in surprise after feeling his hands firmly holding her legs in place. "Cedric?"

He chuckled softly as he reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist, and gently pulling her back towards him. He buried his fingers into her hair, like he often did during their sweeter moments, and smiled as she tensed a bit. "It's all right, Sofia. Relax. I was only joking. Besides, we've technically been closer than this before." He hummed thoughtfully as she laughed quietly before beginning to relax again. "Hmm, yes. Much closer." He then softly, slowly, ran his left forefinger from the base of her spine to the top of her neck, causing her to gasp and arch her back, effectively pressing her body flush against his own. He chuckled at her flustered appearance. "There. That's more like it, wouldn't you say?"

"Cedric!" She smacked him on the chest. "A little more warning next time before you do something like that."

"Ah, so you don't mind doing this again, then?" He was feeling so gratified right now, especially after that comment of hers. Really, she'd said 'next time.' What else was he supposed to think?

So much blushing. Sofia couldn't count how many times she'd blushed tonight, and all because of the man currently holding her in his thin yet strong arms. And she had a feeling she wasn't done either. 'But…' She sighed. 'I might as well just go with it. After all, this is…kind of fun!' She smiled thoughtfully. "You're right, Cedric. I don't mind this happening again. Any of it." She reached up, brushing her fingers through his bangs and smiling as he hummed in content. "Maybe not every night, but… maybe every once in a while–at least until we get used to it– wouldn't be so bad." She winked at him.

"Very well. I can handle that." He grasped her hand, tugging it from his hair, and briefly kissed her knuckles (to her clear delight) as she sighed softly, before smiling mischievously at her. "So, then, what do you say, my dear? Up for a little 'practice' before we call it a night?" He could feel Sofia shiver in his arms at his words.

Sofia smiled and nodded fervently. "Sure…" Then a thought occurred to her, something that practically stopped her in her tracks. "Ohh, but what if someone comes in here in the morning and finds us in a… What was it you said? A 'compromising position?'" She couldn't help but smirk a bit as she threw his own words back at him.

"Well, it'll be their own fault for not knocking first and waiting for permission to enter." They both laughed softly. "But seriously, Sofia… While that scenario might be embarrassing, I would go through it every morning for you. Because you're worth it."

"Oh, Cedric…" 'E-Every morning, he says? Wow…'

Cedric leaned down and began trailing kisses down Sofia's neck, from just below her ear, and down to her clavicle. In between kisses, he whispered, "Mm, Sofia… Your heart… It's beating so fast… I can feel your pulse against my lips…every time I kiss you… It's getting faster…and faster…" He continued to trail little kisses along her collarbone and her shoulder as he softly caressed her bare arms with his hands. He then had a random thought: he was so glad he'd taken his gloves off before bed.

Sofia moaned quietly, her breathing heavy. "Oh, Cedric… I-If my heart's beating fast, it's because of you… It's like I can feel your magic, Cedric, and it's running through my veins… Please don't stop." Sofia was absolutely certain she'd never uttered anything like that out loud before in her life. And here she was, saying it to Cedric, while he trailed kisses along her neck. She wanted to be more active in all of this though, so she reached up with her hands and slowly undid the buttons of Cedric's pajama shirt before leaning forward and lightly kissing his bare chest as she wrapped her arms around him under the fabric, roaming her hands over his sides and back as she did, the pads of her fingers just barely brushing his skin as he shivered once or twice because of her attention.

She smiled; she had to admit that she'd wanted to do this since their hug during the Royal Rumble competition after the swimming challenge, when she'd hugged him with his shirt off. And now, she finally got her chance… She gently kissed his chest a few more times, her lips hovering near a very familiar and oh-so-vital part of her sorcerer. "Your heart is beating pretty fast too," she whispered as she laid her ear against his chest, right over his heart. Just like any other time she'd done so, she listened to his heartbeat. It was the best lullaby, humming the reality of life. He was still in her life, even after all these years, and after all the peril they'd faced together… And now, he was in her arms, and it was just…ah-mazing…

Cedric was a bit startled by her actions at first, but he kissed her shoulder one more time before sliding his hands down her sides to her hips, slipping them just under her shirt, softly caressing her sides and causing her to shiver this time. He trailed one hand over her shirt again, instead preferring to brush his fingers through her hair, following the auburn cascade down her back and over the covers. "Sofia…"

"Cedric…"

A few moments later, Cedric had slowed his motions, and eventually stopped altogether when he realized that Sofia's pulse was beginning to slow, as well as her breathing. She was now simply resting against him. He leaned back and looked down at his partner as she slowly did the same, and he noticed her eyes were growing heavy. He smiled down at her and she returned the gesture. "I think that's enough 'practice' for tonight, my love. What do you say we get some sleep?" Seeing her nod tiredly, he lifted her up as he stood and then turned, laying her down in the center of the bed and crawling in next to her as she rolled over, facing away from him. He then pulled the covers over them both before wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her just behind her left ear. "Good night, Sofia."

Sofia smiled with her eyes closed. "Good night, Cedric. Thanks for taking my mind off that…nightmare." That's right. This whole thing had started because of a terrible nightmare. "I…love you..." Almost instantly, she was asleep.

Cedric couldn't help but to gently caress her stomach as he recalled the details of her nightmare. He knew, with their track record, that was probably more than just a dream, but he was determined to make sure it never became a reality. "I love you too, Sofia," he whispered. "Sweet dreams, my love." Within seconds, he too was sound asleep.

They both slept soundly that night. No nightmares to speak of. But little did they know, Sofia's nightmare was nothing compared to the dark reality that awaited them.

The End