"Good grief," said the red Archer as he wiped down a glass cup, staring out into the raucous activity of the cafeteria. "We're going to have another mess on our hands, aren't we?"
Ritsuka groaned in agreement, watching as Nightingale continued her attempts to manhandle Osakabehime.
"Your skin is dangerously pale, indicating vitamin deficiency," the Angel of Crimea stated, "and your antisocial behavior will lead to isolation-related depression and anxiety. You are in need of treatment."
"No, no!" The Assassin was crawling under tables, squeaking every time Nightingale's gloves came close to grabbing her. "Murimpossible! I'm a Servant, I can hunker down in my room and have as much taiyaki and crappy ramen as I want! You can't make me—EEK!"
Ritsuka winced as the nurse pulled Osakabehime out from underneath a table by her ankle, dragging her across the steel floor. She had made sure to always cooperate with the Berserker whenever she was on the prowl for patients, and it kept them on good terms. So far she had received only a single stern scolding, and she aimed to keep it that way.
The sound of the kitchen door being opened drew her attention away from the scuffle, and she turned to see who had entered.
"Wha—Nero?"
The Emperor of Roses had always dressed to emphasize her beauty, but this... there were so many zippers... and chains... and were those hickeys on her neck?
Holy hell, thought the Chaldean Master, it just got very hot in here.
"Umu!" the Saber affirmed, throwing a brilliant smile her way. "A good day to you, Master! While I am, as always, overjoyed to see you, I fear I cannot dally with you today."
She boldly strode over to the double-wide refrigerator, throwing it open as she might Rome's treasure vaults. Instead of gold and jewels, the Saber filled her arms with whipped cream and a whole basket of strawberries.
EMIYA raised a disapproving eyebrow. "I won't have you rampaging through my stores like a wild beast. You'd better put everything back in order once you're done."
"Sorry, sorry!" said Nero, though she didn't so much as glance his way. "But time is verily of the essence, umu!" Dessert apparently was joined by lunch, and possibly breakfast too, as cold cuts, lettuce, and three apples joined her rapidly expanding haul.
The scene was surreal, all the more so for the way the bright red fruit accentuated the flowing white cloth of Nero's outfit. Ritsuka might have called it a wedding dress, if not for the provocative cut of… well, everything.
Some kind of role-play, maybe, she thought nervously to herself, unable to tear her eyes from the graceful curve of the Emperor's back as she rummaged eagerly among the shelves. Don't pry, Ritsuka, don't pry.
But curiosity won out, as it so often did. It would surely kill her one of these days. For the moment, it only brought gleaming jade eyes to rest on her as she cleared her throat. "That's, ah… that's a new look for you, isn't it?"
Nero positively beamed at her. "Umu! Marriage brings with it a full assortment of changes, and I feel my wardrobe had to be one of them!" She performed a small twirl for the magus' benefit, the white train whirling around her shapely legs, and did not drop a single berry.
Ritsuka nodded in admiration, both at the dress' elegance and the natural grace of its owner. "Yeah, it really d—" she said, before the blonde's words sunk in. "Wait, what?" She stared up into a smile that was rapidly growing. "Go back a second. You got married?"
The unconquered sun was a mere candle compared to the joy that radiated from Nero's face at the word. "Yes! The bells of matrimony have rung their blessed melody upon us!" The refrigerator door hung wide open behind her, as forgotten as the red Archer's muttered admonishments. "Ah, but we are in the midst of our honeymoon. My apologies, Master, but I cannot keep my love waiting. I must abscond back to our love nest with all haste!"
"Oh." Ritsuka swallowed hard against the heat rising in her cheeks, as the sheer force of the blonde's enthusiasm strummed her like a lyre. "Yeah, okay. Good for you!" She hesitated, then propriety once again took a back seat to her burning need to know. " If you don't mind me asking, who's the lucky spouse?"
Impossibly, Nero's smile seemed to widen the tiniest fraction more. "How kind of you to ask, Master! I'm happily married to my dearest husband, Boudica!"
"That's great!" smiled Ritsuka encouragingly, before the sheer impossibility of what she was hearing finally hit her. For a moment, it sounded like she said… she shook her head. No, Boudica hates her. She would never agree to that. I must have misheard.
She smiled apologetically at the beaming blonde. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Who did you get married to?"
"Umu! Worry not, I'll say it as many times as you like."
Nero carelessly deposited the food on a nearby countertop, before taking a deep breath. Then she bellowed, in a voice loud enough to shake Chaldea to its foundations, "I AM HAPPILY MARRIED TO MY DEAREST HUSBAND, BOUDICA!"
Dead silence greeted her declaration, as much from the kitchen as from the crowded cafeteria on the other side of the serving window. Dozens of faces turned towards them, Servant and human alike, in various states of shock.
There was a slow clapping, which gradually picked up speed. "Congratulations!" cheered Astolfo, raising his glass of chocolate milk high into the air.
Nobody else moved, their gazes fixed on Risuka and the woman grinning at her side with hands proudly set on her hips. They were silently awaiting some kind of explanation, or failing that, reassurance that the world had not once again gone mad.
Heavy footfalls echoed in the hallway outside, accompanied by a flash of fiery red hair as Boudica stomped into the kitchen. Nero's eyes lit up as she approached, despite the firm line of the other woman's mouth.
"Why hello, darling!" she purred in delight. "I was just telling Master about our—"
She squealed happily as Boudica grabbed her around the waist and, in one smooth motion, flung her over her shoulder.
The Celt's eyes held a proud spark as she nodded towards the magus. "Apologies, Master. I have to go tame my wife now."
Without waiting for a response, she disappeared back into the corridors. Draped comfortably over the Celt's back, Nero's lips wore the smirk of a cat that had caught a particularly plump canary.
"Hmph," said a masculine voice behind Ritsuka. She turned to see the pensive expression on EMIYA's face slowly morph into a small smile. "I suppose that I will be picking up her slack in the kitchen for a little while. How troublesome."
Ritsuka continued to find herself speechless. Her eyes strayed back the door through which her two Servants had left. Two newlywed Servants.
Thank goodness the rooms are soundproofed.
The afternoon sun blazed down on Boudica, heating every inch of skin left exposed by her swimsuit and the thin shirt draped loosely over her shoulders. She sighed in contentment as she leaned back in her beach chair, lightly stirring the excessively fruity drink at her side. The bright blue cocktail was much sweeter than she was used to, but that was alright. Nero had been the one to press it insistently into her hand, and she was pretty sure the true message was conveyed by the pink hibiscus prominently perched among the crushed ice and pineapple rings at the top of the glass.
In the language of flowers, the hibiscus sings praises to feminine glory. Da Vinci's book, presented to her as a wedding gift by the winking Caster, had been very clear on the point. A token of love meant for the perfect wife.
She felt a touch of red glow in her cheeks as she admired the bloom. The bright colours spoke as loudly as her wife's impassioned declaration in Chaldea's cafeteria, not two weeks ago. It was so incredibly cheesy, so embarrassing in its unabashed affection. So very Nero, she thought with a fond smile.
Cheerful voices drifted over to her, bright and clear over the roar of the surf.
"Watch this! Báthory Erzsébet Spike!"
A challenge like a ringing bell, followed by a cry of defiance.
"My sword of victory shall not allow it! Excalibur Vivian!"
Boudica looked across the rolling green waves to where a group of Servants were playing a very loose interpretation of volleyball in the shallows. Artoria looked as determined as ever in her monochrome one-piece swimsuit, her mouth set in a grim line as she drove down the ball in a vicious overhand serve. Astolfo easily returned it, wearing a smile as cheerful as the frilly pink number that hugged his hips. It really had no business looking so good on a man. Nearby, Liz impatiently waited for her chance at the ball in a bikini so abbreviated, it was only defeated by Nero's.
Boudica would know. She had spent most of the afternoon staring at it, admiring the way the sheer white-and-red-striped material emphasized rather than hid the curves of her wife's gorgeous body. She very much looked forward to stripping it off her tonight.
As usual, Nero seemed to have a sixth sense for when her husband's gaze was roaming over her. She turned around and waved cheerfully from the water.
"Enjoy the show, darling~!" Nero called out. "Engrave the image of my victory in your mind so we can bask in that glow together!"
Despite the confidence of the words, Boudica could easily hear the plea running just under their surface. Watch me, admire me, hold me to you. There was real joy in the curve of Nero's smile, but it was also a deliberate attempt to charm. She had learnt to burnish herself until she shone like the sun, the better to capture the audience she craved. Their recent and welcome closeness had not changed that. The difference was that instead of diffusing her rays to cover her entire public, now she focused the beams solely on Boudica.
That was fine with the Celt, even if her wife's demands for attention could grow exhausting at times. Everything that Nero demanded of her, she returned tenfold in devotion and companionship. And for the first time since she had arrived at Chaldea, Boudica didn't feel lonely anymore.
She waved back and took a big swallow from the drink her wife had made for her. The syrupy sweetness on her tongue was worth the radiant smile it put on Nero's face. They might have stayed there for others, lost in each other's eyes, if Liz had not taken the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on her distracted rival. The ball hit Nero squarely between the eyes. She blinked in stunned surprise, before snatching it up from the water.
"Hah! A call to battle, is it?" she cried as she drew her arm back. "Then, with passion and grace~!"
The battle on the waves was rejoined, more fiercely than ever. Boudica couldn't tear her eyes from Nero as she threw herself into the surf, sending up sprays of sea water all around her. As mouth-watering as the bikini was, the white mist framing her wife's figure reminded the Celt of an entirely different outfit. She would never forget the first time she had been confronted with that dress.
Boudica bit her lip as she kept eyes locked on Nero's face. She was fighting a losing battle to keep them from straying down towards the wonderful cleavage so tantalizingly framed by that bodice. From the smirk playing on those full lips, it was clear Nero understood perfectly.
"Your what?" she sputtered, wiping the mead from her chin.
Nero tilted her head. "My husband, of course." There was a brief flash of hesitation in those jade eyes, before they hardened in certainty. "Did we not exchange vows last night? You have pledged yourself to me, as I have myself to you."
Boudica recoiled, staggering to her feet to keep some distance from the advancing blonde. Chair and bottle alike clattered to the floor. "Wait, we didn't… I never agreed to that!"
Nero paused in her advance, but all doubt had vanished from her gaze. All that was left was the serenity of a flower that had patiently endured the winter, and now bloomed into spring.
"We did not need words, when the passion of our bodies spoke for us." She beamed as she put her hands on her hips. "Umu! Venus herself smiled down upon our union."
The Celt opened her mouth to protest that last night had been just sex, but that sounded ridiculous even to herself. Yes, her cheeks still burned from the memory of their bodies pressed together, the warm smooth skin of Nero's thighs. But that had paled against the blonde's whispering sighs when she had found apparent salvation in Boudica's arms.
Lust had swept her away into entirely uncharted territory, and now it was time to pay the piper. The gleam in Nero's eyes told her so.
How could I ever have thought things would just go back to normal? she thought ruefully. I broke her, and now I have to take responsibility. There's no escaping this.
A treacherous part of her wasn't even sure she wanted to, fueled by hormones and an odd flutter in her chest that she refused to examine more closely. She let out a strangled whine as Nero approached, her hips swaying slightly with each step.
"The clock may say it is noon," said the blonde, "but I want to have our wedding night now."
Slender fingers tapped meaningfully at the golden lock around her neck. Boudica willingly let her gaze linger there. She needed it as an anchor, something that didn't get her blood flowing. Then she remembered all the love bites hidden under the white collar, the ones she had so eagerly pressed there last night, and thinking became difficult again.
With a supreme effort, she willed her trembling fingers to trace the lock instead of all the creamy skin just below it. "What's with this?" she managed.
"Every lock has a key," purred Nero, mischief sparking in green eyes. She rested a finger under her chin, pursing her lips. "I wonder where it could be..?"
A teasing splay of fingers along her hips made it only too obvious where she expected Boudica to look. The redhead abandoned the last shreds of self-control as she followed them, watching the sinuous motion of gloved fingers on flesh.
Flesh marred by scores of scratch marks, angry red against the pale skin. Now that she was allowing herself to really look, it was impossible to miss them. Those look painful, she thought, then guilt caught her heart in a vice and twisted, hard. I did that. Her breathing became jagged, but she could not look away. I hurt her. And I meant to.
She had wounded Nero when the girl had been at her most vulnerable, naked and shivering beneath her. Abused her, to slack her thirsts for flesh and vengeance.
She staggered against the table, gripping the edge in both hands as she struggled to steady herself. Nero said nothing, only watched with an unreadable expression as Boudica stared helplessly back at her.
The worst part, the thing that made her want to vomit up a sea of bile to drown herself in, was that Boudica still wanted her. The scarlet of her arousal wasn't dimmed in the slightest, even as it was joined by choking black guilt. That she could still want to throw Nero down on the bed and take her, even after seeing her crimes marked on the blonde's skin…
She was a beast. The most depraved of beasts.
She startled when gloved hands slid against her own, with the softness of silk. Nero gently guided them upwards, until Boudica's fingers rested on the zipper tag of the white corset.
Boudica found herself swivelling around to face the girl, mouth desert-dry. The blonde nodded, smiling at her encouragingly. She wanted to believe in the curve of that smile, even if it had to be a lie.
Her fingers had pulled the zipper down several inches before she caught herself. She forced her hand away, her throat constricting with shame and self-loathing.
"No," she muttered. "I can't do this."
Nero found her hand again, leaned down to press a gentle kiss against her knuckles. Lips that had once felt so wonderful taken with her own now burned with cold fire on her skin.
"Darling," she soothed, "It's alright—"
"No!" said Boudica, yanking her hand away with more force than she had intended. The flash of hurt in the blonde's eyes was another dagger stabbed into her raw heart. How could Nero still look at her like that, refer to her so affectionately, after everything Boudica had done to her?
She took a deep breath, her fingers digging hard into the wood. "No," she repeated shakily. "You don't understand, Nero. I hurt you. Worse, I enjoyed hurting you. Because you were Rome."
Her gaze retreated from that open face, to linger on the bottles piled high on the table. She could not look Nero in the eye. "It took… oh gods, I'm not even sure what it took. But I understand now. You're Nero Claudius. Heroic spirit or human, you're a person."
That had been so easy to overlook, when Nero's arrogant mask had taken the form of Rome's spears and banners in her mind. With the clarity of distance, she could see underneath that mask now, a little bit. The fugues that had carried Nero away during their… their session, she thought with a shudder… had not been dismissive aloofness, but vulnerability. Tears stung in the corners of her eyes.
"A person who's been hurt," she finally forced through cracked lips. "And I hurt you more. What I did was unforgiv—"
"That's not important to me," interrupted Nero. Her voice was soft, but the ring of steel underneath was unmistakable.
Boudica snapped her head around to stare at her. "What?" she said as she searched Nero's face for an answer she couldn't hope to piece together herself.
There was no charming smile on the blonde's face, no facade of imperial grace. Only a deep frown, and something molten in the jade of her eyes. It frightened Boudica, even as it set her heart fluttering wildly in her breast. "What did you say?"
"I don't care about any of that," repeated Nero. "I just want you."
Boudica shook her head with almost savage force. "How could you?" she said despairingly. "How can you even bear to look at me? I forced this on you. I—"
She flinched as guilt crashed down on her again, so fiercely it might sweep her away. I did exactly what I always cursed Rome for. I… I…
Gentle hands closed around hers again, rubbing lovingly against her calloused fingers. Boudica's breath hitched, but she didn't resist as Nero again guided her along her body. This time their joined hands stopped along the lower hem of the corset, where white cloth met the pale skin of the Roman's inner thigh.
Warm fingers stroked hers once more before pushing them gently but firmly under the material. Boudica gave a small jolt when she closed her digits around a small metal object. She didn't need to see it to know it was a key.
When she pulled it out, Nero tenderly closed the redhead's fingers around it.
"When one mines precious stones," said the Roman softly, a whisper in the stillness between them, "they do not emerge in their full beauty. They are rough, misshapen things, and one must take a chisel to them—harm them—to help them shine with their true splendor."
Boudica shivered as she met Nero's eyes, but did not look away. She couldn't have, not if all the hosts of the Mage King came hammering on her door. She could lose herself in that cool jade, for she finally understood the spark that had so discomforted her earlier. Trust, she realized, and wondered at it.
"The pain you gave me came from a place of vengeance, yes, but it..." Nero hesitated, her gaze leaving Boudica's for the first time since she had entered the room, before returning to hold her. "There are... things I will tell you about in the future. I do not wish to speak of them now, but there were circumstances that I had to... heal from."
She sighed, her shoulders slumping in an ungraceful motion that clashed with the elegance of her dress. "Except, like a broken bone healing without a splint, I knitted together wrong. You had to break me again so I could heal properly, Boudica. No, thanks to you, I am together once more. As I always should have been."
Nero moved their hands again, bringing them to rest against the lock at her neck. Distantly, Boudica realized she still had the key clutched in her fingers.
"Before, I had been unattuned, a lens that scattered light rather than focused it. Now, I have a focus. I am yours and only yours."
She lifted the train from her shoulders, baring her neck to Boudica in a silent invitation. Still the Celt hesitated, painful scratches in her mind's eye and broken pleas echoing in her ears as her fingers trembled around the key. Nero watched for a few frantic beats of Boudica's heart, before leaning forward so that their faces almost touched. Their breathes intermingled, a sweet fragrance filling her nose.
"I trust you," whispered Nero before pulling back just the slightest distance.
It's not fair, thought Boudica thickly as she slid the key into the lock, slowly and with reverence. How can I possibly say no after she goes and says something like that?
The lock fell to the ground. The rest of their clothing followed soon after.
Boudica had to stop herself from rubbing her legs together, remembering all the vigorous activity that had ensued, and when was Nero going to come out and join her anyway? She was happy to see her wife enjoying herself with her friends, but the thrumming in her blood was wearing at her self-control.
She was seriously considering wading out into the water to collect her wife, when she heard the soft crunch of footsteps on the sand behind her. Warriors instincts' flared inside her, tensing her fist as she rose in her seat to face the intruder. Then she recognized the long flowing hair and serene smile of Raikou, and let herself relax.
"Good day to you, Boudica," said Raikou with a nod.
"Same to you, Raikou." Boudica smiled as she shifted in her seat to face the other woman, giving her a once over. "You certainly look set to enjoy the beach." Then she furrowed her brow as she glanced towards the other's hip. "But is that really necessary?"
The lavender bikini and pink stole floating along Raikou's athletic shoulders caught her eye, but not as much as the katana hanging from the crimson sword belt wrapped around her toned waist.
"Fufufu, a member of the Disciplinary Committee must always be prepared. Whether enemies or bad examples, I shall keep Master safe from all of them."
There was a sliver of madness dancing in those lavender eyes, but Boudica wasn't too worried. For all the fierceness in her smile, Raikou's definition of decency allowed for a surprising amount of leeway. She would have been a hypocrite otherwise, given the vast expanse of skin displayed by her swimwear.
They looked towards the shallows, where the game looked to have broken up. The ball bobbed on the surface of the waves, entirely forgotten as the players crowded around something in the sand.
"You do need to keep an eye on kids," said Boudica as she watched Liz bend down to fetch a stick. "They get so quickly out of hand."
Moments later, a shriek cut through the air as the dragon-girl jerked to her feet. She swung her arm wildly in the air, trying to dislodge the large crab clamped on her thumb.
"Quite so," said Raikou. "Our fellow Servants may be warriors, but they have the hearts of maidens. They cannot understand the burden that mothers always carry on our shoulders." She gave Boudica her warmest smile. "I am glad you are here to share it."
Boudica nodded back, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Mothers, huh, she mused as she idly played with the tassle of her shirt. Perhaps that was why she had always felt close to Raikou, despite the ominous embers she could sense smoking beneath the other's doting demeanour. Berserker or not, she shared her instinct to nurture and protect, even if Raikou sometimes seemed a touch theatrical in her affections.
Speaking of affections…
"Where is Master, anyway?" she asked with a raise of her eyebrow. "I'm surprised you aren't with her."
"Fufufu, are you worried I've lost track of my child? She's over there, sneaking sake from Jing Ke's flask."
Raikou pointed conspiratorially down the beach. Sure enough, Boudica could just pick out the very tip of the magus' rebel hair protruding over the top of a rock formation. So much for stealth, she thought with a snort before looking questioningly back at the Berserker.
"A wise mother knows when to turn a blind eye to her child's… experiments," said Raikou serenely. "Everyone, from time to time, needs to let their hair down."
"Is that what you're calling it now?" Boudica gave her a lopsided grin. "You know that whichever Servant she dallies with, she's not about to give you grandchildren."
Raikou only laughed, light as the breeze rippling in her hair. "As much as I would enjoy bouncing one on my knee, that is not the only reason to seek love." She fixed Boudica with a sly look. "I believe you have rediscovered that for yourself, haven't you?"
She felt a touch of heat blossom in her cheeks, but she nodded anyway. She wasn't a young girl anymore, and she saw no need to be coy about her feelings. "Yes. I had forgotten what it felt like. To come home to someone, I mean." She found herself shifting awkwardly in her seat. "I know what it must look like, and it's not what I would have expected—gods, it's not what anyone would have expected."
She loosed a small ripple of laughter, to drown out the lingering guilt in her gut. To her relief, Raikou laughed along with her, a rich sound that poured like warm water to undo the tension that had been building in her frame.
"But really," she said after a moment, "Nero is great." She smiled in fond exasperation. "Even if she does need a firm hand to ground her."
"Companionship is a rare thing, both on and off the battlefield. I am glad that you have found yours."
"Yeah," said Boudica as she picked up her glass, its surface slippery with condensation. The water droplets were pleasantly cool on her fingers as she turned the drink this way and that, admiring the care that had been put into it. "I'm a very lucky woman."
Again the silence descended on them, broken up by the cries of sea birds and the distant bickering of their friends. She looked over her glass at Raikou, before tapping lightly on the side.
"Hey. This may be presumptuous of me, but… well, I hope you find the same happiness."
Raikou smiled as placidly as ever, but Boudica had come to know her friend better than most. For a moment, she could swear she saw something sharp in that curl of lips.
"I do alright for myself," said the Berserker, her eyes a dark violet as they found Boudica's eyes and held them. A whisper of breath passed, and with it the merest shiver down the Celt's spine. Then Raikou looked away towards the clamoring voices, and the moment passed. She was Chaldea's self-appointed mother again, fondly watching over her chicks as they tumbled in the surf.
Boudica's brow furrowed, but she didn't have long to ponder her friend's odder quirks as Nero came running up the beach towards her, still dripping water from the waves.
"Darling!" she chirped as she approached, her small pants lending a delightful staccato to her words. " Is it not a glorious day?" She slowed her advance, the better to sweep her arm dramatically towards the ocean. "Umu! Neptune himself saw our happiness and brought us the very kiss of summer!"
Boudica sighed. "Or just maybe, Da Vinci made sure she picked a nice beach for our vacation—"
Then Nero dropped herself happily in Boudica's lap, sopping water wherever their bodies made contact. Boudica made a small grunt of protest, but she didn't really mind. It was a small price to pay for finally having her wife in her arms again. She buried her nose in Nero's hair, taking in the familiar scent of sun and roses underneath the heavy salt tang.
She might have heard a titter from Raikou, although it sounded very distant. "I'll leave you lovebirds to it, then. Remember, nothing too shameless."
Boudica nodded absently as she squeezed the blonde a little more tightly, earning herself a delighted purr. She loved having Nero in her arms like this. Not just because the blonde was almost criminally sexy, but also for the closeness it brought her, the sense of connection.
Despite the promise on their wedding night, Nero had remained close-lipped about her past circumstances. She seemed to prefer forgetting them in Boudica's embrace, and that was fine for now, though the abscess would need to be lanced sooner or later. But Boudica did not need to fully understand the cracks in her foundation to recognize that above all, Nero had been lonely.
Broken, damaged, lonely. Gods, we really are made for each other.
Because despite her best intentions, Boudica had found herself building a wall between herself and her companions in Chaldea. Oh, she managed friends easily enough, lured by her cheerful smile and comforting dishes. But when the day's labours were done, and her Master safely tucked into bed - her own, or one of her various paramours - she slunk away to her room in spite of countless invitations. There, she would pour the first of many cups of mead, hoping to drown out the visions (memories) that inevitably assailed her.
It was stupid, she knew it was. She was hardly the only warrior with a painful past clouding her dreams. But she hated to let anyone see her like that. She hated to let Master see her like that, her noble Master who already bore the weight of the world on her shoulders.
So she built her wall brick by brick, as refusals piled up on each other until they formed an intangible barrier between herself and her comrades. And if it was lonely there, it was also safe.
Then she had broken Nero, and that barrier had come falling down. No, it had been relentlessly smashed by the Roman and her demand, her raw need for the Celt. Every time Boudica tried to shoo her away, she came back twice as insistently. No evening was complete without Nero inviting herself into her quarters, her arms, her life.
It was almost shameful, how quickly Boudica had given in. But then, she had been offered the most enticing of bribes. Not just a sexy blonde, but a companion with which to bury her sorrows.
Sexy was a definite perk, though. It was all Boudica could do not to slide her hands up the blonde's sides to hook that bikini off, regardless of public morals. And Nero, damn her, knew exactly the effect she was having. It was clear from the glint in her eye and the curve of her lips as she leaned back in Boudica's grip at just the right angle to put her cleavage under the Celt's nose.
She's going to be the death of me, she sighed, though not without affection. Then she smiled in amusement as she ran her hands along the blonde's thighs.
"You just love to make girls wet, don't you?"
"Not just any girl," smirked Nero. "Only you, darling."
Boudica had to choke back laughter, even as a flush spread to her cheeks. "Don't you ever get embarrassed, saying things like that?"
"Umu! Why should I be embarrassed, when it's all true?"
The flush deepend, until she thought her cheeks might be aflame. Such over-the-top declarations, but she didn't mind them from Nero. With every passing day, they became more confident, rather than curtains draped over the plea still lurking in her eyes. Say you feel the same way. Say you'll never leave me.
Boudica sighed and ran a hand fondly through hair still tangled from the sea, letting her touch speak for her. She knew the message was understood when Nero purred and leaned into it. That simple touch soon became something more heated, as the blonde moved up until she was draped all over her husband. The Celt's blood quickened as those wonderful thighs slid against her own, and generous breasts pressed insistently against her thin blouse.
That vixen, she growled inwardly to herself. She knows exactly what she's doing. Tempting as it was to take her, right there in the chair, Boudica wasn't an exibitionist. There was a time and place for such affections. Not to mention the discipline that Nero was so blatantly inviting.
Nero leaned in to whisper in her ear. ""You're looking a little flushed, darling. Perhaps we should spend some time in the shade?"
"That's an excellent idea, and I know just the right shade," said Boudica, leaning in turn to dance her lips against Nero's jawline, enjoying the shivering she elicited. "My shadow, covering you as I make you scream."
Nero's eyes widened the merest fraction, her arms momentarily loosening their grip around the redhead's shoulders. Boudica took advantage to rise to her feet, sweeping the blonde into a bridal carry. The delighted squeak in her ear only threw more fuel on the fire raging within her.
Spurred on by instinct more than coherent thought, Boudica ate up the cobbled steps to the beachside cottage with long strides. She didn't care if her claim on it had gone uncontested for reasons of goodwill rather than fear. Right now she needed some privacy while she fucked her wife so hard the woman wouldn't be walking straight for days to come.
"Ahh, darling," purred the blonde in her arms. "Truly a grand theater for our love! For what can scarlet banners and golden gates compare to the flame in our hearts?"
"Worry less about your heart, and more about those thighs of yours," said Boudica in a low tone as she brought them across the threshold. She didn't mind the giggle that drifted up in response. Nero would be paying for all that and more, very soon.
The shade inside the house was pleasantly cool after the scorching heat of the sun outside. Nero looked eagerly towards the bedroom door, but Boudica shook her head and carried her bodily into the bathroom. Now that they were alone, the right frame of mind had to be set. That, and Boudica's inner housekeeper refused to have that much sea salt anywhere near her sheets.
"Darling, while I love seeing you in the bath, I was hoping—" began Nero with just a touch of petulance, before Boudica firmly pressed a finger against her lips.
"Hush. I'm going to clean you up," she said, before placing her down on the blue tiles of the shower. She held on a shade too long, her hands lingering on shapely hips, before she finally gave Nero a little push into the stall.
"But—"
"Be a good girl, and I'll take care of you. All of you," said Boudica in her sultriest tone, the one that never failed to make her wife melt. It certainly worked now, Nero sighing in happy anticipation as Boudica nudged her fully behind the shower curtains.
Damn. Even hidden behind semi-translucent plastic, Nero's perfectly formed curves were to die for. Boudica bit her lip hard against the arousal pricking under her skin as she turned away from temptation, towards the drawers of the vanity. She needed to keep some control if she hoped to properly satisfy her wife. Nero had needs beyond the purely physical, and it was Boudica's duty as her husband to meet them.
The sigh behind the curtains became a shuffle of feet, and then a whine as Boudica rummaged through the drawers.
"Darling~?" The succinct statement served as an invitation, but Nero's natural charm couldn't hide the naked need beneath.
Good, thought Boudica to herself as her fingers finally closed around cool metal. Very good. Anticipation makes everything so much sweeter.
"You want me there too?" she said with affected carelessness as she took out the thin golden chain, dangling it between her fingers. "Then say it like you mean it. Beg me with those pretty lips."
"Please, darling," Nero didn't hesitate for even a second. "Please, I need you."
Boudica shivered at the unabashed yearning in her wife's voice, her hand clenching around the chain. You broke her, she reminded herself. You made yourself her whole world. Now you have to take care of her.
It should have felt like a burden, and perhaps it was at times. But it was also a gift, Boudica reflected as she looked down at her hands. Despite all their scars and calluses, she wanted to believe they were still helping hands, mother's hands that shaped and nurtured. With each crack she managed to smooth over in Nero's ruined marble, she knew herself vindicated.
"Such a greedy woman," she murmured, unsure of whether she was talking about Nero or herself. "Then don't move."
The chain dangled from her fingers as she turned back towards her waiting wife. It was a bit cruder than she would have liked, several links fused together and the clasp unbalanced. The honest ironwork of the forge had not prepared her for the intricacies of goldsmithing. She had almost been too embarrassed to present the finished article to the Emperor of Rome, who in life had been surrounded by riches. But Nero had only beamed at her, giving her the courage to twine it around their interlaced hands.
The blonde was giving her that same delighted smile now, leaning forward to eagerly present her neck.
"I told you not to move," chided Boudica. Nero reluctantly pulled back, bouncing on the tips of her toes as the redhead took her time winding the chain around that tender throat. One loop, two, as she let her fingers linger on the delicate warm skin. Then she wrapped the end loosely around her fingers, giving it a small tug before smiling.
"Good," says Boudica approvingly. "Let's get you washed off, then."
She reached over to grab the portable shower head and pulled the lever, letting the water run down her hand until it was a suitably warm temperature. The echoing sound of rain did little to drown out the eager pounding of her heart as she crooked her fingers.
"Come here."
It was half an invitation and half a command. Nero came as bidden, but not without flicking her hair over her shoulder in a way that pulled the eye towards that tempting expanse of bare shoulder. The smirk playing on the blonde's lips made it clear there was nothing accidental about it.
Such a tease, thought Boudica, biting back the groan that threatened to spill from her throat. Well, two can play that game.
Instead of maneuvering the shower head to pour water on her wife's eager shoulders, Boudica hooked it back on the wall. Nero watched her with a small pout.
"Aren't you going to—"
She squealed when Boudica grabbed her by the waist, pulling her directly underneath the flow. The blonde gasped at the abrupt temperature difference, but quickly settled in, rivulets of water washing away the brine as they rolled down those appetizing curves. Too appetizing, and Nero had scarcely raised her head when she was surprised once more by Boudica's hands wrapping around her navel from behind.
"Perfect," said Boudica in a sultry tone, enjoying the way Nero shivered at her voice as much as her touch. "You're beautiful like this, pliant under my every touch."
Nero jerked in her grasp, her back pressing against the redhead's chest. Her hands flailed for purchase before settling on her beloved's forearms. "Ahh—! Yes, Boudica, please!" she said, a sweet susurrus just audible over the rush of rain.
Boudica took advantage to plant her lips at the crook of her wife's neck, gently sucking at the wet skin, tracing the line between the warmth of flesh and the rapidly heating metal of the chain. Nero sighed against her, sending electricity coursing down her nerves to curl her toes. Again, the Celt was sorely tempted to cut things short and drag her wife over to their bed for immediate satisfaction.
No. She barely suppressed a sigh of her own. She's worth taking your time. Worth savoring.
Instead, she reached up to trail her hands through the cascade of blonde hair plastered along the length of Nero's back. She wore it looser when she wore her swimsuit, but still not loose enough for Boudica's tastes. She found the white ribbons and yanked it free with more than a little satisfaction, quickly digging in her fingers to fully untangle the locks.
Nero gave a small giggle. "You love playing with my hair."
"Your hair, and every other part of you," said Boudica as she raised a few strands to her lips, frowning at the strong salt smell. "Because all of it is mine. Never forget that."
She reached blindly for one of the bottles as her mouth busied itself on Nero's throat again, pulling a delightful chain of gasps from the squirming blonde. She poured a liberal dose of shampoo on her hands and scrubbed the long blonde hair, enjoying watching the salty crust give way to glossy sun-coloured locks.
"Ahh, darling. That feels nice."
Boudica grinned against her neck. "Is that so?"
Without further warning, she slid her hands down Nero's sides, caressing every inch as she returned to the girl's stomach and the delicate skin she had been so thoroughly enjoying. "And how about here?"
"Mmph! Yes, please, yes…"
Another fumble among the bottles got her the body wash, and Nero's breath hitched as Boudica dabbed a cold glob of it on her abdomen. That soon dissolved into pants and gasps and as the Celt's hands massaged in slow circles, building up a sweet-smelling lather. Boudica exhaled in satisfaction as her hands glided over her wife's belly, then slowly upwards towards the swell of her breasts. Her fingers caught on the bikini top, and she paused long enough to explore the thin line between cloth and skin. A playful dip of her digits under the hem had Nero wriggling impatiently against her
She chuckled as she skimmed over Nero's chest with a feather-light touch to instead lather under Nero's armpits, relishing in the frustrated but sensual groan it pulled from the blonde's lips.
"Don't tease, please don't. I can't bear it."
The blonde's hands jerked up to cover Boudica's, attempting to tug them back towards her breasts, and she could easily imagine the needy flush on Nero's face. The vision dumped fire directly into her veins, and for a moment her fingers twitched back towards the bountiful flesh she had been lusting after all day.
Then she mastered herself again, moving her hands firmly around to capture Nero's in her grip. She briefly interlaced their fingers before lowering them back down to the girl's sides.
"No, love," she admonished in a breathy whisper. "Not until I'm good and ready."
She squeezed Nero's hand once in reassurance, smiling when she felt some of the tension leave the slender body pressed up against her own. Slowly, deliberately, she returned to lathering the blonde's bare arms and shoulders, enjoying skin made slippery with suds and hot water. The sweet fragrance of lavender hung among the clouds of steam vapour.
Little whines slipped out from Nero's trembling lips, but she held herself as best she could as Boudica worked her over with wicked precision. The redhead lingered around her weak points, enjoying every shiver and sigh she pulled from the beautiful woman in her embrace. Her lips descended to nip lightly on a creamy shoulder as she deliberately pressed into her, making sure her wife could feel the swell of the redhead's breasts against her back. Reminding Nero of her own aching points, rock-hard under the small scrap of cloth covering them.
"Please, touch me," whimpered Nero, just as breathless and desperate as she'd hoped. "Oh Boudica, please!"
A heady rush of pleasure and pride rushed through Boudica, knowing she could make her wife feel like this, and she finally relented. She tugged off the bikini top, spilling Nero's breasts into her waiting hands.
"Beautiful," she murmured into Nero's ear, admiring the sight of taut points the same colour as crushed rose petals.
Greedily she cupped the soft mounds, drawing her thumbs in slow circles across the sensitive flesh. The blonde threw up her head as she gasped, collapsing back to lean fully against her husband, secure in the knowledge that Boudica will never let her fall. Not so long ago, she might have resented it as narcissistic arrogance. Now she recognized it as trust, honest and freely given, and felt a different sort of warmth join the heat of arousal coursing through her body.
"Uhm! So eager, darling," purred Nero from her arms, and Boudica realized she was squeezing her breasts hard, pressing those wonderful mounds between her fingers.
She swallowed thickly against the haze of desire clouding her brain. Control, she reminded herself. She needs to know you've got her, so she can let herself go. If only focus wasn't so hard to come by right now. She might have slapped her cheeks if that hadn't meant letting go of her delightful handfuls. Instead she contented herself with a small pinch on rigid points that made Nero yelp in a most satisfying way.
"For you, always," she said, letting lust tint her words scarlet as she kneaded the soft flesh in her hands with more pressure, tenderly but firmly massaging the girl's chest until she was a panting mess in her arms. Nero's hips rolled back with the sensation, unconsciously pushing her barely-clothed ass against Boudica's groin and igniting a fresh wave of want.
The redhead swallowed hard as she forced herself to keep an unhurried pace. She's enjoying it. Don't rush this. She bit her lip, letting the sting ground her lust just enough to keep her focus.
The pleasure is sweetest after a chase, she told herself as she moved to press a kiss to Nero's temple.
The warm back pressing insistently against her own aching buds made it hard to stay standing. The temptation to grind hard into her, to seek her own satisfaction, was almost overwhelming. No, show some damn discipline. Her hands tightened the merest fraction on Nero's shoulders. Finish taking care of her first.
So she took a deep breath before letting her hands wander down, tracing hips and thighs that had become familiar in recent nights. No matter how often she caressed them, they never failed to set her blood aflame. Not that she was the only one affected, judging from the ragged breaths echoing above the whisper of falling water. The golden chain around that delicate neck, her chain, glittered among curls of steam.
Focus. She grit her teeth against the trembling in her fingers as they curled around sinfully smooth hips. The scarlet ribbons that held her swimsuit in place were easily pulled away, and then Nero was gloriously naked in her arms. Her grip tightened instinctively, wringing a low cry from her wife.
"Tell me how badly you want this," rumbled Boudica in her ear, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She needed to know she wasn't the only one to feel this explosion of lust, searing every nerve with raw desire.
Nero arched her neck back up towards her, desperation burning in heated jade. "I want this, I want you," she rasped. "Please touch me, please. I need to feel you inside me."
The sweet words rang in her ears, driving her fingers down to brush against the carefully trimmed patch of blonde curls. She latched her mouth onto Nero's shoulder again as she tenderly opened the outer folds, noting with satisfaction they were damp from more than the shower.
Nero's whole body tensed as Boudica danced her fingers against sensitive flesh, alternating between teasingly light and pleasurably rough in a way that had the blonde mewling and pleading. The skin between her teeth was heated with arousal as she worked it over, as languidly as the slow circles she pressed against the swollen bud at the top of Nero's folds. She let go just long enough to glide her lips up to the shell of Nero's ear, nipping it lightly before whispering inside.
"So wet for me. Tell me, were you thinking of me, playing with the other girls out on the beach?" She rubbed her thumb down on Nero's clit a little more firmly, making her yelp. "You were thinking about this all day, weren't you?"
"Ahh, darling," gasped Nero. "You know me so well… nngh... harder, please!"
"Good girl," said Boudica approvingly before pushing two fingers inside swollen flesh.
She thrust good and hard, curling her fingers inside Nero's inner walls as they clenched around her. The blond shuddered with pleasure, a sweet surrender that only spurred Boudica onwards. Every sound pulled from her wife's lips, from her shuddering cries to the throaty groans of her name, plucked mercilessly at the chords of her arousal until she was rocking her body against Nero's, her hips moving in time to her plunging fingers.
Distantly she registered slender fingers tangling her hair, pulling whenever their rhythm hit a particularly strong spike. Nero was looking up at her again, cheeks flushed and hair in disarray, tears pinpricking in her eyes.
"You..." she whispered, "you're real, aren't you...?"
Boudica's brow furrowed as the question registered through the thrum of her arousal. Her fingers faltered momentarily before she forced herself to move them again. She pressed a kiss to those trembling lips, and noted with dismay how desperately they caught against hers.
"Don't I feel real to you?" she murmured when they finally pulled apart. She reached up with her free hand to tug lightly on the golden chain, watching the links slide against Nero's throat. "I'm touching you, aren't I? Just the way you like it."
Nero was shaking as she pushed herself up against Boudica, at the same time her hips moved down to capture as much as she could of the hand thrusting inside her with a desperation that wasn't all physical need. One of her hands locked onto the Celt's shoulders to steady herself, while the other twisted around the loose end of the chain hanging between her heaving breasts.
"Please…" she breathed. "Please, don't leave me… don't…"
Boudica's heart constricted in her chest as those words shot through her ears again. The same that Nero had cried the first night they had spent together, when Boudica had briefly risen for a glass of water and found impossibly strong arms clinging to her.
"Don't worry," she murmured, running her lips tenderly through blonde hair as she drove her fingers in just a touch faster. "I won't leave you, love. I have you."
She sighed in relief as she felt the sharp tension slide from Nero's shoulders so that desire, consuming but so much healthier, could take its place. Seeking to close the distance between them as much as she could, she ground herself hard against Nero's hips as she continued thrusting.
"I'm going to…" Nero breathed out after a time, strangled words between her wanton moans. "...darling, I can't…"
"Hush. Let yourself go."
As if her words were a trigger, Nero arched backwards with a cry as she tumbled over her peak, her walls pulsing against the fingers still moving inside her. A few more strokes to help her ride out the aftershocks, then Boudica carefully turned her around to face her. When Nero almost stumbled on shaking legs, the redhead was ready to catch her weight, leaning them both back against the shower wall under water long since gone tepid.
They stayed there for a while, warm bodies pressed against each other as Nero's breathing leveled out. Boudica felt the most frustrating combination of… relief and satisfaction, that she had been able to give this to her wife, but also the insistent burn of unfulfilled desire. The press of Nero's chest as she snuggled in, nipples sliding enticingly over her own, didn't help matters. A flare of lust spiked through her again, making her core clench hard with want.
She shifted uncomfortably, reluctant to disturb the woman in her arms. The very sexy woman who had just come undone in her arms, her skin still covered with traces of Boudica's teeth. Before she could stop herself, she had already grabbed Nero's shoulders to pull her back the slightest distance, just far enough so she could kiss her again.
Her mouth moved hungrily against Nero's pliant lips, until they were as red as the passion burning in her veins. She slipped her tongue in, exploring every crevice of her mouth, drifting over teeth and flesh and groaning when it met her love's own. Hands tightened around her neck as Nero pushed herself upwards, bringing their lips even more tightly together.
When they reluctantly separated, gasping for breath, a thin line of saliva still connected their bruised lips. Boudica grabbed at the chain dangling between the generous breasts, wrapping it around her fist.
"Bed. Now," growled Boudica, giving the impromptu leash a small tug.
"As my husband wishes," murmured Nero as she fell easily into step beside her, wearing just the hint of a smirk.
The redhead eagerly guided her down the short hallway, trailing water on the wooden planks. The chain was thin enough to snap if her wife put even the slightest amount of strength into it, but she knew Nero would do no such thing. And indeed, the blonde padded obediently after her, a blissful smile on her face - a true smile, not the facsimile she wore in her consuming quest to be the Rome everyone expected. She did not need to be the Emperor here, leading her people with manufactured pride and confidence. She could let herself be led, and feel safe doing so.
Boudica did enjoy leading her, very much so. She craved the sense of control, and more than that, the utter trust being placed in her hands. It was a pure sexual rush, a shot of hot adrenaline straight to the spine.
When they hit the edge of the bed, Boudica wasted no time in stripping off her own swimsuit before settling herself down against the headboard. Another tug brought her wife down on top of her, limbs tangling as they kissed again. Liquid heat pooled in her belly as her hands slipped down of their own volition to touch hips, thigs, ass, every part of that smoking hot body. There was no trace of the earlier sea salt as she pressed love bites along Nero's throat and shoulders, just the subtle sweetness of skin and her natural scent.
"Mmm, yes!" moaned the blonde as she squirmed under her attentions. "More, more! Touch me more!"
The more she fondled, the more her blood burned. The ache between her thighs was growing unbearable. Why should she deny herself any longer, when she had a beautiful woman ready and willing for her?
She tugged once on the chain, drawing jade eyes to her. "I take care of what's mine," she said, her voice rough and hungry even to her own ears. "And you're mine, aren't you?"
"Always," breathed Nero, moving to settle herself over Boudica's legs. Her slit was already slick with renewed arousal, trailing heat wherever it touched the redhead's thigh. "Always yours."
Boudica nodded fiercely as she placed her hand atop Nero's head, then gently but firmly pushed her downward. "That's right," she rasped, low and carnal in her throat. "Now be a good girl and please your husband."
Nero had the audacity to purr as she eagerly lowered her face between Boudica's legs. The redhead might have chided her, but it was all she could do when blonde hair, still damp from the shower, slid against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. She dropped the chain in favour of burying her hands in those silky soft tresses, wrapping them around her fingers in a loose grip.
"Go on," she said, then shuddered when she felt a hot tongue slip between her sensitive folds, laving at flesh already slick with lust. Pleasure rushed through her as it teased and lapped as deep inside as it could reach, making her toes curl on the rough cotton of the sheets.
Damn, she's really good at this, thought Boudica helplessly. I should get her to do this more oft—
All coherent thought slipped away when Nero wrapped her lips around her aching cit and sucked, sending a jolt of sensation through her. It felt so good it was almost painful, and she found her fists tightening reflexively in Nero's hair. It must have hurt, but the blonde only purred as she picked up her pace, working her tongue and mouth over Boudica with enthusiastic energy.
'K—Keep going," she managed between groans of pleasure, rocking her hips insistently into that talented mouth and shivering when Nero's tongue expertly circled around her bud, working it to a frenzy. Her entire body was tensing delightfully, losing itself in sheer pleasure. "Mmm, you… ahh!"
Sparks burst in her vision as release crashed over her, overwhelming her senses as she collapsed back against the pillows. As she lay panting, coming down from the white hot rush of pleasure, she felt a weight settle itself into her arms. She glanced to the side to find jade eyes considering her. There was affection in Nero's gaze, but also smugness in the corner of her smile.
Boudica felt her blood quicken at the sight. This isn't over, not by a long shot. Ignoring the little aftershocks still running through her frame, she pulled the blonde up into a searing kiss, tasting herself on Nero's mouth. The other woman reciprocated hungrily, losing herself as their mouths melted against each other.
The redhead took advantage of her distraction to grab her by the waist and flip her over, throwing her down on the rumpled sheets. Nero squealed in surprise as Boudica crawled on top of her, settling herself fully on top before nodding imperiously down at her.
"Not bad," she conceded, wiping some sweat from her brow. "Now try to remember what I'm about to do to you. It'll help you do better next time."
Whatever the blonde might have said, it was swallowed up when Boudica covered her mouth once more with her own, moving her lips and tongue in a way calculated to stoke the fire she could sense building underneath. She splayed her hand along the soft skin of Nero's thighs, caressing them briefly before deftly parting her folds to slide her fingers into hot, silken wetness. Her wife was so slick that there was barely any resistance as she thrust them in, curling them against the rough patch inside.
Nero groaned into her mouth as she picked up an extra bit of speed, building a punishing rhythm that had the blonde writhing underneath her. Her body shook with the force of the thrusts, breasts bouncing against the cotton sheets.
"Ahh! More, please... nggh!"
She didn't even try to hide her gasps and cries of pleasure, leaning into them instead as her hips bucked wildly against Boudica's hand, seeking ever more friction. The smirk was long gone, giving way to flushed cheeks and an open expression of pleasure.
"You like this," she whispered huskily in the blonde's ear. And that was one of the best things about fucking Nero, how easily Boudica could tell when she was pleasing her. There were no muffled denials or shamed blushes, only the raw sensuality of a woman completely comfortable in her skin.
Nero shuddered as an index finger curled against a rough patch on her inner walls, clutching at the shoulders moving above her. Fingernails raked down Boudica's back as the blonde buried her face in the crook of her neck, warm breath tickling as she whispered fevered praises against flushed skin. The sting told the redhead she would be wearing the scratches for days to come, and made her grin. Adornments imprinted in flesh to match her own marks on Nero's throat, better than any matching jewelry. Not to mention the opportunity to leave more the next time they did this.
Next time. Boudica savoured the words as her fingers picked up the pace, encouraged by the prospect. Nero groaned in approval, rocking her hips as she lost herself entirely to pleasure, her throat bared as she arched up against the sheets. Pride rushed through the Celt at the erotic sight below her, knowing that she reduce her wife to this panting, desperate mess. That Nero wanted her and needed her so badly, she would happily surrender herself entirely to her. It was intoxicating, addictive.
The throaty growns, the trembling of the limbs beneath her, the powerful clench of inner walls around her fingers, all told Boudica that Nero was almost at her limit.
"Please… please..." mewled the blonde, hands tightening on Boudica's shoulders in a vice grip. "I'm so close…"
"Then come for me," whispered Boudica as she cupped Nero's cheek. She leaned down just as Nero shuddered with the wave of her climax, crashing their mouths together to capture the strangled cry of release. It vibrated in their kiss, sending little jolts down nerves already wrung from passion.
One last squeeze against her shoulders, then Nero went limp in her grasp, still shaking as she rode out little waves of pleasure. Boudica pressed a kiss to her wife's flushed cheeks before gently laying her back down on the bed, watching that lovely body shake tremble as the blonde caught her breath. The hot spike of lust that had tormented her before was gone now, replaced with a glowing warmth suffusing her body down to her very bones. The lazy loving smile Nero gave her as she looked up at her through half-lidded eyes only added to it.
"That was incredible," murmured Nero, visibly relaxing as she sunk back against the pillows. Her smile was subdued and she had never looked more beautiful.
"Thank you, darling," she said softly, her fingers absently tracing patterns on the cotton sheets.
"Always." Boudica pulled her close again, whispering her lips against the tender skin at the nape of Nero's neck. She found it slick with sweat, enough to put a hint of salt in her mouth. She rumbled with laughter. "Bad news, love. You're covered in salt again."
"Mmm. How terrible," purred Nero before placing a finger under her chin in exaggerated fashion. "I guess you'll need to take me back to the shower?"
Boudica burst out laughing. "You're insatiable," she said in fond exasperation, even as she stroked a hand admiringly along her wife's thighs.
"Only for you,' said Nero, beaming at her and spilling out all the warmth she had soaked up from the summer sun. Warmth that made Boudica pull her close again, wrapping herself tightly around the blonde as she pulled a sheet over them both,
As they drifted off, still warm and a bit sticky from sex, Boudica found herself rolling the thought sleepily over in her heard. Only for me, huh. That's… probably true.
It was a far cry from the Emperor who wanted to be beloved by all her subjects, lost in her shell of golden confidence and scarlet passion. The Nero in her arms seemed smaller, a girl of earth and roots rather than a grand dream of blossoms. Nero Claudius as she really was, when she wasn't desperately threading golden wire through her spine to make herself stand tall.
Boudica liked her much better this way. The Emperor was an artifice, full of empty charm. It could not hold a candle to this Nero's companionship, the simple uncomplicated joy that lit up her eyes every time Boudica came in the door.
It was coming home. A different feeling than the kind Boudica once shared with her husband in another life, a different love, but just as warming and wonderful in its own way.
She held on to that feeling as she let herself fall into slumber.
Once more, this was written almost entirely by my friend TungstenCat, and as much as she wants to deflect and say "you helped me the whole time!", I was not the one putting 11,000 words on the page. Throw all of your praise towards her, for I am basically just her publisher—the result of a coin toss. Here's some more words from her:
"Many thanks to Minerva for helping me string this together, even when it came in fits and starts. Also, nobody captures Osakabehime quite like he does, in all her enthusiastic petulance."
This chapter is actually the second of three—originally we were supposed to have two but this grew immensely and needed to be split in half for the sake of pacing. We're smoothly transitioning from that Nero focus in the first chapter into a greater understanding of Boudica's character, and next chapter will have a little less smut and a little more angst. I live and die by my angst.
Your ending theme for this chapter is the classic Bad Apple!, remixed by Nhato and featuring nomico.
Thanks for reading.