For most of his adult life, Olberic Eisenberg, though fairly humble in nature as world reknowned champions go, prided himself on a few key character traits, not the least of which was his rigid self-control. He considered himself an honorable man who was generally able to keep his emotions in check with very rare exceptions. He had partaken in dalliances with the fairer sex in the past, of course, as one might expect from any hot blooded warrior in his prime, but most of his experience in that regard was limited to perfunctory, hurried encounters with tavern girls in his reckless youth back before his service to the palace in Hornburg. Erhardt had always been the one to have a woman waiting for him in every town; Olberic would just as soon take care of his needs on his own so he could get back to the training yard.
All that changed the moment Primrose Azelhart danced into his life. The longer they traveled together, the more often the warrior's mind would wander to visions of her bottomless amber eyes, her pale, slender throat, the gentle curve of her hips that would fit so perfectly in his hands if he ever got the nerve to touch her. When she was attacked on that fateful night and lay bleeding her life out in his arms, he swore to Brand and any of the Twelve that were listening that he would give anything for another day with her, even vowing to put his own quest for revenge on the line just to save her. Even after she invited him into her bed, kissed him (and every time she kissed him thereafter), he held himself back from her, not wanting to hurt her or worse, push her too far and have her withdraw from him. His self-control was tested daily but her persevered, determined to keep her at arm's length lest he fail her in some way as he had failed everyone else in his life before her.
Tonight, however, he could resist no longer. She called to him like a siren, the loveliest creature he had ever seen wrapped in a wispy robe of satin tinted the same color as his own surcoat. If the sight of her nestled in his own linen shirt was not torturous enough for him, the softly clinging folds of pale blue barely shrouding her lithe figure were his undoing. For the first time since entering the knighthood, Olberic let go of his stoic facade and threw himself into the moment, surrendering his will to their desires. Her skin was silk against his steel, impossibly soft and smooth beneath his rough hands. He was certain that she would shrink back from him when he groped at her breasts like the coarsest field hand but she had hissed in pleasure, arching her back and pressing harder against him. He was so distracted that it took him completely by surprise when she deftly removed his belt, freeing his desperately throbbing member from its prison, and proceeded to pleasure him with her mouth in a way that he had only heard about and frankly never quite believed.
His mind was still reeling from the experience, his knees as weak as a newborn colt's. It was all he could do to stammer out "That was incredible" as he gathered her to him in a tight embrace. The praise seemed to please her, though, as she gently disengaged from his arms and pulled him into bed. Their bed. For a brief moment, Olberic felt a jolt of panic. It wasn't that he was intimidated by her obvious experience in this field, he had meant it when he told her that her past had no bearing on their present. He simply despaired of disappointing her, his lack of knowledge in the bedroom daunted him.
He lay there quietly, his mind racing. She curls closer to him, her slender hands beginning a lazy exploration of his torso, weaving through the patch of hair at the center of his chest and idly teasing his nipples one at a time. Despite the exertions of a few moments ago, his manhood was already responding, slowly coming to attention under her gentle touch, and this did not escape her notice.
"So, the Unbending Blade is not just a clever nickname, hm?" she murmurs, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck.
He blushes, shifting his hips in embarassment. "You have a powerful effect on me, Primrose. Always have."
"Always? Hmph. And I'm having to throw myself at you over and over? For shame, Olberic, making me work so hard." She stretches up, leaning over his chest and resting her chin on her folded hands, a playful smile on her lips. She examines his face for a moment and her smile falters. "What's wrong?"
"Hm? Nothing." He tucks an errant curl behind her ear, stroking her cheek with the back of his finger. Her eyes close slightly for a brief moment as she leans into his touch, but just as quickly they open again, pinning him down with her concerned gaze. "It's not...I..." He breathes a sigh. "It's complicated."
"Try me. I am terribly good at uncomplicating things."
He knits his eyebrows in a slight frown. "I want you."
"Mhm," she nods. "Easy enough. You may have me."
He chuckles. "No, it is not just...I am not sure-" he pauses, gazing at the ceiling as he searches for the words. "It's been a long time, for me. I've never been with a woman like you..."
She tilts her head but doesn't comment.
"What I mean is...I've had women, but none who were as...experienced," he continues in a rush. "What you did for me just now was incredible, just being with you like this is more than I could have hoped for...I do not want to disappoint you when I...we...ah...proceed. With things." He rakes his hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at her. "I'm ruining this, aren't I?"
"Olberic. Look at me."
He reluctantly meets her gaze, dreading finding regret or worse: amusement at his discomfort. Instead, she is nibbling thoughtfully on her lower lip, only warmth and affection in her amber eyes.
"I cannot think of a single way you could possibly disappoint me. Not one. If you wish to stop what we are doing and come back to it when you are more comfortable, I will wait as long as you need. Although judging by the looks of things, waiting is not something you really want." She grins at him and he chuckles, the evidence of his arousal pressing insistently at her leg despite the turmoil in his mind. "As to the rest...Yes, I know some things. Probably more than most. I would be happy to try as much or as little with you as you like." She rises to her knees, straddling his hips and pinning his hard length beneath her, pressed between them. Taking his hands in hers, she places them on her waist, slowly guiding them up her torso to cup her breasts, her hard nipples pressed into his palms. He shifts his hips beneath her and she bites down on her lip, grinding against him in a lazy circle. "Sometimes I like to be in control," she purrs, her sultry voice low. "Teasing is nice, pushing our limits just to see how much we can stand, who is going to break first..." She leans down, kissing him slowly, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth as she pulls away. She turns her neck, angling her face so that her lips brush his earlobe. "Other times, I might want you to throw me down and pound me right into the mattress."
He groans in response, his hands gripping her waist to push her down against him, his hard length twitching between her legs.
She inhales sharply, biting into his shoulder and then soothing the spot with a kiss. "We have lots of choices, so many things to learn about each other...but for now, I think..." She lifts her hips, reaching between them to grab him in her fist. Shifting herself expertly she lines him up and presses back slightly. Resisting the overwhelming urge to buck his hips and bury himself inside her takes every ounce of his control. Judging by the look on her face, he was not alone, but he was determined to hold out as long as he could and let her find her release. She lowers herself, adjusting to the sensation with a soft moan. "Mm," she sighs, her eyes fluttering closed. "Perfect, so perfect." After a moment she braces her hands on his chest and rocks her hips in a slow circle, grinding hard against him. His breath leaves him in a rush. He reaches for her, gripping her thighs with his hands and lifting his head off the pillow to watch. His eyes shift back and forth, unable to decide between watching his manhood disappearing inside her and marveling at the pleasure on her face as she rides him.
She takes one of his hands in hers, guiding his thumb between them to a small nub hidden in the soft curls between her legs. Following her motion, he rubs against her and she clenches her leg muscles with a sharp gasp. Encouraged, he begins stroking the small bundle of nerves causing her to writhe against his hand. She sits up suddenly, arching her back, and squeezes her breasts together, pinching her nipples. Her eyes are closed in concentration, her lips are parted, a flush is high in her cheeks, and she has never looked more beautiful. Her rocking motion has begun picking up speed until she is nearly bouncing on top of him, a series of pants and whines escaping her lips as she teeters on the edge. He bites down hard on his lip, desperately trying to hold back his own release until she finds hers. He grips her waist with his free hand and snaps his hips upwards, pumping deep inside her, hard and fast.
Suddenly she goes rigid and cries out his name. He manages to thrust a few more times before giving way to his own orgasm, her spasming walls milking every drop out of him. A long moment passes and the world seems to stop spinning. At some point Olberic remembers to breathe and loosens his grip on Primrose's waist, his eyes widening at the marks his fingers have left on her faintly tanned skin. She chuckles at his expression and brings his hands to her mouth to kiss each palm, her eyes half-lidded in contentment.
A swell of masculine pride rises in his chest at her pleased and disheveled state. He tugs her toward him gently, kissing the tip of each breast in turn before drawing her down for a slow kiss as their bodies gradually relax, sated for the moment. She shifts her position so she can lay beside him and rests her head on his shoulder. "That," she murmurs, "was definitely worth the wait."
If he was able to find the words, he would have agreed with her. Instead, he made some sort of noise that he hoped sounded like assent and held her close, listening to her breathing as it slowed, and relishing the feel of her in his arms as he drifted off to sleep.
I've edited this down so as not to risk a rules violation. Full version is on AO3!
