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“You should get laid.”
Byleth blinked slowly, tilting her head owlishly. “I could… ask all the students to fight against me at once, I suppose,” she suggested carefully, not really understanding how getting felled on the training field would solve insomnia. It would certainly increase the chances of a concussion, though.
Manuela stared at her with a bewildered expression, and somehow Byleth got the impression that one-versus-eight was not what the songstress meant.
When Byleth continued staring blankly, Manuela elaborated, “Sex.”
Ah. That kind of “getting laid”.
Byleth sat back in her chair, her eyes squinting slightly. “What if that’s not an option?” she countered calmly.
Manuela scoffed, seemingly unconvinced by Byleth’s hesitance. “I didn’t think you were a prude like Hanneman.”
Byleth merely reached for her wine glass on the oak desk between them and took a long sip in response.
That was enough to placate Manuela. She waved her hand flippantly and explained matter-of-factly, “Sex is a natural tension reliever. It releases hormones that help you rest more easily once you’ve climaxed.” She finished off her own wine glass and added with a smirk, “But you don’t need a partner for that.”
Placing her empty glass on the desk, she droned on, “Not to mention, a great way to get rid of lingering headaches from too much wine on your day off.”
Despite Manuela’s insistence, Byleth was certain this was not going to work for her problem.
Or should she say Dimitri’s. She was merely trying to be a helpful professor. However, that part would have to remain confidential.
“Do you… have any other suggestions?” Byleth asked as she traced her thumb idly around the base of her glass.
Heaving a disappointed sigh, Manuela began rummaging through her desk drawer, tossing crumpled papers and lipsticks left and right. As her search subsided, she pulled out what appeared to be a small, light pink bag of fabric tied with a neat, white bow.
“Here you go, my dear.” The songstress offered the bag to Byleth, who accepted it with her free hand.
Setting her mostly full wine glass on the table, Byleth gently raised the bag to her nose and sniffed it. Instantly, the hairs on her neck stood up.
“Fragrant herbs,” Byleth observed.
“Enlightening Herbs. Something I occasionally procure for my personal collection when I’m not sleeping well. Brew four grams per 240 milliliters of hot water at 80 degrees Celsius for peak aromatherapy. Drink about one hour before you intend to sleep for the night. You will sleep like a rock,” Manuela stated with practiced precision. Funny how she could do that, even in her hungover state.
Byleth stared at her blankly. “Make some tea before bed. Got it…” She hoped. “What happens if I use too much?”
“No side effects if you like your tea a little strong. But you shouldn’t even need half of the bag.”
Byleth nodded resolutely. This was a solution she could bring to Dimitri.
“I’ll try not to use too much,” Byleth assured her.
“No worries. I’ve got other plans to get to sleep tonight,” the songstress winked.
And that was Byleth’s cue to leave. Standing up, she bid Manuela a good evening.
Knock, knock.
“For the last time,” Byleth could hear a muffled, male voice moving toward the wooden door from the other side.
As the door swung open, Dimitri continued in an exasperated tone, “You cannot use my room to-“
For the briefest moment Byleth felt goosebumps on her neck as she stared into the eyes of the glowering prince.
“To what?” she asked curiously, tightening her grip on the delicate bag of herbs.
“P-professor!” Dimitri blurted, his back straightening stiff as a board as his eyes widened in surprise. “My sincerest apologies. I thought you were someone else,” he explained, the previous annoyance in his tone fading almost immediately into his usual pleasantries.
“If you’re waiting on someone, then I’ll be quick,” she responded calmly, to which he emphatically shook his head.
“No, no! I’m not waiting on anyone,” Dimitri refuted as he held the door. “Please, come in,” he insisted as he stepped aside to allow her entry.
Byleth stared at him listlessly for a moment. She had no intention of staying for long, especially when they had just talked earlier that morning.
Then again, a few minutes of checking in with her students never hurt. She nodded and made her way into the room.
Once the door was closed behind her, she stated calmly, “I brought you a remedy for your sleeping issues.”
Dimitri looked taken aback at first. “Professor, you did not have to go through such efforts. Checking on me at breakfast was more than enough.“
Ironically, he had said something similar after Byleth had stopped him from nearly dozing off into his plate of eggs. Even the reliable house leader needed help sometimes, whether he realized it or not.
“It wasn’t too much effort,” Byleth replied matter-of-factly.
“Even so, I would never ask you to use your day off for my sake,” the prince objected, his face looking far too solemn for such a trivial favor.
Rather than debate with him pointlessly, she stepped toward him and held up the fragrant bag to Dimitri’s face. That was enough of a diversion to stop his objections. As he had no choice but to inhale the powerful, flowery aroma, he asked curiously, “Saffron?”
Not wanting to speak to his chest, Byleth craned her neck upward and answered honestly, “Enlightening Herbs, but I’m not sure of the composition. I forgot to ask.”
Byleth watched as Dimitri closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, seemingly intrigued by the smell. She stayed still, suddenly intrigued by the prince herself.
The way his soft, blonde hair tickled her knuckle. The warmth of his breath on the back of her hand. The chiseled shape of his jaw. Things she would otherwise never observe on a given day. Granted, she usually didn’t stand this close to him, unless they were in the middle of melee training.
Noticing him opening his eyes, she stepped back and lowered the bag into his open and awaiting palm. Dimitri accepted the gift with no further qualms.
“Use it to make tea. Drink the tea an hour before bed, and you should sleep better,” Byleth summarized Manuela’s instructions.
“Can I interest you in a cup of tea as a thank you?” he offered hopefully, pointing to a white tea set with yellow embroidery conveniently sitting on his desk next to the wall. “I usually drink tea around this time anyway,” he explained.
Byleth looked at the steaming tea pot, then up at the prince. When she didn’t answer after a beat, he backpedaled nervously, “Ah, unless you have other business to attend tonight. I certainly wouldn’t want to take up your evening.”
Well, grading papers could wait a little bit longer. A good night of rest and a productive early morning sounded like a decent idea. Plus, how could she say no to tea time?
Byleth stared at him expectantly and answered with a nod, “You can.”
For the first time today since Byleth saw Dimitri closing his eyes at breakfast, the prince flashed her a smile. Dare she call it, cute.
“My, it is considerably warm tonight,” Dimitri chuckled nervously, his face slightly flush as he began unclasping his royal blue cape.
Byleth watched with keen interest as the prince unbuckled the strap and lowered the cape from his broad shoulders. Had his school uniform always been so tight? No wonder he was overheating.
Though, she couldn’t blame him as she pulled on her own sweaty collar. The room was fine when she first walked in, but now it felt absolutely stifling. Her body felt clammy in all the wrong places, and she found it difficult to stay in her seat without fidgeting.
Sure, they had each drunk multiple cups of tea over the hour. However, that was nothing out of the ordinary, especially during cooler evenings at the monastery. Looking around, there was no source of heat other than the sparsely placed candles lighting the room. Though the room was small, there was an arm length of space between the chair where Byleth sat and the bed where Dimitri sat. Why were they both feeling so hot?
Maybe the discomfort was just a sign that she was becoming unwell and should retire to her room for the night.
“We should both head to bed soon,” she suggested as she stood up. “Thank you for…” she started. At that moment her head began to swim, and she suddenly couldn’t discern how to take her next step.
“Professor?” Dimitri gasped, reaching out to grab her as her eyes fluttered and she teetered forward. Byleth managed to clumsily catch herself on his shoulders while Dimitri held her waist steady.
They stayed like this, frozen in place for several seconds until Byleth’s vision cleared. Bright blue eyes stared at her in awe, and she became acutely aware of several sensations all at once.
Dimitri’s shoulders were as firm as they were broad. Of course she knew of his crest’s strength; everyone did. Nonetheless, his physique was impressive. Enticing, even.
Curiosity got the best of her, and her hands began creeping down his sleeved biceps. She wasn’t the only one feeling curious, though.
Dimitri’s thumb was already tracing the exposed skin of her navel. This was the first time she had ever felt his bare hands, which were usually guarded by gauntlets. And she liked it.
She had never been interested in kissing anyone, considering that she was raised around middle-aged men who always reeked of blood and ale. But right now, as Dimitri’s flowery breath fanned against her face and the damp hairs at the nape of her neck stood on end, she found herself wanting to.
So she closed her eyes and leaned in.
His lips were soft and warm, and she wondered if the rest of his body felt like this. She wondered if she felt like this.
She didn’t have to guess for long. Dimitri raised a hand from her waist to her cheek, and she was pleasantly surprised by the calloused texture of his palm. Just like hers.
Byleth kissed him again, and a small sigh of contentment escaped his lips. Immediately, her grip on his arms tightened as warmth pooled in her stomach.
Oh, she really liked that.
Tentatively she kissed him again. And again. And once more. Was this how kissing worked? She didn’t know. But what she did instinctively know was that if she pulled away right now, the dizziness would return.
So she leaned closer.
Pressing her chest against his, she deepened the kiss. Dimitri responded eagerly, cradling the small of her back with one hand and hoisting her fully onto his lap with the other until she straddled him. He was so strong, yet so gentle with her. Part of her wanted to test the limits of his control.
Curiosity giving way to craving, Byleth’s tongue clumsily explored his mouth. Did all kisses taste this good? Or maybe that was just the copious amount of tea. Either way, she was delighted by the discovery.
Her brain screamed for her to explore more. Feel more. Taste more. Pleasure more. Lest, the alternative was to completely burn out. So she listened to her body. Emboldened, she began fumbling with the buttons of his uniform shirt.
With his left hand held firmly against Byleth’s ribcage for stability, Dimitri began using his right hand to help undo the pesky buttons keeping her from feeling more of him. However, they could only work so far down with Byleth still pressing against him.
Reluctantly, Byleth broke the kiss to finish freeing the prince from his cotton confinement. She was handsomely rewarded with a full display of Dimitri’s chiseled pectorals and abs, glistening from the room’s warmth.
Her hands wasted no time roaming his expanse, her eyes taking in every detail of this moment. The wild hammering of his heartbeat beneath her palm. The way he bit his lip when she ghosted over his nipples. His small, faded scar on his upper abdomen. His faint trail of blonde stubble from his navel, obscured by his pants. And his growing arousal nestled between her thighs. But she wasn’t interested in exploring that just yet.
All the while, Dimitri sat patiently and simply watched her. He often did that, didn’t he? In the classroom, on the training grounds, from afar in a crowded hallway. His gaze was familiar, yet so different this time.
With his blue pupils blown wide, he looked like a hungry lion waiting for the opportunity to strike. Dangerous. Ravenous. And when her hands finally slowed and returned to his shoulders, he pounced.
First to fall prey to his iron grip was her left breast. Startled by the new sensation, she squeezed his shoulders and hissed.
Dimitri’s hand instantly stopped. “Did that hurt?” he asked quietly, his determined gaze now tainted with concern.
Byleth shook her head. “No, keep going,” she instructed, her words somewhat slurred.
Dimitri recovered quickly and resumed caressing her breast. “Good,” was all he said as the predatory look in his eyes returned.
Starting slowly, Dimitri took his time getting to know her chest. Rubbing, pulling gently, pinching lightly. How rough she liked him to play (which, to her surprise, was very rough). As heat pooled into her stomach, all Byleth could do was focus on sitting upright and remembering to breathe.
Once he became sure of what he was doing, his other hand pounced on her right breast. Double the hands, double the pleasure. Double the difficulty of staying quiet and composed during his turn to explore.
Byleth’s hips bucked for the first time when Dimitri began twisting her nipples. Both of them shut their eyes and gasped at the friction.
What… was that deliciously intense pressure, and how could she get more of it?
When Byleth opened her eyes again, Dimitri sprung into action. As if reading her pleasure-addled mind, he began grinding into her. Same as before, he took his time figuring out what pace felt the best to both of them.
Byleth did her best to keep up, her feverish head lolling to the side as Dimitri’s speed and intensity increased. But eventually, Dimitri was driving for the both of them. She was simply a horny passenger, riding on his hard cock and holding onto his neck for dear life. She felt so hot and sticky, yet so good. So weak, yet so powerful with these newfound discoveries about herself.
She could only imagine how all of this felt without the clothes. Without the responsibilities of homework and preparing the next generation of leaders. Without the worries of being seen or heard.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Apparently she couldn’t even imagine that. With alarming sobriety, Byleth and Dimitri halted all motion.
“Hey, Your Highness!”
Of all people to slam Byleth back into reality, it just had to be Sylvain.
“Buy me some time,” she whispered to Dimitri as he lifted her off him and stood her on the ground in one fell swoop.
“For the last time, you cannot use my room to entertain your dates, Sylvain,” Dimitri called out as he dashed to the door.
Byleth didn’t bother listening to Sylvain’s rebuttal, too focused on silently opening Dimitri’s window and checking her surroundings outside. Luckily, jumping from second story buildings was second nature to a former mercenary like her.
With one more glance at Dimitri, whose eyes still shone with longing as he leaned his backside against the door, Byleth escaped into the night.
Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, kno-
Byleth begrudgingly cracked the door open and stared half-asleep at the noisy intruder.
“Oh thank goddess. I was starting to think I’d have to search the entire monastery for you,” Manuela sighed in relief.
“Can I help you?” Byleth asked, stifling a yawn as she slowly opened the door.
“Well, not at this point,” Manuela lamented and crossed her arms over her chest. “The Enlightening Herbs I was supposed to give to you somehow ended up in my glass of wine before my date. So I then slept through said date because goddess forbid I have one normal encounter with a decent man,” the songstress rambled scornfully, her eyebrows furrowing in exasperation.
Byleth was really not in the mood to speak to people this early in the morning. “Please get to the point,” she stated flatly.
“Long story short, I gave you the wrong herbs and I need them back,” Manuela concluded and held out her hand expectantly.
Byleth reached into her cloak pocket and handed Manuela an empty pink bag.
Manuela stared at the bag for a while before asking carefully, “Where are the herbs?”
“Sorry, I used them all last night,” Byleth admitted before yawning into her hand.
A look of horror crossed the songstress’ face as she glanced between the bag and Byleth. However, it was quickly replaced with a resigned shrug of acceptance and an eye roll. “Did you at least sleep well?” Manuela asked.
Considering that Byleth passed out on the floor as soon as she made it through her window last night and didn’t get back up until just now, she nodded. “Yes. I did.”
After a moment she added, “So what the hell did you give me then?”
“Seduction Herbs,” Manuela answered dryly.
“Ah,” was all Byleth said before she closed the door on Manuela’s face.