Work Text:
Edelgard wasn’t sure what to do when Dorothea knocked on her door at nightfall with two glasses and a bottle of red wine in her hands. She had a smirk to match that only grew when Edelgard tugged her into the room by the wrist and slammed the door shut.
“Are you mad!?” she scolded. “You can’t have alcohol at the monastery! You’re going to get yourself in trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Dorothea waved her friend off. “I ran into the professor on the way over and she said it was fine so long as we ‘don’t get into any trouble.’ I think she even almost smiled.”
“So Professor knows?” Edelgard sighed as Dorothea placed the bottle and glasses on her desk, nearly knocking over one of the books she was working out of. “We’re going to get into trouble.”
“Edie,” Dorothea chided as the other watched her, arms folded, “you need to take a break. You’ve been working nonstop.”
“There are things that need to be done.”
“And they won’t get done if you work yourself to death!” Dorothea turned, looking her house leader in the eyes. “No one will think you’re not doing enough if you take a break.”
“I—”
“Edie…” Dorothea frowned.
Edelgard decided it was best not to argue. “Just let me finish up this assignment, okay?”
She got back to work as Dorothea wrestled the bottle open. She poured two generous glasses, watching as the red liquid almost spilled over the top.
“Cheers,” she said.
“Where did you get this?” Edelgard took a cautious sip. She didn’t necessarily like wine—or alcohol in general—but there was something about drinking with Dorothea that made it feel special. Even if she was still writing a paper.
“A boy gifted it to be after a date.”
“You shouldn’t—”
“It was going well,” she said, “until he said something along the lines of ‘thank goodness we’re nobles.’ I think I deserve his foolishly expensive wine.” Edelgard could hear Dorothea behind her, sitting down on her bed. “What are you working on, anyways? It’s the end of the week.”
“The assignment that Professor gave us this morning…” Edelgard said, her tone questioning. Dorothea was a hard worker, after all, but she wasn’t the most timely.
“Oh, that one.” A pause for a sip. “Byleth came up to me after class and told me I didn’t have to write the paper if I managed to get Lin to practice Reason with me for an hour. So I might have to do it anyway, knowing our friend.” She laughed.
Edelgard shook her head. “It’s disrespectful to call the professor by her name.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Dorothea laughed again. “It’s just that whenever I chat with Manuela she calls her Byleth, so it’s hard not to.”
Edelgard found the laugh infectious, chuckling at her friend’s confidence. “And people call me the teacher’s pet.” Another sip of wine passed her lips.
“Maybe I can get Hubie in on the training as well,” Dorothea mused, Edelgard laughing at the stern man’s nickname. “Although that would make Lin even less inspired to help.”
Their chatter continued as Edelgard worked on her paper. It was one of the easier assignments, so she didn’t find herself distracted. There were so many nights that she would work alone until daybreak, it was lovely having the company of the singer. Between sentences, sips of wine went fast and soon they were both on their second glass. The second glass finished and the third came quickly after, not quite as full as the first two.
Edelgard was laughing more with each sip, aware that she was just encouraging Dorothea’s banter. Her friend always had an abundance of stories to tell, both from the past and just that week. Edelgard kept pausing her essay to turn and talk to the woman, who was sitting with her back against the wall and her legs dangling off the bed. She didn’t have to finish the assignment, right? Maybe she did have a bit too much to drink; she wrote the same sentence twice.
“Everything alright, Edie?” Dorothea asked, her voice was calling to the other woman. “You’ve been staring at me.”
“I think I’m a bit tipsy.” Edelgard blinked hard. “I can finish the assignment tomorrow.”
“Me too,” Dorothea said, tipping back the last sip in her glass. “Come over here, then?”
Edelgard stood too fast, gripping onto her desk chair as the room spun around her. Dorothea laughed, so she laughed as well, smiling at the weightlessness.
“Come here, come here, Edie.” Dorothea smiled, cooing. She leaned over the bed and placed her glass on the nightstand, reaching out for her friend. “Be careful.”
Edelgard took her arms, sitting down on the bed. “Sorry.”
Dorothea returned to the position she had been in, shaking her at the future emperor. “Finally, I got you away from the essay.”
Edelgard nodded, looking at the woman. Her lap looked so comfy and her eyes were tired. Wordlessly, she lay down on her bed and plopped her head onto Dorothea’s lap. It was a good decision, it stopped the room from spinning around.
“I’m definitely tipsy, but you don’t drink much, do you?” Dorothea asked, the traces of a blush on her pale cheeks. Edelgard was proud of herself. Usually she was the one who was flustered by her friend.
Edelgard shook her head. “You’re blushing.”
“I am.”
“Why?” Edelgard asked with a laugh.
“Because I have the great leader of the Black Eagles on my lap like a housecat.” Dorothea giggled, stroking Edelgard’s hair. She closed her eyes with the feeling of her fingers dancing across her scalp. “You’re funny, Edie.” She began to hum.
Edelgard snuggled closer to her hand. She wasn’t one for touching in general. After… well, her childhood, it was hard for her not to flinch at a hand coming towards her. Yet for once she wanted to be touched, to be fawned over.
“Edie,” Dorothea said in almost a whisper.
She opened her eyes. “Yes?”
“Do you remember earlier today, when we were talking about your romantic life?” Dorothea was serious now, Edelgard could tell by the way her face hardened ever-so-slightly, setting her jaw in place. Her green eyes were focused on her, and she was no longer laughing as she was moments before.
“Of course.”
“Why would you say that us falling in love would be an exciting future?”
“How could it not?” Edelgard asked, looking up at her friend. “You’re lovely. Dorothea: you’re beautiful, you’re kind, you’re talented. I wouldn’t regret a future with you by my side.”
For once, Dorothea was speechless. Her gaze held Edelgard’s, moving her hand from her hair to her cheek. The emperor was about to complain when Dorothea ran her thumb in circles against her skin. It felt nice, both of their body’s heats.
Dorothea lifted her hand. “Thank you. You are too sweet.” She pressed her pointer finger gently against Edelgard’s lips. Her heart fluttered as she felt the brush of the finger and she kissed it gently.
Her friend laughed, but didn’t break eye contact. Her emerald eyes shined in the candlelight. “Edie… can I kiss you?”
“Why?” Edelgard didn’t know why she asked.
“Because I want to know what it’s like to kiss Edelgard von Hresvelg,” Dorothea said with a small smile. “Is that enough?”
She felt her face grow hot at the mention of her full name. There was something about it coming from Dorothea’s mouth that made it sound like a song. She was used to being Edie to her, not Edelgard .
And the songstress wanted to kiss her.
Edelgard pushed herself up, finding herself face to face with Dorothea. In her haze, she decided to say, “I’ve never kissed anyone.”
“That’s okay,” Dorothea responded, steadying her. She, too, was beginning to look tired, but her gaze rested on her friend’s lips. “A kiss or two won’t hurt.”
Edelgard barely registered Dorothea’s lips on hers. It was quick, nothing more than a peck and it was over. She frowned.
“I’m sorry,” Dorothea said, quickly realizing her mistake with Edelgard’s reaction. “I shouldn’t have suggested this. I got ahead of—”
Edelgard leaned forward, almost pressing all of her weight against Dorothea, and captured her lips once more. Dorothea tasted like wine. She assumed she did as well. And her lips were soft. And everything in that moment—tucked away in a small dorm at Garreg Mach with an empty bottle of wine and a half finished report—felt whole. Edelgard knew that Dorothea was right, as she stole a third kiss from the flustered girl: it could have been someone she just met, or someone she knew her whole life, or just perhaps something could spark between the two of them.