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In hindsight, Edelgard should have realized that accompanying Dorothea to the hot springs - no, anywhere , really - was a terrible decision.
Though in her defense, she didn't know who all was going! And sure , maybe she should have asked, but she was so happy that the war was over that things like that were the last thing on her mind. She was more focused on the prospect of taking a quick break with her beloved friends before she had to get back to rebuilding the empire.
And of course, such a simple oversight would be her downfall.
As a matter of principle, it was just between the girls of their old class, consisting of Dorothea, Bernadetta, Petra, Ingrid, Mercedes, Annette, Lysithea, Leonie, Hilda, Marianne, and of course Edelgard herself.
What she didn't count on, however, was Byleth being there.
When she thought about it, it made sense that Dorothea would drag their former professor along for the ride. Despite her status they were all in the same age group, and she was just as much a beloved member of their circle as any of the students.
They had been through a lot together. They went on countless adventures and misadventures during their time at the academy, and they stood together during the war side by side claiming victories together and protecting each other. On top of that, Byleth was the one that stood with her against The Immaculate One against all odds, finally putting an end to the dragon's reign.
So it was only natural that the professor would be there for their hot springs trip, as well - and damnit , in all their time together, she realized she had never seen the other woman in any state of undress whatsoever.
The most she had seen of Byleth's body was the sly glimpse of her navel that her uniform offered, and that alone was enough to make her go quiet on most days. She definitely wasn't ready to behold her in all of her naked glory, even if she would be greatly obscured by water most of the while.
The worst of it was her chest. Just the thought made her blush, but, Byleth's breasts were quite large. No, very large. Edelgard had always had a glaring weakness for them, even back in their academy days. She couldn't recall the number of times she'd caught herself staring at them so obviously that even the oblivious Byleth herself noticed. But she was kind enough to just raise an eyebrow in silence, leaving Edelgard to shamelessly turn her head away without question.
And so, as she sat in the water, faced with the object - or, rather, objects - of her guilty fantasies, she wondered what she had done for Dorothea to spite her like this.
But she didn't have much time to dwell on it, as the woman in question began to speak.
"Isn't this nice?" Dorothea asked, leaning her head back against one of the rocks with a pleased smile on her face.
Across the spring, Lysithea hummed in agreement. "Indeed, it is."
"I feel this is just what we all needed right now," Hilda added. "We've all been so tense lately, so it's nice to unwind for once."
Mercedes smiled. "It truly is a wonderful way to relax."
Girls along the pool chimed in with their agreement, but Edelgard didn't pay them much mind. She was too focused on this self-inflicted torture of watching Byleth intently and darting her eyes away before they could meet hers. If anyone had noticed, they didn't say anything - and she was grateful for that.
One thing she did notice, though, was how odd Byleth was acting. She seemed to be trying to seclude herself, hiding away in the furthest corner of the hot spring and refusing to meet anyone's gaze. She simply looked away at the rocks silently, face red.
And while seeing the girl's timid, submissive expression was stirring things inside Edelgard that she really didn't want to confront right now, she couldn't help but feel a bit concerned as well. Luckily, she was closest to her, so she waded a bit closer, taking a seat next to her and very pointedly not looking at her chest.
The other girls were all engaged in their own conversations by now, filling the space with quiet chatter. She took the opportunity to speak to Byleth.
"Professor… you seem a bit, ah, out of sorts. Is everything all right?" She asked quietly, leaning a bit closer in concern.
Byleth started, blinking in surprise at the sudden confrontation. "E- Edelgard." - she paused, getting her bearings - "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."
The younger woman waited for a moment, but Byleth didn't say anything else, opting to merely look down awkwardly.
Edelgard's brows furrowed as she wondered what could be wrong. She had never seen the stoic woman act like this. She didn't think she'd ever seen her embarrassed, actually, in all the time that she'd known her. And while she could certainly get addicted to that shy expression, she tried instead to think of what could be causing it.
Her scars, perhaps? No - that couldn't be it. Byleth had never been embarrassed to let people see them, and every other girl in the spring was covered in their fair share of grotesque scars, Edelgard in particular.
Then was it perhaps that she was simply embarrassed to be seen unclothed? If that was the case, it was certainly a surprise. The professor really wasn't the type to be shaken by things like that.
So then… What could it be?
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
That was the only thing Byleth could think.
...Well, the only coherent thing. Her mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts revolving around Edelgard and Girls and Boobs and her Unnatural Heart Rate, but none of it was coming together.
She almost wished that she hadn't lost her divine powers - that her heart hadn't started beating. While she was happy to have gained the humanity she had been missing all her life, it came with too much .
Before, her emotions were different. It was like a dam held them back, allowing only a small amount to leak through. She never cried, hardly ever smiled, because her emotions were held at bay so well. Now, though, it was as if a wrecking ball had been taken to that dam, demolishing it and letting all of her feelings flow freely.
She wasn't used to it. Her emotions were so, so strong, and she could hardly take it.
Now, for instance, sitting in the hot water with a very concerned and very naked Edelgard at her side, her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. It was beating so hard and fast that she worried it was audible. Her face felt so hot that she wondered if she should get out of the water.
Surely this wasn't normal, she thought. But she didn't have time to think much else before she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, snapping her back to reality.
"My teach…" Edelgard trailed off, " Byleth , are you sure you're alright? Your face is very red. If there's something wrong, you can tell me."
Ah, she forgot. She recently told Edelgard to call her by name, rather than referring to her as Professor. She still wasn't used to it, and that alone was enough to make her heart run amok.
A bit unsure, she looked up, panicking slightly when her eyes landed on the Emperor's beautiful breasts. After keeping her attention there for a second too long, she desperately tore her gaze away, looking Edelgard in the eyes instead.
The other woman looked embarrassed but almost intrigued, though she cleared her throat and steeled herself.
"...Byleth?"
"Ah! Um, right, yes, I'm okay. Just a bit…" She trailed off, unsure what to say.
"A bit…?" Edelgard prompted.
Overwhelmed. She was completely overwhelmed.
But how was she supposed to tell her that? I've always found you beautiful and now that my emotions are intact my body is trying to make up for lost time by becoming incredibly aroused every time I see you and it's currently at its worst? Not likely.
Unfortunately for her, this wasn't a battle, and she couldn't solve her problem the way she was used to, with a sword. So she decided to do the next best thing; flee.
Byleth stood up, gathering the attention of the other girls.
"I'm feeling a bit warm, so I'm getting out. Please, continue," she announced, turning tail and making her way back into the wooden Inn.
The other girls didn't pay it much mind but Edelgard stared after her in awe, both confused and amazed by this new side of her former professor.
She soon found herself following her.
Gently, Edelgard knocked on the door. There was a moment's pause but she soon heard a short, "Come in," and entered Byleth's room.
Both of them were dressed in the green robes provided by the Inn - they were far more comfortable than their own clothes and they might as well enjoy their vacation to the fullest.
The older woman still appeared to be a bit flustered, but had calmed down since coming back inside.
"Did… Did you need anything?" Byleth asked as Edelgard gently closed the door behind her.
"I just came to check on you. You've been acting… strange, since we arrived here."
Byleth stayed silent, so she took that as her cue to keep talking.
"No, before that, even," the younger woman continued. "I feel as though, ever since your appearance reverted back to how it used to be… ever since your hair turned blue again… you've been a bit different. It's almost as though you're nervous about something, but I can't figure out what."
Edelgard watched her flush even deeper at that, fidgeting in her seat by the room's desk.
"What's going on, Byleth?"
Slowly, she gave in.
"The thing is, ah… before we defeated Rhea, I… I always seemed so stoic, yes? Well, my emotions, or, that is to say… my mind didn't actually allow me to feel things properly. I would sometimes have moments where I felt things in small amounts, but it was rare. But now that I've lost my powers, lost my crest, it's like that block on my heart is gone. Now I feel all my emotions in full force, and it's overwhelming. Just, because I'm not used to it, I guess."
She hesitated, but seeing Edelgard listening intently, she kept speaking.
"And, um, being… near… Well, how do I put this…" She scratched the back of her neck, averting her gaze awkwardly. "It's just that being in the hot spring with everyone and seeing you all, er, without clothes is embarrassing, and it overwhelms me. My heart is… beating really hard, and fast. Enough that it hurts."
It was silent for some time, and Byleth looked up in confusion just in time for the other girl to finally speak up.
"May I feel it?"
"...Huh?"
"Your heartbeat. May I feel it?"
Byleth was taken aback by that. That was… a strange thing to ask, right? And yet somehow, she didn't mind.
It was quiet, the room was dimly lit, and it was just the two of them, all alone. The situation felt oddly intimate. Against her best judgement, Byleth breathed a quiet, "Yes." She was nearly taken aback when Edelgard approached her, but she stayed still, eyes still locked with the woman walking toward her.
The platinum blonde leaned forward, putting a hand on her shoulder to steady herself. She hesitated, and they were both quiet for a moment, gazes still locked, until finally she brought her hand to rest carefully over Byleth's heart.
She only held her gaze for a moment longer before her eyes widened, looking down to her hand in awe. "B- Byleth…! Your heart is pounding…! My heart has never beat this fast before."
The former professor turned her head away in embarrassment. "Well… As- As I said… I'm not used to it and so… It's very intense."
Despite everything, Edelgard laughed.
"E- Edelgard!?"
"I- I'm sorry, it's just," she tried to stifle her giggles, "I wasn't expecting this. I thought you were feeling sick or something, only to find out you were really just embarrassed to see girls naked…"
Byleth flushed even more under the woman's coy smile. She turned her head indignantly, refusing to look at those soft lips curled upwards smugly. It didn't help that Edelgard's hand was still resting just above her breast, feeling the pounding of her heart.
Soon, her laughter subsided, and she continued looking into Byleth's eyes, smug smile turning curious.
"Your heart is still racing, Byleth. Are you embarrassed, even now?"
They both knew there was no point in lying.
"Yes," she admitted, looking up at the other woman nervously.
She could feel the way her Emperor stilled, could see the way her jaw clenched as Byleth looked up at her through her lashes with red cheeks.
"...Why is that?" Edelgard asked, tightening her grip on her shoulder ever so slightly - just enough so the former professor could notice.
Words began coming out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"You're so beautiful…" Byleth murmured. She had gone completely limp by this point, being pushed against the back of the chair by Edelgard, whose control was beginning to slip.
A moment passed. Neither of them spoke, until finally Edelgard broke the spell.
The shorter girl had begun to close in on her unthinkingly, bringing their faces closer and bringing her knee up to the edge of the chair to support herself. "You called me beautiful, but… does that mean you're attracted to me? I need to know that I'm not misinterpreting this."
Underneath her, Byleth was rendered speechless. All she could do was nod.
Edelgard's face came even closer, until their noses brushed.
"May I kiss you?"
Again, Byleth nodded.
Their first kiss was short, but it was only the first of many that night.