Chapter 0 - rest and relaxation

When Corrin hears someone enter into the hot spring, she doesn't look at first, because she had just managed to get relaxed and had just closed her eyes. It doesn't occur to her that her visitor could be unwanted, and she doesn't dwell on who it might be for long, because they don't make an alarmed sound upon seeing her, which means there couldn't be any reason for her to be alarmed. She sighs, sinking further into the warm water, not thinking much on her visitor until they speak, and her eyes fly open upon hearing a voice that is distinctly male.

“Enjoying a bit of laziness, hm, Lady Corrin?” The voice belongs to Azama, and when she opens her eyes, she sees his resting right next to her, an easy smile on his face. He doesn't seem bothered in the slightest, but she can feel her cheeks heating up in a blush and she starts to get angry.

“What are you doing in here?” she snaps.

He feigns a look of surprise and replies, “Well, I thought you knew what the hot spring was for, but I suppose I should never underestimate stupidity!” Now she's definitely angry, and she scowls at him, realizing too late that she's made no effort to cover herself. Her arms fly up, defensively wrapping around herself, even though she's covered enough that he doesn't seem bothered.

“You can't be in here,” she says.

“And why not?”

“Because I'm in here!” She throws her hands up in frustration before remembering that she's supposed to be covering herself, and does so hastily. He chuckles.

“I don't see why that matters,” he replies. “Because you're a woman? I'm not bothered by simple, physical things like that.”

“I am so sure,” huffs Corrin, her frustration growing more and more, as it always does when she has a conversation with the monk. “Stop making excuses and just get out to wait your turn!”

“Aw, and why should I? You wouldn't mind if I were Lady Hinoka-”

“Because she's my sister!”

“-or Setsuna-”

“Because she's still a girl!”

“-so I don't think it's fair for you to single me out like this! And, anyway, you're the only one who's uncomfortable, so if it's bothering you so much, maybe you should leave.”

“I was here first!” she protests. “I'm not going anywhere!”

“Alright,” he says, with a good-natured smile. “Then how about we both just relax and enjoy ourselves?”

“But...but...!” Corrin groans, unsure of what to say, and she lets her arms drop. Azama isn't even looking at her anymore anyway, and if he's not going to leave, there's not much she can do about it. She could leave, like he suggested, but she doesn't want to let him know he's getting to her, and she was enjoying relaxing and...

Her face flushes and she cuts off her thoughts before they can wander into very dangerous territory. She doesn't need to think about that, not now, when he's so close to her. But once she's started thinking, of course she can't stop, and he is perfectly oblivious to her confusion. He's always been oblivious, thankfully, but ever since the two of them began talking more and fighting side by side more often, she's been very confused about her feelings for him. The two of the bicker more often than not, and he says things that come across as insulting, and she was offended by him nearly constantly at first. However, as time went on, she adjusted to his sense of humor and could tell when he meant things and when he was just trying to get a rise out of her, and part of her began to find it funny and endearing.

She doesn't really understand it, but even though her frustration wasn't replaced by her amusement, only joined by it, she began to think of Azama in a very different way. Little things about him became more and more noticeable to her until she could no longer deny that she was attracted to him, that she was falling for him, and even if he still annoyed the ever loving hell out of her, that didn't slow down her feelings in the least. Now, she sits uncomfortably, wondering if he would notice if she stole a few glances at him.

She isn't able to stop herself, regardless of the risk, and she's ashamed of the heat she feels pooling in the pit of her stomach when she gets a look at his body. With the way he dresses, she's always had to guess at his build, but now, he's exposed enough that she can see what he's kept hidden from her. Naturally, he isn't incredibly muscular, but she likes the softness around his stomach, and he still has incredible arms. Gods , but was looking at him a mistake!

Now she is so flustered she can hardly sit still, and she really, really wishes that he had even the slightest shred of decency, that he had left when she had requested. Instead, he starts talking to her while she looks away, trying to rekindle one of their previous discussions, but she finds that she has nothing to contribute in her current state. Azama seems to fill the silence on his own just fine, but after a moment, he stops.

“You're awfully quiet today,” he says. “I can appreciate a captive audience, but I'm starting to miss your little idiotic contributions.” She snorts, but it's fake, and even his remark can't get a rise out of her right now.

“I just don't have much to say,” she mumbles, after an uncomfortable silence in which she realizes he is waiting for her to respond.

“Nothing? Not even something completely foolish? I won't make fun of you too much, if that's what you're afraid of,” he teases. But she shakes her head, not bothering to poke back at him, and he frowns. “Are you really that bothered by my being here?”

“No,” she lies, but she can feel her face getting redder, the longer he looks at her. “But I think...I think I've been in here long enough, and that I should get going.”

“Oh,” he replies, and she wonders if she's imagining the hint of disappointment in his voice. “I really didn't mean to bother you, so if you want me to go instead...”

“I wouldn't ask you to leave on my account! You can stay for as long as you want.”

“Yes, but where's the fun in that?” he murmurs, more to himself than to her.

“Wh...what do you mean by that?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing, nothing,” he says with a hand wave, but his voice is lacking some of its usual bravado, and she isn't convinced. “I just don't see much point in sitting by myself, rather than having a conversation with you.” Is it her wishful thinking, making her interpret this how she is, or is he actually implying that he's interested in her as well? Has this all been a way for him to get closer to her? She doesn't want to hope too hard, but she can't help wanting him.

“I don't want to stay,” she confesses, “because I'm not sure if I trust myself.” There's no way to know how he will react to this, but there isn't any other way to find out what's going on between them other than being more direct.

“Corrin, I hope you realize that I knew you were in here and that I wouldn't have come in otherwise.” He's smirking, but he seems nervous, a very rare occurrence and she would have felt proud of herself if she weren't so nervous hereself.

“Can I kiss you?” She decides to be bold, but Azama outright laughs at her question.

“Can you kiss me?” he repeats. “You know, normally one wouldn't bother asking that if they already knew the answer. Normally, they would just go for it. I'm surprised you didn't already know that, but I guess-”

He falls abruptly silent when she moves closer and throws her arms around his neck, her voice dropping low as she mumbles, “Well, I didn't already know the answer...” She kisses him hard, then, and one of his hands rests on the small of her back as he relaxes into it, returning her kiss. Her desire for him grows and she leans into him, until he shifts their position entirely, pulling her so that she is straddling his lap and can feel that he's already hard.

When their kiss is broken, he rests his face on her shoulder and murmurs in her ear. “You know, I've wanted this for a long time, don't you? You've thrown me very off-balance, Lady Corrin. It's embarrassing, how much you've managed to distract me, of all people.”

“I thought you said you weren't bothered by 'simple, physical things,'” she teases.

“And I thought you knew I was a fabulous liar,” he retorts, and he nibbles at her ear and causes her to shiver. “But I'm also perceptive, and I thought you might be interested in me. You were surprisingly hard to read in that department, but I had my suspicions and I decided to go out on a limb here. How very delightful, finding out that my suspicions were correct. Honestly, one could say it was preordained, wouldn't you agree?”

Corrin snorts, glad that he's holding her in such a way that he can't see how much she's blushing. “Can't you stop with the bullshit, for just a few minutes?”

“And who would I be if I did?” he asks. “Would you be even half as madly in love with me as you are now?”

“I never said-!”

“Milady, you never had to,” he replies. “But you don't have to worry. I thought it was obvious by now that I've fallen in love with you as well.” She wants to scold him for being so blunt or for stealing her chance to confess, she wants to beg him to be serious because it all seems too good to be true, but he's kissing her again before she can say a single word, and he's pulling at the strings holding her bottoms in place. She lets him undress her, and they have to break the kiss again so that he can undress himself.

Her forehead rests against his as he nudges against her. “Are you sure you're ready for this?” he asks, his voice more serious than she's used to. She nods, her breath catching in her throat, her desire making it very hard for her to speak. “Even though we're in a place where we could get caught at any moment?” Now, he's teasing her again, but she can't think clearly enough to consider the consequences. She has to have him.

“Please,” she begs, and he gives her a smirk before he jerks his hips, pressing his cock into her. It hurts, but he does not give her more than she can handle and he makes an effort to be gentle. She holds onto his shoulders, digging her nails so deep into his flesh that he hisses, but he doesn't ask her to stop, and so she's able to ride out the pain until she starts to adjust to having him inside of her.

When he's able to move, when he's able to thrust up into her, she catches herself crying his name and remembers, suddenly, what he said about their location. It's hardly the place for something like this, and anyone could walk in, one of her siblings could walk in, and she is horrified to imagine what Hinoka would have to say about all of this. She is horrified, but a part of her is also spurred on by the thought, by the uncertainty, by the knowledge of how much they are risking by doing this, and she moans.

Azama fucks her like that for some time, or maybe it's no time at all- she isn't really sure how time is moving, but she is sure that it's the longest they've been together that he's gone without teasing her. She drops her lips down to capture his in a kiss, and he nibbles at her lip, causing her to gasp. It won't be much longer for her, and she thinks he knows that, and she kisses him like she's starving for something. Maybe she is, maybe she's needed this.

He said he loves me , she thinks, the words hitting her hard as she realizes that this means for them. She's been so distracted, this has all moved so fast, that she hasn't really thought about the fact that this means that the two of them are together now, and that they're in love, and that she's finally gotten her way with him. Trembling, she moans into his kiss, and then she's overcome as she reaches her orgasm, and Azama holds tight to her.

Her head tips back, breaking the kiss, and she whimpers his name. Her name is also the only thing on his lips when he joins her, her own climax enough to drive him over the edge, and he bucks his hips up into hers, his moan more broken and needy than she would have expected from him. The two of them fall silent to catch their breath, but already, she can feel lust stirring up within her again.

She knows that if they're going to continue, they'll have to go somewhere a little bit more private. As thrilling as the risk was, she doesn't want to press her luck, but she gets a bit of a thrill knowing that, if they walk back to her room together and disappear for the rest of their evening, then everyone will know exactly what is going on between the two of them. 

-
If you're interested in my writing updates, please follow my fanfiction twitter @WattStalf