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It’s cold.
It...wasn’t that bothersome, she supposed. Well...no, it bothered her. It wasn’t cold enough to snow anymore, but it still bit, especially to only be out here in pajamas and a hastily thrown on jacket. The window had been pushed shut behind her, to save the bedroom from getting cold as well, but she couldn’t bring herself to head back in just yet. A nightmare had torn right through her attempts to get a good night’s rest. That was...an unfortunately common occurrence for Philomela. Nightmares of all sorts usually plagued her sleep, whether they originated from past memories, or current paranoia. No matter how many years went by, she couldn’t really shake all the things done to her and what kind of impact it had on her psyche.
A small shiver overtook her as she pulled her knees closer to her chest, purple hues staring out at the forest beyond the property of the mansion. Sometimes this place was just too big. Maybe she really should consider getting rid of it. Going somewhere smaller. Somewhere different. Maybe this place left too much darkness behind to live in. But the amount of secrets and family-bound sorcery left behind in this place would take years still to clean out and remove.
The young Sergeant sighed, shaking her head. She was just distracting herself, but she was distracting herself with thoughts that really weren’t making her feel any better. Replacing fear with anxiety did nothing to help.
She could probably wake her, couldn’t she? No...she’d rather not bother anyone unless it was necessary. Letting her rest was far more important. Yet...speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. Or in this case...quite the opposite of a devil.
It was the sound of the window opening that caught her attention first. Someone with stealth and carefulness ingrained in her very upbringing could pick up on that much, if not the sounds of the creaking within the room itself.
“Philomela?”
Turning her head, Philomela looked on at the window, where a familiar head of short, red hair and a pair of green eyes stared back in a mixture of concern and surprise.
“Chise...”
“Something felt kind of off, so I came up to check on you. Why’re you out here in the cold?”
Philomela turned her head away, facing forward and resting her chin back on her knees. “I-I just needed air.”
Chise raised an eyebrow, not fully believing that simple answer. Climbing through the window, Chise pulled something out with her and carefully made her way over, before draping what seemed to be a fleece blanket around her shoulders. Philomela was silent as she reached for it, pulling it more firmly around herself. “...thank you.”
Chise settled down next to her, extending an arm behind Philomela’s shoulders and sitting close, as if offering her own heat as well. “Nightmares again?”
Philomela was a little hesitant to answer. With a silent sigh, the young woman’s usual frown didn’t falter as she nodded slightly. “It’s always her, lately...g-grandmother...l-like she’s trying to come back to haunt me...”
“Do you...want me to help you sleep or anything?”
Philomela thought about it, but she shook her head, grimacing. “...no. I...don’t think I-I want to sleep, right now.”
“Okay...well, at least come back inside. Catching a cold isn’t a great alternative to losing sleep. I’ll stay with you. We can just...talk or something. Like usual.”
The sorcerer peeked to the side towards Chise for a moment, as if contemplating. Finally, without a word she moved to stand up, pulling the blanket around herself more securely as she ambled back to the window. Wordlessly, Chise got up and followed, slipping back into the room once Philomela was inside and locking the window shut. She glanced over at Philomela, who stood nearby with her eyes averted, cast towards the floor. How often did she do things like this, Chise wondered? Especially on evenings when Chise was at her own home and not here? At the risk of sounding a little cliché, it almost made Chise feel like she should just stay here more often.
As if she didn’t already spend most of her time here. She did all she could do, within Philomela’s boundaries, for the girl she cared a startling amount for. More than Philomela often had the capacity to understand.
Walking over, Chise reached for Philomela and abruptly swept the girl right off of her feet, picking her up and pulling a startled kind of...squeak, out of the soft-spoken woman. “Okay, at least go back to bed and get warmed up.”
“Ch-chise!”
With a sigh, Chise walked over with her in tow. Carefully, she placed Philomela back in bed before climbing in after her, settling next to her. Recovering from the embarrassment, Philomela huddled in the blanket, sitting up. Chise stretched her back a little bit, legs outstretched where she sat as she leaned back, hands resting behind her. Hesitantly, Philomela glanced over at her, looking apologetic.
“...I-I’m sorry...if I woke you, somehow...”
“I...wasn’t really asleep anyway. It’s okay. Are you okay, though?”
She isn’t sure how to answer at first. Still, Chise never seems to mind the silence between her questions and Philomela’s answers.
“I’m not sure. M-maybe....eventually.”
“Understandable. Do you want me to stick around or would you rather be alone?”
“Y-you can stay...um...please.”
Chise smiles a little bit and nods. At least, when it came to things like this, Philomela was getting better at answering. Better at knowing if and when she needed something or wanted something from Chise.
“You wanna talk?”
“....not really. B-but...I don’t really know.” Philomela sighed, hiding half of her face behind her blanket. “I just...d-don’t want to think about all of that, right now...”
Chise looked over at her. A distraction, huh? Well...hm. “Okay....well...here.” Reaching over, Chise gently took one of Philomela’s hands. Rarely were they left without gloves, but when she slept at night, she went without. Having to wear something on her hands constantly would just become uncomfortable, after all. Confused, Philomela let Chise guide her with a bit of hesitation. More so when she was turned and guided over the mage’s lap to settle there. Chise’s other hand finds Philomela’s other, holding them both as she smiled up at the sorcerer. Philomela felt heat bloom along her cheeks as she averted her eyes nervously.
“It’s weird, isn’t it? Kind of embarrassing.” Chise admitted, laughing softly.
“I-I...erm, y-yes, actually...it r-really is.”
“Sorry...but you’re free to move if you want to.”
Philomela grimaced, refusing to look at Chise and failing to respond to that. Really, it just looked like something was definitely on the forefront of her mind, but she wasn’t sure how to express it. Chise watched her for just a moment, thinking on how to encourage Philomela over that particular hurdle. She let go of Philomela’s hands, fingers gently lingering under the girl’s palms as the sorcerer’s hands are left to linger in the air. “If there’s something you’d like to say, you can say it. It’s just us. Like always. Even Ruth’s cut off and elsewhere unless there’s an emergency.”
For a moment, Philomela’s expression doesn’t change. She simply looks more flustered than before, which Chise can’t really blame her for. There isn’t a lot Chise can do for her own hint of a blush, either. After quite a bit of nervous reluctance though, Philomela moves instead of speaks. She moves slow, like she’s still figuring out exactly what it is she’s doing. Shuffling closer, her arms slip past Chise’s shoulders and wrap around her neck, holding loosely but still just firmly enough that Chise can tell Philomela doesn’t want to let go immediately. The sorcerer leans over Chise slightly, her head resting against the top of the mage’s.
Chise has to admit—she’s a little lost for words at the shock of Philomela initiating such an affectionate gesture on her own. Philomela can’t really fully explain it herself, honestly. She recalls the oddity of when they first met at the college, and the way this girl made her want to sit and talk. When she preferred to keep away from others and often simply felt too frightened to even try, Chise made her feel different. She wanted to try with Chise. When she pushed everyone else away, she couldn’t bring herself to keep shoving this girl away.
Even now, when she was still so...hesitant about everything and struggling to figure herself out, she still dealt with Chise making her act in ways that she wouldn’t with anyone else.
She didn’t hate it. She just...didn’t get it sometimes. But...she did say that there was a lot she wanted to do and discover with her life. That she would do just that. This was just one of those things, she felt. She was allowed to do this, she was pretty sure. Chise told her that all the time.
Chise glanced up for a moment, but refrained from saying anything. Instead her arms move forward, sliding around the other woman’s midsection in a returned embrace. The side of her head rests against Philomela’s collarbone, aware of the somewhat anxious beat in her chest.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“...th-this...does, a little bit.”
“Ah...okay.” Simple enough, she supposed. Though the truth is, Philomela never knows quite how to answer that question. She’s sure there’s more she can ask for. More she can say. Chise hesitates for a moment, before her arms merely loop around the woman’s waist and she leans into Philomela. “It’s okay if you don’t know what else to say. There’s always stuff I don’t know how to say. Figure out how to say it your own way. If that makes sense. I promise I’m not so dense that I can’t tell when there’s more to it than what you can say out loud.”
Purple eyes open, staring at the wall in thought. That’s easier said than done, really. “...being selfish is...something I’m still not really used to doing.”
Oh? “Well...that’s okay too. But you know...if that’s the problem, does it help to know that I don’t mind if you are? I mean...I tend to act pretty selfishly a lot of the time, without even meaning to. Most of my decisions are because of that. It’s not always a bad thing, I think. I think that...someone like you deserves to be selfish, for once. It’s part of being free. Being able to want things. Feel things and think things. Getting to put yourself first.”
“Y-you’re...not really someone who puts yourself first either, though.”
Chise made a face, huffing at the accusation. “I mean...y-yeah, I guess you got me there.” She states with a groan in her voice. With a slight adjustment, Philomela finally let her head go, hands resting on Chise’s shoulders as she straightened up. It finally allowed a proper look at her face, nervous and uncertain. Even more nervously, her hands raise to Chise’s face, hesitantly brushing against the girl’s cheeks and lingering there. For a moment, her purple eyes meet Chise’s green hues, but just as quickly she grimaces with her usual bashful embarrassment and looks off to the side with a blush, breaking the eye contact. Chise smiled a little bit, her own hands rising up and gently sliding against the back of Philomela’s. She doesn’t move the hands, but her own do grasp them from behind, holding them there gently.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself. Don’t be so embarrassed about it.”
“A-am I...?”
“Well...you haven’t moved yet. And if anything, you’re being a lot more touchy than I expected. I think I’d dare guess that you’re at least a little more comfortable than you think.”
Maybe. Philomela did often feel more...allowed to do as she pleased, in Chise’s company. Whether it involved being near the mage or not. Not that it did much for her personality or how reserved she behaved, but at least a few things became easier when she willingly hung around the same face for a number of years.
“I...I guess, yes...you can be...too nice for your own good, sometimes.”
Chise’s smile softened more as she chuckled briefly. “I do get told that a lot.” Slowly, her right hand pulled Philomela’s over, sliding the girl’s palm in front of her lips so she could press a shy kiss against it. It pulled that blush right back to Philomela’s face, the soft and oddly intimate gesture catching her off guard. Once again, Philomela grimaced with embarrassment and glanced away nervously. On her own, she slid her hand back in place and looked back at Chise before ducking her head closer, slowly and quietly leaning in to request an actual kiss from the mage.
Of course, Chise didn’t protest. Her expression relaxes, eyes halfway shut with the soft contact of lips on her own. She yields to Philomela easily, letting her decide how much she wanted and when she wanted to stop. A slight tilt of the sorcerer’s head lets her know she doesn’t want it to be immediately over. She goes for a little more, a next kiss lingering with the shy movements of her lips. Chise returns the gesture and maybe a little more as her hands leave Philomela’s and instead loosely wrap around the young woman’s waist, her eyes sliding completely shut as she does. Though, despite all that, she doesn’t necessarily expect the hesitant yet curious way Philomela’s prosthetic thumbs brush near her jaw and chin, or the surprisingly bold way her tongue brushed against Chise’s when Chise snuck in a subtle breath between kisses.
There’s that flutter in her chest again. And her stomach. She can’t help but wonder if Philomela felt little things like that too. Her cheeks and ears heat up considerably under the onslaught of quiet yet persistent affection. Even Philomela, despite being the culprit, felt like her head was spinning a little bit. There was a strange kind of rush with pulling such bold stunts alone with Chise. There was definitely a flutter in her stomach. She’d grown so used to the uncomfortable and unwelcome twists in her gut from her worse experiences that the flutters were always too new. Flustering. Exciting in a way that almost made her scared of chasing it.
She’s starting to consider going after it, though.
Their kisses finally slow to a stop, allowing both girls to catch their breaths. Chise looks flustered—startled in such a puppy-like fashion that Philomela can’t help but find the expression undoubtedly cute. Timidly, Philomela’s carved fingers rise gently to her own lips as she averts her eyes, finding it difficult to make any kind of eye contact when her stomach was doing the kind of flips it was right now.
“A-ah...w...wow.” Chise mumbled, swallowing down what feels like a bundle of nerves and...excitement, maybe. It definitely made her feel a little restless.
“I-I um...erm...I-I’m sorry...I wasn’t even thinking...”
“Ah—n-no it’s okay, really! That was...wow.” She feels like a loser, trying to describe that only to fall on such a lame word, really. She eyes Philomela for a moment, still blushing but grounding herself enough to at least speak more properly. “...that was...Philomela being a little more selfish though, wasn’t it? I’m glad.” She offered a sheepish smile.
Her fingers curl nervously in front of her lips, Philomela looking as though she was struggling on whatever words were sitting in her throat. “I-I...I would...l-like...to keep being selfish, i-if...if that’s the case...” She’s barely audible, honestly. Her voice was small and timid, embarrassment and uncertainty threatening to suffocate what little boldness Philomela had been showing a moment ago. One of Chise’s hands rise to Philomela’s, gently pulling it away from the sorcerer’s mouth as she chuckled. Chise’s blush darkened a little bit at the idea that sparked in her impulsive head.
“Well...if you need a few moments to...figure it out, I guess? I don’t mind if you want to be a little more selfish. Do you...mind if I take over for a little bit? Maybe it’ll help.”
Surprised, Philomela’s gaze darts back to Chise’s. The green stare is surprisingly certain. It’s as genuine as Chise always was. Her hand slides out of Chise’s grasp as she looks to the side meekly, face burning. “Y-you...you can do what you like...”
Chise smiled softly at the permission. Her lingering hand moves closer to gently brush long, silver hair cleanly away from Philomela’s shoulder and neck. Her other hand rises as well, sliding against the other side of the woman’s neck. Her fingers curve behind it slightly, a gentle pull of Chise’s hand coaxing the woman to lean close again. With slightly clumsy movements, Philomela cooperated and scooted close again, leaning into Chise slightly and simply allowing the mage to guide the rest of the way. Pulling her head in close, Chise chastely brushed her lips against the front of Philomela’s neck at first, like a little warning shot. The fingers curled around Philomela’s neck loosen and affectionately brush as Chise chases the initial kiss with more. Slow and lingering, her lips travel to the side of the young woman’s neck instead, vague attention noting the way blood rushed in the veins under that skin in response.
Nervously, Philomela’s hands slide to the sides of Chise’s arms, holding on softly. Nervous. This made her so nervous. Not really in the ways she was familiar with, though. No, this was a different kind of nervous. The way Chise’s fingers subtly brush the collar of her cotton top out of the way, or the now occasional and fleeting brushes of Chise’s teeth on her neck—it made her nervous in a way that made her absolutely certain that if she wasn’t sitting right now, her legs would not be holding her up very well by now.
Pulling a little closer, Chise’s lips brush further back on her neck, just a little below the woman’s ear, before her mouth opens again and she bites. It’s careful, but it’s firm enough that it can’t be ignored. It pulls a shiver out of Philomela that she can’t catch and stop herself, her head tilting slightly as a quiet, quick noise finds its way past her lips. Chise does stop for a moment, though she lingers against the girl’s neck, breath warm when she speaks up.
“Are you okay?”
“I-I’m...f-fine...it’s o-okay...” She can’t possibly bring herself to figure out the least mortifying way to suggest Chise continue. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like she needs to. After a soft, thoughtful breath, Chise directed her next kiss right against the notch of skin just underneath Philomela’s ear. In a single, smooth transition, she gently bit at the girl’s ear and let her attentive bites and breaths curiously wander along its edge.
Goosebumps. There’s a lot of them, along Philomela’s neck and shoulders. Along her arms. There’s another whine, just as quiet and quick, but definitely clearer. “Ch...Chise...”
The shy, dreamy murmur of her name sounds softer and sweeter than Chise really expected. The reaction she gets makes her stomach twist and puts her nerves on edge. Oh, she was not used to these kinds of feelings. She stops and nuzzles against the woman’s neck, allowing Philomela a moment to stammer over her own words.
“Chise...I-I...oh I d-don’t know...um...”
“Do you want to be a little more selfish?”
Philomela swallowed, that question nerve-wracking yet somehow feeling like exactly what it was she was trying to phrase herself. “I-is that...okay?”
“Of course. Honestly...maybe I’m suggesting it because I’m being selfish too. If you’re asking any of this of me, after all...I kind of like knowing it’s me, I think. I’d want it to be.”
A black hand caresses Philomela’s cheek, Chise staring at her with a surprisingly sharp, intense stare. It was...it made her feel a lot, in a situation where she was already feeling a little too much. Her eyes avert slightly, for a moment. Shyly, she glances back and speaks up, voice so shy Chise could barely hear it.
“P...please...continue.”
Cute...Regardless, there wasn’t a lot that Chise could do about the way her face burns in reaction to the clumsy permission Philomela gives her. Chise hardly knew how to immediately react to the girl’s behavior. There were times in the past when an instance of personal growth in Elias would make Chise want to fawn or brag about it briefly, but it really paled in comparison to how she felt faced with the unexpectedly flustering softness of many of Philomela’s reactions and achievements.
At least the expected reaction here was easy enough. Chise leaned in, kissing Philomela. One kiss led to more, Chise’s hands sliding to the sides of the woman’s waist. That unnatural strength showed through, though her control over it was much more careful when it came to handling other people. Shuffling around, Chise moved Philomela off of her lap and onto the spot next to her instead, rolling herself over so she loomed above the young woman, pinning her in place. It was...kind of a familiar feeling. She had to admit. Chise was someone driven by more than just her own feelings and thoughts. There were curses and magic. She was constantly reminding Philomela how strange being around a mage daily could really get.
The feeling in her stomach was familiar, like the tightness in her chest or the heat in her face. It was kind of exciting. No, it was much more than just kind of. Honestly, Chise was more worried about this kind of feeling being frantic or making her reckless, and yet here she was reigning it in to a more...careful approach. Or at least, not as aggressive as it made her feel. Pulling herself down closer, Chise pulled herself out of her own thoughts before she got distracted by them, instead pushing her lips onto the other woman’s.
It eases Philomela in, at least. Not that she needed too much coaxing. If she was here already, then she was already at least sure of where she wanted to be at the moment. Chise’s kiss reluctantly pulls away, attention redirecting back to the girl’s neck, as she peppers soft and fleeting pecks along her jaw. The fingers of her left hand brush along the other side of her jaw and neck, playful and curious. Her touch was soft and careful, but still excitable. Somewhat restrained, maybe. No matter what, Chise’s gentle contact was reassuring and pleasant. Unlike the uncertain closeness or contact of other people, Chise’s was something that Philomela could actually look forward to. Something she could want from someone else.
“...don’t stay quiet if I need to back off.” Chise murmured, voice a quiet breath against Philomela’s neck.
“I-I know.” Chise thinks about that answer for a moment, feeling a little bit of heat creeping back up to her face as she re-evaluates her statement.
“Or well...if there’s...s-something else you end up wanting from me, too. Of course.” She added, voice a little more nervously muted. Philomela’s already tinted face certainly doesn’t clear much at the addition, but she nods subtly regardless.
“O-Okay.” Chise blinks, feeling the reluctant brush of Philomela’s thumb along her cheek. She takes a moment to pick her head up, looking at the girl curiously, but Philomela was already glancing away anxiously, her shy smile subtle and nervous. “Um...i-it’s okay, you know...just...I trust you, Chise. You...you don’t need to worry so much.”
For some reason, all that does is make her blush more. Chise’s face burns as she nods in understanding. Her attention returns, lips brushing against the sorcerer’s neck. Sliding slightly lower, Chise’s mouth opens and her teeth dig—gently at first. Even gently, there’s an odd sting from the vague canines in the mage’s mouth, maybe more prominent now that she was in a more excited mood. It was something Philomela couldn’t help but wonder in the back of her mind.
With a slight shift of movement, Chise’s bite firms as she sucks in, agitating the skin under her teeth in the process of her clumsy attempt at a hickey. Philomela breathes in unsteadily, head tilting slightly as she turned it to the side, back of her hand lingering at rest just in front of her mouth. A first attempt is chased by a second, just inches above, with a little more confidence. Enough to pull a shy, brief whine out of the woman underneath Chise, at least. Chise leaves pleased kisses behind afterwards against the sore skin, happy to hear such cute reactions again. She could get more too, she was sure. She wanted to, really. She would, too.
Black fingers brush down along the fabric of Philomela’s cotton shirt, until the tip of her thumb could sneak just under the hem. She hiked it up just a little bit, letting the tips of her own fingers ghost against Philomela’s skin for a moment. It startles the other girl briefly, with the slight chill of the touch. Chise’s kisses paused, a warm breath washing against skin as the rest of her hand follows and slides onto the sorcerer’s stomach, then to her side. Her touch was warm, now that the initial shock passed. Or maybe that was Philomela. Though, Philomela never considered herself on average as warm as Chise was, physically. Maybe it was because of the different experiences their bodies had been put through before, but it was merely an interesting observation she’d made before.
Chise’s kisses resumed, this time slowly traveling again. She ventured away from her neck now, inching over towards Philomela’s collarbone instead. Her other hand roamed to the collar of Philomela’s shirt. Fingers fidgeted with it anxiously. They brush over top buttons and eventually work them loose, button-by-button and curiously restrained between uncertain caution and impatient excitement. The latter definitely shows through a little more without any protest or negative reaction from Philomela to hinder her.
“Chise...” The girl’s soft mutter of Chise’s name is more entrancing to Chise than even hearing Morrigan speak back when she and the others had come to save Philomela from both herself and her grandmother. It had more pull than Gods could hope to have on a person, if she so dared to think so.
Her attention is pulled sharply by the feeling of movement at the bottom of her shirt. Prosthetic fingertips were fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt. Philomela glanced at her shyly, not quite sure maybe how to properly ask what she was asking. So Chise answers just as quietly, picking herself up just enough to let Philomela pull at the fabric. She helps it off, not particularly caring as Philomela lets the shirt drop somewhere else. She just takes her spot back, stealing a more assertive, needy kiss. She’s maybe a little too pleased to pick up on the fact that Philomela was returning the energy just as much, in her own kind of energy.
“Philomela...” Chise breathes out Philomela’s name between kisses, a hand drawing up to the girl’s chest and firmly sliding over it to linger there. The reaction is another nervous inhale and a small noise. She wasn’t used to this kind of contact at all. She wasn’t used to...the kind of electrifying touch this sort of mood brought with it. It was almost frightening, how jolting it was to Philomela, but it wasn’t the kind of frightening that scared her off. It just...made her want to know more. Chise’s hand pushes carefully, pulling another soft noise out of the other girl along with a slight squirm.
“That’s...really cute.” Chise muttered, eyeing Philomela with a blush. Philomela seemed startled for a moment, before looking away with an embarrassed grimace. Taking a breath, Chise’s hand brushes a side of Philomela’s top open before she leans in and affectionately kisses the girl’s neck. Now what? She was setting things in motion here, now. She was surrounded by the light scents of lavender and citrus. By the much more obscure scent she’d come to know as Philomela’s soul. Her very essence. Something someone like Chise could pick up on. It always gave her a kind of comfort and reassurance to sense it. Like reminders that the young woman was still alive. Still here and with her, and no longer out there, wilting away to the pressures of her old life, decaying every day she lived through it. Yet, right now there was more to it than just that. The presence filled her with longing. It filled her senses and made the ends of her nerves flare. New feelings and desires crept along her spine and spread along her limbs like a breeze, sinking into her chest and stomach, and through the rest of her.
Was it supposed to be this vivid? Or was that just because of all the things strange about herself too? She wasn’t entirely new to the feeling of her dragon’s curse making her restless when it came to various stimulations of her daily life, but even this felt like something of a new experience. Not a bad one. Just...dangerous? No. Something along those lines, but not in such a negative way. That didn’t really make sense, but she didn’t have the words to describe it. She didn’t have the patience, either. She just...wants Philomela. That’s all she really needs to know.
It twists in her gut. She just wants to be closer. She wants her closer. She wanted to be careful. Gentle. Yet she wanted to rush in. Then again...maybe she should stop overthinking. Her arm slides underneath Philomela, wrapping around her torso closely. Her lips press under the sorcerer’s ear, a quietly excited breath washing over her ear and neck. It made the girl shiver as her head tilted slightly, the only other distraction present being the hand that Chise slipped into her own. Tangling her fingers with Philomela’s, Chise pulled the young woman’s hand higher above her head and gently pinned it there, keeping the rest of her attention on the edge of the ear she now carefully nipped at.
There’s a squirm underneath her, subtle as it is, and she notes the feeling of a free hand sliding onto her upper back, nervously resting there. With a slight dip of her head, Chise opened her mouth and dug her teeth playfully yet firmly against the side of Philomela’s neck. There’s a strangled, small noise in the girl’s throat. Something between a...squeak, maybe, and a whine. Whatever it is, it’s cute. Philomela was such a quiet, soft-spoken person a lot of the time. Sometimes it was like she made an unintentional effort to be as quiet as possible. Of course...that’s not any good here. Her voice was...too pretty not to want to hear. Especially in a tone like that.
Chise’s teeth dig a little more insistently. Between that and the way Chise sucked at her skin, it was going to leave marks, no doubt. Philomela’s legs flinch, another hushed and anxious noise stumbling past her lips. Her voice makes Chise’s stomach flutter. With a quiet, groaned whine of her own, Chise finally backed off the mark she’d made raw on the girl’s neck and trailed eager kisses along her jawline instead, making her way back to Philomela’s lips. She didn’t bother to hide the excitement in her relentless kisses—or maybe she just couldn’t. Each kiss lingered, aggressive and hungry and yet careful and mindful. Her hand pulled away from Philomela’s and instead buried itself briefly into pale colored hair, human fingers brushing gently along the girl’s cheek before disappearing into long, disheveled locks of hair.
“Chise—” Oh, everything was spinning a little. It wasn’t a particularly bad feeling. She was just...trying and failing to keep up with the cursed mage’s energy. Not that she suspected Chise cared if she could keep up or not. She was practically leading the entire experience at the moment anyway. Philomela couldn’t even gather her thoughts well enough to speak properly. Chise’s name stumbles out in a sighed breath instead, once the woman allowed her another breath between her kisses. Chise almost pouted—something between that and a genuinely frustrated kind of stare as she eyed the flustered woman anxiously.
“That’s not fair...” She then whined, the arm around Philomela’s back shifting a little lower as Chise pulled herself slightly lower, biting gently at the jut of her collarbone. “How are you so...much? Perfect...pretty...smart...” Kisses peppered between slowly spoken words, first against the throat, then down against the sternum, and then finally down just below the stomach, lingering against her abdomen. “I love you so much, it’s hard to figure out how to show you properly...”
Chise’s arm slid free finally as Philomela squirmed faintly underneath her. Her nerves felt so...unsettled and riled up. It was the sense of an anticipation of something she couldn’t really recognize, but it made her feel restless all the same. The spots of her torso where Chise’s lips brushed left behind lingering sensations. Lingering heat that crept over and under her skin and danced along the nerves of her limbs. The fingers that lingered at the start of her cotton pants woke her senses in a way she wasn’t familiar with at all, and yet was. It was scary and electrifying, and despite how novel it all was, the wait for Chise to do more with it was driving her a little bit crazy.
They’d never done anything like this, but the realization of how curious and eager for the unfamiliarly close intimacy she really was; it was beginning to hit pretty hard.
Pulling herself back level with Philomela, Chise closed her eyes and leaned in, biting at the side of the young woman’s neck playfully as her fingertips continue to trace at the edge of Philomela’s clothing. Her breath is shaky, subtly anxious against the sorcerer’s neck as her awareness wraps itself around the fact finally that she was...jumpy. Antsy. She was so close to something much more earthshaking with this woman, and every nerve and impulse in her curse-driven body was unbearably eager to barrel forward and take all the things that she wanted, and see the rewards that came with it. Her chest was tight. Her stomach was twisted into ropes. She really hadn’t noticed until now. When she speaks in a hushed whisper, she tries not to think about the tinge of yellow in her otherwise green irises that was probably present by now, as familiar urges seep from her very core and travel outward, filling her legs and arms, her neck and even up to her fingertips, with a feeling of restrained urgency.
“Philomela...can...m-may I touch you?” The question comes out just a little bit stammered, though surprisingly bold thanks to Chise’s slight impatience. Philomela seems to squirm and shuffle a little bit, quietly flustered even if all of these attempts to stop and care for her first and foremost were reassuring and pleasing to experience. Even if she wished Chise would do it a little less at the moment, she appreciated it nonetheless.
“O-okay.” Is what she manages to squeeze out while trying to figure out how to verbalize how much she would really like Chise to do just that. She decides that there really is no way to do that without embarrassing herself intensely. Chise’s human fingertips ghost against her skin for a moment before pushing themselves gently underneath the layers of clothing that Philomela was still comfortably dressed in. Philomela’s small, nervous breath hitched when Chise’s hand pushed further in, vanishing until the mage’s fingers boldly and gently touch. Brush, briefly.
Chise bites gently, and Philomela whines quietly. A reaction for every little thing she did. Not a bad thing, at all. Chise liked the unintentional feedback—knowing that Philomela was approving and not put off. Her lips moved away from the woman’s neck and kissed her instead, muffling the noises Philomela makes when her fingers move with firm, careful repetition. “Chise...” She breathed out the woman’s name against their kiss, and Chise’s heart skips a beat hearing it like that. The smallest adjustments of her fingers pulled squirms out of the young woman underneath her. Tentatively, Chise’s black hand slipped slow along Philomela’s abdomen, smoothing up higher as the torso flinched under the careful touch of her discolored hand. Her fingers curved over the shape of the girl’s chest under them soon enough before pushing slightly, teasing her with playful, firm grasps of her hand and slides of her fingers.
Chise nipped at Philomela’s jaw as the girl gave up on trying to keep up with the mage’s insistent kisses. A shy noise wavered past her lips—a breathy kind of moan as she shifted around again, fingers clinging anxiously to Chise’s sleeve and the back of her other hand in front of her own mouth. “M-Mnn...O-oh...” A teasing ‘threat’ for more from the slightly firmer stroke of Chise’s fingers makes Philomela’s back arch a little bit, picking up from the bed as if trying to chase after more wordlessly.
Chise feels flushed, watching her react. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and loud in her own ears, and she doesn’t need to see them to know that her eyes were probably shining a golden yellow by now. She could feel the excitement and restlessness rushing through her like ocean tides, begging her to take more, a subtle feeling as loud as the way Philomela moved like she wanted the same thing, or the way her temperature climbed under the other woman’s touches. And her voice...it was like silk. Those soft, delicate noises that she made without thinking—what else could Chise get out of her? Everything about Philomela and this was overwhelming to every sense, and Chise felt so full of love and adoration and...definitely some kind of hunger, that she didn’t even know where to start when it came to getting it all out there.
Leaning in, Chise bit anxiously at the side of Philomela’s neck, fingers running over the woman’s chest with a firmer, more intentional motion this time. She let her tongue draw a short, slow line along the neck, pulling a shudder out of the sorcerer and a tug of her clinging fingers as they moved behind Chise and buried into the back of her clothes. It was always wonderful, when Philomela had those moments where she wanted to hold Chise close. Cling to her and simply stay like that. This was no exception, even when Chise was swept up by the tides of desire and curiosity. Nuzzling her face close, Chise moved her lips closer to the woman’s ear and breathed warm, goosebumps surging along Philomela’s arms in response. “Philomela...” Chise’s voice speaks her name surprisingly softly, for having such a heavy, biting tone of need along its edges. Philomela’s fingers seem to pull at Chise again as if to answer her. The woman’s head was spinning from all the sensations and directed attention, but she still clawed for words that were hanging on the tip of her tongue. Some pathetic attempt at directing Chise. Making it clearer what she wanted right now.
“Nngh...” Rather than a coherent word, at first really the only thing that finds its way out of Philomela rather abruptly is a pleased, shaky whine. Her mouth lingers open as she breathes out, unsteady and flustered. She gasps with the firmer pull upwards of Chise’s fingers and finds that word from before simply tumbling its way past her lips with a surprising urgency to it.
“P-please—” Oh, it’s not fair. The gasped, pretty plea is soft yet urgent, and it makes Chise’s gut twist. It makes her feel unfamiliar heat all along her body; from her legs, to her hips, to...everywhere else, really. She can’t help herself at this point. She wants what Philomela’s giving her. Only she gets to have it, after all.
The subtle rumble of what could only be an impulsive kind of...growl, lingers against Philomela’s ear. There’s something about it that makes everything vivid. It makes everything Philomela was feeling at the moment more intense. Maybe Chise knows that, considering the instinctive sound is paired with the curl of her fingers and the slow push inside. Philomela breathes out in a short, broken-up gasp. Chise’s cursed hand slides away from Philomela’s front so her arm can firmly wrap around the woman’s frame once again, pulling her close by the waist as she let Philomela have a moment to pull herself back together. She did think to fill the moment at least, with the firm, yet careful bite of her teeth on Philomela’s ear.
Slowly out, at least mostly. Then, back in with a firmer motion than the first push. A slightly more confident one. Chise’s bite on Philomela’s ear turns into insistent kisses underneath it and towards her jaw, Philomela’s back arching again momentarily as Chise’s fingers slowly adopted a steady, fair pace. Another small, cute moan. It died into a sharp whine as the sorcerer tilted her head and pulled at Chise without thinking. Thinking clearly or coherently was well out the window now. This...really was much more intense than she expected. The breaths she forced herself to remember and take were rough and harder by the moment, every little push and teasing adjustment Chise gave making Philomela feel like she was running a mile just to keep up with what was going on. It was one thing to have never really been handled with love like Chise treated her constantly, but another entirely to never have been touched like this before. It was startling to realize or acknowledge just how much more she wanted, or how much she just wanted Chise to keep going. Honestly, Chise could have whatever she wanted of her at this point, even if Philomela knew and trusted that Chise wasn’t the type to take more than necessary.
She just knew that if Chise did want everything, she would simply let her have it. She wondered—would Chise let her do the same?
Yes, she probably would. That fact alone was such a beautiful wonder to Philomela. She could still only barely understand it.
With an abrupt, sharp noise, Philomela’s hips rolled into the push of Chise’s fingers, and her own fingers rose up to bury themselves into red hair. “A-ah—Chise...!”
Even Chise felt the rumble of a groan that she gave against Philomela’s neck, arm tightening slightly around Philomela to pull her close. “I love you so much...” She murmured against the woman’s ear still, enjoying the shudders and goosebumps that her voice and breath seemed to bring when it was so close to her ear. “I wish I could do more somehow...you just deserve to be admired. Loved. You’re amazing, and somehow you’re mine.”
Philomela clings and shudders again as she lets out a much less restrained moan than before. She couldn’t handle much more of this. It was...amazing, but it was too much. It was too much, and she could feel everything that was building and gathering inside her was just threatening to spill over any moment. She welcomes it, despite how frighteningly overwhelming it felt right now. Gasps and sharp, quick moans pepper her flushed and heavy breaths until finally all she could do was cling tightly to Chise as fireworks sparked and exploded inside her, it felt like. She gasped Chise’s name like a raw desperation, a harder push from the woman’s fingers that linger insistently pushing her past the edge harder than either of them were expecting, honestly. Philomela trembled and tensed around Chise, her hands pulling at the mage impulsively and her body rolling firmly against still present fingers to ride out the fire she was feeling right now.
Arms wrap around Chise once the mage properly reigns herself in, pulling her hands away and wanting to see if Philomela was okay. Flustered, Chise simply gives in to her fate to be held still here, staying close to Philomela at her wordless request.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yes...there’s just...a lot. Thoughts—feelings, it’s just...a lot.”
Worry seemed to fade slowly into a faint smile as Chise accepted that answer for the time being. Kissing the woman’s jaw, the arm that was still wrapped loosely around Philomela moved simply to let her hand reach up and brush through messy, long hair. “Well...I’m all yours tonight, so...however long you need, I’m right here.”
Part of Philomela’s attention is comfortable focusing on the slow strokes of Chise’s fingers through her hair. Sliding her eyes shut, she gradually got a bit more control of her exhausted breathing, getting lost in the atmosphere only Chise brought around her. Maybe on harsh nights like this...Chise really was all she needed.