Summary: Diavolos offers to help Kenna train before the upcoming battle against Azura.
“You should widen your stance.”
The voice distracts her, and Kenna frowns as she turns around.
“Excuse me?”
Diavolos grins, that damnable smug grin of his, as he walks over to her.
“Widen your stance a little. You’ll be less likely to be thrown off balance,” he says, gesturing to her feet.
“I have sparred before,” she retorts, resuming her stance and raising her sword.
Normally she spars with Val, but she’s been occupied trying to prepare the Fydorian troops for the upcoming battle against Azura, so Kenna is sparring against an imaginary opponent, working off restless energy and trying to work on her speed and accuracy. She sees Diavolos smirk out of the corner of her eye as she jabs her sword forward and pivots on her foot off to her right side.
“As have I,” he replies. “You’re wobbly.”
Her stubborn, competitive side comes out as she rolls her eyes at him. “We could settle this, you know, instead of you just throwing random suggestions my way.”
Diavolos lights up. “Excellent idea.”
He takes his position in front of her and draws his sword out. “Although if this is just some ploy to get me flat on my back, there are much more fun ways to go about that.”
“Has anyone ever told you how arrogant you are?” Kenna asks, annoyed at the flush that spreads over her cheeks. Damn him. She’s known him all of two weeks, and he manages to make her blush and want him more than anyone ever has before.
He just laughs, dodging her sword easily. “I have heard that a time or two.”
Kenna jabs at him again in frustration. She knows her form is sloppy, but she’s so annoyed and flustered and wants to simultaneously smack and kiss him. He swats her sword to the side lazily, stepping just out of her reach, and she hits the ground with an “Oof!” as she loses her balance.
Diavolos extends a hand and she fumes for just a second before she reluctantly gives him her hand and he tugs her up. She refuses to give him the satisfaction of being right, so they continue to spar, again and again, Diavolos throwing her off balance with ease every time.
Finally, she rolls her eyes as he helps her up yet again, and says, “Fine. Show me what you think I should be doing.”
Diavolos smirks as he turns her around. His hands are large and warm as they settle on her hips, and he murmurs, “Spread your feet apart a little more.”
Kenna sucks in a breath, distracted momentarily by the feel of the solid muscle of his chest against her back, his breath warm against her skin. She shuffles her feet. “Good?” she asks, groaning as she feels him brush his lips against her neck.
“Good,” he answers in a low voice.
He glides his hands up her back and over her shoulders. “Relax your shoulders. You’ll have better control over your sword.”
It’s hard to relax when Diavolos has his hands on her and he’s pressed up against her, but she takes a deep breath and relaxes her arms.
“Excellent,” he breathes in her ear. “Now, slide your hand up on the hilt, just a little bit.”
His fingers tangle with hers as he adjusts her grip. “There.”
Kenna groans quietly as he brushes his lips against the other side of her neck, her eyes fluttering closed.
“See how much better that feels?” he asks in a low voice.
She’s honestly not sure if he’s talking about her stance, or the way his arms are wrapped around her and his hips are pressed against hers.
“Kenna?” He’s pushed her top aside just enough to press a lazy kiss to her shoulder.
“Hmm?”
She can feel his lips spread in a smirk as he lifts his head and presses his lips to the shell of her ear. “Is that better?”
Kenna groans again as he gently bites her earlobe. “Maybe if you weren’t distracting me it would feel better.”
Diavolos chuckles against her. “That’s a shame. I think this feels much better.”
He steps back, and she whimpers at the loss of contact. Diavolos hears her, of course, but this time she’s the one smirking as she notices how dark his eyes have gone and the way he’s staring at her.
“Shall we go again?” she asks.
“As you wish.”
She admits he was right, noticing her balance and accuracy are better, and she grins as she manages to sweep his foot out from under him and he hits the ground. Kenna extends her hand, realizing too late exactly why Diavolos is smirking as he yanks her down.
She lands in his lap, and she’s not sure who moves first, but his lips are suddenly on hers, kissing her hungrily as he presses her against his chest. Kenna gasps out a breath, and then he tugs her back in, their tongues tangling together as she pushes against his chest and he lays back in the grass.
When they finally wrench apart, she’s flushed and panting and Diavolos is staring up at her.
“This isn’t very accurate preparation. I don’t think I’ll be kissing people on the battlefield,” she finally manages to say.
Diavolos grins. “You better not be.”
She hears someone shout her name, and scrambles to her feet, Diavolos standing just behind her. Val comes over the hill, and eyes them suspiciously.
“I thought we were going to spar,”
Val says, raising an eyebrow.
“We are,” Kenna replies. “Diavolos was just giving me some pointers.”
“I bet he was,” Val snorts.
Diavolos laughs, then takes Kenna’s hand and brushes his lips over her knuckles. “I’ll leave you to it. Your Majesty. Val.”
He tilts his head down and murmurs, “Perhaps next time you have me flat on my back, it will be somewhere more private,” before walking back toward the castle.
Kenna feels her face flood with heat and hears Val mutter, “Oh gods” under her breath.
“Are you going to stare at him, or are we going to spar?” Val asks with a smirk.
Kenna grins, turning to face her. “Let’s spar.”