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There's an impatient scratching at the apothecary's back door. Dimitri sighs, looking up from the potion ingredients he's packing away. He packs the last bundle into a paper bag before sweeping the stack of completed packages off the table into a crate.
"Coming, coming," he calls when high-pitched whines join the scratches.
The huge dark-furred wolf outside shoulders its way past Dimitri, slipping past his outstretched hand.
"Wait! Felix, don't-"
Felix shakes his entire body vigorously, flinging drops of melted snow all over the shop floor.
"Shake yourself indoors..." Dimitri trails off.
Felix lowers his head to nudge against Dimitri's hip and he can't help smiling and scratching behind Felix's ear.
"Did you have a good run with Ashe?"
Felix nods once before leaning into Dimitri's scratches, tail wagging as he demands more of Dimitri's attention. He takes the hem of Dimitri's shirt in his teeth and tugs with a soft whine.
"Let me finish putting away this batch of ingredients first, okay?" Dimitri gives Felix's ear a final scratch. "Go sit near the heater and dry off. I'm not letting a big wet dog into our bed."
The wolf growls and bares his teeth at Dimitri but all he does is chuckle and flick his nose.
"You'll feel better when you're nice and warm and dry. Go on, shoo."
Dimitri can tell that Felix is being petulant on purpose when he drags his paws and flops over in front of the heater with his back to Dimitri. He wants to run his fingers through soft midnight fur, but he'll do that later. For now, he's got to finish stocking the shelves with the carefully labelled parcels he'd packed while Felix was out.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Felix roll over and fluff himself out, presumably to dry the fur on his back.
“Told you, you’d feel better when you’ve warmed up.”
There’s an answering huff as amber eyes track Dimitri’s movements. Felix growls when Dimitri’s too close to stocking the wrong ingredients on the wrong shelf; his eyesight isn't what it used to be and he's tired of squinting at the tiny labels Felix put on the shelves. After quite a bit more growling, Felix comes over to alternate between sniffing at the packages to determine what’s inside and pointing at the right shelves with his nose or paws.
“You’re as bossy as ever, even when you can’t talk,” Dimitri chuckles when Felix snatches a packet for himself and rises on his hind paws to deposit it on a high shelf. Felix’s wolf is huge, much larger than Dimitri, and it’s always a little disorienting to have to look up at Felix when he’s giving him the best stink eye he can as a wolf.
Dimitri hands Felix the packages after that, affection blooming in his chest at how careful Felix is with them, taking care that his sharp teeth don’t puncture the paper wrapping, the same way he’s careful not to break Dimitri’s skin when he nips him playfully. One werewolf between us is enough, Felix always says, and it’s better that it’s him with the Major Crest that grants him control over the wolf even during the full moon.
Occasionally, Felix rests his paw on Dimitri’s shoulder to steady himself. Wolves weren’t meant to stand on their hind paws for so long and surely this must be a strain on Felix, but this shop was Felix’s idea and he runs it like his own tiny kingdom. Throughout their years studying at Garreg Mach, Felix was the one who excelled at potions above all else. Partly because it was the only subject that involved the use of knives and Sothis knows Felix was drawn to all things sharp and pointy. But also because Felix had an innate talent for all the subtleties of potion brewing, knowing instinctively when to add an extra pinch of an ingredient or what to throw in when he’s scrambling to save their cauldron from exploding after Dimitri accidentally adds just a hair too much of a reactive ingredient.
Once the last package has been shelved, Felix drops both his paws to Dimitri’s shoulders, nuzzling him and licking at his face.
“Yes, yes, we can go upstairs now,” Dimitri laughs, running his fingers through the soft fur of Felix’s sides. “You’re an impatient brat.”
Felix drops back on all fours with a huff, swatting at Dimitri’s legs with his tail as he runs towards and up the stairs. Dimitri shakes his head, following his impatient werewolf. Winter full moon nights were the longest and Felix is always more demanding of Dimitri’s attention and affection until the sun rises and for a while more after that.
Dimitri feels like he’s being herded to bed from the way that Felix nips at his ankles and circles him the minute he shuts the door to their small upstairs apartment. He allows it, tumbling into bed when Felix pins him down against the mattress and flops over him, whining softy, begging for Dimitri to lavish him with scratches and affection.
It’s cute the way being in this form lowers Felix’s inhibitions and he’s more open with his desires and emotions, from the way he behaves with Dimitri to how he roughhouses with Ashe on their monthly runs.
But for now, they arrange themselves on the bed with Felix curled into Dimitri like his own personal heater and accepting the kisses Dimitri presses to his muzzle as he fondles his ears. Felix's tongue darts out to lick at Dimitri's fingers and cheeks and Dimitri can feel the deep rumble of satisfaction from Felix's chest.
Mate, Felix says his wolf calls Dimitri. Dimitri definitely returns the sentiment; their wedding is only just shy of a month away and between running the apothecary and wedding planning, they've been extremely busy.
Felix's eyes have already sunk shut. Dimitri presses one more kiss to his muzzle before letting Felix's warmth lull him to sleep.
He has something to ask Felix, but that will have to wait until Felix can speak again.
*
It takes several days before Dimitri finally tells Felix what's on his mind.
It's been a busy few days, with Felix disappearing into the back room to brew ready-made warming potions for mages stopping by Fhirdiad. Seeing as this winter is colder than the last, the vials have been flying off the shelves.
Felix is struggling with the packaging for a new shipment of vials and Dimitri watches in amusement as the plastic wrap refuses to give no matter how much Felix pulls at it.
"Just use scissors," he suggests.
Felix just gives a grunt, stubbornly glaring at the plastic. He raises a clawed hand and rips the plastic open.
"No need for scissors when I can do this."
Dimitri takes a breath and holds it. If anyone asked him, he'd never admit that he finds it hot when Felix does things like this. Draws the wolf to the surface. He's gotten a lot better at controlling it since his first attempt during their academy days, better at isolating which parts of his body he allows to transform.
He doesn't ask until they're in bed, Felix's wolf ears brushing up against his cheeks.
"You've gotten a lot better at controlling your transformations," he starts.
"If you're asking me to transform fully so I can keep you warm, it's not happening. Try again when it's colder."
"No, no, that's not what I wanted to ask." Dimitri runs his hands through Felix's hair, worrying at his lip.
Is it too much for him to ask this of Felix?
"Well then, spit it out. I don't have all night to wait for you." Felix sits up a little to look at Dimitri, meeting his eye. "Dimitri, it's fine. You can ask me anything."
Felix reaches to cup Dimitri's cheek reassuringly and they're silent for a while.
"Have you tried... transforming other parts of your body?"
Felix's brows furrow. "What do you mean? You've seen my ears, my tail, that time with the fur, you see me use my claws..." His face suddenly reddens when he realises what Dimitri must mean. "Oh, are you talking about... Why are you asking this?"
The red on Dimitri's cheeks is probably a match for Felix's.
"If you could... perhaps we could..."
"Dimitri, are you asking if I can transform my dick?"
"I- yes?"
"And what do you hope to achieve with this information?"
"I was thinking that perhaps you could..."
Felix laughs and shifts so that he's pinning Dimitri's wrists on either side of his head, straddling his waist. He looks so good above Dimitri like this, dark hair falling around their faces, amber eyes bright.
"What do you want me to do to you?" Felix grins and Dimitri can see where he's let his canines partially lengthen into fangs.
"I want you to knot me," Dimitri breathes.
Felix's eyes widen a little. "Honestly, I don't know if that's possible. I've never tried to see if I can control that."
"Try for me?" Dimitri can feel the hope creeping into his tone and Felix smiles in response.
"For you, I'd try anything," he says softly, leaning in to kiss Dimitri.
Dimitri's fingers twitch, wanting to break out of Felix's grip but he stills when Felix intertwines their fingers and licks at Dimitri's lips, seeking entrance into his mouth. Dimitri parts his lips, giving as good as he gets.
Felix pulls away after kissing Dimitri for what could have been minutes or hours. He's got a teasing glint in his eyes and Dimitri knows that can only mean one thing.
"Why don't you give me a demonstration of what you want me to do to you?"
Dimitri responds by flipping their positions and pressing Felix down with his body the way he knows Felix likes.
"Gladly." He leans in to capture Felix's lips in another kiss.
*
True to his word, Felix starts kicking Dimitri out of their bedroom earlier in the mornings to prepare breakfast while he tries things out.
“I managed it,” Felix says hesitantly one morning. “But I’m not sure if I can control myself.”
“Oh? I don’t mind if you can’t-“
“It’s not about me keeping it up!" Felix looks mildly distraught. "I could hurt you if I lose control.”
Silence hangs thick in the air between them before Dimitri closes the distance to envelope Felix in his arms.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Felix says softly.
“You won’t,” Dimitri tries to reassure Felix, gently tilting his head back to meet his eyes. “It’s fine if you don’t want to do this. I’ll leave it to you to decide.”
Felix nods, leaning his head back against Dimitri’s chest. “I want to do it for you, just give me a while more.”
“Of course.” Dimitri nuzzles Felix’s hair. “It could be like a wedding gift from you to me.”
Felix barks out a laugh, pounding his fist against Dimitri’s chest.
“Only you would say something like that. You’re lucky I agreed to marry you.”
“I guess I’m lucky you love me.”
“Yes, you are.” After a pause, he adds, "I'm lucky to have you too."
If Dimitri's arms tighten around Felix to the point of nearly suffocating him, he doesn't complain.
*
Dimitri pushes Felix up against the door as soon as they're back in their room after the reception in a show of strength he knows will rile Felix up, not that Felix needs it, he's already begun tugging at Dimitri's clothes and his own, leaving a trail of their outerwear up the stairs.
"Off," Felix demands, fumbling with the buttons of Dimitri's shirt and Dimitri is powerless to do anything but comply.
They leave yet another trail of clothes littered from the door to their bed, hands constantly on each other, tugging at clothes and running hot against bare skin.
Dimitri lets Felix take the lead, letting Felix push him down and trail kisses down his neck. He tangles his fingers in Felix's hair, freeing it from the tie still loosely holding it together, holding Felix close where he's sucking marks into his skin, urging him to move faster.
But Felix is stubborn in this aspect as well, insistent on taking his time to draw out Dimitri's pleasure, singing his praises of Dimitri's body with clever fingers and tongue, just as Dimitri sings his praises of Felix in hushed moans and whispers of his name.
Soon, those fingers and tongue are pressed around him, inside him and Dimitri's fingers curl in the sheets as Felix takes his time to take him apart.
Burning amber meets hazy blue when Felix finally looks up, four slick fingers still pressed inside him.
"Ready?"
"For you? Always," Dimitri says, just to see Felix's cheeks redden.
"Tell me if it hurts," he insists, withdrawing his fingers and following Dimitri's gentle touches urging him up for a kiss.
"I will."
Felix grinds his hips down against Dimitri's and Dimitri's suddenly acutely aware of why Felix was concerned. It's not like they've never had sex like this before, but Felix feels much bigger than he usually does. Dimitri steals a glance down and a moan rips itself from his throat.
Felix is definitely bigger, thicker with an even thicker uninflated knot at the base. Dimitri wants it inside him now.
His attention snaps back to Felix's face when he flicks his nose.
"How eager, I'm not even inside you yet," he teases.
"Then hurry up and do it already." Dimitri drags Felix down to bite at his lips and kiss him.
When they part, Felix moves to line himself up, thumbs rubbing soothing circles into Dimitri’s hips to try and distract him from the stretch as he pushes in. As much as Felix had tried to prepare him, it still hurts like it’s the first time he took Felix, unused to the new feeling of Felix inside him and he digs his fingers into Felix’s wrists, begging him not to stop until he can feel his hips flush against him.
They stay like that for a moment that stretches on and on, caught between heaving breaths and not daring to breathe as Dimitri adjusts. Felix’s eyes are wild, hips shaking with the effort of staying still until Dimitri nods and he begins to move.
Felix braces himself with hands at Dimitri’s sides as Dimitri rises on his elbows, meeting Felix’s movements as if he could take him even deeper, noises spilling from him growing in volume the more intensely he feels Felix within him. Felix’s knot is starting to grow, catching at his rim and it hurts every time Felix forces it back in but Dimitri doesn’t want him to stop, not when Felix is losing himself to pleasure too.
Nails turn to claws and rip the sheets, and Dimitri hazily registers that Felix is growling, is starting to lose control even as he finds the spot that makes Dimitri cry out his name and continue thrusting against it until Dimitri’s shuddering and spilling between them.
Satisfied that Dimitri’s found his release, Felix seeks his own, going faster, harder, rhythm growing erratic as his knot swells, tying them together as Felix finally spills and spills and spills inside him.
Dimitri wants to do the cliched thing where he takes Felix’s hand to press against his belly, to feel where he’s pressed deep inside him, the way Felix did when they first slept together. But he looks up at Felix’s face and has his breath stolen from him.
Felix’s teeth are grit in concentration, skin shifting the way it does when he’s about to transform, pupils blown wide as warm amber eyes flicker between human and wolf. He’s beautiful and Dimitri loves him, loves the closely guarded prickly human and the openly affectionate wolf, loves all of him.
“Dimitri?” Felix’s voice is tight with how much he’s trying to stay in control, yet laced with concern.
“Felix,” Dimitri breathes, reaching up to touch his cheek and watching wide eyes settle on human.
“Does it-“
“Feels good,” Dimitri smiles. He wants to laugh as a deep flush rises to Felix’s cheeks.
“I was going to ask you if it hurts, but clearly not.” Felix looks so affronted that Dimitri does laugh.
“A little,” he admits, “but it still feels good.”
Felix hums, allowing himself to fall against Dimitri, nuzzling at his chest. Dimitri strokes through Felix’s hair. He smiles as he feels skin shift and soft wolf ears press against his palms. They bask in the afterglow, hands gently roaming sweat slick bodies until Felix’s knot goes down.
Dimitri knows he doesn’t have the strength in his legs to make it to the shower but with a kiss pressed to his forehead, Felix is slipping away to fetch a damp cloth and clean them up so they can curl up close to one another.
“I love you,” Felix whispers unbidden against Dimitri’s collarbone and Dimitri’s arms tighten around him.
In all their time together, Felix has always been a man of action, preferring to show his love for Dimitri through his actions rather than his words.
Dimitri gives him a questioning look and has barely opened his mouth when Felix looks up to glare at him.
“What? It’s our wedding night. I wanted to say it.”
“I love you too,” Dimitri smiles, pressing a soft kiss to the base of Felix’s ear.
Felix huffs, but the way he noses at Dimitri’s pulse and settles himself back against Dimitri’s chest shows how he truly feels.
Dimitri couldn’t be more content as he settles down to sleep himself, letting sleep take him as he holds his husband in his arms.