Volume 17 - Like Family, Chapter 129 - Easing In

Rem folded her doll-sized clothes and set them in one of the cubbies on the bottom row of the changing room shelves. To her left, Mara and Tsuen were stripping out of their much larger clothes. Even Mara's cute little pedipalp socks could be snug sleeping bags for the tiny gremlin. Tsuen's centaur-sized shorts could easily function as a tent.

Rem shook her head to clear it of those odd clothes-as-camping-equipment thoughts. Her triangular cat ears flicked and twitched with nervous energy. She was so nervous that the word 'nervous' didn't seem appropriate anymore.

Anxious? On edge? Freaking out? All of the above? She stared at her little folded clothes as she worried. Almost all her clothes had been custom commissions, and what she had saved on material cost had been taken right back in the upcharge for working at such a tricky scale.

I don't have any sexy lingerie. I should pick some up, in case we— She cut that thought off, afraid of jinxing things.

Thankfully, Tsuen spoke up. "Let's go, girls. My legs are still sore from work today, and I can't wait to get in."

"That's what he said!" Mara joked, already zipping out of the changing room.

Tsuen shook her head and followed after, saying, "At least do me the decency of making your lewd jokes lesbian-friendly."

"Fine, fine. I'll put more effort into my next one."

Rem was glad for the light and cheerful mood, but her thoughts were still in turmoil. The best she could hope for was a few minutes to relax in the water before anyone brought up the elephant in the room.

Tsuen stepped into the hot spring first, then walked along the bottom to the deeper end of the pool. Not only did the deep end let Tsuen get her entire lower body underwater, it was also wonderfully hot, exactly what her sore muscles needed.

Mara climbed in quickly, her carapace-covered legs having no trouble with the hot water. Her soft and sensitive thighs were another issue. She eased those in slowly, letting out an unintentionally erotic sigh as she sunk into the steaming water.

Then she turned to Rem and offered a hand. "Ready to get in?"

Rem was standing near the edge of the pool with her arms held over the front of her body, covering what she could. She had bathed naked with Mara and Tsuen before and she hadn't been so embarrassed then, but things felt different now.

Rem nodded. "Yep. Can you set me on that sloped rock over there? Then I can ease in at my own pace." After pointing at the rock, she climbed onto Mara's hand and sat in a kneeling position. Her folded legs fit nicely on Mara's palm and fingers, and Rem felt very safe as she was carried to her favorite rock.

"Thank you, Mara," she said as she climbed off Mara's hand. It was always a little embarrassing to be carried around, but there was no avoiding it. Slippery rocks, deep water, and tiny gremlins did not mix well.

"No prob," Mara answered.

Those were the last words spoken for almost ten minutes. All three women tried to focus on relaxing their bodies while also getting their thoughts in order. Rem and Tsuen both closed their eyes and slumped against the side of the pool, but Mara's form of relaxation was as hyperactive as the rest of her life: the little arachne paddled around the center of the pool in circles, every leg in constant motion. Whenever her upper body got cold, she dipped under the water for a bit.

Then Rem took the plunge, so to speak. She cleared her throat and started, "I have something I need to say to both of you." She was sitting in the shallow water next to her favorite rock with her shoulders just above the surface.

Mara paddled nearer, then went surprisingly still with her legs outstretched. She gave Rem her undivided attention and said, "I'm listening."

Tsuen came closer, leaving the deep end of the pool, and knelt down facing Rem. Her upper body was out of the water, so she crossed her arms across her chest for warmth and decency. If Rem was anything like Mara, the sight of Tsuen's bare breasts would be rather distracting. Then she said, "Go for it, Rem."

After one more deep breath, Rem said, "Maybe you already knew this, but I like you both, in a different way than just friends. I'm not experienced, and I can't really describe it, but I…" She trailed off, closed her eyes, then finished, "I'm pretty sure it's love. I really care about you both, and I want to be a bigger part of your lives."

With her eyes still tightly closed, she waited for their shock, or rejection, or anything at all.

Finally, it was Tsuen that broke the silence. "Open your eyes, Rem. There's nothing to fear."

Rem opened them slowly. At first she only saw rising steam illuminated by lanterns, then the world came into focus. In the center of that world, Mara and Tsuen were both smiling brightly at her.

Tsuen said, "We had an idea that you felt this way. I can't speak for Mara, but I accept your feelings, and I'm willing to figure out how to proceed."

Mara rolled her six eyes at Tsuen. "Ugh, wayyy too formal, Tsuey. Romance isn't a business deal. Korbin must be rubbing off on you." Then she turned back to Rem and said, "I feel the same as you, Rem, and I want to try it. Romance that is."

Rem went still, with only the occasional blink or ear twitch proving she wasn't just an inanimate doll. She had said it and they had reacted, in a positive way even, but she had no idea what to do next. Eventually, she just decided to say what she felt. She whispered, "Thank you."

After that, they talked about what it would mean to bring Rem into their relationship. None of them had any experience with an open relationship, much less a polyamorous one, so it was a learning experience all around.

"I think we should take things slow," Tsuen said. "Treat it like we're dating, getting to know each other romantically."

Mara tilted her head in thought and mused, "So is this our first date? Or was it that movie night with the romance flick?"

"Does it matter?" Rem asked. She was so happy with the whole situation that she wasn't concerned by specifics.

Mara grinned. "In the movies, the third date means sex."

Tsuen flushed red and she stammered, "I don't think we should let that affect our decisions."

Mara waved a hand and one leg, saying, "I'm just kidding." Then she glanced between Tsuen and Rem and said, "I have a more serious question. Are we all together as a trio? Or are we each dating in pairs?"

Tsuen's tail flicked and splashed at the surface of the water, an unintentional reaction to the worrisome thought of Rem and Mara dating without her. After a moment, she fought her jealous instincts and said, "I think if this relationship is going to work, it needs to be something in between those."

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Rem nodded. "I want this to be a positive thing for all of us. We should all be benefitting from it." Then she pulled her legs to her chest until her knees were peeking out of the water.

A little quieter, she said, "My therapist said I should be honest about what I want, so… I want support. I want closeness, and I want a chance to find the part of myself that I shut off back when…" She trailed off, not wanting to let her horrible time in the exchange program affect the conversation. "Uh, back then," she concluded.

"I want to support you, Rem. Maybe it's for my own selfish benefit, but I like helping people, especially people that I love." Tsuen was thinking of her work as a fitness instructor, and of how she had helped Mara with her fear of the outdoors.

"And I guess the other thing I'd like to get out of a relationship is, um—" Tsuen paused to think of how to continue without sounding ungrateful. "I guess I'd like to be able to confide in someone who is, uh, grounded and reliable."

"Hey!" Mara raised a tiny fist, ready to retort, but she knew she was far from reliable. She'd never held a job, and whenever she had started to earn money through her crafts, she never stuck with it. And she had no attention span for anything except her current passion, like with ComicMon. After a tense moment, she lowered her hand and admitted, "That's fair. I don't think I could ever be that. It's just not how I'm wired."

Rem's eyes flicked from Mara to Tsuen, hoping with all her heart that she hadn't just triggered an argument. "And you think I'm reliable?"

Tsuen and Mara both smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Tsuen said, "You've shown it in your work at the inn, including the way you're on call all night. Yuisu and Sya really trust you and depend on you."

"Aww, thanks. That's nice to hear," Rem said, her face growing warm. Then she changed the subject. "What about you, Mara? What do you want out of the relationship?"

Mara didn't have to think about it. She already knew. "I want someone else playful and mischievous to bounce off of, someone I can relate to. Basically the same things I already get from my friendship with you. Oh, and I would never turn down more sex."

Rem smiled, feeling relieved. She really valued her relationship with Mara, and she was happy to hear that Mara felt the same. As for sex, Rem had desires of her own, needs that had never been properly met. She was grateful to Mara for bringing it up, since she wasn't sure she could have done it herself.

Mara rubbed her chin in thought. "How would we bring Rem into our sex life? Will it always be threesomes? Tsuen, can I sleep with Rem while you're at work? What if you're home, but just not in the mood? What if you're asleep?"

While Tsuen stammered in shock, unable to answer all those tough questions, Mara continued, "Can I still have a romantic and intimate moment with just Tsuen? Can I provide good sexual pleasure to someone as small as Rem?" She turned to Rem and said, "Just so you know, I really like giving pleasure. Maybe I'm strange, but I'd rather give an orgasm than receive one."

Rem started pondering all those questions, including how Mara might be able to bring her pleasure. It was all well outside her comfort zone, but somehow it felt safe. Rem was with Mara and Tsuen, her best friends who she loved dearly. There was no danger and no fear, just a wonderful sense of anticipation and exploration.

Tsuen had a harder time coming to terms with it all. Her face was bright red as she said, "Uh, I'm getting overheated. Let's revisit those questions tomorrow." With that, she started climbing out of the water with her tail between her legs and an arm over her breasts.

"Wait!" Rem called out. She stood up on the rock, being careful to keep a stable stance, and she thrust her hands out to her sides. Her long strawberry blonde hair was dripping wet, slicking to her shoulders and the slight swell of her breasts. Her white-tipped ears stood tall and proud, contributing nearly an inch to her total height of just 15. Her body was slim and boyish, with no curves nor any firm muscles.

Once Tsuen and Mara were looking at her tiny naked form, Rem said, "This is me. Just me. D-do you like it?" She was worried that Mara and Tsuen weren't physically attracted to her, or that they weren't seeing her as a sexual being, as a real woman.

Mara responded first. "I love your body, and not just because it's yours. I love your petite chest, and your perky little tush, and your ears. They're remarkably sexy, and I finally understand Yuisu's thing for cat ears."

Tsuen blushed brightly and said, "It's no secret that I love little and cute things, and you're no exception, Rem. Actually, you're the cutest little thing I've ever seen…" Then Tsuen paused so long that Rem and Mara thought she was done before mumbling, "And the things you could do down there…"

Rem blinked a few times in surprise at the implications of Tsuen's comment, then flushed red and hid her face in her hands. She hadn't been around when Tsuen had been drunk, so Rem didn't know just how lewd the peppy centaur could really get.

Meanwhile, Mara just smiled, happy to see that Tsuen eventually arrived on the same wavelength. She slapped Tsuen lightly on the flank and said, "Tsk, tsk, Tsuey. At least wait for the third date!"

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"Yuisu? We need to talk." Haru was standing in the hallway behind the front desk, making sure she caught Yuisu before she ran off somewhere.

It was the end of day spa hours, so Yuisu needed to go clean up the second hot spring, but it seemed that would have to wait. She said, "Okay. Where at?"

"I guess the bedroom would be best." Then to make it clear the conversation wasn't going to be a sexual thing, she added, "I'd rather not broadcast our drama to the other girls."

Yuisu nodded. There was a pained expression on her face, and it wasn't because of how busy the first day of the new day spa had been. Ever since the argument with Haru, the whole world had felt off. Her mouth tasted sour, and daylight seemed darker. Yuisu knew something was wrong, but that didn't mean she knew how to fix it.

She followed Haru to their bedroom and closed the door behind herself. Then she sat cross-legged on the floor and said, "What's up?"

Haru sat down a few feet away, facing Yuisu. "First, I need to apologize. I'm sorry for the way I dismissed your requests, the way I didn't take your feelings into account. I screwed up, and unless I change the way I think, I'll just screw up again. I promise to work on that and do better in the future."

Yuisu sat quietly for over a minute, processing Haru's apology and figuring out whether it was enough to fix her terrible mood. Finally, she said, "Apology accepted. I never really had a right to get as upset as I did. I've been the weak point in our relationship in the past, more often than you, so I'll try to do better."

But despite what she said, Yuisu's mood had barely improved. It had really hurt when Haru brushed her off, especially regarding the prank situation. Forgetting the printer paper may have been the feather that finally tipped the scales, but the prank had been a one-ton weight. The damage from that impact hadn't healed yet.

Yuisu stood up, the mountain of responsibility on her shoulders both weighing her down and keeping her steady. It kept her grounded and moving forward. She had a job to do, and more than just Haru and herself relied on it. Her lifelong dream, her uncle's legacy, and the lives of the other homestays. Those kept Yuisu moving.

She opened her arms and forced a smile. "Hug? Then I have to get back to work. The first day of the new spring really highlighted a lot of things I need to improve."

Haru stood and wrapped Yuisu in a warm and fluffy hug. She knew that things weren't just magically fixed, and that there was more to do, but this was definitely an improvement. "Okay, but don't work yourself too hard. You need to take care of yourself too."

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A few hours later, Yuisu returned to the bedroom, yawning with exhaustion. She had just stripped to her plain white underwear and flopped onto the nest-like bed when the door opened.

"Yuisu… May I come to bed too?" Haru asked. She stood by the door, not wanting to seem too forceful. If Yuisu said no, she could easily go for a nighttime flight until Yuisu was asleep.

"Sure, but no sex. Not tonight," Yuisu said, her voice muffled by a pillow.

A moment later, Yuisu was wrapped in the warm embrace of Haru's wings. She found Haru's presence comforting, like maybe things could be okay again, and she quickly fell asleep.

Haru stayed awake longer, planning how to make things better. She loved Yuisu with all her heart, and seeing her like this, being treated coldly by her, was painful. But it was also powerful motivation. Haru's screwups had dug a deep hole and she was determined to climb all the way out. And then keep climbing to new heights.

Haru's last thought before falling asleep was, I need to show her how much I care, how much I love her, how far I'm willing to go for her. I need to do something big, something special that Yuisu would appreciate…

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The next day, Haru had work at the butcher's and Yuisu was busy running the new day spa. Working out all the small problems that emerged kept her too busy to think about anything else, for the most part.

She planned to get the maids up to speed and helping out as soon as she figured out everything for herself. WIth how things were going, she could probably start that soon. Sya would be particularly useful at handling all the receipts and money counting, and Rem's help with cleaning would be very welcome.

Despite trying to keep her thoughts off the topic, Yuisu couldn't help but dwell on her argument with Haru. Whenever she had a free moment, she drifted back to it, like she was lost at sea and caught in an undercurrent.

"Oh, hi Rem, hi Tsuen," Yuisu said as she passed through the living room that evening. She looked at Rem and said, "It's nothing urgent, but can we meet tomorrow morning around eight? I'll have Sya join us too."

"Yeah, sure thing, Boss," Rem replied cheerfully from her seat on Tsuen's shoulder.

"Great, see you then." Yuisu continued through the room, never realizing that before she had interrupted, Rem had been nuzzling Tsuen's ear. She also failed to notice the quiet giggling that resumed when she left.