Tasii and Yrelia are waiting in the common room, all that remains of their meal are the two mugs of steaming cider.

“How’d everything go?” I ask as we join them.

Yrelia shrugs, tired but content, “I’ll have these little bumpkin trade shops around my finger in a day or so. If I was less kind I’d have them buying river water for the price of fine Arudian Wine.”

Kque raises an eyebrow, and Tasii sighs.

“It’s a good thing I have the trust of my mother’s conclave to keep intact.”

“What she means to say,” Tasii interjects, “Is that we found a few shops that seem really interested in our stock. We’re still deciding if their wares will be worth trading now, or if we should carry it up the road to sell later.”

Yrelia shrugs, “I like my version better.” Then she eyes Kque and me, “How about you two? What was your afternoon like?”

Well that was quick. Best to answer quickly and show absolutely no guilt. You did nothing wrong by visiting Jevita and Lule.

“It was nice.” I’m actually a little proud that I was able to keep my voice steady. “Walked to the city's edge to check in on Lule and Jevita.”

I brace for… well… something. There is a pause, probably just surprise. Tasii recovers first.

“That sounds nice. Guessing they’re doing well? I saw them this morning when I did a bit of inventory.”

“Mhm” I nod, “I ended up helping translate that book a little.”

Yrelia hides the twinge of… hurt? Annoyance? Fuck I hope she’s not mad. I hope I didn’t fuck this up.

“Have you had food yet?” She asks, looking over toward the bar and kitchen, “I think they might still have some dinner.”

“Kque left to bring us food in the middle of it, but some of that hot cider sounds really nice actually.” I smile, trying desperately to sooth that little twinge I spotted, “I’m going to be so sore tomorrow from all the walking we did earlier.”

Yrelia moves to go get me some, but Kque rises. “I need to drop something off in our rooms anyway. I’ll ask for some to be sent out on the way up. Will probably get a shower if you two could keep an eye on Ina?”

“Kque that’s really sweet of you but I don’t need someone to–”

“I can manage that.” Yrelia smirks, then pushes the mug to me. “I’m pretty full, you can drink from mine until yours shows up.”

“Oh, thanks.” I wrap my hands around the mug.

The topic of Jevita and Lule doesn’t come up again, and I’m too much of a coward to try anymore. It’s not long before we’re all drooping in our chairs and ready to head to bed.

However Yrelia has a surprise for me. Laying across the bed is a little rich purple silk nightgown with a soft fuzzy interior lining with a fresh pair of matching pink underthings. I can’t even come up with a refusal, especially as she has me touch and hold the soft fabrics. They are just too soft! And once I try them on I can help but melt a little.

At some point on that third night I wake up to find myself turned toward her, with my forehead pressed into her chest and our legs entwined.

The cold inside my chest aches, and the sound of her heart thumbs in time with a… heat I feel radiating from her. Before I can wonder if she’s awake I feel her fingers dance up and down my shoulder. An absent minded caress that would drag me into sleep any other night.

But that warmth from her… It’s familiar.

I take a deep breath, and the scent of her fills me. Night sweat and the leftovers of whatever sweet hairwash she used the previous morning.

She pauses, then whispers. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

I reply by twisting up to kiss her exposed collarbone. That heat coming from her thumbs brighter beneath my lips, and I can’t help but create a line of kisses up her neck.

“Ina…” She half whispers, half moans.

Then I’m at her lips, inches away, and stop. We just lay there for a few seconds, staring across the pillow at each other.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Then I lean in and peck her on the lips, soft and quick.

That weird warmth I sense radiating from her flares, and I can’t tell if I’m seeing a smirk or a scowl in the dark.

“Ina… You know we can’t–”

I shake my head and then blink to try and let my eyes adjust. Trying to understand what this is I am sensing. Still convinced I am in a dream.

“I know.” I whisper.

“They stop playing with fire.” There is only a little humor in her voice.

“I know I can’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.” I take her hand between mine and begin to kiss and nibble at her knuckles. “I want to thank you for… well… everything and I–”

Yrelia takes my still healing right hand and gives it a kiss in return. “No.”

“N…No?” I reply dumbly. Did I assume too much? Is she still mad about the visit I had to Jevita and Lule? Then what is that warmth I feel?

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! I hope this is just a dream.

“No.” she sighs, “I’m not going to let you until I can repay you for the other night.”

“What? Yrelia that’s fucked up. I… don’t want this to be a debt thing. I just got lucky and I–”

She interrupts me by pulling my arm aside and moving to sit above me, I can’t help but turn as she hangs overhead.

“Not that.” She purrs, and I shut up.

“I meant our first night together, out in the camp. Where you made me…” She pauses, “Look, Ina. Have you ever done that to a woman before?”

“Done what?”

“Gone between her legs, used your mouth like that?”

I’m so glad for the darkness that hides my blush.

“If you had that’s fine, its sexy as fuck.”

“No? I… I didn’t know what else to do and it seemed right and I thought…” I trail off, begin to turn my head to look away. “Why does that–”

“Because, you little…” She leans down, interrupting me by booping our noses. “Hey, look at me Ina.”

I don’t. So she takes my chin, gently but firmly, and turns me back. That sets a spark through me I didn’t expect. I can’t help but wriggle beneath her in desire.

“Because that shit feels amazing and a ton of women don’t eat pussy on day one.”

“B… but… what about that story you told me?” I stutter into the dark, entranced by her ferocity. “About that woman, and the leg cramps and Lule interrupting and…”

I trail off, and after a pause of confusion she remembers, “Oh… that… I lied. Embellished. The leg cramps happened, but she was just using her hands.”

“...Oh.”

“You didn’t think you had to do that because of my story did you?”

“No! I wasn’t even thinking about it that night. I just… really wanted to.” I reply, try to turn away again as the blush runs down to my collarbone and heats up my ears. She doesn’t let me, and I love it way too much, so the next part comes out as a barely audible whisper. “I was going to do that again tonight. Still want to.”

I squirm beneath her, and she carefully releases my chin.

“Well… too bad.” She drops to the pillow next to me. Still close, so close. That radiant warmth washes over me. Hot and inviting and very distracting. “I can’t let you. Not until I get the chance to–”

“I hate that.” I hiss, the unquenched cold ache in my chest giving me the courage to interrupt her. “I don’t want to worry about debts and paying and… fuck I hate it.”

That makes her giggle, “Not even remotely what I meant. But yeah that would be fucked up.”

That smothers the flicker of anger. “What did you mean then?”

A long pause. “Kque was right.”

That… a stutter hits that causes my body to freeze and go cold. R…right? The memory of what Kque said about Yrelia being smitten races through my mind.

Yrelia grumbles something. “It was only a little, and I didn’t think anyone heard. Not even you.”

My mind recovers, but mostly into more confusion. “I… Heard? Heard what?”

She sighs, genuinely annoyed. “I’ve established, through years of careful work, that I only make sexy sounds when I’m fucking or being fucked.”

Oh… OH!

“I do not squeak, squeal, or otherwise make the sound of some small baby animal when I am having sex.”

I don’t remember her making… or did she? I was a little lost in the experience there at the end.

“But that night… Something slipped out. Thank the Moon and Stars your embarrassment made them believe it was you.” She huffs. “They’re already on the verge of being unbearable over this.”

“This?”

I catch a glint in her eyes, but she waves the question away.

“So. We’re going to wait until you're all healed up so I can establish, once and for all, that you're the little squeaky one.”

I sigh, frustrated, but the blush refuses to die down.

“I mean it Ina. I will help Kque roll you up and tie you down if you try to tempt me like that again.” She leans over and gives me a peck on the forehead.

“But… But what if I’m not. What if I don’t… ”

I feel her eyebrows raise over a smirk. “Ina, Ina, Ina. Doing that isn’t hard, and you did amazing for your first time. Seriously, I haven’t had someone give me something like that since… well… it doesn’t matter. Point is! You will be walking funny the next morning once I get free reign of you, if you can even get up.”

It’s my turn to huff. Both in anticipation, and frustration, and a little bit of disbelief.

“It’s adorable that you think I’m joking.” She whispers.

Then she pulls me into a snuggle and eventually we fall back into slumber. Her warmth radiates over me, causing my dreams to echo and twist into odd shapes to match my restless anticipation.