Love is for Suckers [Goody + Incendo]

-she was smiling. Whether it was because she was pleased with new clothes in general or pleased that he looked so pleased was up in the air for consideration.

She turned, the hem flaring softly with the motion. The small straps curled around the gentle curve of her back and shoulders as they settled back into place before she turned back to face him.-

“I like it. Thank you.”

-she bubbled softly. She really did, it was comfortable and allowed the cool air to kiss her skin when she moved.

Her eyes drew to the book and she nodded.-

“I do like to read. I’ll read anything.”

-she said truthfully. She enjoyed it and it taught her plenty, depending on what she was reading. She considered his question a minute. They had taught her the basics. Cleaning and the like, which she kept up on here while she was awake. Nothing out of the ordinary. They had however let her entertain, something that had come naturally to her. Of course he had not been home as of yet when she was singing but there were hints of it in her voice when she’d speak.-

“Just the basics. I’d read to and teach to read and sing to the younger ones. Kept me entertained enough.”
 
Well that was a little more difficult, he thought. There were no saplings around here for her to teach or sing to. And Howe already knew how to read. So, it wasn't likely that'd be a good avenue for him to take in finding her something to keep herself occupied. He was intrigued by her ability to sing but stopped himself from asking her to do it now, simply for the fact that it was past 5 in the morning and he'd need to eat and get to bed soon. A quick glance at the tiny living room window showed him the sky in the east was becoming anemic to the black of night.

"Well, maybe you could sing for me sometime," Howe murmured with a small nod. "For now, I have to get to bed. I'm glad you like the clothes. They look nice on you."

Taking her hand in his, Howe escorted her over to the couch where he pulled her to sit on his lap. Leaning back against the cushions to get himself comfortable, Howe picked up her legs so that when he straightened them, her feet rested on the cushion beside him. An internal mantra began to echo in his head, declaring how normal this was, how she was "just a sap" and that he just wanted to absorbed her warmth and relax after a stressful day at work. Even still, as Howe gently moved her hair out of the way to smell and breathe in the savory smell of her neck and shoulders, it became harder and harder to hear that internal voice. She smelled so tasty and of course that's what he loved about having her, was how good she tasted. But more and more little things kept standing out to him as similar to Frith, blurring the lines and making him forget who and what she was. It was easy to forget with his nose and mouth pressed against the skin of her neck, her skin smooth and soft just like a regular, Frith woman's. Albeit much warmer but that did nothing to detract from how tempting it was to touch her.

With her veins pulsating beneath his lips, finally, Howe gave in to the hunger and slipped his teeth into the vein in the side of her throat. He could feel her tense in his arms and to keep her from getting scared or struggling, his hand came up to cradle her neck from the other side, thumb caressing her to calm her. Her delicious life flowed into him and Howe didn't restrain himself, mimicking her hum of delight when she'd eaten the chocolate, his lips vibrating with the sound of pleasure. When he'd had his fill, Howe pulled out and began to lick the area clean, his tongue taking special care to the wound he'd created. And even when he was done, he continued to lap at her, the hand at her neck falling to rest on her bare thighs.

Drawing back to look at her finally, Howe searched her features for some kind of anchor, unsure at that moment how to properly articulate what he was feeling. He was full, satisfied, and incredibly grateful to her for what she offered him: her blood. Freely given, such an obedient sap. Although it hadn't occurred to him before, for some reason it was all he could think of in that moment, how much she truly took care of him. It was like gravity, what happened, Howe leaning forward, his nose tapping hers in a soft hesitation. Then he craned his head ever so slightly to brush his lips against hers, gently pressing them together, feather-light and tentative. His hand on her thighs curved to hold them, his fingers falling between them and his hand dancing at the hem of her shift.

It was the heat of her legs that brought him back and he quickly pulled his head back before the "kiss" could officially identify itself more than a flirtatious brush of skin against skin. Blinking in astonishment at her, like a man waking up, guilt flooded into the crevices of his features, as well as horror at what he'd allowed himself to do. "Get up," he choked out, his voice coming out in a broken whisper. He didn't wait for her to obey, frantically getting up himself, letting her slide off of him onto the couch. What in the Light was that?! What in Keksjar had he been thinking? Howe paced in the small space between the coffee table and the TV, not daring to look at Amina as his mind raced and he gasped, desperate for some control over himself. This was not good. He was an Enforcer for crying out loud! He should know better than anyone how wrong it was to take advantage of her like that. And why?

That was the question. Rubbing an agitated hand over his mouth, trying to dispel the taste and feel of her, Howe finally looked at Amina. She was just a little sap. She had no idea what it was he could possibly want from her if he went that route. He was just lonely, he realized with a bitterness. It'd been a while since he'd taken a lover and he'd been consumed and living for his work for almost as long as he'd had the position as Enforcer, earned almost 10 years ago. Without a social life to speak of, getting to talk to and connect to his new pet had unintentionally filled a void he hadn't realized had been there. Well, it stopped now.

"Amina," Howe finally said, looking directly at her. He thought about closing the distance between them but thought better of it and stayed right where he was. "I'm sorry. That wasn't supposed to happen. ...I'm sorry."
 
-plush lips beamed happily at him and her fingers curled against his hand when he grabbed hers. Tagging along slightly behind until he pulled her down to sit in his lap.

Her ankles crossed lightly as her feet settled on the cushion. Her left arm circled around his shoulders, right hand settled against her thigh, expecting he’d take it when he was ready.

The brush of his fingers against the side of her neck as he brushed her hair aside, caused a ripple and shudder to run through her, unable to stop it from happening, she blinked. Her heart murmured inside her chest before she felt the sting of the bite. She tensed, her hand clutching his shoulder for a moment before the sting subsided and an underlying human nature took over, her head tipped gently, allowing him more access to the tender flesh of her throat, her hand rose from her thigh, fingers curling softly around the wrist of his hand that held the other side of the slender column.

She was quiet and unsure but didn’t stop him either as he leaned in, her lips slightly parted, he’d feel her breath washing against his lips. The muscles in her thigh danced gently beneath his hand and her skin was slightly warmer than usual.

There was a hitch in her breath when he pulled back and she blinked in uncertainty. Obedient, she tried to untangle herself at his command. There was a soft oomph that came from her when he deposited her on the couch instead.

She blinked, a touch of confusion etched across her features. She knew it was wrong but she belonged to him, so she wouldn’t have stopped him either.

She sat still as he paced mere feet from her. She pulled her legs up and curled them partially beneath herself.

She sat quietly, watching him from the corner of her eye.-
 
No response. He could see that he'd confused her to some degree. In that way, it was almost a relief for her not to say anything because it solidified in him the purpose that momentarily had left him: she didn't understand. Retreating to the comfort of that thought process again, Howe sighed as he looked her over. "I'm going to sleep now," he said, some of the awkwardness bleeding from him to be replaced by a cold respectfulness towards her. "Have a good morning, little sap." And with that, he left her to find the solace and quiet of his dark room.

He woke again just before sunset, to get ready for work. The sleep had done him good, rising with a more optimistic attitude and allowing him to keep himself emotionally distant from Amina as he fed from her arm for breakfast. It almost convinced him that exhaustion and stress might have played a factor in his behavior as well. "I'm going to have company over tonight," Howe said after he'd finished sealing the bite on her arm with the least amount of licking he could get away with. "Clean the house as best you can. I'll be home with my date around 3." He looked her over, trying to determine if there were any left over effects of his overstep last night but he couldn't see any. Glancing at the counter where the box of chocolates still sat, Howe gave her a kind smirk and said, "If you behave yourself while my date is here, I'll let you have another chocolate after she leaves."
 
-she was quiet and he’d find her eyes never quite met his even once through out the morning. She had understood. She just hadn’t shown her feelings. It was something that had often gotten her into trouble, when she did, at the farm. It was the last piece of her that they’d tried to break.

Even now she tried to bury the flicker of emotion deep within her eyes and not looking at him, afforded her the chance to do so, she hoped.

She merely nodded and without a word, wandered off to her room. He could tell that something had shifted in her demeanor, whether it was remnants of last night or now, was the question. But she gave no indication either way.-
 
There was something off about Amina as she went back to her room. He thought the mention of the chocolate would bring her something akin to excitement or happiness but not only did she barely respond but she also refused to look at him. Concern started to seep in, along with a slight paranoia that this was the resentment Leah had told him about. Was she mad that he'd kissed her? Or was she mad about something else? Could he depend on her to behave for company? He'd hate to have to reprimand his sap in front of Leah. Walking over to Amina's door, Howe paused, wanting to knock and ask why she was acting that way but a quick glance at his watch let him know that he simply didn't have time for it. And added onto that, he really didn't want to know. Boundaries. He had to remember to keep boundaries between them.

After work, Howe picked Leah up from the shop and took her to dinner at a nice restaurant where they had a couple rations of blood from high-quality saps. Howe had contemplated taking her back to his place for dinner but he realized he was reluctant to share too much of Amina with anyone. Even someone he was interested in romantically. After dinner, they went to watch a vid at the theater, the latest in adventure comedy for the summer. When the movie was over, Howe and Leah made out in his car for a little bit before he drove them back to his house.

Coming through the front door, the two Frith were bubbling with flirty laughter, Leah delighted by Howe's sense of humor, and Howe getting a kick out of making her laugh. Gasping and clinging to him, amidst giggles and kisses, Leah turned past his threshold to notice the sap in the room with them. "Awww! Howe, she's so cute!" Leah gushed over the sapien.

"Isn't she?" Howe agreed. "Her name is Amina."

"Amina," Leah said with soft satisfaction, her eyes looking with condescending appreciation at the adorable little sapien. "Very pretty. And that dress is lovely on her. You chose very well."

"Well, I had a good helper when I was pickin' it out, " Howe shrugged happily, giving Leah a knowing grin, which she returned with a small beam of pride.

"Could I get a small tap?" Leah asked, glancing back at the sap. Howe's hesitation and reluctance was obvious as he looked first at Amina and then at Leah. "I'm sorry," Leah quickly offered. "If you don't want me to... She just smells so good. I thought we could just have a sip before bed."

That did sound pretty good and Howe felt awkward now that he hadn't said 'yes' right away. It wasn't like Leah was greedy or anything. "No, no, it's okay," Howe said, itching his eyebrow with a finger and putting on a smile. "We can have a drink before bed." Putting his hand on the back of Amina's neck, Howe directed her over to the couch where he urged her to sit down with a small bit of pressure from his hand. He tried to be a good host but it kind of pissed him off a little bit that Leah asked to bite his sap. His sap. Amina was his.

Howe took the spot right next to Amina and Leah sat next to him, thigh-to-thigh. Pulling Amina's arm forward so that both of them could reach her, forced the sap to bend forward awkwardly. Howe gave Amina a direct look, petting her before he bent low and slipped his teeth into a vein at the crook of her elbow. Leah waited for him to enter before she did the same right beside him, further up the sap's arm, their cheeks gently brushing against each other as they drank. Even with his original possessiveness, there was something hot about Leah sitting so close to him and enjoying the beautiful taste that Amina's blood had, her lips making a soft slurp sound every once in a while.

Leah stopped first, lifting her head with a satisfied sigh and licking her lips happily. Howe licked both wounds closed before finally lifting his own head to look at his date. "Delicious," Leah said in approval, her teeth still stained with blood and her inner lips drenched with it. Amina's blood. Drawn by the familiar smell and taste, Howe leaned forward and captured the Frith woman's mouth with his own, passionately kissing her to get every last drop of Amina that he could from her. Leah returned his passion, scraping her teeth against his, giving him a jolt of pleasure that shot right through the core of him. When they finally broke apart, both of them were gasping in barely contained desire, eyes smoldering as they looked at one another.

"Go to your room," Howe ordered Amina, even as he rose from the couch with Leah, quickly sequestering off to his own room. The fucking was particularly good with Leah; she was submissive, the way he liked. She also had a tendency to play bite him or scrape her teeth against him, which he found odd and distracting but not necessarily unpleasant. And she was exceptionally vocal, which at different phases of their intercourse both pleased and annoyed him; mostly because near the latter end, he could tell she was faking. It was after she'd already orgasmed and they'd switched positions. Whether to entice or urge him to finish, he couldn't tell, and stopping to tell her to shut up would have broken the mood, so, he tolerated it until he finally climaxed as well.

Leah did not wish to sleep the day with him, stating that she had to get up early to finish some commissions. She was not unhappy, kissing him and lazily complimenting him on his sexual prowess while she waited for the cab he called to arrive. Escorting her to the door and seeing her off around 7, Howe finally relaxed as he leaned against the door. He actually wouldn't mind sleeping the night with Leah but now that she was gone, he felt reluctant to return there to be by himself. With chocolate in hand, Howe went to Amina's door, pushing the button to open it without knocking.

Squinting in discomfort at the sunlight that filtered through her window, Howe leaned into the room, saying, "Amina! Amina, wake up, my pet. Come here, I have a reward for you. Like I promised."
 
-she looked less than happy when she was offered to the woman and despite thenpointed look she received, her arm jerked more than usual, more specifically where Leah was drinking from her.

Told to go to her room, she was actually already up and moving, her hand running over the arm and the word slipped from her lips before she could stop it.-

“Gladly.”

-it lingered behind her even as she disappeared. Her brow stitched together, at herself.

For a time, she’d watched out the window, humming softly to herself, a distraction and little more before sleep finally, blissfully consumed her.

She was buried beneath the blanket, the pillow rested over her head and he’d see the shift she’d been wearing, hanging from the handle of the closet, haphazardly by one of the straps.

She didn’t move. Not even a twitch. As if she hadn’t heard him, though she had.-
 
She wasn't asleep. He could tell by the sound of her heartbeat. "Amina," Howe said, his tone louder than before. Was she...ignoring him? Of course he'd heard her glib little response before she'd left the living room earlier but he'd ignored it in favor of Leah's attentions. And since Leah hadn't heard it, he'd decided he wasn't going to hold it against the silly little sap. Now though...it was beginning to look like that and this were part of a growing problem.

Walking over to her bed, Howe grabbed a fistful of pillow and jerked it off of her head, tossing it against the wall. "I know you're awake. Get up. Sit up now and talk to me, sap," Howe said in authoritative tones. His voice and face softened when he actually looked at her, so vulnerable amidst her covers. "What is going on?" he asked in a more concerned tone. "You promised to tell me if you were ever unhappy about anything. What has you upset?"
 
-her hair whipped up with the removal of the pillow and shimmered back down around face and are shoulder, like golden rain.

She drew in a breath and pulled her arm from beneath the cover to brush the tendrils from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.

Using the moment to compose herself, she rolled from her side, clutching her arm around her chest to keep the blanket from falling as she twisted and sat up at the side of the bed. Bare legs set bare feet on the floor and she answered.-

“Nothing. Just trying to sleep and not really hungry.”

-which was true, of course not the whole truth. She’d also remembered his words, she knew this was something she couldn’t change. She even let her eyes finally peer up at him, hiding anything that could be telling, again, she hoped.-

“Can I go shower or will it keep you awake?”

-she asked softly.-
 
She wasn't hungry. And here he was disturbing her sleep. Was he projecting his insecurities onto her? It was starting to feel like it and Howe stood looking at her silently for almost 2 full minutes trying to read anything that might give him a clue in her face or manner. But no, she just seemed...tired. At least that was how he was interpreting it.

Finally, Howe sighed and tossed the chocolate in the air and caught it in disappointment, saying, "No, it wouldn't. But you can take a shower later. Right now, I need you. Don't worry about getting dressed, just come with me."

Fatigue made him irritable, so, when she wasn't moving fast enough as he walked to her door, he stopped with hand on the frame and ordered bluntly, "Now." Leading the way, Howe went to his room, waiting for Amina to follow before closing his door behind her. The shade on the window made the room pitch black, so, Howe turned on the light and pointed at the bed, saying in the same no-argument tone, "Get in the bed."

The room was almost twice the size of hers, his bed also twice the size, sheets and blankets ruffled and disorganized from the tumble he'd taken with Leah earlier. He had a desk and comp, and a stainless steel dresser with all his clothes neatly folded inside. A closet in the corner had some personal belongings and hanging coats inside, the door left messily open to expose the contents.

Shirtless and wearing nothing except for his sleeping trousers, and hand still poised on the light, ready to turn it off, Howe repeated, "Get in the bed. You're sleeping with me today." Rubbing at his eye, he waited for her to comply so that he could shut the light off and get back to his rest.
 
-the sheet still clutched to her chest, she stood. She remembered clearly his request she put clothes on the other night. It had seemed to make him unhappy then, which confused her a little now. Padding quietly after him, the sheet dragging the floor beside her feet. She stopped just outside of his door. Despite the fact he’d led her here.

She did let her eyes move curiously over the room, lastly coming to the bed, even as he told her to get into it. Disheveled, of course she knew why it was.

Her eyes shifted to him, very human, unhidden hurt, eyes blinked and she shook her head. No. And she took a step back. She wanted a shower to wash the woman off of her already, just from the little bit she’d touched her. She had no desire, despite wanting to make him happy, to lay where she had.-
 
It felt like a slap in the face the way her eyes changed and he physically flinched, even as he registered her nonverbal denial of his orders. He couldn't get mad, suddenly drenched in guilt for the way he'd been talking to her in light of what he was ordering her to do. And all of a sudden, it occurred to him that she did understand and that she possibly thought that he wanted to--

He didn't. No. Hah. No way. Especially not after Leah had already taken such lovely care of him in that regard. It was a confusing couple of minutes as he wrestled with what he assumed she thought, the realization that she understood it, and denying such internal motivations as even belonging to himself. He just wanted to sleep...but not alone. Even in his head that sounded dumb and shady as Keks. It didn't feel good to consider standing firm and ordering her into his bed, especially not with the subtext that draped between them and his recent mixed messages regarding her.

So, rubbing a hand over his face to dispel his discomfort and the exhaustion that was becoming ever more insistent with a headache now, Howe stepped out of his room and closed the door. Nodding, he swallowed and softly murmured, "Okay. Come on." Gently, he touched her elbow, motioning towards the couch and pressuring her to follow him there. The window in the living room was open, so, he pulled the blinds, which were not as thick as his bedroom but good enough, before returning to the couch and laying down upon it with a relieved grunt and sigh. Holding Amina's hand, he pulled on her to join him, scooting his body back against the cushions to give her room to lay beside him.

"Please, Amina," he said, disliking the begging tone in his voice but too tired to care. "You're warm and I'm tired. You can shower later."
 
-she flinched lightly at his touch. She’d just denied a request, she was waiting for anger but it was a risk she’d taken in telling him no.
When he guided her forward, she was a little uncertain. She thought st first he’d feed from her and go to bed himself and she’d be free to shower then but his words and actions caught her off guard.

She realized that maybe he didn’t understand or maybe he did and he was just trying to get her to finally, truthfully speak her mind.

And she did, voice as tentative as her hand that pulled away from. Left hand sweeping over her right arm, even as it still clutched the sheet to her, much as it had last night.-

“I still smell like her and so do you. I’d rather shower now.”

-and there it was. She stood still, breathing heavily as she swallowed the lump in her throat.-
 
...wait, what? He blinked at her, sitting up a little to get a better look at her, trying to analyze what the expression on her face meant. "Her? You mean, Leah?" a small smirk tickled at the edge of his mouth and he rubbed his fingers deep into his eyes, assessing what she said and what it meant. "You don't like Leah?" A genuine question and Howe considered her for a moment before admitting, "Yeah...I didn't like her too terribly much either." And he realized it was the truth. Leah was fun enough and very talented and clever, and the sex hadn't been bad. But he'd been annoyed by several little things she did. Not that it was all her fault; he hadn't told her 'no' about Amina and he hadn't expressed himself truthfully about her loud, obnoxious sex acting. But it had just been easier not to, just easier to let her leave without too many attachments between them.

"Alright...if we shower, will you lay with me while I rest?" he asked, releasing a beleaguered sigh. "Wherever you want. I'll lay on the souldamned floor with you, if you'll just let me curl up with your warmth and go to sleep." there it was; he was begging again, albeit with a smile on his face. Not a good precedent to set. Boundaries. Where in the Light were those boundaries?

Pulling himself up from the couch with a reluctant grunt, Howe led the way to the bathroom. "I'll go first...since I'm the stinkiest," he said, motioning at his chest with his thumb. Then rolled his eyes with a huffed laugh, "Apparently."

Since Amina was just a sap and he'd been naked in front of her before, Howe left the bathroom door open as he got undressed and hopped into the tiny cubicle in the corner of the room. The frosted glass door hid everything except the impression of him, the steam filling the room and crawling out the door along the ground as he blasted the water hot for himself. Normally, he'd take a shower in the evening when he got up but he supposed he'd be saving himself the effort to do it now. Rinsing the lathered soap from himself, Howe was barely in there for a total of 5 minutes, turning the faucet off as he opened the glass door. Drying himself with a towel, his sandy hair turned chocolate brown with the water, curling against his forehead in uneven clumps.

"Amina, your turn!" he called, leaving the room, picking up his laundry as he went. "Don't take too long, please," he told her, turning from her to return to his room and get new pants on.

However, even as he settled onto the couch to wait for her, it really didn't matter how long she took, whether 10 minutes or 1, because the silly Frith had fallen asleep as soon as the comforting sound of the shower water turned back on. Clearly unanticipated, since he fell asleep sitting up, slouched low and comfortable in the seat so that his neck rested on the back cushion of the couch.
 
-her head shook honestly, a resounding no. She hadn’t liked her. But when he admitted he wasn’t fond of her either, it was almost as if she were mocking him again, though she wasn’t, her eyes blinked, her head tipped curiously to the side a bit. Her lips opened to ask a question but it never formed as he asked his question. She nodded, a soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She didn’t see the question as begging, she belonged to him and he could do and ask as he pleased after all.

She padded after him, a small scrunch of her nose and a nod, when he said he was the stinkier of the two. She leaned quietly against the wall and watched him a moment before she’d wander to her room while he showered. She was in the middle of retrieving a clean pair of underwear when he called her and told her it was her turn.

She stepped into the shower, taking only a few minutes longer than he had, she’d scrubbed her arm pretty good though. Turning it a slightly more pinkened hue than the hot water did to the rest of her skin. When she stepped out, she once again let herself air dry as she combed through her hair and braiding it again, this time she wrapped the honey colored tendrils around themselves into a small braided bun, lifting her hair completely from her skin.

Padding quietly back into the living room, she stopped about halfway toward him, she watched him curiously a moment before glancing over her shoulder toward his bedroom. Her bottom lip sucked between her teeth as she contemplated. She drew in a soft breath and turned, quietly moving toward his room instead.

He had invited her in only minutes ago, she paused in the doorway, considering that she may well get in trouble but her reasons were not disrespectful in nature. She found a clean pair of bedding, sheets, blanket and pillow cases and set to changing the bed. Basic housework, as she’d been taught. Not once did her eyes wander again to anything else in his room. She did not snoop, it wasn’t her place and she did not intend to anger him for doing any such thing. She’d throw it all in the wash, along with some of his clothes from his work week and start it washing (assuming he has washing facilities, if not, she just tosses them into his dirty clothes lol).

She’d let him sleep for another 10-15 minutes while she did that before she’d pad back to the living room. Slowly she approached the back of the couch. Again, she watched him sleep a moment before he’d feel the soft tangle of her fingers as they danced through his hair, sweeping a stray curl from his forehead.-

“Master.....”

-she called quietly. When he stirred, he’d find her standing there, a small pair of pale blue panties hugging her hips. The color quite similar to that of her eyes, which peered down at him softly.-
 
Howe could feel the gentle stroke of her fingers through his hair, soothed by the smell of her and simple touch even as it lifted him slightly from the light snooze he was in but it was Amina's voice that woke him. Turning slightly to look at her, blinking his eyes as he woke himself up, Howe gave her a lopsided grin, blushing slightly to see her so undressed. Those were a pair of underwear he'd bought for her. ...They looked good on her. It took him a moment to remember that was what he'd asked for and he itched lazily at his forehead with curled, sleepy fingers, before finally asking, "Ready?" He could see that she was, her hair clean and pulled back, her skin fresh and pink, her blood vessels still filling her skin with a blush from the hot water.

Leading the way to the bedroom, Howe turned on his light so they could see, pausing a moment and frowning at the bed as he noticed it remade. Not only that, but all trace of the smell of Leah's sex was gone as well. Looking at Amina, Howe asked, "Did you change the bed?" There was a slight note of accusation in his tone but his furrowed brows softened as he said, "Wow...you really didn't like her, huh?" There was a pause then and then he looked seriously at her, making his mind up then. "Don't worry. I won't bring her here again." If having the Frith woman here made Amina that uncomfortable, then Howe was willing to make such a promise, since he wasn't looking to get too serious with Leah anyway.

"You get in first, so, I can turn out the light," he said, directing Amina to the bed. When she'd crawled beneath the covers of the queen-sized bed, Howe flipped the switch and closed his door, making his way in the blackness to the bed. Crawling in after her, it didn't take much reaching for his fingers to find her under the covers. With gentle push and pull, he got her on her side with her back to him and pulled her flush against him as he curled behind her. Form fitting against form, his cold skin welcomed the comfort of her heat, his arm slipping around her middle to keep her close as he snuggled and got comfortable. Breathing deep of her delicious scent, Howe pushed away the pestering thoughts that asked him over and over again why he was doing this, shutting it all down with the simple answer: that it was nice to hold someone while he slept. It didn't matter if it was a sap. And yes, he admitted to himself, he was lonely. Being with Amina made him feel less lonely. And that was okay, so long as he didn't take advantage of her.

Howe slept deeply with Amina in his bed, waking with his alarm with a groan, rubbing his stubbled chin against her shoulder and protesting in mild complaint about having to leave this wonderful place. Still, with a sigh, Howe rolled over onto his back and slapped the idiotically screeching machine to make it stop, laying still for a moment before turning to Amina. "You awake?" he asked, his hand stroking lazily at the slope between her hip and her waist. "That has got to be the best sleep I've ever had," he laughed pleasantly. "I think you should sleep here every night. Would you like that, little sap?"
 
-she let her hand fall away as he came to. She was comfortable in her own skin, so she didn’t shy away from being so unclothed, the only reason she’d covered herself with the sheet earlier was because she’d thought it was best, what he’d wanted.

She smiled gently and nodded when he asked if she was ready and followed close behind him. She stopped short when he paused, and when he turned to look at her, her lips pursed softly but answered, her voice quiet.-

“Yes. But that’s all I did.”

-he’d see any dirty clothes he’d had laying around were gone as well. The closet still hung open as he’d had it, nothing else was amiss. She’d behaved, mostly. Her eyes glanced at him and then away, off into the room before them as she answered his next question honestly but without elaborating.-

“No. I don’t.”

-her eyes fluttered back toward him then, studying his face. She swallowed before she spoke.-

“Did she make you happy?”

-a genuinely curious question that lingered as she made her way to the bed. Pulling herself up, she crawled her way to the opposite side and waited for him.

She curled comfortably against him, her own arm sliding against his. Her palm and fingers resting curled over his hand. She shifted only slightly, her head turning just so, her nose pressed against his skin and she breathed in quietly. He smelled like himself again and there was, in the darkness, a soft sound of contentment. She lay awake in the darkness for a bit, just soaking in the coolness of his body, listening as he slept before his own shallow breathing lulled her to sleep as well.

The alarm jolted her. She wasn’t used to one in fact. Her eyes shot open. Her arm fell away from his as he pulled away to shut it off. Her heart pounded in her chest and then skipped as she felt his stubbles brushing her tender flesh.-

“Mmhmm.”

-was the soft response as to whether she was awake or not. His next question sent her heart fluttering softly, her breathing returned to normal after the jolt of the alarm but it caught for just a second as his hand swept along her side. After a moment of quiet, as if she were actually contemplating the question, she turned, shifting first to her back and then curling slightly toward him.-

“If it’s what you wish....”

-she nodded. Her eyes peering up into the shadows of his face.-
 
That wasn't a real answer but he supposed it was the best he would get from her. Her pleasure, apparently, was serving him. And he was not entirely displeased by that. Having time now since he didn't have to take a shower, Howe stayed resting with his pet, looking her over and thinking about the little complicated discoveries he'd been making about her. She didn't like his female friend, although he wasn't sure why. She knew what sex was and seemed at first apprehensive that it might be something he'd order her to do - it didn't occur to him to make the connection between her not wanting to enter his bed because of the smell of Leah having been there. And she had a tendency to ignore him and disobey direct orders if she didn't like them. To think, less than 24 hours ago, he'd prided himself on what a good sapien owner he was and how lucky he was to have such an obedient sap.

"Amina...I'm a bit curious..." Howe said, reaching his hand out to stroke the side of her face, petting her in a more delicate way than when he'd pet her on the head. "When you were on the Farms...did you ever mate? You're of breeding age... Did you have a mate?"

Frith were pretty unscrupulous when it came to mating but the humans, Howe knew, were somewhat monogamous. He'd read in some of the sapien care books that saps mated for life and performed little rituals on the Farms, bonding couples in something archaic called "marriage." Howe wondered if his sap had ever been in marriage with a male. Was she lonely? Maybe Tallen was right and he should get a male as well, to keep Amina company.
 
-a hand found his chest and lingered tentatively, perhaps a bit more of an answer to his question. Just that simple touch, itnsaid she enjoyed being close to him.

Her head tilted lightly, pressing her cheek against his touch a little more. Though he’d feel the muscles shift as she frowned slightly.-

“I did but...none that I liked. None that made me happy.”

-she said almost pointedly. She’d asked last night if that woman had made him happy, the fact that he’d not answered hadn’t been lost on her but she was truly curious, and maybe it was a good thing then that he hadn’t answered, she may not have liked the answer, if she were being truthful with herself.-

“Did she make you happy?”

-she asked again, preparing herself this time for his answer, stealing herself.-
 
Why did knowing that Amina had no mates that she was fond of or hung up on make him feel happy? That was the only way he could describe the rumble of emotion in his chest, watching the way her face changed in the dimness from his alarm clock. His possessiveness was being satisfied, knowing she had no others that she pined for. All at once, he realized he didn't want to buy a male sap or any other sap for that matter, fearing how it might affect Amina's loyalty and dedication to him. She could be a little mouthy and passive-aggressive but she'd washed his clothes for him and fed a stranger to make him happy.

Her question was not surprising and Howe sighed through his nose, thinking again of the pretty Frith woman he'd spent time with last night. "Not really," he admitted. "She was fun...all up until she wasn't anymore." He didn't know how to explain the complexities of how Frith chose lovers. Normally, without Amina here, Leah would have been fine. Howe would have brought her home many more times over the next few months or a year before they'd both get bored of each other and part amiably. A lover wasn't something permanent and he didn't have to love anyone to take pleasure in their company and intimacy. But the fact that Amina disliked her added onto the petty little things that he'd found irritating gave him reason enough to throw Leah away, mentally and emotionally, earlier than he would have otherwise.

"I didn't like that she asked to bite you," he told Amina truthfully. "On a first date even." He didn't excuse his behavior or explain why it would have been rude for him to refuse her. Looking at Amina again, petting her face with the back of his curled fingers, Howe finally said, "She didn't make me as happy as you do." He wanted to kiss her then, their faces already mere inches apart, but thinking that he was probably just hungry, Howe instead moved forward to put his face against her neck. Teeth slid into her vein easily, a soft moan of delight coming from his chest as her blood burst forth from the wound, filling him with her life. His arm slipped behind her back, stroking between her shoulder blades as he fed, her bare breasts squishing against his chest as he held her securely to him.

When he was done, closing the wound with a few gentle laps of his tongue, Howe finally left the bed. There was a comfort in Amina being near as he got dressed in his work clothes and Amina stayed in the room to remake the bed for him. Almost like they didn't have to talk to take pleasure in each other's company. Howe finished his routine with shaving and brushing his teeth in the bathroom, checking his watch as he left the tiny room to approach Amina and tell her goodbye for the night.

"Alright, I gotta go, little sap," he said distractedly, patting himself to search for his keys and digging them out of his pocket. "Be good and keep the house clean. Feel free to have a chocolate. You deserve it." And then he bent slightly, giving her a loving smooch on the lips--

Howe drew back and blinked, frowning in confusion to himself. Well...that felt uncomfortably natural. So natural in fact, it didn't occur to him until it happened that he shouldn't kiss his sap on the lips in saying goodbye to her. There was a slight pickup in his breathing as he finally looked at Amina, frowning at her, searching her face for an explanation. But she just looked back, lips slight pursed and looking kissable.

It wasn't a conscious decision he made to kiss her again, more insistent this time, keys dropped on the floor as his hands came to cradle her face. She tasted so good and her mouth was so much softer and warmer than Leah's had been. It was almost like the wound on her neck he'd been drinking from, her taste still infusing every inch of the orifice. There was an element of loss of control as Howe indirectly pushed her back, letting her shoulders hit the wall, his body following to crush her against it. He was careful, gentle, knowing his strength could kill her if he exerted enough of it. Lips dancing with hers, his body melted against her, every part of him that touched her, hardened and lit on fire from her heat.

Blindly, his hand searched the wall for the button for her door, letting it open with a soft sigh, again, no-decision-making as he gently coaxed her towards the opening with his hands and body. When he had Amina on her bed, kissing her hotly, he finally drew back with some sense restored. And guilt and shame coating him like paint poured over his shoulders. Half kneeling on her bed, supported by his hands, Howe hung his head as he hovered over her, trying to catch his breath and stop himself from the overwhelming tumult of emotion raging inside him. This wasn't right...but it felt right. He'd just fucked Leah last night! he chided himself mentally, wincing as he internally answered himself: he wasn't lonely. It wasn't stress and it wasn't a lack of social interaction that had him starved for intimacy. ...he was attracted to his sap.

When he picked his head up, his eyes were glossy with his internal struggle, and he sighed through his nose, pressing his lips together as he looked at Amina. "I...can't keep doing this..." he told her, his voice soft and open. "I..." he shook his head and turned from her in a brief moment of shame, having to clear his throat when he continued. "I can't trust myself to stop anymore. ...I'm sorry. I think I have to take you back." The sellet he'd gotten her from would take her back, there was no question in his mind. But even as he said it, he internally rebelled against it.

Did she understand? Could she understand what it was that he wanted? Or was she as powerless as he thought? His eyes searched her face, hovering half on her bed, one foot planted on the floor, the other bent on her mattress, his hands supporting himself as he leaned towards her. "Tell me to stop, Amina," he said. "Tell me what you want." Asking her to give him orders. Boundaries? What were those?
 
-she lay still, close and comfortable, his features were still in shadow but she watched them softly regardless and she listened intently.

Her eyes blinked softly at his response, her eyes dancing over obscure features. She drew in a slow breath, releasing it, the warmth of it washing over him. She’d heard more than she’d liked to have, more than she’d let on surely and she knew the woman had used him for her own ends and not his. She had not made him happy. And she liked her even less hearing him say as much.-

“I....”

-she drew in a soft breath before she continued.-

“I wasn’t happy that you’d let her.”

-her words barely above a whisper, though they were so close, he’d have heard her regardless. Yet, she had let her. She hadn’t fought against it, not entirely. His words, then, drew a smile across her lips and her heart fluttered softly.

She saw him drawing in and her head tilted slightly, offering herself to him with absolute willingness. Heart fluttering harder as his teeth sunk into her skin. The slight pain was little more than a needle administering the drug and he, the drug. Her hands pressed against his chest as he pulled her closer still and gooseflesh formed, unbidden against the flesh his hand swept across. It was tender and sensual and she bit her bottom lip softly to keep much more than a sigh from escaping.

She stayed in the bed a few minutes longer than he did, allowing him space to move around and get dressed and ready for work. Then she’d swing her feet to the floor and set about making the bed back up for when he returned home.

She made her way out of his room and stood, hip against the kitchen counter. She would dress once he was gone.

She nodded acknowledgement about the chocolate and smiled softly. The kiss however caught her completely off guard. She blinked as well but it wasn’t a frown that curled her lips.

The second kiss brought a soft sound rolling up from her chest, swelling against his lips as it tried to escape past them as they consumed hers. Her heart beat would sound like a drum against his ear. She shied away from it no more than he did in that moment. Returning the kiss as her hands curled around his biceps. The return was not rushed, nor greedy but willing, same as her small frame as it was pinned beneath him. She knew he could hurt her, she knew it wasn’t like mating with her own kind but she also trusted him not to hurt her, he’d shown no signs of doing so before that would give her pause to think he would now.

Her feet padded backward with no resistance. That primal human mating desire igniting deep inside her belly.

Lips flush with warmth parted and she drew in a breath as his head dropped. He’d feel the familiar caress of fingers start at the base of his neck. When he looked back up at her, her heart skipped a beat and her brows furrowed softly seeing the expression that rested in his eyes. Her fingers faltered and stilled completely. His words seemed to snatch the breath completely from her as she went still. The only sound to come forth was her plea.-

“Please, don’t.”

-her hand slid from his neck, the arm draping over her chest and she swallowed a lump forming in her slender throat. She didn’t want to go back to the Farm, not in the least little bit. And it was very clear in the crystalline gaze that bore into him.

She blinked when he told her to tell him to stop. Her lips opened softly as if to speak but her head shifted against her pillow, a no with a simple shake of her head. She’d been told not to give him orders and she wasn’t about to start now, even if she could have.

Her hands lifted, palms caressing over the stubble of his jaw and she told him what she wanted.-

“I want to stay here. I want to keep you happy.”

-and she did, in whatever manner he saw fit. She belonged to him.-
 
Her plea and the look in her eyes made him feel even more guilty. How cruel would that be? To bring her out of such unprivileged circumstances only to send her back again. And why? Because he couldn't keep his hands off of her? That didn't seem fair to her but Howe was at a loss of what to do. It was a no-win situation. Because he wanted her and likely would take her if she stayed and yet he couldn't have her.

Amina's hands on his face brought his eyes back to hers, searching her face and finding something he hadn't given her too much credit for before: understanding. There was a willingness in her gaze that slowly lifted the shackles of the taboo from his body, bit by bit. She wanted him too. On the precarious ledge he was already teetering on, it was all he needed to get the "ok" to go ahead and topple over it.

Closing the distance between them, Howe kissed Amina again, soft and hesitant at first and growing more needy as it went on. He only paused to lean nose-to-nose with her, his hand cradling the side of her neck as he huffed a laugh. "Okay, good. Because I'm such a clotsucking liar. I can't take you back. Even if that were something I wanted." Then he was kissing her again, desperate for her forgiveness for the fibbed threat. Moving to crawl further onto the bed, putting himself fully over her, Howe continued to kiss her, his hand moving from the side of her neck down her body. Passing a breast, he gave her a small squeeze, humming in delight over the plushness of her and how she bounced, before his hand moved further down.

Petting at the crotch of her panties, his fingers explored, tantalized and tempted by even the amount of heat that came from the clothed pit of her as the flesh swelled and grew damp from his playing fingers. Slipping the appendages beneath the elastic waistband, he slid them in the moist cleft of her sex, down, down, down, before curling them to slip his fingertips inside her petaled slit. A gasp from him broke the kiss, her boiling insides shocking him and a shiver shaking him violently as he contemplated being encased by such delicious warmth. Kissing her neck, Howe panted brokenly against her skin, dizzy with desire for her as his pants grew tighter and the rest of him tensed with agonized yearning.

"Tell me what you want," he said, his fingers sliding in and out of her, thumb stroking at the sensitive nub of flesh that crowned her pussy. "Do you want my dick inside of you?" Kisses planted delicately on her collar bone as he waited for her answer.
 
-anything she might have said in return was lost as his lips captured hers once again and a soft purr emanated from her throat. Nails scratched softly against his jawline as her fingers curled lightly. Forgiveness burned within the very warmth of her. Forgiveness, trust and want, mingling together to create an even more intoxicating mixture that drifted from her very flesh.

Actually feeling his hand brush over the tender mound of flesh, caused the small rosy nub of her nipple to spring to life beneath his palm, carving into his flesh almost as a diamond did to glass.

The muscles of her belly, jumped and danced as the cool of his hand swept along the flesh and when his hand reached the very apex of her heat, her groan poured over his tongue with delicious need.

She gasped, drawing in a breath as her head tipped back once the kiss was broken. Her hands slipped from his jaws, to his shoulders, fingers gathering the material of his shirt, half attempting to tug the material away from his body, half attempting to just hang on as he stocked the already burning fires.-

“You.”

-the answer was little more than a breath escaping her at his question.-

“All of You.”
 
A small smirk of desire curved the corner of his lips as she breathed out the exact answer he wanted to hear. Yes, this confirmed it. She was not just a dumb animal like the other saps. She knew what she wanted and she was hungry for him. If he'd any doubts or resistance left over, it was instantly gone as she begged for him to take her.

With her hands pulling at the clothing on his shoulders, Howe removed his hand from her to pull his shirt off over his head, kneeling on the bed and slimy fingers fumbling with his pants to unbutton them as well. Kicking his trousers off his legs, not caring where they ended up, he revealed himself to her, for the first time, naked and fully hard in her presence. What he didn't have in length, Howe had in thickness, even though he was about average with the former and just a little more than average with the latter. He'd been told it was a nice change, by his lovers, so he assumed it wasn't obscene or uncomfortable to deal with. Gripping himself now, he gave himself a few lazy jerks as he leaned back over Amina to kiss her.

Fingers damp with her juices dipped into the side of her underwear, urging her to take them off, helping her slide the garment over her ass and down her legs. His eyes wandered over her, drinking her in, the sight of her slit, bared and pulsating exciting him even more. When his lips found her again, his body came with it, crashing down to move against her. Cock dripping with hunger, nuzzling at her belly and then the slope of her thighs, blindly poking with gentle thrusts as he held Amina close and made out with her in impassioned frenzy. Finally, he was ready to take her, holding himself with a firm hand and watching her face as he let the head of it stroke at her pussy lips, wetting her with his cock's drool even as she wetted him with her own messiness.

"I'll never hurt you," he promised, even as he immediately started to push forward, letting his cock slide into her. The warmth was unbelievable and he choked out a desperate moan as she enveloped him in a wet cocoon. In the middle of everything, as he blinked the haze from his eyes, pushing himself deeper until his pubic hairs tickled at the skin of her cleft, he realized why those Frith did it. He got it now. Even if they didn't have feelings for the sapiens they screwed, like Howe did for Amina, the heat inside her body was enough to drive him mad with pleasure. It had been futile, all this time, to resist. He was a goner and as he resigned himself to this fate, a blissful grin arching his lips, Howe pulled slowly out of her to thrust in again, kissing Amina. As his hips began to work, every plunge letting hot pleasure sweep through him, Howe gave her adoring kisses. Kisses of gratitude, of weakness, of love.
 
-she propped herself up on her elbows, watching as he stripped from his clothes. She’d seen him naked but had never stared, nor did she do so now, though she did admire. Human mates had been average all around, at best and they’d fumbled about more often than not. She was no expert by any means either but natural grace and instinct led the way and she followed.

As he leaned back over her, she let her eyes finish their admiration quite clearly as they locked with his before his lips crushed heatedly against the plushness of hers. Her left hand curling around the nape of his neck as she gave as much as he did until she fell back against the mattress, lifting her hips to push her panties as far as she could before he peeled them the rest of the way off. Every pulse, twitch of muscle, inch of heated flesh was for him.

She groaned as finally his naked flesh brushed against hers as he crushed against her. The cool of his body did little to temper the heat of hers but it was a mix that excited her beyond reasoning. A leg curled and draped lazily over the back of his calf.

A hand snaked between them, fingers wrapping around his length as it nuzzled against her stomach, her touch as soft and sensual as it had ever been. She let her fingers linger against him until he shifted down and against her thighs. Her hand shifted then and came to rest against his side, fingers digging lightly into the flesh as he moved against her.

She stared up at him, eyes light with a hunger only for him and her lips fell open softly as he watched her, no sound that escaped her was loud or obnoxious, but rather as musical as when she spoke.

As he pressed forward, her lips dropped open a little more, almost in shock it seemed but only as long as it would take her to become accustomed to the pressure as her wet walls formed to fit around him. The fingers in his side clenched tighter, at the same time gently pulling, silently begging him not to stop.

When he thrust forward again, a soft moan escaped her, her small frame arching softly with him. Another moan was captured by his lips. And her muscles contracted hungrily around him. Each kiss there after was met with a soft purr. Her free hand curled beneath his arm, her hand clutching around his shoulder, holding tight to him as she found his rhythm and met him with each thrust.-
 
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