An Unplanned Bonding

"It's proof that I'm not lying. That's why I went and got the ring just now." I added, completing Justin's explanation.

I held out my hand to Justin, and he placed the box in it. I didn't close it, though. Instead, I placed it in the middle of the table, turned so that the ring was easily visible.

"For now, let's just put this here. This isn't a yes or a no, it's on hold. Okay?" I asked.

"Thank you," was Katie's only reply.

"You should take some time and figure out what you need to know. What the big questions are that you need to have answered," Justin continued. "Maybe get some paper and take some time alone to think and write out your thoughts?"

Justin hopped up and retrieved a pad of paper and a pencil from the kitchen, which he handed directly to her. He wasn't optimistic, but he was trying to hide it from her. In his mind, anything but an enthusiastic 'yes' felt like a rejection. I wanted to reassure him, but I was worried that maybe he was right.

She took the notepad and went to the couch to be alone. Justin had a strong desire to pace back and forth, but decided to do something productive instead. He headed to the kitchen to put away the leftovers from dinner and start cleaning up our dishes.

I was left alone at the table. Rather than stew in the uncomfortable situation, I took the hint from Justin and came up with something productive to do. I retrieved my backpack from the closet and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

The sun was still up, so it was quite early for bedtime, but I figured I should make an effort to get to sleep first. That was the only way I knew that I could offer them some privacy.

The shower gave me more time to practice making a Wall. Intellectually, I knew that modesty made no sense between Justin and I, but the thought that he could view me, standing under the stream of water and naked other than some soap suds, was like an itch I couldn't scratch.

It wasn't creepy, like finding out a total stranger was watching you skinny dip in a lake. Justin didn't feel like a stranger, not even a tiny bit. His presence in my mind was a warm, familiar comfort. I didn't feel like I needed to hide anything from him.

But that itch was still there. It felt like he was watching right over my shoulder, and it was effortless to peek at what he was doing, too.

I felt extremely conflicted. I wanted to be able to break the Bond so that they could return to their old life, but I knew that was impossible. At the very least, it would be nice to be able to shut it off from time to time, to give the two of them privacy. So it made sense to want to figure this out, to be able to push Justin away, out of my mind. But at the same time, I really enjoyed having him right there. I wanted to share everything with him. His presence in my mind was warm, pleasant, unfailingly familiar, and welcome.

I grew up with brothers, though they were never that close. I know without a doubt that he is much more than that to me. He's my savior.

Thus the conflict. How do I work on blocking him out of my mind, when I enjoy him being there so much? Frankly, the idea of doing anything to weaken the Bond felt... wrong. He was my guardian angel, I wanted him closer. I wanted to help him, not isolate him and leave him to fix his problems alone.

I sighed and finished rinsing my hair. So much for being productive.

Well, at the very least, I would still make an effort to get to bed early. I couldn't spy on their alone time if I was unconscious.

Abby was busy in the shower and lost in her own thoughts, while I was up to my elbows in hot soapy water and struggling to keep my thoughts positive, so I was thoroughly startled when I turned to see Katie leaning in the doorway of the kitchen. I had just finished rinsing the last of the silverware and just about dropped all of it.

She looked pensive and concerned, and was holding the pad of paper under her arm.

"How long have you been there?" I yelped, then sighed, "Did you think of any questions?"

She shook her head.

"No. There's a lot I want to know, but none of it is really important, I guess. Most of it is stuff you probably don't know anyway, like where this all came from."

"You mean, like who were the first people to Bond?" I asked.

"Yeah, and why? What was the original purpose? I'm curious, of course, but it won't have any effect on... you know, the big question."

I was done with everything in the kitchen, so we went to the living room together.

"So, what did you write down?" I hesitantly asked. "Let's start there."

She turned the pad of paper over and showed me. At the top of the page was the word "Questions" in her plain, professional handwriting. Below that was blank.

"Like I said, I don't have anything to ask right now that will make a difference. I think what I really need is time. I need to see if you've changed... how you've changed. How things will feel between us. I know we can't really be alone, but it's what I really want right now."

"Well," I said, "Abby is already planning to go to bed early, to give us alone time."

Katie was quiet for a bit, then smiled.

"That's very thoughtful of her. Tell her I would really like that, and tell her I said thank you."

"You're welcome!" Abby shouted from the bathroom. She'd naturally heard the whole conversation and cracked the door open a little to respond.

Katie turned towards Abby's sudden voice, then gave me a look. She was clearly startled and it took her a moment to make the connection and realize that Abby had heard everything through me.

Shortly afterward Abby stepped out, dressed in a plain tan-colored cotton pajama set.

"Would you mind if I crashed on the couch?" Abby asked from the doorway.

Katie and I took a minute to get some spare blankets and a pillow for the couch, then retreated to the bedroom.

I didn't really need the shower, but a good, hot shower generally helped me relax and get in the mood for rest. Maybe with some quiet music and a comfortable place to lie down, I hoped that sleep would be easy to find.

Unfortunately, the sun was still up and the whole living room was bright. The light coming in was on top of my head. Laying the other way would be worse, since it would then be in my face. I resorted to covering my eyes with my arm and focusing on my breathing.

I was able to nearly shut out everything, for once, so I was startled when I heard the floor creak nearby. Justin had come in and was hanging a blanket over the sliding glass doors, which dropped the light level in the room significantly. When I looked up, he was holding something out to me, it was thin, red, and shiny.

I took it and thanked him, once I realized that it was a sleep mask, made from a red satin material with an elastic headband. He nodded and walked back to the bedroom.

I turned the sleep mask over in my hands, wanting to be sure I had it oriented correctly. A little white tag caught my eye, which read "Shades of Red Collection," and I had to snicker. It was safe to say that somewhere in the bedroom there was a matching pair of fluffy handcuffs, a plastic-handled flogger, or maybe a ball gag.

Justin picked up on my humorous observation, and I could feel him fighting to restrain his embarrassment.

After putting it on, I immediately had to wonder which of them purchased it, and whom it was meant to be worn by. For that matter, who was the last person to wear it? I wasn't remotely disgusted by the idea of either of them wearing it, and actually felt warmed by the thought that he trusted me enough to show me something so private.

As I relaxed again, I unintentionally peeked through Justin's eyes. He was laying in bed with Katie pulled up to his chest. She was being a very pensive little spoon, absently fiddling with the wrinkles in the sheets and saying nothing.

Shaking my head, I went back to my old standby -- breathing exercises.

I must have fallen asleep, because in no time at all, I found myself in a dream.

I was in one of my old grade school classrooms. Maybe second or third grade, they all looked about the same in our little school. I was crying, ashamed, embarrassed by something I'd done. When I tried to escape the room, running from the chalkboard to the door in the back, I couldn't make myself look up and watch where I was going. I was too ashamed. Before I could reach the door, I ran into the legs of a grown up. All I could see were shiny black loafers and gray slacks, but I knew this was my principal.

I expected to get yelled at, but the silence was worse. I took a step back and tried to go around, only to find another pair of legs right there. I walked along the whole circumference of the classroom, staring at the ground, speeding up with every stride, hemmed in by a continuous wall of adults, all looking down at me with disapproval. I never looked up to see their faces, I could just feel that I'd done something terrible and I'd disappointed them all.

I couldn't fix what I'd done, and I couldn't get away, and I was quite literally running in circles and going nowhere.

I shook myself awake, and found myself tangled in the blanket and the sleep mask was crooked on my face. I was able to suppress the feeling of panic and work my way out of both. It was dark enough that the mask was no longer necessary, and I didn't want to risk getting tangled in the blanket again, so I tossed them both on the floor and laid back down.

I fell asleep again immediately and entered another dream.

Thankfully it wasn't the guilt dream again. My confusing feelings about Katie must have manifested, though, because it was about her.

I was on top of her, kissing her. So strange, and yet so familiar at the same time. We were in bed, both naked, with our bodies gently rubbing together as my hips thrusted...

My eyes shot open and I stared at the ceiling. I was still disoriented, but far less than the last time this happened. I was still closely connected with Justin's body, feeling his pleasure slowly building and relishing the way it resonated within me. Without thinking, my hands crept down between my legs as I clenched them together and began rocking my hips in time with Justin's thrusts.

He was just a couple meters away, on the other side of the wall... having sex with the woman we loved.

My hips sped up and I pressed harder, feeling needy, wanting to find my own release. I felt some outside resistance, though, which surprised me. Justin was focusing hard on Katie's pleasure, trying to hold back, trying to last a little longer, and I was about to ruin that for him.

His desire took precedence, because I felt it just as strongly. We were in perfect harmony on one thing -- Katie comes first.

I stood, feeling a pleasant hum in my body. I was sweating, flushed, and throbbing, and I loved it.

Quietly, I took a few wobbling steps and entered the bedroom and gently closed the door behind me. The bedroom TV was on, but muted, casting a flickering glare on the scene in front of me. Two naked lovers performing the oldest dance together. Justin was focused and concentrating, though he gave me a quick glance to acknowledge my entrance. Katie's eyes were closed and her head was tilted back slightly, lips slightly parted with an expression of bliss.

I could tell from the way Justin's body felt that he was getting close, and Katie appeared to just be basking in the experience.

I was drawn to her. I no longer denied the feelings I had for this woman. Whether I was experiencing Justin's love vicariously, or if he'd imparted those feelings directly into me, I'd never know. It didn't matter. It felt real to me, and Justin was aware of how I felt. We were sharing feelings so fluidly that I had no hope of hiding them from him. But I felt no disapproval from him. He simply accepted the fact that we both loved her.

It was just a matter of fact. The sun is hot. Grass is green. Justin and I both loved Katie. There was no need to be judgmental about a fact, or feel any jealousy towards each other. We were comfortably in sync.

Cautiously, I approached the bed and sank to my knees. I reached out and gently placed my palm on Katie's belly, just above her navel. It was one of my weak spots, I knew, and also felt like a safe place to touch that wouldn't be too forward. I wouldn't forgive myself if I overstepped and ruined this for her.

Despite my soft touch, her head snapped my way and she stared at me, wide-eyed. She made no attempt to say anything, though. She didn't flinch, didn't shy away, and wasn't making any demands, so I had to hope that her lack of response was because she was okay with this, and not because she was too timid to speak up.

My concern leaked to Justin, who mentally snorted in response and tried not to grin. The thought of Katie being too timid for anything was ridiculous to him. I felt no alarm from him, either, just a feeling of caution and a hint of optimism.

I kept eye contact with Katie and found myself falling into her beautiful eyes. My hand moved in small circles, gently stroking the taut skin of her tummy. Her eyes softened, and I was encouraged to continue.

She started to get a dreamy look, like she was ready to simply lay back and enjoy what was being done to her, but some of the hardness came back. She finally opened her mouth to speak.

"Abby?" Her tone held no malice, she was just curious. "Why, Abby?"

"Because... I'm in love with you, too," I answered, internally cringing at the thought that I had said too much.

Justin was still thrusting at a slow pace, though he was clearly pushing harder with each downward stroke, causing Katie to moan lightly each time as she was pressed into the mattress.

"But," she started, interrupted by another moan, "what about him?"

I knew what she was asking. In her mind, she saw the Bond as a form of relationship, like a magically-enhanced version of marriage. While that was normally the case, considering my parents and grandparents, it wasn't necessary. She wanted to know why I was giving up that relationship with him. Rather than explain all that, I decided to play dumb and pretend that I didn't understand her real question.

"Justin loves you too, of course!" I replied with a smile.

I emphasized my words by sliding my hand up to cup her breast and gently rubbed her nipple with my thumb. I wasn't actually sure that this was entirely my own idea, I suspected that Justin was guiding me.

Between my words, Justin's deep thrusts, and the extra sensation I was giving her, we pushed Katie into her climax. I gasped with pleasure as I felt her clench up on Justin. She wrapped her legs around his back and used them to hold him inside her as she shook.

Justin knew from experience that she would always grab his head and pull him down for a kiss while she rode out her orgasm, so we were both shocked as she grabbed mine, instead.

Our lips pressed firmly together, and I was amazed by how right it felt. When I inhaled sharply through my nose, I was immersed in the scent of her skin, and I knew that we were right there on the razor's edge, too. We were one more gentle touch with a single fingertip away from a roaring orgasm.

Then, unexpectedly, I felt her mouth open slightly, and she parted my lips with her tongue. The feeling of her small, soft, pink tongue darting into my mouth to taste me was one sensation too many. Justin was more aroused than he'd ever been in his life, by both watching and feeling his girlfriend kiss another girl right in front of him. Katie had released him with her legs, so he pulled back and slammed down, twice, before he erupted into her.

From my point of view his orgasm, physically, was much more intense than his playtime in the shower. Emotionally, however, it was many orders of magnitude greater, like comparing a gentle breeze to a hurricane. Their love was overpowering, and it poured into me through my Bond with Justin and through Katie's delicious kiss.

I felt every throb as Justin emptied himself, and each of his pulses was offset by my own tunnel clenching with the same pattern. I couldn't control my mouth, though, and I could tell my tongue was darting randomly around in Katie's as I shuddered. It was aimless, sloppy, and absolutely breathtaking.

I felt her gentle hand rest on the back of my head, stroking lightly along the base of my skull under my hair. It was a loving caress, something I was certainly not expecting.

Katie recovered first. As she relaxed, she laid back on the bed and looked between Justin and I with wide, curious eyes. I'm sure it was evident that the two of us were sharing the experience.

A few seconds later, we both relaxed. Rather than let Justin collapse down and lay on Katie, I gave him a gentle push on his shoulder to guide him to the side. I felt him slide out of her, which made us both shiver briefly, and then he positioned himself on the bed between Katie and the wall.

I climbed up onto the other side, mirroring his position, facing the two of them to cuddle up. By habit, Justin reached behind him for a blanket. I got the impression from him that Katie was always cold after sex, while he was always hot and sweaty. He liked to get a blanket to cover her, then wrapped his arms around her cocoon.

However, now I was in the way and I had no interest in having a blanket over me. I was still fully dressed in my cotton pajamas, and wasn't far from overheating. So, we compromised. Justin grabbed my leg and pulled it over Katie's lower half, and then she followed up by pulling my arm over her chest. Katie got covered by me, instead of a blanket, and Justin then cuddled with the cocoon we created.

We laid there just breathing and enjoying the afterglow. I didn't want to ruin anyone's mood, but I had some things I needed to say, so I broke the silence first.

"Thank you. Both of you," I said gently.

Katie turned her head towards me a little, "For what? I didn't really do anything."

Her beautiful face made my heart throb. The honest look she gave me surprised me. She was ignorant of the incredible thing she'd just done.

"You..." I croaked, forcing myself to swallow the lump in my throat and try again. "You didn't get mad, didn't push me away. You accepted me. It means everything."

She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, buying herself some time to think.

"It was a test, I guess. I needed to find out how I'd feel. I've spent hours thinking about this. I know that I can't let Justin go, he doesn't want to let me go, and I can't have him without you. We all have to make compromises for this to work. And... I want it to work, I really do."

Her last words came out as a whisper.

We all went quiet again, but I didn't let the silence set in.

"It seems fitting that Justin was my first kiss and you were my second," I said with a sly grin.

They both looked at me with shock. Katie mouthed the word, "really," and though he didn't say anything, I could feel the same sentiment coming from Justin.

"Of course!" I said while failing to stifle a giggle. "Kissing Justin created the Bond. If I'd kissed someone else before last night, I would've already been Bonded, and I would've never met him."

It took only a second to delve into Abby's memories to see the truth. All of her experience with sex was in the last few minutes. I was stunned by this revelation, and I know Katie was too.

Katie spoke up, "So, that means... you're still a virgin, Abby?"

Abby blushed and buried her head into Katie's neck. She didn't need to answer aloud.

We all went silent again, musing over the significance of this new tidbit of information in the flickering light of the television. I felt a surge of emotion coming from Abby, which she tried to suppress. I'd felt it before, any time someone mentioned her past.