An Unplanned Bonding

"Abby... who is Paul?" I asked, trying to make my voice as gentle as possible.

She visibly flinched, and the emotions coming from her were a jumbled mess of regret, shame, sorrow, and a few other feelings I couldn't parse.

After a pause, she sighed, showing resignation. It appeared that she was done putting this conversation off.

"Paul was... just a friend, really. I actually didn't know him that well. I didn't think it would be that important. After all, he agreed to Bond with me, so we'd learn everything we needed to know about each other after that."

She frowned and continued, "But he never showed up. I left the village without him and waited as long as I could..."

"What village?" Katie interrupted.

"The village where I was born. New Salem," she answered. "I don't know the original name, but it was renamed when people flocked there from all of the colonies to escape persecution. Frankly, we were so isolated from the outside world, most people forgot that anything existed outside. We all just called it, 'the village' and left it at that."

"Isolated?" I asked.

"Yes. I told you before that magic is real, and it is commonplace, almost mundane, in the village. Most of the magic users have died off over the years and failed to pass on their knowledge, but the land itself and the magical creatures there keep it active. They power the barrier to the rest of the world, too."

She gave me a playful smirk and continued.

"I can already feel your next question, Justin," she said, smiling. "The barrier is purely magical. It keeps the village hidden. From the outside, it just looks like a boring old forest. The magic causes slight disorientation, people simply walk around it without realizing it. It's actually really weak protection, but it's worked for centuries."

This time, Katie spoke up, "But you still haven't said why you ran away..."

Abby frowned again and took a few breaths.

"I think I need to go back a bit and explain," she began.

She proceeded to tell us an overview of her life up until she met me. I found myself falling into a trance with her words. She was a surprisingly skilled storyteller, and experiencing her emotions along with the words gave me a whole new level of depth to her tale.

She was the youngest of four siblings, the only girl growing up with three brothers. They were overly violent with each other in everything they did, and treated her far more roughly than they should have whenever she tried to participate. In her eyes, they were spoiled, and she often found herself punished if she tried to tattle on one of her older brothers, who always covered for each other. She resented her parents, eventually coming to rebel against them, because of the fact that she sometimes felt like they treated her as the unwanted child and a mistake.

Her father was the mayor, and her mother loved playing the mayor's wife. She basked in the attention from their sycophants. The two of them often left the village for a day or two, attending parties with the local elites, like the state governor and notable millionaires. The only time Abby ever left the village was to attend these parties with them, while they were just interested in showing her off.

Abby and her brothers, on the other hand, got even less attention from their parents, and much of it negative. Instead, they were raised by nannies and other house staff, giving all four siblings a lot of independence at an early age. Her brothers all married as soon as they could, and had no issues getting a blessing after revealing their intended brides. Three more Bonds were formed, and three more women joined the family. Abby became more and more invisible as family affairs took up everyone else's attention.

After her eighteenth birthday, however, her parents suddenly saw her as something to be used as leverage. She was now an adult, but still unbonded, and they sought to use her Bond as a political tool, trying to set her up with men from other influential families. She rebelled, relying on her independence to break away.

She spent months living on her own, refusing her parents' efforts to dictate her future. When she realized her time was running out before she had to Bond, she approached Paul. He was an acquaintance that her parents would never approve of, because his family was practically impoverished compared to the men they wanted her to wed.

Paul seemed interested in having a deeper relationship with Abby, but she insisted that they leave the village first. She knew that there were plenty of opportunities for them in the outside world, and if they didn't get away, her parents would do everything they could to punish her for her choice. However, they would be free beyond the barrier, outside of her parents' influence.

Paul said he was reluctant to leave his own family. He was close with his parents, siblings, and even cousins. She ignored his concerns. Not having any close ties with her own family, she couldn't understand his feelings.

So she left, assuming that he'd get over his cold feet and catch up with her.

By this time in the story, Katie had turned all the way onto her side, cuddled with her back against me, so we could both watch Abby's face as she talked. I had cooled down at some point, and had pulled a blanket over our nakedness.

"It was there on the riverbank that I started to realize that I'd made a huge mistake," she continued, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"The barrier is monitored by the forest creatures, the dryads. Only they can decide who can enter the village. Anyone can leave, but once you do, you must be invited back in. Nobody knew that I was leaving, other than Paul, so I couldn't go back. Nobody would be there to let me in. Every day my options dwindled, until I realized that my time was up, and Paul wasn't coming."

She went silent, and I felt the panic that her memories brought back. The way she ran in terror towards the highway, and her brief spark of hope at seeing me leave the front office of the motel.

Her tears were falling now, though she gave me a small smile of gratitude for her rescue.

I wanted to hold her and comfort her, but it wasn't possible with Katie already in my arms. She must have had the same idea, though, because she lifted the blanket and pulled Abby to her chest and wrapped her up with us.

"Thank you," Abby and I simultaneously whispered. I needed Katie to understand that anything she did for Abby was helping me, too. I felt her despair and sadness, so comforting her gave me relief.

I think she understood, though she only replied by giving Abby another gentle squeeze.

It was obvious that between the late hour, our exertion from sex, and emotional exhaustion that we all needed sleep. I didn't bother to tell the girls aloud, instead giving gentle encouragement by rearranging pillows and straightening out the blanket over the three of us.

By the time I was comfortable, I could hear that Katie was breathing deeply and her body was beginning to twitch as she entered unconsciousness. Abby's eyes were closed, and she was barely aware of anything, so I closed my eyes as well to help shut out the world.

The next morning marked the return to obligations and schedules: Monday.

Katie's alarm went off first, which immediately woke me as well. The two of us had little trouble slipping out of bed without waking Justin. I went to the entryway closet to retrieve my backpack with my clothes while Katie quietly gathered her outfit for the day and went into the bathroom.

I was willing to wait my turn for a shower, but before I heard the water turn on, Katie poked her head back out to whisper loudly at me.

"Abby! Get in here!"

Hesitantly, I followed, and was shocked to see her standing there, still naked from the night before.

"Might as well share the hot water. Come on," she urged, waving me in.

She gestured at me to close the door and she turned on the faucet. I gulped, intimidated by what she was planning. My instinct was to reach into Justin's memory, see if they normally showered together and give me some guidance on how to handle this. But there was no help; he was still asleep and I felt nothing but fuzziness from him.

I became acutely aware that nobody had seen me naked since I was little, and I wasn't confident that she would find anything about me appealing. I knew I couldn't objectively compare my body with hers. My own desire for her made that impossible for me.

She was shorter, more petite, and had a darker skin tone with an olive tint that revealed her asian heritage. She had short black hair rather than my dirty blonde, brown eyes to my blue, and a daintier, smooth set of lips I envied and also wanted to kiss. How could I be objective in comparing us? I felt inferior around her. Like Justin, I saw her as perfect, and not knowing how she felt about me, I felt like I didn't measure up.

I didn't try to put on a show while stripping my clothes off, trying to stay casual, as though I got naked in front of people all the time. Of course, I was feeling shy and insecure, but being around her boundless self-confidence made me want to emulate her. I took a moment to fold up my pajamas and put them on the counter, knowing I'd wear them again tonight. By the time I got my panties off, Katie was already in the shower with the curtain closed.

Climbing in on the far side, I got a moment to look at her wet, naked body without being caught. She was busy wetting down her hair and then was blindly reaching around for the shampoo bottle. I grabbed it for her and put it into her hand, and she gave me a smile in return. Before she opened the bottle, though, she opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Let's switch," she said.

Without any warning, she took a step forward, wrapped her arms around me and pulled my body tight to hers. I gasped in surprise, though I doubted she could hear it over the sound of the water. I was still mostly dry, and the feeling of her soft wet skin sliding against mine was overwhelming. If I were an inch or two shorter, our nipples would be rubbing together. Regardless, the feeling of her soft breasts pillowing into me captured all of my attention and left me stunned. I realized my arms were held up a bit, since as she approached I had been subconsciously reaching to embrace her, but I was now frozen in place. I didn't get the chance to regain my faculties. In one fluid motion, she pivoted, swinging the two of us around until we switched spots, where she let go.

I was stunned for a moment by her move, but when my brain caught up, I understood her method. Both the back wall of the shower and the shower curtain were cold and wet, and that was the only way to have us switch places without either of us touching the sides.

My heart was racing, and I was still feeling anxious and excited by the unfamiliar feel of another's naked skin against mine. Katie, on the other hand, acted totally nonchalant, and was contentedly smiling while rubbing shampoo into her hair. I got the impression that this was routine for Justin and Katie, but without being able to call on his memories for help, I was struggling to catch up.

With shaking hands, I tilted my head back into the stream of water and began running my fingers through my hair.

"Abby, turn around, I'll take care of your hair."

The thought of someone else washing my hair was exciting, something I hadn't had since my parents did it for me as a child. I eagerly turned my back to Katie.

As she squeezed some shampoo onto my head and began working it in, I rather abruptly understood that my relationship with her was going to be nothing like the one she had with Justin. From our first interaction, she had taken an aggressive stance, and the way I had meekly sought her forgiveness and acceptance had only reinforced that for her. I think, in her mind, she had put me in my place, and since I hadn't fought it, she had accepted me in that way.

I wasn't sure who was the more dominant of the two during their relationship before I arrived. Katie wasn't meek or submissive, especially when it came to taking care of Justin and making sure he didn't do anything stupid, like driving while too tired, but she also deferred to his leadership when it came to the bigger picture. Where did I fit in this hierarchy?

She had efficiently cleaned and conditioned my hair, almost like she was taking care of a beloved pet, and now she was busy washing my shoulders and back. With no effort, she had taken the role of the big sister, which made sense as I was the youngest person in the apartment.

Unintentionally, I let out a little moan at the feel of the pressure she was putting on my shoulder blades. She must have heard me, because I got a pleased giggle in response.

We switched places again, using the same maneuver as before, and she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and simply handed me the bottle of conditioner and turned her back to me. Her no-nonsense attitude made it clear what I was supposed to do, so I got to work.

I was pleased to learn that I enjoyed washing her even more than feeling her wash me. It was a treat to be able to run my hands through her hair and not feel guilty, since it was specifically for a purpose, not to sate my own perversions. While her raven-colored hair was only to her chin, it was soft and smooth. It felt luxurious to feel it flow between my fingers. I found myself wishing it were longer so there would be more for me to wash.

I didn't wait for more directions after finishing her hair, I simply grabbed the soap and washcloth and got to work on her back.

I felt a thrill when I heard a moan of pleasure as I worked on her neck, down her back, and even scrubbed her delicious round bottom. She didn't try to stop me, so I continued, squatting down in the tub and carefully washing the backs of her legs, lifting each foot to scrub the soles and between her toes, then went back up, reaching around to wash the front.

I hesitated at her thighs, looking up for permission. Instead, I saw that she was looking down, watching me with a totally blank expression. She wasn't going to give me any encouragement, but also clearly wasn't making any move to stop me. I took time to search her eyes, wondering if there was a chance that this was a trap. Would she wait for me to take that next move into a forbidden area, then call me out on it, accusing me of some impropriety, or worse, molestation?

Swallowing my fear, I moved my hands to her hips and stood with her back touching my chest. Carefully, I rubbed the soapy washcloth over her mons, coating the dark hairs there with suds. Reaching up, I pulled the shower head off from the holder and brought it down, spraying the soap out of her pubic hair while rubbing my fingers through them.

I must have been doing things right, because she kept her eyes cast down to watch what I was doing, and keeping up with my movements, she spread her legs and tilted her pelvis forward to give me better access. I followed her movements with the sprayer and my own fingers, giving a gentle rub and rinse between her legs.

I felt her tense a bit, and I could tell she was feeling pleasure from the water, so I held my hand back and let her enjoy it.

She pushed my hand away after just a couple moments, though.

"If we had more time, I'd let you do that, and even return the favor, but I need to get ready for work!" She softened the chastisement with a smile.

I put the shower head back up on the bracket and when she turned to face me, I continued my task of cleaning her with the washcloth.

Not wanting to tease her further, I spent very little time on her chest, cleaning her breasts without playing with them. Afterwards, she must have decided I had done a good enough job, because she spun around and rinsed the last of the soap off her front, then we switched places again.

She took the cloth from me, added more soap, then stood there holding it and staring at me. She wasn't gathering courage, she was thinking; trying to make a decision. I was frozen, not knowing her intentions, and was pleased to find that I was more excited than apprehensive. I wanted her to touch me, and hoped that she was only trying to pick where to start.

So naturally, I was totally unprepared when she put her free hand behind my head and tilted my face down a little to press her lips to mine. My pulse jumped and I felt my skin tingle all over my whole body. This was even better than what I was readying myself for.

The kiss was gentle, and when she pulled her lips from mine, she didn't pull back far. I felt a hunger rise up, and I tilted my head a little further to the side and pushed back into her, going for a deeper kiss. Our lips parted, our tongues began to explore each other, and I realized I was drawing desperate breaths through my nose.

The next surprise came from the other room. Justin had woken up in total shock, almost unwilling to believe that what he was sensing from me was actually happening.

It wasn't loud enough for Katie to hear, but he quite clearly said, "Holy shit!" aloud while sitting up in his bed. His eyes were wide, staring at nothing, until he glanced down at his raging erection and groaned.

I couldn't help it, I had to push Katie's face away from mine so I could giggle.

Katie was smiling, but confused, until I told her what was so funny, and then she joined me in laughing at Justin's predicament.

After a moment, she stopped and put a hand to my chin to get my attention. Once she had eye contact, she said, "Justin, leave it alone! I've got plans for that thing after work tonight, save it for me!"

She burst into laughter again, and as Justin groaned in disappointment at her words, I found myself giggling even harder.

Katie then pointed out that we had already spent too long washing up, and were being wasteful with the water at this point, so I grabbed the washcloth from her and shooed her out. She was already clean, and I could finish up on my own far quicker than if she were there to distract me.

When I turned off the water and stepped out, Katie had one towel around her head, another around her body, and was rubbing lotion on her arms. Justin was standing in the doorway just watching with a smirk.

I put my fists on my hips and glared at him. "Don't just stand there like a pervert! Either get in and take your shower, or go make breakfast so she has time to eat before she has to leave."

Justin's cocky smirk turned into a somewhat ashamed smile, and he left for the kitchen with a, "Yes, ma'am!"

While I dried myself, I heard Katie mutter an exasperated, "Men!" I know she was annoyed, but I could hear a hint of endearment.

A few minutes later, us girls were dressed and making coffee, while Justin was finishing up a bacon, mushroom, and cheese omelet. It was one of Katie's favorite breakfasts, I quickly learned.

I grabbed a plate and held it out just in time for him to shake the finished omelet off the pan. I took the plate to the table and placed it in front of Katie's chair, and as she sat down with her cup of coffee, Justin was there to hand her a fork from the drawer.

I got a cup of coffee for Justin, and poured myself a glass of orange juice and went to the table.

Justin started making the next omelet, which would be for me. I said, "just cheese," and knew he'd understand what I meant.

Katie stopped chewing and looked at me, then asked, "You have to tell him out loud? I thought you could like... send stuff to each other."

I shrugged. "We can, but it takes effort to talk that way. We would get headaches after a while."

She still looked confused, so I gave her the brief overview that I'd shared with Justin that first morning, about how automatic feelings passed back and forth freely, but pushing things through to each other was different.