Black Velvet

He was reminded of Yuta's toned six-pack, shining with beads of sweat that dripped across her porcelain skin, but Zuki was built differently. She was slimmer, more lithe, and more lightly muscled. If Yuta was a bodybuilder or a wrestler, then Zuki was a gymnast or a swimmer. There was a wonderful malleability to her as he kneaded the soap deeper into her fur, her flesh yielding beneath his fingertips as he massaged her.

Zuki sighed, twisting as he spread the slippery foam down towards the boundary of her low-hanging shorts, globs of it sliding out of view beneath the leather. She was so flexible and limber, somehow able to move her upper body independently of her hips, swaying like she was dancing slowly to a rhythm that only she could hear. He had to struggle to stay focused, the way that her abs twisted and shifted beneath her shining fur mesmerizing him.

He traced the wide curve of her hips, the sticky flour little more than a pretense now as he explored her soaking, sinewy body. He slid his hand below her navel, skirting the boundary between her mound and the shorts, making slow circles with his thumbs as he rubbed the lather deeper. Zuki twitched and shivered as he came tantalizingly close to her belt, her tail batting against the walls of the cubicle as it waved back and forth. Was that a sign of indecision or excitement? He couldn't tell.

His cheeks were burning, but that might just have been the hot water that was rapidly steaming up the glass, making them feel even more isolated from the rest of the world.

After a few minutes, he realized that the flour was long gone and that his fingers were sliding against clean, silky fur. Zuki opened her eyes to peer down at him when she felt him slow, thin slivers of green visible beneath heavy lids, her bandaged chest rising and falling as she took in staggered breaths.

"Y-you're clean here," he stammered, pulling back his hands and watching as the water carried the suds away. Like waking from a trance, Zuki seemed to come to, then she slowly began to kneel in front of him. He watched with wide eyes as she sat down on the tiled floor with her legs crossed, putting her face just below chest height. He swallowed conspicuously as she glanced up at him, the water still cascading over them, and he prayed that she wouldn't notice the swelling beneath the damp fabric of his briefs.

"Do my head next," she insisted, and Jules breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, she wanted him to wash her hair. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter...

He filled his hand with another blob of shampoo from the bottle, Zuki closing her eyes and smiling contentedly as he began to knead it into her hair. He massaged her scalp with his fingers, rubbing the lather in as deep as he could manage. She seemed so relaxed, swaying a little and leaning into him, her eyelids fluttering when he neared her fluffy ears. Wanting to see what would happen when he stroked them, Jules took one of them in his fingers, rubbing slowly as he worked the soap into her velvety fur. She shivered, sitting up as straight as a board, her tail ceasing its back and forth wagging as it stood erect.

Were her ears really so sensitive? Granted, it felt good to have your hair washed by someone else, anyone who had ever been to a hair salon could attest to that. But Zuki seemed enraptured, more like a dog being scratched behind the ear, cocking her head as if trying to encourage him. Now he was beginning to feel as if the tables had turned, that washing her hair was merely a pretense to get him to pet her.

He moved on to the second, taking it in his fist. The round flap was just the right size to rest comfortably in his palm, the cartilage flexible enough that it didn't hurt her when he began to squeeze and knead it like a kitchen sponge. He found a gentle rhythm as he pressed his thumb into the fluff that sprouted from it, making slow circles, and he could have sworn that he heard Zuki purring softly through the noise of the running water. He could feel the muscles that let it rotate and angle itself twitching at his touch.

Borealan claws didn't seem to be retractable like those of Earth cats, and while they had soft pads on the ends of their fingers that let them grip things through their fur, there were clearly some activities that their sharp claws just got in the way of. A good massage wasn't something that they would be accustomed to, they wouldn't be able to press their fingers deep into a knotted muscle without carving their subject up like a Sunday roast.

When Jules was done with her hair, he moved down to her face, careful not to get any of the suds in her eyes as he spread them across her forehead and her cheeks. Just like the rest of her body, her face was covered in almost imperceptibly fine fur, Zuki pushing her cheek into his palm as he washed her. He used his fingers to scratch her as he would a cat, the tension draining from her body as she sagged like a deflating balloon. Her tail lost its rigidity, returning to its waving motion, batting against the glass walls of the cubicle.

Emboldened, he cupped her face in both hands, feeling her lean more of her weight on them as he rubbed her cheeks. He noted that she had no whiskers, and unlike a cat, she had a pair of full, almost jet-black lips. Seeing his hands touching her face gave him a new appreciation for her size. Her head was easily the equal of that of a lion or a tiger, with a massive skull made from dense bone. The muscles that powered her jaws were so developed, nothing like those of a human, he could feel them beneath his fingers as he stroked.

"That feels nice," Zuki sighed, her eyes unfocused as if she were falling asleep. "Really nice..."

He carefully washed the bridge of her feline nose with his finger, making her giggle, and then he gently guided her head into the stream of water to clean away all of the shampoo. Her fur now looked even shinier than before, her short-cropped hair damp and heavy.

Next, he moved down to her neck and shoulders, finding himself wondering how she would react to an actual massage. When he was done washing off the clumps of wet flour, he asked her to put her back to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she shuffled on the floor, looking over her shoulder at him.

"I want to try something, tell me how this feels..."

He placed his hands on her neck, moving slowly down towards her shoulder blades, probing with his thumbs. Zuki was basically humanoid, her anatomy shouldn't be too different from that of a human. A litany of ex-girlfriends had taught him enough about giving back massages to know his way around the different muscle groups, as well as how to make up after an argument...

He traced the bumps of her vertebrae, feeling the thick columns of muscle to either side of her spine that joined to the firm muscles in her neck and shoulders. Her upper back was as hard as rock, especially between her shoulder blades, rigid and unyielding beneath his fingertips. Zuki shuffled uncomfortably as he probed, her tail flicking in what might be irritation.

"That feels weird," she complained.

"Your muscles are so hard and ropy," he grumbled, "they're full of knots."

"What does that mean?"

"That you have bad posture, some kind of strain maybe. It's not like you work a desk job, so I don't know what's..."

Jules found an especially large knot between her shoulders, applying pressure with his thumb, Zuki going haywire. Her ears twitched, and her tail tensed, her spine going as straight as a rod. He could feel the tension building, Zuki sucking in a breath through her teeth, then sinking back down again as he worked out the knot.

"W-what was...that?" she mumbled.

"You've never had a back rub before? I figured as much, your claws would get in the way. Keep still, let me work out these knots. It might hurt a little at first, but it will feel good, it's a good kind of hurt." She looked back over her shoulder at him skeptically. "Just trust me."

"Alright..."

Jules moved from her neck to the bottom of her shoulder blades, where the bandages began, kneading with his fingers and putting pressure on her muscles. They were so rigid, packed with stress, not nearly as malleable as they should have been. The muscles that carved the beautiful channel that ran down her spine were so full of knots that they felt like a pair of old ropes, she had built up so much tension here. He might achieve better results with the heel of his hand rather than tackling each knot individually, and so he began to drive it deep into her muscle. She was larger and stronger than a human, and he so had to apply more pressure than he was accustomed to, but the results were immediate.

As he slid his hand up between her shoulders, Zuki let slip a surprised gasp, her spine arching and her clawed fingers scraping against the tiled floor. He had hit several trigger points at once, easing the tightness and tension that must have been building up for years, all of that stored stress melting from her body as a wave of pleasure that bordered on pain rippled through her.

"That feel better?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder. "Should I apply more pressure?"

Zuki was trembling like a leaf, and she gave him a silent nod, biting her lower lip with her sharp teeth. Jules drove the heel of his hand even deeper, tracing the dimple of her spine towards her neck, pausing here and there to massage especially troublesome spots with his fingers. Right now, Zuki should be feeling a sweet ache, a sense of relief and warmth spreading through her shoulders and her chest.

Her breath caught in her throat as he reached her neck, resting his hands around it and using his thumbs to push into the taut muscle. Here too, there were innumerable knots and pressure points. Perhaps this was merely a consequence of the higher gravity and the strain that it put on her body? The only other person that he had seen such tension in was an ex who had worked as a clerk, spending eight or nine hours of her day hunched over a computer.

Zuki stiffened like a statue, then relaxed, another wave of aching pleasure washing over her as she let her head sag forwards. The hot water cascaded down her back, making her fur slick, all the better for Jules to slid his hands up and down with little friction.

"Does it hurt?" Jules asked, pausing for a moment.

"A little, but don't stop," she mumbled. "I...I've never..." She trailed off as he resumed his massage, every stroke of his fingers making her shift and dance as though he was plucking at the strings of a marionette.

"How are you doing that?" she asked, her voice weak and wavering. "It feels like you're reaching inside me...I can feel it everywhere..."

"Your muscles are just knotted," he explained, "it happens because of stress or...bad posture..."

His eyes were drawn by the way that her hips flared at this angle, her rear filling out her tight shorts as her tail batted at his shins. The lower back was another problem area for stress and tension. Perhaps she would let him massage her there too? With a start, he realized that he was at full mast, thanking his stars that she was facing away from him right now.

What was he doing? How had it come to this?

"We need to stop," he stammered, Zuki opening her eyes and looking back over her shoulder at him.

"Why?"

"T-the cake will burn."

"Oh, the cake..."

She reached up and shut off the shower, the steam slowly clearing as Jules opened the door to the cubicle and stepped out, the water seeming to take some of the tension with it as it evaporated from his skin. The frenzied beating of his heart began to slow now that he was no longer in that steamy, confined cubicle with her. Zuki shook herself again, but he was already wet, so it hardly mattered.

"Let me get dry," he said, keeping his back to her so that she couldn't see his erection. "Then I'll blow dry you again. Don't touch it with wet hands, because it's electrical, you might get shocked."

"Okay," she replied, perhaps wondering why he was facing away from her. Only when a towel was safely wrapped around his waist did he dare to turn to her again. She looked genuinely relieved after his massage, who knew how long she had been living with that upper back pain. She seemed even more limber than usual, her eyes glazed over as the residual pleasure continued to smolder.

"Feel better?" he asked. She nodded, and then rolled her neck experimentally, a grin spreading across her face.

"I can't remember the last time that I felt this good, so much of the ache is gone. Humans have magic hands."

"I guess we do by your standards," he laughed as he rubbed his forearms with the towel. "Right, kneel down, and let me dry you off."

She sat in front of him obediently, and he began to dry her hair, running his fingers through it again as she cooed happily. She seemed even more affectionate than usual. She was in a daze after her massage, practically giddy, rubbing her furry face against his hands. He was a professional, he was accustomed to office life where certain boundaries should not be crossed. Sexual harassment suits were no joke, he should know better, he should put more distance between him and his ward. Yet he couldn't help himself, he couldn't keep his hands out of her velvet fur, he couldn't keep his eyes off her perfectly sculpted body. Her adorable personality melted through the walls that he erected like a blowtorch. What were the differences between be friends, packmates, and lovers in their culture? He had no idea.

The sooner they completed their task here and parted ways, the better. But why did the idea of being separated from her fill him with such dread? He needed to get his head on straight before things got out of hand...

***

Jules put on his oven mitts, opening the door to the oven and withdrawing the first of the two baking pans. The cake had risen nicely, filling the pan and creating a sort of muffin-top that slightly overhung the rim. Steam wafted from it as he stood on his toes to reach up and set it on the counter, then retrieved the second. He looked around for Zuki, noticing that she was missing. What the hell was she doing?

"Zuki?" he asked, walking over to the bathroom door and knocking on it. It swung open, and he peeked inside to see that it was empty. "We're going to finish the cake, are you coming?"

He made his way back over to the counter, scratching his head through the mitten in confusion. Had she retreated to the bedroom to reapply her bandages this time? He stooped to check under the kitchen table, not sure what he was expecting to find, but she wasn't there either.

Suddenly he felt something behind him, the hair on his neck standing on end as a dark shape rose up, his heart skipping a beat as a pair of furry arms wrapped around him.

"Got you," Zuki whispered, chuckling at his reaction. "See? I can be stealthy too."

"What are you doing?" he laughed in surprise. Her fur was all puffy from the blow dryer again, and she was wearing her sweater and pants. She seemed especially chipper after their shower, full of energy, somehow more confident.

"I just wanted you to see how quiet I could be."

"I'm impressed, I suppose?"

"Are we finishing the cake now?" she asked, eyeing the two pans.

"Yeah, fetch me the filling that we made, it's in the fridge."

She did as he asked, crouching and opening the door to the fridge, then passed him the bowl. He pulled off the plastic film and dipped his finger into it, holding a blob of it up to her.

"I know that Borealans don't have much of a taste for sweet things, but I think you'll like dairy, so give this a taste and tell me what you think before we put it on the cake."

He expected her to scoop it off his finger with her claw or something, but she leaned down closer, his face reddening as she closed her smooth lips around it. They were full and puffy, as black as coal, shining as though she had applied some kind of colored lipstick. The inside of her mouth was so warm, and she began to draw gently on his digit, her flexible tongue coiling around him like a snake as it cleaned away the cream. It was prehensile, she had such incredible control over it, a pleasant shiver running down his spine as her slick flesh grazed his skin. She drew back, licking her lips and leaving him standing there with a damp finger, his heart pounding in his ears.

"Tastes good!" she said, Jules snapping out of his stupor.

"Uh...good, yeah. Let's...use that then." He turned back to the counter, glad to be facing away from her once more so that he could hide his flushed cheeks, using a spoon to scoop out the cream filling and spreading it on the top of one of the cakes. When that was done, he tasked her with fetching a jar of strawberry preserves. It was another sweet ingredient, but the Borealans seemed to like fruity flavors and scents when it came to drinks and soaps, so perhaps she would appreciate this too. He spread it, then paused to appraise their handiwork. "Alright, now we just need to stack one half of the cake on top of the other..."

He lifted one of the pans with his oven mitts, careful not to burn himself, and dumped it on top of the other as Zuki peered over his shoulder. He twisted the pan, freeing the cake as best he could, and then pulled it away. After sprinkling a little confectionery sugar on the top, it was done.

"Voila," he said, "one cake."

"Can we eat it now?" Zuki asked.

"We have to let it cool for a few minutes, then we can eat it," he replied as he stooped to turn off the stove.

"Want to sit together while we wait?" she asked, her tail flicking back and forth in anticipation.

"Sure," he said with a shrug, following her over to the couch. She waited for him to climb up, then she took a seat on the carpet in front of him, pushing her back up against his knees. She rolled her head back, resting it in his lap as she peered up at him, upside-down from his perspective.

"Rub my neck again?"

"Alright..."

Her black lips curled into a smile, and she reached down, lifting her sweater as if she was about to pull it off.

"Hold up, I can give you a massage without you taking off your sweater."

"Oh, okay then."

She shuffled to get more comfortable, waiting expectantly, and he felt her shiver excitedly when he reached down and began to rub her neck. He couldn't be as thorough in this position. Leaning forward on the high couch was a little awkward, and the sweater did impede him somewhat, but she was enjoying it regardless. She leaned back against him as if encouraging him to push his fingers deeper into her muscles, her breathing becoming deep and regular as he slowly moved down her back. She insisted that he rub her head, and he obliged, feeling her sinewy body writhe and wriggle as he massaged her furry ears. She was clearly in heaven, and once again, he found himself wondering where the boundary between friends and lovers was drawn in their packs. Was he simply grooming her right now like monkeys in a troupe, or was it something more? He was afraid to ask, lest she make assumptions about which outcome he was hoping for.

She really was like a cat, forcing herself into his lap and demanding attention whether he liked it or not. At least she was starting to come out of her shell now, there was less of that meekness and deference that he had seen from her back in the Araxie village.

"You know," he began. "If your upper back was in such a sorry state, then your lower back probably is too. Maybe I could give it a look later tonight?"

"Yeah," she sighed, swaying as he pressed his thumbs between her shoulders. "Let's do that..."

"Can I...I mean...if you took off your bandages, I could do your whole back. Or maybe I could give you a massage through the bandages? Would that hurt you?"

She tensed up a little, becoming more alert. Maybe he shouldn't have broached the subject at all? What kind of injury would be a source of such shame or embarrassment for her? Something disfiguring, perhaps? He didn't know what the standard of beauty was for Araxie.