The Geodomes: Delta

He was way too happy and excited as he turned the water on, then laughed as Meri jumped in the water before either of us could step in. He started to try and catch her.

"Leave her, she'll just get right back in," I said, getting in and getting under the hot water.

He stepped in, trying to step around the playful and springing little goat who was joyously splashing in the water. He laughed and spun me to face him, then picked me up and held me against the wall.

"That's cold!" I complained, arching my back.

He just smiled at me, looking over my face. He leaned in and kissed me, then just held me there with his head pressed to mine while Meri stomped and splashed. Soon both of us were giggling and then laughing at her and he finally let me down to actually shower.

"Mmm, baby," he said happily, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Dinner and then we come right back here?" he asked, taking my shirt from me and kissing my shoulders as he pulled me closer.

"I have to take care of the animals. Don't you have chores you need to do?"

"Nothing to make yet that I know of and I guess I can serenade you if you want. Write you a song. My cute little Mrs Miller."

"Ames."

"Mm mmm. Partners now, same as married. Miller."

"You can be Ames."

"Miller. I'll give on most things baby, but not that. You are my cute little Mrs Miller."

"We'll talk about it," I laughed, still feeling a little stressed. "Let's eat. Give me my shirt."

"I get it back as soon as we get back in here," he grinned, handing me the t-shirt.

I smiled as I pulled it on. He really was adorable, even if he was pushy and wanted me to say things I wasn't comfortable with.

"Meri! I am about to leave! Are you going to play in the water all night?" I called.

Meri came bounding out, shaking the water off.

"Shit, does she answer to her name?" Ash asked.

"Might recognize it some, mostly she is probably hungry," I said, wrapping her in a towel and picking her up.

I set her outside before sitting at the table. The mood was heavy all around as everyone looked around at each other. I sensed the mood and tried to feel it out as I looked around at everyone.

Shi no longer looked like she had been crying even though Matthew still looked angry. Connor looked pissed and Emily looked sad. Hayleigh looked like she was angry and Blaine was next to her, ignoring her. Anya also looked like she had been crying and Abraham wouldn't look up. Felicity was looking down at her plate like she was pissed and Henry looked ready to jump out of his skin.

The only people who looked normal were Rhett and Paul who were holding hands on the table, Malik and Sabine who looked pleased with each other and Darien and Deena who looked at each other with shy, secret smiles.

"Everything ok?" I asked softly.

"Did you know there is no such thing as rape here?" Anya asked angrily, sniffling again. "And no one can do anything about it! And if I say no I get shot by this stupid dome!"

I glanced at Ash. I did know that.

"We have to do it once a day, the dome said so!" Abraham said angrily. "Or we both get punished!"

"That doesn't mean just hold me down and take what you want!"

Emily looked at Connor then, a significant look, but she said nothing as he turned his glare on her. She looked back down at her plate, her large, beautiful eyes filling with tears.

"No one should be raping anyone," I said angrily. "No matter what the dome allows! Malik!"

"She's right," he said, sitting up. "There ain't no call for that. We all know we have to comply once a day, but no one has to be rough or use force or push it beyond what is required if your partner doesn't want to. Actually, how bout this. We're gonna eat and us boys are gonna go have a talk. All of us. You girls go sit in the living room and talk while I take the boys outside."

"We can do that," Felicity said with a nod. "Just please, make things very clear."

"I got you. Let's eat."

The dinner stayed tense and Ash bent to kiss my head before he left with the other men. I followed the girls and sat with Emily, hugging her tight. "Sorry Emily," I said gently as Rhett hugged her from the other side.

"I knew he was a dick... but I didn't think... he's so angry and so rough!"

"Abe just pinned me down and rutted on me like a freaking animal," Anya said, shaking her head. "Never tried to talk, just got me in there and pushed me on the bed!"

I looked at Shi, who was curled up on the other couch. "Is Matthew awful?" I asked sadly, sorry she had been stuck with him.

"He never touched me. We just... talked. He seems angry and he's so... short tempered, but I think he's not. I think it's just how he seems and not how he is. He's intense and he's kind of a jerk, but he never touched me and he talked to me. Asked me about myself, told me about himself. He said he has a thing for you but he would get over it and try with me. He just has a hard time changing his course once he sets a path and he had set his path on you. I think... he may not be so bad. Especially now," she said, trying not to look at Emily and Anya. "He just doesn't know how to act around people. We'll see. To be honest, I didn't want anyone at all. I always thought I would marry another... I was raised to stay within my culture. I don't have that here. It may not be so bad."

I nodded. "I hope things work out."

"What about you, Tor?" Felicity asked. "You keep looking at Ash like you are a little afraid of him."

I managed a fake smile. "He's very different than I expected. He's very... passionate. He talks a lot more than he did out here and... he's also more joyous than I imagined. He laughs and smiles and... cusses a lot. Says things that I am not used to. I was raised differently. He called me... wholesome and I guess that's close to the differences between us. He is very... unwholesome, whatever the opposite is."

"Dirty?" Hayleigh asked. "Shit, I wish mine was. I get a two pump chump who says he 'doesn't do' foreplay. He doesn't eat pussy, doesn't finger, nothing. He said he didn't care if I got myself off. Gee, thanks. How do I get the one guy who isn't into dirty nasty sex?"

I was blushing, but the other girls were smiling or laughing knowingly. I hugged Emily and rubbed her back. "Did he... rape you?" I asked.

"Not really... I was willing at first when he said he wanted to get it out of the way. I thought... I thought maybe fooling around would loosen him up a little, but he pulled away when I went to kiss him and flipped me over and went at me from behind like he was trying to hurt me. He dug his fingers in and smacked my bottom when I asked him to be easier. Told me to shut up and called me... a nasty slut. When he finished, he pushed me down on the bed and walked away to take a shower, then pretended I didn't exist. Walked out of the room to see who was out here, like I wasn't worth talking to."

I hugged her again. "You have us."

"We all have each other," Felicity said.

"Shit, my boy can eat pussy," Sabine said. "Had me screamin' hallelujah and then that dick. Mhhm. I didn't walk away unsatisfied."

I blushed again and looked at Felicity. "Is Henry nice?" I asked softly.

"Yeah, he is sweet and funny. We haven't... done anything more than kiss yet, but I think tonight?"

"Paul is funny too," Rhett said happily. "And... he's pretty good in bed," she said shyly.

We all looked to Deena and she raised her eyebrows and flipped her braids as she looked around like she was pretending not to notice all of us waiting on her to say something about Darien.

Finally, she let out a laugh. "I don't know yet. We just talked and he kissed up on my titties a little. He had a nice bulge in them pants though, I think I did aight."

I was still shocked with how blunt and dirty everyone was talking, but I still smiled. It felt real and like we were all bonding. Even Sabine who still thought she was above everyone else here.

The boys came trooping back in, half of them looking pissed, the other half looking surprised. When Ash saw me, he grinned and gave me a wink and I felt myself blushing again. No one should be allowed to be that hot.

"You ready to go get these chores knocked out?" he asked, taking my hand to pull me up.

"Hold up," Malik said, sitting next to Sabine and putting an arm around her. "First I will say to them what I said to all of you. I read up on the rules. We can't beat up on each other, but punishment don't happen until the third hit. Also, I can call off punishment. Still. If any of your boys mistreat you, force you beyond what is required by the dome or handle you rough, you come to me. Me and the other boys will put him in line. We ain't havin' this lawless shit here, no matter what things say on this stupid bracelet. Once a day consensual. No more if she says no. Girls, you have to comply to once a day even if you just lay there. No force or rough handling. None by anyone."

"Unless that's what you are both into," Felicity said quickly. "No judgement. But unless it's both of you then it's a no go."

"Yeah, aight, if you both want it, it's whatever. Just... don't be afraid to come to me. We can stop any bullshit or retaliation if there's threats and shit. We talked and I know there was some bullshit earlier, but no more. We all good here?"

There was silence all around as everyone looked at each other.

Finally, Hayleigh spoke. "I also read this thing while Mr Average Joe over there slept his nut off. Cheating is defined as vaginal penetration with a penis and nothing else. Nothing. If every party is willing, can we fool around with other people? No vanilla sex, but like, oral?"

Malik looked a little stunned, but Felicity sat up. "Ummm, well, all parties, including partners would have to be ok with that. Say, if you wanted to find another partner, Blaine would have to agree."

"He better if he won't eat my pussy," Hayleigh said, crossing her arms.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I told you I don't do that. You can get yourself off all you want."

"See? Bullshit. I want someone who is more like me, more sexual."

"Well, now that the offer is out there, maybe the other couples can talk about it and see if that is something they want to explore. Let's try to stay open though, no going behind partners backs?" Felicity said, looking uncomfortable.

I was red to my ears, wondering if someone was going to let their partner do that for her.

"Can it be a girl?" Anya asked Hayleigh.

Hayleigh looked at her, then smiled, nodding.

Anya blushed, then gave her a nod and looked down.

Abraham was looking at Anya, his eyebrows high. "You gonna ask?"

"Do I need to? You have no interest in me after you get off."

"Doesn't mean I don't want to watch."

"I'm good with that," Hayleigh said, leaning back and crossing her legs, eyeing Anya.

Anya smiled at her again and looked down at her hands. Abraham was looking Hayleigh over like he was also all in.

I was stunned to my core.

"I need to take care of the animals," I said breathlessly. I gave Emily another hug and got up. Ash took my hand and we went out to the barn.

I was quiet as I brought the animals in, looking down at the panel as Ash gathered eggs. I milked and fed them, then turned to Ash who was playing with my hair and watching what I was doing on the panel.

"You know... all of that applies to you too?"

"What?" he asked with a smile.

"No... it means no to you too. When I say no?"

"Babe," he chided. "It wasn't like that, not at all. I was showing you how good it could be and you loved it. All of it."

"I asked you to wait until I was ready."

"We both know you would never be ready, Tor."

"I wanted more time. I wanted to talk first, build my courage up, take a shower, feel better about myself. My first time should have been more than... something I had no say in. Yes you made it feel good, but you have to understand that no includes you too."

"Baby, you can't think that it's even remotely the same!"

"And I don't really like being called 'babe' and 'baby'."

"Seriously?" he laughed. "Ok, Tor. I can respect that. Look at me. I wasn't trying to force anything on you like that. I was trying to show you how good it could be, how you don't have to be afraid of it or worry about it. I knew you were going to be stressed and against it no matter if it was immediately or with five minutes to go. I didn't want the stress of a timer on top of it. Look at me. I want you to want me too, but if you really don't, I will back off. I was just trying to help you get past your hangups."

"I can get past them one day at a time, I don't need to do it in one day. Ok?"

"Of course babe... Tor. Look at me, please? I know we have a lifetime for this, but you can't blame me for being excited. Look at you. I landed the hottest girl here by far, you are sweet, smart and sexy as hell, who wouldn't be ready to dive right in? And the way you blush at everything... and how nice you are to all the other girls and made friends so quick. You are pretty fucking awesome."

"As if you don't know that you are the hottest guy here," I said, blushing again.

"Do I?!? I mean, you did say you wanted to kiss Malik and the other girls look at him like he's a god. Connor is a poster boy for abercrombie and here I am, this tall, awkward dude who can't even get you to notice me for a whole day."

I blushed harder, smiling into his hand on my cheek as I pressed my face into it.

"Seriously though, Tauriel. Please don't tell me you think what happened between us is anything like what those other guys did?"

I rolled my shoulders. "Like I said... I said no. I begged you to stop and you wouldn't. You thought what you wanted for me was more important than what I wanted for me and I had no choice. Yeah, I ended up liking it and I'm not really mad, but... it still hurts my heart a little."

He let out a sad sigh and went to one knee, hugging me close. "I will listen, Tor," he said gently.

He held me there for a long time, until Meri had eaten and escaped again and started butting her head into us and demanding attention. He let me go, smiling as he picked the little goat up, then took my hand as he stood.

I paused at the door. "And just putting it out there now, it's a definite no on sharing you with anyone else," I said, looking up at him.

He laughed and bent, kissing me on the head. "I'm a one girl kinda guy, no worries about that. Besides, I'd rather corrupt you."

I smiled as he led me inside to our bed.