Welldark B1 Ch. 06

That little speech obviously hit some nerves. Esther sighed and leaned onto the table, as if she was experiencing mild nausea. I tensed up, ready to catch her, should she collapse. "I know I'm flawed," she whispered. I wasn't sure if she did so to not bother the customers or for a more deeply seated reason. "Frustrations are best alleviated through self-improvement, that has been my experience throughout life."

I nodded, "I don't disagree with that at all." That start got me a little annoyed glance. "I agree with that," I corrected myself out of the unnecessary double negative and Esther gave me a tiny nod. "I don't want to be in a relationship where we endlessly berate the other over flaws, while leaving our own corpses sitting in broad daylight, ignoring their existence until their rotting stench fills every corner of our lives." I reigned in my extrapolating tendency. "Complete silence can't be the answer to that though. If we're going to work together, we need to be honest with what bothers us, we need to be able to each live with that critique and we must moderate ourselves in the way we voice it. None of this is ever going to be easy, but it beats stepping on each other's toes all the time."

Esther moved towards me and I inched to the side to allow her to sit down next to me. "We are a duality of moronic, are we not?" she mumbled, once she was on her plush and soft butt. With the immediate tenseness of the situation over with, my mind relaxed enough to once more appreciate the pleasant shape of her curves.

"That's a creative way to say 'a couple of idiots'," I remarked with a smile.

"Perhaps your extrapolation is influencing me," the raven-haired lady stated and sighed again. "Regardless, you are correct. I should not mistake our relationship with those I had with colleagues in the past. This lack of communication is my flaw. I will amend it."

"Great!" I smiled broadly. While we weren't an official couple yet, this felt pretty close to a couple's talk and that it went so smoothly put me in a great mood. "Let's just be honest with each other. As for this current situation," I waved with the contract, "I'm doing this first and foremost because I want to give you things. That's more important to me than a few hours of my week in a job. If you insist you don't want me here, I can go find ano-"

"No," she interrupted me in a very concise fashion. No gestures, no great emotions, just a simple word that summed up her thoughts on the matter. After she had fully thought of the rest of her answer, she gave me the additional details, "If you must have an occupation, here is perfect. You might as well entertain me during work hours."

"Right, regarding that," I put an arm around her waist, "Allister may have slipped me your schedule. I can't do Thursday morning, but Monday and Saturday would work for me." In the gap between me sitting down here and her coming over, I had messaged Maria. I had gotten access to her direct messages yesterday, when I informed her that I was still interested in the class. Still, for her to answer within five minutes had been impressive.

She had told me that she still had room for an extra attendant for the class on Thursday, between 8:30 and 10:30. That was two hours later than the hours I would not take and cleared my Monday to share Esther's hours, so I leapt at the opportunity.

There was not much talk to be had, with that established. Esther and I already agreed to share hours where we could. As for my third shift every week, I decided to put it on Thursday afternoon. This way, I would tag out Esther and we would have time to at least eat together. That was better than nothing.

With the new job in mind, my weekly schedule now looked like this:

It was busier than I had wanted and I didn't get my second free day after all. When I looked over to Esther's schedule, however, I felt like I was hardly doing anything.

'To be fair, her writing 'Lunch' into the brackets makes it look fuller than it is,' I thought to myself, while Esther put away her Ashod and stood up.

"I will fetch your breakfast," she explained why I no longer had her waist under my palm. I disliked the empty feeling of my hand and watching her leave. Usually I would have followed this up with 'but I loved to watch her go', but skirts had the drawback that they greatly diminished butt-appreciation opportunities. They had the 'emergency lewd access' option as compensation though, so I still liked them.

About two minutes later, Esther returned with my food on a salver. She didn't have the mannerisms of a maid, but she knew how to walk like one. Her steps made satisfying little clacks, every time the heels met the floor. While the salver remained perfectly steady, her hips swung left and right alluringly.

She bent forwards and carefully placed the salver down. The deep insight I got of her cleavage in the process was hopefully reserved for me. She placed my order in front of me, only stopping to brush one strand of her silky hair behind her ear in a fluid motion. After she was done, she sat down on the side opposite to me.

"Don't you have to work?" I asked, very careful to make it sound like a genuine question. Under no circumstances did I want her to think that she had to leave.

"I have been on my break for the past fifteen minutes," she revealed to me. I mentally counted back the time. She had been on break basically from the moment she approached me. Just another reason to make me smile as I dug into my breakfast.

"So, what else do you think I should fix about me?" I asked, hoping to start a light-hearted conversation about a few minor flaws she had spotted. I would be able to shoot right back about her cleaning the kitchen too often. Utensils still in use had no need to go into the dishwasher.

"Your need to cut down on your extrapolations. Especially their timing," she tore right into me. "If you have to philosophize, reduce the number of words. It will make you sound more coherent and less pompous."

"Maybe I like sounding pompous..." I grumbled and spread some chocolate cream on my croissant.

_________________________________

Things went smoothly from there. I finished my breakfast and turned in the contract. Allister had an amusedly raised eyebrow at me approaching him again so quickly, but only reminded me to be there on time on Saturday. Afterwards I was off to my only class for the day. Basic Weapon Training was uneventful. The majority of the first lecture was taken up by the teacher listing what kinds of weapons they were willing to teach in. After that was done, everyone was given a survey on which weapons in particular we wanted to be trained in during the semester. I checked every single box, wrote in my justification, and was let go after the teacher asked me for a clarification.

The purpose of asking us what we wanted to try ahead of time was twofold. Obviously, the teacher wanted to be prepared, but given their own proficiency with everything, they could likely improvise most things on the spot. More important was the question of how to match the different students up against each other over the course of the semester. Just knowing the sword versus sword matchup wasn't helpful in actual combat. Matching up sword versus halberd, halberd versus daggers, daggers versus axes, and so on, would give everyone some proper battle experience. Every pair of weapons interacted differently with each other, as range, weight and mobility changed.

All the teacher had pulled me aside for, was to tell me that I wouldn't gain proper proficiency in any weapon if I tried all of them. I would only get to know the basics of each weapon, probably find out what made them weak, but not learn how to properly exploit what made them strong.

That was exactly my aim, I quickly explained.

Since I could replicate basically every weapon in existence, I could always go with the best type matchup. I had my go-tos, this was the reason I took the advanced class in Unarmed Combat, but generally I thought it smarter to expand the advantage of my unusual Artefact, rather than do as everyone else did. The teacher agreed quickly, following a demonstration of my manifestation ability.

It wasn't as if I didn't want to expand my arsenal of what I was skilled at, but I could keep that for future semesters. For now, I just wanted the basics.

After class, I had lunch with Esther in the cafeteria. Despite the seven hours of work and school she had been through, she didn't seem exhausted. What she was, however, was hungry. I wisely kept my mouth shut, until she was through the majority of her food. At the speed at which she wolfed down her meal, she had little time to answer things anyway. This time around, I kept my pudding.

Afterwards, I had the remainder of my day off, while she had two more classes to attend. Next week, I would have my new job to keep me occupied during these hours. Today, I did what I usually did to have fun in superfluous time: work out, play video games, watch entertaining videos and research things that interested me.

As I looked into topics related to the classes I had taken, I eventually got stuck on the topic of alchemy. To be exact, I was rapidly descending down the rabbit hole of lewd applications of alchemy. There was the very standard, entry-level stuff, such as creating something called the 'consensual aphrodisiac', which would only work properly if the person ingesting it wanted it to. The base fluid could be further refined into a potion or body oil for massages. The latter sounded like a more interesting application. I bookmarked the site quickly and then descended further down the catalogue.

I glazed over the technical descriptions. Whatever a T-23-Flexspiral was and how it was supposed to aid me in a reverse reconcualing, I expected to understand in due time. For the moment, I was just interested in what the result of such processes could be.

There was a potion that would allow me to grow a second, fully functional dick temporarily. A drug that massively boosted sperm production, an effect that could be made permanent with the right ingredients. A whole list of modifications to cum, making it universally delicious, mildly addictive, giving it orgasm-inducing properties, making pre-cum an aphrodisiac. The more skilled one got, the more choices an alchemist had in the effects of their potions.

I eventually ripped myself away from the catalogue, because it was just too arousing and things were too far away. A few of the things were a bit unethical, so I wouldn't use them without getting consent first (like that addictive cum thing -- as easy as it was to resist the craving, supposedly). Didn't stop my brain from imagining Esther on her knees in front of me, begging for her daily load with her criminally smooth and soft voice, a longing look in her usually stern eyes.

It took all my willpower to not take care of my erection myself right there. Aiming to distract myself, I had then decided to go take a swim. Only to meet the returning Esther when I was out the door, wearing nothing but my swimming trunks and still with the raging erection. That she bit her lower lip while staring at the massive tent did not help my state of mind. Neither did her approaching me with swinging hips and an intrigued gaze. If she was about to touch my hard-on, she reigned herself in due time. Instead, she told me that she would join me in the pool, in a bit.

That bit turned out to be about twenty minutes long. Presumably, she had to get her things in order, shower and change into her swimsuit, which gave me the opportunity to pursue a workout first. The immediate benefit was that even my pervert's body agreed that it was more important to have blood flowing to the muscles than stuck inside my dick, while I was exhausting myself. After five minutes, my boner was gone and after the whole twenty, the whole sex-ready sensitivity had dissolved.

A fair bit of it came surging back when Esther finally did return. Her athletic, curvy figure and gorgeous face would have enticed any man and she seemed even more attractive today. I quickly realized that it was because we had managed to talk to each other. Physical attractiveness was no doubt real and I was drawn in by it in no small part, but the more I learned about her, the more I came to appreciate her personality, the more emphasized her hotness became. Regardless, I managed to keep my usual level of control, as we hung out in the lukewarm water.

It was a steady stream of events and talks. There was nothing new done or discussed. We raced in different swimming styles, did some aerobics in the shallow end of the pool, took pauses to just talk and generally had a good time. One time Esther got a bit cheeky. While I was getting out of the pool. She pulled me back down by the back of my trunks, uncovering my butt in the process.

I fell backwards, we wrestled under the surface of the water. It was a repeat of the first time this had happened and ultimately I won out. I had more physical power than her. Usually this needed no mention, men and women were just built differently, but magic could have reversed that situation in theory. I, however, had invested more training time into strength than she had. Once I had a grip on her, I could firmly assert myself.

With my arms around her waist, I kept hers confined in a tight hug. Her back pressed against my chest. It was immensely satisfying to hold her like this. Not only was her hot body rubbing against me, particularly her round butt, but she fit nicely between my shoulders. Her frame was narrower than mine and just naturally slotted into that position.

"What was that about?" I growled with jovial anger. Of course I wasn't actually offended by her taking a gander at my ass.

"I couldn't tell you if I wanted to," Esther smiled over her shoulder, wet hair, freed from the confinement of the ponytail, stuck jet black to the sides of her face and neck. "I felt an urge to tease you, good Karitas. Truthfully, there are a number of unexpected urges I feel when I am wasting time with you."

"You can indulge in all of those whenever you want," I whispered into her ear, "as long as you understand that I'm not a charity. Everything you take from me, I demand an equal trade for."

I was already enjoying some compensation in the shape of my once-more hard cock pressed into the gap of her firm, large butts. Even with two layers of clothing, the way her soft backside enveloped my member from multiple sides was fantastic. However, I wasn't taking that tribute for myself. The grind was entirely on behalf of her wiggling hips.

"You may claim two things," she stated after a thinking pause. "Two minor things. The first for my surprise assault. The second," her lips, glossy and full, curved into an even wider smile, "for the confirmation of your self care. It is rare for a man to keep themselves universally shaven."

That did confirm that she had gotten a thorough peek at my butt. The sexual imbalance between us grew a bit wider because of this. She had seen every part of my birthday suit save my dick at this point, while I was yet to enjoy the naked sight of her ample bosom, athletic midriff or bubble butt. This was the logical consequence of me being so forthcoming though and I didn't mind anyway. I didn't get the chance to see something right now, but I could cup another feel.

"I wouldn't call these minor... still..." My hands moved up. Soon I felt in my palms the squishy luxury that I still recalled in dreamy moments. Reality was so much sweeter here than memory. No accursed bra hindered my enjoyment, as my fingers dug into the wet fabric of her swimsuit. There was nothing but hot, juicy softness under my hands. Despite the stretched swimsuit, some of her abundant breasts spilled between the trenches my fingers created.

I got more daring with each passing second. Accelerated breathing enticed me to go further. I felt her hard nipples through the fabric and readjusted my groping to take advantage of them. Her ass still grinded against me, while I circled around the protrusions with my index fingers. I pinched the erect crowns. Esther was heavily flushed and panted heavily. Her agape mouth let the lewd sounds flow unashamedly. Then I pulled at her nipples, firmly and steadily, and she let out an elongated, loud moan.

"By everything in creation, you're way too sexy, Esther," I gasped into her ear. Her moan came to a sharp end when I let go of her nipples and let her breasts jiggle back into position. I had, at the very least, a minor masochist on my hands. I wished that she was more than just minorly inclined to enjoy the pain, since I was firmly leaning on the sexually sadistic side. The wish to test her boundaries was potent in every intense beat of my heart. My eyes found her amber gaze. The question if we should continue was written clearly on her face.

Somehow, without a word exchanged, we came to the same conclusion. Unwillingly, we parted from one another. We had resolved to take things slower than our sexual drives may have wanted, to get to know each other first. As good as it would have doubtlessly felt and as much as our young, healthy bodies yearned for it, neither of us was willing to let instinct triumph over will. We wanted each other, we wanted each other badly, but more than that we yearned for certainty that this could work.

Perhaps it was an unnecessary precaution to take. What harm could an orgasm do after we already became so handsy with each other? The answer was difficult to give. The slippery slope was right there and I could certainly understand that Esther wouldn't want to give up her virginity in a horny hurry. As much as I craved to go further with her, I didn't exactly want to cross that bridge spontaneously in the pool. I cared more for her than to be satisfied with such a simple hook-up.

No, the line had to be drawn there, for now.

A solid minute passed, in which both of us said nothing. We got our breathing and desires under control through meditative exercise. Then, we moved back indoors. The pool had gotten a bit too dangerous. Not that the sexual tension just resolved after we went back inside.

We rinsed off the pool water by hopping into the shower, one after the other. I went second, which was a horrible mistake. Stepping into a steamy room pregnant with the smell of her shampoo was maddening. A cold shower cleared things up.

Together, we made supper. What little remained of the high-quality ingredients I had bought for her would soon go stale, so we threw it all together into a stew. At one point, I offered her a slice of bell pepper and she took it from me with her lips. It was only mildly suggestive and served to bring us back to the previous equilibrium. We were a little closer than before, taking all events of the day in aggregate. Us keeping our sex drives under control didn't mean we had to be prudes.

I noticed that Esther was less willing but more appreciative to take things I offered her over the course of our cooking and consequent eating. After thinking about it for a little bit, I worked out why. She had assumed that I was rich and, therefore, that my gifts were something I could give without thinking about it. Receiving a gold ring from the richest man in the world may be satisfying, but there wasn't much to it. Receiving a gold ring from the average man, however, was infused with the sacrifice of time, money and labour to afford such a thing. It increased the sentimental value of the token for anyone who wasn't purely materialistic.