NOVEL NEXT 1.80 – Fast Love
Maple walked back with an empty feeling. She felt like she'd just murdered the plant, after letting it have sex with her the night before. She'd just reached her hand in, and plucked its little heart right out.
She carried the seed with great care. It'd trusted her with it. Its offspring, or maybe it would grow into the same plant? She didn't want to think of herself as a plant murderer—even if it'd told her do it. Soon, she heard the others calling out to her, worried. Maple shouted where she was, and Thera appeared first.
"There you are. Did you get lost or—what's that?"
Alas accused her of fucking the whole forest, but Maple ignored her. She showed them the seed and explained what happened. She teared up a little at the end, partly from guilt. Thera's tone was firm, but softened a little.
"Well, that was very risky. Don't run off like that without telling one of us. Especially if a weird creature—or plant—asks you to."
"We're going to have to put a leash on her."
Emma perked up at that comment from Alas, and Maple elbowed her. The silly little pervert. Sylla slithered closer.
"Can I see it?"
Maple hesitantly passed it over, and even Emma watched with concern. She turned to Maple with a grin and pulled out her notebook.
We're parents!
"Heh. I guess we are, cutie. Once we plant it."
Emma took the news of their unplanned adoption well. Sylla passed it back without comment and Maple let Emma cradle their unborn child. She was already doting on it and silently cooing.
They got back to camp safely, and Maple apologized to everyone again. She had made them worry and look for her. It wasn't a major deal, though.
Or, she hadn't thought it was, and then Alas approached her after digging through her things. In her hand was...a leather leash and collar.
"Here, put this on."
"What? No—jeez, why do you even have that?"
"No?"
Alas raised an eyebrow and turned to Emma. She held the leash out.
"Want it?"
"Don't take that—Emma!"
Her girlfriend rubbed her hands together and snatched it up. She hid it inside her body before Maple could grab it from her. The campfire shone in Alas's eyes as she nodded to Emma.
"You have your mission."
Emma saluted her. The others around the fire chuckled or looked away with second-hand embarrassment. Sylla's tail lashed the ground gently.
"That's going a little far, isn't it?"
The half-elf shrugged. She didn't mean for her to wear it now, of course, and that almost made it worse. Alas knew Emma would gladly put it to use toward a certain end eventually, and that Maple would...go along with it. All so that later, Alas might make fun of her.
"It's just an innocent gift."
Maple stayed quiet, her cheeks hot. The worst part was, she might be starting to get aroused from embarrassment. When had that become a thing?
Despite that, it was fun. Dort had cooked a deer-heavy dinner for everyone, and they spent a couple of hours joking around the campfire and speculating about the dungeon among other things.
Maple had set their tent up further away from the rest of the group this time. A little further. She didn't want it to be obvious—to Thera or anyone else—but, it was an invitation. She hoped Thera showed up.
She cuddled naked with Emma with that hope in the back of her mind. They relaxed and talked about nothing in particular, sometimes laughing and joking around. They talked about what they would name the plant their seed baby would grow into, how perverse a certain goddess was, how sore Maple was from all the walking and moving stone.
In light of the last one, Emma gave her a massage. She was quite skilled at it. Eventually she stopped and wrote, a sly smirk on her face.
Want to invite Thera?
"Hm. Do you want to? I don't want to look, uh, clingy...or something."
Emma tilted her head. After a second she smiled and squished into to Maple. She poked her chest repeatedly.
"W-what?"
Emma gave her a kiss and smiled. She squeezed Maple's cheek and giggled silently.
You like her?
"Noo. Jeez. Stop that, you."
Emma was reading her mind somehow. Maple turned red but couldn't stop smiling from Emma's teasing. She'd only realized—even conceived of the idea—that very morning. How did her girlfriend already know?
She really didn't want her to know. It was premature. Maybe if the feeling persisted, she would talk to Thera about it. Eventually. Emma wouldn't stop poking her and teasing her until she admitted to it. Maple whispered as quietly as she could.
"Okay, fine. Maybe a little. I don't know yet. We just met, but she's so cool and nice and strong and—sorry..."
Hot, too!
Emma grinned and held up her note. Maple agreed and stroked her head.
"You'd be okay with that? If, um, I did try to...get closer, or something?"
They were poly, but that was still new to Maple, like most of this was. Emma grinned and gave her a thumbs up. She was in full support, maybe even too supportive of the idea.
"Cutie. Jeez. It's a secret, though. Don't...do anything. Okay?"
Emma pat her reassuringly. Of course she wouldn't. Maple hugged her tight and whispered that she loved her. She absolutely didn't want that to be in question, whatever happened. Emma was her number one. It was a good chance to talk about their relationship as a whole.
"Do you have anyone you like?"
Emma nodded, a sly grin on her face. She poked Maple's chest again and Maple laughed.
"Besides me?"
Emma thought for a moment and shook her head.
Not like that. Yet.
"Will you tell me, when you do?"
Emma smiled and nodded. Of course.
The idea scared Maple a little. What if she ended up liking someone else more than she liked her? She would try to accept that, if that happened.
And that fear might be a little silly, because it's not like either of them would quantify their love. Maple wouldn't get a score she'd have to compare with someone else's. Love didn't work that way.
She'd just want to be able to come home to Emma at the end of the day—not that they'd have to spend every night together, but most nights. If more partners from either side were also there, that would be fine.
In any case, if Emma ever did find another love interest, Maple would be happy and excited for her in the same way Emma was happy about her crush on Thera.
Maple hoped so, anyway. This was how she thought about it logically, but she wasn't a stranger to jealousy, sometimes, and she'd never done this before. Hopefully, with enough communication, she could prevent that. She took a breath and brought up the next subject.
"What if it's just sex? Would you, um, want to tell me? I'm not trying to be jealous, and you wouldn't have to, but I'd tell you—I have told you about all of mine, I think—and I wouldn't want to know every detail, just...if you care about someone, I'd want to—"
Emma interrupted her with a kiss. Maple was a bit overwrought from even bringing it up, but she just wanted to be on the same page. If Emma didn't want to share any details, she would mentally adjust her expectations. It'd be unreasonable to demand to know about anything. And she wasn't sure if Emma would want to know if she ever did anything on her own.
Emma pulled back and gave her a soothing smile. Maple read in the dark as she wrote.
I'll tell you if you want me to. I am happy to share. Maybe not all details. You tell me, if it makes you happy. You can always tell me anything. I'm happy to listen. And I haven't done anything with anyone you don't know.
Maple nodded and composed herself. She was relieved they were talking about it. It was a simple thing, really. She'd just needed to bring it up.
"Yeah, you don't need to tell me everything. Not the details, or like even every encounter. Just, I don't know, I don't want it to feel like a secret, I guess. Or have to wonder, you know? I get jealous sometimes, maybe, but if you have fun with someone else—I think I'd be happy for you? I would be happy for you. I'm new to all this, sorry..."
Emma patted her and nodded. It was okay, they were on the same page. The anxiety that'd been in Maple melted away, and she asked the next thing with curious enthusiasm.
"Really, though? You don't ever, um, do things with Marielle even? She's cute, isn't she? She's got a look to her."
Maple wouldn't mind having that encounter again. Even being bitten had been...interesting. Emma laughed and nodded, but shook her head after thinking about it.
Not really sex, just...play kind of? Tease? Oh, flirt?
She slapped her own butt to demonstrate, and then groped her chest. Maple laughed.
"Sounds like workplace abuse is going on, to me!"
Emma laughed with her and then tackled her. Her head popped up with a mischievous grin. In her hand was the collar Alas had given her.
"Ahah, don't actually use that. Jeez, I'd never hear the end of it from Alas."
She wiggled her eyebrows, Alas wouldn't have to know. That may be true, but she would bring it up, and Maple's face would reveal all. After a second, Emma pointed to a line from earlier.
Want to invite Thera?
"I don't know...You don't think it's too clingy?"
She shrugged, and as if summoned, a light tap came from the tent flap. Emma squeezed through the gap to peek, and then enthusiastically opened it. Thera squatted down at the entrance.
"It's fine if not, but what if I slept here again?"
Maple couldn't contain her smile as she waved Thera in and scooted over. Then she turned red, and quickly shoved the notebook into Emma. It probably couldn't reveal much, but still...
Maple was naked, but she didn't cover herself. In fact, she purposely didn't. She hoped Thera did look at her—that she might enjoy looking at her. She wasn't as sexy as the fit, blonde adventurer, and she even felt a little self conscious, but she had to believe there was some quality to her that was appealing. Thera smiled as she entered.
"Oh, having a secret conversation?"
"No, it's just uh...We were talking, was all."
Thera laughed and waved it off. She stretched and then lay down on her back, silent for a minute. She didn't look at Maple much, to her mild disappointment.
"Sorry, I'm a little tired. Strip me, if you want."
She turned her eyes to Emma and Maple. They wasted no time and began fumbling in the dark with the straps holding her armor on.
Once she was shelled and nude, they were content to let her relax. Maple snuggled up to her, bare body against bare body, and Emma massaged her. A little skinship and kissing until she was warmed up for more.
Just that was enough to fill Maple with butterflies, romantic interest on top of, and overpowering, her lust. She wanted to feel every part of Thera. She wanted to hold her close, feel her warmth, and stay that way forever.
She wished she didn't.
Thera warmed up to the pleasure and Maple's hands became more adventurous. Once Thera wanted more, Maple moved her head down between her legs. She tasted her, and wished the mere fact that it was Thera didn't fill her with such pleasure.
It was Thera's taste—she was pleasuring Thera. Her whispered moans were because of Maple. She was so happy about that.
It wasn't just lust, like it'd been with others in the past. The best example of that being Marielle, or even Charlotte.
It wasn't as friends, like with Sasha. Lust wasn't the only thing there with her. She was almost like an older sister to Maple. Not incestuously, if that even needed clarification, but because of how she looked out for her and occasionally teased her. She even shared her clothes with Maple. Maple considered her a friend she could trust.
This felt like some of her more intimate moments with Emma. But it was far too soon for that—it was a crush, and a new one at that. There was no depth to it, and it was far too early for it to be revealed or be taken seriously by either of them.
These feelings inside of her were problematic because, as Thera reached the edge of climax, and Emma picked up her pace behind Maple, Thera moaned and whispered.
"Do it—telepathic—"
Maple couldn't say no. She loved that she was making Thera feel good. She loved how wet Thera was around her fingers. Not to mention the feeling of Emma inside of her from behind and enjoying all of it with her—but the problem was, her feelings were going to leak through if she activated [Telepathic Orgasms].
And she was going to—because she wanted to please Thera. She tried to focus on her lust as she sucked on her clit and Thera came for her. She and Emma followed close behind. Three rapturous orgasms simultaneously—it was great.
Maple was nervous as they came down from it. She stayed panting where she was, cheek resting against Thera's thigh, as if she could hide if she only stayed below Thera's waist. Emma melted around her own lower body, cuddling her. Her hot liquid filled her, and, well, it was nice despite her worries; they only took up a fraction of her thoughts.
After a minute, Thera pulled her up wordlessly. Maple nuzzled against her chest, and Thera ran her fingers through her hair. Emma covered both of them with her body, and formed her head next to Maple's.
Maple fell asleep in heavenly bliss. Maybe her feelings hadn't leaked through after all.
