A Tether

One of the rooms that I had passed in the central aisle had been a washroom, apparently. As I had been accessing the private restroom for obvious reasons, any time I sat down, I ended up staring at a mysterious door that I never bothered to really open. I was a guest, after all, and snooping isn't very polite for guests to do. This door happened to be where the washroom was, which consisted of a large stone basin – how it fit through the door is beyond me – which could be filled with warmed water from the kitchens. The water, itself, was piped in from a large water collection tower that sat out behind the hall and was mostly unnoticeable from the front. The pipes were bamboo, it seemed, and dotted with signs of repair via dried tree sap. It was…interesting.

Either way, someone had drawn and warmed a bath in the basin and after I had grabbed one of the large blanket skins to wrap around myself, I followed Gharret to the washroom. Once the door had closed and we were alone, I dropped the blanket and hopped in.

I let loose a soft groan at the warmth of the water and felt myself melt a little under the heat.

In all his nude glory, Gharret had come with me and stood by chuckling at my reaction.

"I take it you like it?" he asked and I nodded before I looked over at him curiously. It was almost as though he were waiting for an invitation, so I sighed and waved him over.

"Come on in, I guess," I grumbled. He laughed in response, though he began wagging his tail as he approached the basin and stepped in behind me. I leaned forward to make room, though there would be plenty of room either way and waited until he sat down.

As his legs stretched out on either side of me, I felt his body slide against my back before he leaned back against the edge of the tub, arms spread out along the rim, as he sighed contentedly. Quietly, I leaned back as well, laying against his chest. I could hear and feel him purr as he slipped his arm around my middle and gently hugged me. A gentle kiss found its way to my forehead as he chuckled.

"I can never predict what you're going to do next…," he murmured into my hair. "I don't know that I want to."

With the various sides of him I'd witnessed over the past few days, I didn't mind, either. It's not like it was a crazy level of personality-shifting, but the face he put on to his public, and the one he let me see were almost polar opposites. Seeing him so vulnerable in one moment, and then so courageous the next was…impressive. Everyone wears a mask, but not everyone realizes it, much less knows how to take it off for the special people.

"I'm easy to figure out, really," I answered dismissively, shifting against him while I drew water up over my arms.

Gharret shook his head briefly and, clutching me, set us both up. I blinked a little at the movement.

"That's not what I mean…," he growled huskily in my ear as suddenly both hands were on me. One traveled north and enveloped my breast, the other slid down over my thigh toward my knee before he began lightly dragging his nails over my skin, moving up my inner thigh. "For example…I know you like this…but…"

I gasped and began panting softly as I felt his fingers play. My face turned bright red and I shivered as his other hand found its mark and he began playing with my…more tender bits.

"B…but…?" I asked, trying to remain rational and calm.

"But…you like to pretend you don't…or you're not interested. You'll slap my hand or turn me down, but deep down, you want my hands on you." He growled against my ear again and I could feel him against my back as he pulled my hips flush with his. "You'll toss your hair…and act like a spoiled Queen and do whatever you wish…" He chuckled, pinching meanly as his mouth came down on my neck and his tongue found its way over my skin. "I know your behaviors. I've learned them."

I groaned quietly, covering my mouth to stifle the noise, though I shouldn't have bothered. Damn him for being right. My hands were suddenly useless, dead weights, that refused to do anything I requested of them…like slapping his hands or pushing him away…but we were in private, with nothing particularly pressing to accomplish today. Free time was very much influencing my decision to let him keep molesting me.

"Th..then…ah! …what did… mmmh~ …you mean…?" I asked between gasps for air. Personally, I was glad he wasn't the only one affected by this sudden turn of events.

He paused from trailing kisses up my neck and nipping at my ear to chuckle softly. His breath felt hot against my skin and raised goosebumps all over.

"Well…one moment you're physically attacking my men…another, you're giving an elder a tongue-lashing most severe…and the very next day, traipse around the village making friends. For all I know, tomorrow, you may declare war on the sun and you'd very well succeed…"

I could feel him smile against my skin and for a moment, my blushing came from his compliment…or rather, his admission of confusion.

"It is…incredibly difficult…to predict what you may do…next…" The hand that had been fondling my chest reached up and turned my cheek as he leaned around my shoulder enough to capture my lips. His mouth burned against mine as he attacked me with his tongue and pillowy lips.

There was a shift as I flung my arm around his shoulders and water spilled over the sides of the tub briefly as I slid onto his lap. In the same moment, he rearranged himself as well, allowing me to spin around and straddle his hips. Once more, our lips connected and I remained glued to him.

Sometimes, being called unpredictable wasn't a bad thing. From a lover, in a gentle way, as his hands roamed my body, it was…nice. Even as we moved, creating waves that splashed over the sides of the stone basin, I felt a single wish bubble up within me…one that I knew I could never tell a soul…

…I wished that he would stay…