Work Text:
She decided to be brave and bring it up the next time they did it. You know…. The ‘business’, so to say.
They had already been going into their groove, ENA prowling towards her like a predator on the bed, eyes alight and a smug tilt to her lips, her clawed hand reaching out to toy with her hair…
Coral stopped it before the usual scenario continued further, with a grasp of the other's outstretched claws and a soft “wait.”
ENA did, eyes focusing. The smile fell. Coral couldn't tell if she was concerned or impatient (maybe both).
“I…” she swallowed, her sweating beginning anew and soaking through her dress shirt. There was a lump in her throat. And a flutter in her chest. And she could already tell her coral was making waves on her face. “I… I just wanted to ask-“ damn it, just spit it out- “Could we… mmhhnnnnghcould I toptoday?”
ENA froze.
Coral continued before the other could interrupt, face aflame. “It’s just- you’re always the one topping, and I- it’s not like I don’t appreciate it, but- I’ve just wondered…” she tapered off, not sure how to express the fantasies that have been plaguing her for weeks now. “Just… could we?”
ENA was strangely quiet.
That’s what became apparent, as Coral stepped out of her head. ENA’s hand had fallen, and she had a null, unreadable look to her face. The only thing that betrayed anything was that her eyes were wider than usual. Tense.
“Um…” Coral floundered, once more finding herself unsure how to communicate with the other. “If- if you don’t want to, that’s fine-“
Finally, something triggered.
A red smile broke across ENA’s face, her masculine, normally smooth voice echoing as she said, “But of course. I'm always at your service, whichever way you need.”
Coral sighed, relieved at seeing the familiar smile. Maybe she had just been taken off-guard- no biggie. And so the butterflies began anew, swarming and warming her lower stomach as she watched ENA lean back, into the covers, her arms next to her sides and her knees bent, ever so slightly apart- and. God.
She didn’t know what to do here.
A nervous hum escaped her, Coral shuffling on the bed; arms waving around for a moment, lost on where to place them- before she finally scooted closer, and then closer, over ENA’s knees and hesitantly, gently, placing her hands on them, feeling their differing shapes and textures… but before she could begin pushing them apart-
ENA wasn’t looking at her.
The realization felt kind of odd in her gut- out of place- because ENA was always very direct when it came to sex. And… most things, really. She had a gaze that could pin you down and make you whimper like a dog- and god had Coral whimpered- but now…
There was something very distant there.
“…you with me?” Coral asked, tone quiet and careful. When ENA didn’t respond, she hesitated- then raised one hand from a knee and slowly reached it towards the other’s cheek, aiming to direct the eye contact maybe-
Her hand was snatched by sharp claws. “Well? Are you a fish or what? I’m not getting paid to just sit around on my ass all day!”
Coral winced at the loud outburst, dragging her hand out of the other’s grasp and leaning slightly back. …At least ENA was looking at her now, she supposed. “You’re not getting paid at all?”
“Well, maybe I should be.” Coral frowned. She thought they had gone past the whole transactional thing by now. “If you’re going to use me, then just get on with what you want to do already!”
Wait.
Use me…?
Coral made a face, leaning back and raising her hands from ENA’s knees. The butterflies have gone officially dead by now. “Woah, um. I’m not trying to- use you… what the hell are you talking about?”
ENA- rolled her eyes. “Figure of speech, Corcor. Are we doing this or not? You wanted this, right?”
Her stare was piercing again.
There was just one thing- one very much not little thing- that was bothering Coral here. “…Do you want it, though?”
“Fuck- yes, yes, so just get on and ride me or- whatever the fuck already!”
Well; Coral wasn’t necessarily intending to do any riding today, but if the yelling and now-persistent eye contact was anything to go by, ENA was feeling better now. Hopefully. By the seas, she hoped so. It was- really hard to read the polygonal woman sometimes. But that’s something she’s learned to live with, thus far…
So she situated herself again, found her hands- haltingly- on the other’s knees again… watched as ENA stared at her back. And…
“…are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Well. She certainly sounded sure…
So- she found herself eyeing ENA lower down, slowly- slowly opening up her legs- and watched in half-fascination, half-… something else, as ENA untensed around the pillows surrounding them, little by little becoming pliant like a doll, her body parts scattered, as her gaze began to wander again.
Maybe she just didn’t like eye contact while doing this?
It’s certainly possible. ENA is an enigma, after all. Perhaps this is just another puzzle piece of hers Coral’s just beginning to learn.
So, emboldened by that train of thought – and the hope that that was all a big misunderstanding and ENA truly wanted this, and is just shit at showing it- she began to move her hands downward- sliding them down the other’s thighs, fingers tracing the smooth and sharp edges of her shorts- it still just fascinated Coral how literally multifaceted her- girlfriend? Friend? Coworker, or something else? Was- and, with a warmth returning to her insides, trepidantly set a hand to ENA’s cubic pelvis, finger hooking around the belt of her shorts- only to look up and check ENA’s expression before continuing.
She… didn’t look that different. Still silent. Still pliant. Still that distant look to her eyes.
Coral bit her lip. “…You okay? We continuing?”
After a beat, ENA nodded.
Well, that wasn’t exactly… confidence inducing, but. Maybe they were both unsure here. Maybe they both just needed to see how it goes.
With that hope in her lungs, she breathed in, and slid the cloth away from the piece.
Now, it’s not like she’s never seen ENA’s hoo-ha before, but. There’s something somehow more… intimate, about this time. Maybe it's the silence. Maybe it’s the openness. Maybe it’s how she has to make the first move… of course, that’s part of why she wanted to try this in the first place- be in the driving seat for once, discover what noises she could get out of ENA instead of the other way around- but when she had fantasized these moments before, she had imagined ENA being more… enthusiastic. More involved. Not… this.
She still hasn’t made a sound. She’s still staring nowhere.
Coral sits there, for a moment, then. Finger brushing rhythmically just near ENA’s cubic opening, more to placate than anything. Placate who? Herself? ENA? She honestly… doesn’t know. She just wishes ENA would say something.
The thought doesn’t leave her mind.
Maybe she has to- make ENA say something.
After all, it’s how ENA does away with her usually… Pulling and tugging and playing with her fossilized heart and body until she’s incoherent in the mind and printing out word salad. Maybe ENA’s waiting for her to do something similar. She hasn’t exactly given anything for ENA to really react to thus far, after all…
So, with her mind somewhat more set, she casts another glance at ENA’s empty gaze; before taking a deep, steadying breath- her chest constricting- before moving her fingers inside of ENA’s folds.
She starts slow. Careful. Quickly finding her clitoris and testing the waters by brushing past it; then making direct contact with it, grinding it that way or the other… watching with a pause in her chest as ENA tenses, and lets out a single, halted breath.
That seems… promising?
So she continues, at first hesitant, but before long, she’s experimenting with whatever motions she can think of- patting her down, rubbing her clit, inserting one, then two, then three fingers inside- she tries, she really tries, tries to find what spots would be pleasurable for the other, what could make her sing- but instead, while ENA does react- twitching, and breathing, and making aborted kneading motions towards the sheets- she still hasn’t let out a single peep.
It's starting to… really worry her.
So she asks, “Hey,” her motions stilling. One hand coming to rest gently at ENA’s side. “You… you can moan, you know? You can make sounds. Why do you think I wanted to do this? I want to know you’re enjoying it..”
At first, ENA doesn’t respond. She just lies there, eyes on the ceiling, breath quivering but quiet- as if she’s put a lid on her whole demeanor- and it’s not until Coral brushes past her jaw that something changes.
She grits her teeth; her eyes narrow. “Well sorry that I’m not giving you the performance of a lifetime.”
Even though she’s using her feminine voice, it’s more- subdued, than usual. Almost fragile. And she still hasn’t met Coral’s eyes.
Coral tries to settle the worried thumps of her heart, moving her hand up to brush through ENA’s hair. “I don’t want you to perform. If this is-“ She pauses. Considers how exactly to- put it to words. “If… if this is really just how you get, all- quiet, when in this position, then that’s okay. As long as you’re comfortable. But…”
She sighs. Moves her hand away from ENA's privates, and grasps the sheets instead. “But from what I see, you’re not really enjoying this.”
At that- something breaks.
“But I am.” ENA cries out, her face twisting as if she’s in pain, her hands pulling at the bedding desperately. “I am, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I- my apologies,” her voice suddenly switches to the red side, which is smiling, but it looks- wrong. Plastered on, as she finally meets Coral’s eyes. “How about we start over? I will be louder this time. I will twist and whimper and scream to all your hearts content; and you can do what you want with me. With a discount! 100% off! Surely that’s an offer you can’t refuse, right? What do you-“
“Stop.”
This is wrong. This is all so wrong. What is happening? Why is ENA giving a sales pitch like she’s some sort of product?
“We-…” Coral breathes in. Drags her hands through her hair. Moves backwards, away from ENA and her god forsaken doll-like body. Fuck. “…we should stop.”
The air is still. ENA stares at her through her open knees, propped up slightly, face unreadable; and only after about half a dozen seconds have ticked by, a dozen, two dozen, three- does she move from her spot; clumsily clothes her rump again; and sits across from the other.
Coral tries to compose herself; runs her hands through her hair, drums her fingers against her head, sways slightly on the spot- but she just. She doesn’t know what to do here. What was that? What was that? Why didn’t she stop earlier?
ENA’s clawed hand curls and uncurls- stops just short of reaching towards her; only for her head to hang, and her mitten hand to come forth – resting in-between them, asking to be held.
Coral places hers on top of it.
Finally, ENA speaks. “I’m… sorry for messing this up,” her masculine voice says, “truthfully, I’d hoped I wouldn’t react like that.”
Coral shakes her head. She feels sick. “You didn’t mess anything up. I’m the one who pushed you- even though you were clearly unhappy, in retrospect.”
“I… don’t think I was unhappy. Not entirely.”
Coral glances at the other- or tries to, at least. ENA’s bangs get in the way of seeing her eyes. Coral wants to brush them away.
She doesn’t.
After a moment, ENA takes back her hand, and leans back to lie in the bed. Coral thanks the seas that it doesn’t look like she’s offering herself up this time.
She hesitantly moves to join her by her side.
After a minute or two of them staring at the cracked paint on the boring, off-white ceiling, she quietly asks, “You… said you ‘hoped you wouldn’t react like that’. Is that… how you always get, on these things?”
ENA blinks. The hands on her chest curl. “Not… always. But.” She pauses. Then admits, “It’s how clients usually like me to be.”
Coral’s heart hurts.
“But I’m not a client,” Coral responds, feeling herself having to hold back from biting the sentence out- from letting loose the anger and confusion she feels festering in her insides. “I’m just Coral. And you’re ENA.”
“Yeah,” ENA says. Utterly despondent. “Just an Ena.”
Coral desperately wants to break something.
She doesn’t know how to respond to that- there’s still so much she doesn’t understand about who ENA is; why so many people hate her. But one thing she does know – she doesn’t ever want ENA to feel like ‘just’ an ‘Ena’ when with her.
So she asks, “Do you still see me that way? As just a client?” And yourself as just a commodity? She knew their relationship didn’t start off in the most sincere way, but she had thought they had found their language by now. That they had moved on.
The thought that, while she didn’t see it that way anymore, but ENA still did, and have been, this whole time, scared her.
“No,” ENA finally admits, her feminine voice low and constipated- on the verge of breaking. “I don’t. And that’s the problem.”
Coral blinks, now very, very confused.
She tries reaching out- but some invisible force stops her hand before she can make contact, and instead, it lies there, on her own shoulder. She doesn’t know what they are.
So she asks, “And- the problem is…?”,
“The problem,” ENA begins, angrily, “is that you’re like noone I’ve ever been with before. And I don’t know how to deal with it.”
She breathes- it catches in her chest. “It’s like-“ her hands clench, pressed into her body, as if she’s restraining herself. “I want to be happy, and I am happy, you make me happy – you have wonderful hands – but I just can’t help but feel like I’m dying at the same time. Like there’s someone up there judging me for daring to feel joy. Like I’m not fulfilling my purpose if I am. I don’t-“
She stops. Her lips twitch, unsteady, her red side flashing to black for a moment. Coral fears she’ll scratch herself with her claws.
“I’m not made for this.” She quietly admits. Eyes screwing shut. “I’m not made to just let myself go and- feel good.”
Coral watches her. Stunned.
“I’m sorry.”
The broken clock in the corner of the room ticks by.
Coral has- so many things to say in response to that. None of them coherent. A lot of them probably wouldn’t help. But one thing she’s sure of – she hates that one 2 word phrase that ENA can’t seem to suddenly stop saying in the wake of all this unfairness.
So she finally bridges that gap- finally touches ENA’s shoulder, feels her hair tickle her fingers. She wishes she could do so much more. But evidently, ENA can’t handle a lot of the ‘so much more’. Not right now. And she asks, “Why do you keep apologizing?”
ENA opens her eyes and finally meets her gaze. There’s almost a tinge of confusion- or wariness- to her gaze that Coral hates. “Cause… I messed this up. You wanted to do this. You wanted- something, out of me. And I couldn’t give that to you.” She looks down. Stares at the part where their bodies connect. “I failed as a partner today.”
“You didn’t fail as anything,” Coral says, voice tight; and she reaches out, unable to hold back anymore, cupping ENA’s face in her hands- wanting to cry at how her eyes widen. “ENA, I wanted to do this for you. It doesn’t matter what I want, I wanted to see you be happy. If you can’t- if this is too soon, if you feel- bad about it all, then that’s fine. It’s totally fine. Please don’t blame yourself for being- traumatized. For ocean’s sake.”
ENA gapes like a fish, for a moment. “That’s a big word.”
Coral sends her a pointed look. “Am I wrong?”
ENA doesn’t reply.
Coral sighs. Her hands slide to ENA’s chest- just where her throat would be, if she had one. And after a moment of just- lying there; “…What do you want to do now?” She asks.
“What- do you mean?” ENA’s hands slowly move to hold onto her wrists.
“Like, what are you feeling up to?” Coral asks, then clarifies, “It doesn’t have to be sex. We don’t have to have any more sex today. We can just go- watch a movie, or file taxes, or something… whatever you like.”
ENA hums. “Well, whatever you want is satisfactory with me-“
“No,” Coral interrupts, restraining herself from shaking the other. “What do you want?”
ENA opens her mouth. Then closes it. Then opens and closes again, a few times like that, until-
“I want you to eat me out.”
Coral processes this. Then blushes, furiously.
“Oh.”
ENA seems to quickly realize what she just said- sitting up and hiding her face behind one hand. “Sorry- sorry, that just slipped out. We don’t have to- um-“
Coral recovers from the shock- and turn-on- and sits up as well, hands reaching out towards the other placatingly. “No, no, uh. If that’s what you want, we can definitely try! We can! Just, um…” she hesitates. ENA’s empty gaze as she went down on her is still haunting her. “Won’t… it be just like before? I mean, you just told me that you felt like you were dying when- I was doing that… will you really be okay?”
ENA moves her lips in a way that suggests she would be licking them if she had a tongue – and slowly, begins to explain, “I think… if I had a bit more control… like in our usual dynamic. Then it would be… okay. Hopefully.”
Coral considers this, for quite a while. Then says, “You mean like… what was the word. You would be a… power bottom? A dominant bottom?”
ENA waves her hand a bit, still blushing. Cute. “Something like that. I just-…” She grasps the sheets, rubs them between her fingers. “I like it when… I have a role. When I can add to the dynamic, or direct, the situation. Makes me feel less- powerless… plus,” She raises her gaze, smirking at Coral, “how can I get lost in my head when I’ve got you to toy around with?”
Coral feels her face burning. “Right,” she squeaks out, “that makes sense.”
ENA chuckles. Coral feels elated at the sound.
And with that, ENA leans forward. Hands set in front of her, eyes piercing again, that stupid knowing smile on her face that makes Coral want to melt into a pile of goo. “Well? What do you say, partner?”
Partner, Coral thinks, I like that word.
She quickly nods her head, already feeling her nether regions get all warm from just the idea of what they’re about to do.
ENA clicks her non-existent tongue, one hand reaching towards her to gently, ever so gently, run a clawed finger across her jaw. Coral almost- almost- trembles. “You have to say it to me, hun.”
Fuck me.
“Y-yes,” Coral forces out, yet at the same time, she wants to sing it from the rooftops. “Yes, I would like to- e-eat you out, ENA.”
“Good girl,” ENA purrs.
Coral feels embarrassed- so embarrassed- that that actually turns her on.
And with those introductions out of the way; ENA leans back, into the pillows – only this time, she doesn’t look like a broken doll, propped up slightly on her elbows and her knees already apart, gaze and smile directed Coral’s way- inviting her on.
“Come and take your prize, then~” She says, and oh, Coral already feels so much better about this.
So she does, going on all fours and crawling towards her- and as Coral gets close enough, ENA reaches out her claws and buries them in her hair, incredibly soft despite the sharp edges. Coral would close her eyes, if not for- the whole situation, going on in front of her.
And with that, ENA simply commands, “Undress me.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Coral barks out in response, already setting to completing the given task.
Once ENA’s shorts are down, Coral- hesitates. Stares at it a bit. And looks up at ENA’s face.
ENA- did seem to wander a bit. Just for a bit, her gaze unfocusing and smile disappearing. But then, she shakes it off, returning to her usual self, her claws tightening in Coral’s hair. As she says with a smile, “I hope you are hungry, love.”
Coral feels her mouth watering. “Very.”
And with that, ENA guides her downwards.
Eating ENA out is- weird. But in a good way. Her folds feel almost- mechanical in a sense, much less soft and malleable than human parts – but Coral likes it when ENA has eccentricities like that- likes that she’s so different to her. And she likes it even more when ENA lets out a low, quiet moan, her red mitten hand joining her on patting her head.
Coral almost wants to smile- so she does. Closing her eyes and losing herself in the motions, feeling ENA gently knead at her head, and learning- with fascination- that ENA’s cum tastes like static.
After a while, ENA’s breathing becomes more labored- and her grasp on her hair tighter, though not painful yet- as her thighs tremble, grinding a bit into Coral’s mouth, and through her quiet moans, she begins to… talk?
“My sunshine… my little white mouse… my rorschach painting, my seashells on the beach, my printed out valentines receipts….”
Coral doesn’t know why ENA feels the need to… sweet-talk? Her? While she’s clearly having trouble just keeping her breathing under control, (maybe it’s part of her keeping herself grounded), but it’s extremely endearing either way. And she continues like that, spitting out more and more esoteric, but nonetheless delightful, nothings, brushing through and pulling at her hair, her speech progressively becoming more and more unintelligible, until-
“nnnNNGHHAH, CORAL-“
Her thighs squeeze around Coral’s head, shaking, as static floods her mouth and ENA’s moans slowly peter out- and as Coral comes back from a high of her own, she quietly relishes in the sweet, sweet sense of accomplishment and adoration she feels for them being able to come to this point.
It doesn’t leave her even as she finally raises her head out of ENA’s crotch – as ENA’s hands fall from her hair, limp. And she watches, heart full, as ENA breathes there, chest heaving and face flushed- a wide, perfect smile on her face.
Coral feels so delighted- so warm and fuzzy- she immediately wants to kiss ENA silly. So she does.
Except-
“Eugh- ew,” ENA coughs, leaning away from Coral’s lips, disgust clear on her face. “Dude, I just cummed in that! Back off!”
Coral scoffs. “Oh, like you’ve never tasted your own fluids before.”
“Shut up, that’s beside the point. It’s gross.”
Coral licks her lips. They tingle. It’s definitely nothing like normal cum. “It’s not that bad.”
“Ugh, you’re weird. Come back when you have a breath mint.”
Coral smiles, already imagining their next make-out session. Maybe it’s weird to like kissing a flat faced polygon so much but- so sue her. She has her tastes. “I’ll hold you to that.”
ENA stares at her for a moment more, disgruntled- before she reaches for the towel next to the bed and sets to cleaning herself up a bit.
While she does that, Coral thinks back to what she heard before- and the question tumbles out before she can even really comprehend it. “By the way. Little white mouse…?”
ENA blushes, rolling her eyes. “Shut up. I needed to say something. And you certainly peep like a mouse sometimes.” And then she sighs, clumsily crawling out of the bed- taking her shorts with her, but not bothering to put them on. “Anyways, I’m taking a shower. We'll clean the bedsheets later.”
“…Can I join you?” Coral asks, noting how gross she feels in this sweaty ass dress shirt of hers.
ENA pauses, blinking slowly. “…If you want to.”
“I do,” Coral says, “if you’d allow me.”
And so they shower, like two normal people, cramped as they are in the tiny space – and after they have washed and dried and clothed themselves again, Coral goes to make herself coffee, while ENA is heading for the door- wait.
“Where are you going?” Coral asks, a bit of panic setting in.
ENA turns around, then gives a red smile, holding onto her hat with one hand; and says, “You know me – work never ends for this venturer in capitalism. I gotta get back to my duty.”
“Already?” Coral asks, despaired. “C’mon, surely it can wait. Stay the night? Please?”
ENA’s smile becomes strained, an uncertainty to her gaze. “Froggy will be mad-“
“Fuck Froggy. You’re always working. It’s my order as your superior for you to take a break.”
ENA puffs out an unsteady breath. “Wow. Pulling the superior card, huh.”
“I’m serious,” Coral says, her expression, indeed, serious.
ENA stares at her, then. A discomfort in her gaze, her clawed hand drumming on her arm- something almost… wounded? In her eyes.
Coral realizes too late what it is.
“I mean,” she quickly tries to amend, heart hammering. “It’s not like I'm ordering you to- this is not an order, forget that. You can make your own choices. I just-“ She sighs, heavy. Heart heavy. Body heavy. Everything heavy. “I just wish you would take care of yourself, for once…”
ENA is quiet for a long, long time.
Until finally, she raises her clawed fingers- sways a bit- bites her lip- and takes a single, sure footed step further into Coral’s apartment.
Coral sighs, relieved beyond imagination.
“Thank you,” she says, smiling as ENA makes her way closer to her. “I know my place doesn’t have much, but surely we can find-“
ENA steps past her. “I’m changing your bedsheets.”
Coral blinks, stupefied. “Huh?”
“We’re cuddling,” ENA declares, simply.
“Oh, uh…” Coral stutters, face warming. Damn ENA and her effortless ability to always make her heart skip a beat. “S-sure thing!”
And so they change the sheets together; Coral dresses into her pajamas; ENA finds a t-shirt and some shorts to wear; and after Coral has taken her nightly medication, they settle under the heavy, fabric-softener-scented blankets (ENA makes fun of her for using fabric softener. “You sure have a lot of money to waste on such little things,” she says, not entirely mean-spirited), and then-
Coral doesn’t know what exactly to do then.
Should she lean closer…? Should she wrap her arms around her? Should she rest her head on her shoulder?
ENA makes the choice for her, when she does all three.
“Oh-“ Coral murmurs, her coral rings making waves. Her face warms, her heart beating.
For such an angular person, with not much body heat, she thinks it’d be surprisingly nice to hold ENA.
So she does, wrapping her own arms around the cubic woman, feeling her hair tickle her jaw- breathing in and feeling her weight on her chest. It’s nice. It’s really, really nice.
After a moment, ENA says, “Thank you. I’m happy.” and Coral can’t even tell which side of her is saying that. She just knows, that the voice is way softer, and way sleepier, than any she’s heard before.
So Coral tightens her hold; plants a single kiss in ENA’s hairline; and like that, they fall asleep.