Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"What the fuck," my noisy new neighbor complains.

"Hey, language," the most competent of the three chides, "We just got here we can't have all our neighbors thinking we're a bunch of foul mouthed imbeciles."

"I'm a foul mouthed imbecile," another, sleepier new neighbor jokes.

"I swear I packed it in one of these boxes," the loud one complains, a girl with ridiculous boobs and bright pink hair.

"Why would you pack our keys in one of our moving boxes?" The blue haired neighbor questions correctly. While the other two seem pleasant, the pink haired one may be a real foul mouthed imbecile.

"I figured it would be safe there," she explains, "But now... Dammit!"

"We should just call the building manager," the sleepy one with red streaks in her black hair correctly surmises, "I'm sure they have a skeleton key we can borrow for today until we get the boxes unloaded."

"You're right," the blue haired one says, "You got your phone on you?" The sleepy one shakes her head.

"Sorry, died on the car ride here," she explains.

"Ugh, what about you?" she asks the pink haired one, but she is too focused on opening the few boxes they brought up here.

What an unusual trio. I can't imagine this friendship is beneficial to any of them. Then again, who am I to judge? I am the one peeping on them through the port hole of my door on a Friday night. The blue haired one approaches my door. THE BLUE HAIRED ONE APPROACHES MY DOOR?!

I rush away from the door, I can't let them know I was peeping on them. Okay, remain calm, new neighbors aren't an issue. It's just a really rare occasion, of course I would be interested.

Knock knock

A polite tapping at my door, what do I do? What do I say?

"Just a second!" I shout out. That's good, obviously I wasn't watching them, I was further away. I approach the door, carefully. Undoing the lock, I open the door slowly. "Yes?" I ask softly. First impressions are always important.

"Hi," the blue haired one says, "I was- OHMYGOD!!!"

I jump back, "Why are we shouting?"

"You're so cute!!" She cries out.

"Belle," the sleepy one says, "That was really rude."

"Yeah, and super cringe," the pink one says as she swaps boxes.

"I'm sorry," she says to the rest of the group, then turns to me, "I am sorry," then turns back to her friends, "But look at her! She's adorable!"

"Yeah, and a fully actualized human being with a complex back story that you may have just cut yourself off from," the sleepy one correctly surmises.

"Ellen, you're being a bit dramatic," Belle says. Ellen is the sleepy one, understood.

"Would you two quit dicking around and help me find our keys?" The pink haired one complains.

"Nicole, language!" Belle insists, "Sorry, hi, we're your new neighbors and our key got lost in the move. Any chance we could borrow your phone to call the building manager?"

"Uh, sure," I say, "Let me go grab it." I close the door carefully. These girls might be trouble, but at least they're funny. Grabbing my phone from the charger, I return selecting the building manager number I have saved. Once it starts ringing, I pass it off to Belle. Ellen begins inspecting the phone carefully. It's just a regular phone with some characters from a gacha game I like hanging from the accessory loop.

"How did you get this?" Ellen says pointing to the chibi version of my favorite character from the game, Akabana.

"There was a pop up store a couple months ago," I explain, "They only let like a hundred people inside."

"That's so cool," she says, staring intently at the other charms.

"Yes, hi. My name is Belle, I'm moving in today and we lost our key- Well not lost, my..." Belle eyes me curiously, as if calculating my potential to be a threat, "friend, see, she packed them in with our boxes. I was hoping- I'd really appreciate it."

"You play?" I ask Ellen.

"Oh yeah," Ellen smiles smugly, "I've been grinding since day one."

"Oh cool, does that mean you have-" I start to ask.

"The bugged version of Suzukaze that does triple damage if her feet aren't touching the ground?" Ellen and I ask in unison.

"Nerds," Nicole accuses from the hallway.

"Quiet you," Ellen chides, "I don't use her, I'm sure she got patched in the 2.0 release, but I like to pretend that she's still bugged."

"Yeah, that 2.0 release was crazy," I say, "I started around the 1.6 release."

"Ahh, hence the Akabana chibi," Ellen surmises. I nod excitedly.

"Akabana?" Belle asks, then looks to where Ellen is pointing on my phone, "AHHH THIS IS ADORABLE?! HOW DID YOU GET THIS!?!?"

"Belle, you gotta be quiet," Ellen insists, "I'll tell you later, is the building manager on their way?"

"Oh, yeah, here you go," Belle hands my phone back, "Apparently he lives in a building across the city so we're going to have a lot of time on our hands."

"I'm this close to finding them, I swear," Nicole tries to reassure.

"If you wanted," I say, "You could hang out in my apartment."

"Oh, we couldn't impose," Belle tries to reject my offer.

"Belle," Ellen says gently.

"Ellen?" The two share a wordless conversation, then Belle sighs, "Thank you, we appreciate it."

"Cowards," Nicole chides, "Giving up so easily."

"I'm Belle by the way," she says, "This is Ellen, and outside with the mouth of a sailor is Nicole."

"I fucking heard that," Nicole says.

"It's nice to meet you," I bow slightly, "My name is Fufu."

"Fufu?" Ellen asks.

"Ju Fufu," I elaborate. Belle looks like she is about to scream about how cute I am again. I wish she wouldn't.

"Sorry, I'm keeping it contained, I just-" she turns to Ellen, squeezing her arm tightly, "Come on, it's not just me right?"

"We can talk about it once we're in our apartment," Ellen says shaking her head. I take my favorite spot, a rocking chair that I thrifted that gets warmed by the sun in the afternoon. Belle and Ellen sit on my overly pillowed couch.

"It will be cool having another thiren girl in the building," I say, "Are there a lot of shark thiren's where you're from?"

Ellen gives me a curious look, then scrunches her nose, smiles, and says, "Not really."

"So wait, if you have Akabana, then you must play too!" Belle realizes, "How many characters do you have?"

"Oh you're going to like this," Ellen says.

"I don't really focus on collecting," I say, "I just get the ones that are really pretty."

"A girl after my own heart," Ellen muses.

"You're in good company," Belle teases, "I'm only missing one."

"Wow," I say, "You must be loaded." Belle and Ellen crack up at the slip of my tongue. "Sorry, that was really rude, I didn't mean to-" I bury my face in my hands. I'm making a fool of myself.

"It's fine, it's fine, really!" Belle insists, "I haven't been at it as long as Ellen has, so I'm missing some from the 1.1 release."

"That's crazy, you must be grinding like 24/7," I say.

"Yeah Belle, how did you manage to get all those characters?" Ellen teases. Belle purses her lips.

"I- Fufu, you wouldn't rat me out to the dev team, right?" Belle asks.

"I mean... it depends," I say.

"It's not like you can take advantage of it now anyways," Ellen reminds her.

"Yeah, that's fair," Belle sighs, "I wrote up a program to do all the grinding while I was asleep."

"Woah, that must have been really hard," I say, unable to hide the stars in my eyes.

"It was something, had some outside help," Belle looks almost upset with herself for giving it up, "But anyways, now I'm in the trenches with y'all."

"I got them!" Nicole shouts from the hallway, "With enough luck and determination, anything is- Why aren't they working?"

"Did she pack our old keys?" Belle asks.

"Would you put it past her?" Ellen retorts.

"What the fuck?!" Nicole shouts.

"Language," Ellen and Belle chide.

"You're all really funny," I say, chuckling at the little comedy playing out before me, "How long have you all been friends?"

Ellen and Belle look at each other coyly, then back to me, then at each other again. "We're, uh, kinda more than friends," Belle says.

Ellen holds up her hand, a beautiful thick golden band with small emeralds embedded rests on her ring finger. Belle lifts her hand, a thinner golden ring with a reasonably sized diamond is nestled between two silver bands.

"Oh my gosh!" I say, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, "Of course, there's also that!"

"You're fine, Fufu," Ellen says, "We met a couple years ago, became really enamored with each other. Then maybe four months in Nicole joined."

"Joined?" I ask.

"Yeah," Belle says excitedly, "Nicole, come show off your ring!"

"In a minute!" Nicole shouts back angrily.

"Anyways, after two years of the three of us going steady, I proposed," Ellen says proudly, "We got married, and for our honeymoon we came here to the peninsula."

"Yeah, and it was wonderful, we couldn't stop talking about it, or thinking about it, and we finally said, well if we can't stop thinking about it or talking about it, why don't we just move there," Belle says with a giggle.

"How cute," I say, "I think I'm confused though. You said you were married?"

"Yeah," Ellen nods.

"The two of you?" I clarify.

"No," Belle shakes her head.

"Then who are you married to?" I ask, embarrassment creeps up my neck making my cheeks flush as I fail to understand their relationship.

"We're all married," Ellen says plainly, "To each other."

"Oh," I say. Ellen and Belle were going out, then they liked Nicole, then she joined, and they all got married together, and then honeymooned together, so that must mean that during their honeymoon, they all-

"Fufu, look up at the ceiling," Belle says, heading to the kitchen, "Your nose is bleeding." I do as Belle instructs. She returns a moment later with tiny bits of twisted paper towel to stuff in my nose.

"Does that happen a lot?" Ellen asks, "I get them when in the winter when the air gets dry, but its so humid here I would think-"

"It's an allergy thing," I lie, "But that is the first time in a while that it has happened." You can do that? Date and then marry multiple people? That doesn't seem right. But here they are, right in front of me, proving that it is possible.

"I give up," Nicole announces, bursting into my apartment, "Did one of you call the building manager?"

"Yeah, a while ago, they said it'd be like twenty minutes," Belle answers.

"Ugh, what a pain," Nicole grumbles, "I'm really sorry y'all."

"It's alright, we'll find them eventually," Belle says, "Nicole, this is our new neighbor, Fufu."

"Fufu?" Nicole asks.

"Ju Fufu," I answer.

"That's cute," Nicole says plainly, "Didn't you say something about a ring?"

"Yeah, show your ring off," Belle insists.

Nicole holds her hand out. She was basically a model already, but as she expertly poses her hand it is clear why they invited her into their relationship. The ring on her hand is an intricate woven band of rose gold and silver.

"Wow, I've never seen one like that," I say.

"I know," Nicole brushes it against her shirt, "One of a kind, had it custom made."

"She's very particular," Ellen teases.

"Well if I'm going to be wearing it for the rest of my life," Nicole pouts, clutching the ring to her chest, "I want it to look nice."

Wow, they're like... gay gay then.

"If you're all married, then-" my line of questioning is cut off as the building manager announces his presence. The three quickly hop up off the couch, excited to start their new lives in Waifei Peninsula. Maybe they'll throw a house warming party and I'll be invited. Not like they know anyone else here, right?

Chapter Text

Ellen snatches the wine glass from my hand. "How old are you?" She interrogates. Unlike Belle and Nicole, Ellen is wearing very comfortable clothes. A large oversized hoodie, sweatpants, pink and white striped fuzzy socks, she looks like she is ready for bed.

"I'm old enough to drink," I say with a giggle.

"Come on, it's a housewarming party and she's among friends!" Nicole insists, with a slight slur to her voice. She must have gotten started earlier than the rest. She's happily spinning around in a floral sundress that carries her chest well.

"It's fine, Ellen," Belle insists, snatching my glass back, "Here, it's a wonderful vintage." She's wearing a cardigan over a camisole and blue skinny jeans. The amber liquid fizzes with tiny bubbles rising to the surface. When it touches my lips, its bitterness causes my jaw to clench.

"Ugh, you're worse than Ellen," Belle chides, giving my shoulder a squeeze as she joins Nicole on the couch.

"If you want," Ellen opens the fridge and pulls out an alcoholic seltzer, "You can try this. It's much sweeter than the champagne."

"I appreciate it," I say, holding onto the can for dear life. Why did I think I could handle this? Drinking with them in their empty apartment. Who knows what could happen? What if they want to play spin the bottle? What if they want to take me into their bedroom? What if we all take off our clothes and- I brush the back of my hand against my nose to be safe. It's clear of any flecks of blood.

"Fufu!" Belle calls, the warmth of the bubbly tincture present in her tone, "What do you think of this painting?" Belle is carefully unwrapping a framed painting of two orange and pink lilies on a white background, their petals are pressed together, their stamen intertwined. Small droplets of water coalesce and drip from the petals edges. I wonder if she understands how lewd and sapphic it is underneath the pretty colors.

"I like it," I say, "Good composition."

"Ellen says it's too pornographic," Belle says, "I think it's more subtle than that."

"I didn't say pornographic," Ellen objects, "I said it had undertones that some might not appreciate."

"Right, the pornographic ones," Nicole teases.

"I want it hanging up," Belle insists, "It's my favorite painting."

"There's a lot of street artists near the temple I work at," I say as I sit on their recently delivered couch, "They might be able to make something similar with three lilies instead."

"Why three lilies?" Ellen asks.

"Don't they..." I bury my embarrassment into the can, "Sorry, I thought they were representing you and Belle."

The two look at the painting, then at each other. "I call the orange lily!" Belle says excitedly. Ellen rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"That would be cute," Nicole says, "I don't think I'm a lily though, I'm more like a rose covered in thorns." I wouldn't mind being pricked by her thorns. Ugh, thank god I didn't say that out loud, that was so cheesy.

"Well until we find a painting that has all three of us," Belle draws the conversation back to the topic at hand, "I'd like to hang this up."

"Fine, fine," Ellen concedes, "What do you think of the seltzer?"

"Oh! It's good," I take another sip. It's fruity, the bubbles feel nice, and the buzz is pleasant. I wonder why I haven't seen these before when I go shopping. "So what do you all do for work?" I ask. I'm met with grimaced looks and faces of dread.

"Kind of in between gigs," Nicole says with a nervous chuckle.

"Nicole used to do work in hollows, Ellen and I used to work at a video rental store," Belle explains, "We brought some videos of our own to try and start up a franchise here, but..."

"We weren't able to find a place to rent as a storefront," Ellen finishes.

"Well if you're comfortable in a hollow," I say turning to Nicole, "The Lemnian hollow is always looking for miners to gather porcelume."

"I mean," Nicole glances over at Belle, "I was kinda hoping for an office job. Like a secretary, or a-" Belle and Ellen smile at each other, "Did you two have something to add?"

Belle and Ellen sit up straight, giggling to themselves. "It's just-" Ellen says, "You? An office job?"

"Is that so bizarre?" Nicole huffs.

"You're one of the most disorganized people I know," Belle adds, "Might I remind you what happened to our keys?"

"I swear I packed them with good intentions!" Nicole insists. Somewhere deep inside me, where the bubbles of seltzer warm my gut, a giggle begins to brew and build in my chest. Unfortunately, I can't stifle it. "Oh great, now Fufu is laughing at me!" Nicole shouts.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I muster through the giggles, "I'm not laughing at you, you're all just so funny."

"Oh, so I'm funny to you?" Nicole says, setting down her glass and poising her hands menacingly, "Maybe you'll think this is funny too!" I flinch as her hands run against my sides, electricity scatters through my body, the giggle in my chest turns into an embarrassing guffaw.

"Be gentle with her," Belle recommends, "We just met her."

"What's so funny, Fufu?" Nicole asks.

"Please, stop! I can't take much more," I plead.

Nicole sits next to me, proud of the state she's put me in. A chuckle continues to run through my limbs like a tremor I cannot place. My stomach stings as the remnants of my laughter pull my muscles taut. My heart... my heart buzzes in my chest at a worrying frequency.

"Sorry," Nicole says, "I don't know what came over me. A blind rage of sorts."

"It's fine," I rest my shoulder against her's. My eyes are naturally pulled towards Nicole's cleavage. I am such a shameless woman. Then again, that could be the alcohol. My gaze is pulled away as I notice Belle's hand squeezing Ellen's thigh. Everyone's cheeks are glowing red with warmth and Nicole's chest is flush with alcohol. Ellen pulls her phone from her hoodie pocket, checks for a notification, then puts it away again with a displeased look on her face.

"Still no word?" Nicole asks.

Ellen sighs, "No, I think it is time I give up. It was only a crush after all."

"It sucks when the crush ends up crushing you," I bemoan, then I turn to Belle and Nicole, "Wait, you're not upset?"

"About this girl not texting Ellen back? I'm pretty miffed about it," Nicole says, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. I try to ignore the sensation of her warm soft side boob pressed against my arm. Nicole continues, "But honestly, when you get to be old hags like us-" 

"Hey!" Belle objects.

"You stop letting that sort of thing bother you," Nicole finishes.

"No, I meant," I cough, "It's not my place to pry."

"Ahhhhh," Belle says, a curious smile on her face, "You mean why aren't we pissed that our dear sweet Ellen is texting other women?"

I nod my head.

"It's not like we go dating every woman we meet," Ellen says, I try to ignore the pit of despair that appears in my stomach, "But there was this woman I met, and it felt like we had chemistry, but..." Ellen shrugs.

"I know what that's like," I say, "I hate not getting a response. Like... at least tell me what's going on!"

"Awww, you poor thing," Nicole squeezes me tightly, "I'd always text you back."

"Uh-oh," Belle teases.

"Hush you," Nicole snaps. I sip anxiously from my seltzer. Every time I look up from my sweaty hands, it feels like someone else's eyes are staring at me hungrily. But like they said, it's not a common occurrence. I shouldn't get my hopes up. Besides, we're neighbors.

"Fufu," Belle says, "You let us know when you have to leave, okay?"

"I'm fine," I lie, "I have a late start at work tomorrow." Ellen narrows her eyes at me as if she could unravel each word I spew and find the lie underneath. For some reason, she keeps her suspicion to herself. "Could I have another seltzer?" I ask as the last sip jostles around the can.

"Yeah," Ellen says standing up from the couch and taking my can from me, "I got you."

Belle scoots over to the couch with Nicole and I and lays across our laps. Her chest looks like it will pop out of the camisole if she's not careful. "So we've only ever seen the tourist side of Waifei," Belle starts, "What's something that we have to do now that we're locals?"

"Well have you met Sweety yet?" I ask, mindlessly running my fingers through Belle's hair, scratching her head softly. If she doesn't mind, and Nicole doesn't mind, and Ellen doesn't mind, I'm sure there's no harm in a little show of intimacy, right?

"Who's that?" Nicole asks.

"She helps run Yum Cha Sin," I explain, "If you ever need like an odd job done or are just looking for a cheap meal, you gotta go there."

"Maybe you can find work there," Belle says, poking Nicole's under-boob. Nicole swats her hand away.

"I'll figure it out," Nicole insists.

"Don't wait too long," Ellen reminds her, swapping my empty can with a fresh one.

"I am hirable!" Nicole insists again.

"What about the temple you work at?" Belle asks, "Shuubin? Sweet bun? Say the name again?"

"Suibian Temple," I say, "Yeah, you can come have your fortune taken by Ashuo!"

"Any positions open?" Belle asks.

"I can find my own job," Nicole insists, "But are you hiring?"

"It's more volunteer work," I say with a shrug, "My apartment is actually owned by the temple. Since I'm a higher ranking member, I was entrusted with its care and am allowed to use it as accommodations." Ellen forces a fresh seltzer into my palm.

"Fancy," Ellen says, falling onto the couch in a flumph, "Are there a lot of volunteers?" Belle crawls off of Nicole and I and nuzzles her way onto Ellen's lap. It was nice while it lasted.

"Not a ton, but there aren't any openings right now," I say.

Nicole tosses her head back, "This is what I'm saying! It's impossible to find a job."

"Remember how determined she was?" Belle teases.

"Fufu, you should hire me," Nicole says.

"For what?" Ellen chuckles.

"For being cute, obviously," Nicole smiles wide, then turns to me, "Think about it, wouldn't it be great, having me as your arm candy? You can walk around town and everyone would be all like, 'Wow, who is that with Fufu?' and 'I didn't know Fufu could pull a hot one like that, I want to get with Fufu!' Wouldn't that be perfect?"

The thought of that many eyes on me, I'd prefer anything else.

"I think I'm good," I say, setting my can down on the coaster on the table and leaning against her shoulder, "I prefer being your neighbor."

"You haven't heard how good of a kisser I am," Nicole teases. Wait... kiss? How good is she?

"Alright, enough teasing," Belle warns, though her focus is on playing with the fingers on Ellen's hands. When she thinks no one is looking, she bites each finger tip gently.

"So... you're a good kisser?" I ask, trying not to sound desperate. Nicole chuckles, but wears a sympathetic expression. Belle is too enamored with Ellen's fingers to notice. But Ellen looks on with a curious expression, an emotion I can't place. Nicole puts her finger under my chin and lifts my gaze up towards her.

"I'm a verrry good kisser," Nicole says, leaning forwards, lips pouting in a magnificent shape. The smell of alcohol on her breath is more intoxicating than the alcohol currently pulsing through my veins. My reflection in her lips begs me to not mess this up. I let my eyes flutter shut and lean forward to meet her. Then the room spins underneath me, I lose my hold on Nicole, even in the darkness behind my eye lids I feel uneasy.

And then...

I wake up staring at the ceiling of my neighbor's living room. The sun illuminates the room through their sliding glass windows. For the first time in what was apparently several hours, the world is not spinning. But I am alone.

"Morning," a chipper Nicole says behind me as I sit up on the couch, "You're more of a lightweight than I would have guessed."

"Yeah," I say, "I don't drink all that often, I- Gah!" I clutch my forehead. The pain. Why so much pain?!

"Here, drink this," Nicole insists, putting a smoothie concoction of unknown contents in front of me, "It doesn't taste good but it will fix your hangover."

"I've never been hungover before," I admit, "This sucks."

Nicole giggles at my suffering. The elixir placed before me is disconcertingly chunky, an eerie milky shade of pink, and... might be carbonated. Could these three actually be witches in disguise?

"Bottoms up," Nicole teases, "I've got to go job hunting today, but Belle and Ellen should wake up soon."

"You are much more competent than you let on," I say, "Sorry, that was probably rude."

"Yeah," Nicole stares into a mirror on the entryway wall, pulling her long pink locks back into two ponytails, "I get that a lot."

"Sorry," I apologize again.

"Don't be," Nicole says, expertly waving her wrists to wrap a hair tie around her pony tail. I take her advice and sip from the- BLEH! "Told you," Nicole chuckles.

"You did," I sigh, "Nicole, could I ask you a question?"

"I think you just did," she winks at me through the mirror, "Go ahead, shoot."

How do I ask this? Or how do I ask this without sounding like a desperate school girl? How do I confirm that the kiss actually happened or not? How do I sit with this uncertainty in my stomach when the answer could be retrieved just by stringing the words together?

"Did you want someone to guide you around town?" I ask, "Being seen with me could be a good introduction."

"I should be fine," Nicole says, "I've got good luck." It's for the best, I would be over thinking the entire time. Not very good company.

"Must be nice," I say, "I feel like my luck is always awful." Nicole spins for herself in the mirror. I take another pungent sip of the concoction.

"I'm sure it will turn around for you," Nicole says, "I have a feeling about these things." Nicole fluffs her ponytails and does a final fit check. "Anywhoozles," Nicole says, "Lock the door behind you, see you later!"

"Oh, yeah," I say but Nicole is out the door before I can turn to watch her leave. Should I leave? Should I stay until Ellen and Belle are awake? What did she mean by "Lock the door behind you?" I don't have a key. I carefully sip the pink elixir.

Belle should wake up soon.

I sip the drink again.

"I should go," I mutter to myself.

Swirling the drink in its tall cup, I sip and avoid a chunk of an unusual grey food.

There's a rifling in the bedroom. One of them must finally be awake. Ellen emerges in the same pajamas as last night, approaching the couch in a careful stumble. "Good morning," I say, "Did you sleep well?"

Ellen grumbles, then plops down on the couch next to me, draping herself over my shoulders. Her nose buries into my cheek, her lips brush against my skin, her arms feel heavy, a warmth emanates from her that is heavily intoxicating. A sigh escapes her throat, her breath dances along my skin, her arms and legs try to coil around me.

"Uhm, Ellen?" I ask.

She shakes her head, pressing her lips into my cheek. I try to push her off but it's no use. She puts all her weight into me and we fall into the couch. As her hand sneaks up my shirt and grabs my waist, I wince.

"Ellen, wait," I sigh, "We shouldn't, right?" Despite her unending advance, her eyes remain closed. Is she... asleep? Is it wrong to let her continue? I should stop her, but aren't you not supposed to startle sleep walkers?

"Ellen," I say, "You're sleep walking."

"Nicole," Ellen grumbles, then sniffles and presses her lips into my ear. I fear I may be stuck like this until she wakes up properly.

Chapter Text

"Sleep walking?" Belle says, standing angrily over a very apologetic Ellen, "That's your excuse for assaulting our saintly neighbor?"

"Technically, I'm just a volunteer," I interject.

"I thought she was Nicole," Ellen says, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Fufu."

"I wasn't," I admit, "It felt nice."

"All the same," Belle bops Ellen on the top of the head, "You owe her a proper apology. In writing. I expect it on my desk by tonight." Then she sticks her tongue out and winks at me.

"We don't even have paper to write on," Ellen says, smiling lovingly at Belle.

"It really isn't an issue," I say again, "And apology accepted."

"You're too soft on her," Belle teases as she plops down on the couch next to me. A beautiful woman on each side of me, could I really handle such a thing? "Fufu," Belle touches the back of her hand to my cheek, "Are you coming down with something? Your cheeks are still flush."

"No, it's nothing," I stand abruptly, "I need to go to work, I'm late, ignore me, thank you, I just-" I bow like an idiot at them and then head for the door. Returning to my apartment, I jump onto my bed and kick my legs. "It's not fair," I complain into my pillow, "They can't be hot and kind!"

My phone rings in my back pocket. My coworker Yinhu's lovable mug smiles at me as he cooks. A picture from a summer cook out event that I set as his contact photo. "Hey Yinhu," I say as I answer the phone.

"It's bad," he says morbidly.

"What do you mean 'it's bad'?" I say with a chuckle, "The day barely got started."

"No, I mean," he sighs, "A pipe burst underneath the temple, Ashuo's fortune telling cart got blown to smithereens, and the smell is-"

"I don't need to know," I say, hopping out of bed, "I'm on my way."

"What are you going to do?" He asks.

"I could..." He might have a point.

"Anyways, I called to tell you to just stay home today," Yinhu says, "I've already sent the students away."

"Where is Yixuan?" I ask.

"She's under the temple trying to turn off the water line," he explains, "Oh god, the smell!" Before I can inquire further, the phone hangs up. I'm sure keeping his mouth open during that geyser of whatever foulness will not be good for his health. Now that I have the day to myself, I don't even know what I should do.

Then I catch a whiff of myself. Unpleasant.

I've grown used to cold showers. Hot water takes forever to reach me on this floor, and with my poor time management skills I rarely have time to waste waiting. As the mirror begins to fog, I breathe in the steam and revel in the warmth filling my lungs. There's a unique meditation that can be achieved here, in spite of the confines I sit within.

Taking extra care not to get soap in my ears, I wash my hair and lather up a loofah to scrub my body down. Running my fingers through the small tuft of hair on my pubic bone, I wonder what Ellen, Nicole, and Belle prefer. But maybe I shouldn't think those sorts of thoughts about my neighbors. Turning off the shower, I wrap myself in a bath sheet and resign to lay on my bed until my hair is dry. Life has felt like such a whirlwind these last couple of days. 

Now that I have the day to myself, I am given two options. Rot in my bed in the privacy of my own apartment, or think of a meaningful text to send to-

"Fufu!" Belle shouts from the hallway, knocking on my apartment door, "What was the name of that soup shop?"

I roll out of bed and answer the door. "Sorry, what did you ask?" I ask.

"You mentioned a soup shop," Belle says, then her cheeks blush, "Oh, you're changing, I'm sorry- I'll come back later, or you can text me, or-"

I slam the door. I forgot I was naked under the towel. "It's fine," I say through the door, "I wasn't thinking, I-"

"Don't worry about it!" Belle insists, "I'll just go and you can-"

"Belle!" I say, "Just. Wait..."

Silence greets me.

"I'll take you," I say, tucking a wet lock of hair behind my ear, "I just need to get dressed, okay?"

"Thanks," Belle says, "Sorry again."

"Don't mention it," I say, resting my forehead against the door. What an embarrassing day this has turned out to be.

"I like this fit," Ellen says, moving her heart shaped sunglasses to the tip of her nose, "You've got style, Fufu."

"Thanks," I say, doing a little twirl. It's nothing special. Khaki shorts, a comfortable camisole, a Terry clothe hoodie and some flip flops. I call it "tourist chic", but I doubt I could recommend it for my new neighbors. They would get pick-pocketed immediately.

"What do you think about my outfit?" Belle says, leaning forward and throwing up a peace sign. Her outfit consists of an earthy, green, flowing skirt, a crop top with a band name I don't recognize, a deep brown cardigan, and gladiator strap sandals. She looks like a bohemian goddess sent from on high to make me blush.

"Stop teasing her," Ellen says, "You look great." Ellen is wearing a flannel of a similar green hue, a black camisole, deep blue, high waisted jean shorts that dig into her thighs, and brown combat boots. She looks like every grunge creeps worst nightmare. I would definitely feel safe in a mosh pit with her by my side.

"Aw, thanks honey bun!" Belle says, kissing Ellen's cheek, "So where is this Sweety and her fabled soup shop, anyways?"

"Well I'm not sure if it's her soup shop or she just works there," I say, guiding Ellen and Belle down the stairs to the ground floor, "It's more that the soup shop is a staple of the community."

"Passed from generation to generation?" Ellen asks.

"I know you meant that as a joke," I answer, "But it's not far off."

"Are we about to eat centuries old soup dumplings?" Belle asks with an excitement reserved for tourists.

"No, they make them fresh every day," I answer.

Ellen guffaws.

"No, I-" Belle groans, "The recipes! I meant the recipes!"

"I know, I know," Ellen says, rubbing Belle's back, "We understood." I did not. Thankfully my youthful optimism and inability to understand nuance and jokes has come to my rescue for once.

"Oh, and when we're walking to the soup shop," I explain, "Try not to look up so much. It makes you look like tourists."

"Got it," they say in unison.

"Fufu!" Sweety says excitedly, "Get over here!"

I rush up to Sweety and wrap my arms around her waist. She's like the big sister I never had. As I press my cheek into her shoulder, I realize the scene is more intimate than Belle and Ellen were prepared for. "Sweety," I say, releasing her, "These are my new neighbors, Belle and Ellen."

"Nice to meet you," Belle says, bowing slightly.

"Sup," Ellen says with a nod.

Sweety returns the nod in kind, "Please, enough with the bowing, that's too formal." Sweety lowers her sun glasses onto her nose, and begins to pester Belle and Ellen about the usual "welcome to the neighborhood" topics. Where did they come from? What do they do? Where did they get their outfits? Can she go shopping with them sometime?

"Of course!" Belle says excitedly, then grimaces and points her index fingers together, "Though, we have to get a disposable income first. Moving is expensive."

"I mean, between the three of us, we should get there in no time," Ellen adds.

"Three?" Sweety looks to me, impressed that I managed to bag two baddies in one go. If only... Not that I think Belle and Ellen are baddies, I mean they're really pretty and beautiful and gorgeous but-

"No, no!" I say harshly, "they meant they're-"

"Friend, Nicole," Belle interjects, "We all moved together, and are roommates while we try to stick the landing."

"Oh how nice," Sweety says, then looks at their hands, "I take it you two are married then?"

"We are," Ellen says, sliding her hand into Belle's, "We actually had our honeymoon here."

"I see, Waifei got its hook in you and didn't let go," Sweety teases, "I've heard it all before."

"Can you blame us?" Belle asks, "Like... this is all so..." The looming buildings mixed with ancient history, modern sculptures with dashes graffiti and street art in the background, the winding roadways that always give you a view of the ocean. There's a lot to love about Waifei.

A grumble from Ellen's stomach distracts from the picturesque scenery. "Did you skip breakfast?" Belle accuses.

"Centuries old soup buns!" Ellen retorts.

"No," Sweety says with a furrowed brow, "We make them fresh to order." She winks at me and pulls a set of menus from behind her stand. A nearby picnic table opens up to give us a place to sit. Going over the menu, I can feel my own stomach threaten to grumble.

"What is the-" Belle looks at the menu more closely, "Dullahan Dullabun?"

"I was looking at the BangBangBoo Bun," Ellen says, pointing to a picture on the back.

"If you like spicy food," I say, "The Hati Mama has a nice blend of spices."

"But is it like fire spicy or is it like tasty spicy?" Belle asks, a worried look cluing me in to her sensitive stomach issues.

"Hmmmm, probably the former," I say, "You'd be better off with a Waifei Special."

"Oh, what is that," Belle says, looking over the menu. Her shoulders fall as she finds it. It is essentially a soup dumpling with broth instead of actual soup.

"We've got a lot of walking to do," Ellen reminds her, "You don't want to be dashing from restroom to restroom."

"Oh my god," Belle hides her face behind the menu, "Could you not!"

"It's fine," I say, "I have to be careful what I eat too."

"Yeah, but your wife isn't divulging all your secrets," Belle says pointedly.

"In sickness and in health," Ellen says lifting her glass of water for a cheers. I giggle as Belle angrily pokes Ellen's side, but joins in the toast. Sweety arrives and takes our orders, leaving us with an awkward silence to sift through. "Can you believe it just looks like that here," Ellen asks.

I look over my shoulder. From Sweety's soup shop you can see the ocean, the Lemnian hollow, the cable car that carries miners into the hollow, and a faint sliver of the mountainside Waifei is built into. Maybe it's because I've lived her too long, but I don't know if I ever noticed how pretty the hollow looked from this vantage point.

"So Fufu," Belle says, leaning forward, "What should we do next?" Normally I would take them to the temple, but that is out of commission for right now. We could take a trip down to Sailume Bay, but I want to save that for when I get a new bathing suit.

"Oh," I say, lost in my own thoughts, "Do you have swimsuits?"

"We do," Ellen says.

"Well," Belle looks at Ellen with pleading eyes.

"What about our issue with disposable income?" Ellen teases.

"Swimsuits are different though!" Belle insists, "You need them otherwise you look like a total loser on the beach. We can't look like losers yet."

They look like the farthest thing from losers.

"We can't get new clothes," Ellen adds, "If we did that Nicole would kill us."

I jump as a pair of well manicured hands grip my shoulders. "Why am I going to kill you?" Nicole asks.

Ellen laughs as Belle clutches her chest. "We were talking about going to get swim suits," I say, resting my ear against Nicole's shoulder as she sits next to me. Nicole scratches the bottom of my chin, humming to herself.

"You're including yourself in this, Fufu?" Nicole teases.

"It was her idea," Belle corrects.

"Yeah," I say, "It's been forever since I had someone to go shopping with."

"Well look no further!" Nicole announces, "You have found the only shopping partner you'll ever need."

"That's true," Ellen says with a sigh, "Fufu, are the vendors around here comfortable with bartering?"

"I'm sure Nicole will be very courteous of local traditions," Belle says with a threatening aura, "Right?"

"You think so low of me?" Nicole asks, feigning hurt.

Chapter Text

This is stupid! This is so stupid! Why did I agree to put this on?!

"Fufu," Nicole says with a teasing tone, "I'm waiting!"

"No!" I say, "I'm not coming out!"

"Come on, I'm sure you look incredible!" Nicole says, an annoying amount of sincerity in her tone. I look at myself in the trifold mirror again. The cups of the bikini are thin, barely hiding anything. The bottoms are low rise in the worst way possible. Like feeling a breeze in your butt crack constantly kind of low rise. It's made of a shiny gold material that, while it compliments my ears and tail, is entirely too gaudy for my personality!

Unfortunately, Nicole is right. I do look incredible. Not only do I look sexy, I feel it. Hell, I feel like I could take on the world in this. Though, I'm sure if anyone saw me wearing this I'd shrivel up and pass away.

"No," I say firmly, taking off the bikini, "This is too small, too revealing, I'm not going to be seen in this."

I hear silence on the other side.

"Nicole?" I ask.

"Owww!" Nicole complains.

I peek my head out of the dressing room. Belle has firmly grasped Nicole's ear lobe and is pinching it tightly. "Did you actually give that swimsuit to Fufu?" She asks.

"What? What?" Nicole objects, "I thought she would look cute in it!"

"If I wasn't willing to wear it, what made you think-" Belle notices my prying eyes, "Fufu, I'm sorry, ignore Nicole. I'll find you something appropriate."

"It is appropriate though," Nicole insists, "It's the beach, everyone is wearing bikinis."

"Is she talking about the bundle of floss she was parading around the store?" Ellen asks, holding several bikinis. All the tops in her arms have gigantic cups in comparison. Must be nice.

"Fufu," Belle says, "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," I say, closing the curtain again, "I don't think it suits me that's all."

"I'm sorry, Fufu," Nicole says, "I wasn't trying to bully you."

I finish putting my regular clothes back on. Pulling back the curtain, I sit down next to Nicole and rest my cheek on her shoulder. "Apology accepted," I say gently.

"Thanks kitten," Nicole says, scratching under my chin. I don't know when she gave me that nickname, but for some reason it doesn't fill me with rage. Normally being called kitten or cat would make me see red. But when Nicole says it, I feel... fluffy.

"I'll just take this to the return bin," Belle says, shaking her head, "Absurd trying to make Fufu wear this."

"No, wait," I say, "I..." I catch Nicole's smirk in the mirror. It says with a flirtatious and devilish lilt, "I knew it." I pretend not to see it. "I actually felt pretty cool when I was wearing it," I continue, holding my hand out to Belle.

"I can't in good conscience let you go out in this," Belle insists.

"Belle," Ellen sighs, "Give her the floss."

"It's not floss!" Nicole insists. Belle gives Ellen a look. Ellen shrugs. Belle rolls her eyes. "I hate when they do this," Nicole mutters, crossing her arms.

"What are they doing?" I ask.

"We're discussing something," Belle adds, "I'm not saying no, I'm saying it's too soon!"

"I'm not saying all of us," Ellen retorts.

"Just me, right?" Nicole perks up, picking up on some hidden message. She begins stamping her feet excitedly.

"Not yet," Belle says, "We need to discuss this properly."

"What is there-" Nicole starts, but Belle cuts her off.

"When we get home we can discuss it," Belle insists.

"Fufu," Ellen motions for me to come with her. I follow her back out into the maze of racks filled with thousands of swimsuits and last seasons fashion stand outs. "I'm sorry about Nicole," she says as she puts some of her swimsuits back on the rack, "She can be a bit blunt when she wants something."

"It's fine," I say, trying to find something that might work instead of Nicole's suggestion. What did Ellen mean when she said 'wants'? Does Nicole take advantage of innocent girls often? She seemed so sweet and nice.

"It's not," Ellen continues, pulling a swimsuit off the rack and handing it to me. It is much more modest than Nicole's suggestion, blocky bright colors, the only down side is the strapless demi cut.

"I don't think this will work," I say, pantomiming my flat chest.

Ellen smirks, "I know you're not as gifted, but trust me, you're going to look hot as fuck in that."

Hot? As fuck?

"Just give it a moment until Belle and Nicole are done talking," Ellen says.

"What are they talking about?" I ask.

"Just wife things," Ellen says with a smile, "Tell me about Suibian temple."

"Not much to tell," I say, taking one of the swimsuits in Ellen's arms and putting it back in its spot, "It's thousands of years old, they specialize in chakra manipulation, there's a fortune telling dog." Ellen looks at me incredulously. "I know," I chuckle, "I couldn't believe it either."

"What are the fortunes?" Ellen chuckles, holding her hand to her temple and squinting her eyes, "I am seeing... trees, water hydrants, grass, you are going to take me for a walk."

"It's yellow," I say, mimicking Ellen, "and fuzzy, and you're throwing it in a park."

Ellen laughs, "That's good. Do you also have a panda that makes dumplings?"

"Funny you should say panda," I say, finding nothing appealing among the rack before us, "My fellow monk, Pan Yinhu, is actually a really good cook. And a panda thiren."

"God dammit," Ellen says, shaking her head, "Dressing rooms are open by the way."

I look up and see Nicole and Belle hugging each other tightly. Both seem teary eyed and apologetic, or maybe they're happy tears? "Don't think about it so much," Ellen advises, "Just try it on and see what Nicole thinks."

"Why does what Nicole thinks matter?" I ask.

"Trust me," Ellen says with a soft smile. I'm inclined to do just that. As I head towards the dressing rooms, Bell pinches my forearm as she passes. She has a smile on her face that is hard to read, but feels like a good fortune.

"Watcha got there?" Nicole asks as I enter the dressing room, "I like those colors on you."

I hold it up to myself, "You think so? I'm not sure the strapless will work."

"We can't all be Ellen," Nicole says, then hums proudly, "Or me, I suppose."

"I wouldn't mind being Belle," I say, "That seems manageable."

"Ugh, its the worst," Nicole complains, "All her bras are super cute and cheap, meanwhile Ellen and I have to wear what amounts to battle armor and exorbitant fees if we want to feel pretty."

"That sucks," I say. As long as it's not cold out, I am fine with wearing a camisole. Unless its super thin, then a sports bra to be safe.

"Yeah," Nicole rolls her eyes, "But don't let my griping stop you. I want to see this on you."

She wants to see it? On me?!

"Uhm, okay," I say, sheepishly. I step into the changing room and close the curtain behind me.

"Sorry," Nicole says, "I... Belle says I'm too forward."

"Too forward with what?" I ask, removing my camisole and shorts.

"Never mind," Nicole chuckles, "I wanted to make sure I didn't make you uncomfortable was all. You're fun to hang out with, if my personality pushed you away, well..."

"I like your personality," I say, "I can be a bit ditzy and careless, and you seem ditzy and fun. Whenever I am myself, someone gets into trouble. You are just..."

"I'm pretty cool," Nicole brags.

I chuckle quietly to myself, "You're very cool."

Sliding the bikini on and clipping the top behind me, I model for myself in the mirror. Ellen was right, even though my flat chest should mean that it slides off of me, it fits perfectly. Though, I should be careful of any errant waves just to be safe.

"Can I see?" Nicole asks. There's an excitement and trepidation to her voice. Am I the source of that? Do I make her excited? Or is she just worried about losing a friend because she's so flirtatious? Probably the latter.

I pull open the curtain and wince. I half expected laughter or mocking.

Instead, Nicole blushes as she smiles. "Fufu that is so cute on you!" She says ecstatically, "I could eat you up right now! I'm so jealous, I'm a winter and so those colors totally wouldn't work on me. You're a spring right?"

I can barely keep up with her. "No, I'm a pisces, I think."

Nicole looks at me confused, "No, not your birth sign, your palette. Like," she holds out her arm palm up and pulls her hand back, "See how my veins aren't exactly blue? There's other colors right?"

I nod.

"So that changes what colors look good on me," she explains, "Here you do it."

I mimic her arm and hand, holding it out to her. She takes my arm and pulls me closer. Running her fingers along my veins she inspects me closely, "Hmmm, maybe you're not a spring after all. Maybe a summer?"

She's so focussed on me. Is this what Ellen meant? She pulls my arm closer. I feel something press into the palm of my hand.

"Uhm, Nicole-" I try to object.

"Just a second," she says, pulling me closer, "You've got like hints of green, but also these really nice pink hues." I am filled with jealousy and envy as Nicole presses my hand harder against her breast.

"Nicole," I say, "Your chest-"

Nicole doesn't hear me. She's lost in her own world, trying to answer a question that no one is asking. There's something endearing about it, the dedication, the focus, the serious look on her face as she analyzes my arm.

"Nicole!" Belle says, "Stop harassing our neighbor!"

"Huh?" Nicole looks down, noticing my hand pressed to her breast, "Pfttt! I didn't even notice!" She laughs loudly. I can suddenly feel how flush my cheeks are. Nicole releases my arm and I withdraw back into the changing room. Calm down! Calm down! She didn't even notice! It was just a fluke!

"Not funny!" Belle says, swatting at Nicole with a bikini, "Why would you do that?"

"It wasn't on purpose!" Nicole objects, "I was seeing what color skin tone she had."

"And that required her groping you through your shirt?" Belle accuses.

"It was an accident," I say.

"Fufu, you're fine," Belle says, "Don't worry."

"Yeah," Nicole says, "I'm sorry for laughing, it's just-"

"What is going on?" Ellen asks.

"Nicole assaulting our neighbor more," Belle says frustratedly.

"More?" Ellen asks.

"I was looking at her forearm to try and see if she was a spring or a winter," Nicole explains, "Before I knew it, I was pressing her hand against my boob."

"You're never beating the allegations," Ellen says with a chuckle.

I poke my head out of the curtain, "The allegations?"

"That I'm nothing but a pair of udders," Nicole says, "Sounds harsh without context, but whatever."

"It does sound harsh," I say.

"Come on, show them the swimsuit," Nicole encourages, "You look so good in it!"

"I didn't even notice," Belle admits.

I slide the curtain open and let my new neighbors see. Nicole smiles at me proudly. Ellen nods knowingly, it is as she foretold. Belle drops the swimsuits she was holding and holds her hands to her cheeks. A look of pure ecstasy has come over her and she looks like she might scream.

"No," she withdraws, taking a deep breathe, "No, I'm good. I'm good! I won't scream, I'm going to be very polite and moderate. Fufu," she coughs politely into her fist, "You look very cute in that swimsuit."

"I almost prefer the screaming," I admit. Nicole and Ellen guffaw at my comment. Belle purses her lips in a feigned annoyance, but winks at me to let me know it's not my fault. Hanging out with the three of them is surreal, part of me can't believe it and wants to ask why they put up with me. Maybe they're not putting up with me at all, there is always the possibility that this is how they are. Kind, genuine, honest people that took me under their wing. Or maybe I took them under mine?

Chapter Text

Our plans to go to Fantasy Resort fell through. Nicole had a job interview with Porcelumex, Belle and Ellen had a meeting at town hall to set up their video stand, and the pipes got fixed at the temple. Is it bad that I don't want to go back? I made a fool of myself. Problem is I can't lay in bed all day. I have to go to work or else they'll kick me out of this apartment. But I ended up listening to my stupid heart instead of my brain.

My brain that said this fascination wasn't real. My brain that said that it was only polite attitudes, not real adoration. My brain that correctly and in no uncertain terms declared the feelings I had were not mutual.

Instead, my heart said to give it a shot.

I got rejected. No, it was worse than rejection.

Having Belle, Ellen, and Nicole as a distraction was nice. Now that I don't have them to rely on, I have to-

Knock, knock, knock

"Fufu!" Nicole says excitedly, "You awake?"

I roll out of bed, making sure my pajamas are the right way around. A soft grey camisole, and pajama shorts with the waist band rolled to fit better. That's the problem with hand-me-downs, you have to make do. Opening the door, I find Nicole dressed in an utterly professional outfit. White blouse with sleeves rolled up to her elbow, black pencil skirt, black tights, her normal pink ponytails have been replaced with a tight bun. "Oh sorry," she says, "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I was awake," I say, rubbing the sand from my eyes, "I just- Not looking forward to today."

"I see," Nicole smiles, "I got another interview today."

"Interview?" I ask, "Wait, another one at Porcelumex or a different job?"

She sighs, "Porcelumex wants to do multiple rounds, which sucks but the pay is absurdly high, so like... fine, I guess."

"Oh wow, must be nice," I say, "Uhm, so what's up, why did you want to see me?"

"Oh, no reason," Nicole looks down at her shoes, she's wearing black chunky heels, "I mean, my interview isn't for a while, and I'm new and all, I don't even know if you all have coffee."

"Coffee?" I say with a chuckle, "We have coffee."

"Wonderful, then you must know the perfect place," Nicole says with a wide smile, "Come on, my treat." I roll my eyes dramatically and close my apartment door to get dressed. It's the first time Nicole is seeing me in my monk outfit. I hope she likes it. Why? Why do I hope she likes it? Ugh, I'm so stupid!

Emerging from my apartment, Nicole gives me a long look up and down. As her gaze returns to my face, I can't help but blush. She smiles wide, "So cute!"

"Shut up!" I object.

Turns out the coffee stand I always go to is actually a branch of a larger coffee joint in New Eridu. "It's weird that they all have the same construct running the place," Nicole says, "I figured they would have made a more culturally relevant version."

"I mean," I say, rolling my cup in my hands, "Constructs are pretty new in the grand scheme of history."

"Right but..." Nicole looks at my ears and then back at me.

"Are you about to suggest it look like a tiger?" I ask plainly.

"No!" She retorts, "I just thought they were cute."

I can't stop my ears from pulling back as embarrassment takes over. "You can't just call me cute, like that," I object.

"Sorry, sorry," Nicole says, "Anyways, I should head out. I gotta take the cable car this time and if I don't steel my resolve, I'll be late."

"When is your interview?" I look up at the sky, it's pretty much 9:30 right now.

"Oh, not until 3pm," Nicole smiles anxiously, "But it was my idea to move here, so I need to give it my all." Nicole's hands are shaking. She hasn't even taken a sip of her coffee yet.

"Would it help if we did a mock interview?" I ask.

"Like you pretend to be the Porcelumex interviewer?" Nicole asks.

"I think it would be more beneficial that way," I joke.

Nicole closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Sure, fuck it, I doubt it could hurt my chances," she admits.

"Now!" I stand and place my tail under my nose like a bushy mustache, doing my best impression of a stuffy old project manager type, "Thank you for coming in, Miss-" I drop the facade, "What is your last name?"

"Demara," Nicole says through her chuckling.

"Miss Demara," I continue, walking around with my eyes closed and pointing to the sky, "The thing you have to understand about Porcelumex is that we are fully committed to our customers. Do you promise to be fully committed as well?"

"I do," Nicole says.

"Wonderful," I say, "Now can you please tell me your qualifications for-" I drop the facade, "What's the position?"

"On site Hollow maintenance and advisor," Nicole answers.

"What are your qualifications for whatever it was you just said," I say.

Nicole laughs, "Of course, as someone who has almost a decade of experience exploring and mapping out hollows, and who has intimate connections with multiple proxies, I feel I am undeniably a good asset to the Porcelumex team."

"Wait," I say with the facade dropped, "You've mapped out a hollow before?"

"Yeah," she says, "I mean, it doesn't do much good since they are constantly changing, but I've got a good sense of direction."

"Woah," I say, feeling a little star struck, "Well, I don't see why they wouldn't hire you."

Nicole smiles and sets down her coffee, "Come here, I need to hug something." I offer myself up as her exceedingly willing sacrifice. "Thanks, Fufu," she says softly into my clavicle, "I feel a lot better now."

With her cheek pressed tightly to my sternum, I stammer and say, "Oh, uh-uh s-sure, any time."

"Fufu?" The voice of my shifu breaks this happy moment, "Who is your friend?"

"Oh, shifu Yixuan, this is-" I start to say, but am cut off.

"You bitch!" Nicole erupts, "What happened to texting Ellen? You ghosted her! For what?"

I take a step back. Nicole may have cursed at moving boxes or dried up pens, but I never once thought she would shout at another living thing.

"I'm sorry, I don't-" Yixuan tries to deescalate the situation, but Nicole stands up.

"Uh- I don't," Nicole says in a mocking tone, "As if you know another shark thiren named Ellen Joe."

Yixuan looks down, "I see, it is good to see you again Belle."

"NICOLE!" She shouts, "You can't even remember my name? You're pathetic!"

People begin to look at us, a few of the shop owners look like they might approach. As Nicole takes a step forward, I jump into action. "Nicole!" I say firmly, "Stop. I don't know what happened between you and my shifu but-"

"Shifu?" Nicole asks, "This slimy scoundrel is your boss?"

"I am her master," Yixuan clarifies, Nicole makes a disgusted face, "As I was saying, I am sorry for 'ghosting' Ellen, but something came up."

"Something-" Nicole lets out a frustrated groan, "And you couldn't send a text saying as much? Do you have any idea how many frozen waffles were wasted over your sorry ass?"

"Frozen waffles?" I ask.

"I can only apologize so many times before it becomes meaningless," Yixuan says firmly, "Come Fufu, we must open the temple."

Nicole spits at the ground between Yixuan's feet. "Coward," she says, returning to the bench and sipping her coffee. I turn and follow Yixuan closely. My stomach feels like it was tied into a pretzel and punched repeatedly. I was just starting to make friends, or maybe more than friends, or maybe- "Fufu!"

I stop and turn. Nicole is giving me a thumbs up and a wide smile. I wave back at her.

"I'll see you when you get home, yeah?" She asks, "With a new job!"

I nod, and turn to follow my master in. At least I know that my relationship with my new neighbors is secure. All that is left is-

"Fufu," Yixuan says, "Who was that woman to you?"

"Nicole?" I ask, "She's my new neighbor, she and her-"

"Neighbor," Yixuan says to herself, "I didn't realize they were renting spaces out to people in New Eridu."

"They moved here," I answer, "They came on their honey moon and-"

"I am aware," Yixuan says. With that she walks off.

As if responding to stimuli I cannot recognize, my brain replays the scene for me. I walked up to shifu's door and knocked gently. She beckoned me in. I entered and found her changing out of her formal attire. She didn't give me a second thought.

I told her I was headed out for the day. I told her I wanted to thank her. She said it wasn't an issue. She said it was her job. Then she...

"Fufu," Yinhu claps a hand on my shoulder, "I hope you're hungry, I think I figured out Sweety's dumpling recipe."

"I don't understand why you can't ask her," I say, snapping from my stupor.

"Where's the challenge in that?" He says, his lips pulled back in a toothy grin.

As I return to my apartment building, I bang my head on my door. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," I mutter, "Why am I like this?"

"Fufu?" Belle leans out of her apartment door, "You okay? You've been banging your head and muttering to yourself for a while now." She's wearing a very comfy cardigan, a camisole, and a long flowing green skirt.

"How long have you been watching?" I ask.

"The whole time," she answers, "Waiting for Nicole to get back from her interview." Belle clutches her stomach. "She said the job hunt was going well but-"

"We did a mock interview," I say, "She was really confident when I left."

"That's good," Belle smiles, releasing her stomach, "Why are you out here? Is everything alright?"

"Belle," I say, "Does the name Yixuan mean anything to you?"

Belle's whole demeanor shifts. She steps out of her apartment, closing the door carefully behind her. "Who told you that name?" She asks.

"No one," I say, "I mean, Yixuan told me. It is her name after all." Belle pulls her cardigan closed, as if she needed extra armor. I haven't known Belle for long, but I was pretty sure she didn't know how to be angry. It's clear I was wrong.

"How do you know her?" Belle asks sternly.

"I-" I gulp loudly, "She's the head of my temple."

"No, you work at Suibian Temple," Belle says, "Yixuan works at Shu-bubu Temple."

I shake my head, "No, she's my shifu."

"Tall, white hair, proclivity for using yellow in her outfits?" Belle tries to confirm.

I nod, and ask, "A little iridescent bird made of ink?"

"I don't know about that," Belle admits, she stares off down the stairwell thinking to herself. I wonder what Yixuan did to piss off two of the three nicest people I've ever met. If Nicole is to be believed, Yixuan must have made plans with Ellen and then ghosted. But that doesn't seem- "SHIT!" Belle kicks the railing with the side of her foot, "Gah, I'm so mad right now!"

"It's alright," I say.

"No!" Belle says, sternly, "It's not alright, it's infuriating, it's- it's-" She looks at me with fury in her eyes. Something on my face must have shown her how scared I felt. I was like a very strong and powerful tiger backed into a corner. She takes my shaking hand in hers, squeezing them gently. "Fufu," she says softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yeah, I know," I say, "Nicole got mad too when she met-" Belle looks frightful for a moment, "Don't worry, she didn't throw a punch or anything."

"Thank god," she says, sighing in relief, "Nicole is... I love her to death, but she is very protective."

"I never would have guessed," I admit, "I always figured Ellen would be the one to... Anyways, they got into a shouting match- well, Nicole did most of the shouting, Yixuan walked off. Nicole backed off when I stepped between them."

"I'm sorry you had to do that," Belle says, "Nicole is... She had the nickname 'Pink Haired Demon Lady' in a former life."

"Scary," I say quietly.

"That's in the past though," Belle smiles warmly, "Is that why you were banging your head on the door?"

"No," I say, "I, uhm, I locked myself out. Again."

"Oh no," Belle pouts, "Want to borrow my phone to call the super?"

"Do you mind?" I ask. Belle shakes her head, wrapping her cardigan around me and guiding me towards her apartment door. After calling the super and receiving the estimate of when they'll be by to unlock my door, I lay down on one of their couches. I watch the reflection of the TV and see Ellen's form appear, walk over to the kitchen to kiss Belle. They have a polite but quiet discussion. I'm not sure if Yixuan came up.

A month ago I would have fought anyone who accused shifu of any wrong doing. But now, after seeing how Nicole talked to her, Belle's anger, and my own experiences, I just can't in good conscience defend her.

"WHATS UP BITCHES!" Nicole kicks the door to the apartment open and announces her presence, "GUESS WHO HAS A MOTHER FUCKING JOB!?!"

"That's great news," Belle says, "Fufu is here."

"Oh, hey," Nicole enters the living room, her tight bun must have been released and reformed back into ponytails after the interview was done. I'm surprised she went that long without her pony tails.

"How'd it go?" I ask.

"Didn't you hear?" Nicole asks smugly, "I got the job."

"Good," I say with a chuckle.

"Yeah, the mock interview helped a lot," she says, "But it almost screwed me over. The guy who interviewed me had a big puffy mustache."

"What are the odds?" I ask.

"Slim," Nicole says, patting my legs. I lift them so she can sit underneath them. It feels nice, resting against someone, feeling their hands stroking my shins. "Oooooh," Nicole says quietly so only I can hear, "Leg hair."

"Stop!" I beg, trying to pull my legs away from her, but she keeps me in place, "That's so embarrassing!"

"Puh-lease," Nicole says, then turning to ask Ellen and Belle a question, "Ladies when was the last time you shaved your legs?"

"Never," Ellen admits.

"People still do that?" Belle asks.

"Yeah, but-" I chuckle as Nicole plays with my leg hair, "Y'all are married, that's different."

"I said never," Ellen repeats, "And I meant it."

"You've gotten them waxed once or twice though, right?" Belle asks.

"That's different," Ellen says.

"Any who," Nicole says, "You're looking at Porcelumex' latest On-Site Hollow Maintenance Advisor."

There's a loud clatter of a knife against a cutting board. I sit up, Ellen looks worriedly at Belle. Belle's face is contorted in a pained expression. Grief, sadness, and despair, flooded by anger, fury, and rage.

"What?" Nicole asks, looking over her shoulder into the kitchen.

"Belle," Ellen tries to intervene, but it's clear that Belle is beyond furious.

"You would step foot in a hollow again?" Belle accuses, her tone similar to how she talked about Yixuan earlier, "You think this is some joke?!"

"Belle, it's not like that, I wouldn't-" Nicole is cut off.

"Wouldn't what? Wouldn't get caught? Wouldn't be in danger? Wouldn't be stupid? We did everything right Nicole and still- The whole hollow is dangerous! The whole thing is chaos and full of monsters and-" Belle stops as Ellen puts a hand on her shoulder, she takes a deep breathe and tries to collect herself. 

"Belle, you have to believe me," Nicole pushes my legs off of her and stands to join her wife in the kitchen, "I wouldn't have applied if I thought I would be anywhere close to an ethereal."

"You were there!" Belle says, tears building, her lip quivering "You were there, Nicole, you saw it first hand, but still you want to-"

"I know," she says, "I'll keep looking, okay? I'll find a different job, something that doesn't have anything to do with hollows. But we need money coming in."

Belle looks down at the cutting board. Her breathing is shaky and angry. Ellen wraps her arms around Belle and whispers something softly in her ear. "I know," Belle sniffles, "I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know."

"Belle," Nicole presses her forehead to Belle's temple. Ellen does the same. "I love you, dummy," Nicole says softly.

"I love you too," Belle sniffles, "I'm sorry for getting mad."

"No," Nicole shakes her head, "I'm sorry for springing that on you. I should have told you before I went in to the interview. I just-" Belle cuts her off with a kiss. Her words and worries smothered in the gentle embrace of her wife's mouth.

"It's okay," she whispers into Nicole's lips, "I know."

"Thanks," Nicole says, nuzzling against Belle's cheek, "Can I help with dinner at all?"

"No!" Ellen and Belle say firmly.

"Fine, jeez!" Nicole says, sure to kiss Ellen and Belle on the cheek before she returns to the couch. "Sorry about that Fufu," she says pulling my legs back onto her lap, "Accidentally dug up some..."

"Bad memories," I offer.

"Yeah," Nicole says solemnly.

I sit forward and rest my cheek on her shoulder. "Can I ask what it was about?" I check.

Nicole presses her cheek into the top of my head, "Not really my story to tell. When we go to Fantasy Resort, you can ask Ellen about it then."

Chapter Text

The day finally came. Our schedules lined up perfectly and the four of us made the short trek to Fantasy Resort's beaches. Donning our sarongs and cover ups, we treaded excitedly into the sand. "Come on, isn't this the best?" Nicole says, kicking off her flip flops and doing a cart wheel into the surf.

"Yeah, it's awesome," Belle says, rolling her eyes.

"Fufu," Ellen says, "You going in right away or you going to help us set up?"

I look at Nicole jumping and splashing around. "Is she always like this at the beach?"

Ellen chuckles, "Usually she's worse."

"Constantly trying to get boys to buy her food or drinks," Belle says, "Poor guys never see it coming." I set my bag on top of the over sized towel that Belle brought to help weigh it down. Ellen opens the umbrella and drills it into the sand. As Belle sheds her cover all, she reveals the swimsuit she bought, a strapless one piece with a low rise cut around the thighs. Ellen looks at her lovingly. "Quit it!" Belle says, clearly loving the stare.

Ellen shakes her head, unzipping her cover all and revealing-

"Oh," I say before I can stop myself.

Ellen looks up at me, then at her chest. "Yeah," she says, "Every scar is a story, right?" Her black, draw string bikini does nothing to hide the three large scars across her chest. Time has passed, but the skin has yet to return to normal. The cut was deep, if not bone breaking, and by some miracle Ellen is alive.

"I wish you wouldn't joke about it," Belle says.

"Sorry," Ellen says, a sense of morbidity around the topic.

"Is this-" I stop, "Sorry, I shouldn't pry."

"It's fine," Ellen says, "I wouldn't be wearing a bikini if I wasn't ready to talk about it."

"Just ignore me if I start crying," Belle says, opening a trashy romance book.

"Yahoo!" Nicole shouts diving back into the surf.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Well, I used to be a hollow agent," she explains, "Belle was my proxy, and sometimes Nicole would join."

"Was that on top of the video store?" I ask.

"No, that came after all this," Ellen gestures towards her scar.

"So then working in the hollow, is that how you all met?" I ask.

"No," Belle says, "Well, never mind, you tell the story, ignore me!"

"Belle and I met when she moved into my apartment building," Ellen continues, "Turns out Nicole is kind of a package deal."

"Nicole liked to sneak into my place so she could cuddle with someone at night," Belle explains, "Sorry, your story."

"Anyways, we went on a job, and we got hurt. My best friend broke her arm, Nicole's weapon was all but broken, my ankle... well it felt like... like it was broken," Ellen continues, "We probably could have made it out alright even with all of that, but... the floor fell through."

"Thirty fucking feet," Belle mutters.

"A pack of ethereals ready and waiting," Ellen sighs, then grabs Belle's hand, "Well, without giving a play by play, a Hati leapt at me. I got a pretty deep chest wound, if not for Belle I would have been puppy chow."

"Shut up," Belle says, shaking her head angrily.

"Sorry," Ellen says, kissing the back of Belle's hand, "Nicole and Belle's brother got me to a hospital. I'm pretty sure I-" Ellen looks over at Belle. She is tapping her foot furiously, her eyes are misty. "Anyways, I- I owe Belle and Nicole my life."

"You don't owe us anything," Belle says firmly, "I should have known, I should have routed things differently, I should have-" she stops as Ellen starts to rub her back. "I'm sorry," she sighs, her foot slows but does not stop, "I can't change the past."

"I love you," Ellen says softly.

"Yeah," Belle chuckles, "I love you too, stupid fish."

Ellen smiles, so I'm forced to assume that is an endearing nick name. Suddenly, something wet and cold with long pink hair grabs hold of me. "Enough towel time," Nicole says, "You're coming with me!"

"Nicole, please, no!" I beg, "Ellen, take my things!" Ellen laughs and dashes to catch up, taking my phone and sun glasses and cover all.

"Three..." Nicole threatens.

"I hate you!" I shout. No amount of flailing can free me from her grip.

"Two..." She continues.

"Don't you dare throw me in the ocean," I threaten.

"One!" she shouts, tossing me into a wave. I catch my breath in time, curling up into a ball, and sink to the bottom. As soon as my butt touches sand, I stand up. The water at Fantasy Resort isn't more than 7 or 8 feet deep near the shore line, but someone of my stature has to wade their way back to safety. "Hey kitten," Nicole says, as I reach terra firma with a sopping wet mop of hair to show for it, "You look kinda cute like that."

I can't stop myself from blushing. I hate that my chest feels tight as Nicole wraps an arm around me. I hate that I like being close to her. But most importantly, I hate that I hate all of it.

"Can you believe we can do that every weekend?!" Nicole says excitedly as we reenter their apartment, "Ahhhh! That was so much fun!"

If it wasn't for Ellen's tail making her too heavy, she would have been requesting one of us give her a piggy back ride. I watch as she wordlessly disappears into the bedroom, closing the door swiftly behind her.

"She'll be fine," Belle says, "She's always bad at staying awake, a fun day at the beach doesn't help. Nicole, don't lay on the couch, you're covered in sand!"

"It's fine," Nicole says, "I'll vacuum the couch tomorrow."

Belle gives me a look that says, "Great, now I have to vacuum the couch tomorrow."

"Thanks for including me," I say sheepishly, "But I think I'm going to follow Ellen's lead and turn in early."

"You sure?" Belle asks, "I'm making pasta and red sauce."

"I hate to be a stickler," Nicole says, "But you really should wait and-" The bedroom door creaks open, just wide enough for Ellen to make eye contact with Belle.

"I can make garlic bread," Belle answers her wife's wordless plea. The bedroom door slowly closes again.

"Anyways," Nicole says shaking her head, "Belle makes an incredible red sauce."

"I'm sure," I say, "But I also have sand in places I didn't know sand could go, and I would like to get them out of there."

"Alright," Nicole says, hopping off the couch.

"Where are you headed?" Belle asks.

"To walk Fufu home," Nicole answers.

"I think I can handle it by myself," I tease, "Hard as that may be to believe." Regardless, I let Nicole walk me the six and a half steps from their door to mine. Once my neighbor's apartment door is shut, I turn to face Nicole. There is something that has been bugging me that I need to address.

"Everything alright, kitten?" She asks.

"Do you remember the house warming party?" I ask.

She nods.

"Remember how I got drunk and blacked out?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "Oh shit, I didn't realize you blacked out."

"Yeah," I admit, "I don't really remember much of that night."

Nicole puts her arms behind her back, as if this changes how we should be interacting. "Well what do you remember?" Nicole asks.

"You told me you were a good kisser," I answer, "Then I asked you how good. You said very good. Then..."

"You woke up and I gave you my awful brew," Nicole answers.

"Yeah," I say, playing with my apartment key, "So like... its whatever and stuff, but..."

"Fufu," Nicole says gently. Here it comes the let down, the "I just want to be friends" or the "We can't it would be improper."

"It's fine," I say, cutting her off before she can hurt me, "I just wasn't sure if..."

"Hey," Nicole grabs my wrist as I try to turn away, "I'm not done talking to you."

I stay still but I can't bring myself to make eye contact with her. It just feels so awkward. Now it's always going to be awkward. Dang it! "Nicole," I say firmly, "I like you."

"I'd hope so," Nicole chuckles.

"What?" I retort.

"I mean," Nicole hides a snicker behind her hand, "You're kind of really obvious about it."

"But I-" I purse my lips and frown. Nicole retaliates by flicking my forehead.

"Stop that," she insists, "No wrinkles!"

"I don't get it," I say, "If you knew then..."

Nicole tilts her head, "Fufu, do you think I don't like you?"

I look down at my apartment key. The ridges on it are unique. Not overly unique, obviously, there are only so many locks to be made. There could be a lock out there that has two keys. Not by copying, just by chance. The odds are so astronomically high, it's almost impossible for a lock to run into two keys with the same ridges. Which means, statistically speaking, the odds of a third key fitting are impossible.

"It's okay," I say, "I'm used to one sided love."

"Oh puh-lease," Nicole complains. I look up from my key and find her staring at me angrily. "You think I'm this flirtatious with everybody, don't you?" She accuses.

"No, I just-" Nicole continues over me.

"Fufu, I'm not a slut," Nicole says with an exasperated chuckle, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I can be slutty for the right people, but I'm not some Labrador that buddies up to everyone they meet."

"I don't know what that means," I try to say, but Nicole continues.

"I'm a street cat," she insists, "That means if I'm cuddling up next to you, you should take notice." I look down at my apartment key. Take notice? Take notice?! What is she talking about? What am I supposed to take notice of?! Nicole's hand enters my line of sight and lifts my chin up until our gaze meets, "What are you thinking about?"

"How confusing your metaphors are," I admit.

"When a street cat comes up to you," Nicole continues, "Do you stop and pet it, or do you ignore it?"

"Stop and pet it," I admit.

"Well... meow?" Nicole insists. I reach up and pet the top of her head. Nicole rolls her eyes. "Fufu," she says gently, cupping my cheek, "I'm telling you that I like you."

"Oh," I say, withdrawing my hand.

"And," she puts a hand on my shoulder and pushes me up against my door, "I hear you need help getting sand out of some tricky spots."

"Do I?" I ask.

Nicole nods, "Thankfully, I'm an expert at getting sand out of places it shouldn't be."

"Oh," I say, my heart beating rapidly in my chest, "This feels like a euphemism."

Nicole smiles, "It is."

"Can we try again without the metaphors?" I ask, "I'm not good at those."

"Fine," Nicole says, brushing a lock of hair out of my face, "But I'm only giving you one shot."

I breathe in deeply, centering myself before I say, "Nicole Demara, I really really like you!"

"Good," Nicole says, "Ju Fufu, I like you too!"

"Oh good," I say, "What now?"

"Well," Nicole drags her finger along my clavicle, "I see two options. The first is we leave it at that, I go back into my apartment, and you go into yours.

"The second..." Nicole looks me up and down, then stares into my eyes with a charged stare, "You invite me in and we make out in the shower."

"I've- uhm-" Center yourself, focus on your thoughts, then speak, "I've never really made out with someone before."

"You have," Nicole says, "Unfortunately, you're a lightweight and don't remember it."

"Oh," I say, "that's a shame, I really would have liked to-"

"But if you ask nicely," Nicole whispers in my ear, "I can do it again." A shiver rolls down my spine as her breath graces my ear. Even though she's not much taller than me, it feels like she's looming over me. "This is the part," she says softly, "Where you ask me nicely."

Chapter Text

The night went great. We didn't make it to the shower. At least, not together. Stupid anxieties. Once I was done, Nicole went in. I did my best to make a reasonable meal. It probably wasn't as good as Belle's pasta and red sauce. I didn't have garlic bread.

Nicole ate the food graciously, we made out on the couch, I remembered it this time. I was surprised when she asked to sleep over. When I agreed, she dashed out of the room to change into pajamas.

"I never took you for a teddy bear sweatpants type of pajama wearer," I tease as I lay down on my bed.

"Well normally, I'm a sleep in the nude type of pajama wearer," Nicole says. My face erupts into a blush. How are Belle and Ellen able to control themselves around that? "But I figured that might be too much for you to handle," she boops my nose, "Judging by your cheeks, seems like I was right."

"Yeah," I say sheepishly, "Uhm, you don't mind that I'm not very experienced... right?"

"How not experienced are we talking about?" Nicole asks, pulling her legs to her chest, "Obviously you've been kissed before, what about the other bases."

"Uhm, third yes, second no," I answer, "Definitely no home runs."

"You went to third before second?" Nicole asked, "I mean, if you don't want to get into it, don't worry about it, just... people who have never made out before usually haven't rounded that base."

"Yeah," I say, shrugging, "extenuating circumstances?"

"That's fair," Nicole says. As she laid back, she stretched her whole body out. I watched jealously as her chest jiggles about. "I take it you don't mind I've been rounding the bases for several years now?"

"You mean," I pretend to be shocked, "I wasn't your first kiss?" Nicole laughs gleefully, thank god she knew it was a joke. "I'm glad you're staying the night," I say gently, "I never got to have sleep overs."

"Never?" Nicole asked, "Well, next time we'll invite Belle and Ellen over and we can do all the sleep over activities."

"Activities?" I ask.

"Sure!" Nicole says excited. Her face has lit up. "Spin the bottle, doing our nails, truth or dare, dancing on the bed," she lists off, "You know!"

"I don't," I answer, "on account of never having gone to one. Did you say spin the bottle?"

"Yeah," Nicole says, "I mean, unless you don't want to kiss Ellen or Belle."

"I mean," I can feel my cheeks getting warm again, "Are we... dating?"

"I would say we've been on at least two chaperoned dates," Nicole answers, "Are you asking if we're girlfriend and girlfriend?"

"Yes?" I ask.

"I think technically we're seeing each other," Nicole answers, wise beyond her years, "But give it another month or so, and if you want you can ask me to be your girlfriend."

"And Belle and Ellen won't mind?" I ask.

"Why would they?" She asks.

"Well," I shrug, "I don't know how your relationship works, so maybe it's wrong to assume, but isn't it-" Nicole places a hand on my cheek. I feel centered, calm, as if the anxiety collected on my cheek to be pulled away by her. "Am I seeing you?" I ask, "Or am I seeing all three of you?"

"Ah," Nicole smiles softly, "For the most part, if we get involved with other people, we do it separately."

"Got it," I say.

Nicole drags her hand from my cheek to my neck, then to my shoulder, then down to my waist. "Did you..." Nicole hesitates, "Did you want to date all three of us?"

"I mean," I look down and am greeted by Nicole glorious cleavage. I return my gaze back to Nicole. "I think you're all incredible," I say, "But I don't know if I could handle having three girlfriends."

Nicole chuckles, smiling sweetly at me, "I think you'd find not much would change."

"How so?" I ask.

"I mean, think about it," Nicole scoots closer to me, her hand on the small of my back, "You already hang out with all three of us, and seem comfortable with us both one on one and in a group."

"True," I say, unsure where is acceptable to put my hands. Nicole smirks, looks at my hesitant shaking appendages, and firmly places it on her hip. "Thanks," I say gently.

"You're welcome," she says, scooting closer still. I begin to blush as she presses her nose against my forehead. "You know, Ellen used to be really anxious too," Nicole says.

"Should you be telling me that?" I ask.

She shrugs, "Probably not."

"How did she get over it?" I ask, "It seems so insurmountable."

"She didn't," Nicole says, "I mean, it's been a while since she had it really bad. She's better about managing her triggers, getting rest when she needs it, that sort of thing."

"I see," I say, scooting closer to Nicole. As I press my nose into her sternum, I smell the scent of my body wash mixed with her own smell. It's nice. Nicole presses her lips into the top of my head.

"You ready for bed, kitten?" Nicole asks.

"Where did kitten come from?" I ask, "I mean, I don't mind it, but..."

"Well, you're a tiger thiren, tigers are cats," Nicole explains, "and baby cats are kittens."

"I'm not a baby," I say firmly.

"I know," she says, kissing the top of my head again, "Do you not like it?"

"No, I like it," I admit, "But I don't think I would like anyone else calling me that."

"Got it," Nicole says, snuggling up to me, "I'll let Belle and Ellen know."

"No, I mean," I sigh, "Don't make a big deal out of it, I just meant..."

"I know," she sighs gently, as if unbothered by my anxieties, "Lets get some sleep, huh?"

"Yeah," I say softly, nuzzling into her chest.

"Fufu!" Nicole says abruptly, startling me awake.

"What? What is it?!" I shout.

"You were having a nightmare," Nicole covers her upper arm with one hand, "It was bad."

"I don't remember any nightmare," I say, I check the time outside. The sky is still dark, it must be close to midnight. Nicole is looking at me with deep concern. "Is everything alright?" I ask.

"Yeah," Nicole removes her hand to reveal a scratch, three nail marks along her upper arm, "It's okay, I don't think you broke the skin."

"Nicole, I'm sorry," I say, grabbing her upper arm tightly, "I would never-"

"Fufu," Nicole turns my face to look at her, "I'm fine! I'm not bleeding, I'm not going to the ER, I just got scratched."

"I hurt you," I say solemnly.

"Barely," Nicole says, "Did you forget I was a hollow agent once upon a time?"

"I guess," I admit, "Still-"

"Still nothing," Nicole insists, "I'm fine. If I was hurt, or scared, or anxious, I would tell you. I'm not!" I look down at my hands. A nightmare? That's so unlike me. Unless... "Do you get nightmares often?" She asks.

"No, I usually don't remember my dreams," I say, "Was I talking in my sleep at all?"

"Muttering," Nicole says, rubbing her arm gently, "Nothing intelligible."

"I see," I say, "I'm probably going to be up for a while. The adrenaline in my veins is..."

"You really don't remember your dreams?" She asks.

"No," I say, "They kinda stopped a couple months back." Around the same time...

"You want to talk about it?" She asks, "You seem kinda tripped up over something."

"No, no," I close my eyes and shake my head, "It's stupid, besides, don't you have work in the morning?"

"No," Nicole shrugs, "Bank holiday or something, but you have volunteer work, right?"

"Yeah," I say solemnly.

"You know most people who volunteer," Nicole says, "They get kind of thrilled with the idea."

"No, I am, I mean-" I bite the inside of my cheek, "Something happened a while ago. Since then, I don't look forward to going to the temple."

"Something happen with a coworker?" Nicole asks.

I shake my head.

"A superior?" Nicole asks.

I don't answer, I don't look at Nicole, I wish I had never brought it up. I just keep biting the inside of my cheek. Maybe if I can make it bleed I won't have to answer these stupid-

Nicole wraps her arms around me. "Hey," she says, "I know that look. You're getting twisted up about something. If you don't want to share, that's fine, but don't beat yourself up because I'm asking questions."

"Okay," I say releasing my cheek, "Sorry, I don't want you to worry."

"Who said I was worried?" She teases, "No, I'm sure you're fine, and if you're not, I'm sure you'll get through it."

"Right," I say, smiling into her sternum, "You smell really nice."

"Thanks," she says, "It's your body wash."

"Oh yeah," I chuckle.

"You're really cute when you laugh," she admits, "It makes my heart go all pitter patter."

"Shut up," I say.

"No!" She squeezes me tightly. We both laugh and chuckle, enjoying the warmth of each other's body. It's in that moment I remember that I'm safe here. Regardless of everything that happened in the past, when I am with Nicole I am safe. Same goes for Belle, or Ellen. They're not pretending to care about me. They just do.

Nicole lets out a big yawn.

"Don't stay up on my account," I tease.

"I'm not," Nicole says, sounding sleepier than ever, "I'm just... letting out a yawn."

"You're falling asleep," I say.

"Am not," she retorts, pushing her knee between my legs. My leg instinctively wraps around hers. Coiled together like this, it feels like much more than seeing each other. This feels like girlfriend activities. Looking up at Nicole, she seems so peaceful. Just on the edge of respite, ready to fall into a canyon of slumber. But instead, I am selfish.

She smiles as my lips press against hers.

"I hope you know," Nicole breathes in deeply and lets out a pleased sigh, "I'm going to get you back for that." Even though her eyes are closed, I smile at her. Apropos of nothing, my body tells me it is time to smile for no one other than myself. It feels...

I close my eyes and try not to think about it. For the first time in ages, I dream. I dream about Nicole, she's standing naked on a giant shell, clouds block her private areas, but she is as beautiful as ever. Like a Greek goddess admiring her devotees, she extends her hand to me. Wordless, she bestows upon me the gift of her beauty.

By the pure extension that I am a devotee of the goddess of beauty, I am therefore beautiful as well.

Then the clouds that block her and outline her figure begin to turn grey. Inky black tendrils crack through the shell she is standing on, gripping her by her ankles, dragging her towards the ground. It is too good to be true. It is always too good to be true. 

Soon those tendrils will come for me too. I will be more fodder for the fire that burns in her heart. I am nothing more than a passing want, desperate to sit in the rays of her sun once again.

I look above me, a bird rests on the edge of a stormy cloud. Gold and black ink move nebulously through out its body. Droplets fall, dotting my face.

Rain grows to storm grows to tempest, and I am lost. I am lost in the waves, lost in her arms, lost forever more.

"Fufu," Nicole says, her gentle kiss graces my lips but I cannot see her, "Wake up kitten, you need to tell me where you keep your coffee."

I open my eyes and leave the inky phoenix behind. Nicole is leaning over me, smiling at me, "You were dreaming."

"I know," I say.

"I was thinking, maybe you are dreaming but you just don't remember it," Nicole says, "Because everyone dreams, like regardless of- Wait, you know?"

"Yeah, I remembered it this time," I say, "I- I kind of wish I hadn't."

Nicole sits beside me. I curl around so my head is on her lap. "You know, they say we dream to process our memories," Nicole says, "It sounds like there's a bad memory you've been trying to process that keeps giving you nightmares."

"Yeah," I say, "I know."

"Want to talk about it?" Nicole asks.

Chapter Text

I knock on Yixuan's door. Her living space is on the property of the temple. If you head for the main building, and go right, you'll find it. Guests stay in the same wing.

"Yes?" Yixuan calls.

"It's Fufu," I say, "I just wanted to say thank you and to-"

"Fufu, I can't hear you," she calls back, "Come inside, the door should be unlocked."

I do as she suggests. Inside incense is burning, but there is a smell underneath the incense that only a trained nose could pick up on. Maybe after spending a few years here, one could detect where it was coming from. But as a tiger thiren, I know the smell instantly.

It smells like her.

"Sorry, I had to change out of those clothes," she says from behind a blind, "I think we should make comfort our next tradition."

"They did seem rather heavy," I say, sitting at her vanity. The top is dotted with various brands of make up, all donations. I have always been impressed with her ability to make do with such meager selection.

"More than heavy," she sighs, "Feels good to wear pajamas again."

"I just wanted to let you know I was going to head out," I say, "Yinhu is finishing up in the kitchen and-"

"Leaving?" Yixuan asks, "That's a shame."

"A shame?" I ask.

"I was hoping to spend some one on one time with you," she says. As she pulls back the blind, she is wearing a pair of pajama shorts and a bright yellow camisole. "Did you find something you like?" She asks, gesturing towards the vanity.

"Oh, no," I say, shaking my head, "I wanted to stop by and thank you."

"For what?" Yixuan asks, sitting on the bed, she taps the space next to her. An invitation? I should be going home, but...

"I felt a wealth of gratitude," I say, standing from the vanity and walking over to the bed, "You always say to let those we feel gratitude for know."

"I do," Yixuan smiles as I sit on the bed, "You sure you're doing alright in that apartment? It is very lonesome."

"Oh, I do fine," I say, "I made friends with a few neighbors, the local street cats look up to me, and-"

"The street cats?" Yixuan chuckles, "You're a curious one Fufu."

Curious?

What does that mean?

"Do you not..." Why do I feel anxious?

"I hadn't given them much thought," Yixuan admits, "Considering I have such a cute kitty to play with through out the day."

"Ah," Wait, does she mean me? "I didn't know you had a cat."

"I don't," she looks me up and down, "You seem uncomfortable."

"No, I'm fine, I-" I hesitate as Yixuan moves closer to me and slides her hand under my over-shirt. I shrug it off, and watch quietly as she begins to undo the buttons of my shirt.

"There," she says, pleased with herself, "Isn't that better?" Her hand rests on my chest, her fingers dipping into my clavicle. "You're so pretty," she compliments.

"Oh, thank you," I say.

"Do you not think I am?" She asks. As her eyes carefully assess me, I feel more haunted than observed. I didn't used to feel like that when she looked at me. I used to feel grateful for her attention, but in this moment-

"No, no," I anxiously interject, "No, you're more than pretty, you're beautiful and kind and-" She places a finger against my lips.

"Come here," she says softly, leaning forward. I close my eyes and wait for her to-

I gasp as she presses against the crotch of my shorts. "Yixuan?" I ask. She doesn't respond, she doesn't look at me, just massages me gently. This isn't how I wanted this to happen.

"Don't you want to touch me as well?" Yixuan asks in my ear. I mimic her actions. I press against her crotch, it's warm, and moist. I feel gross. "That's it," Yixuan whispers into the top of my head, "Doesn't that feel good?"

"Uhm," I don't know. I don't know, I don't know, Idon'tknowIdon't-

"Yixuan!" Yinhu shouts through the door, "I'm headed out, kitchens clean."

"Thank you Yinhu," Yixuan says, her touch unrelenting, "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you," he replies.

"Now that we're alone," she says in my ear. Her breathe is hot, and makes my skin crawl.

"I need to go," I declare, "Good night." I try to leave the bed, but Yixuan grabs my wrist. Not violently, but firmly enough that my heart beats frantically. The hairs on the back of my neck curl anxiously. "Let go," I command.

She does.

I walk out of her bedroom and march back to my apartment. There didn't use to be this many stairs to my front door. I try to put the key into the lock but it doesn't fit, it's not right, I'm doing it wrong, I'm-

I slam my hands into the door. Again and again. My breathing, the air, I'm wrong, everything is wrong. I try again, the key fits, my hands, I'm shaking. This is what I wanted, isn't it? That's why I went to her room. I turn the key and strip my clothes from me. Everything smells like her. Everything smells wrong. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

I hate her.

I hate myself.

I hate everything.

"You're crying," Nicole says as I finish my tale, "Fufu, I'm so sorry, I never would have..."

"I know," I look down at my shaky sweaty palms, "I know, Yixuan seems like a good person."

"I mean," Nicole shrugs, "Not from what I've experienced. But... I didn't think she..."

"Was evil?" I ask.

"That's a succinct way to put it," Nicole says.

"Please," I say, clenching my hands tightly, "Don't... don't tell Belle or Ellen."

"I won't," Nicole says, "This stays between us."

"Don't tell Yixuan either," I beg, "Just don't tell anyone."

"Fufu," she says softly, "Can I hold you?" I nod my head. She pulls me into her. My cheek pressed against her warm breast. I steady myself against her rib cage. We fall together into the bed. Her breast feels wet against my cheek. Oh right, I've been crying. "I'm so sorry, Fufu," she says softly into the top of my head.

"It's fine," I lie.

"It isn't," Nicole insists.

"I know," I admit.

"Fufu?" Yixuan asks, "Are you alright?"

"Uhm, no," When did I get to work? Did Nicole take me? "Sorry, rough night." Yinhu, Yixuan, and I are sitting on our mats doing our morning breathing exercises. I never told Yinhu about what happened with Yixuan. I don't know if I ever will.

"I hope your neighbors aren't making too much noise," she says, a distinct sneer to her tone.

"You got new neighbors?" Yinhu asks.

"Yeah, they're really nice," I say, "Friendly, you would like Belle. She likes to cook."

"A woman after my own stomach," he says jokingly, "Any idea what she likes to make?"

"Uhm, Italian? She made me this red sauce that was-"

Yixuan cuts me off, "Lets focus on our meditations, yes?"

"Right," Yinhu chuckles, "Sorry boss, you know how us chefs get." She almost sounded jealous. Why would she sound jealous though?

"I do," Yixuan smiles, "But now is a time to focus, set our expectations for the day, find solace within."

I should leave. Why do I keep coming back here? I don't need to be here.

If I leave, I won't have a place to live.

Maybe I could find a place? Maybe I could live with Nicole? Would they let me crash on their couch? Would they invite me into their bedroom? Would they- "Fufu," Yixuan calls for me. They have rolled up their mats and left the entryway. I quickly do the same and follow them, being sure to give Ashuo a scratch behind the ear as I pass him.

"You are out of sorts today, Fufu," Yixuan correctly notices, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything is fine," I lie, "I'm just- out of it, long night, like I said."

"You said it was a rough night," Yixuan challenges, "Which is it?"

"Why do you care?" The words escape me faster than I can stifle them. The tone, however, was very intentional.

"Hey, Fufu," Yinhu says, "Ease up, no need to-"

"No," Yixuan says, "It is fine, I crossed a line. Fufu, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"I know," I say.

"When I see one of my students in such a rough spot, I get protective," Yixuan continues, "I will be more careful where I step from now on."

Protective? Is that what she did that night? Protect me? It didn't feel like protection. Something touches my back. I slam and open palm into whatever is touching me-

I watch in horror as Yinhu falls backwards. Clutching his heart as he falls to the ground, he gasps for air. The stone flooring is painful on a good day, but after being smacked in the chest by me, it's damn near a death sentence.

"I'm so sorry!" I say, rushing to his side, "Yinhu! Speak to me!"

"Go," Yixuan says, "Water, now."

I rush to the faucet on the side of the domicile. Fuck! I need something to hold it in. I run into Yixuan's residence and pull a mug from her cupboard. This is the first time I've been in here since that night. The smell of incense burned in my nostrils for days. The smell of her makes my heart race.

"Fufu!" She calls for me. I run the mug under the sink, and hurry back to Yinhu's side.

"Thanks," he says with a cough, sipping from the mug carefully.

"Yinhu, I'm sorry," I say, tears welling in my eyes, "I didn't mean to!"

"I know, I know," he gives me a warm smile, "You've gotten a lot better since our last sparring match."

"She has," Yixuan says, looking up at me proudly. What does she have to be proud of?

"Shifu, I think I might not be feeling well," I say, trying to hide my anger. Shifu stands, wiping the dirt from her knees. "With your permission," I continue, "I'd like to take a personal day."

She puts her hand on my shoulder. My skin bristles. To think I craved this at one point. Now it makes my mouth taste like rot. "I think that is a good idea," she says.

I walk out the front of the temple and make my way towards my apartment building. Maybe Ellen is home, or Belle has some left over pasta sauce, or maybe- "Fufu?" Ellen asks. I look up and Ellen is leaning out of her apartment. When did I get home? What am I-

"You've been standing outside your apartment door crying quietly to yourself," Ellen informs me, "Did you forget your keys again?"

"No," I wipe the tears from my cheeks, "No, I just- I hit one of my coworkers."

"Did they deserve it?" Ellen asks.

I shake my head.

"Well," Ellen sighs, "Nicole should be home in a couple hours. Want to nap on the couch until then?"

"No, no, I need to eat something," I try to insist.

"We have food," Ellen offers gently.

I look down at the space between my shoes and my apartment door. I hesitate. I always hesitate. I don't take her up on her offer. I don't want to be a burden, I don't want to-

"I'd feel a lot better if you hung out with me," Ellen says, opening the door wide for me, "I can make cookies?"

I chuckle, "Do I look that miserable?"

Ellen doesn't answer me.

"Yeah," I say, slowly entering her apartment, "Sorry for worrying you."

"It's alright," she says, "That's what friends are for." It's only been a couple weeks, but their front entry way that was filled with boxes is now empty. Generic shelving units have been put up for storing dry goods, and they even drilled in shelves to show off anime figurines. "Those are Nicole's," Ellen says, pointing to one particularly busty girl, "You should ask her about this one."

I float wordlessly over towards the kitchen island and sit at one of the bar stools. Ellen pulls a set of break and bake cookies from the fridge. "I don't know if that qualifies as making cookies," I tease.

"You don't have to have any," Ellen says with a wink, "More for me."

I chuckle, its weird how Ellen makes everything feel light. It's suddenly not a chore to deal with all the horrid things on my mind.

Chapter Text

"Fufu?" Belle asks as she opens the door, she looks like she just woke up, "Is everything alright?" I can't bare to answer her. The tears haven't stopped. No, this is stupid, I should go back to my apartment. It was just a nightmare, I don't need- "Come in," Belle says, opening the door wider.

"Thanks," I say, unable to clench my jaw tight enough, "I'm sorry for waking you, I tried to call Nicole but..."

"Oh, you're going to find this infuriating," Belle says with a chuckle, "You know how you put your phone on charge before you go to bed?" I nod, "Nicole puts her phone on charge after she wakes up."

"But..." The tears give me a reprieve, "That makes no sense."

Belle shrugs, "They call it serenity."

"Who are you talking to?" Nicole says, stumbling out of the bedroom. She's barely winning a fight against a camisole.

"Your girlfriend needs you," Belle says, kissing Nicole on the cheek, "Good night you two."

"Good night," I say, "Sorry again."

Belle waves off my concern. Nicole sleepily wraps her arms around me. Her pink camisole and navy blue pajama shorts are so cute. I wish I was cute like she was. "You're crying," Nicole says, "You want to talk about it?"

"Not really," I admit, "Can we just cuddle on the couch?"

Nicole nods into my neck. "You smell pretty," she says sleepily, "Pretty kitten, prih-tee prih-tee kitten."

"You're very asleep aren't you," I accuse. She puffs out her cheeks and waddles me over to the couch. As I sit, she plops down next to me.

"If you want," she starts, "I can see if Belle and Ellen are comfortable all cuddling on the bed together." That... well that's just... I don't...

"No, no," I say shyly, "I think that'd be too much." As I look up at her, I find her eyes taking me in carefully. Yixuan gives me a similar stare, but this feels totally different. It's like Nicole cares for me. Could that possibly be true?

"I know we haven't been seeing each other long," Nicole says softly, "But I do worry about you, Fufu." She wraps her arms around me, kissing the side of my head. Slowly I am pulled down onto the couch

"You shouldn't," I say, wiping away a fresh batch of tears, "I'm used to it."

"That's why I'm worried," Nicole says softly into my temple.

I wish she wouldn't.

At some point, sleep found me. It grabbed me in its warm embrace and smothered me. I don't remember any dreams. As I open my eyes, I'm greeted by Nicole's breasts in my face. I bury my nose deeper until it presses against her sternum. Warm, soft, joy, elation, I find so many wonderful things here.

"Fufu... noooo..." Nicole mumbles in her sleep, "We can't, we're both- SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRREEE!!" I chuckle quietly to myself and close my eyes again. I wonder what she was dreaming about. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I can join her before the world demands I wake up.

It must have happened at some point. When I open my eyes next, I'm dressed in regal flowing garb, see through silk vestiges that make me out to be some sort of lewd queen. As I sit on my throne, Nicole, Ellen, Belle, Yixuan, and Sweety all kneel before me. All they have to wear are the chains I gifted them.

"What is going on?" I ask.

"Her highness is awake!" Sweety announces enthusiastically. Suddenly all five of them rise and charge at me. I am assailed by more lips and fingers than I can handle. Every appendage and erogenous zone I can think of is pleasured by expert tongues and dainty massages. I gasp as Nicole plants herself between my legs partakes of my core.

"I'm so sorry, Fufu," Yixuan says, "I never meant to hurt you." I know for sure it is a dream now. Yixuan would never admit she was wrong.

"Fufu," Nicole murmurs into me, "You awake yet?"

I open my eyes and am greeted by Nicole's warm embrace.

"You were murmuring in your sleep," she says softly into my temple. I bury my face into her cleavage and sigh. "Was it a good dream?" She asks.

"It was confusing," I admit.

"Hmmm," Nicole scratches my neck gently. It is nice to be held.

"Not to interrupt," Ellen says, leaning over the back of the couch, "But Fufu, do you like your pancakes in funny shapes or do you prefer circles?"

"What kind of question is that?" Nicole asks, "Of course funny shapes!"

"I wasn't asking you," Ellen says, poking Nicole in the rib cage.

"Funny shapes, please," I say, sleepily.

"Are they still not up?" Belle asks with a yawn. She stumbles out of their bedroom, scratching her stomach. A slovenly display that assures me I have reached a higher echelon of friendship than most.

"I'm up," I say.

"I'm not," Nicole says, squeezing me tighter and locking me in place.

My phone rings as I join my neighbors for breakfast. I hope this becomes one of our rituals. Though, I'm not sure what qualifies as ritual and what counts as routine. I silence my phone.

"You don't need to answer that?" Nicole asks.

"No," I say.

"I suppose it would be wrong to ask what this is about then?" Ellen asks, reaching across Belle for the plate of bacon. She winces as Belle smacks her wrist with the back her fork.

"It's nothing," I say.

Nicole takes my hand, rubbing her thumb into my palm. My phone rings again, but I silence it. "Not for nothing," Nicole says softly, leaning into my ear, "Won't they just send someone?"

I flinch as I hear a knocking on my apartment door.

Ellen gives Belle a worried look.

"I'm sorry," I say, wiping my mouth with a napkin, "I'll... I'll see who it is."

"Want me to go with you?" Nicole offers.

I shake my head, but glance into the peep hole before I open the door. Yixuan would mean I was in trouble. Yinhu would mean I was getting a wellness check.

"Fufu!" Yinhu begins knocking again, "I got your favorite!"

I let out a sigh, and look over my shoulder. Nicole smiles at me softly and nods. No words spoken, but so much understood. No, stop it! You're getting over invested. It's only been a couple weeks. Or months? When did we start dating?

Stop.

"Hey," I say as I open the door.

"Hey, how's it-" Yinhu does a double take, "Did I get the address wrong?"

"No, no, I was having brunch with my neighbors," I half lie, "What's up? You bring me goodies?"

"Well, I'm not sure if I should hand them over now that I know you're out here having brunch," he teases, then lifts a plastic bag full of 4 large deli cup containers.

"Yinhu, that's so much food," I say with a chuckle.

"Eh, give what you don't eat to your neighbors," he says.

"Thanks, I will," I reply.

"You're not coming in today, are you?" He says with a solemn smile.

"I don't think so," I say with a sigh, "Something happened and I..."

Yinhu holds his hand up. "No need to tell me," he says with a smile, "Sorry to hear you're dealing with such a terrible stomach bug. I'm going to head out so I don't catch it, you know how much I like eating."

I nod and let Yinhu leave. But something in me takes over. It's the stupid cat part that can never leave things be, that has to always be right, that is always getting me into trouble.

"Yinhu!" I shout after him down the stairwell. He looks up at me through the tiny gap that stretches down to the ground floor. "Yixuan," I say, "I don't think she's a good person."

Yinhu looks off into the distance, as if considering something very heavy. Emotions dance across his face, as if my words have confirmed something he already knew. Then he gives me a grimacing smile, "I don't think anyone is truly good. Some are just better than others."

"You're better than others," I say.

"Thanks, kid," he gives a wide smile as he gives his signature chuckle, "You're not bad either."

As I reenter my neighbor's apartment, I find a more somber scene. Well, except for Ellen, she seems alright. "Someone dropped off food?" Ellen asks.

"Yeah," I lift the bag up, "My coworker makes the best egg drop soup."

"Nice," she says with a smile.

"Why are they looking glum?" I ask.

Belle picks up her plate and swipes the food that was on her plate into the trash. Nicole shakes her head. It feels like she's angry. Is she angry at me?

"Maybe I should go?" I offer.

Belle slides up behind Ellen and hugs her tightly. "I'm sorry for keeping it from you," she says softly.

"You didn't keep it from me," Ellen replies, "I knew as soon as Fufu told us which temple she worked at."

"You're not mad at us?" Belle asks.

"She should be," Nicole mutters.

"Hey," Ellen says, "None of that."

"But-" Nicole shakes her head again.

"I should go," I say, grabbing my deli containers. I'd be better off eating my egg drop soup alone and in peace. Whatever happened while I was gone, I hope it wasn't my fault.

"You're fine," Belle says.

"Yeah, come here," Nicole stretches her arms out, "I need to hug something." I place the deli containers on the kitchen island, and move to sit on Nicole's lap. It feels nice as she wraps her arms around me.

"Forgive me?" Belle asks.

"Of course," Ellen scratches Belle's forearm lightly, "I forgive you too, Nicole."

"What about me?" I joke, "Sorry." Stupid, stupid joke, why did I do that?

"No, I forgive you too, Fufu," Ellen chuckles, thankfully.

I shrug, Nicole squeezes me tighter.

"I just don't get why you're so fine with it," Nicole complains, "So many frozen waffles wasted."

"What is it with frozen waffles?" I ask.

"Before your time," Ellen says with a wink, "I figured you both knew and weren't bringing it up cause it's a sore subject. I didn't think you were keeping it from me. I've been... processing it."

"How does that work?" I ask, then cover my mouth, "Sorry, I'm not sure if I'm invited to this conversation."

"You're fine, Fufu," Belle says with a sweet smile, then buries her nose back into Ellen's neck. It's cute how they are each protective of each other in different ways. Nicole is brazen and loud, Belle is soft spoken and conniving, and Ellen is ever watchful and observant.

Nicole sneaks her hand under my shirt and scratches my lower back gently. "You've got it too, right Fufu?" Ellen asks as she reaches behind and squeezes Belle's thigh.

"Got... what?" I ask.

"Anxiety?" Ellen asks.

"No," I deny, "I don't have anxiety. I mean, I get anxious sometimes, but I just meditate until it stops." Belle furrows her brow, Ellen gives me a soft smile. I turn to look at Nicole who is avoiding my gaze. "Is that not what you do?" I ask.

"I mean," Ellen shrugs, "I used to."

"But..." I sigh, "You stopped."

"It ended up being very ineffective," Ellen said, "I- Can I be set free now?" She looks at Belle resting her head on Ellen's shoulder.

"Hm? Oh, no." Belle says plainly.

"Anyways," Ellen says with a chuckle, "We don't need to get into it right now, but suffice to say, journaling helps." Journaling. Why didn't I think of that?

"What about the drawings you were making?" Nicole asks. I should leave.

"There are drawings," Ellen admits, "But they're, uhm, less flattering." I need to leave. I need to get out of here. I need to-

"Fufu," Belle says, "You want a seltzer?"

"No," I say. And then? And then?! Go on! Speak! Talk to them! They are worried about you and yet you shut down! Again! Why do you always do this? Why are you like this? Why can't you just-

A figure looms over me. When I look up, Ellen is standing there with a red and green can of seltzer.

"Sip," she commands, placing the lip of the soda to my mouth. I do as she says, it's cranberry lime, the worst flavor. "Now breathe through your nose, and hold the water in your mouth," she continues. Her hand moves up and down, metering out the proper breathing pattern. Like a conductor of a symphony, she directs my anxious feelings up from my chest and out my nose.

"Better?" Nicole asks.

I nod slowly. It's like all the thoughts in my head were quieted at once.

"Journaling is good, but sometimes you need something that works fast," Ellen says, patting my head gently, "You'll be alright."

Chapter Text

"And you're sure?" Nicole asks. I nod. Intimacy is hard for everyone, not just me. Nicole takes my hand and squeezes it firmly. "You're doing great," she says, smiling at me softly.

I look down at the bath tub. Steam rises off the surface. What if it's too hot? What if I get burnt? What if- Nicole stands out of the tub. A wet splotch of pink hair decorates her pubic bone. I feel like I could scream. Where does she get off being so beautiful? And with, like, zero effort! I pull my towel wrap tighter. I'm being stupid.

"If it's too much," she continues, "We can always try again another time."

I take in a deep breath. Picturing a mouth full of seltzer, I let my brain calm and slow down. A relieved sigh escapes my chest, as I admit, "I really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really want to!"

Nicole giggles and insists, "Then come in!"

"I know, it's just-" I stomp my feet, "Okay, fine!"

I let my towel drop and step into the bath tub. It's hot, but my body adjusts quickly. "Sorry I couldn't take you to an actual spa," Nicole says, "Next paycheck, I'm treating you to something special."

"No, no," I insist, sinking into the water, "It's fine, I don't want to be a bother."

"It's not a bother," Nicole says, "That's why they call it a treat." Nicole pretends to wade over towards me. The tub isn't that big, but it is cute nonetheless. "Thanks for communicating your want to me," she says before pecking my cheek.

"Yeah, well," I shrug, "I was feeling anxious."

Nicole smiles softly.

"I mean, the good kind," I clarify, "The 'wow this is difficult but the outcome is going to be so worth it' kind."

"Was it?" Nicole asks, blatantly squeezing her arms together. I nod enthusiastically. Her smiles sends a shiver up my spine. Her gaze spins the threads of my heart until they are wound tighter than a spool of thread. Her lips, her lips, her lips, they grow ever closer to me until-

"You're a really good kisser," I say as she pulls away from me, "I'm glad I-" she smothers my words with her lips.

"No more communicating," she whispers, her lips brushing against mine as she speaks, "Just kiss me." I nod into her mouth, putting a hand on her hip as she leans into me. When I first met Nicole, she seemed like the kind of person to always get what she wants, by whatever means necessary. That made her scary, intimidating, a threat.

Now I understand what that impression was trying to tell me. It wasn't that she would always get what she wants. It was that she always gets what she wants. Right now, she wants me, and I feel so lucky to be the object of her desire.

I flinch as she place a hand on my waist. "Was that bad?" She asks between kisses.

"No," I say, eyes slightly opened to see if she is looking. Her eyes are closed. Kissing like this must be routine for her. Or at least, only having to focus on one person must be much simpler. She isn't concentrating, no deep focus, just letting her lips and hands guide us to blissful coexistence. "No, I really like it when you touch me," I say, putting my hand to her chest, "I want you to... touch me more."

"Are you sure?" Nicole asks, moving her hand cautiously to my hip, "I don't want to trigger anything."

I shake my head, "Don't worry about that. I- I'll make sure to tell you what I'm feeling." Nicole looks worried. "I... I still haven't gone to second base with anyone," I offer, "If you're interested."

"Well," Nicole chuckles, "We can't do that while we're naked."

"We can't?" I ask, wrapping my arms behind her neck, "I don't think I understand the base system at all."

"I really appreciate you trying new things," she says softly into my neck, "I know this can be stressful and anxiety sucks. But it means so much to me that you keep trying."

"That's a very sentimental thing to say when we're both buck naked," I tease, "But thank you. I really appreciate you being so caring and gentle with me, you always keep my limits in mind and I know I'm going slower than most but-"

"You're not, you're-"

"Hang on," I chuckle, "Let me finish!"

"Right, sorry," Nicole smiles into my neck.

"I know I'm going slower than most, but you make me feel so safe..." I bite my tongue and try to summon my courage again, "I... haaaa this sucks, I want to say it but..." My body feels tense, my chest is tight, it is hard to breathe.

"It's okay," Nicole says softly, scratching my back, "Don't push yourself."

"No, this is a good push," I assure her, "I can feel it. It's different."

"Then take all the time you need," she says, pulling away from me. She brushes a wet lock of hair from my brow, then kisses my cheek gently. "Of all the people I know," she says, "I definitely don't mind being a prune with you."

"That's stupid," I tease.

She shrugs it off, leaning back in the tub. I pretend to wade over to her, laying next to her with my cheek against her clavicle. "I know it's weird because we're lesbians and I did the steps out of order," I say, then breathing deep, I admit the truth I've known for a while now but could never express, "I want you to be my first time."

Silence.

Deafening. Ugly. Horrible. Putrid. Wretched. Silence.

The kind of silence that-

A sniffle.

I look up.

Nicole is biting her lip tightly. "Don't look at me!" She says.

"What's wrong?" I ask, cupping her cheek. I press my lips to her jaw.

"I just-" she sniffles again, "That's so sweet! I was so worried!"

"Worried?" I ask with a chuckle, "About what?"

"Okay worried is the wrong word," Nicole continues, "But like... You really like me that much?"

"I like you a whole lot," I admit. Could she really not tell? I felt like such a school girl, holding her hand as we walked to the gondola each morning, sleepovers every other night. I obviously like her!

Nicole turns to face me, pressing her lips into the top of my head. "I like you a whole lot too, Fufu," she says. I am squeezed tightly, nose squished against her neck, her leg wrapped around mine. It feels nice and cozy. The only issue is the buzzing in my chest that won't stop.

"Hey," Nicole whispers into the top of my head, "You're, like, really hot."

"Shut up," I roll my eyes and chuckle, "But... thanks."

"You know," Nicole's voice turns sensual and suggestive, "If you wanted to... you could always..."

I shift to look up at her. Her eyes are soft and patient. "I think I want to stay like this," I say, "For a little while longer."

She smiles, nods, then loops her arm under me and pulls me on top of her. "There," she says with a sigh, "Much comfier."

"A tad selfish, don't we think?" I tease.

"Yeah, well," she closes her eyes as she rests her head against the tile wall, "The tub is too small for cuddling side by side."

"It is rather small," I admit.

"Don't worry," Nicole says, "One day, Ellen, Belle and I are going to buy a house, we'll get a massive tub that all of us can hang out in." Does that mean Ellen and Belle want to include me? Or is it more like skinny dipping in a jacuzzi?

"That sounds nice," I say, kissing Nicole's clavicle, then her shoulder, then her cheek. It has been over a week now since that day Ellen helped with my anxiety. I managed to go to work, in a much more limited capacity. Yinhu has apparently pulled some strings behind the scenes to give me extra leeway. I'm surprised Yixuan agreed to it.

Maybe she feels guilty after all.

FLICK!

"Ow!" I complain.

"No furrowed brows," Nicole says, "I refuse to let you get wrinkles at such a young age."

"Aren't we the same age?" I ask.

"I'm almost twenty five," Nicole says.

"Uh, yeah," I chuckle, "I'm twenty three."

"See!" Nicole says with an exaggerated tone, "You're practically a child!"

"Maybe you shouldn't joke about that when we're naked in the tub together?" I offer.

"Hm," she looks off into the distance, "Yeah, good point."

"Can you help me squash an anxious thought?" I ask. It's a half truth, there is a thought that has been bugging me, but it doesn't weigh me down like other thoughts do.

"What is it, kitten?" She asks, closing her eyes again.

"You said that you all date separately, right?" I ask.

Nicole hums in the affirmative.

"But, have you ever dated the same person?" I continue.

Nicole opens her eyes, "No, we've got different preferences. Belle doesn't date much at all, actually. She'd probably say 'As if my hands aren't already full dealing with you two!' Or something."

"She's such a mom," I joke.

"She's good to us," she sighs, "Ellen only ever seems to go on coffee dates, which honestly, rude, I'd love to go on a coffee date with Ellen."

"That sounds nice," I say, "Uhm, do you think Ellen would ever possibly want to go on a coffee date with me?"

"Bored of me so quickly, eh?" Nicole says, squeezing my side, "You fell for her dominant side, didn't you?"

"I mean!" I say, giggling as she starts to tickle my side, "I could never get bored of you, thats preposterous!"

"Kiss me," Nicole commands. I do as she says, burying myself in her lips. I wrap my arms behind her neck, holding her by the back of her head, trying to mimic every rom com I've ever seen. A charged sigh escapes Nicole's lips as I pull away. "Holy shit, Fufu," she compliments, "You got my heart buzzing with that one!"

"I didn't offend you, right?" I ask.

"Why would I be offended?" Nicole asks, "Because you fell for my hot shark wife? As if I don't do that everyday."

"You fall in love with Ellen every day?" I ask.

"Well yeah!" Nicole says, suddenly seeming sheepish over the show of emotion, "I mean, I always find new things to love about them. That's why we got married, right?"

"That's...  Nicole, that's really sweet!" I say with a chuckle.

"Well, don't get used to it," she says, pinching my side gently, "Do you want me to ask for you?"

"No, I can ask, but if you could do some recon so I don't totally embarrass myself, I would-" I freeze as Nicole extends her arm and bangs on the bathroom door.

"Ellen!" She shouts.

"Please don't!" I beg.

"What's up?" Ellen shouts through the door, "Did you finish the toilet paper again?"

"Rude!" Nicole shouts, "Would you be down to get coffee with Fufu sometime?"

"Sure!" Ellen says, her kind smile shining like a beacon in her tone, "But tell her she has to ask me herself."

"Ellen says you have to ask her yourself," Nicole says to me softly.

"Thanks, jerk," I say, kissing Nicole gently on the lips.

"So did you need the toilet paper or...?" Ellen says, in the living room I can hear Belle chortle at her wives' shenanigans.

"Get out of here!" Nicole shouts, banging the bathroom door.

"You two going to be long?" Belle shouts.

"Are we going to be long?" Nicole asks me.

"I feel sufficiently pruned," I say, "But, I wouldn't mind making out again."

"Yeah," Nicole shouts, "We're going to need like an hour at least."

"She's kidding," I shout, "We'll be out shortly!" I plant my lips on Nicole's to stifle any more jokes or teasing. She is so weird. She's goofy, but serious. She's timid, but boisterous. She's sexy, but cute. What did I do to end up with such a wonderful and dynamic person like Nicole? Her hands begin to explore my back. My tail flicks back and forth, betraying my otherwise cool and calm demeanor in this moment.

As I feel a perfectly manicured hand firmly grasp my tail, a moan is buried into Nicole's mouth. The ends of Nicole's lips curl devilishly.

"So..." Nicole says, looming over me despite being under me, "What was that about?"

"It's sensitive, okay!" I say, a blush exploding from my chest and up my neck, "You don't think Belle and Ellen heard, do you?"

"I'm pretty sure they're busy making out on the couch," Nicole assures me, "Or they moved to the bedroom."

"The... bedroom?" I ask, my blush growing worse.

"Don't worry," Nicole whispers into my lips, "Now that I know you want me to be your first, I'm going to come up with something real special."

Chapter Text

"Thanks again," Yinhu sighs, "These students they're just not getting it."

"No problem," I say, doing my usual stretches to warm up. Yinhu needs help with a demonstration. Something about the students not understanding how to focus their chi. We'll do the usual "Look how easy they are to push over, but now that they've focused their chi!" routine.

"I would do it with Yixuan," Yinhu says as he reaches his arms up to the sky, "But the effect just isn't the same."

"Probably has to do with her intimidating presence," I joke. It's nice to be able to commiserate with Yinhu a little. Though I should probably watch it. No telling where she could be.

"Fufu," Yixuan says, announcing her presence, "You are helping out today?"

"Uhm yeah," I say, hands behind my back to hide my guilt, "Yinhu needed my help with a chi demonstration."

This is your chance Yixuan. Ask me to step aside and admit you did something awful.

"Good," she says, emotionless, "The students are in sore need of your tutelage."

Whiff.

"I'm sure," I say with as genuine a smile as I can muster. It's pretty poor.

"We should get to it," Yinhu says with a much better smile. Yixuan nods and leaves the practice room. I wait a reasonable amount of time and then turn to Yinhu. He holds his hands up. "Hey, not my deal," he says.

"It's just frustrating," I say.

"Well, you know," he shrugs, "It's all frustrating."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean," he sighs, "I don't want to pry, but it's clear you're going through something. You should be able to and allowed to work it out.

"But that doesn't mean there isn't still work to do," he continues, "Like, I have to cook, and do lessons, and paperwork. You help where you can, and you seem to be doing better, but... I'm sorry. I'm stressed out and I don't need to be, and I certainly don't need to vent to you about it."

"I mean," I cross my arms, "It's not easy to come back here."

"I didn't realize you hated my cooking that much," he says with a jolly laugh. He stops when he notices my expression. Sitting down on the elevated platform we run our demonstrations from, he pats the ledge next to him.

"We don't have to get into it," I say, "I- I'm not really sure I want to bring it up yet."

"Did you and Yixuan get into a fight?" He asks.

"This sounds like prying," I tease.

"Guilty," Yinhu says, "If you're not up for it we can-"

"She touched me," I say, mustering strength from somewhere unknown.

"Like..." Yinhu sighs.

"Yeah," I say, "But since I live on temple property, technically, I kept coming in."

"Fufu," he sighs, "I'm sorry for trying to make it about me."

"I didn't think you were," I say.

"And here I was prying when I said I wouldn't," he groans, "Always been a gossip, just like my mom."

"We don't have to talk about it," I say, sitting on the stage next to him, "It's not an easy topic for anyone."

"No, no," Yinhu lets out a deep sigh, "I- Thank you. You know, for sharing with me."

"Of course," I say, bumping my shoulder against his forearm, "I know we're colleagues or whatever, but I like to think we'd make good friends outside of work."

"I'd hope so," he chuckles, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"If the paperwork gets overwhelming on my day off," I say, "Just bring it by."

"Give you work on your day off?" He asks with a raised brow.

"The issue isn't the work," I say.

He nods, a knowing expression on his face, "I hear you. But, that would be something to help me. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

I realize I'm biting the inside of my cheek. I try to picture my mouth full of bubbles, but the image has faded. "We wouldn't happen to have any seltzer water, would we?" I ask.

When I get home, I find a sticky note on my door. It's lime green with writing in blue ink. It reads "Don't forget to ask Ellen out, B <3"

"Wow that's cute," I say to myself. Belle has been leaving them on my door every couple of days as reminders. I can't help but picture her swirling a glass of red wine as she plots out what she's going to write on the next one.

"Why did we agree-" Nicole complains in a huff "-To LIVE?! On anything other than the ground floor?!" Ellen and Nicole are walking up the stairs with several reusable bags of groceries in hand. Ellen is carrying more than her fair share, but I suppose thats the deal with a wife like Nicole.

"Hey Fufu," Ellen says with a sly smile, "Whatcha got there?"

I stash the note in my back pocket, "Oh nothing. Need some help?"

"Do I?" Nicole asks flamboyantly, "Yes, please, take these!" I chuckle as she stuffs all her bags into my hands. Ellen rolls her eyes. They're not even that heavy. Bread, some toiletries, wrapping paper, a couple magazines. What a wimp. She's so cute, it's not fair. "Much better," she says, kissing my cheek, "You two have fun planning your date!"

"What?" I ask. The door to their apartment shuts before I can intervene. Now it is just Ellen, their groceries, and I. When I look back at Ellen, she had a jagged smile across her face.

"You still haven't asked me yet," she says.

"I know!" I complain, "Its hard for me, alright?"

"You asked Nicole out, didn't you?" Ellen asks.

"No, I kinda stumbled into that one actually," I admit.

"Impressive," she says, setting down her groceries, she stretches her arms and leans against the railing of the stairwell, "Well, you better hurry, I've got ice cream in there."

"No!" Belle complains from the other side of the apartment door.

"That's cruel," I retort, "Ellen, can we go for coffee sometime?"

"Hmmm," she taps her finger against her chin, "I don't know, that didn't feel very inspired to me."

"You didn't say anything about it being inspired!" I complain with a chuckle.

"MY ICE CREAM!!" Belle yells.

"That's fair," she smirks, "I'd love to, Fufu."

Their apartment door opens and Belle storms out. "I can't believe you would hold my ice cream hostage like that," she complains, giving me a wink to know she's only kidding.

"Sorry, babes," Ellen chuckles, then scoffs as Belle digs out her ice cream and heads back inside, "You're not even going to help?"

"I'll help you," I offer.

"If you don't mind," Ellen says with a sigh, "Like come on, I have two wives and neither wants to help me with groceries."

"Sounds like it's time for a third," I joke. Ellen gives me a sly smile. "I mean, I wasn't saying me, I was just sort of saying-" I rush into their apartment to drop off their groceries.

"You can't have ice cream for dinner!" Ellen accuses as Belle is curled up on the couch.

"Fuck you!" She retorts with her mouth full of ice cream, "I have cooked so many damn dinners, tonight I get ice cream for dinner!"

"Hard to argue with that," Nicole says, appearing from the bedroom in much comfier clothes. An over sized cropped t-shirt, a pair of well worn sweat pants she has rolled to become low rise. It feels intentional. As I look up at Nicole, I am met with her menacing grin as I am caught red handed ogling her.

"Did she do it?" Nicole asks her wives.

"She did," Ellen says as she puts groceries away, "Well... she kinda did."

"Kinda?!" Nicole and Belle complain.

"I mean!" I stomp my foot, "I said we should go for coffee, what more do you want from me?"

"I don't know," Nicole puts her hands on her hips, "Time, place, general vibes."

"I object to the general vibes," Ellen says, "We're going on a coffee date, vibes are predetermined."

"You don't know the place or time," Belle interjects, "How could you possibly know the vibes?"

Ellen looks to me for support. "The vibes are predetermined," I assure her.

"Booooo!" Nicole taunts, before sliding behind me and wrapping her arms around me, "I missed you kitten."

"I missed you too," I say, resting my head against her chest. So soft, so fluffy, makes my chest feel all warm and electric. I never thought I would have a girlfriend who would encourage me to date someone else. Actually, I never thought I would have a girlfriend.

"Ugh," Belle groans, "My stomach hurts."

Ellen looks at me and Nicole with a frustrated roll of her eyes. "Could it have something to do with how much ice cream you ate?" She asks.

"Fine, you were right!" Belle complains dramatically, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"I'll bite you," Ellen says, an empty threat if I ever heard one.

"Promise?" I ask.

No.

"Fufu!" Nicole squeezes me tightly, "Oh my god, that was so bold!"

No, god why?!

"I didn't think you would be into that," Belle teases, "Ellen you might need to sharpen your teeth."

"Alright, enough teasing," Ellen says, "We all know Fufu likes to joke around."

"Yeah, a joke!" I agree, "That's all it was." I watch in horror as Nicole lifts my arm into the air, offering my hand to Ellen.

"Go on," she chuckles, "Give her a nibble!"

"Fufu?" Ellen asks.

Is she... asking for permission?

"I mean," I try to turn and hide from their gazes, "If you're uncomfortable with it, I won't be offended, but-" CHOMP Ellen delicately takes my pointer finger into her mouth, biting gently on the second knuckle. Her eyes are closed. She seems peaceful. Her tongue is warm, her mouth is wet, my heart is beating faster than it should.

As her lips wrap around my finger, Nicole pulls my finger from Ellen's mouth. "Holy shit," Belle sighs, "Me next!"

Ellen giggles, kisses the top of my head, and then joins Belle on the couch. As she straddles her wife's hips, they pretend to wrestle. Eventually Belle's forearm ends up in Ellen's mouth. Belle giggles ecstatically as Ellen pretends to whip her arm back and forth. "That was really cute," Nicole whispers in my ear.

"Yeah," I say softly, "It felt nice."

I smile as Nicole offers me her finger. "Go on," she whispers, a teasing lilt causes my heart to beat in triplets, "Bite me." I do as she says, her slender finger presses against the back part of my tongue as I bite down on the last segment of her finger. Her breathe feels hotter than usual as she lets out a quiet sigh into my ear.

"You two want the bedroom this time?" Belle asks.

Before I can answer, Nicole whisks me into her arms and carries me over her shoulder into the bedroom. As we enter the bedroom, I catch Ellen's lustful stare. I had forgotten we had an audience, was Ellen's mind filled with images of me? Is that even possible?

I'm distracted from my daze as Nicole places her hand on my abdomen and kisses my cheek. Plopped down on the bed, is looming over me. The bedroom door is thankfully closed. "I want to taste you," she sighs into my ear, "I want to feel you tremble as I eat you up."

"That-" I gulp, "Sounds really fun, but- Ellen and Belle..."

"Too shy?" Nicole asks. I nod my head rapidly. "Alright, kitten," she says, "Then we'll put a pin in that request. What do you want to do?"

"Could you..." It feels stupid to ask explicitly after they so carefully and naturally got my consent, "Uhm, my finger, if you, or rather-" Nicole takes my hand and puts two of my fingers in her mouth. Her tongue wraps and coils between them, analyzing the joints.

As she pulls my fingers deeper, I let out a sigh. She smiles at me devilishly. She sucks on my fingers as I withdraw them from her mouth. "That was fun," she says, "Did you like it?"

I nod. Putting my hand on her waist, I guide her to lay down with me. I blush as she presses her lips to my forehead. Why would she do something so cute when I was trying to-

I stumble over my words as I try to make my request.

"I didn't catch that," Nicole says, scratching my lower back under my shirt, "What did you want?"

"Can I-" I shiver as her finger traces my spine, "I want to touch your chest."

"My chest?" Nicole asks, her cheeks rosy with what I am sure is embarrassment.

"No, nevermind," I say as she starts to sit up, "I didn't mean it, I meant could I-" She lifts her shirt over her head. Turning to look at me, she covers herself with one arm.

"Are you sure, Fufu?" She asks in a soft breath-y tone. Sitting up, I cup her cheek and press my lips to her's. She puts a hand on my waist and lowers her other arm. Even though I saw her entirely naked the other day, this feels different. My palms are sweaty, my hands keep shaking. But I'm so excited!

"May I?" She asks.

I nod into her lips. She calmly takes my hand and places it to her breast. This must be what it's like to touch a cloud. No, that's stupid. Clouds are made of water vapor, they would feel nothing like this.

"You okay?" Nicole chuckles, "You seem kind of speechless."

"I mean..." I let out a sigh, "Yeah."

"So cute!" Nicole softly squealed. We carefully fall back into her bed. I squeeze her breast gently, her inverted nipple slowly begins to poke my palm. In a swell of confidence and gumption, I cup the underside of her breast and rub my thumb against her nipple.

"Mmmm," Nicole sighed as she bit her lip, "Naughty kitten."

"I'm sorry, I didn't-" she holds me to her lips, her tongue timidly dashes across my lips.

"Stop apologizing," she whispers, "Just focus on me."

"Okay," I say.

Chapter Text

"I thought this place was temperate?" Ellen complains with a vigorous shiver. Despite holding her coffee close to her, it does not radiate enough warmth to soothe her cold blooded nature. Every year, around the first week of fall, the winds blow over the mountain side. On the one hand, it means the city experiences a glimpse of winter. On the other, it is the perfect time to visit the hot springs.

"It's only for like a week out of the year," I assure her, "You came during summer originally, so makes sense no one mentioned this." She's bundled up with two cardigans, a hoodie and what appear to be wool tights under her jean shorts. Sacrificing style in the name of comfort in vain.

"But... what do you mean a week?" Ellen complained, "Doesn't this mean winter came early?"

"No," I shake my head, "This is just a weather phenomenon, the first week of fall is always like this. Then we'll have a few more weeks of temperate, then winter."

"Does it snow here?" She asked.

"Sometimes," I say with a shrug.

"This is bull shit," she complains, "Horse shit, actually."

"What's the difference?" I ask.

She shrugs.

"Well," I sigh, "This is the coffee stand. Nicole and I get breakfast here like every other day."

"How cute," Ellen says. As we walk side by side, I leave my hand on her side open. You know, just in case she need- wanted to hold my hand. That would be crazy, though. It's only a first date, it's a vibe check, it's a- "You're so warm," Ellen sighs as she places the back of my hand to her cheek.

"Yeah, I guess that's the benefit of being a warm blooded thiren," I say. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!

"Let's find some place to get out of the wind," she says, "I can't stand this." I guide her up the stairs to the tunnel, careful not to get hit by a car, and take her to my favorite secluded spot. A park with a swing set that no one ever goes to on days like this. But since it's on the other side of the mountain range, the wind is much less annoying. It is still pretty cold out.

"But yeah, Yinhu is the best, I've been meaning to introduce him and Belle," I explain, "Cause you know, I'm sure they'd swap tons of recipe secrets."

"Tips of the trade," Ellen says, setting her coffee down on the nearby picnic table. I sit down on one of the swings and push myself back and forth with my legs. Ellen grabs hold of the swing's chains and looms over me, "Do you like Belle?"

"Do... I mean," her eyes are cold and focussed, like she's ready to kill, what should I say? If I say yes, will she be mad? If I say no, will she be even more mad?

"Fufu," she says, "Yes or no? There's no wrong answer."

"Are you sure?" I ask, "Cause you seem kind of intimidating right now."

Ellen realizes the implication of her stance, chuckles, and sits on the swing next to me. "Sorry, suppose I read the room wrong," she says, swaying back and forth on the swing, "I just... Nothing, stupid anxieties."

"I mean, if anyone was going to be understanding of those pesky anxious feelings," I challenge.

Ellen smiles, "This is the first time two of us have dated the same person and... I know it's stupid, but I worry Belle will feel left out."

"I see," I half lie. This poly amorous stuff is still kinda confusing for me, but it is nice to be pursued by multiple people.

"Granted when I first went out with Nicole, I-" she stops swinging, shaking her head with a giddy smile on her face. "When we got back from our first date, I texted Belle to beg her to tell me what to do. She called me immediately, had me put her on speaker phone, then berated Nicole and I for texting her the entire night," Ellen chuckles.

"How'd it go after that?" I ask.

"We made out," Ellen brags, "Nicole gave me this whole speech about how she didn't want this to be another one night stand, and she was leaving for the night."

"She knocked on your door like ten minutes later?" I ask.

"I don't think she even made it out of the building," Ellen admits, "But don't tell her I said that."

"Have you talked to Belle about this?" I ask, turning on the swing sideways to face Ellen. She shakes her head. "I mean, you can probably guess what I'm going to say, right?"

"That I should just ask her and get it out of the way?" She offers. I nod, knowingly. Why is it so much easier to give others advice than to take your own? "I know," she sighs, "But... I feel like you're dodging the question."

"Like is the question do I have feelings for Belle?" I clarify.

She nods.

"I don't know," I admit, "She's great, she's funny, she's kind and cares with such an open heart. But three girlfriends... that's so overwhelming."

"Well," Ellen bites her tongue, "Nevermind, that's planning too far ahead."

Too far ahead? My mind is filled with lazy Sunday mornings spent in their arms, the bevy of good morning kisses that would envelop me, complaining about sharing so little space with so many people, but knowing we all loved each other the same. These last couple months, I've seen all the little ways they tell each other their love. Am I deserving enough to be apart of that? Do I have enough love within me to share?

"Fufu," Ellen takes my hand, "You seem like you're obsessing over something."

"More like fantasizing," I admit, "I mean, yeah, obsessing is a good description!"

Ellen chuckles, "You're pretty easy to read, you know that?"

"I know, it's a problem," I agree.

She squeezes my hand gently, "I know this is supposed to be a first date, vibe check, not super serious thing, but..." She releases my hand. Her eyes float down towards the mulch that pads the playground area. She's deep in thought, but she doesn't seem anxious or worried. It is a calm, pensive, thoughtful state, as if manicuring the perfect sentence. 

"Gah!" She complains, "This is stupid, I'm over thinking this-" Maybe it wasn't calm and pensive after all, "Fufu, I like you, I want to go on more dates with you and Nicole and Belle. If three girlfriends is too much, then that's fine, but I'd love to do something with all four of us."

YES!!! OH MY GOD YES!! HOLY SHIT THREE GIRLFRIENDS!! THAT'S LIKE THE COOLEST THING EVER!!! I MEAN SURE, THAT'S THREE TIMES THE BIRTHDAYS TO REMEMBER, THREE TIMES THE ANNIVERSARIES, THREE TIMES THE FAMILIES TO VISIT DURING THE HOLIDAYS, BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE?!?!??! ME?!?!?!?! THREE GIRLFRIENDS?!?!?!? WAIT NOT JUST THREE GIRLFRIENDS!! BELLE, NICOLE, AND ELLEN?!?!!? THREE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS HOT WOMEN I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE ALL WANT ME TOGETHER?!?!?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO COPE WITH THIS INFORMATION?!!?!?!?!?

"Can I think about it?" I say calmly.

"Of course," Ellen smiles softly, "I have to admit you're taking this really well."

I AM THE GODDESS OF ROMANCE AND SEDUCTION AND I HAVE THREE GIRLFRIENDS, HEAR MY WAR CRY!!!

"How did you think I would take it?" I ask, my thin veneer of cool, calm, and collected fading quickly.

"I thought you would clam up, over think things," she shrugs, "You know, the usual anxiety coping mechanisms." She begins to swing again. "And this is just me being anxious, okay?" She adds, "Nothing is set in stone, I haven't talked to Nicole and Belle about this yet."

"Oh sure," I say, "Still, I'm honored you thought to ask me first." I lean forward on the swing. Maybe that was too much excitement given how little I knew about what Ellen was asking. But still, it feels nice to get excited about things again. I feel a hand swat at my thigh. I look and see Ellen holding her hand out expectantly.

I take it. We swung back and forth on those swings for what felt like hours, forgetting about our coffees, enjoying the silent echoes of the blustery winds on the other side of the range.

"And then you made out for the rest of your date, right?" Nicole asks, her arms wrapped around me tightly. Behind us, Ellen and Belle are busy making dinner. Juicy meat crackles and spits inside of a black cast iron skillet. I left out the conversation Ellen and I had about three girlfriends. Looking back at Nicole, I shake my head. "Oh what the hell," Nicole leans back over the couch, "Ellen! Why didn't you kiss my girlfriend?"

"I didn't see a good opportunity," she says, "We held hands for like an hour."

"Was it really that long?" I ask. I stand for a second to straddle Nicole's hips. It's easier to talk to everyone this way, but my heart flutters as her hands squeeze my butt. I flick her ear lobe in retaliation, but kiss her cheek to encourage her to keep going.

"I think so," Ellen says, "We were out for like three hours, I know we weren't in line for coffee that long."

"What the hell," Belle pretends to complain, "Our first coffee date wasn't three hours long!"

"Yeah, well I was an anxious dweeb back then," Ellen says, placing her hand on the small of Belle's back as she applies a kiss to her cheek, "If you want a three hour long coffee date, I'm free tomorrow."

"Oooo," Belle pretends to blush, "I'll have to see if I have room in my schedule."

"I can't imagine you as a dweeb," I admit, "You're so cool and calm."

"Wait till she starts talking about that dumb gacha game," Nicole groans.

"You know, I play it too, right?" I remind her, pinching her cheek gently.

"Oh, did I say dumb?" Nicole says, avoiding my stare, "I meant super fun and not a total money-sink."

"She doesn't get it," Belle says, "Honestly, I'm kind of burnt out on it."

"Not as fun when you have to do all the grinding yourself, is it?" Ellen says, dumping a container of diced onions into a skillet.

"Yeah, the story is so bleh, the combat is alright," Belle sighs, "But the women..."

"I know," I say, "Just when I think I'm about to give it up for good, they introduce like five new female protagonists and they're all super adorable!"

"Nerds," Nicole grumbles.

"Hey!" We all shout in unison.

"Woah," Nicole shudders, "That was freaky." I glance over at Ellen. The conversation we had has been weighing on me. Is my presence delaying it even happening? Why do I feel so anxious? No, it's not anxiety. It's excitement.

Nicole presses her ear to my chest, "My, my, someone's heart is beating fast." I unstraddle her hips and sit next to her. Even though she is pouting quite expertly, I stay strong.

"I don't like it when you tease me like that," I say, "It's cute when we're alone, but when its in front of Belle and Ellen, it feels like you're jealous and trying to neg me."

"Jealous?" Nicole asks, then a flood of emotions washes over her face. It's nice to know she is capable of self reflection like this. "Yeah, okay," she says with a soft smile, "I'll stop teasing you like that in front of everyone."

I nod and lean forward to wrap my arms around her. Somehow, as if drawn by mystic forces that are well beyond our powers, our lips end up meeting. "Alright, enough macking on each other," Belle teases, "Dinner is served." We are treated to a menagerie of colorful foods, red onions, multiple bell pepper colors, yellowy fluffy eggs, and tortillas warmed to perfection. "Well..." Belle says, wiping her hands on her apron, "Eat!"

Chapter Text

What the hell? Why is it so hot? Did the AC break again? Ugh, I don't want to deal with the property manager on my day off. Actually, why are my blankets so heavy? Whatever, I don't have time for this. But as I try to sit up, three arms grab hold of me and pull me back into a soft plush pillowy existence. Three warm bodies envelop me in girl smelling goodness.

"Oh no you don't," Nicole complains.

"You're not getting away from us," Ellen groans.

"Such a warm kitty," Belle sighs.

What a picturesque way to wake up. "Oh good, it's only a dream," I say, "I was worried the AC was actually broken." Although, now that I know it's just a dream. Wait, am I naked? Oh, it's one of those dreams.

"No, AC works fine," Nicole says.

"Enough," Ellen complains, "Weekends are for sleeping in."

"Warm kitty," Belle sighs.

"Wait, if this is a dream, can we have a bunch of sex before I have to actually wake up?" I ask.

Belle erupts in laughter. "Oh my gosh, Fufu!" She shouts, "That was so bold!"

"Why are we shouting?" Ellen groans.

Wait... No... Oh god, please no!

"Don't laugh at her," Nicole groans, "She's too innocent for this world."

I cover my face as I turn into Nicole, wrapping my tail to hide any private areas. "Uhm, Nicole?" I ask, "Please tell me I'm not the only one that's naked."

"Oh I'm very naked," Nicole assures me, "Want to see?"

"I'm not naked," Ellen answers, "But Belle is for sure."

"You're practically naked," Belle says, "Aren't those my panties?" Sharing underwear?

"Yeah, you're not even wearing a bra," Nicole accuses. No bra?!

"Stop," I whimper, "Please, I can't take all this stimulation!"

"Oh?" Ellen says.

I knew I should have shut up. I shouldn't have said a damn thing. I should have-

Squish

"This kind of stimulation?" Ellen asks.

"I'm making coffee," Belle says, "Anyone else?"

"Nah," Ellen says with a yawn, "Me and Fufu are still resting." I whimper as Ellen's arms wrap around me.

"Hey, back off," Nicole complains, "Fufu is my body pillow."

Squish

"Body pillow?!" I ask.

"As if," Ellen says, "Not that I would lay claim to her, that's not fair either, but I'm just saying it's bold to-" She sputters off into tiny grumbles.

"There's plenty of me to go around, you just have to-" I whimper as their hands begin grabbing at me.

"Soft," Ellen whispers, her hand politely squeezing my stomach.

"Squishy," Nicole giggles, her fingers pinching my butt.

"This isn't what I meant!" I complain.

"Fufu, are they being mean to you?" Belle asks. I glance over my shoulder and find Belle holding four mugs of coffee. I give her a pleading look to relieve me from this torment. "Alright," she says, setting down the mugs on the bedside table, "Make room, I'm coming in."

Wait, no! That's not what I meant!

"Hey, get your own girlfriend!" Nicole complains.

"Yeah, Fufu's ours," Ellen sticks out her tongue.

"Oh, I'm not coming for Fufu," she says, "I'm coming for a little piece of-" Nicole lets out a yelp "-pink haired demon lady."

"Oh shut up," Nicole complains, "Stop spreading that rumor, will you?"

"It's true!" Belle insists, "I saw it on the InterKnot!"

"That could have been anyone," Nicole insists, "You act like pink hair is super rare."

"It is!" Ellen and Belle both insist.

"I've never seen someone with pink hair before," I add, "I always thought you dyed i-IIIIITT!" Ellen wraps her arms around me and snatches me over to the other side of the bed.

"Hey, gimme back my-" a flash of blue goes is all I see as Belle expertly distracts Nicole.

"Give back your what?" Belle asks. I can hear the ruffle of hands under a bathrobe. I... I want to see!

"Oh no," Ellen says, pulling my gaze back towards her, "You're going to stay right here with me, okay?" I nod. Ellen smiles and kisses me on the lips. I kiss her back. Our lips blend together, my hands explore her back as she looms over me. Her waist, her shoulder blades, her hips, her tail, her dorsal- "EEP!"

"Uhoh," Belle says, "I know that sound."

"Fufu found it so quickly," Nicole teases.

"Shut up!" Ellen growls.

"Should I have not-" I say, but Ellen turns back to me quickly. Her eyes are hungry and her cheeks are flush. I woke something in her with such a simple touch. It was only my hand on her fin, I never thought...

"Sorry," Ellen says, breathing in deeply, "Give me a second." 

"No, wait," I say, resting my hand on her fin again, "I want..."

"No, you don't," Ellen tries to assure me, "Insatiable, hungry, selfish, uncaring... you don't want that."

I squeeze her fin.

Her eyes practically light up. I cower in an excited fear as she straddles my face. "Are you sure?" Ellen asks, waiting for permission to do what she will.

I nod.

"Say it," she commands.

"I am sure," I answer.

Her bushy mound feels nice against my face. Like she goes through the trouble of conditioning her scraggly pubes. Her excitement, her musk, her taste, I do my best to take it all in.

"Me next," Nicole says.

Wait, Nicole! I wanted her to be my first. Ellen is attractive, but not enough to go back on my promise. That's not like me.

"It's because it's a dream, Fufu," Belle explains.

"Yeah," Nicole chuckles, "Don't get us wrong, we all want this! We want to make you our little toy and use you for our pleasure. But isn't this a bit too good to be true?"

"Right?" Ellen says, "Like, well conditioned pubes? Seriously?"

"I suppose you're right," I say through her mound, "Does that mean I'm going to wake up soon?"

Ellen sighs, "Not until I'm done with you."

I let out a whimper. I hadn't considered being their toy, three beautiful women, rubbing up against me, selfishly fulfilling their own desires. It's enough to-

"Fufu," Nicole says lovingly.

I glance over at the Nicole beside me. "Wasn't me," she says, "Sounds like your wake up call has arrived."

I open my eyes and find Nicole looming over me. "Did you know you whimper in your sleep?" She asks. Our surroundings are hidden by a curtain of pink hair.

"Yeah, I was having a really good dream," I say, glancing down at her chest.

"Oh, one of those dreams, huh?" She asks, flipping her hair over to reveal we are still in my apartment, "What did we do?"

"Uhm, promise you won't be mad?" I ask. She rolls her eyes and nods. "It was Ellen," I admit, "I touched her dorsal fin and she went feral."

"That's only a rumor," Nicole says, shattering the fantasy, "I mean like, go on, but just so you know."

"I had never heard that before," I say, "But good to know."

"Well, keep going," she says, kissing my neck softly, "What did she do to my poor Fufu?"

"What are you doing?" Ellen asks.

We are alone on the balcony of their apartment. Ellen is manning the grill while I operate the spray bottle. "Oh, nothing," I say, withdrawing my hand from her fin, "I just thought it would be a cute thing to do. Like holding hands with only our pinkies."

"I mean," Ellen looks away, could she be blushing? "You don't need to stop."

I rest my hand on her fin again. No signs of the feral Ellen from my dreams. I guess Nicole wasn't lying. "Spray," Ellen commands.

I sprits the long slab of dry rubbed, properly aged, baby back ribs. If we pull this off, these might just be the most delicious, fall off the bone, tender, succulent ribs ever made. Or they'll be over done and we'll have to bury our sorrows in their toughened fibers.

"Okay," Ellen sighs, "Wow, I'm really anxious."

"Have you never done this before?" I ask.

"A couple times," she says, "But Belle is normally there to supervise."

"Yeah, when you invited me over for dinner, I didn't expect you to be here alone," I admit.

"I kinda told them I could handle it on my own," she says, "Thanks for being here."

"Of course," I say, "Spray?"

Ellen thinks about it, lifts the ribs to inspect the underside. She lets out a charged, anxious sigh, then nods her head. Once I'm done, she closes the hood of their grill. "Okay, now we need to let the temperature inside rise, in twenty minutes we can-" An ungodly screech startles us as Belle opens the slider to the balcony.

"We gotta lube that," Belle says, "How's it going?"

"Good," Ellen says, almost appearing confident, "Final stages."

"Twenty minutes left?" She asks.

Ellen smiles, glad she remembered the timing, "Yeah, twenty minutes. Want to see?"

"I'll see when it's done," Belle replies with a smile, "Don't want to ruin it just before the finish line."

"You coming inside?" I ask, attempting to follow Belle.

"No, I want to be here," she says, "In case... you know..."

I don't. But I know sometimes it is easier to satiate the demons by giving them exactly what they're asking for. Before I go, I peck Ellen on the cheek. She swats her spatula at me, but the way her tail flicks back and forth lets me know she appreciated it.

"Preeeeetyyyyy kiiiiittyyyyyy," Nicole chimes. An army of reusable grocery bags sit on the kitchen island.

"Ah!" Belle chides, "You're helping me put groceries away, girlfriend can wait."

"What? No fair," Nicole complains, "I haven't seen her like all day and now you're cracking your whip over some simple-" Belle flashes Nicole a disgruntled look. Nicole immediately stops complaining and begins hurriedly putting the groceries away.

Belle already has a task that takes priority. She is inspecting several bottles of wine and marking them down on small booklet. Location of origin, date of bottling, and a quick sketch of the logo. Below she draws several lines for notes to herself. "What is this for?" I ask, while Nicole rushes back and forth between the fridge and the bags on the counter.

"I like taking notes of how the wine affects the cooking," she explains, "See, this bottle comes from a place that doesn't have naturally occurring pests, so there is less need to worry about nitrogen levels."

"Nitrogen levels?" I ask.

"Mhm," Belle smiles, "In the soil. But this one is from a different place, and a year that had a particularly low output due to poor pest control. I want to see if the weaker selection of grapes affects the taste of my cooking at all."

"So less grapes, different taste?" I ask.

"Well, think of it this way," Belle explains, "You're making wine, you want your grapes to be nice, big, juicy, purple orbs. But you wake up one morning to find a pestilence in your fields. Do you spray your winery with anti-pest chemicals and hope it doesn't ruin your yield? Or do you take the hit and harvest what you can?"

"Harvest what I can," I say, but then again, I don't own a winery.

"Right," Belle smiles, "Which means the type of grape you're willing to harvest might be smaller than average. Smaller grapes can have a different flavor profile.

"Most people don't like sour grapes," she continues, "Hence the popularity of larger, sweeter varieties. But when it comes to cooking, a sweet but sour elixir might prove useful to offset a blunder."

"Like adding sugar to a tomato sauce that is too salty?" I ask, remembering one of her past cooking tips.

"You listen?!" Belle says, pulling me into a hug. Her hand presses my cheek against her sternum. It feels nice and warm here. Not as nice and warm as when Nicole or dream Ellen does it, but still, I'm not complaining.

"Hey, hands off," Nicole chides, "Get your own girlfriend!"

"I had two," Belle says, releasing me from her clutches, "But then I made the stupid decision to make them my wives."

"Hey," Nicole pouts, "Come on, you don't-" Belle stifles her anxious wife with a kiss.

"I was kidding," Belle says.

"Me next," I say, immediately blushing as both Belle and Nicole start to make kissy faces at me.

"Fufu!" Ellen shouts, "Spray!"

Chapter Text

"Date night?" I ask.

Belle is standing outside my apartment with two large tubs of cookie dough ice cream and a bottle of red wine. Ellen and Nicole are enjoying a date night out on the town, leaving Belle alone at home. I guess, not alone since I'm free.

"If you don't want to, that's fine," Belle says, "I can just leave a tub of ice cream with you."

"No, please, come-" I panic, wait actually, how messy is the apartment right now? "One second."

I close the door in her face and quickly gather up all the dirty clothes I can find and stash them all in the laundry bin. Sink? Clear enough. Fridge? Nothing obviously moldy. Living room table? Eh... not sticky.

I open the door, "Okay, please, come in."

"I know that mad dash," she teases, "Are we comfortable splitting one tub or should I keep both out to be safe?"

"Both for sure," I say with a chuckle.

"A woman after my own heart," she teases, popping both lids and brandishing two large spoons, "I do have a quick question, though." She plops down on the couch, resting the tub of ice cream in her lap.

"Of course," I say, taking a spoon from her and cuddling my own tub of ice cream.

She turns and pulls out a skimpy thong from under her legs that I did not notice when I did my once over. "Who's are these?" She asks, a teasing look on her face.

"They're Nicole's obviously," I say, way too confidently.

"Uh-huh," Belle smirks, then launches them at me.

"Belle, the ice cream!" I shout, leaning over the tub to protect it.

"I didn't think you and Nicole had gotten that far," she says, with a much more maternal tone.

"We haven't," I answer, "But she likes to do fashion shows in here sometimes."

"I remember them fondly," she chuckles, "As long as you're not two timing my wives."

"I'm definitely not," I say, "They're too scary to cheat on." The perfectly manicured brow on Belle's face furrows at my joke. "Not that I would if they weren't scary!" I say, course correcting, "I just meant-"

"You're fine," she says with an impish grin, "I know what you mean though. They were quite the pair when they were hollow agents."

There's a whole part of their lives I know nothing about. Granted, its for very good reasons, but... I wish I had known them back then. "Can I ask-" I start, hesitating for a moment, "-The before times, when they still went into hollows. What was that like?"

"What was it like?" Belle asks, sucking thoughtfully on her spoon. She stares off at the corner of the ceiling, her eyes tracing the shapes of cobwebs I'm just too short to reach. Her lips crinkle into a terrible emotion. "They were good," she says, smiling, the crinkle fading, "Ellen was one of the best outside the government. Nicole had a different set of skills, but still she was reliable."

"I'm sure you played a role in that too, right?" I offer.

She smiles, then scoops an oversized spoonful of ice cream. Brain freeze commencing in... 5... 4... 3... 2...- "GAH!"

"Put your thumb on the roof of your mouth," I say, demonstrating for her.

"Ho hanyhay," she tries to tell her story through her thumb, "Hellen and Hicole hould paihr hup and- bleh -Wow, that was really fast! They would pair up, usually with a third like Anby or Lycaon. We would find contracts online, grab them before someone else could, and get them resolved quickly."

"That sounds like tight margins," I say.

"And high electricity bills," Belle groans, "It was honestly a nightmare most months, but... Excluding the incident, we were some of the best."

"That must have been scary," I empathize.

"It was," Belle sighs, then chuckles, "It is, it will be, but it's in the past."

"And they're both fine," I offer.

"Well," Belle rolls her eyes, "They could stand to do the laundry more often, but that's neither here nor there."

Then I offer way too eagerly, "If you ever need someone to do the laundry for you, I don't mind."

Belle's impish grin returns. "Looking to steal more panties from my wives, eh?" I do my best to hide behind the tub of ice cream. Before I can retort, she laughs. "I appreciate it Fufu," she says.

"I think you earned the right to ask me an invasive question," I say, taking another bite of ice cream.

She looks me up and down. I'm not wearing anything special. A camisole, a pair of sweatpants that I rolled the waist band of until they were the right length. My toe nails need to be done again. Belle is wearing an over sized t-shirt, yoga shorts, and a pair of flip-flops reserved for the house. I am ashamed to say, it is very obvious she is not wearing a bra.

"The other day," she says, "I kissed Nicole, you said 'me next,' did you mean it?"

"Did I-" I can feel my face getting hot, "I mean, did I mean that I wanted you to kiss me like that or that I thought I was deserving of a kiss from you or that I thought my girlfriend-" Belle sets her ice cream down on the table in front of the couch. I am helpless as she crawls across the couch, cups my cheeks, and plants a somewhat underwhelming kiss on my lips. 

Have I gotten used to Nicole's exquisitely high caliber kisses? Will I never be able to go back to those first kiss jitters? Has she ruined kisses for me for good?

"Better?" Belle asks into my lips.

I open my eyes slightly, Belle's eyes are still closed. Is she waiting for me to reciprocate? Leaning forward, my nose squishing against her cheek bone, I return her kiss while doing my best Nicole impression. Is this okay? Wouldn't her two wives and my two girlfriends be upset over this impromptu make out session? No, they'd probably ecstatically join in.

"Hang on," Belle whispers, standing up from the couch, "I don't want the ice cream to melt."

"Glad one of us has their priorities in order," I joke. She flips a rude hand gesture my way and stashes the ice cream tubs in the freezer. When she returns, I put a hand on her thigh. After watching Nicole and Ellen squeeze it so many times, I had to feel it for myself.

"Forward, aren't we?" She teases.

"So soft!" I say, squishing her thigh again, "How?!"

"Please," she jiggles her thighs back and forth, "These old things, just some usual maintenance, nothing special."

"Sorry, that was cringe," I admit.

"No, it was very cute," she assures me, "And I like cute things."

"Do you like me?" I ask, for once not cursing myself. It feels so natural and obvious, actually, it feels like a dream. Like any moment now Belle's head could turn into an alarm clock and start screaming at me.

"Fufu," she smiles wide, "Can you blame me?"

"Is that a yes?" I ask.

She nods.

"Oh, cool," I say, "Do we need to tell Ellen and Nicole?"

Belle thinks about it for a moment. "That depends on if you're asking me to be your girlfriend," she says, "In which case, yes, they do need to be brought in."

"I don't know!" I admit, suddenly filled with anxious feelings, "I thought you were asking me!"

"I thought we were just making out," she admits, "I mean, don't think I'm some floozy, but if you want to make this a date, I'm fine with that."

It feels cheap to turn this make out session into a date. We barely even got to make out.

"Let me call Nicole," I say, scampering to my bed side table. Selecting her contact, I call her number and wait patiently.

"Fufu!" Nicole says excitedly.

"Hey Fufu!" Ellen says in the background.

"Ellen says hi," Nicole informs me.

"Yeah, hi, hi, how's the date going?" I ask.

"Oh good," Nicole says, "We're definitely coming back here with all four of us. How's your night going?"

"Uhm, that's actually what I wanted to talk about," I say, "Belle came over and we kind of made out for a second."

"That bitch," Nicole complains.

"What?" Ellen asks.

"Belle made out with Fufu," Nicole explains.

"What the hell!" Ellen complains.

"You're not mad right?" I ask.

"Not at you," Nicole continues, "Thank you for calling to tell us."

"Well there's more to it," I say, a slight patter in my chest as Belle stands from the couch. Her eyes are filled with a seductive lust that I cannot ignore. But for the sake of my promise to Nicole, I will endure.

"She's still there isn't she," Nicole says, "Fine, you looking for a day pass or you want to date her too?"

"I mean," I stumble over my words, thankfully Belle snatches the phone from me.

"Hey, it's me," she says, a distinct complaining comes over the speaker from my two other girlfriends, "Yeah, yeah, anyways- Me and Fufu are going to make out for a bit. Are you two going to be out late?"

Out late?

"Yeah, just come to Fufu's," Belle says, her hand scratching my lower back, "Nah, I brought ice cream and wine. No we haven't had any wine yet." Belle rolls her eyes as if to say, "They think so low of me."

"Okay, good," Belle smiles at me, "I'll tell her the good news."

"Good news?" I ask.

Belle nods, leans forward, and presses her lips to mine. Her hand lifts my shirt slowly over my head. Leaning back, Belle kisses along my stomach, then my rib cage, then my chest. As I sigh, she begins to bite gently at the softer parts of my body.

I wonder how long until Ellen and Belle get here? Will I be able to last that long?

Belle and I jump as two assholes knock on my apartment door in a very annoying rhythm. "Fucking hell," Belle complains clutching her chest. My own chest is covered in small bite marks, I grab my shirt and pull it back on to hide what we've been up to. Not like they won't find out soon enough.

As I unlock the door, the knocking stops. I find Ellen and Nicole looking utterly nonchalant. "Oh Fufu," Nicole says, feigning disinterest, "You're still up. How about that."

"Yes, quite," Ellen says.

"Would you two get in here?" I demand.

I am quickly lifted onto Nicole's shoulder and carried back to the bed. "I always forget how strong you are," Ellen says, leaning down to kiss Belle, "How was dinner?"

"I should be asking you that," Belle says, "We had ice cream for dinner."

"Belle!" Nicole chides, "You can't be doing that!"

"Well whatever," Belle says, rolling her eyes, "It's not like we had that much."

"Didn't have that much?" Ellen says, "Have you even had dinner?"

"We ate," I say, the taste of Belle's breast still lively on my tongue.

"Yeah," Belle says, giving me a flirtatious look, "We ate plenty."

"Fufu!" Nicole complains, "I thought you said I would be your first time!"

"Did you really promise that?" Belle asks. Ellen begins blushing and cupping her face. I think she might be Nicole and I's biggest fan.

"I did," I say, "Belle didn't do anything close to third base."

"You went to second base with my girlfriend?!" Nicole accuses.

"Our girlfriend," Ellen reminds her.

"Yeah, whatever," Nicole says, adopting a primadonna persona, "We all know you two are second fiddle compared to me."

"Rude!" Belle and Ellen yell.

"Please, no fighting over me," I beg, "It's really embarrassing."

"So what did you two do?" Nicole asks, dropping me onto the bed and straddling my hips, "Be honest, or else!"

"Or else what?" I wonder out loud.

"Or else I'll kiss you," she threatens, "I mean, I'll kiss you either way, it's a very empty threat."

"Intimidating," I chuckle, "We made out on the couch for a little bit, then we called you, then Belle and I kissed each other's... bodies... and maybe bit each other."

"Maybe?" Nicole asks, sliding her hands under my shirt, "Want to amend that statement?"

"Okay, we definitely bit each other," I admit. Nicole slides the shirt so my stomach is revealed. Scooting down my body, she begins to kiss and nibble softly at my abdomen.

"I want a taste," Ellen says, sliding up beside me. She lifts my shirt over my breast and begins to gently suck. Her teeth are much sharper than Nicole or Belle, so she is much softer than either of them have been.

"Fufu, you don't mind, right?" Belle asks, laying on my other side. Her hand squeezes Nicole's calf as she takes my other breast into her mouth. They're not much, they're hardly anything at all compared to them. Still, they are gentle and tender and don't make stupid comments about their size.

As I let out a charged sigh, all three look at me. "Does that feel good?" Nicole asks.

I nod my head, "Promise this isn't a dream, right?"

"No," Ellen says softly into my neck, "You're very much awake right now."

Thank god.

Chapter Text

# Chapter 15

"A bathrobe?" Nicole asks, "That's the surprise?"

"No," I groan, "The surprise is under the bathrobe. But I... You know, you're very special to me. I mean all three of you are, but you know, you are especially special."

"Yeah?" She asks, her cheeks starting to blush.

"So I don't want to hear Belle and Ellen asking to see the surprise too, okay?" I clarify.

"Understood," she smiles, "It stays between you and me."

I let out an anxious sigh and let the bathrobe fall to the floor. Nicole folds in half, kicking her feet, squealing into her hands. "THE BIKINI?!" She shouts.

Yes. The tiny, floss-like, golden bikini with the low rise bottoms and the thin as sin cups. "If you speak a word of this," I warn her, "To either of them, this is the last time we do it. Understood?"

"Understood," Nicole says, biting her bottom lip excitedly, "Can I just say... I love how much more confident you've gotten since I last saw you in this."

"Well, I've got three very good reasons to be confident," I say. But that isn't the truth. The truth is that I am much happier since I started dating Nicole, since they all came into my life. I thought my life was over, that all that waited for me was a looming darkness. They proved me wrong. Nicole proved me wrong.

Nicole pats her thigh. She's wearing a red lace lingerie set with stockings and a garter belt. I straddle her hips and wrap my arms behind her neck. Her lips find my clavicle as her hands squeeze my waist. "Anything you don't want me to do?" She asks softly.

"Just don't force my hand anywhere," I say, "Is there anything you don't want me to do?"

She shakes her head.

"Can I tell you everything I want to do to you?" She asks. I nod into her lips. "I want to tear this silly bikini off of you, then bite every inch of your body, leaving behind tiny hickies. Once you're rolling around in a painful pleasure, I'll pull your bottoms off and eat you out until you can't take it anymore."

"That sounds nice," I admit.

"Good," she says, her finger slides under the draw string of my top and pulls it loose. As it falls into her lap, she leans down. Her lips are soft against my chest, her tongue careful as it traces my areola, my breath caught in my throat as I hold the back of her neck.

"Nicole," I sigh.

A small yelp as she presses against the front of the bathing suit. She pauses her kissing to look at me, waiting patiently for the signal to proceed. I nod as our lips connect, sighing into her mouth as she gently rubs. Her other hand steadies me, holding the small of my back.

Coarsely gripping her breasts, I desperately try to make her feel even an iota as heavenly as she makes me feel. I know that my attempts are in vain, but she doesn't care. She is so overwhelmingly invested in my pleasure right now that I can do nothing but crumple at her touch.

"Nicole," I sigh again, "Take them off."

"Are you sure?" She asks before carefully pulling one of the drawstrings at my hip undone, "I'm still very clothed." I undo the front of her bra, helping her to shrug it off her shoulders. I have no idea how to deal with her garter belt or stockings, but I anxiously pull at her panties. "Need a hand?" She teases. I nod.

With her breast in one hand and my lips against her neck, she pulls her panties free. "I want you to touch me," she says, "Can I show you where?"

"I know where," I say, biting her neck gently in retaliation, "I just wanted to- AHN!" She retaliates by gently stroking my clit.

"What was that?" She teases, "Sounded like you were talking back to me for a second."

"No," I sigh into her shoulder, "I just... it's not fair!"

"Touch me," she demands. I return my focus to her chest, groping her, biting her, sucking her flesh. Her chest grows flush, but her fingers do not relent. A wave of embarrassment floods my neck with hot feelings as my hips begin to gyrate against her hand. "Good kitten," she says.

That word that used to boil my blood now sends a shiver up my spine. All because it came dripping in praise as it fell from her lips. I sigh into Nicole's tit, not willing to give up as Nicole continues to- "How does that feel?" Nicole asks, the first knuckle of her index finger inside of me.

"Uhm," I sigh as she withdraws, "I like the other stuff more."

"Heard," she says softly.

"Sorry," I mumble.

"Don't," she whispers.

"Okay," I whisper back.

And like that we are back to losing ourselves in each others bodies. Her breast squishes nicely in my hand. Her lips pull gently on mine. Her grip on my waist comforts and guides me to a comforting but overwhelming- "Fuck," I gasp, "So good!"

"Sit on the edge of the bed," she commands.

"No, come on," I beg, "I'm so-" She slides off the bed, pulling my hips to her. Before I can object, her lips are on my core. My legs rest on her shoulders, her fingers digging into my thighs. Through fluttering eyes I watch her lap at my core. But as her tongue flicks against my clit, I throw my head back and clutch the comforter tightly.

"Fuck!" I groan.

"Feels good?" Nicole asks. I hum in the affirmative.

I didn't think it would feel this good. I didn't think it was okay to feel this good. I thought this was fake, that it was made up to sell romantic comedies and cheap pornos, but no. Nicole buries her face between my legs and engorges herself with no goals other than the selfless act of bringing me to a face melting orgasm that I swore did not exist outside of fiction.

She gasps loudly, replacing her tongue with her hand, smiling at me knowing full well how madly I'm in love with her. "How are you doing?" She asks.

"Gentle!" I beg, "I just- fuck!"

Her hand retreats, "Did you finish?"

"Yeah," I say, eyes rolling in my head. My body tingles as Nicole kisses from my labia to my hip bones, to my abdomen, to my diaphragm, to my rib cage, gently flicking my nipple with her tongue, then burying her face in my neck. "Gentle!" I plead.

"I don't want to be gentle," she complains, "But because you're so stinkin' cute, I'll suffer through it."

"How noble," I tease, pulling her closer to me.

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, mostly naked and holding each other. Our lips speaking words our mouths could not muster. Our fingers and hands delicately dancing across our sighing frames.

"Nicole," I sigh as her thumb brushes against my nipple, "I think I love you."

Tears flow freely from her eyes. She's such a softy. "Okay, but like are you sure?" She asks.

I gave a shrug, "I'm sure enough that I want to tell you."

"But..." Nicole's bottom lip trembles, she takes a deep breath, "It's okay if I don't say it immediately right?"

"Of course," I say, wrapping my arms around her.

"You promise you're not offended?" She asks into my neck.

I can't help but chuckle.

"Okay, don't laugh at me!" She begs.

"No, I wasn't I just-" I sigh into her neck, "If it was anyone other than you, I would be. But for you... it makes perfect sense that you'd want to wait."

"I do care a lot about you Fufu," she whispers, "I hope you know that."

"Of course," I whisper, nuzzling as deep as I can into her neck, "You show me that everyday."

"You're not going to be anxious?" She asks.

I shake my head and smile at her. "Even if I was going to be anxious," I continue, "That's not your responsibility."

She nods.

"I'm glad I gave you my first time," I whisper.

"You're not going to regret it?" She asks.

"Why would I regret it?" I ask.

Nicole didn't answer. Maybe she gets anxious too.

---

"What do you mean?" Belle asked, "Like officially ask Fufu out?"

"It would be polite," Ellen teased. I chuckle as they continue bickering over what is good and proper in regards to them dating me.

Nicole is sat next to me, squeezing my hand under the dinner table. "Hey, hold this one," I say, offering my other hand so I can eat the delicious meal Belle prepared. She takes it and continues pushing the curry around with her fork.

"What's up with you?" Belle asks Nicole.

She has been feeling off since I confessed to her. Nicole shrugged. I've never seen her like this before. I scoot closer to her and wrap my arms around her neck. "It's fine," I whisper, "I'm used to unrequited feelings."

Nicole begins to sob into her hands. Ellen reaches over and rubs Nicole's shoulder. Belle reaches across the table, but there's nothing to grab onto. "Holy shit, Fufu," Nicole says, her sobs turning into laughter, "That's the most depressing thing you've said yet."

"I'm glad you can laugh about it," I tease.

"Fufu," she turns to me, smiles softly, her eyes still misty. Then she looks to her wives, Belle smiles back, Ellen looks confused. "Belle, Ellen, Fufu, I just- I love you all so much."

"You better," Ellen grumbles

"Wait," Belle says, "Did you just confess?!" Ellen looks around confused on my behalf.

"Sorry," Nicole turns to me, "I should have done that one on one, right?" I shake my head. It feels more special knowing that I am at all close to the same echelons that Belle and Ellen reside at.

"I love you too," I say, kissing her cheek.

"This curry is so good," Ellen says.

"Wow, only my girlfriend can say it back to me," Nicole says, rolling her eyes, "How typical."

"Typical?!" Belle and Ellen chide. I'm lucky to not get caught in the crossfire of bits of Indian style cuisine. "I can't believe her," Belle harrumphs, "As if we didn't move here for her."

"We moved here because we all wanted to," Ellen says.

"Yeah, fine," Belle sighs, "But she started it."

"I'm glad you did," I say.

"Aw," Belle and Ellen say.

"You sleeping over tonight?" Nicole asks.

"Nah," I say, "I think I want to sleep in my own bed tonight." Ellen pretends to be stabbed in the chest. Belle smacks her shoulder and chuckles.

"Can I at least walk you home?" Nicole asks.

"Of course," I say flirtatiously.