Ch. 21
The story continues!
--Mira--
I had a lot of thinking to do. As wound up as I was, I couldn't sleep a wink. I just kept going over it in my head. All of it. He never took away control from me. Claire? Tempest? They were his. When they were together, they were almost more playthings than lovers. They delighted in it, and he did too. I knew how much he loved treating them that way, but he never made me do that. He never asked it of me. Honestly, he never even thought it.
From the day we met, he let me have my way. If I’d fight, if I’d train, if I’d let him touch me in any fashion, if I even stuck around. I decided to stay. I decided to train and fight, and I decided when and how I let him touch me. I decided everything, right down to what kind of treats he bought me at the little stores we stopped by.
Truth was, I loved the feeling. Of having control. Of having a say. Even if all I found myself saying was “I’m with him”. That I could choose was what I wanted.
That morning, I was going to choose something. I was going to choose for myself, not because I felt any kind of pressure, not because I was convincing myself I had some standard to live up to. No. I was choosing because this was what I wanted.
I told him, I told master quite plainly that I needed time alone with him. Nobody objected, though Tempest asked if I was okay. She realized with a grin and a wag of her tail what it was I wanted, and just hummed happily as she dug her pokeball out of his bag, handing it to him with a nod in my direction.
Claire and Cocoa followed suit. It was a bit of an unspoken agreement between us, I realized. If they’d ever felt the same, asked the same? Like hell I would keep them from it.
As he sat on his sleeping bag, running a hand through his messy, tangled hair, I came to him, my paws on his chest, taking a kiss from his lips. I chose his kiss. My ribbons slid around his wrists, guiding his hands to touch me. I chose his touch. I decided when, where, and how. Now, here, and gently.
I decided when we started. I decided when I would let him in. I decided we weren’t done just because he finished. I decided to enjoy tormenting his over-sensitive skin with my tongue until he was clean to my standards. I decided to make him fill me again, as exhausted as I knew he was.
And I did it only because I wanted to. Only because I felt like it.
In the aftermath of it, I held him, and I felt everything he felt. Fatigue, satisfaction, yes. Also, his love, his happiness, and a sense of relief. I gave that to him. I made him feel those things. It felt good to do it. It felt good to do what I wanted.
The next thing I wanted to do was go pick a fight. So after we all finished breakfast, pulled up stakes, moved on, I told the girls that’s what I wanted. Tempest almost cackled with glee, and it wasn’t an hour before we found a trainer willing to put it on the line. She stepped back and I stepped forward, and that’s how we let master know what we had going on.
I wanted to show him I’d been working hard, too. I wanted him to watch me dance. The trainer had a beautiful bellossom and what we shared in that fight was elegant, dignified. I pushed myself, pivoting, leaping, sprinting around her. Faster, and faster until she couldn’t land a solid hit, leaves swept up in the wake of my movements, and ultimately, her with them.
In the end, I didn’t need to beat her up. She wore herself out and it didn’t take a lot of force to wrap it up. Truth was, I was bushed, too. But there was no way I was going to let them know that.
The feelings I felt from him afterward were pride, and a tinge of deep attraction. He loved the way I moved, loved the silky fur wrapped around his hand, loved the way I walked. So I moved forward just a bit, and gave him a subtle tug, letting my hips sway just a bit more. He liked the show I put on, so why not put on a little more? He’d have had me, then and there if we could have just found a place alone.
I might have let him, too.
The truth was, for the first time in ages, I felt free. He’d been training all of us, pushing us every day. Getting us ready for a gym fight. And sure, I was happy to do it. I’d give him my best when the time came. But I realized something, thanks to Cocoa.
I wasn’t in it for the gyms, the badges. I came to realize he wasn’t either. He wanted us to do our best, to fight with all our hearts. But he’d be proud of us even if we never won, or fought another fight. He wanted the journey, to see where it would take us. The gyms he was trying to train us for were just an excuse to go a little further. An excuse to keep going over the next hill. The next horizon. To keep doing our best, together.
So if I wasn’t in it for the fights, if I wasn’t in it because I didn’t have a choice, what was I there for?
I was there because I wanted to be. Because he was there, and I loved him. I loved the way he made me feel… and I loved the way I made him feel, in return. I was there because my friends were there. Because I really liked the things we all did together. So what if he was a lech, Claire was a slut, and Tempest was crazy? They were all my friends, he was my mate, and it was fun to watch. I had fun and I wanted it.
I liked taking control, and I liked mating him. I liked that he let me choose that, too. It turned me on, of course… but more than that, it made me feel safe. He made me feel safe. That’s why I stayed… and that’s why I had him again that night.
For once, the only pressure I felt was him filling me up for the third time that day.
--Trainer--
Sometimes, the girls really surprised me. Mira was a lot of things, and she’d been getting bolder and more assertive by the day, it seemed. But this was a new level for her. For one thing, she never seemed to want to go first in a fight. It had always been more of a Tempest mindset. Claire was usually second.
She’d been a force of nature, all day long. From the moment I woke up, it just seemed like she had her whole day planned out, and we were all just along for the ride. It was exhilarating. I’d never really seen anything quite like it. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in anything she did, all day. It was surreal, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
Our lovemaking had been infrequent, at best. Not because I was uninterested, and I knew she knew that. She chose when we would, and she simply chose not very often. To have her toss that page right out of the book was enough to make me wonder if there was something in the food that was getting her riled up.
The only answer I got, as she curled up on my stomach, my release dribbling out of her, as she watched it with a happy little smirk, was that I’d better get used to it. She was calling the shots, and she was going to want a lot more than the little warm-up we had today.
As if I would have objected.
I’d backed off of training the next few days, for all our sakes, and also because the ongoing rains had left everything a sodden, muddy mess. Still, it hardly felt like a loss, it gave us more time to enjoy seeing the whole world come to life. More energy to spend on the road, making progress towards the city.
It also meant I wasn’t wasting the massage Cocoa had given me. All in all, I felt like a new man, and the long road didn’t bother me so much, especially with the change in the weather.
Colorful little wildflowers danced in the cool wind, and it felt like birdsong was everywhere. Wherever water ran or pooled on the surface, it seemed there were pokemon around to benefit from it.
The clouds still rolled in overhead, but it seemed like the heavy rains had passed. Every now and again we’d find ourselves beneath little sprinkles. A light misting. But mostly it was just cool and shady, and peaceful. Hushed, if not quite muted.
Following the road, and the signage, we weren’t far out from the next stop, and the next gym. I was looking forward to it. I felt as refreshed as the soil itself. I wanted to see what we could do as a team.
The closer we got, the more people we saw. A few trainer battles with mixed results. Our wins were a lot harder won, and we didn’t win all of them. Still, I was optimistic, and the girls did great. Tempest took the losses hard, and promised me she’d do better, promised me she’d work harder.
I tried to help her understand, we were never going to be the strongest in the world, and that was a good thing. It meant we’d always have more to learn. Always have something to strive for. But all I got from her was grumbling acceptance, and sulking quiet.
Claire was more cheerful about it. In her mind, it didn’t hurt us to have a few losses along the way. “As long as we win the big ones, right?” I wished they understood what I did, but that wasn’t something you could really understand without experiencing it. I knew that. Someday, they would, and it would change everything about the journey.
Cocoa and Mira had grown to be basically inseparable, the two had taken to sparring practice, and I was grateful that Mira volunteered for it of her own accord. Her agility would force Cocoa to be quicker, while Cocoa’s raw power would keep Mira on the defensive.
We saw the bright lights of the city that night, though it was still well toward the horizon. It seemed to light up the sky, and certainly stood out against the dark, muted colors of the empty desert under the halfway obscured moon.
Claire and Tempest surprised me, packing it in early. I imagined they expected me to head for the gym straight away. I hadn’t honestly decided. Still, it was good they’d be ready. I stayed up a while, feeding twigs and grasses to a low fire.
Mira had fallen asleep beside me, mumbling something about pecha chews and eating clouds. Cocoa giggled at it, running a hand over Mira’s head, and slowly unwinding her ribbon from my arm.
“She adores you.” I told Cocoa, as I ran my hand over Mira’s head. “She’s a sweetie, good to everyone, but it seems like she has a real soft spot for you.” I smiled, looking up at Cocoa. “I’m glad, you know?"
-- Cocoa --
I was glad to have her too, and to see him worry after her the same way he did me. The other day had been a relief. To know it weren’t just me gettin’ special treatment. It made me feel better about it all, weren’t takin’ nothin’ from no one, weren’t gonna hurt nobody. They all shared, all played nice and got on just fine. Weren’t like I was changin’ that up none.
My hand came to rest on his, an’ as he took it, warm and soft and kind, it felt right. Did I love him? Hell, I couldn’a told ya. I reckoned so, but I couldn’a said nothin’ ‘bout what it was supposed to feel like. Maybe I didn’t know. But he was awful good to me, an’ I knew a silly girl like me could’a done worse for herself than bein’ with a boy like him.
Weren't somethin’ I'd get on the farm, that was sure. We were expected to let whatever tauros they chose do what he was gonna, an’ no regard for our feelings on the matter. A good miltank gave milk, and babies, not a fuss.
Ain't none of us said nothin’ about it. Was just how things were, since before my grandma was a baby, herself. The idea of havin’ a real choice was awful strange. Ain't never mattered before, but all of the sudden it was a big ol’ question mark I could’a damn near plucked out of the sky.
More an’ more I’d begun to find out it weren’t all about me, neither. Weren’t about bein’ touched, or bein’ held. Sure I liked those things, but that weren’t it. It weren’t the first time I had a boy’s attention. A’course, not the same with a tauros, awful one-sided.
I reckoned it’d been one-sided for him, an’ that’s what I hated.
It was that realization dawnin’ on me what stopped me cold. What I wanted weren’t just about me. I wanted to make him happy, too. He was awful sweet to me, an’ I ain’t never done nothin’ much but a back rub for all the care an’ comfort he gave me. I wanted to give him more than that. An’ what else could a girl like me really give a boy what would make him understand he meant somethin’ to her?
I weren’t gonna regret it none. It weren’t like I was savin’ it, that bull left the barn a long time ago, so to speak. Ain’t nothin’ I ain’t done before, which was Mira’s hangup, in a lotta ways. Shucks, I knew I’d enjoy it, an’ he would too. Even if it was just foolin’ around, it weren’t like that was gonna be a bad thing.
But… It weren’t just gonna be foolin’ around, was it? I really liked him. He was sweet, an’ gentle, an’ I liked the way he treated me. Treated all of us.
If it weren’t love, it was somethin’ awful close to it. He meant somethin’ to me, an’ I wanted to show him so. I wanted to know I made him happy, ‘cause he sure made me happy. Whatever happened, I reckoned that was surely a good enough reason for it to.
--Trainer--
I didn’t remember falling asleep, but I woke up in the tent, sandwiched between Cocoa and Mira, their warmth taking away the chill of the air. Tempest was already up, packing up my bag. I felt Claire, outside, grumbling about the mud, as she saw to breakfast.
She brightened up as I came to my senses, and I smelled eggs and knew she was delighted at the idea of giving me a good meal. I slipped away from Cocoa as Mira snuggled up closer to her and gave Tempest a hug, before she stole a deep, lingering kiss from me.
It surprised me, but it was a wonderful way to wake up, her tongue sought mine and I gave her what she wanted, my hands falling to her hips, pulling her close, her fur tickling my bare chest as my fingers kneaded her backside.
She let out a soft, breathy moan, but shook her head, pushing away after a moment.
“When I’m done tearing that gym down, we’re gonna go celebrate.” She whispered, her heavy, clawed hand running across my bare chest. “I have a few ideas I want to try.” She teased, before giving me a nudge towards the door. “I’m not the only one, I’m sure. So save your energy for now, lover. You’re going to need it!”
If I hadn’t had a morning erection, that would’ve corrected the situation. I joined Claire by the fire and she smirked, a knowing wink offered over her shoulder as she stirred a pot of rice.
“She’s right. She isn’t the only one. Training, training, training. I’m ready for a break, I think. When we’re done dealing with this gym for you, what do you say we get a cozy little room and have the kind of fun we can only get away with in the shower?” She asked, as she served up a plate, sitting beside me shortly after.
“I thought you’d never ask.” I teased, my hand coming to rest on her thigh. “Trust me, I want it, too. You have no idea how badly I do.” I paused, stilled, opened my thoughts to her. Such as they were she gasped, blushed, moaned, squirmed and smiled up at me.
“Yes please… All of that, and more.” She finally whimpered, as I tucked in to breakfast. It was certainly something to look forward to. Though, I’d begun to have second thoughts about the gym. Were we really ready for it?