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All Things in Moderation

It was hard to imagine a more pleasantly spent winter. Curled up amidst blankets before a roaring fire, a hot drink within arms reach and chocolates hand fed into your mouth at the slightest whim. Days spent chatting and laughing and enjoying the luxuries of home life, and nights spent relishing the modern world's many entertainments; from the vast variety of Netflix to the simple, hedonistic joy of raw cookie dough, consumed straight from the tube.

Nicoya loved seeing his mistress happy. So much so that for the first few months, he barely noticed that the lifestyle to which he had become accustomed was changing. Not in any horrific or terrifyingly weird way. Not in any manner that was changing how the feline male felt for his beloved mistress, nor how she felt for him. But still, the changes were there. A loosening of the regime that had kept him so sharp and attentive a pet. A slackening of expectation on both their parts, as they simply indulged one another in relaxation and sleep and sex.

It had always been the case that as well as his mistress, as well as the love of his life, Cayes had been Nicoya's role model. She had shown him fairness and respect, she had taught him the value of moderation; praising him and rewarding him when he most certainly deserved it, and doling out punishment if he grew too cocky or greedy. Even beyond the reach of their relationship, those same traits had been present throughout all of Cayes' dealings. In her business, in her interactions with friends and family, even just in how she behaved with regard to her own self-worth, she was the perfect mixture of disciplined and open hearted.

But... over these last few months, it was impossible to deny that some of those traits which Nicoya had witnessed in Cayes with such reverence, had begun to slide. To fade.

At first it was just little things. Not stopping Nicoya as he began, unbidden, to kiss and fondle his mistress' beautiful body. Allowing Nico to tease and pleasure her to excess, to treat her over the holiday season with more and more extravagant meals and gifts and sexual delights. Then, one day, after a long night of frenzied sex which had concluded with both lovers collapsing, near unconscious and far too worn out to remember that Nicoya needed to re-don his chastity cage, a line had been crossed. A key value of their relationship, one of the core elements of restraint which kept them both so alert to one another's needs and wants and successes and failings, began to slip.

Nicoya had awoken to find himself free. Free, and aroused, and lying next to his beautiful mistress.

He had known it was a risk to waken her. To disturb her sleep and be so forward as to presume they could enjoy another bout of shared bliss, but the winged cat had been willing to face the consequences if indeed Cayes had not felt the same way.

But, of course, she had.

Still half asleep, her nether regions still tingling from the memories of the night before and her eyes filled with the bright, eager, lust fuelled face of her beloved pet, Cayes had welcomed her lover's advance.

From that morning onward, she had started to go easy on him. At first thrilled by how devoted he could be even without potential punishment as a guide to keep him on track, and then just increasingly wary of bringing an end to this shameless, mutual indulgence which they were pouring upon one another. Night after night she found herself wrapped up in Nicoya's arms, his lips tenderly pressing against her smooth skin and his cock throbbing deep inside her. Evening after evening she was lavished with massages from both hands and tongue, made to squirm and laugh and scream in pleasure as they watched hour after hour of trashy TV.

There were weeks, whole weeks, where the two of them barely ventured outside their front door, or even donned clothes. In the depths of winter, with snow and driving winds just outside the centrally heated walls of the turtle's home, it was just so much easier to remain indoors. Loving and laughing and fucking and not thinking about the consequences of the excess they were piling so liberally upon one another.

It took months. Several long, cold and indulgent months, for the two of them to truly recognise that happy as they may have been, there was something wrong.

As spring approached, and Cayes found her calendar beginning to fill up with social events for the new season which she was expected to attend, she felt oddly self conscious as she tried on a selection of the new spring fashions. The waistline of the skirts and pants she tried felt oddly tight, and as she laced together the front and rear segments of her shell with a soft blue ribbon that had caught her eye in one of the new season catalogues, her cheeks flushed with shame as she felt the light fabric squeezing against bunched flesh, itself pooling out from within the stiff portions of her shell. Try as she might, the length of fabric which had always been sufficient to bind her shell together just would not do its job, and it was only by using a longer, much less seasonal length of black faux-leather that Cayes was able to bind herself at all.

That evening, after several very long, very uncomfortable meet and greets, the turtle had found herself in dire need of some relief, not to mention some reassurance in her physical appearance. So, of course, she turned to the one man in all the world she trusted to make her feel better. She turned to Nicoya, and once more took him into her bedroom safe in the knowledge that just as he had over the whole of the winter, the winged cat would soon be able to pleasure her to such liberal excess that she would be utterly incapable of remembering what had made her feel so self conscious.

To her relief and joy, Nicoya did not let her down. He groaned happily as she bared herself to him, and though it had been many weeks since he was last caged and made to hold back, he still was unable to contain himself for more than a few minutes as the turtle dropped to her knees and took his trembling, rigid cock into her mouth.

The final straw however, the tipping point which would bring everything into focus and make Cayes and her pet see how far they had strayed from their unique but wonderfully happy relationship, was still to come that same evening.

Indeed it came just a few minutes after Nicoya called out his mistress' name, lashing her blushing, beaming face with streaks of his cum while one of her hands gently caressed and squeezed at his balls. In the wake of Nico's orgasm, the feline fell back onto the bed, and purred loudly as he watched his mistress standing over him, one hand between her legs, hungrily rubbing at the swollen nub of her clitoris. He cried out joyfully as she straddled him, and fell to her knees atop him, shuffling forward until her midsection was hovering directly over his face.

He placed his hands upon her thighs, just as he had done on so many occasions before, and gurgled in anticipation as Cayes hurriedly lowered her pussy down upon his eager, practically drooling maw.

A few seconds later, the feline male's eyes widened. He let loose a strange, muffled yowling, and his hands parted from Cayes' thighs. They began to flail, and before the turtle could bring herself to move, Nicoya had grasped her by the knees and actively begun to push her up and away from him.

"Aa-ahh! Fuck. Fuck!"

Breathlessly, wheezing and gasping with tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, Nicoya rolled over onto his side; gently cradling his neck with one hand.

For a moment, just a moment, Cayes was angry. She knew she'd been going easy on Nico for quite a while now, enjoying the exploration of this more equal, amorous aspect of their relationship, but if he thought he could turn her away; leave her needy and unsatisfied while he got what he wanted, that was a different story entirely. She would make him remember who was mistress again, and who was the obedient, submissive pet!

The anger passed though, and was swiftly replaced by a feeling of humiliation and dread as the turtle truly analysed the situation. She crawled up the bed, lying down by Nico's side, and shifted into a position where she could meet his distressed, equally embarrassed gaze.

"Nico... whats wrong? What happened, sweet thing?"

His cheeks flushed deeper, and he shook his head.

"Nothing. N-nothing. I just... I..."

The feline's voice trailed off into silence, and his eyes closed; refusing to maintain contact with Cayes any longer than they already had.

A slight frown crossed the turtle's face, and she sighed in distressed confusion.

"You're lying, Nico. Why would you lie to me? What on earth is there that we can't be honest with one another about?"

Slowly, reluctantly, the cat's eyes opened once again. They were still a little tearful, sparkling with sorrowful emotion, and that look only intensified as Nicoya began a muffled admission of what had just happened.

"I. I couldn't breathe. You sat on my face, a-and... and this time, I dunno why. You pressed down on my neck. My windpipe. I couldn't breathe, so I freaked out a little. I'm so sorry, mistress. I'm so sorry."

The turtle's eyes bulged. Her cheeks reddened, then paled in anguished shame.

"You... couldn't breathe?"

Suddenly, her mind was whirling with memories from the past few months. All those boxes of chocolates. All the cookie dough. The way her clothes hadn't fit, the way her shell bulged with loose, jelly-like flesh within.

"Nico. Please. Please be honest with me. Do you truly think it was a one off... just the way I happened to settle upon you this time. Or, do you believe it was something else. My weight, perhaps. My size."

No sooner had that question left Cayes' lips, Nicoya sat bolt upright. He let slip the most heartbreaking whimper, and grabbed at the turtle tightly by her shoulders.

"You are beautiful. Y-you are the most stunning, gorgeous creature I have ever met. My mistress... I... I would never say that. Never think it. You are... you are you. And I could not, will not ask for anything more. Ever."

Despite the circumstances, a warm, bashful smile crossed Cayes' face; momentarily distracting her from the imminent truth hanging over the two of them.

"Oh, sweet Nico. I know you believe that. And I hope you know that I would not judge anyone, especially not myself, any less beautiful because of how big or little they may or may not be. Weight has nothing to do with being attractive, not where the heart is concerned. Of course I know that. Of course we both know that. But, sweet thing, that does not answer my question. I have put on some weight over the winter. Quite a bit, I dare say. That seems to be a fact neither of us can deny. All I am asking you, is whether or not that weight led me to hurt you just now."

The cat said nothing.

He simply hung his head, whimpered one last time in abject misery, and nodded.

Cayes sighed, and reached out to caress her beloved pet upon the cheek.

"Well then, it seems we have a problem. I need my pet to be able to service my needs. I need him to be able to lie on his back and eat me at my command, and... quite frankly, I need him to be able to breathe at the same time."

Pulling herself up from the bed, Cayes frowned as she found herself having to let slip a grunt of effort in order to propel herself into a standing position. She walked slowly to the far side of the bedroom, to the full length, oak framed mirror stood in one corner, and looked herself up and down.

Yes, she was still beautiful. And no, relatively speaking she wasn't that big. Where before she had been curvy, she was now chubby. A little too chubby, but nothing that some restraint and tough love couldn't knock back into shape in a few months.

And of course, restraint and tough love were two things which Cayes had a lot of practice in handing out and teaching to her pet.

Hopefully, Nicoya had learned those lessons well, and the last few months of soft touches would not have entirely wiped those many years of training from his mind. For if Cayes was to have her way, her adorable little kitten would need to shoulder an immense amount of responsibility in the days to come.

"Nico. I need you to do something for me. A very big, very important job. Can you do that for me? Can you do that for your mistress?"

Back upon the bed, Cayes heard Nicoya rapidly rising to an alert, attentive seated position. She smiled graciously.

"Good. I think we should get dressed, and retire to the living room to talk in more detail about how your mistress is going to get fit again. Perhaps you can make us some hot cho..."

The turtle's voice trailed off, and she rolled her eyes at how easily she had almost slipped up; at how easy it had become for her to take the luxury option for granted in everyday situations such as this.

"...or maybe a glass of water would be more appropriate, given the theme of our discussion."

From across the room, Nicoya giggled softly. Cayes glanced over her shoulder, and their eyes met. The cat's laughter ceased abruptly, and he placed a hand over his muzzle apologetically.

Thankfully for him, Cayes giggled right back.

"C'mon, silly kitten. We have lots to talk about. And by the time tonight's over, and you properly realise just how much I'm gonna be relying on you for the next few months, I think you'll be glad of a few light-hearted reasons to laugh."

***************

What followed in the days and weeks to come was nothing short of a complete revelation for both Cayes and Nicoya. A turnaround in lifestyles not only with regard to their level of physical activity, diet and general health consciousness, but in the very essence of their already unique relationship dynamic.

"Oh god... o-oh god."

Cayes whined with heightened exertion, throwing her head back and panting loudly as her flushed face trembled with effort.

"C'mon. You can do it. You're so close!"

Confident, eager, passionate to the extreme, Nicoya's voice rang out around the gasping, breathless turtle. He too was fatigued, overwhelmed by the relentless, steady stream of their shared actions. But at least he knew how far he planned on pushing them both. At least he was in control, able to set the limits, push the limits, and judge the limits for each of them; a luxury that Cayes was not to be trusted with after her misspent winter.

"You're almost there. Yes! Yes, that's it. You've done it!"

Nicoya crowed proudly as the digital readout on Cayes' exercise bike flashed with a message that indicated she had been riding for an hour straight. Her fourth hour of the day in total, and her fourth day in a row of this new fitness program upon which they had embarked.

Dismounting his own bike, the winged feline approached his mistress and planted an affectionate kiss upon her cheek. She huffed, overwhelmed with weary satisfaction, and smiled at him in a surprisingly meek, bashful manner.

"Now, how about we both have a nice glass of water, then shower off. If we hurry, we should have half an hour's downtime before I have to start making dinner."

The cat wasn't asking his mistress' opinion. He wasn't making a cautious suggestion. He was simply saying what they were going to do. More importantly, though, Cayes was not reacting. At least not in the way the dominant member of a relationship such as theirs would normally have responded to such apparent, albeit reasonable, demands. She nodded, and carefully slid off her own exercise bike; falling into step behind Nicoya as he began to proceed out of the study, which in just the last week had been transformed into what more closely resembled a home gymnasium.

Together the lovers walked up the stairs to the master bathroom, and once inside began to wordlessly strip off their rather damp, sweaty exercise attire.

Soon, they were nude. At least, mostly nude. Once more Nicoya's crotch was bound by a tight metal chastity cage, a lined metal loop holding his balls tight and the cage itself ensuring the content of his sheath had nowhere to go, were any visual or imagined stimulation to get him excited. Much as he remained bound physically by his chastity device however, his submissive tendencies ended there; much more abruptly than would normally have been the case. It was he who stepped into the shower first. He who turned it on and fiddled with the temperature controls, rendering the water perfectly lukewarm; ideal for cooling off and relaxing the muscles after a day of steady exercise, if not the most comfortable of sensations.

Cayes, meanwhile, stood outside the shower cubicle. The turtle waited patiently for her lover to beckon her forward, and even after joining him under the flowing water, she did not presume to start rinsing off her fatigued form until after Nicoya had already started to rub her down with a soft, clean wash-cloth.

"You're doing so well. Already keeping up with the pace I want for us to stick with. Another few weeks and we'll really start to make progress."

The feline spoke tenderly to his mistress as he bathed her. His hands massaged and cleansed her body with firm, steady strokes, not lingering too long on any particularly intimate areas, but equally not avoiding them. He washed her breasts. He washed between her legs and the curve of her rump. He pressed the wash-cloth between the unfastened segments of her shell, and rubbed at the still plump, full folds of flesh which still stood as the primary physical reminder of what Cayes sought to change with her lover's help.

Cayes smiled softly, turning her head up, eyes closed as the shower's flow beat down upon her face. She said nothing, simply relishing the calm and peace. The lack of effort, the total absence of action required on her part after such a long day of keeping busy.

No sooner had the wash-cloth ceased roaming across her smooth skinned frame though, the water stopped flowing.

"Alright, out we get."

Feeling a warm, furred hand slide its fingers through her own, Cayes was led out of the shower by Nicoya before she could even bring herself to open her eyes again. She groaned softly, and murmured in wistful longing.

"Can't we just stay for a little longer? Have a nice long soak? I'm not asking to draw a bath or anything, but..."

Cayes felt her lover's hand squeezing her own. She looked up at him, and sighed when she saw that the winged cat was already shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Cayes. You know the deal. We follow my routine to the letter. Every minute of every hour of every day, until you're back where you want to be. That means we don't rest unless the schedule says rest, and standing around in the shower counts as just that. After dinner, then we can rest. An hour's break; some TV or reading, then an early night."

Nicoya's smile never faded for a second as he spoke, and though there was obviously guilt shining in his eyes, and sorrow at having to tell his beloved mistress 'No', his voice was filled with the confidence of someone who knew they were doing the right thing.

"Unless, of course, you've decided you are back where you want to be? In fitness? In weight? In lifestyle?"

The last few days had been tough. There was no denying it. The program which Nicoya had set up for them to follow was geared towards burning fat, and that meant light aerobic exercise in abundance. Never too intense. Never too overwhelmingly tough. But long sessions, and still more than enough to tire out the two of them at this early stage, particularly after a winter spent exercising only through regular sexual exertion.

With only the smallest of resigned pouts, Cayes shook her head.

"Fine. Let's go make dinner."

After drying off and slipping into a pair of white cotton robes, the pair of them did just that. They made their way straight down to the kitchen, and took up their respective positions for this very strictly maintained portion of the fitness regime.

Settling down onto the solid wooden chair resting against one wall of the room, Cayes found herself blushing as Nicoya opened up the large plastic storage box taken from atop the refrigerator. She watched, hands behind her back and legs gently resting against the front two legs of the chair, as her lover removed several objects from the box, and began to secure them about her person one by one. Three sets of handcuffs. Padded so as not to dig into her skin, but with very little chain to restrict even the smallest of movements. One set soon found themselves fixed around each of the turtle's ankles, and the final pair were laced through the wooden slats in the chair's back, before being tightly secured upon Cayes' wrists.

A nervous gasp escaped the female's throat when the blindfold was slipped over her eyes. Of all the aspects of bondage that she had indulged in during times past, having her sight restricted remained something which Cayes had still never grown accustomed to. Everything felt so much more alien when you could not see the actions which were making it possible; even the most basic and familiar of sensations suddenly rendered exotic and at times highly unsettling. Before the turtle could let slip any more murmurs of nervousness however, she felt her lips being prised apart, and her mouth being stuffed full of... well, she knew rationally that it could only be a ball gag. The same gag which Nicoya had placed on her during the preparation of every meal since their new regiment began. But being blind, being unable to see the gag as it went on, made the whole experience infinitely more strange and disconcerting.

Of course, all the bondage and sensory deprivation was just a means to an end. It wasn't sexual. It wasn't even romantic or in any way intimate in this context. It was to make a point, or rather to reinforce a point, about discipline. About self restraint, and what the consequences could be if one did not hold themselves to a certain degree of restraint.

Cayes sat there, in the dark, unable to move or speak in any meaningful capacity, and listened as Nicoya left her side. As he crossed the kitchen, turned on the stove, and began to cook dinner.

"I thought I'd go for something simple today. Baked chicken breast with lemon and tarragon, and quinoa with some veggies."

Cayes smirked through her gag at Nicoya's inexperience. He was a natural cook, but still wasn't used to cooking with some of the more modern or upmarket ingredients that occasionally found their way into Cayes' larder. Quinoa was one such ingredient, a grain that could be used in place of rice or couscous for certain dishes. What made Cayes smile however was not the idea of Nicoya cooking with such an item... it was relatively simple to prepare, and had instructions on how to do so printed right on the packaging. It was the way he pronounced it.

Twice already this week Nicoya had prepared quinoa, 'quin-noah' as he called it, for himself and Cayes, and still the turtle couldn't bring herself to tell him that it was actually pronounced like 'key-noir'.

The humour of Nicoya's vocal slip-up was short lived though, as soon he was too caught up in the act of cooking to run a constant commentary to his bound partner, leaving her to be aware of what was going on with dinner only by the sounds and scents of the cookery in progress.

Cayes was hungry. She hadn't been snacking since the start of this new regime, but thanks to being kept so busy by Nico it was only at times like this, in the lead up to actual food, that the turtle became aware of just how ravenous her appetite could become. Thus to smell the scent of chicken browning in a frying pan before being placed into the oven to bake, to catch the wafting odour of sweet carrots and parsnip drizzled with the tiniest amount of honey, it was absolute hell. It should have been heaven, it could have been heaven, knowing that the better those food smells became the closer she was getting to being able to indulge and consume the meal itself. But of course, awaiting the preparation of dinner in this state of disciplined bondage was only half of her penance for letting her belly get the best of her.

When dinner was finally ready, Nicoya released Cayes from her blindfold and set her free from the chair. He led her to the dinner table, a single plate in hand, and set the dish full of steaming, heavenly looking food down in front of his seat.

Gesturing for Cayes to take her place at the other end of the table, Nico frowned as the turtle lingered, gazing longingly at his plate of food for a moment too long.

"I was going to let you sit normally, with just your gag on. But I see that you're not ready for that yet."

Before long, Cayes was bound to yet another chair. Arms and legs restrained, gag still in place. Able to see, at least, but now wishing that she couldn't. Wishing that there was anything else to look at, anything else to think about, as she watched Nico slowly, leisurely enjoying his dinner as he flipped through the pages of some magazine.

It took Nicoya almost twenty minutes to clear his plate. By which time his lover was doing more than just staring. She was drooling, trickles of saliva running down and dripping off the base of her bright red ball gag. She was trembling with desire, filled with an aching need for satisfaction that was so intense it almost did feel sexual, though it was centred somewhat north of the region from which such feelings normally came.

Slowly, painfully slow in fact, Nicoya rose from the table and cleared away his plate. Cayes could hear him moving around the kitchen, and was terrifying herself with all sorts of cruel thoughts such as Nico emerging once again with a whole bowl of dessert for himself... and still nothing for her. To the feline's credit though, he had no intention of being so cruel; not that there were any desserts in the house with which to tempt either himself or Cayes. When he returned to the dining room, it was with another plate of chicken and quinoa in hand. A slightly smaller portion, but every bit as gorgeous to behold.

He set it down in front of the drooling, whimpering turtle, and pulled up a chair close by her side.

Only then did he remove her ball gag, carefully placing it down upon a napkin on the table so as to avoid getting saliva everywhere. In place of the gag, he picked up a fork and knife, and began to methodically cut Cayes' chicken and veg into small, bite-sized pieces.

Finally, after an eternity of preparation, he scooped up some quinoa, chicken and a sliver of carrot onto the fork, and held it out in the air. Cayes shuddered. Her mouth remained shut. She knew what he was waiting for. She knew from the last few days worth of meals that even now she was expected to be disciplined and dignified. So she waited. She waited in ravenous agony for a few more terrible seconds, until finally Nicoya asked her the question.

"Would you like a bite?"

She whined happily, nodding in an urgent frenzy.

"Y-yes. Yes please."

Food. Sweet, life bringing food, slipped through Cayes' lips and onto her tongue. She savoured it, the sweet richness of the chicken and honeyed vegetables, the sharpness of the lemon and the woody, herbaceous note of the tarragon. The quinoa, perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper. She savoured it for just a moment, before chewing and swallowing it in anticipation of the next mouthful.

Twenty long seconds later, the question came again.

"Would you like another bite?"

And again.

And again.

Over and over, slowly and un-fazed by the turtle's obvious hunger, Nicoya took his time in gathering up perfectly even, measured fork's full of food and ensuring that Cayes was ready for them.

He made it last. He forced her to enjoy and linger over every mouthful, because he knew what the turtle was still trying to ignore. That soon, very soon in fact, the plate would be empty.

It almost broke Nicoya's heart to see the look of sorrow on Cayes' face when the last mouthful of food was swallowed and she realised that there was no 'next bite' to look forward to. Nevertheless, he was proud of her, for that sorrow only lingered in her eyes for a few seconds before she bit it back, pressed it deep down inside her, and smiled instead.

"Thank you, Nico."

The turtle bowed her head in true gratitude.

"Thank you for a wonderful, wonderful meal."

Beaming with pride and appreciation, the winged feline purred loudly. He reached out and caressed Cayes' face, and leaned in close to plant a soft kiss upon her lips.

"You're welcome, mistress."

He drew back from Cayes' beautiful face, relishing the tingling residual warmth of her own mouth against his. Even as Nicoya beamed at her with such utter devotion though, his hands were already reaching across the table towards the ball gag. Lifting it from the napkin upon which it had previously been set and guiding it back towards the turtle's jaws.

"Now, you sit here and rest a little. I'm gonna go load the dishwasher and tidy up. If you're good and quiet and still, we'll watch some TV like I said earlier. Enjoy a little cosy time together before bed."

After ensuring that Cayes' muzzle was secured firmly by the gag once more, Nicoya departed with a final peck of his lips against the turtle's cheek. He left her alone with her thoughts and her stomach. Cayes' face flushed as she heard her belly gurgling, questioning where dessert was, and why she had only been drinking water with her meal rather than soda. She closed her eyes, and tried to think about other things. Their plans for tomorrow. The exercises they intended to do together. The goals they wanted to reach by the end of the first week. What Nicoya was going to cook her for dinner tomorrow. Dinner. Food. God, she was still so hungry.

The turtle's eyes snapped open, and she grunted in dismay at her own lack of will. Had she really grown so soft over the past winter? So lacking in willpower that even when she was truly trying, she could not keep her mind of forbidden topics.

Cayes had always prided herself on being a good mistress to Nicoya, and one of the key reasons she felt that way was the true belief that she could put herself in his shoes. Understand and respect how hard it must be to trust, to follow orders, to give up so much under a promise that it would all be worth it. But now, in her current state of mind... she didn't know if that was true. She wanted to be good. She wanted to be obedient and loyal and true to her word. But if Nicoya hadn't bound and gagged her, would she remain trustworthy under such internal strife from her own stomach? Or would she find herself creeping off in the night for secret snacks, or exerting her dominant authority over Nico to bring him back to heel and allow herself free reign once more?

She truly didn't know.

Thus, it was a good thing that she was bound and gagged right now, and that when it came time for them to go to bed, she would be in a place where late night snacking was not an option.

The cage.

Nico's cage... but for now, for the duration of this exercise regiment in its full glory, her cage.

Normally it would be she who slept upon the bed while her pet slept at its foot, comfortably resting upon soft blankets, but still undeniably locked away under the watchful gaze of his mistress. Yet for the last few nights, and for many more to come, it was she would spend each night under lock and key. Kept safe, protected, shielded from temptation and her own gluttonous longings.

To put it mildly, the next twenty minutes of solitude were not kind to Cayes. The more she thought about her freedom, the more she knew she could not be trusted with it. The more she knew she could not be trusted, the more futile this whole fitness effort felt. Much as she and Nicoya were coping well with this somewhat reversed power structure, they both knew it wouldn't and couldn't be a permanent thing. No matter what, Cayes was still the mistress, and Nicoya still the pet. Eventually they would have to resume their normal roles, and unless something quite significant were to change in the meantime, there was absolutely nothing stopping Cayes from reverting to her slothful ways once again.

By the time Nico returned to the dining room, smiling to himself and ready to tell Cayes that because she'd been so good today, she could pick what show they watched on TV, tears were streaming silently down the turtle's cheeks.

With wide eyes and a horrified expression, Nicoya practically flung himself across the length of the room to his lover's side; pulling off her gag and loosening her bonds as fast as his hands could move.

"My mistress... my queen, what's wrong?"

Sniffling, unable to look Nicoya in the eye she was so ashamed, Cayes buried her face in the shoulder of her lover's bathrobe.

"I... I need you to lock me away. To put me in the cage right now. S-send me to bed. I don't deserve TV. I don't deserve anything."

Nicoya frowned, his brow furrowing deeply.

"But, why? Mistress, you've been doing so well. I'm so proud of you for wanting to make this change. For wanting to take charge and get yourself fit and healthy again."

Shaking her head against the feline's shoulder, Cayes mournfully murmured the truth as she believed it.

"B-but... but I don't. I mean, I do. But I can't. I just can't stop thinking about relaxing. Eating. Doing anything but being good and healthy if I had the freedom to do it."

The winged cat reached up and stroked his lover's red curls, caressing her hair tenderly as he planted a series of soft kisses on her face, persisting until she glanced up at him at long last.

"And?"

Cayes eyes narrowed in confusion.

"A-and? What do you mean, and? Didn't you hear me?"

Nicoya grinned, still stroking his lover's hair with endless affection.

"Oh... oh my queen. You really aren't used to not being in control yet, are you? Mistress. Cayes. Don't you think I imagine that kind of stuff, too? Do you not think there are times when I'm horny, and I imagine what would happen if you let me out of my harness? I dream of spending whole days masturbating. Playing with all our toys. Making myself cum until I'm dehydrated, because I couldn't wait long enough between climaxes to go and get some water. And I truly believe it, too. I know in those moments that if I were freed, that was exactly what I'd do."

The turtle's eyes were fixed upon Nicoya with an intensity that showed she was certainly interested in what he was saying, but perhaps did not quite yet grasp his point. The cat smiled tenderly, and continued on.

"My point is, it is when we're forbidden from doing something, physically incapable no matter how hard we desire it, that we crave things. Food. Rest. Sex. But when the choice is restored to us, and the anguish of knowing that we have no free will is stripped away... we realise that the benefits of our sacrifices far outweigh the cost. You know, deep down, that being healthy is far more important than an extra slice of cake or staying in bed all day long watching movies. Just like I know that the love and intimacy, the care and protection, that I get from you is worth far more than the ability to jerk myself off at my slightest whim."

Nicoya took a step back from his mistress, and unfastened the cotton rope of his bathrobe. He reached down, and caressed the metal cage of his chastity device.

"That's why I'm still wearing this. Why even now, when you have given up your control to let me lead the way, I still insist you hold the key to my crotch. Because I want to be in this with you, completely and in every way. I want to share your hardship, to travel the path from start to finish, and have it so when you are finally happy with yourself again, we can both enjoy the freedom of restoring our relationship to its normal state... and share in some long overdue luxury together. Does that make sense?"

Still tearful, still sniffing and shivering a little from sheer emotional overload, Cayes nodded. She nodded, and spoke to Nicoya in a soft, trembling whisper.

"Yes. It makes perfect sense. B-but... if it's okay with you, I'd still like it if you could put me to bed in my cage. Please?"

Nicoya tilted his head, eyes widening at the intense sincerity he could hear in the turtle's voice.

"Sure. But... only if you'll tell me why."

Cayes blushed, and squirmed where she sat; unbound and yet still with her hands obediently clenched behind her back.

"B-because... because if you don't lock me up right now, I'm gonna get that key, unlock you, and show you just how much I love you, sweet kitten."

***************

Despite the progress which Cayes made that day, there were still many occasions over the next few weeks which put her devotion and solidarity to this cause to the test once again. As time went by though, as Spring began to wind itself towards Summer and Nicoya and Cayes persisted with their new routine, the sight of changes began to encourage hope and renewed passion within the turtle. She could see herself becoming fitter. Not just relatively healthy as she had been before given her rather active lifestyle, but toned and fit, increasingly able to keep pace with and even outstrip Nicoya in all manner of physical pursuits.

As a reward for her hard work, the turtle found herself granted new privileges and freedoms the likes of which they hadn't discussed prior to starting their regiment. Nicoya took the initiative, and began to wean her back into normal life slowly and steadily. He ceased binding her arms and legs during mealtimes, then finally took away her gag. He allowed Cayes to cook with him in the kitchen, learning some of the favourite recipes she had sampled over the past few months. He even allowed her to join him in some baking. They made an apple pie, and sat out on the deck on a warm evening as Nicoya ate his slice whilst Cayes held onto her own bowl, waiting patiently for her lover to finish before she began.

Finally, there came the day when Cayes looked in the mirror, and was not only proud of what she saw... she was utterly enraptured. It was the closest she had ever come to pure narcissism, looking herself up and down for a full fifteen minutes while Nicoya prepared them a blue cheese and fig salad for lunch.

She barely even thought about eating, and had to be prompted to do so by her feline lover when he had finished his meal. Through the afternoon's exercise, Cayes floated like a summer cloud, staring off into space with a warm grin spread across her face all the while.

Then came dinner. Delicious. Satisfying. No dessert required.

And then, after a half hour spent curled up on the couch together, came the moment that Cayes had been waiting for all day.

"Can we go to bed, Nico?"

Purring gently as the turtle's fingers rubbed his chest through the open front of his robe, the winged cat glanced into his lover's smiling face.

"Sure. Any particular reason?"

Cayes shrugged and shook her head, but the way she practically leapt up off the couch and led Nicoya up the stairs, her hand clutched around his and practically dragging him along, spoke to the contrary.

In their bedroom, Nicoya changed into his summer nightwear. A silky, spaghetti strapped pink top and a pair of the cutest pink frilled panties. Cayes undressed, feeling Nicoya's eyes roaming over her, but did not attempt to don her pyjamas, nor indeed to enter her cage.

She walked to the side of the bed. She looked Nicoya in the eyes, and purposefully, proudly pulled herself up and onto the soft pure cotton sheets.

"Cayes..."

The feline's voice was firm, ready to hand out discipline if necessary. But at the same time, it was a mere fraction of an octave from cracking with abject joy as he saw his beloved mistress return to her rightful place.

"...are you sure you mean to lie down there? Not in your cage?"

Giggling gleefully, the turtle shook her head.

"My cage? Oh Nico, I think you're confused. The mistress, the_Queen_ does not sleep like a caged pet. That would be your job. Though... I dare say that I am willing to give you a few hours leeway. A little time for both of us to re-acclimatize. To share this bed together."

Nicoya's eyes bulged, and he whimpered in blissful disbelief.

"Y-you mean.... we can? You're gonna?"

Cayes squirmed happily where she lay, spreading her legs provocatively and relishing the visible shudder that ran through her poor, pent up pet.

"We can. And yes, I'm going to be fine now. I dare say we'll go biking and maybe go for a swim tomorrow, too. But when we get home, I'm cooking dinner, and we'll eat it together."

She licked her lips, tempting the feline. Urging him to approach even as one of her hands roamed out towards the bedside table. Into its drawer, plucking out a small silver key.

"But first, before any of that, I want tonight. I want you and me together again. In bed. In each other. Hearts, minds. All of me and all of you. My sweet kitten."

By now Nicoya was up on the bed as well. He was shaking violently with excitement, and despite the pain it must have been causing him, he was moaning happily as his sheath bulged and his cock fought for freedom within its chastity cage.

"On your back, Nico."

The command was flawless, uttered with such ease it was like she hadn't gone even a day without saying it. The cat obeyed instantly, and gurgled with joy as he watched Cayes rise up onto her knees and shuffle forward, swinging round to straddle him just as she had on that fateful night several months before.

"Make your mistress happy, Nico. Make me cum, and I'll let you out. After that... well, after that the bed buffet's open, and I promise I won't close it till we've both had our fill."

Without fear, without concern, Cayes lowered herself onto Nicoya's whimpering, panting face. She tensed sharply as his hot breath washed over her long untouched pussy, and threw back her head, unable to hold back a gleeful grunt of excitement as his tongue lashed at he already throbbing, swollen clit.

"Make me cum, sweet kitten. Make me cum, and I'll give you everything you've missed these last few months."

She began to rock, humping at the slurping, eager muzzle of her lover.

"Everything. E-everything..."

Her eyes fluttered, rolling in their sockets. She heard her moans echoing around the bedroom, and giggled mid-moan.

"Everything in moderation, m-my sweet... ohhh. Sweet kitten. Everything in moderation, e-except for how much we care for each other."

By Jeeves