Post by HungryHunter on Apr 25, 2020 0:12:51 GMT
It was a comfortable bed. Even without the guy in it. Nice and firm. Beds that were too soft made her feel like she was sinking. Laura closed her eyes, listening to the faucet run. It had taken him a few tries, but Dan had done it. She was sated. She stretched and kicked into a kip up, landing on her feet. She had gotten most of her clothes on the bed when Dan came back. “Oh, hey. You don’t have to go. Qiang’s with Haruko until I pick him up in the morning.” He sat on the bed, offering an arm. “You can sleep here, I’m saying.”
Laura paused her work and leaned on the bed. “It sounds good. You’re probably the kind of guy who’s more fun in the morning. Get all hot from a workout and go crazy while you’re still sweaty. Definitely my thing. But I don’t sleep over with anybody. I’ll come over some other morning maybe.” She shrugged and buckled her bra. “Nobody? Not even boyfriends?” Dan leaned up, squinting through the darkness. “Boyfriends are a thing of the past for me. Too many mistakes.” She shrugged.
“What does that make us?” Dan looked like he knew the answer. “Friends who have had sex. Potential friends at the least.” She was dressed now, looking over him. He hadn’t so much as put on boxers and he seemed to have noticed it. Embarrassed now, internal and external shame mixing. “I really thought there was more than lust to this. I love spending time with you. I wanted to know you more, and date, and I think-” “That’s hormones speaking, Dan. You have a crush and you just came.” Laura shook her head. “Maybe it is. But I didn’t feel this with Caroline.” He said, sitting on the bed and crossing his legs.
“Dan, you can’t talk me into loving you. Surely you understand emotion that much?” Laura’s heart stung a little when Dan winced. That was too much. “No. I know that. I just… I don’t know, wanted to explain my feelings?” Dan said. “It merely makes everyone uncomfortable.” Laura snapped. “You can never read the tone. You know, you made that girl with the eyepatch quite miserable. She would have enjoyed her kiss with you if you simply kept your mouth shut, but you-” Laura stopped her tongue and sighed. “I’m sorry, Dan. I just… I know you aren’t trying to be like that. But I’ve had exes who tried to manipulate me. Their emotions were real, but they used them to control me.”
“Hell, Laura. I don’t try to come across that way. I’m sorry.” Dan’s head slumped into his hands. “What did I do to Ann?” “I wasn’t planning on giving you a lecture, but if you sincerely wish to improve, it is well worth it.” Laura sighed, climbing onto the bed to sit across from Dan. “First, you stopped for confirmation before your kiss.” “How was that bad? I didn’t know if she was okay with it!” Dan half-yelled, controlling his tone at the last second. “There is language beyond words, Dan. She was involved in the game and showed with her body that she would allow at least the bare minimum to pass. You extended the interaction and caused discomfort. You made it worse expressing attraction afterwards. Letting her be would have been the best choice in that situation, whatever her feelings about the kiss.”
“...okay, yeah, I got that part then.” Dan grumbled. “Alright. I need to be getting home. If we do this again, you could spend the night at my place and we will test if you really are more fun in the mornings.” Laura smiled for the first time in this whole conversation. She was about to slide off the bed when Dan’s hand caught hers. “Just one thing. With all that, why did you still come home with me? It didn’t all turn you off?” He asked. “Heh. Of course you need that explained. Simply put, I felt safe sleeping with you, Dan.” Laura kissed his cheek. “I was in the mood for sex and you have a body that turns me on. You know, the moment I decided to sleep with you was when you blew off half of your clothes in the arena. I wanted to touch you here.” Her finger ran up his thigh to stroke his abs.
“Nothing emotional? Just lust?” Dan smiled at the touch, but he sounded disappointed. “Intrigue, perhaps. I had heard of you before you joined the Coalition. I was going to stop you, but my team had not arrived when we got word you were taken down. And so when you joined the HWBC, I took an interest. You certainly never seemed like the avatar of an evil god. Just a rash man who caused some trouble. So I was interested to find out more, and I found no danger, just some kindness… and more rashness.” Laura slid off the bed and stood.
“You’re alright, yes? I don’t seek to cause harm, but I can only ever be honest. She hesitated a moment. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll lock you out.” Dan sighed and followed her to the door. “See you. Let’s, uh… let’s train together some time.” Dan said. “I’d like that. I’ll see you next time we both have a match.” Laura vanished with a kiss, swallowed up by the night as she jogged off. “Fuck.” Dan bit his lip. He couldn’t figure out what to feel as he returned to his bedroom. When he pulled the blanket up, he felt Laura’s weight, her hot skin.
It was amazing. Everything he had wanted. Everything but love. Well, there was love. One-sided. His alone. A crush, anyway. Strengthened by the hormones of sex and lust fulfilled. Something that could be love, that wanted to be love. If it could be love, would it feel less like a porcupine crawling through his chest? Or would it always be such a tyrant? He thrashed in bed, frustrated every time he found nobody there. He couldn’t blame her, he was the one who expected more. But would he have taken her to bed if he knew that was all she offered? He thought of her tousled hair, her brassy skin over hard muscles, the way she moved, and he knew he couldn’t have said no. And there lay the frustration. Nothing to be done, nothing to be changed, nobody to blame but himself. Well no. There was something to be done about one source of pain. He left Soon a message and closed his eyes. Sleep came easily, leading to quiet, soft dreams that Dan would not remember.
Between stretches, he checked his phone. As he was about to give up and call Haruko and say he was getting Qiang, he saw what he was looking for. A number. “Thanks, Soon.” He sighed and sat down. It took him a while to compose. Several drafts were deleted. But eventually, he did it and sent it. Whether she liked it, whether she even responded or not, he felt better for having sent it.
“Ann Parker, hi, it’s Dan. I wanted to apologize for making last night awkward. I said some dumb things that I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean to make anybody uncomfortable, but sometimes things come out wrong. I shouldn't have made those comments when I kissed you. I want to make it up to you, but I don't really have a good idea as to how, so I'll just leave an invitation. I know you train hard, so if you’re interested, you can teleport over and we’ll exchange tips on the beach. I was about to take my cardio on the dunes. Dress warm, it's an Oregon beach."
Laura paused her work and leaned on the bed. “It sounds good. You’re probably the kind of guy who’s more fun in the morning. Get all hot from a workout and go crazy while you’re still sweaty. Definitely my thing. But I don’t sleep over with anybody. I’ll come over some other morning maybe.” She shrugged and buckled her bra. “Nobody? Not even boyfriends?” Dan leaned up, squinting through the darkness. “Boyfriends are a thing of the past for me. Too many mistakes.” She shrugged.
“What does that make us?” Dan looked like he knew the answer. “Friends who have had sex. Potential friends at the least.” She was dressed now, looking over him. He hadn’t so much as put on boxers and he seemed to have noticed it. Embarrassed now, internal and external shame mixing. “I really thought there was more than lust to this. I love spending time with you. I wanted to know you more, and date, and I think-” “That’s hormones speaking, Dan. You have a crush and you just came.” Laura shook her head. “Maybe it is. But I didn’t feel this with Caroline.” He said, sitting on the bed and crossing his legs.
“Dan, you can’t talk me into loving you. Surely you understand emotion that much?” Laura’s heart stung a little when Dan winced. That was too much. “No. I know that. I just… I don’t know, wanted to explain my feelings?” Dan said. “It merely makes everyone uncomfortable.” Laura snapped. “You can never read the tone. You know, you made that girl with the eyepatch quite miserable. She would have enjoyed her kiss with you if you simply kept your mouth shut, but you-” Laura stopped her tongue and sighed. “I’m sorry, Dan. I just… I know you aren’t trying to be like that. But I’ve had exes who tried to manipulate me. Their emotions were real, but they used them to control me.”
“Hell, Laura. I don’t try to come across that way. I’m sorry.” Dan’s head slumped into his hands. “What did I do to Ann?” “I wasn’t planning on giving you a lecture, but if you sincerely wish to improve, it is well worth it.” Laura sighed, climbing onto the bed to sit across from Dan. “First, you stopped for confirmation before your kiss.” “How was that bad? I didn’t know if she was okay with it!” Dan half-yelled, controlling his tone at the last second. “There is language beyond words, Dan. She was involved in the game and showed with her body that she would allow at least the bare minimum to pass. You extended the interaction and caused discomfort. You made it worse expressing attraction afterwards. Letting her be would have been the best choice in that situation, whatever her feelings about the kiss.”
“...okay, yeah, I got that part then.” Dan grumbled. “Alright. I need to be getting home. If we do this again, you could spend the night at my place and we will test if you really are more fun in the mornings.” Laura smiled for the first time in this whole conversation. She was about to slide off the bed when Dan’s hand caught hers. “Just one thing. With all that, why did you still come home with me? It didn’t all turn you off?” He asked. “Heh. Of course you need that explained. Simply put, I felt safe sleeping with you, Dan.” Laura kissed his cheek. “I was in the mood for sex and you have a body that turns me on. You know, the moment I decided to sleep with you was when you blew off half of your clothes in the arena. I wanted to touch you here.” Her finger ran up his thigh to stroke his abs.
“Nothing emotional? Just lust?” Dan smiled at the touch, but he sounded disappointed. “Intrigue, perhaps. I had heard of you before you joined the Coalition. I was going to stop you, but my team had not arrived when we got word you were taken down. And so when you joined the HWBC, I took an interest. You certainly never seemed like the avatar of an evil god. Just a rash man who caused some trouble. So I was interested to find out more, and I found no danger, just some kindness… and more rashness.” Laura slid off the bed and stood.
“You’re alright, yes? I don’t seek to cause harm, but I can only ever be honest. She hesitated a moment. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll lock you out.” Dan sighed and followed her to the door. “See you. Let’s, uh… let’s train together some time.” Dan said. “I’d like that. I’ll see you next time we both have a match.” Laura vanished with a kiss, swallowed up by the night as she jogged off. “Fuck.” Dan bit his lip. He couldn’t figure out what to feel as he returned to his bedroom. When he pulled the blanket up, he felt Laura’s weight, her hot skin.
It was amazing. Everything he had wanted. Everything but love. Well, there was love. One-sided. His alone. A crush, anyway. Strengthened by the hormones of sex and lust fulfilled. Something that could be love, that wanted to be love. If it could be love, would it feel less like a porcupine crawling through his chest? Or would it always be such a tyrant? He thrashed in bed, frustrated every time he found nobody there. He couldn’t blame her, he was the one who expected more. But would he have taken her to bed if he knew that was all she offered? He thought of her tousled hair, her brassy skin over hard muscles, the way she moved, and he knew he couldn’t have said no. And there lay the frustration. Nothing to be done, nothing to be changed, nobody to blame but himself. Well no. There was something to be done about one source of pain. He left Soon a message and closed his eyes. Sleep came easily, leading to quiet, soft dreams that Dan would not remember.
Between stretches, he checked his phone. As he was about to give up and call Haruko and say he was getting Qiang, he saw what he was looking for. A number. “Thanks, Soon.” He sighed and sat down. It took him a while to compose. Several drafts were deleted. But eventually, he did it and sent it. Whether she liked it, whether she even responded or not, he felt better for having sent it.
“Ann Parker, hi, it’s Dan. I wanted to apologize for making last night awkward. I said some dumb things that I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean to make anybody uncomfortable, but sometimes things come out wrong. I shouldn't have made those comments when I kissed you. I want to make it up to you, but I don't really have a good idea as to how, so I'll just leave an invitation. I know you train hard, so if you’re interested, you can teleport over and we’ll exchange tips on the beach. I was about to take my cardio on the dunes. Dress warm, it's an Oregon beach."
