#multichap

Mel's shoulders sagged as soon as Elora shut the door to the grand room that was her study. She glared down at the papers left behind by the merchant who had just left. It all looked like a blur to her. Just meaningless words. He had already failed to convince her cousin who lived in Piltover to invest in this venture, and he had concealed that fact until she had pressed him about it. He had lied to Elora, and her cousin had been abroad for the past several months, hardly reachable.

She was fuming over it. It was disrespectful to her, to her cousin who already knew better, and to Elora, who was already at her desk and gathering up the offending pieces of what may as well have been scrap. She wanted to clench her fists. She didn't. Her fingertips had been splayed out on the desk, pressed into its surface with more force than she almost ever exerted. She had to move them to let Elora do her job. Now they were frozen inches above the surface, hovering and nearly trembling with contained irritation as Elora glided around her.

The other woman paused on Mel's other side, her overstuffed folder hugged to her chest. She looked Mel up and down and sighed softly. "You need the dog again, don't you." It wasn't a question.

Mel's eyes darted to meet Elora's, and she straightened up from the frustrated hunch she had assumed over the desk. She brought her hands together in front of her own stomach, poised and schooling her features into neutrality. She couldn't let on about the burst of excitement she felt as soon as Elora brought up her favorite outlet for her stress when it got this bad. The only effective one, really. She could drink like a fish and go to her favorite restaurant with Elora enough times to pay their rent on her own, but it didn't unwind her. It didn't purge her of the tension always coiling beneath her skin. As if dread made manifest was dragging itself through her veins instead of blood.

"I suppose that would be enjoyable. Yes, Elora, call on them." She glanced over her shoulder at the bright sunlight streaming in around the golden Medarda crest hanging high above their heads. "Perhaps for tomorrow night? And clear whatever time they agree to." She paused and reached for Elora before the other woman could step away. The feeling of her friend's sleeve in her hand was a balm to her aggravation for just a moment. "As well as the following morning. Just in case."

Elora nodded, letting Mel's hand linger on her until Mel drew her hands together again. She folded her hands in front of her and sucked in a deep breath. Elora allowed herself a small smile and said, "I'll see if they can make it for tonight."

That made Mel's lips twitch, but she managed to retain her composure. "That would be excellent, Elora, thank you."

Elora pulled a small notebook from her pocket along with a compact pen and began scribbling. Mel's schedule would need to be significantly rearranged for this. "Fire noodles tonight if they can't make it?" she asked.

Mel's full lips curled, and she chuckled. "Always."

There weren't many things that could interrupt Ran's games at The Last Drop without pissing them off. When a buddy of theirs that worked in shipments Topside called for them and waved a little envelope, they handed their cue to the nearest person and practically vaulted over the table. They ignored the heckling that earned them and tossed an invitation over their shoulder for their teammate to finish up their fresh drink.

It had been a solid few months since they'd heard from the Councilor they had fucked with Sevika a couple of years earlier. They didn't have her in mind when these long stretches passed, too occupied with the chaos of their daily life to spare a thought for the gilded woman who loved winding them around her delicate fingers. If she was in the mood again, they'd find a way to shuffle around the rest of their night or whatever night she wanted them for. They could practically taste the tart, heady wine from her home country on their tongue again. And the floral, earthy, salty flavor of her.

They ducked into the alley behind the bar to pry up the golden seal of the Medarda clan with one of the small blades they kept in a sheath on their hip. Even the paper felt heavy and luxurious in their hand. They tucked the blade away and read the impeccable script of the Councilor's right hand. Dear Ran, Miss Medarda is in need of your presence again. I assume you are still amenable to the arrangement between the two of you as I have not received any correspondence to the contrary.

Please respond via our shared associate whether you can meet her at the usual establishment within Old Piltover tonight or tomorrow night. If tonight is possible, please assume that is her preference and aim to appear at the time previously adhered to. You shall receive your standard service at the conclusion of your session with Miss Medarda.

I assume you still have a preference for Noxian wine over the other spirits available. Please correct me if not. I shall procure what is necessary.

Best Regards, Elora of House Medarda

There was another sheet in the envelope for them to write their response and hand over to the woman who'd lit up a cigarillo and was smoking back by the entrance of The Last Drop. Ran slouched against the wall and used the sturdy envelope and folded up letter they'd just read along with their left hand as a surface to write on. They didn't have much to say, so it would be enough. The pencil they scratched it all out with was from a friend of theirs, a scribe working for Silco. Been a while, Elora.

I'll show up tonight.

Same time and place.

I want a bottle of wine to myself for the short notice. See you two later.

- Ran

They slipped their response back into the envelope and used their lighter to melt the back of the seal so it would stick again and hold the envelope shut. Another trick from the scribe. They'd cut everything too haphazardly for it to look unopened, but that wasn't the point. The sooner they got this back across the bridge, the more treats they could count on after they had tired themself and the gorgeous young Medarda out.

They tipped the messenger who'd brought it to them for the trouble, knowing she'd probably needed to dip out on half a shift to do this exchange, and hit the road. They had a few things to get ahead of before they could disappear until dawn. Or longer if the Councilor made it worth their while.

Mel placed a bundle of white silk rope at the edge of the bed along with a matching blindfold. She went to the round table tucked into an enclave flanked by tall, narrow windows. Elora had already placed a bucket on top of it and filled it with ice and two bottles of wine from her collection. One was sweeter than the other, and she would let her guest decide which one to claim. She grabbed one of the chairs and dragged it across the plush rug to stand beside the bed as well. Beneath her skin, nervous energy was bouncing along her nerves, making her impatient. They should be arriving, which meant Elora wasn't here. She had to man all of the doors between the outside and in here to keep things discreet.

Mel checked the washroom one last time. The tub was wide and deep enough for two, even with how tall the both of them were, and she already had the oils and soaps to prepare them a bath later set aside. She peeked at herself in the mirror. She had reapplied her makeup after getting ready for this, covering the dark circles and bags beneath her eyes with deep purple and gold bright enough to match her tattoos. It wouldn't matter by the time the night was over. If this went anywhere near as well as last time, not even her hairstyle would survive what was about to happen to her. The thought made her smile despite herself.

She heard footsteps in the hall and hurried back to the bed. She perched on the opposite side of the bed to where she had been arranging some of her props for later. Her white satin slip, adorned with lace along the slits that showed off her legs, clung to her as she leaned back on one hand. She placed the other over her exposed thigh as Elora opened the door.

Ran stepped through looking every bit as lovely as they had the last time she'd seen them months earlier. Their hair was still cut in the choppy style as they'd worn when she met them, concealing their left eye. They were in the same white button up shirt and black leather chest harness, the same tight black pants and belt, the same mismatched black leather boots with a simple cloth glove over their prosthetic right hand. Their lips were painted black, and liner was smudged under the eye she could see, but just like her own makeup, she suspected none of it would last long. Their slouch contrasting Elora's perfect posture amused her enough to smile sooner than she intended to.

"It is wonderful to see you again, Ran," Mel said. She remained seated as they approached, lifting her hand to meet their left one when they reached for her. When they gave her a little smirk and bowed to kiss the back of her hand, she rose with practiced grace. Their lips were as plush on her skin as she remembered them, and her tongue swiped over her own before she could stop herself.

"Good to be back, Miss Medarda," they said. They kept their hold on her hand as she placed one of her own on their shoulder, toying with the collar of their shirt. "Thought you'd finally gotten sick of me." They stroked the back of her hand with their thumb, their wry smile still firmly in place. This was always a game to them.

Mel's brows furrowed a bit, betraying genuine remorse that she had given them such an impression before their soft chuckle helped her catch on. So she pouted instead, curling her fingers into their collar and glancing past them at Elora in the doorway. "I will call on you, Elora. Thank you for all of your help."

Ran looked over their shoulder at her, watching the other woman's expression go from soft and content over Mel's gratitude to sharper and more purposefully neutral when they locked eyes. "See ya soon, Ellie." They watched her bristle a bit at the nickname, her light brown cheeks flushing redder for a moment before she shut the door and left them alone with her boss. Well, clearly they were far more than colleagues to each other, but Ran understood the importance of titles when pretending that wasn't the case.

Mel allowed herself a hum of amusement only once Elora was out of sight. They were still holding her hand, the skin of their fingers and palm rough to the touch. Every brush of their thumb across her own skin sent little sparkling rivulets of excitement through her. She rose up onto her toes when they turned back to her, their nose grazing hers. "Tell me, what are your intentions for tonight?"

Ran knew it was a trick question. They placed their right hand on her hip, mechanical fingers clicking as they curled to fit along the curve of it. "Whatever you want them to be, Miss." The title was a taunt. They didn't say it with the reverence they had shown Sevika when Mel had met the two of them together. They liked the way it softened her features into something closer to a smile than a pout. "You've been having a bad time of it, right? Lemme fix you up."

Mel's hand moved from their collar to cup the side of their face instead. She pulled them into a kiss, planting her feet as they bowed to keep her lips pressed to theirs. They wasted no time in slotting their mouth against hers, teasing her with the tip of a tongue that tasted like harsh-tasting liquor and lingering herbal smoke. She let go of their hand to grab at their arm instead, and they wrapped her up in theirs.

Part of Mel felt tempted to surrender to them this time. To lean into the firm grip of their arms and exhale until there was nothing left of her but an open shell for them to maneuver around this room. That was not the arrangement. She had called on them because she had almost snapped at someone today. Because she had been eyeing the door to her wine cellar every time she passed it for most of this week. Because she was tired of bending or dodging the gaze of prying eyes that only sought her weaknesses. Just recalling how she had felt in her study earlier, watching that charlatan show her his back, made her slide her hand back and up. Into the short, spiky hair at the back of Ran's head. There was enough for her to curl her fingers into. Enough to pull. To scruff them as they explored her mouth with their tongue and give them pause.

She broke the kiss, letting their lips remain close enough for them to share a shaky inhale, and cocked their head to the side with a firm tug. Their hold on her tightened, but they remained in place. "I have several ways you can alleviate this terrible mood I've been in." Mel could see the flush beginning to rise beneath their skin. She wanted to mark them up. Bare them to her. Be the one prying someone else apart for her own satisfaction. She knew they would break beautifully. And be just as enjoyable to reassemble as dawn rose over them.

Ran's throat bobbed as they swallowed, lips parted as she spoke like they wanted to breathe in her sultry purr. "Name 'em. I'll give ya the green light." They smoothed their hands along the small of her back, reveling in how it made her shift her weight, before they settled on her hips again.

"Why don't you have a look at the bed and tell me if you like what you see," Mel said. She reached for the top button on their shirt and popped it open. She watched their gaze leave her and land where she had directed it. They smiled enough to bare their teeth, and the hunger she had been feeling rise in her grew fangs as well.

"Been a while since I got tied. You gonna blind me too? Sounds fun." They could feel her undoing their buttons, her fingertips lingering in the space she was opening up between the panels of their shirt. Gentle touches along their skin. More gentle than they had ever received before her. They wondered what it would take for her to be rough.

"Of course, my sweet. What would be the point otherwise?" She hooked her fingers into the top strap of their chest harness and tugged on it. "Strip for me. I'll decorate you with those ropes once you do." A flash of pride blazed through her chest for a moment when they looked disappointed to be let go. She could perch on the bed again and watch them. Or she could see how they took to being rewarded pre-emptively. As they began to undo the buckles of their chest harness, she went to fetch the wine that had to be chilled by now and poured two glasses. This was a duty of Elora's, but she was hosting, and she didn't want to wait to have the butch behind her bare and at her mercy.

They were tugging the bottom of their shirt out of their pants by the time she returned. Most of it was open, sagging off one shoulder and exposing a small, perky breast with a large, dusky brown areola to her. She licked her lips and took her first sip of wine. Even the sweeter variety was sharp on her tongue. Tart and rich and feeling quite appropriate for this moment. She set down their glass and stood between Ran and the edge of the bed, watching them shrug the shirt off and kick off their boots.

Before they could reach for their belt, Mel grabbed the front of their pants and tugged. They hadn't brought their collar, and they had already promised themself and the person who owned them with it that they never would. That didn't mean Mel didn't find other ways to pull them around like they belonged on a leash for her. They followed her wordlessly when she turned around and led them to the chair waiting by the rope and blindfold.

"Show me everything else and we can get you started on the bottle I owe you for tonight, my lovely," she said. She perched in the chair. For now. She could see a flicker of something like confused amusement on their face when she complimented them again. She knew what they expected from those who dominated them, and it wasn't her style. They were a pretty thing. They should feel like it in her presence. She crossed her legs and draped a slender, elegant arm over the rest beside her as she took another sip.

"How good do I gotta be for you to pop 'em both open?" they asked. They unbuckled their belt and didn't bother pulling it free of the loops. They didn't put on those kinds of shows. The metal buttons they yanked open made enough room for them to shove the garment down. They chuckled when the sight of their legs made Mel pause and stare as they stepped out of their pants and hooked their thumbs in their briefs as they waited for her to answer.

Mel blinked and took another sip just to keep herself from licking her lips over how good their thighs looked. Thick with muscle but padded by fat just like their narrow hips and lower abdomen. The slight outward curve beneath their abs, where the waistband of their briefs dug in, was a point of fixation for her. It had been since she'd first gotten her hands on them years ago. She flicked her gaze upward and was met with a knowing smirk.

"I am still deciding that. So far, you are not doing well. I said everything, did I not?" Mel watched their smile grow as they pushed their briefs down. She should focus on their face. It was a handsome one. Sharp cheekbones and a strong, straight jawline formed the frame of a face that narrowed into a pointed chin. Their nose was broad, with a pronounced bridge that would be complemented by a piercing through it. A deep set, deep green eye was decorated with black liner that would look even better after the smudging of being slept in for more than one night. And their mouth, the roundness of their lips and how stark their shape was when painted the black shade they always wore, managed to enchant her no matter how many times she looked at it.

Ran crossed their arms, their shoulders rolled back to draw them up to their full height for once, and remained in place. They watched her eyes narrow slightly, her delicate fingers curling tighter around the narrow stem of her glass. "You can look, Miss. I got nothing to hide." They felt a pleasant tingle of heat that followed her eyes as they trailed lower. They had worked damn hard to create and maintain this physique. Between the hormone regiment they had been on for over a decade and a half and the manual labor jobs they'd had long before that, their lean frame was built out by softness and strength alike. And they knew Mel would thoroughly enjoy both features. More so than most of the women who got their hands on Ran.

Mel took one more sip, letting the chilled wine roll around in her mouth and blend with the saliva suddenly filling it, and stood. She walked around to stand behind the chair and pointed to the seat. "If you would be so kind, beautiful," she said. Her measured smile grew more eager when their cheeks were dusted with color again. They had no qualms about baring themself to her, standing proud as she drank in the sight of their soft cock resting, plump and terribly enticing, between their thick thighs. But any kind of pet name continued to render them sheepish. She would take full advantage of that.

She took a moment to set her glass down on the nightstand behind her as they sat, placing their hands on the armrests and splaying their thighs open. She returned and reached over the back of the chair to gently grab their shoulders. They dropped upon contact, and she smoothed her way down to their biceps, reveling in feeling corded muscle in her hands. "Is there a position you would prefer to be kept in?" she asked. She bowed forward to brush her lips against the short, spiky locks at the back of their head, and smiled when Ran leaned back in a silent ask for more. They had always been needy from what she had seen. It made them that much more fun to play with.

Ran hummed at the kiss Mel granted them, the pressure mirrored by her hands on their upper arms. She loved fondling them, had since the night they met, and they always acquiesced to her touch. "It's up to you, Miss. I'm flexible enough to handle something fun for you." They wanted to whine a bit when she let them go, but they knew where things were headed and stayed quiet.

Mel circled the chair as she unwound the bundle of rope and let it drop by her feet as she stood in front of them again. "I'll be nice, since you'll be in these for a while. Hands behind your back, dear." When they sat up and obeyed, resting their forearms one over the other against their back in a classic position, it reminded her they were trained and owned. She pushed the thought of the other woman who had accompanied them when they two met out of her mind. She wasn't sharing tonight. She hadn't shared them in a very long time.

Ran watched as Mel bent at the waist sliding the rope between her slender fingers, the glitter on her nails catching their eye as it flickered in the light, mimicking the shine of the rope. She folded the length of it in half to start, then reached around with it to wrap around their waist, passing her hands underneath theirs. For a long moment, they were lost in the speckles of color that gathered together to form her irises, gold and green circling each other. Then her gaze dropped to their chest as she pulled the rope taut, hugging the strip of skin just beneath their small breasts. Hers were slightly larger than theirs, with more roundness to their shape. Their breath caught, but she continued, and they shifted forward in their seat to make more room for her to work with behind them. Their knees nearly brushed hers as she leaned in again to wind another section of rope around them.

Mel had to concentrate. She hadn't attempted this on a nude body before, and it had been longer than she had expected since the last time she'd practiced. Ran had been her intended subject from the beginning, but she also needed to adjust her approach to account for the difference in shape and size between them and who she had primarily practiced on.

Lest had been the source of the idea, and the source of the matching tools she now had in her possession. She had taken Mel to her first demonstration of this discipline as well, where she witnessed a positively stunning submissive with a similarly lithe body get tied and suspended from an elegant brass frame on a stage. She had not, however, volunteered herself to be subject to Mel's amateur attempts to replicate the ties and shapes she saw criss-crossing over the lingerie of that performer.

That responsibility had been taken up by Elora. Mel had shown her the bundles of rope supplied by Lest, and she had expressed interest in assisting Mel while she pursued this new interest. Their sessions had constituted long stretches of Mel studying instructional diagrams procured for her by her initial subject and copying the techniques she found within them. The two of them were always fully clothed, with Elora more often than not as covered as she was in her waking life. Mel would study the way the rope sat against the supple fabric of her pajamas, her own hair concealed by a bonnet with the shape of her figure lost in a loose nightgown. They would chat about their days or what they were reading at the time as her friend became more and more tangled up in the designs she attempted on her.

Muscle memory guided her to a degree as she was brought back to those sessions now. As the image of Elora mapped itself onto the butch in front of her every so often. Recalling how she bowed her head to allow Mel's arms to reach over it as she wrapped her over and over again. How she would arch her back and lean into the tug of the ropes each time Mel pulled them through each other to form another band of restraint. How she would fall more and more silent as Mel continued to work. As the ropes got tighter and she could move less and less.

The similarities between this behavior and that of the submissive in front of her that were emerging fascinated her. How they both seemed to strain for her touch each time her knuckles brushed skin or clothing as she passed the ropes between her hands or hooked her fingers into them to test that she was leaving just enough slack to not cause damage. How deep green and gold eyes alike grew cloudier over time.

She did take note of where her own gaze was drawn as well. The most Elora had ever shown her was a glimpse of collarbone along with her hands and arms up to her upper biceps. Olive skin with soft, barely visible hairs decorating her slender forearms enough to command Mel's complete focus. Until the ropes pulled so much of the loose fabric of her sleep shirts into the gentle curves of her body that nothing truly seemed out of Mel's grasp to admire. The meditative rhythm of it all kept her calm, however, her mind occupied enough to not allow her heart to run away with her. She knew that Elora would feel it if a tremble took up in her hands or if they lingered too long anywhere on her body. At times she would fear that her gaze had become too heated, too obvious, as she wove intricate knots into harnesses time and time again until she managed to lift Elora clean off the floor.

That was when she had felt ready for this. When she had managed to recreate a far less decorative yet no less functional tie than the one that had enamored her with this practice in the first place.

On Ran, she found herself absorbed in the sight of the rope, nearly opalescent in its color, digging into skin several shades paler than Elora's. She had managed to leave some light markings on Elora's arms when she focused there, but the cloth prevented that from happening on her torso. Now she could count on that effect being present all over the butch she was binding. She first framed their chest in a similar fashion to their chest harness, then doubled up with a pair of triangular shapes around the softness there, smiling to herself as their dusky nipples hardened to puffy nubs that she couldn't wait to play with.

Their arms came next, forearms fixed in place with a thick band formed through several passes around with the rope. She only turned her back on them and left their field of vision to fetch another bundle so she could continue the harness around their torso, following the slight inward dip of their waist and framing their abs next. She closed off the tie by looping the long tail she had left for herself up through the body harness and wove a large knot into the center of their chest. There was enough length for her to play with as a leash of sorts if she wanted to. She knew better than to pull from their neck, and besides, the demanding pressure of yanking on the tails connected to their entire torso would create a distinct sensation from the way their owner handled them.

She took a step back as she let the tail dangle between their still open thighs. A proud smile curled her lips as she folded her hands in front of her and appraised the work of art she had made them into. This was only the beginning, but she felt a sense of satisfaction already. The ropes were evenly spaced, perfectly symmetrical, hugging their softness where it could be found and emphasizing it. The knot in the center of their chest looked like a blooming, geometrical flower. When was the last time someone had gotten them flowers? Had anyone ever done that for them? She should. She wondered what they would prefer.

Her attention was returned to where it belonged by the sound of them letting out a quiet, shuddering breath and saying, "Feels good…Nice and tight." Their voice was a low rasp, and their words were spaced awkwardly apart. Mel's smile broadened. Even without a collar, she had rendered them nearly unable to speak, and she had barely touched them. Normally them saying such a thing would be followed by some kind of quip implying that she would feel similarly coiling around their fingers or cock, but it looked like they didn't have the mind for that at the moment. That was how she wanted them for this next part.

She crossed in front of their chair to grab the blindfold she had set aside and dangled it in front of their face as they lifted their head to peer up at her. They seemed utterly taken by the proud look on her face, the fog behind their eyes reminding her of the strictness they were used to. They wanted to feel her grip on their mind tighten as much as these ropes. "Ready for this, my lovely?" she asked. She wiggled the length of sleek fabric in front of them until their eyes dropped to fix on it instead of her.

They nodded once, their throat bobbing visibly with a heavy swallow, and shut their visible eye before she even had it stretched between her two hands.

Ran welcomed the dark that came with both their eyelids and the blindfold. They inclined their head to the left when they felt Mel brush aside the long pieces of fringe away from the scarred eye they concealed. She understood their silent indication of consent that she expose that half of their face and felt the blindfold against their skin, rendering them unable to see a thing even once they opened up. They couldn't fight their smile, nor did they want to. It was harder to speak in their current state, but they hadn't yet lost their voice completely.

"Feelin' shy all of a sudden, gorgeous?" they said. The words felt like they were tangling around Ran's tongue. They heard her amused little hum and felt a flutter of satisfaction in their chest. They could so clearly picture the smile that must be curling her full lips, but they found their attention drawn to the other sounds of her. In absence of her gorgeous face and body to look at, they listened instead to the quiet creaking of the floor that said she had stepped behind them again. Then heard her taking another sip of wine.

There was a soft rustling of fabric, and Ran's mouth began to water. Was she stripping herself bare now? The thought alone was enough to make their cock start to swell again. Her deep brown skin, adorned with gold symbols that had been dancing in their dreams for years since they had first set eyes on her in person, bared completely to them and the lamplight. It was an intoxicating image. They heard her drawing closer again and fought the urge to turn their head. All of the tension that built in them through that resistance escaped them in a quiet gasp as soon as they felt her soft fingertips brush their bare shoulder.

Mel hummed again and smoothed her hand down the curve beneath her fingers until she reached the first band of rope digging into their upper bicep. They bowed into her hand, shifting in place to open their thighs wider like their mind as well as their blood was pooling between them. "So beautiful," she mused. "I'm not certain where I want to begin. What do you think, dearest?" She paused directly in front of them and reached out to run the tip of a nail along the line of their jaw before she grasped them by the chin.

They parted their lips for her, inviting the press of her nail into their plump bottom lip. The same way she had touched them years earlier when she had proposed this arrangement to them in the first place. "That isn't an answer, I'm afraid. Shall I enjoy my drink while you make up your mind?" She chuckled at the soft whine that built up in the back of their throat as they leaned forward and sucked her thumb into their mouth. "Still not an answer." She pulled her thumb free and cupped the side of their face, her other hand lightly running along the ropes that framed one small, perky breast. She wondered if they could somehow feel that her fingers were lingering there or if only she knew where she would touch next.

"Wanna taste you," Ran said. Their words were becoming slurred now. They rubbed their smooth cheek into her hand. "Just your skin? Please, Miss." They turned their head to press a kiss to Mel's palm.

It almost made her feel bad for what she intended to do. They both knew how this would end, with Ran's head clamped between her thighs for the better part of an hour at least. She still had to tease them first. Take advantage of the fact that they were so pliant already. "You've already had a taste, haven't you?" she said with a playful lilt in her voice. Again, they whined as she let their face go, the tone climbing higher when she grabbed at their chest.

Mel flattened her palms against them, leaning in to brush the shell of their ear with her lips. "Let's see if you can't sound tempting enough to let you have what you want, puppy." Again, she was careful to distinguish what she called them from their owner, who only ever used a shorter version of the title; and that was the kindest thing she'd heard the older woman call them. She reveled in their shudder and the breathless whimper that trickled out from between their lips.

Ran was straining toward her openly now, soft, ragged noises escaping them with every press of her hands and graze of her nails on their skin. When Mel finally rolled their puffy nipples between her fingers, they moaned. Every sensation was heightened by the darkness that enveloped their field of vision. The fresh, luxurious smell of the oil on her skin, the quiet little humming that sounded so pleased, and the silken slide of her hands. She tugged on them, and they swiveled their hips in place, arms flexing as they were reminded by the tight grip of the ropes that they couldn't touch their cock as it hardened. They would beg, but she had just banished their ability to speak by naming them as the pet they were. All they could do was whine and hope it was enough to earn more.

The Councilor toyed with their sensitive chest a while longer, finally getting a squeak out of them when she pressed the tips of her nails into the center of both nipples. She let out a bark of delighted laughter over how deeply their pretty face flushed over the sound, watching them press their plush lips together into a thinner line. They were lucky she'd decided to consider that satisfactory and straightened up to offer what they had begged for.

Mel raked her nails through the front of their hair, pushing it back until she could see the entire blindfold she had tied. She formed a tight fist, knuckles flush with their scalp, and pulled them toward her as she cocked her hip toward them.

Ran opened their mouth the second they felt smooth skin brush their lips. They had no idea where on her they were touching, but they let their tongue hang over their bottom lip and lapped at her like a dog trying to give kisses. They huffed and worked their jaw, sloppy strokes wetting her skin as they felt her shifting, guiding their head until they inhaled and caught a whiff of her cunt. They continued kissing at what had to be her thigh, hoping she would guide them where they both knew Ran wanted to be. They couldn't beg, but they were whining as if in pain over it.

The grip Mel had on their head only tightened, her lips curling with satisfaction at how desperate the butch in her hand was. "So messy," she mused. They were shameless in their affinity for canine behavior, in their attempts to catch at the smooth expanse of skin she offered them between their teeth. She turned in the other direction, allowing them to try gnawing at her other hip before she wrenched their head back. She pressed down on their tongue with her fingertips and felt as well as heard them moan.

They let their tongue dangle over their lip, a bead of drool gathering at the tip before it began to drip onto the ropes and the exposed skin beneath them. They pressed out against the rope just to feel more pressure as Mel's fingers slid along the surface of their tongue until she reached the back of their throat. They didn't gag, didn't flinch. She'd seen them taking Sevika's cock down their throat already. She knew they could take three of her fingers deeper than this. And all the while, their heart raced in their chest, their mind a pleasant fog of curiosity as to what she would do next. How she would guide them. What she would let them taste next.

"Such a good girl," Mel cooed to them. She felt heat continuing to pool between her bare thighs as Ran closed their lips around her fingers and began to suck. Their tongue prodded at her fingers, and she splayed them apart to let it dip between them. She felt her own breath hitching, caught in her throat as she swallowed, mesmerized by the sight of their smeared black lipstick getting messier as she pumped her fingers back and forth. She fisted their hair with intent again and felt them go still. She kept her hand in place and tugged, finding with a wondrous excitement that they let her guide them this way, too, pulling and pushing their head back and forth.

She glanced down to find their cock was standing upright between their thighs now, the tip glistening with clear arousal that resembled the slick they were coating her fingers with. Her own mouth filled with saliva at the sight of them so rigid over being played with this way. Over being helpless for her. A well-trained, ever-eager pet. The poor thing was so sweet they whimpered in protest when she pulled her hand away from their mouth, then almost yelped when she grabbed their cock with her spit-shined fingers and squeezed it.

Ran bucked into her hand, not thinking for a second if that was even allowed. They groaned at the answering slide of her starting to stroke them and balled their hands up into fists behind their back. She had already told them she liked how they sounded, so they let her jerk their head back and let every broken sound she pumped out of them ring through the room.

Little by little, the flush in their face crept down their neck, mottled the skin of their shoulders, bloomed across their collarbone. Mel could feel them pulsing in her hand, leaking across her fingers until the full length of them was slippery and so easy to caress. She leaned in closer to them, feeling their breath against her face and teasing them with a kiss to the cheek. They closed their mouth, pursing their lips for a kiss at once, and she granted them exactly that.

Their tongues tangled together as Mel's hand moved faster, palm twisting around the weeping head of Ran's dick until they tore away from her to fight for breath. She didn't help in the slightest. In fact, she had decided it wasn't fair for them to have all the fun tasting her tonight.

Ran's head dropped forward as soon as Mel's hand vanished from their hair. She paused in her relentless pumping, too, making them rock their hips up again. Then they froze when they felt the hand they were already missing on their thigh. They pressed their lips together, a keening sound bubbling up from deep in their chest. They leaned back into the cushions of the chair behind them and planted their feet with their knees even further apart. It was as close as they could get to begging.

Mel slowly slid her hand down the full length of them, watching their chest heave with desperate gulps of air, the muscles she had framed with her rope flexing with every move she made. She wrapped two fingers tightly around the base of their dick, holding it at a straight angle so she could bow forward and press a kiss to the rigid line of flesh that extended along the underside of their shaft. They trembled as she raked her nails over their thigh until she had her hand splayed open on the inside of their right one, her nails biting into the layer of fat gathered there. She kissed her way down to her own fingers at the base, then licked from there to the head mostly concealed by their foreskin.

The first time she'd had them, Mel hadn't gotten the chance to take her time as much as she had wanted to. She had been determined to make up for that every time since, lavishing their cock with careful attention. Tracing every inch of it with her tongue, cataloguing their reactions, engraining its flavor and varied textures in her mind. She found that she enjoyed when it was soft and especially sensitized as much as she did when it was stiff and pulsing between her lips. And she had learned to focus the vast majority of her efforts on the glans once she could slide their foreskin back.

She always did that with her lips and tongue, pushing the slick section of skin out of her way to reveal the ruddy flesh inside to her, feeling the slit at the very tip gushing with more thin nectar that always tasted just a little bit sweet. It was addictive hearing them gasp, feeling them throb and writhe under her hands, tasting them.

Ran had lost themself in the feeling of her mouth, the prickling of her nails on their thigh, and the tight hold of her fingers on them. She wasn't pinning them in place, but each time they felt the urge to jerk their hips up and slide deeper into her mouth, they resisted it. She had bound them, had taken complete control, and they were more than grateful to be toyed with until she was satisfied. Even if it felt like torture to have her curling her tongue so slowly along the curve of their dripping head. Even if she kept stopping to press kisses to their inner thigh or the soft pocket of fat that protruded along their lower abdomen when they sat.

Over and over, she slowly brought them to the brink of a feverish need to chase more friction, keeping them trapped in the state just before it. Their veins pulsing beneath their skin with liquid heat that melted their mind more and more with every beat of their heart. They had no sense of how loud they had gotten, how much they were straining against the ropes, how their cock restlessly twitched and jerked in her mouth or in her hand when she sucked on them.

Ran doubled over from where they had been draped against the back of the chair when Mel tongued their frenulum and began to pump the hand that had rested at the base of their cock, only ever squeezing, never stroking. She sucked on them with long pulls that forced more fluid out of them and even more sounds of agonized pleasure. Begging continued to elude them. They could only let their voice crack and break over breathless moans and jerk their hips to press deeper into the heat enveloping them.

Mel could feel how close they were in how they were throbbing between her lips and within the grip of her fingers. She pulled her mouth off them with an obscene little popping sound and focused on working her slick palm over and around the head of their pretty cock. "Enjoying yourself, puppy?" she asked. Her smile was audible to them. When they could only whine some more in response, she twisted her wrist again and gave their cockhead another squeeze. "You've been such a good girl." She ran her free hand up their thigh, passing over the ropes she had bound them with, and pinched one of their nipples.

Ran cried out, neck craned backward and jaw hanging open. They were hopelessly unable to form a single word to express that, yes, they loved this. They felt dizzy with desire and blissful submission. They were leaking all over her delicate fingers, desperate to fuck themself into their hand and finding no need. She was jerking them off like she wanted the tension inside of them to snap as badly as they did. But she hadn't given them permission to do that. That thought forced another keening sound out of them.

Mel rolled their nipple between her fingertips before shifting up higher on her knees to be level with their other breast. "Holding yourself back, are you, my sweet? You don't need to. Go on, I can feel how close you are." Her voice was a smooth melody in complete contrast to their audible desperation. She kept her hand moving, twisting and pumping at the same pace until they caved and fucked themself into it. That was when she sealed things with her tongue flicking over their nipple before she drew it between her full lips and sucked.

She felt warmth splatter the skin of her abdomen, then rocked back to sit on her feet so the rest of their load would strike her where she wanted it most. Their cum landed in streaks of white along her own small breasts, a stark contrast to her skin. All the while she watched them shudder and desperately buck their hips and writhe in their restraints. The ropes slicing across once pale skin now flushed in varying shades of red from arousal was a gorgeous sight. She could have rewarded them for providing her with it by allowing them to see her as she was. She decided against it, instead letting them go once their orgasm had reduced to a trickle, and reached between her own legs with her her cum-slicked hand. She made a soft mewling sound as she mixed some of her own wetness with theirs, teasing her hard clit with her own fingertips in anticipation of what would come next.

Ran felt Mel's hands leave them and nearly sobbed. The amused snort she let out made them feel a flare of embarrassment, and yet they bowed right into the feeling of her tugging on their bindings a moment later. They slowly sank onto their knees in front of the chair, flexing the muscles of their abdomen to assist them with balance.

"Good girl," Mel praised again. "What a mess you made. But you can't help it, can you? Puppies are always messy." She chuckled as they rapidly nodded, trying to bow forward blindly like they wanted to kiss or nuzzle her. They were panting, lips glistening, with a thin trail of shininess catching the light on the right side of their face. She had already drawn tears. She grabbed their waist with both hands, heedless of how she was smearing their combined arousal onto their skin and spots on the rope. "Ready to clean it all up?" Again, Ran's head bobbed up and down.

Mel grabbed their hair again, winding the thick, dark locks between her fingers to guide them. She ran her fingertips along the ropes around them to hook her hand into the back of the tie she had created. She needed to keep them upright, after all. She bowed back enough that they would have enough room to press their lips to her collarbone to start, and they took to the task with as much enthusiasm as they had when exploring her hips earlier. Their mad snuffling into her and wet kisses tickled her as they sought their own flavor on her skin.

Ran couldn't think past the commands she had given them. They didn't need to. They had offered their mind up to her just as they had with their body. The grip she had on the ropes held them steady enough to focus entirely on their task; she managed to be strong enough to bear their weight without them needing to consider their own balance. All they were in search of was the slippery sensation of their own slick on the satin of her skin.

The frantic rubbing of their face into her brought them to the curve of her shoulder. Too high up. They kissed their way back down to her collarbone, following the prominent ridge to its center, then bowing further down. Her grip held, and they imagined hidden muscle becoming visible in her slender arms as they finally found a trail to follow. They moaned into her skin as they dragged their tongue along the splatter they had left on her.

"There you are, my lovely. You're smart even like this," Mel said. There was a teasing arc in her voice that only contributed to the flush in Ran's face as they feasted on their own cum. On her. Their desperation was almost overwhelming. Mel's heart was racing in her own chest, only a thin layer of skin and muscle and fat separating it from the mouth that caressed her breasts in turn, the tongue that laved over both of her hardened nipples, the teeth that began to graze and gnaw at her.

She let them build their appetite further, knowing only the slickness of her cunt would sate their hunger. They whined into her chest when they found they couldn't hunch down further to lick their way to it. She let herself believe that it was the sound of their suffering over her that made her decide to finally give them what they wanted. That she wasn't persuaded by the clenching of her own cunt around nothing just from feeling their shuddering breaths of need. And the warmth of their skin. And the gorgeous sight of their mouth continuing to work against her. Beautiful girl. She hummed and let them press one more wet kiss to her left breast, over her heart, before she yanked on the rope to pull them back.

"I believe it's time for you to get in bed, puppy," she said. She ran her fingertips around the ropes that bound their lower torso, nails ghosting along the muscles she could feel shifting beneath them. And she wound the long tail she had left loose around her hand. She rose to her feet and tugged. Ran followed at once, standing without the assistance of their arms easily enough to remind her once again that they had to have been placed in this exact position before by someone.

Mel yanked Ran along the short distance to the bed, and they grinned as they followed her. They were licking their lips, shameless in their visible excitement to finally get what they were here for. They heard a soft creaking, a quiet rustling, and then felt Mel pulling them forward again. They weren't sure how she expected them to get onto the bed without their arms. They decided it didn't matter if they flopped face first in front of her so long as she let them eat.

Ran pitched forward after placing a knee on the bed and felt her hands on them again instead of striking the silk sheets beneath them. As she had before, she held them steady, bearing their weight as they crawled forward on their knees. Then she pushed at them so they remained in place, upright on their knees, and spoke.

"You have been excellent at following along tonight, puppy. I'll be nice. Would you like to keep the ropes on?" she asked.

Ran huffed. Why did it matter what they wanted? They just wanted to taste her as soon as possible. They shrugged and tried to lean forward, but her hands splayed across their chest to stop them.

"I do like the look of this part on you," she said. She hooked her fingers into one of the ropes framing their chest, having tied the harness separately from their other restraints. She smiled at the way they arched toward her, perky breasts on proud display. She hummed and smoothed her palms over both of them. "Shall I free your arms, then? Have you earned the right to touch me yet?"

It was the kind of question that was always a trick when it came to their owner. She loved baiting them into stumbling, into overstepping so she could retaliate and put them right back in their place. Mel was different. She let them guide how scenes went sometimes. So they nodded and felt the web of knots she had woven in the center of their chest loosen. She unraveled it, following the length around their torso, then finally their arms.

Mel watched their shoulders sag as their arms dropped to their sides. She reached out behind herself to drop the rope over the edge of the bed. She smoothed her hands down Ran's arms, seeking the indents she had been waiting to leave in their skin. Mel found herself smiling wider as she felt their arms growing more tense. They were restraining themself from pouncing on her, she knew, and they deserved a reward for it. She rubbed her thumbs over the grooves in their skin where the ropes had pressed in.

Ran felt Mel caressing the skin of their forearms where they had been lightly marked by the silky ropes; not enough to bruise or do any damage, but enough for there to be a texture for Mel to follow. They wanted to pin Mel underneath them and feel her legs over their shoulders and her soft thighs hugging their head already. They remained in place, ever obedient when they were laid low this way.

Instead, she kissed them. She didn't wait before she pressed her tongue past their plush lips to explore their mouth. As soon as she felt the slide of the muscle behind their teeth against her own, she hooked both hands into the rope and wrenched them to the side. They toppled onto their back when she released them with a small sound of excited surprise.

They were beaming as wide as she was, though they couldn't see her, and it made her too ravenous to keep toying with them. Mel straddled Ran's narrow hips and pressed them down into the bed with her hands on their shoulders. She bowed over them, gave them another quick, harsh kiss, and crawled up the length of them like they were a ladder she couldn't wait to reach the top of.

Ran wanted to grab at her, to finally feel her skin beneath their left hand. Instead, they curled both hands, metal and flesh, into the sheets. They would be good and wait until she had settled. Right on their face.

Mel had been kind enough to throw them into the pillows so she could hang onto the cushioned headboard of the bed. She already knew she'd need it to anchor herself and dug her nails into the thick velvet as she poised herself over Ran's face. She swallowed hard, hovering close enough to feel their soft panting against the slick lips of her pussy. She'd felt the wet slide of her own accumulated arousal between her thighs with every move she'd made to get here. When she lowered herself until she felt the tip of their nose brush against her hard clit, they brought their arms up to lash around her thighs.

The first thing Ran had ever had demanded of them in her presence had been to kneel and eat her out until Sevika had scruffed them for enjoying themself too much. There was nothing in their way now. No end in sight until Mel couldn't stand the sensation of their tongue and lips devouring her pussy for a second longer.

They pulled her down onto them, the pillowy satin of her thighs surrounding their head, the weight of her pressing them into the pillows, the rich honey of her on their tongue. They didn't even pretend to have patience. They lapped at her with the single-minded intent of bringing her tumbling over the same blissful edge she had dragged them to over and over while they were bound completely for her. Their tongue splayed the lips of her cunt apart, a groan bubbling up from deep in their chest.

Even as their movements built from a slow rocking of their head back and forth to a practically frantic flicking at her clit, Ran felt a bone-deep peace settling into them. Their lungs burned, and their head was spinning, but they felt more content than they had in weeks. They didn't need to think. Just cling to her and plunge their tongue between the delicate flesh she pressed down into their mouth so they could caress every inch of her.

Mel had no reason to hold herself back. No one else was here and no one else mattered but the eager submissive she had summoned to help her work out her stress. Ran didn't expect her to be dainty or gentle. They enjoyed being used by her. Enjoyed when she indulged her capacity for more primal reactions. So she let go of the headboard and curled both hands into their hair instead. Her nails scraped along their scalp as her fingers tangled in sections of wildly different lengths, and held on for dear life.

Every wave of bliss that rolled beneath her skin, flowing outward from her rapidly slickening cunt, loosened the tension inside her until she was moaning aloud and letting her head fall back. She didn't even attempt to balance herself, trusting the corded muscle of their arms to support her weight as they gripped her. They wouldn't let her move away from their mouth, and nor would she allow them to quit plunging their dexterous tongue inside of her.

Mel shuddered at another drag of their tongue between the lips of her cunt, seeking her hard clit and flattening so she could grind on it. She bowed forward with a sound so guttural it shocked her when their plush lips sealed around the sensitive nub and drew on it with long, slow pulls that increased in their intensity until she was trying to thrust her way out of their hold.

Ran held her fast, metal and calloused fingers digging into her soft skin, their arms locked around her thighs. They refused to let her go so they could try and cram their fingers inside of her the way they had the first time they had tasted her. They wouldn't be gifted with the chance to feel her walls clenching around them this time, but maybe if they did a good enough job, she would let them have more. They needed more. They needed their mouth filled with the fresh, salty taste of her. Their throat working as they drank her in.

Ran's mouth and chin grew shiny with Mel's slick as she rode their outstretched tongue to the point of shaking, her thighs squeezed tighter around their head until her back arched back into a graceful curve. Her grip in their hair tightened nearly to the point of pulling strands free. A cry tore from her. They were sucking on her clit and rolling their tongue over her and pressing in their fingers and holding her. They wouldn't let go. They wouldn't stop. The constant pressure and suction rattled her heart in her chest until she felt as though her lungs would cave in trying to draw in the air she needed to keep her vision clear.

A knot as dense as the one she had decorated Ran's chest with, wound tighter and tighter by every move of their greedy mouth, unraveled as they dipped their tongue inside of her again. Her hips jerked, and she would have lifted herself off them if she could. She couldn't. They wouldn't let go. Wouldn't stop stroking the tender spot inside of her that glowed with white-hot euphoria after they had laved her to the point of aching.

Mel lost track of time that way. How many instances she endured when they brought her to the point of moaning and gasping herself hoarse with their tongue and lips and fingers. She had ridden herself to exhaustion on their face, laid back and locked her thighs around their head as they pressed her back into the pillows. They turned her over and had her clawing at the sheets afterward, her thighs glistening with rivers of her own arousal in the lamplight as a frothy whiteness gathered around their fingers for them to lick away.

She only stopped them because she could feel herself reaching the point of true, complete exhaustion. She could not allow that, because their nights with her never ended with the bliss they could inflict on her. She owed them handsome rewards for such exceptional service.

A bath always came first. She knew they liked the water as close to scalding as possible, and she liked filling the water with soap and fragrant oil that would cling to their skin and hair. She raked her fingers through their hair a few times to soothe them as they sank into the luxurious mixture before crossing the bathroom to show off to them in the open shower. The polished stone tiles offered back the light that flashed off of her golden tattoos as she stood under the hot spray of the water falling from the ceiling in a simulation of rain. She lathered and rinsed herself slowly, working her hands over her own curves in a mesmerizing pattern of swirls and long sweeps.

The ravenous look Ran retained on their face as she bathed was as amusing as it was flattering. They'd spent hours at her mercy and between her legs already, and yet the heat in their gaze as they watched her remained as intense as it had been when they first looked her over in her slip upon arrival. It made her want to call on them more.

She reminded herself as she toweled off and wrapped her now loose hair that the two of them didn't work that way. She called on them when all other methods of coping failed her. When she was past the end of her rope and Elora decided to put her foot down to prevent her from snapping. She liked to think this part served a similar purpose for them.

She climbed into the deep, wide tub behind them, perching on the edge with her legs framing them. This time without the intention of them pleasing her. They had done enough that she shivered just sitting down. She distracted herself by pouring soap into her hands and lathering them up before running them through Ran's damp hair.

They had draped their left arm over the side of the tub to keep their metal hand dry. As soon as she began to wash their hair, they curled their arm around her left thigh and turned their head to kiss the inside of her right one.

Mel found herself chuckling over the delivery of such a chaste gesture after they had probably given themself lockjaw from eating her out. "So sweet," she murmured to them. She grabbed a small pitcher and filled it from a narrow faucet head on the side of the tub to pour clean, hot water over their head.

Ran let their eyes shut and their body relax fully beneath the water, soothed into another kind of silence by her nails scratching their scalp and her fingers gliding through their soaked hair. When she gave the fringe in front of their right eye the gentlest brush of her fingers, they nodded slowly.

Mel carefully exposed the right side of their face with a sweep of her hand through the longest section of their hair. It had been cut in a very distinctly uneven style that left most of their nose visible while their entire right eye and most of their right cheek were hidden. The skin beneath was shot through with a branching, raised scar of skin even paler than their natural complexion. She knew the eye beneath their scarred lid was a prosthetic one formed from a foggy green glass. In the years she had sporadically seen them, she had only caught a glimpse of it a handful of times. She didn't care either way, she just wanted them thoroughly cleaned and relaxed, ready to be wrapped in the black robe she had waiting for them on the gilded table by the door.

Elora returned for the next portion. It was conservative to estimate that Mel and Ran had burned through every calorie they had consumed that day during their escapades. And possibly everything the had eaten the previous day. No matter how many times Ran joked that they were certain Mel's pussy alone could sustain them for the rest of their life, she refused to let them so much as touch their discarded clothes before they ate at least two courses. Mel's companion chose to participate in ensuring both of them ate well.

That night, the first course had comprised of dried dates imported from Shurima and a sharp, aged cheese imported from Demacia, all drizzled with golden strands of honey that ensured Mel got to watch Ran licking their fingers clean over and over again. Elora had kept their wine glasses topped up along with one of her own as Ran savored their treat and listened to Mel describe to them an option for their next meal with her.

Elora gathered the dishes and stacked them on a cart between their table and the bed. Her face remained a mask of neutrality, not betraying the small twisting she felt while Mel spoke.

"Do you have to stick to the noodles you get at the beginning?" Ran asked. It was their first question in several minutes. An interested sparkle had been shining in their eye since Mel described all of the sides that would be available.

"That's the magic of it!" Mel said. She gestured to them, a swift vertical wave of her fingers before she had to settle them in her lap to allow Elora to set their second plates down. Thick cuts of steak, practically blue for her and medium rare for them, resting in a bed of risotto that was framed by a lightly dressed salad that extended slightly over the rim of each wide plate. Mel stopped Elora with a light touch from that same hand. "Thank you, Elora."

She only returned to her train of thought once she received a soft smile and little nod from her friend. Ran was already cutting up their steak into bite-sized chunks, but she would wait for that. "You can order as many different kinds as you'd like. I wish I would have thought of this sooner to request some samples for you to try, but the craving only just now struck me again."

"Again?" Ran said as they raised their fork to their mouth. They popped a piece of meat into it and chewed, picking up their wine glass. The black silk sleeves of the robe she had covered them with dripped off their forearm with even these simple movements. They raised it to Elora and said, "Thanks for all this, Ellie. I think this is my favorite spread of yours."

She mirrored them but didn't take a sip yet. "Yes, Elora and I intended to go tonight if you were unavailable." She raised her glass to them with a wry smile. "Your punctuality is much appreciated, I assure you."

Ran took a sip with her, albeit a much larger one than she opted for. "Happy to be on call for you, Miss. You two gonna hit that place up tomorrow, then? It sounds good. I'd like to try it."

Elora refilled their glass yet again, feeling the sweeter bottle running dry. "Of course we will." She realized too soon that she had spoken out of turn, and her stomach plummeted. Her mask remained as she withdrew to set the bottle down. She dared to glance at Mel and found her friend, resplendent in her white silk robe, smiling at her in the easy, real way she often did when they were alone.

But they weren't alone. They wouldn't be alone for the rest of the night. Perhaps even the early morning. Mel's hair was loose, her posture completely relaxed in a way that only came with these visits, and it had been hours since her guest had arrived. They would both likely be too tired once they had finished eating their entrees along with dessert to separate. Even with the coffee mixed with cardamom that Elora would prepare to conclude their meal.

And she had been right. While Mel had walked them through the process of sponsoring the creation of her favorite restaurant--their favorite; hers and Elora's--they worked their way through both bottles of wine. All four courses gone. And then she had brought them back to bed. Not to sleep just yet, but to conclude the service that was expected to show appreciation for their presence. They wouldn't accept money from Mel Medarda, but they always accepted her pampering.

Mel remained in her robe while she unwound the knot securing theirs and slid it off their wide shoulders. She folded it as they laid down on their stomach by the edge of the bed and draped it over the shapely ass she'd had her hands on several times that night already. She wanted to dig her nails into their round cheeks again, but she refrained while she knew her companion would soon be back. By the time Elora had returned from delivering the cart of dishes to its destination, Mel had settled on the bed beside Ran and set out a jar of body butter along with a bottle of oil.

Elora returned in her nightclothes, a maroon button-down shirt with short sleeves and long pants. Her hair had been freed from its signature pair of buns and was tied back in a low ponytail instead. She watched Mel carding her fingers through the short, haphazardly-cut hair of her guest and remained calm. She had known what would be expected of her tonight. She had volunteered for this. No one else could be trusted with Mel's peculiar proclivities, including her preference to observe her paramour being massaged.

"Is there anywhere I should direct my focus?" she asked. She went to the table and opened the jar first, placing the cap beside it and scooping a generous amount onto her fingers. She smoothed it lightly into her skin, not intending to saturate herself with it, and stood beside the bed on the side where Mel's caller was waiting. They had a pillow tucked under their head with their cheek resting on it, their face turned toward Mel. She was grateful for that. It would help her remain focused. They had a disarmingly charming smile and quite a handsome face.

An awkward silence stretched out between the three of them, broken just barely by the sounds of Mel's nails scraping their scalp. They were breathing, slow and steady, but that was it.

Until Mel broke it. "She's speaking to you, my lovely. Is there anywhere you've been having persistent aches and pains?"

"Upper back's been an issue, I guess. Not too bad, but since you asked, Ellie." Ran kept their eye closed, the longer section of their fringe drooping onto the right side of their face as they remained in place. They hummed quietly as Mel brushed it aside and curled her fingers behind their ear. They would have shivered if it had just been the two of them.

The nickname struck Elora just as she was hovering her hands over their shoulder blades. She scanned the broad, pale expanse of their back, creating a path for her focus to follow as she progressed through her task. She would begin with where they had directed her once she coated their skin in the body butter. They felt solid as she swept her hands over them and fought to keep her expression impartial; lots of tension meant that she could put her back into this.

She fished another generous helping of the body butter out of the jar to finish polishing the skin of her best friend's bedfellow, working her way up over their broad shoulders, smoothing along their biceps. She dared to steal a glance up at Mel as she wrapped both hands around one lean bicep, the limb corded with muscle.

Mel's expression was soft, not heated, but her interest was clear. Almost to the point of mesmerism. It compelled Elora to press and push and pull at the muscle she held with more slow, dedicated attention. Had Mel been swept up in these arms tonight? Had they pinned her? How entangled had the two of them been on this bed. It had been made up in her absence out of courtesy, but she'd already heard everything that had taken place in here tonight.

It wasn't until Mel's associate let out a low groan and sighed, "That feels great, Ellie," that Elora realized she had been pressing far harder than she normally did. It was effective, however, their body had been hardened by a lifetime of labor and stress. Gentle touches wouldn't do anything for them. Which meant she could crush every ounce of tension building inside of her into them.

That was what she did. While Mel occupied herself scratching and petting them. Elora had heard how they were referred to. Not the pet names, but the title that denoted them as an actual pet. The concept was not entirely foreign to her. She found it intriguing to ponder at times, but she didn't understand the nature of it given their context. Mel saw them a handful of times a year. That was hardly enough contact for them to be considered her pet of some kind. They came to her when called upon, but she rarely made such a request. Did they belong to someone back home? Who would send them to service another person like this?

Elora dug her fingertips into the flesh that lined their spine on one side, up between their shoulder blades. Harder and harder. The questions winding her own body tighter until she was almost gritting her teeth. And she finally felt something shift and give as they melted further underneath her. Mel's satisfied hum ignited in her the need to complete her task perfectly.

"Will you be staying the night, do you think?" Mel asked her consort. She sweetened the question by stroking along their bicep, the one Elora had tackled after the first.

"Not goin' anywhere," they murmured.

"Wonderful," Mel said. Her fingertips brushed over Elora's knuckles as her companion continued pressing her way around Ran's back.

Their eyes met for a brief moment before Elora bowed over them and resumed massaging with even more vigor. More and more quiet sounds were pressed out of Mel's midnight attendant as she progressed, finding that they didn't so much have knots in their muscles as they were a solid wall. Completely stiff. She was wearing them down, however, proven by how deeply she was able to push inward and how vocal they became.

Elora ignored the flush in her own face as she watched Mel beginning to rake her nails down their side and back, leaving the faintest trails of pink on their pale skin. As their little mewling sounds lodged themselves in her ears. As their soft, silky skin continued to yield under her hands.

She finished them off by rubbing them down with one of the oils Mel had chosen for the night. By that point, Mel had migrated from sitting beside them to laying on her side, a pillow tucked under her head while she continued her lazy caresses and scratching. And Elora found her hands lingering. Moving with a gentleness that wouldn't be effective to relieve any lingering pain.

Mel's acquaintance took a deep breath, the sensation of their body rising under her palms startling Elora out of her reverie for a moment. She pulled her hands back and finally straightened her spine. And they surprised her by rolling over. They had the courtesy to grab at the robe that had been folded and draped over them, at least. Elora averted her eyes anyway, looking at Mel.

She was an absolute vision as always, laying with one of her slender arms tucked under her own head and one leg outstretched while the other was bent over it. Her hip was popped, a lovely curve that drew Elora's attention more completely than anything else in the room could. That was until Mel's adjuvant sat up and kicked their legs over the edge of the bed. They pulled the robe on, tied it loosely, and settled with one of their forearms resting on their thigh. They rubbed the back of their neck with their left hand and gave Elora a sly smile.

"You did a killer job, Ellie. Haven't felt this relaxed in ages. Thanks," they said. They peered up at her and leaned back on their hands.

Mel rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. She crawled to them, placing her hands on their shoulders as she moved up onto her knees. She had an eager sparkle in her eyes that Elora had only seen a handful of times in their life together. Her lovely, full lips now devoid of makeup, were curled into a small smile that read to her companion as a silent plea. An invitation.

The spread knees that would touch Elora's if the recipient of her service closed their legs felt like a proposal of its own. And the deep green eye that slowly raked over her. How they could manage to muster any hunger at this point astonished her. Almost enough to repel her.

And then Mel leaned into the broad back Elora had been massaging. And she reached out to brush her fingertips along the sleek fabric covering Elora's forearm. As soon as her fingers were within reach of Elora's she felt a squeeze that broadened her smile further. That was all it took for Elora to bow over Ran. Mel slid her hand back from over their shoulder and held them by the waist instead. It allowed Elora's hand to replace hers.

Ran reached out to pull Elora in by the waist and tilted their head back. They had expected a chaste press of her lips to theirs. Her golden skin was already flushing in the sweetest way. She didn't seem inexperienced, but she did seem reserved. That did not come across when she lowered her head to kiss them.

Elora drew on Ran's lower lip at once, bending her knee to rest on the edge of the bed between theirs. She felt their hand sliding across her back, pulling her in more. She answered by resting on their thigh, half bared by the robe. There were thankfully three layers between her skin and theirs between the heat at the apex of her thighs that had been a steady, smoldering ember the entire night. She traced the supple flesh in her mouth with the tip of her tongue.

Her heart sank when they only tasted like the rich flavors she had served them. Coffee and the cream of a dense cake, the faintest savory traces from their dinner. And nothing of Mel. Her fingers dug into them again. Into their shoulder. Curling into the lapel of robe Elora had commissioned from Mel's seamstress for these nights.

Ran opened their mouth for her, and they allowed themself a small smile when the younger woman shoved her tongue into their mouth. It felt less like a kiss now and more like an internal inspection. Her searching for something inside of them. They knew what it was. She and Mel couldn't hide what they were to each other in Ran's presence. They knew what it meant to seek your lover in someone else's mouth and hands and more. They wished she would have pounced on them before their bath. Before Mel made them pristine, erasing all traces of her.

They would have loved to swap spit and let the lovely young woman on top of them get a real taste of what it seemed she wouldn't let herself have. When she made the first desperate sound they had ever heard from her, a soft little sigh of a moan, something that deeply suited her, Mel's grip on them tightened. It felt like she was trying to press out the air they were sharing with her companion.

Mel bowed her head forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Elora's ring finger. Her heart leapt in her chest at the barest brush of her friend's skin against her own. She watched Elora's fingers twitch, then tighten around Ran's shoulder. And then the other woman snatched her hand away.

Elora broke the kiss with as much force as she had given it in the first place. Mel had kissed her. Mel had kissed her hand as if it was spun from glass thread. As if it was precious. She couldn't keep licking into another person's mouth when Mel was so close. She couldn't keep feeling another person's arm around her waist now. Not after that. Not when her skin was tingling from that soft, brief contact.

So she shoved herself onto her feet, barely preventing herself from stumbling. She had more control over herself than that. She was meant to have perfect control. Even here. Especially here. Mel had allowed herself to relax. Elora needed to make sure the night concluded smoothly enough for her to continue to feel free enough for that to still be possible later. For Mel to have this again. She wanted Mel to have this again, and she couldn't entangle herself with the object of her desire.

She folded her hands behind her back, seeing a pout beginning to form on Mel's face. She couldn't bear for it to blossom. Not while she was still here.

"I'm glad that both of you were happy with tonight's service." It was painfully formal, and she saw Mel's thick brows arching with an ache neither of them would dare name. "Goodnight, Mel," she said. Then snapped her jaw shut. Mel's name didn't belong here. Not in this company.

Mel smiled up at her, both of her arms completely wrapped around Ran. "More than happy, Elora. You never disappoint. Will you be sleeping nearby?"

Elora nodded. She had to hold her tongue. And her face. The way she wanted to beam had to be saved for later. So she stepped away to shut off the lamps.

"Night, Ellie," Ran said. "If you ever want a turn, you know how to find me."

Elora paused by the door at that, but she didn't respond. The possibility came with too many variables. "Breakfast will be brought in the late morning," was all she could manage to say before she left.

Ran didn't hesitate to crawl out of Mel's arms and to the headboard so they could shove the blankets aside. They shrugged their robe off and left it in a heap on the floor. Behind them, Mel did the same, baring herself to them once again. This time solely to provide comfort. She pushed the blankets away and pulled them in toward her as soon as they here horizontal.

When Ran moved to roll over, Mel wriggled her way across the space between them and pressed herself to their back. They chuckled as she hugged them to her and pressed her face into the back of their neck.

"Is something amusing you?" she asked. Her voice resembled the soft humming sounds she so often made. She was running her hands over them, savoring the sensation of their freshly oiled skin. Pressing kisses to the base of their skull where their hair had been buzzed short. And she felt them melting into the mattress beneath the two of them.

"You're always the big spoon," they said. They covered the hand resting on their stomach. She didn't lace their fingers together and neither did they.

"So?" she said. She pressed another kiss to the back of their neck. "You've never voiced another preference."

"Don't have one. This is nice," they said. They felt her nose and lips against their skin one more time before she relaxed, her arms loosely coiled around them.

They were glad she had called. They hoped it would happen again.

Credit to @sisterlucifergraphics for the moon, star, paw dividers

Credit to @mikeykuns for the chandelier divider

Credit to @olenvasynyt for the red and black banner

Credit to @huraxy-dividers for the knife dividers

Credit to @zeustya for the Mel icon

A little embarrassed, she took a minute to breathe through the pain in her shoulder and appreciate the good fortune that she was laid out on the grated metal of a suspended walkway with merely a few fresh bruises, rather than bullet holes. But for all her bruised pride, she couldn’t help feeling a bit of satisfaction knowing she had kept him alive.

She lets her head loll to the side, watching as he stalked around the ground floor, rummaging inside boxes, rifling through various drawers, even searching the pockets of the men strewn about the floor. Whatever he was looking for wasn’t her business. In all honesty she hadn’t spared a thought whose operation they had just torn through, merely hoped that he might produce zip-ties from somewhere to bind their hands and feet. People never stay unconscious as long as movies portray, and her best hope of a safe exit relied on slipping out un-followed, and more preferably, unnoticed.

Of course hope isn’t something often rewarded in Hell’s Kitchen, and when it becomes clear that he’s stopped to stare up at the unconscious body she’d tied to a nearby support beam she realizes his goddamned diligence will likely send him climbing up to search this guy as well, and probably look for whoever restrained him. If she stays down he might trip on her, if she means to get up she’ll need to move silently—any knock against the metal will ring in the now quiet night air.

She assumed his distraction would be enough cover to sit up while he examined the many cargo pockets of the would-be henchman. She hadn’t assumed he would bypass the man entirely.

In fact, after he free-ran his way up a pile of equipment and swung over the handrail, landing on the metal platform with barely a tamp, his only acknowledgment was a brief once-over and a scoff.

When something in her back twinged, her breath catches—and his full attention turns to her. It’s impressive that he heard what amounted to a puff of air, but there’s no way he can see her. She’ll wait till he brushes it off and goes about his punching.

And then he crouches in front of her—and she gets to do something she’s so rarely allowed in the field.

“How do I look?” She says, deadpan.

“You’re bleeding.”

Oh. That’s never gotten an answer before.

She looks down to where her hands should be, turns them over, feels her arms and legs, checking for damage to her suit. She feels pain throbbing in multiple places, but can’t find where he’s specific— “Right shoulder.”

“Oh fuck—” Sure enough, her fingers touch a wetness and a raised edge of fabric just at the base of her neck. “Ow, yeah.”

“Who are you?”

She looks back to him, eyes narrowed. It’s still unusual, seeing grown men in their color-coordinated hero costumes, let alone one sitting in a deep squat three feet from her.

“I know you knocked this guy out. Who do you work for?” He seems annoyed by her silence, but she has more pressing concerns at the moment.

“How can you tell?” She tries to keep her voice steady; if he can see her… “How- how do you know I’m bleeding?”

His head tilts. “How did you not know?”

“I asked you first.”

“And I asked who you are.” His voice is cold, void of any amusement. No fun.

But she can’t give her name; all he’ll get is a pained smile, and a half shrug. “I’m just a friendly ghost.” She clasps the handrail above her head and maneuvers up to standing; he follows, looking ready to tackle her at any sudden move.

“We’re really gonna do this the hard way?”

“What—you’re gonna beat the shit out of me? Don’t you have pockets to search?”

A smirk crosses his face, “I have— get down!”

She ducks an instant before a shot pops and a bullet clangs off something far too close for comfort and when she looks up he’s already leapt off the walkway and landed with a roll onto the pavement below.

It’s the best opportunity she’ll have to bolt, so she does. His shouted “Hey!” as she ran out of the building must have been directed at her but she wouldn’t stop for two blocks. No footsteps follow her, and no further gunshots are heard in the 15 minutes that pass while she catches her breath, realizes she probably couldn’t hear gunshots from so far away, and starts to double back.

But her shoulder is screaming now after the exertion. It would be so quick to get stitched up. He’ll be fine, right? He does this every night. He’ll be fine. It’ll be quick. No one has to know he spotted her, that it seems like can see her. She’ll just make sure he makes it back to his building, mostly alive.

In an hour's time she’s stationed on one of many ledges of a gorgeous stone building, holding a small pair of binoculars. It’s going to be such a pain if it turns out he bit the dust between then and now, she’ll never hear the end of it. Luckily it’s barely ten more minutes before she spots him—noticeably limping but otherwise fully mobile.“Thank god,” slips out in relief.

He freezes, only through the binoculars can she see that his head turned toward her. She understands then.

“Oh. You can hear me.” He steps to fully face her direction. “I can’t hear you though. And I’m assuming you won’t yell across the street, but feel free to surprise me.”

He stands statue-still, ostensibly staring at her. She lowers the binoculars to mirror his stance, hoping he might actually start shouting, trying to gauge what he might be thinking, waiting for, calculating.

“I’m sorry if no one else has told you, but it’s very obvious that’s your building.” There’s something amusing about speaking so softly, so late into the night—communing with a silent god who wears low-rise tactical pants. “I won’t tell,” she can’t help smiling, “but worse people than me will probably figure it out. Someone’s always watching in New York.”

No answer. No movement. No acknowledgment.

She makes a show of looking down the street in either direction, surveying the area as though she hadn’t stood here multiple times in the last few weeks. “Hm. Shame you can’t see Stark tower from here.”

No response.

“Well...” She shrugs. “See you around.”