Chapter 23. Dear Nicole
"More importantly, put this on, oh, well, it's new, so clean it first with your magic, just in case"
She shows me a, uh, I don't know much about this kind of clothing, is it called a negligee? It's like a short dress, just tight around the chest... Huh, it's revealing, but quite simple and pretty, actually. It's also made of silk. The color is red, with some lace here and there showing the underwear.
"It's cute, I was expecting something more scandalous"
"That will come later, don't worry"
"..."
"Look, they're the same!"
She shows me hers, it's the same, just... bigger, especially the chest, of course. And green.
I interrupt my analysis of the piece of clothing to enjoy the show, still making an effort to disguise a little, of course. Nicole begins to undress, her coat, then her shirt... Then her bra!
I start to undress as well, as I watch from the corner of my eye. She takes off her shoes and then her pants, the last ones are a bit tight, so she sits down on her bed to take them off easier... Giving me several different angles to enjoy the view...
'It's not bad to enjoy the view of someone's body if we're both naked. I don't know how true that sentence is, but it just came to me and it sounds like a good excuse.'
She leaves her panties on, similar to the ones she picked out for me, with subtle, elegant lace details and little ruffles, V-shaped, emphasizing her front a lot, and even more her backside... Will I look as good in them? I changed really quickly earlier and didn't pay as much attention as usual.
We both have good night vision, so we usually only turn on the lights at night when one of us is doing something. The full-length mirror in her room has a few little lines that light up in the frame, just enough to light up the person in front of it and not much more.
I turn it on... Maybe it's the lighting, but I look much more erotic than ever... Silk is also very comfortable in its own way. I look behind me... Wow, I really like them. The shape they have flatters the base of my tail, and of course they accentuate my buttocks nicely, even where they are covered by the silk, because it completely fits my skin.
Most of my pants and shorts don't go past my hips much, because I prefer my tail to be free, so these panties would stick out... Which is... Kind of exciting, I have to admit. Would I look really bad wearing shorts, a shirt that shows my waist, and these well-fitting panties all the way up...? Probably a little, yes. I mean, it wouldn't look bad, but a little too provocative for my taste. But that's fixed with a simple sweater on top, right? Open hooded sweaters look good with almost anything.
Decided. I'll wear it the next time I go out somewhere.
"Enjoying the view? They look great on you! A little bolder than usual, even if they are white"
Hm? Through the mirror I look over at Nicole, still sitting on her bed, who seems to be enjoying the show as much as I was a while ago... I guess it's just fair.
"I like them, yours are similar, huh?"
"It was on purpose, I wanted us to match today. It's the same in the back too, look~"
She stands up and turns around with a dramatic turn. Then she strikes a pose. Eh... Wow... Not to praise myself, but they look better on me. Sure, her butt looks amazing, but it's more skin than fabric, while mine is balanced, so both skin and fabric show off more.
“A-anyway, is this worn with or without a bra?”
"Without"
"It doesn't have much support though"
"You don't need it, besides, it has just enough support, it was made for you to sleep in. You're just not used to wearing negligees"
"... It can be seen through in that part too"
"Great, isn't it?"
“I'll trust you then”
I reach my hands up my back to unhook my bra, bless my elasticity... But I stop when I notice Nicole leaning forward and staring at my breasts...
"..."
"... Don't let me stop you, continue~"
"Although I don't mind you looking at me, if you do it so intensely, I'm embarrassed..."
"I'm just returning the favor~"
... Again, fair enough. But I decide to be unfair and turn around anyway, take it off, and throw it carelessly on the floor to be washed later. Even though I haven't worn it for a long time and it's clean, washing the underwear you take off is a very good habit. Also... I don't know why, but I like to see underwear on the floor... It's kind of erotic in some way, especially if it's not my own room, even if we're obviously not going to do anything sexual.
"Oh..."
Right, idiot me. No use turning around if I'm in front of a mirror... I blush a little, but it doesn't really bother me. Let's pretend everything is fine and put this on...
Nicole comes over and we look at the mirror together, feeding our egos for a while.
Finally, I turn off the mirror light and we both go to bed. Just like the last time I slept here, it's a nice temperature, but I take a blanket just in case.
Then I run into another problem... How should I lie down? We'll probably end up cuddling, but doing that from the beginning is embarrassing since we're going to be awake for quite a while. Lying on my back feels strange since I never sleep that way. I don't want to make her uncomfortable by lying on my side and looking at her, but I don't want to turn my back on her either...
Nicole hugs me from behind, pressing her whole body against me and crossing her hands over my stomach. I don't have time to enjoy the feeling, thanks to what she tells me.
"I see you still have useless thoughts about me. That makes me a little sad, you know? I understand that's how you are, but I wish you wouldn't dwell so much on thoughts of making me uncomfortable and such nonsense"
"Uh... Sorry, I know if you feel uncomfortable with something, you'll just tell me. Those thoughts come to my mind all by themselves- hya!!!?"
“Oh...~ Have they gotten bigger? I like your balanced figure, but I wouldn't mind if they got even bigger~."
"Where are you touching!?" She brings her hands up to my breasts and starts to knead them... I don't have time to complain when she continues.
"... I know it's not like that, but seeing you so worried all of a sudden, just like when you talk to a stranger, makes me feel like you don't trust me very much"
"I do trust you! I-I... I don't trust anyone as much as I trust you..."
"Do you mean it?”
"O-of course"
"It makes me sad to think that you're lying..."
"Your hands don't look very sad"
"Then show me"
She lets me go and throws herself on the bed, stretching her limbs all the way out... The sight distracts me for a while, but I finally understand what she wants. She's going to make me push her aside myself.
"Um, there's no room for me..." Yeah, she stays silent, just closing her eyes and smiling slightly.
"Well then..."
I climb onto the bed as well. I could just... Push her aside, I think that's what she expects, but...
I lie on top of her and hug her tightly.
I roll us over so we're both on our sides, facing each other. It's a little uncomfortable to hug someone with both arms laid out like this, but after a little adjustment, I find a comfortable position for my arm. I hide my face in her collarbone so she doesn't see my red face...
She doesn't move for a while, but finally hugs me back, wrapping her tail around my waist as well, and I return the favor.
"Sorry... I'm so glad you're getting better, but lately I've been thinking... I could have done a lot more for you"
"..."
I want to tell her that's not true, but... Something stops me. I'm very grateful to her, for a lot of things, but throughout my twenty-first year, I felt her quite absent... She was there, but not in the way I needed her, so it was the worst year of my life.
"Do you forgive me?"
"Of course... It wasn't your responsibility to take care of me, no one's really, since I'm technically an adult, even if I'm not mentally and still studying..."
"It's not only children who need someone to take care of them, you know?"
"I guess, but... I digressed from the point. I meant that even though it wasn't your responsibility, you were still there for me. Not in all my worst moments, but... Whenever I needed to be home, you were there"
"Aww, aren't you the sweetest?"
She says, trying to lighten the mood... But I'm not done yet.
"I was about to do horrible things many times... But I always thought of you and what you would think of me, so I stopped myself. Also about the rest of my family, but mostly about you. I don't want to remember any of it, but... I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, so... Thank you, Nicole. I love you"
"..."
She doesn't say anything for a while, but I feel her shaking a little and her breathing getting shorter.
...
"... W-we have to keep talking some more"
"W-why?"
For the first time in my life I hear her stutter.
"The night makes you emotional... It makes you say things you wouldn't say in the light of day. If we stop talking now, I won't be able to look you in the eye tomorrow"
"Heh. It's okay... And I love you too. You're my favorite cousin~!"
"I'll tell my sisters you said that"
"Don't you dare!"
-----
...
It's morning. The sun is just rising. And I already have a feeling that this day might be terrible.... I can't move a single muscle of my body.
Seriously, even blinking is difficult for some reason, that doesn't make sense, do eyelids have muscles?
'Yes.'
Never mind, I guess it's my fault, strengthening my whole body like that must have had some consequences, huh?
"Mmm... Good morning"
Nicole woke up so early!!!?
"Good morning"
"Mmm..."
“Are you still asleep after all?"
"... I'm awake"
"Are you going out early today?"
"Yes... Can you cook me something quick, please?"
"Sorry, I can't move. Are turkey skewers okay?" I quickly take some out and levitate them with a bit of darkness in front of her.
"... Oh~ They're still warm, thank you. Ham~ Mh? How come you can't move?"
"Well, maybe I can move..." I endure the pain and bend my arms a little... "I can't lift them much, but I don't feel anything wrong with my joints, just the muscles. But I have pain all over my body"
"Oh... Can't you heal like you did with that perv soldier?"
"I could, but... That's not the best thing to do. Hmm, in the long run it will help him a lot, but in the short run it'll make his training less productive than everyone else's. I don't plan on training my body that hard again anytime soon, so I think it's best to hold on to the pain until it goes away on its own"
"That makes sense, I guess"
"But it's not normal for muscle pain to weaken so much... I'll see how I feel in a few hours"
"Okay, then I'll stay and take care of you today"
"No, you already skipped work yesterday, please go to work"
"I'll be fine~ Do you want me to bring you some medicine? I remember that there are several things that can help with this"
"Thanks, but sleep will be enough for now... Go to work"
"... But the idea of skipping work has already crossed my mind, and now I really don't want to go..."
"Please don't be irresponsible"
"Fine. Ham~... But in return~"
Oh no, that smile doesn't bode well...
"Do you remember your punishment?"
"Eh, do I really have to? It wasn't entirely my fault"
"I'll go to work if you obey without question"
"... It's not very mature of you to say something like that"
"Mature? Don't worry about such nonsense"
"... What's the punishment?"
"Don't worry so much, one of my friends from the academy is getting married, so we'll meet in two days, I just want you to come with me"
"Is that all?"
"Of course, I'll also pick out some clothes for you, something nice"
"Okay... Just go to work, please," her tail is wagging too happily to really be something that simple...
"You'll have fun~, do you have any more skewers? I'm still hungry"
"I'll give you the ones I have left, here"
I manage to attract one of the plates from the kitchen with magic, not put away, but in the dish drainer. I open the door and put the skewers on it.
"Huh, look, they're still steaming. Can your magic preserve what you put in it? That would be very useful"
"... I think so, isn't that too convenient?"
“Mmm, don't see a horse's teeth or something... What was that phrase again?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about"
"Mm, I think there's one phrase that grandpa said that would be good here, but I never liked his old man phrases"
"... What were we talking about? Oh yeah, please go to work"
"Ugh, okay"
She gets undressed and for some incomprehensible reason leaves her negligee and panties on me... She wants to embarrass me by making me touch them to move them away? Well, it's working.
Without any intention of averting my gaze, I watch as she grabs some clothes from her closet. My eyes almost pop out when I see her bend down to open her underwear drawer...
"See you later"
"Bye"
She walks over to me. And kisses me on the cheek! What?
"... Are you the one who is sick?" I ask.
"I just felt like it, don't worry," I think I heard that somewhere recently. She puts her clothes on her shoulder and leaves, I guess to take a bath... I just drag her clothes to the floor, where my bra is. I'll wash it later.
With a little more magic, I close the thick curtains so that as little light as possible gets in, it should work. Good night.
...
I can't sleep.
What was supposed to be a good way to do it? I remember someone saying to inhale for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and let it out for eight seconds. But that's nonsense, I put my brain to work to count those seconds, so it keeps me from sleeping.
Read something? The same thing happens to me. Maybe imagining something relaxing will work, but I'll get sad if I remember my house now... A park or something like that might work... But I can only imagine people talking in the background for some reason.
'Oh, I could sing. Depending on the song, singing can help you with anything.'
“… En mi ventana veo brillar… Las estrellas muy, cerca de mí” I begin to whisper.
Oh. I know... Maureen, yes, the precious kitten, his unusual fur... His funny sideburns... His eyes... How I fixed his cavities and he was so happy... How Sherianna came in later and called me adorable... She was kind and gave me food for the kitten...
“Cierro los ojos… Quiero soñar… Con un dulce por venir~”
She smelled very nice, a combination between... A bluebell flower, which is like honey and sweet, like a violet... Also freshly baked bread and... Old books... But not the nasty musty ones, but... Like herbs, that remind me of when we secretly opened my late grandmother's chests to go through her things...
“… No habrá noche.. para mi… Sin estrellas que den luz~”
Too bad I didn't get to see her face... Even her voice sounded a bit muffled and strange... I would like to be friends with her, she was so easy to talk to...
“Gira gira, carrusel~… Tus ruedas de cristal…”
Damn, I'm falling asleep... Wait, that was the plan, you idiot... Oh well...
-----
...
.....
... I wake up to feel someone caressing my ears.
"What are you doing...?"
"I can't remember the last time I was awake and you weren't, so I'm taking advantage of the free food"
"Please stop, it feels weird"
"A little more"
"... Okay, but softer, I'm still sleepy"
"Leave it to me, can you move?"
"Mm, actually, yes, maybe, I feel very heavy and sluggish, but it doesn't hurt anymore... Strange"
"Great! Go get something to eat, in the meantime I'll get you some clothes for the day after tomorrow.
I do just that. I look at the window, the curtains are open now, it’s night, did I sleep all day? I want to take a bath. I don't feel much like moving, so a simple piece of bread with jam and milk will do.
Bathing in cold water would help wake me up... It also helps with circulation, which provides nutrients and oxygen to the skin. It also makes the hair look shinier. But... No, a hot bath would be better for me right now, it's good for the mind and the muscles.
-----
"... Nicole"
"Yes?"
“Didn't you say you'd look for clothes for the day after tomorrow?”
"I did"
"All I see is underwear." And what an underwear. I have a lot to say about what I see, but let's ask for now.
"Exactly"
"... What?"
"Hehe..." She gives me a dangerous smile. Her ears tilted a little to the side in a relaxed way and her tail swaying happily from side to side does not give me much confidence.
"Have you ever heard of lingerie parties?"