Took a bit longer than I would have liked. Had a ridiculous amount of scenes planned, but putting them together coherently? Nah.
Zaru had good advice for this one, and it mostly centered around boobs.
Yeah, it's that kinda chapter.
Beta: Zaru
Admittedly, he felt a little bad, ditching Cerea like that. From the shadows of the tree he was hiding behind, he couldn't quite see her anymore, but he could hear her, calling out to him.
He'd also felt bad about how hard it had been not to stare at her naked chest, when she was right in front of him (okay, so spending all his time around beautiful women might have left him feeling just a little pent-up), so, if he was going to feel guilty either way…
Haruhiro figured he might as well take the route that didn't lead them to do anything that they'd regret in the morning.
Centorea might have been giving him all kinds of signals, just like Rachnera had, and it wasn't like he was completely oblivious to what they might mean. It was just that they were also acting really, really weird, and so he wasn't sure how much of it they really meant.
… Probably none of it, really. Those two, no, not just them, but all the girls were amazing, beautiful, talented, and kind. He, on the other hand…
Was nothing special. Not unattractive, but not really attractive either, not particularly talented, and he didn't really think he was all that kind. Sure, he said some good things on impulse, and he'd have to be blind to think he hadn't helped his friends at all, but…
Did it really count, when anyone else would have surely done the same, in his place, and probably done it better?
Sure, he had something going for him, now that he could see exactly how a person would fall to pieces, but…
Was that really his power, or had Grimgar changed him once again, just like it had changed him by robbing him of everything but his name?
He'd feel more comfortable in his ability to 'see' the lines holding people together, if he could keep it under control.
He couldn't though, and Haruhiro was terrified of the idea that he'd find out that he didn't really need to cut a person's seams on purpose… and he already knew how easy it was to cut them.
What if he didn't actually need to 'cut' those lines, what if he could just touch them with his hands?
… He didn't want to hurt them, anyone but them.
For a moment, Haruhiro considered just slipping away into the night, and never returning.
It scared him a little, that only the idea that doing something like that could hurt them too…
Was perhaps the only reason he didn't.
That and-
"Oh there you are, Haru!"
… The sudden feeling of impending death.
The sharp sound of wood snapping echoed out like a gunshot.
… Whatever that was.
Rolling back to his feet from the headlong tumble, Haruhiro warily watched as Tio's smile faded, and she blinked in confusion at the top half of a small tree before her.
Frowning pensively, she looked up the trunk, and then down, to where her arms were wrapped around it, just above the break that had snapped its trunk in two.
"You're not Haru." She accused the poor shattered tree.
"... And I'm really glad for that, right about now..."
Unceremoniously discarding the length of tree that was almost half again her height, Tio turned towards him with a bright smile on her face, even as she casually dusted off the chest of her bright pink sundress.
… He was pretty sure that most girls didn't cause ripples when they did that.
"Oh hey Haru, what are you doing all the way over there? No wait, why did you dodge me!?"
Haruhiro pointed one finger towards her victim.
Tio puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"T-that was an accident! It's not my fault that the tree was so flimsy!" Tio pouted. "And besides, I don't get your point, you're a person, not a tree!"
… Okay, he could kind of see what she was getting at. If by 'person' she was thinking 'Ogre', then she had just proven who was the stronger.
… Didn't help if the person in question wasn't an Ogre though.
What little good humor he'd managed to gain vanished as Tio began to speak up slowly.
"Y'know... if you don't want hugs, you could just say so." Tio said, much more quietly. "I know I'm pretty big and clumsy, b-but I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything… just trying to be friendly. S-so please don't… don't hate me."
Haruhiro went still as the woman's words ended in a sniffle.
It would be easy to think that the full moon was just making her emotional… it was hard to deny that Rachnera and Cerea had been acting abnormally, but…
It seemed too easy, though, to just blame everything on the full moon and not look any deeper.
"I don't hate you Tio." He said, trying his best to think of what he wanted to say as he was saying it. "And honestly, I doubt… no, I know that will never change."
Tio flinched, but her widening eyes carried with them faint traces of hope.
"And yeah, it's true that sometimes you forget how strong you are, but I still think you're a really kind, gentle girl, Tio." Haruhiro began, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "And well… I definitely don't hate how… you know, friendly you are… I'm not really a touchy person, but it's kind of nice."
"Y-you mean it? It really doesn't bother you?" Tio asked tentatively.
"Not at all. If anything-" Well, he did want to be more open around the people he trusted, so… "If anything, when I act bothered by it, it's just because how pretty you are makes me self-conscious."
It was the first time, that night, that Haruhiro was grateful for the brightness of a full moon and a clear sky.
Brightness which offered just enough visibility to display the furious blush burning against Tio's tanned cheeks.
"Y-y-y-you think I'm cute!?"
"Beautiful, too." Haruhiro admitted, both proud and a little surprised to have gotten the words out without stuttering or fighting off the desire to avert his gaze.
The blush on Tio's cheeks more or less vanished, or at least was concealed by her hands upon her cheeks. A luminous smile upon her face, Tio giggled delightedly, her skirts swishing to and fro as she twisted about.
... Okay, he would have to take back that bit about not feeling shy.
"Ehehe~ Haru thinks I'm cute!" One hand left her cheeks, clenched into a fist that shot into the sky with triumphant enthusiasm. Internally, Haruhiro screamed his frustration at the unfairness of it all, tearing his gaze away from all that jiggle and bounce that no bra could ever wholly contain.
… Not that Tio ever wore one, as she had quite cheerfully informed him once.
His belated shyness now having taken full effect, Haruhiro averted his gaze, cheeks flushing hotly.
With a sly smile on her face, Tio saw an opportunity and pounced.
…
…
"Again!? Why did you dodge me again!? H-hey, Haru get back here!"
"... Yeah, sorry, we don't have time for this, but if you could do me one little favor…"
A blade hissed slowly from its sheath.
"Sheesh, how does he run so fast on such short legs? I mean, they're like half the length of mine and I can't keep up with him at all!" Tio complained, sitting herself down on the cool grass with a casual thud.
"... But y'know, I don't get it." Tio mused, after a while, tapping a finger against her chin as she looked upwards. "I mean, I like Haru. And I like Cerea, and Yukio, and well, I don't quite know yet about the other two just yet, but I'm pretty sure I like Rachnera and Iormu too."
Tio giggled. "Well, everyone likes Haru, and I mean, it's really, really obvious that Cerea and Haru like each other, and I'm pretty sure Yukio…"
Tio threw up her hands in frustration.
"So how come nothing's happened yet!? Man, why are the smaller races so slow!? I thought my teachers were just joking!"
"... Maybe Haru just doesn't get it… well, I mean, they are fantastic, so I bet if she showed them off to him a little more… yeah, like that!"
Tio pointed excitedly as a blushing Centorea trotted quietly into the small clearing, having been lured by the noise, and also currently baring most of her ripe chest to the night air.
She had made an effort to conceal them, of course, once she'd calmed down a little, but her blouse had struggled enough to keep her bountiful assets contained even before she'd ripped off half the buttons.
So, ripped as it was, her top could only keep her chest somewhat covered if she avoided sudden movements.
… Such as flinching when she heard Tio's monologue.
Thus, Tio had caught sight of her at precisely the moment her top surrendered its valiant struggle, leaving her breasts to spill free.
As Cerea pressed one arm across her chest in a vain effort to preserve her modesty, Tio giggled as she realized that that wasn't really the reason the pretty mare was blushing so.
"M-M-Master… likes me?" Cerea stammered. "O-o-of course, I have been his loyal servant, so it w-w-w-would n-n-n-not be strange to have earned s-s-some manner of a-approval."
"Huh? Why do you make it sound so cold?" Tio pointed out, not having any of it. "I mean he likes you the same way you like him."
Centorea made some noise that might have been words, hooves clopping and tail swishing in a display of agitation, but Tio just nodded confidently.
"Yeah, that way."
It was enough of an answer, it seemed, because everything but the Centaur's energetically whipping tail went still with a whimper.
"But you know, it's probably gonna be really difficult for him to say anything first."
"... What do you mean?" Centorea asked with a blink.
"Well, have you seen yourself?" Tio gestured up and down in her direction. "You're gorgeous, you're strong, and brave, elegant, and super kind and caring!"
If Centorea had been blushing furiously before, now, it was almost to the point where her already high body temperature was combining with the cool night air to create steam.
Past her spinning senses though, she couldn't have missed Tio's next words if she'd tried.
"And Haru knows all of that, I mean, have you seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one else is paying attention to him?"
Probably didn't know how much of a lost cause that last bit was… didn't have a clue how interesting the rest of the group thought he was.
"And there could be any number of reasons why he might keep his feelings bottled up." Tio muttered glumly. "But honestly, I… I wouldn't be surprised if the idea you'd ever return his feelings, even a little, has never even crossed his mind."
Centorea froze in place.
"... I was… afraid of something like that. Perhaps I… no, I understand exactly why Haru might think so little of himself." Centorea whispered slowly.
"... You do?" It had been bothering her a lot, but… of course Cerea knew.
All it took, Tio supposed, was for Cerea to start thinking that maybe, just maybe, her own feelings were being returned, and the pieces would all fall into place.
"It is simple, when you think of it." Cerea began. "After all, Master has just over two months of memory, give or take." A heavy sigh. "How can he believe in a self that he hardly knows?"
"... Oh."
"Perhaps that is why he thinks so… highly, of us." Even if they might not believe for a second that they deserve that regard, such as she herself. "When he and I met he was… alone. All alone, even with companionship so close at hand, in the form of his old party. You should have seen it, Tio. The first morning, we had spent side-by-side, I had taken my morning run as I waited for him to rise."
Cerea's distant smile was both fond and bitter in equal measure.
"When I had returned… when Haru met my eyes, for the first time… his… his eyes were filled with such wonder, such gratitude… such fear. As if he hadn't been able to believe that any of it was true, as if my presence was simply some desperate dream, only just proven to be reality."
"I had… already given my oath, to stand by his side… It was then I decided that, oath or not, I would never abandon Haru, never allow him to feel so isolated ever again. And…"
Centorea ducked her head, bangs shielding her eyes as she fidgeted.
"W-well… you see, I've… also n-never been saved, like that…" Came the bashful stammer. "A clumsy b-brute like me… r-rescued j-j-just like an innocent… I-I-I mean, he- I…"
"Yeah, I get it." Tio chirped happily. "He really respects us, you know, as warriors and stuff! Doesn't look down on us for being girls in rough professions, probably doesn't even consider our gender in regards to that, but at the same time…"
"Indeed… somehow, Master really manages to make us feel valued as women, as well…" Centorea continued, smiling brightly. "I suppose falling in love was inevitable."
… He didn't understand.
It wasn't possible.
… Why?
How could she… feel that way about someone like… him?
Haruhiro huddled in the bush he had hidden in, ever since he'd evaded Tio, and tried to still a heart attempting its level best to pound its way past his ribcage.
He hadn't actually made it that far (he hadn't been that confident in outrunning Tio), just ducked out of sight when she lost vision of him for a moment.
Then, he'd needed to double back to deal with some unwanted company, and he was sure glad that Tio was keeping Cerea distracted, girl had the sharpest hearing out of anyone he'd ever met.
This meant that he was close enough to hear when Cerea stumbled across Tio… and every word that followed.
He didn't understand why Cerea might have feelings for him, he didn't understand how apparently, she'd seen right through him, and he didn't-
He didn't understand what he was feeling, either.
He liked Cerea.
He admired her, he respected her, cared for her, and…
Yeah, he desired her too.
But… Tio had been right, in a sense.
He'd never even dreamed that Cerea might return his feelings, if he began to see her that way, and so…
He'd struggled desperately against the urge to consider his feelings more deeply, more honestly.
… His head was spinning.
He couldn't make sense of what he was thinking, what he was feeling, he needed to get away, while-
"... Oh come on now, take a hint."
Tio had gone completely utterly still, and it was making her just a little self-conscious, she had to admit.
"... Tio? Are you alright? You've… was it something I said?" Centorea asked hesitantly.
"'Was it something she said?' Something she said?" Tio muttered.
"OF COURSE IT WAS!"
Centorea shrieked in shock as the taller blonde pounced on her, giggling delightedly.
"You said, you said it, say it again!" Tio demanded, her arms wrapped crushingly around Cerea's strong shoulders, her cheek rubbing against the Centaurs as their huge chests squashed together.
"T-Tio!? W-what are y-you!?"
"Say it again!"
"Say what!?" Centorea shouted back, partially in frustration and partially to distract herself from how sensitive she was feeling all of a sudden, as the silky, clothed expanse of Tio's chest rippled and scraped upon the almost painfully stiff nubs that crowned her own bare breasts, exposed as they were.
"You love Haru! You do, don't you!? Say it again!"
"F-fine! I'll s-say it, j-just let me go! I'm- mmph- starting to feel s-strange!" Cerea cried out, her back hoof kicking as the Ogre's soft cheek rubbed against her own, despite her increasingly faltering efforts to push her friend away.
"K!" Tio agreed enthusiastically, releasing the panting Centaur and hopping back with her hands folded daintily behind her, and eyes wide with anticipation.
"... Yes… I… I'm in l-l-love…" Centorea cut herself off with a frustrated huff, what was she, some starry-eyed maiden confessing her first love!?
… Oh… that's precisely what she was.
"Cereaaaaaa!" Tio whined impatiently.
"Fine!" Centorea snapped, before taking a deep breath, placing one hand gingerly upon her tingling breast. "I… Centorea Shianus am deeply, deeply in love with my Master, Haruhiro!"
…
…
"... Tio?"
"That was…"
…
"SO CUTE!"
"Again!? T-Tio! S-stop t-that I'm-"
"Nope! You're super cute and Imma hug you!" Tio declared as she nuzzled once more against her fellow blonde.
Abruptly she went still then, pulling away somewhat so that she could stare into Centorea's eyes, her own ruby red eyes wide and swimming.
"U-unless you d-don't l-like it when I hug you? I… I can stop, if…"
"... Aaaah! It is incredibly unfair when you pout like that!" Centorea shouted, refusing to look down. "Fine, embrace me to your heart's desire!" She declared, placing her hands on her hips.
"Yay!"
… Huh, it was kinda fun like this, with Cerea trying her best not to squirm… and, well they were right in front of her, and by Rhea were they amazing up close! Pale with the color at the peaks, like some kinda super soft mountains colored in reverse!
And, well… they were, once again, right in front of her, and she was feeling a little 'thirsty' since Haru was acting all shy for some reason, and she didn't need to worry about hurting Cerea, since her fellow blonde was almost as tough as she was...
Averting her eyes as she was, Centorea missed the naughty little smirk that spread across Tio's face, as the lovely Giantkin shifted her grip to hold onto her shoulders, lowered her head, and-
"Om!" Playfully pinched a bit of Cerea's quivering breast between her lips.
If his face heated up anymore, he was pretty sure that he'd start giving off steam.
And, while he was being careful as he crept away from the clearing where Cerea and Tio were busy throwing his world into disarray one word at a time, it was rather dark, with the moon having slipped beneath the clouds.
Thus, it wasn't all that surprising that when Cerea's surprised and impassioned shriek suddenly filled the air, Haruhiro's knee-jerk reaction to nearly jump out of his skin nearly led to a nasty tumble.
Fortunately for him, the steep incline he'd just fallen down chose that moment in particular to coat itself in fluffy, pure white snow.
And Yukio, standing patiently at the bottom, was there to catch him at the end of his awkward descent.
Rather than attempt to halt his momentum, though, Yukio opened her arms invitingly, falling together with him to the now white and fluffy ground in an oddly languid fashion, as the chill breeze seemed to billow forth of its own accord, easing their descent.
'Huh, she's getting better at that.' A distant corner of Haruhiro's mind noted.
Shaking the last of the dizziness free, Haruhiro stiffened in surprise to find his face inches from a gently smiling Yuki-Onna, pinned beneath him. Then he stiffened a little elsewhere as it occurred to him that the pillowy cushions that had arrested his fall were currently being squished from their confines by his body-weight.
"Greetings, Haru-sama." Yukio's breezy voice whispered soothingly. "Are you... unharmed?"
"Uh, yeah. Thanks for the catch, Yukio… kinda hard to see where I'm going." Idly, Haruhiro noted that with her slender arms gently wrapped around him like this, it kind of made her voluminous sleeves feel like one big blanket.
… First Tio and Cerea, now Yukio was making an expression as if she would melt beneath him… were they all trying to drive him off the deep end!?
He had needs too, dammit!
Deep blue eyes blinked once as Yukio's pale brow furrowed, and, slowly dragging her vision from its ever important task of taking in every detail of Haru-sama, she allowed her gaze to drift slowly about her surroundings.
"It is... dark?" Yukio murmured in a questioning tone.
"Uh… yeah. Actually, come to think of it, you didn't really seem to need the torch, back in the caves."
Yukio shook her head slowly.
"We Yuki-Onna do not require much in the way of light." She admitted.
According to her mother, that was to allow them to wander freely through blizzards and the like, but Yukio mostly thought it was helpful for being able to see how cute Haru-sama was when he slept.
"Really? How come you never mentioned that?"
"No one asked?" Yukio returned, a bit puzzled.
"... Yeah, I was kind of expecting that." Haruhiro sighed.
He then began to stand up, already feeling the snow beginning to melt through his pant legs, but froze in place when his knee pressed up against something that was soft, damp, just a little warm, and most definitely not snow.
Yukio bit back a moan as her eyes widened, writhing beneath him. This served to confirm his suspicions as the faint warmth rubbed itself against his leg.
With a startled yelp, Haruhiro threw himself back and onto his rump, gulping audibly as the misty-eyed Yukio slowly drew herself into a sitting position, cheeks flushed and the thin silk of her robe (yukata, she called it, and where had he heard that word before?) slipped from her thin shoulder.
It was really hard not to notice how disappointed she looked, at the loss of contact, as he shuffled off of the snow and onto the marginally warmer ground.
… Not her too.
"S-sorry about that."
"N-no… it is alright." Yukio whispered, gaze still unfocused as one hand crept down the exposed flesh of her thigh, inching towards-
Shaking her head, Yukio's gaze refocused upon Haruhiro, and, as her posture regaining its usual poise, Haruhiro couldn't help but notice that air of barely concealed immorality her disheveled state of dress seemed to convey.
Not that he could ignore it before, but after overhearing Cerea and Tio speak, he was suddenly feeling a lot more aware of Yukio as well, almost as if he was seeing her for the first time.
Pale moonlight bathed pale blue skin in a subtle, ethereal glow, and brought a captivating glimmer to her gemstone eyes, and, not for the first time, Haruhiro was struck by just how beautiful the quiet ice maiden was.
... Though it helped that she was apparently feeling a bit too warm, and that the way she fanned herself with her wide sleeves was causing the already loose neckline of her yukata to slip from her delicate shoulders.
Haruhiro averted his gaze, reminded once again that apparently none of the women in his party wore bras, but also with the sight of Yukio's naked breasts seared into his retinas, and the knowledge that a Yuki-Onna's nipples were also apparently a shade of blue just a hint darker than her skin.
As the flush crept across the young man's cheeks, Yukio concealed her pleased smile beneath a raised hand.
That smile vanished entirely when Haruhiro sneezed, rubbing his arms with a shiver.
"S-sorry, worked up a good sweat with all the running I've done tonight." Haruhiro chattered, still not looking Yukio's way.
Not for the first time that night did averting his gaze from one of his lovely companions prove to be unwise, but Haruhiro was too busy shivering to notice.
Slim, silk-wreathed arms wrapped around his shoulders, and in one smooth motion, pulled Haruhiro forwards.
The end result of Haruhiro's knee jerk reaction to turn his head, towards whatever had grabbed him, resulted in his face being buried neatly within the soft valley of Yukio's cleavage.
Yukio gave a very different kind of shiver when his muffled exclamation vibrated against her chest, but when Haruhiro's arms flailed, she only tightened her grip.
Some dim rational part of her brain suggested that while embracing Haru-sama was good, smothering him was bad, so when Haruhiro tried to twist his head to loosen itself from its fleshy prison, Yukio dutifully loosened her grip just enough to allow it.
"Y-Yukio, what are you-!? … Huh?"
Haruhiro went still.
"... Warm?" He muttered in confusion, only mostly distracted by the pert blue nipple that was nearly poking him in the eye.
"... Skin-to-skin." Yukio helpfully clarified.
"... What do you mean?" He asked, almost in spite of himself.
"Oh… I'm taking the chill away." Yukio explained readily. "I'm a Yuki-Onna." She helpfully reminded him.
"... You're absorbing the cold?" Haruhiro guessed, trying not to focus on anything that involved how comfortable he was feeling and wow was her chest soft, well he already knew Yukio was soft, but-
"... Cold listens when I ask it to do things." Yukio said slowly. "I'm asking it to leave you alone."
"... And what does this have to do with you being half naked?" Nope, the 'don't pay attention to how soft those naked boobs were' plan was not a success, quest failed.
"The cold in your body won't hear me unless I'm connected to you."
"... So skin-to-skin."
"Skin-to-skin." Yukio agreed with a smile.
"Oh… okay, I don't really get it, but… thanks." It wasn't that he'd warmed up, exactly, he just wasn't cold.
Well, he'd kinda warmed up, he supposed, his face was burning up for some reason, and-
"Ah… warm." Yukio whispered happily.
Well, now he felt guilty, but things were about to get really awkward because man did she smell nice, and did he mention that her boobs were soft-
"I-I think I'm… okay now." Haruhiro managed to stutter out. "C-could you let me go?"
Yukio's arms dropped instantly, though from his angle he couldn't see the way her expression fell.
… Her chest was still pressed against him, though-
Haruhiro sat back, and, like he'd expected, Yukio remained precisely where she was, kneeled dutifully in front of him.
Haruhiro sighed in relief. He was kinda grateful that he'd been freezing up until a minute or two ago, in retrospect, because it kept little Haruhiro from wanting to poke out and say hello while he was pressed against his ridiculously beautiful companion.
That welcoming, accommodating and half naked companion, who was smiling in a mysteriously feminine fashion at him, with just a hint of what he was pretty sure was pride.
… They really were soft.
Clearing his throat with a jerky cough, Haruhiro locked his vision onto Yukio's… eyes, and reached out.
The Yuki-Onna's eyes glittered with delight, only for her subdued smile to shift into a tiny, puzzled frown as he began to pull the collar of her yukata back onto her slim shoulders.
"Come on, let's get you covered up. Not that I'm not grateful for the help-" view- "but you shouldn't be so quick to expose yourself like that."
… She didn't understand what he was getting at, really, but she did understand that he was concerned about her in some way, and…
"... I do not mind if it is Haru-sama…" She whispered in a tone that if he didn't know any better, would have sounded almost petulant.
As Haru-sama replied, she began to think that it was very warm in this forest, and the moon was very bright, and this was making it very difficult for her to make sense of his words, beyond the fact that he was speaking, and she rather liked hearing his voice.
… After a moment that she hoped he would assume was being spent considering his words before answering, Yukio nodded dutifully.
After all, she agreed with whatever he'd just said, so did he really need to know that she hadn't heard any of it?
…
...
Yukio began to squirm guiltily as Haruhiro raised an eyebrow and stared.
Once he was confident she was aware that she'd been seen through, Haruhiro tried again.
"... You're being awfully… obedient." He repeated. "The other girls were a little… harder to talk to. Does the full moon affect you differently?"
It was pretty obvious that it was affecting her in some way, because usually she'd at least try to keep herself covered, but it seemed like a good way to start asking.
"... I don't really feel any different." Yukio said after a while.
"... Other than being more comfortable being half-naked?"
"I do not mind if it is Haru-sama." Yukio repeated with a trace of stubbornness in her tone.
"... But you haven't done something like that before."
"Y-you haven't asked me too!" Yukio protested immediately, raising her voice just a little.
"... Eh?"
"Hmmph." Yukio crossed her arms. "I-if... Haru-sama wanted to see… he should just ask."
"... And you'd go with it, just like that?" Haruhiro asked softly.
Yukio's smile returned as she nodded.
"... Why?"
"... Haru-sama is warm." Yukio's tone suggested that that simple phrase should be ample explanation.
"And that's more than just body heat, isn't it?"
Yukio nodded.
"We Yuki-Onna… struggle... to feel the emotions so commonplace amongst the other races." She hesitated for a moment, before she took a deep breath and forged on. "Did you know, Haru-sama, that until I was kidnapped by Ishh Dogrann... I was not fully aware that I loved my family?"
Haruhiro blinked slowly in disbelief.
"It is not as if I was mistreated, or neglected, no, in fact I believe my relationship with my mother and father was quite close. But when I say that I love them, it is... an assumption. I feel a pain in my chest when I think of them... when my thoughts drift in their direction, they are filled with the wish that they are healthy and happy." Yukio told him. "That is… love, is it not?"
It took him a few seconds to realize that she was actually asking him for confirmation.
"Yeah… sounds like it to me."
"... That is a relief." And she meant it too, didn't she? "The first emotion I am certain of was fear, then."
Haruhiro cringed.
Not hard to guess when that was.
Yukio's weak grimace confirmed it readily enough.
"Then, as I grew somewhat… accustomed to an Orc collar around my neck, that was when I would feel that ache in my chest, from time to time when I dreamt of home. Loneliness, tinged with despair."
Yukio gave a small, breathy sigh, gazing off into the distance.
"I believe... 'resignation' would be the appropriate term, for the emotion I learned next." Yukio continued on, tone level and calm.
Yukio lifted one delicate arm to point in his direction.
"And then, nothing, until what you gave me… Haru." He had never asked her to use it, but he couldn't remember Yukio ever speaking his name without the honorific.
"Hope."
A tinkling of bells accompanied that single word as Yukio giggled quietly, withdrawing her hand to cover her lips demurely as Haruhiro gaped at her.
"Hope…?" He parroted slowly.
"Indeed. I… that first night, when I awoke to you sitting beside the bed, I was certain that it was little more than a dream, that I had fallen so far that I had... dreamed of my own rescue in a desperate attempt to alleviate my own misery."
Yukio smiled, then, not the tiny, subdued half-smile that she usually bore, but a wide, bright smile that set her cheeks aglow, and sent his heartbeat racing.
"And yet… that desperate dream, that simple, forlorn little wish… you, Haru-sama, you made it come true."
… She'd never seemed happier… she'd never seemed so beautiful.
… And the dark little part of his heart screamed in denial that that could have anything to do with him.
"I… anyone else would have done the same, in my place."
Yukio's smile remained firmly in place as the ice maiden gave a careless shrug.
"Perhaps there were others who would have done the same in your place, but what does that matter? You, Haru-sama, were the one who was there for me when I had all but given up, wishing for nothing more than to close my eyes and never open them again."
"..."
"I wish to remain by your side, Haru-sama. I wish for everything you desire to be within your grasp, and one day I…" Yukio's smile turned wistful. "I pray that one day, the mirror shows you the man that I see, when I look at you. And I- no, that will do for now, I believe."
Yukio fought back another giggle as she helped the dazed Haruhiro to his feet.
"Run along now, I will go seek out the others, it is better if… well, most of us stay close together."
With her free hand, Yukio pushed on the small of Haruhiro's back, encouraging him to move on, only for him to come to an abrupt halt as they both realized that she was still holding his hand.
It was Haruhiro's turn to snicker as Yukio glared at her own hand, and, after a deep breath, managed to reluctantly open her fingers.
With a pointed cough, Yukio corrected her posture, folding one hand in front of her while the other slowly waved in farewell.
With one last lingering glance, Haruhiro was gone, vanished into the brush.
A moment later, Yukio turned on her heel, having decided to go in the direction Haruhiro had come from originally, to see if she could track down one of the others.
Preferably Cerea, she was warm, kind, made her feel safe, and she was also very-
… Yukio gasped a bit as a flash of heat made her vision wobble.
"... Ah… still… feeling… warm?" Yukio whispered in puzzlement.
That delightful, lingering heat had yet to fade from her hands, but…
A curious hand slowly drifted down the front of her yukata, towards the strange heat that seemed to be pooling near the base of her stomach.
Not finding what it was seeking, Yukio's questing fingers slipped between the silken hems of her garment, brushing past the tiny piece of silk she was wearing beneath.
A sharp exhale hissed from between her lips as fingertips discovered at last the warmth she'd been seeking.
… It had been purely accidental, when his knee had rubbed against her there, but…
She wished it hadn't been.
Almost of their own accord, her fingers began to slide themselves slowly back and forth, trying to imitate the sensation.
In mere moments, a low, breathy moan drifted upon the chill breeze, underscored by a faint sound that brought to mind something slick and wet.
Her other hand, feeling deprived of warmth as that delightful heat seemed to spread, slid beneath the collar of her yukata, feathering across the soft skin beneath.
… Having his body pressed to her bosom had been-
"Ahh!?" Yukio jolted as her fingers brushed against a hard little nub, causing it to scrape against the silk covering her breast.
Another flash of heat swept through the poor woman as she recalled how close Haruhiro had been to… oh… had he moved his head just a little more, he could have taken it with his lips and-
The heat continued to spread as the Yuki-Onna writhed and gasped, sinking slowly into the soft snow as her knees weakened beneath her.
Even still, her hands kept moving, and the wish that those hands were replaced by the hands of another continued to-
"My, my, someone seems to have had quite the interesting night." Iormu's throaty chuckle greeted him as Haruhiro slipped out from the underbrush.
"... The full moon is heavier than I thought."
One clawed hand languidly waved towards a small stump, some distance away from where the Jormungand reclined belly down upon her coiled throne of scales.
"Come, sit down and tell me what troubles you so." Iormu gently commanded.
Eyeing her warily as he did, Haruhio sat down in front of her, breathing a sigh of relief as the serpentine woman made no effort to close the gap.
With a yawn, Iormu slowly lifted her head, fighting off the urge to nestle deeper into the fantastic cleavage she'd been using as a pillow.
… Which was her own cleavage, of course.
Personally, she felt her general lack of humility helped balance out the younger, more timid souls within their little group.
Not to say she wasn't flattered by how the stretch of her upper body inexorably drew young Haruhiro's gaze.
Smirking inwardly as the young man's gaze jerked away from her bouncing breasts as she seated herself once more, Iormu patiently kept her silence, content to let Haruhiro speak up at his own pace.
Even after her long years of slumber, she could still easily recognize the signs of someone struggling to order their thoughts in coherent fashion.
"I think… some of the girls might have feelings for me." Haruhiro tentatively suggested, not quite meeting her gaze.
"... And where does the uncertainty lie?"
"... Why me?"
They'd all but laid it out for him, and…
It was still hard to believe.
"It would be wrong for me to speak on the behalf of others, in matters like this." Iormu began, slowly. "So perhaps I shall simply return a question of my own."
Haruhiro leaned forward in his seat, curiosity and trepidation warring equally within his eyes.
"Why not you?" Iormu asked. "What is it about the idea of us holding some manner of affection for you that baffles you so?"
Haruhiro grimaced as he caught the emphasis she put on one word in particular.
"... All of it. I'm nothing special."
"Death Spots would disagree, for a start."
Her heart sank as Haruhiro chuckled bitterly, his gaze drifting away.
"... Okay, so rather than being 'nothing special', I have a power I don't understand that makes me dangerous and unstable."
"... Perhaps that is the case." Iormu allowed, after a while.
Haruhiro's lips twisted into a cynical smile.
"But then, Haruhiro, my next question would be… so what?"
"... Huh?"
"Those eyes of yours showed you precisely how to slaughter Death Spots, as I heard it."
Haruhiro flinched, shying away from Iormu's cold gaze.
"Butcher him like an animal."
The breath caught in his throat.
"You could do it again, right now, couldn't you?"
Haruhiro began to shiver.
"It would be easy, wouldn't it?" Iormu dragged one finger languidly across her scales. "My scales would not defend me in the slightest, would they?"
"That… I wouldn't-"
"But you can. It would be easy, would it not?"
She was right, she was cracking right before his eyes -no- he could see it -nonono- it would be so easy-
"And yet, even now I cannot bring myself to fear you." Her gaze softened, as if its earlier intensity had been a lie.
"... What?"
"A new question, then." Iormu continued on, as if rendering him speechless was largely irrelevant. "Are you afraid of me?"
"W-what? No, of course not!" Well, he was a little bit scared of the full moon's influence on her, but that wasn't any more her fault than it was-
Iormu chuckled merrily, her lips concealed by one taloned hand.
"Don't you see, Haruhiro? It is no different, in my eyes. The power that lurks within you, whatever the source of it may be, is simply something that makes you dangerous." Iormu smiled. "You, my dear, are surrounded by dangerous women, and yet you do not judge us for it. Why?"
"... Because I trust you." Haruhiro admitted quietly.
Iormu closed her eyes, smiling in delight as a shiver coursed through her coils.
She was fully aware that it wasn't just her he was referring to, but… to have him declare his trust with such a clear gaze was most gratifying.
...They'd barely known each other for two days.
"As we, in turn, trust you." Iormu's eyes snapped open, and Haruhiro's desire to avert his gaze abruptly fled his mind as a pair of glittering orbs, rich and dark like a fine wine, ensnared his eyes with their fond glow.
"You, who looks past what sets us apart, all the ways we are not your kind. You, who have struggled and fought day by day to survive a strange land not your own." Iormu claimed. "You, willing to offer whatever aid you could grant us, when you possess little more than a name to call your own."
"Haruhiro." He couldn't help but straighten at her firm tone. "You may wonder, 'why me', but what I wonder is 'how could it be anyone else?'"
Save for the slow blinking of his gentle hazel eyes, Haruhiro was still and quiet, staring numbly at his hands while his mind undoubtedly raced.
Ideally, she would have remained there, watching over him in silence, but…
She had done her best, and her best was no longer enough.
"Haruhiro." Iormu began quietly, fighting down the urge to giggle as the young man's gaze snapped up with a start.
"... Yes?" He asked slowly, not quite all there.
"While I'm certain you have much to think of, I believe it's time you did so elsewhere." Her heart skipped several beats at the flicker of hurt that crossed those lovely eyes, and her torso jerked awkwardly as she restrained the impulse to sweep him up in her arms to cradle him gently against her breast.
"I am not as inured to the moon's light as I may appear." She confessed hurriedly, and Haruhiro became abruptly aware of the way her coils shifted and her hands twitched as he rose slowly from his seat. "... And it has occurred to me that I have yet to personally convey how just grateful I am to you, for escorting me once more into the light."
Haruhiro winced at the sudden shift of tone, even as the serpent's honeyed tones drifted upon the breeze.
Framed by moonlight, sharp horns formed a fierce, regal crown upon her head as Iormu rose high into the air with a sinuous, sensual sway of her hips.
Haruhiro nearly stopped in place, struck silent with awe in the presence of a being both wild and divine.
Luckily for him, those instincts that stole his breath in one moment screamed of danger in the next, and Haruhiro flung himself into a long, diving roll as the Jormungand swooped down towards him.
Haruhiro came up running, vanishing rapidly into the undergrowth, yet Iormu remained where she was, heavy bosom inches from the ground as she held her torso up with one hand.
The other tapped a finger pensively against her chin.
"That is the problem with fighting against one's instincts, I suppose." Iormu mused, her smile sultry and laden with promise as she stared off in the direction Haruhiro had run off to. "It becomes much more difficult to accomplish when you don't want to."
"And then there were two~" Came the throaty hum as Rachnera leaned against him, one hand casually propping up her cheek.
"Was wondering when you'd catch up." Haruhiro admitted.
Kind of felt like the night had gone full circle now, seeing how he was once again suspended in the air with a half naked Arachne draped across him.
"Hmm, the forest isn't all that far away when you have eight legs."
"That's nice. Felt a little bad about leaving you behind, even if you asked me to."
"Well…" Rachnera hefted her heavy breasts with her hands, and they slipped easily out of the bottom of the tiny black top she wore. "If you're feeling guilty, I have a few ideas of how to take your mind off of it~"
With an almost dismissive gesture, the smirking Arachne released her chest, letting it fall back down onto Haruhiro with an audible smack.
With that wicked smile on her face, she leaned more fully over him, bringing their faces inches apart until-
"You're bleeding." Rachnera said, stilling suddenly as her gaze focused upon Haruhiro's cheek.
Haruhiro stiffened for a second, before
"Huh, come to think of it, my cheek does sting a little." Haruhiro noted curiously. "Must have caught a branch while I was running."
Gazing intently at the wound, Rachnera continued leaning forward until their faces were almost touching, and dragged her tongue across it.
Haruhiro winced, squirming a bit as the woman lapped at the wound, swirling her tongue around for a moment before withdrawing, lifting herself off of Haruhiro.
Rachnera sat back, one hand against her flushed cheek as she gave a low, sensual moan, blood red eyes glazed and pink tongue licking pale lips.
Watching her carefully, Haruhiro released the breath he was holding.
… It really was kind of fascinating to see multiple eyes blink in harmony like that as they regained focus, but he was a little concerned when Rachnera froze in place, her eyes closed and lips pursed.
…
"... Rachnera?"
"... Please don't be scared." She whispered, keeping her eyes firmly shut.
"Of what?"
… Okay, so she was a little less elegant with her jaw hanging open like that.
Still hot though.
"W-w-w-what do you mean of what!?" Rachnera burst out incredulously. "You're seriously not worried about a gigantic predator tying you up and then tasting you!?"
"Eh… gigantic isn't really the word I'd use." Unless they were talking cup size. "I mean, you are on the bottom half of the height scale in our group…" Haruhiro trailed off with a frown. "... Wait, how do you measure how tall Iormu is?"
"That's not what I meant you idiot!" Rachnera snapped, grabbing his jaw with one hand. "Does this not bother you at all!?"
… Well, at least she wasn't all flinchy.
"No, not really." Haruhiro said after a moment.
"Why!? How could you possibly-"
"Because it's you?"
Red eyes widened for a moment until-
"Pfft… perv."
"... Huh?"
"... I can feel it poking me… so that's the kind of thing you're into, huh?" Rachnera chuckled, low in her throat.
"Err… w-well you know it wasn't t-the you know… blood or anything that would be weird that's weird right? But you know, a pretty girl licking you like that it's kinda- well, you know what I mean, er..."
… What the hell was he even saying?
Rachnera took one long, pointed look down at him and burst into laughter, clutching her sides and twisting away as her upper body rippled and shook with the force of her mirth.
Luckily for her, Haruhiro wasn't looking her way anymore, thoroughly ashamed, even if…
No, no, a little embarrassment was worth it, if it could put the smile back on her face.
Even past his reddened cheeks, a tiny smile tugged at Haruhiro's lips.
Not fully looking his way as the chuckles wracked her form, Rachnera reached out with a slender claw and began cutting Haruhiro free from her webbing.
"Go on, get out of here you silly man… honestly…"
"Uhh, while I appreciate you cutting me loose, I think I'm about to faAAALLL!"
"... Sheesh... anything more and at least one of us was ending up with broken hips..."
… Yep, full circle.
"... Master, are you unharmed!?"
"... Don't worry Cerea, my pride has been the only victim so far."
That, and Goblins.
… Wasn't like the forest was empty, after all.
They had all been pretty lucky that most of the small fry were more frightened than curious about all the noise.
Centorea's gallop had carried them down one of the more open, better lit trails for what seemed like quite a while before they slowed to a slow walk in a quiet, grassy forest glade, bathed in the light of the full moon.
Haruhiro slid off Centorea's back, and slowly wandered a distance away, gazing skyward as the pretty young knight fidgeted in relative silence, the swish of her tail concealed by the low sigh of the wind through darkened trees.
"Master… Haru… t-there is… something I must confess." Centorea said after a while, and Haruhiro turned his gaze to find her head dipped low, bangs concealing her eyes as her arms crossed against her chest, just enough to preserve that tiny bit of modesty.
"... I s-seem to have been feeling… emotions, that were perhaps a bit… presumptuous for a sworn Knight."
"... Yeah… I kinda figured that out."
"T-though it is not entirely unheard of, sometimes when a Centaur swears herself to a Lord, she eventually… w-well, if their… bond is… you see- huh?"
Cerea's head snapped up to stare at Haruhiro's awkward smile, his reply only just having sunk in.
"... P-pardon me?"
"I already knew, Cerea." Haruhiro rubbed his head, turning to face her fully. "I kind of knew for a while, but I didn't really… believe it, I guess?"
"Oh." Centorea's shoulders fell, that flicker of hope snuffed in an instant.
… She was aware that she was perhaps not the best at communicating her feelings, but had they really fallen so short?
"... You know, I have a lot of flaws, but I never really realized 'arrogance' was one of them."
"... Arrogance?" Centorea parroted in disbelief.
Haruhiro chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, I mean, it's pretty silly when you think about it, that the only thing I've never been willing to hear disagreement on is how generally worthless I am."
"Don't say that!" Cerea stomped her hoof angrily. "You are not worthless!"
Haruhiro blinked slowly, putting up his hands to forestall any more outbursts.
"... Yeah, I… no, I guess I don't really understand, but it frustrates the hell out of me that things like that are the only things I'm not willing to trust anyone else on." Haruhiro admitted. "So, I guess this is me saying sorry, and I'll try b-better, and y-y-y-you k-know-"
Haruhiro made a strange, almost choking sound, as if the words he was trying to say were attempting to force their way back down his throat.
"W-well, t-that is…"
"Haru."
Haruhiro lifted his gaze to find Cerea gently smiling at him, and, even as that lovely sight made his heart skip a few beats, once it settled he did actually feel a bit calmer.
… Belief was a funny thing, that way.
"... Ugh, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be."
"... Then, perhaps, may I…?"
'Yep, feeling pretty worthless right about now, way to contradict myself.'
Haruhiro nodded shakily.
Cerea took a deep, slow breath, her long lashes gently fluttering shut.
When they opened once more, her gaze was firm and unwavering.
There was nothing wrong with her feelings.
… She would be ashamed no longer, for this, this, was a beautiful thing.
"Haru." She declared. "I am in love with you."
She waited, silently, patiently.
He'd been expecting her words, she was certain.
Hearing it directly had still seemed to strike her dear Master with an almost physical force, even as it rooted him in place.
Ah… perhaps she was frightened after all.
She would accept his decision, whatever it may be, but even these scant seconds of suspense were enough to leave her heart pounding anxiously.
Slowly, she closed her eyes once more, bracing herself as the flurry of emotions crossed Haru's face.
"Sorry, Cerea." She flinched a little as the regretful, heavy tone of his voice tore at her like knives.
It didn't even register that now his voice was much, much closer.
"I've… been afraid to let myself think like this… pretty much from the first day we met, actually."
A long sigh.
"The words I need to say just won't come out, no matter what I do, so… I guess I can only ask you to be patient with me."
"Of course… I… I did not mean to pressure you so." She knew he was shy, knew how he struggled, and yet still, still she forced him!
The corner of her eyes began to sting, and she twisted her head away-
Tried, anyways.
A gentle hand caught her by the cheek, keeping her from turning away.
She didn't dare open her eyes, as another hand took her other cheek.
Centorea had absolutely no idea what was going on, as her head was pulled lower, and-
Radiant blue eyes snapped wide open as a pair of lips met her own.
Almost as soon as they did, a furiously blushing Haruhiro jerked his head back in surprise, though his grip on her cheeks remained.
With trembling, disbelieving slowness, one slender hand lifted its fingers to touch a pair of soft, full lips, and the curious sensation of warmth that remained.
The pieces of the puzzle fell into place slowly, as blue eyes slowly met hazel.
… Now it was her turn for words to fail, and so instead, Cerea seized Haruhiro by the collar, pulling him slightly off his feet as her lips mashed against his own.
Almost of its own accord, one of her Master's hands snaked around the back of her head, weaving itself into silky blonde hair.
Centorea shivered in delight as the soft fabric of Haru's shirt crushed against her exposed skin.
It was clumsy and awkward, as first kisses often are.
An earnest outpouring of emotion and desire, without any skill or technique to back it up.
… It was perfect.
And then they…
Waited, because those poor souls used up most of their courage getting to the kissing part.
Things will escalate of course, but this ones a little bit more of a slow burn.
That, and poor Haru's on overload right now, because his instinctive desire to think poorly of himself is kinda hard to maintain when a forest full of hot monster girls are throwing themselves at him.
Chapter ended up a bit more feelsy than intended, but lot's of sexy stuff and a bit of comedy so it worked out okay.
