CHAPTER XIV: FURY

Aura was an adult in a young body for as long as I've known her but unlike Shalltear, who had the body of a young adult and was treated like an adult, Aura was always treated like a child. Strangely enough, I was one of the few beings to treat both her and Mare as equals rather than children, a fact that Aura never forgot as she slowly started to grow fond of me. All of that was brought to a head when I rediscovered Roeray and died for the first time, starting Aura down the path of unleashed anger.

It was slow at first with an occasional insult here or a playful hit there. Those who tried to sway her from such behaviour found her hard-headed nature unable to be adjusted. Members of Nazarick started to avoid her due to her increasingly volatile reactions. Eventually, Aura started to notice and tried to rid herself of the feeling of hatred by hunting, taming, learning, and managing. All she accomplished was to blot out the anger temporarily but never deal with the source.

Shalltear was the one who stepped in and tried to find a solution when Aura showed no signs of recovery. She went to Lord Ainz who provided her with the access codes from Aura's creator and the only thing he asked from Shalltear in return was that she would get along better with Aura and Mare. However, Shalltear couldn't work up the courage to use what she gained because she doubted that giving Aura full control of herself would help her cope with her rage. Worse, she ventured that giving her full control could make her a very powerful enemy within Nazarick with revenge to collect from those who wronged her. So Shalltear held onto the codes and locked them away until such a time that they could be used properly.

Then Grace was born and like me, she brought great change to Nazarick.

I always found it strange that Aura wears clothing that covers her skin so thoroughly but after a few hugs and kisses with her, the reason for such clothing became obvious. Aura completely forgets her embarrassment and drops the blanket she's using to conceal herself as soon as we start kissing. Her reaction is the complete opposite of what I'm expecting because she embraces me enthusiastically and my sense of danger flat lines to nothing. Shalltear and Roeray both required a certain level of caution to avoid the deadly pitfalls they have but Aura is showing no signs of ill will and completely disarms me of my natural caution.

Her left-hand grabs onto the left rim of my pants, grabbing them and my underwear to pull them away in a fluid motion. My clothing phases through my body into my personal inventory and I stop for a moment from the sudden nudity, Aura stopping herself and smiling gently before whispering, "I saved that from before... I hope you don't mind..."

"Of course not," I reply before resuming the hugging and kissing, Aura accepting both without resistance. I'm surprised that she isn't shaking like before and endeavour to go slowly into intimacy. I lift her by the waist and bring her closer, her legs wrapping around my waist as her arms manoeuvre over my shoulders. Self-control holds even as Aura shows more enthusiasm in her kisses and hugs me tight while rubbing her body against me. A greater purpose eclipses the physical need and I'm silently proud of myself for not acting on rash impulses. This moment is special for her... I need to treat it as such.

Even with self-control, I fail at controlling my physical responses forever. A combination of warmth, softness, and friction causes me to respond automatically and Aura notices the erection pressing against her crotch instantly. She stops for a second, staring at me expectantly as she whispers, "So that's an erection... I don't know how to feel about that..."

I don't reply and simply resume where we left off while trying to think of other things to keep my erection in check. Aura seems disappointed by my bodily control and we kiss a few more times before she whispers gently, "I've never done this before... so I won't take the lead... I trust you to know what to do...and this is kind of scary..."

"I felt the same once... I'll do my best..." I whisper in reply, slowly moving back to kissing and transitioning slowly to more intimate kisses. Aura is still docile and receptive, allowing my tongue into her mouth and clumsily trying to return the kiss. However, she's a quick learner and adapts to the situation just as quickly. A switch is flipped in her mind and she becomes more demanding, squeezing my body more tightly with her limbs as we kiss more affectionately. I lose focus as we fall into the moment and my erection returns without the restraints to hold it back.

"Ready?" I whisper between breaths, Aura lightly nodding and leaning herself into me as if trying to keep me from escaping. Her actions make it harder to line up properly so I try to distract her with more kissing in an attempt to relax her grip. When she doesn't relent, I steel myself and grab her rear with both hands, surprised that such an action doesn't cause her to lash out. It takes incredible amounts of will not comment on how soft and fleshy she is compared to the muscle tone she had before and it takes more will to prevent myself from throwing caution to the wind and moving forward on my own.

"Promise me... promise me you won't leave again... I know I'm being selfish but... it's not fair that Shalltear has you all to herself..." she whispers between kisses, her voice neutral but demanding. She's still holding me too tightly for me to manoeuvre so I let go of her and push into her with my chest, gently placing her on her back and moving on top of her simultaneously. I'm able to push my lower half forward into her, causing her to tense up and bite her lower lip in an attempt not to scream from the sudden pain she must feel. She grabs the bedsheets around her as she accepts what's happening, her legs remaining firmly latched onto my waist as I push further. Once I reach a stopping point inside her, I reach forward and pull her gently upright, holding her in my arms and trying to comfort her through the pain.

Aura is limp at first but I bring her back into focus with light kisses. She slowly returns the affection but feels more rigid than before, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she whispers, "It hurts... more than I thought..."

I wait for Aura to get herself together, rubbing her back and stroking the wild hair gently as she slowly relaxes. Everything I think of saying sounds stupid or inappropriate in my mind so I just stay quiet and try to be comforting. I take the time to think about how I've been brainwashed to think of sex as a formula and that despite my reservations for such mental conditioning, I keep using the knowledge on a case by case basis. I doubt that I would've gotten as far as I've gone with women if not for such training.

Aura gives me a reassuring hug as I start to progress slowly, placing my hands on her hips in the process. She spreads her legs more and keeps a loose grip on my shoulders, leaning her head back and letting her body fall into my grip. I focus purely on what she wants and try to gauge what tempo and firmness that's best for her, stretching my attention span to its limits for any hints or reactions that I can interpret. Her breathing becomes even and in time with the movements, a smile crossing her face once she passes over the threshold of pain into enjoyment.

"My body... feels strange... and numb... " Aura whispers as I continue to gauge her reactions, her body language and her words still out of sync. I smile in reply, kissing her a few times before whispering in reply, "I haven't answered your question-"

"Yes and I am mad about it!" she suddenly snaps, her anger rising like an inferno to drown out everything else. Her entire body tenses as she tries to move away from me but I hold her firmly by the hips and her attempts to break free are half-hearted at best. She eventually gives up and slumps back into me, snapping at me with tears in her eyes, "Just give me an answer already! I just want an honest answer!"

"I don't keep my promises and I can't guarantee that I'll always come back... that's how it's always been..." I reply glumly, feeling more vulnerable upon admitting such flaws to her. Aura replies by losing much of her anger and hugging me tightly, clinging to me and crying freely in my arms. I whisper to her as I return her hold, "All I can say is that I'm trying to do better and that's all I can do... Shalltear will handle the rest-"

"Of course she will... I always make messes for her to clean up too... I'm still jealous of her as well... she's always treated with so much respect..." she replies with shocking hostility, a sigh escaping me as I move Aura back slightly to look at her. Her ears are drooping and her hair is everywhere, tears flowing from her angry, mismatching eyes. I reply gently as I wipe some of her tears away with my thumbs, "She has so much but really has nothing... so much prestige and glamour... but it doesn't cover up the flaws..."

"Like me... I'm such a shitty person too..." she hisses in self-loathing, the venom in her voice grating and corrosive but aimed at herself. She suddenly slaps me on the chest a few times, the hits negligible in damage as she shouts at me in growing frustration, "Fine, I love you! I really love you! There! I said it! Now say you love me back!"

"What's really wrong, Aura? Tell me," I demand gently, Aura's anger rising again but falling just as quickly into despair. The look in her eyes tells me everything, the first time I've looked at her and understand what she's trying to say. She shouts at me in growing despair as new tears form, "What's wrong is I don't deserve this! Shalltear earned this and I'm just... I'm just getting this because she gave me her consent! It isn't fair! Where's my chance to prove myself!?"

"Who are you trying to impress?" I ask but Aura immediately points at me with her right index finger, snaps back at me angrily, "You! I'm trying to prove my worth to you but all I've done is watch from the sidelines! I haven't been given any chances at what I want and now everything is being given to me out of pity! I hate it!"

"Then here's your chance. How do you earn this?" I ask pointedly, Aura shouting back rapidly as she slams her right fist onto the mattress, "I don't know! Everything I've tried so far has failed! You've shown no interest in me until now, even when you saw my older form in the past! You're only here because of Shalltear and... and I don't know how to win you over! I've never won someone over before and no one wants to teach me how!"

"Then just do what comes naturally," I reply as I pull her close and kiss her passionately, Aura unsure of what to do before awkwardly returning what I'm giving. I start to move my hips again and am relieved that she lets her restraint go, her arms and legs clinging to me tightly as she lets the experience wash over her once again. It doesn't take long for sweat to start building upon our skin as our combined body heat becomes too much, both of us trying hard to smash through what restraints we have left. My hands have a harder time holding onto her hips so I pull her into a tight hug because of all of the sweat but her limbs wrapping around me makes her stay in place. I feel the end of our encounter approaching and am unsure if I should finish in the usual manner, the doubt gnawing at my mind until I decide to do something different.

I pull out of her and let myself relax, coating her stomach with fluid. Aura exhales from the sudden halt in contact, relaxing her body and reaching down with her right hand slowly. She tentatively touches the fluid and says with a wide smile, "Warm... and you were going to... try again... do what you want to do... even if it's... inside me..."

I need no further encouragement and start kissing her again, Aura falling into the motions and encouraging me to get my erection back. Once I'm erect enough, she puts it inside herself with a loud exhale of satisfaction, her body tightening around mine as she falls into passion more readily. Suddenly, she's taking the lead away from me and encouraging me to finish, kissing me more enthusiastically and with a surety that she lacked moments ago. It doesn't take long to reach another conclusion and as we tighten our grips on each other, I feel myself let go and accept what needs to happen. She moans loudly into my mouth, kissing me fervently as I coat her insides.

My body sags and I nearly fall over, Aura leaning heavily into me from the release of all of our pent up energy. Euphoria threatens to overwhelm me and I feel like passing out but I stubbornly fight the feeling as I always do. I hear Aura exhale loudly and whisper, "I'm spent... that wasn't at all like I was told it was like... how does Shalltear do this so often?..."

"She's a true vampire... the fluids and energy I expel are absorbed by her... it takes a lot of time and effort to wear her out..." I explain, Aura snorting in amusement and trying to keep her hold on me despite our shared exhaustion. The euphoria dissipates and I feel a sense of melancholy descend on us to snap me back to the harsh truths. In a mild tone, I tell her as I stroke her head, "Come with us... that way, you won't be left behind anymore..."

Aura hugs me tighter and doesn't let go for the rest of our time together.