A Shield's Solace

by Maxaro

"Please, Naofumi… I just want to make this feeling disappear and these memories to be wiped from my mind. Help me replace them with thoughts of you instead," Olga begged him./ Kuroinu fix-it fic, basically, with Naofumi getting to play the rape-stopping hero because reasons. Genuine attempts have been made to address the trauma that all characters involved have suffered through.

2. Chapter 2

The Solace of a Savior

AN: Didn't plan on this taking so long, but what writing of mine doesn't these days, hahaha...

In the heat of the moment, Naofumi had entirely forgotten about the other person he'd saved from the clutches of the Black Dogs, at Olga's insistence no less. The fight-or-flight instinct that had flooded his body with sudden energy faded as quickly as it appeared, tension bleeding out of his whole frame. Covering his face with a hand, he could do little else but groan at his inability to not assume the worst about a situation, even when there were so much simpler explanations.

"I- fuck. I'm sorry Chloe, I didn't notice it was just you," he mumbled into his palm as his shield disappeared from his arm.

"C-Chloe?" Olga spoke up from where she still laid behind him, looking around Naofumi towards the shack where she indeed found her closest subordinate standing. "How long have you- what are you doing back there?"

To her credit, at least in Naofumi's eyes, the blonde half-elf immediately bowed her head deeply and fell to one knee, her voice sounding like it was shifting back and forth between panicked and devastated.

"Please forgive me, mistress Olga! I never intended to spy on you but I was awoken by your… sounds and I simply could not dismiss the implications of what might be happening to you! I-I… I looked outside and saw the two of you while you were… together, a-and I could not stop myself from watching..." Chloe half shouted, half whispered at the ground beneath her.

After circumstances had forced him to grow into a now naturally distrustful person, Naofumi had become rather adept at picking up when people around him were lying, be it to him or someone else, and while his instincts told him to be distrustful of the kind of tale Chloe was telling, he didn't pick up on any signs of deception in either her voice or body language. She seemed genuinely remorseful and even ashamed of what she'd done, meaning that either she was an even better liar than he was, or this was all genuine.

Glancing behind him, Naofumi found that Olga looked as surprised as he was, and it was only when he turned back to Chloe that he fully registered what she'd just said along with the fact that he was standing in front of her stark naked. Being watched was not something he'd anticipated this far out in the middle of nowhere, and the knowledge that this moment he'd shared with Olga hadn't been as private as he'd have wanted it initially didn't sit well with him.

With the situation having derailed rather spectacularly, Naofumi simply covered himself as well as he could with his hands. It had been different with Olga, he'd exposed himself to her out of his own volition. Chloe seeing him like this, however, was more embarrassing than he'd like to admit.

Chloe herself, all the while, dearly wished she had her sword at hand so that he may thrust it through her heart, ending this petrifying moment of utter shamefulness. She didn't dare look away from her feet, terrified at what kind of emotion she'd find on her mistress' features. What she'd done was unforgivable, made all the worse by the churning, needy feeling that still remained in her stomach. The sight and the sounds continued to replay before her eyes no matter how hard she tried to tell herself to stop reliving them; to stop imagining what it must have felt like.

For what had to be the hundredth time that day, she had failed her mistress in some way or another, breaking her honor into so many shards that it was all but impossible to reassemble it. Her throat burned from the disgrace of it all and in her heart, Chloe knew this wasn't something for which she could repent.

All she could do was accept whatever punishment her mistress saw as fitting.

"If you wish to-..." her voice broke mid sentence as the very idea of what she was about to say made her whole being scream out against it. "If you wish to send me back to those h-hounds for my failures, I will do so without resistance…"

A beat of silence passed as her words hanged in the air.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?"

Chloe's head shot up when, rather than her queen, it was Naofumi who was the one suddenly shouting at her. She could little more than stare at him as his face twisted with incredulity, the awkward embarrassment from just moments before completely erased.

Behind him, Olga too stared up at Naofumi, his righteous indignation so abrupt that it had startled her.

"Are you actually insane or what? How could you think that anyone, least of all Olga, would force you to go back there again?" Naofumi continued.

"W-what?" was all Chloe could reply with, realizing with a start that she actually had to resist the urge to hide herself away in the shack again.

"No matter what, neither of you are ever going to see those fuckers again! Regardless of what kind of plans we come up with in the morning, that will never be so much as an option, you got that?" As he spoke, Naofumi started advancing towards the half-elf until she had to crane her neck to keep looking him in the eye. Despite his nakedness, the figure he cut was still imposing to someone in her position, tall enough to practically tower over her.

Chloe just nodded numbly, and much to her relief, that was seemingly enough for the human, the anger on his face slowly fading into nothing more than a small frown. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair before walking past her and leaning against the shack, gaze now turned skyward.

"I don't care what you think you've done wrong, we three are sticking together, end of discussion," he said, and as he continued to look towards the star speckled sky, his stern features lit up by the flickering firelight, Chloe couldn't help but be reminded of how he'd appeared to her when he had first came barging into the dungeons and saved her from a fate even worse than death.

To the half-elf, Naofumi looked truly heroic in that moment.

From where she sat by the fire, Naofumi's cloak now wrapped around her otherwise nude form, Olga cleared her throat, catching both Naofumi and Chloe's attention. "He is right, Chloe," she said. "I would sooner cast myself off a cliff than willingly consign someone to that kind of fate. And you have not failed me. Not now, not ever."

"Mistress Olga..." Chloe whispered as tears started welling up in her eyes. For a moment, she was so overflowing with emotion that she didn't know whether she wanted to further prostrate herself or run over to embrace her mistress. She was reminded only a second later, however, by the situation at hand—of Olga's and Naofumi's nakedness—and her cheeks burned a hot pink as she cast her head down in shame once more. "Nevertheless, I still apologize for… interrupting, your grace."

Olga mirrored her bodyguard's blush while Naofumi shifted uncomfortably. "It's fine. We were more or less done, right?" he said eventually, giving Olga a questioning look that he hoped she'd be able to understand. She nodded in agreement at first, but then her face apologetic, turning towards Chloe.

"If anything, we are the ones who should be apologizing to you, Chloe, for waking you up. Things became much more… intense than I could have anticipated."

Naofumi wasn't the least bit surprised when the half-elf started to object, but she quieted down when Olga raised a hand. Deciding that the awkwardness had gone on long enough, he made his way over to where his and Olga's clothes laid in a sloppy pile and had just started picking them up when the former queen asked a question that made him take a pause.

"How much did you see, Chloe?"

"Y-your highness! That is- t-to ask such a thing-… I-I cannot answer something so shameful..." Chloe sputtered as Naofumi spun around to look at the elves.

"I wish to know. Please, speak honestly?" Olga replied simply, and Naofumi wasn't sure why just yet, but there was something in her expression that didn't sit right with him. Like she knew something he didn't.

At first it seemed like Chloe wanted to protest further, but instead simply deflated, her indignation being snuffed out. "When I first saw you, your grace, the hum-Naofumi had already… entered you and he was, well..." embarrassment shone hot and bright on her face Naofumi could tell even in the flickering light from the campfire, her hands balled up tightly on either side of her body. "He was moving. Slowly. At least at first. And then you started to move against him."

Olga merely nodded encouragingly while Naofumi couldn't help but starting to wonder if the half-elf might spontaneously combust on the spot. She looked downright mortified by the whole situation, but still she continued.

"I saw how you kissed, how you held one another so close, and how everything… ended…" Chloe explained. "I tried to simply go back to sleep, I swear, but I could not. I do not know why. I felt like I was on fire and shivering from cold at the same time. So I looked again, and that was when Naofumi spotted me."

Like before, Naofumi was unable to pick up any obvious signs of deceit from Chloe, though the paranoid part of him forced him to remember that his judgment was rather compromised at the moment.

Olga seemed to be satisfied with Chloe's answer now, her face still carrying that knowing expression from before, and Naofumi decided that that meant this embarrassing encounter could finally come to an end, hopefully.

"Alright, I suggest we all try to get some more sleep now. Don't know how many hours there are left until the sun comes up, but we need as much rest as possible for tomorrow," he said, looking between the half-elf and the dark elf for agreement, which he got from Olga, but when he turned his eyes to Chloe, she appeared far more uncertain, chewing on her bottom lip.

Feeling herself being watched, Chloe glanced up to find Naofumi looking at her expectantly, and she cursed inwardly at the way he made her tense up in such a foreign way. What little pride she had left screamed at her to keep her mouth shut and just go along with the plan as it were, but the soldier within her knew just how badly she might slow them all down the next day if she didn't say something. She met Naofumi's gaze and it only took a short moment for her pride to shrivel up as she was reminded for the thousandth time what he'd done for her already and how being a burden on him and her mistress would make her less than scum.

"I-I do not know if I can..." she eventually whispered.

"What do you mean?" Naofumi asked, brow furrowing.

Chloe bit her lip again, harder this time, but still answered. "Sleep. I do not know if I could fall asleep again at this point." A biting cold dug into her spine as she thought about how to continue. "My dreams kept bringing me back. To the keep. To those brutish beasts. I was thrown into that cell again, but this time I couldn't even move. Could not even scream..."

A heavy shudder went through the half-elf's form, her nose stinging with a stench that even now refused to go away. It was as disgusting and rancid as the creatures it originated from, making a wave of nausea spring up inside her stomach as a fresh mound of memories dug themselves into her skull.

"If you would let me, I could keep watch until the morning. And then we could walk separate ways to prevent me from slowing you down."

"Not happening," Naofumi replied immediately. "I told you before that we're staying together and that's final."

Chloe wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or despondent at the human's words. The fact that he was this adamant on protecting them was far more noble than she thought was possible from men, but it still left her as potential liability if exhaustion bested her. Growing increasingly hopeless, she looked to her mistress.

"Your grace, would it be possible for you to cast a sleeping spell on me? Even a weak one would suffice, I am certain," Chloe pleaded, only for her heart to sink like a rock when Olga shook her head regretfully.

"As long as this collar remains around my neck, I am completely cut off from my magical abilities," she explained solemnly.

Like she'd been punched into the gut, Chloe slumped against the wall of the shack, expression hollow and ashen. "My body… it will not allow me to rest. It is like it knows what's waiting for me if I try… if we were caught because of me, I-..." the thought alone threatened to tear the half-elf into utter despair, the nausea only getting worse.

As he listened to Chloe's plight, Naofumi too wondered what they were supposed to do. There was the possibility of knocking her out somehow, that might solve their predicament, but it was an alternative he truly didn't want to take. There was no telling what kind of unintended consequences Chloe might suffer from, maybe even ones worse than mere exhaustion. It was then that her words reminded him of something from earlier that night.

The memories, the fear, the lingering feelings… it was all an echo of what Olga had told him when she begged for him to help her.

Naofumi's throat felt dry when he glanced at the usurped queen, again being reminded of something, namely her knowing expression as she asked Chloe to tell them what she'd seen.

Gold and steel met, and Naofumi's eyes widened as he suddenly understood Olga's intentions, both for him and her subordinate. Her gaze spoke words that she didn't need to say out loud, encouraging him to go for it. Had this been any other time, there was not a single doubt in Naofumi's mind that he'd think the very idea of this was absurd—hell, even now it still felt crazy—but despite the small amount of time they'd spent together, he felt like he could trust Olga, and he knew that she trusted Chloe, so if she was actually suggesting something like this, then, at the very least, there would be no harm in just asking… right?

This would be good for him too, Naofumi told himself, letting the still fresh memory of the feeling of Olga's body as it joined with his flow through him. Slowly, he started walking over to the half-elf, taking long, deep breaths in an attempt to center himself.

As he approached, Chloe looked up at him, and the worry and pain in her expression gave him the final push he needed.

"If you want, I could try to, well... help you? Get your mind off of what happened?" Naofumi suggested. "That's what I- why me and Olga were doing that together."

In an instant, despair turned into utter shock, and Naofumi stayed silent as Chloe's eyes flew between him and Olga. Her mouth partly opened as if to say something, but no words came out, gaze ultimately landing on her mistress.

"What Naofumi is saying is true, Chloe. I needed to forget those brigands somehow, and Naofumi allowed that to happen. I can no longer feel their hands molesting my body, nor see their faces when I close my eyes. I was too ashamed to admit how the horrors still plagued me at first, so I tried to tell him that I wanted to reward him for saving us, giving myself to him as a price, but he refused the offer. It was only after I told him the truth and begged him to help me that he agreed. He can help you like that as well, I am certain of it," Olga explained honestly, answering her bodyguard's unspoken question.

It was seemingly a lot to take in for Chloe, a whole three seconds passing during which she showed no reaction what so ever. Then she glanced back to him, and Naofumi could see the deep blush on her cheeks.

"Y-you wish me t-to lay with him?" she stammered. "B-but that is- he is y-your- I could not! A servant and the queen's consort?! That is unthinkable!"

Chloe's reaction wasn't particularly unexpected, especially considering how she'd reacted to Olga's earlier questions, and Naofumi was prepared to drop the subject in favor of discussing other ways of helping Chloe get rest, but then the half-elf referred to him as a 'consort', and that caught his attention. He didn't say anything about the 'title', fully anticipating that Olga would clear up Chloe's misguided view on their 'relationship' or lack thereof, but to his surprise, the former queen remained silent. Suddenly feeling uneasy, he looked back at her and was unable to not noticed how she had averted her gaze the way she was tracing the new seal he'd accidentally placed on her stomach, a sight that made his stomach flutter in a way he couldn't have prepared for.

"Uh, Olga and I aren't exact-" Naofumi started to say, attempting to correct Chloe's assumption, but Olga interrupted him.

"Were it anyone else, I do not believe I would be able to accept sharing someone like Naofumi, but if it is you... I wish for you to feel the same peace I do now, Chloe," she said earnestly. Slowly, still wrapped up in his cloak, she stood up, legs less stable than she thought they were, and Naofumi had to step over and catch her before she collapsed back onto the ground, giving her his arm for support. She gave a soft thanks before motioning over towards Chloe, letting Naofumi guide her there. Face to face with her subordinate, she took Chloe's hand and moved it over to Naofumi's, interlacing their fingers herself when neither of them made any attempts to. "If my presence is distracting," she continued, "I do not mind waiting in the… hovel, I suppose you would call it. Or I could stay here with the fire while you go inside instead."

As he waited for Chloe's response, Naofumi couldn't help but notice how distinctly different her hand felt compared to Olga's. More calloused and rough—a testament to her swordsmanship and training he was certain—yet still soft in a way he guessed would be impossible for a human. Where Olga had been delicate like a glass flower, Chloe appeared more tempered and robust, but considering the nightmares she had been having, Naofumi knew that there were cracks within her that reached deep. Whatever outside appearances may tell him, he knew he still needed to be careful with her in much the same way he had been with Olga.

"It's your choice, Chloe," he said, squeezing her hand gently, easily feeling the tension that this whole idea created in her body. There was nothing else he could do or say, not with how precious little he knew about both Chloe and this world as a whole.

Finally, after a beat of silence that seemed like it could have dragged on for hours longer, the half-elf gave her answer.

"Please, mistress, stay here. I do not wish for you to suffer from the cold. We will go inside."

There were no more words needed to be exchanged after that. Olga simply smiled that same smile again and returned to her spot by the fire, not needing a guide this time, thankfully. Despite her complete nudity—aside from Naofumi's cloak that is—Chloe's worries about the chill in the air were unnecessary, as the former queen didn't even notice any cold whatsoever. From the tips of her pointed ears down to her toes, Olga felt nice and warm, like there was another campfire peacefully crackling away within her chest, supplying her with more heat than she could ask for.

She didn't feel the need to mention any of this, however, as Chloe turned around and headed stiffly into the shack with Naofumi following in her wake. Olga was more than content staying where she was, as she suspected Chloe was merely using her well being as an excuse to get what precious little privacy the abandoned building could offer.

Right before his face disappeared around the doorway, Naofumi looked back at her, and Olga allowed her smile to fade slightly, expression growing more serious. The hero gave her a simple but understanding nod and she felt relived that he clearly understood the gravity of the situation.

It was all the reassurance she needed for her to lay down and close her eyes as exhaustion both from her utterly harrowing day and the comfort that Naofumi had provided fully caught up with her.

XXX

With the firelight he'd been relying on now on the other side of an aged but otherwise undamaged wall, Naofumi was all but blind when he stopped in the middle of the shack. He could only barely make out the outline of Chloe's back in front of him, and even then it was faint enough that he honestly could have written it off as a trick of his mind. He was still able to hear her, however, the sound of her heavy breaths letting him locate her in the darkness.

When she finally turned around to face him, Naofumi was surprised to see that her eyes were still visible to him despite the rest of her face being a blurry suggestion at most. They glowed faintly, a pair of dim rubies in contrast to Olga's honeyed gold, and with nothing else to focus on, he couldn't really help but stare into them.

"You can see in the dark?" he asked and at first he could only pick out a quick swish of something moving in response to his question, with Chloe only realizing a moment later that he couldn't see her nodding.

"Not as well as full blooded dark elves, but yes, I can," she answered quietly instead, fidgeting beneath Naofumi's intense gaze. "What-… how should we start? I have never initiated something like this before..." she eventually managed to ask.

"That's up to you. With Olga, the first I did after she asked me to sleep with her was hug her. Then we kissed," Naofumi replied, and by now his eyes had adjusted enough to the dark that he make out the rest of Chloe's body.

"You're in control. Of everything," he said softly as he tentatively reached out and took her hand into his own again.

Though Naofumi wouldn't know it, his words resonated far deeper with Chloe than he could ever have imagined, only able hear as she took a shuddering breath, and before he was able to say anything else, she was gripping his hand almost desperately as she stepped into him.

"Hold me..." she whispered into his chest, almost inaudibly, and while Naofumi could practically feel her tension through the very air around them, he did as she requested as soon as she let go of his fingers. She didn't move away, letting his arms slowly encircle her shoulders.

In the very instant that Naofumi started to embrace her, Chloe knew for absolute certain that this was all a great big mistake, it had to be. She hadn't asked for this. Something must simply have overshadowed her actual words. No matter the circumstance, she couldn't have asked to be held by not only a human, but a male as well. Whatever she'd felt before while watching him and Olga didn't matter. In fact, those feelings probably hadn't even been real in the first place...

Or so the soldier part of Chloe's already frazzled mind tried to tell her. The rest of her, however, was overcome by the jolt passing through the very recesses of her body when Naofumi pulled her against him.

For a long second, the half-elf stood frozen while the young man who had saved her from a fate worse than death took her in his arms for the second time that day, and not even her warrior pride was enough to stop her from shakily returning the hug, her hands meeting across his back, and burrowing her nose deeply into the crook of his neck as whatever had held her back until now couldn't contain the flood of emotions that that the action brought forth from within her.

With her face pressed close to his skin, Chloe inhaled deep, greedy lungfuls of air and for the first time since she'd first been surrounded by them, the fetid stench of those orcs no longer tormented her senses. Instead, the smell that replaced it was one of forests and leather and metal, combined together with something more heady and male. Even so, as much as she'd feared it would, the scent wasn't like anything that had clung to the men that had forced themselves on her in the past. It didn't remind her of those pits of shame and pain.

No, Naofumi smelled different, and just like when he'd carried her from the castle, it brought a comfort she'd never felt before.

Chloe allowed the hug to continue for a moment longer, still breathing deeply against his neck, until she no longer had any doubts left. She peered around his shoulder and spotted a half-filled sack of hay on the floor by the wall and was grateful when Naofumi proved that he hadn't been lying about her being in control, letting her guide him backwards and down onto the sack. He gazed up at her and Chloe bit her lip as her hands hovered above his shoulders. She had to remind herself that he couldn't see her like she could him, but it was difficult to think that when it still felt like his eyes peered right through her body and into her very core.

Stomach tightening into knots, Chloe reflexively tried to cover herself. Despite still being clothed while Naofumi was entirely nude, she still got the feeling of being the one under-dressed; the one displaying more.

"Could you… could you please close your eyes? Just for a little while…?" she asked timidly, and though she saw a flash of confusion cross his features, Naofumi didn't question her.

The knot remained in her gut, but for the moment, it had ceased to tighten, letting Chloe continue. Her doubts regarding what she wanted to do may have disappeared, but the nervousness remained, and so it was up to her willpower to push her forward, carefully straddling Naofumi's lap. His expression was impassive but open, eyes closed just like she'd asked, and as strange as it felt admitting it, Chloe couldn't help but find him handsome. A bit boyish at first glance, maybe, but when she looked closer, there were lines and wrinkles across his features that spoke of experience far beyond his actual age. His body too was far more developed than his face would suggest, lean and muscular and undoubtedly strong. Together it made for an attractive combination.

She never imagined she'd ever be able to feel or think something like that about a man, revolting brutes as they all revealed themselves to be at one point or another, but this human of all things was proving himself to be the exception, in far more ways than one.

Before even Chloe herself knew what she was doing, the half-elf had her hands on either side of Naofumi's neck and had leaned forward enough that their noses brushed together. Her thumbs brushed over his cheeks as her breathing slowed to a halt. It was her last chance to hesitate, she realized, but she allowed the opportunity to slip away, capturing Naofumi's lips instead.

Immediately, the kiss sent tingles down Chloe's spine. The heat she'd felt in her body when she watched him and Olga earlier flooded her senses, making her gasp against Naofumi. She could feel his hands settle on her calves, and she was silently glad that she hadn't had to ask him to touch her. The kiss only lasted for a few moments before Chloe found herself leaning even further into Naofumi's form, deepening the kiss at the same time. Both of their lips were parted at this point and she could feel his tongue tentatively reaching towards her own, but she didn't dare reciprocate the gesture. Not yet. Silence and darkness blanketed them even as the kiss ended and Chloe realized she was sorely tempted to go in for another one, but she restrained herself. The intimacy she'd just experienced right now was something she couldn't, as an honored servant, partake in. Not with her queen's consort.

Even so, fighting back the urge was more difficult than the half-elf could have predicted.

Somehow, in the heat of the moment, Chloe had almost forgotten Naofumi's nakedness, but she was thoroughly reminded when something poked at her thigh, a deep blush lighting up her cheeks at the realization. It was to be expected, perhaps, but the initial flash of heat across both her face and the pits of her stomach was no less embarrassing. Morbid curiosity dragged her gaze downward at this point, only for her to freeze at the first actual sight of the flesh colored rod that rose from between Naofumi's legs.

Pain flared in her abdomen, replacing the warmth that had settled there before, from the memories that ran through her mind like a flood of waters crashing through a forest glade, ripping and tearing away tree and stone alike. The fear, humiliation, and helplessness that so manyhad made her feel using this thing smashing into her chest like an iron clad fist

Unable to find her breath again, Chloe's fingers dug deep into Naofumi's shoulders. She wanted to run away, from both the memories and this human who would undoubtedly violate her just like all the others had. Be they human, orc, or even elf, men knew only how to do one thing and one thing only and that was how to despoil.

Right as utter panic threatened to overcome all of her senses, however, Naofumi let out a groan, and Chloe's head whipped towards where the sound had came from, her heart all but skipping a beat as she was quickly reminded of what he'd promised her.

Despite the beads of blood that bubbled up around the nails piercing through the skin of his shoulders, Naofumi's eyes remained firmly closed and his hands had not moved so much as an inch from where he'd placed them on the half-elf's calves.

'I-I am… I am still in c-control…?' Chloe thought to herself, in as much disbelief as she was relieved. She hadn't trusted him when he'd told her that, not entirely. She couldn't trust him about such a thing. Not after what she'd been forced to live through. Yet here he was, staying true to his words, even in spite of pain and injury.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

He hadn't lied to her…?

Chloe's hands slackened and her fingers unburrowed from Naofumi's flesh, making the human's head fall back against the wall behind him, hissing loudly.

"What was that all about?" he asked with a grunt, letting go of Chloe's leg so he could rub one of the spots her nails had just been.

"S-sorry..." she replied in an uncertain voice, "That wasn't-… I did not mean to do something like… that..."

Gently, Chloe trailed her fingertips over the angry marks she'd left on Naofumi's skin, easily standing out against his otherwise pale complexion. Yet another emotion joined the already tempestuous feelings that boiled within her, namely one of guilt. Not only had she hurt someone that her queen clearly cared deeply about, but also someone who she herself owed even more than her life to.

"Did I do something wrong?" she heard him ask and the question practically made her jolt from her place atop his lap.

"No, nothing like that," she was quick to reassure. "The fault is mine. I was… frightened by something."

Her words hung in the air for a brief moment and she wondered if Naofumi was about to press her further, which was a concept she wanted to avoid at all costs if possible, his expression practically unreadable. In the end, though, he simply gave her a nod and placed his hand back on her leg, this time on her thigh.

"Okay. Do you want to keep going?" he asked softly.

"Yeah..." Chloe whispered back, biting at her lower lip.

She allowed herself to look down again, at Naofumi's cock almost touching her stomach. It was slightly darker than the skin surrounding it, visibly hardened and firm, and large enough to appear daunting to her. In Chloe's eyes, it looked like just another revolting flesh-rod belonging to just another bastard of a man, no different than any she'd seen before, not at all matching what she saw when she looked at its 'owner'. She still felt unnerved by the sight, thoughts of grotesque creatures and even more grotesque men prodding at her brain with threats of violation and despoilment.

This time, however, fear and helplessness did not return to the half-elf. No, for they were burned away as indignation filled her instead. Anger at the pain she'd suffered, the humiliation. It ignited inside her alongside the other fire borne from first watching Naofumi and her mistress and then experiencing his touch for herself.

Without another word, Chloe lounged forward with a low growl rumbling from within her chest to kiss her human savior once again, this time thrusting her tongue into the confines of his mouth without any hesitation. The softness and trepidation from only minutes before were lost in favor of a desire for an outlet. Whatever Naofumi and Olga's relationship may be, Chloe no longer cared at the moment, all thoughts not feeding her anger slipping to the back of her mind in favor of savoring the pleasurable sparks running down her spine that the feeling of Naofumi's tongue wrestling with her own infused her with. Her arms wound around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair, moans spilling into the kiss from both them.

The clothes that had once felt too revealing had turned constricting for the half-elf as exotic flames danced throughout her body, rampant desire driving her to push herself against Naofumi wherever she could. She only vaguely registered that he was meeting her with similar fervor in their kiss and that he'd moved his hands again, one of them settled on her hip while the was splayed out across the small of her back. Unlike her own, it was a gentle touch, neither pulling her in or pushing her away, simply reminding her that he was there.

Irrational as it might have been, something about the gesture—the gentleness—only managed to add fuel to Chloe's indignation. How dare a human like him treat her like she was something frail or broken! She was a warrior! The honored bodyguard to the mightiest of all elves! What gave him the right to try to be different where no one else ever had! Acting like he wasn't just another male; another brute who knew no other wants than to rape and ravage! Oh, she'd show him!

She'd show him that he wouldn't be able to trick her! She'd show him what she'd suffered through!

A rougher, more feral sound escaped Chloe's throat and melted into her and Naofumi's kiss. She scooted forward on his lap, intentionally pulling herself against his erection until she could feel it rubbing along her panties. She wanted more, she realized, shivering.

She had control and she wanted to exert it.

Her jacket was the first thing Chloe ripped from her shoulders, no longer being able to stand the growing feeling of suffocation its presence caused. It wasn't enough, however. Her breaths still felt like they were coming in short, almost painful gasps, and so she continued to free herself by reaching for her corset. One swift motion was all it took to expose her breasts and entire torso completely, the garment falling to the ground behind her until it caught in the garters connecting it to her stockings. Finally, she could breathe freely, the air rushing to fill her lungs also further invigorating the fires in her stomach.

When Chloe felt Naofumi's warm body against her newly bared chest for the first time—how her nipples hardened from the mere contact with his skin—the shudder that passed through her went from the very tips of her ears to the bottom of her feet and she groaned deeply at the feeling. It was good. Very good. So good that she had to keep going.

Liberation flowed throughout the half-elf's veins, her lips practically devouring Naofumi's as ravenously as she could, and it made her movements grow more erratic, to the point where she struggled to find the hem of her stockings. They needed to go too, her heart told her. Right now, they were nothing but another set of restraints on her body, and she couldn't allow anything of the sort to exist in this moment of freedom and control.

The tearing of fabric barely reached the Chloe's ears, only the feeling of her legs no longer being constrained registering when the remnants of her stockings fell away. Her panties remained as the last bit of cloth on her person and it was only now that she took a pause, breaking her and Naofumi's kiss. Even as she started to lean away, a string of saliva kept them connected and the sight sent a tingle down to her core from the sheer intensity of what had just happened. At that moment, Chloe wouldn't have been surprised if there were trails of steam pouring out of her body from how hot she felt.

She was ready.

Despite his eyes continuing to stay closed, Naofumi could tell something had changed inside Chloe. For a moment, he had thought that he'd be able to treat the her much like he had Olga, but it was clear that that wouldn't be the case. Not anymore. The meek, scared demeanor of hers from just a few minutes ago was nowhere to be seen, and had the circumstances been different, this sudden show of aggression might have had Naofumi reconsidering letting his guard down to help Chloe. However, if there was one thing he'd become familiar with enough to recognize anywhere, it was scorn.

The very same anger that had all but consumed him since being summoned by that bastard king was blazing within Chloe right now and it clearly needed release, which was something Naofumi knew he could provide. He'd be her outlet, if this was what she wanted.

Slowly, he felt her fingers trail down his chest and abdomen, his breath hitching slightly when she showed no signs of hesitation before grabbing his cock. It was a firm grip, almost uncomfortably so, but he didn't say a word in complaint. She gave him a few rough strokes to make sure he was as hard as he was going to get, or so he assumed, until she was apparently satisfied.

"Don't move..." she growled right into his ear as she leaned forward, her voice all but completely unrecognizable from before.

Naofumi obeyed as Chloe rose from his lap slightly, still gripping his cock, her face still close enough to his that her breath tickled his throat. The air around them was tense for a moment before Naofumi felt himself being aligned with something, followed shortly by the head of his cock becoming enveloped in an embrace of lurid flesh. A groan escaped him, the sensation both similar and distinctly different from how it had felt penetrating Olga for the first time. This time, it was him on the 'receiving' end of things, and Chloe made sure to reinforce that fact by immediately dropping herself onto his lap without any warning, turning his low groan into a surprised moan. Arms wrapped around his neck and he heard her hiss loudly, but he wasn't given any time to get used to what was happening before Chloe started gyrating her hips atop him.

The pleasure was immediate and Naofumi quickly realized that keeping himself from moving might turn out a hell of a lot harder than he'd initially thought, especially when his more baser instincts urged him to simply grab Chloe's hips and start thrusting. Instead of doing just that, however, he grabbed a fistful of the sack he was sitting on in each of his hands did his best to steel himself for whatever came next.

Their moans bled together into a single note of carnal lust as Chloe grew unsatisfied with merely grinding on Naofumi and instead started to push herself up and down on his cock. Instantly, she could tell that this was much more like it, the difference in feeling being simply divine. Soon, Chloe was no longer just going up and down, but actively bouncing her hips off of Naofumi's. Her long, toned legs allowed her to quickly find a nice, hard rhythm that hit all of her buttons, flooding her body with an intoxicating rush of pleasure. She felt powerful right there and then, spearing herself upon Naofumi's flesh, watching with smoldering eyes as he tensed up and writhed beneath her.

She almost laughed at just how pathetic he looked. A weak and puny human who could do nothing while she used him for all he was worth. His face scrunched up when she landed on him just a bit harder and she could picture the discomfort that would have been so clear in his eyes had she allowed him to open them.

Though she wouldn't have been surprised if there was pleasure showing in there as well, since that was the only thing degenerate men like him cared about. Not that it really mattered in the end. She didn't truly care what he might or might no feel.

All she cared about was showing him his place; that he was her plaything. Nothing more.

"That's, hah, right… just stay still like a good little toy..." Chloe cooed haughtily.

Every time she pushed herself down, not content with simply allowing gravity to guide her, a mouthwatering jolt of blissful electricity sparked in Chloe's belly as Naofumi's cock knocked against spots inside her that she didn't even know she had until now. She could feel every ridge and vein that snaked along his hard shaft whenever her walls flexed around it, using him as nothing more than a tool to explore her own body and what pleasures she might find. As she continued her wanton ride, it even got to the point where the half-elf had to admit to herself that males might just have some manner of purpose after all.

As long as they were kept appropriately docile and controlled, at least.

It didn't take long for the rhythm Chloe had established to devolve into nothing more than frantic slams of her hips against Naofumi's, her tempo only increasing further as she leaned more and more of her weight onto his shoulders, his face pressed firmly into the valley of her breasts, ensuring that her sole focus could be on keeping her lower body moving at all times. Drool ran down corners of her lips while her eyes threatened to roll into the back of her head. She was close, very close, and there was only one thing left that she needed to gleefully tumble over that tantalizing edge.

"L-Look at me!" she demanded as she clasped Naofumi's head tightly in her hands, tilting it up towards her. "I said look at me!" she repeated, her voice equal parts cruel, ecstatic, and desperate. She watched as his brow furrowed in concentration, her body coiling tight like a spring in preparation for her climax, and then as his eyes fluttered open and his steely gray gaze once again landed on her.

Despite the effort written everywhere else on his face and the groan that he couldn't fully restrain, Naofumi's eyes were resolute and focused, practically untouched by the haze of lust that laid so thick around them both. He met Chloe's gaze with a clarity and what she could only describe as understanding that left her stumbling right as she was supposed to fall into euphoria. This wasn't what she'd expected. Not even close.

There was no sign of the fear or pain or hate that Chloe had been imaging so intently in her mind; that she'd been craving to see.

Mid-fall, the half-elf faltered. Confusion had taken control of her limbs as her mouth tried and failed to produce any words. All she could do was stare while her thoughts raced through her head.

'Why isn't he…? Why did I…?'

In a frozen moment of perfect, crystallizing clarity, Chloe realized what she had done. Or had attempted to do.

Faces flashed before her eyes, all of them cruel, all of them hateful, until she was looking at herself, wearing the exact same expression as those other faces. She tried to will the image away, to deny what she'd done, but it stayed. Even as she clenched her eyes shut and shook her head, it remained. She couldn't run away from the reality of her actions.

"What's going on, Chloe? Why'd you stop?"

As soft and breathless as his voice was, Naofumi's words still felt like a punch to the gut to the half-elf. It was like he didn't even understand what had just happened; what she had done. If anything, that only intensified the feeling of unbridled disgust that Chloe felt growing inside her like a parasitic infestation.

Wordlessly, she rose from Naofumi's lap, ignoring the sensation of his cock slipping out of her, and quickly turned her back towards him. A shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature of their surroundings passed through her and she attempted to hug herself to make it stop. She wasn't even surprised when it didn't help one bit.

"Chloe?" she heard Naofumi call out for her, but she couldn't answer; couldn't face him. Not when it meant seeing his eyes again, and her own reflection within them.

Pins and needles jabbed at her skin all along her arms and legs, yet the discomfort the feeling brought was nothing compared to the internal fracturing Chloe was experiencing as she stood silently in the middle of the dilapidated shack. A stream of light from a crack in the wall drew her gaze for a moment, letting her catch a glimpse of the campfire still calmly burning just outside. What was also visible from Chloe's position were the smooth, dark skinned calves of her mistress, the rest of her body either out of sight or hidden beneath Naofumi's cloak.

In her zeal, Chloe had forgotten, perhaps willingly even, not only who Naofumi was and what he'd done for her, but also what he was to Olga. She'd attempted to violate her queen's savior and consort. Simply because he was human.

And it was at the hands of humans that she'd experienced so much suffering.

No longer able to handle the immensity of her sins, Chloe could do little else but allow herself to fall apart when her legs gave out from underneath her and she crumbled like a set of armor without its stand. Pain flared up from her knees and thighs when she hit the floor, but she barely even registered it. She felt all but detached from her physical body, almost wishing she could sever the connection between it and her mind entirely so she could float away into the void as punishment for her actions. Her head hanged limply from her slumped shoulders while her expression was as blank as a sheet of empty parchment. The things she felt right then could not be displayed through any number of expressions and so only nothingness was an acceptable substitute.

'There is no penance grave enough for this…' she thought, finally accepting what she'd done in its entirety.

"Hey Chloe, you need to talk to me! What's wrong?"

The half-elf didn't even have time to register that the voice was now much closer now before a hand brushed against her shoulder and she flinched away as if struck. Whirling her head around, she scrambled to get away from the touch only to almost freeze up again when she saw Naofumi's face again.

And the unmistakable concern written across his features.

Chloe's mouth fell open, but no words came out, and so she simply climbed to her feet, averted her eyes, and attempted to run out through the door. To where, exactly, she didn't know. Back to the castle, maybe, like she had suggested earlier. It didn't matter right now, the only important thing was that she got out and away from both Olga and-

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her bicep and she was stopped before she even had a foot outside. With a yelp, she was then dragged back into the darkness of the shack, becoming enveloped from behind by a pair of arms. Out of sheer instinct, she started struggling, senses filling with the stench of those orcs, but she stopped as quickly as she had begun when she realized there was no forcefulness in what she now also recognized as the embrace she was held in.

"Chloe, dammit, stop! Just relax for a second!" Naofumi said, and despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Chloe allowed herself to be pacified somewhat.

"R-release me! I must leave this place at once," she protested weakly, but didn't actually make any attempts to remove Naofumi's arms from around her.

"Sorry, can't do that. Not until you tell me what's going on and why you're crying again." His voice was much softer this time and it wasn't until he mentioned it that Chloe noticed that tears were streaming down her cheeks.

In truth, Naofumi was prepared for an argument, or even for a fight. There had been something that set her off, but for the life of him, he couldn't understand what, and he was prepared to dig his heels for an answer, as selfish as it might have seemed in retrospect. It was for this reason that it came as such a surprise when the half-elf just sagged in his armslike she was a puppet with her strings cut, leaving him as the only thing that kept her from collapsing to the floor again. The ferocity she'd had when riding atop him was nowhere to be seen and despite himself, he started to worry that she might have gone unconscious or something. It disappeared, however, when she spoke up.

"Why!?" Chloe exclaimed with something that was neither a scream nor a whisper.

Tears dripped down on Naofumi's forearms during the quiet that followed. It was a heavy, expectant quiet, but that was of no help to the Shield-hero. He waited to see if Chloe had anything more to say, but she stayed as silent as him.

With no answer to give her, he could do little else but sigh and slowly turn the half-elf around until they were facing each other. This had all started after she'd told him to look at her, that much he had figured out, and since then she had made every attempt not to meet his eyes. It was the only lead he had and so he had to see what is was that he had missed.

"'Why' what?" he asked.

Chloe simply shook her head, eyes either focused on their feet or closed, he couldn't tell from this angle.

He sighed again, though he refused to allow himself to grow frustrated. It wouldn't help at this point, only make things harder for both of them. Anger had been his sole driving force in the past and from what he had seen, the same was true for Chloe. But it had no place here right now.

"Please, Chloe," Naofumi attempted once more. "What happened? What made stop?"

He finally got a reaction this time. Chloe's forehead pushed against his shoulder like she was leaning into him, yet she was anything but relaxed, limbs as tensed up as she could manage, to the point where she was shaking. This wasn't just from her crying, he could tell. It was different.

"Why…?" She was speaking from between clenched teeth now. "Why do look at me like that!? Like you do not hate me?!"

It was a cryptic answer, at least to Naofumi, but it was something, and the anger and conviction that Chloe's voice carried was enough to make him feel he was starting to get somewhere, especially now that she wasn't trying to get away from him anymore, or so he hoped.

Releasing his hold on the half-elf slightly, he attempted to step back so that he could look at her face again, but she wouldn't let him. Despite her insistence that she needed escape moments prior, she kept her face pressed into his shoulder, following him when he tried to back away.

"Why should I hate you?" Naofumi asked softly, accepting that she wasn't going anywhere and that it'd be a waste of time at this point to resist it. She didn't want to look at him, or at least so he thought, right up until Chloe recoiled away from him, shoving him with enough force to almost sending him tumbling to the floor in the process. He only barely caught himself and quickly turned to glare at Chloe, his vow to not get angry or frustrated practically eroding before his eyes as he reached the limits of his patience.

But then he saw her face. And that anger fluttered out like a dying fire.

Even in the dim light of the shack, Naofumi would have had to have been entirely blind to not see the pain and regret that marred Chloe's features, crimson eyes staring at him with what he could only describe as abject terror, tears still running down her cheeks with no sign of stopping.

"Stop it! Stop attempting to act the fool! You cannot be that dull, truly! It's impossible!" she shouted hoarsely, attempting in vain to wipe her eyes dry.

This was going nowhere Naofumi concluded, dragging a hand through his hair and letting out a deep breath. For a moment there, he'd hoped he was making progress in making Chloe open up, but that was clearly not the case.

It was time for a different strategy.

"Fine, you got me," he said with a shrug. "No more acting." If his words had any affect on her, Chloe did not show it outwardly, so Naofumi simply kept going. "I want you to say what you did, out loud, so that you can face your crime properly. That's why I was trying to act dumb."

That finally got a reaction, Chloe's silhouette turning more defensive as she regarded him.

"Why?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.

Again, Naofumi shrugged. "Confession is the first step to repenting, or something. That's what I've been taught at least. As soon as you're open about what you've done, that's when we can put this whole charade behind us and decide what's going to happen to you next." His words came out more threateningly than he'd intended, but it might have been better this way, considering how poorly his previous approach had worked.

It wasn't… pleasant, practically being forced to deceive Chloe, but Naofumi knew couldn't help her as long as she was like this and if tricking her would finally get her to open up then so be it. He was no stranger to unpleasant actions.

As Chloe seemingly mulled over his suggestion, Naofumi walked over to the doorway and peeked out at Olga, watching for a moment as she slept soundly beneath his cloak. How she hadn't woken up from their shouting he had no idea but as long as she got her rest it didn't matter. She looked peaceful, content even, her nose buried in the white fur lining the rim of the cloak. Seeing her only reinforced Naofumi's desire to help Chloe as well, as comparing the two elves right about now was truly night and day.

When he turned back to her, Naofumi found Chloe on her knees, head bowed deeply almost touching the floor. He watched as she gathered herself, preparing a speech no doubt, but the sight was simply too demeaning. He never asked for her to prostrate herself and so he walked over and pulled the half-elf to her feet until they were eye to eye.

"I want you to look at me when you say it," he answered her silent question, and while Chloe looked like wanted to protest, a meaningful squeeze of her arm made her drop it.

"As you wish..." she said meekly.

"Now then, go on. Confess." His demand hung in the air for a brief second until finally Chloe relented.

"In the name of queen Olga Discordia, I seek repentance for violating and defiling her majesty's consort. Whatever the punishment, I will accept it, as I have disgraced and betrayed her trust with my actions," she said resolutely, though Naofumi could see the immense discomfort in her eyes from not being allowed to avert her gaze or lower her head.

Following her confession, Naofumi was forced to take a moment to simply go over what she'd said, letting go of her arm so that he could run a hand over his face. Compared to all this, comforting Olga had been easy he came to realize, even with his own nervousness and paranoia trying to stop him.

"Just what in the hell is with you elves?" he sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Here I thought humans were complicated enough as is, but you lot are something else," he continued to mutter, though more to himself than anyone else.

Chloe was openly staring at him in confusion and he imagined this wasn't exactly the response she'd been expecting. To be fair though, Naofumi could never have expected this to be her 'crime' either, so he wasn't exactly able blame her. She was nothing if not loyal, that much was a fact, and her 'concern' for him was somewhat touching in a sense, he was forced to admit. Her desperate questions also suddenly made more sense, not understanding why he didn't see her as a monster. He couldn't blame her for that.

As it were, even with how damn difficult this whole misunderstanding had become, Naofumi had now finally managed to learn what had made Chloe so upset. And by god, that was a win in his book.

Progress.

With that, all that was left was to somehow resolve everything, a feat that Naofumi could feel in his heart would not be as blessedly simple as he dearly wished it would be, but there really was no other place to start the process than to clarify something to the distraught woman in front of him.

"Chloe," he started to say with as neutral and even of a voice he could manage, something that was made infinitely more difficult by the strong urge rising inside him to both sigh deeply for the ten thousandth time that night and the desire laugh at the sheer absurdity of what he was about to explain, even more so the fact that he needed to explain it in the first place. "What you did back there was fine, okay?"

Naofumi could feel himself age a couple of years when he saw Chloe's eyes widen in clear shock, mouth falling open partly and her breath audibly hitching in her throat.

'Alrighty then, guess we're really doing this...' he thought to himself. If hammering home this message was what it took to help Chloe, whatever the reason for needing it might be, then he'd do it. He wasn't backing down now.

Stepping forward, Naofumi cupped Chloe's cheeks, her mouth closing again on its own accord, focusing her eyes directly on his as he leaned in until their noses were practically brushing against one another's. "You didn't do anything wrong, Chloe. You didn't 'violate' me," he said. "I could feel that something set you off and that you needed to vent, to release your anger or whatever on someone, and I was okay with letting you do that. I was fine with you using me. If I wanted you to stop, I would have stopped you, I promise." He wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, but Naofumi then placed his lips softly against Chloe's forehead—maybe trying to directly push the words he'd just spoken into her brain or maybe just trying to show her that he was being honest—and hugged her like he'd done when she'd first asked him for one.

He closed his eyes, only now realizing that his heart was beating like he'd been in the middle of a marathon despite the calm he thought he'd been keeping. He wasn't expecting a quick reply and didn't get one, a new silence stretching out between them. He didn't like it, and so he whispered into the darkness, "Everything is okay."

"How can you say such a thing…?" Chloe whispered back almost a full minute later, a sense of relief filling Naofumi when, despite her words, her arms wound around his torso, fingers grabbing onto his back like she was attempting to use him to anchor herself.

"It's the truth," he answered simply.

Chloe was absolutely overflowing with emotion and seemingly every word that came out of Naofumi's mouth did nothing but add to the continuing cascade. She wanted to scream at him that he was a liar, yet simultaneously wanted nothing more than to believe him and stay right here in his arms. Mere minutes ago she was utterly convinced she had become just another rabid animal, forever tainted by her past, no better than the Black Dogs or all those other men, and despite Naofumi's insistence, the things she'd felt back when she'd ridden him so wantonly had still been so very real, regardless of whether he'd let her express them or not.

And yet…

"H-how could you know of my anger?" she asked.

Naofumi's breath ghosted across her bare neck and shoulders when he spoke, warm and soothing and intoxicating. "I didn't. Still don't. I have no idea what you've gone through to make you want to lash out like that and I won't pretend our pasts are the same. However, I can still recognize when someone has been bottling up resentment for a damn long time. Long enough that they just need to be let out in whatever way possible." He paused for second. "I also know what happens if someone is forced to continue to keep all that anger in for too long," he explained after finding his words, sincerity obvious in his voice.

This was no mere platitude, Chloe realized. Naofumi was undoubtedly speaking from experience, and it served as a sobering reminder of the fact that she hadn't even known this human for a full day yet. He was still a mystery to her, as was she to him.

And even so, she allowed him to hold her. Even so, a growing part of her wanted him to hold her.

He was just so… different. As were the feelings he inspired within her. In fact, that was the reason she'd been overcome with that anger, she realized.

"You are a human," Chloe spoke softly. "But you are unlike any human I have ever met. I… I attacked you because I forgot about that. You became just another slobbering beast, and when you did not restrain me or push me or… force me to do anything, it enraged me," she admitted. "It made me think you were attempting to deceive me..."

By the time Chloe had finished, she had withdrawn enough from him that she could look Naofumi eye to eye again. "I wanted vengeance," she continued somberly, the act of opening up like this to someone who wasn't Olga making her feel more exposed than even her nakedness did. "For all the years they kept me as a slave, using and abusing me however they see fit. I wanted to make some weak, human vermin feel what I felt. Do to them what they had done to me so many times in the past." She watched a clear look of disdain settle onto Naofumi's features and that, by now, all to familiar urge to avert her gaze started rising up inside her.

Before she could do anything, however, Naofumi spoke up. "How many times has… that happened to you…?" he asked quietly. His expression hadn't changed, but as Chloe spent longer taking it in, she noticed it didn't seem directed at her, like she'd suspected, but rather someplace behind her.

"Too many," she answered vaguely but honestly, not even remembering herself after all this time. So many of the memories from back then had been repressed, the only things remaining as crystal clear as when it had happened being the pain and suffering it had caused her, forever fueling the burning hatred she felt towards both males and humanity as a whole.

For a moment it seemed like Naofumi was going to say something, his jaw clenching tightly and brows furrowing deeply, but he seemingly stopped himself and instead merely chuffed harshly. He looked like he had more questions but chose not to ask any of them.

Chloe was grateful for it. The less she had to revisit her past before Olga took her in the better. Yet, unfortunately, the nature of what had transpired—what she'd done—forced her mind to stay on the subject.

"I-I simply… I simply wanted to be in control for once! To feel something that isn't shame and disgust and pain when my thoughts drift to anything carnal. I wanted that power that all those men must have felt! I wanted to make just one of them hurt like I do!" Chloe's fists started to hammer against Naofumi's chest before she even knew what she was doing and she was only able to stop herself when he grunted and took a half-step back, horrifying the half-elf once more. Her body kept acting without her realizing it, egged on by her chaos of her emotions. She should have prostrated herself right then and there, honor demanded it, but Naofumi had already closed what little distance he'd made, stopping her.

His stoicism was as welcome as it was detrimental, further jumbling Chloe's harrowed feelings. Her hands were shaking and the apologies that should have been leaving her lips stuck in her throat right up until Naofumi larger hands closed around her own. That was enough to dislodge her words.

"I-it should never have been you… no one deserves my pain less... I owe you everything…" she mumbled meekly.

"You don't have to justify yourself, Chloe," Naofumi replied.

A shiver ran along Chloe's spine and her eyes grew misty, her breath weak and shuddering. She had to wonder if Naofumi realized the effect he was having on her, the urges he created in her, but she didn't dare ask. Instead, she decided to follow the sudden pull that materialized inside her by standing up on the tips of her toes and kissing him intimately.

Her intention had been for it to be brief, but as the kiss carried on, Chloe felt no desire to let it end. Pulling her hands away from his grasp she held him close, humming softly from the pleasant sparks that danced along her lips. That electrical feeling remained in her body even as Naofumi broke their kiss, much to the half-elf's silent dismay.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked, and Chloe almost answered him by kissing him again, but she resisted the temptation.

"I do not know..." she said instead, but as she continued to look at her savior, however, she realized that wasn't entirely true. Warmth spread from where his hands rested on her body, traveling along her nerves all the way down to the deepest pits of her stomach, fighting back a chill that she hadn't even noticed had settled there. Her abdomen tingled as her eyes raked over his muscular physique, admiring him in a way she had been unable to do before. Nothing had truly changed about his appearance in the span of time since she'd done this earlier, but what had changed was the way Chloe saw him.

There was no shame or hesitation when she acknowledged how attractive this human was to her anymore; no need for her to justify to herself why he made her aroused.

Naofumi gave her a nod after a moment. "Think you'll be able to get some sleep now?"

The question almost confused Chloe, wrapped up as she were with staring at Naofumi. What was this about sleeping? Then she remembered, and her nose scrunched up from a putrid stench that only existed in her mind for now. For a short, blissful moment, she had forgotten what exactly Naofumi had saved her and Olga from, why he was her savior in the first place.

Unfortunately, that moment had just passed and her longing gaze fell away to give way for one of solemn resignation. Closing her eyes, she still saw them, still smelled that horrible, disgusting odor, and could still imagine the horrors they'd make her relive.

"No. I do not believe I can..." she admitted, shaking her head dejectedly.

She heard Naofumi sigh tiredly and she would not have been surprised if he'd stormed off then and there, since all the effort he'd put in to give her just some small semblance of peace had all seemingly been for absolutely nothing in the end. Whatever disappointment he might feel towards her was more than justified in her mind, in fact she felt much the same towards herself.

"Well… there's still one potential solution to that, hopefully," he said after a moment.

Chloe's eyes snapped open as she heard Naofumi's voice, especially at the lack of any annoyance or even weariness in his tone. Instead, he was looking at her like he expected her to answer.

"W-what do you mean?" she stammered out.

With a tilt of his head, Naofumi gestured back to the raggedy sack she'd seated him down on earlier and when Chloe's expression remained just as confused, he had to fight back the urge to roll his eyes. They were from different worlds—of different species even—he had to remind himself. He'd just have to explain himself, simple as that.

"We could try again, if you want?" he proposed, and now he saw the distinct flash of recognition appear on Chloe's features, along with a strong blush on her cheeks. She made no attempts to interject, however, so Naofumi simply continued, "After what you've told me, I think I understand what went wrong last time, and since Olga already knew about all that horrible stuff you went though, I don't think she would have agreed to us doing this if she didn't believe it would help you. It's still your choice. I just think it's worth another shot. We could make something good for you to remember. Together."

He'd fully expected to have to wait for a minute or two before he got any kind of response considering how Chloe had reacted to the subject before, but much to Naofumi's surprise, almost instantly a hopeful glimmer appeared in the half-elf's dimly glowing eyes and she rushed forward to hug him tightly, nodding fervently against his chest.

Though the shame and embarrassment over what had come over her in the heat of the moment still lingered in her mind, Chloe felt in her heart that Naofumi was right. The feelings he and Olga had shared had been something beyond compare, she had been able to tell as much simply from watching them, and however brief it may have been, before Chloe gave in to her pain and anger, she had started to experience something she could only hope were the beginning of those very same feelings.

The birth of memories that didn't haunt her.

As Chloe continued to hug Naofumi, she came to realize for the first time in what felt like a long while that both she and him were still entirely naked, and her breasts were pressed flush against his torso. She blushed as the sensation registered and she noted that Naofumi's body felt just as warm as when she'd been sitting on his lap. Just as strong as well.

Without another word, she walked them back to the bag of hay where everything had started. Naofumi sat down and spared her a short glance before closing his eyes firmly. The sight made Chloe's stomach flit about, touched that he remembered her request. This time, however, she wanted something else from him, and so she cupped his cheeks when she straddled his lap. She traced the aged lines that accented his features with the tip of her finger, lines that really shouldn't belong on someone as young as him, before reaching behind her head on a whim and releasing her ponytail.

"Look at me..." she whispered gently. It was no demand, nor were the words shouted wildly while in the crazed throws of revenge fueled lust. Only want.

Naofumi's eyebrows rose slightly at the request, but not a moment later, a smile started to pull at his lips. This small gesture alone proved that things were going to be different this time, and he didn't hesitate to open his eyes, taking in Chloe's beautiful, elven features. He'd looked at her before, stared even when trying to convey a message to her, but never with the intention to absorb and appreciate her face and body like he was now. His hands settled on her hips and he glanced down to watch as her chest rose in time with her breathing, her breasts just as bountiful as Olga's from what he could tell. She looked somewhat less ethereal than her mistress did, a bit more human even, but certainly no less gorgeous.

"You're beautiful," he said, now noticing her hair as his eyes wandered up her curves again. "Especially with your hair down like that."

Chloe felt heat break out across her cheeks, but made no protests against the comments, letting Naofumi look at her as much as he wanted to. She could clearly tell there was a different light in his gaze now, more heated and hungry, yet still so different compared to any other swine that had leered and salivated over her in the past. There was something more in his eyes than bestial lust. Something special.

She soon realized that he had made no other attempts to do much of anything other than just looking at her, reinforcing the promise he'd made even further. She was the one in control. She decided what happened between them.

With this knowledge in mind, Chloe captured Naofumi's lips in a deep kiss, sighing longingly when he returned it with equal enthusiasm. His tongue was waiting for her when she slipped her own into his mouth and she savored the feeling, her lower body starting to grind against his lap sensually as her internal fire was lit anew.

A lusty groan that sent a tingle all the way down her body escaped him and she felt his hands hold her hips tighter, bringing a moan from her as well. That small thing along was enough to add further fuel to her fire, and Chloe pulled away from Naofumi's lips just enough to speak, never stopping the gyrating motions of her hips.

"Will you touch me…?" she asked, guiding one of Naofumi's hands up to her chest. Her permission was all that he was waiting for she realized quickly as he started to fondle her breast without hesitation. His touch was tender and firm and oh so wonderful, kneading her flesh like a seasoned baker with his dough, and it was almost enough to make Chloe forget about kissing him again.

Fortunately, she picked up on her mistake, and when their lips met once more, it was with renewed, heated vigor, their tongues rolling and dancing together passionately.

The warmth in Chloe's belly, fed kindling by Naofumi's kiss and the feeling of her hips grinding against him, slowly spread throughout her body until she felt like her whole being was set to boil and she scarcely wished to stop until she remembered that even greater pleasure was promised if she allowed them to go further.

Not breaking the kiss this time, she sneaked a hand down between Naofumi's legs and the hard rod that her fingers brushed against let her know that she had had just as much effect on him as he was having on her. She felt him jolt when she grabbed his cock and started to stroke it tentatively, making sure not to look down lest the sight got to her again. As long as she was reminded that it belonged to Naofumi and no one else, she'd be fine, she felt, no matter how odd the sensation of the warm, pulsing rod in her hand was. Large too, she realized, quite a bit more so than any elves she'd seen before, but not so grotesquely huge to remind her of the orcs she'd been thrown to.

No, this was no elf, no orc, and no other human. This was Naofumi, and that was encouragement enough to keep Chloe's mind away from anything other than him and her, right here, right now.

When they parted for some much needed air, Naofumi didn't need to be told to keep going. As soon as he'd filled his lungs, he started kissing along the length of Chloe's neck, his fingers rolling her nipple between them while he palmed at her ass with the other one. Her gasp and the increased pace of her stroking drove him onward, his hips thrusting up against her welcoming palm and eagerly parted thighs.

"H-hah…! S-so good..." Chloe moaned, making Naofumi feel satisfied that he was doing a good enough job. Even with her on top of his lap rather than beneath him, the 'practice' he'd had with Olga was paying off. He felt more sure of what he was doing, finding the half-elf's sensitive spots far easier than he had Olga's. Had he had better leverage, he would have immediately gone for her breasts with his mouth, but as it were, he had to be satisfied with kissing, nipping, and licking at the dusky skin of her throat instead. Chloe certainly didn't seem to mind the attention after all.

Naofumi was forced to stop his ministrations for a second, however, to keep himself in check when he felt a familiar tug in the pit of his stomach. Chloe was jerking him off almost frantically now, and he didn't want to lose it quite so soon.

"That feels good too, Chloe, but give it a rest for a minute, yeah?" he said with a strained chuckle. Unfortunately, Chloe didn't seem to understand what he was referring to at first and Naofumi couldn't contain the hiss that came from suppressing his bodily urges, so he was forced let go of her ass in order to stop her hand from moving. "I-if you keep going like that, I won't make it much longer," he breathed into the crook of her neck.

"O-oh..." Chloe replied, both in response to his hot breath on her sensitive skin and his revelation that she was about to bring him to climax. "My apologies… I got carried away..." she trailed off.

"Hey," Naofumi interjected, bringing her face to his. "No more apologizing. Okay?" Though his voice was firm, Chloe felt nothing but warmth from his eyes. She nodded and started stroking his cock once again, this time with a far more measured pace.

A sticky fluid had started to leak onto her fingers at some point, something she figured must be natural since Naofumi hadn't mentioned it, and while Chloe found the sensation somewhat unpleasant, it wasn't enough to make her consider stopping. Not when Naofumi was making her feel so good.

Her whole body was jittery with excitement from his touch and she could feel the wetness that her grinding on his lap had produced between her legs. She wanted the feelings to continue, wanted to experience more, and there was a very obvious way to achieve just that. Truthfully, she had almost entirely forgotten that this whole thing was for the purpose of letting her sleep, she just wanted to savor all the things that Naofumi made her feel.

"I… wish to go further..." she whispered, her blush intensifying simply from saying something so salacious.

"Okay then," Naofumi nodded and Chloe was grateful she was able to steady herself against him. Had she been standing, her legs would have been trembling from the surging plethora of emotions she felt at the moment.

For the first time since she'd first glanced at it, Chloe intentionally looked down between her and Naofumi's bodies at his cock and much to her dismay, she had to swallow down a wave of discomfort from seeing it. Even in her hand, it looked… unnerving, yet the pale flesh that contrasted greatly with her far darker skin tone served as a reminder that it was still a part of Naofumi, and she wanted to feel him inside of her. Again. Properly this time.

Using his shoulders as leverage, Chloe lifted herself up off of Naofumi's lap and hovered unsteadily above his cock. She felt one of his hands on her hip, guiding her slowly downward while his other hand disappeared into the junction of her thighs. The half-elf almost fell over when her savior's fingers began to caress her folds gently, a throaty moan echoing throughout the shack that Chloe could scarcely believe had actually come from her. Her grip on Naofumi tightened until she'd pulled his head into her bosom, no longer moving at all and instead just letting the sudden pleasure run through her. His fingers were far thicker than her own, but there was no roughness to be seen in his motions. He rubbed her pussy with a care and dexterity that was so good that it made her start rocking her hips against his touch, seeking more of it even.

"So you're pink inside too..." she caught Naofumi mumbling into her breasts and Chloe's eyes went wide at the implication of his words, further increasing the sheer heat of her cheeks, as well as the yearning in her abdomen.

Rather than reply, she buried her face into his hair and willed herself to sink down, feeling somewhat disappointed when Naofumi's fingers disappeared; yet at the same time grateful for his continued guidance when she felt those very same fingers settle on her hip, keeping her steady. Her breath caught in her throat when the tip of his cock brushed against her pussy, making her remember the force with which she'd slammed herself onto him earlier.

That would not happen again, Chloe swore to herself.

When her lips parted around Naofumi's head, Chloe shuddered, moaning sweetly into his hair. One of his hands had moved again, stroking her lower back soothingly and she happily leaned into the touch. Slowly, she lowered her hips down, an unmistakable, absolutely wonderful feeling of fullness spreading out from her abdomen as she was penetrated by Naofumi's cock, inch after mind-melting inch. To compare this to what she'd felt before during her swift drop was unthinkable, the intimacy that came with the sheer slowness of this enough to make her heart practically skip a beat.

She gasped when she felt Naofumi's teeth graze along her breasts, clutching his head tighter, and her own head fell back when she finally landed on his lap, feeling completely full in every sense of the word. Every nerve in her lower body was alight with buzzing pleasure, her toes curling on the floor while she gathered what wits she had and attempted to get used to this sensation.

There was no pain. Not even the slightest bit. And the arms wrapped around her were no restraints. They were warm and tender and loving.

"Naofumi..." Chloe sighed almost dreamily, her body moving on its own accord to let him free from her bosom so that she could see him face to face.

"You feeling oka-" Naofumi was interrupted by Chloe kissing him, making him smirk as she answered his question before he had even been able to finish it. He was more than happy to let her settle down for as long as she needed, which turned out to be far less than he'd expected. By the time her tongue met his, she was already grinding her hips down against him, an act that Naofumi responded to in kind, earning himself a muffled moan and a hand tangled into his hair. She was just as tight and hot as Olga, yet the different position they were in provided a whole new feeling—neither of which he could, with good conscience, call 'superior'.

He groaned when Chloe shifted her weight atop him more and more, moving her hips in a broad circular motion as she started to rise from his lap partly. She only got halfway off his cock before she dropped back down again, both of them gasping in unison at the jolt that raced through them.

By now, their kiss had broken, but when Naofumi opened his eyes, he found that Chloe was still mere centimeters away from him, panting softly while her ruby red eyes gazed at him deeply and longingly. He ran his hands along her sides, down over the swell of her plentiful hips and to her powerful thighs and then back up again, savoring the frankly adorable mewl that she let out when he did so. She rose again and dropped back down from much the same time as before, slowly and carefully beginning to ride him, the polar opposite of her frenzied desperation from their last 'attempt'. She was truly in control now.

"Want me to start moving too?" Naofumi asked after another moment. Chloe simply nodded fervently, biting her lip, not breaking eye contact with him for so much as a moment. "Your wish is my command..." he added with an affectionate chuckle.

During her next drop, Naofumi met Chloe's hips with a thrust that seemed to stop her dead in her tracks, but it was for such a brief instant that he almost convinced himself that he'd imagined it when she went right back to rising and falling. Though it would be more accurate to call it bouncing now that he was meeting her and he watched as she increased the pace on her own accord, falling down onto him from higher and higher with every bounce.

Their moans bled together, along with the sound of their bodies meeting, Naofumi gritting his teeth while Chloe's mouth hanged open.

The half-elf's thoughts were a swirl of pleasure and desire, yet she could still see Naofumi in perfect detail. The world around them was unfocused and foggy, but not him. He was crystal clear to her, his eyes like beacons despite lacking the luminescent quality of her own. They were a heaven, resolute and kind and open from the moment she'd met him and as her emotions continued to rise and blend together, Chloe couldn't stop the tears that built up in her eyes.

She felt Naofumi falter in their rhythm, but made no attempts to stop herself. She was drunk on the feeling of his cock hitting a thousand different sensitive spots inside her that she couldn't have dreamed of having until now, even as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Chloe…?" he breathed out with clear confusion in his voice. "You're crying…?"

Even in her stupor of pleasure and affection, Chloe found herself laughing softly, Naofumi's expression becoming even more bewildered at her reaction. "Please," she said finally, "Do not worry about these tears. They are not ones of sorrow or pain." Naofumi continued to stare at her in confusion for a moment longer, but started thrusting up into her once more.

"You elves are a crazy bunch," he said just as much to himself as to her, seemingly, and Chloe couldn't help to laugh again.

Closing her eyes, she embraced him lovingly, lifting her feet off the ground and wrapping her legs around his waist while she nuzzled the side of his head. She continued to bounce and move her hips, but could no longer drive their pace as before. She relinquished that control to Naofumi. Willingly.

"Take me..." she whispered into his ear, feeling the shiver that ran through his body.

Naofumi needed no further encouragement, securing his grip on Chloe's hips as he started to pull her down into his thrusts, instantly being rewarded by her deep moans and the feeling of her legs tightening around him. If she wanted him to set their pace, to fuck her even, then he wasn't about to argue. She'd made her choice and that was all that mattered to him. As long as it was hers and hers alone, he'd do whatever she wished for.

With every thrust and every bounce, Chloe's breaths grew more ragged, and Naofumi could feel himself draw closer to his limit as well. Their pace was not frantic—nor was it slow—rather, it was a steady pounding of flesh on flesh, deep and strong, leading them together towards a final peak. By the time Naofumi was almost there, Chloe's hold on him had slackened to the point where she was merely hanging off of him limply, unable to keep her strength in the face of the overwhelming pleasure that danced along her nerves.

That changed suddenly, however, as both her legs and arms wrapped around Naofumi in a flash, tightly enough that it almost knocked the wind out of him. He heard her squeal and moan against him, tremors rocking her like an earthquake, and had it not been for the stammered, barely audible "D-d-do not stop…!" that she breathed into his neck, Naofumi would have done just that. Such was not her wish, and so he continued to thrust into her spasming embrace, feeling as his cock was being wrung out and milked for all it was worth.

That was the last straw for him as well, and after just few more seconds, Naofumi was preparing himself to pull out of Chloe, deciding that that was the more levelheaded thing to do now that he was less unfocused than he had been with Olga.

Chloe would have none of that, however. Her legs refused to budge and right as Naofumi was about to ask her to let him go, he heard her final wish.

"Inside…!" she pleaded, and any protest Naofumi might have had died instantly.

With a final thrust, he buried himself as deeply as he possibly could inside Chloe's pussy and let go of all restraint, his cum shooting into her waiting depths. That was enough to set off another wave of erratic shudders and shivers in the half-elf, the liquid heat filling her belly radiating and pulsing like it was pure magical essence. They collapsed almost in unison a moment later, slumping back against the wall of the shack, neither being able to muster up the energy for anything more than breathing deeply.

Naofumi was the first to recover, yet still feeling all but completely drained, and he spent the remaining time waiting for Chloe to do the same simply watching her. Something like aftershocks went through her body every couple of moments that made her ears flit rather cutely, and it wasn't until a good few minutes had passed that Naofumi came to the realization that Chloe had fallen asleep in his arms, her chest rising and falling evenly and her expression peaceful.

He waited a bit longer, ensuring she wasn't having any more nightmares, and when she showed no signs of it, Naofumi felt comfortable enough to carefully untangle her legs from around him, his flaccid cock slipping out of her in the process and making her mumble something in her sleep. With equal amounts of care, he slipped an arm under her knees and behind her back, lifting her into a bridal carry.

Again, Chloe stirred, but didn't wake up, merely settling into Naofumi's chest. The sight reminded him of Raphtalia, and a pang of homesickness for a place that had given him no end of misery lanced through his heart. He missed her, there was no denying that, both her and Filo, yet he had no way of getting back to them as far as he knew. The current predicaments he'd faced with Olga and Chloe were hopefully somewhat resolved, until the morning at least, but nothing had changed regarding his plans going forward.

He didn't know what to do or where to go from here, what he should do with the two women he'd saved, or what the 'rules' of this new world he found himself in were. It made the paranoia that had laid dormant since him and Olga had had sex worm its way back into his thoughts, regretfully.

As such, it was with very mixed feelings that Naofumi carried Chloe out to were Olga was sleeping by the smoldering remains of their campfire. He gently laid the half-elf down beside her mistress, moving his cloak so it covered them both, and walked over to where he'd thrown his tunic. He contemplated getting dressed again, but tiredness had crept too deeply into his bones for him to bother. Instead, he folded the shirt up into something that resembled a pillow and walked over to Olga and Chloe. As he regarded them, he finally felt the chill that hung in the night air for what seemed like the first time and he looked around for something that he could use as a blanket like they were doing with his cloak.

That's when he spotted the half-lidded golden eye observing him.

Naofumi watched as Olga's gaze fell from him to Chloe next to her, a soft smile spreading across her beautiful features, and then back to him. She didn't say anything, merely lifting his cloak up invitingly.

If there were other solutions to their sleeping arrangements, Naofumi chose not to dwell on it. He walked over to the two dark skinned elves and was about to settle down next to Olga when she started to scoot away from Chloe, creating a vacant spot between them. Again, he chose not to dwell on it and laid down. As soon as he'd made himself comfortable with his makeshift pillow, he felt Olga's curvaceous form press against him, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest. A shuffling from his other side drew his attention to Chloe, who shimmied up next to him as well, though he had no idea if she was actually awake or not, her eyes still closed and breathing even.

With the two elves sleeping soundly halfway atop him, Naofumi had little choice but to put his arms around them and pull them in closer, their combined body heat pushing away any frigid tendrils that might attempt to seep into them.

By the time his head laid back down onto his tunic, he was already asleep.

AN: Honestly, the first draft of this chapter would have been a good 5k words shorter or so had I not gone back and forth on the ways to go about Chloe's breakdown.

Anyways, there will be an epilogue to this story to finish things off, but as to when I'll get around to writing it, I can't say right now. I've got another project I want to finish this month that is also long overdue, but luckily that's almost finished and a hell of a lot easier to write in general that this was.

Lastly, if anyone is curious as to the design of Olga's new womb tattoo/magical anti-rape seal, here's what my wonderful friend and unpaid not-proofreader [REDACTED] drew up for me, because they're just so poggers big chungus wholesome 100 like that: imgur.c o m /a/7Skq9uN minus the spaces.