Beyond the Outer Gates Lies... Sexual Healing?

As we went over the tests, I watched Serafall subtly jerk her head from side to side, as if trying to crack her neck or loosen her muscles. Her brow was furrowed, little crevices eroding between her eyes. And there was a shadow in those normally bright, blue eyes.

"Okay," I said, seemingly at random. She looked up at me. I stood up. Pushed my chair back. Pulled her chair back, with her still in it. Swept her into my arms in a princess carry. Carried her through the open partition into the living room. I set her down on the couch. I went down on one knee in front of her. I looked her directly in the eyes (yay!).

"Strip to the waist," I ordered her.

Normally, I would have expected her to smirk and make a sexy comment. Or try to strip up to the waist rather than down to the waist. But I guess she was caught off balance, between her surprise at what I was saying, and how she was feeling. Because she she peeled off her sweater without any teasing or protest.

"Hold on," I stopped her. I reached around behind her back, and took the band of her bra in my hands, ready to unhook it. I met her eyes, and inclined my head. Silently asking for permission. Serafall blushed cutely, and gave the tiniest of nods. So I unclipped her bra, and pulled it out over her arms. I also took her sweater where she dropped it, and tossed both pieces of clothing into my armchair.

"Lean back," I instructed gently. Serafall put her weight on the backrest of the couch. The act lifted her breasts slightly, and she arced her back a bit more than was necessary, to emphasize them.

"Don't do that," I said. I put one hand on her shoulder and one on her stomach, and pressed her into the sofa's cushions.

"Relax," I told her, "Rest. Take the weight off, mentally and physically. Lie back. Close your eyes."

Serafall took a deep breath, that rattled slightly as she exhaled. Then she let herself sink down. Closed her eyes.

I took her breasts in my hands. They fit, but it was close. I made sure her tips were centered in my palms, so I didn't stimulate them too much.

She shuddered slightly, but did not object.

Then I began to squeeze my fingers firmly, and rotated my hands.

"Breathe in," I said calmly, "Breathe out. Relax. Focus on the warmth of my hands, the sound of my voice."

Serafall cracked one eye open, and looked at me.

"Harry?" she prompted.

"Yes?"

"Is that some sort of spell?"

"No," I told her, "I'm just trying to help you relax."

"That's nice," she said. Then continued, "But you sound really silly."

"Okay," I chuckled.

I continued to massage her chest. Her boobs were lovely, substantial, and soft. But the muscles underneath were tense. And hard. Like some sort of inhuman metal fiber. I continued to work on her breasts, feeling the tension under them start to fade.

At the same time, I had no small difficulty keeping myself under control. Winter was enjoying the feel of my fingers sinking into her perfect, voluminous tits. And so was I. But while I was focused on helping Serafall, the Mantle wanted me to do more.

I broke off. I walked around and kneed behind the couch. I undid the ties in her hair, and gently ran my fingers through it, letting it fall free. I continued to comb through it, loosening it and spreading it across the back of the sofa. Then I placed my hands on her head, and began to massage her scalp. Then I closed my fingers, catching her locks between them. And I tugged lightly away.

"Ooo," she gasped.

"Did that hurt?" I asked apologetically, "Was that too hard?"

"No, just surprised," Levi-tan tilted her head back further, and looked up at me.

"How did it feel?" I prompted, "Su... Someone used to have me do that when she had a headache. She said it broke up the tension in her scalp. I don't know if it works for everyone. But does it? Work for you, that is. Did it hurt or feel good? Did it help with your headache?"

"I never said I had a headache," she protested softly.

"I know you, and I know the signs of a headache," I countered, "I don't want you pushing yourself for me. Or even for yourself."

"Poo," she frowned.

"Serafall," I scolded her.

"It felt good, Harry," she relented, "You could maybe even pull a little harder."

"It wasn't a pull," I told her, "It was a sharp, sudden, but careful tug, to break the tension. A pull would be this."

I pulled her hair, dragging her face around towards me. And I kissed her.

Then I released her hair, and moved my hands to her shoulders. I started rubbing them, even as our lips lingered against each other for a few seconds more. Once the kiss ended, she let herself drop back down, and indulged in the feeling of my hands kneading her neck and upper back. And every once in a while, my hands plunged further down, running my fingers over her breasts. Giving the infernal orbs a bit of extra massaging. And a bit more than that. Allowing myself to tease her nipples a little this time.

Serafall let out an exhale that was half a sigh and half a moan. The muscles in her neck and shoulders were finally loosened up. But my fingers weren't.

"Lie down on your stomach, please," I whispered in her ear. She slumped forward and rolled onto her front. I cracked my knuckles and headed into the kitchen. I returned with a reusable water bottle. I took a draw off it, and then placed it in her hands.

"Gotta stay hydrated," I told her. She lifted the straw to her mouth, and drained half the liquid.

"Mmm, tastes like Harry-chan," she murmured slightly.

Between cracking them. giving them a moment, and the cold of the bottle, my fingers were back in business. Still, instead of working her back with my hands, I started with my elbows. With how strong and tense her muscles were, I decided to start loosening them with a firmer pressure. Putting more of my weight into the bony points of the joints.

That would also buy my digits more time.

Part of me wondered if I should suggest we move to one of the queen beds, either the guest room or my room. Then I would be on the level with Serafall, and wouldn't have the sofa's backrest in the way. But I also imagined myself straddling her thighs, under the excuse that it would give me direct and straight line access to her back. Of course, that had other implications. So I kept my mouth shut and kept massaging her from the side.

"Oh, yeah," Serafall moaned in sleepy relief, "Right there."

I switched from my elbows to my palms, as her back loosened. More warmth and softer, but still good pressure without straining my fingers. Serafall's moans quieted into almost a purr.

Finally the kinks in her spine and knots in her shoulders were gone. I looked down her body, at her plump ass and tight legs. I considered them. But I was forced to admit, my desire to get hands on them was more about my lust than Serafall's relaxation. Plus, I'd have to get her to take her leggings off. And I didn't want her to have to stand.

I was also nervous about asking her to take anything else off. Too risky.

Instead, I lifted her left arm. And kneaded her wrist and fingers. They were almost as tense as her back. She must have been doing a lot of typing. I would have said writing, but my Maou was right handed. That made me think, as her left limb relaxed, that her other arm was probably worse.

"Serafall," I said gently and quietly, "Would you turn over please?"

"zzzzz"

"Umm? Serafall?" I whispered, leaning back.

"As you are working with my sister, there is something I feel you should know," Sona told me.

"And that is?" I asked, cautious due to her tone.

"If you find her asleep at her desk, write her a note and leave."

"Umm okay," I agreed, confused, "Why?"

"Two reasons," Kuou's Kaichou explained, "The first is for her. My sister is busy and there is a time difference between the Underworld and Japan. As a result, her sleep schedule is chaotic, and she finds it hard to get proper rest. Not that she would ever admit as such. So if she falls asleep waiting for a meeting, it generally means that she really needs it."

I nodded, remembering my time as a Warden. Chicago to California was bad enough, but the Ways-lag between the US and Edinburgh was killer.

Then Sona sighed, and dropped her head in dismay, "And more important reason is for you. My sister has two ways of sleeping. When she is comfortable and feels safe, she falls into a sleep so deep it is nearly impossible to wake her. The other way is the way to sleep, the one that she learned in the war..."

"A light sleep, ready to wake and attack at the slightest stimulation," I interrupted her. Sona inclined her head towards me in confirmation. I knew all too well about sleeping like that. Both Justin and Mab had been... aggressive proponents of that form of rest.

"So it will either be a waste of your time to try to wake her," Sona added, "Or it will be dangerous for you to do so. Either way, better to leave a message and let her have her rest."

"Okay, important safety tip. Thanks, Sona."

It looked like my girlfriend was out. And the kind of out that would require extreme measures to overcome. Not that I wanted to. After all, I had been trying to get her to relax. And I was more than a little happy that she felt comfortable enough here to go into the deep sleep.

That left me with two options. Well technically I had hundreds, if not thousands of options. Most of them were unthinkable. But calling Sona to get Serafall, leaving my Maou where she was after covering her with a blanket, and a number of minor pranks all came to mind as 'acceptable' options. I wasn't looking for acceptable. Tonight was supposed to be about trying to get closer to Serafall. And I wanted to prove worthy of the trust she was showing in letting me touch her, and falling asleep in this situation. Which left two options, taking her up to my bed, or putting her in the guest...

Ah, crap.

Kendra had stayed over when she was searching for Sela and Rin. After that, I was a good boy and stripped the sheets of the guest bed. Especially since I hadn't done that the last time she stayed over, back before the tournament, so if anyone else had come over, they would have had unwashed linens Kendra had used. Not that I'm saying she was dirty or anything, but I couldn't say if she was a sweaty sleeper or anything like that. Anyway, I stripped the bed, but also being a good boy, I didn't want to waste water and detergent on a one or two sets of sheets. Okay, that one might have been equal parts good boy and lazy bachelor. Either way, it meant that the guest bed was unmade and I didn't have clean sheets for it.

I carefully slipped my arms under Serafall, and rolled her towards me. Again into a classic princess carry. She didn't wake, but did snuggle a bit into the warmth of my chest. I carried her upstairs. Wrangled the bedroom door open. Brought her around to the right side of my bed. Laid her down. Then I went to my dresser and opened the top, center drawer.

The backup shirts had come in a three pack. The grey shirt I had never recovered from Oakley. Not that I planned to ask for it back. If she still had it. She might have tossed it. Or traded it to Serafall. The red shirt had subsequently been put into a plastic bag and replaced the first one in my kit. That left a blue shirt that was longer than I needed and loose enough in the chest for a second unexpected gender change of yours truly.

Levi-tan wasn't quite as well endowed as my female variant, but she was close. So I figured the loose shirt would be better for comfortable sleeping.

Using both my magic and hands, I pulled the sleeping beauty into a sitting position, and softly put the shirt onto her.

I promise, I only cupped her breasts so they didn't shake too much when I slid the cotton over them. Which isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the sensation, no matter how noble my intentions.

I shimmied it passed her ample hips, and the shirt fell almost to her knees, given the difference in our heights. Then I reached up under the shirt, and carefully pulled her leggings off. I reached back and put them on the dresser. I picked up Serafall again, now clad only in the shirt and her (sexy but surprisingly simple) panties. It wasn't like the pajamas she had worn when we stayed together at the convention. But I also didn't know if those were her normal sleepwear.

I laid her down properly, her head on the unused second pillow. I tucked her in. Then I gave her a light kiss on the forehead. She let out a contented murmur. I turned to leave.

"mmm, Harry-chan," she mumbled. I turned back to see if she had woken.

But she was still asleep. She had turned onto her side. Curled up into a loose ball. And pulled the sheets and blanket up to her nose. I thought she might have been inhaling a little more deeply than before. But I convinced myself that was just my imagination. Or my pride.

I went down both flights of stairs, and started a load of sheets, throwing in some light color towels to make it a full load.

I returned to the main room, and packed up all the notes and lesson plans on the gaming table. Didn't want Mister scattering them.

I retrieved Serfall's sweater and bra from my chair. I went back up to the master suite. I placed her upper clothing with her leggings. Then I got ready for bed. Teeth brushed, clothing set out for tomorrow, pajamas, all that. It was only a bit after eight, but given the circumstance...

I crawled into my side of the bed. The extra heat under the comforter was something I had not experienced since arriving on this side of the Outside, but it was comforting and welcome. I had to resist the urge to spoon Serafall.

"Goodnight, Sera."

It was proof that she was really asleep, that she didn't jump me again.