Author's Note: Due to site rules, this chapter is significantly edited to avoid explicit sexual content. If you desire to read the original, explicit version of this chapter- please seek the version of this story posted to Archive of our Own.
Lycaon x Belle
Lycaon sat uneasily upon the couch near Belle, a respectable platonic six inches between them. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she busied herself with the television remote. The bare expanse of her legs were curled and gathered to her body, crushing her own breasts slightly against her chest. As a result, a minor bit of attractive breast flesh bulged around the rim of Belle's tanktop's neckline and sleaveline. Lycaon found it to be a beautiful sight, and he wistfully wished he could touch her, take her, and press all of that bare skin to his body.
But Lycaon's professional mind figuratively burst into that little private space, suplexed that idle fantasy, and then locked it away in the depths of his internal mind jail. Down boy. Down. Lady Belle is your client… No, she isn't… She may as well be!
The first movie, A Knight's Oath, started surprisingly violently with an obviously deranged drunkard of a man attempting to force himself upon a young inn maid, and then savagely beating her when she rebuffed his clumsy advances. The maid's traditional black and white uniform and her relative size and age made Lycaon immediately think of Corin, his own subordinate in Victoria Housekeeping, and he felt a dull thrum of anger towards the man in the movie. Corin would surely buzzsaw the man in real life, if she thought to do it, and- well… but it wasn't Corin, it was a movie character.
Meanwhile, Belle worried over whether she had gone a bit too far with the skimpy house clothing and was now feeling self-conscious. Did Lycaon think she was being far too obvious? Did he think that maybe because she was showing so much skin, that she must not think him as a sexual entity? That she regarded him as a friend who would never think of her as an object of sexual desire? …Was he thinking about her clothing at all or just accepting what she wore what she chose to wear and Belle wasn't trying to send any message to him- even though she totally was! So, so many possibilities to parse. It was maddening!
In the film: the noise and screams of the maid attracted men with uniforms and swords who stopped it, and eventually the male lead of the film entered and became subtly enraged at the violent depravity in the same way that Lycaon had. He seemed to be some sort of official, as the soldiers saluted him. Feeling a kinship with this captain, Lycaon shared the man's quiet indignation when it was revealed the offender of the crime was some kind of friend of the king, and since the King was the law, there was nothing to be done but usher the sobbing maid away to safety.
"Hardly justice," said Lycaon, commenting on the development of the plot.
Belle looked over at him from her position on the couch, she still drawn up behind the wall of her bare knees and legs. It was a relief to hear his voice! Lycaon's comment on the movie's early progress broke the ice over the silence that had persisted since he'd sat down. He commented on movies? Belle liked to do that, too! After one has seen a few thousand films, they all get somewhat predictable, so it was fun to talk about them as they played.
"Right?! Another asshole with friends in high places," said Belle.
"A plague on society since the beginning," said Lycaon.
Belle made an affirmative grunting noise as she twisted her hips to the side and lowered her legs to the couch- taking on a more comfortable, side-saddle position, but still having her bare knees locked together. She took a deep breath: Just relax, Belle. Enjoy the moment. And this was your idea. You can't be a chicken now!
The leading man character left the crime scene and traveled to a grand palace, where he obviously held significant martial power in the kingdom- a captain of some sort. A beautiful woman descended a stairway, she was the female lead and a princess. They greeted one another formally, but both clearly displayed romantic interest in the other- but in ways that only the audience was aware of.
The captain followed the princess around for a while, obviously loving every moment of being with the Princess, and she with him. That night: the king announces the Princess is to be wed, and the groom was none other than the maid-beating monster of the opening sequence. Both romantic leads are quite clearly upset but are forced to hide the truth in the eyes of the king and the court- the future groom is quite pleased and the king is pleased that he is pleased. Politics are plainly afoot.
"What a jerk," said Belle around a mouthful of bagel and cream cheese.
"Who? The vile man or the monarch?" said Lycaon, who was sipping a canned coffee.
"Well, both, of course. But I mean the king," said Belle, pausing the movie to look at Lycaon. He smiled softly at her, apparently pleased at hearing her opinion, both of his ears focused on her voice. Belle felt more confident in herself due to Lycaon's obvious attention. "The king, her own father, doesn't care at all about what the princess wants. In fact, the only man who seems to care is the captain. And she knows it!"
"Perhaps one of the many reasons she has fallen for him prior to the start of the film?"
"Probably the main reason!" said Belle.
"Oh? He seems handsome, as human men go. I admit to not being an authority…"
"No. I mean, yes. He's handsome- for a movie star," conceded Belle, gesturing with a handful of bagel.
Lycaon's eyes followed its movement briefly, alarmed that a crumb or a droplet of cream cheese might fly off upon the floor unnoticed.
Belle continued: "But that's not the main reason. I mean, it's a good reason, but not a main reason."
"His martial prowess? The prestige of his position?"
"She's the princess! She has the second highest position, already."
"True."
"It's because he cares what she wants," said Belle, turning back to the movie and hitting the play button as a final punctuation upon her declaration. "A true partner always cares about what their partner wants."
Lycaon watched the side of her face intently. He felt like he was witnessing a brief revelation of one of Belle's core philosophies. His tail wagged slowly without him realizing it as he mused over the concept- though it was a somewhat subliminal desire in himself… Lycaon would prefer that Belle thought him a 'true partner'.
"What if they want opposite things?"
Belle blinked, a bagel halfway to her mouth. "Well, they would have to talk it out, of course. But they should still care about the wants of the other!"
Lycaon gave an affirmative grunt and they both turned their attention back to the playing film.
A great deal of screen time was paid to the two leads going off to their casts of supporting characters and lamenting their woes to them. It was somewhat melodramatic, but it got the point across: both feared the marriage and wanted to prevent it, and both fantasized of running off with the other- captain and princess, dreaming of an elopement.
Naturally, neither could escape their societal roles so easily. A few minor plans are attempted and abandoned. The princess decides the best way to prevent the marriage is to lose her virginity to another man: the captain. He is not on board with this plan, despite both of them obviously wanting it and being on the verge of consummation- but the captain, at the moment of decision, refuses to take her.
Belle let out a frustrated groan. "This guy is so dumb!" She rocked back onto the sofa.
Lycaon, who saw elements of himself in the character of the captain, became concerned at the comment. "How so? Is he not appropriately faithful to the duties of his office? Is not his faithful adherence to his code of honor one of the reasons the princess cares for him?"
Belle looked over at him, exasperated: "Well, yeah, Lycaon, but not if he picks those values over her! She's trying to give him everything they have both wanted, and he won't take it. And in refusing to do so, he is dooming her to a horrible marriage. To another man!"
Lycaon considered that. "Lady Belle, you cannot protect what you love by taking it for yourself. It corrupts it. If he accepts her now, she will be sullied before their society, and he will likely face royal punishment. In taking what she wants to give him, at this moment, he worries they both will lose everything."
Belle pursed her lips and thought about that. She wanted to object. She sensed this line of reasoning was somewhere on the same page as Lycaon's hesitations with her. If she could win this point, it might be good for her plans. But… she couldn't think of anything. To buy herself some time, Belle reached for some chocolate covered pretzels and ate one. She chewed, still thinking. Nothing. The royal punishment line was a good point. Dammit.
"I guess you're right. But I can't believe he's just going to let this go like this!"
"He's not," said Lycaon confidently. "Wait and see."
"You've seen this movie?"
"No, but I think I know this man."
The captain soon resolves to draw the evil groom into a duel and to kill him.
"So he's choosing violence," said Belle. "How is that better?"
"It is honorable, and it does not sully the Princess in the process. Only himself."
"How is it honorable? He knows going in that it's going to be a falsified duel!"
Lycaon shrugged at Belle as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It is a rival male trying to steal his female. He has every right to try and kill him. It is the oldest law in the world."
"What law?" challenge Belle.
"The unwritten law," said Lycaon with stately confidence. "Of nature."
"Says who?"
"Myself. I am a thiren, after all."
"And thirens know more about that sort of thing, I take it?"
"Of course."
Belle rolled her eyes and had the impression she wasn't going to make any progress on that logical leap. Lycaon was clearly joking, but… on some level, maybe he wasn't. Would Lycaon act like the captain and kill a man for her?
Belle blinked in sudden realization. Oh, right… he already had. Just yesterday morning.
Somewhat mellowed, she settled back down to watch the climax of the film. Even if she didn't win the point, it had been fun to debate with Lycaon. She was fully relaxed now, sitting easily on the center of the couch with her legs crossed. Neither was aware, but one of her kneecaps was now three inches into the 6-inch platonic zone.
Meanwhile, the movie ended with tepid fanfare. As the captain approached the evil groom's residence, it is revealed he is already murdered by someone else: the brother of the maid that was beaten in the first sequence of the film. With the main antagonist deftly handled off-screen by an entirely unseen character, the movie ended with a disappointing sigh as the male and female lead get married, or something. After such a terrible twist, neither Lycaon or Belle retained any sort of emotional investment in the plot.
"So," said Lycaon, still curious of Belle's opinion of the captain's choices. "Was the captain a fool? In the end? It seems all ended favorably and he did not violate his duty."
Belle thought for a moment. This was the last chance to sink a point home on Lycaon. "Yes, he was a fool. His obsession with his duty caused him to neglect her heart. And while he protected her body, he neglected her needs and he failed to satisfy.
"I'm sure he saw to it that she was properly fed, Lady Belle," said Lycaon. "I don't think that was even his role."
Belle sighed quietly. A shot and a miss. Perhaps the other films would give her ammunition to make in her case for romance. "Well, let's start the next one! How about…?" Her hands reached for the stack of tapes and knocked them over. Not particularly caring for the order, she snatched up the one from the bottom. It was unmarked, but that wasn't too rare when it came to old, used video tapes.
"I can play it, Lady Belle," said Lycaon, reaching for it.
Belle avoided his reach and stood up herself. "I can do it, Lycaon! You have a turn relaxing and I'll start the film!"
"But-"
"Oh, shush!" She put in the cassette and quickly returned to the couch.
A grainy video image crackled onto the screen, large black and white static bands across the image. Belle frowned and lifted the controller, pushing aggressively on one of the tracking buttons. The video interference was shoved towards the corners of the screen and then mostly vanished, remaining only as the aura of static near the top. Some dubious, soft jazz music groaned into auditory focus at the same time.
In the old, faded colors of ancient filmography, three feline thiren women could be seen skipping across a literal field of wildflowers, holding hands in a line. They were human-faced, bare-skinned thirens with cat ears and bushy tails. Each wore a frilly, two-piece dress that exposed significant bosom, midriff and leg. The fabric of the clothing did not seem of very high quality, or perhaps that was due to the low resolution of the picture. It was somewhat difficult to tell.
A rather poor quality text graphic came up on the screen: The Three Little Pussies and the Big, Thick Wolf.
"W- where did you find this one, Lycaon?" said Belle, her voice filled with uncertainty and confusion. That sure was an odd name for a romantic movie. It sounded more like a nursery rhyme. Or a porno. But who would make a porno based on a nursery rhyme? Surely, that couldn't be the case.
"This was in the romance section?"
"Ah-" said Lycaon, intending to answer, but he became immediately distracted by the film itself.
On the screen, the three women crested the hill and were confronted by a large, muscular wolf thiren man with gleaming dark gray fur. Lycaon immediately realized the man was naked, but this fact was lost on Belle in the immediate moment because to her view: fur seemed a similar body covering to clothing. Unfamiliar with the genre of the film and generally not averse to the body in its natural state, no alarm bells rang in Lycaon's mind, and Belle remained oblivious to the nudity and so didn't immediately realize the connotations.
The three feline thiren women came to a hesitant stop and significantly overacted the emotions of doubt and trepidation.
"Hello, little ladies," said the wolf thiren, and his voice sounded distant, as if the production's single microphone was actually just on the camera doing the filming.
Then came a series of close-ups on the three women for each to deliver their lines- two of them obviously missing their cue.
"Oh, noooo…"
"...He's sooooo big."
"What do we. Do?"
The camera returned to the wide shot. The distantly voiced wolf thiren said, blandly: "I'm here to make you three huff and puff… … with pleasure…"
Belle realized what this tape was and her heart leapt into her throat and suddenly what had seemed mildly interesting was suddenly recast as oppressively awkward. Belle's hand shot for the remote and shut off the television.
Belle looked at Lycaon with wide eyes. Lycaon looked at her with raised brows. They sat quietly in silence for a moment, carefully not looking at each other.
"W- where did you find this one, again? Lycaon?"
"Ah-," said Lycaon, clearing his throat quietly. "It was directly provided by Lord Wise. With his adamant assurance you would enjoy it."
Belle didn't know whether to laugh or scream. "Wise!"
"An amusing prank, to be sure, Lady Belle," said Lycaon dryly, seeming unbothered on the surface, but Belle noted his grip on the side of the couch seemed quite strong. "Lord Wise seems to have successfully made a fool of me. I apologize for my ignorance in this matter."
"It's not your fault, Lycaon! Wise just acts on silly impulses sometimes," said Belle with a forced laugh, unwilling to forgive her brother as easily as Lycaon. Wise would pay for this later. Oh, yes. "My brother thinks he is sooo funny."
Lycaon cleared his throat softly. "Shall we move on to the next tape?"
"Yes, please, Lycaon. I'm sorry about that. It's embarrassing."
"I hold you in no way accountable, Lady Belle," said Lycaon, who took up a third videotape and replaced it in the player.
The third film quickly revealed itself to not be a romance at all, but a survival thriller about a bunch of people trapped in a zoo with man-eating dinosaurs. It wasn't exactly on theme for a romance movie marathon, but the script was so good that Belle and Lycaon became captivated by the story and settled into watching it, the fiasco of the porno being forgotten by Lycaon, but not by Belle.
She couldn't stop herself from giving Lycaon side-eye glances. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like when she got Lycaon naked- if she got Lycaon naked! That was her end objective here, wasn't it? It seemed so silly to think about, but.. What was the saying? Did the dog know what they would do with the car if they caught it? Well, Belle's car was sitting on the couch next to her, and that little prank of Wise's had her thinking about it now. Hard.
She needed to make her move sooner or later. Should she just do it? Was there going to be a better moment in the future? What should she do? Meanwhile, the movie progressed and she wavered between action and delay. Lycaon watched the film, oblivious.
Eventually, there was a moment in the movie when the park was suffering power outages and the female lead and a side character, a male outdoorsman- were trying to get to a power station to revive a portion of the park's security system. There was a forested area between them and their goal, but there was the latent danger of pack-hunting raptor dinosaurs in the immediate area.
"Come on! We can make it! It's right over there!" whispered the frantic female lead.
"No," said the male outdoorsman. "We can't. We're being hunted."
Lycaon's attention was intently focused on the movie, both ears focused on the screen. The outdoorsman crept away, presumably looking to hunt rather than simply be the hunted. A worthy goal that Lycaon approved. The principal: the female lead, was the prey of the dinosaurs, but the outdoorsman intended to hunt the hunters. Lycaon felt he understood this outdoorsman at a deep level.
The outdoorsman crept slowly into the underbrush and seemed to have a dinosaur dead to rights, but as he aimed at it- another dinosaur popped out nearby, and it was obvious the first one was bait for this exact ambush. The outdoorsman looked at the new arrival and smiled:
"Clever girl."
And they ate him.
Lycaon grinned in satisfaction. Not because the beast won over the human, but because of the thrilling conclusion of the contest of hunting skill. He glanced to see how Belle was reacting to the scene.
She was practically atop him, staring into him with an expression he couldn't quite interpret. Belle's aqua-sapphire eyes gleamed in the darkness, reflecting the residual light of the television screen. Her mouth was thin- intense and serious, and her scent flowed intoxicatingly into Lycaon's nose. One tiny strap of her tank top had slipped off a slender shoulder, revealing a slightly greater expanse of the top of Belle's breast- just a tiny effort would free all of it to Lycaon's view, but it held on for now.
Lycaon swallowed, forcing his eyes away from Belle's breasts. "You do a fine dinosaur impression, Lady Belle!"
The sudden intensity in the room faded and Belle blinked, then backed off, and seemed to force a laugh. "R- right? I'm out to get you, Lycaon!"
The joke fell into a small silence. Both Lycaon and Belle realizing the truth laid out plain before them both. Lycaon adjusted his seat, suddenly slightly uneasy. Belle blushed and ate some more snacks. Wow, could I fail harder! Way to go, Belle!
"This movie is really good!" she said, trying to change the subject. "Right?"
"Yes," said Lycaon, his voice even. "I find it most thrilling."
They watched more of the move in silence. Belle cursed herself. She'd wanted to make her move right then, but she'd hesitated. Lycaon had perhaps interpreted it as a joke based on the movie scene- that was lucky. But even so… she was such a failure!
Belle's confidence was in low ebb for a while, not recovering until they began the fourth film: The Unsinkable Ship. But she managed to draw Lycaon back into light banter through the lead up of the plot. She'd managed to get them back to their previously relaxed interactions, at least.
The film mainly focused on a woman who was engaged to be married to a man she didn't really love. She was on a big boat, and so was this other guy- a handsome rogue. They obviously become infatuated with each other, all in the span of a few days.
Belle couldn't help but think of her and Lycaon, and while she was unsure of his feelings. She was pretty sure that the female lead in the movie wanted her new man in the same way Belle herself wanted her new bodyguard. When the heart wanted, timespans seemed irrelevant.
Before long, the roguish, handsome man was leading the female lead through the depths of the ship. They dodged through passageways and avoided pursuit of an enemy. Belle found another similarity between her and the characters on the screen.
"Reminds me of us running away from those ethereals," said Belle to Lycaon. "When we first met."
"Indeed," said Lycaon.
The male and female lead then quickly decide to extend the exciting evening by spending some private time in an enclosed space in the cargo hold.
"There is… a lot of steam inside that old car," said Belle, her cheeks a little flushed. She was noticing herself getting turned on. Perhaps everything was not lost from her earlier failure? Should she try again? She wanted to try again.
"Mmhm.." grunted Lycaon, adjusting his pants suddenly and resettling his legs. "If you keep glass clean, it fogs up less."
Belle gave him a dark look. Was he purposefully missing the point? Why did he keep adjusting his pants? Was- was he turned on by the sex scene, too? Belle couldn't tell, but she sure was. She could feel it through her entire body.
In the end, the boat sank and the man died. He sacrificed himself for her safety. It was quite romantic. But as the credits began, Belle wasn't swooning over the romance of the sacrifice, but rather on the lesson to be learned from the plot:
If anything, the movie said that life was not guaranteed. Belle could have been killed several times over the last few days, and Lycaon, too, in his defense of her. Life was fleeting and love could only be enjoyed in the now. As she sat near Lycaon in the darkness of her secured room, the credits of the movie rolling, a silence stretching between them.
She decided this was the moment to shoot her shot. She suddenly rolled over onto Lycaon, straddling him with her legs, sitting in his lap. He flinched in surprise, his tail flicking, his ears going backward in dismay for a half-second before reorienting to focus on her. This was it. She would have his truth, his choice, now, dammit!
"Lady Belle!" said Lycaon haltingly. "What are you-?
"Lycaon. Stop with the 'lady' stuff," said Belle seriously, pressing her hands into his chest. "I don't want to be a 'lady' in my own bedroom."
Belle realized suddenly she was living her dream from two nights ago. She was astride Lycaon's lap…
((The screen goes dark. Lycaon and Belle kiss a great deal and achieve satisfaction with each other. The screen comes back up.))
For long moments, the only sound in the room was their shared breathing. They each shuddered in the aftermath of the encounter. Belle was managing to hold herself upright against Lycaon's reclining chest. She felt thrilled, and satisfied, and warmly excited. That- that had been awesome!
Meanwhile, Lycaon's logical mind was slowly booting back up . He felt wet fur on himself from his lap up to mid gut- some of that moisture was from Belle's wetness against him, that was most welcome. The rest was from himself, and that was much less pleasant. He'd seriously lost control and essentially soiled himself disgracefully. A desire to clean himself rapidly grew in his mind- but before he could rouse himself to action, or speech, or even frame a sentence: his ear communicator buzzed in his ear.
"Von Lycaon, sir," said an unwelcome male voice in Lycaon's ear. He looked at Belle, still panting in his lap, the nipple of one of her breasts peeking out of the amazingly stubborn askew tanktop. Lycaon felt an intense, irrational hatred for whomever was calling him. "We're the groundskeeper crew to install the gate you requested? We're outside the client's location now, sir."
"Hold," said Lycaon simply. Belle blinked at him, clearly thinking he was talking to her.
"Lady Belle," said Lycaon, the voice in his communicator bringing his mind back to work mode. "The groundskeepers are here to install the gate. I must see to them."
Belle blinked, surprised. He was going to leave her? Now? Just like that? But- but- what about the amazing experience they had just had- a second ago?!
"C- can't it wait, Lycaon? W- we have another movie to watch…"
Lycaon took a steadying breath. "And I will watch it with you, as promised, I assure you, La- Belle. But I must go downstairs for a moment to deploy these people. It is an essential element of your safety."
"A- alright," said Belle, seeing the business-like expression on Lycaon's face. She felt a pang of anger that she quickly suppressed. How could he look like that after what they'd literally just experienced? While she was still on top of him! But there seemed no helping it.
Lycaon witnessed Belle dismount his lap, with what seemed a mix of weariness and disappointment. However, Lycaon was focused intently on getting to the business at hand: he needed to bring in the groundskeepers, show them where and how he wanted the gate installed, and then he could leave them to work. That was all the input he needed to give and an essential element of Belle's security would be in place while he… while he and Belle watched more movies, perhaps.
He stood up quickly, lost his balance, and staggered towards the nearby railing, catching himself. Blood rushed through his vision for a moment. His thighs were weak from the convulsions of his own climax. He felt slightly light headed, a sort of fog over his mind. All lingering effects of his intense experience with Belle.
How long had it been since he'd even had an orgasim? As a matter of personal discipline, he did not allow himself to masterbate- so.. It would have been since his last romantic relationship… which was… double-digit years ago… Had it really been so long?
"Are you okay, Lycaon?" said Belle, still seeming a little breathless herself. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Yes.I mean, no, I am unhurt. I am fine," said Lycaon stubbornly.
He took up some of the napkins he'd intended for stray bits of cream cheese and instead employed them to clean himself off himself. Belle's contribution to his damp fur was more deeply ground into the roots, there was nothing he could really do about that, at the moment. And a part of him was reluctant to even try… Lycaon found the faint smell of Belle's past desire to be faintly intoxicating at the moment. After a generous wad of napkins, he was as clean as he was going to get, he re-secured his pants and buttoned up his shirt.
Belle watched Lycaon reassembly himself quickly into the image of the proper Victoria Housekeeping butler. She returned to holding her legs close to her chest, still half-amazed that what had happened had just happened. Part of her was grievously disappointed that Lycaon was dressing to leave her room- even if it was just to go downstairs for a few minutes. Another part of her was thankful for the opportunity to just… pump the brakes on this and figure out what she was doing. She had successfully seduced her own bodyguard.
Winning?
Was that wrong? Was it foolish? Did she even care if it was either? That- that- encounter had been exhilarating, but… what now? Somehow, she and Lycaon had just done almost everything- and yet also somehow done practically nothing at all. He hadn't even gotten her out of her shirt! But- Where did she and Lycaon go from here? Where did she want them to go from here?
Belle watched as Lycaon finished his preparation, he paused to look at her from near the door- his facial expression was unreadable to her. Half his face hidden behind his eyepatch. What was he even thinking? He wasn't revealing anything at all.
"I regret the sudden departure, La-... Belle," said Lycaon seriously. "But my return will be imminent. I leave only for an essential element of your security."
"Okay, Lycaon," said Belle. What else could she say? She'd managed to briefly demask Lycaon's professional persona, but it was now back in place. Belle sensed that she wouldn't be able to get it back off him again until he satisfied this security gate thing.
He unlocked her door and gracefully slid out without opening the portal any further than he had to, his tail slipping out the narrow gap behind him. It shut softly and Belle clutched her knees harder to her chest and shivered- not with chill, but with a sudden memory of their shared climax. She wanted him to come back. But did he actually want to, now?
Where did he want them to go from here?
Belle deeply hoped it was any direction but backwards.
Lycaon moved quickly down the stairs, feeling somewhat lightheaded. The world had a sort of surreal fuzz to it, as if he'd entered Belle's room several hours ago and had been somehow transported to another universe. A better universe. One where Belle sat on his lap like that all the time.
Had that just happened? In real life? Yes. Yes, it had.
Did he want to go back into Belle's room the very moment he stepped out of it? Yes.
Everything out here somehow felt cold and it stank. It stank of air and smells that were not Belle and Belle's room. He was irritated to even be out here.
Another part of him was irritated that he'd allowed that to happen. Belle said she was giving herself, and so, he was not taking. She wanted him. He wanted her. To her, perhaps it was so simple. But for him, she was his client- no. No, she wasn't. But she was definitely 'work', and Lycaon had never mixed his private life with his work life.
Or did he…? Did he even have a life outside of work? No. His work was his life. So was finding Belle and.. and.. . spending time with her on that couch like he just had.. Was that really an unprecedented change for him? Had he actually crossed a line for himself, or was he actually just behaving as normal- his work was his life, his life was his work, but this time it felt different because… because… she wanted him. Wanted him in a way that made their bodies eager and insistent, driving their minds to foolish, hormonal actions like youngsters in rut.
Lycaon strode out into the lobby of Random Play at a serious pace: confused, irritated, worried, and also mildly ashamed he'd left Belle in that position up there so suddenly. He really did need to get back. Hopefully, these groundskeepers were some of the more veteran. That last thing he was in the mood for was babysitting people who should know how to do their damn jobs already.
"Hey, Lycaon," said Wise from the front counter where he was playing with his cell phone. "How are the movies?"
Lycaon halted his stride a moment, looking over at the young man behind the rental counter, suddenly remembering that Wise even existed in this universe. Lycaon also remembered that he was quite irritated with Wise over his prank, and now… Now it seemed like Wise was teasing him. Was Wise adding insult to injury for that pornographic sham of a video? Lycaon felt that Wise tricked him, embarrassed him in front of Lady Belle, and now… Wise had the audacity to taunt him? Did Wise think himself immune from reprisal? Did he think that, as a sibling to Belle, he was superior and Lycaon was beneath the need for respect?
All of these thoughts were uncharacteristically uncharitable and aggressive for Lycaon, but his worldview was wobbling amidst a maelstrom of vying emotions and he was not his usual cool and collected self. So instead of taking Wise's actions as nothing more than an immature joke and idle comment…
Lycaon's lip twitched as he narrowly prevented himself from snarling and revealing his fangs to Wise. His clawed fingers undulated on both hands, moving of their own accord, instinctively wanting to tear flesh. Lycaon briefly considered walking over to Wise right then and- he saw an image of Belle on his lap in his mind's eye.
No. No time for Wise. If he didn't have time to stay with Belle upstairs at the moment, he assuredly had zero time to waste on Wise's foolishness. Lycaon needed to see to the groundskeepers!
"They are quite exhilarating, Lord Wise," said Lycaon stiffly as he passed through the lobby.
Wise gave him a bemused look, but refocused on his game. He seemed to have absolutely no idea that he'd gravely angered Lycaon, or that Lycaon had been mildly sexually active with his sister but mere minutes prior. Lycaon had no intention of educating him about either, at the moment.
Lycaon checked his security systems on the front doors, went outside, and made contact with the patiently waiting team of Victoria Groundskeepers. It was an older team, one that Lycaon knew well, and he was pleased with that discovery. These were people who intuitively knew security installations- Lycaon had to but point at a wall and they would see it done to his satisfaction. However, one of them was a canid thiren- not a wolf, but close enough.
Blast! And Lycaon rarely even thought such a foul word. But.. BLAST!
Lycaon was very aware he had Belle's sexy juices drying into his chest fur and one of the groundkeepers had a serious nose. Instinctively and immediately, Lycaon diverted his path to subtly approach the work crew from downwind. If he could avoid giving off a scent trail until they all got inside, then his fellow canid thiren would naturally assume that Random Play just always smelled like sex. But… wind was always chancy in the city- the way air currents blew through the labyrinth of buildings was intermittent and changeable.
The crew saw him approach and bowed somewhat deeply to him, as was the custom honor for high-ranking field agents.
"Pray forgive my delay," said Lycaon to the team. "I had my hands full with- with my client."
The groundskeepers had no way to know how literal of a statement that was, for which Lycaon was deeply grateful. He led them inside and pointed out the part of the lower stairwell he wanted sealed off. The crew foreman considered it and then suggested a movement roughly one foot back into the lobby due to superior angles with supporting elements of the Random Play building.
"It would significantly boost the gate's strength, Von Lycaon," said the lead groundskeeper.
"Good," said Lycaon. "Do as you suggest. I trust in your work."
"Yes, sir," the groundskeeper bowed and he and his crew exited the lobby to gather their materials for the work.
Lycaon wanted to head back upstairs, but he felt compelled to quickly reconsider his arrangement of boobytraps and sensors on the stairwell now that the gate was going into a slightly different spot than he'd planned for. He heard Wise approaching from behind, and that reignited Lycaon's irritation at the man. So much so, that Lycaon did not hear Belle's bedroom door open- that sensor not one he currently had on automated alarm. Lycaon did not hear her pad across the landing on barefeet to peek down at him, having grown anxious for his return to her bedroom.
Belle had waited patiently for all of two minutes before she began to fret about Lycaon's departure. Was he regretting what they'd just done? Had she hurt him? She'd really ground herself against his- his sensitive area. Did he feel she'd trapped him? Their impromptu dry hump session hadn't solved any of her worries- if anything, it intensified them!
Unable to contain herself, she whipped off her sodden shorts and panties, slipped into a clean pair of lacy black panties, settled her tank top straps back on her shoulders, and then tiptoed out onto the landing with the intention of eavesdropping on whatever Lycaon was doing. She just wanted to hear his voice, if only to settle her most illogical fear that Lycaon had simply walked out of Random Play to never come back. She peeked over the railing to see Wise walk up next to Lycaon on the base landing of the stairs.
"The gate will go about here, then?" said Wise.
"Yes," said Lycaon, stiffly.
He then turned to look directly at Wise, much of his prior anger returning. Thankfully, the interactions with the groundskeeper crew had reinforced Lycaon's professional mindset, but it remained slightly cracked. So, in a much more aggressive tone that he preferred, Lycaon said to Wise: "I would have words with you, Lord Wise. Now."
Wise blinked at him, genuinely surprised at the tone.
Lycaon stepped forward towards Wise, towering above while broadening his shoulders. Lycaon looked pointedly down his nose at the smaller human man. Instinctively, Wise took a step back, but Lycaon followed forward with his hands primely behind his back- not because that was how butlers held their hands, but because Lycaon didn't trust himself not to lash out at this moment. Wise looked alarmed and stepped back again, running his back into the wall of the stairwell. Lycaon crowded him in against the surface without touching, still looking down at Wise with a singular, baleful eye.
"Lord Wise," said Lycaon with calm seriousness. "I must make formal protestation against your provision of that certain unmarked video cassette."
"Uh-" said Wise, his eyes closing into an awkward smile. "Oh right. That."
"Indeed, that," snarled Lycaon, unable to restrain himself. "I wish you to know that I was not amused. You violated my trust, Lord Wise, to use me as cat's paw in a- forgive me in advance for my language: moronic prank beneath your dignity."
Lycaon let his sentence hang in the air for a moment. A tiny, ugly and primal part of Lycaon's psyche enjoyed this moment. Wise had tricked him. Wise had made a fool of him in front of Belle, whom Lycaon greatly favored. And hidden under Lycaon's shirt, the remaining juice of Belle's pleasure was drying into the fur of his abdomen- a scent mark of intense intimacy. Lycaon's primal, lizard mind wished Wise could smell it for some illogical show of animalistic dominance, but Lycaon's conscious mind was gratified that Wise most likely could not, at least not over the smell of Lycaon himself. After all: Wise was Belle's sibling, not a sexual rival- but the lizard parts of one's brain were never the logical parts.
"Uh, yeah, uh-" said Wise, floundering for something to say, his eyes averted from Lycaon's intense downward stare.
Lycaon cut him off: "But much more importantly: the Lady Belle was not amused. At risk of speaking for her, I believe she was grievously embarrassed. Lord Wise. Grievously embarrassed and distraught at the actions of her brother."
Letting the silence hang for a bit longer, Wise took a deep breath, rubbed his hair, and then looked up into Lycaon's eyes unflinchingly. "You're right. It was a sudden, silly idea that I shouldn't have tried. I'm sorry. I won't abuse your trust again- And I'll apologize to Belle later."
Lycaon took a deep breath and stepped back, giving Wise back his personal space. But while Lycaon judged that to be a well-spoken apology and approved of Wise's ability to meet him in the eye, Lycaon wasn't ready to forgive.
"As you know, I serve Lady Belle and only extended my services to you, Lord Wise, as a member of the household out of courtesy. Due to a lack of return courtesy, I will no longer extend any additional services to you for the foreseeable future. Please see to your own meals."
Wise took a deep breath. "Fair."
"However, do continue to be mindful of your bracelet communicator. I would not see you come to harm. For Lady Belle's sake."
"...I understand."
"Thank you for your consideration, Lord Wise," Lycaon's voice was almost a snarl again, driving home the point: He was acting polite, but he didn't feel it. He wanted Wise to think about what it might be like if Lycaon stopped being polite. Wise blinked a few times as Lycaon turned away from him to go back upstairs to the landing.
Both of them were unaware that a voyeuristic Belle was scurrying back to her bedroom door, having witnessed the entire confrontation. Belle was grinning toothily. That. Was. So. Hot! Seeing Lycaon tear into Wise like that had been delicious. She intended worse for Wise later, but that had been a good show. She loved how Lycaon had cowed her brother without violence or even real threat of violence- just with size and intensity. Even when angry, Lycaon had that noble savagery that was just… So. Hot.
But now Lycaon was on his way upstairs. Would he come back into her room? Or would he want to pump the breaks on whatever had just happened between them? The only pumping she wanted him to do was-
One step at a time, Belle.
She still worried about how he'd left so suddenly after their encounter, but that was also only moments ago, too. It was all so fast. All of it. All of them, from when they met to now. All of it was just so damned fast! But Belle wasn't sure that was a problem. She sincerely hoped it was not a problem.
Lycaon walked onto the landing. Belle's door was open and she was standing in the dark threshold. The scent of her lair wafted alluringly to Lycaon's nose as he paused to look at her. She was still in the tanktop, but instead of shorts, she now wore a pair of dry panties, revealing the rest of her legs and teasingly small portions of her inner thighs, a beautiful gap between the tops of her thighs. Lycaon's heart thudded in his chest as she looked at him intently. He felt a war in himself, base desires battling against professional propriety and long-held habits of lonely living.
"Lycaon," said Belle, pushing back strands of her hair behind one ear. He'd said during one of the movies that she needed to be direct to overcome his sense of duty, so here she went again: "I want you to come in. Come in and be with me tonight. Come in and have me. Be with me."
Lycaon stood where he had stopped. Staring at Belle. His tail swishing back and forth, low in agitation.
Hesitating…