Chapter 6.1 Payback?
My first priority of the day was checking on the soap. Yesterday, Irje and I succeeded in making the final batch that we agreed to present to Domina. I shook my head ruefully, this entire ordeal started over the fact that I wanted to test the most recent product on my own shirt. Well, whatever happened, happened. I carefully glanced back but my doom hasn’t reached me yet.
No, I was definitely not worried. Not at all.
As expected, the batch was doing its final curing nicely. It was already in great shape and worked decently enough, but I wanted to give it a few more days so that I would have the best possible offer.
With my spirits lifted, I headed back to the washing vats so that I could start yet another day of chores. I took my time walking, redirecting my nanites to work on my ears. Preemptively, I brushed my hair over them. They still looked human but soon they would look like Irje’s and it was better to start hiding them early instead of explaining myself later.
I noticed Yeva standing near my previous sleeping quarters all alone. Curious, I came over.
“Oh, hello Irje.” Her voice made me spin but there wasn’t anyone else around.
“Uh? Hello.”
Yeva gasped at my voice. “Erf! You surprised me, sorry, I thought you were Irje.” She frowned in confusion “You smell like her.”
“She gave me her old shirt.” I decided to stick with a truthful non-answer for now. I promised anyway.
“Do you know where she is? She usually helps me in the morning.”
“As a guide right?” Seeing her nod I placed my hand on her arm. “Let me help you, we are working close together anyway.”
Yeva let me guide her, easily walking beside me. She had plenty of experience, but her face was still scrunched in deep thought. “Won’t she be looking for me if I was gone?”
I hummed. “Something tells me she would be looking for me first.”
“Oh! You made the best soap yesterday, right? She was probably busy with it.”
“There are three steps up, one step in front of you. And yes… you can say that.” I was lucky that she was blind, I didn't snicker, but I couldn't stop a grin from appearing on my face.
“Thank you, how is it, can I touch it?” She skipped over my vague explanations to my relief.
“You know, what. Here.” I broke up a small bar I’d taken into two parts and handed her the larger piece. I went on speaking, pompously, “As my washing assistant I need you to test this soap and report to me on its capabilities!”
Yeva gripped the soap and gingerly smelled it, completely ignoring my attempts at humour. “It smells so nice…”
“Keep it,” I repeated, breaking off her concentration. “It should last you a couple of days for sure.”
“Are you sure?” She gripped the soap hard in her hands.
“Absolutely, you would be the best judge I could have.”
“Thank you, Erf! I won’t forget it!” She smiled brilliantly in my direction. And then turned to the side.
As I was about to ask her what’s wrong, a hand gripped my collar and lifted me into the air. Turning me around to see a rather cross Irje.
“Meep.”
XXX
I landed onto the sacks with an “Ooomph.”
“You have a lot to explain, mister.” Irje leaned over me, hands akimbo. I mentally sighed with relief, she wasn’t single-words-only angry.
“Well, I thought it was a good idea for a payback.” Operation ‘It’s not me, it’s you’ go!
Irje sputtered, “Payback? Whatever for!? I didn’t do anything!”
“Exactly.” I shook myself off and stood on a sack to get to her eye level, crossing my arms, “Someone managed to blissfully pass out yesterday, leaving me high and dry.”
“Guh.” My statement managed to knock some wind out of her sails. “But you knew that I would’ve made it fair tonight!”
I tried to look as innocent as possible. “I, er, wanted to make sure?”
She narrowed her eyes, “Is this one of your tricks again? Mister Its-my-first-time-I-swear? What did you do?”
“Well it was, I mean, it will be my first time,” I mumbled to myself. “What do you mean? You’ve felt everything I’ve done to you.”
“I couldn’t get off!” She hissed. Well, that explained why she took so long. “I mean I did, but it was nowhere close!”
“Isn’t it kind of given?” I tilted my head in confusion. “What I’ve done yesterday required all my arms and my mouth. You are flexible, but not that much.” I scratched my head deep in thought. There is also a difference from who does it.”
“Why?” She asked with guarded curiosity.
“Have you ever tried to tickle yourself? Hard isn’t it?” Seeing her nod I added, “That is because you expect your own touch. If everything is equal, you would feel the touch of another person much stronger than your own.”
She silently traced her collarbone in contemplation, mirroring my movements from the day before, “Does it mean I won’t feel like that by myself?”
I gently reached and started to massage her shoulders. “No, everything is relative, you are just not as wound up as you were yesterday.”
Irje sighed and relaxed under my touch, accepting my unspoken bribe. “You still owe me for this.” She hummed after a few minutes. And then, licked her lips, “Tonight.”
“Who said I haven’t started already?” I wiggled my eyebrows at her.
“Your touch is nice…” Her eyes grew wide, “You meant the morning?! You prick!”
She lunged, tickling me to the ground. We fell down between the sacks laughing, our bodies entwined in a playful tussle. I was not the victor that day. Irje quickly restricted my movements using her body and I found myself pinned, her fingers viciously attacking my ribs.
“That’s it! I give!” Forgive me mother, but your son is weak.
Irje relented, sitting up on top of me victoriously. “Are you sorry, for what you have done?” she asked me from above, grinning.
“Yes, I am sorry,” My hands enveloped her legs, which were pinning me to the ground. “I will make it up to you,” my palms massaged her thighs, gently working on the knots in her muscles. “Tonight.”
Irje slapped my hands away. “As pleasant as it feels, we have to get back to work.” She sighed and got up giving me a hand. “You are lucky I am your supervisor, I could easily explain our absence by me punishing you. Which I did, did I not?” She pointedly glared at me, making me nod frantically. “But if we take too long, others will notice. Come.”
I dusted myself off again and joined her.
“Irje,” I said as we were reaching the doorway of the storage barn.
“Hmm?”
My hand snaked itself around her waist. “For all it is worth, I am new to all of this, so please excuse my fumbling, if you can.”
Irje hummed in in a mock contemplation and then smiled. “Very well, but don’t test my patience too often like that or I won’t forgive you.”
“Point taken, but-” my hand slid down “Do expect me to improve a little as well.” I pinched her butt making her squeak.