Chương 105: [Romantic Tails]

They were barely through their own door when Rika turned around.

"Nice sleep?" Shai felt the heat in her ears.

"Don't."

"You looked pretty comfortable. Didn't she Torren?"

"You did," he said with a smile.

"You should have seen their faces when we all walked in, Luka's mouth was open for about ten minutes. Sam didn't say a single word, just stood there. Parmo was grinning like he'd won something."

"Phil was the best," Rika said.

"He looked like he actually bit his tongue to stop whatever stupid comment he wanted to make from coming out."

"He lasted until we all got into the kitchen and they shut the door," Torren added.

"You should have heard them whispering. Maybe they should be the ones joining Agnes for knitting, not Torren," Rika said.

"And then Leo walked in looking very pleased with himself and you came in behind him looking like—" She gestured at Shai's face.

"Oh fuck off," Shai said. Torren laughed loudly at that. Rika pointed at her.

"You got that from him."

"I didn't."

"Yes you did. He says it to Phil all the time." Shai walked through to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Rika followed and put herself on the counter.

"Right," Rika said.

"Before you tell us everything — and you are telling us everything — did you know he had his hand on your tail while you were asleep?" She tilted her head.

"I know he probably doesn't know what that means but h—""I know," Shai said.

"And I let him." Shai set the mugs down.

"Before you say anything else," she said.

"He doesn't know what it means. I feel a little bad for not telling him about what it usually signifies, but I didn't want him to get self conscious about it." Rika and Torren both stared at her. Neither had expected that.

"He's done it a few times." She turned around.

"He didn't do anything I wasn't okay with." Rika looked at her for a moment longer, then nodded.

"How many times?" Torren asked from the doorway. He'd followed them in and was leaning against the frame with his arms folded.

"Three," Shai said. She got the tea going and turned back around.

"The first time it was a surprise. He didn't mean anything by it, I could tell that. It was when Haldir died in the second movie. He was trying to comfort me. He hasn't said as much but I think it was probably something he did because it's what they do with pets back home. I'm not saying he thinks of me that way but that's what I think was happening." She paused.

"I didn't say anything because I didn't want him thinking he'd done something wrong when he hadn't. And because—" She stopped.

"Because?" Rika said.

"It felt nice." She sat down at the table.

"That's all. It just felt nice. The second time I didn't even think about it, it just felt comfortable. Tonight—" She looked at her mug." Felt natural. Like it belonged there." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The kitchen was quiet for a moment. Then Rika exhaled, long and slow.

"Well, that's good then," she said.

"Right," Torren agreed, and pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, leaning forward with both elbows on the table.

"Are you going to tell him?" Rika asked.

"What it means?"

"No. Not yet at least." Rika tilted her head.

"You know what it usually means though. When it feels natural."

"I know."

"Probably for the best. If he knew that touching a beast-kins tail usually leads to s—""RIKA," shouted Shai, her face heating up. Torren raised a hand.

"To be fair, it's not always that, right? What Leo was doing was probably closer to when humans hold hands." He paused.

"Or maybe kissing is closer. I'm obviously no expert."

"Torren," Shai said.

"I'm helping."

"You're not." Torren and Rika laughed while Shai groaned. This was why she didn't want them to find out. She couldn't believe she'd fell asleep, that surprised her more than anything else.

"Right," Rika said, and this time there was nothing but warmth in it.

"Tell us what actually happened tonight. From the beginning. We left when you two were on those stairs, we don't know anything."

"Before that. Who's bright idea was leaving us alone again. Phil?" asked Shai.

"Obviously. Luka and Brandon asked us if we were okay with it at training. I'm glad we went along with it." Rika said, grinning.

"So, how did you go from realising you'd been left alone with Leo again to ending up snuggled on the couch together?" Torren said, pulling his chair closer.

"Tell us everything." Shai gave them the short version. The tea, talking about Jake and Olly, about her parents. The bit about Kai — she watched Rika's face when she got to Leo finally working it out, which was worth it — the festival conversation, the dancing. She said the last part the same way she'd said the rest of it. Both of them stared at her.

"When you say dancing, do you mean the couples dance?" Rika asked.

"Yes."

"Just the two of you."

"Obviously."

"He asked you to dance? That's unexpected," said Torren, eyebrows raised.

"He said he didn't know how. I offered."

"Okay, that makes more sense," said Rika with a smirk.

"So did anything happen when you danced? Or did you finish and then cuddle up to him?" asked Torren.

"Well, there was this moment when—," Shai started. Rika cut her off.

"When what? Did he kiss you?!"

"NO! My tail wrapped around his arm."

"Oh wow. I bet you didn't even notice did you?"

"No..." Rika and Torren grinned.

"Isn't it romantic, Torren?"

"It is, Rika. Can you imagine what Koss is going to say when she finds out?"

"Don't you dare!" shouted Shai. Her two friends laughed.

"So, then what?" Rika asked,"Well, he probably noticed but he just kept smiling at me. So it's clearly not something he's bothered about."

"Of course he's not bothered. You've heard Phil teasing him. He liked catgirls before he even got here. He must have loved it." Rika said with a laugh.

"The poor guy is probably getting it from all four of them as we speak," said Torren.

"I've been waiting so long for this," Rika said, quieter now.

"For you to actually want someone back." Shai looked at her mug.

"The ones before," she said after a moment.

"I could always tell. They weren't bad people. They just — it was never really me they were interested in. My parents, Kai, the fact I'm the youngest to make guard captain. The way they'd talk to me, like they were always aware of what I was rather than who." Torren nodded once.

"Leo knows some of that now but he didn't when we met," Shai said.

"He doesn't talk to me like I'm some prize to be won, he doesn't tiptoe around me because of my parents or Kai. He asked me once whether I liked it here. Not whether the village was safe or how long I'd been captain. Whether I liked it." She paused.

"And the fact I'm not human. I know it doesn't happen at the village but you hear so many stories of our kind judged for what we are, not who. He treats me like he treats anyone else. Like the extra features I have aren't something to put down or ridicule. He thinks it's interesting, not a thing to get past." Her tail had found the leg of her chair at some point without her noticing. Torren and Rika smiled at her. She realised this was the first time she'd put any of this into words.

She was only just now seeing how much she liked Leo. Her falling asleep against him suddenly made more sense to her.

"So, the festival starts tomorrow," Torren said.

"We should probably get to bed, we might not be training but it's another early start."

"Agreed," said Shai, stiffling a yawn.

"Oh, I can't wait. Koss is going to try her best to set you two up and she won't realise her help is no longer needed," said Rika, with a huge grin.