Archive of Our Own

No matter the circumstances, getting to see Marie was always enough to put a smile on Four's face.

And cod, she needed a smile today.

She hadn't expected to see Marie when she dragged herself up through the grate into Alterna, though. It took her a few seconds to notice, too, squinting against the too-bright domed sky, shivering in the chilly and stagnant air. Shifting out of squid form forced all the mud and rainwater that had gotten on her clothes through her body again, spreading a gross and wet and stinging feeling. She stood motionless with her legs locked, her head quiet, her eyes fixed on the ground a few feet in front of her...

Until eventually she raised them high enough to notice Marie, alone at her usual spot in the Squid Sisters Camp. She was staring down at a clipboard with a pen in hand, looking unusually tired. Four let herself have another moment to just stand silently and watch her work. In part because she didn't quite feel ready to approach or say anything to get her attention yet, but also because... well, it wasn't like admiring Marie was hard. She was a pleasant sight for sore eyes. And sore hearts, and... sore everything else, really. A smile came to her face, weak, but genuine.

Marie still hadn't noticed her. Although, it didn't look like she was exactly absorbed in her work. Judging by the way she was looking down at it, mouth flat, eyes a little bit dead, she was completely tuned out. Four found it in herself to walk up to her, raising a hand in a small wave even though Marie wasn't looking. "Um, hey, what's that?"

At once, Marie seemed to both relax and perk up. Even before she was turning her head to look, the boredom on her face had been replaced by one of her easygoing smiles. "Four! I'm glad to see-" As soon as she was looking at her, though, her eyes widened and her posture stiffened back up. "Four!? What happened to you?"

"I, um," she tried, hesitating when Marie set her clipboard down and hurried over. She took the umbrella from Four to set it on the ground beside herself, then took both of her hands, guiding her to turn in place. She was looking her over, Four realized. Even without checking herself, Four knew she couldn't be a pretty sight. Her tee-shirt and skirt felt slimy, clinging unpleasantly to her skin, definitely stained. There was a tingling ache in her arms and legs from water exposure; the skin was probably still a vibrant, inky purple. And even she could tell she was radiating the vibe of a kicked sea hare. A glance up at Marie's expression confirmed everything - that wasn't exactly a 'you look completely fine' face. Four looked back away, just as Marie stopped evaluating her and met her eye. "It got... kind of rainy, all of a sudden."

"Alright, but how does that lead to you coming here like this?"

Even with her gentle tone, Marie's words set Four on edge. How could she explain it without upsetting her...? "So, basically, I was in a Turf War when it started, so the match got cancelled, and I had to walk home." In her peripheral vision, she could see Marie nod. "And while I was walking, there was a puddle in the road, and I didn't really notice 'till I was walking past, and, um... A car drove through, and..."

A second glance up at Marie's face confirmed what she'd been worried about. Brows drawn, beak clenched; she could feel Marie making an active effort not to squeeze her hands too tight.

"It was my fault though. I should've been paying more attention, if I'd noticed and stood further back-"

"Four, look at me," Marie said. Four hesitated, but did as she was told. Marie still looked angry, but clearly not at her, and it was tempered by a look of genuine patience. "You know you shouldn't be making excuses when people hurt you, don't you?" Four nodded. "Good girl."

Some of the tension eased out of Four's hearts, and she felt her shoulders sag. Still, she felt the need to justify herself. "I was far enough back that I didn't get splatted, so it wasn't really that bad. I didn't want you to be upset about something that's not a big deal."

"That is a big deal." There was no room for interpretation in Marie's tone. "Whoever did that to you was being reckless, Four. What if you'd been standing just a little closer? Of course I'm going to be mad that someone almost sent my girlfriend to a respawn center." Four lowered her head, embarrassed. "Your phone would be ruined if it got left behind on the sidewalk like that, too. They don't even know you, they wouldn't have any way of knowing whether you're safe to respawn or not. For all they knew, they could've been putting your life in danger."

"Sorry."

Marie heaved a sigh. "You haven't got anything to apologize for. Just don't try to protect me from caring about you, alright?" Again, Four just nodded, staying quiet. If there was anything she wanted in that moment, it would have been Marie's arms around her. But she hadn't forgotten about her muddy, sodden clothes. It wasn't really possible to forget. A shiver ran up from the base of her feet to the top of her head - that part of her was clean, at least. She leaned forward just enough to press her forehead under Marie's chin. Marie squeezed her hands. "Did you know I was down here?"

"No," Four said, quietly. "I just wanted to get out of the rain, and Alterna was closest. I was gonna wait until I was dry enough to walk home."

She could feel Marie giving a brisk shake of her head. "That won't do. Come on, I'll give you a ride."

Marie adjusted Four's hands so that the both of them were wrapped around one of hers, then nudged at Four's shoulder with the other. Four straightened up automatically, taking a few moments to process Marie's words. "Wait, you will?"

"Yeah, of course?" She stooped down as she spoke, picking up Four's umbrella from the ground, standing up and stepping past Four. "I'm not making you stand around in those wet clothes any longer than necessary."

Four had to turn around to keep their hands linked, then follow behind as Marie led her towards the exit grate, still feeling thrown. She'd made her way to Alterna expecting to spend a few hours cold, alone, and dirty, until eventually recovering enough to go back out into the rain and walk home. Encountering Marie had distracted her too much to give that any more thought; it was only just beginning to dawn on her that she didn't have to do that. Part of her still didn't quite believe it. "Really? But weren't you busy with something when I arrived?"

"That? It's just Deep Cut paperwork." Marie glanced back over her shoulder, towards where she had left the clipboard, but she didn't stop walking. Her eyes flicked onto Four's before she looked back ahead. "I brought it down here for a change of scenery maybe an hour ago, I should really be thanking you for interrupting. And even if it was important, you know I'd still have put it down for you."

"Oh."

The two of them came up on the exit grate leading back to Splatsville Square, and Marie turned to face her as she stepped onto it. "I'll go through first. Just wait a few seconds before following me through, got it?" Four nodded up at her. A moment passed. Right as Four started to notice the pause, though, Marie drew her in by their linked hands, bending down just a bit to kiss her. When she pulled away again, an affectionate smile playing at her lips, Four was almost dizzy.

And then, before Four could even recover, Marie was gone, down through the exit grate. Four stayed still, staring down at it with widened eyes and flushed cheeks. The kiss had been brief, but... She still hadn't gotten used to the rush that always came with that. She was the type of squid who would naturally go in for a hug rather than a kiss, and when Marie initiated physical affection, it usually took the form of holding her hand, setting an arm around her shoulders, patting the top of her head... That wasn't to say Four minded the change of pace, though. Her hearts were rushing, and her knees felt weak, and for a moment it was easy not to think about how the rest of her day had been.

The feeling faded, though, and it occurred to Four that it had probably been long enough for her to follow Marie through. She stepped onto the grate, turned squid, and sank her way through.

The Square was about the same as it had been when she retreated into Alterna. The sky was overcast, the normally-busy streets almost empty, and the rain was coming down all around her. Not on her, though - Marie stood over her, holding Four's umbrella over the grate. She had slipped a mask over the lower half of her face, but when she looked down at Four, it was still clear she was smiling. "You sure took your time coming through. Did something distract you down there?"

Four would have blushed again if she weren't still in squid form. "A little." She shifted back and got to her feet, failing to suppress an uncomfortable shudder as mud and water filtered back out of her body once again.

Marie seemed to notice, her carefree demeanor dropping as she took one of Four's hands again. "Oh, poor girl. Let's keep moving, my car's parked nearby." Four nodded silently and allowed Marie to lead her off again, into the streets of Splatsville. Marie kept her close, although Four had to fight the urge to lean in even closer, against Marie's side. "By the way, is there something bothering you...? You've been awfully glum. If it really was just wet clothes, I feel like I would've been able to get your mind off of it by now."

There was a brief stutter in Four's step, but Marie didn't stop walking, only looking her way for a second. "I..." A part of her wished she had thought to hide her mood better. If she'd known Marie was going to be in Alterna, maybe she would have, but... It was for the best that she was honest anyways, she knew that. "... Yeah. I just had a kinda rough day."

"Tell me about it," Marie said. An invitation, not an order.

Once again, she had to push down the urge to lean into Marie. The best she could do was to squeeze Marie's hand. "I didn't sleep very well last night." It felt a bit like she was confessing to something, but Marie's hand squeezing hers back, and the occasional attentive glance as they walked together, helped to get the words out. "I don't really know why though, I just woke up kinda tired, I guess."

Marie gave a sympathetic hum and a nod, squeezing back. "Yeah, it happens." At the same time, they came up to Marie's car; Marie stopped, letting go of Four to retrieve her keys from inside her coat. "Keep going," she said, unlocking the passenger side door and holding it open for Four.

"And-" Four froze in place just before entering, one of her legs up in the car, her mouth half-open to continue explaining. The seat, she noticed, was clean. And she was not. "Your car seat..."

"I realized while we were walking, but it can't be helped. Still, you know you're more important to me than keeping mud out of my car."

"Oh, right, thanks," Four said softly. She only hesitated for a moment longer before getting in and sitting down. Marie closed the door behind her, and for a few seconds she sat there in uncomfortable silence while Marie crossed around to the driver side. As soon as that door was open, Four felt compelled to break the silence. "Hi."

Marie gave her a slight wave and a teasing smile as she sat down and shut the door. "Hey there, Four. Fancy seeing you here." The next moment, though, her expression was back to how it had been before. "So was there anything else?"

She would have squirmed, if she weren't so self-conscious about dirtying the car seat. Her hands wrung together, and she squeezed them between her knees, staring down at them to avoid Marie's eyes. She wasn't even starting the car yet, she was just looking at her... "Uh... Yeah. Later, I was in Turf, and I got matched up against some guy who was registered under the name..." Four could remember it clearly, seeing that name on an enemy player's Splashtag just a moment too late to withdraw from the match, but she couldn't make herself repeat it aloud. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "... It was, um, something transphobic."

"Of course it was," Marie huffed under her breath. Four turned her head just enough to peek her way. Her eyes were narrowed and turned away, hands tense. The moment she noticed Four looking, though, her demeanor softened as suddenly as a lightswitch being flicked. "Cod, I'm sorry you had to deal with someone like that." She reached out towards Four's face, and Four was quick to lean in to settle her cheek on Marie's palm. Her glove was still on, but Four hardly noticed, even as Marie's thumb started stroking back and forth just below her eye.

There were no tears to wipe away, but with the day she'd been having, and the care Marie was treating her with, that felt liable to change. Tension that had been building all day started to drain away. "I know I shouldn't let things like that get to me, but..."

"You remember what I said about making excuses for people, right?" Four nodded into Marie's hand. "Right. It's not your fault, Four. Someone decided to do something hurtful, so I'm not going to be disappointed in you for being hurt by it."

Four couldn't help but lean fully into Marie's hand, pushing her head down against it. Marie let her, offering a steady, reassuring pressure. "It kind of threw me off for the rest of the day."

Marie sighed, leaning forward over the divider between the seats to put her forehead against Four's. "I get it. I wish I could keep all those people away from you." She let out a second, heavier sigh, and her voice tinged with frustration. "And then some asshole had to go and soak you in water and mud."

"If I'd slept better, it wouldn't have been..." She trailed off as Marie's thumb slid over her lips.

"I know, Four, I know," Marie said. "You don't deserve any of it, but you especially don't deserve to get beaten down again and again like that, until my happy, upbeat girl can't cheer up for me."

There was nothing Four could say to that. She stayed quiet, closing her eyes and absorbing what comfort she could. The moment couldn't last forever, though. Eventually Marie did have to let her go, and Four made the conscious effort not to try and chase her hands as they withdrew.

She was able to suppress the urge, but when she opened her eyes she got the impression Marie could tell how badly she'd wanted to. "I'm sorry. I wish I could keep comforting you, but I can't do that and drive at the same time. You'll feel better once you're home and you can change into clean clothes."

Four nodded. "I know," she said, quietly, "You don't have to be sorry. Thanks."

For a moment, she wasn't sure if Marie had heard her - she had turned the car on and started pulling out of her parking spot while Four was talking, and even if the engine wasn't particularly loud, Four had been mumbling. After a few seconds, though, Marie nodded back. "Of course." She wasn't looking at Four anymore, keeping her eyes outside the car. "Does Agent Eight's work day end early when the Lobby closes?"

"Um, no, not usually. She still comes home at the normal time."

Marie acknowledged that with a thoughtful hum, but otherwise didn't seem to react for a few more seconds. "How about we hang out for a while, then? We could watch a movie, play some video games, whatever. It'll be like an impromptu date."

Four regarded Marie's smile with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Why not, right?" Her voice switched from casual to soft. "I don't like the idea of just leaving you there all alone after a day like that." Even with Four's vision suddenly turning misty, she didn't miss Marie's eyes flicking over to meet hers for just a moment, before returning to the road.

"I, um, yeah, that would be nice, I..." Four had stop herself and gather her composure, but it didn't seem like Marie minded waiting for her; her smile didn't even drop. "Thanks," she said, again.

Marie gave a small shake of her head. "No need to thank me for that. You know I'm always happy to spend some quality time with my precious agent." Four couldn't help but smile a bit as well, ducking her head. "Besides, I don't have anything else to do today. It's either that or going back to Alterna to pick up where I left off. You wouldn't make me do that, would you?"

Something that might have been a laugh on a better day bubbled up past Four's lips. "I'm still grateful, though. Thanks for... caring, I guess."

"Always, Four."

************************

She wasn't wet anymore, at least. The brief ride in Marie's car got the water off her skin and clothes a lot faster than staying in the cold, humid air of Alterna. And Marie had taken care to keep her perfectly shielded under her umbrella during the brief walk from the parking lot to the door of Four's apartment building.

Still, that only meant the mud and dirt that had been in the puddle-water was all dry and crusty now. Four felt far from clean. The closer she and Marie got to her and Eight's door, the antsier she felt.

There was another concern, though, just as pressing, and Four didn't even realize it until Marie closed the door behind her. Marie had been holding her hand, but she let go to take off her coat and gloves - and the moment that contact was lost, Four was overwhelmed with the need to have it back. She interlaced her own two hands, wringing them together while Marie turned away to hang up her coat. Marie needed her hands free to do that, of course Four could handle waiting a few seconds for that - but holding hands wouldn't get the dried muck off her skin. Her weight shifted from foot to foot as she turned her head over towards the bathroom door, then to Marie, then back to the bathroom...

Marie turned back and noticed her conflict before she could even think to try and look collected. "Hey, what's got you looking so bothered again?" As she spoke, she settled her hands over Four's. Immediately, exactly half the tension Four was wound up in dissipated. Was she really that clingy...?

Regardless, she couldn't come up with any way to get out of admitting it. "I... don't really want to let go," she said, averting her eyes and blushing. "I feel like I could really use a hug right now. But I know you can't, 'cause it'd soil your clothes, so holding hands is good enough, but..." She trailed off. But what? How could she properly articulate why she was so hesitant to let go?

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Marie sighed. She squeezed Four's hands. "I was already getting the feeling that that was what you needed. I wish I could too, Four. Promise I'll hold you as tight as you want as soon as you've showered, alright? You'll feel nice and clean, too." Four nodded, but she still couldn't let go, even though Marie was right. She did want to feel clean, and the sooner she got that done, the sooner she'd be able to cuddle up with Marie. That didn't really make it feel any easier in the moment, though. A slight smile came to Marie's face. "Honestly, I've got half a mind to just strip so I don't have to worry about the clothes. I'd have to join you in the shower afterwards, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind that too much, would you?"

Obviously, Marie was just teasing her. Four knew Marie was just teasing her. But now that she'd mentioned that as a possibility, even jokingly, the need to be close welled up in Four's chest - too much to even feel flustered by Marie's flirtation, or embarrassed about being so clingy. She couldn't stop herself from voicing her thoughts. "... Could you? Please?"

Marie seemed surprised by that, but not as much as Four had thought she would. It seemed almost as if she'd been expecting a reaction like that. She leaned in, lowering her and Four's linked hands, bending her neck down to set her forehead against Four's. "Oh, Four. Of course I can, if that's what you need. I didn't want to overwhelm you by offering to do something you might not be comfortable with, but of course I'll do that for you." Their eyes met, and Marie's expression only softened further. "I don't mind, either. You're precious to me, Four, you know that."

Four's eyes slipped shut, and her response came out as little more than a murmur. "Thanks. I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too. Come on, you've had to wait long enough." Marie backed off, turning away to lead Four by her hands again. She didn't rush her along, but it still felt like just a blink of an eye before they were in the bathroom, and Marie was getting undressed. She was surprisingly efficient about it - in a matter of seconds, Marie was in the nude. There was a part of Four, somewhere, that wanted to fixate on that. But it was quiet, and buried, and completely overwhelmed by the rest of her, which was too preoccupied with the fact that that meant Marie could finally hold her. She didn't even wait long enough to get a proper look at her before she more or less fell into Marie, throwing her arms around Marie's back and pushing her head into the space under her chin. Marie responded in kind, pulling Four tight against her. "My poor girl... I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help before things got so awful, but I'm here now."

Four had her face pressed to Marie's chest too tightly to shake her head. She couldn't even see, and she could only barely get enough air. That was right where she needed to be, though, far more than she needed to breathe. "Nnn. You did help. I thought no one was gonna be there, when I got to Alterna, or back here." The thought of being by herself was unbearable now, enough to force a heavy shudder up Four's body. "It would've been a lot worse, if..."

Marie shushed her, putting a hand to the back of Four's head. "You don't need to worry about that anymore. I was there, and I'm not leaving you alone." She stayed silent for a bit, stroking gently. "You really weren't going to call someone to pick you up?"

Something in Marie's voice, something she could feel as it reverberated in Marie's chest, gave the impression that she already knew the answer to that. Four couldn't bring herself to confirm it for her.

"Why not? You hate being alone."

"I guess it felt right," Four mumbled. "Or, um, fitting. I guess I just, kind of, accepted that it was gonna get worse. Or something."

She was pulled in even closer, and Marie's voice took on a tight quality that hadn't been there a moment ago. "Oh, my poor little agent..." She took a slow, steadying breath before continuing. "I didn't realize things were really that bad. That wouldn't have been right, Four, you should've called me. You know I'd drop anything if I knew you were suffering like that."

Four mumbled an acknowledgement into Marie's chest. "You were already there, though. You fixed it."

"We got lucky. If you feel hopeless like that again, I don't want to rely on random chance to find you. Promise me you'll call?"

"I..." Four hesitated. Could she even promise something like that...? The thought that Marie would want her to ask for help, that contacting Marie had been an option at all, hadn't even occurred to her. It felt like she would be lying if she promised to remember. "I'll try?"

Marie didn't seem to mind, as far as Four could tell; she breathed a silent sigh of relief without interrupting the rhythm of her gentle stroking. "Good enough. I'll always be here for you, but you have to remember to let me in."

A sound escaped from Four's throat, and her eyes felt hot behind their lids. She squirmed, but she couldn't get any closer to Marie than she was. "Can you hold me tighter?"

"Anything you need." Marie's hands stilled, settled around her back, and squeezed her in.

She started to sway, gently and slowly, moving Four with her. Four's composure fell.

************************

The feeling of dry mud in her clothes, and on her skin, and being pressed into Marie's skin, was starting to bother her.

Her tears had dried up some time ago, although how long exactly Four couldn't say. Marie hadn't loosened her grip or stopped rocking from side to side, and Four, for her part, hadn't stopped holding on either. It had had, and still was having, exactly the effect she'd needed - soothing the empty, desperate, hopeless feeling that had taken root in her hearts without her even noticing.

She still didn't want to let go, but it didn't feel like having to do so would kill her, anymore. And she probably did have to do so. Being held had grounded her, and being grounded made it harder not to notice the input her senses were giving her. Slowly, hesitantly, Four drew her head back for the first time since latching on, blinking a few times against the bright bathroom light.

There was a tranquil expression on Marie's face, not quite happy, but peaceful. A moment after Four pulled back, Marie's eyes opened and flicked down to meet Four's. "How are you feeling?"

Four gave a weak smile. "A lot better. I guess I needed that a lot more than I thought..." Marie nodded once, prompting her to continue. "I'm, um, ready to get clean now." She loosened her arms around Marie's back, but didn't quite let go.

Marie responded in kind, giving a relieved smile and relaxing her hold. "Good idea. Think you can get the water started the way you want it?" Four nodded, stepping the rest of the way back. Marie caught one of her hands as she went, though. "That's my good girl."

A light, happy flush tinted Four's face, and her smile turned just a bit more genuine. It didn't seem like Marie intended to pull her hand away, so Four closed hers around it as well as she turned towards the shower, glancing up. The bottle of diluent screwed into the showerhead was about halfway full. Prior experience told her that that would give her and Marie more than enough time before the water could start getting hazardous. Her eyes flicked over to the shelf as she twisted the knobs to the right temperature. None of her shower products seemed to be running low. One of the bottles was close to empty, but it was just Eight's conditioner - specialized for octoling tentacles, not something Four or Marie would be using. For a moment, she was hit with the impulse to go fetch a replacement from the closet for her, but before she could even move, it occurred to her that doing so would mean leaving Marie's side. Well... As much as she wanted to be a considerate roommate, Eight would be fine getting that herself next time she showered.

With that settled, there was nothing else she could think of that would need to be prepared. Four straightened up, looking up at the showerhead and holding out her free hand to check the water. A bit of the dry grit on her forearm was washed away, and Four had to resist the urge to step directly under the stream that very instant. "It's ready now."

Marie gave an even hum and a squeeze of her hand. "Are you sure? I don't see a bath towel in here."

"Oh!" Four's eyes snapped to the towel holder. Sure enough, as Marie had said, there was nothing larger than a hand towel. "Guess I forgot, good call."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised," Marie said. She sounded just barely too affectionate to be exasperated. Her hand released Four's, though, and her tone turned a bit embarrassed. "Uh, you can just go and grab one yourself, right?"

It took a moment to parse Marie's change of mood, but the mystery was quickly solved when she turned to look at her. Right. Four's face immediately started burning. Marie was naked. She couldn't blame her for wanting to wait in the bathroom instead of walking around someone else's apartment in the nude. "Right!" Her voice came out squeakier than intended; she stopped to try and correct it. "Right. I can handle that! It'll be quick." She ducked out of the bathroom to scurry her way to the closet. Maybe it was a good thing she'd gotten flustered - it would've been a lot harder to make herself leave if she weren't trying to hide her embarrassment.

It really was a quick trip, of course. Four and Eight's apartment wasn't big, and the linen closet wasn't even on the other end, just across the bedroom. Still, it felt just a bit too long. She couldn't stop her thoughts from wandering, even for just the couple seconds it took to get to the closet. Without Marie's grounding presence, they were already starting to return to the grooves they'd been wearing in her head before.

She'd thought she'd be spending most of the rest of her day alone. The plan had been to walk to the apartment and wallow until Eight got off work. And then, after that puddle had thrown a wrench in that, she'd intended to find some cold, secluded corner of Alterna to sit down in for however long it would take to get dry.

It was a familiar mental image to return to, being alone. She could picture it in her head, and then she could feel it in her chest. The apartment was exactly as quiet as it would have been if Four were the only one home. The feeling settled there around her hearts, and she had to stop with her hand on the closet doorknob to take it in for a few seconds, an unsettlingly lifelike simulation of exactly how she would feel at that moment if she were there by herself.

The thought of it was already enough to make her feel hollow. But even worse than that was the sensation underneath it all, that that had been what was supposed to happen. She had given up, decided to make her day even worse instead of taking any action to fix it, and then just... gotten out of it scot-free. A part of her felt like she belonged back in Alterna, still waiting for the mud and water to drip out of her clothes. She'd made her bed, why wasn't she to lie in it?

That wasn't rational, though, and she knew it. She didn't want that, it was about the worst thing she could imagine. That was precisely why the feeling she was getting when she thought about it, something almost like longing, was so unnerving.

Four tucked a bath towel under her arm, shut the closet, sped her way back into the bathroom, and pressed herself right up against Marie once again. Marie gave a bit of a surprised laugh, putting her arms back around her. "I see the retrieval went well. Good work, agent." Four leaned in more, leaving her arms down by her sides, and felt Marie adjust her stance to accept the weight. "What, did you miss me that much?"

Her tone had softened, but there was still a bit of teasing in it that made Four smile. Even with that, though, she could only answer completely openly. "Yeah."

Marie squeezed her as she had before. "You really did, huh...? I'm glad I was there at the right time to be here for you."

Whatever feeling had taken root in her just a few moments ago, Marie's presence had dispelled it in seconds. Her smooth, elegant voice, the warmth of her body against hers, the gentle pressure of her arms... "Me too," Four said simply. She already felt fine to pull back again, and so she did, looking up into Marie's eyes. "This is the last thing we need, right?" she asked, rolling her shoulder to gesture with the towel.

"Right on the money." In a single quick spin, Marie had taken the towel from her and turned to hang it on the rack. And wow, Marie had a pretty back... It wasn't really a new sight, her idol outfit left it mostly uncovered anyways, but Four still couldn't help but admire her. Marie turned around again, and Four brought her eyes back up, trying her hardest not to get flustered again. If Marie noticed, she didn't comment on it. "Is it fine if I undress you now so we can get in?"

Any efforts she was making to keep a blush off her face were definitely in vain. "Um, that's fine!" Marie gave an acknowledging hum, taking the hem of Four's shirt and drawing it up.

"Arms up for me, Four," she guided, and Four did as she was told. "Keep those eyes closed, you don't want whatever got soaked up in this thing getting in them." Again, Four complied, trying not to shiver as Marie inverted the shirt up over her face, pulling it off entirely. She opened her eyes and looked for just long enough to see Marie set it on the counter before she had to avert them again. "You're sure this is okay? This hasn't gotta be anything sexual, if that's why you're so shaky. I just want to help you feel clean and safe, you know?"

"Um, right," Four said. She chanced a quick glance towards Marie and found her looking back, cautious and genuine, her hands hovering by the waistline of Four's skirt. "I know. I'm alright, I promise."

Marie gave an acknowledging hum. "If you're sure." Her fingers hooked under Four's skirt and underwear together, then, and she dropped them, surprisingly quick. An electric shiver arced up Four's bare back. But Marie didn't seem to react at all - she just tapped at one of Four's ankles, silently prompting her to step out of the garments, then picked them up off the floor immediately once she'd done so. There wasn't a moment's hesitation or delay in her movements, and her tone had still been soft, patient, gentle... Four forced her gaze back onto Marie. She wasn't even facing her, this time; she was half-turned to stick a hand under the still-running showerhead herself, reaching out with her other hand and taking Four's.

It felt odd. It felt really odd. Every other time Four had been in a state of undress around Marie since getting together, it had been so intense. But this time, Marie was treating it like it was nothing. She clearly wasn't unaware that Four was naked, or that she herself was for that matter, but she wasn't acting any differently. When Four thought about it, though... it was kind of nice. Like her body didn't have to be anything provocative, or shocking, or unusual. At least not to Marie.

That didn't really help her keep her own reactions under control, though. Her brief introspection had taken her mind off of the situation, but as soon as Marie turned back towards her, Four was back to feeling like she might combust. Her eyes shot to Marie's breasts, then she forced them back up to her face, and then they flicked back away to the wall before she could visually process any of it. Marie gave her hand a squeeze, then let go. "Just give me a second to untie my tentacles." Four gave a rapid nod, linking her hands together and fidgeting. A few seconds later, Marie took and separated them, and Four looked her way again. Sure enough, her tentacles were down. There was a small, affectionate smile on her face. Four didn't let her gaze wander below Marie's shoulders, but heat was still rising in her cheeks, and she felt an almost magnetic pull on her body. Cod, how was Marie so pretty...? "Let's get going now. I bet it'll feel pretty nice getting all that stuff off your skin, huh?"

All Four could manage for a response was to nod, but judging by the smile Marie gave in return, it seemed to be good enough for her. Marie stepped over the rim and into the shower first, stepping diagonally backwards so she could keep her hands linked with Four's. Four directed her attention down to the shower floor. The water sliding down into the drain was briefly murky, but quickly became clear again. Whatever dirt had rubbed off on Marie from all the hugging seemed to be rinsing off quickly.

Her knees felt just a bit weak, embarrassingly, but by leveraging her grip on Marie's hands she was able to step in after her without any difficulty. She kept her eyes down, locking them onto her own body and keeping them decidedly away from Marie's. Speckled mud-stains, streaks of purple where the puddle water had thinned her skin enough for the ink to show through it. It wasn't a pretty sight. If there was anything she was relieved to see, though, it was that, despite how Marie's nudity had been affecting her, she wasn't hard. The embarrassment probably would have killed her, if she had been. Marie squeezed her hands, pulling her in just enough that she had to take a half-step closer. Too close to look down at herself without Marie's body in her peripheral vision - she looked back up towards Marie's face in a hurry, just as she started speaking. "You want me to keep holding you while we get you cleaned off?"

Four's answer came out without even needing to think about it. "Yes please."

Marie released her hands to take her by the shoulders, then, turning her around and guiding her closer. She felt Marie's breasts against her back, but at least like this it didn't take so much effort not to ogle. Being pressed up against Marie again felt really nice, too. She let out an unconscious sigh, leaning back. "Careful, Four," Marie warned, tone lighthearted. "Don't tip us over." Her body felt steady behind Four, though, and she didn't actually sound worried. She draped her arms around Four, leaning just slightly into her and setting her cheek against Four's temple to look down at her body. It took a considerable effort not to ragdoll into Marie right then and there. If being held before had been what Four had needed all day, then being held now - without her filthy clothes in the way, with the pleasantly hot water from the shower running down her body - was what Four had needed her whole life. Marie let go for just long enough to get a handful of body wash, then took one of Four's arms between both hands and got to work.

She'd never felt anything like it. She'd never felt so warm, safe, cherished, cared for... Marie kept going like that, washing both of Four's arms, thoroughly cleaning her hands, then her stomach, her neck, her sides... When Marie eventually turned her back around, Four was too content to worry about getting flustered again. Her eyes had slipped shut on their own minutes ago. Marie held her close to get her back and shoulders, and Four clung on as well, tipping her head down to nuzzle under Marie's chin. It was precisely where she belonged.

Nothing could last forever, though. Even when Marie did eventually pull away to take care of her legs and feet, Four couldn't find it in herself to mind. She put her weight against the shower wall instead, soaking in the familiar sensation of Marie's hands sliding up and down her skin, the cool body wash sliding away, taking all the gritty mud with it.

And then Marie stood back up and turned her around for a second pass. Four felt ready to melt. Her back settled against Marie again, and this time, Marie was even more thorough.

... In ways that were quickly proving to be... distracting.

She hadn't really paid it much mind, but Marie had been skipping over certain parts of her body. She hadn't touched Four's breasts, or gotten close to her groin, or even her butt.

That didn't change on the second pass, but she got a lot closer. Instead of staying away entirely, she would stop at the very top of Four's chest. Or the area just under her stomach. Or most of the way up her thighs. Each time, she slid her hands back away at the very last moment, the very last inch. Slowly, Four was drawn out of her stupor.

It didn't feel like Marie was teasing her. Her touch was just as slow, gentle, even reverent as it had been the whole time. She hadn't said a word; the only sound that came out of her at all was her slow, relaxed breathing, which had previously lulled Four into a near trance with its serenity. Her assurances were still fresh in Four's mind, too - she couldn't be trying to get Four worked up, she had said she wouldn't. And Four trusted her on that, more than she would trust anyone else.

But cod, did it still feel like she was being teased. She could feel her body tensing each time Marie's hands drew close to somewhere sensitive, and then she would move away and all that tension would fly up from her muscles and straight to her mind. It was driving her crazy. Did Marie not notice? Her breath started hitching. Marie had to have noticed. She was trying not to be obvious, but she was certain she wasn't doing a good job at it. Each gasp she had to fight back only upped the tension. And yet nothing about what Marie was doing changed. If anything, it seemed like she was just going slower, pulling back earlier and faster, until her touches barely even hinted at going anywhere near an erogenous zone and Four was twitching in her arms anyways.

Finally, it got to be too much. Four's arms were tense and still at her sides, but Marie moved just a little bit further up Four's stomach than she expected, and they came to life. Before she even realized she was moving, she had grabbed Marie's hand in both of hers, way too tightly, letting out a gasp that was well beyond plausible deniability, arching her back and tipping her head backwards against Marie's chest.

Marie froze up. "Four! Cod, I'm so sorry, I should have stopped sooner. Do you need me to let go?"

"I... huh?" Four's voice came out sounding winded.

"I noticed that you were getting nervous whenever I got close to anywhere intimate, so I was trying to be more careful. It wasn't working, so I thought if I just went slower... In hindsight, I should have just stopped then. I promise I'm not trying to initiate anything, alright? Sorry I made you feel like I was, I would never want to do something that would stress you out, especially not when you've already been having such a hard day..." The most prominent emotion in Marie's voice was regret. Four couldn't figure out how to respond, her head still filled with static. "I really meant it earlier, when I said this doesn't have to be a sexual thing. I just thought..."

Her voice trailed off, and Four tried her hardest to relax back against Marie, to little success. "I... It's okay," she panted. It was difficult to string words together. "Is it okay if... I want it to be?"

All of the doubt, shame, fear, and everything else Four had heard in Marie's voice a second ago, was immediately gone in favor of confusion. "Wait, what?"

A thorn of hot, jagged embarrassment wedged into Four's throat. Another tense shiver shot up her back despite her best efforts. "Um. Never- I, sorry."

Marie turned her around by her shoulders, and Four forced herself to make eye contact, curling in on herself. "To be honest, I'm kinda lost right now," Marie said, speaking slowly. She looked completely caught off guard. "Think you can walk me through how you're feeling?"

She didn't particularly want to, but she wasn't going to refuse. Her eyes flicked down, but she brought them back up. "I, um, I got... I mean, your hands, felt... A little bit. Good." Marie's eyes widened, and Four cringed. "I know you didn't mean to do that though. Sorry."

To her surprise, relief washed over Marie's face. Her frown flipped over to a small grin. "Seriously? Wow, I totally misread that. I thought for sure I was freaking you out. You don't have anything to apologize for. Why didn't you just say something, silly squid?"

"I... You seemed like you really didn't want this to be a, um. A sex thing?"

"I said it didn't have to be," Marie corrected. Four furrowed her brows. "I'm not going to try and get in your pants while you're hurting, Four. I'd never take advantage of you when you need comfort. That doesn't mean I find you repulsive, though."

"So... Can it be?"

The relief on Marie's expression slowly started to swap out for amusement, along with a familiar confidence. "Can it be what? A 'sex thing'?" Four nodded, her face somehow growing hotter. "I suppose it could. Is that what you want?" Again, Four nodded. "Alright. If that's how my precious girl needs to be taken care of, I'm not going to turn her down."

A quiet gasp parted Four's lips, just from her words. Marie had really gotten her worked up already, and for the most part without even meaning to. "Thank you."

One of Marie's arms looped around her back, drawing her a few half-steps closer. She put her other palm just above Four's abdomen, fingers splayed, putting just the right amount of pressure behind it. It wasn't even a particularly conspicuous place for her to touch, but the contact still made Four start squirming again. "So grateful for me. Do you want me to move my hand up or down?"

It took a second for Four to process what Marie meant by that. As soon as she understood, she went with the first answer that came to mind. "Up! Please?" Marie slid her hand up, as promised, but she slowed to a stop just short of Four's breasts. It was closer than she had gotten in the last several minutes, but it still made her feel almost painfully needy. "Up? Please?" she asked again, a new pleading note to her voice.

"I heard you, I just wanted to double-check. You're sure it won't be too much?" Four nodded rapidly. "Let me know if you need me to slow down."

"I will!" Marie's hand continued upwards, cupping one of Four's breasts. The contact sent a hot thrill of excitement down from Four's chest. She could feel her hearts accelerating, and her toes curled against the shower mat. Her breathing turned sharp. Even more intense than the physical feeling of it, though, was the sense of anticipation - it was like she could feel the intent to move in Marie's fingers, even as they settled motionlessly over the subtle, pliable curve of Four's breast.

Marie let out an appreciative hum, looking pleased with herself. "Just how I thought it'd feel to have my pretty girl in my hand." A smile broke out on Four's face. "You're really liking this already, huh?"

"I- I do! I am! Uh!" Four's voice came out tight. "I mean..." She didn't get to finish her thought. Marie gave her just the slightest squeeze, and it very nearly buckled Four's knees. "Ah- Marie-!"

Her eyes flicked shut, but she could still hear the smile in Marie's tone. "Sensitive, aren't we?" She nodded. Marie did it again, curling her fingers to an almost imperceptibly small degree, but it was enough to send a shudder up through Four's back and force a loud gasp past her lips. "It's a little hard to take it easy on you when you're this responsive, you know."

Heat rushed up to Four's cheeks. "Um. My bad?"

Marie let out a surprised snort. "I don't mind, Four. It's adorable." There was a lot of different things in her voice - a bit of a laugh, affection, desire. Her fingers stayed curled, maintaining a light, warm pressure around Four's breast. If there was any combination of stimulus to make Four short-circuit, it was that - the praise, that tone in Marie's voice, her hand on her breast, right over one of her pounding hearts. Her legs felt just a bit weaker and a single powerful shiver rocked her body. Her arms, which had been curled in front of her, moved to wrap inelegantly around Marie's waist - she couldn't pull herself closer, not without shoving her chest into Marie's hand in a way that would probably splat her on the spot, but the half-embrace was a good enough substitute. Marie responded by drawing her just a little closer, keeping the pressure from her hand unchanged. "Hey, I've got you. You're taking this so well, you know that?" Four's beak clicked open and closed a few times. "Is this a little too much for now?"

Four shook her head, finally managing to groan out a half-coherent answer. "Nnh, keep- more? Please?" Marie hummed, looking and sounding about halfway between amused and impressed. Slowly, her thumb began to slide back and forth, moving with a steady rhythm. Mercifully, each time she crossed Four's nipple, she dipped down under it instead of sliding across. Even then, it took everything Four had not to squirm away. She wanted the sensation to continue, more than she wanted everything else, but it was intense - very nearly too intense to bear. The only thing her body knew to do was to wriggle away, no matter how much Four didn't want it to stop. All of her breath escaped in a pitchy, drawn-out sigh.

"Mm, I was hoping you'd make a noise like that. By the by, just curious, how thin are your walls...?"

Immediately, Four clamped her beak shut. Oh cod. Too thin for her to be letting out noises like that.

She was too momentarily stunned to answer, but Marie was able to read her sudden silence. "Aw, darn. I guess that means I won't get to hear my favorite song today, huh?" Four couldn't help an embarrassed grin. "We can keep going if you'll be able to keep it quiet for me, though. What do you think?"

"Please!" Four half-whispered, her eyes widening. She cleared her throat, then answered again at a more natural volume. "I, um, yes please. I can do that! I don't have to whisper though, I mean, it's not..."

Her voice cut out when Marie stroked her thumb over her breast again, shushing her as she did. "Yeah, I know, Four. That's my good girl." Four tried her best to mute her whine. "Hey, look at that, you're doing such a good job already. You're a natural, Four. If you keep it up, I'll touch you wherever you like, got it?"

Four didn't trust her voice enough to answer aloud. Already, she was almost panting. Marie's thumb slid over her nipple, and it felt like Four was grabbing onto a live wire - her elbows curled, she rose up onto her tiptoes, and her beak clenched hard. The noise that came up from her throat was quiet but raw with need.

"Phew, if you're going to keep making sounds like that, I might start having trouble keeping quiet," Marie teased. She squeezed again, just a bit more, prompting another strangled groan from Four. Trying to hold everything in was only making every sensation stronger. Instead of continuing her assault, though, Marie pulled her hand back. "Put your arms around me, Four."

She didn't need to be told twice. The instant Marie's words registered, Four locked her arms behind Marie. Marie, in turn, unwrapped hers from around Four's back, moving it up to set her palm against Four's cheek. Her other hand stayed cupped over Four's breast, kneading it gently and stroking its surface, back and forth. It was getting hard to pay much attention to anything else; it hardly even registered in Four's mind when Marie placed her thumb over her lips, or when she made her lean her head in to rest against Marie's chest. But it was impossible to miss the way it helped her keep her mouth shut, or the sound of Marie's hearts beating, soothing despite their excited pace.

The intensity kept building, though. Marie had made it easier to bear, but she hadn't stopped the buildup, and before long it was even harder than before to keep herself under control. Four's knees felt weak, bending as she leaned harder on Marie, until eventually her knees were bumping Marie's legs. Her lips parted, and Marie's thumb slipped between them; then her mouth hung open entirely, and she started panting, loud but not quite too loud. The feeling of her body pressed up against Marie, Marie's thumb settled against her tongue, the continued stimulation of the single most sensitive part of her body - she knew she was already past the limit of how much she could hold in.

Four withdrew her arms from around Marie's back, but she was too tense to do anything more to stop her. "Too much," she spoke. Her voice came out almost totally inaudible over the ambient noise of the shower and the roaring in her own head.

Marie heard her, though. Her hand dropped away from Four's breast, her thumb withdrew from Four's mouth, and she took a half-step back. "Too much?"

Even as she nodded, Four stepped forward to lean back into Marie and put her arms back around her. Her breaths still came ragged, and she could feel herself shaking with adrenaline, but the feeling that she was about to combust or pop like a balloon had already receded. Marie hugged her back, a bit cautiously, then more solidly as Four snuggled in, trembling in her arms. It took a few seconds before Four could manage any more words. "Yeah. Had to stop... Just for a bit. Thanks."

"Of course," Marie said, almost as quiet as Four herself. She tilted her head forward to rest her cheek on the top of Four's head, then brought one of her hands up to settle against the back of Four's neck. "So were you saying it was too much to stay quiet, or too much to handle in general?"

Four gave a stiff shrug. "'Unno," she mumbled.

Marie's hand on her back stroked up and down. The motion was smooth, near frictionless, thanks to the water still falling on Four's back. "I'm getting the feeling it was just in general." Four's head twitched in just the faintest suggestion of a nod. "Don't worry, we'll take a breather. How about I wash your tentacles for you?"

"That sounds nice. Um, really nice. Yes please?"

"Alright. Just pull your head back for me... Good girl. You can keep holding on if you want."

It didn't take long for Four to start feeling calm again. Marie's touch was as gentle and soothing as it had been when she had been washing her body earlier. She took her time, taking each of Four's tentacles between her hands to work the conditioner into the membrane. She held them back and away from Four's face so it wouldn't drip down into her eyes, running her thumb in circles along the interior of each sucker. The whole time, her expression held a mix of concentration and adoration, her focus entirely on Four. Four alternated between letting her eyes slip closed, and staring into Marie's golden irises.

Just like before, though, there was a growing distraction. It wouldn't be a lie to say that Four could be content looking nowhere else but into Marie's eyes all day. But... Her gaze kept wandering a bit lower. Marie was still naked in front of her. Her skin was wet, and glistening, and not long ago at all Four had been pressed right up against her. How could she be expected to ignore that?

Still, she kept forcing herself to look back up towards Marie's eyes, her face getting warmer and warmer each time. She was still watching Four with the same care and attention as she had been the whole time - it felt profoundly weird to ogle Marie while she was looking at her like that, and massaging her tentacles as delicately as she was.

Four wasn't going to make the same mistake twice, though. If Marie hadn't been offended when Four had gotten aroused over Marie cleaning her up, she probably wouldn't mind that Four was getting distracted while Marie took care of her again. That didn't really make it any less awkward to address it, though. "Um. Marie...?"

For the first time since she'd started, Marie's expression changed, shifting towards curiosity as she made eye contact with Four. "Hm?"

"Is it fine if I... Uh, look, at you?" She shook her head, pushing through her embarrassment. "I mean, your body? Your breasts. Chest? I mean breasts. Um?"

Marie actually smirked at her. "Isn't that what you've been doing this whole time?"

It felt very much like the rug had been pulled out from under Four. If it didn't mean letting go of Marie, she would have covered her face. "I- I was-!"

"You're fine," Marie laughed. "But come on, you can't think you were being subtle. I've been looking right at you this whole time."

"I- I wasn't trying to be sneaky!" Covering her face, she decided, was worth the sacrifice. She still kept one of her arms looped behind Marie, but she brought the other up to hide behind her elbow. "I was just trying not to stare! It wasn't - it just felt like it would be inappropriate."

"We're taking this breather for you, Four, remember?" Marie let go of her tentacle and poked at her exposed nose, making Four's expression reflexively twist. "If you want to get things moving again, I'm all for it. I was kind of waiting for you to do that, you know."

Four peeked out from over her arm. "... Oh. Right, that makes sense, yeah."

Marie rolled her eyes, grinning. "Cod, who would have guessed I'd end up with such a prude."

"I'm not a prude!" Four brought her arm all the way down with a huff.

"You're not, are you?" Four gave an emphatic nod. Then stopped, thought for a second, and gave an emphatic shake of her head instead. "Alright then, why don't you tell me exactly what you were thinking about when you kept looking down at my boobs?"

In hindsight, maybe Four should have just let Marie call her a prude. Her face lit up nearly hot enough to boil the shower water off of it, and her tongue felt like it was paralyzed. "Uh..."

Marie was clearly eating this up. Her grin only got wider. "Well? Didn't you have anything in mind, Four?"

"No?" she tried.

It didn't save her. "I'm sure my resourceful agent can think of something. You could do a lot more than just stare at them, you know."

Four lent some serious consideration to the merits of turning squid and slithering down into the drainpipe, never to be seen again. She could do a lot more than stare at them? She could do a lot more than stare at them?! Marie was trying to kill her. "I'm. Um."

Marie's expression softened a bit. "Alright, I'll stop teasing. You look like you're about to explode."

That wouldn't do. Four really would explode before she would concede defeat. She forced some words out, as smooth and graceful as dragging a six-ton limestone boulder down a carpeted hallway. "Could. I. Suck on them? Please? Maybe?"

For a moment, Marie actually seemed caught off guard.

Four forced a nervous smile. "Pl- Um. Right?"

The surprise on Marie's face fell away, but her cheeks were still tinted with a blush as she burst out in laughter. "Oh my cod, Four, are you gonna pass out or something?" She bent forward, not quite doubling over, but likely only because Four was standing too close. She was clearly having a hard time getting the sentences out. "There's no way that was as hard as you made it look. I don't think I've ever heard someone talk like that."

As much as Four loved Marie's laugh, and loved being the one to make her laugh, it was a bit hard to appreciate it this time. She stared directly down at the floor, blushing so hard it was starting to hurt. The drainpipe hadn't been a real escape option, she would never fit. Maybe she could book it to the window and Super Jump out? She'd have to find some clothes before she could change back out of squid form, but maybe it would-

Marie took hold of her chin and gently tilted her head back up. Four let her. There was still a good deal of amusement in her face, but it was a lot softer. "Hey, I don't mind. I only find it funny because you're so cute when you get shy like that." Her hand moved to cup Four's cheek, and she leaned into it. It felt cool against Four's burning-hot skin. "I'm proud of you for asking for what you want, you know. That was twice, actually, wasn't it? I know that's hard for you." Four gave a weak nod. The smile on Marie's face dimmed a bit. "And today's been really hard already, huh? I shouldn't have pushed you. Sorry about that, Four."

The paralyzing sense of shame began to evaporate. Four put both her arms back around Marie, leaning in, out of Marie's hand and into the crook of her neck. "It's okay," she said, nuzzling in as Marie held her as well. "I know you weren't trying to make me feel bad or anything."

Marie's hum of acknowledgement vibrated pleasantly in her chest. "All right. I'm still gonna go a little softer on you, though. You're my perfect, precious squid, and I want to take care of you today, got it?"

Four squeezed Marie around her waist. "Thanks..."

She was given a reciprocal squeeze, tight enough to banish any traces of lingering displeasure. "Of course. And to answer your question, I'd enjoy that too. That is what you really want to do, right?"

It took a second to remember what Marie was even referring to. "Oh! I..." She couldn't help but hesitate, embarrassed again, but Marie only started stroking her back, completely patient. "Yes please?"

"You're so polite for me," Marie murmured. Four shivered in her arms. "I know most of that's just because you're flustered, but even when you feel confident, you're so considerate."

Four made a noise that was supposed to be some sort of acknowledgement or expression of gratitude.

"Move your head back a bit." It was important to her that she stay as close to Marie as possible, but doing as Marie instructed took priority. "Good girl." Marie used her hand on the back of Four's head to guide her face down to Marie's chest. She only stopped just short of an inch away. Four's eyes widened, shooting back and forth between Marie's breasts and her eyes, looking down at her. "You know what to do now, don't you?"

... Did she? Was it that straightforward? Was she reading the situation correctly? Four focused back on the closer of Marie's breasts. It was shiny with moisture, uncountably many droplets of water beaded on her skin. Slowly, Four made herself open her mouth, spreading her beak to try and make sure the pointed tips would stay far enough away from Marie's skin, glancing back up at Marie again as she did so.

She was raising her eyebrows, but she was still smiling - an invitation, not a challenge. "That's the idea," Marie encouraged. Four closed the gap, putting her lips to the smooth, perfectly soft surface of Marie's tit, then settling the tip of her tongue against her nipple. The response she was given in return was a pleased, extended sigh from Marie. Marie's eyes closed for a few seconds, but when she opened them again she still hadn't broken eye contact with Four. "There you go, that's perfect. You've got nothing to be ashamed of, Four."

Marie's affirmations were enough to clear away the last of her embarrassment and doubt. She started sucking, making her best effort to be slow and cautious. The first thing she noticed was the vaguely chemical-y taste of the diluent in the water that had been on Marie's breasts, but it only took a few seconds before her suckling had gotten rid of it all. It probably wasn't wise to ingest that, but... it couldn't have been that much, and so long as Four kept her mouth there, she wouldn't have to deal with any more. And she was definitely intent on staying where she was. Marie seemed to want her there, too - her hand stayed behind Four's head, holding her there while the other continued to stroke up and down her back.

Once the dilute water was gone, all that remained was the subtle taste of Marie's skin. It... wasn't exactly a taste Four was familiar with, and it also wasn't one of any particular interest in and of itself. But in the current context - her mouth around Marie's nipple, Marie looking down at her adoringly, making the occasional soft sound of pleasure - it was unlike any sensory experience she'd had before. She didn't think she could ever get tired of it.

She could still pick up the scent of her body wash and tentacle conditioner in the air, lending a touch of familiarity to it all. The sensation of her naked body against Marie's, both slicked with hot water, was still new - very, very new - but just being in Marie's arms was old and soothing.

Marie's gaze strayed a few inches up, to the top of Four's head. "How about I finish cleaning your tentacles while you keep doing that? Sounds nice to you?"

With her mouth occupied as it was, Four couldn't give any answer more complex than an "Mhmm."

She hadn't intended to stimulate Marie in doing so, but judging by the slight shiver that ran through her body - unambiguously one of pleasure, judging by her expression - that was precisely what she had done. "Tilt your head back for me, then. We don't want any of it getting in your mouth." Four did as she was told, and Marie's hands left her to gather some conditioner. "Good girl."

It was hard to categorize the way she was feeling as any one particular thing, leaning into Marie, holding onto her and sucking on her nipple, while she conditioned and then shampooed her tentacles for her. It was erotic, obviously - Four had always been, to put it in admittedly juvenile terms, a boob gal, and she'd never been attracted to anyone as intensely as she was to Marie. She could tell that she was pleasuring Marie, too. She lived for that. There wasn't any denying it was a deeply arousing experience for her. But even more than that, it was so many other things as well. Four couldn't remember a time she had felt more safe, more cherished. It was more intimate than anything Four had experienced before. Vulnerable, but protected; needy, but cared for.

When Marie informed her that she had finished, Four couldn't help a quiet whine. Marie shushed her, cupping the back of her head to keep her where she was. "I'm not saying you have to stop, Four, just that your tentacles are clean. You can keep sucking as long as you want."

Four found herself blushing. She pulled her head back, just enough that she could speak, for the first time since she'd latched on. Her lips brushed against Marie's nipple. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be..."

Marie only shushed her again, though, applying just enough force to the back of her head for Four to put her mouth back where it belonged and start sucking again. "Don't apologize, Four," she said, not quite admonishing. "I don't want you to stop either, alright? This feels good for me too, and I'm happy to be able to give you what you need right now. I love you."

Four was about to move back to talk again, but Marie seemed to see it coming the second time. She gave the back of her head the same gentle push as last time before she had even moved.

"You were gonna say that you love me too, right?"

Four gave a nod small enough that she wouldn't have to stop, along with another "Mhm."

This time, Marie's pleased shudder, subtle as it was, was enough to send a quick shock of desire through Four as well. Her arms tightened behind Marie's back, and she leaned forward just a bit more. Marie stroked the back of her head for a few extra moments before responding, just a bit of humor in her smile. "Yeah, I could tell. You know I love hearing it, but I want you to stay there. You can pull away if you have something important to tell me, okay?"

In Four's opinion, telling Marie she loved her too was important. But being argumentative like that definitely wasn't, nor was it something she particularly wanted to do anyways. "Mhmm." Both of them shivered in unison. Four couldn't stop herself from letting out another quiet whine into Marie's breast.

"You really love making me feel good too, huh?" Marie asked breathily, smiling down at her. Four blinked slowly up at her. "You're seriously too cute sometimes, Four. I can tell this has been making you pretty excited again. Do you want me to touch you again?"

Four hummed her agreement. Again, Marie's pleasured response made her shake and whine.

"Cod..." Marie sighed. "Where do you want me to touch? You can just point for me." Four took one of her arms from around Marie to point towards her chest. "I'd be so much more than happy to get to touch my beautiful agent's breasts some more." Four found herself whining again. "You're so eager for me, I love it. Put your arm back around me now."

She did as she was told.

"Good girl." Marie brought her hand up, then, cupping Four's breast - opposite the one she had given her attention last time. Four gave a surprised moan into her tit. "Mm. You can suck a little harder if you want."

It didn't take much thought to decide that she did want to do that. Marie rewarded her with another quiet, pleased sigh, followed by a gentle squeeze that made Four squirm up against her. Four's breath caught for a moment before coming back out a bit harder.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Marie asked. Four was eager to take the opportunity to voice her agreement for Marie with a soft hum. "That's so right. Try using your tongue for me, like this." As soon as she finished her sentence, Marie was sliding her thumb over the sensitive bud of Four's nipple.

She arched her back and let out another sound that was muted by Marie's breast, but still tried her best to do as she was instructed, sliding her tongue up from below Marie's nipple to right above it. Marie gave a muted groan, stroking her thumb across Four's breast again.

Four wasn't prepared for it. The noise that came out of her was too high in pitch to be muffled by Marie's breast in her mouth, and she couldn't stop herself from tipping her head forward. The motion pressed her face into the soft tissue of Marie's tit, squishing it out of the way of her mouth, which hung open. "Mar-iee," she moaned.

Immediately, Marie's hand was off her chest, and she was guiding Four's mouth back to her nipple. "Shh. We need to be quiet, remember?" Four hadn't remembered. She nodded weakly against Marie's chest anyways, breathing hard through her nose. It took a moment before she could even collect herself enough to start sucking again. As soon as she did, though, she could feel a thrill of pleasure run down Marie's body. The sensation was dizzying. Marie petted her head, speaking under her breath. "Good girl." Her other hand moved back towards Four's chest, but stopped just shy of it, her palm curled a bit under Four's arm. "Will you be able to keep your voice down if I touch you again?"

The first impulse that came to Four's head was to nod, and hum her agreement into Marie's tit again, but she hesitated. There was still a part of her that was grounded enough to know that that wouldn't be true. It was the same part of her that was also so adamant that she not let her neighbors hear her. Her better judgement, probably. Four figured she should listen to it. She gave a small shake of her head, pulling back just enough to speak. "I don't think so. Um. Sorry." Her voice came out breathy and quick; the moment the words were out, she put her mouth back around Marie's nipple.

Marie took her hand away from Four's breasts to circle it around her back. "Mm, that's okay. You're just getting too excited, aren't you?" Four tipped her head in a slight nod. "You don't need to apologize for that. How about if I touch you a little lower?" As she spoke, she let her arm drop, until she was palming Four's ass. Her hand slid up and down there for a second, feeling her up. Four couldn't help but react, squirming and pushing her hips forward, letting out a quiet moan.

Heat and pleasure radiated out through her body. In her movements, she'd inadvertently pressed her girlcock up against Marie. She was soft, but arousal had still made her sensitive. Her legs locked up, pinning her girlcock to the smooth, soft skin of Marie's thigh, hot and wet from the shower water. Four's breath caught, but she didn't make so much as a peep. It was still intense - cod, was it intense - but the sensation wasn't as overwhelming as Marie rubbing and squeezing her breasts had been, at least.

Her reaction wasn't lost on Marie. Her arms tightened around Four, and she shifted her weight a bit. "That feel good, Four?" Four couldn't do anything more than let out a heavy sigh through her nose, starting to breathe again. Marie seemed to interpret that as her sign to continue, and it became immediately clear why she had put her weight onto her other leg. She lifted her leg up just a bit, using her hand on Four's ass to keep her pressed against her as she did, gently grinding her against her thigh. Four's eyes squeezed shut, a soft whine coming up from her throat. "I'm gonna interpret that as a yes. How about I keep going like this instead?"

Four had lost too much of her focus to keep sucking, so her mouth was only vaguely pressed up against Marie's breast; she didn't have to pull back to answer. "Please...!" Marie brought her leg up a bit further, making Four rise up onto her tiptoes to move with it. She could keep her voice down without too much issue, but getting words out proved difficult. "Ah- yes, plea- Marie-!"

"You don't have to beg for me," Marie murmured, bending her neck to speak closer to Four's ear. Her voice was kind and soothing. If Four weren't so wound up, it would have melted her, especially with how Marie continued to stroke the back of her head. "If you want to thank me, you could put those pretty lips back where they belong."

Instead of answering aloud, Four simply did as Marie suggested, suckling obediently as Marie kept stimulating her. She could feel herself hardening against Marie's leg, and it was only making the pressure and movement feel even better. Her breaths came out rougher, and if her mouth weren't occupied she would have started panting. As it was, her tongue could only press against the flesh right under Marie's nipple. On impulse, she slid it up, and Marie let out a muted groan, squeezing Four's ass. A needy tremble wracked Four's frame. She had to do that again. She continued to lick and suck, only stopping for moments at a time when she had to moan into Marie's tit.

It didn't seem like Marie was going to get tired of it any time soon. "You're such a good girl, Four. My good girl. Mm, isn't that right?" Blooming warmth and buzzing heat mixed in Four's hearts. She wished she could answer, could confirm to Marie that she was hers, only hers. It couldn't be done, though - she wanted to answer, but she needed to keep her mouth locked onto Marie's breast.

She could only hope that that one point of intimate contact was enough for her to communicate all the things she wanted to say. With each slip of her tongue across or around Marie's nipple, she tried to say I love you. With each heavy breath against Marie's skin, she wanted to say I want to stay close to you. With each muted sound of pleasure, she hoped Marie could hear her saying Thank you.

Her hips moved on their own, shifting up or down, instinctively trying to keep her girldick pressed to Marie. Not even the slightly embarrassing realization that she was outright humping Marie's leg at this point could make her stop. Marie let her do it, too, keeping her hand settled loosely against Four's butt to give the occasional squeeze or stroke, but otherwise leaving her free to move. Gradually, her movements slowed, until she was keeping her leg still while Four rubbed herself against it in transparent desperation. She kept petting Four's head, though, speaking in a quiet, low voice into her ear. "So needy, my poor little squid... Do you wanna be inside me, Four? Is that it?"

Four's response was immediate, but still wordless. Her bucking stopped, and instead her hips just shoved forward, pressing her hard against Marie as she let out a long whine.

Marie took hold of one of her tentacles, pulling gently to separate Four from her tit. "Was that a yes?"

"Yes please," Four said, her voice coming out strained. "If... If..."

Marie smiled down at her. "I want that too, you know. Here won't work, though. Come on, let's go somewhere you can sit down." With a few steps and some gentle nudging, Marie got Four to stand by her side, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Turn off the shower for me?" If she hadn't lived in the apartment for months already, she would never have had the brainpower to figure that out in that moment. As it was, though, muscle memory came through. She was still panting, her eyes half-lidded, her tongue half hanging out now that Marie's breast wasn't in the way. "Good girl. Let's get moving, yeah?"

"Yeah," Four echoed, letting Marie walk her out of the shower. The bathroom wasn't cold, but after having been under the hot water, it felt that way - Four started shivering immediately, almost hard enough for her beak to chatter.

A quick glance to the side revealed that Marie was in a similar state. She didn't seem quite as bad, though, likely because she hadn't been directly under the stream the whole time like Four had. She tugged Four closer into her side, grabbing the bath towel off the rack and wrapping it around both of their backsides. She tucked her end under her arm, while Four chose to hold hers over her shoulder with both hands. "Don't worry, you'll start feeling warmer soon," Marie said, opening the bathroom door and walking Four out. With her other hand, the one around Four's shoulder, she took the corner of the towel back from Four, holding it there for her.

The apartment air still felt just as cool against her wet skin, but with the towel's insulation and Marie's care, it wasn't as bad. Her shivering stopped, and she tilted her head sideways to lean it against Marie. "Thanks..."

Marie just gave a hum of acknowledgement, guiding her further out into the apartment, then stopping her. She took the towel back away, then, letting go for just a moment. Four barely had enough time to curl her arms in front of her chest and start shivering again before Marie was back on her, toweling her off. She wasn't being thorough, though - instead, she was quick, even a bit rough, clearly impatient. Four didn't mind, though; Marie was still careful not to be rough on Four's more sensitive parts, her breasts and her groin. When Marie stopped and started drying herself instead, only a couple seconds after she'd started, Four was at least mostly dry.

A handful more seconds went by, during which Four contented herself with watching Marie. She could still feel the adrenaline coursing through her, the same instincts burning in her head that had made her hump Marie's leg so shamelessly... It wasn't exactly easy to stand still, but she had to wait until Marie started touching her again, slowly cooking in her desire. Her surroundings barely even registered. It only started becoming apparent to her halfway through the wait that Marie had led her to the living room, not the bedroom - the front door was only a bit over ten feet away from where the both of them stood, totally nude - but she could hardly even spare it a second thought. The door was locked, Eight wouldn't be home for a few more hours, and that was good enough that her need could overpower any worry she felt about it.

Finally, Marie stopped, draping the towel over the seat of the couch. She turned and set her hands on Four's shoulders, guiding her to sit down on the towel. Four stared up into Marie's eyes, admiring openly. Marie was smiling down at her. "That's my good girl, so patient for me."

The fondness she could see in them, and Marie's praise, brought a happy flush to her cheeks. "I love you," she said on impulse.

Marie's expression only grew warmer. She brought one knee up onto the couch to Four's right, then the other to Four's left, such that she was kneeling above Four's legs, looming over her. "Has anyone ever told you you're the most adorable squid in the world?" Four felt herself blushing harder, as Marie tucked a hand under her chin, keeping her face tilted up towards her. "Because if they have, they must be really smart."

Four's eyes slipped shut as Marie scratched under her chin. She could hear Marie moving around some more. "I think you've said that before. You're- Are you just complimenting yourself?"

Marie gave a short laugh, and Four suddenly felt her settle her weight onto her legs - her eyes snapped open wide to see Marie straddling her, grinning down at her, her legs bent with her feet planted to Four's left and right, knees pointing straight up. Four's face erupted in a blush once again. Her legs crossed at the ankles, twisting around each other all on their own. One of Marie's eyebrows went up, just a bit. "Are you saying I'm not really smart?"

"Um." All of a sudden, it was hard to answer. It felt almost like she was being penned in, with the couch behind her, Marie surrounding her from every other angle. She had to look up to meet Marie's eyes, her arms curling helplessly in front of her. "I'm... um, no, I'm... not. You're really smart."

"Oh, I already knew that," Marie said easily. She put her hands on Four's, and Four loosened them up, allowing Marie to intertwine their fingers. Her tone became a bit gentler. "How are you feeling?"

"Good!" Four assured. "This is really really good! I feel good. I... 'm just flustered. A little. Lot." She gave an embarrassed smile.

"I'm glad to hear that." Marie leaned in, and her tentacles, still untied, fell past her shoulders to dangle in front of Four. Her gaze dropped to follow their slight swing, but she was quickly distracted - not far from the ends of Marie's tentacles was Four's girlcock, still pointed stiffly upwards. And just ahead of that was where Marie straddled her, her legs spread, her pussy only a few inches away... Immediately, Four's eyes were locked on. It was hard to tell how much of the glistening she could see was just residual water, and how much was Marie's arousal. Her clit was erect, though... Four's girlcock twitched at the bottom edge of her tunnel-vision. Marie's voice was a bit distant behind the static that briefly filled her brain, but she still heard her. "How about we make you feel even better?"

Four blinked, taking a second to look back up at Marie. "Uh-" Just as she made eye contact, Marie slid herself forward. Her hips met Four's. All of a sudden, Four's girldick was pinned between her body and Marie's pussy, slick and hot-feeling against the underside of her shaft. A sharp, high-pitched gasp came up from Four's lungs, and she squeezed Marie's hands hard.

Marie pulled one of them out of Four's grasp, putting it behind Four's head, using the other to squeeze back. She shushed her gently, stroking her head again. "You still have to be quiet, Four, alright?" Four gave a weak nod, feeling a bit shaky. Her other arm wrapped behind Marie's back. "Can you do that for me?"

She took a few more breaths before answering. "I will. I think. I'll try. Please don't stop..."

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna stop," Marie said, keeping her voice soothingly calm. "I can help you. Just come back here, and..." As she spoke, Marie leaned further forward and tipped Four's head down. Figuring out what she was doing was natural. Four put her lips to Marie's breast, the other one this time, and started suckling. Marie let out a breath. "That's my good girl. Just keep your mouth there for me and you'll be able to handle it."

"Mm," Four hummed by way of acknowledgement. She had to keep her head tilted down just far enough that she couldn't make eye contact with Marie anymore, but she hoped Marie could sense her gratitude without it. It wasn't just that it kept her mouth busy - already, she could feel herself getting calmer.

Marie let her continue for a few more moments before moving again. She let go of Four's hand, and her head, setting one hand on the towel covering the couch cushion and the other on the back just behind Four's head. Once they were firmly planted, she lifted herself up a bit, bringing her hips off of Four again. Four didn't have to stop what she was doing, though; she only tilted her head back to follow Marie's breast. Her eyes were able to meet Marie's, just as Marie let go of the back of the couch. Four reached out to offer her hand again, but Marie didn't take it, instead gently grasping Four's girlcock.

Oh. Right.

Four froze for just a moment before she resumed sucking. Her eyes settled back on Marie's, having unfocused entirely after she realized Marie's intentions. Marie seemed a bit focused on trying to reposition herself with only one arm, but she still took a moment to look back to Four and give her a smile. "Are you ready?"

"Mhmm."

It occurred to her that she probably should have thought through her answer more, right as Marie began to lower herself down. She didn't stall or hesitate, but it felt to Four like she was moving in slow-motion. She adjusted the angle of Four's girlcock so that the tip met her entrance. Heat shot out through Four's entire body, centralized on the single point of contact. Her head filled with white noise, the arm she had around Marie's back tensed, her lungs froze over even as the rest of her felt fit to boil.

Before she knew it, Marie had lowered all the way, straddling her again, but this time with Four buried all the way inside of her. Marie let out a pleased sigh, while Four's mouth dropped open, letting Marie's breast fall back out as she took her first breath in what felt like minutes. It all came back out in a creaky, pleading whine - but, mercifully, a quiet one.

Marie was stroking the back of her head again, bringing her in close and speaking to her in a low voice. "I know, it's alright, I've got you..." Four couldn't focus enough to put her mouth back onto Marie's nipple; the closest she could get was to push her face between Marie's breasts. It was good enough, though, especially with Marie petting her head, speaking so gently to her. "You're taking this so well for me, Four. I'm right here, I've still got you..."

No amount of care could get her perfectly acclimated to the sensation of being inside Marie, but eventually she felt about halfway capable of speech again. "I... I'm okay," she said, shivering.

"You are," Marie affirmed. "You're exactly where you need to be. How are you feeling?"

"I..." An intense wave of pleasure rolled up Four's body. Her legs untwisted, her knees straightened, and her toes curled, while both her arms wrapped around Marie's back to cling to her. Even while Marie wasn't moving, the experience dominated her senses. She could feel Marie's weight pressing her waist against the towel, the pressure on and around her girlcock. She could hear her breathing, and feel her chest expand and contract against Four's face, each breath shifting Marie's weight on top of her in the most subtle way. She was close enough that she could hear Marie's hearts beating. Despite it all, she needed more. It was the only way she could get any relief. "Please... keep going?"

"I'd be happy to. Don't forget to keep breathing for me, got it?"

Marie started moving, then, shifting her weight forwards. Four's girlcock slid slightly within Marie to accommodate the change in angle, forcing a gasp up past her lips. She had to strain to keep her voice quiet. "Aah... Marie...!"

"I've got you," Marie said. She took the hand that wasn't behind Four's head, still making comforting strokes up and down, and brought it down to her clit to touch herself. As she did, she moved again, letting out a low groan of satisfaction - its effect on Four was almost as dramatic as the movement itself. It was clear that Marie was making an effort to stay quiet, too. Four muffled her own moan in Marie's chest, impulsively taking Marie's nipple back into her mouth and sucking. Marie pushed her head in closer. "There you go. Look at you, my proactive problem-solver."

The next time Marie moved wasn't nearly as disorienting. Her breath still caught, her arms still tensed, but she was able to keep her reaction down to a tense hum against Marie's breast.

"Cod, Four, you feel perfect." Four couldn't help but squirm, although with her hips pinned and her arms wound tight around Marie's back, it didn't amount to much. Marie rocked her hips forward, and Four shuddered under her, but she didn't even have to stop suckling this time. "Keep doing that for me. Fuck... Do you think you can use your tongue again?"

She tried to hum her affirmation, but a moan came out instead; she could only barely keep it quiet enough to be muffled by Marie's breast. Even before she'd regained her bearings, she was doing as Marie asked, though, licking the tip of Marie's nipple as she sucked.

Marie huffed out a heavy breath, sliding her hips against Four's. "Cod, yeah, that's right. Good girl."

Hot pleasure filled Four's head and chest; she arched her back, and one of her breasts brushed up against the arm with which Marie was touching herself. Her whole body shook, and at the same moment Marie slid against her again, pressing her down hard against the towel. She could feel herself twitching inside Marie. A needy sound boiled up through her, but it didn't interrupt her suckling.

"Mm. You don't have any idea what those sounds are doing to me, Four." There was exhilaration in Marie's voice, along with, oddly enough, the faintest trace of laughter. She gave a gentle tug on one of Four's tentacles, but went right back to patting and stroking the next moment. "Does sucking on my tits help? Is that making it easier for you to take it?"

Four gave a slow, shallow nod, breathing hard as Marie continued to fuck her.

"I- fuck, I knew it would," Marie said. For a while after switching to Marie's other breast, Four had been able to taste traces of diluent on her skin again, but it was gone now. It was only Marie's soft, warm skin against her tongue as she slid it up and down her nipple, and it was perfect. Marie shuddered on top of her, letting out a sigh that was just barely shy of a moan. Immediately afterwards, she gave a short, quiet laugh. "It's not making this any easier for me. Cod, if only we'd gone to my place so we could be as loud as we want. Wouldn't that have been fun? You wish you could sing for me, don't you?"

All Four could manage was a strained hum, but even that was cut short as Marie rocked her hips down against her.

Marie rubbed behind Four's ear, making it flick and twitch against her hand. "It feels so good to have you there. You're precious to me, Four." Four let out a weak whine. "Making you feel safe and happy is one of the best things in the world. I'll keep you safe here... In my arms, under me, inside me, whatever. I'm not letting anything happen to you..."

She kept going, petting Four's tentacles, promising her safety and comfort, grinding into her and rubbing her clit. The longer she went, the harder and faster Four's breaths started coming, and the harder it got to keep quiet. Her suckling and licking started to get interrupted by moans, more and more frequently, at higher and higher pitches. Marie shushed her each time, holding her to her breast, even as her own movements and breathing got faster and more forceful.

"Getting close, huh?" she finally said, after several seconds of only quiet, wordless pleasure. Four made a desperate sound into her. "That's perfect, you're such a good girl... Mm. Cum inside me, alright? Just let it happen for me."

Four was more than willing to take that order. Marie could have whatever she wanted from her - she needed Marie to take what she wanted from her, anything. Four could barely even focus on what she was doing. Her jaw fell open to take big, gasping breaths, and her head tipped back to push into Marie's hand, staring desperately up into her eyes. She could feel her orgasm coming, seconds away, and as the moment approached it became more and more impossible to contain. Each breath came in shakier than the last, and escaped louder. Hissed exhales through her beak turned into quiet whines, which shook off their restraints and became barely-contained moans. She knew she couldn't stay quiet, and she knew she couldn't warn Marie - her lungs were full and empty at the same time, any attempt at speech could only come out as another burst of noise. The moment approached, and she sucked in as much air as she could get, barely retaining the presence of mind to even try and-

Marie tipped Four's head back further and leaned all the way into her space, taking her lips just as Four's orgasm hit. Every decibel's worth of air for her impending cry was stolen away, silencing her completely. Her whole body shook with explosive pleasure, eyes staying locked to Marie's, her girlcock twitching and releasing into her. Marie kept kissing her like she was trying to take something away from her, pressing in from the front and cupping Four's head from behind, bending her almost ninety degrees backwards and bearing down on her. Four arched her back into it, too breathless and overwhelmed to kiss back but desperate to stay connected.

There was a quiet thump as Marie dropped her knees to the towel, rotating her legs to wrap around Four. With one swift tug, she squeezed their hips together as close as physically possible, pushing herself down onto Four and pulling Four forward into her. Every cell in Four's body was burning. She gave her entirety to Marie, finishing her orgasm as deep inside her as she could get, tensing up and relaxing in an unstable rhythm. Four couldn't find it in her to try and quiet herself, but the only sound she could manage was breathless moans into Marie's lips, every single one of which Marie accepted eagerly.

All of Four's energy left her, taken by Marie, released into the kiss or ejected out into her. The pressure in her head drained away in an instant. Her eyelids drooped shut, her jaw relaxed, and she went limp. Her legs untwisted from around each other, and her weight settled onto Marie's hand, pushing it down. She felt the top of her head settle against the back of the couch, but Marie followed her down, keeping their lips locked together. Only then could Four finally start to breathe again, taking in slow and heavy lungfuls of air through her nose. Marie's breaths stayed quick, pushing hot air against Four's face as she shifted her weight to grind her hips down on Four's. Four could do nothing other than give in and take it, breathing Marie's air as she fucked her into the living room couch.

A distant part of her realized that Marie was about to cum, just as her orgasm started. Marie didn't let up on her for a second, pressing down harder, kissing her more greedily, lowering her hand from behind Four's neck to the center of her back to pull her tighter against her body. Despite the forcefulness of it, it was almost relaxing, letting Marie use her like this. The physicality of it was blanketed by such a heavy exhaustion that it barely registered; what was left in perfect clarity was how strongly Marie desired her, her own complete lack of resistance, the strength of the body on top of hers... She knew Marie wasn't even all that muscular, but in that moment her power felt absolute, uncontestable.

Less than a second in, Marie broke the kiss, letting out an exhilarated sigh. She kept her face close, just barely above Four's - close enough that, if Four only had the energy for it, she would've been tempted to try and close the distance herself. Her lips just barely brushed against Four's as she spoke. "Hey, you still good?"

The tone of her voice was careful, but at the same time breathy and intense. Four opened her eyes, finding Marie's face occupying almost her entire field of view. There was a brilliant, excited flush on her cheeks, but light concern in her eyes. Her movements hadn't stopped, but they'd slowed and taken on an irregular rhythm, like a half-suppressed reflex. Marie was checking in on her in the middle of her own orgasm...?

Four still hadn't caught her breath well enough to respond aloud, but even if she could, she wasn't sure the words existed to express herself. How could Four ever not be alright, with a girlfriend who showed her such care? She needed Marie to know she was fine, but even more than that, she needed to show Marie her gratitude.

Her arms had fallen from around Marie's back. They still felt weak and heavy, but she could lift them. She would lift them, for Marie. One settled back around her in a sort of loose half-embrace, while the other retracted between their bodies, raising towards Marie's chest. There was no time to second-guess herself, not without keeping Marie waiting. The faster she could communicate that she was good to continue, the sooner Marie would get to go back to enjoying her release. Four owed her every moment she could give. Her hand curled around the soft, hot skin of Marie's tit, gliding her thumb across her nipple.

It got the message across. Immediately, Marie was back in action, affection spilling across her features. She was at full throttle again in an instant, like she'd never stopped. "Cod, you're too sweet, Four." Four found herself smiling weakly, even through her panting. She could tell she was soft by now, but Marie didn't seem to care at all - her motions were more akin to humping than fucking her proper. The fact that Four was still inside her seemed like more of an incidental consequence, just a result of how Marie hadn't actually pulled her hips away by more than an inch since the moment Four came.

Or it could have been for Four. She certainly didn't mind - even if she wasn't hard, being inside Marie while she used her like this felt blissfully intimate. The sensation of it was coaxing her to go limp again, making her arms feel heavier and weaker. She was able to keep the one around Marie's back in place by curling her fingers to find purchase, but she couldn't do that with the other; the idea of touching Marie's breasts with anything less than total reverence was unthinkable. But even with her best effort, she couldn't keep her arm up for more than a few moments, not while Marie was grinding down on her, holding her close, now breathing audibly through her mouth...

Marie shifted her weight forward, straightened her back, and bent Four forward, bringing her face against her breast. "Use your mouth." Four did as she was instructed, parting her lips and turning her head just a bit so they would settle around Marie's nipple. She didn't need to be told what to do next - as soon as she was in place, she started to suck again, running her tongue over it. Overhead, Marie gave another sigh of pleasure. "Good girl, just give in to me again." The change in position had disrupted Marie's rhythm, but after Four's first lick she started up again.

Four's arms sank back down entirely, resting limp on Marie's thighs. She could feel her muscles flexing under the skin to force her and Four's pelvises together, even as Marie's hips rocked forward and back. She had her elbow hooked below Four's underarm to keep her pulled right up against Marie's body, with her hand up on the back of Four's head, stroking softly. The only thing between them was Marie's other hand, continuing its ministrations on her clit. Four couldn't see it, but she could feel the back of Marie's wrist when it would occasionally touch her stomach, navigating in complicated, indulgent patterns.

She let herself be used, pliant for Marie, entirely hers. In that moment, she existed to be under Marie, to suckle and be held and be humped, for whatever Marie would do with her. Even her ears drooped down, flicking once but then settling again as Marie spoke to her. "That's it, just stay right there. That's my perfect girl, I've got you..." A shudder rolled up Marie's back, and she let out a pleased breath. "You really like it there, don't you?" Four gave a quiet hum into her breast. "Mhm, I like having you there too. Just... Ah, just let go, I'll keep taking care of you..."

Gradually, Marie wound herself down. Her thrusts and bucks became gentler, then slower, and eventually stopped. Marie relaxed down onto her. She didn't quite go limp, not like Four had - from what Four could tell, she still seemed to be supporting most of her weight against the back of the couch - but her body still settled down onto Four, stilling, the tense and busy muscles of her thighs finally coming to rest under Four's hands.

Before Four could even start to wonder, Marie addressed her, her voice light and satisfied. "You can keep doing that if you'd like, feels pretty nice. Just ease up on the licking." Four didn't have to put any thought into it; she continued. The hand Marie had been cupping her head with had lowered a little, stroking the back of Four's neck at a slow but not quite lethargic pace. "I didn't get you too worked up again, did I?"

Four shook her head without separating her lips from Marie's breast.

"Oh, good. We should probably get in the shower again, then. I'm not gonna say I regret it, but doing that after we got clean probably wasn't our smartest battleplan."

Marie shifted her weight a bit, retracting one of her legs from around Four's back and lifting her knee. The movement caused Four's hand to slide down off of it, settling in the narrow canyon formed by their bodies, still connected at the waist. Before she could catch herself, she was making an unintentionally pitiful sound into Marie's nipple.

"No?" Marie gave a soft, brief laugh. "Is someone feeling a little needy?" She drummed her fingers against the back of Four's neck.

Four gave a slight nod.

"Oh, it'll be alright. I'll wash you again, you looked like you were really loving that the first time. Isn't that right?" Four hummed. "There you go. You can keep sucking while I get your back and your tentacles. Maybe your arms, if we can make that work. Will that keep you nice and calm?"

There was a bit of a teasing lilt in Marie's voice that made her want to pretend that didn't sound appealing, even as she kept suckling. She gave a slightly cross "Mmh."

Marie snickered, bringing her arm up to rub behind Four's ear. A much less cross-sounding sigh came out of her before she could stop it. "Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say. Come on, pretty squid, let's go get clean. Again."

Before Four could voice any protests - deliberately or otherwise - Marie drew her other leg back, then got up onto her knees. Her breast went up out of reach of Four's mouth, and Four's girlcock fell limp the moment it was freed, slick with some mixture of fluids. Compared to the intense heat inside Marie, the living room felt- oh cod, she was in the living room. They did that in the living room. The door was right there, they were like less than ten feet from the apartment building's hallway. Oh cod. Four felt her cheeks ignite in a blush, and the strength returned to her body; she immediately leaned forward to hide her face against Marie's belly, bringing her arms up to hug around her butt. The positioning was a bit awkward, sure, but she could not keep looking at the living room right now. "Marieee..."

She realized a moment too late that Marie would mistake her embarrassment for more clinginess. Specifically, she realized that after Marie gave a single bark of surprised laughter. "Aw, I know, I'm sorry." Her hand found Four's head, giving it a few pats, and Four made her best effort not to feel self-conscious about how comforting it was. "I'll sweeten the deal a little, alright? If you cooperate for me, we can cuddle up as long as you like after the shower. I'd do that anyways, but this way it'll be a reward. That makes it better."

"I'm going," Four said, staying precisely where she was. It wasn't her fault, Marie was still petting her.

"Good girl." A few seconds passed. "Agent Four, come on. Let go and scooch over so I can grab the towel, I'm dripping. You're lucky I had the foresight to put that under us."

"Mmkay."

Despite her words, she didn't move. Marie seemed to be expecting it the second time. "... Ugh, you're lucky you're cute. I'll pick out some pajamas for you to wear after the shower, is that anything?"

Four did as she was told.