The Consort

Chapter 44: Furniture

He doesn't comment on it at first, ignoring the action and pretending he doesn't notice. I can feel him harden below me, though, his length pressing against my thigh and worsening my need for him.

Desperate for intimacy after being ignored the past few days, I sneak my hand up the hem of his shirt and press it against his bare skin as I bite roughly on his neck.

"Adeline," Heloix grumbles, pulling his head back so it's out of my mouth's reach. "Stop that."

His tone is identical to that you would use on a small child or pet, and in rebellion I grind my hips against his, wanting more attention than I'm getting. I expect Heloix to give in like he usually does, but instead he pushes his chair back and slides me off his lap, forcing me to stand on my own.

"Go wait with John until your furniture comes in." He orders, pointing to the door.

I'm offended by his dismissal, but as I take in his tired face and tight lips I sigh quietly and exit, leaving him alone to his work. Hopefully we will get to spend some private time together tonight.

The hallways are bustling as I search for John, eyes scanning every room until I find him loitering about in the kitchen. He offers me a wide smile as I approach, setting down the bag of flour he holds in his hand.

"Doing some baking?" I ask, jerking my head towards the large bag.

John laughs, shaking his head.

"No, just refilling the containers for the actual cooks."

He quickly abandons the task and moves to stand beside me, linking his arm through mine. "What're we doing today?"

Smirking, I raise my eyebrows suggestively, knowing his hatred for my furniture taste. "My items are coming in today."

John groans, but I can tell he's holding back a smile at my antics. With his arm still looped through mine, he leads us out of the kitchen towards the main entrance where the objects should arrive.

We get a couple of sideways looks from the guards as we pass, and I happily note that the humans don't seem to be throwing me such nasty looks anymore. I need to double-check with Heloix on this but I'm pretty sure that they received their first pay yesterday, and by now all of them should have received a day off.

There's a visible change in their attitude, the hesitancy and fearfulness still there but much dulled and replaced with what I would almost describe as excitement. Much to my enjoyment Heloix has even begun to refer to John by his name, no longer calling him my human boy.

The first time it happened, I ran to John to share the news, but he didn't seem to care much, laughing at my excitement and claiming that he can still tell that Heloix hates him despite what I may think.

"Oh!" John shouts, drawing my attention back to the present. "I bet that's them."

He points to the window that looks outside the main doors, and I follow his gaze until I spot the object in question. A large moving truck is parked to the side. Hurrying forward, I drag John over to the window to get a better look, frowning as I notice that the back is opened and the bed appears empty.

"They probably already brought everything in." John comments, shrugging. "Let's go check."

He doesn't wait for my response before pulling me away from the window towards the stairwell, his long legs moving us quickly down the hallway. As always, we begin the trip upstairs full of energy, but by the time we reach the top floor we are both hunched over panting, struggling to catch our breath.

Once more, John loops his arm with mine, setting the pace as he pulls me down the hallway. His steps dramatically slow as we pass by Heloix's office, despite the fact that Heloix can hear us either way, but quicken once more after we pass the room.