TBATE: A Hero's Return

Follow My Lead

Art, I need you.

The words flowed through his mind first, but they suddenly disappeared as Arthur felt himself engulfed in all kinds of heat. Her abrupt assault on him had left him unprepared to deal with the fire coursing through his body. His face flushed red, and his collar felt tight around his neck. The pit of his stomach burned fiercely and he felt his lungs seizing up. He was having trouble breathing. Tessia had wrapped her arms around his stomach and was looking up at him, a sweet smile on her face. Her mouth was moving but he couldn't make out what she was saying, the blood pounding in his ears drowning out her words.

Despite the layers of clothing from his uniform and her dress, he could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his chest...and something soft that made him want to melt...it felt delicious and heavenly, making him sweat...wait, was that a breast pressing against him?!

No, it was two breasts.

Tessia had...breasts...

He swallowed. Wow. His hands suddenly felt clammy. He felt dizzy.

She was whispering, her voice low, and he couldn't hear her so he leaned in closer to catch her words but he found her breath fanning against his ear and neck, which made him uncomfortably warm again. He resisted making any reaction despite his thoughts. It was either that, or give up entirely and die from embarrassment, and just let her brush his skin with her breath.

Arthur thought there were far worse ways to go than that. He stopped his body from doing the full-on shudder he was experiencing.

"...do this..." she was saying, but he was having trouble following the conversation. Curtis was right, he thought, as he breathed in her scent. She did smell nice. Again, he felt the burning in his stomach and his hands unconsciously pressed her closer to his body, melting at the sensation of having her this close to him.

She was still talking low and he finally understood what she was saying.

"Just follow my lead. You don't have to say anything."

She leaned closer into his form and tilted her head up, smiled again at him, her expression calm, while here he was panting and losing breath, still feeling intoxicated. How could she remain so composed in such a position?

"Please don't frown."

He didn't realize he had been. He kept his gaze on her lips, plump and rosy and pink and glistening. He suddenly remembered their first kiss so many years ago, and a stray thought about wanting another invaded his mind.

"Do you think you can smile at me, Art?"

Arthur found himself unable to think properly, simply following whatever orders she was giving him without a second thought.

"Here he comes." Wait, he?

And Arthur distinctly heard a male voice say, "Oh, Princess Tessia! Sorry! I thought you were alone. I didn't realize you were with someone."

Arthur could hear the disappointment in his voice. He stiffened, ready to rebuke the man.

Tessia pressed a hand to his back as a warning. Still whispering low, still with a smile on her face, she said, "No, don't antagonize him. We need him. He is a human advisor for Darv."

Instead, she slowly turned her head away from his face, smiled at the man, and calmly said, "Lord Alden! I didn't hear you. Was there something in particular you needed?"

She was still holding on to Arthur's arm, still pressed to his side. Her other arm was still at his back. Arthur was barely paying attention to the conversation at hand, instead trying his best to resist the urge to sniff her hair as it tickled him on the chin.