AFTERMATH ---***--- NOTE: This is a tailpiece to the (as yet largely unwritten) story that begins in THE UGLY PRINCESS when Nyan-chan alerts the nasties in Seattle to her location and Benten is forced to kidnap her and bring her through the gate to save Foxy. He has then been persuaded by Foxy that he can't possibly abandon her to the cruel fate that undoubtedly awaits, and the two of them have risked their lives to try and save her, doubtless with assorted vicious rape and torture scenes thrown in 'cos we're NASTY like that. Having allowed the bad guys to think they were winning (cue chained tentacle rape scene in the finest traditions of Manga Entertainment and the rougher end of the Japanese animated genre) she's wiped out the enemy and its minions in no uncertain terms, but has taken a lot of damage and expended all her available energy in the process. Benten has got them all back to Foxy's place, dressed the worst of the damage and got them both into bed, but just when he thinks he might be able to get some sleep himself he hears someone crying. And then... ---***--- He pushed the door of the guestroom carefully ajar and peered in. In the dim light of the bedside lamp, he could see that the covers were pushed back and though the girl's eyes were shut her legs were spread wide apart. She was masturbating in her sleep, but there was nothing sexual about it; she looked like a child sent to bad without supper, sucking its thumb for comfort. As he watched, the source of the whimpering became clear; every time she moved either hand, a streak of new blood appeared on the bandages round her wrists. Benten hesitated, then went quietly into the room. As he lay on the bed beside her she stirred towards consciousness, whimpering again, and he slid an arm round her and murmured something soothing and incoherent, babytalk, *Shhh, shhh, it's OK, I'm here, go back to sleep*. She settled again, her small fingers resuming their movement between her thighs. Another streak of blood appeared on the bandages. Another whimper escaped her. Benten studied her, frowning. He knew the tentacles hadn't penetrated this time, but there was a lot of bruising and the outer labia were swollen and tender. She was so small and looked so tight that even if she wasn't a virgin, anything more emphatic than her own feathery touch would only hurt, not comfort. He knew he was good at handling women, but his experience didn't extend to frightened children too exhausted to be aware of anything; all his women had been willing and experienced; able to let him know what they wanted and unlikely to be frightened or damaged by anything he did. He moved a hand down towards her cunt, one long finger extended, then changed his mind. Putting her hands gently aside, making those comforting baby-noises again, he slid down the bed and flicked her glistening clit gently with the tip of his tongue. She stirred, then quieted, the whimpering replaced by a little sigh of pleasure as Benten worked round the tiny pink rosebud of flesh. She was very wet, she'd obviously been doing this for a while, and the dressings on her raw wrists would need looking at in the morning, but it wouldn't do any harm to leave them until then. For now, his main concern was to get her settled enough to sleep deeply. A frown puckered the bridge of his nose; had he wanted to come every time when he was a child, or had it just been a comfort thing when he was exhausted? The frown deepened as he thought what he'd like to do to any remaining fragments of that elf bastard and his monster; his tongue moved a little too roughly, and she whimpered again. He whispered half an apology then realised it was a different kind of whimper; carefully, he probed a little further down, letting his tongue just penetrate the swollen folds of flesh. She arched, and he could feel muscle tensing; he couldn't tell if he had hurt her or pleased her, but he found himself suddenly shaken with desire, his cock stiffening as his tongue moved back to her clit. *Steady, you bastard. This is supposed to be for her, not you*. He carried on licking and sucking in tiny movements and she got wetter. Her juices tasted very slightly salty, but with an edge ot spice that was different from any woman he'd ever had... *This is not a woman. This is a brave, frightened little girl who just saved your life and Foxy's life, and you're not having her you're rocking her to sleep. For god's sake, Merrill...* Under the bruises her flesh was soft and smooth, honey-gold, cream-gold. He was aware of her whole body, tiny, rounded, sweetly curved. Normally he went for the long- limbed, lean type, but she was so cute, so irresistibly herself... *This is a child. Stop... Oh, she's so wet...* She moaned, arching her back as a huge shiver ran through her, and his balls tightened reflexively. He pulled his tongue away and watched her come, watched the tiny muscle movements across the gleaming wetness, watched the quivering under her skin, wanting desperately to push his dick in between the shining folds and bring her to climax again with him. Years of iron self-discipline let him roll carefully off the bed and back up to the door, but he was shaking, overwhelmed by wanting her and not understanding the strength of his own need. *She's a child... she's not my type... what the hell am I thinking?*... He snatched his hand back from his groin before his fingers could curl round the engorged flesh, forcing himself to watch her as her breathing steadied. After a few moments that seemed like eternity she turned over with a tiny sigh, curling into a foetal ball, her breathing now signalling that she was deeply asleep. He slid into the corridor, shutting the door behind him silently and with enormous care. *We have to get her back to Oedo as soon as she can move, before I...* About to go into Foxy's room again, he hesitated at the open door. The boy was deeply asleep, and while Benten had no doubt that he'd be immediately compliant to his lover's urgent demands if woken, something about that seemed distasteful - almost akin to forcing himself into that tiny, tight cunt while she slept... He went into the bathroom and bolted the door, wanking with furious efficiency, cursing under his breath, asking himself what right he had to describe their late jailer as a bastard. He knew he was tired, overwrought, the strain of all the confusion and tension of the last few weeks coming out now it was all over, now the little fox was safe, now the threat to both children had gone, but still... She was so small, so sweet-looking, yet just hours ago he'd watched her tear a dragon and its team to shreds; and now he wanted her as he hadn't wanted any woman for years, maybe for ever... Tthe physical relief as his cock pumped gobbets of semen through his long, slender fingers didn't help the rage and bewilderment he felt at his own tangled feelings. Finally, cleaned up and outwardly calm, her slid back into Hokusai's huge bed. The little elf turned, eyes half-opening under showers of white hair. Again, Benten found himself murmuring reassurances. *Sssh, it's OK, it's only me, go back to sleep...* As the boy settled again he forced himself to empty his mind, but focus, and sleep, were a long time coming. ---***--- And then, of course, the poor baby goes back to Oedo and finds that Nyan-chan's mother wants to hand him over to gitface... isn't life a bitch? ---***---