Through the Rain

Through the Rain

---Lucas’ POV---

I hate Valentine’s Day.

Most people in Tazmily say that I’m a boy who has shut myself out from the rest of the world, going outside only to work on my Father’s farm with him, never conversing with anyone else. I hate them, saying such bad things about me behind my back… but there’s nothing I can do about it. The fact of the matter is that they’re right. Ever since I pulled the final needle, wishing for life to return to normal not only on this island, but all over the world…

I can only guess that the Dragon of Darkness misinterpreted my definition of “normal.” Which was life on Tazmily returning to the way it was before Porky, before the Pigmask Army… including my Mother and my Brother being alive and well at my side. Whether it ignored this stipulation or simply didn’t have the power to do it I don’t know, but that never happened. Yes, Nowhere Island was restored to normal after the forest fire, but the lives of the people were not. The people who were whisked away to this time by Porky, whose name I can’t even say without venom in my tone, were stuck here. We were forced to give them residence, working tirelessly to expand the town and build new homes for them. And the lives that were lost? We’ve never seen those people again aside from their gravestones. My Mother, my Brother… they weren’t revived like I’d wanted. When I learned of the Dragon’s power, the thought of being able to see them again was what motivated me. To see that it was all for nothing… it tore me up inside.

I really have shut myself out from the world, ever since the day that I released the Dragon of Darkness, usually ignoring people unless addressed by them and never displaying any emotion. The only living beings who ever speak to me – who I even feel comfortable speaking with – are my own Father and Boney, who both insist that this path I’m leading in life is unhealthy for both my body and my mind. I don’t understand their words at all; my physical stamina has been kept at its peak since I’ve been working on the farm and practicing my PSI, and getting away from all of these people who feign sympathy for me has to be the smartest thing I’ve ever done. What could they possibly do to make things better? They say everything will be alright… but I’m not an idiot. I’m a grown man. I know that such promises are empty… after all, they can’t bring my family back. They don’t understand me, no one does…

Or at least, that’s what I thought at first. After almost a year of this fragile seclusion, I’m starting to see the sense in my Father’s worry about my well-being. Not having anyone else to talk to, no one to spend time with other than myself… it’s made me so lonely. Having lived a youth built around the love of my family, even using it as my inner strength to fuel my PSI, made me realize immediately that I hardly have any of it left. I need love, and my family – or what remained of it, rather – could only do so much for me in that regard. I was starting to worry… would I be alone forever? Would I be devoid of genuine love for the rest of my life? Would I never experience what everyone wanted so badly? The thought of it made me cold and scared… but I wouldn’t dare show it to anyone.

But the façade could only work so well. I may act like I don’t need the love of another, but I do. I needed someone to share love with. But who? Who, other than my family, could understand the pain and suffering I’ve went through? The answer hit me like running into a brick wall. There was only one other person that had shut themselves away, someone who often preferred to keep her emotions locked away from public view… Kumatora. The Princess of Osohe Castle. I would’ve known if she’d left her rundown castle that she calls home, unwillingly detecting her own psychic aura as she moved due to how powerful my PSI has become. But I haven’t felt her presence at all since that fateful day. She can only be shutting herself away again, just like before the Pigmask Army invaded.

My curiosity is instantly piqued as I wonder what possible reason she could have for doing this. What has she lost, I wonder? Is she suffering just like I am? I have to know. Ironically, St. Valentine’s Day is the day that I decide to go out. In the spirit of the day and simply for something to do, I buy the materials for making a card – the store clerk is so surprised at seeing me at his store that he nearly fainted – and whip one up. My imagination is in short supply however, so all that I make is a heart-shaped card that reads “Kumatora” on the outside and “Be my Valentine. From Lucas” on the inside. More than likely she’ll either throw it in the nearest garbage bin or laugh heartily when I give it to her, but then again so would I. Maybe it’s just some lame attempt to get interested in the holiday.

When I went out to the castle in the evening, the sky is clouded over. Too bleak for the festivities, but oddly it seems to suit me just fine. I attract many an odd stare from the people bustling around the town, most of which are couples, some even holding hands. I pretend to ignore them as I make my way to Osohe Castle, but inside my heart is burning with jealously. This is why I hate this holiday. Not just because they have found love, but because they have never experienced loss. They live their lives without a care in the world… it makes me sick. They don’t realize that the world can be just as blissful as it can be utterly cruel, snatching their love away in a heartbeat.

Skip to the present time after the long and uneventful walk through the snow-covered graveyard. The gates of the castle come into view, and unsurprisingly they are closed. I walk up to the side of the gate and tug on the string there, a mechanism that rings a bell to notify occupants of the castle that they have visitors. Again unsurprisingly, the gate remains shut. The polite person would answer the door for those who ring their bell, but I know that Kumatora isn’t one for formalities. Regardless, I’m with nothing else to do; I ring again, but with the same result. Which is nothing. My free hand – the one that isn’t holding the Valentine’s card – closes and shakes in frustration. It’s not as if I was really expecting her to come and let me in, but I still want to see her after all this time.

The crackle of thunder snatches my attention from me. I look up to the sky, and a torrent of raindrops splatter on my face. As if this day couldn’t get any worse already. Normally I wouldn’t mind this rain, but my Valentine’s card is another story; I stick under my shirt for protection. Not to mention that rain in the wintertime is very cold… the town is a good distance away from here, and I’m not wearing clothing suited for the season; I’m actually wearing my traditional stripes and denim shorts, not planning on being outside for too long and I hate heavy clothes. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it back home safely, so now I’m left with nowhere else to go. I ring the bell again; if she doesn’t answer this time, I swear I’m going to blow this gate down…

---Kumatora’s POV---

I hate Valentine’s Day.

It’s not like I’ve ever actively participated in the holiday, but I know what it stands for: love, simple as that. It’s something I’ve never really, truly experienced. I’ve never really had parents – except for the Magypsies who raised me, but they weren’t my real parents – and I’ve never had a boyfriend... probably because I’ve never really gone out, but what was there to do out there in Tazmily anyway? Granted, there were ghosts instead of living people in the castle, but they’re still people nonetheless. I guess I’ve never really gone out because there was nothing I could do out there that I couldn’t do in here… besides, after the Dragon of Darkness was released and restored the world – or at least that’s what I think happened – people were no doubt getting their lives back to normal. I haven’t heard so much as a word from Lucas or Duster since the blonde kid pulled the last needle… Locria – or Fassad, rather – is one Magypsy I definitely won’t miss.

Of course… I may only be acting all macho, but inside I’m a wreck. It always happens on this damned holiday. People getting all soft and playing hanky-panky with each other… it makes me sick. Of course, I could just be thinking that because I’ve never tried it myself… in fact, I’ve tried not to think about it. I’ve even went so far as to not be so much of a girl, letting my hair be a mess and stuff… a little known fact about the robe I usually wear is that it used to be the King’s. I guess that’s why that one girl mistook me for a man down at the moat three years ago… the only reason I remember that is because it reminded me of how much I used to want a man in my life, despite having grown used to – and even liking – this tomboy personality I developed for myself. The challenge of doing both the duties of the man and the woman was enticing, and there hasn’t really been a need for my feminine side other than when I went undercover as a waitress.

But despite all the effort I put into not being a girl, I know deep down I am one, one in need of love. It makes me sick to my stomach to suggest it, but I can’t deny the truth. I’m staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom right now, laying in a thin, pale-blue and sleeveless nightgown instead of my usual robe; as much as I like it, it’s simply too hot to sleep in, even in the winter. But despite how much I try, I just can’t fall asleep. My thoughts are too focused on what I’ve been missing on this holiday…

All of the sudden, the gate bell rings. I sit up in disbelief; that bell still works after all this time? But who could be there? I briefly consider getting up to open the gate and let the visitor in, but decide against it… what possible business could any of Tazmily’s residents have here? They never needed me for anything before, and I doubt they do now… I lay back down and try to get to sleep again, but am disturbed by a second ring of the bell. I growl; whoever it is at the gate doesn’t seem to know how to take a hint. Oh well… if I ignore him for long enough, he’ll go away eventually.

The sky suddenly claps with thunder, and rain starts to fall. Finally, a less-disturbing noise for me to focus on and let me get some sleep. But before I can focus on it, the bell rings again. I’m getting irritated now, but shrug it off. The rain will be motivation enough for the poor sap at the gate to leave me alone.

Or so I thought. After a little while passes and I think the visitor is gone, I hear an explosion, and I can tell that it’s definitely not another thunder clap. It came from the gate. What the hell is going on down there!? Did whoever was down there blow the gate up or something? I’m officially pissed off now. If he wants to see me that badly, he’s gonna get me. Along with my fist for damaging my home. I get out of bed and slip my usual gown on and march down the floors of the castle, glancing out the windows as I go to see the gate down, with a sizable piece of it missing and the area around that missing piece smoking. Son of a bitch… he really did blow it down! Oh, he was gonna get it now!

But when I get down to the entranceway of the castle, I see that a group of Osohe ghosts are crowding around the intruder. They’re probably no happier about the vandalism than I am. “GRAAH! I’m not in the mood for this! PK FIRE!” That voice… I remember that voice. My senses flare as the unmistakable aura of PSI starts to gather around the intruder. It couldn’t be… could it? I instinctively jump back as a torrent of flame sprays out from the gaggle of ghosts, succeeding in scaring them off, some of them with burning sheets.

When the fire is out of the air, there is no mistaking him. “…Lucas?” I mutter out. He turns to me. It’s definitely him, his usual clothing dripping with water and his hair matted down by the hard rain outside. I can tell that he isn’t happy.

He turns to me. I can’t see his eyes through his flattened hair… it never occurred to me how much hair he really had on his head, probably because it was always done up into that swirl. “When someone comes through freezing-cold rain and rings your bell, you’re supposed to let him in.”

I wince at both his anger and his sarcasm, two things that I definitely don’t remember Lucas ever demonstrating in all the time I travelled with him. “Well… you’ve gotten quite the attitude.” Unfortunately I can only give him slight irritation in return; seeing Lucas like this, seething and angry after all this time… I remember him as a shy, kind little boy. I’m just too surprised. It looks like he’s about to say something, but all of the sudden he collapses to his knees. “Lucas!?” I rush over to him in concern, noticing a raggedness in his breathing that I didn’t hear before. I couldn’t tell with the dim lighting in this room, but his skin was red. I touch his arm, and my eyes widen in shock. He’s freezing, and badly. “S… stupid kid! What were you think going out in the snow and rain in these clothes!?” I scold him.

“It wasn’t raining when I left!” he retorts. “And I wasn’t planning to be outside for so long…”

I notice his words lose their edge in that moment. His consciousness was faint… the ghosts attacking him wasn’t helping his current condition. I quickly pull him tightly into my arms, trying to warm him up… but there’s not much I can do about it with him still in those wet clothes. “Damnit… you need to get warmed up.” I tell him. His shirt wasn’t doing any good the way it was, so I quickly yank it off of him. I pick him up into my arms again, carrying him with my upstairs. He didn’t resist, I assume he was too weak to.

---Lucas’ POV---

I struggle to stay conscious as I converse with Kumatora. I’d waited patiently for her to open the gate, trying not to get on her bad side, but my patience and time had run out. I needed to get out of that rain. “Damnit… you need to get warmed up.” she tells me, and my arms are suddenly thrown upwards as she rips my shirt off of me and pulls me into a tight embrace. Well… it’s definitely warmer than that soaked shirt. But still, this is embarrassing… I want desperately to tell her that I can handle myself, but I’m too disoriented. Having been forced into an adrenaline rush by that surprise ghost attack sapped the energy I was using to move under my own willpower, so I was helpless. Besides, I doubt she’d take no for an answer anyway.

I try to keep my eyes open, focusing on that to keep myself conscious as the world literally spun around me as Kumatora carried me throughout the pathways of Osohe Castle. It abruptly stopped when she set me on the floor of a washroom and started running water. I have a chance to regain my composure while she waits for the water to warm up, just in time to see her working to get the rest of my clothes off. Okay, this is getting too awkward. I lazily hold my palm out to her, and she stops in her tracks. “I know you’re trying to help me, but jeez…” She seems confused at first, but then looks down at my pants and blushes a deep red… that’s the first time I’ve ever seen her blush. I reason that she was more focused in helping me than worrying about privacy. “I can do the rest myself…” I tell her, and she looks at me and nods before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

I strip the rest of my soaked clothes off and crawl into the shower…it’s a welcome change. I cuddle myself up into a ball with my arms around my legs, letting the water warm me up.

---Kumatora’s POV---

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I curse myself for being so rash. What was I thinking!? He did have to get out of those wet clothes, that was for certain. But in my haste, I hadn’t really thought about what I was doing… I’d almost just ripped all of the kid’s clothes off like some kind of deranged pedophile! The thought makes my stomach turn… how could I have almost done that to the poor kid?

I need to get my mind off of this. Looking for something to do, I decide to get something for Lucas to wear. He definitely wouldn’t be going back home in that weather, and he couldn’t be stark naked all night. I search the musty wardrobe for something his size… but the closest I can find is another king’s robe similar to mine. It’s the smallest thing I can find unfortunately, so I head back down to the washroom and open the door ever so slightly and toss it in before quickly closing the door again.

So, that left Lucas to take care of himself… now what? Thinking back, I tossed his shirt off of him and didn’t do anything with it… I guess I’d better go pick it up before the ghosts get to it. I backtrack down to the entranceway and find the shirt sprawled out on the floor like I’d left it. But as I pick it up, I feel something strange inside of it… at first I think it’s a ghost using the shirt as a blanket for whatever reason, but when I shake out its contents, instead drops out a soaking wet… card? Curious, I pick the card up. It’s in the shape of a heart… a Valentine’s Day card. Of course, this damned day isn’t over yet. I’m about to crumple it into a ball, but then I see the writing on the front… my name. Why would this card have my name on it? Curious, I open it up and read the inside.

“Be my Valentine. From Lucas.” I read out loud. My heart almost stops. It’s short, but it definitely gets the point across… Lucas made this card. For me. And here I thought the blonde kid had forgotten all about me over the past few months… and all of the sudden here he is, bringing me a Valentine’s card. And what do I do? I almost left him to freeze to death! “Stupid… you… stupid girl…” I say, tears starting to line my eyes…

---Lucas’ POV---

After a few minutes of soaking in this steamy water, I feel so much better. I step out and dry myself off with the nearby towel, and then slip on the robe that Kumatora threw in here. It’s as big as it looks; my arms don’t even come out of the sleeves unless I roll them back. I have to have my arms up constantly to prevent it from slipping off, holding it close to me like some kind of emergency blanket… but looking at the wet and freezing clothing on the floor, I guess it’s better than the alternative. Besides, she was the only person in this castle that doesn’t wear a bed sheet, so the chances of her having male clothing isn’t very high.

I almost trip over this thing trying to walk, so I find myself picking up the sides of the dress so I can move freely. I exit the washroom, finding Kumatora leaning against the wall across from me. I notice the solemn expression on her face… nonetheless she asks me, “Feeling better?”

“Yes, much better… thank you.” I reply. I notice that she’s holding two things. The first is my still-dripping shirt, and the other is… my Valentine’s card. A lump settles in my throat as the situation takes an awkward turn. “Uhh… I see you got my card…”

“…Yeah…” she answers with some hesitation. “Just so you know, I really don’t like Valentine’s Day…”

Really, I’m not surprised to hear that. “Neither do I.”

Nor am I surprised to see Kumatora’s eyes go wide. “…You’re joking.” she says flatly.

“I wish… I used to. But I’ve hated it ever since…” I stop there, not wanting to revisit that pastime. I look away from her and mutter, “Nevermind, it’s nothing.”

But she can plainly see that is isn’t “nothing,” as she retorts right away. “Lying doesn’t suit you, Lucas.”

I look back at her in anger. “Let me reiterate. It’s nothing that concerns you, so back off!” I bite back. I see her expression change into one of shock, mouth hung open and eyes wide. Neither of us speak for a brief moment.

“Wh… what was that for!?” she suddenly roars. “I didn’t even do anything! Why did you go and bite my head off!?” At her sudden outrage, I have no reply, because I don’t even know why myself. All I can do think back on what I just said with eyes wide in disbelief. Have I really become so vicious? If I wanted to tell her I didn’t want to talk about it, I definitely could’ve made the point clear with the rage… “Lucas… what’s happened to you?” Kumatora suddenly asks me, her voice no longer stained with anger, but with pity. Her eyes show concern. “You used to be a sweet kid, but I don’t even need PSI to see how angry you are now…”

“I… I…” This time I have the answer, but I can’t put it into words. Why am I acting so rude? This definitely wasn’t what Mother taught me… but it’s not like she’s here to discipline me for it… have I lost my way without her to guide me? It seems to have taken someone other than members of my concerned family to make me notice that. All I can do is look at her with my eyes starting to water.

---Kumatora’s POV---

I can hardly believe what I’m seeing or hearing. This can’t really be Lucas, can it? The shy little boy who was afraid to hurt a fly, forcing himself to fight for the greater good… replaced by… someone so similar to me it wasn’t even funny. I only said the slightest insult to him, telling him that lying wasn’t a good idea, and he retorts like that? God Lucas, what’s happened to you?

Seeing him now at the point of crying reassures me that the old Lucas isn’t completely gone. I can’t just leave him like this… I walk up to him and kneel down in front of him, dropping his shirt and card and taking him into my arms again, this time for a hug instead of getting ready to carry him. All of the sudden he throws his arms around me, holding onto me like some kind of lifeline before he lets his tears flow. I’m surprised at his strength, even as he shivers. I do the only thing I can think of to help him; put my hand behind the back of his neck and rub gently, whispering “shhh” sounds into his ear to try and calm him down. I obviously don’t have much experience with comforting others, hell I can’t even comfort myself. The only reason I know what to do is from falling back on memories of what the Magypsies did for me.

“My… Mother…” he suddenly said through his whimpers. “I’ve… hated Valentine’s… ever since she died four years ago…”

I barely believe what I just heard. His mother was… dead? I briefly think of asking him how it happened, but I decide not to… that definitely wasn’t any of my business. But his Mother being dead… I never knew he was missing a parent. Could this have been why he chose to fight against the Pigmask Army, for revenge? No, he wasn’t that vicious… but there was one other reason he was fighting. Suddenly, the boy’s life all comes together for me, like the pieces of the puzzle. “I… see… I think I get it… you thought the Dragon’s power would revive them when you released it… but it didn’t, did it?” He looks up at me slowly, his tear-stained eyes wide. “And then, you were so depressed that you shut yourself out from everything you could… afraid that you’d lose whatever happiness you gained…”

“You…” he mutters, his voice strained with disbelief. “You understand… how…?”

I hesitate in answering him at first, but see that there’s no point in it. This is probably the one person on this entire, forsaken island that could have any real sympathy for someone like me, so why keep quiet about it? “Because I’m the same way, kinda… I was raised by the Magypsies, I never knew my real parents… no one to relate to, no reason to go out to the outside world… I’ve never left these walls for as long as I can remember, until the Pigmask Army came…” I tell him.

His tears are starting to dry up, looking at me attentively. “You were afraid you wouldn’t fit in with the rest of the villagers.” he says flatly. I nod. “And then you got evicted because of the Army… its left you confused, hasn’t it?”

I groan, lowering my head. He’s absolutely right. “It’s true… I might look like some kind of macho man on the outside, but honestly, I’m torn up inside…” I tell him. “Watching my only family vanish into thin air, fighting for all these people I don’t even know or care about… who don’t even know me, even… I’ve lived only for myself, never feeling anything…” I look into his eyes. I’m not surprised that they’re filled with pity. “You’re lucky, Lucas. Your Mother might be gone, but… at least you had one. Someone to show you what love for others really is. Me… I don’t have anyone… and since I’ve locked myself in here, I don’t think I ever will… everyone thinks I’m some kind of ugly manlady…”

That’s it. I can’t hold it in any longer. The tears, the raw emotion that I’ve been bottling up for all of these years starts to come out.

---Lucas’ POV---

If I weren’t someone who had nearly killed my emotions myself, I wouldn’t be able to grasp in the slightest the sight of tears falling from Kumatora’s eyes. I knew that she was brought up by the Magypsies, but… never once seeing or knowing her real parents? I couldn’t imagine my life being like that, without a Mother at all… no matter how caring the Magypsies were, they weren’t Kumatora’s real parents. They couldn’t teach the concepts of love for yourself and for others like her own flesh and blood can. I feel like I know her so much better now… it must be terrifying, afraid never to have someone to love, to never experience for yourself just what it is.

“Kumatora… that’s not true…” I tell her in regards to her last comment. I wipe the tears from her face, and she opens her eyes to look at me. “I like you… and I think you’re pretty…”

She just looks at me for a moment, then turns away with irritation in her expression. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better…”

“N-no, I’m not!” I assure her, a little louder than I’d planned on saying it. “I’m serious… I’ve never told a lie in my life, and I’m not starting now…I’m sure underneath those baggy robes is a beautiful young woman…” She doesn’t respond. It’s a bad thing that people think you’re ugly, no doubt, but it’s even worse if Kumatora herself thinks that. But she is beautiful, I’ve seen it before! Not her whole body full frontal naked of course, but some accidental glimpses once or twice when we were at the hot springs… but how am I going to convince her? Think, Lucas, think… and that’s when it hits me. It’s risky and will probably get my skull caved in, but if it’ll change her mind…

I cup her cheek and lean my head in towards hers slowly, turning her head towards me. Taking the chance, I press my lips against hers. She squeals in surprise, and her body goes rigid. I prepare myself for the worst, but I’m more than pleasantly surprised when she eventually relaxes. Not just because she isn’t beating me down, but from the sudden euphoria and strange sense of calm. This is actually my first kiss… and I assume it’s hers too, and what a surprise it is. It’s as if time has stopped for me until I pull away from her and open my eyes. Her cheeks are flushed red, and her eyes are wide. “W… why…” she breathes out.

I’m still a little dazed from those earlier feelings, but I still ask her, “If you’re as ugly as you think you are, would I kiss you?” She just stares at me for a moment. “You’re not a manlady to me, and you’re definitely not ugly. You’re you, and that’s all that matters. I like you for who you are.”

“Oh, Lucas…” she mutters, taking my hand into hers. “You really think that…?”

“I know it.” I reassure her. “If I could prove it to you, I would.”

---Kumatora’s POV---

He kissed me… this boy, who had barely just gotten into his teenage years, kissed me… I should be disgusted, but… I’m not. If I were, I would’ve pushed him away. Instead, I felt… calm. Like all of the anguish I was feeling just vanished for that short, sweet moment. What he did, what he said… I’ve never viewed myself as an attractive woman, especially after that little girl by the river mistook me for a man… but to hear those words from Lucas, to see him so willing to prove me wrong about this, makes me so happy.

No, Lucas’ actions have turned me away. In fact, I find them somewhat soothing… and enticing at the same time. It’s weird. Eventually I snap out of my thoughts, Lucas is probably waiting for a response. But I can’t form one through words… well, we’ve already kissed once. I slowly pull his face into mine and put him in another liplock. I hear a surprised noise escape his throat, but he doesn’t make anything else of it. He closes his eyes, and I close mine. But I take it a step further than that, trying to slip my tongue into his mouth. He doesn’t resist for very long, trying to mimic the gesture. A pseudo-wrestling match between our tongues begins as I hold him close, rubbing his back and the back of his head. It’s weird, doing something like this with someone so young… but it feels so right. It feels so good… what is this feeling? I want to feel more, and in my haste I push him to the ground.

But I can’t forget that he’s still a child. I quickly pull away from him, looming over him. Both of us are breathing hard, but he’s in more of a daze and blushing feverishly. “I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that…” I rasp out. But I can’t deny that I enjoyed it…

For a moment, he doesn’t move. I’m afraid that I’ve hurt him, but eventually he says, “That felt… good…”

I look at him curiously. He actually enjoyed that bit of spontaneous lust? “What did it feel like?” I wonder.

“I… I don’t know how to describe it… but, I want to do it again…” he says. “Can I?”

I can’t help but grin, his curiosity in this situation is amusing. It’s awkward, but even if he just turning teenage now, it doesn’t feel wrong.

---Lucas’ POV---

For a minute I think I’ve said something stupid, why else would she be smiling? But regardless, she kisses me again, and that euphoria returns. The feeling of her hands roaming me like that… it was both soothing and exciting at the same time. I wonder how she’d react if I did that too? I give it a shot, wrapping my arms around her back and rubbing it. I’m a little surprised when I hear a light moan. I’m afraid I did something wrong, but when she pulls me into a tighter grip those worries go away. We lay here, writhing on the floor as we kiss, and I love it. My motions are starting to be less thought-out and more instinctual, but I still have the sense not to rub her too low.

Eventually we break the kiss, less quickly this time, and her eyes aren’t wide this time. Her eyes are glazed over, she’s blushing and even shaking a little. “What’s wrong? You’re shaking…”

“I… L-Lucas…” she stutters. “I’m not sure if I can keep going… I don’t want to take things too far… I mean, you’re still a kid and… I don’t want to do something we’ll both regret…”

I can feel the worry in her voice. “Go to far…” It’s then that I realize just where we’re both headed with this situation. “You mean… make love?” That’s when her eyes widen in complete surprise. “I’m not totally ignorant… Dad gave me the talk…”

She eases up a little. “Well… at least you know what’s going on…” she mutters. “But… seriously… I won’t do something you don’t want…”

It’s something I have to think about. Losing my virginity is a big deal… you’re supposed to give it to the person you love. But really the closest person I have to a girlfriend, the only person who really understands me, is on top of me right now… “I… I don’t mind, Kumatora…” She looks at me anxiously. “No one should be alone on Valentine’s Day, anyway…”

Okay, that was cheesy, but it got the point across. “You’re… sure about this?”

I nod slowly. “I’m sure…”

Nervously she lowers her face down to resume our kiss, but within a small moment we both regain that passion. I can tell that she wants… no, needs this as much as I do. This time our actions are unhindered by any kind of doubt, and I can feel myself spiraling into a mindset of pure, lustful instinct with each move we make. Gone are the inhibitions of age and feelings.

This time we break the kiss slowly, taking the time to revel in the sweet feelings. Kumatora gets off of me and grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet. She starts guiding me down the hallways, and I don’t resist. I have a fairly good idea of where we’re going, and I’m correct; she opens a door and almost shoves me into her bedroom, and intentionally shoves me down onto the bed. I watch with fascination as she pulls up on her robe and throws it off, revealing a thin, light-blue nightgown. She crawls back on top of me immediately afterward, resuming our kiss. I run my hands along her back, feeling the warmth of her skin through the fabric. She responds by moaning into my mouth and sliding her hands through the wide collar of my robe, massaging my back. I moan as well, enjoying her warm hands against my skin.

Suddenly she thrusts her hips against mine, pressing against me sensually. With this sudden stimulation to my growing arousal, I break the kiss and gasp audibly, wrapping my arms around her back. I want her to do that again. Our eyes meet, and she smirks at me. “Do you like that?” she asks seductively.

“Y-yes…” I rasp out, begging her to continue. She thrusts forward again in a repeated motion this time, grinding our hips together slowly and sensually. The bliss and the heat are sapping my strength, letting my arms slide off of her. She smiles at me with a lustful stare, moving her head down to my neck and planting a kiss there. “Ah…” I whimper out, quickly getting overwhelmed but these new and exciting sensations. Her hand starts rubbing my chest under the robe. I groan at the touch. I gaze up at the ceiling, letting her have her way with me… I know she won’t hurt me.

Suddenly she tugs on the collar of my robe, taking her attention off of my neck for a moment to look at me. “Can I?” she asks simply, tugging on the robe again. I know what she wants, and I nod slowly. Gently she pulls up on the robe, and I sit up to let her take it off of me. She throws it away, and I blush when I realize I’m naked in front of her and that she is gazing at my body.

---Kumatora’s POV---

I can only look at the timid boy in fascination. For someone at the tender age of thirteen – or is it fourteen? – he has a decently-built body. If his father acted anything like the cowboy he looked like, he was sure to have worked the boy hard. Seeing his nervousness, I kiss him on the lips once more and ease him back down to the bed before I let my hands travel along his chest. He’s so warm… I feel him shudder at my touch. He’s getting anxious… I won’t keep him waiting any longer then. I creep my hand down his chest and grab hold of his erection, and he moans with surprise into my mouth. I stroke it slowly to begin with, not wanting to frighten or hurt him. We break the kiss and look at each other. His eyes are glazed over. “Kuma…” he moans out. I can’t help but smile broadly at him, realizing that he’s at my mercy.

I slide down his body and look at his shaft. It’s a decent size for someone his age, and gradually getting bigger. “Ooh, looks like the little kid has turned into a man…” I joke, just loud enough for him to hear. I look at his face, which is unsurprisingly flustered. Not wanting to deny him any longer, I tentatively lick the head of his member, swirling my tongue around it before lowering my mouth over it. The moment my lips touch it, Lucas’ eyes roll back into his head, and he throws his head back into the pillows and cries out. Is he really that sensitive there? Then I remember that, like me, he’s still a virgin… I have to make sure to make his first experience a great one. I slide his entire length into my mouth, then take it out almost completely before putting it back in again, all the while licking it softly.

“K-Kuma! I… I… ah!” he shouts out, starting to squirm around. He’s grabbed the bedsheets on either side of him, his every breath becoming audible. It can’t be long now. To my surprise his hips are starting to thrust upward of their own accord, demanding more treatment from my mouth, demanding release. “I… I can’t…!” he breathes out. I decide to take advantage of this, moving my hands to grasp both sides of his bosom and plunge his shaft as far into my mouth as I can.

That did it. With one last cry of bliss, Lucas’ back arched and I could feel his entire body tense up as his hot seed fired off into my mouth. It tastes good… and oddly satisfying. I remain like that, drinking up every bit that comes out. After a good moment or two, his spasming stops and he slumps back down onto the bed. I finally let his softening manhood out of my mouth and look at him. His chest rises and falls as he struggles to recover his lost air and energy, and his eyes are staring at the ceiling blankly. A deep blush is on his cheeks.

---Lucas’ POV---

Euphoria. That’s the only word I can use to describe what just happened, pure euphoria from when my seed shot out to now. My mind is so out of whack that I barely register Kumatora climbing on top of me again, looking down at me with a wide smile. “How was that?” she asks me.

“A… ma… zing…” I have to breath out the word by a single syllable, there simply isn’t enough air in my lungs to speak clearly with right now.

I suddenly see concern on her face. “You’re exhausted… did I hurt you?” she asks me. I shake my head slowly. The closest thing to pain I felt was the burning in my member before I came, and that was more pleasurable than painful. “Here, you have a turn on me now…” she says, reaching her hands down to the bottom of her nightgown and lifting it up, discarding it like she did our robes.

My eyes grow wide as, for the first time, I see Kumatora in her full glory. Now I can’t bring myself to even believe that she thought she was ugly before… her body is perfect as far as I’m concerned. Her legs are long, her hips are wide and her breasts are plump and firm… she’s had such a body hidden under that robe this entire time. Even though I knew she was beautiful before, I’m still blown away. “God… you’re so beautiful…”

---Kumatora’s POV---

No matter how many times I hear Lucas call me “beautiful,” I’ll never be able to get over it. Especially now, sitting naked before him. His words can’t be lies, I’m sure of that now… have I really forgotten how beautiful I really look since I’ve been wearing those king’s robes all the time?

I extend my hand to him, and he takes it so I can pull him up. Immediately he presses himself against me and pulls me into a kiss with what little strength he can must right now. I’m certainly not going to resist, and the contact of our bare skin just makes this even more exciting. His hands then move down to my waist, gently touching my sides… but I notice that his hands are circling them and doing nothing else. He clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing. I break the kiss, and he looks up at me nervously. He’s practically pleading for instruction. I take one of his hands and guide it up my chest, putting it on top of my right breast. “You can feel them… move them around…” I tell him.

He seems a little reluctant at first, but eventually Lucas does as he is told, giving a light squeeze. I purr a little, sliding my arms around his neck and letting them sit on his shoulders. He’s looking at my breasts with an almost clueless expression on his face… it’s so cute that I can’t help but laugh. Apparently he takes this as an incentive to press on, cupping the underside of it in his hand and rubbing it around. I let out a relaxed sigh as he starts to take the initiative. “It’s so soft…” he tells me, before taking his hand up to the other one. But instead of rubbing it at first, he brushes his thumb along the nipple.

I surprise myself when I gasp and arch back slightly… I can’t believe how sensitive I am there. “That’s it, play with them…” I say. I can tell he’s feeling a little more confident now, caressing both of my breasts with his hands and occasionally touching my nipples. But he’s still going a little slow, so I decide to pull his face into one of them. He lets out a muffled groan, but as I guide his mouth to the nipple, he gets the idea and takes a tentative lick. My head is thrown back and I moan, surprised at how good it feels… I’m not going to lie, I’ve masturbated before, but it’s an entirely new experience when someone else is doing this. I run my hand through his hair, prodding him to keep doing that.

---Lucas’ POV---

It’s kind of ironic when I think about it. Back when I was journeying with Kumatora, I probably would’ve fainted at the mere idea of doing something like this with her. And yet now, I can feel myself getting more confident as I go on, playing with her breasts and licking them. She’s almost encouraging me to experiment with her body, but I’m mostly afraid that I’ll hurt her… but I know that Kumatora would simply shrug most pain off.

I find myself starting to kiss and suckle on the mounds of flesh almost instinctively. “Ohh… Lucas…” she purrs… but that’s nothing compared to when I suck on the nipple. She suddenly cries out, almost cramming my face into her breast now. She wants me to do that again, and I oblige her. “Ahh…” she moans. “Just like that…” It feels oddly satisfying to hear her crying out like that. I can feel my strength and my arousal building up again.

I can feel her starting to shuffle her legs around… before I can ask what’s wrong, she takes my hand off of her breast and guides it down between her legs. She’s making me rub her most intimate regions, and I can feel her body become tense. Getting the idea, I start rubbing along there while I used my mouth and free hand to keep some of the attention on her breasts. It feels strange down there, I can definitely feel an opening… curious, I slip my index finger inside and rub it around. She throws her arms around me and groans, holding onto me tightly, but not tight enough to hurt me. “I… did I hurt you?” I ask worriedly.

“N-no, I’m fine… keep going…” she says into my ear in a quiet but strained voice. I’m not totally convinced, but I trust her. I rub my finger around inside of her, eventually slipping a second one inside, much to her delight. It feels wet and tight in there… suddenly, her hips start to move, thrusting onto my fingers and moaning. I get the message; I start pumping my fingers in and out of her, and she grasps onto me tighter. “O-oh… oh… ff… fuck…” she whimpers. I’m surprised when she swears, but I’m not deterred.

But I need to satisfy my curiousity. What is down that that’s giving her so much pleasure? “Kuma… can I see it?” I ask. She’s reluctant, but she lets go of me and sits up straight on the bed. I crawl down and see a patch of pink hair, and whatever is below it concealed by her crossed legs. I have to push them apart, and then I see a woman’s nether-regions for the first time. I can clearly see that it’s wet… when Kumatora was pleasuring me, she was licking and sucking on my intimate parts. I can’t really suck on that, but I can lick it… will she like it? I think it’s a safe bet since she liked my fingers so much she was thrusting into them… I give it a quick lick.

She suddenly spasms and wails, collapsing onto her back. “Oh God…!” she gasps. That’s motivation enough for me to keep going. I dive my face in and slip my tongue inside of her womanhood, and she starts moaning like I was before. The fluids inside of her taste delicious. I notice her legs starting to twitch and close in on me… it must be a reflex. But they’re in the way, so I have to push them apart while I lap at her. “L-Lucas… ahh! W… wait a minute…”

I stop licking immediately. “What’s wrong?” I ask. She’s breathing hard… her breasts look amazing as they rise and fall.

“I… I don’t want to cum yet…” she tells me. “I want you… inside of me…” All I can do is raise my eyebrow at her, wonder exactly what that means. “Your dick… put it in…”

I look down at my arousal, which is almost at its full length again. Yes, I understand now… this is what people traditionally do when making love. “But… you’re still a virgin… are you sure you want me to do this?” I knew what that meant; her first time was going to hurt.

“Yes, Lucas… I want you to… I need you to…” she urges me. I’m still afraid of hurting her, but at the same time I’m suddenly feeling overjoyed. I couldn’t believe it… Kumatora wanted me to be her first… I couldn’t deny her. I use my hand to steady my throbbing member. I needed this as badly as she does. I guide the head to her entrance, and we both shiver from the sensitive contact. Every fiber in my body was screaming at me to just drive it into her, but I didn’t want to hurt her so badly. I take it slow, sliding it into her as gently as I can.

“Oh my God…” I breathe out. She’s so tight! I worried I might not be able to do this, even with her fluids lubricating it… but I’m still going to try. Slowly I inch it in, and we both whimper from the feeling. Suddenly, I press against her virgin barrier. “Th… this is it… there’s no going back after this…”

“Are you going to second guess everything you do!?” Kumatora shouts breathlessly. “I want you to do this, Lucas… please don’t stop now…”

For a moment, I could see that fire that Kumatora usually had. She really did want me to take her virginity… I couldn’t deny her. I grab her hips for support and close my eyes before plunging in…

Kumatora’s POV

I’ve experienced a lot of pain in my life, but this was off the chart. “AGH!” Even I can’t completely suppress the cry of anguish as my virgin barrier is broken, grimacing and breathing hard through my teeth… it hurts like hell, damnit! I close my eyes tightly, but tears still manage to escape them… I knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant, but Goddamn!

I suddenly feel a weight on top of me, wrapping around me… I open my eyes slightly to see that Lucas is on top of me, arms holding me tightly and his head nuzzled into my breasts. He’s looking at me with utter concern, but at the same time trying to comfort me through the pain… “I… I’ll be okay…” I say, answering his unasked question. “Just… hold still for a bit, okay…?”

He gulps and nods. “O-okay…” He’s shivering, too… it’s his first time sticking his manhood into anyone’s womanhood; fighting the urge to move have to be almost torture for him. To try and take away from the pain we’re both in, I sit up a little and pull him into another kiss. While difficult to do because of his size, it helps to get my mind off of the pain. But in spite of this, it was still an incredible feeling… I feel… well, full. The feeling of having someone inside of me was better than I’d ever imagined. When we break the kiss, he looks at me desperately. “Can I move now…?”

“Y-yes… do it…” I plead with him. The pain has eased a little… it shouldn’t take long to go away completely. Lucas starts sliding himself out of me, grunting lightly as he pulls his hips back. I get more and more anxious as he pulls himself out, worried that he’ll exit my pussy completely… but when he’s almost out, he slowly plunges himself back in. He exhales a slight moan, and I grunt as I tense up and grab the blankets below me for support. I feel like that if I don’t, I’m going to fall off of the Earth… that’s the only way I can describe it.

Lucas starts pulling out and thrusting into me at a meager pace, trying to make sure he doesn’t hurt me. The pain is dying down quickly, unwanted by neither one of us. “K… Kuma… y-you… feel so good…” he says. His hot breath feels good against my skin…

I can see the strain in his eyes. Lucas wants to increase his pace, but he’s afraid to hurt me. But by now the pain from breaking my barrier has died down enough to be ignored. “Faster…” I breathe out. I’m starting to get hot…

---Lucas’ POV---

It’s incredible… I never imagined that making love could feel this incredible. She wants me to go faster, and to me that’s like being freed from a torture chamber. Pushing into and pulling out of her tight, inner walls at such a slow pace was just too much to bare. I don’t waste our time, starting to sway my hips into her and out of her in one fluid motion. I get no complaints from Kumatora, who is starting to moan loudly. I brace myself by holding myself above her with my arms at either side of her head, and I get to look down at her. Her breasts are bouncing back and forth with each thrust I make, and she has her eyes closed while she revels in the pleasure we’re both feeling. There’s no pain or worry anymore. She opens her eyes, and I can see that they’re glazed over.

My instincts are rapidly taking over, I can’t keep up this pace up any longer either… my body is demanding that I start pounding into her. It’s impossible to resist… “More…” she whimpers out. “Faster… ah, harder…!” she begs. I’m in no position to complain. I lay back on top of her and start making shot, powerful thrusts. By God, it feels so good! And I make no attempt to hide it, crying out in ecstasy. Her body against mine, thrusting my sensitive manhood into her like this… it feels so damn good! I can feel us both starting to sweat. Rocking our bodies together so quickly and hard like this is an experience beyond description. Her breasts are bouncing around, sometimes slapping into my face… I decide to grab them and rub them around like before, but I don’t slow my pace. I’m going to cum again really soon…

---Kumatora’s POV---

Both of us are crying out in bliss now… I can’t believe that little Lucas, once the shy little boy who was afraid to hurt a fly, was giving me such pleasure now! The heat, his plunging into me, and now grabbing my breasts too… it was too much! I can feel my orgasm fast approaching. “C… coming! I’m coming!” I cry out, wrapping my arms around him and holding on for dear life.

“M… me too… a-ah!” he replied, actually slamming his staff into me now. I don’t mind at all, I like it rough… oh God, it’s coming… it’s coming… “Coming… coming!” he cries out.

Oh God… this is it… “AHHH!” We both scream at the top of my lungs as pleasure rips through every fiber of my body, making me arch my back and taking Lucas with me. I can feel our fluids gushing into each other as our bodies shake. Neither of us can say anything, hell we can hardly even breathe, but we don’t care… we’re lost in pure bliss.

Finally, or bodies collapse back down, Lucas on top of me. We’re breathing hard, and our hearts are beating like drums. Neither of us do anything for a while, reveling in the afterglow. When I finally do decide to move, I sit up and look at Lucas. He looks at me curiously, but doesn’t object when I lift his head up and kiss him. Rolling him off of me, I slip under the covers of the bed and motion for him to follow. When he slips in, I pull him close to me. He smiles at me and falls asleep quickly, and it isn’t long before I do the same with his warmth next to me…

---Lucas’ POV---

Slowly and lazily, my eyes flutter open. My mind is a little hazy… but when I look over at the sleeping beauty beside me with her arm draped over my chest, the events return to me in a flash. Last night… that was the best night of my life. I can hardly believe that it was Valentine’s Day. I hear a low moan from Kumatora, and she slowly opens her beautiful green eyes. She looks at me for a moment… then smirks. “Morning, lover-boy.” I can’t help but blush, chuckling nervously. She sits up under the blankets and does a stretch, and I follow suit. “Sleep well?”

I snicker. “Is that a trick question?” Her reply is a laugh, before she slips out of the bed and puts on her usual robe. That’s when I remember that my clothes were soaking wet when I’d last seen them. That’s right, neither of us had the chance to hang my clothes to dry… nor could we have because of the storm last night. Shrugging, I crawl out of bed and put on the robe that Kumatora got for me.

“…I think I need to buy some smaller clothes.” Kumatora said.

“Eh-heh… I guess you weren’t expecting a visitor last night.” I joke, rubbing the back of my head after rolling up the sleeve of the robe.

“Well, duh! And definitely not in the middle of the night!” Now that’s the Kumatora I know. “But still…” I suddenly see her arms embrace me from behind. “I’m glad you came. If you didn’t, I think I’d still be all depressed and shit…”

I smile back at her. “So would I… I still hate Valentine’s Day though.”

She smiles back. “Me too.” She turns my head and kisses me on the lips again… and I kiss back in an instant.

It’s a wonderful feeling… I’ve finally found someone who understands me, someone who would care for me. And I’d do the same for her.