A Quick Peek*

I don’t know why I peeked. It certainly wasn’t for the thrill. While my mental fortress protected me from the maddening effects of all the Noise people made, it didn’t differentiate between what I felt from others and what I felt. It was difficult to explain, but it always seemed like I was a third party inhabiting my own body. I understood emotions, even understood what I should be feeling. It was all as an observer however, clinical and sterile.

So when I watched the two having sex, I knew there was an aspect of arousal there but my body remained numb to its effects. The more rational side was thankful. Voyeurism was a dangerous hobby to get into.

Besides, there wasn’t much to be excited about. The only thing that changed since I last peeked was Chloe leaning forward against the bench instead of sitting on it. Adam had flipped up her skirt and was currently busy thrusting against her. With his pants around his ankles, he was more undressed than she was. The only thing I could see from my position was the white skin of her ass and the black pair of panties halfway down her legs.

“Fuck, Chloe. I can’t believe how god damn tight you are,” Adam gasped. His Noise was… bizarre. His lust still dominated what I could see, but there was something else there I couldn’t quite place.

Chloe said nothing. Head down, her hands grasped the bench for support. I could hear her moans from here, matching what I felt in her Noise. Whatever reservations she had before they started were gone now. It was difficult to tell if this was her enjoying the moment or if it was because Adam’s Gift was fluctuating wildly. He was losing control, which was unlike him. I didn’t know much about the guy, but he always maintained control. He was never shy about using his Gift to maintain an iron grip on those around him, yet here he was letting it slip.

The two had completely lost themselves in the moment. The smug dominance Adam maintained had crumbled. The lust in his Noise was growing into something more. He was ****. The way his hands clutched at Chloe’s waist, pulling her against him as he hammered himself against her with all his might. It reminded me of an addict craving their next hit. Nothing else seemed to matter but achieving the elation their addiction granted.

Adam wasn’t the only one experiencing this. The same lust and desire he felt was consuming her as well. She no longer bothered to hide the pleasure she was feeling, her sweet voice crying out in pleasure.

“Fuck! Make me cum. Make me cum,” Adam grunted as something built inside him. “So fucking close.”

I knew the moment he came—they both came. Their combined Noise hit me like a physical blow, causing me to stumble back as their combined Noise unified as one crashed against my mental fortress. One singular emotion, amplified, pure, and all-consuming.

Euphoria.

Back behind cover, I grasped at my chest. Sweat beaded on my forehead as the emotion breached my defenses. I gasped for breath, lungs never pulling in enough to satisfy me. I felt it. Felt it. Few things in life had ever overwhelmed my mental fortress like this. It took everything I had to keep myself from laughing.

Laughing.

I felt… fantastic. Better than fantastic. Overjoyed. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. Scream at the sky. Scream at the world. No one should be this damn happy as my emotions were flooded with this oppressive, invasive emotion.

As an ocean wave eventually withdraws back to the ocean, so too did this wave of euphoria. The crash was so severe, I found myself on my knees. It was as if I had emptied out all at once. The highest of highs, only to collapse into a void of emptiness. I was devastated. A hollow emptiness took root as I struggled against a sluggish heart that no longer had the will to beat.

The roller coaster of emotional swing lasted only seconds before the walls of my mental fortress appeared. All at once, the hollowness disappeared and I was back to normal. Only the hollowness hadn’t disappeared, only my ability to feel it. It was slowly lessening, but I guessed it would have taken some time to recover normally.

Standing, I casually brushed at the knees of my black slacks.

Interesting.

Chloe’s long list of customers made sense now. Whatever that was, it clearly had something to do with her Gift. It seemed Adam’s Gift had amplified the effect of hers, broadcasting it in such strength that it temporarily breached my mental defenses. Some Gifts had odd interactions when combined with another. This one was shockingly strong considering it was limited by his Gift. If that was only a fraction of what he was feeling… Well, that might have been worth several hundred dollars to people with unlimited money.

After a few minutes to collect myself and confirm I was back to normal, I focused on the diverging Noise. As I suspected, there was a lingering euphoria in Adam’s Noise. It was surprisingly prevalent, meaning Chloe’s Gift was quite powerful. She seemed in a much better mood as well. It seemed she got the same boost he had—maybe even more.

Curiosity got the better of me as I peeked back around the corner.

Adjusting his pants, Adam had put himself back together. He was grinning as he fiddled with the sleeves of his uniform jacket. “Worth every dollar.”

“Glad you approve.”

“You free on Friday? I could use a top-off before the weekend.”

“Friday’s my busiest day. You know that.”

“I’ll pay double.”

She hesitated, staring up at him. “I can probably fit you in—”

“Before the others,” he interrupted. When she opened her mouth to protest, he pushed on. “I’m not dropping that kind of money to play sloppy seconds.” He paused long enough to make a point. “Or third or however many you go through a day.”

His words seemed to mute some of the high she was feeling. Anger and dislike swirled in her Noise yet it was absent in her voice.

“Fine, but that'll be extra.”

Smiling, he reached down to give her a condescending pat on the head. “Good girl.”

I ducked back into hiding. He whistled happily as he left, lending him an air of pretentiousness. The door squeaked slightly before it closed with a thud.

“Fucking prick,” she called after him when he could no longer hear. I heard a frustrated growl. “I still have four fucking periods after this! Had to let him cum inside…” There was silence as I felt her Noise shift and radiate the multitude of emotions raging through her as they fought against the euphoria that was looming like the shadow of a stormcloud. Powerful as they were, it was much better when it was only her up here. Like hearing a single song instead of two opposing ones playing at the same time.

Still, it made uncomfortable feelings press against my mind, forcing me to acknowledge they were there. It felt like I was spying on her. At least in a group I could pretend I wasn’t focusing on any specific person.

Closing my eyes, I waited for her to finish so I could leave.

“You can come out now.”

Hearing her speak caused my eyes to shoot open. Was there someone else? Impossible. I would have heard their Noise. That left only one person she could be talking to.

Me.

Mind calm, I weighed my options.