Confidence-Jitters

The team left the arena, the atmosphere charged with a mix of excitement and anticipation. Mei, now officially part of the team, felt a sense of nervous energy. As they walked out, Mei turned to Penny, her voice betraying the nervousness she felt. "When do we bond?" she asked.

Penny smiled reassuringly. "The initial reaction to the essence can be a bit overwhelming, you’re going to want some privacy," she explained. "Let's go to Ethan's room. We can give you some space there."

Ethan nodded in agreement, leading the way to his room. Once they arrived, Penny began a demonstration. "You should start with just pressing your lips to his so that you aren't surprised by the feeling of Essence at first," she instructed. Penny moved in for a quick peck, touching her lips to Ethan’s. “You’ll get a sense for what the essence feels like and from there you can move on to try creating enough essence for the bond to form. Penny kissed Ethan again, this time deeper, pressing herself against him.

Penny stepped away from Ethan, whispering to Mei, repeating the warning about the initial bond being overwhelming. "Alice and I both came when we bonded." She explained. “It’s a lot. Do you want us to leave you alone?”

Mei considered for a moment, wanting privacy but worried it might send the wrong message from the start. Penny assured her that her being comfortable was what mattered, and she and Alice left the room.

Now alone, Ethan and Mei looked at each other from across the small room. Mei put up a confident front, walking directly towards him. She paused as she came close before leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the lips. The trickle of essence caused her to step back, surprised, though she had been warned.

"You said that was just a hint of what it felt like?" she asked Ethan, her eyes wide. The intensity of what should have been a chaste kiss beyond what she had imagined from their descriptions.

“The full bond is a whole different level. We should sit.” He suggested, moving to take a seat.

They settled across from one another. Mei squared her shoulders, more bravado than certainty. “Okay,” she breathed, almost to herself. She leaned in, kissing him, just a moment before she instinctively pulled back, the essence flaring softly.

“That was.. lovely,” he murmured. “But for the bond… it needs to be more. Only if you want to, Mei.”

The intensity of the essence and knowing more was needed caused Mei to hesitate. Thoughts of doubt plagued her as she pulled away and stood up. A look of consternation crossed her face accompanied by a tight, breathless feeling, just for a moment. Her expression shifted, her shoulders straightening as she came to a realization. She spun back towards Ethan, her movements decisive as she moved to position herself on Ethan's lap.

Ethan put a hand on the small of her back, the other resting near her knee as she set herself down. “You’re sure?” He asked. Mei nodded and Ethan leaned in, initiating the kiss. This time, Mei responded with confidence he knew her for. He felt her hand on his chest as her fingers curled into fist, clenching a handful of his shirt. The sensation of the essence built and Ethan pulled her close to him by the small of her back, deepening the kiss. As they broke the threshold, Ethan offered Mei the bond.

She delayed a moment, inspecting the sensation of the offer, enjoying the feeling of the essence before willing her acceptance as she had been told. The power of the newly formed bond washed over her in an explosive wave. Her body tensed as the essence within her spiked and she cried out as she climaxed. The kiss broke as Mei lost focus, letting out a low moan. Her hand gripped his shirt tightly, Ethan holding her steady as she orgasmed.

Mei recovered a few moments later, her legs weak. She felt embarrassed, mentally knowing that she was going to cum, but still feeling unprepared for it, her face flush in the aftermath. Ethan waited silently, giving her a moment to collect herself, helping her as she went to move off of his lap.

The air felt heavy as they sat together, the silence loud. She let out a shaky breath and gave a small, nervous smile. “That was…” she started, pausing, searching for the right words. “It was both more and less than I thought it would be. I imagined it so many times, and somehow it still surprised me” She looks down, then back up at him, a mix of confusion and relief in her eyes.

Ethan saw the confusion and began to explain how she could sense how much essence she had, hoping to ground the moment in some amount of normalcy. Mei followed his instructions, reaching for the pool of essence inside of her. She found it quickly, only to discover she had none remaining after forming the bond, feeling a sense of hollowness there.

"Well, that's disappointing." Mei said, a hint of frustration in her voice. “How can we create enough essence to test the bond?”

“A hug, or sitting close together can create some. We can start there.” He explained. “It’ll take some time, and won’t be enough to do much other than let you experience the Boost momentarily or heal a small wound.”

Mei sat back down next to Ethan, feeling a bit awkward. “This feels ****.”

Ethan nodded. “Yea. That’s also one of the limiters on creating essence. When we first tested it, the essence generated was next to nothing. That changed when we finally let go of our nervousness, just letting what was going to happen, happen.”

“Is it okay if I ask you about that?” Mei asked, resting further back into the cushions, her arm pressing against his.

“Whatever you want to know.” Ethan replied. “We can’t really keep anything like this secret from each other, even if we wanted to.”

“Being with Alice is weird, right?” She asked. “I’m not judging, just well, it’s weird.”

Ethan gave a small shrug in response. “It is. We had spent years planning on forming a team together, even before we had gotten our Class Marks. We were together when our Marks resolved. It was exciting when she got Shock Blade, it was a perfect fit for her. A few minutes later when my Mark resolved, that all came crashing down. Alice left pretty quickly, everything we had talked about and planned for years felt like it was ruined.”

Ethan took a breath, continuing. “Penny brought us back together. I already thought I loved her with everything I had, but she showed me there was even more to give, and I will always be grateful for her. I think Alice and I might have stayed apart if it hadn’t been for her. It was Penny who convinced us to bond. It was super weird. It took us a couple of tries before we succeeded. Penny said we looked like middle schoolers trying not to touch.” Ethan laughed at the memory.

Mei could feel him moving as he gestured while telling the story. She shifted her leg closer to his, not intentional, but not accidental, either. She liked this side of him. The earnestness, the sincerity. It was impossible not to.

“It was right before we met up at your apartment that Alice and I had a chance to talk.” He looked over at Mei. “We decided that pretending things wouldn’t progress would be lying to ourselves. It was that or break the bond, end the team. Neither of us were willing to accept that. From then on we’ve both dove in head first.” He shook his head with a sly smile, remembering back to earlier in the locker room. “It’s still weird, but we’ve both given ourselves permission to enjoy things without worrying about what we’re doing.”

Ethan looked at Mei as he finished speaking. Their eyes met, Ethan catching her looking at him. “Can I try something?” She nodded, cheeks flushing, giving him permission.

He slid his hand over, grabbing a hold of hers, resting their clasped hands on her thigh. She felt a small stir in her chest, followed by the feeling of essence beginning to form. He smiled as he saw her reaction and felt the essence. “It’s not much, but if we keep talking it should eventually be enough for us to use my abilities.”

They sat together like that, chatting until Ethan felt Mei had the necessary essence. “Alright, I think I can manage now. Ready? I’ll start with a heal.” Mei straightened a little, still holding his hand. “Hit me.”

The power washed through her from her hand where they were still touching. All the tiny aches melted away. Bruises, strain, the lingering soreness she’d just accepted as normal from training. She let out a startled breath, surprised at how comprehensive the healing was.

“Oh wow. That feels like I just spent a whole day at some fancy resort spa.” She rolled her shoulders, flexing muscles suddenly loose and painless. “And maybe got a massage from someone with magic hands.”

“High praise,” Ethan said, grinning. “Boost next? Do you have any spells that won’t level my room?”

Mei popped up to her feet, flicking her hand and conjuring her Water Whip. It coalesced beside her as if pulling moisture from the air. “This’ll do.” She let it disperse. “Okay, hit me again.”

As she spoke, she felt a sharp effect fall over her. The power made her feel like she needed to move. With another flick of her hand, she conjured her Water Whip again. It sprang into existence instantly, no buildup, no delay. It thickened, stretched, spiraled around her in coils she’d never managed before, then snapped back, doubling in size as she pushed it further, just because she could.

Ethan watched her from where he sat, enjoying it as she experimented with the Boosted power. She turned back to him, a wide grin on her face. “This is unreal. I trained for a year just to scrape the edge of this kind of improvement and you just handed it to me.” The effects of the Boost wore off as she spoke, her few moments with the power ending as the essence powering the ability expired. She almost felt heavy as it faded away.

Mei dropped back onto the seat beside Ethan, excitement lighting her features. “I can already tell that’s going to be addictive. All that extra power. Is that what a C rank feels like every day?”

Ethan chuckled, unable to keep from smiling at her enthusiasm. “More than that, actually. We figure my Boost roughly doubles your abilities across the board. C-rank is still a whole tier above.”

Ethan noticed the way Mei’s smile faded. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked gently.

Mei shook her head, leaning forward to perch on the edge of the couch. “No, it’s not that. The permanent growth is going to require more than what we’ve discussed.”

Ethan mirrored her movement, sitting forward so they were level. “You’re talking about the imbuing process,” he said carefully. “It’ll take more essence, yes. Like I mentioned before, we can explore ways to generate what you need. Whatever feels safest for you.”

“I have an idea,” Mei interrupted quietly, her tone measured but intent.

Mei drew in a slow breath, steadying herself. “Let’s try something where I’m in control,” she said, her tone quiet but resolute.

Ethan inclined his head in understanding. “Of course,” he replied. “We’ll go at your pace. If we need to adjust, we will. There’s still no pressure to do this tonight if you aren’t sure of it.”

She nodded, though her hands fidgeted slightly in her lap. “Let’s start with something simple,” she murmured. “I’ll begin on my own and see if that generates anything.”

Ethan leaned back slightly, giving her space. “All right.”

For a while, the only sound in the room was the soft rhythm of their breathing. Mei leaned back onto the couch, conscious of Ethan’s presence. She looked away from him, bringing her fingers to her waistband. Eyes closed, she slid her fingers down inside the fabric, surprising herself to find she was already wet.

Dipping a finger lower and dragging the wetness up, she began like she always did. Fingers circled her clit, drawing a familiar pleasure, though no essence was being formed. “It’s not working,” she said quietly, frustration edging her words.

Ethan thought for a moment before speaking. “Essence responds to connection,” he said gently. “It might help if there’s contact between us.”

She hesitated, then gave a small nod. “All right. Just… your hand on my shoulder, maybe.”

Ethan shifted closer, moving slowly so she could stop him at any point. When she gave a faint nod, he placed his hand on her shoulder. His touch was steady, warm, an anchor rather than an intrusion. Mei felt a subtle current stir within her, though it was faint and uneven.

“It’s there,” she murmured, eyes closed. She began to move her fingers again. A spark of essence lit up causing her to draw in a sharp breath. She continued, pushed forward by the new sensation of essence. Moments passed as she teased her clit, drawing forth small spikes as essence. The pleasure was there but plateauing. She paused, unsure of what was happening.

“I can feel the essence..” She murmured, eyes closed. “But it’s not enough.”

Ethan’s voice came softly. “Wait… let me try something.”

Her eyes opened, searching his face. “What do you mean?”

He offered a tentative smile. “Touch is important. May I…?” He gestured lightly toward her hair.

She blinked, caught off guard by the intimacy of the request. But after a moment, she gave a small nod. “Okay,” she whispered.

Ethan’s fingers brushed through her hair. Slow, deliberate movements meant to soothe, not claim. The contact seemed to open something between them; the air grew heavier, charged. Mei closed her eyes again, resuming her touching. The essence responded this time, faint at first, then stronger, threading between them like a quiet current.

Neither spoke. The silence was filled with a cautious trust, a shared concentration. Mei could feel her climax building. Measured, deliberate, under her control. She continued, her breath coming quicker.

She continued to masturbate, her hand moving in faster, deliberate circles over her clit. The essence flowed more freely now, the warmth spreading through her body, amplifying her sensations. She began to mumble under her breath as she came closer and closer to cumming. “Fuck, fuck fuck.” She repeated.

As Ethan’s fingers brushed through her hair, something in him shifted. He had always noticed her confident grace, the calm precision of her movements, the focus in her eyes. In that moment, under the muted light, she seemed luminous. The faint rise and fall of her breath, the concentration softening her expression, the way her hair caught between his fingers.. it all stirred something deep within him.

He **** himself to stay centered, to honor the boundaries she had put up, yet the closeness made his heart quicken.

She must have sensed his gaze, because Mei opened her eyes to meet his. Mei’s pulse quickened as they locked eyes and she felt herself tip over the edge. Essence spiked, filling her completely. She had brought herself to climax dozens of times before, but never one like this, never one that made her feel so present, so vividly aware of every sensation, every shared breath.

When the energy finally settled, she exhaled shakily, feeling both grounded and changed. Ethan’s hand lingered just long enough to ensure she was steady before he withdrew.

“Mei?” he asked quietly.

Mei opened her eyes, a faint, tired smile forming. “Give me a moment.” Neither of them spoke for a long time. Mei sat back slowly, her palms open on her knees, as if afraid that moving too quickly might break the fragile calm.

Ethan watched her, uncertain whether to speak. “How do you feel?” he asked at last.

“I’m good.” Mei looked to Ethan, the implication of the statement stretching between them, neither entirely comfortable, but neither willing to look away. Mei felt inside of her as he instructed and felt her pool of essence overflowing, knowing she couldn’t hold any more.

“You can Imbue the essence, now?” She asked, Ethan nodding in response. She met his gaze, her voice calm but sure. “Then I want to do that, with what we generated.”

Ethan reached out, offering his hand. She took it and felt the pool of essence begin spreading across her body. “The essence. I can feel it moving. It’s warm.” When at last the final traces of essence sank into her core, Mei exhaled slowly.

“After everything, I was expecting more.” She laughed. “Your class really gave you a skill for after care?”

Ethan smiled at the absurdity, laughing along with her. “I’ve learned not to question it.”

Mei flexed her hands as she slowly turned toward Ethan, her expression softening. “Thank you,” she said, sincerity in her voice. “For guiding me through that.” She stood, explaining that she was going to head home.

Ethan stood as well, giving her space. Mei paused at the doorway, glancing back at him. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Text me the training schedule?”

He nodded, inclining his head. “Goodnight, Mei.”