Double Booked

The team arrived at the Dungeon Response Station in the early morning, the sun still hours away from rising. The station was new, having recently been remodeled to turn it into a fortress capable of withstanding monster attack as much as it was an emergency dispatch station. Concrete and steel dominated, the few windows both up high and covered in heavy iron security grills.

They got out of the van, thanking the driver and grabbing their gear from the trunk. They rushed in the cold air, Mei leading the way as they scanned their access badges to enter the warm building. Another verification and they were let past the interior security doors and into the building proper.

The station was buzzing with the activity of shift change, people heading home doubled up with the incoming shift. Operators at their stations, medical personnel chatting with their colleagues as they made coffee, raiding teams carrying heavy gear bags down narrow hallways.

Stowing their gear, they made their way to the briefing room, only to find another team already present, briefing already underway. The station commander, a stern looking woman with silver hair pulled into a tight bun, looked up from her papers as they entered.

"Good morning," she said, nodding. "It looks like we've got a bit of a mix-up today. It seems you were double booked for this shift."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Double booked?"

“Yes,” the commander confirmed. “Another team is scheduled for this shift as well. Since they arrived first, we’ll consider it a free day off for you. You’re dismissed until your next rotation.”

The team exchanged glances. It wasn’t unheard of, but it was unusual. Still, they weren’t about to complain about an unexpected day off.

“Alright,” Ethan said. “We’ll head out then.”

As they left the station, Mei shrugged. “Free day. Not complaining.”

"Any ideas on how to spend it?" Ethan asked.

"Shopping? We could go down to the Mall of America, grab lunch and a movie." Alice suggested.

"I've been wanting to go, I haven't been there since I was a kid to ride the roller coasters." Grace nodded, seconding Alice's suggestion.

"Doesn't open for a few hours," Ethan said. "We could grab breakfast first, maybe that retro diner?"

"Or… We could Imbue." Penny grinned.

Looking around, Ethan saw agreement from Alice and Mei. Grace seemed hesitant, still not used to how casual they were about it, now that the suggestion included her. Ethan caught her eyes, raising an eyebrow, questioning if she was okay with the idea.

She stared back for a moment before nodding. "We can head to my place and leave our gear there."

The team loaded back into the van, explaining to the driver the situation and their plans. Half an hour later, they were packing into the elevator up to Grace's apartment.

The team filed into Grace's apartment, flipping on the lights as the sun was just beginning to crest the horizon. Gear bags were set down haphazardly as they worked their way out of winter boots and coats.

Penny made her way to the kitchen, grabbing a hanging pan on her way in. "Pancakes sound good?" A chorus of agreement sounded out as she began to get to work.

Grace sat down on a stool at the kitchen bar, unsure of what she should be doing. She had invited them here, now what? They'd always been kind enough to keep the Imbuing private from her, but now that she was a part of it she wasn't sure how to start.

Alice picked up on Grace's body language, taking a seat next to Grace and catching Penny's eye. A quick glance towards Grace was enough to communicate that Penny should keep Grace busy. "So, how do you want to do this?" She asked the room.

Grace looked at Alice as if she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure where to start.

"It can happen however you want," Alice said to Grace with a reassuring smile. "Sometimes we go one at a time. Other times, we do it together."

Grace's eyes widened slightly as she processed Alice's words. "Together? What do you mean by together?"

Alice grinned a teasing smile. "Well, Penny and I have Imbued together a few times now, but I think we have time to go one at a time this morning. Can we use the second bedroom?"

Grace nodded, her cheeks flushing at the thought of Imbueing with more than only Ethan there.

"Who's going first?" Penny asked. "So I know how many pancakes to make."

Alice stood up and moved towards the hallway. "Three for me, please." She turned towards Ethan. "Ready?" Ethan nodded and followed Alice, the two of them moving into the second bedroom and closing the door.

Mei walked into the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. "Gonna want some?" She asked Grace, looking sideways at her. Seeing her nod, Mei added an extra scoop of coffee to the pot. Setting the machine to begin, she sat down next to Grace to wait.

"How did you do it?" Grace asked Mei, leaning in closer to her. "In detail, I mean?"

Mei smiled softly as she explained. "Imbueing? I would masturbate while Ethan played with my hair. I kept my clothes on at first, though eventually we got more comfortable together."

The sound of soft moans drifted down the hallway, the thin door doing little to hide what was going on in the room. Grace flushed again, the noises making it more real. Intellectually knowing what she had agreed to was one thing, waiting in line for it was another. The nervousness she was feeling was mixed with excitement.

"The Essence makes it easier," Mei continued, causing Grace to startle from focusing on the sounds Alice was making. "Getting started is the hard part, but once you feel the Essence it gets hard to do anything but keep going, you'll see."

Grace nodded, taking in the information. The sound of soft moans and the rustling of fabric filled the air, a stark contrast to the casual breakfast being prepared.

Penny began to pour the batter, the sizzle of pancakes hitting the pan and filling the air with a delicious aroma. "Who wants to go second?" she asked, her voice cheerful as she flipped a pancake, as if the noises were an everyday occurrence. "You'll probably have time to eat before she's done."

"I will." Mei answered, getting up to pour coffee from the freshly brewed carafe. "We can let Grace-" a loud moan from the hallway cut Mei off. "We can let Grace work up the courage," she finished with a laugh.

Alice emerged a few minutes later, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. She acted like nothing out of the norm had just happened, her composure unshaken. Grace watched her, taking note of the casual way Alice handled the situation. It helped her act like this was normal, reminding herself that she had agreed to this after all.

Mei set her plate in the sink and made her way into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Grace took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she waited for her turn. She turned back towards her breakfast, unsure if Mei being quieter than Alice was better or worse.

Grace watched as Penny slid a plate in front of Alice as she sat down next to Grace. The way they acted as if this was all routine made the situation feel surreal. Taking turns getting off and eating pancakes. Was this really going to be her life going forward?

"They're going to get cold." Alice's voice brought Grace back to the moment.

The room was filled with the soft hum of conversation as Alice and Penny chatted about their plans for the day. The normalcy of it all helped Grace relax, and she focused on finishing her meal.

"I definitely need new shoes," Alice said, flipping through a catalog on her phone. "And maybe some new workout gear."

Penny nodded in agreement. "I saw some videos for that fancy candy shop too. We should grab some treats for later."

Mei emerged from the spare room, more quickly than Grace had expected, her cheeks flushed and a smile on her face. She moved quietly, grabbing a glass of water. "Your turn," she said to Grace, setting the cup down.

Penny flipped the last pancake out of the pan and onto a plate, then turned to Grace. "You ready?"

Grace nodded, but hesitated, unsure how to start. Penny set the spatula down and walked over to her, taking her hand and guiding her towards the spare room. She gave Grace a light push inside, the door closing softly behind her.

The room was dimly lit by the bedside lamp, casting long shadows across the walls. Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, his expression open and inviting. He patted the spot next to him, gesturing for Grace to sit down.

Grace approached slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. She sat down next to him, feeling the warmth of his body radiating towards her. The room was quiet, the soft hum of the heater kicking on filling the room.

Ethan looked at her, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and desire. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Grace took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Nervous," she admitted. "But I'm excited too."

Ethan nodded understandingly. "That's normal. We'll take this at your pace. Whatever you're comfortable with." He paused for a moment before asking, "Can I try something to help you relax?"

Grace looked at him curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

Ethan gestured towards the chair in the corner of the room. "Come sit here," he said, his voice gentle but firm.

Grace stood up and moved to the chair, sitting down cautiously. Ethan moved behind her, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. He began to massage them gently, his touch firm but soothing.

Grace let out a soft sigh, feeling the tension in her muscles begin to ease. Ethan's hands were warm, his touch steady and reassuring. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax into the sensation.

Ethan leaned down, his breath warm against her ear. "I'm going to use a heal on you," he whispered. "It'll help you relax even more."

Grace nodded, feeling a warmth spread through her body as Ethan's magic took effect. The Essence flowed through her, relaxing her muscles and calming her nerves.

Ethan's hands moved from her shoulders to her neck, his touch gentle but firm. He guided her head back, his fingers massaging the tension away. Grace let out another soft sigh, feeling more relaxed than she had thought she would.

"Now," Ethan whispered, "I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath."

Grace did as he instructed, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. She felt her body begin to relax even further, consciously letting her body relax.

Ethan's hands moved along her neck, fingertips lightly tracing up and around her ear. "I want you to touch yourself," he whispered. "Let the Essence guide you."

Grace hesitated for a moment before doing as he instructed, her fingers finding their way to her breasts through her tank top. She began to massage them gently, her touch tentative at first but growing more confident with the feeling of Essence building at her touch, magnifying the sensations.

Ethan's hands continued, his touch firm and steady. "Do you feel it?" he asked, his voice soft and encouraging. "Let the Essence flow through you, feel the pleasure it brings."

Grace took a deep breath, allowing herself to relax into the moment. She could feel the Essence building within her, the pleasure growing with each passing moment. Her left hand moved lower, finding its way to her waistband.

Ethan's hand moved down to her upper arm, fingers trailing from shoulder to elbow. He guided her body forward. "Further," he whispered.

Grace gave an imperceptible nod and she could feel the Essence building within her, making her eager to go further. Her hand slid down, under her panties. She surprised herself with the small spike of Essence as her fingers trailed over her clit.

Ethan's hands continued to play across her exposed skin, following the edges of her top. "Let the Essence guide you forward," he spoke softly into her ear, his breath hot on her skin.

She reached lower, spreading her lips apart. She knew what she would find, her lips already wet. She'd been that way since she first heard Alice moaning. Another touch, more Essence, a sharp breath in.

"Follow it." He whispered again, running his fingers up her scalp, shivers going down her spine as he did.

She put the first finger inside of her and her breath caught again. His hand ran down her arm again, pushing her further into the moment. She let out a moan as she slid the finger back in, the intensity of the moment more than living up to her excitement. She had chosen this, chosen to Bond.

She began to slide the fingers of her left hand in and out, adding a second before sliding them up and over her clit. Her shoulders tightened as the Essence spiked again. She reached her right hand up to Ethan's head, grabbing him and pulling him close to her.

She felt him reaching up and gathering her hair, pulling it to the side. She moaned loudly as she felt him begin to kiss and lick along her neck while she held his head tight against hers. Her fingers began moving quickly, the noise of her fingering herself now loud in the room.

Grace had fully given in to the excitement she had felt knowing the other two had been in here doing the same. She'd never done anything nearly so kinky and the thrill of it, knowing she had chosen this, chose to tie herself to Ethan and the rest of the team was freeing in a way she could never put into words.

"Oh, fuck," She groaned out, the feel of him sucking on her earlobe and the Essence it created pushing her over the edge. "Ethan I'm cumming, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!" She tensed, her hand clenching tight in his hair while the other never stopped moving, fingers moving in and out as she climaxed.

Ethan's hands gently moved from Grace's hair to her shoulders, his touch soft and reassuring as he helped her come down from her orgasm. He remained still, allowing her to hold him close, their breaths synchronizing as she slowly returned to reality.

Grace felt a flush of embarrassment creep back into her cheeks as the intensity of her climax faded. Ethan, sensing her shift in mood, whispered softly against her ear, "I'm going to imbue you now."

He activated his ability, and Grace laughed softly at the tickling sensation that spread through her body. The Essence flowed through her, leaving her feeling invigorated and light.

Ethan chuckled gently, breaking any remaining tension. "How was that?" he asked.

Grace smiled, her cheeks still flushed. "It was... different. Good, it was good," she admitted. She released Ethan's head from her grip, letting him stand up. He moved to the side of the bed, giving her space.

"Need a moment?" he asked gently, his eyes filled with concern and understanding.

Grace shook her head, her embarrassment now morphing into a desire for privacy. "I just... I want to clean up," she said.

Ethan nodded understandingly, stepping back to give her room to move. Grace stood up, her legs still slightly shaky from the intensity of her orgasm. She made her way out of the room and across the hall into the master bedroom, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Ethan sat back down on the bed. He could hear the soft sounds of water running as Penny came into the room. She had a look on her face that he could only describe as.. Hungry.

She stood there for a brief moment before moving towards Ethan, swinging the door shut behind her. "My turn."