Kimdile thought she'd be coming with.

"I... Don't wives and husbands usually work in the same field? Am I not coming to class with you?"

You hesitated. That probably wouldn't be strictly forbidden. Though...

You glanced at your schedule for the day. Calculus 301 was the one that would take the most time, but it'd be mid-afternoon before you were really done with classes. And Calculus would be a lot for someone who for all you knew never had the opportunity to learn advanced math of any kind. And that was completely ignoring the complications that might arise from bringing your goblin wife to class.

Kimdile grew visibly nervous while you thought it over. You sighed and resolved to try to explain.

"Look, Kimdile. It's not that I don't want you there. It's that I'm worried that you'll be bored, or worse, painfully frustrated. But I know that you'll probably also feel some of that if you have nothing to do anyways. The subjects I'm studying might be... a lot for someone with no context. And my scholarship only covers me, not my spouse. Without tuition, even if you attended classes, you wouldn't get any accredation."

Kimdile furrowed her brow. "I... I don't understand all the words you just said, but it sounds like you're saying that even if I go to class with you, human bureaucracy will make it hard to do the work you're learning. And that's if I even understand the lessons."

You nod, confirming. She nods back and continues.

"Okay. Well, the thing is, I'm okay with not understanding, at least at first. And if human bureaucracy is anything like goblin bureaucracy, then there's always a way around it. If nothing else, you can fuck your way through, if you know the right people."

You opened your mouth as if to protest, but then thought about it for a moment. You reluctantly conceeded the point. "You're sure about this? Just so you know, I don't think any of the humans who attend my class will have ever met a goblin before."

Kimdile hesitated once more, then took a deep breath and steeled her gaze. "I'm going. Wherever you go, I want to be able to follow."

You stared at your diminuitive wife for a moment. Her shoulders were squared, and her ears were set parallel to them. Her expression was one of solemn earnestness, and the slight flush of her cheeks only heightened how brave she looked. Even clad in only an apron, Kimdile was a picture of resolute determination. You were suddenly reminded how the auditor goblin had called her 'willful'. The way he'd said it certainly hadn't seemed like a compliment, but the way she seemed right now, it was hard to deny that she seemed... strong.

A single lock of hair had fallen out of place over the course of your conversation, and it hung over her brow. You absently leaned forward and brushed it behind her ear. As soon as you touched her, she squirmed a little, blushing slightly at the tender gesture. You suddenly realized your faces were very close together. Her amethyst eyes were looking into yours, and despite her blush, she continued to make firm eye contact with you.

"You want to be able to follow me wherever I go, huh?"

Kimdile nodded, slowly. Her green skin looked so soft. And those lips...

"Okay." Before you could psych yourself out about it, you leaned just a little further down and kissed her. She kissed you back, leaning into you. Her lips were as soft and tender as they had looked. She wrapped her small arms around your neck and pulled you in a little. You returned the embrace, wrapping around her bare hips.

You felt your lungs burning and suddenly realized you needed to breathe. You reluctantly broke your lips away from Kimdile's and panted a little. She seemed to be panting, too, though not as if she was short of breath.

After a moment, you cleared your throat. "I hope I didn't--"

She cut you off. "No, no, I--" She cleared her own throat. "I liked it. Did you... want more?"

You hesitated. Truth be told, you didn't know. You were still a virgin after all, and you had no idea what 'more' might come to mean. You happened to glance at the clock, and felt a surge of relief at not having to make that decision just now. Though there was also a bit of... disappointment? In any case, if you and Kimdile didn't start getting ready to head out now, you'd likely be late to class. And it wouldn't do to be late on the first day.

You pointed at the clock. "Um, class will be soon. We'd better get ready."

Disappointment flashed across her features before suddenly being swallowed by elation. "Really? You promise?"

You chuckled. "I said okay, didn't I?"

She giggled. "I guess you did! Okay. Outside clothes!"

She hopped out of your arms and off the couch, scurrying off to your shared bedroom. You belatedly realized that that was the first time you'd heard her laugh. It was... a nice laugh.