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Things were going better than I thought they would. Chloe was better than ever. She had gotten more comfortable around Sophie and Daniel when we went out to dinner. Sophie was dotting on her and I loved the way Daniel was able to get Chloe to laugh—a department I was sorely lacking in. It was why I was pleased that things seemed to be going well between Alexis and her. She had nothing but good things to say about their lunch date and I noticed she was on her phone more as they messaged each other.

Her Noise was continuing to grow stronger as well. The more it improved, the more unwell I realized she had been. Now that she had a network of people, her mental wellbeing improved. Sophie, Daniel, and now Alexis. All of them were helping her heal in their own way and she was flourishing. It was comforting knowing I was helping to make it all possible. The whole thing reminded me how lucky I was to have great people in my life.

That wasn’t to say things were perfect. I knew Chloe got sexually frustrated at times. I had no doubt she enjoyed our time together. The problem was if she got her way, we would be having sex every day. Pleasurable as it was, I had no interest in devoting that amount of time required to fully sate her. Our relationship needed more than sex and I had no interest in sex for, ‘the fun of it.’ At least, not in the quantity Chloe desired.

I had thought that with her regular business activities, her libido would be taken care of. It was not. According to her, it, ‘Wasn’t the same.’ The artificial high that her Gift made for an enjoyable time, but it seemed her preference was for the more mundane offering that I provided. Or perhaps it wasn’t performance, but partner that interested her. She did find me sexually attractive and, while limited, we did have an emotional connection of sorts. Chloe certainly had vested emotional attachments to me that might have improved the experience for her when she was with me over other men.

Part of my **** was rooted in the difficulty we had making love. It was the kind of sex that resonated with me. There was something mesmerizing about looking into her eyes and letting her Noise wash over me. The same Gift that made the experience so intoxicating to others was problematic for me. Being with her in that way was exhausting. We had tried it three times now and each one ended up with me immediately passing out and waking up with something akin to a hangover. That wasn’t including the pain I felt when her Gift blew out my mental defenses for those few seconds. I was able to keep that little detail a secret from her. It was something I had spent a good amount of time debating. I needed to be honest with her, but I knew sex was important to her. I wasn’t about to sour the experience. She attached a great amount of emotions to the act, as her Gift did not affect her as it normally did, and removing it would poison our relationship. Those emotions and the way her Noise sang was beyond description. A few moments of unpleasantness was a small price to pay for what was gained.

Oral sex was similar. While it didn’t knock me out like when we made love, her orgasm and the resulting explosion of her Gift crushed the numbness of my mind and allowed my Gift to run rampant, pulling in all the emotions from those near me. The pain was some of the most concentrated I’d ever felt before. It was like my mind was splitting open. It was getting better thanks in part to Chloe’s Noise growing stronger and acting as an anchor, but it made me hesitate when the opportunity arose. I enjoyed making Chloe feel good, especially with the way her Noise got when I did it. I didn’t want to hesitate, but I was at a loss on how to fix it.

Then there was the sex that left her a heaping mess. Chloe seemed to be particularly fond of it. It was certainly enjoyable and had the added bonus of not knocking me on my ass after we finish. Her Gift certainly tried, but it reacted the same way it had when she was with other guys resulting in a weak effect. The only clue I had on that front was a link between ‘natural’ orgasms and ‘Gift’ orgasms. Chloe had mentioned when a guy was able to get her off, the resulting surge of her Gift was stronger than when it activated by the man’s orgasm. It fit with my experience. Oral sex, which was focused on her pleasure, naturally resulted in a stronger surge of her Gift. Sex, while enjoyable, wasn’t giving her an orgasm. Rather, it was her Gift pushing her over the edge. Why this particular kind of sex was so powerful was due to me prolonging it. My emotional numbness allowed me to resist the euphoric high that ultimately drove men to finish faster than normal. It allowed her Gift to build longer, resulting in a more powerful release. Even with the larger-than-normal buildup, the portion she shared with me was not enough to overwhelm me like the others.

Unfortunately, this type of sex felt a bit… empty. There was meaning when we made love to each other. Sex for the sake of physical pleasure was difficult for me to get behind. It wasn’t that I hated it or didn’t want to be with her in that way, but the drive simply wasn’t there. Her Noise became just a single note. A blinding euphoria that drowned everything else out. The difference was akin to enjoying a full symphony of professionals to an amateur squeaking out a lone, single note as loudly as they could.

She enjoyed it, so of course I would indulge her from time to time. A treat to enjoy sparingly.

I was confident that we would overcome these challenges in time. Everything was still new and we were figuring things out.

My attention was pulled to Chloe. We were sitting on the roof, enjoying the good weather while we could. I had been enjoying the soothing Noise she made when it rippled in displeasure. I looked over to find her with a hard expression, fingers flying across her phone screen.

“Something wrong?” I asked as I reached out to run my hand on her shoulder and upper back.

Her eyes shifted to me, then back to her phone. Her hesitation clued me in on what the issue was. Something related to her after-school business. Chloe still didn’t like discussing it with me. She never avoided it when it was brought up, but she went out of her way to avoid it. It still caused an ugly blemish on her Noise, but the self-loathing, disgust, guilt, and regret never threatened to take over.

Finishing her message, she let her phone rest in her lap as she leaned back. Head back, she ran her hands through her hair as she let out a long breath. “Adam.”

She didn’t have to say anything more. I didn’t have to read her Noise to know how she felt. After his demonstration of his Gift, we had settled into a cold war of sorts where neither side was pleased with the other, but begrudgingly tolerated the other.

Adam’s **** of his Gift had ultimately backfired, embedding a deep contempt in Chloe. While she had never liked him before, her disdain for him had crystallized inside her. It made her more resistant to his Gift. Combined with her general increased wellbeing, it took a considerable amount of effort to affect her. The frustration he had when he realized his Gift was no longer taking the bite out of Chloe’s attitude for him had been an entertaining experience. As it turned out, Adam was a horrible negotiator, relying on his Gift to make the other side more amenable to his offers. She wasn’t immune to his Gift, but the mental cost of him trying to move her made it untenable if he still wished to enjoy what he was trying to purchase.

As for Chloe, she tolerated him because he was an addict—an addict she had no qualms with fleecing. She was now charging five hundred base for her services. Adam on the other hand, was paying a thousand. He usually paid close to two grand with all the perks he had come to enjoy over the years. Chloe hated that she was making an exception to the condom rule for him, but that seemed to be a red line that threatened the uneasy peace we had. It was simply better not to antagonize him. Besides, she charged him six hundred for the perk.

As a reward for herself, the weeks Adam purchased her services she took Friday off. We would skip studying and go out. Movies, restaurants, shopping, strolling around the park, museum visits; whatever we wanted. I found myself looking forward to them as much as she did, especially as we ended our date back at my place with some enjoyable lovemaking. A special occasion we both appreciated, though she was growing concerned about me passing out from it. An unfortunate result of our clashing Gifts.

“When?” I asked, knowing she didn’t turn him down.

She wrinkled her nose. “Today. Paid extra to cut in line. Again.” She shook her head as she brushed hair from her face. “I don’t know what’s more disgusting, him or how much fucking money he has. Almost five grand this month. Just on me. Not including all the other shit he does.”

I rubbed her back, letting her vent.

“Which also means I have three clients today. Gonna suuuuck.”

“At least that is something you are good at.”

She gave me the same sort of look Sophie did when she was not amused with me. It triggered the same burst of discomfort in my body. “Your jokes are as crappy as ever.”

I cleared my throat and shifted the conversation back on track. “Push one to tomorrow?”

She had the look of someone who had unexpectedly bitten into something sour. “And let them have a discount for the trouble? No way. Besides, I’m already booked tomorrow. All I’d be doing is shifting three today for three tomorrow.”

“Going to be okay?” She usually tried to limit herself to two bumps a day. Three if someone was bold or **** enough to pay extra for a lunch session.

… Or if she was absolutely determined to get me in bed. I might not have been galvanized by sex as some people, but Chloe could be quite convincing with the proper motivation.

“Not the end of the world,” she said with a shrug. “Might get a bit loopy. My Gift has been hitting harder the past few weeks.”

I cocked a brow. Loopy Chloe was an interesting experience. Much like how I predicted a drunk Chloe would be, but without the lack of motor coordination. Mostly, it turned her into a giggling and bubbly girl overwhelmed with joy for the world. The lack of filter, speaking whatever popped into her head, was a blessing as much as a curse. She was generally agreeable, prone to fits of affection and cuddling.

Loopy Chloe was clingy, but not in a sexual manner.

Seeing my look, her Noise sparked with playful indignation.

Pushing up, Chloe swung her leg over and straddled my lap. Face inches from mine, she gave me a challenging look. I responded by wrapping my arms loosely around her waist and waiting patiently.

She narrowed her eyes.

Eyes locked on her, I waited. Chloe wasn’t patient enough for a battle of wills. Not against me. It was only a matter of time before she broke.

She huffed and looked away, admitting defeat. As her Noise bubbled with amusement, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and rested her forehead against mine. Eyes shut, we existed together, breathing the same air.

Content, Chloe leaned back, opening her eyes. Meeting my gaze, she had a small smile on her face. Noise sparkling, she was the picture of happiness.

“Feeling better?”

Her smile blossomed, “Always feel better with you around.”

I studied her. “Would you feel better if I went with you today? I could watch and make sure Adam behaves.”

She jerked back, revulsion in her Noise. “Absolutely not. Hell no.” She made a disgusted noise. There was an accusing tone in her voice as she stared at me, eyes narrowed. “I thought you said you weren’t into that stuff.”

I replayed what I said, seeing the source of the misunderstanding. “I don’t mean physically watch. I can monitor your Noise from a distance and intervene if you are in duress.”

“You can do that? Wait,” she said as if remembering something. “You can see this noise thing through walls and stuff, can’t you?”

“Yes, though I mostly don’t know who it belongs to unless I see the person or am familiar with their Noise. Like yours.”

“Right,” she said, sounding distracted. “And, uh, how far can you see this noise?”

“Depends on the person.”

“Okay, then.” She shifted in my lap. “How far can you see my noise?”

I took a moment to consider. Normally, it was a little more than most. If I pushed myself, I could usually find her anywhere in the school. Only for a brief moment though. “Here to maybe halfway or so down the stairs.” She seemed to relax. “Though if I put some effort into it, I can usually find you so long as you are in the building.”

Her relaxation disappeared and her Noise erupted, a kaleidoscope of conflicting emotions. Chloe’s cheeks flushed. “Uh, really? And... and how often do you look for me?” I didn’t say anything, trying to get a read on her Noise. She wasn’t making it easy. “Jake...”

“It takes a lot of mental effort to push my Gift that far, so not often.”

“But you do look for me?”

“... From time to time.”

She didn’t seem sure if she was flattered or embarrassed by the news. Or angry.

“It helps me relax,” I explained.

Chloe let out a breath, looking away. “Not sure how I feel about that.”

I took a quick glance of her Noise. “Embarrassed, mad, violated, ****—”

“Jake!” she snapped, glaring at me.

“—and flattered,” I finished. Playful too.

Cheeks puffing out, she continued to glare at me. Seeing she wasn’t upset, I put on a smile for her. “Not going to save you,” she said with a finger against my chest. I stopped the smile. Rubbing her temples she shook her head. “Please tell me you don’t check up on me while I’m... working.”

“I am usually in the library then, and as far as I know, do not have the range to see your Noise even if I wished to.”

She dropped her hands, fixing me with a suspicious look. “Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

“Good,” she said firmly. Relaxing, Chloe placed her hands on my chest, playing with my collar. “I know you probably wouldn’t care, but I do. Kinda private. Especially that.”

“Understood. I shall respect your wishes then.”=

She managed a smile. “Good.” A slight pause as her playfulness spiked. “You know I charge for that sort of thing, right?”

“Money is no object, mistress,” I deadpanned.

Chloe let out a sharp guffaw, throwing her head back. “That’s gross.” Laughter died down, she had mischievous elements in her Noise. “I don’t mind making house calls. For the right guy.”

“Hmm. And how much would that cost?”

“Consultations are free,” she whispered seductively.

Our lips met. Chloe was feeling playful and I had no objections to her actions. It was an enjoyable time as her Noise bubbled with energy and positive emotions. The kissing was nice too. I did my best to return her playful banter. “Any bulk discounts?”

“For my favorite guy, absolutely,” she murmured against my lips. The bell rang. Chloe made a whine as she briefly touched her forehead to mine. “Damn it.” Reluctantly, she pulled away and climbed off my lap. Holding out a hand, I let her pull me up. Chloe was smiling despite the disappointment. “Walk me?”

“Of course.”

Holding hands, we headed downstairs.