Homecoming and baggage

Previously: Craig managed to free Lily from an evil mind-controller, but at a cost. Tempted by the ring and a more masculine body, he controlled Red and almost deadnamed her. Lily managed to snap him out of it by threatening to turn into glassdoll, the persona she used to protect herself while a captive camgirl.

Craig

Craig’s arm wrapped snugly around Lily’s broad shoulders, her head nestled in his neck. She let out a small moan as they took a turn and tried to burrow deeper into his embrace. Skye scoffed from the driver's seat.

“One last delivery,” Skye called back from the front seat. “I didn’t realize I was an Uber.”

Skye drove down the pre-dawn streets in no particular hurry.

“Oh, I mean- I can pay you,” Craig offered.

“I’m fucking with you,” she said before sighing. “It’s been a hell of a night.”

He should have been exhausted. He knew the toll on his body would come due eventually, but for now, his head was still spinning. Lily was finally back, but he didn’t feel like celebrating. He held her closer and smelled her hair. She didn’t smell like her usual shampoo. She didn’t smell like Red anymore.

She’s back, but it cost me Red. No. It didn’t cost me, I did that. I cost me Red.

“I know what I said back there,” he told Lily. “But it was all BS. You know that, right? I can’t just take back breaking up with you. We don’t have to be together if you don’t want to.”

Lily stiffened. She considered for a minute before answering.

“I’m not the same girl you broke up with. I made glassdoll, but I don’t control her. She’s still here. I can understand if you don’t want to have to deal with that.”

“That’s cra-” Craig started to say before thinking better of it. “I could never give up on the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Of course, I want to be with you. Why even bring that up?”

Lily took his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

“Because you were feeling sorry for yourself. I’m not going to give up on you because you made a mistake. I know you regret what you did and said, but I’m not the one you hurt.”

Craig’s shoulders sagged.

“How can she ever forgive me?”

Lily chuckled to herself as she idly traced patterns on his chest with her fingertip.

“So, you’ve got me draped all over your arm. But all you can think about is Red?”

“What? No- I mean-“ Craig sputtered.

“I get it,” Lily said. “Let’s talk it out. Otherwise, I know you’ll just mope about it.”

“I- we don’t have to,” Craig replied weakly. “Tonight should be about you. You’ve been through so much.”

“Come on,” Lily insisted. “Do you know how much I’ve missed hearing any kind of gossip? This is just too juicy. Dish!”

Lily looked up at him with a mischievous grin. Awkwardly, Craig tried to **** some measure of calm on his wired body.

“You really don’t mind how close I got with Red? Even-

“Even if I was starting to fall for her?”

Lily’s tracing finger stopped. After a pause, she wrapped her arms around his chest and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“You probably won’t believe me, but I’m thrilled at how close you two have become. And if you two were ever romantic, I’d be happy for you both.”

“Really?” Craig asked lamely, unable to shake the feeling he was walking into some kind of trap.

“Really. I get it, I do. You can’t help but look at her. She’s got effortless charisma. It’s insulting, frankly, how much more confident she is in her new body than I am. It sounds like you had a shot with her and you blew it.”

Craig let his head loll backwards onto the headrest.

“Blew it is right. Forget lovers, I don’t see how we can be friends again.”

“Well, she used to shove you around the hallways in high school, and you forgave her. Maybe she’ll forgive you, and maybe she won’t. But you should still try to make up.”

I should. Even though Hank getting physical with me because he didn’t know how to process his crush on me is hardly the same thing as me attacking Red’s whole identity.

“I can’t just pretend nothing happened,” Craig replied, keeping the depth of his concern to himself.

“And you shouldn’t. Just give her some space for now, but don’t ignore her. Reach out when the time is right. It really looked like you had built something special together. I hope you can rebuild that.”

“Even if you crash and burn again?” Skye asked from the front seat, her usual snide tone notably absent.

Craig and Lily looked up, realizing they had been overheard.

“Do you have-” Lily started to ask before Skye interrupted, her typical abrasiveness back in place.

“Just hypothetically. If someone got hurt before, how do they try again?”

“Well,” Craig started while considering her question. “I would look at the pros and cons. If I try to fix things with Red and it doesn’t work out, well… I don’t end up any worse off than I am now. But if I never take that risk? Then I miss out on a valuable friend. Someone who pushes me out of my comfort zone.”

“If it were me,” Lilly added. “Hypothetically, of course. If I had a chance to connect with someone, I would take it. While I was controlled, the only people I had were Piper, Randy, and the perverts on stream.

“Even if it doesn’t work out, at least you tried. If your hypothetical person gets hurt, well, she can complain to me about it, and I’ll commiserate about how people suck. Loss is another way to bring people together. Don’t do nothing.”

Skye pulled up outside Craig’s apartment. Lost in thought, she stared straight ahead as Lily got out.

“Did that help at all?” Craig asked as he scooted over to the door.

“Huh? Oh yeah. It did, thanks.”

She nodded to him in her rearview mirror.

“And I’m rooting for you and Lily. I hope you make it work. And with Red, too, I guess,” She called out the window as Craig closed the door. The couple waved as she drove off.

“Five-star ride!” Craig called after her.

Lily hung onto his arm as they took the stairs up to his room. He was sure they looked ridiculous: a powerfully built Amazon of a woman clinging to a stick of a man.

This is the first time she’s been outside in months. It’s no wonder she’s terrified.

“I can’t wait to take you to bed,” she whispered in his ear.

Was that an invitation? No, don’t get your hopes up. She’s just sleepy.

As soon as they entered his room, she was on him like an animal. She **** her body against his, pushing him against the inside of the door.

“Not sleepy then?” He asked cautiously.

Lily attacked his neck, devouring him with hungry kisses up to his jaw. Craig shivered at the sensation of her wet tongue against his skin. With a **** of will, he grabbed Lily’s wrists and pushed her off him. Despite the protestation of his body, he had to know Lily’s motivations.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her breath heavy. “You didn’t sleep with Red, so I assumed you were abstinent. Don’t you want me?”

“Oh, I definitely want you. It’s just… new. This isn’t how I remember you.”

Lily hung her head.

“You’re right, this isn’t like me. But I haven’t felt like me for a long time.”

“I know the only guy you’ve seen was your captor. Are you sure another man is the solution? I’d understand if you want another woman to help you.”

“You’re sweet,” Lily breathed with a smile. “But it has to be you. My body. My sexuality. They were taken from me, and I need to take them back.”

She brought her hands to her breasts, still covered by Red’s hoodie.

“So many men saw these on the internet. I only want to show them to you.

“Please,” she whispered.

Craig let his hands drop to his sides. He could see the indents of Lily’s nipples poking against the hoodie. Her flushed cheeks glistened with sweat. His cock stiffened in response.

She wants this.

Craig nodded.

“I don’t deserve you, but if this is what you need, I’m in. Anything you want. As fast as you want.”

Her delighted giggle rang through the room, a remnant of the petite girl she had been before her transformation. She grasped the hem of Red’s hoodie and pulled it over her head. He had seen her body plenty on stream, but this impromptu strip show left him breathless.

God, I’ve missed her.

His eyes devoured her body. The strips of pale skin against the dark tan of her bikini line. The abs that rippled with each subtle movement of her torso. The breasts that Lily had said were for his eyes only. Then the garment came up and off, revealing her face.

Craig recoiled in shock, colliding with the door behind him.

Dull, unfocused eyes. A too-wide smile. It was a sing-song, breathy voice that spoke through Lily’s lips.

“My cunny is so wet for you, Craigy.”