An Unpleasant Awakening

The first thing you feel even before your eyes open to greet the morning sun is a sharp pain on the side of your face. The next thing you feel is a sharp drop and blow to the top of your head. Your eyes twinge open as your brain tries to get over the several shocks you endured in the span of seconds. You wake in a room not your own, and unsurprisingly, based on what happened prior, on the floor. You are now laying prone on your back staring up at a very, very, very, upset blond.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!!!!!! I know we have a weird thing going, but I never gave you permission to just waltz into my room while I'm sleeping! What the fuck is wrong with you Lucas!? You'd better have a reeeeeeeal good story, or else." That or else sent chills down your spin, but cowering now would be like accepting the death penalty without even attempting a trial at this point.

"Uh, well I thought there was someone in the house last night." You panic and throw out a very small part of last night's story.

"And that lead you to jump into bed with me?! And you didn't call security?! Also what were you going to do against an intruder if there was one?!"

"Okay the last two were valid criticisms. I really should have called security, but I heard you screaming and I just panicked." As soon as you mention she was screaming her face loses quite a bit of the rage she was displaying moments ago.

"O-oh, was I having a nightmare?"

"Yeah you were yelling 'NO! Stop!' and stuff and it really freaked me out, so I rushed over. Once I was in here I saw you writhing in your sleep caught in a nightmare. I didn't know what to do so I tried waking you up and you grabbed my arm while crying. You calmed down after holding me for a while, so I figured I'd wait for you to let go and I'd go to sleep myself. However, you didn't let go before I ended up falling asleep myself. That's all this is I swear."

"No...no I believe you."

"That's a relief."

"Luke?"

"Hm?"

"I...some stuff happened to me a long time ago. I don't like talking about it, so I don't want to get into it right now. The point is those memories haunt me, and I still dream about it. I try to be strong, stronger than anyone, but the truth is I'm weak, I'm so, so, weak." Courtney despite her best efforts begins to cry, her tears falling on her bare thighs as she wore nothing but her panties and a pajama shirt as her sleep attire. You pop up and sit next to her on the bed, and pull her into a hug. She doesn't resist you, and in fact leans into your shoulder as she weeps.

"Court you don't need to be strong all the time. You're human and you went through something that I'm sounds like it was very traumatic. Everyone needs support a some point and doubly so when they've been scared by life. It's okay to be weak and ask for help sometimes."

"I...I don't know if I can accept that."

"You already accepted showing weakness around me though?"

"How so?"

"Well our whole arrangement, would you classify it as a strength of yours?"

"Haaaaaaaaa, no I guess not."

"Then you can lean on me for other things too."

"I guess that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"See was that so hard?"

"Please don't make me slap you again!" You both chuckle and the tears finally leave her face. Her smile as she laughs makes your heart skip a beat.

"Um, did I really calm down when you laid down next to me?"

"Yeah, you did."

"Could... No, never mind."

"Court what did we just get done talking about? If you want to ask me something, please ask."

"Ugh, I know but it's hard to do for me!"

"Hmm, I understand. I'll just head out then." A sudden tug on your arm stops you as you stand up to leave.

"Wait! I, uh, I just want to, uh, well..." You just look at her with understanding as you understand this is very difficult for Courtney to ask.

"I want to know if you could sleep with me!"

"Huh?!"

"NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!! Not what I meant at all! I wanted to know if you could sleep next to me at night from now on, since, you can get rid of my nightmares." Her gaze stares up at you, arm still outstretched and gripping yours. She sits on her knees with her legs spread out from under her slightly. The morning sun shines down on her as you gaze into her eyes. There is no way you can deny her like this when she has been this vulnerable with you.

"Okay we can try that out and see if it helps you."

"Thank you Luke." She stands up and gives you a soft peck on your cheek.

"Now let's get you an ice pack for that hit to the head shall we?"

"What hit to the head?"

"What're you talking about?"

"Yeah, I don't remember a hit to my head, or now that I think of it I can remember anything past this morning!"

"Oh very funny dumbass, but knock it off unless you want a second head lump!" She gives you a playful jab at your lame amnesia joke.

"Alright, alright, let's get the ice pack."

"Great, and I'll get the chef to make some coffee for us." She says as she hurries out of the room.

"Uh, Court!" You shout after her as she leaves down the hall.

"What?"

"Uh, did you want to change first?" She's red as a tomato by the time she's back to her room.

"Okay, new plan! You tell the chef to make some coffee and I'll change." You agree to that plan and leave Courtney to herself so she can change.

"Soooooooo, how was your night?" You nearly jump out of your skin as you hear Stacy speak up behind you.

"Wha- Stacy don't do that!"

"Sorry, sorry, consider it payback for making me work so hard on the pool."

"Wasn't cleaning the pool your job to begin with though? I'm just keeping you honest."

"Oh I see, you spend the night screwing the boss, and now you think you are the boss. I see, well I hope the pool pleases you my master." The gives an exaggerated bow to you. You just roll your eyes and press on to the kitchen as she follows your lead.

"I didn't have sex with Courtney by the way."

"Oh sure, I'm sure you had another reason for coming out of her room in the same clothes you wore yesterday." You get to the kitchen area rather quickly and inform the chef you want coffee and also inform him about what you want to have for breakfast before continuing your conversation with Stacy as you both head into the adjoining dining area.

"Well there is, but it'll be for Courtney to tell you not me."

"What will I be telling whom?"

"EEEEEEAHHHHHH!!!!!!" This time it is Stacy's turn to be scared of a new arrival at our backs.

"M-m-m-m-ms. Stone, I d-d-d-d-didn't expect to see you so soon!" Stacy is clearly scared of her boss, and since you have witnessed how Courtney treats anyone who isn't you or maybe Katia you aren't exactly surprised to see people fear her.

"Stacy just wanted to know why I spent the night in your bed. She has some ideas about it that I'm trying to set straight, but I didn't want to divulge more than necessary."

"LUCASSSSSSSSSS! Why are you telling her thaaaaaaaaat!" You inwardly apologize to Stacy, but you figure it's better to rip the bandaid quickly.

"Well, thank you for your consideration Luke. Perhaps I'll take your advice from earlier, and not try to hide it."

"It's up to you Court."

"Hah, well, the truth is Stacy that I suffered through some trauma when I was young, and I have nightmares about it often."

"O-oh thank you for telling me?"

"Uh, yeah it's awkward for me too. Anyway , Luke overheard me last night screaming in my sleep and rushed to my aid. Apparently I grabbed ahold of him and settled down, so you know, that's what happened."

"Oh, my, god, that's adorable!"

"What?! No it isn't! it's embarrassing!"

"Aw, don't be shy. That's so cute how you rely on Luke! Did you invite him to share your bed from now on so you can sleep better too?"

"W-well that may have happened." You've never seen Courtney this red before as she tries to advert her gaze from Stacy.

"Anyway enough of this go do your job would you!"

"Sure thing boss!" Stacy says with a smile that you've seen plenty of times since meeting her, but you suspect it may be the first time Courtney's ever seen it. You enjoy your breakfast, while Courtney get hers from you latter, and enjoy a cup of coffee together while soaking in the start of a new day.

Author's Announcement/Request: Hey everyone, I am working on starting up a new story! It will be a fantasy setting and will heavily feature a fetish of mine that I haven't included in my current stories, futas. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea but I hope if you do like it you can stop by and read it once I write it. The world I'm writing will allow for non-futa content too so contributors will be welcome. I also want to add more to the underserved futasub genre as well (or anything that isn't futadom/male) though if the character leans that way I may do the inverse. I actually do have a fun idea in the futadom/male category so never say never.

Anyway the point I wanted to get to with telling you all about this is that I made a fairly simple map of the setting of my story using Inkarnate but as some of you may know the maps are restricted to a certain size, so I had to cut my map into pieces to get it to work. I don't have photoshop or any other photo editing software that would allow me to merge them, so I'd like to ask if anyone does have those tools and would be willing to merge the images together for me. Please note that I would be unable to pay for this, but it should be as simple as placing them together in photoshop so they make one image. Please message me if you would be kind enough to do so. If the maps don't match up perfectly that's fine, but if you are so inclined to fix that too I would be very grateful.