MI107: Affection : Honesty (Patreon)

Since he wasn't really feeling tired, Paul ended up staying awake the right of the night. He could stay awake for upwards of ten thanks to his Dendro Vision, so he was still fully awake when Ganyu came knocking on his door around 4 AM.

Though Diona and Kokomi immediately awoke, Paul caressed the head of the former and whispered, "Sleep in today," adding, "No buts." just as she was about to protest. Her expression contorted into an adorable pout, but Paul was able to appease her by placing his hand on her stomach, gently caressing it as he kissed her lips.

As Kokomi changed into the outfit Paul had procured for her earlier that morning, Paul made his way to the door completely naked, opening it to find Ganyu and, unsurprisingly, Amber waiting outside. The latter's eyes immediately traveled South, but Ganyu was wholly focused on Paul's face as she smiled and said, "Good morning, Master." in her characteristically calm and soothing tone.

Adopting a smile of his own, Paul said, "I know how to make it better..." before wrapping his arms around the dreamy-eyed blunette's waist. Her eyes briefly widened, but she offered no resistance as Paul lowered his head to kiss her lips. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him, closed her eyes, and savored every second of it.

Awed by Paul's and Ganyu's display of affection, Amber briefly forgot the reason for her presence. When she did, she attempted to peek around the kissing couple but failed to make anything out due to Paul's size and the unlit interior of the room.

Noticing Amber's behavior, Paul removed one of his hands from Ganyu and gave the free-spirited woman's ass a playful squeeze. She exclaimed and tried to step away instinctually, but Paul prevented her from doing so. Instead, he promptly pulled her closer, silencing whatever she was about to say with a deep, full-tongued kiss.

Though she panicked like a startled rabbit near the start, attempting to wriggle herself free, Amber quickly regained her senses and calmed down when she recalled that it was Paul who was kissing her. Their three years apart had made her unaccustomed to such acts, so her body had reacted before her brain could fully process what was happening.

As 'punishment' for her trying to slip away from him, Paul slipped his hand into Amber's form-fitting pants, past the protective layer of her panties so he could feel her ass directly. Her body tensed in response, but she made no efforts to break free. Instead, she slipped one of her arms around him and the other around Ganyu, holding them both as she slowly lost herself in Paul's kiss.

Feeling he had gotten the results he wanted, Paul brought his impromptu experiment to an end by separating from Amber's lips and saying, "Good morning..." with a smoldering expression and tone.

Still immersed in the sensation of Paul's kiss, Amber emitted a confused, "Ah...?" before blushing crimson as she shrank into herself and replied, "G-G-G-Good morning..." in an uncharacteristically meek tone.

Though he was amused by Amber's adorable reaction, Paul resisted the urge to continue teasing her, removing his hand from her trousers as he asked, "I'm guessing you came to check on Diona?"

Regaining her usual vigor, Amber adopted a more serious expression as she replied, "That's right! How is she...!?" in a concerned tone.

Stepping to the side, Paul answered, "She's trying to sleep, but you're free to check on her if you're that concerned."

Hearing Paul's casual response, Amber couldn't help feeling a little guilty. Despite that, she still ended up slipping past him, needing to confirm for herself Diona was okay.

"Oh my..."

In her haste to enter the room, Amber nearly ran headlong into Kokomi. The latter managed to evade her with an extremely graceful movement, but her presence, alone, was enough to make Amber exclaim, "Who the heck are you!?" in a surprised, understandably confused tone.

Answering in Kokomi's stead, Paul said, "Kokomi, Amber. Amber, Kokomi. And this adorable little Qilin is Ganyu. Make sure to get along."

While Amber adopted an incredulous look, Kokomi supplied a polite bow, expressing, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances." Ganyu promptly returned a bow of her own, but not before adopting a squinty-eyed smile in response to Paul's casual compliment...

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Once Amber had calmed down enough to stop exclaiming at every little thing, Paul explained the circumstances that led to Kokomi's summoning before entrusting her the task of looking after Diona. She had apparently been loitering around in the corridor outside the entire night, so it was a good opportunity for her to get some rest and decompress and getting so worked up.

With Diona in the care of Amber, Ganyu was able to accompany Paul and Kokomi to Ningguang's room. She would ordinarily be in her office around this time, but she was temporarily out of commission as a result of Paul's actions the previous day. Ganyu had treated her using Advanced-Ranked Healing Magic, but she kept 'leaking' despite her efforts to stymy the flow.

Hearing Ganyu's familiar knocking at the door, a profound, audibly heated sigh escaped Ningguang's throat as she forced herself to roll lazily to the side and press the button that allowed her door to open remotely. If she had been thinking clearly, she would have recognized that the pattern of knocks indicated there was an unplanned guest, but Ningguang wasn't in any condition to mind such details.

Entering the room ahead of his female companions, Paul was surprised to find Ningguang lazing about, still in her undergarments. Various thoughts immediately filled his head, but he was able to recover fast enough to turn around, barring the other two's entrance as he suggested, "Why don't the two of you go and get some breakfast? Ganyu has served as Ningguang's Secretary these past few years, so she should be able to answer most, if not all, of your questions..."

Though they were surprised by Paul's sudden change in behavior, neither Ganyu nor Kokomi attempted to peek into the room. They were both fairly sensible women, so, after their initial shock wore off, they adopted nearly identical smiles and replied, "Very well/Understood." before offering polite bows and heading toward the canteen(dining hall). 

Seeing the duo walk off, Paul briefly allowed his gaze to wander to their perky, immaculately sculpted bottoms before ultimately shaking his head and closing the door. By the time he turned around, Ningguang had forced herself to sit upright, a conspicuous red hue accenting her cheeks as she avoided his gaze and muttered, "Thanks..." while hugging her body.

While leaning with his back against the door, Paul adopted a wry smile and asked, "I didn't go 'that' overboard, did I...?"

Furrowing her brows, Ningguang didn't immediately respond to Paul's words. Part of her wanted to say she could take whatever he could throw at her, but the previous afternoon's events had made it very clear she was lacking. She now had a much better understanding of just how bottomless the abyss of pleasure was...

Making his way over to the uncharacteristically reticent woman's side, Paul took a seat next to Ningguang, grabbing her hand before whispering, "Lay down..." in a soothing tone. She initially just stared back at him, but, after several seconds of tentative silence, Ningguang eventually exhaled a sigh before heeding Paul's words and lying on her back.

Wanting to try another experiment, Paul didn't explain his actions as he placed his hand on Ningguang's exposed abdomen, just above her crest. He had already conducted similar experiments with Diona, Kokomi, and Amber, so he was reasonably sure he could make Ningguang feel better by simply 'desiring' it strong enough. 

Feeling Paul with a sense of vindication, Ningguang's expression began to relax as she remarked, "I have no idea what you're doing...but, whatever it is, it appears to be working..."

Placing her hand over Paul's, Ningguang allowed a sigh of relief to escape her throat as she closed her eyes and guided his palm to draw circles on her abdomen. She couldn't sense any Mana or Elemental Energy, but the heat from Paul's palm seemed to linger in her body, gradually permeating her entire being like the warmth of an onsen in early Spring.

Deciding to come forward rather than trying to keep it a secret, Paul's expression and tone appeared as calm and placid as the surface of a lake as he admitted, "I came to the realization that my desires have a passive influence on you and the other girls..."

Rather than reacting as he anticipated, Ningguang adopted a faint smile and revealed, "We've been aware of that from the start. According to the God of the Boundaries, it's intended to make it easier for us to understand and empathize with one another."

Since Paul had figured it out on his own, the clause preventing Ningguang from revealing the truth no longer applied. She was still unable to divulge the specifics, but she could at least affirm what he already knew.

"..."

As it had taken a considerable amount of resolve to muster up the courage to reveal his discovery, Paul couldn't help feeling like a complete idiot hearing Ningguang's casual response. He had spent hours thinking about how the girls might hate or judge him, but they had been aware of the 'truth' since the very beginning...

Seeing through Paul's thoughts, Ningguang squeezed his hand and said, "I'm happy that you trusted me enough to reveal this information...I know it couldn't have been easy for you..."

Forcing a wry smile, Paul retorted, "That doesn't change the fact I'm a fucking idiot..."

Instead of refuting Paul's words, Ningguang adopted a playful smile as she said, "Perhaps...." before guiding his hand further up her body as she added, "But you're our idiot..."

Unable to suppress it, Paul exhaled a chuckle in response to Ningguang's words. They weren't particularly delicate or comforting, but Paul honestly preferred them over the alternatives. He often made jokes and comments at his expense, so it was refreshing to hear someone else joining in. Being comforted all the time actually made him feel worse in the long run...

With Ningguang guiding his hand to her left breast, Paul didn't hesitate to give it a gentle squeeze. Her eyes squinted in response, and, though she honestly had a lot on her plate, that didn't stop Ningguang from drawing the tips of Paul's fingers to her lips, planting a lasting kiss on them before asking, "What else can you do with these fingers...?"

Though his body instantly reacted to Ningguang's seduction, Paul hadn't forgotten the state she was in mere minutes prior. Thus, despite a rather obvious tent pitching in his trousers, he pulled his fingers away from her lips and whispered, "Lay on your side, and I'll show you..."

Sensing that Paul was up to something, Ningguang squinted her eyes a second time before following his directions and turning on her side. She half expected him pull aside her already sopping wet panties and insert himself into her in a single motion. Instead, he snuggled up close to her, his left hand moving to caress her abdomen as he planted a kiss on her shoulder and affirmed, "We don't always have to have sex..." in a soft yet assertive tone.

Feeling the same warmth as before spreading through her abdomen, the expression on Ningguang's face softened. She had expected something like this to happen, but Paul's tenderness still left an impression on her heart. There were times when he was like a beast, but, deep down, Paul was the same kind and considerate boy she had met all those years ago...

Deciding to tease Paul, just a little, Ningguang's smile curled at the edges as she softly inquired, "Are you using your powers to make me fall in love with you...?"

Feeling Paul's body tense, a soft chuckle emanated from Ningguang's throat as she suddenly turned toward him, staring him in the face as she said, "Guess it's just me then..." before grabbing his head and planting a kiss on his lips.

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