Coye 4.11 (Patreon)

Chapter 11 - Our New Home

Coye and Byng left town right after the huntress gave the guards presiding over the Peace Gate a casual hello. Following Suzette's instructions, Byng immediately turned left and started walking around the edges of the long-ruined stone wall, urging Coye to follow after her. It only took a few minutes before Coye could see his new home off in the distance. It really was right up against the wall, just like Suzette said it would be.

Although they could close the distance with their high-speed movement Arts, both adventurers figured there was nothing wrong with a little morning stroll where they took their time and enjoyed themselves.

Shayla was of a differing opinion.

'Come on! This is like, the one time I'm cool with you using Quick Step, so get a move on!' The Pixie harassed him with her telepathic voice, adding little knocks on the top of his skull to hammer in the point. All it did was make Coye want to stretch his stroll out even longer, something that Shayla, in all of her excitement, didn't understand.

When they got closer, Coye took in the first proper look at his new home. Just as Suzette warned him, the cabin was relatively small. It was made of wood like most buildings in town, with a big wooden door and a red roof. It had some vines growing on it and some overgrowth that would need to be taken care of, but it wasn't as bad as the Guild or most buildings in town, which made Coye figure it would be an easy job. The cabin sat on top of a medium-sized flat hill, with a little dirt path leading up to the door. There were some bushes in need of trim scattered here and there, and behind the building, Coye could see a little stone well and an outhouse.

All in all, Coye liked the cabin well enough, even considering how shabby it looked. His main concern was how Shayla would take it, as he didn't see how most of her plans could unfold in a quaint little place like this.

Byng led Coye to the dirt path and let go of his hand, posing in front of the house with her legs spread wide and her hands on her hips. "Check it out, short-stuff! What do you think? Huh? Huh?"

"Well, I like it," Coye said as he awaited the verdict from the only opinion that mattered. She was taking an awfully long time to say anything, which Coye thought might not have been a good omen. The truth was that Shayla was silent not out of disappointment but from admiration and excitement.

The Pixie's eyes were glowing with magic and possibility. Where others might've looked at their new home and seen a crummy shack with numerous flaws, Shayla saw an entire palace where dreams could come true.

'It's perfect,' she muttered to Coye with a wavering voice.

"Nevermind," Coye corrected himself and smiled wide. "I love it."

"I knew you would, gahaha!" Byng cackled and started up the path. "C'mon, then! There's more to see inside, so-"

The large wooden door creaked open before Byng could bring him in, and out walked Suzette. Coye had never seen the older woman sporting such casual clothes. Even though she was wearing something as simple as a pair of magenta trousers, black sandals, and a black short sleeve shirt with frilly white sleeves, she was undoubtedly adorable. Especially since her long and curly hair was done in the cutest bun. She looked less mysterious now that one of her eyes wasn't covered up by her bangs, but Coye thought he could get used to this side of his lover.

"There you are, Darling," she exclaimed warmly. "I was just beginning to wonder what took you so long..." Suzette's eyes darted to Byng, who awkwardly looked askance. "I trust there wasn't any funny business?"

"I said I wouldn't," Byng pouted. "Back me up here, short-stuff!"

"I tried to be naughty, but Byng wouldn't let me..." Coye admitted with a sizable blush and a throbbing in his pants which still begged for relief.

Suzette measured both of their testimonies and found them pleasing, her skepticism replaced by a smile. "I'm glad to hear at least one of you had self-restraint," she giggled. "So. What do you think?"

Coye answered by approaching the older woman and pulling her into a deep embrace. Because of the height difference, he embedded himself in her cleavage, which wasn't his intention and was more of an added bonus. He hugged her tight until she returned the gesture and even then kept going and going. "I think it's amazing, and I can't thank you enough, Suzette. Seriously."

"Goodness," Suzette stammered, unsure what to do with all this affection. "I'm glad to hear you like the cabin, but I wasn't expecting you to be so taken with it. I suppose that's for the best, as I'll be expecting the first payment later on tonight."

"Payment?" Coye pulled himself from his lover's cleavage to ask.

"You didn't think I was giving this away for free, did you?" Suzette gave him a smirk as she ran the tip of her finger sensually up his chin. "Silly boy. Not a chance, Darling. Not even for you. No, I'm afraid you've racked up a sizable love debt, and I intend on collecting every last bit of what's owed."

Coye smiled up at her once the implication was more obvious. "You should've just said so," he laughed. "I'll do anything you want, Suzette."

"Darling, don't go getting a poor woman's hopes up like that..." Suzette teasingly fanned her blushing face with her hand.

Byng interrupted by clapping her hands several times to steal both of their attention, "Hey, come on! If I can't sneak in a morning quickie, then you two don't get to stand around flirting! Save it for tonight!"

"Oh, damn it all... I suppose you're right," Suzette sighed and stepped back toward the door. "In any case, I'm sure you want to take a look inside, don't you?"

'Yes, yes, yes!' Shayla declared, vibrating even harder than Byng after downing a stamina potion. 'If I have to wait any longer, I'm gonna fucking explode up here!'

"More than you know," Coye laughed at Shayla's threat, unaware that his two lovers exchanged an almost imperceptible glance after his comment.

The cabin's interior turned out to all be one room. In a word, it was musty. Worse than that was the smell of ancient sweat and old sex lingering in the air. The opened windows were doing their best to minimize this problem, but fresh air could only do so much.

Suzette took the lead and began explaining the house and its few amenities. "I know what you're thinking," she sighed. "We'll sort the smell out eventually. More importantly, have a look over here. As you can see, there's a small kitchen with a little oven, some cabinets, and a table for us to eat at. It's not going to seat more than four, so we'll need to plan around that if you hold any get-togethers."

"Um, that's okay. I don't think I'll invite many friends over." Coye laughed, ever the loner.

"And what about future girlfriends?" Byng chimed in, smirking. "How big of a table do you think we're going to really need?"

"No comment," Coye mumbled. The girl shared a round of laughter at his expense, and then Suzette continued on with her explanation.

"I'm sure you saw the outhouse in the back and the well. The well is full, but the outhouse needs a new Filth Slime since no one's been using the place for around six years. Poor thing starved to death, I'm sure. No matter, I've already arranged for one to arrive in a few days."

"Thanks," Coye said. "I had a question, though. I was wondering if you owned this land. Like, the hill and all that?"

"I did," Suzette nodded. "But I'm gifting it to you along with the house. In the future, you can do as you wish with it. Or not. It's really up to you, Darling."

"Nice! If the town isn't gonna put up a stink about it, I might have to set up a second camp around these parts! It'd be a lot more convenient to have a base for heading on hunts up north, you know what I'm saying?" Byng thought aloud, cupping her chin and starting to plan things out in her mind, not too dissimilar to the way Shayla did.

'Gah! You better nip that in the bud right now, baby! If she moves ahead with that, it's gonna clash with everything else so damn bad!' Shayla winced, though her adorable predictability brought a small smile to her partner.

"Rather than a camp," Suzette gave the huntress a teasing look. "I would suggest a small bathhouse."

"Gahaha..." Byng blushed and awkwardly looked away. "Well, that's really up to short-stuff, isn't it?"

"So it is. What you think, Darling?" Suzette giggled.

Coye smiled from the playful back and forth of his two lovers, every moment spent with them making him more appreciative of their charms. "I think we'll have to see," he offered noncommittally. "It's a nice cabin, and there's a lot of room to expand it. If I do live here long term, we'll definitely need a bigger place, and a tub wouldn't be a bad idea. That's then, though. This is now. Before we even think about doing anything else with the place, we should probably start with that-" Coye pointed at the dinner table in the middle of the room, where Suzette had placed a large box of cleaning supplies.

"Fair," Byng cackled, relieved to drop the subject, she approached the table.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Suzette agreed. "We've got our work cut out for us, but I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle!" The older woman was adorably hyped up. She raised her fist into the air and pumped it, making Coye and Byng laugh a little at the sight. This made Suzette go red in the face as she realized no one else shared her enthusiasm.

"What?" She asked, embarrassed. "It's been so long since I've done anything fun in a group like this!" Suzette stressed.

'That would be really funny if it weren't so sad,' Shayla clicked her tongue.

Coye laughed even harder, "Nothing. You're just really cute, is all."

"Super cute!" Byng added.

"Oh, shush," Suzette reflexively brought her hand up to toy with her bangs, only to blush even harder when she remembered her hair was tied up. "That's enough making fun of the elderly for one day. We've got work to do."

'She's right! You all better make this place sparkle and save me the trouble of having to do it myself later on.' Shayla warned half-jokingly. Coye still didn't think it was fair they had to do all this themselves, but he was excited to spend time with his girls, which was enough for him.

It turns out that Shayla didn't even need to warn him. Once they started, it all progressed smoothly as Coye, Suzette and Byng worked nonstop for half the day. As small as the cabin was, there was a lot of ground to cover. They had to sweep the place clean, dust everything down and clean out the furniture. While Suzette remained mum on what precisely this cabin was used for, they found enough hidden illustrations and picture books of scantily clad Halfling women and flat-chested Dwarves to paint a vivid picture of infidelity. The bin full of used condoms from a bygone era near the bed filled in any leftover doubt. Neither Coye nor Byng said anything about any of this, and for that, Suzette was grateful.

Once the dusting was complete, they moved on to mopping and polishing the floors. This was the point where Byng's concerns over her cleaning skills were proven justifiable. Dusting was easy, but she was allowed a short break after somehow breaking a mop clean in half. No one was really sure how she managed that, but it was almost impressive in a strange way. Fortunately, they had a spare, but Byng was not spared the teasing that came along with her accident's aftermath.

Next was scrubbing the walls, polishing the windows, and cleaning the table and countertops. They worked with warm water, soap, and rough sponges, which altogether made Byng uncomfortable. She was eager to make up for the mop, so she didn't let it bother her, and they all made quick work of it. After a few other miscellaneous tasks, the interior looked downright passable. It could've gone with a fresh coat of paint, but at least the smell was subsiding.

Suzette was getting all hot and bothered at this point from the summer heat- and not in a fun way. Given that she had no superhuman abilities to speak of and was constrained to the stamina of an ordinary person in her early thirties who rarely saw much exercise, they allowed her to bring a chair outside and watch over their work as they transitioned into doing some minor landscaping. She promised to join in as soon as she felt composed once more, but Coye and Byng were making quick work of it without Suzette's help. They tidied up the grass, scaled back the vegetation growing on the cabin, and trimmed the bushes to the point where it might have been considered presentable.

Just around the time they were almost done, a wagon pulled by a pair of bright auburn horses and driven by a stout, black-haired, bushy-bearded Dwarf came rolling into view. Painted on the side of the wagon's cover were a couple of stylized Dwarven runes, underneath which was an equally stylized translation in the common tongue reading 'Home and Hearth Express.'

It stopped at the base of the hill, and the driver called out, "Gotta deliv'ry 'ere fer a Master Coye?"

'And the free shit keeps coming, and it won't stop coming!' Shayla rubbed her hands together greedily.

Coye stopped what he was doing and looked over at Suzette, who had just gotten up and was sipping a glass of water. "What's this all about?" He asked.

"Come now, Darling. You've seen the place. You'll need more than a few odds and ends around here before you can call it home. I just took it upon myself to make the arrangements." Suzette gave him a smile that rivaled the warmth of the sun. Coye was predictably about to bend over backward and thank her, but she surprised him by raising her hand to point over at Byng. "Much as I'd love to take credit, someone else deserves it more."

"Byng?" Coye looked at the girl in question with a puzzled expression.

Now that the attention was all on her, Byng was the one feeling embarrassed. She started scratching the back of her head and shrugged her shoulders. "She's full of it, gahaha... getting you some junk was all Suz's idea, I just paid for it. No big deal."

"Why would you do that?" Coye became frazzled and found it hard to look at either of his lovers. "It was hard enough feeling indebted to Suzette, and now you went and bought me a bunch of stuff for the house?"

Byng was able to overcome her own embarrassment by focusing on how amusing Coye's was. "Tough shit. If you don't want me to spoil the crap out of you, next time, don't save my life when I'm in danger, gahaha! Besides, we earned a ton of gold the other day, and I already told you I hardly ever spend it. I wanted to do something nice for you, short-stuff. No need to get all weird about it."

'I'm gonna be pissed if they went to all that trouble and none of it matches,' Shayla grumbled ungratefully.

Coye could only continue with his signature hybrid expression that mixed pouty with overwhelmed. "Fine," he managed to squeak out. "But I hope you know how much I appreciate this." Coye intended on making it clear by walking over to the green-skinned girl covered in sweat from a hard day's work with the intent to embrace her tight.

"Oh, I know you are. But you don't gotta worship the ground I walk on or anything, gahaha! I might not have the mommy vibes that someone else oozes like it's going out of style," Suzette blushed in the background as Byng continued, "But that doesn't mean a girl doesn't wanna make herself useful to her man every now and then, y'know?"

They were on the verge of hugging when the opportunity was ripped out from under them.

"Is one a y'all gonna c'mere an' sign fer all this shite or wha?" The delivery Dwarf asked after pulling out an oversized flagon of beer, downing it in a single gulp. "Got no time fer all this cutesy-wootsy codswallop, got other places ta be!"

Byng couldn't help but giggle as she looked at her cute little Half-Elf. "This need to stop happening."

"Does it?" Coye teased back.

"YES!" The irate Dwarf reiterated. "Either ya sign fer th' deliv'ry or ah'm haulin' all this shite back, ya long-eared immortal git!"

Feeling the pressure, Coye went over to sign on the dotted line with the pen that the delivery Dwarf provided. Satisfied, the man nodded in acceptance before shouting a couple of words in Dwarvish, signaling his boys to get to work.

Bursting out of the back of the wagon came a group of three younger Dwarves, each on the cusp of growing beards. They were carrying a bed that was a good deal larger than the disgusting mattress found inside the cabin. The old one might've struggled to fit three people, while this one looked sizable enough to handle four or five. Everyone got out of the way as the young Dwarves rushed it in, came back out, brought in a new frame, and then swapped out the old mattress and its frame for disposal.

Suzette stared at the sex-stained mattress as it left her sight once and for all. She muttered a somber farewell to the clandestine infidelity bed, saying, "Good riddance. I hope you burn in the deepest, hottest pits of the Endless Hells..."

Coye and Byng both pretended they didn't hear a thing.

The delivery didn't stop there. Once they were done with the bed, the three Dwarves started hauling in a collection of kitchen basics. There were pots and pans, utensils, sheets for the oven, and more. Along with it came a couple boxes of food.

"I'm gonna bring you some meat soon," Byng told him. "But Suz insisted we set you up with some preserved crap in the meantime."

"Make sense," Coye said. Again, he was trying not to let his feelings of gratitude overwhelm him.

Once the last box had been brought in, the three younger Dwarves boarded the wagon again. The driver was seemingly satisfied and respectfully nodded his head at his client before stirring the reins. "Thank ya kindly, you ladies take care ah y'selves."

"H-Hey, I'm not-" Coye attempted a correction, but the wagon had already turned around and was barreling back toward the Peace Gate. He let out a sigh.

'Cheer up! At least they didn't get any major furniture without me there to approve of it!' Shayla unhelpfully offered. At least her level of self-absorption was amusing enough to him.

They were already nearly done with the lawn, so Coye went inside to see the new additions to his home. Suzette was putting on the sheets while Byng helped her with the pillowcases. She smiled at the boy as he approached, asking, "How does it look? I assumed you'd need one on the larger size, and this was the best I could do without putting in some sort of absurd custom order."

"Looks great to me," Coye thought. "Won't know for sure until I give it a try, though."

"Sounds like somebody is getting eager," Byng cackled while giving him a lewd expression.

"T-That's not what I-"

"Don't sweat it, short-stuff! Just giving you a hard time." The girl came up behind him, clasped him on the back, and then pushed Coye onto the bed with her palm.

Coye fell face first into a comforting fortress of utter softness, like a cloud but firmer and bouncier. He reoriented himself to lie on his back, then closed his eyes. After working on the house for so long, the bed came as a sweet relief.

"It's good," he announced. "Really good."

"It better be," Suzette said, looking at the boy with a hint of hunger in her eyes. "It's going to be seeing a lot of use, so it better be the best gold can buy."

Coye blushed and wiggled around nervously. "D-Don't joke about that... even just thinking about that kind of thing will get me worked up right now!"

"It's not a joke, though! It's the truth! Gahaha!"

'I'm glad it feels nice, but I'm just glad the new frame doesn't clash,' Shayla added unhelpfully.

Intending to get up and back to work, Coye tried wresting himself from the bed to no avail. Its blissful, pillowy softness entrapped and ensnared him, preventing his rise.

"Um, could someone give me some help here?" Coye pleaded, thrusting out his hand. No one took it.

"I don't see any need for that, Darling. Why don't you stay for a while and have a rest? You've worked hard all day, and I think a nap would do you good." Suzette suggested out of the blue.

"Wait, really? Why now? Isn't there more stuff we have to do, or-"

"I think we just about got everything. Didn't we, Suz?" Byng cocked her head.

"Everything we could feasibly accomplish today, yes. The outhouse still needs a thorough cleaning, and Goddesses Above and Below know that the entire place would be better off with a fresh coat of paint, but aside from that, I believe it's perfectly livable as it is now."

'The smell is even starting to clear up, too!' Shayla added, although she still planned on freshening the place with her scent magic as soon as she had a chance.

"Wow," Coye remarked. "That went a lot quicker than I thought it would."

"You say that like it's a big surprise after how much ass we hauled today, gahaha!" Byng couldn't hold back her laugh. She was beyond satisfied with the results of their work and had to show it. "Suz is right, though. I think you should chill for a bit and nap."

Coye looked at her shyly, muttering, "I thought we were going to... um... celebrate as soon as we were done?"

"Later," Suzette told him in a stern voice. "Byng and I have a prior agreement which needs to be seen to. It's nothing for you to worry your little head over, Darling. We'll only be gone for an hour or two. Isn't that right, dear?"

Byng suddenly made an expression like an animal caught in one of her traps, painfully aware of its fate. "Oh yeah, it'll be fast. Real fast. Shouldn't be a problem. Not at all! Nope!"

'...Uh-huh,' Shayla raised a brow.

Although her behavior was suspicious to Coye, he was too wrapped up in his disappointment over the delay in his sexual relief to make much commentary of it.

"Okay," he pouted. "I'll wait if I really have to..."

Suzette was pleased. "Good boy," she said. "Have a nice rest and make yourself at home while we're gone, alright?"

Coye yawned as the bed started to enforce his increasing tiredness. "Will do."

Suzette and Byng left the home they helped clean, shutting the door behind them after the huntress mouthed the words 'help me' to Coye, who didn't even notice. Not even a few seconds after they left, Shayla exploded from her hiding place and began flying around the room in hyperactive circles.

"Fucking finally! I almost didn't think I would get a chance to see it all for myself tonight!" She exclaimed, her voice so happy it almost cracked. "This is way, way better than looking at it from the inside of your hat!"

"I'm happy for you," Coye smiled. "Just make sure you hide before they get back."

"I know, I know," she dismissed him before flying over to one of the windows and inspecting its dreary beige curtains. "Yeesh. These have got to go. What would you think if they were dark blue? With silvery swirls and curls and twirls?"

What Coye thought was that Shayla designed almost everything using that aesthetic, but what he said was, "I think we'll go with whatever makes you happy."

Shayla narrowed her eyes at him, judging and scrutinizing him before nodding and giving him a thumbs up. "That, my dear boy, was a test. A test that you just passed. I let you call the shots everywhere else, so just remember who's in charge around here. You got that?"

"Yes, Shayla," Coye laughed. He preferred it this way, anyway. He didn't have much interest or talent in interior design and trusted the Pixie's opinions regarding appearances. At least when she wasn't trying to extol the virtues of cross-dressing and wearing a skirt to him.

For a couple of minutes, Shayla went on with her business of thorough inspections and making mental notes about what needed work and what didn't. Coye was increasingly tired as he rested on the bed, but her enthusiasm prompted him to ask, "So, what do you really think about it? Is this what you wanted?"

Shayla stopped what she was doing and floated overhead of Coye. Her expression showed she was deep in thought, but it was accentuated by a peaceful smile. "No, it's even better than what I wanted. I know it's small for someone as big as you, but to me, this place might as well be a realm onto itself."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Coye sighed. "I kept worrying what would happen if you didn't like it..."

"Well, there's no need for that anymore. Just you wait, baby. We're gonna make the most of our home." Shayla paused, dwelling on how words felt on her tongue. "Geez. 'Our home,' huh? Hard not to get sentimental over that..." She filled the air with a couple of nervous chuckles as her face turned red and she scratched behind her ear.

"Has a nice ring to it," Coye admitted.

"It should, because that's what that is. It's not just a place for you to bring girls back to bang them. It's a place for you, and I can be together and not worry about anyone seeing us. A place where we... I can be safe from the outside world. All that, and more..." Shayla told him in a voice that became dreamier with every passing word.

There was nothing Coye had to say to that. As usual, he was just happy that Shayla was. He watched her with a smile as she returned to her work combing over every nook and cranny of the cabin. This continued until his weariness caught up to him, and the boy lost himself to a wonderful late afternoon nap.