Chapter 38: Chapter 77 – Flowers & Hugs

After cleaning up the kitchen, I was about to go upstairs until I saw a gigantic sheep plush— the same one Cresta had won for Tamara at the carnival— at the top of the stairs. It just stared at me. Menacingly. At least until realization hit me that it was actually moving. The stuffed sheep wobbled back and forth, then tipped forward over the steps

A much smaller, humanoid sheep was clutching onto it from behind. Her foot missed the step as she moved forward.

"Ahh—"

"Tamara?!" I threw out my arms to catch them, but the unwieldiness of the giant plush knocked me to the ground, with them on top of me.

"Good morning, Akira! And… sorry about that…" Tamara was peeking over the shoulder of the toy with an apologetic smile, safe from the fall having been cushioned by it and me.

We picked each other up, and I was more amused than anything seeing the difference in their sizes. Compared to Tamara, the plushie really was almost three times her size. She was walking blind, holding it from the back. Even without me around she would have been fine falling on top of it.

"If you were bringing it down, why didn't you just toss it from the top instead?"

Her smile flipped into a frown and cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk. "I can't do that! I'd feel bad throwing it around. Cresta won this for me, you know?"

"You're thirteen years old, feeling bad for a stuffed animal?" I put my hands on my hips.

"It's important to me," she simply replied, cheeks ballooning up to the brink of bursting.

"Okay, okay." I pressed a finger to each of her cheeks to pop the pout. "Where were you trying to take it?"

Tamara picked up the stuffed sheep and trotted into the living room. I followed her in just as she plopped it onto the couch like a member of our dorm family. Among the other possessions strewn about like Cresta's cardboard box at the corner of the room, Irapesha's enchanted grip trainer and Remmy's console controller on the coffee table, and Ines' fleece blanket folded neatly on the couch armrest, the place was really filling up as proof that they were getting used to living here.

"Come here and give Pakka a hug!" she urged me, feet kicking and barely touching the ground.

So she named it already, I thought.

"I don't know if Pakka will mind that I haven't showered up yet—"

"Do it later! I want everyone to rub their scent on it!"

As much as I'd like to see Tamara pouting again by refusing, I relented to her request. At least no one else was around. This was incredibly embarrassing. The last time I hugged a toy was when I was six.

Casting my dignity aside and reaching deep for my inner child, I went over and embraced the stuffed sheep, only for Tamara to squeeze between me and the toy.

"Oh, so this is what you were after all along, squirt?" I asked, tightening the hug

"Being hugged from both sides is the best feeling ever." Tamara beamed.

Rakka joined us by landing on top of the stuffed sheep and bleating joyfully.

"Tamara, when you're done with your hugging session, we have our tutoring session next," Ines said, entering the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.

"Oh! I almost forgot. I'll get my stuff!" Tamara slipped out of my arms to race upstairs with Rakka following close behind.

Well, it was pleasant while it lasted.

"You're tutoring Tamara? Aren't you busy with graduate work?" Joining Ines in the kitchen, I tried hard not to stare at her in the tight pink shirt and panty that bit into the fat of her cheeks. It didn't help that she was hunched over the sink while nursing the glass of water, as though purposefully arching her back to show off her feminine curves

"Since Tamara isn't originally from this world, there's a lot of fundamentals that Tamara doesn't know. Puts her at a disadvantage when it comes to academia. I'm just doing what I can when I have free time," she explained.

That I had no idea. Tamara had only just begun school a month and a half ago, so I wouldn't know how she was doing until her report card came in. It was just another matter-of-fact issue that didn't cross my mind when it came to netherfolks. 

"Sorry for having you do that… I feel like it should be my job—"

A sharp pain struck my ass and made me jump back. In a swift motion, Ines had slapped my ass and squeezed one side of the cheek.

"What was that for?!" I rubbed my stinging butt.

"You're taking on too much by yourself, it's going to catch up to your health. Trust me. Letting me tutor Tamara is one less thing for you to worry about, so don't sweat it." Ines winked, flaunting her ass in my face as she left the kitchen.

Ange had said the same thing. It seemed they had been talking together about my stress lately, and although the bouts of exhaustion came and went like a breeze, I wasn't the only one concerned about my health.

Drawn to the foyer by Ines' light footfalls heading upstairs, I glanced out the kitchen to find her sashaying and went red in the face. She had apparently been jogging every morning with Cresta and Irapesha, and by the look of it, those workouts were making dividends.

"I can't handle older women at all, yet I've been blessed to live with them." I sighed.

A nice shower followed by a hot bath to soak in did the trick and refreshed me enough to tackle the rest of my day. I exited the bathroom to Ange and Valeanor, who had supposedly been waiting for me.

"Is this an intervention?" I asked the two netherfolks.

"Our dear queen wanted me to deliver to you a request, but I told her she must ask you herself." Ange nudged Valeanor from behind, maybe a little too hard because it startled her as she staggered forward a few steps.

"H-Hmph. One of my stature shouldn't have to make requests herself. Besides, it's n-not as if I couldn't go without," Valeanor stammered, coiling her hair with a finger.

Every other time and the royal pain in the butt would have demanded something from me. For her to be so hesitant about it was new and more refreshing than the bath.

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Valeanor's haughty demeanor faltered. She took a step back only to walk into Ange who nudged her again. With nowhere to run, she recomposed herself to speak with me.

"Ahem. I request that you take me to one of your human flower boutiques. I would like to purchase some seeds and nurture those that are native of this world," she said.

So that's what it was?

"Flowers, huh. I think there is a boutique in the city. We can head down right now if you're ready," I offered and was rewarded with Valeanor's delighted smile.

I drove Ange and Valeanor into the city. The flower shop wasn't hard to find but parking was. Smack-dab in the center of the city and supposedly visited by hundreds at a time, the shopping plaza was filled to the brim with cars and people.

As we walked there, passersby couldn't help but gawk and make comments about my tenants.

"It's an elf!"

"Succubus, too. She's so hot!"

"I wonder if elf ears are sensitive like in anime?"

Valeanor shuddered at their comments. "I am being violated by their mere words..."

"I thought you liked praise from the public masses?" I teased.

"Those are far from praises, and you know it!" she fired back.

Meanwhile, Ange soaked in all the lustful gazes and lascivious comments like it fueled her very being.

We entered the boutique to the breathtaking sight of colorful flowers hanging from pots, on standing vases, and an array of mixed species arranged together and bundled in wrapping paper for sale. I was reminded by all the hearts and red-colored decorations that Valentine's Day was coming up.

"By the gods. I could live here. They are all such a feast to my eyes!" Valeanor exclaimed, enamored by what Earth had to offer when it came to flowers.

"Why is it that almost everything here is red?" Ange was the only one who had taken interest in the human holiday. "Any deeper in color, and it would be the spitting image of the demon lord's bloodletting workshop."

The distasteful comparison earned her weird looks from other customers in the store.

"I'm disappointed to learn that Valentine's Day reminds you of that. In my world, it's a holiday on February 14 that celebrates romantic love and friendships," I explained.

"Hmm… Is that so? Have you something planned for us?" The succubus tapped her chin with interest, leaning into my shoulder.

"I, uh… Well…" I was at a loss for words under her oppressive gaze and teasing smile, then pointed to a bouquet of pink and yellow roses. "L-Look at these beautiful roses! Their color reminds me of your pretty pink skin and glowing yellow eyes!"

When I picked up the bouquet to show Ange, she was blushing up to her ears.

"I-I agree… They are quite an attractive color. I wouldn't mind if you buy them for me…" Ange shrank behind the bouquet of roses between us so that only her horns were visible.

Taken by surprise, my heart skipped several beats having seen a cute side of my succubus girlfriend I didn't know existed. It felt especially good since she was usually the one putting me in a weak spot. Maybe she wasn't good with compliments, and I had only caught her off guard.

"I have finished collecting all that I need," Valeanor declared, dispelling the tension between me and Ange.

We spun around to find that she was carrying three paper bags filled with mixed flower seeds in smaller packets, most of them common, but a few rare ones mixed in. I paid for everything, including the yellow and pink roses to give to Ange.

"Oh, Akira… I was only joking. You didn't have to, but I thank you nonetheless," Ange said, cradling the bouquet like she held a baby.

"You don't have to thank me! This much is expected in a relationship, right?" 

The succubus was so elated that her eyes had moistened. It only occurred to me then that, although we were in a relationship, we hadn't done much in the way of romance aside from physical intimacy.

In the car ride home, Ange had her nose buried in the roses and her gentle eyes were elsewhere than the present. While this was supposed to be a trip for Valeanor, it turned out that everyone came away with something. The green-thumbed queen was eager to get her hands dirty the moment we returned. Without so much as a thanks, she did just that, marching to her room with the prizes in hand to get started.

"We don't have anything to put these in, do we?" Ange remarked of the flowers and frowned.

Before I could open my mouth, Valeanor came back with a cylindrical glass vase and sachet of flower feed.

"You will need this to take care of them. Sprinkle the feed every few days to extend their lifespan and keep them healthy. Keep. Them. Healthy. Or I will take them away to care for intsead," she warned, shoving into my hands the sachet and vase because Ange's were full with the bouquet. "This isn't for either of your sakes, so don't misunderstand my intentions! It's for the flowers!"

"Thanks, Val!" I shouted to her back as she stormed upstairs.

"Do not be so presumptuous as to shorten my name, Caretaker!"

"Valeanor isn't very honest with her feelings, is she?" Ange giggled.

"But it's nice to know she also isn't always catty. Anyway, let's get these settled. Where do you want them? In the kitchen, or maybe your room—"

Ange pinned me against the wall, with a hand on my cheek and the other on my shoulder, her tail having unburdened the flowers from her grasp.

"I, on the other hand, can be very honest."

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