After Scarletra returned from her room, Samuel and her laid out the details of what type of help she could and hopefully would be willing to offer up to the outpost. Overall, Scarletra was more than willing to help with manual labor and learn how to do general maintenance of Samuel`s home. At least, that is how Samuel chose to interpret her words while ignoring the heat that flushed his face.

　　In reality, when Samuel posed the question, Scarletra licked her lips, leaned forward to show her cleavage, and in as saucy of a voice as the translator would allow, "I will do whatever you want, Sam," finishing the comment with a wink.

　　That was a bit more than what Samuel was after, and it somewhat felt awkward that it was a tempting idea to grab onto—along with some other things she was teasing him with.

　　Moving on from the flirtatious answer with as little acknowledgment as possible, scarletra grumbled her dissatisfaction that he still resisted. But accepted the reason why, when his face got somewhat serious, evidently, he had no plans on asking Scarletra to do anything he would not do himself. Explaining that it could be dangerous otherwise and that he believed it would be cruel and frankly weird to ask more of her.

　　So Samuel took some time to explain to her how she would be learning Galactic Standard and just doing general busy work around the outpost. Additionally, when he worked, she would stay nearby so he could teach her how to work on various things an engineer or a mechanical technician would be expected to be capable of.

　　 There were a few questions about being an engineer or a mechanical technician, but a hurried explanation of their duties sufficed for Samuel`s intelligent companion.

　　Engineers were meant to draft, design, test, and prototype solutions to problems where there was no way to complete or to create whole new products to fill a need someone who hired you wanted.

　　Technicians were expected to perform essential maintenance and repairs on things that were generally commonplace and needed little more than some part to be removed and replaced or to perform upkeep.

　　Being a technician was something that Scarletra really did seem to understand, unlike being an engineer. Why she understood that was not what Samuel had expected. She spoke about it akin to a forge master, repairing armor and swords or a carpenter fixing shingles and slats on houses.

　　Now, it was Samuel`s turn to be confused.

　　Based on everything Scarletra had shown him for the technology she carried with her, crude leather works, stone tools, and an incredibly simple iron knife. Samuel had assumed the Varintol were at most within the equivalent of the Neolithic or Bronze Age of humanity, maybe the early Iron Age, if he was stretching his imagination.

　　Samuel was astronomically wrong about her and the Varintols species` technological understanding, culture, and claim as the moon`s dominant species. Enough so that if it was a snake, it would have bitten him.

　　The Varintol were ages past the Neolithic Age and the Bronze Age. If anything, from what Scarletra had described, they were well nestled into the Iron Ages of technology. However, they did not sound like they were near an industrial revolution.

　　The Varintol had an understanding of iron, its acquisition, and its properties. The fact the translator had a word for iron should have tipped him off on this, but he had just never put two and two together.

　　How fucking stupid could he be? Scarletra has an iron knife, for god`s sake, but he just assumed it was an anomaly based on how crude it was-A one-of-a-kind thing made by a particularly curious craftsman.

　　But no, according to Scarletra, the Varintol had mastered the production of iron weapons and armor long ago, and the metal was somewhat prevalent in Varintol nations. Her knife had just seen years of wear and tear, and her being unable to properly maintain its condition.

　　Their language had no equivalent for steel. Samuel knew this because the translator could not specifically say steel in Varintol; instead, it just inserted the Standard word for it where it should be in the Varintol language for Scarletra.

　　When Samuel asked her about the metal and roughly explained what steel was, she confirmed it was made on the moon, but only tribes in the south did in any amount, and they did not share the metal or how it was made.

　　So it must have been discovered within the last one hundred standard years; that`s the only way the translator could not have a word for it, but it did, to some amount, exist. Too bad Scarletra claimed to be a craftsman and not a blacksmith. She might have been able to give insight into the metal`s quality if she had. She only knew the Varintol word for Steel was essentially the equivalent of saying better iron.` That was an apt moniker as far as Samuel was concerned, even if it was a bit crude.

　　Scarletra also told Samuel several other things that drove home the impression that the Varintol were far more advanced than he had imagined.

　　The Varintol had developed a clear structure of roles and professions far beyond the basics of what he assumed: hunter, gatherer, nursemaid, and warrior. No, they had developed crafters, weavers, cooks, blacksmiths, fletchers, and even herbalists; apparently, they were some form of doctors and medics.

　　Goods, services, and production naturally lead their societies down the route of forming nations, armies, and trade networks. That led each Nation to move beyond simple barter, and they now used gold and other precious metals as currency.

　　 It was a shame that Scarletra did not have any examples that Samuel could look at, but such is life. It wasn`t like she needed them when trying to survive in the woods alone. They would have weighed her down anyway.

　　Scarletra also told him a little bit about the nations she was aware of. Even if it was only the closest ones to her old tribe, the Ursana.

　　The Lurua to the north traded in precious furs and were renowned for their hunters and scouts. Due to the mobility of their scouts and hunters, they commanded the second-largest swath of territory.

　　The Jurual, to the east, were hardy people. They traded in raw metals from the high mountains. They did not command a large land area, but the mountains and tunnels they made into their homes kept them safe from the Great Mother`s wrath.

　　The Guraen, to the west, specialized in lumber, but they rarely traded with the Ursana due to the distance between their territories and the danger it posed.

　　That distance was where the outpost just so happened to land in, Barut`s hunting grounds.

　　The area was avoided by the Ursana and the Guraen due to there being a particularly nasty type of Megafauna, a massive six-legged monster the Varintol called Barut`s hound—hopefully, they never run into one of them. Based on her description and reason for the name, they will hunt you for weeks, never letting you rest and nipping at your heels until they kill you.

　　Who could have guessed the monster named in tribute to the Varintol goddess of hunting would be a nasty beast?

　　Lastly, the Harun lived in the warmer climate to the south. They sounded like the most prosperous nation by far, producing everything the others did and then some: metal, food, fish, salt, and lumber. Apparently, they were the most peaceful tribe and were actually open to trade with everyone. They preferred to just bribe their way into friendship rather than strong-arming others.

　　The fact that Scarletra had worded their politics like that and filled her words with hinted amounts of disdain made him all the more curious about her tribe.

　　When Samuel asked what the Ursana produced, Scarletra looked hesitant to tell him more about her old tribe, shifting awkwardly and averting her gaze. After some prodding, Scarletra relented and explained the Ursana tribe and nation really did not have a product they made; instead, their Matriarch would occasionally sell conquered lesser tribes as slaves or loan her warriors as mercenaries.

　　That made Samuel hungry to know more about her background.

　　He knew Scarletra had to be hiding something. Her scars, behavior, story, and information about her tribe. None of it added up. Unless the Ursana valued education far more than Iron Age humans did, there was no way she was just some crafter who ran away. She had to have access to education, a teacher, and someone to explain the equivalent of geopolitics to her.

　　What was she not telling him? And more vital than that, why was she hiding something from him? Had she been Lying from the start about why she left? Was she some runaway slave or criminal? The slave part was not a big deal to him or the GU, both detesting it. But if she was some criminal for all he knew, he let a murderer into his house.

　　On the other hand, If she was just some warrior, he doubted he would mind. She was trying to restart and escape her past, a feeling he understood. How bad could the specifics of who she is be?

　　Samuel did not intend to, but while he tried to craft theories about what she was not telling him, he had been staring at her intently, taking in every detail of her red jumpsuit-clad presence as if observing her would help him reveal answers.

　　"Sam—why are you looking at me like that?" Scarletra questioned, feeling odd with how intensely he was observing her; it was like he was trying to pull her limb from limb with a discerning gaze.

　　A part of her was afraid she had said too much. Did Samuel know she was lying about what she did in the past? Or was it something else?

　　 "My clothes aren`t going to fall off or something." Scarletra teased, plucking at her cleavage, hoping that would be enough to drag him out of whatever thoughts he was dwelling on.

　　Scarletra was horrified by what would happen if Samuel knew what she did or what she was. She needed him to not think too much about her story, or he would eventually ask direct questions she could not avoid or sidestep by leaving out details. She was not Scarletra the bloody anymore and wanted to keep it that way—At least in his mind if she could. Life would be better if he never knew that about her past.

　　Scarletra would rather have Samuel know her as the cute, sexy, fluffy ball of sunshine he knew her as now. She prayed harder than she had in a long time that she would never need to tell him about that part of her and that her comment distracted him enough.

　　 If Samuel ever did know about her—He would likely think she was a monster, a beast to be put down. She knew it would be that way, especially after Samuel told her about his peaceful, comfortable, and safe life before coming to Baritin. The loss of his previous wife and matriarch withstanding.

　　"What?" Samuel said, being ripped back from his theories and looking back at her fluttering, teasing eyes.

　　 He turned nearly as red as blood before averting his gaze. Thank the great mother that worked. Scarletra pushed off his eventual hatred of her another day. For now, he would not revile her existence.

　　Whenever—no—If she ever had to tell Samuel the truth, she would burn that bridge when she got there. So long as what led to her ripping open those old wounds was not bad. If it was the worst-case scenario she imagined—-she would have torn him apart in a blood rage, leaving him as little more than fuel for her rage and a bitter reminder that she was a beast of Hurot.

　　However, the thought of possibly doing that to such a gentle and kind man made her feel hollow and want to throw up.

　　By the great mother, if Samuel ever did learn of Hurot`s rage, let it not be that way.

　　"I said my clothes won`t just fall off from you staring. If you want them off—just ask," Scarletra purred while shaking her supple chest in his vision.

　　"I wasn`t thinking about that," Samuel protested, standing up and moving toward the door.

　　"Are you sure? It certainly looked like you wanted a reminder," Sacrletra purred.

　　Samuel paused just before the door and shook his head. Scareltra sniffed and basked in the scent of his arousal. At least his body was honest—that was more than she could say about herself right now. She was manipulating him and felt guilty about it. She let it gnaw at her heart, even though it was for his own good—at least, that was her justification for not telling him she could lose her mind in Hurot`s rage and kill everything she got her claws and teeth on—including him.

　　"That animal you bought the other day is in the fridge. Can you butcher it while I go and finish my work for the day?" Samuel asked, without looking back at her, not wanting Scarletra to see more of how tomato-red he was.

　　"If that`s really what you want me to do—-Sam," Scarletra smirked, reveling in seeing a shuddering wave roll up his back and straighten slightly from hearing her call him Sam.

　　 Now, that is what she wanted him to think of her. A temptress, a friend, someone he can rely on. Not some blood-sopped beast waiting to snap and rip his head off.

　　"Please do. Feel free to use the knives and kitchen counter as a cutting board; the trash is the metal chute next to the sink." Samuel said while pulling his jacket off the hook next to the doorway outside. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

　　"I will clean and prepare the Litrit for you, Sam," Scarletra replied.

　　"Yeah, the Litrit. Sorry, I did not know what it was called. Thanks for doing that," Samuel replied while he pulled his flame thrower from the locker and stepped out into the fluttering mid-day snow.

　　"It`s no problem," Scarletra yelled just as the automatic door closed and left her alone inside.

　　—

　　For Scarletra, butchering and cleaning the Litrit was a simple task. It was something she had done hundreds upon thousands of times before. The only hang-up she had was that it was half frozen, and the knives Samuel wanted her to use were no help despite them being made out of amazingly refined metal and being sharper than her claws.

　　Scarletra just could not get a solid grip on their tiny human-sized handles. It was like she was holding half a knife, leading her hand to slip and the knife clattering away. Thankfully, she never got cut by the razor-sharp blade.

　　So, to solve that issue, Scarletra used her own knife. That one fit her grip properly and was perfect for the task. It was heavy and allowed her to quickly break the frozen joints, ligaments, and bones. Scarletra removed flesh from bone with well-practiced ease as she and the knife slid through the carcass, drawing out guts and pulling the pelt free in slow and steady motions.

　　The process took Scarletra a little over an hour and a half. By the time she had the frozen muscle separated from the bones, tendons, and ligaments. Scarletra had made several piles on the kitchen counter, similar to what she did in her cave. The only thing she did not do was crack open the skull and larger bones for the brain and the fatty marrow. As much as she wanted to. Marrow and brain were succulent and a good source of energy.

　　Why did Samuel want her to throw any of this away? It was all useful. Yeah, he did have his GU technology to fill all their needs, but that did not mean she did not want to still use them. Throwing them out seemed wasteful and insulting to the Litrit`s life.

　　 The bones could be made into knives, needles, hooks, spear tips, and arrowheads. While the ligaments, tendons, and most organs could be dried and weaved into extremely strong cordage for any usage. By the Great Mother`s name, the twine thread she used on her leatherworks were tendons.

　　The Litrits pelt uses were self-explanatory. Once tanned, it would be warm, soft, and ready to be sewn into clothing. While a single Litrit was not enough material for anything significant, she could make a hat or gloves for Samuel. He needed those and wore them whenever they were outside, unlike her.

　　She had never tried to craft anything like gloves or a beanie but could not imagine it would be too arduous. That might be a project for another day, perhaps when the next blizzard rolled in and they—well, Samuel was stuck inside until it passed. Or she could tackle the task whenever she had downtime between her other project and whatever Samuel needed help with.

　　Samuel returned inside shortly after washing the blood off her hands and ensuring there was no gore left in her soft fur. Having warm running water and fresh-smelling soap was terrific. It made cleaning herself up so easy. Never in her wildest fantasies could she have imagined having warm water whenever she wanted.

　　He walked over after dressing down into his undershirt, pants, and shoes. Why did he have to look so sexy? Scarletra wanted to grab him the moment he slipped a shoulder from his jacket.

　　"Great job, thanks for doing that," Samuel said, coming over and inspecting her work.

　　"It`s no problem. I am just glad you wanted to eat the Litrit. I was afraid I took the life of one of Great Mother`s creatures for no reason," Scarletra said, gesturing to the piles. "Are we able to use the parts for anything?"

　　"Like what, clothes and whatnot?" Samuel questioned, running his hand through the Litrit`s golden fur. Its velvet fur was soft but nothing compared to Scarletra`s. Comparatively, it felt like denim.

　　"Yeah, it`s only fitting we do," Scarletra smiled.

　　Samuel shrugged and gestured at everything other than the meat. "Yeah, if you want, I won`t stop you. I was only interested in the meat because we will run out of food soon and will have to hunt some more before the next supply shuttle arrives. By the way, are you willing to help with that? I don`t exactly know where game animals are."

　　"Of course, so long as we don`t waste the animal. I am not comfortable with the senseless killing of Great Mothers` children.`` Scarltra assured.

　　That was not unexpected after Scarletra wanted to use everything and had such a generally gentle demeanor. Her tribes were likely similar to old humans, where you simply had to use everything to survive. Actually, no, with how advanced the tribal nations were, that was probably a habit she built from scavaging alone for years.

　　"I understand. Now, can you move everything but the meat? I will start dinner," Samuel replied while bending down to pull some pans from the lower cupboards.

　　"Can I help cook?" Scarletra enthusiastically questioned, trying to peek inside the cupboard.

　　"Sure, just move those things outside or into the workshop until you set them up for whatever processing you need," Samuel shrugged.

　　"Ok," Scraletra beamed, quickly removing the animal parts and taking them outside.

　　Scarletra was so glad that Samuel was okay with her using the parts. While she was happy here and likely not going anywhere, life was fickle, and she still had an inkling in the back of her mind that Samuel and the GU would not let her remain if they learned of her history.

　　 So this was a regrettable step she wanted to make for an emergency backup she hoped to never need, along with being a possible gift for her burly and enticing companion.

　　—-

　　By the time Scarletra returned from burying the bones in the snow and draping the ligaments, organs, and skin from some of the metal cross beams on the outpost`s border fencing, Samuel had already begun to cook dinner for them.

　　Why did he not wait? She wanted to learn how to cook with the GU tools.

　　Scarletra instantly forgave him, starting early the moment the heavy mouthwatering smell of the rendering fat and lightly charring meat danced through the air and filled her lungs, making Scarletra`s mouth water and stomach grumble loudly enough that Samuel noticed, turning his head at her curiously for a moment before returning to the grill.

　　 Scarletra had not realized she was this hungry. While she did eat earlier today, it had only been once. She still had not expressed to Samuel that she needed to eat more than what she had been. She had only been eating at most two-thirds of her usual diet, and it was starting to get to her. Last night, she was half tempted to sneak out of her room and eat a few more MREs(meals ready to eat)

　　Scarletra especially did not want to tell him she needed more food once Samuel told her she was eating and drinking him out of his house and home. At least he had a solution. With the harvesting game, she should be fine. And could make sure their harvests were bountiful enough to ensure they had plenty to eat and then some.

　　As Scarletra got closer to Samuel and the pile of cooked meat, a potpourri of other heavenly aromas joined the divine dance on her pallet. The smells were sharp yet full-bodied. Rich and delectable, but were so overwhelming she could nearly not bear to be within arms reach of the cooktop.

　　Their varied scents reminded her of spices her mother imported from the south to ensure the tribe`s food was flavorful and delectable. After all, a happy and well-fed army of warriors would fight more than a starving, malnourished one under the best of conditions. Hurot knew they seldom, if ever, waged war in ideal conditions. The Great Mother despised war, so she was constantly troubling armies with snow, sleet, and her most extraordinary beasts. As such, keeping an army fed was the wise thing to do. Her mother put great effort and cost into ensuring it was done.

　　"Oh, by Oros, that smells amazing," Scarletra moaned, rubbing a sling of drool from her lips.

　　"Oros?" Samuel said questioningly while flipping one of the steaks on the griddle, a fresh waft of melting fat filling the air.

　　Litrit meat was surprisingly tender and fatty; It had an excellent marbling running between thick and heavy crimson muscles. Samuel had tried some of the first few slices of it, and it practically melted in his mouth, putting any wagyu he had ever had to shame. It was a bit gamey and tart. But that was nothing that some good old salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic oil could not solve. Fuck, using those made this probably the best steak he had ever had. It was unbelievable.

　　Samuel was lucky that Liro made the extra effort to supply Samuel with supplies straight from Earth or close equivalents so similar that if he could not see the packaging, Samuel would never know the difference. Having all these familiar ingredients at least made it so he was not shooting blind when cooking for Scarletra. He wanted her to enjoy the first time he genuinely cooked for her and was not just shoving a mylar bag and water into her hands.

　　"Oros is the goddess of cooks and food. She prepares the meals at the Great Mother`s Hall," Scarletra replied, resting her hand on his far shoulder and leaning closer to take a deeper whiff of the meat. Although with what Samuel was cooking, he might need to serve something to the Great Mother if Samuel could even go to the afterlife. Scarletra was not sure if Humans were welcome anywhere but the Icey Abyss. Her teachings about it always said the halls of the great mother were for the Varintol.

　　Samuel did not mind how close Scarletra had gotten, if he did not have his hands occupied with cooking, he would likely whip around and hug her. Hearing her curiously grumble and puff while watching him work was too adorable to resist. She had never seen the massive induction grill the outpost had active before and undoubtedly had questions swirling around beneath her silken silver hair.

　　Samuel peaked over and saw her wide eyes in amazement, tracking between the mound of cooked steaks and the grill`s extensive plane. As soon as he looked back, a warm, wet feeling landed on his bare shoulder.

　　"Scarletra, back up a bit. You are drooling on my shoulder," Samuel chuckled, bumping his hip into her thigh.

　　"But I wanted to help!" Scarletra whined, leaning back and rubbing away the glistening drool off him.

　　"Sorry, the food is already done," Samuel scooped the meat out of the skillet and added it to a massive pile. He had cooked the entire rear half of the Litrit, wanting to ensure Scarletra had enough food. "Go get us some beer from the storage, and I will bring the meat out to the main room," Samuel added, just before chuckling when he turned and saw the adorable pout on her soft face.

　　Seeing that gentle little pout sent butterflies out in his chest. He could not resist it. Samuel turned and gently caressed her face, giving her a warm smile. Scarlera put her hand atop his and held it, giving out a welcoming growl.

　　 "I will teach you how to make some pancakes and sausage in the morning, alright?" Samuel said calmingly.

　　"Promise? You said you would let me help cook dinner," Scarletra breathed her warm breath, making Samuel`s smile grow like the warm breeze of summer was coaxing a seed to sprout.

　　"Yeah, I promise," Samuel assured.

　　Scarletra nodded and gave an ear-to-ear grin. She had no idea what pancakes were but was happy to learn. She stared intently into Samuel`s emerald eyes and started to lean in to kiss his welcoming lips. But paused, remembering the plan she had concocted.

　　She cannot be the one to initiate being intimate. Samuel felt guilty last time. He has to come to her.

　　She stepped back and spotted a slight grimace on Samuel`s face like he was slightly disappointed that she leaned back. She did smell arousal on him and hardly any amount of that regret she had before. She wondered if tonight would be the night Samuel would want to cuddle up again.

　　"I will see you in the main room," Scarletra said as she sashayed away, ensuring she wiggled her fluffy tail and her rump to temp the Human further. A detail Samuel did not miss.

　　Shortly later, they were plopped down onto the sofa and were fork and claw deep into the steaks. Samuel had taken his usual position pressed up against her soft thighs, while Scarletra`s mass ensured he would never be able to fix this sofa. Not that he minded too much. It was just an issue that both sides of the sofa sloped into her gentle, welcoming gravitational pull.

　　Samuel chuckled as Scarletra filled all five of her claws on one hand with skewered meat and cracked a can of beer open with the other. She was engulfing the food with unbridled ferocity. Each succulent morsel she ate elicited loud moans and caused her to happily dance in place.

　　By everything, how can she be so massive yet act like a little kid with candy?

　　At least Samuel only needed two of the streaks to be satiated. She was already on her eighth steak and third beer. Samuel knew he definitely had not been giving her enough food. He would have to note that and send an additional supply request to Liro because the one he sent yesterday only requested triple rations. That was definitely not sufficient. He needed to at least sextuple his initial assumption.

　　"This is good. It`s nothing like what I can cook over heated rocks or an open flame." Scarletra praised just before she slammed back another beer, draining the can in seconds.

　　"Glad you like it. It had been a while since I cooked for someone. I missed it," Samuel replied, popping open his second can of beer.

　　"Well, smart guy, I wanted to cook, but someone had to cook the meal without me," Scarltra teased, bumping his shoulder with her elbow.

　　"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I said I will make it up to you," Samuel chuckled.

　　"You had better. If I`m ever going to be the matri—" Scareltra started but bit her tongue, realizing she was about to call herself his future matriarch."To cook for you, I have to know how to use the kitchen."

　　Samuel set his beer and plate on the table and looked up at her. Scarletra had the slightest amount of blush on her face and had looked slightly away from him.

　　"The martri-what?" Samuel questioned.

　　"Matriarch," Scarletra mumbled nervously after a few moments

　　Samuel honestly had just forgotten that Scarletra and the Varintol have Matriarchs so ingrained into their society. He had only been thinking about his own feelings about how their relationship might develop from his point of view. He had completely neglected the fact she liked him.

　　"Scarletra, Humans don`t really have matriarchs or patriarchs as you have explained them. Yeah, they exist in a couple, but it`s generally not like how your tribe has a single one at the top," Samuel awkwardly explained.

　　"Wait, how does that work then? if you don`t have someone leading you all, does anything get done?" Scarletra questioned. "Was your wife, not your Matriarch, leading your family?"

　　"No, she wasn`t. Sarah and I were partners. We both tried to do our best and support one another. There were a lot of things the other could not do, and the other kinda filled the gaps," Samuel replied, picking back up his beer.

　　"That seems odd," Scarletra replied. Unsure how any family or tribe could function without a Matriarch giving them a single goal and vision.

　　Samuel shrugged and took a swig of beer. "I`m not sure what to tell you. That`s just how it was for me growing up. Mom and Dad, working together to get by."

　　"Hmm, I will have to think about that," Sacrletra replied.

　　"I don`t doubt you do. The idea would sound wrong to you. Hell, you just admitted you want to be my matriarch," Samuel jeered.

　　"Well, yeah, I have. I still hope I can be," Scarletra huffed. That was the whole reason she was trying these new tactics with him, since it would not be fair or right to just make him subservient.

　　Her mother did that, and those men were never happy. She wanted Samuel to enjoy having her as a Matriarch—even if she already planned on being non-traditional.

　　"We will see about that one big girl," Samuel chuckled.

　　"I guess we will see, little man," Scarletra teased back, still confident she could convince Samuel that she could become his home`s Matriarch.

　　Most of the dinner from then on only consisted of small talk, but Scarletra still had one more surprise up her sleeve for Samuel. Scarletra unleashed her dexterous tongue and slowly and lasciviously curled it in and around her fingers. She exaggerated her moaning while cleaning up every last drop of fat and weep that had soaked into her fur.

　　Samuel`s heart stammered, and he tried to not stare and imagine what it felt like having her treat his cock like that. But it was near impossible. His pants got tight, and she leaned against him, knowing very well what she was doing to him.

　　"See something you like?" Scarletra hushly questioned as she finished cleaning her fur.

　　"I-I- Uh- yeah. I do," Samuel replied, grabbing their plates.

　　"Perfect," Scarletra teased.

　　Samuel hurriedly moved away from her, taking the plates in hand. As he loaded them into the sink, he took a deep breath and questioned himself. How far could he go? How far should he go? The idea of going all the way with her still felt slightly wrong.

　　Samuel took a few minutes and made up his mind. He wanted to cuddle, dammit. It was nice and comfortable to have that amount of skinship again. He just had to not make himself feel worse by going too far.