Page 20 of The Incubus's Angel
“I… I, uhm… I guess, I need… help?” Ren forces the words out of himself like it’s a shameful confession.
Sex agencies? I’m cool with that, if not a tad jealous. What I’m not okay with, is Ren needing help and not feeling safe to ask for it.
I get up from the chair and join him on the blue couch. It’s small enough that our knees touch, but I keep my hands tucked into my lap.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” I ask, squeezing my fingers together so I don’t reach out to touch him. “I can. If you want?”
Ren practically chokes on his own spit, his eyes bewildered as he looks at me. “You want to…?”
Giving him a small smile, I lift one shoulder. “Well, yeah. I’m your friend and if you need help, I’d want to do anything I can for you. Do you need help choosing partners? Filling out a kink survey? Joining a sex club? Not that I have any personal experience with a sex club, but I have some friends in the city who like to go. Also, not too long ago I did my own kink survey just for shits and giggles, and discovered a lot of things about myself. Ever heard of somnophilia? Apparently I have that. Big time. Though I’ve never tried it. Bucket list, or fuck-it list item for sure. Sorry. This isn’t meant to be about me. What can I helpyouwith?”
Ren grabs the base of both his horns, the tips of his ears ruby red as he shakes his head slowly. “I’m not that… advanced.”
“Okay…” I drag the word out, hoping it encourages him to continue.
Ren covers his face with both hands then mumbles in one quick breath, “I’m a virgin and I need to have sex for my own health and I’m trying to find someone who can teach me.”
I think on that for a second then it clicks. “Oh! Is it similar to Aunt Annamae needing to spend time in nature as a dryad? So you need to spend time having sexual… encounters?” Ren did say incubi are sexual species, and if he’s not having sex then he must be feeling pretty shitty. I know how rejuvenated Aunt Annamae feels after a day out in the forest, dancing with the plants, so I can only imagine what a difference it would make for Ren to have similar experiences related to his species.
“Yeah,” he mutters, still not looking at me.
Slowly, snippets from our conversations filter through my mind and the pieces click together. Ren’s a virgin and in order for his health to thrive, he needs to recharge the way his species was designed to do. But if he’s this shy, plus has all the pressure that comes with being an incubus, then it must be incredibly intimidating for him to find someone to partner with.
I want him to know that he can be vulnerable with me, that I can take care of him, teach him, and protect him, and won’t have any expectations beyond our friendship. I can do this for Ren. Iwantto do this for him.
When it’s clear that Ren doesn’t want to elaborate any further, I gently pry his fingers from his face and hold his hands in mine. “If you want, I’d be happy to partner with you.”
Earnestness shining in Ren’s golden gaze, he whispers, “Maisie, I could never ask you to.”
I rub my thumbs across his knuckles. “Good. Because you didn’t. I offered.”
Ren gets up and starts pacing in the middle of the room. “How would it even work?”
Realizing he’s super stressed, but not saying no, I sit back on the couch and crisscross my legs, trying to be the calm rational one for once. “However we want it to. Depending on what you want to learn, I can show you. I’m an excellent teacher,” I say with full confidence, hoping that it’ll help bolster his faith in me.
Pausing, he asks with a rumpled brow, “When? Where?”
I bite back my smile because even if he’s looking super cute right now, I know his anxiety will require as many details as possible before he can make an informed decision. “Well, we already spend Tuesdays together. How about doing other stuff while I’m over here? We can even start today if you want?”
“We can’t,” Ren objects quickly, fidgeting with the string of his hoodie.
“Okay.” If Ren doesn’t want to do anything sexual with me, that’s fine. But at least I offered. Though, it most definitely wouldn’t be any hardship for me if he did change his mind and wanted to play together. Because attracted to Ren, I very much am. But friendship comes first.
Tension ripples through Ren’s body, his eyes brimming with what looks like an apology. “I need to tell you everything first,” he whispers uneasily.
I give him my most encouraging smile. “You can tell me however much you want. I trust you.”
Ren shakes his head, his hand shooting into his hair and tugging on the strands at the back of his head. The words come spilling out like some secret he’s kept for too long and it’s finally boiling over. “You shouldn’t. I saw you. A while ago. In the grove. After the ceremony. I thought I heard my name so I went to look for whoever had said it. You were touching yourself and I couldn’t stop watching.”
This time, I allow my lips to curl into a sly grin. “Next time that happens, you can join in. Only fair if you saw me that I see you. And also, no fair if I orgasmed alone. You deserve one too.”
“Maisie…” Disbelief colors my name, but Ren’s mouth tips up in relief.
“Yeah,” I tease.
“I did,” Ren chokes out, looking miserable but also a little amused.
“You did what?”
