ROUGH DRAFT Coye vol 3 ch 4

Looks like I forgot to upload this one!

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Coye tore himself off from Byng despite how good it felt to be atop her, and all at once he started waving his hands in a flurried panic. “M-M-Miss Whittle?! It’s not what it looks like! I-I-I was just, I mean, we were just- quests, looking for quests! Ah! I tripped and I fell, and-”

Dorothy looked straight at the adventurer, and then at the massive tent in his pants, followed by the girl on the floor who lay prone in a compromised position. Byng looked hot and bothered, if not amused at Coye’s attempt to play this off as anything other than it was.

While this poor Guild Mistress hadn’t had any experience when it came to matters of the flesh, even she knew that these two were engaged in dry humping- in public, no less.

She stared on and on in disbelief like it would somehow go away if she kept staring long enough. It didn’t, this had just happened outside her own office door.

‘Oh, this is just everything I could have possibly hoped for,’ Shayla snickered to herself as she watched the tired woman try and parse together something to say.

“This... is not... acceptable...!” Dorothy spoke at last, her face increasingly becoming tomato-esque in color.

“I didn’t mean it!” Coye whined, tears in his eyes.

“Sure felt like you meant it,” Byng cackled, a bit of bite behind her words. She was a little upset that Coye didn’t just finish what he started and it showed, but part of her knew that it was probably for the best that things didn’t escalate any further. She might’ve lost ahold of herself if they had.

In a breathless ramble, Dorothy began to spout off nonsense neither of them understood. “According to the Guild Master’s Handbook subsection 32-a, bylaw 1.7, sexual contact between two adventurers is not prohibited by any means- but is not to take place within the premises of any Adventurer’s Guild including its grounds and surrounding area. While I wish the two of you n-nothing but the best, please keep this information in mind the next time you consider cuh... coupling! This Guild may be your home, but it’s also a shared workplace and there is hygiene to consider and... and... oh, Gods...!”

At the apex of her rambling, Dorothy reddened to the point where her glasses fogged over and she ducked back into her office. She couldn’t keep a straight face out there, not when Coye was as exposed as he was. It was unbecoming, and she couldn’t look at her employee in such a way that might make things strained between them.

Feeling that Coye had already been put through the wringer, as well as to make up for her little water balloon prank, Byng felt like throwing him a bone. “Hey, I know it looks bad but we really were just looking at quests. Shorty here tripped and things got a little heated, but we didn’t mean it. Honest. Can you come out and help us?”

“Byng...?” Coye looked over at the unintentional target of his lust to find her giving him a smile and then a wink. She stood up and extended her hand to help him up. He took it and felt himself redden to the point where he couldn’t look back at her.

Shayla nodded approvingly. Although she wanted Dorothy to get the wrong idea, she wouldn’t deprive Byng points for being chill about all of this and trying to support Coye.

“W-Wait... the two of you are going on a quest? Together?” Dorothy poked her head out the door and looked at them skeptically.

“Oh, yeah. We’re real close now.” Byng spoke up for him and patted the boy on his leather pauldron. “Ain’t that right, shorty?”

Dorothy looked into his eyes not unlike a protective mother. She remembered the dreaded stink bomb arrow incident and in general recalled that Coye and Byng didn’t mix well. The Guild Mistress worried that maybe Byng was taking advantage of him in some way or bullying him like Britni always did, but her fears were laid to rest when he spoke up.

“Yeah. Byng and I are, um, hanging out today. It was my idea...” he said, forcing himself to look into Dorothy’s eyes.

Dorothy lingered on his gaze for as long as she could without blushing. As far as she could tell, he was telling the truth. “Well, if that’s the case then just... um... give me a few minutes to freshen up.” She said, resolved to do her job despite the circumstances.

She shut her door again and left Coye and Byng alone for the time being.

Byng was giving him a playful look, but otherwise she knew to keep her distance less the boy died of shame.

‘Soooo, I suppose this is the part where I’m supposed to say I’m sorry...’ Shayla cleared her throat, feeling awkward. ‘In my defense, I thought it would be funny. I didn’t think you were gonna go all dog in heat on the girl.’

Coye could only grumble since Byng was present, but Shayla knew he was less than enthused.

‘Ah, well. You’ll thank me later.’ She shrugged.

Byng stepped in front of the quest board to look at Coye directly, leaning slightly over. “You doing good?”

“N-No, not really...” He shrunk in place, feeling even smaller than Shayla.

Although she didn’t want to bring up the possibility, Byng frowned and told Coye, “If this all just made things too weird for you then we don’t have to do this, you know. I won’t be mad if you wanna call things off.”

“But I don’t!” Coye responded with surprising emotion. Feeling he put it too strongly, he corrected himself, “I mean, um, I still want to hang out with you. I’m just upset because I thought my condition had cleared up enough to get back to work and... and then I went and did that to you...!”

‘Hey, don’t beat yourself up over this. It was just an accident!’ Shayla stroked him behind the scenes, but it didn’t do much to reassure him. He didn’t accidentally grope and grind on Byng, he knew what he was doing, and that made him feel like garbage.

“Well if you still want this, and I still want this, what’s the big deal?” Byng tilted her head.

Coye looked at her like he didn’t get why he had to explain this to someone. “Byng, I almost...”

“Coye,” Byng smiled at him, showing off a little teeth but keeping it wholesome for the most part. “Did it look like I minded what you were trying to do?”

“...No,” he blushed, thinking back to Byng’s red cheeks and her lewd moan.

“Then chill. I obviously don’t know the whole story yet, but there’s something wrong with you down, isn’t there?”

“Yeah,” cornered, there was little he could do beyond admitting to it.

“Do you want to go and finish before we take off? I’m up for doing this however you want, shorty. We can reschedule, you can go jerk off, visit that other woman of yours, or I can help you. Whatever helps.” Byng offered this with such a casual expression that it was hard for Coye to believe what she was saying.

‘I sat you should finish what you started,’ Shayla chimed in. ‘But hey, it’s your call.’

Coye was put on the spot and he ended up shaking his head in stubbornness. He didn’t want to be a slave to his desires, and besides, this only cropped up because of how close he got to Byng.

“I think I’ll be fine as long as I don’t smell you up close or anything,” he admitted, although it embarrassed him to say out loud.

Byng wasn’t sure what to make of this answer, beyond the fact that Coye had some sort of smell fetish. “If you gotta do your thing, don’t feel ashamed about it and just do it. You're not impressing me by acting all touch.”

“I mean it,” he summoned the courage to look into her eyes and make a serious expression. “I’ll be ok.”

Byng considered it, putting him under her scrutiny by giving him an inquisitive gaze. When he didn’t end up faltering, she relented and nodded her head. “Alright, if you’re gonna be stubborn about it then it’s no big deal. Play your cards right and I might let you go sniffing around on your own terms later, anyway, so it’s all the same to me.”

Feeling the supportiveness behind her flirty words, a smile spread across Coye’s face. “I-I think I might like that, maybe...”

“Oh you would, would you?”

Coye realized how forward he just was with his slip of the tongue and recoiled immediately. “N-No, I... ah-”

Right as Byng started to cackle at Coye’s latest embarrassment, Dorothy emerged from her office. Her clothes had been slightly unruffled, there was a poor attempt to brush her hair, and she looked marginally more awake. She looked at the two adventurers and beheld the flirty atmosphere going on between them, still unable to believe this unlikely pairing.

Coye still felt so bad he couldn’t even look at the woman. Despite the fact that he had plans with Byng, it hurt him to think he might have burnt the bridge with his beloved Miss Whittle before things ever had a chance to develop.

Byng must be who Coye spent the night with the other day. Dorothy incorrectly assumed. With a wistful sigh that she couldn’t hold back, she thought, Well, good for him... and smiled at the pair on her way to the front desk.

“I’m ready to help you out whenever you’re ready,” she said, slinking behind the counter. “Oh, wait. Did you need any advice? I can come over there and find something for you-”

“Nah,” Byng smirked and ripped three quests off before Coye had a chance to see what they were. “I already have a few things in mind. Mind setting us up with these?”

She approached and handed off the quests to a confused Dorothy.

“Byng, you’re still a Bronze-ranked adventurer. I can’t issue two of these to you, you know that.”

“Come on, I’ve killed way stronger monsters!”

“Yes, but you need to bring proof for me to send to the Association or they don’t count on your official record. We’ve been over this.”

“And I’ve told you that wasting a part of my kills just so you can send them off for some stuffy jerk to pack it away is against my religion!”

Dorothy shrank. “I-I understand that, I do, but you understand I can’t just take you on your word, right...?”

“Yes, I know...” Byng groaned and slumped over the counter. “Sometimes this all feels like more trouble than it’s worth, geez... good thing we’re going as a party, right Coye?”

“Huh?” Coye blinked only for Shayla to nudge him. “Oh, y-yeah. There should be no problem if you register the quests under my name and Byng tags along as a party member, right?”

Dorothy looked at him, unable to believe that Coye was forming a party with someone else of his own volition. “Yes, that... wouldn’t be a problem. Is this a temporary arrangement?”

Byng gave Coye a smirk, her elbow hanging on the counter as she asked. “Good question. Is it?”

Coye felt the pressure and he pulled at his collar. “Uh, yeah, for now.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to have me register your group? For a one time fee of 200G, I can submit a formal statement to the Association and have your party officially recognized. Benefits include access to group subscriptions on monthly or weekly potion refills, a cheaper premium on group life insurance policies, and all sorts of other perks!” Beneath the counter, Dorothy produced a catalog full of products that Coye had never seen before. “There are even all sorts of embroidered merchandise you can order with your party’s logo! And on top of that-”

Byng looked at her as if she was speaking another language, while Coye was looking away altogether. Dorothy felt like a fool.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Force of habit...” she whimpered as she returned the thickly-bound volume to its resting place. She hated having to give these lengthy, desperate-sounding spiels, but when finances were performing poorly, it became an automatic process for her. It just so happened that finances were always performing poorly.

“It’s ok, maybe some other time...” Coye scratched behind his ear and gave his boss a weak smile.

‘Don’t you dare go giving this bitch any money just so you and your new girlfriend can buy matching jackets! I’ll make you some myself if it comes to it!’ Shayla bopped him on the head where no one else could see, although he could barely feel it.

“Alright then, I’ll go and get your quests processed.” Dorothy gave the two a complimentary, if tired, smile and gathered up the papers in her hands. She made for the backroom only to look over her shoulder at Coye for a split second before telling them, “Good luck out there, you two.”

“Thanks,” Byng nodded her head and waved the lady off, while Coye paused after realizing he didn’t get to see what the quests he was signing up for actually entailed.

“Um, were you going to tell me what the plan is for today, or...”

“And give away the surprise? No way!” Byng laughed as she left the counter and patted Coye on the shoulder while remaining a respectful distance away from him. “Now come on, we need to get some grub before we get going.”

“I don’t think the cooks are working this early,”

“No big deal, let’s head to my camp. I can cook us something!” Byng pounded her chest and pointed at herself with her thumb, but Coye had trouble believing this. It showed on his face, because Byng soon became defensive. “What, you don’t believe me?”

“N-No, I didn’t say that, I-”

“Well, come on! I’ll show you!” Byng grinned and took Coye’s hand, much to his surprise. She then paused and held it up, only to ask, “Is this a problem?”

‘Hell no it’s not, you let that cutie hold your hand if you know what’s good for you, baby.’

“I think I’ll be ok,” he nodded even as he grew beet-red. “Where is your camp?”

“Not too far outside town! It’s just a little off the beaten path, hidden between some hills to the southwest. C’mon, I’ll show you around!”

“Alright,” Coye nodded. “I am pretty hungry...”

“You just let me worry about that, shorty!” She stated before jerking Coye out through the front door and dragging him on to mainstreet.

The city was deader than dead, even more so than when he left Suzette’s house yesterday morning. The air was cool and brisk, and in the dawn, Coye felt like it was just the two of them. They were still holding hands, although the prolonged contact was making him more nervous by the second. He began to sweat, although Byng didn’t seem to mind.

Something happened on their way to her camp that neither had expected.

Just as they were passing by Darkwood General Store, Coye felt compelled to give it a cursory glance. He didn’t stop by after he was finished with his quests yesterday, and it didn’t seem like he’d have time to visit Suzette today, either. Depending on how things went, he figured that he might have to make some time for the woman tomorrow or the day after.

Until she walked out of the building, that is.

“Darling?” Suzette called out, her fancy dress trailing around her heels as she stepped out onto her porch. “What a surprise to see you up and about so early in the morning!”

“Suzette...?!” Coye stopped and took his hand away from Byng, as if suddenly guilty despite having already received the older woman’s blessing the day before.

‘What a surprise, indeed...’ Shayla raised an eyebrow, taking note of the heavy bags under Suzette’s eyes.

“Oh, hey there.” Byng raised a hand at Suzette casually as she approached.

“Hello,” Suzette stopped to give the strange girl a once over with her eyes. “You’ve been in my store a few times, haven’t you?”

“Yep, nice place. Name’s Byng!” She smirked and pointed at herself. “You’re Suzette, right? I understand you’ve been taking care of my friend here.”

“Uh,” Coye looked at Byng with a worried expression and then at his lover, unsure of what to think. He dreaded some sort of catfight breaking out between the two, but that only showed how immature his expectations and fears were.

“Yes,” the older woman blushed with delight. “I certainly have been. Goodness knows he can be a bit of a handful, but I don’t mind at all. Where are you two heading off to so early in the morning?”

Coye felt the need to speak up so that he didn’t just awkwardly remain on the sidelines of the conversation. “We’re going on a couple of quests together out in the woods...”

“Really?” Suzette mockingly gasped.

“Yup, it’s basically a date,” Byng added most unhelpfully.

Coye’s cheeks started to burn as Suzette gave him an inquisitive stare. “Oh my, this is much more serious than I thought...” The older woman clicked her tongue. “I think it would be best if the both of you came inside before you took off on your little journey. Would you mind?”

“Uh, I-I don’t know if that’s the best idea. We were just about to-”

“Sure! This might be fun,” Byng cackled, getting a rise over how worked up Coye was getting from his date meeting his lady.

“Wonderful!” Suzette clasped her hands together. “Have the two of you eaten yet?”

“No...” Coye hung his head and stepped toward the store, now knowing he couldn’t get out of this.

“Well, I can’t let two adventurers go off into the woods without filling up their tummies now, can I?”

“I was actually gonna stop over at my camp and cook for us,” Byng at last showed a sign of discomfort, but only because she wouldn’t be able to cook for Coye if they went along with Suzette.

Sensing the younger girl’s desires to show off her culinary skills, Suzette simply smiled and stepped close enough to put her hand on Byng’s shoulder. This lack of distance came with an unfortunate side effect- Suzette got her first proper smell of Byng and she did not share Coye’s acquired taste for the sweaty tomboy.

However, Suzette was refined and showed almost no signs that it bothered her. She merely led Byng into her home with grace and said, “Why don’t you help me out, then? Oh, I haven’t cooked with anyone else in ages! It’ll be such fun!”

In her excitement, Suzette had just about whisked Byng away entirely to the point where she had to look over her shoulder and ask, “What are you waiting for? Come along, Darling!”

Coye felt like he had been abandoned by the whirlwind of a woman that was Suzette Lillis. He stood there on her porch, frightened of what might happen the more the two women interacted.

‘Poor baby,’ Shayla laughed at him and rubbed his scalp. ‘At least they don’t know about me yet, right?’

“Thank the Gods...” he mumbled to his partner. Things were complicated enough for him without having to explain about Shayla.

‘C’mon, stop being such a stick in the mud. What’re you so stressed about?’

Not knowing any better, Coye asked, “D-Don’t girls get really territorial and, um, catty with each other when it comes to... boys?”

He couldn’t see it, but Shayla was making a disappointed face at him. She was about to grill him over his sexist assumption, but then remembered she’d made more than a few catty remarks as it was and held her tongue.

She sighed instead and simply offered, ‘I don’t think you need to worry about that, baby. Now come on and get in there before they start thinking you ran off with some other girl who happened to pass you by.’

Coye mumbled, “I wouldn’t do that...!” under his breath but entered Suzette’s home all the same.