Drider Boyfriend: Kerekes 2 (complete)

Female Main Character x Male Monster

My parents react strangely to the news that the Tulgey Wood driders have moved into the Gander estate. My mother is unusually quiet, and my father is trying to keep any and all information about our new neighbors away from her. He’s willing to listen to his father, but that’s about all he wants to do.

I meet regularly with Kerekes, although it’s something I don’t even share with my grandfather. I tell him I talk to Kerekes often, but I leave out quite a few details. Kerekes and I have gotten close. Very close. Our meetings happen in secret, sometimes when I take out the calves, other times when I sneak from my bed to meet him by the Tuffet tree. The more I get to know Kerekes, the more enamored I become. Things about him that seemed frightening before become beautiful to me. The color of his body, his eyes, even the mandibles on his face. At first, I thought my feelings were one-sided. We come from two very different worlds, and he’s the leader of his clan. I remind myself he has more important things to think about than silly milkmaids with a crush.

Kerekes is trying his hardest to take care of his people, to make the purchased estate a safe haven for them. He’s focused on this goal, but to my surprise, there is something that makes his mind wander from time to time. “Meeting with you has given me a small bit of respite in these trying times,” he confesses to me. “I look forward to seeing you. It gives me a chance to breathe.”

“I’m glad I can help you in some way. I feel like I haven’t been able to make a dent in my parents’ minds. I am trying, though.”

Kerekes placed his hand over mine, so out of place against my small, chubby fingers. Kerekes lifts them and places a kiss on them. “I will show my affection regardless. I cannot hide it anymore.” My heart turns to feathered wings in my chest, and when he touches my cheek I swear I could almost fly. “I hope this does not frighten you, but I must confess how fond I have become. I find myself longing for you. So I must tell you before my feelings intrude on our friendship and weigh it down.”

I take hold of his wrist, leaning my cheek into his palm. “My thoughts are often filled with you too,” I replied breathlessly. “But I never would have dreamed my affections would be met.”

His smile is soft. “Then it is a mutual pining we have shared?”

I chuckle shyly. “I believe so.”

After that, Kerekes and I take our stolen moments without fear. I kiss him without a care in my mind. I have learned his body is like velvet, and wherever I touch he is soft. His hands tremble when he is excited, and I have grown to love this feeling when he touches me. I grow warmer with each meeting, and soon we shall boil over if we are not careful.

Thus, it is an unwelcome shock when I am informed over breakfast one day that Mr. Porgie will be coming to the farm to visit.

“I can’t stand him,” Grandpa scoffs.

“He’s a friend of the family, so hold your tongue! He’s also quite fond of our little Quinn,” my mother says suggestively, making my guts churn. “We should be so lucky to have such a handsome and well off-man interested in our little family.”

“Little?” Grandpa snaps. “We’re successful people. Why are you using this word all of a sudden? This little man is lucky we have anything to do with him.”

“Calm down, Dad,” my father coaxes. “Mr. Porgie wants to visit, to buy some more livestock and take a small vacation.”

Grandpa rolls his eyes at me. “Sure he does.” He gives me a wink and goes back to eating his food. “So whose bright idea was it to invite him over?”

“It was mine,” my mother announces proudly. “I think it’s about time we had him over. He’s been buying cows from us for years! Hopefully our new neighbors won’t offend him too much.” Her comment makes me pause with my coffee halfway to my lips. “He told me once he was afraid of spiders.”

I forgot about this! Some time ago, I had been giving Mr. Porgie a tour of the farm when we came across a spiderweb between two fence posts. He became so upset that I had to walk him away and even in the house he was jumpy. But how did my mother know of his fear? “The Tulgey driders are very nice,” I try to reassure her. “He has no reason to fear them at all, unless he was the one who set that fire.”

“Quinn!” my mother scolds.

I shrug at her. “It was only a joke. He lives all the way in Pirlipat.” I sip my coffee and smirk. Maybe having the driders nearby is a bigger boon than I thought. Maybe they can scare away Mr. Porgie for good.

That evening, as I go to meet with Kerekes, I bring some of my old books. I have been unearthing my childhood possessions and bringing them to Kerekes to give to the children. They don’t have much, and many of the little ones are still too shaken to go outside. The books will be good for both the children and the adults. Kerekes comes down from the tree as I approach, and I run to him. He wraps me up in his arms, lifting my feet off the ground. “You do not need to keep bringing gifts if it means you are robbing your own home.”

“I want to. Those kids deserve it,” I say as Kerekes sits me down beside him. “And these books have gone untouched for years. I bet I could find more.”

He looks through the books, a gentle smile on his face. “They will appreciate these. They’ve been enjoying the wooden blocks, and they’ve made up a game where they try to spell words by tossing them into webs. It’s quite cute.”

“I’m glad.” I relax into his side while he places an arm around me. “I am afraid I have some bad news though.”

“Oh, dear.” Kerekes sets the books aside. “Is something wrong?”

I frown and look away from him. “There’s a dairy farm in Pirlipat we often do business with, and the farmer is dead set on marrying me. He’s coming to visit us soon, and I have the feeling he’s going to be putting the final hooks in so he can reel in my parents. Especially my mother. My dad will go along with whatever she does.”

Kerekes goes quiet. “I see,” he murmurs. “I take it your parents are fond of him.”

I roll my eyes. “My mother is infatuated with him. Thinks he’s God’s gift to our dairy, when it’s our dairy he relies on heavily!”

“Surely your parents would respect your wishes,” he tries to offer. He places his hand over mine, then picks it up to kiss my palm.

“I’m not sure. It always seems to go in one ear and out the other.” Kerekes’ arm tightens around me as I lean into his chest. “I don’t want to think about it now.  I’ll probably be fighting him off until the day I die. How is the house coming along?”

“We’re cleaning out the chimneys so we can light a fire. The wood your grandfather had sent to us has been a major help. Once we can make the other rooms comfortable, we’ll be able to start weaving again to make bigger repairs. Once we finish that, we can finally build up our income again.”

“If you need anything...”

Kerekes stops me by placing his finger over my lips. “You’ve done enough. We have to keep moving forward on our own from here.” His finger slips away, and he replaces it with a kiss. “Just give me these.”

I smile against his lips, settling closer to him. “As many as you want.”

He places his hands around my waist as his kisses deepen. There is an edge to them tonight, for both of us, and I know there is a need inside me that longs to be quelled. I want his touch on my bare skin. I have had dreams of being naked in his web, and I have tried hard to ignore them.

“I should stop here,” Kerekes breathes into my ear. “I fear if I take much more, I’ll give too much back.”

I look up at him in surprise and place my palm on his chest. “How so?”

He looks away shyly, all his eyes partially lidded, then licks his lips. “I have been trying to behave according to human custom. I know you tend to take your time with courtship. But for driders, once a bond is established, our intimacy becomes something other than kisses and hand-holding.”

I bite back the excitement building up inside me. “You can always ask me if you want to step outside human custom. I would like to practice drider customs with you too. What can you tell me about them?”

His eyes glimmer, seeming quite surprised by my willingness to pursue this further. “Well, I can certainly say that it is much more intense than holding hands and kisses.”

“I live on a dairy farm. I see it all the time.” I wrap my legs around his waist. “I know exactly what I want and what we are doing, Kerekes.”

Kerekes moans into my ear. “Forgive me, I should have known better.”

“You’re only making me more and more curious, my dear.” I touch his face, guiding his gaze back to me. “It makes me want to try at least a little something.”

A low rumble vibrates in his chest, and his hands squeeze tighter around my hips. “What about your suitor?”

“What suitor?” I breathe. “All I have is you.”

He brings me in close, kissing me hungrily as his hands pull up my skirt. His strong fingers dig into my hips and thighs before he removes my underclothes, pulling me closer to him. His fingers graze bare skin, gliding along until his knuckles hit against the apex of my thighs. He breathes against my chin, opening his mouth wide and licking the skin. Then he bites my neck and shoulder as he turns his palm to cup me completely.

My breath comes out in a shudder as I cling tighter to him. “Don’t drop me,” I whisper.

His tongue circles my ear. “I will fall sooner than you would.” His fingers rub against me, and slowly I begin to open. Using his teeth, he undoes the laces of my blouse and gazes at my bosom with a smirk. With his free hand he strokes the skin between my breasts and strokes down to my belly. “I am not used to clothing. But I am finding it quite appealing when I undress you.”

“Kerekes,” I whimper.

He licks his lips, watching me as he opens me, finding me wet and succulent inside. Long fingers rub along my vulva while his breath begins to hitch. I squeeze my eyes shut, burying my face against his chest as his fingers move deeper, slipping inside with ease due to my wetness. The long digits swirl inside me, twisting and bending. My body twitches and my breath becomes ragged. “Are you alright?” he whispers.

I nod shakily. “I think so.”

“You feel wonderful,” he purrs. “How am I?”

I can’t quite put it into words, and saying them out loud feels too much for me. “Good.” It’s the only thing I can manage to squeak out.

Kerekes chuckles. “Can you look at me?”

I lift my head and open my eyes to see his smile. I’m swooning as it is, but his face is enough to make me lose every breath I have left. His eyes focus on mine as he moves his hand away from me. His licks my witness from his fingertips and palm, and the vision of his tongue between his fingers is salacious. “Why did you stop?” I whimper. “You could have kept going, really.” I dig my fingers into his back. “I wanted you to.”

Kerekes chokes back a growl. “If I continue, we cannot take it back. You have to be certain that you want to complete this with me.”

I kiss him, pushing my tongue into his mouth. I feel sharp teeth along the roof of his mouth, but he tastes sweet. “I don’t want it back,” I whisper.

“Then we will continue, together.” I feel wetness between my legs, and it seems strange at first until Kerekes lowers me down. His shaft rubs against me, and his hands begin to tremble.

“Excited?” I purr.

“Yes, very.” He places himself inside me, bit by bit. His shaft feels bumpy all over, with a very pronounced curve. I squeeze tightly around him and lay my face against his chest. “I’ve got you,” he moans. “I’m not letting go.”

His shaft moves inside me as he brushes his hands down my legs. Then he tightens his grip, clutching my legs as he thrusts deeper. I cry out against his body, dragging my lips along his soft skin. I take a bite and feel his chest flutter. I place kisses and bite again to make him move harder inside me. I have needed this touch so badly, it does not concern me one bit if we are caught or not. I just want to be with him.

By the time Mr. Porgie does arrive, I have been with Kerekes several times, and not just in the Tuffet tree. Mr. Porgie is admittedly an attractive man, tall and sturdy, with lovely eyes and a fetching jawline. It’s his personality that I find displeasing. He brags far too much, and tends to always have a story better than yours, as if he has to one-up you. I’m sure he’s fun at pubs, but as a businessman, it tends to grate on a person. How my parents never seem to notice this is beyond me. I’m fine just selling cows to him, but I don’t think I could survive a week with him in my home without laying into him.

“So good to see you, lovely Quinn!” He kisses my cheeks after shaking the hands of my parents. “You get more radiant by the day! Just like your mother.”

My mother is smiling proudly, probably picturing her future grandchildren. I wipe my cheek off and force a smile. “Beauty fades eventually,” I laugh. “But thank you.”

Mr. Porgie wags his finger at me. “If you are anything like your mother, your beauty shall last a very long time.” Like I said, he has to one-up everything.

I grin and bear it, and as my parents take him inside to show him his room, I wander away and join Grandpa Horner on the porch. “Is he still here?” he grouses.

“He just arrived.”

“He’s already overstayed, I say,” he spits. Inside I can hear my parents laughing. “It’s the mother of yours. Never had her head on quite right. Only she would fall for such pompous bullshit.”

“If they try to marry me off this weekend, will you help me escape next door to hide out?” I say with a smile, even though my guts are in knots.

“I’ll fall down the stairs if I have to,” Grandpa laughs. “Don’t you worry, I’m not letting that cad run away with you. I know you like the drider boy.”

I laugh nervously. “Grandpa!”

“Everyone thinks I’m daft cause I’m eighty, but I see things clearer than when I was twenty. I saw it in my son, and I see the same thing in you. You two are made of the same cloth, and that’s a cloth that wants to wrap itself around a monster.”

I sputter and cough. “Grandpa!”

He pats the top of my head. “Oh shush. You’ll see as well as me one day, and when you do, you’re going to have to tell me I’m right!”

One morning, while coming back from the barn after giving the cows the leftover fruits we purchased from the orchard, I catch Mr. Porgie staring across the way at the Gander estate. “Is something bothering you?” I ask as I lay the burlap sacks over the railing.

“This is no place for distinguished folk any more, Quinn,” he says solemnly.

“If you are talking about the Tulgey driders, your head is full of shit. They mean no harm to anyone. They just want a place to live,” I scoff.

“That is how it starts. But soon, won’t they just want more?” He looks down at me. “Will you be safe? Or will you be shunned when everyone knows your neighbors are driders?”

“Maybe we don’t want people here who think that way.”

I start to walk past him when he grabs me. “Pirlipat is nice. The air is sweet, and there is so much to see.”

I push his hand off me right as Grandpa Horner steps out with his coffee. “I’m fine here,” I scoff.

“Are you staying out here?” Grandpa asks him.

Mr. Porgie arches his brow. “In Miror?”

“No, on my damn porch!”

I take my leave, knowing Grandpa will handle Mr. Porgie much better than I ever could. It makes me itch all over to think of him trying to use the driders as leverage to marry me away. That sort of shit might work on my mother, but it won’t work on me.

One morning, I’m shaken awake. “Quinn, Quinn, wake up.” It’s my father.

“What’s going on?” I grumble. “Is the barn okay?”

“Yes, it’s fine.” His voice is quiet and urgent. “It’s your mother.”

I sit up in alarm. “What’s going on? Is she okay?”

Dad  sighs heavily. “Well. I think she is.” He hands me a letter. “I woke up and found this.”

“For years I have thought that this was the life I wanted. I raised a child, cultivated a successful business, and enjoyed what I thought was a happy marriage. Instead, I came to realize it was all a shell. Everything I did was hollow and lacking purpose. Until I met Georgie.”

I look up from the letter at my dad, then back down at the page. “Georgie helped me understand that all I had done was just to go through the motions. I can no longer deny what I want, and it comes at a cost. I understand if you don’t forgive me. But in my heart...”

I crumple up the letter right then and there. “Her and Mr. Porgie?” I scoff.

Dad sits down on the bed beside me, scratching his head. “I don’t know how to make heads or tails of it,” he says. “I thought it was kind of odd how much she talked about him. But I thought that was all for you.”

I take my dad’s hand into mine, gobsmacked. “I thought the same thing! I never assumed it was… this!” I look at my dad again and squeeze his hand. “Are you okay?”

He sighs and shakes his head. “I’m not sure yet. Guess I gotta let this settle.” He looks at me. “How are you?”

“Good question,” I murmur.

“You must be relieved,” he chuckles.

I shrug. “I guess.”

He stands up. “Well, come on, your grandpa will be wanting his coffee. We’d best get started on breakfast.” I follow him downstairs to the kitchen, and we cook breakfast together in silence.

Once Grandpa enters the room, he looks back and forth between us. “She left, didn’t she?”

“Grandpa,” I try to scold.

“Well, I saw her and that boy go off together,” he scoffs. He comes in and pats his son’s back. “Better days ahead of you, son. Better days.”

News must have spread fast, because people from all over come to visit. They bring us food mostly, and halfhearted platitudes to comfort us. Dad appears to be taking it well, although a few times I see tears in his eyes. That evening, the Tulgey driders arrive at our home. They bring candles and instruments, and play music on the lawn. We emerge in awe to watch them, plucking strings of silk to make them sing. My dad sits down on the porch and cracks a smile as he watches the kids rolling around on the soft grass.

Kerekes approaches and bows. “We heard the news,” he says. “We don’t have much to offer you, but we always take comfort in music when our hearts are sad.”

“Thank you,” my dad sighs. “This is an unexpected treat.”

Kerekes offers out his hand to me. “Do you mind if I dance with your daughter?”

“Ask her,” dad sighs.

I take his hand and step out onto the lawn with him, partaking in a dance as the other driders play their music. I hold him close, grinning up happily at him. While I am wounded by my mother’s departure, I can be with Kerekes openly now.

After that, the driders become a fixture on the farm. My dad begins hiring them to do work on the farm, and helps them sell their silk. With my father’s backing, people begin to buy the beautiful silk and their weaving.

I visit my mother once, but only to invite her to my wedding. I’m not sure she and Mr. Porgie will attend, considering his fear of spiders. I at least hope my mother will make an appearance. After all, Kerekes is to be my husband, and like it or not, he will be her son.

We plan to take down the fence that separates our property, which will allow the cows more space to roam, as well as giving the driders easier access to the farm. Once that’s done, Kerekes and I will get married under the Tuffet tree.