"Uh, Seb?" Miki arched an eyebrow as he shuffled down the bus aisle. "You do realize this isn't our stop, right?"
Seb flashed what he hoped was an innocent smile. "Yeah, I just, um, thought I'd walk Sophia home," he shot a look back at his fidgeting escort for confirmation. "Y'know, be a gentleman for once."
"Good thinking," Tobias interjected before Miki could form another question. "We'll catch you guys later."
Seb gave a grateful nod and hurried off the bus, pausing only to make sure Miki didn't try interrogating Sophia as well. Fortunately, they both made it out unscathed, stepping onto the curb just as the doors folded closed and the hydraulics hissed. Seb turned as the bus pulled away, offering a half-wave to his departing friends. To his relief, Miki returned the gesture, completely unaware that Tobias was flashing him a "thumbs up" over her shoulder. Seb managed to keep a straight face until they were out of sight.
"S-so it's just down the street," Sophia piped up, leading the way down the leaf-strewn sidewalk. "It won't take long, I promise."
"I know," Seb assured her with a bemused smile. "I've walked you home before, remember?"
"Oh. Yeah, duh." Sophia laughed, only to shoot another anxious glance over her shoulder.
She was nervous. But not in the usual way. Ever since their reunion at the coffee shop, Seb had noticed a constant tension prickling on her skin, so sharp it was impossible to get close without it nicking him as well. At first, he had chalked it up to lingering ill-will from their high school days.
But this was different.
Or...no, maybe he was just seeing it clearly for the first time.
The way her deep brown eyes sought his, only to glance away the moment they made contact. The way laughter seemed to bubble out from her, as though his presence made it impossible to contain. The slight flush in her cheeks when she smiled at him.
As he watched her walk ahead, her dark hair flitting in the breeze, her hips subtly swaying with every step, Seb finally saw her. Not as a childhood friend he had grown apart from. Not as a high school crush he had ruined. He saw the Sophia he had glimpsed in that corset: a Sophia who reveled in the allure of her own body, who beckoned his touch with a glance. No longer innocent, yet pure all the same, glowing with a desire so basic it burned through all the history and hurt.
The realization hit with a searing clarity.
That glance over her shoulder wasn't hesitation. It was anticipation.
Yet even as the Vox stirred inside of him, Seb tried to suppress it. He had to be careful. These sort of feelings had torn Sophia from him once, and that was before he had to worry about mind control powers and a jealous, potentially vengeful heiress. It was best he take it slow.
Even if he what he really wanted was to take her.
Seb quickened his pace, matching his strides beside Sophia. "Something just occurred to me," he said with an abashed smile. "Mercy Hill is a girls-only dorm, right? I'm not gonna get you in trouble by hanging around, am I?"
"Don't worry," Sophia replied. "The no-guys rule doesn't really kick in until 10:00, so we have time." Again, her eyes met his, then darted away. "A-and anyway, most of the girls only live there 'cause it's close to central campus. Or their parents put them there like mine. So...I don't think they'll snitch on us if...you know...you ended up staying a little later."
Aha.
That told Seb everything he needed to know. Everything he desired. And everything he feared.
The stairs to the front door weren't steep, yet Seb couldn't help but fixate on each step. There was a threshold here, beyond the waiting wooden door, a dangerous divide he would soon cross. Whether or not anything "happened" in Sophia's room, the evening's weight was already set in stone, and would cast wide ripples through their relationship. The possible consequences were dizzying.
So Seb focused on the now, following Sophia's steps through the entrance foyer, past a sitting area filled with overstuffed furniture and a fake fireplace glow. An elevator stood at the far end, its cold, modern doors a strange contrast to the warm brick and tile that lead to it. The metal squeaked slightly as it opened, sending a small jolt through Seb as he stepped inside.
The lift was empty. But Sophia still kept close to him, her shoulder briefly brushing his torso when she leaned forward to hit the third floor button.
Her hand fell to her side. So close to his he could practically feel the warmth radiating from her.
She smelled nice.
The elevator rumbled. Not a peep escaped from its passengers. In the fraught quiet, Seb couldn't help but remember Chelsea's words. She had called him a coward. Had called his feelings for Sophia nothing more than a childhood dream.
His fists clenched. He wasn't sure what awaited him in Sophia's room, but one thing was for certain: he was going to prove his haughty foe wrong.
The silence persisted after Sophia and Seb left the elevator, the hallway smothering their steps as they made their way to Sophia's room. It took a moment for her to slot her key-card into the reader, a bout of fumbling she covered with an abashed laugh. Seb laughed too, if only to release some of the tightness in his chest.
It didn't help much. And he still found himself holding his breath as Sophia swung the door open, gently ushering him inside.
It was uncanny. Like stepping back in time. Wait, no...more like entering an alternate dimension. The familiar touchstones were all there: the anime figurines arrayed on the desk, the bookshelf stuffed with dog-eared paperbacks and faded manga volumes. The empty soda cans in the trash and the promotional game posters on the walls. Even her bedding was the same, covered by the worn fantasy-map comforter she had gotten in eighth grade.
But this was not the same room he and Sophia had shared that devastating kiss in. And this was not the same Sophia bending down in front of him, her jeans stretching across her ass as she set her shopping bag down.
The Vox rumbled. Seb coughed. "So I'm guessing there's a new series you wanna show me? Something about high schoolers battling demons? Does that narrow it down?"
Sophia let out a shaky laugh. "I-I mean, you know I'm always down for high schoolers battling demons." She tugged absently on the strings of her hoody. "But uh, I was wondering if you'd take a look at my Velma costume first. Y'know, to make sure I got it right."
Seb wasn't sure what expression to make, so he settled for a blank smile. "Sure."
Sophia's eyes brightened. "Great! Uh, just don't look for a sec, I'll get changed."
Seb nodded, turning and exhaling a shaky breath. The Vox thrummed impatiently in his chest. He tried to quiet its demands. Tried to ignore the sound of Sophia's hoody unzipping behind him. Tried not to picture her peeling her undershirt over her head, her dark hair cascading down her bare shoulders, her breasts swaying as she tossed the garment aside and bent to remove her jeans.
Seb stared at his phone, boring holes in the screen. He scrolled mindlessly through his social feeds, the pictures and posts barely more than a blur, a facile distraction from tightness in his pants, the yearning surging from his crotch to his head.
His phone buzzed. A text message from Chelsea.
Seb's heart leapt, his thumb tapping the icon before he could stop it. A silent roar of victory filled his ears as the image filled his screen:
Chelsea Jaeger. Crouched and begging like a bitch in heat. Her pale skin naked for his appraisal, her pussy dripping for his cock. Her eyes were rolled back, her mouth open and tongue drooling, the red letters above her slightly upturned nipples confirming what she was: "A DUMB SLUT."
The recording had worked. Chelsea had fallen to his power. The blackmail video was gone. And now he held all the cards.
Seb clenched his jaw, but still couldn't stymie the wicked grin spreading across his features. He was triumphant. He was ascendant. He was her Master. And she was his...
"Um, you can turn around now," Sophia called.
Seb did so automatically, for a moment forgetting where he was or what he had been doing. But it didn't take long to remember.
The ochre turtleneck was probably a size too small. That would explain how the fabric clung so perfectly to Sophia's body, the subtle lines of the knitting distending over her large, pillowy chest. Her skirt fell at the exact right length, the pleated edges leaving an enticing glimpse of her soft thighs before the line of her matching socks. She shifted her hips back and forth uneasily, causing the skirt to swish to and fro, threatening to expose what lay beneath.
"S-so what do you think?" she asked.
For a moment, Seb was struck speechless. Until his other voice spoke for him.
"You look great.
"
Sophia blinked, stumbling back, causing her sweater to bounce as she grasped for balance.
Seb bit his tongue, forcing the Vox down as he rushed to help. "Whoa, are you okay?"
"Y-yeah..." Sophia managed to catch herself on her desk. "Sorry, not sure what...that was..."
Seb laughed uneasily, as though that would help drown out the Vox's bellowing frustration. It had slipped free for a moment, but he refused to unleash it on Sophia. If she wanted him...not just as a friend, but as something more...he needed to hear her say it. Not under the influence of his power, but of her own free will.
"M-maybe you should sit down," Seb offered with a disarming smile. "Before you knock over any more of your figurines."
His hand was on her shoulder.
When had that happened?
Sophia looked up at him, seeming to come to the same realization. But she didn't move away. Didn't flinch or deflect his gaze. Instead, she opened her lips, hesitated, then spoke in a voice almost too quiet to hear.
"I, um..." she began, then swallowed. "There was actually something I was hoping we could do together tonight."
Seb struggled as the Vox and his voice clashed in his throat. "Wh-what's that?" he croaked.
"Can you..." her doe eyes flitted away. "Can we...try that hypnosis thing again?"
Seb's knees almost gave out. He stepped away from Sophia, struggling to stand, struggling to think as she followed up her request with a rush of qualifiers and assurances. She was okay if he didn't want to. She understood if he felt weird about it. She just found the whole experience really relaxing and nice and thought it would be cool to try it again and...
"Okay," Seb finally managed to say.
Sophia froze mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open for a beat before she seemed to process what he just said. "Really?"
Seb's muscles were so tense, even nodding was an effort. "Sure. I-I might be a little rusty but. Uh. I'm definitely down to give it a shot."
Sophia's face reddened. She crossed her arms, her fingers digging into the fabric of her sleeves. "Great. So. Uh. I don't really have a pendant or anything like we used before, but...uh..." She took a few half-steps in differing directions before finally moving to her desk and scooping up her phone. "M-maybe something like this will work?"
