“Hey, Doc. Got a new delivery from Oleg.” Seele the Wildfire enforcer said, holding a hefty box of supplies next to Natasha the underground clinic doctor’s desk. “Three more where this came from. Where do you want them?”
Seele held a bulging box full of medical supplies one-handed. Things salvaged from outlying settlements and abandoned mines – and, increasingly, gifted from the surface. She was huffing from having hauled it from the tram station, and Seele was among their strongest.
“Oh, just leave it by the door.” Natasha said, head buried in paperwork.
“This might not be good on your back, Doc. They’re really heavy.”
But Natasha only hummed, stress lines near her lips angled up in a slight smile. “It’s nothing my new assistant can’t handle.”
At some signal known only to them, Doctor Natasha summoned her little helper. Caelus, the Hero of Belobog, stepped into the doorway of Natasha’s office immediately.
“Yes, Nat? You rang?”
“Be a dear and take these boxes off Seele’s hands, would you?” Nat motioned to their guest. “There are more by the front door. And when you’re done, do try and haul some cartons of IV bags up from the cellar.
“Gladly, Doctor Natasha.” Caelus, Hero of Belobog and current clinic assistant, scooped the box right out of Seele’s hands.
“Well, he seems handy,” Seele said. “With him running the ship, you could make house calls.”
Nat shrugged, slight frown on her face. “Oh, I’d prefer to stay here. Always best to supervise.”
“Supervise what?” Seele co*cked her head.
Nat looked to the door. Dashing young Caelus had already stashed one box away and was carrying the others down towards the basem*nt for storage. Nat tilted her neck, catching a good view of the young man’s biceps tensing, framed by his wide-sleeved shirt, box in hand. Belatedly, Natasha realized she was biting at her lip.
“No reason,” the doctor said, to a confused look from Seele.
Caelus swiftly crossed the room and passed by with another box in hand. The underground clinic doc tossed a tuft of grey hair behind her ear, all the better to see the show.
“Good boy,” she murmured, low enough to be inaudible to all involved.
Of the dozen patients in Natasha’s clinic this day, nine were women. Of those, seven had some passengers aboard, either expected or as a surprise.
The Belobog Baby Boom, they were calling it. Exactly nine months and some change after the topside and underground had been reunited, the first reunification baby was born. She’d been named April, after the newfound Jarillan spring. The product of a union between an elegant overworld socialite and a gruff but dashing young underground miner. Many, many more followed as the populations continued to intermingle.
Even now, Doctor Natasha provided some maternity supplements for a Wildfire agent who’d received a surprise gift from her Silvermane guard beau on their last furlough in the Snow Plains.
“Umm… thanks,” the agent said, sheepish. “And, uh, sorry, boss. For, er, fraternizing. Guess I got careless.”
Nat smiled at the agent. She adjusted her own wildfire scarf, still situated on her shoulder, tied over her doctor’s coat.
“Think nothing of it,” Nat said. “In fact, these, ah, unions between topside and underground could prove beneficial.”
Indeed, the integration of the two societies continued apace. Seele was just about to head out for an important meeting at the Qilpoth Fort, in fact.
“Liaisons between opposites seem quite common now,” Nat said. “Silvermane guards and Wildfire soldiers. Socialites and miners. Why, I hear even some enforcers and architects have been…”
Seele cleared her throat all of a sudden. “Ahem, look at the time.”
“Would you perhaps require condoms?” Nat motioned to a box sitting dead center on the clinic floor. “They’re free. Would prevent our star enforcer from being waylaid with maternity leave at an inopportune moment.”
Seele only started laughing, louder and longer than was comfortable.
“Oh, Doc. I don’t think that will be a problem for us.” Seele’s laughter stopped just as abruptly. “Me. I mean me.”
“I’m sure.” Natasha’s face was unreadable. “Well, do relay our thanks to the Supreme Guardian for the continued deliveries of medical supplies.”
“S-sure thing boss.” Seele tried and mostly failed to mask a blush.
Clinic duty continued, things largely tapering off in the late afternoon. Natasha was there to wave off the last set of patients: three senior citizens there for arthritis meds, and two gruff mining supervisor ladies who were the latest participants in the Belobog Baby Boom.
“If you need anything else, please let me or my…” Nat cleared her throat, then motioned to Caelus on the far side of the clinic. “… assistant know right away”
The last patient exited the clinic. Natasha closed the door, then pulled a latch shut.
“They’re gone,” she managed, fatigue in her voice.
A tall figure walked up and hugged her from behind, arms around her midsection. Nat leaned back into her dashing assistant’s chest and closed her eyes.
“Mmm. I thought they’d never leave.”
“We still have to clean the clinic,” Caelus said.
“Pity.” Nat let out a fatigued sigh. “I could use a break. I’m not getting any younger. This was so much easier back in the day. At least Seele didn’t seem to notice anything. Ah, she’s quite transparent herself though. I practically raised her, you know?”
Nat felt a tinge of guilt. Her beau’s arms wrapped around her closer still. He was… younger, than she’d otherwise be comfortable with. But that was her failure, not something she wanted to bother Caelus with. She should’ve been able to withstand his youthful charm. Should’ve been able to set boundaries after they’d had no real choice but to share a bed in the depths of a Belobog blizzard. And it wasn’t like she’d corrupted him or anything – a preference for maturity seemed to be hardcoded in the young man.
Caelus whispered into her ear. “Let me do it. You take a break, Nat.”
“I… I’d hate to put so much on my assistant.” Nat said, eyes still closed. “It would feel like I’m taking advantage of his generosity.”
“It’s nothing. Just go rest. I’ll have everything prepped for tomorrow in a jiff.”
Nat turned around and embraced him as well.
“Do hurry. I’ll have a reward waiting for all your hard work.”
Caelus had a goofy smile on his face. “I’m sure.”
“Hurry along.”
Nat wriggled free from her assistant’s embrace, who wasted no time in seeking out the broom and mop. She made for the stairs.
“I’ll be in my quarters, as usual” Natasha looked back at Caelus, her mouth angled upward in a grin that accentuated some age lines at the edge of her lips. “You lucky young man.”
A long night passed by, the chill of the Belobog Underworld failing to penetrate the surprisingly balmy sanctuary of Natasha’s quarters.
Up before the first rays of sunlight streamed down from aboveground, as she’d done every day for the last ten years, Natasha took to the shower. She emerged, towel wrapped around her waist, to find Caelus gearing up in his usual attire.
“Have another busy day Trailblazing, I presume?”
“Of course.” Caelus nodded.
“Pity. I could use such a handsome assistant by my side very day and night.” Nat giggled.
The doctor made for her wardrobe. All of a sudden, she felt a searing pain on her back, and he knees wobbled, nearly giving out. She let out a wince of pain, as if needles had pierced right through her spine.
“Nat. Are you okay?”
As always, Caelus was there to provide a supportive grip, keeping her steady.
“It’s… ah, just my joints.” Nat struggled to stand upright.
“I’m… I’m sorry,” Caelus said immediately.
Nat chuckled. “Ah, however did I wind up spending so long on my knees on this hard wooden floor, I wonder? My assistant’s rewards are coming at a cost in my old age. To say nothing of how my back has been blown out…”
“I’m sorry,” he said again. “We can be gentler if you need…”
Natasha reached back and put a reassuring hand on Caelus’ own.
“That would take away half the fun,” she purred, relishing in how his breath hitched at the response.
Instinctually, Caelus tried to knead circles into the base of her spine. Nat doubled over her dresser.
“Feels heavenly,” she said, feeling the tension melt away under her assistant’s touch.
“There’s… still time before the clinic opens,” Caelus said. “I could give you a massage.”
“Oh, that sounds.” Nat nearly moaned as he hit the problem spot that was leaving her hobbling around. “Excellent. Mmm. Take responsibility for what you’ve done to me, young man.”
She didn’t quite mean anything by it, but Caelus rubbed with the intent to please his beloved doctor all the same.
There was only one problem…
“Sheets are in the wash,” Nat said with a frown. “And my hair isn’t dry yet. I’ll get the mattress wet.”
“We could…” Caelus rubbed his thumbs over her hips, to some enthusiastic light moans. “Use one of the medical examination tables…”
“No. That’s not… we can’t,” Nat said, sounding stern and matronly. “This… we have to keep this to the bedroom. Under no circ*mstances can we use the clinic. No ifs, ands, or butts.”
“Just… make it quick,” Nat said guiltily some three minutes later, sprawled out on one of the clinic’s exam tables, back exposed, towel nowhere to be seen.
Caelus’ hands kneaded up and down her spine with laser-precision, rubbing and pinching to pinpoint the exact points that were giving Natasha trouble.
“Oh…” Nat let out a soft sigh as all tension fled her body. She leaned into her assistant’s touch.
Those magic hands worked their way up to her shoulders, and her limbs turned to liquid as he gently coaxed the muscles loose.
“It’s all very tense,” he managed.
While she still couldn’t believe she’d been talked into using the clinic floor as a massage parlor, Nat closed her eyes and just enjoyed the sensation. Just had to imagine she was at some beach planet, being attended to by a foxian pool boy. Yeah…
Ah, but Caelus’ hands were firmer (and his muscles more well-defined) than the sexiest foxian man of her wildest fantasies. And now he was venturing down along her spine, chop-choping along her back.
“Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” Doctor Natasha purred from her prone and compliant state. “Should I be jealous of Miss March? Himeko?”
“It’s my first time.” Caelus nodded. “I… couldn’t imagine giving Miss Himeko a massage like this.”
“Good boy. Keep these hands just for me.” Nat smirked, her head smushed down on the medical bed.
That really got Caelus going, his hands rubbing fast circles on her hip bones.
“That’s. That’s perfect,” Nat groaned.
With his ministrations proven to have their effect, her amateur masseuse grabbed her hips on both sides and squeezed, thumbs digging into the small of her back.
Natasha moaned, back arching subtly.
“There are…” she moaned again. “About ten minutes until the clinic opens…”
“I’ll be quick. This spot requires extra attention.”
The massage continued, Natasha reduced to a plate of jiggling, ivory-hued Jello sprawled out there on the examination bed. Her breath grew languid, muttering out instructions when she wanted Caelus to focus on one spot or another.
“Oooooh~” the doctor moaned, more than once.
Then, Caelus reached her glutes.
“Caelus. Ah. That’s, so bold~” Nat said, biting her lip.
“It’s really tense. You need this.”
“Yes I do,” Nat said in one lurid breath, her hands gripping the sanitary medical paper and squeezing as the base of her legs were squeezed into a squirming stupor.
Nat’s entire back was loose, her spin curved gently to Caelus’ touch. He could’ve done pretty much anything at this point, as the good doctor mewled, a thrall to his magic hands.
“I’m going to need to do your thighs now.”
“Aeons, please do.”
She bit her lip, the better to stop from moaning out. Caelus reached between her legs.
“Feeling better?” Caelus asked.
But Nat only moaned all the same, Her hips splayed out, opening up.
“You can keep going if you want…” the doctor said with a sly, purring tenor.
“The clinic, ma’am. It opens in two minutes…”
“I…” Nat closed her eyes, blush on her cheeks. “They can wait.”
Caelus took his hands back to her legs. “M-ma’am…” he breathed heavily. “I do need to get your knees, you said those were a problem area.”
The seductive spell broke, and Natasha blinked several times. “Y-yes. Yes, of course. I… I do need to get ready, silly me.”
She felt her cheeks grow redder still as Caelus gave her knees and ankles an intimate – if still relatively chaste compared to their previous near-hot-and-heavy, ministrations.
It was… for the best. The doctor couldn’t believe she’d nearly fallen into the temptation of getting a quick one in in the clinic itself – just before opening hours!
“Whew. Okay. Coat, check. Baubles, check.” Nat adjusted the vial of green fluid on her neck. “Hair, dried… examination bed, sanitized…” Nat sprayed it down one more time, then tore off and pulled down another roll of sanitary paper, just in case. She blushed as she did so, a reminder of her indiscretions.
“And just fifteen minutes behind schedule,” she concluded. “At least it’s a slow day. Front door is unlocked, clinic is officially… open.”
Caelus helped move one more box up for the basem*nt.
“I’ll be leaving now,” he said.
“Stay safe. Thanks for… everything.” Nat crossed her arms. “For all the work you do around the clinic, on hours and off. And for keeping me, ahem, focused.”
“No problem, ma’am.” Caelus – the cheeky dog – had the courage to wink at her.
Nat bit her lip. That’s not helping, young man! She wanted to say.
Instead, she managed: “So, you have one more day before the Express heads out?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll be staying in the Grand Goth Hotel one more night and leaving in the morning.”
There was a pause, Caelus’ eyes fluttering about awkwardly as he realizes that he hasn’t even seen the interior of his hotel room since they arrived back in Belobog. He’s been awfully busy helping around the clinic.
“I see.” Nat gives him a sly smirk, age lines on her face sneaking through. “Well, clinic closes at ten at night. Just knock twice, and you pick up where we left off.”
Natasha winked at Caelus this time. And he caught the hint.
“Oh, and, Caelus, we absolutely can’t use the medical examination bed again. That’s a red line,” Natasha lied. “…No ifs, ands, or butts!”
“I’ll drop by at 10:05. It will be my pleasure, Nat,” said the bright young assistant.
“Oh, I think it will be mine too.”
