Harem House Chapter 30 - Part 2

((Trigger Warnings for this one. This chapter includes some descriptions of past trauma, specifically Arthur's, including humiliation, bullying, false witness, and dubious consent))

“What do you know so far? What did Kelly tell you?” Arthur asked. 


“The basics.” Rani said, shrugging. “You and Lynn were friends once, through childhood. You went on different paths when you got to high school, and she was a bully. She teased you, bullied you, and picked on you. You graduated, then she showed up and will be living in our basement. You won’t let any of us make her move out, and she’s attending Pendleton next semester.” 


“Yeah, that’s all true.” Arthur said. 


“So what happened?” Rani asked, her hand on Arthur’s thigh. 


The supportive gesture surprised him, but he appreciated the encouragement. 


“I loved Lynn.” Arthur said, pausing after he made the statement to measure its validity. The past tense was accurate. He had loved her. “By the time we got to high school, I was full on head over heels, hearts for eyes in love with her. Childhood crush, sure, but I really believed we would be in love through high school, graduate together, get married, and live the rest of our lives happily ever after.” 


“Naive.” Rani said, then flinched when Arthur looked at her. “Sorry, continue.” 


“Yeah. I was naive.” Arthur agreed. “I was a dumb kid. What can I say?” 


Rani remained silent, listening but not answering his rhetorical question. “Everyone’s dumb at one point or another. I was too.” She assured him. 


“Well, high school came, and everything changed.” Arthur said. “I don’t know why or what I did, but the first day of school, she started hanging out with this older girl, Angie, who was…” Arthur hesitated, but if anyone deserved to be called this, Angie did. “A total bitch.” 


“Wow, strong language coming from you for someone you’re not fucking.” Rani said, smiling a little to try and make it easier. Arthur’s muscles were tense beneath her hand, and he didn’t loosen. 


“Yeah, well.” Arthur frowned. “Anyway. Toward the beginning of the school year, we were in algebra together. Lynn was already acting weird, not talking to me at school more than a few words at a time, dodging me when I tried to approach her in the hallway, that kind of thing. She’d be sweet and nice at home like nothing was wrong. At school? She’d give me whiplash with the Jekyll and Hyde routine.” 


Rani waited for him to continue. 


“So we’re in algebra class, and I’m sitting next to her, with Angie on her other side. Someone sitting near us, possibly Lynn herself, I don’t know for sure, farted.” Arthur explained. “Whoever it was, it wasn’t me, but it was loud and stunk.” 


“As farts do, sure.” Rani nodded knowingly. Her attempt at humor didn’t lighten Arthur’s expression or his grip on the wheel that made the muscles in his forearm pop. 


“Well, Lynn blamed me. She called me Farty Arty, and the name stuck.” Arthur said. “Had the whole class laughing and repeating the term.” 


Rani bit her bottom lip, doing her best not to laugh. Arthur was so serious when he said the name, his voice so grave and deadly, but the name sounded so silly. It was a miracle she made it through without laughing. He was in pain, though, and Arthur appreciated her restraint. 


“Is that it?” Rani asked. “She cracked one off and blamed you for it?” 


Arthur laughed dryly that time, shaking his head. “No. That was the start of what became four years of hell. Every day, a fresh torment, a fresh public humiliation if I tried to talk to her. A joke or insult at my expense became a way for her to gain standing with Angie and the popular kids. Meanwhile, she would apologize and cozy up to me after school. We would go to each other’s apartments depending on whose parents were home that day. She had me doing her homework, helping her cheat on tests, and all kinds of shit.” 


“Woah, back it up.” Rani said, raising her hands. “You did her homework?” 


“I was young and dumb.” Arthur said, explaining. “And trapped.” 


“You helped her cheat? You? Mister Ethics? Mister ‘Let me ruin the mood by verifying consent one-thousand-and-one times because I have some kind of virtue complex’ Arthur?” Rani asked in disbelief. 


“Hey.” Arthur said, taking offense. 


“Sorry.” Rani said. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood. If your voice gets any deeper and more serious, I’m going to start calling you Batman.” 


“Do you know why consent is so important to me?” Arthur asked. 


Rani hesitated. “Because you’re a good person?” 


“Because I don’t want there to be any miscommunication, doubt, or accusation to the contrary.” Arthur said. “Over the years, Lynn’s threats became very targeted, and her behavior toward me swung so wildly from who she used to be to who she was that I was all kinds of mixed up. I did some things I’m not proud of, like helping her cheat, because I thought she’d…” 


“You thought she’d fuck you?” Rani asked. 


“No.” Arthur scoffed. “Worse. I thought she’d forgive me for being the fat ugly piece of shit I was and love me.” 


Rani fell quiet, frowning. She looked at Arthur’s face, watching his jawline as he clenched his teeth. She kissed his cheek. Her soft lips pressed against his stiff jaw and softened it. She didn’t know how to respond to that or whether there was a right thing to say. Arthur’s former self-image seemed so far removed from reality that it was surreal. 


Arthur didn’t say anything. He chose anger over tears. 


“You’re not that, you know that, right?” Rani asked. “Even if you weren't always so fit and buff, you were never a piece of shit. If I’m not allowed to have a low opinion of myself, then you’re definitely not. You’re a fucking god of a man, like someone out of a storybook or something. My Prince Rama.” 


“Prince Rama?” Arthur asked. Confusion dissipated his anger. 


“Prince Charming, I guess, but like a million times better?” Rani said, shrugging. “Actually, he’s probably more like Odysseus. Or a cross between Odysseus and Mario. Disney really needs to consider the Ramayana.” She shook her head. 


Arthur nodded, not entirely sure what Rani was talking about. 


“So what happened?” Rani asked. 


Arthur’s grave expression returned, but he remained more relaxed. “Senior year.” Arthur said. “I turned eighteen at the start of the school year, Lynn’s eighteenth birthday party was in March. Our Spring Break was in April.” 


Rani was quiet, waiting for him to continue. 


“She… made some promises based on everything that I’d done for her over the years. She told me she wanted to say goodbye since we were going to different schools in the fall. She said she had something special planned for us. This was it, losing our virginity together so we’d be ready for when we went to Prom and before we said goodbye for college. I believed her.” Arthur said. “I was an idiot.” 


Rani squeezed his thigh. 


“A bunch of our classmates rented out this motel for a spring break party. She invited me, and… well…” Arthur swallowed, water in his eyes threatening to push forward into tears, but he held them back. He was too angry to cry. 


“She met me in the room and told me to get undressed. I ended up in my tighty-whities. I was too nervous to totally disrobe. The whole thing felt… weird and off. She took video and pictures, narrating some incredibly cruel and humiliating things about my body as I undressed.” Arthur hesitated. 


Rani patiently waited for him to continue. 


“I tried to back out.” Arthur said. “It didn’t feel right. I wasn’t even hard, and she was still fully clothed. I said I didn’t want to do it that way, that we should do something else and try another night when it was more romantic. She was livid. She pushed me onto the bed, straddled my leg, held me down, and… ground on me, I guess. I… There was no penetration. We didn’t…” Arthur couldn’t finish his sentence. 


“Hey, it’s okay.” Rani said. Her voice shook, but her grip on his thigh was firm. She grounded him and kept him from losing himself in the memory. “You don’t have to.” 


Arthur kept his eyes straight ahead, not looking at Rani as he drove. He took a deep breath. “She left me there. I chased after her, which was a mistake, obviously. She told some guys partying that I was trying to–” Arthur paused. “She lied, and not for the first time.” He sighed. “She already had the school believing I was some kind of obsessed stalker pervert. Those guys didn’t hesitate.” 


“What happened?” Rani asked. 


“They beat the shit out of me, is what happened.” Arthur said. “I’d like to say I got a few good licks in, but really, one guy shoved me, and I was on the ground. Then they just started kicking me. I blacked out, probably from the pain, and woke up in a dumpster the next morning.” 


Rani winced. “Fuck.” 


“When I fell, I tumbled into some other guy, and he ended up in the hospital. Apparently, he hit the railing behind him when he fell, and it messed up his back, ending his football career somehow? I’m not even sure. The entire school was out for my blood after that.” Arthur said. 


“Yeah.” Rani said, nodding. 


“Pictures and video of the whole thing, along with the stuff Lynn took, ended up making the rounds at school. To say I was an outcast was an understatement. People praised Lynn’s benevolence in not pressing charges. They supported her as though she were the victim.” Arthur shook his head. “And the worst of it?” He asked rhetorically. “Lynn still expected me to help her pass her finals.” 


Rani looked confused. “Did you?” 


Arthur sighed. 


“But I didn’t go to prom, at least.” Arthur said. “She invited me and made a big deal of it to our parents so they would force me to go to prom with her, but I held my ground.” He went quiet, his voice much softer when he spoke. “On that, at least, I held my ground.” 


“Why would your parents want you to go to prom with her?” Rani asked. 


“I didn’t tell them what happened.” Arthur said. “I said I got drunk at the party and got into a fight with a few guys from the football team, and… that’s all they know about it.” 


Several moments of silence passed. He turned onto his street, driving past a few commercial stores en route to Arthur's apartment complex. 


“You know that if Deb knew about this, there’s no way she’d let Lynn live at the house, right?” Rani asked. “You have to tell her.” 


“Rani…” Arthur sighed. “I have no proof. I have no witnesses. Everyone there that night would take Lynn’s side over mine.” 


“Well, not everyone.” Rani said. “Kelly must–” 


“Rani, please.” Arthur said. “Can we drop it?” 


Rani looked at him, and did her best to keep the water in her eyes from falling down her cheek. She failed when she spotted the single tear falling down the side of Arthur’s face. 


“Shit.” Rani said. She wiped her eyes. “Do you need a hug?” 


“Yes.” Arthur said simply, wiping his eye with his forearm. 


“Pull over.” Rani said, pointing to the parking lot of a pizza place near Arthur’s apartment. 


“What?” Arthur asked. “We’re almost there, we can just…” 


“I know I didn’t fucking stutter. Pull this car over now.” Rani said, her voice stern. 


Arthur pulled the car over, parking in an empty space across the small lot from Gianni’s, facing the street.


“Get out.” Rani said, getting out of the car after fumbling with the buckle. 


A confused Arthur barely had time to stand after getting out of the car before Rani slammed into him, her arms around his torso and hugging him so hard she pushed the air from his lungs. 


Arthur hugged her back, struggling to breathe, which made him laugh, which made him cry. They stood there, embracing, for several minutes. Arthur didn’t try to pull away, or move, or look anywhere. He closed his eyes and hugged Rani, taking in the smell of hotel shampoo and soap, feeling her heavy exhales against his chest. Her perfume reminded him of wildflowers on a warm summer day, transporting him to a field far away from their suburbia. 


“I’m so sorry.” Rani said softly. “I shouldn’t have pushed you to tell me.” 


“No, it’s okay.” Arthur said. “I’m actually glad to get it off my chest. This is…”


“Is this the first time you’ve talked about it?” Rani asked. Her tone sounded almost afraid as if being the first one he’d opened up to bore some kind of responsibility she might not be ready for. 


“No.” Arthur said. “I told Lori about it. Though that was over a longer period, I guess. Not all at once like this.” 


“Okay.” Rani said, nodding, still hugging him but giving him enough slack in her arms so she could gaze into his reddened eyes. “And, to be clear, I’m not allowed to beat the shit out of Lynn?” 


Arthur laughed. “No.” 


“Damnit.” Rani frowned. “I shouldn’t have asked. I should have just done it. Better to ask forgiveness and all that.” 


Arthur hugged her close as she put her head against his collarbone. 


“Can I hire someone to beat the shit out of her?” Rani asked. 


“No violence.” Arthur said. “She isn’t worth the effort.” 


“What if it’s consensual?” Rani asked. “What if I get her on tape telling me it’s okay to hit her? Then can I beat the–” 


“No.” Arthur cut her off. “Just leave her alone and keep as far away from her as possible. My life wasn’t the only one she ruined in high school. She’s best avoided. Understand?” 


“You are so frustrating sometimes.” Rani said. “Revenge is cathartic, trust me.” 


“Rani.” Arthur said, holding her chin in his hand. “You’re very sweet, but please do not engage with Lynn.” 


“She’s an idiot.” Rani scoffed. “You should have seen her today, fumbling and bumbling absolutely everything. She’s a clown. I can handle her.” 


“Rani.” Arthur said. “If Lynn acted foolish at the brunch today, she had a reason for doing it. She’s not as dumb as she wants you to think. Stay away from her. I mean it.” 


“Then why don't you tell your mom about what happened? You could have us all stay away from Lynn for good if Deb kicks her out.” Rani argued. 


“I've tried.” Arthur said. “Shortly after it happened, I tried. I just... I can't tell my mom about it. Please drop it?”


Rani pursed her lips but sighed and gave up any resistance when she looked into his eyes. “Yes, my King.” Rani said, then kissed him where they stood. 


Arthur and Rani kissed for longer than he expected, standing in that parking lot before Gianni’s Pizza. The smells usually would have stoked his hunger, but their stomachs were relatively full. 


“That was heavy.” Rani said, sighing as they pulled away. “But damn, you’re a good kisser.” 


Arthur laughed. “You’re not bad yourself.” 


“Is there somewhere close by we can fuck?” Rani asked. 


“Like my apartment?” Arthur asked, pointing to the apartment complex they could see down the road from their current location. 


“I guess.” Rani said. “I’d also accept a public restroom, behind that tree, or… Ooo, is that an ice cream shop?” 


Arthur laughed. “Sex or ice cream, which do you want?” 


“Can’t it be both?” Rani said. “I’m a complicated woman.” 


“What about that story made you hot?” Arthur asked. He took her hand and walked down the row of businesses toward the ice cream shop at the far end. “Did my crying do it for you?” 


“The story didn’t.” Rani said, shaking her head. “Nothing about that story was in the least way erotic, and I prefer the manly primal you, but you opening up to me like that? You sharing that part of yourself with me, especially when you haven’t with the others? That makes me feel like your queen, and I want to fuck you right here in the parking lot.” 


A woman coming out of the salon stopped and gave Rani a ‘Did I just hear what I think I heard?’ look. 


“What?” Rani asked the total stranger. “This is my boyfriend, and I wanna bang him.” 


“Sorry.” Arthur said, apologizing to the stranger. “She’s just–” 


“Don’t apologize for me.” Rani said. “I’m not sorry. If she’s a prude, she can fuck off.” 


The woman practically ran away, getting into her car. Arthur hoped that wouldn’t get them in trouble later, but he didn’t recognize the woman from anywhere. They’d likely never see her again. 


“What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” Rani asked as she led him to the back of the line, still holding his hand. 


“I'm in the mood for vanilla.” Arthur said, looking up at the sign. 


“Really?” Rani asked, surprised. “Well, I suppose you had to like something vanilla eventually.” 


Arthur laughed, not making eye contact with the young man or woman in front of them in line. “What about you? Do you even eat ice cream?” 


“Yes, I eat ice cream.” Rani said, rolling her eyes. “When I want to. Though I prefer chocolate, typically. Sometimes I get a salted caramel or something fun, but I imagine I’ll get enough salty stuff from you later, and after last night, I’ve ingested enough salt to last a week.” 


Arthur blushed furiously. The young woman in front of them giggled. The young man tried desperately not to look over his shoulder at them. He recognized them both from around campus but didn’t know either of their names. 


“Seriously.” Rani said, hugging Arthur’s arm. “Thank you for opening up to me.” 


“You’re welcome, I suppose.” Arthur said, smiling slightly. He could tell she was doing her best to lighten the somber mood, to distance them from their emotional conversation. He appreciated it. “Don’t go rubbing it in the others’ noses or anything. I might have to have that conversation a few times in the next few weeks, or maybe I should gather everyone together so I don’t have to do it more than necessary.” 


“You can trauma dump at our next orgy if you want.” Rani shrugged. “But that you told me about it first means a lot to me.” Rani kissed his cheek. 


The people in front of them looked behind them to see Rani and Arthur again. 


“What?” Rani asked. “Mind your business, nosey aunties.” 


Arthur laughed. “You can’t blame people for getting curious when you’re joking about orgies and stuff like that in public.” 


“Who’s joking?” Rani winked at Arthur. “Oh, speaking of orgies, did you call Nicki? Are you two going to hook up?” 


Arthur took a deep breath. “We can talk about that later.” He said, glancing around them. There weren’t any kids nearby, so he wasn’t too worried about that. Still, not everyone shared Rani’s openness about sex or was as open-minded when it came to unconventional relationships. He didn’t want anyone to be uncomfortable because of them. 


“Are you okay? You’re getting all rigid and not in a hot way.” Rani said. She patted his butt. “Unclench.” 


Arthur laughed. “Sorry. I’m just… I’m uncomfortable talking about that kind of thing while strangers are in earshot.” Arthur said, glancing meaningfully at the other people in line. 


“Oh.” Rani said, falling quiet. “Who cares? You’re a fucking god in the bedroom. Nothing to be ashamed about.” 


The young woman ahead of them gave Arthur another look. The young man turned his eyes forward to the menu board and elbowed her to do the same. 


“Seriously.” Rani said to the young woman. “Fingers like a surgeon, a tornado tongue, and–” She held her hands apart the approximate length of Arthur’s dick. 


Arthur pushed her hands down as the young woman, blushing, turned toward the menu again. “Rani!” 


“Arthur.” Rani said, turning to face him, smiling. “Sorry, I’m just having fun. I’m…” She paused as if calculating the correct term. “I’m really, really happy right now.” 


“Well, I’m glad you’re happy.” Arthur said, smiling. “But please behave? At least until we’re at my apartment.” 


Rani sighed. “You like it when Kat misbehaves.” 


“Well, you aren’t Kat.” Arthur said. “You’re Rani, so please be on your best behavior if you want toppings on your ice cream.” 


Rani rolled her eyes dramatically. “Yes, My King.” She said as she leaned against him. 


The young woman glanced back at them again, but then it was her turn to order, so she gave the girl working behind the counter her attention. 


Arthur ordered a large vanilla soft serve in a waffle cone with rainbow sprinkles. Rani ordered a chocolate soft serve in a sugar cone with chocolate Jimmies, which she had to explain were sprinkles when asked. 


“Why do you call them Jimmies?” Arthur asked as he paid the attendant. 


“I don’t know. Because that’s what they are?” Rani asked. 


“Is that another Indian thing?” Arthur asked. 


Rani sighed. “It’s a Jersey thing. Not everything is because I’m Indian.” 


“Oh, okay.” Arthur said, nodding. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply–” 


“It’s okay.” Rani said. “I can’t really be surprised that Mindy and I are your first not-at-all white girlfriends?” 


“That’s accurate.” Arthur nodded. 


“Well, I can’t say I’ll always have the energy to educate you, so maybe do some research yourself.” Rani said, teasing and nudging his arm as the attendant offered them their cones. 


His cone came first, then Rani’s. They licked as they returned to the car, but Rani ate hers far more slowly than Arthur did. 


They sat in the car and finished before driving, though Rani had a tiny chocolate smear by her mouth. Arthur wiped it for her with his thumb, then sucked the chocolate off it while she looked at him in surprise. 


“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t even thinking.” Arthur said. “You just… you had a spot so…” 


“Yeah.” Rani said, smiling softly. “It’s okay.” 


They looked into each other’s eyes, and both smiled. Arthur started the car. 


“Let’s get to your place so we can fuck.” Rani said, squeezing his thigh. 


Arthur laughed. “I thought today was a homework date.” 


Rani sighed. “Please? Can we fuck and then do homework?” 


“What’s the likelihood of us getting homework done when our brains are scrambled from fucking?” Arthur asked. “Plus, it’s not like we’re gonna be quick about it.” 


“Damnit.” Rani said, sitting back as Arthur turned onto the road. “You make some good points.” 


“How about this?” Arthur asked, about to propose something. “We go upstairs, and I give you one of those remote control vibrators. We do our homework, but I play with the controls from time to time, keeping you nice and horny until I’m ready to take you to the bedroom.” 


“Well, shit.” Rani said. “That sounds like torture, but I kinda wanna try it.” 


Arthur laughed. “Come on.” He said as he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex. 


They parked, and Rani followed him up the steps to his apartment. The space now seemed small compared to the house and hotel rooms. Still, it was larger than Rani’s dorm room and cleaner. Arthur didn’t consider himself a neat freak, but he didn’t mind if Rani did. She put her bag and purse on the sofa. 


“Do you do your homework on the sofa, at the kitchen table, at the desk in your study, or on your bed in your bedroom naked while I ride you like a mechanical bull?” Rani asked, gesturing to each room as she asked. 


Arthur laughed. “Let’s start on the sofa.” He moved into his second bedroom and office and grabbed his book bag. He set his stuff in front of the sofa and sat down. 


Rani cleared her throat. “Aren’t you forgetting something, my King?” 


“Hm?” Artur asked, looking up. 


“The vibrator you promised me.” Rani said, gesturing toward his bedroom. “If you’re making me wait to fuck you, at least keep things interesting.” 


Arthur laughed, shaking his head. “Okay, my bad.” Arthur went into the bedroom and returned with the vibrator and some lube. He pulled up the app on his phone and looked up to see Rani stripping. 


“Uh…” Arthur said, hesitating as Rani's shirt fell to the floor. 


“Am I not allowed to be comfortable?” Rani asked, unlatching her bra. 


“You do your homework naked?” Arthur asked. 


“Not all the time or every day. Most of the time I like to wear comfortable baggy clothes. But since this is a homework date, I thought I might spice things up. Is that okay?” Rani asked. 


“If I say no, will you get dressed?” Arthur asked. 


“No.” Rani answered. “But I’ll put some panties on if it’ll help you focus.” She dropped her bra to the floor and kicked it aside. Her full breasts were perky and full-cupped. The underside of her breasts were the roundest part. Gold barbels pierced her dark, midnight nipples, pointing forward. The pendant ring of her gold chain collar fell from her graceful neck to between her close breasts. 


“Do you like my waist chain?” Rani asked, gesturing to the narrow gold chain wrapped around her high waist. Golden rings hung from it at regular intervals, matching the ruby stud encased in gold, piercing her navel. 


“I love your jewelry. You know that.” Arthur said. “And I picked that one out for you this morning.” He laughed. 


“True.” Rani said. She slid her jeans to the floor and pulled a pair of panties from her bag. The lubed vibrator went in first, then she pulled the black panties up her legs. Her large, round behind hung out of them, but Arthur didn’t mind that either. 


They pulled out their phones, and Arthur tested the vibe, making Rani squeeze her thighs together as she sat down. 


“How much homework do I have to do before you fuck me?” Rani asked. 


“Keep it in your pants.” Arthur said dryly. 


“Too late.” Rani said, scooping her jeans and tossing them into Arthur’s lap. 


He laughed and pushed her jeans off his books and to the floor. He turned off her vibrator, too. 


“Alright, fine.” Rani pulled her notebook out and a mechanical pencil. Her textbook was twice the size of Arthur’s, and the equations looked more intimidating. “But if you get horny, just bend me over and fuck whichever hole you’d like, my King.” 


Arthur coughed, hiding his smile with his hand, and got reading. Rani sighed her disappointment and penciled in her calculations for the project she was working on. 


When Arthur looked up one assignment later, Rani was texting. 


Arthur raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He checked his phone, but no one had texted him. He started his next assignment, pulling out his laptop to write a paper. 


Rani alternated between texting and homework while he typed. She didn’t appear to be suffering from the distractions, but the amount of texting piqued Arthur’s curiosity. 


“Have the girls been in touch?” Arthur asked. “It’s been radio silent on my end.” 


“Not really. I texted the girls-only chat to let them know we got here safely, and Kelly gave it a heart.” Rani said. “But other than that, I guess they’re busy with the game.” 


“Ah.” Arthur said, nodding. He knew they were probably watching one of his old home videos, but he didn’t want to disappoint Rani that she’d missed that. 


Rani received a notification and started texting again. 


“So uh…” Arthur hesitated. “Who are you texting?” 


“Mark.” Rani said, not looking up from her phone as she typed. 


“Mark?” Arthur asked, confused. 


“Yeah, the theater dork with the busty girlfriend?” Rani asked, as if reminding Arthur who his friend was. 


“Yeah, I know who Mark is.” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I mean, why are you texting him?” 


“Are you jealous?” Rani asked, surprised. “If I say he’s asking me out, do I get to watch you fight him?” She swung around to face Arthur, tucking her leg under her and throwing her notebook onto the coffee table. 


“I’m not going to fight him.” Arthur said. “But… is he?” Arthur turned in his sofa seat to face her and put his books aside. 


Rani laughed. “Of course not.” She shook her head. “We’re talking D and D for that game we’re starting. He’s asking questions about my homebrew campaign setting.” 


“Oh.” Arthur said, nodding as if he understood what she meant. “Cool.” 


“You okay if I add you to a group chat for the game?” Rani asked. 


“Yeah, that’s fine.” Arthur said, nodding. “I’m still unsure about the scheduling aspect, but we’ll work it out.” 


“Any idea what kind of character you want to play?” Rani asked, now focusing on Arthur. 


“No idea, honestly.” Arthur shrugged. “What kind of character do you think I’d fit the best?” 


Rani appraised him, her eyes wandering over him and then squinting as she imagined him as a D&D character. “Oh, fuck me, you’re a bard.” 


Arthur laughed. How she said it made the profession sound like the worst possible option. “Is that a bad thing?” 


“No.” Rani said, shaking her head. “It’s just almost too good a fit. Maybe you should play against your personality type and be a rogue or something.” 


“Like a thief?” Arthur asked. 


“Yeah. Or an assassin. Maybe a Han Solo type? Or a Swashbuckler?” Rani asked. Imagining Arthur in the costume was surprisingly easy. “Something morally gray and against your typical personality. Or you could be a Barbarian. Something sword and sorcery-esque, a nice loin cloth and a giant ax.” 


“Do we have to wear costumes to play?” Arthur asked, confused. 


“No. I just enjoy imagining you in Conan cosplay, especially when this thing is buzzing away.” Rani said, gesturing to her panties where the vibrator hummed on low. “So sue me.” 


Arthur laughed, shaking his head. 


“Oh, fuck. Really, that’d be a perfect costume for you.” Rani closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “That or Darkwolf from Fire and Ice.” Rani said, nodding. 


“Fire and Ice?” Arthur asked. 


“The animated movie from the eighties?” Rani gestured toward his TV. “I thought you said you liked old movies.” 


“I do. I’ve just never heard of that one.” Arthur confessed. 


“It’s an animated sword and sorcery flick, like Conan or Red Sonja.” Rani said, explaining. “Decent animation, very skimpy costumes for everyone involved, and probably the gayest necromancer I’ve ever seen.” 


Arthur raised his eyebrow. 


“Not in a bad way, but super, super gay-coded. All the guys wear leather thongs for the entire movie. Like, there’s a princess who wears a purple bikini for the whole film, and she’s still more dressed than the guys.” Rani said, laughing. “Oh, fuck me, that’d be a perfect costume for Mindy. I have to text her.” She grabbed her phone and fired off a text. 


“Why have I never heard of this movie?” Arthur asked. Not that he was an expert on sword and sorcery films. The genre sounded fun, but he wasn’t allowed to watch Conan as a kid. He’d been more of a Princess Bride and Robin Hood fan anyway when it came to fantasy. 


“Uh, the orcs in the film are called sub-humans, and they’re basically unflattering depictions of dark-skinned ape-men.” Rani said. “Meanwhile, all the heroes are super white. It’s a problem.” 


“Oh, shit.” Arthur said. “Why were so many movies from the eighties so racist?” 


“Bad writing?” Rani asked, shrugging. “If you think that sounds bad, you should see the Star Wars Christmas Special.” Rani snickered. “Actual black face.” 


“Oh no.” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I’ve only ever seen one movie with that in it, and even though I love the rest of the movie, it definitely ruins the film.” 


“What movie?” Rani asked, curious as she scooted closer to Arthur. 


“Holiday Inn?” Arthur said, unsure if she’d heard of the film. 


“Never heard of it.” Rani said. 


“White Christmas was supposed to be its sequel but they ended up making it its own movie.” Arthur explained. “It’s a cute movie, but Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds do a black face musical number to celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday, and it’s bad.” 


Rani shook her head. “Now I kinda want to see it.” 


“I don’t actually own a copy, but I might be able to find it streaming somewhere.” Arthur suggested. “It’s more of a Christmas movie, though.” 


“Well, let’s save it for Christmas then. Besides, if it’s as bad as you say, it’s probably not on any streaming services. They took out the Community D&D episode because of Blackface. Or Drowface.” Rani said, gesturing to his TV again as though it were the culprit. 


“I liked that episode!” Arthur said. 


“Me too!” Rani said. “The racism isn’t great, but I’m pissed they won’t stream it. I’ve got the DVD, but it’s at home.”


“At your dorm?” Arthur asked. 


“No, in New Jersey.” Rani said, frowning. 


“Oh.” Arthur said. Now that he thought about it, he’d never finished learning about Rani. There was an imbalance between them in their knowledge of each other. She knew the darkest and likely most traumatic secret of his life. He knew she had sisters and a younger brother. 


Rani seemed to sense it and nodded after taking a deep breath. “Go on, ask me.” 


“Well, what made you want to become an engineer?” Arthur asked. 


Rani seemed to consider her answer for a minute, then started. “I started learning from my dad when I was little. He’s a highly respected engineer with a few patents, and… let’s just say he’s big in the Computer Engineering world. When I was born, I was his fourth daughter, and he was disappointed. My sisters are great, but they share none of his interests, and the expectations in my family are for us to be capable of respectable careers but to give them up for wifehood and motherhood, or else struggle to have it all and maintain careers and do absolutely everything for some guy.” 


Arthur nodded. It was weird to hear Rani talk about the inherent patriarchal bias of her family while calling her names like ‘Concubine’ and enjoying the sight of her naked-except-for-her-panties body. The vibrator in her was set low, and the control was in his hand. The dichotomy seemed almost amusing. 


“You say that with such disdain, but if that’s the case, how are you okay with our relationship dynamic? Me being your King and you being my Concubine?” Arthur asked. 


Rani tilted her head. “There’s a difference, right? In my family, the expectation is that we cook, clean, and otherwise serve our husbands. Kelly’s kink.” She laughed at that. “But she’s romanticized it. It’s a whole thing.” 


Rani waved away the idea and continued. “You, on the other hand, treat me right. You treat all of us as we want to be treated. You treat Selene like a Slut, and Kat as your Brat, and you treat me like your Queen. In the streets, you open doors for me, seat me first, look out for me, and take care of me like I’m precious to you. Then behind closed doors, you fuck like a god. You’re the fuckin’ perfect man.” 


“So the difference is, I don’t expect servitude?” Arthur asked. 


“Not from me.” Rani said. “Submission, sure, but that’s fun. You don’t treat me like a maid. You treat me like a goddess. A woman.” 


“Respect.” Arthur said. “That’s the difference. I treat you with respect.” 


“And tenderness and primal fucking.” Rani nodded. “Do you get it?” 


Arthur hesitated but nodded. “I think so. I’m getting there.” 


“Good.” Rani nodded. “Now, where was I?” 


“Your father was disappointed to have another daughter.” Arthur said, wincing at his own summary. Still, he waited for her to continue. 


“Right. Well, When I was in junior high, I asked for my dad’s help with a science fair project.” Rani said. “We worked on it together, and honestly, up until that point, that’s the most time I remember spending with him. He loves work and doesn’t have much to discuss with anyone else in the family, so I started talking to him about it. I got interested in it, and we started spending more time together. When I looked at colleges, there was never really a question of what I was going for. I was my father’s daughter through and through, and engineering was my destiny.” 


Arthur nodded. “So why did you come to Pendleton for engineering? It’s a good school, but it’s not exactly MIT.” 


Rani sighed. “Papa is a Princeton man.” She said. “He and my older sisters all went there.” 


“And your mom?” Arthur asked. 


Rani shook her head. “My mom is a mom, not a career woman. She never went to college.” 


“Oh, well, that’s nice.” Arthur said. “If that’s what she wanted to do.” 


Rani nodded. “I don’t know that she really had a choice, but she enjoys being a mother. Granted, she has a full-time staff to manage, so she’s a little like a CEO, but that’s a whole thing. She and Kelly would probably get on like gangbusters or kill each other.” 


Arthur raised an eyebrow, confused again. “Does she volunteer somewhere? How does she have a staff?” 


“The house staff.” Rani said as if the answer were obvious. “The gardeners, groundskeepers, stable hands, kitchen staff, maids, the butler, and chauffeur. You know, the staff.” 


Arthur stared at Rani. She explained it as though everyone had a house full of personal staff ready to wait on them hand on foot, but Arthur had never met anyone with that level of wealth in his life. Maybe his parent’s CEO, but he didn’t know the guy on a personal level. No one at school came from that level of wealth. At least, he hadn’t thought so. 


“Are you…” Arthur tilted his head at Rani. “Are you rich?” 


Rani laughed. “No. My Papa is rich.” 


“Oh.” Arthur said, realizing the implication. Obviously, Rani’s family had some kind of falling out with her, and she’d been cut off. That made sense. She was rebellious, abrasive, and brazen, and her sexuality had to be a sore point with her family, right? He wanted to listen to the answers, but he didn’t want to ask the questions, even as they piled up behind one another on his tongue. 


“I guess if you count the trust fund, I’m loaded.” Rani said, shrugging. 


Then again, maybe not. Arthur didn’t know what to think. 


“Why are you living in the dorm?” Arthur asked. “Do the girls know? Does anyone at school know?” 


“I’m living in the dorm because I wanted to, and honestly, it’s super convenient for everything on campus. And for fucking. Two AM booty call? One time I literally just yelled down the hallway, ‘Anyone wanna fuck?’ and had three volunteers and two orgasms.” Rani said as if discussing making friends and playing video games. 


Arthur didn’t hold her sexual liberty against her. It didn’t stain her in his eyes, though it did make him slightly jealous, which he tamped down immediately. 


“No, the girls don’t know.” Rani said. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell them? I don’t want to ruin anything; people can get weird about money.” 


Arthur nodded. Rani’s wealth wasn’t his secret to tell, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t surprised. She’d never balked at letting him pay for things either. 


“And I don’t think anyone at school knows except maybe the financial aid people. My dad donates a significant amount of money to the school now.” Rani shrugged. “He’s annoyed I’m going here instead of Princeton, but I’m still his favorite.” 


Arthur’s mind was still exploding. “Why aren’t you going to Princeton?” 


Rani frowned. “Can you uh… turn off the vibrator?” She asked. “It’s weird talking about all this with this thing going off.” 


“Sure, sorry.” Arthur said, opening the app and turning off the vibrator. 


Rani left it in but relaxed against the sofa as it cut off. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “I’m not going to Princeton because I didn’t want to.” She said. “There was a guy there I didn’t want to see, and I got tired of the expectations and wanted to run away. So I threw a dart at the map and ended up here.” 


Arthur didn’t press. He’d told her about Lynn, but he didn’t want her to push to talk about something painful if she didn’t want to. 


“Do you want to talk about it?” Arthur asked. 


“I owe you one if you want…” Rani said. “But no. Not really. Amir’s not worth talking about. Our relationship wasn’t anywhere near as traumatic or important as yours and Lynn’s. He was just an asshole, and I was young and stupid and didn’t realize it until after we hooked up. I had this whole…” She gestured with her hands. “I had this whole idea of what sex was in my head. How sex was this super-important connection between two people who loved each other. You know, the usual bullshit parents tell kids like Santa Claus and the tooth fairy.” 


Arthur didn’t know how to respond to that. He didn’t think that was the same, but he knew better than to argue with Rani over it. Her approach toward sex was much less attached than his. She saw very little difference between eating a meal together and eating each other’s ass. 


“The good thing about Amir is he taught me sex doesn’t have to mean anything.” Rani continued. “And I learned that lesson well. When I was here and not under any kind of supervision, I went wild freshman year and started exploring my sexuality. It was fun. It is fun, really. And without those experiences, I never would have been open to joining your harem or coming home with you and Mindy that night.” 


Arthur nodded. That made sense. Poly was definitely off the beaten path when it came to sex, and he knew he wouldn’t have been open to it without breaking up with Lori first. Not that there was an honest comparison between the two. He and Lori had a loving relationship until they broke up. It still meant something. Amir apparently meant nothing. 


“And, for the record, I’m not allowed to beat up Amir?” Arthur asked. 


Rani laughed. “I wouldn’t care one way or the other.” 


“Okay.” Arthur said, sitting back. He reached toward Rani, and the two of them clasped hands. “Thank you for opening up.” 


“Anytime, my King.” Rani winked. 


“Seriously.” Arthur said. “I appreciate you telling me about your family and everything else. Especially if you haven’t told the girls.” 


“You mean my family wealth?” Rani asked, smirking. “Just don’t think of me like a piggy bank. I know you wouldn’t.” She cut him off before he could protest. “But I just wanted to say it. I don’t mind being generous when I can, but I don’t want to be your sugar momma, and I like it when you spoil me, like when you paid for the ice cream without even asking if I wanted to go fifty-fifty. And don’t go blabbing to anyone on campus. I don't need that kind of attention.” 


“Fair point.” Arthur said, stroking his chin. “But, why tell me? Why not keep it a secret?” 


“I trust you.” Rani said. “And you asked. Plus, now we’re a little more even. You told me your darkest, most traumatic secret. I told you my biggest. I could buy you if I wanted, so treat me right.”


Arthur laughed. 


Rani smiled. “Okay, now turn up this vibrator, will you? And take off your shirt?” 


Arthur stood and stepped in front of her. “As you wish, my Queen.” Arthur hooked his finger under her chin, tilting her lips to meet his as he bent and kissed her. 


Rani leaned into the kiss and increased her passion when the vibrator inside her started up again. Arthur slid his thumb along the controls, stuttering her pleasure with intense rhythm until he pulled away from the kiss and tore off his shirt. He tossed it away, then walked away. 


“Are we fucking now?” Rani asked, eagerness dripping in her voice as she dripped against her panties. 


“Not yet.” Arthur said. “I’m going to get some water for us, and we’ll keep working on homework. Not D&D campaigns.” 


Rani groaned in frustration. “You’re killing me!” 


“Patience, my Queen.” Arthur said, disappearing into the kitchen and returning with two water bottles. He offered Rani one, and she swiped it from him in frustration. 


“Fine.” She sighed. “But I’m working on something sexy.” 


“That’s fine.” Arthur said, winking and taking up his seat on the corner of the sofa. 


Rani grunted and pulled out her laptop, getting to work. She turned so Arthur couldn’t see what she was working on, but Arthur allowed her to have her spiteful privacy. He returned to his project, too, and they worked in peaceful silence on their separate projects.