Khell was here. He would stay until I told him to leave, whenever that was. He lived nearby. Being with Khell could be normal. As normal as it was to be with an orc twice my size, whose impatience had run out before we reached the top of the stairs, so he’d put me on my hands and knees and rutted me right there. As normal as it was to finally make it into the bed, to kiss softly and say goodnight and then both decide we needed each other once more, with me riding him until my thighs burned and I forgot to breathe through the orgasm that struck like lightning.

Khell slept through me sliding his arm aside and rising from the bed. I wasn't falling back asleep, and I wanted to take advantage of this new version of my normal. I snuck out of my bedroom, cleaned up briefly in the bathroom and grabbed a robe, and then tiptoed up the spiral staircase to my studio.

My studio had been the main subject of my blog for the last week, as I slowly worked on a mural over the walls. I was painting the subject of my recent work, the enchanted woods, on the sloping domed walls of the room, from the dark shady corners around to the bright sunlit glades.

I filled up my palette with bright tones and wheeled my cart of water jars and towels and fine-tipped brushes over to a tree laden so full of strange birds that the branches sagged toward my floor. I'd worked out the rough base of colors for this section of wall already, but I'd been looking forward to the challenge of details—tiny golden beaks and iridescent feathers and blood tipped claws. Having actually gotten some decent rest meant I could enjoy my work this morning instead of using it as a survival method.

I worked in silence, trying to bring the beautifully jeweled and ferocious little creatures of my imagination to life on the wall. I'd done a great deal of work before I heard Khell’s heavy footsteps from the floor below.

"Sunny?"

The sun was rising out the window, just a soft glow in the sky, and I turned my head toward the stairs. "Up here. I can come down."

"No, I want to explore," Khell answered.

I stared speculatively at the small opening. "Will you fit?"

There was a grunt from below, and a creak from the stairs, but Khell's head appeared a moment later, his glowing eyes glaring at me. "Are you teasing me?"

"Am I allowed?" I asked back, definitely teasing now.

Khell grinned. "Yes. I like it."