Atlas especially liked my avatars, the ones that looked most like me. The curvier ones with the same hairstyle as mine, short booty skirts and high boot outfits. The graphics in this game were so good, you could even see my chest heaving up and down. Yup, boobies boobaling for sure.
Then I heard the squish of his stress ball squishing over and over.
“Since I bored you with what I do…” I turned my chair around and gazed up at him. “What are the things you like to do?”
Atlas avoided looking at me, but I reached for his empty hand. I realized I was probably holding just two of his fingers, even though whatever made him appear human made it look like I was holding his full hand.
“I chop down trees.” He tilted his head and scratched his chin with his free hand. “And bring them to Lucien when he wants them. Sometimes I help carve them when needed, especially when it is a harder wood.”
I hummed. “Anything else you do, anything for fun?” I stood up so he wouldn’t have to bend over so much.
Did he have a heartbeat? I pressed my hand to his chest to test, and didn’t feel a thing.
Hmm.
Atlas shivered under my touch. “I-I like…” he stuttered, and the stress ball was being squeezed and squished more rapidly.
I felt around his chest more to see if it was in a different spot, but I still couldn’t find it. Are Mothmen actually dead?
I went to pull my hands away, but Atlas stopped me. “No, keep going. It feels nice.”
Don’t have to tell me twice.
I used both of my hands to feel around. Atlas was having a time figuring out what to say, so why not? I felt around the upper chest, down to his middle, and when I got to his hips, I noticed they went backward. The human manifestation of him showed his hips and legs going down, but where I felt him, he went backward slightly.
Ohhhh, abdomen. Insects have an abdomen. His heart is probably in there. In his butt. Haha, he had a heart in his butt.
Atlas let out a sound like a teakettle hitting its boil, and I jumped back. A wet smack followed as something hit my desk. The stress ball had burst apart, spraying silver glitter-flecked goo across the desk.
Whoops.
“I’m so sorry!” I gasped. “Asking to touch you like that is something I should have done. I was just admiring your physique. That was rude of me!” I blushed, realizing what I had done. I was groping the man—Mothman, and he didn’t tell me to stop. “You must tell me when you are uncomfortable!”
I felt my face turn bright red. I covered my face in embarrassment, but the gentle tug of Atlas’ hand on my wrist stopped me.
While Atlas took wheezing breaths in and out, he said, “No, do not be sorry. I… enjoyed it.”
A chuckle came from the doorway. Lucien was leaning on the frame, picking at his nails. “Trust me, I know I did.”
Oh, gods!
Chapter Seven
Atlas
Hissing, I yanked my finger away from the iron and sucked on the burn. The sting faded after a moment, and I repositioned my shirt on the ironing board before resuming my careful pressing.
Tonight was the night I would meet Kassie in my true form. Nervous was an understatement, and I wasn’t sure how she would take it.
Kassie would think it was a costume, a well-done costume that several others would be wearing. I would be different and continue to wear my work clothes over my true form just so shecould pick me out of the crowd. Mothmen looked so similar, except for my height and larger build.
Still, I couldn't risk Kassie mistaking another Mothman for me. The thought of her chatting with someone else made my wings twitch beneath my clothes. This strange territorial feeling had crept into my chest lately; something primal I couldn't explain even to myself.
She can’t really be yours. There wasn’t any way.
Since Hollow didn’t bring her to town, no one could possibly be meant for her. All the humans brought here have a possible match, brought in by Hollow, except for Kassie.
The human who intrigues me the most isthathuman.
