Sam finished dinner and added his plate to the sink. “That was good. Really good.”

  Turning, he found Eski beaming.

  “Thank you!” she chirped.

  Smiling, Sam stretched his arms above his head and yawned. “Nearly done for the night.”

  “Done?” Eski asked.

  “Still need to finish scrubbing the shower and polishing the tiles. Oh, and I have to clean the sink and toilet, and the mirror.” Tapping his chin, Sam started to think. “I still have to clean my room as well.”

  Eski’s mouth fell open. “Isn’t it bed time?”

  Waving her off, Sam started walking towards the bathroom. “Psshh. I don’t have a bedtime you know.”

  Eski moved to the sink, depositing her plate. “At least let me help.”

  “No!” Sam snapped. Wincing, he calmed himself. “I mean no.”

  Eski took a step back. “Why not?”

  Sam shifted on his feet awkwardly. “I don’t trust you to do it.”

  Eski scoffed. “I’m cleaning your room!”

  Sam shook his head. “Please don’t. Can’t you clean your room and leave mine alone?”

  Narrowing her eyes, Eski glared at him. “I’m not going to sit here while you do all the cleaning.”

  “Make snacks for tomorrow,” Sam suggested with a shrug. “Maybe you’ll unlock your profession.”

  Closing her eyes, Eski said, “Fine, but we are not done talking about this.”

  Sam stepped away before they could continue their conversation. Closing the bathroom door behind him, he opened the cleaning cupboard and pulled out his supplies. And just in case she thought to bother him, he locked the door.

  Stepping back into the shower, he started spraying down the tiles once again. The soft scrubbing foam tore apart the miniscule spots that were starting to form.

  “I shouldn’t have waited so many days before cleaning,” he mumbled to himself.

  Using his brush, he vigorously scoured the tiles. “With two of us, I’m going to have to clean twice as hard.”

  It only took a few minutes to finish the tiles before he worked on the tub itself. “I’m going to need a bigger shower for her to fit in here properly. Her tail is going to be a problem with the toilet as well…”

  Glancing over at the toilet he pursed his lips. “Am I denying her bathroom breaks right now? Does she need to go?”

  Shrugging, he continued to clean the tub.

  Once he was finished with the tub, he cleaned the shower head, letting it soak in cleaner before wiping it down. After all of that was done, it was time to apply the polish that would make his bathroom sparkle.

  Grabbing a new towel, he got started. “I wonder what she’s making. Or did she really sneak off to my bedroom?”

  Frowning, he glanced towards the door. “No, she wouldn’t do that. Would she?”

  It took a few minutes to polish the room, but when he was done, it looked amazing. “Why was she all over me today? My body certainly reacted. Am I still in puberty?”

  Looking down at his waist, he felt himself twitch over the thought of Eski being so close again.

  “Do I like her? Do I even know what it feels like to like someone? I’m so confused…”

  Sighing, Sam moved onto the toilet and sink. Lastly, he polished the mirror and stared at his reflection.

  “What does she see in me? Martha didn’t explain anything like this could happen. She did teach me about how people reproduced, and I understand how people can have feelings for one another, but I’ve never been able to feel that.”

  Resting his hands on the sink, Sam shook his head. “I’m confused. She was practically sitting in my lap. Is that normal for just meeting someone? Should I ask her?”

  Putting away his supplies, he looked around the bathroom one last time. “Clean at last.”

  Taking off his gloves, he chucked them into the garbage. Using a paper towel, he opened the door and slipped out.

  “Did you just open the door with a paper towel?” Eski asked as she stopped cooking.

  Sam nodded. “I didn’t want to dirty the handle.”

  Eski groaned and ran a hand down her face. “You’re going to be more work than I thought.”

  Sam tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

  Eski turned back to her cooking. The smell of chocolate was in the air and several drops were already on parchment paper next to her.

  “Candy is bad for the body,” Sam stated.

  Eski turned back to him with a growl. “Don’t you dare try to deny me this. And you are going to enjoy them too, even if I have to shove them down your throat.”

  Eyes widening, Sam inched away, paper towel still in his hand.

  “Leaving me already?” Eski asked.

  Sam nodded and quickly darted into his room.

  “She’s aggressive,” he mumbled. “Maybe I need aggressive…”

  Scanning his room, Sam contemplated where to start. “To the bed!”

  Pulling off his comforter, he started straightening out his sheets before tucking them under the mattress in an organized fashion. He did the same thing once he put the comforter back on.

  Fluffing his pillows, he turned down the blanket and sheet before carefully placing the pillows down.

  Stepping back, he smiled. “That will be cozy.”

  Moving to his bedroom’s cleaning closet, he took out his broom and dustpan and got to work. The few days of living in here had built up enough dust that Sam was uncomfortable.

  Before finishing the floors, he dusted the walls, paying extra close attention to the corners of the room. He even went as far as wiping down his stands and lamps with sanitation wipes. All that was left was moping.

  Filling his bucket, he heard a knock on his door.

  “Come in!” he called out.

  Eski peaked her head in. “I’m going to bed. I haven’t slept in what felt like years, so I might not wake for a while.”

  Sam tried to give her a reassuring smile. He even went as far as softening his expression. “Goodnight, Eski. I’ll try to have breakfast ready for you in the morning.”

  “Maybe I won’t sleep that long,” she deadpanned.

  Sam scoffed. Moving to the back of his room, he started moping. When two arms wrapped around his stomach, he froze.

  “What are you doing?” Sam asked softly.

  “I’m giving you a goodnight hug,” Eski whispered.

  A single tear dripped from Sam’s eye before he sniffled.

  Eski squeezed him tighter before letting him go. “I can stay awake a little longer if you need me to.”

  Sam shook his head. When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He didn’t turn as Eski left the room. Instead, he sniffled a few more times before swallowing the mucus that was building up in his mouth.

  Disgusted, he quickly moved to his cleaning closet and grabbed some paper towel to blow his nose.

  “What is wrong with me?” he asked himself.

  He no longer felt like cleaning, but he had already made up the mop bucket, so he needed to finish.

  Closing his eyes, he touched his stomach where Eski had held him. He wanted to feel her hands again. They were soft, and her body felt perfect against his back. Maybe she would give him a hug every night.

  “I can hope, right?”

  ***

  Eski startled awake as she heard screaming. The sheer terror in the voice made her spring from bed and drop into a fighting stance.

  “Sam?” she asked more to herself than anything.

  Her room brightened to a dim light, and she quickly moved through the house. She didn’t knock on Sam’s door, and instead walked in as she listened to him scream.

  She found him tossing and turning in bed while tears streamed down his face. His immaculate bedspread was disheveled and tossed mostly onto the floor.

  Eski’s heart ached at seeing Sam in the throes of a nightmare. “What happened to you in your past, Sam?” she asked softly.

  Moving across the room, she grabbed the blankets and slid into bed with him. Wrapped her arms around the man, she pulled him into her chest and started running a hand through his hair.

  “It’s alright. I have you. I have you, Sam,” she whispered soothingly.

  Slowly Sam started to calm down. Sniffling in his sleep, he whimpered and pressed into her.

  His body shook, and she continued to rub his head as gently as she could. That’s when she felt her own tears rolling down her cheeks. Pressing her face into his back, she sniffled as well.

  “I don’t know how to help him,” she thought to herself. “Is this really all I can do?”

  Closing her eyes, she focused on Sam as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  Eski woke as the light in the room brightened. Her eyes fluttered a few times before she felt a warm breath on her face.

  Opening one eye, she found Sam face to face with her, their noses touching. His arms were wrapped around her, and his eyes were open, but glazed over as if he hadn’t fully woken up.

  Scooting up the bed, she pulled Sam into her chest and started running her fingers through his hair again. It only took a moment to feel her shirt start to grow damp.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “Shh…” Eski whispered over and over. “You’re not alone any longer.”

  “He hasn’t been comforted in years. He hasn’t even been held,” Eski’s thoughts were filled with sadness. “At least I felt the joy of bonding with someone before I was sent to the void.”

  “Sam?” Eski asked in a whisper.

  Sam pushed his face into her chest. “Yes?”

  “Did you want to talk about it?”

  “No,” he mumbled.

  “When you do, I’ll listen.” Pulling away, she looked down at his red rimmed eyes and the drying tears. “Let’s make breakfast, and I can tell you about my class.”

  Sam nodded, clearly glad for the change of subject.

  He slid out of bed first and quickly wrapped the blanket around his waist.

  Eski giggled. “I’ve seen a man’s problem before. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “There isn’t?” Sam asked while pulling the blanket tighter around himself.

  Eski shook her head. “There isn’t.” Sliding out of bed, she stretched her arms above her head and moved to his closet. Pulling out a new shirt, she stripped where she was. A gasp came from behind her.

  “This is a first for you, isn’t it?” she asked. Looking over her shoulder, she watched Sam nod.

  Instead of saying anything, he stepped up next to her with no blanket and pulled out a clean shirt as well. When he pulled off his shirt, Eski’s eyes widened and she nearly dropped her new shirt.

  Mouth agape, she looked over his scars. Three long claw marks were down his back, the scars raised and jagged. A newer scar was on his side and chest that must have come from his tutorial dungeon.

  Reaching out, she touched the claw marks, making Sam shiver.

  “Please don’t,” Sam whispered.

  Eski pulled away. “Sam…”

  Slipping on his shirt, he started walking away. “We have breakfast to make.”

  Closing her eyes, she slipped on her shirt as well. “He’s running from something.” Thinking to herself, she added, “Someday I’ll tell him about the void, but he clearly has trauma from when he was eight. What happened to his world? Chaos shouldn’t have been able to destroy it before people were added to domains and fought in the dungeons.”

  Patting her cheeks, she opened her eyes and followed Sam. She didn’t trust him to cook, and she knew if she didn’t hurry, he was going to pour a bowl of that awful cereal.

  Closing his bedroom door behind her, she found him with the box of pure sugar in his hands. “Stop! Don’t you dare!” she growled.

  “What’s wrong with cereal?” Sam asked.

  “Set. It. Down!”

  Jumping, Sam quickly set it down.

  Letting out a relieved sigh, Eski hurried over to the kitchen. Grabbing Sam’s hand, she pushed him towards his computer. “Sit down while I cook.”

  Sam nodded. “She’s bossy,” he whispered.

  Eski glared at him. “What was that?”

  “Nothing!” Sam said before pulling his chair up to his desk. “I’m just checking the news.”

  Eski frowned, but started pulling out eggs, bacon, sausage, and bread. She also wanted to make pancakes, but she forgot to buy what she needed. Another grocery list was in order.

  “Domains: 87, and 1990 were destroyed,” Sam read off.

  Eski turned to him slowly. “You can tell which domains have fallen?”

  Sam nodded. “The news reports to me daily which ones have been defeated.”

  Eski watched as he closed down the first screen and pulled up a picturesque view of a city in ruins. He panned from image to image, showing her skeletons, and destruction unlike anything she had seen before.

  Swallowing hard, she realized that she was staring at his world, or at least what was left of it. She didn’t know when she had covered her mouth, nor when the first tear came unbidden to her eyes.

  With trembling hands, she turned away. Focusing on opening the bacon and sausage, she took a few calming breaths and did what she could to make his morning better.

  ***

  Sam pulled up the market and started looking over bathroom designs. He added the filter for dragonkin and was baffled by what he found.

  “Ten thousand Dux for a bathroom?” he mumbled to himself.

  “What was that?” Eski asked.

  “Nothing,” Sam quickly said.

  Dragging the blueprint to his overview of his domain, he fit it in place to replace his current bathroom. He couldn’t buy it yet, but he could save it.

  “What should we add onto the domain?” Sam asked.

  Eski didn’t answer right away. The smell of frying bacon and popping of grease filled the air and a few drops even landed on Sam’s arm.

  “We need a dedicated kitchen,” Eski grumbled. “I’d also like a training room so you and I can practice. Also a dining table would be nice. We should also expand this room so that we can add a functional couch and maybe something to entertain ourselves.”

  Sam whistled. “We are going to need money for all of that.”

  “You just sold the mana crystals for twenty-five hundred Dux an ounce. You have money. You made sixty thousand off the sale of those crystals alone.”

  “Oh yeah…” Sam trailed off. Glancing through the market, he found a dedicated kitchen for twenty thousand Dux, and he also found a living room that came with a tv and library. Comfortable chairs and couches were included, alongside a membership for Earth streaming services.

  “I’ll be spending fifty thousand for a few things,” Sam announced.

  Eski growled. “Of course you can just throw fifty thousand around right after finishing a tutorial dungeon.”

  Sam shrugged. “We’ll make more, so it’s not like we’ll have to wait long before we add the training room and smithy.”

  Eski’s growl deepened. “You have no sense of how despairing that is to me. It took me until tier two before I could buy enough rooms to be happy.”

  “Are you still tier two?” Sam asked just as he hit purchase.

  The domain shook, but only the bathroom door changed.

  “What about the kitchen and living room?” Sam asked with a frown.

  Eski laughed. “You can’t change a room that you are currently in, and I’m not changing the kitchen until we finish eating.”

  Grumbling, Sam looked at his account and found that he still had plenty left if needed. And soon he was going to go back into the dungeon to earn more.

  Rubbing his hands together, he felt himself growing excited. Just thinking about the dungeon made him move over to the portal.

  Touching the swirling blue and green substance, he waited for the message to appear.

  Dungeon configuring.

  Time remaining: Two hours.

  Sam frowned. “Umm, Eski?”

  “Yes, Sam?”

  “We only have two hours before the next dungeon is ready.”

  Eski moved to his side and touched the portal. “This isn’t right… We should have at least three days between portals.”

  Touching the portal again, Sam received the same message. “Good thing I could afford a weapon for you. But, umm, we are going to need armor.”

  Eski nodded. “Get me a full set of leather armor like yours. It’ll mold itself to my body when I put it on.”

  “Will do!” Sam chirped before heading back to his computer.

  While he shopped, Eski plated breakfast for them and sat on the edge of his chair once again. He savored her leg brushing against his arm as he added a full set of armor to his cart.

  Once he hit purchase, Eski forced a plate of food into his hands. “Let’s eat,” she said while glancing back at the portal.

  ***

  Sam forced Eski out of the living room after they dropped off their plates. Once they closed the door of his bedroom, she smiled at him and took his hands.

  “I didn’t think you would want to push me into a bedroom this soon,” she said with a husky tone.

  Sam gulped. “I just wanted the living room to change…”

  Eski giggled. “The expression on your face is perfect.”

  The domain shook as it reconfigured. Still giggling, Eski pulled him out of the bedroom and stopped just inside the new living room. “Sam…”

  Sam marveled at the new set up. A couch large enough for five people was near the middle and faced them. Their bedroom doors had been moved to the corners of the room, and a large tv was between them. The size of the room was nearly three times bigger than his previous living quarters.

  A small library with five bookshelves was in the corner with two plush chairs and small end tables. The couch likewise had end tables, and a large coffee table before it. Carpet covered the entire floor, allowing Sam to curl his toes in wonderful softness.

  “It cleans itself,” Sam announced.

  “No way!” Eski gasped. “You’re still going to clean it though, aren’t you?”

  “Yes…” Sam said sheepishly.

  The portal still took up the same wall, but now it had space on either side of it to rest their gear against.

  A large arched entryway was across from them, revealing the beginning of the kitchen. As for the bathroom, it was in the corner on the same wall as the portal.

  Eski took his hand and dragged him towards the kitchen. She had a skip to her step that definitely wasn’t there before. Her tail swayed, brushing against his legs; the scales catching on his pants.

  Sam smiled. “I bought it with you in mind,” he stated as they entered the kitchen.

  Eski squealed in delight. “It has everything! There’s a table!”

  Sam laughed. He did indeed make sure there was a dining table that could fit four. With a larger fridge, an island for prep, and several appliances and storage space, Eski wouldn’t want for anything.

  “How much did you spend on this?” Eski asked.

  “Twenty thousand on the kitchen and living room. Ten thousand on the bathroom.”

  Eski paused, her eyes wide. “What was wrong with our bathroom?”

  Rubbing the back of his neck, Sam couldn’t bring himself to look Eski in the face. “I was worried about your tail…”

  Eski threw her arms around his neck, pushing his hand away. Pressing her face against his chest, she whispered, “Thank you.”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her tight against himself. “You’re welcome. I like to see you smile,” he admitted in no more than the barest whisper.

  Eski looked up at him and kissed his chin, startling him into letting her go.

  Giggling, she skipped into the kitchen. “We are definitely going to have to buy more groceries. I’ll help you make the list.”

  “After our dungeon run,” Sam stated.

  Eski grinned and threw herself into him again. “I know I’ve been difficult about money but thank you!”

  Grinning, Sam felt his eyes crinkle in happiness. “You’re welcome. You deserve happiness.”

  Eski frowned as she looked up at him. “What makes you say that?”

  Sam paused, unsure of why he said it. “Just a feeling. I like when you smile. Y-you’re pretty when you smile,” he stammered.

  Giggling, Eski pressed her face into his chest again. “I need to tell you about my class still.”

  “You do,” Sam agreed.

  Taking his hand, Eski pulled him towards the couch. Pushing him down, she claimed his lap while shifting her tail to the side to get comfortable.

  She definitely noticed the growing problem below his waist. She seemed to ignore it.

  “Like I said,” she began. “I’m an Iron Guard. I focus on strength and dexterity, and put extra points into recovery and strength. My goal is to get my strength to twenty as soon as possible.”

  Sam shifted uncomfortably, causing a noticeable pleasure to run through him. “And your skills?” He hoped to distract himself.

  “I’ll send you their description.”

  A moment later a message appeared before him. Somehow shimmering on Eski’s back.

  Aura of Retaliation-All enemies within fifteen yards are taunted on a low level. You become the focus of their ire, but they can switch targets if provoked. Your aura also gains a thorns effect that returns twenty percent of the damage dealt to you.

  Power Strike-Charge up your weapon with energy to strike with a powerful hit. The extra damage is proportional to the energy put into the attack.

  Sam whistled. “Those are some powerful skills. The aura is passive and always active?”

  Eski nodded. “Yes. It’s one of my most helpful skills. As long as you let me keep their focus, you won’t have to worry about taking damage. I’m very good with my shield.”

  “And Power Strike?” Sam asked.

  “I can crush most enemies in a single hit with it, but the energy cost is massive. I don’t use it often.”

  Sam nodded in understanding before patting Eski’s hips. “Can you get off…”

  “Am I that heavy,” she huffed.

  “No, I just…” Sam trailed off as he twitched against her.

  Eski giggled. “I’m going to stay right here.” Shifting her hips, she caused his problem to worsen. “Now, when I fight, I have to stand at the front. I can use swords, daggers, maces, flails, and many other weapons. I prefer the mace. The quality you got me will work for now, but it won’t last long unless we get a smithy to repair it. I want that to be your next purchase. The sooner you can make gear for us, the better. Also, bars of metals sell for more than raw ore and with the purity of your finds, you can make a lot of bars.”

  Sam sighed and gave up on trying to move the dragonkin. Instead, he found that he was starting to enjoy her sitting on him. It was a new experience, but he wasn’t sure if his heart could take it for much longer.

  “The portal will be ready soon,” Eski said, changing subjects. “It’ll be best if I can show you my fighting style and you show me yours.”

  “I don’t have a fighting style,” Sam mumbled.

  “Sure you do!” Eski chirped. “Even if you stumble a lot, I’ll help you learn as you go. You obviously use the pick as your weapon, and that describes a lot about you.”

  “It does?” Sam questioned.

  “Yes, but I want to see you mining in person. You don’t have a combative class, and also we should use our SP.”

  “We have SP already?”

  Eski sighed. “You earned SP for the tutorial dungeon. How many monsters did you kill.”

  Sam thought back on the dungeon and did quick math. “Nineteen goblins and the boss.”

  Eski whistled. “Quite the full dungeon for your tutorial.” Finally scooting off him, she turned to look at him. “You have twenty-nine SP. I would suggest leveling us up three times before saving the points for your new skill. When you level, I automatically level with you. We’ll also need a new skill, and those will be one hundred points each.”

  Sam nodded, following along. “How do I level up?”

  Eski opened her mouth to respond before sighing. When her shoulders slumped, he felt like he asked the wrong question.

  “It’s simple,” Eski said after a moment. “Pull up your character sheet, and think about spending your SP to level up. It’s all mental.”

  Sam followed her instructions and received a new message.

  Level up: Yes/No

  He thought, “Yes.”

  Another new message popped up.

  You can level up three times. How many levels would you like to gain?

  “Three.”

  A burst of strength filled his body and then his character sheet changed.

  Samuel Tinner

  Class: Miner

  Tier 1

  Level: 4

  Strength: 9

  Dexterity: 9

  Recovery: 9

  Free Points: 6

  Skills: Miner’s Intuition, Darkvision

  He had gained six points in strength, six in recovery. Adding all of his free points to dexterity, he tried to balance it out.

  His muscles coursed with power and when he flexed his arm, he laughed. “I feel great!”

  Eski giggled. “You should. But we really need to work on adding muscle to your physique.”

  Frowning, Sam looked at his skinny arm. “I’m not that bad…”

  “Sam, Honey, you are,” Eski said while patting his hand. “But we’ll bulk you up. Good food, training, and fighting will help.”

  Sulking, Sam’s shoulders slumped, and he lowered his arm. Dejected, he started moving towards his armor, which had moved itself next to the portal.

  “Sam…” Eski said softly.

  Ignoring her, he started to get ready for the appearance of the portal. They didn’t have much time before they could begin making more money.

  ***

  Eski watched Sam walk away and her heart ached. She shouldn’t have said anything about him being skinny.

  “He’s fragile right now,” she reminded herself. “I don’t know what it is about him, but I want to help him. I won’t give him space, and I’ll work on his confidence. To start, I’ll toughen him up. He’ll feel better about himself if he has the body to go with the strength he is feeling.”

  Moving over to his side, she started equipping her armor as well. When he hung a lantern from his belt, she smiled.

  “That looks special,” she said.

  Sam shrugged. “It helps in the dark before I got my Darkvision. It’ll also show mining nodes. I figured if you are with, I should carry it still.”

  Reaching out, she touched his arm. “Thank you, Sam. I mean it.”

  He returned her smile, and her heart beat a little faster. “I-I like your smile,” he whispered.

  Eski’s tail started to sway, giving away her happiness. “Damn you for moving on your own.”

  She could control her tail if she wanted to, but it was like breathing. It did its own thing unless she focused on it.

  Her armor formed to fit her build as she equipped piece by piece. Once she was ready, she put her hand to the portal. Sam copied her a moment later.

  “This will be interesting,” Eski said with a wince. “God, I hate this kind of dungeon…”