Message-ID: <53599asstr$1145412604@assm.asstr.org>
From: Shalon Wood <dstar@pele.cx>
Subject: {ASSM} Pandora's Box 15 (Mf Mff MMf rom ws exhib bdsm)
Lines: 441
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 22:10:04 -0400
Path: assm.asstr.org!not-for-mail
Approved: <assm@asstr.org>
Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d

Standard disclaimers apply; this story may or may not contain, in any
given part, graphic depictions of lesbianism, homosexuality, group sex,
bdsm, underage (teen) sex, magic, occultism, violence, and biting 
sarcasm.  If you're underage, or if for any other reason it's illegal 
for you to read this, or you're disturbed by the content, please don't 
read it.

Archived at http://pandora.pele.cx, and we've got a web-forum at
http://playground.pele.cx/forums as well, for discussion of both
Pandora and our other stories. 

Comments *greatly* appreciated.

Enjoy,

Velvet
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Tandi jumped to her feet, glaring at him. "How _dare_ you! What right do
you have to accuse her of something like that?! Isn't it bad enough that
you scarred her; do you want to get her arrested, too?"

Gabriel sighed, looking at Tandi. "Look. Maybe it's because I never had a
family. Maybe it's because I'm... what I am. I don't know. But the whole
taboo never really stuck. I know a lot of people would have a problem with
it, but I don't. I just.... " He spread his hands helplessly. "I want her
to be happy."

Tandi looked at Pandora where she was scrunched up miserably on Gabriel's
lap. "Well, do you think you're doing a very good job of it?" she snapped.

"In the long term, yes." He looked down at Pandora. "Honey... look at me."

Reluctantly, slowly, she turned her eyes up to meet his.

"It's okay," he said softly. "It really is."

She shuddered, hiding her face against him again. "I... I don't know what
to say."

Gabriel stroked her hair. "Honey... it's okay. I promise. I'm not upset.
Not at all."

"I... we didn't... n-nobody was hurt."

"It was my idea, not hers," Tandi interjected. "I pestered her until she
gave in. She's _totally_ innocent."

"Guys... you're acting like you did something wrong," he said.

Even Tandi looked down, awkwardly silent.

"I don't think you did. Nobody got hurt, so I don't see any reason it would
be wrong." He paused. "Guys, look at me, please?"

Pandora did so, though reluctantly. Tandi shot him a quick, guilty glance,
then looked back at her feet.

"Tandi, please?" he asked.

She sighed, then tilted her chin up with a defiant glare.

"I really don't think you did anything wrong. I don't have a problem with
it. It's _okay_," he said.

Tandi sighed again, relaxing slightly. "Well... she was right, anyway. It
didn't do anything for her that a vibrator couldn't have done. So there's
no point in talking about it."

Pandora shook her head. "You make it sound like it was _bad_. It wasn't,
honey. It was still nice. It just... wasn't _enough_. It... just made me
want a guy _more_. I'm sorry."

Gabriel nodded, slowly. "Just like Lissa, but the other way around."

Pandora nodded. "A lot like that, yeah."

"She's really smart. And she did have a year and a half to think about it,"
he said.

Tandi said, "Leave her alone about it. Just... drop it. It's not a big
deal. It would have been... nice." She sighed. "I mean, wait until you see
her dance... and it was, well, _safe_. For both of us. It seemed like a
pretty good solution. It just didn't work."

Gabriel didn't move his eyes from Pandora, waiting for her response.

"I.... " Pandora shakes her head. "It wouldn't be safe. Not that way."

He shook his head. "No worse than things already are, love."

"No. You and me... that's normal. You'd get some sympathy, and if you were
willing to marry me, it wouldn't be that big a deal. Tandi's 13. And my
sister. And they'd assume you made me."

Gabriel shook his head again. "You're only fifteen. I'm screwed no matter
what. If you were sixteen, yeah, it might make a difference, but not at
fifteen."

"But I'll be sixteen soon. She won't be sixteen for years."

"Once we're married, people won't think anything about her coming over to
visit you, or even spend the night. And until then, I'm screwed."

"Right. Time for the iron poker." Tandi glared at him pointedly. "You're a
pushy sort, aren't you?"

Gabriel looked at Tandi and smiled. "Have you heard her say she doesn't
_want_ to?"

"Well maybe _I_ don't want to, you think of that?"

He cocked one eyebrow. "No. Because it's not true." He smiled crookedly.
"You might not be interested in doing anything with _me_, but you
definitely want to with _her_."

"So does anyone of the appropriate orientation who's ever seen her. So?
That doesn't mean I want to be anyone's second place."

"If you were bonded to him, like me," Pandora said quietly, "You would be
just as important. Not second place."

Gabriel's eyes widened, but he didn't speak.

Tandi shook her head firmly. "_No_ way. Even if it were him I wanted, I
wouldn't do that. That's closer than I'm willing to get with _anybody_,
thanks. But it's not him. I mean, yeah... he's pretty enough to be a girl.
And there's the pull that he has. It might would be fun. A nice first time.
But I wouldn't want to be _stuck_ with him."

"But... it's so... you'd feel differently, if you did it."

Tandi nodded. "I _know_. That's why I won't do it. Ever."

Gabriel said, softly, "It's not _me_ she wants, love." He looked at Tandi.
"Are you sure? What if you had the chance to do it with Pandora?"

Tandi sighed and shook her head sadly. "No. Not even then. I love her
dearly, but... that's too much."

He looked thoughtful. "Too much what?"

She shrugged. "Too intimate. Too close. Too much... dependency."

"But there's just as much support as dependency." He shook his head. "It's
your decision, but... make sure you realize what you'd be losing. It's not
just the... the emotions."

"I know. Dora's.... stronger than she was. That's easy enough to see. But
the idea of not being able to live without somebody, _anybody_, that's
just... creepy."

Pandora said quietly, "Tandi's very... independent. I understand."

Gabriel nodded, slowly. "I guess so. But... Tandi, what makes you think
you'd be second place?"

"Because of the bond, and because she doesn't _want_ women. She might have
fun, yeah, but that's all."

Gabriel shook his head. "Sexually, you couldn't satisfy her alone. The
rest.... well, yeah. The bond might be a factor. But if you really think
that the fact that she's not gay would stop her from loving you, you owe
her an apology."

"Don't be silly. I know she loves me. I never doubted _that_. And I'm not
saying I'd turn her down, either, if she wanted to try again. But it'd have
to be on a 'just for fun' basis, because that's really all she has to offer
a female, and that's cool with me, I love her no matter what, " Tandi said.

Gabriel shook his head violently. "No, it is _not_!"

Pandora looked up at him, startled. "Gabriel? Honey, what's wrong? It's her
choice, you know.... "

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get mad, it's just...
you're saying that all Lissa had to offer me was 'just fun'. And that's not
true. Not at all."

"Oh love... that's not what she meant at all." She looked over at Tandi.
"Right?"

Tandi shrugged. "Can't speak for anyone but me. However, I meant, _in
addition to_ what she already gives me... what we give each other and
always will. And that's a lot."

Gabriel asked her, quietly, "What wouldn't she be able to give you?"

"Her full attention and the number one spot in her heart. I'm a greedy
bitch... I want it all, or I want the option to find it somewhere else."

Gabriel was silent for several seconds. "I don't think that's possible.
But... if she was willing, I'd be willing to _share_ that number one spot,
and her attention. Because I want her to be happy." He shook his head. "No,
I want her to be _fulfilled_. And I don't think she could be without you."
He looked up at Tandi. "I don't think she can be _whole_ without you."

"I'm not going to abandon her, just because I don't like what she's...
chosen. We look out for each other. We always will, no matter what that
means, what it takes. If you knew what this fucked up family was like...
well, you'd understand."

Gabriel held up a finger. "Just a second." He leaned down and whispered in
Pandora's ear. "What do _you_ want? If you don't want her like that, that's
fine... but if you _do_, then I want you do have what you want, if it's
possible. But... if not, she deserves to know that. And if so, she deserves
to know _that_, too."

"I... I don't know. It might would make it easier on me, help me learn not
to be so jealous, because I can't be jealous of my _sister_. And I feel
bad, because... I wanted it to work. I know that's... strange. But it was
always just us. We couldn't trust anyone else."

He nodded. "You're in the same position Lissa was, with the same problem.
Only the sexes are reversed."

She hesitated before answering. "No. Not really. You don't lose a sister
just because you don't want to have sex with her. Most people, it'd be the
other way around, even. And we love each other, but it's not the same. And
it's not going to change even if I say 'no'. I haven't _got_ anything to
lose, because I already have you. But I really don't understand how you can
even offer when you nearly broke that pizza-guy's neck just for looking at
me... unless you want two women _that_ badly."

Gabriel shook his head. "If I was doing it because I wanted two women, I'd
do it with someone more developed. That's not it." He hesitated. "I don't
know. In a way I _do_ want her... there's something about her that just...
but it's not her body. What I want... what I _need_ is for you to be happy.
This... there's no way this could damage what we have," he said quietly.
"You know that. So... if you want to add her to our marriage, it's okay. If
not, that's okay, as long as you're getting what you need."

"I... don't know that I agree with you. That it couldn't damage us. I'm not
sure; it's all too _new_ for me to know."

"She's probably the only person who _wouldn't_ be a threat. Or if she is,
she is whether we do this or not." His voice was quiet, barely audible. "So
I don't see any real danger."

She bit her lip, hard, and when she answered him, her voice was just barely
audible... really, he shouldn't have even been able to hear her.  "She
doesn't like men because our dad's a jerk, and other than that she's only
seen the men who always tried to push themselves on me; she never gave one
a chance. I don't think I'd be willing to share... not on a permanent
basis... but I wouldn't mind, um, experimenting, especially if it meant she
could learn that not all guys are assholes. She might be the _only_ one...
other than your wife, of course... who I wouldn't mind you being with."

"But what if she decides she wants it to be permanent?" His lips were right
next to her ear, and his words were still barely audible.

"I don't think she would. And I _know_ she wouldn't unless I wanted it,
too, in which case, there wouldn't be a problem."

Gabriel shook his head. "She might not say it, but she might. What then?
And... I'm not sure you're understanding what I'm suggesting. I'm not
suggesting that she and I get together except as a... secondary sort of
thing. I'm talking about you and her being together. There's a very good
chance of her wanting that to be permanent, if it works."

"Being together... maybe. But not as... well, as _all_ she has. She might
insist any partner she takes understands about 'us', and won't stop her,
but... she wants what I have, except for the bond, and I want her to have
that, too."

"Is half the attention of two people less than all the attention of one?
The same? More?" he asked.

"Different."

He nodded. "Different better? Different worse? What if she decides she
likes it better, and doesn't want to settle for less? What if half of you,
and half of me, and my... whatever it is... is something she finds she
wants more than all of someone else? What if she doesn't want to give up
your dancing?"

"I... don't know. I guess... it's a bad idea, then?" she asked him.

Gabriel shook his head. "I didn't say that. But you need to think about
that before you decide. Could you live with having your sister live with
us?"

"I... don't know? I think so. Maybe. But... it'd _still_ be dangerous for
longer."

"It'd only be dangerous for the next four years, and like I said, once
we're married, people won't think twice."

"Mainly... I'm worried it wouldn't be fair to _her_, really. Bad enough to
disappoint her like that once, but twice?" she asked.

"There's that. On the other hand, if she _is_ bi, would one person be
enough for her?" he asked.

"It depends on if she's bi like I'm bi... it's not that I don't like girls
okay, but it's not that big of a thing for me. It's nice, but it's not what
I need."

Gabriel nodded. "True. But she doesn't know what she likes, yet. What if
she needed both?"

"Then that's her choice, and really not relevant, I don't think. I wanted a
guy, but not just _any_ guy would do. Maybe she will want two people, but
that doesn't mean we'd be the right two."

"But what if we are?" He looked at her soberly. "Would you be okay with
that?"

"If we are... we _wouldn't_ be unless everybody _was_ okay with it. I don't
think anybody could be happy in that situation unless everybody was."

"That doesn't really answer the question, though," he said.

"How can I _know_? I haven't had any more time to think about that than she
has."

He nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just... I want you to have
everything you need. And if that means her, then that's okay."

"That doesn't really tell me what you think about the situation," she said.
"What your opinion would be if mine weren't there at all."

Gabriel asked, quietly, "You want to know what I think you should do, or
how I would feel about... what? The two of you together? Her wanting to
stay?"

"Any of them. All of them."

"I can't tell you what to do. But... if it made you happy, I'd be okay with
it. And it's a big house. There's plenty of room." He looked at her. "If it
made you happy, I'd _like_ it. I'd enjoy it."

"If it didn't make me happy, but didn't bother me either?"

Gabriel pursed his lips. "I... don't know. I'm not sure why you'd do it in
that case."

"Because it made you happy, and made Tandi happy, too."

Gabriel shook his head, slowly. "Would you actually be okay with that? Or
would you resent it?"

"That's what I said... I don't _know_. I can't know. I might be too
selfish to deal with it. Or it might not bother me since I love you
both. I just don't know, and I don't think there _is_ any way to know
without trying."

"Then I think it's up to you, but you should be honest with her about it,
so that she knows the score going in."

She looked offended. "I'm _always_ honest with her."

Gabriel smiled. "Good." He looked up to find that Tandi had quietly exited
the room while they were talking.

"She... left." He looked at Pandora. "Let me go get her? I... want to talk
to her a bit. Privately."

"I should do that."

Gabriel nodded, slowly. "Okay. Why don't you go talk to her, and then...
let me talk to her?"

"What do you want to say? Um... she's not really very, ah, welcoming
towards you, you know. I... really don't want to leave you alone with her.
You probably don't know this, but, um, well, she _could_ kill you. Pretty
easily. Sorry."

"I just want to talk to her a bit. I don't think that she'll kill me." He
smiled. "I think she already would have if she was going to."

"Um. She changes her mind _a lot_. She's very... volatile."

Gabriel smiled. "Trust me. I think I'm going to be telling her something
she _wants_ to hear."

"Maybe. Or she might take offense and snap your neck like a dry twig. I'm
_serious_, Gabriel!"

Gabriel shook his head. "Trust me on this one. She _won't_ take offense,
okay?"

"Okay so she might just take offense at something _else_. You don't know
her yet. You can't tell what's _safe_."

"I have to learn sometime, love." He kissed her gently. "Please?"

"You should learn _before_ you talk to her alone. She's not very forgiving
of learning curves."

"This is something I need to say to her. It's something she needs to know.
Please, love?" he asked.

She frowned up at him. "And it's something I can't hear, then?" she asked.

"If she wants to tell you, she can. But she deserves to know I'm not saying
it for you," he said.

"Why would you telling me what you want to say mean that it was said for my
benefit?"

Gabriel sighed. "Because then I could be saying it for the effect it would
have on you."

"So? If that's a 'good' effect?"

"She deserves to know I mean it. That I don't have any ulterior motives for
saying it," he said.

"You don't. If it's something you mean, something about how you feel, don't
I have a right to know about it?"

He nodded. "You do. But _she_ doesn't know I don't have any ulterior
motives. Love... please, trust me."

"I do trust you, but I don't like feeling like you're hiding something from
me, even so."

He looked at her soberly. "I'm not. It's something you already know, but I
don't think it's something you'd have thought about consciously. And like I
said, it's up to her if she wants to tell you."

"See, it's that last bit I'm having a problem with."

Gabriel sighed. "Okay. Then I'll tell you after we talk. Is that okay?"

"Okay. That I can live with."

She kissed him gently and then stood up. "I'll be right back," she said,
then went to look for  her sister.

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Take a look!

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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