I tried for the whole day to put the episode with Kath and Henry out of my mind, concentrating on my chores, taking on whatever work was handed to me, in hopes of distracting my imagination. It didn't help.

Before dark, I went back out to the stables, hoping that spending some time with the horses would calm me down. It didn't quite work that way. Maybe I didn't really want it to.

. . .

A lamp lit up the interior of the stables, and brightened the ground enough for me to find my way along the path. I wondered who would be in there this late, and then remembered that there was some sort of riding event being held in the morning. They were preparing things as much as they could, ahead of time.

Walking inside, I was unsurprised to see Dominic standing there, forking straw without enthusiasm. Dominic and I had known each other since not long after birth, and if I spoke to anyone in here, it was usually him. I would normally have preferred that just the horses were here, but didn't begrudge sharing the space with him.

"Evening Dom. Why are you working so late?"

"Alys? You should not be here. What if someone sees us?"

"Don't be daft Dominic. People see us here all the time."

"Not since I spread the rumour."

"Which one is that?"

"There's more than one, Alys?"

"Oh, yes. There's the one about how you were dropped on your head as a baby, and never recovered..."

"Oh, that one is true enough, Alys."

"...And the one about how you were caught behind the straw pile, with your pants about your ankles."

"You know that's true. You caught me."

"I never told anyone else though."

"You often watch men taking a piss?"

"You're a boy, Dom, and you still haven't convinced me that's what you were doing."

"You'd think our long friendship would result in some trust."

"It has. You trust me!"

"That's a little one-sided for my liking Alys. Oh, any more rumours?"

"There's one that you tried to have your way with Briony after the dance the other week."

"Did not."

"No?"

"No. I admit to walking with her."

"She says you did."

"She wishes."

"I wondered about that."

"Is this one of these conversations that we promise never to repeat, Alys?"

"It... yes, I think so."

"Alright, well, she asked me if I wanted to."

"Really?"

"I swear."

"And?"

"Well..."

"Ah. Dominic, tell me."

"...I didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Didn't want to. I mean I wanted to, but I knew she wouldn't keep her mouth shut, and she doesn't have the sense God gave to apples, and..."

"More?"

"...I was worried that she might want a child, and I didn't want to be held responsible."

"Oh. Can you imagine Briony with child?"

"Hmmm... are you sure this is not to be repeated?"

"Oh, indeed. Why?"

"Michael. He may have made her with child"

"Michael?"

"After I turned her down, she marched off and found another. You know what Michael is like."

"I do. He has had discussions with me."

"Discussions, Alys?"

"Yes Dominic, discussions. I told him no."

"I'm... pleased."

"Why is that?"

"He's not exactly reliable, you know. You can do better."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Who would you suggest?"

"I wasn't going to suggest anyone."

"No?"

"No. Don't play games with me Alys. I know you too well."

"Then why are you so afraid to ask, Dom?"

"Afraid? To ask what?"

"Oh, come on. You know what I'm talking about. You know who you would suggest instead of Michael."

"I do not!"

"You would suggest yourself, and you know it."

"I..."

"But you don't do it, despite wanting to, because you are scared you'll be rejected."

"Oh, I am not!"

"But you wouldn't Dom. You know that."

"No?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Yes, 'oh'."

"I... I always thought you wanted to be... just like this."

"I want to be like this, Dom. I want to be the best friends possible with you. I don't want anything to destroy that. But I want excitement too. I want to be physically close to someone. I want to experience a man. I know I just said you are only a boy, but if you can provide that for me, then I don't need to risk going elsewhere, or missing out."

"You want... do you want to be married then, Alys?"

"Married?"

"Yes. To me. Do you?"

"I... You want to marry me, Dom?"

"I asked what you want."

"Well... no. I don't. Not yet anyway. I don't wish to marry."

"And yet, you would be with a man?"

"I would."

"You know, you are the strangest girl I've ever met. You say nothing about this, while our friends are finding places to do such things, and then, when I think you don't care at all, you tell me."

"I know Dominic. I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but it didn't seem possible."

"A long time?"

"A year or so, Dom."

"You should have said."

"I'm sorry. I see I have waited too long. Apologies for bringing it up."

"No, wait Alys. It's not too late. I was just surprised."

"Dom, you don't want to. That's alright. We will remain friends."

"No, you misunderstand. I do want to. I thought you didn't."

"You do?"

"Indeed. Why do you think I have not been with others?"

"You have not?"

"No Alys. I have not."

"Oh. I had thought... not Briony, but Mary, after the dance?"

"We kissed."

"Oh."

"I wanted to wait to see."

"See?"

"What your reaction was."

"I did not react at all, did I?"

"You did not, but I waited for you longer than Mary waited for me."

"I... thank you Dom."

"It was worth it, I think."

"Dom, if this... doesn't work out, can we remain friends?"

"Of course, Alys."

"Then, could we?"

"Be friends? Of course."

"No, Dominic. Not that."

"Oh! Are you sure?"

"I am sure. And ready."

"Ready? Now, you mean?"

"Yes Dominic. Now. I might not wait longer."

"The loft is all I have to offer. Anywhere else we might be caught."

"Lead the way."





The loft was strewn with straw, piles of it in some places, bare boards in others. One spot in particular was more inviting than you might expect. Away in the corner furthest away from the access ladder, a deep pile of straw lay with a depression in the centre, as though bodies had pressed on it in the past.

I stopped and stared at the spot, and then looked at Dominic, before speaking. "Dom, you don't need to lie to me. You said you had not been with a woman before?"

"I have not."

"Then, how does the straw appear like this?"

"Oh. Alys, that was not me. Others use this area, for the same reason, and the same purpose."

"None of the girls have mentioned being up here."

"I think your friends, servants though they may be, are a little more refined. Perhaps this is a bad idea."

"No Dom. I was merely asking." I made my feelings plain then by taking the unprepared Dominic into my arms and soundly kissing him. I'd kissed him before. A peck on the cheek for his birthday, or a quick touch of the lips, surreptitiously, when we were smaller, but this was different. My lips met his, and refused to allow any separation. Our arms found each other as well, and as hands explored unknown territories, so did tongues, deftly twining as our lips moved uncertainly together.

Soon, the embarrassment was completely forgotten, and the uncertainty put aside. I encouraged Dominic to fall onto the straw, and our explorations continued, after putting Dom's hands to my breasts, as I stroked his back.

I could feel his erection now, pressing against me, through both sets of clothes, and after a few minutes of mutual groping, decided we needed to do something about it, and stood up.

"Oh, God, Alys, I'm so sorry. Please don't be upset. I'll behave."

"What? Dominic, I don't want you to behave. I want you to assist me with this clothing." As he stood to help, I couldn't help but notice the huge bulge in the front of his trousers. I thought of seeing Henry Staple just the night before, with his cock plainly in sight, and I couldn't let him wait a moment longer. "Hold on Dom. Let's do this first."

I knelt on the straw covered floor and attempted to undo his buttons in the dim light, as he stood there motionless, unable to assist. It wasn't easy, as the rough trouser material and the taut fabric both hindered my efforts, but eventually I had enough of them open for tension to take care of the rest, and his penis popped out in front of my eyes, large and hard, bigger than Henry's, and leaking a little, from the tip.

I knelt there for a moment longer, looking at it, turning over the thoughts that raced through my head. I had wondered, for a time, if I would find the appearance revolting, and want to put it back. I was enthralled instead, and couldn't resist taking it into my hands, and stroking it a little. I heard a moan from Dominic, and looked up to his face, and back again to the penis, just in time to feel his hardness expand in my hand, and the whole length of it jerk as though all the muscles were reacting at once. Just as I got used to what was happening, a large groan came from Dom's mouth, his whole body shook, and great gobs of liquid shot from the tip of his cock, narrowly missing my dress, and spraying over the straw beside me. I realised suddenly what had happened, and gave the shaft a couple of quick strokes, resulting in more groans, and more liquid. I stopped stroking as he stopped reacting, and his cock started to relax a little, though still staying hard.

Deciding quickly not to make a big deal of it, I returned to what I had been intending, without saying a word, undoing the rest of his buttons, and starting to slide his trousers down his muscled legs, enjoying undressing him.

He spoke then. "Alys, I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"For... I wasn't supposed to do that. Oh God."

"You worry too much. Lift your leg, would you?"

"I just couldn't..."

"Now the other one? I know you couldn't. Why is this a problem?"

"I... just... well... I'm not much use now, am I?"

Standing up now, I pulled him close, and kissed him, more sympathetically than romantically. "Listen Dom, I'm sure I'm supposed to be virginally ignorant, but I know you can do it all again soon. Shirt."

"But I... It's as though I were... well, doing it without you."

"Without me? Arms up."

"Yes, you know, like when you caught me."

"You were doing that?"

"I was. I should not have been. I try not to."

"Why?"

"It is wrong, Alys. I have been told I should go to hell."

"I don't have a problem with it."

"No?"

"No. I'd like to catch you again."

"Why, Alys?"

"So I could watch, of course."

"You wouldn't!"

"Indeed I would. Are you going to help me with this dress, or not?"

"Oh, yes, yes. You still want to...?"

"Oh, of course I do. Why would I not?"

"Well, you might prefer to find someone who does not..."

"Not?"

"Abuse himself."

"As if I care."

"You do not mind?"

"Would you mind if I did it?"

"Did what?"

"Abused myself of course, Dom."

"But you cannot. You don't have..."

"You have managed to avoid a lot of education, my friend. You think women cannot touch themselves?"

"Could you?"

"Of course."

"I would not begrudge you that if you wanted to do it."

"Good. Because I do. Regularly."

"You do?"

"I do. I promise to show you sometime, if you show me first."

"You would let me watch, Alys?"

"If you would."

"Then I would. I am stunned again."

"Get used to it. These two buttons, and we will be finished. You can stop talking."

As the last of my underclothes fell to the wooden floor, I turned, and faced Dominic. He was still in shock, and I had to take his head in my hands, and pull his face down to mine so that we could recommence kissing. Our bodies merged together then, my breasts hard against him, his re-awakened erection against my stomach.

Spying a blanket hanging on the wall, I separated from him for a moment, grabbed it, and threw it in the depression made in the straw pile, before pulling Dom to me again, and causing us both to fall on the blanket.

Not a lot was said for a while then, as our two naked bodies, side by side, explored one another with abandon, hands wandering over not-yet familiar skin, pressing, kneading and stroking. I encouraged one of his hands to my breasts again, while the other tantalised my spine. My hands roamed his chest incessantly, before finding their way to his thighs, and gently feeling my way around his testicles, stroking and holding, listening to the noises in his throat, and getting to know what he liked.

Eventually, after some encouragement from me, his hands found their way between my legs, and his rough fingers slid delicately all around. This felt strange, as whilst the territory was thoroughly familiar to me, it was like touching myself with a strange warm stick. I kept having to move, or get him to move his hand, so that he didn't stroke the wrong place, or with the wrong pressure. I liked it when one of his fingers found its way deep inside me, and I thrust against it, to encourage him further.

Despite Dom's inexperienced groping, I could feel my level of arousal rising, and I knew I wanted more than his fingers inside me, and that I needed to get him to take control, or I would have to take care of myself, and that wasn't what I had planned.

I whispered to him now, that I needed him to take me, that I needed him in me. He seemed galvanised by the command, and pushed me back on the blanket, my chest, stomach and thighs displayed to him openly now, nothing of what he had thought a shy virgin remaining. He lay on me, his legs between mine, his arousal obvious, his cock no less solid than at the earlier encounter.

Encouraging still, I took his hardness in my hand, and assisted him in obtaining a good position. His cock finally lay at my entrance. He was leaking a little with excitement. I was drenched with arousal and desperation.

Slowly he moved then, the tip of him pressing against my slippery opening, and finding its own way, stopping when I gasped, and continuing only after I pulled his buttocks toward me. He had thought the gasp was because of my virginity, about which he knew a little, but it was only a gasp that he was actually doing it, and the pain of his insertion came a little later. Feeling a little more constriction, he had stopped, and looked at my face. I smiled still, and pulled his ear to her mouth.

"Just push, sweetheart. It will hurt, 'tis true, but not for long. I want you in me."

"You are sure?"

"I am. Push now!"

As he thrust harder against me, I could feel a strange mixture of sensations. A stab of pain as he broke through seared my body, but very quickly, and a slow feeling of fullness took over as his cock impaled me. After a moment of stillness, he started to move inside me, stroking in and out, and I could feel both the lovely friction, and the distracting pain. I wanted to block out the pain, but couldn't quite manage.

Dominic was getting excited now, and thrusting quickly inside me, grunting with the effort. I knew he wouldn't take long, and I moved my body around as best I could to get sufficiently stimulated. Realising that wasn't going to work, I fell back on something I knew would get me there, slipped my hand between our bodies, and started to stroke myself. The direct stimulation worked much better, and by the time he exploded again, I was on the verge myself.

One more stroke, and I came, a deep desperate spasm, more release than joy, and Dominic fell on me, still deep inside, and kissed me, as our mutual contractions died down slowly.

As my head cleared, and my body calmed down, I realised that Dominic was half asleep, and rolled him over, so we were side by side, and felt him fall out of me as he shrank. Looking down in the dim light I could see I was bleeding a little, and wondered how I was going to get back to the house without being noticed. I would have to be careful.

Uppermost in my mind though was the thought that I should not have waited so long, and that I wanted to do this again. Soon. And often.