Answers

Dinner at the immortal estate!

Should be fun!

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Bubbles surrounded her as she sunk deeper into the warm, fragranced water.

Her curls settled messily atop her head in a haphazard bun.

Her pink painted toes poked out from the other side of the massive bathtub.

After the earth-shattering moment with her professors, she had gone slightly into shock.

Confusion and excitement tangling up inside until she choked.

She knew what had just happened was far beyond what was socially and morally acceptable.

To be touched that way by three older men.

By her professors.

And yet it felt... right.

As though being in their arms was where she was meant to be.

She hadn't known what to do or what to say.

Dr. Easton had carried her into the grand bathroom where she had changed earlier.

It seemed like so long ago that she was slipping out of her sweater.

Dr. Romano drew her bath while Dr. Drewitt grabbed the bubbles and soaps.

Each brushed against her in some way as they left, leaving her breathless once more.

Now alone, her thoughts swirled and tumbled.

Worries floating around her like the bubbles that drifted through the air.

Reaching up to pop one, she tried to do the same with the confusion consuming her.

For a few moments, she simply soaked.

She did not think, did not try to dissect what had happened.

Enid just floated; her body more relaxed than it had ever been.

When her skin began to prune, she dried off with the snuggly towels in the linen closet.

As she dressed in the oversized sweatpants and sweater they had given her, she caught a glimpse of the fading bruises on her ribs.

For a moment her mind drifted to the bonfire.

The experience with her professors had felt so different from the one with that boy.

They hadn't done anything against her will.

Sure, she wasn't totally prepared for it, but she never felt as though they were forcing her in any way.

The men had had her trust practically from the moment she had met them.

She had just known innately that they would never do anything to bring her harm.

Enid had to roll the waist of the sweatpants a few times before they finally stayed up.

She had decided to go without the drenched underwear she had been wearing.

The sweater smelt of books and ginger and she knew it must be Dr. Romano's.

When she left the steamy bathroom, she found that the hallway was empty.

Following the sound of voices, she padded down the hall toward the stairs.

A short distance from the entrance hall, she found their large kitchen.

Monochrome colors and stainless-steel appliances filled the space.

The three men were spread across the space, each working on a part of dinner.

Enid stood hesitantly in the doorway and took in the domestic scene.

Something felt so normal about it.

They were less intimidating like this, washing dishes and grating cheese.

"What can I do to help?" Her voice sweet as her bare feet met the cool tile of the floor.

At once three sets of eyes came to rest on her and her heart fluttered.

"We're nearly done, darling. You could set the table." Dr. Easton responded; his disposition brighter than she had ever seen it.

She walked toward the cabinet he had gestured to and got on her tippy toes to reach the plates.

As she finished laying out the cutlery, Dr. Romano placed a steaming platter of pasta on the center of the table.

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before pulling out a chair for her at the circular table.

"You look divine in my clothing." He whispered in her ear as she settled into her seat.

A wine glass appeared before her and she was relieved to find it was apple juice when she sniffed it.

She had never had alcohol before and figured now wasn't the time to start.

Enid wanted to be as clear-minded as she could be.

As the three men took their seats, she watched in awe as they began to distribute the food.

Like a machine, they worked in tandem.

It became increasingly clear to her how close they must be.

Her plate was heaping with pasta and asparagus by the time it returned to the placemat before her.

Smiling in gratitude, she picked up her fork and twirled the fettucine with practiced grace.

She took a bite and hummed in pleasure as she dragged the fork from in between her lips.

Peeking up at her professors, she found they were staring at her mouth with heated gazes.

Her cheeks flushed.

"This is delicious." Enid grinned, already twisting more pasta on her fork.

"I'm glad you like it, il mio uccellino. It was my mother's recipe. Even the pope loved it." Dr. Romano smirked at her.

Enid giggled.

"It's true. Dante's mom hosted two popes within her lifetime." Dr. Drewitt waggled his eyebrows at her.

Enid's eyes widened.

"I thought you were joking, Dr. Romano! That's so cool." She exclaimed, her accent thickening slightly in excitement.

The men exchanged one of their glances before Dr. Drewitt leaned in toward her.

"Angel, when we're not in class you can call us by our first names." His voice warm.

"Actually, you should call us-" Dr. Romano was cut off by Dr. Easton's cough and glare.

"Not yet, Dante." His voice a reprimand that straightened her spine.

"Are you sure?" she asked prettily, "I don't want to be disrespectful."

"Yes, darling. Outside of class, I'm Theodore and they're Dante and Alexander." Dr. Easton, Theodore, gave her a small smile.

"Okay, thank you, Theodore." Enid said, testing out his name.

His eyes darkening as her plump lips formed his name.

The syllables felt pleasant on her tongue.

It felt so strange not to call them by their official titles.

But after what had occurred upstairs...

Something about it felt less dirty if she was calling them by their first names.

"I assume you probably have some questions for us, little bird." Dante spoke, his tone more serious than normal.

"Yes, quite a few, actually." She admitted honestly.

"Fire away." Alexander said, sending her a kind smile.

"Dr. East- Theodore, do you have a girlfriend?" She said, flushing at the juvenile wording of her question.

His deep chuckle was abrupt as he shook his head.

"No, Enid. I would have never done what I did upstairs if I did." His fingers reaching forward to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear.

"What happened upstairs..." she trailed off, her blush darkening, "what was that?"

"That was your first orgasm, darling. That's what will happen when your reach the pique of sexual pleasure." Theodore explained.

"Okay... Won't we get in trouble for doing that? It's forbidden for professors and students to have relationships." Her teeth worrying her lip.

"Not unless you say something, angel. For now, it'll be our little secret. Just the four of us." The golden-haired man's statement more like a command.

She nodded, her curls bouncing slightly with her.

"W-what happens now?" Her question meeting silence as the men thought.

"As we said earlier, you were made for us, little one. You are ours to care for, to protect and adore. And we will do just that." Her English professor's green eyes steady on hers.

"Like romantic partners?" She asked, her head tilting innocently to the side.

"Yes, exactly. There will be more to our relationship, but I don't want to overwhelm you. We'll go over the specifics another time." His accent lilting.

Enid took a sip of her elegantly dressed juice.

"What if I don't like the specifics?" Her heart beating quicker.

She had never been a big fan of the unknown.

Life was much easier when definable and quantifiable.

"You're the one with the power here, darling. If you ever feel uncomfortable, we want you to tell us right away. We'll always stop." Theodore's expression as serious as ever.

"Like when we're doing things like... upstairs?" Her freckled cheeks a perpetual shade of red.

"Precisely." Alexander confirmed.

Enid's head pounded slightly as she tried to sort through her thoughts.

She knew she should be more freaked out about all of this than she was.

Something about her professors' presence calmed her immensely.

As soon as she was back in her dorm, she knew she'd probably be panicking.

Her semblance of normalcy would fall away, and she'd be faced with the realization of what had occurred between her and her professors.

She'd cry as she'd wonder what her father would have thought of her.

She'd worry over what Fiona would say should she ever find out.

But for now, as the four sat around the gorgeous table, she couldn't help but feel as though something had finally shifted perfectly into place.

Something that she had not realized she had been missing.

Surrounded by these three godlike men, she had never felt quite so at home.

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Comments fill my heart with joy.

All my love, Sappho ❖