3 Love Researcher - Part 2 (1/2)

Erika was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a camomile tea Dina poured for her. It seemed like whatever her transforming process was, it took a toll on her nervous system, as she couldn't stop shaking.

Dina's first reaction was to hug the naked woman on the floor, but soon she got embarrassed by the situation and helped her to get up, guiding her to the kitchen. Since her clothes wouldn't fit anymore, Dina gave her a blanket to wrap herself. She realized Erika's body was way more developed than her own. Her breasts and waist were bigger and she was taller. Dina's clothes probably wouldn't fit her anymore.

”I'm s-s-sorry for startling you,” Erika said, taking her tea to her lips.

”It's okay.” Dina gave an understanding smile. ”It's partly my fault, too.”

Dina pulled a chair and sat close to Erika.

”But I guess I have no choice but to believe you now.”

”This is closer to my actual age, compared to your planet's lifespan. I wasn't supposed to trigger this transformation outside the lab, so I knew it would affect my body somehow...oh…”

The cup she was holding fell from her shaken hands and shattered on the floor, splashing tea all over it.

”I apologize”.

”Don't worry about it”, Dina said, getting up. ”I'll pour you another. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?”

Erika shook her head.

”Your medicine wouldn't help me much. This is a process your people knows nothing about”, she gave a faint smile. ”But don't worry, it's not life-threatening. I'll be fine after some rest.”

Dina gave Erika another cup of tea and sat again.

”Look...I'm sorry”, she said.

”You don't need to apologize. In fact, in your own understanding, you did nothing wrong, and you're only guilty of your ignorance.”

Dina couldn't understand if she was being comforted or offended.

”And I'm the one who needs to apologize. I did something unacceptable in your society's view. I apologize.”

Dina raised her fingers to touch her own lips without realizing. Then looking at Erika's lips, she felt her face blushing.

”But at the same time, I fear I need to ask”, Erika said, putting her cup now empty on the table. ”Is this body good enough for you?”

Dina was happy she wasn't drinking tea, too, because she surely would spit it out after hearing that.

”T-that's… Let's talk about that after you rest”, Dina answered, agitated.

After Erika finished her tea, Dina guided her to the bedroom. She was avoiding touching her. Somehow it felt different than when she was just a girl. Now her adult body was alluring to Dina, and that made her nervous.

She suggested Erika sleep on her bed, instead of the floor. Then she covered the woman with blankets.

”While you rest, I was thinking about going out to look for some clothes for you. Is that okay? Are you fine, now?”, Dina asked.

Erika hesitated, moving her eyes slowly fo face Dina, before answering.

”Then I'll be alone…”

Dina realized she was playing with her fingers from inside the blanket. She smiled. Erika looked like an adult now, but her personality was still the same as when she was a girl. The gap between her appearance and her personality was charming.

”I'll wait until you're asleep before going out. Is that enough for you?”, Dina said.

Erika hesitated for a moment but finally agreed, with a slow movement of her head and a faint smile. It didn't take much time until she fell asleep, what made Dina think the reason was how the transformation affected her body. She hurried to go out on her shopping trip because she wanted to be back before Erika woke up.

***

As she examined the clothes she bought, Dina wondered what she was thinking. Sure she was in a hurry. But somehow, most of the things she brought home were sexy or revealing clothes. She had Erika's figure in mind while shopping, so that was probably her influence. As she thought about Erika's naked body again, she felt her temperature rise.

”Dina?”, she heard a voice behind her, and Erika came out of the room, still wrapped in a blanket. That alluring voice calling her name had a whole different feeling than the teenager girl, and she felt guilty about reacting differently to it.

”I-I bought some clothes…”, she said, almost afraid to pass the bag to her guest.

Erika took the bag and looked inside.

”I appreciate it”, she said and left the blanket slide to the floor while taking the clothing from inside the bag. Dina avoided her eyes, even though she had seen Erika's naked body before.

After putting her new clothes on, there in the living room, Erika called for Dina's attention.

”How does it look?”

Dina turned to her, seeing the woman in a black short and black top, exposing her belly and with an exposed cleavage. Even though the short looked similar to the one she was wearing when they first met, it had a completely different effect on that adult body.

”You're… pretty…”, Dina said, avoiding her eyes again.

She felt Erika's hands grabbing her arm. The warm and humid feeling of her body gripping firm on her wrist.

”W-what?”

”You're acting weird”, Erika's eyes were serious.

”W-weird how?”

”Avoiding looking at me. Avoiding getting closer. Like something is repulsing you about my presence”, she got silence, and after opening her mouth twice without making any sound, she added: ”Is it because of what I did? Are you disgusted by me now?”

Dina approached Erika and this time held her hands.

”No. It's not that. It's just that...huh…”, Dina made an effort to keep holding Erika's hands, even though her heart looked like it would explode. ”Before I saw you as a kid, so it didn't affect much, but if you keep saying these things now…”

Erika gave a hopeful smile.

”So you like this body?”

Dina tried to avoid her gaze, her heart was like a thunder.

”I… I never… uh… I never did anything with a woman before, but I would be lying if I say I never had an interest. And, huh… you're, probably, exactly my type.”

”That means…?”, Erika inclined her head while asking.

”Yeah… I like your body.”

The smile Erika gave was radiant.

”So we can be lovers now! If only I knew it was so easy!”

”Wait, wait a minute…”, Dina took her hands off Erika's. ”It's not that simple.”

”Why? I don't get it. You want me, and that way I can fulfill my mission.”

”Your mission is to learn about love, right? Remember what I said about that other man? Sex and love aren't really the same thing.”

”So you don't love me?”

Dina reflected in silence. She turned to the kitchen before answering, avoiding Erika's eyes.

”I… don't hate you… But what about you?”

”I don't think I feel anything at all, but that's why I want to study.”

”Study... that's… and besides, I feel bad after rejecting you before and suddenly just accepting it now.”

”Eh?”, Erika made a confused face. ”I don't mind at all. I understand your previous reasoning and I was in the wrong. The thought of failing my mission made me act irrationally.”

”I… will prepare dinner”, Dina said, stopping that conversation at that moment.

They eat dinner together, and Erika seemed to understand enough to not touch the subject again, although Dina realized she wasn't satisfied with that. She realized that when she wasn't holding anything, Erika couldn't stop playing with her fingers, touching them, squeezing them with her other hand and hitting them against each other.

When it came time to sleep, Erika headed in silent to the place where she used to put her cushion.

”You know…”, Dina said, making Erika stop and look at her. ”You can sleep with me on the bed… if you want…”

”Are you sure?!”, Erika asked, her eyes suddenly showing a vigor that had disappeared before. ”Even though I want to do all kinds of things with you?”

”A-all kinds of things is kinda… wait, what are you even planning to do?”, Dina looked at Erika, as she waited apprehensively for the answer. ”Well...if it's just...like...kissing...then it's fine, I guess.”

”I see, kissing. The first serious and intimate step that's exclusive for romantic relationships. We start with a kiss, then evolve to sex, and then…”

”Just kissing!”, Dina stopped Erika. ”You don't plan to have sex with someone after just kissing… Well, some people totally do, but you shouldn't.”

”Okay… Kissing without thinking about sex yet, I get it.”

The excited smile Erika gave wasn't reassuring, but Dina decided she would just trust the woman for now. With a signal from Dina, Erika got on the bed, kneeling beside her. Sitting on the border, Dina turned to her, also raising her legs up the bed.

She held Erika's hands. They were warm. Dina's fingers were shaking as she approached the other woman. Getting closer, she realized how Erika smelled good. It was the same shampoo she used, and the same soap, but mixed with Erika's body, the aroma was different. Somehow sexier.

”I...I never kissed a woman before..”, she said.

”I never kissed anything before.”

”Well, this isn't true for either of us after this afternoon”, Dina said, giving a wry smile. ”But that didn't count”, she approached her face to Erika again, her heart beating like a drummer. Erika's black eyes focused on her. Dina stopped. ”By the way. You should close your eyes.”

”Why?”, Erika said, inclining her head in confusion.

”That's just… how it is…”

”But then I won't learn the mechanics involved in kissing.”

”Y-You will don't worry. Just… close your eyes.”

She hesitated, scrutinizing Dina's face, waiting to see if she changed her mind. Realizing her partner was serious, Erika closed her eyes. Before closing her own eyes, Dina examined Erika better. Her lips were humid on her stern face. She was wearing the lingerie Dina brought to her. Black with frills and perfectly fitting in her body. All her curves and body was more voluptuous than Dina's. For a moment she felt a curiosity to touch Erika's body, but stopped herself and approached to kiss, closing her eyes.

Her lips got in contact with Erika's. They were soft and wet. Erika's smell was now close to Dina's her nose. Dina thought her heart would explode. She raised both her hands to hold Erika's face gently while kissing her. She almost felt like pushing Erika to the bed but stopped herself.

When the kiss was over, Dina felt dizzy. Her face slowly distanced from Erika and she felt like she finally could breathe. The two women faced each other in silence, until Dina's voice broke it, still a little weak.

”H-How was it?”

”How? What do you mean?”, Erika answered, the same as ever. ”Our lips locked together, as it was supposed to happen. That was exactly like my researches, so I don't get it. Should I do something more?”

Erika's face was the same as ever, with her head slightly inclined. That annoyed Dina, who had her heart almost jumping through her chest. She turned her back to Erika, lying down on the bed and putting the blanket over her.

”Forget it. Let's sleep”, she said.

Erika didn't move. Her eyes examining the volume Dina's body made on the bed. Timidly playing with her fingers, she finally let her voice out.

”Are you angry? Did I do anything wrong?”

Dina sighed.

”You didn't do anything wrong”, she said. ”Try to think about what kissing means, but, huh, I won't blame you.”

”Can we keep doing that?”

The room went silent. Until finally Dina broke it, with a low voice.”

”Yeah...Just…”, she became silence before completing: ”Next time give me more time.”, she turned on the bed and faced Erika, giving a gentle smile. ”Now go to sleep. I have work tomorrow morning.”

Erika nodded and threw herself inside the blankets. That night, Dina had trouble to sleep, always thinking there was another body lying beside her.

***

”A date?”, Dina asked that Friday, while putting on her clothes.

During the week, they did the kissing part twice, on the Monday and Tuesday. After that, Erika stopped asking about it, and Dina didn't dare to touch the subject, even though, if she had to tell the truth, she was missing it.

Erika also started to help with house chores, which helped Dina. According to Erika, making the same activities could help her to understand her subject better.

Then suddenly, Friday morning, while Dina was getting ready to work, Erika approached her.

”Yeah, a date”, she said, smiling and showing some paper where there were some incomprehensive notes. ”I was researching about our three nights doing love actions and reflecting why they had no effect at all. I came to realize that was common, and we skipped some important steps, like meeting in a rainy day, dancing on a ball…”

”Are you reading those books again?”