Chased Distance: A Novella (WLW)

Chapter Fifteen: March 23rd, 1876, New Orleans, Louisiana

!!!This chapter contains dark themes!!!

Elu planted her feet as Bethany lifted her fist and jabbed at her hand, then wiped the sweat from her brow. "Good. That was a very good punch, Bethany. I may just make a fighter out of you yet."

Keeping her fists raised with a corny grin, Bethany gibed, "I am a fighter, just not physically yet."

"Hmhm!" Elu chuckled as she caught her punched fist and pulled her closer. "Do you have to argue with everything I say?"

"If I didn't, would you be so entertained?"

Elu smiled and caught her hand as she punched again, shifting her weight on her back leg to her front. She used Bethany's momentum against her and yanked her along with her. Elu caught the back of her dress and snickered as she glared at her over her shoulder.

"No, not nearly."

As Bethany stood straight and then turned around to face her once more, she asked, "What was that?"

"A way of using your opponent's attack against them. When they punch, meet that force and move it like so." She took Bethany's fist and directed it toward her palm, then slid her hand over the top of hers. Elu grasped her wrist with that hand and leaned her weight back, pulling her forward again. "Either pivot and use their momentum to pull them to the ground, or jab." Elu did the latter as an example, albeit with less strength than usual. As Bethany passed her, much slower this time, she carefully nudged between her breasts with two pointed fingers. Ignoring the stirring the lovely area caused within herself, she peered back up into Bethany's eyes and found her bearing another of her crimson blushes. "A-Aim...for right here or their throat. Both will discombobulate and dismantle them."

"Alright..." Bethany visibly strained to refocus her energy and shook her head for a moment, then curiously peeked up into her eyes. "Can I give it a try? The first, not the second?"

Elu jabbed her fist toward her and was yanked past Bethany as she pivoted, and then tapped her chest in passing. She smiled as she steadied herself and turned toward Bethany once again. "Well done!" Bethany beamed and bashfully bounced on the balls of her feet as the train's whistle echoed overhead. "We should get ready for New Orleans. Depending on the season, the streets can be quite busy. Although, I really didn't see much of it last time I blew through."

After staring into her eyes rather intently, Bethany shook her head from wherever she was, went to her things and began wiping her face down with a washcloth. Elu did the same with one of her own and peeked at her out of the corner of her eyes. Over the last few days, their time together had become easier and easier, being some of the best of her life. Bethany was magical and just as enthralling as ever, making her wish she hadn't wasted so much time away from her. She took off her pullover and reached for a replacement, then felt fingers along the band of cloth compressing her breasts with a somewhat pained breath.

"Does that hurt?"

"Actually, it can be hard to breathe at times and not taking it off for a few days has definitely left me with bruising, but it's rather freeing." As Elu wiped the sweat from above the binding, she watched Bethany's eyes follow her hand. Stopping for a moment long enough to catch her gaze, she smirked at her deep blush. "Living as a man has its benefits."

"So does being a white woman, but I do not care for denying a part of myself. It also does not come without its drawbacks and if my difficulties are any indication of those you may have faced in your travels, I worry there is more you are hiding from me." Elu met her gaze. "Are you sparing the harshest parts of your story from me?"

"Yes, but only to not upset you." Worrying her bottom lip, Elu swallowed quite loudly as she waited for her reply.

Bethany turned toward her, running her eyes over her face in silence for a series of drawn out moments. "Do those parts have to do with the scars along your back...and those on your legs?"