SHAPESHIFTERS
The Part 23

When Marco looked for Bella in the house, she wasn't there.

Marco then walked towards the farm warehouse.

From a distance, Bella is seen accompanying the Duke, while the Duke herded the cows into the cage, in the agricultural warehouse owned by Marco.

Marco then approached Bella who had just closed the cow pen, and smiled when he saw Marco's arrival.

"Where have you been?" ask Bella slowly.

Bella walks out of the farmhouse, sits on a haystack, and invites Duke to play.

"I was going to the protected forest" Marco answered, walking behind Bella.

The other livestock, seem to have entered all into their respective cages, and the door of the cage has been closed.

In fact, the food of the livestock, already filled in the food troughs, in each farmhouse.

Apparently, Bella was already doing the job Marco was supposed to be doing there.

"Hmmm... Why did you go there, until that long, just come back?" ask Bella.

"I'm sorry. It's not that I want to interfere in your business, I'm just curious" continued Bella, before Marco could answer his question.

Marco then sits on the hay, where Bella also sits, while Bella throws a twig that becomes a tool for her game with Duke.

"There's no problem, if you just want to know like that... I was looking for mushrooms, but as long as I was walking through the woods, there was nothing I could find" Marco said.

"Hmmm... You been here a long time?" ask Marco.

"Yes, I've been here long enough. The preparatory work at the store was temporarily suspended. One of the workers was sick, while the other was celebrating her son's birthday" Bella replied.

"It's boring at home, so I'm here" Bella continued.

Bella throws the twig away, and the Duke picks it up and brings it back to Bella who smiles broadly at Duke.

"You're bothered by my arrival?" ask Bella.

"No. I'm just happy that you can stay here with me often" Marco replied spontaneously, and it was enough to make Marco feel ashamed, because he could not control his words.

Bella smiled widely, then leaned her head on Marco's boat.

"You know?! I like you." said Bella.

Marco smiled, biting his own lips, and when Bella raised his head, Marco hurriedly set his expression to look ordinary.

"Am I being too outspoken?" asked Bella, who was staring fixedly at Marco.

Marco smiled, and brought his face closer to Bella and kissed her gently.

"I like you too." said Marco quietly, then embraced Bella.

"If I stay here with you, what do you think?" ask Bella.

"Gee!" chirps Marco, who was surprised to hear Bella's words.

"You mind?" ask Bella.

"No. I just didn't think you'd want to stay with me" Marco replied.

"Hmmm... I want to see if our relationship can work. If it's possible, I'd like to see us go further" Bella said.

"Would you like to try it?" ask Bella.

"Yes, I will" Marco replied without thinking, and at once, Marco regretted his reply, too hastily.

Marco wants Bella with him, but what about it?

It's impossible, Marco can hide his condition from Bella forever.

"I don't think I just like you. But... I really love you" said Bella.

Now, Marco can't turn down Bella, as the woman will inevitably misunderstand her intentions, especially if there's no good reason for Marco not to go ahead with their deal.

Bella would think, if Marco just make it as an eraser of loneliness, and also the outlet of sexual appetite alone.

Marco tightened his embrace, and kissed Bella's head.

There will be a time when Marco will dare to confess, and in the meantime, he should just go through it first.

"Would you like to prepare a night with me?" ask Marco.

"Of course!" bella answered, then stood up from the straw, and shook off the piece of straw that was stuck to her clothes.

Marco stood up and did the same thing as Bella, wagging the back of her pants, to be free of the straw.

"Duke! Comewithme!" bella exclaimed, patting her thigh.

The Duke then walked over to Marco and Bella, and walked with the two masters, heading home.

Duke seems to prefer to play outside, when Marco and Bella walk into the house, Duke instead play alone, with a bite of the big bones of his toy, marked Marco's house.

Bella washes her hands in the sink, turns around, and sees Marco.

"You feed the Duke first! Let me prepare the ingredients" said Bella, opening the fridge, and taking a look inside.

Marco then walked out, and gave Duke his food and drink, stroking the Duke's head, which seemed calm even though Marco was holding it, while he was eating.

Duke was still eating, Marco then walked back into the house, where Bella was busy cleaning vegetables in the sink.

"Do you not want me to help you?" marco asked, as he approached Bella, and stood right behind her with a distance close enough, to almost touch.

Holding a few strands of celery in her hand, Bella suddenly turned around, and almost hit Marco.

"Please, you get the ground meat from the fridge!" pinta Bella, while raising her face looking at Marco who was very close to her.

Marco kissed Bella's lips for a moment, then urged Bella, so leaned in the sink, Marco washed his hands, washed the dishes behind Bella, then walked to pick up the materials Bella asked for, from the fridge.

"Look, I don't have so many groceries." - Marco, holding the fridge door open, stared at him.

The food stuffs, they seem to fill almost the entire fridge, and as far as Marco knows, he never buys that much food for himself.

"Oohs... Before I got here, I was shopping, ", Bella said.

Marco then took out the ground meat from inside, put it on the table, and helped Bella who was slicing vegetables there.

"You're gonna tell me something, if something bothers you, right?" bella asked, without taking her eyes off the vegetables, which she was chopping into pieces.

Marco looked at Bella, silent for a moment, before looking back at the table, and continuing his work.

"Yes" Marco replied briefly.

"I really want this relationship to work... So, I want you to be honest, if there's anything you don't like about me," said Bella, who was still looking at the table.

Marco stopped cutting the vegetables, and moved to the side of the table where Bella stood, and hugged the woman from behind.

"I'm worried, maybe it's you who won't like me anymore" Marco said slowly.

"Hmmm... Hopefully none of us will back off" said Bella.

Marco kissed Bella's cheek, then went back to the other side of the table, and continued cutting the vegetables.

Bella cooks meat, while Marco makes vegetable salads, and baked potatoes.

Once in a while Marco glanced at Bella sitting in front of him.

"What's wrong?" bella asked suddenly, who caught her wet, as Marco stole a glance at her.