-With Friend Like These…

The wasteland became alight with the early morning rays of the gentle, orange sun. Soon, however, the tranquility that the gentle, cool, wind carried would be broken with a piercing heat that could only be remedied by seeking shelter in the bastions scattered throughout Filgaia. These "bastions", however, were more than just wind beaten buildings with broken shutters; this was home. In the Horse Theft Inn, one young woman opened her eyes to the gentle knocking of the sun and smiled. She embraced every new day as if it were her last.

That is, after all, the best I can do.

She pushed those semi-gloomy thoughts away by broadening her smile and sitting up from the bed, looking out the dirt-caked window to the morning sun.

What another beautiful day. Sometimes I just want to sit here and not do a thing… Unfortunately, I don't think my teammates would appreciate me slacking off. If one would call it that.

She frowned to these thoughts and kicked her bare legs over the side of the bed.

Time always seems to be running out. It feels like we never have enough time to be us. She thought grimly, touching her bare feet to the cool floor and sighing. Her long, honey brown, hair fell loosely over her exposed breast and she shivered a bit.

Rather cool this morning.

She stood up and walked over to the wardrobe, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she did so. A pale, almost haunted, face stared back at her and she inwardly cringed.

I'm going to have wrinkles before I'm twenty, I swear.

She stopped in front of the wardrobe, opened it, and selected a dark blue dress and black over-coat from its depths.

The twisted webs we weave. She mused, fumbling around the small dresser for her bra, which after a couple of seconds of deliberation, she found, perched on the side of the dresser without a care in the world.

"There you are." She chuckled, grabbing it and putting it on in a rather quick manner. Heaven forbid one of her teammates accidentally stumbles in while she was changing. She was grateful that the inn arranged it so that they had separate rooms this time. She had always been uneasy sleeping in the same room with three other men. In fact, that thought unsettled her more then she cared to admit.

I know they're my friends but, still, sometimes I just need some personal space. I appreciate everyone's concern but sometimes… Sometimes it gets so stifling.

She threw her dress on the bed and looked at her slender frame for a moment or two.

Hey, where did that scar come from? She mused, tracing the tiny, white, tear with an amused smile.

"Who cares?" She shrugged, walking over to the bed and slipping the dress on over her head, wiggling her body a couple of times to work the dress down. Her head emerged from the blue fabric and she scowled at her tousled hair.

Well, good morning to you, too, sunshine. What's wrong, did you not sleep well?

"Gagh." Huffed Virginia, reaching back to zip up her dress and discovering that her hand was not quite long enough to reach the zipper.

"Man…" She groaned, arching her body back and fumbling her hand around in hopes of snaring the elusive piece of metal. After a minute or two of struggling, she caught it and zipped it up as far as she could get it.

It's so annoying being a woman sometimes. She thought grudgingly, slipping her over-coat on as quickly as she could and looking around for her black leotards.

Please, sweet Chapapanga, don't let the rest of the day go like this.

After scanning the room a couple of times she spotted her leotards strewn over a wayward chair and sighed with relief.

"Are you all against me?" She sighed, swiping the leotards from the chair and slipping her left foot into their warm depths. Just as she pulled the left side up to her hip there was a light knock on the door. Virginia's face dropped into an annoyed expression as she hopped up and down on her left foot in order to put the right side on.

For Pete's SAKE!

"Who is it?" She huffed, falling down on the bed with a thud and grumbling incoherently.

"Umm, leader, I'm sorry to bother you but… Maya is here and she seems to be rather… Upset." drifted Gallows' voice from the other side of the door. Virginia rolled her eyes and sat up stoically from the bed that she had less than gracefully fallen on.

"Okay, just give me a minute." She spat, automatically regretting her harsh tone as soon as she spat out those words.

"Umm, okay. I'll tell her that you're getting ready." Replied Gallows sheepishly, shuffling away from the door in his typical, casual, gait.

Virginia rested her forehead in her cupped hands and sighed.

Today is going to be a long day.

After a couple of seconds of pondering whether or not she wanted to even go downstairs, Virginia stood up and rubbed her face.

So much to do.

She walked back to the dresser and fumbled around for a rubber band but started when she heard a loud, cracking, knock at the door.

"Gallows, I told you that I wa-"

"This is not Gallows! I'm coming in if you're not coming out!" boomed Maya's loud, annoyed voice from the other side of the door.

Damn it.

"Wait! Maya, don't come in ye-" Maya bustling in through the door, however, cut the rest of the sentence short. Maya flashed the younger woman an annoyed glance

"Do you expect to become a respectful Drifter looking like that!" She snapped, waving a pale hand at Virginia's sleep tangled hair and hastily thrown together ensemble.

I am so not in the mood for this.

"Listen, not everyone wears the same thing everyday!" She huffed, grabbing a brush and pulling it grumpily through her hair. Maya blinked to this and then twisted her face into a bemused smirk.

"So, we resort to insults, do we? Only wannabes resort to lame insults like that." chided she, watching in amusement as Virginia dropped the brush slowly to her side and gave her an unreadable look.

"You have an answer to everything, don't you?" Virginia sneered, tapping the brush lightly on her hip and giving Maya a glare that could have melted ice.

"Not everything, just things that you don't know." retorted Maya, taking a couple of lithe steps toward the younger woman and snatching the brush out of her hand.

"Look you! I…" Virginia stopped in mid-tirade when she realized that Maya had her brush. "What are you doing with my brush?" She queried, looking down at the brush and then back up at Maya.

A sudden feeling of warmth touched her face as her eyes fell across Maya's plentiful bosom.

Augh. Why am I blushing!

"I'm going to show you how a real woman brushes her hair, of course!" huffed Maya, assuming her "I know more than you so you may as well just give it up." looks.

"There's nothing wrong with the way I brush my hair!" grumped Virginia, glaring at Maya as she stomped toward the door and shut it.

"If I say there's something wrong with the way you brush your hair, then there's something wrong with the way you brush your hair! Stop being such a pest!" Maya growled, stomping back toward Virginia and shoving her lightly back toward the bed.

What the..! Hey, I'm not just going to sit back and let her do this am I?.. Am I? Okay, body, any time would be great…

"Stop shoving me!" lashed Virginia, falling rear first onto the bed.

"No!" responded Maya, sitting down beside Virginia and roughly grabbing her shoulder.

"Ow! Hey!" snapped Virginia, trying to pull her shoulder away. She was surprised when Maya lightened her grip and rubbed her hand gently back and forth against the younger woman's shoulder.

"Just relax, it'll go a lot smoother if you do." smiled Maya, releasing Virginia's shoulder and dropping her hand harmlessly into her lap. The hand holding the brush lie innocently on the bed and made no sudden movements. It was then Virginia realized that she liked this side of Maya, the calm after the storm, the passion after the fury. What harm would come from letting Maya brush her hair?

No harm, really… She thought, turning her back toward Maya and bowing her head slightly.

"There, is that better?" Whispered Virginia as several silky, tangled, locks fell across her face.

"Much better, I hate being opposed." smiled Maya, reaching a hand to Virginia's temple and pulling the hair gently away from her face, the back of her hand lightly stroking the younger Drifter's face as she did so. Virginia's body thrilled at this contact and she willed herself not to thrill again as the back of Maya's hand stroked the nape of her neck.

"Thank you Maya." said Virginia, a warm smile spreading across her face. Maya leaned down over Virginia's shoulder, several locks of her blond hair mingling with Virginia's honey colored hair.

"No problem." she whispered into the young woman's ear with a smile. Virginia involuntarily shuddered as Maya leaned back and started to run the brush through her hair.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you like this." grinned Maya, pulling strands of hair from the side of Virginia's neck and brushing them smoothly. Virginia flinched to this statement but figured that telling the truth was the best course of action.

"Yeah, I guess I am. I mean, I can't ask any of the guys to brush my hair. Jet wouldn't give me the time of day to ask, Gallows would take it as some form of flirting, and it would just be too awkward for Clive. To be honest with you, Maya, I'm enjoying this quite a bit." Maya smiled and leaned forward, pushing a curtain of hair from the side of Virginia's neck as she did so.

"That's what I figured." Maya smiled, her whispered words tickling their way past Virginia's pale neck.

"Maya?" started Virginia as Maya leaned her head down toward Virginia's bared neck.

"Hmm?" hummed Maya, pressing her lips against the soft flesh of Virginia's nape.

"What are you doing? "Virginia asked, closing her eyes and unconsciously leaning back toward Maya's kiss.

"Giving you what you need." responded Maya, pulling her lips away from Virginia's neck and then flicking her tongue slowly behind Virginia's ear.

"Maya… "Virginia groaned as Maya dropped the brush to the bed and worked on relieving Virginia of her over coat.

"Nuh-uh, what did I say about me being in charge?" teased Maya between playful licks.

"You said that… Nnuuhh, you like being in charge." replied Virginia as Maya slid her tongue across the side of her neck and back toward behind her ear.

"That's right, now do as I say and turn toward me." demanded Maya, pulling lightly on the shoulder closest to her and withdrawing her tongue back into her mouth. Virginia could do nothing else but concur and was soon locking eyes with Maya's startling blue orbs.

"Here I am, now what?" asked Virginia, giving Maya one of her "Too cocky for you." smiles.

"Now.. We do this." whispered Maya, leaning forward and catching Virginia's petal soft lips with her own. Virginia gasped but soon returned the passionate exchange, starting a bit as she felt Maya's hand snake behind her neck and work on her zipper.

"M-Maya!" exclaimed Virginia, pulling briefly away from the kiss and giving Maya an unreadable look that bordered pure bliss and complete confusion.

"What?" huffed Maya, dropping her hand back into her lap and giving Virginia an annoyed look.

"What are we…? " Virginia moved a small hand to her heaving bosom, "What are we doing?" she concluded, the unreadable look now melting into a look of utter confusion.

"Look, it's this simple, Virginia! I like you, and not just as a rival either! Truth is, I want you as both a lover and a rival. Is that so hard to understand!" snapped Maya, jerking her head to face away from Virginia, a stream of blonde hair accentuating her movement. Virginia sighed to this, reached forward, took Maya's cheek into her free hand and edged Maya's face back toward her so that they were seeing eye to eye again. The expression of annoyance did not leave Maya's face until Virginia moved her other hand that had been lounging in her lap and rested it on the other side of Maya's face.

"Strange thing is, Maya, I feel the same way." with that, she closed the distance between their faces and pressed her lips semi-roughly against Maya's, extracting a pleased, albeit surprised, groan from the older Drifter.

Maya's hand reached back toward Virginia's zipper and unzipped it slowly, making sure to rub the back of her hand sensuously against Virginia's spine. Virginia moaned with pleasure and arched her chest toward Maya's, feeling as Maya's hand removed the dress from her shoulders with two deft yanks.

"I'm glad we share the same sentience. It would be a shame to have to take what I want forcefully." grinned Maya as she pulled away from the kiss. Virginia nodded and fiddled with the strings on the front of Maya's dress thoughtfully.

" I agree with you there." pondered Virginia, giving the strings a good yank, hence making them unfurl in a quick fashion, releasing Maya's plentiful breasts from their constraints.

"Hmm, I take it you want this," said Maya, indicating her dress, "off?"

Virginia nodded her affirmation and lovingly stroked Maya's chest.

"Okay, but first…" Maya leaned forward, pressing her bosom firmly against Virginia's as she did so, and undid Virginia's now exposed bra.

"You won't be needing this, I think." she chuckled, tossing the bra off the side of the bed and taking one of Virginia's nipples slowly into her mouth. Virginia moaned and moved her hands away from Maya's chest and placed them firmly on her muscular shoulders. Maya blew lightly on her lover's nipple as she pulled her head away; sucking every bit she could before looking up at Virginia with an amused smirk. Virginia was at a lost for words, as she was now being suckled on by a woman she both admired and lusted after.

"What's wrong, Virgy? Have you not done this before?" Maya cackled, scooping Virginia's other breast into her hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"Mmm, no, Maya, I haven't even kissed anyone yet… You…" she moaned, writhing, as Maya's other hand captured her previously suckled breast and gave it an equally tantalizing squeeze "You're my first, Maya…"

"Hmm, that's surprising." frowned Maya playfully, releasing Virginia's breast and planting her hands firmly on her shoulders. "I'd think someone like you would have guys crawling on their knees after you." concluded Maya with a grin, slowly pushing Virginia back on the bed and climbing on top of her. Virginia looked toward the door, praying that Maya had locked it.

"Well, the only one that seems semi-interested in me is Gallows and, well, he's nice but… He's not really my…"… Maya cut the rests of Virginia's sentence off with a well-placed nip to her tummy.

"Not really your type?" finished Maya, rubbing the bite mark delicately and then moving her head down to lick it. Virginia groaned and arched her body up to meet Maya's loving licks. Maya smiled, looked up from her meticulous licking, and placed a warm hand on Virginia's stomach.

"Ma-Maya?" whimpered Virginia, for the first time in her Drifting career, feeling completely vulnerable in a sexual sense.

"Hush, now, let me do things my way." replied Maya, lowering her head and licking in a crooked, swaying, line, to Virginia's now peaked breast.

Virginia once again said nothing but let her body do the talking.

"You're so ripe, so soft." cooed Maya, circling Virginia's right nipple with her tongue as the she treated the left nipple with playful pinching and pulling. Virginia felt a strange feeling well up inside of her belly, a feeling that tickled her womanhood with warm pleasure and desire.

"Great… Guardians…" Groaned Virginia, arching her body up in time with Maya's fervent licks and sucks. Maya grinned to these words and snaked her free hand beneath Virginia's skirt, feeling, with a certain degree of pleasure, that she was already wet and warm.

"My, you really are enjoying this, aren't you?" she whispered, stroking Virginia's inner thigh as her tongue and hand worked on bringing Virginia's upper half unbelievable pleasure.

Virginia thrust against Maya's flexing hand and bucked with desire as she achieved her first orgasm.

"Gods, Maya… Mmm…" She tilted her head to the side and bit into a lump of tangled hair.

Well, so much for getting my hair brushed. She thought half dazedly, her vision blurring with joy and ecstasy.

"Yes…?" breathed Maya onto Virginia's nipple, sucking it in between chopped breaths.

"I want… More…"Virginia rasped, bucking, once again, against Maya's hand, which had now stared to stroke Virginia's pleasure spot with timing and care.

"Whatever you say…" whispered Maya into Virginia's chest, now moving her head a bit down south toward Virginia's belly.

"Maya, I… I…" The rest of her sentence was interrupted by Maya's tongue lapping hungrily at the bottom of her rib cage.

"Hush, we're almost there…" moaned Maya, increasing the cadence of her stroking hand as her free hand roamed down to her own, throbbing womanhood…

"Oh… "Virginia once again achieved climax, this time soaking through her leotard and dampening Maya's fingertips. Feeling this, Maya also came, biting her lip in ecstasy as she crashed down onto her previously working hand. She buried her face into Virginia's firm stomach and sighed with contentment. Virginia closed her eyes took in a couple of deep breaths. Several minutes passed until either one of the decided to speak up.

"Maya…" started Virginia, opening her eyes and tilting her head so that she could see her lover a bit more clearly. Maya tilted her head up so that her chin was resting on Virginia's still heaving tummy.

"What?" She asked, her blue eyes glittering with both love and annoyance.

"Thank you." smiled Virginia, reaching down and stroking Maya's golden locks lovingly. Maya returned the smile and removed her hand from beneath Virginia's dress.

"Don't thank me…" She looked over to the brush, which was still lying harmlessly on the head of the bed. "Thank the brush." She concluded, her smile widening. Virginia laughed and placed the back of her hand against her feverish forehead.

"Oh, Maya, what are we going to tell the guys when they ask what kept us?" chuckled Virginia, her breath just starting to return.

"Oh, we'll tell them that we got into a fight and had to clean up the room or something. Don't worry, we'll think of something." and, with that, they lay pressed against each other until they felt the need to get up and join the rest of the world.