Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

"No thank you Nagisa, I've had plenty," Miyuki lifted a palm to the younger girl declining the bowl of rice crackers.

"Can I get you another drink?" Shizuma offered.

"Ooh, well, now that's a tough one. Just a top up of brandy then… No! I said a top up, not a pint! Honestly Shizuma I'd say you were trying to get me drunk!"

"Well Tamao is well away, you may as well join her."

"Eh?" said Tamao from the other end of the sofa, "I'm where…? What?"

Dinner was over, as were three bottles of wine, four Irish coffees and a good part of a bottle of brandy. Outside it was dark and beginning to freeze again, it had stopped snowing hours ago, the night was clear and starry and the moon wasn't yet up. Nagisa had said more times than Shizuma cared to remember that with the freezing conditions, tomorrow would be perfect skiing weather. Needing to be as warm as possible, Shizuma had suggested they move from the dining table to the sofas around the fire. They'd pushed them apart and had sprawled on the thick sheepskin rugs and played cards for hours.

"Whay! Shizuma, I can quite understand who. Who? I mean why you like the warmth and hate the cold," Tamao chuckled, wiggling her bare toes in front of the fire. Miyuki got up off the rug and slumped down next to her. She smoothed down the skirt of her green dress.

A bit short. I hope I'm not too obvious.

"Mind your feet. You'll burn."

"Hm, you can kiss them better, eh?" Tamao smiled, twirling her brandy glass, "You're very good at that."

The black-haired girl gave her The Miyuki Stare.

"All done with the cards then?" Shizuma asked.

"Yeah, you've cleaned me out, I'm broke," Miyuki said grumpily.

"Nagisa darling? All done?"

"What?" Nagisa, lying flat on her back on the rug, pulled half a Pocky stick from her mouth and munched abstractedly, her eyes unfocused, cow-like.

"Honestly, girl, you could have done much better if you hadn't eaten most of your chips!" Shizuma chided.

"Taste good," Nagisa responded happily, munching on another chocolate covered biscuit, "strawberry ones are best."

"Yeah, and they were worth fifty each! You clot!"

"Don't care!" Nagisa pouted, "So spank me!"

Shizuma scowled at her, hm, just you watch what you wish for young lady… An image came into Shizuma's head, and she dwelt on it happily for a moment. Yeah, just watch it…

"Well, I'm done in!" Nagisa sat up, stretched, sticking her arms up wide, "Nnnnnyyyyyggggggg-aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Oh, yeah, that's good. Bed I think." She selected another 10-point dark chocolate Pocky-poker-chip and crunched it.

Shizuma got up and put the things away. "We'll turn in then," she said to the two girls on the sofa, "Leave the washing up, Nagisa loves to do that first thing in the morning, don't you my darling? I'll leave the rest of the brandy for you, too. Sleep well."

"Night-night!" Nagisa sang, stumbling up the stairs.

- - - o o o - - -

Miyuki watched the two women go along the balcony and into their room. Anytime now… she thought, expecting the gentle moans to begin almost at once, expecting the light muffled tones of Nagisa to rise gently in gurgling pitch and urgency while the deeper sighs of Shizuma would start slower and later but soon catch her lover up until Miyuki, unable to do anything but listen intently, would again reach that point where she could hardly bear to listen.

Damn you! You know what this is doing to me don't you?! I know you do you scheming cow! Five years with that hopeless gorilla and his horrible paws on me, five years of faked orgasms. His hands – ugh – when he wasn't groping me he was mentally screwing me over! I've not had a release in five years…

"They do look good together, don't they?" Tamao said gently. Miyuki turned to her, surprised she hadn't drifted off to sleep. She sipped her brandy.

"Does it turn you on? To listen?"
"Shizuma!"
"How about watching? Maybe you'd prefer that?"
"Shizuma! What has got into you?"

The conversation from the other morning went round and round her head. "Does it turn you on to listen? How about watching? Maybe you'd prefer that?"

"Damn you Shizuma!"

"Eh? Wha?" Tamao asked, "You 'right Miyuki?"

"Yeah, fine. Just tired."

"But don' you think so?"

"Hm?"

"Nagisa and Shizuma. They look good together?"

"You finally decided?"

"Yeah. Yes. I thing so. It was my dream, you know. To be what she wanted, to be someone she'd want to spen' her life with but I see what you mean now. She needs a stronger person, Shizu-mah's good for her, Nagisa likes to follow, not lead. Mm, me like tha' too I guess, I couldn't lead her, I'm not good enough."

"Nonesense," Miyuki assured her, "At the Etoile contest you led beautifully, you danced well."

"Ah, that… that was a long time ago. I was a crazy kid, ha, ha, that's all. Head over heels. I'd've done lots o' stupid things for the one I loved. It wasn't really me, I was quite different then – huh!"

Tamao ended with a small hiccup, at least Miyuki thought it was a hiccup.

"We should go to bed. Aren't you tired?"

"Yea, a little, but this is nice," she snuggled down in the soft seat and squished up more against the girl next to her.

"Do you have regrets?" the older woman asked.

"Mmm… yeah. Some but comin' away this trip has helped a lot. Seein' them together helped me work out I was silly to keep Na-chan in my heart so long. She's where she's happy now. I know that."

"Are you happy?"

"I'm happy knowin' she's happy."

"That's not what I meant," Miyuki transferred her glass to her other hand and put an arm along the back of the sofa behind Tamao.

"Hmmm… The other night when we talked. I'm, humm, confused."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yea, yeah I do."

Tamao went silent for a while. Miyuki watched her and thought how pretty her dark blue hair was. Do you color it? You must do. I wonder what your natural color is? She looked carefully at the hair roots but it was pure clean deep blue right to the scalp.

"These feelings I've been having…" the younger girl's voice was very soft now, soft and quiet. She didn't sound drunk anymore, "I'm confused. I love Nagisa, or I think I still do, yet… there's someone else I've begun to think about."

"Go on," Miyuki encouraged, I wonder what it feels like, to run my fingers through?

"She was my first love and I suppose you never get over it, so while I've met someone else I just measure this other person against her all the time. It's weird and a little confusing, like trying to listen to two radio stations at once. I want to listen to the new song but the old song won't stop playing in my head."

"Is the new song as good?"

"It's different. Na-chan is like a rock song, fun and noisy and modern. The new song is… hm, I can't decide. It feels like one of those classical pieces that is calmer and quieter and draws you in so you drift along. You think it might be a bit boring and serious but then it does surprising things like have a loud percussion section or a funny happy brass section that wakes you up and makes you laugh…. I like it."

"Which song would you rather listen to, Tamao?"

Shizuma's hair was thick and bouyant and heavy, when I washed it for her, it was like running my hands through silken wheat. This hair is…

…lighter, finer… I wonder…? Miyuki's thoughts were drifting, soaring.

"The new one, Miyuki, the new one…" Tamao's voice was even gentler now. She picked a Pocky stick out of the packet on the arm of the sofa and stuck it in her mouth. She turned her head a little towards the older woman and rested the side of her head on her shoulder.

"Yes. The new one." Miyuki mused, "I hope it's one of those songs that will grow on you. I hope so. It's rather a sad song at the moment, it's a song a lonely person might sing. But I think if someone else joined in it could become a happy song. Do you…? Tamao, would you like to join in… and sing?"

"Hm," a tiny nod, hesitant, "Yeah, yeah." The Pocky wagged up and down between her teeth.

"You know," Miyuki's voice was quiet now too, close to a whisper, "what you said about being a crazy kid and doing stupid things because you were young. I don't think that's true."

"Oh?"

"No, you can do crazy things and be stupid and silly even when you're old. Much older than I am. There are certain things that make me feel like being silly and dumb and doing crazy stuff, and I'm a divorced crusty old thing."

"You're not!" Tamao sat up, taking the biscuit stick out of her mouth she looked at the other woman.

"It's alright, I'm just joking. Exaggerating to make a point. But it's true. I do want to do crazy stuff…" Miyuki dropped her arm gently off the sofa back and laid it across Tamao's shoulders. Tamao glanced at the hand and rested back again. Miyuki put her drink down and with her free hand fiddled with her skirt.

"What sort of crazy stuff?" Tamao asked, leaning into the other woman more. She turned towards her a little and stuck the long thin sweet back in her mouth nibbling at the end.

"Let's see… crazy stuff like going on vacation at the drop of a hat with people you've not seen for years. Like pillow fights. Like, uh, snowball fights. Like maybe giving good night kisses to twenty year olds. And feeling funny. Feeling funny about the people I like…"

"Oh…" Tamao felt her heart start to do that odd bumpy thing. It hadn't done that for a long time. She felt a tingle like heat, like she wanted to sweat and her throat was suddenly dry. "Anything else?" she asked timidly.

"Maybe," Miyuki answered softly, "maybe – this." She turned to Tamao and stared at her for a long moment. Tamao felt the moment getting pulled out and pulled out like toffee. Stretching and stretching yet it wouldn't break. She couldn't break her eyes away. Her heart was thudding now, it felt like an engine was running fast inside her chest.

Then Miyuki moved, keeping eye contact she raised herself up a little and drew her arm out from behind the smaller girl, "Eep!" said Tamao as she fell back into the cushions. Miyuki turned and drew up her legs, sitting on one hip facing Tamao on the sofa, knees drawn up onto the cushion and to one side. She put a hand either side of the girl who was driving her insane, pushing down on her palms she raised herself up and was looking down on her. She dipped her head and bit the last inch or so off the Pocky stick. She crunched the biscuit.

"Hm, strawberry. My favorite too."

You're the one who's making me go crazy.

She came back and opened her mouth. Tamao stared at her lips. Miyuki bit down on the biscuit again and gently wiggled it a little between Tamao's teeth, then crunched off and chewed another inch. She stayed close watching Tamao carefully.

"Is this silly, do you think?" she whispered. Tamao, eyes wide, pressing back into the cushions, heart thundering, shook her head. Miyuki came again and bit once more. There was only an inch of the sweet sticking out now and her lips brushed Tamao's. This time as she held the biscuit and wiggled it with her teeth, her mouth caressed the other girl's. Tamao closed her eyes and let out a tiny whimper. Miyuki withdrew and chewed. She finished and regarded Tamao steadily.

"I think I missed a bit," she came back again and kissed Tamao, gently but firmly. She opened her mouth and ran her tongue along the other girl's lips, "Open up, you've got something in there I want," she breathed against the other girl's skin. Tamao, helpless, complied. Miyuki pushed her tongue in and forcing Tamao's mouth wide with her jaw found and retrieved the last fragment of biscuit. Kissing the other girl's mouth closed she withdrew and swallowed.

"Hm. I found a new favorite flavor. Strawberry and Tamao."

"Miyuki… I…"

"Is this stupid?"

The blue-haired girl shook her head.

"Is this crazy?"

She shook again, eyes like a rabbit in headlights.

"It feels crazy," Miyuki added seriously.

"No, it's not," Tamao managed to squeak.

"Maybe it's me then. Maybe it's what you're doing to me. Tamao, you make me feel like…" she kissed her again, "like I'm going crazy. Like I'm going to explode."

"Oh, Miyuki, yea… yes…"

"How many songs do you hear?" The older girl asked.

"What?"

"In your head, Tamao, how many songs are playing?"

"One… Miyuki. Just one."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes. I do. Very much."

"Sing it for me."

"Oh! Miyuki!" Tamao reached up and clasped her arms around the other woman's neck and hauled herself up against her. Not quite able to bear her weight, Miyuki collapsed down onto her, squashing them both back into the cushions. Tamao squealed, Miyuki giggled. Then they were both laughing. Miyuki put her arms round the other girl and hauled her back up. Still laughing Tamao pushed up too and they over-balanced, tumbling off the sofa onto the thick hairy rug. Miyuki howled as Tamao landed on her just missing the brandy bottle.

"Not again! Get off me!"

"Ha, ha, haaa, I'm so sorry!"

"No! Are you some sort of climbing, tickling monster?"

"Yeah!" Miyuki's green dress prevented Tamao getting at her stomach so she went for her armpits instead and Miyuki writhed and giggled.

"Nooo, no noo! Twice is too much. Get orfff!" She rolled over pushing Tamao onto her back. Tamao grinned up at her.

"Is this crazy?" the blue-haired girl asked, smiling.

"Yes. Very. Insanely. Stupidly crazy!"

"Good."

Tamao lay there a moment smiling up at the girl who she realised was the song she wanted to sing. Her chest rose and fell with her panting breath.

"I'm glad," she said, then, "Miyuki, can I ask something that's really crazy?"

Miyuki reached out for a tangle of that mysterious blue hair that she wanted so much to feel. She ran her fingers through its silky falling lightness. She smiled back and nodded. Tamao reached for that hand and lifted it, squeezing. She paused a moment as though considering her next move then lowered their joined hands to her chest, uncurling Miyuki's hand she pressed it to herself where she curved.

"Make love to me."

- - - o o o - - -

Miyuki's head began to buzz with a funny feeling. She felt like she might float away as though gravity had gone horribly wrong somehow. She knew this feeling, she'd never felt it in five years of marriage yet she remembered it, she'd felt it some days at Miator when Shizuma had stared at her, or helped her get dressed, or washed her hair. She leaned down and kissed Tamao again. She lifted her head.

"Be certain about this."

Tamao nodded, "I am."

"This is sudden. Are you sure?"

The girl lying on her back nodded again, she squeezed the hand that cupped her breast, "Onegai. Miyuki, I like this song a lot."

The older woman leaned in again and kissed Tamao once more. This time she didn't break the kiss but made it go on. And on. She turned her head to the side more and opened her mouth and thrust in. Tamao moaned and allowed Miyuki to enter her, Miyiuki began to breath harder, her breath came in needy rasps, Tamao gasped under her and pushed her tongue back. Miyuki closed her lips on it and sucked it, drawing it out more and into her own mouth. The two girl's breaths mingled faster and Miyuki squeezed her hand gently testing the shape and firmness of the girl under her.

"Uh…Yuki…yeah…" Tamao breathed. Miyuki knelt up more and pressed a knee between Tamao's and pushed it up against her warm center, applying pressure, the girl on her back lifted her outer leg, bending the knee, letting Miyuki's thigh press down on her more. She could feel it starting already, that glowing urgent heat, a small blooming thing like a flower opening at her core. She lifted her spine off the rug and thrust her tongue at her lover. With her other leg, the one that was between Miyuki's, she pushed the knee up until it pressed tight up between the black-haired woman's legs. The older girl pushed down, pressing herself against it, sliding forwards and back a little. Miyuki too felt it beginning to happen, her body preparing, opening. Miyuki broke the kiss and planted other kisses over Tamao's face, her nose, her eyelids, her brow, her ears and down her jaw. She was moving faster now, more frantically, years of faking enjoyment were caged inside her, desperate for release.

Kissing and licking down Tamao's soft white neck over a bumping rapid pulse that beat there she nuzzled under her chin and down into the hollow below her throat. Taking her hand from Tamao's breast she began to undo the buttons of her black shirt. Tamao wriggled under her, eager and restless, pulling at cuff buttons and dragging the shirt out of her jeans, flapping her arms stupidly to wiggle off the cuffs. Miyuki peeled the shirt open and pushed it back off her shoulders, dragging it down and off then throwing it away somewhere. Tamao lay back on the rug, the heat of the hearth warming her side.

Miyuki knelt over her and looked.

"Pretty. So pretty…" she whispered, Tamao blushed. Miyuki reached out and lay her fingers on the curved side of Tamao's breast and stroked her through the thin sheer black bra, "I would never have guessed, a girl like you, dressing like this."

"Oh?" Tamao responded, "What sort of girl do you think I am?"

"One that drives me crazy."

Using just the pad of her forefinger Miyuki began to trace circles on the other girl's breast. Through the thin nylon she could see the dark hint of the sensitive tip which she carefully avoided, circling round and round slowly spiraling in to the peak. Tamao closed her eyes and moaned again, tilting her head back. Miyuki took her finger away and Tamao moaned in annoyance, then she pressed it to the other breast and this time scraping with her fingernail repeated her teasing circles, moving slowly closer to the place she knew Tamao needed to be touched.

"Yeah, uhmm, please…"

"Wait. Patience you naughty girl," Miyuki stopped the caress and leaned down to kiss her lover again, this time it was Tamao who in her need opened her mouth and thrust in. Miyuki pulled away, smiling and giggling.

"Pleeeease…" the blue-haired girl whimpered. Lifting her skirt, Miyuki put her leg across and straddled Tamao. The younger girl shuffled her legs apart forcing Miyuki to kneel over her, her legs widely parted too. Miyuki came in for another kiss, resting on her elbows she ran her fingers through that amazing long hair. For a while there was no sound as the two women pressed and writhed together, just low moans and gasps and whimpers. Tamao let go of the other woman's hair and ran her hands down her sides, here she grabbed handfuls of skirt. Miyuki's green dress had short loose sleeves and a plunging neckline, a gathered bodice and a knee length full skirt. Tamao was able to pull up the skirt to seek out what was beneath it. Running her fingers eagerly up the nyloned leg, her touch met bare flesh and a garter clip.

"Stockings?" she murmured against Miyuki's mouth.

"Hm, you like?" Her lover smiled.

"Yeah, hm, ooh, yes."

Her fingers ran higher and round and behind and cupped Miyuki's rear, stroking the slippery satin of her panties before pulling the two halves apart and running down that warm enticing groove to the place she had to touch…

"Uhn," Miyuki moaned and kissed harder, grinding her mouth against a gasping Tamao as the younger girl's fingers found her goal and slid onto satin that was even slicker and hotter. She could – just – reach where she needed and as she pressed her fingers there, cupping the sweetly curving divided shape in Miyuki's panties, pushing fingertips into the moist depression there, the older woman let out a long gasping groan against her mouth.

"Uuuuurrrrrhm, yes," Miyuki encouraged.

"Good?"

"God, yes."

"Kneel up."

"Hm?"

"Kneel up."

Miyuki broke the kiss and pushed herself up, she was losing control, she could sense that thing beginning in her belly that would build and build and lead her to only one destination. Tamao moved her other hand around and burrowed under the front of Miyuki's skirt seeking out the same place from a different direction.

"Dress. Off. Take dress off," she rasped, giggling, and Miyuki, surprised at the active role Tamao had suddenly assumed reached up behind her shoulders and drew down the zip, then gathering up folds of the material she pulled it hurriedly and gracelessly up over her head, dragging her underslip with it and casting them away. She leaned back down, palms flat on the rug and gazed hungrily at Tamao. The younger girl wished she had two more hands, seeing Miyuki's beautiful breasts dangling before her, so much bigger than her own, she wanted to cup and squeeze and gently weigh them.

Later, time for that later, everything later… she told herself, right now I need to…

She teased Miyuki from two directions now, encouraging her to shuffle up her body a little so she could reach around behind as well as in front… her hand cupped the sweetly domed front of the black-haired girl's panties and was almost scalded by the heat and delighted by the slickness.

"God… uh, Yuki…? You're soaking!"

"Please… Tamao, just please… I need this… I need… oh, fuck me," Miyuki bowed her head to kiss the other girl again. Holding her weight on one hand she popped the front catch of her bra with the other and squeezed her breast, pinching and rolling the aching tip. Sharp scalding darts of pleasure stabbed deep inside her connecting her nipple to her groin in a line of agonizing pleasure.

Tamao's eyes opened wide at Miyuki's need. She'd always thought the girl so calm and reserved, cold even, and surely she'd been looked after by Gregory this last five years? Maybe not, maybe that side of the marriage hadn't worked either? If not… God, she must be desperate, Tamao thought.

It became clear within minutes that Miyuki was, indeed, desperate. As Tamao's fingers busily pleasured her, Miyuki knelt, open and wet and gazed in awe into the blue-haired girl's eyes. Tamao could hardly bear to look at her, her face a mask of aching need and lust.

For you, for the last five years my angel, this is for you, I want to do this for you…

Miyuki was a never ending source of surprises tonight. As Tamao dipped her hand down inside the front of the older woman's panties her fingers found scalding slick smooth flesh, baby smooth. Tamao's eyes widened in surprise, she didn't think they could widen any more but eager to give this girl the gift she so obviously needed, she parted the folds with thumb and second finger and lifting her forefinger up between she scraped upwards against the most special place of all. Scraped the pad across, then her fingernail…

"Ah! Uhrrrr…! Yeah! Yes! Yessss!" Miyuki stared at Tamao as she began to go, began to lose it, "Crazy… make me crazy… for you, I wanna go… yeah, make me… make me go…! Tamao, please! Aaaah! YES!"

Miyuki slumped down onto Tamao's shoulder, her mouth open and twitched and spasmed against her lover as pleasure took her and sent her collapsing inwards into herself tightly, tightly, sooo tight folding down and in, before exploding out in every direction. Her mind went whirling and spinning away to a thousand places as she screamed and bit at Tamao's neck and pulsed strongly once, twice, three times on her lovers fingers. Bringing her arms up on her elbows she collapsed gratefully down moaning and gurgling and satisfied. She ran her fingers through Tamao's hair and kissed her again and again.

"Arigato… arigato... arigato gozaimasu… you are… so beautiful…"

"Sshhhh, shush, now, it's okay, shush, rest now, shhhhh…" Tamao was stunned at the strength of Miyuki's orgasm. It was like the girl had never come before in her life…

"My God, my God, so good, so very good… thank you so much…" Miyuki was mumbling incoherently.

"It was just my fingers, that's all."

"God, what else can you do you beautiful creature?"

"Drive you crazy?"

"Hmmm… ah… Please."

Tamao withdrew her fingers and brought her hands up to caress her lovers face. She smelled Miyuki's exciting pungent scent. The sharp marine smell made her nostrils flare. She couldn't resist, she put her fingers to her mouth and sucked them clean. Miyuki watched her, kissing her all the while and sharing the flavor.

"Hm, forget strawberry Pocky, I just found something much nicer," she smiled.

"Suzumi Tamao! You are so rude!"

"Somehow," she replied, hugging Miyuki to her, "I think that's going to be a big plus point."

"Arigato."

"Come on, it's okay. You don't have to keep saying that," Tamao was becoming concerned.

"Uh, I know, I know, it's just…" Miyuki sniffed.

"Miyuki? Are you…? Are you crying?"

"Please Tamao, it's nothing."

"Oh, my God, my baby. Come here!" Tamao pushed the older woman up and kneeling, and drawing the weeping Miyuki up against her hugged her again, fiercely and protectively.

"What is it? Tell me."

"Uh, it's… It's just. Ta-Tamao, that was. My. It was my…"

"Your first? Your first time?"

Miyuki nodded against her shoulder, the tears came faster now. Tamao was stunned. A woman so cool, so. Elegant, so – in control. So… So right in every way and she had never done this before…

"Even alone?" Tamao asked, wishing at once that she hadn't. Miyuki nodded again and snuggled closer. Tamao hugged harder. For several minutes neither woman spoke, Tamao became a rock, merely something for her drowning lover to cling to. She stroked her hair over and over and murmured things she wouldn't remember. Small inconsequential cute things. Then Miyuki spoke. What she said next devastated the younger girl.

"Gregory was useless, worse than useless. He was horrible. He never satisfied me, not once in five years. He just enjoyed himself and used me. I faked it. I lied to him and pretended that he pleased me. I guess… I guess I thought it was my fault, that I was cold and couldn't excite him enough for him to make me go there.

"Before that, my years at Miator I shared a room with Shizuma, I wished… It was my dream, my wish that she would love me and touch me. So I never touched myself, I saved myself for her to have me.

"And she never did," Miyuki continued, "I felt that doing it on my own was somehow an insult to her, even after she and Nagisa met.

"But with Gregory I think there was something else. He was a guy. He… he really revolted me. So maybe it was my fault. I tried lots of things to make myself more appealing to him. I wore pretty underwear, I really grew to enjoy wearing stockings. I stopped wearing pantyhose years ago, I can't bear it now. I shaved myself thinking he'd like it. He did, but that still didn't make him a better lover. Huh… I was always remembering Astrea and how much fun I had among you all. You might laugh at that, Cold Hearted Rokujo Miyuki having fun! But I did, because of the warmth you all showed me. And this week… it's not about Shizuma, or you or Nagisa or even Yaya and Tsubomi, it's not about love, it's about all of you. Girls. I'm comfortable around you all. It's about.

"Friends. Friendship. My marriage was friendless and this week I have found it again. Pillow fighting, playing cards, skiing, getting drunk, making jokes, snowballing, eating way too much, silly breakfasts, laughing, playing, going crazy.

"And loving. You girls, you know. You're amazing. I missed you so much. I love you so much. All of you.

"And you, Tamao, my darling. You do send me crazy. I love you most of all. I want… I want to get to know you, hear my song. Learn the lines, pick up the tune, understand the backbeat, everything. Sing with me. Please."

Tamao said nothing for a while. She just hugged the weeping woman against her all the harder and wondered at the unjustness of the world and at the strength of spirit of the girl she held in her arms.

I want to free that spirit. I want to see it fly.

"Do you want to go to bed?" she asked a long time later.

"No. Yes. I mean here. Let's sleep here. I want to, where I first. Where you first made me feel complete," Miyuki was almost shy.

"Yes," Tamao comforted her, "I'd love to."

The blue-haired girl stood up and unclipped her bra and dropped it aside and smiling at the other girl, undid the stud of her jeans and peeled them down. They were so tight they were almost sprayed on and she wiggled prettily as she pushed them off. Miyuki watched entranced as Tamao slid her black panties down and daintily lifted one leg then the other and cast them away. Miyuki held up a hand to stop her and placing her palms on the backs of her thighs looked closely at her center.

"It's your natural color?" she asked.

"Of course. Did you think I dyed it?"

"I wasn't sure. I guess…"

"Well, does it really matter? And you feel so good there with none at all, maybe you'd make me like you?"

Miyuki smiled, "Hm, now that's one thing I'm an expert at. I think you'll like it. I'm so much more sensitive there this way. But your color, it is pretty. I think I'd like to leave a little there…" she moved forward and planted a kiss, "on the front, to remind me what a beautiful color it is."

She stood up and let drop her undone bra. Tamao looked at her chest, so beautiful, she thought. Miyuki went to step out of her panties but Tamao stopped her.

"No. My job. Undressing Miyuki-chan is Tamao's job from now on."

She knelt in from of her lover and gently drew the small bottle green garment down. A long string of Miyuki's moisture came down with it, joining the panties to her belly. Tamao put her tongue out and caught it, breaking it and gathering it back up to her lover's groin where she licked it off, kissing away the last of it. Miyuki shivered and put a hand on Tamao's hair.

"Be patient," the kneeling girl said, "we've all night."

She stared at Miyuki's center, "So pretty. You are so pretty. Make me like that."

Miyuki went to unclip her stockings but Tamao stopped her.

"No, leave them on. You look so good in them. Sleep with me in them."

Miyuki looked down at her, a hot flush of arousal went through her.

"Suzumi Tamao you are a naughty girl!"

"Can I show you how naughty? Let's do this properly. Take me to bed. Make love to me."

She pulled some cushions off the sofa for pillows and dragged the big sheepskin rug half over to make a covering for them.

"Now, now, young lady, control yourself, we have all night," Miyuki chided, adding more logs to the fire.

"Well I guess, but for what I want to do to you, it might not be long enough."

"Come here," Miyuki knelt down, arms outstretched, "Let me love you."

The two girls came together, the younger woman had expected to learn from her sempai but found instead that she was the teacher. She also found she was looking forward to being a teacher. She knew from her happy days at Miator that in the very best and closest teacher-student relationships both parties would learn from each other.

- - - o o o - - -

Shizuma had not closed their bedroom door completely, she had been hoping that some tell-tale sound might reach her. She lay on her back, arms raised over her head, hands gripping the headboard, fingers tensed. Her bare chest rose and fell urgently. Lower down under the covers somewhere Nagisa was doing what Nagisa did best, what she loved to do. As Shizuma gasped and her back arched involuntarily in response to the searing pleasure she heard again a sharp and quickly cut-off cry from beyond the room, from down by the hearth. With the last threads in her mind still able to reason, she turned her head to look at her clock. The glowing hands assured her that it was already past four in the morning and Shizuma was overcome with delight at hearing the cries from downstairs yet again. She'd lost count now. She turned her head back and squeezed her eyes shut, smiling inwardly in joy that Miyuki had finally come home, back where she belonged, back among those who loved her, back among those who…

Coherent thought ended, Shizuma's mind went away, Nagisa taking her once again to the place she loved to take her.

- - - o o o - - -

Tamao lay on her front across Miyuki, the two lovers were still at last. The younger girl ran a fingertip along a jaw, down a throat, across a collarbone and onto a breast. A speckle of sweat lay in the hollow of the collarbone and she reached up and kissed it away. It was salty and warm and held that slight flavor, unmistakably now her favorite flavor, better than all the sweets in the world.

Miyuki

It was a flavor, a name, a song, a cry, a hug.

Miyuki

It was a need, a friend, a laugh, a kiss.

Miyuki

It was a heart, a held hand, a falling tear, a touch. It was crazy. It was everything Tamao needed.

Everything.

She looked up at her lover's face, the woman was finally asleep. You must be shattered, poor thing. Tamao studied the face a moment, saw the joy and peace there and reaching up kissed that beautiful mouth one final time.

She wanted to do one last thing. Untying the (now damp) red ribbon from her wrist she pulled Miyuki's arm down from where it lay above her head and tied the ribbon to that wrist. When she finished she kissed the bow, then the wrist itself, then the warm damp palm.

"This ribbon I will never untie," she murmured.

Daylight was coming, pink light was at the window. Tamao sighed. She lifted aside the rug and looked lower, the flat pale belly gently rose and fell, her fingers swept a sheen of sweat across it, dimpling at the navel, then moving lower to that smooth domed pretty place, most wonderful of places, Tamao rested her hand, cupping her lover and holding her tenderly and secure.

Miyuki stirred in her sleep a little murmur of unease. Tamao let her hand lie still.

She looked at Miyuki's chest, her nipples were puffy and wet, swollen. Tamao was surprised they weren't damaged, the amount of biting and chewing the poor things had endured this night. She turned her head to one side and drew one of the pretty points between her lips and gently suckled it.

"Hnnn…" Miyuki murmured. Tamao became still. Sleep now, day is coming, a long day, we have all day, all week, all of everything. Rest now my love. Rest.

With hand and fingers and mouth Tamao protected the person beneath her. She closed her eyes. She heard only one song but felt no regret. She was content. Sleep came.