Story: Lulu Sutra (all chapters)

The winter storms rolled across the island in waves, clusters of squalls like great paws slowly stalking across the sea. During one of the lulls, Lulu had stepped out of her small hut set back in the trees to feel the light mist of the sky breathing on her skin.

The sky grumbled from rim to rim, rocking the earth underfoot. The trees creaked and shuddered restlessly, branches thrashing in an unsteady wind that gusted hard, then dropped, then picked up again, buffeting her from side to side. In the middle of the square, the remains of the night's campfire and a few carelessly-discarded bottles lay scattered around it. Clicking her tongue, she went forward to gather them up before Wakka caught sight of the mess; he was still a little dubious about Yuna's Al Bhed visitors. Stacking them under the outer awning of her hut, she returned to the open air and tilted her face towards the hidden roof of low-hanging clouds, closing her eyes as the rain began to spit again, pricking against her cheeks.

Some inner instinct drew her straight and tall, senses tingling, and she opened her eyes an instant before a liquid white flash bathed every hut and trunk and strut of the temple in lightning's sharp-shadowed clarity. There was a splintering, deafening crack that rattled right up through her spine, and somewhere in the jungle behind the temple a tree bade farewell to its crown, severed and shattered into a hundred pieces raining down on the soaked forest floor below. She felt the delayed thump as the remains of the upper trunk came crashing to the ground. The mage gave a respectful nod for showmanship.

However, in the midst of the tumult there had been a very different sound, a faint whimpering cry all but drowned by the thunder. It sounded oddly familiar. Lulu turned slowly, allowing her eyes to adjust to the damp and the dark and foggy rain, and spotted a small wretched figure huddled against a pillar of the temple walkway.

The sorceress headed towards her, recognizing the crest of hair dripping down behind skinny shoulders at once. "Rikku?" she called with a trace of sternness. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm allowed to be in the temple if I want!" the girl huffed, hands pressed against the stone and forehead pressed against her hands. "Just... leave me alone, okay?"

"Rikku, it's me," Lulu said patiently. "And you're not in the temple. Why are you out in the rain?"

The Al Bhed gave a faint moan as another peal of thunder rippled and crackled its way across the sky. "I... um... why are you out here, Lulu?"

"Because I enjoy the storm." The taller woman set her hands on Rikku's shoulders gently, and discovered that she was nearly as rigid as the stone support she was huddled under. "As I recall, you don't. Come inside. You're getting chilled. And the rain's going to pick up again in a moment."

She'd said the magic words, apparently. With as much dignity as she could muster while dripping, Rikku raised her head and gave a casual shrug. "Well, okay. Like, I was going into the temple in a minute anyway."

"My place," Lulu corrected. "I'll fix you something warm. All right?"

"Really? Oh, cool. I haven't gotten to see your house yet." She perked up and tagged after the taller woman leading her back into the trees, but somehow managed to arrive at the door several strides ahead of her as the rain started to sheet down in earnest.

"Oh, man," Rikku said, shaking herself off vigorously outside the door and then ducking inside. "Can't you make it stop or something, Lulu? This was just totally the wrong time to visit you guys." There was still an odd quaver in her voice. She wrapped her arms around herself and fidgeted from foot to foot in the darkness while Lulu slipped past her, snapping her fingers over a few hanging lamps that flickered to life with a refreshingly golden glow nothing like the cold, baleful glare of the lightning. The mage leaned over a potbellied ceramic stove set near the back wall and coaxed the coals to life. A promising red glow crinkled behind the grill. Then she drew out two oversized towels from a chest at the foot of the bed, bringing one over to drape around the dripping girl's shoulders. It was soft and fluffy like chocobo feathers, but it was still black. Rikku snuggled into it with a faint smirk. "Thanks, Lulu."

The older woman hung her own towel on a coat-peg and reached for the ties of her sleeveless gown, which was clinging to her like snakeskin. "I suggest you hang up your wet things to dry. You can stay the night, if you wish. The storm's not likely to let up any time soon." In fact, she had to raise her voice slightly; the rain was drumming hard on the wood-and-canvas roof. Rikku thought it sounded a little like the engines of the airship, which made it less intimidating.

She hesitated, hovering on the doormat with the towel wrapped around her shoulders. "So..." she said, shyly watching Lulu peel herself out of her clothes like some kind of jungle fruit. The woman swapped her gown for the towel hanging on the hook, draped it neatly around herself, and rolled the edges over. Noticing Rikku's scrutiny, she lifted an eyebrow, then glanced towards the door. "Don't worry. Even if it weren't raining, I don't get surprise visitors."

"Heh. Guess not," Rikku said a little enviously. She waited for Lulu to turn away before slipping out of her shorts and unbuckling her orange top. At least it was getting too tight now across the chest, but Lulu's inadvertent reminder had vividly underscored Rey's drunken words earlier this evening. Meanie. She was going to be a "real" woman like Lulu too, in just a few more years. She tied the towel around herself, trying to imitate the way the older woman had tucked the edges under, and retrieved her wet scarf to cover her neck and shoulders. "Yuck," she muttered under her breath, spreading it over tender spots she would rather not have to explain to the worldly-wise Lulu, who probably had graduated from hickeys to something way cooler before Rikku got her first set of safety screwdrivers.

The quiet sorceress has been bustling around the cozy hut while Rikku undressed. A kettle was sitting on the stove-top now, and a few cushions were drawn up on either side of a low table, where Lulu had set out two earthenware mugs. A stack of folded blankets had been placed beside the table. Standing by the stove, she reached up and plucked one of several bundles of herbs hanging overhead, drawing out a few dried clusters of leaves and dropping them into a strainer. "Now then," she said, noticing that Rikku was still hovering on the doormat. "Please, make yourself at home." She spoke soothingly over another more distant rumble of thunder.

Feeling a little less sodden, Rikku began to circle the hut, prowling and picking things up and snooping. There was a a tall narrow rack filled with scrollcases stacked on their sides, but books weren't really her thing. Instead, she entertained herself for a while poking through a cabinet holding neat vials of odd-colored liquids and powders, teeth, scales, crystals, bits of hair, bones, and other souvenirs she recognized from their pilgrimage, which were probably part of the reason the witch's hut received so few visitors. It was nice, really. There were lots of herbs hanging from the ceiling, and only a few lizard skins. Rikku remembered that the red ones made good seasoning in a pinch. There were beads and necklaces up there too -- Lulu had some fantastic jewelry -- and of course a mirror large enough to encompass the mage's elaborate do. An oval-shaped bed against the wall was ample enough for two, but had just one pillow. Near the bed, a hanging green curtain concealed a line strung across the wall, from which hung a collection of gowns and dresses and corsets. There was also a really spiffy pair of high boots flopped over below. Rikku would have to find some boots like that, only not black, of course.

She realized belatedly that Lulu was sitting all prim and proper watching her explorations with a faint smile. Grinning and pointing at the boots with a thumb's up, Rikku pattered over and sat down on the cushion closest to the fire, wrapping a blanket over her legs. "So how's Wakka? I didn't see him tonight."

Lulu gave an eloquent head-shake. "He's not exactly... fond... of your friends." She gazed at the wall. "I haven't spoken to him in a week."

"Oh boy." Rikku looked up anxiously. "He... um... bothering you again?"

Lulu folded her hands in her lap and sighed. "He needs to make up his mind once and for all whether he's playing this year. And if not, he needs to find something else to do with himself. Quickly," she added irritably.

Rikku winced. "Well, good luck," she said wistfully. Lulu arched an eyebrow at the odd note in her voice, so she added hastily, "I mean... sometimes he just takes a while to make up his mind. He really likes you, though, y'know?"

Lulu chuckled at the oblique remark. "I had noticed." She reached out and adjusted one cup minutely on the table. "No, he hasn't proposed. He hasn't even tried to bring up the subject. Not a single stammer."

Rikku put a hand to her forehead and shook it in an unconscious imitation of the mage. "Oh, man. Why don't you ask him? I mean... if you... that is..."

Lulu smiled. "We'll see." She gazed down at the table. "I can't always be telling Wakka what to do. He needs to learn a lesson from you and Yuna and find his own path."

Rikku perked up slightly, then started as the kettle began to squeal. Lulu poured her a spiced herb drink that smelled a little like one of Rin's specials. Rikku leaned forward and wrapped her hands around her warm cup gratefully. She heard a faint gasp and looked up.

Lulu was staring at her curiously, and Rikku suddenly realized the scarf she was wearing had slipped down. She dropped the mug with a slosh and scrambled to cover up the red and purple bite-marks, blushing.

Lulu smiled over the rim of her mug and sat back so calmly that Rikku exhaled in relief. "Yeah," she said with a crooked smile. "Got myself a boyfriend!"

"So I see." She took another quiet sip. "Looks like fun."

Rikku found her smile and polished it nicely and showed her teeth, although she didn't answer. The mage was also smart, that was the trouble.

"So, why were you out in the rain tonight?" the older woman asked gently. "I assumed you'd gone back to the ship with your friends." There was the softest lilt on the word "friends", but it wasn't teasing, it was just knowingness from one girl to another, and really that ought to be okay.

It wasn't, though. Rikku tipped her mug back, finishing off the cup and setting it down before she said, "Well, you know, I can hang out with them any time. I thought I'd stop by Yunie's, only then the rain caught me and--"

"Rikku." Lulu laid a hand across her wrist and the words just stopped and the Al Bhed girl squinched her face up tight.

"It's nothing, it's just, we fight sometimes, okay? Like you and Wakka. He was kinda drunk and--"

The fingers across her wrist tightened infinitesimally, and the sudden sharp glower in Lulu's eyes was directed past her shoulder. "I see." The woman frowned. "This wouldn't be that young man who--"

"The one I stopped you from turning into a cinder. Yeah. Rey. That jerk." She blinked rapidly, and squeezed out another smile. "I should be really mad at you, y'know? The boys all think you're so pretty, even the ones who don't say it."

"Ah." Lulu's thumb stroked her hand lightly. "Well, I cannot apologize for being what I am. But you're a lovely person, Rikku, and any man should be happy enough in your company. I envy that bright spark in you that lifts the spirits of everyone around you."

Rikku blinked. "Really?" She smirked. "Well, yeah, because I'm Rikku! That's what I do."

"That's right." She poured the girl another cup of tea, expression troubled. "So enjoy yourself. Just be sure you're being true to yourself, Rikku-- you're not me, and you have your own very special magic. Remember why you were so angry at Yuna for being a Summoner: because she was sacrificing herself for others. There are more subtle ways of doing that."

"Uh, right." Rikku fiddled with the edge of the wet scarf, finally gave up and shucked it off with a shrug. There had to be some snappy comeback in here somewhere, a way to show that happy ol' Rikku was a-ok, everything under control, nothing to worry about. "I guess you're right. Sometimes you can be such a wet blanket, Lulu!" she teased.

"Hmm," the mage said, glancing down. "Perhaps. But right now, you are getting my blankets wet." She capped her mouth with a hand, yawning discreetly. "Speaking of which, let me fetch another pillow. Will you be all right sharing?"

It was an odd question to ask, considering how often the cousins had bunked together to save money on the pilgrimage. Then again, that had been just Yunie; Lulu usually got a room to herself. Rikku nodded a little shyly, finishing her second cup as Lulu moved past her to arrange the bed, adding a few extra fluffy blankets. Yes, /fluffy/. They were thick and soft and looked more stuffed than Wakka's tummy. Rikku supposed black leather sheets would be uncomfortable even for Lulu.

"Hey, no problem!" Rikku gathered up the cups and got her arms wet again sticking the dishes outside the door for an easy rinse, then came back to find Lulu had set out for her a sort of green shimmery thing that was probably a slip and was definitely not something a girl would wear. "Oh, cool."

"Sorry about the bows." Lulu looked faintly embarrassed. "Chappu got it for me."

Rikku grinned, slipping it over her head and letting the towel drop. There were, indeed, bows. Right over both tits. With dangly ribbons. "Oh boy. You probably looked really cute in it."

"It didn't fit." Lulu chuckled, slipping into something a little more sober. "Thank goodness." She circled around, putting out the lights.

~ * ~

The rain drummed relentlessly on the roof, and the thunder wouldn't stop; every time a cell moved off another rolled in, growling and shaking up the island. Rikku was a little more resigned to it than she used to be, but she had other reasons for being restless tonight. She tried not to disturb Lulu, who lay dozing lightly like a sphere full of secrets, an enigma on the opposite pillow. Rikku liked the way her braids and the straps of her nightgown made black stripes over her neck and shoulders, visible even in the dark. The Al Bhed had never really been afraid of her, although Tidus had warned her long ago that the mage was Scary, but she was still a little intimidating.

Rikku decided she needed to do something more creative with her own braids. She sighed and turned for the hundredth time, trying to get comfortable. Maybe the bed was just too soft.

"Rikku?" She felt a hand brush lightly over her head, stroking her the way Lulu used to fuss with Yunie's hair on their road together. "Come here."

"I'm sorry," the Al Bhed said muzzily. "I don't want to keep you awake."

"It's all right. I like the company. It's been a while."

It sounded weirdly like a proposition, but that didn't seem likely. Rikku rolled over sleepily and snuggled up to the woman the way she used to cling to Yunie, making sure her cousin wouldn't sneak off to fight Sin in the middle of the night and get killed without her. It wasn't quite the same, though, because Lulu was a lot bigger in front. And squishy. The mage settled an arm around her.

"Lulu?" Rikku whispered, shifting her hips restlessly. "Why does it hurt so much? I mean it's fun and...really fun... and all... but still... isn't it supposed to be all swish-and-yum tingly?"

"Mmm." The older woman sounded faintly amused by her description, but responded frankly. "It shouldn't hurt after the first few times. Unless you want it to hurt." She paused, pondered, and added gently, "Your hips are a little narrow. Is he...big?"

Rikku giggled. "He says he is. But I don't think so. I mean, I haven't gotten too many chances to compare so far."

"Men always boast. I'm not sure what they're trying to prove, other than the fact that they would be useful for plugging leaks in a sinking boat." That drew another faint giggle. "It sounds to me like he's playing a little rough."

Rikku tensed. "Yeah, maybe. But it's just for fun, y'know?"

"His fun?" The frown was audible. "So if I'd made you stand outside with me all night, that would be all right, because I like lightning?"

"Ummmm..." Rikku shook her head. "I guess not. 'Cause you're not that cruel." Except maybe to Wakka she added silently. A huge yawn suddenly overtook her. Maybe she was finally getting sleepy despite the storm.

"Exactly." Lulu sighed irritably. "I've half a mind to show you what it should feel like, so you can teach him. Or make different choices."

Speaking of tingly. Rikku gaped at the woman, but it probably didn't show in the dark. "You're not serious. Aw, man, I bet he'd be jealous!"

"Probably." Lulu sounded as collected as ever. "An idle thought. I might be able to show you a few pointers sometime, if you like. Now go to sleep. Try. Or I'm going to have to use something stronger on you."

"Lulu!" the Al Bhed grumbled. "I thought that stuff smelled a little funny." She yawned again. "Cheater." She snuggled a little closer. Story Index 1. Tea and Cookies... or tea and nookie? 2. Women's Mysteries

Rikku awoke in gray, gray, gray. The air outside of the blankets was cold and damp, and she hastily withdrew her foot that had slipped off the edge of the oddly-shaped bed. Rain was still sloshing and scrabbling endlessly against the heavy canvas skin of the hut. The bed trembled again as a rumble of thunder rolled across the island like a Ronso cub clambering on a dozing elder's stomach. Reason one hundred and thirty-five for living on an airship: being able to get above cloud cover. On the other hand, the airship currently contained a crabby boyfriend with a hangover.

The numbing patter of the rain was calling her back to sleep. However, there was another faint noise mixed in with it that seemed determined to thwart the rain's best intentions.

Scritch scritch scritch.

Scritch.

Scritch scritch.

What the?

Rikku waited for the scratching to stop. She had the vague suspicion that the penalty for opening her eyes might be that she had to get up and do something about it. So she lay quite still, wondering whether a rodent had gotten into the hut and was gnawing a nest for itself.

Oh, but what if it was chewing a hole in Lulu's spiffy boots?

Peeling open an eye, she was surprised to discover that the scritchy-scritchy sound seemed to be coming from Lulu herself, standing before the mirror with her back to the bed. Before Rikku could work out what she was doing, the noise stopped, and the woman tossed something that clinked into a basket clipped to the wall. Then she sailed towards the stove, swinging the kettle off the front burner just as it began to gurgle. Behind it was a cast-iron pot from which wafted a promising scent of herbs and spices. Gliding over to the short table where two mugs were waiting, the mage poured the first cup with that behold-my-boobs maneuver that Rikku used to find infuriating.

"Good morning, Lulu!" she said drowsily. "You're not spiking the tea again, are you?"

"Oh!" The older woman looked up and smiled. "No, not this time. I hope I didn't wake you." She poured the second cup and moved back to the stove to stir the simmering pot.

Rikku stretched out an arm and a leg, wrinkled her nose at the humid air, and snuggled back down under the blankets. "Nope. But why are you up so early?"

"It's not that early." Lulu gestured towards the door. "In fact, it's mid-morning. Good weather for sleeping in."

"Ugh. 'This morning's forecast will be gross followed by periods of really crappy.'" Rikku lay there comfortably, listening to the other woman bustle quietly about the hut. "Whatcha got on the stove? Edible or lethal?"

"The former, assuming you're not sick of my cooking after last year. It's soup."

"Oooo." Rikku popped up out of the mattress, dangly bows and all, dragging one of the blankets with her. "Are you kidding? Just promise me you didn't use any sand wolf meat."

The sorceress winced and shook her head. "Not a single lump. I promise."

'Then we're all good." Rikku fetched two bowls down from a shelf and ladled helpings for both of them, then plunked down on the opposite cushion and tugged the blanket around herself. "Hey, um, Lulu? Is there anything else you have to do this morning?"

The woman's expression softened at the slightly plaintive note in Rikku's usually playful stream of questions. "Nothing, really. Yuna and I were thinking of going hunting, but not in this weather."

"Hunting?" Rikku blew cautiously on her bowl, breathing in the curls of steam. "Fiend hunting, you mean?"

"Game, actually, although we usually take a quick scour of the path to the beach. Yuna's been practicing with those pistols your brother gave her." The mage winked. "Much to Wakka's dismay."

Rikku grinned. "Heh. Of course." She took a sip. "Wow. Yeah, this is so not sand wolf surprise."

"I should hope not."

Sleepy morning breakfast chatter was comfortably random, and Rikku found herself indebted to the foul weather for furnishing her with an excuse to linger in the witch's cozy hut. She had not realized how exasperating a shipful of males could be. She had no problem with Buddy, and that weird little kid was fine, but Brother was Brother, and she was starting to wonder if inviting Rey along for this trip had been such a super idea. Of course, all she had to do to solve that problem was tell Brother what was going on right under his nose. However, if Rey was going to be throttled, she should probably take care of the job for herself.

A clap of thunder jarred her out of reverie. Rikku yelped as the hot soup spilled into her lap.

"Are you all right?" Lulu asked in that calm, soothing, ho-hum-ignore-the-gargantuan-fiend-I'm-about-to-turn-into-a-pile-of-ash manner that seemed to push the storm away. Also, she handed over a cloth napkin.

"Ow. Yes," Rikku muttered, dabbing furtively at green silk. "Sorry about the nightie."

Lulu shrugged and smiled. "Just so I don't need to take you to Yuna for first aid. I think she might not understand." The sorceress fluttered her fingers absently at her neck.

"Heh. Yeah. Poor Yunie." Rikku's eyes suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Um, Lu? You went and cut your nails."

Lulu did not smile, but her eyes held warmer secrets than usual. "Yes."

"Sooooo," Rikku said, jiggling a little. "Was there something you were gonna show me?"

"I might." The sorceress set her bowl down, watching Rikku's expression carefully. "I take it that I would have had Rey for company last night, had I not... discouraged him?"

The girl's shoulders hunched like a cornered cat. "Probably."

"Then he has no grounds for complaint. So the more important question is: do you find the idea appealling?"

"Um." Rikku stared at her, all womanly bits that she'd never really thought about that way, except for the fact that one would have to be a castrated Hypello to miss the left and right wings of Lulu's breast army. "Well, I mean, yeah." She paused, eyes suddenly narrowing. "You're not doing Yunie, are you, Lulu?"

"Oh, Rikku!" The mage laughed and held up her hand. "Your cousin is waiting for her special someone. You've always been a little more... free-spirited."

Rikku blushed at the gesture. "You betcha. So!" She smiled brightly, trying to hide her nervousness. "What are we doing?"

"Finishing breakfast." The mage reached for her tea.

Rikku stared at her, nonplussed. "Hunh?"

"About twenty minutes to let food settle makes certain things so much more enjoyable." Lulu winked, and then sobered. "Also, I want you to ponder whether you really want me to... 'do' you, as you put it, and whether you'll be able to tell me 'no' if anything feels wrong." Lulu's gaze travelled over the dark purple welts on the girl's shoulders, compassion in her eyes. "Boys tend to tell us how good sex is supposed to feel, and that makes it hard for us to hear our own wishes."

Rikku pouted over the rim of her bowl. "Lulu, do you have to think so much about everything? It's just... sex! You know, push and whoosh and creamy goodness!"

Lulu burst into a laugh. "Yes." She sat there with a maddeningly enigmatic smile. "Finish your soup."

Sometimes, Rikku reflected, Lulu's fussing could be exasperating, but at least the delay gave her a chance to inspect the woman.

Besaid was famous for its colorful weaves and coarsely-textured plant fibers. So of course Lulu had chosen to stand out from everybody else in a black silk kimono with a red and violet phoenix swirling up one side. The form-fitting black nightgown beneath it was low-cut enough to cause brain hemorrhages in the opposite sex. Rikku was not quite sure how she felt about all that, but Lulu's eloquent white hands were suddenly very much attracting her attention. Also her lips. Was that lip gloss, or her natural color?

Rikku realized that she had been holding an empty bowl ever since the thunderclap, and traded it for the mug of tea. Lulu was smiling faintly at her, calm and serene as the blue skies of Bikanel, and nearly as remote.

This was stupid. Rikku abruptly dropped her mug on the table with a clunk, hopped up, skirted the low table, draped herself across the woman's lap, and circled her arms around her waist. Lulu swung her cup out of the way just in time.

"I've made up my mind," Rikku announced brightly and pressed a firm smooch against the mage's mouth before her nerve quailed.

It was so different from anything she knew. Spiced tea added an exotic flavor to Lulu's lips, but more than that, her mouth was full and soft and as supple yet firm as potter's wet clay. Without a word, Lulu set the cup on the table, curled a finger gently under Rikku's chin, and guided her into a long, warm, give-and-take kiss that ended with their tongues flirting for over a minute. The woman's long dark bangs tickled Rikku's cheeks with the faint scent of hibiscus. Finally Lulu pulled away, stroking her crest of blond hair. "Rikku," she coaxed in a low voice. "Open your eyes. Look at me."

Flushed and shy and tingling, the Al Bhed opened one eye and suddenly felt laughter bubbling up from below. She pressed herself against Lulu's neck, shaking silently.

Lulu's fingers snaked down one of her braids, teasing her shoulder. "Goodness. Care to let me in on the joke?"

"Oh!" Rikku gasped for air. "Don't you remember... how Sir Auron made me look into his eyes, that first time we met?"

"Auron." Lulu cupped the name nostalgically. "Well, I should have been quite cross with him, had he done this." She gave Rikku's cheek a gentle peck and drew the feathery tip of the braid up the side of the girl's neck.

Rikku slapped at her fingers with a faint yip. "Tickles."

Lulu paused. "That's a 'no'?"

"Um." Rikku squirmed. "I think that's a maybe. Don't stop yet." She didn't really know where to put her hands, but a few obvious places had sprung to mind. "May I, uh, touch you?"

"Please," Lulu said in that dusky voice that seemed to butter the air. "And tell me if this becomes a 'no'." Quietly, deliberately, she began to paint breathy kisses across Rikku's face and throat as if memorizing the girl's features by feel. At the same time she started sweeping the tip of Rikku's braid back and forth along her collarbones. Yes and no and maybe were dancing a butterfly jig in her stomach, but it was mostly /yes/. She heard a gratifying gasp when she moved her hands around to cup Lulu's full breasts in her small hands. Lulu was so incredibly lush, all white curves that looked like solid pearl but yielded to the touch.

The rain outside was falling faster, its drumming patter on the roof stirring the blood. Meanwhile, Lulu's newly-shorn fingers traced lazy patterns and glyphs over Rikku's skin through the nightgown's fabric. Was Lulu preparing some kind of spell? It didn't matter. Rikku leaned back, arching happily over the arm braced behind her as the older woman dripped whispery kisses across her thin shoulders.

"You don't have to be gentle," Rikku scolded hopefully. "I mean, he's rough and all, but sometimes it feels good even when it doesn't exactly feel good, you know?"

"I know," the mage said with a languid certainty that made Rikku quiver with curiosity, "but I'd like to show you how it can feel when it doesn't hurt."

"But--" Rikku began, and then she broke off with a fragile squeak as soft lips closed over one nipple, followed abruptly by teeth.

Thrashing out an Al Bhed curse, the girl twisted her fingers in Lulu's braids, giving her a playful tug. "That wasn't gentle!"

"Mmm," Lulu murmured, flicking her tongue slowly and maddeningly across the peaked fabric. "You asked." She pressed a gentler kiss over the same tender flesh. "Keep asking. I'm listening, Rikku."

Rikku let out an exasperated, "then don't stop, okay?" That elicited another throaty chuckle from the woman, who obliged her by lingering at her breasts, kissing and sucking and nibbling with those lavender lips that could cause shivers from ten feet away, let alone point blank. Lulu's free hand stole downward, traveling in slowly descending spirals and arcs over her belly. Somewhere below the navel, the tingling warmth spreading out from her weaving fingers made Rikku shudder and gasp even more than the intimate kisses. She whimpered again when Lulu traced a thumb very lightly around the curved seam where her upper thigh met her hip.

"You're not using magic?" she accused breathlessly.

"Not right now." Lulu gave one of the ridiculous bows a final nip and began to work her way upwards over her small breasts until she reached bare skin, licking the hollow of the girl's throat and breathing on it warmly. "Any place that's ticklish..." She nuzzled the curve between Rikku's neck and shoulder, "is magic, if treated gently..." and then her teeth bit down in another sharp nip. "Or not so gently."

Rikku sighed out. "Right." Magic or not, the sorceress was subtly pointing out several local highlights that Rey didn't seem to know about. The younger woman copied her playfully, brushing her fingertips back and forth over the soft flesh of Lulu's inner elbow or the delicate skin around her eyes and ears. The faint breathy sounds Lulu made in response were nearly as alluring as the maddening things she was doing with her hands.

Gazing down at the girl's face with quiet fondness, the mage was tracing a flowing, sensuous circuit of Rikku's thigh and hip. The gesture was so simple, and yet it felt like a glove of rippling water, as if the rain trickling over the domed canvas of the tent had somehow gotten into her fingers. Curling them under, Lulu glided the backs of her nails ever so lightly against Rikku's inner knee, up her outer thigh, around the arch of her hipbone, and back down her inner thigh, each time taking a slightly different route. Rikku gave a high, soft moan and slipped a hand behind Lulu's head, drawing her down for another round of warm, crazed kisses. Crazed because Rikku kept darting in and out, wanting and joking and eager and shy all mixed together, while Lulu was just there like the ocean spilling into her mouth and lifting her off her toes. Somehow they managed to find a rhythm despite a few bumped teeth. Sitting sideways across Lulu's thighs with head tipped back, cradled against one of her arms with the other playing deliciously over her body, Rikku felt like some sort of musical instrument.

Lulu finally came up for air and nuzzled her cheek. "Sweetling," she murmured, "I'm sorry, but I need you to move. My arm's getting tired."

"Oh!" The Al Bhed pressed against her like an egg to a thrush's breast as another metallic crack of lightning uncoiled overhead. "Okay, okay, you don't have to shout," she grumbled.

Lulu held the girl patiently and stroked her hair until the rumbling died away. "Up," she ordered at last, smiling at Rikku's obligatory lurch and exaggerated scramble; it had started as a parody of Tidus last year. The woman rose, smoothed her rumpled robe, and moved to the bed, reclining gracefully and sweeping her hand along the sheet beside her. Eyes bright, Rikku threw herself down with a bounce. She giggled at Lulu's disgruntled expression and leaned in to steal another kiss, then took advantage of the distraction to tug open Lulu's sash.

"Gotcha," Rikku said impishly.

"I believe you 'got me' at least half an hour ago," Lulu observed, turning to let Rikku relieve her of her thin outer robe. Her face stiffened slightly as deft small fingers went for the hem of her black nightgown as well.

"What?" the girl asked, cocksure grin fraying a bit. "Don't tell me you're shy of getting naked all of a sudden!"

Lulu laughed duskily and skimmed her palm down the girl's side from her shoulder to her thigh. "No." She shook her head and planted a gentle kiss between Rikku's brows. "Go on."

The Al Bhed gave her a fierce look. "No, first I'm asking you to tell me what's wrong, because it's going to drive me like totally nuts if you're brood-brood-brooding there while you're making me fly off the bed!"

"Rikku!" Lulu needed to laugh like that more often; she could look so kind and--well, sparkling, if that word even applied to someone like her-- when the reserved frown melted away. She brushed two fingers affectionately against the Al Bhed's cheek. "Bless you. It's just a little strange being with you in this way. Also... very pleasant, I assure you."

"See?" Rikku said hopefully. She gave the nightgown another tug. "Up, up, up!"

Lulu smirked and raised herself slightly to let her peel the close-fitting gown over her head, revealing a pair of black lacy underwear. "Oh, wow," Rikku breathed. Shy and curious, she spread a small hand over an ample breast, stroking it. "That's just so not fair... you're like... I mean, they're practically bigger than my head!"

Lulu inhaled sharply and smiled down at her. "Don't be too jealous. Yours have the same amount of nerves, and that means more sensation per touch." She palmed one of Rikku's delicately.

"Mmmm," The teenager wriggled, moving against her. "Really?"

"So I was told." Lulu fell silent except for the throaty breaths that let Rikku know when she had hit a sweet spot. The Al Bhed's fingers nimbly explored her pale skin, pausing to wonder at a few old scars lacing her midsection like veins of quartz in white marble. Her eager explorations slowed as Lulu drew her close, kneading her back and soothing her. Rikku blushed only a little when the woman slid a hand under the edge of the green silk and skimmed up her spine, rolling up the thin garment like a pair of stockings. Rikku squirmed out of it and huddled against her. She had left her underwear behind with her shorts.

"Shhh." Lulu pulled back to take her in with a reassuring nod. "I see absolutely nothing for you to be embarrassed about. You're a lovely girl. All of you." She lifted one of Rikku's hands to her mouth and licked her palm. "All," she repeated softly.

"I guess you were right," Rikku admitted in a small voice, cheeks coloring at the praise. "It's a little weird being with a real friend."

"Someday you'll fall in love with a 'real friend,'" Lulu assured her, kissing her fingers one by one. "But for now..." She raised herself on her elbow and shifted downwards on the mattress, giving Rikku's hip a smooth caress that ended in a gentle push. Rikku rolled onto her back with a thump, fists tightening at her sides as she braced herself. She let out a startled yip as Lulu's warm tongue circled her bellybutton. The sorceress blew on her skin until it prickled, then looked up. "Mmm?"

"I thought you were gonna--" Rikku gave a nervous chuckle. "I mean. That feels really good."

"Ah. Another lesson for you to give Rey, if you decide to keep him." Lulu ambled across the girl's trim belly, planting a garden of soft, wet kisses. "If you skip straight to the last chapter you miss half the fun."

Rikku's incoherent mumble was more than eloquent. "You sure you're not cheating?" she whispered.

"I don't have to." Fingers trickled across her invisible belt-line. "There's more magic right here than in all the temples of Yevon, Rikku. You can make new life. Your body knows its own power, even if you forget. Here." She bent and kissed firmly just above enticing golden curls, savoring tawny skin, and Rikku's hips trembled.

"How can I do anything to you while you're down there?" the girl asked plaintively, combing her fingers through Lulu's long bangs.

"You don't." (Tongue in bellybutton, electric shock-- Lulu was a liar, there was no way, no way she wasn't using some kind of spell to cause that kind of tingling.) "Let me help you discover what your skin likes best, first. All right?"

"Ooo." The Al Bhed sighed out as Lulu slid up to lap at the underside of her breasts. "Heck ya."

Slowly and methodically, the mage explored every dune and dip of the lean young body beneath her, lingering to suck, nibble, or nip whenever Rikku's breathing quickened. The bony corners of her hips proved especially sensitive. So too were her outer ankles and the arches of her feet, once Rikku got over her shock that elegant Lulu would lower herself quite literally to lick her toes. Lulu skimped only on her thighs, teasing the girl by leaving the best for later. Finally, when Rikku was whining sweetly and quivering no matter where Lulu touched her, the sorceress climbed the bed and settled over her, gently nudging her thighs apart with a knee and sliding between them.

Rikku gasped out vehemently in Al Bhed and clamped down on her leg, rocking her hips and grinding against Lulu's thigh. With a throaty moan the sorceress followed suit, twining their legs together, wishing she had remembered to ditch her damp panties earlier. They fell together in a breathless tangle, Lulu pulling the petite young woman on top of herself to keep from crushing her, Rikku plunging for her mouth as if making up for lost time. Lulu's kisses were anything but languid now. Wild sweet murmurs blended above the ever-present rush of the rain. Rikku finally took revenge for Lulu's earlier teasing, small hands tweaking and dancing over her breasts and dragging nails along the waistline of her underwear until the older woman's husky moans were truly shameless.

"Mmm. Fast learner," Lulu whispered hoarsely, jerking sharply under her.

"Good teacher," Rikku said smugly, kissing her nose. "Or bad, because that armpit trick is just evil, you know." She demonstrated a little too enthusiastically, and was treated with the rare sight of Lulu the ice queen doubling up under her, writhing to escape ticklish fingers.

"Oh..." The sorceress panted through clenched teeth, eyes tearing with laughter. "Stop, or I won't--" her leg slid suggestively against wet flesh, making Rikku whimper.

"Eep. Okay. Dangit, you are scary." Rikku mmmphed happily as Lulu's tongue plunged into her mouth again to stop her chatter.

Their breathing grew ragged and their bodies sticky with sweat. Rikku could not believe the raw primal pleasure of their hips rolling together, Lulu's leg rubbing against her sex, wet heat coating her own upper thigh. Breasts jostled against breasts, soft as silk. Finally, Rikku flopped onto her heavily with eyes squeezed shut. "Please," she said shyly. "Please?"

Lulu's arms wrapped around her in a fierce hug. Wordlessly they disentangled and exchanged places. Lulu slipped a pillow under Rikku's head and planted a tender kiss on her cheek. Green eyes met crimson, and the younger woman mustered a tremulous smile. Lulu smiled back, stroking her cheek, then descended her thin body dropping light kisses like Chocobo feathers all the way down. The mage nestled between her legs, nuzzled her damp fur, and breathed in. "Oh, Rikku, you smell wonderful."

Ever so gently, she slipped three fingers into moist folds, spreading her, and planted a soft kiss at their apex. Rikku gave a weak cry. The mage followed up with her tongue, licking in a slow circle. Picking up speed, she began to alternate fluttering across the girl's clit and delving her heated folds. Sometimes she rested her tongue for a few moments by drawing the sensitive nub between her lips and sucking. Rikku's faint whimpering sighs tumbled out in a steady stream with the rocking of her hips. The sorceress answered her with wanton moans that vibrated deliciously against her pubic bone.

Rikku barely noticed the rolling passes of thunder now, although she still had the hazy impression that Lulu was somehow commanding the rain to drum harder, faster, louder. Or perhaps the mage was merely attuned to the currents of the storm. Thunder drowned Rikku's cry as Lulu's tongue plunged just inside, curling and twisting. Rey had never done anything like this! Incoherent whimpers of yes and don't stop were mostly lost in the steady thrumming rain, but Lulu heard her, stayed with her even as the legs squeezing the sides of her head made it hard to breathe, licking and teasing and diving deeply.

The pleasure was already beginning to build to an impossible crescendo when two fingers began to work their way in, out, in, out, each time dipping further inside. Lulu thrust her fingers deep with another peal of thunder, but instead of just shove-shove-shoving, she ravished her with long, sensuous strokes, twisting or adding a heart-stopping quiver at the end. Her tongue moved back to the girl's clit, skipping back and forth across it. Rikku was sailing on a rippling wave of pleasure that simply refused to break. She was worried that Lulu would give out before she did, but the sorceress certainly sounded like she was enjoying herself. Finally, finally, the two fingers plunging inside paused for just a moment, parted, and just barely pinched and rolled a fold of her velvety inner walls between them.

Rikku's scream probably carried clear back to the airship as the wave finally crested and broke in a shuddering rush of warmth. Lulu carried her along with shallow thrusts, suckling her and hanging on while Rikku bucked beneath her. Gradually the sorceress brought her down with softer, slower strokes, murmuring into her sex and drinking in the sweet tang of her juices.

Lulu slipped her fingers out and massaged the sides of her aching jaw, then rested her cheek against Rikku's leg. They lay still and trembling and quiet. The rain pattered on.

Eventually Rikku reached down and laced her fingers with Lulu's other hand, tugging mutely. The older woman gave her one last lick and glided up beside her, gathering the girl in her arms. Rikku snuggled close and plastered Lulu's lips and cheeks with fervent kisses. Lulu brought her fingers up for Rikku to taste herself. The solemn moment dissolved when the mage licked her lips expressively and broke the Al Bhed into a spasm of giddy laughter.

"Sorry," Rikku gasped. "Oh, Lu, thank you just doesn't begin to cover it."

"Mmm," Lulu purred, petting her disheveled hair. "No need to thank me. That was delightful."

"I, um." Rikku nuzzled against her. "Do you want me to try?"

The broad slow smile that spread across Lulu's face was answer enough, but she turned the question around carefully, stroking her cheek with a knuckle. "Do you want to?"

"That would be really cool," Rikku said shyly, ducking her eyes. "Though I don't really know if I can--"

"You can," the sorceress said firmly, kissing her again. "You're Rikku, right? Such clever hands." With that, Lulu stretched out unselfconsciously on her back, gleaming under a faint sheen of perspiration. Rikku was not sure which was more intimidating, her unearthly beauty, or the expectant lust in her features, lips parted and ample bosom rising and falling dramatically.

"Oh, Lu..." Rikku swallowed and then grinned. "You know, you look like some kind of wild animal -- your hair is just everywhere." The woman's fraying braids were coming out in wisps, and the humidity was curling it into spiralling tendrils around her cheeks.

"Well, then." Lulu smiled. "Your payment at the end of all this will be helping me untangle it. Later."

Collecting herself, Rikku turned around and found herself looking straight down at lacy black underwear. "Well, this won't work," she laughed, slipping her fingers under the edges and peeling the scanty garment away. Then she breathed in. The heady smell of sex, sex, sex was dizzying, so different without any musky male scent. Rikku hesitated for a moment, then began to work her fingers inward marveling at the familiar and yet strange landscape of warm, slick folds enveloping her hand. Lulu's deep moan almost before she started was encouraging. The younger woman bent down, planting a tentative kiss. The fierce taste was intoxicating. What had Rey been so squeamish about?

Curious and bold now, Rikku set to work, stunned to discover how a simple lick or even a nudge with her nose could make the steely woman tremble and mewl helplessly. It was actually a little scary. Spurred on by the noises Lulu was making, Rikku lapped and licked enthusiastically. Soon Lulu's feet were digging into the bed, and her expressive hands were caressing Rikku's hips and legs, gripping her hard when a firm twist of the girl's tongue set off another moaning spasm.

The only problem was that Rikku's jaw was beginning to hurt. Lulu's groans were deepening, and Rikku was determined to bring her over the edge, but the more she licked and sucked, the more difficult it was to keep her tongue moving, finding new ways to tease and torment her.

Lulu's hands were playing with her hair. Hands, of course! Rikku sat up with a gasp and felt her stomach flipflop as she caught sight of the sorceress' flushed face lost in the throes of bliss, head thrown back and full lips open in a silent cry.

"Hang on," Rikku whispered soothingly. "Sssh..." She cupped Lulu's mound gently and began to move her fingers down and in, scissoring and keeping her thumb lightly over what she hoped was the right spot.

Lulu's eyes snapped open and their gazes locked. Suddenly Rikku understood why the woman had gently coaxed her to open her eyes earlier. The raw trust and ecstasy and sheer vulnerability radiating in those glazed eyes was almost too much to bear. Meanwhile, every tiny movement Rikku made with her fingers seemed to register in minute shudders across Lulu's voluptuous frame.

Holding her breath, Rikku moved her fingers down and in with short, sharp pulses, hovering at her entrance. "Yes?" she breathed.

"Yes." Lulu smiled down at her and murmured breathily, "Three?"

"Ha. I'll try." Wiggling her hand and making the other woman cry out again in a strangled groan, the thief turned her hand slightly and dove in. "Oh, Lu, you're so warm." She watched Lulu's face avidly as she fondled her, scooping and sliding within burning walls that were impossibly tight and lusciously soft, both at once.

"Wait," the mage whispered, panting heavily. "Hold still for a second...no, don't pull out."

Startled, Rikku sat there frozen, holding her breath. Was she doing something wrong?

The inner muscles of Lulu's sex flexed around her fingers in faint, palpable pulses. Both of them gasped together.

"What's that?" Rikku breathed, watching the raw pleasure on the woman's face.

Lulu smiled weakly. "I'm doing that. Try it sometime. It's easier when nothing else is moving, but you can do it any time. Heightens... sensation." She gasped again and stopped. "There. Keep going!"

Rikku grinned mischievously, curling her fingers and tickling her. "Say please."

"Ngh," Lulu glared at her, hands pawing against the mattress.

"Close enough," the girl decided, and started pumping with enthusiasm. Lulu chased Rikku's hand with her hips, rocking in shallow jerks and squeezing her thighs together as lust took over. The sorceress was utterly in her power by now, moaning and thrashing, and Rikku found herself adding another finger just to keep from slipping out.

"Too much?" she asked worriedly.

Lulu threw her head from side to side, mouthing no.

Rikku grinned and kept going. Her own body was tingling in sympathy. At last, with an upheaval of limbs and breasts and scrabbling feet that was anything but graceful, Lulu arched away from the mattress with a deep hoarse cry and hung there shuddering over and over, the ripples inside clenching at Rikku's small hand. Quivering her fingers gently, the girl gazed at the spectacle in awe. Had she, Rikku, really managed to reduce cool and collected Lulu to this writhing and trembling figure drenched in sweat, pouring out her pleasure in weepy sighs? Slowly the tremors subsided, and the sorceress sagged limply against the bed, smiling sweetly up at her. "Wonderful," she whispered at last. "You're wonderful, Rikku."

The Al Bhed shook her head and let out a soft laugh. "Yup," she said, eyes twinkling. "I really am." Gingerly she reclaimed her hand, eyes widening a little at the milky wetness all the way back to her wrist, but she licked it clean and decided that dessert, definitely, was the best part of Lulu's cooking. She lay down beside the woman again and curled an arm around her waist, using one breast for a pillow. "Wow."

Lulu hugged her loosely. "Agreed." She let out a sated sigh. "Oh, Yevon, I needed that, Rikku. It's been so long."

"Aww. You're welcome." Rikku squirmed a bit; Lulu's fingers were caressing her side, and it tickled. "Lulu?" she added in a hushed voice. "How did you learn all this? Was Chappu Mr. Perfect?"

"Hardly. Although he tried his best." Lulu smiled wistfully. "It was Ginnem. She said there were certain secrets every girl should know." The sorceress kissed her gently. "Enjoy the gift."

Outside, lightning leapt across the sky. The bed trembled. Rikku smiled and snuggled lazily against her newfound pillow. Yep, definitely good weather for sleeping in.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2