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Guadosalam wasn't Paine's favorite city in Spira--she preferred the modernity and bustle of Luca-- but it was certainly one of the most unusual. What else could you expect from a city built between, and even within, the roots of massive trees? Its thoroughfares were not streets, planned and orderly, but tunnels dug out of the earth wherever the massive gnarled roots permitted them. And, true, a few houses were built from the foundation up as separate edifices, but most residences and business were simply constructed out of convenient corners within the network of roots, marked off with walls or a ceiling built where they might fit.
And, of course, Guadosalam's cuisine befitted its earthy origins: With fisheries or fields of farmland far removed from the tunnels--in both geography and spirit--the Guado turned to other ingredients, yielding floral teas and wines, mushroom soup, and honeyed treats. It wasn't always the most delicious, even to Paine's adventurous palate, but it never ceased to be surprising.
But however fascinating they were, the cramped, labyrinthine corridors did come with at least one drawback: the cost of living. Especially with Leblanc's syndicate driving up the price of real estate, nothing in Guadosalam came cheaply, and nobody expected a spacious home.
So, while the Guado of course rolled out the red carpet for Lady High Summoner Yuna, there was only one cramped hotel room left for Paine and Rikku to share. (Yuna, being Yuna, politely insisted she did not need extravagant accommodations, but there was only so much she could protest without offending Trommell's hospitality.)
"Only one bed, huh?" Paine grunted as she stepped into the room and dropped her suitcase onto the floor. Well, it could be worse. At least they had a bed.
Rikku seemed unperturbed. "I call the left side!" she whooped as she flopped down onto the bed in a way that, in fact, covered both sides.
Paine slumped into the chair beside the small desk provided in the room. She idly ran her hand along the intricate carvings inscribed into the wall. The room might be small, but the craftsmanship was gorgeous. "You ready to hit the sack? I'm beat."
Rikku kicked off her shoes with wild swings of her legs and stared up at the ceiling. The slight glow of some fluorescent fungi wafted in through the rooflight. "Well, geez, it's not like there's anything else to do here." She looked over at Paine. "You go ahead and take your shower. I need to wash my braids and it's gonna take me forever."
Paine nodded. She retrieved her silk pajamas from her suitcase--Paine took a hard edge to a lot of things, but sleeping in comfort wasn't one of them--and stepped into the bathroom. She happily unbuckled and unzipped herself from her adventuring gear and stepped into the shower. The warm, cleansing water provided a welcome contrast to the dank caverns of the city.
"Hey, I changed my mind!" Rikku called from the other room. "I want the right side of the bed."
"Fine!" Paine shouted back, trying not to let it distract her from the indulgent shower. She finished wiping down her bad and started to wash her hair. Hearing Rikku talk about her braids made Paine glad she kept her hair short and simple; it was so much more efficient to care for that way.
"I changed my mind again!" Rikku called. "I want the left side after all."
Paine inwardly rolled her eyes as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. She stepped out of the shower and was just starting to dry herself when the bathroom door was flung wide open and Rikku leaped in. "Did you hear me, P? I said I want the left side now."
Paine instinctively pulled the towel around her to cover her naked body, even though it was just Rikku. "Yes, I heard you. Haven't you heard not to walk in on people in the bathroom?"
Rikku stuck her tongue out. "Well, you didn't say anything. For all I knew, you'd fallen asleep in there." She stripped the stole from around her neck, unlaced her gloves, and started to undo her belt before she looked up at Paine. "No peeking!"
"Strange words from the woman who just barged in on me in the bathroom," Paine said as they traded places, Rikku hopping into the shower while Paine left the bathroom. She called over her shoulder, "Besides, what makes you think I'd want to peek at you?"
"You know I'm irresistible!" Rikku called from the shower.
Paine changed into her pajamas and then Paine stared at the bed for a moment, trying to remember which side was the one Rikku was currently demanding, then decided it didn't really matter because Rikku would probably just change her mind two more times anyway.
Paine climbed into the right side of the bed. The sheets were luxurious and the pillows extravagant, even if the bed would be perilously small with two people crammed in it. Paine made herself cozy and--since Rikku said she'd be a while--took out a book to read, the lesbian romance novel that she was halfway through.
She was surprised that she'd only made it through a couple of pages when Rikku bounded out of the bathroom, having changed into the tiny crop top and equally tiny shorts that she called her pajamas. "I decided not to bother with my braids since you were so tired," she explained.
Rikku could be a sweetheart, sometimes, even if she was a pain in the butt equally frequently. But that wouldn't do; Rikku's braids were far too pretty and intricate to let her mishandle, even if it was offered out of kindness. Paine set her book on the nightstand and rolled out of bed. "C'mon," she said. "I'll help you."
"Awww, you're sweet, P, you know that?" Rikku said. "Everyone thinks you're so tough, but I know you're a big ol' softie."
Paine rolled her eyes. This was already making her regret offering to help a little, but she marched Rikku back into the bathroom.
With Paine's help, washing Rikku's braids was much faster. And, frankly, Paine liked the sensation of each of Rikku's braids entwined between her fingers, one and then another, enveloping her hands, yet pliant and responsive. It felt curiously intimate; she supposed, after all, that it was a real act of trust on Rikku's part to let someone else fuss over this style she'd spent so long developing. Paine certainly wouldn't want her hair this complicated, but that's why it was a good thing she could be complemented by other, different people.
"You know, P, it's funny," Rikku said as Paine continued her work. "Most people want everyone else to like them. But you, it's like you go out of your way to hide how thoughtful and sweet you can be." She leaned her head back into Paine's waiting fingers. "Mmm, that feels good. Anyway, you're a real weirdo."
Whatever, Paine thought. "Maybe I just don't want everyone in Spira to have me wash their hair."
"Guess I'm special, huh?"
When Rikku's hair was washed, they went to bed. The bed, as Paine feared, somewhat of a tight squeeze to fit both of them, but, well, what other choice did they have?
Paine reached for the novel on her nightstand and opened it to her bookmark. "I just want to finish this chapter, and then we can turn lights out."
"Oh yeah? What are you reading, P?"
Paine immediately realized this had been a bad idea. Rikku hadn't brought a book and so had nothing to do but ask endless questions. "It's just for fun; it's nothing serious," she replied, trying to divulge as little as possible. She felt a hot blush coming to her cheeks. Any romance she indulged in was a personal matter, and the last thing she wanted to do was discuss it with Rikku. Especially when she'd been in the middle of reading a sex scene.
Rikku craned her neck to look at the cover, which, as Paine now remembered regrettably, featured a dapper lady Crusader kissing a sexy lady summoner whose dress was starting to fall apart. "It looks sexy. Is it a sexy book?"
Paine shoved her bookmark back in and snapped the book shut. "It's nothing, never mind."
This, of course, only intrigued Rikku further. She yanked the book out of Paine's hands and opened it to the bookmark. "Now Emma was desperate. She wanted to do more than make love to Lady Hawwa; she wanted to fuck her senseless. Her left hand seized Lady Hawwa's hair as she thrust two fingers of her right into... Ohh! P, this is dirty. You're ready a dirty book."
Paine grabbed the book back. "It's just that one scene," she said, even though it wasn't. "Can we just forget it and go to sleep?"
Rikku stuck her tongue out. "Fine," she said, "but I'm gonna remember that was even dirtier than the comics Yunie likes to pretend she doesn't read."
Paine yanked the cord to turn off the machina lamp and at last they were in the dark. Paine slipped beneath the covers. It felt weirdly quiet after all of their banter. And even though Paine couldn't see Rikku, her presence loomed large in Paine's mind. She knew Rikku was mere inches away, so she kept her arms to herself and pinned them tight to her side. It was not especially comfortable. She stared up at the faint violet glow barely visible through the rooflight and hoped she'd be able to fall asleep somehow. How long had it been since she'd shared a bed--for any reason--with someone else?
"Hey, P," Rikku said, after an unknowable amount of time.
Paine acknowledged her with a grunt.
"Remember that one time I walked in on you getting off?"
Paine tried to wrap the pillow over her ears so she didn't have to listen to this. "You never stop reminding me of it, so how could I forget?"
Rikku giggled. "You know why? It's 'cause I can't stop thinking about it. You were so into it, P. Your head thrown back, your breathing panting, those big ol' titties swaying... whenever you get grumpy with me, I just think you of coming all over your fingers and realize you're not so tough after all."
The image of fucking herself to a really good orgasm flitted through Paine's mind. It was a nice thing to think about. It had been too long since she'd had a chance to get off, but it was going to have to wait until she wasn't crammed into a bed with her best friend. "If you don't want me to get grumpy with you, you could stop talking and go to sleep."
"Fine."
Paine tossed and turned, trying to figure out how to position herself to avoid sprawling over Rikku as best she could. Lying on her back never felt comfortable; Paine preferred to sleep her side. She rolled onto her left side, but her arms hung towards the middle of the bed, and there was hardly anywhere to put them without groping Rikku. Frustrated, she flipped over onto her other side. But that was no good, either; her ass was on Rikku's knee and Rikku was practically spooning her.
With a sleepy murmur, Rikku stretched her arms out. One landed on Paine's side, just shy of her breast, and Rikku immediately pulled it back. She tried to scoot back, only to find herself practically falling off the bed, and settled for rolling onto her stomach so that her hand was now falling on Paine's knee.
This was going to be impossible, Paine concluded. All she wanted to do was close her eyes, turn off her brain, and think about Lady Hawwa and Emma getting it on, but there was no way she and Rikku weren't going to be falling over each other all night.
Finally, Paine nudged her bedmate in the side. "Hey," she said, "you want to have sex?"
Rikku laughed. The suggestion felt just like the latest escalation in their banter. "Are you coming onto me? You got a dirty mind, P."
"What?" Paine said. "We're crammed ass-to-ankles in a bed together, what do you expect me to be thinking about?"
Rikku obviously wasn't very offended by the suggestion because she rose to her knees and straddled Paine. "I know, but usually I'm the one flirting with you."
Rikku lowered herself until their faces were practically touching, all of those braids falling all over Paine's cheek and neck and ears. It was the closest they'd ever come to one another. "Don't worry," Rikku whispered sensually, "I was thinking about it, too."
Paine reached up and slid her hands over Rikku's bare stomach. If she was going to pick a friend to fuck, she couldn't do much better than Rikku. She was so slender, so nimble, and Paine was already thinking about what her lissome little body would look like when she was being pinned down and fingered. "I'm glad we're in agreement," Paine hissed as she reached one hand up under Rikku's pajama top.
Rikku shrunk back a little. "But, just as friends, right?"
"Yeah, of course, just as friends," Paine agreed, somewhat absent-minded. Now that she had her hand up Rikku's shirt, it was much harder to remember all of the complications and drawbacks she'd been considering moments earlier. Instead, she enjoyed the softness of Rikku's skin under her strong hand, the intimacy of having her hands where they'd never been before, the way Rikku's pert little nipples were already stiffening. She squeezed Rikku's tit and was rewarded with a happy little moan.
"No wonder you keep reading those smutty novels," Rikku purred. She whipped her top off, and then it was her turn to touch Paine, to run her index finger slowly down Paine's neck and collarbone until she reached the bottom of Paine's plunging neckline. "God, you have me horny already." Her petite but dexterous little hands found the buttons of the pajama top in the dark and loosened them, one, then another immediately afterwards.
Paine's top fell open, and Rikku lowered her mouth to Paine's bare breast. She kissed it gently as if in greeting, then again. And again. Ran her tongue slowly across the skin, teasing Paine, making her shudder a little. Then flicked her tongue across Paine's nipple, making Paine gasp a little.
Who knew Rikku would be so good in bed? Rikku tongue darted around her areola and Paine arched her back in pleasure. Her hand found Rikku's mass of hair and pulled her closer, pressing her down against her own body, making Rikku kiss her hard.
Then Rikku escaped from Paine's grasp as she slid down Paine's body, kissing down from her breast to her stomach, from her stomach to her hip. Rikku reached the waistband of Paine's pajamas, and Paine consented to raise her lips long enough to help Rikku yank them down and away. But as Rikku's lips started to reach her mound, Paine pressed one finger under Rikku's chin and pushed her gently away. Not yet--although it felt good, damn good, and it pained her to make it stop.
But she needed to show Rikku who was boss. She thrust one of her own hands down Rikku's shorts--roughly, needily, because she was too damn worked up for teasing or foreplay. Her battle-hardened fingers stroked through Rikku's bush, found her pussy, and started to part her folds. Fuck, she was so wet. Wet in general, or wet for her? Paine didn't even care.
Rikku rose up long enough to wriggle her shorts down to her ankles and then kick them off the bed. Paine hoisted herself up to her elbows and was about to sit up further when Rikku pushed her back down with one hand on her chest. "Uh-uh," Rikku said. "Rikku's in charge right now."
Paine was stronger, but Rikku had the element of surprise. She straddled Paine, holding her down against the mattress.
"Oh, you think you can top me?" Paine said with a laugh.
"Yes," Rikku said, positioning herself atop Paine's thigh. "I do." She squeezed Paine's right breast, hard, and the rough touch made Paine groan. Paine was immediately embarrassed to have forgotten herself for a moment, but before she could seize control, Rikku slapped the bare flesh of her tit, and the sting shot pleasure directly to Paine's brain.
Rikku started to grind herself against Paine's thigh, and there was no way Paine was going to stop her, not with the way Rikku was making happy moans and sighs, not with the way Rikku's pressed against her. Paine settled for reaching up, teasing Rikku's stomach, tracing her fingers around and occasionally brushing her breasts, her collarbone, her navel.
Then Rikku was riding her thigh harder and harder, and it was all Paine could do to grip Rikku by her hips to steady her. Rikku bucked on Paine's thigh, rutted herself on it, fucked it like it was her personal sex toy. She cried out, gasped and whimpered and yelled, and part of Paine's mind hoped nobody else was awake in the hotel even as the rest of her was too damn horny to care. Her hands dug hard into Rikku's hips, and Paine thought of how fun it would be sometime to hold Rikku that way as she flung her around the bed, womanhandled her, pounded Rikku into the mattress--but not now, not when Rikku was screaming and coming all over Rikku's thigh. Paine watched her, caught up in the moment, and thought she looked gorgeous like that, face flushed, head thrust back, completely wrapped up in pleasure and devoid of all other thoughts, all ordinary concerns.
Rikku was indefatigable. As soon as she'd finished orgasming, she flopped down on the bed beside Paine and declared, "Okay, now do me."
The last thing Paine was going to do was let Rikku run this whole show. She was going to be an equal partner in any mayhem, dammit. "You're asking for it," she growled.
Rikku kicked her feet playfully through the air. "Ooh, am I? What am I asking for?"
Paine rose to her knees and positioned her pussy over Rikku like a conquering gladiator. "This. Eat."
Rikku obediently went down on Paine. She lifted herself up on all fours, leaned herself forward, and started to lick at Paine. Up and down, then around, teasing Paine's clit a little. Fuck, she was good; she obviously had experience with this.
Well, good, that meant Paine could push her a little more. Even as Rikku continued to eat her out, made warmth radiate through Paine's body, one of Paine's hands played through Rikku's hair and found a spot she could grab onto her braids. She gave Rikku's hair a rough tug, yanked Rikku even closer and tighter against her pussy, asserting her dominance and making Rikku lick her deep the way she liked.
"Ooh, is this like your book?" Rikku teased between licks. Rikku blew gently on her clit, circled it with her tongue, sucked on it a little. "Do you want me to 'do more than make love to me'?"
"Shut the hell up," Paine growled, though she was annoyed only because she was past banter at this point, wanted to get the hell off and fucking come all over Rikku's pretty little face. Her body was aching for the release now, and she pulled Rikku's hair again, forced her tight and hard against her hot cunt, making Rikku devour her.
Paine whimpered once as she teetered at the edge of climax. She reached for something to steady herself--but then it was Rikku who was there, who wrapped her arms around Paine's legs to support her. Paine's legs buckled, but it didn't matter anymore, she leaned hard into Rikku's grasp and came, legs shaking, groaning and moaning and swearing in multiple languages, her entire body almost beyond control.
It was the best damn orgasm she'd had in a long time.
She had no idea how long she lay on the bed after that, catching her breath, letting the last rays of her climax pulse through her, feeling the heat gradually fade from her cheeks.
Rikku snuggled up beside her. "Hey, P," she said, "Do you like me?"
Paine chuckled and mussed her hair. "You're all right. Pain in the ass sometimes, but you're fun, and a lot smarter than most people realize."
"Yeah, but do you like like me?"
"I like you a lot."
Rikku's shoulder slouched. "Darnit, you're a tough nut to crack," she said, as if talking to herself, but loud enough to ensure Paine heard. "I guess we're just gonna have to keep fucking until I get an answer out of you."
Paine reached out and gently caressed Rikku's cheek. Somehow, it felt more intimate than anything else they'd done in this bed together, and that scared Paine a little, but it didn't stop her from asking, "What if I asked you on a date?"
"Really?" Rikku exclaimed as her face lit up. "Let's do it tomorrow!"
"I asked what if I asked you on a date; I didn't say I was asking you on a date."
Rikku folded her arms. "Oh, I see. And what do I have to earn one of these vaunted dates?"
Paine leaned over and, for the first time, kissed Rikku gently on the cheek. "You can hush up and finally go to sleep."
Rikku moved to kiss Paine's cheek in return, but before Paine really understand what she was doing, she'd moved so that Rikku's lips met her own instead, and they kissed for real, lips gently but firmly pressed together, and held the kiss for several moments before they parted.
"Good night, P."