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Lune was deep in concentration recording their latest finds by the fire when Sciel found her, the soft glow of the holo-journal illuminating her face.
“You’re working too hard,” Sciel said in a sing song voice.
“From what Verso said, we’re the first expedition to kill not one but two Axons. That merits recording. We’re so close but there’s still so much we don’t know,” Lune responded, not looking up.
“Come take a break with me,” Sciel said unfazed.
“Sciel,” Lune warned.
“I’m serious. Maelle is asleep on Esquie and Verso and Monaco are off doing god knows what, we’re all just trying to rest before the last big push. It’s not gonna do any good if you burn yourself out before we even make it to the Paintress,” Sciel said insistently. Lune finally glanced up from her work at her.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Lune asked with exasperation.
“Nope,” Sciel responded with a lopsided grin. Lune sighed but dismissed her journal with a wave of her hand which Sciel took as a victory. She held her hand out with a flourish and Lune took it as she rose from her seat. Lune always moved so gracefully, every motion deliberate and fluid, Sciel thought. She led them to the edge of their camp, out of sight of the main fire, to a small glen with a stream running through and off the edge of the cliff. There laid a blanket over the grass with a bottle and two cups. She released Lune’s hand and promptly folded herself down onto one side of the blanket, motioning for Lune to do the same.
“Some wine my lady?” Sciel asked playfully waggling the bottle in Lune’s direction.
“Get this from Esquie I presume?” Lune asked, as she situated herself across from Sciel.
“I may have squirreled away some for my own personal stash, shhh don’t tell anyone,” Sciel said with a mischievous grin, filling both of their cups. They sat and talked about nothing in particular for awhile, commenting on the stars and the view and reflecting on their journey thus far. They had made it through half the bottle when Sciel suddenly twisted around to sit facing Lune.
“Okay,” Sciel said.
“Okay?” Lune raised an eyebrow.
“Truth or dare?” Sciel asked. Lune shot her a disbelieving look.
“No really,”
“Seriously? How old are we?” Lune asked, taking another sip of her wine.
“Come on it’ll be fun, unless you’re too chicken,” Sciel fired back.
“Excuse you,” Lune said with mock indignation. Sciel simply raised her eyebrows in a silent challenge. “You’re ridiculous, but fine, truth,” Lune relented. Sciel’s face lit up.
“Did getting those chroma tattoos on your face hurt?”
“You have them too why not ask yourself,”
“Mine aren’t on my face,”
“Fine. Yes, it hurt quite a bit.”
“That was an easy one. Now you ask me,” Sciel said.
“Truth or dare,” Lune asked.
“Dare,”
“Of course. Hmm I dare you to tell Esquie that you think you’re stronger than him,”
“Pfft yeah? I think you just want to watch me get flattened by that giant marshmallow,”
“Call it scientific curiosity,” Lune said. At that they both briefly broke into giggles.
“Okay your go,”
“Truth,”
“What do you think you’d be doing if we didn’t have to worry about any of this. No expedition, no Paintress. Just normal life,” Sciel asked. Lune sighed and took a long drink of her wine.
“I don’t even know. My whole life has been so interwoven with my studies on chroma and pictos and the past expeditions. From birth my parents molded me into a tool to carry on their legacy, I can hardly imagine who I’d be without it all,” Lune said, gaze fixed on the horizon in contemplation.
“Maybe,” she continued after a pause, “Maybe, I’d be content to just play music,”
“That’s a pretty thought. Maybe I could have seen you play, up on stage at the old opera hall,” Sciel said wistfully.
“What about you?”
“I don’t believe I chose truth,” Sciel teased, “But,” her playful expression slipped to something sadder for just a moment, “I suppose my first thought would be, I’d still be with Pierre and we’d raise our family together. Though if everything was truly so different then who knows, maybe we’d all be perfect strangers,”
“I think that’d be a shame,” Lune said softly.
“I do too,” Sciel agreed, she paused then continued, “but there’s no sense in dwelling on past hypotheticals,” Sciel said. She then raised her wine cup, “I propose a toast, to this here and now. It may not be perfect, but we’ve made it this far haven’t we?”
“What better time to build connections,” Lune said, echoing Sciel earlier words and raising her cup as well.
“Aw you remembered,” Sciel said with a wink and tapped their cups together. She drained her cup and watched as Lune tipped hers back as well. She studied her features, illuminated by the soft light of her namesake. She had always thought Lune beautiful, especially during the moments she could make her genuinely smile.
“Well you answered my question, I believe that makes it your turn again?” Lune said with one of those rare smiles.
“If you want to keep playing,”
“I choose dare,” Lune said confidently. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the closeness but the words slipped out before Sciel could think.
“I dare you to kiss me,” she said. There was a pause, a beat of silence as the words hung in the space between, “Only joking! You should see the look on your fac-” Sciel began to back-peddle but was cut off by Lune abruptly closing the distance and pressing their lips together for just a moment before leaning back.
“The look on my face?” Lune said with a hint of smugness. A smile tugged on the corner of her mouth as she regarded Sciel’s stunned expression.
“I uh, didn’t think you’d actually- -w-well then,” Sciel stammered, suddenly wishing she hadn’t already drained her wine cup. Surely that was the reason she felt heat rising in her face. She could almost think she saw a matching hue dusting Lune’s cheeks as well.
“Sorry, that was- I should have asked first,” Lune said, turning her gaze to the ground.
“No it’s okay, it was nice. It just been awhile since…” Sciel trailed off. The night air had suddenly become heavy around them.
“I really ought to get back to work. Thank you Sciel, this was nice,” Lune said, her expression schooled back into her usual mask- cool and unreadable. A pang of panic struck through Sciel’s swirling thoughts.
“Lune wait I-” Sciel blurted, but found herself at a loss at how to continue. What could she say? I think I could have loved you? I think I still might? Even though some nights the ache of past losses still feels heavy enough to crush me? She had frozen, half reaching out, desperate but unable to close the distance that suddenly felt like an ocean. The words she landed on were simple and true yet felt devastatingly vulnerable.
“I don’t want to be alone right now,” Sciel breathed. She waited to be brushed off, for Lune to politely but firmly rebuff her. Instead Lune reached back, interlacing their fingers, and suddenly the ocean was reduced to nothing more than a drop as Lune continued to pull her in. She landed nearly in Lune’s lap, practically nose to nose. Sciel took a moment to study the line of tattoos that adorned Lune’s face, before she hesitantly leaned in to kiss her again. Once again Lune met her, this kiss much deeper and more heated than the last one. Her hands came up to cradle Lune’s jaw on both sides as Lune looped her arms around Sciel’s torso. Slowly, lips never parting for more than a few breaths, they shifted to the ground. They ended up with Sciel half on top of Lune, arms braced on either side of her head.
“Uh, hi,” Sciel said somewhat awkwardly, finally parting from Lune.
“Hi,” Lune said with a breathless chuckle.
“Is this, a bad idea?” Sciel asked.
“Probably, do you want to stop?” Lune responded honestly.
“Would it be selfish to say no?”
“Maybe I want to be selfish for once,” Lune breathed, holding Sciel’s gaze with those dark sharp eyes. Wasting no time, Sciel leaned back down. She pressed another kiss to Lune’s lips then moved to her jaw then to her neck, annoyingly hampered by the high collar of her shirt. Lune smothered a laugh as Sciel grumbled and promptly took to trying to unbutton Lune’s overcoat and shirt. After a moment of struggling she managed to strip it open, exposing her torso to the cool night air. She returned to her original mission, pressing kisses down her neck. Lune shivered and lolled her head to one side to give Sciel more access. She paused for a moment to drag her teeth over Lune’s throat. and was rewarded with a small strangled noise. Sciel grinned against her skin and promptly bit down harder on the expanse of skin between neck and shoulder, delighted when Lune gasped.
“Merde, easy girl,” Lune swore. Sciel chuckled and continued to blaze a trail of hot opened-mouthed kisses down Lune’s torso, alternating teeth and tongue. When she finally reached the band of Lune’s pants, she shifted and resettled herself between Lune’s legs. She ran her thumbs under the band teasingly as she continued to pepper kisses across her stomach. Lune was an exceptionally patient woman who would die before she begged for anything, but Sciel still reveled in the small restless shifts of Lune’s hips and the bitten back sounds that she couldn’t quite hide. She eventually relented and Lune lifted her hips to help Sciel strip her out of her pants. Lune drew her knees up on either side of Sciel’s body and turned her head to the side in an unexpectedly shy motion. It was overwhelmingly endearing and Sciel couldn’t help but stop and stare for a moment. Lune was usually so guarded, so in control, that seeing her so vulnerable sent a pang of unbearable fondness mixed with something more melancholy through her heart. She couldn’t consider the possibly of love, it was too big, too much, for she who was still so full of past grief.
“Cold feet? We can stop, if you want…“ Lune’s low voice snapped her out of her reverie. With some effort Sciel pushed it all out of her mind and reaffixed her usual playful smirk.
“Just enjoying the view,” Sciel purred, running her hands down Lune torso and landing at her hips. To Sciel’s amusement Lune rolled her eyes in response. She leaned back down and placed a kiss to the tip of each of Lune’s hip bones before skimming lower to her thighs, making sure to lathe plenty of attention to the inside of both. A soft moan slipped unbidden from Lune’s lips as Sciel’s mouth finally landed where it was needed most. She wrapped her arms around Lune’s thighs, holding her where she wanted her and set her mouth to work in earnest. She felt Lune wind her fingers into her hair and glanced up to see her, eyes screwed shut with her other hand clamped over her mouth to muffle any errant sounds. Sciel thought it a perfect shame to be unable to fully hear her beautiful voice, but she understood the impulse as they weren’t exactly in private.
She wasn’t sure what was more intoxicating, the wine they had shared or the stifled whimpers and moans she was able to pull from Lune. She felt Lune’s thighs flex around her, her hips twitch and stutter. Sciel knew she was fighting to keep it together, she always did, but she was determined to make Lune just let go for once. She unwound one arm and moved to press the pad of her thumb against Lune’s clit as she teased her tongue around her entrance. A sharp intake of breath and a tightening of the grip in her hair was all the warning Sciel received before Lune broke. Shaking and muffling high staccato pants against the hand clamped over her mouth. Sciel relented her ministrations and propped herself up on her forearms, resting her cheek on Lune’s stomach. The hand in her hair softened then retreated and Sciel glanced up again to see Lune, chest still heaving, arms draped over her face. Sciel sat up with a truly shit eating grin on her face, as Lune moved her arms from her face to prop herself up from behind.
“Feel better?” Sciel said, wiping her chin off with the back of her hand. Lune rolled her eyes at her again,
“You’re awfully smug for someone who practically begged for my company,” Lune retorted, though any bite to her words was stolen by how wrecked she sounded.
“Low blow,” Sciel replied with a snort. Lune sat all the way up, once again nose to nose with Sciel.
“Aw did I hurt your feelings?” she teased, low and quiet, putting mouth to Sciel’s ear, “let me make it up to you,” Lune wrapped her arms around Sciel’s waist and pulled her in so that she was sitting with her knees straddling Lune’s legs.
“Oh, well, if you insist,” Sciel said with a grin, draping her arms over Lune’s shoulders. Lune captured her lips in another deep kiss, and ran her hands up Sciel’s abs.
“I like these,” Lune murmured sheepishly between kisses.
“Yeah?” Sciel replied, grin widening, “I’ll have to keep that in mind,”
Lune’s hands continued to wander, notably making sure not to linger over the scar on Sciel’s stomach. She appreciated the gesture, it was not particularly something she liked to linger on either. Lune paused peppering her lips and neck with kisses long enough to unbuckle Sciel’s jacket and push it off and down her arms.
She took the time to admire the tattoo that sprawled across Sciel’s chest, tracing her fingers lightly along the neat geometric patterns. The other hand that had landed back on Sciel’s hip began to flit along the waistband of her pants before deftly unbuckling her belt and slipping just underneath. Sciel was frankly an embarrassing amount of turned on just from getting Lune off and the expression on Lune’s face told her she knew it too. She moaned against Lune’s mouth as her hand quested lower, fingers sliding through the slick folds of Sciel’s cunt. Sciel shuttered as she traced a finger in a teasing slow circular motion. She then, frustratingly, stopped, stilling her hand and holding just the slightest pressure against her clit. Lune’s mouth continued to skim across Sciel’s skin, pressing barely there kisses along her jaw.
“What, going to make me do all the work?” Sciel said, giving a few slow test rolls of her hips against Lune’s hand.
“Hm, maybe,” Lune murmured against Sciel’s ear, “maybe, you should show me how much you want it,”
Sciel let out an incredulous chuckle, feeling heat flood her face anew. Lune pulled back to regard Sciel, “Go on,” she prompted. Finding out Lune was a bossy top wasn’t exactly surprising but it did send a fresh wave of heat cascading over her, pooling low in her gut where Lune was patiently waiting. Sciel was, however, far too horny to protest, so she readjusted slightly and began to grind her hips against Lune’s hand. Lune moved her other hand from tracing Sciel’s tattoo around to splay against the small of her back, helping support her. Lune’s mouth returned to her neck, occasionally dragging her teeth along the skin but never quite biting down enough to mark.
The position was frustratingly difficult to get the stimulation she desired, struggling against the fabric of her pants and the press of their bodies. It felt good but not enough. A breathy “more” fell from her lips and Lune obliged. Sciel pressed her face into the crook of Lune’s shoulder to muffle a moan as Lune slid her middle two fingers knuckle deep inside her, spreading them just enough to make Sciel whine. She resumed her grinding, small needy sounds muted against Lune’s shoulder when her clit rubbed against the heel of Lune’s hand. She still wanted more, needed it even, the torture of being able to chase the sensation but not far enough to get her there. And Lune was absolutely getting off on it, the power of holding exactly what Sciel needed just out of her reach. If she would just fucking move. It was cruel and frustrating and for some fucking reason, unbearably hot.
“You’re the worst,” Sciel panted, her legs starting to shake with effort. Lune hummed innocently but Sciel could feel her smiling against her skin.
“I suppose you’ve given it a fair effort, let me take it from here,” she purred. Sciel made an unsteady noise as Lune rolled them forward, landing with Sciel on her back. She tugged Sciel’s pants and underwear further down her legs and hooked one arm under Sciel’s knee, pulling her thigh up nearly to her chest. Seemingly pleased with her new angle, Lune finally started to work the hand in between Sciel’s legs, Sending waves of pleasure rippling through her body. Her previous work not for nothing, Sciel felt that she wouldn’t last long. Her hips chased Lune’s every thrust and she fisted her hands in the blanket below her. She was so close, so close, so close.
“Shh ma étoile, you wouldn’t want to wake the camp now,” Lune crooned. Oh, that was out loud, whoops. Sciel was too gone to be embarrassed. It wasn’t but a moment later that she came with a broken cry that was smothered against Lune’s mouth as she leaned down to kiss her. Lune released her hold on her thigh and moved to interlace her fingers into Sciel’s, another all too tender gesture. Sciel held onto her regardless, shaking as Lune continued to stroke her through her orgasm. She tugged at Lune’s wrist when the stimulation became too much and Lune obligingly withdrew her hand.
“Feeling better?” Lune asked, mocking Sciel’s previous words with a smirk.
“You’re kind of mean sometimes, you know,” Sciel said with a breathless laugh.
“You seemed to be enjoying yourself well enough,” Lune responded.
“Touche,” Sciel said, at which they both chuckled. There was a pause then, a moment of stillness as they laid there, Lune’s head on Sciel’s chest, and simply breathed together. She almost wished they could stay like this forever, intertwined under the soft blanket of night.
“We should probably get back before someone comes looking,” Lune said, Ever rational. Sciel was sure her mind was already buzzing with a hundred different plans.
“Yeah,” Sciel replied. Neither of them moved to get up. “Or we could stay just a little longer,” she said and Lune hummed an agreeable noise. Tomorrow comes eventually, but right now it could wait.