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Hella remembered a conversation with Adelaide in her boat out on the Aubade sea, before the two of them had reached an understanding.
“She wants you to fuck her,” Adelaide said, lounging at the stern, large sunglasses covering half her face and an apple in one hand. Neither of them had spoken in over an hour, and Hella nearly lost her footing as she adjusted the sail at the sound of Adelaide’s voice. “Your little thief, I mean.”
“Uh,” Hella had managed to reply as she tied off the sail, “not that it’s any of your business, but—how could you even know that?”
Adelaide had arched an eyebrow, lowered her sunglasses, and smirked. “Intuition.”
For most of their time in Aubade, Hella managed not to think about it. She was professional at work, although maybe she wasn’t the best at her job, and she’d had plenty of practice over the years not getting distracted by cute girls. Even if they were somehow soft and sharp at the same time, a mischievous glint in their eye, a dagger in their hand faster than Hella could blink. She’d managed for months to avoid thinking about Adaire ever since their paths had crossed again, and she would continue to manage, even once they were back in Hieron, once Adelaide wasn’t by her side and the loneliness crept in.
Or at least, that’s what Hella had told herself. But once they’d sailed back to Hieron and reached the University, Hella found it a lot harder to drag her eyes away. Adaire was different after Aubade. In a good way. A little more confident. A little more sure of herself, sure of this identity she’d crafted and her place in their weird group. When Adaire had first returned to Hella’s life, she’d seemed much the same as she’d been the first time they’d met: schemes and grifts, overly complicated plans that mostly didn’t pan out. The fact that she’d stayed was…
Hella didn’t know what it was. It was something, though, she was pretty sure.
-
Of course: Adelaide was right.
All it took was Hella’s hand on Adaire’s lower back, a tilt of her head, the arch of one eyebrow. Adaire’s cheeks had flushed pink and she’d sucked in her lips, releasing them shiny and inviting. Hella knew that look. She’d seen it on Adaire before, a while back, when Adaire had a different name and a couple less scars under her sleeves; before Hella had been the Queenkiller, before she’d gotten on that boat and ended up in Nacre. Hella still didn’t know the reason why Adaire had been living in Ordenna, beyond the obvious reasons of money and escaping jail, but they’d spent a few months together in a small town on the coast. Hella was doing shitty mercenary jobs and Adaire sold watered down booze as a cure-all to gullible locals. It had been fun, and then Adaire had left, and Hella had moved on.
Adaire’s hand was warm and small in hers as they took a winding route back to the guard tower and Hella’s room. As they moved along the shadowy dirt paths, Hella wondered where Adaire was staying now that they were back at the University. She hadn’t said anything, but Adaire always kept things close to her chest.
Once they reached her room though, Hella didn’t think about it anymore. She pressed Adaire against the door the second it was shut, pinning her wrists to the wood. Adaire’s fingers twitched. If she wanted, she could easily get away, with subterfuge if not outright strength, but when Hella leaned down to kiss her, Adaire sighed, pleased, back arching forward to get closer. Hella let go of one of her wrists to hold Adaire’s jaw, tilt her head, push her mouth open. A whimper escaped into Hella’s mouth, and she felt Adaire’s free hand attempting to undo the ties and buckles of her casual armor.
When Hella moved her hand from Adaire’s jaw down the front of her neck, Adaire’s hand stopped moving, curling instead around the leather neckline of Hella’s armor and gripping tight. She shivered as Hella’s hand moved further down, around her breast, and she moaned when Hella’s tongue pressed against hers, pushing further into Hella’s touch.
“Desperate?” Hella gasped as they broke apart, her hand squeezing lightly.
“It’s been a while,” Adaire mumbled, tugging Hella down again. Hella huffed out a laugh and kissed the corner of her mouth, her jaw, the side of her neck, sliding her hands around to the back of Adaire’s dress. The buttons came undone easily, and Hella tugged the front down, along with the front of her chemise just above her corset, freeing her breasts. Hella bit at the sensitive skin, hands coming up to cup her chest.
Adaire’s hands moved to grab Hella’s shoulders as she leaned further down to get her mouth around a nipple, teasing until Adaire gasped her name. She moved to the other breast, teeth scraping Adaire’s skin before she licked at that nipple, too, fingers pinching the red and swollen skin she’d left behind. Her neck ached in this position but it was good, it was fine, a small price to pay when Adaire’s face and chest were flushed pink, her hips just beginning to twitch forward, seeking more pressure. Hella wondered how wet she always was, and that thought was enough to make her step back.
“I didn’t really plan,” Hella started to say as Adaire’s hands moved back to work on Hella’s armor. She let go of Adaire to help as they walked back towards the bed, and the leather vest clattered to the floor as Hella sat down, tugging Adaire onto her lap. “I mean, I don’t have my stuff.”
Adaire straddled her thigh, a sly smile on her face, and Hella could feel the heat of her even through their layers of clothing. “I believe in your ability to fuck me without any special equipment,” she said as she unbuttoned Hella’s shirt. She leaned in to press a kiss to Hella’s sternum before standing back up to undress. Her gloves fell to the floor first, followed by her dress, tossed aside. Hella was tempted to fuck her just like this, tits hanging out of the top of her corset and chemise, but Adaire undid the back laces of the corset and let both pieces fall to the floor before Hella could say anything. There was a visible damp spot on her leggings, and Hella groaned, forcing herself not to press her mouth to it.
Instead, she leaned back on her hands to watch as Adaire kicked off her boots and slid her leggings down, finally, beautifully naked. Hella wanted to trace every scar and tattoo with her tongue, even if Adaire would yell at her for it. Adaire kneeled between her spread thighs, beginning to undo the laces and buckles of Hella’s boots. She was far more dexterous than she should be in this situation, but of course she was—Hella could probably be four fingers deep inside her and Adaire would still be able to pick a lock. God, that was an image. Hella tried not to think about it while she undid her belt and then the buttons of her pants, shoving them off along with her underwear as soon as Adaire tugged off her boots.
“Great look for you,” Adaire said, kissing the inside of Hella’s thigh. Hella snorted, then hummed as Adaire kissed higher up her leg. There was no need to be gentle—Hella certainly wasn’t planning to be—but Adaire delicately spread Hella open and leaned in to press a kiss just beside her clit. She kissed a line down her sensitive skin, then licked back up, slick on her tongue and already down her chin. Hella shivered when Adaire reached her clit again, sucking it between her lips.
“More,” Hella said around a moan, sliding her hands into Adaire’s hair, pressing her forward. Pins came loose, and the net holding Adaire’s hair in place fell to the ground. Blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders in loose waves, and Hella’s hands tightened around the strands, holding her in place. Adaire whined and closed her eyes, licking around Hella’s clit, tongue flicking at it before she flattened her tongue and pushed her head forward. Her hands moved to Hella’s thighs, running across hair before her long nails dug sharply into Hella’s skin. Hella cried out, surprised at the sudden pain and added pressure, and her hips up bucked into Adaire’s mouth. Adaire’s eyes were screwed tightly shut, her eyebrows drawn together, tension in all her muscles. She loved this, used to eat Hella out for as long as possible, make her come at least twice just with her mouth on Hella’s clit before coming herself the second Hella touched her.
Adaire opened her eyes, bright blue and so focused, so intent on Hella’s face, and that was just—
“Fuck, fuck,” Hella choked out, shutting her own eyes and tilting her head back. She shoved Adaire’s face against her cunt, felt Adaire moan against her skin, rode out her orgasm on Adaire’s face. She could still see the look Adaire had given her, even with her eyes closed. It was too much. She didn’t know what to do with that look. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with it.
Shivering, she tugged at Adaire’s hair and pulled her back. Adaire made a disappointed noise, but sat on her heels, waiting, looking up at Hella. She was beautiful like this, her mouth red and wet, eyes half-lidded and hazy with lust. Her hands were still on Hella’s thighs, moving back and forth, and Hella made her wait a moment longer before she moved back on the bed.
“Get up here,” Hella said, leaning against the headboard. Her shirt gaped open, the only article of clothing left between them, and Adaire’s eyes dropped to her tits as she crawled up onto the bed and into Hella’s lap.
“You still taste great,” Adaire said, licking her lips as she straddled Hella’s thigh. Hella groaned as Adaire pressed against her skin, her breasts large and perfect in Hella’s face. Instead of answering, she leaned forward, sucking a nipple into her mouth, her hands running up Adaire’s thighs, her ass, around the softness of her belly. Adaire sighed with pleasure, arching her back as she rubbed herself against Hella. That alone wouldn’t be enough to get Adaire off, and Hella slipped two fingers past Adaire’s curls, framing her clit in a way that made Adaire moan and her hips jerk.
“And you’re still greedy,” Hella said, biting lightly at the side of Adaire’s breast, then harder just to hear Adaire’s breathing hitch. “Though that’s not a surprise.”
“I just,” Adaire started to say, breathless. She pushed herself up on Hella’s shoulders and thrust forward so Hella’s fingers slipped from her clit towards her entrance. “I know what I like.”
“Should've brought my shit with me from Ordenna,” Hella said against Adaire’s skin between her breasts. “Could’ve fucked you the way you need.”
Adaire whimpered as Hella’s fingers pressed inside, not far enough to be anything but a tease, and Hella grinned. “But like you said,” she continued, pulling her fingers out of Adaire as she pressed her thumb to the side of Adaire’s clit, “I can improvise.”
At her last word, she tilted Adaire back onto the bed, easily reversing their positions as she thrust her fingers inside Adaire. One of Adaire’s legs kicked up as she cursed at the sudden fullness, and Hella wrapped her arm around Adaire’s thigh, hooking Adaire’s knee over her shoulder. Her other leg fell open, heel pressing hard against the mattress as she cupped her own tits to pinch her nipples. She was perfect, flushed pink all over, blonde hair spread out on the blanket, cunt soaked wet and clenching with every thrust. Hella spread Adaire open with her thumb, sliding up slowly, teasingly, finally to Adaire’s clit. With every thrust her thumb rubbed against it, drawing out muffled moans as Adaire bit her lip, turned her head to the side.
“Don’t hide,” Hella said, hoping Adaire didn’t notice the softness in her voice. “I wanna hear you.”
Adaire yelled, broken and high-pitched. Her head fell back, her heel dug into Hella’s back, and she whined when Hella pulled out entirely. “Fuck, no,” she gasped, her hips still moving up towards Hella, “don’t stop.”
“I’m not,” Hella said, amused, reaching behind her to grab her pillow. “Lift up your hips.”
Adaire’s leg tightened around her shoulder, using that leverage to lift herself up, elbows digging into the mattress. Hella folded the pillow in half and slid it beneath her ass, the angle just enough that when Hella slid two fingers back in Adaire’s cunt, she cursed, more colorful than the sailors Hella used to work with.
“That’s my girl,” Hella mumbled, a crooked smile on her face. “God, you’re so tight. You’d never know how much you like this.”
“Our little secret,” Adaire said, breathless, fucking herself down on Hella’s fingers, breasts moving beautifully, tauntingly. Hella kissed the inside of Adaire’s thigh, dug her fingers into its fullness. Her other hand thrust into the soft warmth of Adaire’s cunt until Adaire yelled again, body jerking as Hella found what she was looking for. “Yes, fuck,” Adaire shouted, her hands gripping the blanket above her head. “More, right there, Hella—”
Hella pushed a third finger in with her next thrust, rough, and Adaire gasped out a broken cry, body arching, chasing after the sensations. Despite the fact that it had to hurt, or maybe because it hurt, Adaire shivered, slick soaking Hella’s whole hand, dripping onto the pillow beneath her. Hella pressed her fingers deeper into Adaire’s body, all the way to her knuckles, knowing her hands were big—so much bigger than Adaire’s, and rough from her sword—and still, Adaire moved to meet her thrusts, eager, desperate.
“Shit,” Hella cursed, a ghost of arousal curling in her gut. It was impossible to watch Adaire like this and not feel something. Barely thinking about it, Hella leaned down, nudging Adaire’s leg under her shoulder until both her legs wrapped around Hella, until Hella could get a hand on her ass and tilt her even further up. She ducked down, licking first at where her fingers breached Adaire’s entrance before her mouth closed around Adaire’s clit. Adaire’s broken shout was muffled as her thighs closed around Hella’s head, holding herself back at just the last second so Hella could still breathe.
She was surrounded by Adaire like this, miles of pale, soft skin, the scent of her, the taste; she felt every movement of her own fingers in Adaire’s cunt, every twitch of muscle as Adaire pushed against Hella’s hand and face. She could tell Adaire was close—she had to be close—and all it took was a fourth finger teasing at her entrance and Hella sucking hard at her clit for Adaire to come, screaming loud enough that everyone around Hella’s room had to have heard. Hella couldn’t bring herself to care. Let them hear; let them know she was the reason Adaire would move a little more carefully in the morning.
“Oh god, oh my god,” Adaire murmured as she finally relaxed, her legs dropping off Hella’s shoulders. “Fuck, that was amazing.”
“You’re welcome,” Hella said, smug, sliding her fingers slowly from Adaire’s body. It was the right thing to do, but a part of her wished things were different. She wanted to keep going, fuck Adaire again and again until she could barely make a sound, until she was so loose and wet it wouldn’t take more than a small push for Hella’s whole hand—
Hella turned away to slide off her shirt, wiping her hand before tossing it to the side. It had been a long time since she and Adaire had that sort of relationship, and that definitely wasn’t what this was. This was just… having fun. Staving off loneliness. Something like that. She could feel Adelaide in her head, radiating an I told you so energy, which Hella decided to ignore.
“Where’re you staying?” Hella asked, turning back to Adaire. “You got a place, right?”
“Lord Ephrim graciously found me a room in the Tower,” she said, deeply sarcastic. She sat up and swung her legs off the bed, running her hands through the tangle of her hair. “I’m pretty sure he just didn’t want me stealing from people in the dorms. As if I would! It’s way more fun to steal from him.”
Hella laughed and leaned back against the headboard. “I don’t think he has that much fancy shit left.”
“Yeah, but it’s the principle of the thing,” Adaire said, and her smile made Hella feel like a co-conspirator. Ephrim was gonna be pissed whenever he figured out what Adaire took.
For a second, as they looked at each other, Hella saw something shift on Adaire’s face, a complicated, distant sort of look that Hella couldn’t read. She’d never seen it before, and it left her uneasy, even after Adaire looked away and her expression cleared. Instead of saying anything else, Adaire stood up to gather her clothes and begin to redress. First her leggings, though she wrinkled her nose as she tugged them on, and then the chemise, covering up the rest of her body. When she put on the corset, she turned around and gestured at the back laces.
“Help me out here?” she asked, even as Hella’s hands already found the ends. “Don’t bother going too tight, I’m just heading back to my room.”
Hella pulled at the ribbons, cinching it closed. She kept her gaze locked on her hands rather than the slope of Adaire’s shoulders, or the pale skin at the base of Adaire’s neck when she pulled her hair over one shoulder. When she tied the corset off, Adaire stepped forward, and Hella let her hands fall back into her lap, feeling strangely lost. Adaire pulled her dress over her head and then sat down on the edge of the bed to put her boots back on. Finally she tugged on her gloves, covering up the last bit of tattooed, scarred skin, and Hella let herself admit, silently, that she wished she had asked Adaire to stay in her bed, if only for the rest of the night.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Adaire said, shoving her hair net into a hidden pocket on her dress. “If Ephrim asks where his favorite ink jar is, pretend you don’t know.”
“As if he’d ever show up to a guard rotation anyway,” Hella said, raising her eyebrows. Adaire laughed, soft and short, before she slipped out into the night.