Sapphire and Steel: Letting In (NC-17)
Summary: No one knows what the last stage of training is, except those who pass through it.
Notes: Rare fandoms return! No connection to my previous S&S story: this was written for thesilentpoet, in celebration apology for introducing her to the series. Sapphire/Steel, for the wary.
LETTING IN
*
There is training, before they are given their first assignment. They must pass for human, after all. They must know the basic customs of the culture to which they are sent, what sort of lives they meddle with. It was rather fun, in Sapphire's opinion. She found cooking human meals to be very soothing, and some of their card games had the sort of complexity that even their kind can enjoy.
Her new partner said it was a waste of time. But perhaps that was directed at Lead or Silver. They were both visiting when he came to tell her that it was time for the final lesson.
He left immediately after. When Sapphire turned around, Silver was lounging in the kitchen door. "Final lesson? I didn't know where was an end to the dreary things. They're forever dragging me back."
"It's for partners only," Sapphire said. "To do with emotion, I believe. Will you give my excuses to Lead?"
It was a lie -- but Silver's gift was with objects and gimcracks, with surface fripperies, not the mind or the heart, so he would accept it. Let him believe it was something as simple as history or custom. She liked Silver, but not that much. Besides, she only barely knew what the final lesson was herself -- it wasn't something that could be described, she'd been told, but something that must be experienced. Something between assigned partners.
Too much ominous implication, too little information. This was hardly helpful. Concentrate on her partner -- on Steel. First find him, then follow.
"You're late."
"I came as soon as I could."
"Are you prepared?
"Of course. Are you?"
A twitch of his lips, almost a smile. Ha. He didn't ask her any further, but turned and went to the bed in the center of the room. He lay down on it stiffly, hands folded across his waist, eyes watching her. In the blink of an eye, his costume vanished.
Abrupt. Direct, she'd been told when given the assignment, and hardly any human manners, said Silver, with little more of the ordinary sort.
It's the way he is, Lead had said.
She let her own costume go, and sat down on the bed next to him, studying his chosen body curiously.
Male. Adult, somewhere in his 30s. Pale skin, fair hair, eyes the tell-tale gray of his element. Attractive? Perhaps. There was something pleasant about being watched so intently, even in this form.
"Very nice," she murmured.
"Likewise," Steel said. "Have you done this before?"
Sapphire nearly laughed, but caught herself in time. "No, of course not."
"Then this is likely to be a trifle awkward." He took one of her hands and studied it, as if it were some strange object.
"It seems straightforward enough."
"Indeed?"
"It's a matter of touching, isn't it? We know how to do that." Or at least she did. "Granted, it's touching of a very...intimate nature..."
"Precisely. It's not a thing that can be rushed." He let go of her hand, and dropped his own to rest high on her thigh. "How does that feel?"
"I don't know."
"Think, Sapphire."
Not merely direct, but demanding. It felt -- not intrusive. Presumptuous, perhaps. "Warm," she said aloud.
"Just warm?"
"I can hardly read you the way I can them."
"Isn't that the point of this exercise? To be able to read each other."
"And you believe we can learn that in a single session?"
Steel's lips moved in that almost-smile again, and without looking away from her, he slid his hand a few inches further up her thigh. "How does that feel?"
Very presumptuous. "Warmer," she said, and shifted so both her legs rested on the bed as well. "The skin there is very sensitive."
"Not sensitive enough."
"I beg your pardon?"
Steel's eyes flickered down to his hand, then back up again. "With the male body, arousal is relatively simple," he said, as if he were not giving proof already. "It's one of the more vexing differences between the genders, how easy it is to create and judge arousal." His fingertips tapped gently against her skin.
"But you're aroused. We could try to simply push through, and trust I'll catch up."
"No. Too many unknowns." Steel frowned absently -- not at her. "Can you tell?"
"Not very well." Warm, she'd told him. Accurate, but not sufficient. She turned her attention inward, focusing on the more subtle shifts of this human body.
"Will you..." Steel hestiated. Then his eyes narrowed, and he murmured, "No."
"Steel?"
"Here. Like this." Steel sat up slightly, set both hands on her waist, and lifted her so she sat astride him. Sapphire moved as directed, a trifle puzzled. He had just said they shouldn't -- oh.
One hand back on her thigh. The other higher. Between her legs, no hesitation.
"Not quite yet," Steel said. His eyes were absent, clinical. His fingers pressed inward, just slightly, sliding over dampness of which Sapphire hadn't even been aware. She gasped despite herself.
"No, not quite," she said. Her voice didn't waver, though it was nearer than she'd like. She reached up and cupped his face. His eyes were not distant any more, but focused, focused on her again. "But almost."
"Sapphire--"
"Here." She reached down and brought his hand forward slowly. Perhaps this was what they were truly training for: not the act, but improvisation. Her human body felt...why didn't she have words? It felt. It wanted. It ached, not simple pain but something more complex, that increased with the feeling of Steel's fingers on her. Steel, watching her with those intent gray eyes.
"Sapphire--"
His other hand left her thigh and reached up, brushing over her cheek, up against her temple, fingers in her hair.
"Sapphire. Let me in."
Let him in. Yes. It wasn't almost any more. Sapphire took a deep breath, rose up -- her thighs were trembling -- then reached down. Steel had already moved his hand so it rested lightly on her leg, out of her way. His other hand still rested on her face.
Let me in.
It hurt. Even with the wetness and the ache.
It grows to hurt less with time.
It must, or humans would never repeat the act. But there were other imperatives at work.
Yes, biological imperatives.
...Steel?
Sapphire. Without looking away, Steel traced his hand back down, along her neck, between her breasts, along her belly to rest on her thigh where he had first touched her. He raised one eyebrow. Move.
Sapphire laughed despite herself, deep in her throat, and did.
-end-
Notes: Rare fandoms return! No connection to my previous S&S story: this was written for thesilentpoet, in celebration apology for introducing her to the series. Sapphire/Steel, for the wary.
LETTING IN
*
There is training, before they are given their first assignment. They must pass for human, after all. They must know the basic customs of the culture to which they are sent, what sort of lives they meddle with. It was rather fun, in Sapphire's opinion. She found cooking human meals to be very soothing, and some of their card games had the sort of complexity that even their kind can enjoy.
Her new partner said it was a waste of time. But perhaps that was directed at Lead or Silver. They were both visiting when he came to tell her that it was time for the final lesson.
He left immediately after. When Sapphire turned around, Silver was lounging in the kitchen door. "Final lesson? I didn't know where was an end to the dreary things. They're forever dragging me back."
"It's for partners only," Sapphire said. "To do with emotion, I believe. Will you give my excuses to Lead?"
It was a lie -- but Silver's gift was with objects and gimcracks, with surface fripperies, not the mind or the heart, so he would accept it. Let him believe it was something as simple as history or custom. She liked Silver, but not that much. Besides, she only barely knew what the final lesson was herself -- it wasn't something that could be described, she'd been told, but something that must be experienced. Something between assigned partners.
Too much ominous implication, too little information. This was hardly helpful. Concentrate on her partner -- on Steel. First find him, then follow.
"You're late."
"I came as soon as I could."
"Are you prepared?
"Of course. Are you?"
A twitch of his lips, almost a smile. Ha. He didn't ask her any further, but turned and went to the bed in the center of the room. He lay down on it stiffly, hands folded across his waist, eyes watching her. In the blink of an eye, his costume vanished.
Abrupt. Direct, she'd been told when given the assignment, and hardly any human manners, said Silver, with little more of the ordinary sort.
It's the way he is, Lead had said.
She let her own costume go, and sat down on the bed next to him, studying his chosen body curiously.
Male. Adult, somewhere in his 30s. Pale skin, fair hair, eyes the tell-tale gray of his element. Attractive? Perhaps. There was something pleasant about being watched so intently, even in this form.
"Very nice," she murmured.
"Likewise," Steel said. "Have you done this before?"
Sapphire nearly laughed, but caught herself in time. "No, of course not."
"Then this is likely to be a trifle awkward." He took one of her hands and studied it, as if it were some strange object.
"It seems straightforward enough."
"Indeed?"
"It's a matter of touching, isn't it? We know how to do that." Or at least she did. "Granted, it's touching of a very...intimate nature..."
"Precisely. It's not a thing that can be rushed." He let go of her hand, and dropped his own to rest high on her thigh. "How does that feel?"
"I don't know."
"Think, Sapphire."
Not merely direct, but demanding. It felt -- not intrusive. Presumptuous, perhaps. "Warm," she said aloud.
"Just warm?"
"I can hardly read you the way I can them."
"Isn't that the point of this exercise? To be able to read each other."
"And you believe we can learn that in a single session?"
Steel's lips moved in that almost-smile again, and without looking away from her, he slid his hand a few inches further up her thigh. "How does that feel?"
Very presumptuous. "Warmer," she said, and shifted so both her legs rested on the bed as well. "The skin there is very sensitive."
"Not sensitive enough."
"I beg your pardon?"
Steel's eyes flickered down to his hand, then back up again. "With the male body, arousal is relatively simple," he said, as if he were not giving proof already. "It's one of the more vexing differences between the genders, how easy it is to create and judge arousal." His fingertips tapped gently against her skin.
"But you're aroused. We could try to simply push through, and trust I'll catch up."
"No. Too many unknowns." Steel frowned absently -- not at her. "Can you tell?"
"Not very well." Warm, she'd told him. Accurate, but not sufficient. She turned her attention inward, focusing on the more subtle shifts of this human body.
"Will you..." Steel hestiated. Then his eyes narrowed, and he murmured, "No."
"Steel?"
"Here. Like this." Steel sat up slightly, set both hands on her waist, and lifted her so she sat astride him. Sapphire moved as directed, a trifle puzzled. He had just said they shouldn't -- oh.
One hand back on her thigh. The other higher. Between her legs, no hesitation.
"Not quite yet," Steel said. His eyes were absent, clinical. His fingers pressed inward, just slightly, sliding over dampness of which Sapphire hadn't even been aware. She gasped despite herself.
"No, not quite," she said. Her voice didn't waver, though it was nearer than she'd like. She reached up and cupped his face. His eyes were not distant any more, but focused, focused on her again. "But almost."
"Sapphire--"
"Here." She reached down and brought his hand forward slowly. Perhaps this was what they were truly training for: not the act, but improvisation. Her human body felt...why didn't she have words? It felt. It wanted. It ached, not simple pain but something more complex, that increased with the feeling of Steel's fingers on her. Steel, watching her with those intent gray eyes.
"Sapphire--"
His other hand left her thigh and reached up, brushing over her cheek, up against her temple, fingers in her hair.
"Sapphire. Let me in."
Let him in. Yes. It wasn't almost any more. Sapphire took a deep breath, rose up -- her thighs were trembling -- then reached down. Steel had already moved his hand so it rested lightly on her leg, out of her way. His other hand still rested on her face.
Let me in.
It hurt. Even with the wetness and the ache.
It grows to hurt less with time.
It must, or humans would never repeat the act. But there were other imperatives at work.
Yes, biological imperatives.
...Steel?
Sapphire. Without looking away, Steel traced his hand back down, along her neck, between her breasts, along her belly to rest on her thigh where he had first touched her. He raised one eyebrow. Move.
Sapphire laughed despite herself, deep in her throat, and did.
-end-