Green-Eyed
R-rated, f/f. 997 words.
***
Inara was fourteen, nearly fifteen, and had been at the academy for so long that she could hardly imagine living anywhere else. Her schoolwork was difficult, with so many courses and mastery of all of them expected, but she thrived on the challenge. And they were amply rewarded for their hard work, from luxurious gifts awarded for excellent academic performance, to the academy's lenient rules regarding student dalliances--dalliances like the one that Inara was eagerly anticipating.
She wanted to get in a few more minutes of studying before Linelle arrived, but she couldn't help straining her ears for the sound of footsteps in the hallway, though of course most of the footsteps she heard belonged to students other than Linelle. One after another, the girls were abandoning their studies in search of more relaxing pursuits.
Classes at the academy didn't start until mid-morning; it was expected that the students would want to sleep in.
Linelle was two years older than Inara, rapidly nearing graduation. She had already been accepted into House Yvestra, on the southern continent. It was just as well that she'd be leaving soon, though neither of them ever said so aloud. Wanton indulgences with fellow students were not against academy policy--in fact, it was considered to be valuable practice. Exclusivity, on the other hand, was forbidden. The more time the two of them spent together, the greater the likelihood of a reprimand on each of their permanent records.
Inara checked the clock again, frowning. It wasn't like Linelle to be so late.
The hallway had been quiet for what seemed like ages--all the other girls having already found their way to their bedfellows for the night--when soft footsteps finally approached Inara's door. She sprung out of her chair to let Linelle inside, but the door opened before she reached it. Inara's roommate entered, closing the door behind her.
Teza looked uneasy; she had skill enough to hide her emotions from the untrained, but not near the talent needed to hide them from other companions.
"What's wrong?" Inara asked, concerned. While it was not unusual for Teza to spend the night in their room, it was strange for her to go out to meet someone but return the same night. Inara suspected a spat of some kind, hopefully trivial and easily sorted out.
"I saw Linelle a few minutes ago," Teza said after some consideration.
"Yes?"
Teza looked at a lamp rather than answer, from which Inara drew her conclusions. "She went into someone else's room," Inara said with certainty, feeling a sharp pang of some emotion that she didn't care to identify.
"I'm sorry," Teza said. "I know that you were--"
"No," Inara interrupted with a bit more force than intended. It was for the best. As much as they adored each other's company, neither of them were willing to sacrifice their futures for a childish infatuation. She almost regretted that Linelle had come to her senses sooner than Inara had. "I'm certain that Linelle will enjoy the company of whomever she is with."
Teza nodded and relaxed. Inara realized that Teza must have felt uncomfortable all these months, feeling obligated to help conceal the illicit relationship even though she disapproved of it.
"What about you?" Teza asked.
"What do you mean?" Inara said.
Teza took a meaningful step towards Inara. "Will you enjoy the company of whomever you are with?"
Inara blinked, startled, but then smiled invitingly. "I'm certain I shall," she said.
*
A loud knock on the door woke them the next morning, puzzling Inara. Companions do not, on the whole, knock loudly. Tactful knocks were the norm, especially when there was the possibility of intruding upon intimate acts. She disentangled an arm to groggily rub at her eyes.
She tried to climb out of bed to open the door, but Teza embraced her tightly, preventing her from moving. "Stay," she said, shifting her weight to bring their bodies more fully into contact. Warm breasts pressed together, lithe legs intertwined, and their eyes met, sleepiness and intrusive knocking forgotten. Inara lowered her head the few scant inches that separated their faces and kissed Teza.
The door burst open.
Startled, Inara broke the kiss. "Linelle?"
Inara had never seen her so furious. Linelle glared at Teza as if she'd like to claw her throat out. Shocked, Inara looked down at Teza and found her returning the look in kind. Reluctantly, Inara climbed off Teza and sat up. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded.
"She drugged me and left me in a closet," Linelle spat, still glaring.
"Drugged you?" Inara echoed. She looked at Teza, expecting a denial, but found Teza gloating at Linelle. "Teza?"
"You should have seen how easy it was to get her to kiss me," Teza said, idly fondling one of Inara's breasts. "Why should she get to keep you all to herself when she goes around kissing anyone who asks?"
Other students had gathered in the doorway by now, crowding to peer past Linelle. "What's going on?" the dorm mistress, Malya, asked.
That snapped Inara out of her shock. Not one of the three of them would go unpunished if they admitted the truth to Malya. "It's nothing," Inara said, lying with as much skill as she could manage.
There was a tiny flicker in Malya's eyes. "Really?"
"Really," Inara said with confidence.
Malya nodded. "Then I believe you," she said, though she didn't, of course. Half the floor must have heard every word. But Inara was a favorite of nearly all of the academy's instructors, which bought her a blind eye now and then.
Linelle, face now carefully blank, turned to leave. "I'll leave you two to dress. Maybe I'll see you at breakfast, Inara."
The door closed behind her.
Teza looked as if she wanted to say something. Fairly certain that it wasn't going to be an apology, Inara got her robe out of the closet and left for the bathroom without a word.
***
Inara was fourteen, nearly fifteen, and had been at the academy for so long that she could hardly imagine living anywhere else. Her schoolwork was difficult, with so many courses and mastery of all of them expected, but she thrived on the challenge. And they were amply rewarded for their hard work, from luxurious gifts awarded for excellent academic performance, to the academy's lenient rules regarding student dalliances--dalliances like the one that Inara was eagerly anticipating.
She wanted to get in a few more minutes of studying before Linelle arrived, but she couldn't help straining her ears for the sound of footsteps in the hallway, though of course most of the footsteps she heard belonged to students other than Linelle. One after another, the girls were abandoning their studies in search of more relaxing pursuits.
Classes at the academy didn't start until mid-morning; it was expected that the students would want to sleep in.
Linelle was two years older than Inara, rapidly nearing graduation. She had already been accepted into House Yvestra, on the southern continent. It was just as well that she'd be leaving soon, though neither of them ever said so aloud. Wanton indulgences with fellow students were not against academy policy--in fact, it was considered to be valuable practice. Exclusivity, on the other hand, was forbidden. The more time the two of them spent together, the greater the likelihood of a reprimand on each of their permanent records.
Inara checked the clock again, frowning. It wasn't like Linelle to be so late.
The hallway had been quiet for what seemed like ages--all the other girls having already found their way to their bedfellows for the night--when soft footsteps finally approached Inara's door. She sprung out of her chair to let Linelle inside, but the door opened before she reached it. Inara's roommate entered, closing the door behind her.
Teza looked uneasy; she had skill enough to hide her emotions from the untrained, but not near the talent needed to hide them from other companions.
"What's wrong?" Inara asked, concerned. While it was not unusual for Teza to spend the night in their room, it was strange for her to go out to meet someone but return the same night. Inara suspected a spat of some kind, hopefully trivial and easily sorted out.
"I saw Linelle a few minutes ago," Teza said after some consideration.
"Yes?"
Teza looked at a lamp rather than answer, from which Inara drew her conclusions. "She went into someone else's room," Inara said with certainty, feeling a sharp pang of some emotion that she didn't care to identify.
"I'm sorry," Teza said. "I know that you were--"
"No," Inara interrupted with a bit more force than intended. It was for the best. As much as they adored each other's company, neither of them were willing to sacrifice their futures for a childish infatuation. She almost regretted that Linelle had come to her senses sooner than Inara had. "I'm certain that Linelle will enjoy the company of whomever she is with."
Teza nodded and relaxed. Inara realized that Teza must have felt uncomfortable all these months, feeling obligated to help conceal the illicit relationship even though she disapproved of it.
"What about you?" Teza asked.
"What do you mean?" Inara said.
Teza took a meaningful step towards Inara. "Will you enjoy the company of whomever you are with?"
Inara blinked, startled, but then smiled invitingly. "I'm certain I shall," she said.
*
A loud knock on the door woke them the next morning, puzzling Inara. Companions do not, on the whole, knock loudly. Tactful knocks were the norm, especially when there was the possibility of intruding upon intimate acts. She disentangled an arm to groggily rub at her eyes.
She tried to climb out of bed to open the door, but Teza embraced her tightly, preventing her from moving. "Stay," she said, shifting her weight to bring their bodies more fully into contact. Warm breasts pressed together, lithe legs intertwined, and their eyes met, sleepiness and intrusive knocking forgotten. Inara lowered her head the few scant inches that separated their faces and kissed Teza.
The door burst open.
Startled, Inara broke the kiss. "Linelle?"
Inara had never seen her so furious. Linelle glared at Teza as if she'd like to claw her throat out. Shocked, Inara looked down at Teza and found her returning the look in kind. Reluctantly, Inara climbed off Teza and sat up. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded.
"She drugged me and left me in a closet," Linelle spat, still glaring.
"Drugged you?" Inara echoed. She looked at Teza, expecting a denial, but found Teza gloating at Linelle. "Teza?"
"You should have seen how easy it was to get her to kiss me," Teza said, idly fondling one of Inara's breasts. "Why should she get to keep you all to herself when she goes around kissing anyone who asks?"
Other students had gathered in the doorway by now, crowding to peer past Linelle. "What's going on?" the dorm mistress, Malya, asked.
That snapped Inara out of her shock. Not one of the three of them would go unpunished if they admitted the truth to Malya. "It's nothing," Inara said, lying with as much skill as she could manage.
There was a tiny flicker in Malya's eyes. "Really?"
"Really," Inara said with confidence.
Malya nodded. "Then I believe you," she said, though she didn't, of course. Half the floor must have heard every word. But Inara was a favorite of nearly all of the academy's instructors, which bought her a blind eye now and then.
Linelle, face now carefully blank, turned to leave. "I'll leave you two to dress. Maybe I'll see you at breakfast, Inara."
The door closed behind her.
Teza looked as if she wanted to say something. Fairly certain that it wasn't going to be an apology, Inara got her robe out of the closet and left for the bathroom without a word.