Hot Saviours

Julieta could not believe Kathrine was referring to her. It was her friend who was amazing. Oh, how she wished she could pay her back. And she would; she just needed to push through her exhaustion a bit. She tried to move on Kathrine, but was stopped by her friend, who refused to give up any control. Instead, they both laid on the sofa and caressed each other. Kathrine reached for a purse or trouser that was pushed behind the sofa in the chaos and came back with something in her hand. She gave it to Julieta. It was small, made of cold metal, and it started to vibrate. Kathrine led Julieta's hand to Kathrine's pussy. Kathrine French kissed Julieta passionately. 

Julieta had never used something like that, and she was trying to blindly find Kathrine's pussy. Kathrine was precise with her lead, making sure that the vibrations were transmitted to the right spot. She kissed Julieta with fury, telling her they'd found it.

Kathrine, between kisses said, "Fuck me." 

Fuck her? What was that supposed to mean? What does she want her to do?

Kathrine's hug felt intense. Julieta could tell how all of Kathrine's muscles were in tension. Julieta explored with one finger inside Kathrine's pussy, keeping the vibrating toy exactly where it was - at, or very close to, Kathrine's clit. Her finger felt completely wet, and the feeling was different to those times she had explored her own pussy. It felt warmer, and the reaction of her companion was also different. She dug the finger further in. Kathrine only kissed back. Her muscles started to shake. The kisses and her tongue revealed the precise instant when Kathrine came a second time.

How was it possible? Kathrine had had an orgasm just minutes before.

Julieta felt the kisses become softer and more tender.

Julieta suddenly understood that there was an entire ocean to explore. She knew so little. She thought about all the years she had wasted with her boyfriend, and asked herself if she wanted to waste any more. She imagined herself hugging Kathrine while looking at a sunset, and she felt a peace that soon transformed into soft arousal. She finally acknowledged how she felt after thinking about a woman. Or... what if it's not just about women? What if it's about love? Wait... love? Why was she already thinking about love?

Julieta decided to challenge herself. She summoned an image of Lin in her mind - a petite, naked, Asian body with small boobs. She imagined ordering the smaller girl around, and realized that it made her curious. Then she thought about Lin being ordered around by Kathrine's decisive voice, and that made her even more curious.

Then she got scared. She suddenly worried that her newfound "curiosity" might cost her Kathrine, and she realized she didn't want that to happen. Her feelings felt very new to her, no matter how long they might have existed deep inside. She decided, at least, that certain things in her life needed to change.

With very little settled - but with the benefit of her first orgasm in a long time - Julieta fell asleep.

+++ +++

It was the middle of the week, and Francisco had some leisure time. He could not remember the last time he'd had such a lead. He had taken his old drawing of two wings, but added flames to it, and reran an internet search for it, getting better hits. How could he have forgotten the flames? They were so clear, suddenly, after ten years.

"Theresa, can you please fetch Kathrine for me?" he kindly asked. 

Theresa looked at him. He knew he was hidden behind his laptop and felt an impulse to lock the screen as she approached. But it was Theresa, so it was okay.

"Are you still looking for her?" she asked after a glance at his screen. 

"No," he lied. He had looked for that saint of a woman for a whole season after they'd met in the Andes mountains a decade ago. He felt he had not properly thanked her for saving his life. The search had mainly consisted of looking at hiking forms and register books from the National Park. There were several entries in the right period with the name Lara, but all of them were followed by the last name Croft, so he had lost the hope that he'd even learned her real first name. Why use an alias? Why were there no more entries after the day they met? Did she go back to Europe? Was she still involved in Red Cross activities? "It is not like that. It is not that I am actively looking for her... it is just I got an idea, and I am curious as to where it might lead me." 

"She did not want to be found. She gave you a false name and disappeared."  Theresa sighed. She still went to fetch Kathrine. 

Francisco knew she was right. He saw Kathrine walking into his room with firm steps. She had shown to be fully compliant, but there was no hint of subordination in her manners. He quickly asked, "How are you enjoying yourself so far?"

"It's going better than expected!" Kathrine answered. "I already got a temporary job in the local mountaineering museum cafe! They say they got a really late season this year - that all the winter tourists are arriving now in spring. Thank you for lodging me here until I find my own place." 

"You can stay with us as long as you need. And a job, already? That was conveniently fast, my child. When are you starting?" 

"Starting on April, that's on Saturday... Theresa said you were calling for me. What can I help you with... Father?" She added the last word after a long, hesitant pause.

Francisco smiled at that. He had not explained who he was. He decided to start there. "Are you a bit confused about how to approach me? I had a personal quest some ten years ago that ended in me attending the seminary. I confirmed my devotion to saving people. However, after finishing the seminary I was still unsure what was the best way for me to carry out my devotion. I then asked for some time off to see if I could do better with other types of rescuing that did not only involve spiritual salvation. I joined the Red Cross then, and, soon after, started the group you are part of now." 

"I see," Kathrine said, nodding. 

"I have a question about your home city, back in Norway," he said. "I was wondering if you know if this tattoo shop still exists." He turned his laptop to show her the screen. 

Her expression turned from broad smile to deep concern, then to confusion as her eyes moved away from the address he was pointing at to the rest of the screen. "I am sorry," she said, "but that tattoo shop closed some three years ago. I knew it. It is where I did my tattoo... Did you know that already?"

He held a poker face.

Then, she surprised him by pointing at a background image on the screen and asking, "But why do you have a picture of 'The Prelude of the Salvation Phoenix' there?" 

It took him a moment to understand. He maximized the picture of a tattoo from a background window - the tattoo that was the best match he'd found on the internet, having used his drawing as a seed. The tattoo had been posted on the Internet more than fifteen years ago by a tattoo artist that had not been active the last three years, but who'd operated out of that particular Norwegian city. 

"'The Prelude of the Salvation Phoenix,'" he read to himself, looking at the text that was written underneath the Instagram picture. The text was not visible when Kathrine had spoken. He looked Kathrine deep in the eyes without being able to decide what to ask next. 

She must have noticed, so she helped him understand. "That art piece was done by an old artist from my home city. I got a tattoo from that same man." That raised his hopes, but then she dashed them. "Sadly, he died a few months after I got mine." 

The conversation did not go anywhere productive after that. Francisco needed time to recover after learning that the lead he was holding had died like nothing. Soon, there was nothing more to talk about, so Kathrine headed back to the common room. 

And then, suddenly, as though rising from ashes, a small flame of hope ignited within him. "Kathrine! Wait! Can you tell me what you know about the 'Prelude of the Salvation Phoenix?'" 

Kathrine turned to him and said, "Sure, what do you want me to tell you? There is not much I can say about the whys and the hows of it. My mother was always reserved about why she got that tattoo on her back." 

+++ +++

Kathrine was finishing her first shift at the museum cafe. It was full, and she felt like escaping. That was her usual reaction when faced with too many people. She walked out and stopped with a start at the honk from a car parked there. She recognized it. Lin came out from the driver's seat and waved to her. Kathrine recognized the woman sitting on the front passenger seat.

Kathrine had been thinking about Julieta a lot after their phone call last Tuesday, when she'd said she was leaving him. Kathrine had felt very guilty at first, but understood that it was what Julieta wanted. Kathrine was a bit unsure if it was best for Julieta though. She wanted to support her friend, but she felt she was too close to both her and to the situation. She felt that any advice she gave would be tainted by her own emotions: her obsession with Julieta's passionate soul, and her guilt at possibly being the reason for the breakup.

Still, she was very happy Julieta was there in the passenger seat.

"You did not have any other plans for this day, did you?" Julieta asked, sticking her head out from the car window.

Kathrine slowly shook her head.

"Lin says that Paolo called and asked about his backpack. It was orange."

She looked so beautiful. Having her there was so beautiful. Forgetting all of her inner conflicts, Kathrine approached Julieta and kissed her while her head was sticking out of the car. The kiss was well received. She felt a rush, probably caused by loads of chemicals secreted into her blood. Suddenly, the passion inside turned into a moment of insecurity. What was she doing? What would the locals think? Was there anybody watching? Could she risk getting fired on her first day? After getting her breath back, she stepped out of her dizziness and into the car. She had also probably just publicly announced a secret. Kathrine eyed Lin, who was sitting back behind the driving wheel with a wide smile.

When Lin recognized her curious look through the rear-view mirror, Lin said, "This will be a fantastic trip, I promise. You can both sit and relax, you pair of lovebirds. Let me take care of the rest."

After a short car trip and a not-so-short snow-scooter trip, the three of them reached the cabin again. Kathrine would have preferred skiing due to how noisy the scooter was, but she reminded herself that the trip was about being social, not some physical test.

They had a good idea about where they had found Paolo, but before searching for the backpack up there, Kathrine walked to the wall that was slightly broken. Standing there, she studied the structure, the broken window, and fractured planks. She walked around the cabin - or at least those few places where wind had blown the snow away, because otherwise there was thigh-high snow that made it impossible to walk. She found some planks underneath the cabin. She also found some tools in a small cupboard inside. She was again standing in front of the broken window when Julieta approached.

"What do you think?" her friend asked.

"I was just thinking that we can try to repair it a bit," Kathrine said without looking at Julieta. "At least put up a barrier to keep the snow out, otherwise everything will get damaged here. What do you think?"

"I think that is a magnificent idea," Julieta answered with a broad smile. "Where shall we start, boss?" She then kissed Kathrine on her cheek.

They used only a few planks, the low wide table next to the sofa, two hammers, one saw and many nails. Kathrine found it easy to direct the work, as both helpers were listening to her instructions and trying the best they could. Lin did seem a bit distracted at times, and disappeared on occasions towards the sauna or the firewood shed. It was difficult for Kathrine to know how much to trust Lin, or to figure out how she thought. What was she plotting? Was she mysteriously clever or slightly ignorant?

Julieta showed little hesitation and was able to complete many small tasks by herself. The repair was tight enough to keep out both the snow and the wind. However, it was not perfectly air-tight, and did not include any insulation.

Kathrine and Julieta then shoveled most of the accumulated snow out the working window. Julieta worked with a smile. Not a complaint was heard. They were soon finished.

"Thank you for spending the day with me," Kathrine said, hoping she hid her insecurity.

"This is wonderful. I like being with you. I mean 'you' as in only you, and not as in both of you. Not that there's anything wrong with Lin. I was a bit unsure what you felt about me, so I accepted her suggestion of bringing you here, to have a chance of meeting with you again in something that would look more like a task... or maybe a picnic with friends rather than an intimate date." Julieta smiled at her clumsy explanation, standing and leaning on the shovel. "I feel productive when I am with you. I feel happier. I do things I did not know I could do!"

"Like fingering me," Kathrine said with a piquant look and smile.

Julieta looked down, probably hiding her blush. Her broad smile was still evident.

"Come here."

Julieta did, so Kathrine kissed her on the lips. Julieta's lips were always hesitant at first, then melted into a tender sweetness. Then the best part came, when that fire started to burn and the passion started to boil through every one of her breaths. Kathrine pulled away, as she was learning to do, and she was delighted to see that Julieta craved more. They gravitated towards each other. Kathrine's hands moved under Julieta's jacket, sweater, wool shirt, upwards, upwards and reached... what? Was the Italian wearing a wool bralette? This time she was properly dressed for the occasion. Kathrine's hand moved under it and reached her boob, her finger seeking the nipple. She found it. She pressed the button. Julieta's knees failed slightly, and Kathrine hugged her tightly, keeping her up.

After the passionate moment elapsed, they pushed themselves outside to complete the day's task, though with haste, already yearning for what might come later. They held a very friendly and tight hug while driving the scooter up to the place where they had found Paolo, and, after a very short time of digging and playfully throwing snow at each other, the lovebirds found an orange backpack.

Shortly after, Lin's voice buzzed through the walkie-talkie. "Help! I'm stuck! It is burning! Can't breathe. Please! Help! HELP!"

Both looked down and saw a massive smoke cloud starting to fill the valley in the direction of the cabin. They rushed down, finding all the smoke coming from the cabin-sauna chimney. Full of panic, both went into the main room and stressfully looked for Lin or any anomalies.

Suddenly, the sauna door slammed open.

"It is burning hot in here! Are you not coming to rescue me?" Lin exclaimed, posing half naked on the door frame. Her broad smile revealed her deception. Kathrine could not describe her, so Julieta did.

"Lin, I see you can't breathe, that's because of the suffocating overbust corset with lace underwire bustier you're wearing. And look at those cutout briefs and lace stockings. And that tulle skirt is just your style."

What Julieta forgot to say is that the entire garment was in the perfect matching blue. Kathrine closed the outside door and rushed after Julieta. 

"And look what you found," Lin said, turning towards the orange backpack and grabbing it.

"Lin, you are not supposed to rifle through somebody else's belongings," Kathrine tried.

"Oops, too late! What is this?" She laughed while taking a pack of condoms from a side pocket. Lin looked at her friends with a silly smile.

Kathrine gave her a smile, but quickly ignored her and the backpack. Lin was in a very provocative outfit, and Kathrine was trying to read how Julieta felt about letting Lin sneak into their budding relationship. She worried that all the fuss that Lin brought all the time might be too much - like, for example, a rather scary prank. However, Julieta's eyes glowed when looking at Lin. Instead of igniting a feeling of jealousy, it cleansed any feeling of guilt that might have settled on her shoulders. Then she understood. Lin provided the unconditional type of bond that Julieta was used to. Julieta had left Salvatore with a friend, but had brought Lin instead. Kathrine finally understood that what Julieta and herself were growing could not be disrupted by any blue tulle skirt. 

Julieta took something more out of the backpack. It was a porn magazine in a foreign language.

"I think it's German," Kathrine said. "Who uses actual magazines anymore?"

"Boys that get their phone monitored by their parents," Julieta answered, giggling.

Lin started passing the pages; her friends looked over her shoulder. She went through it quickly, as there wasn't much text to read.

"What were your favorite scenes?" Kathrine asked.

Lin found the roughest BSDM scene in the entire magazine, which came as no surprise. Julieta could not hide a distasteful grimace at that choice. Instead, Julieta found the page where two lesbians were scissoring. She blushed. Heat or embarrassment?

Kathrine looked to the sauna heater oven that was on, then at Lin, nearly naked, then to herself, wearing a winter jacket. "You are right Lin, it is hot in here", Kathrine said while starting to strip down completely. Then she sat on the upper sauna bench and looked down to Julieta.

Lin jumped from one foot to the other and approached the upper bench. Kathrine kept her eyes on Julieta. Lin knew her place: next to Kathrine.

Julieta looked up to Kathrine.

"Do it slow, and sing," Kathrine commanded.

Julieta closed her eyes and started to swing her body to music only she heard in her head. Her left foot started to mark the beats. 

"You make it look like it's magic. Oh yeah," Julieta sang in a wonderful tone, pulling the jacket zipper down.

"I see nobody, nobody but you, you, you," Julieta sang, opening her eyes and looking right to Kathrine, popping one shoulder out of the jacket first, then the other. The intonation was perfect and Kathrine quickly recognized the song.

"I'm never confused." The jacket dropping to the floor. She continued the striptease to her own singing. She lifted her sweater, flashing her abs, then let it down again. As timid as Julieta might have seemed sometimes regarding her sensuality, the musicality in her had obviously a disinhibiting effect, as if taking over.

"And I'm so used to being used," she sang, and turned around, unbuttoning the winter pants and letting them drop by their own weight. She placed her hands on her butt, still covered by the wool underwear. She sang more, in a beautiful high pitch, while bending over and flashing her ass at them. On the next verse, she stepped out of the pants, first one leg, then the other. With her right hand, she took the left side of the sweater and pulled upwards, following the staccato of the "care for you, you, you, you," repeated words. She repeated the next line, mirroring her previous movement, and then removed her bra.

Julieta sang the first lines of the chorus with strength, right from her belly. Her body was swinging, one foot marking the beats. She sat on the lower bench sideways looking at Kathrine all the time. She raised her butt and showed Kathrine the way she "...work it", panties gliding towards her thighs. "'Cause girl you earned it." The underwear moved further down, to her knees, and she slid one leg out completely. Then she repeated, "Girl you earned it," and kicked the panties towards Kathrine's face with her other leg, concluding the chorus with a, "Yeah."