The Cost of Memories

This story was written for the following prompt: "In the future, memories can be copied and sold for others to experience. A sex worker sells all her memories of sex with her lady lover. Strangely, it becomes a way to reconnect their battered relationship."

Many thanks to erktec for helping me with this.

She shuffled over to the door, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Though her vision was blurry, it was still enough for her to recognize the fiery-haired figure through the peephole. She sighed, twisting the lock and pulling the door open as she leaned against the frame in just panties and a t-shirt.

"Whadda you want, Red?" she mumbled.

Red gave her a wan smile and held up a small black chip. "All of them, Lily?"

She forced her eyes to focus on the memory card, then groaned as realization clicked. "Red..."

"Couldn't even keep one night for yourself?"

"You know that's not how it works."

"Did you get a good price at least?" Red pressed, leaning in. Her extra inches of height made her look down on Lily, who sighed and stepped back from the door.

"I can't do this right now. You want some coffee?"

"Coffee?"

"Night shift, remember?" Lily muttered, heading for the kitchen half of the main room. After a few moments, Red came inside, shutting the door behind herself and sitting down on the sofa. She set the memory card on the messy coffee table, lost amid dishes and takeout boxes. Lily came back with two steaming mugs of the pre-brewed coffee and put one in front of Red. "Here. Drowned in cream."

"Just the way I like it," Red murmured, taking a drink and staring into the pale brown liquid. Lily took a seat on the couch a careful distance away, and for a while Red was quiet, just taking sips of coffee and letting Lily wake up.

"You should have asked me," Red said, eventually.

"So you could say no?"

"No. Yeah. I don't know. I just- I wish you'd asked. Or at least fucking told me."

"They're my memories," Lily said softly.

"And I'm in them!"

"I wouldn't care if you did the same thing."

"I-" Red faltered, clutching her cup tightly. "Maybe you don't get it because- because you're you, but it does my fuckin' head in. Any person I pass on the street, any person I meet, they might've seen me... seen us..."

"It scrambles your face, it's not like anyone would recognize-"

"Yeah but that's not the point, is it?" Red snapped. "It's not just me. It's us. Every time we've ever been together. Every bit of intimacy we ever had. I thought, you and me, we had something special. Wasn't perfect, God knows, but... I thought I was more than just a good fuck, you know? And then you sold me off- for what? A few thousand creds? That hurts. It really fuckin' hurts."

She fell silent. Neither of them spoke for a while. Finally, Lily shifted closer on the couch, putting a hand on her arm.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Red."

"Yeah, well, it's kind of late for that," Red muttered, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Genie's out of the bottle."

"I didn't think..."

"That's the problem, isn't it? Not thinking?" Red said bitterly.

"Red..." Lily sighed, then took a deep breath. "Red, you were special to me. Are special. But... I really needed the money. Doing what I do... I don't think about it the same way as you. And, fuck, maybe that makes me a heartless bitch. But- I didn't mean to hurt you. Really. I'm sorry. I know it's not enough, but I'm really sorry, Red."

Lily slipped her arms around the taller woman, holding her unresisting body. After a moment, Red leaned into her, returning the embrace.

"Fuck," Red whispered. A hot tear rolled into Lily's shaved hair. They stayed like that for some time, slowly rocking, but eventually Lily gently pulled away.

"I've got work, Red."

"Yeah," Red mumbled, staring at her lap. "Yeah."

"I'm gonna take a shower." Lily stood up. "You can... stick around, if you want."

"Okay."

Red heard the bathroom door close. After a few minutes, she drained her coffee and walked over to the front door, but hesitated with her hand on the knob. She stood indecisively for another minute, then went to the bathroom door and tried the handle. It twisted in her grasp, letting her into the hot, steamy, sweet-smelling room. She could see Lily's indistinct figure through the frosted glass, and the sight brought a hundred memories flooding back with painful intensity. She wavered in the doorway, not quite moving over the threshold.

The glass partition slid open a few inches. Red closed the bathroom door behind her and slipped out of her clothes, leaving them on the ground with Lily's. Her chest tight, she stepped into the shower, taking in her ex's wet, naked, model-perfect figure. Lily made room for her but didn't quite acknowledge her presence, continuing to rinse the shampoo out of her half-inch long hair.

It was all at once familiar and wrong, and Red couldn't bring herself to do more than watch. Even when Lily rubbed herself down with body wash and seemed to be putting on a bit of a show, she didn't move. Only when Lily was fully clean and simply standing in the hot spray of water did she look up and meet Red's eyes.

"What are you doing, Red?"

"I-" Her voice choked. She tried again. "I don't know. I don't fuckin' know."

Lily stepped forward, putting her naked body inches from Red's. "Do you want me?"

"I- yeah. Of course." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, smelling nothing but Lily. "But- I don't want that to be it. I don't want this to be one last apology fuck because you feel bad. I want you to want this. To want me. And if you don't, just... say the word. I'll go."

She rocked slightly on her heels, her heart pounding. Warm, wet hands cupped her cheeks, and she opened her eyes in time to see Lily going up on her tiptoes, bringing their lips together. The kiss was soft, sweet, and brief; Lily pulled back after only a moment, sliding her hands down to hold her waist.

"I missed you, Red," she murmured, resting her forehead against Red's chest.

"I missed you too, baby," Red whispered into Lily's wet hair, wrapping her arms around her ex's warmth. "I missed you so much. Even though it never works. I was gonna come see you anyway, then I found out..."

"I'm sorry." Lily kissed her collarbone. "We can make another memory. Just for you and me. If you want."

"I'd like that," Red breathed, blinking away tears, and kissed the top of her head. Lily looked up with a smile, raising herself up to meet Red's lips once again. This kiss was the opposite of before: hot, hungry, and long, only ending when they broke apart panting. Red closed the distance this time, leaning down to claim Lily's mouth and guiding her back until they were pressed up against the wall of the shower, hot water streaming over their bodies as their tongues fought for dominance. Lily tasted like minty toothpaste; not the best flavor with coffee lingering in her mouth, but Red couldn't get enough. Their hands started to roam each other's bodies, feeling up the warm flesh and finding each other's sensitive points with the effortlessness of long practice. For Red, it was her tits, small and pert and so fun to play with. Lily gently kneaded them, teasing the nipples into hardness with her thumbs and making Red gasp into her mouth. Lily's breasts were too perfect, sculpted and tweaked until they looked amazing but had hardly any feeling to them, so Red slid her hands down and found that spot just over Lily's hips. It was an odd little erogenous zone that had her squirming against the wall, tingly sensations shooting through her body as the soft noises she made were muffled by Red's lips.

When they were both too hot and needy to continue, Red finally broke away, starting to kiss down her jaw, her neck, between her breasts and pausing for a few nibbles at those points on either side of her waist before planting a kiss on her mound and straightening up again. She pressed herself against Lily's warm body, nudging her lover's legs apart to reveal her reddened lower lips. Her hand found its way between Lily's thighs and stroked over the swollen flesh, easing her slick folds apart and rubbing through them to gather up her wetness. Lily bit her lip as she stared into Red's eyes, her breath quickening.

She was very ready when Red slipped two fingers inside her, carefully working deeper until they were buried to the knuckle in tight, silky heat. Red kissed her again and began to move her hand, working into an easy rhythm before adding a third finger and starting to pump harder. Her thumb found Lily's clit with each thrust, playing her body with practiced ease and drawing out little muffled gasps and moans. Red knew her well, knew every little trick to make her fall apart and explode in pleasure. Even when Lily tried to hold back - and she did, sometimes, to prolong the moment - Red took it as a challenge. She loved making Lily lose her self-control, and she hadn't lost her touch. Lily clutched at Red's shoulders, fingers digging into her back, breath growing ragged as she felt that familiar tension build inside. Her legs trembled, leaving her struggling to stay upright as low moans escaped from between their lips. Red slipped her free arm around her lover's waist and moved her hand faster, shifting to kiss and nip at Lily's neck, adding little sparks to the onslaught of sensations that sent her flying over the edge. Lily clawed red lines across her back as she tensed, her stomach flexing and knees buckling with the waves of pleasure. Red was left holding her upright and gave her a last few thrusts before pulling her fingers out to just gently rub over her folds, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. Lily took shuddering breaths, gradually regaining her footing until she could stand on her own.

"God... I missed that," Lily murmured, looking up at Red with an uncontrollable smile on her face. "Nobody can do it like you."

"Mm." Red rested their foreheads against each other, trading a few soft kisses with her lover before pulling back. "Want to get out?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna prune." On shaky legs, Lily stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, passing another to Red. As soon as they were reasonably dry, she took Red's hand and lead her to the bedroom, pushing her down to the messy covers and climbing over top of her for a kiss. It was the one place in the apartment with a window, and warm sunset tones filled the room, painting their damp skin a dusky red as their lips met again and again. Lily gradually kissed down the curve of her neck, jumping from freckle to faint freckle, trailing along her shoulder before following her breast down to the nipple and taking it into her mouth. She sucked at it, making Red groan and grab fistfuls of the sheets as tingly pleasure set her nerves alight. Lily moved over to its twin and gave it equal attention, leaving both buds stiff and cool with saliva.

She started to work her lips down her lover's body, each kiss with just a tiny nip of teeth that made Red flinch and smile at the same time. Lily knew Red's body just as thoroughly as Red knew hers, and the little specks of pain turned her already burning need into an inferno of lust. Red eagerly spread her legs when Lily reached her mound, kissing down the little strip of ginger hair to her swollen, glistening heat. Lily lapped up her arousal, savoring the taste before diving in with a flurry of licks. Red let out a low moan and reached down to hold her lover's head, keeping her close but letting her set her own pace. Lily gave her exactly what she wanted, building up the anticipation with little teasing touches of her tongue until she coaxed Red's clit from its hood and lavished the bud with affection. Lily's hair was too short to grab, but Red certainly tried, fingers curling against her lover's scalp as hot pleasure rocked her body. More whimpers and moans escaped her, her legs tensing against the bed, dragging in erratic gulps of air as Lily worked her tongue like the professional she was.

"Fuck," Red gasped. "Fuck- God, Lily- ff-fuck-" Her breath hitched as the pleasure threatened to overwhelm her, the aching ball of tension in her belly ready to explode. Lily didn't let up, assaulting her clit with fast, hot little licks until Red's thighs tensed around her head and she came, toes curling into the bed. She moaned, her legs trembling, her body tense and awash in blissful sensation that gradually faded away, leaving her to pant. Lily shifted forward to lay on top of her, laying her head next to Red's as their hearts calmed.

"Round two?" Lily murmured after a while, breath hot on Red's ear.

"Don't you have work?"

"That's never stopped us before, has it?"

Red laughed, pulling her lover into a kiss and feeling Lily smile against her lips.