Under Your Skin

Jude knelt down between her friends open thighs with her flashlight, while Hannah angled a small compact mirror to help guide the tour. Hannah pointed to the two lines either side of her labia, but Jude had to brush aside the fringe of pubic hair to find them: two faint lines, that ran parallel, like creases.

"That's amazing Hannah. How long did it all take to settle down?" Jude asked.

"All the function was there in a week or so, then the scars took about six months, tops. There's one just there that got a bit infected, so it's still a little darker."

"Can I? Do you mind if I have a poke about?" Jude asked looking up.

"Help yourself," Hannah replied and rested her head back.

Jude continued her commentary of amazement as she gently peeled open her friend's labia, revealing the pulpy flesh and folds of her sex. She ran her finger along the length of her slit, making Hannah jump as she brushed her clitoris.

"Where's your pee hole, Han? Oh, wait a sec, I see it. Wow. So have you got sensation all over, no numb bits?"

"Pretty much now. I used to get funny ticks and fizzes for a year -- nothing much, but I could feel things were still knitting together, healing, you know, nerves growing in."

"Can I feel inside? Do I need some lube?" Jude asked, intrigued by her discoveries.

"Use your tongue, Jude. Is your mouth clean?"

"I've got a filthy mouth -- you know that by now," Jude responded casually.

She let her hands drop their examination and instead pressed them outward, over Hannah's thighs, circling until they met again on her pubic bone. She repeated it. Hannah sighed and wriggled herself away a little, bringing her feet up to rest on the mattress. Jude followed, gripping Hannah's hips to stop her moving too far and now running her hands outward to rest on the top her thighs.

She pressed her face into Hannah's sex, breathing in her earthy tang. She placed a garland of little kisses around her lips, that had begun to glisten like polished coral. Jude's mouth became bolder: her own lips now dragging out of shape against the other's flesh. She ran the tip of her tongue to draw along the parting ridge of Hannah's labia and felt a slow hand brush over her head.

Hannah found her hips were pushing up towards Jude's vanishing tongue, not wanting to lose the luxury of its warmth or the wetness that now mingled with her own.

Jude continued to gently tease her friend, never allowing more than the lightest touch or a second's electric contact of red flesh to flesh. The taste of Hannah's sex had found its way to the back of her tongue, darker notes of oils and shameless lust filled her mouth.

Jude's head was just beyond her grasp, or else Hannah would have pulled it tight into her if she could. Jude was teasing her, testing how long she could bend Hannah to her design with this exquisite agony.

Jude placed the flat of two fingers to the teardrop opening of Hannah's vagina and let them slide in, forcing a noise from Hannah's throat that rose in pitch until a half word fell from her mouth. Jude rose to her feet and let her fingers turn as she did, pressing her thumb along the line of Hannah's lips to find her clitoris. She stood over her now, running her free hand over Hannah's skin, from one breast to the other, pinching each nipple and felt the oily pressure of Hannah's vagina on the other.

Hannah stretched out her fingers to Jude and beckoned: her mouth turned down, begging mercy.

"Please, please, Jude," she whispered hoarsely. "I want you, please."

Jude nodded and let her gown fall from her shoulders, her bobbing erection demanding the same relief. She knelt in front of Hannah's spreading thighs and pressed her shaft down to meet her.

Hannah was nodding and biting her lip in frantic desperation, until she felt the pressure and relief of penetration.

Jude looked down past her own breasts to watch her penis disappear inside her friend: it's smooth skin slick with sex, her few blond hairs flattened in wet brushstrokes on her skin. She did not have the strength to stay there long and let herself lie forward onto Hannah, her own small breasts now flattened against hers.

Jude wriggled forward more, tilting Hannah's hips up to meet her. She put her mouth to her ear and gently bit her lobe. Their rhythm was slow: languid as though their limbs were branches swaying in an approaching storm: the pressure of resistance followed by brief relief then pressure again.

"Rub yourself. I want you to come," Jude breathed the words at her ear, the heat alone enough to make Hannah tremble and the command making her cry out. She was already close and Jude's words pushed her closer. She wanted to fall, but another instinct made her cling. The edge was close and pressure of Jude's cock gave her no place to hide from its goal.

She reached between her legs, past the bristle of her pubis and with a shock, found confirmation of Jude's possession of her, her shaft sinking into her sex like a root. Her fingers found the hardness, her head filled with the vision and her body rose in an arch that at once tried to push Jude away, but demanded to be held.

With tight shut eyes, she felt herself fall upward into a wall of heat and light that broke over her. For those brief moments she had no sense of herself, time vanished, her eyes black, while the sound in her head screamed back at her. Too much. She flung her eyes open once, then again. A blurred shape above her: Jude looking down. Closed eyes again and shake her head. It was ending -- too much, too much. Jude now in her sight again. Beautiful, tender Jude. Her smile. Those eyes. Hannah reached up to pull her closer.

Jude clung to her, made kisses to her ear, licked the taste of her skin into her mouth: she memorized Hannah's tang and would forever now be able to recall her scent.

With breath returning, they peeled their skin apart: breasts, then tummies but hips still joined by Jude's softening flesh. Hannah's mouth was open, its corners down, but happy beyond words. Jude grinned broadly, immensely pleased with herself, bursting with happiness for what they had made.

"Did you come too?"asked Hannah.

Jude nodded excitedly back, her smile raw and unchecked.

"Are you ready for the next bit?" asked Jude.

"Ooo, go on then," replied Hannah and Jude pulled back to let her now floppy wet cock slipped between them.

"Eeeew! Why does it have to end like that?" Hannah laughed, putting her hands to her face.

"I assume you're on the pill, love?" Jude mocked gently. "Don't want any unexpected surprises, y'know."

"Well that would be a fucking surprise!" Hannah laughed dropping her head back onto the pillow.

"Fucking miracle, huh," Jude returned. "But the Lord moves in mysterious ways."

"Not in my body he doesn't," replied Hannah. "Mine's entirely man-made by dear Dr Saran, God bless him. He did a good job huh?"

"God bless Dr Saran and his amazing needlework. The man's a genius, but he had good material to work with."

"That's sweet of you, Jude" Hannah smiled back as Jude dropped with a thump beside her. "I think we'll be needing another shower soon. Can I suggest we have them separately this time?"

"If you like," replied Jude and pushed her away with both hands. "Go on. You first. When you're ready."

"Ahh -- you're pushing me off the bed," laughed Hannah.

After they'd freshened up, they climbed back into bed; or at least Hannah climbed, Jude bounced and was still full of beans and wanted to play. Hannah was loving, but insisted that she'd prefer to talk so they spooned, with Jude initially trying her luck by poking her newly hardened dick against the other girl's bottom.

"Does that thing ever calm down, girl?" she asked with a chuckle.

"It will by the morning and the Viagra has worn off," Jude replied breezily.

"Can I ask," began Hannah, turning in the bed to lie on her back. "What hormones are you taking now?"

"Are you nagging me again, Hans?" she whined, but with a gentle smile, Hannah reached her fingers to brush Jude's indignation away into her hair.

It was impossible for Jude to doubt her concern or suspect any motive other than friendship. Jude rolled herself back so that they could talk to the ceiling and avoid eye contact, for it felt a more natural position to make a confession, or so it began to seem to her.

"I'm on 4mg of Estradiol and I was on 200mg Spiro, but I ran out a couple of months ago. They give me migraines anyway and you need a prescription from a doctor for them."

"There are alternatives: a friend of mine was given Cypro, but you must promise me you'll make that appointment. The upside it you might get more breast growth, but I have no idea how Viagra will mix with that anyway. You need to know about stuff like this."

"Blue pills good, Hannah! Make much sex. Make you happy, make Francesca happy too," Jude mimicked in a comical voice.

There was a pause and Hannah examined her fingers, holding them close to her face.

"So... this Francesca -- I tried ask you before," Hannah began to say.

"Oh, you'll love her, Hans," said Jude, rolling on her side to face her.

"She has the most amazing house, a chauffeur who's a darling, and her clothes! Well! She was a famous model -- you know, Francesca Ward -- you must have heard of her."

Hannah shook her head.

"Duh! Francesca Ward? She was Bonnard's muse, but she worked in Paris, London as well as over here. Anyway, she lives alone in splendour, fabulous splendour. Seb shagged her first, though I don't think he had much choice in the matter, then I got introduced and we made fireworks too!

"After the show finishes this week, she's promised to throw a party, so you must come to that: I'd love you to meet her too, because you missed her at the gallery."

"So, is Sebastian still seeing her. I mean, are they 'in a relationship'?" Hannah asked, using air-quotes to frame her question.

"No -- they're just fuck-friends. Don't be so old-fashioned, girl. I tell you what, we could check out some fashion shops and find something amazing to wear: I'll be fine if you're with me."

Jude spoke excitedly, her head suddenly full of plans, but Hannah didn't speak.

She looked across and smiled in response to her friend's enthusiasm, but inside she felt very different. Her friend chattered on a while longer, but after Hannah threw a yawn, Jude reached up to flick off the bedside lamps and, taking Hannah's arm, pressed her lips to her face.

"My sleepy-head. You're already beautiful enough, so it can't be prescriptive sleep you need. Maybe I've just worn you out?"

Jude placed a cheek on the other's face and Hannah turned, so that they were nose to nose. They pouted to make pattering kisses with their lips and Hannah breathed in Jude's scent as they lay on their sides, towards each other, fingers slowly entwining.

Hannah awoke early, facing the light creeping into the window and watched the voiles lift and fall as if from the slumber of an unseen giant outside. She could tell Jude was asleep, but craned her neck to check and saw Jude's head on her pillow, her mouth slack and her face with the melted look that only sleep brings.

She felt as confused as she had the night before, when Jude had chattered on about Francesca this and Francesca that. Her emotions were in conflict with the sensible voice that was never far away from her thoughts.

She began as she often did, when her thoughts chased in circles round her head, by taking a lock of her hair, winding it idly from one finger to another.

More than anything Hannah wanted love: she wanted to be loved back, but was this how love was; how it was to other people? She'd been there before, many years ago before university, but she was young then and life got in the way: different towns, distance, trying to make it work. Different priorities, different ages too.

She missed it though, she missed him, and wondered for a moment where he was now, what he was doing this morning? A tear rolled in an itchy line done her nose and another burned the corner of her eye.

"Penny for those thoughts?" asked Jude, surprising Hannah.

"It's nothing, " lied Hannah, wiping away the tear with the tips of her fingers.

Jude gave a huff and turned irritably to face away from her. Hannah understood the hint: Jude was expecting to be consoled and comforted and reassured, but Hannah couldn't find that in herself. They lay a while longer, in troubled silence.

Hannah had it in her power to make amends if Jude felt hurt, though she didn't think it was fair or that she should even be feeling guilty, so she lay unmoving, watching the rise and fall of Jude's breathing. The thoughts circled in her head again and he heard her mother's voice, who had comforted on another occasion.

'Lovers have tiffs all the time, they argue and make up, they fret over everyday things. They can make you angry enough to throw things, but they shouldn't ever make you feel bad about yourself. Guilt can be a poison to love. Talk, talk, talk. Love doesn't make you a mind reader Hannah, so I always used to sort things out with your father and we'd make up.'

She smiled to herself: Mum had such a down to earth approach to everything and had been her rock, not once doubting her and always ready to listen.

Another tear broke free. She wanted her Mum right now. What would she advise?

What was her own heart telling her? She didn't want to hear the words, because she wanted love so very much, but when the voice spoke again in her head, she agreed: it wasn't here.

An hour later they were outside.

"But you will call me, Hannah. You must. You said it yourself: 'we're going to have such fun.'"

Jude was angry and tearful and paced behind Hannah, as she threw her jacket over the passenger seat and started to walk around the front, but turned to avoid Jude and circled the other direction.

"I won't let you go! Francesca means nothing," Jude cried, pushing the driver's door closed again.

Hannah hid her tearful face under her hair, as Jude threw her arms around her like a drowning person.

"I have to go now Jude," Hannah managed to force out, unpeeling Jude's arms and putting the car door between them. "I have to clear my head. I'm sorry, I don't know what to think. Please let me, Jude. I don't know, I don't know."

"But you'll call me, won't you?" Jude was on the verge of tears herself and now wrapped her arms around herself, the cuffs of her fleeced pulled over her hands protectively.

Hannah nodded and reached a hand out to Jude, but she was hurt and didn't respond.

"I'd better go. This is making it worse," Hannah said.

She drove out through the gates, checking her mirror because she half expected to see Jude chasing her down the street.

Jude had run to the gate but stopped short.

Hannah drove a couple of blocks and pulled up to the curb, sobbing.

Back at the house, Jude slowly walked up the drive to see Seb standing at the door, holding out his hand to her. He was always there for her, brother and sister against the world.