The Countdown Begins

- Days remaining: 41 days, 01 hours, 34 minutes -

Sasha squinted at the white board where Riley scrawled diagrams that might well have been hieroglyphics. She didn't think she was especially dumb, but she couldn't help feeling so while her attention was divided between the number of bits in a byte and the long plateau of numb warmth that invaded her body in relentless waves.

A thought floated to the surface of her mind, up through the murky chaos of sensation. "Wait... what do bits and bytes have to do with building a computer? Is this necessary?"

Riley paused in her explanation for too long. Her eyes focused on something over Sasha's shoulder, far through the wall behind her. The spell broke and her face turned bright red as she disarmed Sasha with a grin. "Right. Got a bit too far into the weeds there. Let me know if it happens again, OK?"

She seemed much more chipper since last night, and Sasha had only herself to blame. She knew dozens of ways to motivate poor students, and the one she had chosen was far, far from conventional. She also knew it hadn't been an accident.

Sasha considered herself straight. But last night, the sight of Riley's nipples poking through her t-shirt had raised hackles of doubt in her mind. She'd tried to tell herself it was just a side effect of her abstinence, and nothing to do with the scatter of freckles across Riley's nose, her electric blue eyes, or the scant handful of perky breast on display. But the uncertainty had led to dubious decisions followed by uncomfortable questions that continued to plague her thoughts.

Riley, seated on her own vibrating chair, wore an old baggy tee shirt with large cut-off arm holes that revealed pink flashes of nipple as she spun between the white board and her lecture. The shirt hung below the waistband of her white cotton panties but was high enough to reveal the wet stain spreading from the bottom up.

Six weeks wasn't a lot of time, and Sasha still felt lost when it came to even the most basic computer stuff. At this rate, Riley might actually complete her challenge first.

At least they didn't have to be naked while doing this... although Riley might as well have been with the outfit she wore. Glimpses of nipple and the increasing transparency of her underwear drew Sasha down a familiar path. The memory of her sister naked and quivering on the gym floor seared her mind's eye like a fresh brand, hungry for attention. It summoned other sense memories, like the rousing scents in the air and the soft, squishy sounds of her sister rummaging inside herself like a change purse.

If she didn't dislike Riley so intensely, she might have considered exploring these newfound urges. But there was too much history, too many years apart for old wounds to be healed by half-formed notions of attraction.

Or so it seemed when they were apart. Sasha found herself struggling to put her thoughts in order when they were in the same room, and wasn't sure which side of her was being honest.

Sasha's mount had long ago ceased to vibrate, instead settling into a delightful but distracting rocking motion. If they didn't end up getting their inheritance, she'd have to ask Monica about keeping the chair as a consolation prize...

***

- Days remaining: 34:22:39 -

Tiny jolts of electricity pulsed from Riley's swollen clit, radiating from her core to spread a numb chill to her extremities. She caught Sasha stealing another glance, and the voltage spiked again at the idea of her sister watching her... and perhaps getting off on it.

Riley's machine barely moved. It didn't have to - the slightest motion of her hips sustained the torturous pleasure as she crested an infinite wave that she couldn't allow to break.

She both dreaded and anticipated the next gymnastics session. The physical exertion and resulting soreness weighed against the thrill she felt each time Sasha gave her leave to invade her personal space while she posed.

Today her sister was dressed sedately in a long knitted sweater that nearly reached the floor, no doubt worn to cover her pantied crotch and bare upper legs while she straddled the saddle-like chair.

Riley rubbed her eyes to soothe the itch built up from a string of sleepless nights provoked by unbidden thoughts whirling in her head and an incessant throbbing between her legs. Alone and in the comfort of her bed, she'd moved with care to avoid grazing hard nipples against bed sheets or letting her hands get too close to sensitive areas for fear they would act of their own volition.

She'd never thought she had an addictive personality, but now suspected that she'd just never found the right drug. The concept of an all-consuming, unhealthy obsession driving every waking moment became more familiar with each passing day.

Despite a slow start, Sasha had made great progress in her computer studies. Just yesterday she'd finished assembling her first computer, and all that remained before Monica's inspection was to install the operating system. Seconds ticked by as they sat side by side, watching the progress bar inch toward completion. During the lull their chairs decided to give them a much needed break, and Riley was able to ride the wave of sensation aground as it fizzled out.

Sasha was the first to break the silence that had settled. "So... what't the story with Monica? You guys seem pretty tight."

Riley's heart skipped. This might have been the first time Sasha had initiated anything close to a personal conversation. Play it cool, Riley.

"Yeah, I've known her for a long time. She was Mom's lawyer."

"Ever seen her smile?"

Riley pressed her lips together, eyes searching up and left. "Sure... I mean, probably..." she thought for a second and grinned. "Define smile?"

Sasha's eyes danced. "Like a normal human. Like you're doing now."

"Oh." She pretended to consider the question further. "In that case... no. She's not a normal human, you know..."

"Clearly." Sasha hesitated, perhaps unsure how much detail she could handle. "So, Mom's lawyer, huh?" she prompted.

"Well, once Dad left," Riley winced at bringing up their father, but Sasha didn't seem to react, "Monica started coming around more often."

"Oh?" The vowel hung in the air.

Riley glanced at the monitor. "Hey, look - Windows is done. Now you can install drivers."

Sasha went through the motions, following what she'd been taught without needing help. "You're not avoiding the question, are you?" she asked while the video card driver downloaded.

Riley shrugged. "It just feels weird talking about her. Mom, I mean."

"If you don't want to talk about it..."

A slight hesitation. "You knew that Mom was gay, right?"

Sasha nodded. "Dad mentioned it, yeah. He said it was the main reason they split."

"I had to figure it out for myself. They weren't overt about their relationship, but there were only so many late night 'consultations' they could have before it became obvious."

"How did you feel about it?"

Another shrug. "Confused, mostly. I was dealing with my own sexual identity issues, and didn't need any more complications in my life."

Sasha nodded absently as she entered commands on the keyboard. During another lull in the installation, she asked, "so, what's it like to sleep with another girl?"

The non sequitur caught Riley off guard, who stammered out the first thing that came to mind. "I... I've never been with another girl." The hot flush that crept up her neck forced her to turn away. "Or... anyone."

Though not religious, Riley desperately prayed for divine intervention in this moment. Anything to change the subject, like a bird hitting the window, or Sasha's computer bursting into flames.

Of course, nothing so miraculous happened. But her unvoiced appeal was answered by a familiar buzzing sensation between her legs accompanied by a rhythmic rocking motion. Sasha's distant stare revealed that her chair had also come back to life, and all thought of conversation was cast aside.

***

- Days remaining: 34:19:18 -

Monica sprawled in the plush leather recliner, skirt around her ankles and blouse wide open. As she'd done every night since their initial meeting, she studied footage of the girls together. Multiple monitors on the wall revealed different scenes, some frozen at a single frame, some looping through selected events from earlier episodes, and some dedicated to events of tonight. And, as with every preceding night, she gave herself permission to fondle her breasts with one hand while the other cupped her mound and made slow deliberate strokes below the sheer panties she chose to leave in place.

She felt a familiar pang of guilt at the voyeuristic nature of her monitoring campaign, but knew that the ends justified the means. The girls needed her guidance, and would never have made it this far without her working to help them in the background.

Like earlier tonight. Riley had needed a distraction to recover from revealing her virginal nature, and she had provided one. A benevolent Big Sister.

Meredith would have wanted it this way. She'd made it clear that she wanted her girls to get along after she was gone, and Monica had accepted the challenge of bringing them together. Although she hadn't been explicit about how to accomplish this beyond a rough framework of challenges that leveraged her vast fortune, the years they'd spent together as partners allowed Monica to fill in the blanks.

And if those years of bliss had taught her anything, it was that sex was a lever long enough to move the world.

Monica was satisfied with the progress they'd made. Earlier tonight, she'd signed off on Sasha's computer build, so they would be entering a new phase on the chairs. Sasha's open hostility had waned, and if their conversation tonight was an indicator, a turning point could manifest sooner than expected if the right catalyst were applied.

She pulled her hands free of herself and stretched, curling her toes and extending her arms overhead. The perfunctory contact she permitted herself during session reviews, while meagre for her appetite, had become more effective with time. As each night passed, the reasons for pursuing solidarity with Sasha and Riley grew more nebulous. It would be easy to take a finger, or two, or three, and scratch the itch which nagged at her conscious mind and dominated her idle thoughts.

But she held back, convinced that the unilateral connection they shared through abstinence afforded her insight into the girl's behaviour. She would use any advantage at hand to succeed as Proctor and fulfill Meredith's last wish.

***

- Days remaining: 28:20:44 -

Riley sat down hard from a failed kick over and her breath escaped in a huff. The last two weeks had been a blur of sore muscles, Sasha's nude, still form, and an ever-deepening ache between her legs that grew as she pushed herself ever closer to the edge of orgasm.

A half hour remained until the end of their training session, but Riley's focus began to fade as she thought about what form she'd make Sasha take.

She shot a pleading look at her sister. "Can we take a break? I'll stay an extra half hour later..."

Sasha blew the hair out of her eyes. "You know the rules."

"I do, but..." she hated the whine that escaped her lips, "haven't I been doing really well lately?"

She didn't look impressed. "Up 'til tonight, yeah."

"I'm not used to this, Sasha. I'm not sporty. Every time I leave this place, it feels like I've just thrown myself down four flights of stairs."

"Good. The pain means you're pushing yourself. You'll need to, in order to be ready for your exam at the end of the month."

Riley's silence conceded the point. She still had a long way to go.

"On the other hand," Sasha said, almost to herself, "you've made good progress, overall, for someone so indoorsy. Your front walkover is..." she paused, lower lip pressed against her front teeth, "looking good."

Riley blushed. If she didn't know better, she'd think Sasha was referring to her... form instead of her form.

A hint of a smile played across Sasha's lips. "We can quit early today. And, as a special reward for your progress, I'm willing to..." she palmed her chin and looked up at the ceiling as she drew the word out, "...let you pose me how you'd like. For five minutes."

Riley's heart hammered. Was this an invitation to raise the stakes? Physical contact? "Ummm... okay..." she raised her hands and took a step towards her sister, "should I just... grab you, or..."

Sasha sprung back, wagging a finger in mock reproach. "Not so fast, gropey." She set the timer on her phone and lay down with hands draped over taut belly. "You know the rules. When the timer's done, we leave and speak of this to no one." Her eyes closed and face stilled.

Though far from the first time Sasha had quoted the rules, Riley thought she detected something new in her tone. Had she been misinterpreting them all along? What if, instead of pushing her away, they were intended as a suggestion to do as she wished, because it would never leave the room?

Riley laid a hand on Sasha for the first time, relishing the feel of smooth, taut skin stretched over the firm muscle of her thigh. A second hand joined the first, and they slid down to the knee and lifted it up and outward, splaying her leg to the side. She leaned in to admire the transition from pale brown to white at the top of her thigh. The creamy flesh begged for her touch... and taste, but Riley sensed that an indirect approach would yield the best results. Her hands encircled Sasha's calf and traced a path to her foot, where she began moving her toes individually, tentatively at first, but progressing to a full on foot massage.

Halfway through the process, Sasha spoke. "What are you doing?" Her eyes remained closed and face placid.

Riley couldn't detect any warning in the monotone query. "Posing your feet. I want to get the maximum range of motion, so I'm warming them up first. Y'know, like in our lessons."

Sasha didn't reply, perhaps satisfied by the answer Riley had contrived. The 'warmup' continued for a few more minutes before she literally made Sasha curl her toes and then moved on to the other foot to do the same.

Years of watching spicy late night movies suggested that the neck was the next stop on her conquest. She pulled Sasha's legs straight and rolled her over, finally settling her into a mini cobra pose with elbows to her sides. She scooted around and rose to her knees for a better angle.

"I noticed your neck was tight today," Riley said, having noticed no such thing. "I just want to make sure that you don't pull a muscle while in a pose."

Sasha replied with a dismissive murmur that conveyed doubt of Riley's motives, but didn't otherwise object.

Riley's hands explored her sister's shoulders, making it all the way to her deltoids before reuniting at the neck and following the trapezius south. The delicate line down her back was taut as a bowstring, much more than necessary for the pose. Was she showing off, flexing under Riley's gaze and touch? The best way to test this theory was through escalation.

Riley's heart hammered in her chest as her hands drifted down to Sasha's lower back, thumbs tracing delicate circles around the dimpled flesh above her hips before pressing firmly into her dense lumbar muscle. Her sister's body radiated an intense heat and a tactile sensation of soft and hard in equal measure. It was intoxicating, and Riley needed more. "I think your back is loose enough now, let's roll you over."

Sasha obeyed without reply or hesitation. She settled onto her back and seemed to naturally fall into a pose with her feet nearly touching and knees splayed out. Her eyes were still closed, but Riley swore she saw anticipation on her face, as though waiting for Riley's next move.

Was this really happening? She'd pictured this moment hundreds of times in her head, where Sasha allowed herself to listen to what her body was telling her, what it had been telling Riley all along.

She grabbed Sasha's foot and knee and rotated her thigh in a large circle, gently approaching the limits of her sister's ample flexibility. Each cycle pushed and pulled at her lower lips, and it wasn't long until the motion drew enough moisture to make them glisten in the bright overhead lights. Sasha was clearly getting turned on by the attention, but stubbornly refused to show any voluntary sign of it.

She also wasn't objecting. Riley's mouth watered as she stared into the pink wetness that spread with each turn of her leg, forming sticky sticky threads that bridged her labia. "Your adductor feels stiff," she mentioned casually, eyes searching Sasha's face for a hint of reaction. "I think some moist heat would help loosen it."

Sasha's eyes remained closed. "Hmm..." she said, neither approving nor condemning the proposed treatment for her imaginary ailment.

She released Sasha's leg, letting gravity pull it down and aside. She leaned forward. Blood raced through her ears as she placed her open mouth onto the juncture between her upper thigh and pubic mound, right at the tan line boundary.

The gentle suction drew a startled gasp from her sister, who lifted her head from the mat and braced with both hands. Her eyes remained closed, but her mouth hung open slightly as she tried in vain to catch her breath. Riley shifted the position of her mouth, slowly making her way towards her sister's creamy centre. Sasha's stomach tightened further under her advance and perspiration beaded on her forehead.

Riley's parted mouth ascended Sasha's mons, and the salty tang of sweat began to mix with another, sweeter flavour. She drew a deep breath through her nose, allowing her sister's scent to drive all rational thought from her mind.

Just as she was about to abandon the pretence of physical therapy and begin the finale, the alarm on Sasha's phone went off. Riley was tempted to ignore it, but the noise startled her sister out of her trance and she pulled her hips back, breaking the vacuum seal of Riley's lips with a rush of air.

"Time's up, Riley"

Riley's face must have revealed her disappointment, because Sasha's smirk gave way to a crooked smile. "Cheer up, Riley. Maybe next time we can practice some more poses. In the meantime..." she paused, as though considering a novel but improbable idea, "did you know this place has a sauna? It doesn't get hotter or moister than that. Might help us limber up."

Riley froze in place, eyes swivelling to Sasha. "And when we're done, we go home and speak of it to no one?"

Sasha nodded solemnly. "Mm hmm." She rolled to her feet and departed towards the locker room, weaving through the pieces of equipment with a straight back and gentle sway of hips.

Riley followed a few steps behind. Shadows and dark corners of the gym had gone blurry, and brightly lit areas shimmered with suggestions of a dream. She walked carefully around the equipment, not daring to stub her toe lest she wake herself.

The sauna was oppressively hot, and smelled of old sweat and cedar. Sasha poured a ladle of water over heated stones, and steam began to obscure the edges of the room. She reclined on a wooden bench with her back against the wall and legs draped to the floor. Riley curled up on a bench across the way.

Sasha looked like she had something on her mind, so Riley waited to hear it.

After a few aborted starts, she spoke. "You know, if you'd asked me three weeks ago if we'd ever spend time together like this, I'd have said 'of course not. What are you, an idiot?'"

Riley nodded, not sure where this was going.

"When I first found out about your... crush on me, I was pissed." She tried to blow her bangs from her forehead, but they were too wet and matted to move much. "I'm still not thrilled, to be honest."

Another long pause as Sasha stared at a warped wooden board on the floor. "But holy fuck, that was pretty hot just now." Her intense gaze locked on Riley. "Under different circumstances, I might have ignored the timer, let things take their course."