They arrived at Sirix's camp late the following evening to a hero's welcome. Bonfires and feasts greeted them. The starving and weary refugees set upon the food even as Regar and her team started treating them. Lindsay flashed a smile to Donil who slightly smiled back.
Sirix came up to greet them. Lindsay rushed into his arms. He picked her up and spun her around, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Here, let me take her," Regar said, helping an elderly woman who hung from Veralosa's neck down.
"I'll help," Donil quickly ducked under the old woman's other arm.
"Would you like me to fix you a plate?" Lindsay asked Donil.
"No, I'll be fine," Donil said, pointedly avoiding Lindsay's gaze as she and Regar walked off with the woman between them.
"Thanks for your help, Veralosa," Lindsay said, forcing a smile despite her troubled heart. She'd been so sure of Donil's feelings just yesterday, but now she seemed painfully distant.
"Glad I was able to. It was good to be able to bury my father," Veralosa said.
"Why don't you help yourself?" Sirix said. "This meal is in your honor, afterall."
Veralosa didn't need to be asked twice. He grabbed two wooden plates and began filling them.
Sirix rubbed his cheek against Lindsay's. "I'm glad you're back. Would you prefer to eat first or would you like to visit my tent?"
Lindsay gazed off in the direction of the hospital. "I suppose I'd like to eat first."
An hour later, they sat on a log watching the fire and Donil had still not returned. Sirix's hand snaked around hers. "Are you ready to come to bed with me?"
She glanced down the path leading to the hospital. "Just a few more minutes."
Sirix's eyes followed hers. "Oh. I see." He threw a stick in the fire. "Donil feels things very deeply but she'll never tell you when something's bothering her. She hates to be a burden on anyone. Which has the unfortunate effect of her putting all the burden on herself. Perhaps you should go talk to her."
Lindsay stared at him, wide-eyed. Was he saying what she thought he was? "Thank you, Sirix." She kissed him and stood, grabbing a flaxa fruit.
"I love you, Indsayee."
"I know," she said with a grin.
"Aren't you going to say you love me?"
"You held out on me, now I'm going to hold out on you."
"Say it!"
She stuck out her tongue. "Make me."
He grabbed for her but she spun away. He laughed. "I promise you, I will."
Lindsay tramped up the path tossing the flaxa fruit up and down. She walked toward the hospital when she noticed Donil's tent glowing in the dark. She must've gone in for the night. Lindsay veered off to her former home.
She knocked on the tent pole. "Donil, I'm coming in."
"No!" Donil cried, but it was too late, Lindsay had already pulled up the flap in time to see her wipe a tear from her cheek as she sat on the braided rag rug that covered the ground.
"I umm, I brought you a flaxa fruit." She held out the fruit.
"Thank you." Donil took it and bit into it. The bite was far too large and her cheeks puffed out as she struggled to chew it. Tears grew along the rim of her eyes, running down her cheeks and splashing onto the rug.
Lindsay wrapped Donil in her arms. "Oh Donil, what's wrong? Is there anything I can do?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Please, tell me what's bothering you. I can at least listen."
"I don't want to."
She stroked Donil's back. "Why not? Is it about me?"
"Y-yes."
"Please tell me. I can't stand for you to be distant from me. I care about you too much."
Donil turned her eyes to Lindsay. The golden specks in them swam like stars reflected in a lake. "I care about you, too."
"Then tell me."
"L-Last night, when I came to bed, you were moaning and you - you said Sirix's name. And-and it was just too much. I can't take it anymore! You love him so much and I... I..." She buried her face in Lindsay's shoulder.
"I wasn't dreaming about Sirix."
Donil looked up at her. "You weren't?"
"No, it was just a weird sex dream, but I promise you he wasn't in it. I just accidentally screamed the wrong name."
"You did?"
"It didn't make my dream lover very happy either."
"Who was it?"
"No one important. Someone I've never even met in person." There was no way she was going to tell her she dreamed about the third prince of the Nobillo! "My body was just frustrated and took it out on my dreams." She took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Because the person I wanted to be with was working late."
Donil's brow wrinkled, creasing in the middle just above her nose. "Who do you mean?"
Of course. She'd never believe it unless Lindsay outright said it. "Donil, I mean you. I wanted to be with you."
"Me? Why?"
"Because, you're amazing. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met." Lindsay's voice was heavy in her throat. But she had to say it. She had to get it all out. To let Donil know exactly how she felt. "You're smart, you're kind, you're beautiful! You're so beautiful... The way you look at me, the way you smiled at me when you saved my life... I was hoping, maybe you might want me, too."
She heard Donil gulp.
"I want you," Donil said. "More than anything. I've been avoiding Sirix just in case. But how do we..."
Lindsay smiled. "As Sirix says, there is no tree that cannot be climbed." She leaned over and, brushing aside Donil's silky white hair, she pressed her lips onto her blue cheek. Donil's body stiffened. She whispered into her blue, pointed ear, "If you want to climb it."
"I want to," Donil said.
Lindsay could see she was nervous.
Lindsay ran her hand down from Donil's slender shoulder to her hand, entwining their fingers, blue alternating with peach. "I want to, too." She leaned forward so her lips were almost touching Donil's violet ones. Those perfect lips she'd been wanting to kiss for months. "Don't worry, we'll do this together."
Donil pressed her lips to Lindsay's. They were soft, so soft. But not for long. Lindsay kissed her harder, her hands burying themselves in Donil's white hair. She could feel Donil's talented fingers caressing her face, her neck - she was inexperienced but clearly eager. Lindsay could feel her own excitement growing, could feel the wetness already. She desired her, she had to have more of her!
Lindsay opened her mouth slightly, covering those soft lips and drawing hers to a close on them. Donil began doing the same, their open mouths meeting and then closing and parting. Lindsay kissed her with slightly parted lips hard, holding her tightly. Then she softened the long kiss, allowing her tongue to tease through to Donil's lips, parting them slightly. She could feel Donil's hesitation, as if she wasn't sure this was intentional.
She did it again, slower, more purposefully, parting the lips further. She didn't know if Donil would enjoy it or be revolted. She pulled back slightly and gazed into her indigo eyes with their golden flecks.
Donil pushed forward, kissing her with the same force, this time she felt Donil's tongue part her lips, she spread them to allow it, touching her own tongue to it. It was warm and firm. She gently ran her tongue over it, caressing it, massaging it, until Donil was doing the same.
Lindsay ran her hands over Donil's arms, they were so soft, but she could feel the strong muscles beneath. Breaking from their kiss, she kissed down Donil's neck, stopping to trace her tongue in that lovely blue cavern where the neck met the shoulder.
"Oh!" Donil cried, her head arching back.
"Does it feel good?" Lindsay asked, continuing to make the little circles with her tongue.
"Yes!" Donil gasped.
"Good," she said as she kissed up her neck. "Do you want to keep going?"
"Yes!"
"Are you sure? Because we can stay doing this."
"Yes! Please, don't stop!"
Lindsay almost couldn't contain herself at Donil's passionate words. She wanted to tear off her clothes right then. She was more than ready, herself. She could feel the dilation, her body begging for what only Donil could provide.
She ran her hands down Donil's chest to those two heavenly breasts, so perfect and round. She'd wondered what they would feel like. If they would be solid and muscular or tender, like her own. Under her hands, they gave way, soft and supple. Donil gasped. Lindsay looked up to see that wonderful mouth agape below wide eyes and couldn't help needing to cover it with her own.
Their tongues danced while her hands caressed Donil's breasts. She felt a firmness in the hollow of her palms. That must be her nipples, she thought excitedly. While massaging the one breast she tickled the nipple of the other. Donil grunted with pleasure. Lindsay pulled back from the kiss, her thighs had instinctively slid apart in anticipation. "Does that feel good?" She smiled, still tickling the nipple.
"Yes!" Donil cried. Her breath was quickening.
"What about this?" With her other hand, Lindsay began to firmly massage the other breast, focusing most of her attention on the nipple.
Donil's head arched back. "Oh! Yes! Don't stop!"
Lindsay began rubbing both breasts hard, kissing her arched neck. Then she felt one of Donil's hands on her own breast. "Oh!" she gasped. The blue hand began to rub in the same way she was doing. "Oh Donil!" she moaned. "That feels so good! Don't stop!"
That was all the encouragement Donil needed. She pushed forward and kissed Lindsay, placing both hands on her breasts and massaging them. Her violet lips trailed down Lindsay's neck until Lindsay was the one arched backward, her breath coming hard and fast as moans of pleasure escaped her lips.
Her fingers found Donil's belt and untied it, the tight fabric that covered her breasts loosening. She reached under the flaps of fabric and found the soft blue skin, felt, for the first time the skin of the firm nipple within. She ducked down and nosed her way to that blue breast, the nipple a pale white. She held it in her mouth, the nipple gently between her teeth. Donil cried out. She began sucking and nibbling as Donil moaned, still doing her best to rub Lindsay's breasts.
