0 comments/ 5072 views/ 1 favorites Elma and Lucil Ch. 01 By: VampLover69 Her small smile flashed like a gift from a goddess, so rare and precious. There were so very few who saw the softer side of the captain and her true smiles were few and far between. The sun burned hot and bright and my clothes were already plastered to my skin beneath my armor, and the fiery deity had not yet even half finished its daily trek. Though, I had risen long before the sun and worked hard to ensure all my duties were finished before Captain Lucil rode into our camp. Sergeant Lucil, as she had been when I first joined, had been my first trainer in the Crusaders. I'd fallen in love with her back then but I knew better than to expect her to return such feelings. Now she was a captain of the Chocobo Knights and I was still just a foot soldier in the infantry. I had been raised on a Chocobo Farm and had high hopes that some day I would make it into that division, but in the mean time I still had to pay my dues to move up in rank. However, today was the day that the Captain was returning to our camp here on Mushroom Rock Road and perhaps, just perhaps she would ask me to go on a training mission with her. Just like the old days. I'd made myself forget the reserved, red haired beauty but the moment she rode back into camp I knew my feelings for her had not changed. I brought my arm up and held it horizontally over my chest in a formal salute as she dismounted gracefully from her armored war Chocobo. She saluted the camp commander, eyes then moving down the ranks of those of us in her welcome guard. It was when her eyes reached me that her lips curved ever so slightly upwards in that Yevon blessed smile. My stomach did cartwheels as I smiled in answer before the captain turned her attention back to the camp commander. "We've prepared a place for you and your mounts to stay, Captain. Please, make yourself at home." Commander Kyou greeted as he folded his hands behind his back. "Thank you for your hospitality, Commander." Lucil answered, holding her salute a moment longer. "I know this was short notice." Kyou waved a hand in dismissal. "Such is the army life, Captain." Turning towards the tent that served as headquarters, he motioned for the Chocobos to be taken to the makeshift coral. "Did you have any plans for the time you're here, Captain?" Lucil followed, nodding that the younger Chocobo Knight should accompany the mounts. "I was actually hoping that I could spend some time on the Fiend Run, for old time's sake." Kyou brought up one hand to rub his chin, rough with two day's stubble. "Oh, that's right. You used to train here, didn't you?" When Lucil simply nodded in answer, the commander paused and glanced at the small honor guard as he folded his hands behind is back. "Well, I must ask you take one of my men with you. The Fiend Run has become increasingly dangerous lately with Sin's appearance in Killika. Did you have someone in mind or shall I assign someone?" Lucil studied her small escort, checking to see which faces she remembered and which were new. My chest tightened and I worked hard not to shift anxiously as I stood at attention. Please pick me, please pick me, please pick me! Lucil shifted to rest her left hand on her hip and nodded in my general direction. I took a deep breath but didn't dare let it out. "I seem to remember Elma being one of the better fighter's I've trained in my time. If you've no objections...?" I could have jumped for joy when she singled me out. "Elma, your duties for the day-" Kyou began. "Already finished, sir!" I blurted out before he even completed his sentence, earning a chuckle from both my superior officers. "All right then, I've no objections. You two have fun and stay safe." Kyou reached up to rub his chin one more time. "If you need me, I'll be shaving." Without further ado the commander returned to his tent and what he'd been doing before the Captain arrived. The rest of the honor guard and I gave the Captain one final salute and then my comrades disbursed, leaving me alone with my former trainer. I stood at attention and waited for her to say something, not quite trusting myself to speak at this point. She seemed to relax almost visibly as the other soldiers left, staring out at nothing a moment before turning to me with her familiar polite smile that didn't quite seem to reach her eyes this time. There was more to the captain, and her current mood, than met the eye. Though what it was I couldn't begin to say. "How have you been, Elma?" She inquired politely and, well maybe it was just my imagination but wasn't she suddenly acting a little rigid? "Oh, Commander Kyou's been keeping me busy. It's just not the same without you around though." I bit my tongue instantly but it had already slipped out. Though, this did earn me a bit of warmth in her eyes so it was worth the slip. "I'm sure things are going just as smoothly without me." She waved a hand and then glanced up at the sun. "I'll need to go recover my sword from my saddle. Meet me at the Fiend Run in fifteen minutes." "Sir!" I saluted again and turned, nearly running back to my tent to reclaim my own blade. I could have sworn I hear the captain's low chuckle over my own footsteps pounding on the sand as I left. When I made it to my tent my face was flushed from more than the heat and I didn't think the tightness in my chest came from being out of breath. I wasted no time in buckling my sword belt around my waist, grabbing a potion from the small chest beside my bed before dashing out of my tent and towards the Fiend Run. I skidded to a stop in front of the guard on duty, Miyu earning myself an odd look from her direction. I offered her a weak smile as I bent over to rest my hands on my knees, dark hair falling down in my face. "Isn't that..?" Miyu began, causing me to stand and look up sharply, saluting when her suspicions were confirmed. "Captain Lucil!" The guard greeted the old trainer, saluting as well. "How long has it been, sir? Six months?" "A year." Lucil corrected as she returned the salute. "And you're still on guard duty." "Well, sir." Miyu shifted to stand at attention. "I was offered a promotion but I decided I liked guard duty after all. I know my place here and that's worth something. At least I think so, sir." Lucil favored the guard with one of her rare smiles and I felt a tiny stab of jealousy. "I think so too, Miyu. Now, if you'll open the gate Elma and I are going to tackle the Fiend Run, for old time's sake." "It would be my honor, sir." Miyu answered, then stepped aside and opened the gate, allowing both of us to pass. The Fiend Run was a fancy name for a stretch of beach that was cordoned off because of the alarming tendencies of abandoned Sinspawn to wash up here whenever Sin cast them off. Instead of assigning teams to clean the beach off regularly, the camp commander had decided leave the area for training. It offered young Crusaders a chance to battle in real world conditions only a stone's throw away from the safety of the camp. Near the sea a large rock jutted out over the ocean and the names of every Crusader who had made the Fiend Run were carved on Fiend Rock, with a mark beside their name to indicate each successful run. The name with the most marks beside it was, naturally Lucil's. Only Kyou had even come close to touching the captain's record. "Are you ready, Elma?" Lucil's voice cut through my thoughts, tone making it obvious that I was not. I glanced over to see that her sword was already out and ready, while mine still rested in its sheath. I flushed slightly at this lapse and quickly draw my own weapon and dropped into a ready stance. "Aye, Captain. I'm ready when you are." She shifted to her own en guard position and turned to favor me with a small, challenging grin. I thought my heart would stop for a moment and I very nearly dropped my sword. She didn't give me any time to recover from her heart stealing smile though and took off immediately towards the beach. I quickly gathered my wits and ran after her, leaning forward as I ran, sword held out to my right so I wouldn't accidentally cut my own legs. The first fiend we ran across was a canine, though which kind specifically was hard to tell. For sword wielders like the captain and me this was the easiest to take down. She leapt in the air without breaking her stride, slamming her sword point first into the back of its neck and snapping it. Then she pulled her sword free and leapt away again, just as graceful as ever. Since I had been a few steps behind her I was of little of no use in the first skirmish, which stung a bit. The stretch of beach for the next few feet was clear but an armored fiend seemed to appear out of nowhere. These were the most annoying, though not the most difficult. Lucil slowed her pace just enough to let me pass her and attack first. I ran even closer to the ground, bringing my sword out in front until the last minute, raising up to avoid a claw swipe and slashing at its vulnerable neck. Wounded it roared and spread its stubby arms just as the captain landed on its back, sword point forcing its way into a crack in the creature's carapace. Stepping away from the flailing beast I waiting until it started to turn and then slashed at its neck again. The creature dissolved into a mass of pyreflies, dumping the captain ungracefully on the sand. She rolled with her fall and gained her feet quickly, nodding her approval of my attack. I couldn't suppress a grin, heart and head swelling just a bit and her acknowledgement. She called my name sharply, and I turned my attention to the gelatinous mass that was forming just under my feet. I leapt back and bit out a curse. Flans were the hardest for sword wielders to kill but it looked like Lucil, at least had come prepared. The creature was dark blue in color so that meant it was most likely a water element. I averted my eyes from the flash of bright light as the captain used a thunder spell item to reduce this fiend to wailing pyreflies as well. "You really should carry elemental spells at all times." She chided me good naturedly. "Yes, Captain." I answered dutifully, saluting quickly before we both set off at a dead run for Fiend Rock once more. A bird's cry warned us of our next attacker and the captain and I both dove in opposite directions to avoid the sharp beak of the airborne fiend. I retaliated instantly with a sword swipe that missed by a mile. The fiend's angry beak slammed painfully into my armor's shoulder guard before Lucil's sword neatly separated the bird's head from the rest of its body. I breathed a quick thank you as she helped me to my feet. I nodded once to signal that I was fine and it was time to run again. Two more canines and another small bird didn't even break our stride as Fiend Rock rose up tall before us. Before we could reach it however; a much larger bird appeared, its wingspan a good four times as long as I was tall. I took a step and glanced at the captain, who gestured to the creature's back with her free hand. I nodded once in understand and we both took off at a dead run, leaping in unison and landing blade first on its wide back. The fiend screeched in pain but held its form, shaking fiercely and knocking us both off of its back. I hit the sand hard, breath leaving my lungs with an audible whooshing noise. I rose to one knee and prepared to attack when it began flapping its wings, blowing sand in my face and blinding me. I dropped to my hands and knees, covering my face with one hand. "Here." I felt a vial pressed in my hand and instantly splashed the cool water on my face, clearing my vision. Standing again we looked at each other, nodding in unison this time. We ran towards the fiend, raising our swords in perfect accord and brought them down in the same moment on each side of the bird's huge face. It let out another ear splitting screech before dissolving as well into wispy bits of light. I had just lowered my sword and was reaching for the potion in my belt when a loud splash heralded the arrival of yet another fiend. I raised my sword and turned to see a great horned fish; swimming quite determinedly through thin air. I could only stare for a moment in dumbfounded surprise but that moment cost me dearly. It attacked with ferocious speed, one of its curved horns slicing easily through my chest place in my left side and the skin beneath it. I cried out almost more in shock than the initial pain, my sides were for some odd reason one of the more sensitive parts of my body and the intrusion of the spiked horn hurt like nine hells. It continued past me and towards Lucil, its long powerful tail knocking me carelessly from my feet to land limply on the sand a few feet away. I vaguely heard Lucil call my name and the explosion of one thunder spell after the other as she danced away from its horns and pummeled it with her stash of spells. I didn't try to get up just yet and decided to just watch her fight, graceful as an angel in battle. I blinked dimly when the strange fish turned to dancing lights and the captain turned toward me. I quite suddenly remembered the potion in my belt and recovered it, drinking it in one shot as Lucil made her way to my side. My head cleared quickly and I tried to set up again but winced in pain. Hadn't the potion...? "Let me have a look at it." Lucil commanded firmly, unlacing my chest plate and putting it to the side. I couldn't help but blush slightly as she pulled my shirt back and examined my wounded side. I had to bite my lip savagely to keep from making a sound as she slowly ran her hands down the skin by the gash. She frowned and reached into the bag at her waist and pulled out a different vial. "It is as I feared; the creature's horns were coated with a natural poison. A potion can't clear it up on its own and the skin around the cut is inflamed. Let me use this antidote, it should help." Pouring a small amount of the light green liquid in her hand she slowly spread the cool, soothing medicine over angry skin. While this did quickly clear up the poison, it was far more than a little distracting. When she opened a potion and began to spread that directly over the wound to speed the healing I couldn't stop the tiniest of whimpers from escaping, causing her head to come up sharply from where she had been concentrating on dealing with my wound. "Does it hurt that badly?" I shook my head miserably. "No, Captain. The fiend just caught me off guard." She gave me an odd look, probably wondering why I can't really answered her question, then turned back to finished clearing up the wound. When she had finished she handed me the rest of the half used potion and I drank that as well. "Kyou was right, the fiends are worse. I don't remember any this bad." Lucil simply nodded and stood, offering me her hand. I took it and allowed her to pull me to my feet before looking around for where I'd lost my weapon. I found it several feet away in the sand and recovered it before hurrying to catch up with Lucil, who was already walking towards Fiend Rock once more, "Is that all of them?" I asked breathlessly as soon as I caught up with her. "I think so but it is best not to let your guard down." She answered before leaping up onto fiend rock and pulling out a small dagger. She added two more marks, one after her own name and one after mine. I did have one of the better records on the rock but that as mainly because I almost always ran the gauntlet with Lucil by my side. I'd only tried it once by myself in the year she'd been gone and I'd failed quite badly. "You haven't been practicing." She scolded as soon as she landed on the sand again. I offered a sheepish grin and planted my sword point first in the ground before leaning on it lightly. "It's no fun without you around." Lucil frowned slightly and held her sword out away from her body a little in a half ready stance. "The Fiend Run is not intended to be 'fun', Elma." "I know..." I answered standing up but leaving my sword where it was. I turned my back to her to hide a flush of shame and began undoing the straps of my gauntlets. "But it always is fun when you are with me." I heard the sound of Lucil planting her sword in the sand as well and started to turn only to find my arms grabbed just below my elbows and twisted behind me. I gave a started cry, dropped my gauntlets and tried to break free, to no avail. "C-captain?!" "You really shouldn't let your guard down like that." She tsked, keeping my arms firmly pinned. I started to relax just a little, as if giving up. She began to adjust to this and I jerked sharply, freeing one of my arms and trying to pull the free as well. She recovered quickly and brought her free arm up, capturing my head in the crook of her elbow and forcing it down. I was completely and utterly helpless now but I wasn't going to give up so easily and so kept struggling as best I could. After a moment she seemed to deem my lesson learned and released my head. I instantly sought revenge, wrapping my own arm around her neck in an aggressive, impromptu hug that prevented her from any more damaging head or arm locks. I couldn't muffle a gasp of surprise when I felt her shift her weight and slide one of her legs between mine. The reason for this became clear a moment later when she hooked her ankle around mine and jerked my footing out from under me. So it was that I found myself lying flat on my back, breath driven from my lungs, eyes dilated in surprise and Lucil's full weight atop me. I blinked several time in rapid succession to restore my vision but my breathing remained shallow as the captain rose to her knees, still straddling one of my legs, but made no move to climb off of me completely. I licked my lips nervously and looked up at her, not sure what I would see in her face. Whatever I expected to find there, the playfulness that I did see was not it. That was what it was I saw there. No mistake... that was a devious twinkle shining in her eyes. My breath left me a second time and I found myself half wishing to die right now, so I would die utterly happy. Any minute now Lucil would chide me for carelessness and climb off... we'd start back to the camp. "Elma." She said with a faint smile, tone containing that looked for hint of reproof. "I didn't expect you to let yourself be taken so easily." It was probably just me, this situation. But, still. I couldn't help but take that comment the wrong way. I licked my lips again, trying my best not to think of the other meaning that statement might contain. She meant taken as in captured. That was it. Wasn't it...? She still didn't move and I couldn't help but be puzzled. Why did she linger? Unless... No. Couldn't be. Maybe she was just tired. Catching her breath. But she could do that anywhere. Unless maybe she found straddling me to be a comfortable position. I had to bite my lip at that thought and felt my cheek flush with a bit of embarrassment. She was my superior officer, what was I- I never had a chance to finish that thought as she leaned down and captured my lips with her own. I let a surprised noise slip into the one-sided kiss and she pulled quickly away. She started to apologize but I had no intentions of letting her be sorry for that. I brought up one hand and rested it on the back of her neck, pulling her down again, returning her kiss eagerly this time. It was her turn to be surprised but she recovered admirably, matching my eagerness with a ferocity I'd seen glimpses of in battle but had never dreamed of experiencing first hand. Well, I had dreamed of it but ... I simply left that thought were it was and lived out my dream, reaching up to threaded my free hand through her red hair, which was soft and silky to the touch although bits of sand and other debris clung there from our earlier battling. After what seemed an eternity and yet not nearly long enough, she pulled away and sat back slightly to regard me with steady brown eyes. "So I was right." Elma and Lucil Ch. 01 I would have inquired exactly what it was she was right about but I couldn't seem to make my mouth move, lips still tingling from the contact with hers. "How long have you wanted me?" She asked bluntly. I felt my cheeks grow hot and looked away, caught completely off guard by the simple, coolly spoken question. "Elma." I couldn't help but look back up at her, eyes drawn like magnets to her beautiful face and clear eyes. "How long?" "Since I first saw you." I blurted and then bit my lip. I couldn't look away, much as I wanted to. So now she knew. I'd thought I'd done a good job of hiding it but ... maybe not. "I see." Dammit, why did she have to be so calm and reserved now of all times?! Now that I knew... that I was right. There was something deeper. Something that she never showed to anyone. That... I desperately wanted her to show me. She didn't say anything for several moments but began undoing the straps of her gauntlets, kneeling in silence until both were removed and tossed carelessly in the direction of our planted swords and the gauntlets I had dropped in our struggle. "And, earlier?" Her fingers slipped through the rip in my shirt to trail lightly over the now smooth skin, where only a hint of a scar remained. Magic could heal a wound in a matter of minutes but if the wound was bad enough there would still be a scar. I couldn't help but shudder beneath her at the feather-light touch of her fingers on the sensitive skin. "That wasn't a groan of pain, was it?" I shook my head mutely as she leaned down close to my ear. Her hand disappeared through the rip, freely caressing bare skin beneath as she whispered in a tone that somehow remained very matter-of-fact. "It was a moan." I answered in the affirmative with a second moan as her hand generously explored my sensitive side, a few fingers sliding teasingly under the waistband of my skirt before she pulled her hand away completely. She sat back once more and began unlacing her own blue leather chest plate, causing me to blink in surprise. "Lucil...?" I whispered quietly, letting out with the word the breath I'd been holding for several moments. The plate joined her gauntlets in the sand before she replied. "Yes, Elma?" "Do... Are... I..." My brain seemed to have ceased functioning. It was all still very surreal. This was actually happening. She had actually, was really... She gave a low chuckle and reached out with one hand to lightly caress my hair. "Yes, I do. Yes, I am. And I know." I just smiled widely and reached out to pull her into another passionate kiss. Even though she didn't resist, there was no mistaking that she was the one very much in control of this situation. I ran both hands freely through her hair, closing my eyes and giving in to her without hesitation. I felt her tongue brush my lips and parted them obediently, allowing another moan to make its way into the kiss as our tongues met and danced briefly. My eyes remained closed as she broke the kiss and sat back a little. I trusted her completely. Her hands made their way down my chest and I couldn't suppress a small shudder of anticipation as she fiddled with the bindings of my pink shirt. I propped myself up on one elbow when she finished with the lacings, helping her pull the garment off, leaving my upper body covered only by a light pink bra. She gave a small laugh and shook her head slightly at my choice of color in my attire, idly tracing the darker pink edging around to my back, where she unfastened this as well and tossed it away. I sat up a little more to kiss her again briefly before lying back down on the warm sand. Beneath her blue armor, Lucil wore an off-white long sleeve shirt, which she discarded easily. This left her wearing only her leg armor and a one piece outfit with a yellow and green pattern on it. When she leaned down to kiss me again, my hands came up to rest on her shoulders, catching the straps of her remaining garment and pulling them off her shoulders. I felt her shudder as my hands caressed her now-bare shoulders and made their way down her back; only to answer her with a moan against her lips when she deliberately shifted her weight, grinding her knee between my legs. She pulled away only long enough to pull the straps off her arms completely then bent once more, licking my lips once to encourage me to part them before kissing me again, tongue sliding back inside my mouth. I slowly ran both hands up and down her back, pushing the concealing cloth a little further down each time. Her left hand supporting the weight of her upper body, her free right hand traced its way down the line of my body until it came to my side, retracing the scar. I shuddered almost violently and thankfully she broke the kiss then, I was badly in need of air. With one final, swift kiss on my lips she began to make her way downwards, trailing a line of kisses along the line of my jaw and lingering for a long moment on my neck. I tilted my head back a bit, one hand tracing up from her back to thread through her beautiful red hair. After another encouraging moan on my part, she continued downwards, the hand resting on my side trailing back up to cup my left breast. I gasped sharply and writhed a bit under her as she shifted further down to give my other breast the attention of her mouth, trailing kisses teasingly around my nipple in a teasing pattern before reaching her target. I moaned out her name when she seized it with her mouth and began sucking lightly, her right hand still assure my other breast didn't feel left out. I began writhing once more and whimpered slightly, unsure just how much more of her attentions I could take. She seemed to understand and resumed trailing her kisses downwards until she was stopped by the last of my clothing. I'd never hated my armor more than I did at that moment. I fumbled with the straps for a moment before Lucil gently pushed my hands away did it herself with remarkable efficiency. Within a few moments the last obstacles in her path were scattered carelessly on the beach around us. "Please..." I whispered, my eyes pleading as she moved to kneel once more, though between my legs this time. I spread my thighs wider for her, wanting needing her there. Her lips twitched in an indulgent smile as she rested one hand on each of my thighs, caressing them lightly as she moved closer. I whimpered again, my entire body becoming taunt in anticipation as I watched her lower her head. I cried out sharply at the first touch of her tongue and sat up a little, resting my weight on my left hand and threading my right through her hair. She didn't stop with a single touch, however and seemed to know exactly to turn her attention to elicit more cries from me. Soon I was panting her name over and over, my eyes shut tightly and my head thrown back. My eyes flew open; however when I felt one of her hands make its way along my thigh. When she slid two fingers inside of me without preamble it proved to be too much. I came screaming my new lover's name for the entire world to hear. Afterwards I slumped back down and I simply lay panting on the sand for several moments, blinking to clear my vision and simply enjoying the afterglow. After a moment I realized Lucil was no longer kneeling beside me but was busy removing her own remaining armor and clothing. When she knelt, facing away from me, I realized that she wasn't expecting me to return the favor. I was a little surprised and a little hurt and also a little honored that she wasn't going to just take what she wanted from me. I scrambled to my knees and quickly made my way over behind her, sliding my arms around her waist. She turned her head around to look at me in surprise and then favored me with her small, heart stopping smile. I leaned around to kiss her lightly as my hands wandered freely over her chest. I didn't have much time to explore, however before I felt her left hand cover my right and guide it lower. I broke the kiss and smiled sheepishly. I wasn't the only one who needed release. With her hand resting on mine, guiding it to where she wanted it to be it didn't take very long to bring her to her climax, though she came silently. I was slightly disappointed, I was kind of hoping to hear her scream my name as well, but when she turned to me and whispered my name between panting breaths, I somehow got the feeling that was the closest that Lucil had ever come to screaming in her life. Feeling in the mood for a little good natured revenge, I threw my arms around her shoulders and wrestled her to the ground. To my surprise she didn't resist. Having already firmly established her place on top, she seemed quite content to lie beneath me now. I stretched my arms over my head for a moment before stretching out across her and was delighted to find a perfect Elma-sized niche in her side. She wrapped one arm around my shoulders and I buried my face in her neck for a long moment. "It's time to go back, Elma." She stated calmly. I blinked a moment and then remembered that I was stretched out naked on the Fiend Run beach with the Captain of the Chocobo Knights. I felt heat rush to my cheeks and rose swiftly, searching through the cloths strewn over the beach for my undergarments. "I don't think we are going to break any speed records for the Fiend Run today." She somehow managed to say with a straight face. I couldn't help but laugh and steal one final kiss before helping her strap her armor back on. "You're leaving in the morning, aren't you?" I asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. "Yes." She answered calmly, adjusting her gauntlets. "And my new lieutenant with me." "Your new...?" I looked up sharply. "You don't mean... Me!?" She nodded and handed me my bent breastplate. I took it and glanced at the ground. "It's not because of...?" She shook her head and rested one hand on my shoulder. "No, the decision was made over a week ago. That's the reason I came here actually. I wanted to test your skills to see if you had improved." I shook my head and tried to ignore the other way my brain deciphered that statement. "So I passed the test?" She nodded. "With flying colors. Welcome to the Chocobo Knights, Lieutenant Elma." Somehow, I couldn't help but wonder if I had passed more than one test with flying colors as we made our way back up the beach towards the camp. Elma and Lucil Ch. 02 Life as a Chocobo Knight was a litter harder than I'd expected but having grown up around the large yellow birds, I felt right at home. Even though I was second in command of the unit it did take me a while to earn the respect of my subordinates. After two months they finally seemed to have accepted me among their ranks, thanks in no small part to the numerous times the captain had stood up for me. At first I couldn't understand why they would want to bring in an outsider for a position of leadership but as I watched them practice day after day I realized that they were a very tight knit group. To promote one out of their ranks and make them their superior officer would have been almost cruel. Today was a fairly light day, as far as my duties went. The soldiers were on an independent training exercise. Captain Lucil was a brilliant commander but she didn't want her troops to depend on her too much, so she would occasionally send them off on training missions specifically without her, in case she were to fall in battle. Sometimes I would accompany them on these missions and some times I would remain behind as well. It was those few rare occasions when the captain and I had the camp all to ourselves that I had begun to treasure. There were times when I wondered if she didn't specifically set up that training exercise to give us time to ourselves. Unfortunately, Lucil seemed to be in a very foul mood today and I'd forced myself to temper my excitement. I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, only the have to wait another full month's rotation to have her to myself. Also, an inspector was arriving today to check the condition of the Chocobo stalls while they were empty. Which meant that my chances of getting a bit of... quality time, were slim to none. It was already getting late and the inspector still wasn't here yet. "Elma." A quiet voice caught my attention and I turned from my aimless wanderings of the camp to the HQ tent. Lucil stood in the entryway, one hand holding back the thick cloth that served as a doorway. "You know a courier came by the camp this morning." I nodded, even if it wasn't really necessary. "The inspector requested that the camp be completely empty in anticipation of this arrival." The edge of worry to her voice left no doubts that this strange message was the source of her foul mood. Why did he need the camp to be completely empty...? Well, it wasn't really my place to worry. Though, it was Lucil's place and I could tell that she had been worrying. "I'm going to reconnoiter the southern cliffs. Would you care to join me, lieutenant?" I saluted, though mostly out of habit. Lucil was a stickler for maintaining protocol, with the exception of when the two of us were alone. She favored me with a faint, amused smile and disappeared into the headquarters to retrieve her sword and a few other supplies needed for a scouting mission. Realizing that I probably should do the same I made my way back to my own tent. Following Lucil's advise of two months ago I now carried a small stock of elemental spell items with me whenever entering a possibly dangerous situation, as well as several potions and cures for various status ailments. While the base here in the Calm Lands didn't have a Fiend Run for us to practice at, there were enough fiends roaming across the plains to give us plenty of exercise. I didn't really feel any need to hurry as I made my way to the Chocobo stables. We had set up camp in the gorge for the time being but the Chocobo Knights were a mobile group and we could be ordered to back up and move at any time. In fact, rumor had it that a large operation was in the works and the Knights were going to be asked to help out. I couldn't help but wonder if this mysterious inspector had something to do with that rumor. Lucil still hadn't made it to the stables when I arrived so I began to saddle our mounts. Since joining the unit I had made a few changes in my armor to suit my new mounted battle style. One thing I had added to my armor was a wide brown leather headband to keep my hair out of my eyes. Also, I had gotten rid of my old full chest plate in favor of a half plate that only covered my upper body. I understood now why Lucil favored a more flexible leather jerkin over plate mail. Trying to lean down low over one's Chocobo in order to reach a full gallop could be almost painful with a full metal plate digging into your stomach and sides. The only knight who did still wear full mail was our newest recruit, Clasko. While he did have a good way with the animals he was a very inept warrior. He struck me as the type that would be happier raising Chocobos than fighting astride one. I felt a light touch on my shoulder and then a hand trailed along my lower back. I turned to have my chin captured in one gentle hand and I felt warm lips pressed against mine. I closed my eyes, melting at this unexpected affection. A moment later she was gone, however and I opened my eyes to see her calmly leading her Chocobo out of the stables. I shook my head faintly, wondering if I'd simply imagined the brief contact. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at me, frowning slightly. I nearly jumped and realized I was supposed to be following her. I grabbed the reins of my own mount and lead it as well out of the stables. She had already mounted her Chocobo by the time I made it out of the stables and I hurried to follow suit. As soon as I was situated on the back of my war bird, Lucil set off without a word. I followed quietly, by now I was used to these periods of pensive silence. I knew she cared deeply about her troops; that was part of what made her a great leader. However at times I couldn't help but wonder if maybe she didn't care too much. Each and every one was special to her, the loss of but one would hurt her gravely. If she had heard the same rumors I had, or perhaps some top secret official word... We rode out of the gorge and out onto the plains. I had never been to this place before joining the Knights and I remember being over awed by the large rip in the ground. It was a sobering reminder of the massive power of Sin and the Aeons used to battle it. Ever since I was a small child I'd always respected the Summoners, and just as much so those who guarded them. I had actually considered becoming a guardian myself, but I simply didn't think I could undertake a Journey with a summoner. To go through all that... and know that ultimately you would fail to save them.... We rode across the width of the plains to the western cliffs before reaching the bank on the other side, where we followed the southern rise all the way to the exit on the other side. It was slightly remarkable that we hadn't met any fiends but today seemed an oddly calm day. Even the weather seemed slightly subdued. Lucil kept riding past the exit to where an odd bridge had once been, now broken. She dismounted without a word and tied the reigns to a shattered post and then simply stood with her back to me. I climbed off my war bird as well and tied my reigns to the second post. For a long moment I simply stood uneasily, not quite sure what to do. The sun was starting to set now, it had take a good hour and a half to cross the full width of the plain and it had already been late in the day when we had set out. When she still didn't say anything, I walked over to stand beside her, gently laying one hand on her arm. She seemed to become aware of me then and turned to face me, one hand coming up to lightly caress my cheek. I smiled brightly and brought my hand up to cover hers. She leaned down to kiss me but the kiss was light and distant, broken all too swiftly. I frowned slightly and gave a small sigh, then cheered back up almost immediately. She might not have been in the mood for anything serious but I'd be damned if I wasn't at least going to get some snuggling from our private foray. I took both of her hands in mine and urged her down to sit on the grass. While most of the time I was still a bit overawed by the captain's quiet but imposing presence, I had become a bit bolder around her in private. While I knew she cared about all her soldiers and students I couldn't help but believe that I held a special place in her affections. She resisted for a moment, then went along with my insistence and took a set on the soft grass. As soon as she did so I scooted over to sit close beside her, sliding my arms around her waist and snuggling down into my now familiar niche in her side. For a long moment I thought she was going to remain just as cold and distant as she'd been on the ride here but I felt her relax and put one arm around my shoulder. I let out a contented sigh, allowing a mischievous grin to touch my lips before sitting up and planting a swift kiss on Lucil's jaw. She glanced down at me, eyes guarded as normal. With her face turned towards me I took the chance to give her an equally swift kiss on the lips. Something sparked in her eyes but faded away too quickly for me to judge what it was. Still feeling quite playful I waited for her to turn away again, then sat up to nibble her ear teasingly before settling back down in my spot with a lighthearted laugh. She turned to face me again and I could have sworn I saw a playfulness to match my own shimmering just behind her mask. Deliberately I tilted my head back and licked the very tip of her nose. Amusement flashed openly for a moment and she shifted to place one hand on each of my shoulders, pushing me gently onto my back before proceeding to kiss me thoroughly. I returned her kisses gratefully, not even realizing until this moment just how much I'd missed them. After a moment she paused, simply resting her face close to mine, eyes half closed. I brought one hand up to caress her cheek, enjoying her warmth and nearness. The times we had together were all to short and all too far apart. I could still could them on one hand. She gave a low chuckle and shifted to regard me steadily. "You are good source of stress relief." She stated calmly, though a hint of a smile tugged at her lips that made me think she was teasing. I couldn't help but blush a bit and steal another kiss. "Glad I can help..." With a glance at the falling sun, she turned back to me and kissed me once before stretching out beside me on the grass. I stretched out as well and rolled over so that my back rested against her chest, leaving us both facing the setting sun. She wrapped one of her arms around my waist and pulled me just a bit closer to her. Even in the short time we had been intimate she had already figured out just how much I simply enjoyed being held. It was a pleasantly warm day and with the beauty of the crimson sun's painting, gentle lullaby of the wind in the valley and the comforting presence of Lucil behind me I actually found myself drifting off to sleep as I lay there. "Elma." My lover's quiet voice called me back from near slumber. She didn't say anything else right away, so I shifted under her arm to face her and planted drowsy kisses on her lips, down the line of her jaw to the small part of her neck exposed by the high collar of her armor. She made a small sound that might have been a sigh or regretful moan and pulled away. "We need to go back." She didn't say anything else but reached out to run one hand through my hair, eyes silently promising to make this up to me later. I couldn't help but feel a bit of a chill as we both rose and untied out mounts. I would have given anything at that moment for just a little more time in her arms. Elma and Lucil Ch. 03 The sun had completely set by time we made it back to the gorge. The lack of campfires suggested that the troops had not returned yet, another burden for Lucil to carry. As we moved closer to the camp we were able to see a small, singular fire near the front of the camp with one solitary figure standing in front of it. The moon was almost full and the gorge surreally lit, the silver light reflecting off the Crusader's silver helmet and the long metal spear he was leaning against. Which was odd, I'd never seen a spearman in the Crusaders before. Pulling my mount up short, I turned to look questioningly at Lucil. Her face was indistinct in the moon glow but I could have sworn her eyes were glittering dangerously at the sight of the stranger. She didn't even look at me but urged her mount forward again, forcing me to follow suit without a word and leaving me wondering just what exactly was going on. The man by the fire didn't turn as he approached and neither did Lucil call out to him. Somehow I got the feeling that the two of them either knew, or were expecting each other. Maybe this was some kind of test of wills. ... If that was the case, we'd be here all night. Even after we had dismounted and put the war birds away, fed them and put away our own gear; silence still reigned. When Lucil moved to stand silently behind the stranger I realized something was going to have to give. It wouldn't be either of them and I was starting to go a tad stir crazy, so I cleared my throated loudly but only managed to earn myself a glare from Lucil. "Excuse me." I spoke up, breaking the silence at least. The man by the fire turned slight, a sardonic smile on his face. "Not the patient kind is she, Lucil?" He asked the captain, ignoring me completely. "She can be." Lucil replied neutrally. "Then again," The man shifted his spear so that he could lean against it once more. "unless you've changed much in the past five years we might have been here all night if not for her." "You've changed." Lucil calmly shot back calmly, though her tone was tinged with a bitterness I'd never heard before. "Having your summoner die can do that to a person." The man answered nonchalantly. There was a long pause and only the Chocobo's soft cried broke the silence. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" He enquired at last, free hand gesturing in my direction without breaking eye contact with the captain. Lucil grudgingly looked away but turned her gaze to the moon and not to me. "This man is Syven." A pause and soft sigh. "We grew up together." "Not exactly a happy reunion..." I mused aloud. "No." Was Lucil's terse reply. "We were... competitors." I frowned and rested my hands on my hips. "Competing for what?" It was Syven and not Lucil who answered me. "A young woman's attention." I blinked in surprise. Of course it made sense but it still caught me off guard. "Sayah was a young summoner." "Summoner...?" It took me a moment to connect the dots. I glanced up at Syven in surprise. "She chose you over Captain Lucil." I tilted my head to the side, remember his previous comment. "But... she didn't finish her pilgrimage, did she?" Syven shook his head gravely. "She died on the slopes of Mt.Gagazet. I stayed there for a time, to learn the Ronso way of fighting. I wanted to be better able to protect my next summoner." I shifted uneasily. "There was no other summoner, was there?" My guess was correct, as indicated by a single grave nod of his helmeted head. "How ironic, that in the end our paths would be the same." He laughed then but without amusement. "I carry no grudge." Lucil announced suddenly, starting Syven and I both. He leaned forward on his spear and adopted another derisive smile. "So, stone cold Luci-Lu finally decided to forgive her childhood buddy for letting her girl die. I'm moved to tears, Lu. I really am." His tone was so sarcastic that I wanted to slap him; how Lucil refrained from the urge I had no idea. "Keep that up and I just might change my mind." Lucil growled dangerously. "So!" Syven announced his swift change of subject, straightening and turning his attention to me. "This your new girl, Luci-Lu? About time you got over Sayah, I say." I stiffened and beside me I felt Lucil do the same. Syven arched an eyebrow beneath his helm, firelight reflecting off the silver and adding an even more eerie air to this most strange stranger. "She is your girl, right?" I wasn't sure exactly how she would answer. She had taken some pains to keep our relationship discreet, but would she go so far as to outright lie? ... Would it really be a lie, if she said no? Rather than answering with words, Lucil deliberately turned her back to Syven and pulled me into an unexpected kiss. I had the strangest feeling that I was somehow being claimed and I didn't care in the slightest. Our audience be damned, I put my arms around her neck, pulling her deeper into the kiss and giving in to the pressure of her lips on mine with a soft sigh. "I'll take that as a yes." Syven commented dryly when we finally came up for air. I couldn't help but laugh and nearly jumped in surprise when Lucil gave a low chuckle as well. He planted his spear in the ground and clapped mockingly. "Nice. Luci-Lu, you haven't changed at all." "Luci-Lu?" I couldn't suppress a giggle. "Childhood name." Lucil dismissed it, making it clear the name was not to be revived. Not that I blamed her. It didn't really fit her, well not anymore. Much to my astonishment Lucil stepped away from me and hugged Syven briefly. It was difficult to tell which of us was more surprised, him or me. She back away quickly, though and moved to stand behind me. I nearly started purring when she slid her arms around my waist. "So..." I leaned back against my lover and eyed the stranger cautiously. "You two aren't really made at each other?" "Nope." Syven yawned and leaned against his planted spear. "Okay, then. Well, if no one minds my asking. Were the heck are the Knights?" I glanced up at Lucil, silently questioning why she wasn't more concerned about them. "I trust this man." Lucil answered simply. "With my life, my troops and even my 'girl', both then and now." Her eyes moved up to bore into his. I sense that he was highly honored by this and I couldn't help but feel a bit honored myself. That my life would mean so to her. "Well, since the girl here did ask." Syven roused himself and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Official orders from Bevelle. The Knights get three day's leave in Bevelle and then you get pulled for a special assignment. I sent your troops ahead. Figured you wouldn't mind." I decided then and there that 'Three days leave' were the three most wonderful words in the Spiran language. I shifted my shoulders and bit and turned to look at the captain, grinning shamelessly. "Three days leave!" I repeated eagerly. I felt her left hand stir a bit, moving to cover the scar on my left side. Even with the cloth covering it, she had memorized its location. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, gut churning suddenly at stray thoughts and memories. I knew without a word she was thinking the exact same things that I was. Syven seemed to notice this silent exchanged and his mocking smile returned. "Though it would be best if you two love birds waited until first light to set out. We have reports of more Marlboros than normal on the plains. In fact you're lucky you didn't bump into any earlier." He pulled his spear out of the ground and sat it aside. From the pack resting at his feet that I hadn't noticed before, he produced a bed roll and spread it on the ground by the fire. "Oh. And for the duration of your next mission, I'll be HQ's official military attaché to the Knights." "Joy." I muttered, snuggling in Lucil's arms for as long as she would let me. This proved no where near long enough before she gently pushed me away and retrieved her own bed roll. To my surprise she spread it out on the ground by the fire as well, one third of the circumference away from Syven. This left a place for my bed roll and somehow I thought that this was a scene that had played out many times before. Only now, I was the actor cast in the role of Sayah. Not planning to sleep alone in my tent half way across the camp, I laid my bedroll out in the spot reserved for it and simply curled up under the blanket. Since we would be departing so quickly with the sun, it would be best to just sleep in our armor. We could clean up and change when we reached Luca. Silence reigned once more and sleep could not claim me. The quiet hoots of lonely Chocobos, the even breathing of Syven and Lucil, the occasion rustle of fiends in the night. Nothing at all to keep me awake except my own thoughts. Was I just a replacement for Sayah? Who was Sayah? How involved had she and Lucil been? Lucil never talked about her past or her previous partners. Resting there I was struck but just how little I knew about my lover. Sleep an impossibility stewing here in my own thoughts, I rose and silently made my way across the fireside to lie down back down beside Lucil. She was resting on her side with her back to the fire, so I slide under the cover to nestle between her and the fire. She shifted once but didn't awake. Thoughts silenced by her warm presence, I soon joined her in slumber. -- I shifted once, not really awake. What was...? I gave a sleepy giggle as the tickling sensation returned, having moved down from my jaw to my neck now. The unmistakable sensation of lips on skin jarred me into wakefulness and my eyes flew open to see the two most perfect brown orbs in existence. I blinked a few times just to make sure I wasn't still dreaming but my lover didn't fade away. "L-Lucil?" I stuttered, realizing only after I tried to move that she was stretched out across me. "Good morning." She said serenely before claiming my lips. Now fully awake, I brought one hand up to rest on the back of her neck and parted my lips to admit her demanding tongue. Caught completely off guard by this wake up call I simply surrendered to her, moaning softly against her lips. "Good morning yourself..." I breathed when she finally pulled away. "I wouldn't get too used to that if I were you." A cynical voice shattered the magic of the moment. I turned my head, the only thing I could move freely, to look at Syven. "I've done my share of watching. Now you learn to be silent." Lucil rebuked, turning my face back towards her to kiss me once more. Again I was struck with that sense of being claimed. As if she were shouting at him 'She belongs to me.' Not that I minded. I had no qualms at all about being claimed by a beautiful redhead. The moment had been broken, however and realizing this, Lucil rose and offered me her hand. I accepted it and gained my feet as well. We packed up the remainder of our gear, saddled our Chocobos and left before the Sun had even risen completely. The excitement about the upcoming leave was tempered by our sarcastic traveling partner. When he took the lead on the rise out of the gorge, I maneuvered my mount close to Lucil's war bird to ask her the question burning in my mind since I'd awoken. "Lucil... What was that, this morning I mean?" She did thing the last thing I had ever expected. She laughed. It was a clear and somehow pure sound. I had to shake my head a bit; it was an almost mesmerizing sound. One I knew her well enough to treasure. I wouldn't hear it often. "Well." She began, favoring me with that challenging grin that somehow still made my heart stop. "That's what you get for sneaking into my bed." With that she urged her Chocobo to go faster and left me dumbfounded. Every time I thought I knew my captain... I found something else about her that made me lover her even more. Elma and Lucil Ch. 04 We rose all day in silence and no matter how many time I stole a glance at my captain I never found her looking back. We paused briefly at Djose to rest the Chocobos and break the day's fast in silence as well. Both Syven and Lucil seemed perfectly content with the quiet but I had already lost count of the number of times I'd had to bite my tongue. I found the unnatural calm to be disconcerting. I'd been raised on a noisy Chocobo farm and had spent most of my adult life marching with raucous soldiers. I couldn't help but notice the tightened security in the Mushroom Rock Road area as we rode through it but I didn't even bother questioning my traveling companions. I knew neither one would give me a satisfactory answer or wasn't at liberty to tell me so I didn't even bother breaking the silence. We didn't stop again until we reached the Travel Agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad. Many Crusaders shunned the establishment, since it was owned by the Al Bhed but this was not the official Crusader stance and none of us in our small group carried any grudges against the Al Bhed. Personally I had grown up in this area and knew the owner personally. In fact, they had been the ones to buy my parent's Chocobo farm once I had joined the Crusaders. I was still on very good terms with them but I saw no reason to revisit the farm. It wasn't my home anymore. The Crusaders had already set up a payment account for the upkeep of our Chocobos while we were on leave and one of the Al Bhed would be riding with us to Luca so he could lead our Chocobos back here to be stabled for the three days. The mounts that we had ridden here were already stabled and new ones were to be brought out for us to ride to Luca. When a man rounded the corner leading four Chocobos by their reins I didn't recognize him immediately, but he did recognize me. "Muhk desa hu caa, meddma lrelepu!" He called out in his native tongue. I had learned the Al Bhed language in my childhood but I was very rusty. "Pa dryd oui, Ropp?" I asked, stumbling over the forgotten words. He gave a hearty laugh and started handing out the reigns. "You haven't been practicing, Chicibo." I gave a faint laugh in return. "Not much use for Al Bhed working for the Crusaders." "So how have you been? Happy with soldiering?" He handed me my reigns and glanced over at Lucil and inclined his head. "You seem to be keeping good company. Captain Lucil, a pleasure as always." I turned to look questioningly at Lucil, who waved a hand in dismissal. "We purchased several Chocobos from this farm a few months ago." I blinked. "Really? Daddy would be happy to know his Chocobos finally made it into the Chocobo Knights." "Ra't pa rybbo du ghuf rec tyikrdan tet yc famm, Amsy." Ropp chimed in. I felt my cheek blush a bit at the praise and struggled to translate my answer to his previous question into Al Bhed; without grammatical errors this time. "Meva yc y cumtean yknaac fedr sa... Yc famm yc paehk y Lrulupu Ghekrd. Um... E ryja vuiht... so haf rusa rana." "Kmyt du rayn ed, Chicibo!" He beamed, using the Spiran version of my own childhood moniker. This time it was Lucil's turn to chuckle at my nickname. "Chicibo?" I gave a slightly nervous laugh. "Well, that's what happens when you're the baby around a Chocobo farm." I glanced back at Ropp, who was doing one final check of the mount's saddles. "Ruf yna Dessic yht Netam?" I asked softly. "Dessic ec uh dra bnyldela cxiyt vun dra Luca Goers, eh y vaf oaync ra syo ajah syga dra days." Ropp beamed and then frowned. "Netam... fa cdemm ryjah'd raynt vnus." I just nodded once, digesting this and then turned to Lucil. "Ready to depart, Captain?" She glanced at Syven, who nodded and then answered in the affirmative. We all mounted up, Lucil and Syven taking the lead while I fell in beside Ropp, catching up one what had been going on while I was away in the army. He answered each of his questions in Al Bhed and I was surprised just how quickly the language returned to me. In the company of my old friend, the last leg of the journey seemed to pass swiftly and all too soon we dismounted at the end of the Highroad. We weren't allowed to take the mounts into Luca, so this was as far as Ropp could go. He bid me farewell with a crushing bear hug and good wishes before mounting his Chocobo once more and leading the other three back down the Highroad towards the Travel Agency. Lucil and Syven seemed especially subdued as we made our way down the stairs into Luca, and after Ropp's exuberance the silence seemed even more unnerving. Some off duty Knights and Crusader Infantry crowded the upper walkway of Luca's entrance. At first I thought we were going to have to force a path through them but then one of the Knights spotted Lucil. "Captain!" His cry rang out, bringing all the Knights to attention. After a moment the Infantry soldiers followed suit, stepping out of the way to make a path for the captain. "As you were." Lucil commanded with just a hint of fondness in her tone. The babble of conversation and laughter resumed almost immediately, as if nothing had happened. "I guess your men really do respect you, Luci-Lu." Syven commented, without venom for once. Lucil declined to answer and simply began descending the second set of stairs. There was no similar grand reception when we emerged in the Luca Square, not that any of us expected one. I noticed some more off duty Crusaders off to my right; this group was practicing Blitz, however. I was just about to call out a greeting when one lost control of his Blitzball and sent it spinning across the square to hit Lucil square on the shoulder. Syven deftly caught it on the rebound and kicked it back to the players. One caught it but none of them dared to breathe as one of Lucil's hands curled into a fist and then slowly relaxed. "As you were." She growled simply before stalking across the square and disappearing into the Luca Café. Syven opted to join the Blitzers while I followed Lucil into the café. She had already claimed a booth so I waved the waitress away and slid into the seat across from her. She didn't say anything so I leaned across the table and rested my chin in my hands. "So, what do you want to do with our three days off, Luci-Lu?" I asked with a teasing grin. "Don't call me that." Lucil snapped as her only answer. I was slightly taken aback by this. Where was the woman who'd woken me with a kiss? "Captain...?" I questioned softly, only to have her look away from me and into the city. "Sorry." She muttered, glancing over at the approaching waiter. We both ordered simple lunches and waited in silence for their arrival. Something was definitely bothering Lucil and she obviously wasn't going to confide in me. I wondered idly if it was something Syven has told her while I had been talking with Ropp. I sighed quickly and nibbled disinterestedly at my food when it arrived. My appetite had suddenly finished. After Lucil finished her meal the waiter returned and took the plates away but Lucil didn't rise. She seemed intent on studying Luca's square and ignoring me. "Who's Ropp?" She enquired abruptly, making me blink in surprise. "What?" I sat back, frowning. "Who's Ropp?" She repeated, without elaborating. "Ropp was Dessic's best friend growing up. He and his family bought the farm after I moved away." Surely she wasn't jealous of Ropp, I though with more than a little disbelief. "Dessic?" She inquired blandly. I crossed my arms over my chest. My captain wasn't the most talkative of people but this was ridiculous, even for her. "Timmus' name in Al Bhed. Since he and Ropp were inseparable most of their childhood, his Al Bhed name stuck." I explain, my own tone turning just a bit chilly. "I see." Was her only reply. I fought the urge to spit curses. Three days with Lucil all to myself and she had to go colder than Gagazet during a snow storm. Without waiting for her I rose and left the café. I didn't have to worry about paying for my meal since the Crusaders would be picking up our tab for the next three days. One of the perks of being a soldier. I didn't feel like doing anything at the moment so I passed all my old haunts in this town and went straight to the inn. Because there were so many Crusaders in town at the moment they had doubled us all up. Any other time the news that Lucil and I would be so conveniently sharing a room would have made me grin but right now I just didn't care. I took one of the room's two keys and headed up the stairs to draw a bath. This was going to be a very long three days. Elma and Lucil Ch. 05 Bathing was a luxury that soldiering didn't often afford me. Privacy was one major concern, finding time was another. Most of the time a quick dip in a chilly stream was all one could expect. So it was that a nice long, hot bath was enough to significantly improve my mood, even if I was bathing alone. A silly thought, of course but a girl is allowed her fantasies. The water was starting to grow cold now but I was still loathed to depart my watery sanctuary. Leaving a hot bath and a contented mood for an icy room and empty bed was hardly my idea of a good time. I swore softly under my breath and submerged my head under the water. I didn't even know if she would be staying the night in the inn. Distant as she was acting she might even have gone back to the Travel Agency to spend her leave with the Chocobos. Bath too chilly for comfort, I was forced to rise at last. I retrieved my towel from the nearby stand provided for just that purpose and began drying off. My hair was still wet but I didn't really care. It would dry soon enough and it wasn't like I was going anywhere. I wrapped the towel around my waist more out of habit than anything. I should have had the room to myself so there was really no reason to be modest but such things are engrained, I suppose. Pushing open the door to the small bathroom I glanced out into the main bedroom area and stopped short when I saw a figure clad in a white bath robe, red hair spilling over her shoulders like a scarlet waterfall. She didn't seem to notice me and I couldn't seem to find my breath. Well, at least I knew she wasn't going back to the Travel Agency. She didn't turn so I took a few steps into the larger room and closed the door to the smaller. There was a click of the latch and the sound caused the white robed figure to turn. Brown eyes swept upwards along my mostly naked body and I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks. It wasn't like she hadn't seen my body before but there was something about the way she seemed to be studying it that made the heat rush to my face. She turned deliberately and strode across the room to stand in front of me. She was only a few inches taller than me but sometimes she seemed to tower over me, as she did now. I fought down the feelings churning in my stomach, not knowing if she was still distant and cold. I didn't want to be disappointed a second time but looking up at her then I couldn't stop myself from wanting her to touch me, to kiss me. I would have reached out for her myself but doing so would require releasing my toweland this situation was awkward enough as it was now. Almost as if reading my thoughts she brought up one hand and ran it lightly through my damp hair, pushing a few loose dark strands away from my face. She looked for a long moment as if there was something she wanted to say but in the end she decided to put her mouth to better use, fingers curling around the back of my neck to pull me into a tender kiss. I melted against her, closing my eyes and parting my invitingly. Never one to waste an opening, Lucil slipped her tongue through the gap. Grateful even for this much intimacy after the way she had acted earlier I simply sucked light on her tongue. I felt her free hand trace its way down my side, seeking the seam in the impeding towel. When she found it, she wasted no time in sliding her hand inside to lightly caress the bare skin beneath. I shuddered at her touch, familiar fires springing to life within me. After a long moment she pulled away, hand retreating to her side. I couldn't help but mourn the loss of her touch and feel a small stab of panic at the thought of her turning cold on me now. That seemed to be the last thing on her mind, however. My eyes flew open when I felt her hands over mine and gently pry my fingers from their unconscious death grip on my only garment. My cheeks flushed scarlet as I was revealed to her, though it was more the hungry look in her eyes that caused the blush than my lack of clothing. That was one thing about my Lucil, she may be cold and distant at times but when she thawed out, she did so with startling passion. My hands now freed of their previous responsibility I reached up to place one arm around her neck with my other set about satisfying my curiosity. Our lips met again and eyes closed. I felt her hands roam restlessly along my bare back as my free hand snaked its way inside her robe and found, much to my delight, that she wore nothing else beneath it. I felt her right hand slowly trace the length of my back before curling around to my left side. I pulled away from the kiss to take a sharp breath, skin tingling at the contact. Slowly, her smallest finger trailed down the length of the crescent shaped scar, coming to rest at the end and waiting their as all four of its sisters made the same journey one at a time. By the time her thumb had etched the scar as well; I was trembling and clinging to my captain's neck for support. "Lucil..." I practically mewled as I buried my face in her neck to place breathless kisses there. I was half led, half carried over to the bed where I collapsed gratefully and drew my lover down with me. I pulled her into a series of swift, eager kisses but there as a noticeable change in her demeanor. I frowned as she pulled back to look down on me, a faint shadow crossing her beautiful brown eyes. She was silent for a long moment, as if searching for words. "I am... sorry." She said at last, words sounding as if they had been pulled unwillingly from her chest. "It's okay..." I whispered in response, reaching up to lightly caress her cheek. "I shouldn't have... treated you like that." She looked away but I gently turned her gaze back towards me. "Lucil." I said firmly, sitting up slightly. "I said its okay." I punctuated this with another kiss, a language she seemed to understand better than words. True it had hurt at the time but now that my Lucil had returned form her icy sojourn, I didn't really mind. She seemed quite content to abandon words and proceeded to apologize to every inch of my neck and shoulders with lips and tongue. Despite my best efforts to remain silent, a low moan worked its way out of my chest. We both frowned as we realized our predicament. An inn crowded with off duty soldiers wasn't exactly the most private of places and thin walls would allow noise to pass freely between rooms. Since Lucil was intent on keeping our relationship from being common knowledge... The most obvious solution was to find a better place for such activities but neither of us were in the mood to redress and hunt for such a location. I'd been waiting long enough for this as it was. The second most obvious solution was simply to be quiet but that was much more difficult than it sounded. Lucil's lips twitched suddenly with private amusement and I knew without asking that she has formulated a solution of her own. She shifted to stretch out beside me and brought up her right hand to lightly caress my cheek. I looked at her questioningly but her only answer was a slightly devious smile that turned my insides into so much jelly. Her hand slowly began working its way lower, drifting down my neck and shoulder, fingertips lightly brushing skin still slightly moist from her earlier attentions. When her hand moved farther down still to cup one of my breasts and began to knead it gently, I had to bite my lower lip savagely to stay silent. She had a better solution, however and leaned forward to capture my lips with her own, muffling the moan that escaped at their touch. My silence mostly assured by the tongue that almost playfully held my own in check, her hands began to move once more; wandering down over my abdomen, lightly stroking and caressing. She paused briefly to trace my scar once more, which earned another muffled moan, before skilled fingers traveled down trace the line of tense muscles that were starting to stand out on my thighs. By this time my hands had already moved almost of their own accord to encircle Lucil's shoulders, clinging tightly to two handfuls of her robe. My captain and lover paused for a moment, hand resting just above my left knee and broke our duel purpose kiss. I took the opportunity to greedily gulp needed air. Strange as it seemed, the possibility of being discovered actually added an element of excitement. Not that I needed to be excited anymore than I already was, I thought with more than a little amusement as my hips shifted restless across white sheets. I answered her questioning glance by pulling her back down into the kiss and bending my left leg, silently urging her hand to resume its work. I felt her low chuckle rumble against my lips. Let her laugh at my eagerness, I thought with a touch of annoyance, I'd been waiting close to two weeks for this. She wasn't ready to let this end just yet, however and took her time making her way upwards along my thigh. I whimpered with mixed impatience and need when she began lightly teasing my clit but she still refused to be hurried. I could practically feel the blood pounding in lower regions as I clung almost desperately to Lucil's shoulders, moaning my desire into her mouth. I was puzzled when she paused for a moment and then smiled into the kiss when I realized she wasn't unaffected by this situation either. It was she who needed air when she pulled away this time, hand still resting between my legs, oh so very close to its desired location. "Lucil..." I pleaded quietly, willing her to keep going. The hunger I'd seen in her eyes earlier returned ten fold as her gaze traveled downwards, then back up to my face before impatiently resuming our kiss. She was through teasing me at last and thrust one finger inside warm silk without preamble. My surprised cry was stifled by the invading tongue that entered me at the same instant. A second finger joined the first a moment later as she began pumping her fingers in and out in a steady rhythm. At the same time her tongue found mine and wrestled it into submission, not that I had much fight left in me. She shifted her hand then; resting her thumb on my clit so that as her fingers moved in and out it created natural friction. This proved to be the last straw, ripping a scream from deep within my chest that Lucil swallowed eagerly. Both out of breath, the silencing kiss was broken and we simple rested as we were, panting and looking at one another. "I've been waiting fourteen days to hear that sound again." Lucil commented mildly, catching her breath before I did. I gave a breathless chuckle, leave it to Lucil to remember exactly how many days it had been since we'd last has sex. Once the initial weakness of my climax faded; I shifted without warning and moved to pin Lucil on her back with a grin. "My turn." I taunted playfully as I untied the sash of her robe. It looked like I was going to be enjoying my leave after all.