When the four students return to their dorm common room, Camellia and Fianna's gazes meet.

  Fianna takes Maeve's hand in hers, and looks around at the group. "So," she says. "No more pretending. There's only one more night before the four of us kindle, and I intend to spend it with Maeve." She ducks her head. "Thanks for covering for me earlier, Camellia, but the time for that's done now."

  Camellia just smiles, and her gaze turns to Ember. "Don't worry," she says. "Ember and I have pns as well." She runs a hand through her hair and adjusts how one of her hoop earrings is falling.

  Ember swallows, butterflies rising in her stomach — but she takes Camellia's hand and nods. "See you two tomorrow morning," she says to Maeve and Fianna. Then she looks back at Camellia, and gestures for her to lead on.

  "Goodnight," Camellia says.

  "Goodnight," Maeve and Fianna chorus back. They vanish into Maeve’s dorm room together.

  Camellia leads Ember into Camellia’s dorm room, sits her down on the edge of the bed, and closes the door before sitting next to her on the red cotton sheets. Ember’s heart does a somersault as she sits on the bed, sudden anxiety fshing through her. It’s really going to happen.

  "So," Camellia says. "It's really going to happen tomorrow."

  Ember nods, the words sticking in her throat a moment before she manages to speak. "Yeah. It's a new feeling. Scary. Exciting. A little bittersweet."

  Camellia nods. "Bittersweet is the right word."

  She reaches up, touches Ember's chin, leans in, and kisses her softly. Despite their kissing practice earlier, Ember’s heart jumps with a strange, fluttery golden feeling: it’s different, knowing this is… probably forepy? She doesn’t need to think about that right now. Camellia’s lips are soft and full and warm, and she's a very good kisser.

  Ember lets Camellia pull away again, her breath coming a little faster. She lets a hand trail through Camellia's hair to curl around her ear and lightly touch the backing of her hoop earring.

  "You're beautiful," Camellia murmurs.

  That heart-piercing joy stabs through Ember again, and she finds herself breathless, almost fighting for words. There’s nothing to say but the truth. "So are you. I always thought that... you were the most attractive of the women here. Fianna comes close, but her beauty feels faraway, like a mountain in the distance. You... feel warm like the hearth. Like I could curl up next to you for shelter on a long night."

  A little color comes to Camellia's cheeks, and she nods. "You... it's the freckles. I've always been hopeless for women with freckles. Especially ones who are taller than me. And then I got to know you, and — you might be reckless, but you're charming and bright and I can't help but find myself wanting the best for you."

  She trails a hand slowly down Ember's back, feeling the tension in her body beneath her uniform blouse.

  "Tomorrow," Camellia says. "Everything's up in the air. But we have this. We have now. Let's make the most of it."

  Ember nods, not trusting her voice, and leans in and kisses Camellia back. Her breath is tense, her body stiff. What if she manages to ruin it now, to fall at the st hurdle with this wonderful woman…

  But kiss by kiss, the heat and need in her builds, and the fear recedes, and by the time she's finished kissing Camellia soundly on the mouth she's brave enough to move to her cheek, then the corner of her chin, then her neck, then her shoulder and colr...

  Camellia's breath hastens as she's kissed and teased, and her hand on Ember's back slips down Ember's body until she's grabbing a handful of her ass, her fingers digging in through the uniform skirt.

  "Ember..."

  Camellia’s voice trembles, almost a prayer on her lips. Other lovers have said her name before, but — never quite in that way. There’s adoration there, and a hint of awe. Camellia feels like that about her?

  She doesn’t want to break the spell, but that can’t go unanswered.

  "... Camellia," she whispers back. "Camellia." She puts all of the golden emotion in her heart into her voice, and is surprised to find her voice catching that same note of gentle awe.

  She kisses Camellia's neck again, almost afraid to go farther. Something different is happening here than she knows, and it makes her cautious, wary.

  But it's Camellia. The girl she practiced kissing with, who tried to talk her out of her foolishness, who just sighed and smiled fondly when she messed up anyway. If it’s her… If it’s her, then she can risk a little more.

  Ember presses in, and kisses Camellia full on the mouth. This time she kisses deeper, firmer, more hungrily. Camellia's hand tightens on her ass and she sighs into the kiss, her eyes half-lidded and fluttery.

  When they pull apart, both girls are panting, the heat rising in them, sweat starting to stand out on their skin.

  “Camellia…”

  Ember gazes down into Camellia's eyes, completely intoxicated. She can see it in Camellia too, how her body arches beneath her touch, how her gaze lingers. She can see the kindling need that Camellia can't quite voice.

  "Camellia." Ember's voice is almost a command, now, demanding her partner's full attention. "Do you want... to have me?"

  A giggle spills from Camellia's lips. "Yes. Yes, of course I do. So stop stalling and take me."

  Ember grins sharply. "By your command."

  She reaches out, and tears Camellia's uniform top open. A button pings off the wall next to her bed, but neither of them spare it a gnce. Ember presses in, and her mouth explores lower, roaming over Camellia's right breast. Camellia's hands clutch at her back, pulling her closer, pressing in — and her mouth falls to Ember's shoulder and kisses, kisses, kisses through the cloth of her uniform top.

  Ember sighs softly at the brush of Camellia's lips against her, and slips her hands beneath her, cradling her lower back and ass and taking her weight. "Together," she says. And in a coordinated motion the two girls tumble together onto the bed, Ember atop Camellia as she wraps her legs around Ember's waist.

  They kiss again, slow and lingering. Camellia's skirt has ridden up high from the position — Ember dares to pull it aside entirely, exposing Camellia's simple panties. She grinds in, feeling the warmth of Camellia's body beneath hers.

  "Ember..." Camellia lets out a shivery sigh at the pressure against her sex. Her hands reach up and start undoing the buttons of Ember's uniform top as fast as she can manage them.

  Ember pauses to let Camellia work, the heat in her coiling but not needing satisfaction this instant. She trails a hand through Camellia's hair, taking a moment to savour her. "You're beautiful," she says, and means it.

  Camellia looks up from Ember's blouse buttons, meeting her gaze again. An impish smile comes to her lips. "Turning my own compliment around on me, hm?" She grins, and pushes herself up to meet Ember's lips with her own.

  Ember kisses back. "It's only the truth," she says. One hand trails across Camellia's breasts as the other braces her, and she rolls her hips slowly in, grinding against Camellia. She feels hungry for her, in every sense: touch most of all, but the sight and sound and scent and taste of her all feel right, feel like succor, like water in a wastend.

  Camellia's eyelids flutter and she lets out a heavy sigh.

  "More," she begs. "Please, more..."

  Ember shifts back a little, and slips her hands down Camellia's body. Her hands find the edges of Camellia's panties, and pull them off and away.

  Camellia's slick pussy is exposed to the light, and her whole body tenses with the thrill of being seen. "Ember..." There's more warmth in her voice now, and a teasing edge.

  Ember smiles wickedly, and traces the inner curves of Camellia's thighs with one finger, skipping ever so lightly past her needy clit.

  Camellia tenses, and lets out a half-strangled curse.

  "What was that?" Ember raises an eyebrow. "I didn't quite hear you." She wants to know for sure. To hear Camellia say it in her own words — no. To hear her beg for it like a good girl.

  Camellia is silent.

  "I see..." Ember runs her thumb along the muscle of Camellia's thigh, and stops just short of her sex. It's torturous, stalling like this, but she has all night. There's no reason at all not to take her time.

  "Please?" Camellia manages.

  Ember runs her thumb back the way it came. "Please what?"

  "Please, Ember. I can't take much more of this... kissing and teasing and stroking and stalling. I want you. I want you... inside me. I want to be one with you. Please, stop stalling and cim me."

  Ember lets out a huffed breath, but there's no heat in it. In truth, she’s hiding a smile. She wants this too. "Alright," she says. Shifting back on the bed again, she lowers herself, and after a moment of fluttery hesitation presses her mouth to Camellia's sex.

  Camellia gasps out high and sharp as Ember's tongue rolls across her clit, and her hands bury themselves in Ember's hair, pressing her in, keeping her there. Yes. She wants this. She needs this.

  Ember lets out a low mmm, and presses her tongue in deeper, tasting Camellia’s sex. The taste of her is rich and clear, flesh and sweat and the faint tang of her juices. Camellia always smells like peaches, and even here there's a hint of that sweet note. It tastes like her.

  A shiver of electricity goes through Ember’s body as she puts her mouth to work, her tongue teasing Camellia’s clit, then her lips sealing over it as she gently suckles. With careful attention to how Camellia’s thighs tense and how her breathing rushes she focuses in on the motions that bring her the most pleasure. She deserves every drop of it.

  “Ember…” Camellia moans the name, her hips rolling up against Ember’s mouth, and her thighs twitch under Ember’s hand as her toes curl with pleasure. “Gods yes, more, please, yes —”

  Ember gives her more. With soft flutters of her tongue-tip over Camellia’s clitoris and warm, broad licks with the ft, she builds a steady rhythm, bringing Camellia close only to fall back away from the edge, then build again, then fall again, teasing at her, pying with her. It feels right.

  Ember reaches up with one hand, and intertwines her fingers with Camellia’s, holding on, feeling her touch. The connection of their hands feels viscerally real, like their heartstrings have braided together. Camellia squeezes in a tense of pleasure, and Ember squeezes back.

  “Ember…” Camellia squeezes again, harder, her nails digging into the back of Ember’s palm. “Please?”

  Another time Ember might pause, ask please what, but meeting Camellia’s gaze it just seems cruel to deny her. She wants her to feel good. She wants her to get every drop of pleasure she deserves.

  Ember redoubles her efforts, keeping a steady, smooth rhythm that doesn’t falter or slow. Camellia’s thighs tense sharper and sharper until she’s pressing Ember’s head between them, unable to keep from clenching around the intense stimution. “Fuck, close, close, close —”

  Ember keeps her rhythm despite the part of her that wants to speed up, and Camellia gasps out high and breathily, words completely deserting her as her thighs clench around Ember’s head and her whole body shudders in bliss. Her whole body arches up from the bed and then falls again, her grip on Ember’s hand going white-knuckled and then releasing.

  “Haaaaaaaaaaaaaah, fuck.” Camellia giggles a little as she comes down, untangling her legs from around Ember’s head. “— Sorry, did I crush you?” She blushes, suddenly embarrassed by the situation — but Ember just kisses her thigh and shakes her head.

  “It’s alright,” Ember says. “It was…” There’s no other word for it but — “perfect.” She grins, but — how does she even ask for this — “... But, um…” Her gaze jumps away. “... Could I…?”

  Camellia ughs. “Of course you get a turn. Come here.” She lets go of Ember's hand and reaches out with both arms, offering her an embrace.

  Ember comes up into Camellia’s arms, and Camellia rolls her over so that she’s on the bottom this time. Her open blouse spills over the bedsheets, and then she feels a hand on her knee, pulling up her long skirt, exposing her —

  With deft motions and a lift of Ember’s hips, Camellia gets Ember’s skirt up and out of the way and frees her sex from the confining embrace of her panties. Her hand comes in and softly strokes over her opening, tracing her lower lips but stopping short of Ember’s clit.

  “Camellia…” The fear falls away as need kindles deep inside Ember’s sex. She wants this. She wants this so fucking badly oh goddess.

  Ember pulls Camellia in and kisses her deeply, craving every bit of contact she can get. When Camellia pulls away, Ember finds herself lost in her eyes, the soft warmth of her gaze seeming to go on forever. “I… you’re so gorgeous.”

  Camellia takes Ember’s hand, and squeezes gently, pausing in her motions over her sex. “No,” she says, “It’s okay. You can say it. I feel it too.”

  Ember’s gaze darts away. It’s hard to admit it, even now, but — “I… I think I’m falling for you.”

  Camellia smiles. “The feeling is so, so mutual.” She squeezes Ember’s hand softly. “We don’t have to talk about it right now, though. I mean…” Her finger slips over Ember’s clit. “We were kind of in the middle of something.”

  Ember lets out a sharp gasp, and then a giggle. “Yeah. Yeah, we can save that for ter. Right now I want you inside me.”

  “I thought you’d never ask. One moment.” Camellia reaches into the dresser by her bedside and retrieves a small perfume-bottle of oil, which she pours a measure of into her right hand, slicking her palm and fingers with it. It smells of peaches. Of course it does.

  Ember tenses a little, but the touch still manages to come as a surprise. Camellia’s slick fingers glide inside her with little resistance at all, and she instinctively clenches around them as she’s filled. Their gentle pressure is not so much, yet, but it still feels wonderful to have something inside her, filling the hollow craving in her sex.

  “Camellia…” Ember rolls her hips slowly against the fingers inside her, and pulls Camellia in for another kiss.

  “Ember.” Camellia kisses back, and her fingers move inside Ember, making slow, smooth, come-hither motions in a technique Ember knows well. Heat swells against Camellia’s touch at the roots of her clit, and faint tingles of sweet electricity run through her pussy as Ember rexes into Camellia’s gentle strokes.

  Ember pulls Camellia a little closer, and Camellia obligingly dips her mouth to Ember’s shoulder and begins kissing and nipping at the bare skin there, blunt-sharp teeth working slowly towards the crook of Ember’s neck even as her fingers roll inside her sex. It feels heavenly, affection and arousal blending into something better than either alone, and Ember finds herself letting out a shuddery moan.

  “Good girl,” Camellia whispers in Ember’s ear, and a shudder of electric tingles goes down Ember’s neck at the soft words. She lets out a gasp, and Camellia chuckles. “Oh? You like that, do you?”

  Fuck. She’s been caught. Nothing for it but to nod.

  Camellia chuckles, leans in, and gently nips the arch of Ember’s ear even as her fingers press into the roots of Ember’s clit. Ember lets out a harsh, shuddery breath and clenches instinctively.

  “Very good girl.” Camellia’s voice is a low purr. Her fingers build to a steady rhythm inside Ember, and the pleasure redoubles, leaving Ember’s breath rushing and hitching with each stroke. It feels like she’s melting, like the pleasure’s going to overtake her completely, like this incredible gorgeous woman is going to make her come —

  “Camellia, fuck, I’m close —”

  “It’s alright,” Camellia says softly. “You’re allowed to come.” Her fingers keep that steady rhythm, moving smooth and slick inside her, the oil wearing off a little and adding just that extra bit more friction. Her mouth dips to the curve of Ember’s neck, and teeth meet skin.

  The bite drives all thought of resistance from Ember’s brain. It’s obvious how this ends. Instead she closes her eyes, and focuses on the sweet lightning emanating from inside her sex.

  The smooth, steady motions of Camellia’s fingers bear her up, up, up, higher and higher, brighter, more pleasurable, until at st it’s too much to bear and it all crashes down in a panting, gasping rush that makes her whole body clench and her heartbeat hammer in her chest. A fre of heat and burning pleasure surges through her, and then all her muscles unclench at once, her tension spent.

  Ember flops back to the bed like a ragdoll, her breath slowing as she lets out a deeply satisfied sigh. “Wow.” With the need for release satisfied, all that’s left in her now is deep, lingering affection and happiness. She grins like a total sap and pulls Camellia in for another kiss. “Thank you.”

  Camellia kisses back, and smiles. “I was only repaying the favor.” She slips her fingers out of Ember’s sex and tastes them, and her eyebrows jump. “— Strawberry-peach. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.”

  Ember ughs. “Yeah, Lively Spark gave me a little bonus to go with my new parts,” she admits. “It’s fun to see people’s reactions to it. I hope you don’t mind?”

  Camellia shakes her head and smiles. “Not at all.” She lies down next to Ember and tenderly takes her into her arms.

  It feels right.

  They lie together, and the world goes on.