Rain [ ff, light/first bd, cons, outdoors ] The rain poured down, hammering against the roof making a sound like a million small needles being dropped against a hardwood floor. Shattering the silence. Almost musical. Katrina let the leather chair recline behind her, closing her blue eyes. Listening to the incessant rain drumming overhead. She let herself slide further into relaxation. Her fingers rested on the stereo remote, balanced precariously on her bare thigh. Half of her wanted to listen to soft music. The other half just wanted to listen to the rain. The stereo remained silent. She took another sip of the Chardonnay. Letting the wine melt into her senses. She sighed. Tonight she had to be honest. With herself. With her lover. It was beyond the time for it. She sipped from the champagne flute again, listening to the rain. Waiting. The tension from the week flowing out of her body. The insane meetings. The arguments. The office politics. The general level of incompetence in the office. She caught herself before her blood pressure began to boil off the scale. She was up north, she gently reminded herself. No office. No idiots. Just her and the soft rain. She thought she heard the sound of tires on gravel over the drumming of the rain. She uncurled herself and rose from the comfortable nest she'd created in the chair. She walked slowly to the window, her bare feet pattering across the old floorboards. She parted the heavy curtains and glanced out at the driveway. More of a set of tracks through the trees than a driveway, if the truth be told. The rain was making constant concentric ripples in the puddles. The sky was low and gray; the afternoon sun dimmed by the intervening clouds. Just her beat up blue Chevy in the drive. Parked under the old oak. She could almost hear the heavier drops of water sliding off the oak leaves and crashing down onto the blue monster. She had slept in her car enough to know that sound. Raindrops on metal. She stepped back and let the curtains fall, muting the light still further inside. She felt warm and dry after her glance at the outside world. She returned slowly to her chair nest and curled her long legs back underneath her. She took another sip of the wine and let her head fall back against the leather. Breathing in the scent of leather mixed with red wine. She sighed again and continued to listen to the rain. Katrina woke with a start. A sound. Something had awakened her suddenly. But she just couldn't quite tell what it was. Her heart hammering as though she had just run a marathon, she listened intently for the slightest sound. Nothing. She began to relax again. Probably just a chipmunk. She noticed that the light had dimmed further in the side room where she had curled herself. Either it had gotten more gloomy outside, or the afternoon had slipped into evening. She glanced at the clock on the stereo. Still early afternoon. She hadn't slept long. The soft rain had increased to a downpour. With an act of will, she managed to calm her heart; she relaxed again with an effort, listening again to the rain against the roof. "How's my beautiful sleepyhead?" a soft voice inquired behind her. Katrina jumped. She consciously bit her lip to control her panic. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to slowly turn her head, refusing to whip around like a frightened bunny. "Leanne? You devil. You just about scared the crap out of me. When did you get here?" Leanne laughed. Her musical voice lighting up the room. "Just a few moments ago. I thought I'd woken you with the door." Leanne walked into the room. Holding her own champagne flute. She settled herself into the sofa opposite Katrina. "You did. I was wondering what woke me up. Thought it was a chipmunk." "An awfully good looking chipmunk, if I do say so myself. Why were you sleeping? In the middle of the afternoon? Power nap?" "Kind of. The rain put me to sleep, I think. You're late." "Traffic was a bitch." Katrina nodded. At this time of day it certainly would be; she was glad she'd been able to arrive early. Leanne stretched herself out on the sofa. She'd kicked off her shoes at the door and she drew her legs up onto the sofa, leaning back. Like Katrina, she was wearing cutoff jeans and a t-shirt. Barefoot. Lounging wear. She stretched her bare legs and arms. She yawned. "So, Kat. What we gonna do this weekend? Huh?" There was an unmistakable twinkle in Leanne's brown eyes. "Relax." "I guess. Don't we always? And it is raining." A smile of conspiracy crept across Leanne's lips. The innuendo not lost on Katrina. Katrina took a deep breath and took a long sip of the wine. Gathering her courage. "Lee?" "What's up?" The other woman looked up at Katrina sleepily from the sofa. "We need to talk." Leanne sat up. Dropping her bare feet to the floor. Looking intently at Katrina. The first signs of worry crossing her features. "'bout what?" "I don't really know how to begin here." "Oh God. This isn't it, is it? You're leaving me? Aren't you? I hate this part. The talk." Katrina managed a small laugh. Her stomach was in knots. And she felt like a high school girl about to get her first kiss. "No, sweetheart. I'm not leaving you." Leanne visibly relaxed. "What is it then? Don't keep me hanging." Katrina took another sip of her wine. Tried to calm her nerves. "Leanne. I'm just afraid that you are going to want to leave me after we talk." It was Leanne's turn to laugh. "What did you do? Murder someone? I'm sure he deserved it. Come on Kat. You can tell me anything. Anything except that you are leaving me. If you are ever going to do that, just do it. Don't tell me." Leanne's face became more sober. Katrina tried to fight down the butterflies that had invaded her insides. Leanne waited patiently, drawing small circles on the floorboards with her toes. "It's about me, Lee," Katrina finally began. "You? I know all about you." "Not everything." "What? You were straight once? I knew that. What else could it be. You are secretly a man, and I haven't found out yet? I know you aren't married." A mischievous twinkle had settled into her eyes. Katrina sighed. There just wasn't any easy way to do this. Leanne was so far out that Katrina almost wanted to cry. This had very little to do with her current sexual orientation. She was comfortable with that part of her life. And with Leanne. And to the best of her memory she'd never even wished she'd been a male. Much less actually been one. Married? Ha. That didn't even require a second thought. "I. I'm just embarrassed a bit. That's all." "Embarrassed about me?" "No. No. Come on, Lee, you know that I love you." Leanne smiled at that. "Sweety, I love you too. You know that you can tell me anything. Listen. I think I'm crowding you. Let me go unpack and either you can come and tell me when you are ready, or you can tell me when I come back. Or you can tell me tomorrow. Or you can not tell me at all. Whatever. I can wait. No rush. We have all weekend. Last thing I want to do is stress you out. You get enough of that crap at work." Leanne crossed the room and kissed Katrina's forehead gently before making her way back out to the front door. Katrina's breathing finally slowed and her heart began to beat normally again with the respite. She could hear Leanne puttering around in the bedroom, hanging up clothes, and throwing her toiletries in the bathroom. A big mess, if Katrina knew Leanne, which she did. She cringed at how the bedroom and bathroom were going to look when Leanne was done 'unpacking'. God. She couldn't lose Lee. She'd just found her. Didn't want to scare her off. She couldn't face losing her. She seriously reconsidered telling her at all. She tensed her muscles and let them relax. She had to tell her. Who was she fooling? She'd want it eventually. Better get it over with now, and if Leanne left, maybe it was for the best. Her whole life had been for the best. She hated the best. Becoming a lawyer. Hating it. But it had been for the best. Switching, thinking management was more for her. That hadn't worked. Hating it. Still hating it. But it was for the best, wasn't it? Dating Harvey. That had been for the best, too. Kept her mother quiet. At least for a while. Until the bastard had cheated on her. And now Leanne. She really was the best thing that had ever happened to her. And now she had to screw it all up. For the best. She opened her eyes. While the thoughts had been running through her head, she realized that she had been crying. Softly. The tears slowly crawling down her cheeks. Leanne was sitting back on the sofa. A terrible sadness reflected in her face. Katrina hadn't even heard her pad back into the room. The rain masking the sound of her bare feet. Leanne spoke tenderly, "Kat? I can't stand to see you like this. Please? I'll understand. Whatever it is." "I know." Katrina struggled with the tears and managed to slow them. Her chin quivered, but she closed her eyes and managed to stop that as well. She'd made such a mess of her life. Leanne was the only good thing left. And she was about to mess that up too. She so much didn't want to lose her. Katrina swallowed hard and opened her eyes again. She glanced at Leanne. She wasn't being fair to her. She had to tell her now. One way or the other. She'd started it, she had to finish it. For better or for worse. She drew in a deep breath. "Lee?" "Uh-huh?" "Have. Have you ever heard of ... of ... B&D?" Leanne's forehead wrinkled. "B&D? Black and Decker? The tools?" Completely confused. Katrina took another deep breath. "Bondage. And Discipline. B&D." Leanne looked completely confused. "Of course. Honey? Is this about sex? All this crying?" Katrina just nodded. Surprised that Leanne had even heard of it. Even knew it had to do with sex. Leanne rose off the sofa and padded over to Katrina. She knelt in front of her. Her arms resting easily on Katrina's bare knees. Leanne spoke softly. "Kat? Sweety? You don't have to be embarrassed about sex. Least of all with me. If there is ever a problem, we'll work it out. Together. What about bondage? And discipline? What's up?" "What do you know about it?" "I've read that some people enjoy it. You know. Being tied up. Restrained. Pain. That sort of thing." "Have. Have you ever ..." Leanne shook her head. "You?" "Not really." "But you want to?" The tears began again. Katrina tried to stifled them, but couldn't. She just mutely nodded. Couldn't speak. She knew her face was beet red. Struggling to hold back the tears. Leanne smiled at her. "Kat? Baby? I've never done it. At all. But you know that I'd be willing to try anything with you." She gently wiped at Katrina's tears. "Come on, honey. You don't have to cry. Honest." "You don't think I'm weird for wanting to try it?" "Hell no. Did you think I was weird when I wanted to make love to you the first time? Had you ever made love to a girl before that? Most of the world probably thinks that's weird. But I still told you. Don't be silly." "You aren't going to leave me?" "Of course not. I thought I told you not to be silly." Leanne rose up on her knees and gave Katrina a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Let me get you more of that wine and we'll talk. You had me frightened there for a moment." Katrina watched Leanne as she scrambled to her feet and headed off to the kitchen. She returned moments later with two fresh glasses of Chardonnay. Katrina gratefully sipped at hers. Leanne sat demurely on the sofa, raising her own glass to her lips. "So. This weekend is going to be interesting huh?" Katrina was having trouble meeting her eyes, but the butterflies were gone. Leanne was still here. She hadn't stormed out in disgust. She hadn't freaked. The waterworks in her eyes had at least turned themselves off for the time being as well. "Come on Kat. Talk to me." "I. I don't know what to say." "How about if you tell me what you want? How's that?" "I. Can't." Leanne actually laughed. "You can't? You've gone this far. May as well continue. I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere. Relax. You can tell me." "I. Don't." "How about if I start? The most obvious question. I'm not really up on these things. Do you want me to tie you up? Or do you want to tie me up?" Katrina's eyes widened. She hadn't even considered that she could tie Leanne up. Or that Leanne would be understanding of the possibility. It was pretty obvious that this hadn't dominated Leanne's private fantasy world like it had hers for the last ten years. Katrina swallowed heavily. "I was. Actually. Thinking more of someone tying me up," she managed to say haltingly. "Kat? I can do that for you. Honestly. I'd let you tie me up too. I'd even let you hurt me if you wanted. As long as there weren't any lasting marks, and you stopped if it hurt too much." Katrina's eyes widened again. "I. I really hadn't thought of tying you up. I'm not really into pain or anything. I don't think I am anyway. I. I don't think I could hurt you. Not intentionally." "That's good, sweety. I'm not so sure I could have hurt you, either. Even if you wanted it. I would have tried, but that might have been hard for me. But I can tie you up. That's easy enough." Katrina lapsed into silence. Quietly lost in her own thoughts. Not quite believing that Leanne was still sitting across from her. Not angry. Not disgusted. Understanding. Even making suggestions. Just Leanne. God, did she love her. "Honey? You alright?" Katrina nodded. "I'm sorry." "'bout what?" "I don't know. Because of all this. I should never have told you." "Sweetheart. I'm glad you told me. If you hadn't, how would I ever have known?" "Nobody else knows. I've always made out okay." "See. I'm even honoured. Honoured that you want to do this with me. This takes an awful lot of trust. Kat. Sweety. It's not weird. At least I don't think so. Might even be fun. For both of us." "I even brought some rope and handcuffs." "You're kidding." Katrina shook her head. "You want to try them out? Now?" Leanne asked gently. Katrina gasped. Not sure she was quite ready for this yet. Still getting used to the idea that she'd finally told someone. And that Leanne was still here. But how she wanted it. Somewhere deep inside her. She shook her head. Not quite yet. "How about you go get them, and we'll look at what you brought." Katrina lifted herself out of her chair and walked back to the bedroom. Almost in a daze. When she stepped into the bedroom, she smiled. A mess. As she had known it would be. Leanne's clothes tossed carelessly around. Over chairs. Even over the door. On the dresser. Leanne just had never quite understood drawers. Katrina opened her own suitcase and pulled out her recent acquisitions. A couple of small coils of soft rope bought from the hardware store. And two pairs of shiny new handcuffs. Never worn. Bought last week, amidst furious blushing, from the adult outlet in the suburbs where nobody knew her. She cradled the equipment in her arms and padded back out to the stereo room. Leanne had reclined back on the sofa and held out her hands. Katrina, blushing a bit, handed the rope and cuffs to Leanne. Leanne turned them over in her small hands and smiled. Katrina returned to her chair. "You want me to put these on you?" "Yes. I think so." "You do. I can see it in your eyes. How?" "Outside." "Outside?" "There isn't anyone for miles and miles. I'll be safe. You'll be there." "Outside?" "I think so." "It's pouring rain." "I know. We can do it tomorrow, if you want. If it stops raining." Leanne thought about it. "I don't mind getting a little wet. Who cares? It's not an electrical storm. Just warm rain. Lots of light left in the afternoon." Katrina looked down at her bare toes. Slowly she nodded. She had to try this or something inside of her was going to snap. She was sure of it. Otherwise, why risk bringing it up with Leanne in the first place. She felt it. A burning need in her. Something she wanted almost desperately. Had wanted for a long, long time. The butterflies were back. She leaned her head back into the chair again. Listening to the rain. She rose to her feet. Leanne following. Without a word, Katrina led them out to the back kitchen door. She swallowed the rest of her wine and put the glass down on the countertop. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped out into the rain. She immediately felt the droplets from above soaking her. Like a cool shower. In her clothes. She stopped. Leanne almost bumped into her. She breathed in. The wet forest providing the sweetest fragrance. The rain running down her face. Her bare feet feeling the warm, wet earth beneath her. The mud squishing up between her bare toes. She almost felt like running. Like screaming. She instinctively threw up her arms towards the heavens and turned. Laughing like a little girl. Relief flooding her senses. Leanne stepped back and smiled at her friend. Somehow feeling some of the freedom as if by osmosis. Katrina stopped her spinning, facing Leanne. She stepped forward, kissing her girlfriend full on the lips. Feeling the rain wash over her. Hugging her close. Feeling the softness of her body pressing against her. Her breasts touching her friends. The familiar tingle of the contact, even through the wet fabric. Feeling Leanne returning the embrace. Laughing. They reluctantly parted. Katrina smiled and pointed to a small oak tree. She ran over to it. Measuring it with her eyes. It stood perhaps two strides from the forest edge into the cabin clearing. She could easily get her arms around its girth. She could feel its roots beneath her bare feet. She pressed her back up against it. Feeling the bark through her t-shirt. She glanced down at herself. She was almost shivering in excitement. Her nipples erect beneath the thin material. Leanne walked up to her. "Here?" "I think so. It seems right somehow." "You gonna keep your clothes on?" Katrina giggled and reached for the bottom of her shirt. Pulled it in one swift motion over her head. She just let the soaked garment fall to the grass. She slipped the shorts down her legs and kicked them away carelessly. She reached behind her and popped the clasps on her bra, sighing as the uncomfortable garment fell away. She hooked her panties and they soon joined the shorts. The rain cascaded down her nude form. She twirled for Leanne. Her girlfriend watching in amusement and awe. No matter how many times she saw this firm body undress in front of her, she could feel that same tingle as the first time. That tingle running slowly from her nipples to the center of her being. Faintly aroused just at the sight of her. The girl in front of her was glorious in her nudity. High firm breasts. Long brunette hair, soaked, falling down her back, nearly to her waist. Her hips flared, leading into a pair of sleek athletic legs. God, she wanted to touch her. Wanted to lick the rain from every inch of her. "Kat? How do you want this?" Leanne actually had to tear her gaze away from the naked girl and raise her voice over the sound of the rain. Katrina stepped back towards the tree. Pressing her now bare back against the rough bark. She turned to face the small lake. She held her wrists behind the tree. Shuddering. Leanne took a deep breath. "Okay. If anything is too tight, let me know. I don't really know what I'm doing here." Katrina shivered as she felt the handcuffs close around her wrists behind the tree. She closed her eyes. She couldn't move away from the tree until Leanne unlocked the cuffs. The keys were in Leanne's pocket. The butterflies returned. She was losing her control. She pulled against the cuffs. Trying to slip her wet wrists through the steel. No way. She was essentially a part of this tree until she was let out. She wondered if anyone would ever guess that she had been here. Naked. Tied to this tree. She wondered if the tree would remember her after she was gone. Leanne whispered in her ear. "You alright, sweety?" Katrina just nodded. Hadn't been better in a long long time. She hardly even felt the rope as it wound around her and the tree. Leanne fumbled with the ropes, but managed to tie the rope just above and just below Katrina's bare breasts. Holding her back securely to the bark. The knot at the back of the tree was far from secure, but Katrina couldn't reach it. It would hold. Leanne shrugged. If they were going to be doing this, she'd learn to tie better knots. She could do that. For Katrina, she could. Leanne knelt onto the wet earth and began to wrap Katrina's ankles with rope. "Leanne?" The kneeling girl looked up at her bound friend. "Can you tie them apart? Spread me?" "If you want." Katrina nodded. Using separate pieces of rope, Leanne wrapped each ankle and tied them off to other trees. Spreading Katrina's unresisting legs apart about twice shoulder width. Exposing her. She watched as Katrina flushed. Pulled against the ropes. Not used to the sensations of being so exposed. Out in the open. Restrained. "You sure you are okay?" "Never better. Thank-you." Leanne smiled. "You should have told me earlier." Her hands stole to the pair of wet breasts in front of her, tracing along the bindings. Katrina closed her eyes and just absorbed the light touches. Reacting to the ropes, the touches, her fantasy. She felt Leanne's mouth close to her own. Their lips met. They kissed, like old lovers. Secure in each other. She felt Leanne step back and opened her eyes. She felt her breathing quicken as she watched Leanne pull her top over her head. She could see Leanne's nipples, hard and erect through the now transparent fabric of her bra. The bra fell away, landing in a tree somewhere. The shorts and panties didn't last much longer. Her lips were ruby red, and Katrina could see that her breathing was as heavy as her own. She pulled against her bonds, wanting to go to Leanne. Touch her. Couldn't. Leanne sank to her knees in front of the oak, her pretty face mere centimeters from Katrina's lips. She studied the woman. Could smell her arousal faintly over the smell of the forest and the rain. She smiled up at the bound girl. She'd never get tired of being here. Between her lover's legs. "Please?" Katrina murmured. She suddenly felt the soft motion of Leanne's tongue as it teased her. Slipping inside for a moment, then withdrawing. Teasing her. Licking. Softly biting her lips. Teasing fingers running up and down her legs, her stomach. Teasing her wet skin. Forcing the bound girl to gasp. Katrina strained at her bonds. Wanting so much more. Finally, Leanne let her tongue dip inside. And began to massage Katrina's swollen clit in the way that she knew she loved. Her slender fingers touching and teasing Katrina. Plunging inside. Pumping. Finding her rhythm. Katrina exploded. Pulling against her cuffs. Against the ropes on her ankles. Breasts heaving. Crying out in her climax, startling the forest creatures. Her cries echoing across the still waters of the lake, mingling with the soft patter of the rain. Leanne rose to her feet. Kissed Katrina on the mouth as the girl came down from her orgasm. Katrina could taste herself on Leanne's lips. Her tears mixing with the rain. She couldn't help the tears, but they weren't tears of frustration and sadness as they normally were. Her bare body relaxed. Leanne fingered the ropes still encircling her friend. "Leave me in them? Please?" Leanne nodded. "Kat, honey? I'm going to go in. Have a shower. Okay?" Katrina smiled. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." "Listen. If you need me. Holler. I'll hear you in the cabin. It looks like it's clearing over there. The rain should stop soon." "Don't play with the shower. I'll take care of you later. I promise." Leanne kissed Katrina again on the lips. "It's okay if you don't want to." "Of course I will. Don't be dopey." Leanne smiled again and turned, walking back towards the cabin, not bothering about her clothing still strewn about the clearing. Katrina watched over her shoulder until Leanne disappeared into the kitchen. She then turned back to the lake and just gazed out at the scenery. The rain, beginning to lessen, still ran through her hair and over her body. Stinging her eyes. She felt her helplessness as she realized that she couldn't even wipe the rain from her face. Her hands rattled the steel holding her. She didn't care, relishing the feel of the water as it cascaded over her nudity. She relaxed in her restraints. Loving the feel of the ropes against her wet skin. Absorbing the feelings of vulnerability that she had never quite experienced up until today. Her senses alive. Feeling. Smelling. Tasting. Hearing. It seemed for the very first time, she felt alive. She closed her eyes, feeling the cooler evening air wash over her wet bare body. Her nipples tightened involuntarily in the cooler air. She felt the rain slacken and eventually stop. She listened to the rain falling from the trees. Slowly. The chirping of the crickets around her. Feeling the sudden shock of a large raindrop hitting her shoulder, having rolled off the damp leaves above her. She squirmed in her restraints. Feeling the helplessness as she tried to close her legs and simply couldn't. Unable to free herself. She sighed. She waited patiently for the sun to retreat below the horizon on the other side of the lake. The sunset was spectacular. Worth the wait. She had never experienced anything quite like it. The sunset after the rain. Leanne had wandered out to see if she was alright. She sat quietly in the grass beside Katrina, still nude herself, and shared the sunset with her. Finally just gathering up the discarded clothing and retreating back into the cabin, leaving Katrina to herself. Experiencing the settling of the dark. The stars winking out of the deep blackness overhead. She felt clean. The world seemed clean. Almost like a better place. At peace. She sighed. Standing there. The ropes holding her. Experiencing the night. She had no way of telling how long she had been a part of the forest. The stars slowly rotated over her head. The half moon was illuminating the clearing with an ethereal light as she felt a soft pair of lips touch her ear. She shivered and turned her head, not having heard Leanne approach. Leanne still hadn't bothered with clothing. Neither woman spoke. The steel around her wrists loosened. Fell free. The ropes slackened and fell from around her torso, scratching gently across her breasts. Then her bare feet. Leanne led her, without breaking the silence, back into the cabin and the hot shower. Gently washing her and drying her. Guiding her back to the queen size bed they shared. Burying themselves into the covers. Katrina falling easily into Leanne's arms. Katrina was exhausted, almost asleep on her feet. She felt her eyes closing, feeling warm and safe. Knowing that she'd have to make this up to Leanne tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Leanne didn't seem to mind. Stroking Katrina's brown hair. Perhaps she had played in the shower after all. All Katrina wanted was the blissful peace of sleep. The clock on the bedside table displayed the time in big red numerals. Five minutes to three. AM. Her eyes closed once again. She felt herself falling. The soft fingers entangled in her clean hair and the soft breathing of the woman beside her, lulling her. The last thing she remembered before dropping into her relaxed sleep was the plaintive, eerie call of a lonely loon somewhere out on the lake. Calling its mate. And calling her.