Iris leaned in and pressed foreheads with Bianca. “I’m really glad I got to share a bed with you.” She giggled. “If I wanted to share a bed with anyone in this journey, it’d probably be with a girl like you.”

Bianca burned with embarrassment and pride. “I… um… you too, Iris.”

A monthly reward for Faleep, courtesy of last month's substar generosity from Apples and Queertzalcoatl! Featuring some sapphic closeness, hugging, kissing, and touching between two lovely girls. Content warning for references to emotional abuse from Bianca's father.

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“Thanks for this.”

“Hm?”

“For giving me the bed, I mean. Or, letting me share it. With you.”

Bianca half-rose on her elbows to look at her bedmate: the famed Gym Leader Iris.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she said. “I couldn’t exactly let you sleep on the floor, right?”

“I told you I’m used to that and worse,” Iris said with a grin. “But I appreciate it all the same.”

She snuggled closer to Bianca and the girl’s heart skipped a beat. Iris was… was everything she could have ever wanted to be. Bianca was quiet and shy and awkward, her daddy said so—but Iris was confident and powerful. Bianca still flushed at the memory of the dress Iris had worn earlier, a black and purple ensemble that had shown off the tight curves of her chest while baring the strong, muscled arms… Iris truly was everything: stunning and beyond beautiful.

“—ianca? You there?”

Bianca blinked. She’d zoned out and Iris was looking at her with amused concern. Oh no! She’d actually been distracted? She could feel a blush coming on.

“Sorry,” she squeaked, and ducked her head sideways against a pillow. “Um. G’night.”

Iris’s laugh trilled behind her, a musical sound like waterfalls that almost made her swoon. “Good night? Bianca! I thought this was a sleepover!” Bianca squeaked again as Iris nuzzled against her back; the other woman’s warmth was inviting and comforting, in a way. It had been a long time since she’d felt that with another person. “Don’t stress out,” Iris said, her voice warm and confident. “I know you have a lot weighing you down, but you can just relax. It’s okay.”

“…yeah,” Bianca said after a moment. “Sorry. And, um, thanks.”

“Mmm. What are friends for?”

They slipped into companionable silence and Bianca found herself wishing this night would go on forever—she could just be here with Iris, sharing a bed and sharing warmth, and it would feel exquisite.

“You know,” Iris whispered after a few minutes, her quiet voice accentuating the spell of silence and not breaking it, “I thought you looked really pretty earlier.”

Bianca’s breath caught. She almost choked. “Wha—m-me?” she shot back. She felt stunned. She had never expected someone like Iris to tell her that.

“Yeah! In that dress with your cute smile and your gold hair.” Still hugging her from behind, Iris squeezed a little tighter. “You looked great.”

Bianca glowed with pride. She looked great. Iris thought she looked great. This was amazing! This was—

It was probably a lie. Not a bad one, not one out of malice… but Bianca’s dad had always told her that she was ugly. That she would never amount to anything. No one would want her.

“You don’t have to make me feel better,” she said. “I know I’m nowhere near as pretty as you, Iris.”

“Hey.” Iris squeezed her shoulder. “Hey now. C’mon. Don’t say that. You’re amazing, really.” Her voice was soothing and authoritative. Bianca… wanted to believe her so, so badly. “Whatever’s got you thinking those bad thoughts, just let me chase’em away, okay? C’mere.”

Hitching her breath, Bianca held for a moment—and then rolled over to look at Iris. The Gym Leader was smiling, her face compassionate and accepting, and she beamed wider as Bianca rolled to face her. “There y’go,” she said. “Knew you could do it.” She leaned in and pressed foreheads with Bianca. “I’m really glad I got to share a bed with you.” She giggled. “If I wanted to share a bed with anyone in this journey, it’d probably be with a girl like you.”

Bianca burned with embarrassment and pride. “I… um… you too, Iris.”

“Mmm.” Iris studied Bianca’s face and broke into a small grin. “Bianca?”

“Y-yes?”

“You’re blushing…”

Of course, that only made her blush deeper. She felt it up to her ears. “O-oh! Well… uh…” Her words failed her as Iris’s grip tightened ever-so-slightly on her shoulders. The Gym Leader leaned in… leaned in closer. Her lips were dark, like berries. Her hair smelled like lavender…

Iris’s lips touched Bianca’s and the girl from Nuvema melted in her embrace. A little sigh of bliss left her lips as her whole body tingled. This was… a kiss. She was being kissed. By Iris… It was her first kiss, and she was over the moon.

A whipcrack of tension raced through her body and was gone in a flash, replaced with an avalanche of relaxation and relief. Bianca pushed her lips softly against Iris, who pushed back. “Don’t stop,” she pleaded.

“I won’t,” Iris replied.

The two girls continued kissing and then Bianca tentatively reached a hand up to Iris’s neck. The dragon tamer mmmmed at the touch, a sound of wordless joy, and Bianca flushed with delight and slowly began stroking her neck. She brushed the back of a finger against Iris’s smooth, strong skin, and spooled her midnight hair loosely around one knuckle. The other hand drifted lower and found Iris’s, and the two of them splayed their fingers together, digits interlocked.

Eventually, Iris took that hand and guided Bianca’s touch lower to rest against her hip. Bianca’s breath hitched and Iris took that to layer her kisses elsewhere. She trailed her lips to the corner of Bianca’s mouth and rested them tenderly there before moving away. A tiny little marching trail of kisses made their way across Bianca’s face, following the gentle curve of her jawline to find the side of her neck. Bianca sighed and shuddered with delight as Iris kissed her way down her neck, and her body was racing with pop-rock feedback. She squeezed Iris’s hip without meaning to, and the Gym Leader gasped against her neck before tumbling into a satisfied purr.

“You’re so warm,” Iris said.

“Thank you,” Bianca whispered back. “I—um, you—thank you. For… for all of this.” She blushed, barely believing what she was about to say. “It’s… my first time, um, kissing or touching…”

Iris rolled her head up from the crook of Bianca’s neck. “Can I tell you a secret?” she said. “It’s mine too.”

Bianca almost gasped. “But—but you’re so pretty! And popular! You’re a Gym Leader!”

“Everyone’s intimidated by the girl with the big scary dragons,” Iris said. She nuzzled closer to Bianca. “Except you.”

“I was a little intimidated,” Bianca replied with a smile.

“Not enough to turn me down, I see.” Iris snuggled closer. “I’m glad we’re traveling together, Bianca.”

“Me too.”

Iris didn’t look back up at her, but Bianca could hear