Forging the path

For some instants it was as if Estelle’s chest was going to explode, half in happiness from being able to finally kiss Rosemary and half in fear and worry that the woman didn’t like it. Those seconds that happened between after the Swiss broke the kiss felt like an eternity, but in the end Rosemary would open her eyes and talk, complimenting Estelle as a good kisser. It was at that time when the barriers defending Estelle broke and she got a warm smile, allowing blush to come to her face as relief took over her. She couldn’t be more happy at that point, all the frustration, pain and fear of being rejected she had felt all along that time fading into sheer happiness and a warm feeling of comfort.

Estelle was tugged closer by Rosemary in a way both women’s faces were so close to each other their noses would poke at each other. It looked like the British was still a little flustered about the whole situation even if she was enjoying it, but that was not a problem since now Estelle had pushed all her doubts aside, her confident self back. “Well, not sure about that.”, she commented in a whisper about Rosemary’s statement on her kissing skills. “I think I still need a lot of practice.” That was what she said before locking lips again in another sweet kiss, getting the most out of those delicious lips and knowing for sure that she couldn’t get enough of that woman now that she had tasted it. For that kiss though Estelle would remain composed in her elegance, sweetly kissing but not making any advance to escalate the situation in more than a loving and affectionate way. Estelle knew how Rosemary was still flustered and wanted her to start feeling more comfortable with that, letting things progress at a natural pace while also saying things with that kiss that couldn’t be expressed with words.

When their kiss subsided after some wonderful seconds, Estelle looked at those eyes that drove her crazy. She was feeling so happy, so relieved to feel accepted and loved after so much time since she last gave herself to someone in an emotional way that the Swiss felt enraptured. “You know, since our first date on that cozy restaurant I lived haunted by that kiss I never gave you when you accompanied me back home. I’m glad you gave me a chance to redeem myself.” Estelle spoke in a soft tone as she regained some of her breath which became raspier in the kiss, bringing Rosemary’s hand closer to her face and started softly kissing it.

Rosemary's smile inched a bit larger as she saw the hints of a blush on Estelle's face. It was a rare sight she had glimpsed only a handful of times but it melted her heart each time she was fortunate enough to witness it. The Swiss woman always seemed so on top of things, playful and flirty, it was hard to put her off balance. That was fitting really for how graceful the woman was in nearly every way. Rosemary wanted to tell her just how beautiful she was but she was finding it hard to get the words out as she stared admiringly.

"Hm?" Rosemary arched her brow as Estelle spoke. Her heart thumped slightly faster as she was working up the courage to suggest she could help the Swiss woman practice but it seemed as though that had been Estelle's meaning regardless. There was no surprise this time, ready and eager for those lips to be upon her. She hummed happily in their embrace not even realizing she was making the sounds she was. Rosemary tilted her sight slightly, nudging back to return the kiss as she gave Estelle's hand a gentle squeeze.

When they parted again the Sky Captain let out a small breathy sigh of contentment as the two gazed into one another's eyes. Beneath the waters Rosemary reached a hand out, hesitantly brushing her fingers along Estelle's thigh as it blindly moved. Lightly, hesitantly she placed her hand on the woman's leg sheepishly giving it the most gentle of caresses as the Swiss woman explained their regrets. She wasn't alone of course. Rosemary had hated herself for not being bolder in the moment as well. "I wasn't sure if that was proper at the time or if I had upset you… I am just happy to be here with you now. I'm sorry if I am just a bit… awkward at this… but I will get better."

The brunette couldn't help but swoon a bit when those lips dotted her hand with light kisses, fidgeting where she sat. She brazenly slipped her hand down along the other girl's leg, palm gliding just past her hip to move behind the woman, cradling the small of her back. She pulled Estelle closer, trying to guide the woman towards her, the only open space they could be up against one another, across Rosemary's lap. With boldness came a heated blush, too caught up in the moment to let embarrassment hold her back. "I'm not really sure what I did to deserve this."

To say that the last weeks had been rough for Estelle was a clear understatement. Since her last encounter with Rosemary and her final hesitation the Swiss had lived riding a rollercoaster of emotions, frequently going from the excitement and butterflies in her stomach whenever she would send some text to the British to deep despair whenever the worst part of her mind would take over her thoughts. Estelle’s last relationship ended in a tragic manner, the worsk kind of manner and even if the Swiss had more than enough time to collect herself and heal after some years, some of the events of the last days triggered the worst part of her fears. In some way, she wasn’t sure about being able to love again, to find another person with which she could fully share herself. Estelle had built a wall of elegance around her to try and deny that fact, but it only made her feel worse.

But now, seeing herself being delicately handled by Rosemary’s silky touch just after they sealed some kind of deal with kisses and not with words, Estelle couldn’t feel any better. It was as if every little concern the Swiss could have faded away the very instant she felt accepted by Rosemary. She could drop her guard now, and that was exactly what she did as Rosemary caressed her legs and repositioned the eager Estelle over her lap.

Resting against Rosemary Estelle listened and saw how her lover also had some sort of heavy bagage to herself. The British confessed not feeling adequate sometimes and being awkward, and that opened Estelle’s eyes and reassured her about what she was doing. Turning over she would straddle Rosemary to look at her in the eyes while one of her fingers would rest against the British’s lips to make her stop on her tracks when she was suggesting she didn’t deserve any of that. “I liked you from the very first moment, so don’t you ever say that. You did this and I couldn’t have asked for someone brighter to fall in love with.” After confessing to Rosemary Estelle leaned in once more for a short but deep kiss before separating just some milimeters so their faces would be so close.

Rosemary couldn't help but bite her lip as she felt Estelle,'s thighs gliding over her own and the water lightened the weight of her easing onto her lap.it felt so nice to be this close to the other brunette, it was hard to resist just the sensation of holding her now. Was it the onsen, the fact both women were scantily clad, or just the overwhelming emotion oozing out of both of them she couldn't be sure. Her hands timidly wandered along the other woman's sides and back, marveling at just how beautiful every inch of this woman was.

When The Swiss woman pushed herself up enough to straddle her, Rosemary's face turned bright red, staring into Estelle's eyes. As a finger was pressed to her lips she was silenced  left to only marvel in this woman's presence. She didn't seem to mind the and Sky Captain was all too willing to fall quiet on request as she looked on with eyes eager to please and a dreamy smile on her face, unable to believe this was reality still. When Estelle came in to kiss her, Rosemary closed her eyes to accept those lips again, sighing wistfully into them as she melted at their touch.

When they parted her eyes had only half-opened, lips still pursed, frozen in the moment of their kiss. She had been lovesick over this woman since they had met. Dreamt what could have been after the first date. Now that they were here and they had one another she didn't want it to end as if leaving the onsen would somehow make it disappear. She almost spoke. Admitted she had almost wished the other woman had actually peeked in the showers but kept it inside, unsure of just how fragile this might be and unwilling to risk breaking anything. Instead of speaking at all, she wrapped her arms around Estelle and eased her closer, hugging the woman close as Rosemary took a kiss for herself… While she lacked the skills of a trained lover like Estelle she made up for it in passion as she greedily held onto this kiss for as long as she could, happily making out with the Swiss woman amongst the steam.

It would be complicated to put into words the bliss and rapture that Estelle was feeling at that moment. For some time the Swiss had been immersed in a myriad of different sensations concerning her situation with Rosemary. Some of them were pretty positive like the being lovesick or the sheer happiness that Rosemary could instill on her with just a gesture or a word, but there were some of them that were very unpleasant, like the sensation of not being worthy, the fear of her feelings not being corresponded and even the ghosts from the past haunting her and trying to convince her that she would never love again. Now all of that was gone, and even if Estelle had fantasized with that moment several times she wasn’t ready for what it brought. In her mind the woman thought of herself as an exultant excited creature, but now she was just calm and relaxed, content with feeling love and being loved back. She felt happy in a comforting way. Rosemary’s caresses was the only thing she wanted now and they made Estelle squirm seeking for more contact. The intimacy that the onsen provided wasn’t very big but she was willing to enjoy it and that was why she kept kissing Rosemary.

It wasn’t as if Estelle needed any love confirmation from Rosemary, but for the first time since they started their love dealings the British took the initiative by holding Estelle in a warm embrace while seizing a kiss for herself. At first this took Estelle by surprise and a gasp was muffled when their lips sealed together, but instants after that the Swiss just closed her eyes and surrendered all control to her lover, basking in the sensation of letting Rosemary do as she pleased, melting in the kiss and letting her lover know that she also had lots to do and say in that relationship that was now blooming. When Rosemary was content and their kiss would break Estelle would remain looking at Rosemary with dazzled eyes, so close to each other… before flicking some water at her with one of her fingers. With a silly giggle Estelle would reposition herself, accomodating her body so she would sit besides Rosemary and rest her head on her shoulder with a sigh of relaxed content.

Rosemary had been kissed before. Had such things stolen from her once or twice, had even given in to one such kiss in a moment of innocent curiosity. Here however it was something else, something she had wanted so dearly. She had been taken with Estelle's beauty since they had first met, envious of how easily she presented herself with such a glow. That envy however grew into something of an admiration and after their first date, infatuation. She had never really been with another woman, never even experienced a relationship of any sort. This was new uncharted waters for the Sky Captain, to want something so badly that wasn't simply a part of her career.

When she initiated their kiss for the first time, there was a fire in her cheeks and a timidness to her touch. She wanted this to be so perfect but wasn't sure if she was doing it right. Urging their lips together gave her confidence. She could feel Estelle letting her experiment, letting her lead, trusting her. She gave the other women a loving squeeze to draw them into one another, shuddering at the feel of Estelle's body pressed to hers, feeling every supple curve compress against her. She let out a pleasant purr into their lips as she held fast to kissing the other woman until she had to let go to finally breathe.

A sheepish giggle was the first thing to leave her lips, so embarrassed by her raw emotions but so eager to let them control her. She pressed her forehead to the other woman's lightly, simply holding her in her arms, feeling so protective of her now that it was hard to even loosen her grip in fear she might somehow drift away. When her eyes finally peeked out from under her lids she found Estelle staring at her in a way she had never seen before. There was a twinkle in her eyes that she had sometimes seen in those brief mischievous moments but it was there now and wasn't leaving… it was impossible for her to blush any more than she was, feeling the need to avert her gaze in fear she might just explode if she continued to meet the brunette's eyes. It was only then she brought an arm away, using it to brush back some of her own hair, trying to hide how rosy cheeked she was.

The splash of water on her face caught her by surprise as she blinked, bright blue eyes looking questioning at Estelle as she playfully splashed. Rosemary couldn't help but give a lopsided smile back in return before bursting out in a small laugh, allowing the other brunette to get away without being splashed back. She watched quietly as the other woman shifted over of her to sit side by side and this time, Rosemary was the one to scoot them closer, leaning up against the other woman, finding her hand beneath the waters to entwine their fingers and simply hold it. When Estelle rested her head on Rosemary's shoulder, she gave it a small kiss and pressed her own cheek to her chocolate hair, relaxing within the waters as they sat beside one another, hand in hand. With a soft whisper, she inquired gently. "Are you going to doze off?"

---

The trip back down had seemingly gone faster than the hike up, not only because it was easier but because the two had been chatting the whole way down and exchanging playful little gestures of affection like two little lovebirds the whole way. By the time they had arrived back to the train it had been near the end of another long day and this time there was less of a need to indulge in the view of passing scenery as much as in one another's company. She had given Estelle the window seat this time, cuddled up against the other woman just enjoying being arm in arm with her on the quiet train. She had eventually drifted off to sleep, at first resting against Estelle's shoulder but after a small jostle had half woken her up, she had tucked her legs onto the train seating and laid herself down partway in Estelle's lap where she had stayed for the remainder of the trip. She hadn't gotten much sleep up at the inn, mind filled with thoughts of her new budding relationship had kept her restless but exhaustion had worn her down enough by now to grant her rest.

The trip back from the onsen had some surreal appeal for Estelle. Some part of the Swiss was afraid that with them returning home the magic that just happened would be undone as well. That day had been as close to perfection as Estelle could have imagined, and now she was facing the challenge of making all that magic, all that fairytale that her blooming love for Rosemary had become into something that could actually work in a real world where everything wasn’t nice hikes through the mountain and there were things as work or schedules. The worst part of Estelle’s mind was bent on making her feel bad and anxious about it, but all those bad thoughts would fade into nothing as soon as Rosemary would lean on her shoulder or hold her hand. That was that woman’s power over her, and Estelle loved it, craved for it.

The train trip, though, was some reprise of all the magic and idyll that happened before. First with Rosemary dozing off agains her with their arms interlocked and later resting her head on her lap the Swiss indulged herself for some more loving daydream. That was why Estelle devoted herself to bask in that feeling of sheer happiness she was enjoying, stroking Rosemary’s hair while gazing at her so intensely that the beautiful scenery had nothing to do against that sight of Estelle’s lover.

In the end, the bubble had to eventually burst and the trip had to come to an end. As both women hopped off the train the certainty of them being closer to parting ways with each step taken sank in. Before she could realize both women were standing in front of each other, a somber atmosphere taking over them as the goodbye was close. “Well, I suppose this was our little adventure.” Estelle started with a sigh, but no, she wouldn’t allow that almost perfect date to end that way. Now it was time to bask in the happiness this blooming love brought, so Estelle shook the gloomy look on her face. Smiling at Rosemary cupped her hands and gave her a comforting look. “I hope you enjoyed my plan. I can’t wait until our next date… because this is a habit now, isn’t it?” Giggling, Estelle had been getting closer and closer to Rosemary until she sealed her lips with her a final time. It felt like healing all the wounds that their last meeting’s goodbye caused. Now everything had changed and Estelle was resolved not to hesitate ever again. Instead, she would devote herself to that woman and what they now had. No more feeling anxious or appalled, now Estelle was willing to give her all and display her love for that woman no matter what, and that was what she was doing just now.

When their kiss broke, Estelle looked at Rosemary with a warm smile. "I will definitely be thinking of you until I can see you again.” Without a goodbye because that sounded so definitive, Estelle gave a couple steps back while still looking at Rosemary before blowing her a kiss and making a phone gesture “Call me soon.”, she whispered before turning back and starting the way back home, letting the magic of the moment fuel her as she just wanted to enjoy some privacy to process everything that happened that wonderful day.

It had been a pleasant awakening when their train had finally come to a stop. She has woken up shortly below but had remained still and silent, pretending to still be asleep for a while just to continue to lounge comfortably across Estelle’s lap, enjoying how it felt to have those fingers combing through her hair. When she did finally sit back up it had been with an exaggerated yawn and a show of stretching, but she couldn’t hold back the smile knowing full well of what she had done.

Rosemary had been quick to take Estelle’s hand as they stepped off the train, staying shoulder to shoulder with her until they left the station and it was time to part ways. She turned to face Estelle, reluctant to let their hands separate. “It was fun, and a bit unexpected… but I don’t regret any of it. You plan the best dates... “ Rosemary’s voice trailed off as the Swiss girl inched closer, waiting until she was just about to her lips before leaning in the last bit to seal their kiss. She closed her eyes and lifted a sneaker off the ground as she enjoyed the moment for as long as it lasted.

Once they had parted, Rosemary dipped in for one last peck on Estelle’s cheek before rocking back onto the heels of her shoes, looking rather pleased with herself. When Estelle blew her a kiss, she gestures snatching it out of the air, pretending to hold it in her hands close to her heart. She was all smiles and blushes now, clearly over the moon with Estelle ever since their encounter at the Onsen. “I’ll call you tonight. Promise.”

Rosemary backed away with a wave, stopping after a moment to just watch Estelle leave. She was tempted to pull out her phone and call her immediately… as a joke but thought better of it. She didn’t want to seem too needy or clingy. Instead, she just watched the Swiss walking off with a pleasant sigh, thinking back to their date. Once she was out of sight, the Sky Captain turned on her heel to head back to her apartment with a spring in her step. This had been one of the best deviances from her weekly routine to ever happen.