Warm light from the LED lantern bathed the interior of the tent. The rain tapped out a rhythmic tune on the tarp.
Victoria felt anything but coziness here. How had she let Nicky talk her into this? She gave an inaudible sigh watching her friend fiddle with a length of paracord.
Victoria snuck her hand around her back, lifted her shirt a tiny bit and scratched herself on the waist, just above the belt. The fingernails felt like heaven. She quickly stopped. Can't let Nicky figure it out.
Everything itched. Everything. But worst of all was her back and her butt. It felt as if the forest itself had decided to play a prank on Vicky and dumped a bucket of itching powder down her neck during today's hike. Hell, it was probably exactly that. Pollen. Too bad Victoria hadn't packed any anti-allergy meds.
"You alright?" said Nicky and looked up from the practice knot she'd just made.
"…Yeah?" said Victoria. She sat on her knees, her hands gripping one another hard.
"Cause you're squirmy." Nicky left the colorful cord down and crawled toward Vic on all fours.
The image of Nicky using those knot skills to immobilize her flashed through Victoria's mind. What the hell? She'd never thought of her friend like that, why now? But her subconscious was already running away with it. Victoria, itchy mess, bound in paracord, begging, BEGGING Nicky to scratch her. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else. Anything else. It didn't work.
Nicky's voice snapped Victoria out of it. Her eyes opened, hands still clasped.
"Itch…? I'm not itchy?"
"Oh yes you are. You've got bugbites. They're not from mosquitoes or gnats or midges so I assume they're under your clothes too. Plus you've been fidgeting all evening."
Nicky poked at Victoria's exposed skin. First her neck, then her upper arm. Nicky pulled down on Vic's neckline a little. It sent Victoria's heart racing and she bit her lip.
Nicky turned around to get her guidebook. For Victoria, the floodgates opened. She shoved each of her hands under her shirt. Left hand dug into her belly, right one up the middle of her back. She whimpered at the flurry of fingers chasing after her inflamed skin. She could barely take it anymore. Victoria pulled her shirt off and tossed it on the tent floor.
"Oh yeah, that's pretty bad." Nicky said and sat herself down beside her friend. There were tens of the bites, covering Vic from her neck to her waistline - and most likely under the pants, too.
Nicky scratched Victoria on her upper back as she thumbed through that camping manual. Next time, Nicky thought to herself, I'm giving this girl a lecture on hiking gear. Victoria hadn't gotten the right clothes - and she stank. Nicky inhaled the scent. It was strangely nice.
"Aha!" Nicky said and put the little book down in Vicky's lap. The glossy page on the left hand side had a few photos of bugbites just like the ones covering Victoria. Nicky poked at one of them, brown skin tone matching Victoria's own. "You've got fleas! Hedgehog fleas, to be precise."
"Fleas?! I can't have fleas, I…"
"Shhh." Nicky hugged Victoria from behind. She pressed her fingernails into the soft skin of Vic's flabby belly, slowly dragging them upwards. "If it helps, the bites only last for two days."
"Two days…"
"Oh don't be such a baby. Besides. I'll help with all your little itches. Even those ones."
"What are you talking about, Nicolette?"
"I see the way you look at me, Victoria, don't play coy. And I know an indoor girl like you would never agree to a week-long hiking trip without a good reason for it. The reason is me, isn't it?"
Nicky undid the clasp of Vic's belt. She pulled the zipper down, slowly, slowly. All the while she scratched Vic just below her bellybutton. Victoria whimpered.
"Tomorrow, we are gonna wash ourselves in the lake. God knows we'll need it after tonight." Vic's voice cracked as she pushed the words out. She moved her hand away from her flea-bitten breast. Victoria turned her head, held Nicky by her chin.
"Vic, what are you-"
Nicky did not finish her question. Victoria locked lips with her. She moved to straddle Nicky, slowly pushing her down onto her back. Vic started to stroke all over Nicky's body, only interrupting to claw at her itching body.
Nicky pulled down at Vic's pants when she felt it. It was like a little pinprick. A flea had bitten her, just above the collarbone. More followed, all over her torso. Worth it. And they only lasted two days, didn't they…?
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