Part 8: Respite

Part 8 in LFN Park's series detailing Bubbles and Maki's first meeting and how their relationship began.  

This one picks up where the last cliffhanger left off.

Enjoy!  And let the author know you like the story by leaving a like!

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Maki felt her cheek sink into the mud as her world came back into focus. The rain was still pouring, she could feel it on her exposed skin. She blinked and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the lantern light on its side, still shining next to her. Maki wiggled her fingers, finding them cold and wet but still there and not broken.  She was relieved to feel the metal of the compass still clutched in her palm, now covered in mud. Maki grimaced when she did the same with her toes and felt a dull pain in her ankle. 

She pushed herself onto her side, feeling the mud cling to her hand and face. She numbly grasped the lantern and picked it up, surveying her surroundings as she tucked the compass in a mud covered pocket of her pants. 

Maki could see the steep hill she’d completely missed and tumbled down. She was laying at its base in a mud puddle, thick brown clumps clinging to her. To her left she noted a pack a few feet from her, and groggily she felt for her own on her back. Her mind churned as it tried to connect the dots when she registered the weight from her own. 

That’s the bigger one….That’s Bubbles’ pack, she finally realized. Maki raised the light higher, peering into the darkness as the wheels in her head started turning faster. 

“Bubbles!” She cried out, then chastised herself; the wind would eat her words long before they reached her ears. She gasped when she finally saw a leg sticking from behind a tree a yard or so away, soaked denim covering it.  Maki started to push herself to her feet, but shrieked when her right ankle collapsed under her in agony. Her arms flailed for any grip, but found none and fell face first back into the mud. “Fucking hell.” She groaned to herself. “We’ll do this the hard way, then.” Maki grunted as she started to drag herself toward the tree with agonizing slowness, her arm heavy and tired as the other gripped the lantern light. She grabbed the leg when it was in reach, pulling herself past the tree. Maki sighed in relief when she saw it belonged to the giantess, covered in mud and debris like herself. She felt horror rise in her chest when she saw blood on the tree trunk next to Bubbles’ head, slowly flowing down and away in the rain fall. “Bubbles?!” She pulled herself next to the caramel woman and leaned over her. She hesitantly raised the lantern over Bubbles head, holding her breath in fear of what could be waiting for her. 

She saw the half mask cracked and broken, pieces clinging to her face by the straps. She saw a bleeding gash on her forehead where the shattered cover had dug into her skin, but further searching only found scrapes and minor cuts. Maki carefully began plucking the broken plastic from her caramel face, noting the girl was still breathing with great relief. Maki smiled when Bubbles began to stir. Her single blue eye opened and looked at Maki with relief. 

“Maki…?” The smaller woman almost missed her voice in the wind, but she nodded and moved her ear closer to the larger girls mouth. 

“Are you hurt?” Maki felt inward relief when she couldn’t hear any slurring in the amazons words. “My ankle. What about you?” She practically yelled into Bubbles’ ear. Maki watched Bubbles touch her side and wince. “Broken or bruised rib. Can’t tell. My head hurts.” Bubbles slowly sat up, cringing as she felt the pain in her side. She brushed her hand over her face, eye widening as she groped for where her mask had once been. Bubbles looked around frantically for a moment before seeing the shattered remnants in the mud.  She reached for them briefly, then realized the futility of it and cursed loudly. 

“We have to go.” Maki grasped Bubbles hand, drawing her attention back. The larger woman looked at Maki, slowly nodding in agreement. Bubbles pushed herself back up, leaning against the tree for a moment as her head throbbed lightly. Maki grasped her larger arm, using it to pull herself up. She cried out, wrapping her arms around Bubbles as her ankle gave out again. The giantess looked down at the olive skinned woman and deftly crouched, picking Maki up with one arm under her knees and the other behind her pack to support her.  

Maki’s surprised squeak was lost amongst the wind, an inner smile the only warmth she felt as Bubbles cradled her. “Which way?” Maki fished the compass from her pocket, holding the lantern over it. “There! We shouldn’t be too far from the town.” She pointed northeast towards more trees amidst the storm. Bubbles nodded and started trudging that way, Maki wrapping her one arm around Bubbles’ neck as the other held the lantern. -- She didn’t know how long they continued; Bubbles simply followed Maki’s pointing arm. Every breath the giantess drew brought a tinge of pain in her side, though the pounding headache from earlier was gone. What replaced it was the dull ache in her arms and legs from the biting cold and soaked clothes she wore. Maki’s weight would have been nothing to bear normally, but it only exacerbated the aches she felt. 

Maki felt similar heaviness in her limbs and dull pain in her ankle that occasionally throbbed when Bubbles stumbled. She focused on the compass in her hand and holding the light aloft, keeping Bubbles on course and pushing her woes to the back of her mind. The pouring rain had at least washed the worst of the mud clinging to her skin, though she still felt it cling to her clothes. Maki smiled when her lantern revealed the wooden panel of a building. “There!” She cried, pointing at the building. Bubbles didn’t respond but Maki could feel her pace suddenly increase. As they drew closer Maki could see a window, stained and too filthy to peer into, but she could make the building out as a small shack, its paint long peeled away. Bubbles circled to the front, finding the front door closed. She stepped up to it,  then blanked as she tried to figure out how to open it with Maki in her arms. 

The smaller woman tucked the compass away and reached out, grasping the aged door knob. She held her breath as she twisted, praying it would give her no trouble…. 

Maki sighed in relief when it creaked open. She raised her light as Bubbles stepped through, shouldering the door open. Her light cast long shadows on the inside of a shack no bigger than a single car garage, its floor strewn with random detritus . She saw the tattered remains of a bed in one corner and an upturned table against the wall near it. Cabinets were hung on one side, their doors gone and the interiors barren. The heavy smell of wet dust and such barely registered on the tired women as Bubbles trudged inside, the floor creaking with every step 

“It’s dry at least.” Maki sighed as Bubbles gently placed her against the wall. Bubbles closed the front door, then visibly slumped as she felt herself succumb to the weight of her soaked and aching limbs. She panted, leaning against the walls as she took halting steps towards Maki, water trailing off her clothing. She sat next to the smaller woman, wincing as she tried to catch her breath. 

Bubbles groaned, aching muscles and her empty socket hounding her. The sensation of liquid in the void of her right eye socket was foreign and disturbing. She grunted as she tried to raise her hand to wipe her face, but her arm stubbornly protested and stayed at her side. “Take your clothes off.” Maki grunted as she dumped the pack next to her, grimacing when she saw her hands trembling. She set her lantern light down next to her pack, throwing dark shadows across the room. “What?” Bubbles twisted slightly, her blue gaze fixated on Maki’s grimey face.. “They're soaked. We need to lay them out to dry.” The smaller woman tossed her jacket to one side. 

Bubbles gulped, averting her eye as Maki began to peel her shirt from her olive skin. She fumbled with her own jeans, her fingers failing to cooperate with her minds instructions. Bubbles growled, leaning her head against the wall in frustration. “I can help you.” Maki scooted closer to the caramel girl, naked from the waist up. Bubbles didn’t protest, but felt a blush in her cheeks as she tried not to stare at Maki’s wet breasts. She noticed the bluish purples of bruising on Maki’s shoulder and side however. 

The larger woman groaned as she shifted, letting Maki pull her sopping coat off, tossing it next to her own. She felt a slight relief of having its weight from her shoulders, but hesitated when Maki grasped the edge of her sweater. 

“Darling, again, I’ve seen you naked. You’ve seen me naked. No need to be shy.” Make said softly. Bubbles sighed, but raised her arms over her head with a pained groan. “Besides, if I had a physique like yours? I’d go bare midriff as much as possible. You’ve got magnificent abs, darling.” Maki laughed lightly as she pulled the sweater over the caramel giantess’ head and off completely. Her smile faltered when she saw the massive bruise on 

Bubbles’ left side, ugly and purple. In the light she could also see a smaller one forming on her cheek where the mask had been. The cut above her eyebrow still trickled a little blood down Bubbles’ face, right into the vacant socket. 

“You’re bleeding. Let me see if I have anything in my pack.” Maki twisted and began rooting around her pack, giving Bubbles full view of her slick yet beautiful back and hips. She felt a troubled pang when she saw the bruises marring her olive skin. Bubbles averted her eyes again as she turned back, unrolling what appeared to be a pair of neon green socks. 

“I always carry extra socks. Wet socks are the worst. Can you hold this here?” Maki murmured, pressing one of the pair against Bubbles’ forehead gently. The larger girl winced, but hesitantly raised her hand to hold the makeshift bandage in place. 

“Good. Let me see about getting the rest off.” Bubbles flinched away as Maki reached for her bra, turning her blushing face from the smaller woman. 

“Bubbles. Please.” Maki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “God, I could use a cigarette….” 

“You didn’t bring any?”  

“No. I’ve been trying to quit since before our spar. You don’t strike me as one who’d enjoy the taste of an ashtray.” Maki laughed mirthlessly.  

“You quit for me?” Bubbles looked at Maki from the corner of her eye, tilting her head curiously. 

“I guess. It’s a nasty habit anyway. Let’s at least get these soaked pants off.” Maki shrugged, her hands reaching for Bubbles shoes. Bubbles gulped, but allowed the smaller woman to untie and slide her muddy boots off, revealing soaked grey socks. The smaller woman peeled them off, tossing them next to her discarded sweater. The giantess inhaled sharply when Maki’s fingers undid her jeans, blushing deeply as Maki grunted, pulling them by the cuffs off her sculpted legs with some effort. Bubbles watched her lay them aside, Maki’s eyes lingering on her naked thighs with a smile that made Bubbles blush harder. 

“I don’t know why you’re blushing, darling. You’re gorgeous.” Maki’s voice was soft and kind. Bubbles remained silent as Maki removed her own pants and shoes, leaving her only in her turquoise panties. Her brow furrowed when Maki grunted in pain pulling her shoe off, her ankle noticeably swollen compared to her other leg. 

“It was dark earlier.” Bubbles murmured, the lantern throwing light over Maki’s sensuous curves. 

“Oh? Does that mean you’d rather not see me naked? Am I not attractive?” Maki started unstrapping her sleeping bag from her pack. 

“N-no! I…” Bubbles gulped again, her words sputtering and failing. “You’re beautiful. I-I…” She stopped when she heard the smaller woman start giggling. Maki turned the bag inside out, revealing a softer cloth lining that was dry. She set it aside and leaned closer to Bubbles, peering at her head. “Here, let me see.” She gently grasped Bubbles hand, still pressing the sock against her forehead. Tenderly she pulled it aside, peering at the wound. Maki took the sock from her large hand, wiping the blood trail from her forehead. Bubbles found her single eye staring down Maki’s naked cleavage, her mind flashing back to earlier in the tent with a happy sigh. She blinked and tried to avert her gaze to Maki’s dirt streaked face. 

“I’m going to clean this up. This...may be uncomfortable.” Maki warned her. Bubbles jaw clenched as she felt the sock dip into her empty socket gently,  a tremble running through her hands. Bubbles gnashed her teeth as she felt the sock move around, then withdraw. She sighed in relief, realizing she felt no liquid pooling there anymore. 

“It’s still bleeding a bit. Hold on.” Maki reached to the pile of clothing and pulled her belt from her pants. 

“Hold this here.” Bubbles reluctantly pressed the sock back against her head. Maki threaded the belt through its buckle and looped it over the larger woman’s head, cinching it against the sock and holding it in place. 

“That should be fine in a bit. Now for a more pressing matter.” Maki picked up the sleeping bag once more.She scooted closer to Bubbles, pressing her naked breasts against her side as she draped it around them. It covered their midriffs fine, but the girls legs were clearly exposed. Maki cursed not grabbing Bubbles’ pack back in the woods; her sleeping bag would have been able to cover their legs. “Come on darling. Let’s try to get warm.” Maki wrapped her arms around the larger woman’s waist, her cold fingers gently brushing over her six pack abs with a pleasant moan in her throat. Bubbles hesitantly put an arm around the smaller woman, her back stiffening as her blush intensified. Maki curled her legs up, pressing her hips against her caramel companions carefully to avoid her bruises. 

“Help me understand why you're blushing, darling. Not long ago we were naked in the throes of passion, so what's changed?” Maki murmured, gently tracing the contours of Bubbles abdomen. 

The giantess’ mind churned as she sought the right words to explain her unease. “You confuse me.” She said finally, looking down into Maki’s hazel eyes. “You intimidate me.”  

“You could break me in twain at a whim, darling.” Maki’s face twisted in a perplexed grimace. 

“It’s--I….” Bubbles sighed, leaning her head against the wall. “You’re not big physically. You’re massive in personality. Huge in...experience. You...knew how to….” Her jaw opened and closed as she grasped for the right words. 

“You knew how to….touch me.” Bubbles gulped, turning her gaze away. “I never felt...like that. I never knew my body….like that. You did. It...It’s intimidating.” 

“Oh, darling...I haven't shown you half of what I can do in bed.” Maki smiled naughtily, drawing a finger just underneath her caramel breasts. “It's all from experience and a freakishly high libido. I am a bit of a slut sometimes, to be honest. I've been with as many women as I have men but you, darling, are definitely a unique pleasure I’ll cherish as long as you let me.” 

“I feel….” Bubbles continued blushing, looking back at the smaller woman. “Small. I know why you want me. It confuses me. I don’t know how I feel.” 

Maki sighed, resting her head against Bubbles’ chest in thought. “I told you I want you, but if you don’t want me then just say so, darling. I can’t say it won’t hurt, but it’s better than not knowing.” 

“I don’t know.” Maki smiled when she felt Bubbles other hand touch her shoulder. “I’ve never thought about it. Before...you? I never thought of.. me. How I look. Sex. Comfort. Only fighting...and Gregory. I've neither now. It’s..confusing.”  

Bubbles brow furrowed when Maki chuckled, her cold hands rubbing Bubbles arms for warmth. “Darling, you may think losing an eye makes you unable to fight, but I can attest you’re still formidable. I daresay you’re the best fighter on the island.” 

“Not everyone thinks so.” Bubbles murmured, closing her eye.  

“Challenge your doubters. Maybe you’ll quash some of your own in the process.” Maki sighed, feeling her eyes grow heavy. She snuggled closer to the giantess as she felt sleep overcome her senses.