Chapter 41

Natalie wondered whether it was going to be a trend that she and Jordan lost control the first time she upgraded a skill, then settled into a bizarrely casual routine. Because despite their busy day, Natalie’s class still needed to be attended to, and so the two of them had ended up together, ‘gathering’ carnal energy before she headed off to the party.

It was unfortunate how much of a staple public bathrooms were becoming in Natalie’s life. She couldn’t wait until she had a dormitory room to retreat to—an actually private space to handle all this in. Until then, Natalie needed to grope her best friend in the safety of the barrack’s public facility.

“We’ve got a few things to test,” Jordan said easily, as if Natalie didn’t have her hands on her tits, massaging away. “First, whether kissing and groping together gives more energy, rather than one or the other. For that matter, whether the next ‘tier’ wiped the old one away, when you got it. Does kissing still give energy?”

“I think so,” Natalie said, fairly confident in her answer. Intuition didn’t always show up when puzzling over one’s class, but when it did, it was usually reliable. Natalie was pretty sure any of the previous ‘collection methods’ would work when she upgraded her Harvest skill. The progression just indicated the ‘maximum act’ she could earn energy from. So, kissing was still on the table. Though, whether both in the same session would give more, she wasn’t sure. It was a good question.

A good question she only paid half a mind to. She was distracted. It was hard to be a studious professional when she had her hands on her best friend’s tits. And, she couldn’t even zone out, either. Assuming the newly upgraded groping requirement had the same mechanics as kissing, then Natalie had to enjoy herself. Going about the motions didn’t provide half as much energy. So she basked in the sensation of her hands against Jordan’s small, shapely tits, and the noises Jordan made—interrupting her oh-so-professional discussion—whenever Natalie pinched or squeezed harder than normal.

It might sound bizarre, but funny enough, this event—groping—was less compromising than kissing Jordan. Natalie had never in a million years expected her and Jordan to have a ‘friends with benefits’ situation going, but she knew they existed, and they made sense to Natalie. Having fun with a friend’s body? Getting some relief from each other? Not that big of a deal.

But Jordan’s mouth on hers? The way her tongue moved, and how she felt Jordan’s moans in her own mouth? Much more dangerous thoughts started to creep in when they became intimate in that way. More so than when she had her hands on Jordan’s tits, or even down lower. Thoughts Natalie still wasn’t acknowledging, much less addressing.

So. Having Jordan’s blouse popped open, Natalie hands on her bare tits, rolling in circles and squeezing. No big deal.

Kind of.

“Second,” Jordan said. “We need to find out whether ‘thoroughness’ actually matters, like we assume it does. Or is it just enthusiasm, like with the kissing? Does how much of my body you cover matter? Are my tits enough for the full value, as long as you get your money’s worth, so to say?”

“Mm,” Natalie agreed absently. “Should ... test it, yeah.”

In her peripheral, Natalie saw Jordan’s lips quirk in amusement. It didn’t register. Natalie’s attention was occupied. Tits were amazing in any situation, but Jordan’s tits? They were on the smaller side—Jordan had a lean rogue’s build—but fuck, they were so perfect. And her nipples were so cute. Natalie was struck with the sudden urge to lean forward and give one of the hard nubs a nibble. But that would, uh, be taking things too far. Right? Maybe she should try and find out.

“You aren’t listening,” Jordan said. Natalie could hear her roll her eyes. “I guess I should let you finish. But we do need to test it. So, do you want to be thorough today, or just my boobs? You can pick.”

The words slowly hit her brain. “Er.” She thought about it. Her kneading hands slowed as she thought, but she didn’t pull back from playing with Jordan’s tits. “I guess ... we’ll go light today.” She couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her voice, which was maybe too straightforward.

What did Jordan think about all of this? For all Natalie felt like she could read Jordan easily, when it came to this, she couldn’t. Partially because Jordan was keeping her reactions hidden. Did that mean Jordan didn’t want to be here? That she was doing this just to help Natalie, and Jordan’s careful control meant she was hiding the fact she was uncomfortable? The idea had Natalie’s stomach twisting. But why else would Jordan be moderating her reactions?