"Do I have to go to work tomorrow? Can't I call in and tell them I died?"



Nell laughed and rolled over to face me, "Sorry girly, I don't think it works that way."



"Wait, I have a better idea. YOU can call them and tell them I died. How good is your fake cry?" I received a pillow in the face for that remark, and Nell smirked at me before rolling over and turning out the light.



It was the last night of my visit, and I was reluctant to leave my best friend and make the drive back home in the morning. Nell and I met in college, and life had taken us separate ways—her to a small farming town and me to the outskirts of the city to find work. I was glad to see her again, and we spent the week reminiscing about all-nighters and bad relationships and dining hall food. Nell and I were so close then, and the moment I stepped foot in her apartment, it was like nothing had ever changed between us. But something had.



I woke up to darkness in the unfamiliar room. I rolled over and groaned softly, looking at the clock. Midnight. Not so bad. I didn't have to work until 5 the next night, so I rolled over and sighed as I stared at the ceiling. I heard Nell breathing next to me and I rolled onto my side to look at her, when my eyes froze. She was lying on her back, with her arms stretched out above her head. Her shirt had hiked up four or five inches above her shorts, and her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.



I knew I had a thing for Nell. We joked about it back in school, and everyone said that we would give up on men and get married one day. She was beautiful, everyone who knew her could see that, and I would often find myself looking at her for a moment too long as we got changed in the evenings. We were both single, but had only dated guys—so what was I feeling right now? I hitched myself up on my elbow and exhaled slowly. My breath blew across her stomach and I could see goosebumps rise on her skin. They quickly grew on mine too. What if I...? Before I could stop myself, I was reaching out my hand to touch her skin. My fingertips grazed the skin on her left size, and I felt a pull deep inside of me. The moonlight seemed to have control of me and my hands didn't leave her side. Slowly, painfully slowly, my hand made more contact with her skin. The balls of my fingers now slid across her belly, reaching for the center... Nell inhaled slowly and stretched in her sleep. Her shirt crept higher, and a rib peeked out as she reached her hands toward the headboard.



I froze for a moment, then relaxed as I saw her exhale from her stretch and relax again—still asleep. With mysterious new confidence I continued my journey across her skin. My fingertips swirled around her stomach—from the dip of her left hip, up to her ribs, down and around to her left hip. Nell giggled softly in her sleep, but did not wake. I swallowed hard and zig-zagged my fingers back and forth across her abdomen, just above her shorts. I felt her writhing slowly beneath me, and a tiny moan escaped her lips. I danced up slowly, and my index finger found her navel. I was wet already—when did that happen? I couldn't stop myself now. I felt my finger circling round and round her belly button. I could feel her breathing quicken, but I took no notice. It was so soft, the skin there just inside the folds. It was like silk. I mesmerized myself making spirals around it, until my gaze was torn from her belly. Nell was awake.



"Oh my god, Nell, I'm..." I sprang up, flushing red, unable to hide my guilt.



"...Why did you stop?" Something dark had taken Nell's eyes, and she looked into me with a mix of fear and longing that I couldn't ignore. Unable to move, I stuttered, until she took my hand gently and placed it back on her stomach, my index pointed just below her navel.



"It felt nice...I won't say anything." I was dumbfounded. Nell laid back again, pulling up her shirt and letting her arms dangle above her. "I know it's kinda weird, but I like it when it tickles. It's sort of relaxing and exciting at the same time." I could tell she was waiting for me to respond, afraid of what I might say. I stayed quiet, but moved my hands in answer.



With her permission, I now began again with new urgency. I sat up above her, and began by gently pushing my index finger back into her navel. I did it slowly, but I saw her grip her pillow and bite her lip, trying not to laugh. "A little ticklish, are we?" I teased. "Well, I bet you can't stay quiet for long."



I pushed my finger in harder and began making up and down motions inside her belly button. Nell rolled her eyes back and choked out a laugh, then tried to silence herself. Engaged in the competition, I shifted my body and used my right hand to make spidery movements on her right side, just above the widening of her waist. Nell gasped and giggled madly, and to my own surprise I smiled an evil smile. Without a word I pulled my finger out of her navel, then used both my hands to gently torture her whole stomach. I blessed my long nails as they dragged across her skin, making her twitch and clench every muscle. Still, she did not move her hands, and fought to keep them clutching the pillow under her head.



"Still quiet? I wonder if your armpits are ticklish too?" Without waiting for her to reply, I stroked my nails up her ribs, and thrust them into her shirt, where I tickled her furiously on the sides of her breasts, just in the hollow below her armpits. Nell squealed and thrust her hips upwards, but still tried to hold on.



"Oh god, Emma please don't stop, please don't--" her words were lost in a storm of giggling as I moved up to her armpits. I followed her directions, and switched positions. Leaving my right hand tickling the side of her left breast, I scootched down and laid on my side, my face level with her belly. Dancing my left hand back across her stomach, I put my face against her side and began showering kisses over her ribs. Then, without warning, I stopped using my nails, and just let my fingers rub her softly, my right hand on her breast, my left on her abdomen. My kisses became slower, and I worked my way down, now opening my mouth and tasting her luscious skin. Nell moaned, and her knees came up from the bed as she writhed beneath me.



"Ohhhhh ffuuuuuuck, Emma please..."



I now knew that "please" meant something completely different than the last time she'd said it, and I looked down to her shorts. Was I going to do this? Could I do this? Did I know how to do this? Those thoughts flitted briefly through my mind before I found my left hand sliding slowly down the front of her shorts. I changed position again, bringing myself on top of her. My right hand played with her breasts, and as I pinched a nipple between my thumb and forefinger, I heard a small squeak escape her lips. Meanwhile, my left hand was down under her panties, and she was slick and ready beneath. Her clitoris was engorged, and her spine arched when my fingers stroked around it.



"Now," I said, "Since we're already here...I think I have one more idea." Still stroking her clit with one hand and cupping her breast in another, I bent over her stomach again. My hair traced across her skin and I heard her giggle softly. I bent down further, my eyes on the velvety center of her navel. Almost there... My mouth watered as I reached out my tongue, and a drop of saliva dripped down as it slipped into her belly button. I sucked hard, and squirmed my tongue around in the little fold of flesh. The sensation was too much for Nell, and she burst out laughing despite the work of my left hand. Suddenly I changed my mode again, and with my left hand still in her panties, I began to tickle her breasts and ribs with my right hand, all the while keeping my tongue dancing deep in her belly button. She thrashed beneath me, emitting a mixture of moans and laughter as she got closer and closer. To encourager her, I slipped a finger inside her as moved my right hand downwards, mercilessly tickling her belly as my tonque quickened its pace.



"Oh gaaawd!" Nell moaned as her body clenched as tight as it could. I felt her pussy tighten around my finger, and every muscle beneath me twitched. Her convulsions subsided, and after I had removed my hands, I removed my tongue, and kissed her belly lightly a dozen or so times, laughing myself as her stomach twitched violently with every kiss.



Nell lay in bed, sweating and breathing heavily, then tilted her head slowly toward me, her eyes locking with mine. She may have been spent, but the intensity in her gaze had not died. Yes, something had changed between us. And I was glad.