AN: This AN used to say something SOOO different LMAO but I wanted to update it. I’ve only got Shuri x Reader stuff tagged on this masterlist. If you’re looking for Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens or M’baku fics, search their name x reader in my works and they should come up. But tbh most of those are from YEARS ago and I really don’t like their quality anymore, hence them no longer being listed. I don’t really have any rules, I’m a student so pestering me about updates really isn’t gonna result in that update coming any sooner. My requests are always open, but I don’t always do them and they’re mainly just there for inspo. With all that being said, hope you enjoy my dear <3 Updated: 05/03/23
summary: your week with riri had been a whirlwind—all fire and friction—more intense than you could've ever imagined. but could you survive a weekend away with her?
word count: looong (get comfy)
contents: slight smut (18+), fluff, riri & reader being all cutesy, hakeem still oblivious (bless his heart), jealous!riri, protective!riri
note: hi frens! this chapter is quite thick, so grab a snack and get comfy. i had fun writing this one, particularly because of how it ended, and how messy the mext chapter is gonna be. i hope youse enjoy! mwah, mwah!! xx.
↬ series masterlist
Riri Williams could destroy you.
With her words. Her mouth. Her tongue.
She could ruin you with her branding hands. And with fingers that made a home inside your warm walls.
Riri Williams could destroy you, and if this past week were to serve as testament, you were more than willing to permit your own demise. Her kisses were compelling like that. Her touch, even more so. She had a way of pulling you into her gravity, making the world tilt until there was nothing but her lips pressed right against your teeth.
Truthfully, you'd lost count of the number of times Riri’s mouth had found yours over the past eight days, but you’d never forget the intensity of each collision. Every kiss was fiercer than the last—more dizzying, more desperate—each laced with something you couldn’t name, but were terrified to let go of.
And they happened everywhere.
In the stairwell after class, her fingers tugging at your hoodie like she’d die if she went a second longer without tasting you. In the back of her car, with the windows fogged up, where she’d bite your bottom lip, making you whimper into the taste of her lip gloss. She was feral, just as insatiable as you. Maybe even more so, you’d realized, because not even public settings seemed to deter her.
It was risky, the way she had leaned in too close in the library, and pressed her soft lips up against your ear in a hushed whisper, palms resting too high on your thigh. You hadn't pushed her away though, hadn't denied her there in the open, and she knew you wouldn't.
Because you didn't want to.
Every moment spent with her felt like an awakening. You hadn't known you’d only been existing, not living, until her, until she touched you in her car that night, and cracked open something that was buried deep inside. Feelings you didn't think could ever be real, sensations that stirred every cell in your body. A mere brush of her hand against your waist alone carried more weight than hours spent with Hakeem. And when she left, the heat of her frame pressed into yours lingered, a phantom ache that made you want to chase after her.
Riri made you feel everything all at once, and her touches made you believe she was stripping away every lie you told yourself.
But of course, that ecstasy wouldn't last forever. Because the guilt always found you, even when you thought Riri’s embrace would thwart it off.
Every time she left you, you were assaulted with the shame of what you two were doing, mortification barreling into your chest like a brick. You’d tried to fight it, the inferno that ignited every time she was in your presence, tried to douse it by convincing yourself the feelings weren't real. You didn't feel that way about her. You couldn't feel that way about her. But, evidently, the denial didn't stick. And you still went home to Hakeem after every heated rendezvous with his best friend. You still smiled and played your part, and pretended as if you weren’t walking around with Riri’s fingerprints etched into your skin.
Sometimes it made you feel like you were splitting in half—the version of you that belonged to him, and the version that came alive under her. And yet, no matter how much you told yourself to slow down, to stop, to breathe—the truth was simple, you couldn’t wait for the next time her lips would meet yours, and her fingers would slip into your soaked panties.
You forced the thoughts away, snapping yourself back into the present before the weight of it—Hakeem, the lies, the shame of wanting her at all—crushed you completely, deciding to put all your focus into your computer screen, and the powerpoint presentation staring back at you.
You tapped your pen against the desk in time with the cursor blinking on your laptop, staring at the notes and graphs covering your screen, and the slides that were still half-finished. You were in full work mode, hunched over, laser-focused. Or at least you were trying to be, until your mind began to drift to your sins committed with the gorgeous girl sprawled out on your bed like she owned it.
Riri looked mighty comfortable in your sheets, one arm tucked behind her head, the other lazily scrolling her phone. Her laptop sat closed beside her, untouched for at least the last thirty minutes. Unlike you, the genius engineer couldn't really seem to be bothered with the power point, insisting that the DeltaLab Symposium wasn't really a big deal.
Maybe it wasn't to her, but to you, the money you could receive was one more ticket out, one that kept you far away from home.
You glanced back at her and rolled your eyes, ignoring the flutters in your stomach at the sight of her just lounging in your bed, like she belonged there.
“You know,” She started, her voice smooth and taunting, “we could be doing something way more fun right now.”
“Uh-huh,” You muttered without looking up, scribbling a line of calculations into your notebook, already knowing what she was suggesting.
“I’m serious.” She tossed her phone aside, rolling onto her stomach now, chin propped in her hand as she watched you like you were her entertainment. “Here I am, waiting for you to stop acting like this symposium is the end of the world. Meanwhile, your lips look bored as hell without me.”
You shot her a look over your shoulder, the corners of your mouth twitching despite yourself. “My lips are busy. With work. Something you should be doing too, by the way, unless you want us to literally crash and burn this weekend.”
Riri snorted, turning off of her stomach so that she was sitting up now, at the edge of the bed. “Please. I can freestyle half this shit in my sleep. All those rich assholes are gonna love me, and Ima win you all the scholarship money in the world.”
“Cocky much?” You rolled your eyes and turned back to your screen.
“I ain't cocky, just… extremely confident,” She corrected, grinning. “And I won't even ask for much from you in return–” She trailed off as she slid off the bed and padded over to you, leaning her weight onto the back of your chair until her lips were brushing the shell of your ear. “Just a kiss… but not on your mouth.”
You stiffened, biting back a moan when her breath skimmed your face, “Riri…” You warned, pushing her shoulder gently but firmly, “Presentation. Focus.”
She clicked her tongue, pulling back with a mock scowl, “Ion like how you be shooting me down. It's mean, and you're no fun.”
“I think you’ll live.”
“I might not,” She muttered dramatically, dragging herself back to the bed and flopping onto it with a groan. “Deprivation. Neglect. Both valid causes of death for somebody who desperately needs attention.”
You shook your head, smirking despite your best efforts. This was how it had been all week, her needling you, pushing just enough to make you fluster, then sulking when you didn’t bend. And you? You tried to ignore her antics, keep your head down, stay productive. But the truth was, she’d already made herself the center of your universe without even trying.
You knew you couldn't resist her for long, but you pretended to focus on the slide you were working on anyway, blinking away the flashes of her hot mouth and slick tongue just as fast as they appeared behind your lids. This was good. This was safe. Sitting at your desk, fingers tapping at your keyboard, eyes locked on the same bullet point you’d read five times and still couldn’t process. This was good. This was safe.
You repeated the wobbly lie, trying to turn it steady. If you stayed seated, if you stayed busy, you weren’t doing anything wrong, you weren't crossing any lines. This was just… homework. If she stayed on the bed, and you stayed at your desk, there would be no physical contact, and that burning desire in your chest would fade away. Right?
“So, about this weekend, what's the plan? Like what time are we leaving and stuff?” Riri asked, her voice cutting through your thoughts.
You blinked, grateful for the distraction, though still somewhat annoyed by her question. “Friday. We already discussed this like five times, Ri. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can check into the hotel and actually have time to breathe before the symposium starts.”
“Ohh, right…” Riri’s grin was audible in her voice. “My bad. Guess I forgot, you know with all the… activities we been up to and shit.”
You didn’t need to look at her to know she had her eyes on you, probably smirking as she watched for the way her words would get under your skin. Heat crept up your neck as flashes of your limbs, hers—tangled in sheets, tried to wedge their way into your mind. You rolled your eyes hard, like it would physically knock the images out of your head.
You sighed, “Riri–”
“You know I like the way my name sound coming out your mouth, ma.”
“Riri.” Your voice sharpened, the edge of a scolding tucked into it, but she didn’t flinch.
You could hear the smirk in her voice when she responded, all smooth, and seduction soaked, “Mhmm. Just like that.”
Your skin prickled as a surge of heat traveled up your neck, burning your ears and your face. God, she was fucking impossible. How was it that she could take a single word—her own name—and transform it into something so filthy? The act made your pulse sprint. You should be mad at her, you wanted to be mad at her, for not taking this as seriously as you were, for not having as much to lose as you did if this all failed.
But, as always, something else beat out the irritation buzzing beneath your pulse, that steady thrum of want you'd grown embarrassingly fond of. It disgusted you how quickly it rose to the surface. How easily she pulled it out of you with nothing more than a grin and a tone that curled around your spine.
You clenched your jaw, trying to ignore the ache pooling in your stomach. Guilt pressed against your ribs, but it didn't extinguish the fire—the voice in your head was louder than ever in this present moment, amplifying how hot and bothered you were by Riri’s words.
“You know I like the way my name sound coming out your mouth, ma.”
There was no use even pretending to focus on your work now. Defeated, you let your hands fall away from your keyboard, pressing your palms against your thighs like grounding yourself could somehow stop her likeness from coating every corner of your mind. But she was already there, rent free as always, saturating the entire space.
And you were powerless against it.
With a resigned breath, you turned to fully face her for the first time since fleeing to your desk, and the sight only made things worse. Just as you’d suspected, she was already smirking, her phone abandoned at her side as all her attention locked onto your flushed face. Her arms were folded across her chest, the hem of her cropped shirt riding up just enough to reveal a strip of toned abs and the waistband of her briefs. She looked good. The kind of good that made your teeth graze your bottom lip before you could stop yourself. And of course, she noticed.
“You checking me out, ma?” She asked, smug as ever, her eyes glittering like she’d been waiting to catch yours.
You rolled your eyes, trying to pretend your insides didn't twist and tingle every time she called you ma as you tried to regain the upper hand. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
She wasn't buying the act and you knew it, yet still, you chose to maintain your stern tone. “Can you please take this seriously, Ri?”
“Who said I wasn't–”
You cut her off, “This is important. For the both of us. If we fuck this up we’ll regret it later. I’ll regret it.”
Her teasing grin softened at the edges, but her eyes were still dancing, not nearly as repentant as her next words tried to be. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” She pushed herself upright, resting her back against the headboard now, her tone dipping into seriousness, “So, who's all going from our class anyway?”
You sighed, dragging her name through your teeth. “Riri, did you even read the email Dr. Lucas sent us like two weeks ago?”
She hesitated, lips twitching. “I might’ve… skimmed it a lil bit.”
You blinked at her, dumbfounded, torn between laughing or shaking her until her eyes popped. But before you could decide, she cracked first, bursting out in laughter, the sound bubbling up warm and rich, infecting the air between you. Her giggles chipped away at your frustration, tugged at the corners of your lips until your resolve splintered.
Still, you couldn't let her get off that easily.
You pushed back from your desk and crossed the room, snatching up a pillow to swing down on her legs. “It’s not funny, Ri!”
“It’s kinda funny.” She wheezed, trying and failing to shield herself as you landed soft, harmless blows.
Your own laugh slipped out against your will, dissolving the last of your irritation. But you didn’t stop, your words came with the playful jabs, a joking cadence wrapped around the truth. “If I land one of these scholarships, that’s grad school covered, debt free. Same goes for you. It’s free money, Ri.”
The pillow froze in your hands as your voice thinned, the words falling heavier than you intended. “It’s… it’s also just another way to stay away from home.”
The admission slipped out before you could trap it. Too raw. Too exposed.
Riri’s laughter quieted in an instant, and she shifted, sitting up. Her chocolate orbs melted in that way that made them impossible to dodge, like she knew. You hadn't told her everything about your mother, bits here and there, but it was enough for her to understand. Enough for her to be angry for you, despite the lack of details.
And it was comforting in a way.
Shame trampled you then, pressing down on your airway until each of your breaths felt stolen. It wasn't about your mother, not entirely—it was about yourself. About what you were doing with Riri, what you wanted with her, the closeness the two of you had built in just a week. She knew your torment because you’d let her in too deep. You let her glimpse the fractures of your home life, bestowed her knowledge not even Hakeem held.
She had become the place you ran to when everything got to be too much. And it was wrong. It was disgraceful. Disgusting. Unnatural. You could practically hear your mother’s voice hissing it, poisoning every corner of your head with her venomous testimony.
And you were so buried in your muddled mind, you hadn't felt Riri reach for you. Hadn't felt her pulling you near until your knees were suddenly bracing her thighs on each side, her warm hands catching your wrists as she pulled you into her atmosphere. She didn't press for more, didn't tease. She just held you steady, serving as your anchor.
“Look at me, pretty.” She hummed.
And you did. You always did when she asked.
“I gotchu,” Riri murmured, soft as smoke, lifting your knuckles to her mouth, breathing gentle kisses into your skin. The soft yellow glow of your desk lamp painted her face in candied light, shadows flickering over her lashes as she lingered there. The warmth of the kiss unraveled you—burning away the shame, your mother's voice, her poison—until all that was left was the girl that didn't belong to you.
“I’m sorry. For real this time.” Her voice poured through you like warm honey, sweet and velvety, coating your nerves, causing your breath to catch in your throat when you inhaled. She took your other hand, brushing her lips across those knuckles too, and your chest cracked open at the tenderness.
“This is important to me too,” She said, her voice firmer now, rooted. “I’ma stop fucking around, okay?”
“Okay…” You whispered, dazed and undone by the gentleness in her eyes, the way she looked at you like you were everything.
She smirked then, breaking the weight of the moment, tugging her laptop into her lap. “Now lemme see what this presentation is talking bout.”
Relief made your laugh shaky, and you got up to retrieve your own computer from your desk. “Good, cause we got a lot of fine tuning to do!”
You joined her back on your mattress, grateful for the return of normalcy, even if your insides were still molten.
And for once, she didn't argue.
•••
It was late when you finally shut your laptop, your fingers stiff and aching from hours of typing. Data points and graphs still flickered behind your eyelids every time you blinked, burned there like afterimages. The dull throb in your temples reminded you just how long you’d been at it, and every part of your body begged for rest. Somehow, you’d ended up planted at your desk again, chasing productivity in the one place where you could resist the temptation of wandering hands and a hungry mouth. At your desk, there were no distractions. At your desk, there was no Riri.
Riri on the other hand, had never left your bed. She was sprawled across your mattress, half-buried under your comforter with her socks and sweats kicked off. The scent of her cocoa butter lotion lingered in the air, mingling with the pine candle burning low on your dresser, the aromas seeming to lull her. She looked content as she was nodding off, like spending the night had always been her plan.
When you finally dragged yourself from your chair and shuffled toward the bed, Riri stirred immediately. She propped herself up on one elbow, a slow grin spreading across her face. Without a word, she flipped back the blanket in invitation, the soft lamp glow catching the curve of her smirk—eager, expectant, ready for you to climb in beside her.
“C’mere,” She muttered, like you were hers to summon. And you went, sinking down beside her, letting her warmth fold around you.
Maybe you would let her stay, let her hold you tight through the night.
Her arm draped across your waist. Her chin found your shoulder, and the second your cheek brushed against hers, the rigidity in your chest slackened, like she’d snatched your exhaustion away without you even needing to ask. She kissed your temple absentmindedly, then again, softer, until the pattern turned wilful, and you sighed into each peck, completely relaxed.
“You know,” Riri started, whispering against your hairline as her arm cinched you closer, “This gon be our first weekend away together. Could be kinda romantic.”
A soft laugh escaped you, the sound a bit muffled. Of course that’s how she’d frame it. “We're going to a nerd convention, Ri, not a resort. And probably sharing a room with classmates we barely know. That ain't exactly my idea of a romantic getaway.”
Her laugh came low, a husky sound that you felt rumble through her chest. “All I’m hearing is we gon be alone together for three nights.”
You tipped your head back just enough to meet her eyes, arching a brow. “Conveniently leaving out the part where we’ll be with other people.”
Riri groaned deep in her throat, dragging it out like a complaint and a tease all at once. “I’m sure they won’t be in the room the whole time,” She countered with a grin, lips already grazing the slope of your neck. “We’ll get some time to ourselves.”
The words made your heart rate spike, even more so when her mouth trailed warm, open-mouthed kisses along your skin. You giggled, helpless, your nerves buzzing so loud you swore she could hear them. Spinning in her hold, you finally faced her head-on, your lip caught between your teeth as you tried to steady yourself against the gravity of her gaze.
“Time to ourselves to do what?” Your voice was hushed as you asked the question, innocent, and a little terrified by what her answer would be, even though you could already guess.
Riri tilted her head, eyes gleaming with a wonder that made your heart ache. She looked at you like you were brand new, like every word spoken had been unheard of prior to falling from your lips. Her stare was relentless, pinning you in place, stripping away every excuse, and every lie you’d told yourself about what this was.
When she finally spoke, her voice was airy, as if it cost her to breathe, “I’ll tell you…” She leaned closer, brushing a feather-light kiss to one cheek, then the other as you inhaled her, the heady aroma of her cologne and cocoa butter strangling your lungs. “Better yet…”
Her lips hovered so close you felt the promise of them before the touch. “I’ll show you.”
Riri’s mouth claimed yours with a passion that made your head whirl, and it took nothing for you to kiss her back with identical fervor. Heat sparked in your bosom, radiating to every inch of your trembling body. You gasped into her, the sound swallowed by her lips as she angled your face just the way she needed with fingers threading through your fresh box braids.
Kisses from Riri were never polite, a fact you’d come to learn since that night on the porch. They were plunderous, and demanded your full surrender. Which you gave, and gave, and gave without protest.
And Riri took. She consumed. She devoured.
Her hand skimmed beneath your top, fingertips tracing slow patterns over your ribs. The touch made you shiver, your body betraying you as it melted for her. Her tongue coaxed a whine out of you, deepening the kiss until you were clutching her shirt like you were afraid she might vanish before your eyes. She tasted like mint, and something sweeter, a flavor you didn't want to stop chasing.
Every brush of her skin against yours amplified your arousal. The slide of her thigh nudging between yours, the way her nose bumped yours when she tilted her head, greedy for more of you. And when her hands snaked lower, dipping into your leggings to cup your ass, you didn't stop her, you welcomed the familiar sensation. You were chest to chest, heartbeat to heartbeat as Riri groped and felt her way around your soaked bottoms. You two were dead set on swallowing each other whole it seemed, neither of you desperate enough to come up for air.
That was, until Riri’s lips broke away from yours, and she gasped, but the separation only lasted for about a second. She planted a wet kiss at the corner of your mouth, then another along your jaw, causing you to jump in her arms when her teeth grazed the base of your throat, sharp and deliciously painful.
“Ri!” You warned through a shaky breath.
You felt her smirk stretch across your neck, and she exhaled, warm breath sizzling against your skin, before dragging her tongue slowly up the column of your throat.
“I know, I know. No hickies.” She murmured, voice low and teasing, then added with a husky laugh, “I can be good… even though I don’t wanna be.”
All you could do was writhe beneath her touch as her hands continued to wander your body intentionally, tiptoeing closer to where you needed her most. Your leggings clung uncomfortably to your overheated skin, damp and suffocating, every shift of your hips reminding you just how badly you wanted them gone, wanted her to tear them off, to put an end to the torment. But Riri, wicked and patient, purposely prolonged the inevitable, savoring your squirming as though your desperation was the very thing she craved.
You let a whine escape you, kicking your feet a little in defiance. “Ri…”
Her eyes roamed your face with a silent intensity, as if she were engraving every detail into memory—the frantic rise and fall of your chest, the damp sheen at your hairline where your edges had already surrendered to sweat, all before she’d even truly laid hands on you. You’d caught her doing this more than once, watching you unravel, cataloging the frenzy. The way her gaze darkened, made it clear, it wasn’t just about touching you, it was about devouring every reaction, every tremor in her pursuit of your pleasure. And God, it was the hottest thing you’d ever seen.
“What I tell you about saying my name like that?” Riri hummed, suddenly shifting her weight and rolling you onto your back. In an instant, she was above you, her shadow spilling over your face. It was one of the rare moments where the balance between the pair of you flipped, where you had to tilt your chin up to meet her gaze instead of the other way around.
Her eyes blazed, hungry and unflinching. “You know what that shit does to me.”
There it was again, that stroke of wonder in her gaze, bright and unmistakable, painting over her features and the grin playing on her lips. She knew exactly what you wanted, knew you weren’t going to hide behind modesty or excuses this time. And still, she had no intention of being merciful.
“Then do something about it,” You whined, the words slipping out, shocking both her and yourself.
Her brows twitched, and her grin widened into something slow and wolffish; she was pleased; entertained by your demand. She propped her hands on either side of your head, palms pressing into your pillows as she lowered herself until her face hovered just above yours, her breath spilling warm against your mouth. “Ask nicely.”
The words buzzed against your skin before her lips trailed lower, scattering featherlight pecks down the sensitive crook of your neck. Every kiss was deliberate, designed to strangle your voice before you could find it.
But, you tried anyway. “T-Touch me, Ri… please.”
Your plea cracked through her haze, and you swore you felt Riri's entire body jerk. She froze for a half-beat, inhaling sharp like your words had struck a chord deep within. And then it settled in her bones, the same way it always did. Because no matter how many times she'd made you beg for her, it still undid her. Every single time she actually heard you do it.
“Is this where you want me to touch you, baby?” She whispered her question directly in your ear, suckling delicately on your lobe. “Hmm?”
You bobbed your head, choking a little when you felt her digits toying with the waistband of your leggings. Finally, you thought, she was going to take the pain away, make the throbbing at your core stop. Her hand dipped lower into your heat; stopped; hovered. And then…
“That wasn't an answer.” Riri scolded, threatening to slide her hand completely out of your bottoms. “Words.”
It took everything in you not to let your eyes roll to the back of your skull in irritation. The action would only encourage her teasing, when all you wanted was for it to be over, and to be coming hard around her fingers. So you did as you were told.
Riri liked to be in charge, and you'd learned to play into that when you wanted to get your way. You let your eyes melt before hers, catching her gaze in that desperate, defeated way you knew she loved.
“Yes…” You breathed sucking your bottom lip between your teeth as you watched her smirk above you, your voice cracking on the need laced into the words. “Touch me there, Ri… need you.”
Her sly smile deepened, like she’d been waiting all night to hear your voice dip that way. “Yeah,” She stated knowingly as one teasing finger slid down, dragging through your slick folds, spreading the sticky evidence of just how badly you wanted her. “I know you do.”
Air barely grazed the back of your throat before you felt two fingers enter you, already moving and stretching your walls despite the barrier your leggings created. Riri fucked her fingers into you, extracting them just long enough for you to miss them, before tunneling back in deep, causing a high pitched whine to escape you.
She was syncing her thrusts to the rhythm of your breathing. Every time the tips of her digits knocked against your g-spot, you’d blow out a gust of air, over and over. Your limbs were tingling, overwhelmed with pleasure so unrelenting, you felt like you were going to pop.
“Fuck…” You hissed, vision blurred.
Riri spat a string of curses under her breath before pulling her fingers from you completely, and the sudden emptiness nearly made you cry. She pushed up onto her knees, brows drawn in quiet frustration as her hands tugged impatiently at your tights. “Take this shit off.”
There was zero hesitation. You scrambled to obey, every nerve lit and trembling, desperate to have her back inside you again. The air kissed your bare pussy, and you watched Riri as she licked her lips, positioning herself between your sprawled legs, and her fingers back at your entrance.
But before she could glide them back into your awaiting hole, your body stiffened, ears perking up at the sound of voices out in your living room.
“...don't know… might be in her room.”
Talia.
Talia and somebody else.
The voices were a little muffled, but one baritone stood out to you almost instantly.
“I saw Riri’s car outside, think they working on a project.”
Hakeem.
Hakeem was here. Inside your apartment. Only a few feet away from your bedroom door that was—you glanced over to the knob—thankfully locked. And you were in bed, half naked with his best friend.
Your eyes snapped to Riri. Her face had gone pale, lips parted, frozen mid-motion. She looked how you felt, caught in the headlights of a disaster about to detonate.
Hakeem was here. Inside your apartment. At the same time she was just knuckle deep inside your vagina.
“Get dressed.” Riri’s voice was sharp, urgent, her body already moving as she snatched her sweats off the floor. You sat frozen for a beat too long, still reeling, but she whisper-shouted again, harsher this time, “Get up. Get dressed. Now!” Her arm shot out, tossing your leggings at you before she bolted into the bathroom, closing the door shut with a click that echoed like a gunshot.
The sound barely faded before there was a knock at your bedroom door.
“Ri? Baby girl?”
Your heart stopped when you heard the knob rattle.
“Uhh, y’all good?”
Fuck!
Your body jolted into action, adrenaline ripping through your veins like fire. You fumbled with your leggings, nearly tripping as you yanked them over your hips, fingers clumsy and trembling. Your pulse was deafening, pounding in your throat, in your ears, in every inch of your skin. Another knock made your hands shake harder as you scrambled for your scarf, tying it messily over edges you hadn’t even smoothed back down.
You sprinted to the door just as his knuckles rapped again, forcing yourself into a brittle smile before pulling it open.
“Hi, baby!” Your voice cracked high and sugary, a little too loud, a little too bright. You moved forward for a kiss, swallowing down the phantom taste of Riri still burning your tongue as he kissed you back, easy and unsuspecting.
“What are you doing here?” You asked, still breathless, forcing the grin wider.
Keem thumbed behind him at your roommate. “T was on her way up when I got here. She let me in.”
“Hi,” Talia mumbled with a nod, strolling past with a crinkling bag of Takis that definitely belonged to you. “Bye.”
You barely registered her exit to her room. Your stomach was still flipping violently, your body still thrumming from panic.
“Where’s Ri?” Keem asked, his tone unreadable.
“Bathroom,” You managed, voice clipped, heart beating so hard it hurt.
And in that moment, you were sure you might actually faint.
Hakeem made a face you couldn't discern, nose scrunching as his eyes surveyed his surroundings like he was looking for the thing he decided was out of place. And you stood frozen in front of him, arms locked tight behind your back, praying he wouldn’t ask to go into your room.
What the hell was taking Riri so long? Of course she’d leave you to deal with the fallout, like she always did. She’d stirred the storm with you, only to vanish, forcing you to drown in the aftermath.
“It’s hella late. Why she still here?” Keem's voice finally broke the air, rough and pointed, and it knocked you back a bit, giving away a hint of an emotion you could detect.
Jealousy.
Oh fuck… he was jealous.
“She, uh–” You cleared your throat, the sound grating and not at all subtle. “We were working on our presentation. Friday’s coming fast, and I need it all to be perfect.”
Not a complete lie. But it wasn't the full truth either.
And all the while, your eyes kept darting past your shoulder, frantic, praying for the sound of Riri’s footsteps to swoop in and save you from drowning in this moment alone.
Instead though, Hakeem hummed, unimpressed, as he wandered toward the couch. He dropped onto the cushions, legs spreading comfortably as if this were just another normal night. And your legs followed behind him automatically, the tension knot in your chest pulling tighter with every step.
The scent of garlic and soy sauce hit you as soon as you sat beside him, making you glance over at the counter. Take out bags from your favorite Chinese restaurant. He’d brought food. For you. All while you were engaging in obscene acts with his best friend who was currently hiding in your bathroom.
“Seems like you spending way more time with Riri than with me lately,” He said, casual on the surface, but you sensed the true weight lurking underneath his words.
For a moment you thought he knew, that somehow he could smell Riri on your skin. But the closer you looked, the sooner you realized—it was only loneliness disguised as suspicion. Just a boy missing his girl.
It hurt to see him like that.
You forced a smile, leaning into him, wrapping your arm through his. “Baby, you know how important this is for us. If we can get the right people interested in our research…” You trailed off, hoping he’d get the message.
Hakeem exhaled slowly, shoulders sagging a little. “Yeah, I know. I just miss you.” He glanced down at you, eyes softening, and it almost broke you. Then he chuckled faintly, trying for lightness. “Honestly, I’m just surprised y’all getting along so well. I got used to the bickering.”
That's when the bathroom door clicked open, and your heart catapulted into your throat.
Riri strolled out as if she hadn’t just been drenched in you minutes before, calm, unbothered, almost relaxed, with her hands shoved in her pockets. You thought you might throw up from how loud your heartbeat was pounding in your ears, surprised Hakeem hadn’t heard it.
“Guess I finally realized she ain't that bad,” Riri confessed smoothly, chin jerking toward you. “And, she's smarter than you. You ain’t get me into the Deltalab symposium last semester, nigga.”
Hakeem’s laugh came out sarcastic and hollow. “Ha.”
Riri’s lips curved at the corners just a little, and you caught it, dipping your head as your cheeks blazed.
She stretched, the picture of ease, walking around the couch with her bag and hoodie in hand. “But, I think Ima call it a night, give y’all some alone time. I’m done stealing yo girl for the night.”
The words sliced through you.
She shot him a wink as she headed for the door, and your boyfriend rolled his eyes. “Yeah, get the fuck on, nigga.”
“I’ll walk you out!” You offered, too quickly, too eager.
But she waved you off before either you or Hakeem could react to your sudden outburst, a grin tugging smug at her lips. “Nah, I’m good. See y’all later.”
And then she was gone, striding out the door with infuriating ease, leaving you aching in her absence already. It was maddening how she did that—held her mask in place, prevented it from slipping. All while you were left exposed, clutching the shattered pieces of your own.
The space she left behind seemed to echo, and you hadn't realized how long you had been staring at the empty doorway until Hakeem’s hand cupped your jaw, firm but gentle, guiding your gaze back to him.
“Hey.” And there he was. Dimples deep enough to swim in—to drown in. Skin rich and glowing, eyes like polished mahogany locked on yours. Beautiful. Breathtaking. The kind of man anyone would fall for. The kind of man you should want.
But you didn't. Not anymore.
He wasn't his best friend.
The guilt slammed into you, heavy and merciless. It burned a hole through your heart, like it always did each and every time she left, and you were alone with him. Hakeem's presence pressed closer as he leaned in, brushing his lips against your temple with a warmth you no longer deserved. He smoothed his hand up and down your thigh as a signal. You knew what he wanted. You should've melted into it, but all you could think about was the way Riri’s hands had been there first, how you could still feel her touch sparking your skin. Every ounce of tenderness Hakeem gave you was a reminder of how badly you wanted it from someone else.
You were betraying him, and the notion gutted you.
The smile you plastered on was so weak, it pained. “I’m so tired, baby. My brain hurts from all that thinking.”
Before his mouth got closer to yours, you blurted, “Can you give me a shoulder massage?”
Keem smiled, dimples deepening, and nodded without question, still unsuspecting.
The night ended in soft lamplight and takeout boxes. Hakeem’s breathing had evened out, and he was slumped back on your couch cushions not even twenty minutes into 12 Angry Men, the movie he picked out.
You stayed awake though, legs kicked up in his lap, eyes glued to the ceiling as the night's events pressed into you. The panic you’d felt still hadn’t drained from your body; it hummed under your skin, leaving you restless. You weren’t used to fear like that. It made you feel cornered in your own home. It left you questioning whether you could live with the constant threat of being found out, of the ground giving way beneath you.
Your phone ding on the coffee table, and you reached for it absentmindedly, reading the name and message plastered across the screen.
Riri: i’m somebody who likes to finish the things i start. and I intend to, next time with no interruptions.
Riri: tell yo nigga goodnight for me.
Overwhelm sat in your chest like stone, and you wondered if you were strong enough to hold this, or if eventually, it would crush you completely.
•••
Riri’s back was pinned against her own car, Zariyah kissing her like this was her first time tasting her, refusing to get enough. Her fingers clutched at Riri’s hoodie, like there wasn't enough space on the planet to satisfy the need between them. It was a mouth devouring, wet and hungry claiming—a marking of territory.
Zariyah’s territory. No one else's.
And Riri wasn’t resisting.
The scene was obscene, vulgar in a way that made your stomach churn. You wanted desperately to look away, but your eyes were betraying you. They stayed hooked on the way their mouths slid together, forcing you to notice a thin shine of spit catching in the sunlight. For a split second, it almost looked like Riri was enjoying it. Like she was lost in it.
Was she? That thought hurt too much to entertain.
Before, back when you believed Riri hated you, when she swore she wanted nothing to do with you, you would've ignored the sight, and the feelings it would've stirred. You would've moved on, decided that it wasn't your business. But you hadn't kissed her then. She hadn't yet tilted your world on its axis with mere words, and fingers.
It wasn't personal. Not like now.
Watching Zariyah kiss Riri in that way scraped at your chest from the inside, leaving you sore all over. Because it wasn’t just Riri with her girlfriend anymore, it was Riri with someone who wasn’t you. It was Riri letting someone else touch what you’d been tasting, someone else biting at lips you’d committed to memory. Your jealousy came hot and fast, ripping through your stomach, scorching your lungs and throat. Even though you stood there, stiff as wood, silent, watching—every fiber of your being had been shrieking. It was so deafening you thought your eardrums would burst.
And that bellowing voice tangled with another—one that hissed about your place, and the role Riri had to uphold, along with all of the other nuances that came with the situation the two of you had designed for yourselves.
You still couldn't look away though, despite knowing all that you did.
You should’ve turned your head. Should’ve glued your eyes to the pavement. But there was something enthralling about it, watching someone want her that bad, watching her receive it.
Beside you, Hakeem was just as still, just as transfixed with his head cocked slightly, brows raised like he was watching a car crash unfold in real time. Neither of you spoke, you just watched, bewildered.
“It’s like she’s trying to ingest her…” You mumbled under your breath, the words slipping free before you could pull them back.
“I know right,” He huffed out a laugh, still staring. “And Riri ain’t that big either, won’t take much for Riy to just swallow her.”
Despite the way your stomach burned, a laugh bubbled up. You tilted your head, mimicking his angle, the two of you standing there like unwilling spectators, curious, baffled, and a little horrified.
When the kiss finally broke with a wet, lewd pop, Zariyah leaned in close to whisper against Riri’s lips, her quiet voice carrying just far enough to reach your ears. “Just something to think about while you’re away this weekend. So you know what’s waiting for you when you get back.”
Riri smirked, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, the visual rocketing the organ in your sternum, like it wasn't already in overdrive.
“You acting like she finna go off to war,” Hakeem cut in, shaking his head. “She coming back.”
Zariyah pulled away from Riri just far enough to flip him off, middle finger raised high without missing a beat. The shorter girl chuckled under her breath, letting you know she was enjoying the performance way more than she let on.
That was your cue to turn towards your boyfriend. You plastered on a smile that you hoped looked more natural than it felt, pushing onto your toes as you eyed him. “Can I get one of those?” You hummed jokingly, forcing yourself to make light of the make out session that almost just stopped your heart.
Hakeem chuckled low in his chest, that signature laugh that made you melt… once upon a time. “Pretty sure if I kissed you like that it would be considered assault.”
“Not if I’m into it.” You countered with an exaggerated giggle, making sure to keep your tone a decibel above a whisper, loud enough for listening ears to hear.
He bit his bottom lip before his left arm jerked you nearer, diamond earrings and dimples working overtime to subdue you.
And maybe it worked.
Because when he clasped your face in his oversized palm, and pressed his lips to yours with such familiar care, you didn't flinch, you didn't recoil from his touch. You kissed him back, for real this time, pretending like you hadn't felt the knife in your heart twist deeper, angled only beats away from your beloved coronary.
He grinned against your mouth, dimples carving deep into his cheeks, and you broke away with a breathy giggle, the sound brighter than you expected. You did most of it as a performance, angled more for the benefit of the girl in the red car than the boy in front of you. But, you supposed authenticity was behind it.
“I’m bummed I can’t make it Monday to see your presentation,” He admitted, his grin softening into something apologetic. “Got that calc test. Been stressing me all week.”
You tilted your head, feigning disappointment but smoothing it over with understanding. “Baby, it's okay. I prefer you here, acing your test.”
“Promise you not mad?” He pouted, putting in extra effort to poke out his bottom lip.
You shook your head, gifting him a gentle smile. “I promise I’m not mad.” If anything you were relieved.
He squeezed your hip reassuringly. “You're gonna kill it. I know it.” Then he folded you into his arms, pressing a kiss to your forehead, and just as he tilted his face back down for another kiss on the lips–
Honk!
The blare of a horn bounced through the lot, jolting you both apart. You snapped your head toward the sound, already knowing who you would find on the other end of it. Riri sat behind the wheel, one hand draped across it, her face tight and twitching. The car’s red paint gleamed beneath the sun, sharp edges catching the light as you squinted in her direction. She leaned on the horn again, longer this time, her gaze locked on you through her driver's side mirror.
A grin tugged at your lips, smug and traitorous.
“Okay, hurry up,” She called, her voice slicing across the distance. “Y’all can gaze into each other’s eyes later. I’m tryna beat traffic.” Another honk followed, like a punctuation to her demand.
You and Hakeem scoffed in unison. He grabbed your bags with a laugh, shaking his head as the two of you began moving toward the car. “Wasn’t you just tonguing down yo girl two seconds ago? And now you rushing us?” His words were playful, but you knew his tone well enough to detect the smallest hint of irritation.
He carried your bags to the trunk, dropping them in with a heavy thud, the sound echoing in your chest.
Keem rounded to the passenger side, opening the door for you with the same easy habit as always. He bent at the waist, resting his chin on his folded arms, head poking into the car. His eyes narrowed, but mischief still shimmered there, dimples deepening as he tilted his head.
“Well, evidently you ain’t me,” Riri muttered smoothly from the driver’s seat. Her tone was cool as glass, but you watched the way her knuckles flexed against the wheel. She was sizzling on the inside, and only you knew it. Zariyah was already halfway to her own car, waving lazily, not bothering to look back, leaving you alone with the two of them.
You bit down on your smile, turning toward Hakeem to study him. There was something about the rush, the thrill of being caught between them. Two people, both pulling you in different directions, both wanting you in their own ways. It was dangerous. It was wrong on levels you couldn't even begin to name. But the tension, and the adrenaline were too rich to ignore. Too tempting not to bask in. So you did just that.
Keem conceded first, like he always did in their subconscious rivalry for your hand. He shook his head with a crooked grin. “Just… take care of my girl, okay? You know how important she is to me.”
“Oh, trust,” Riri’s eyes slid to yours, dark and gleaming. She smirked, then turned her focus to the boy hanging into her window. “Ima take good care of her.”
You nearly choked on your spit. Her words stifled the air life fog, lingering longer than you wanted them to. It was becoming hard to swallow, hard to breathe as you sat there suffocating under the implication of Riri’s declaration.
Then, without missing a beat, Riri leaned back casually, lips quirking higher. “She's kinda holding my entire academic future in her hands with this presentation. Gotta make sure she’s at a hundred percent, right?”
“Facts…” Hakeem’s gaze flicked between you two, curiosity circling his irises, but he let it drop. He leaned in, pressing one last kiss to your lips, this time with more force than before. It lasted longer than you expected, longer than you wanted it to with Riri sitting right beside you. But you couldn't pull away now, so you let yourself melt into it until he withdrew his mouth from yours. “Good luck, baby girl. See you Monday night.”
Beside you, Riri radiated heat, her irritation palpable, her jaw tight as she stared straight ahead.
“Good luck, Ri,” Keem added, forcing a smile. “I know y’all are gonna kill it.”
“Thanks,” She mumbled, dry and flat. “Doubt I’ll need it though.”
Keem’s smile twitched as he rolled his eyes. “I said good luck, damn. Can’t stand yo lil ass.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Riri chimed, “Now can you back up so we can get going?”
Their banter should’ve lightened the moment, but your stomach was still twisting, your heart climbing up your throat. As Riri pulled off, you settled into the seat, glancing out the window as the silhouette of your boyfriend shrank behind you.
You didn’t know what the weekend would hold, but as the hum of Riri’s engine filled your ears, you welcomed the uncertainty.
•••
The highway stretched ahead of you in a blur of gray and gold, bright late morning sun glinting off the hood of Riri’s Barracuda. Wind hissed faintly through the cracked window, carrying the low hum of The Internet through the car speakers, the only sound between you for the past forty-five minutes.
You’d tried for conversation, twice, maybe three times, but each of Riri’s responses were clipped and curt.
“Fine.”
“Maybe.”
“Yeah.”
Her jaw was set in stone as always, and quite honestly, her grip on the steering wheel was beginning to become concerning. She hadn’t even looked your way since the first toll.
But she did let you connect your phone to the aux, so small miracles and what not.
The silence was gnawing. It wasn't the comfortable kind you’d learned to love with her, instead you got the kind that made your chest itch with things unspoken. You knew she was upset, hence the silent treatment, you just didn't care. Mostly because she was mad at you for the same damn reason you were mad at her.
When you spoke again, your voice broke through the low thrum of the song’s bass. “You really not gonna talk to me because I let my boyfriend kiss me goodbye?”
Riri didn’t even glance over, her expression remaining unbothered. “Yes.”
Yet another single word response.
You blinked, incredulous. “So I guess I have the right to not talk to you because you let your girlfriend kiss you goodbye, then, huh?”
“That’s different,” She said immediately, as if this conclusion was the most obvious to come to.
“Different how, exactly?”
Riri’s mouth twitched, her words stern and certain. “Zariyah isn’t my girlfriend.”
Your laughter was bitter as it bellowed out of your bosom, and you shook your head, turning to face the window. “Do you know how much you fucking suck?”
“No.” Her tone softened, slipping into something taunting and smug. “Tell me how much.”
All the while she kept her attention trained on the road, never wavering, never once turning to spare you a glance. You could kick her right now, but the act wouldn't bode well where your safety was concerned, so reluctantly, you decided against it.
“You so full of shit, Ri. You know that?” You huffed, shifting uncomfortably in your seat. “She not your girlfriend, but you still sleep with her every chance you get. Not your girlfriend, but you bring her around like she’s your better half. Still make out with her in front of me without a care in the world.”
“None of that makes her my girlfriend, though.”
Your head whipped toward her. “I cannot fucking stand you.”
“I’m not understanding…” The innocence in her voice was barely legitimate, and you could sense the smug grin she was fighting to hold back.
“You think I enjoyed watching you swap spit with Zariyah? How you think that shit made me feel, Riri?”
Her tone stayed maddeningly even. “I don’t know. How did it make you feel?”
“Not good!” You snapped, voice climbing higher than you meant.
She scoffed under her breath, “Can’t say I enjoyed watching you kiss Hakeem either.”
“I know! That’s exactly what I mean!”
For a moment, the engine’s hum was the only sound between you as the sudden quiet enveloped you. Riri remained silent beside you, but not in the way she was before. This silence wasn't reactionary, or vengeful. It was… ponderous, like she was contemplating. And then she spoke, asking curiously, “So what are you trying to say? You want me to stop seeing Zariyah? Stop sleeping with her? Is that it?”
Your chest stuttered. “What? I– no, I–”
But the words tripped, and your breath faltered. You hadn’t meant to say it like that. Hell, you hadn’t meant to say anything at all. But now that the thought was out there, you couldn’t ignore the truth crawling up your chest.
Was that what you were trying to say?
Your heart rate grew violent as the car hummed along the mostly empty highway. You stared wordlessly at the passing trees blurring by your window, trying to make sense of yourself. You hadn’t even considered it before now—the idea of asking her to stop, of claiming something that wasn’t supposed to be yours to claim. But maybe… maybe that was what you wanted.
You swallowed hard, your reflection flickering faintly in the glass. “I don’t know if that’s something I can ask you to do,” You whispered breathlessly.
“Why not?”
“Is that something I can even ask you to do?”
“Why do you feel like you can’t?”
“I don't know…” The sigh that you breathed out held more weight than you wanted it to, making the words that followed seem more vulnerable, more raw. “Doesn’t feel like it’s my place. You been with her longer than you’ve known me. I don’t know if whatever we got going on takes precedence over that.”
Riri didn’t speak for a long moment, and she had that look on her face again, the one that signaled that her brain was working, moving a mile a minute, in tandem with the car's wheels.
You gasped when she finally turned to look at you. It was fast, fleeting, but far from passionless. Her eyes found the pavement ahead of her once more. And her statement found you, in the way she intended it to you think. Melted down to the bone. Tender to the touch merely off her stare alone.
“You take precedence over everything in my life right now.”
Blood rushed to your face and ears as you did your very best to contain the sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through your system.
“I’ll stop sleeping with Zariyah,” She continued, steady but soft. “But you gotta stop sleeping with Hakeem too…”
“I’m not,” You blurted before she could finish. “Sleeping with him, I mean.” You swallowed hard, cheeks burning. “I’m not sleeping with Hakeem.”
She tossed you a glance, brows raised.
You rushed on, words tumbling. “We haven’t. I mean– we never. We tried, it just never– Except for at his party, but that wasn’t– Not the full thing…”
You felt your throat closing, shame rising fast and hot. “I’ve never–” You stopped, voice cracking. “I’ve just… never.”
You mumbled that last part quietly, hoping she hadn't heard it.
Silence, again. Thick and stretching.
You were staring straight ahead, cheeks on fire. It was difficult to ignore the embarrassment prickling up your neck. You expected laughter, maybe a snide comment, something to ease the tension, but not the kind you wanted, and you braced yourself for her teasing.
It never came though.
Riri’s gaze lingered on you longer than it should’ve before she looked back to the road, her voice falling to a quiet sigh. “You’re not sleeping with Hakeem.”
“No.”
Her jaw flexed. “And I’m not sleeping with Zariyah. Not anymore.”
Something unspoken passed between you then, something fragile and dangerous, and far too big for the confines of that car. Neither of you spoke. Didn’t need to. You just leaned forward, turned up the radio a little too loud, and sank into the thrum of the music, hiding your grin behind your hand as contentment expanded inside your body.
•••
The vibe had mellowed for the rest of the drive.
By the time you reached the city limits, the air between you and Riri had settled. It wasn't exactly calm, but the tautness had disappeared. She was back to her usual cocky self. One hand lazy on the wheel, the other finding excuses to graze your thigh whenever she shifted gears. She’d hum along to the music you played, a few soft R&B tracks, and some indie stuff she pretended not to like but didn’t change either. Her laughter was back, her teasing was back, fingers tracing idle circles on your knee like she wasn't the reason it had been bouncing uncontrollably a few hours ago.
When she finally pulled up to the hotel, it was a lot later in the afternoon than you thought. The drive hadn't felt that long, not with Riri driving like she was on a high speed chase.
The Arcadia hotel was impossible to miss. Sleek glass towers reached for the skyline, their mirrored faces catching the sunlight like prisms. Every panel seemed to glow faintly from within, veins of light tracing up the building in clean geometric lines. The automatic doors slid open without a sound, releasing just a soft hiss of air that smelled faintly of ozone and something floral.
Riri tossed her keys to the valet guy. He looked to be about your age, maybe a year or two older, and was barely keeping his jaw from dropping at the sight of the candy-red Barracuda.
“She better look exactly like this when I get her back, too,” Riri called out, her tone just as intimidating as she intended it to be.
You giggled, shaking your head. “Girl, stop threatening strangers and come on. Let’s go inside.”
The hotel’s atrium looked like something out of a Stark Industries fever dream. Massive glass panels displayed a shifting hologram of Tony Stark’s arc reactor, pulsing softly in shades of icy blue. The floors glowed faintly beneath your shoes, tracking foot traffic with smart-light patterns. The walls doubled as digital displays that advertised the DeltaLab Symposium all around you, full of faces you recognized from tech blogs and academic journals.
In a way, it felt like walking into a cathedral. Except this one worshiped innovation.
The Arcadia wasn’t just a hotel, it was Tony Stark’s final legacy. Before his death, he’d built it as both a monument and a living space for the next generation of STEM visionaries. The DeltaLab Symposium had been his idea too, three days where the best student researchers in the country would gather to showcase one of a kind projects, network, and compete for all types of scholarships, grants, and internships with the most powerful tech companies on the planet.
You’d dreamt of this, of being here since your freshman year of high school. You remembered staying up late to stream the presentations online with your sister, scribbling notes in your notebook as each group presented their projects. You never actually thought you’d make it. And you definitely hadn’t pictured making it here with someone like Riri Williams at your side.
But here you were.
“Come on,” You called over your shoulder, weaving through a cluster of grad students in matching lanyards. “Noelle said they’re at the front desk checking in. We just have to find it…”
Behind you, Riri grunted under the weight of several duffel bags, yours and hers both, slung haphazardly over her short arms. “I thought these fancy hotels had people who take your luggage for you,” She whined. “And who the fuck is Noelle?”
“She’s in our class, Ri.” You grinned, barely containing your excitement as you pushed through the sea of bodies, eyes wide at the holographic banners scrolling above. “Come on!”
You caught sight of a familiar head of neon green braids bouncing in the crowd. “Oh! There they are!”
Riri’s voice floated behind you, breathless and mildly irritated. “I’ve never seen any of these people a day in my life.”
When you finally reached the group, you were beaming. “Oh my god, hey! Did you guys already check in?”
Noelle—a chubby girl about as short as Riri, with smooth onyx skin and two long ponytails that cascaded down her shoulders—turned to hug you, smelling of toasted almonds and caramel, her bright green braids framing her grin.
“Mhmm! But Dr. Lucas old ass only booked five rooms instead of six,” She said, rolling her eyes. “I told him to let me handle all the technicalities, but all he wanted to talk about was how my presentation was coming, and if I made flash cards with talking points. Anyway, the whole hotel’s booked up for the symposium, so one of us gotta share. We were waiting for y’all to get here before we decided–”
“We’ll share!” Riri’s voice cut through before she could finish, overeager and loud.
You and the rest of your classmates jumped a little, and she coughed, trying to play it off, adjusting one of the bags on her shoulder. “I mean, me and her, we’ll share. We don’t mind.”
Noelle blinked, visibly processing, her gaze flicking between the two of you. “Uh, you sure?” She asked, the question directed more at you than Riri.
You nodded quickly, biting down the smile that threatened to give you away. “It’s fine, Noelle. I’m sure. We’ll share.”
“Okay girl…” She said slowly, though her eyes lingered on Riri with unmistakable skepticism. “If you say so.”
“Mhmm.” You smiled sweetly.
She turned back to the group. “Alright, here are your lanyards and access watches. These’ll get you into your rooms and the many research labs in this building. Oh, and the libraries, in the conjoining building. You got seventy-two hours of full access, so try not to lose them, okay? Paul, I’m talking to you.”
You were buzzing, your heart fluttering as the smart band clicked into place around your wrist—your golden ticket. It beamed to life under the lobby lights, and for a moment, you really did feel like Charlie stepping through the gates of his chocolate factory.
Riri, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at Noelle, her nose wrinkled like she’d inhaled a bad scent. “I’m trippin, or this bitch got a problem with me?”
“Relax, Ri,” You muttered, trying to keep your voice low. “Let’s just find our room.”
“Nah, cause she keep mean-muggin me.”
“Ri. Drop it.” You glanced at your smartwatch. “I think that elevator over there goes to our floor.”
Before you could move though, Noelle stopped you with a hand on your arm. “Hey girl, I’m in room 318, eighth floor. You know, if you need a break from–”
“A break from what?” Riri cut in, popping her head from behind you like a nosy kid.
Noelle looked her up and down slowly, then turned her head away without a word, disregarding her entirely. It was the kind of dismissal Riri usually specialized in, but with slightly more finesse.
“Anyway,” Noelle continued, ignoring Riri’s glare, “you know where I’m at. Text me if you need anything.”
And just like that, she was gone.
“Now I know I’m not trippin. You better get her bef–”
“Hush.” You cut her off, steering her toward the elevators. “Come on, I wanna explore this place and I can’t do that if I’m stuck down here listening to you fuss like a baby.”
Riri grumbled under her breath, but she followed willingly behind you anyway, withholding any further complaints.
The elevator was packed, a sleek glass capsule that shot through the atrium like a bullet. There were eighty floors in the hotel, and you were riding to the tenth, pressed shoulder to shoulder with a dozen other enthusiastic strangers chattering amongst each other.
When the doors finally slid open, you stepped out, and Riri did so after you, dragging the bags behind her. “How do you know Noelle anyway?” She asked, tone deceptively casual.
“She’s in our class.” You answered simply, impatient brown orbs trailing the hallway walls, on the prowl for room 521.
“Uh huh. But how do you know her?”
You smirked. “She does my braids, damn. I promise you’re my first and only sapphic love affair. Don’t get your boxers in a tangle.”
“That’s not why I was asking,” She grumbled, eyes narrowing.
“Sure it wasn't,” You teased, spotting the glowing silver digits on the door. “Oh, there it is!”
“I just wanted to know what her problem was,” Riri said as you slipped your key watch against the lock. “And I think I figured it out.”
“Figured what out?” You quizzed, unlocking the door with your watch, a soft chime welcoming you both into the suite.
There was a thud behind you, the moment you’d been half expecting. Either Riri had finally lost the battle with the bags, or they’d taken her down with them. You weren’t sure which, nor did you care.
“You been shit talking me to your little friend, haven't you?” Riri groaned, finally catching up to where you’d wandered deeper into the room. You hadn't acknowledged her statement, too caught up in the grandiose lodgings laid out in front of you.
The place was enormous.
Sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling window, washing over porcelain tiled floors and the soft leather couch that looked far too expensive to sit on. The air smelled faintly of lemon polish and something sterile, like the tang of new technology. You drifted through the space, wide-eyed. You were a kid in a candy store, touching and tapping every surface you could get your hands on.
To your left, the kitchen glimmered to life the second you walked past the sink. It was decked out with all new stainless steel appliances, and countertops that lit up with responsive motion sensors as you passed your hand over them. You trailed your fingers along the glossy island, startling back as a holographic display blinked on to offer recipes, cooking instructions, and drink suggestions.
“I’m never leaving this place.” You sighed contently, tugging open the dishwasher just to see if it made some sort of futuristic sound. It didn't, but still.
The floating staircase was calling your name, and you rushed over to climb it, gasping as each step flashed beneath the impact of your feet, leading you directly into the loft-style bedroom that overlooked the entire living space.
“This whole suite is bigger than my apartment,” You whispered, still in awe.
“Yeah, it is.” Riri’s voice came from your rear, agreeing, “This entire hotel is like something out of a Black Mirror episode. It's crazy…”
Every inch of the suite gleamed with quiet opulence. There was a sleek chandelier dangling from the high ceiling, a digital fireplace crackling right below the mounted cinema style TV, its heat simulated but convincing enough to make you want to linger.
Riri was still talking behind you, muttering something low and careless that barely registered as you gaped at your surroundings. But, by the time you’d spun around, you hadn't needed her to repeat herself. Air caught sharp in your lungs, slicing through them as your gaze landed on the center of the loft.
On the bed.
It was massive, dressed in crisp white sheets, a sleek blue headboard, and a comforter that looked softer than a cloud.
You opened your mouth, hesitant to voice your observation out loud, “There's–”
“Only one bed.” Riri smirked, that slow, knowing curve of her lips that promised trouble.
•••
Okay, so logically, you knew there was zero reason to have any kind of anxiety about sleeping in the same bed with Riri Williams. You’d done so many other things with her already, been kissed breathless, touched, teased, wrecked in ways you'd never thought possible. So why? Why was this the thing that had your brain short-circuiting? You were no stranger to intimacy with her, not by a long shot. But spending the night with her felt… different. Bigger. Like a step you hadn’t quite agreed to take but were already halfway through.
You’d just admitted to her that morning, while trapped in a car for hours, that you were basically a virgin. You didn't even want to know what her brain was doing with that information. Satan himself would probably steer clear of the thoughts that were birthing from it.
Besides, could you even still call yourself that? A virgin? You’d already let her touch you, let her see you in ways that should’ve disqualified you from that title, but still. You’d never, well, you hadn’t done… that. Not with anyone.
Hakeem didn’t count.
He’d never made you feel what Riri did, never pulled sounds from you that made you question your own name. But Riri… god, Riri. She existed in a league of her very own, with her… gifts.
And you’d had the thoughts, the ones about wanting to make her feel what she made you feel. There wasn't a moment of any day where you weren't thinking about it. You zoned out in lectures, in labs. You’d dream about it while you slept, waking up feeling embarrassed, flushed, and with a sticky mess in your panties. You imagined what she might sound like, what her body might do under your hands.
But, whenever you tried working up the nerve to actually do something, your brain shorted out somewhere between panic and paralysis. Because what if you were bad at it? What if she didn’t like it? What if she just laid there, bored, eyes open, thinking, Wow, Zariyah is so much better at this. You’d have to die on the spot. There’d be no recovering from that.
So you did the safest thing possible, which was nothing. You let her take the lead, let her break you down and make you feel. You convinced yourself that being desired by her was enough to quell your ache. And now, standing here, in this fancy hotel suite with one bed and no escape route, the confidence to even think about pleasing her had dwindled to almost nonexistent.
Which meant you were screwed, judging by the expression on Riri’s face, in her eyes.
She walked around to the front of the bed, her gaze bouncing off the mattress, over to where you stood anxiously. That look, god, you’d seen it before. Her eyes were molten, and murky, as if she were already plotting the things she'd do to you once the lights went out. That same heat that typically made your knees weak now crawled under your skin, turning your nervous system inside out. You watched as her head tilted slightly, her mouth twitching like she somehow knew how terrified you were.
Maybe it was evident in the way you were standing. Frozen near the loft railing, eyes nervously scanning the room for anything but Riri’s.
She looked ready, prepared. And you couldn't get your brain to stop screaming oh my god she's going to eat me alive. You couldn’t even look at the bed without imagining the many positions she'd have you in on it. It was massive, and its size made the larger than life suite feel suffocating.
But, you had to play it all off. You had to keep it together so she wouldn't think you were wussing out. You wanted this just as badly as she did, her desire just didn't come with the tangle of what ifs that yours did. So you straightened your back, forced a steady smile, and brushed past her into the bathroom.
“So,” You began, calling over your shoulder, “you want the left side or the right?” Your voice was so chipper it made your ears ring.
You shut the door halfway, creating a small wall of sanctuary between you and her, taking this time to explore your temporary place of refuge. The bathroom was ridiculous. All glass and automatic lights that adjusted the moment you stepped inside. The counters were marble, cool against your palms as you leaned on them, and the shower was encased in smart glass that went opaque when you snapped your fingers.
If you stayed in here long enough, maybe you could trick your nerves into calming down.
You adjusted your braids in the mirror, pretending like the action required concentration, and it wasn't just a ploy so you could keep hiding from the girl standing ten feet away. Of course, Riri didn't care about the sudden shift in your behavior, ignoring your panic as though it were a non factor.
Her reflection appeared over your shoulder, the grin on her face knowing. “Whichever side’s gonna let me be on top of you all weekend long,” She hummed, head tilted, eyes sliding down your backside as if she couldn’t help herself.
“Ha ha.” You rolled your eyes, attempting to appear deadpan, but your pulse betrayed you.
You exited the bathroom, making a beeline straight for the stairs before she had the chance to read your expression and feel the heat beaming off your skin.
You grabbed your bag as you headed back up to the loft, ready to use it as a shield if need be. “I just wanna unpack, maybe find something to eat, then go check out the research labs! My watch says there’s ten total in this place!”
She didn't answer.
Riri hadn't moved an inch in the thirty seconds it took you to go downstairs and come back up. Her back was still against the wall near the bathroom, her arms were crossed, and her eyes were following your every movement. The look she gave you wasn't an impatient one like you'd expected. It was more labored, more somber—the kind of glare that felt like a fingertip traveling the length of your spine.
You sat on the bed. “I’m gonna change shoes and go exploring,” You went on, talking mostly to fill the silence that threatened to blow your cover. “You coming with me?”
You tried not to hyperfixate on that pathetic little crack in your voice on the word me. Or on the way Riri looked as she finally peeled herself off of the wall, and began walking over to you. The way she moved was unhurried—she already knew she had you cornered before she even reached you. She stilled just in front of where you sat at the edge of the bed, and slipped a finger under your chin, tilting it up until your big brown eyes met hers.
The world shrank to the sound of your breath, the air between you so dense it might as well have been a current.
Neither of you spoke. For a moment, she just held your jaw, caressing your skin tenderly. Her eyes were deeper than before—darker—overflowing with swells that might just drown you. And you were falling fast, not bothering to fight her pull.
“You do understand why I have zero interest in research labs right now, don't you?” She asked, voice low and raspy. The brown in her irises had disappeared, replaced almost entirely by flickers of gold, and flashes of her growing desires. Her gaze was unblinking, intense, like she was memorizing you.
And Fuck… you almost whimpered. But you were able to reign it in before it got too pathetic. “I don’t understand why you’d pass up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” You managed, trying to sound smart, reasonable.
She smiled then, slow and dangerous. “We got three whole days to explore this hotel,” She reminded you softly. “Right now, the only thing I’m tryna explore… is you.”
Her words sent something electric through you, and just as you were blinking yourself back into reality, she leaned in, so close that her breath kissed you before her lips did. You’d forgotten what you were going to say, forgotten every line of protest that was supposed to come out of your mouth.
All you could think, feel, and breathe was her.
You sank into the kiss, her hand cupping your face, the other gripping the back of your neck as if she could pull you closer still. She melted your nerves away with her tongue, but your stomach was still doing cartwheels inside of your abdomen.
“Been waiting so long to… get… you… alone…” Riri breathed in between kisses, the force of her mouth tipping you over onto the mattress. “Ima take such good care of you, baby.”
You believed her. And you almost let her get a taste.
But, just as quickly, you came back to yourself.
“As much as I would love that…” You whispered between breaths, “…I’m kinda hungry.”
Riri groaned, forehead falling to your shoulder. “Seriously?”
“I need food, Ri. Haven’t eaten since the drive here.” You whined. “You want me to pass out before we even get to do anything?”
She pulled back with a sigh, lips twitching in mock frustration. “Fine. I’ll see what they got in the fridge—wait. No.” Her eyes brightened. “Let’s order a shit ton of room service.”
“Ain't that gon cost like a shit ton of money?” You asked jokingly.
Riri shrugged, “Who cares? All our meals are comped while we're here. Ima definitely be taking advantage of that.”
You shook your head, smiling despite yourself. “You’re so unserious.”
Riri didn’t even acknowledge you, too excited about the prospect of eating on Tony Stark's dime. She was already scrolling through the room service menu, mumbling about appetizers and desserts under her breath. You didn’t bother stopping her, not when this break, however brief, was exactly what you needed. This was probably going to be your only chance to catch your breath, and brace for whatever was to come.
Because deep down, you knew this was only an intermission, and when it ended, you’d be right back where you started.
•••
Night had settled behind the clouds, and through the suite’s pristine glass windows, you gazed out at the Arcadia skyline. The city was awake nine floors below you, alive and pulsing like a heartbeat. Meanwhile, you were stuck inside with Riri, watching her down her second serving of french fries as she denied your request for the hundredth time.
“Please, Riiiii,” You begged, stretching her name like it might wear her down if you said it sweetly enough. “It’ll be fun!”
You’d been at it for an hour, pleading, pouting, and trying every angle you could think of. But she refused to budge. “Fun for who, exactly?” She shot back, chewing loudly. “You? Cause it definitely ain’t gonna be fun for me.”
You sighed dramatically, sinking deeper into the couch cushion. She was right, you’d already known she’d hate the idea before you even asked. Normally, you would’ve hated it too. A night out in an unfamiliar city, surrounded by people you didn’t know, when you could be preparing for a presentation that could decide your entire future? Yeah, no thanks.
But desperate times called for stupid, desperate measures.
So when Noelle had texted you, raving about some rooftop lounge her cousin’s friend worked at, asking if you wanted to come, that was all it took. You needed a distraction, something to keep Riri’s hands and mouth occupied elsewhere. The way she’d been looking at you since dinner had your nerves playing double dutch, and you were certain you weren't ready for anything she had in mind.
So you popped the question, but in true Riri Williams fashion, you were shot down before you could even finish asking.
“You sure you don't wanna go?” You quizzed her again, deciding this time would be final.
“I already said no, didn't I?” Her voice was flat, eyes on the TV that wasn’t even on.
You huffed and stood, brushing imaginary crumbs off your thighs. “Well alright then.”
“Where are you going?” Her voice was trailing after you as you walked away to climb the stairs. You put a little sway in your hips just because you could, knowing her eyes would be glued to your ass.
Her gaze followed you all the way up the staircase and into the bedroom. After grabbing your makeup bag you leaned over the loft railing, finally addressing her with a small smile. “I’m getting dressed.”
You then walked into the bathroom, and locked it behind you.
“Just cause you don't wanna go out, don't mean I can't.” It was said more to yourself than to her, but you knew by the time you opened the door again, Riri would already be there waiting for you. No doubt with a slew of reasons why you couldn't go out.
The bathroom lights flicked on as soon as you stepped in. The mirrors recognized your face from earlier, and adjusted their brightness accordingly. You sat your makeup bag down on the counter space, then turned to gape at the deep cobalt dress you’d hung up on one of the door hooks. You’d packed it on a whim. Just in case.
And now you actually had to put it on.
After finishing your makeup and pulling your braids into a high ponytail, you turned to face the dress waiting for you once again. The fabric hugged every dip of your hips, and every curve on your body as you pulled it on. It felt tighter than you remembered, shorter too, baring more skin than you probably should’ve allowed. You caught your reflection in the mirror and sighed, already imagining the look on Riri’s face when she saw you in it.
Maybe wearing something this revealing wasn’t the smartest move when your whole plan was to get her out of the hotel, not give her more reasons to get you into bed. But you’d already told Noelle yes, and after wasting an hour trying to talk Riri into coming, there was no backing out now.
You took a breath, squared your shoulders, and opened the bathroom door.
Riri’s jaw slackened when she saw you, and she just stared, silent and motionless. She trailed her eyes down all of your exposed skin, then back up with a hard gulp.
“What do you think?” You prompted as you stood in the doorway.
Her reaction was instant. “No.”
“No?” You bit your lip to hold back a laugh.
“Of all the clothes you could’ve packed, you picked that?” She demanded, voice caught somewhere between disbelief and threat.
You turned toward the full-length mirror, admiring the way the dress shimmered in the low light. “What’s wrong with it?”
“You really think I’m letting you go out like that?”
You met her gaze through the mirror. She was trying so hard to look calm, but her voice was shaking slightly, her eyes running the full length of your body again. Not in judgment, in hunger.
“I don’t need your permission to wear a dress, Riri,” You said, casually slipping on your heels of choice. “It looks good on me, so I’m wearing it.”
“Too good. That’s the fucking problem,” She cursed, running a hand over her mouth.
You brushed past her, not bothering to acknowledge the way she breathed you in with practiced ease, and you headed back downstairs. “You seen my phone?”
“Gotta text Noelle and tell her I’ll be down soon.” You exhaled slowly, nerves and satisfaction tangling in your chest.
“You’re not going out looking like that,” Riri stated like it was final, trailing you down the stairs now, her irritation tangible enough to fill the whole suite.
By the time you reached the couch, your heartbeat had calmed, mostly, and you reached for your phone on the coffee table. You swiped on another layer of gloss using your front camera, not even bothering to glance up at her as you responded. “I’m literally bout to call my uber now.”
You slung your purse over your shoulder, ignoring Riri’s groans and grumbles from behind you as you headed for the door. “I asked you to come and you said no, but I still wanna go out, so I’m gonna–”
That’s when you heard it, the sharp scrape of her socks against the floor, the thud of her steps closing the distance.
“Riri what are you–”
But before you could finish, she moved quick, stepping in front of the door and blocking it with her whole body. Her chest rose and fell hard, her eyes fixed on you like you were something she was trying to protect from the entire world.
“Fine!” She burst out, throwing her hands up. “Fine, I’ll come with you. Fuck.”
The air between you was charged and humming. You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling. She didn’t mean to look so desperate, but there it was. Her voice cracked slightly, her shoulders tensed even though she tried to play it off. You’d anticipated this level of fierce protection, but feeling it was something else entirely. She was standing too close now, still fuming, and you couldn't help how turned on you were.
You needed to get out of here, and fast.
“Okay then,” You said softly, biting back a breathy whine. “Guess I’ll wait for you to get dressed.”
A few minutes later, the two of you made your way down to her car. The elevator wasn’t nearly as packed as it had been earlier in the day, but there were still a handful of guests on it. Though, prodding eyes didn't seem to be enough to stop Riri’s hand from brushing your lower back as if testing the limits of your composure. You elbowed her lightly, whispering, “Behave. We’re in public. And this elevator’s literally see-through.”
She just grinned innocently, her reflection catching yours in the mirrored walls. Her eyes glinted with something that made your pulse skip and lips twitch.
By the time you hit the lobby, it was alive with chatter and laughter—the energy of students from every corner of the country buzzing like static in the air. You caught a few compliments on your outfit as you passed, which you accepted graciously and kept walking. You knew not to push it, not with Riri tossing a death glare at everyone who dared to address you. She was walking behind you, not touching, but close enough for her air of possessiveness to loom around you both.
You shrugged her off with a grin, stepping through the silent sliding doors. “Relax.”
The drive to the lounge was just as silent. You’d already assessed the mood she was in, knowing sound would only make it worse. She still kept her hand on your thigh while she drove though, as though touching you kept her regulated. The gesture made you smile to yourself, content and warm all over.
“Turn right up here,” You said, staring out the window.
She groaned but obeyed, mumbling something you couldn't care to catch.
Just as you caught sight of the neon sign outside the lounge, and the packed parking lot, your phone buzzed.
Noelle: girl, i can't make it😭 i met this guy in the lobby, he goes to caltech and he is foineee! tall and chocolate, and ghanaian. anyway, we're going back upstairs. sorry, hope you didn't leave yet😬
You groaned under your breath, “Shit.”
Riri was already pulling into a space, and cutting the engine when you looked over at her. “What now?”
“Nothing!” You said too quickly, laughing a little too loud. “It’s… it’s no big deal.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What is it?”
You exhaled, bracing yourself. “Noelle isn’t coming anymore.”
She blinked at you, “What?”
“I know, I know– I’m the one who made you come out here even though you didn’t want to, I’m sor–”
“It's fine.”
You froze, studying her face for signs of irritation that never came. She didn't react, instead she smiled, finding hilarity in the way you anticipated some sort of outburst.
“I said it’s fine.” She unbuckled her seatbelt. “We’re already here. Might as well go in.” She opened your door, nodding toward the entrance. “You was the one saying it would be fun.”
Casual compliance was extremely unusual for the Riri you knew, but you didn't have time to dwell on it. The moment you stepped inside, the sound swallowed you whole. A bass-heavy R&B track vibrated through the floor, deep enough to rattle your ribs. The lights were low, tinted crimson and violet, flickering over bodies pressed too close for comfort. Laughter, clinking glasses, perfume and sweat—the air was thick with it all.
You froze in the doorway, your earlier optimism faltering. This was supposed to be an escape, a way to keep Riri’s hands—and your thoughts—occupied with literally anything other than each other. But looking around now, you realized how badly you’d miscalculated. Everything about this place screamed intimacy, and you were grappling with the fact that you’d brought her straight into a place built for temptation.
“This is what she called a lounge?” You shouted over the music, trying to mask the panic lacing your voice.
Riri just raised a brow, scanning the room like she was calculating exits, or maybe, possibilities.
Yeah, this was definitely going to have the opposite effect of what you’d planned.
You spotted an empty table tucked into a corner and tugged her wrist. “Come on.”
Tension was sitting heavy in your chest, and you began drumming your fingers against the table as you sat down.
“Why the long face?” Riri teased, leaning close enough for her breath to brush your ear. “Plan not going how you thought?”
You startled upright. “What plan? There’s no plan.”
“Sure.” She smirked, moving behind your chair, her voice a warm cascade against your neck. “I’m gonna get us drinks. You stay here and figure out how you think this night’s gonna end.”
Your throat went dry, and she walked off before you could reply, swallowed up by the crowd.
When she came back, she slid a glass toward you and sat down, her expression softer now. “You don't have to be scared, you know that right?”
You froze mid-sip. “What do you mean?”
When she looked at you, she saw through your entire facade. “You’ve been nervous as hell since we got here. Since this morning, honestly. You think I don’t know why you wanted to go out? Why you’ve been trying to keep us busy?”
A gust of air got stuck in your throat, and you choked on your drink.
“I know this weekend’s a lot,” She said, leaning back. “It’s the first time we’ve really been alone. I know what that must feel like for you, the pressure and all that. But I don’t expect anything from you. I’m only teasing.”
You were quiet as you let the weight of her words settle over you, relieving some of the embarrassment you’d been swimming in all day. You let out a breath, smiling when she reached over to squeeze your hand.
“Thanks for that.” You whispered sarcastically, holding her stare the entire time.
Riri scooted her chair closer to yours so she could wrap her arm around your shoulder. “We don't have to do anything you don't want to. I’m moving at your pace with this. Anything you say, goes.”
“How about we start with dancing?” You shot up, holding your arm out for her to grab onto. You could already sense the protest that she was about to spit, and you stopped her. “You said anything I say goes. I say we dance!”
She hesitated, for all her bravado, Riri wasn’t much for dancing. But then she sighed, setting her glass down. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
The dance floor pulsed with light and bodies. Your heels clacked against the floor as you wove through the crowd, tugging the shorter girl behind you. Heat rolled through the room, heavy and humid, the kind that stuck to your skin and made every breath taste like perfume and liquor. When you reached the center of the room, you stopped, turning to face her, your pulse matching the steady bass thudding beneath your feet.
Riri paused before placing her hands on your waist, tentative, and almost shy. You could tell she was hyperaware of every pair of eyes around you, you were too, and you had to reassure her that no one was looking.
You grinned softly, guiding her wrists higher, pulling her closer until your chests brushed. But before you could close the space completely, she pulled back. Her fingers twitched against your sides, uncertain. Her eyes darted around the crowd, over the couples pressed together, the dim lights, the hands roaming freely in plain sight. You could practically see the thought written across her face.
We shouldn’t.
“Ri,” You voiced gently, your words soft enough to be swallowed by the music. She wouldn’t meet your gaze at first, so you tucked your finger under her chin, tilting it upward so her eyes would catch yours. “Look around. Nobody here knows us. We're okay.”
She didn't move, but you witnessed the way her breathing quickened, saw the conflict in her shoulders, that old habit of having to hide threatening to take over. But she was fighting it.
“Dance with me, Ri.”
Then, slowly, she nodded. Her palms flattened against your back, and she leaned in, resting her forehead against yours. You could feel her smile ghost across your skin, small but real. And then she found her rhythm—your rhythm. The tension melted away from her bones. For the first time, being with her felt like freedom. The two of you weren't hiding, you weren't pretending because you didn't have to.
You were existing—together.
The song shifted into something heavier, and you turned, pressing your back to her chest, hips rolling against hers. Her hands tightened around your waist, fingers digging in deep like she was marking her territory. It was hot, so tempting, and the sound she made when you moved against her was only strengthening your growing arousal.
“You know,” She began, her breath hot against your neck, “the first time I saw you dance to this song was at that party Keem dragged us to.”
You laughed breathlessly, your hips still glued to her. “You remember that?”
“Yeah,” Her voice was rough and smoky as you inhaled. “You were dancing with him. And the whole time, I was standing there thinking, damn… that should be me.”
You smirked, glancing over your shoulder at her. “You had feelings for me all the way back then?”
Riri chuckled, the sound vibrating against your spine. “Don’t ask me that like you don’t already know.” Her hands tightened on your waist, guiding you.
You turned to face her, your noses nearly brushing. The beat shifted, deeper now, like the room itself was holding its breath. “If I remember right,” Your eyes flickered down to her mouth, “I went home with you that night.”
Her grin unfurled slowly, sharp and knowing. “I took yo drunk ass home, yeah.” She corrected, her tone playful.
Your hand slid up the back of her neck, fingers grazing her skin, tracing the curve of her jaw. Her pulse jumped beneath your touch, and she smirked up at you. You leaned in, your lips grazing the shell of her ear, “Wanna take me home again tonight?”
You felt her inhale, felt the air shift between you, something taut and electric snapping into place. And then, she went rigid. You pulled back to see her eyes, but they were locked onto something over your shoulder that you couldn't make out.
“Ri?” You asked, voice small.
She didn’t answer at first, eyes still glazed over, and filled with rage. Then, quietly, “We gotta go.”
“What? Why?”
Her tone sharpened. “Just– come on.”
You followed her as she pushed through the crowd, confusion and rejection coursing through your veins. You were calling her name, asking questions, and not once did she look back or try to answer you.
Was it you? Had you not read the signs correctly? Surely it wasn't you… right?
You barely kept up, your heels clacking against the concrete steps as you stumbled after her. “Riri! What the fuck is going on?”
“Just get in the car.”
“No! Not until you tell me what the hell just happened! We were fine, we were–”
“I told you I didn’t wanna come in the first fucking place!” She snapped, voice cracking with something raw. “And now I’m ready to fucking go! Just– get in the damn car.”
You froze, heart stuttering. “You do not get to talk to me like that anymore!” You hissed. “Are you fucking crazy?!”
You thought you were past this, you thought she was past this. The snapping on you without cause or explanation. Talking down to you like you were less than a person. But who were you kidding? This was the Riri you knew, because this was the only Riri Williams that existed. And you were a fool for thinking you could ever trust her.
You got in the passenger seat and slammed the door, not caring about the glare she shot your way as the sound reverberated. The engine roared. And as the city lights blurred past the windshield, you sat there, fuming, confused, watching her drive with your jaw clenched, eyes hard and distant.
•••
You woke up late the next morning to the heavy quiet of the suite. The last thing you remembered before falling asleep was tossing a pillow and blanket over the loft’s railing, and watching them land with a dull thud on the couch below. It was petty, sure, but after the way Riri snapped at you last night, you weren't about to let her anywhere near you.
So much for being anxious about sleeping with her.
You sighed, dragging yourself out the bed, still stewing. You moved on autopilot—shower, toothbrush, lotion, clothes—each task motivation, a way to get you up and out the room before you had to see or speak to her. She was still asleep on the couch by the time you’d finished getting ready, curled up under the blanket you’d tossed down. Her straight backs were tucked securely beneath her durag, and she had the faintest little scowl still etched into her face. You stared for a second too long, just admiring the way her chest rose and fell, before shaking your head.
“Not doing this today.” You grumbled to yourself on the way out the door.
You’d decided in the shower that today was yours to seize. No sulking, no waiting around for her to say something. You weren't moving on Riri time today. You had an entire hotel filled to the brim with tech for you to sink your teeth into. And that's exactly what you would do… right after you explored the complimentary breakfast bar down stairs.
The Arcadia’s cafeteria was buzzing with the hum of conversation, the clatter of plates, and the hiss of espresso machines blending into one overwhelming symphony.
Your eyes darted over the endless stretch of food options: golden waffles stacked high with whipped cream and berries, scrambled eggs, steaming bacon, turkey sausage links, avocado toast, croissants, tiny jars of jam, and an entire wall dedicated to fresh fruit.
You froze mid-step, paralyzed by choice. Eventually though, you settled on the waffles, a heap of scrambled eggs, and three strips of bacon. Something simple, and you topped it off by ordering an iced vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso, because God knew you’d need it today.
You found a seat by the windows overlooking the city, and you sat down with your steaming plate, your latte already sweating through the cup. Once settled, you pulled your phone out, thumb hovering over your messages.
You: do you want me to grab you something? i’m in the cafeteria.
You stared at it. Then deleted it, and cursed under your breath. What the hell were you doing? No! You wouldn't fold that easily.
You were just setting your phone down when someone’s shadow fell across the table.
“Is this seat taken?”
You glanced up, and froze, blinking in awe.
The woman standing there looked like she’d walked out of a Vogue spread. Tall and slender, with warm brown skin and sharp cheekbones. She wore loose khaki trousers, a crisp white button-up, sleeves rolled to her elbows, but something about the way she wore them made them feel like armor. Her glasses were thin and round, the kind professors wore in old movies, and a gold necklace rested against the dip of her collarbone. Her rings gleamed as she gestured toward the empty chair.
Her accent was lilting—commanding—and rooted you in place.
You blinked once, then shook your head quickly. “Uh– no, go ahead.”
“Thank you.” She sat down with smooth precision, the faintest smile ghosting her lips.
“No problem,” You mumbled, forcing your eyes back to your phone. You tried to ignore her, really, you did, but her presence filled your insides with magnetic intensity. Her cologne too, so fragrant and suave, and far too expensive smelling for you to try naming.
Every time she lifted her fork, you found yourself sneaking a glance, trying to estimate how much food she had left. How soon she’d get up. How soon you’d be able to breathe again.
“So,” She started, her accent curling around the single word, “is this your first time?”
You nearly choked on your latte. “What?”
Her smile widened just slightly, amused. “At the symposium.”
“Oh! Yeah. Uh, yeah, it’s my first time.” You laughed awkwardly, words spilling out before you could stop them. “I’m here with my partner– project partner, I mean. Not like, romantic partner or anything like that. She's not– I mean I do have a boyfriend, but he’s not–”
You were a babbling mess incapable of keeping your cool.
The girl’s brow arched, but her tone was soft when she addressed you. “It’s all right, bhabha. It’s my first time too.”
Bhabha. You had no clue what it meant, a term of endearment you assumed, but the way it rolled off her tongue made your face burn. (baby)
“The only difference is,” She added, leaning back with a slow exhale as her biceps flexed, “I’m here without my partner. Though, I am hoping she’ll come around.”
“Oh… damn,” You fiddled with your fork, trying to blink away the imprint of her abs beneath her button up. “I’d be shitting bricks if I had to go up on that stage alone.”
That earned you a laugh—rich, deep, and completely disarming.
“I suppose I am doing something like that, yes,” She chuckled. “We had a disagreement, you see, about our… project. She has not spoken to me since.”
You frowned. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”
“I’m hoping to mend things with her this weekend. Before our presentation, I mean.” Her eyes flicked to yours, curious. “But enough about me. What about you and your partner, what is your presentation about?”
You narrowed your eyes at her slightly, “I don't know... maybe I shouldn't be telling you. Can’t reveal my secrets to you if you're my competition.”
“Oh come on,” The girl chimed, grinning and wagging her finger at you, “Something tells me that I should be the one worried about competing against you.”
“Maybe.” You laughed, ducking your head. “But uh… It’s, um… environmental modeling. We’re studying the population growth of an endangered species using a modified logistic equation.”
“Sounds… tedious.” She tilted her head, chin resting in her hand. “What’s modified about it?”
Your eyes lit up at her question, “The standard model only shows how a population grows until it hits the environment’s limit. But ours adds a term for human impact, like poaching, deforestation, or habitat loss.”
“So you’re basically simulating how people destroy things.” She pointed out.
You giggled despite yourself, remembering that Riri pointed out the exact same thing. “Pretty much, yeah. But we’re also adding a conservation term later, one that represents sanctuary zones or legal protection.”
Her gaze softened, interest glimmering behind her glasses. “So you can literally show what happens if the world starts caring a little sooner?”
“Exactly,” You said, smiling. “Even small changes can completely flip the outcome. It’s kind of… hopeful, I guess.”
“Hopeful looks good on you…” She eyed you, biting her lip like it was just a reflex.
Something fluttered in your stomach then, a nervous laugh that bubbled up the longer she kept gazing into your eyes. There was a spark there, something that landed between flattery and danger, and you were struggling to dismiss it.
The girl stood gracefully, adjusting the cuff of her sleeve. “I like the way your brain works. Intellect like yours is extremely rare, you should take pride in that.”
You blinked, stunned by the compliment. “Wait– Don't I get to hear about your project too? I’d love to pick your brain some more.”
“That Bhabha,” She stated, gathering her plate, “remains to be decided.” She paused, her lips curving slightly. “But like you… I’m hopeful about the outcome.”
She turned to leave, but not before adding, “I’m Shuri, by the way. It was nice meeting you. I look forward to learning more about you.”
She exited the cafeteria after that.
You stared after her, your heart racing, trying to place the accent, the posture, the confidence, the gold, until it hit you all at once.
Oh God.
Shuri.
Shuri, Princess of Wakanda. Oh god, had you just told the literal heir to one of the most advanced nations on Earth that you’d be “shitting bricks” on the stage?
“Oh, fuck…” You whispered, clutching your latte like it could ground you.
You stood up so fast your chair screeched against the tile, but you couldn't care. You tossed your trash, muttering to yourself the whole way out. The lobby was packed, laughter bouncing off the steel beams, glass elevators whooshing up and down, but all you could hear was your own heartbeat. You had to tell Riri. Now.
You half-jogged across the polished floors, weaving between people until you spotted her signature corn rows swiftly walking in your direction, and you nearly collided with her chest-first.
“Ri! Oh my God, you’ll never believe who I just talked to. She talked to me, actually, and we–”
Riri grabbed your arms, her grip tight enough to stop your flailing. “Look, about last night. I’m sorry. But there’s something I gotta tell you.” Her eyes darted past you, scanning the crowd.
“No, Ri, listen,” You gasped, out of breath, “it’s fine. I don’t even care about last night, okay? You don’t understand, this is huge. She was interested in our project, and I–”
“You don't get it,” She interrupted. “I’m trying to explain what happened last night. And, I’m trying to apologize for what's about to happen… right now.”
You froze. “What?”
Before you could ask again, a voice, that smooth, confident, and unmistakable accent rolled through the air behind you. “Riri, bambo'lwami…” (riri, my love)
You turned slowly.
Shuri stood a few feet away, expression unreadable, but that same smugness from moments ago glittered in her eyes.
“Unjani?” Shuri sang, her tone dripping with familiarity. “Did you miss me?” (how are you?)
Riri’s face had gone stone-cold, her jaw clenched tighter than you’d ever seen it, her eyes dark with something you couldn’t name. Anger? Anguish?
They were in the middle of a silent stare down, tension building so thick you could feel it, and it was disturbing your comfort. You weren't sure what to brace for. Riri’s lip curled, like she would pounce at any moment, and Shuri’s smirk deepened, as though she'd welcome the attack without defense. All you could do was stand there, eyes wide as confusion began to consume you.
Finally, Riri spoke, her voice deadpan as she snarled in flawless Xhosa. “Nkosazana.” (princess)
You glanced between them, heart pounding. The air felt warped, pending implosion. Shuri’s smirk hadn’t faltered, not one bit, and Riri wore that murderous expression still, fury flickering in her eyes like a storm barely leashed.
“Wait…” You swallowed hard, voice cracking through the silence. “how the hell do y’all know each other again?”
summary: you were on your way out. your uber was around the corner. but shuri decided to pay you a visit before you could even step out the front door, changing the entire course of your night.
word count: 8.2k
contains: just smut, with a teensey weensey bit of plot! (18+), dom!shuri, sub!reader, fingering (reader receiving), oral (both receiving), praise, strap!shuri, panther!shuri, dirty talk, strap sucking, panty sniffing, size!kink, possessive!shuri, slight mention of blood, creampie, rough sex, overstimulation
note: i was ovulating, i missed shuri, and i was listening to worst behavior on repeat. what can i say? this is my one and only contribution to kinktober. hope youse enjoy. mwah, mwah! xx.
The bass from your Bluetooth speaker still thumped faintly in the background as you twisted your lip gloss shut, and gave yourself one last look in the mirror. You looked good. Black strapless dress hugging your curves, doing wonders for your boobs, hoops glinting in the light, heels strapped up just right. Your phone was buzzing on the counter, a flurry of texts from your group chat hyping you up and exchanging ETAs.
You: Uber will be here in ten, see y’all in a bit.
And then you hit send, keys in hand, halfway to the door when your ears caught the low purr of an engine outside.
Not your Uber.
Something heavier—a sound you’d come to know quite well over the past few months.
When you peeked through the blinds, the culprit crept smoothly into view. An all-black Rolls Royce with windows tinted darker than midnight, and you knew exactly who steered behind the wheel as the car came to a languid stop in front of your home.
You scurried back over to the front door with a stupid grin plastered on your face, and opened it, stepping outside just as the driver's door swung open. Shuri exited the vehicle like she owned the night, composed of nothing but untested confidence.
She wore black slacks, and a leather jacket that hung open just enough to show off the crisp white tee underneath. Her golden Panther necklace rested against her chest, and when she tossed a grin over at you, her grills glinted under the moonlight, making you bite your lip.
But it was the bouquet that lifted a smirk to your lips. Impossibly red roses, with your name written all over them.
She closed the door with a quiet click, her gaze locked on yours from across the driveway. There was a calm fire in her eyes, a steadiness in the way she walked that told you just how much she was sure of herself. It took all the restraint you had not to sprint into her arms, you wouldn't be bested by her mere presence, even though you’d done it shamelessly in the past.
When she reached you, you inhaled deep and held your breath, wanting her cologne to inebriate you.
“Molo, Sphalaphala sam.” She flashed you a full smile now, grills and all, and their blinding sparkle almost blew you back. “These are for you.” (hello, my pretty one.)
“You know I love it when you speak Xhosa.” You giggled, unable to keep yourself from blushing as you accepted the flowers. “Hello to you too, my Panther.”
Shuri let her eyes graze your attire—the tight dress, the excessive amount of cleavage, the brand new Louboutins she’d bought you earlier in the week—and she bit her lip unabashedly. “You look… breathtaking.”
“Thank you,” You grinned, looking up at her with big brown eyes that sparkled under the moonlight. “But what are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were coming.”
This made Shuri laugh, and she dipped her head. “Do I need a reason to want to see you?”
Playfully, you rolled your eyes. “No. But I was on my way out. I have plans–”
“And now, they're changing.” Her words held all the conviction in the world, because of course they did, and luckily for her, you were attracted to her arrogance.
You parted your lips, ready to rebut, just as a black Lexus UX rounded the corner, pulling in right behind Shuri’s car. The headlights cut through the darkness in two clean beams, briefly sweeping across the porch and catching the glint of your earrings before dimming.
“Are you expecting company?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder before turning back to face you, one brow arched.
You took a step down the two porch steps, the wood creaking slightly under your heel, arm outstretched for Shuri to guide you. “That's Raul.”
“Oh.” Her face twitched, her smile slackened, and you watched as she tightened her jaw, her expression morphing into something dramatic. “I was unaware you’d taken an interest in men.”
You could cackle—you almost did. “Shuri, don't be ridiculous. Raul is my Uber driver. And, I’m making him wait, the longer I stand here talking to you.”
A breeze drifted past you, warm as it brushed the hem of your dress against your legs.
Shuri glanced behind her again, giving Raul a sympathetic look. Then she turned back to you, mischief already brewing in her smirk. “Give me a moment.”
You watched curiously from your front porch as she jogged over to the Lexus, shoes soft on the gravel. The motion-activated floodlight by your neighbor’s garage blinked on, backlighting her like she was on a runway. She knocked on the window, and Raul rolled it down skeptically.
For a moment, Shuri just stood there, speaking, gesturing with her hands in that animated way she always did when she was working someone. And then, they were laughing like old friends. Her and Raul. You scoffed quietly in disbelief, the bouquet crushed slightly against your chest. Then, she pulled out her wallet and slipped him a number of bills you couldn’t make out, but it was enough to make Raul smile and nod before pulling off, his taillights bleeding red down the block.
A beat later she was coming back down the driveway, grinning, all of her dazzling diamond grills on display.
“Okay,” She said as she approached you again, more confident than before, like that was even possible. “I took care of Raul.”
You stared at her, shifting the flowers from one arm to the other. “Did you seriously just bribe my ride?”
Shuri smirked. “Oh, bribe is such an ugly word. I prefer tipped generously for an early exit.”
You exhaled hard through your nose, barely masking your smile. “My friends are still expecting me, you know.”
“Well, you should call them,” She said quietly, stepping in closer to you. “Tell them something has come up. That you aren't going to make it after all.”
You narrowed your eyes in her direction, warring internally with the smirk threatening to break free. “And you're so convinced that I’m going to choose you, over hot wings and margaritas?”
She let a sly grin climb her features. “Yes.”
A moth fluttered lazily around the porch light, wings casting quick shadows across the railing. You were trying to stand your ground. Or, at least make it seem that way. You wore a stern look, wanting to intimidate, to cast doubt, to make her think you disapproved of her antics.
But you were failing. And Shuri wasn't buying it.
You were definitely going with her.
You were already reaching for your phone in your mind. Already figuring out how you were going to word the apologetic text.
She extended her arm again, and god help you, you took it. “I hate you sometimes,” You muttered, rolling your eyes as she led you toward her car, still playing the reluctant victim.
“That's the thing I love most about you, Sphalaphala sam.” (my pretty one)
•••
“Take off your panties and give them to me.”
You were mid-bite, forking a piece of roasted sea bass onto your tongue, when Shuri said it. For a minute, you thought you'd misheard her, but when you looked across the table, and studied her face, you'd found she was more serious than a heart attack. And expectant.
The restaurant whirred with low chatter and the occasional clink of silverware against porcelain, so thankfully, no one apart from you had heard her vulgar request. She was sitting there, posture relaxed, her wine glass dangling in her fingers as she moved to take another sip.
Her eyes were swallowed black as she stared at you, wearing the faintest little smirk. You hadn't acknowledged her demand, not with a response or reaction, but she was aware you’d heard her, and that was enough ammunition for her to go off of. Shuri was patient, you see, and it was not above her to have you sit here all night until you adhered to her.
Your skin prickled with sudden heat the longer she eyed you. Your neck, collarbones, and the inside of your thighs—arousal blooming too fast to hide.
You cleared your throat, sizing her up a little with your eyes. “This dress is way too tight for me to do that at this table.”
Shuri shrugged, nonchalant “Just try.”
You took that as a challenge, your brow lifting with a seductive curve. Your eyes flicked around the room—scanning, calculating—checking to see if anyone had eyes on your table. The low lighting helped; the ambiance was all moody shadows and murmured conversation, just loud enough to cover the sound of your heartbeat hammering in your chest.
You bit your lip.
Then, you stood. Just for a second, casual and controlled. But on the inside, adrenaline was pumping fast through your veins, and you could feel Shuri’s eyes locked on you, dark and burning with intent.
Your fingers curled discreetly into the fabric of your dress, gripping it just enough to feel the edge of your underwear through it. You exhaled a steady breath, then tugged. Just slightly. Enough to feel the garment start to slide. The hem of your dress shifted as the fabric underneath rolled over your hips, then slipped down your thighs.
You glanced around once more, heart pounding in your throat. There were still no eyes or servers nearby, just the weight of Shuri’s gaze burning into you.
The fabric was bunched in your lap now, caught loose around your knees. You used your hands to guide them the rest of the way, inch by inch until they fell around your ankles.
Your blood roared in your ears, but your face stayed composed.
When you looked up, there she was. Shuri, failing to sit still in her own seat, mouth parted slightly as she moved to bite her fist.
You let your smirk stretch wider.
Then, with the same ease you’d use to pick up a dropped napkin, you leaned down under the table all smooth like it meant nothing.
Finally, you stepped out of your panties.
After balling the damp fabric in your fist, you straightened again with a breathy exhale. And without saying a word, you reached across the table, took Shuri’s hand, and opened her fingers one by one, holding her stare the entire time.
Then you dropped the warm, sticky fabric into her palm.
She let out a broken, disbelieving laugh, wonder lighting up her face as her eyes panned down to the lacey fabric resting in her hand. “That was so fucking perfect, sthandwa.” She breathed.
“Satisfied?” You questioned, meeting her stare with a raised brow as you took a swig from your wine glass, needing to calm your fraying nerves.
“Pleased more so than anything,” She answered, lifting her stuffed hand to her nose.
You watched as she inhaled your wet panties, breathing you in deep with a sigh of contentment. Then, just as slyly as you slipped them off, Shuri slipped them into her jacket pocket, long lashes fluttering at you.
“I won’t be satisfied, until I have you naked and whimpering around me.”
Her words made you squeeze your legs together, the gesture putting pressure on your throbbing clit as you felt your quivering pussy leak onto the seat cushion.
Mischief flashed across your eyes like flares, “I think it's time you get the check, Panther.”
Shuri was flagging your unsuspecting waiter back over to the table soon after, a devious smirk forming onto her mouth.
•••
You’d barely cleared the threshold of the restaurant before Shuri’s hand closed around your wrist, firm and unrelenting as she hurriedly pulled you into the night air. It kissed your skin, the breeze, but it didn't do a damn thing to cool you down.
Your panties were still in her pocket, and her grip made it clear she had no intention of waiting until you got home.
“Get in,” She ordered, voice electric as she pulled open the door to the backseat.
You stumbled in, blaming the wine, your heels, the way your pulse was still punching at your throat for your clumsiness. Shuri shut the door with a thud, climbing in beside you, and you scooted your thick thighs across the cool leather seats.
“Griot, activate self driving mode.” You heard the low chime of acknowledgment, then the gentle growl of the engine as it came to life. The vehicle eased forward smoothly, gliding into motion like it knew not to disturb what was coming.
And then Shuri was on you.
In the somber, tinted shadows of the spacious backseat, she shoved you onto your back, kissing you like a woman starving. Her body was pressed tight against yours, pinning you to the cool leather as her mouth crashed into yours with hot, urgent ferocity. Your tongues tangled messily, your breathy whines swallowed by her lips, her hunger bleeding into every panting exhale.
The seat beneath you vibrated as the vehicle glided down the street, the occasional sway of the ride adding a reckless, swerving rhythm to her movements.
Shuri broke the kiss, panting desperately as she connected her lips back to your skin, dragging heat down your throat. She paused, stopping to bite your collarbone, the sensation sharp enough to make you gasp before it morphed into a tender lick. Her hands slid down your sides, mapping every curve, every dip, as though she were memorizing you through touch alone.
When her fingers found the edge of your strapless dress, she slowed, glancing up with that look—the one that asked for permission without bothering to hide how badly she wanted it.
You nodded, too fast, too eager, heart racing in your chest like it might leap out. “Yes,” You breathed impatiently.
She bit her lip, a flash of her grills catching the dim light, then tugged the fabric down until your breasts spilled free—warm, heavy, and aching for her mouth.
You moaned when she cupped one, lifting it to her lips. Her mouth closed around your nipple, sucking hard and slow. Your back arched, and a cry slipped out before you could stop it. The way her tongue circled your sensitive bud, then flicked just slightly, had your toes curling as you kicked off your heels.
She moved to the other breast without a word, lavishing it with the same attention, like your body was her altar and she had no intention of leaving any part of it untouched.
“Panther… oh Panther, yes…”
Her lips curled into a grin around your skin, dark eyes gleaming with mischief. “You're so beautiful, laid out for me like this. Like you're ready to beg for more…”
“More…” You whimpered, fingers moving to your chest to toy with your nipples yourself, trying to mimic the way she touched you.
“My impatient girl.”
She began bunching your dress up around your waist, and you shifted, propping yourself up on your elbows to help. It rode high, pooling at your midsection, baring the curve of your thighs and your softness.
Shuri paused.
Smiling. Admiring. Like every inch of your body was a gift you’d bestowed upon her.
“You want to spread these pretty legs for me, Ntomb'am?” (my girl)
She pressed a kiss to your kneecap, sweet and soft, then another along your shin, trailing lower, her mouth a brand on your skin. The smooth glide of the car gave the moment a strange sense of privacy, like nothing else existed beyond these windows and your body beneath hers.
And then, you opened your legs. Revealing everything.
The slick between your thick thighs glistened unmistakably before her, showcasing just how drenched, how sticky, and how ready you were for her. You watched her eyes widen—pupils dilating, jaw slack. She inhaled like your scent was a drug and she’d just caught her first hit.
“Bast…” She whispered, her voice thick with awe and need. Her fingers gripped your knee like she was seeking something to hold onto, eyes glued to the wetness between your legs.
The car turned gently, the movement rocking you both as if the moment itself had a pulse.
And still, Shuri didn't blink. Her muddy eyes were glazed over, her body flexing, like she was ready to worship.
“I need to put my mouth on you,” Shuri grunted, lowering herself as she settled between your thighs, her voice rough with hunger. “Tell me I can.”
Your eyes rolled back automatically, pleasure already coursing through you at just the thought of what was coming. You sprawled out beneath her, back arching slightly, completely at her mercy. “Put your mouth on me, Panther,” You breathed, voice trembling.
She growled, the sound guttural as it rattled through the space between your bodies. The second you gave her permission, she sank lower without hesitation, face inches from your dripping cunt.
You felt her breath first.
A gentle exhale against your wet pussy lips, hot and humid, making your clit twitch under the sensation. Your hips bucked on instinct, chasing more before she’d even touched you. Shuri’s eyes flicked up briefly. They were limitless and blown wide. And then she reached out, sliding one finger through your soaked folds.
She groaned, like just touching you was enough to wreck her.
Her fingertip stroked your clit with practiced pressure, coaxing a moan straight out of your throat. The pleasure hit sharp and sudden, like your nerves had been waiting on it. Your body twitched beneath her, thighs tensing around her head, and she just smiled.
“I love how wet you get for me,” She murmured, all praise and possession. “I could drown in you without even trying.”
And then her tongue was nudging at your fat clit.
She was lapping through your slick like she couldn’t get enough. Her nose brushed your mound, lips parting as she groaned into your pussy like you were her salvation. You whimpered, fingers shooting down to grip her curls, needing something to hold as her tongue worked you open.
She licked everywhere—long, slow strokes that gathered every drop you gave her. Her desperation poured through every movement, every sound, like she was trying to memorize your taste with every lick.
Her mouth climbed back up, circling your throbbing clit. The motion was easy at first, then tighter, faster, making you squirm underneath her.
The pleasure hit in waves, rolling, and relentless. Your hips moved of their own accord, grinding up against her mouth, chasing the flick of her tongue like it was the single thing keeping you alive.
Warmth coiled in your belly, tightening with every wet, perfect pass of her tongue, until it felt like your body might break from how good it was. Your thighs quaked around her head as your hands tangled in her hair, holding her exactly where you needed her. You were moaning, barely coherent.
“Please, please, please,” You gasped out in prayer, like Shuri was the goddess Bast herself, and you were begging for absolution.
You cast your eyes down to where she lived between your thighs, and the sight. Oh god. Shuri was devouring you like she needed it to breathe. Her mouth was messy and full, lips sealing over your clit as she sucked. Her tongue moved with purpose, alternating between soft circles and pointed, desperate flicks at your folds that made your breath hitch and your thighs clamp tighter.
“I know you're close, sthandwa, give it over to me.”
Her sweet praises, along with her greedy slurps at your pretty pussy were the driving forces behind your impending orgasm. Shuri was ravishing you with every stroke of her tongue, coaxing that climax nearer and nearer.
You barely registered the shift—the way her hand moved—until you felt the careful press of her finger slipping inside your tight hole. You cried out, hips bucking, as your velvety walls contracted instinctively around the intrusion. The fullness, the depth, the added pressure… it was all so much, and too perfect.
Shuri moaned into your cunt like your body was feeding her. “Your messes are always the prettiest.” She whispered under the weight of reverence. Her finger curled inside of you, assailing your most sensitive spot as you whimpered in pleasure. “Won’t you make me a mess on my tongue?”
Your eyes fluttered shut. Your back arched. You could feel your orgasm building. It was fast and explosive, ready to send a rocket straight through your bones.
Every nerve in your body locked onto the rhythm of her hand, the easy glide of her finger sliding in and out of your throbbing cunt, matched perfectly with her tongue circling your clit in tight patterns.
She was worshipping you, sweet praises spilling from her mouth between strokes.
“So sweet… so fucking perfect… and all mine.”
Your vision blurred. Your hand smacked against the tinted window, and your highs trembled around her shoulders.
Then, the tension snapped.
Your orgasm rippled through your insides, blinding and explosive. Pleasure barrelled into you at lightning speed, frying your nervous system, and you were left sobbing her name, your whole body jerking around her finger. Shuri fucked you through the aftershocks, never removing her mouth from your used clit.
She was smiling against your pussy, drunk on your cum, and still whispering into your folds like you were something holy. “That’s it, my perfect girl, give it all to me… So beautiful…”
You were still pulsing, breath uneven, when the heat between you shifted again. You needed more. You needed her. Your hands slid down to Shuri’s shoulders, fingers pulling her jacket off as you tugged her up from between your thighs. She rose leisurely, mouth and chin coated with your release, and the sight alone made your stomach dip. You didn’t care about the mess on the seat, the way your thighs stuck to the leather, or the passing cars outside the tinted window. You just wanted her close.
The moment her face was level with yours, you kissed her hard. Like you needed her to feel how wrecked she’d left you.
Your head tipped back, pressing into the cool glass of the window, and Shuri moaned into your mouth, the hungry sound causing your empty hole to pulse, needing desperately to be stuffed again. She began grinding against you, as if trying to let you know just how badly she needed you.
Your legs wrapped around her waist as you pulled her closer, tighter, until there was no space left between you.
She was panting into your mouth, practically whining, her hands shaking slightly as they fumbled against her pocket. You felt her shift. Then she pulled back, just barely, her lips brushing yours as she brought your panties back into view.
A wicked grin curled across her face as she dragged the soaked fabric along your pussy, teasing your sensitive skin with it, making you gasp and jolt in her arms.
“Panther…” You whined, biting your lip as your face scrunched up in pleasure.
Shuri lifted the delicate fabric, pressing it to her nose, and she inhaled deeply. “I cannot get enough of you.”
You giggled, breathless, flushed, still vibrating from your orgasm. And she grinned, eyes gleaming, wild with want.
Before either of you could say another word, the car gave a subtle ding, slowing to a stop in front of the glowing high-rise.
“You have arrived at your destination,” Griot informed coolly, the polite voice absurdly calm given what the backseat had just witnessed.
Shuri reached for the door, laughing slyly as she tucked your panties into her back pocket.“Come on,” She said, eyes blown with promise, “we’re not done.”
•••
The elevator doors slid shut behind you, and within seconds, Shuri had you pinned to the mirrored wall, mouths crashing together in a tangle of teeth and tongue. The ride up was far from silent, considering the sounds the two of you were making—ragged breathing, the wet, frantic noise of kissing, and the quiet clink of metal as your fingers fumbled for the buckle of her pants.
You had just begun to undo it when the elevator opened directly into her penthouse.
You both hurried out, hustling through the dark, barely able to keep your hands off each other. You tripped over a low step, bumped into a lamp, nearly knocked it over as you laughed breathlessly against her mouth.
Your hands fisted the front of her shirt, dragging your nails down hard enough for her to feel it through the expensive fabric. The gesture was a warning. A promise. And then, with a snarl caught in your throat, you ripped it open, your nails slicing through the material with a satisfying rippp!
Her chest heaved, black sports bra stretching across her toned, sweat-kissed abs, and your gaze devoured her. You didn’t wait. You didn’t ask. You shoved her—hard—onto the mattress, the impact bouncing through the frame as she hit the bed, a surprised breath catching in her throat.
Shuri barely had time to smirk before you were crawling on her, not a damn thing casual about the heat in her eyes as she watched you with her bottom lip tugged between her grills.
You dragged your tongue slowly down the length of her abs, feeling every dip and divot under your mouth. The taste of sweat, skin, her—flooded your senses, making your thighs clench automatically. Your fingers went back to her belt as you slid down lower, finishing what you’d started on the ride up here.
One strong tug and it clanged against the hardwood floor. And then you yanked her pants down, her boxers too, with them exposing her pretty, creamy pussy to the air.
You sat up to take her in.
There she was, just asking for you to take a taste. Her pussy was glistening, and you could see the need in her, the heat radiating from between her thighs.
When your eyes shot to her, you weren’t at all shocked by the sight that you found. Shuri was laying there with her arms tucked casually behind her head, pretending to be unbothered, but her jaw was twitching, her chest rising a little too fast, and her eyes were pitch black and locked on your salivating mouth.
“May I, Panther?” You asked sweetly, your words dripping with need.
She raised her brows. “Only if I get to taste you too.”
You blinked, caught by surprise, until her grin turned menacing, and you realized what she was asking.
“Come sit that needy little cunt on my face, sthandwa.”
A smile curled across your lips. You were delighted, and didn't need to be told twice.
You sat up, letting her shift further onto the bed, watching as she laid flat, arms still behind her head like she owned the moment. Once you’d fully peeled your dress off, and she was settled, you climbed on top, turned around, and hovered over her mouth, watching as some of your slick drizzled onto her awaiting tongue. Her breath brushed your folds as you positioned yourself above her. And then you slapped your fat pussy down onto her face.
Shuri groaned in satisfaction, bracing her arms around your thighs, and pulled you close. At the same time, you lowered your lips to her cunt, moaning out the moment her juices filled your mouth.
You didn't waste a second, not when she was so wet, and so ready. You spread her lips with your fingers, exposing her sensitive clit more so you could suck. Her flavor was still as addicting as the first time you had a hit. Sweet and sticky, exactly how you liked her. You licked her cunt with ferocity, allowing your tongue to glide in and out of her aching entrance.
Your entire face was soaked, and at the same time, Shuri was devouring you from behind.
Her tongue was everywhere, deep and forceful, rolling around your clit before plunging inside you without warning. All of her grunts and groans were swallowed up by your messy pussy, her hands gripping your legs as she pulled you down harder onto her mouth, grinding your cunt into her face like she wanted to drown in it. Her lips sealed around your jumping bud with a hungry slurp that made your hips stutter, your moans vibrating right into her center as you kept licking.
In this moment, the two of you were entirely consumed by greed.
You could tell Shuri was on the edge, so you sucked harder, feeling her thighs twitch as your tongue absorbed everything that she leaked for you. Her moans mixed with yours, the sounds bouncing off the walls of her penthouse bedroom, building a steady pace as bodies rocked, and mouths moved.
Shuri cursed as you lapped at her core, a string of words you didn't understand, and her hips began to stiffen against your face.
The strain was building, and that familiar tightness began to spread. You could feel it in your gut, a tension band winding so tight you thought you might come just from the sound of Shuri alone.
Beneath you, she was a force.
Her mouth kept drinking you in, tongue moving with vigor against your nub of sensitive nerves. She was clasping your perspiring thighs, fingers digging into your flesh as a means to both taste more of you, and steady her own spasming body.
You hadn't stopped either. You stayed locked onto her, lips wrapped around her slippery folds, as you teasingly dipped a finger inside of her. The more noise she made, the more it edged you closer. It was all so maddening, the way her hips jerked against your face, the way she breathed your name.
“Come for me, sthandwa,” Shuri growled against your pussy, her words muffled and wet, tongue circling your core with hard, punishing swirls. “Make a big, pretty mess all over my face.”
You were gasping, bracing yourself for your second orgasm to flood your mind and body, emitting only the sounds of somber, broken cries.
“Yes! Panther– I– Yesss…”
All of your bones rattled, as you came with a sharp shriek, legs trembling. Your hips bucked, but she held you down, kept licking, kept emptying your hole with her mouth, sucking until the orgasm tore you apart. You felt the cum trickling down your inner thighs, spilling right into her mouth, and she drank you in eagerly.
At the same time, you felt Shuri tense underneath you. Her breath caught, and her hips locked. She grunted in her chest as her first climax of the night slammed into her, almost knocking her lights out. You didn't let up on her though, because she hadn't extended the same courtesy to you. You sucked her through it, your own pussy getting wetter and wetter every time she twitched in your hold, making her take every unapologetic stroke she gave you.
Eventually, your muscles gave out, and your body shrugged against hers.
You couldn’t say the same for Shuri, though.
Your cheek had landed gracefully against her stomach, your breaths shaky, eyes barely open as you tried to make sense of reality. But, before you could fully recover, Shuri’s hands grabbed your waist and she flipped you onto your back, using no effort at all.
Your head hit the mattress, eyes wide as you blinked up at her, heart racing.
Shuri hovered above you, her toned body glistening with sweat. You watched her secure her strap into place, waiting for the member to materialize like you knew it would. Her lips were parted, swollen from kissing, and she ran her tongue lazily across them, catching every trace of you she hadn’t already swallowed. When the thick, girthy length settled near her pelvis, your stomach flipped.
“Are you finished?” She asked, almost like she was challenging you again. She stroked her dick idly, wrapping your panties—that you previously thought to be discarded—around her fist as she did. Her eyes fluttered shut for half a second, moaning at the sensation she was creating for herself. “Or can my needy girl go another round?”
You just smirked at her, your pussy pulsating between your legs as she tugged you closer to her by your ankle.
•••
You rose to your knees at the edge of the mattress, eyes fixed on the thick length strapped to Shuri’s hips. It curved slightly upward, sleek, and purple, and pulsing. The sight of it made your mouth water. You leaned in, kissed the tip once, then let your lips part, tongue tracing the underside with slow intention before taking her in deeper.
Shuri hissed through her teeth, her hands resting heavy on the back of your neck. “Fuck…”
You bobbed your head, slurping her dick in the sloppiest way, tongue swiveling around the tip as you eased her further down your throat. The silicone was warm to touch, and slightly textured, designed to mimic the real thing—but better. Shuri could feel it, all of it, every flick, every suck, every wet noise you made around her.
You pulled back, spit dribbling from your lips as you looked up at her through teary eyes.
Her head tipped back as her fingers tightened in your hair. “Shit… keep… going, just like th–”
But before she could finish the sentence, she let out a sharp gasp and jerked her hips back, dragging the strap out of your used throat with a loud, wet pop.
“Stop.” Her voice crackled slightly as she searched for the breath in her lungs. She looked at you through wild eyes, her pupils blown out with lust. “Lay down.”
She gripped your jaw, thumb brushing over your spit-slicked lips. “You know how I like you.”
Your heart kicked into overdrive, and you nodded, pushing yourself backwards with shaky legs, the weight of her gaze hammering into your chest. You laid down flat, spine arching as you positioned yourself exactly how you knew she wanted you: legs open, knees bent, arms above your head.
You were completely exposed for her, and your body ached for her hands and mouth, burning under their absence the longer she stood there, looming over you.
Shuri pressed her knee into the bed, climbing in after you, and settling between your legs like a puzzle piece. She ran a hand up your inner thigh, fingers wading through your drenched folds as her strap pressed hot and heavy against your entrance.
“Are you ready for me, sthandwa?” Her tone had dipped into something dangerous, rolling like thunder before the strike.
You were sooo fucking ready.
Shuri prodded at your clit with the tip of her strap, sliding the long member up and through your wetness, coating herself in your creamy release. She held your stare, her lips parting in sync with your own as she eased into you sweetly, bottoming out with the first thrust.
“Oh god–” You cried, your back arching off the bed as a wave of ecstasy washed through your system, coating every single one of your nerve endings.
She stretched you wide around her throbbing cock. It burned a little, but you reveled in the sting, and the entrancing sensation of being stuffed full. Her breath was hot and shaky against your skin, and you could feel the muscles in her back flex with restraint. She growled into your ear, sounding wrecked, as she leaned down to bury her face in the crook of your neck.
“Can I m-move?” She was sort of hoarse, voice gravelly and desperate.
She was barely holding it together, trembling inside your tight, dripping heat. It made your core clench around her just knowing she was this close to losing control. You smiled wickedly, turned on beyond belief by how undone she already was.
“Mhmm,” You whimpered, grazing your long nails languidly down her spine. “Take me, Panther.”
That was the only consent she needed as she pulled out for half a second, then rutted back into your depths with a guttural sigh. “Bast, you're so fucking tight, sthandwa.”
Her thrusts started out slower than you wanted, but you knew your Panther, and you knew this was just her warming you up. She was always gentle before she plundered your insides, giving you a false sense of security.
“You're stretching me so good with that big dick, Panther.”
Then, without warning, Shuri’s languid strokes turned rapid, unrelenting, and immobilizing. She was fucking you so deep, you felt her in your stomach, the pressure causing your eyes to roll back into your skull. Her thrusts were rhythmic, each slap of her skin against yours reverberating around her room. She kept her body flush to yours, nuzzling her head beneath your chin as she rocked into you.
Her mouth was right up against your ear when she growled, and you felt it more than you heard it. It was the most primal sound, rumbling out of her chest in the sexiest way. The sound shook you to your core.
Shuri wasn't just making love to you. She was claiming you—body, breath, and soul—staking her territory inside your cunt with every rigorous stroke.
“Mine,” She grunted between thrusts, her lips brushing a wet, open mouth kiss to your jaw. “You're mine, do you hear me?”
You couldn't speak, and you could barely think, the only thought bouncing around your brain being the desire to comply, to adhere to her every demand. Because yes, you were hers. You belonged to Shuri, wholeheartedly.
The way she filled you, the way she fucked you senseless was sensational. It birthed a sense of pride in your chest, knowing that you were the only one who witnessed this animalistic side of her, knowing that your pussy was the only thing to pull it out of her.
Your nails scraped down her back the deeper she tunneled, leaving angry, red marks in your wake, her supple skin splitting just enough to draw shallow lines of blood. And just as fast as they appeared, you watched in awe, as the scratches healed themselves, fading slowly beneath your fingertips like they were never there to begin with.
Her body practically purred with resilience, like it wanted to be torn apart and rebuilt just to keep going for you.
Shuri pushed up on her arms, sweat dripping down her temples, her biceps caging you in as her golden Panther necklace swung forward with every dive into your creamy walls, splashing your wetness.
This was your favorite part.
When she fixed her eyes on yours, their rich brown shade no longer recognizable. They were focused—ravenous as she plowed your pussy.
She was panting, snapping her hips forward with brutal force. “You like when I take what’s mine?”
“Yes, Panther,” You moaned, strangling the member she had buried inside you with your clenching hole. “Take this pussy, baby!”
Shuri’s mouth hovered a breath above yours, warm air kissing your already sizzling skin. “You feel how deep I am?”
“Ooh, fuck… Panther.” You twitched under her, your clit jumping as she pressed into you. “So deep…”
You moaned her name again and again, unable to hold back your broken whines. The way she controlled each of your breaths with her skillful thrusts was driving you closer and closer to the edge. You were clawing at her back, the sheets, practically anything you could get your hands on as she fucked you stupid, your doe eyes welling with euphoric tears.
Shuri pulled one of your hard nipples between her lips, nibbling on the bud, watching your face contort. All the while she drilled you still, stretching your messy pussy with her oversized length. She lifted your leg, throwing it over her shoulder in one swift motion so she could dig further, harder, faster, knocking into your g-spot like your wails were her prize for fucking you so well.
“T-Too deep,” You cried, struggling to bar her thrusts that just kept coming. “T-Too m-much.”
Shuri wasn't having it. “Move your hand.” She slapped your fingers away immediately, her voice turning stern. “I decide when it's too much. Now be the good girl I know that you are, and take me, yes?”
“Yes, P-Panther.”
She hadn't stopped. You didn't think she ever would, not that you'd wanted her to. You were too far gone to care, high in the clouds as you waited for the impending rush of pleasure to whisk you away. Your throat was raw from all the screaming, lips shining with spit—yours, hers—you didn't know. Didn't care.
You just wanted to come. And you would lay there, let her wreck you until she decided you'd earned your release. You wanted to please her, let her use your body however she saw fit, and then she–
…Pulled out? She pulled out. Sharp and sudden, the emptiness making you whine, your body trembling and aching from the sudden absence.
“Flip over,” Shuri growled as she stroked her slippery member in her fist. Then she spit on the head, lathering her saliva with your juices that already existed there.
You licked your lips, eyes transfixed by her actions, and you found yourself daydreaming, wanting to deep throat her dick once more, just so you could taste yourself all over her.
But Shuri snapped her finger, breaking your trance. “On your stomach. Ngoku.” (now.)
You obeyed immediately, heart pounding, heat flashing through your veins like fire. You turned over, sensitive nipples rubbing against the cool sheets, your ass arching up for her on command. The air hit your soaked cunt, and you whimpered from the exposure.
Fuck, you were so needy.
Behind you, you heard her moaning as she squeezed her strap, moving in closer to position herself back at your greedy entrance. Shuri slapped it against your ass once. Twice. Then she smoothed it through your folds, gliding into you moments later, and you screeched.
•••
“Take it, sthandwa…” Shuri grunted from behind you, dragging her strap in and out of your soaked, overstimulated cunt. “All of it, beautiful. That's it, doing s-so well.”
You couldn’t respond, not with words anyway. Your eyes were blown wide, unfocused, your hair tangled and damp against your cheeks. Drool pooled from the corner of your mouth, stringing down onto her pillow as your face pressed deeper into the plush cotton. The fabric stuck to your skin, warm and wet from spit and sweat, muffling your broken cries as Shuri rocked into you with relentless precision.
You were gone, floating somewhere between pain and pleasure, conscious thought long behind you. Each thrust shook through your entire body, your arms limp, your knees barely holding beneath you. Her strap had doubled in size sometime in the last ten minutes—a feature Shuri had conveniently forgotten to mention—and now it filled you past your limit. You were spent. Ruined—by the only person you would allow.
“Bast, you're squeezing me so good.” Her fingers were bruising as they indented your hips, and she pulled your ass back onto her cock again and again. The angle was brutal and perfect at the same time, hitting that buried bundle of nerves with each thrust like she’d mapped your body. “I’m so proud of you, I knew you could take me… no matter how big.”
You couldn't see, your vision blurred white at the edges. You could only feel. Every pulse of her strap, every time it twitched inside you. Every wet slap of her hips against your ass. And you could hear. You listened to the obscene, sopping wet sounds of Shuri fucking your cum right back into your heat with her oversized member.
You’d taken thick before. You knew girth. But this?
This was something otherworldly.
It hurt, but it felt too good for you to want her to stop. So you let her keep fucking you, stretching you wider as your creamy pussy swallowed every single inch of her dick.
“Keep fucking me like that, Panther,” You managed to breathe out. The words were muffled by the wet sheets underneath you, but you knew she'd heard you.
“Like this?”
“Yesssss… use my p-pussy. Fuck me… pleeease!”
“You know I love when you beg for me like that. Bast, look at you. You're so desperate for it, aren't you?”
You nodded against the pillows, “Mhmm! Slut me out, Panther.”
Your words excited her, and her thrusts picked up, becoming impossibly faster, like she was chasing something feral within herself. Your breasts jolted forward, as she continued her brutal rhythm, making your cunt cry for more. You were already trembling, already on the edge, and she knew it, that’s what made her more determined.
Your legs were jelly beneath you, shaking from effort, overstimulation twisting every nerve raw. You could feel her behind you, chest heaving, hot breath hitting your back in staccato bursts between every ragged moan. Shuri was a mess, whining and growling, saying your name like it was the only thing she could form.
The bed creaked beneath you both, loud and angry, screaming in protest with every movement. The headboard slammed repeatedly into the wall, the impact shaking the entire frame and leaving a growing dent in the drywall, but neither of you cared. Not even a little.
You reached up to grip the headboard, desperate for something to ground you, anything to relieve the pressure building in your depths, but it only amplified it. Your thighs quaked. Your breath hitched, and it felt like you were splitting in two around her throbbing dick.
“W-wait–” You cried out, though you didn’t even know if you meant it.
But Shuri didn't stop.
“Wait for what?” She panted, her words coated in lust. She punctuated her sentence with a long, deliberate stroke that made you sob into the pillow. “Surely you don’t want me to stop, sthandwa?”
Her hand slid around your hip, guiding you back onto her cock with even more force.
“You’re strong enough to take all of me, right?” She cooed, in that cruelly sweet tone that made your walls flutter around her. “You’ve been doing so, so good. I know you can adjust to my size. Do it for me, won’t you, pretty? Just… until I come.”
You couldn’t disobey her. Not when she spoke to you like that. Not when your body belonged to her this completely.
So you held on. You took it. You let her pound you with thrusts so punishing they made your eyes water as you choked on your bubbling spit. Your nerves were sparking. Your mind was unraveling. Your body was sore all over, clenching, pulsing, burning for relief, and when she bottomed out, you clenched around her involuntarily.
That sparked a flare inside her.
Behind you, you heard her choke on a moan as her rhythm faltered. “F-fuck… just like—oh, squeeze me just like that sthandwa, I’m going to–”
“Do it inside m-me, Panther,” You moaned, begging her to finish within you, needing to feel the warmth of her seed to send yourself over the edge.
And she did.
Shuri pumped one last forceful thrust back into you. Deep. Final. Filling. And she cried out your name, allowing her strap to spit her cum into your accepting hole. She held herself buried inside you as her orgasm swallowed her up, just rutting and twitching in pleasure.
The warmth of her cum drizzling into you catapulted you into your own climax, and it struck your system like lightning. Your vision was completely shattered as your cunt heaved around her, milking her through her bone rattling rapture.
The two of you were a chorus of moans, cries and gasps as your bodies succumbed to pure bliss. You were lost in it, riding it out together.
Even as the tension drained from your limbs, even as your breath slowed, Shuri kept moving inside of you, fucking you through it all the while, and you refused to stop her. Luckily, her movements were more tender now, all loving and docile.
She was worshipping your hole with her strap, making sure both sets of cum—hers and your own—stayed painted on your overused walls.
Finally, she stilled, chest pressed to your back, her lips brushing against your spine in a silent thank-you. She eased her cum-cover strap out of you, careful not to be too harsh, and you sighed at the emptiness.
“I–” She began to say something…
But was cut off by a loud CRACK!
The bed gave a final groan and then collapsed, the legs buckling, the frame slamming into the floor with a heavy crash that knocked the wind out of both of you.
For a beat, there was silence.
But then, you couldn't hold your laughter any longer.
You both dissolved into it, tangled up in each other, surrounded by ruined sheets, splintered wood, and the wreckage of everything you’d just survived.
She rolled onto her side, breathless, but still smiling. “This bed was made of pure Vibranium, you know.”
“So?”
She chuckled beside you, shaking her head. “So… it was supposed to be indestructible. Clearly, I severely underestimated your strength, sthandwa.”
“Uh-uh, don't try to blame me,” You scolded, amusement guiding your words. “You was the one damn near throwing my soul through the wall just now, I don't know what you thought was gonna happen.”
Shuri just smirked, eyes twinkling up at you, “Totally worth it.”
I quite frequently think about how someone was on here was masquerading as an 18+ person, engaging w ppl and fully conned the community, and the whole time they were WAYY underage. That shit will neverrrr sir right w me and is a hugeee factor on why I never returned from my writing hiatus
note: i had a blast writing this chapter. it's probably my favorite chapter i've written, aside from chapter 3. i love it so much please! i can't wait to hear all the feedback! riri makes me blush ahhh! anyway, hope youse enjoy!! mwah mwah!! <333
↬ series masterlist
“Come on, Ri,” Zariyah purred in that sultry way she did whenever she wanted to get her way. She lounged in the doorway of the en-suite bathroom, steam curling around her bare skin, nipple rings dazzling in the light. Her pose was deliberate, an invitation if Riri had ever received one. “I’ll wash your back. Give you a massage.”
She pushed away from the door, sauntering to the edge of the bed, still in her pursuit, determined as ever now as she'd hoped to coax her lover into the shower with her. “I’ll do that thing you like.”
It was a song Riri recognized all too well. She knew what Zariyah had been offering up, the image of the lust filled act flashing ever so briefly behind her lids. The familiarity of the sensation, elusively tempting. And on any other occasion she'd probably say yes, enthusiastically so. But not tonight. Not after what had happened downstairs. Your likeness alone had rinsed away whatever pull Zariyah’s body might have had.
“No thanks,” She hummed, light enough to pass as playful.
Riy pouted in resignation, muttering something about Riri being a buzzkill, then disappeared into the foggy bathroom.
She was grateful for the quiet, save for the hushed sound of water running against tile, but it wasn't a tough task to tune it all out. Riri rolled onto her back, the mattress sighing beneath her as she let the noise, and the scent of Riy’s floral body wash blur into static.
Her mind drifted back to you with ease, like she had never been interrupted in the first place. She used the constructed solitude to replay the night like a movie in her mind, honing in on her favorite scene.
The moment you kissed her.
You. Kissed. Her.
Like a giddy teen in love, she turned her face into the pillow, biting back the bashful grin threatening to take over. The memory sparked behind her eyes like a flare—your mouth crashing into hers, your body pressed so tightly she could hardly exhale, not that she’d wanted to. The whimper you’d let out when she touched you through your stockings. So wet, so sticky, and all for her. It’d been a thing of dreams before now, you wanting her, needing her, yearning for her. Your mouth, your heat, your hips—all of it affirming everything she’d only dared to hope.
She was high off it. Floating in it, with no plans of coming down.
The shower water still ran in the background, and she could hear Zariyah singing softly to herself as she bathed, a glaring reminder that someone else was here, another person that wanted her. But Riri didn’t care. The body in that bathroom was not the one she craved.
Riri resisted the urge to kick her feet and squeal, already tangled in the thoughts of the next time she would get to taste your tongue again. She could see it clearly, feel your fingers twisting in her shirt, her hair, your mouth moving over hers without hesitation. There would be no need to stop, no walls, no girlfriends, boyfriends, or birthdays pulling you two apart. She would savor it this time, take her time with you.
Her pulse tripped from the imagined sensation, a little rush of nerves sliding through her, but the good kind, the kind that came from wanting something so bad it made your hands itch.
She didn't even hear the water shut off when it did, hadn't noticed the thick clouds of steam billowing out from the bathroom until Zariyah cleared her throat, and Riri was forced to send her attention over to the girl standing across from her. Her red curls were damp, and she leaned against the doorframe, posing like she expected to be devoured on sight.
It was easy to decipher what Zariyah wanted, the routine carved into muscle memory by now—lingering glances, towel dropping to the floor, lips on collarbones, hands gripping skin. But Riri couldn’t summon the desire. Riri saw that hunger pooling in Riy’s eyes, but there was nothing to match it behind her own. Nothing that she could force.
She was sprawled across the king-sized bed, one arm draped across her forehead, the other resting idly against her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling.
“How was your shower?” She asked, her voice easy, like the question was an afterthought.
“Lonely,” Riy drawled as she began a slow, confident strut towards the bed, and Riri couldn't help but cringe the closer she got. “Would've been more fun if you were in there with me.”
Riri huffed out a laugh, eyes flicking over without moving her head. “We would've run up these rich people's water bill if I was in there with you.”
Riy smirked, leaning a knee onto the mattress. “How about we ruin their sheets instead?” She teased, biting her lip as she crawled closer.
Riri shifted slightly but didn’t sit up, her gaze still fixed on some invisible point above her. She already knew she wasn’t doing this tonight. “You gon be mad if I say I’m not in the mood?”
“Mad? No. Annoyed? Yes.” Riy groaned and got up, drying off with lazy swipes of her towel. “Because you fucking suck.”
“I’m sorry, Z,” Riri murmured half-heartedly, “I just… don’t got it in me tonight.”
Not for her anyway. Not when every nerve in her body was still keyed up from you.
Zariyah scoffed, pulling on a pair of panties. “Keem over there getting some pussy, but I can’t? Ain’t that some shit.”
Riri’s entire body went still.
The sheets beneath her turned cold, and she sat up slowly, vision suddenly tunneled. “W-what?”
Riri could tell Zariyah hadn't noticed the way her voice cracked as the word emerged, how wounded she sounded, she was too caught up in her skincare routine, casual as ever.
“I could hear ole girl when I was in the shower. Keem is definitely in that right now.” Riy laughed, still oblivious to the haunted look Riri was now sporting. “Happy birthday to him, I guess.”
The room dimmed. The blood drained from Riri’s face, and she couldn't hear anything else being said, just the pounding of her own heart in her ears. Loud and relentless.
You were with him?
She allowed the covers to swallow her entirely as Zariyah crawled into bed beside her, arm wrapping lazily around her middle. She smelled like eucalyptus and shea butter, and a lie Riri didn’t want to believe. Because how could you? After everything you said? After the way you looked at her like she hung the moon and the stars. After you kissed her like her lips were the only thing that could quell your agony.
After… needing you is like breathing to me.
Her monster stirred awake inside her, slinking out of the dark corner Riri usually banished him to when she was awake. He didn't creep out this time, no, he came full force, climbing right up her chest until he settled heavy in her sternum, his voice ragged and venomous as he whispered directly into her ear with no remorse.
Of course you let him touch you.
Did you really think one silly little kiss from you would be enough?
He sneered his words, and they didn't sound like questions, because she already knew the answer. Deep down she’d always known.
Riri’s eyes stayed open, unblinking against the dark as a single tear bled sideways into her pillow. Zariyah’s slow, even breathing was steady beside her, another cruel reminder that she was sharing a bed with someone she didn’t want, while the one she did want was across the hall, letting her best friend touch and taste what she had just kissed.
Maybe you deserve this.
Who goes after their best friend’s girl and expects a fairytale?
Every word was a nail driven deep into her skull. She knew she’d opened the door wide for him tonight—that kiss was an invitation—it was the key, and now, he could reach her even here, awake, sober, flat on her back in a strange bed.
This was her own doing.
Of course Hakeem was the better option. He didn't live in the shadows of his own mistakes, didn't cower away from a taunting boogeyman who thrived on his pain and fears like she did. Hakeem was good, and pure, he couldn't taint you like she would.
And maybe you saw that too, maybe the kiss made you realize the truth.
She was no good for you, no matter how much she knew you were the best thing for her.
Riri’s throat burned like she'd swallowed glass, and her stomach ached. She'd fallen from the high she’d previously been riding on, plummeted back down to earth where her dream had turned into a twisted, raw reality with shredded pieces and bloody edges.
You tried to take something that wasn’t yours, the monster cooed. Now watch him keep it.
•••
Riri rose before the sun had fully climbed the horizon, not that it mattered though, she'd barely slept through the night. Her mind was a punishing loop, keeping her awake with harrowing, imaginative stills of what you and Hakeem could be doing across the hall. But when the house finally settled into silence, there was no need to imagine anymore.
She heard it—heard you.
The truth traveled to her in the form of hushed moans. Every muffled kiss, every sharp inhale, every soft, broken whimper Hakeem pulled from your throat seeped through the walls. And she forced herself to listen, to endure the pain curling in her chest until the images in her head, and the deafening sounds echoing in her ears knotted themselves into something she knew she’d never be able to untangle.
Beside her, Zariyah's arm was slung heavy over her waist, her breath slow and warm against the back of Riri’s neck. She was careful not to wake her as she shifted, and slid out from beneath the suffocating weight, the sheets whispering against her skin as she slipped free.
The house was quiet, and the sky was still smeared in that soft, gray-blue haze of early morning. She padded down the stairs, the wood cool under her bare feet. Her plan had been simple, caffeine first, thoughts later.
But as soon as she rounded the last step, her body stiffened.
You were there, sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over your phone, a steaming mug in front of you. Your hair was slightly mussed, and you wore only a rumpled t-shirt, one Riri recognized with ease.
It was Hakeem's.
You looked up at her, and Riri felt the air freeze between you, a slow choke settling in her lungs.
Her pulse jumped, and she felt the vibration in her throat, in her fingers. She had no clue what to say, because every possibility felt wrong. You were unaware of her knowledge, about the noises from your room, about Hakeem’s voice carrying low through the walls. And she wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear you lie about it if she inquired.
“You, uh… made coffee?” She questioned, her voice sounding as scratchy as her throat felt.
“Mhmm.” You nodded, gesturing toward the machine on the counter. “Took me a while to figure out how to use it but… uh… yeah.”
Riri shifted past you, resisting the magnetic pull of your perfume that called to her with every step she took. She busied herself with the machine, letting the gurgle of hot water and the sharp hiss of steam fill the silence. The ceramic was warm in her hands when she poured herself a cup, but it didn’t relax the tightness in her shoulders.
When she finally turned back to face you, she opened her mouth, ready to break the stalemate, and she noticed the way your lips parted at the same time, like you’d been working up to it too.
But before either of you could speak, footsteps creaked down the stairs, and Zariyah’s voice cut through the thick air. “That was probably the best sleep of my life,” She sang, still halfway down the steps, hair pulled up, her sweatshirt hanging loose off one shoulder. She looked straight at you, then over to Riri. “Is there more coffee left?”
And just like that, the moment was gone.
The rest of the morning blurred by with the four of you moving through the motions, tidying up the house, restuffing overnight bags, stacking empty cups and plates without much more than the usual small talk. Riri hadn’t found herself alone with you for more than a breath, not long enough for a single real word to pass between you, and she was beginning to believe this was by design.
Perhaps it was your guilt causing you to plaster yourself at your boyfriend’s side, your hand in his, your smile a little too fixed—a version of normal you were performing for the sake of the crowd.
You may have fooled everyone else, but not Riri.
She'd learned you well enough to deduce that you remaining in Hakeem's company for this long was nothing short of abnormal. The avoidance was transparent, tucked messily between the far too casual exchanges and the near-misses when your paths almost crossed but didn’t.
Riri didn't force it though, didn't linger like she usually would. Instead, she chose to observe silently, and take mental notes of the oddities she noticed in your behavior. She took it all on the chin, despite the dull ache blossoming in her chest. Eventually, she slipped outside and into the car, letting the cool air calm her nerves as she waited for the rest of you to pile in. And by the time the last bag thudded into the trunk, her hands were already firm on the wheel, ready to hit the gas the moment someone gave the word.
Zariyah climbed into the passenger seat beside her, and you and Hakeem took the back, naturally falling into each other's space. He slung an arm lazily over your shoulder, your head tilting to rest below his chin.
Riri kept her eyes on the road as she drove, jaw tight and ticking, but every once in a while she caught herself glancing at the rearview, searching for the endless orbs that belonged to you. The angle was enough for her to meet your gaze. It was intended to be a quick lock, nothing that lasted, nothing that lingered. But, as always, she ran into the same lesson she was meant to relearn every time her eyes met yours.
She never wanted to look away, she couldn't look away. It was a tug-of-war with her own body, every fiber protesting, like turning away from you might split her in two. You graced her with a small, fleeting smile before abandoning the moment, and that pesky muscle in her cheek kept on twitching.
When she inevitably pulled up to your apartment building, you and Hakeem hopped out together, thanking her, and saying your goodbyes before strutting off hand in hand. She stayed parked longer than she meant to, idling behind, watching you walk towards the lobby doors. Hakeem leaned in to murmur something in your ear, and Riri watched as you threw your head back, your laugh spilling into the air. To her, it all felt so deliberate, like you were taunting her, pressing her face into it the way you’d scold an unruly animal.
But, was this not to be her punishment?
“We going? I gotta be at work by one,” Zariyah’s voice cut through her haze, making her blink.
“Yeah,” Riri muttered, eyes still trained on you and her best friend until you disappeared inside completely. Her fingers flexed against the steering wheel, and she shifted the car into drive. “Let's go.”
•••
After she dropped Riy off at home, Riri headed straight to the only place she knew would offer solitude.
The garage smelled like hot metal and motor oil upon entry, familiar scents that always grounded her. Riri stood in the center of her equipment for a second, just taking it all in. She was surrounded by the skeleton of her Mark III suit, suspended titanium hanging from hooks, and wiring guts spilled across her worktable. She basked in the quiet. It was different here, all encompassing, but in no way suffocating. It loosened her muscles, de-fogged her brain.
The silence in here didn't demand anything of her—she could just be.
Riri stepped over a stray torque wrench on the floor, weaving between crates of scrap metal and prototype parts until she reached her workbench. She dropped into her chair, and kicked it back with one foot so it would roll into position. The stool squeaked under her as she leaned forward, elbowing a clutter of socket heads and microprocessors to the side so she could set down her laptop.
She lifted the suit’s chest plate onto the table, and dragged her palm across the cool metal, tracing every scratch and scuff embedded into the material with a little smirk playing on her lips. She then spun to grab her welding mask from its hook, and snapped it in place.
Mask down, torch in hand, Riri wasted no time vaulting headfirst into her work. The world had dimmed around her, like it always did when she fell into her element, the hiss of tools drowning everything else out. Sparks flew, bouncing off her forearms in sharp bursts as she welded two plates along the shoulder of her armor, creating clean seams, closed and perfect, like it hadn't been damaged on her last mission at all.
Then, she swapped the torch for her laptop, removing her mask entirely, and powered it on. A flick of her fingers brought the screen to life, along with the AI framework she’d borrowed from Shuri.
Or, at least the guts of it. Riri had stripped Griot all the way down to its raw code, studying the intricacies like they were written scripture. She still wasn’t sure how she’d managed to walk out of Wakanda with it without Shuri noticing, but the silence since then had been telling. If the princess had noticed, she clearly wasn’t losing sleep over it. Then again, Shuri never really lost sleep over much, especially these days.
She shook her head hard, doing away with the image of Shuri in her mind. She wasn't here to daydream about complicated people she had no business wanting—exes included. She was here to work and lose herself in her creations, the most important one being developing her own AI. She wanted something that differed vastly from Griot, something sharper, something that was distinctly hers.
Riri wanted her AI to think with her, not just for her, and that meant mapping the inner workings of her brain, down to the finest signal. She clipped a bundle of wires to a half-built neural interface, connected them to her computer, and then, she taped the opposite ends of the cords to her temple, flinching slightly at the sting of electricity. The processor was humming to life soon after, running initial scans, reading the quickfire synapses and patterns of her brain.
And as she sat there, arms folded as she waited, Riri became a victim of sleep’s undertaking. She hadn't noticed her eyelids growing heavier, hadn't paid attention to the way the gentle vibrations against her skull had begun to lull her. If she had, she would have forced her body to protest, but it was too late. The line between focus and fatigue blurred, and somewhere between a blink and a breath, she drifted under.
The garage dissolved around her, leaving in its place, the sharp, metallic scent of blood in the air. The screech of tires on asphalt. A hollow, ringing silence that came after the screaming stopped. She couldn't recognize Natalie’s laughter anymore, couldn't find her father's voice. That day replayed, merciless in its clarity, every painful, disorienting frame seared into her tendons.
For a moment, she just sat there. Immobile. Unblinking. She wanted to scream, but her throat burned hot, rendering her speechless, and helpless.
She couldn't help them.
She didn't help them.
Shame crept in first, and she knew he wasn't too far behind. Her monster. He didn't seem to be in a rush—he knew the process. The slower he edged in, the messier her mind would be, and the more devastation he had to feast on. He made her do all the work for him, dragging herself through that nightmarish loop, until she was raw enough for him to step in and gorge on what was left.
His voice curled around her, dark and smug like thick smoke.
Building your little toys will never make you forget.
You didn't help them.
You let them die.
His words filled the empty spaces inside her that she couldn't protect, where her doubts thrived, and her self image lived fractured. They hadn't been loud, but boy were they strong, packing a force almost powerful enough to cause her irreparable, internal wreckage.
Do you really think it was fair that you got to survive?
And in the way only he could, he made the grief and the guilt indistinguishable, one long ache she’d carry until he decided she didn’t have to anymore.
What would they say if they knew about your current proclivities? Wanting what isn't yours?
It was then that she jolted awake, attempting to claw herself free from her monster’s thorny grasp. Her chest was heaving, her skin was damp with a cold sweat that made her feel like she took a dive in the deep end and almost drowned.
The essence of the nightmare lasted still. It twisted around her ribs like barbed wire, sharp enough to puncture flesh every time she exhaled.
Her monster lingered too. She could hear the echo of his voice from where he retreated to in the back of her skull. Smug and satisfied he was, leaving her dizzy, her head tilting forward as if the weight of it might topple her.
The sharp beep-beep-beep of her computer aided in yanking her further from the darkness, but not all the way. Her hands still flexed against her thighs, searching for something—anything—to anchor her back in her own body. She swallowed hard, fighting the tremor in her lungs.
And then, in the midst of it all, she found you.
Not here, not physically, but in her mind, you bloomed. Your lips emerged first, the fire-soft press of them against hers, still vivid enough that Riri swore she could taste you if she tried. Your smile was next. That quick, shy curve that destroyed her willfully each time she witnessed it. And your eyes—fuck, your endless eyes—pools of chocolate that seemed to melt just for her, even though you’d probably deny that to be true if she asked.
You hadn't appeared as just a distraction; you were a tether. And she let you lead her out of the nightmare, back into the rhythm of the real world. She felt her pulse begin to slow. Her breathing evened out, and she leaned back in her chair, allowing your lasting essence to soothe her entirely.
You were her center—the one thing that could pull her from the carnage.
Usually, Riri hated how easy it was for you to wreck her equilibrium without even being in the same room, but right now, she was beyond grateful for it as she blinked the world around her back into focus. The garage took shape again, cold concrete floors, the faint whirring of her machines, the sharp tang of burning plastic riding the air.
Her gaze panned down to the source of the acrid scent: her laptop, smoking like an angry tea kettle.
“Shit, shit, shit!” She hissed, yanking the melting wires from her forehead and tossing them aside before shutting the entire system down. The AI attempt was fried—again.
Riri sighed, and sat back, watching as a thin swirl of gray vapor drifted toward the ceiling.
Not her first crash-and-burn, and she knew it wouldn’t be her last, but still, she couldn't pretend she wasn't annoyed. She decided then, that it was time to close up shop.
Hours had passed without her noticing, and when she finally glanced outside, the sky was swallowed by darkness. She was still in a haze when she got up, trying to tidy up the best she could, though, she quite liked her clutter—everything was always where she left them when it became time to find them again. Riri killed the lights, allowing the shadows circling around her to reclaim the corners once more. And then she grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder as she stepped out into the cool of the night.
The air was sharper outside, the kind that woke you up whether you wanted it to or not, but Riri definitely wanted it to. As she approached her car, she caught her reflection in the tinted window. Her face stared back at her, eyes tired, rimmed red, slight bags forming under them. She exhaled shakily, almost amused at how bad she looked, like her guilt had started painting itself on her skin for everyone to see.
Still, she got in the car, tossed her bag into the back seat, and started the engine. It thrummed to life, filling the previous silence, and with nothing else to focus on as she drove, Riri’s mind wandered where it always went—back to you.
And now, she had something much more than stolen moments in apartment lobbies and libraries to anchor herself to.
A kiss.
A kiss that flipped her world on its axis.
She didn't want to lose that feeling. Despite the shame knotting in her stomach, despite knowing what it meant and who it hurt, she couldn’t sever that connection.
What would Nat think of all this? Something Riri found herself wondering about constantly. She would probably smack her upside the head initially. Tell her how fucked it was to want your best friend’s girl.
She could hear her now.
“Ri are you crazy?! She’s dating your friend? Like in a relationship, dating?! And you tryna fuck on her? I don't know, that's kinda…”
“You need your brain rewired. But then again… this does not surprise me.”
But under it all, Riri knew there’d be understanding there. Nat knew the way the heart bent logic all out of shape sometimes. She was always good for offering sympathy and judgment all in the same breath. The thought made her laugh a little, until her dad’s face appeared in her mind, and she stilled.
His image was heavier, his disappointment more tangible than Nat’s. He would like Hakeem, no doubt. Maybe even love him. And Riri wasn’t ready to touch the weight of that truth. Not yet.
So she went back to you, and she let the memory of your mouth and touch guide her. The streets rolled by without her noticing, block after block after block of blurred streetlights and passing cars, until she blinked and realized where she’d ended up.
Parked outside your apartment, like you’d summoned her directly to you.
•••
Riri sat low in the driver’s seat, hood pulled over her head, one hand drumming on the steering wheel while the other held her phone. The azure glow from the screen painted her face, leaving it as the only part of her body illuminated in the near pitch black of the parking lot, save for the occasional flickering street light overhead.
Her knee was bouncing in rhythm with the car’s engine as she stared at the message she'd typed and sent.
Riri: you up?
You’d read it six minutes ago and counting, with no reply.
Her jaw flexed. Her eyes flicked from the screen to your building, tracing the familiar outline of your bedroom window. Soft yellow light spilled through the glass, mocking her almost. She knew you were awake. She could just picture you in there, barefoot, probably curled up on your bed in a cute little lounge set, scrolling through your phone.
So why weren’t you answering?
She slouched deeper into the seat, staring through her windshield at the building. What the hell was she even doing here? She told herself it wasn’t intentional, she just… ended up here by happenstance. The steering wheel had a mind of its own, the universe made it so. Or any other bullshit excuse she could think of to shift the blame away from herself.
But she knew the truth. Her body, mind, and heart knew she wanted to be here. She needed to be here, needed to see you.
She wouldn't be able to ease her nerves if a conversation about everything that happened last night wasn't had. Riri wasn't keen on loose ends, or miscommunication. She needed to know where the two of you stood.
So here she was, parked outside your place in low light, waiting for you to acknowledge her text message, and her existence alike.
Maybe Hakeem was up there, lying in bed with you, and that's why you couldn't text back. But she hadn't seen his car outside. She'd scoped the scene out as she pulled in, and she knew he wasn't here. Which left only the conclusion that you didn't want to talk to her. The thought made her audibly gulp, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, adjusting her hoodie as if trying to hide herself out of sheer embarrassment.
But then, just as her phone screen was about to dim, and go out completely, it buzzed in her palm, reviving the brightness once more.
You: a ‘you up’ text? seems a bit cliché, no?
Her heart lurched, before taking off on a full blown sprint down the road, and Riri huffed a laugh. That stupid grin was already spreading across her face, and she didn't even try to stop it.
Was this you… teasing her?
Riri: i’ll take that as a yes
Your reply came almost instantly this time.
You: yeah, i am up actually. i’m working on our presentation for the delta lab symposium that's coming up. you know, the one we’re supposed to be doing together? 🙄
Riri: oh yeah, i keep forgetting about that
Riri: but anyway, i’m outside
She anticipated the pause that followed. The bubbles at the bottom of her screen appeared, then vanished. Appeared again. Vanished again.
She chuckled, and shook her head. “So this how we playing this?”
And then…
You: do you know what time it is? why are you outside my apartment?
She responded without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Riri: sooo, are you coming down, or no?
More bubbles. Disappearing. Coming back. Disappearing again. Longer than before this time, and Riri felt like she was watching paint dry.
Five minutes went by, seven, nine, eleven.
Her mind ran to the worst case scenario. Maybe you’d realized how fucked this all was, blocked her number, and went to sleep. Why else would you stop replying so abruptly?
Maybe you–
You: fine.
She exhaled hard, like someone had punched all the air from her lungs, and she felt her jaw loosen, doing away with the previous tick that she thought to be permanent. She felt her smile stretching, unfurling into something uncontainable, so she bit down hard on her knuckle to keep it from spreading. Her eyes traveled to the front doors excitedly, and she waited impatiently until she saw them slide open, and you step out into the night.
•••
The first thing you said upon entering Riri’s car was, “Hi,” after closing the door with a slight thud.
It was a murmur, though she heard it just fine, and she internalized that singular word. But the thing she struggled to do next was offer up a response. She was too transfixed by the picture of you being here, right next to her in real time, to speak. You slid into her car with effortless grace, carrying a rush of warm air and the heady pull of your signature perfume, stronger now than she’d ever been lucky enough to breathe in.
Smoky vanilla and saffron.
A combination concocted by the heavens, made specifically for you to wield against her, to keep her spellbound like she currently was. Bereft of speech, and autonomy. You could immobilize her with just your scent alone. If only you knew the power you held over her, how much she'd let you get away with without objection.
It took her eons to respond, and when she finally did, she blurted the only thing on her mind. “You smell so fucking good.”
“Thanks…” You chuckled gently, shifting so your palms were now tucked under your thighs. “I was expecting like a hey back or something, but that works too, I guess.”
Riri detected a hint of nerves beneath your laugh, and her lips twitched. Even subdued, she could still make you blush.
“Never really been a fan of small talk.” She declared, eyeing you up and down.
You scrunched your nose, smiling, “What kind of talk are you a fan of then?”
Her own smile curved halfway, “Mmm… you don't want me to answer that.”
The two of you fell into a fit of laughter, effortless and refreshing. She let the sound of your giggles loiter in her head, playing it on loop even after it had diminished in real time. God, she would never get over how good it felt to make you laugh, the times it happened were few and far between, but she knew she wanted to keep doing it.
“You're probably right about that.” You adjusted in your seat next to her, pulling the hem of your pajama shorts down and over your thigh.
Riri’s eyes dipped down immediately, locking onto your barren flesh, examining your body for a moment too long, before she dragged them back up to meet your gaze. “Nice pajamas.”
She'd been so bewitched by your fragrance when you first got inside the car, that she hadn't even paid attention to your attire. Well, not enough anyway. Your pajamas were fairly modest. Grey crop top, loose fitting grey shorts tied lazily at your waist, and an oversized zip up hoodie of the same color that was failing terribly at its job to keep you covered up.
She was trying not to stare, though resistance proved to be difficult. Every time you moved even a little, the fabric sticking to your body would ride up. Her pulse would skip, her eyes kept flicking back to your legs, fixating on the subtle flex of your stomach.
You didn't just look good, you looked touchable. And fuck, it was killing her not to. She wanted to reach out, and run her nails along your velvety, deep brown skin. Drag her fingers down your shoulders, your forearms, your thighs. Eventually, they’d wander inwards, drawn to your core’s heat, stopping only if you’d asked. But Riri had a feeling you wouldn't ask.
“You like my pajamas?” You questioned, voice flat and unimpressed.
“Yeah. They're cute. I like how they look on you.”
You rolled your eyes, “So, that why you came over here? To tell me you like how my pajamas look on me?”
“No,” Riri shook her head, biting her lip as she stared at you. “I came to tell you I wanna see what they look like off you. Pretty sure I’d like that waaay more.”
There was that laugh of yours again, so infectious. “You always been this corny?”
Riri nodded, “Been a certified cornball my entire life baby. Got no shame in it.”
“You don't got no shame about nothin’, that's ya damn problem.”
“I’m sure it is.” She chuckled. “I think I’ll be alright though.”
The quiet that followed wasn’t awkward, not really. It was the kind that made the air buzz, the kind where every unspoken thing between you pressed at the edges of the conversation, just waiting for their day in the sun. Riri’s knee was bouncing, but she swore it wasn’t from nerves, it was energy. You were right there, close enough to kiss if she just leaned in. And she wanted to. Badly. Her eyes fell to your lips, studying their perfect, permanent pout. But she stopped herself, finding your face again.
Not yet.
“This gonna be a regular thing now?” You were drawing circles on your thighs with your thumb, bashfully averting her gaze.
Riri raised an eyebrow, “Define this.”
She was curious to know your answer, though she had little hope it’d be the thing she wanted to hear.
You cleared your throat nervously, then chewed on your lip a little before answering, “This being you texting me, and showing up here in the middle of the night.”
Riri shrugged, “Depends on if that's how you want this to go.”
You turned to look at her, eyes catching, and she unearthed curiosity in your irises, maybe even a twinge of uncertainty.
“Is that how you want this to go?” She quizzed again, needing you to heed the urgency in her tone without seeming desperate.
“I don't know.”
She figured you'd say that. It was the truth afterall, and she couldn't blame you for speaking it, even if it did sting a little in the ears.
Her eyes softened the longer she sat there studying you, and her heart hurt as she began picking apart every flicker of expression on your face. Your mind was moving fast, spinning out of control, searching for a semblance of rationale that you would never discover. So she decided to offer what she could instead.
Her hand slid across the car’s center console, fingers brushing yours before curling around them, fitting between them like they were meant to meet. And the spark was instant, surging up her arm, and burrowing deep into her chest. “How are you feeling?”
She asked the question without malice, hoping you'd appreciate the sincerity.
“Still trying to figure that out too,” You admitted, voice low. “It feels like every cell in my body is on fire, and I can’t put them out.”
Riri’s brows lifted a bit, “Do you want to? Put the fire out I mean.”
“Some days, yes. Others, no.”
“What about right now?” She asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.
You took your time answering the question, your contemplation forcing the silence between you two to simmer. It made Riri begin to question if she'd pushed too far, but then–
“No.”
She breathed out, almost triumphantly, nodding along with your answer. She hoped you'd say that, so she could lay that tiny sliver of doubt in the back of her head to rest.
“How come.”
The way you looked at her now, with your skin bathed in moonlight, and your umber orbs leaking innocence, she felt like a fool for even asking, when the answer was so painstakingly evident.
“Because,” You began, eyes dropping to her lips for half a second, maybe less than that, before you brought them back up to bore into her soul once more, “my fire burns hottest when I’m around you. But it doesn't hurt. It's comforting. Grounding. Steadies me when I start to tilt.”
Riri stayed silent, allowing you to get it all out, the words she’d been dying to hear you fess up to for months. She hadn't anticipated how difficult they would be to hear though. Not because they hurt, but because each one was like a lightning bolt to her flesh, charging her up so much that she thought she would combust.
“I think–” You exhaled, flailing a bit as you tried to find the right words, “I think my fire burns for you, Riri, not because of you.”
Her mouth curved, and a laugh slipped out. Not mocking, but totally sardonic in that true Riri Williams fashion, “What’s the difference?”
She watched you suppress a grin, and bite back your blush before you started speaking, “The difference is…” You shifted your attention down to where your fingers interlocked, making it your focal point as you continued, “When a fire burns for a person, it's not destructive. It's not meant to consume you. It's meant to keep them warm, keep them safe.”
“I make you feel safe?” Riri’s breath hitched on the end of her sentence, and her voice cracked. Your words had slipped into her fortitude, and broke something open. She wasn't used to hearing things like that, quite the opposite actually. You had no idea what it did to her to be told she was good for someone, that she could provide safety in this perilous world.
You nodded, biting your lip like a seductress. “Mhmm.”
She swallowed, her thumb unconsciously stroking over the back of your hand. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me right now,” She murmured, and it wasn’t meant to come out as desperate and damaged as it did.
Your head tilted slightly, eyes glittering in the dim light. “Maybe I do.”
That made her laugh, low, under her breath, the kind that formed in her gut. “See, this is why you're dangerous,” She said, shaking her head but unable to stop herself from leaning in a fraction closer. “You sitting there, looking like that, talking like that. What exactly do you expect me to do in this situation?”
“You showed up outside my building in the middle of the night, and I’m the dangerous one? Yeah… okay.” You teased, causing her to grin.
It spread lazily across her lips before she licked them, like she was savoring the taste of the truth in the air. “Touché.”
The tension between you two was supercharged, like a live, exposed wire one spark away from snapping, and causing everything to go up in flames. Riri’s heartbeat was a baseline in her ears now, deep and steady, a tick louder than the music playing in the background. Your gaze made her skin prickle, like you were reading through her, documenting answers you didn't have to ask for. That damn vanilla perfume was beginning to permeate her pores, her nostrils, settling into her veins, and traveling throughout her entire nervous system.
She'd never done fentanyl before, not her drug of choice, but if she had to infer, she’d say the sensation was akin to what she felt right now.
Once again, she felt herself longing for your glossed lips. Did you taste as delicious as you smelled right now? Though she already knew the answer was yes, it wouldn't hurt to double check, right?
You twisted your body to face her even more, and it felt deliberate.
Riri followed suit, inching in so she was nearer to you, fingers still intertwined, her shoulder pressing into yours as if trying to consume some of your flames.
Her voice dropped to something more sultry, more breathy, more needy, “If you keep looking at me like that, I’m not responsible for what happens next.”
Your smirk was small and taunting, as you whispered, “What's gonna happen next?”
She didn't answer right away. She wanted to savor the sweetness of this moment, make it stretch, make it last. Your mouth was merely a breath away from hers, and you had the devil dancing in your irises, confessing to her that you were prepared to experience the unholiest of things with her. And Riri needed to take a snapshot of this moment to hold onto forever.
As badly as she wanted to close the gap between you and her, to prove last night wasn’t some fluke or mistake, she knew she couldn't. Not with the memory of those sounds—those soft, airy noises you’d made for Hakeem—flashing uninvited across her mind. She pulled back just enough to breathe, forcing her expression to stay unreadable.
And instead of leaning in, she leaned back, and broke the silence with a casual, “We should probably talk about last night.”
You turned your head toward her, your expression impassive under the wash of streetlight through the windshield. “I thought that’s what we were doing…”
“Not in so many words,” She countered.
“Okay…”
The change was immediate. The way your voice turned deadpan, your shoulders tensed, a ripple of stiffness she could feel beneath her palm. You angled your face away from hers, breaking that thin electric thread that always thrummed between you, and her stomach dropped just a little at the loss.
She gave your hand a little squeeze of reassurance, wanting to still hold tight to you as her tether, but she had no idea if it landed. “You kissed me last night,” Riri said, voice careful. “Said a lot of things we didn't really get a chance to unpack.”
That was when you slipped your hand away from hers. Not a snatch, not angry, just… gone. And of course the absence of you stung, even if it was just your hand. Her stomach twisted. Your profile in the passenger seat was shillouetted, the glow from the dashboard catching on your cheekbone and the corner of your mouth. She wanted to cup your face, force you to look at her, but instead she stayed still.
You let out a faint laugh—sharp, disbelieving—and muttered something under your breath.
“What was that?” Riri questioned, furrowing her brows.
You cut your eyes at her, squinting ever so slightly, “I said. I wonder why we never got that chance.”
A flicker of irritation batted inside her chest. Why did it sound like you were annoyed with her? If anything, shouldn’t she be the one holding onto a grudge?
“Maybe because your boyfriend interrupted us,” Riri shot back. “And we were at his birthday party, where there were guests.”
“We could’ve talked afterwards,” You countered, heat edging your voice. “When everyone left. I actually expected us to. But you had an important shower to get to, remember? With your girlfriend?”
“What?” She asked, sharper now.
“You left me to go upstairs and shower with Zariyah. What, you got amnesia now?” You rolled your eyes, fiddling with your fingernails.
Riri let out a breath of disbelief, barely containing her own annoyance. “You know, I wish I had amnesia, actually. That way I would forget the sound of your boyfriend making you come all night long.”
All the color drained from your face, replaced by shame instead, “What– You heard–”
“Yeah,” She cut in without hesitation, leaning back just slightly, like putting physical space between the two of you might keep her from unraveling. “I heard you last night. Not like you was tryna be quiet.”
You hadn't said anything, just fixed your eyes on something far away, near the tree line in the distance. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. How did the two of you always manage to turn everything into an argument?
You swallowed hard, still not looking at her, “I just find it funny how you can fuck your girlfriend in the shower all you want, but I can’t–”
“I ain't fuck nobody last night,” Riri declared, her voice stern like a warning. “Let's get that clear.”
You head snapped towards her in a flash, “But I thought–”
“Yeah, you thought wrong.” Riri finally relaxed in her seat again, exhaling slow. “Look, I don't wanna fight, okay? That's not why I came here. I just wanna… figure all this out. I’m sorry.”
Your gaze softened a fraction, but your voice stayed sharp. “I only did it because I thought–”
That stopped her cold. Your confession landed in her chest, and unspooled something tight that she had never considered before. Jealousy, she realized—you’d been jealous. And you ran to Hakeem to try and quell it. Riri shouldn't be happy about that truth, her actions had pushed you into the arms of another. She should be furious. Hurt. And she was before, but now, she couldn't stifle the smirk breaking across her face.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now, Riri?” You scolded, catching her smize before it left her eyes. “You're smiling about that? Really?”
“No, I’m not.” She protested quickly, but her lips had yet to fall back into a straight line.
You laughed, embarrassed. “Oh goodness, you are unbelievable.”
And boy was she ecstatic to hear that glorious sound again.
“Look,” She said, her voice dipping, “I know how complicated this is…”
“Yeah,” You agreed softly.
“But,” She leaned in slightly, “I think we can make it work.”
Your brow furrowed. “How?”
Riri moved back, patted her lap. “Come here.”
“Like… in your lap?”
“No, on my face,” She teased without missing a beat, delighting in the way your body stalled, the way your lips parted like you weren’t sure if you’d heard her right. “Girl, if you don’t come over here, I ain't playing this game with you tonight.”
“Okay, okay, damn.” You giggled, climbing over the console. Your thigh brushed her arm, and your ass hit the horn by accident, the sound blaring through the quiet parking lot before you both burst out laughing.
“You gotta be careful dragging all that ass around,” Riri grinned, biting her lip as she caught you by the hips, then grabbing two greedy handfuls before pulling you down so you straddled her. “Might cause an earthquake.”
“Shut the fuck up, Riri. God!” You cackled, burying your face deep in the crook of her neck, breathing her in, and Riri had to battle the urge not to moan right there.
She didn’t tease you about how your warm cheeks sizzled her skin. Instead, she slid a hand up to cup your jaw, coaxing you to look at her. “I meant what I said last night. I can make all of this worth it, if you let me.”
Your eyes danced over hers, “How?”
Riri lowered the tone of her voice to something more intimate, more deliberate. “Do you trust me?”
You nodded, but that wasn’t enough for her. “No, I need to hear you say it. Do you trust me?”
“I shouldn't, but I do,” You inhaled shakily, “I trust you, Riri.”
The sound of it made her pulse kick up, heat pooling in her stomach, and she smirked slow. “Good.”
And then she kissed you.
•••
The kiss was not soft, or tentative—it was a collision, a great release, like both of you had been holding your breath for far too long, and finally dared to exhale. Your mouth was warm and faintly sweet, the vanilla from your perfume somehow blossoming on her tongue. Her fingers slid into your freshly washed hair, tugging and gripping just enough to keep you where she needed you.
You kissed her back just as violently, like you meant to take something, anything—everything from her, and she handed it all over without pause. Your mouth was hot, pliant, hungry against hers, your breath unsteady when Riri tilted her head to deepen the kiss, tongue sweeping over yours in slow, determined strokes that made you moan into her throat.
She didn’t even realize she’d pulled you tighter in her lap until your chest was flush to hers, your knees bracketing her hips. One hand stayed tangled in your hair, the other slid down your side, over the curve of your waist, fingers skimming under the hem of your pajama top until she felt skin. Warm, soft, intoxicating skin.
She let her fingertips map you like she had all the time in the world, trailing up your ribs, dipping around to your back, sliding lower again until her palm cupped your ass, and she felt a shiver run through you.
God, you were making little noises in the back of your throat—the kind that set her blood on fire, all for her and no one else. And she chased every sound, every stuttered exhale, until it was hard to tell whose breathing was more ragged.
Her mouth left yours only long enough to kiss the corner of it, then your jaw, then drag down to the soft, warm line of your throat. She felt you tilt your head back, granting her permission to keep going, and she smirked as she watched your pulse jump.
Riri’s teeth grazed along your neck, tempted to bite, to suck, but she was smarter than that.
And so were you, apparently, because you pulled back just enough to whisper a breathy, broken warning, “N-No hickies, please…”
“That's fine,” She chuckled, running her wet tongue languidly up the column of your throat. “There are other ways for me to mark my territory.”
When she found your mouth again, she was hungrier, insatiable. She was sure she’d never get enough, not in this lifetime, maybe not the next.
The Bryson Tiller song in the background was barely recognizable now, nothing more than a bass line syncing with her own heartbeat. All she could register was you. The press of your thighs around her hips, the slick slide of your tongue against hers, the way you were holding her face now like you were afraid she’d vanish if you let go.
And maybe she would’ve, if she were with anyone else.
Your whines were starting to get softer, more desperate and frequent, and Riri knew exactly what that meant. She let her fingers breach the waistband of your shorts, teetering lower and lower, waiting for just a hint of protest. But it never came.
Instead, you rocked your hips against her, pressing yourself harder into her thigh, and she used her free hand to guide you.
There was nothing subtle about your movements, nothing subtle about the way your breath was hitching as you rode her, and when you broke the kiss to drop your head to her shoulder, she just about fractured inside.
“Yeah,” She murmured into your hair, smug and reverent, “I know, baby. I know what you want.”
Your hips stuttered at that, and she smirked against your temple. She slid her hand fully into your shorts, surprised at the absence of underwear, and the vast ocean her fingers were now swimming in, a hint of pride blooming near her heart. “You gon let me give it to you?”
When you nodded your head along her neck, Riri felt triumphant. She had you right where she wanted you, and she wouldn't let you slip away so easily, not like she did last night.
“Turn around for me.”
You hesitated, blinking at her like you weren’t sure you heard her right. “Turn…?”
“Yeah,” She whispered, smoothing her hands up and down your thighs. “Back to my chest.”
You hesitated, only for a beat before moving. The motion was sort of clumsy in the cramped space of the car, your legs brushing hers, your knee catching the console, and you huffed out in quiet frustration. She almost laughed at how cute you were, but decided against it. When you finally settled with your back pressed to her front, she hooked her chin over your shoulder, pinning you to her.
The shift pulled your pajama top up just enough for your bare breasts to kiss the air, and like magnets, her hot hands were drawn to them. “Tell me to stop if this isn't what you want.”
You whimpered, the sound like music to her ears as you replied, “This– This is what I want.”
The encouragement only egged her on. Riri kept a handful of your left breast in one hand, tweaking and pinching your nipple, taking pride in the way you squirmed for her. The other crept down your abdomen, labored in its trek, stopping short just as she reached the waistband of your pajama bottoms. Her eyes found yours in the rear view mirror, assessing how blown your pupils were, how wrecked you looked already. She’d barely touched you, yet you were so far gone.
“How bout this,” Her fingers dipped past the elastic of your shorts with slow intent, still taking in your reflection with her gaze. “You want this too?”
“Yes…” You breathed, like you were on your last, and you were granting her permission to revive you with her touch.
That was all the confirmation Riri needed. She dove in fully, cupping the wet heat that had been waiting for her. Her thumb swiped across your slippery clit, and she just about passed out from the slickness. This is what she felt last night through your stockings, the stickiness she'd been feening for ever since.
You jolted at the first burst of contact, hips jerking forward instinctively. She smiled against your neck, dragging her nose along your jaw as her hand molded itself to you, massaging your sensitive bud in smooth, slow circles.
“This…” Riri muttered, her own breathing labored, “This is what I meant when I said I could make all this worth it.” Her hand moved lower, two fingers inching closer to and circling your dripping hole, before sinking in completely. “And I ain't just talking bout my hands–” Her digits flexed, catching that spot that made you exhale as she thrusted them in and out, in, and out. “I’m talking about learning you, knowing you. Like really knowing you, anticipating everything you need without you having to say it.”
“If you let me, that is.” She nibbled on your ear, letting the flurries of her words kiss your cheeks, and she watched you thrash each time she pulled her fingertips out just long enough for you to miss them. You were moaning loudly, barely able to keep your eyes open the deeper she fucked you. A gorgeous sight, one she'd fantasized about countless times, but it wouldn’t do in this scenario.
“Keep those eyes on me, baby.”
And you obeyed, somewhat reluctant as you trailed your gaze up to the rear view mirror to find hers, and Riri smirked. “Good girl.”
You were melting into her, thighs twitching against the seat, your voice breaking on a soft, “Ri…”
She could tell you wanted more, and in due time you would receive it, but she still had to have her fun in the meantime. She'd waited months for something like this to happen, and she was going to make sure it lasted, make sure your sweet essence had seeped fully into her system before she stopped.
“You don't know how long I’ve waited to hear you say my name like that,” She put more pressure on your clit, pressing in firm enough for you to cry out. “How many nights I got myself off to the thought alone.”
You bucked your hips, and your back lifted off her chest, like your body was running behind the contact.
Riri smiled to herself as she centered you in her lap once more, looping an arm around your middle to keep you still and flush against her, and then she continued, “I prayed for this to be my reality, prayed for you to be mine.”
Her expert digits stretched you wide, splashing around in your wetness as you dripped for her. Riri let out her own string of curses at how fucking tight you were, you were sucking her fingers into your deepness, swallowing her knuckles with your cunt. And shit, it felt sooo damn good.
“You're with me now, but I’m not sure if I have you.” She stared at you, memorizing your reflection. Every crease in your forehead, how your lips parted as you gasped for her. “Do I?”
You bobbed your head, gripping onto the driver’s door with a shaking hand as a means to keep steady. She fucked you hard, her strokes gaining speed as you wiggled in her arms, cry after cry echoing throughout her car. It was a good thing she had tints, she wasn't too keen on the idea of any random passerby witnessing you in this state.
Your pussy wept for her, streams and streams of slick gushing out as she knocked her digits into your nerves, and she wasn't confident in your ability to hold it for much longer.
“Words baby,” Riri corrected, thumbing your clit in tandem with her thrusts, “Need to hear you say it.”
“Do I have you?”
“Fuck, Riri! Yes, you h-have me!”
That made her tender heart flutter, that unabashed confirmation. “I don't care how messy this is, or how wrong it is, who it might hurt,” She breathed into your ear, continuing her steady strokes. “I want all of it. All of you. Even the parts you try to hide.”
You gasped, your hole clenching around her two fingers as an indicator. Your body was telling on you now, back arching, lips quivering. Riri sat up, embedding her chest to your back, and she was certain you could feel how fast her heart was hammering, maybe even hear it—she could certainly hear yours.
“I’m not selfless,” She admitted, voice shaking with something more dangerous than lust. “I know I want you selfishly. In every way you’ll let me have you. But I swear–” Her strokes were picking up, pulling more desperate grunts from you “This ain't a game to me. All I want is to make you feel good, always.
Mind, and body.”
“No one else can give you that. And no one else will.”
Another shattered gasp slipped past your lips, and she tightened her arm around your ribs, locking you in place. “I just need to hear you say it. Need you to tell me you want that too.”
You sobbed, biting your lip as you eyed her in the mirror, “I-I want that, so-so bad–”
“Yeah?” She fucked her fingers into you, with more precision now, knowing how close you were. “Tell me you need it.” Your pussy was begging her for more, and Riri was prepared to give, and give, and give. “Tell me you can't fucking live without it.”
She hissed those last words, plowing into you with ruthless vigor. Your tits were bouncing, wetness splashing all over her seat, but she couldn’t care less. She was hypnotized by the vision reflected back at her in the mirror, captivated by your fucked out features.
“I need it, Ri!” You wailed, writhing uncontrollably in her arms as you approached your impending climax. “Fuck, oh I– I need you, can't live without you! Riri, please oh my god!”
Satisfied with your declaration, Riri pressed hot, wet kisses into the back of your neck, coaxing your orgasm to the forefront with her thumb, “Come on, beautiful, don't run away from this. I know how bad you want it, how much you deserve it.”
She could hear your voice giving out, feel your walls flex around her. “Give into that fire and come for me. Come all over me baby. Make a mess on my seat.”
“Mmmm, Ri… I… Fuck me!”
One last stroke had you gushing onto the fingers she had buried deep inside you. You were twitching, barely awake as you went limp in her arms, and she rubbed circles into your back to soothe you. “That was so fucking good baby. You did so good. M’so proud of you.”
Riri eased her cum covered fingers out of your pussy, lifting them to her lips, making eye contact with you in the mirror as she sucked them clean. You tasted holy. Like heaven, like the universe, your flavor painting galaxies behind her lids. She watched cheekily as you shied away from her lewd act, groaning in embarrassment and tucking your face into the crook of her neck.
“Don't be getting all shy now,” She cooed against your face, voice still rough from everything she’d just done to you. “You made the mess. I just cleaned it up.”
You rolled on your side, half covering your face with your hands like you could hide from her. “Oh my god, stop talking.”
Riri laughed, the sound quiet and self-satisfied, but it faded into something more serious as her gaze lingered on you. Your hair was a little messy and sweated out, lips pouty and bruised, and your perfume still fogged the car’s air.
Perhaps that was why her next question came with such ease. “Do you regret it?”
It was a meek sound, a little wounded as her insecurities weighed her words down. But here, in the afterglow, she couldn't shake the desire to know.
You turned to her then, “Look at me, Ri,” cupping her cheek in gentle reassurance. It was a struggle to meet your eyeline, probably because she feared your divulgence, but your request had been so delicate, she couldn't avoid your stare for too long.
“I don't regret it. Not any of it,” You stated it like a fact, making her heart pang. “I know I should, because I know what this means, and there's no taking any of this back. But I don't regret you, Riri.”
And you pulled her close, meshing your lips to hers. It was a brief kiss, but it left her lightheaded all over again.
When you pulled away, she let out a quiet breath of relief. “So we’re really doing this.”
“We’re really doing this,” You echoed back.
Something new clogged the air—acknowledgement. And the two of you sat in it for a little while longer, soaking it up, because you were right—there was no taking any of this back.
Eventually you both stepped out, with Riri insisting on walking you back inside. You didn't seem to mind. She could tell you wanted to remain in her orbit for as long as you could until you had to hit play on reality again—a mutual feeling.
She fell into step beside you, watching the sway of your hips like her eyes were drawn there against her will. You caught her staring and smirked, and she had the nerve to wink.
“See something you like?” You teased, stepping off the elevator.
Riri grabbed your waist from behind, laughing as you tried fighting her off. “You know I do.”
You rolled your eyes, but the smile tugging at your lips betrayed you. “You’re ridiculous.”
At your door, you lingered with your keys in hand, leaning against the frame. “You sure you don’t wanna come in? My roommate isn’t home.”
She knew exactly what you meant, what you were really asking. And as tempting as it was, she wanted your first time together to be somewhere with no risk of interruption. She wanted more than rushed with you, because you were worth that and more. “Not tonight,” She said with a smirk. “I need to give you some time to miss me first.”
“I already do,” You countered without hesitation.
That made her grin. “Good.”
You narrowed your eyes at her, suspicion spinning through your glare, “You sure you not just saying that cause you already changed your mind about this?”
“I should be asking you that.” She huffed dryly.
“I haven't,” You answered softly, your forehead creasing a little.
“Okay.” Riri gave you a small smile, though inside, the thought of you waking up tomorrow and deciding this was a mistake stung more than she wanted to admit. “I gotta go though. Ima see you.”
You were blushing again, biting your lip in that sexy way she liked, “Goodnight, Riri.”
“Night…”
The door clicked shut, and she turned toward the elevator. The last time she’d walked out of this building, shame and guilt had chased her all the way home. But tonight, she carried only the taste of you on her lips, the sound of your laugh in her head, and the kind of bliss that made her feel untouchable.
•••
Two days. That’s how long it had been since Sunday night, and Riri hadn’t heard a word from you. Nothing, not even a good morning text was sent her way.
She told herself she understood, somewhat. If you needed time to process the weekend’s events, then fine. She’d give you that. But still, the silence gnawed away at her anyway. You could've sent something, anything that would ease her crippling anxiety. She could've texted you first, sure, but she refrained on purpose, forcing herself to wait.
Because she needed proof, proof that you were truthful about how much you wanted her. Riri needed you to do the heavy lifting just this once, so she’d know you were in this just as deep as she was.
That night, she drifted off to sleep to your majestic image in her mind. Your mouth, the weight of your body fused to hers. It was your likeness that kept her monster at bay, the memory of your whines and whimpers serving as a lullaby he despised.
Now it was Tuesday, and she had a schedule packed to the brim with classes she had to attend if she wanted to preserve her future, and what not. It was warm out, and she found herself walking across campus with Hakeem, only half listening to his rant about his planetary sciences professor.
“I’m telling you, bruh, I should’ve gotten at least an 80 on that exam,” He professed, hands flying dramatically. “That’s how I know she plotting on my downfall.”
Riri snorted at his remark, quick and light, sliding into her role as attentive best friend with practiced ease. “Nigga, ain’t that the exam you begged me to help you study for last week, and then yo ass never showed up?”
“Man, that ain't the point! I–”
Keem’s voice faded out again, like she had mentally turned his volume down, and she sank back into her thoughts, chewing on regret once more. She should’ve gone inside with you on Sunday when you asked. Maybe if she’d had a little less respect—for you, for herself—she would’ve said yes. Who knew how the night would’ve ended then?
Why invite her in and then not text her for days? Fuck, she was spiraling. A feeling she was used to, especially when it came to you. But this, this was an unbearable capacity, one that challenged the very loose grip she already had on her life.
She knew you were with Keem last night. So what, you could text him and not her? He’d mentioned you’d gone out, offhand, casual. Interestingly enough though, she hadn't heard anything about Saturday night from him. Not that she’d expected to, he didn't owe her an explanation. It was his business. But the fact that she knew, and had to behave as though she didn't, burned still.
Were you comparing the two of them? Weighing her fingers against his? Had you decided his were better? Is that why you hadn't reached out? The thoughts twisted deep, leaving her stomach sour.
Riri’s phone buzzed in her pocket then, and she almost ignored it, until curiosity made her yank it out.
You: two of my classes got canceled, and i wanna see you. you free to come over?
Riri’s entire face broke out into a deep, wide set grin that hurt a little as it stretched. But she didn't care. She read the message twice, three times, like she had to prove it existed.
You’d texted her first.
You wanted her.
She was so caught up in her phone screen that she didn’t even notice Keem had walked ahead of her until he called out. “Yo, you good?”
Riri blinked, shoving the phone back down before the joy split her chest open. “Huh?” She jogged back to his side, trying to mask it.
“Who in that phone got you so distracted?” He teased, eyebrows raised.
Her pulse tripped over itself, panic cutting through her high, and she snapped. “What? Man, nobody. Mind your business, damn.” It came out sharper than she meant, a blade thrown out too fast.
But Hakeem didn't seem fazed by the harshness in her tone, he just laughed, holding his hands up. “My bad, my bad. I’ll definitely do that. But one of these days, Ri, that double life you living gon come back to bite you in that ass.”
A joke that was… funny enough. It should've landed though, should've hit home for Riri but it didn't. She was too keyed up from your text to even pick up on the implication, let alone care. She just scoffed, brushing him off with a wave. “Man, whatever. I gotta go.”
“Go where? Class is that way,” He shouted, pointing in the complete opposite direction.
But she barely heard him. Her feet were already moving, knowing exactly where they were heading.
Everything else could fall away—the classes she was ditching, the lie sitting in her throat, the monster that haunted her edges. All she cared about was the fact that you’d reached for her when she was about to give up hope. Riri was already running, cutting through the quad with her heart in her throat, chasing the only thing that mattered.
