It's a ski hat, isn't it supposed to be warm?

Riven pulled back, needing to take her in. Every time he thought about it, it blew his mind that he could call her his. His girlfriend; his love; his Musa. She looked stunning – she always did – in a pair of loose jeans, a tight cropped shirt, semi-dry hair, and minimal makeup. Just some mascara and a soft red lip. Riven took her by the hand and led her to his and Timmy’s room, kissing her fingertips while they moved. The other specialist wouldn’t be arriving til tomorrow morning – he had checked.

Once his bedroom door had closed, Riven wasted no time. His lips were on hers, his hands pulling at her clothes. Her shirt and pants slipped off to reveal a bralette and panties in the same shade of red as her lips – a colour she knew damn well would drive him wild. She looked incredible in red. She looked incredible in everything. The bralette had diagonal slits through each cup, allowing Musa’s already hardened nipples to poke out, and grant him easy access to play with them. Her panties were the same: a slit down the center to grant him easy access. Crotchless. She was trying to kill him. Her pussy; her tits; her lips; her eyes, daring him to come closer, to taste her. She was a siren, and he was willing to sail to his death to have a moment with her.

smirked, pleased with herself to have stopped him dead in his tracks. Her hand raised, a single finger beckoning him to her. He obeyed. Musa’s hands were on him as soon as he was within arm's reach. His shirt was pulled over his head, and she started to work on his pants, slipping her hand in as soon as they were undone.

“Miss me?” she teased as her fingers worked expertly on his already-hard cock. He slipped off his pants before grabbing the back of her head and pulling her into a kiss. Her hand slipped down his shaft to fondle his balls, then back up to his tip. She worked on that spot earning herself the groan that escaped his lips.

“So much” he replied into the kiss. He nibbled at her lower lip as he worked down her neck. He sucked and bit at her neck, drawing sighs and moans from her that made his dick twitch with anticipation. There would be a mark tomorrow and that might annoy her, but he didn’t care. Right now, she loved it.

Musa’s hand slipped away, and she stepped backwards out of his embrace. “So, what now?” she asked with feigned innocence.

“Oh, I’ve got a whole plan for you.” Her eyebrows rose curiously. She had no idea what was coming, but he’d been fantasizing about it for months. “Lay down” he commanded, and she responded instantly, an excited smile etching her perfect face.

Riven blindfolded her and handcuffed her to the headboard. The lack of baseboard meant he had to go buy restraints that slid under his mattress, but it worked out for the best. He’d given it enough slack that he could bend her while he fucked her without causing her any harm. She didn’t know that though – he had never tied up anything other than her arms before – so she left her legs where he’d placed them.

He paused, taking her in for a moment. Gods, she really was beautiful. Her dark hair tousled against the bed, lips pouty and quivering with anticipation as she tried to control her breathing. Her slim, but surprisingly strong arms tied down above her head, and her taut body on full display. Her breasts, small but perky, hidden behind the fabric she’d chosen for him were peeking out just enough to tease him. Her legs, lean and surprisingly long despite her small stature, were wide open revealing her glistening pussy.

Riven crawled onto the bed, kissing her leg as he went. Somewhere in his mind he registered that she was giggling a bit, but he was so focused on his end goal that the sound went right over his head. When he reached her apex, he kissed her clit quickly before turning his head and biting her inner thigh. Musa gasped in surprise, a sound that was quickly replaced by a moan.

Satisfied, he returned his attention to her clit, where he licked and sucked until she was desperate. Her back arched and she grinded into his face. He could hear the handcuffs rattling against the headboard as she tried to bring her hands down to push his head. He did the work for her, sliding his arms under her thighs to pull her closer to his face.

She came fast. She always did. Riven had memorised every bit of her: what turned her on; what spots on her body would elicit the most response; how to move and where to hit to ensure that she got the most pleasure possible every time they had sex. For all their issues, he could say with the utmost confidence that she was the best fucked of their group.

He sat back on his heels, allowing her a moment to come down from her high and himself a moment to admire her. Then, he grabbed one of her legs and pulled it under him so that he was straddling it and lifted the other leg onto his shoulder. Musa tilted her body as best she could to adjust, but she only had a few seconds before he pushed into her.

In the months he’d spent imagining himself fucking her, she had never felt as good as she did now. He caught sight of them in the mirror that he’s hung on his closet door. She looked so good getting fucked. Her hair a mess, her cheeks and chest flushed from her orgasm. She was breathtaking.

He kept his pace agonizingly slow, winding her up until she was panting and desperately pulling at her handcuffs. Musa bucked her hips, begging him to fuck her faster between groans.

“I will,” he smirked. “In a bit.”

After pulling out – much to her displeasure – Riven stepped off the bed and replaced her leg. He walked around the bed, sliding his hand along her leg, up between her folds with a gentle touch that made her gasp. He traced the lines of her torso, played with her nipple, and stopped at her lips. Her beautiful, pouty lips, covered in red.

He took the tip of his cock and ran it along her lips. As if on command, Musa opened her mouth, and he pushed himself to the back of her throat. She gagged at the sudden impact but recovered quickly, taking him into her mouth as much as she could without her hands to help her. He held the base of his shaft steadily so she could pull back. Musa licked her lips as a wicked smirk spread on her face. She maneuvered herself around his dick to suck his balls. Riven dropped his head back, moaning appreciatively.

Musa released him gently, keeping her tongue pressed against him as she licked him from balls to tip. He slid the blindfold up, knowing that her eyes would lock on his the second she adjusted to the light. Musa loved to watch him enjoy her, and he became insatiable when she looked at him with her mouth full of his dick. Her tongue circled the head of his dick with a surprisingly light touch that had him groaning before she

“You like the taste of your pussy on my dick?” he purred, pushing a lock of hair out of her face.

Musa bit her lower lip as she smiled at him. “It’s the best thing I’ve tasted in months.”

She took him in her mouth again, pushing him to the very back of her throat. Her eyes watered as she worked, earning every single sound that came out of him. Riven wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled her head back to the bed. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, sliding it over her lips and forcing her mouth open. He adjusted himself to realign with her mouth and slid in. Keeping his hand in her hair to hold her in place, Riven fucked her mouth until he was about to come.

He was so tempted to come in her mouth, but she hadn’t had that second orgasm he teased, so he pulled back and slid the blindfold back on. He laid down beside her and kissed her with no pretense of gentility. He forced her mouth open so that his tongue could intertwine with hers, and she could properly taste herself on him. He’d learned early on that she loved that; that was why he’d gotten so good at eating her out.

Unable to resist touching her, he ran his hands along her body while they made out. He played with her nipples, pawed at her hips and her ass. She was stunning; and he was the luckiest man in the universe. He slipped his hands down past her hips, and between her legs.

“You’re so wet” he remarked, smirking into their kiss. “I bet you're dying for me to fuck you like the good little slut you are.”

Musa nodded eagerly, her breathing picking up as he slid two fingers into her. He pumped his fingers into her a few more times before pausing.

“Noo, baby, Riven, please,” she whined. “Don’t stop.”

A third finger slid into her, stretching her pussy to accommodate his fingers. Riven always knew he had thicker fingers, but he didn’t realise what a blessing that was until the first time his siren had used them to fuck herself. Fucking amazing, she’d called them.

He curled his fingers to rub at the wall of her vagina; at that spot that he knew would have her bucking her hips against his hand in seconds. His thumb pressed against her clit, drawing circles in just the way he liked. Musa’s moans got louder, more reckless as she drew closer to her orgasm.

Riven pulled the blindfold up again. He loved watching those gorgeous blue eyes roll back when she came, and from where he was now, he would get a perfect view. “If you’re going to keep taking that off,” she started, interrupted by her own inability not to hold in a moan as he picked up the pace. “You might as well keep it off.”

He laughed. She was right. The blindfold was pointless when he constantly wanted to look in her eyes. He slid it off her head entirely, then returned his focus to much more important matters.

Musa’s hips had started to move in time with his fingers, and she was starting to come undone. He sped up again, and she kept time. She was so close, he could tell. Her breaths came in short pants as her desperation to come built. Riven stopped moving, but Musa kept going.

“Are you gonna come for me?” he whispered into her ear. Musa exhaled a sound that he thought was a yes but was so distorted by her moans that it could have been anything. His lips moved down to her neck, sucking and biting the side that wasn’t yet bruised. Her hips picked up even more speed, using Riven’s fingers as a dildo until she was thrashing through her orgasm and screaming his name.

It was impossible to take his eyes off her as she came. If Musa was gorgeous at the most normal of times, she was truly a sight to behold when she was convulsing with pleasure because of him. Her orgasm was a sound directly from the heavens.

When she settled, he pulled his fingers out of her and brought them up to her lips. She opened obediently, knowing without instruction that he loved watching her mouth regardless of whether she was singing, choking and slobbering on his dick or licking his fingers clean of her juices. “Good girl” he praised, taking her face in his hands. “Now turn over for me.”

“How much are you planning?” she asked. He almost thought it might’ve been a complaint, but she was already flipping onto her front and sliding herself up onto her knees so that her ass was in the air.

He leaned over her, grabbing a handful of ass cheek as he moved. His hand slid down to her still soaked pussy. “I want to do everything I’ve been thinking about for the last few weeks, and I won’t stop til you’ve screamed so much that you can’t speak.”

Musa pushed herself up on her elbows. “I’m supposed to perform at the welcome back dance in a few days…”

“Don’t worry,” he chuckled at her predictability. “I have some of that tea Flora gives you for your vocal chords. I’ll make you some when we’re done.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled at him appreciatively as he went to his suitcase to pull out the vibrator he’d bought for her.

Riven set the vibrator on the end of the bed and drew his hand back. He slapped her ass hard enough that he left a bright red mark on her skin. Musa groaned in response, wiggling her butt in front of his face as a prompt.

“You want more?” He grabbed her ass cheek, rubbing it, caressing it. He loved her ass. Her perfect, pert ass. He loved slapping it and hearing the satisfying sound his hand made against her skin. He loved watching her walk away. He loved the way her cheeks popped out of her underwear. He loved that her ass cheek was a perfect handful for him. He loved watching her ass as she bounced on his dick. He gave it a quick kiss before slapping it again in the same spot a few more times, each time eliciting a moan or a sigh from Musa.

Riven sat back on his heels and pulled Musa towards him by the hips. Her head turned back and she smiled at him knowingly. She broke free of his hold and pressed herself against him, stroking him with her pussy, coating his cock in her juices, teasing him, taunting him.

“Musa” he warned.

She laughed. She knew what he wanted, and how badly he wanted it. Riven knew she felt the way his cock twitched achingly as she rubbed herself on him. She didn’t stop until he grabbed her hips and aligned her with him. He pressed his head against her entrance. “Fuck yourself” he instructed. “Like a good girl.”

Musa sat back, filling her hole with him. She moved her hips, grinding against him. He groaned, resisting the instinct to drop his head back so that he could watch her. Her hands moved in front of her to stabilise her as best they could as ahe started moving her body up and down, up and down, ass jiggling and smacking against his pelvis as she bounced on his dick.

“Gods, you’re so fucking sexy” he moaned as Musa picked up the pace. He picked up the vibrator, turning it on and wrapping his arm around her waist to press it against her clit. She let out a loud moan, cried out, nearing another orgasm that he didn’t plan on letting her have just yet.

Riven thrust forward, destabilizing Musa so she landed on her elbows. He slowed the pace of their hedonism. Musa whined, trying to push back into him to keep her high going. He grabbed her hips and stilled her.

“Don’t make me stop” he threatened.

Musa whimpered. Their eyes met in the mirror and her pleading eyes grew confident. “Why would you stop?” she questioned. “You love watching yourself fuck me.”

“You love watching me fuck you.”

She smirked, grinding into him. “You look so good fucking me.”

Riven released one of her hands, giving her the vibrator. He began pounding into her. Their eyes stayed locked on each other as he fucked her hard and fast. She shouted her moans, pleading with him to fuck her harder, fuck her faster. He slapped her ass again, and pulled her hair. His moans started to mix with hers as he neared his peak.

“God, your dick feels so good” she cried. He went faster, thrusting into her at a speed he didn’t know he was capable of until she was screaming his name and he was groaning hers.

When they were done and Musa was freed from her restraints, they cuddled up on the bed. Her brushed the hair that had stuck to her off of her face, pressing kisses on her forehead and her lips. Musa smiled brightly at him, her cheeks still red, her body still hot.

“Did you put that mirror up for me?” she laughed, looking over his room. His clothes, toiletries and books were still in suitcases. The only things he’d unpacked or set up were the mirror on the back of the door and the pictures of their group – though most of them were of Musa.

“Yeah” he admitted.

Musa kissed him sweetly before resting her forehead against his. “You’re so good to me.”

“I love you, Musa” he told her, pulling her into another kiss.

She smiled at him, eyes shining bright “I love you too, Riven.”

“Do you want that tea now?”

Musa walked tentatively towards the specialist. She glanced back at Aisha uncertainly a few times, receiving a mix of supportive smiles, encouraging nods, and mouthed threats that she could only vaguely make out.  

By the time she was halfway to him, her heart felt like it was a beat away from bursting through her ribcage. Riven sat quietly, unmoved from when Aisha had tried to push her his way minutes earlier. His eyes were fixed on their classmates as they danced around him; His hands planted by his side on the bench. Someone – Brandon, she assumed – had convinced him to wear a button up shirt that hugged him perfectly. Bandages crept out of his shirt collar, reaching partway up his neck, mere inches from the ends of his slicked-back hair. A pang of guilt and worry hit her. She had no idea how extensive the damage he’d taken for her was or how it would affect his future. What if he resented her for it? 

He didn’t look her way as she sat down, fiddling awkwardly as she tried to slip the voluminous skirt of her too-short dress under her. Musa mirrored him, keeping her eyes on the crowd. She wasn’t sure if it would be worse if, were she to look at him, he continued to ignore her or she found him staring at her, admiring her. Heat creeped up her neck at the thought of his eyes on her.  

“Hi” she mumbled, unsure of what to say to him but knowing she needed to say something. Did she blurt out how she felt and risk rejection? What if he didn’t reject her, though? Did she ask him about what happened or did she skip over it and pretend that none of it had happened? Could she live with not asking why he had jumped in front of her; why she was worth risking his life for? Could she ignore that he had called out to her while he was dying; that he had woken up, even if it had been for just a second, when she kissed him; or that he held her hand the whole trip back as he lay on the stretcher in the ships medical bay, refusing to let go as Flora and Helia did what they could to keep him alive?  

“Hi” he replied in a clipped tone.   

Musa deflated. She shuffled her feet around, itching to walk away and avoid any further damage to her ego or heart. A cursory glance at Aisha – who had in a supportive not-at-all-creepy way moved closer to them – told her that she couldn’t. Walking away would only lead to being nagged more, and she was not in the mood for that.  

As if it would somehow bolt her into place, Musa put her hands on the bench. She adjusted her hold to grip the edge, fixing herself there, and accidentally brushed his hand with her pinky. Electricity shot through her, confirming what she’d already known: she was doomed to heartbreak if he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. And, given how cold he was being, it was becoming a real possibility in her mind. She needed to get away. Screw Aisha and her nagging. Not knowing was better than being rejected. 

Before she could get up, as if he’d sensed what she was going to do, Riven’s hand slipped over hers. She stayed still, caught off guard by the move. When she finally looked his way, he was looking at her with a shy smile and lovestruck eyes. 

“Hi” she said again, unable to help to swoon in her voice or the stupid smile on her face.  

His smile grew as a hint of laughter escaped. “You already said that.” 

Musa shook her head as she laughed. She could feel a faint redness warming her cheeks, which she tried to hide by looking at the dancers behind her. A ballad had started moments earlier. Couples took each other by hand, swaying and twirling. They exchanged gentle kisses and loving glances; they laughed and hugged. She wanted so much to be part of them. 

She looked back at the boy beside her, the blush returning to her cheeks when she realised he was still watching her. Musa smiled at him again as she wrapped her fingers around his hand. “Do you want to dance?”  

Riven’s smile fell. His free hand reached up to rub the back of his neck; a nervous habit, she had realised. “I... I don’t... don’t know how to slow dance” he admitted.  

“That’s okay,” she shrugged. “I’m not a great slow dancer either.”  

Musa stood up, not letting his hand slip from hers as she motioned towards the dance floor where couples continued to circle. “Please” she asked with a smile that almost felt like begging, but then their eyes met and his face lit up, sparking a burst of confidence. “Dance with me.” 

After leading him onto the dance floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him encouragingly. Riven hesitated before placing his hands on her hips. She wished he would wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer to him, but he’d already held her hand, and she knew better than to expect more than that. Like Aisha had said, Riven didn’t do feelings.  

They swayed in silence to the melody. Slowly, inch by inch, Musa stepped closer to him until a finger’s length separated them. She wasn’t sure if he’d noticed until the light hit him at the perfect angle, and she saw the flushed red of his cheek. The flush continued down his neck under the bandage she had noticed creeping out before. Musa slid one of her hands down to the bandage and touched it gently. He was willing to sacrifice himself for her, she remembered, feeling the pit in her stomach as memories surfaced of the moment she realised he’d died.  

“How are you feeling?” 

“Good,” he nodded stiffly. “Better.” 

Musa smiled happily, relieved, and very much hoping he would say something else to keep the conversation going. “I don’t think I thanked you” she said when she realised he wouldn’t.  

“Huh?” 

“For saving me.”  

“I’m a specialist, it’s what we do,” he dismissed.  

"You're trained to willingly sacrifice yourself for your teammate?” she asked, knowing full well the answer was no. Brandon had spent the first five minutes of their trip ranting that he didn’t understand why Riven would do something so reckless, immediately backtracking when Stella questioned why he wouldn’t do the same for her.  

“You’re not my teammate,” he replied instinctively, continuing without thought even as Musa furrowed her brows and started to interrupt him. “You’re you. I’d do anything for...” 

“...You” he finished quietly as he realised what he’d just said. His cheeks flushed so deeply red that, even in the low light of the evening, it was clearly noticeable to her.  

Riven took a step back, ripping his hands from her waist as if she’d burned him. He was going to run; to chicken out instead of staying here and owning up to his feelings. Musa wasn’t okay with that. They’d tiptoed around each other afraid to admit how they felt for the last year, and she was over it.  

“Riven” she called, closing the small gap between them so that she was brushing up against him. She saw the way his eyes darted around looking for an escape before they locked onto hers. She felt his breath catch and she worried for a moment that if she dove in, he would run from her. Aisha’s voice echoed in her head, and Musa made the split-second decision that she had to go for it. She took a deep breath and blurted out the sentence before she could change her mind: “I really like you.”  

She refused to take her eyes off him, hoping he couldn’t see the anxiety building in her. He blinked a few times, caught entirely off guard by the direct admission. Musa prepared herself to double down, go on the defensive and argue that she knew he felt the same, but instead of denying – or worse, running away – Riven kissed her. His arms slipped around her waist, caging her in his embrace. She returned the kiss with unbridled enthusiasm, soaking in every little bit of him that she could. The taste of his lips; the smell of his aftershave; the roughness of his stubble against her chin; the strength of his arms pulling her closer and closer to him until it was impossible to tell where he ended and she began; the way he smiled into the kiss, bubbling over with a joy he rarely expressed. Musa never wanted to forget any of it.   

Much to her embarrassment, she let out a giddy giggle. She was so pleased by the turn of events that she couldn’t help herself. At her laughter, Riven started to pull away, but she stopped him and kissed him again. The beat picked up around them, and couples started to break apart, but Musa and Riven stayed put, swaying to a melody that had stopped, not wanting to interrupt the kisses they’d desired for so long. 

When they finally pulled apart, Musa caught a glimpse of Aisha watching them and grinning from ear to ear. The singer smirked at her friend before drawing her attention back to the boy in front of her with his bright eyes and flushed cheeks. His smile matches hers, and, sure as she was that Riven preferred scowling, he couldn’t seem to wipe it off his face.  

Musa stood on her tiptoes, getting as close to looking Riven square in the face as their almost 10-inch height difference would allow. “This,” she whispered, “is usually the part where you say you like me too.” 

He barked a laugh. “I really like you too, Musa.”  

Musa gave him a peck, doing her best to ignore the way her entire body wanted to melt because he had also added in the word really. Riven leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. They stayed like that, staring at each other like lovestruck idiots as the song faded into the next. 

“You’re not as bad a slow dancer as you think you are” Musa commented as they made their way to the table that Aisha had commandeered to watch them.  

“I guess not,” Riven smiled, “I didn’t even step on your foot once.” 

“Uh...” Musa chuckled awkwardly, “No, you stepped on my foot like three times.” 

“I did?! Why didn’t you say anything?” 

Musa shrugged, taking his hand in hers and pulling him into a quick kiss. Her heart summersaulted at the thought that she could do that whenever she wanted. “It didn’t matter if it meant you’d keep dancing with me.”  

They sat side by side at the table where Aisha had been joined by Timmy, Tecna, Flora, and Helia. Musa slid her leg closer to his, desperate to maintain proximity. She preemptively accepted that Riven would not be the type to display Brandon levels of affection in public and turned her attention towards Aisha’s smug grin.  

A weight on her shoulder startled her, and she reached up to brush it off. Instead, her hand was held in place by Riven’s as he locked his fingers with hers. Musa stared at their hands, taking an embarrassingly long moment to realise that Riven had put his arm around her shoulder. She could barely contain her smile as she looked at their clasped hands and then at him. He was deep in conversation with Timmy about some exam they had had earlier that day, but, from the way his eyes kept shifting back to her, she was pretty certain the grin on his face had more to do with the girl on his arm than the maneuvers he’d succeeded in performing.