[ wristgrab ] in the middle of a heated moment, sender pins receiver’s wrists above their head - reverse ( river to josephine )
✱˚｡⋆ ↪ YOU. ME. NOW . . . with @lovecained !
her entire existence felt like it had been designed to torment him.
ever since their paths had crossed, reality and dreams had started bleeding together in ways river couldn't explain. there was something about her—- something familiar buried beneath the sharp tongue, reckless grin and infuriating habit of getting under his skin. every instinct he possessed told him he'd seen her before. maybe before the pack shattered. before everyone scattered to survive on their own. maybe in another life entirely. whatever the reason, she lingered in his thoughts like a ghost and it didn't help that every fight between them felt like standing too close to a fire.
they were supposed to be on the same side. supposed to. instead, half the damage he walked away with came from her. normally, that wasn't a problem. he healed. cuts closed. bruises faded. bones mended. his body had saved him more times than he could count but even he had limits.
the desert stretched endlessly around them, waves of heat distorting the horizon. sand whipped through the air while the enormous creature before them tore through ancient ruins like paper. chunks of a long-forgotten altar littered the battlefield.
river ducked beneath a blast from the monster. only to nearly get caught by one of josephine's attacks immediately after. that was enough. his temper finally snapped. before she could fire another beam, he grabbed her arm and dragged her behind the remains of a crumbling stone wall. “are you actually trying to kill me?” the cloth covering the lower half of his face hit the sand. his voice came out rough, sharp enough to cut. “river—-” she began. “no.” golden eyes burned as he stepped forward. “every single fight. every single time.” he laughed bitterly. “you're clearly not a team player. if you want me dead, then stop pretending.” his arms spread wide. completely vulnerable. “do it.” another blast from her and he'd be ash. he didn't move. didn't blink.
josephine rolled her eyes. “stop being dramatic. you always dodge.” her palm landed against his chest, trying to push him back. “it's not like you die that easi—-” he caught her wrist. then the other. the movement happened so fast she barely registered it before her back hit the stone behind. a sharp breath escaped her. river pinned both wrists above her head. his knee slid between her thighs to keep her from escaping. the gauntlets covering his hands pressed against bare skin. too tight. too possessive. his jaw clenched. “do you do this on purpose?” his voice dropped into something lower. dangerous. her pulse skipped. "maybe." the answer came with a smirk. of course it did. for a second neither of them moved. the sounds of battle faded into the background. the monster's roars. the collapsing ruins. the screaming wind. none of it seemed important.
river only saw her and josephine only saw him. “you're impossible,” he muttered. “yet you keep coming back.” his grip tightened for the briefest moment. because she was right. that was the problem. every fight. every argument. every infuriating conversation. he always came back. his gaze dropped to her lips before he could stop himself. hers followed. the realization settled between them like a spark landing in dry grass. dangerous and inevitable.
“this is a terrible time for this,” josephine whispered and he nodded knowlignly. “yeah.” neither of them moved away. then she smiled and that was his final mistake. river surged forward, closing the distance between them. the kiss hit like a collision. all frustration, tension and weeks of restraint finally snapping at once. josephine made a surprised sound before immediately kissing him back. hard. stubborn. exactly like everything else about her. for a moment the entire world disappeared. there was only heat. only stolen breaths. only the feeling of finally giving in to something they'd both been fighting.
when they finally pulled apart, neither looked particularly pleased about it. which somehow made it worse… or better. river rested his forehead briefly against hers. “i really can't stand you.” a breathless laugh escaped her. “that's funny.” her fingers curled around the front of his shirt. “because i was about to say the same thing.” a deafening roar shook the ruins. the monster.
right.
they were still in the middle of a fight. river groaned. josephine snorted. “we should kill that thing first.” he arched an eyebrow. “and after?” her smile returned. “after, you can decide whether you're still mad at me.” his golden eyes narrowed. somewhere between annoyance and amusement, then he released her wrists. “don't make me regret this.” another blast shook the desert. “too late.”
