Hey guys! I apologize for the months-long gap between chapters, but here is the next one! Just a warning that I did have to change the rating to M due to a sex scene later in this chapter- not familiar with writing them at all, but I did my best to keep it from being cheesy and overdone. Also, fair warning that it's pretty kinky (i.e brief asphyxiation, everything I've been hinting at in previous chapters.) This a long chapter but I hope you enjoy! Let me know how I did :)

The musky, stale smell of his room was a different thing to wake up to. His sheets- well, she wasn't sure how long his sheets had gone unwashed for, and even they managed to smell like alcohol and cigarettes- like him.

She stretched and glanced around blearily. Murdoc stood outside on the terrace, sliding door open, surveying the gray world in front of him in nothing but his boxer briefs. His back was nearly shredded- her doing. She got up, tugged on a sweater of his she'd found on the floor, and padded over to him. He heard her before she'd even stepped onto the balcony, and turned to glance at her out of the corner of his eyes. Smoke drifted from between his lips as he spoke. "Ah, there she is. You slept well, I trust?"

"Yeah. What time is it?"

"Just past 12, I reckon."

"Damn." She leaned into him and yawned just then realizing that it wasn't tobacco he was smoking, but weed. Perhaps why he seemed a bit more mellow this morning, his voice more drawling. "How did you sleep?"

He snickered and turned to face her. "Quite well, considering how battered I am."

"Holy shit," she breathed. She'd drawn blood not only on his back, but his front, too; there were sets of tooth marks where she'd bitten just a bit too hard. "Holy fuck, Murdoc, I'm so sorry, I don't remember-"

"No, don't apologize, love." He snaked an arm around her waist lazily. "Wouldn't've kept going if I didn't like it. We were rather drunk, didn't feel much. And if you're apologizing for this, well," he brushed her hair behind her ears, "I should apologize for what I've done to your neck." He shot her a wicked grin. "Looks as though I've assaulted you."

Murdoc looked on in amusement as she went to check in his mirror. A few finger marks. Bruises, light but still noticeable. She remembered him wrapping his hands around her neck, yet she'd felt nothing.

"Perhaps keep your hair down today," he suggested, opening an arm so that she could snuggle back into him.

Gemma pressed against him and planted a kiss on his shoulder. "Maybe I won't. I am yours now, aren't I?"

"Indeed you are." He ran his nails gently over the subtle marks on her skin. "Although," he mumbled through the spliff between his lips, smirking, "I'm not sure strangle marks are the best way to proclaim that." He pulled down the neck of the sweater she wore and examined the sets of toothmarks on her breasts- she hoped to god no passers-by on the street were looking up.

"You're too much fun," he purred into her ear. The combination of his normal scent and the weed was intoxicating; he leaned down to kiss her, and she hungrily breathed in the smoke he exhaled as his lips moved against hers. She gently took a handful of his hair and pulled him in closer.

"Get a room," yelled some dick from the sidewalk below.

Like lightning, Murdoc spun around and looked as though he was about to jump over the railing and accost the guy, snarling, "Mind your own fucking business. Christ. Fucking tosser!"

In an attempt to distract him, Gemma snatched the spliff from his fingers and booked it downstairs; she slid on the linoleum past Kris and Arlo, who were standing in the kitchen having tea, and took refuge in the back beside the fridge. Murdoc came practically flying down the stairs and made a beeline for Gemma, looking like a cat hunting a mouse; he cornered her and she giggled as he pinched her sides playfully and swiped his joint back.

"Mornin," interjected Arlo. Murdoc nodded briefly at them over his shoulder, smoke trailing from his nostrils, watching his roommate take in the marks on his back. Kris knew better and averted her eyes.

"Fuckin' 'ell, mate." Arlo visibly recoiled. "Wow. Well, ah… you two had fun last night."

"Very much," Murdoc said. For whatever reason, he seemed to enjoy the reactions of others regarding his sexual escapades- Gemma was just embarrassed. She fussed with her hair, trying to cover her neck.

"Like… doesn't that hurt?" Kris frowned at the bitemarks on his chest as he turned around to flick the butt of his spliff into the sink.

"Of course it hurts," he drawled as he meandered to the counter to pour himself a coffee and Bailey's. Arlo and Kris moved back a bit, giving him more room as though he were a wild animal, and snigger rose in his throat. Arlo eyed the tattoo of an inverted cross on his roommate's sinewy upper arm and shot Kris a concerned look. Gemma stood awkwardly in the corner, embarrassment burning her freckled cheeks, feeling naked in Murdoc's sweater; she watched and waited for him to return, and she felt relief when he draped a hand around her waist. Kris caught her eye briefly, and Gemma could tell she had a million questions- namely regarding what they'd spoken of last night.

"Also," Arlo grumbled, setting his mug down rather sternly, "'ave you forgotten we've got a no smoking rule in the 'ouse? Especially with spliffs. I 'ave an interview for another job today, I can't be smelling of weed."

"Right, sorry." Murdoc shrugged. Gemma liked how pot made him; a little smirk constantly adorned his face, his speech more slurred, his tired eyes a bit more red- he was quite cute.

"Right…" Kris was trying to find a way to bring it up. She looked at them uneasily, focussing a bit too long on how Gemma had practically joined herself to his hip. "Do you lot have any plans for the day, or…?"

Gemma looked up at Murdoc, who shrugged and hummed to himself. "Not really. Do have band practice in an hour, but-"

Kris obviously didn't give a shit- she was just trying to find out the details. She just wanted to know. "So are you-"

Arlo took the words out of her mouth. "Are you guys, like, dating now?" He studied the two of them; they were as close as they'd normally be, but their mannerisms were just… different. Gemma especially. Usually there was some distance between she and him when his arm was around her, but not today.

Gemma wanted Murdoc to answer. She looked up at him expectantly; after a few moments of waiting for her to say something, he seemed a bit puzzled. "…Did we not agree on that, or…?"

That was all she needed. "Yeah, we are," she told the two across from them. Arlo's thick brows shot up, and Kris looked vaguely pleased.

"You…" Arlo uttered, pointing a finger at Gemma, "wiv' him?"

Murdoc drew himself up to his full height- although his thin frame didn't even come close to Arlo's burly 6'3- and lowered his gravelly voice to a growl. "Is there something wrong, mate?"

Even though Murdoc was only 5'11 and built like a rail, Arlo wasn't sure he'd want to go up against the guy- the massive scar that ran down his face and his bruised knuckles surely weren't a good sign. "Not at all," Arlo said in his baritone cockney, trying to diffuse tension. "I just, ah… you know, it just moved very quickly wiv you two, so…"

Murdoc clearly wasn't buying it, but settled down as Gemma pressed him back into her.

"She's a catch, that one," Kris told Murdoc, who had finished his coffee and just topped off his mug with Bailey's. "You hurt her or do something stupid and I'll be after you."

He snickered into his alcohol at the tiny brunette who'd just threatened him. "It's fine. Pretty sure this one'd beat you to it." He reached down to pinch her arse, and chuckled when she jumped. "Feisty little bird, she is."

"You be nice," Kris warned, "or I'll sic Arlo on you."

Their tallest roommate sputtered on his tea and looked down at little Kris with bewildered eyes. "Wot?"

"Right," Murdoc sneered. As he went to put his mug in the sink he came a bit too close for Arlo's liking, and the taller man took a step back. Funny, Gemma thought, that such a big guy's afraid of someone so much smaller. But then again, anyone with a reasonable head of their shoulders would be- her new boyfriend often had ruined knuckles, a predatory demeanour, and, judging by how marked and bruised up he was, one hell of a pain tolerance.

"Gonna shower, Gems" the dark-haired man told her, and went to saunter upstairs; Arlo stared incredulously at his back as he went.

"You did that to him?" Arlo whisper-shouted once Murdoc was out of earshot. "Jesus Christ, Gemma!"

The purple-haired girl looked at her roommates sheepishly and fussed with her hair.

"How did you manage… I mean, was it easy?" Kris murmured.

Gemma blinked. "Was what easy?"

"He just doesn't seem the kind for an actual… monogamous relationship."

"Oh, I see." No, he doesn't- but here we are, I guess. "No, it went fine."

"Creepy bloke," Arlo muttered, listening to Murdoc's padding footsteps upstairs. "You… wiv him?"

Kris elbowed him in the ribs.

"Right, well… head on a swivel, yeah?"

Kris grumbled. "Can you make it any more obvious that you don't think highly of him, Arlo?"

"Sorry. I mean, by all means, do whatever you want, Gemma. But…"

"Yeah, I know." She could understand why Arlo wasn't his biggest fan. Murdoc was a bit unconventional to begin with. "Thank you, though."

"Right. Well, I have to get ready for work, so I'll catch you all later," Kris told the two of them, casting a warning glance at Arlo- keep your mouth shut, Gemma could imagine her saying. The little brunette waved and disappeared upstairs.

Arlo shook his head, still muttering to himself. "A good gal like her… wiv… him?"

Gemma patted him on a burly shoulder, and chuckling, went to get dressed.

She'd not accompanied him to his band practice- "can't let you tag along, love, because Paula's a fucking twat," he'd growled in that husky tone- but he'd invited her to the bar later. For "band bonding." Not sure how that will pan out.

It wasn't a far way across town- one train and a bus and she was there. It was a fairly standard English pub, quite busy. She scanned the room- every table was full- but it wasn't hard to spot the band's table, as 2D's blue hair shone almost fluorescently under the dim lighting. She sauntered over, and quietly took the empty chair beside her boyfriend, who seemed to be in a heated debate with Paula about nothing in particular and off in his own angry little world. Gemma waited for a few moments, and shared an amused glance with Russel, who eventually interjected in his baritone Brooklyn accent: "Muds, your girl's here."

"Wot?" Murdoc glanced round, his two-toned gaze settling on the girl beside him; the beer had gone to his head a bit- he was slurring his words. "Oh, hello, Gems!"

She placed a hand on his gaunt cheek and pulled him in for a quick peck. "How was practice?"

"Oh, fine. This one," he sneered in the direction of Paula, "wasn't a complete and total git this time round."

"Oi," piped up 2D from across the table. "You can't speak 'bout my girlfriend like that!"

"Shut it, twerp," Murdoc snarled. The blue-haired man recoiled and gloomily took a sip from his pint.

"Do you guys have a gig soon?" Gemma asked no one in particular, trying to diffuse some tension.
"Waiting for Muds to get his new place," intoned Russel. "so we can record. Soon, I hope."

"Next week, as it turns out," Murdoc drawled tipsily, dropping an arm round Gemma, "I'll be moved and all settled in."

Damn. That was quick. Gemma wished she could move in with him- they were already roommates, after all…

2D stared at her spacily from across the table, frowning slightly; she'd never looked at him properly, but he was an attractive guy, maybe about her age, whereas Murdoc seemed… older. She didn't even know his age, come to think of it. Murdoc was certainly something, but 2D- 2D drew attention wherever he went, with his azure hair and his black eyes and missing front teeth- even now, people around them were stealing quick glances over their shoulders. She looked at him for a couple moments, staring without meaning to, until he finally questioned in his distinctive, almost unintelligible voice- "where are you from?"

"Canada," she called across the table, trying to be heard in the midst of a football score on the TVs. "Toronto."

"Canada," he repeated. "Do you drink lots of maple syrup, then?"

She couldn't help but giggle- he was staring at her so intently. "Oh, all the time," she joked. "I'm actually running out, I need to find some more."

"Oh," he said, nodding. Beside her, Murdoc snickered and rolled his eyes.

"I'm kidding," Gemma said.

"…Oh." Confusion twisted the blue-haired man's features. Paula glared at her- or maybe that was just her resting expression? She'd never seen anything other than an unhappy face on that woman…

Russel shot a disapproving look at Paula and turned his attention to Gemma. "Why'd you move?"

"It's a long story. Bad family dynamics. I love it here, though."

"You'll love my new place even more," Murdoc told her rather drunkenly, gravelly voice slurring. "High ceilings, dark hardwood, granite countertops…"

"What?" He hadn't told her. "You have a new place already?"

"I ain't gonna think about how it was paid for," Russel murmured to Gemma above Murdoc's rambling.

"…A king-sized canopy bed…" her boyfriend purred, his breath hot in her ear. Russel scoffed to himself from across the table.

"Maybe we should head back to mine, yeah?" The raven-haired man suggested in his velvety voice; he knotted a fist in her hair and she breathed in sharply, warmth bubbling in her stomach. Across the table, 2D stared vacantly off into the space and Paula sneered at them.

"I mean… I'd like to stay here with the band for a bit longer, if that's okay…"

"I was gonna head off pretty soon," Russel told her, throwing a cutting glance at Murdoc, who was unaware of anything and was making bedroom eyes at his girlfriend. "Just go, Gemma. Murdoc and Paula in the same room- you don't want to be around that anyway."

She glanced at the blue-haired man and his girlfriend who sat opposite. 2D was spacing out and Paula couldn't wipe that sneer off her face. She glanced at Murdoc, who hadn't loosened his grip on her hair, a dangerous smirk twisting his features. She couldn't help look downwards at his legs, spread wide as usual to accommodate being well-endowed, and fuck. That bulge. She couldn't help but stare.

"Let's get you out of here, hmm?" Murdoc purred, and in one swift movement was up out of his seat and had taken her and placed her on the ground. She barely had time to throw a goodbye glance at Russel as she was ushered out of the building and into Murdoc's car.

"Are you safe to be driving?" she asked. He revved the engine and flew into the next lane before she'd even put her seatbelt on.

"Of course. i'd just like to get home so I can fuck you." He grabbed her thigh and sunk his nails into her flesh, snickering as she inhaled sharply. "Would you like that, love?"

"Yes," she murmured, entranced as he dug deeper into the pale flesh of her thigh. She could feel herself bruising. A sneer adorned his lips as she placed a hand on his crotch, and his knuckle turned white on the wheel. He cursed at the traffic; she bit her lip as the bulge underneath her palm grew harder.

As soon as he'd parked and rushed her into the elevator, he'd cornered her up against the wall, towering over her, his hands immediately knotted in her hair and hips grinding against hers; she could feel him through the strained fabric of his jeans. Hopefully there's not a camera in here…

But before she knew what had happened he'd scooped her up and was nearly running down the hallway in haste- and then they were in his apartment, but she hadn't time to pay attention to that because he'd flung her onto a couch and was immediately on top of her, feverishly pulling at her shirt, his belt already undone. He chuckled darkly and dragged his fingers down her cheek, where they came to rest on her neck, pressing into her airways. Gently at first, and then harder- a growl ripped through his throat as she gasped for breath while his other hand undid and discarded her bra to play with her breasts; she couldn't move, had no power, and his sneer widened further, flashing his sharp, crooked teeth as she sat there, feeling the color in her cheeks drain- she was getting a little dizzy…

Murdoc released his chokehold on her and she heaved, the spinning world around her beginning to slow. She breathed in his comforting scent, a little heavier on the alcohol this time, as he began to trail his lips down her collarbone-

"Take me to your bed," she said breathlessly. This couch wasn't nearly big enough.

His eyes were on the line between human and animal. He grabbed her arm and was dragged her along upstairs to the loft. The only item of furniture was a king-sized canopy bed, as he'd said, with red silk sheets. He kicked off his jeans and threw off his sweater. She slid down her skirt and was about to kick off her heels when he'd shoved her backwards onto the bed and leaned over to purr in her ear, "Keep 'em on."

She shivered as he pinned her arms against the mattress and ran his tongue down her neck. Not that he was never enthusiastic, because he always was- but he had his own place now, his place, and he was making it clear that they had space to do whatever the fuck they wanted. She dug her nails into his shoulder blade and grabbed a fistful of his hair, and he growled, coming back up to kiss her roughly. She paused to pull his head up by his scruff so that she could see him; he gazed down at her, cigarette-stained teeth peeking out from underneath a devilish smirk, his thick black eyebrows cocked, his two-toned eyes regarding her lustily. He was so close, the tip of his wonky nose was touching hers, and she couldn't help but take him in. A couple pimples on his forehead, a couple stray hairs above his lip he'd missed while shaving, the dark circles under his eyes- reminders that he was, indeed, human, and not some otherworldly creature she often felt him to be. She didn't often appreciate that he was a person. Like her.

"Alright, love?" he murmured. Shit. Have I been staring too long?

"Yes! Yeah, I'm good." She was breathless, and she could feel the butterflies that rose in her stomach as soon as she regained eye contact with him, as soon as his guitar-callused fingers brushed hers, pressing her hands into the sheets. He grinned satisfiedly and leaned down again to kiss her, softly at first, but soon he fell into his usual demeanour and one hand was again knotted in her hair, the other playing with her exposed breast. She fingered the massive bulge straining under his boxer briefs and smirked into his kisses as he reacted, expertly pushing all of her buttons- he trailed his nails gently down her skin, pausing to grip her hip and squeeze her ass, hard, chuckling as she yelped into his mouth- and pressed his fingers down against her crotch, the only layer separating them the thin mesh of her thong.

"What would you like me to do, Gemma?" he murmured, his husky voice dripping with honey. "Hm, love?"

She scoffed playfully at him, though breathless. "You're trying to dirty-talk me?"

He masked a look of vague surprise and exaggerated his accent, knowing it would get to her. He repeated himself. "What would you like me to do, Gems?"

When she didn't reply he tapped her gently, tugging at the hem of her panties with a fingernail. He gazed down at her expectantly, cocky, biting his lip with a sharp, tobacco-stained tooth- but she wouldn't give in, not right away. She watched his gaunt features shift as she deftly pulled down his boxer briefs with one hand and wrapped her fingers around him. A growl escaped his throat and his lip threatened to curl, his mouth in a crooked sneer.

"What do you want me to do?" She said in her best seductive tone- she wasn't nearly as good at it as him, but she tried- and felt him stiffen further in her grip.

He simpered and leaned down to kiss her, nipping her lip before he murmured, "you are something else, aren't you?"

She pumped her fist a few times, hungrily inhaling in the hot, cigarette-and-booze air he struggled to keep in as she moved her hand along his length. Once more, she cooed, "What would you like me to do, Murdoc?"

No later than a second after she had uttered those words had he grabbed her by the hair and twisted her onto her hands and knees, a gravelly rumble rising in his throat as she whimpered in pain. He positioned himself behind her and yanked her head back to whisper in her ear, "I want you to sit here and let me fuck you, love. Can you do that?"

"Yes," she murmured, wincing as he dug his nails into her back.

He moved his hands to her hips and tightened his grip as he slid into her slowly, letting out a snarl like she'd never heard. She stifled a cry- the sheer size of him was too big. He had always been too big for her, but he was just. So. Fucking. Good.

"Now, I'm going to ask one more time," he said, his voice near hoarse. He was playing it cool, but she could tell it was taking energy to physically hold himself back- he was practically vibrating. "What would you like me to do to you, Gemma?"

"Fuck m-"

He pounded into her and she finished her sentence with a yelp, grabbing onto the foot of the bed-frame for support. One of his hands reached around to grab her breast and the other reached over to touch her clit; he made her mewl as his fingers massaged her expertly, and in turn he cussed under his breath and thrusted into her harder, faster. She gasped at the sharp pain where he'd sunk his teeth into the fleshy part of her shoulder; the mixture of pain and pleasure was soon enough to make her go over the edge; she moaned as he pumped faster, his hands now on her hips, and felt a stream of warmth inside her as he came too, digging his fingers into her bone.

Murdoc collapsed backwards on the bed, wrapping his arms round Gemma's waist and pulling her with him. She planted a kiss on his bony face and the two of them lay there for a moment, panting.

"I'll be ready for round 2 in a moment," he breathed, his voice deep and rough; he always sounded like that after sex, and it always left her wanting more.

"At least I've given your back some time to heal," she teased. "No scratches."

"Was fantastic regardless."

She gazed at the raven-haired man beside her, who had rummaged through his discarded jean's pockets and was now lighting a cigarette. He caught her staring and shot her a charming, quizzical look.

"Sorry. You're just…" she murmured, resisting the urge to run a hand through his mop of shiny black hair. He smirked, smoke escaping through his lips, as she continued, "Also, I have never had sex this good with anyone else."

"Is that so? How many people have you been with, then?"

Gemma was a bit taken aback by this question, but he seemed earnest and genuinely intrigued. "Uh. Under 7…"

He laughed, sputtering on his cigarette smoke. "Wot? A fox like you? Why's that?"

"I'm sort of picky. I guess. I dunno, 7 isn't that few…" His surprise made her question how many people he had slept with. She knew she didn't have to ask, but she knew it would eat away at her. "Why? What about you?"

"Christ." He looked upward, thinking. "Dunno, really. Maybe 50?"

Shit.. She regretted asking. But come to think of it, he probably had more opportunity to sleep around with people- "You know, I've just realized that I don't know how old you are."

"27. And you?"

Wow. There was a big age gap there that she hadn't been expecting. She hesitated. "21."

Murdoc was visibly surprised. "Christ. For some reason I thought you were… older."

"Why's that? Is that ok?"

He shrugged, studying her. "Of course. You just seem to know what you're doing."

"That couldn't be farther from the truth. But thanks. I would like to know where I stand, though…"

"Stand where, love?"

She felt stupid asking. "On your sex list."

"Oh." He snickered and tweaked her nipple. "If you weren't the best, I wouldn't be with you."

The anxiousness in her stomach faded and she snuggled into his shoulder, closing her eyes. 50 was quite a substantial number, but if she was the best, she supposed it didn't matter. After all, he said I was at the top. She felt silly, but pride bubbled up inside her.

A pair of warm lips interrupted her thoughts, trailing from her collar bone down to her breasts.

"I reckon you're ready to go again, love," her boyfriend's voice crooned. She opened her eyes to see him pulling that crooked grin. Damn, he was gorgeous.

"Alright." She exhaled as he trailed down her torso, glancing up at her with those mismatched eyes. "I hope these rooms are sound proof…"

"Oh, they are," he purred between kisses. "They are."