Cinder pulled a cigarette from one of the drawers by her desk, tamping it down against her palm a bit vacantly. She glanced to her side before placing the cigarette in her mouth, leaning forward at the light that Emerald offered her.
"I still don't understand why she's important to this plan." Emerald said sharply, shaking out her match with a flick of her wrist. The dark, sweet smell of phosphorous hung in Cinder's dorm room like fine perfume, wafting into hair and pressing into skin.
"Emerald, if I told you everything, there'd be no fun left in this little game we play." Cinder replied easily, smoke flaring out of her nostrils slowly, spiraling into the air and dissipating quickly. She smiled and rubbed at the lipstick she left on the filter, gazing at Emerald through long, heavy lashes.
Emerald looked away quickly, running her thumb across the crumbling tip of the matchstick. Even though they were alone, she still sat up straight, her guard dangerously high. She tugged on the long parts of her hair a bit, but when Cinder reached out for her - cigarette already forgotten in an ashtray besides her - she bit on her lip.
"Are you afraid?" Cinder asked interestedly, arching a dark brow.
Emerald paused, pressing her thumb to forefinger.
"I've been afraid since the moment I saw you."
Cinder withdrew her hand from where it sat on Emerald's thigh, an arch smile carving across her face. Shadow fell into the dimples at the bottom of her cheekbones, sleek red lipstick drawn neatly across a full mouth.
She laughed, loud and vibrant, a single bark of amusement, before reaching out to hold Emerald's hand. She was on her knees now, leaning on elbows and knees to lean over Emerald. Emerald's pulse jumped in a single spark of disbelief, and she could only watch, frozen in place as Cinder ran her thumb across Emerald's dark skinned knuckles.
"Well, Emerald, you always did know how to read people."
Cinder kissed her hand slowly, leaving behind the imprint of her scarlet lips. Emerald closed her eyes for the moment. She released a quivering breath, not even trying to conceal the shudder that ran down her spine when Cinder let her go.
Emerald was enchanted by Cinder, controlled by her, but she didn't even care to hide it. Cinder was inescapable, ensnaring her soul and keeping her captive, bewitching her until she couldn't even think about leaving.
Cinder sat back onto her heels, laughing when Emerald blushed to the tips of her ears, only able to stutter out a string of pleas.
"P-Please, Cinder, don't toy with me if you have no intention of going through with it - I know that you have that girl with you - please, don't - I wish that you would just let me go - "
"Who said that I don't have any intention of going through with this, Emerald?" Cinder demanded. "You know how I feel about you, Emerald. Be patient, darling." Emerald bit down on her lip again, pausing before crawling forward on her knees to kiss Cinder, just briefly. It was a chaste kiss, as chaste as a kiss could get with Cinder involved, a mouth moving against a mouth.
Cinder kissed back, smiling when Emerald drew back hesitantly.
"I'd do anything for you."
Cinder had asked Ruby to drop by her room at midnight, and the younger girl had agreed, eager to get away from the disapproving and dark glances of her team. Ever since she had come running back into Cinder's arms, Ruby was desperate for a warm touch, and Cinder was willing to give until she was satisfied.
When Ruby showed up, Cinder wasn't alone. Emerald had been sitting in her room for hours, flicking through the file folders on her Scroll with an almost idle boredom. Cinder enjoyed her company when she was quiet and still, and it certainly didn't hurt that Emerald was gorgeous, a statuesque artform reclined against the edge of her bed while she sat on the ground.
She was all tanned skin and crimson eyes, the defined, cut edges of her abs a slight tease from the low crop of her bandaged bustier. Cinder let Ruby in, and Emerald stood immediately, body language bristling and stance becoming defensive.
"Do you want me to leave?" Emerald demanded, meeting eyes with Cinder. Ruby furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, frowning at the odd set of circumstances.
"If I wanted you to leave, you would have already left." Cinder replied breezily, waving her hand. She had a hand looped around Ruby's waist, a possessive claim on the younger girl. Cinder turned to Ruby, gesturing vaguely towards Emerald.
"This is Emerald."
Ruby waved at the other woman, offering a tentative smile and an outstretched hand. Emerald refused it, choosing to fold her arms across her chest instead. She sought out Cinder's dark, glowing eyes, but the older woman expertly avoided her gaze, reaching down to tilt her thumb under Ruby's chin, up towards Emerald.
"What do you think of Emerald, Ruby?"
Ruby laughed nervously, fingers wringing together and loosening all in a matter of milliseconds. She bobbed on her feet and stammered helplessly.
"She seems like a really nice person!"
Cinder laughed, throwing her head back.
"No matter how hard I try, you're still unfailingly innocent, aren't you, jewel?" Cinder settled her finger just at the crest of Ruby's throat, the touch more of an urge than anything else now. "Speak honestly, Ruby. What do you think of Emerald?"
"She's r-really pretty." Ruby blurted, blushing instantly after.
Emerald arched her brow, but her expression softened by a few degrees, arms relaxing from where they were still crossed.
Cinder laughed, pure delight seeping into the clarion sound.
"That she is. She's quite lovely." Cinder linked her hand with Emerald and smiled dryly when the other woman drew in an involuntary breath. "The both of you are practically glittering."
Cinder looked at Emerald, really looked at her, eyes taking in every feature of her shapely form in mere seconds.
"Perhaps I should add another gem to my collection. You two would do well together, I think."
Ruby didn't offer a response, just blushed, but moved in closer despite herself. Emerald glanced down at Ruby, clearly appraising her, scarlet eyes glancing off every small feature of the younger girl's frame. Only once did they linger, just on the full crest of the Huntress's plush, pale mouth.
"Cinder's a flatterer." Emerald said finally, fingers still laced with Cinder's. Ruby giggled high in her throat, ducking her head. The motion was nervous and ecstatic at the same time, a sort of breathless little gesture.
Cinder dragged her thumb along Emerald's pinky, bringing her other hand to the base of Ruby's neck. Long fingers moved slowly across Ruby's flushed skin, nails digging crescent moons at the nape of her neck. Ruby whimpered a bit, closing her eyes to relish the feeling of Cinder simply touching her.
"And what do you think of Ruby, Emerald?" Cinder asked conversationally, as if the air around them wasn't charged with pure fire, alert and alive with tension and drawn breaths.
Emerald looked at Ruby again, slower this time, eyes dragging across each curve of her form through the thick fabric of her corselet or the thin stretch of her leggings. Ruby held her breath, her blush crawling across her cheeks like wildfire.
"She's quite the beauty. Look at that face." Emerald reached out, cupping Ruby's cheek with one of her hands. Ruby leaned into her touch steadily, biting back a moan when Emerald's thumb grazed across the seam of her mouth. It was hesitant, but the action was still a surprise, when Ruby licked at the tip of her finger, a slow and steady stripe of wet heat.
"Oh?" Emerald shot a look at Cinder. "Now, who did you learn that from?"
Ruby giggled a bit, lashes resting against the peaks of her cheekbones for a split second, mouth curving into a bright smile around the pressure of Emerald's finger.
"Cinder's been teaching me things here and there."
Cinder nodded, gazing down at the Huntress with obvious fixation, before flashing Emerald a knowing smirk. Emerald had underestimated Ruby, thought of her as a naïve little girl who didn't know a heated touch from a clumsy hand up her skirt.
"Naughty girl. You've corrupted her, Cinder." Emerald said teasingly, still running her finger across Ruby's mouth. Ruby chased her finger with the tip of her tongue from time to time, even surprising a keen laugh from Emerald.
"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Cinder purred, grazing Ruby's cheekbone with her finger. "Some flowers are just meant to be plucked."
Emerald hummed in agreement, slowly easing her thumb into Ruby's mouth. There was no noise or abrupt movement of dissent; in fact, Ruby welcomed it, moving her mouth across the digit slowly, eyes flitting between Cinder and Emerald in a search for approval.
"The prettiest petals always taste the sweetest, don't they?" Emerald asked nonchalantly, pushing Ruby's lower lip down with the slightest hint of pressure. Ruby groaned in encouragement, looking up at the two older women through thick, dark lashes. Cinder raked her hand through Ruby's hair, tugging on the strands with an absent hand, leaning forward to brush her mouth against Emerald's ear.
"Why don't you see for yourself?"
Ruby leaned forward first, and Emerald replaced her thumb with her mouth, slanting her lips across Ruby's, her tongue flicking a slick and easy path across the bottom of Ruby's mouth. Emerald's hand cupped Ruby's cheek, and the kiss was unhurried and exploratory, testing boundaries and breaking limits.
Ruby broke away first, breathless and starry eyed.
"You don't have to be afraid, you know." She whispered, looking up at Emerald. "I don't break that easily." Cinder leaned down and stole a quick kiss from the younger girl, leaving behind a tiny bruise on her bottom lip.
"You grow more ravishing everyday, my little jewel. Show Emerald all I've taught you; I think you'll surprise her." Cinder murmured, voice husky and ragged. Ruby grinned mischieviously, the characteristic quirk of her brow coming into play once Cinder urged her on. Before she could begin, Cinder waved them towards the bed.
"No, no, go sit down over there. Get comfortable." Ruby glanced at Cinder again. "Go on, darling. Give Emerald a proper demonstration." The two obliged, sitting down on the edge of Cinder's bed as the older woman sat on the edge of her desk, watching raptly.
Ruby reached out first, feeling emboldened in the moment. She had no idea where the sudden confidence came from, but the pleased growl that Emerald let out when she kissed her was enough to spur her on. Emerald's kisses were far different from Cinder's, but they were both fascinating.
Cinder kissed like she was grabbing something deep within Ruby, pulling out all of her insecurities and doubts and fears and replacing them with bloodlust and stars, only leaving behind flesh that begged to be touched. Emerald kissed like she was always thinking, storing away each feeling and emotion for later, just to dwell on it.
Ruby just wanted to be kissed.
Emerald's hand on her waist was an anchor to stay in the moment, a gentle reminder that Ruby was really doing this, kissing a woman while another watched, and she bit down on Emerald's lip with bruising force. Instead of jerking away, Emerald leaned forward, gripping Ruby, pulling her closer.
Ruby wrapped her arms around Emerald's neck, slanting her head to the side to catch her breath. Emerald kissed at her earlobe, reddening a fading mark that Cinder had left behind. Ruby groaned, grabbing Emerald by the chin to kiss her again, this time with teeth clicking and tongues slipping across the soft give of flesh.
Emerald kissed harder now, hands gripping Ruby's hips, thumbs finding her clothed hipbones and pushing on them. Ruby's hips jerked at the jumpstart of motion, breaking away to laugh aloud. Emerald backed up against the headboard of the bed, letting Ruby straddle her. Ruby placed her hands on the wall, kissing with the passion and heat that Cinder had taught her to infuse into her kisses.
Ruby sank into every touch, only yelping when Emerald pinched the back of her thigh. Cinder laughed at that, clapping her hands together as she sat from her perch, enraptured. Ruby stole another kiss, breaking away after lashing Emerald's lip with the sharp edge of her tooth.
The Huntress was flushed and dazed, chest heaving and searching for breath. She met eyes with Cinder across the room, who bit at her mouth, eyes flaming with arousal. Ruby gazed down at Emerald, who looked about as surprised and lustful as her. Emerald hummed as Ruby started to move her hips against hers.
"You two put on quite the show." Cinder murmured, curling her fingers across the side of her face, almost contemplative as she watched them from her vantage point.
Emerald laughed at that and looked up at Ruby before tossing a sideways glance at Cinder.
"What'll it take for you to come over here?"
Cinder hummed, tapping her fingernail against her cheek.
"Keep going, and then we'll see."