Chapter 12

Sevic sighed and collapsed against the door she'd just pulled shut. Riddick glanced over at her, and she let out a growl as she chucked her shoes across the room, stifling a snicker as he ducked, even though they were miles from him. He glanced at her again and chuckled.

"Didn't like those shoes, then, huh?" he asked playfully. She openly pouted.

"I hate playing dress up," she whined. His eyebrow rose. "Even when I was a kid, I just wanted to wear fatigues and a beater and play in the mud." Riddick laughed, shaking his head as the image formed.

"Tomboy, huh?" She nodded, pushing away from the door to gather her shoes.

"Had to dress up and dance for the wedding, dress up and dance for the inauguration, dress up and dance for the speeches," she grumbled. Riddick's brows furled as she flopped on the bed. "I look better in pants," she finally huffed, blowing a stray curl out of her eyes.

"I'm not going to say what I'm thinking," Riddick mumbled to himself.

"I know what you're thinking." He turned to her, pausing in unbuttoning his shirt.

"Really."

"Yes, really," she said, overacting her agitation. He couldn't help but smile. "You were thinking that I look better naked." He shrugged, returning his attention to his buttons. "And you're right," she said after a pause, tucking her arms behind her head. "I do look better naked." She chuckled at herself, but her smile fell slowly. "Save the scars, but hey. At least I don't have cellulite, right?"

"Scars are something to be proud of, Sevic," he said gently, shrugging the shirt from his shoulders. She turned her head toward him.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause you survived whatever gave them to you." She nodded once, then turned her gaze back up to the ceiling.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she finally said. "Survived the hacks in the med-bay that took out my junk, and I survived Bitch Vaako after she found out her hubby called for me more often than she thought." Riddick grimaced. "Someone needs to teach that whore how to hold a fucking knife," she snickered.

"Are you drunk?" Riddick asked slowly.

"No," she answered quickly. "But I wouldn't mind getting that way," she added coyly, making a show of looking him up and down.

"You're flirting with me again," he drawled, adding a slight warning tone to his words. She shrugged.

"You started it," she scoffed.

"Did I?" A quick nod. "When?"

"After dessert," she said with a small smile.

"Sevic, that was—"

"That was what?" she interrupted, sitting up on the bed and smoothing out her dress. "That was you playing along?" Her eyes lifted to his, eyebrow quirked. "Ouch."

"No, I didn't mean—"

"I know. Shut up," she said quickly, smirking up at him as she stood. He sighed, shaking his head. "Let me guess. You don't know what to think of me now that I've finally opened up and… what was it you said?" She walked to his side, turning his face toward her. "Relax?" Recognition flashed in his eyes as he recalled when he'd used that word with her, his brows furling. She shook her head, smiling lightly as she planted a kiss on his cheek and left the room, calling on the closet light. He stared after her, watching the light go off again before she emerged in a long nightgown. Nothing fancy, just a nightgown. "Do we have a vid screen or anything?" His eyebrow rose. "God, you really don't know what to think of me, do you? Can't even answer." She shook her head, clicking her tongue. "I'm not tired yet. Do we have a vid screen?" He nodded, finally finding his feet to turn the thing on. She sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with her fingers as he turned back to her. "I had a good time tonight, Riddick," she said softly, slowly turning to look up at him.

"Did you." The challenge voice.

"Yeah, surprisingly I did," she said with a nod.

"Ouch." He held his face in check for a moment, and seeing the concern on her face, let the smile slip into place. Her eyes narrowed.

"Ass." He shrugged, stepping into the closet. She was still sitting on the bed fidgeting with her fingers when he emerged. "You surprised me," she said quietly, checking her balance as he sat on the other side of the bed.

"How?"

"How long did you leave your drink on that table?" He sighed, shaking his head.

"I know. Don't break my balls over it, okay?" She laughed quietly, and felt him turn.

"I didn't know it was actually possible to break them," she said with a smile, letting it fall as she turned her eyes back to him. "Poison is popular here," she informed him. "Especially with the Ladies. And with a woman on your arm, you're more likely to get it from one of them."

"Vaako?" She shrugged noncommittally. "I turned her down, and not very nicely." Sevic smiled. "I'm usually not that unguarded."

"You can't be that unguarded, Riddick," she said with a sigh, falling onto her back and scooting under the covers – on the left side of the bed. "You've got the biggest bulls eye on your ass out of anyone on this ship right now."

"That's why I keep you around." She smiled. "Here." She let out a strangled 'ugh' as the vid screen remote landed on her stomach.

"What, you're not a remote Rambo type?" He snickered. "Guess not." She started flipping through channels, glancing at him just sitting there, his back still to her. After finding something that would pass for entertainment, she reached out to settle a hand on his shoulder and pull him backward, his head resting in her lap. He shifted for a few moments, and she picked up the remote again, her free hand tracing imaginary patterns on his side.

"You told me Dame Vaako's not a threat to you," he finally said. She glanced down at him quickly before turning her attention back on the vid screen.

"She's not."

"She left a mark," Riddick pressed.

"She also got a lesson on how people really can defend themselves against an armed nitwit without a weapon," Sevic said without expression. Riddick smiled.

"I like you better with a weapon," he said slyly, taking her hand in his. He'd never let her know her feather-light touches tickled.

"That's only because you're a sick, twisted fuck that gets turned on by gorgeous women with knives strapped to their thighs." He chuckled.

"I think that's the first time anyone's said that to me and not pissed me off."

"Only because it's true," she quipped.

"What can I say?" She sighed, clicking the vid screen off and tossing the remote onto a nearby chair. "Nothing on?"

"Is there ever anything on?"

"Probably not," he said with a shrug. "So you know how to hold a knife, huh?"

"Darlin', I know how to make a knife," she said quietly. He looked up at her.

"Really."

"Yes sir," she answered. "My dad taught me when I was really little." Riddick's eyebrow rose. "He made the one I carried tonight, actually," she continued. "For my sixteenth birthday."

"What's it made of?"

"Stainless steel dipped in titanium. Antiqued to bring out the dragon, and set with Selerite for the eyes," she answered quietly.

"Ever use it?"

"Yup." She waited for him to ask, but he didn't, so she glanced down at him. He was staring at her hand on his chest. "You scare me, Riddick." He blinked, as though she struck a chord in him.

"Why?"

"You're the first man that's touched me and not hurt me since Jason," she said, proud of herself for not letting her voice waver. She took a breath and paused, letting it out slowly.

"No one's ever going to touch you and hurt you, understand?" The threat in his voice shook her nerves, and she smiled slightly as she nodded. He sat up, stretching his arms over his head and she watched the play of his muscles under his skin. Her eyes followed him as he stood, carrying one of the pillows in his hand.

"Riddick?"

"Night, Sevic," he said softly, smiling at her.

"Don't sleep on the floor," she said slowly. His eyebrow rose. "And don't give me the fucking eyebrow!" she exclaimed suddenly, grinning. He held his hands up, still holding the pillow. "God, you're aggravating." A simple shrug. She sighed. "Seriously. I don't want you to sleep on the floor."

"Why?"

"Because I'm scared I'll have to pee in the middle of the night and accidentally step on you," she said sarcastically. His eyebrow rose again, and she pointed a finger at him in warning. He laughed, shaking his head. "This bed is too big for one person, especially considering I tend to stick to one side. Just—" She sighed. "Don't sleep on the floor." He shrugged and tossed his pillow back to the head of the bed as he walked around to the side.

"What do you have against the floor?"

"Nothing," she said, burrowing under the covers. He cast her a sideways glance, which didn't go unnoticed, as he pulled back his side of the covers and crawled under them. He called the lights off and they both shifted under the sheets for a while, backs facing each other, until the room was silent. Both could tell from the other's breathing that neither was asleep, and she finally flopped onto her other side, staring at the back of his head. She reached out, feeling for his arm, and he turned, his expression quizzical. A smile touched her lips and she scooted closer to him as he rolled onto his back, lifting his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled against his side. "You're warm," she commented quietly.

"98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, usually." He smiled as she landed a light blow to his belly. "You smell good," he noted, turning his head to sniff at her hair. "What is that?"

"Jasmine." He nodded. "I've never actually seen a jasmine plant, if they actually exist, but I like the smell."

"What does your name mean?" Riddick asked. She glanced up at him.

"It means Little Fire."

"Little fire?"

"Yeah," she said with a small nod. "I always got in trouble when I was little. Mom said I always ran around like someone lit a fire in my pants. But they named me that because when I was born, there was a small fire in the hospital lobby." Riddick chuckled. "Someone left the microwave on a little too long." She shifted against his side, and he heard something pop.

"What was that?"

"My hip." Riddick shook his head. "What's your name mean?"

"I have no idea," he said with a sigh, wrapping one of her curls around his finger.

"What language is it?"

"Furian, I'm guessing. I don't know though." He felt her blink. "I don't know much about my early years, if you catch my drift." She nodded against him, watching her fingers splay out across his chest. God, he's massive.

"I've heard the stories about Furians," she said quietly. "And you definitely fit the description."
"Do I." The challenge voice again. She nodded, pressing her lips to the side of his neck. His fingers paused in their playing with her hair. "What was that for?"

"I felt like it," she said with a shrug. "You smell good," she said with a smile. "What is that?"

"Essence of Riddick," he answered quietly, smirking in the darkness.

"I like it," she said, leaning forward again, this time catching his skin lightly between her teeth. His groan rumbled in his chest.

"Playin' with fire," he warned. She smiled and repeated the action just under the crook of his jaw. "You leave a mark and I'll have questions to answer tomorrow," he grumbled, though he turned his head to give her better access. She smiled, noticing the movement, and reached up to turn his head back to her, her lips slowly working a trail to his. She bit his lower lip gently before reaching her target, throwing a leg over his waist to sit on his stomach as she kissed him. She pulled away slowly, resting her forehead against his as their breaths mingled between them.

"This is me making the first move," she said quietly, opening her eyes to stare into liquid silver. He smiled.

"Is it?" he asked tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Just wanted to make sure we're clear," she said, winking before attacking his lips again. Another groan vibrated through him, the sensation rumbling under her chosen seat as his hands slid up her legs to her hips. One was interrupted, and he broke the kiss, pulling away to look at her. She let her eyebrow twitch upward as she pulled her nightgown over her head, watching his eyes slide down her body and focus on the knife still strapped to her thigh.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Consider it a garter for a serial killer's lover," she said slyly, a small smile playing on her lips. His eyes still shifted between the knife and her face, and his suspicion finally sunk in. She sighed. "I didn't think you'd take it as a threat," she muttered, reaching for the buckle. His hand shot out to intercept her, and she glanced up at him as she felt him work the buckle loose and pull it from her thigh. "Riddick –"

"Shh." He pulled her face down to his lips again, planting a kiss in the middle of her forehead. "I doubt very seriously you're careless enough to strap on a knife and then make a move on me," he said, laying kisses along her collarbone. She smiled, running her hands over his head, marveling in the prickling sensation burning her skin.

"Once again, I'm the first one completely nude," she chuckled quietly.

"You can fix that, you know," Riddick chided. She didn't respond, instead starting her own exploration of his body. He let out a moan when she clamped her teeth down on a nipple, pulling slightly before swirling her tongue around it and repeating the action on the other. "Biter, huh?" She answered with another patch of skin between her teeth, and he smiled. "Do you take it as well as you give it?" He felt her smile against his stomach and made a mental note. Her lips attended to his stomach, following the ripples of muscle as she scooted down his body, taking his shorts and the comforter with her and dumping the garment off the foot of the bed. Her eyes still hadn't completely adjusted to the darkness, so she mapped with her hands, running them lightly over his skin. He sucked in a breath as her hair brushed against him. "Don't bite that," he warned, suddenly serious.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she said, grinning as he gave her a deep, gravelly groan as she ran her tongue up his length. Her lips worked back up to his, and he buried his hands in her hair, holding her face firmly against his as he rolled them over. "You got control issues?" she asked finally, his lips leaving hers to nip at the skin on her shoulder. He paused, glancing up at her, taking in her sly smirk. His eyebrow rose slowly, and she shoved one of his shoulders, forcing him onto his back. He began to protest, but her lips covered his as she lowered herself onto him, his muffled words slurring into a groan as she rocked against him. She smiled against his lips triumphantly, breaking their kiss as she increased her pace, tilting her head back. His lips assaulted her neck, and she shuttered, groaning as his teeth dug into her shoulder. He sat up, rhythm unbroken as he pressed her against his chest, smiling as her nails dug into his skin, his fingers repeating the action to increase the pace. She whimpered, and he started to twist them to wrestle her onto her back, but she shook her head, whispering, "no," insistently. He grunted as she rolled her hips against his, burying her face into his neck as her breath blasted onto his damp skin. His tongue swirled around her earlobe, and she turned her head into it, pressing her cheek against his and gasping as he scraped his teeth over it. Her back arched, pulling away from him, simultaneously granting him access as she neared the edge, her lip caught firmly between her teeth. His tongue ran a lazy circle around a nipple, and she whimpered, crying out as he bit down gently, and he felt her fall over that cliff into nothing but sensation. His grip tightened on her to keep her from slipping away from him as the waves crashed over her, pulling her back to him as she slowed, her whole body trembling. Her arms hung limply over his shoulders, nipples grazing his chest as her breath heaved, forehead resting on a shoulder. She sighed, finally chuckling lightly as she slowly maneuvered her legs around his waist, pulling his hips tighter to hers. Her head lifted, and she pressed her lips lightly to his, feeling him smile against her as she twisted, flopping onto her back, legs still clutching around him.

He moved slowly after a moment, unsure of whether she was ready for more yet or not, but her back arched, her teeth sinking into his lip as she groaned. He paused, not sure what that meant, but her hips lifted, grinding against his, and he took it as encouragement, starting slowly and building quickly. Her hips met his halfway, her hands running rapidly up and down his back. She wrenched her lips away from his, staring up at him with a hungry shine in her eye before letting her head fall back as her back arched again. He felt the heat rise, the twisting in his belly, and his head dropped, forehead resting on her sternum as she shuddered, lifting her head to kiss a spot on his shoulder before digging her teeth in. That clenched it, and he lost it with a loud grunt, feeling her grip him in a rapid rhythm as her hands tightened on his arms. He relaxed against her, her spasms continuing, but slowing gradually. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly, dropping a kiss on the top of his head before letting her head fall back into the pillows. She moaned, hips rising as he lifted away from her, pulling from her grasp. He settled on his side next to her, cradling her against him, his body molding to her back. She smiled listlessly as his lips pressed to her shoulder, snuggling back against him.

"G'night, Riddick," she whispered. He mumbled something against her skin, giving her a light squeeze. Sleep was too close to wait for a real response, and she gave in.