I don't own these characters/historical figures. I don't even know how that would work.
2: Stand Strong
Angelica was not surprised their entire friend group all ended up at the apartment after the incident with Maria's ex. They all fussed over Maria on the way over and then everyone made themselves comfortable in the living room. Maria gave little smiles and such as a response to the concern, but stayed pressed to Angelica's side. Angelica did not mind.
They ordered pizza, wings, and fries. A movie played in the background, but they never watched movies together. They were too distracting to each other, which might be what Maria needed at the moment.
Angelica had her arms around Maria, holding her close, breathing her in. She needed to feel Maria to know she was all right. It was also nice to find Maria smelled the same. James had not been there long enough to cover Maria in his stench. But, he had been there long enough to cause Maria distress. Maria had not said what he did, just carried on like everything was all right once she had gotten a good cry out.
Angelica held off asking if Maria was all right. Maria snuggled up to her and had her laptop open, typing away, working on a paper. Every now and then, Angelica fed her a fry. This was nice. If only it happened for different reasons.
"Why don't we come over here more often?" John wondered aloud just as a glob of tomato sauce slid out of his half eaten slice and plopped onto the floor.
"Gee, I wonder why?" Peggy's voice was loud and sarcastic as she eyed the sauce with a frown.
John laughed and he grabbed a napkin. "Just making sure to defy omega stereotypes of being clean." He grinned and wiped the floor.
Maria gasped and looked up. "You're…?"
Alexander shrugged. "All the guys, except Lafayette." He had wing sauce all over his mouth. Eliza cleaned him up as eyes went to him.
"Useless beta," Lafayette waved and then bit his pizza.
"Only partially useless," Adrienne said and she kissed his cheek. He sat up a little straighter for a moment and then went back to his pizza.
Maria's brow wrinkled, as if she was not sure what to do with that information, but for some reason she was in awe. "Wow."
"It's not a secret and it's not something to be ashamed of," John said.
Maria nodded. "It's not that. It's just… you all seem so strong and bold…" This confused everyone and they looked at her with slight tension in their faces.
Alexander scratched the back of his head. "Well, that doesn't come from being an alpha or omega."
"Or beta," Lafayette added.
Alexander pointed at Lafayette, acknowledging his status. "Either way, that stuff doesn't establish if you're strong or not. You should know that."
Maria gawked at him, like he had grown a second head. "How so?"
"You had the strength to get through that mess with your ex. A lesser person wouldn't have made it through that intact. They definitely wouldn't be sitting here with us like everything's fine," he replied.
"Everything is fine now, but what other choice did I have?" she countered.
Herc scoffed. "You could've given him what he wanted, so he'd go away. The bruises on your wrists let us know that didn't happen." He nodded to her hands and she looked down at her wrists, like she did not know there were bruises there. Maybe she had not realized it.
"And you stood up to him as much as we did," John said.
"More so, actually," Peggy chimed in. "You know what he's capable of and you still fought him off. You never gave up. You never gave in. That's real strength."
"And you asked for help. More real strength," Angelica said. More than she had most times.
Maria sniffled. "I don't feel strong." She curled into Angelica, who kissed the top of her head and held her tight.
"But, you are. You did everything right," Eliza said. She leaned over and patted Maria's knee, being careful of her laptop.
"And got us pizza and wings for it. So, thanks for that." Herc tipped his wing to Maria before tearing a huge chunk out of it.
"And we got to crash the Schuyler palace." John motioned around the room, still holding his half-eaten slice of pizza.
Angelica shook her head. "It's just an apartment, a regular apartment, and you've all been here before on multiple occasions."
There were so many shrugs. "This place hits different," Herc said, as if that made any sense.
"Yeah, well, Angelica hits different, too, if you mess anything up," Peggy replied and there were laughs.
"Why do you all try to make me out to be the mean one?" Angelica glared at them.
"Because of that expression. That is the face of a mean person," John replied with a grin.
Angelica rolled her eyes and Maria hugged her around the waist. "Don't listen to him. You're sweet."
Angelica smiled and melted. "Damn right I am."
Herc grinned at her. "Sweet like antifreeze." He wiggled his eyebrows.
Everyone laughed, including Angelica. "You're an ass."
"A fine ass." He blew her a kiss.
More laughter and it was a chill night after everything. They went through the pizza, wings, and fries and just talked about nothing really. Everyone left by ten. They all gave Maria words of encouragement. Maria's eyes teared up, but she managed to hold off crying. Then, they retired to bed.
"Are you all right, all things considered?" Angelica asked as Maria settled against her. This seemed like the right time to ask, in the privacy and safety of their bedroom.
Maria sighed as she put her arm across Angelica's abdomen. "Fine, actually. I was scared in the moment, but you all showed up and it was great."
Angelica nodded. "And it's okay I brought everybody? I didn't know how bad the situation was and I believe in being over prepared rather than under for unknown situations." That really worried her. Had she overstepped and Maria just did not want to address it?
Maria smiled. "I'm surprised they all came. They don't know me."
Angelica rubbed her shoulder. "But, they want to know you and they want you to be safe. You can count on them."
Maria sat up enough to lock eyes with Angelica. Her face was so bright. "I see that."
"I'm glad." Angelica breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared Maria would be embarrassed by everyone showing up to help. Instead, she accepted it and took it in stride. "You really are so strong."
Maria shook her head. "I didn't feel strong when he pinned me down, held my wrists with one hand, ripped my shirt, and tried to refresh his mating mark."
A scowl ripped through Angelica's face and she could feel darkness spread through her soul. How dare he try to mark her without her consent?! I should've ripped him a new one when I had the chance. She wanted to hurt him in a way she never felt before, something to make him feel the terror he put Maria through.
"That dirty bastard. Do you want to go to campus police tomorrow to file a report?" Angelica asked. They needed to start a paper trail, just in case he tried something else. She wanted to document he had a history of this to use at the proper time to get him away from Maria as soon as they could.
Maria sighed. "I should, shouldn't I?"
"Just to start a paper trail in case things escalate. We would want to be able to prove his behavior is habitual and not a one-time thing. Also, it helps when he pulls the 'its your word against mine' BS. You'll have evidence to prove your word."
Maria gulped so loud Angelica heard it plainly. "Would you come with me?" Maria's voice was smaller than usual.
"Of course I would, princess. I would stand by you through this and anything else as long as you let me." Angelica gave her a squeeze. It would probably be best for her to go along. She was very aware how the police might look at someone like Maria. She might have to get in people's faces to make sure they took Maria seriously and did not treat Maria as if she had done something wrong.
Maria hummed in thought. "I'm not used to having people."
"Well, you have us now. Hell, you've had Peggy for a while. I'm sure you know that just from the way she gets on my case for you. We'll always be here for you."
Maria kissed her cheek. "I truly believe that and it makes me less scared of James."
"We'll put James in his place and get him to leave you alone," Angelica declared.
Maria cuddled into her. "I believe that, too."
"Good." Angelica kissed the top of her head. Sleep came easier than she expected because Maria fell asleep so easily. They would stop James from trying to pull a stunt like that again. Or any other stunt. Maria would get a normal, peaceful life, even if Angelica had to tear it from James chunk by chunk, which was quite appealing.
-8-8-8-8-
There were several reasons why Maria was happy Angelica went with her to make a report to campus police about James. The process was as overwhelming as she expected and so intrusive. It did not help that a few times it seemed like the officer taking the report blamed her for James breaking into her room, pinning her down, and threatening her. Angelica made sure to keep the conversation focused and she had information Maria had not been able to provide, like the full names and contact information of the other witnesses.
So, while the report took more time than Maria would have liked, it was done and she felt a little safer. It just felt good to know if something happened again, the police would know James was the one forcing the issue and she did not want contact with him. It was on paper and official. She did not want James.
The last reason Maria was happy about making the report was a week later, James ambushed her outside of her last class of the day. She was barely out of the building and he was at her elbow. He grabbed her with force, but she yanked away, almost tipping over. She regained her balance and tried to rush away, walking fast. He was tall enough to keep up with her with barely increasing his stride.
"James, leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you anymore," Maria said and pulled out her phone as she tried to rush away from him.
He jogged up beside her. "Since when? You think your bitch will save you now?" He attempted to snatch her phone.
Maria yanked away and called Angelica, but focused on James. "I'm going to call the police."
He scoffed. "And? I'm not doing anything." He gave her such a wicked smirk.
She glared at him. "You're following me." Surely they would see it that way after the report, right?
"I'm going in the same direction." He motioned ahead of them, smirk still in place.
"You don't even have classes."
"But, I have friends."
"You're stalking me."
He grinned now, but it was so demonic. His whole face changed and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes, like when he was on top of her back at her dorm room. "You're being melodramatic. We were at the same place and started walking in the same direction."
Maria held in a sob as it felt like her chest might cave in. He was trying to make her seen crazy and he had a full, fairly logical story ready if she called the police. What was she supposed to do? Why would he not just leave her alone? Well, she knew why. He wanted to control her. Don't let him.
"Maria!" She heard Angelica's voice loud and clear, It was not through the phone, so she scanned the area and found Angelica rushing to her from another end of campus. She had a uniformed officer with her.
"Angelica!" Maria wanted to fly to Angelica, but she stopped. What would James do if he saw Angelica and campus police? He actually stood next to her, like he was with her.
"Maria, is he bothering you?" Angelica asked as she stood before both of them.
James glared at Angelica. "I just happened to be headed this way." He smiled, so smug Maria wanted to punch him in the face. Unfortunately, the cop was heading over and she did not want to get arrested for assault.
The officer stepped up. "Can I see your college ID?" He looked James square in the eye.
James scoffed. "I don't go here."
"I need to see some ID, though."
"For what?" James demanded.
"You fit a description," the officer replied in a deadpan manner.
James sucked his teeth. "This is ridiculous." He went into his wallet and yanked out his identification, practically shoving it in the officer's uniformed chest.
The officer did not seem bothered. He accepted the ID and nodded as he studied the ID card. "What's your business on campus today?"
James folded his arms across his chest. "I was going to see a friend."
The officer arched an eyebrow. "Maybe you could spare some time to sit with me. We got a report of a James Reynolds gaining access to a dorm room and assaulting a student."
James' face flushed with anger. "I didn't assault anybody! And she's not even a real student!" He pointed at Maria. "She blackmailed the admin to gain admission!"
The officer remained unfazed. "You can tell me your side in my office."
"I'm not coming with you," James declared.
"Then I'll have to escort you from campus. After all, you're not a student here, but you may pose a threat to the student body."
"She's not a—" James did not finish that thought. He huffed, but calmed himself, taking a deep breath. "Fine. Fine. Let's go." He glared at Angelica and then looked at Maria. "This isn't over."
Maria stared back. "Is that a threat?"
James blinked and looked at the officer. "Of course not." A nervous smile settled on his face.
"Let's go," the officer said.
And suddenly, Maria was alone with Angelica, who hugged her immediately. Maria sighed into the embrace, engulfed by safety. She could breathe again. She gave Angelica a kiss as they pulled away.
"I'm so happy we have each other's schedules," Maria said. That had to be the reason Angelica made it to her so fast.
"And I'm happy I passed that cop on the way to you," Angelica replied.
Maria nodded. "I'm not used to stuff working out like this."
"And that truly is a shame, princess. I want you to have a good life," Angelica said.
"You are such a sweetheart," Maria replied.
"That could be argued, but I won't. I have work to do, but you can take my key and go to the apartment if you want."
Maria held in a gasp. Angelica was willing to trust her in the apartment alone? Would she ever get used to this?
"If you don't mind," Maria answered.
And Angelica just gave her the keys, like it was nothing. They parted with a kiss and Maria practically ran to the apartment, not wanting to chance another encounter with James. After all, who knew how long the campus police might keep him? And once they let him go, who knew if he would stick around on campus or not? She did not want to find out.
Peggy was not home, having late classes. Maria checked the kitchen, wanting to cook for Angelica as thanks. As always, they were well stocked. She put the food on and then started some work. She was interrupted by her phone chiming. James texted her. We need to sit down and settle this. She agreed, but did not text him back. She would talk this over with Angelica.
Peggy came in a couple of hours later. "Hey, Maria. Can I steal some dinner?" She stood right at the kitchen, as if waiting for permission.
"Of course," Maria answered from her space in the living room. She worked on another paper that was due as the school year was coming to a close. She would be happy to not have to write another paper for a while once summer came.
Peggy actually giggled at this and went to load up on stewed chicken, yellow rice, black beans, and biscuits. "Did Angelica go out?"
"No. I ran into James again and she gave me her keys to come here, but she had work."
Peggy grunted. "She's such a…" She just made a noise and then went back to making noise in the kitchen. "She should've called off work to be with you."
Maria looked at Peggy, locking eyes with her. "Please, don't. She's wonderful and doesn't need to hold my hand through everything."
Peggy smiled. "I know. I just like giving her a hard time about this. She always swears she's practically perfect in every way."
Maria made a sound that close to a chirp and could not help smiling back. "Because she is."
Peggy groaned. "You're about to be grossly in love with her one day, huh?" She turned back to the stove, putting food on a plate she held.
Maria blinked, a jolt of lightning fraying her nerves. In love? With Angelica? It could happen. Hell, maybe it already happened, which would explain why she felt so amazing with Angelica all of the time, why the world just seemed right when Angelica was around. But, Angelica would never love her back, right?
"Maybe," Maria mumbled.
Peggy chuckled as she finished making her plate. "Don't worry. She'll be the same. It's almost there already. You're in good hands." She stepped a little closer and stared at Maria. "I hope the same is true for her."
With a gasp, Maria nodded. "I promise! I want to be so good to her, for her!" She moved her laptop and pressed her hands together. "I want to make her feel like she's the best person in the world because she is to me!" Was Peggy about to give her the shovel talk? Oh, crap, what would Peggy and everyone do if Maria ever did something to cross Angelica? No, don't worry about that. Angelica would never hurt you like James and she would never let anyone else hurt you, even if we don't work out.
Peggy winked and blew her a kiss. "Just checking." Then, she went about her business like she had not just scared Maria to within an inch of her life.
Maria blew out a breath and picked up her laptop, trying to focus on her paper. It was due tonight. She needed to get this done, but now… her concentration was shot. Did she love Angelica? Could Angelica love her? Did she deserve someone like Angelica loving her?
Maria had been around the block a few times, as they said. Hell, the only reason she was able to attend this school was because she slept with the right alphas, and that was after being pimped out by James. James, whose mark still burned her skin. Why would Angelica want a life with her? Because she's currently spending her life with you. Have some faith.
She gave herself a nod. Angelica was spending time with her. That was Angelica's choice. Obviously, she was enough. She was worth it. So, she should stop worrying and finish her paper. Angelica was not James and that was that.
She focused on her paper until there was a knock at the door. Maria put her laptop down and went to open it. Angelica waltzed in, looking a little worse for wear. Maria winced. Did Angelica look beat up like that when she used to tutor Maria?
"You okay, sweetheart?" Maria asked, giving Angelica a tight hug.
"I'm okay. Don't worry about it." Angelica sighed, sagging in her arms, and then glanced at the kitchen. "Oh, you cooked."
Maria kissed Angelica's cheek. "It felt like the least I could do."
Angelica leaned down for a proper kiss from Maria. Maria delighted in returning the kiss. She whined when Angelica pulled away and that made Angelica smile.
"You're a wonder, you know that?" Angelica said in a soft tone.
Maria preened, as she always did when Angelica praised her. "I just want to take care of you."
This earned her an even bigger smile. "I appreciate it. I'm going to take a shower. Can we eat together or did you already eat?"
"No, I wanted to wait for you."
Angelica made a pleased noise, which danced through Maria and pride poured into her from the sound. Then, Angelica went off to take her shower. Maria grabbed her laptop up and typed as fast as she could, wanting to be as close to done as possible by the time Angelica came back out. Just as she finished up, her phone went off. James again. She frowned.
"You okay?" Angelica asked as she came back out, now dressed in a pink tank top and matching, flowing linen pants.
"James keeps texting me. I didn't look yet. I wanted to wait for you to be with me in case it was something awful," Maria replied.
Angelica hummed. "Understood. Let's eat first and then deal with whatever nightmare he thinks he's causing."
Maria nodded. That sounded like a plan. So, they got up and made their plates. Maria grabbed a beer to go with it while Angelica had wine. They sat on the living room floor.
"You know, for a while, I thought you and Peggy drank the same beer I do. I didn't realize you were buying it for me," Maria said with a smile and then she took a sip from the beer bottle. Angelica had gone out of her way to make her feel comfortable, even way back then.
Angelica sighed. "Yes, even though you shouldn't be drinking, but that's another matter." She mixed her foods together.
Maria chuckled. "Look at you, breaking the law for me."
"Yes, definitely off to a bad start being a lawyer, but I do have an arrest record, so it doesn't matter."
Maria scoffed. "You got arrested at protests. That doesn't count."
Angelica laughed. "Are you trying to discredit my street cred?"
Maria loved this about Angelica. The fact that she could tease Angelica and not have to worry about when the mood would shift and she did not realize it. She did not have to concern herself with the play stopping and suddenly Angelica grabbing her, humiliating her, or hurting her. She kissed Angelica.
Angelica yelped. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"
"For being a good person, showing me there are good people, especially good alphas out there."
Angelica smiled. "There are plenty of us." She twirled her fork before eating some of her food.
"I see that now." She had no idea there were good alphas out there, but the Schuyler sisters definitely were. She hoped to meet more people like them as time went on.
They ate, discussing their day outside of James. Angelica revealed she looked so tired because she helped a client with a final paper and was certain she lost brain cells from it. Not many clients were like that, but apparently, every now and then, there was someone who needed a lot more than a tutor and she just had to make do. Maria patted her knee to comfort her, but the second glass of wine Angelica had probably did more than she did.
Then, the food was gone and it was time to check the text. Maria put that off by going to take a shower of her own. She had enough clothes at the apartment where she could spend the night and go about the next day refreshed and unbothered. By the time she came back out of the shower, the dishes were in the dishwasher and the food was put away. Her things were out of the living room. She went to Angelica's room to find Angelica curled up in her armchair with a thick book in her hands.
"Bedtime?" Maria asked.
"I just needed to keep busy and didn't want to start my work yet," Angelica explained.
"You want to keep reading or…" Maria glanced over at her phone, charging on the nightstand on her side of the bed.
"He can wait if you want him to."
"I think I just want to know what he said and then put it behind me. Maybe you can help me do that." Maria smirked. She was wrapped in only a towel, so nothing needed to be said.
Angelica grinned. "It would definitely be my pleasure." She put her book down and moved over to the bed as Maria grabbed her phone.
They settled in the center of the bed. Angelica put her arms around Maria, who took a deep breath as she unlocked her phone. She opened the text thread with James. The first message was just a demand. Call me. The next one was a little more cordial, but not by much. We need to talk.
"Do we need to talk?" Maria wondered aloud.
"You don't need to give into his demands, that's for sure. The least he can do is say please," Angelica said.
Maria nodded. "But, do we need to talk? Do you think I could say anything to make him go away?"
Angelica pursed her lips. "We need to come up with a plan that might make him go away. Do you want to answer him? Just ask him what there's to talk about. See where his head is. Does he want to talk about his behavior or yours?"
"I'm sure mine." But, Maria texted him back. Talk about wat?
He must have been eagerly waiting for her to reply because he typed back in less than a second. You damn near got me arrested! The fuck you think I wanna talk about?! It was a pity he had not been arrested.
"Only almost? So disappointing. What is our legal system doing?" Angelica pouted.
Maria laughed. "More than I expected. I didn't think the cops would care, but they cared enough to take him in and question him apparently."
"Yes, which is what they should do. He broke into your room, assaulted you, and then followed you around campus. He's clearly dangerous. It would be nice for them to stop him before something serious happens."
"Yeah, it would…" Maria sighed and dropped a little. She just did not expect them to care. "I think they took me more serious than they wanted to because you were there, though."
"I'm sure that is the case, which is terrible, but never doubt that I won't be by your side if anything serious does happen. I'll be there to force these people to take you seriously, for anybody to take you seriously. I hate that it's necessary, but I'll be there."
Maria could not help kissing Angelica. "You're a godsend, you know?"
Angelica rolled her eyes. "We'll see how long you'll think that."
"Forever probably," Maria said without thinking. She yelped as it finally reached her brain and Angelica's eyes were wide. Maria turned her attention to her phone, hoping Angelica did not say anything about the comment. "Um… I'm just gonna ask him when he wants to talk." She typed before Angelica said anything.
"Don't accept his terms regardless. He no longer dictates your life."
Maria nodded. "That's good." She would not have thought of that, just so used to jumping when James said to do so.
"Yeah, so no matter what he says. You counter with some time you're comfortable with, preferably a time that would inconvenience him."
Maria chuckled, but did not get a chance to respond as her phone chimed. Tomorrow. He was out of his mind. "I'm definitely not doing it tomorrow. I have class."
"We could mess up his weekend."
"Yeah, but that would mess up our weekend, too."
"I'll get us tickets to an off-broadway play. That'll get the taste out of your mouth."
Maria chirped. "I would like that. Are you sure?"
"Of course, princess. I should take you on a date, anyway. It's been a while. Don't tell Peggy."
Maria laughed, throwing her head back and everything. "I promise I won't, but we've been busy with the end of school approaching. I don't want to go on a date with all this stress on us. Not to say, I won't want to do it after seeing James."
"All right, so we'll do a musical after we're done with him. That'll make it even better. It'll be timed. He'll hate that you've set a time limit on him, too."
"You really know how he works, huh?" Maria asked.
"I know how assholes operate. I've met quite a few in my day. So, the next thing to figure out is how he thinks he's going to force you into doing what he wants you to do, which seems to be belong to him again." Angelica gagged at that.
Maria tapped her chin in thought. "He'll probably try to take school away from me. He didn't think I'd last this long. He expected me to come back to him a couple of months after I left, crying about how hard school was. He doesn't really think I can take care of myself and I need him."
"And he didn't want you to go to school."
"No, he wanted to keep doing what we were doing, but I was done. I want this life. He'll try to take this life from me to teach me a lesson." She hated how she knew how he thought. He would want to hurt her, crush her, force her to admit she could not handle life without him.
Angelica nodded. "Okay. And, I'm assuming he thinks you got into this school through blackmail, as that's what he taught you, yes?"
Maria sighed, not really wanting Angelica to remember that. "That is how I got into the school. I called in favors from the alphas I slept with. They didn't want it to get out that they slept with me, partially because I was underage with most of them, and they were married or mated or both."
Angelica blew out a breath. "Making it really hard to believe in the goodness of people to know alphas are out there preying on underaged omegas, but that's a different matter. We just have to get to his angles before he does."
"Meaning what?"
"Text him back and then I'll explain."
Maria nodded and texted him. We can meet Saturday. "Okay, so what do you mean?"
"He's more than likely going to try to blackmail you into coming back to him. He'll threaten to expose the alphas who helped you, thus forcing them to move against you to avoid trouble. We just have to make allies of them first. It shouldn't be too hard since we'll all have a common enemy."
Maria blinked. "Sometimes, I forget how smart you really are."
Angelica snorted. "This isn't smart. You need to watch me during mock trail if you wanna see smart."
"I don't think I'd be allowed in. Surely it's bad form to jump on a lawyer mid-argument to kiss her and grind on her." Maria doubted she would be able to contain herself if she really got to see Angelica in her element.
Angelica laughed. "I wouldn't object to that."
Maria made a show of looking down at her towel. "I want to get to that part of the night then." She put her phone down, not caring what James texted. If he knew what was good for him, he would meet her on Saturday or he would end up actually arrested. Right now, she wanted to give all of her attention to Angelica.
-8-8-8-8-
Angelica was far from surprised Maria rolled over onto her as soon as she put her phone down. She did not even give Angelica a chance to say something, kissing her senseless immediately. Not that Angelica would ever complain about that. The kiss stopped as Maria pulled off Angelica's tank top and tossed it behind them.
"Is this okay?" Maria asked, hands on Angelica's shoulders.
Angelica smiled. "Of course it is, princess. But, thank you for checking in."
"You always check in with me. I don't take that for granted."
"I know. And as we both know, consent is sexy." She especially wanted to make sure she got Maria's explicit consent for anything they did after finding out about Maria's past.
Maria grinned. "Damn right." She unwrapped her towel and did not give Angelica a chance to admire her as she started a fresh kiss.
Angelica could not complain, loving the press of Maria's lips and the glide off her tongue. The skin contact was beautiful as always. Maria was warm and seeped into Angelica, becoming part of her. It made Angelica's brain buzz with pleasure, going fuzzy in the best ways.
Maria broke the kiss to kiss Angelica's cheeks, cutting a wet path down to her neck. Angelica could not help moaning as her entire body hummed, begging for Maria's touch. Maria dragged her teeth down the column of Angelica's throat and palmed Angelica's breasts. Each touch from Maria ignited every nerve in Angelica's body. Everything was so good.
"You know, I promised Peggy I'd take care of you. Be good to you," Maria said before peppering her collarbones with wet kisses.
Angelica's brow wrinkled. "Why are we talking about Peggy?" She did not want to hear or think about her sisters right now, not when her blood stirred for Maria. She was so hard already, which was not surprising. Maria had that effect on her.
"Because she gave me the shovel talk in the most polite way and I really do want to take care of you on the same level you do for me." She kissed the center of Angelica's chest and it brought Angelica's heart to life in a way that all the poetry in the world would not be able to describe.
Angelica smiled and ran her fingers through Maria's hair. "You have no idea, huh?" She caressed Maria's cheek with her other hand. "No, I don't suppose you would." She could not expect Maria to know something she had not talked about.
Maria tilted her head. "What're you talking about?"
"Before you walked into my life, it wasn't much of a life. Mostly school. I was an emotional desert after that thing with John. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be in another relationship and then you showed up. You healed wounds that weren't easy to see, but they were there." She had not even realized they were there until after Maria.
"You deserve to feel good, not just like this, but in every way."
"So do you."
Maria grinned at her and then went back to kissing Angelica, all across her breasts. She ran her hands up and down Maria's back, which turned to scratching as Maria sucked her nipple into her mouth. Angelica moaned, possibly loud enough for poor Peggy to hear, but Peggy never complained about the noise before. Maria moaned, too, like she liked drag of Angelica's blunt nails.
"Yes, hold me like that," Maria said and then she flicked Angelica's nipple with her tongue. Electricity went through Angelica's body and her dick twitched, throbbing with desire.
"You're so sweet," Angelica said. She really wanted to just compliment Maria's mouth, but she got a little touchy over that, no matter how good the praise.
"You're the sweet one." Maria took a gentle bite of her nipple and another magical jolt shot through her. She might climax right in her pants if this kept up.
Angelica groaned. "You keep this up and I'll start speaking French."
With a gasp, Maria sat up. "You can?"
"Yes." How had she not made love to Maria in French yet? She would have to remedy that soon enough.
"No, don't do that yet. Hold that surprise for when school is over. I want to really explore that with time. French and poetry." Maria shivered.
Angelica put on an exaggerated pout. "So, no, poetry right now?" She enjoyed figuring out what poem fit the occasion.
"Nope. Right now, I want you to take off your pants and then just lie here while I do everything."
Oh, so they were going to see how well Angelica followed commands. She could do that. Hell, she found she enjoyed that with Maria.
"For me to take off my pants, you're unfortunately going to have to get off of me," Angelica pointed out.
Maria wordlessly slid off of Angelica, gliding down her body like dew drop from a leaf. Angelica groaned at the sight and quickly got rid of her pants and boxer-briefs. She sighed in relief as she was freed from her clothes and her rock hard cock slapped against her abdomen. She barely had time to settle back on the bed before Maria was on her again. Maria took hold of her wrists and put them above her head, pinning her hands to the headboard. Angelica chuckled.
"Getting a little rough?" Angelica asked. This was not the first time Maria did this and hopefully would not be the last.
"No. Just want to be in the right position to tell you my tits need attention right now," Maria replied.
Angelica smiled. Maria needed to work on her delivery, but one step at a time. Still, she wasted no time running her tongue along Maria's right breast and then sucking her pebbled nipple into her mouth. She tasted so good. Maria let out the cutest coo as Angelica gently bit down on the gem. She tried to pull her arms away from Maria, so she could treat the left breast similarly, but Maria would not let her go.
"Just your mouth, sweetheart," Maria said.
Fine. Angelica switched, lips attaching to the neglected treasure. Maria bucked against her, making her groan and tremble with anticipation. Maria was slick and now her abdomen was wet. She was so hard it almost hurt, but she managed to ignore that. She flicked Maria's nipple with her tongue and earned another grind. She wanted more, so kept her tongue and teeth busy. Maria moaned above her, like soft music into the night.
"You like this?" Maria asked in a pant. Angelica nodded as best she could, not willing to lose her treat. Maria chuckled. "You want me to come on your abs? Your rock hard abs?"
Sometimes, it was hard to believe Maria would say things like this. She was such a quiet, studious person most of the time, when people were watching anyway. Yes, she could have a good time when given the chance, liked to drink about as much as any college student, and had dragged Angelica out to dance more often than not. But, this side of her seemed so out of the blue for the person Angelica knew and she did not mind one bit.
So, Angelica suckled and Maria rode her abdomen. Never had Angelica been with an omega who would do such a thing, but she enjoyed the situation. Angelica gave a gentle tug to her hands, wanting them back, so she could grasp Maria's hips. Maria did not let her go, though, and she did not put up any more of a fight. She gave herself over to Maria, just focusing on the nipple in her mouth, and enjoying as Maria chased her pleasure against Angelica's body. I really want to do some poetry right now. This was poetry.
Maria looked down at her and smiled. "You want to say something, don't you?" Angelica nodded and Maria chuckled. "Don't. Keep doing what you're doing. I'm so close."
Angelica whimpered and kept doing exactly what she was doing. Maria moved against her with more vigor, painting Angelica's stomach so prettily, much like the noises coming from Maria. And then, Maria shuddered above her, hips jerking against her stomach, and Maria collapsed against her, purring with happiness. She let go of Angelica's hands, allowing Angelica to wrap her up in an embrace. The press of their bodies, the warmth from Maria, and the hum of her panting, was pure heaven.
"I liked that," Angelica whispered.
Maria kissed her throat. "I like you."
"I like you, too."
Maria caressed her sides. "You don't mind…?"
"How many times do I have to tell you I don't?" Angelica sat up, taking Maria with her. She cupped Maria's cheek with one hand and stared deep into her eyes. Maria looked at her as if she held the secrets of the universe and she could have drowned in that gaze, not caring one bit. "I like you, and everything that comes with you. I'm not going to hold your past against you and I'm not going to be upset if you hold onto bits of your past that you enjoy. I'm actually quite happy you enjoy sex with me and you're comfortable enough to do things like this with me."
Maria kissed her. "I want to enjoy the future with you, too."
Angelica grinned. "That makes two of us. What shall we do in the immediate future then?"
Maria kissed her and shifted, fingers brushing against the top of Angelica's dick. Angelica hissed as blissed zipped through her and promise made her twitch. Maria moved her into position and sank down on her with no warning. Angelica's head swam as she was surrounded by heaven, hugging her as if to never let her go. They moaned together as Maria settled into her lap.
For a long moment, they were quiet, just staring at each other and enjoying each other. Angelica was more than pleased they could do this without anything between them. They had been tested and Maria was on birth control. Angelica could not imagine even the thinnest of barriers keeping her from the paradise that was Maria.
"You fit me so well, princess," Angelica said. "You know how just to make me feel good."
Maria pecked her on the lips and even that simple show of affection made her tingle. "You know how to make me feel good, special."
"You are so special, princess." Angelica palmed Maria's breast. The weight was perfect. Her other hand caressed Maria's hip, soothing smooth skin.
Maria moaned and lifted up and then came down on Angelica perfectly. Sparks shot through her, fireworks going through every inch of her and Maria did not let up. Angelica made sure to hold onto Maria as she moved. Angelica doubted she would ever get used to the lightning in her blood from being surrounded by Maria.
"You're a marvel, princess. A treasure," Angelica whispered, like a secret. She did not want the world to know. She would love to keep Maria's wonderfulness her own little secret, if only for a little while.
Maria panted, breath shared with Angelica's own. Then, she kissed Angelica like it was the only thing they would ever do again. Their tongues stroked each other with passion, even as they swallowed down each other's grunts and moans. Maria wrapped her arms around Angelica's neck and then used one hand to grip the hair at the nape of Angelica's neck. She tugged just a little and Angelica groaned into her mouth.
"You like that?" Maria asked, flicking her tongue along Angelica's open mouth.
"I like you," Angelica replied with a smile.
"Good answer." Maria kissed her again and increased her speed. She was close again if her moans meant anything. She was so breathy and cute.
Angelica slid a hand down Maria's torso, barely touching her clit. Maria pulsed around her, nails digging into Angelica's scalp. It should not have felt as good as it did, but it made Angelica cry out as ecstasy rushed through her. Maria slumped against her, sweaty and panting, sliding their skin together. Angelica caressed her back and Maria trembled.
"You're so gorgeous, sweet pea. Look so good. Perfect," Angelica whispered into Maria's ear.
Maria blew out a breath. "With you." She peppered Angelica's neck with soft kisses. "Wanna get on top of me?"
Angelica gave her what had to be an unsexy grin. "Do you really have to ask?"
The worst part of this was that Maria had to crawl off of her lap, leaving her cold and alone. But, Maria offered her a little show as she settled on her back. Maria laid against the pillows, spread her legs, and then put herself on display with her fingers, showing off bare, glistening, puffy lips. Angelica groaned at the sight.
"What you do to me…" Angelica stroked herself, slick with Maria's essence.
"Reward me by making me come again," Maria said.
Angelica throbbed in her own fist. "Yes, princess."
Maria crooked a finger at her and Angelica wasted no time settling on top of Maria. Maria grabbed her and pulled her down for a kiss. She focused on the kiss, but did her best to position herself and push inside of Maria. It was always wonderful, even if she had just been there. Once again, they moaned together. Angelica's hips moved in the same rhythm as her tongue against Maria's.
While Maria sometimes liked things rough, hard, and fast, Angelica went slow, gentle. The way Maria keened against her and clutched her back, this was the way to go. It did not take long before Maria rippled around her again and this was too much for Angelica. Breaking the kiss, she sat up just enough to give a more powerful final thrust. She exploded into Maria and her knot expanded. She pushed her knot inside and Maria let loose a wail of pleasure as her body quivered. Maria yanked her down for a fresh kiss as she came yet again.
Angelica sighed into Maria's mouth as she held her weight up until Maria pressed her all the way down. This earned a purr from Angelica. She could feel Maria's heartbeat against her. She never wanted to move again. Maria caressed her back. She had to be careful or she might fall asleep on top of Maria.
"You make me feel safe," Maria said.
"I want to protect you from the world, but I also want you to see you can stand up to the world, stand against the world if necessary," Angelica replied.
Maria kissed her cheek. "I feel like that when you're with me."
Angelica smiled and sighed contently. They exchanged soft kisses until Angelica's knot went down. They then switched positions, Maria using most of Angelica as a mattress. Angelica fell asleep almost immediately, Maria's breath on her neck, and the gentle thump of Maria's heartbeat.
-8-8-8-8-
Maria admired Angelica's sleeping form before grabbing her phone to see what James had to say. As expected, he was less than friendly in his responses. Saturday?! We need to talk way before that! He managed to hold on for a couple of minutes before texting her again. You better meet me tomorrow! She would not. He even tried to call her after she did not respond. She could not recall hearing the phone buzz, but she had been very happily entangled with Angelica by then. Pick up the phone! Sucking her teeth, she put the phone back down. Screw him.
Maria snuggled up to Angelica and let Angelica's breathing soothe her to sleep. It was one of the best sleeps of her life, despite James hanging over her head. It was just that she felt like she controlled the situation for once.
By Saturday, she and Angelica had worked out their plan of attack. They would meet with James at noon, but only had about an hour to devote to him. Angelica had gotten tickets to an off-broadway show, as promised. Then, they would have a late lunch.
Maria put on her deep red lipstick, as it made her feel powerful, but with a casual red dress. It had simple, short sleeves and fell just above her knees. The v-neck of the dress was modest. The dress itself just seemed cute to her and she liked it. It was not sexy, like James would expect.
Angelica seemed more dressed and ready for battle. She had on a pink-peach blazer, despite the warmth of the day, and a pearly white sleeveless shirt with matching pants. She carried Maria's purse for her, like it was a shield, and somehow her arm around Maria's waist was like a sword. She was a weapon Maria could wield if necessary.
They arrived late at the little diner not too far from the school's campus. James was there already, sitting in a booth and tapping his finger against the table as he glared out of the window. Angelica smiled.
"Look who's nervous now," Angelica said.
Maria nodded. "Cool." That was the reason they were late. Maria was not used to seeing James so out of sorts. Almost being arrested must have been true and quite serious.
They sat down across from James, who jumped at first, surprised by them. Then, he scowled at them. Angelica returned the look ten-fold. Maria put her hands on the table, clasping them together as if she was about to conduct a business deal.
"You're ten minutes late," James stated.
Maria did not bother to address that. "So, you wanted to talk. I'd suggest you not waste your minutes. We've got to go in about thirty minutes."
His frown deepened, not used to this attitude from her. He obviously expected her to grovel at his feet as she used to do, almost literally sometimes. But, she was not the same Maria anymore. She was growing up and outgrowing him.
"You tried to get me arrested. Or should I say, she tried to get me arrested." He pointed to Angelica, who just arched an eyebrow at what seemed to be an accusation.
"You tried to mark me against my will," Maria countered.
He bristled, not expecting her to talk back to him like that. "You're already marked. I was just freshening it up."
"Against my will."
James sucked his teeth. "That's bullshit. You're my mate."
"I am not!" Maria hissed, not wanting to raise her voice and draw attention to them. "You marked me. I didn't mark you. So, we're not mates."
James' eyes darted to Angelica again. "You're filling her head with all of this bullshit."
Maria growled. "It's not bullshit."
Their waiter came over before they could get into things. He put glasses of water down and menus. Drink orders were taken and then he was gone. Maria glared at James and he gave just as good as he got.
"This is bullshit. You know where you belong, so you need to stop playing around and just come home," James ordered.
Maria shook her head. "Now, that's bullshit. I'm not going anywhere with you. That's what you need to understand. We're done. Over. I need you to leave me alone."
He snarled. "Who do you think you are to dictate terms? You're just a whore."
Maria held in a wince. She could not, would not allow him to hurt her. His words did not matter. He did not matter. He was nothing.
"I'm a lot of things, but that's not one of them anymore. I'm a college student with a bright future ahead of me," Maria replied with her head held high. She had hope, much like she had when she first met James several years ago, but now she had the chance to use her mind instead of her body. She could make something of herself rather than allow people to use her.
James scoffed. "A bright future of what, lying under her until she gets bored with you?" He nodded toward Angelica.
Angelica's grip on the purse tightened for a moment, but her hands were out of sight, so James did not see. But, Angelica remained silent. Maria wanted to pat her thigh, but held off. This was not the time.
"What does it matter to you?" Maria stared him in the eye.
James reached over, trying to touch her hands. She moved them off of the table. He ground his teeth, but pulled his hands back. There was a moment of silence.
"You know I love you, Maria. And, I know you love me," he said. Oh, he was switching gears, thinking he could use the same tricks he used to use on her. She would not let him sweet talk her after hurting her. That was done.
"Both of those statements are lies," she replied as cooly and as sternly as she could.
His face shifted. He curled up his eyebrows and his eyes appeared to glisten. "How can you say that?"
"You attacked me and terrorized me. That's not love. Before that, you pimped me out as part of a con, but not before marking me and brainwashing me. I've been trying to get my life together and here you are again, making it hard, trying to take that away from me, trying to hurt me. Which part of this is love?" she countered.
"Didn't I rescue you from the streets? Which is where you're just going to end up again if you let this one lead you around by your omega bits." He nodded toward Angelica again.
"You should stop trying to instigate things with her. She's not going to drop to your level. Now, what the hell do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?" Maria demanded.
Before James could answer, the waiter was back with their drinks. Now, there were food orders. They all ordered light sandwiches. Maria doubted she would eat hers. Angelica would probably eat to keep from talking. There was only so much of James' nonsense Angelica would be able to take.
"Maria, don't you get it? You have to come home. There is no 'leaving you alone.' You're mine," James stated as if it was the stone cold truth. The conviction in his voice was a little scary, like she might never be rid of him, like he would hunt her down, wear her down, and lock her down. Good thing she and Angelica had a plan to prevent that.
Maria resisted the urge to shove a fork in his eye. "No, I'm not. I'm my own. You come near me again, you will be arrested."
James sucked his teeth. "You really think that's going to happen? You threaten me again and you'll lose that precious little seat at school that we both know you sucked yourself into." He gave her a smug smirk.
Maria's face flushed, hot and embarrassed. Sure, Angelica knew about her past, but she did not want the whole stupid diner to know. Angelica tapped her thigh, which helped keep her focused. Maria regarded James with a curled upper lip.
"It's not a threat. You come near me again, you're going to prison," Maria said.
"How do you figure that?" James regarded her as if she was a child who said something cute. "You think I can't get you snatched out of that school? You think I can't get those alphas to tear your seat away just like they gave it to you?"
Maria shrugged. "You could try, but I think you'll find it won't work."
His eyebrow ticked up. "What do you mean?"
"How do you prove any of those alphas did what you claim they did? Before, you had me. Now, what do you have?" It was possible he managed photos or something. It would not help him, though.
He scowled. "Of course there are pictures."
Of course? She would call his bluff. "Are there pictures? Of sixteen-year-old me? In the nude? Are you sure you want to make it known you have those?"
James' face turned a brick red. "You think those alphas want to chance me using those pictures? Hoping I get into trouble with them before they go to the public?"
She shrugged again. "I dunno. Do you want to try that? I mean, they can deny the picture is them and I'll back that up. I can easily deny knowing any alpha you claim is in a picture with me. Maybe you found a look-alike for me to get in bed with. But, how do you explain having pictures of an underage omega? Better still, how do you explain marking an underaged omega?" Her gaze hardened.
Angelica cleared her throat. "In case you are unaware, marking an underaged omega — hell, anyone really — is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, and that's only one charge. Non-consensual marking is also considered a sex crime and punishable by up to fifteen years in prison. Let's not even get into the statuary rape and who knows how many counts of that you'll end up dealing with. Then, there's the fraud. So much fraud."
James' body shook and he pointed a threatening finger at Angelica. "You shut the hell up. You don't know what happened. You can't prove I marked this whore before she turned eighteen."
Angelica smirked. "Can't I? You honestly think there's no documentation of Maria unmarked before meeting you and then marked after? No one who would confirm this? No one would talk about how you introduced Maria around as your wife? No one who would testify to Maria carrying your scent? Are you willing to bet twenty years of your life on this?"
James scowled. "And just who do you think would testify to that bullshit?"
"I dunno." Angelica gave a nonchalant shrug. "Maybe some of the people in those pictures you have."
"Yeah, but then they'd be admitting to knowing her," James replied and now he smirked, like he had them.
Maria snorted. "Sure, they know me, but I never slept with them. The alphas in the pictures… it's possible you found people who looked like those alphas and had me sleep with them. I'm sure that's what happened."
Angelica gave a dramatic wince. "Adding pimping to those charges."
James looked quite ready to explode. It was then their food was delivered. The waiter looked between them all, like he wanted to say something, but he held it in. Food was left and the waiter disappeared. Maria picked up her grilled cheese and took a bite, eyes never leaving James. James' Philly cheese steak went untouched.
"So, are you going to leave me alone?" Maria asked, halfway through her sandwich. Angelica's turkey sandwich was just as untouched as James' food.
"You haven't won this, you know?" he growled.
"No, I suppose not if you can do twenty years in prison. You'd be in your forties when you got out, which isn't bad. Of course, not sure how good you'd do in prison being a sex offender and all," Maria replied.
That was enough to get Angelica to eat a fry. Maria resisted preening, knowing Angelica approved of how she was handling things. James' answer was written all over his face. He gawked at her, as if he did not know who she was, but hated her just the same. His eyes burned with fury.
"So, last time I ask, are you going to leave me alone?" Maria's voice was much more stern than before. He had never heard her sound this way, but he did not know her anymore. This was no longer Maria Reynolds, his pretend wife and mate. This was Maria Lewis, a free omega woman, as she had been before she met this bastard.
He sucked his teeth, eyes locking with Angelica's. "You can have the little whore. She'll come back to me eventually." He sniffed.
Angelica glanced at her watch. "We should go, Maria. The show will start soon."
Maria nodded. Angelica stood up and helped Maria out of the booth. On the way out, they stopped by their waiter. Angelica handed him cash for their meals and a generous tip. James was on his own to pay.
"Thanks," the waiter said and then he looked right at Maria. "You made the right decision. That man is an ass and you deserve way better."
Maria grinned. "I know. As you can see, I got better." She pressed herself close to Angelica, who took her hand. They exited the diner, going off to their future together.
-8-8-8-8-
The End.
A/N: so, you might have guessed I like this pairing, if you do too and want to see more in this universe, feel free to let me know.
You know you can come say hi to me on Facebook (SL Kassidy) or Tumblr (SLunatic). Thanks for reading. Consider becoming a patron to see all sorts of exclusive goodies.
Special shoutout and huge thanks to Jodi Gray, WanderingDaemon, ChaLea, Megan Keith, Angel Simmons, N, Jasmine B, Lauren S, Persephone the dreaded one, jelli_tots, JoLeen, MaxximumRide666, Hellen Ransom, Jennifer Baratta, Brittany L, Starkitty, 88WWitch, Kael Duke, Ches W, Susie, Sally C, Sketchy Raccoon, Mary, MamaSaucy, Katherine L, Nick K, Raven, Dean G, Reimarbles, EchoJuliet, and Matts. So grateful for all of you. You're all awesome. Thank you for your support. Hasta…