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Molly lay in Richard’s arms, feeling content and happy. They weren’t having sex or about to have sex, or in a state of just having had sex. But Richard had undressed them both and dragged them under the blankets. He still couldn’t get over how much heat his body put out. He was experimenting with how to be able to sleep next to her.
“You’ll move in,” Richard said.
“To where?” Molly asked with a laugh.
Richard pouted. “What’s so funny?”
“Richard… You don’t live here. You don’t live in the penthouse flat Jim always took me to. You don’t live anywhere,” Molly pointed out.
“I could live somewhere,” he said.
“It would be too dangerous,” Molly pointed out.
“I’m not Jim,” Richard said, his eyes getting dark. Molly smiled sadly and kissed her cheek. She shifted her hand to see the engagement ring she still wore.
“I know, I do,” she said softly. She snuggled closer to him. “Richard, we need to talk.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” he asked in a deadpan voice.
Molly reached up and flicked his nose, smirking a bit at his scowl. Pay back. “Don’t be stupid,” she said in her best Jim imitation. Richard laughed, and hugged her closer, snuggling her face into her neck. He breathed in, seeming to try to suck up all of her scent that he could. Jim did that too, sometimes, when he didn’t think she was paying attention.
“What do we need to talk about?” he asked.
“Sebastian,” she said, blushing a bit. “I don’t… I mean, I know what an engagement ring means, Richard… but what I had with him…”
“You don’t want to stop sleeping with Sebastian Moran,” Richard said. Molly shivered a bit at his dead tone, but nodded. “Well, I don’t mind,” Richard said and Molly gaped at him at the rapid change of tone.
“You’re okay with it?”
“I’m fine with it baby,” Richard said, kissing her ear. He grinned when she jumped like she always did when he did that. “I’m surprised you haven’t jumped him already since I’ve been out of action.”
“We’re not animals Richard!” Molly snapped. “Besides… it’s not… like that.”
“You were sleeping with him before, it’s not like you need my permission.”
“We needed Jim’s.”
“Oh,” Richard said. His wide eyes got a little wider and then he just chuckled. “Well, you don’t need mine baby love.”
“I’m engaged to you,” Molly said.
“This ring means one thing only,” Richard said, grabbing her hand and dragging it so she could see the band. “It means that I’m not taking any women into my bed but you. You’re my only woman, and there’s never going to be anyone else.”
“Richard,” Molly said, pursing her lips. “Sebastian’s straight.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Richard said dismissively.
“Richard!” Molly snapped. “You can’t just treat him like that.”
“Of course I can,” Richard said, looking shocked that she’s say such a thing. “I own him.”
“No, Jim owned him,” Molly said, sitting up. Richard let out a heavy sig hand just slipped his arm around her waist, dragging her close and kissing her thighs to try and distract her from this conversation. “You’re not what’s keeping him here.”
“Want to bet?” Richard growled.
“It’s not you; it’s the slim hope that Jim will come back… and well… I think maybe me too,” she said. Richard stopped his kissing to look up at her. Normally she would never say something so… well, self centered.
“You?”
“I know what he thought when you told him to bring me to your meeting with the reporter. He did what he could to protect me, which was to tell me and give me warning, but also to bring me anyway. If you killed him then he couldn’t be between you and me.”
“He doesn’t need to be there.”
“But he thinks he does,” Molly said. “He really hates you.”
“Do you prefer to Jim to me?”
“What?”
“Just answer,” Richard said.
Molly sighed heavily and leaned back against the headboard. “I miss Jim… I really miss him. Jim lied to me once at the beginning, but never again. He didn’t tell me what he did, but he never lied about what he wanted from me. I always knew where I stood with him.”
“A lowly spot without much mention,” Richard pointed out.
“Let me finish,” Molly chastised, making him smile a bit because it meant she still felt safe enough to play with him. “I… with you I get all the affection I’ve ever craved. But you’re still…” She licked her lips. “You’re still dangerous and interesting. Before Jim would call me some evenings and sometimes I’d get to be with the Colonel, but it didn’t feel like my life. This felt like my life… I can’t like Jim better than you Richard. You’re both too different. Mostly, I just haven’t been able to bury him. I don’t want to forget about him, and I still need time to grieve.”
Richard nodded and sat up, he tugged Molly into his lap, wrapping the blanket around them both. “You’re perfect for me,” he said. “Shhh, no don’t speak. It’s daddy’s turn to talk.” He bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re my woman and you’ll be my wife.”
“So what will Sebastian be?” Molly asked.
“I was hoping my second wife, but I think he’ll object to that term.”
“Richard, Sebastian is very straight.”
“I’m sure I can fix that.”
“Richard!” Molly said with exasperation. She grabbed Richard’s face between her hands.
“Listen to me, if you want him to simply not hate you, then you need to do a few things. For one, you need to show him that you’re not dangerous to me. For second, you need to be sure he knows that it’s okay for me to be with him.”
“He knows.”
“Third,” Molly continued. “Is that I need to see what you’re like with him.”
“Why?” Richard pouted.
“Because if you lie to me then I will leave,” Molly said. “I wanted Jim Moriarty, not Jim from IT. If I’m going to be with Richard Moriarty, I don’t want Richard Brooke.”
“Ohhh,” Richard purred, shaking his shoulders a bit as if she’d scratched him in the right spot. “Richard Moriarty, I looooove the sound of that.”
“Then keep it,” Molly said, kissing Richard’s lips, making him smile. “Consider it an engagement gift. Do you want me to get you an engagement ring too?”
Richard’s eyes got huge at the suggestion. “Oh, yes please, will you?” He looked so hopeful. Molly smiled warmly and settled her cheek against his shoulder.
“Anything for you,” she said. “Besides, how else will people know that I belong to you?” she asked with a wicked smile. A moment later she was rewarded with the warm vibrations of Richard’s laugh moving through his chest.
Suddenly Molly found herself pinned to the bed. She tried to shit to make herself for comfortable. Instead Richard pinned her hands above her head in a bruising grip. “Richard, what-” He muffled her words with a bruising kiss.
“You want what I give to him too?” Richard purred. It was such a Richard sound. Jim could purr, but only under very exact conditions. Richard purred like he was a happy criminal mastermind and was going to show off dammit(!). “I was just going to be a bad boy with Sebby. I don’t want to break my favorite girl.”
“Richard, wha-” a finger was pressed to her lips and she instantly went silent.
“No more words,” Richard said. “Don’t make a sound.” He moved her hands up, placing them on the top of the headboard. Grip hard for me. Don’t you dare let go for any reason. I don’t care if either of us are bleeding, or your arms hurt. You don’t move from this position.”
Molly made no sounds, he’d ordered her not to. He started to move down, kissing and biting and bruising her in ways that would make it honestly hard to move in the morning. She bit her lip until she bled to try and keep from making noises when Richard got bellow her belly. He hurt her, but not hurt like she couldn’t handle. It wasn’t hurt she didn’t want shockingly sensual. It wasn’t pain that she hadn’t secretly wished Jim would have tried with her.
When Richard did finally tell her that she could her arms down she felt very, very happy. Her arms ached badly, but she made to wrap them around Richard’s neck anyway. She just wanted to cuddle and sleep now. Richard pulled away though. “No.”
“No?” she asked.
“No, I’m getting the Colonel for you,” Richard said. He looked a bit sad, though maybe she imagined that. “It’s too hot.”
“I love you Richard,” Molly murmured, settling into the pillows.
“Love you too babes,” Richard murmured, slipping out. No more than two minutes later Sebastian entered.
“Hey,” Molly said sleepily, forcing herself to stay awake.
“Shh,” Sebastian said. He crawled into bed and under the covers. She could feel the tension in his whole body.
“I’m okay, Colonel,” Molly said, kissing Sebastian’s jaw. “Please, don’t leave me all alone with him,” she said, but fell asleep before she could add ‘I want you too.’ Sebastian’s arms tightened protectively around her, having been able to see some of her bruises in relief from the light in the hall when he’d come in.