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“Of course I’d find you here.” Fuck. Reina sighed. Was there nowhere in this godforsaken library that she could be there alone? Her room was swarmed with Nico-ness; he was always in there rambling about Rhodes and what-not, and for a bunch of supposed smart academics they barely stepped foot in the library. She doubted Callum even knew what it looked like. The only person who’d she usually find is Libby but she was too busy yelling to Nico about something, which meant she could finally have the library to herself and read in peace without someone constantly muttering. Or so she thought.
“What do you want, Parisa.” Reina asked, not looking up from the book she was supposed to be reading. She wasn’t doing any reading anymore, but she vehemently refused to look at Parisa. Just when she had found somewhere where she could be at peace without anyone bothering her, Parisa had to be the one to disrupt her. “I’m in no mood to play your games.”
“What games?” Reina couldn’t see her, but she imagined Parisa was crossing her arms. “I’m not playing any games. Can’t I simply visit one of my fellow initiates?”
At this, Reina did look up from her book at Parisa and raised an eyebrow at her. Parisa was standing right at the door, her body leaning against the doorframe,the dim orange lights emitted from the library lamps hitting in a way that emphasized the muscles and curves of her body, and just as she guessed it, Parisa had her arms crossed over her chest, a smirk on her face, wearing that black dress of hers that hugged her perfectly. As much as Reina hated to admit it, she loved that dress on Parisa, loved how it seemed to move with her with whatever she did, like it was an extension of herself. She liked staring at Parisa wearing it.
Reina sighed and forced her gaze back to her book; something, something mythology. Hisssssssss mother, we will avenge youuuuuuu!! Great, this is exactly what she needed right now. “Leave me alone, Parisa. If you’re that bored go find someone else to annoy.”
Reina heard heels clicking coming closer. How do they not hurt her? She wondered. “Reina!” She heard Parisa whine, which was strange. Parisa never whined. She looked up in shock and confusion to find Parisa much closer than she was before, leaning her front on the back of the armchair facing Reina’s, head tilted to the side, pouting. This position made her breasts poke up even more, showing more cleavage than previously. “Entertain me.” Parisa batted her eyelashes and Reina understood what was going on.
“Are you that bored you’ve come to seduce me?” Reina said, with some bite to her words. If there was one thing Reina hated more than her plants was sugarcoating anything. She had no shame in telling others what’s on their minds, and she particularly didn’t hold back when it came to showing her disdain towards Parisa, which made this whole situation even more confusing. Reina closed her book. There was no point pretending to be reading anymore. “What happened to Tristan? I thought he’s always trailing after you.” For someone as powerful as Tristan, it was infuriating how little self-esteem he held, instead going to find worth in people like Parisa and Callum, hell even Libby.
Parisa stood up straight, her pout replaced with amusement. She lightly bit her lip and softly laughed while taking slow steps towards Reina, hips slightly swaying, never breaking eye contact, her left hand sliding over the wood of the arm chair. When she was at the foot of Reina’s futon, is when she actually said something.
“Firstly,” she said, her voice a lower octave, holding up a finger. “Tristan is currently having an existential crisis so he’s not useful to me now in this state.
“Again?” Reina commented.
“Second,” Parisa continued, her voice even lower, raising another finger. “I don’t seduce, I never need to.” Reine scoffed at that. Leave it to Parisa to have that big of an ego. “And third,” she said, leaning forward towards Reina, pressing her right hand on her arm chair, towering over her. “Is this what all the disdain is about?” Reina frowned while Parisa only smirked, coming so close that she was completely pressed on Reina. She raised her counting hand to Reina’s face and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, her delicate hands cupping Reina’s cheek, to which she had to resist leaning into, before whispering in her ear, her soft lips so, so close, her voice sultry and syrupy sweet. “Have you been waiting for me to seduce you, Reina.” Parisa smelt like expensive perfume, the kind that screamed at you to look at her whenever she passed by; there was absolutely no way to not catch a strong whiff whenever she passed by. Reina hated strong scents, they burned her nose, but this one, Parisa’s was one she wanted to drown in, wanted to be consumed by, and though she would never admit it, it had more to do with the person wearing the perfume than the smell itself.
Okay, now this was funny. Reina had no intentions of sleeping with Parisa, or anyone for all it mattered. She didn’t hate the concept of sex, she knew it was important for repopulation and pleasurable matters, she simply never felt the urge to strip herself from her clothes and engage in sexual indentures with anyone, and frankly she thought it a waste of time. So the thought of being bitter over Parisa not seducing her was laughable. She did, however, wonder why it never happened. It wasn’t that she wanted Parisa to attempt to sleep with her, but Parisa made powerful alliances using her body with the powerful people here; Callum, Tristan, Libby, hell even Dalton and the only reason she hasn’t come close to Nico was because of this weird affection she had towards him, but with Reina, there had been nothing. Did Parisa not think her powerful enough? Did she not deem Reina worthy of even attempting? The thought troubled her more than she’d care to admit. It was true that compared to the rest Reina’s abilities weren’t as shown off, but that was a calculated move on her part, and she expected that someone like Parisa would see through that.
That presently didn’t matter. Reina had let Parisa get too close, close enough that her breath was fanning over Reina’s face, close enough that she could see the perfect finish of Parisa’s skin. Reina wasn’t blind. She may have no desire to have sex with Parisa, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t admit, begrudgingly so, that Parisa wasn’t beautiful. Everything about her was carefully constructed to be a fly trap, and for that she also couldn’t deny her intelligence and cunningness. This was dangerous.
Without thinking, Reina locked her legs around Parisa’s waist, flipping them over grabbing the letter opener on the coffee table next to her, and pressing it at the base of her neck. They were both nose to nose, heavily breathing. Reina could feel Parisa’s erratic pulse, could hear it even through the buzzing in her head. For the first time ever, Reina wasn’t thinking, she couldn’t focus on anything else but Parisa touching her, Parisa’s breath, Parisa’s smell, Parisa’s neck; she wanted to bite it, just one tiny bite.
Then, something unexpected happened, Parisa started laughing under Reina; a big throaty laugh that caused her entire body to start shaking. Reina had never listened to Parisa laugh before, not like this, nothing other than the small seductive chuckles she directed towards Dalton, she wasn’t even sure Parisa knew how to laugh. But oh she did, and it was glorious; her head thrown back, her face now slightly red, she looked…human, nothing like the prim and proper goddess, just a woman, and Reina decided that this is the Parisa she liked the most.
Parisa then did something Reina hadn't foreseen, after stopping her laugh, which Reina already missed hearing, she wrapped her free legs around Reina’s waist and pushed her even further onto her so that Reina’s waist was touching hers, and they were cheek to cheek. In that position, Reina could feel every inch of Parisa’s form; she longed to rid her of that dress, not because physical desire suddenly overtook it, but because she wanted to know how Parisa looked like underneath it, wanted to know her in a different way.
“You want to know why I never made a move on you, Reina?” Parisa whispered in Reina’s ear, that she could feel in her entire body. Reina didn’t answer, she wasn’t capable of, she tried opening her mouth to say something, but no words were coming out; she was rendered completely speechless. But Parisa didn’t wait for an answer, she raised her hand and started playing with a stray curl on the other side of Reina’s head, and Reina was powerless to stop her, she didn’t want to. “It’s because I don’t go for people I know I won’t be able to control, and you,” she sighed, “you are someone no one can tame.”
Reina had not one single thought in her head, the only thing going through her mind was a mixture of curses and cries, cries for what she couldn’t tell, all she knew is that right now, she wanted to grab Parisa and… and nothing, only hold her, only keep her close to her and hiss at anyone trying to take her away. This moment right now, was the most intimacy Reina has felt, and she wanted more of it with Parisa.
Parisa, much to Reina’s already malfunctioning brain cells, wasn’t done with what she had to say. “I don’t fuck people who are more powerful than me, Reina, and you reek of power, power consumes you, and I don’t think you know the extent of it. Such a shame, you could easily be the most threatening power here.” Reina wanted to scream and claw at something, an animalistic instinct overtaking her, instead she remained frozen in place. She had never been like this before, always composed, always keeping her facial expression and emotions under control, and above all she felt giddy, giddy that Parisa was saying this to her. Reina was always confident in her abilities, but she never saw it as something special, even when people told her it was, but hearing it come from Parisa who would rather stab herself than give anyone a compliment, Reina believed it.
After a couple minutes of silence, of having Reina’s mind reel and digest what the fuck was going on, Reina felt ready enough to say some words. However this was cut short by a booming male voice calling for Parisa.
“Parisa! Parisa where are you?” Tristan. His existential crisis was already over apparently.
Parisa, who had been engaged in an intense eye contact contest with Reina, still not taking her eyes away, unlocked her legs from around Reina. Reina managed to swallow back her whine just before it came out.
“I’m being asked for.” Parisa commented, and Reina realized that she was still on top of her, and if anyone were to walk in on them, that would be an incriminating position to be found in.
Reina, reluctantly, stood up untangling herself from Parisa, and wrapped her arms around herself. She couldn’t bear to look at anyone at that moment. Parisa, however, was nothing short of casual, fixing her dress like this was a normal occurrence to her; it probably was.
Tristan came bursting into the library, and Reina resisted the urge to glare at him. “I’m coming, Tristan, calm down.”
Tristan huffed, “Okay, but make it quick. Oh, hey Reina.” He shifted uncomfortably. Reina sent him a quick wave, not bothering to smile or to say anything, he was already petrified of her, this won’t change and, in that moment, Reina resented him slightly anyway.
Tristan disappeared from sight, clearly afraid of Reina, which she was grateful for, because she was two seconds away from lunging onto him for interrupting whatever was going on with Parisa.
Parisa finished fixing herself, looking as impeccable as she was when she first entered. I know what she looks like when she lets go. Reina thought remembering Parisa laughing, a sound she will cherish. Parisa turned to look at Reina, who was tired of standing awkwardly and was now seated on that futon. “Just because I’ve never made a move, don’t think I haven’t thought of it.” She turned away and walked out, her heels clicking on the floor, an echo in the library.
There was still hatred there for Parisa, that hasn’t gone away, but there was also some newfound respect, and something else Reina couldn’t name. She will never have a moment like that with Parisa again, that she knew, but seated in this futon, for the first time, Reina felt cold.