#riven and musa unfortunately at the bottom but next to them are sky and bloom they played too much

[favroitecrime]

i think they were my introduction to heartbreak actually

[alphinias]

Christmas Movies

Riven didn’t know how the fuck he’d ended up here.

Holed up in the little fairies’ suite, with an endless pile of the cheesiest first world movies in existence to get through. Inhaling so much fucking cinnamon and shit from the diffuser in the corner that he would probably shit it later. Bloom had made it her personal goal to brainwash them in the ways of her Winter Solstice (Christmas, they called it, Riven reminded himself), which involved gift giving, like theirs, along with a lot of a fat fairy in a red suit and the magic of love.

And he was stuck on the floor like some second rate pet dog.

Actually, he very much did fucking know. Ever since Musa had kissed him after training two weeks ago, he’d been as much as a dog she was walking around on a pretty little leash, so in a way he deserved this. Especially considering he’d been doing exactly what she wanted for much longer than he was actually getting benefits out of it, aside from shit like her smiling at him.

Unfortunately, no one else in the room knew about the new benefits, so the Christmas movies came with exactly zero.

Musa had watched him with meaningful eyes as they shoved the loveseats to the best angle to make out the tiny television from, but he’d been unable to exactly leap onto the cushion next to her before Aisha claimed it without looking like the world’s biggest aresehole. The sacrifice dropped him to second biggest, at most, he figured.

So instead of cuddling in the dark next to his beautiful, brand new sort of girlfriend, Riven landed on the floor with the rug and a gradually aching back.

“Your parents like this one?” Riven heard Sky ask when they flipped on the second movie, like they were going to spring a fucking pop quiz on the best depictions of Santa Claus when Bloom finally dragged him to meet them next week.

“They do,” Bloom started, from where she was squeezed half into Sky’s lap. “Not as much as me, but.”

“I know this one!” Flora beamed. “Randolph, right?”

“Rudolph, Flor,” Terra corrected. She too was subdued and happy, cuddled with Kat on their own loveseat.

Everyone was thrilled to bits, except for Riven.

“For people who don’t believe in magic, first worlders will believe a lot of shit.” He shook his head, a smirk stretching his lips. “A fat man flying around handing out prezzies, out of the goodness of his heart?”

Various sounds, ranging from protest to amusement floated from around the room.

“Hey,” Bloom complained, flinging a pillow at his face. He caught it before it could smack into his nose. “No scrooging.”

“I think it’s sweet. The magic of love and family- that’s something to believe in,” Flora said, and Riven rolled his eyes.

He glanced over at Musa habitually and found she was grinning at him in that quiet, self amused way she had.

At some point during the shuffling for bathroom breaks and to grab snacks, she had shifted from in between Aisha and Flora to the edge of the loveseat. Riven remained on the rug, of course.

He shoved the pillow Bloom had thrown at him under his arm, half popping his back. “Yeah, yeah. Settle down so I can hear what the fuck’s going on.”

They did, sort of. There was whispering, probably sweet nothings from the couples, or some shit he wanted no part of, and he tuned it out as the creepy little deer on the television cried about having no friends. He didn’t like this one, he decided, as he tried to adjust his back for the tenth time.

A voice floated to his ears, loud enough to actually be intended for him. “No need for that.”

Musa smacked the bottom of the couch next to where her legs hung, and really, Riven didn’t need to be asked twice. He cut her a look, and her eyes seemed to be laughing at him as he scooted across the floor, propping against the couch.

Better feeling back aside, it turned out to be almost a higher form of torture.

Musa was in touching distance, her round, smooth calf nearly pressed against his shoulder and the scent of her lotions clouding his senses. There was no reason for there to be anything sexy about a fluffy sock, but he ached to run a finger down the bright red seam of the ones Musa was wearing, encasing her toes and cutting off at the knee.

The movie passed, and Bloom shuffled to find the next. No one seemed to be paying attention to them, but all Riven knew was he still hadn’t gotten his hands on Musa.

“Hey,” he caught Bloom saying. She was frowning down at the bakest in her hands, still half burrowed against Sky. “We’re out of chocolate already?”

“We’ve got a few gummies over here,” Terra offered.

“Guess we underestimated ourselves while we were shopping,” Flora said.

“There’s vending machines for a reason,” Stella interjected, remaining in her place in a way that made it clear she wouldn’t be the one fetching anything from a vending machine.

“We’ve already eaten two entire bags. I don’t think we need anymore.” Aisha sounded scanalized.

“What? No, we can’t watch Elf without candy,” Bloom argued.

“I can grab some.” Musa’s voice jolted Riven back to reality, but even if it hadn’t, it was impossible to miss the way her heel kicked out, digging into his thigh for a fraction of a second. She played it off as shuffling to change position, and Riven itched to wrap his hand around her ankle and pull it back towards him. “Can’t miss out on that Elf choc.”

He was quick to take the hint. “Uh, yeah, I’ll help.”

Aisha was saying something about how they were going to rot their teeth out, but Riven rushed to follow Musa out of the suite. It was only a matter of time before one of the other little fairies jumped up and offered their help as well, thus ruining Riven’s last chance for half a second alone with Musa that night.

He’s hardly made it around the corner before his back was rammed into the wall, Musa’s fingers looping around his t-shirt.

“Eager, are we?”

“Less talking, more making out.”

Her lips fell on his, and fuck, he’d lost count of how many times they’d kissed over the last two weeks, but he soaked her in like an addict.

Riven was becoming worried he’d never have his fill of her. He hadn’t even seen her naked yet, but this. This was somehow better than anything he could have imagined.

(Her chest arched into him, and he was reminded that he still very much wanted more, too).

“You’ve been driving me fucking insane,” he breathed, between kisses. His grin pressed against her lips, and he relished the curve of her smile against his.

“The nerve of them to be in their own room,” she joked.

They fell back together for several blissful moments. Lazy kisses. Fiery nips. Hands wandering in a way probably unsuited for a school hallway, but it was far from the worst place Riven had snuck a feel with someone.

Whatever it was, it was way too long for a trip to a vending machine.

Shockingly, it was him who pulled back. “Suppose we should go,” he said, but it was half lost in the way his finger danced against her hipbone.

“Never,” Musa said, smiling into him, but she made a point to at least mostly unglue herself from him. Her smile widened. “We might have a minor problem.”

She reached up, running her fingers through his hair and sending his blood spiking again. He resisted the urge to press his nose into the curve of her jaw; they really would be here all fucking night if he wasn’t careful.

Her fingers drifted back to his neck, and she surveyed her work critically. “Best I can do, I think. Good thing you’ve got that not effortless effortless bad boy look going for you, huh?”

“Ah, apparently it does the job for you, though.”

“Rumor has it.” She shrugged, still smiling, then looked down at herself, pulling at the hem of her sweater. “How do I look? Thoroughly snogged, or just on my third Christmas movie?”

Musa’s hair had undergone a quick smooth down of its own, but that did nothing to hide her glazed eyes or the heat in her cheeks. Her lips, too, were noticeably pink and kiss swollen, and there was a spot just above her collar he may have nipped at harder than necessary. It was sure to leave a mark.

“Mhnm, am I supposed to answer that honestly?”

“Rubbish job we’re doing of keeping this to ourselves.” She said it with a smile still, even as she tugged her sweater up.

“Or we could not keep it to ourselves.”

Riven hadn’t really meant for that to slip out, because regardless of what he wanted, what he wanted less than anything was to lose this. But he had a talent for fucking up everything he touched, with his loose tongue most of all.

Her expression stuttered, and then slowly fell, giving him all the answer he needed. His heart dropped.

Riven dropped his grip on her, reaching up to run a hand along his jaw. “Right. Sorry.”

He hadn’t even realized he’d begun to flee down the hallway, already stepping away from her, until her hand wrapped around his.

“Wait,” Musa said. “Riv.”

Her big, soulful brown eyes sought out his, and he stared at the nearby vending machine they hadn’t so much as looked inside. Felt his gaze become harder.

“I get it. It’s a dirty little secret thing. Me.”

And he didn’t mean it to come out sounding so pissed, hadn’t realized quite how much the what if was building up within him. But fuck, if he wasn’t angry at himself for being the person who couldn’t trap something good between his fingers even if he tried.

He should have just taken what he could get.

“That’s not–”

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” he cut her off, not wanting to hear her voice explaining all the reasons why he was a terrible fucking match. He already knew that.

He went to slide his arm out of her grip, and she made it easy for him, yanking her hand back.

This is it, he thought. A fuck up ahead of schedule.

But then Musa was blurting, “It’s not you. It’s me.”

If his temple wasn’t pounding with unwanted emotions, Riven would have laughed.

“Are you fucking serious?” he managed, and it wasn’t a snigger, but there was no bite to it, either.

Musa didn’t back down. She picked at her nails, a nasty habit of hers, although her hands remained firmly by her side.

“Of course I am,” she said, like she was struggling to find words. “I don’t care what they think. You–this– makes me really happy and I’ve been putting off having to feel any of the shit things about it.”

Something like a lump rose in Riven’s throat, and the words repeated in his mind. You make me happy. He felt like he was drifting in some far off place, like he’d smoked some weed that was a little off. Like he was listening in on someone else’s conversation, and not his own.

Musa’s gaze flickered over his face, brow furrowed. She looked more vulnerable than he’d ever seen her.

“I didn’t know it bothered you that much,” she admitted. “I’ve been trying really hard not to muck this up, so I’ve managed not to read you much.”

Riven sniffed. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“I didn’t–”

“We’ll tell them,” Musa interrupted, when he started to struggle for words again. Her hand found his again, her fingers trembling a bit as they threaded through his.

He found himself shaking his head. “We don’t have to. Seriously. We can wait.”

“I want to.”

Riven didn’t know she meant right then, but Musa led him hand in hand back to the suite, shoulders braced like she was about to tackle a new move with her sword. She tossed him a small smile over her shoulder.

“I’ve got you,” he found himself saying, and it sounded like something Sky would say, but fuck if he didn’t mean it. He would have her back, no matter their reaction.

And they’d completely forgotten the fucking chocolate, so he had a ready excuse to get them the fuck out of there if need be.