#the eyebrow is going way up on shirley she knows he's sweet just understandably defensive since trauma

[smthfunnyhappenedonthewaytor3]

Shirley: You’re a sweetie. Lelouch: No, I’m rude and cold, I just love you.

[dcbbw]

How would a one on one game of truth or dare would be for Liam & Riley B. With alcohol involved?

Thanks for the ask, @umccall71! This takes place maybe 2-3 weeks before Penelope dumps SGL. Drake and Riley are still together.

Song lyrics are from Shirley Horn’s Summer (Estate) and You’re My Thrill; they belong to their respective owners.

Huge THANK YOU to pre-readers @burnsoslow, @ao719, and @bebepac!

“I cannot believe you let me buy all this shit, Liam! All of it’s so unnecessary!” Riley huffed as she followed Liam into his apartment.

The best friends had spent the evening having a seafood dinner and catching a movie in Chinatown. The dinner was not grouponed; the movies were. Afterwards, they walked up to Walgreens because Liam needed toothpaste; Riley apparently needed the entire store.

She walked out of the store with bags filled with snacks and toiletries, including Liam’s toothpaste, and $100 poorer. They went to Vapiano’s for takeaway pasta, Liam’s treat. Once back outside, the H Street traffic sped by while Riley set her bags down to pull out her phone. Liam’s hand on her wrist caught her attention.

“Hey, it’s still early on a Friday night; I’m caught up on work until Monday morning. Wanna come back to my place for a nightcap?”

Riley pushed her lips out in a pucker as she considered. She would be going home to an empty apartment and two weeks’ worth of laundry. But, she now had a billion chocolate bars and a huge container of yummy pasta to keep her company while she caught up with Race for the White House and The Windsors.

“I understand if you have plans with Drake later tonight,” Liam’s voice carried over the roar of traffic and the sweet notes of street corner singers.

Riley’s eyes darted to Liam’s face. “What? No … no plans with Drake. It’s poker night with his work buddies.”

“So you’ll come?” Liam’s eyes, and voice, were hopeful.

Riley nodded; Liam ordered an Uber.

Liam took Riley’s bags from her and sat them on his kitchen island before returning to help her out of her jacket. It was autumn in DC, which meant cool mornings and nights, but warm days.

“Hey, you were ready to fight me! In public! Over some Symphony bars! I wasn’t going to stop you,” Liam said defensively.

“Chocolate is always a necessity! Now, the shaving cream … not so much.”

Liam’s index finger tickled Riley’s chin. “It kinda is. You got those hairs on your chin.”

Riley rolled her eyes as she moved her face away from Liam’s finger, mostly because she did have chin hair and had not shaved it in three days. She was willing to bet money Penelope didn’t have chin hair.

Riley removed her shoes and sat in a corner of the sofa while Liam placed their pastas in the refrigerator. He cut on his stereo system, and soon the rich alto of Shirley Horn’s voice filled the apartment. Liam went between the kitchen and living room, placing an ashtray, 2 cans of cold Sprite, and a bottle of spiced Barbados rum on the coffee table. He carried two glasses filled with ice and lime wedges with him when he finally joined Riley on the couch.

He looked at her sheepishly.

“Sorry, I haven’t been grocery shopping, so this is all I have to offer by way of a nightcap.”

Riley raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have groceries, but you have all the ingredients to make a cocktail?”

Liam was pouring rum into the glasses. “Don’t start, Riley B. I haven’t even been here to drink or eat. Hell, I barely sleep here anymore.”

Riley popped her soda open, carefully pouring lemon-lime fizziness into her glass. “Why are you working so hard?”

Liam had just raised his glass to his lips. He hadn’t told anyone except Penelope about the junior partner position. If Pen weren’t his girlfriend, she wouldn’t have known either. What if he didn’t get it? He was up against some pretty stiff competition. And the support and encouragement of his friends would just be added pressure to perform harder, faster, longer.

“Trying to get a raise,” he finally said before sipping his drink. His eyes widened with mischief as he met Riley’s gaze.

“What?” Riley asked as she dug in her purse for cigarettes.

“How about we make the evening more interesting? A game of truth or dare?”

Riley lit up, drawing thoughtfully on her cigarette as Shirley sang about her love being like the wind. Her head nodded towards the sound system. “That’s her live at the Village Vanguard.”

Liam nodded enthusiastically. “It IS!” He took another sip of rum. “So … truth or dare? We can pass on whatever we don’t want to answer.”

Riley shrugged, passing Liam the cigarette. “Why not? Who goes first?”

“Ladies first.”

Riley thought for a moment, undecided whether to ask the question that had been at the back of her mind for almost three years. She decided to go for it.

“Are you in love with Penelope?”

Liam’s eyes widened slightly, then narrowed as he looked at Riley.

Penelope’s thighs were clenched around Liam’s head as her breath gasped and her body bucked. Liam’s tongue finished its ministrations, and he raised his head once Penelope’s thighs fell open on the bed. Liam’s head rested against one of his girlfriend’s legs. He wanted to kiss her, but Penelope didn’t like to kiss after giving or receiving oral.

“You’re so good at that Liam. Too bad I don’t get it as often as I used to”, Penelope said as her fingers idly combed through Liam’s hair.

Liam’s jaw tensed ever so slightly. “I told you, Pen. I’m working on a promotion. A partner promotion. I know I don’t have a lot of time for you now, but soon I will. I promise.” He softly kissed the inside of her thigh.

“When?” she whined.

“I don’t know when, but I really need your support now, Pen. I need you to understand, and not nag or fuss when I’m working late or on the weekends. It’s hard now, but soon it won’t be.”

“Okay.”

Penelope attended one work related function with Liam after that conversation. She quickly reverted to nagging and whining and demanding Liam to focus on her, focus on their relationship. Liam did his best to accommodate her, but he was too caught up in the race for junior partner.

The client was ready to sign on the dotted line.

Phase One completed.

He needed to focus all his efforts and attentions on the upcoming case, but he promised to take Penelope out for a third-year anniversary lunch. Their anniversary had been two days ago, but Liam had been in meetings all day, and spent half the night catching up on paperwork.

“I love her,” he said carefully. “I’m not entirely unhappy.”

Riley looked at Liam in disbelief before chuckling. “Yeah, that’s a Hallmark sentiment right there.”

Liam allowed himself a small smile. “It’s not my ideal relationship, but I’m invested now: time, emotion, money. And it’s not completely one-sided.”

“That’s not love, Liam!”

Liam’s eyes darkened as he met Riley’s gaze. “It’s no fairytale to be sure, but hey … I bear my cross and hope for the best. I’ve gotten used to not getting what I want, and learning to embrace what wants me.”

Silence as Riley swirled the liquid in her glass. Liam raised his glass in salute. “We all can’t have a relationship like yours and Drake’s.”

More silence from Riley as she thought about Drake: he still ordered and bought her regular Coke, even when she specifically told him what she wanted; he still didn’t know she liked her meat well done, and not medium rare. He scoffed at her grouponing. She still had to tell him where her erogenous zones were.

But they had been together for so long. It was comfortable, it was familiar.

Maybe that’s how it was with Liam and Penelope.

“What’s your ideal relationship?” Riley asked curiously.

Liam shook his head. “My turn, Riley B. Who would you kick out of the gang? You don’t have to give a reason.”

Without hesitation, Riley answered, “Madeleine!”

Liam choked a little on his drink. “I was not expecting to hear that!”

Riley raised an eyebrow. “Who would you choose?”

Meeting her eyes, Liam said with a straight face, “Drake.”

Riley swallowed some of her drink. “You may want to think about that. Drake is really handy when it comes to DIY projects. And he knows his meats: how to pick ‘em, how to cook ‘em.”

“Who needs Drake Walker when there’s YouTube?” Liam looked at Riley before tapping a cigarette out of the pack. “Oh, I forgot. You do.”

Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What are you saying, Liam?”

“I’m saying, YouTube can’t be your boyfriend.” He lit the cigarette, a plume of smoke dissipating into the air.

Riley leaned against the sofa cushions. “My turn. Your ideal relationship.”

“One that’s supportive and rooted in friendship. Where it doesn’t matter if we go to bed angry, as long as we go to bed together. One where we have the same group of friends, and don’t hate the outer circles we may run in. I want laughter, and jokes, and cooking together. I want loyalty and faithfulness. I wanna watch football and documentaries and maybe just lay around naked doing nothing but running my fingers through her hair while she does a crossword puzzle. And sex! I need the sex.”

Riley drank more rum. She reached her hand out for the cigarette; Liam moved closer and held it for her as she inhaled deeply.

“My turn,” he said as he dragged on the cigarette. “Show me a scar and tell me the story behind it.”

“What the hell, Liam?”

“You wanna tell me about your first time instead?” Liam took a healthy swallow of his drink.

Shaking her head, Riley pulled her skirt up to her bent knee. She pointed to a large dark patch of skin; it was slightly bumpy; Liam could still make out the long-ago remnants of what at one time had been a nasty scrape.

“I fell off the back of my dad’s motorcycle. I was supposed to hold on tightly, but my leg itched. I let one hand go to scratch it and lost my grip. I landed on this knee; the skin busted open, and then I kind of skidded along on it for a minute or two.”

Liam grimaced. “Sounds painful.”

Riley gave him a small smile. “It healed. Okay, my turn! It’s a dare!”

Liam cocked an eyebrow. “I’m ready!”

“Call Penelope and tell her I’m here with you alone!”

Liam snickered. “You just wasted your turn, Riley B. Pen is … out. With her friends again. It’s my …  punishment for having to work late on our anniversary.”

Riley’s hand touched Liam’s arm. “I’m sorry,” she said softly as Shirley’s voice continued to serenade them.

You bathe me in the glow of your caresses You've turned my eager no to tender yeses You sweep away my sorrow with your sigh

Liam’s eyes locked on Riley’s just a moment too long. They both dropped their heads to hide their blushes.

“You get a make-up turn,” Liam mumbled.

Riley raised her head. “Who’s the mystery woman you’ve been wanting?”

Liam picked up his glass and drained the rest of his drink. Shirley Horn sang on.

You're my thrill You do something to me You send chills right through me When I look at you 'Cause you're my thrill

His eyes searched Riley’s face, and he held himself back from cupping her cheek.

Riley was with Drake. Liam was with Penelope.

Riley B. was his best friend; some days, his only friend.

To tell her the truth now would be too messy, too complicated.

He set his glass on the table. “I pass.”

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