Chapter Text
Viper is always in control.
This is not a new development, simply a fact about the woman that everyone knows. Even those who think Viper is slowly but surely losing her sanity, destroying herself in the name of vengeance, have to admit that she remains self-aware and calculating as she does so. If Viper truly is descending into madness, then it’s a purposeful, controlled descent. One that she still has power over.
Sage is, of course, not one of those people. She doesn’t think, but rather knows that Viper isn’t losing her sanity. Sage won’t let her, even though Viper may try her hardest anyway. Even still, the fact that Viper is a bit of a control freak rings true in Sage’s ears.
So when Viper gives up that control even slightly, Sage is understandably shocked.
They’re kissing against the cool metal of the door to Viper’s living quarters, and Viper has her pinned, one possessive hand resting on Sage’s hip while the other sneaks up her back beneath her shirt, toying with her bra strap. This is familiar, a dance they've danced many times. Viper pulls her closer, nips at her bottom lip with sharp teeth, and Sage lets out a low moan, matching her intensity and pulling Viper closer in turn. She drags her nails over the muscular plane of Viper’s back, wanting more, needing anything that Viper would give her.
“Impatient,” Viper chides into Sage’s mouth, smiling cruelly and withholding what Sage really wants from her. It drives her mad when Viper does this, and usually, she caves easily. Waits as Viper prompts, begs as Viper commands.
But tonight Sage feels bolder. Though she’s usually content to let Viper take, something about this time is different. She doesn’t know what it is—maybe the fact that Viper is wearing Sage’s favorite shirt, a deep v-neck that shows off the tantalizing jut of her collarbones. Maybe the way that Viper smiles, sharp and teasing and yet still so delicate, so graceful in the same way that everything else Viper does is. Sage isn’t sure. What she does know, though, is that she cannot stand another second of Viper’s restraint.
Sage surges forward, capturing Viper’s lips in another kiss and hungrily swallowing the surprised moan she lets slip. “Slow,” Sage pulls away just long enough to counter before diving back in and sliding her tongue against Viper’s, eager and insistent. Viper’s hand on her hip tightens, but Sage pays it no mind, instead dragging her hand over Viper’s ribcage and palming at her breast. It would be easier if Viper wasn't still clothed, but hopefully Sage can remedy that soon enough.
This is already pushing the limits of Viper’s patience, and Sage knows it. Viper will allow a bit of roughness, a show of desire. She enjoys it, in fact, seeing just how desperately Sage wants her. But there’s only so much that she’ll let Sage do before reminding her of who’s in charge. And yet, curiously…Viper doesn’t intervene whatsoever.
She’s not idle by any means. Viper exhales a shaky breath through her nose, not breaking their kiss once, and she goes as far as to arch into Sage’s touch, pressing forward as Sage brushes a thumb over her nipple. Still, she makes no move to put Sage in her place. Immediately, Sage is intrigued.
She reluctantly breaks their kiss, dragging her teeth over Viper’s lip as she does so, and takes a moment to analyze Viper’s expression. Viper’s eyes are lidded, dark with lust, and her mouth hangs open as she pants. Waiting.
This isn’t about who’s receiving or giving, and both of them know it. This is new; this is about submission. And here Viper is, for once, neutral. Not yet submitting, but not entirely taking control either. Her grip on Sage is possessive but not commanding, and her gaze is intense, but it’s not dominance that Viper wants.
Take it from me, her eyes say, practically plead. And how could Sage possibly deny her?
She doesn’t waste another second. Sage snakes a hand up Viper’s back, threading her fingers through the soft strands of Viper’s hair before pulling her in, crashing their lips together without hesitation. Viper meets her readily, and Sage hums low in her throat, pleased with the reaction as she pushes away from the door. She walks them over to the bed, forcing Viper to walk backwards until the back of her legs meet the edge of the mattress.
Sage breaks away, first undoing her hair, then quickly taking off her shirt and tossing it somewhere on the floor. She leaves her bra on, only because she knows how much Viper likes to take it off herself. Thankfully, Viper takes the hint and takes her own shirt and bra off, and Sage can't help but admire the sight.
Viper's strength may not be obvious at first glance, but on display like this, it's by no means hidden. Unable to resist, Sage reaches a hand out, caressing the dips and peaks of Viper’s muscles, feeling them tense beneath her touch as Viper’s breath hitches.
“It's nothing you haven't seen before,” Viper says, voice trembling ever so slightly as Sage’s hand finds her chest. Sage’s eyes dart up to meet Viper’s gaze, and she just smiles, leaning forward and stealing another kiss. Viper’s arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer by the hips, and Sage huffs. Viper doesn't get to set the pace—not anymore.
She gives Viper’s nipple one last teasing tug before pushing her down to the bed, watching intently as Viper lets herself fall back without a fight. Viper immediately pulls herself fully onto the mattress, moving further onto the bed without looking away from Sage once. Her pupils are absolutely blown, her eyes more black than green as she looks back up at Sage, and Sage's mouth goes dry. The way Viper is looking at her alone almost makes Sage throw caution to the wind and pounce on her, but Sage is well practiced at the art of patience. She has to make sure.
“Is this okay?” Sage murmurs, slowly crawling onto the bed and over Viper. She lowers her head to kiss the valley between Viper’s breasts, caressing the soft skin of her stomach as Sage’s other hand reaches up and finds Viper’s, entwining their fingers together and giving it a soft squeeze.
Viper inhales sharply, still watching Sage and quivering beneath her touch. After only a moment of hesitation, she nods, and arousal pools low in Sage’s gut. This dynamic is new, untested, but oh could she get addicted to it.
Just to see how far she can push, Sage doesn’t give Viper the attention she truly wants just yet. It’s hypocritical of her, considering how many times she's cursed Viper for doing the very same thing, but she understands now. Instead, she slowly travels up Viper’s body, pressing open-mouthed kisses to the column of Viper’s throat and grinning when she feels Viper swallow. Unable to resist, Sage squeezes appreciatively at Viper’s chest again while her other hand abandons Viper’s to ghost over her thigh.
“Use your words, Sabine,” Sage orders softly before sucking at her pulse point. Viper lets out a strangled moan at the action, writhing slightly under her teasingly light touch, and Sage is utterly enamored.
“Yes,” Viper whispers, her breathing unsteady as Sage’s hand skims over the waistband of her pants. Her face is flushed a pretty pink that travels all the way down to her chest, and Sage grins against her skin.
“Just so I'm understanding correctly,” Sage says, voice low and syrupy next to Viper’s ear, “you want me to fuck you?” Sage knows she's understanding correctly, but she wants to hear Viper admit it.
Her words have the intended effect. Viper screws her eyes shut, shuddering and turning her head to the side to expose more of her neck to Sage. Her hips jerk toward Sage’s hand, seeking out her touch as Viper breathes, “Yes.”
Sage feels almost dizzy with desire watching Viper, and she has to stop and take a deep breath, lightly dragging her nails down Viper’s taut abs. She has no idea how she got so lucky with someone as stunning as Viper. Her breathing only gets more labored the lower Sage’s hand travels, and she decides to take mercy on her.
Lifting herself off of Viper, Sage finally brings her hands to Viper’s pants, unbuttoning them. Catching onto Sage’s intentions, Viper lifts her hips off the bed, assisting her in her effort and allowing Sage to pull her pants off in one swift motion. Sage is a patient woman, but even she has her limits, so she takes Viper’s underwear off immediately as well. Though, not before noticing how moist the fabric is.
“You're enjoying this.” Sage glances down at Viper through her eyelashes, trailing a delicate hand over Viper’s hip bone and toward her cunt. If Viper was pink before, she's flushed completely red now, one arm thrown over her mouth while her other hand twists tightly in the bedsheets. Her eyes are practically molten as they meet Sage’s, and Sage has to bite the inside of her cheek just to resist the urge to kiss Viper senseless again. If she was worried that she was going too far before, she certainly isn’t now.
“Fuck you,” comes Viper’s muffled reply, and Sage smirks. It seems that Viper’s streak of obedience has ended, but Sage knows just the fix. She dips her hand between Viper’s legs, dragging her fingers through Viper’s folds and teasing her entrance, and Viper gasps, closing her eyes again.
God, she's so wet. Sage’s mouth waters, but as much as she'd like to taste Viper, she has other plans in mind. Maybe later she can come back to that, though…
Sage grinds her palm against Viper’s clit, pressing a finger inside her, and watches in awe as Viper arches off the bed and whines. Viper’s never been overly vocal, but it seems as though Sage has discovered the key to making her sing. Tilting her head, she stares at Viper. Just to tease, she asks, “What was that? I’m not sure I heard you.”
She watches Viper struggle to answer, purposefully making it harder by thrusting her finger gently and running her other hand up and down Viper’s side. Viper writhes under her ministrations, panting and doing her best to glare at Sage.
“F-Fuck. You,” she finally manages, her eyelids fluttering as she involuntarily jerks her hips toward Sage’s hand. Sage laughs, adding another finger and curling both inside Viper.
“Right now it's the other way around, isn't it?” she asks, not really expecting an answer as she watches Viper's eyes roll into the back of her head. Viper chokes on a moan, and Sage drinks it in like fine wine, wanting nothing more than to hear what other sounds she can wring from Viper. In fact, she's quite sick of Viper trying to muffle them.
She wordlessly leans forward, pulling Viper’s arm away from her mouth and pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist. Sage delights in the way Viper's hips twitch in response, and she rewards her by quickening the pace of her thrusts, adding more pressure behind each one.
Viper moans, loud and unimpeded as her shoulders curl forward and she rises off the bed. Sage pushes her back down without a second thought, sucking a hickey into her collarbone and refusing to slow her pace. Though she could stop her, Sage allows Viper to roll her hips into her fingers, wanting to see just how much Viper needs her.
Viper's hand rises to cup Sage's face, and Sage is almost impressed at her restraint—she can see how harshly Viper is still gripping the sheets with her other hand, and the hand on Sage’s face can barely be considered firm in comparison. Sage leans into the touch, her entire focus solely on the gorgeous woman beneath her.
She feels Viper flutter around her fingers, and Sage clenches her jaw, breathing hard through her nose. She feels like she's drunk, maybe even going insane, as she listens to Viper whine and pant beneath her.
“You're maddening,” she grits out with a smile, her voice raw with desire. Viper looks wrecked, her eyes watering and hair a disheveled mess, but she's aware enough for her mouth to twitch into a smile in response. Again, she clenches hard around Sage’s fingers, and Sage hums. “Are you going to come for me, Sabine?”
Still grinding into Sage’s hand relentlessly, Viper nods frantically. Sage's smile widens, and instead of giving Viper the attention she needs, she slows her thrusts, makes them shallow and unsatisfying. Viper tries to move her hips and seek the friction herself, but Sage uses her knee to pin her hips down, preventing Viper from moving.
“Tell me what you need,” she commands smoothly, watching as Viper’s brow knits in helpless frustration. Her other hand lets go of the sheets and travels down to her clit, but Sage catches her wrist, grip unforgiving. Sage lowers her head, laving her tongue over Viper’s breast and sucking on her nipple. “Come on, I know you can.”
“Shit,” Viper whispers, breathless, screwing her eyes shut. Sage watches her throat move as she swallows, before finally, voice rough, Viper says, “I need to come.”
Sage nips at her skin, pace unchanging. “Try again.”
Viper falls completely silent, the only sound in the room being her labored breaths. For a moment, Sage genuinely fears that she's pushed too far, taken too much without asking. But when she meets Viper’s eyes, Viper looks just as wrecked, just as desperate as before. Her heated gaze is enough to make Sage bite back a groan.
“Please,” Viper finally breaks, voice trembling. “Please let me come.”
That's all Sage needed to hear.
Just like that, she resumes everything at once, assaulting Viper’s senses. She releases Viper’s hips, hissing when Viper unintentionally presses her thigh between Sage’s own legs. She drops her head, licking and sucking at Viper’s breasts as she finally presses her thumb to her clit. Her thrusts are ruthless, and when Viper’s whole body twitches as she hits a certain spot, she makes sure to target it over and over again. It only takes seconds for Viper to fall apart under her.
“Lingying,” she gasps, throwing her head back and grabbing at Sage’s wrist like a vice, holding her there as her entire body tenses. She lets out a long, broken moan, arching off the bed, and Sage watches in complete astonishment, whispering reassurances and thrusting her fingers gently to let Viper ride out the high.
After a long moment, Viper finally drops back to the bed with a heavy sigh, gaze hazy. Sage slowly withdraws her fingers from Viper, taking them into her mouth and licking off her arousal. Viper watches her intently as she does.
“Was that…was that good?” Sage asks, rising from Viper and sitting back on her heels, panting. Even though Viper’s the only one who came, Sage feels like she's breathing just as hard, if not more so. Her mind is still fogged with lust, her head stuffed full of erotic cotton. She doesn't think she's ever been so turned on in her entire life.
Viper is still watching her silently, laying on the bed, and the longer the silence stretches the more anxious Sage gets. It sobers her, slowly but surely. Did she overstep? She'd thought that Viper was enjoying herself immensely, but maybe—
All at once Viper sits up and surges forward, capturing Sage’s lips in a hungry kiss and unhooking her bra in one swift motion. She slides it off of Sage's shoulders without even the slightest hesitation. Viper usually likes to take her time with the task, and it says a lot about how eager they both are that she carelessly tosses Sage’s bra away without a second thought. Viper turns them around easily, pressing Sage down into the mattress. “It was perfect,” she murmurs between kisses, “You were perfect.”
Sage feels lightheaded as Viper pulls away, kissing down her body until she reaches Sage’s pants. They'd become increasingly uncomfortable before, but she was too enraptured with Viper’s reactions to take them off, and she hadn't thought to do so earlier. Viper easily does away with them, pulling them off and groaning when she sees how soaked Sage is.
“Had fun, did we?” she husks, trailing her fingers over Sage’s wet underwear. Sage shakes beneath her, and she flexes her hands, unsure what to do with them.
“Much. I will not last long,” Sage pants. Viper smiles slightly, guiding one of Sage’s hands to her hair.
“Don't hold back, yeah?” she asks. She doesn't wait for an answer before tugging Sage’s underwear down her legs and tossing them away, ducking her head down and licking a long stripe through Sage’s lips. Sage’s legs close instinctively, but Viper wraps an arm around each thigh, easily holding them open to allow herself easier access.
Sage slurs a string of Chinese curses, bucking her hips into Viper’s mouth and moaning. Just as Viper asked, she holds back neither her voice nor her grip, and she tangles her fingers in Viper’s hair, unashamedly pulling her in even further.
She was already worked up enough from watching Viper earlier, but the wet heat of Viper’s mouth brings her to the edge almost immediately. Viper is enthusiastic about eating Sage out at the best of times, but tonight she seems downright ravenous, as if her only mission in life is to bring Sage to orgasm.
It's working. Already, pressure is building between Sage’s legs, hot and heavy. As much as Sage would like to let her head fall back, to allow her neck to give out, Viper is staring up at her through her eyelashes. It feels sacrilegious to break eye contact, especially after Viper was so good for her earlier. Sage would give her anything she wants if she simply lets Sage do that again sometime in the future. As if sensing Sage’s mind wandering, Viper stops teasing and pushes her tongue inside, making Sage gasp.
"操!" she moans, tightening her grip in Viper's hair as Viper begins thrusting her tongue in and out with strong, determined strokes. Viper doesn't know what the word means, and Sage has never attempted to explain it to her, but Viper has heard it in bed often enough that she knows to take it as a compliment. She groans quietly as Sage tugs at her hair, and the sound only serves to catapult Sage toward the edge even quicker.
“I'm close,” Sage whines, grinding against Viper's tongue as much as she can. Viper hums, pulling her tongue out to swirl it around Sage’s clit, and the vibrations are nearly enough to make Sage come on the spot.
She's just on the precipice, but it feels wrong to let go so easily, to leave her appreciation unvoiced. It's a battle, but Sage is just barely able to slow the movement of her hips and release her grip on Viper’s hair. Her hands tremble as she pushes the errant strands of hair away from Viper's forehead, holding her as gently as she can manage.
Viper looks back up at her with wide, concerned eyes, slowing down for a moment, but Sage only smiles. “Sabine, thank you for…trusting me,” she pants, her muscles flexing and unflexing as she struggles not to buck her hips. “You were so good—”
She's cut off with a low, guttural moan as Viper redoubles her earlier efforts and inserts a finger as well, languidly thrusting it in and out of Sage. The stretch is nothing special, and Sage knows for a fact she could take more, but the euphoric feeling of being filled is more than enough for her. Somehow Viper’s gaze is even more heated than before, and she applies even more pressure than earlier, as if determined to make Sage tip over the edge right this instant.
If that truly is her goal, then she's succeeding. Sage is helpless to do anything but hold on. She immediately threads her fingers through Viper’s hair again, rocking her hips into Viper’s touch and throwing her head back. Practically every exhale is a moan, and when Viper curls her finger just so, sucking hard on Sage’s clit, Sage is done for.
She sees stars. Her mouth hangs open in a silent scream as her orgasm hits her, her lungs emptied of air as it sends shockwave after shockwave of ecstasy through her entire body. Unable to stop herself, she curls forward and pulls Viper into her, practically burying her face between her legs. Viper doesn't seem bothered at all, simply detaching from Sage’s clit and easing her through it with gentle, slow licks through her folds.
Sage drops back to the bed with a violent shudder, immediately releasing Viper and trying to catch her breath. She watches with unfocused eyes as Viper wipes her mouth before licking the back of her hand, chuckling breathily at the sight. Then Viper crawls up and lies next to Sage, wrapping an arm around her and pressing a kiss to her temple.
When Sage can finally properly think again, she rolls over slightly, laying an arm over Viper’s waist and resting her head on Viper’s shoulder. Worried, she asks, “Are you alright? I know you said not to hold back, but…”
“I'm fine,” Viper assures her, one hand playing with Sage’s hair. She smirks. “When I tell you not to hold back, I mean it. I got exactly what I wanted.”
When, she said. Not if. Sage's heart skips a beat at the thought that Viper might let her be…rough, again. The thought reminds Sage of what she wanted to talk about, and she lifts her head, staring at Viper with a furrowed brow.
“You're a switch,” she says, not quite a question. Viper sighs, looking away, but Sage can still see the way the tips of her ears redden. “No, no, let's talk about this.”
“I enjoy being dominant,” Viper insists instead of addressing the actual point Sage is getting at. Sage tilts her head.
“And I enjoy being submissive. Yet here we are,” she drawls, raising an eyebrow. Control, that's what everyone knew Viper to want, knew her to need. So how exactly did this happen? Sage has an idea, but she wants to know for certain. They need to acknowledge this.
“I don't…” Viper flexes her jaw, searching for the words, before starting again. “I'm not…submissive. For everyone.”
And oh. Sage was right.
“Sabine,” she says softly, reaching a hand up to Viper’s jaw and gently turning her face toward her. “Which do you prefer?”
Viper’s clearly uncomfortable, and her face is even redder than before, but she meets Sage's eye and leans into her touch. “What we did tonight.”
Submitting, then, even if Viper can't bring herself to actually say it. Sage can work with that. She kisses Viper’s shoulder in silent thanks, giving her a sweet smile. The idea that Viper trusts Sage enough to let herself be vulnerable with her, the idea that Viper is willing to give away her control to Sage, the idea that Sage has been given such a rare privilege, makes Sage’s heart soar.
And maybe Sage also enjoyed tonight more than she expected. The image of Viper writhing beneath her, moaning, whining, begging, flashes in Sage’s mind, and she bites her lip at the memory.
“Okay,” Sage says, sitting up. “I liked what we did tonight, too.”
Viper huffs, watching Sage with curious eyes. She hides her relief well. “I could tell.”
Sage tips her head in acknowledgement, smiling as she swings a leg over Viper’s waist, bracketing her hips with her legs. Viper's eyebrows raise, her eyes flitting down first to Sage’s chest, then lower. Her hands settle on Sage hips without hesitation as she waits patiently for Sage to make her intentions clear.
“When, exactly,” she starts, smoothing a hand over Viper’s collarbone and down her sternum, “would you be interested in revisiting this dynamic?” Her voice is smooth, velvety, and her smile takes on a mischievous edge as she looks down at Viper.
Viper's eyes are wide, and she watches in anticipation as Sage throws her hair over her shoulder. Sage is starting to like this side of her, all blushing and desperation rather than domineering cool-headedness. “Whenever you want.”
“I have ideas,” Sage notes. Namely the strap that's currently residing in the nightstand next to the bed. Viper sits up, her hands sliding up Sage’s back and over her shoulder blades as she leans in.
“Show me,” she murmurs. Sage smiles, settling her hands on Viper's shoulders and sealing their lips in a deep kiss.
She plans on it.