Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the day became consumed by unending meetings, Ashe could not help but feel some growing sense that something was missing.

She was, on most occasions, exceptionally skilled at keeping her mind on track when the demands of the office were particularly brutal - and, they certainly had been, with the majority of her daily breaks cut short or wiped from the schedule entirely in the wake of a parade of associates needing to discuss every aspect of the newly-formed business partnership that she had finally managed to broker. This had been expected, but the responsibilities growing exponentially as the days wore on had not been. At least, not to this extent.

Braum had, of course, gently suggested that Ashe begin to delegate tasks when he had given her the lengthy brief first thing in the morning. This had been met with an unusually stiff retort of "I will consider that, thank you, have everything forwarded to me immediately," even as she was entirely aware that she would consider no such thing.

By midday, the pile of papers on her desk was taller than it had been when she had first entered her office. She had battled it steadily, but it had grown at an alarming pace during each round of meetings that had forced her to pause in the act of making it smaller, contributing to the tension headache that was starting to form.

None of the department heads were helping on that front. Ornn from Manufacturing had been particularly vocal about the many practical issues involved in the need to scale up, challenging the proposed timelines with a vigor that she had only half anticipated. Their third-party logistics provider had been almost equally troublesome, though Corki had clearly been more hesitant in bringing up the difficulties involved with meeting the new transportation demands, quite obviously not wanting to imply that SYS Worldwide would lack the ability to provide further support with air freight. Every member of the legal team had been staying later than usual, per the reports from Gragas, pouring over every aspect of the hefty contract and fielding further questions from yet more department heads.

Every one of them had been forewarned of the increase in workload and expectations. Some of them, months in advance. Ashe had received multiple expansion proposals that had seemed perfectly reasonable in the lead-up to finalizing the partnership between Avarosan, Inc. and Winter's Corp - a goal that -Ashe had been working towards for far longer than their official talks would imply.

Somehow, when the partnership was no longer a hypothetical, none of the numbers had been correct. She was acutely aware of this fact when a notification popped up on her screen that included a Zoom link and a proposed time of…six minutes from now.

Ashe closed her eyes and let the engraved fountain pen in her hand slip from her fingers and roll to the floor, releasing a deep sigh.

She really should expect no better from Sejuani.

Six minutes gave Ashe exactly enough time to check her makeup, tame a few flyway strands of white hair, retrieve her pen from the floor, and briefly stare at the wall while questioning her life choices.

At least Sejuani was on time, for once, the call notification popping up on Ashe's screen mere seconds from the turn of the hour. She schooled her face into a tight smile before clicking accept.

The Winter's Corp CEO had clearly not taken the same few minutes of preparation, and her askew tie and uneven collar were the first things that Ashe noticed upon entering the call. The second was her expression of clear irritation.

"Good afternoon, Sejuani," Ashe greeted politely. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Skip the pleasantries," Sejuani said gruffly. "Neither of us have time."

Ashe forced her smile to remain in place. "Alright. What did you need?"

The woman's permanent scowl was far more pronounced now. "I am not appreciating some of the reports I have been hearing about the proposed supply chain," she began.

"Minor inconveniences, I assure you," Ashe replied smoothly.

"Oh?" Sejuani asked, sounding skeptical. "Not what I have heard. I am questioning if Avarosan can even meet the initial quotas, let alone the ambitious goals that I somehow let you talk me into."

It was difficult to not react to the jab, but Ashe kept her face carefully neutral. "Those goals are reasonable," she insisted. "None of this is unattainable. I am certain that I do not have to tell you that growth involves some level of risk, but all of our research indicates that the market is there for-"

"Your research," Sejuani interjected. "Your methods. Yes, I am quite familiar," she said with a wave of her hand, though Ashe was almost certain that she had not personally reviewed the lengthy documents that she had forwarded to the CEO. "Avarosan has a bias for optimism, if you ask me."

Ashe squared her jaw. "All of our methods are outlined in the reports that I sent you," she said coolly. "If you take issue with any of them, would you please mention where my team has failed to be realistic, so that I can have them take another look at the data?"

Sejuani faltered for a moment, as Ashe knew she would. "The market is not the main concern," she deflected. This time, Ashe had to remind herself not to smile in response to that. "We are not even there yet. None of that matters if the supply chain is not fully established by the end of the first quarter."

"Three months," Ashe said confidently. "The partnership is still new. I am sure you are familiar with our successes during the last fiscal year. We are well equipped to handle any challenges that may arise, and I am addressing each one personally as they do. In my experience, this is exactly when we want potential problems to surface - while we still have plenty of time to solve them. I have no reason to believe that we cannot make the projections I have provided."

There was a moment of tense consideration as Sejuani seemed to be deciding whether to believe her or not. "I would like to set up a weekly check in to discuss progress," she finally said.

Ashe sighed internally, though she did her best to disguise her dread at the proposition. "Of course. What time would be preferable for you?"

"I will have to get back to you on that. Keep an eye out for the email," Sejuani said quickly, and Ashe noted how her eyes were drawn elsewhere, seemingly distracted by some other matter.

"I will," she promised. "Was there anything else you needed to discuss?"

"Not right now."

"Alright. Have a great day."

"You too. Give my best to Katarina and…what was her name, Sarah?" Ashe was still getting used to people displaying obvious curiosity at the structure of her relationships ever since bringing the both of them to the last company party. Katarina had almost elected not to attend when Ashe had included Sarah in the invitation, and had to be swayed with a combination of Ashe's reminders that there would be spiced shrimp cocktail and Sarah's pouting over a potential missed opportunity to see her in a suit. Even then, she had only really given in due to Ashe's firm insistence that she was not hiding, because there was nothing to be ashamed about.

Some too-honest part of Ashe had to admit that walking into the event with Sarah on her left in a gorgeous purple dress that approached but did not cross the line of modesty acceptable for a corporate setting, and Katarina on her right looking entirely too dashing in the maroon three-piece that she reserved for such occasions, had made the subsequent stares and rumors that she had done her best to ignore feel worth it.

For the first time since the call began, Ashe's smile was genuine. "Sarah, yes. I will pass on your well-wishes," she said right before the screen went dark.

The reminder of her girlfriends brought back that same, insistent feeling that something was missing that had gotten stronger throughout the day. Ashe might have dwelled on it, if she had not been immediately reminded that it was well beyond her typical lunch hour thanks to an unignorable pang of hunger.

The clock at the bottom of her screen informed her that she had just enough time to get to her favorite café across the street before they closed for the day, as long as she hurried. She quickly left her office to do so, but had not even made it to Braum's desk when the phone beside him rang.

"Hello!" he greeted cheerfully as he answered the call. On high alert, Ashe halted and brought her gaze to him. "Braum Torsten speaking, executive assistant for Ashe Grenudóttir - how may I help you?"

His natural smile faltered briefly. "Did you say Tryndamere Stenberg?" he said into the receiver, looking up at Ashe, who did not bother to disguise her slight grimace at the mention of the name.

"I see. One moment, please," he said into the phone before covering the receiver with his big hand. "He's here," Braum confirmed, looking a bit sympathetic. "Downstairs, demanding to speak with you immediately."

Ashe could feel her patience rapidly wearing thin at the growing frustrations of the day. "And what does he want?"

"He wouldn't say, just that it's important and for your ears only."

The café was far more tempting than an impromptu meeting with one of her most frustrating rivals, but responsibility and curiosity won out in the end.

"Send him in," she said with a sigh, turning back to her office with resignation.

"Please, eat something afterwards," Braum said to her gently. "I can have something ordered. At least take one of the donuts I brought today, they're in the lounge."

Ashe stopped, turning back to him. His concern for her was ever-present, a fact that she had worried about after hiring him until he had started decorating his desk with pictures of him and his husband, whom she would later learn was named Pyke. That aside, she had come to learn that such worry was entirely misplaced - he had been the most dependable EA that she had ever had, and received regular commendations for his professionalism, dedication, and unflinchingly cheerful attitude. On multiple occasions, she had looked out of her office window and caught him pausing in the act of fielding her deluge of correspondence by lovingly caressing the poro plushie that normally kept watch over his wedding photos. She had come to think of him as something of an actual friend, not just an assistant - trusting him enough to occasionally let her guard down, which was why he was allowed to know just how much Tryndamere irritated her.

"No donuts, but thank you for the offer," she said genuinely. "I will take care of it after the inevitable headache subsides," she promised. Braum nodded, satisfied.

Tryndamere was entering her office less than a minute later. He had cut his hair short since Ashe had last seen him, and she might have commented that it looked good on him, had he been anyone else. As always, his suit looked rather ill-fitting, though she was not about to mention that, either.

"Tryndamere," she acknowledged with another forced, polite smile. She was getting exceedingly tired of those today. "Please, have a seat," she indicated the chairs in front of her desk. He took the one directly in front of her, and she could tell from his posture that he was trying entirely too hard to be nonchalant.

"It's good to see you," he said with more warmth than she was able to fake reciprocating in that moment. "How have you been?"

"Quite busy," she replied a bit too quickly, "but otherwise, I am doing well. And yourself?"

"I've been great," came the response that was also too quick. "Barbasol had an awesome year, truly. And I won the National Weightlifting Championship, I wasn't sure if you heard."

"I had not heard. Congratulations," Ashe responded politely. A net profit margin of 0.18% would not typically be considered an 'awesome year,' but she was not about to draw attention to the exaggeration.

"And how is Katarina?" he continued once it was clear that she was not going to add further praise to her comment.

Ashe's hand clenched under her desk where he could not see. Tryndamere's tone betrayed none of the obvious offense that he had displayed years ago, when she had turned down his unrelenting romantic advances in no uncertain terms and revealed her relationship with the black sheep of the Du Couteau family. Given his public feud with Marcus at the time, that particular rebuff had caused him to lose his composure in a manner that another man might have found embarrassing after the fact. And yet, he had never apologized, seeming determined to never mention it again.

His stiff attempts at a cordial business relationship in the years since had been awkward, to say the least.

"She is well, thank you," Ashe responded coolly.

"I heard through the grapevine that there was another lady in your life," he said, his tone casual but obviously inquisitive. "Sarah Fortune, if I have the name right, which did surprise me…any relation to the firearm manufacturer that went under twenty years ago?"

The attempts at remaining friendly were becoming increasingly difficult. Ashe allowed a sharp edge to creep into her voice when she responded. "We should keep this talk strictly business, thank you. Why have you come here?" Because I am quite certain that it was not just to interrogate me about my love life, she added silently to herself.

He smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. He reached into his briefcase and produced a hefty stack of pages before dropping it in the center of her desk and pushing it towards her. "Delivery," he explained. "Avarosan's recent dealings with Winter's Corp are in violation of antitrust laws. Barbasol may face significant harm to our business interests if this partnership is to go forward."

Ashe glanced down at the hundreds of papers in front of her, then back up to Tryndamere. "You work quickly," she remarked. "That information is not yet public."

The implication in her tone was clear, and he picked up on it. "All above board, I assure you. I suggest you read it."

She did not look at the stack again, fixing him with a cold glare. "I will need this forwarded to me digitally so that I can submit it to my legal team for review." As you should have done. This could have been an email.

"Is that necessary?" he asked, infuriating her. "I was hoping we could come to an understanding before we-"

"You have just dropped an enormous document on my desk challenging my biggest contract of the year, on a Friday afternoon, and you are expecting me to…what, exactly? Read all of this while you sit here? Dissolve the partnership without consulting my legal team?" she cut him off incredulously. "You came here personally to deliver this…why?"

He held up his hands defensively, clearly caught off-guard by her hostility. "I had thought we were on good enough terms to settle this before it came to that," he explained hastily. "The terms are laid out in section five," he added with a nod to the stack on the desk that Ashe still was not acknowledging. "Involving Barbasol could be beneficial to all three companies, with just a few minor adjustments."

Ah, there was his goal, laid out plainly. He wanted an in. Of course.

Hundreds of pages rarely constituted 'minor adjustments,' in her experience. She almost said so, but her patience snapped at the insolence, and she found herself entirely done with the man at that moment. "Forward this to me if you expect a response," she stated firmly, glancing at the time. "I have a meeting in five minutes, if you would please excuse me," she lied.

He frowned, obviously disappointed. "If we could just-"

"Braum will show you the door," she said dismissively, pretending to turn her full attention back to her screen, where six new emails had appeared in just the time they had been speaking.

As soon as he was out of the room, she lowered her head to the top of her desk and took in several deep breaths. She was still in that position when there was a knock at the door a minute later.

Her head shot up, and she took a few seconds to compose herself for whatever fresh disaster awaited her next.

"Come in."

It was Braum who entered, and she relaxed slightly.

"Lunch?" he reminded tentatively.

Ashe let out a heavy sigh. "I have changed my mind. Please order me something."

He nodded. "What would you like?"

She always specified. Currently, she was struggling to care. "Surprise me. Anything on the lighter side will do. I have suddenly lost my appetite."

"That bad, huh?" he said with concern.

"I am quite sure that I can handle it," she insisted, rubbing her temple to help stave off the growing tension headache.

"Of course," Braum agreed. "Will you be staying late again today?"

"Half an hour, at the absolute most."

"Good. Your ladies need you," came the response.

"I need them more," she found herself admitting. Saying the words out loud made that nagging feeling bloom in her gut again, suddenly more pressing than it had been all day.

The confession earned another look of sympathy. "I did not have a chance to tell you that I spoke with Sarah and Katarina at the party," he said, sounding almost hesitant, as if he did not want to overstep. "You know I have always liked Katarina, and meeting Sarah was a delight. I must commend you for your excellent choice of partners."

Ashe felt herself soften at the words, looking at him appreciatively. "Thank you," she said earnestly. "You are the first in the office to tell me so."

He shook his head. "People do not always understand. Pay them no mind. You were smiling wider than I have ever seen you that night, and so was Katarina. She is good for you both, as you are for each other."

Her heart caught in her chest for just a moment. "She is, and we are," she agreed.

"I will let you know when lunch arrives," he said as he closed her door.

Ashe glanced back at her large stack of papers that probably actually mattered before frowning at the nightmare that Tryndamere had delivered. She opened a drawer in her desk and unceremoniously shoved the latter into it. Her eyes fell to her personal phone that she had put in there early in the day, once it became clear that today was not a day to be distracted. The decision to grab it came quickly as she acknowledged that she definitely needed a break before continuing.

Any notifications that were not related to her text messages passed in a blur before she opened her favorite group chat.

[9:27am] Sarah 🧡: omg

[9:27am] Sarah 🧡: a sighting!!

The next message was a photo of an exceptionally grumpy-looking Daggerheart glaring at the camera from underneath the display cabinet in the living room. Ashe smiled at the image and paused to add a 💙 response to it.

[9:28am] Sarah 🧡: his luv stare is evrything

[9:41am] Kat ♥️: thats not a love stare girl.

[9:46am] Sarah 🧡: omfg yeh dont rub it in u jerk

[9:47am] Sarah 🧡: i told u hed luv ur ass most

[9:57am] Kat ♥️: jealous?

[10:00am] Sarah 🧡: YES

[10:00am] Sarah 🧡: VERY

[10:00am] Sarah 🧡: U DIDNT EVEN WANT HIM

[10:02am] Kat ♥️: thats why he loves me. youre trying too hard.

[10:05am] Sarah 🧡: im bein even more patient than i was w u bitch

[10:07am] Kat ♥️: which is to say

[10:08am] Kat ♥️: not patient at all.

[10:11am] Sarah 🧡: omg

[10:12am] Sarah 🧡: wow

[10:12am] Sarah 🧡: slander

[10:12am] Sarah 🧡: i was lookin respectfully

[10:15am] Kat ♥️: eye fucking a girl in a relationship is respectful now? :p

[10:17am] Sarah 🧡: I DIDNT KNO UR GIRL WULDA BEN COOL W IT or it wulda ben way more thn eye fuckin way soonr ok u ass

[10:18am] Sarah 🧡: u also shulda told me how fuckin amzing n sexy she was jfc kat

Katarina had left a ♥️ on that last message.

[10:18am] Sarah 🧡: ashe ily bby

[10:19am] Sarah 🧡: if u need ne suits mrdered

[10:19am] Sarah 🧡: u kno im heer 4 u

[10:20am] Sarah 🧡: bi wich i obv meen

[10:20am] Sarah 🧡: katll stab em 4 u n ill hide body

[10:23am] Kat ♥️: damn right.

[10:24am] Kat ♥️: also bitch your text speak is getting worse holy shit.

[10:37am] Sarah 🧡: Oh, please excuse the transgression, milord. Accept my most sincere apologies, I was unaware that we were anticipating royal visitors into our humble abode. Allow me to bring out the finest dishware and set the table before you welcome our esteemed guests into this…*checks notes*...gay triad group chat.

[10:42am] Kat ♥️: omfg.

[10:43am] Kat ♥️: go back to the constant misspelling.

[10:47am] Sarah 🧡: Nay, milord. T’would be improper to offend Her Majesty.

[10:49am] Kat ♥️: Ashe doesnt care lol.

[10:50am] Kat ♥️: youre just being annoying.

[10:52am] Sarah 🧡: You accuse me of such dishonorable deeds, milord!

[10:53am] Sarah 🧡: I shall not stand for this attack on my character!

[10:56am] Sarah 🧡: WE SHALL SETTLE THIS WITH A DUEL!

[10:59am] Kat ♥️: we were gonna do that anyway.

[11:01am] Sarah 🧡: prob, yeh

[2:26pm] Ashe: I love you both so much.

Ashe typed out her reply while being unable to resist the broad grin that spread on her face. Incessant light-hearted bickering between her girlfriends likely meant that both were having a good day. The way the two of them riled each other up had become inexplicably endearing almost immediately. It was a welcome relief from the world of professional, fake courtesy that she had felt submerged particularly deeply in that week.

Her message received a ♥️ and a 🧡 in less than thirty seconds.

[2:27pm] Kat ♥️: we love you, too.

[2:27pm] Sarah 🧡: ^^^^^^

[2:27pm] Sarah 🧡: so much bby

Ashe closed the group chat and opened her messages with just Sarah. She took a moment before sending a text, enlarging her contact photo to appreciate it for a moment. It looked innocent enough, at a glance - Sarah’s face in low light, blissful smile, framed by her gorgeous auburn hair. Nothing suspicious about it, unless one happened to be privy to the knowledge that it stopped at the neck for good reason, having been taken on their first night alone together - during rounds two and three, if Ashe remembered correctly.

Her gaze lowered to the messages beneath.

[11:34am] Sarah 🧡: rly hope 2day isnt so awful bby

[11:34am] Sarah 🧡: lmk if i can help

[11:35am] Sarah 🧡: do u kno wen ull b home?

[2:29pm] Ashe: 5:00 at the latest.

[2:29pm] Ashe: Do you have any plans for this evening, beautiful?

[2:30pm] Sarah 🧡: hope ill also b done bi then

[2:31pm] Sarah 🧡: was gonna do 1-woman mrder sloop run on SoT bc i feel like sinkin sum bitches 2nite

[2:31pm] Sarah 🧡: plan made assumin ud b busy tho

[2:32pm] Sarah 🧡: happy 2 move it 4 u bby

[2:34pm] Ashe: Please, do not let me interfere with the murder plans of the greatest pirate captain of the high seas. But I am not taking work home this evening, I have had quite enough. Your plan works well, though - I was hoping to borrow Kat when she comes home later tonight. Before then, if it is not too much of a derailment to your violent rampage, I would like you to myself for a bit.

[2:35pm] Sarah 🧡: ofc bby 🥰

[2:35pm] Sarah 🧡: missed u this week lets unwind

[2:35pm] Sarah 🧡: theres sumthin i wanna try w u if ur ok w a lil suprise

[2:36pm] Sarah 🧡: nothin crzy, n u said u liked it wen we tlked

Ashe raised an eyebrow at the screen, intrigued.

[2:36pm] Ashe: That is one way to get my attention. Do I get to know what it is?

[2:37pm] Sarah 🧡: i said its a supriiiiise ;)

[2:37pm] Ashe: I see. Does the surprise involve you being needy, eager, and naked?

[2:38pm] Sarah 🧡: 😳

[2:38pm] Sarah 🧡: luv it wen ur bold omg

[2:38pm] Sarah 🧡: yes, yes, uhhhh

[2:38pm] Sarah 🧡: mostly?? 4 the last 1

[2:38pm] Sarah 🧡: grey area lolol

[2:39pm] Sarah 🧡: yes in the ways tht matter

[2:40pm] Ashe: Good. You may surprise me, then, my siren.

[2:40pm] Sarah 🧡: fcwefregsdfdfffff

Ashe smirked.

[2:41pm] Sarah 🧡: yeh i think thats the name

[2:41pm] Ashe: You do seem to like it the most. I do, too. It captures your allure quite well.

[2:42pm] Sarah 🧡: thank u, Huntress

The hunger Ashe experienced at the mention of the title had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she had not eaten since early that morning. Desire coursed through her limbs, warm and insistent. She summarized her approval with a 💙 response.

[2:42pm] Ashe: Be ready for me when I get home, if you can.

[2:43pm] Sarah 🧡: ofc 🧡

[2:43pm] Ashe: Good girl.

[2:43pm] Sarah 🧡: 🥰

Still smiling, Ashe switched to Katarina’s private messages.

[10:25am] Kat ♥️: for legal purposes, any references to stabbing suits in any group chat messages found on this device were, in fact, a joke.

[11:14am] Kat ♥️: i love you, and i hope you catch a break today.

[11:15am] Kat ♥️: missing you like crazy tbh. feel like ive barely seen you since the hospital fucked with my hours again and you got eaten by the new contract.

[11:16am] Kat ♥️: when you get a sec, can we figure out some us time?

Ashe’s fingers hovered over the on-screen keyboard, but something in the request made her pause. The desire that she had felt moments prior collided quiet suddenly with the inescapable sense of absence that had plagued her all day. Her finger traveled higher to Katarina’s contact photo, enlarging it. The sight of her smile, lit by the bright sun of the beach in Maui that they had vacationed at two years ago and completely devoid of any cares in the world, only made the nagging in Ashe’s brain stronger. She switched again to her photo app, opening the album devoted to pictures of just Katarina before scanning back through the history until she found what she was looking for, from roughly a year ago. 

There she was, staring back at Ashe from an angle that she so rarely got to see. Katarina was looking down at the camera, the sharp angles of her face looking especially deadly in the dramatic lighting of the photo. The black leather lace-up halter top that she wore went well with the black and red flogger that was in her hands, one gripping the handle tightly while the other held the frayed end together in a position of silent promise. Everything about the photo oozed confidence, just as much as it threatened danger. The prominent scar over her left eye only added to the vibe of the image, in this context. 

Those eyes. Menacing, unyielding, and leaving no room at all for arguments. How were those the same eyes that so often looked up at Ashe from below with an awe that suggested that she hung the moon in the sky? 

Ashe’s breath hitched as something deep within her snapped. She switched back to the messages and hastily began typing.

[2:48pm] Ashe: I love you, too. And I have also been missing you.

[2:49pm] Ashe: Are you busy, elskan mín?

[2:49pm] Kat ♥️: no, slow day.

[2:49pm] Kat ♥️: had 2 quick and easy calls but thats been it, nothing major.

[2:50pm] Ashe: I am glad. Are you free tonight?

[2:50pm] Kat ♥️: i sure can be.

Ashe hesitated for only a moment before the urge to send the next message became too much to bear. The necessity of the request, made so very rarely, did not make it any easier to type. The only thing that made it even possible was years of trust.

[2:51pm] Ashe: I need you. Badly.

[2:52pm] Kat ♥️: ooooh. 

[2:52pm] Kat ♥️: 😈 ?

[2:52pm] Ashe: Yes. If that is alright.

[2:52pm] Kat ♥️: oh that is so much more than just alright.

[2:53pm] Kat ♥️: limits?

[2:53pm] Ashe: Only the usual.

Despite the relative infrequency of the unfolding situation, she knew full well that Katarina would remember. Still, she was not surprised when the less formally defined boundaries were then mentioned.

[2:54pm] Kat ♥️: gotta check - hair, restraints, impact?

[2:54pm] Ashe: Yes, yes, and please.

[2:55pm] Kat ♥️: ❗❗

[2:55pm] Kat ♥️: hmmm. maybe. say that again.

[2:56pm] Ashe: Please, Kat.

[2:56pm] Kat ♥️: please what?

Ashe drew in a shuddering breath.

[2:56pm] Ashe: Please hit me.

[2:57pm] Kat ♥️: fuck.

[2:57pm] Kat ♥️: you gonna beg that easy in scene, or am i gonna have to make you?

[2:58pm] Ashe: That was the one indulgence that I will hand over.

[2:58pm] Kat ♥️: oh, you want a fight, youll get one, princess.

That message quickly elicited a skip of Ashe’s heartbeat and a 💙 in response.

[2:59pm] Kat ♥️: full safeword protocol - i assume youd like it if im not stopping for a simple no

[2:59pm] Ashe: Good. 

That one earned an immediate ♥️.

[3:00pm] Kat ♥️: looking forward to it.

[3:00pm] Ashe: Likewise. I have to go back to work now. I will see you later tonight.

[3:01pm] Kat ♥️: oh you sure will.

[3:01pm] Kat ♥️: good luck.

The knock at Ashe’s door snapped her out of the rapt attention she had been paying to her screen.

“Come in,” she said quickly, putting the phone back into the desk drawer.

Braum entered with a paper bag and held it up enticingly. With her appetite returned, Ashe was suddenly grateful. “Thank you,” she said warmly as he deposited the meal onto her desk.

“Soup and a sandwich,” he clarified. “Eat up, you will need your strength.”

I sure will, she thought somewhat ominously as she pretended to be too interested in her monitor to respond out loud, still dwelling on the messages. The clock told her that she had probably taken too much time texting, and would most definitely have to work and eat at the same time.

Braum departed at the same moment that an email from Tryndamere hit her inbox. Ashe clicked it wearily as she opened her now-very-late lunch.

“Per our earlier conversation…”

Her eyes glazed over as she scanned the rest of the short paragraph and noted the file size of the attachment. Mechanically, she forwarded the email to Gragas, reaching for the second phone that existed solely to quarantine all of Avarosan, Inc. from the rest of her life.

Her general counsel picked up on the second ring.

“Dare I ask?” Gragas said by way of greeting, sounding just as tired as she was.

Ashe let out a sigh. “We may have a problem.”

Chapter Text

After pulling into the driveway, Ashe allowed herself one singular glance at her least favorite phone to end the work day.

[4:43pm] Gragas: I'll need more time to really dig into this, but here's the short version so far:

[4:44pm] Gragas: Certainly irritating, don't think it'll fly but striking it down is gonna be way more trouble than any of us want, I set up several calls first thing Monday morning, rest of the team is now aware.

[4:45pm] Gragas: Also, I need a drink, or three.

[5:01pm] Ashe: You have earned it. Please go home. We will speak again Monday.

She turned the phone off before he could have a chance to reply.

When she entered the house, Daggerheart came trotting out from the living room as she removed her heels, letting out a soft noise of curiosity. Upon noticing that she was not Katarina, he immediately turned tail and darted back underneath the couch at full speed.

Ashe was considerably more willing to wait for the skittish creature to warm up to her presence than Sarah seemed to be. Both of them had adopted similar behaviors in his company - giving him space, avoiding prolonged eye contact and sudden movements.

Such a conscious choice of protocol had been entirely unneeded when it came to Katarina. Daggerheart had approached her on his second night in the home, pressed low to the ground, watching her with intent while she sat oblivious on the couch, deeply absorbed in a game. Sarah had noticed him stalking her from the kitchen, silently brushing against Ashe's wrist to get her attention before pointing to the unfolding situation. The two of them had watched with bated breath as he considered Katarina for a long moment while she sat stoic, rapidly pressing buttons on her controller. To her credit, she had hardly reacted when he had quite suddenly launched himself onto her lap and shoved his face right into hers. Her hands had gone slack immediately, followed seconds later by a grey screen of pixelated death as he sniffed her very carefully, paying particular attention to the scar tissue cutting through her left cheek. Satisfied, he had settled firmly across her legs and began loudly demanding pets. She had indulged him, tossing a curt remark of "don't fucking say anything, Fortune," over her shoulder.

The two of them had been exceedingly difficult to separate ever since.

Ashe placed her work phone into the temporary purgatory of a side table drawer by the entryway. She knew full well that she would be unable to resist checking it tomorrow, but doing so tonight was expressly forbidden.

A rich, hearty aroma tickled her nose as she turned back around. Curious, she followed it to the kitchen, noting the slow cooker on the counter that was set to "low." Pleasantly surprised, her gaze lifted to the half-open door of Sarah's room.

When she approached it, she noticed immediately that Sarah had not yet been able to detach her own shackles of employment. She was seated at the smaller of her two desks, glancing back and forth between two monitors while typing, brow furrowed in concentration that broke the moment she looked up to see Ashe standing in the doorframe.

Pale green eyes brightened immediately, and Sarah noticeably sat up straighter in her chair. "Hey, babe," she greeted with a flirty wink. "Coming in before you even take your blazer off? I thought I was supposed to be the eager one."

The teasing was clearly meant to be light-hearted, but something within Ashe bristled ever so slightly at the remark. "I saw - or, rather, I smelled - the slow cooker on the counter, and I had to come inquire as to what led to such a situation," she covered. It was not a lie, but Ashe did not voice the ulterior motive that had made her skip her usual routine of heading directly to her own room to change after work. She had spent much of the rest of the afternoon idly wondering what Sarah had been planning. "Is that the surprise?"

"Oh, yeah. Slow cooking chili in the next room definitely involves me being needy, eager, and naked," Sarah deadpanned. "Didn't think you were into food play, most people go for the whipped cream route. But y'know what? I respect it."

Ashe shook her head. "I am not rubbing chili on you. It smells far too good to use in such a manner, and would probably make certain acts a bit too difficult."

"Aww, thanks, babe," said Sarah, smiling. "Really, though, I did say I had dinner covered tonight, remember?"

"I had assumed that meant delivery," Ashe admitted. "Although, I am not complaining."

"I figure it makes sense if I cook more, since I'm home, especially while you're swamped and the hospital is throwing unpredictability at Kat yet again. Expect stuff that I can throw into a pot and leave alone, at least for a bit. I'm figuring it out, though," she insisted.

"Thank you. That is very much appreciated," Ashe returned the smile, genuinely touched at the thoughtfulness. "ETA for your release?"

One eyebrow rose ever so slightly, studying Ashe's face. "Twenty minutes, assuming you meant when I should be able to log out," came the cheeky response.

"That is what I meant, yes," Ashe replied, returning the look. There was a devilish quality to Sarah's smile now, a certain glint in her eye that was definitely trying Ashe's already-thinning patience. "The double entendre was not intentional."

"We can call it a Freudian slip," Sarah said with a slight giggle that made her nose crinkle in a way that was entirely too adorable. "Sorry for being late, can't avoid it, something came up. I did get ready on my last break, though, so don't worry about that," she promised.

Ashe's eyes narrowed, her curiosity increasing. She glanced briefly around the fairly neat room, paying particular attention to the bed, but nothing looked different about it. When her eyes fell back to Sarah's, the look she received told her that she had caught Ashe's obvious attempt to search for clues, and also informed her that she would not be elaborating.

Her gaze lowered to her girlfriend's clothing, and something about it registered as unusual. A fairly loose-fitting collared white blouse, buttoned up to the neck, with sleeves that had been rolled up to the elbows, and a red flared jersey skirt that…reached her knees? It was a bit of an odd choice for a woman who was known to don whatever she found comfortable while working from home - on two occasions since Sarah had moved in, Ashe had caught her responding to emails without pants on. It was rather unorthodox, as well, for seduction…not that Ashe found it off-putting in the slightest, but Sarah's typical habits on that front seemed to involve showing quite a bit of skin.

Suspicious, Ashe took a few steps closer. "What are you wearing?"

"A blouse and a skirt," Sarah replied, far too innocently.

"And underneath that?"

The devilish smile returned. "Twenty minutes," she reminded.

"Fine," Ashe relented, glancing at the clock at Sarah's bedside and noting the time. 5:09. "I will be back after I change."

Sarah nodded in acceptance. "Feel free to hang out on the bed if I'm not done by then," she offered.

Ashe departed and went to her room, taking off her blazer before she had even entered. The rest of her suit came off just as quickly, and once each piece had been properly hung up or put into the laundry basket, she decided on a brief shower in the attached bathroom.

The cold water hitting her skin did absolutely nothing to quell her desire. She opted to use only the handheld shower head on everything below the neck, careful to avoid wetting her long, white hair - a nuisance that she did not feel like dealing with at present. A quick refresh of her makeup followed.

When she finished, she stood in front of her closet for a moment, wrapped in a towel, contemplating. She soon settled on a choice that balanced comfort and simplicity while still offering some allure - a royal blue sundress that she slipped into easily. Underwear was not a thought that occurred to her.

When she re-entered Sarah's room at the twelve minute mark, her girlfriend looked up in acknowledgement, then did a double take. She stared for only a second before snapping back to her monitor and resuming her typing.

"What was that look?" Ashe asked.

"Nothing," Sarah said quickly. "Well. Nothing you won't find out soon enough. Just amused, that's all."

"Amused?"

"Nearly done," she promised.

Ashe sat on the edge of Sarah's bed, intending to occupy herself with her phone for eight minutes, but her screen soon proved to be uninteresting and her gaze kept wandering to the gentle waves of Sarah's hair instead.

At the stroke of 5:29, Sarah was still typing. Ashe gave her until 5:30 before deciding that she had most definitely had enough of waiting. She rose from the bed, stepping closer to the desk chair and laying a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

Her girlfriend stiffened just a bit beneath her touch, but Ashe barely registered that given the strange, uneven texture that she encountered from something underneath the blouse.

"One last email," Sarah said quickly.

"I was told twenty minutes, and they have passed," Ashe stated firmly, her fingers moving to the buttons just beneath her collar and beginning to undo them. "Finish your email, I am not stopping you."

The typing faltered for just a moment as Sarah's breath hitched. It resumed after a few seconds, a bit quicker than before.

Ashe paused after the third button had come undone, a flash of color catching her eye. Her hand traveled back to Sarah's neck and pushed aside the fabric of her collar that had now loosened, her heart rate spiking with excitement at what she found.

A bit of blue rope was visible, cutting a path across skin that was ever so lightly freckled.

"Oh," Ashe exclaimed softly.

"Like it?" asked Sarah. Ashe could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Delightful," she purred.

The typing paused again for a few seconds as Ashe switched gears, leaning forward and sliding her hands experimentally beneath the hem of Sarah's blouse. Her fingers splayed across skin that was, quite clearly, covered in considerably more rope. Ashe let out a deep hum of appreciation.

"...'and more details to follow on Monday'…" Sarah muttered as she finished the email and rapidly hit send before her cursor flew to the bottom left of the screen. "That's enough of that," she said dismissively to the monitors as they went dark, her head falling against the back of the desk chair as Ashe's hands kept exploring.

"Clothes off, my siren," Ashe ordered after a moment, retracting her touch and stepping back to give Sarah room to move.

Sarah nodded, swiveling to face her before standing. She held Ashe's gaze as she continued unbuttoning where she had left off, having to look up to do so due to Ashe's close proximity and significant height advantage.

When the blouse fell away onto the carpet, Ashe let out a rough exhale, reaching forward and grabbing Sarah's skirt before she could. It pooled to the floor with a single, determined tug.

"Exquisite," she breathed when the full view of her girlfriend's handiwork was revealed, stepping back again just a bit to appreciate the full view. "I understand the amusement now," she added.

"I can't believe you picked a matching dress."

Sarah's entire torso was covered in an intricate lattice of royal blue rope that hugged her body enticingly, creating a pattern of interwoven diamonds across her skin that also perfectly showcased her breasts. More rope snaked halfway down each of her thighs, attached to the chest harness with expertly tied knotwork. Ashe found herself particularly appreciating the way the diamond just beneath her pierced belly button centered the delicate trail of hair that ended at the top of another knot, as well as the two bits of rope that traveled lower to frame lips that looked so very inviting…

"You are incredibly talented," Ashe praised, raising a finger and twirling it in a circular motion. "Show me the back."

Sarah's face flushed as she obeyed. "It might be a little uneven," she admitted. "The back's the hard part for a self-tie."

The diamonds running along her spine on which the rest of the tie anchored itself certainly seemed to disagree. "No. You did it perfectly," Ashe marveled, relishing the slight shiver she elicited when running her fingers down the full length of the impressive display. "I have never done a full self-tie, but I imagine that this was not easy."

"I had to modify an old favorite of mine," Sarah explained. "Helps that it's non-restrictive and still gives me full range of motion."

Ashe leaned fully against Sarah's back, pressing the rope gently into her skin, grinning at her girlfriend's resulting gasp. She brought her lips to Sarah's ear. "And are you hoping to keep it non-restrictive, or is that open for negotiation?" she whispered.

"Ooh…" Sarah considered for roughly half a second. "How well do you know your knots?"

"I am quite comfortable," Ashe assured her, fingers trailing her sides before moving to enclose her wrists. "I was thinking of putting you in braided cuffs and attaching you to your bedposts, if that is agreeable," she proposed, pressing a kiss to Sarah's neck.

"You sure know how to charm a girl," Sarah breathed. "Should be enough rope in the box under my bed for that. In the same color, even."

"Good, I am enjoying it," Ashe responded as her hands continued to follow the pretty lines across Sarah's back. "You have safety shears, yes?"

Sarah nodded. "On my desk."

"I will grab those as well, just in case. As for you - lie back on the bed and continue to look beautiful."

She expected a quip in response to that. Instead, at the command, Sarah's head fell forward, and she took in a deep breath before turning around and positioning herself in the center of the bed. Ashe watched her for another moment before retrieving the safety shears and placing them on the bedside table, where they would be in easy reach, and sliding the box out from under Sarah's bed. The two coils Sarah had spoken of sat right on top.

"I prefer a double loop quick release for the bedposts," Ashe explained as she started carefully unraveling. "Efficient, effective, and safe. Will that suffice?"

Sarah had been watching her hands with rapt attention. When Ashe spoke, she blinked, surprised. "I am so fucking attracted to you right now," she said bluntly.

Ashe smirked, not pausing as she prepared the ropes, her eyes flicking over to Sarah. "The feeling is mutual. And I assume that is a 'yes.'"

Sarah could only nod as Ashe held out a hand expectantly. She placed her right wrist into the open palm. On a whim, Ashe leaned forward and lightly kissed the back of Sarah's hand before she looped the rope around her thumb to start the braided cuff. The flush on her girlfriend's cheeks deepened noticeably, her eyes following every movement as Ashe weaved the rope over her hand in a pretty, delicate pattern before securing it with a knot at her fingers.

"How is the tension?" Ashe asked, gripping the standing part of the rope tightly.

"About to explode," Sarah said absently. "Oh, right, you meant the cuff," she added, giving an experimental tug. "Perfect."

Ashe nodded in satisfaction before securing the rest to the bedpost, testing the quick release by pulling the loop once before re-tying it quickly and tucking the tail down behind the mattress. She stepped off the bed and repeated the process on Sarah's left side, moving to stand at the foot of the bed when she was finished.

She wanted to test the strength of the end result, and a few options for doing so filled her mind. Of course, she could simply order Sarah to struggle, but she had a better idea.

Ashe's fingers wandered down the center of one of the rope diamonds, brushing lightly against the trail of hair before passing over a knot. When she reached Sarah's clit, her first few touches were decidedly not gentle.

Both anchor ropes went taut immediately. Ashe pulled her gaze from the sight of Sarah hungrily groaning on the bed to glance at both bedposts. The ties seemed solid, but just to be sure, she dipped her fingers lower and teased Sarah's dripping slit.

"Fuck," her girlfriend gasped.

"That will do nicely," she remarked as the knots held steady under the weight of Sarah's resulting tugs.

It struck her as she pulled her hand away from the gentle teasing just how much trust Sarah was placing in her. Ashe had used restraints on her already, but a full-body tie was quite a step up - and, she knew well, one that carried some risk. Sarah certainly did not strike her as a woman who placed blind faith in anyone. This felt like quite a testament to their growing understanding of one another, and it was one that Ashe found herself briefly pausing to cherish. She searched Sarah's eyes for a moment, and found no hints at all of apprehension - only raw, primal excitement. This added further fuel to Ashe's own desire, but she consciously told herself to wait a moment. Clarifications should be made. It was the wise thing to do. 

She walked slowly around the bed, dragging her fingers across the ropes before pausing once she reached Sarah's face, leaning in closer. "Remember your safe words," Ashe reminded. "Recite them to me now, and tell me what each means when you are tied." 

Sarah nodded in understanding, struggling for a moment to form words as Ashe helpfully brushed a few stray locks of auburn from her face. Ashe took notice of this and dropped her hand, willing herself to resist touch for just a bit longer. 

"Yellow - pull the quick releases," Sarah said a moment later. "Red - go for the shears and get me out." 

"Good girl," Ashe whispered as she lay down beside her on the bed, then leaned in further and kissed Sarah with unbridled need. Every ounce of that passion was returned to her as Sarah arched up to meet her lips forcefully. Ashe lingered for a long moment, drinking in her wanton craving before she began a slow, lustful trail down her neck. 

Sarah's head went rolling back, offering easier access as Ashe traveled lower. She passed over the first few lines of rope and lingered again in the spaces between them where the diamonds began, a few inches below her throat. 

"Now, tell me, my siren..." she murmured against Sarah's skin as she paused the downward journey, "why have you bound yourself so beautifully for me?" 

Sarah's breath hitched at the question, but she did not hesitate to answer it. "A tribute to your formidable skill, Huntress," she explained, shivering for a moment as Ashe's breath fanned against the binds near her collarbone. "One who works so hard deserves a break...a testament to your prowess, really, that your quarry is so intent to be captured by you that it would knowingly walk right into your trap." 

"Mmm," Ashe kissed her approval of that sentiment into the center of the diamond at the top of Sarah's sternum. 

"Besides," Sarah added, encouraged, another wicked gleam in her eye, "the best gifts come wrapped. Wouldn't you agree?" 

"How very bold of you," Ashe commented, trailing more kisses down to her breasts, which were more prominent than usual thanks to the binds. "Fitting, as well. I would have to agree, yes. You make an entrancing gift." 

Whatever response Sarah might have given was swallowed by a gasp as Ashe's tongue began to circle a hardened nipple before taking it fully into her mouth. Her fingers held tight to the lattice of rope as Sarah fidgeted underneath her lips. Ashe rolled the hardened skin several times before releasing it, leaning over her body to give the same treatment to the other, her weight pressing the rope further into Sarah's skin as she moved. 

Only when Ashe was certain that both had received adequate attention did she move off the bed to reposition at the foot of it, pulling Sarah's thighs apart by the ropes that bound them and bending over her once again. She continued the trail of kisses right where she had left off, between her breasts, not wanting to miss an inch of skin as she went. 

Sarah squealed softly when Ashe reached her stomach - evidently, her tendency to be a bit ticklish was amplified thanks to the heightened sensitivity of her skin in this state. Ashe did not relent, holding firm against Sarah's twitches as she lovingly kissed down the center of the diamond that framed the pretty trail of hair on her lower abdomen. 

Her next words were addressed to Sarah's clit as she leaned down close enough to let it feel her breath. "It really was so very kind of my prey to truss herself up for me."

Sarah tensed, her hips bucking upwards to try and close the distance. Her attempt was immediately arrested by Ashe's hands, each holding firm to the convenient handholds provided by the ropes encircling her hips.

"You tease," Sarah whined, glaring at Ashe with mock affront.

"That is not my name," Ashe corrected.

Sarah let out a strangled exhale. "Please, Huntress."

A delighted shiver slid down Ashe's spine. She had learned that Sarah being reduced to begging was a sight to behold - one that was currently overriding her own impatience.

"Please, what?"

Sarah bit down hard on her lip. "Your mouth, Huntress. Please," she begged, a bit louder.

"My mouth? Alright," Ashe agreed, trailing another line of kisses along Sarah's inner thigh. "Where, exactly?"

"On my FUCKING CLIT," Sarah finally blurted, losing whatever remained of her strained composure. Ashe's eyebrows rose. Even Sarah seemed a bit startled by the strength of her own outburst. "Please," she muttered again in the next moment, remembering her place.

Ashe smiled against her skin. In truth, she would not have been able to resist for another moment, even if Sarah's boldness had not made such a prospect truly impossible. "Good girl," she praised, her lips brushing against Sarah's clit for only a second before her tongue joined in earnest.

Her eyes closed, at first - savoring the heady taste and scent that surrounded her as she hungrily devoured her girlfriend. Ashe kept her fingers twisted through the network of rope at Sarah's thighs, the better to keep them fully pulled apart to give her the best possible access. She applied only as much force as was necessary to combat Sarah's instinct to clamp said thighs around her head. This resulted in a whimper of need that opened Ashe's eyes again after a moment, though the motions of her tongue and lips did not pause in the slightest.

The bedposts groaned slightly in protest as Sarah also, very clearly, fought with a similar instinct to grab onto Ashe with her hands that was entirely impossible to indulge at that moment. Ashe regarded her struggle through lidded eyes that feigned indifference, as though she was not deeply appreciating each fruitless tug. This angle gave her a new view of the landscape of rope covering her torso - one that was entirely lovely, in her opinion.

"I may not have…completely thought this through," Sarah admitted through labored breaths. "I can't touch you," she lamented.

"Mm-hmm," Ashe responded. A problem to be rectified later, she thought silently to herself as she flicked her tongue in a way that she knew would be particularly cruel.

Whatever response Sarah was about to give was drowned by the rough moan that quickly followed.

Ashe steadily picked up her pace, occasionally adjusting her hold on the ropes that gave quite a number of enticing options to do so. She took great care not to pull too tightly, her eyes very rarely leaving her girlfriend, ensuring that she never felt too constricted.

Sarah was struggling to hold her gaze, periodically throwing her head back and jerking hard against the unyielding anchor ropes. When she finally did look down at Ashe - chest heaving against her bounds, desperation written plainly all over her face - the look was accompanied by a hasty warning that really was not necessary by that point.

"I'm gonna come."

Another day, Ashe might have pulled away at the announcement, feigning ignorance as to what on Earth had gotten her so frustrated all of a sudden. Giving Sarah a taste of her own medicine would have meant denying herself, however, and she was very much not interested in doing so at present. Ashe's mouth pressed even closer with renewed determination.

Sarah bucked as hard as she could beneath the restraints. The only reason her thighs did not win the battle against her hold was thanks to Ashe predicting the particularly forceful attempt to close them that immediately followed. The rope beneath her fingers tightened at the same time that Sarah's body did, and a much anticipated taste flooded Ashe's tongue in the next second.

A sated noise rumbled from deep within Ashe's chest as she reveled in her girlfriend's orgasm, as though it was the finest meal she had ever tasted.

When Sarah's thighs went slack in her grip and her body unclenched beneath the ropes, that would have been Ashe's usual cue to stop.

She did not.

"Oh, fuck," Sarah practically sobbed as Ashe opted for a different method of torture instead, weaponizing her overstimulation. In truth, Sarah's overload was really only a secondary reason why she remained firmly in place after the orgasm had obviously ended. She did not quite feel done with her meal yet.

"Evil, evil…fuck…GEEZ," came the ineloquent shouts when nearly a full minute had passed and Ashe still had not relented, determined to lick every possible inch clean first. Her grip tightened on the thigh ropes as Sarah squirmed underneath her, still unable to do a single thing about her predicament. "Mercy, Huntress, please!"

Ashe's lips finally withdrew, and Sarah fought to catch her breath. Pale green eyes narrowed at Ashe in a look of mock betrayal. "That was cruel."

"You do not sound upset," Ashe countered with a shrug. "Is it my fault that I could not resist my siren's allure?"

"It sure is!" Sarah fired back, pulling harder at the anchor ropes. The knots remained unbothered. "Untie me at once!"

Ashe stood up to her full height, still between Sarah's open thighs, and quirked a brow at her. The request did not seem sincere, but, just to be sure…"Hmm. I do not recall that being your safe word."

"Tormentor! Devil! Temptress!" Sarah responded with fury that was almost convincing. "When I get my hands on you, I'll-"

"...turn to a quivering puddle at my feet," Ashe finished for her.

Sarah paused her thrashing, face flushed again. "Probably, yeah," she conceded, suddenly softer. "Seriously, though, I do really miss touching you right now."

"Noted," Ashe said with a nod. "But, ah, I do not have to release your hands to achieve more skin contact." She punctuated the comment by smoothly pulling her sundress off, revealing every inch of the absolutely-nothing-at-all she was wearing underneath.

Sarah's pupils expanded noticeably as she watched Ashe's swift undressing, raking her gaze unashamedly up and down her figure. "You drive a hard bargain," she finally remarked. "But, I'm listening."

Ashe's knee found the edge of the bed, and she approached Sarah's hips before swinging her leg over her girlfriend and straddling her. That same knot at the base of the lovely trail of hair came to rest right against Ashe's clit. That had not been an intentional development, but Sarah certainly looked appreciative when Ashe let out a pleased sound in response to it, leaning back to ensure that the bound woman would have a particularly good view as she rubbed up against the knot.

"I see," said Sarah absently as she stared directly at the spot where their hips met. "Compelling argument. I still can't touch you," she pouted, "although…well, hmm," she mused before rolling her hips upwards in time with Ashe's movements to drive the knot further against her clit.

"Oh, good girl," Ashe praised, her voice coming out low and husky, "keep doing that." Her hands splayed across Sarah's stomach, digging into the rope as she continued the gentle back and forth thrusting that was generating some truly delicious friction.

"God, I can actually feel how wet you are," Sarah commented as she fell into a matching counter-rhythm.

"I have been resisting all day," Ashe groaned, her eyes sliding shut as she lost herself to the motion that was almost hypnotic. "And you are too tempting," she added as her fingers climbed up the rope, brushing lightly against Sarah's breasts. She followed the frame around the edges, moving by touch alone, smiling as she elicited a gasping "yes" from the woman beneath her. Her hands released the rope and moved instead to further tease at Sarah's still-very-hard nipples. Another noise of approval brought her palms open, each grasping onto exposed flesh roughly.

Ashe lowered herself then, pressing fully against the entire length of the chest harness, relishing the feeling of further contact against her own skin as it was feeling increasingly oversensitive. Her hips never stilled, nor did her hands, as she brought her lips to Sarah's in an aggressive kiss that had the bedposts groaning as the anchor ropes strained yet again.

The throaty noise that Sarah gave in response had Ashe grinning against her lips before breaking contact just enough to speak. "You taste lovely, would you agree?"

Sarah's mouth surging forward to crush back against Ashe's certainly seemed like answer enough.

Ashe allowed a few minutes to pass in this manner - hands occupied with firm caressing motions, mouth demanding in its exploration, clit pulsing with increasing need at each pass over the rope.

It was delightful, truly, which was why she lingered - but, alas, not quite enough to bring Ashe over the edge. This was why she ultimately pulled away without explanation, breaking the straddle and leaning back down to the box that still sat open by the bedside. She could feel Sarah's curious gaze on her as her hand went down out of reach, rummaging for just a moment before closing around what she was looking for.

"Are you still too sensitive?" she asked as she held up the vibrating wand.

Sarah looked almost incredulous for a brief moment before she recovered. "I mean, ya got me ready again, I'll admit, but don't you think it's your turn?"

"Oh, it is, no need to worry," Ashe clarified as she returned to her previous position at Sarah's hips before settling in just a bit lower than before. "But, I would like to take you with me," she added with a smirk, lowering the head of the wand to rest against her aching clit before rolling her hips to bring the other side right up against Sarah's.

"Oh," Sarah responded. "I see. Well..low setting to start, plea- ohmigod," the request cut off, her back arching as Ashe pulsed the wand to the highest setting for a few seconds before lowering it back down.

"Apologies, my hand slipped," Ashe said, maintaining a carefully neutral expression as Sarah glared at her.

The steady vibrations soon had Ashe thrusting again, slow but with deliberate purpose, angling the wand's handle slightly to one side so that Sarah had a better view of the point of contact. This quickly wiped the look of distrust from her face, replaced with a transfixed stare as she watched Ashe undulating gently on top of her.

"Do you see what you do to me?" The question felt low and thick in Ashe's throat. "The absolute state you have me reduced to?" The head of the wand was growing steadily wetter.

Sarah's pretty face contorted into an expression of desire that almost looked pained. The next words out of her mouth were sincere, her ability to snark apparently diminishing. "I do, Huntress, and thank you for letting me see it."

"Such a sweet girl," Ashe's tone was full of admiration as she bucked harder against the wand, pressing it further against Sarah in the process. "So polite." Her fingers upped the vibration setting by one step. The adorable whimper she earned at that only tightened the pleasant coil of sensation in Ashe's core that was growing more noticeable by the second.

"Please don't take me again first," came the desperate request.

Ashe raised an eyebrow at that. "No? And what if I want to hear my siren sing before my own release?" She leaned forward dangerously, applying more pressure as she did. "Would you deny me that?"

There was the briefest flicker of conflict in pale green eyes as Sarah seemed to debate with herself. "I…" she struggled, flushing an even deeper shade of red before her thighs helpfully spread a bit further, as wide as she could stretch them given the constraints. "Of course not, Huntress," she relented.

"Obedient." Ashe rewarded the agreement with a particularly insistent press of her hips against the heightened pressure, her free hand clutching the ropes at Sarah's hip possessively. "When you do - be loud. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Huntress," Sarah responded with a shudder, her eyes fluttering shut, lips falling open in a sigh of bliss as she surrendered to the touches of ropes, wand, and fingers.

Ashe watched her in adoration for a long moment before clicking the wand up to its highest setting. The angry, persistent buzz nearly made her spill over immediately, and she reduced her own contact by a small degree to ensure that she would not go before her girlfriend.

Just to be certain…

"Come for me," she commanded.

Sarah's next quivering breaths were vocalized - canorous notes infused into each, louder in volume and higher in pitch until she was screaming with another tense, forceful jerk of her hips. The sounds were, to Ashe, the finest melody she could have heard in that moment.

Seconds later, Ashe's climax overtook her, grip tightening on the rope to steady herself as her own low, sultry notes fell from her lips. Pleasure flooded every inch of her, coursing through her veins, red-hot and all-consuming. She rode the wave until the very last of the aftershocks faded, ripping the wand away as the delightfully overwhelming feeling ended.

They watched each other in the seconds that followed, each catching their breath. Sarah's look of devotion gave way to frustration again as she tried to reach forward another time, foiled by the anchor ropes yet again.

"Shall I release you?"

"Please."

Ashe slid off of her hips and moved to stand beside the bed. "Entirely?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I've been in this thing long enough."

Ashe tugged on the quick release beside her, and the anchor rope went slack. She leaned over Sarah's head to reach the next one, her girlfriend letting out a noise of appreciation at the brief proximity of her breasts. The moment she pulled the second loop, hands still covered in braided rope were grabbing at her.

Laughter bubbled up from Ashe's chest. "I cannot untie you if you are fondling me."

"That sucks," Sarah said absently, her hands not retreating immediately.

"Save the touching for when you are unbound, my siren, I am not disappearing immediately."

"Ugh, fiiiine," she conceded, moving to sit up at the edge of the bed with a slight groan.

Ashe began the process of untying her hands, carefully working out the knots and coiling each rope neatly as the braids released. Sarah looked on with a gentle, fond expression that Ashe couldn't help but return during occasional glances up from her work. When the cuffs were fully released, she gave Sarah a moment to flex the joints of her hand as the pressure was released before reaching around her to work at the knot at the back of her neck - a process that Sarah wordlessly assisted with by bowing her head.

A contented sigh filled the space between them as the harness was carefully unraveled.

"Such beautiful marks it left you," Ashe commented as she followed the winding path of the rope downwards, revealing more and more skin that was still criss-crossed with impressions of the bonds.

"I'm glad you think so."

The ropes at her thighs were a bit trickier, and Ashe motioned for Sarah to stand to give her better access. She obeyed, wobbling a bit as she did so. Ashe's hands quickly steadied her.

"Are you alright?"

Sarah nodded, seeming just a bit farther away than usual. "Yeah, sorry, a bit weak in the knees at the moment," she admitted.

"I will be quick so you can lie back down," Ashe responded, hands already working at the last of the knots. She let this last rope fall to the floor, not wanting to spend the time coiling it before Sarah could sit again.

"I'll get that later," said Sarah as she stretched out her spine before lowering back to the bed. "Touching now, please," she requested, settling in and reaching out to Ashe, who immediately slid in beside her and pulled her close. Sarah hummed in approval at the full-body contact, her arms snaking around, lightly digging into the muscles of Ashe's back. Her head came to rest just beneath Ashe's chin, gently nuzzling against her collarbone. "Thank you," she whispered into her skin.

"Of course, and thank you." Ashe pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I quite enjoyed that surprise."

"Mmm, me too. You'd said you had experience with rope, but I didn't expect you to be that good at it."

Ashe's hands lazily wandered up and down her sides, tracing along the lines left by the ropes. "Your eyes lit up when you mentioned it during our talk. I had experience, yes, though I also did a bit of a refresher on a few of the finer points after that to ensure that it would go smoothly. I would have brought it up soon, if you had not done so first," she explained.

"How are you so fucking amazing," Sarah breathed.

Ashe smiled. "That is nice to hear, but truly, I just pay attention to the women that I love. I want to know how to please you, especially while we are still learning each other."

Sarah seemed to consider that for a moment. "Seriously, I…" her head tucked in a bit further, lowering to Ashe's chest, "…I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Didn't think I could be happier than I was when Kat and I got together. Then I left Viego and moved in and proved myself wrong. But then…you," her gripped tightened, "I didn't expect you. I thought I'd feel like some awful homewrecker but you just wouldn't let me think that for even a second." The raw honesty felt endearing to Ashe, and she ran her hands soothingly over Sarah's shoulders.

"You were wanted," she insisted. "Always." 

Sarah shook her head for a moment before continuing. "I know that now, I just...at first I was like…well, alright, she says she's cool with it but can we really actually be close…but you just. You were so welcoming, so genuine, so obviously interested in me as a person and not just as Kat's other girlfriend. It caught me off-guard," she admitted. "I feel like I've used up all my good karma for the rest of my life. I was happy we could even be friends, and I was so nervous when I realized I was falling for you, too. But you were right there with me."

"Of course," Ashe said as though it was the most natural thing in the world, squeezing the curve of Sarah's hip for emphasis. "I would not have said 'yes' to Kat's question of you moving in if I had not felt virtually certain that I could get along with you already. I was hopeful for a true friendship from the first day. The more that I learned of you, the more I realized that we were good for each other in our own right. Loving you was inevitable."

Sarah picked her head up then, looking up into Ashe's eyes, her own alight with tenderness and awe. "It was, wasn't it?"

Ashe answered that with a kiss that was slow, deep, and passionate. She felt every bit of tension leave Sarah's body as her girlfriend melted against her and responded in kind, pausing only for the occasional breath before returning right back to her lips.

They remained like that for a long while, reaffirming their bond through touch instead of words, limbs a gentle tangle as four hands caressed every bit of skin that was in reach.

When Sarah finally pulled away and rested her head on Ashe's shoulder, she drew in another deep breath before saying, "I'm really enjoying this, for sure, however, I'm becoming increasingly more aware of how fucking sticky I am right now. I seriously need a shower."

Ashe chuckled lightly. "I am as well." She had been ignoring it in favor of paying attention to Sarah's lips, as well as the soft feelings elicited by her skin contact.

"Wanna join me?"

Ashe considered for a moment. "Your showers are too hot."

"Oh, that's right, you shower in glacial runoff."

"Cold showers are good for your health."

"Ok but at what cost? And my mental health would disagree."

"It improves circulation-"

"-and makes me kinda wanna die," Sarah interjected.

"You will jump into the ocean in November, but you will not take a cold shower?" Ashe countered.

"Look, it's different, alright?" Sarah's weak defense was both cute and amusing. "Fine though - compromise. Slightly above lukewarm?"

Ashe considered again. "Deal. But only if you leave first so I can cool off."

"Cool off," Sarah echoed, "from a lukewarm shower. You're strange, but I still love you."

"I could say the same of you."

Moments later, Sarah was carefully adjusting the temperature of the water as Ashe stood beside her, eyes on the mirror over the sink as she removed the last of her makeup.

"How's that?" Sarah asked.

Ashe stuck a hand into the stream before nudging the handle counterclockwise and testing it again.

"That will do."

Sarah's hand followed suit. "Alright, fine, I'll live," she conceded, stepping inside with Ashe close behind her.

They took turns under the shower head, each washing themselves in comfortable silence until Sarah held out her soapy washcloth. "Mind getting my back?"

"Of course."

Ashe took more time than was strictly necessary to clean her girlfriend's back, admiring the last of the rope impressions across her skin that had mostly faded before she covered them with suds. The cloth eventually lowered to Sarah's ass.

"Hey, now," Sarah protested, "I'm sensing an ulterior motive."

"I am being thorough," Ashe lied, though she kept her touches as chaste as possible, given the circumstances, not wanting to rile Sarah up that much further.

Her girlfriend got her revenge when the roles reversed a moment later. Ashe had been thoroughly enjoying the feeling of the cloth running across her own back when Sarah's hands wandered to her front and groped shamelessly at her breasts.

Ashe laughed. "And who has the ulterior motive now?"

"I may be fucked-out for the night, but you mentioned borrowing Kat later. I'm doing community service, one might say," Sarah defended, fingers still teasing Ashe's nipples. "It's a favor to her, really - keeping my top wound up so she can better break my other top."

At the indirect reminder of what was - and what was not - happening later that night, Ashe stiffened minutely under Sarah's touch.

Sarah, of course, noticed, withdrawing her hands immediately. "Sorry," she said quickly, "should I have asked first?"

Ashe turned back around, facing the flash of slight concern in Sarah's eyes. "No, you did not cross lines," she assured her. "I have told you, you are allowed to touch me unless explicitly instructed not to."

Sarah nodded, relieved. "Right," she still seemed to be trying to figure out Ashe's discomfort. "Was it something I said?"

For a moment, Ashe did not know how to answer that.

Neither she, nor Katarina, had told Sarah of their once-in-a-blue-moon role reversal. It had not come up in the time since Sarah had moved in with them. The topic was not off-limits, strictly speaking, but as she stared at this woman who had made it very clear where she would always stand in relation to Ashe, she found herself struggling to admit to it.

There was, she knew quite well, nothing to be ashamed of. It was easy to forget within the walls of their house, but Sarah had herself told Ashe that she and Katarina were both outliers in her own proclivities - she was more used to taking the lead, herself. But she had also explained that she had a preference for remaining in lanes that had already been established. Rarely, it seemed, did any one person see both sides of Sarah Fortune in their entirety.

There was certainly no risk of ruining mysteries in revealing Katarina's part in all of this - she seemed to have no difficulty reducing Sarah to a whimpering mess one night and kneeling before Ashe in reverence the next. Sarah teased her for it on occasion, of course, but everyone saw that as the harmless fun that it was - even Katarina, though she would never say that out loud. Incessant ribbing was a cornerstone of Sarah and Katarina's relationship, and one that Ashe was always silently grateful for whenever she bore witness to it. They were an outlet for each other in that respect - and, besides, it never failed to be amusing.

But, Ashe and Sarah were building something else. Something that was still new. And, while Ashe was almost certain that she would not lose Sarah's respect if she knew of such rare occasions, the tiny sliver of uncertainty at how she would react was part of what made her pause.

The nature of Ashe's submission, when it happened, was the other reason she struggled to form an answer for a moment. Katarina had become the only person Ashe had ever trusted with the true depth of her need. She already had an ever-growing sense that she could trust Sarah quite deeply, but that was not at the heart of the issue. Informing the woman who so willingly and eagerly lay beneath her in bed that some deep, hidden part of Ashe howled with longing for complete loss of control felt…embarrassing at best, and potentially capable of at least subconsciously altering Sarah's opinion of her at worst.

She settled for some kernel of the truth, though even that still felt inaccurate.

"I am just a bit nervous for later tonight," Ashe found herself saying. "As I said, no lines were crossed. You simply reminded me of that anxiety. But there was nothing wrong with the comment itself."

"Nervous?" Sarah sounded surprised. "You two seem so comfortable with each other."

Ashe leaned back into the stream of water as she broke Sarah's curious gaze. "We are," she assured. That is partly why I asked for this night, she added silently. Out loud, she said, "it is a bit difficult to explain."

"I see," said Sarah, stepping around her a moment later to better reach the shower head herself. "I won't pry," she promised.

The statement seemed sincere, but Ashe felt a strange pang that she could not quite place, anyway. "I will tell you another time," she offered.

Sarah shook her head under the water, fingers deftly combing through her long wet hair. "Every couple is allowed to keep some things to themselves. I get that, really. Especially for you two, given how long you've been together."

Ashe thought about that for a moment. "You are just as important to both of us, you know. Time does not change that."

Sarah smiled before pouring a bit of shampoo into her palm and running her fingers through her hair again. "I know. I'm not insecure, honest - I think I was a bit at first, but like I said...neither of you have made me feel like an afterthought at all. If anything, it's…comforting? If that makes sense? The fact that you two are so solid, I mean. Mostly because I love seeing both my girls happy," she said with a soft giggle. "But, also because…" she looked thoughtful for a few seconds as she finished shampooing, as though wondering how to phrase her thoughts. "I mean, this isn't an easy ask, is it? All of us balancing each other's needs and emotions. But it's gone about as well as it could have, I think. And if you two weren't that solid, it probably wouldn't have happened as well as it did. Or, it may not have happened at all."

"This is true," Ashe agreed, watching Sarah rinse and condition her hair. "Thank you."

"For what?" Sarah asked.

"For being you."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her. "That's gay."

"Rather," Ashe agreed, the corners of her lips twitching.

"Is it alright if I do your hair?" Sarah's question seemed almost hesitant. "I'll be gentle," she added.

Ashe nodded. "That sounds lovely."

Sarah reached for the shampoo again as Ashe leaned forward, lowering her head a bit to give her easier reach. Hands began carefully massaging her scalp, and the soothing effect made Ashe's shoulders drop fully. She had not realized how much she had needed this. A contented hum sounded from within her.

"I love you," Sarah whispered as her fingers moved through strands of white.

"I love you, too."

The rest of the shower passed fairly quickly, with Sarah finishing up first as instructed. She departed after telling Ashe to enjoy being a popsicle - which Ashe did, immediately cranking the dial to the coldest setting as soon as Sarah was out.

"The chili should be about ready," said Sarah as she toweled off. "Want a bowl ready when you get out?"

"I may wait until later, if that is alright. I had a very late lunch."

"All good. I'll set the slow cooker to keep it warm when it's done."

"Thank you."

"'Course. You got a little less than an hour until Kat should be home. I figure you'll likely want time to prepare and won't mind if I start my murderous rampage?"

She was right, technically, but not in the usual way. The preparation would be largely mental. "Take no prisoners."

"Oh, I never do," Sarah asserted before leaving the bathroom.

Ashe finished her shower and dried herself before retrieving her dress from Sarah's room. She debated for a moment before putting it back on. Her phone had been left on Sarah's desk, and she retrieved it to find a few texts waiting for her.

[6:32pm] Kat ♥️: ill definitely be home by 8. told them i gotta be out on time and not to send me on any calls that would make me late. need a bit to get ready when i get in.

[6:33pm] Kat ♥️: after that, youre mine, princess. 😈

A slight shiver trailed Ash’s spine at the promise, some combination of fear and excitement. She responded with a 💙.

Underwear did occur to her this time, and she considered her options briefly before the answer came to her. She slipped into Katarina's room quietly, opening her top dresser drawer and sifting through folded piles of mostly-boxers, careful not to make a mess. Her fingers closed around one of a few lace panties in the drawer - one of the cheap ones that she knew full well Katarina would not miss, as they served only one particular purpose. She took them back to her room and put them on.

The door was left slightly ajar in silent invitation when Ashe sat on her bed, her eyes falling to the stack of nearly a dozen brand-new novels that had started piling up a bit as the demands of work were steadily consuming her free time. She considered the titles for a few seconds before deciding that she was not in the mood to begin something new, opting for comfortable trashy romance instead, reaching into the drawer of her side table and pulling out her well-worn copy of Heartseeker: A Battle of Lust.

She opened midway through to her favorite chapter and settled into the bed, some part of her brain contemplating her fate distantly as she read.

Chapter Text

Ashe heard the front door open at precisely 7:58pm, and she looked up from the paragraph that she had absently re-read about four times, her heart rate quietly accelerating.

"Hey Kitkat," she heard Sarah call from the other room, the sound filtering in through her cracked bedroom door. "How was work?"

"Better than usual," came the response. Footsteps sounded, then: "...did Ashe cook? Thought you were doing delivery."

"That was me, thank you very much," said Sarah, sounding proud of herself. "If you want a bowl, it's fucking delicious."

"I actually believe that," Katarina marveled. "It smells delicious. I'll wait 'til later though, I ate late."

"You and Ashe both, apparently. Good thing it keeps well."

A pause.

"I appreciate it. Thanks."

"Wow, not what I expected," Sarah's tone held exaggerated surprise. "Normally you think I'm gonna set a fire in the kitchen."

"Clearly, you resisted the intense urge," Katarina quipped.

A series of loud, piercing meows followed.

"Yes, hello, Dag, I'm happy to see you, too."

"You feeling okay?" Sarah's voice sounded suspicious.

"Yeah…why?"

"You're never in this good of a mood right when you get off shift."

Another pause.

"You also have that look in your eye like you need a cunt to fuck right this second."

Ashe let out a sharp exhale.

"Spoken for tonight," Katarina deflected. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Nah, I know, Ashe told me she was gonna steal you. My clit's still sore from earlier, honestly. I'm good with some me-time."

"Oh?" Katarina sounded curious. "And what made it so sore?"

Ashe felt pleasant surprise at the question, mirrored in Sarah's voice - this time, it sounded genuine. "You actually wanna know?"

"Only if that's cool. Up to you," came the nonchalant response.

"Wow, alright. Look at you go."

"No need to make a big deal of it," Katarina shrugged off.

"I won't then," Sarah promised. "I showed her the ropes. Literally."

Katarina chuckled gently. "Oh, I'm sure she loved that."

"She did," Sarah confirmed. "You didn't tell me she was that into bondage."

"Not my place. Besides, where's the fun in that? Can't tell you everything, geez. Some shit you gotta figure out on your own."

Another pause.

"I'm actually really proud of you," Sarah said sincerely, and Ashe had to agree.

"I said don't make a big deal out of it, asshole."

"Can't take a compliment to save your life, bitch," Sarah said lovingly.

"How many ships did you sink?" Katarina asked quickly, clearly trying to change the topic.

"Just started. Brig and a fully-loaded galleon so far."

"Good shit."

"You around Monday?"

"Oh, yeah. Meant to text you. The hospital moved me around again. Sunday-Monday off."

"Oooh!" Sarah exclaimed. "I have a half day Monday. Game and a screw? Or two? Not necessarily in that order. Hell, simultaneous, if we're feeling freaky, whatever."

"...You may be onto something. Yeah, I'm in."

The footsteps came closer. Daggerheart let out another loud yowl.

"Geez, Dag, not now, I can't pay attention to you all night. Can you keep him busy?"

"Fucking how? You know he won't have anything to do with me yet."

"I just don't want him screaming at Ashe's door."

"I'll try to keep him off if he does," Sarah promised. "You gotta focus on…whatever it is that you're doing, I can't tell, you never look like this before a night with Ashe."

Another pause. Ashe wondered how Katarina would respond, given that they had not had any conversations about what to tell Sarah. Part of her wondered if she would use it as ammo against Sarah's ribbing regarding how easy it was for Ashe to bend her to her will.

She did not.

"Just looking forward to it, that's all."

Ashe's heart skipped a beat.

"Alright," Sarah relented, but the curiosity was still evident in her tone. "No pressure but like, if one or…both of you, or whoever the hell, wouldn't mind screaming a little, that'd be kinda hot."

"You gonna jerk it, pervert?"

"Probably, yeah. Depends on if I'm busy at the cannons or not when you do."

"You said your clit was sore."

"She can fucking deal with it, alright?"

Ashe stifled a laugh.

"She's resilient, I guess. I'm gonna go shower."

"Love you~"

"Love you, too."

Ashe heard more footsteps enter Katarina's room, then cross to the bathroom a minute later. The sound of running water followed soon after.

She tried to read that paragraph for a fifth time, turning onto her side, back to the door. It might as well have been written in Swahili, for all that she absorbed of it. She could not even find the will to be frustrated at her inability to focus - that feeling was honestly a bit welcome in that moment, after the week that she had suffered. What was not welcome was the growing, vague sense of fear that was starting to challenge her excitement.

The thrill was part of it. Ashe knew that, or she would not have made the request. Part of her still had trouble completely letting go, even when that was what the rest of her so desperately needed.

She took in a deep, steadying breath, willing her body to relax. Her thoughts drifted to the history of their dynamic in an attempt to confront her discomfort. It was sometimes difficult to remember that her first impression of the fiery woman, in this respect, had been that the two of them were likely not compatible. Katarina’s submission to Ashe had not been easily granted, but nor had it been forced. She had been afraid, too, at the realization that Ashe did not simply cede control. Following orders that she had deeply resented while in the military had given her a certain reluctance to do so even after her service had ended, regardless of context - or so she had explained later, once the defenses had lowered enough for her to admit to such a thing. 

The first time Katarina had broken, it had surprised them both in equal measure. It was one of the memories that Ashe kept mentally filed away in a place that was easy to access - that very first sight of her, shaking with desperation, begging on her knees…obeying without an ounce of hesitation. Katarina had once said that such a choice had, paradoxically, felt like freedom to her in ways that she had never expected. The reasons why were complicated, as was often the case with Katarina. Ashe had learned, not long after falling hopelessly in love with this woman, that she saw Ashe as someone secure enough to give not only her body, but also her heart. Neither was given lightly, and Ashe had done everything in her power to give both the attention they deserved. Until that point, Katarina had long ignored the urges to heed to anyone at all, and doing so had felt impossible in the absence of trust. She had opted instead to wrestle with opposing needs that had been difficult to express safely with partners who had shared her difficulties with clear communication. 

Katarina had hurt people, and she had known it, and she had hated herself for it. Surrender was release, she had explained. Which had, of course, made her surprised and apprehensive the first time Ashe had expressed a similar need. 

“It would not be a frequent occurrence, but it would be quite helpful to me. I will never force you, but this part of me would like very much to know that part of you,” Ashe had once told her. “I know that you will keep me safe, as I have done for you. There are moments when I cannot be in control.” 

Both of them had found such extraordinary healing in one another, in the last ways they had expected to do so.

Her thoughts halted when the shower turned off, eyes snapping back to the paragraph that was not making sense despite the fact that she had probably read it at least thirty times before. She tried again, nearly making it to the bottom of the page when she heard Katarina leave the bathroom and enter her room again.

She was acutely aware that the sound was going to be the last warning she had.

Anxiety spiked right alongside the anticipation yet again. It was strong enough that Ashe let her eyes close tightly and asked herself one more time if she was certain of this.

The answer came quickly. Her need was too great to ignore. She trusted Katarina. She knew she did. She also knew that whatever happened when she walked in that door could stop at any moment with a single spoken word.

When she did, a few minutes later, Ashe let her eyes open back to the book but did not otherwise move. The "click" of the door as Katarina closed it behind her almost seemed to echo through the space.

"I've been waiting all day for this, princess."

Only at that did Ashe turn to face her, breath catching in her throat in the process.

Katarina had also opted for a relatively simple outfit, but the end result was certainly arresting. She had thrown on a black dress shirt with what appeared to be deceptive carelessness - untucked, collar disheveled. Her roll-up sleeves had been buttoned up in haste just above the elbows, bunching the fabric around her arms in a way that should not have been as enticing as it was. Those were the only buttons that had been touched, however, as her front remained quite open, offering a clear view of her toned abdomen and - thanks to her typical lack of a bra - tantalizing cleavage.

The lack of cover also offered a clear view of the tops of promising straps peaking just above the waistband of the leather lace-up biker pants that hugged her hips in all of the right places, showcasing a very prominent bulge beneath the zipper at her groin.

All of that would have been enough to elicit the sharp bolt of need that Ashe felt quite suddenly in her core, eclipsing all other thoughts. But, in truth - the most striking feature was her face. The jagged scar tissue that Ashe had pressed soothing kisses to countless times before when calling Katarina back to the present seemed more menacing than it ever had until that moment. Her chin was tilted upwards in clear challenge, highlighting the striking contour of her jawline. Her eyes were what really had Ashe feeling like some sort of insect sprawled and wriggling on a pin. Hardened with determination, her gaze could only be described with one word.

Predatory.

It was enough to make Ashe momentarily forget that she was nearly a head taller than this woman.

"Last chance to back out unscathed," came the low, ominous warning.

The reminder served a deeper purpose, one that had the very last of Ashe's insecurities evaporating in the next moment. She knew what remained unspoken, the heavy promise that reflected even through eyes that fixated on her so dangerously - no matter what occurred next, the real power still belonged to Ashe.

It was the greatest comfort that she could have been handed in that moment.

Ashe sat up fully on the edge of the bed, squaring her jaw in defiance. "I do not know what you are talking about," she lied.

Katarina's answering smile was a cruelty in its own right. Ashe had no time to contemplate it before it was surging closer, across the open space of her room with blinding speed.

The hands that closed around her wrist were not gentle in the slightest, jerking Ashe roughly from the bed before flying to the shoulder straps of her sundress alarmingly quickly. Katarina had already pulled down the left one by the time Ashe reacted, her own fingers digging hard into the offending wrists this time and halting the motions.

"Get your hands off of me," Ashe growled forcefully, locking eyes with her attacker.

The resulting flash of excitement on Katarina's face at the tightness of Ashe's grip was not lost on her.

"You know I'm going to get what I want." There was a confidence in her words that certainly made the statement sound as inevitable as the torrential downpour that followed a booming crack of thunder. Ashe responded only by squeezing her wrists even harder in a silent dare.

There was no chance she was going to make this easy.

They stared at each other in that position for a long moment with all of the animosity of repelling magnets forced into too-close proximity. The fine, delicate hairs on Ashe's arms stood up at the rising tension. Her body responded to the convincing veneer of peril, far more primal and instinctual than any of her racing thoughts had been before Katarina had entered the room. Everything within her screamed at her to fight.

Something in the air between them electrified as that feeling filled every inch of it, clearly proving infectious.

Katarina did not tug uselessly at her grip in an attempt to break the hold. She did not even seem particularly bothered at all by Ashe's iron grip, far stronger than the slender hands might suggest to someone who was not as intimately familiar with them as Katarina was. Ashe knew what would come next, but the finer details of how or when remained unknown. She waited for it as the seconds passed, readying herself. The layers of pretense here did nothing to dispel the understanding that had been plainly spoken between them before: no matter the circumstances of boundaries, no matter the pleas made beforehand, no matter the depth of the need itself - when Ashe resisted, she would not hold back. Katarina would have to truly earn her prize.

This was something she was all too eager to do.

Just when Ashe's knuckles went impossibly paler from the strength of her hold, Katarina made her move. She forced her trapped right wrist forward instead of back, bracing it against Ashe's left wrist and pressing against it as her body twisted around to the side. Her own wrist rotated in the hold, moving until the thinnest part of it was able to slip out of the space between Ashe's thumb and forefingers, ripping it free. Ashe had anticipated an escape maneuver, but not the correct one, nor the timing, and the force against her body threatened to knock her off-balance. Katarina took full advantage of this, fingers deftly ripping down the other strap of her sundress before smoothly pulling downwards on the fabric at her torso to bare Ashe's breasts to her hungry gaze.

The firm hands on Ashe's body had the secondary effect of steadying her brief sway, and she lunged for another grapple - higher on Katarina's forearms this time, wrenching them away from her.

"I said, get off of me, you wretched savage," she spat with a disgust that did a convincing job of disguising her ever-increasing arousal.

Katarina's answering shiver could be felt through the hold.

"Is that what I am?" she responded with a grin that showed her teeth. Ashe began pushing back against her, trying to create space from the bed that she was nearly backed up against. Katarina held fast in opposition to this plan, pressing right back, hard. "If you're trying to offend me, it's not working."

They stood in a harsh stalemate for a moment, each responding in kind to the other's escalations in the brute-force strength check. Ashe grit her teeth from the effort of it, and she could feel Katarina's muscles twitching beneath her grasp from the same. She dug deep, pulling from every bit of energy she had to ensure that nothing was left on the table. Katarina tried to match it, but ended up taking a single step backwards under the pressure.

It was a close match, adding to the thrill, only increasing the adrenaline in Ashe's veins. But she knew that this was one fight that Katarina could not quite overcome through physical might alone.

Katarina knew it, too, and Ashe saw the spark of aggravation in green eyes at the ceded ground.

Ashe smirked. "How cute," she said condescendingly.

Katarina drew in a rough breath before swinging her hips forward and up a bit, bringing the heavy bulge at her groin in contact with the spot right at the apex of Ashe's thighs. The resulting lapse in concentration was brief, but it was all Katarina needed. She redoubled her efforts, rewarded when both of them went falling onto the bed. Reacting quickly, she twisted again in Ashe's grip before driving her wrists down into the sheets, her legs bracketing Ashe's hips to reinforce the hold.

Katarina let out a dark chuckle at the new position. "How cute," she echoed, sounding even more condescending.

It was, she had to admit, difficult for Ashe to maintain her composure after that. It became especially difficult when Katarina started grinding against her shamelessly, creating tantalizing friction in exactly the right place. She forced herself not to react beyond another insult, spoken coldly at barely above a whisper.

"Brute."

"Mmm," Katarina did not pause the rhythmic bucking of her hips. "Keep up the pet names."

Ashe grit her teeth, trying to shake her off. This would normally have been possible, but the angle was difficult to argue with, and gravity gave Katarina the upper hand. She held fast, rubbing persistently. She made quite a show of enjoying the motions, letting out rumbling sounds of pleasure before leaning forward and capturing Ashe's right nipple in her mouth.

It was infuriatingly, intensely arousing. 

"You are truly obscene."

Katarina smiled against her skin before biting down. Hard. Ashe gasped, giving another rough tug against the hands holding her wrists, one that was unsuccessful in freeing her. When Katarina relented on the pressure and opened her mouth, she stared at the hardened nipple for a moment before meeting Ashe's eyes again.

"Pretend to hate it all you like," she taunted. "Your body says otherwise. Your face is so red right now."

Ashe could feel the heat in her cheeks, and knew quite well that she must be truly flushed in that moment. She writhed again beneath the hold, pretending to attempt another escape, when all she really accomplished was to drive herself further against the bulge in Katarina's pants.

"None of that," Katarina chastised, turning her head to bite at the other nipple, immediately slackening the defiant tension in Ashe's body. She used this as a helpful distraction while one hand released Ashe's left wrist before immediately flattening her forearm against both of Ashe's to keep her in place. Her other hand withdrew, snaking behind her to reach for something. Ashe was not entirely aware of what she was doing, eyes shut tight against the onslaught of sensation that her teeth provided, until she felt the brush of padded leather against one of her wrists right as Katarina released her nipple again and turned her attention upwards.

Katarina had clearly expected the struggle, shifting her weight onto the arm that had Ashe pinned as she jerked against her again.

"How dare you!" The protest was laced with affront.

"Gonna need my hands free in a minute," came the unbothered response as Katarina deftly secured the buckle of the first leather cuff. "That too tight?"

It was perfect, but Ashe was not about to say so. "What you are doing is vile."

"Uh-huh," replied Katarina, clearly taking the statement as approval. She kept her arm in place, reaching behind herself a second time. When she leaned further forward to cuff Ashe's other wrist, her breasts were in striking distance of Ashe's mouth. A sharp, angry bite followed immediately as Ashe gave her a taste of her own medicine.

Katarina did not even flinch as teeth sank into her nipple. "You know I'm just going to punish you for that," she threatened casually as she finished with the clasp and clipped the cuffs together with a small metal chain.

She looked down at Ashe, their faces inches apart, her green eyes smouldering. "I would like that back now."

Ashe bit down harder.

"Mmm," a shudder slid down Katarina's spine. "Alright, have it your way." Her hand twisted roughly around strands of white hair as she gave a swift tug. She did not have to apply enough force to physically pull Ashe's head away from her, as the resulting bolt of pain had Ashe's mouth falling open in a silent cry. She did not pull for longer than a few seconds, either, releasing the tension the moment that she was no longer in easy range of Ashe's teeth - an unspoken understanding that lingering further would likely challenge a sensitivity in a way that would no longer make the situation as fun as it was.

Ashe had only a second to feel grateful about that before Katarina was pulling away enough to readjust the angle of the body beneath her, hand again slipping into her back pocket to produce a slim chain that was longer than the one connecting the two cuffs. She quickly clipped one end to one of those links before pulling off of Ashe entirely and moving to clip the other end to an innocuous-looking metal loop at the base of Ashe's headboard.

"There we go." She sounded satisfied as she met Ashe's heated glare with a deceptively warm smile. "Now then…" Katarina cracked her knuckles in preparation before gripping Ashe's sundress and smoothly pulling the fabric down, sliding the rest of it off of her body in one fluid motion.

Ashe carefully watched her face as her eyes fell to the only remaining clothing on her body. Eyebrows rose in genuine surprise at the sight of red lace.

"You stole my underwear."

"What are you talking about?" Ashe questioned, sounding as though she was actually confused. "This is my underwear."

This was perhaps true on a technicality, depending on how one interpreted the finer points of ownership. Katarina did not look as though she was willing to have such a philosophical debate at present. Her eyes narrowed with silent fury, letting Ashe know that she had caught the implication, and that she was definitely not amused by it.

She stepped off of the bed, moving around it to Ashe's left side with agonizing slowness. Each step felt like a threat, but Ashe did not drop her gaze, not even when hands trailed up along her side with a soft caress that was certainly suspicious. Ashe tensed in response to the touch, but that really only served the purpose of having her roll over more easily in the next moment when the hands were quite suddenly flipping her onto her stomach.

The chains rattled uneasily at the rapid change of position.

Warm breath fanned across Ashe's ear as Katarina leaned in to whisper menacingly into it. "You've really asked for it, now."

Ashe shivered as the hands then trailed down her spine, dipping against the curve of her back before rising again at the swell of her ass. Katarina traced the outlines of lace against her skin before pulling at the flimsy waistband and snapping it lightly against her skin, offering a small taste of what was to come.

She retreated, light footsteps sounding as she approached Ashe's closet and pulled the door open. Knowing what she was likely going for did not make the gripping dread of anticipation any less potent. Ashe buried her face into the sheets, feeling a sudden renewed appreciation for the state of mind that she was far more used to subjecting others to.

The footsteps approached again, and Ashe forced herself not to show a reaction to the first gentle brush of the riding crop against her back.

"Be vocal," Katarina instructed as the keeper continued to travel aimlessly across her skin. "Use your words."

It was a subtle reminder of safe word protocol, and Ashe exhaled deeply in acknowledgment. "You would like that, you monster."

"Would I?" Katarina asked deviously as she began a series of light taps against Ashe's right shoulder blade. The gentle impacts were disguised as teasing, but Ashe knew that the true intention was proper buildup to prepare the area for far harder strikes. "I might have gone easy on you when it was just the bite. Now that I see you've stolen from me, I'm tempted to leave some real marks."

The statement was another check-in that handed her back the true power, disguised as a threat. Ashe drew in a sharp breath before carefully considering how to answer.

"I do not believe that you are even capable of mercy. You are far too depraved for such kindness." She was suddenly feeling quite bold.

"You're right about that." The soft tapping began to slowly build in intensity, leaving a light stinging sensation in its wake. The impact pattern felt random as she branched out a bit to cover more skin, but Ashe knew that she was carefully avoiding her spine, as well as any part of her lower back. "This will only get worse," Katarina promised.

Ashe closed her eyes tightly as the stinging grew stronger in careful increments. She could practically feel the blood in her veins as her body responded to the sensations. Katarina drove her right up to the edge of pain, before quite suddenly cutting off the rapid preparation taps.

"You should have listened."

The next few seconds ticked by in silence. Then-

SMACK.

The first true hit felt like a release in its own right. Pain was not always welcome, but in this moment, the searing kiss of the leather left a crack in Ashe's defenses - a brutal challenge to the stiff tension in muscles that had carried too much stress in the past week. Stifling her instinctual cry was difficult, but she managed.

Katarina did not relent entirely, and the rapid taps returned, a bit more forceful this time.

"You love this. Admit it."

"No." Yes.

SMACK.

Ashe could not contain her rough moan this time.

"That's what I thought."

The taps returned. Ashe could feel herself gently trembling underneath them.

"Pathetic."

The crop receded suddenly. Ashe took two deep breaths, the waiting feeling like agony-

SMACK.

This one was a bit harder than the last. Ashe bit down hard on her lip.

"Scream for me, princess."

It took a few seconds for Ashe to respond.

"No."

SMACK.

Ashe did cry out this time, the note broken by a half-strangled gasp.

"Louder."

Another breath, another crack in the defense. Ashe's next words were dripping with fury.

"Fuck you."

SMACK.

Another scream. Louder, indeed, despite the defiance.

"Swearing is fucking rude." More taps, feeling like they were taunting her this time. "And very becoming of you."

Even the gentlest touches were now sending tingles that radiated outwards from the point of contact. Ashe's skin felt hypersensitive, muscles twitching underneath each slow pass of the keeper. It withdrew again, and she tensed reflexively.

Silence.

She nearly jumped when the crop came down hard onto the bed beside her.

"You are just toying with me, now," Ashe protested after a ragged exhale.

"Yes."

SMACK.

This strike had been genuinely unexpected, and would have been welcome had it not been for one detail that sent the stinging pain just beyond some defined edge. Her vision blurred for a second, a rough hiss escaping from between her teeth.

"Yellow," she said quickly.

At the sound of the soft-stop safe word, the crop came down on the bed again - far quieter this time, fully released and set aside. Ashe heard Katarina move to the head of the bed, and turned her face towards the sound. Katarina lowered herself so that their eyes were on the same level, her expression notably softer than before. She did not touch Ashe right away, allowing her a moment to catch her breath, watching carefully.

"Do you need me to stop?"

Ashe shook her head against the sheets.

"Too hard?"

Ashe considered carefully, but that was not quite the issue. "No, I can handle a bit more, if you alternate. Move to the left side next. Otherwise…please continue as you are."

Katarina nodded in understanding. "Gotcha. Can do." Her hand reached out then, lightly brushing a few stray strands of white hair out of Ashe's face. "Do you need a moment?"

"Briefly," Ashe confirmed, leaning into Katarina's touch as her hand cupped a still-flushed cheek.

"As long as you need," came the reassurance.

Ashe's eyelids fluttered shut. She let out the softest of sighs. "Thank you."

The last of the stinging in her back soon faded as she focused on the feeling of Katarina's thumb as it brushed lovingly against her face.

"Green," Ashe said after a moment when she was certain that she was alright to continue.

Katarina pulled her hand away and, after giving Ashe's shoulder one final squeeze, she picked the crop back up. Ashe felt the keeper lightly caress beaten skin in silent apology before Katarina leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the spot that was most tender at that moment. Ashe turned her face back into the sheets and smiled.

The overt warmth of the moment soon passed as the keeper slid across her spine to untouched territory. "Hardly fair to ignore this side, anyway," Katarina remarked. "You already have such lovely marks on the right…let's make them match, shall we?" The swift, mild strikes increased in vigor at a slightly slower pace this time.

"This is just cruel," Ashe growled.

"That's the point, princess."

A bit more escalation preceded another sharp hit.

"If you hadn't stolen from me, this wouldn't have happened." Tap tap tap… "Ready to apologize yet?"

Ashe shook her head. "I have nothing to apologize for."

SMACK.

Ashe pulled roughly against the chain.

"You're not going anywhere." Tap tap tap tap…

"You will not break me," Ashe said firmly.

"Wanna bet?"

Tap tap…tap…tap…SMACK.

Ashe let out another loud yelp as the left side of her back was brought up to the same hypersensitive state as the right. The keeper stilled again, slowly traveling south, lifting over the curve of her ass before dipping lower still. She stiffened, bracing for another impact, but it did not come. Instead, hands were suddenly wrenching her thighs apart. She tried to slam them shut again, but Katarina had moved quickly, standing in between her legs and keeping them just open enough for the crop to slip between them.

When the keeper brushed at her stolen underwear, slick with arousal, she let out a shiver.

"See?" Katarina taunted. "You can't hide the truth from me, princess."

The keeper slipped back out, moving slowly up her spine again. Katarina moved closer to press against wet fabric with her groin, grinding again.

No amount of willpower could have stifled the moan that fell from Ashe's lips then.

"You're mine," Katarina whispered, her voice dark and emphatic.

"No."

SMACK.

Katarina had struck her right side again, firmly but a bit less intensely than before. Ashe barely had time to register that before a sharper hit collided with her left a moment later.

"And now it really begins," said Katarina with a chuckle.

The strikes came quicker and harder then, no longer a need for readying the skin. Katarina had taken Ashe's instruction to heart, never hitting the same place with force before it had a chance to recover. This allowed her the illusion of unrestrained brutality, and she was able to let loose as long as she did not linger in any one spot.

The pain built, and built, then plateaued - Ashe's skin burning with a sense of almost-numbness as she took each blow. She quickly lost the ability to hurl insults and protests, her voice reduced to a series of increasingly high-pitched noises. Katarina, for her part, now remained silent. She had stopped grinding against Ashe, the swell of the barely-concealed toy in her pants now simply applying constant, unmoving pressure as she brought the crop down onto Ashe's back again and again.

Something within Ashe snapped at the final sting of the keeper, her back arching off the bed as Katarina's hand finally stilled, tossing the crop aside as she recognized the approach of another limit. Ashe fell back down, chest heaving, re-burying her face in the sheets as the room suddenly felt incredibly quiet.

The silence was broken by a rustling noise behind her, followed by the click of a camera shutter and a quick flash of white light. Katarina pulled away from her spot between Ashe's legs - which immediately snapped shut in the next moment - before she moved back up to the head of the bed. Ashe took a minute to recover before turning slowly to face her.

"Fine work," Katarina commented as she stared at the phone in her hand. Her eyes then flicked back to Ashe's, and she smiled. "Wouldn't you agree?" she turned the screen so that Ashe could see.

Ashe's eyebrows rose, her mouth falling open in surprise at the image she was faced with. She knew quite well how easily she bruised, but the dramatic pattern of purple streaks, red welts, and scattered spots of stippling spread out across the landscape of her back was certainly impressive. Pictures of her own body did not usually appeal to her very much. This one was a notable exception.

It took her a long moment to remember to pretend to be angry. "Only a beast would think so highly of the wounds that it inflicts on others."

Katarina's smile widened. She set her phone down on the bedside table. "Guilty as charged." Her hands ran along Ashe's battered back. Despite the care she took to not apply too much pressure, the light touches felt like fire against the raw skin. This once again disarmed Ashe into failing to adequately resist when the hands were quickly rolling her onto her back again. The new position caused the weight of her own body to press the new marks into the bed, pulses spreading outward from the most tender spots.

The dull pain was not unwelcome, but Ashe gave a questioning glance at Katarina as she moved back to the foot of the bed and gripped Ashe's thighs.

"All that just to turn me over?" she questioned.

"Knowing that you're feeling it works just fine for me," Katarina explained, shoving her thighs apart and stepping between them again to ensure they stayed open before Ashe could offer too much resistance. "I want to see you properly when I fuck you this time."

The words sent another bolt of heat to Ashe's core that only increased in the next moment when Katarina's fingers quickly tore off the flimsy pair of underwear with a loud noise of ripping fabric. It fell uselessly to the floor as Ashe tugged hard on the chain, pressing her thighs against either side of Katarina's hips as she struggled fruitlessly to close them.

"Savage," Ashe spat. "While I am defenseless?"

Katarina froze.

Ashe watched her face - suddenly full of worry and confusion, her brow knit together tightly. She seemed to be wrestling with something internally.

The performative vitriol was immediately replaced with concern. "Kat?"

"Yellow," Katarina said as she turned her head away, stepping out from between Ashe's thighs and fully breaking contact. "Sorry," she muttered.

Ashe's body slackened again. "Never apologize for a safe word," she said, gently but firmly. It was unusual - it had been a long since she had last heard that from Katarina when she had full control. But she certainly was not about to make her feel worse for it. "Talk to me?"

Katarina's head remained angled away as she debated, her body tense. "I know I don't usually have a problem with this. And I didn't think I would now. I really enjoyed everything, I uh…" she struggled with the words for a moment, "I don't know. Something feels different right now. I guess the ambiguity for this part is a bit…hard, as it turns out."

Understanding dawned on Ashe. "You need to know that you are wanted."

The statement, when spoken plainly, seemed to disarm Katarina further. She turned back to Ashe's gaze. There was no sign of the brutal attacker now. She looked genuinely vulnerable, and also unsure of what to do with that fact. "I…guess so, yeah," she breathed. "I can tell that you do but I can't really…hmm," she considered, "fucking you like that feels too far. I know it's what we agreed to, and you wanted to fight…I can let you out of the cuffs if you'd rather, and we can stop. I just can't seem to do that right now."

Ashe considered the words carefully. "Do you want to stop entirely, or would you rather continue without me pretending that I am not consumed with desire at the thought of you inside of me?"

Katarina visibly shuddered at the words, her eyes shutting tightly. "Either option is fine, to be clear," Ashe added.

"Continue," Katarina breathed. "But only if you wouldn't be disappointed."

"Not in the slightest," Ashe reassured. "I asked you to lower my defenses. What you just did accomplished that better than if you had not paused. I have wanted you desperately since long before you even entered the room," she admitted, feeling more heat rise to her cheeks. "The cuffs can stay on, but - ah, would you mind releasing the chains?" she was suddenly understanding Sarah's frustration from earlier, quite viscerally.

Katarina nodded, walking back to the head of the bed to release both of the binds that were actually restrictive.

Ashe reached out to her the moment she was free. "Come back," she pleaded, no longer caring that the words came out with a needy whine.

The tension visibly dropped from Katarina's shoulders. She quickly shucked off her shirt and let it fall to the floor before easing herself on top of Ashe with great care. The temptation to pull her in as close as possible was enormous, but Ashe resisted for a brief moment, taking advantage of the bit of space still between their bodies to grab onto Katarina's hand and bring it to her own abdomen, steadily pushing downwards while she stared into green eyes.

"If you still have any doubts at all about how strong my need for you is…" their hands reached the intended destination, and those same eyes widened at the first true touch of Katarina's fingers that revealed exactly how impressively soaked Ashe was.

"Oh, well then," Katarina marveled as her hand slipped experimentally through folds drenched with slick. Ashe bucked her hips ever so slightly with a low groan of longing. The adoration and hunger written plainly across Katarina's face made the next request feel as easy as breathing.

"Take me as you like, Kat. Whatever you need is yours," she murmured. "I am yours."

The only answer to that was a sudden, vigorous kiss as Katarina leaned forward to roughly claim Ashe's mouth. Her fingers kept moving, more exploratory than focused - even with the lack of purposeful friction, this was enough to have Ashe's soft noises of desire passing unrestrained against her lips.

"Mine," Katarina growled low in the instant before she captured Ashe's lower lip between her teeth and bit down on it, right in time with a rough stroke of Ashe's twitching clit.

Ashe's legs were opening further without her conscious thought, both thighs practically flat against the bed in a wordless, desperate invitation that Katarina immediately picked up on. She released the gently-bruised lip, moving to stand at the foot of the bed again, her eyes trained on Ashe as she unzipped her leather pants and quickly stepped out of them.

The sight of the toy standing at attention between the straps at her hips was, in a way, not quite what Ashe had expected. She recognized two things immediately: 1) that particular model was not meant to be worn beneath pants, which did somewhat explain the prominence of the bulge, and 2) there was a smaller, curved end to it, one that could really only be in one place at present.

"...That has been inside of you, this entire time?" Ashe asked in surprise.

Katarina rested the longer end on top of the space between Ashe's thighs. "Yup," she confirmed.

"Impressive."

"I wanted to feel you this time," came the explanation as Katarina began rubbing the full length against Ashe's slit, coating it thoroughly in her arousal in preparation.

Ashe's breath hitched at the thought. Katarina had a tendency to drop any attempts to appear indifferent when wearing a strap, often reacting as though she could feel the sensation of her partner wrapped around her - regardless of whether or not there was a second end to whatever toy she wore. This habit only increased when the pleasure was tangibly shared.

Even now, her body was tightening against Ashe, a soft grunt sounding as she slid the toy up and down in a captivating trail. When she leaned forward again to rest properly on the bed, pressing Ashe's body down against it, cuffed hands moved instinctively to wrap around her.

"So wet, so open for me already…" Katarina whispered appreciatively as the tip teased at Ashe's entrance. "Bet I'll slide right in on the first try."

Ashe's fingers dug into the muscles of her back. "Please," she begged. "Please do."

That was enough. Katarina pushed her hips forward eagerly, encountering virtually no resistance as predicted. She filled Ashe right to the base of the toy in a single movement. Her low, rolling noise of approval resounded alongside Ashe's moan.

She did not even have to give Ashe a moment to adjust to the girth - that much was obvious. The first thrusts were immediate, though gentle, as Katarina seemed to want to take a moment to savor the feeling. Her lips found the curve of Ashe's collarbone, peppering reverent kisses across it as her pace slowly increased. Each pass was deep and deliberate, pressing against some of the deepest parts of Ashe, sending her head rolling backwards in complete surrender.

"You feel incredible," Katarina purred as her hips moved rhythmically.

"So do you," Ashe had to agree, leaning in with sudden yearning for another passionate kiss - a silent prayer that was immediately answered. This time, when another rumble sounded from deep in Katarina's chest, Ashe felt it more than she heard it - especially when she found herself enveloped even more closely in the next moment as Katarina clutched her protectively.

The angle of her hips changed just slightly, aiming the toy upwards as her pace kept up its gradual increase. Ashe let out a rough gasp against Katarina's lips as she quite clearly targeted an area that she knew would be intensely welcome.

"You like that?" came the knowing whisper.

"Yes…yes," Ashe gasped, her own hips beginning to move in a helpful counter-rhythm to further the effect.

"Good girl."

Katarina had used that particular phrase on only a small handful of occasions - praise was not something that Ashe typically required. In this moment, however, it struck her while unguarded. On a whim, she buried her face into Katarina's crimson hair as she felt her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

"Hold on tight," Katarina said in warning, her face coming to rest against Ashe's shoulder while her hands gripped Ashe's hips for better purchase.

Ashe nodded in understanding, words momentarily failing her as the pace accelerated faster. Deep thrusting became quick and controlled, the muscles of Katarina's back flexing subtly underneath Ashe's fingers from the effort.

The pleasure mounted as Ashe let out another cry - softer this time, at least at first. It shot up in volume as she felt Katarina's mouth open against her skin before she sank her teeth into flesh, right where Ashe's neck met her shoulder. Her jaw clamped down, the swift motions of her hips jerking her body in a way that tightened the bite.

Ashe was close to the edge - close enough to let out a strangled whimper as the momentum slowed back down. Katarina let go of her neck, chuckling softly at the sound as she took a few seconds to catch her breath.

"You know I've got you," she promised then, one of the hands moving from her hip, wedging itself between their bodies to stroke Ashe's clit.

"You too," Ashe insisted, shifting just slightly beneath Katarina, consciously tightening around the toy lodged deep inside of her as her movements changed angle as well. She knew she had hit her mark when Katarina's mouth fell open, her eyes screwed shut as Ashe drove the other end of the toy further against her.

"Not fair," Katarina protested, her fingers quickening.

Ashe moaned again, keeping a tight grip on the toy that was still filling her so completely. "Sorry, should I stop?" she asked, doing no such thing.

"Absolutely not," Katarina asserted.

They settled into another rhythm together - one of hips, fingers, breaths, cries, broken syllables, and intoxicating friction.

Katarina broke first, suddenly going rigid right at the apex of a particularly pointed roll of her hips, trembling under the weight of her own bliss as it spilled over. She grit her teeth right at the height, straining to keep her fingers moving even as her orgasm overtook her, as if singularly determined to bring Ashe with her.

The focus that she managed to hold on to even while her face contorted into an expression of euphoria broke the tension inside of Ashe. Her own tremors hit only seconds later, back arching one final time at the climax, clinging to Katarina as both of them rode the wave together.

Hips and fingers both stilled as each went limp in the next moment, chests heaving against one another. Ashe did not release her grip on Katarina's back - as soon as she could, she moved her lightly shaking legs to encircle the waist of the woman on top of her.

Katarina raised a brow in silent question as she caught her breath.

"Stay."

The word was not a request, and Katarina did not take it as such, lowering her head back down to Ashe's shoulder and adjusting only minutely for comfort. Even the slight movement this caused sent pleasant tingles through Ashe's core thanks to the toy still buried fully inside of her.

Lips lovingly kissed up Ashe's neck. She shivered when they passed briefly over the tender skin of the bite Katarina had left. They crossed the border of her jaw before reaching her own lips and seeking warm affection that Ashe was all too happy to provide.

"You did so well," Katarina praised when the kiss finally broke, her face remaining inches from Ashe, looking into her eyes as though searching for something.

"That was incredible," Ashe breathed, closing the distance again briefly to brush her cheek against Katarina's in fondness.

There was a look to Katarina that seemed surprisingly exposed. She hesitated for a brief moment before speaking again in a quiet murmur. "You have this sort of…glaze in your eyes right now. It's really lovely. You look so…soft."

The comment, sounding deeply genuine and almost worshipful, only heightened the sensation of a pleasant haze settling over Ashe's mind. "You are the same," she pointed out. "I will never tire of seeing you like this. Brutality is fun, but...romance is a good look on you, you know."

She could tell just how disarmed that Katarina was in that moment, because she did not try to lessen the statement at all - leaning into it instead. "That's what you do to me," she said earnestly, and Ashe's heart ached for a moment. "You're alright?" she added a moment later. "Seems like it but you know I gotta check."

Ashe nodded slowly. "Very much so."

"Nothing went too far?"

Ashe knew why she was asking with such specificity. She had managed to elicit enough information about Riven, in particular, to understand that boundaries had been crossed before Katarina had met Ashe. Despite all of the time that had passed since, the comfort they had built with one another, the sometimes hard-won sense of naked honesty between them…some hesitant part of Katarina, she knew, could not help but wonder if she was simply too much.

"No. You did everything right," she reassured. "Thank you."

She felt Katarina relax on top of her. "No, thank you."

Ashe smiled. "You are alright, too?"

"So much more than just 'alright,' my love," Katarina said with a contented sigh. It was wonderful, and unusual, to see her without a hint of stress. "I'm gonna need you to release my nethers in a minute."

"Hmm," Ashe pretended to consider that for a moment before clenching further around her. "Let me think about that."

Katarina shook with gentle laughter, sending more pleasant tingles of warmth through Ashe's body. "You're cute," she said sincerely. "I really should check your back though. Does it still hurt?"

"I have hardly felt it since you entered me," Ashe answered honestly.

A low whistle sounded from Katarina's lips. "Endorphins are a helluva drug. Those marks weren't kidding around." She started to pull her hips backwards, but made virtually no progress against the tight cage of Ashe's legs, still locked around her.

"Don't make me order you."

"Say please," Ashe responded.

"I'm sorry, who's in charge tonight?" Katarina did a good job of pretending to look unamused, but Ashe was not fooled.

"That does not mean that you are exempt from using your manners."

She smiled under Katarina's answering glare. The standoff lasted all of three seconds before Katarina let out a sigh. "Alright, please may I have my genitals back so I can make sure I didn't actually injure you?"

"I suppose," Ashe said with exaggerated disappointment as she disentangled her legs.

Katarina pulled out slowly and carefully, both of them shivering just a bit at the moment of disconnection. The straps were quickly undone from Katarina's hips, harness and toy both tossed into an empty bin beside Ashe's dresser where it could await a proper cleaning.

"Wrists," Katarina instructed, holding out her hands expectantly. Ashe sat up on the bed and placed her arms in the waiting grip, watching as the leather cuffs were carefully removed and set aside.

"Turn around."

She obeyed, ducking her head low as she turned her back to Katarina.

"Fading a bit, but still quite impressive," came the report. The hands that followed with a gentle tracing pattern confirmed that the skin was still quite sensitive. "Do you want to see again?"

Ashe nodded. "Please."

Katarina retrieved her phone and snapped another picture. She showed it to Ashe, who observed it with an eye that was a bit more clinical than before - though the appreciation for the work was still very much present. The lighter marks were indeed beginning to fade, but the red welts and streaks of purple would likely remain for a little while. She nodded, satisfied. "Thank you."

"The skin's still hot - would you like ice?"

"Ooh," Ashe nodded again, more eagerly. "That sounds lovely."

"Give me just a sec," Katarina said as she casually threw on the white silk robe that hung on the back of Ashe's bedroom door before stepping out of the room.

She left the door cracked a bit, which allowed Ashe to hear the brief exchange that followed.

"Someone's having fun," Sarah commented.

"Can't deny that." Katarina's footsteps drew further away, then- "Oh, wow, you really did jerk it, huh?" she remarked with sudden laughter.

"I could hardly fucking help it, alright?" Sarah said in mock defense. "Those were some fun new sounds, someone had to appreciate them."

Ashe felt a sudden rush of embarrassment. No boundaries were crossed, here - the nature of the house walls not being fully soundproof had led to explicit conversations about noise etiquette eventually becoming a necessity. Both Ashe and Sarah had expressed that nothing they could potentially overhear would be an issue on their end. Sarah had further expressed that she actually enjoyed listening quite a bit. The tentative request to be permitted to pleasure herself to such noises had been granted by both of them - Ashe without hesitation, Katarina with some good-natured teasing about it. Both of them had also expressed interest in hearing about it when she did, unless otherwise stated.

So, really, everything was fine. This was what Ashe told herself as she thought about what Sarah had likely overheard…some of the impacts had certainly been quite loud, and had preceded some of Ashe's vocalizations in a way that would make it difficult to pretend that they had been anything else.

Sarah speaking again pulled Ashe from her vague concern.

"You guys gonna have some chili yet?"

"In just a bit," Katarina promised. "I worked up an appetite. We might eat in the living room - dunno, I'll have to see where Ashe is on that one."

"Whatever you wanna do is fine, I'm good as long as I still get a goodnight kiss from both of you later."

"Gay."

"Very," Sarah agreed.

"We'll make sure to say goodnight, if nothing else" came the more serious answer a moment later, right before Katarina stepped back into the room and closed the door behind her. Two ice cubes sat in one of her hands.

Ashe lay back on her stomach and felt more of the tension release from her muscles as soon as the chill ran gently along her overheated skin.

"Might get your sheets a little wet," Katarina commented.

"They need to be washed after that, anyway. And I am not doing that tonight…is it alright if I sleep in your bed?"

"Fair enough. And yeah, of course, I already figured you'd want to be in my room tonight."

Ashe smiled into the sheets. She knew that both of them usually needed the benefit of co-sleeping after a night like tonight, but the confirmation still made her feel a bit sentimental. "Thank you," she said as Katarina continued to trace along heated marks, cooling everything in her wake. "I will need a third shower today," she lamented after a moment.

"The curse of an extremely active sex life," Katarina quipped. "I have the same problem. I can hose down quickly and have a bowl of chili ready for you when you get out, if you want."

"I would appreciate that."

"You cool if we eat with Sarah, or do you wanna keep it just us?"

Ashe stiffened under Katarina's touch at the question. "I am not certain that I can look Sarah in the eye right now."

"Really?" Katarina sounded surprised. "You know she's a switch too, right?"

"That is not where the hesitation comes from." Ashe took a moment to figure out how to phrase the issue. "I do not wish to be teased about this particular…situation."

"Ah," said Katarina in understanding. "Don't tell her I said this, but she's not actually a bitch. And she picks up on shit about as well as you do. If you don't want her to clown you, she won't."

"I know she is understanding…It is hard to know how she would react, I suppose. She teases you," Ashe pointed out.

"That's 'cause I fucking love it," Katarina countered. "Don't tell her I said that, either, I'd rather not have to call you a liar. But she's crazy about you, my love. Knowing you sub for me every now and then won't change that."

"This is fair," Ashe conceded with a soft sigh. "I do suppose I knew this. The anxiety is…perhaps not logical."

"Anxiety never is," Katarina said with a chuckle. "We can keep to ourselves if you want, no problem. But if we're all living together, she's going to find out eventually, really. She knows something's up, anyway. We weren't very quiet," Ashe could hear the smirk in her voice.

"I heard her say that, yes," Ashe winced a bit, despite herself. "It is not a secret, really. Treating it as one does not make sense," she reasoned. "We can eat with her, assuming she is not too engrossed in murder."

"She was pulling up to an outpost when I was out there, with what looked like half a server's worth of loot," Katarina confirmed as she rubbed the last of the melting ice against Ashe's back before pressing another kiss to it. "I can probably tempt her off the TV with a movie if I'm quick."

"If she is willing, that does sound nice."

"I'm on it." Katarina stood up, taking a moment to retrieve the crop and the restraints and slip them back into Ashe's closet. "See you in a few. I love you."

"I love you, too. Very much," she responded as Katarina left the room.

A quick stretch caused a few of Ashe's joints to pop loudly. She carefully stood up and made her way back to the attached bathroom. Before sentencing herself to the third shower of the day, she took a moment to glance over her shoulder and appreciate the fading marks across her back in the mirror, a gentle smile on her face.

Chapter Text

When Ashe stepped out into the living room, the first thing that she saw was Katarina, sitting on the couch, shoveling the last few spoonfuls of her chili into her mouth with a ravenous gusto that was truly formidable. She had changed into boxers, as well as a worn t-shirt emblazoned with a picture of a small cartoon kitten clutching a large knife in its paw, encircled by the words "I CHOOSE VIOLENCE."

"You really did build up an appetite," Ashe commented.

Sarah looked up at the sound of her voice, flashing one of her winning smiles from her spot in the nearby armchair. She had set the controller down on the table, and was now wearing a red, fuzzy bathrobe - probably not having bothered to change into real clothing after her shower earlier. "Hey, babe," she greeted. "I'd say that she needed a refueling after you got to her, but also, it's damn good chili."

"She's right," Katarina interjected between mouthfuls. "On both counts."

Ashe's eyes fell to the bowl on the coffee table, which had been set directly in front of the seat beside Katarina. "Might be too hot for you still," Sarah warned.

"My bad," Katarina explained. "Nuked it a bit too hard."

Ashe sat down on the couch and took a small, hesitant bite that nearly burned her tongue before gingerly setting the bowl back down. "I will give it a few minutes."

Katarina put her own bowl down beside it, now completely empty, before settling properly into the couch. She looked at Ashe curiously, then glanced down at her own lap. Ashe took the wordless invitation, moving to lie down, resting her head on Katarina's thigh. A hand was soon running through her hair very carefully. The motion was soothing, and Ashe hummed in appreciation.

Sarah was watching with barely-concealed fascination, comically tilting her head to the side to meet Ashe with a level gaze. "Did you have fun?"

Ashe nodded against Katarina's lap. "Very much so." She hesitated, then added: "Kat took good care of me."

"It sure looks like it," Sarah said lovingly. She seemed to consider something for a moment. "...Alright, I gotta admit, I have questions, but I can keep them to myself if I must."

Ashe smiled at her. "You may ask them."

"Right, cool. Pardon the shameless nosiness but, like…Girl, how fucking hard did she hit you?"

Katarina smirked. Ashe covered her face, partly to disguise her laughter, partly to disguise the flush that had crept back onto her cheeks. "Hard enough to leave some very distinctive marks," came the reply after she had recovered enough to speak.

"Ooooh!" Sarah's eyes lit up at that. She directed her next question to Katarina after another moment of internal debate. "Can I see?"

Katarina glanced down at Ashe, who nodded up at her. The hands moved from her hair to gently push her back up, then fell to the straps of the nightgown that she had thrown on, pushing them down with far more care than she had displayed earlier when removing Ashe's sundress.

As the fabric slid down Ashe's skin to reveal her back, her head instinctively fell forward.

Sarah let out an appreciative whistle. "Damn," she breathed. "Mind if I touch? Totally cool if not."

Ashe felt Katarina nod beside her. "Ashe?" she asked.

"Yes."

She heard Sarah stand up and approach before her hands were tracing the impact marks with quiet awe. "That's gorgeous," she whispered after a moment. Ashe relaxed under her touch.

She moved back to her chair as Katarina pulled the fabric back up and replaced the straps at Ashe's shoulders before gingerly guiding her head back down to her lap.

"Thanks for letting me admire you, babe," Sarah said with a wink, deepening Ashe's blush as she concealed her face against Katarina's thigh. "How often do you two switch?"

"It's rare," Katarina confirmed, "but always appreciated, personally."

"Likewise," Ashe agreed.

Sarah seemed to muse on that for a moment. "I did wonder a bit. You run a whole company - I'd probably go insane if I had to make decisions about absolutely everything, all the time," she admitted. "I guess when ya need it, ya need it, huh?"

Ashe laughed gently. "I suppose so."

"This some sorta long-term shift, or more of a one-night kinda deal?"

"Kat will be on her knees for me again by Sunday at the latest," said Ashe confidently before Katarina had a chance to respond.

Sarah giggled at that.

"Yeah, not gonna bother denying that," Katarina shrugged, her fingers still combing through Ashe's hair.

"Love that," Sarah said wistfully, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair and watching the two of them affectionately.

"Do you?" Ashe had to ask. "I had worried that it might be…off-putting," she confessed.

"Ohmigod, nah," Sarah flicked her free hand as if dismissing the thought. "Not even a little bit. I mean, sure, I couldn't beat the crap out of you like that, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate it when Kat does, apparently. Subby Ashe is a wonder to behold. You're adorable right now, if I may say so."

Ashe hid her face again, earning another giggle from Sarah.

"There's room on the couch, you know, if you want," Katarina offered.

"I'm good, but thanks. I'm compersion-ing like crazy over here, just let me vibe, girl."

Before anyone could respond to that, a loud yowl sounded from down the hall. Everyone froze as Daggerheart came trotting out, tail flicking back and forth as he eyed the trio suspiciously.

"Hey, Dag," Katarina greeted. "You can come on the couch, if you want."

The cat seemed to consider for a moment before taking the long route around - the most direct route to Katarina that did not involve getting too close to anyone else. He jumped up onto the back of the couch, rubbing his face against Katarina's hair and purring loudly. She moved her free hand to scratch at his back.

Sarah watched in silence while clearly trying to contain herself.

After a moment, his whiskers twitched as he stuck his nose into the air curiously. His gaze fell down to Ashe. He jumped down to Katarina's opposite side, leaning across her lap to sniff at white hair. Ashe held herself very still as he slowly crawled forward, examining her face thoroughly and carefully. She had to resist the urge to twitch as his whiskers brushed against her cheeks. Satisfied, he passed directly in front of Ashe and settled firmly on the bit of couch cushion that lay right in front of her stomach, rubbing himself against her and yowling for pets - a request that Ashe was happy to indulge.

"Seriously?" Sarah kept her voice restricted to a loud whisper.

Katarina stifled her laughter.

"Don't fucking tell me it's because Ashe smells like you right now," Sarah grumbled.

"Probably," said Ashe as she stroked the loudly purring creature while he nuzzled into her insistently.

"Kat. Sunday. Please rub yourself all over me," Sarah demanded. "We don't even have to fuck, I just need him to love me."

"Desperate, much?" Katarina teased.

"Incredibly."

"I'll think about it. You gonna put on the movie, or are we just resigned to staring at the Sea of Thieves menu for the rest of the night?"

"Oh, how was your killing spree?" Ashe asked as Sarah picked up the controller and closed the game.

"Fruitful. One of the full galleons I took out actually recognized me. Think I got 'em a few weeks ago, maybe. I don't remember, but I heard them on mic screaming 'not this bitch again!' when I started firing," she snorted in amusement. "They tried to run and I was like…my dudes. I'm faster than you. You got a Reaper's Chest. I can see you on my damn map. What do you think is gonna happen here?"

"And then they died?" asked Katarina.

"And then they died," Sarah echoed proudly.

"Good work," Ashe affirmed as she scratched Daggerheart's neck. "What are we watching?"

"New Underworld just hit streaming," Sarah said as she flipped through apps.

The name did not immediately ring a bell. "Remind me which one that is."

"Action horror, big war between vampires and lycans," said Sarah.

Ashe tried to think through the various action series that she had been introduced to by them both. "Hmm."

"Hot vampire lady in black leather with a gun," Katarina added, a bit more helpfully.

"Oh, right, I remember."

Sarah looked amused. "Okay, I guess I should've led with that. You cool with that, or should we find something else?"

Ashe considered. "How much do I need to remember about the plot of the previous films?"

"Literally nothing, just stare at Kate Beckinsale," said Katarina.

"I think I can manage that," Ashe agreed as she slowly sat up on the couch. Daggerheart grumbled in protest as she did so. "Sorry," she said to the cat as he shifted and plastered himself against her thigh, "I need to eat."

Ashe managed to absorb bits and pieces of the story while she ate her chili - it really did taste as good as it smelled - though she mostly followed Katarina's advice regarding how to enjoy the film. She had to admit that it felt oddly relaxing to watch something with entertaining visuals that she felt exactly zero pressure to pay close attention to, for once. Her head found Katarina's lap again the moment that she had finished eating. She lay in a quiet haze, listening to the sounds of mindless supernatural violence and her girlfriends occasionally commenting on it.

Eventually, loving hands began caressing Ashe's body - two at first, then a few more, until she felt fully enveloped in dozens of gentle touches that all moved against her skin with great care. They slowly pulled her down, down, down onto the most impossibly soft blanket she had ever felt in her life, every inch of her skin tingling at the contact, until-

"Hey," Katarina's voice reached her ear.

Ashe's eyes fluttered open. "Hmm?"

"You fell asleep, my love."

"Mmm," Ashe grunted, head burrowing further into Katarina's lap.

"Let me take you to bed," came the gentle whisper, and all she could do was nod in response.

She heard movement, then felt Katarina shift a bit as she leaned up to kiss Sarah goodnight. This roused her just enough to turn her face upwards and receive Sarah's lips when they lowered further to her own.

"Love you, babe," Sarah whispered with a tender stroke of her cheek that had Ashe smiling sleepily.

"Love you too, beautiful," she murmured.

"Let's do brunch tomorrow," Sarah proposed. "My treat."

Ashe was just awake enough to register that as a lovely idea. "Mmhmm."

Katarina was gently easing her up then, steadying her on the slow walk down the hall to her bedroom. Ashe collapsed onto the bed within seconds of entering, burrowing under the covers as Katarina moved to crack open a window before joining her. Cold winter air lowered the temperature quickly and had Ashe reaching out for her in the darkness, pulling her in close.

"Goodnight, elskan mín," she breathed.

Katarina's lips pressed to her cheek. "Goodnight, my love."

The pleasant haze took Ashe again, and the world went quiet.