Archive of Our Own

“It was a dark and stormy night,” Vyn whispered into the gloom. 

A peal of thunder immediately struck the heavens.

Candlelight flickered on Rosa’s dining table. Both professor and teaching assistant sat across each other, sharing the scant sliver of light that stood proudly between them, atop its molten throne of scented wax. The little flame did its utmost best to fill the darkness of the teaching assistant’s kitchen, only to cast strange, eerie shadows into the nooks and crannies that the lady of the small loft unit didn’t even know existed, until the untimely blackout.

Shadows crept and shifted over their faces, obscuring their thoughts, emotions and—for Vyn’s part, irrepressible yearning— from each other.

“Dr. Richter, try saying that again?” Rosa grinned, appearing a little more brazen than usual. But it may have been a trick of the light, or so Vyn thought. “You make it sound…I don’t know. Menacing, but not really?”

He let out a small, yet bright laugh. “Do I, now?” He wiped off the rainwater that had drenched him from head to toe with the soft towel Rosa lent him. “Oh dear. When you told me I had the most captivating voice for storytelling, it did not occur to me that you meant I sounded threatening .”

“Those poor, scared kids!” Rosa giggled behind her hand, until her voice petered out into awkward silence. “But Dr. Richter, aren’t you a bit cold? Your clothes are soaked…” 

“Ah, well.” Vyn slipped the towel around his shoulders for warmth. Underneath it was his white button down shirt, soaked through and almost transparent with rainwater. “It cannot be helped.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “I will soon dry off. Do not worry.”

He pretended not to notice Rosa’s overtly hungry gaze directed at his body. Yet his heart sang in delight upon knowing she looked at him that way. She would never dare speak of her desire upfront, of course. But there were ways to tease it out of her…

However, there was an immediate matter that needed taking care of: something to eat. There was none. Rosa, as busy as she was, didn’t have a lot of things stocked in her pantry. He was there for a friendly chat and dinner, and he offered to cook for both of them, but a sudden downpour had put a stop to his short trip to the farmer’s market before he could even start buying ingredients. 

The pantry was going to remain empty for the foreseeable future.

All things considered, tonight had devolved into a disaster even before the evening had started. His well-prepared plans were foiled yet again ; what was supposed to be a casual, relaxed dinner in Rosa’s home—prepared by his own hands—was severely disrupted by torrential rains that caused severe flooding in the city streets. His car was stranded somewhere along the central business district, thankfully still within walking distance to the high-rise building where Rosa lived; he had to wade through rain and floodwater just so he could get himself to dry land…and his beloved’s presence. 

Instead of arriving at her doorstep bearing gifts in the form of bags of ingredients for tea and dinner, Vyn had nothing on his person but rain soaking his clothes and a slightly bruised ego.

Then the blackout happened. 

Capping off the perfect storm of plans going awry was the blackout caused by a lightning strike; it hit a nearby power station, and buildings in the vicinity with no working backup electrical source would be left in the dark, until the power grid came back online.

He sighed inwardly. It took two weeks’ worth of work for him to plant the suggestion that it would be a very good idea for him to drop by and prepare dinner. He had been sending her links to simple yet delectable recipes carefully picked out according to her preferences, even taking into account the kitchen tools and appliances she had at her disposal. Eventually she caved and asked him if he wanted to make salmon tartare and lemon risotto with her—without his own explicit suggestion.

…But the world, of course, had other ideas. All his hard work was rendered useless. Tonight, there was nothing to cook for dinner; Vyn was squarely denied his tools to modify and control all factors to cultivate something precious and wonderful within her.

Not to mention Vyn was feeling peckish, himself…

“Anyway…say it again , Dr. Richter,” Rosa repeated, breaking him off from his musing. “You sounded totally different, unlike those times when you were reading stories to your patients.”

That is because I am with you, Rosa of my heart , Vyn wanted to say, but reined himself in. It wasn’t a good idea to scare her off with the cards he held close to his chest, hidden in the shadows of his own making. “Very well, then…” 

He cleared his throat. “It was a dark…and stormy night.” His voice registered lower, the words languidly rolling off the tip of his tongue. He knew what Rosa exactly meant when she asked him to repeat his words, and the vivid blush that showed even in the darkness confirmed that he hit the jackpot. It was all too easy to play along, to maybe give her what she wanted…but did not have the courage to ask for. 

He flashed her another grin, this time with teeth—as if showing her his fangs. “A girl named Little Red Riding Rosa asked her doctor if he could visit and fix her a dinner of salmon and rice,” he continued. He leaned closer to the table, the towel sliding off his shoulders and onto the floor. The candlelight shone on his still rain-drenched shirt, the glistening dampness catching the light as the wet fabric clung onto his body like second skin. 

Vyn knew that from his teaching assistant’s vantage point he looked almost half-naked. Vyn also knew that Rosa had been sneaking glances at him whenever he showed a little bit of skin. 

There was no harm in indulging her senses with his own body. 

And it was all too apparent that his voice also aroused something in her, as well. 

He whispered, words spoken low and elegant, as he went on with his little tale. “The doctor agreed, and he told Little Red Riding Rosa, ‘That is a good idea.’ So off he went to the market, when a flash flood ravaged the city streets, leaving the doctor with nothing to take to Little Red Riding Rosa’s home but the wet clothes on his back.”

“Ooh, I’m liking this story,” Rosa said, propping her chin on her palm. Her eyes shone in delight; Vyn’s heart swelled upon seeing her so enraptured by him. Maybe the night was still salvageable, after all. “What happens next?”

“Lightning struck, plunged the entire city into darkness…and rendered the kitchen appliances useless, leaving the doctor and Little Red Riding Rosa with nothing and no way to cook dinner.” Then Vyn suddenly came upon an interesting idea. “Hmm. You are part of the story, my dearest rose. Would you like to continue the story, explore how it goes, just the way you want it to ?”

It was similar to an activity he did for patients during their first visit. Letting them relate stories was a good way to suss out whatever was in their mind; in this case with Rosa, it was to let him feel out what boundaries he could push tonight. 

All in the guise of good, harmless fun. 

He smiled at her warmly.

“Well…” Rosa made a show of thinking about the next part of their impromptu storytelling, finger on chin, then her face brightened, as if remembering something. “Oh! Oh—ahem.” She cleared her throat, then with much enthusiasm she said, “Little Red Riding Rosa suddenly went into the kitchen, and pulled out a mysterious box from the magical cupboard. ‘Ta-da!’ she cried out. ‘I have this box of mac and cheese, we can have this instead!’ and…the doctor and Little Red Riding Rosa split some mac and cheese for dinner, happily ever after!”

Rosa grinned widely, understandably proud of herself. 

That did not quite go as expected. Vyn shook his head, laughing resignedly at his folly. This was Rosa after all, one who always went against and exceeded expectations. “Impressive!” He clapped his hands as she did a mock half-bow in her seat. “A swift resolution to a dire situation.”

“Just to let you know, I really do have a box of mac and cheese.” She sounded a little smug. “I keep it for emergencies.” 

He had to raise an eyebrow. “But there is no electricity, how are we going to…?”

Rosa left her chair before he could even finish his question, and padded towards the cupboards. “When you live alone for so long, you learn a few things if you want to… oof— ” she muttered, throwing open the doors of the overhead pantry. 

She stood on tiptoe, and was about to reach for something in the upper shelf when Vyn, having closely trailed her, gently put his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her. 

“Let me get it for you,” he whispered, and almost instantaneously felt Rosa’s body freeze in his hold. “Rosa?” Just the merest brush of their bodies already had an amplified effect on her. So much that he felt her go rigid against him. It amused Vyn, but not as much as how it made him yearn for her even more. 

Oh, the things he would do to her if only she was honest with herself.

“...Oh—um, the…” Rosa suddenly lost her usual exuberant eloquence. “The matches! The box of matches,” she stuttered and tripped over her words. “I-it’s on the top shelf, behind the bottle of detergent…”

“All right, the box of matches for the lady,” Vyn murmured, allowing himself a small triumphant smile, knowing that Rosa could not see his face. He reached up and felt around for the item in question, until his fingertips touched the tell-tale rough surface of an igniter strip along the side of a tiny square object. He held it, but did not take his hand out of the cabinet shelf yet.

He knew very well what was happening to her, and couldn’t help but milk that one fleeting moment for what it was worth. “Ah, I cannot seem to find it,” he murmured, making sure to lower his voice to a bedroom whisper, and surreptitiously pressed his body against her back. “Are you sure the box of matches is here, pet ?”

The warmth radiating from her body was very much palpable now. “Yes, um. It…it should…” Rosa sounded as if she was on the verge of falling apart, so much that it almost made him consider quitting his little game . “Um, your clothes…”

“Ah. I am sorry,” he said, and meant it this time. 

He did not forget that he was still drenched, but had underestimated just how wet his clothes were. Rosa’s blouse was now damp where he pressed himself against her back. “Let me get the towel—”

“N-no! It’s fine. Um…” She sounded uncertain . “Please keep looking for the matches? We…we need that to fire up my stove…” 

Yet she did not move away, when she had every reason to. Vyn also did not keep her from escaping his orbit if she wanted to; all she needed was to shuffle along sideways so he could be given better access to the overhead cupboard. But she stayed there, in dangerous proximity to him, even as she had to endure the minor discomfort of getting her clothes damp.

Does she, perhaps, prefer to stay like this? “Very well. If you would excuse me…” He pretended to rummage through the shelf once more, but this time decided to cut the charade short. The box of matches was soon retrieved, but Rosa, Vyn noted, was still not quick to move away, her back still nestled against his damp body.

“Rosa,” he murmured quietly. “I have the matches right here.”

“Oh—oh!” Rosa exclaimed, and quickly took a few steps away from him. She seemed to have realized what she had been doing. “Thanks.” She took the box of matches from him then fell silent, as if deep in thought.

It was apparent to him that she was clearly torn about something, that she was struggling to make a certain decision on the spot. But what about ? He was about to ask her, when Rosa finally blurted out, “Why don’t you take your shirt off? I mean,” she gulped. “Let it air out and dry? And if it dries while you’re wearing it, you would probably catch a cold. You know that.”

Ah.

He could barely stop himself from gloating in front of her. She wanted to see him half-naked, but even with the most convenient excuse—her concern over him catching a cold—his little Rosa was still fraught with guilt over desiring such a small sliver of pleasure. 

He had to do something about it, but that was for later.

“I do know that. But I do not have a change of clothes, and it is unbecoming to walk around…half-naked in the presence of a lady,” Vyn said, tone perfectly neutral, giving nothing away of what lurked in his shadows. “The towel would be—” 

“That’s not good enough,” she shook her head. “What if you get sick? Your patients need you…”

“Rescheduling can always be arranged,” Vyn smoothly replied. “A flash flood qualifies for a force majeure event. Not even my diligence could make me work during natural disasters, my dearest rose.” 

Just a little more. He knew that if he did as she suggested, things would go past a certain point of no return. It was just a simple, justified act of taking off his shirt to avoid getting sick. Yet it was also as simple as throwing a lit match in a silo full of powder kegs. Convince me to do it, Rosa.

He wanted to make sure that Rosa would be all in if—when—they do get past that point.

“B-besides, it’s not as if seeing Dr. Richter topless …” Rosa had to pause for a bit. She looked a little bit shocked at what she just said. “...is that big of a deal,” she continued as soon as she recovered. “Or are you saying the NXX Investigation Team won’t have a team building beach trip ever ?”

Oh, Rosa. 

We are also by ourselves, in the privacy of your home…

“ Snnrk . Haha!” He threw his head back and gave in to a belly-deep laughter, a far departure from his usual impeccable mannerisms. “ Ehem . Alright, alright, you made your case, Miss Attorney.” Grinning, he threw his hands up, and slowly made his way towards the living room, careful not to trip on anything in the looming darkness that only grew the farther he was from the kitchen, where the single source of light was kept. “I will go and take my shirt off, then.”

Vyn went as far as the sofa, a few paces away from the kitchen. Much of the living space was cast in shadow, but he knew that Rosa still had a good view of him from where she stood.

He could see her standing over her stove, striking the match against the igniter side of the box. The burst of flame briefly filled the kitchen with bright light for a couple of seconds, before it receded to a tamer lick of light at the end of the match stick. Rosa fiddled with the stove knob as she carefully brought the flame to the stove burner.

Ah, so that is how she does it , Vyn noted as he watched the burner catch the flame for cooking. I must ask her more about that method, particularly the safety aspect of it, later …

He pretended not to see her try to sneak a glance his way. 

The little kitten wants her show.  

Well then…

Vyn positioned himself so his side profile faced her, and his fingers slid to the topmost button. He carefully watched her from his peripheral vision, and only started to—slowly, excruciatingly—undo the buttons when he caught her trying to sneak another glance. 

She was in the process of boiling what he assumed were the macaroni shells she poured out of their box. Vyn hoped he didn’t distract her enough to make her burn water. Or, at the very least, overboil the pasta. Chuckling to himself, he made quick work of the rest of the buttons, and draped his shirt over the backrest of the chair nearest him.

Finally getting rid of the wet shirt was, for want of better word, quite a relief for him. It was only when he took it off that he realized he felt sticky and uncomfortable all this time. 

If only he could take off his sodden trousers as well—but that was asking for too much already.

Now, to get to work . Vyn chuckled derisively at himself, fully aware of the words’ double entendre. “Let me help you,” he said as he returned to the kitchen. 

Rosa had been shuttling between the sink and the stove, having just strained the pasta water out of the saucepan. It was painfully obvious, the way she was quick to avoid looking at him the moment he entered the kitchen. Vyn couldn’t help but feel bad for her. 

Just a little bit.

The flame was already turned off, but she was still stirring the pasta in the saucepan. Vyn noted the tub of butter and carton of milk placed near the stove. “Are you making the cheese sauce?” He slid towards her, and—like she did the last time—felt her freeze the moment she felt him sidle against her back.

“Y-yeah…” Even in the dim lighting Vyn could see how the spoon trembled in Rosa’s hand. “It’s simple really, you don’t have to help. Um.”

“I know a very easy trick you can use to make the sauce creamier,” Vyn said, his voice  once again an alluring whisper. “Would you like me to show you?”

Rosa’s breath hitched. “O-oh?” She squared her shoulders, having gathered most of her wits about her. “Sure! I…I’d like you to.” Rosa’s body felt almost painfully tense.

Vyn smiled resignedly. He didn’t mean to make the conquest of his rose this much of a struggle for her. He only wanted her to become fully conscious of her desires, to realize them, and maybe allow themselves a taste of what was to come, if only she would be a little more honest with herself.

He set out to work.

“Could you turn on the flame for me, pet? ” 

“S-sure.” Rosa, her movement almost robotic, reached for the box of matches placed on top of the nearby oven, well away from the burners. She moved the still-hot saucepan to the other burner as she started to kindle the flame again.

“Can you teach me how you lit up the stove earlier? It might prove useful should there be a blackout in my home.” 

“It’s easy.” Thankfully Rosa was more in control of herself when put to task. She struck a matchstick to life, letting the flame bloom and fill the kitchen with light once more. “Once this is lit, just turn the stove knob a little to let a bit of the gas out, and…” Carefully, she brought the lit match towards the burner, which soon converted the small lick of light into a ring of blue controlled flame. “...there.”

“So that is how it is done…” Vyn resisted the urge to plant a kiss on the top of her head to show his sincere appreciation. “As they say, it is never too late to learn things.”

“...Indeed.”

“My turn, pet.” With Rosa still sandwiched between him and the stove, he placed the saucepan back onto the flame, and took Rosa’s hand holding the spoon in his. “You were probably using residual heat to melt the butter and mix in the sauce into the pasta.” He fiddled with the knob to set the flame to very low heat. “Did I guess correctly?”

She nodded weakly. “Yeah.” 

Her hand was indeed trembling in his gentle hold. Vyn wanted so much to just gather his beloved into his arms, kiss her over and over until she would calm down. But he knew it was the wrong way to go about things. “Ah, did you already put in the cheese?”

“Uhuh. Um. The instructions on the box said so.” Rosa sucked in a deep breath. “It’s actually just cheese powder, by the way. Nothing fancy. Were the instructions wrong, then?”

Soft laughter rumbled in his chest. “No, no, of course not. I would not dare say that I am right and that the instructions printed on the box is not. That would be the height of pointless arrogance. Heh .” Holding the spoon with Rosa’s hand in his, he started stirring the pasta in the gradually melting mixture of butter, milk and powdered cheese. “What I am about to show you, Rosa dearest, is that doing your usual over low flame would make the sauce creamier. That is all .”

He felt Rosa exhale and deflate against him. “Oh. Well…” Her hand remained limp and pliant in his hold as he continued stirring the pasta in the slowly melding sauce mixture. Vyn wished he had a little bit of flour on hand; it would have emulsified the sauce and made it even better . 

“If that was the case…you didn’t really have to hold my hand to show me how to do it, yeah…?”

“...”

His hand stilled. 

Her words, probably unintentionally, probably said in nervousness, had broken his spell . 

Rosa was right. What he was doing right now, holding her hand to do something she had undoubtedly been doing for so long now, in the guise of guiding her…it was all unnecessary, and almost an insult to her own capability, even. 

His duplicity was the white elephant in the room, and Rosa’s dangerous combination of having a sharp gift for observation coupled with the fearlessness of speaking her mind forced him to acknowledge it.

The jig is up, then .

Vyn’s mouth went dry, but instead of letting go of her hand, clasped it even tighter in his, and with his other hand turned off the flame. 

The macaroni and cheese was almost done, anyway.

“You are right,” he conceded. “But, darling Rosa…” He bent down slightly, letting his lips touch her ear as he whispered, his voice now huskier and dark and damning ,

“ But it is fun this way, is it not? ”

Then, silence and stillness. 

He could feel someone’s heartbeat pick up; he wasn’t sure if it was his, or of the trembling woman trapped in his arms. Vyn knew that, in all her selective obtuseness, Rosa understood the intended meaning of that one short sentence. The twist to the story. She must have thought she was the one putting him in a slightly uncomfortable situation when she tried to get him to take his shirt off. He could only guess how stunned she must have been when she finally realized what he had been trying to pull off all this time.

“Yeah. It is,” Rosa said quietly, then moved in his arms to face him. Her eyes caught the flame from her scented candle still flickering proudly in the middle of the dining table, her olive eyes now glimmering peridot jewels burning with searing flame. “I like it.”

His eyes slightly widened—to see her face so close to his, as she stared at him so intently—and it took everything he had not to ravish her on the spot. This time, he felt the stirrings of something coursing in his veins, for even in the shadows Rosa was captivating, and her lips… 

Her lips parted as Rosa said, “Dr. Richter, what big eyes you have. ” 

She spoke with such a deadpan expression that Vyn—slightly taken aback for a split second—took it as her continuing their little impromptu storytelling in the most inopportune moment possible. 

Or maybe it was perfect timing? 

He decided to follow her cue.

“ The better to see you with, my dear Little Red Riding Rosa. ” He braced his arms over the now cool stove, pinning Rosa between him and the appliance.

She was not perturbed, instead she reached up to caress both sides of his silverhead. Was she playing with his hair? Vyn let her do as she wished; he stayed still as she indulged herself with his soft locks. She brushed his ears with the lightest touch of her fingertips, and gently played with the silver locks framing his face. “Dr. Richter, what big ears you have ,” she whispered, a barely-there smile playing on her lips.

“ The better to hear your lovely voice, my dear Little Red Riding Rosa, ” he replied, his voice almost quivering with need. So close, so close, you only need to ask…

Her curious touches slid down to his mouth; a fingertip traced the outline of his bottom lip. “Dr. Richter, what sharp teeth you have .”

Vyn grinned at her, this time no longer putting on airs; his immense hunger now on full display. He briefly wondered how he looked now in her eyes, shrouded in the darkness. Was he the perfect predator, wrought in shadow and lust? There was no doubt Rosa knew what she was doing. She was practically leading him on now.

“ The better to devour you with, my darling Little Red Riding Rosa. ”

She did not have anything more to say; instead she shut her eyes and slightly parted her mouth—Vyn knew that it was finally her dangerous invitation for him…

Finally.

He bent down to meet her rose red lips with his. 

She tasted like magic , a miraculous mix of refreshing rain and smoldering desire, emulsified with sweet affection. His entire body shuddered with the heady mixture of pure, utter need and relief; his arms tightened around her body as he pulled her closer against him, her heartbeat thudding against his own chest. 

The wolf in him, as he was made out to be in their own secret shared story, happily fed and helped himself to his Little Red Riding Rosa’s sweet lips and tongue…

He briefly pulled back, and was treated to a delectable sight of Rosa ripe for the taking: her eyes misty with need, and the flush on her face deep enough to show in dim candlelight. Her now moist lips were plump, and begging to be kissed once more. An unfathomable need clawed at his insides, and it was not to be ignored. “I have to admit, I am hungry, Rosa,” he murmured. “But I…there is a certain kind of hunger that needs to be taken care of first.” He idly played her hair as he spoke, his gold eyes, now dark as burnt caramel, boring into hers. “If…it is alright with you.”

Of course it is alright. You want this. He stopped himself from voicing it out loud, for fear of ruining the fragile moment.

You need this. 

“This is it now, isn’t it?” Rosa whispered. “I…I waited…I mean…I’ve been daydreaming about this, I…” Her words faltered, her face betraying how embarrassed she was for even thinking about him in that way.

He was not at all surprised with her little confession. He’d always known she liked him; she only felt forced not to admit it out of a self-inflicted, misguided sense of shame. “Yes, poppet. This is it.” He cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing the corner of her lips. “The moment you—no, we have been waiting for.”

“Hell of a reveal over mac and cheese.”

“We have experienced far, far stranger things.” 

Vyn then indulged in one of his myriad secret urges: to just pick up Rosa in his arms and whisk her off to somewhere to ravish her until he had his fill. He carried her, princess-style, out to the living room and carefully laid her on her sofa.

Her auburn hair spilled all over her silk pillow, a dark waterfall of waves that called out to him, and him alone. Vyn couldn’t help but sink himself into those depths, and he dipped in for another long, lingering kiss that was enough to awaken everything in him. Their limbs tangled together as they embraced; he knew that they were well past the point of no return.

“You look gorgeous, by the way,” Rosa whispered, her hands running down his bare chest. “I had a feeling you were actually trying to seduce me ever since you arrived earlier. But I thought that I may have been reading you wrong, that I…” She sucked in a deep breath. “...That it may have been only wishful thinking.” Her palms burned on his cool skin, as if to brand him as hers. “So, were you?” Her arms coiled around his shoulders, and—after gathering much courage—she shyly pulled him down for another kiss.

He was extremely easy for her, of course. Vyn readily offered himself, letting her drink and lap up searing kisses from his lips. The kitten knows hunger , he thought as he felt her hands slide down his body, her fingers readily feeling him up as if to imprint his form into her memory. “Maybe?” He smirked against her mouth, before giving into her need. Vyn closed his eyes, letting the kisses he received from her bring color into his tarnished gold and ashen world. “Do you like what you see?”

Rosa’s mouth twisted into an awkward grin. “What, aside from your pretty face, your sexy body?” She slid her hand to his chest to make a point; her palm rested over his heart, beating steadily against his ribcage. “ Dr. Richter , is asking me that really necessary?”

“You have only seen half of it, pet.” A thinly-veiled invitation. He took both of her hands and placed them, suggestively, onto each of his thighs still covered with the wet fabric of his trousers. 

His lips curved into a dark smile, letting it fill in the silence with its clear message: past here is the point of no return .

Yet even Vyn was taken by surprise with her direct response: her fingers, fumbling with his belt buckle. 

His smile faded, and in its place is an cryptic look that was heavily tinged with craving . “Are you sure?” He pressed her hands against his crotch, letting her feel how hard he was for her. He had been for some time now; it was already becoming impossible to ignore. “I am only but a wolf tonight, and there is no woodsman nor hunter to save you from my clutches, my Little Red Riding Rosa.”

“No, you’re not . You’re Dr. Richter and I…” She took a deep breath to gather her courage. “...and I…I’ve had fantasies of you taking me like this.” She looked him squarely in the eye. “For some time now. For the longest time.”

“... Fuck .”

It was all but one word, one that eloquently spoke of the shattering of his control. Rosa wanted him. She wanted this to happen. With a guttural growl he dove right back to her lips, roughly kissing her as his hands roamed her body as he pleased. His hunger was rewarded by her small mewls and sighs; she trembled as his hands slipped underneath her blouse, his palms squeezing handfuls of her breasts. “I have wanted you, wanted you for so long,” he whispered in between deep, urgent kisses. “I—oh god ,” he gasped, feeling her legs wrap around his waist. “Rosa— mmph —”

Rosa coiled her arms around his neck once more, as her legs locked behind his back. “Less talking, more kissing,” she whispered, pulling him down again for another kiss. 

It was at that moment that Vyn realized he could have been sorely mistaken, that he may not be the wolf in this scenario. As he let Rosa do as she pleased with him—letting her score his bare skin with her teeth, little nips and licks trailing his neck, shoulders, chest—he realized the folly of his own hubris. Of course he wasn’t the only one capable of desirous obsession. Maybe hers ran as deep as his. 

Maybe even deeper .

The epiphany made him chuckle, until it turned into sharp gasp when she dared to run her tongue over his nipple. “ Hahh— Rosa, pet, that is…ah…”

“Do you like it when I do this?” She dared ask, then sucked on his stiff nub. He shivered in response, and she took it as a yes . “You taste nice,” she murmured, her hot breath searing onto his skin, and licked him once more.

Ah. How the tables have turned, et cetera, et cetera…  

He would have given in to the sweet reversal, but the moment one of her hands slid down between his legs and gently squeezed his erection through his trousers he knew he hit his limit. He made quick work of his belt buckle and zipper. “I am sorry , pet, but I want you now ,” he growled as he—with much difficulty—pulled down his damp khakis that stubbornly clung to his legs, kicking them off his ankles the moment he could. 

In his urgency to strip he did not notice that Rosa’s skirt had already been hitched up, her panties pulled down to the middle of her thighs. The sight of the apex between her legs almost knocked the wind out of him; most of it was obscured with shadows, but it was enough to drive him to the brink. “Oh, Rosa, Rosa, I—” he groaned, then dove down and buried his face between her legs.

“Wait, don’t, that’s not—” Her voice hitched the moment his tongue lapped up her heady juices. She was already so wet for him all this time and he had no idea. Knowing that she must have soiled her panties during idle fantasies now only made him want to draw more and more of her voice, sweet and damning to his ears. 

The tip of his tongue made its slow ascent along her labia, now drenched with her love juices and his own saliva. “You poor thing,” he murmured against her nether lips, the deepness of his own voice surprising even himself. “You should have told me.” Cool lips encircled her clit, and he imagined her melting into the sofa the way she moaned his name out loud as he sucked on her…

“ Vyn …” The heavenly sound only encouraged him to slip a finger inside her, to see if it would make her sing more, louder … “Oh my god, that’s—” Her fingers sought his head, grasping handfuls of his soft silver strands as she gave in to her basest desires and started grinding herself against his hungry mouth still feeding on her. 

It was as if she rode his face; the thought once again brought a chuckle up his throat. How apt their little story turned out to be. “ The Little Red Riding Rosa, ” he whispered, amused, and was not aware that he said it out loud until Rosa whimpered underneath him. “Dr. Richter!” she exclaimed, equal parts embarrassed and horny.

His tongue leisurely rolled her clit in his mouth, playing with her while he relished the maddening gasps and sighs and sweet whispered words that escaped her lips. He could feel her hot flesh quivering as he steadily fed on her. Vyn’s boxers now felt uncomfortably tight the more he lapped up her sweet nectar.

“Ahn— almost…a little more…” Rosa mewled, her thighs tightening around his neck. She was getting near, her loud moans signaling how close she was to the precipice. “Vyn…” she tried to bite back her cries, until he gave her clit one strong suck, sending her hurtling off the edge with a loud moan that he was sure could be heard outside her door. 

He pushed himself off her. “I want you,” he said quietly, almost menacingly, as he parted her legs. He wished he had something better to say, something more eloquent for the moment, but nothing else occurred to him. He wanted her. That was the main underlying thing that mattered ever since he laid eyes on her bright, innocent smile that fateful day in his study. 

Her cunt glistened with both his handiwork and her own desire; the sight made his cock throb inside the confines of his boxers. “ I want you ,” he repeated, his hands scrambling to pull his underwear down to his knees. Vyn wanted nothing more than to bury his cock inside her, to plow her deep, hard, and fast—just the way he knew both of them wanted to. 

Then Rosa whispered, “I want you to fuck me,” and brazen word choice gave him pause.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Since when?” It was a silly question, especially after all that had happened in that short span of time, but Vyn wanted to hear it from her.

“Ever since you told me it was only my heart that you wished to know,” Rosa said, her voice faint, almost dream-like. “In your study. Do you remember? I wanted you to push me down your couch, for you to make love to me, but you never did.” Her voice wavered. “All you did was hold my hand, pulled me close to you only to make your point in that silly little argument, when I wanted you to kiss me back then. So badly.” Her voice broke a little. “But it didn’t happen.” 

He remembered the very moment; it was almost a year ago, and he only wished to imprint himself into her thoughts in the hopes of pushing the distractions out of her mind—including his own friend, Carl. He did not expect it would affect her this much. “I am sorry,” was all he could say to that.

“It was painful, you know.”

“I am sorry,” he said once more, and truly meant it.

Then he plunged deep inside her. Their cries of utter relief and pleasure mingled and filled the dark space. As it turns out, I was the fool, Vyn realized. He would berate himself later; right now he needed to right his grave mistake of making a fool of himself…when she had been waiting for him all along. 

Time flowed, fluid-like, as they made their feelings known through touch driven by hunger. His fingers dug into her hips as he plowed away deep inside her as hard and  fast as he could, upon her explicit request. All this time Rosa had been harboring this hungering desire for him, and he was blissfully, stupidly , unaware. He only knew that she liked him, maybe lusted over him, but did not know just how much and how intensely she wanted him. 

“More,” Rosa mewled underneath him. “ More…please—! ” 

“ Hahh —coming,” Vyn muttered, gasping and panting as he continued pounding her quivering flesh. The sensation building up in his loins felt incredible and painfully desperate at the same time; it was nothing like the release of his pent up needs during those lonely nights, with only having his idea of Rosa to warm him to the act. She—the real one, writhing and moaning underneath him, flesh and blood and all too sexual Rosa—felt so good around his cock, warm, tight and wet and fantastic, so much that he could almost weep in pleasure. 

He cried her name out loud, warm seed shooting out of him.

It was already too late, as soon as quiet contentment set in, that he realized he came inside her, his semen already starting to drip out of her thoroughly loved hole.

“Hold me,” Rosa begged, and he gladly complied, squeezing himself into the narrow space between her warm, soft body and the firm backrest of her sofa. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, and threw a leg over her waist for good measure. She wasn’t going anywhere . 

The storm still raged outside; violent onslaught of rain battered Rosa’s windows as silence set in their sweet afterglow. She felt right in his arms, as if she belonged there, all along. He held her even closer, a touch possessively; Vyn could now smell her, a mixture of shampoo, cologne, of sweat and of sex—and he found her scent intoxicating.

All mine, he thought. He intended to doze off, to indulge in this stolen moment of peace after conquest, when his gaze landed upon her bare neck, just inches away from his mouth.

He shifted and brought his lips down to that smooth, sensitive spot at the base of her neck. “Vyn—hey, that tickles!” Rosa squirmed in his hold. He nibbled on her skin, lazily sucking on it, for what seemed to be a long stretch of time.

“There,” he murmured as he finally pulled back, a warm, satisfied cat-like smile on his face.

“You gave me a hickey, didn’t you?” Rosa’s tone was more amused than accusatory. “I didn’t figure you to be a hickey person.”

“Ah. Well.” He planted a soft kiss on her newly-inflicted mark. “It is to keep all the woodsmen and hunters hovering protectively around my Little Red Riding Rosa at bay. Also, Rosa, darling?” He paused, and buried his face in her hair as his stomach grumbled.

“Pfft.”

“This wolf is famished .”

It was still a dark and stormy night, and Rosa’s scented candle sitting upon the dining table was almost whittled down to its last few minutes of flame. 

“Hmm.” Vyn thoughtfully chewed the spoonful of the now cold macaroni and cheese, letting its flavor bloom in his mouth before he swallowed. “This turned out better than I expected from something that came out of a box.”

“It’s comfort food for a reason,” Rosa said, digging enthusiastically into their shared bowl. “It’s quick, easy, delicious, and,” she shoveled a mouthful of mac and cheese between her lips. “ Gwah .” She reached out for her glass of water, taking big gulps to push the food down her throat.

“Rosa,” Vyn sighed as he put down his spoon, resting it against the rim of their bowl. “I know you like your comfort pasta, but please chew your food thoroughly.” He reached over the table and wiped away the cheese sauce hanging off the edge of her lip. “The doctor in me gets nervous every time you do that.”

He licked the cheese sauce off his thumb.

Both of them were in various states of undress as they partook of their late dinner: Vyn basked in his absolute nudity, his clothes being aired out to dry; and Rosa had nothing on from the waist downwards. 

Vyn supposed it was because of the relative comfort brought about by the shadows, and how it softened the visual impact of their nudity. Something incidental, certainly nothing that warranted thinking more about.

Or so he thought.

“I guess this is the ‘happily ever after’?” Rosa asked. 

The macaroni and cheese was all finished, but the portion was meant for a single person. They had to endure their remaining hunger until the storm abated, and the power came back online. 

“The doctor-wolf devoured the delicious Little Red Riding Rosa, until he was satisfied,” Vyn offered, as a possible ending. “In turn, Little Red Riding Hood  had her fill of the doctor-wolf. And they lived happily ever after?”

“Um…” Rosa didn’t sound convinced. “That doesn’t sound right.”

The flame of her scented candle sputtered for a few seconds, then valiantly regained its light. It was already down to its death throes; soon enough her apartment would fall into total darkness until sunrise, which was still more than a few hours from now. 

“I agree.” Vyn nodded. “Not only does it not make sense, it also does not have a good ring to it.”

“I’m not really talking about how it's worded, but how it matches the tale.” Rosa rose from her seat, circling the dining table to make her way towards Vyn’s side. “You know…” She leaned her bare hip against the table as she stood beside Vyn. 

He became acutely aware of her presence…and something else. He looked up to meet her gaze, and only saw a dim flash of something indecipherable reflected in her eyes. “What if we were wrong all along?” She chewed on her lip thoughtfully, as she stared down at him. 

“Carry on.” Said doctor, faced with the sight of her delectable fruit still dripping with his seed just inches away from him, idly ran the entire length of his finger along her wet slit. He felt her flesh throb and swell underneath his touch. “I am listening.”

He licked their mingled fluids off his finger, holding her gaze all the while.

“What if…” Rosa bent over him until her lips brushed his ear. “...the doctor isn't the wolf?”

Then gently nibbled on his earlobe.

Vyn let out a sharp gasp. “Rosa, I—” 

His beloved had come to the same conclusion that he did earlier, all on her own. He wondered if he was even in control of the situation ever since he dropped by her doorstep, but ultimately decided it did not matter, in the end. 

The flame shook, casting trembling shadows throughout the entire floor, until it flickered and snuffed out. Total, pitch-black darkness descended upon them, and Vyn could not even see Rosa in front of him.

He felt her slender hand slide down his thighs; his muscles tightened at the sudden—yet not unwelcome—touch. “Rosa, what are you doing… oh god. ”

“Maybe I am the wolf,” she said, her warm breath teasing his cock back to life as she spoke. 

As he felt her mouth go down on him, as he endured the sweet, tantalizing torture of her tongue swirling around his shaft Vyn inwardly debated with himself whether or not “Little Red Riding Vyn” had a good ring to it.