Archive of Our Own ^beta

Rose really liked Canada in the summer. She was used to the cold from Michigan, but she had been in Los Angeles for so long she was starting to lose some of her cold tolerance. Her brothers made fun of her for it, but she didn’t mind. They’ve been doing that for her entire life, this wasn’t any different. But Canada in the summer was a different beast. There was a slight haze from a fire up north, but not as bad as it’s been in the past. It made for a glorious day, a slight heat when you stood in the sun, but a little chill as the sun started to set. She was happy; it was the perfect day for a wedding.

She had brought Miles along with her to the wedding, mostly for moral support. It’s not that she hadn’t met some of Shane’s teammates, but she needed a buffer for some of the hockey men, and Miles had met Shane before. Rose’s interactions with Hayden Pike had been pretty positive, but she could tell that he was often a little starstruck and it made her uncomfortable. She liked Shane because he could be normal around her, but some of the young Centaurs looked at her like she was a literal star, shining in the sky light years away. She wasn’t light years away, she was here on Earth, watching her best friend marry the love of his life.

Miles was distracted by the hockey boys, dressed up in slightly ill-fitting suits, which gave Rose time to look around Shane and Ilya’s backyard. She had been here before, but it somehow felt larger today, even with all of the people filling it. Scanning the guests, Rose saw some familiar faces, but she stuck on one. There was something ethereal about the woman walking down from the house. Her hair was what Rose saw first- gorgeous red curls that were fashioned into an incredibly intricate updo, with pieces framing her face like the gorgeous canvas she was. Her eyes came next. They were so expressive, so large, and shimmering in the slight haze. Rose knew she was staring, but the woman wasn’t looking at her, at least not yet. The woman turned her head slightly and Rose knew she was caught staring. One incredibly formed eyebrow raised slightly and Rose felt a blush sneak up her neck. Fingers crossed that her full coverage makeup was hiding the red in her cheeks.

The woman began to walk towards her, barely breaking eye contact, and Rose felt her nerves shoot up. She couldn’t remember a time she was this nervous in her life. Not on any set, not at any awards show, this was something different. It was something she couldn’t describe, but if she counted the butterflies in her stomach, they would outnumber the guests at this wedding. When they were only a few meters away from each other, Miles stepped into her field of view. He started yapping about one of the guys he met, breaking her concentration. Rose looked over at him briefly, and when she turned back, the woman had been intercepted by a hockey player Rose had never met. The moment was broken, but Rose would do anything to get it back.

Just then Ilya and Shane came out of the house, both looking happy but also just looking ready. Like this was everything they had been building up towards, and they had, after all this time. Rose found herself a seat, Miles’s new hockey buddy saddling up next to them. She took a look around, looking for the woman that made her heart hurt. She found her, across the aisle, within perfect view. Great, Rose thought. Now I won’t be able to concentrate.

She was right: the ceremony was quick, either that or Rose just didn’t pay attention at all. She’d like to think it was both, but she would never tell Shane that. He was already probably anxious about something, she didn’t need to make it worse. She just kept her gaze floating between the boys and the woman, daydreaming and hoping and thinking.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t been attracted to women before; she never went to college, but that didn’t stop her from having an experimental phase in her early 20s. Turns out, most women on movie sets were also willing to experiment, and Rose found she genuinely enjoyed herself. While she had been attracted to them, she didn’t often find herself wanting more than what they gave. Looking back, she realized that it was more about the constraints of her schedule and her career, rather than a lack of desire. It wasn’t until this woman, whose name she didn’t even know, that she could see herself with more than that.

Everyone gathered together at tables up closer to the house for a reception, and Rose found herself immediately drawn to the bar. She was going to need some courage, and she was hoping she could find a nice cocktail that didn’t taste like alcohol to help her. Hopefully, these boys had more than just beer. Ilya had to have some vodka, didn’t she?

“It’s good vodka.” Rose heard an accented voice behind her as she ordered a vodka soda. The butterflies were back, so Rose knew exactly who was behind her. She turned, and was greeted by those same bright expressive eyes as earlier.

“I would hope so,” Rose responded. Her voice was more stable than she thought it would be, and a flicker of pride moved through her. She would defeat the butterflies. “I like to think that the Russian groom would have something to say about shitty vodka being served at his wedding.”

The woman gave a slight chuckle, and Rose could drown in that sound. It was so hearty, so fresh, and Rose wanted to wake up to that as her alarm. She knew it could rouse her from a deep sleep, from a coma, save her from Vecna, whatever. Her laugh was pure light.

The bartender came back with her drink and Rose took a generous sip. It was good, and her face showed it. The woman smiled, and Rose drank a little more. For courage.

“I’m Rose,” she finally said, realizing she would die in three seconds without knowing this woman’s name.

“Oh I know,” was the reply, again with a small laugh. Rose could feel her face redden again, at least this time she could blame the alcohol. “Svetlana.” Her hand extended ever so slightly, and Rose took it, more excitedly than she should have.

Rose’s mouth went slightly agape. She had been friends with Shane, and now Ilya, long enough to have heard stories about Svetlana, but had no idea what she looked like until now. She knew that Ilya didn’t talk to her for a while, out of his own error, but they had rekindled their friendship not long ago. Rose was already grateful that Ilya had gotten his head out of his ass when it came to Shane, and now she could compound that gratitude for bringing Svetlana into her life.

They had just met, but Rose knew. She knew this was going to be bigger than either of them could imagine. She just couldn’t fuck it up.

Rose and Svetlana spent most of the night with each other, talking and dancing and drinking. Rose heard all about Svetlana’s job with Ilya’s old Boston team, which led to her excitedly talking about her brothers and their hockey careers. None of Rose’s ramblings seemed to affect Svetlana, and she was grateful for that. Every new piece of information was another piece of the puzzle, forming to make her whole. She wanted to know everything about this Russian goddess.

The night was winding down, a few of the coupled up hockey players were leaving, leaving just a few stragglers. Hayden had left an hour ago, home to relieve the two babysitters they got, because one was definitely not enough for their brood. Rose and Svetlana stood in the corner, nursing what would probably be their last drinks of the night. Rose was stalling on finishing it because she never wanted the night to end. She wasn’t drunk, but she was definitely past sober. She probably shouldn’t drive home and luckily the boys had offered her a room to stay in for the night. All she needed to do was muster up the courage to ask Svetlana to stay with her.

“The boys are letting me stay here tonight, would you like to join me for a nightcap?” The words didn’t come out of Rose’s mouth, however. Svetlana took away the need for her to ask. Considering her stuff was already here, Rose didn’t hesitate to nod. She didn’t quite trust herself to speak, so she just grabbed Svetlana’s hand and walked inside.

As it turns out, the room Svetlana was staying in was right down the hall from hers, so Rose threw her shoes in her own room before continuing to follow. She knew from staying here that Shane and Ilya’s room was on the other side of the house, which she figured was going to be good for all of them. It was their wedding night after all, and Rose did not intend to sleep in her given bed tonight. She wasn’t sure she wanted any sleep at all.

Svetlana’s room, however, was decorated beautifully. Rose didn’t have the heart to ever tell Shane that she liked Ilya’s decor better than his, considering how much he paid his decorator. A queen size bed sat centrally in the room, with a beautifully carved dark wood headboard. The art on the wall was definitely something that Ilya picked, with its shades of red swirling around the page. It reminded Rose a lot of Svetlana, and her hair, wild and hard to tame. She wanted her hands in that hair so badly.

“I’m going to the bathroom” Svetlana said, kissing Rose sweetly on the cheek before exiting into the ensuite. This gave Rose a second to grab out her phone and send a text to Miles, just to make sure the hockey player he left with wasn’t a serial killer. She shoved her phone back into her clutch, then placed it carefully on the upholstered chair in the corner. Once she wasn’t holding her bag, or Svetlana’s hand, she didn’t know what to do with her hands. Crossing her hands seemed too standoffish, and her dress didn’t have any pockets to put them in. Leaning against the bed seemed forward, but having them straight down seemed prudish. She heard the water running in the bathroom and settled on sitting on the chair, remembering a second too late the purse she had just placed there. The hard clutch dug slightly into her butt, but when Svetlana walked out of the bathroom, all pain was forgotten.

Svetlana had taken her updo out, her curls falling freely around her head. Rose watched as she shook it out, mesmerized. She had never seen anything more beautiful, Rose had nothing to compare it to. She just said, leaning forward slightly, as if she needed to be closer.

“Do you need a moment?” Svetlana asked, vacating the bathroom area in case Rose needed to enter. Rose shook her head.

“I’m going to be honest with you. Maybe a little too honest.” The vodka soda was still running through her system, faint but just enough to feel it. “If you don’t touch me now, I think I might just explode.”

Svetlana’s mouth curled up at the end in a smile. She walked over to where Rose was sitting, shaking her head as Rose started to get up. So Rose sat, as patiently as she could, as Svetlana approached. As she got closer Rose got a huge whiff of her perfume. Rose inhaled, and felt like she was getting high. This woman was intoxicating, and Rose was addicted already.

“Give me your hands,” Svetlana ordered. Rose’s hands shot up and Svetlana grabbed them, holding both of Rose’s wrists in one hand. She held them high above Rose’s head, just far enough for her shoulders to stretch. “Will you listen to me?” Svetlana asked. Rose could only nod.

“No.” Svetlana’s tone took Rose by surprise, harsher than she expected. “Use your words. Will you listen to me?”

“Yes,” Rose choked out.

“From now on, be sure to use words.”

“Yes.” Rose was slightly more confident. Her hands were still held above her head, Svetlana was standing still, and Rose was sitting, so Rose was well aware of how small she felt. It was invigorating. She had never been held like this before, with any partner, and she realized she really liked it. She trusted Svetlana, she decided. She just met the woman tonight, but she trusted her.

Rose felt herself being pulled up, and looked up to see Svetlana pulling at her hands to raise her from the chair. Once she was up, her hands were lowered as she was pulled towards the bed. She was turned, falling so she was on her back on the bed.

“Move up,” Svetlana asserted. “Keep your hands up.”

That was easier said than done, as Rose attempted to still look hot as she shimmied her way up the bed. She assumed that Svetlana wanted her in the middle of the bed, so she moved that way with her hands touching the beautiful wood headboard. It was carved with an intricate pattern, but Rose had no more time to admire it. Her eyes were firmly set on Svetlana, who had moved away from the bed towards her suitcase in the corner. Out of the case she pulled a red silk tie, that Rose assumed came from a robe of some type. Rose gulped. She was excited, nervous, and turned on all at once.

Svetlana moved back towards the bed and climbed on top of Rose. Rose shifted under the weight, but was more than content having Svetlana on top of her, no matter what. She still kept her hands above her head. Svetlana grabbed them again, tying the smooth silk around them before slipping the tie around one of the carvings in the headboard and tying a knot. Rose looked up to watch, and was fascinated with how fast Svetlana was able to secure her. Rose was stuck, but there was no place she would rather be.

Svetlana stood back up at the edge of the bed, and Rose whimpered with the loss of contact. With her eyes glued to the restrained movie star on the bed, Svetlana began to lower the zipper of her dress centimeter by centimeter. It was torture, but the sweetest kind. Rose loved it.

“Would you like me to take this off?” Svetlana asked sweetly, once the zipper was all the way down.

“Yes please,” Rose replied quickly. She wanted to be good, and she knew she needed to use her words.

Little by little the fabric began to fall from Svetlana’s shoulders, down past her breasts, her stomach, and down her long legs until it pooled at the floor. Rose’s mouth dried up when she realized Svetlana had nothing underneath.

“You look pretty there for me,” Svetlana purred. “That must be an expensive dress. Would you like to keep it on? I’d hate to waste its potential.”

“No please,” Rose breathed. It was hard to speak, but she would keep doing it. Svetlana told her to.

“Can you take it off?” Svetlana smirked as she started to climb up the bed.

“Of course I can’t,” Rose quipped. Svetlana stopped moving and crossed her arms.

“I did not like that attitude. Would you like to try again?”

“I can’t do it without help, Svetlana.”

“Better.” Svetlana continued her climb, sliding her hand up the slit in Rose’s dress. She mentally thanked her stylist, Brenda, for her impeccable skill in choosing dresses with easy access. Then her mind was immediately back on Svetlana and her maneuvering.

When she reached the top of her slit, she pushed up just a little higher to the top of Rose’s legs. She hit dangerously close to what mattered, before removing her hand. Rose whimpered.

“Do you need something?” Svetlana asked.

“I need…I need,” Rose stalled. Her brain was short circuiting as Svetlana started to pull down her side zipper.

“Your words, Roza. Use your words.”

The pet name hadn’t slipped her attention. She was close to hearing Ilya’s name, but shoved that to the back of her head. She had been called Roza once before, by a Russian actor in one of her many kidnapping movies, so she wasn’t unaware of the translation of her name. It sounded so peaceful and smooth coming through Svetlana’s lips.

“I need you to take it off of me,” she croaked out. Svetlana smiled, sliding the zipper farther. Luckily, the dress was strapless, so she could wiggle out of it once the zipper was down. It pooled at her feet, where Svetlana unceremoniously ripped it off the bed and threw it onto the floor. Her eyes mirrored Rose’s: hungry, wanting, and ready. Never in her life had Rose needed someone more, and that surprised her.

Svetlana wasted no time in taking what she wanted. Rose was pulling at her restraints, trying so hard to escape so she could get her hands in those curls, but she was whimpering and couldn’t. Svetlana got her close with her underwear still on, and Rose was curious if that was possible for her. She didn’t get the chance to find out, because right when she was almost there, Svetlana backed away. She slowly pulled down her underwear and went right back in. Rose screamed.

“Da, that’s what I want to hear.” Svetlana’s voice was slightly muffled, but Rose knew. Rose was so in tune with her she felt like she was reading her thoughts. Rose started climbing again, faster this time, already worked up. It didn’t take long for Rose to come, but Svetlana didn’t stop. She didn’t stop after the second time either, which blended into the third. Rose was so close to ripping apart the solid wood headboard when Svetlana lifted up off the bed. She left Rose lying there, panting, and walked into the bathroom. She returned with an incredibly soft towel and patted her mouth while Rose was still tied, helpless.

“Svetlana,” Rose started, staring. She couldn’t stop staring at her. “Please let me go. I need to touch you, please. Please let me touch you.” Rose was surprised she could string so many words together after what just happened. But she needed to show Svetlana that she was hungry for her too, and wanted to reciprocate.

A soft smile crossed Svetlana’s lips. Somehow, her lipstick was only the tiniest bit smudged, and Rose made a quick note to find what brand she used. But that could wait. Svetlana stood above her at the side of the bed and deftly untied the silk. Rose was impressed by this, too, just as she was impressed as she was when she tied the knot. Rose pulled slightly and freed her hands before turning over and crawling directly towards Svetlana on her stomach. She felt Svetlana grab a slight bit of her hair and pull her towards her center, where Rose would happily live for the rest of her life. It was more than she could have dreamed of, and based on the noises coming from above her, Svetlana was enjoying herself as well. While Rose wasn’t quite able to match her earlier totals, when Svetlana fell on top of her satisfied she couldn’t help but smile.

After they cleaned up with another of the incredibly soft towels from the bathroom, they laid together on the plush mattress, Svetlana’s hand rubbing lazy circles on Rose’s back. Rose wanted to get used to this, but something nagged within her. Liquor gone, it took her a few minutes to muster up the courage to look up at the Russian woman making her feel safe.

“Svetlana?” She whispered, nervous. A single eyebrow raised, waiting for Rose to finish. She knew she could say what she thought, provided she could get it out. “Will you kiss me? Like, really kiss me? I wouldn’t want this night to end without that.”

Svetlana bent her head down and immediately captured Rose’s lips with her own. Their first real kiss was soft and simple, just a quick meeting of lips before Svetlana pulled back slightly to stare into Rose’s eyes.

“This night is nowhere near over, Roza.” A small smile made its way across Rose’s lips at the Russian nickname again. “But I would be more than happy to oblige. We wouldn’t want to leave you wanting.” She dropped her lips again, this time taking it deeper, exploring Rose’s mouth with a confidence that made Rose shudder, ramping her up again. After a very definitive moan, Svetlana slid herself back down the bed for another round. Rose felt comfortable, and significantly more confident after that kiss that this wouldn’t be over any time soon, even after the night was gone.