How we met... (Helluvaboss)

|The Estate|

It was an uncomfortable drive, but once they finally made it back to Crimson's mansion...the tension seemed to tone down slightly.

Mariah lies on their bed, staring up at the ceiling with an expressionless glare on her face. Crimson is beside her, sitting with his hands clasped together between his knees. He looks over at her. “You okay?” He asks, his voice a lot softer than it was before, almost mockingly sweet.

She sat up, turning to look over at Crimson. "Yes, fine." She spoke softly, although her smile seemed forced.

Crimson raises an eyebrow at Mariah's nervous expression, his look of concern slowly turning into one of annoyance. "Mariah, we talked about this..." He sighs, shaking his head. "You have to stop moping around, sweetheart. A pretty face like yours can't look like that." He pauses, turning towards her. "Is anything on your mind?"

"Crim- is that okay? Crim?" She paused, unsure of whether nicknames are an okay thing.

He frowns, his eyebrows raising in both confusion and slight annoyance. “What? Call me whatever you like, doll.” Crimson leans back against the headboard, his tail starting to sway slightly behind him. “Why’re you still so uptight? Did I not treat you right, darling? Did I not earn your trust?” His head tilts.

She just stared at him for a moment, before finally deciding to speak.

"Apologies, Crim- I'm just, nervous."
Nervous was an understatement...in fact, she was more frustrated with the entire situation than she was fearful, despite how scared she had come off as at first.

“Don’t be nervous, darling.” He pauses, a cruel smile playing across his lips. “You should be nervous, if you did something wrong.” He shrugs, before shaking his head. “But if you haven’t done anything against me, you'll be fine.” Crimson crosses his legs. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I know that you will do right by me.” His golden eye shines, as he smiles at her.

She put her hands on her thighs, looking down at the bed sheets. "Right, I haven't done anything..." Yet. She thought to herself.

His smile widens, as he chuckles. "Good. As it should be. As long as you keep that little mind of yours under control, then you won't face punishment." His tail brushes the side of the bed, as he looks at her with what seems to be amusement. "Now...I've been a hard-working man recently. I could use 'a rest." He lets out a small sigh. "Perhaps you could help take our minds off of...certain things..."

"What exactly do you mean, by that?" She pushed her hair back behind her ears, looking at him with a puzzled gaze.

Crimson lets out a light chuckle. "Sweetheart, you know damn well what I mean." His smile widens, as he continues to look at her with pure, predatory lust. "We both know what we came here to do."

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Time passes once again, as Mariah and Crimson lay in bed next to each other. The sheets are stained with both sweat and something more...but other than that, their presence in the bed leaves little doubt as to what they did. Crimson, for some reason, seems content. He gazes up at the ceiling, smiling slightly. "You know, that really hit the spot."

Mariah was laying beside Crimson, her hands behind her head...as she stared at him. "Mhm... Y- Yeah..." She seemed to keep a level voice, although it would crack here and there.

Crimson chuckles softly at her attempt to keep her composure. "You're not fooling anyone, sweetheart." His golden eye glistens in the light."Admit it... you had a good time."

No, she really didn't. Her mind was whirling with thoughts, flashing back to what had happened merely moments before now. She felt no desire for Crimson, and she was definitely not pleased with what she had just gone through with. But she of course wasn't going to say anything, that would probably anger the man laying beside her. "Okay, maybe a little..." Her voice was smooth, and sweet. Not like the venom that she had wanted to spit at this imp.

Crimson, however, was more than pleased with what had happened. His smile brightens at her words, as his tail waves back and forth behind him. "Well, well. Isn't that great to hear?" Crimson leans forward, his smile still wide. He grabs her hand, and looks at her with his golden eyes. "You know, you're quite a charmer, sweetheart. You know just how to talk a man's ear off..." He chuckled softly.

More time passes, Crimson lied on the bed, snoring loudly...with his leg hanging off of the edge. While Mariah stayed wide awake, her back turned towards the sleeping imp. Though she'd eventually get up, and let out a soft sigh. Looking at Crimson, she felt nothing but hatred and disgust, before she soon turned herself away...walking into the bathroom.

Crimson remains fast asleep on the bed, as the light from the rising sun enters the room. He's still snoring, his mouth wide open. His arms wrap around him, as his tail waves behind him. His face is calm and peaceful, as he sleeps soundly in the quiet morning. He seems to be a gentle sleeper - any noise made from outside the room will just become another part of his dream. He's a deep sleeper.

Mariah stood still, looking into the mirror. Her eyes seemed exhausted, despite how awake she felt at that very moment. Turning towards crimson again, she'd look at him for a moment...before quickly bending down, and rummaging through the sink cabinet.

Crimson's snoring gets a bit more...choked, as if he's struggling to get air. But still, he just remains fast asleep. His legs still wriggle slightly, but everything else is still. He seems more peaceful, but...his golden eye twitches again for a second. It seems to be like an involuntary movement that happens during his sleep. He must be having a nightmare.

She soon found what she was looking for, letting out a shaky sigh. In front of her she held a... pregnancy test. After doing what they did last night, and knowing that Crimson wanted an heir, she had to use it...

Crimson's snoring dies down, as he sighs softly. His breathing is quiet now, as the dreams he's having fade away. His arm is still outstretched, as he shifts slightly against the bed. Slowly, very painfully, his eyes open. He looks...tired. His face still has those tired bags and a bit more strain. The lines in his face seem to have gotten a little deeper since the start of the day. He gazes around the room, before his eyes settle on Mariah.