"Hah, you aight there, Al?" Juniper teased.

  Alice sat up straighter, finally able to breathe properly as she rubbed her face with both hands. "You, you squeezed me between your thighs like a stress ball and then had the nerve to ask if I'm alright?!" Her voice cracked halfway through, making it sound more flustered than angry.

  Juniper just grinned wider at that, kicking her feet up onto Alice's thighs like she owned them, which right now? She kinda did. "Awww, you were all red and pantin'~ Real cute."

  She wiggled for emphasis before nodding toward Angelica on screen. "But yeahhhh! That's my girl! Queen of sleight-of-hand tricks since 9971! You boutta see 'er go crazy on this one! She finna make the whole moon disappear outta the sky in front of the whole crowd!”

  Alice crossed her arms and scowled down at Juniper's bare feet on her lap. "Yeah, because I couldn't breathe, dumbass," she muttered, ignoring any other…unmentionable reasons she'd been flushed.

  She looked up at the screen again to watch Angelica, trying to distract herself from the warm weight of Juniper's legs that were still draped across her thighs, and those bright neon blue-painted toes that demanded attention.

  "Pfftt, sorry, sorry. I'll, ah, try to keep the thigh-smothering to a minimum," Juniper snickered, not even coming close to being sincere.

  She shifted so her bare feet rubbed up against Alice's lower abdomen, probably purposefully, though it was absolutely not purposeful on Alice's part to shiver visibly at the touch.

  Thankfully, Angelica distracted everyone with an extravagant magic act, which Juniper eagerly narrated for their viewing, making sound effects and everything.

  Alice made a conscious effort not to react too obviously to every time Juniper moved her ankles against her stomach, or shifted her position.

  Instead, she tried to focus on Angelica's act, which, admittedly, was pretty spectacular with the amount of sleight of hand she was pulling off. There was a reason Angelica was so famous, after all.

  ...But damn, was it hard to pay attention with that distraction right across her lap.

  Juniper seemed unbothered, commenting loudly on every little magic trick Angelica was doing, like a sports commentator.

  Her enthusiasm for Angelica's act was almost contagious enough to make Alice relax a bit more. Almost.

  She was hyper-aware of the way her stomach clenched whenever she accidentally noticed the smooth skin of Juniper's bare calves against her hands, or the way the latter's bare feet shifted in her lap without warning.

  "...Damnit, focus, " Alice muttered under her breath.

  Juniper's head snapped toward her at the sound of Alice's muttered curse, eyes glinting with way too much mischief.

  "Oho? What was that~?" she cooed, dragging out the syllables as if savoring them. "Sounded like someone’s having a hard time focusing~"

  She punctuated it by deliberately flexing her toes against Alice’s stomach, just enough to make her squirm again. "Ack!" Juniper cackled at the reaction before finally turning back to Angelica on screen, though not without giving an extra little wiggle of victory first.

  Alice buried half of face in hands and groaned loudly into them: "I hate you so much."

  Juniper grinned wider and nudged her Angelica commentary up ten decibels just to drown out any more whining from beneath those palms.

  Alice was just about ready to scream at Juniper and tell her to stop being an ass already, but the latter chose that exact moment to point excitedly at the screen.

  "Ooh lookit! Angel's doin' her famous disappearing-the-whole-ass-moon trick now! That's my girlllll~"

  Juniper's enthusiasm was honestly endearing, if not for the fact that she chose to keep wriggling her damn toes in Alice's lap to express it. The feeling of those long, bare toes against her stomach was gonna make her lose her mind.

  Alice gripped the hem of her shirt, taking deep, measured breaths as she stared determinedly at the screen, praying that the act would be over soon.

  Oh goddess, this is torture.

  Angelica's masterpiece, as Juniper called it, was nearing its finale. The moon was slowly disappearing right in front of a roaring audience's eyes, their eyes glued to the impossible sight in front of them.

  Juniper, meanwhile, seemed blissfully unaware of the effect her fidgeting legs were having on Alice. She looked way too absorbed with the trick, leaning forward in her seat like a giddy little kid. "Oh maaaaan, she's got them wrapped around her finger with this one for sure. This is why she's the GOAT. THE GOOOOAAAT, ”

  Alice was this close to shoving Juniper’s feet off her lap and making a dramatic exit, but then Angelica flicked her wrist, and the moon vanished completely.

  A hush fell over the crowd before an ear-splitting cheer erupted. Juniper lost it entirely, kicking her legs in excitement, which only made things worse for Alice.

  "FUCKING YESSS!" she howled like a banshee at full volume right into Alice's face while simultaneously grinding one bare foot against Alice's lower stomach with unholy glee. "TAKE THAT, PHYSICS!! ANGELICA CHRISTOPHER RUNS THIS WHOLE DAMN SHOW!!!"

  The combination of sudden movement + unintentional pressure had two effects: 1) It nearly sent both of them tumbling off the couch; 2) It caused something between a yelp and groan to tear from deep within Alice’s throat.

  Juniper froze mid-celebration… then slowly turned to stare down at where their bodies were now tangled together on top of each other.

  "...Oops.”

  There was a beat of dead silence as the two of them processed the new situation.

  Alice was suddenly, painfully aware of their position: she was sprawled out on top of Juniper, with the latter's body pressed firmly against hers. Every. Single. Part.

  Her legs had somehow ended up between Juniper's during the fall, their hips were flush together, and her hands…oh goddess, her hands, one was planted palm-flat onto the couch right by the other girl's head, and the other rested on her thigh.

  ...And their faces were so close.

  Juniper blinked up at her, face still flushed from excitement, and maybe something else?

  Alice's entire body was rigid, like a statue carved from pure panic. Her fingers twitched against Juniper’s thigh where they’d landed. "Uh."

  A pause. A very long pause filled with nothing but the sound of their breathing and Angelica's distant encore on screen (which neither of them noticed anymore). Then:

  "...You good there?" Juniper finally asked in a voice that was way too casual for how close their lips currently were.

  Alice's brain short-circuited.

  Every rational thought, every ounce of self-control, gone. The moment Juniper’s fingers tangled in the tight kinks of her curly black hair, something primal and desperate took over.

  She crashed their mouths together with zero finesse, all teeth and clumsy hunger as she practically devoured the other girl right then and there. Her hands? Now gripping Juniper's round hips hard enough to bruise. Her breathing? A ragged mess between kisses that felt more like a fight for air than anything gentle or romantic.

  Juniper let out a muffled sound against her lips, part surprise, part approval, before biting down on Alice’s lower lip in retaliation: "Fuckin' finally," she panted when they broke apart just long enough to breathe.

  Juniper's smirk faltered for half a second, just long enough to register the harsh edge in Alice’s voice.

  Then, with zero remorse, she tightened her grip in those wild curls and yanked just hard enough to make Alice gasp.

  "Oooohhh," Juniper cooed, low and taunting as their faces hovered inches apart again. "Someone's feisty when they're flustered~" She dragged out the syllables like it was a threat (or maybe an invitation). "Bet you got all that pent-up tension from sitting on my lap this whole time too. Oh, and fucking my feet with your eyes." Her free hand slid down to pinch at one of Alice’s biceps teasingly. Alice looked ready to either commit murder or melt into a puddle right then; there wasn't an in-between anymore.

  And Juniper? Well...she had exactly what she wanted: a reaction.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Juniper felt the second that hot breath hit her neck, Alice's body practically vibrating with tension against hers.

  A slow, wicked grin spread across Juniper’s face as she tilted her head just enough to let Alice feel how exposed and vulnerable she’d made herself. "Ooooh~?" The teasing lilt in her voice was downright criminal. "That a threat or a promise, babe?"

  Her fingers finally loosened their grip on those dark curls… only to slide up and trace the shell of one ear instead, deliberately light touches meant to drive Alice even crazier.

  "You better not be squirming this hard if you ain't plannin' on doin' somethin’ about it." Her smirk sharpened when she felt another shudder wrack through Alice beneath them both: She had won.

  "You're the perfect mix," she continued, counting with her fingers, "A Black queen, easily flustered, and knows what she wants...and takes it.”

  Alice's entire body locked up at Juniper’s words.

  A Black queen? Easily flustered? Takes what she wants?

  The audacity of this girl, sitting there, smirking like she hadn't just turned Alice into a puddle of contradictions with nothing but her bare feet and that stupidly pretty voice.

  Something in her snapped. Maybe it was the way Juniper looked at her, like she’d already won some game they weren’t even playing yet. Maybe it was the fact that for once, no one had ever called out how badly Alice craved control… until now.

  Either way: Enough.

  In one brutal motion, Alice flipped their positions so hard Juniper barely had time to yelp before landing flat on her back beneath all 6'0" of furious Black woman hovering over her (and good lord did those deep blue eyes burn).

  Alice had never actually pinned anyone before...let alone someone she'd only met that night, who seemed more like the dominant type. But the adrenaline was pumping, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was gonna beat out of her chest, and there was something so satisfying about watching that smug smirk finally falter for once, even if it was just for that brief second...

  She leaned forward until they were practically nose-to-nose, breath mingling in short, heavy breaths that smelled like anger and, much to her own frustration, arousal.

  Juniper's eyes went wide when she found herself suddenly pinned. She had been planning to push a bit more, but this? This was beyond unexpected.

  Her mind whirling with surprise (and maybe a hint of...something else), she stared up at the seething, stunning woman above her. Her heart raced, but there was no fear, only excitement.

  A smirk slid back into place as she shifted underneath Alice to get comfortable. "I knew there was some freakiness under that prissy act," she teased despite the breathlessness in her voice.

  That little quip was the last straw.

  She slammed Juniper back against the couch with one hand, watching with savage satisfaction as those pale, slender legs spread wide under her touch. "You think you're so damn smart, don't you?" she hissed, leaning down until they were inches apart.

  Juniper's smirk wavered for a split second, just long enough to betray the sharp thrill of being at someone’s mercy. Then, with zero shame, she let out a breathy little laugh and arched her back like a cat stretching in sunlight.

  "You coulda said something sooner," Juniper added with an infuriatingly casual shrug. "I’d have let you do this whenever.”

  Alice froze.

  ’Let you do this whenever.’

  Her grip on Juniper's wrists slackened, just a fraction, but it was enough for the other girl to twist her hand free and press it flat against Alice’s chest, right over her pounding heartbeat. A slow, knowing smirk curled at the edge of Juniper's lips as she felt how fast Alice was racing.

  "Uh-oh," Juniper murmured, voice dropping into something low and syrupy-sweet. "Someone's got a real bad case of repressed aggression~" Her fingers splayed out teasingly over the fabric covering Alice’s heart like she could feel every single one of those frantic beats through sheer force of will alone. "No lie, if this is what my feet made you do, I wonder what other parts of me would make ya crash out on me~”

  Alice's breath hitched, sharp and involuntary, as Juniper's fingers pressed just a little harder against her chest.

  For a second, she didn't move. Didn't even blink. Like if she stayed perfectly still, maybe this wouldn’t be happening… maybe the way her body reacted to that taunt would magically disappear too.

  But then? Her free hand shot down. Not for violence, not for once in goddamn eternity, but to grip Juniper’s thigh with bruising force as Alice practically growled through clenched teeth: "You don’t know what you're doing."

  Juniper blinked up at her… before slowly licking across dry lips in one deliberate swipe of pink tongue and grinning like the Cheshire Cat on crack: "Nahhh, I think I do! Seriously, what other part of this sweet, sweet intergalactic superstar will make you go ham right now? My tits? Pits? Ass? Thighs? C'mon, don't leave me hangin'~”

  Alice felt something...snap.

  Because it was one thing to pin Juniper down with her body. To watch that smug smirk falter and those legs part for her. It was another thing entirely to hear it voiced out loud like an invitation, like Juniper knew she wanted that and was just waiting for an excuse.

  The last shred of self-control she had was gone.

  Alice slammed Juniper's hips down into the couch with a rough, possessive jerk of her own body, letting the other girl feel exactly how hard she was breathing against her throat.

  Juniper shivered, actually shivered, at that tone but somehow still found enough nerve to tilt her chin up in defiance:

  "Mmmh~? What, cat got your tongue, or something?" Juniper taunted, shifting her hips with an almost taunting wiggle as if to remind Alice that they were still... very, very close.

  This time, Alice's gasp wasn't an angry one, it was somewhere between a desperate exhale and a choked whine.

  She had no idea what the hell was happening to her, but one thing was for sure: this girl was going to be the death of her. "Fuckin’...hell..."

  Juniper's smirk widened at that desperate sound. "Ohhh, you like that, Al?" she cooed in a low, sinful tone, all while still rolling her hips in a slow, deliberate motion: "Do I turn my feral Black queen on~?”

  As if on cue, Angelica said 'Yes' on the show, the impeccable timing making both girls grin like idiots despite their current little predicament.

  Cue Juniper cackling like an absolute gremlin while still shamelessly rutting against Alice’s trapped lower body:

  "FUCKIN' PERFECT TIMING ANGELICA THANKS FOR THE HYPE!!!"

  While Angelica's act was going on and the audience was giving her an enthusiastic standing ovation, Alice's eyes flicked to the screen for a moment, just in time to see the moon reappearing Angelica.

  "Dammit, I wasn't paying attention," Alice said lowly.

  Juniper's grin widened and her laugh was downright demonic at Alice's admission of being too distracted by her to pay full attention to the show.

  "That's right! You were paying plenty of attention to me instead," she teased, moving her hips in a slow roll against Alice's. "You were fully focused on my body, my hips, my feet…my everything. And now your little brain is fried."

  At this point, it was a miracle Alice's brain hadn't overheated. Hell, it was surprising she could even speak.

  "F-fried...?" Alice repeated, her voice a little higher than a whisper.

  Juniper nodded with a gnarly grin as she leaned in close enough for their noses to touch. "Completely fried. Gone. Outta here.”

  Alice's face only reddened at the comment, and at just how damn close Juniper's face was now. She could feel the latter's hot, sharp breaths against her skin.

  This was getting absolutely ridiculous.

  And yet, she found herself responding in a strangled tone.

  "That's...not true…" Alice protested, though the words lacked any real conviction. "I was...paying plenty of attention to the show.”

  Juniper smirked down at Alice, raising an eyebrow in both mockery and disbelief.

  "You were, huh? Then tell me...what color were Angelica's heels?" she taunted, still rolling her hips slowly in a way that made Alice's brain short-circuit. "Go on. You clearly remember, with the way you were 'paying attention' and all.”

  “...Purple,” Alice whispered.

  Juniper's smirk doubled in size, her eyes practically sparkling with victory.

  "Bingo." She punctuated it by grinding down harder, just to hear the way Alice choked on air. "I knew you weren't paying attention! You're a total liar, y'know that? A big fat faker~"

  She wiggled again for good measure before finally pausing, though still not moving away from their tangled position. Her grin softened into something more smug than teasing as she studied Alice’s flustered face.

  "...Soooo," Juniper drawled out lazily, dragging a finger up the side of Alice’s neck just to watch her shiver. "Now what, Black Queen~?”

  Alice's breath hitched, her body freezing as Juniper's finger traced the sensitive spot on her neck.

  "B-Black Queen?" she repeated in a strangled voice, one that was far too high-pitched for someone trying to act unaffected.

  Juniper's grin turned feral at the sound of Alice's choked-off voice.

  "Yeeeah~" she purred, her fingertip dragging all the way up to tilt Alice’s chin toward her. "My Black Queen. My little feral cheetah who can't even lie about where her eyes really were this whole time."

  She leaned in closer, close enough that if either of them breathed too hard, their lips would brush.

  "And now?" Juniper murmured against the shell of Alice’s ear before nipping it lightly with sharp teeth: "Now you're stuck under me like a good girl~”

  Alice's entire body jolted at the sharp sting of teeth, her hands, which had been frozen in place this whole time, finally moved. One flew up to grip Juniper’s wrist where it was still pressed against her chin while the other dug into her thigh hard enough to bruise.

  "F-fucking hell—" she hissed out between clenched teeth, torn between shoving Juniper away and yanking her closer by sheer reflex alone.

  Juniper just cackled like a hyena as she felt those nails dig in through fabric:

  "Oooooh! Somebody likes that~?!"

  Her hips rolled again for good measure, watching with unholy glee as Alice practically convulsed beneath hers.

  "...Guess I don't gotta ask if you want me to stop then."

  Juniper snuck her phone out from behind herself, and before Alice could notice her slick move and react, she snapped a pic of herself on top of Alice, making sure both of them and their faces were captured in the shot. "Fuck yeah. I'm sendin' this to Angelica to celebrate the occasion!”

  Alice's brain took a painful moment to catch up to the fact that Juniper had just taken a picture.

  "...What!? No, don't you—!"

  She tried to lunge for the phone, but the sudden movement ended up backfiring when her legs shifted, accidentally shifting Juniper to fall butt-first right on her face.

  ...Oh goodness. Her head fell backwards with a thud against the arm of the couch, the sound and the impact of the fall muffled by the soft cloth.

  "...Fuuuuck me.”

  A stunned moment of complete silence passed between the two of them as they processed what had just happened.

  ...Then, Juniper, who was still straddling Alice's face, burst out into an unholy fit of cackles that practically shook the room around them.

  "Oh...oh damn, that's...you're...you're so…!"

  She wheezed out between bouts of breathless laughter so hard she had to grip Alice's shoulders for support. Her phone, of course, was still clutched firmly in her other hand.

  Alice's entire body burned with mortification, her hands flying up to grip Juniper’s waist, partly to push her off, partly because she couldn't even think about moving them away now.

  "JUNI, YOU SICK LITTLE BASTARD!" she screamed directly into the fabric of Juniper's skirt, voice muffled but no less furious.

  Juniper just cackled harder at that response, leaning back slightly so Alice could get a lungful of air while still keeping herself firmly planted on top of the other girl’s face like some kind of smug human blanket.

  "Pffftttt, y'know what?" She wiped an imaginary tear from under one eye and beamed down at where Alice was struggling beneath her: "Worth it."

  Her grin widened as if struck by sudden inspiration before adding in a sing-song tone:

  "And guess who gets to keep this pic AND send it to Angelica~? Spoiler alert: ME.”

  Alice's face burned so hot she was probably rivaling the temperature of the sun at this point, and not just because she was literally being smothered by Juniper's ass.

  "I hate you. You're the absolute worst."

  She mumbled the words through clenched teeth, still trying to push at Juniper's hips.

  All Juniper did in response was rock forward and grind against her face a bit more.

  "Uh-huh. You just keep on tellin' yourself that, my Black queen~”

  With a few swipes and taps, Juniper successfully sent the pic to Angelica before tucking her phone away.

  "Aaaaand...photo sent~”