I'm not stalking you or anything

Being together like this made moving past the heartache that much faster, but the now copious amount of alcohol she had was the driving factor. Forgetting was much easier, distracting herself with her wedding crashing date, was everything she needed to feel like she could move past the hurts done to her. Maverick as well. They didn’t have to be haunted tonight, this was for joy and celebration. For them and for the happy couple.

While they were skirting the edge of propriety already sneaking out here on their own, she hadn’t quite expected him to be quite so honest. Surprise took her and she spit her drink, and however apologetic Maverick’s words were she didn’t believe he was sorry at all. Not with that grin playing over his features and not about the double meaning behind his words as he encouraged her to take a replacement drink of her beverage.

"You are absolutely incorrigible.” As she teased him, Maverick turned around and voiced his disappointment in her question. She’d given her deepest observation, the liquor had a tighter hold of her than Mav. The Empress was quite inebriated, she just hadn't done the stand up test yet. She wasn’t going to have many deep dives into his psychology anymore tonight. "I didn't realize I’d made such an impression.” She did realize though, he might not have been fully drunk but he was completely honest with her. Pushing his boundaries as he went on.

He made her blush further as he nuzzled against her cheek and caressed up to her ear after she made up for her last drink. He whispered his next assertion there close to the sensitive skin, making it burn where his breath touched her. She turned red but mostly from the trust, she had thought about their time together, and everything they’d held back with because she was injured. He was right though, and while sober she might not have admitted. Then again he might not have asked unless they were this deep in the bottle.

But they were that deep in the bottle and he had asserted his assumption. The way he spoke sent shivers over her skin and heat followed after. "I may have…” She whispered back, but her inhibitions were leaving her, she wanted to be just as honest. Still, long held habits were hard to break and instead of verbally affirming every word he said, she took another long swig of the mead.

Maverick wasn’t done yet though, after he spared a glance at the castle he went on, inching closer he leaned heavily against her side as he warned her. Asserting that she would put up no real fight if he tried to take her here and now. He wrapped his arm along her back, holding her tightly to him. The heart he already stoked growing further, there was no one out here beyond them, if they were quiet no one would be any wiser to their naughty antics. Just contemplating the brazen recklessness excited the prim and proper empress.

"No, I don’t think I would,” There may have been some fight had Venom not wanted the feeling of him surrounding her. Sunset eyes lifted to his features, still taken aback by the look of adoration he wore when he looked at her. Like he hadn’t seen the gorgeous woman at the party, like he hadn’t always had his choice of a lady, like she was the only woman in the world. Her carefree smile remained on her features as she spoke, her final, and easiest guess. "You have every intention of ‘having your way with me.’” Her grin pulled back at the corners, "And I think you should.”

"Venom"