“Just to be clear,” she said, her breath heavy and hot against his cheek, “this doesn’t mean anything.”

“Sure, babe,” he said, trying to work off her shoulder piece. It was always so much harder to take off someone else’s armor. Especially when you’re distracted.

“I’m not your babe, York,” she corrected, arching her neck as he kissed from her mouth down to the collar bone. She lost patience with his fingers and pushed him away from her for a moment as she took off her armor.

“Right, got it,” he said, leaning back against the wall at the head of his bed. He grinned, watching her shrug off pieces of her armor until she was in normal, easy-to-deal-with clothes. She saw him, saw the smirk, and sighed as she lunged towards him, planting her lips on his with a smile.

“I mean it,” she continued, his hands finding their way under her shirt, under her bra, fingers pressing on her skin. “This is purely a physical release. None of that ‘babe’ stu-” she was cut off by a sharp gasp as he hit the sweet spot at the base of her neck with his teeth.

“I said I got it, Carolina. Now stop trying to be in charge.” He took her arms into his hands, encircling her muscle, and flipped her to be lying down on the bed as he descended on top of her, pushing her shirt up with his hands and following the motion through with his tongue. She arched her back slightly, bringing herself closer to him, digging nails into his bare shoulder. She really loved this, being held down, following orders. Submitting. Especially to him. He took charge so well.

It took the door closing for either of them to realize it had been opened. Carolina’s head shot up and York’s followed, staring at the intruder. Within a second York was sitting on his bed, and Carolina was smoothing down her shirt, feet already touching the floor.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Wash,” York growled. Wash had been standing there, frozen, looking anywhere but at them. At this greeting, however, he couldn’t help but let out the smallest noise, betraying all the laughter he was holding back. It took York a moment before his face broke into a grin, and soon both of them were laughing and Carolina was putting her hair back into a ponytail.

“Literally?” Wash wheezed in between laughs. He straightened up with a contented sigh. “Still, really sorry, I’ll go.”

“No,” Carolina said firmly and walked over to the other side of the bed to pick up her armor. “Stay, I’ve got things to do anyway.”

“Babe…” York started and immediately shut up when he saw Carolina’s face.

“I’m not your fucking babe, York.”

“Well, certainly not now,” Wash mumbled and he and York were once again laughing. Carolina’s expression didn’t change, a true monument to her self-control.

“Look, next time, I’ll lock the door!” York was saying as Carolina continued to put on her armor. “That way my idiot roommate will know to not be here.” He shot Wash a glance, but all Wash could do is shrug with a smile.

“Honestly, I’ll leave, you guys can just pick up from where you left off or whatever,” Wash said earnestly, but Carolina was already walking towards the door.

“Next time,” she said, then thought better and restarted. “If there is a next time, we’ll do it in my bunk. No roommate.”

“Sorry about the cockblock, babe,” Wash said as she passed him. As soon as the last word left his mouth, his entire face scrunched up in a wince. York let out a slow, low whistle. “What I mean, Carolina, well, I didn’t, you see, it was just mentioned before and I guess it was on my mind, so I said it…” he trailed off when he realized she was face to face with him. She grinned. Her knee went up, and the pain radiated through his entire body as he slumped down on the ground.

“We’re even,” she said and left the room, letting York’s laughter fill the hall as she opened the door.