[Amy's POV]
I watch Ben's chest rise and fall in the soft glow of the night light. His face is so peaceful when he sleeps, all the worry lines smoothed away. I could stare at him forever like this, memorizing every freckle, every eyelash, the slight curve of his lips when he dreams something pleasant.
My slime core feels too full like it might burst from my chest. I've never felt anything like this, this overwhelming, consuming need to protect and possess all at once. It's terrifying how much I love him. Sometimes, I think I'll dissolve completely into it, lose whatever sense of self I've managed to cobble together over the millennia.
"He's so beautiful," I whisper, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. My fingers linger on his warm skin, savoring the contact.
We had such a perfect evening. Pizza and horror movies, Ben nestled between us on the couch. I laughed when he screamed at all the jump scares.
Later, after the third movie, my red-haired self couldn't resist anymore. I watched through her eyes as she climbed onto his lap, felt what she felt as she rode him slowly, his hands gripping her hips. I savored his expressions from two perspectives at once, my purple-haired self kissing his neck while my freckled body took him deep inside.
He fell asleep almost immediately after, completely spent between us. Ben is so adorably fragile that way.
I press a gentle kiss to his forehead and slowly extricate myself from his arms. My red-haired self does the same on his other side, both of us moving in perfect synchronicity as we slip out of bed.
After shutting the bedroom door quietly we pad silently into the living room, our bare feet making no sound on the carpet. The apartment is dark and quiet, just the distant hum of the refrigerator and the occasional car passing on the street below.
"I think it's time," I say, settling on the couch.
I take a deep breath, focusing on separating a part of myself. It's like pulling taffy, stretching my consciousness until it thins, then snaps. With a thought, I sever the connection between us.
Riley's body shudders, her eyes widening as the hivemind link breaks. She blinks rapidly, looking down at her hands as if seeing them for the first time.
"So," I ask, leaning forward with anticipation, "do you like my plan to make Ben happy?"
Riley looks around the room, disoriented. Her movements are different now more hesitant, less synchronized with mine. "Sorry," she says, shaking her head slightly. "It's jarring losing the connection."
I watch her with curiosity. Without our shared consciousness, she seems smaller somehow, more vulnerable. The dominant Riley personality I've left her with makes her fidget in ways I never would, her fingers tapping against her thigh.
"Take your time," I say, studying her reactions.
Riley settles on the couch across from me, tucking her legs beneath her. The separation has made her movements more human, less fluid. Without our shared consciousness, she seems to be finding her balance as an individual entity.
"Let's just start from the top," Riley suggests, running a hand through her red hair. "Saying it out loud might help test it too."
I see the logic in what she says. Verbalizing the plan will help solidify it and identify any weak points.
"Okay then," I nod, leaning forward. "Ben was such a good boy today, accepting me into his heart. I decided I want to reward him."
The words feel right as they leave my lips. Ben deserves this after finally embracing our relationship.
"To reward him, I want to create the Liz he remembers."
Riley nods enthusiastically. "Yup, yup, good so far."
I tap my finger against my chin, thinking through the logistics. "To do that, I'd have to be able to read his mind. To do that, we need someone to experiment on first since I don't want to slither into Ben's brain without knowing exactly what I'm doing."
"Of course," Riley says, her eyes lighting up with understanding.
"Since we want to recreate Liz, she's the obvious choice," I say, gesturing with my hands to emphasize the point.
Riley nods, but her expression shifts to one of concern. "Yes, but therein lies the problem. Damn Vampires!"
"Exactly," I reply, leaning back against the couch. "But she has a roommate, and she sounded tasty, remember? We were in the backpack when Ben ran into her."
Riley smiles, her eyes lighting up with recognition. "Of course."
"Ben said her name is Catrina," I continue, already feeling excited about the possibilities. "We could experiment with her until we feel good about tapping into the brain, and then we absorb her, make her one of us. Then bam! She's the perfect person to watch Liz, and eventually steal her away from those stupid vampires."
"Yup," Riley agrees, her freckled face breaking into a wide grin.
I stand up and begin pacing, my bare feet silent against the carpet. "We practice on Catrina, figure out how to safely access memories without hurting Ben, then once we're confident, we just absorb her."
Riley's eyes light up with excitement. "We just need to find her and pick the place to do it," she says, bouncing slightly on the couch cushion. "Somewhere private where no one will hear anything."
A smile spreads across my face as I consider the logistics. "It's good that you lived alone, isn't it? Your apartment will be perfect."
Riley grins wildly, her freckled face almost glowing with anticipation. "Indeed it is! No roommates to pay attention. It's the ideal spot."
"I do have work tomorrow, though," Riley adds, her expression growing more serious.
I nod firmly. "I know, and you can't skip it. We don't want anyone thinking someone's gone missing." I tap my chin thoughtfully. "We need to maintain normal routines."
Riley nods in agreement, her red hair falling across her face.
"On Monday, we'll grab her," I decide, the plan crystallizing in my mind. "Darling already has her number from when they met. We can lure her out by taking Ben's shape and bring her to your place."
Riley's face lights up as she nods enthusiastically. "It's the perfect plan! She won't suspect a thing."
"Yes," I agree, satisfaction settling over me like a warm blanket. "It really is."
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, both of us contemplating the brilliance of our scheme. Then Riley tilts her head, her expression turning curious.
"What if Ben finds out too soon?" she asks, fiddling with a strand of her red hair. "He seemed pretty upset about me."
I wave my hand dismissively. "Ben's not going to find out about Catrina. We keep that part completely hidden for now." I lean forward, my eyes gleaming with intensity. "He's still so... moral about the whole absorption thing."
Riley nods, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "You're right. We shouldn't tell him until he's more comfortable with what we are. It would just upset him unnecessarily."
"Exactly." I tap my fingernail against my knee, the sound eerily precise in the quiet apartment. "Besides, it's meant to be a surprise! Imagine his face when we present him with the perfect Liz, crafted from his own memories." I sigh dreamily at the thought. "He'll be so happy he won't care how we did it."
Riley grins, her eyes matching my excitement. "Like a birthday present, but better!"
"I don't want to keep using the nectar on him either," I add, my voice dropping lower. "Just a tiny bit today to help him be a bit more receptive to us. Too much, and he might lose himself."
"That would be counterproductive," Riley agrees. "We want his love to be real, not chemically induced."
"Though I must say," I continue, a smile playing at my lips, "the way he surrendered today was absolutely delicious."
Riley's expression softens. "He's so empathetic, isn't he? Even with all the changes in his life, he still tried to understand us. Tried to know us better."
"It's adorable," I agree, warmth spreading through my slime core. "His little attempt at a serious conversation while we were going down on him? Precious."
We share a laugh, the sound perfectly synchronized despite our separated consciousnesses.
"It's decided then," I say, standing up and stretching my arms above my head.
Riley nods enthusiastically. "And in the meantime, we continue helping Ben adjust to his new life. With us."
"Exactly."
I glance toward the bedroom door, thinking of Ben sleeping peacefully beyond it. "Let's get back to bed. I don't want him waking up alone."
I stand and approach Riley, my lips curving into a smile. With a flick of my wrist, I send a tiny droplet of my essence flying through the air. It lands on Riley's cheek with a soft splat, immediately sinking into her freckled skin.
Her eyes widen as our consciousnesses reconnect, the separation dissolving like sugar in hot water. The sensation rushes through us, two bodies sharing one mind again, perfect synchronicity restored.
"Much better," I sigh through both mouths simultaneously, feeling whole once more.
We rise together, movements mirrored as we glide silently back to the bedroom. Ben's sleeping form comes into view as we push the door open, his chest rising and falling with each peaceful breath. The sight of him makes both our cores flutter with possessive adoration.
We slip into bed on both sides of him, our cool bodies pressing against his warmth. Through Riley's eyes, I watch myself settle on Ben's right while my purple-haired form nestles against his left. We both lean in, pressing identical kisses to his temples.
"Sweet dreams, darling. I love you," we whisper in perfect unison, our voices harmonizing in the darkness as Ben stirs slightly.