Burning
by Alexis
Disclaimer: Not mine, blah, blah, blah.
Summary: Max goes into heat and turns to Alec for release. For those of you who like a little *ahem*
A/N: Graphic, so don't read if you're under age or have a hang up about sex between consenting adults.
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"Morning Max," Alec said as he rummaged through the junk in his locker at Jam Pony. Max didn't answer. Alec looked over at her in surprise. He hadn't done anything to piss her off in a couple of days, so she had no reason to ignore him. But as soon as he looked at her he knew why she hadn't answered him.
"Oh crap," he said under his breath. Max's eyes were feverish, her breathing was shallow and rapid, and with his enhanced senses he could feel the heat rolling off her in waves. She was burning up. She was staring transfixed at one of the newest messengers and biting her lip. Alec could almost hear the thoughts running through her mind as she admired the guy's ass.
"Crap," he said again, as he slammed shut his locker. He had to stop her before she did something she'd regret in the morning. *Because I'm her friend* he told himself, trying to ignore the slow burn of anger he felt at the idea of her sleeping with some jerk. He hurried over to her locker. "Ma-ax," he said, drawing her name out into two syllables. He waved his fingers in front of her face to get her attention. "Max, you need to take a sick day."
"What?" she said, finally tearing her eyes away long enough to look over at Alec. "I feel fine." But then her gaze fell on his lips and she stood mesmerized, wondering if he'd taste as good as he looked. And considering how good he looked...
"Sure you do," Alec said with a sigh. He leaned in closer and closer until their bodies were a bare inch apart. Max's breath caught in her throat. "How badly do you want me to kiss you right now?" Alec asked, his breath brushing her lips.
It took a few seconds for the words to register in her brain. "Oh my God," Max said and collapsed on the bench. "I'm in heat!" She stared at Alec in horror. "What am I gonna do?" she whispered. The room was full of young male bodies. Max buried her face in her hands.
"Go home," he answered reasonably.
"You don't understand. I never make it home when I'm like this. This is how I hooked up with Rafer, with Darren, with all of them. God I hate this!"
Alec grabbed her wrist and hauled her to her feet. "C'mon. I'll take you home." He dragged her out the door, calling to Normal as they went. "Max needs a sick day. She's, um, got a fever."
At the corner they had to wait for a truck to pass before they could cross the street. Max pressed up against Alec's back and purred. Her free hand snaked around his waist from behind and idly trailed along his abs.
"Max, stop that," Alec commanded impatiently. He had to keep control of the situation. He had to think straight for both of them, which wasn't an easy task given that the scent of her was driving him crazy. All he wanted to do was seize her in his arms and take her, but he forced the urge away. Against the wall of the building behind them was a barrel full of cold rain water. Before Max could guess his intentions he grabbed her by the back of her head and dunked her in. She gasped in surprise and struggled, and then went limp and let the cold water quench the fire raging inside her.
Finally she came up for air. She flipped her long hair back and let it soak her clothes. "Thanks," she said. Then she splashed water at Alec, drenching his head and chest. He sputtered. "Fair's fair," she said sweetly and giggled.
Alec tried vainly to wring out his wet t-shirt without actually taking it off. The last thing Max needed right now was to be around a half-naked male. He sighed and gave up. "I'm taking you home now." Max gave him a knowing look and licked her lips. "Don't get any ideas," he warned. "Cuz it's not gonna happen. You'd kill me in the morning."
Max started to follow him and then stopped dead. "I can't go home," she said horrified. "Not like this! Logan's supposed to stop by later!"
"Yeah, that could be a problem." Alec looked up and down the street, searching for an answer. Where would Logan not expect to find Max? "Ok, you can crash at my place." Max followed obediently, in control for the time being.
When they got to Alec's apartment he sent Max straight to the shower. She jumped in with all her clothes on, since she didn't trust herself to be naked in the same apartment with someone as gorgeous as Alec around. She stood under the freezing water until she was shivering. When the water ran out she left the bathroom and padded into the living room, dripping wet. She stared abashed at the puddles she was making.
"Don't worry about it," Alec said as he handed her a glass of cold water. "It's only water. It'll dry."
Max nodded and retreated across the room. She dipped her fingers in the glass and flicked the water onto her face. She avoided looking at Alec. She hated being like this, hated Manticore for making her such a freak. Most of all she hated to let anyone see her this way. The only good thing about being with Alec right now was at least she didn't have to try and explain it.
"It's been months," she said tonelessly. "I was starting to think maybe I grew out of it or something."
"Getting a transplant is rough, even for an X-5. It probably messed up your cycle."
"What did they do back at Manticore?"
"It totally freaked them out. At first they didn't know what to do, so they just sedated the girls. But that meant they were out of commission for days, and each unit was always short by at least one soldier. Threw a real kink in the training schedule. So they decided it would be more efficient to let each girl have her pick of the transgenics. Get it out of her system in one night. It…made for some awkward mornings." He looked away. "I know it sucks to be you right now, but it isn't easy being the guy either."
He busied himself in the kitchen, searching for something to eat. Max had never really thought about it from the guy's side before. She looked speculatively at Alec, wondering just how many awkward mornings he'd had. Quite a few she'd wager. There was just something about him. If this had happened while she was still back at Manticore, given the choice she probably would have picked Alec. Her ability to think shattered as the heat built, pulsing through her blood to the rhythm of her heart.
She snuck across the room, silent on bare feet. He was startled when she suddenly appeared at his side. Before he could move away she captured his head in her hands and attacked his lips with hers. All her will was bent on ending the hunger that stalked her. She ran her tongue along his lips and then flicked it in and out of his mouth. She sucked on his bottom lip, nibbling at it with her teeth. Caught by surprise, Alec responded without thinking. His arms encircled her and his hands pressed her tight against him. He kissed her, forcefully, deeply, their tongues duelling.
Max dropped her weight backwards, tumbling them both to the floor. Alec pinned her beneath him and trailed kisses along her jaw and neck to the hollow at the base of her throat. Max purred with pleasure. She slid her hands under his shirt and lightly scratched his back with her nails. Then she dropped her hands to his waist and fumbled impatiently at his belt. "No," Alec whispered. He flung himself off her and rolled away. "No," he said again, more firmly this time.
"Alec, I'm burning. Help me." She looked at him beseechingly.
"No, Max. Not like this. You don't want this. You don't want me."
"That's not true." She reached for him, tried to pull him down on her again. He pushed her hands away and stood up out of reach.
"You'll hate me in the morning. And that's too high a price to pay for just one night with you."
Max rolled onto her side and pressed her burning face to the cool tile floor. She was ashamed. It was always like this. The heat clouded her judgement, urged her do things she regretted later.
"Max, don't do that. It's not your fault." Alec held out his hand. She took it and let him pull her to her feet, but she wouldn't look him in the eye.
"I'm gonna get some sleep," she said. She forced herself to head for the bedroom. She did try to sleep, but she tossed and turned for hours. She was consumed by thoughts of Alec. Finally she got up and drifted into the living room. He was watching tv, but the sound was turned off and he heard her approach.
"Max," he said warily.
"This time it's different. Before, the heat just wanted a body and it didn't matter whose. But now, all I can think of is you." She drew closer, step by step, until she was close enough to touch him. "I'm so lonely Alec. I'm tired of being alone. Tonight I want to be with you. No one else. Just you."
She slid her fingers along his jaw and into his hair, and brought her lips up to his. She kissed him hungrily, over and over – offering but not demanding. "Just you," she whispered again. He'd waited so long to hear those words. And whether she meant it or not, right then he didn't care. She wanted HIM, needed HIM. It was enough for tonight. He pulled her close, moulding their bodies together. They kissed, tongues entwined. She could feel the hardness of his erection through his jeans. She rubbed against him, and the friction caused him to groan against her mouth.
Gently he disentangled her wrists from around his neck and moved her arms straight above her head. He slid his fingers down the inside of her arms and along her ribs, causing her to shiver. Slowly he pulled off first her shirt and then his own. She reached behind and undid the clasp of her bra and let it fall to the floor. Bare flesh pressed against bare flesh.
Max arched her back as Alec nibbled his way down her exposed throat to her collarbone, his fingers teasing her hardened nipples. She moaned in pleasure. She wanted to feel his hands all over her. She wriggled out of her pants, and stood naked before him. His heart hammered in his ears as he stared at her. She was perfection. He picked her up and carried her to his bed.
She watched eagerly as he slid out of his pants and boxers and then reached to pull him on top of her. He chuckled and gently pressed her hands to the bed. She was so impatient. He ran his hands down the length of her body, amazed by the smooth silkiness of her skin. He felt her shiver at the contact. He bent his head and ran his tongue in lazy circles over her breast, over and around. She panted in anticipation as each spiral brought him closer to her nipple. Finally he flicked his tongue over her tight bud and sucked at it, teasing her. She moaned, her hands clutching the sheets. His other hand wandered along her ribs and down her stomach to her hip. He bit the side of her breast and then kissed it better as his hand moved between her legs. She gasped as his thumb massaged her clit and his fingers slid inside her. She was so warm and moist. He turned his attention to her other breast, and licked and suckled at it while his fingers moved in a delicious rhythm against her center. It was sweet torture.
She levered herself off the bed and flipped them over so she straddled him. It was her turn to tease. He chuckled and surrendered control to her. She bit his neck and nibbled her way down his chest to his stomach. She stroked his hard shaft with one hand. She flicked her tongue out and licked his tip. He groaned and his hips bucked.
Unable to wait any longer she laughed and brushed her opening with his tip. Slowly she lowered herself onto him, inch by inch. He grabbed her hips and held her steady and he thrust into her, wanting to bury his full length in her warm passage. She gasped as he filled her completely. She arched her back and he moved his hips under hers, his hands kneading her breasts, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers. Then she collapsed against his chest so she could capture his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her back and head and rolled so that she lay under him. He pinned her to the mattress with his full weight and thrust into her, again and again. They moved in rhythm together, hurtling toward release. He slammed into her, faster and harder, her moans spurring him on. He felt her shudder and the walls of her passage clenched tight around him as she was swamped by wave after wave of pleasure. She moaned his name as she peaked. The sound of her calling his name in pleasure pushed him over the edge. He gasped and exploded into her.
----*----
In the morning Alec woke to find Max watching him with a serious expression on her face. His heart stopped beating. *You fucking idiot,* he berated himself, *you've ruined everything.* He tensed, waiting for her to start yelling and punching.
Max saw him flinch and dropped her gaze out of guilt. She hated herself for what she'd done to him. She'd forced him, used him, abused their friendship. She was amazed he hadn't shoved her out of his apartment yet. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have made you do it. I just…I don't know how to control it. I'm a horrible friend. I'm so sorry."
Alec stared at her in surprise. "Whoa. You're mad at YOU, not me? If you weren't so upset this would actually be funny." He grinned at her. "Max, do I look like the kind of guy who'd object when a beautiful girl wants to sleep with me?" He could tell she didn't believe him. He hated seeing that look of pain in her eyes. Abruptly he stopped joking and stared at her, his expression serious. "I could've stopped you, if I'd really wanted to. But I didn't. Can't you guess why, Maxie? I want you. I always have."
Her breathing went ragged as she caught the look in his eyes.
"So the only question is," he said in a quiet voice as he ran his fingers down her arm, "do you need to be in heat to want ME?" He slid one hand around her lower back and pulled her against his chest. His other hand went behind her head to prevent her from pulling away, and then he kissed her. His touch ran like an electrical current through her system, setting every nerve tingling. She surrendered to the kiss, let it still the nervousness in her stomach.
She pulled back and took a deep breath. This wasn't the time for lies or evasions. "The heat's gone, but I…I still want you as much now as I did then."
Alec grinned and rolled on top of her. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I'll tell Normal it was contagious."