Inevitable
Liz crept into the back quietly, heart pounding, cheeks stinging with heat and darted her eyes around the lounge area nervously, uncertain if she wanted to confront Michael now or wait until he cooled off. Sighing, she pressed a hand to her eyes both relieved and slightly disappointed that Michael was nowhere to be seen and drew a deep breath, pushing off the wall to head to her apartment, her mind whiling in confusion. Why did her life have to be so damn complicated? Just once, she'd like a day where she didn't have to deal with alien politics or tempers.
Head bent, she crossed the floor quickly, nearly reaching the stairs and the cool, quiet sanctuary beyond, where she didn't have to deal with anything alien, (well until Michael came up since they shared the apartment), when a steel band clamped around her wrist, spinning her around to face furious whiskey eyes. "Michael?"
Swallowing thickly, when instead of answering, he crowded and trapped her on the stairs to the apartment, she briefly considered whirling around and running up the stairs, praying to make it to her room before he could catch up, but knew better. That would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull and she was far safer dealing with the irate man here, where things couldn't get out of hand. She hoped.
Michael advanced on her, his face carefully schooled and blank, back coiling with tension and intent as their eyes clashed, his sparking with anger and just the slightest hint of pain as he placed a hand on each banister, effectively cutting off her escape route. Flicking a fiery glance over her, his lips thinned and he leaned into her, almost daring her to back up the stairs to the waiting rooms above, to seek refuge or really just entrap her further in a place that was far too close to their beds.
Inhaling sharply, she stood her ground, shuddering when his chest grazed against hers, eliciting a ripple of pleasure throughout her body and she tipped her head up slowly, meeting molten caramel defiantly, breath snagging when those beautiful and captivating irises heated with a different fire altogether. Licking her lips unconsciously, she wisely shifted back just slightly so they weren't so intimately pressed together, nearly missing the ghost of a smirk that flashed across his face at her retreat.
"You kissed him," he accused softly, his brow pinching with annoyance as he recalled Rath leaning over the pretty brunette and the way her cheeks had colored with that particular rosy shade that said she had been enjoying it. Pressing his lips together as a flash of pain and rage sliced his heart, he pressed into her again, asking hoarsely "Again. I…why?"
"He kissed me," she refuted weakly, her heart hammering as his body pressed to hers again, the smell of clean sweat and irritated, yet aroused male filling her senses and making her head swim. Throat convulsing, she dug her nails into the banister to keep from reaching out and sinking them into the rippling muscles in front of her as he had made it clear weeks ago that they weren't an item and couldn't be. Hurt bubbled in her gut at that reminder, replacing the smoldering embers that he started and she squared her shoulders, not about to let him intimidate her for something that hadn't been her decision.
"But you didn't fight it either," he grated, anger coursing through his veins as he watched her build that cool, silent wall once more around him, the one that said hands off and just tempted, dared him to do the opposite and put his hands all over her until that icy wall melted.
"Not that it's any of your business," she bit out, her temper finally sparking in the wake of his inconsistent reactions and heartily tired of him, and every other alien on the damn planet, telling her what she could and could not do. Who the hell died and made him king? Last she checked, Max was still breathing. Fixing him with cool disdain, she turned away and nonchalantly climbed a couple of steps towards her room "But I was taken by surprise and reacted instinctively."
"Don't go there, Liz," he warned in a low, dangerous tone, one that said he was close to losing the tight reins on his temper and flinched just the slightest at her cool dismissal. Narrowing his eyes, he fixed her retreating back with a heated glare, the wood under his hands creaking as his he tightened his grip to keep from chasing her down and smirked, taunting softly, knowing full well that it would get her back up and force her to confront him. "It is too my business."
"No, no Michael, it really isn't," she responded predictably, whirling around and stalking down the steps to get into his face this time, her eyes flashing with irritation. Jabbing him in the chest, she met his hot gaze unflinchingly and hissed quietly. "You couldn't do this, remember? You didn't want to hurt our friends or potentially break up the group, despite the fact that both of those friends have moved on. Or did you forget that fact?"
"I did it to protect you," he replied quietly, dipping his head so that their faces were only inches apart, his heart thrumming wildly as her breath puffed over his softly. Flicking his eyes down to the trembling, pink flesh that had been haunting his every thought over the past few months, he bit back a groan and knew all he had to do was move one inch and they'd be on his again. Ripping his eyes away, he met her gaze, unable to quell a triumphant grin when he noticed dilated pupils and her all too apparent reaction to him.
"You did it to protect yourself," she retorted, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him away, closing the distance until only an inch stood between them and tipped her head back, watching him defiantly, daring him to deny her words. She wasn't going to put up with this attitude any longer or feel bad for what happened. He had been the one who put the distance between them, not her. "You didn't want to face what was happening between us. So you don't get to throw stones because some other guy kissed me."
"Rath is not some guy and you know it," he growled as he pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest and backing up defensively, watching her wearily. He couldn't refute her words and it irritated him, made him wary that she knew him so well as to call him out on his actions. Running a hand through his hair with aggravation as their kiss flashed through his head once more, he grit his teeth and walked back towards her. He was damned if he was going to let that asshole horn in on his territory.
"Oh, so that's what this is about," she drawled scathingly, walking down another step so that they were on the same level and cocked a mocking brow as she crossed her own arms over her chest, a slight smirk twisting her lips. She should have known. He didn't really want to risk his own heart, but the idea that Rath didn't feel the same compunction irritated him. "The fact that he's your twin. Newsflash, Michael, I can kiss whomever I choose, whenever I choose."
"That so?" he asked menacingly, his head swinging over to the tiny brunette, swearing under his breath as she cocked her head at him and smiled widely, a determined light sparking in her eyes as she sauntered down the rest of the steps as if she hadn't a care in the world. She wouldn't…
"Yes," Liz replied succinctly, just managing to bite back a snicker as he scowled and brushed past him, heading for the swinging door determinedly, flicking him an impatient glance as she passed. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she smirked and continued on as if he hadn't said a word. "In fact, I think I'll go out there right now and…"
"The hell you will," Michael groused, clamping a hand on her wrist again and dragged her towards him, damned if he was going to put up with her kissing his dupe again. Swooping down, he wrapped his arm around the back of her knees and tossed her over his shoulder, smirking at her outraged cry.
"Michael!" she yelped, beating her hand on his back as he spun around and walked toward the kitchen door, poking his head in to address a laughing Jose, blatantly ignoring her actions. Growling under her breath, she tried pushing off his shoulder, only to be jostled into falling against it once more. "Michael put me down!"
"I'm taking off, Jose," he called impatiently, swatting her on the ass as she once again tried get loose and spun back around, swiftly heading for the stairs to their apartment, tossing his parting words over his shoulder. "If anyone is looking for us, we aren't to be disturbed!" It was time to end this one way or another, to hell with the rest of the group.
"Good luck with that one, chico," the man called back, shaking his head at the two and glad that they were finally going to end this dance they were doing, laughing once more when he heard Michael stomp up the stairs and the door slamming emphatically between Liz's irate comments. "You're going to need it."
Glancing at the doorway with amusement, he sobered when he caught a slight movement as Rath quietly slid into the backroom and stared up at the closed door thoughtfully, a frown marring his face and couldn't help wondering what was going on in the other man's head. Clearing his throat pointedly, he fixed Michael's dupe with a sympathetic glance when his head shot to him, shrugging his shoulders. "Those are the breaks, man."
"Yeah, those are the breaks," Rath replied quietly, clawing at his brow and shifting uncomfortably under the other man's gaze before he turned his attention to the door once more and sighed, running a hand through his spikes and spun on his heel, pushing through the swinging door, desperately needing to be anywhere but there at the moment.
