Scratching the Itch
By Abregaza
DISCLAIMER: If you're reading this you know I don't own them, If you care enough to sue, I have no money, and you can't get blood from a stone.
A/N: First thanks to Terri - - for writing the fic Second Anniversary which inspired this little interlude with one paragraph, go read it, I'm sure you can guess which one it was
Secondly Milla, for the fantastic beta, I've heard you called the super-beta before and I'd totally agree.
Thirdly, everyone at DA: Reflections, Cape Haven, DA: The Broken World, and all those involved in VS3, you guys keep me interested and inspired with your fics, and discussions. I've gotten so many ideas now I just have to find time to flesh them out and write them.
Lastly, anyone that reviews has my eternal gratitude; just knowing that someone actually reads my work is great and keeps me writing, and if you like it even better.
Anyways I suppose I should stop rambling and let you get to the story, so shutting up nows.
PART ONE - Scratching
Max had managed to avoid Original Cindy all morning; leaving the apartment shortly after dawn and doing extra runs. The closest only contact between them had been a quick wave from across the street.
It was shortly before lunch that her luck ran out. She rode into the building and pulled up at Normal's desk for her next package.
"Here's your next package, girlie," said Normal. "Take your lunch break first, and don't ride your bike in the building when you get back."
Max nodded and pasted a big smile on her face, "Sure Normal, in fact I'll try my hardest not to ride my bike anywhere for the rest of the day."
Turning away she heard him mumble under his breath, "No different that any of the other worthless slackers on staff."
Resisting the urge to flip him off she headed towards Cindy who was sitting in the employee area, knowing that she couldn't avoid her moment of truth any longer.
"So the Lady Max made it home with her virtue intact?" drawled Cindy as Max dumped her bag on a nearby table and sat down, the package still in her hands.
Max remained silent, staring at the floor as she searched for a witty comment to answer Original Cindy's question.
None came to mind.
"Max?" asked Cindy, in a puzzled tone. "I was just kidding, boo?"
Still, Max didn't reply her thoughts going back to the night before.
"Max?" asked Cindy again, "Are you okay?"
Meeting the concerned gaze of her friend Max felt tears burning behind her eyes as she shook her head slightly.
No, the Lady Max wasn't okay, and her virtue had definitely not made it home intact.
* * * * * * * * B E G I N * * F L A S H B A C K * * * * * * * *
The icy water poured over her overheated body; the contrast in temperature so great that the chill was burning. Max was grateful for that minor discomfort, distracting her from the heat and the reactions it was causing in her body.
Distracting her from her fantasy of what she could do with a man in the shower, him holding her against the wall and driving her insane as the water poured over their bodies, her legs wrapped around him, his stubble scraping at her neck as he nuzzled his way up to her ears, pulling back to meet her eyes with his lust glinting from his own sapphire orbs, before swooping in for a savage kiss...
Every moment that passed resulted in an increase in her pain, as the heat slowly built to its climax, and knowing that in less that 10 minutes she had to see Logan wasn't helping in the least.
Breathing deeply she shut off the water and dressed, before heading out into the living area of the apartment to wait.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In the long minutes since Logan had parked the car Max had tried to control the urges coursing through her body. She turned slightly away from him and fought to keep from looking at him as she panted gently, trying to calm down and focus on the task at hand.
Let the guards change shifts; get the chip, save the world. Easy.
"What's up with the windows?" asked Logan, rubbing his hand over the driver's window and glancing into the backseat, noticing idly that those windows were fogged up too.
"I don't know. Why you asking me?" replied Max, her distressed tone causing Logan to look at her in askance.
Painstakingly she forced her eyes back towards the window.
For God's sake Logan. Please. Stop. Talking.
Desperately she tried to focus on anything but the man sitting beside her, maybe if she pretended he was Lydecker…
"I'm just saying, they're all fogged up. Must be humid or something," he replied, his voice shattering any chance of her idea working.
"Must be," she snapped. Her senses told her he was looking out the window and she risked a quick glance at him.
Lust surged through her body as she admired him; those cute little glasses and that sexy stubble were more arousing than she remembered.
"The guards should have changed shifts by now," he said, drawing her attention to the movement of his mouth, and she imagined the heat of it on her skin, the stubble of his chin rubbing against her as he moved his mouth over hers.
His tongue darted out to moisten his lips, and she struggled to hold in a moan; unconsciously leaning helplessly towards him.
"Wanna make out with me while we wait?" he asked unexpectedly, turning towards her with a wicked twinkle in his cerulean eyes.
"What?" she asked breathlessly. Usually Logan was so business-like on a mission. Still, if the man wanted to make out, who was she to say no? After all, he was Eyes Only, and this was an Eyes Only mission; that made him the boss.
"Can you make out anything past the gate?" he repeated, matter-of-factly; Max felt as if icy water had been poured over her.
To hide her disappointment she turned away replying curtly, "No. Not a thing."
She realised she was quickly reaching breaking point. Even her highly developed control couldn't take much more temptation.
"Where's my phone?" asked Logan suddenly, as he searched his pockets. When he couldn't find it he leaned over her to search in the glove box.
"Sorry," he said quietly. Logan was happily unaware as he rummaged that the heat of his body against her leg was driving Max insane. Staring at him so close to her, she wanted him so wholly that the longing made it hard to breathe.
"I gotta get this thing over with."
Desperately she groped for the doorhandle, intending to get the hell out; regardless of the nearby guards. Logan sat up slightly in concern, placing a hand on her arm in gentle restraint.
"Hey."
The touch of the hand was too much, and she let her hand drop from the door and began moving closer to him, pushing him back into his seat.
"The guards haven't…"
Logan's words were cut off as Max's mouth covered his. After a few moments his shock wore off and he began to respond, deepening the kiss and duelling with Max's tongue.
Max pushed a hand under his seat, grasping the lever and moving the seat as far back as it would go before straddling his lap.
Then she was free to concentrate on the feel of Logan beneath her, the taste of his mouth and the rapture of his touch.
Logan's hands slid up her back and into her hair as he took control of the kiss; deep in her throat the transgenic moaned helplessly.
Frantically she pulled at his clothing, searching for his warm skin beneath the civilized veneer. Managing to get the windbreaker unfastened she struggled with the t-shirt beneath it, finally tearing it open in her need.
Logan gasped for breath as Max pulled away from his kiss, and began to lick her way down his throat toward his chest.
"Max! What…?" he asked taken aback, searching his brain for a rational cause for her actions.
Max pulled away from his chest to glare at him. "Don't talk," she commanded curtly.
Still stunned by the situation and her attitude Logan obeyed, nodding his submission.
Max leaned forward and bit his shoulder, sending a thrill through him; she was acting almost feral, something that was strangely appealing to his own animalistic side. He began to fumble with the zipper of her quilted jacket, until she impatiently took over the task.
Sliding his hand under her jacket and tank top he slid them up her back, watching in awe as she pulled the garments over her head to reveal her lush curves, covered only by a skimpy black sports bra.
For some reason the white piping along the edges of the bra appealed to him and he ran his tongue along the edge of the strap, enjoying her moan. She moved restlessly on his lap as he admired her abundant assets with mouth and hands, barely interrupted as she pulled away the last barrier between him and skin.
Hands on his shoulders, she threw her head back and purred with sheer pleasure at his touch on her naked breasts. Finally her need for completion was overpowering and she claimed his mouth again, sliding her hand between them to unzip his pants; enjoying the feel of his hardness as she stroked him gently.
His hands grasped her waist, helping her balance as she shimmed out of her pants. Finally with enough freedom to move she guided him inside her, gasping at the sensations she experience as he thrust upwards.
Eyes locked they began to move, quickly finding their own rhythm. Max couldn't remember ever feeling so full - so complete - in her life.
Together they moved, the tension between them slowly building until they both fell spiralling into ecstasy.
"Max?" asked Logan wonderingly, leaning forward to kiss her forehead gently as he held her close. Closing her eyes she enjoyed the intimacy before snapping sharply to reality.
She'd practically raped him. Because of her stupid tricked up body and lack of control she'd probably ruined the best relationship she'd ever had, or not had – after all they weren't like that; even if the were now, sort of.
Panting, they stared each wondering how to deal with the aftermath of their actions.
Max looked away from Logan's searching gaze, moving back to the passenger seat and dressing as Logan watched silently.
Without a word she opened the door and stepped from the car, stopping as he spoke softly.
"Max, we need to talk about this."
Meeting his eyes she forced a stilted smile, "I can't. Not now. I've got to save the world, remember?" Then she melted into the night.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Logan leaned back into the seat and sighed. What the hell had just happened. One minute everything had been normal. Sure, Max had been acting a little strange, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Next thing they're tearing each other's clothes off and making love.
Love. Thinking about it he realised that he loved Max. Hell, he'd loved her when he'd written that poem about her.
Maybe this was an opportunity he couldn't afford to ignore, a chance for them to have a 'real' relationship and see where life took them; regardless of his disability, or her 'transgenic' heritage.
The only problem was – how to prevent their usual avoidance of problems?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Looking down at the water she winced, this just wasn't her night. As the guards raised their guns she dove, slicing through the water and swimming beneath the surface until out of range.
Surfacing, she headed for the nearest shore, climbed the bank and walked back towards the Aztek.
How the hell was she supposed to sit in the car with him. Not only had she jumped him earlier, but the urges were building again.
After a moment she decided it was better to just get in the car and get home. The longer she waited the more likely she was to maul him again. Now she knew how his body felt against hers; how he tasted, how he smelt.
She strode to the car and flung open the door, sliding in and quickly closing it behind her.
"Max!" he exclaimed, jumping slightly in surprise, "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Fine," she replied. "I just won a wet t-shirt contest."
Logan's eyes ran over her, appreciating what he had touched in their earlier interlude. "I certainly can't imagine anyone deserving to win more," he said huskily, mentally kicking himself as she turned away.
"Yeah. Well, I got the chip and foiled Pierpont Lempkin's evil plan. Can we go home now?"
Avoid the issue Max. Emotions are weak, weakness will get you killed. Just act as if it never happened.
She continued to stare out the window as Logan started the car and began to drive back to Seattle.
It never happened.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Pulling up in front of her building, Logan turned off the car. Max slowly undid her seatbelt and met his eyes before quickly turning away.
"Here's the chip," she said, pulling it from her jacket and handing it over. "Guess I'd better…"
"Max," he said insistently. "We need to talk about what happened."
"be going," she continued softly. "Don't want Original Cindy to be waiting up all night."
"Max, you can't just pretend it never happened," he said, reaching out to place a hand on her arm, then suddenly pulling it away as they both remembered the earlier touch between them and where it had led.
"I'm not," she claimed weakly. "I just can't talk about this now. Logan…" she broke off, looking at her hands as she balled them into fists.
"When?" he demanded. "What happens when you get out of the car? Do you avoid me so you don't have to talk about it?"
"I…" Max began, stopping as Logan continued to vent his frustration.
"How far would you go to avoid me, should I worry that you'll leave town?"
"Logan, I wouldn't…" she protested.
"Are you going to show up for our anniversary dinner tomorrow night or am I going to be left if I'll ever see you again?"
Sighing he ran a hand through his hair, completing the look of disarray begun by Max's hands.
"Tonight meant something Max. I don't know why it happened, but I don't want you to disappear from my life. I want to see where things could go between us."
"I… I'll be there tomorrow," she whispered. "But, I can't… not now, it's complicated." She met his eyes again. "I'll come over tomorrow."
"That's good enough for me," he said, reaching out to touch her cheek gently, wanting to kiss her but knowing she wasn't ready for such intimacy.
"Goodnight Max, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight Logan," she replied, stepping from the car and disappearing into the building before he drove away.
* * * * * * * * * E N D * * F L A S H B A C K * * * * * * * * *
"Oh," said Cindy. "Does that mean this bitch is over with? Since you it scratched and all?"
"Not quite," replied Max. "It sure as hell reduces the urge
but it's still there."
"So what you gonna do, boo? Get it on with Baby Blues again when the urge gets too much for you?"
"Logan and I aren't like that, we're friends, and last night was a mistake that's not going to be repeated," she stated firmly. "I just need to focus on the task at hand, and the task at hand is delivering packages." Grabbing the package she stood and headed for the door.
She barely made it two yards before she ran into the pizza-delivery guy.
"Hey," he said with a wide smile.
"Hey," she replied, checking out his body as her hormones surged.
" Max, right?" he asked, continuing to smile.
As she looked at him she thought of what she could do to his body, what she'd done with Logan's the night before, and how good it had felt.
Logan.
"Normal! I need to take a personal day!" she yelled, turning away from hot boy and running toward Normal's small office.
Cindy sat on the couch, shaking her head at the scene Max was causing. That girl had to step to the real before her head spun around and exploded.
After a minute she realised she couldn't hear Normal yelling; obviously there was trouble in the office. Heaving a sigh she stood and headed towards the doorway; someone had to save Max from herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Cindy glanced at the improvised Scrabble game, wincing as she read Max's words. The transgenic was moving restlessly, as she tried to concentrate on the game.
"I appreciate you staying home with me," Max said suddenly, the first word either of them had spoken in about 20 minutes.
"No problem. How are you feelin'? You gonna be okay for your anniversary shindig with Logan?"
"Think so," she replied half-heartedly. "Feels like the worst of this thing's passed. Is it sweet he remembered?" she asked nervously, as she began spelling another word.
"Real sweet. And I thought that lesbians were the only ones who grabbed any opportunity to celebrate an anniversary," replied Cindy, slightly sarcastically.
"You know, I feel pretty okay. It's gonna be fine with Logan tonight, no accidents like last night."
Original Cindy looked again at the board and then made a decision. It was time for these two to face reality, and another 'incident' like the night before might be just the thing to sort them out.
Anyway, she really didn't want to play this game any longer; at least not with Max in this hormonal state.
"What time did you say you had to be over there?" she asked, standing to get a glass of water.
"About an hour. Why?" asked Max, still bouncing in her seat as she studied the game board.
"Don't you think you should start getting ready?"
"I dress fast. Anyway it's not like it's a date, Logan and I are just having dinner."
"But it's an anniversary, boo. You two might not be banging the gong but its still a festive occasion, I'm sure that Logan is going to go to a little extra effort tonight, so you should at least dress up a little."
"You really think?" asked Max.
Original Cindy nodded, "I'll even give you a manicure."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Max stood uncertainly in the penthouse foyer. She'd originally planned to enter through the skylight, sort of commemorate the events of the year before, but her Original Cindy-approved outfit would have made that impossible.
Anxiously she smoothed down the black skirt and straightened her top, the movement causing the silver threads woven within the material to shimmer. She still thought the outfit made her look like someone who was selling; but even she couldn't win an argument with her roommate. Shrugging out of the leather jacket she'd worn on the ride over she draped it over her arm, and stepped to the door.
After a quick firm knock she waited impatiently, spinning one of her curls around her finger.
Just as she was about to give up on Logan and just pick the lock, he opened the door, grinning up at her from his wheelchair.
"You came," he said. "Come in, dinner's almost ready."
He'd shaved; and his cologne smelt incredibly alluring. Damn it, she was still in heat. Well, she wasn't going to lose control this time.
As he wheeled back toward the kitchen she swallowed nervously before following him into the apartment and closing the door softly behind her.