Hey there!

Mucho thanks for the reviews, they always make my day and keep me motivated on days where writer blocks rule.

Speaking of which, it took me a while to update this story, my apologies.
I was busy writing a few chapters for Lost in the Echo and I was a bit struggling with this chapter at the same time.
But it's finished and even though it's a bit shorter than usual, I'm satisfied with the result.
Well, satisfied enough to upload it, that is.
Guess there's always room for improvement...
Anyway, I hope you guys like it.

Feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated, but I guess that ain't no secret. XD
Keep on rocking, dudes!

Later!

Chapter 24

The tension rose to an astonishing level as Charley did a few steps in Vinnie's direction, still looking him straight in the eye with that somehow hungry glance in her green eyes.
"So, I wanted to thank you. For what you did last night", she broke the almost unbearable silence and Vinnie swallowed with difficulty as he stared into her burning eyes, not able to turn his gaze away.
"You know. For saving my people", the human female added, still coming closer to him, step by step.
Hm.
She wanted to thank him.
Right.
Well, maybe she did, but that sure as hell wasn't the reason why she was up here, he could tell.
Her whole appearance practically breathed something different.
Something a bit more… dirty.
Or perhaps that was just how Earthlings thanked each other.
Cool.

That was definitely something he could get used to.
With every step she took in his direction, the air got thinner and the tension edgier.
Her scent was different all of a sudden.
Even more… intense.
Intoxicating.
How the fuck was that even possible?
His body immediately responded and he shivered when that burning desire spread through his whole body, from the tip of his antennas all the way down to his feet.
Even his tail tingled.
And he knew.
Oh, he knew alright.
He was about to snap.
This was inevitable.
She was pushing him too far.
There was only so much a mouse could take.
Especially him.

A thing she seemed to be fully aware of.
She wanted this.
Or, at least, that's what he thought.
But who wouldn't?
It was very clear that she was seducing him.
And he…
Well, he was more than willing to play along.
No surprise there.

Eventually, she stopped right in front of him, close enough to feel the warmth of her body.
To hear her heart pounding in her chest as if it was his own.
He looked down on her, the tip of his tail dancing like a blade of grass in the wind.
She looked back at him with eyes still smoldering and his mouth became dry.
Slowly, his gaze lowered and landed on her lips.
Her soft-looking parted lips.
Lips that now formed the words which she wanted to say to him.
Words that were the reason why she was up here.
According to her.
"So… Thank you."

If it was possible for his heart to just stop beating, this would be the perfect moment.
Because her voice was the last push he needed.
Her voice, that was so different all of a sudden, all breathy and raw.
All sexy as hell.
Yep.
Inevitable.
Big time.
He reached out to her and while his fingers slid into her soft hair, releasing another wave of that insane odor of hers, he slightly tilted his head before his lips practically crashed on hers.

Holy-fuck-a-moly.
From the moment their lips made contact, it was as if a bomb went off in his body, pumping pure fire through his veins.
He thought he already knew the meaning of desire, but this…
This was something else, alright.
There weren't really words that could describe what happened to him at this very moment.
All he knew was that he didn't want it to stop.
As in; never.
And so he was doomed to be seduced by this creature for all eternity...
What a disaster that will be proven to be.
Not.
Hehe.

Strangely enough, she seemed to share this particular feeling, because she kissed him back with a hunger he'd never experienced before.
Hot damn, tasting her was just as maddening as smelling her and before he knew it, his hands already slid down her body as he deepened the kiss, feeling every curve that was hidden under her clothes.
Why was she still wearing clothes?
Good question.
With great timing as ever.
A doff of the cap to you, my friend.
But he didn't even wear a hat.
Details… they're so overrated.

Anyhoo, again, Charley was on the same page with him, because her hands now reached his pants.
Only feeling her hands this close to that part of his body made him almost look cross-eyed from eagerness and he roughly broke off the kiss as he reached over his shoulders to his back.
"You sure about this?", he asked with a low voice while pulling his hoodie over his head.
"It's just sex, Vinnie", she answered almost panting as she pulled on his belt a bit clumsy because of her eagerness.
Okay.
He supposed that should hurt.
But it didn't.
Not in the way it should have, that is.

"I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that", he breathed, throwing his sweater over his shoulder before reaching out to her and he practically ripped her blouse off her body, making the small buttons fly in every direction.
Smooth.
Subtle.
I like it.
"Sex with me is not 'just sex', after all. But…", and he now clicked her pants open with only two fingers, flashing her a mischievous smile.
"... I get it. No strings attached."
He pulled her back in his muscular arms, shivering by feeling her soft skin rubbing against his body.
"Fine by me", he concluded before he kissed her again.

It wasn't even a lie.
Not even to get what he wanted.
He really was fine with it.
And by the looks of things, he was still about to get what he wanted.
Life.
It really was full of surprises.
Kind of like a box of stolen weapons.
You never knew what you're gonna get.
So awesome.
"Good. Now stop talking", she breathed against his lips and the left corner of his mouth curled up.
"So bossy. I love it."

But even he, the talker of all talkers, had for once no problem with doing what he was told.
Geez, I wonder why...
As he reclaimed her mouth again, he lifted her before bending the knees and he gently laid her down on the cool material of the rooftop.
Her hands slid through the fur on his back as she pulled him closer to her, making some parts of their bodies rub against each other and Vinnie clenched his teeth, somehow trying to keep himself under control, but it was no use.
Of course, it wasn't.
This was going to happen.
As in; right now.
And why should he even try to stop it?
Again; good question.
Gosh, he was so smart, it almost hurt.
The downside of being this awesome as he was.
But it was a burden he didn't mind to carry.
Someone had to do it.
It might as well be him.

There suddenly wasn't enough time.
He needed to feel her.
Taste her.
Be with her.
She clearly wanted the same, because again, she was pulling on his pants.
Wonderful things it were, pants.
But so… prohibitive in moments like these.
So, he quickly freed them both from the only thing that was stopping them from giving in to their obviously shared desire.
He leaned over her, looking her straight in the eye when he firmly but still somehow gently pushed himself inside of her.
It was strange, that even though her eyes were green, they looked as black as the night from the moment she felt him inside of her.
She bit her lower lip as a soft moan escaped her mouth and it did such wonder for his ego.
Oh, how awesome it was to be him.

He felt her hands holding his arms, pulling on his fur as he picked up the pace, not able to take things slow.
He didn't do slow.
Tonight was no exception.
His breathing accelerated, his heart almost exploded out his chest by feeling this strange creature underneath him.
It somehow amazed him that being with her felt so similar to his previous 'bed partners', which was kind of strange, for they were two entirely different species.
If he had to be honest, it felt even better.
He wasn't sure why, especially because the whole telepathy thing didn't work on humans, he now noticed.
Usually, he would connect with his partner, which made them both able to share their feelings, their sensations, their thoughts…
It wasn't necessarily a love thing.
It was literally to make the whole experience twice as good.

But with Charley, he didn't need that.
He didn't even miss it.
Because she was able to set his whole body on fire like no one else ever accomplished, not even while being connected.
His fingers clung to the strange material of the roof as he tried to delay the inevitable, for this was simply too good to be over this soon.
But it was hard.
Especially when he felt her tighten around him as she dug her nails into his flesh, telling him that he hadn't been the only one this close to a discharge.
"Shit", she panted, squeezing her eyes as her whole body shook under him.
She somehow seemed to be disappointed.
Perhaps because she thought it was over.
Oh, not to worry, Charley-girl.
This was far from over.
There had to be more inside that fragile but beautiful body of hers and he was more than determined to get it out.
'Just sex.'
Ugh.
Such an insult.

He looked down on her with the left corner of his mouth curled up, highly amused by seeing her ecstasy.
Oh boy, was she in for something.
This was only the beginning.
When he picked up the pace again, he vaguely noticed the hint of another scent filling his nostrils.
Since it was only a small hint, he didn't pay that much attention to it.
Especially now Charley pulled him down to kiss him again.
That was enough to make him forget that he'd even noticed it in the first place.
But his brain still registered this seemingly unimportant detail and carefully saved it in his memory, for it knew that it was everything but insignificant.

…

Fifteen minutes earlier…

Throttle was twisting and turning in his home-made bed, his fur soaked with sweat.
Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he jerked upright, breathing heavily.
Man.
Another nightmare.
This was getting ridiculous.
How many times could a mouse dream about losing his other half?
Carbine.
She literally haunted him in his dreams.
And the funny thing was that he suddenly doubted if she was worth it.
To allow her to play with his mind the way she did.
Only thinking this made him angry at himself.
Of course, she was worth it.
They belonged together.
Right?
Right…

He buried his face in his hands and rubbed his stinging eyes, too shaken to grab his glasses.
If he would put them on, the world would become sharp.
And if the world would become sharp, it would become real at the same time and at this very moment, reality was the last thing he needed.
All he wanted was to be his old calm self again.
Because this… being this labile… being this torn apart from the inside...
It was simply unbearable.

He let out his breath as nausea formed a lump in his throat and he suddenly felt homesick like never before.
He just wanted to go back home.
Not just that.
He wanted to go back to the time when life wasn't this complicated, even though it hadn't been easy either.
But it was nothing… nothing compared to this mess.
And it was all his fault.
He was in this mess because he'd decided to let someone in, someone who wasn't Carbine.
Charley.

The image of her cold green eyes flashed before his eyes.
Her cold voice echoed through his head.
Soon, his bro's accompanied her, both looking at him accusingly.
Vinnie's bleeding nose, his two-colored eyes fuming.
Modo's disappointed and somehow disapproving face.
'She doesn't deserve you, bro.'

Was he really that blind?
Okay, perhaps that was a wrong choice of words, hehe.
But still…
Was he missing something that anyone else was able to see?
Maybe.
But they didn't know Carbine the way he did.
Their love was complicated but genuine.
Was it?

No.
He knew it wasn't.
And yet, here he was.
Chasing away everyone he loved with his unexplainable and for him unkind behavior.
Everyone, except for Carbine.
He always kept her close, even now.
It suddenly felt as if was struck by lightning and he slowly lowered his hands when he realized that it was him.
It was him all along.
It wasn't the war.
Nor Carbine.
Nor Charley.
Nor his bro's.
It was him who turned his world upside down, over and over again.
He did this to himself and him alone.

By the Gods, how could he be so stupid?
There he was, telling Charley she needed to let go of Max because he was only holding her back.
That he didn't deserve her love.
That he knew how hard it was to let go of something that familiar.
That he knew because he too once held something close to him that wasn't healthy.
And shit, he just did it again.
Without blinking.
And he blamed Vinnie for being a slow learner.
For needing to learn things the hard way.
How hypocrite.

Because in reality, it was he who was the slow learner.
He was only projecting his own mistakes on his white-furred bro.
Which was beyond unreasonable.
Man…
And he thought that this mess couldn't get any bigger.
He was torturing himself by choosing Carbine.
Again.
It was a mistake, he now knew.
A big one, too.
He needed to set things straight.
He needed to fix this.
Before it was too late.

He quickly grabbed his glasses and put them on, already climbing on his feet to wake up Charley.
He needed to talk to her.
Right now.
But when the world became sharp, he quickly noticed that she wasn't in her home-made bed.
His bionic eyes wandered through the room and eventually, his gaze landed on another empty bed.
And so wasn't his beloved white-furred bro.
The nausea became worse, for this could only mean that the big pile of shit was about to grow even bigger, as far as that goes.
Or maybe not.
Only one way to find out.

After checking Modo, who was still out like a light, he left the room, still determined to set things straight.
But the building was quite big and since he had no idea where Charley could be, he decided to start at the top and work his way down.
Slowly, he walked up the stairs.
His movements were jerky, as if he was controlled by AI, a bit like his bike, perhaps.
As if he was a robot.
A robot with feelings.
A lot of feelings.
And a very good hearing.

He pricked his ears when he heard muted noises coming from the rooftop, but he didn't quicken his pace.
No, he was somehow scared for what he was about to find.
Still, he didn't stop either.
He didn't turn around.
He just kept walking until he reached the door.
As in slow motion, his tan-furred hand reached out to the doorknob.
Please, don't let it be too late…

But when the door opened, he already knew it was.
He already knew, even before his gaze landed on the scenario played on the roof.
He was too late.
She had made her choice.
And it wasn't him.
Obviously.

No.
That wasn't fair.
It was him who had made his choice.
And now he was forced to live with the consequences.
It was him who had denied himself his own luck, chasing Charley right into Vinnie's arms while doing so.
He had chosen Carbine.
As he always did.
And he paid the price.
As he always did.
Even if this was a price too high for his abilities, he still paid it, dutiful as he was.
Loyal as he was.

Carbine.
It was now crystal clear.
It would always be Carbine.
Till death do them part...

…

Vinnie lay on his back with both his hands folded under his head, staring at the stars as he was still catching his breath after this amazing and so satisfying event.
Charley lay next to him, her head resting on his chest as her finger followed the lines of his abs that were hidden under his white fur.
It was somehow a relief that she was able to touch him now without him catching fire and all.
His body was finally able to relax.
For now.
And he suddenly felt how tired he actually was.
All his energy and strength drained from his body after two sleepless nights on a row.
Even going back to his home-made bed felt like a trip back to Mars, so he remained where he was, even though he knew it might be better to go back before one of his bro's noticed both of their absence.
But he just couldn't overcome himself to get into movement.

Charley seemed to feel the same way, because she made no move to go back either.
They both hadn't said a word about what had just happened.
They just lay there.
Catching their breath.
Under the stars.
Life was could be so peaceful sometimes.
And sometimes, very occasionally, Vinnie enjoyed these moments.
Even he needed some peace and quietness, sometimes.

But peace and quietness were about to be in a real short supply, because he felt Charley's hand sliding towards something from which he knew she was going to ask questions about, for she had done it before.
Questions he didn't want to answer.
Yet, he didn't stop her and soon her fingers enclosed the pendant that he carried with him everywhere he went.
The pendant, that was both a curse and a blessing.
"It's beautiful", Charley said softly as she studied the silver object.

Vinnie didn't respond.
What could he say?
That it was, indeed, beautiful?
That the one to who it once belonged was even beyond that?
That from the moment she let out her final breath, a part from him had died as well?
That he was simply incomplete without her?
Nah.
No words could neither explain nor ease this pain.
So he didn't even try.
He just stared at the stars, hoping that she would be up there.
Looking down on him.
So she would know that he tried to move on, but that no one could ever really replace her.
That his heart belonged to her, for all eternity.
Because it did.

And it suddenly hit him like a spaceship.
It all made sense now.
Why he didn't care to be either second choice or a rebound.
Why the words 'It's just sex' didn't really hurt him in the way it should've.
Sure, it was a blow to his ego, but that's it.
It was all physical.
No matter how much Charley affected him, it was nothing more than a physical response.
An intense one, yes, but his heart...
His heart remained closed.

Did he like her?
Yes.
Did he respect her?
Absolutely.
Did he feel attracted to her?
Without a doubt.
Did he actually love her?
No.
His love was reserved for one person only.
It always would be.
Harley.

"Did you love her?", Charley broke the silence, still staring at the pendant in her hand.
Vinnie wrinkled his nose as he blinked a few times.
This was just getting downright scary, alright.
Perhaps he had jumped the gun on the fact that humans weren't able to read someone else's thoughts.
Charley seemed to be very good at it.
This woman, honestly...
But, as he had noticed before, there was just something about her that made him want to open up.
It wasn't love, that he knew.
Perhaps it was trust.
Because despite the fact that he wasn't in love with her, he did trust her.
Completely.
Even though he only knew her for a short matter of time, he was somehow convinced that she would never laugh at him if he would lower his walls a little bit.
Not even behind his back.
She was genuine.
Honest.
Pure.

She reminded him of Harley, actually.
Harley, who hadn't only been his partner, but his best friend as well.
Maybe that was what he missed most about her.
Her gift to never judge, no matter how crazy his thoughts were.
And even though his heart didn't open up for this human, perhaps there was still a chance to get at least a part of her back.
A friend.
When he still remained silent, Charley lifted her head to look up at him, her green eyes filled with nothing but sympathy.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's a stupid question anyway."
Perhaps it was.
A stupid question.
He knew he didn't have to answer.
And yet, he wanted to.
So weird.

"Yes, I loved her. I guess I still do", he eventually said, avoiding her gaze by looking up at the sky again.
"I guess I'll always do."
Charley nodded before turning her gaze back to the silver hanger.
After a long silence, she heaved a sigh.
"This somehow feels wrong. You and me. I'm not sure why, but it just does…"
Vinnie couldn't help himself but agree with her.
He did know why, though.
A certain tan-furred mouse came to mind.
Still…
"Do you regret it?", he asked softly as his left index finger slid over her arm.
Her soft skin.
Feeling it under his furry finger was enough to fire that burning desire again, telling him that his hunger for her was far from satisfied.
He wasn't even sure if it would ever be.
Which was a problem.
A huge problem.

"No, I don't. Far from it. In fact, only thinking that this was just a one-time thing makes me feel… disappointed. Reluctant. Maybe even sad."
Again, he shared her opinion.
But look at the facts.
Although she was here with him right now, driven by to him unknown motives, he knew she had feelings for Throttle, somewhere well hidden.
And he knew that Throttle had feelings for her, a bit less well hidden.
That complicated things, despite the fact that his beloved tan-furred leader and this strange but lovely creature weren't exactly on speaking terms right now.
That wouldn't last forever, that he knew.
Perhaps it was time for him to step aside.
He got what he wanted, after all.
He'd won the competition and got her first.
Perhaps not by heart, but that was okay.
He knew now.
There was simply no room left for her.
Charley seemed to know that, too.
In fact, she even seemed to be fine with it.
'Just sex.'
It was true.
Insulting, maybe, but true nevertheless.

Still, it wasn't really about that anymore.
The competition.
This was about something entirely different.
About him having the opportunity to heal.
To have something back that would make him feel a bit more whole again.
Less broken.
A friend.
Next to all that, he knew that his body was far from done with her.
So was he really willing to make room while he was still yearning for her in a way that was almost too much to bear?
Willing, maybe.
But could he actually do it?
To just ignore this craving, to just let it walk away because of love that wasn't his in the first place?
Was he really that selfless?
Uh, no.
He was known for being the exact opposite, actually.

And he already knew that he wasn't going to be able to let Charley go.
Not yet.
Not like that.
He would betray himself if he gave away this opportunity to heal.
To feel again.
"It doesn't have to be a one-time thing, ya know", he suggested so-called nonchalantly as his finger now made its way down to her hip.
Even in the dark, he was able to see the goosebumps his action gave her.
And he knew that she wasn't going to be able to let him go that easily either.
They did something to each other, something physically and they both seemed to be eager to explore this unexplained phenomenon.
And one time just wasn't enough.
Far from it.
"No strings attached, of course", he added, his voice already low again.

Charley heaved a sigh as she shivered under his touch and in one movement, she climbed on top of him.
Her eyes were already a few tints darker again and Vinnie, in turn, already felt the fire rushing through his veins again.
"Friends with benefits", she concluded as she rubbed her lower body against his, making him even more aroused.
"Call it whatever you want", he breathed as he reached out to her.
But when his hands slid down her body, she gently laid hers on his to stop him and looked at him with that intense look of hers.
"Are you sure? Because the way I see it, this has to remain our little secret. Can you do that?"
Vinnie frowned as his brain processed her words and he slightly tilted his head.
"Lying to my bro's, you mean?"
"Yes."

Hm.
That was a complication.
He never lied to his bro's.
They never lied to him either.
Their bond was built on trust entirely and the thought alone of violating that trust made him somehow feel sick to the stomach.
But when he looked at her hands holding his, at that body of hers that made his mouth water while being almost intoxicated by that maddening scent, he already knew that there wasn't exactly a choice.
Well, Throttle would say that there was.
'There's always a choice, Vincent.'
It wasn't even a lie, that he knew.
Because in his bionic eyes, there was.
But this didn't feel like a choice.
This felt like something that was imposed.
It was this great but uncontrollable desire that pulled the strings, after all.
He had no say in this whatsoever.

Still...
This was what he liked to call a dilemma.
A most delicate one, too.
She was right, after all.
It was for the best if his bro's didn't know about this, if only to keep the tempers in their group in check.
Okay, that was just a lame-ass excuse.
Since when did he care about flaming tempers?
He was a walking flaming temper himself, that he knew.
So, let's be honest here.
It was all self-preservation.
He didn't want them to know because he knew they would do anything to stop this, for they simply didn't understand what this meant to him.
They would judge him, as they always did, with good reason, though.
Of course, he could try to explain it to them.
But that meant he needed to open up.
To be... vulnerable...
Ugh.
Talk about your dirty words.
Definitely sent shivers down his spine.
Yuck.

But despite all that, he didn't want to lie to them either.
That was an act bordering close to betrayal.
A bit too close, for his taste.
But then it hit him.
Wait a minute...
Maybe he never lied to his bro's, but he most certainly didn't tell them everything either.
There were some things he kept to himself, as his good right.
They respected that, as much as he respected their secrets.
Everyone had their secrets...
This was no different.
So technically, he didn't actually have to lie to his bro's.
As long as they didn't ask him about this particular subject, that is.
But he had the feeling that they wouldn't.
He'd already noticed how Charley had become a very touchy subject within their small but successful group, so he figured it wouldn't come up that easily.
There ya go.
Problem solved.

And so, he gently made his hands lose and when he reached her hips, he lifted her, just enough for him to make his way inside of her again.
A growl vibrated deep down his chest as soon as she started moving and he closed his eyes for a moment.
It felt as if he was floating.
It was crazy what she was able to trigger within him.
Like hell that this was a choice.
There was just no way that he was able to ignore whatever it was that she was doing to him.
A friend…
A friend sounded good.
As for the rest…
Well, the rest would be as it would be.

He didn't have the illusion that he was able to change his fate.
And right now, his fate was intrinsically linked with Charley's for whatever reason.
Her path was his now too.
For the time being.
One day -and he had no idea when- their paths would go separate ways again.
But for now, they were connected as one.
He opened his eyes again and looked her straight in the eye.
"You've got yourself a deal, pretty lady. As cheesy as it sounds, friends with benefits it is."