When Zoey opened the door of her bedroom she was surprised, but not as surprised as she should have been normally. She quietly closed the door and crossed over to the bed, crouching low beside the bed. "How did I know it was you?" She whispered and stifled a giggle as she looked at how the duvet was tucked well up to his chin, his expression deceptively peaceful and his teeth were nipped onto the skin of his index finger which was placed by his head.
The hairs on his skin prickled as they felt the heat of another presence. He snapped his eyes open and gave a wry smile. "Ah...you're here." He rasped.
"Yeah and you're in my bed." She replied stiffly with a little laugh and sat on the end of the bed as he gathered his legs so that he sat up straight. He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand and gave a little stretch.
"Your bed is...really comfortable." Dren murmured and flopped back down on the bed with a sigh his eyes closed with bliss.
"If you want a bed so bad you should buy one if you don't have one in your little dimension."
"Buy? Me actually buy something? I reject that concept. It doesn't apply to Aliens. I might just pillage a bed from the stores later." Dren yawned aloud showing off his great fangs. And Zoey gave another little laugh. His arrogance was really something else. He glanced at her and she grinned back at him. It was hard to maintain a mortal enemy relationship when friendship seeped between them unconsciously and lowered the barriers.
"I'm sorry." And he raised an eyebrow at her as she stifled another laugh. "It's just you seem so much more like the "you" I know, then "Roar! I'm big scary Dren! And I'm going to drink your blood!"...if that makes sense." She added sheepishly. Dren gave a little snicker and reached towards Zoey. She remained perfectly still even as he wound his arm around her and tugged her powerfully over the bed till she was sat between his legs. She rested against his chest and he gave a little growl as he slumped his head onto her shoulder before yawning again. He could see the bruise on her neck that he'd given her and he felt a twist of pleasure inside him as his heart pounded heavily. She was his.
"I'm so tired Zoey." He groaned. And he heard her heart skip a beat. He knew she was in his grasp. There wasn't a chance for her to escape his clutches now that she'd willingly let her be pulled close to him. Their bodies shared heat intimately as he hugged her waist, letting their skin brush each other closely.
"Then go to sleep." Was the curt, high pitched reply. And her arm twitched. Almost as if she was debating springing out of his arms.
"I'm tired of you running away from me." He told her lowly and rubbed his cheek against hers. Seeing as Sardon and Tarb were after her life, it was now or never...
"You told me to run though, you said it wasn't safe." She began but he clamped a hand over her mouth feeling the hairs stand up in alarm all over her body.
"I'm tired of you running away from my love is what I wanted to say." He finished and licked her ear tentatively. It was an odd emotion. He was actually feeling apprehensive. Wary of the hurt she would inflict on him with words, he'd felt it once and wasn't keen on its repetition. But still, he wanted to press on. It was worth the risk. He traced her collar bone with a finger gently and felt her stiffen against his chest while arching her back to him ever so slightly.
"Dren... you know how I feel. I love Mark." And his fingertips dug into her skin by her collar bone, not enough to hurt her but enough for her to feel their sharpness. ""I love Mark" it's those words again." He thought bitterly.
"I know that. You say that often enough for me to know." He replied coldly and breathed out against her neck. "In fact, I know them so well, I could recite them to you." He added acidly.
"Then maybe you should stop trying so hard." She suggested quietly and he gave a low grumble of disapproval.
"What we both know is that you don't exactly dislike me." He said softly, feeling more determined than ever to pursue her. There was no way he'd lose her to that incompetent brat.
"No I don't. I like you Dren, as a friend." And there were those stinging words again. As if she'd drove a stake through his body, and still...remained so unaware. He struggled to keep his pained expression from rising and took a deep breath to steady his hurt heart.
"That's a lie." He whispered, pushing his misery aside and forging ahead with his advances. "I want her to know how much I love her. I want her to know how much she means to me, and I want her to know that she'd never need to be afraid of me. I want to feel her love on me. But she won't listen."
Words would fall on deaf ears now.
He leant around her and planted his lips on hers. He dove his tongue deep into her willing mouth and felt her respond equally as passionate if not more. She twisted herself so that she faced him more directly and placed her hands on his chest and he put his on her waist. Her touch felt familiar and comforting on him which only fed his hunger for her affections. "Our relationship has already gone over the "friendship" Zoey...why can't you see this?" He thought with a sinking feeling in his heart. She must have felt his reluctance and they parted almost unwillingly. "I love you Zoey." He thought to himself with dogged determination.
"I'm sorry." She muttered her face a heavy red. It seemed like that was all she said lately. Her mouth and chin were wet from their kisses and she dabbed it away with the back of her hand. Her cheeks were flushed red, her eyes were soft and lustful. He gripped her waist tightly and looked away from her expression. Looking abashed and beaten, his ears drooped and his eyes were hollow."Sorry doesn't make you love me though does it?"
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She said to him softly feeling even more guilty as he refused to look up at her or speak. "This...is all new...to me." She was taken aback...this expression of sadness he had, she'd never seen the proud Dren looking so defeated.
"New...Yes it is. But you're not naive. You knew exactly what would happen Zoey, but still you let me do this to you." He said quietly and looked at her sadly. He dug his fingers into the fabric of her shirt and clenched tightly, as his fangs clicked together firmly.
"I-I don't know-"
"Stop pretending." Dren snapped at her and she hurriedly shut her mouth as his eyes met hers, her fingers gripped his shirt tightly. He couldn't quite decipher whether it was from fear or desire. His temper was rising and he let out a low hiss. "You knew that once I'd came here, we'd start kissing. What I don't know is what you expect to gain from this aside from selfish pleasure." His pride was hurt as he uncovered that his emotions had been manipulated by the one he loved.
She'd been indulging in his affections for long enough. It would have been blindingly obvious to anyone else. All his hints, the treacherous kisses they'd shared, she knew he was intensely interested, and still allowed him to advance.
Guilty pleasure. That's all it was.
It stung even more especially when he thought he was the one in control of this game. Instead it was him who'd been used, again and again...Teased with her body.
"I don't want anything-"
"Do you enjoy hurting me?" He asked her harshly and she shook her head desperately. "Do you like playing with my feelings?" And he bared his fangs at her. "Stop fucking toying with me." And his pulled her even closer to his body, so that his eyes stared unavoidably into hers.
Despite his anger and her fear...there was something so sexy about his rage that she was just so addicted to.
"I don't! Really, honestly, I don't." She pleaded her hands on his shoulder giving them crucial inches of distance. "I love you as a friend-"
"But what we do isn't what friends do." Dren told her sharply and Zoey froze as his words hit her hard. "And what I do to you are things you enjoy and you clearly show me that you want it. You don't ever stop me, you could screamed or ran away but look at yourself now Zoey." He paused for effect and took a deep breath. "I could so easily snap off your arms and stuff them down your throat..."
"I...I...know." Zoey squeaked feeling a ripple of emotion run down her spine. It was a delicious tingle...fear and desire combined into one.
"But I won't do that right now." Dren purred into her ear, his sweet poisonous words trickled into her. "I want something from you."
"What do you want?" She asked him nervously and he gave her a wry smile. It was a smile that made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle.
"To scrape my fangs along you and taste the sweat that drips off your skin. I want to taste every part of you and I want you to love me for it. I want affection and you to run your hands through my hair while I lick the surface of your flesh..." Dren whispered to her in a hushed voice as he indulged in all his fantasies."Of course...it's not all about me. You want something from me."
"What do I want?" She croaked out and bit her lip nervously. It felt to her like he'd been peering into her heart again. Looking at her most hidden thoughts and secret desires. And then dragging them kicking and screaming into the light. He was right about her...but only just. Denial was a dangerous game she played.
"Love." He replied hoarsely. And he pushed her forcefully onto her back, pinning her with his body. "You want to feel and experience all kinds of love and pain. But you just don't want to admit it." He breathed out to her, his eyes were lidded halfway in pain and lust.
"I..." She began and sighed dejectedly. It was true, her denial wasn't going to change it. Everything he had worked out in his mind was true. The pleasure he gave her was special. It was hot, exciting and electrifying, not to mention he'd been the first to stir such untapped emotions in her. Part of her desired him, his touch, his personality, she almost craved him. Yet the part of her remained fiercely loyal to Mark. But was this taboo relationship too hot to resist?
"Zoey?" Dren murmured and licked her cheek tenderly.
"Huh?"
"I'm right aren't I?" He muttered and she nodded meekly, embracing him tightly. Hoping to ease the pain she'd caused him. He'd only wanted to love her, but she'd led him on and always stopped him when they got too close.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled her eyes welling up with tears.
"It's alright." Dren crooned into her ear. "It's not your fault I'm so damn hot." He joked and smiled as he heard a choked laugh beneath him.
"You're not that hot..." Zoey murmured slapping his chest playfully and he shifted so that his nose brushed against hers.
"Am I not?" He asked her sweetly and licked her lips lightly. "Oh you've hurt my feelings again." He chuckled and kissed her again.
"I'm sorry." Zoey said once again. Except this time it wasn't sincere. It was coy and toying. She was teasing him.
"No you're not." Dren purred giving her a fanged smile. He growled throatily as he rammed his tongue down her mouth and tussled slightly with her as they fought for dominance. Naturally Zoey soon submitted and allowed him to lead his advances.
There was no fighting a Cyniclon with smouldering good looks.
...
"Wow...I didn't realise that I'd been so forceful." Mark murmured and Zoey snapped her gaze up to him with alarm spreading through her. He was pointing at her neck as he walked her towards the Mew Mew cafe, and the bruise was more prominent than ever as it had turned a nasty purple shade, coupled by two thin tails of pink skin where Dren had scraped his fangs against her.
Dren...scraping his fangs along her neck and tenderly licking her with his raspy tongue. She grew a little hot under the collar as she remember how the Cyniclon touched her neck.
"Zoey are you listening to me?" Mark interrupted her thoughts and misty eyed expression by pinching her cheek playfully.
"Huh...Oh yeah!" She laughed sheepishly and put a hand on the back of her head.
""Oh Yeah!" Isn't the reaction I was after." He said with a little smile as he draped an arm around her shoulder. He was shorter than Dren she noticed so his head was closer to hers, as opposed to Dren's chest. "I was asking how come the love bite I gave you ended up bigger and has something like scratches on your neck?"
"Uh...I've been scratching it and you know how bruises are, they spread before healing." Zoey laughed nervously and rested her head on his shoulder in a bid to hide the bruise from sight.
"Ah I see. Sorry about that." Mark laughed and gave her a quick peck on top of her head.
"It's no trouble." She replied quietly and they walked along slowly. She enjoyed being in his company...it was amiable. But there was no...fiery passion or slivers of fear stabbing into her like when Dren was around. Her heart wasn't trying to leap or jolt around inside her, but one look from his piercing gaze told her that only Dren could see straight through to her soul... "Ack! I'm thinking about him again!" Zoey flinched a little and Mark looked down. She had a cross expression on and her fists were bunched together tightly.
"Something annoying you?" Mark asked her with a raised eyebrow and she gave a little jump of surprise.
"N-No...just spacing out as normal!" She laughed and he gave a sigh and squeezed her shoulder gently.
"You've been doing that for a few days now, sure you're alright?"
"I can't say anything about Dren to him...who says that Dren's been annoying me anyway?" She thought obstinately and shook her head at Mark who gave a shrug in response.
"Just remember you can talk to me about anything you want." He said softly. But somehow those words just didn't seem so reassuring or as passionate if that Cyniclon had said it. "Zoey?"
"Huh?"
"You did hear me right?"
"Yeah..." She replied breathlessly and they stopped walking for a moment as Mark turned her to face him.
"Whatever's bothering you, I wish you'd tell me." He said sadly and Zoey felt a pang of guilt as she bit her lip and threw her arms around him in an embrace.
"I know I can tell you Mark...thank you." She mumbled into his chest and he gave a small laugh. "Let's carry on walking, I've gotta make it to the cafe."
"What are you on about Zoey? We're already here." Mark laughed and ruffled her hair as she stared up at the cafe's entrance.
"So we are." She sighed and sagged slightly in his arms. "Another day of work..." He kissed her on the forehead and gave her a brilliant smile. She smiled weakly at him and detached herself from him.
"I'll call you after I finish Mark...See you later." They gave each other a quick peck on the lips before parting ways. Somehow her interactions with Mark had become hollow as time had gone past. All she could think about was Dren...how Dren was so much more hotter and dangerous. How she craved that dangerous taboo relationship with him. How she loved the fear he inspired in her when he threatened to tear her skin with his claws.
"Thinking about me again Kitty cat?" A voice purred aloud and she looked to the left of her. Dren was leaning against a tree, with his hands tucked into his jeans and his shirt loosely buttoned.
"N-no!" Zoey squeaked, her heart racing impossibly fast. He ran a hand through his hair and began to walk towards her with a smile that showed only a glimpse of his fangs. He was close to her now...so close...She felt like she was about to faint with excitement. What on earth was up with the rush of blood to her cheeks?
"You're looking rather red today, but you weren't red before with Mark." Dren commented wryly with a high laugh. "What's the matter?" And he used a slender finger to tilt her face up to him. She felt her breath catch in her lungs as she waited for the kiss. For a kiss she'd dreamed about and replayed in her mind countless times.
"N-nothing..." She muttered and he raised his eyebrows.
"Your red expression, raised heart beat, and irregularity in breathing only tells me that you're infatuated with someone..." He purred to her. He bent a little so that she could stare at the smooth complexion of his face and deep amber eyes. "Could it be...that the person you're infatuated with is me?"
"A-ah-" Words wouldn't form in her mind and she could do nothing but stare at that beautiful face...so full of mysteries, secrets and danger...
"Cat got your tongue?" Dren laughed and lowered his head even closer to hers. She immediately closed her eyes expecting a passionate tongue romping, lip crushing and she left her mouth slightly parted for him. "I never thought he'd ever have this effect on me...without that Cyniclon musk and without using his magic." She thought furiously feeling herself grow even redder.
Dren had half lidded eyes as he contemplated forcing his lips down on her. But he could smell Mark's scent lingering on them. And the stench stung his nostrils. And if he were to possessively claim those lips for his, he'd end up hurting and healing those lips, so he straightened up and ran a finger over them instead. There'd be time for ravaging her body later. She snapped open her eyes in surprise and she smirked at her. "So soft...I wonder...does Mark kiss you as good as I do? My kisses are delicious...but are his?" He asked her softly, but he couldn't completely hide the hatred burning inside his eyes.
"S-Shut up! I love Mark." Zoey blurted and pushed his hands away though it wasn't a natural action. It just felt like she had to try and resist him. Even though she couldn't.
"Alright say what you want but –" Dren began giving her a wink but then he snapped his head up towards the cafe doors.
"Ah!" Zoey exclaimed as she turned her gaze towards the cafe. Elliot had swung open the doors and was standing on the porch, his chest heaving with effort and his brow covered in sweat.
"Never!" He gasped, "Never in my life – do that again!" He shouted harshly his words sounded harsh as he inhaled gulps of air whilst pointing shakily at her, though it was unclear if the finger should have been pointed at Dren.
"D-do what again?" Zoey asked innocently. She felt a wisp of air brush past her and noticed that the Cyniclon had teleported away. "He's gone...he left without a word...I hope he comes back soon to visit me..." She thought wistfully. But for now Elliot demanded attention.
"INTO MY OFFICE NOW!" A few moments later, Elliot had sank into his chair with a hanker chief in one hand and was feverishly mopping his brow.
"Are you alright Elliot?" She asked tentatively her hands wringing with anxiety...this time the Cyniclon wasn't here to give Elliot some sarky comments to relieve her stress.
"No." The teenager replied obstinately. "No I am not alright Zoey." He dropped the hanker chief and stared at her fiercely with inter locked fingers as he propped his elbows on the desk. "Just exactly how long has this been going on?"
"Er...a-about two months?" She squeaked. Elliot was a frightening person and now he was livid. He had shot up off his chair and leant across the desk threateningly.
"How did I miss this! Exactly what were you both doing?"
"Ah-"
"Don't "Ah!" me! Do you even know the repercussions of your actions! The danger you've put us all in! The danger you were in!" He began growing another sweat on his brow. His voice was strained as he struggled to keep the fear at bay.
"He's not dangerous!" Zoey pleaded bunching his hands into fists. She couldn't help defending him and she knew Elliot would take it all the wrong way. Which he did.
"Not dangerous? Not dangerous!" His mouth was agape in mouth and his fingers were pressed so hard on the desk, that they threatened to gouge chunks out. "He could swipe out a city with one little swipe of his pinky! Look at these energy output predications! They're likely to make me go into cardiac arrest!" And he produced a great graph with a red streak that had a positive correlation the longer the time passed.
"Exactly!" Zoey pointed out, pulling the graph from his hands. "He could do that, but he hasn't!"
"Maybe because he's been too busy flirting with you!" Elliot spluttered and pointedly accusingly at her.
"That means he's on our side then! Isn't that a good thing?" She pleaded, her mind already wandering onto Dren as she wondered if he was listening in on this conversation. Also whether or not he would approve of her support for him. Maybe he'll nip her ear as a gentle sign of his displeasure or maybe-
"EARTH TO ZOEY! GET OFF PLANET CYNICLON ALREADY!" The echoing boom of Elliot's voice burst into her ears and she snapped her attention back onto him. He gave a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "How can you be so naive Zoey?" And she gave a little shrug. "Before getting romantically involved with him at least, at the very least, could you not have realised you were different species?" He stared at her coldly and she drew a deep breath.
"I...it never crossed my mind." She said slowly, and she saw Elliot turn an unsightly shade of blue. Possibly from containing his rage. "Okay maybe I did think of it, but before the Cyniclons found Dren, we'd already bonded, he's my best friend...a bit weird sometimes but...I do like him, but-"
The teen's eyebrow twitched with irritation, "Argh! Not another "but" out of you!" He snapped his patience thinning. "I want you to end whatever you've started with Dren and return as the Mew Mew leader! No more kissing, no more hugging, no more touching! We cannot have our strongest member fraternising with our strongest enemy! It just doesn't work! It takes the two main pieces in a game and pulls them both out of play – not to mention the biological effects his alien DNA will do to you when you both get in bed!" He hissed at her, jealously pooling into annoyance in his eyes.
"We haven't gotten that far yet!" Zoey interrupted and he seemed to deflate visibly.
"Yet? As in...what? Don't tell me you're both getting there?...No -Don't answer that Zoey, I know you're not as thick as you suggest you are. Just...get out of my sight before I have an organ failure through stress." He groaned and dropped his head on the desk in defeat.
"Alright..." Zoey mumbled and left the room with a sheen of sweat on her skin. Her hands shook slightly, and her heart ached a little. "Why is my heart...hurting so much?" She thought to herself and bit her lip as she knew she was being deliberately ignorant. "I know why...it's because I miss Dren...and now...Elliot doesn't want me to see him anymore...but I need him. I can't..." And before she knew it, something wet was travelling down her cheeks and she blinked a few times her vision blurring slightly.
"Another annoying human emotion." Dren hissed slightly as he bared his fangs. Zoey wailed and threw herself into his chest, pressing her face into his shirt, she felt the Cyniclon sigh slightly and rest his hands behind her head, gently cradling her close to him. It was such a sensitive motion that caused her to cry even more. How could she lose such a dear..."friend" to circumstances outside of her control?
"Oh come on Zoey." As she sat between his legs and cried against his chest pitifully. His ears were burning slightly from the high pitched wailing and his shirt was thoroughly soaked with tears and creases had formed where she'd clenched at it. "You've been crying for ten minutes now, at least tell me what's on your mind. Don't make me use psi powers to investigate."
Whether he was bluffing about psi powers or not, she didn't particularly want to find out. With some hiccups and rapid inhalations she finally stemmed the stream of tears and paused for a second to look at their surroundings. "We're at the top of the park, I highly doubt Elliot can find us here since I've set up a camouflage shield around us." Dren murmured and stroked the top of her head. He'd let her cry continuously till he sensed she was ready to talk. Females really were far more emotional than males.
"Elliot...did you hear what he said?" She asked him quietly and turned around so that he couldn't see how flushed her face was, or the bashful expression she had on. She turned towards the beautiful scenery as they sat upon their favourite area in the park, this time beneath a great leafy tree.
"I heard." Dren muttered and twitched his ear in annoyance, "That shade of blue he turned was rather amusing". He wrapped his arms around her comfortably as he leant back against the trunk of the tree, pulling her close to him. She closed her eyes and relished his comfortable warmth. The strength of his arms, the beats of his heart, the rise of breath in his lungs, everything about him she cherished. He was precious to her...and Dren thought the world of her. How could Elliot force them apart?