I know I haven't updated in a while and I'm sorry about that. I've gotten a job and just partied away the start of my summer and before that it was schoolwork - finals and all that stuff! Anyways, here's the seventh chapter of Belonging, hope you like it! There is some M-rated stuff in the end so if you're sensitive - scim it!

disclaimer: this isn't mine and all that...

Chapter 7
revelations and attraction

One second I was standing there, just wondering what the hell were to happen next, and then… BOOM! I was on the floor.

It wasn't so much the fact that my body was smashed against the floorboards, nor the fact that it hurt like hell, but the sensation of everything just flowing back into my mind. Suddenly I wasn't blind anymore, and I could see the floorboards rushing up to meet with my face, smashing my nose and mouth in the process. I didn't make a sound – except for the loud crashing noise that probably everyone in the housing heard.

On one of my sides I could hear Caleb, uttering curses I wasn't expecting from anyone but Reid, shuffling steps as they presumably tried to chase after Chase, who undoubtedly had disappeared into thin air.

I could feel the air thickening as they stopped dead, turning around to stare at me, burning holes in my tattooed back with their eyes. I am screwed, I thought, realizing I should probably get up and then realizing I wasn't wearing anything on my upper body. That was probably why my boobs hurt.

Feeling I had to do something to break the silence, I managed an "ouch", but it sounded muffled and twisted leaving my swollen lips.

Someone let the air out of their lungs with a whoosh sound, as if my muttered word had broken some kind of spell.

"Do you know who that was?" Caleb's voice was hard as stone.

"That depends, am I in trouble if I say yes?"

A tense chuckle left the only one who was left by the door. Reid. Only he would find something like this fun. Stupid witch.

"Mel, you have some explaining to do."

"Whatever you say, mom!"

"Why don't you let her get up first?" Reid, that perverted idiot, he'd probably noticed the fact that I wasn't wearing a bra and figured if I rose, he'd get a live feed of my rack.

"That seems like a good idea," Pogue agreed, earning a mental glare from me.

"Hasn't anyone noticed I'm not wearing a shirt?" I shrieked – or tried, it didn't sound like a shriek.

Again with the chuckling – though it wasn't just Reid this time. "Oh, I think we all noticed."

"Ass," I muttered under my breath, turning my attention to Tyler. "Tyler, could you hand me the t-shirt on my bed? Please?"

Feet were moving and the next second the shirt came into my limited line of vision. I yanked it from his grip, and what followed was a lot of awkward squirming and Reid laughing his ass off at my pathetic tries to get the shirt on without flashing any of them. Reid wasn't alone with his laugh, all of them were laughing, the other three did at least have the courtesy to try and hide it.

It took me five minutes of embarrassment, but finally, I could get to my feet. Being met by my own reflection made chills run down my back; the lower part of my face was smudged in blood from my bruised nose, and my lips were cut in a straight line over the middle. Really attractive.

Pretending not to hear Caleb when he started to say something, I pushed past him and into the small bathroom, wetting a towel and drying of my face. When that was done I turned to face them.

"So, how come I'm the one supposed to explain myself when you so rudely pushed your way into my room?" I raised an eyebrow.

"We felt someone using, thought you were in danger," Pogue beat Caleb with the talking.

"You can feel that? He never told me that."

"What exactly did he tell you?"

I turned my gaze to Caleb, who was starting to look mean. "He told me that you had powers, that no one knows how they originated, he told me about the covenant, about you. He also told me that you can get addicted, and that that sucks. If you ask me, Chase is starting to look a little grey."

They were all showing some sort of thinking-face, Caleb and Pogue were both wrinkling their foreheads and looking at each other as if having a mental conversation. Tyler was staring disbelievingly at her – maybe not so much of a thinking-face – and Reid were pursing his lips and looking distant.

"Wait, weren't you blind yesterday?" Tyler's sudden outburst gained everyone's attention instantly.

I sighed and combed my fingers through my hair, searching for an explanation. It wasn't like I could tell them the truth! Or could I?

"Yeah, I was." I settled for that, easy and mysterious, probably raising more questions, but acting as if I didn't have the energy to answer them. "Did you want anything else?"

Reid was the first one with a smart comment. "Why would Chase tell you all this? It's not like he's in love with you or anything."

Staring challengingly at Reid, I asked, "How exactly do you now that? Maybe he fell for my sarcastic and bitchy persona?"

"You're not bitchy."

My gaze snapped towards Tyler, staring at him with a question in my eyes.

"I mean, you're honest, Mel. You're not exactly the type to sweeten your words, but you're not mean."

I couldn't help the soft smile that grew on my lips. "You're so sweet, Tyler. But trust me, I'm not a good girl. If I am, how come Reid's attracted to me?"

"Reid was into Sarah at first too."

"Dude!" Reid was sounding pissed.

Caleb sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Okay, back to business, how come Chase has told you all about us?"

I couldn't tell them the truth, I just couldn't. "That's for me to know and for you to find out, now leave; I'm tired of being questioned."

Caleb and Pogue exchanged another glance, then turned to leave. At the door, Caleb bent down and picked something up. A feather, I realized. Could that be…?

Chase had dug his fingers into my skin, slid something out from under it and had used it to stroke my face. I had tasted the blood. Could it have been a feather? From the tattoo?

The next time I looked up from my thoughts, I saw that they'd all left. The only one left in the room was Reid; still standing with one shoulder leaned against the doorpost. As I looked at him, he gave me his bad boy smile. "You're into me too, you know."

I smiled back at him, equally as cocky as the smile I got from him. "No, Reid." I paused and crossed my arms provokingly over my chest. "I'm very into you." As I added the last part, I walked up to the door and started shutting it.

As I closed the door I could hear him chuckling, silently wondering why I couldn't be with him, and deciding that there really weren't any reason at all. I was so annoyingly attracted to him that it was literally hurting my body not to be with him. Why shouldn't I be with him then?

Another week passed. My face healed quickly and the Sons were always keeping an eye my way, trying their hardest to tolerate me even though they still hadn't figured me out yet. I was still a mystery. The only one who didn't look strained in my company was Tyler, but he tried his hardest to act like he didn't really want to be close to me. I'm guessing he didn't really have a choice what with Caleb lecturing him all the time.

It was Friday again, and me, Tammy and Lauren had decided to go to Nicky's. As by "coincidence" the Sons were there too, though I suspect that was Tammy's reason for wanting to go, what with it being her suggestion and all.

The girls instantly decided to join the Sons and Sarah and Kate, even though all except Kate looked nervous at my closing in. I couldn't help the half-smile that grew on my lips at their discomfort, sitting down on one of the extra chairs.

The conversation had died the same second they'd seen me, but Tammy with her bubbly personality soon gave it back its life. My attention was elsewhere though, over at the pool tables where Reid and Tyler usually hung out. They were there of course, but they looked as if they were ready to leave. Silently wondering what made them give up on pool so early, I saw Reid giving me a glance from the corner of his eye. An amused smile stretched on my lips and I turned my attention back to the table and my so-called friends.

They were talking about catching a movie the next day, Tammy bugging everyone to join in, but only managing to get smiles or maybes for answers. Her gaze turned to beg me, but I shook my head.

"Why not?" Tammy complained.

I gave her a secretive smile. "I have other plans." And here they come.

Reid's cologne teased my nose as he came to sit next to me, only a little too close. I was liking this. He was wearing his signature beanie and the fingerless gloves, a black half-sleeve and a pair of well worn light jeans. He looked just like the bad boy he was. Only a little while after he had sat down, I caught the eye of a cute guy a couple of tables away, gaining a nod against the dance floor. An upbeat song was playing in the speakers and I nodded slightly, getting up.

With my back towards Reid I shed my jacket, revealing the low back of the black dress I was wearing, letting him know I wasn't wearing a bra.

Did I mention I was in seduction-mode?

Reid let me dance with the other guy for a while, but when the song was through, I could yet again smell his cologne as he glared at the guy. When the next song started playing, it was his hands that were at my waist, pulling me close to him.

"Was that really necessary?" I asked him with faked disappointment.

"Do you honestly prefer that guy over me?" I could hear the mocking in his voice.

"I never said that." I mumbled in his ear as I turned to face him.

We were moving close to each other, the song gave us a rhythm that was somehow intimate. Reid was trying as hard as me to control his breathing. His heart was pounding against mine. It took all of me not to kiss him, not wanting to give him that yet. Reid on the other hand, had a hard time hiding his attraction.

"This is like the first time we met," I mumbled by his ear as we danced.

"Oh, you're going to run away from me again?" He sounded strained.

"Maybe. Or maybe we'll run away together this time?" Those words where the last thing I had the time to say before Reid grabbed my hand and dragged me after himself towards the door. He had the keys to Tyler's Hummer, and before I could catch my breath, he had lifted me up and dropped me in the passenger seat.

The drive back to Spencer went by so quickly I wondered how many laws he'd broken. When he'd managed to park he was out of the door in a few seconds, once again lifting me. This time he carried me all the way to my room, unlocked the door with a flash of his eyes, and when it closed behind him, he let me slide down the length of his body onto the floor.

Our eyes locked and I smiled. In the dead silence of my room, our breathing seemed to echo.

"You know, maybe you should ask a girl before you presume she'll sleep with you."

"You're not that type of girl, Mel. You wouldn't deny me." His voice was husky; dark.

"Are you sure about that, Reid? Maybe I just feel like sleeping?" I turned my back to him and stretched as I yawned. "Coming to think of it, I'm really tired."

I didn't notice him coming closer, but suddenly he was there, behind me, his fingers on my shoulders. "I'll just help you get dressed for bed then." His breath tickled the skin by my ear and I managed to keep from shuddering. The next second his lips were moving over my neck, his fingers slowly pushing the half-sleeves of my dress down over my arms, while I stood there, trying not to gasp. As the fabric slid over my chest I gasped.

Reid had gotten my arms out of the sleeves and had moved his hands to rest them on my naked hips. I could feel his eyes on me, as he stood so still I wondered if he remembered how to breathe.

The next thing I knew I was on my back on the bed. Reid's lips were smashing into mine as he finally kissed me. There was so much desire in that one kiss that all my walls crumbled and I let myself go. Reid' managed to shrug off his shirt while I unzipped his pants and pushed them down, some with my hands and some with my feet. He moved away to remove them completely and then yanked my dress off.

Then he was on top of me and was kissing me hungrily, and I was trying so hard to get closer to him that I almost tried to crawl into him. When he was just about to remove my panties, someone pushed the door open.

Gasping, I sat up so fast I managed to bang my forehead into Reid's and make him mutter a word that would much describe what he had been about to do. In the door stood Tammy and Lauren, who were staring at us with wide eyes.

"We were just… giving you your jacket. You forgot it. At Nicky's."

"Thanks. Just put it by the door."

Tammy dropped the coat and stared for a while, not really knowing what she was supposed to do.

"Tammy. Close the door. Please."

She nodded vaguely and backed away, forcing Lauren to pull the door closed behind them. In the silence of my room I could hear them whisper outside the door, getting quieter by the second as they moved away. My gaze went back to Reid, who was propped up on his elbows on the bed, staring at me with a smirk on his lips. He was entirely naked.

"When did you take of your underwear?" I couldn't help the confusion in my voice.

Reid chuckled and started to sit, pulling me closer to him. "I wasn't wearing any," he mumbled in my ear as he kissed the skin underneath it.

Ignoring him I pulled back, rising and locking the door. Before I got back in the bed I raised my eyebrows at him. "I'm not going to sleep with you, Reid."

Again with the smirk. "A second ago you were."

"I'm not in the mood anymore."

"A second ago you were."

"But now I'm not."

"Still."

"No. You're welcome to sleep in my bed if you want, but I am not having sex with you."

"Fine. But I sleep naked."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Do I have to spell it out to you? Y-E-S."

Giving a frustrated sigh I raised my arms in an equally frustrated gesture, before climbing in under the covers. Soon I was joined by Reid, as he cuddled himself up behind me.

"REID!" I shrieked as I felt my panties sliding down my legs.

"I'm not touching those," he mumbled in my ear.

"The fact that you know exactly what I'm talking about proves otherwise!" I sounded panicked.

"But I'm not touching them."

Of course he wasn't. He was using his freaking magic!

Muttering about stupid horny boys and dumb magic, I was starting to drift away into sleep.

What I hadn't remembered was the dream.

Fuck.