Greed

I tapped my foot impatiently, staring at the numbers on the door as if they were going to fall off any second. I heard shuffling as he fought off the weight of sleep and stumbled toward the door. I knew this was wrong. Hell, I knew this was beyond wrong, and I should turn around and head back to the tower and try to figure out some other way to deal with this. I shouldn't expect him to give up his life because I had a problem, no matter how ridiculous and crazy it was. I rubbed my forehead and knocked again, and this time the door opened.

"Raven...?" He glanced down at me, sleep still lining his eyes. "I appreciate the company and all, but usually this fantasy starts with you in nothing more than a trench coat."

As if mirroring my own troubled emotions, thunder rumbled outside. Rain was supposed to be coming in any minute, and I could see the heavy, dark clouds as they passed over the moon. I swallowed and tried to give him a smile, but I knew it probably looked broken. He opened the door a little wider and leaned against the door frame.

"So, what brings you here?" He yawned and inspected then at the bag in my hand, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you're staying more than a night... I don't think I've ever known you to stay more than a night. This must be something relatively important then." He pushed open the door and waved me inside. "Come on in, little bird. I can't have you wandering around the city at this hour, and I don't think ravens very much care for the wet and rain."

I pushed past him and into the apartment, throwing my bag on the kitchen floor. I could feel my stomach clench and tremble under the weight of his stare and the heat of his body, and it took every ounce of my will not to throw myself at him. He smelled like spice and anise, and I wanted to bury my head into if shoulder and devour him. But, some how, I managed to keep some semblance of dignity. "I'm sorry about this..."

"I'm sensing a 'but' following that statement." He closed the door and leaned against it.

I swallowed hard and looked away, rubbing my arms to keep my skin from crawling. "I have a problem."

"I see that." He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare at me, still trying to keep the sleep from entering his eyes. He wasn't upset or angry, just genuinely curious as to why I was at his apartment door at two o'clock on a Tuesday morning. "I'll help you out however I can, and I don't mind that you're here, but exactly what are you doing here? You know I have a mark tomorrow."

"Cancel it." I was shocked at my own forcefulness. I knew my words sounded harsh, like a command, but I didn't have a choice. I needed him for the next three days. Actually, it was more than need, it was something entirely beyond that. I thought with my peculiar genetic make-up that I would never have to live through this horror, that because of my human DNA I would be exempt, but clearly that wasn't the case. And now I had to face Jason and tell him the most embarrassing secret. "I have a serious problem. I need you to be with me for the next three days."

"Be with you?" He snorted as if I just made a bad joke, but made no move for his phone. "No. I am not going to bend over backwards and uproot my life because you want me to. No dice."

"It's not a want, it's a need, and you're going to cancel." I reached over and grabbed his cell phone off the charger, handing it to him. "Cancel the contract."

"Ah. No." He rolled his eyes and took a step back, ignoring my outstretched hand. "If you want me to cancel a job that's going to pay me serious cash, then I need a reason. A real reason. Not your typical Raven Reason where you only tell me half the truth and then skitter off somewhere else."

"No. I can't tell you." I felt color flood my face and my eyes dropped down over his bare chest. A few scars marred the alabaster planes, but it just made him look like the bad boy even more. I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away. My control was slipping, I didn't know what else I could do before the flood gates opened up and I jumped him. I pushed my hair out of my face. "Please... don't make me do this. Just trust me."

"I do trust you, Rae, you know that. But you show up at my door selfishly demanding that I just stop everything I'm doing so you can spend a few days here. I think I have the right to know. Christ, Raven... what is with all of the superstition and secrecy?" He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Do you realize how much money I'm going to lose out on if I don't take this mark?" He paused, but when I didn't say anything he finished his sentence. "A lot. As in a few hundred thousand."

I bit back a scathing remark and tried not to stare at the shape of his body. His hips had just the faint beginnings of that perfect V shape right to his groin... oh, Goddess. Now I'm thinking about him naked. Damnit, Jason. Why can't you just trust me? I brought my eyes back up to his face, hoping he couldn't see my blush through the darkness. "What part of 'I have a serious problem' do you not understand?"

He held up his hand and finally took his cell phone from me, glaring as he entered the digits. Someone picked up on the other end, and he began mumbling in broken Mandarin. Through the thick, awkward accent and muffled words, I managed to grasp the concept that he was rescheduling for a reduced fee. I winced and looked away, knowing that he would be in a bad mood for the next day. But it didn't matter, I needed him. Now.

"Xie Xie." He hung up the phone and glared at me. "I am taking a pay cut to reschedule, so this better be worth it."

"I can't be at the tower, and I need you here." Color flooded my face again and I looked away. "With me."

"Uh-huh..." He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Any reason why?"

"I..." This was embarrassing. In fact, it was beyond embarrassing. I can't believe I had to admit this to him. But what did I expect? I knew he was going to ask the inevitable question, and I knew I was going to have to answer him, I just didn't imagine it would be this uncomfortable. I fidgeted with the hem of my tank top and looked away. "It's hard to explain..."

"You know what's hard to explain? Taking a twenty percent pay cut on three hundred grand, because my girlfriend waltzes in here at two o'clock on a Tuesday morning and pretty much tells me I have to cancel my job so she can lay around my apartment for three days." He growled and continued to glare at me. "That's pretty hard to explain, so why don't you just give it a shot and we'll see what happens, okay?"

"The summer solstice is in two days." I closed my eyes as a shiver ran down my spine in time with the thunder.

He continued to stare. "And?"

"It's a very special time for demons... we..." I bit my lip and felt the words spill out before I could stop myself. "I'm in heat."

His face paled in shock and he snorted loudly in the sudden silence of the room. "I'm sorry... you're in what?"

I felt color creep up my face, and a very uncharacteristic move, I started babbling. "I'm in heat. I didn't expect this, I'm supposed to be different from demons, and barren. I'm not supposed to have urges like this, but I do. My demon side is trying to procreate, and my human side is getting in the way and..." I trailed off and looked away, finally getting a hold of my tongue. "Look, long story short, I can't be around men without... you know... wanting to..." I glanced back at him through the curtain of my hair, watching as he kept his face blank. "So, I need to be away from the tower to avoid any unforeseeable circumstances."

"Unforeseeable circumstances... as in... you might actually jump on Beast Boy's or Bird Brain's bones?" I could feel his anger spike and his posessiveness sink in. His hands clenched into fists and he moved closer to me. "Hell no." Pause. "In fact, double hell no. I don't even want you thinking about thinking of other guys possibly touching you, because the only person you're going to get is me. I don't care if I have to lock both of us in here, but if you're going to go all Debbie Does Dallas you're only going to do it with me."

I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the counter top. "Good."

"Good?"

I blushed and fidgeted some more. We had been together for a while, but there were times where I got nervous that this was all a dream. Or worse, that this was a nightmare waiting to happen. I pushed my hair out of my face and managed to lock eyes with him. "I was worried that you would say no and tell me to go figure out something else."

He seemed insulted and jerked a little in surprise. "Is that what you think I'm like? Rae, I would never want you to have to suffer through anything alone. Whether it's actually suffering or not. I want to be here with you and help you out however I can, even if it's something as benign and simple as fucking your brains out and keeping you away from all other males in the universe. Which is totally happening, because you are my girlfriend."

Okay, that was almost sweet. Almost.

There was a long, slow pause, and I could feel his eyes wandering over me, examining me. "So, you're in heat. Is this heat heat, or just regular heat?"

I tried to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest. What exactly was he insinuating? "It's like I-might-actually-break-you heat."

"So... you need me. As in, you won't be able to survive unless you have me inside you?" He smiled and moved closer to me, leaning against the counter opposite of me.

"You know the answer to that." I rolled my eyes, but couldn't ignore the subtle ripple of his muscles under his skin. Yes, I needed him, could he just stop toying with me and finally get on to screwing me? I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to keep my face free of emotion. "Is there a point to all of this?"

"Yes, and no. I've just never seen you like this. It's kind of a turn on." He laughed and watched me fidget under his stare. "I'll admit though, I like seeing you like this... hungry for me." He reached into his fridge and pulled out a beer. "Touch yourself."

I felt my anger spike and I glared. "What?"

"Touch. Yourself." He opened the bottle with a hiss and watched me, taking a long, slow swallow. I watched his throat muscles work and felt my body clench again. He chuckled, but refused to retract any of his words. "It's very early in the morning, Rae, I'm not sure if I can get ready to fuck you senseless without a little visual stimulation."

That was a load of bullshit if I ever heard it.

"Come on now, if you're so greedy for what I've got to offer you, then a little foreplay isn't going to hurt... is it?" He moved closer to me. "Here, I'll help you out of these clothes." He slid my jeans over my hips and let them fall to the floor, and then lifted me up so I sat on the counter. After that, he stepped back and watched me. "Come on, little bird, I haven't got all night. Otherwise I'm going to hand you a pack of batteries and go back to bed."

I glared, trying to cover my nudity. "Not funny."

"Sure it is." He took another swig of his beer. "It's hilarious."

"Fuck you."

"Oh, I will... as soon as you touch yourself."

Glaring at him, I pushed my hand between my legs, sliding a finger inside myself. I hated this. It was uncomfortable, awkward, and mildly degrading, but if it was a means to and end, then I would go along with it.

Okay, I won't lie, I've tried to get myself off before (just because I am a demon doesn't mean that I am not also subject to those kinds of dreams), but I never succeeded. It felt strange, feeling myself, and I was never as good at it as Jason was. I swear he knew the female anatomy better than me. I was moist and soft, and whenever I touched myself, I was always reminded of that scene from Star Wars where the Millennium Falcon flies into that worm's throat thinking it's a cave. Yeah, try to get that image out of your head now.

"Awe, come on, Rae... it's your body. You should know how to pleasure yourself."

I looked up and stared at Jason as he stood there, smirking. He caught my stare and smiled. "I'm enjoying the view though. At the very least, you can just sit there with your legs open."

I'll show him. He didn't have to be such a cocky bastard all the time. I added another finger and slid my thumb over my clit, feeling my body jump in response. Okay, this wasn't as bad as it had been, it was getting better. Still not as good as when Jason did it, just I'll take what I can get. Maybe with a little more maneuvering I might actually get off.

"Mm... sexy."

I looked up again, only to see him completely naked, one hand holding his beer while the other one stroked his fully erect shaft. I felt my sex clench around my fingers and I swallowed hard. What was it about him watching me that turned me on? My breath hitched, and he stopped, clicking his tongue.

"Now, now, Raven. It's not nice to stare at others." He took a long drink of beer before continuing. "Be a good girl and finish what you are doing."

I nodded numbly, sliding my fingers in and out of myself, just watching as his own hand followed my rhythm.

"That's a good girl... are you close to coming?"

I shook my head, mesmerized by his hands.

"Oh, that's too bad." He finished his beer and stepped closer to me, running his tongue up my neck. "Let me help you."

His mouth closed over mine and I tasted the thick, heady flavor of a dark microbrew. His fingers pushed mine aside and dipped deep into my center, and there was nothing but his kiss to muffle my scream. It felt like my spine was slowly sliding out of my body as I lay on the counter, letting his fingers do what mine could not. It took only minutes before he had me screaming again, and I opened my eyes to see him staring at my body licking his lips.

"I should have never sent in a prude to do a rake's job."

I chuckled. "You've told me that once before."

"It's the truth." He dipped his mouth to run along my sex and I screamed again. My nails dug into his shoulders and my hips bucked against his mouth. He picked up his head and licked his lips again. "I don't think I've ever seen you this sensitive, little bird. I could just stand here and night and enjoy the music you're making... but I'd rather get on to fucking your brains out."

Color flooded my face as he dragged me to the edge of the counter and speared me with his member. Releif washed over me as he moved inside me mercilessly. His hands bit so hard into my hips, that there were sure to be marks and bruises in the morning, but I didn't care. I couldn't care. I was being filled by his body and it was all I needed.

I could feel that breathless, airy feeling wash over me as I felt another orgasm coming. Jason leaned over me and grabbed a nipple with his teeth, before lavishing my breasts with his tongue. "Come on, little bird. If you're going to come, just let go. I'll catch you."

I didn't need any more encouragement and I let myself fall right off the precipice and into his arms. He leaned over me, smiling as if he was far too pleased with himself. It took a few moments before the stars cleared my vision and I was able to see his face. I wanted to be patient, I wanted to wait until he could recollect himself, but my body had already had a taste of his during this mating cycle, and it wanted more.

I looked up into his face and frowned. "Again."

He raised and eyebrow and pulled out of me. "Again?"

"Fuck me again."

He sighed and stepped back. "You really are going to break me aren't you?"

"Like a pony." I hopped off the counter and pulled off the remains of my clothing. "Now, ride me like one."

His lips pursed and he stepped up to me without any more hesitation swimming in his eyes. "If you're going to break me, I might as well have fun until I stop." He curled his hand under my chin, and I saw his eyes darken in the flash of lightning outside his windows. "You want me to ride you like a pony? Get on all fours and we'll see how long it takes me to break you."

A shiver ran down my spine at the unspoken promises. Oh, Goddess... what did I get myself into?

Too late. I didn't care. There, in the kitchen, I fell to my hands and knees.

He circled one arm under my hips and the other hand tangled in my hair, pulling my head back like the reigns pulled on a horse. I was already going to lose it, if he brought me any more pleasure I might actually break something in his house. A feat I had somehow managed to avoid.

"Come on, little pony. I'm going to ride you until you break." He pushed himself inside me again, this time without any foreplay. I was still wet, and he was getting harder by the second. His hands tightened in my hair, and his body pushed in and out of me. I screamed and panted as skin slapped against skin and his fingers teased my clit. Electricity raced everywhere and I swear that my vision blacked out several times.

It took me a few, long orgasms, but I finally figured out what he was doing. He was trying to overstimulate me, trying to make me so pleasured that I would be empty of desire. For a little while at least. I'll admit, he was doing a good job. I was a quivering mess of flesh, his body controlling me as he rode me relentlessly. I knew he wasn't even close to getting off, but he was going to make sure that every cell in my body was completely fulfilled.

I don't know how long we were on the floor, or how long he rode me, slapped my ass, or pulled at my hair. But I know that by the time he came, I was nothing more that a puddle in the shape of Raven. My hands and knees gave out under my weight and we fell to the cool tile below us.

"So..."

I threw my arm over my eyes. "No talking. Sleep only."

I felt his smile and he tugged gently at my hair. "That good, huh?"

"Uh." I pulled my arm off and looked over at him.

He was covered in sweat, making him glisten in the bright flashes of lightning that shone through the windows. His smile fell a little, melting into seriousness, and he pushed some of my own sweat-soaked hair from my eyes. His mouth tried to say something, but the sound didn't come out, and he looked away as if embarrassed or ashamed. What could he have possibly wanted to say to me? There was a long, heavy pause between us and he managed to pull himself to his feet before helping me up.

"Come on, Rae. It's time for actual bed."

We both stumbled through the living room to the bedroom and fell into the plush sheets. Jason's arms wrapped around my body and pulled him closer to me. "So, what do you want for breakfast tomorrow?"

I chuckled and felt the joke slip my lips before I could stop. "Sausage and juevos?"

I felt his deadpan stare, as if he was shocked I would resort to such low-brow humor. "What are you, fourteen?"

"Ha-ha. Hey, I can make dick jokes with the best of the boys." I pulled the covers over my shoulder and pushed back into his chest. We lay there more a moment, watching as the thunder and rains slowly came across the city, washing away the heat of early summer. My eyes felt heavy, and I closed them as sleep sunk into my muscles and veins, calming my body as I continued to float down from my high.

"Jason?"

"Mm?"

"I love you."

And with that, I fell asleep.

)O(

Holy Hades! I can see an end!
Well, please let me know what you think, if you feel so inclined.