Dark Fever

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Katrina huffed indignantly - though, she knew very well what Colton was doing - and she gave him a mock glare. "Of course I could win without my powers, but what fun would that be?" she countered, but all the same, the hum in the air seemed to tone down before it disappeared entirely and the brunette smiled cheekily. "There, all fair and square." It was teasing as she started to edge along the wall, searching for an opening to get past Colton if she could.

She knew she was going to lose. She knew he'd catch her. And she was fine with all that, looking forward to it. Still, when Katrina finally made her move, attempting with nimble speed to get past the male, she gave it her all.

After all, what fun was a game if you only played it halfway?

--------

"I think because it would also change them."

Rose frowned thoughtfully, looking down at the bedspread and the pattern there. "I don't remember anything but being as I am. I think a lot of people who are infected don't remember what it was like to be human in the sense that they didn't have powers. To be human, to know that life and then suddenly have powers and everything about your body has changed....I suspect it is difficult."

The young female looked back up at Austin then, her gaze slightly troubled, but not overly so. "I think they will be scared."
 
Pleased with his small victory, Colton readied himself for Katrina's escape. The brunette moved quickly, faster than Colton had anticipated, but he moved swiftly as well. Just barely, he managed to grab onto Katrina's wrist and once he had a hold on her, Colton pulled the brunette into him. He wasted no time then, using his free hand to snatch the pillow away and toss it across the room before Katrina had time to retaliate.

Colton looked down at the small woman then and he was unable to suppress the smug smile of triumph that crossed his face. He raised a brow and while still holding onto Katrina's wrist with one hand, used his other to gently brush a finger under the female's chin, a silent instruction for her to raise her head.

"I think you owe me something."

-----

Austin mulled over what Rose said, thoughtful. He had become infected late in his life and Austin vividly remembered what it had been like - for everything to change in a mere matter of hours... yes, Rose certainly had a point. Austin nodded, frowning a little. "It IS scary." The thought sat with Austin for a moment longer before the blonde boy remembered his food and began to eat again - he never one to brood, after all.

He finished his food quickly and then looked back up at Rose. "I think it will be okay. Changing is scary, but folks will warm up to the cure once they see that it protects them."
 
Katrina felt the breath rush out of her in a whoosh as she was pulled against Colton and it wasn't because he was rough - never that - but for the simple reason that she was surprised....and very aware of him in that moment. Her pulse pounded wildly against his fingers, like a trapped bird, and she trembled slightly when he tilted her chin up, her entire body flooding with warmth at the simple gesture.

When her blue-steel eyes met his hazel, though, they showed no fear and Katrina felt a smile spread across her face, a light smirk as her free hand came up, her fingers tangling gently in the hair at the nape of his neck. "I believe you might be right." she replied evenly and then rose....and kissed Colton's nose.

She pulled back with a grin and an entirely too innocent expression. "There ya go."

--------

Rose could deduce by his comment that he'd been a late-bloomer and she felt curiosity stir, the desire to hear his story, but she bit her tongue at questioning right now. It was getting late and there would be plenty of time for that later. The blond smiled at the thought and at Austin's simple logic and she nodded. "I suppose you are right...or at least I hope you are. Malia says the world is changing and we have to learn to change with it."

Green eyes looked up, happy again to meet Austin's gaze. "It has been wonderful talking to you, Austin and I would love to do it again soon, but I think now I should leave you to sleep." She stood gently and smiled down at him. "I have many things I need to do before I depart from this place anyway." It would be a gentle reminder to him, but was also complete truth. Besides, the young man looked like he might fall asleep at any moment now that he had a full stomach.
 
Colton smirked a little when Katrina leaned in but when the brunette merely kissed his nose and then pulled away, Colton blinked, stunned. He regarded Katrina silently for a moment, evaluating each of his options. After a brief moment, he smiled faintly.

"...No, sorry. That doesn't count."

Without warning, Colton brought his hand to the back of Katrina's head and he leaned down, covering her lips with his.

It was the first time Colton had ever done anything without Katrina's explicit prior consent, and he wouldn't have taken the risk had he seen any flicker of fear in Katrina's eyes during their play. Colton was aggressive by nature though, and the kiss stirred him, excited him in ways he hadn't let himself feel around Katrina before. Even as he deepened the kiss, Colton was paying close attention to Katrina, attentive to any signs she would give off that indicated he had pushed her too far.

-----------

Austin watched Rose as she stood and even though part of him ached to protest, to ask Rose to stay longer, he knew that it was getting late and the young woman's hints were not lost on him. He nodded, standing as well as he walked Rose to the door.

"Thank you for visiting me. I really enjoyed talking to you, too," Austin said, smiling warmly at the blonde. "Have a goodnight." Even after his good-bye though, Austin lingered at the door, not wanting to be the first to separate.
 
She'd expected it. She had. And still Colton surprised her as his lips covered her own, demanding and dominant, but in no way cruel. She felt her body shiver, heat spreading through her veins, her nerves tingling as she brought her body closer to his, her hand on his neck delving into his hair as the kiss deepened and Katrina's toes curled happily. She moaned softly into his mouth, approving and for several, blissful moments, she knew nothing but the pounding of her heart in her ears, the feeling of fireworks where her lips and skin met Colton's and the love she knew she had for the male who held her.

It was wonderful.

And then reality set in and Katrina felt the first stirring of memories she'd never wanted to have surfacing, rising almost tauntingly in her mind and the brunette stiffened involuntarily. She felt Colton's body do the same and when she pulled back from him with a gasp that fluttered between happy, distressed and just needing air, she knew Colton would understand what had happened. Katrina closed her eyes then, feeling tears prick at her lids and she took a deep breath before looking up at Colton.

Her hands - the one trapped now free - came up slowly to rest on his chest and Katrina leaned in, resting her forehead against the male's sternum.

"I'm sorry. I liked it, I promise...I just... I'm sorry, Colton." she whispered, sounding completely ashamed of her reaction to him, to someone she knew wouldn't hurt her.

----------

Rose let him walk her to the door and she smiled at him when waited there, reluctant to depart. Heaven's above, he was adorable! Her smile widened a little and the blond nodded at his words. "Goodnight, Austin. I'll come by later tomorrow." she promised before giving a small wave and starting down the hall.

She really was going to be good friends with this male. Malia was right. The thought pleased Rose immensely and she practically skipped her way back to her room.
 
The very second Katrina had stiffened, Colton pulled away and looked at the brunette with a deep concern and even a hint of fear in his own eyes, wondering just how far past the line he had pushed her. Even when Katrina rested herself against his chest and apologized, Colton found it difficult to answer her past his own berations.

You f***ing idiot. Why did you think that would be okay? What if she doesn't trust you now? You worked this hard to earn her trust and doing s*** like that is going to ruin it. F***, just don't do that again. You can't risk this. You can't risk her.

Colton drew in a deep breath through his nose and then looked down at the small woman against him. Forcing his thoughts away, he wrapped an arm around Katrina and used his other hand to gently pet her hair.

"No, Kat. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." He leaned in a little to kiss her on the head before deciding against it and straightening again. "...Why don't you eat and lay down?"

------

Austin smiled at Rose's promise to visit again tomorrow and he waited until the blonde girl was out of sight before he went back into his room. He was still a little flushed but that didn't stop the grin that was plastered on his face. Rose's visit had rejuvenated him and even as Austin laid in bed, he couldn't help the bubbling excitement in his chest that only faded as he drifted to sleep.
 
Katrina felt a stab of pain in her heart when he straightened, knowing what he'd been about to do - what he'd done many times over - and knowing he'd stopped. She felt a deep sense of loss and the small brunette didn't have to think as she wrapped her arms around Colton's waist, staying as close to him as he'd allow her, not ready to let him go yet. If she did, she feared she might not come back and that was the last thing she wanted.

"You weren't thinking and I liked that." she whispered into his chest, meaning every word. She had to think so often; about her powers, about her reaction to things, her emotions, what might trigger her....everything. It had been wonderful to just FEEL for once and Katrina was very scared now that she'd ruined another chance for that with Colton. He was so caring and considerate and protective, but sometimes that worked against him and Katrina was not blind to that fault in him.

She finally pulled back a bit and looked up at him, her blue-steel eyes determined. "Kiss me again."

Katrina didn't wait for his response, leaning up and doing it herself, locking her lips with his. She felt a shiver travel through her body, a pleasant sensation all over again and that was when she drew back slowly and her eyes fluttered open, searching Colton's gently. "I don't want to be afraid of this. I won't be." She smiled a little and shrugged lightly.

"We'll just have to be a bit more slow about it, but I'm not giving up kisses. I refuse."
 
Colton tensed a little when Katrina kissed him again and he nearly pulled away before stopping himself. He said nothing for a few seconds afterwards, searching Katrina's eyes intently for any indication of fear or that something was wrong. The brunette seemed fine though, and he slowly nodded at her words.

"Alright, sure. We'll take it slower."

His hazel eyes searched Katrina's blue-steel again before he forced a faint smile, knowing that Katrina likely wanted things to return to normal again. The issue still bothered him though and Colton knew he'd need to think about things further before he could truly feel at ease again. Until then though, he would do his best to make Katrina feel comfortable.

"You really should lay down, Kat. It's getting late."
 
The ease and lightheartedness between them had gone. Katrina could feel that clearly and it frustrated her even though she knew it was her own fault - and that just made her mad at herself. She sighed and nodded, finally pulling away from Colton, looking away from him and over at the food. She didn't feel hungry anymore. The brunette headed for the bed instead and she flicked her hand, calling the pillows to her. They came....but not before one of them sent the lamp crashing to the ground and Katrina winced, her fists clenching in upset at herself, but she didn't say anything.

The pillows settled on the bed and she picked up the lamp, setting it calmly back on the nightstand before slipping her shoes off and crawling into one side of the bed. She curled around herself, refusing to cry. No. She was stronger than that, dammit!

She'd be fine. She would.

Katrina wished she believed her own inner dialogue.
 
Colton frowned a little when Katrina knocked over the lamp and his eyes flickered to her in concern. It was obvious the female was upset, but Colton wasn't quite sure how to help her. He glanced over at his food as well and found the thought of eating only made him ill so he walked over to the bed. Part of him almost offered to leave and room with Austin instead, but Colton pushed the thought away. Katrina was upset because he had withdrawn and pulling away even more would only make it worse. He knew that, but Colton still struggled with the idea.

Colton sighed lightly and took off his shoes, getting in the bed as well. He made certain to keep on his side though, giving Katrina plenty of space. He thought for a moment, then turned over so that he was facing the brunette, reaching out to give her arm a light reassuring squeeze. "Everything is okay, Kat." With that, he turned back around, though he didn't figure he would be sleeping anytime soon.
 
Katrina felt marginally better when Colton stayed. She'd been afraid, for a moment, that she'd driven him to leave, but then he was getting into the bed and she felt her body relax a little. She gave him a nod when he reassured her and for a long few minutes they laid in silence. Katrina felt restless, though and with a grumble she moved, rolling herself until her back was pressed against Colton's. The contact almost instantly soothed her. She could feel his heartbeat against her back, could feel his warmth and his breathing. She knew he was there and it helped her frazzled mind a great deal.

It also helped her from feeling terrified and lashing out when the first mutant screech in the far distance came howling through the night. Katrina jumped a little at the sound, but upon remembering where they were, she relaxed again and gave a shaky chuckle into the darkness of the room.

"We should just get one of those creatures and use it for the attack siren back home." she whispered with a small giggle and then yawned, feeling not entirely like herself, but better than she had a little while before and the brunette drifted toward sleep as she hugged her pillow tightly.
 
Despite everything that had happened, Colton smiled faintly when Katrina pressed her back to his and like her, he found himself relaxing a little at the touch. When Katrina started a little at the mutant's screech though, Colton had to actively fight the urge to turn around and hold the small woman, to wrap her tight in his arms and whisper soothing things to her. He resisted though, and when Katrina finally drifted to sleep, Colton let his restless mind run its course before he fell asleep as well.

-------

The next morning, Cassandra stirred at the sunlight streaming through the window and when she opened her eyes, realizing where she was and that she was sleeping on an actual bed as opposed to dirt, Cassandra smiled faintly and closed her eyes again, pressing against Gabriel. She knew it wouldn't be long before they were sleeping out in the wastes again and she wanted to savor the the safety and privacy she had with her mate now.
 
Gabriel stirred slightly when Cassandra did, instinctively detecting the changes in her breathing, the shifting of her body and he growled faintly in protest of waking further, pulling her closer, curling around her further. Her scent filled his nose and he buried his face in her hair, a purr rumbling through his chest, giving away the fact that he was not asleep anymore and was not going to go back to sleep much as he wanted to.

He felt relaxed, sluggish and knowing there wasn't anything pressing to deal with, no walking to be done, no meetings to attend was the best feeling in the world he decided. Well, next to having Cassandra in his arms.

Gabriel felt a smile pull at his lips at the thought and his voice was deep and gravely with sleep in his mate's ear. "I love you."

---------

Katrina woke with Colton's arms around her. Out in the waste, they'd always slept close, but not close enough to end up in this position if they turned in their sleep, but now...well, Colton's protective tendencies seemed to have gotten the better of him and the brunette found herself suppressing amusement at the fact. She didn't move away, glancing over her shoulder at the sleeping male, smiling to see his face relaxed, peaceful.

She curled closer into him, nothing in her mind protesting this. He'd done this enough times, for comforting reasons, that her body had adapted to it - to a point beyond fear. Katrina sighed happily and her fingers found his, curling around them for two reasons; because she liked the sensation and to keep the idiot still when he woke and immediately tried to jerk away.
 
Cassandra felt a smile tug at her lips when she heard Gabriel purr, enjoying the soothing way the sound rumbled against her. At his words, a happy warmth filled Cassandra and she hummed pleasantly.

"I love you, too."

Cassandra did nothing else for a while, merely laying and enjoying the closeness of her mate before she gradually began to wake up more and opened her eyes again.

"So what's the plan for today?"

-----

Colton woke a while after Katrina did and in the haze of sleep, he followed his instinctual reaction to bring Katrina in closer to him. He sighed lightly with satisfaction and buried his face against the female's hair, breathing her in before his eyes snapped open in realization.

Katrina's prediction had been spot on and Colton immediately moved to sit up and disentangle himself from the brunette. When he met resistance in the form of the small woman's fingers, he looked down at her in confusion, opening his mouth in some sort of protest or apology or possibly both, before closing it again. He knew Katrina wouldn't be holding onto him if she didn't want him there and he hesitantly settled back down next to her, unsure of himself.

"...Good morning. How are you?"

The greeting was a little awkward considering what just happened, but Colton wasn't sure how else to deal with it.
 
Gabriel groaned and he growled at her softly in reprimand. "No plans. That is the beauty of today." he grumbled into her neck and then smiled against her skin, something stirring in his mind. He moved very suddenly with the wild grace of a predator, hovering over Cassandra, smiling into her startled face. Her body was trapped below his as his knees were on either side of her hips and his hands planted on both sides of her head.

His bleached hair fell into his dark amber eyes as he leaned down and kissed Cassandra's chin, nipping lightly at her skin before he captured her lips in a gentle, but heated way before pulling back slowly. "I just want..." He kissed her again, lingering longer this time, the purr building in his chest. "...to stay with you..." Gabriel growled, his lips covering his mate's again before she could say a thing, probably even before she could catch her breath again. The blond pulled away after a minute, a smug smile curling his lips, a possessive but loving light in his eyes.

"...the entire day." he finished softly.

----------------------

Katrina smiled to herself where he couldn't see.

"Mmm, better now that you've stopped acting like an idiot." she supplied teasingly before letting go of his fingers and rolling over so she could see him. Her arms curled to her chest, but her fingers reached out to grab his shirt, once again preventing him from leaving unless he wanted to pry her away. Her power stirred at the thought, apparently unhappy with the idea of him moving, too and the brunette chuckled, the sound deep and happy as her blue-steel eyes met Colton's sharp hazel.

"You know, I think you're right about my power. It DOES like you. Apparently, you're not allowed to leave yet."
 
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Cassandra gasped lightly in surprise when Gabriel suddenly moved on top of her, but that faded quickly as he kissed her and Cassandra felt her body warm pleasantly. The male's voice was deep over the rumble of his purr and his kisses soft and enticing; Cassandra found herself smiling as she reached up and ran her fingers through Gabriel's hair, savoring the male's presence.

"That sounds wonderful."

Cassandra let herself enjoy the man's kisses for a while, feeling more relaxed and happy than she had for a long time. Eventually though, her stomach growled and Cassandra blinked, laughing softly.

"Maybe we should eat, love."

------

Colton raised a brow at being called an idiot but he just smiled faintly, amused by the brunette. As Katrina turned around and took hold of his shirt, Colton finally relaxed a little, easing back onto the bed. The female was making it very clear that she wanted him close and even though Colton would be monitoring his actions carefully, he felt that he could worry a little less now.

A little hesitantly, Colton reached out and gently pulled some of Katrina's hair back. "Oh yeah? Would it stop me from leaving?" he asked, smiling faintly at the thought.
 
"Hmm?"

Gabriel's eyes were half-lidded, not sleepy anymore but completely content with Cassandra's touch and it took him a minute to come out of his pleasant stupor. He blinked at his mate, registering her question and then smiled, kissing her again softly before pulling back with a nod. "All right." he conceded and moved off of her, whining halfheartedly when her fingers departed from his scalp and he followed her off the bed with languid, feline movements.

When they checked the food, it was to see that everything - amazingly - was fresh and not only that but it seemed to have changed overnight. Breakfast things sat before them on the trays and Gabriel tilted his head, puzzled for a moment before dawning understanding came over his face. "They have a Changer." He glanced at Cassandra. "Someone who can take one thing, something that isn't alive, and change it into something else."

Apparently someone had done it with their food, which meant someone - most likely Malia - had known they'd not eaten their previous meal. The blond found the thought bothered him a little, like they were being watched, but he didn't comment on it, taking a piece of toast from the tray and starting to eat instead, his body finally recognizing just how hungry he was.

----------------

Katrina could feel him relaxing, sense it and she did the same, too, relieved that he wasn't going to try and leave her again. Last night...had been wonderful and horrible all jumbled into a mess and she'd hated it. The brunette hoped they might start off better today and maintain that. She was going to try at least.

At Colton's question, she smiled, somehow the expression gentle, sweet even though she'd been semi-insulting him, stubborn and cheeky a moment before. "I think so, yeah. You know, it's calmer around you. I thought....I didn't know there was a person alive it wouldn't harm, but it won't...it won't hurt you. I'm still not sure I understand that, but I'm glad it's true."

Katrina captured Colton's fingers in her own then and she brought them to her lips, placing a soft kiss to his fingertip, looking at him with a searching, genuinely questioning gaze. "Why did you follow me that day? Why aren't you scared of me?"
 
Cassandra had been startled by the food as well and when Gabriel explained the change, she looked at him with interest. "A changer? That seems really handy."

Cassandra picked up her tray of food and sat on the edge of the bed to eat it. "Why do you think Malia and the others stay here? There are so many of them and they all seem powerful. Why stay stuck in an abandoned city like this?"

She took a bite of her food, thoughtful while she did so. She swallowed her bite and continued her thought. "They could join the Resistance. I mean, Malia doesn't really associate with either side of the war, but at least she and the others could be around other Infected and not have to work so hard for their safety."

------

Colton smiled at Katrina's words, enjoying the thought. Gabriel had been right; just as Colton instinctively would not hurt Katrina, neither would she hurt him. He hadn't always been so sure of that though, and when Katrina asked her question, it took him a few seconds to answer.

"...I followed you because I had to. I needed to be near you, to find out more about you. I did it without thinking," Colton answered truthfully. Every part of him ached to be near Katrina and it had only been natural to follow her.

His eyes flickered to her blue-steel ones then to answer her next question. "I'm not afraid of you because I already know and accept the risks. After all, I only met you because you nearly killed me." He smiled then, gently tugging a lock of Katrina's hair. "It's kind of hard to top that." The same hand that had gently pulled her hair now reached up, stroking it softly. "I don't believe you'll hurt me. Not really. I think you have more control over your power than you believe you do."
 
Gabriel had picked up some things he wanted, his large hand holding them easily as he came to the bed and settled in beside Cassandra. He ate slowly, pondering her words. Of course he couldn't answer for Malia and the others, but he could speculate and he spoke after a time, venturing his opinion on the matter since it was just they two in the room. "Maybe they stay because they feel safer here. There are the mutants, yes, but they have a system for that. In this place they don't have to worry about prejudice humans or Ferals or the Government or random infected groups like the Synth."

The blond shrugged slightly, tilting his head, his hair drifting into his eyes. It was longer now, desperately needing a cut. "I think that it doesn't matter to them how hard they have to work, but rather WHO they have to fight. Malia seems to think that everyone is going to get along soon, or at least be working together, and these people with her...every single one of them can say they don't have a grudge against anyone. The only people they've fought are the mutants and everyone will be fighting them before long."

Gabriel stopped then, wondering if perhaps he was completely off in his assessment. That thought soon shattered, though.

{You're not. In fact, you're quite right. Very good.}

The male nearly leaped out of his skin, looking around with a startled expression, a growl in his throat before his mind registered who the voice belonged to and then he settled again, still a bit jittery, but not alarmed. "I told you not to DO that!" He hissed it and Malia chuckled before fading away and Gabriel frowned at the door before he glanced at Cassandra with a sheepish expression. "Apparently Malia approves of what I've said."

----------------

Katrina found a smile spreading across her face along with her blush and she leaned into Colton's touch with a soft sigh, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again and giving him a mock-warning look. "Stop pullin' my hair or my power might change it's mind." she threatened with no truth in the words whatsoever. The small brunette closed her eyes again and her entire body curled closer to Colton, making her even smaller than she already was as she pulled her legs up and borrowed against his chest.

She felt safe there. Like nothing bad could touch her.

"Maybe. Still not convinced of that, but I'll take the baby-steps." Katrina smiled a bit at the thought and she looked up at Colton then, her eyes locking onto and searching his. Her voice was a whisper. "I love you. You know that, right?"
 
Cassandra regarded Gabriel's words thoughtfully and she nodded. The blonde made perfect sense and Cassandra found herself admiring the way he thought. She was snapped out of that though, when Gabriel jumped in alarm and Cassandra started in response, looking at him with wide eyes. It took her a few seconds to understand what had happened and when she did, Cassandra laughed, gently rubbing Gabriel's back with one hand to soothe the male.

"I'm not surprised she did. That was some pretty good thinking," Cassandra said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She finished eating quickly after that and she got up to put the tray away before coming back to sit next to Gabriel again.

"Maybe we should take a shower, too..." Cassandra said gently, noting the dirt on Gabriel's clothes. Of course, all of their clothes were dirty from their travels and Cassandra was well aware that she needed a shower as badly as Gabriel.

-------

Colton smiled faintly, enjoying the way Katrina curled into him and he wrapped an arm around her, instinctively protective of the small female.

At Katrina's words though, Colton blinked in surprise and he looked down at the brunette. Her words didn't shock him, but it was still strange to hear them out loud and Colton took a moment before answering. Did he love her? The answer came easily, a resounding response so strong that Colton wondered why he even had to think about it at all.

Smiling warmly at her, Colton pressed a soft kiss to Katrina's head. "I know. I love you, too."

It was the first time Colton ever uttered the words to anyone outside of his family and saying them now filled him with a happy warmth. It also, however, instilled in him the fierce desire to protect what he had learned he loved and Colton pulled Katrina into him closer, burying his face against her hair and breathing her in. She loved him. The thought filled Colton with a joy he hadn't experienced before, and for once he didn't respond to the new emotion with anger, instead letting it soak in and settle across his body.
 
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