Virus Ch. 07-08

Chapter 7: Clothing Optional

Alex wrapped a robe around her naked body and stumbled into the kitchen. These last few days it felt like her body forcefully objected to wearing clothes. Everything she tried on irritated her skin. At first she thought it was a rash but she didn't have any redness or any other physical signs of irritation. She badgered Drew to buy a different brand of laundry detergent, but after trying several she was persuaded that it wasn't an allergic reaction. He speculated that the small amount of virus she had contracted was the cause and she just needed to fight it for a bit before it passed out of her system. She now had to force herself to at least wear a robe when going outside her room. The thin cotton was slightly irritating but bearable.

She was reaching for the coffee pot when she heard "So I hear you did a She-ra impression and broke into Drew's room. I would have volunteered to stay here if I knew that was how you said 'Good morning.' "

She set the pot down and tightened the tie on the robe before turning to respond. "Hello Neil. I don't know what Drew told you, but of the two people in the house - one with otherworldly strength and one who can barely carry an armful of books - it's interesting that you'd believe I was the one who broke the lock."

Neil grinned at her and warned playfully "Don't underestimate the desire to complete the transformation."

Alex rolled her eyes and started filling the coffee pot with water. Neil's gaze slid down her body, taking in the robe and her lack of any clothing underneath. "Why are you here?" she asked with a mixture of exasperation and embarrassment.

"I was asked to babysit while Drew went to the hardware store. I think he needs to get one of those secure panic room style doors instead of a measly lock, but whatever." Neil reached around her to get something out of the cabinet causing her to flinch at his proximity. He laughed at her reaction. "Just getting a plate."

She shrugged, trying to act like she wasn't affected. She peeked at Neil as he moved around the kitchen. He reached up to grab a cup and she admired the definition in his arms and shoulders, his muscles perfectly proportioned to his thin frame. His back was to her but, as if he could sense it, he told her to quit staring at him. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment as she quickly turned around, concentrating on making the coffee. His palms suddenly rested on the counter on either side of her, boxing her in. She could feel the heat of his body even though he wasn't actually touching her. He seductively whispered in her ear "It's very dangerous to be looking at me while you're dressed only in that." Alex let out a slow breath to calm herself down. Neil suddenly swung himself back from the counter and laughed. She snuck a glance at him. He gave her a predatory smile and started whistling "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" as he continued making his breakfast.

Alex's desire reversed itself into anger. He was enjoying teasing her, and after all the crap she'd been through lately, she wasn't in the mood to take it. He thought teasing her was funny? Fine, she could dish it out too. She sat at the kitchen table to eat her yogurt, purposely licking the spoon in such a way that it would demonstrate her talent in licking other things. Out of the corner of her eye she spied Neil staring at her wide-eyed. She hid her smile and nonchalantly started eating normally, anxious not to overdo it. Neil joined her at the table where they ate quietly for a bit, both reading the paper.

"Shit," Alex muttered, looking down at a small of glob of yogurt that had spilled onto her robe. She gave a small grunt of frustration and grabbed a handful of napkins. As she scrubbed the napkin over the stain, she looked up to see Neil staring at her lustfully. He was admiring her clearly defined nipple poking through the cotton robe and unconsciously licked his lips when the robe fell open slightly, giving him a nice view of her generous cleavage. He looked into her eyes and saw a split-second gleam of satisfaction. Realization washed over him and he sat back in his chair. "Damn. You're good," he complimented her laughingly. "The best predators lure in their prey by making themselves look like easy targets."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, innocently batting her eyes as she pulled up the robe. "And please, all men -supernatural or otherwise - are suckers for boobs." Neil laughed and nodded in agreement.

Later both Alex and Neil sprawled out on the couch watching TV. They were both bored and started making sarcastic comments about the bad courtroom shows they were watching.

"Oh, please. Don't award her any money! She'll just spend it on beer and guys who'll tell her she's pretty," Alex implored the TV judge as if he could hear her.

"Hopefully she'll spend some of it at a real salon, instead of trying to bleach her hair herself. It looks like banana Laffy Taffy," Neil replied.

"I wondered why I got the sudden urge for some candy."

They were cracking themselves up. Alex shifted on the sofa to get more comfortable and noticed Neil was ogling her again. "Stop staring at my breasts," she demanded.

"Wear something more than a robe," he retorted. She had forgotten that she was only covered in a thin layer of cotton and quickly readjusted and tightened it again.

The show Judge Judy/ Mathis/ Joe Bown/ Wapner/ Reinhold/ whatever ended and the pair switched it to a game show. "I've always wanted to go to Italy," Alex sighed as a grand prize trip to the country was revealed.

"It's beautiful. Try to avoid it when a volcano's erupting, but barring natural disasters, it's a great place to vacation."

"Volcano? You mean Pompeii? You were there when Mt. Vesuvius erupted?" she gasped, turning on the sofa to face him.

Neil just smiled enigmatically back at her. When he refused to confirm or deny it, she leaned over and pinched him. "Tell me, how old are you really?" she badgered.

"It's rude to ask an old person their age," he grinned. "Older than most cities, younger than creation."

"Thank you for narrowing that down," Alex smiled snidely. "Does it ever get boring, living that long? You must have visited every place you've ever wanted to go and done everything you've wanted to try."

"Bored? Hell no." He paused, trying to find a way to explain. "Think of all the new technology that happened over just your lifetime. Phones got cordless and small enough to fit in your pocket. We used to play music on records, then tapes, then CDs. Now you can fit thousands of songs on a tiny device. And that's just superficial stuff. I've seen the most amazing advances in medicine, transportation, architecture, you name it."

"So you're basically hanging around just to see what the latest Apple product will be?" she teased.

He threw his head back and laughed. "Partly. But I've also met some fascinating people. From popes to the poor, heads of state to women who gave great head." Alex rolled her eyes as he waxed poetic. He chuckled and added "And if I hadn't lived this long, I wouldn't be sitting here next to you, having this enjoyable conversation."

She smirked at him. "Charmer."

"I mean, honestly, I can't figure out why you're not bugging Drew to finish the job. We're pretty awesome." He stopped abruptly, a guilty look flashing on his face. He forgot that he was trying to stay out of it and let Drew be the one to convince her.

She twisted up her face. "I know. Besides the obvious perks, why wouldn't I want to be infected? I'd be pretty badass if I was. It's just... I dunno... " she trailed off. She tapped her hand on her leg absentmindedly as she thought about how to vocalize her feelings. "I'm sure a lot of people would love the opportunity, just for the power and abilities alone. But I've read all the comics, seen all the movies, watched the animes. 'You can't gain anything without first giving something in return' and all that. I know that in order to get something a price must be paid. I'm not so sure I'm willing to pay that price."

Neil shook his head in understanding. He didn't have the heart to explain that small drop of infection inside her couldn't be debated into going away. "I get what you're saying. But you and Drew need to sit down and talk-" Neil stopped mid-sentence as Alex shifted to get more comfortable, hugging one leg to her chest with the other foot on the floor. Her robe gaped open at the top where, due to the way she was sitting, her breasts were smooshed together and displaying an incredible valley of cleavage. The position also caused the robe to open at the bottom, her intimate area barely covered by shadows. Alex followed his gaze and gasped when she saw how much of herself was on display. She yelped and swung her other leg on the couch, trying to prevent any more crotch shots. Her face was beet red and she muttered "I'm sorry."

"Hey, a beautiful woman showing her body is always a good thing in my book," he assured her with a smile.

She smiled sheepishly back at him. "It wasn't intentional..." Now Alex was the one finding herself lost mid-thought as she spotted the erection poking at the stiff cloth of his jeans.

"Stop staring at me like that. You're making me feel dirty," Neil joked in mock outrage. "It's a natural reaction to female nudity. Gimme a minute to picture Drew naked and it'll go away."

As if she wasn't in control of her body, Alex stretched toward Neil. Still entranced at the sight of his erection, she reached out to stroke it over his jeans. He instinctively pulled her forward to kiss her, their lips smashing together. Suddenly he leaned back and twisted away from her. "This isn't a good idea," he exhaled.

She moved closer and teasingly licked the outside of his ear. She sucked on his earlobe while her hand continued rubbing over his crotch. She felt it twitch under her hand and whispered "Parts of you think it's a very good idea."

Neil turned to face her and they locked eyes for a minute. He could see the lust raging in hers. He was trying to be strong but she was just so sexy. Despite his superhuman abilities, he was still human at his core. He wavered between good and evil, sinner and saint, just like any man. Soon they were kissing again, deeply, intensely. Alex slid her hand down his chest until it rested on his crotch. Taking the cue, Neil unzipped his jeans and pulled out his erect cock from his boxer briefs, all without breaking the kiss. Alex's hand instinctively wrapped around it and started stroking very slowly.

Alex broke the kiss to examine his cock. Surprisingly it wasn't big. In all honesty it was slightly smaller than the other guys she'd been with. But she reasoned that it was in proportion with Neil's small frame. Plus she had no doubt that he could satisfy a woman, no matter the size of his dick. Neil saw her staring and was going to say something when she shifted her body to get a closer look. He saw her head dip down to take him in her mouth and it caused him to roll his head back on the sofa, moaning. Alex smiled to herself at his reaction and did it again. She loved being able to accommodate more of him in her mouth than she had with previous lovers. She slid her tongue up and down the sides, teasing and tasting all the ridges and bumps. His hand fisted in her hair, but let her go at her own pace.

Alex slithered off of the sofa and knelt in front of him. She grabbed the base of his shaft and slowly started jacking him off, peppering the head with tiny licks. She then took him all the way in her mouth, covering his cock with saliva. She stopped suddenly and, looking at him with mischievous eyes, unceremoniously undid her robe and let if fall off her shoulders. Neil felt his dick throb at her nakedness. She leaned her body forward, placing his swollen cock between her breasts. Since she had liberally coated it with her saliva, it glided easily as she pressed her breasts together. The feeling of her soft, luscious breasts against his hard cock was heavenly. She leaned her head down to give teasing licks and light sucks to the tip every time it was thrust up.

"Fuck. I don't know if it's you or the virus but it's getting harder and harder not to throw you down and fuck you senseless," he panted, trying to catch his breath and gain control of himself.

"So do it," she grinned.

Neil's body twitched by reflex but something in the back of his brain stopped him from doing it. He begrudgingly grabbed her arms and gently pulled her away from him. "God, I'm tempted. So very, very tempted. But what about Drew?"

"Drew?" she asked in a daze.

"Yeah, the guy you woke up by dry-humping? I don't know how he has the strength to stay chaste, but more power to him."

"Oh, Drew," Alex uttered, shaking her head slightly as if she were coming out of a dream.

"Yep. I won't screw over a friend just to screw a girl, no matter how hot and horny you are. Besides, I know that it's just the virus causing this. Not that we wouldn't be attracted to each other normally, but I've seen the way you and Drew look at each other," Neil divulged. "You have a connection."

He watched Alex's face as the lust fell away and reason slowly took hold. She picked up her robe and put it on, shame covering her face. "Neil... This... We... This was just the virus, right?" she asked shakily.

He looked at her in pity and nodded.

Almost as if she was talking to herself, she quietly murmured "Ok. I just need to let it pass out of my system." Neil was about to question what she meant when suddenly she locked eyes with him and pleaded "Please tell me you won't say anything to Drew."

Neil smiled at her. "Promise."

And, as if on cue, the front door opened and Drew came striding through carrying several bags. Alex flinched guiltily then scurried to help him. She kept her head down and refused to meet his gaze as she moved around the kitchen putting groceries away. Drew seemed oblivious to the awkward mood. "I got seven different locks. No more surprise midnight visitors," he joked.

"Do you really think you're that irresistible that you need that many locks to keep girls out?" Neil teased.

Drew just shrugged. "I know you're not used to it. You need at least that many to keep girls in," he quipped. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

Alex's breath caught in her throat but luckily Neil quickly answered "Nah. Unless you'd like me to tell you about the court shows we watched."

"God, no. Hate those shows. I don't know how you can watch that, Alex," he chided.

She opened and closed her mouth, unable to come up with anything witty. Normally she'd have a smart remark for him but guilt was still eating her up.

Neil saw the misery on her face and changed the subject. Punching Drew on the arm, he asked "Hey, did you see the game? Giants won. You owe me a hundred. And don't go pulling a Seth and avoiding me 'cause you lost a bet."

"Yeah, yeah. I saw and stopped by the ATM," Drew responded, reaching for his wallet. "But I think my dad avoids you just so he doesn't have to hear you gloat, rather than having to pay."

"Me? Gloat? I win so often I no longer feel the need to gloat."

While the guys good naturedly argued about football, Alex quickly finished putting things away and excused herself to hide in her room.

Drew had started putting one of the locks together and hadn't noticed any of Alex's nervousness. Neil leaned against the kitchen wall and shook his head at his friend's inability to pick up cues. He grabbed a chair and sat down. "Are all these locks really necessary?" he asked Drew.

"Yeah. It's all I can do," Drew quietly replied. He hadn't told Neil that he came the morning Alex was in his bed and that he had accidentally allowed her to ingest a little more. He purposely kept it from him so he wouldn't be lectured. Regardless, Drew knew how critical it was that Alex not be exposed any more.

"No, what you can do is-" Neil began.

"Don't say it!"Drew thundered, throwing the lock across the table. "I'm not going to convert her. Period. End of discussion." He pushed himself away from the table and strode over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "Besides, she just needs to let that little bit of the virus pass out of her system and she'll be back to normal."

"You don't honestly believe that," Neil scoffed.

"I have to."

"Drew, what the fuck is going on? You've transformed plenty of other women before."

"I don't know. She's different. I just don't want her to lose any part of herself..."

"She won't," Neil insisted.

"How do you know?" Drew pushed back angrily. "How many people did we infect that changed? Became twisted and corrupted, virtual strangers due to their new power and strength?"

"And how many stayed the same, or even became better than they were? You told me a long time ago the virus just enhances whatever's in a person's heart. Look at Alex. She's strong, good. She won't change, not like that."

"I like her, Neil. I like her more than I've liked any other woman in a long time. I don't want to change her. Not like this. This wasn't her choice. She didn't agree to it. She didn't know the benefits or drawbacks. One night of sex with me and she's stuck with this." Drew leaned back against the counter and muttered "I don't want her thinking in one hundred, two hundred years time 'If only that asshole Drew hadn't turned me.' "

"The virus isn't just going to go away. You need to deal with the fact she's going to suffer indefinitely until you get the courage to transform her." Neil slid off the chair to head home. He paused on his way out and looked at Drew. "You claim to like her, maybe even love her, but right now all you're being is cruel."

Chapter 8: Second Injection

Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there...

Drew walked through the living room, singing the Incubus song to himself. It had been several days since Neil lectured him and he had to admit that Neil's words had stung. Even though there was still a flicker of hope they could wait it out, he knew he needed to discuss the situation with Alex, but other than a few awkward conversations, she had mostly been avoiding him.

Even though it was mid-morning, the living room was shrouded in darkness. Outside the sky was overcast and the air so thick with fog it looked like clouds had swallowed the earth. Drew wove around the furniture more by memory rather than being able to see objects clearly. Walking past the side chair, he felt something unexpected scrape his leg. He stopped in surprise and looked down to see Alex curled up against the side of the chair, her hand hanging limp over the edge. Her robe was open, and he struggled not to stare at her naked body. Her head was down, obscuring her face so he couldn't hear her when she whispered something.

"Huh?" he asked, leaning down toward her.

Barely raising her head, she breathed out "Please..."

He looked at her sharply. Her eyes looked glassy, like her mind was far away. Until today he hadn't noticed there was something missing. He suddenly remembered back to the first time he saw her. He was standing in the always empty reference section of the library. Looking up from his book he spied Alex in a corner of the staff room, head bouncing and mouth moving to lyrics playing only in her head. She obviously assumed no one could see her. She happened to glance out the window and he heard a "Meep!" of surprise when she noticed him. It wasn't how cute she looked when she was singing and dancing to herself, nor the adorable way she blushed when she was caught that endeared her to him. No, it was the way she looked back at him, met his gaze, and shrugged sheepishly. How her eyes sparkled as she owned up to being caught acting goofy, with just a hint of challenge should he try to tease her about it.