“I didn't tell you about the death, did I,” she murmured.

He forced his eyes open against the dreamy euphoria, “Death?”

She rolled over in his arms and told him the story of the stripper downtown. He listened in a devastated silence.

“That means that it can be spread sexually.” He sighed. Sartok was overwhelmed with the gratitude her soft embrace gave him, “Thank you, Surrian.”

They paused in the embrace. When it became to much to bare he said, “This is...weird.”

She was silent for a moment before whispering, “Do you want me to go?”

“Honestly, no,” he murmured, “I think it should be evident that I really like you, Surri.”

More silence. This time it was much longer before she just managed, “I like you too, Sartok. A lot.

It was a wonder that he could look so handsome even being totally devastated.

“It's not your fault, ok?” She put a hand on his shoulder and caught his eyes with her own.

“God, you're...,” he sighed, climbing on top of her, “....Amazing.”

Her eyes turned away as thought guilty, “I'm not so great...if you knew....”

“I'd still be riddled with all of these emotions I've never had before,” he whispered, stroking the side of her face. “Surrian, why are you so scared...why are you so scared of me?”

“Because...I don't know how to handle it.”

“Is it cause of Soren?”

She shook her head, “It's because I haven't had a relationship since Aubrey. I'm clueless and-”

He silenced her with a kiss. When he drew away her words had emptied out across her face in a deep blush, “That's where we begin. No boyfriend/girlfriend, no commitment. I want you to take it as slow as you want. No pressure...but I am the jealous type so if you meet another man I get to hit him.”

“What if I meet a woman,” she teased, eyebrow raised.

“Than I get to watch,” he said with his boyish smirk. Than he drew her back into him for another kiss.

His body felt so good against hers. Every muscle and breath he took stirred her own body to shiver. “Mmm.”

And when he reached for her tank top she didn't stop him.

Sartok kissed her bare collarbone. “You're more beautiful than I could have imagined.” He raised both eyebrows as she slid his shirt up, “Surrian?”

“Don't worry, ok? I'm not going to jump you.”

“You could,” he protested, smiling as she cuddled close to his chest. “I admire that you can take it slow. I feel about to die with lust.”

She shook her head and they said no more that night.

* * * *

“You're fucking him.”

“It's real nice to see you too, Vince,” she sighed, flipping through the result sheets. It looked as though the serum had taken well to most of their crew.

The German stared at her with a hung over look. “Why him? You know he's just going to hurt you in the end!”

She hated it when he drank. He always got so wound up over everything.

“You think everyone is going to hurt me,” she groaned and tweaked his nose.

She just had time to notice that his eyes flushed red before he snarled and charged her. Something clicked and his motions seemed as slow as blood running down a wall. Her fingers flexed out and seized his arm.

Vince was a hefty weight for all the muscle he packed in his short body yet she felt him lift on the ground like he was barely a pillow.

He grunted out in pain as she threw him over shoulder and he landed on the desk. Papers cascaded uselessly to the ground as she stared in horror at him. They both gawked at each other and a simultaneous “oh shit” left their lips.