Hanna let her thoughts flow through her mind silently as Ethan cuddled her on the large bed. Eventually, she gave into her curiosity and wiggled out of his grasp. She didn't miss the barely audible huff he made as she sat up and she resisted the urge to laugh.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKEM69C3MA
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Hanna moved so she was lying partway on top of him, her breasts on his stomach, her head resting on her arms on top of his chest. Her brown eyes were alight with curiosity. Almost if she saw him as a puzzle that needed solving.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYiBZUyQ03
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Ethan twisted a lock of her hair in his fingers, trying to avoid meeting her piercing gaze. "What?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4n056vBeu
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"Can I ask you some questions?" Hanna asked gently.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10qqTO3jsd
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"What kind of questions?" Ethan asked back tentatively.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPEqlEgP2y
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Hanna bit her bottom lip, as if she anticipated refusal. "Questions about you, about being Charax, about the heat."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7XFARKEPd
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Ethan bit back a sigh. That was a list of most of the things he preferred not to talk about. On the other hand, there were probably things she ought to know. "Go ahead. I'll try my best."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuK80KWMqMF
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Hanna smiled back at him eagerly. "What was in the pill bottle, the ones you took on the way here?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYAvKacZe6
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Ethan relaxed a bit. This was a more straightforward question than he had been expecting. "Sleeping pills," he answered honestly.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9WL8uG1tl
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"Special Charax sleeping pills?" Hanna asked.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLjJzLNZEy
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Ethan smiled at that, slightly amused. "No, normal ones. Terran drugs work the same on us. I haven't been sleeping well this week."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2olGEOnLzt
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"Ever since the heat started?" Hanna suggested.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LXLg1ctOw
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Ethan's smile vanished. "Yeah, it's one of the symptoms."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXDrZMfQTU
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"So does that mean there are other symptoms besides...?" Hanna gestured downwards vaguely.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVBEvrREee
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"Besides the arousal?" Ethan sighed at the reminder. "Yes, and they get worse the longer it goes on."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WLHPJELyk
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Hanna glanced down over his still nude body, brief but critically. "But it seems like you're doing better now than you were a couple days ago?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZdNrgG2mq
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"I was talking about longer without sex," Ethan clarified.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeL4cCpGWcl
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Hanna nodded back. "Right, what are the other symptoms then?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWk2Va1lkS5
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXNsN2lHBf
The faint nagging sensation at the back of his mind returned. He'd known that the heat was supposed to push his sex drive to the maximum but that's all he'd been expecting. He didn't realize that it would make him sweat buckets or keep him from getting more than a couple hours of a sleep a night. The changes had caught him off guard and left him scrambling to get everything under control for the first few days.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ842DCqwtc
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By now, he was well aware of the physical symptoms. The ones he'd experienced so far, that is. He didn't know if his body would keep changing, or it this was what he was going to have to deal with for the rest of his life. It was difficult to believe all the other Charax managed like this. Or maybe there was something wrong with him.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC7Ux1HLoJ
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNUAVJ9XKO
He still had no clue if this was normal, other than that the kidnappers seemed to think it was normal. Not that they were a good source of information. He couldn’t believe anything they said, just because they'd said he'd lose himself didn't mean it would happen. There was no point in even mentioning anything about that, no need to frighten her with what was likely just another lie.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS25qkiAd7N
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"Insomnia, fever, mild tremors, restlessness." Ethan gave her the short list, the certain list.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrka3M0Ikw6
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"That doesn't sound fun," Hanna replied sympathetically.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbgLBY4SMz
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"It isn't," Ethan mumbled in agreement, before realizing he'd spoken aloud. "But it's not that bad," he added quickly.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYqeroZU0j
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Hanna nodded slowly. "So how do you usually deal with it?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurte3s9x6a
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Ethan paused hesitantly. "I haven't had to before."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVNk7m0IOF
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"It's your first heat?" Hanna asked, surprised.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvcSVLfR40
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"Yeah, it usually starts about my age," Ethan answered.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUkBMwVZ01
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Hanna took a second to process that, she hadn't expected him to be so inexperienced but that fact also answered a lot of other questions. "Okay, then how do other Charax usually deal with it?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyRTmvVK2h
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5lqAHY8fP
I'd love to know that too, Ethan thought wistfully. Except there's nobody I can ask. He only had one older brother, who'd never even had a heat before they all split up, and no way to contact him, or any of his family on Earth. Plus, it took months to get messages back from Manina so he hadn't bothered trying anyone over there.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o8CdBVzlb
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NDBFVObNX
He'd never seen his father during one of his heats either. His parents had always been away... and it was suddenly apparent to him why he had so many siblings.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcI16HSv9Hz
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"My parents always went on vacations together to isolated places," Ethan offered finally.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtvx4ikUPh
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Hanna glanced around the room, noticing how old the place looked. She suddenly had the disturbing idea that they might be lying in the room he was conceived in. "So, um, is this— Did they...?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5RXlv0laD
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"No, not here, I set this place up a few years for an emergency," Ethan explained quickly. "But places like this, yes."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoH2eUK50B
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpq55raepdm
"We've got that part sorted at least," Hanna said optimistically. "So how long have you been in heat and how long does it usually last?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmeSExfUNa
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Ethan's breath caught in his throat, he wasn't entirely sure how long it would take to end on it's own, or what would happen to him in the meantime. "About nine days and I don't know."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6spbp8rsrw
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WkJEZfYtS
Hanna looked at him curiously, wondering if he wasn't being honest with her, this seemed like very basic information. He didn't seem to know much about Charax biology at all. On the other hand, it wasn't uncommon for Terrans to get a poor sexual education either. "What about an estimate then? Two weeks? Three weeks?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESRUkBnbgV
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ue2rjHc7O
"I really don't know. My parents' vacations always varied." Ethan's mouth felt dry. "If you need to go... I'll understand." He gripped her arm tight in contrast to his words.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwg2o74rfsW
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Hanna glanced at his hand. "Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. How long did your parents' trips last?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqyhhSZ9ME
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Ethan consciously released her arm, slightly embarrassed. "The memories aren't very clear. Maybe a week, maybe a month, but..."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeI719wtFv4
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"But what?" Hanna prompted.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQE5bngvE5v
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Ethan shifted uncomfortably. "Those trips they went on. My mom always came back pregnant."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuwRrDnpny
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"Always?" Hanna raised a skeptical eyebrow.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYVT1OdHzF
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"Always," Ethan confirmed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqqB65KfNr
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Hanna tilted her head slightly. "That seems odd."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb3fMSXNiZ
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"Not for us. The more a Charax woman is... stimulated, the more likely it is, and the men are more virile in heat," Ethan explained.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDr7RxbhotU
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Hanna wondered what he meant by 'stimulated' exactly, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "The time varied but there was always... so do you think that triggers the end of the cycle?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJs7UEyOrn
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Ethan looked at her skeptically. "What trigger?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygq61Z3qRg
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"Do you think pregnancy triggers the end to the heat?" Hanna clarified.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGidfKdzbU
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHigVPIu1hF
The pregnancy pheromones causing the heat to end early... Ethan didn't know if that was true, he didn't want to think about it. He'd realized it was likely inevitable considering what they'd been doing with zero protection. Or had already started.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQhsmIgJ8R
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZT84biwBn
He mentally kicked himself for not thinking about it sooner. It wasn't only that he didn't feel like himself, he was missing things that should have been obvious. Not considering pregnancy when he didn't want a child, that was a significant lapse. Part of him wanted it, a very primal part, but he knew he shouldn't, for so many reasons. Even though he wanted the heat to end, he didn't want it to end that way.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXW7puCrlc
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RpCy7ZOLY
Which meant he needed to stop this, stop fucking her, but he wasn’t even sure that was possible. Even if he knew that was what he wanted now... in the moment he might completely change his mind. Her being here, so close to him, it was risky.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1n7XkLGSv
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEpd9IoHgY
That meant he'd have to ask her to leave. His stomach twisted at the idea. He'd tried isolating himself here at the start and it had been torturous, worse than struggling to hide the symptoms all day. Just a bit of human contact had been worth all the risk of going back to the city at the time. Now he regretted the decision, but he still didn’t want to do that ever again.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDA7wgW996
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He didn't know what staying here on his own for a prolonged period would do to him. Except that the dealers thought he'd go insane.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWLbSG9Yfj
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He couldn't help thinking of the possibility. Without a partner, would he start to lose his mind? Was waiting it out on his own not an option? That didn't seem right... yet it was starting to make a twisted kind of sense.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocdnZG6BFW
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He couldn't forget how the dealers had been completely right that he'd had sex with the first woman he could. She had appeared and... he'd done exactly what they said he would. All his earlier intentions had been utterly discarded, and he was still doing it.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQvo10bZcN
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"So?" Hanna prompted abruptly. "Could it stop the heat?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQliineBR0
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Ethan saw her, lying on his chest, waiting patiently for his answer. "...it could," he answered reluctantly. "Charax release and react to pheromones. It's possible."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK7nejXWB0
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Hanna shrugged slightly. "I guess it doesn't matter, that isn't going to happen anyways."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrixjdTphWQ
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"What?" Ethan lifted his head up to get a better look at her.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXgp11OsiC
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"Let's just say it'll be a while before my birth control wears off," Hanna answered dismissively, distracted by her own thoughts.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ66mJoKfpx
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"Oh," Ethan uttered in a small voice, her answer driving home how idiotic he'd been.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsDc0D3K4m
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFFmdU8RSm
Ethan realized just then that he'd never actually asked her about birth control. Another thing he missed. He threw his head back against the pillow. He should have asked. He looked up at the blank ceiling. How had this not been on his list of priorities?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNsJweL8vI
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Hanna noticed his troubled expression. "Ethan? Is that a problem?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUm8oP7p9hR
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADunlQIwlo
"No. No, it's not. Sorry." Ethan tried to focus on the present. That was one thing he didn't have to worry about, he should be happy about that. "I should have asked about that sooner. Sorry."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBt96U84Ly
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SuczeBGUJ
Hanna shook her head, concern on her face. "No need to apologize. I know the heat is messing with your head." She saw he was about to protest. "Listen, I knew this would likely happen. It's taken care of." She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Believe me, I know how it easy it can be to forget things in the moment."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5mGRJI4bk
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Ethan still looked troubled. "You're sure?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaVZO5cX2e
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"I'm certain," Hanna reassured him confidently.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFh7xJbu4h
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"Okay," Ethan said quietly, his frown not leaving entirely. "It'll got away on it's own. We can wait it out." He paused, watching her uncertainly. "Is that alright?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwH5w9ReOSb
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Hanna smiled suggestively. "I don't mind."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapTQ1SjZkO
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At least one of us is enjoying this, Ethan thought tiredly, smiling inwardly. He was starting to feel the strain of everything their activity on his body, the soreness bleeding through his turbulent emotions. "Any more questions?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxI3AH8CsN
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFraWAbxJE
Hanna thought for a moment. "Wait, what happened when your father went into heat and your mother was pregnant? Because don't Charax pregnancies last a long time? Years or something?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6stIPEApu
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"Twenty to twenty three months usually," Ethan corrected her.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iCob1yLUI
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"And aren't the heat cycles a lot shorter?" Hanna asked.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpF9kWPSSj
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUdT85uwKz
"Four to six months," Ethan added. He frowned as he understood Hanna's point. "I don't know. The timing of it doesn't make sense." He yawned. "Got your next question yet?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ffa0peUIF
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImceBqJIvT
Hanna wanted to ask him more but she was getting the feeling that she was pushing her luck. She needed to think about this for a while. "Just thinking. I'll let you know if I have any ideas."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpD26aIaZZL
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vDspZG54p
"Okay?" Ethan replied uncertainly.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxifBA3hMV
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Hanna sat up and stretched out her arms. "I'm going to go clean up."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83IQ5LZonx
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6aQAxmlN8
"Okay," Ethan mumbled, pulling to blanket over himself.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1RrD9FbIf
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSfHSQD60e
Hanna went to get her clothes from the bathroom. He'd given her a lot to think about, as even the basic information she had known about Charax heats was so wrong. That itself wasn't much of a revelation, he had been acting nothing like the sex monster she'd been prepared for.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAROoJhmczC
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhv3vMWdPK
The whole conversation had left her feeling more worried than before. She thought the heats usually didn't last more than a week, but Ethan's had already been nine days and didn't show any sign of letting up. He already seemed drained, another two weeks in heat sounded incredibly taxing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeII5Ttltf
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIS9jrSpxI
He doesn't enjoy it, even now, she thought sadly. How's he going to be in a week?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9H6qdZ06J
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpj22iAioo
She'd never heard the heats could be dangerous, for the Charax at least. She hoped she wasn't wrong about that.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHeEIIw3tB
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