World Without End

Author: Debbie
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They all belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims.
Feedback: Always welcome!

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Friday night. It was the night of the Gomez concert. Max stood at the base of the ladder to Liz’s balcony, a feeling of trepidation beginning to seep in. She had repeatedly turned down his attempts to woo her – what if she did so again tonight? Well, ok, he admitted to himself, she already HAD turned the concert down, but in his desperation he had chosen to ignore that. He kept telling himself – if he just kept trying, he would find something to offer that she could not refuse, she would come back to him, and he would be whole again.

It was not like him to be so persistent, he acknowledged silently to himself, recalling Topolsky’s “hiding behind a tree” analogy that had fit him so perfectly. But Liz was not just any person. She meant more to him than anything. And with their soul-bond, he felt that underneath her protests, she did still feel something for him. He wouldn’t give up until he no longer felt that *thrum* whenever she was near. With a last fleeting prayer, he climbed up to Liz’s balcony.

Liz was sitting at her desk, staring blankly at her trig homework. She couldn’t think, she couldn’t work. She kept coming back to the kiss she and Max had shared 2 days ago. She was trying so hard to stay away from him, to steer clear of his destiny, give him room to do whatever he needed to do to combat his enemies and return … home. Wherever that was. It was folly to think there could be any future with him. That’s what she kept telling herself. But with that one kiss, she felt her resolve crumbling. Despite the dangers, the obstacles, her heart ached for him. She didn’t know how much longer she could maintain her resolve. With a sigh, she got up and went to the kitchen to refill her glass of water. Coming back into her room, she saw Max standing outside her window, gazing at her with that deep brown, soulful gaze of his. She groaned inwardly – the concert. Why wouldn’t he just leave her alone so she could nurse her broken heart in peace?

She went to the window and opened it. She just meant to talk with him through the opening, but before she could stop him he had put a long leg across the sash and the rest of his body quickly followed until he stood in her room. “Liz,” he said quickly, before she could voice protest. “Please. I know you said no, but if you would just give me a chance…” He looked at her imploringly.

Liz shook her head violently. “No. No, Max. Please, just … go. Please.”

Max stood his ground. “Liz, why?” His voice cracked. “Why won’t you let me back in? My ears hear your words, but here”—he tapped his heart—“ I hear something else behind them. I know you still care. And I need you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I need you.”

Liz’s eyes filled with tears. She shook her head again, unable to speak.

Max saw her reaction, knew he had finally managed to penetrate through her walls, despite her outward continued denial. In two steps he had closed the distance between them, and, tilting her head up with his hand, bent down and kissed her.

Liz did not pull away. Immediately, flashes filled her head. She saw them as children, saw him save her at the Crashdown, recalled their moments of passion last spring, their reunion after Max’s rescue. All the bits and pieces that had led to their soul-bonding flooded into her. She knew at once that there would be no more fighting. She was as lost as he was without this connection.

Max broke the kiss first. He pulled her into an embrace, and just stood there a moment, savoring the feeling of her closeness. For long minutes, neither of them moved. It was a moment of peace, of reunion, of acceptance. It was Liz who eventually pulled away. His heart lurched for a moment, afraid she had put up her walls again, but she merely took his hand, and led him over to sit down on her bed so they could talk. The concert was forgotten as they talked, sharing all their pent-up thoughts and emotions that had lain unexpressed all summer and into the early autumn. Liz also told him about her summer in Florida, and Max offered funny stories of Maria’s antics. Hours later, he was leaning back against Liz’s pillows, and she was propped up against his chest. He stroked her hair lightly; they had stopped talking a while ago, and were now just enjoying the moment. All was calm. And then Max suddenly felt a change. Even during their heated encounters last spring, he had not felt the … electricity … come on him so suddenly, out of nowhere. He had always thought “electric” to be a trite description, but it was precisely how he felt. The room suddenly felt charged, and he knew she felt it too. He was afraid to move – he knew the minute he bent down or she tilted up to kiss, he would lose it, would be seized by the powerful force that now filled him.

Liz moved first. She turned her head ever so slightly to face him, her eyes round. “Max…” she breathed. Max gave in to the pull, pressing his lips to hers in a fierce kiss. They kissed for long moments, the arousal and electricity building, rather than dissipating. Finally, Max wrenched himself away and swallowed hard, struggling to hold himself together. “Liz. I … I want to make love to you. But maybe you’re not ready for that…” His voice trailed off.

Liz just held herself still, staring into Max’s deep brown eyes, trying to catch her breath. She hardly knew what she was feeling, what she wanted. She knew what she felt went beyond the physical. It wasn’t just “teenage hormones” or any other lightweight explanation. She needed to be with him, to share all of herself with the man she loved. Yes, she finally admitted to herself, she loved him. He was her true love, there was no other. She made up her mind. “I … I don’t have any protection,” she told him.

Max blushed. “I do.”

Despite the charged atmosphere, they moved slowly, savoring each step, each new revelation as their clothing gradually peeled away. Touching, tasting, the feel of skin on skin. Max opened his mental channels as best he knew how, hoping she’d pick up on what he was experiencing, so they could fully share the experience. It must have worked, because all sorts of images flooded his mind – of himself, of her, of them. Each passing moment wove their bond tighter. And when he finally entered her, and they fully came together, they both were swept away by the intense emotions as well as the physical rush.

When it was over, they lay tangled in her sheets, sated body and soul. Max held Liz cupped against him in his arms. “Max,” Liz whispered. “Are you sure this will be okay? I mean, I can’t go through another separation. You are too much a part of me now. What I felt, what I saw – it’s like I can feel you inside my heart. I love you. But what will happen with your destiny?”

Max raised himself up on one elbow to look at her. “It will be ok. I think that even though we’re … different … that it doesn’t mean we can’t be together. If you are willing to stay with me with whatever the future brings, I think it doesn’t matter what my destiny is. I can do both. And I will always love you, ‘til the end of the world….”

End