Title: I Want You To Need Me
Author: Mary (SlayerKnight2@aol.com)
Website: none
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I Want You To Need Me 11
By Mary
The spherical orbs glide ominously as the numbers clicked into place.
"Eclipse."
Riddick turned towards him, gauging his reaction. He ignored the killer as he struggled with the spiders that were crawling through his skin. Riddick's gaze stayed with him for a second longer then turned towards Fry.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"
She gave him an annoyed look and got up to leave. Johns walked past Riddick, brushing up against him. That got the other man's attention. Johns grinned to himself as he walked after Carolyn.
"So we got to get the power cells. Shit! I've still got to check on the hull and patch things-"
She's nervous and he can tell. "Wait on the cells."
"Wait? For What? 'Til it's so dark that we can't find our way back?"
"We don't know when it's going to happen, so let's not get overexcited." This was all that he needed right now. A crazy woman flying off at the mouth.
"Just get the fucking cells here, Johns. What-What's the discussion?"
This was not good. He needed something to distract her. Fear was contagious and crippling in moments of crises. "Maybe I should tell you how Riddick escaped."
"He can pilot."
"He hijacked a prison transport and made a hell of a good run before I tracked his ass down."
"Okay, okay. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we can use him to help us navigate or something?"
Johns sighed. She wasn't getting it. "He also figured out how to kill the pilot."
"Look, you told me that we could trust him. You said that we had a deal, Johns."
"You may not have noticed, but chains don't work on this guy. Now the only way you people are truly safe is if he believes he's going free. Let's just say he stops believing--"
"You mean if he realizes that we're going to royally fuck him over."
He didn't need this. "Now why don't you just listen to me for a second. If we bring the cells up at the last possible minute, when the wings are ready and we know we're ready to launch-"
"You know he hasn't harmed any of us. As far as we know he hasn't even lied to us. Let's just stick to the deal, Johns."
No, he didn't need this. Johns was already wrestling with his emotions, trying to convince himself that Riddick was evil and this woman was giving him reasons to think otherwise. The thought of how hurt he had been sitting in Keen's apartment, knowing what had happened. "He is a killer. And the law says he has to do his bid and there's nothing I can do about that, you hear me?"
The woman was shaking her head. "You're dancing on razor blades here."
He looked away. You get used to it, he thought. "I'm not going to give him the chance to grab another ship or slash another pilot's throat. Not on my watch."
As he stood up to leave, he wondered who he was trying to convince, Fry or himself. Flashbacks of that night flew before his eyes. The caresses, the scent, the pleasure... His head throbbed in agony, bringing him out of his reverie. It was time to spike up again.
He walked to the outside of the ship and leaning against it, dry-heaving. He didn't have anything in his stomach, thankfully. His head spun as he heard a deep voice off to the side.
"Bad sign, shaking like that in this heat."
Johns spit on the ground. "Thought I said no shiv-shivs--"
His stomach heaved again but met no relief.
Either Riddick didn't notice or he was trying to distract his stomach. "This? This is just a personal grooming appliance."
Riddick turned his head to the side to finally stare at him. His hands fidgeted relentlessly over his body as it begged for drugs or sex or both. He stalked away to the shed, trying not to feel the pair of eyes that followed him.
Johns sighed and leaned back against the barrels. His argument with Fry was not what he needed either. It brought back too many mixed emotions again. The first encounter with Riddick had terrified him, the second had thrilled him, and the third had captured him. He just didn't want to think anymore. His body shivered at the effect of the drug that he had injected. He felt cold with it in him.
"Gone back to the gee, huh?"
Johns didn't open his eyes as he recognized the voice.
"Like I said before, I got bad habits."
"I know what you mean."
"You don't know shit, Riddick." There was more malice in his voice then he'd intended.
"I know enough; about this place, about you."
Johns didn't respond but he felt Riddick's presence suddenly very close to him. Arms encircled him, pulling him against a warm body. It was a hold that was neither threatening nor comforting. It was meant to get his attention. He leaned his forehead sleepily against Riddick's shoulder. He felt warm now, safe. He felt the arms around him tighten.
Johns nuzzled Riddick's throat as the previous thought occurred to him again.
Drugs or sex or both. He slid his arms under Riddick's wife-beater, feeling the strength that came from the toned muscles that glided under the warm skin. He leaned up and kissed the taller man, pouring his need and confusion, everything into it. He felt Riddick return the kiss eagerly. They broke the kiss after a few moments, breathing heavily. Johns went to kiss him again, but Riddick veered his head off to the side to nuzzle against his cheek.
"You don't need that. You need to get off the planet."