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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pFpIdiZFg
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7eJUC9YRB
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Ethan twisted a lock of her hair in his fingers, trying to avoid meeting her piercing gaze. "What?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0n3x2ZX6Y
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"Can I ask you some questions?" Hanna asked gently.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSIO0hrgDS
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"What kind of questions?" Ethan asked back tentatively.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOoP35mo0c
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Hanna bit her bottom lip, as if she anticipated refusal. "Questions about you, about being Charax, about the heat."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgETc75831
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrXGtXmGEK
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Hanna smiled back at him eagerly. "What was in the pill bottle, the ones you took on the way here?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHWp3PTAI5
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Ethan relaxed a bit. This was a more straightforward question than he had been expecting. "Sleeping pills," he answered honestly.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zvJiNAU60
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"Special Charax sleeping pills?" Hanna asked.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoN2egFGoNi
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnafacEN2t
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"Ever since the heat started?" Hanna suggested.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTnKosHx0X
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Ethan's smile vanished. "Yeah, it's one of the symptoms."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyvv25YbgW
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"So does that mean there are other symptoms besides...?" Hanna gestured downwards vaguely.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9buOF7kR3i
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"Besides the arousal?" Ethan sighed at the reminder. "Yes, and they get worse the longer it goes on."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AdK1cl4zO
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCSsmRqdWY
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"I was talking about longer without sex," Ethan clarified.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJAJ4lxAMQ
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Hanna nodded back. "Right, what are the other symptoms then?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOO9lulCKW9
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcFzkUYW2Q
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5ar9YgsEx
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73zTluBDTN
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"Insomnia, fever, mild tremors, restlessness." Ethan gave her the short list, the certain list.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8sWI7fhK6
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"That doesn't sound fun," Hanna replied sympathetically.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7IEVb8wzb
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLN0efpSRH
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Hanna nodded slowly. "So how do you usually deal with it?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9F1XPi0Lj
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Ethan paused hesitantly. "I haven't had to before."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTp6bPDjDj
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"It's your first heat?" Hanna asked, surprised.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ6zyIFUmq
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"Yeah, it usually starts about my age," Ethan answered.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNNIbipSKw
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BHsq4BIrd
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡad7O8BOeRd
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jhZPNGxwB
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"My parents always went on vacations together to isolated places," Ethan offered finally.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqjGE8ma6l
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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...?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslTFqCueVZ
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFgalfugHa
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"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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZiy2Ik94f
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39eIMe6XTH
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQG6EXQKuF
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"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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYm07skZXpe
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rTHhhOSao
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Ethan consciously released her arm, slightly embarrassed. "The memories aren't very clear. Maybe a week, maybe a month, but..."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzuY9bBdw9
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"But what?" Hanna prompted.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTecEvdR7Ew
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Ethan shifted uncomfortably. "Those trips they went on. My mom always came back pregnant."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JKTpVSwA4
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"Always?" Hanna raised a skeptical eyebrow.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKoKx8SHE3
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"Always," Ethan confirmed.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARMtRx45ko
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Hanna tilted her head slightly. "That seems odd."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVN3jC6hAa
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XPt4wazjW
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWHNvxbh2X
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Ethan looked at her skeptically. "What trigger?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY455gdG0TG
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"Do you think pregnancy triggers the end to the heat?" Hanna clarified.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZf27l0ZxQN
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1cFmwoRq6
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMe7B37kalP
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkd8AVSmTM
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qSU0F1dS0
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQb4A021et
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MpM71LfVj
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKvTRKWiGN
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"So?" Hanna prompted abruptly. "Could it stop the heat?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyQKCMIsuv
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7WusV3my3
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Hanna shrugged slightly. "I guess it doesn't matter, that isn't going to happen anyways."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwToIF8LT2
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"What?" Ethan lifted his head up to get a better look at her.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3pMUCU0PU
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKHwfkULyh
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"Oh," Ethan uttered in a small voice, her answer driving home how idiotic he'd been.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1xBQ0O776
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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?143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWM75Ew70VL
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Hanna noticed his troubled expression. "Ethan? Is that a problem?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCr9Ayv3zc
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"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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoS5K8o4CD6
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6MVUToQ7n
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Ethan still looked troubled. "You're sure?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDarpSEl7J
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"I'm certain," Hanna reassured him confidently.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtqxLG48lR
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ38b40sXgw
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Hanna smiled suggestively. "I don't mind."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8Ow8T6APg
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYQGXwX87k
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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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmd9Lhvjzj
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"Twenty to twenty three months usually," Ethan corrected her.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoE4iMUwLM
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"And aren't the heat cycles a lot shorter?" Hanna asked.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrV1pvPEZN
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"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?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoRQHeO1nV
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteYWuO0dLw
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"Okay?" Ethan replied uncertainly.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCfE2a5nrR
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Hanna sat up and stretched out her arms. "I'm going to go clean up."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQK2Q45t5ek
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"Okay," Ethan mumbled, pulling to blanket over himself.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuDmfLcnGR
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgCeXTXv1d
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK708G3oWH
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He doesn't enjoy it, even now, she thought sadly. How's he going to be in a week?143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡby3nhxLFV3
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She'd never heard the heats could be dangerous, for the Charax at least. She hoped she wasn't wrong about that.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxSVcgqdGu
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