It’s that time of year and Charlie is absolutely beside himself. He’s always sequestered himself away during the period of heat, both because advances on him were less than preferable and because he didn’t want to risk losing himself to the urges.

People during heat were awful, and year round they were worse. It was almost a source of pride for him that he could pass the season without trying to couple up with just anyone. But this year is different.

This year, he let someone into his space, and she is…oh, gods. She comes from another world entirely, and while he is attracted to her outside the season, the heat has made it so much worse. Everything she does is suddenly so attractive, so alluring, so…everything! 

Thandi found out about a unique part of this new world that caught her off guard. Apparently…heat cycles are a thing? At first, too, it wasn’t obvious what was happening. There were significantly less people around and significantly more people propositioning her. Openly. Using words like mate and heat and rutting…

Then it all came together and she scrambled to find a place where she could pass her time in peace. Charlie offered his home, and it was recommended by the rest that she accept. 

Some because he avoided the rut, and others because they thought that now is the perfect time to start.

So, she packed up and joined him in his apartment. Which…was baffling. 

“Charlie, you don’t need to trouble yourself so much—”

“It’s nothing. It’s fine. You deserve it.”

She is given his room, his bed, and–very oddly–a multitude of stuffed animals? And it smells…very…how does she place this? It’s him, the smell of Charlie is strong here, even with the window open at his insistence. Mint and earth and something…sensual—

Oh, she can’t be getting caught up in that. The bed is soft, the stuffies are snuggly, and it seems that he is taking great pains to make sure she’s comfortable staying with him. When she goes out to sit on the couch and read, right away he’s there, tucking blankets around her. Fluffing up her pillows. Giving her tea and food. Occasionally, he even pauses to massage her shoulders for a breath before taking up his station on the other side of the room.

At some point, though, Thandi finds herself strangely lonely with such space. The season runs long, and surely some good company would be nice? Especially from him. She could rest assured with him here. He doesn’t participate in the season, so surely everything was okay.

“You don’t need to sit so far, Charlie,” she says. “You’re fine, right?”

“Er…” The long pause as he shifts, hands on his knee to keep his legs crossed securely. “Well, I am fine…”

“Aren’t you lonely all the way over there?”

“I’m okay!”

“But Charlie…“

“But Thandiii…you’re safer as you are, dearest.”

“Safer…?” 

Charlie colors and buries his face in his hands. “I’m Allerian, dear. We explained why you’re stuck for the whole season.”

Thandi stares at him for a moment before her eyes round. “I thought they said you didn’t—”

“I don’t mate and I haven’t had someone I was interested in mating with before, so typically I take the time off and wait it out.”

“Before?” Thandi’s eyes go wider. Charlie hadn’t thought it possible. She pulls her blankets up higher.

“Dear. Thandi. I’m just telling you for your own comfort. I don’t plan on doing anything to you.”

She nods, and somewhere, she feels a flash of disappointment. Why? Thandi relaxes, staring at him as he keeps his eyes trained on the ground, face redder than ever.

He wants her…

“Will you tell me what usually happens? When people find mates?”

“Well, that depends. It’s a big season for conception, obviously, and some people mate but don’t get mated. Some people just have whole orgies with a bunch of mates. People like me usually wait for the heats to pass before finding a mate. Mate for life, sort of thing.”

“And…you…me?”

“I—you needn’t worry yourself on that! It’s just biological rhythms, dear, and while I am captivated by your very existence, I don’t intend to do anything!”

Thandi now glows pink, hand coming up to hide her smile. “Well…okay. If it’s biological, what are things that mates do for each other? Does anything else happen? How is it for life? Is it different biologically or mentally?”

“S-slow down, Thandi. One question at a time.”

“Come here, darling. Please?” The smile she hides grows larger. What is she doing???

“It’s really for your own comfort—”

“I trust you…”

That’s  enough for him to uncross his legs and pause, and Thandi sees that his pants are tenting from where she sits. There’s a glimmer of pride in it, for some reason, and she finds herself feeling…warm.

Charlie sighs as he stares down at himself, then grabs a book to drop in his lap when he realizes she’s looking. Is she sure she doesn’t have a heat??

The look on her face begs him to come closer, though, and he can’t put it off. He wants to be there. She wants him to be there. He’s going.

Charlie drops himself at the other end of the couch, pulling his legs up. Thandi pulls blankets around him and brushes his cheek, and the touch goes straight to his groin. He closes his eyes, though, clearly enjoying it.

“My questions, darling.”

“Oh! Okay. Um, things mates do. It depends on the person, really.”

“People who are like you, what do they do?”

“Um. Well, people with permanent partners nest. It’s a safety thing, I suppose. When one is comfortable, ready, willing, they try to make sure their partner is comfortable as well. Some people are the type for fancy things, and some people’s comforts are different…it’s usually the easiest way to tell if people are compatible in the long term.”

“So…some people just wrap up their partners in blankets and soft things and keep them warm?”

“Yes, I—” Charlie stops, eyes wide. “It! I! Oh, dear, oh, Thandi, I’m sorry, I didn’t even realize—”

“I already know you like me, Charlie.”

“Yes! But. It’s a little forward!! It wasn’t intentional, it just sort of–“

“So that’s how it is mentally, sort of automatic?”

He nods, biting his lip. “Yes. And. It affects the biology…all sexes sort of have this pheromone, you see, and it attracts compatible partners as well.”

“Mmhm…” She scoots closer to him, and his heart is pounding. His words die down with the feeling of euphoria when her scent hits him full-on, and he unconsciously leans toward her, voice lowering to a purr rather than pitchy anxiety. The change makes Thandi smile wider.

“The nerves become more sensitive. One becomes wired for sex and intimacy. Smells become stronger…Any little thing can set it off, especially if the other party is present…”

“Is that why you aired out your room for me?”

“If we’re not compatible, then that’s my problem to bear, not yours. You don’t need to…aaah…” Her fingers stroke his cheek again, and she watches his pupils dilate before he closes his eyes, trying to steady his breath. “I’m sorry. You’re going to have to excuse me, my love.”

“Love?”

“Er! I mean—well—it’s the heat talking, I’m sorry, I’ve never nested with—I mean, I never—”

“You really wouldn’t do anything I don’t want?”

“Of course!”

Thandi’s eyes flick to his lips, the half-lidded hunger of his eyes, the surely excited part of him from simply being so close. What if… “And you say you’re…the for life type?”

“Yes…?”

“And…you’re interested in me. For life?”

Charlie buries his face in his hands once more, muffling a groan. “Are you teasing me? Because please don’t. The season is long enough without my chafing myself.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes! Thandi! Because of you! I like you! I love you! You’re so damn gorgeous and right now everything you do is just so—augh! Good! I’d spend the rut with you every year regardless of your interest if you’d let me!”

The confessions wash over her and Thandi leans forward. She kisses the back of one hand. Charlie’s fingers spread just enough for him to peek at her in confusion.

“Do you promise?”

“Thandi, you are a biological need for me, yes, forever and fucking ever, I will. Unfortunately! If you’re planning on going back, you’re taking my heart with you! I didn’t want to talk about this—” 

As his hands drop for him to rant, Thandi rises from the blankets and leans forward, hand resting on his chest as she kisses him. His lips are soft, hot, and he tastes like tea.

His whole body is hot. As she kisses him, reason seems to fly out the window for Charlie. His hands come up to hold her steady as he gives her kiss after kiss after kiss. Thandi enjoys it, surprisingly, and his hands wander over her body openly.

Thandi pulls away to speak, putting a hand to his mouth as he tries to follow her. “That’s a mite bit more receptive than I thought you would be.”

“Thandi,” he breathes, eyes holding hers with intent. “Please make up your mind, or else my groin is going to explode and you’ll be less than happy for it.”

“That can happen?!”

“Wh—no, it—it was hyperbole. I. I want you very very much, and biology begs me to follow through, so again, I need to hear you clearly on what you want.”

“You’ll stop if I ask?”

“Of course, this isn’t something I couldn’t take care of on my own, I just…need you to be clear here.”

“All right.”

He stares at her and she gives him a smile. 

“We can be mates for life. Starting now–oh!”

Walls are down, and Charlie stops resisting entirely. He pulls her to him, sets her to straddling him as he kisses her deeply. The hunger he has for her is heavy, intense—he clings close to her and she feels his hardness against her already.

Still, he settles on kissing her for now, letting her warm to him. Her skin is soft, her body is warm, and she presses against him about as fervently as he is pulling her to him. Everything is on fire, and he’s determined to put her through this as well.

He leaves a trail of kisses from her lips to her collarbone, kisses getting heavier until his teeth sink into her and he sucks gently at her skin. Thandi gasps from the shock of the feeling, then leans into him as his tongue runs over the hurt. There’s a deep fluttering sensation as he continues this pattern, not quite hurting but most definitely pleasuring. 

When he hears her breathing become ragged, he leans her back to get to her chest. There’s a nice line of marks trailing down the neckline of her dress, and it only makes him more excited. His mate. Forever. Thandi gasps at the twitch in his cock from the thought, and he can’t help but smile.

The smile is interrupted by a long lick from her chest back to her neck, and gods, Thandi tastes amazing. Smells amazing. Feels amazing. Clothes have yet to even come off yet.

Speaking of. She’d probably be more comfortable if he went first, so he releases her. The look of disappointment on her face only eggs him on—he must be doing well if she’s looking so ragged already. He takes her hands in his, moving them to the buttons on his vest. 

Quickly as she can manage, Thandi undoes every button she can, stopping just short of reaching for his belt. When she sees his bare chest, the hunger in her eyes makes Charlie pause.

“Thandi…are you reacting to the pheromones?”

“What? Can that happen?” She still stares, runs her fingers over him. He shudders and gasps, biting his lip as he tries to form words.

“I don’t know. Maybe we’re more compatible than I thought?” She leans down to kiss his chest, staring up at him as he strokes her hair. 

The thread of conversation is lost as her lips meet his nipple, and he lets his head drop back as he lets out a harsh hum of pleasure. She works him over enthusiastically, hands running over him, making him quiver. He grabs her dress, balling the fabric in his grip as she decides to bite him this time. Every bite up and down his body brings out a moan until he’s mumbling her name already.

When he feels the cold of her separating from him, he pulls it together to watch her discard her dress completely. She’s braless, and her breasts are softly rounded, nipples already peaked with the excitement.

Before she can make another move, Charlie is devouring her once more. He sucks at one breast while teasing the other, his free arm dedicated to holding her up as he leans her back. Thandi’s fingers tangle into his hair as she gasps and moans, dainty noises that only make Charlie more fervent in his ministrations.

They spill over onto the floor, Charlie keeping her from wriggling about as he pins her arms above her head. For a moment, she worries, but the feeling is soon replaced by need. His lips on hers, his eyes closed as he dips his tongue into her mouth. His hair tickles her as he tastes her, and his other hand runs up her body.

The tracing of his fingers sends shocks of pleasure through her, collecting at her center. She’s squeezing her thighs together, trying to get some relief, and his hand slides to her inner thigh. He pulls back briefly, silent, eyes watching her face. Her arms are released, and she brings her hands to his face to pull him back in.

The kisses this time are gentler, echoing the small press of his hand to get her to open her legs. She complies, immediately rewarded with his knee to grind against. As she lets out a heavy moan, Charlie pulls back. She whines, reaching for him, but instead he smiles at her and tosses his open vest and shirt aside. 

Thandi licks her lips as he unbuttons his belt, surprising him by pushing him back to sit as she opens the front of his slacks. His underwear is loose, and his cock tents the fabric again. She smiles at Charlie while he watches her with grim anticipation. 

“Are you sure you know what to—fuck!” In one smooth movement, she has yanked down the last bit of fabric and taken him into her mouth. Despite her newness at it, Charlie nearly sees white. The first sexual experience he’s ever had the pleasure of enjoying, and it’s with this fucking goddess with his cock in her mouth.

She pulls back, leaving his cock twitching for more. The smile Thandi gives him is devilish, and it makes him laugh. She grasps him in her hand and pumps gently as he tries to shakily ask what her source is.

“You know as well as I do never to underestimate the romance genre,” she says. 

“Fair enoooh fuck—” Her pace picks up, and her mouth occupies the head of his cock. Between her tongue flicking over him and the steady rhythm, he’s already— “Cumming!“

Thandi doesn’t let up as he’s gasping and moaning, taking as much of his cum as she can into her mouth. It’s more than expected, and she pulls back while ropes of it still spill from him. A bridge of semen connects her lips and his cock, and Charlie doesn’t think he’ll have any problems continuing. 

She swallows, surprise on her face. “I read that it’s salty or bitter! That was…not…oh!”

She’s tumbled back to the floor, him kissing her again already, tasting himself on her lips. The kisses trail down, down, down, and he buries his face into the wet line of her panties. He’s kissing her there, kissing every bit of her here before tugging her panties down. 

Again, she’s kissed all over her sex, the kisses trailing to her inner thighs. Thandi can barely reach his head when she’s shocked by a small explosion of unexpected pleasure. He’s biting, sucking, licking her inner thighs. Pride swells in his chest as he has his estrus-lacking lover crying out his name on the floor, and her scent! 

It’s going to his head. He wants nothing more than to smell this every day, for fucking ever. His hands hold her steady as he finally dips his tongue between her folds. Thandi’s hips try to rise, but he keeps her pressed down. 

The feeling of her fingers on his head, grasping tightly as she keeps squeaking—yesss. He flicks his tongue inside of her before running it up along the middle to play at her clit. 

Her voice comes out as a sharp squeal of his name, and he knows he has done well. More, then. His tongue finds the pattern that her body demands, keeping her tightly wound as she is sent higher. The sounds from her mute to heavy breathing, and then–

“Charlie!” She tastes exquisite. Sweet. Heady. Deep.

He’s not done with her. Even as she lay quivering, he kisses back up her body and rights himself to finish dropping his pants. Her eyes glitter as she returns from the afterglow, nethers still spasming as he leans over her. 

The head of his cock is pressed to her, and she raises her hips to ease the entry. Charlie hisses in pleasure as he sinks his whole length into her, cock still twitching as he stills for her to adjust.

Thandi stares up into his face and wraps her arms around him. “Say it.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Everything you were telling me before.” Her thoughts are pushed away with his first thrust into her body, but he does his best to fill her request.

“I love you,” he murmurs into her ear, trying to time his thrusts to his words.

“You’re mine.”

She closes her eyes, focusing on the feeling of him.

“Forever.”

“Always.”

“I want you.”

“I need you.”

“You’re!”

“Mine!”

Words leave in favor of their moaning and bucking, Charlie no longer worried about her ability to take him. She’s fucked hard, fast, and he won’t stop kissing her. The heat buoys them, Charlie not stopping for anything, not even his own orgasm.

Thandi has a tight grip on him, shouting with every spasm she has. Cum spills out from her as they rut, Charlie’s head pressed into the crook of her shoulder as he makes sure she’s full to bursting with him.

Time doesn’t start ticking until finally, finally, Charlie slams into her one final time, pressing as deep as he could go as Thandi squeals, riding out the last of her own spasms. When Charlie pulls out of her, it feels like a waterfall is pouring from her center. 

He collapses next to her, breathing ragged and shuddering, but there’s the glow of satisfaction on him. He turns his head to smile at her, and she smiles back. The air is cold now that they aren’t radiating their own heat, and both of them are shaking like lambs.

“Sorry the floor ended up being the place to start,” Charlie says with a grunt, pushing himself up. He grabs the blankets from the couch to cover Thandi, paying no mind to the smears of their fluid across the floor. That’s a problem for later. “I, erm. May have been a bit taken with your declaration.”

Thandi laughs and pauses. “Wait, to start?”

“Oh, dear. The heat lasts all season.”