The Symbiote

When a cold front meets a warm front, they try to pass each other by. But sometimes they meet, in mid-air, and clash. Storms pulse down from the sky. Tornadoes steam across the landscape, destroying everything in their path. The elements of nature conspire silently to give birth to power. Nathan Cryogen was a cold man and Carla Davis was a warm woman.

They almost passed each other by. They almost avoided the storm.

Nathan woke with a start, feeling strangely warm and comfortable. He was used to waking up cold, in his cheap studio apartment. Instead, there was a warm body next to him, pulsing out peace and contentment. He breathed an assured sigh and leaned back in bed.

Then he remembered how he'd gotten there. He yanked aside the covers and ran to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door, breathing heavily. He flicked on the light and stared back at his reflection, trying to understand what he was staring at. It was him, but he wasn't sure who him was. I'm Nathan Cryogen, he mumbled to himself, I'm Nathan Cryogen.

But who is Nathan Cryogen? He reached into his memories and found things he couldn't remember having before. A skinny girl with dark hair, living out in the country. I was so happy back then. He shook the thought. The girl was so happy back then. It was becoming increasingly impossible to understand where he ended and the girl began.

"Nathan, are you in there?" came a voice from outside. Suddenly Nathan was that voice, knocking on the door. He felt confused. He'd seen himself bolt out of bed and run to the bathroom. Had he done something last night to upset himself?

Then he was back as the man in the bathroom, staring in the mirror, "I'll be right out. Just freshening up." Relief flooded through him, but it was someone else's relief. No, it was his own. Then arousal. His hand went between his legs. He yanked it back and tried to pull himself together.

He swung open the door, taking in Carla's naked form. She was beautiful. Stunning. Arousing. "Are you ready for round two?" he said, but he wasn't sure whether he'd said it or she had.

"I have to go," he said and started pulling on his clothes. Carla was suddenly pulling on her clothes next to him. He stopped and stared. She stopped too and stared at him. Or was he she staring at him.

"Stop it!" he yelled. "Stop it! Get away from me!"

He fell backward and hit his head on the dresser, slipping into unconsciousness.

He woke up slowly in a hospital room, his eyes adjusting to the fluorescent lights. Someone was standing over him. A nurse. Not his type. Male and muscular. Not Carla's type either. He tried to shake the thought. It didn't matter what Carla's type was. She wasn't even here.

"Good to see you're awake," said the nurse. "I was just checking your vitals. You took a nasty fall, but everything looks ok. I'll get the doctor in here in a moment. Sit tight, Mister, ah, Cryogen." He gave Nathan a strange look and then left.

That was nothing new. Nathan was used to people giving him strange looks over his name. It was his legal name, but he'd heard stories of weirder legal names. The lady who had helped him with his papers had told him of some guy who came in wanting to change his kid's name to Coca Cola. It had sparked a whole debate about whether trademark law applied to first names.

Nathan had never found out the result of the case, but he hoped the kid hadn't had to live with a name like that. The torment would be endless. Nathan, at least, had chosen his last name.

"Mister... Cryogen," said the doctor, striding in. She was a young woman, probably right out of medical school, with a thin frame and her orange-tinted brown hair in a bun. "Says you fell on your head. Do you feel any lingering pains?"

"No," said Nathan. He looked her right in the eye and for a moment, he was standing there, looking down at the patient in bed, wondering when a guy with some genuine confidence would come along.

"No," repeated Nathan, back in his own body, "no, I um." He cleared his throat, "Have you ever given up control?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me, sir?"

"I'm asking," said Nathan, straightening up in bed, "if you've ever given over your body to a man. Completely."

Silence hung in the air between them. Nathan felt a pang of guilt run through him, but before he could react to it, he was over in the doctor's body, feeling shaken but intrigued. This is what you've been waiting for, came the woman's thoughts. Don't blow it, Allie.

Allie gave him a very professional smile, wrote down a number on a strip of paper, and handed it to him. "If you have any other problems, you know where to reach me. I think we're done here."

"I don't think we are," said Nathan. He pulled himself out of bed and moved over to the door, locking it shut.

"I have other patients to attend to," said Allie, "I don't know what you're doing, but I'm going to call security if you don't step away from that door this instant."

"I only represent what you want," said Nathan, frowning. "It's mutually beneficial." A war raged in his head, but he wasn't sure whether it was his own conscience or hers.

"This is unethical," said Allie.

"But it's what you want."

He could feel the wetness between her legs. The sharpness of her breath. The shudder running down her spine. Every sensation was magnified, pounding in his ears.

"I want to fulfill your wish. I- I want to understand."

Allie took a step backward, her hands shaking so hard she could barely hold onto the clipboard in her hands. "Wh- who am I? Wh- who are you?"

"I'm Nathan Cryogen."

"No," said Allie, shaking her head, "no, no, that's not right. You're something else. You're... you're..."

Nathan was a half step away from her, close enough to smell her scent. Close enough to feel her breath on his face. She was so warm.

Suddenly he stopped, feeling a sensation like someone was yanking his skull right out of his head. He stared at her, breathing heavily, completely Nathan. He felt blind. He couldn't feel anything beyond what he felt and what she was showing, which was a lot of mixed fear and arousal.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I don't know what came over me."

She slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't bring me this close to the edge," she said, her voice quavering, "and then back out."

Nathan rubbed his cheek where she'd slapped him, trying to understand what was going on. Trying to make sense of the power he had. It only seemed to work with certain people and then it played off what they wanted. But was it what they really wanted or something he was projecting onto them? He'd never ordered Carla what to do. Only intensified what was already there.

While he was puzzling out what to do next, Allie pulled off her scrubs and threw them aside, standing at attention in front of him, naked and vulnerable. He gaped. It was like a dream. She even wanted him to dominate her.

He reached inside her mind as Nathan and was shocked at what he saw. Or rather, shocked at what he didn't see. Everything in her memory indicated that she wanted to be in control, even in her fantasies. This was nothing like her. But he hadn't touched her. He hadn't done anything. Or had he? When he had looked through her eyes, was it her eyes or his projected onto her? He shook his head. All he knew was that this girl was ready to give herself to him.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" asked Nathan. "Husband? Wife? Roommate?"

"No," said Allie, "I live alone."

Nathan grabbed her wrist and felt a pulse of energy hit him in the chest. He held on tight and took a shuddering breath. She was still staring at him plainly, completely submissive and naked.

"Do you have a copy of the keys to your apartment?"

Allie nodded, "In the pocket of my scrubs. I always keep two, just in case." She got a confused look. "I don't remember why."

Nathan reached down, watching her carefully, and pulled out the spare key, pocketing it. He made her write down her address on a slip of paper and get redressed. Doing something here was too dangerous and it was disruptive to her job, not to mention the other patients who might need her. No, he would go to her apartment and wait. She seemed to be ok with it and he had nowhere else to go anyway.

Luckily, she didn't live far from the hospital. Her apartment was small, but nicely decorated, with a queen sized bed and a large couch. It had an air of wasted space to it, like someone had simply left and never come back. By the time Allie came home, Nathan was rested from a nap and a raid to her refrigerator, and was ready to handle the situation.

He had made a decision: He was going to give her what she wanted. That was the ethical thing to do. Whether it originated from her didn't matter. The point was, it was deeply embedded in her desires now. He was doing her a favor. So why did it feel so wrong?

He thought of Mildred, who he had deceived, so that he could do his experiment. The poor woman was dying, kind enough to give him time when her own was running out, and he had abused that. And what of Carla? She had been reluctant at first, but ultimately had treated him with kindness. He wasn't even sure where she was now, or what happened to her. Did Carla even know that he still existed?

As soon as Allie was inside with the door closed and locked, she threw her belongings aside and stripped down, padding across the carpeted floor over to him and kneeling down. "I am yours to command."

Nathan grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up off the ground, more roughly than intended, but instead of annoyance or fear, he felt only a stab of arousal and satisfaction from her. Her bright eyes stared at him in fascination. She was soaking already and every moment he held onto her, she was getting wetter and wetter.

He let go momentarily and felt a pang of disappointment shoot at him. "This is mutually beneficial," he said, under his breath. He reached inside her, trying to navigate the torrent of arousal and emotion. Suddenly his own mind seemed to crawl, like a hand was reaching inside it, and he jumped backward, clutching at his head. As quickly as the sensation had come, it was gone and it its place was a sense of peaceful purpose.

I'm doing what is best for both of us, he thought. He turned her around roughly and ordered her to kneel on the floor, sticking her ass out. Her body rocked with arousal at the command, but he grabbed at it with his mind and pinned it in place, not allowing it to peak where it wanted to go.

Allie whimpered and gasped.

He knelt down behind her and grabbed her ass, pulling her cheeks apart. She was dripping, soaking the floor. He placed his tongue between her legs and felt her clench and buck. He reached out with his mind once more and pinned her muscles in place, not allowing her to move from her position.

"Oh god," she said. Her high, warm voice only pushed Nathan harder. He licked and pulled at her with his lips, dragging out her arousal, just on the edge, over and over. His own body felt like a lightning rod, pulsing with energy, joining his arousal to her own and supplying her with energy to feel more intensely.

"Please," she gasped, "please let me cum."

But he didn't relent. It wasn't time yet. Her words were in disagreement with her body. She didn't want it to end just yet. He licked and sucked, pulsing and radiating arousal with every passing second. Her body craved release so badly. It twisted and roiled at him like a wave, in ecstasy. She cried out and he pushed at her mind, pinning her voice at a whisper, making her stay quiet. The only loud sound was the pounding in his ears of arousal as she teetered on the edge, craving more and more by the moment.

At last, her mind shuddered and twisted, and he felt the moment peak, releasing her to go over the edge, releasing her body to move and tremble. It shook and bucked against his mouth, but he held it there with his hands, pulling arousal out of her even as she climaxed so hard her whole body was on fire, trembling.

"Oh fuuuuck," she whispered, barely audible. "Oh god." Her body collapsed against the ground, heaving and glistening with sweat and her scent.

Nathan heaved her onto her back and clambered on top of her, joining his body with hers, physically, and letting his mind feel as she felt. She smiled as her arousal climbed up and down like waves. Her arms were splayed out, her nipples hard as rocks. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth and wrapped his arms under her, grabbing her ass, pressing her upward into him. She gave a muffled cry of arousal and climaxed again, her body trembling against him. Nathan felt his own body shake and release inside of her, his sense of where they began and ended becoming more muddled with each passing moment.

"Thank you," Allie whispered. Nathan unpinned her voice and she said again, louder this time. "Thank you, Nathan Cryogen. I needed that."

Nathan licked and sucked at her nipples gently, breathing heavily, but finding it hard to stop. She laid a gentle hand on his back and he felt the intensity drain away. It was time to rest.

Allie laid there beneath him, looking exhausted but blissfully happy. She brushed a strand of hair out of his face, "I went to medical school for eight years and I've never seen healing like that, much less experienced it. I was angry, Nathan. I was so angry so much after James left me, I could barely breathe for it. I don't know what you did to me, but I'm afraid I don't even know what anger is anymore." She laughed. "I feel like Scrooge after he's seen the light."

Nathan blinked back at her, confused but happy that he hadn't hurt her. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Allie nodded without hesitation, "I've never felt better."

Nathan rolled off of her and took a quick shower, while he tried to clear his head. There was a tugging in his mind, a pull at the edge of his consciousness, and he had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with Carla and Mildred. This girl, Allie, he no longer felt tied to. It was as if her words had released him. He had done what was needed of him.

But what had happened to Carla? He was afraid to even try to find her. The last time it had ended with him in the hospital.

Allie offered him a fresh change of clothes from her old boyfriend's closet and a real jacket, with a matching hat and gloves that weren't full of holes. He took them graciously and he and Allie seemed to have an understanding that he had to leave now. He had no place here beyond what he had done. It was dark out again, but the morning would be coming soon. He wouldn't have to endure the cold forever.

And he had a sense that when he walked out the door, his ability would guide him somehow.

"Are you an angel?" said Allie at the door. She had walked him to it and was stopped with her hand on the knob, looking up at him curiously.

Nathan shook his head, "I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," said Allie. She put a hand to her head and looked faint for a moment. "I just have to make sense of it in my head, that's all."

Nathan gently pulled her hand off the knob and opened the door, "I'll be happy to help you as soon as I can make sense of it in my own head."

She laughed then and the seriousness of the situation was lost. She would be ok, he was confident of that.

"Thanks again," she said.

He nodded and went on his way. As soon as he was out on the crisp streets, he felt a tug. No, he felt many tugs, from many directions. It was as if thousands of hands were grabbing at him and having a silent tug-of-war.

He sat down at a bus stop and waited, closing his eyes, trying to pick out the people he was looking for. It was hopeless. He had no idea what to look for and no idea how to look for it. The bus rolled up and he stepped on, realizing as he did that he didn't have any money. He scrounged around, nonetheless, while he tried to come up with a good reason why he should be allowed to ride the bus, and found a thank you note from Allie with a bus pass pinned to it.

With a silent thank you, he showed it to the driver and took a seat in the back. He had no destination in mind and there was no one else on the bus. He'd follow the route until it ended, he decided. Then he would figure out what to do. While he was puzzling out what to do after that, a girl came on and sat down next to him. The entire bus was free and she sat down next to him.

She had a tangle of red hair atop her head and a petite figure. Nathan reached out toward her mind instinctively, but found nothing. It wasn't like a wall, there was just nothing there. He glanced at the girl and she looked back at him steadily. Her green eyes were deep with something that both unnerved and enthralled him.

"You're not so bad," said the girl. She reached out a hand, "I'm Charlie Rochester, but my friends tend to call me Li, on account of them not wanting to offend me by calling me Char."

Nathan stared at her, confused.

She gave a tinkling laugh, "It's the hair. Red as a fire trick, isn't it?"

He nodded, feeling incredibly lost in her eyes. It wasn't love. He was sure of that. Or was he? Had he felt love recently? Did he even know what a crush was like? This girl was probably his type.

"You look like a deer in headlights," said Li. "It's ok, it's a bit disorienting at first, isn't it? You're king of the world, aren't you, then somebody comes along who it doesn't work on and what do you know, you have to be normal again."

Nathan nodded slowly, feeling stupider by the moment. But on some level it was clicking and he wasn't sure he liked what it was that was clicking. "My experiments..."

"Have been done before," said Li. "Not in quite that way though. Using a SIM card like that? Inventive, is what I call it." She stretched and yawned. "I tell you what, Nathan. You come with me so I can explain all about the wonderful world you've entered into, and you get to fuck me, no strings attached and I won't call you later." She held out a hand. "Deal?"

"I...yes?" said Nathan, taking her hand uncertainly.

She looked down at his unsteady grip, "You do want to fuck me, right?"

Nathan cleared his throat and glanced in the driver's direction, "Uh, well... yes."

"Good," she said. She flashed him a grin. "Come on, this is our stop. And by the way, in case it crossed your mind, we're not angels. Not even close."