Title: Burning Man

Author: Awena

Fandom: First Wave

Pairing: Cade/O(s), Cade/Eddy

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Big 'ole fat rape warning here! Sexual violence, hurt/comfort. Pass on by if this sort of thing disturbs you.

Spoilers: Starts off during the episode Deluge. For the uninitiated here's a little background on the episode:
The aliens were performing a weather experiment in Athlone to see how prolonged rain and lack of sunlight would affect humans. At the point Cade arrives it had been raining in Athlone for two years - straight. The people of Athlone were descended from Irish or Scottish Immigrants and were very close-knit. Not too many outsiders joined the community. The people believed their ancestors were Druids and decided to turn to pagan religion and rituals in an effort to stop the rain. They actually did burn people in wicker frames - usually criminals who were passing through the town. The first part of the story follows the episode up to the drinking part, then (in the ep) they just let him go. I decided to deviate there.

First Wave and all its characters belong to the Sci-Fi channel. I'm just borrowing them for my own nefarious purposes.

Just a little self-flagellation here. I forgot to thank my dearest wonderful friends Raonaid and Juxian for wonderful beta and support. I wrote Burning Man just for Juxian. She wanted to see Cade suffer prettily, so I just had to do it.

BURNING MAN

By Awena

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I live my life like a Burning Man
And I won't get enough, til my legs are broken.
Third Eye Blind
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Athlone's one and only bar was dim and crowded, smelling of tobacco and sweat like any other beer hall, yet there was something strange about it. There was a sense of age to the place, like you'd find in a country pub in Europe somewhere. Heavy oak beams stretched across the ceiling and an underlying earthy smell permeated the air.

Cade Foster shook the rainwater from his coat and smoothed back his spiky wet hair as he approached the shiny wooden counter. A pretty young woman glanced at him from behind the bar, put away her cleaning rag and took his drink order. Cade took a seat at the bar and casually looked around. The room was filled with primarily youngish men, obviously just off work from the lumber mill and eagerly getting themselves drunk. An old man sat at the end of the bar, mumbling to himself as he watched water drip from the ceiling. The man's eyes were empty, as if all the joy of life had somehow been drained out of him. Cade knew how he felt. The town Sheriff, Harland as he recalled, sat with a group of older men near the back. Cade had spoken with him earlier. If the Sheriff had seemed cold earlier his glare was downright glacial as he stared back at Cade. Cade turned back to the bar, his neck prickly with unwelcome stares from around the room.

The young woman returned with Cade's beer and he smiled at her, hoping to strike up a conversation. Her name was Glynnis, she said reluctantly, glancing over at the group of men in the back. She was friendly yet reserved, almost nervous as she answered Cade's odd questions. Some of the men noticed the conversation and closed in. Cade just prayed his cover - a bounty hunter in search of a killer - would hold. These people obviously didn't care for strangers. One of the men, Glynnis called him Billy, kept getting in Cade's face, questioning his story. Cade could feel the anger rising in his belly but did his best to remain calm. Suddenly, Billy smiled widely at him, and offered to buy him a shot of whiskey, insisted actually. Cade declined the offer and rose from his chair only to be pushed back down.

"Where I come from, a man doesn't refuse a drink." Billy growled through a fake-looking smile. "Especially one as pretty as you. "

Cade tensed further at the words. He was used to being hit on by other men, but he was unsure of Billy's intent.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Cade replied in a deceptively light tone.

Billy's smile widened into a leer and he nodded towards the shot glass.

"Surely a bounty hunter like yourself can hold your liquor."

Cade was given little choice but to accept the bitter drink. He gathered himself up to leave when another man ordered Cade a drink, then another. Hoping to appease the rough looking group of men, Cade knocked back the second shot, then the third. The whiskey burned at first but smoothed out, releasing a mellow languorous feeling throughout Cade's body. His brain told him he was in a shitload of trouble, but his body refused to cooperate as he began laughing along with the other men. Lewd comments and harsh whispers reached his ears, but he was too drunk to register them.

"He's a beauty all right."

"He'll be a perfect sacrifice..."

"We should take him now..."

"You'll get your turn..."

Billy laughed then and clapped a large hand on Cade's shoulder, gripping the flesh hard enough to cause a flash of pain through Cade's whiskey-soaked body.

"I think our new *friend* here would like a game of pool, don't you think, boys?"

Cade tried to pull away as he noticed the change in the men's laughter, the leers on their faces, and a stab of fear shot through his gut. Before he could say anything, he was dragged from his stool and pulled towards the back room. Drunk as he was, he fought against the two men holding him, only to be rewarded with a stinging blow to the back of his head. Dazed, Cade was barely aware as he was unceremoniously dumped on top of the pool table. He continued to struggle as he felt hands tugging at his sweater and t-shirt, ripping it in their hurry to strip him. He tried to sit up only to be struck across the face. He fell back on his side, spitting blood from his cut lip.

"You two, grab his arms and hold him down. He's got spirit, I'll say that for him." Billy pushed down on Cade's chest, tugging roughly at his chest hair. He ran both hands down Cade's torso, digging into the smooth skin with his ragged nails and stopped with a bruising grip on Cade's lean hips. "Mmmm, very nice little man. I'm going to enjoy taking you."

Cade suddenly found himself pinned to the table, arms stretched above him and held down ruthlessly. It wasn't until he felt a heavy hand at the fastenings of his jeans that he truly realized what was happening - what was going to happen if he didn't get out of there. He kicked out, satisfied at the grunt of pain he heard when he connected with someone's belly. Despite his struggles, Billy managed to yank his jeans and underwear down and off and threw them to the side. He felt those hot hands pulling at his thighs, separating them, gripping his balls then squeezing them. Cade stifled the cry that came to his lips, only to release it when he felt a thick finger stabbing at the entrance to his body. The man pumped his finger into the dry channel then added another, causing Cade to whimper at the burning pain. He gasped as the fingers were suddenly removed - only to have his legs pushed up against his chest and the fingers replaced by the blunt tip of the man's cock.

"You ready for this, little man?" Billy didn't wait for an answer before thrusting home. The pain was so huge, so blinding, that for a moment Cade couldn't even get a sound out of his constricted throat. Then as the man pulled out and slammed back in, Cade began to wail. Nothing he'd ever experienced could have prepared him for this agony. The man kept thrusting, harder and faster until his own groans could be heard over Cade's cries. Finally he thrust in one last time, nearly folding Cade in half, and came, yelling. Gasping for breath, the man pulled out and turned around, tucking himself back into his pants.

"Who's next?"

Sheriff Harland stepped up to the table and raked his eyes over Cade's bruised and bleeding body. He smiled darkly.

"I want him on his belly."

Rough hands turned Cade over and pulled his hips to the edge of the table. He tried to will himself to move, to fight, but the pain in his pelvis and lower back was too much bear. He didn't want to think about the damage inside. He felt his cheeks being pinched and slapped, then before he could even draw a breath to yell a thick cock yet again filled his ass. He wasn't as dry this time, but the searing pain still made this second time seem impossibly worse. A particularly hard thrust set Cade screaming again.

The Sheriff turned, panting slightly, and motioned to another man with stringy long hair. "Angus, see if you can shut him up".

Cade was lost in a haze of pain and was unaware of the man climbing up on the pool table before him. His head was lifted by the hair, and Cade opened his eyes to the sight of an erection waving in front of his face. He groaned at the pressure on his back and neck. Angus ran his hand over Cade's lips and jaw, urging him to open up.

"Come on, Pretty, I bet you're real good at sucking cock"

Cade tried to free his head from the man's painful grasp, and managed to jerk his mouth away when he felt the tip of the penis at his lips. Angus only gripped his hair tighter and pulled up, forcing Cade to pull his elbows under his chest to raise himself to avoid getting his neck broken.

"Open wide, or I'll break your neck."

Cade clenched his teeth tightly, breath hissing out with each thrust from the man behind him. Harland grabbed his hips and slammed forward, causing Cade to cry out again. Before he could close his mouth, Angus shoved his cock down Cade's throat. Each successive thrust from behind pushed Cade's nose into Angus' groin. He gagged several times on the hard shaft before finally managing to relax his throat. Angus moaned above him and thrust harder. Suddenly, Cade felt hands circling his throat, tightening in ever increasing pulses. He struggled wildly as flashes of light streaked before his eyes, heralding the onset of suffocation. Above him, Angus continued to thrust faster, encouraging the hands to tighten around his flesh-encased cock. With a strangled cry, Angus came, spurting cum deep in Cade's mouth. Cade gagged and coughed, desperately sucking air through his still constricted throat. The man behind him pumped furiously before coming with a howl and pulling out. Cade slumped to the table, panting for air. The cessation of pressure in his ass felt almost blissful. His head seemed completely detached from his body as he recovered from the loss of air. The sensation of the next man spreading his cheeks and thrusting in hardly registered as Cade thankfully slid into unconsciousness.

********

Glynnis leaned against the counter, cringing at the sound of each scream. She tried covering her ears but it hardly helped. She knew what they were doing in the back room, had heard it many times before, but could never harden herself not to care. The men of this town believed they were Druids, just as their ancestors were, and duty bound to continue their traditions. They claimed that taking a man, a stranger, gave them his strength. It was a sacrifice of the highest order. Glynnis thought it was bullshit. Her uncle, the rest of the men; she knew they made up these rituals to suit their own needs and desires. These men they took - no *raped*. They offered up nothing but their own pain and blood. This one would be lucky to be left alive.

Glynnis started suddenly at a ringing sound. Peering over the bar she spotted a cell phone tucked into the pocket of the young man's jacket. Hesitantly, she picked it up and hit send.

"Cade! Hey, man where've you been? You were supposed to call me an hour ago..."

"Hello, who's this?" she responded quietly. After a moment of silence the man finally spoke.

"Who is this? Where's Cade?" Eddy's voice was demanding, on the verge of panic.

"Are you a friend of Cade's? Does he trust you?"

"Of course he trusts me! What the hell is going on?" Eddy was beginning to panic.

"Listen to me. If you're really Cade's friend, you have to come here, to Athlone, and get him out of here..."

"What..Why? What's going on? I want to speak to Cade!"

"You can't talk to him now, just get here! He needs you. Please, you have to help him." Glynnis was pleading now; the screams from the poolroom had reached a crescendo, then suddenly stopped, although she could still hear the crude laughter of the other men.

"Please, he needs you.." She hung up the phone and quickly hid it as two men exited the poolroom. She could only hope that Cade would still be alive when his friend got there.

***********

Cade awoke in his motel room. On the floor of his motel room, to be precise. For a moment he just rested there, thinking - hoping maybe, that it was all just a dream. Then he moved. Fiery pain lanced through his body. He cried out helplessly as memories rushed through his head - rough hands, pinching, slapping, hitting; burning pain in his ass, hard shaft down his throat, gagging on salty fluid. Dirty, filthy, 'Please God make it stop'. Sobs caught in his bruised throat as he slowly started to crawl towards the bathroom. He pulled himself across the carpet, trying to keep his hips from moving. After an eternity of pain he made it to the bathtub and gingerly crawled in, crying out when his ass hit the cold porcelain of the tub. He turned the shower on full blast, as hot as he could get it. Curled up in the bottom of the tub, he let the water sluice over his battered and bruised body, filling his mouth, drowning the sobs that tore from his tender throat and mouth. He lay there and begged for death, anything to take away the pain, the harsh memories that plagued his mind.

'Please, anything, just make it stop'.

PART TWO

Eddy cursed again as he fought to keep the RV from skidding into yet another ditch. He was still dripping from the last time he had to get out and maneuver the vehicle out of a rut. The moment he entered the county surrounding Athlone, he'd hit a wall of rain, turning an already terrible road to pure mud with lakes of water along the sides. He managed to bring the RV out of the skid and slowly made his way into the town of Athlone. He had the motel address Cade had given him earlier that day. He just hoped Cade would be there and not...somewhere. He'd been in a panic since talking with that girl on the phone. Her words implied that Cade was in serious trouble and Eddy couldn't stand the thought of Cade getting hurt or worse. His stomach knotted at the thought of losing Cade. Eddy had long since recognized his attraction to Cade, but would never act on it. They were partners, friends - he wouldn't dare risk losing that over a crush. Surely that's all it was.

He pulled up into the motel parking lot and ran through the pouring rain to Cade's room. It was unlocked. He slowly opened the door and peeked around the edge.

"Cade? Are you in here?". He crept into the small room and shut the door behind him. The bed was made; Cade's bag was on the floor next to it. Then he noticed a stain on the floor by the edge of the bed. He bent down to touch it and jumped back at the wet gleam of blood on his fingers. There were more stains leading towards the bathroom. He pushed the partly closed door open and was immediately hit with a blast of steam. He could hear the water running now and felt immediately relieved. 'He's OK, he's just taking a shower.'

"Hey, Foster, it's me. I, uh, tried to call you earlier and someone else answered the phone. Really weird conversation..."

No response. Eddy started to worry.

"Um, Cade... Is everything all right?"

Eddy couldn't see well through the steam but he thought he heard a whimper. He moved towards the bathtub. Finally he could make out a form huddled under the shower faucet. Cade had his head tucked against his arm and his body was reddened terribly from the hot water. Eddy moved closer and reached out a hand, intending to shut off the faucet. The moment Eddy's hand got near Cade, the young man struck out, screaming hoarsely.

" No! Get away from me!"

Eddy grabbed the flailing arms and ended up halfway in the bathtub, hissing when he got hit by the spray of hot water.

"Cade! It's me. It's Eddy. Calm down, everything's Okay now. You hear me Cade, It's me!"

Cade's struggles weakened and he finally allowed Eddy to gather him in his arms. Eddy quickly shut the water off, continuing to hold Cade, rocking the now-sobbing man gently.

"It's Okay now. Shhh, I'm here, I won't let anything hurt you."

Cade's skin was slowly returning to it's pale golden color, and Eddy could now see darkening bruises and welts covering much of the smooth skin. He looked down at the draining water and tensed as he watched the bathwater, reddened with what must be blood, swirling down the drain. Cade's sobs were quieting and Eddy gently but gingerly stood, mostly carrying the shivering man in his arms.

"Come on, Cade, we need to get out of here. I gonna take you to a hospital and..."

"No!"

"Cade, you're hurt. I don't know how badly. I have to get you to a doctor.."

"No. Please, Eddy. Just get me out of here, please.." Cade's voice was low and hoarse as if he'd been screaming. Eddy took in the bloodstains on the floor, the reddened water, Cade's bruises and swollen flesh. He had been screaming, and suddenly Eddy knew with gut-wrenching certainty why. He laid Cade gently on the bed and pulled out a pair of sweats from his bag and swiftly dressed the young man.

He grabbed Cade's scant belongings and with one arm holding Cade tight against him, Eddy ran through the pouring rain to the RV. Within an hour they had left Athlone, and the rain, far behind them.

<CENTER~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next two weeks, Cade slowly healed, grudgingly allowing Eddy to dress his wounds and bring him food. Not that he ate much. Cade spent most of his time curled up on the couch-bed, staring at nothing. That or showering. Cade had become almost obsessive about being clean. He took four or five showers a day, even after the hot water had run out, he would stand under the freezing cold stream as if it could wash away the memories, the pain. Finally Eddy decided to try talking to him, maybe even get Cade to finally talk about what happened. Cade lay on the bed, wearing only a pair of jeans, his body still damp from his latest shower. Kneeling by the bed, Eddy reached out and brushed the fine, spiky hair from Cade's forehead. He began speaking to him softly, even though Cade showed no sign of hearing him.

"You can't let this beat you, Cade. You're strong, you know that. You're the one, the twice-blessed man, whatever that means. This is too important to give up. We need you, Cade. I need you..."

The last words were whispered as Eddy let his head drop to the mattress, his hand still gently stroking the golden hair.

"I've been through some pretty tough times myself, Cade. My Mom died when I was ten. My Dad had no idea what to do with me, so he pretty much ignored me. Except when he drank. I tried to stay out of his way when he hit the bottle, but he usually found me anyway. I know what you're going through, Cade. You're not alone..."

"You think you know what I'm going through?" The words were harsh, spat between ground teeth. Cade sat up, knocking Eddy's hand away.

"Yes, Cade. I do.." Eddy as relieved to see Cade finally responding to something, even in anger. But that changed to astonishment as Cade pushed himself off the bed and grabbed Eddy's shoulders, shoving him against the wall of the RV.

"You have know idea what I've been through!" Each word was punctuated with another hard shove, Cade's anger fueling his strength. Cade pulled back only to spin Eddy around and push him face-first back against the wall. Eddy had no idea what Cade intended, but he didn't fight back. He just hoped that Cade would burn out his anger quickly. Eddy grunted in pain as Cade twisted his right arm behind his back. He tried to speak again, only to find his arm twisted more painfully with each word.

"You want to know what happened to me, Eddy! I'll show you what happened! I'll show you..." Cade reached his hand around Eddy's waist and began pulling at his jeans, unfastening the buttons and hastily jerking them down. Eddy tried to protest, but his heart wasn't in it. He hadn't been there for Cade when he really needed him. Maybe he deserved this. Tears leaked from his eyes, spawned by pain and self-recrimination.

Cade jerked Eddy's pants down to his thighs then fumbled with his own jeans, practically ripping them open and freeing his still limp cock. He began thrusting uselessly at Eddy's ass, crying out with each motion.

"Fuck You! I'm gonna fuck you!" The words were yelled against Eddy's ear but soon trailed off into whimpers as Cade became more frustrated with his impotence. Eddy took a chance and managed to turn around, grabbing Cade by the wrists and pulling the struggling man into a loose embrace.

"I'm sorry, Cade. I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you, I'm sorry..."

At Eddy's words Cade finally stopped struggling and collapsed limply into Eddy's embrace. He maneuvered them over to the bed and tried to extricate himself from Cade's now almost desperate grasp, but he wouldn't let go. Finally Eddy lay down on the bed, with Cade lying almost on top of him, sobbing. Eddy tried to pull his pants up and at the same time hold on to Cade, but finally just kicked them off. He wrapped his arms around Cade's shaking form and gently stroked his lean back. Without thinking Eddy began placing soft kisses on Cade's damp forehead, making soft noises to calm the shivering man in his arms. He ran soft fingers up Cade's spine, finally resting them on the nape of his neck. He curled his fingers gently in the silky hair he found there, stroking and petting like he would a cat. Cade arched his still bruise neck into the touch, bringing his lips closer to Eddy's. Hesitantly, Eddy pressed his mouth against the younger man's. Just a feather-light touch, but Cade had other ideas. He pressed his lips harder against Eddy's, opening his mouth and gently licking at his lips. Graning, he couldn't help but respond, opening his lips and gently sucking at Cade's tongue. Cade pushed his tongue into Eddy's mouth, lapping at his teeth and palate. Eddy knew this was so wrong, but couldn't make himself stop, couldn't pull away from Cade's hot mouth. At his response, Cade's movements became almost frenzied. He stabbed his tongue deep into Eddy's mouth and ran his hand down the other man's side, stroking his bare hip briefly before reaching his hand between Eddy's legs. Eddy moaned and bucked at the first touch to his cock, then finally a tiny mote of reason surfaced in his lust-addled brain and he pulled away, gently taking hold of Cade's hand and removing it from it's newfound home. Cade raised himself up, trying to capture Eddy's lips, and whimpered at the loss of warmth.

"Help me, Eddy. I'm burning inside. I can still feel them.."

Eddy settled himself against the wall and pulled Cade into his arms. The smaller man fit perfectly between his legs and against his chest. Eddy wrapped his arms around the shaking man and held him in a loose embrace.

"Relax, Cade. Let me touch you." Eddy ran his hands softly up Cade's arms, gently massaging the muscles. He moved to his shoulders, rubbing them soothingly, all the while murmuring softly in Cade's ear, touching his cheek and temple with petal-soft kisses.

Eddy ran his hands over Cade's chest, teasing the damp curls with his fingers. Using just the pads of his fingers, Eddy brushed the dusky nipples, circling the tiny buds then stroking them again. Cade lifted his chest into the touch, moaning softly. Eddy pressed his palms down Cade's chest, over his flat stomach, til he reached the still open waistband of Cade's jeans. He slowly reached under the jeans, stroking the gently flaring hips then moving even further to the flesh of his thighs.

"Do you want this, Cade? Can I touch you?" The question was whispered in Cade's ear, sending gentle warmth to his groin, He feel his cock filling, begging to be touched.

"God, yes! Please hold me, please..." The words broke off in a groan as Eddy ran a fingertip across the tip of Cade's shaft. He circled the head with his thumb, dipping into the tiny slit, then rubbing the leaking fluid into the heated flesh. Cade shifted and raised his hips into the touch, silently begging for more. Eddy relented and curled his palm around the thick cock, pumping slowly at first then with increasing speed and pressure as Cade lifted his hips, fucking himself with Eddy's slick grip. Eddy raised his other hand to Cade's chest, teasing the hardened nipples. Cade's moans grew desperate as he furiously pumped his hips. He stretched his neck back, allowing Eddy to lick and suck on the supple flesh. Finally, Cade tensed, his back arched into a tight bow as he came, screaming. Eddy continued to milk the hot semen from his cock, until it grew soft and warm in his hand. Cade slumped bonelessly into Eddy's arms, panting heavily. He looked up at the older man and raised his hand to touch Eddy's cheek. Eddy arched his neck into the caress, rubbing his stubbly cheek on the callused palm.

Cade looked up at the curly-haired man holding him and smiled. Something new had replaced the bleak look of misery in his eyes. For the first time since the attack he felt alive again. He could..feel.

"Thank you." The words were soft, barely whispered as Cade burrowed further into the warm embrace. He slipped easily into sleep, untroubled by nightmares and visions.

"You're welcome, my friend." Eddy shifted his arms and legs more comfortably around the sleeping man and joined him in the blissful dark of a healing sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~END~~~~~~~~~~~~~~