Memories

"Oi, move over."

"This is my couch, I don't have to move anywhere."

"Don't make me sit on your legs."

With a heavy sigh, Raleigh pulled his legs up, sliding his feet over the seat to make room for the other male.  He had been happily snoozing away the afternoon on his sofa when Lake came barging into his apartment making a fuss over something or other (Raleigh couldn't quite fathom just what though) and then dove into his bathroom.  Normally Raleigh would have been content to leave Lake going crazy and just go back to his nap, but someone had accompanied Lake this time.

His older brother.


Raleigh and River had never got along.  They'd been in the same year at high school and in pretty much the same classes, but the pair always seemed to be at each other's throats.  Raleigh didn't understand just why River seemed intent on causing him phyical bodily harm every day of the school year, but he was hoping that whatever 'problems' had occured between them in school had fizzled out by now.


"Your place is just one big room.  Why don't you just sleep on your bed?" River asked, looking around Raleigh's apartment.  This was the first time he'd ever set foot anywhere near the place where his younger brother came and hung out so often.


"Because I like my couch," Raleigh replied from under his arm.  He'd buried his face in the crook of his elbow as he lay on his back on the sofa.  It seemed like he wasn't going to be able to take that nap he wanted.  "Its a comfy couch."


River sat by his feet in the small amount of space Raleigh had allowed him when moving his legs.  "How come it looks like your decorator is on a constant break?"


"If you're going to keep insulting my apartment you can go and stand in the hall."  Dropping his arm from his eyes, Raleigh looked over at the other male.  "Why are you here anyway?  You rarely ever go anywhere with Lake."


River fidgeted awkwardly, staring down at his All Stars.  "I'm...I'm trying to see how he copes with the world."


"What?"  Pushing up on his elbows, Raleigh sat up, staring over at River.  "Lake doesn't cope with the world - the world copes with Lake."


"I meant more how he copes with putting up with the stick for being gay."


"Your brother is a bad example for that.  The big Russian lug, maybe, but not Lake.  Like I said, Lake doesn't cope with anything like that because he automatically sees himself as differentl and just accepts it." He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it up sleepily.  "Why are you interested anyway?  Back in school you were always worried I'd 'turn' your brother or something like that.  You're not homophobic but you're hardly waving the rainbow flag."


Fidgeting even more, River let out a heavy sigh and slumped down on the sofa until the back of his head pressed against the back of the sofa.  "Why did you wait so long before coming out?"


Shrugging, Raleigh straightened his legs out once again, dropping them onto River's lap.  "I don't know - I just did."


"I used to think you were some kind of slut in school."


At that Raleigh laughed.  "Which is amazing because I didn't loose it until graduation.  It was the whole reason I came out when I did, otherwise the guy would never have had sex with me."


"Who was it?"


"Remember that kid that always used to sit at the back of our sociology class?"


River stared, wide eyed at Raleigh.  "The dorky one who always seemed to be attached at the nose to some really big book?  What the heck did you see in him?"


Raleigh just smiled knowingly back at him.  "Dont diss Charlie, he was cute."


"I always used to pick on him.  My friends and I would steal his books and stuff and hide it - until we got caught."  He narrowed his eyes at Raleigh.  "Because you went and 'told teacher' that I was bullying some kids."


"You were bullying some kids."


"That's not the point."


Raleigh barked out a laugh and shook his head.  "Why did you always try to start fights with me in school?"  He always wanted to know the reason, but other than asking Lake to find out Raleigh doubted he'd ever get the answer to the question.  He didn't think he'd ever see River for more than a few passing moments.  It didn't feel weird, either, how he was sprawled out over his sofa and River's legs.  He had been expecting River to push him off, but the other male just sat there with his hands resting on Raleigh's knees.


River dropped his head back once more, eyes looking up at the ceiling.  "Well, at first it was because I got in trouble because of you and I wanted to punish you, but that wasn't the main reason.  It was the only way I could be around you without my friends making fun of me."


It was Raleigh's turn to stare wide eyed.  "You had a crush on me!" he announced, pointing a finger at River.  "You didn't want Lake to get involved with me because you wanted me all for yourself!"  He laughed once more, unable to stop himself from chuckling.  "You, River, are priceless."


Instead of denying it, River just continued to stare and listen.  "How do you guys do it?"


"Do what?"


"Feel so comfortable with the fact that its dudes your kissing?  Hold hands in public and not care what other people, what other people see?"


Raleigh shrugged.  "The only person I can think who'd understand would be Eli - Elliot - because he's had the most experience with going from dating girls to guys and dealing with the fact that while he always saw himself as straight he's in love with a guy."


"But isn't Elliot sixteen?"


"Yeah, sucks doesn't it?  But he's super cute in that school uniform."


"Why aren't you making fun of me for asking you these kinds of questions?"


"Because your little brother has a big mouth and can't keep it shut when there's gossip involved.  Just...Don't get his hopes up that you two are going to bond over your amazing 'gayness'."

This time I'll stand by your side

A.N. Continuation from 'Relationships' and Cali's piece Coming To Terms with You

"So, did you miss me?"

River had been thinking and hadn't noticed his best friend heading towards him until Dominic plonked himself down on the bench beside him and spoke to him.  Eyes widening suddenly, River nearly toppled off the bench as he spun around to face Dominic.  "D-Dom!"

Dominic grinned at him while River tried to compose himself once more.  "You looked like you were thinking, I'm sorry if I scared you."

Chuckling, River shook his head, rubbing at the back of his neck.  "You didn't scare me - just shocked me a little," he explained, his eyes still not meeting with his friend's.  The last time they had talked had been in Dom's kitchen and he had ended their 'relationship'.  He hadn't wanted to end their friendship along with it, but he just didn't know how to talk or be around Dominic when he knew that after all the progress they had made as a couple he had just gone and stopped it.  Things could never go back to the way they had been, not matter how much River wanted it to.  He missed hanging out with Dominic.  He missed the fact that they rarely ever said anything to one another when seated together unless they were in class or a bar.  He missed the two of them hitting on girls and seeing which one of them could pick out the hotest girl only for River's confidence to falter right at the last minute and instead of asking her to dance he'd stammer like an idiot and go and down several shots of tequila.  Of course he had missed him.  "I missed you like the mole I had removed.  It was my mole.  I loved that mole, but no, the doctor said I could get cancer."  He grinned and leaned back on the bench, hoping that the atmosphere was like it had always been.


Hoping that Dominic wasn't mad at him.


"My liver didn't miss you though.  I think you need to punish it for that."


"I can't believe a part of you didn't miss me!  That's just insulting."


"Like I said - punish it."  But his grin fell and he sighed, leaning forwards now onto his elbows, looking down at the ground.  He couldn't let things return to normal just yet.  He had to clear the air.  He had to fix things.  "About what I said...When I said we weren't working...It was...It was all just stupid.  No, wait, that's not right..."  He growled at himself and pushed his fingers into his hair, leaning forwards even more.  "I panicked - a lot.  I'm not used to something like that.  Two guys is odd and people notice it more.  I was okay with it being you and me, but once more people got involved it felt...weird..."


This was the explaination he should have given back then.  These were the words he should have said.  They were also the words he shouldn't have said.  They shouldn't have broken up in the first place, because now they were back at square one - back to the beginning with River having to get used to everything all over again.  Inside River knew that he should care what people thought and that Dominic and himself already had an amazing relationship.  By accepting things that relationship could only get better.


"While we weren't talking....Lake said some things to me that kind of hit home."  He couldn't believe he was admitting to having 'a talk' with his little brother, although he was admitting it to Dominic, and in many cases Dominic was 'different' from everyone else.  River could tell Dom things he'd never tell anyone else - even his own parents.  Oh, God he was going to have to tell his parents...His father was having enough trouble as it was dealing with Lake.


Shaking his head to try and rid himself of those thoughts for now, River just focused on keeping his train of thought on the current situation.


"A lot of it was really confusing, but the main thing that stuck with me was the fact that he was fine with accepting who he was - and that his best friend didn't look at him any differently.  It was his friend that mattered, although I doubt Zak would be able to tell the difference between a potato and a tomato unless they were clearly labeled."


"Lake's a good kid," Dom said, obviously listening intently to what River had to say.  Tentatively he reached over and placed his hand on River's shoulder.  After a few moments and because River didn't stiffen at the touch he began smoothing his hand up and down River's back.  "And really cute - sometimes I just want to squish him."


"Don't go stealing him from his boyfriend.  Dimitri's pretty scary,"River said, dropping his hands from his hair, but remaining in the same position, enjoying the feel of Dominic's hand on his back.  Taking a deep breath he finally lifted his eyes and looked at Dom's face.  "And besides, I don't want you to date my little brother because I'd rather you dated me instead."


"But...What about everything?"


River gave him a small smile.  "It'll take a while, and to start off with I just want it to be you and me.  Not a secret, but not so out in the open.  We can hang out in your place like a couple and stuff, and if I do anything in public with you, please don't make a fuss over it."  Swallowing the lump in his throat, he reached over and took Dominic's hand down from his shoulder but he didn't put it aside - he curled their fingers together.  "I can't promise you that we'll last forever; that this is some fairytale romance with a happily ever after, but for now I can promise you that I never want to feel like I have for the time we weren't hanging out.  You're my best friend, Dom, please don't let me be the one to break your heart."

Relationships

Ever since that first year of college and that girl had thrown up on him Dominic had been a mjor part of River's life.  He'd rescued him, with directions to the bathroom and a spare change of clothes.  They quickly became friends, and from that moment on one was rarely ever seen without the other.  They had an interesting relationship.  If they ever sat down together they seemed to settle into a comfortable silence, but they'd talk each other's heads off whenever walking somewhere.  It was like they could only communicate to one another if they were on their feet - or in a bar.

River enjoyed partying.  It was how they met in the first place - at a party.  The two would often go to a bar and eventually a party would spring up around them.  Some nights River would leave with a girl, other's he'd head back home and try not to wake his parents.  Eventually he started to crash at Dominic's place.

And that was how things started to alter in their friendship.

Dominic had expressed from the start that there was more than a mere friendship on his end.  He was attracted to River.  When he had first told River, there had been an awakwardness between them.  River didn't know what to do or say.  Eventually it passed.  He did his all to push past the uncomfortable feelings and just focus on how great a friend Dominic was.

But once Dominic allowed River to stay at his place, things changed.  In his drunken state River would do things he'd never do sober.  There'd be drunken stubblings, one would accidentally fall atop the other, and suddenly mouths met, there was fumbling and passion.  River did things with Dominic he'd never do with another man were he in a sober state of mind.

If Dom tried to bring it up the next day, River would refuse to admit to taking part.  He denied all implications that anything occured between them.  As far as a sober River was concerned he was straight and he'd never even consider doing anything with Dominic that went beyond their friendship.

But seeing how much it hurt his friend each time he denied it, River caved.  He couldn't fathom doing such things, but if he did them when he was drunk then they were nothing more than drunken emotions.  He loved Dom as a friend - he didn't think the feelings ran any deeper.  After all, his brother was the 'gay' one - not him.  He liked girls.  Admitting to the fact that maybe he did do those things with Dominic didn't feel quite as weird as River had expected it to.  However, just because he admitted didn't mean he felt ready to actually go through with things.  He wanted to take it at his own pace.  It took around two weeks after agreeing with Dominic that when drunk he got a little 'handsy' for him to allow Dom to kiss him on the cheek when they were in public.  It was friendly - it was sweet.  It was the type of thing Dominic would have done normally.


Slowly - ever so slowly - a sober River gave more and more leeway to the various 'coupley things' that occured in relationships.  They held hands when walking from place to place, cuddled while watching movies in Dom's apartment and eventually there was that lips-to-lips kiss in public.  It was hardly a big make-out session, but for River it was a huge leap.


And then the gossip got a hold of it.


A girl in his class sideled up to him and sat herself down in the spare seat next to him.  She was pretty - the kind of pretty River always felt he never had a shot with.  Swallowing at the lump in his throat he looked over at her with a smile.  "Hey."


"Is it true that you're dating Dominic Quincy?"


"Err...Well...We're just friends."


"Briteny said to me that Karen told her that she saw you two kissing the other day."


"W-where...?  What?" He shook his head, chuckling as if it was just a joke.  "Dom and I are close - but not that close."


The girl seemed to consider this for a few moments.  "So why were you kissing?"


"Heh...Ehheh..." He scratched at the back of his neck, looking down at his notes.  "Its like what you girls do!" he said, looking back at her, forming the excuse in his mind.  "When you greet each other you do it in that emotional way - with kisses and stuff.  Dom's kind of like that and I kind of let him."


"So you're not dating?" she asked after taking another few moments to think about his explaination and accept it as fact.


He shook his head, ignoring the pang in his chest that was angry at him for lying.  He wasn't lying - they weren't dating, but neither were the not dating either.  "I like girls.  I like you - you're really pretty."


She smiled.  "I like you too, which is why I wanted to ask.  Here."  She reached over and took his notepad from him and scribbled down a phone number.  "Give me a call sometime, kay?" she said as she stood up and walked off.


Once he was sure no one was watching, River let out a long and heavy sigh and dropped his head onto the table.  He liked girls.  Girls were sexy and pretty and so very, very good in all those wonderfully naughty ways.  When he was a girl he didn't have to think too much.  He didn't have to worry about anything.  Being with a girl was just so much easier than being with Dominic.


---


"I don't think we're working out, Dom."


He stood in the kitchen of Dom's apartment and looking everywhere but at his friend's face.


"What do you mean?  We were getting really good."


River growled in frustration - at himself, at the world and at his friend.  "Dom, don't you see?  The only times we have sex are when I'm so drunk that I couldn't tell my right hand from my left!  I know you want to be my boyfriend and be like those couples we pass everyday who kiss and hug and stuff in public but I'm too fucking scared that I won't let you!  You deserve someone who will do those things with you!  You deserve a relationship like my little brother has but I'm not Lake.  He's accepted who he is - but I'm just not that kind of person."


"So you're saying you wanna break up?"


River couldn't look at his best friend for fear of what he'd see in Dom's eyes.  "Yes..."


---


It had been so long - too long - since River had seen Dominic.  Whenever he went out to a bar there'd be a distinct lack of his friend and he felt as if he simply couldn't enjoy himself as much.  It was a Saturday and instead of getting ready to go out and get completely wasted River was sat in his room on his 360, gunning down opposing characters in an attempt to relieve his stress and frustrations.  Nothing was helping though.


There was a knock at his door and expecting it to be his mother he just gave a grunt as a way of saying "enter".  But it wasn't his mother.


"You're acting like a girl that's just been dumped," Lake said.


"Fuck off, Lake."


"See."  Lake chuckled and headed further into his brother's rom, flopping down onto his stomach on his bed and wriggling to the end to lean over the edge.  River was sat on his beanbag on the floor, back pressed to the foot of his bed.  "Just because I'm in high school doesn't mean I don't hear about things."


"Why aren't you in school?"


"There was a pipe leak on my floor and instead of sharing with someone I decided to come home.  The only people I wanted to share with anyway are already taken.  It sucks when your best friend and boyfriend are roomies."  He reached down and picking up a controller for himself, joining the fray on his brother's team.  Lake rarely ever played war video games, but he was far from incapable.  "Speaking of best friends - where's yours?"


"We had a disagreement."


"Ah, so that's why you're acting like a woman."


"Shut up; you're the gay one."


"Which is why I'm here.  Without a sister to talk to you about these things I am offering you my services as a guy who likes guys," Lake explained.  "So what did you two fall out over?"


River paused, looking down at the controller in his hand and ignoring the fact his character on the screen was being gunned down.  Lake was right - he was someone he could talk about these things.  But they were brothers.  It wasn't something siblings rarely talked about.  They were supposed to play fight and torment one another.  There wasn't supposed to be talks of relationships between them.  "Whats it like being gay?"


"What a stupid question.  You're an idiot."


River chuckled at his brother's reply.  Lake was right though - it was a stupid question.  "You never told me when you first came to the conclusion you like cock."


"Zak wanted to go and hit on the fifth year girls when we were in our third year.  I'd always followed Zakky around when he was 'picking up chicks', but I never got the same enjoyment out of it as him.  We were walking down the corridor one day - I think we were fleeing from the girl's locker room because Zak had tried to make a periscope to spy on the girls, only it didn't work and he got caught.  Things just sorta clicked that I had never grown out of the 'girls are icky' stage, but I was noticing guys.  I just told him then and there 'Zakky, I think I'm gay'."


"What did he say?"


"That means more girls for me!  And now you can use your gay powers to attract even more my way.  You're the best friend a guy could ever ask for."


River chuckled and even Lake was laughing at the memory.  "That does sound like something Zak would say.  Didn't he worry that you'd come onto him or something?"


"If he did he never told me.  If he's still worried about it I think its pretty clear he's not my type.  Zak is hardly a big, muscled Russian."


"Do you ever worry what people think when they see you and Dimitri together?" He glanced over at his brother and decided that question was stupid to ask.  "You know what, I think I already know the answer.  You dress like a video game character, you can hardly say you care about what people think."


Lake grinned, tapping his ankles together as he swung his legs in the air.  "Love is love, Rivs.  You don't have to label things.  Its like that evil Dasani water Zakkypants drinks.  Just because its got a different name and comes in a bottle doesn't mean its anything but tap water.  Just because it has a label doesn't mean its stopped being water; thats what love is."


"I...I think I get what you're trying to say."


"Really?  Good, because I don't."


Laughing at his brother, he reached up and ruffled Lake's hair affectionately.  "Thanks Lake, you're just enough of a girl to have helped me out."


"So you're going to stop moping in your room and ask Dom out?"


"What!?"


Lake continued to beam his smile at his brother.  "Like I said - just because I'm in high school doesn't mean I don't know things."

Moving onwards

There was something hypnotizing about her hazel eyes.  They glittered and sparkled whenever she talked, their vibrance increasing with her cheerful mood.  In the kitchen painted like sunshine her eyes were at their most beautiful because the kitchen was her world.  Even when she wasn't cooking she still ruled over the room.

Today she was putting the dishes away.  Most people put their pots, pans and plates in practical places - but not Yumiko.  She'd put them where she believed they would be best for her, whether or not it was the typical place that people put them.  She was on tip-toes, trying to put a stack of tupperware boxes into a cupboard.  Hindered by her short stature, Yumi reached her arms as high as possible.  Seeing her struggling and being the gentleman he was, Dion instantly slipped up behind her.  Fingertips slid over hers and spread between the spaces of her fingers until he took the boxes from her hands and placed them in the cupboard.

"You didn't have to," she said, dropping down onto the flat of her feet and turning around to look at her best friend.  Standing so close to him she could smell every little detail from his skin to the aftershave he used.  In the enclosed space, she pressed the small of her back against the countertop and tried to ignore the swimming sensations in her mind.  "I would have managed eventually."

He smiled down at her, closing the cupboard door once everything was stacked neatly inside.  "I couldn't just leave you hopping around like that," he told her, ruffling her hair affectionately.  "And besides what kind of man would I be if I didn't help a beautiful pregnant woman in need?"


Her eyes widened in shock.  The only people who knew were Alex, Julian and Alex's son.  Yumi hadn't told Dion.  Didn't know how to tell him.  She looked away, curling her arms protectively around her stomach.  "How..."


"Did I know?" he finished for her, reaching out to take her hands, still smiling brightly.  "Yumi, Yumi, Yumi - there is nothing you can hide from me for too long," he told her.  "And besides, you weren't doing your usual trick of resting your weight on your stomach when you were trying to put those tubs away."  He linked their fingers together breifly, then released her, placing his hands flat on her stomach.  "You did it when you were pregnant with Pops."


"You're...You're not upset are you?" she asked, feeling a little worried.  This was her best friend and ex-husband.  Another man had come along and taken his role.  There was now another man in Yumiko's life who was going to be the one to stand at her side as the father of her baby.  Dion had been there once; would he be jealous because he couldn't be there again?


Dion chuckled, shaking his head.  "Yumi, when things clicked into place with me I knew inside that if I were to live that life I'd have to give up my old life.  You're still young and you deserve the chance at happiness that I could never fully give you.  I see how you are with Alex and I can clearly tell that despite his own flaws he can give you everything you have ever deserved.  He makes you happy and he makes Poppy happy.  She talks about him non-stop whenever she stays over; its like he's become her new hero."  He chuckled an froward, lifting his hands and placing them on Yumi's shoulders.  "Watch out for that.  I don't want her picking up any bad habits."


With a cheery grin, she saluted Dion.  "I'll make sure she doesn't start copying him."


"And the baby too."


"Its allowed to be a little like him..."


"As long as it doesn't grow up to be a scary dentist...or have a strange interest in teeth."


"So, you're not mad that I'm having a baby with Alex?  It's not like we planned it.  I'm still not properly settled with the idea.  It scares me," she told him.  "I mean we're not even living together yet."


Dion hummed in thought, flicking his hair out of his eyes.  "Maybe you should suggest it to him?  It'd mean him leaving his bachelor flat but I think it'd be a good idea to at least bring it up with him.  Just...Do it gently.  Don't just throw it on him.  The two of you should go somewhere with Poppy, ease him into the family life because it's been a while since he last did anything really family orientated."  An idea sparked in his head and Dion's grin increased.  "You should go on a picnic!"


At his suggestion Yumi grinned back at him, reaching over and giving him a huge hug.  "You're a genious, Dion!"


"I know.  Why did we ever split up?"


"Because you're gay," she chuckled back.  "And have hair like a girl."

Love me like you've loved nobody else

A.N. ...I haven't completely decided just how Aleksey and Jae managed to escape from Yuri.  More than likely Aleksey puts a bullet through his Dad's skull...
Yeah, now that I think about it that does seem like an interesting idea.
Teehee!



It had been about three weeks since Aleksey had seen Jae.  The last time the two had been together was when they had fled from the warehouse they had been imprisoned within for four nights.  Aleksey had revealed every dark secret he had kept hidden from Jae the first night, from when his power had been discovered, his mother's death and how his father took advantage of the fact that no matter how many bullets were fired into his body, Aleksey still survived.  He recalled the few instances where he remembered the person he killed.  He told Jae how he had grown up being his father's "delivery boy", handling the most dangerous of packages when he was only seven years old with a gun tucked into the back of his jeans.  The 'family business' included more family members than just Yuri, but most of them were particularly wary of Aleksey because of the fact that he posed such a risk to them.  They treated him like he was as fragile as finely cut glass - as if one wrong move from them would cause him to crash and put a bullet into their heads.


It was a life that Aleksey had detested.  His mother's death had been tainted with evil and blood - his father had smeared that blood onto his hands.  Wanting freedom, Aleksey had fled - to family that had cut their ties with the Vasilyevs. Luka was his secound-cousin - perhaps, Aleksey wasn't sure - and he had grown up with Dimitri Utkin (Aleksey had an idea that he might have been an uncle-in-law or something of that sort).  He turned up on their doorstep one day and didn't need to explain anything.  Dimitri just took one look at him and seemed to completely understand.  But Aleksey knew he couldn't stay with them.  Dimitri had a family of his own to care for, and so Aleksey left after only staying with them for a few weeks.


traveling around, however, didn't suit him.  Aleksey had street smarts and picked up English pretty quickly, but he didn't like being on the constant move.  It was one day when he dared call Dimitri that the older male explained to him that Luka had moved to a school in France to teach students with 'gifts' similar to what Aleksey had.  Dimitri was the last person he had ever told about his healing ability; even when he arrived at the school and enrolled.


Somewhere in all his travelling about, Aleksey had found a kindred soul.  It was within that fellow wanderer's room that he had taken refuge.


"You hiding out in here is ruining my chances of having 'alone time' with Henrick," Felix complained, leadning back in his desk chair and looking over at the figure curled up under a blanket on his bed and hugging a pillow to his chest.  "Dude, you're acting like the two of you have broken up."


Aleksey sighed heavily and nuzzled into the edge of the pillow, eyes slipping closed.  "I don't think he would want to be with me after what happened..." he mumbled.


Spinning around in the chair, Felix leaned his elbows on the backrest and looked over at the other male.  "What happened in that warehouse?"


"I..."  Aleksey looked away.  Felix still didn't know.  If he really wanted to know he could use the powers the symbiont gave him and poke through Aleksey's memories to find out for himself.  If he did, Aleksey wouldn't stop him this time - but he didn't feel up to talking about it yet.  Not again.  "Bad things happened.  Jae would be safe if he did not go out with me."


"He's a werewolf.  Don't treat him like he's some innocent little kid.  If you two don't talk about what happened then things are bound to break between you two."  He scratched at his hair in thought.  "He's probably worried and maybe a little bit scared.  What he wants - no - what he needs is for you to assure him that everything is all right.  That what happened in that warehouse was unavoidable but its not going to come between you both.  Your relationship is built on trust.  He needs to trust you and you need to trust in him.  You need to trust that he won't leave you because things went a little wrong."  He pushed the chair over towards the best and reached out, placing his hand on Aleksey's shoulder.  "He's never been in a relationship with a guy before.  If you keep hiding in here he's going to think that you never really gave a damn about him."


Listening to Felix explain things in the way he did - as if he knew more about the world than the mere eighteen years he'd lived in it for - made Aleksey's worries bubble over.  He'd been avoiding Jae because he couldn't face up to what he had done.  Jae had watched him push the barrel of the gun against his Yuri's temple.  Jae had watched Aleksey kill his own father.  It had been the only way they could both escape.  It was the only way that Aleksey could truly be free.  He should have done it back when he had first decided to run away.  If he had then Jae would have never been dragged into it.  Jae wouldn't have had to watch Aleksey rip his own arm off.


Jae wouldn't have had to watch Aleksey die...


Letting out a chuckle, Felix pushed his shoulder.  "Oh stop moping like a woman!" he announced.  "Go and talk to him, before I have to drag your sorry ass to him myself."


Doing as he was told, Aleksey unfolded himself from the bed and headed for the door.  He glanced back over his shoulder to see Felix waving to him cheerfully.  "You just want to get laid," Aleksey said.


"You've been in my room for about three weeks.  The only time I've had this room to myself was when I forced you to go and shower."  He pinched his nose as if he could smell something bad.  "Go shower before you talk to Jae.  You don't want to insult his senstive werewolf nose with your reek, Now shoo."


After showering and finally returning to his own room, aleksey quickly changed, combed his hair with his fingers and set out to find Jae.  He found him heading between lessons (being friends with Felix tended to have an adverse effect on people; they tended to skip classes).  Walking up beside him, he offered Jae a small smile.  "Can I talk to you?"


"Its been three weeks, Aleksey.  It seemed pretty obvious that you didn't want to talk."


Aleksey sighed and lightly curled his fingers around Jae's arm, barely holding onto him.  He was afraid Jae would see him as some kind of monster and hate him.  "Please?  Just come with me."


Giving in, Jae followed him, and Aleksey lead them both into a deserted classroom.  He hadn't picked this one out intentionally, but when he closed the door behind Jae and leaned against the wood he noted that it was the same classroom that he had dragged Jae into the first time they had met.  The same classroom he had convinced Jae to go out with him in.


"Why've you been avoiding me, Aleksey?"


Another heavy sigh and he looked down at the floor between his feet.  "Because you saw what I did.  Because now you know what I am."  He lifted his head, pressing the back of his skull against the door, dark eyes looking over at where Jae was standing.  "Because I am scared that you would not want to be with me anymore."


"Aleksey..."


"I love you, Jae, but I am scared that after what you saw me do that you will never love me the same."

Time cannot heal all wounds

In retrospect he should have seen this happening.  There was no possible way he would ever be able to outrun the reach of his father.

What he hadn't wanted to happen though was for other people to get involved.

He never told anyone about his past.  Felix seemed to have an understanding smile whenever anything cropped up that most people would question.  Especially people like Felix.  Henrick was fine with not knowing, despite the way the curiosity prickled behind his eyes.  Luka knew only the smallest details and that was only because he was part of that family.  He knew about how dangerous the Vasilyev's could be.  They were not the type to invite to reunions.

But the one person he really wanted to tell he simply couldn't.

Heck, that person didn't even know about his 'power'.

Aleksey played dumb whenever the question was brought up.  Jae was curious over just why the Russian male was attending a school that catered mainly for 'different' people, and Aleksey would just shrug and say that there was nothing special about him - that he just happened to really like the school.  Quétoune was a much nice place than where he'd grown up.

At least that part was true.

Anywhere was better than where Aleksey had grown up.

But running hadn't kept him hidden.  Hiding hadn't worked.  He was laying in bed one night when suddenly someone jumped him from the shadows and placed a rag over his face that smelled highly toxic.  Chloroform wouldn't work - obviously it was something that would kill his lungs long enough to transport him to wherever his father was.

How long he'd been out Aleksey had no clue.  He did remember his lungs burning while his brain shut off.  Waking up with a sharp gasp, he tugged against the restraints and let out a yell.

Someone tossed a bucket of ice cold water over him and he choked and gasped against the cold.  "Fuck!"

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Lyosha."

"Don't call me that," Aleksey growled, lifting his head and glaring at the figure that stood before him that spoke in Russian.  Tall, broad shouldered and powerful, with hard eyes and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips.  Every image of the man that he called 'father'.  "What the fuck do you want?"

"To thank you, my son," he said, adding a booming laugh to the end of his words.  "For finding such a wonderful place filled with people like you."

Swallowing, he could still taste the lingering remains of whatever had cut off his air supply still on his lips.  He tried to look around, to see just where he was but the room was dark.  In the gloom he could see his father and a few of his lackeys.  The air smelled stale, and there was an echo in the distance of water drops.  Trust his father to keep to predictable ways; dark and abandoned warehouses.  Somewhere someone was scrabbling against a set of chains and there was a loud growl.  Deep, thunderous - animalistic.

"JAE!"

"Is that its name?" asked his father, grinning smugly at his son when the name left his lips.  "I've been watching you, son, and I am impressed.  I have been eager to expand my business into the 'Dark Sector', but none of my men have been capable of providing me with what I needed.  As always, you have made me proud."  He motioned to one of the cronies with a flick of his head.  While the man moved and fixed another set of shackles around Aleksey's wrists, the one known as his father crushed out the cigarette under his boot.  "Bring him," he ordered and set off into the gloom.

Yanked up from his sitting position by the back of his collar, someone pushed his back to get him moving and with the jingle of chains he followed his the form of his father, head hung low.  Another crook swept a torch before them until they reached where the sound of struggle, chains and growls were coming from.

Aleksey looked up, fearful of who he'd see hanging from the wall, although he knew inside just who it was his father had captured.

"I only managed to acquire one, but there are more I will have.  I want the one they call 'Vincent'," his father said, still speaking in Russian.  Aleksey had tried to teach Jae a few words, but there was no way he'd understand the exchange between the men.

"Jae..."

"Aleksey!"  Eyes were wide and he tugged at the chains.  His feet could barely touch the floor, forcing him to rest his weight on the balls of his feet.  Arms were pulled high and apart, shackled to the wall.  The chains gleamed silver in the dull light.  "Aleksey, what's going on?"

"Tell him, Lyosha."

"I said don't call me that," he growled once more, glaring at his father before turning sad eyes upon his friend.  "I am sorry, Jae.  I should have told you."  He pulled at the weight that forced his arms to hang and prevent him from lifting his arms.  He wanted to save his friend.  He wanted to protect Jae from all of this.  Jae believed himself to be the monster - but he was nothing compared to what Aleksey had done.  "I should told you everything."

His father laughed once more, clapping a hand on his son's shoulder.  "Such emotion from boy who kills!" he laughed, and several of his men began laughing with him.  "Trying to be friend with werewolf."  He stepped towards Jae, gripping the Asian male's chin in his large hand.  "I am Yuri Vasilyev.  I am Aleksey's father and he has made me very proud man."


"W-what do you want with me?"


"You are werewolf," Yuri said.  "I wish to expand business into werewolf fights, but one who would make good champion is...how you say...'immune' to werewolf bite."


At the explination, Aleksey turned his head, looking away.  His shoulders ached, his lungs burned and he didn't want to watch how his own father seemed to be practically fondling Jae's face with gentle strokes of his large hand.  Jae looked confused and frightened.  It made Aleksey wish he had told the Asian male much sooner about the dark secrets he hid behind his cheerful smile.


"What are you talking about?" Jae asked, voice trembling but that growl was still present.  He was a creature not designed to be caged, but the chains held him firm.


Once again Yuri's laugh came in a sharp bark.  "You are too soft to make good fighter, but I can use you to make army of werewolves.  I will become unstoppable.  Once I acquire werewolf called Vincent, there is vampire who will provide me with all I need.  I will expand business into supernatural world.  I will become like God."


Aleksey ground his teeth together, tugging on his own shackles.  His shoulder tugged and pulled in it's socket.  He could feel everything tearing in his rage.  "You bastard!" Aleksey roared, ramming his aching shoulder into one of his father's men.  "I should have killed you!"


There was a loud bang and Aleksey fell to his knees, blood seeping into his white shirt from the bullet wound that tore right through his shoulder.  The other cronie his father had brought with him stood with the gun pointed directly at his boss' son.  Jae watched in horror as Aleksey fell to the flood, blood slowly pooling around him.


"You killed him!"


Yuri, however, seemed unfazed by the fact his own son had just been shot.  Instead he merely laughed at Jae's cry.  "Lyosha has suffered far worse than bullet wound," he said.  To prove his point he stood beisde the crumpled form and placed his large boot upon Aleksey's arm.  "Show him, boy.  Show werewolf monster he should fear."


With an ear piercing cry of pain, Aleksey tugged at his already injurge arm until the ligaments tore and the shoulder popped out of it's socket.  He didn't stop there.  Using the hand of his other arm, Aleksey pushed his own body, crying out in pain as he tore skin, muscle and fabric, his father constantly crushing the ruined arm.


It took a while, and the pain was unbearable to the point where he almost passed out several times until all that was left was hanging tissue and blood leaking from his body in such amounts that his head swam.  He couldn't stand - could only kneel.  He kept his head down, unable to look up and see the look of sheer horror that he knew would be plain on Jae's face.  He'd been shot and now he'd ripped off his own right arm.


"Boy does not die," Yuri said simply, watching everything as if he had seen it all before.  "No, that is not right.  Boy does die."  He grinned maliciously and grabbed a handful of Aleksey's hair, jerking his head backwards.  Aleksey's face was as white as paper and a trickle of blood leaked down from his lips.  "It is that boy does not stay dead."  He pushed Aleksey away from him and he fell to the floor with a sickening thump and lay there, eyes open and dead, his shirt stained with his own blood.


Yuri looked down at his son with disgust before walking away.  "I will be back in morning for you two," he said as he stalked off, flanked by his two men, leaving Jae hanging in the dark while Aleksey remained motionless on the floor.


"Aleksey...?" Jae whispered once he was certain that there was no one around.  The loud bang signalling that Aleksey's father had left had finished resounded around the warehouse over half an hour ago, but Aleksey hadn't moved.  Able to see in the darkness, Jae could see clearly everything that had happened.  Tears streamed down his cheeks.  "Aleksey...wake up...please..."


Five...Ten...Maybe fifteen minutes passed and nothing but silence stretched out.  The only sound Jae could hear was his own breathing until suddenly Aleksey's body lurched up into a sitting position and he let out a loud gasp, pulling in his first breath.


"Aleksey!"


Staring around frantically, it took him a few moments before everything came back to him.  "It has been while since I died twice in one night..." he mumbled to himself, reaching up with his left hand torub at his eyes.


"Aleksey...what's happening?  You were...You were dead..."


Taking a deep breath to stell himself, Aleksey looked up from his position on the floor to where Jae was still hanging.  His heart ached when he saw the expression on his friend...no...on his boyfriend's face.  Unable to look at him for long, he looked away, lifting his left hand to curl his fingers around the stump that was slowly recreating itself into his lost limb.  His father had taken his arm with him and removed the shackles from around his wrists..  His ankles were still chained.  He wouldn't be able to run.


He never should have run in the first place.  If he had just stayed then Jae wouldn't have had to witness such a traumatic thing.


"I..." he began, licking at his lips, trying to find the right way to explain everything.  It was far from the right place, but he had to explain everything now.  He owed Jae that much.  Nearly two months of withholding nearly every detail about his life before Delacroid from the person he was dating was simply too long to hold onto the secrets he had.  "I have gift like other students at school."  That much was obvious now, but he felt he should start at the beginning.  "My body it...it heals."  Using as much strength as he could muster, Aleksey shuffled across the floor until he was beside Jae, leaning his back against the wall.  He swallowed hard, the pain racing through his body in waves while it repaired itself.  "I cannot control it.  It heals what it is worse injury first.  Bullets heal fast...which is why he..."


"He made you pull of your own arm!  What kind of father does that to his own son!?"


Aleksey chuckled dryly, no amusement in the sound.  "The kind to use his own son as assasin."  He swallowed again, choking against the blood still in his lungs.  With so much going on in his body it was having a difficult time keeping up with what needed to be healed first.  Physical wounds it healed faster than internal problems.  His lungs were on hold until his arm was fixed it seemed.  "I was five and hostage...Rival mob boss wanted to crush my father and went after family."  He leaned his head back against the cool brick of the wall behind him and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of his own laboured breathing and Jae's softer breaths.  He no longer seemed as terrified as he had a few moments ago, but Aleksey could still hear the fear in the other male.  "He was to hand over large sum of money to get family back.  My father paid up but man did not uphold his end of bargain.  He shot both mother and son in head."


The memory was fuzzy in his mind, enforced mainly by what his own father had told him had happened.  Aleksey could barely remember his own mother, but the memory stung in his chest with a pain worse than any wound he had suffered.


"Broken by what happened, my father swore vengance but then he was given blessing."


"You surived..." Jae finished for him.


"Sometimes I wish I had stayed dead..." Aleksey admitted.  "He used his own son to get revenge for my mother's death.  To see body of child he had thought dead return to kill him - he was terrified."  Another wave of pain hit as his arm rebuilt itself even more.  He could feel the bones snapping into place; all the muscles and skin growing together in a highly disgusting way.  He was glad the arm was on the opposite side to Jae.  He didn't want Jae to see it happening.  "You believe you are monster but you have never killed.  I was made into monster at age five and have killed more men than I can count."

Matters of the Heart

The letter sat in a very non-threatening manner on the kitchen table, acting for all the world as if it was the most innocent thing in the entire of creation.  It was nothing more than a slightly folded piece of crisp white A4 with a generic black text printed upon it to inform anyone who read it of its honest and innocent intent.

Lake, however, was treating it like a bomb.

Tatyana had bounded on home from school waving the envelope under her 'father's' nose with a wicked grin on her face.  "The principal sent this home with all the fifth years," she informed him as he took the envelope from her hand and sat down at the kitchen table to open it and read the contents of the letter.

Lake's eyes quickly scanned over the letter and once the words processed in his mind he quickly tossed it onto the tabletop with a yelp and stood back, acting as if the paper had bit him or something outrageous like that.

Tatyana frowned, folding her arms behind her back and leaning forwards, awkwardly trying to read the letter.  "What's wrong with it?" she asked, black and pink streaked hair slipping over her shoulder.  "I'm pretty sure I'm doing well in school, so it can't be anything bad."

"They...They want me to..." Lake gulped loudly and dramatically and clutched the back of the chair, eyes fixed on the letter.  "Get your coat, we're going to Uncle Zak's."

They got as far as the front door of the apartment when Lake went back into the kitchen.  Using a pair of salad tongs, he lifted the letter from the table and held it at arm's length the entire way from his apartment to the car.  He tentatively placed the letter in the boot of his car and tried to act as if it didn't exist until they reached Zak and Bridget's place, where he once again used the tongs to remove the letter.

Were it not for the fact Tatyana had grown up with this man she would have thought that his actions were completely insane.  But this was Lake Dale.  He was in his thirties and still glued straws to fountains with his best friend.

His best friend being the man they had gone to vist with the letter.

She rapped cheerfully on the front door and stepped back while she waited for whomever was inside to come and answer.  There was a shout that sounded familiarly like her 'Uncle' and then the sound of footsteps on the other side.  The door was opened, however, not by Zak but by his son.  Tatyana looked up (and up) at him and smiled sweetly.  "Hiya, Asher," she said, linking her hands behind her back and pretending to look sickely sweet and innocent.  "Trick or treat?"

"It's not Halloween yet," the older male said, but he grinned down at her.

Asher was at least three or four years older than her - a college student compared to her high school student.  She was friends with his younger sister, but that was mainly because their families were so close.  She liked Asher more though, because he was such a 'rockstar'.  One of these days she was going to pluck up the courage to ask him if she could sing with his band - even if it was just the once.  "My Dad's here to see your Dad," she informed him, moving aside to reveal Lake holding the letter.  "I'm not sure why though..."

Asher moved aside to let them in, directing them through the house to where his father was seated in the lounge on his hands and knees, rummaging around behind the TV set.  As Lake walked into the room he let out a long whistle.  "Zak, you know how I just love looking at your ass," he chuckled.

"Its the best ass you'll ever see," Zak replied without even moving.  "What can I do for you, my body of water named pal?"

"I need your help with something extremely important."

Tatyana loved the way the two interacted.  It was like they were permanently stuck in 'teenager-mode'.  Hearing that his best friend was in dire need of assistance, Zak scooted backwards and removed himself from the plugs, wires and such from behind the TV and sat on his knees, grinning up at Lake like he had just devised the greatest plan in the entire world and it involved whipped cream, a water gun, two clowns, four pigs and several tons of concrete.  She glanced at Asher, noting how he hadn't left yet and was instead leaning against the door frame, a smirk that almost mirrored his father's on his face.

"You know I'll help you out with anything.  Did you accidentally kill a hooker?  I've always wanted to bury a hooker."

"Worse!" Lake informed him, dangling the piece of paper before Zak's face.  "I got a letter from Tat's principal and only you can help me."

Reaching up and taking the letter carefully, treating it like the dangerous device Lake was acting it was, Zak quickly read the letter.  "Sex...ed...?" he said aloud.

"She's a girl!" Lake announced, waving the salad tongs in the air.  "I can't teach sex!"

Zak looked from the paper to his friend and then to the girl the letter indicated.  Tatyana had a faint idea what the letter had been about, but never had she expected such a scene concerning the contents.  Maybe she should have saved it for when Dimitri got home from work...or opened it herself and called her mother who was currently in Idaho.

Zak's face instantly went serious as he stood up, dusting off his pants.  He stepped up to Tatyana with that look only adults had when they were about to say something extremely important.  "Don't ever have sex.  You'll die."

The moment those words left his mouth Asher barked out a laugh and instantly keeled over, grabbing his stomach as he was racked with fits of laughter.

Tatyana folded her arms at her chest and stuck out her chin.  "I know that you need to have sex to have kids - which means you've had sex and you're not dead."

Zak chuckled, his expression melting away into something much more comical.  He rubbed at the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly.  "Well, I got better.  Obviously."

Lake moved to stand next to his friend, playfully punching him in the arm.  "You dork.  Is that what you said to Asher?"  He looked over at where the boy was trying to regain his composure, wiping the tears from his eyes.  "Have you followed your Dad's advice?"

Still chuckling it looked like Asher didn't really know what to say to that.  Hoping to save Asher, Tatyana stepped in, snatching the letter from Zak.  "I'll just ring Mom," she said firmly.  "You two are complete idiots.  You're lucky I know enough about the whole 'safe sex' thing."  She fixed her stare on her father.  "Dimitri told me that I shouldn't sleep with someone unless I loved them, and I'm going to wait until I find that person who makes me happy - like you two morons did."  She pointed at both the men who were supposed to act like father figures.  "You've both had sex with someone you loved and look how things turned out for you both.  I'm not going to die."

With a huff she turned on her heel and stormed out into the hall, leaving Zak and Lake to stare dumbfoundedly at each other.  With her back to the doorway, she didn't notice Asher walking up behind her until he spoke.

"What you said in there...It was very honest.  You should wait.  I think you're a smart girl.  I remember when I got that letter too.  Dad said the same thing to me when he came in and heard what Mom was talking to me about."

She turned around and smiled up at him.  "Maybe you only die when you have sex if you don't love the person?"

Asher chuckled and poked her nose.  "Now you're starting to sound like your Dad."

Early Years

A.N. I felt like writing some Jojo....But more of his 'history'.  Some of the things that happened in the Irish Idiot's life that made him who is he today.

Going against the grain was more difficult than it looked.  Especially when one had grown up doing everything their parents wanted them to do.  Snapping out of the cookie-cutter shape was hard, even for someone like Joseph Naoise.

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Jojo pushed the bangs of jet black hair out of his eyes and groaned in defeat.  "I'm getting fed up of all this hair..." he mumbled as he dropped his forehead to the desk.  "I need a new look."

"Go bald," suggested Tetsu from behind him, inspecting his nails.  "Just stop complaining to me about your hair."  The Asain male flicked his own hair out of the way in a single swift motion by simply flicking his head.  "You're not cut out for the hair."

"But I hated all the haircuts my mother gave me as a kid," Jojo replied.  "No longer cutting it seemed like a good idea."  He sat back and leaned the chair back on the two rear legs.  "Besides, it goes with my jeans."

"Only your fat ass would look good in those jeans anyway," Tetsu huffed and turned away, heading to the dormitory door.  "Now just tie that mop up and hurry up.  I want to go and laugh at the new drama professor."

Tugging the shoulder length hair back, Jojo pulled it into a tie at the back of his head as he followed after his best friend.  They'd only known each other for around three years but Jojo felt as if he knew more about Tetsu Nomura than Tetsu knew about himself.  "I don't get what you don't like about drama," Jojo responded as he caught up to his fellow third year, heels of his calf-length boots clicking against the floor.

"Only idiots take drama."

"I take drama."

"I rest my case."

"I bet if you actually took them time to get to know this new guy you'd like him," Jojo said, nudging his friend in the shoulder.  When they'd met in their first year the two had been relatively the same height (there's been only an inch or so difference) but now Jojo was close to towering over his friend.

Tetsu barked a laugh.  "The guy rode a motorcycle to work on his first day.  If he isn't going through his mid-life or doesn't know how to do anything but act I'll be surprised."

They were heading towards the auditorium when someone grabbed Jojo's wrist and stopped him in his tracks.  Spinning around to face the fifth year, Jojo glanced at Tetsu who simply gave the pair a flippant wave and coninuted on his way.  Once Tetsu had gone around the corner the fifth year who had grabbed Jojo pushed him back against the wall.  "Long time no see, Naoise," the older student purred.  "I heard you've been hanging out with some second year named Stacey."

Jojo narrowed his eyes and looked up at the taller male.  "Yeah, and?"

"You're supposed to be my boyfriend."

"I don't want to be anyone's 'boyfriend'," Jojo replied, tugging his arm free only to have the older male grab both his wrists and pin them above his head.  "I'm just hanging out with her because she's cool and she's teaching me about animal rights and stuff."  He squirmed, attempting to free his wrists.  "And I never said I was your boyfriend either."

The male leaned in closer, bringing their faces together.  "If you're not careful, Naoise, people will start thinking you're some kind of whore."

"I don't care what people think," Jojo growled back in response, bearing his teeth.  "We've only had sex a few times, and to be honest you're not all that good."  He grinned wickedly.  "All you are is just good looks and that can be easily destroyed."  Using all the strength he could muster, Jojo pulled away and headbutted the other guy in the nose.

With a yell, the guy released Jojo and the third year scrambled away the best he could while a dizziness set in.  Struggling into the auditorium, Jojo found the seat beside Tetsu (people seemed to give the Asian male a wide bearth and never sat next to him unless they were forced to) and sank down with a groan.  "I think I just broke my brain."

"Funny, you don't have one to break."  Tetsu glanced to the side and then pulled out a pack of tissues, handing them to his friend.  "You have blood in your hair."  The assembly had yet to begin, but people were beginning to quieten their conversations down.  "What did you do to Oliver?"

"Smashed my head into his face.  Git said I was his boyfriend - and he called me a whore."

"Nice to know where your priorities lie.  I thought you were having sex with Stacey anyway?  Or was it that girl who calls herself 'Pear'?"

"Stacey is just a friend - it'd be like shagging you.  Pear is...yeah...I think Kate scared her away," Jojo replied as he tried to mop as much of the blood out of his hair as he could.  "I can't seem to get Louis to let me bang him, either."

"You are a whore."

"I'm an appreciator of beauty."  Jojo looked down at the hair and blood on the tissue and frowned.  "You know you said you'd shave my head...?  Do you think a mohawk would look good on me?"