Skyfall

Skyfall: Reboot Chapter 3

The story you are about to view contains content only suitable for adult readers and has gay themed sexual descriptions. The contents belong solely to the Author

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Chapter 3 -

Pyli perched on his shoulder the entire walk home; only switching sides to balance her weight. Sure, people stared at them, but he didn't care; she sure as shit didn't care either, glaring at anyone who dared to make eye contact. She provided Sam with an organic and tangible sense of security, something he'd lacked since the loss of his parents. She'd been there as long as he could remember, and she'd probably continue to be for another 20 years, he hoped.

He sauntered towards his house, staring up at its grandeur; absently scratching Pyli on a wing. Her chest rumbled with an affectionate coo, her feathers ruffled and puffed up before she shrieked farewell disappearing into the night. Sam watched as her big wings blended into the dark landscape; a graceful sight, that often left him with a sense of dread. The whirlwind of an evening he'd faced weighed on him as he stepped on to front porch. The porch light was lit, but no car sat in the driveway.

He assumed Jessica had gone to spend the night with Peter, and soon enough a note on the fridge confirmed his suspicions. His eyes zeroed in on the photos on the mantle as he took small strides into the living room. Jessica was away, and Pyli was off somewhere; his gaze lay on his photos, focusing on the ones who weren't coming back.

The scent of loneliness filled the room, inflating his chest with its pungent odour, threatening to lift him away. The weight of the shackles around his ankles kept him grounded, pulling him down from the dangerous high that threatened to take him away. His relationship with Rov was on the verge of changing, drastically in a direction he hadn't ever perceived. Could he actually shift the platonic plates into an earth quaking romantic convergence with Rovington Daniels?

He traced a finger across the portrait of his parents, catching their smiles using it to bolster his own; he was certain he could love him. The prospect of being loved seemed so much more important than where it was coming from; or who it was coming from. He knew he'd be branded a liar if he ever stated that he'd never thought about Rov's lips before.

He ran up to his room, pulled his phone out and messaged Mariana; they'd not had a sleepover in a minute and tonight was the night to requisite that. The phone jingled as he prepped a bath. The water washed some of the sweat and salt of the day off, but the grit of it all stuck deep in the layers of his skin. He could feel it wriggling through his pores, digging its way out of him the harder he scrubbed. Seated on his bed, he looked at the bands on his feet, marvelling at how loose they were; hoping that the space wouldn't breed the funky smell that he often hated with trapped moisture against the skin.

"Bitch I'm outside!" Mariana yelled from the porch, banging on the front door. Sam perked up from his spot on the couch and sped towards the door. He cautiously opened the door; purposefully peeving her as she threw the most disgusted expression at him. She was dressed to death, satin PJ's with her Gucci overnight bag hanging from one shoulder and her LV book bag dangling from the other.

"Come in," Sam said, moving to let her pass, opening his house to her with a dramatic wave.

"Have you been ignoring me? Cuz the hot dude who's been blowing me up over you won't just go away," her tone held a hint of irritation as she strut past him, gently putting her bags down by the couch, she turned to face him in a theatrical flourish of hair. Sam regarded her unhurriedly, shutting the door before heading for the kitchen.

"Yeah, but I was just kinda... not paying attention. I've had other things going on in my life," he responded disinterestedly. His attention flew to the metal around his ankles. He suddenly felt self-conscious and over-exposed in his boxer shorts.

"I don't care. This dude is hot, hot, hooooot!" she said while fanning herself hysterically. She then threw herself onto a seat by the grey marble island.

"I slept with Mohamed and he ejaculated in my sheets..." Sam spat. The cogs in his brain ceased turning and he had no idea why he started with that, but as soon as it had left him, he was ready to talk about it. He was ready to say anything to pull her attention away from his ankles.

"He has these tattoos on his abdomen, they're in some Sanskrit or Cantonese or somethi—" she paused and looked at him. Her mouth froze open as the change of conversation bubbled in her throat, begging to be released like molten lava.

"And before that, I sucked Charlie's dick," he continued. "Well not exactly before... like the day before? But it was in a 24 hour window."

Mariana gawked at him. The room remained silent as Mariana's eyes got bigger, bulging obscenely like a beer gut after a night out with the fellas. She finally closed her mouth and gulped. She looked at Sam and gulped again. She ran to the fridge and took a can of something out, popped it open and downed it.

"So... you just out here whoring?" Mariana asked wiping her mouth.

"It wasn't my intention. And it's not so simple sounding. I gave you the I_'m a hoe remix,_" he whispered.

"Well then," Mariana said smirking slyly before downing her drink and tossing it in the trash. She exited the room momentarily, returning with a bottle of red wine.

"Do you just walk around with a bottle of wine?" Sam gaped, a smile fizzing beneath his lips.

"Do you always suck dick and then fuck a different guy a day later?" she retorted. Sam's shocked expression held the reaction she'd expected. Something internally nudged her as she poured herself a glass. "I'm sorry, that was a bit mean. And yes, I read it in a magazine somewhere that a bitch should always have a glass of wine on hand."

Sam shrugged and reached for a glass before pouring himself a cup.

"It's fine, you're right. But I didn't touch... Meddy. Not exactly?" he breathed and waltzed to the living room, throwing himself against the couch like a wave against the shore. Mariana took a sip from her glass and gracefully sat across from him in an armchair; she gestured for him to continue.

"I'll start with Charlie. He... hasn't tried to contact me all day. That's weird right?" he asked, his face held a quizzical expression. "Yeah, he likes me. He said he does. Or something close to that. He made the moves on me, and I gave in. I wanted to go about my business, but he wanted his dick seen to. And I obliged."

Sam sighed downing his wine before impatiently holding thes glass out for a refill.

"Then today, Mohamed came to doctor me," he continued. Mariana gave her evilest of eyes, before refilling his glass.

"Why?" She inquired. "Why weren't you at school today? Evan told me you were taking the day or some shit. Why bitch? Why?"

"I'd passed out yesterday and Jess wouldn't let it go," he said avoiding mentioning that he'd been found by Rov and Evan on the side of the road. If they hadn't told her that titbit, he wouldn't.

"Well then, why'd you pass out? What did Mohamed say?" she'd asked fully immersed in Sam's tale, drinking far slower than her soon to be inebriated host.

"My heart rate was low, probably from the temperature."

"The temperature?" Mariana interjected.

"It was raining yesterday... anyways, he put me in an ice bath and I got cold and passed out again and then he carried me into my room and tried to use body heat and I woke up and when I did he was naked too and covered in like a waterfall of his jizz..." he rushed.

"Chill. Explain," she smiled at Sam, rather saucily. Her cheeks were growing flushed as she finished her glass and poured a second.

"I can't explain it, but I had some kind of fever dream and I was making out with someone—"

"Evan?"

"NO! I was making out with someone. Someone I couldn't put a face to," though now, it felt like Rov, he thought. "And somehow it turned out to be him, Meddy, I mean. He was right beside me and kissing me back. It was super weird and then afterwards he blamed me for it. As if I named his balls Niagara and told him to fucking flood my bed."

"This isn't making sense to me; and not just because you're mixing up floods and waterfalls. You hallucinated and he was the one with the orgasm? Do I need to check your bootyhole for lies, bitch?" she said before chugging down the glass.

"No," Sam responded with a hearty laugh; he'd been so serious all day that chuckling had dissipated some of the static that had lined his body. "I dunno, I told him that he's a fuckery doctor. I hope he took my words to heart, because when we were at the mall—"

"Y'all went to the mall too, bitch? Bend the fuck over this table. Right the fuck now!" she demanded before sinking into a fit of giggles.

Sam just glared at her before continuing, "Not like that Mari. He dropped me there. And when I was getting out the car he grabbed my hand. It was so fucking creepy, and like I static shocked him. I've been really staticky all day, but yeah, when I shocked him, he freaked out and backed away and got all weird and then I tried to touch him and he kicked me out of the car and sped off like a bat outta hell. It was insane. He was insane."

"Wow. So back to the Charlie thing, because that Mohamed shit sounds like he may have drugged your ass with that bath or something. I dunno, sounds suuuuper fishy, bitch," she stated with a stern expression before bringing another glass to her lips.

"Yeah, the Charlie thing. I don't know—"

"WAS CHARLIE WHO YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE KISSING, BITCH?" she yelled obnoxiously before laughing hysterically at her own joke. Sam rolled his eyes before grabbing the almost empty bottle of wine and pouring the last for himself.

"No," he continued, she'd stopped laughing and reached for her bag whipping out another bottle of wine. "Charlie's never been the guy I'd see myself with. He's a friend but he's not... he's not—"

"Evan?" she giggled sinking into her seat, she put her glass on the floor and put the bottle to her head. Sam sighed as she reminded him of Rov a couple hours earlier. He quickly relived what had transpired, smiled then blushed. He looked at Mariana and realized that she was only a giddy drunk when she was previously happy.

"I'm not in love with Evan," he said, getting up to pull her to his room; he took the bottle and put it to his head as well. It was fruity, sweet and strong; the aftertaste staining his tongue like a lie. "Let's go. Come on, watch your feet. You lightweight."

"I'm not a lightweight! And you totally are in love with Evan. It drives Rovi crazy, he can be so annoying about it sometimes," she said idly, as they made it to Sam's room.

"Why?" he whispered, his voice low, almost as if he were speaking to the wind. But somehow Mariana had heard him. She looked at Sam, shrugged then threw herself unto his bed.

"He likes you, as far as I can figure," she started. Sam's heartbeat sped up, his blood had coagulated and his body was pumping the thickened mush around trying to revitalize what it could.

"Are you sure?" he whimpered.

"Yeah, for as long as I can remember. Sure as shit shocked a bitch when he asked me out," she turned to look at Sam before she continued. "I confronted him about it when we went on that date. He told me how he felt about you. He even cried about you being incapable of noticing him because you're always focusing on Evan and that he worried that we'd move on to different colleges, you'd forget him and he'd never get the chance to see if maybe y'all could've have had something spectacular. That bitch is so fucking dramatic."

Sam laughed as she rolled her eyes, being as dramatic as Rov, he imagined. He didn't however disagree that Rov was being dramatic.

"He's not wrong though. I've always wanted to know if you and Evan have fucked. Have you? You can tell me. I won't tell him," she said and rolled over onto her tummy.

Sam, bit his lip and contemplated whether he could trust her with this. This was super personal, no one knew what took place between he and Evan. He opened his mouth to respond, but caught himself. He looked at her, opened his mouth again and stopped. He breathed to centre himself; he didn't know how to proceed; then sat on the bed beside her and let it out.

"He took my virginity," he whispered. The room had gone silent and he could tell the temperature was dropping. He avoided Mariana's face because he knew she wanted him to look at her. He refused to give her the joy.

"Bitch, look at me!" she said aggressively before smacking him with a pillow. He obliged her, rolling his eyes with the force of thunder and faced her. Mariana's face was contorted with joy. She was positively ugly with glee; her eyes burned into him and forced him to laugh. He shoved her away, both out of humour and because he was genuinely embarrassed.

"How did you take all that dick?" Mariana's face was beside itself with glee. Sam's face shrunk and he looked away as his mind flashed to all the men he'd been with. That was something he would never talk about. He faked a smile and waited for her to end.

"Are you sure you aren't in love with Evan?" she asked, calming down and sprawling out on the new sheets. "You changed these sheets right?"

"Yes, I did. And I'm not in love with him."

"You keep saying that, but I don't think I believe you. Have you guys fucked since then?" she flipped her and looked at Sam.

"No," he answered immediately. They hadn't had sex in exactly one year and a day. He got up and turned off the light, shrouding them in darkness. He let the silence hang in the air for a couple minutes as they laid there. He wondered if it was time to ask her about her day.

"I kissed Elijah," she whispered. Her revelation filled the room; he half wondered if she were a telepath.

"When?"

"Tonight. He dropped me here."

"When did this all happen?"

"Today, when you assholes left me alone at school. I was the only one watching Evan at swim practice—"

"You're such a fucking liar!" Sam interjected, with a roar of laughter.

"Shut up! I went to watch Evan," she told him; she knew Sam was rolling his eyes at her statement. "Elijah came up to me and put the moves on me. He was subtler than a Grindr hookup."

"That's a compliment?" Sam's interest piqued.

"He strolled over to me and asked me where my bodyguards went," she said mocking Elijah. "I asked if he was tryna fuck."

"You have no class," Sam disapproved, taking a sip from the bottle.

"The bell hadn't rung yet. You talking about class, the cocksucking-sister's-ex-fucking-slut. And no, I'm not apologizing for saying that. You started it, bitch," she countered.

"Do you always have to finish it?" he asked; annoyance and hurt tainting his voice.

"You know I'm a savage."

"Could you cut the bullshit though, Rihanna?" Sam demanded.

"Fuck off. I'm continuing my story," she seethed. Sam remained silent, not wanting to hash up her old, but barely scabbing wounds. "He said yes. And I asked him where his car was."

"So he got his shit and we went out to his car. We made out—for a while. And then he asked me out. I was shook as fuck. Girl, I was like... what? And he kissed me and told me he'd be taking me out this weekend. So I turned him down—"

"Why?"

"Because he's tryna fuck. I'm not that kinda rabbit! I'm a muthafuckin' hare, my ass is gonna be chased," she laughed. "If he's serious, it'll show. I mean, it kinda did. He asked again a few more times, he wouldn't take no for an answer. I told him no and left him in the car. I don't play that no means yes bs, unless we're together."

"So what happened, Mari? You were floating on cloud 9 earlier before you were bubbling on cloud pinot noir 10 minutes ago," Sam responded.

"He came to me at lunch again," she whispered. Sam could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke. "And he invited me out to his car, and we skipped the rest of the day. We went for lunch and movie. He was the perfect gentleman. He didn't even rush to pay for everything; he actually offered to let a bitch decide."

"Look at you being a feminist. Claps for you," Sam said mockingly.

"So we made out some more and we talked and he's actually really nice. He was the one who carried me here. He looked so fucking fit, shirtless and in some grey sweatpants. He came out the car to greet me at my door. Goddamnit Sammy, his dick was swinging like the thing in a bell!"

"It's called a clapper. And all the jocks at our school are mysteriously hung. I think it's something in the water," he quipped.

"I see what you did there, bitch. And I love you for it. So yeah, we're on for this weekend. Idk why, but I'm into him, not just because he's hot as fuck though," she said and adjusted herself on the bed.

"Maybe it's because he's the first guy in months to make you blush so hard you're glowing in the dark?" Sam replied.

"Maybe. I can tell you this though. The kiss he gave me when we were outside your house left me breathless and drenched. Bitch I had to leave a `caution, wet floor' sign out on ya porch."

They laughed at her joke and held hands. This was the intimacy he'd craved; lacking in sexual energy and free from external masculine forces that threatened to tear his sanity into autumn leaf-sized yard scraps ready to be blown away from its pile.

"Where's Jess?" she asked, her voice a little lower; Sam could sense that he was losing control over his faculties. Sleep was descending on them.

"She's at Peter's," he replied in an equally low voice.

"He's such a delectable giant. He kinda looks like the green one on the can of beans... have you seen his dick?" she giggled and her voice faded.

Sam knew she was asleep. He reached for his phone charging on the night stand and looked at the numerous messages that he'd left unanswered. Again, Logan had sent a photo barrage of his penis; Sam deleted them and moved on to check everything else, saving Rov's message for last. He looked at it and smiled, moving his feet to feel the anklets warm against his skin.

He opened it and mouthed the message as he read it: I said some shit earlier? Didn't I? Just forget everything... ok? No. No. Fuck it. I wish you'd stayed with me. Here in my arms. Thnks for the water, it really helped.

Sam smiled at the message from his very quirky and sexy friend. He laughed to himself. He thought of Rov as sexy now. Something he'd reserved for Evan and many, many male celebrities and European men. Let's be honest... Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba are the threesome of any queer's dreams.

The air in his room moved around something, he descended from the skies and landed in his body. Mariana was snoring lightly beside him, he knew it wasn't her. He kept his eyes closed and his body still. He held his breath and prepared to jump up if he needed to. He wasn't much of a fighter but he would defend Mariana. There was a slight possibility that if he got to the window, he could let Pyli in and she too could assist.

He could sense her nearby, similarly to the sunrise on the horizon. He let himself breathe and instantly he knew who it was. He opened his eyes, sat up and watched as Rov went to open his bedroom window to let his eagle in.

"Thank you," Sam said, grinning at him. "Good morning."

"Morning, I was just trying to save you the trouble," he said, with a half-smile on his pink lips. Pyli swooped in as the window opened. She looked at Rov, then Sam, then back at Rov and settled in. Sam looked at her and smirked, then registered the still very unconscious Mariana.

"Come here," he said to Rov, pulling him in with finger; he closed the distance, a full smile brewing like a sea storm on his face. Sam read the energy Rov was producing as he stopped in front him. His cheeks like puffy clouds, fat with precipitation waiting for release.

Sam pulled him by his shirt and let their lips touch. A bolt of lightning touched down somewhere far, far away and thunder rumbled in the sky outside. Rov's sea storm of passion touched Sam's shores and shocked him awake as their lips superheated into one and the current passed through them building energy, heat and passion. Every hair on their bodies stood on end and Sam's senses went into overdrive. Sam wrapped his arms around Rov, who, taking a chance pulled Sam up from the bed without waking their sleeping friend.

Sam leaped on to Rov's waist, wrapping his feet around his back, completing their circuit. Sam took everything Rov was generating, this supergiant of a star burned brighter than anything Sam had ever experienced and he'd flown the skies almost every night. His heart sped up and his breath was tremulous in their lip lock. His arousal pressed into Rov and Rov's pressed into his backside. Sam pulled Rov into himself and took him up to the skies.

His arms wrapped around the plump mounds of Sam's backside, squeezing them through the thin cotton boxers he wore to bed. He dared to slip a finger beneath the elastic waistband and feel his way to the pearly gates before his time of judgement. Sam made him feel hot, dangerous and lightheaded; he almost completely forgot that Mariana was there, and moved on heavy legs to the bathroom with his love in arms. The slight sensations that shuddered through his body as Sam ran a hand through his hair kept him fired up and ready to go if Sam wanted to do more.

Sam loved the way Rov had his skin glowing, the way they didn't need to breathe as long as they breathed each other. Kissing Rov almost hurt, the way he sucked on Sam's lips, the way his tongue moved, the way his mouth tasted. It hurt to be wanted this badly. There was more pain than pleasure and Sam eased away from Rov; breaking their kiss. Sam looked into Rov's eyes and he saw the power inside him, burning for the blonde haired boy in front of him perched on his hips and the bathroom sink.

Rov breathed heavily, lazy-eyed, yearning to touch lips with Sam again; the boy tasted like heaven. It felt like a drug to his addled human brain, making its way through his body like an opiate. He looked at Sam and hoped he felt the love and hope beaming through his eyes. This was what he wanted; Sam was who he was meant to be with.

Sam looked at the way Rov regarded him and knew something was wrong with him, he detected himself in Rov; travelling through his system like an infection heating him up and causing his heart to race further. Sam studied Rov further, particularly the silly grin his now puffy lips made. He did adore him, he truly did. And that hurt even more. He wasn't sure why it hurt, but he knew it had something to do with Evan.

Sam looked at Rov, leaned in and hugged him. He heard Rov inhale deeply, he perceived Rov taking him. A strange notion he realized, his senses were enhanced; he could count all the particulates of himself that Rov now had in him. He blinked slowly, and put his mind to something else before pulling away.

"So, what are we doing?" Rov whispered, moving hair away from Sam's face to caress his cheek with a thumb.

"I don't know, but I know this isn't the best time to talk about it," Sam whispered back. He looked to the bedroom and discerned the deep inhale Mariana took as she yawned herself awake. He looked at the seat by the window, Pyli was cosy and warm. Beyond her, he didn't have to look to see that it was lightly drizzling beyond his bay windows

Something was afoot. He needed to speak to Evan; it just seemed like the right thing to do. They were bestfriends, weren't they? Even if they hadn't had sex in over a year?

"Sam.... Bitch? Where'd ya go?" Mariana croaked.

"We're in the bathroom," Rov responded, separating himself from Sam and readjusting the snake slithering down his leg.

"Rovi? You're he—re... too?" she yawned. She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom to join them. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after 6. Plenty time for you to get ready and for us to grab breakfast," Rov responded, sitting on the toilet. He folded a leg deftly hiding his deflating erection.

"Ok—ay," she yawned again and exited the room. "I'm gonna make breakfast."

Sam jumped off the sink and ran to check his phone; finally there was a message from Charlie. It was strange that it took him near three days before texting and saying something. Sam contemplated the ramifications of it, and shrugged before looking at it: Hey, I rlly hope ur @ skl 2day. Rlly wanna tlk.

He wondered how he would let him down; he didn't want to break the heart of one of his oldest friends; the outcome of the conversation could indefinitely change the way they interacted. Charlie was a jock, and like all jocks, he had a little power when his season would start. Rov flashed though his mind, sacrifices had to be made.

Jocks were on his mind; Logan had sent a number of messages: I need to see you today. You get your tight ass to school. Find my house after school... or I find yours.

Sam read the messages, then reread them a few more times till Rov managed to sneak up behind him asking, "What's got you so focused?"

"Nothing," Sam responded, throwing his phone down and heading downstairs to the smell of bacon, sausage, toast and eggs. Rov watched his backside move in the tight little boxers as he left the room. He looked at Sam's phone, hoping he wasn't messaging Evan, sighed and joined the others in the kitchen.

"Where's Jess?" Rov asked stepping into the kitchen.

"She's at Peter's, getting her nookie on!" Mariana giggled, from the stove. Sam sat idly at the island staring into space. Rov wanted to touch him, ask him what was wrong; but he observed how aloof Mariana seemed and followed her lead. He took a seat and waited for the food to be shared.

Sam's senses were pulsating; it was a heightened sensation to what he had felt when he and Rov were kissing. It was as if his olfactory senses were experiencing for the first time; as if he had never truly understood the sense of smell till now. He scrunched his eyes closed as he realized his whole body was inhaling—all his senses were being stimulated by Mariana's cooking.

His mind reached out with swollen white cloudy hands, grasping for everything in reach. And when everything was near, he could feel it ready to do his bidding. He could see the currents of water and air flowing about in haphazard and volatile patterns; that was just the air in the room. He reached out beyond the house and entered a dizzying cataclysm of beauty. His mind processed everything; powerful and mercurial, just waiting to be commanded. He watched as the elements scurried about like crowds of shoppers on Black Friday. He started to laugh, watching the flow of energy, the molecules and debris in the air. Everything was so much—more.

This was exactly how he felt in his dreams—exhilarated, alive and powerful—but in the real world it scared him. Immediately he could feel the presence of the others in the room with him. Someone was touching him, molecules moving as if they were on fire—hot air he realized; someone was talking. Like a rubber band stretched to its limits, he snapped back to himself; eyes slowly opening he turned to see Mariana with a plate beside him.

"Hello? Earth to space-boy," she said with a hand on his shoulder. She circled the plate under his nose, hoping the wafting scent would wake him up.

"Hmm?" he responded, blinking slowly looking at them; his mind hinged itself outside of him like someone in a doorjamb during an earthquake, fighting not to go back inside the instability and danger.

"Are you okay?" Rov asked concern strong in his voice and his touch as he placed a hand on Sam.

"Yeah, I'm not hungry," he said. He smiled at them, doing his best to act okay as he felt his mind trying to actually leave him. He quickly left them to prepare for school.

An hour later, they'd repeated their daily routine, walked past the basketballers who paid them no mind—though Sam was too absentminded to see the holes Logan drilled into his back—and waited on Evan to end swim practice.

They sat on the bench as they usually did, but all subtly distracted. Rov stole glances at Sam, Sam focused on smelling things in the air, he wanted to recreate the sensations he'd been experiencing and Mariana, her brown eyes were heart-shaped, blasting pink beams at Elijah lapping behind Evan.

Evan however seemed grossly nonchalant about it as he and Elijah walked over to them. They both stood in their swim gear, bulges big and wet, dripping in the line of sight of their sitting friends. Rov maintained his composure, something Mariana noticed. Usually he would've been annoyed at Evan's physique. She quickly looked at Sam, whose eyes were closed as if he were meditating.

"Honey? Are you okay?" she asked him rubbing his shoulder. He opened his eyes and blinked slowly. He smiled at her nodded then departed.

They watched in silence as he left. Rov in particular, had an eye on his bum, but his head was worried. They'd yet to discuss the meanings behind their make-out sessions. He touched his lips in remembrance, smiled then laughed. The others looked at him as he shrugged it off and continued their conversation about some shared assignment.

Sam made his way to the theatre, his first period was with Mrs. Frigg today and he needed the stage. Though he was excited, there was a part of him that dreaded the occurrence of something nasty about to unfold. He entered the giant room, it sloped downwards like an amphitheatre; he quickly found a seat, hugged his feet to his chest and mulled over his thoughts; noting how differently sound travelled in this room versus the others.

Static covered his skin in prickly waves and heat rose like bile in his stomach. He really wanted to talk to someone about this; he wanted to find out if he were changing or if he was meant for something or if he was going crazy. It was thrilling and scary, like riding a rollercoaster. He was doing something fun, but life-threatening; at any point something could go wrong. He focused on mundanity, and everything was normal.

Had he imagined it all? Everything had darkened and dimmed so quickly as if it were all still some fanatic dream that was messing with his reality. He put his face in his hands as he attempted to listen to Mrs. Figg's lesson.

Figg was on full blast, urging her students to move towards the stage, to unlock their creative selves; to be the rawest they could. Sam wanted to pay attention, but things were too weird already. He let the walls in his mind down and hopped out of his body like popped corn. He could see everything, his senses, all of them blossomed forward like pollen in the spring; he could interact with everything the air touched. It was orgasmic and overloading; though the air in the theatre was a tad stale, he could taste, smell, touch, see and hear the colognes and perfumes of some of his classmates around him. He watched the air molecules speed about like frightened ants skittering away from danger.

He connected with the air around Mrs. Figg, she was walking down the passageway towards him, with a few other students in tow. But he focused specifically on her; she reminded him of summer. She smelled like a blend of raw fruits, she tasted like water paints and clay, the air she gave of was warm and inviting... he was losing himself to this and he remembered what he did earlier and reeled himself in like a fish on a hook.

He chuckled to himself, realizing that just maybe something was different—

"Hey babe."

The energy in his body shifted, it went down into his core causing him to shudder. Everything around him decelerated and distorted as the discomfort pulsed outward. Hair stood on end, odd objects lost their weight and floated, anything light enough lost its hold onto the earth and flew for a moment before it all came crashing down. Confusion wrote itself across the faces of the students as the sudden shift in gravity had their stomachs doing flips.

He heard Logan groan behind him.

"Did you feel that? Damn... what was that?" he heard Logan ask. Those trivial questions wouldn't stay his inquisition for long. Sam knew that Logan was about to assault him. "Why aren't you responding to me?"

Sam was certain he hadn't misheard the threatening tone in Logan's voice. Without turning around Sam responded, "I've been busy. Ill too."

"I heard you were sitting in some pizza guy's lap at the mall yesterday. What the fuck is up with that?" he demanded.

"It was just my friend, Rovington. He bought me something for my birthday. And I—"

"So you just decided to fuck him? Right there in front of everyone's salads?" Sam had no idea what Logan was whisper-shouting about. He kept his head straight and prayed class would separate them soon so that he could blur this conversation from his head.

"Answer me Sam. Are you fucking him?" Logan demanded.

"No!" he responded, heat rising in him again and covering his face in a scarlet sheen. He hid behind his hair; blushing intensely because he wished Rov was fucking him; so he could admit it and really give Logan something to go on about.

"Good. I mean, I know it's been a while since we've made love—"

Sam clamped a hand over his mouth as his chest swelled with raucous laughter barraging his lips to be let loose. Logan didn't know the meaning of love, much less how to make it with someone.

"But, I have a surprise planned for you this evening," Logan said sweetly, his breath hot against Sam's ear.

"No can do, I'm having a sleepover with my group. I can't just cancel so suddenly. They'll think something is up. And you don't want us getting out, do you?" Sam articulated.

"Well, what about now then?" Logan whispered and grabbed Sam's shoulder. Sam turned and looked at the giant behind him. Sam planted his feet and shook his head. He pulled himself from Logan's grasp and stared intently at the Effervescent Figg.

"Come. On." Logan breathed through gritted teeth; looking around to see if anyone had noticed their exchange. He grabbed Sam by the arm and pulled him out of his seat.

`No means no' in every situation that did not include Sam, apparently. He shrugged his shoulders and followed the titanic youth to the locker-room, which incidentally would be empty for the next session. This wasn't Sam's first Wednesday morning where he had to put his improv skills into play.

Logan dragged him to a changing stall. It was partitioned from floor to ceiling and roomy enough for three Logans. As soon as the stall door closed behind them, Logan attacked Sam with the power of his sexually repressed lips and internalized homophobia-laced tongue. Sam breathed slowly and reacted. He could test himself inside Logan, similarly to Rov.

Except... it felt different. Logan's body was breaking down; just being this close to Sam had a restorative effect on his body. His mind was a mess and his spirit was a contorted mess of guilt, rage and sadness. Sam shivered; kissing Logan was as sensually scintillating as tonguing a sponge. Coupled with his now super senses, his stomach was doing gymnastics with no prior training.

He thought about Rov, to quell the growing nausea—it did the opposite however, filling him with guilt and revulsion—before something told him to direct his senses inward. All his senses dimmed to mute as he let Logan have his way with him. His mind went blank as he inhabited a black sphere of apathy. Sacrifices would be made as soon as he knew where the relationship with Rov was headed.

The anklets burnt his flesh, pulling him from his compartmentalization. Sam bent over slightly, so that Logan could play with his hole with no interruptions. Though he was a lousy kisser, Sam had to give it to him; Logan ate ass like starved wolf let loose. He was feral and passionate, often leaving Sam a whimpering mess. And this situation like many others at school had Sam clamping a hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds Logan got off on him making.

The guilt became bile building pressure in his stomach as his pleasure grew. Logan's tongue orbited in Sam like a satellite, transmitting and receiving data all around the boy's body. Sam couldn't control it as he occasionally clamped down on the wriggling muscle. And that's when Logan would start with lubed fingers; one at a time, till he had three fingers inside the tight orifice. Not long after, his cock would be parting the moist and gripping red walls as if it were named Moses.

He slammed into Sam, wrapping a hand around his neck and the other around his mouth, shushing him from making noise. The steady clap of his gangly balls against Sam's backside was intercepted by the genius creation of underpants. Logan still hadn't removed his, as he dared them to switch from doggy; he wanted Sam to ride him.

"You want this dick?" Logan grunted.

Sam blinked, finding himself more annoyed with the position; it felt so intimate having him in power like that. He straddled Logan, registering the head inside him; he cringed as Logan snarled.

"Tell me you want this fucking dick," he repeated gripping Sam's sides, bruising the pale flesh. Logan forced his dick up into him, eliciting sounds of what he perceived as pleasure.

Logan growled and forced himself into Sam as he pulled him down unto him.

A sharp and severe cold snapped inside him. He gripped the big paws on his waist and met Logan's thrust. The cold ebbed and seeped from him, pouring out like the tears of an inconsolable mother. Frost formed on the walls and the lights flickered, Logan's breath made itself known in thick white wisps.

"Why won't you love me?" he asked in a quiet voice; he pushed Sam off and bundled himself up momentarily. He wouldn't meet Sam's eyes, confusing him. This was what Sam hated, seeing this bipolar behaviour, being the sole target and witness.

Sam looked around the stall, his eyes growing wide with intrigue, a small smile creeped across his face. He wasn't sure, but he hoped Logan would take the bait and go away. He knew entitled boys like Logan always got what they came for and wouldn't let it go when they had it. He grabbed Sam and pulled him to the bench.

"I'm gonna fuck you until you love me," he whispered in Sam's ear before jabbing two fingers inside him. Sam ignored the feeling in his knees as Logan snaked his way inside him again.

Logan didn't even try to let Sam enjoy the rest of their attempt at sex. He humped away at Sam before grunting and shaking inside him, slowing down and breathing heavily in his ear. Logan kissed his cheek and left the stall to head back to class. Sam whipped out his phone; barely fifteen minutes had passed. So much for athletes having endurance, he thought. He fixed himself up and left the stall, completely unaffected by the frost; even more so the seed of his biggest mistake.

He was already cold inside. And whatever Logan had deposited would freeze and breakaway soon enough. It was a pleasantly frightening shock to see that the whole bathroom had frozen over in a thick layer of rime. It couldn't have been him then. A part of him desperately wanted this supernatural phenomenon to belong to him. He didn't know why he wanted to be the catalyst of a high school winter wonderland; but the promise of it seemed too good to be true, too different from the life he lived. He searched the reflection of his icy blue eyes for an answer.

When none came, he turned the tap on, his brow crinkled as the pipe stuttered—the water was slushy—pouring out what it could. He dipped his hands into the icy mess, not feeling the cold touch before heading back to class.

The walls were coated in a thin coat of ice; icicles were falling on top of themselves from the ceiling. Hell had actually frozen over. Sam laughed to himself as he headed back to Figg's class. His mind had already switched from the bathroom romp to enjoying the white mist every puff of air produced. He came across the double doors to the theatre and touched the freezing metal, barely feeling it. The material seemed to not have felt him as well, the metal stayed cool and unbothered, even the ice remained untouched by his warmth.

He brushed it aside, the day was weird; he saw air molecules earlier and now it dawned on him to try again. A big neon sign lit up above his head as he walked into the dark theatre; something in him was generating warmth; he felt a change, as if something had shifted in him. Something powerful, a force incapable of being ignored, it lit him up like a Halloween pumpkin.

Mrs. Figg was a trooper if Sam was short on things to call her. The cold hadn't hit this room the way it had savagely assaulted the hallways and bathroom; but the cold was still palpable as students shook and rubbed their arms while trying to recite poetry with as much dramatic flair that could push past the inclement weather. There was idle chatter about the lack of heat—but they did notice that though the cold persisted, it didn't get worse—and when it would return. Their teacher was too much of a professional to pull the curtain on their recital session.

"Students and staff, please remain in your classes till the heater has been mended. Something has gone horribly wrong with our systems and Mr. Romano is doing his best to query it as I speak. Thank you," said the principal's voice over the intercom as the first hour ended.

The class lasted another hour before any of the snow started to defrost. The hallways were a murmur of chatter about the school's wintery state. Sam did himself a favour and stuck his head out a window; it was nippy, far higher in temperature than the blizzard assaulting their school. He moved in autopilot after that, he disengaged himself during math, listening to his math teacher's dull voice and the student's whispering about the school's inability to perform homeostasis.

Lunch crept up on him like the cold, the school bell had ceased to work; it had frozen solid and in defrosting was damaged. "It looks like lunch has begun," his math teacher said checking his watch; when students were noisily clambering through the halls outside the wooden door.

Sam packed his stuff, ignoring everyone around him and sought the solace of his friends. He moved through the hordes of students like a fish through water. He followed the usual maze-like passageways until he came across the doorways that everyone was cramming their shivering bodies through.

He begrudgingly joined the throng, clutched his bag to him and made his way through. Lunch was his favourite period of the day; he looked around the commodious canteen until he spotted her shiny black tresses. He avoided everyone and made his way to her table, sitting and sighing with every bit of relief his body produced.

"I heard it was a senior prank gone wrong," Mariana giggled. Sam looked up, surprised that Elijah was beside her, hugging her body.

"I haven't heard any such thing, but I'll take your word for it," Elijah teased, with a broad smile on his face. He was very handsome, even more so now that Sam took his features in. His out-of-the-pool spiky brown hair was swept forward and his brown eyes held the same pink glow Mariana's did.

"Did you know about this?" Rov asked Sam sliding onto the bench beside him.

"How would I know? I'm not exactly in the cool crowd..." Sam responded.

"I meant about Mermaid Man and Barnacle Bitch," Rov joked.

"Oh, last night."

"It's just Evan left to find someone. And we can triple date!" Rov stated giddily.

Sam looked at him, rewinding Rov's words in his mind. "What did you just say?"

"Ah, did I fuck up?" he asked, his eyes pointing downward.

"No, no," Sam shushed, "I was just caught off-guard with you wanting to date me."

"Y-yeah, I do," he said and wrapped his hand around Sam's shoulder. Evan glided into the spot beside Sam, eating discs of pineapple; his eye cocked at Sam and Rov not going unnoticed.

"Shit, it'd be great if we could leave this igloo and head to Rov's," Evan stated stonily.

"Yeah, it would. I'd kill to chill in the hot tub right now," he laughed back.

"Dude, you have a hot tub?" Elijah perked up.

"Yeah."

"How big is it?"

"Do you mean how many people it can hold? A dozen? Give or take maybe an additional handful," Rov answered.

"Shit, that's big."

"Yea, baby. We can snuggle up in it later," Mariana said, wiggling beside him. "And then I can ride you like a serfbort."

"I can't wait," he laughed, tickling her.

"Control your selves," Evan commanded. Elijah froze and turned to look at his captain.

"Sorry, sir."

"Fuck off, Evan!" Mariana hissed. "Don't talk to my man like that!"

"I'm your man now?" Elijah asked his eyes wide and the rosy glow had brightened into a big smile.

"I just said to have self-control," Evan repeated.

Meanwhile, Sam and Rov's eyes were passing between the speakers like balls bouncing across a ping pong table. Rov held a mild look of amusement but Sam's demeanour steadily darkened.

"Maybe if you didn't act like a stuck up bitch there would be more guys around to treat you like the woman you so desperately think you are. You walk around as if Aaron's infidelity doesn't matter, but you know it was your fault," he said with the force of a class 5 tsunami.

Mariana paused. She looked at Evan, her eyes misty with thick globs of tears threatening her mascara. Sam looked at Evan with his mouth wide enough to swallow his Mariana's shock, wondering how he could be so cruel. Mariana turned her panicked gaze to Rov who silently parted his pink lips. Elijah held Mariana's hand under the table, silently comforting her.

"Evan? What the fuck is wrong with you!" Sam roared as he rocketed upwards slamming his hands on the table. The sickening crunch of the table splintering in half and a deafening clap thundered across the room; students shrieked and turned towards the source of the disturbance.

Their eyes and heads flipped towards the exterior doors rattling as the wind whistled like a bubbling kettle. Evan sat, staring at Sam, who like everyone else was glancing at the doors. Suddenly, the doors blasted inwards, a few were flung off their hinges raining splinters on nearby students. Everyone screamed and ran as glass, food, furniture and their classmates were thrown about the space.

The room had descended into chaos, girls were screaming and their boyfriends were doing their best to calm them down. The sound of the wind was deafening to most, their hands covering their ears as the piled in mounds under the desks, some praying to their respective gods to keep them safe and the others wearing looks of absolute horror.

An interior door flew open as staff ushered the students inside to the safer parts of the school. He looked on as his teachers fought the wind; papers and clothing and books were whizzing around the room like swarms of flies, causing the administration to dodge everything as they tried to save their charges.

The wind took form, circling about the cafeteria like a melancholic thought. Nothing was safe as it spread its fingers out creating sickening sounds ripping the furniture apart; Sam could smell the metallic tang of blood.

"Students are advised to go home until the heating systems are fixed," the intercom came alive again, its sound barely audibly in the maelstrom; the principal was completely unaware of the weather anomaly that endangered his charges; not that he'd ever given Sam the inkling that he cared otherwise.

Sam stood in the centre of the wind's fury, he felt it all flowing out from him; Evan sat beside him glaring while eating his pineapple slices. Sam studied his demeanour and he felt it in his soul, an itch that tingled like electricity running all through him that Evan knew something. Evan's hair blew about chaotically as his gaze swept over Rov who was hugging himself and then to Elijah whose face was covered by Mariana's hair as she clutched his chest for safety.

Evan stood slowly amidst the bedlam of screams and gale force winds; gracefully he walked towards a wrecked doorframe, the winds howled to a whisper before ceasing completely. The room grew silent and Evan disappeared. Sam looked at the destruction around; the room was splattered with food and covered in debris.

His heart leapt into his throat as he looked at his friends. He didn't want to think about the carnage he'd just witnessed. He grabbed his bag and prepared to run after his friend.

"Come on," Sam urged to the others. "If we stay behind, I'm certain we'll be stuck here all day."

They didn't need to be told twice, they looked around at the destruction and realized how fortunate they were to be unscathed by the weather. They then looked at each other and realized how unlucky they were going to get if they stuck around and in unison nodded before following Sam.

They rushed to the parking lot as Evan had long disappeared. Sam observed the environment; the trees seemed unbothered, the branches moved slowly and the few leaves that had yet to heed the siren call of fall braved their stems. Nature in all its lush autumn wonder seemed to laugh at their misfortune.

"So we're heading to Rov's?" Evan yelled to them, leaning on Rov's car. Everyone nodded in response, they were still wordlessly communicating; Sam was uncertain as to whether it was fear or shock or a combination of both. He looked at the others, particularly Mariana and Elijah as they hugged each other feverishly.

"I guess, I'll come with you," Sam said, smiling weakly at Rov.

"Mari, I gotta go home for a change of clothes. I'll meet you at Rovington's," Elijah said, nuzzling her in his arms.

"Rov, bruh. Call me, Rov. Why do you need a change of clothes? Just wear your speedo."

"Anyways," Mariana interjected flipping her hair, "I'll come with you. I need a change of clothes as well."

"But you have a pack of clothing in my trunk," Rov said, leaning against his card.

"Rovington, go away. I'm going with Elijah. See y'all soon," she said finally, strutting off in her boyfriend's arm.

"I'm gonna meet you at your house," Evan nodded and walked back into the school, his hair billowing about behind him like a superhero's cape.

"Guess it's just us then," Rov said smirking. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them; Sam shivered, strangely, he felt the hot air across his back. He blushed and slid into the passenger's seat.

"So, can we talk about us now?" Rov asked, his eyes focused on the road, but Sam could smell the anxiety he was shovelling through his pores.

"After what we just witnessed?" Sam asked, closing his eyes and leaning into the seat.

"Yeah? No time like the present. Besides, I'd rather think about you than some girl who got slapped by a door," he whispered before sighing heavily.

"Sure. I guess... maybe you should lead the convo. I've never been in a serious relationship before," Sam admitted looking out the window.

"Never?" Rov asked incredulously.

"Never," Sam repeated.

"Wow, so I'm gonna be your first?" he said smiling at an inobservant Sam, reaching over and taking his lover's hand in his own; pulling his attention away from whatever held it. The world came into focus and the perception of time slowed drastically. Sam looked around him and everything was on the edge of floating off into space and never coming back down again. He sighed as his insides raged with turmoil; he didn't know if he should lie or be honest.

Time righted itself as he opened his mouth to explain, but he realized that sleeping with Evan was one thing, sleeping with Logan was another; but their school hosted 10 other sports and he had at one point or another attended to their captains in the same capacity.

It dawned on him that Evan was a captain too, his first actually. Evan had never known about the arrangement and he didn't seem even the slightest bit aware; he would've said something otherwise. Wouldn't he have?

"If we make it that far," Sam whispered.

"You don't think we'll last?" Rov demanded. His face twisted with anger, looked directly at Sam. Sam started to panic a little, Rov hadn't stared at the road in well over 10 seconds and they were swerving.

"I was kidding!" he breathed. "We've already kissed; all that's left is boob grabbing, oral and then ma cake with the cherry on top."

"Good, because I'm serious about ya. I just need ya to know that," Rov responded; Sam noted his Texan accent creeping out again. This only occurred when he was truly feeling something; Sam's stomach did a back flip knocking away some of the other organs when he felt the grip on his hand tighten.

"I know you are. I bet if I grabbed you right now though, I'd feel just how much," Sam giggled.

"I've got quite a whopper, much more than a handful," Rov joked, smirking at him. "I want us to be like boyfriend and girlfriend, but only if you're willing."

"I thought we were gonna be boyfriend and boyfriend?" Sam asked, reassuring him with another palm squeeze.

"I've never seen you naked, and with how slim you are and how long your hair is. You might be hiding some tuna casserole in ya jeans."

"Tuna casserole? Is this how you flirt, Rovington?" Sam folded his arms and stared at Rov till he cracked a smile back.

Rov winked at him before responding. "Maybe? Is it working?"

"I dunno, check my casserole... the oven just went ding," Sam insisted, grabbing Rov's hand and resting it between his legs.

Rov slammed on the brakes bringing the car to a screeching halt. The seatbelt cut into Sam's chest and his head whipped forward before crashing back into the headrest. A car behind them swerved and honked curses at them. Sam looked at Rov whose hand was still nestled between his thighs pressing against his manhood.

"What happened?" Sam demanded. He reached across the divide and felt Rov for any signs of distress or ailment. He didn't know what he was doing, but it was customary in every medical drama he'd seen.

"I'm touching you..." he giggled.

"And?"

"I've never touched you like this before..."

"What the fuck Rovington?" Sam started and pushed his hand away; folding his arms and staring out the window again. "Just take me to your house already."

"Alright, milady."

They drove in silence for another few minutes before a thought soared across Sam's mind. He contemplated whether he should ask it, Rov had assumed for him, but he refused to be as trusting. He mulled it over some more before throwing caution to the wind.

"Will, I be your first guy?" Sam inquired, his eyes vacantly staring about.

"No, I've been with a few guys. I hope that isn't a problem," he shrugged; to Sam, this was a welcome sign. There were no strings playing Rov like a puppet, no noose around his neck to strangle their relationship if they got serious.

"No. Would it have been a problem if I'd been with guys?" Sam questioned. Maybe he could come clean and be honest about his situation and Rovington would be understanding and still want to explore each other as romantic options.

"Depends on how many guys," he said resolutely. Sam remained, quiet after that. He hoped his silence was subtle and he hadn't given himself away. The thoughts bounced around his mind as they pulled into the neighbourhood that lead to Rov's mansion.

"That's a bit of a double standard, don't ya think?" Sam stated matter-of-factly.

"I guess, but what guy doesn't hope to be their partner's best lay?" he expressed. Sam took in his words but his attention lay out the window with a tall dirty blonde guy currently in conversation with Scott. He shuddered at the darker skinned youth who'd chased him last night. His attention turned back to the blonde and he caught a glimpse of green highlights before they entered the mansion grounds.

"So you're that experienced in butt-sex?" he suggested, cocking an eyebrow at Rov with a matching smirk in tow.

"Um. I—Um—Er?" Rov sputtered, forcing Sam to laugh at his inability to answer.

"I'm just messing with you, Daniels," Sam laughed as they pulled into Rov's garage. "We'll figure it out together."

Rov smiled and looked at Sam.

"Do you wanna smoke a little bit? Before the others arrive? I've got a lot on my mind... and I just wanna relax," Rov asked before parking the car and closing the garage door behind them. He turned to look at Sam, expecting an answer.

He took a moment to respond, exiting the car and stepping into the mansion. "Nah, but you can. I'll just watch and be cute," Sam smiled as they walked into the foyer.

"Hold on, I need to check my parents' garage for something," Rov mentioned and strolled off.

Sam took the hint and headed straight for the pool. Rov's mansion held a giant rectangle of an indoor pool, shielded by a tinted skylight. Opposite the foyer, were glass doors that lead to a greenhouse that Rov's mother, Andrea, tended to in her spare time; towards the back of the room there were another pair of tinted glass doors that led to the backyard and opposite that at the front of the cavernous room was the hot tub protruding outward under the sun.

Sam stripped down to his underwear and dove into the deeper end of the pool. The water was warm, it was always warm; but now, it felt different, he could feel the heating system at work. He closed his mind as he sunk to the bottom, feeling the water swirl about him. He let it surge, spinning around him, twirling like a cocoon—his thoughts flashed back to the figure in white, the whirlwinds that blew him away.

He gasped, filling his lungs with oxygen. He opened his eyes and turned his body around; he was in the water, but not in it. His body passed through it, without contact. He could feel the water the same way he felt a person; constant contact with no residue. He looked at his hands for a moment; questioning whether or not he was floating in the water.

He saw movement above him, his eyes flashed to the surface. He dashed towards it, breaking the surface, Rov stood before him, wide-eyed and panicked.

"Are you okay? You were under there a while... or are you a free diver and I've never known?" Rov asked.

"I was just reflecting on my day."

"How deep were you?" Rov asked, sitting down and rolling a blunt.

Sam looked back at the pool before responding. "About 10 feet?"

"Wait, when did you learn to swim?" Rov questioned, he lit the conical item between his lips and puffed.

Sam looked at him and shrugged. It hadn't dawned on him that he knew how to swim, he thought he'd forgotten. He knew that water above his nipples filled him with a deep sense of dread. His parents drowning always made itself known when he went into a pool; though it was safe, he always worried about going the same way they did.

"Well, what do you want to do before the others get here?" Rov inquired with a puff of smoke from his lips.

"I have an idea... but I'm not kissing you with your mouth tasting like herb," Sam decided. He flipped his hair, noting that it was dry as a bone—Rov was probably way too high to notice—and felt noticeably longer. Something was wrong with him, something was happening. He hadn't found the words as yet, but he'd caused the chaos at school.

Rov smirked at him and ran inside; Sam watched his butt in his jeans before picking his clothes up and following after him. When he made it into Rov's bedroom, he was coming out of the bathroom, Sam could smell the nose tickling mint of mouthwash from where he stood.

"Can I borrow a pair of trunks?" Sam asked smirking. He folded his clothes and rested them on the nightstand by the bed. Rov rifled through his drawers and pulled out two pairs of trunks. He tossed a pair to Sam who turned away before slowly stepping out of his underwear, teasing his naked flesh before putting it on.

"Damn," Rov whispered in Sam's ear. "I wanna butt-sex you right now."

"You're gross," Sam laughed, turning into Rov's lips. He pushed his lover unto the bed before straddling him. He put their lips together, kissing hungrily as if to make up for the lunch they missed. Sam enjoyed the peppermint crystals that seemed to explode in his mouth every time Rov moved his tongue around to caress his.

Rov broke the kiss and pulled away from him.

"What's wrong? Is it me? Did I do something?"

"I can't do this," Rov whispered.

"Us? What this?" Sam asked, a tone of irritation fluttering about his question.

"All I can think about is him," Rov said suddenly, pushing Sam away to sit beside him.

"Talk to me?" Sam asked feeling awkward but gave into the sudden change of conversation; he folded his legs under him and kneeled beside Rov.

Sam thought for a moment about who "him" could be. He looked into Rov's teary silver eyes and his thoughts pulled him back to the day before. "That wasn't your fault."

"It was. I shouldn't've run. I shouldn't've been showing off!" he yelled covering his face in his palms.

"Are you saying it's my fault?" Sam asked incredulously.

"No! No, not like that. Not at all. You're the best thing ever," he whispered, burying his face in his palms. Sam didn't feel that way; he rubbed his arms together, contemplating whether he was nearing a psychotic break, or if he'd died in the pool and was actually trapped in heaven or hell or some weird in between.

"Then why are you doing this to yourself? I've practically forgotten!" Sam stated, pulling Rov's hands away from his face and forcing their eyes to meet.

"Because—," Rov's voice broke and tears gushed from his eyes, "I'm a fuck-up. A total fuck-up!"

Sam looked at him, searched him for clues as to how to aid him. This was very unfamiliar territory. How does one comfort their boyfriend? Does he initiate sex? He'd often heard the cheerleaders suggest that an empty sac could contain the emotions a guy's brain and heart couldn't control.

He looked down at Rov's boxers; they'd ridden up his slim legs and rested along his crotch, outlining his member and balls through the pulled-tight fabric. He pulled Rov into him the way he remembered his mother used to; hugging his melancholy away.

Hugging Rov reminded him so much of her, the way she'd hum and soothe him. The way she always smelled like fresh rain; he pulled Rov even closer, his hands roaming across Rov's back. He found himself humming and willing Rov to heal emotionally. He needed him to know he was there for him.

"Why does it smell like rain?" Rov gently asked.

Sam looked out the window behind them. "It's fine out."

Sam turned back around and his and Rov's lips connected.

"I'm glad that you haven't taken off the anklets," Rov whispered before touching his pink lips to Sam's, flooding his senses with the minty flourish of peppermint and a slightly bitter aftertaste of weed. Their hands were still around each other as Sam's senses keyed into the fingers stepping across his back with the grace of a ballerina, eliciting tiny tremors under his skin. He and Rov ran different temperatures; Rov was truly the supernova he needed to destroy him.

Sam revelled in the hardness pressing into his naked abdomen; he pulled a hand from Rov's back and pulled his shirt up over his head breaking their kiss. Sam's lips were longing for more, throwing Rov's shirt aside and kissing the smiling lips. His skin yearned for contact as Rov tantalized his obvious erogenous zones. Rov shivered under Sam's touch, hissing into his open and heavily breathing mouth. Sex was a messy process and Sam lustily wanted it. He wanted Rov as badly as he wanted Sam.

Rov needed to have his way with his boyfriend, reaching between them to tug on Sam's growing erection; his other hand reaching behind to grab and squeeze Sam's firm cheeks. He deftly manoeuvred one finger between the cheeks, flicking sensations up Sam's spine, causing him to whimper.

He had to stop kissing, pulling away and resting his head on Rov's shoulder as his mate worked his body over. Sam hadn't felt tremors of the sort before, if not in a while. His stomach did cartwheels, tickling his insides, forcing him to arch his back and close his eyes as Rov entered him as painlessly as possible before digging deep into his tight crevice, twiddling his prostate. Sam bit Rov's shoulder to muffle his cries.

Rov exhaled heavily as Sam nibbled on his shoulder, he pulled his boxers down, freeing his cock letting it intermittently rub across Sam's soft abdominal skin. The frustration thickened his member, pulsing and pushing the pre-cum up and out till it slicked along his boy's abs. He huffed and switched positions with Sam, bending him over the bed before sliding off to spread the cheeks apart to peer at the pink eye winking at him.

Rov breathed into Sam's entrance, letting the warm air shiver the muscles into a rapturous squeal and spasm. Sam moaned, and gripped the sheets, wiggling his behind in Rov's face.

"God, you're so fucking perfect..." Rov praised, planting kisses along Sam's cheeks.

"Just do it, Rov!" Sam demanded. Rov refused to appease him and continued to breathe and kiss around Sam's flower, letting his body tremble and unfold into blossoming anticipation. He took the plunge and dipped a tongue into the nectar like a bee in spring. Rov moaned into Sam, delighted at the unexpected sweetness.

This called for a change in plans.

With all pretences thrown out the window, Rov dug deeper with his tongue and finger, spreading and wiggling, tunnelling to the centre of Sam's core. He intended to unearth the most catastrophic implosion possible. He drilled deeper and deeper, licking his lips as Sam timidly thrust into his penetration.

Sam's body shook as the silk fabric rubbed across his erect cock head; causing his fingers to curl and crackle with static. The temperature in the room rose as an orgasm creeped up on him. Rov reached under Sam, pulling his penis towards him. He detoured from Sam's pearl to suck on the angry red head leaking copious amounts of pre-cum.

Sam grabbed for air as Rov's tongue snaked around his member; encircling him with hot saliva and ensorcelling him with intense pleasure. He grunted sending a burst of white hot energy into the atmosphere; his fingers crackled sending a current through the room. Everything electrical in the room either moved closer or went haywire; thrusting the room into a disorienting kaleidoscope of sounds and colours. Rov had lost himself in the sweetness of Sam's essence, too far gone to notice.

Rov's finger inside Sam called to his breaking point; he motioned to it, demanding that it come closer, evoking every nerve in Sam's body to rapid-fire signals all over like police cars in a chase. He feverishly stroked his cock, occasionally letting the moist tip glide along Sam's thigh to prompt an added sensation to their passion. He hungered for Sam's orgasm; he had been shivering for minutes now; though he wanted Sam on edge for as long as possible, teetering between life and death; stuck on the third side of the coin, neither head nor tail, just motionless in immense pressure incapable of releasing it to either side. He merely glanced at the surge of activity around them before ignoring it.

"Rov, I'm gonna..." Sam's voice trailed off. Sweat broke out all over his skin, every surface in the room seemed to be covered in a layer of precipitate. Sam screamed into the sheets as Rov's lips wrapped around his cock again, tongue swirling and twirling as he swallowed the thick pearlescence Sam unloaded into him.

Sam's head spun, he saw the stars and moon, cosmic dust and constellations, solar flares and stars imploding. His body released a surge of crackling white hot static shutting everything off around them.

Rov's orgasm was sudden, almost disturbingly so, as if a charge of energy had electrified his being. It felt as if he'd jumped off a cliff; relaxing on the surf before a current had carried him away; without notice, he'd been floating wet and weightlessly in love; coating Sam's legs in salty sea water. In the distance, he heard a barely audible Sam sighing in comfort, feeling the warm splatter against his legs knowing his man had gotten his nut too.

"That was amazing," Rov exhaled into Sam's behind, pulling Sam beside him as he crawled on to the bed. "You taste so fucking good."

"Thanks," Sam breathed.

"No, I'm so fucking serious. I've never nutted that hard before. Fuck, I think I'm still feeling it. I'm tempted to make you cum again," he whispered into Sam's ear as they cuddled in each other's arms. His cock had yet to deflate, he nestled it between Sam's thighs smearing the rest of his seed on his flower garden.

"If you're up for another round, I'd love to return the favour," Sam spoke, his breathing starting to relax.

"I want that so badly, but we can't," Rov mused. "There's so much more I want to do with my sentimental accomplice."

"You're what?" Sam asked.

"You remember when we did my book report?" he reminded.

"No," Sam responded flatly.

"And I wrote `romantic partner' a lot, so you Googled synonyms? And Google gave us sentimental accomplice?" he prompted.

"Did you use it?" Sam asked with a quizzical expression.

"No," Rov laughed. "I've just been saving it for this moment."

"Our first bedroom romp?" Sam quizzed. "Because, that's hella sleazy."

"No," Rov said, his laughter had transitioned into an even brighter smile. "I was saving it for the first time you looked at me the way you are now."

"Oh," Sam uttered, crimson filling his cheeks and neck in splotchy, but attractive patterns.

Rov leaned over and kissed him lightly. The blood rushed from Sam's head so quickly he wasn't sure what made him lightheaded; the kiss or the erection. He breathed heavily as they parted, lying in the bed with a hand across his face; hiding his absolute happiness.

"You ready?" Rov nudged.

"For what?" Sam asked stretching his body across the bed.

"Company. Marjah is here."

"Who's here?"

"Mariana and Elijah, they've been here a while. Probably fucking out in the driveway."

"Marjah, though?" Sam questioned with a hearty laugh.

"You think you can do better?" Rov asked, tossing Sam a towel to wipe himself clean as he slipped on the trunks; Sam wiped his thigh and calves, however didn't miss the chance to see Rov's long cock disappear into the trunks.

"What about... Mariaah?" Sam jested.

"Damn, that's good. Fuck. I wish I'd thought of that," Rov said pouting.

Sam leaped off the bed, scooping his trunks up as well and putting them on. He walked to the nearest mirror, running his fingers through his long hair; he contemplated putting it in a bun but digressed. There weren't any visible traces of their explosion of lust, his eyes landed on the sheets. He chuckled to himself before waltzing over to Rov waiting by the door and gave him one last nut-tingling kiss and then made their way downstairs. Sam grabbed his shirtless beau by the bicep, somewhere that was personal but not too personal, as they walked downstairs.

He and Rov separated as he headed for the kitchen and the latter to let their friends in. Recalling where the cooler was kept in the storeroom behind the kitchen, he quickly went for it. He saw the giant walk-in freezer the house held and imagine ice to be in there. He filled the cooler with sodas, beers and fruit juices. He lugged it out to the pool where everyone sat waiting.

Elijah was in conversation about how long it took to get to the house; Elijah had never driven up a driveway that was more like a parkway. Sam could smell the pheromones they pumped out; it was an almost visible smell. In a weirder note, he could see traces of whatever lied between Mariana's legs smothered across Elijah's face. He blushed for them; watching as they held hands momentarily before getting back to their unpacking and conversation.

Where was Evan?

Mariana wore a string two piece black bikini; she was definitely killing Elijah with kindness in showing skin; although, it seemed he'd seen more already. He wore an opposite white jammer, the fabric was terribly thin and Sam could certainly see what had gotten Mariana so excited. Sam swallowed as Elijah's manhood had stained the sheer fabric salmon; Sam could even see the light smattering of brown hairs above the tube of meat. Sam ran a hand across his and looked at Rov, only to notice that his eyes were studying Elijah's swimwear as well.

Mariana followed Sam's eyes and cackled with glee as she sprawled out on a daybed near the hot tub. She rolled in the sheets and struck a pose; it garnered the stretching Elijah's attention and he turned to better watch her tanned form relax. Sam turned away from them and ran upstairs to get his phone and a pair of speakers. He'd forgotten an essential mood-setter, music. Rov had an array of speakers that could produce sounds of varying decibels; he gathered the lightest pair that could fill the pool room.

He moved to his clothing, searching his jeans he found his phone. It was strangely turned off; something he found silent relief in, in that he hadn't thought about what had happened at school earlier, or with him, or with Logan or with anything.

He turned it on, pressing the big button and running his fingers across the smooth screen letting its coolness seep into him. His phone beeped with messages, most notably, Logan.

Logan.

He sat down, realizing what he'd done. He had been too caught up to stop Rov; just as he'd been too much of a coward to stop Logan's assault. Rov had eaten him like a 5 course meal with the...; he sighed heavily before leaning back into the bed. He opened his eyes, and noticed scorch marks in the paint along the wall above the bed; its black tendrils stretched to the ceiling.

Sam gasped. He was a black stain on an otherwise beautiful landscape.

He'd done this. He was doing everything. He wasn't going to panic; this was nothing to panic over. He looked at his hands, wondering what was happening. He could move gracefully underwater, breathe air and not get wet. Was he superhuman? He didn't live in a world where the Avengers existed beyond comic books and TV screens. Never before had he realized just how weird it was to have a mostly untrained eagle as a pet who completely obeyed him.

He sat down on the bed and pondered his options; if he knew anything from comic books and TV shows; the first thing not to do is panic. The second thing he concluded was that he should keep quiet until he could either find others like himself or the source of his power. The government might be watching.

He looked at the messages streaming into his phone, closed his eyes and sighed. Logan had fucked him bareback a few hours ago and just 10 minutes earlier Rov was feasting on him. He was descending into a loop of shit.

Everything was a mess; he leaned back in the bed his eyes opened slowly to gaze upon the scorch marks on the ceiling. He snorted into a silent but not before long raucous laughter. Loud enough that his throat hurt, a hurt so painful his eyes stung with tears. Once the tears flowed he couldn't stop crying; he couldn't stop feeling sorry for himself, that his lust had become a poison so destructive in his life that a simple relationship was being stifled with lies before it had the chance to flourish.

"Who would have ever thought the school slut, wouldn't be a cheerleader," he mused between sobs.

He rose up and headed to the bathroom to look at his eyes, they weren't red or puffy. But the skin around his nose and right under his eyes were red. He breathed slowly, staring at his reflection.

"Act. Normal."

He sighed, grabbing the tech and headed downstairs. He passed Rov in the kitchen, sparing his lover a quick smile before heading back to the pool room. Immediately, the scent of the couple's arousal infiltrated his senses, catching him unawares; literally sweeping him off his feet as he stumbled to catch his balance. Elijah's frustration tasted like temptation. It smelled like poison and touched him the way Rov made him feel.

"Are you a slave?" Elijah asked, pointing at the anklets. Mariana lay beside him, her eyes deep in the depths of some trashy novel.

"Oh, no, they're a birthday gift... from a friend," Sam responded before setting up the music on one the tables near the shallow end of the pool. He searched for a mellow house mix and put it on before walking around the rim of the pool and diving in where the water was deep enough.

"That's a weird gift, don't you think?" Elijah asked, scrunching up his face as Sam surfaced.

"I dunno, it's my gift. So how is it weird?" Sam debated.

"Good point. Sorry—," was the last thing he heard Elijah say before diving under again. He didn't dare to try and breathe again. He felt the first time was a fluke. He couldn't feel the water this time; it was just warm and for all he knew, a giant tub of piss. He sank to the bottom and recollected his thoughts, holding his breath.

Mariana and Elijah were having the time of their lives while he and Rov were a secret because Rov needed time to be honest with their friends. He did mention them being able to triple date earlier, so there was hope, he thought. It registered to Sam that if Mariana was aware of Rov's affections that Evan must have noticed as well. But Mariana and Elijah were living it up on the pool deck slurping lips and exchanging saliva; whereas he and Rov were courting a lie and half-truth. Sure, there was something unspoken surrounding Rov's sexuality; but the bigger issue orbited around Sam's sexuality.

Sam sighed, absentmindedly treading in the water around him.

Maybe he could be honest about it all; the situation was even weirder now with him becoming a fish person? He laughed, noting the strange sensation; the bubbles of air floating away from him and the ability to hear his speech through the water, as if it had no effect on the sound waves.

He was breathing underwater, again.

Maybe he did need to talk to Evan? Aside from being his bestfriend, his behaviour earlier during the windstorm was unnaturally telling. He knew something was up, or maybe he was the cause of it.

Maybe they were both the cause of it. But, Sam was alone in the bathroom with Logan. There was no Evan to share his rapidly becoming a mystical bildungsroman fate with. Their friendship seemed strained as of late it had become so much weirder in the last year:

Evan had surprised him with Rov's car; they'd driven off into the nearby forest and had spent the day doing what friends do. Except they didn't share a friendship that obeyed the typical norms of intimacy; they were sexual, very sexual.

Sam patiently waited for Evan to return; he'd left to get some supplies that'd been left behind at his home. Sam in the meantime had drifted off on his then favourite checkered picnic blanket.

His eyes opened, pushing the mighty weight of reality away. He sat on nothingness, body in lotus position, hovering in the cosmos. His then shorter hair consisted of faded sides and swept back crest in the middle. In this dream however, it writhed like a snake leagues below him.

Stars in the distance flickered, cosmic dust twisted and turned, the verdant greens and lavish purples fusing and forming into bright and glistening golds or fiery reds; he lost his breath to it all. The stars flickered and exploded in colossal explosions of light, expanding and growing in bright white orbs of light. A chain reaction of them, like dominoes, the space around him shimmered as the explosions drew closer—

"Sammy!" a voiced pierced the vacuum with the force of a sharpened blade. The celestial cataclysm drew closer.

"Sammy!" the voice came again, plucking the cosmos like a high tension wire. Sam tried to move, the distance was no longer black; white endlessness had replaced the black nothingness. He was afraid, paralyzed by some unseen force.

He struggled to move, the paralysis permanent and dizzying. The blankness creeping forward like a fireworks show gone bad; filling him with great trepidation and disease, partially wishing it was some childhood trip and there was Gravol to ease his discomfort.

He paused, feeling hopeless before giving up. The bright white lights consumed him. The last and only thing he had felt was heat so intense he was certain that nothing was left of him.

"Sammy!" Evan began, shaking him awake. Sam moved sluggish, as if he were slower than the world. "Are you ok? You were screaming in your sleep?"

"I was?" Sam asked feeling flushed from his dream. His hairs stood on end and his body felt like one giant nerve ending waiting for stimuli to give him instructions.

"You said, `he's coming.' I'm curious to know who?" he asked before stretching a palm to Sam's forehead and neck. They made eye contact, briefly as his hand roamed from Sam's neck to his shoulders, caressing them causing blood to rush to his cheeks. Sam could feel the bigger male's breath on his lips as their heads moved closer. His breath washed over him like salt water, purifying him. He always smelled like the sea.

"I had a crazy dream. Space was exploding and I think I died. I think?" he mumbled looking into Evan's eyes, transfixed by the cerulean pools. Evan studied him for a moment, before settling beside him, his bareback on the rough tree, Sam moved to rest his head along Evan's chest; skin contact began to stir his longing.

"You're burning up," Evan's brows furrowed as he attempted to pull Sam from his chest to check him properly.

"I'm fine, I'm just running a little hot from the adrenaline," he whispered, turning to inhale the salty air Evan gave off. "Plus, you're shirtless."

"It's one of the last sunny days we have before winter moves in and ruins everything," he laughed and ran a hand along his chest.

"It's so weird to have a day this warm in the middle of fall," Sam remarked, nuzzling into Evan's chest.

He looked up into Evan's face, a knowing smile spread across Evan's face. Sam kissed his chest then straddled him in once quick motion. He ran a hand along the chiselled abdomen, as hard as granite he thought as his other hand snaked around Evan's neck to rest with fingers playing in his hair. Sam pulled their lips together and saw the stars exploding again.

He pulled back.

"Sam..." Evan uncharacteristically growled his voice low and rumbling like thunder out over the sea. He pulled Sam back to him and sucked on his lips.

Sam whimpered as Evan flooded his skin with goose pimples and his senses with whimsy. Evan's kisses were great, but this one was transcendental; it took him back to the stars, he had fought to stay present. Evan overpowered Sam with the way his tongue wriggled and wound against him.

Sam pulled away gasping for air, his body felt lighter than air as Evan's hands ran up and down his arms and spine. The wind picked up; the air was cold, it carried the heat of one of the last warm days of the year. It rustled the hairs of both boys; Sam, from Evan's urging tore his shirt off exposing the sensitive flesh.

Evan took the chance to examine the uncovered chest before his eyes swept over the taut stomach. He tentatively touched Sam as if he held the dainty skin of a peach; he feared the intensity of his passion bruising the smaller male. Sam whimpered and groaned, he let his hands rest and roam on Evan's pectorals, his fingers periodically gripping and relaxing.

Evan moved to suck on Sam's throat bared to him like a feast. Sam's head was tilted back as he stared up into the trees, looking for sunlight that the leaves shielded them from. A throaty growl came from Evan, growing louder as he ground his clothed hips into a lust-hazed Sam.

Sam took the reins, pulling his head from the clouds, he adjusted his legs and squatted over Evan; sliding forward and backwards, rubbing the thick bundled dick between his cheeks. He smirked at Evan, who smiled back before dipping his fingers into the waist of Sam's shorts. His fingers inching towards Sam's pink passage.

"We should cool off," Evan said stiffening before pulling away. His eyes like raging roiling seas tempered, the passion had gone from his eyes; Sam frowned.

"Shut up," he said pulling Evan into a passionate kiss. Their lips locked, tightly sucking on each other as if the other were their only source of sustenance. Sam took the lead and started grinding again, reaching between them to stroke Evan's cock through his shorts. Evan moaned into Sam's mouth refusing to break their kiss. Evan gripped Sam's waist controlling the movement and making more friction between them.

Sam's scent intoxicated Evan, latching into his senses like a symbiotic parasite; boosting him to grind harder into Sam. His thrusts became more pronounced; he was tempted to take his cock out and make love to Sam under the sun.

Sam and his eyes met, someone's phone was ringing. Sam reached for his ringing phone and put it to his ear.

"Jess?" he asked a little breathlessly.

"Can you guys come back?" Jess asked.

"Why are we cancelling my birthday plans?" he inquired. Evan was still horny and intended Sam to know; he traced intricate circles with his tongue around Sam's nipples.

"MEDDY JUST PROPOSED!" She screamed, Sam's face dropped for a moment but he quickly picked it up and smiled.

"So we're gonna celebrate?" Sam asked, his voice hinting at the crestfallen mood overtaking him.

"YES AND NO! WE'RE GOING AWAY TO A HOTEL TO CELEBRATE! COME PACK YOUR STUFF—no not that Mariana—HURRY AND GIT YOUR ASS HOME!" She said still yelling.

"We'll be there soon. I should've known something was up when you guys were taking so long," Sam whispered turning his phone off.

He looked at Evan to explain what Jess had said, but he'd heard it all. His face was frozen with Sam's nipple still in his mouth. Their moment ended in silence as they packed everything up and headed to the car. Sam wanted to drive and Evan allowed it now that he was legal.

Leaving the forest, Sam noticed that Evan's attention was transfixed by something behind them; he looked at him and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Evan responded flatly, his eyes on the tree they'd been sitting under. It was encased in a thin layer of ice.

Elijah's diving into the pool pulled Sam from his thoughts and memories; he looked at Elijah moving through the water like a dolphin towards him. Sam could feel the current around him; he could feel the water around Elijah's body, knowing he was coming to rescue him. Elijah swam up to Sam and looked at him pointing to the surface. The shock on his face made it clear to Sam that he'd possibly been under too long. He smiled at Elijah and made it back to the surface. The water clung to his form as he climbed on to the deck.

"How are you not dead?" Elijah asked, shock still possessing him.

"Is Evan here yet?" Sam smiled, hoping to wave the questions away.

"You were under there for 10 minutes, man," Elijah proceeded.

"Mariana doesn't seem so concerned," Sam pointed to her with a chin, whipping some of his hair out of his face.

"Well, she's sleeping," he said rising out of the water to sit on the deck next to Sam.

"What happened to her?" Sam asked. He looked at Mariana; she was snoring loudly and her muscles slack. Sam knew that kind of rest anywhere. He didn't have to think far as to what might have happened. He didn't need any enhanced senses to know why she was unconscious. He looked at Elijah whose pale face was apple red and shiny.

"She was tired from school?" Elijah mumbled looking away from Sam.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I'll buy that for now, where's Rov?" he responded. He looked at the sighing Elijah and decided he'd have the last laugh.

"Not sure, he said he was going upstairs for something. He hasn't been down since."

"Okay, thanks. Also, your breath smells like Mariana's coochie."

Elijah's face swung to him like a revolving door, "What?"

Sam just smiled, getting up and reaching for a towel from the stack near the bed.

"How do you know what her pussy smells like?" Elijah asked intensely.

"I'm her bestfriend. We're a group of best friends. We all know what we look like naked. I even know what you look like naked," Sam joked.

"We have gym together. I've seen your fat ass in the showers as well," Elijah winked Sam into a blush.

"Thanks," Sam swallowed. "So, I guess um, what are your intentions with my friend?"

"Well. I really like her. We're going out this weekend. I plan to make her my girlfriend," he said, staring into the pool where his feet floated.

"I see, so you're trying to join our foursome?" Sam asked, moving to the cooler to grab a bottle of water.

"What if I'm trying to take her away?" Elijah asked ominously. Sam put the bottle to his lips and paused. The question had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Something snapped inside him, the memory of the last day he and Evan kissed; he felt the stars exploding again.

"You could try and I'd k—"

Someone was ringing the doorbell; he'd never been so happy for someone to interrupt.

The rage that had welled up inside him from a joke, a carelessly misplaced and dangerously worded joke; had him breathing heavily as he walked to the front door. He pulled it open to see Evan standing in a pair of cargo shorts and a towel wrapped around his bare shoulders; though his arm seemed to be covered in a cantankerous and uppity redhead named Cayenne. She was a bully, the top-bitch and head cheerleader of their super sporting school. She wore Evan's captain's blazer—knowing full well that she had her own—and under it, a scarlet bikini that accentuated every curve she had and curves Sam didn't know women carried. Her skin bronzed like a gladiator's weapons captured the light and glowed; her legs glistened as she walked past.

He gulped as inadequacy parched his throat.

"How'd you guys get in?"

"Rov buzzed me in," Evan responded.

"Oh, okay," He said biting his bottom lip. He waited for Evan to come in before locking the door and running upstairs to Rov who was strangely absent. Rov sat in the beanbag in the middle of the room. Sam rushed to his side, the room stunk of weed, but Rov's eyes were clear and grey with no taints of red anywhere.

"I'm fine, ya know," Rov whispered before Sam had the chance to ask.

"Then why are you up here?" Sam asked, spotting the lit blunt in an ashtray by Rov's feet.

"I just needed to think about shit. Like how I almost killed that dude..."

"Rovington, that's not your fault. Seriously, you need to move past that. Like right now," Sam chided. "You have guests downstairs and you're being a shit host."

"You right," he agreed.

"Let's go, bitch."

"I fucking love how you are..." Rov whispered, pulling Sam in for a quick kiss. "I love the way you taste."

"Save some for later," Sam suggested, pulling Rov with him. He looked at the lit parchment between his lover's fingers. "Is that out?"

"Nah, hold on beb," he said crushing the blunt into the ashtray.

Sam held his hand till they reached the foot of the staircase; he knew how sensitive his man was and could be. He wasn't about to push the envelope especially with two strangers in their midst. They slowly walked outside, just smiling at each other, no words passing by them.

"Woah," Rov breathed, his voice drenched in awe as Cayenne emerged from the pool, whipping her fiery locks, arching the water perfectly like a crystalline moon in the afternoon sky. The spray of water filled the air with tiny sprinkles of rainbows. Sam stood stunned while everyone began to clap.

"I fucking hate her..." he whispered under his breath before diving into the pool. He surfaced and looked directly at Evan who he figured had been staring at him since he and Rov made their entrance.

"Babe, can we order pizza?" Mariana whimpered, standing by her boyfriend.

"Sure!" said Elijah.

"I'll get to it," Rov responded, not even looking at his friend's eager boyfriend.

"Ooooh, burn," Evan jested

"Look at your man," Cayenne called in her, what Sam often described as her stiletto-and-thong-wearing voice. Her voice was strong and high, exactly the tone you'd expect from a Queen Bee.

"Maybe you should watch your mouth," Mariana stated.

"Shuddup," Elijah snapped back, cannon-balling himself into the pool to splash her and hopefully defuse the tension.

"It's on, swimboy," Cayenne yelled derisively before diving under the water to confront him.

Sam looked at Evan, who sat on the ledge near the staircase at the shallow end. He had yet to break eye contact with Sam, making him feel nervous. He looked away to look at the teenagers playing beneath him. He felt their powerful movements under the water and watched as their bubbles of floated up around him.

He ignored the playing teens and turned to Mariana—he would seek solace in her indifference even if it was caused by her own boyfriend-based happiness—swimming to where she was. He gave Evan one last look, knowing the glare he was shooting Sam meant he wanted to talk, but Sam ignored the overpowering ache to rush to his side.

Mariana cocked a lazy eye in his direction before she turned to look at him as he hopped out the pool dripping towards her. "I hate that red-haired cunt."

"Why did he bring her here? He's defiled our sanctuary," Sam whined, staring at her and Elijah splashing. He looked towards Evan who slid into the pool and popped up almost immediately under his date. Cayenne screeched, as he hoisted her up and on his shoulders, throwing her behind him. Sam watched with a waning smile as the males in the pool shared grins and high fives.

"She fuckin' deserved that. What is up with Evan? Are you two beefing again?" she asked. Mariana's voice was tense but her body was the picture of indifference; she laid casually as if posing for some high fashion magazine.

"Not that I know of," Sam whispered, looking back at the pool as the three swimmers were currently engaged in a splash war. It was no surprise to Sam that Evan was winning. With a wave of his hand in the water, the whole pool seemed to surge against the other two. It caused Sam to look at his own hands—he could breathe underwater, be in the pool and not get wet, what if he could do more—and waved one at the pool.

As if something heavy had attacked the surface tension, the water seized like a bounce house. Elijah was tossed underwater and Evan stayed immobile in the waves, staring over his shoulder at Sam. His dark hair floating about him like tentacles, he looked like the king of Atlantis or a merman, thought Sam. Cayenne however, was thrown out of the pool on the opposite side near to the greenhouse; she sputtered, crawling away from the pool. She'd been ejected somewhere and no one had cared enough to notice.

"What just happened?" she asked, taking heavy breaths.

"No one likes you bitch, not even the water," responded Mariana in an opened mouthed whisper.

"The pizzas are on their way!" Rov said waltzing into the room, breaking the awkward conversation that was about to befall them.

"Cayenne is vegan," Elijah stated. All eyes turned on him, Mariana's were the most intense. She had eyes the size of the moon; she beamed her bright and searching eyes at Cayenne, who held a wicked grin. Sam assumed the worst, they'd dated before.

"How d'you know that?" Mariana piped up.

Elijah immediately saw where this was going and yelled, "She's had dinner at my house!"

Sam and Rov stole glances at each other, knowing where his response was taking things. Even Evan left the pool to stand beside Rov, as had Sam.

"Why?"

"She dated my brother..." Elijah admitted.

"Oh."

"If I didn't know any better, Mariana, I'd have thought you were jealous," crooned Cayenne.

"Nah, you don't know anything," Mariana waved her off.

"Any better," Elijah corrected.

"I said what I said," she snapped, and pulled a magazine from underneath her and started reading.

"I know she's vegan," Rov interjected, refusing to make any eye contact. Sam looked at him and hitched on to his breath. His face scrunched up in disgust.

"How do you know?" Elijah asked, wading in the now peaceful water.

"Her parents work for mine; we've also had dinner together."

Elijah was the one who held a look of awe. Evan seemed indifferent and helped his date up, only to push her back into the water. The guys laughed momentarily as he dived in after her; surfacing moments later in a deep kiss.

"Damn," Elijah and Rov said simultaneously in awe.

Sam looked away as Rov and Elijah whooped in support. Sam rolled his eyes and gave Rov a disapproving look. He knew Rov had been drinking again—he could smell it—and was more upset now that he risked having an emotional episode around their friends. They were still quite clueless about the previous day and the idea of an inhibition-lacking Rovington wasn't something he wanted or needed.

He dived into the water and swam to the bottom again. He looked up at the teens floating above him and easily, he could see Evan staring at him through the depths. He looked at his hands again, and moved them in a circle—slowly this time—producing a small whirlpool above him.

He thought they had to be thinking that something was up; someone had to have noticed the weird behaviour of the water. But no one batted an eye; Evan and Cayenne somehow resumed their kissing, locked in their embrace slowly circling, their hair parading outwards and cradling them in a demented taijitu.

Their refusal to pay attention to the environmental chaos annoyed him, and instead of going for broke and seeing what he could really do, he swam up and out the pool. The first thing he saw were Elijah and Mariana cuddling, he was pressed against her back hugging her and whispering sweet nothings in her ears.

He glanced at Rov and he was filled with longing that eerily reminded him of the songs of whales. Rov sat on one the chairs, reclined, drinking a beer and smiling to himself. Sam dried off and went to the kitchen to wait. The atmosphere by the pool was too awkward for him to stand it.

His mind kept switching between being astounded at the fantasy series his life had just become and the soap opera he lived with his super dramatic friends. He rested on the counter, not feeling tired or even remotely exhausted from the water. He just rested there, feeling the cool marble against his thoughts and forehead.

Sometime later the doorbell rang; he called to his friends, ensuring that he'd collect everything. He knew that they wouldn't be helping him either way, since they were on their way to an orgy. He flipped his hair and opened the door.

"I knew I'd find you here," was the first thing Charlie said, holding six boxes of pizza easily on one raised palm.

"Oh, my, Charlie. Hi, um," Sam froze. His brain had ceased working and the rest of him could not catch up.

"I'm so sorry about everything," Charlie rushed, he opened his mouth to continue but Sam cut him off, and waved for him to come inside.

"We need to talk, I think," Sam whispered as they went to the kitchen.

"I dunno if I can stay long, my shift ends in another couple hours," Charlie started.

"Nonsense," they turned to see Rov walking towards them. Sam didn't miss the slight spring in his step as he approached them with a beer bottle in hand.

"Nonsense?" Charlie echoed.

"Yeah, call Pagliani and tell him you're taking the night off on my orders and to call in your replacement. He'll get double pay from my pocket," Rov commanded. Charlie blinked before looking at Sam, then again at Rov who seemed irritated that he was being questioned, even if non-verbally.

"Do it," Sam urged.

"Okay," Charlie said finally, pulling his phone out and calling his boss. Sam gawked at Charlie's massive frame in the muscle contouring leather jacket he wore.

"Wow, you look good," Sam admitted. He licked his lips subconsciously, a move that didn't pass the jealous eyes of Rov, who moved towards him pulling him into a savage and hungry kiss. It lacked passion and sincerity and was instead fuelled with lust and aggression. Sam knew exactly what he was doing and pushed him off with a wicked stare.

"I'm sorry about that," Sam said, wiping his mouth as a smirking Rov walked back to the pool with the boxes of pizza in hand. Charlie put his phone down and looked away for a moment, scratched his red locks, bulging the shiny fabric around his biceps.

"It's fine, it makes sense now though. He's a good guy, I just didn't realize you had a type," Charlie theorized.

"A type?" Sam asked, giving him a cock-eyed expression.

"Yeah, you like rich guys!" Charlie stated.

Sam stepped back, legitimately shocked at the accusation from his friend. "What?"

"I've seen you with the Martinez twins, Logan, Scott, I could go on, you can't fool me," he stated matter-of-factly. Sam's eyes bugged out of his head, he looked around the room frantically to see if anyone heard the ginger. He rushed around the room and planted a hand over the giant's mouth and told him to shush.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Don't ever say that shit again. And Rov chose me—" Sam started.

"I chose you too? Or I don't matter?" Charlie interrupted, moving Sam's hands from his face.

"You're my friend. You should just understand that," Sam sputtered.

"Alrighty then. I'll show myself out," he said in a small voice, betraying his frame.

"I think that's for the best," Sam agreed and followed him to the front door. He opened the door as Charlie wended towards it.

A screech called their attention to the grounds outside. Charlie was on the ground ducking, Sam held a hand out as Pyli tore through the sky like the predator she was, only to break free of her furious descent to perch delicately on Sam's outstretched limb. He chuckled as she fluttered down to Charlie, pecked him on the head before fluttering into the den and then to the pool Sam imagined. Her senses were amazing and she was a fan of pineapples on pizza.

"Sam, what's Pyli doing in the house?" Rov asked, peering around the corner. "And where are you going Charlie?"

"Home?" the ginger replied, getting off the ground, dusting his jacket off.

"Not happening," Rov laughed, retrieving the ginger, pulling him towards the pool. Sam locked the door, rolling his eyes and followed behind them. "I own you for the rest of your shift."

"You do, don't you..." Charlie smirked, turning around to blast Sam with a mischievous grin.

"What is that thing?" Cayenne screamed the moment Rov appeared.

"She's Sam's pet eagle," Evan, Rov and Mariana said in unison. They looked at each other, then at Sam, then Cayenne before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

"Why does he have a pet bald eagle? Isn't that illegal and just wrong?" she shrieked, backing away to the farthest edge of the pool.

"She's completely free to do whatever the fuck she wants. She's just hella civilized," Sam stated, walking towards Pyli, who lazily perched on a bench beside the table housing the pizzas.

"Shouldn't she have flown north for the winter?" no one answered her. Pyli had always been with Sam, all-year round. She never went anywhere too far; he need only to yell loud enough and she'd come flying in.

"Good question," Charlie said stripping to his thin tight white boxers; this seemed to be a thing as Rov eyed Sam with the green eyed monster on his back. He walked towards the diving board near where Cayenne floated and stood on it. "But I have a better question. Cannonball?"

"HELL YEAH!" Rov and Mariana yelled.

"No!" Cayenne screamed as Charlie jumped twice launching himself into the air. His enormous frame seemed to morph into a ball as he crashed down into the water like a meteorite. The resulting splash showered everyone in a spray of water before releasing seismic waves that left Cayenne cranky and in the arms of Elijah who was floating near to Evan on the other side of the pool. Sam noticed that Mariana was pleased by the milk-curdling sour expression on Cayenne's face. Her hair was flat and limp against her makeup-ruined face.

Evan however was not pleased; he had been shooting threatening glances and glares at Charlie since Rov had invited him to the pool. He took Cayenne from his friend, barely looking at her; instead he glared openly at Charlie who avoided his eyes. Sam was certain he wasn't the only one who felt the ice forming in the water.

"What's with the shackles?" Charlie asked, nodding to the jewellery around Sam's ankles.

"They were a gift..." Elijah stated.

"I was meaning to ask which kink dungeon you crawled out of, but I feel there's way more story than I can handle..." Cayenne joked.

"There are a lot of things you probably can't handle. Like Evan's dick. I hope it fucking kills you." Mariana whisper shouted to Sam.

"Food time!" Sam yelled, hopefully breaking the tension. Everyone gathered around the table, dripping, splitting and sharing, with the exception of Cayenne who had the whole vegan pizza to herself. Extra slices were put together and shared with Charlie who was drawing attention from the girls and Sam. His body was seriously sculpted; legs as thick and strong as 100-year old trees, arms that were bigger around than his head. The tight white boxer-briefs he wore, now wet, hid nothing. His thick cock rested atop big round balls, bulging obscenely; attracting attention, but not enough to warrant a comment, yet.

After the food had been shared, the couples sat together eating. Rov sat on Sam's right side and Charlie on his left. Pyli rested at the end of his seat, pecking lightly at the slices he'd chopped up and shared with her.

"She's so amazing," Charlie said around a mouthful.

"Yeah, I just wish she wasn't so damn scary and big," Rov agreed.

"How do you know she's not carrying any infectious diseases? Or parasites? Or avian flu?" Cayenne suggested.

"You're more likely to make us sick than she is," Mariana said.

"Isn't that why Aaron left you? Because he had a scare that you gave him something?" Cayenne snapped back.

"Excuse me?" Mariana asked, pausing and putting her food aside. In 2 seconds she was already across the distance of the pool and in Cayenne's face.

"Seems I hit a very raw nerve," she cackled, leaning into Evan who looked at Mariana with chilling indifference.

Mariana hesitated at first; she was visibly agitated, her fingers curled and her lips pulled up in a nasty snarl. She looked back at Elijah for support; he was frozen staring at Evan whose nonchalant glance silenced him like a house-trained pup. Mariana shrugged it off and stepped forward. Sam held his breath, his eyes, like everyone else's, were glued to the situation unfolding.

"Stop," Sam yelled as Mariana took another step. Pyli looked up, unconcerned and unbothered. She aimed a yellow eye at Mariana, puffed herself up, and let loose a piercing cry before her giant wings unfurled propelling her to the ceiling. She screamed, circling the glass dome above before diving down on them.

The redhead screamed; Mariana, equally as frightened dived into the pool behind her. Pyli settled down on the slate tiles between the two girls, leering bright yellow eyes at them. Sam knew she was telling them to chill out; she hated any animosity that sprouted near him.

"GET AWAY!" Cayenne screamed, her body pressed against Evan who dined on a slice of pizza in his hand. She took up one of her slices and tossed it at the bird. Sam, reacted, hopping up from his seat to defend his friend. Charlie grabbed his hand, quick as lightning, pulling him back. Pyli fluted her disgust, moving slightly to dodge the vegan mess.

"Sam, what the hell was that?" Mariana asked, exiting the pool near Elijah.

"Let him go!" Rov whispered angrily to Charlie who obliged as if Sam had shocked him. He hadn't, had he? He looked at his hands for a moment, breathing slowly and evenly; he left the boys scaring each other with heated looks as he went for his bird.

"Listen up," Sam began.

"No, you fucking listen, get rid of that thing or I'll sue you!" Cayenne interrupted.

"Sue me?" Sam asked incredulously. He smiled, feeling himself gather static, his skin prickled and his hairs stood on end. "Get the fuck out of this house. If anything here is vermin, it's you."

"How dare you speak to me like that, you... pitiful excuse for a male!" she countered tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder. She leaned forward, eager for Sam to respond.

"How can you hate Pyli? Y'all are practically relatives. There must be a reason you're nickname is Spreadeagle," Marianna called from her safe distance. She held her tongue and further insults as Sam cut her a splintering look.

"I'm not going to sink to your level," Sam continued.

"Honey, you should. Drag her extension wearin' ass outta here!"

"Mariana, shut up!" Sam yelled. "Evan doesn't even like you, d'you wanna be another notch on his belt? You're the last cheerleader in a set. Is that what you want?"

"Evan, why didn't you tell me the fag in your group was in love with you?" she started laughing.

Sam stood uncomfortably in front of her; her comment cut deep—but the look Evan gave him scared him more than the pain he felt.

"What did you call him?" Evan's voice was cold and deep, strong and low. It echoed about the space, rattling Sam's bone with something akin to winter.

"A fag? Baby, you're the one who confirmed it for me. Why're you behaving weird about it now?"

"Maybe you should go before you say something I'll regret."

"Excuse me?" she got up from her seat in Evan's lap, pushing Sam aside; attempting to regain his balance, he stepped onto her rogue slice of pizza, slipped to the edge of the pool and fell in.

Who knew one could literally drown in their embarrassment? He was incapable of stomaching what was taking place and that irked him more than he realized. He made his way to the bottom of the pool, his hair a blonde halo around his face, yet he felt anything but angelic. He wanted to rip the skank's head off and shove it up her fat injected ass.

Soon enough, he looked up to see someone swimming towards him, Rov, was coming to rescue his boyfriend. Sam's spirit soared, refusing to wait; he met his lover in the middle and took his breath away. They spun and spiralled in the middle of the pool kissing till Rov broke apart and headed for the surface, Sam in tow.

"Yo, bud," Evan said squatting by the pool, staring straight into Sam's eyes. "I'm sorry about that. I love you."

"Weird fucking way of showing it," Rov ejected; stopping Evan in his tracks.

"What was that Rovington?" he asked turning around in ominous and annoyingly slow motion. His long hair whipping about like medusa's snakes ready to help petrify the next victim.

"ROV," Mariana emphasized, "was saying, that bringing her here, was fucked up. You know we hate her spoiled tomato ass." Sam looked around, realizing she was gone. He met eyes with Charlie who mouthed something he couldn't understand.

"I was tryna fuck. I didn't see the issue."

"You never do, and Sam always pays the price for your fuckery!" Rov started to yell. Mariana whipped her head around to look at him, water flashing everywhere.

"Come again, Rovington?" Evan re-emphasized.

"You say he's your bestfriend, but you treat him so fucking poorly. YOU TREAT HIM SO FUCKING POORLY, he doesn't even see me or Mariana as bestfriends... just you! You're such a fucking parasite at times. You only care about him when it suits you to show it and that's not fair," Rov preached.

"Maybe I should go?" Elijah whispered a little too loudly.

"Nah, fool," Mariana said, grabbing him and pulling him behind her. No one noticed Charlie, idly scratching his hair in an attempt to feel less out of place.

"Grow up Rovington, at least I'm honest. Have you even told Sam how you feel? YET?" he yelled.

"He knows, he totally knows and he's on his way to feeling the same!" Rov yelled back. Sam, felt to dive back to the bottom of the pool. A heated blush creeped up his neck and splattered his cheeks crimson. He didn't expect Rov to be so blatant about their relationship, or what it was, or would be developing into.

"Maybe you should go," Mariana whispered, just as loudly as Elijah.

"Stay," Rov and Evan synchronized. They looked at each other and then receded into their argument.

"How long did it take you to admit that you like dick?" Evan laughed. "We've known you for some years now and all you've done is pussy about it. Sam didn't even notice you till I started to treat him like shit. And I do mean shit. S-H-I-T."

"Fuck you, Evan," Rov said getting out of the pool and making his way inside.

"Stop," Sam said. He followed his lover and left the pool. "We're supposed to be friends and all we're doing is bickering. Look at my fucking pet eagle. She's not even eating and she's a glutton." All eyes swivelled to the stoic looking raptor, resting on a bench.

"It doesn't matter about Evan, and it doesn't matter about you and me. What matters is that we're here right now. The wicked witch is gone and Evan knows he fucked up," Sam finished.

"Even if he doesn't apologize? Cuz he did Rov, dirty. He should apologize," Mariana suggested.

"Evan?" Sam asked.

"Fine," he said rolling his eyes and tossing a lock of hair over his shoulders. Sam immediately noted that if his hair were red, Cayenne hadn't really left the building. "I'm sorry Rov. I did intentionally hurt your feelings. I'll try not to do it again."

"Thanks. I'm sorry I tried to start shit. I'm just tired of seeing him sad all the while now," he responded.

"I'm not sad all the while," Sam defended.

"You are," everyone except Elijah responded.

"Honey, who ya tryin' ta fool?" Mariana cackled.

His friends' responses came in like a discordant chorus. He sighed, knowing they were right and sat on the ground.

"Can we just, forget about me for a second and think about something else?" he suggested.

"Like the Truant Officer guy in Beacon Ridge?" Charlie stated. Sam didn't have to look at Rov to know he was freaking out about the officer being in a hospital.

"Nah, that's too grim," Mariana decided. She sat beside Sam, leaned back and stared up through the glass ceiling. "Let's just dream a bit and talk about shit. We've been so chaotic lately and out of sorts. We haven't been a foursome in a minute. Just co-existing couples."

"Agreed. And I'm sorry," Evan offered, gaining eyes from all around, even those who weren't apart of the group. He sat beside Sam, pulling Rov down with him. They leaned back as well.

"Elijah, Charlie, come on. Get on the ground and look up," he continued. His tone had completely changed. Sam heard the spark of his true bestfriend again. He reached for Rov's hand and found it shaking. He was probably thankful that they were all staring up and couldn't see that he may have been tearing up. And it was then something hit Sam.

"For what it's worth, Rov, I was planning to ask you if you were gonna talk to Sam or nah. Cuz if I weren't with Mariana, I'd hit it," Elijah jested.

"Why?" Sam groaned.

"HIT WHAT? HIT WHAT? WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUCKING WITH? THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I ONLY LET YOU EAT ME OUT. YOU BITCHES TOO FUCKING UNFAITHFUL!" Mariana roared.

"For fuck's sake, Mariana, he was joking."

"How would you know Evan?" she quipped.

"We're on the same team, have been for years. If he was into dudes, I'd know," he finished.

"You talkin' from experience?" Mariana shot back.

"I said it as a joke, I didn't realize you'd react like this babe. I'm super sorry—," Elijah rushed, attempting to end the argument as soon as possible.

"Please stop, I'm not even into Elijah. He's not my type," Sam pleaded cutting into the conversation.

"Seems I'm not your type either..." Charlie sighed. All eyes moved to his direction.

"Them see through white boxers weren't for us. Best believe I noticed that dick was pointing at Sam and only at him," Mariana added. Sam sighed loudly.

"Guys, seriously, what is up with y'all? And FYI, Charlie, I'm totally attracted to you, you're just friendzoned," Sam responded.

"Tha fuck? Bro, don't make me regret inviting you into my house," Rov started, his voice rising higher.

"Shut up Rovington. He had the balls to pursue me before you did, so you're gonna leave his ass alone!" Sam concluded. "If it kills me, we'll work together!"

"We should get drunk. We don't have classes tomorrow anyway," Rov reminded.

"You're right, babe. But I have an idea!" Sam stated. Now that things were out in the open, was it safe to speak like lovers? What did Evan think? Was he shipping them?

Something brewed inside him, an idea of epic proportions. Charlie knew where the officer was and maybe visiting would bring his boyfriend some closure; even if it meant getting in trouble. He reached around and found a hand, held it and squeezed. Rov squeezed back. Sam sent his energies into the sky hoping that it could brighten his friend's demeanour; though the evening was growing dark and the thick covering of purple and gray clouds seemed to harbour something dark and forbidding.

He was determined to change the day for the better.

"I love you guys," Sam said.

"Ditto." Rov squeezed his hand.

"Same," responded Evan.

"I love my bitches!" purred Mariana

"Um?" Charlie questioned, feeling out of place. "Do they really call Cayenne Spreadeagle?"

"What the ginger said, well, the first part. Actually, the second part too," Elijah inquired.

"I said what I said," Mariana snapped.

"So fierce," Sam said before laughing.

"You wouldn't know anything about fierce with how you get your ass tossed around by those douches at school," Charlie ejected. Everyone sat up and looked at him even Elijah whose expression was quizzical at best.

"Wow, Charlie," Mariana said whilst slowly clapping, clearly impressed. "I gotta say I agree with you, but I don't think you're close enough to take them kinda jabs at my boy."

"I've known him longer than all of you," he responded, disbelief lined his lips and eyes. Elijah reached for him and pulled him by the hand, mouthing the word `stop.'

"Time ain't nothing but a concept, my man," she recanted.

"Would you two stop? He's right, just leave it at that!" snapped Sam, garnering looks as he stood up for himself. "You haven't been here with me long enough to say that... the intimacy we once shared isn't here anymore, Charlie. You must see that."

"Intimacy? What intimacy?" Rov squeaked.

"I think Jessica still has photos; she used to marry them. Charlie would pick Sam up and cross the threshold of our tree house," Evan bemused to the burning cheeks of his two friends.

"Oh," Rov whispered before excusing himself and sulking off into the house. His haggard movements unnoticed by everyone but Sam and Charlie; the latter smiling triumphantly.

"Where do I sign up?" Charlie smirked.

"For?" Evan questioned gazing at him.

"Your group." he stated brazenly puffing his big chest out.

"Why?" asked Sam out the side of his mouth. "Why now?"

"Does it matter? He wants to be your best friend again. Behind me, then Mariana, then Rov," stated Evan. He cocked his head at a silent Mariana who had a hand under the towel covering Elijah's crotch. "Is Elijah joining our little quartet too?"

"Elijah," she coughed, pulling her hand away. "Is my boyfriend, so we're a... quartet and a half? Or something like that, till I get tired of him."

"Is that why you took your hand back? A cramp?" Sam asked smirking. His eyes periodically swiped to the entrance to the interior of the house. His body felt like a giant brass bell, his heart the clapper alarming him to something unknown.

"What my man and I do is our business—even if it's in public—if you have a problem, get your own," she said pushing her hand back under the towel to caress a gasping and blushing Elijah.

"I could change that," Charlie added, garnering the communal stare, a high-five from a still blushing Elijah, another look of awe from a Mariana, an eagle-eyed glare from Evan, a look of shock from Sam and a string of chirps from across the pool—much to everyone's shock. "I forgot she was here."

"We all did," Sam admitted looking down and away.

"So, now we know the intentions you have with our boy," Mariana giggled.

Rov sauntered back, stinking of gin; sitting between Sam and Evan, forcing the latter to scoot closer to Charlie. "Whose intentions with which boy?" his breath was putrid with the liquor, Sam's nose crinkled with how potent it was.

"Me," Charlie answered. "I mean—my intentions—with Sam."

"Intentions? Like?" Rov, asked, blinking wildly.

"I want to date him," he said simply, looking Rov in the face. Sam felt wedged between them—which he was—but it felt like a tangible force squeezing him smaller and into an unsavoury and uncomfortable shape.

"Since when do you like cock and balls?" Rov asked, laughing loudly, declaring to the party he was dipping into the liquor. His silver eyes were red rimmed and Sam reached for his hand only to have it pulled away. The action only went unnoticed by the other couple sitting at their circle.

"Always have, I just assumed someone else was interested in Sam," he said subtly staring at Evan.

"Me?" Evan asked, laughing and throwing his hair behind him before stretching his legs out and running his hands along his tan taut and incredibly defined abdomen. "Nope, we're just best buds."

"How was I supposed to know?" Charlie started. His mouth hung open before being interrupted.

"You're the one that used to marry, him. Ya were ballsy enough to show interest now. Why didn't ya then?" Rov spat, the venom obvious.

"You're right," Charlie admitted. "When I saw you kissing earlier, I was just gonna swallow it again, but I don't know. You're right. I'll fight for him."

"Damn," Elijah gasped.

"This is intense, who'd have ever thought the group virgin would have guys fighting over him," Mariana joked. "Y'all been kissing though?"

Sam sat in the middle, feeling even smaller. The air in the room was growing thin, his breaths were getting shallow. He didn't know how to respond to this, his heart galloped like a racehorse and big beads of sweat were forcing their way through his pores. Mariana's glare told him she'd put things together and wanted answers.

"Guys, stop. Please," he said in a tiny voice. Licking his lips as and swallowing the dry lump in his throat.

"Then ya should know to just step off. He chose me already."

"Were you the one who got him the shackles?" Charlie asked, directing everyone's attention to the silver bands around Sam's ankles.

"Yeah! And?" Rov responded, his cheeks were getting heated and red.

"I know you're rich, but gee, I dunno, do you think that's the best precedent to start your relationship with?"

Sam looked at Charlie, his head whipped around so quickly a wind sent Evan's and Mariana's hair sprawling out. Mariana's emotions were written across her face, her smile was the biggest it had ever been. Even Evan was gawking at the exchange and his face was generally unreadable. Elijah seemed far more interested in what had paused under the towel.

"What did you get him for his birthday?" Rov questioned; a dubious expression on his face.

"Sam doesn't like gifts. He likes to hang out. And that's what we did on Monday."

"When? Because Evan and I found him unconscious in the rain," Rov hissed.

"I like gifts. Very much so!" Sam interjected. He didn't want the others knowing about what actually happened. Now that he was changing, he had yet to even think about it; to process that he wasn't alone. It wasn't just that he was alone, but whoever it was, knew about him before he knew about himself.

"Unconscious in the rain?" Mariana asked.

"We'll talk about it later—," Sam began.

"Oh shit, this was after you left his house!"

Sam glared at Mariana as all eyes turned to him, then to the stupid smirk on Charlie's face.

"You don't like gifts," Evan added awkwardly.

Sam rolled his eyes, "Yes, I don't fucking like gifts. But I wanted these anklets. I FUCKING LOVE THEM."

Evan burst out in a sonorous laugh, it was hearty and healthy. Soon enough, everyone was laughing in tow. Stomachs were cramping, tears were flowing and breath was being lost. Evan had done what Sam had been trying to do for a long while.

Everyone smiled at each other, except Rov, he just pouted and looked down.

"Charlie, help me," Sam said getting up. He turned to the others as the ginger giant lifted his man up over one pale and heavily muscled shoulder. "We'll be back, head up to the room and turn the games on. I've got to go do something."

The others nodded at him as he and Charlie went into the house. Charlie followed him to the garage where they put a babbling and resisting Rov into the backseat of his car. Sam stayed with him, instructing Charlie to get their clothes and return.

"I guess I'm your chauffeur this evening?" a fully clothed Charlie stated sitting himself into the driver's seat. He tossed a pile of clothes and some bottles of water to Sam behind him. "So where are we headed exactly?"

"Beacon Ridge."

"Why?" Rov croaked as fat wet tears streamed from his eyes as Sam held him.

"Step on it!" Sam stated, thought about it and changed his mind. "Drive safely."

"Why are you doing this?" Rov whispered. "Do you want to be with Charlie?"

"This has nothing to do with that, Rovington," Sam cut him off and forced a bottle of water into his mouth. "Drink."

He watched as his commanding tone washed over his boyfriend. His attention set dead on Rov like words etched in stone. He couldn't see the occasional glances from the driver whose bright cerulean eyes dulled with jealousy.

"So why are we heading to a hospital? Did I miss something?" Charlie asked solemnly.

"Well, the accident, with the Truant Officer? We witnessed it." Sam expressed, glancing briefly at his teary-eyed lover.

"That doesn't explain—," Charlie paused and kept his eyes on the road; understanding silencing him.

Sam, put the clothes on one end of the seat and extended the seating so they could lie beside each other. Rov clung to him, softly crying and shaking into Sam's soft hair. They were at least a half hour away from the hospital boasted in a neighbouring city. Sam paid it no mind when Rov slipped a finger inside his swim trunks, tip-toeing along the split of his ass. Eliciting tingles along his spine till his lover's fingers pressed against his tight ring of muscles.

"Rov, no," Sam whispered, he looked at Charlie whose eyes were focused on the road. It would be cruel to do this in front of him, worse when he was doing a favour for them. He could sense the jealousy and pain, and it ate him up.

"Please, I need you...." he whispered before pulling Sam into a deep kiss. The taste of gin, lingered in the back of his mouth like a yawn ready to blow him away. Sam gave in, letting the finger slide inside him. He bit Rov's lip as he entered him dry; still sensitive form the earlier entry. He bore the pain, telling himself that this would all be over soon.

One finger became two, forming `v's' inside him. This was all for his lover and it showed in his periodic clenching on Rov's fingers when they grazed him a little too roughly. He was certain that Rov was misinterpreting the clenching as pleasure response. He hated to group with Rov with all the other men he'd been with, but he wouldn't be doing him any favours by being dishonest.

"Stop," he whispered in Rov's ear.

"Baby, I told you I need you...," he breathed in Sam's ear. He pressed his erection into Sam's waist, accentuating his point.

"I need you to be sober. You're hurting me," Sam grunted as Rov jabbed his insides roughly.

"Wait, baby, lemme try to do better!" he said eagerly; Sam grunted loudly. He bit his lip, embarrassed that he'd certainly caught Charlie's attention. Rov wasn't doing any better. He was digging away at Sam's insides with the finessing of a blunt stick replacing a shovel.

"Stop, please!" Sam pleaded, frustration saturating his voice. The pain was manageable, he'd certainly endured worst; but it felt as if his asshole was on fire. His insides were blazing uncontrollably and his lover was only making a bad situation worse. His hands were clenched into fists pressed against Rov's chest in an attempt to refocus the pain.

"Just give me a moment, please?" Rov pleaded back. His assault grew frantic; Sam realized what he was doing and pushed him off. He pulled Rov's hand out of his trunks and remained silent. He met Rov's eyes in the darkening car; he was on the verge of tears.

"You're not a failure. I'm not leaving you, you're not a fuckup." Sam hugged him tightly, like he'd done earlier. Being the support Rov needed.

"We're almost there," Charlie's voice broke their embrace. They'd fallen asleep in each other's' arms; something Sam found amazing. It was exactly what he had wanted, the kind of intimacy that made his hair stand on end when he thought about it. Though the ugliness that came with it, he wondered how long it would last. Or was it too soon to be thinking that?

Was it wrong to just want a happy ending?

Rov yawned then planted a kiss on Sam's cheek. He sat up for a moment, adjusting the seat so that it fell back under the seat and their feet rested on the ground again. They looked out the window watching the giant hospital zoom into view. It was a big place, spanning several floors in height.

"You guys wanna wait by the entrance while I go park?" Charlie called back, looking in the rear-view mirror at Sam.

"We're still in our swim trunks," Sam shrugged.

"Ahh. Kay."

Once parked, they changed into their casual attire. The car park was massive, without even attempting to count; Sam counted well over a 100 cars around them.

"I'm nervous," Rov admitted trudging behind Sam and Charlie.

"Don't be," Charlie suggested. "I'm not exactly sure why we're here, but I believe it's the best thing for you."

Sam admired the way Charlie's voice had deepened. The bass sound travelled along his spine till it hit the soreness in his anus. He dropped all the fun thoughts immediately and slowed down to meet Rov's pace, where he wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"We can do this."

"Thanks babe," he responded, pulling Sam in for a quick kiss.

"Come on," Sam said, pulling him along to the automatic door entrance.

When the doors opened, a blast of cool air hit them; Rov trembled in Sam's grip. Charlie was ahead of them, making his way to the reception area. Rov pulled away from Sam as more people came into view. The waiting room held odd persons and a family here and there; Sam understood and shrugged it off.

They stood in a large room with tinted glass windows along one side. You could see out but not in. Rov was hesitant to walk to the reception desk, a stern looking white woman with a hooked nose and blonde bob wig sat there filing her neon green nails. He pushed his boyfriend ahead and stood beside Charlie.

"Good evening, Mam, is it possible ter see, Jensen Beckford?" he asked nervously.

"What's your relation to him?" she inquired, still filing her nails.

"Family friend, he works for my parents."

"Is that so?" she asked, putting down her file and punching something into the keyboard. "He's in room 322."

"Can I go see him briefly?" Sam asked meekly.

"That depends," she stated, fixing her wig and batting her heavily painted purple eyelashes.

"On?" Rov asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Whether you can make it worth my while. Visiting hours are over... how old are you?"

"I'm 18."

"What the fuck is happening?" Charlie whispered out of the side of his mouth.

"I think she's trying to pick up my man?" Sam responded. A twinge of fire blazed in him; her actions unsettled him. The way she batted her eyes at Rov, making him stutter. She pushed her tits up and smiled plastically.

"Maybe you should intervene, before he promises something you'll regret," Charlie suggested.

"My parents are rich, I'm not bragging but my parents have a cumulative seven figure income," Rov stated.

"That's very interesting, how would like to pick this up over dinner?" she said licking her red lips.

"I guess... yeah, sure? Why not?" Rov laughed as she slipped him her number.

Sam pulled him away immediately, disdainfully eyeing the piece of paper patiently waiting for him to pick it up as well as the ugly neon painted fingernails attached to it.

"What are you doing?"

"Flirting? She won't let me pass through, otherwise."

"Rov, have you asked?"

"No, she's been clear with her advances... whatya want me to do?"

"Rov. Ask."

"Okay," Rov whispered, smiling at Sam's scowl. He looked back at the woman and smiled.

"Take my number, beb," she said smirking, Sam could see a forked tongue flicking behind her shiny white teeth.

"Thank you," Rov responded taking the piece of paper and slipping it into his jeans. "Can I go see Mr. Beckford now?"

"Sorry sugah, if it were just you, it'd be fine. But you got company, and companies not allowed right now."

"We don't need to go with him!" Charlie jumped in.

"Yeah, we're fine. Let him through, please," Sam pleaded.

"Persistent," she said before eliciting a low cackle. "But no."

Before Sam could register his rage spilled over flooding his body with a natural reaction; he leaned over the wooden desk, and peered threateningly into the receptionist's face. "Let him through."

"No."

"Listen, you fucking ugly bitch. I didn't drive all this fucking way to be turned down by someone who's clearly overworked and so desperately under-fucked she's picking up a teen because any guy whose actually her age wants nothing to do with her spoiled goods pussy."

Immediately as the venom flew out his lips, he regretted it. The anger still burned inside him, but he watched as the woman's facade crack. He'd struck a nerve; he felt Rov's hand on his elbow pulling him away.

"Let's go..." he started.

"Yeah," Charlie agreed.

"No," Sam stated shrugging them off.

"SECURITY!" the woman screamed through teary eyes.

"Sam, let's GO!" Rov screeched as two big bodied Spanish men walked around the corner. All eyes in the room had turned on them. Sam refused to move, the rage in him ready to strike like an angry serpent.

The guards had closed in on them, Charlie had poised himself to defend the weaker two, but Sam didn't need protection from them, they needed it from him. Something in the air called his name and heeded it.

"Let's go kid," one of the guards stated before wrapping a meaty hand around his wrist. Sam scoffed at the contact; his anger surged, electrifying his skin and knocking the guard on his ass

"NO!" Sam roared in a rush of wind. Like before, the room erupted in a chaos of gusts. Air billowed in through the entrance as people screamed. Lightning flashed outside the building and rain beat against the windows.

People screamed and ran for cover, Sam was prepared this time, he shook the guard off—thunder rocked the building, shattering the windows and doors before knocking the power out— and stepped back to protect his friends. He let the voice work through him; it filled him with a fiendish glee as the power scintillated, showering him with scattered visions of people running and attempting to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Sam surveyed the chaos; the guards in front of him had multiplied under the catastrophe. The second pair rushed forward to assist the families as equipment and shards of glass picked up in the wind. The original two, moved towards to Sam who immediately took a step back. He whipped his head at the muscle-head who'd grabbed him before; a gust knocked him into the desk of the receptionist.

Her unmistakeable voice screamed as Sam realized she was hiding under desk. It snapped in him that she was hiding, that he was marshalling these great forces with little to no control and his intended target had gotten off scot-free. She was out of line of danger, and just like that the power flexing in him stopped.

"What the fuck is happening..." Rov whispered in Sam's ear. He had a firm grip on Sam's forearm.

"I have no fucking idea..." Charlie responded.

Sam looked at the destruction with his human eyes; the ground was partially flooded with muddy water. The glass windows and doors were all shattered as only jagged outlines remained. Chairs and desks that weren't nailed to the ground had moved and capsized about the room. Everything was a mess and Sam felt irrevocably guilty.

A groan brought his attention to the guard in front him. His partner rushed to him, he'd just been standing shocked and in awe. Charlie grabbed his and Rov's hands and took off pulling them behind him.

"She said the room number; we can go find him for ourselves. We should just probably avoid an elevator," he said. As they walked around to find a staircase, Sam took in the devastation; the whole hospital was possibly ruined. The power flicked on an off plunging the only staircase they could find into a deep red from the overhead `EXIT' sign. They hurried to the second floor.

Not speaking, but determined. It almost seemed ridiculous at this point to still be attempting to do this, but something in Sam had infected Charlie; he'd see this trip completed. Rov was the only member of the party lagging behind. Everything weighing on him and it dawned on Sam just how nonchalant Charlie was about everything.

He eyed the mountainous man suspiciously as they searched for the officer's room. Rov on the other hand was silent and lackadaisical; Sam had to constantly reach behind and pull him along. He feared that Rov would take off if he took his eye off him.

"Found it!" Charlie called from the front.

The second floor was just as much a mess as the first, the only difference being the shattered windows. It freaked Sam out that anyone could slip and fall out the giant voids they now had access to. It had confirmed—again—that he had strange powers that controlled the elements. He was creating storms every time he got emotional. Would he need to contain himself more now?

"Hey there... y'all chose a crazy time to visit," Mr Beckford spoke as he and Rov entered the room.

"Yeah," Sam nodded before pushing Rov to the foot of the gentleman's bed. He was handsome, despite having his head wrapped up and a broken arm, he was a looker.

"I-I-I-I-...," Rov choked out.

"Come here," Mr Beckford signalled for Rov, and when he was close enough pulled him into a hug. "I'm not in here because of you."

"It's because of me," Sam whispered inaudibly, but Charlie still looked at him bemusedly.

"I'm so sorry!" Rov gasped out in a rush of tears.

Sam looked at the conversation about to unveil itself and pulled Charlie outside with him to give the two a moment. His fingers tingled; the blue charges of static ran along his veins and fingers, ready to surge outwards if need be.

Sam sighed, leaning into Charlie's statuesque frame. The hospital seemed violated by the weather anomaly and it haunted him. He instinctively sought comfort in the giant beside him; Charlie however, didn't notice this but let himself be used in such a way.

Authors Note

Hi hi, I made that comment about cheerleaders being sluts; but I want to point out that it's not about privilege or patriarchy on my part. Teenagers don't often think about the silly things they say to themselves, and I wanted to capture that. When I wrote it; I thought about editing it, or even removing the line completely.

But I thought it was important, that even if I failed in capturing the teenage experience, that some of it was correct.

So hit me up at operidot1919@gmail.com. Lemme here from you guys!