In The Shadows Of The Night
*For the Tower Prep Fic Fest. Prompt: Ian never even considered Gabe was the mole, not once. This is one of TWO fics I'm filling out for this prompt. The happy one (In The Path of The Sun) where Ian knows Gabe isn't the snitch, and he's right. And this one, the one where he's wrong.*
Ian remembered the shadows that swept across their dark room that first night, the night where Gabe had leaned in and whispered to him, asking him if he trusted him. He had replied that he did. And that was the truth.
He remembered the darkness, the lights turned off and the curtains pulled closed to block out the light of the security system lights on the grounds, the only illumination coming from the square window in the dorm room door. Gabe's skin was covered in the thin shadows that the little window cast, it's light hitting the smaller teen's bed just right. Ian traced them with his tongue, murmuring against pale skin as Gabe shivered at his touch. He could barely see Gabe's hands in the dark, reaching out to him and threading through his hair, curling against his scalp. He didn't notice those same hands clinging to his shoulders as they rocked together, but he remembers Gabe's breathless words in his ear, gasping and pleading as Ian took him.
In the morning though, he found the nail marks across his back, red and stinging. And he smiled to himself.
It was in the darkness of the secret passage into their room that he first told Gabe what he'd been suspecting for months, about how it's impossible someone isn't ratting them out to headmaster with the events that have gone wrong thus far. And it was in the shadows that he missed Gabe's narrowed eyes before the raven haired boy pulled him forwards, their lips clashing together before he whispered reassurances that everyone is loyal. When Ian pressed him to the wall, Gabe's legs around his waist and his fingers tangled into his hair, he didn't consider for even a moment that those words are a lie.
But when he walked into Headmaster's office, expecting to see CJ waiting for him, proving that she has been the traitor all along, he was stunned to find Gabe standing just inside the door, CJ's PDA in his hands and a smug smile on his face when Ian stomped in.
And all Ian can say is, "I thought you were in West Campus?"
"Nope," Gabe smirked, placing the PDA on Headmaster's desk. Ian's eyes followed it, widening as he caught sight of CJ tied to one of the chairs facing the desk, gagged. "Why send me there for hiding a dangerous chemical when I could simply," Gabe glanced at Headmaster, leaning against the wall, "Hand it over."
"What?" Ian didn't know what to say, and his words clogged up his throat until he couldn't even swallow. He felt sick. Behind him, Suki fisted a hand into the back of his jacket, fingers trembling.
Gabe tilted his head to the side, studying them with a coldness Ian had never seen before, "It was so easy to win you over, you know," he murmured, "To become your best friend. And . . ." the bespectacled teen drew off with a finger to his chin, smiling up at the ceiling, "The sex was just a bonus, I suppose. It certainly helped let your guard down."
Suki whimpered, pressing her forehead between Ian's shoulder blades, huddling close to him. Ian's muscles tightened, and he watched Gabe pace the floor in front of him as though daring the blond to move. "You never suspected me once, did you?" Gabe asked, suddenly curious, "Why?"
Ian swallowed, choking down the lump in his throat while he considered his options, not even listening to the question. Headmaster looked ready to fight, his shirt sleeves rolled up and his tie absent as he stood over CJ, the last blockade if Ian wanted to get her out safe and sound. His eyes darted to Gabe again, the question still hanging in the air. "Why did you do it?" he asked instead of answering.
Gabe laughed, and Ian shuddered, the sound nothing like he'd ever heard come from the smaller teen before. "Why not?" Gabe replied smoothly, gesturing to the room around him, "This school has given me things beyond my wildest dreams, Ian. Outside I was a nobody, I was on parole, and I could barely grasp what I was capable of. In here they've trained me and now," He smirked, "I can make anyone do just about anything I want. And when I'm done here, think of what I could become outside! If I wanted to, I could rule the world." He laughed again, the noise tinged with all the shadows that had once danced across his skin in the darkness of their room. "If you escaped and told the world about what is done here, I'd be nothing again. Why would I let you do that?"
He waved a hand at CJ, "She figured it out, you know. Headmaster was displeased." Gabe rolled his eyes towards the man, "And with my help, she'll simply forget all of this, you two, trying to escape, everything. Things will go back to normal." He shrugged as though it was no big deal, eyes finding Ian again, "You never answered my question, Archer. Why didn't you suspect me?"
Ian gritted his teeth, feeling the numb wash of the urge to answer hit him. Since when had Gabe's Hyper-suasion been this strong? He'd always been able to deflect it before, ward it off. "I . . ." The words escaped of their own accord, Ian's throat tightening around them as he willed them not to. But he couldn't stop himself, "Because I loved you."
The Headmaster snorted and Gabe laughed. Ian snarled, the bind forcing him to speak vanishing as he lunged, dodging around the other boy and towards CJ with every intent to free her, to get them out of here.
"Stop!"
Time froze and Ian couldn't move, his muscles locking him in place with his fingers inches from the rope holding CJ in place. Somewhere behind him, Suki screamed. Gabe walked into his view, frowning, "You really think you can just free her and walk out here?" he hissed, frustration all over his face. "Get on your knees, Archer."
Ian choked as his legs bent and he did as he was told, unable to disobey the order. Gabe caught his chin in between his forefinger and thumb, tilting the blonde's head up to meet his eyes. "You are a fool, Ian," he murmured, kissing him and biting his lip, "And you will forget these past few months as if they never happened. You will become the model student, doing as you are told and getting good grades until you graduate, and you will never think about escape again. Do you understand me?"
And Ian nodded, because there was nothing he could do.
RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE
When I first read the prompt this was what I thought of before I realized that I simply had dark thoughts. Period. Hahaha. But this is DARK, good lord. It makes me sad! ;_; good thing the character I hated the most was the real traitor. Gah. Now if only she would die . . .
However, I'm extremely worried Gabe or Suki is like, a robot or a clone or a hologram or something now, cause weird Mr. Flower Man in the tunnels said only three would escape . . . O_O
Anywho, go read the light side of this prompt! And write letters and emails to CN to renew the show for a second season! D: