Alexander "Sasha" Romanov stared blankly out the car window as his parents chattered excitedly about their new home. They had left the old one because his father got a new job there, after being fired. Sasha was not excited about his new home, and new school. He was bullied at his old school for being really gay, and now they were going to live in an even more conservative area.

Sasha sighed forlornly as they entered their new home. His dad cuffing him about the head as they walked in. His dad hated having a girly boy for a son, and if he knew Sasha's preference, he would probably kill him. His mother always turned a blind eye to the violence his father meted out, sometimes even stating that his father knew best.

Sasha moved his things into his room, he didn't have much, but didn't really care as he tried to spend as little time at home as possible. He would be starting school that week, and he dreaded it. His mother forced him to follow her around the neighborhood as she introduced them to people and plied them with cookies in the hopes that she could worm her way into the best gossip circles.

When she went up to the big Victorian home, an elderly lady in a maids outfit answered the door. Sasha's mother immediately put on a very fake charismatic face, hoping to gain favor with the supposedly rich family. They were shown into the living area where Sasha came face to face with Tate for the first time, and promptly fell head over heels in a puppy love crush. Tate's mother was another story. She acted as if she liked Sasha's mother, as she did the same, but Sasha knew that it was an act. He tried to slip away, back out the door, so he could fan boy out over the hotness that was Tate Langdon in private but was stopped when his mother called him back.

Sasha could feel the threatening aura of the house and wanted to leave, but his mother kept him. She and Ms Langdon kept talking about how their sons should become good friends, to which Tate scoffed loudly and Sasha blushed. When they finally left the house, Sasha's face was stained red and couldn't bring himself to look up from the floor for fear of seeing Tate's expression.

Sasha started school the next day, and was immediately picked out as a gay boy. The students jeered at him, and took the jocks' lead in how to torment the only 'out' gay in the school. Sasha kept an eye out for Tate and was somewhat relieved that Tate was not participating in any of the bullying. Granted, Tate wasn't participating in anything to do with other humans. Instead he kept to himself, mostly muttering hateful things under his breath, but those things were never about Sasha. Sasha didn't seem to exist to Tate, which Sasha thought was a decent improvement to how some people treated him.

Sasha began to spend more time near Tate, close enough to keep others away, but not too close as to be in his personal space. Tate did eventually take notice of Sasha but didn't do anything, which gave Sasha courage to move closer. The other students grew bolder when they saw that Tate didn't really hang out with Sasha, and so they cornered him.

Sasha had been walking to his locker, a few feet from Tate's, when the jocks surrounded him. They started with verbal abuse, but soon escalated into violence. Tate came over after the second punch landed on Sasha's face. Tate grabbed the head jock and threw him back. He stood in front of Sasha and cracked his knuckles. The jocks began readying themselves for a fight but dispersed when a teacher came up the way.

"Thanks" Sasha mumbled through a split lip, as he mopped the blood with his sleeve. Tate grunted, and walked away, Sasha soon followed. He hadn't been told to back off, and now he was defended. Sasha took it as a sign that they were at least friends. Tate led Sasha to the pier that was near their home and sat on the edge. He looked into the distance and Sasha quietly sat down beside him. Tate lay down, placing his head in Sasha's lap.

"I did it cause you make the voices quiet." Tate commented at last as Sasha timidly weaved his fingers through the blond hair.

"voices?" Sasha asked quietly. Tate nodded,

"The ones in my head. They don't like anyone, but they stay quiet with you. It's nice."

Sasha smiled and petted his hair a bit more confidently.

"are you really gay?" Tate asked, causing Sasha's hands to still.

"Yes" he whispered.

"What's it like?" Sasha resumed his petting answering with his own question.

"what's it like being straight?"

"don't know. I don't even know what being in love feels like"

"me too." Sasha whispered.

"I hate my mom." Tate stated. When Sasha made a noise of inquiry Tate took off in explaining how horrid his mother was, and how awful the people at school were. Sasha never interrupted, just listened quietly as Tate revealed his inner thoughts. When Tate asked Sasha a question, Sasha would answer in a timid voice. He felt even more strongly for this boy, and cursed himself for it, knowing that he was setting himself up for pain. Nothing good ever came from a gay boy loving a straight boy.

Tate and Sasha continued their after school ritual until Tate invited Sasha over to his home. Sasha readily agreed, despite remembering the ill feeling he got from the home.

"do you believe in spirits, and ghosts?" Tate asked excitedly as they walked to his home. Sasha nodded his head. Tate gave him a blinding smile.

"I want you to meet someone." He led the way into the large home calling for a lady named Nora. A beautiful woman with perfectly coiffed blond hair revealed herself after a few minutes. She smiled at Tate who introduced her to him. Nora seemed to adore Sasha, as he was delicate and sweet natured. She also approved of the change in Tate his presence had. Though she was from an unforgiving era, she didn't seem to care about Sasha's preference to males, which relieved Sasha immensely. Tate introduced Sasha to many of the ghostly inhabitants of the home before Sasha claimed he had to go home.

After that day their new routine included them spending time at Tate's home, either playing with his siblings, of whom Sasha was not scared, or talking to Nora, whom Tate saw as more of his mother than his own mother. Sasha loved the days that he could spend with Tate. Then Tate began getting worse.

During their time on the pier, Tate began talking about darker things. Things he wanted to do to their classmates, or his mother. He even talked about how he thought he was bad or evil. Sasha always told him that he wasn't, and when Tate cried about being unloved, Sasha always reassured him that he was. He would list the people he knew loved Tate Langdon, starting with Nora and his siblings and ending with himself. Tate grew more erratic in his mood swings, and sometimes lashed out at Sasha. One time he accidently hit Sasha in the face causing a bruise. He was immediately distraught, and went about tending Sasha.

Soon Tate started pushing Sasha away, and the other students noticed. One evening they followed behind Sasha as he walked home. He had been kicked out of Tate's home by his homophobic mother, and Tate had locked himself in his room. Sasha never noticed the group of jocks until one of them struck him from behind. Sasha fell to the ground stunned and in pain. He grew scared when they jeered at him and kicked him. He grew terrified when they tore at his clothes and pissed on him. He was in an immense amount of pain by the time they were finished kicking him, and stomping on him. He blacked out when they hit his head with piece of wood.

Tate had snuck out of his house, worried about his friend, and walked down the street. He saw the group of jocks and recognized them from school. He ran towards them shouting and they ran away, leaving a bloody and broken Sasha on the ground. Tate cried as he picked Sasha up and ran to Sasha's home. The ambulance was called and Sasha's uncaring parents watched as their son was taken in the red and blue flashing vehicle.

Tate visited Sasha in the hospital once, but the boy was in a coma. The doctors were hopeful, and insisted that he would soon wake up, but it wasn't quick enough to stop the voices in Tate's mind from commanding him to take revenge.

Tate started with drugs, than found the guns. He painted his face in death's image before setting off for school. He would be Sasha's avenging angel; he would take down the true monsters that attended that school. Sasha woke from his coma at the same time Tate fired his first bullet into the skull of the lead jock. While Sasha was asking for Tate, Tate was shooting at random people. When Sasha's parents finally arrived to check on their only son, Tate was being gunned down in his home.

Sasha found out about Tate's deed and subsequent death when his parents forced him to go to school the day after he was released from the hospital. The shrine to the jocks and cheerleaders who had hurt him smiled glaringly at Sasha. The school newspaper headline stated that Tate was the mass murderer to kill his tormentors, not that anyone knew or cared that they were the ones to send Sasha to the hospital. Sasha immediately ran to the bathroom to puke. He never thought something like that would happen, he never thought that the only one who cared about him would die. The other students and teachers seemed to blame Sasha for Tate's actions, and often ostracized him in public.

Sasha grew more distant as the hate grew stronger. At the end of three days, Sasha ran crying to Tate's old home. Ms Langdon had moved next door with her daughter, and so Sasha snuck onto the property. Nora answered the door, and allowed a sobbing Sasha to clutch at her.

"I need to see him." Sasha pleaded as he hugged himself. Nora gently caressed his head, noting how thin he was.

"He doesn't remember what he did. I don't think he knows that he is dead." She told him quietly.

"I won't tell him anything, but I have to see him." He looked up at her with pleading teary eyes. Nora couldn't say no and so told him where Tate had been hiding.

"Hi Tate" Sasha sniffled looking into Tate's room. Tate lay on the bed but sat up when he heard Sasha's voice.

"Hey" he said with a smile. The smile soon slipped when he saw Sasha's state.

"Whats wrong?" he asked innocently. Sasha began sobbing anew and Tate drew him into a hug.

"I miss you!" Sasha exclaimed, clutching Tate's sweater. Tate smoothed his hand down his best friend's back.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

"It won't bring you back" Sasha stated defiantly.

"But I'll always be here if you need me" Tate said with a smile. Sasha just teared up again.

"What about out there." He stated pointing to the street that passed under Tate's window.

"What about at school." Sasha shook his head, "I can't anymore" he kept mumbling. Tate grew worried, and tried to console his only friend. Sasha left after an hour of one-on-one time with Tate, after promising to not do anything stupid.

Sasha lasted another week of torment at school and home before he felt defeated. He wandered into Tate's home, unannounced and unacknowledged. He went upstairs to the bathroom and shut the door. He pulled out the blade he had stollen away from his father's collection and turned on the hot water that Ms Langdon had never bothered to shut off. Nora noticed it first with the pipes growling. She gasped as she felt Sasha's presence. She immediately rushed to tell Tate who ran into the bathroom. By then, Sasha had split open his forearms, his life blood flowing down the drain as he sat slumped in the tub, his soaked clothes clinging to him.

Tate cried brokenly as he held his friend. He tried to cover the wounds, but he could already feel Sasha's body grow stiff. He rocked Sasha as he waited for his ghost to appear somewhere in the house. Sasha appeared in the living room and was greeted by Nora. Tate came storming into the living room and punched him before hugging him close.

"Why!" he cried clutching the boy to him.

"I couldn't deal with it anymore." Was Sasha's quiet answer, "not without you."

Sasha was helping Moira in the kitchen when he heard the car come up to the house. He and Moira vanished from view as the new owners of the home entered. Several people had come and gone from the home, some moved out and some moved on. There was a handful that died due to Tate and more who died because of his mother. Sasha was able to curb most of Tate's violent nature, but the house was good at getting Tate to do its bidding. This usually happened when Sasha went into depressed episodes due to Tate's continued ignorance of his feelings.

Sasha had long since passed the stage of puppy love, and grew into full love, but Tate never once saw him like that. Usually Sasha was okay with that, as long as he got to be close to him; but sometimes the loneliness would get too much, and Sasha would retreat depressed at his undead existence. Tate never understood, even when it was explained to him. Even Chad and Patrick, the couple Ms Langdon had murdered in her homophobic crusade, tried to explain Sasha's feelings for Tate.

Sasha watched in despair as a girl entered the house with her parents. The girl was emo, and clearly had issues with her parents, exactly the type of girl that Tate always fell for. He would claim that this was the girl he was in love with and forget about Sasha while he wooed her. Moira petted his shoulder in comfort. Sasha sniffled, before he fled toward Chad and Patrick's domain. The two might have their ups and downs in their relationship, but they stuck together, and not just because they died together.

Sasha was usually with them when he went through a depressed episode. The two were the only ones able to really comfort him as they claimed him to be their son, and gave him all sorts of boy advice. They also forced him to help them with redecorating the house, which helped to keep his mind occupied. The other plus was that they did not like Tate, and so would not allow him near their domain. It was the perfect hiding spot from the boy who didn't love him back.

Sasha left Chad and Patrick, as the two claimed they needed alone time. He thought he would be okay and went to go see what Moira was up to. The maid had her visible appearance on and was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes. Sasha gave pause when he saw Tate sitting in the chair across from the male owner of the house. They appeared to be having a counseling session.

Sasha shrunk a little more into himself when the girl came into the room and the two began flirting, despite the father's disgruntlement. Sasha said a quick hello to Moira, who smiled at him, before going to the attic to play with Beauregard, Tate's brother. Tate never noticed the aura of his friend come and go.

Violet and Tate seemed to be in their own world, and Sasha was left on the sidelines. Tate's violent tendencies were beginning to come back, but he didn't notice. Violet began to become scared of Tate, which only enraged the voices, while it made Tate sad. When she confronted him about the school massacre, he lashed out then ran. Sasha came to Violet then. Violet looked at him in slight fear and curiosity. She had never seen the small feminine boy before. Her fear soon faded as he had such a peaceful aura.

"If you can't love him, don't lead him on." He told her with sad eyes.

"How could anyone love him?" she asked, "he killed all those people!"

The boy nodded slowly before replying with "only after they tried to kill me." With that he vanished. Sasha went to find Tate, who was sobbing in the basement. Sasha curled around him, blanketing Tate in the warm presence he hadn't felt in so long.

"Sasha?" he asked, turning around. Sasha nodded at him.

"She hates me Sasha, even though I didn't do anything to her." He cried harder, feeling very unloved.

"Did I really do all those bad things?" Tate asked with a sniff. Sasha pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"There were extenuating circumstances" he stated. Tate glared,
"Did I kill those innocent people?"

"They weren't innocent, but you did kill them." Sasha said calmly. He tried to draw Tate back into a hug but he pulled away.

"So I am a monster." He cried, Sasha fiercely denied that statement. He cried as Tate didn't remember why he killed them in the first place, and didn't believe him when he told him everything.

"She will leave me. Everyone leaves me. No one loves me. Who could love a monster?" Tate cried out again and again. Each time Sasha tried to bring him back, to make him listen, but the voices in Tate's head were too loud. Tate left Sasha alone in the basement, as he went to wreak havoc on the family that lived there. Sasha was listless. He wished he could die again, just so he could leave this place of loneliness. He was becoming fainter as time went on, and Tate ignored his feelings. The other ghosts tried to engage him, Moira, Chad, and Patrick especially, but their efforts were failing as Sasha's depressed episodes grew longer and Tate's infatuation with Violet grew stronger.

Then Violet died, and cursed Tate away. Tate, in his anguish, did what he always did when something like this happened. He sought out Sasha. By this time Sasha was listlessly staring out the attic window at nothing. Tate came up to him and leaned against him, hoping for Sasha to start petting his hair like always.

"Sasha?" he asked when his friend didn't react. Sasha stayed still. "Sasha?" Tate asked again this time poking him.

"He is becoming unaware." Nora said, appearing in the attic. Tate looked at her confused.

"Why?"

"He is lonely. He is sad." She said with a gentle smile.

"But he has me." Tate said bewildered. Nora shook her head gently.

"He has pined for you, you never noticed."

"What do you mean?"

"The boy loves you, you stupid brat!" Chad burst into the basement to berate the spoiled boy.

"He has loved you since before you died, and not once did you ever notice!"

"He never said" Tate said defensively, but he looked at his despondent friend, who remained unaware of his surroundings.

"He has, dear one." Nora said softly. She faded from sight, Chad glared at him before taking his own leave. Tate stared at Sasha, who stared listlessly out the window.

"Sasha?" Tate said quietly. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to leave you." He pulled Sasha into a hug, and began stroking Sasha's hair, as Sasha so often did for him.

"You're my best friend, Sasha," then scoffed "my only friend. I need you here."

"I can't anymore" Sasha said, slowly coming back to awareness. He sighed sadly as he relaxed in Tate's strong arms.

"I can't keep watching you love a girl who only grows to hate you. I can't keep watching you fall in love with others anymore." Sasha said downcast.

"I won't Sasha; it will just be you and me. Violet hates me anyway." Tate said encouraging his friend to come back to full awareness. He was still very transparent and Tate didn't like it. Neither did the voices.

"Sasha, please don't leave me. You said you would never leave me." Tate said as he began crying again. He hated when he cried, it showed weakness and he wanted to stay strong for Sasha. However, he let more of his heart broken tears flow when he saw that Sasha became a little more solid. He talked about how he couldn't do well without him and that if he faded, that Tate would soon follow. Tate finally sealed the deal when he kissed Sasha on the cheek.

"Tate?" Sasha asked uncertain as his head became less foggy. Tate clutched him closer, silently crying into his hair. "Tate, what's wrong?"

"You were going to leave me." He cried, "You can't leave me, you promised."

"I didn't think you needed me, you have Violet." Sasha said quietly, happily soaking up the warmth of Tate's tight embrace.

"I hate her!" Tate snarled, "I won't leave you again, so don't go away." He said gripping Sasha close.

"I won't Tate" Sasha smiled, returning Tate's hug "I love you".

"What?" Tate sniffled, pulling back.

"I love you." Sasha said peering up at him from beneath black bangs. Tate blinked wetly, before lowering his face to Sasha's. He gave the boy a chaste kiss before withdrawing. Sasha looked at him in shock.
"Tate?" he asked uncertain. Tate frowned and leaned down to kiss Sasha again. When he still got no response, Tate continued to kiss him. Finally Sasha reacted to the kiss with a soft sigh. Tate happily began to snog him till they were both breathless.

"Let's go to my room?" Tate questioned, and smiled when Sasha nodded shyly.

Tate helped Sasha to his feet and led the way to his bedroom, already decked out with how it was when he was alive. He wanted to do this with Sasha because it would make his friend happy, but also because he was really horny and hadn't had sex with anyone in a long time. Tate was gentle and hesitant when he skimmed his fingers along Sasha's body. Sasha lay still, letting Tate take the lead, knowing that Tate had never experienced this kind of intimacy with a boy before. As they progressed in their love making, Tate kept looking to Sasha for direction, which he gave gently.

Sasha felt as if his whole body was alight. Everywhere Tate touched elicited a gasp of pleasure. It was an ego boost for Tate, who was still recovering from the dismissal of Violet. Sasha reached for Tate, drawing him closer. He sighed in contentment when Tate feathered kisses across his face and along his jaw.

Sasha was finally experiencing what he had thought could only exist in fantasies. Tate was here, with him, making love with him. Violet and the other girls no longer held any sway over Tate. Sasha still wouldn't let himself believe that Tate loved him, though he could trust in the knowledge that Tate cared for him, and that he loved Tate.

Tate entered Sasha slowly, causing the boy to gasp. When Tate stilled, Sasha nudged him to continue. Tate had never experienced the tight heat that surrounded him. He felt it much better than being in a girl. He slowly rocked his hips, hoping to help Sasha adjust faster to his girth. When Sasha gave him a signal to continue, Tate found he couldn't hold back and began ramming into Sasha over and over. By some miracle he kept hitting Sasha's sweet spot causing the boy to gasp and moan in pleasure instead of shifting in discomfort or pain.

Tate knew he wouldn't be able to last long and so grabbed hold of Sasha's member, pumping in time to his thrusts. Sasha climaxed soon thereafter, his pulsing heat driving Tate over the edge. Slipping out of Sasha, Tate curled up around the boy, giving in to his need for cuddles. Sasha was happily blissed out, and snuggled into Tate's embrace.

Ghosts couldn't sleep, yet Tate found himself tired. He lay in bed curled around his best friend with his eyes closed, feigning sleep, Sasha doing the same. Tate was so happy that Sasha stayed with him, and vowed to not mess up again. The voices in his head had quieted down, once more content, leaving Tate in blissful peace. They stayed curled together for hours, only to stir when the occupants of the house roused them.

Violet's parents were still unaware that their daughter had died, and she wanted to keep it that way. She kept up the pretense of living, joining them for meals, going to the bathroom, etc. However, there were some things she couldn't do, like leave the house. So she became even moodier and withdrawn than when she was still alive. It drove her mother to tears, and her father would yell at her.

Then Violet's mom found out about the ghosts that inhabited their house. The woman couldn't handle it anymore, she went into a full on panic attack, and went into labor. Of course Ms. Langdon came to investigate the screams and cries of pain, and found Ms. Harmon lying in a pool of blood, writhing in pain. She, being the kind neighbor she was, helped Ms. Harmon give birth to twins, one dead the other alive. Ms. Langdon handed the ghost baby to Nora, who hovered nearby, the corpse wrapped at the side. The live baby was taken and lovingly wrapped by Ms. Langdon. Even as Ms. Harmon reached for her baby, Ms. Langdon scoffed at her, "you need your rest darling, I'll take of this little angel for you." She gave the bleeding woman a fake smile and left the woman to bleed out and die.

Violet found her mother's corpse and cried, sobbing over her until she heard a confused voice from the entry way.

"Where am I? Where's my baby?"

Violet got up and ran to her mother, hugging her tight. The other ghostly residents gathered to watch, Tate and Sasha at the balcony, Moira in front of the two women.

"Nora has the child right now. That baby is going to be in hot demand it seems." She said with a wry grin.

"My baby?" Ms. Harmon asked confused. Moira led the two women away, leaving the entry way dark and cold. Mr. Harmon soon came to visit, only to find the house empty, dark, and cold.

"Hello? Where is everyone?" He called. He searched the house before coming into the drawing room where his wife's corpse lay cooling in a dried pool of blood.

"Oh my God." He staggered toward her, falling to his knees.

"Violet!" he called to his daughter, "Anyone? Someone call 911!" he cried. He got to his feet and ran around the house, in search of anything that could help. When he ran up the stairs, the ghost of his ex-girlfriend was there to greet him.

"Hello Ben." She said with a sweet smile. Mr. Harmon looked at her, pale faced and sweat shined.

"You're not real" he stammered.

"Oh, but I am. And now we can be together forever." She said with a crazed smile as she pushed him over the edge. He landed on his head, shattering his skull and snapping his neck. He died on impact, leaving his ghost to stare at his body in dumfounded confusion.

Paramedics and police arrived a little later due to a call made by a concerned neighbor. They found the elder Harmons where they lay, and after some searching through the house and basement, they found the decomposing corpse of the young Harmon. The bodies were bagged and taken away by the coroner as the police got the county to look into finding any next of kin. The Harmons retreated from all of the other ghosts except for Moira, which suited Tate and Sasha fine. The two boys had taken to spending most of their time either in Tate's bedroom or the attic with Beau. Sasha was in seventh heaven, and the voices that plagued Tate were quiet and content. Tate looked down at Sasha who was sketching a figure in his book. "I love you too." Tate told him with a small smile.