AN: Another Post from My Archive. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This one will have several chapters up tonight… Perhaps….
Chapter One:
Sam laughed as Rian cracked a joke, his emerald eyes sparkling with life and it was nice to see. The Med student was entirely too serious most of the time, but it was times like this that Sam remembered why he had slowly fallen in love with his friend. The Emerald eyed boy was running from something though. He was always looking for exits, and entirely too jumpy. He refused to speak of his past, worse than Sam in that aspect. Sam had no clue of where Hadrian Orion Prince came from, except that he had an English accent that he tried to hide, but it slipped when he was drinking. It was hot to tell the truth.
Rian leaned into him a little, looking a bit dizzy as he drank some more and Sam relished the warmth seeping from his friend. It was the end of finals and they were 'celebrating. A knock on the door had Rian Jumping a little, and Sam soothed him automatically as their friend Jessie's voice drifted in. Rian looked at him apologetically and he waved it off as Jessie entered their dorm. She rolled her eyes at the alcohol, but grinned at the already buzzing Rian.
"Hey Doc, enjoying the liquid fire, and human heater are we?" She teased, sitting down. Rian tugged her over and threw and arm around her. He pressed a playful kiss to her cheek as she giggled, cuddling closer.
"Yes. Come drink Ms. Lawyer. Mr. Lawyer is a good heater too." He murmured, the English accent deepening more. Jess laughed as she leaned forward and poured herself a generous drink. She finished it off in one go and made another, ignoring the taunting whistle Sam let loose. The three friends relaxed and drank for most of the night.
X - - X - - X - - X - - X -
Sam woke up the next morning cuddled with Jess, the space he remembered being occupied by Rian empty. He didn't think about it too much until his phone went off, the tone he assigned to campus wide alerts blaring. He scrambled for it, his heart pounding. The text asked all students to stay indoors, a building had blown up, and shots had been heard.
Shaking he called out for Rian, too see if he was in the room somewhere or if he was out. He prayed to a god he didn't believe in that Rian was here, and it may just be his friend's paranoia but he was scared for him. There was no answer though and he looked at the door, contemplating going out and looking for him. A hand touching his arm had him jumping, and he swung to look at Jessie, who had her phone too.
"Call him." She demanded. Sam nodded, pressing the buttons numbly. Rian's ringtone went off at his desk- he'd forgotten his phone when he left. Biting his lip Sam got up and wandered to his friend's desk. There was a note taped to his computer screen.
"Sexy and Sexier, have to run over to the Student Center then hit the store, be back in an hour- probably before you guys wake up. If I'm not then I give you permission to ravish each other and prepare for round two of celebrations. Rian, P.S. Hang a sock on the door if you Ravish eachother though' Sam read outloud as Jessie turned on the television.
The news was on with a special report, showing the Student Center still on fire, students were being dragged out, and there were people bleeding everywhere. Sam dropped to the floor, praying that Rian had finished his business there before this happened.
X - - X - - X - - X - - X -
Jessie held Sam as the memorial went on. Rian's name was read and both friends bit back tears. They hadn't found his body, but Rian's card had been swiped 5 minutes before the explosion and no one could find him. One of the students that had made it out had seen him under something, or so they claimed, but the fire had burned hot, and it hadn't gone out normally. Sam was pale as the service ended.
Packing Rian's things had been the hardest thing that he had ever done, but he had, and he put them in a storage container. The school didn't have any contact information for whoever may want it, and he didn't feel like giving up his only connection to the other boy. Jessie had him move into her apartment after finding him drunk five times in one week, not trusting him on his own.
He cursed the world in the first few months, especially whoever Rian had been running from. They couldn't tell how the explosion had taken place, and he thought the past that Rian was scared of had snuck up on him when he finally let his guard down. He'd find out one day, and he'd make them pay.