| Tahiti |
I don't really remember what I was thinking about. It's my parents, always my parents. I think. No. Something more specific. Think I heard a bird. Swans, that's what it was. That memory. It was them. "Maybe we'll get lucky," he'd said. "Maybe we'll see the swans." The balloon was in my hand. They were both smiling down at me. I was at them. Simpler times before. No. It wasn't swans. I was thinking about disappearing. Trying not to. Not to disappear for no good reason. Willie.
"Oh god," Marcus said, his eyes opening. He tried to get up but moving wasn't there. The pain immediately rushed in.
"You're awake," Billy said. Marcus heard a creak and then he was looking up at the other's bright eyes and green hair.
"Where are we?" Marcus looked around best he could, noting that all his surroundings were new and none of which were decipherable. Marcus could tell by the feel under his unburnt hand that he was on a couch. A shitty cloth—yellow as it turned out—couch.
"Tahiti," Billy said, dropping down to crouch next to him.
The brunette's face scrunched. "What?"
"Tahiti," the punk said. "At least, that's where he told me we were."
"So we're not…"
"On that beach we talked about? No, sorry, buddy, we had to make a stop in purgatory."
"Willie? Fuck, he was on the roof."
"Alright, calm…you're gonna' tear out all those stiches." Billy rested his hand over Marcus.' "Willie's recovering in another room. Apparently wounds from a gunshot and a katana heal differently. Who knew?" the lankier boy said, that whimsical smile flashing his teeth.
"Petra?"
"In the wind."
"In the wind?"
"She's the one that gave up our location. Turned on us…me."
"Billy…"
"I mean kinda,'" Billy said, standing back up and taking a step away, his back to the half-Nicaraguan. He ran his hand through his hair, Marcus doing his best to keep his focus on his fellow-rat. "She tried to kill me. Rather, poison me? When I came to, there was this taste on my tongue and a note crumbled in my hand. 'Sorry.'"
"I'm sorry."
Billy scoffed, turning around to look at him. "You didn't do it. But hey, you've still got me."
"I…I doubted you. Back there."
"You thought I gave us up."
"Billy, I've been fucked up."
"I told you, gotta' lay off that wacky tobaccy," Billy said with a smile. Marcus's expression dropped. He'd never told anyone about the 50s trip in the hotel room. "What?"
"Why'd you say that?"
"Wacky tobaccy?" Marcus nodded. Billy simply shrugged. "What do you think us punks are rebelling against?"
Marcus smiled. "You said that to me…back in Vegas."
"I did?"
"Well…when I was…out…"
"Ah…checked out." Billy crouched back down, smiling at his friend. "Good to know my crazy acid self is spot on with my actual crazy self."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm very impressionable."
"No…about doubting you."
"If I can understand Petra, you've got nothing to worry about."
"Do you? Understand Petra?"
"Finals were…that was quite the night. She did what she thought was best for her. To survive." He looked away for a moment before looking back into Marcus' face. "I'm pissed. I mean look at you, you're useless to me like this." Billy smiled at the other, hoping he'd take his words as a joke.
"I'm no better," he said.
"Marcus," Billy started, knowing what he was going to say.
"I got Lex killed."
"The worst thing about your narcissistic tendencies," Billy said, poking at the boy's exposed arm, "is that you think you're not just the center of everything bad, but you're the cause. News flash, you never met my dad before Vegas and I still got to King's with that pummeled face."
"Okay."
"Good. Now, just like you're not supposed to drink lying down, you're probably not supposed to smoke lying down either. That said, I always keep a spare," Billy said, retrieving a joint from inside his jacket, that wicked and wild smile back on his face. "Fancy a little medicine?"
"Not in my apartment you're not," Jurgen said, walking into the room.
"You?" Marcus said.
"Hello, Marcus."
"But Lin…Gao…?"
"Haven't caught up to me yet."
"So no 'greater opportunities?'"
Jurgen smiled at him. "We had…irreconcilable differences…and we'll just leave it at that."
"The final exam. You warned me but, Jesus, I never imagined this." Marcus looked at Billy and smiled grimly. He looked back at Jurgen. "Where are we? How long have we been here?"
"A week," Willie said, walking into the room just as shirtless and bandaged as Marcus.
"Hey," Marcus said, his face lighting up.
"Holding up?" Willie said, taking the chair in the corner by the door.
"Yeah. You?"
"Yeah."
"This is a safe house," Jurgen said. "There're no windows, only one way in. You should stay until you're fully recovered. When you have, go back to King's. You survived. You passed. Lin will have no choice but to let you back."
"No choice?"
"Marcus, you need to know some things. About Lin, about your roommate, and about Saya. Why they're gunning for you."
/ | * | * | \
Tomorrow. They were going back tomorrow. Back into the snake pit. The hell they called home. It had been a month since the finals. The culling. Who knows who was alive and who wasn't. Lex, Petra, and Billy weren't the only rats Marcus knew of; they were just his friends. It was a bloodbath getting out of there. He and Petra had killed a lot of people. They would hate him even more. You would think at a school for killing that it wouldn't be personal. But it was. It always was.
Marcus was sitting on the rooftop, hiding by one of the air-conditioning units, one that was broken. His wrapping were off, now just a large bandage on both his chest and his back. Saya had missed his heart and his spine. Three inches from his heart and one from his lung. Luck. Sympathy. Incompetence. Each of those were plausible. Why hadn't she just decapitated him? Did she want him to live? He remembered Billy's words. "If I can understand Petra…she did what she thought was best for her. To survive." Was it even the same?
"There you are," came Billy's voice. Marcus' vision returned to normal, returned to the world before him. He looked up at the punk, reality pulling him out of his thoughts. "If you're wallowing up here…" the green-haired boy said, point his finger at the other.
"I'm not, promise," Marcus said, smiling but looking away.
"Gotta' work on your tell, buddy," Billy said, taking a seat next to him.
"I'll put it on my to-do list."
"So who's eating you the most?" Marcus shrugged. "Master Lin? Master Gao? Viktor? Shabnam?" Billy paused. "Saya?"
"All of the above."
"Well, tomorrow's gonna' suck. Hopefully we don't die. I'd like not to die. Living is just starting to be interesting."
"Only just now?" Marcus said, smirking.
"Well, the last few months or so. Company's good," Billy said, bumping his shoulder into his friend's.
"Yeah, you're alright," Marcus said, his smile only widening.
"I know we were high, but I appreciate you, too." They both looked at each other, smiles sincere. Marcus held out his hand. Billy took it and squeezed. "Sincerity, man. Fuck."
"Hah, yeah, sincerity," Marcus said through his laugh. He looked out at the city, the familiar city full of horrors.
"Okay, we're smoking this. Jurgen can kiss my ass."
"We aren't technically in his apartment."
"That we aren't." Billy dug hard into his pocket, bringing the lighter up to the end of the joint in his mouth. He took a drag and sighed, eyes rolling in his head.
"Gimme' summa' that," Marcus said, taking it from the other's fingers. The brunette let his head thump against the concrete as he inhaled. "Jurgen's cooked meds are fine, but damn."
"Yeah." Billy took the blunt from Marcus' hand, his fingers lingering a second longer than usual. He blamed the slowing effect of the marijuana, but when Marcus turned to look at him again he felt it. "I love you, Billy." "What do you remember from that night?"
"Everything," Marcus said, not taking his eyes away.
"Even…what did you mean by that?"
"I was high. I'd been fucked over. Fucked up." He took Billy's hand, bringing both it and the joint up. He took a drag. "I meant it like it sounded. I trust you. The only one I trust."
Billy felt the heart beating in his chest rock him a little forward. He leaned over and Marcus closed his eyes as their noses brushed. Their hands with the blunt remained clasped as their lips clamored at each other. Kissing Billy wasn't like Maria or Saya. Kissing Billy was rough, enflamed. There was a need more than there was a passion. Kissing Billy was…great.
Marcus stuffed the joint out and dropped it to the ground. He brought his free hand to grasp at Billy's undershirt, rubbing his thumb over the boy's nipple. "Ah…" Billy gasped, their lips suddenly separated. They stopped, looking at each other's eyes as they breathed harder against the other's lips. "This is…"
"Okay?"
"Okay," Billy said, smiling, that wildness surfacing again.
"Good. Because I do love you, Billy," Marcus said, leaning forward again and claiming his lips. He pushed his tongue at Billy's crease, the aggressiveness earning him instant access. Billy gasped through his nose, his hands doing their best to find a steadying grip on the brunette's body. The taller boy, however, moved before he could get his hold. Marcus moved up and around, sitting in Billy's lap, forcing the punk to let his legs fall straight. Marcus straddled him, bringing his hands right to the base of Billy's neck. The green-haired boy felt the weight of his friend, the pressure on his dick. He ground upward, the need overwhelming his control. Marcus pulled to remove his t-shirt, throwing it to the side. Billy took one scan of his scarred chest before taking a nipple into his mouth. Marcus' back arched into it, his head falling back as he groaned.
"I love you, too," Billy said, tonguing at the dark nub as he reached back and grabbed at Marcus' ass. He pulled him down as he ground up against him, feeling his dick surge with delight as he felt Marcus' boner press against his abdomen. "You wanna' fuck?"
"Yeah," Marcus breathed.
"Okay if I top?"
"Yeah," Marcus said, grinding down.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Marcus reached behind himself and grabbed at the waistband of his sweats.
"Up."
Marcus nodded, looking at their surroundings. He walked over to a shorter unit and leaned on it. Billy looked at this presentation and tore off his wifebeater before walking over. He pressed his clothed erection against Marcus' crease as he leaned over to kiss his ear. "I've never done this before," Billy said, running his hands along the boy's sides and around his torso.
"I have. Once."
"You have?"
"Cost of living on the streets."
"You want me to?"
"Yeah." Billy kissed the back of Marcus' neck and moved just enough away to pull their pants down to their knees. He looked over his friend's exposed backside, his skin scarred from head to toe even down there. Marcus looked back at him, his pupils blown. He was smiling, though his eyes were nervous. "Just prep me first."
"Yeah," Billy said, rubbing his hand over the taller boy's lower back. "Fuck."
"Spit. Fingers," Marcus said, seeing the uncertainty.
"On it." Marcus looked forward again as Billy brought his fingers up to his mouth. "Hey, uh, you haven't had any burritos lately, right?"
"No?"
"Okay. I…let me know if this is weird." Billy crouched down, leaving his hand at Marcus' lower back. He leaned forward and pushed his face between the brunette's cheeks, tongue slowing swiping at his hole.
"Oh shit." He reached back and guided his hand into the green mohawk.
Billy licked and prodded at him, his other hand to rub up and down his thigh. It dawned on him that Marcus didn't mean this, but he'd heard about this before; Lex was a talker. He brought his hands to Marcus' cheeks, taking hold and spreading him. The moan that escaped the taller boy probably could be heard from the street. Billy got his tongue deep, and firm. He pulled away, standing, and pushed a finger at Marcus' hole. The brunette pushed back at it and Billy leaned over to tongue at the cross-shaped scar on his left shoulder-blade.
Seconds passed and Billy was pushing his middle finger in, too. "This okay?"
"Yeah."
"Marcus…" Billy sighed, feeling his dick throb and leak against Marcus' ass cheek.
"Fuck."
"Can I?"
"Yeah."
"You're ready?"
Marcus nodded. "Do it." Billy watched his friend. Marcus could feel the gaze and turned. Billy leaned forward and their lips pressed together. Billy pushed his tongue into Marcus' mouth and the taller boy moaned, a rush of hot air escaping through his nose. "C'mon," Marcus sighed.
"Fuck." Billy straightened up. Marcus fell back into his arch. The shorter boy spat into his hand and coated his dick. Fuck he was hard. The high though, it was all getting to him. He lined himself up and started pushing forward. Marcus' body tensed. "You okay?"
"Hah…yeah. Keep going."
Billy moved again, sinking as far as those tight rings would let him. His hips pushed against Marcus' buns, doing his best to get in just that much more. "Oh my god."
"Billy…" Marcus sighed. Billy's body jerked, feeling Marcus tighten around him. "Don't…not yet."
"'Kay." Billy rested a hand on the lower back before him, seeing a sheen of sweat starting to form on his skin. He leaned over and pressed a kiss in the dip in the other's back. "You feel amazing."
Marcus' head fell between his outstretched arms as he groaned. "Fuck, Billy…"
"Y'good?"
"Yeah."
Billy pulled back and thrust back in, never once pulling away from his back. Marcus groaned and Billy wrapped his arms around the brunette's torso. He started humping at him, breathing and moaning hard against the other's slickening skin. Marcus was groaning, gasping aloud every time a sensitive nerve was struck. Billy had no sense of anatomy, no sense of awareness, and Marcus was lost in the fullness his friend was giving him.
Billy's grip tightened around Marcus' torso. The taller boy reached back and grabbed at the green-haired boy's mohawk, forcing his head tighter against his back. "Ah!" Marcus moaned, feeling a direct hit to his prostate.
"Yeah…" Billy moaned, feeling Marcus' walls clench around him.
"Hnn." Billy picked up speed, pulling just slightly away to pound at him harder. "Oh, yeah," Marcus gasped.
"Fuck…I can't believe I'm fucking my friend." Billy's eyes were shut. He was lost.
"Fuck yeah, fuck me," Marcus said, feeling Billy's hand move up and tighten in his curls. "Rrnnh."
"Marcus…fuck…"
Marcus felt it. He didn't feel it last time. He'd made sure. But this was Billy. Billy, the boy he trusted. Billy was coming inside him, squeezing at his hip, clenching at his hair. Marcus moaned, letting go of the grip on his dick and pumping at himself. He fucked himself on Billy's dick, the punk meeting with thrusts just the same. Marcus came two strikes to his prostate later, moaning into a whine. Billy crashed against Marcus' back, the tightening and clenching on his sensitive dick too much for him.
"Fuck, Billy…"
"Yeah…"
/ | * | * | \
Marcus threw his bag over his shoulder. He'd come right back for the box. That was when Shabnam entered their room. "Hey, Marcus," he said slowly, more confused than anything.
"Moving into Billy's."
"Oh, yeah, Lex and all."
"Yeah. Be right back." Marcus walked out of the room, feeling the rise in his bones. He walked down the hall and into the open room. Billy was lying on his bed, headphones of his ears, foot tapping in time with the music that escaped loudly. Marcus smiled at the song. Should I Stay or Should I Go. "Fuckin' irony," he muttered, dropping his bag at the foot of the vacant bed. He started back down he hall toward his old room. Shabnam was leaning against his desk.
"Say, Marcus—"
Marcus turned at his voice, punching him hard on the bridge of his nose, snapping his glasses. "Everything just got worse for you," Marcus said into the bent over boy's ears. "You crossed the wrong psycho." Marcus picked up his box and walked out of the room for the last time. He closed his new door behind him, placing the box on his new bed. He sat down, looking at the "Clown Prison" poster on the opposing wall. He followed through the trail of decorations, only to find Billy looking at him with a wild smile.
"Hey rat," Billy said, his eyebrows dancing up and down.
"We're legacy now," Marcus said, smiling back at him.
"Once a rat, always a rat."
"Maybe."
"Y'know, rabbits and rats have something in common."
"Do they now?" Marcus said, crossing his arms but smirking expectantly.
"Yeah, uh, why don't you come over here and let your new lab partner show you."
"This term is gonna' rock," Marcus said, getting up and crashing on top of Billy, their lips finding each other with ease.
