Averting his fellow students' gaze Theta tiptoed over to the bench.
He got undressed quickly, still looking awkwardly around with a frozen, sheepish expression.
Taking a deep breath Theta sidled through the small gap between the students, who took no notice of him whatsoever, and the lockers.
He hurried past his colleagues who were clustering around the towel rack and made a desperate attempt to dive headlong into the shower ahead.
Theta had never been bothered by the fact that the showers lacked partitions.
Until today.
The other students barely took any notice of him.
Relaxing slowly Theta finally breathed out and leaned against the moist tilled wall.
To his dismay he discovered that Koschei was already there, searching for the closest unoccupied shower and taking up a position nearer than he was currently comfortable with.
Alright. As long as he wouldn't turn his back on anyone or make any sudden movements no one would...
"Were you shagging a porcupine?"
He caught a glimpse of the whimsical smile from the student beside him and heard the sniggering from behind his back.
Theta closed his eyes while slowly banging his head against the wall.
Damn.
And then, as the students slowly closed in on him all hell broke loose.
"What in any God's name happen to your back?"
"What did you do?"
"Let's have a look, shall we?"
"That looks disgusting. Is it still infectious?"
"Why should it be infectious?"
"Just look! Whatever attacked him must have caught rabies!"
"Koschei doesn't have rabies."
Unanimously the students fell silent. With the mob's eyes resting on Koschei washing himself the voice of the last voice added hesitantly: "Does he?"
Koschei's gaze travelled over Theta indifferently. As he caught sight of the worried faces in front of him his grin broadened.
This seemed to relieve tension a bit as his fellow students visibly relaxed.
Theta buried his face in a hand while turning up the water temperature.
Glances were exchanged, the sniggering continued in a shameless up-front sort of way and suddenly Koschei was centre of attention.
Theta tried not to look any of his colleagues in the eye, let alone dare catch a glimpse of Koschei's face as the tongues kept wagging and approached below the belt-matters quite forthright.
"Aw, Koschei! You're not the one to mince matters."
"Well of course, he's not just mincing but scratching and biting as well."
"You really should take it easy on him. This looks as if you'd nearly broken his ribcage."
"Was he non-compliant?"
"I bet he's really naughty. Always winking so lecherously and his bedroom eyes... look how shyly he's averting your gaze."
"I think you really overdid it this time."
"Have you seen him rushing in? He can hardly walk. You're demanding too much from him."
"Oh, come on. As if Theta wouldn't enjoy it..."
While still smiling nonchalantly Koschei very deliberately cut him short: "Alright, that's enough. Though I'm quite flattered that you participate in my affairs," and there was the shared snigger again, "with real concern. And if you really don't mind I'd like to have a quick word with said object of many a person's great affection."
Out of the corner of his eyes Theta perceived the approving nods and pats on the back Koschei received as the other students ambled out.
Damn, damn, damn!
Koschei's smug smile faded as soon as the last of their colleagues had left the room. He sighed as he approached Theta slowly.
Theta, feeling cornered, turned his treacherous back on Koschei and clamped his arms over his chest.
Koschei put it as bluntly as he could:
"To whom do I own this?"
"Just go away Koschei," whispered Theta through gritted teeth as he turned up the hot water again.
"No, seriously, I'm away for three days and as soon as I get back I can't even have a modest shower before I'm held responsible for those..." having said that, Koschei touched the thick, dark red marks on Theta's back gingerly. Theta shivered.
"Someone's been living up to my name."
Theta sighed barely audible.
"Please Koschei, I don't want to talk about it."
"Great, because neither do I."
Puzzled as he was Theta turned around; what puzzled him even more was the fact that Koschei was complete calm and poised.
"What do you mean by that?" Theta replied cautiously, fundamentally irritated by a detached Koschei.
"To correct that thought inside your mind I'm not detached I simply don't care," Koschei remarked.
Inevitably Theta reached for his temples, covering them with his fingers in an insufficient attempt to shield his thoughts. "Stay out of my mind," he snapped unwontedly empathic.
"Why?" Koschei asked and for just a fraction of second there seemed to be glint in his eyes as he pursued a thought, "Is there anything inside there that you don't want me to find?"
Theta, rushing through the stagy of 'rather concerned' before smashing right into 'extreme panic', stared at him in pure terror.
Koschei chuckled before patting Theta on the back, paying heed not to touch the tortured flesh.
"It's alright, I don't care," he replied, meeting Theta's disbelieving glare.
"Since when?" Theta snapped and folded his arms in front of his chest.
Seeking the warmth of the shower Koschei huddled against him, a forefinger blazing the water's trails on his wet skin.
"How come you don't care about me?" Theta asked critically.
"I do care about you," Koschei replied while nibbling on his ear, "I simply don't care about what you're doing when I'm not around."
"I don't believe you," retorted Theta, "You're the jealous type."
"Look," Koschei said while stroking his cheek amicably "Everything's fine.
Right now I'm just trying to placate you."
"You never try to placate me, I don't need placating," Theta babbled, still searching his thoughts for any signs of Koschei's raking-up-everything mind.
"I could rummage through your thoughts and memory without you even noticing it," Koschei informed him while nestling up against him, "But I respect your privacy."
"You never do that," Theta snarled, "You just enjoy tantalizing me."
Pushing aside Koschei and turning his back on him he added: "You're so selfish."
"Theta, you're the one who's selfish," Koschei replied, his lips contorting into the grin that annoyed him so much, "You were fussing about someone and now you're making a fuss about it."
Over his shoulder Theta glared at him in silence before staring at the floor.
"There. I've said it," leaning closer to his ear Koschei whispered: "Satisfied?"
He ran his fingers through Theta's hair, the silence of the bashful moment only disturbed by the constant dripping sound of water.
"You're really pushing yourself too hard," Koschei proceeded and Theta couldn't help noticing the lewd glint in Koschei's eyes, "Of course I'd really like..."
"Don't push your luck," Theta cut him off, attaching more importance to the word in question than he was actually comfortable with.
Koschei sniggered shamelessly, his hands brushing over Theta's bare skin.
Theta sighed and started tugging at his hands: "I mean it, Koschei, I don't think we..."
"Do you feel...guilty?" Koschei asked, unwilling to desist from Theta's tempting body.
Theta opened his mouth and shut it again, owing Koschei another reply. He stared at his feet and stifled a remorseful sigh.
Koschei stopped grinning; he was leering again.
"Well, you could make it up to me."
Theta said nothing. He bit his lower lip and took a deep breath in the hot silence.
Then he dug his nails into Koschei's shoulders and flung him against the tilled wall.
"You're a bastard," Theta growled while catching his breath but he didn't sound as convinced as he'd hoped.
Koschei panted while letting his gaze travel downwards; and sniggered.
Oh dear, Theta could barely hide his excitement...
And then he pounced.
Theta was forced against the wall, spread-eagled, and moaning quietly. He was shivering, partly out of lust but mainly because of the sudden cold that had gripped his body. Though it wasn't nearly as bad as Koschei's steely grip...
Pinning Theta's legs against the wall with his knees, Koschei moved closer, forcing his body unto Theta's trembling skin. With an urge so strong to shag him senseless right this minute that he could barely handle it, Koschei gripped Theta's haunches and dug his nails into them. He smiled at the throttled scream which escaped Theta's lungs.
"Oh no, don't hold back, I really won't give you the satisfaction," Koschei groaned while biting his lower lip. Not losing control right now was harder than expected... at the sight of Theta's quivering shape...at the touch of the soft flesh, the soft and begging flesh...
Theta moaned and was about to flail his arms again, desperately trying to escape Koschei's unyielding fingers when Koschei retrieve one hand, holding him in place with just the other one, before clawing at his back.
Theta cried out in surprise. He was overwhelmed by this painful and sudden attack, yes, and he felt tears welling up as the recently beaten skin broke, and yet...
And yet he couldn't hold back his arousal.
Koschei's pulsating limb brushed against his thighs as he clasped his fingers around Theta's wrists, squeezing them until Theta would elicit an agonised moan.
Unintentionally Theta blushed at the feeling of his own neglected member poking the tilled wall for lack of anything to the fore.
He bit back a yelp and hissed as Koschei slapped his shoulders.
"It's a beautiful pain, isn't it?" Koschei said and lunged out again, "You really should have told me about your fetish."
"It's not a fetish," snapped Theta but was cut off by a gasp and a pricking feeling on his hips, "it's an... inclination."
"You mean a pathological fixation," he took a quick glance at a riled Theta, "or conditioning?"
"Just shut up," growled Theta through gritted teeth. Koschei could really strike harder than he'd given him credit for. And though it was pleasurable he couldn't help chafing at Koschei for knowing on which parts of the body he enjoyed the rough treatment most...
"And why, pray, should I've told you about it? It's none of your business," snarled Theta.
"Being painful is what our friendship is all about."
"But not like this," hissed Theta and bit his lower lip.
Koschei chuckled. His hands clasping Theta's thighs, he leaned closer and whispered into his ear, his tongue titillating his moist skin: "Just relax."
White, hot bliss shot through Theta's body as Koschei entered him as ruthless and forceful as ever.
He sagged into Koschei's arms, wincing and whimpering quietly.
Tears bedabbled his cheeks and were washed away before he closed his eyes, surrendering to Koschei's rough procedure.
His hearts were racing, his chest seized up and he was slowly choking as Koschei bit into his neck, drawing blood and leaving marks all over his skin.
Koschei pounded him shamelessly, driving his unresisting body against the tilled wall, pushing harder and harder, feeling his skin bruising and breaking, sensing the twitching in his legs as Theta tried to...
Koschei's free hand darted forward and he grabbed Theta's cock and squeezed it hard, eliciting not only a moan but an annoyed whine as well.
Koschei grinned while catching his breath: "Now, you'll try and behave and hold back or I'll beat you black and blue," he panted again, "quite literally."
Theta bit back the tears that threatened to gush from his tightly shut lids as Koschei slammed him against the wall until he'd hear a cracking noise from his pelvis.
Theta yelped as Koschei buried his fingers in his hair and pulled back his head while he penetrated him ruthlessly.
"I love it when your body starts glowing like this," Koschei panted while burying his limb deeper in Theta as his healing energy enclosed him, "and the best part is that I'll just have to wait until your pelvis has coalesced and then I get to break it again."
"Koschei, please," whined Theta, "Please stop."
Koschei kissed his neck tenderly while ploughing his broken pelvis.
"It will heal soon," Koschei said soothingly.
"Kosch..." Theta began again but broke into a whimper as Koschei picked up the pace again.
"Just relax," Koschei whispered quietly.
Tears streaming down his face, Theta was held against the wall by Koschei with not enough strength left inside to support his own weight.
Koschei held his breath while pushing and thrusting senselessly into him, biting and nicking every bit of exposed skin with tormenting rigour.
Diving back into the white-hot ecstasy of excruciation Theta felt his own arousal building up and washing over him in a silent moment of abyssal bliss.
He panted, dangling in his friend's strained arms as Koschei found his own release with his pulsating todger buried deeply inside of him.
And slowly the heavy numbness of his limbs started to dwindle, leaving Theta with a partially bruised body and the most bashful expression Koschei had ever seen on him.
He got back onto his feet unsteadily, eyes fixed on the floor.
"There," Koschei began, "wasn't that..."
"Just shut up," Theta blurted out while pushing Koschei aside to reacquire his former position in the middle of the water jet, "I don't want to talk about it."
Koschei shrugged while clinging to his revived friend.
After some really relaxing time in the moist hotness Theta said softly: "Thank you."
While searching Koschei's gaze he added: "Thank you for not asking when I told you that I didn't want to talk about the marks on my back."
Koschei sighed, cradling Theta in his arms.
"Don't mention it," said Koschei, grinning madly as always.
"And besides, I didn't have to ask you since we both know that it was your little childhood friend from the bomb squad who courteously admitted everything after I locked him in the air vent for three hours."
He stared a shocked Theta in the face and patted his back while adding: "And don't worry, he was anxious to asseverate that just two pizza wheels and a weasel were involved."
The Doctor's eyes snapped open. Dizzily he turned his head this way and that, listening to the cracking sounds of his cervical.
Now, how did I get reminded of this?, the Doctor found himself wondering.
"Morning, Doctor."
The Doctor tried to roll onto his back. And realised that he couldn't.
A stifled hiss escaped his lips. He darted a glance at Jack before rubbing the back of his head.
He was aching all over. Jack, noticing the puzzled look on the Doctor's face, answered the unspoken question.
"You showed me the 'Great Wheel'..." Jack began but was cut off by the Doctor instantly.
"Ah, the greatest water mill in the universe, a cenotaph for Daedalus, one of the most..."
"Yeah," Jack interrupted bluntly, "You said that before. Right before plunging into it."
The Doctor groaned quietly as the memories of pain swept over his body, twinging every nerve and muscle.
"I'll fetch you a cup of tea," sighed Jack while turning his back on the wretched Doctor on the bed.
Though he couldn't help hearing the Doctor babbling: "Well, I always felt like being crushed in a bench vice when Koschei was knocking me about like that..." before he slipped back into unconsciousness.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! This story was inspired by Andy Black's 'Beautiful Pain'.
Next up will be a fluff to Panic! at the Disco's 'Don't threaten me with a good time'.