Literally The First Collegiate Adventure Spanning History, Gender, Music, and Love

A/N: So this was absolutely by far the most difficult Jyder Week piece I've written. I've been working exclusively on this one chapter for almost a week, and I still feel like it's a big, ugly, hot mess. I doubt I did the topic justice and it may even be unintentionally offensive or controversial. So my apologies and regrets. You guys should definitely feel free to just skip this one if so inclined.

Jyder Week Theme: AU

Chapter 4 – Spanning History

"Are you coming to bed soon?" Jake asked, blurry-eyed as he stood in the doorway of his old room.

It was still sort of his room and a lot of his stuff was still in it, but they mostly only used it for studying and homework now, preferring to actually sleep, or mess around, in Ryder's room. It wasn't something they had ever discussed; Ryder simply had the newer, more comfortable mattress on the newer, more meticulously assembled bed.

"Can't. History test tomorrow," Ryder answered, hardly looking up from his book and notes as he tried to cross-reference the information. The dates in his notes seemed off somehow and he was getting thoroughly frustrated.

"And there's nothing I can do to entice you?" Jake pressed in a low voice as he stepped up behind Ryder and draped himself over him, arms hanging down over Ryder's hard chest, hands stroking over his firm stomach. Jake trailed kisses along Ryder's jawline until he finally turned, giving Jake access to his mouth.

"You're horny aren't you?" Ryder asked a little while later as he broke the kiss.

"What gave me away?" Jake asked with a smirk.

"Crud, now you got me hard too," Ryder complained, rubbing a hand over the crotch of his tented pajama pants.

"Wanna know a secret?" Jake asked, grinning entirely too cutely for Ryder's good.

"Huh?"

"I was going for that," Jake answered, pushing Ryder's hand away and replacing it with his own. He got right to the point, skipping all over-the-pants action, and instead undoing the button of Ryder's fly as he went straight in for direct contact.

"You are so not fair," Ryder whined, bucking against Jake's palm. "I really need to study."

"Why dontcha study anatomy instead? I know a very willing test subject."

"I've already studied his anatomy," Ryder responded, his hand snaking up the bottom of Jake's shirt, fingers feasting on hot, taut flesh.

"What did you think of it?" Jake asked, his thumb brushing over Ryder's cockhead just hard enough to make him gasp and shiver.

"It was outstanding," Ryder answered, "But I need to stay focused on history."

With a new burst of resolve, Ryder removed his hands from Jake's body and then grabbed his boyfriend by the wrist, insistently pulling Jake's siren digits away from his captive seamen.

"What am I gonna do?" Jake pouted, giving Ryder his best puppy-dog eyes.

"This guy seems eager for some action," Ryder said, holding Jake's own hand up to him. "You should talk to him."

"He's a tease," Jake said, frowning at his hand and dropping it to his side.

"Don't I know it," Ryder answered, casting a wistful glance at his erection before returning his attention to his notes.

Jake sighed and kissed the back of Ryder's head. "You want me to stay up with you? I'll read to you."

"No, it's cool. I'm doing alright tonight. You go to sleep, or on a date with Lefty there. And I promise I'll make this up to you tomorrow."

"You better," Jake grumbled before leaning over to give Ryder another kiss on the lips. "Come on, Lefty, let's go meet Rosie Palm and her five lonely sisters."

After a few minutes, Ryder gave up on his scribbled notes and settled back into pouring over the tedious textbook instead. Who could have guessed that the American Civil War would be so dull to read about? Oh yeah, right, pretty much everyone ever.

Ryder yawned, struggling valiantly to resist the urge to just say 'screw it' and go join Jake in bed, but gradually getting more and more sleepy. Soon, Ryder's head began to ease forward until it was resting on the desk. That was okay though, Ryder decided, because he wouldn't go to sleep. He would just close his eyes while he mentally reviewed the information. That plan worked for a short time, until Jake started invading his thoughts too, dividing his mind in half. Part of it was still pondering the Civil War, but the rest was buzzing over his true favorite topic: Jake Puckerman.

Eventually the two subjects mingled together in Ryder's brain. After all it was somewhat fascinating that the Civil War dealt with issues of equality between the races and now, a hundred and fifty years later, here was Ryder, happily dating a half-black guy. Ryder whimpered in his semi-asleep state as he thought about how despicable and horrifying slavery was. He was so grateful that he and Jake hadn't lived in those times.

-000-

"Jaaake, clo the blines," Ryder murmured sleepily, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he could. He felt around blindly in the bed, hoping to locate his boyfriend and prod him enough to make him get up and defend Ryder against the wicked luminous assault that was disturbing his slumber. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found.

"Jake?"

Ryder's first class each morning was earlier than Jake's, so he wasn't used to waking up to an empty bed. Nor was the full-blown solar invasion that was happening through his window part of his preferred routine. What an awful start to his day this was shaping up to be.

An instant later, Ryder heard the sound of a door creaking opening. Thank god! He must have gotten up to use the bathroom, Ryder thought as he smiled to himself. Now Jake would take care of the nasty light situation and then snuggle back up with him until Ryder's alarm went off.

"Close those lights please and come warm me up," Ryder requested.

"But darling, don't you think it's well past time that you were up and attending to the day's labor?" a gentle, feminine voice questioned.

"Marley!" Ryder's eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright in alarm.

"Go on now, my dear. Get moving," She insisted with a soft smile as she pulled the covers back. "Remember idle bones are the Devil's caning rods."

Ryder's jaw dropped as he looked past Marley and took in his surroundings for the first time. He was lying in a four-poster bed in the middle of a very old-fashioned looking room with filigree wallpaper and dark, glossy-waxed wood flooring. Along the walls, where Ryder would have expected to see standard-issue apartment-sized windows fitted with mini-blinds, were two tall panels of glass-paned windows. Thick, heavy green drapes hung on ornate rods that had been pulled back, allowing all that disruptive sunlight to stream in.

"Marley, what are you doing here?" Ryder asked, covering his crotch self-consciously. Even his clothes were all wrong. He was outfitted in long-john style gray underwear." Wh-what am I doing here?….Where is here?"

"You're starting to frighten me, Ryder. Are you feverish?" She swept his bangs aside and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "You don't feel ill," she remarked as she caressed his cheek. The sensation made Ryder aware of something else equally alarming: he had a beard!

Ryder's hands darted to his head. His hair felt mostly normal, if a bit too greasy, but his sideburns were thick and unruly and they flowed down into a coarse set of muttonchops, then across into a beard and mustache.

"Darling, do I need to send for Dr. Smythe? Your behavior this morning is most distressing."

Ryder glanced back up at Marley. She was wearing a long, flowing blue dress. It was corseted and looked exactly like something out of his Civil War textbook. Her hair trailed down past the middle of her back and almost to her tiny, compressed waist. The most salient feature of her current appearance, however, was the worry etched across her face. Despite the strangeness of the situation, Ryder found himself determined to soothe her.

"I'm okay. I just had a bad dream."

"Oh thank Heavens!" Marley declared, leaning in to give Ryder a brief hug. When she broke away she continued, "We were called upon by Mr. Puckerman about an hour ago."

Somehow in that moment Ryder knew both that she was talking about Jake's brother, Noah Puckerman, and that he owned the property to the south of their land.

"What did he want?"

"One of his slaves escaped. He's offering a reward for it."

Ryder's blood ran cold and he knew with a terrible certainty that she was talking about Jake.

"I told him you would monitor the fields closely today for any sign of the runaway."

"I thought Ohio was a free state?" Ryder asked, mentally picturing the chart in his book that had the status of the states broken into columns.

Marley looked at him strangely for a moment before speaking. "Indeed it is...darling, are you sure you don't need a physician?"

Suddenly more background information popped into Ryder's head. They weren't in Ohio; they were in Kentucky and they were tobacco farmers. Ryder quickly tried to cover his blunder.

"I was just thinking that the slave was probably going to head north toward the Ohio border."

"Oh yes of course!" Marley agreed, her anxious face smoothing over. "Perhaps you should mention that to Mr. Puckerman later."

Ryder frowned at her. He found it hard to believe she was trying to assist their neighbor with his tyranny. "Do you really think this is right?"

"Do I think what is right, dear?"

"Slavery."

"Oh, I agree with whatever you say, darling. I know you support slavery and that you understand the bigger economic picture. That's enough for me," she said pleasantly.

"I've just decided to become an abolitionist," Ryder stated, watching carefully for her reaction.

Surprise flitted across her features. "Really, why?"

"Because I think slavery is wrong," Ryder said, his voice strong with conviction. "It's immoral for one group of people to subjugate another."

"Well, I'm sure you know what's best, dear," Marley answered, her sweet smile never faltering. "Let's not tell the neighbors just yet though. No need to cause unnecessary strife. Why, there are even rumors that war between the states could break out over this issue."

Ryder sighed and frowned as he slid out of bed. He had to find Jake before anyone else did.

-000-

Jake may have shared a blood relationship with Puck, but as far as the law and anyone else were concerned Jake was nothing more than the illegitimate son of old man Puckerman's slave mistress. He was just another piece of his brother's property, and Puck made it his purpose in life to remind Jake of that point on a daily basis. Typically, this reminder would come in the form of the most demeaning, unpleasant tasks Puck could think of, and he enjoyed 'motivating' Jake with the end of a whip or the narrow side of a switch while he worked.

There was a chance for freedom, however. Jake had heard about a safe house on the other side of town. It was a saloon called 'The Purring Pussy' and from the rumors Jake had heard, it was a part of the Underground Railroad. Jake knew that if he could make it there, he would have a legitimate chance of escaping to the North. Thus as soon as a chance to flee his brother's farm had arisen, Jake had leaped at it. His one, singular focus was now getting to that safe house.

Jake's chest was pounding. He was scared and exhausted and he knew that he wouldn't be able stay ahead of his pursuers for much longer. His half-brother had the sheriff and all his men out looking for him, and Jake had already narrowly avoided capture twice. Sweat was drenching his ragged, heavily-soiled shirt, and his old, already-frayed britches had suffered new snags and tears as he tromped through the underbrush, frantic to make it to safety.

At last he spotted an old barn in the distance and began sprinting toward it. He knew it was risky, but he needed to find somewhere to rest and lie low until nightfall. He knew that he would stand a better chance of making it to the safe house if he could travel under cover of darkness. He would just have to pray that he could remain out of sight until then.

Jake was relieved as he reached the barn door and found that it was unlocked and that no one seemed to be around. Nevertheless, he had a bad feeling that he was still on the land of his brother's neighbor, Ryder Lynn. If the things Jake had overheard his half-brother saying about Mr. Lynn were true, then he already knew that the man wouldn't hesitate to detain him and return him to Puck.

As if by providence, Jake spotted a work knife laying on a bench near the barn's entrance. He snatched it up and then climbed into the hayloft. If Ryder Lynn did find him, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

-000-

Ryder had been amazed to discover that morning as he had set about his chores, that he actually knew what he was doing. In fact he even felt himself working according to some preset routine, anticipating his next move moments before he needed to make it.

Of course all Ryder really wanted to do was go and look for Jake. The problem was that he had no idea where to actually begin his search. Moreover, a tiny voice in the back of his head told him not to leave the farm, that Jake was nearby. That was why a couple of hours before lunchtime Ryder walked into his barn to retrieve some equipment.

Jake's heart almost stopped as he heard the sound of the barn door opening. He quickly scrambled deeper within his hiding place in the hayloft, cursing himself for the small amount of noise he made in the process.

Ryder glanced curiously at the ceiling. He had heard a quiet shuffling sound coming from the beams above his head. A thin cloud of dust and tiny debris was also wafting slowly down from between the spaces in the boards. Something or someone was in the hayloft, and that little voice inside Ryder was screaming at him to go and check it out.

Jake held his breath as he heard the sound of someone scaling the wooden ladder that led to the structure's upper floor. He clenched the knife more tightly, praying that he wouldn't have to use it.

Ryder could barely contain his excitement as he poked his head into the loft and saw...nothing. Ryder climbed the rest of the way in, looking around carefully as he did so. There wasn't much to see. The hayloft was just a small space, barely large enough for him to stand up straight, with square bales of hay stacked all around.

Yet the feeling inside Ryder was growing, becoming more intense. He had to be missing something. That was when he noticed that because the ceiling was sloped, the column of hay along the back wall must have had a small space between the bottom bales and the angled roof. Ryder walked over to investigate, slowly peering around the edge of the bales.

Ryder sucked in a breath, half-started, half-ecstatic as he spotted a figure scrunched into the small space. He was barefoot. His knees were drawn up to his chest and his arms were folded over his head, obscuring his face. Obscured or not, Ryder would have recognized this guy anywhere, or anywhen.

"Jake!" Ryder threw himself down on his knees and slid into the small space next to him, quickly wrapping his arms around the other the guy. "Are you okay? I was so worried. I thought–"

Ryder gasped and his words abruptly trailed off as Jake raised his head and unwound his arms from around his knees. In Jake's right hand was the small blade, and before Ryder had a chance to react, Jake was pressing it against his throat.

"I'm not going back," Jake growled, his voice just above a whisper as his left hand tangled into the back of Ryder's long hair, pulling his head back and further exposing his neck to the sharp steel.

Ryder wasn't frightened. Rationally he knew that he probably should have been, but it was impossible. This was still Jake, the guy he slept next to every night, the guy he kissed and held and made love to. That's why what was much more distressing to Ryder than the knife against his throat, was Jake's appearance. He had longer hair and a beard of course, just like Ryder, but he also had multiple long scars along his cheeks and forehead. His nose was crooked, as though it had been broken repeatedly in the past. Worst of all, however, was Jake's left eye, which was discolored and glassy. Ryder could tell that it wasn't looking back at him, that Jake no longer had sight in it.

"What happened?" Ryder whispered, voice thick with emotion as he raised his hand to cup Jake's face.

Jake immediately pulled away from Ryder's touch, surprise contorting his features. In retaliation he pressed the tip of the blade harder against Ryder's throat, almost breaking the skin.

"I will kill you to protect myself."

"Jake, look at me," Ryder pleaded, trying to catch Jake's one good eye with his gaze.

"Look at me," Ryder repeated, tentatively reaching out again and stroking his thumb against Jake's face, gently trying to urge him into eye contact.

Jake reluctantly acquiesced, compelled by something he couldn't explain as he peered into Ryder's dark brown eyes. Jake was taken off guard by the tenderness and compassion that he saw there. He had always heard that the owner of the Lynn estate was just as cruel and heartless as his own half-brother. Looking at Ryder now, however, he found that quite difficult to believe.

"You're going to be okay. I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore," Ryder promised, eyes starting to glisten with unspilt tears.

"Why should I believe you?" Jake demanded, his voice harsh and raspy.

"Because it's me, Jake. And because it's you. I don't know what's going on. I don't know why we're here, but I know we're still us."

"Uh-us?"

"Yeah. Us," Ryder repeated quietly, once again caressing Jake's face. This time Jake didn't try to pull away. "I'm gonna hug you now. So you need to put down the knife."

As soon as Ryder began moving forward, Jake found himself doing just as Ryder had asked, lowering the knife and tossing it away. Jake still wasn't sure why this man felt so familiar, why he trusted him. He had never seen him or spoken to him before today; he was basically a stranger. And yet as Ryder began to embrace him, Jake discovered that he didn't feel like a stranger at all. He wasn't just Mr. Lynn who owned the neighboring property; he was...

"Ryder!" Jake whispered, clutching him close. A sense of calm that was both utterly foreign and completely familiar washed over him.

"I gotcha now," Ryder whispered back, pulling away just enough to place a kiss on Jake's lips.

Jake was momentarily surprised, briefly confused that apparently this was something that they did. He had never before thought that he would be kissed by another man, and it certainly hadn't crossed his mind that he might like it. But he did. Jake liked it so much that he found himself pulling Ryder's face close against his own and opening his mouth, inviting Ryder inside.

Several minutes later when the kiss ended, Ryder opened his eyes and whispered against Jake's lips, "We need to get you out of here."

Jake nodded and sat back. "Do you know how to find The Purring Pussy?"

Ryder was bemused by the question.

"Uhh, well it's been a couple years, but..." Another flicker of knowing sparked in Ryder's mind and he realized what Jake was talking about. "Oh you mean the saloon. Yeah, I think I know how to get there."

-000-

The Purring Pussy turned out to be more of a brothel than a saloon. As soon as they had pulled up in front of it, Ryder recalled the reputation it had. He wondered what awaited them inside, what sort of signal or password they were supposed to give to let the owner know what they really needed.

"Thank you for this, Ryder," Jake said softly. He was sitting in the carriage next to Ryder, a thick, hooded cloak drawn around his body.

"I'm staying with you," Ryder promised, taking Jake's hand and giving it a small squeeze.

Jake smiled and squeezed back. He was finding that the more time he spent in Ryder's company, the more right it felt. He couldn't even bring himself to tell the other man that he didn't have to do that, that he didn't have to give up his whole life to be with him. Selfish as it was, Jake wanted him to do precisely that and he wanted it far too much to protest.

After cautiously looking around, the pair climbed out of the carriage and hurried inside. Jake hung back, vigilant of any danger as Ryder approached the front desk and rang the bell. A short while later an attractive blond woman in a tight red dress emerged from a backroom.

"Kitty!" Ryder exclaimed.

"That's 'Miss Kitty' to you, stranger," the woman answered, hands on her hips as she sashayed toward them.

"Payment's due in advance and my girls reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." She paused and looked Ryder up and down before licking her bright red lips. "Although I can't imagine any of them turning you away, handsome. In fact if you'd like a piece of the head pussycat's tail, I'd be happy to–"

"We're here for the other service you provide," Ryder answered.

"You want a drink?" Kitty asked, glancing back at the bar. "Fine, pick your poison."

"The other other service," Jake explained, lowering his hood and stepping out of the shadows.

"Oh!" Kitty looked around suspiciously and eyed them up and down. "What are you doing here then?" she asked Ryder.

By way of explanation Ryder reached out and laced his fingers together with Jake's then raised their joined hands.

"Ah, I see," Kitty said, slightly disappointed but mostly amused. "You really aren't interested in me and my girls are you?"

Ryder chuckled and kissed Jake's cheek, pleased when he didn't stiffen or pull away. "Not really," Ryder answered her.

"Fine," Kitty said with a shrug as she came around the bar. "Come with me."

"Not so fast!" A voice shouted from behind Ryder and Jake.

They spun around to face the intruder.

"Puck," Ryder said, his fists clenching in anger as he looked at the man who had spent his life abusing Jake.

"Hand over my property, Lynn," Puck demanded, stepping closer.

"Go fuck yourself," Ryder snapped, moving protectively between Puck and Jake. "Or pay up and get one of Kitty's whores to do it."

"I'm not going to ask you again," Puck said in a low, dangerous voice as he pulled a revolver out of his coat pocket.

"Don't point that at him!" Jake shouted, pushing past Ryder.

"Jake no!" Ryder shouted in horror as Jake lunged at the armed man.

A shot rang out and Jake braced for impact. An instant later, however, Ryder and Jake watched in astonishment as Puck crumpled to the floor.

"I told that son-of-a-bitch not to come back in here," Kitty said calmly as she laid a smoking pistol down on the counter in front of her.

"You-you knew him?" Ryder asked, his arm now around Jake's waist.

"Yeah. He was my ex-fiance," Kitty said. "I was already looking for an excuse to shoot him. So thank you for that."

That night as Ryder and Jake were lying together in one of Kitty's private room, arms wrapped around each other, Ryder felt himself starting to tremble with fear and frustration.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked, nudging Ryder's head with his own. "We're safe now."

"Yeah, but we're still here," Ryder answered. "I found you. We got to the safe house. Puck's dead...but we're still here. I don't understand why I haven't woken up yet."

"You haven't been to bed," Jake said.

"You don't understand. This is a dream," Ryder told him.

"You never came to bed."

"Jake, I'm already asleep."

-000-

"Ryder, you never came to bed," Jake said, rubbing Ryder's back and shaking him gently.

"Jake!" Ryder's head shot up from his desk and he blinked at his boyfriend.

Jake chuckled under his breath and gave Ryder a kiss.

"Oh god, am I late for class?" Ryder asked, rushing to gather up his things.

"Relax. You're not late," Jake answered. "You still have a couple hours. Go shower. I'll make breakfast."

"Thanks," Ryder asked gratefully as he stood and stretched. Then he noticed the time. "What are you doing up so early anyway."

"I got a call from Puck."

Ryder swallowed. "Uh, what did he want?"

"You won't believe it," Jake said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "He wanted me to come over before class today and help him clean out his garage."

"What did you say?"

"I told him to go fuck himself and not to call this early again."

Ryder laughed and gave Jake a hug.

Jake sighed. "But I'm gonna go help him later anyway. I mean he is my brother. He can just damn well wait until a reasonable time."

Ryder nodded as he walked with Jake out of the room.

"I'll go with you. And I was thinking...maybe we should see if Kitty wants to come too, just in case."