River was loading the car with the last bag. She had noticed how distant John had become over the last month, so she talked with Jack about taking all the children with her to her parent's house in Leadworth so Jack could give John more time. She kissed Chris a last time.
"I really hope you'll make up your mind, we'll talk more when I'm back. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but you can count on at least two weeks," she told him, giving her husband a look that was hard to read. She entered the car and drove away as the fathers were waving goodbye to their children.
"Dinner's ready in five," John told Jack as he walked back into the house. He was acting like he was dead inside. They hadn't kissed since Jack started his affair with John's brother. He was slipping away from Jack again, but Jack did nothing this time. He didn't notice how bad John was feeling. There was almost nothing left of his husband in John anymore. Jack didn't notice the marks on his body made by Rickston as he had sex with his husband in the evenings.
John had almost fainted 3 weeks ago as he had a performance appraisal with the Slade family. He learned that Rickston was his student's father. Rickston had been making it a habit to rape him in a daily routine when Jack was either working or with his brother. He was sick of it but he had learned to switch his brain off when he was having sex, both with Jack and Rickston. He didn't see the different between the men during sex. It hurt a lot and neither of them were thinking of his pleasure or feelings.
John was only sitting opposite of Jack as the other man ate his dinner and read the paper. He hadn't told Jack about Rickston, and it was happening almost every day in the school and when Jack worked. The girls had seen the man in the house but he had always asked them to go and play with Rory and Jessica, Rory's little sister, so they didn't have to see how there daddy was raped on a daily basis.
"Jack… I think a student's parents are coming on to me," he said as Jack read. Jack didn't look up from the paper.
"And?" Jack said, and didn't really care what his husband said. John knew Jack didn't care about him anymore. It was just a last call for help but his husband had ignored him.
"Nothing, maybe it was just my imagination." John took Jack's plate as the other man was finished and began to wash it.
"I'm going to Chris's, we are going to practice football. Don't wait up, I'll be home late," Jack told him. John looked a bit sad and desperately tried to reach out for his husband again.
"Can't you stay tonight? You're with him almost every day." His request was so low that Jack almost missed it. Jack raised from his chair and was on his way out from the kitchen but John stopped him and gave him a desperate kiss. He wanted to hug Jack, Jack hadn't held him in weeks. He felt rejected when Jack didn't hold him close in the kiss.
"No, is it something important today?" Jack asked but left the house before he could hear the answer. John looked down at the floor.
"No. nothing important to you," he said and grabbed Jack's old razor that he had kept in his pocket the past month. He walked with heavy steps up to their bedroom and closed the door after him. He blocked the door with the dresser drawer so it couldn't be opened easily, Jack had the key to the bedroom. John took off his wedding ring and kissed it before he laid it on Jack's pillow. He still loved Jack, but he had nothing left in the world if Jack didn't love him back. He didn't cry, he couldn't cry anymore. He was already dead inside and he was going to make sure he never woke up again. It was all going to end that night.
John sat down on his side of the bed and looked down at his wrists, at the scars from the last time he had cut himself with Jack's razor. Jack hadn't notice the scars, even when John almost waved it in front of Jack's eyes. He held a tight grip around the razor and his whole body was shaking.
"Happy anniversary," John said, and was surprise when he felt a tear slowly running down his cheek.
Jack had been surprised when John kissed him but simply let it go. John was his husband after all, it wouldn't be weird if he kissed him. He had been thinking about Chris almost the whole dinner. He took his keys with him and opened the door to Chris's house. He had made the walk in less than a minute to Chris's house. He was greeted by a deep kiss before the other male dragged him inside the house. He had looked forward to this the whole day.
Chris had thrown him down on his and River's bed before Jack could say anything. He kissed Jack again and was already stripping him.
"Shh, don't say a word. Just sit up and relax," Chris told him as he took the already hard man's manhood and began to suck him. Jack moaned and watched his lover with a surprised look. He never imagined that Chris was so good in blowing someone off, but Chris had surprised him in many ways before. Jack was embarrassed when the other man made him cum so early. Chris was making him hard again by stroking him with his hand. He could taste himself when John's brother kissed him. That alone was a big turn on.
Chris was climbing over Jack's lap but almost fell and gripped the other man's shoulders before he could embarrass himself. Jack could feel how he entered Chris, but the other male was controlling what was happening. He lost himself in the pleasure.
Jack was lying with Chris in his arms and they were breathing fast. They had sex almost five times and they both were getting tired. Jack almost fell asleep with Chris in his arms when he shook him.
"You should go home to John." Chris looked at him with a serious face.
"I want to stay here." it made him happy to hear Jack say it but, he would accept it every other day but he knew it was their wedding anniversary. Chris was already the worst brother ever for sleeping with his big brother's husband on their anniversary. The last thing he could do was to send Jack back where he belonged. What he was doing was selfish of him and he was lucky that River still gave him a chance to end it with Jack.
"Go home Jack, I don't want you in my bed this night, you're not welcome here tonight. Now leave before I tell him what we have been doing behind his back." He was lying of course, he wanted Jack to stay but he would tell John if Jack decided to stay.
Jack gave up and kissed Chris one last time with a promise that he would be back tomorrow, before he made it back home. He still didn't understand what was so special with the day. The door was unlocked which was unusual for John. His husband had made it clear the last few weeks that the doors should be locked at all time. He had even sat up some locks for the girl's windows so no one could break in without smashing the window.
Jack assumed John was in the bed room when he was nowhere else in the house. All the dishes were washed and the house was spotless as usual. Nothing was out of the ordinary until Jack felt that the bedroom door was locked. He retrieved his key in the hall for the master bedroom but was surprised when it still was locked. He was getting worried and began to knock on the door.
"John, Open!" he yelled but got no answer. It was almost too quiet in the bedroom. He was trying to get the door open but something was blocking the way. He used almost all his power and managed to get the door opened. John had used the drawer to keep Jack from coming in. Jack became pale as he saw John lying on the bed, holding his razor in his hand. It wasn't until he saw his razor that his brain registered the blood around his husband. Jack could determine from the look of it that John had lost a lot of blood.
Jack ran to his husband's side as fast as his legs could carry him. He threw the razor away in fear and begun to search for any sign of life. He found a weak pulse which made him determined to keep him alive. He called the hospital while he was trying to stop the blood with the sheets from the bed. It was then he notice that John's ring was missing. He saw it on his pillow and the sight reminded him what day it was today. It was their wedding anniversary. He reached for the ring with his empty hand and held the ring close to him but didn't let go of John's body. He didn't understand how much John meant to him until he was so close to losing John. He felt so guilty for sleeping with John's brother on their anniversary and John's suicide attempt didn't make it better. Jack knew he should have listened to John. He didn't have a clue what John was feeling.