Chapter 12

Cain

I hated planes. I had disliked them my entire life. I hated them when I was a kid, despite the fact I rarely ever traveled in them, and I continued to hate them with the passion of a thousand burning suns. They were cramped, noisy, either too cold or too hot, and smelly. I especially hated whenever some idiot brought their baby on an eight hour flight, and the stupid thing couldn't stop screaming and crying, and all the while, I would be screaming and crying too, except I had the decency to do it my head.

And, just my luck, the plane ride back to the U.S. fit all the requirements of a complete and utter hell-hole. For what seemed like an eternity, I sat in that flying metal tube that they call a 747, my iPod on full blast, hopelessly drifting in and out of sleep.

After who knows how long, though, I slipped out of my daze and looked out the window to find that we were finally getting ready to land. I couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. It was nice to go home for awhile and immerse myself in the familiarity of Moscow and actually talk to my parents for the first time in years. However, the eagerness to see Abel again had full reign over my mind at the moment. And with every thought of what it would be like to hold him, kiss him, feel him, and experience him, it only made want to see him even more.

Somehow, he had changed me. Almost digging his way into my mind, one could say. He helped me to come to my senses and to stop holding grudges. He learned how to keep me more level-headed. He even taught me how to understand physics! When I had met him, he was everything that I was not; smart, calm, quiet, and safe. And somewhere over the past few months, he had passed some of those things on to me. Someday in the future I would have to thank him for that, profusely and in many different ways.

After I got off the plane, finally made it through customs, and had gotten my luggage, I proceeded to the exit, where Abel said he would meet me. I wasn't sure what to look for, but I assumed he would be in his Mustang. However, when I stepped outside into the brisk winter air, I couldn't spot the bright red vehicle anywhere.

I let out a long sigh and took out my phone to check the time. However, as soon as I swiped my thumb across the screen to unlock it, someone down the sidewalk yelled my name. I looked up just in time to be tackled to the ground by a sudden force.

In the midst of the collision, my suitcase and carry-on both fell to the cement, as did the rest of me. It was lucky I had been able to keep a strong grip on my phone, though, otherwise that would have gone flying too.

"What the fuck?!" I exclaimed before looking down at the familiar head of blond hair.

"Sorry!" Abel said as he crawled off me and stood up. "I wasn't expecting tohit you with that much force!" Brushing some dirt off of his jacket, he held out a hand to me and helped to pull me to my feet.

"You're a little excited, aren't you, Princess?" I asked with a chuckle, brushing my coat clean as well. Instead of answering, though, he simply replied by embracing me again, this time being certain not to topple me over, and pressed his lips to mine.

Wrapping my arms around his waist and lifting him off the pavement, I kissed him back, not caring whether people saw us or not. After a moment passed, I set him back down onto his feet, and he looked up at me with a huge smile.

"Are you ready?" he asked, pulling away and grabbing my backpack up from the ground. I nodded as I picked up my suitcase and followed him down the sidewalk. After stowing my luggage in the trunk of his car, I climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door behind me.

"You know, the back of your car is on the list," I said, turning my head to look at him once he had closed the driver's side door. He gave me a confused look.

"The list? The list of what?" he asked.

"The list of places I'm going to fuck you," I said, watching as a blush quickly rose to his cheeks.

"Oh. Okay. Uh. What else is on the list?" I smirked and started naming them off, tapping my finger with each location.

"Back of your car; a shower; against a wall, preferably a glass one; in a hot tub, pool, or other body of water; the Chemistry lab, because you'd look hot as hell in a lab coat; on a piano; in front of a mirror; in an elevator; in a fancy hotel room; under the stars; in the woods-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Abel said, covering his face and leaning it against the steering wheel in embarrassment. Despite his hands blocking my view, though, I could still see faintly that he was bright red, almost as red as his car.

"It's a long list," I admitted, leaning back in my seat and stretching my legs out as far as the floorboard would allow. "Not to mention the other list I have of different positions I want to try."

"Okayyyyyyy let's go!" Abel exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. He turned the keys in the ignition and put the car into drive. I laughed loudly, amused at his reaction, and ecstatic that I was finally back and next to him. As he drove down the road, I placed my hand on top of his as he gripped the gear shift tightly. He looked at me and gave me a heartwarming smile before slowly biting his lip.

"You and I are going to have to have a very serious conversation about your nasty habit of biting your lip," I said, earning a smirk from him.

"I look forward to that."

"Nnn, Cain…" I smirked against Abel's skin as I slowly lifted the hem of his shirt and placed soft kisses across his abdomen.

"Yes, Princess?" I asked, assisting him with pulling his t-shirt off the rest of the way and throwing it on the floor.

It had been about two weeks or so since we had gotten back from winter break, and everything was perfect. Abel and I continued to put on the tutor-tutee facade for Dean Bering, and spent as much time outside of our classes together as we could. We would get lunch together, go for dinner with Praxis and Ethos, and have movie nights with Pathos and Logos. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

But today, since it was blizzarding so badly outside, we simply decided to just stay in Abel's room together, and I had no qualms. As long as Abel was next to me, I didn't care one bit.

"What do you want to cross off our list this time?" he asked seductively, tangling his fingers in my hair. Damn, I taught him well.

"Well, since we are in the dorms, our options are limited," I replied, tracing the pads of my thumbs over his nipples. "The bathroom would be too risky, I don't have any rope or anything with me, and…" I slid one of my hands down so that it was cupping his growing erection through his sweatpants, "...I still have yet to invest in some nice sex toys." He let out a soft moan as I touched him, and looked down at me with lust-filled eyes.

"You could take me from behind," he said with a smirk. I gave a look of surprise at the fact that he, too, was so eager to try it, but by no means was I complaining.

"Well, if you insist…" I replied in a low voice before shifting up and passionately pressing my lips to his.

Smirking into the kiss with excitement, I slid my hand beneath the waistband of his pants and boxers to touch and caress his erection. Without parting my mouth from his, it was mere moments before he was fully hard and panting heavily. Grinning, I pulled back and looked straight into his eyes.

"Turn around," I whispered to him in a low voice. Nodding shakily, he obliged, and, giving me a quick peck on the lips, flipped so that he was lying stomach-down on the bed, his face tilted to the side as he buried his head in the pillow. Silently, I placed myself directly behind him and leaned forward, placing my hands on either side of him. I bent down and placed a kiss between his shoulder blades, causing him to shiver slightly.

"Ahh…" he moaned at the touch. I couldn't help but quiver, too, at the sounds he made. Everything about him was so beautiful: his pale skin; his soft, white-blond hair; his tender personality; his kindness; and, especially in this moment, his voice.

Pressing my hips to his backside, I let him know just how hard I was, and heard him gasp softly at the pressure.

"Abel…" I muttered to him, grinding my clothed erection against him slowly. "...I need you so bad right now." Panting, he tilted his head a bit so he could look up at me with half-lidded eyes.

"...Then take me," he said.

Gazing down at Abel, taking in his sweet smell and the beauty of him in such a fragile and anxious state, I would gladly take him. There was nothing else I wanted at that moment. All I desired was him, and for him to desire me in turn.

Grazing my hands down his sides, I tucked the thumb and forefinger of each hand under the waistband of his sweatpants and underwear, and slid them down, revealing his cute butt as I undressed him.

Once the clothing on the lower half of his body was removed, Abel was completely naked. Staring up at me and scanning me up and down, it was obvious that he wanted me to undress as well. Smiling down at him, I happily took off my thin t-shirt, being sure to keep my eyes locked on him as I did so.

Once my torso was completely bared, I couldn't help but chuckle slightly as Abel gazed up at me, his jaw slightly agape.

"Like what you see?" I asked in a low voice. A deep shade of red covering his face, Abel turned to look away.

"S-shut up…" he retorted with embarrassment.

Leaning back down over Abel again, I pet his hair softly with one hand, while wrapping my other arm around his slender waist.

"Come on, Princess, let me know you want it," I cooed into his ear. "Don't be shy. I want to know how you feel…"

Before he could reply, though, I surprised him suddenly by lifting him up into a kneeling position, tucking my face into the crook of his neck and kissing it while I pumped his erection.

"Ahh… Cain, ahh…" he moaned as I pleasured him.

"Unbutton my jeans for me, will ya?" I muttered to him as I left small lovemarks just beneath his earlobe.

Giving a quick nod, Abel shakily slid a hand down my bare chest and stomach, down to the button of my pants. Finally managing to undo it after a moment or so of fidgeting with the small piece of metal, Abel then slipped his hand down beneath the fabric and pulled out my erection, pumping it in time as I did his.

Before I could let him make me cum, though, I gently nudged him so he was back to laying face-down on the bed, and reached my arm out over him to grab the tiny bottle of lube that was on the bedside table. Quickly uncapping it, I heard Abel hiss a bit at the coldness of the liquid as I poured a healthy amount onto his backside.

"You ready?" I asked him softly. Nodding fervently, Abel let me position him so that I had a better access to his entrance. And, using one hand to hold Abel's hips steady and the other to guide myself inside, I slowly entered him.

Taking quick and faint breaths, I could tell Abel was trying his best to relax his muscles so I could completely sheath myself inside him. God, he was so hot.

Not wanting to waste any time, I pulled my hips back just enough so that just the tip of my length was left inside of Abel, and then thrust back in completely, earning a moan of sudden pleasure from him.

"Shit…!" he cursed, causing me to smile. Seeing him writhe beneath me only made me want him even more.

Starting slowly, but increasing in speed each time, I continued thrusting into Abel, relishing in the sounds that fell across his lips. With every thrust, I could hear his bed creak slightly, mixing perfectly with the moans and whimpers he released.

Panting and letting out small hints of moans, I positioned Abel's hips even higher, and suddenly, I hit him exactly where he liked it.

"Cain! Oh my god… Ah!" he half-screamed with pleasure and tightened his grip on the sheets as I proceeded to hit the same spot excitedly. At the unexpected pleasure coming from his prostate, Abel couldn't help but tense up and ride the feeling, tightening up on my erection as I continued to thrust in and out of him.

"Fuck… ah… Abel…" I moaned as I felt my release coming.

"Cain… I…" Abel stuttered. I softened my thrusts a bit so he could speak better. "I… your hand…" He didn't even have to finish the sentence for me to understand, though. I already knew. I slowly snaked an arm around his waist and wrapped my fingers around his cock again. And, keeping a hand on him so that he and I could cum around the same time, I traced my other up Abel's torso and arm and rested it on his own hand, intertwining our fingers. It made sense that he would want to hold my hand as we reached release, since in this position we weren't able to look at each other very easily.

At the new feeling of our hands grasping one another, though, I could suddenly feel a pressure in my abdomen, and I knew that it would only be seconds before I reached my climax. Gripping Abel's hand as tightly as I could and thrusting hard into him, I came with a loud moan, my vision completely blinded by pleasure.

"Ah… hah…" I panted, riding out the orgasm. Judging by Abel's cries, I could tell that he had reached climax as well, and he refused to let go of my hand until the feeling subsided.

Panting heavily, I plopped down onto the bed next to Abel, my chest rising and falling with every breath I took.

"Ahh… you're amazing," Abel gasped as he turned his head to look over at me. I smiled.

"Glad you think so," I replied, "But you're the one who gets me like this." Abel gave a look of surprise.

"Like what?" he asked, I snorted.

"Horny, obviously." Abel blushed fiercely.

"O-oh…" he mumbled in response.

Laughing, I draped an arm over him and pulled him close to me. Leaning my face close to his, I pressed our lips together in a soft kiss. As our mouths danced against one another, though, we were suddenly interrupted by a ringtone coming from next to the bed.

"Who in the flaming fuck…" I cursed. Sighing heavily, Abel reached out to grab his phone and see who was calling. Looking at the screen, his expression became confused.

"It's… Elena?" he said questioningly. "I had better answer." Groaning, I slid my arm off of Abel so he could sit up on the bed. Elena was nice and everything, but calling Abel in the middle of our afterglow was unforgivable.

"Hey, what's up?" Abel said to the phone as he slid on his underwear.

To be honest, I was somewhat curious as to what Elena was calling him for, and so I tried interpreting the mumbling sounds coming from the phone, but was unsuccessful.

I would know soon enough, though.

"What…?!" Abel suddenly exclaimed into the phone, catching me off-guard.

He stood up, and began pacing back and forth, all while listening to Elena on the other end. When he finally hung up, he dropped his arm to his side and looked at me.

"I have to go," he said, hastily grabbing a pair of jeans out of his dresser and pulling them on. He shoved his phone in his pocket before bending over and snatching his shirt off the floor and pulling it over his head. As he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it, he spun around in circles, obviously looking for something.

"What's wrong?" I asked, standing up and walking over to him.

"Where's my phone?" he asked.

"It's in your pocket. Abel!" I said, grabbing his shoulders to make him stand still. He looked up at me, tears forming in his eyes. "What happened?"

"There was an accident and…" he hiccupped and pushed my arms off his shoulders.

"And what?" I pressed, grabbing his jacket off the couch before before turning around to hand it to him.

"My mom's in the hospital," he said, wiping the tears from his face and grabbing his keys off his desk. "I have to go. I'll let you know which hospital she's at. Close the door when you leave, please."

Before I could say anything further, he was gone and out the door.

Hospitals were the absolute worst. The fact that you could smell the illness in the air, and practically hear people dying, was sickening. I avoided hospitals as best I could, but this time was special. Despite my hatred of hospitals, and the bad memories that I had with them, I wanted to be there for Abel. I couldn't let him be alone, especially if things with his mother ended badly.

After I had gotten off the bus and rode the elevator down to the ER, I asked one of the nurses at the front desk where Abel and his family would be. After a few minutes of walking down the bright white halls, I rounded a corner and saw Elena coming out of a waiting room. Upon seeing me, she smiled, and quickly poked her head back into the room.

"Abel, honey, there's someone here to see you," I heard her say. She gave me a half smile as she walked past me. Soon after, Abel emerged from the room and immediately threw his arms around me and buried his face in my chest.

"How bad is it?" I asked quietly, burying my face in his sweet-smelling hair. He took a deep, shaky breath and looked up at me.

"Well, the doctor said that she, uh, has a severe concussion and her face has cuts from the glass, bruises, a fractured arm and I think that's it…" he trailed off. He was obviously under a lot of stress, frustrated, and worried out of his mind. He could barely speak in normal sentences was talking faster than normal.

"Oh, Princess," I said, pulling him close again. After a few moments, he pulled back and looked up at me.

"I guess her airbag didn't go off when the car collided with her," he said quietly. "That's why it's so bad. She's… well, for now she is unconscious." I grimaced. It was lucky that nothing worse had happened, but that didn't mean Abel's mom was in the clear yet. Unconscious was by every definition, not a good thing, and there definitely was the possibility that she could become comatose and not wake up. Regretting that I automatically was thinking the worst, I gave a heavy sigh.

"Do you need anything?" I asked, bringing a hand up to his face and cupping his cheek.

"I would really like some coffee," he replied, leaning into my touch slightly and gazing up at me. I nodded and pressed my lips against his forehead.

"I'll be right back, Princess," I said before turning and walking back down the hall to the elevators.

I hated to see him cry, be it from fear, happiness, or general sadness. I didn't ever want to see him like that, ever. I was going to do my damndest to make sure that he wouldn't get hurt. I was going to protect him. After all, it was the least I could do after everything he had done for me in the past few months.

I finally made it to the cafeteria and quickly made my way over to the small café. I ordered Abel's drink and fiddled with the cup sleeve as I waited for the barista to finish constructing it. Soon, I had the hot beverage in my hand and made my way back upstairs. I raised the cup to my lips and took a sip as I walked down the hall toward the waiting room. Abel was sitting on the floor outside the door and looked up at me when I approached him.

As I looked at him, though, I noticed part of his face was reddish in color, but I said nothing. I didn't want to upset him any more than he already was.

"How does it taste?" he asked with a small smile, gesturing to the coffee. I shrugged and handed the cup to him. Sitting down next to him, I bent one leg up to my chest and stretched the other out across the tiled floor.

"It tastes better secondhand," I said. He gave me a look as he took a drink.

"What do you mean 'secondhand?'" he asked after swallowing. I bent down and pressed our lips together briefly.

"It tastes much better when it comes off your lips," I replied. He smiled slightly before turning away. We sat in silence, listening to the different monitors beeping in the distance, the quiet chatter coming from the waiting room, and the occasional nurse shuffling by. I briefly wondered why we weren't sitting in the waiting room with the rest of his family, but quickly pushed the thought aside.

After Abel finished his coffee, he tossed the empty cup in the trash can next to us and leaned his head on my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close.

"I'm not ready to lose her, Cain…" he said quietly, staring at the floor. I sighed and kissed the top of his head.

"I know, Princess."

"I just… I don't know what I would do if…" He cut himself off with a loud sob and buried his face in my chest again. He grasped the fabric of my shirt in his hands. The only thing I could do was hold him close and tight as his sobs shook his body.

"I know how you feel," I said after he had calmed down a bit. He instantly pulled back and stared at me.

"No, you don't," he snapped, catching me off-guard. "You didn't give two shits about whether or not your parents were alive until two weeks ago. They were never fucking around, so you wouldn't know what it's like to have them, let alone lose them!"

"Abel-" I started. He jerked away from me and stood up.

"Don't even try to empathize with me, Cain!" he shouted, pointing an angry finger at me. "You have no fucking clue what I am going through! You don't know what it's like to have to sit here and wonder if you're ever going to be able to hug your mother again, or even something as simple as telling her that you love her! I'm just waiting for some stranger to come in here and tell me that she's gone and pretend to care and I'm not fucking ready for that!" After he finished, he turned on his heel and stormed off down the hall toward the elevators.

A part of me thought that I should go after him, but another part, the sensible one, told me that it was best that I left him alone for a while. So I did. I sat there on the cold, tile floor, and watched as he angrily pounded the call button and stood there with his arms crossed. After he stepped into the lift, he turned and looked at me. He raised a hand to his face and quickly swiped the tears away as the doors slid shut. As soon as he disappeared, his words instantly ran through my mind again.

I do understand, I thought to myself. I was at the hospital when my grandmother died back then.

My parents were away on business over in who-knows-where, again, and I was the one that the doctors had to go to when she had passed away. Me, alone, in the waiting room of the Mariinsky Hospital, suddenly living all on my own at the age of fifteen. I couldn't even bring myself to go home that night. Instead, I went and started hanging out with the wrong sort of people: some kids who I went to school with who were into some really bad shit.

It was nothing I really wanted to recall, though, especially right then, when things were already at a low point with Abel's mom.

I stood up from the floor and was just about to make my way over to the waiting room to study and pass some time, when a familiar figure rounded the hallway corner and approached me at a surprisingly quick pace.

"Abel's dad… I mean, uh, Professor," I muttered in an uncertain greeting. The middle-aged man's expression was somewhat hard to read, but he looked either sad because of his wife's current state, or he appeared to be angry, but I didn't know why that would be.

However, my thoughts were quickly answered when the Professor got right up in my face and shoved me up against the wall.

"What the-?!" I groaned, grabbing at the older man's arms to try and pry myself free. The Professor glared directly into my eyes.

"Why are you here?" he demanded.

"W-what?" I questioned. What the hell was going on with him?

"You do not belong here right now. This is a strictly family matter."

"I was just trying to…" I sputtered at Abel's dad.

"To what?"

"Comfort Abel! I mean, you should understand best, right?" I argued. "Your wife just got into a car accident! Abel's not sure whether or not he will be seeing his mother ever again. Not to mention he has been alone for the majority of his life…"

"Alone? That's preposterous," he retorted. "I have always been there for my son, always watching out for him and guiding him to what is best for him." I growled.

"What's best for him? Or best for you?"

At this, the Professor furrowed his eyebrows in anger, and tightened his grip on me. Despite being an old fart, he really did have some strong arms. Either that, or he really was incredibly angry.

And then it dawned on me.

"You…" I muttered, staring up at the Professor. "...You hit Abel, didn't you? Just now, before I came back with his coffee." That must have been why one side of his face had a red tint to it.

"...He needed to know that being with you was not what was best for him," he replied bluntly. My eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean…"

"Yes, I know what you and my son have been doing during your 'tutoring sessions'," the Professor admitted. "It came to my attention just today, actually. And under no circumstances is it going to continue."

Suddenly, though, a heat started to fill my chest, and I couldn't get over the fact that the Professor would stoop so low as to beat his own son. Staring into his eyes, I growled angrily.

"So you beat him?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" I shouted, trying to wriggle my way out of his grasp. "There's absolutely nothing in this world that justifies hurting Abel! He's your son for Christ's sake!"

This guy… had he been abusing Abel before this? Is that why Abel was so obedient? Was that the reason he was so reserved? And to think, I had been teasing him about it for so long…

But now, all that secrecy and false trust that Abel built up as defense against his dad was gone. The Professor knew about us. Someone had told him.

It was that stupid fucking Phobos kid. I knew right away that it was him who had told the Professor about me and Abel. Who else could it have possibly been?

Fuck, it was stupid of me to think that I could prevent Phobos from telling just by threatening him.

"Fuckass…" I muttered. Abel's father scowled down at me.

"What did you call me?" he demanded. Glaring up and meeting his gaze, I smirked.

"Y'know, Mr. Abel's Dad," I began, "You're sorely mistaken if you think you know the first thing about what Abel wants." He frowned.

"Why you little…"

"But you know what? I do. In fact, over the past few months, I've learned quite a few things about him, things he has purposely kept secret from you."

"Garbage like you has no right to be around my son," the Professor interrupted.

"Maybe not, but that's what I've been doing," I retorted.

"He will no longer be permitted to teach you any longer, Cain." he said bluntly. I merely chuckled up at him, completely and totally done with his bullshit.

"Which reminds me," I muttered in a defiant tone. "If I may be perfectly honest, I think I've been teaching him a lot more than he could ever teach me."

At this remark, I could actually hear the Professor growl at me. Shifting his hand up more so that it gripped around my throat, he leaned in, his hot breath on my cheek.

"Tell me you haven't touched a hair on his head," he commanded as my breath started to become weaker.

"Then… I'd be lying."

The Professor looked like he was about to explode. I could see in his eyes that there was nothing he'd rather do right then and there than choke me to death for taking his son's virginity. But there was also something behind that. He also knew, deep down, that I was teaching Abel to think for himself. I was showing him exactly how to make his own choices. I never had to answer to parents, and I was passing that freedom on to Abel.

After a few more moments of intense silence, though, the Professor surprisingly let me go. As I tried catching my breath, he spoke one last time.

"You have to end your relationship with him, as soon as you possibly can. You have barely known my son for four months. Get out of his life now and he will be able to get over it sooner. You and I both know that it's what's best for him. If you break it off with him of your own accord, then I will make things easier for the both of you. However, if you don't…" he leaned in, his eyes burning with anger, "...then I will be forced to take drastic measures."

With that, he pulled away from me, his glare ever-present, and he stomped away from me, his footsteps piercingly clear as they clicked on the tile hospital floor.

As he turned down the end of the hallway, though, I realized what his breath had smelled like when he had his face so close to mine. It was all too familiar. But frankly, it didn't surprise me.

He reeked of alcohol.