*Disclaimer*The*pretty*boys*aren't*mine*but*it*would*be*awwwesome*if*they*we re*and*I'm*not*getting*paid*and*please*don't*sue*me*because*I*really*like*my *house*

The pool house was comfortably quiet. The only trickle of light was the moon's reflection off the surface of the pool. Ryan and Seth were intertwined on the bed, Ryan with his head on Seth's chest. He felt Seth's chest rise and fall with slow, deep, breaths. He gently stroked Seth's tummy fuzz and felt filled with gratitude and love. He had never thought he could feel this. So loved, so cared for, so needed.

Seth's legs twitched and Ryan heard him moan quietly. Ryan smiled at the idea that Seth was having a sex dream. Seth was insatiable - they had been coming together like this for weeks now, and Ryan was still amazed at Seth's enthusiasm. Just as Ryan reached out to stroke Seth's growing cock, He heard the dream turn from pleasure to pain. Seth was crying out in pain, or fear, or both. Ryan sat up and stroked Seth's face, trying to wake him from the bad dream. Seth slapped his hand away, yelling and pushing him away. Ryan wrapped both his arms tightly around Seth, pinning his arms to his sides, and put his lips to Seth's ear, consoling him, trying to wake him.

"Seth, it's me, Ryan. It's okay, it was just a bad dream. You're safe. It's okay."

The tension began to leave Seth's body, as he opened his eyes and looked around and realized that Ryan was holding him. Then he started to shake, and tears trickled from his big brown eyes.

"Are you okay, Seth?"

"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare."

But Ryan could tell that Seth was not okay. "What is it, baby? You know you can tell me anything."

Seth sighed and squeezed his eyes tightly. Ryan felt the tears escape and roll down Seth's face. He took Seth's chin gently in his hand and looked deep into his eyes. "What is it? What are you so upset about?"

Seth felt torn apart. He wanted to talk to Ryan, but didn't want to admit he lied. The first time they made love, Ryan had said how happy he was that they were each other's first lover, and Seth had agreed. How could he tell Ryan now that had been untrue? But he had to talk to somebody. He couldn't keep this inside any longer. The truth might hurt, but holding it in was much worse.

Seth decided it was worth the risk. "Well, first of all, I have to come clean about something I haven't told you."

Ryan was silent, and Seth cringed inside and continued. "Remember how I said that you were my first? Yeah. Well that's not entirely true."

Ryan stayed silent, hurt, but not wanting to interrupt.

"I've actually been sleeping with someone pretty regularly for the past year. It's so different than this, though. Not the same feeling at all. He's mean to me. He hurts me. He makes me feel terrible. But I kept seeing him because I had no one else."

To be honest, Ryan had sort of suspected this, but had hoped fervently that it wasn't true. He listened sadly to Seth's words, a knot growing in his chest.

"It started one time after gym. Everyone else had left for their next class, until it was just the two of us. He threw me against the lockers and basically mauled me, ripping my clothes, pulling down my pants. And the whole time he's calling me a queer, and a fag, and he flipped me around, slamming my face against the lockers. Then I heard his zipper go down..."

Seth trailed off, and they both knew he didn't need to finish, and Ryan held him even tighter, comforting him while pain and anger slowly filled them both. After a few minutes, Seth was able to continue.

"I never thought it would happen again. I hoped it was just a bad dream or something, you know? But then he called me at home a few days later and asked me to meet him at the beach. And his voice was different, and he was being really nice to me, so I went. It was dumb, I know, but I knew I had to see him face-to-face. I wanted to try to make some sense of what had happened. When I got there, he apologized for what he did. He told me it wouldn't happen again. At least, not like that. And then he was rubbing my back, and it felt so nice, and then we did it right there in the sand. And it was different Not violent, but not tender either. Just sort of empty. After that night, he kept calling, and I kept going. As time went by, he started to get cruel again. Biting me, hitting me, pulling my hair, calling me names. I should have stopped seeing him, but by then I felt like this was the best I was going to get, and that I might as well get used to it."

Ryan let a tear escape and cursed Luke in his head. It wasn't bad enough to attack Seth, but to convince him he deserved it? This explained why Luke was out to get him from the minute he came to Orange County. Luke didn't want anything to come between him and his little fuckbuddy. He was afraid that Ryan might actually make Seth happy, and that's exactly what had happened.

"We haven't fucked since you got here, and I don't ever want to again. He made me feel so bad about myself..." and Seth was sobbing, soaking Ryan's chest. Ryan stroked Seth's back and did his best to calm him, but he knew Seth had to let it out. He knew too well.

"I was just so lonely, you know? I had started to think I wasn't worth anything better." He paused, letting the truth sink in to himself fully for the first time. The realization was painful, but it made Seth see that he didn't feel that way so much anymore.

"I'm sorry I lied to you. If you want to be pissed at me, go ahead."

Ryan's eyes were sad and he pulled Seth closer. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you're with me now, and you're safe, and I'll never let anything like that happen to you again."

Seth held on to him tight, relieved. But he couldn't miss the anger in Ryan's voice. He started to worry what Ryan might do.

"Please tell me you won't do anything to him. It isn't worth it. I don't want to start any more trouble over this."

Ryan knew it would be impossible to see Luke without breaking his fucking face. Something had to be done. But he wanted to respect Seth's wishes. He thought about it for a minute.

"What if we got him back?" Ryan asked.

"Oh god, no, I don't want you to do to him what he did to me. I don't even want to think about it." But the idea of revenge was beginning to fill Seth's mind.

******

Ryan really just wanted to beat the fuck out of Luke, but Seth wasn't having it. Seth wanted to do something more cruel, more crafty. More humiliating. He and Ryan came up with a plan. Well, Ryan came up with most of it, and Seth added some sadistic touches.

When the day came, though, he didn't know if he could really do it, if he could play his part in this little drama. He had been hurt enough already, and the thought of going near Luke again made him feel all sick inside.

But he wanted and needed some closure. He wanted to see Luke hurt. Wanted him to know how it felt to be powerless.

Luke had called sporadically since Ryan had arrived, but Seth had been dodging his calls. But today was different. Luke called, Seth answered, and he agreed to meet Luke at the beach that night.

Seth rolled his way down the street in the dark. Thankfully his skateboard knew the way. His heart was pounding with fear. He saw Luke's hulking truck near the rocks, and Seth nearly bailed. But he needed to go through with this.

Luke was leaning against the back of his pickup. He grabbed Seth as soon as he got close, and roughly kissed him. Seth thought he might puke. Luke's hands moved roughly up and down Seth's body, and Seth was repulsed. How had he ever enjoyed this? How had he ever made himself enjoy it? But he had to make the plan work. He kissed Luke back, and pulled Luke's shirt off. He went through the motions, trying to keep Luke from suspecting anything.

Luke's body responded, and he smiled wickedly. "I missed you, you little fag."

Seth forced a smile, pretending to be into it, and the effort was excruciating. Luke pushed him down on his knees in front of him and grabbed his hair. This was his only chance.

Seth took a set of handcuffs out of his jacket pocket, and Luke's eyes glittered with anticipation.

"Great idea, you little fuck. Gimme those."

But Seth snatched them away. "No. Um, you first."

Luke scowled, but agreed, too dumb to suspect that Seth might be up to something. "Fine, but you had better make it worth it."

Seth slid down Luke's boxers, and looked up at his muscular body. Luke was a good-looking guy, but he was also a dick, and he had to pay.

Luke sat on the sand in front of the truck, and allowed Seth to pull his arms over his head and cuff him to the grill of the truck. Once Seth knew the cuffs were secured, he took a deep breath. The hardest part was over.

Ryan rode up on his bike, and Luke got pissed.

"Oh so that's what this is. Fine, go ahead and get your hits in. Beat the crap out of me. But then you better run and hide, 'cause I'll come after you like a Mack fucking truck."

Seth and Ryan looked at each other and smiled.

"No, that's not what's going to happen," Ryan said.

Ryan reached over and gently caressed Seth's arm. Then he pulled him close, and kissed him, gently at first, and then passionately.

He looked at Luke. "See these lips?" he said, pointing to Seth's mouth. These beautiful lips will never touch you again." He kissed Seth again, a little harder, trying to give him courage.

He pulled off Seth's shirt. He could see how nervous Seth was, and he stroked his back to calm him "See this body? You'll never lay a hand on it again." He rubbed Seth's chest and stomach and shoulders, kissing his neck.

Luke was enraged, trying to free himself from the cuffs, but couldn't get free. "I'm not going to sit here and watch this!"

Seth's eyes met Luke's for the first time. "But you have to. You have a lesson to learn." He relaxed a little under Ryan's gentle touch.

Seth felt weak, from the flush of excitement and pure abject fear. Ryan calmed him with a glance, and gently laid him on the sand.

Ryan pulled off Seth's pants and boxers, and began to stroke his thighs. Seth had never felt more naked. Ryan turned Seth over onto his stomach, and Seth started to shiver.

Ryan looked at Luke again. "See this beautiful ass? This ass doesn't belong to you. It never did."

With that Ryan gently laid kisses all over Seth's soft cheeks. Seth was growing more and more excited, and the excitement was definitely winning out over the fear. Definitely. Ryan spread Seth's cheeks, and softly tongued his puckered pink hole, licking him with long strokes and slipping his tongue inside. Seth was moving beneath him now, completely on board. Ryan turned him over again.

"See this gorgeous cock?"

And with that Ryan swallowed Seth's eager erection, not needing to continue. He took it all the way down his throat, sucking like a vacuum. Seth's body was bucking beneath him as he licked his way up and down the shaft. He put both hands around the base and sucked on the bright red tip until Seth's eyes rolled back in his head. Then he swallowed it all again, Seth straining upwards, thrusting into Ryan's mouth. They moved like this for what felt like forever.

Ryan reached for Seth's balls, stroking and squeezing. He reached around to Seth's ass, and gently slipped a finger inside. This sent Seth completely over the edge. He spasmed over and over, filling Ryan's mouth with his hot white cum, which Ryan gladly swallowed. Ryan kissed his way up Seth's body as Seth struggled to catch his breath. Ryan laid down beside him, and their eyes met, full of love and affection. Ryan planted one gentle kiss after another on Seth's face as Seth's breathing returned to normal. They smiled at each other, and Seth reached his hand to touch Ryan's mouth. They kissed gently, reveling in the heady mixture of salty air and sweat.

After a few minutes, Ryan propped himself on his elbow, and looked at Luke, who had remained silent throughout. He saw Luke's raging hard-on and laughed.

"So did you learn anything? Do you see what it is to treat someone with tenderness? Or are you jealous that he's not your little piece of ass anymore?"

No response but silence and a glare.

Ryan and Seth rose, dusting off the sand. Seth put his t-shirt and pants back on, and grabbed Ryan around the waist from behind, giving him a big warm squeeze.

Ryan hugged him back, and turned to see Seth smiling. The fear in his eyes was gone.

Ryan said, "So I guess we should let him go. It looks like he's got a little something there he needs to take care of. And I do mean little. Give me the key."

Seth batted his eyes and played innocent. "What key?"

Ryan looked at him and smiled.

Luke was steely. He had figured this was coming. Fuck.

Seth walked over to him and spit in his face. "This is how it's done in the O.C. now, bitch!"