A THOUSAND TIMES SORRY! I have the most horrible case of writer's block at the moment, so my updates are getting slower and crappier... I'll try and get this story finished but it might take me a while...
Tala watched Adrik all of the next day, trying not to listen to the whispers about Gaver that were circling. Some people said he'd run away, others said he was hiding somewhere in the abbey, but Tala knew. And Adrik knew. And Adrik had him for a lesson at five, so when the evening rolled around, Tala went to the training rooms, steeling his nerves.
"Adrik..."
"Hey Tala. I thought today we could-"
"Adrik...why did Boris do that to Gaver?" Adrik went pale.
"Tala...you...you couldn't have seen..."
"And why were you letting Boris do -that- to you?" Adrik looked absolutely mortified.
"Tala..." The older Russian leaned against the wall as if needing support, running a hand over his face and sighing. "I can't explain it to you now Tala, but I have to let Boris do that."
"Why?" Demanded Tala, needing to know why Adrik had -let- such a thing happen to him.
"Because if I didn't let him do it to me...he'd do it to someone else. I'm the oldest here, it's my responsibility...and I don't want to see any of you getting hurt."
"Are you gay with him?" Tala whispered, hurt. Adrik looked away, eyes fixed on the floor.
"Yes." He said eventually. "Tala...don't tell anyone. No-one else needs to know." Tala opened his mouth and shut it again. This was surely wrong...
"Adrik..."
"Now, as I was saying, I thought tonight we could try a different kind of lau-"
"ADRIK!" Tala yelled, suddenly angry.
"Tala...I..." Tala ran over and fastened his arms around Adrik's waist, butting his head against the older boy's stomach.
"You shouldn't let him."
"I have to, Tala."
"You shouldn't." Adrik was silent for a long time, then laid a hand on Tala's head.
"I know."
After that, Tala watched Adrik more closely, becoming more and more worried even as his friendship with Bryan blossomed. Over the next few weeks, a few more new people came to the abbey, most notably a pair of friends Boris had found on the streets. They were called Ian and Spencer, and they too were infatuated with Boris. Tala often pitied them, because they didn't -know-.
"How was your lesson today?" Bryan asked thoughtfully. They were both in Tala's room on the bed, but Tala wasn't really listening. He was still worried about Adrik. And then...from next door...someone speaking...someone older...
"Shh, shut up a second!" Tala hissed. Everyone else fell quiet and Tala pressed his ear to the wall.
"Boris...I'm not coming tonight."
"What do you mean, you're not coming?"
"I...I don't want to see you tonight."
"Then do I take one of your little friends? What about your little favourite, Tala? Would you prefer me to take him?"
"Boris...it's not right. You should be getting a girlfriend and settling down, not forcing yourself onto people younger and weaker than you!" Adrik's voice rose. Boris laughed sneeringly.
"You're shaking, Adrik."
"Get off me!" Tala shot to his feet and ran outside, followed by Bryan. He smashed open Adrik's door and tumbled inside, running at Boris and sinking his teeth into the older man's leg. Boris yelled with pain and let go the grip he had on Adrik's waist, kicking out at Tala. The redhead landed against the wall, crying with pain. "BORIS!"
Everything after happened in a blur. Adrik leapt at Boris, wrestled him to the floor and hit him in the face, seething. "YOU SICK FREAK! HE'S A CHILD! THEY'RE ALL CHILDREN!" Boris howled with pain and wrenched Adrik off himself, thowing him against the chest of drawers. There was a sickening crack and Tala screamed. Adrik was sinking to the floor, a chunk ripped out of his forehead by the sharp metal. Panting, Boris picked Adrik up and smashed him off the drawers again, growling. "I'll teach you to hit me you little whore!" Again and again Adrik's limp form was crashed against the metal. It made Tala feel sick. He screamed again and grabbed Boris' leg, pulling him off balance as Bryan suddenly leapt out of nowhere and scratched the older man's arm. Faced by two attacks Boris had to leave Adrik alone to fling the other two away, which he did, fiercely.
"How dare you disobey me?" He asked, growling. "Get back to your room and expect to be punished!"
But Tala wasn't listening. "Adrik..." He crawled over and shook Adrik gently. "Adrik...say something...please..."
"Uhh..."
"Adrik!" Tala stroked Adrik's hair. "Adrik, are you okay?" Adrik laid there unmoving, and Tala shook him again. "Adrik! Adrik!" Nothing. Boris watched as Tala rolled Adrik over on to his back. The young boy's face was a mass of blood, from the cut on his head and the cuts on his cheeks. Blood was trickling out from under his hair and out of his mouth, dripping down onto the floor. Tala looked at him for a few seconds and then it all sank in. He screamed, long and loud, only stopping when Boris clamped a hand over his mouth.
"I told you to go back to bed, Ivanov. And take your little friend with you. Only he might want to wash himself first because he -wet- himself." Knowing he was powerless to do anything, Tala stood up, small fists clenched.
"I hate you, Boris!" Boris just laughed.
"I'm sure you do."
After bending down and kissing Adrik goodbye, Tala ran out of the room, feeling scared, confused, weak and sick all at the same time. Bryan followed him, then struggled with the shower in their shared bathroom. Tala sat and watched him, hollow. Adrik had always helped them with the shower. Adrik...
"Adrik..."
Tala threw himself down on the bed and cried.
R&R please...