Warnings: non-con, abuse (will stick to T rating)


Jakob was persistent in his efforts to keep Jamie away from Jack – and Jack away from Jamie. He ordered, not so much as asked, his friends to keep "the rat" busy. Jamie shouldn't have been surprised that they took Jakob's words seriously. Jakob explained that he was paying them a hundred dollars each to be his cronies for the night.

For the next hour Jakob successfully kept Jamie in his sights and out of Jack's reach. Jamie always had his eyes searching for a glimpse of chocolate brown hair and eyes, but they always belonged to another girl or boy. He was growing hopeless; Jakob was whisking him from room to room and that should have increased his chances of spotting Jack.

Jakob questioned Jamie about his scoping eyes when they were seated in the video game room.

"I'm just looking for friends," Jamie said. He put his hand on top of Jakob's and laced their fingers. Jakob squeezed his fingers softly. "I haven't seen any of them yet."

"It's a big place. Do you want to find them?"

Jamie nodded. "I'd like that."

"Then let's go." Jakob walked Jamie out, one of the cronies appearing out of nowhere and tailing them.

Jamie allowed a small part of him to hope that he would find Jack. He tried not to let the hope grow into anything large enough to severely kill his mood if it went unfulfilled. Through the changing gaps between swarms of people, Jamie caught many glimpses of brunette boys. Their backs were always facing him, feeding his hopes until he was desperate to see Jack's face just one more time. Jack was an angel; he was the only person who gave a damn about Jamie's safety with Jakob. He didn't even know Jamie, yet he warned him about Jakob's intentions for the future.

The other students who knew about Jakob's reputation only gave Jamie pity looks. Nobody stepped in; they were scared for themselves, not for Jamie. But Jack – Jack who Jamie had finally spotted chatting to Pippa in the corner of the entrance hallway – gave Jamie concerned looks, because he cared. He actually did.

Jamie tugged on Jakob's arm. "I see Pippa!"

"Where?" Jakob bent down to Jamie's height.

"The entrance." Jamie pulled his hand out of Jakob's. "Can I go? Please?" Jamie did his best puppy eyed look without looking ridiculous.

Jakob finally saw Pippa – and Jack wasn't there. Jamie's gut dropped, and then he saw Jack crouched on the ground behind Pippa. Pippa was fiddling with her phone.

"Go ahead. But stay in this room."

Jamie did a little bounce and stood on his tippy toes to kiss Jakob. "Thank you!"

Jakob wrapped his arms around Jamie's back and stepped between his legs. He kissed Jamie deeply, pressing Jamie's head closer and holding him still. He didn't kiss Jamie as much as he ravaged his mouth with his tongue. Before Jamie could suffocate from too much tongue, Jakob slid his mouth to Jamie's ear. "There'll be more of that later," he whispered, and then squeeze Jamie's bottom.

"'K-kay," Jamie said and wriggled out of Jakob's arms. "See ya."

"You too, babe." Jakob winked in Pippa's direction.

Jamie looked back and saw that Jack was now standing, furious. Pippa was furious too, her face a bright red.

Jakob whispered in Jamie's ear, "Don't think I'm not stupid.

Jamie numbly walked to Pippa and Jack. He no longer felt safe, even with Jack standing just feet away. He thought of Jakob's voice when he called Jamie "babe". Jakob had sounded nothing like Jack. Jakob said it as if Jamie was an object – his object. Jack said it like a nickname, like Jamie was more than just "babe".

He wished he never agreed to go to prom. He should have stayed home and helped Sophie with her history essay instead. He wouldn't have met Jack though, and that's what tore Jamie apart. He wished there was another way he could have met Jack, without the main dish of Jakob's disgusting tactics and possessive nature. If Jack was the main dish and Jakob the side dish, everything would have been a hundred times better. Jamie rarely had so much drama in his life; the drama at prom was more than enough for a year.

Pippa pulled Jamie close by his waistband. "You said you weren't going to prom."

"I didn't want you to worry."

"That you're going with that fucking dickhead? Jamie, what the fuck is wrong with you? You know who he is."

Jamie couldn't look at Pippa's upset face and listen to her disappointment at the same time. He looked at the shells of his black dress shoes. They were dull, and he wished he had shined them.

"Jamie," Jack said softly. He lifted Jamie's face up by the chin. His fingers were warm and the tips were calloused. "You're stuck with me for the rest of the night. Jakob can't have you."

Jamie wished he could get pleasure out of two boys fighting over him.

#

Pippa, Jack, and Jamie spent all their time in the dance room. The lack of lights and pumping music would make it hard for Jakob and his lackeys to see or hear Jamie. The trio dragged chairs to the corner of the room, trapping Jamie on the inside so it was harder to see him from the outside. The pulsating crowd of dancers made it even harder to spot Jamie from the outside. The only people who could really see him were those in the outliers of the dance floor. He felt safer, but not safe enough. He felt like someone could stab a hook through his suit and reel him out.

Pippa's date, Monty, had ditched her earlier for the video game room. She was texting him, telling him to keep an eye out for Jakob and his friends. If he saw them, he was supposed to follow them and update Pippa on where they were headed. Monty declined at first. He made a joke out of how Pippa's standards for guys was stooping so low, she was considering Jakob. She told him about Jamie's situation, and Monty quickly turned into the security guard they needed. He abandoned the games and went after Jakob.

"Jakob's in the bathroom – again," Pippa said. "His friends are playing with the hairspray." Her mouth twisted. "He sent…a picture." Pippa showed Jack and Jamie a photo of the jocks spritzing each other's hair. Monty's reflection was visible in the shot – just feet from the jocks.

"He's going to get himself killed," Jamie said. "He can't just walk up to them and take a picture."

Pippa sighed. "He just took a picture of Jakob." She showed a pic of Jakob washing his hands at the sink. He was glowering at Monty in the mirror's reflection, Monty looking passive as he took the shot.

Jack laughed. "I'm sorry, but your boyfriend's an idiot."

"He's not my boyfriend," Pippa snapped, more defensive than usual than when people made the same mistake. "We're just friends."

Jack nodded disbelievingly. A sliver of light from the disco ball flashed across his face, illuminating his eyes. Jamie's throat went dry. "What school do you go to?" he asked, voice hoarse.

"I'm homeschooled." Jack grinned. "Got in because Pippa guested me."

So maybe if Jamie hadn't gone to prom, he still would have met Jack. "How do you two know each other?"

"We live on the same block."

"How do you know – never mind." Jamie shook his head.

"How do I know Jakob?" Jack asked. Jamie nodded. "He's a family friend."

Jamie grimaced and pitifully smiled. With a sudden shock of courage Jamie put a hand on Jack's knee and squeezed. "I'm sorry you have to deal with his shit."

Jack put his hand over Jamie's and had his fingers slip between the gaps of Jamie's. "I'm sorry you have to deal with his shit. I want to help you. Let me take you home tonight."

Jamie's hormone pumped thoughts went south and his throat dried up so quickly that he croaked in surprise. His house was forty minutes from prom. Forty minutes. The things that could happen in that time. Jamie wasn't one to jump quickly on the familiarity train with people he didn't know very well – but that was because he rarely had the chance to get to know new people.

It didn't seem like Jack would reject the offer Jamie was ready to voice. Jack was acting really comfortable around Jamie with the way his fingers were now climbing up Jamie's hand. He pressed his palm on the back of Jamie's hand and slowly smoothed his fingers out. Jamie shivered. "Do you want to stay at my place? It's just me and my sister and we have stuff."

"Stuff?" Jack laughed.

Pippa snickered and hid behind her phone's screen.

"Video games and movies. Books." Jamie smiled and accidently giggled. He slapped a hand over his mouth, cheeks burning.

"Fuck. You're adorable." Jack laughed. "Of course I'll go with you."

"He thinks you're cute," Pippa said.

"I know. He called me adorable." Jamie giggled again, just for Jack's entertainment – and Pippa's too.

#

They talked through five more songs before Jamie excused himself to use the restroom.

Jack stood as if he intended to follow Jamie. Jamie blushed and patted the air for Jack to sit down. "It's okay! The bathrooms aren't far. I'll be quick."

"I was going to wait in the bathroom lobby, but whatever makes you comfortable."

"Monty says he doesn't know where Jakob is," Pippa said. She tugged on Jamie's hand until he leaned in front of her, inches from her face. "Be careful. If you see Jakob, run here."

"I'm not dumb." Jamie patted her knee. "I'll be fine."

#

"Fine" was the understatement of the day. Jamie had taken only a step out of the bathrooms before Jakob grabbed his wrist.

"I found a nice place to hang out for the rest of the dance." Jakob pulled Jamie through throngs of people, shoving couples apart and shoving a poor boy to the ground. He knocked down his date with his flailing arms and she took down another girl.

Jakob's cronies fell into step behind him, shoving back a boy who took a step too close to Jakob.

"Did you have fun with your friends?" Jakob asked in a sickly voice. He jerked Jamie to walk at his side. The abrupt jolt made Jamie bite down on his tongue. He swallowed away the coopery blood that leaked from his cut.

"Let me go." Jamie twisted his wrist in as many directions as he could before Jakob twisted it in a particular way that almost made Jamie drop to his knees. "Stop! I don't want to go!" And then he saw that Jakob was taking him to the dance room. He hoped they'd take the way that led to Jack and Pippa. They didn't. They went around the other side of the room until they reached the backstage door. "Jakob! I don't want to – let me go!"

Jakob slammed the door behind them. His cronies stayed outside.

"What are we doing here?" Jamie couldn't see much in the dark room; the lights were too dim.

"You already know." Jakob pressed Jamie against the wall with his body. He pressed his lips to Jamie's throat and bit.

Jamie shoved Jakob's broad shoulders. Jakob bulged only a little. "Stop it." Jamie pushed again.

"Quit squirming. You know you want this." Jakob ground his thigh between Jamie's legs. "Feel that?"

"Stop." Jamie clawed at Jakob's shoulders. "Stop."

"You were enjoying it before." He claimed Jamie's lips in a bruising kiss.

Jamie's eyes leaked tears and he struggled harder. It was up to him to save himself. Nobody else would be able to reach him in time. Not before Jakob…

Jamie worked his panic into his struggles.

"Let me go. Let me go." Jamie's struggling bought him a gap wide enough for him to chamber his knee and slam it into Jakob's groin.

Jakob backhanded him. The snap echoed off everything, echoing the loudest in Jamie's head where it never seemed to quiet. "You bitch."

Jamie clenched his eyes shut against the stars bursting around him. He raked Jacob's face with his nails, stamped his feet on Jakob's, and then socked him in the stomach. He kicked Jakob's shin as hard as he could.

Jakob's scream pumped his veins with adrenaline.

Jakob stumbled back and chambered his arm for a punch. Jamie dropped to his knees and crawled to the door. It seemed too far. He feared he would never reach it.

Jakob screamed behind him – purely of anger. Jamie couldn't breathe. He could feel Jakob reaching for him.

He scrambled to his feet, tearing through the grip on his suit, and barreled through the door, pushing a large body aside. He himself slammed into someone who grabbed his arms. He thrashed wildly until the person shouted, "It's me! Jack!"

Sure enough Jamie had collided into Jack's arms. He burst into tears and collapsed against Jack's chest, gripping at his tux's lapels. His knees almost gave way. The only thing that kept him standing was Jack's hold around his waist.

Jack's body thrummed with warmth – and anger. Jamie pressed his head into the warm corner between Jack's neck and shoulders. If there was a label for how Jack smelled, Jamie would call it safety.

He would also call it hope.

Jamie heard the door get kicked open. The sound resonated painfully through his mind. He whimpered and pressed himself harder into Jack. He wished he could melt into Jack and never be seen again. He'd be safe forever and Jakob could never touch him again.

"Shhh. It's okay. I got you. He can't touch you."

"Mr. Jerrings," a woman said, "You are facing serious trouble right now. The police are on their way."

Jamie knew that voice. He peered over his shoulder. He gave a sob of relief and relaxed into Jack's arms. Burgess High's principal stood in front of Jakob and his friends. At her sides were two security guards. They spoke to the boys in strict voices, the security guards ordering the boys around.

Jamie shut his mind off to them, and only focused on Jack.

"It's okay," Jack said. He rubbed Jamie's back soothingly and hummed a soft tune in his ears. Jamie's heart relaxed to a more normal rate. Soft lips brushed his forehead. "You're safe now."


A/N: I don't know how sentencing goes or how the whole police thing works, but let's just say that money couldn't save Jakob and he went to jail. His cronies also faced some jail time. When Jakob was released, Jamie and Jack were happily married with their own wealth – in the form of a baby girl, who they ADOPTED. I repeat, ADOPTED.

Pippa and Monty got married and had twins.

This chapter was not beta'd.