Author's Note: To everyone who came over from the T rated section, thank you! I am sorry I had to raise this rating, but I couldn't run the risk of getting in trouble. As it stands, this chapter is M rated for a reason. Please enjoy. As for the reviewer with the excellent question... everything is up to your interpretation.

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters!

Chapter 6

"Will?" Jem's voice awoke Will from the numb stupor he found himself in. He wasn't drunk, no, that was long before now. He just found that staring at the far end of the bathtub was more comfortable, then, say, bathing himself, getting out, and going to bed. It was after midnight. Will had come home from seeing Magnus at the symphony and had gone straight upstairs to his room, where he poured a bath that nearly scalded him. His body hurt from being with Magnus, and yet, it was the best sort of hurt, because the fiery ache in his stomach distracted him from the pain in his heart. Sex with Magnus was a distraction, and a good one at that. "Will, are you alright?" The bedroom door closed.

"I'm in the bath," Will said. Jem walked into the bathroom and leaned against the doorway, dressed in trousers and a white shirt unbuttoned enough to show the runes at the base of his neck. Will had no idea why he was out of the infirmary, but saw it in his eyes that he had taken his drug and must be recovering.

"Where were you all day?" Jem asked, "I woke up and you weren't in the Infirmary."

"I had errands to run," Will replied. Jem walked over and sat on the side of the bathtub.

"I see you enjoy a black eye as a fashion accessory," Jem said.

"It's better than a monocle," Will said. He knew his eye was still black and blue, despite Magnus's healing. Jem reached over and ran his fingers over the bruise, then dipped his hand into the water, letting his fingertips just break the surface. He licked his lips and looked across the room. "Why are you here?"

"Will you please spend the night with me?" Jem asked. "I don't… I'm afraid to go to sleep because I'm afraid I won't wake up." His eyes filled with tears, something Will hadn't seen from him in a while. It was only Will that Jem would allow himself to cry in front of. "I know things are different between us now, but I still need you, Will. I still need you… with me."

Will knew they had crossed some sort of threshold in Yorkshire. He couldn't imagine being with Jem intimately, the way they used to be, before Tessa came to the Institute. The thought of doing anything with him was painful to consider, as if just feeling Jem in his arms might open a wound that would never heal. Yet all Jem was doing was asking Will to spend the night, to be there to watch him through the night, and Will, in his darkest, most heartbroken place, could not bear to begrudge Jem this one thing.

"I'll be right there," Will said. Jem smiled and left the room.

Will got out of the bathtub, dried off, and dressed quickly in his pajamas. He left his room, opened the door to Jem's, and walked in to find Tessa sitting on the edge of Jem's bed, putting on some hand cream. She looked up at Will, shock upon her face, as Jem came out of his bathroom, buttoning his night shirt.

"She's staying to," Jem said.

"Then you are going to be just fine," Will said. He turned for the door, but Jem was there, pushing his hand away from the doorknob, putting a hand on Will's back. He forced Will to face him, and placed a hand on Will's cheek as Tessa looked on.

"It's not proper that I spend the night with her," Jem whispered. "And I want you, Will. With me. It's only Tessa. What changed?" Tessa averted her eyes, no doubt uncomfortable with everything.

"I can go," Tessa said.

"Stay," Jem said. "Please, I want to spend the night with you both." He looked between Will and Tessa, and Tessa looked at Will, resignation on her face. Tessa, as it seemed, couldn't say no to Jem either.

"I'll be damned if I have to sleep next to her," Will said.

"You won't have to," Jem said. He led Will back over to the bed, and then climbed in first. Will gave Tessa a rueful glare, and then climbed in after him. Tessa extinguished a candle and climbed in last, leaving Jem between she and Will. Jem's right hand moved beneath the covers and rested on Will's stomach.

"Good night," Tessa said.

"I love you," Jem said, and Will wasn't sure who he was saying it to.

After a few minutes, Tessa rolled onto her side. Jem, half asleep, rolled over and nestled his body against hers. His hand gripped Will's side, pulling him, so Will rolled over and put his arm around Jem.

Sleep came quickly.

When the nightmare arrived, Will felt Jem's body tense against his. He sat up quickly just as Jem began to scream and thrash, shoving Tessa out of the bed.

"Jem, it's going to be alright," Tessa said, as calmly as she could manage. She crawled back across the bed towards Jem, who cried out and clawed at her face, narrowly missing her. "What's the matter with him?"

"It's just a nightmare," Will said, regretting his choice of words. This wasn't just a nightmare, they never were just nightmares. These awful dreams were like battles Jem fought in his sleep. Even now, Jem struck out at the creatures he was seeing, the hells he never told Will about. He shrieked, hysterical. "Keep back, Tess. You're just another threat to him." Will straddled Jem's waist, grabbed Jem by the arms, and forced them onto either side of the bed. Jem screamed in agony, crying aloud, before he stopped suddenly. His eyes flew open and he struggled to catch his breath.

"Am I dead?" Jem asked.

"You had a bad dream," Will said. He released Jem's hands, then ran his fingers down the boys sweat soaked chest. "That's all." Jem looked up at Will, his mouth open, his expression caught between fear and confusion. He reached up, grabbed Will by the collar of the shirt, pulled his face down to his, and pressed his lips hard against Will's.

Will gasped. Jem's tongue moved between Will's teeth and then they were kissing hard, their bodies arched together, as they tumbled back into the same place they always went to, where what they had together wasn't wrong, but rather the purest most perfect form of love. Then there was a noise beside the bed and Will pulled away to find Tessa clutching at her nightgown, her face horrified.

"I'm sorry," Will said. He started for the edge of the bed but Jem pulled him back. Jem reached out, grabbed Tessa, and pulled her back into the bed as well.

"Don't be," Jem said. "Even if it is forbidden… even if it is unforgiveable, I would have still told Tessa about you and I." He looked Tessa in the eye and spoke quietly. "I love him, and there is nothing either of you can do about it, and if you love me, you'll understand."

"I do," Tessa whispered. She leaned down and kissed Jem on the lips. When she straightened, she looked at Will.

"Go on, do what you want," Jem whispered. "Seems we can't resist each other." Tessa ran a hand through Will's air and kissed his lips. Will kissed back, just enjoying the feeling of her lips against his, as Jem moved his hand beneath Will's night shirt, touching his lower stomach, teasing his fingers over the muscles there. Will broke off his kiss with Tessa and put a hand on top of Jem's, keeping him from going too far. Despite the evening he had, Will was already getting hard at the sight of Jem lying on the bed, drenched in sweat, his eyes a hard silver.

Jem reached up and began to unbutton his night shirt. He tossed his shirt away, then unbuttoned Will's shirt and tossed it aside as well. He moved his fingers back over Will's chest, then turned to Tessa, took her in his arms, and kissed her passionately. It was clear Jem and Tessa knew one another's bodies and had done this before.

"Will," Tessa said. She held out her hand and Will took it, kissing her gently upon the back of it before he lay beside Jem and kissed him on the cheek. Tessa followed Will's lead, laying on the other side of Jem and kissing him in the same way.

"It is forbidden," Jem said, nodding to Will, "And it is immoral," he nodded to Tessa, "but is it so wrong to desire you both?"

Will met Tessa's eyes even as his lips traveled down Jem's neck. He felt hot skin against his tongue and smelled the sweet tang of Jem's sweat. Tessa's eyes were half closed as Jem tangled his hand in her hair and moaned. He lifted his other hand and pushed aside the strap of her nightgown, revealing first the top of her breast, then, the rest of it. Will's breath caught in his throat, aroused at the pure audacity of Jem to take such liberties with Tessa.

"James," Tessa mumbled.

"I'll stop if you want me to," Jem said, his tone pleading even as his thumb moved over Tessa's tiny pink nipple. He cupped her breast in his hand, holding it so gently. "I promise, I'll stop, just say the word." He flicked his tongue over Tessa's nipple, causing her to shudder. The other strap of her nightgown fell, and there she was, fully exposed for the both of them to see.

"James," Will said, struggling to keep the smile out of his voice. He teased his fingers against the side of Jem's neck and Jem turned his head obediently. Will placed his hand on Jem's cheek as they kissed, until he felt Tessa take his hand and press it to her breast. Jem smiled against Will's lips and Will couldn't decide whether or not Jem had planned this all along.

Will knew that someone needed to stop this. This was a way to have hearts broken and relationships to become forever altered, and yet, no one ever stopped it.

"Tessa, may I please touch you?" Jem whispered. Tessa was back to kissing Will hard enough to make herself breathless as Jem's hands roved up and down her silky nightgown, from her hips up to her breasts and down again. "Just tell me to stop."

"Don't," Tessa said, biting Will's lower lip, "stop." Jem's hand disappeared beneath Tessa's nightgown. She moaned and spread her legs for him. "Teach me how to pleasure him, Will."

"I beg your pardon?" Will asked. He looked down at Jem, who was already reaching up to kiss Tessa.

"Teach me," Tessa said. Will placed his right hand on Jem's chest, ran it down Jem's stomach, to the waist band of his pants, then dipped beneath the fabric, clutching Jem's erection in his hand. Jem groaned and shook his head, then nodded.

"Make up your mind," Will said, but Jem was beyond any coherent thought. He nodded quickly, licking his lips.

Tessa resumed kissing Will even as Jem had his hand up her nightgown, touching her in a way that was causing her to moan with increasing frenzy. Will had his hand down Jem's pants, not taking his time but rather pushing Jem hard and fast, never letting up. It shouldn't have worked, but it did. There was so much skin on skin, different sensations battling one another, sometimes Will lost track of who he was kissing.

This was wrong; it needed to be stopped. This was a way for someone to get hurt.

"Oh, Angel, Will," Jem said, his eyes wide open, and then closed. "I'm going to…" Jem cried out as loud as he had before, his entire body shaking, his back arching, his body releasing every bit of tension it held in one short burst of sound and energy.

Then, there was silence. Tessa went back to staring at them both with her horrified eyes, as if she hadn't spent the past half hour being felt up by one boy or another, kissing them both with reckless abandon.

"Any questions?" Will asked. Tessa just looked down at Jem, who was gasping with his eyes closed. Will climbed out of the bed and went into the bathroom. When he returned, Jem was curled against Tessa, whispering words to her in Chinese. Will tossed Jem his shirt and collected his own.

"Don't leave," Jem said. "And don't put that on."

Will climbed back into bed beside Jem. Tessa lay down as well, and they each sighed, lost in their own thoughts. Jem rolled away from Tessa and faced Will, taking his face in his hands as he kissed him gently, each meeting of their lips broken up by Jem whispering to Will in a language Tessa couldn't understand, "I love you. I'll love you always." Will kissed back, hoping to the Angel he wouldn't have to respond, and wouldn't have to ever say how much it hurt him to see Jem in love with someone else.

"I'll always love you," Jem said once more, and fell asleep with his head on Will's shoulder. Tessa was sitting up in bed, watching the whole exchange. Will met Tessa's eyes as he rested his cheek against Jem's, whispering in his ear,

"I love you to, and I always will."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review!