Chapter 4

Author's Note: I'm not sure I'm happy with this, but here it is none the less. Let me know what you think.

Chuck was avoiding the couch, knowing it was a dangerous place to be with Jake in his room. Letting Jake in when he'd arrived was a mistake, he realized now. It seemed like tension was suffocating him and it had only been half an hour. Where was Lem with the take out? Jake, however, was lounging easily there, smiling widely. "So, where is Lem, anyway?"

"He went out for dinner," Chuck said nervously. "He should be back with it any time now..." In his head, he was chanting, Please, Please, Please...

"And how long is that little experiment going to last?" he said, snorting derisively.

Chuck blinked. "Excuse me?"

Jake laughed and leaned forward. "Come on, Baker. I know you. I remember how you had to ….try everything at least once."

A flash of understanding caused his face to flush. "It is NOT an experiment," he shouted.

"Whoa, calm down!" Jake's hand were raised defensively.

"I will not!" Chuck said angrily.

"Come on, sweetie, I -"

"Don't call me that!" Chuck felt like he would explode. "I knew this was a mistake. Get out."

Jake stood, a hurt look coloring his features. "Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"If the old friend is trying to ruin my relationship, the yes! I know why you're here, and it won't work. I'm in love, Jake, for the first time, and it's not going to change." Chuck stormed up to him, leaning close. "I mean it. Leave."

Jake rolled his eyes. "So melodramatic. I'll leave, but not before I get what I came for." He pushed Chuck onto the couch and straddled him so fast, Chuck didn't see it coming. He brought his hands to Jake's chest to push him away as he leaned in, but then he heard the door open.

Lem's face was a jumble of confusion and hurt, and Chuck pushed Jake off and started to stand but it was too late. He was gone.

"No, no, no," he said, running to the door. He threw it open, but couldn't see Lem anywhere.

Jake laughed and started to leave. "Well, I'll leave you too it then," he said.

Chuck let him leave, stung and confused, not knowing how to fix things when Lem was gone. He'd have to find him. After a few minutes, he put on his coat and went in search of his lover.

.

.

.

Lem wandered the streets for a long time, all sorts of horrible images of the two humans in his head. He couldn't believe it. All the time he'd been with Chuck, all the times they'd professed their love for each other, it all seemed sullied and fake.

He'd been a fool.

Lem gave the Chinese food to a homeless woman he passed in the street, then found himself in front of a bar he'd been too with Chuck before. He entered and ordered every delicious drink he could think of, brooding as he drank them faster than he realized, ignoring the stares of the other patrons. He stood to leave as it got dark, swaying a bit. The waitress, a very nice woman he decided, asked if he had a ride home. He told her he'd figure it out, and she nodded.

It wasn't too long before he was lost though. He'd wandered too far and was too intoxicated to work out the way back, and wasn't sure if he even wanted to get back. He hit a dead end and turned around, only to be confronted by a group of four men.

"Hey, it's that alien from TV!" one of them called excitedly. "See, I told you Max!"

"Excuse me," Lem said, his voice low, as he tried to walk by.

He was shoved so hard he dropped to the ground, his head spinning with liquor and shock. "I don't think you're going anywhere, Greenie," Max said, his timbre vicious. "I've heard some things about you on the news, and I'm itching to see if they're true."

"What?" Lem asked, confused.

"Hold him down, lads," he said.

Lem tried to fend them off to no avail. He still couldn't believe how gigantic all humans were; even the smallest seemed bigger than he. And these brutes, he was no match for. He was mortified as the leader of the group pinched his antenna roughly and he cried out with pain. "Stop, please," he pleaded, fear sobering him.

"Kind of you, not wearing pants. Makes this easier for all of us," Max said, slapping him across the face.

"HEY!" came a bellow from behind the gang.

They all turned to see Chuck striding down the alley, his eyebrows clenched together, his mouth drawn. "Get away from him, now!"

"Oh, you're boyfriend's going to spoil the fun, I see." Max signaled and Lem was released. "We'll just be going."

"Oh no, you're going nowhere." Chuck began throwing punches left and right, and the four seemed no match for him. Lem scuttled back, now afraid for Chuck, but it seemed like some inner rage was feeding the human and he quickly had the four of them on the ground. A police car had arrived and the thugs were quickly handcuffed.

Only then did Chuck turn to Lem. "Are you hurt?"

Lem narrowed his eyes, remembering why he was in this place. "Yes."

"That's not...oh, come on then. Give your statement and we'll talk at home."

"Talking won't change what I saw."

"It might," Chuck sighed.

Then there was no time for talk as the authorities asked Lem to speak with them.

TBC