Okay, so I see a fair bit of discontent regarding the smut in the last chapter. As mentioned, it was originally more explicit but was dialled back to test the waters. In the future I'll let you have more smut although I won't be writing anything like "Bunny grabbed Jack's hips as he hung from the shower rail in handcuffs and stuffed his raging cock into his tight boysnatch". I think they deserve a little more class than that! (lol. boysnatch is a hilariously disgusting word)
Now, The Genesis Riddle brought something up that it seems some of you might also be wondering about. It is in regard to Jack being perceived as slutty. While it was not my intention to make him sound like whore, there is reason to him behaving as he does. At the beginning of this story Jack is confronted with this gorgeous, perfect man, Bunny, who he figures he'll never have a shot with. This disappointment increases as time goes on and he becomes more frustrated. Later, when they do indeed become involved Jack is amazed that it has happened but is still confronted with the fact that Bunny is nearly perfect while he is not. Feeling as if he can never live up to being as wonderful for Bunny as Bunny is for him, he overcompensates by putting out perhaps a little more than he should. Though it may not be in his character to regularly do so, he doesn't feel he has any other card to play in order to match Bunny's level of perfection. That, and being so overwhelmed with how hot Bunny is and how great it is to be with him makes him act less rationally than he would if he were thinking with a clear head. Now, why doesn't Bunny call him on it? Well, I figure Bunny is just enjoying being in a new relationship. He hasn't known Jack for long and can't tell that he might be acting a little sluttier than he usually would. In all, I've tried to write both of them as not really knowing one another too well as of yet and still getting used to each other's behaviour. Jack is also being scankier than he usually would simply to try and compensate for his perceived lack of good personal qualities in comparison to Bunny. I hope this clears it up. Sorry if it's not explained in the narrative.
Also, one more thing. The update after this one may be a little delayed but I'm sure you'll understand why. It's because RISE OF THE GUARDIANS IS RELEASED ON DVD THIS MONDAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND! AAAAAAH! GOD SAVE THE QUEEN AND DREAMWORKS!
Anyway, onward to jackrabbit!
Play For Me, Jack
Chapter 16
Jack stared up at the old ceiling tiles and the stale, florescent light emanating from amongst them with the sound of cantankerous laughing echoing around him. He felt pain everywhere in his body but he didn't think he'd hurt himself too badly. Groaning as he lifted his head up from the floor, he slowly set about getting back on his feet and dampening the rage that desperately wanted to explode from within.
"Watch your step, Frost!" he heard Pitch laugh from the top of the stairs before disappearing. Steadying himself against the railing, he bit his lip as he tried to suppress the urge to run back up there and kick the shit out of Pitch for tripping him as well as keep a tear from running down his cheek at the striking ache that spread throughout his body. In the end he eventually found the strength to turn away and go to rehearsal although he had to limp for the first few steps. He felt so degraded and humiliated at what had happened. How dare Pitch go this far! How dare he actually go so far as to trip him on the stairs and watch him fall to the bottom. It was so unfair and Jack just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide away from the world.
It had been such a terrible weekend, trying to finish the work for Pitch, fit in his trip to Burgess and then pretend to be fine to keep Bunny from catching on. On top of all that, the endless messages from Tooth dug at his heart and he really wished now he had patched things up sooner. He'd left her hanging all weekend and he just didn't know how he was going to face her this morning. He was so embarrassed for yelling at her and he felt so guilty as her pleas for forgiveness became more and more desperate. She didn't even have anything to be sorry for and he felt mortified for letting things get to where they had. He was such a crappy friend, and on top of that he was a total boob for letting Pitch have total sway over him. The only shred of light he had left at the moment was the feeling of joy and hope he got from Bunny and he had made sure not to let any message from him go more than a minute without a reply. What Tooth had said had made sense and he really didn't want to lose him. Especially since it was so soon since they had first started going out.
Pausing before going through the door which led into the backstage area, Jack leant against the wall and ran his fingers into his hair. Hopefully today wouldn't be too taxing and maybe things could get better. For some reason though, the good side of the job didn't seem as such an attractive prospect as it had before. The mounting pressure and antagonism he was being dealt made the playing and camaraderie of the group seem less compensating and he questioned why he was putting up with it. Not that he had much camaraderie to appreciate at the moment. His forced stint at critiquing his colleagues the previous week had not left him in very good standing with the rest of his section and he had quickly learned that he was starting to be viewed as a brownnosing, self-aggrandizing jerk that was only concerned with climbing to the top and staying there. It seemed by the end of the week, Tooth was the only person he still had in his section that still had affection for him although that seemed to have gone to hell now. He felt utterly crestfallen for letting things get where they were.
Pushing the heavy door open, he walked quietly towards the auditorium with his head down and passing people along the way who he could tell were giving him unimpressed glares. He felt like a total pariah and he hoped he could just get through the day. When he took his seat after getting his things ready, he received no renewed acceptance from the deputy and so proceeded to sink down in his chair miserably as he waited for things to get started.
After a few minutes, he saw a flash of turquoise enter the auditorium and he turned his eyes carefully to focus on his guilt-ridden friend. When he saw her look his way he looked away and nibbled his lip gently as he tried to disperse the excruciating feeling of disgrace that filled him. It was a feeling that only got stronger when she mounted the stage and began to walk towards their section. Jack could feel her eyes on him as she approached and then cringed before looking up as she paused at his chair.
"Hi, Jack" she said quietly with a tentative voice to go with her downtrodden demeanour. She looked timid as she stood there before him and it was almost unbearable to see her looking so quiet and cheerless.
"Hi" he responded nervously after a gulp. "I…uh…"
"I'm sorry if I've been bugging you. I just-"
"No, no, I'm…it's…ugh! Come on…" he said as he put down his violin and took her off to the wings. Once there he took a breath before turning around to face her.
"Look, Jack. Forget whatever I said. I'm sorry I ever tried to tell you how to feel or that you're stupid. I know this is hard for you"
"No, Tooth, I'm sorry" he said as he stepped towards her. It seemed only a complete, embarrassing release of pent up feelings was going to alleviate the tension that had built between them and so it begun. "I was just feeling totally messed up because of what I had to do and then when you said all the stuff, which was right by the way, I just didn't wanna hear it. You were totally right about everything and I just…I…oh man. Look, I'm really sorry for yelling at you. You didn't do anything"
Holding out his arms, Tooth stepped into them and the pair fell against one another as they repaired their short spell of being at odds.
"I did. I shouldn't have been a pest"
"You weren't a pest. You were just looking out for me"
"I still should have been nicer"
"You're nice all the time. I should have listened. I'm sorry"
"I guess we're both a little to blame"
"No. You're not to blame for anything. It's all me, Tooth. I'm really sorry"
"Oh, Jack" she said with an 'I know him so well' kind of expression as she squeezed him. Jack flinched and groaned as she clutched a sore spot and immediately she began to fuss over him.
"It's nothing" he said as he tried to quieten his aching muscle. "Pitch…tripped me down the stairs"
"He what?!" Tooth barked
"It's nothing. Just, don't worry"
"Oooh no, Jack! This has gone far enough!" she said before trying to storm off. Jack caught her before she could leave.
"Tooth, please! Pleeeease! Don't do anything. Don't let him drag you down too"
"Jack, this is getting out of control! You can't let him getting away with beating you up!"
"He didn't beat me up. And anyway, I couldn't prove it even if I did say anything"
"But Jack…!" she said in that sad, desperate tone he had become acquainted with recently. Feeling it cut just a little deeper than usual, he stepped forward to hug her again and spoke softly into her ear.
"It'll be okay. Just don't worry"
"How can I not worry? He's killing you"
"He's not killing me. He'll get bored soon and he'll let up. You'll see. I just gotta ride it out"
Tooth just moaned as she squeezed him tighter and then apologized as she felt him tense up again. After a few moments more of hugging, the two parted and then made their way back onto the stage. Somehow it felt so much easier going back out there with Tooth on his side again. He'd have to add this to this list of things he had to repay her for, and boy was it a long list by now.
It hurt Jack to play that morning. His bruising arms made it hard to keep his violin up and it hurt even more to reach over and bow on the G-string. Still, he was used to pain when playing. He was, after all, a violinist and it's true that violinists are comparable to ballerinas. It is much harder for a violinist, and indeed all string players, to make a good sound than other instruments and yet they have to make it look effortless much in the same way as a ballerina is required to stretch into all manner of contortions without so much as a flinch. Similarly, it is a far more painful skill to master and one where the pain doesn't go away with experience. Pressing down on metal strings all day and keeping a perfectly straight back on too short a chair is regularly agonizing and is respectively comparable to a ballerina dancing en pointe. Still, such strife is compensated for with a deserved smugness that can be found in just about all string sections. Knowing that it takes that much more effort to play makes the strings a snootier component of an orchestra and such a truth is nearly universal. Jack, however, did not feel that snooty this morning. He winced when he was forced to stretch his arm too far but he was simply grateful that he didn't have to play solo.
When break finally came around, he quickly scampered off into the bathroom to lift up his hoodie and then cringed at the sight of dark bruising that was beginning to show through his skin. At least he hadn't cut himself and that was probably attributed to his not rolling too much as he'd fallen. Still, he'd certainly landed on the edge of each step pretty hard and he had no idea how he was going to explain his black and blueness to Bunny. Maybe he should make sure to keep his clothes on that week, although that didn't sound very fun.
With a sigh, Jack lowered his hoodie just in time to be covered for Bunny to make his entrance.
"There you are" he said as he swaggered over and pulled Jack by his shoulders towards him, "And just how is my Jacky today?"
"I don't know about Jacky, but Jack is just fine" he said as he suppressed the urge to wince.
"You seem a little chirpier this morning"
"Well, what's there to upset about?" Jack lied. He was glad that Bunny was buying his cheery charade though.
"Exactly" Bunny said as he leaned down to kiss him. "So, you looking forward to Thursday?"
"Thursday?" Jack said wondering what he'd forgotten now.
"The members mixer. Or something. I can't remember what they told me. Sucks it's on Valentines day"
"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that" Jack said as he remembered what time of year it was. Every year around this time the orchestra company put on a cocktail party for people who joined up to their patron programme whereby they got preferential tickets and VIP things and yadda yadda yadda in exchange for a big donation. This mixer was an obligation for all players so the rich society members could get to meet them and have something to brag about in their fancy pants gatherings. Jack didn't really like the idea of being forced to go but it did mean he got to dress up and got free drinks all night. He and Tooth usually had quite a good time although on occasion they had such a good time that they were asked quietly to leave by the management to avert the causing of a drunken scene in front of the people whose asses they were kissing. "I'll have to move my lessons for that night"
"You mean you hadn't moved them already?"
"Why?"
"Oh nothing. It's only valentines day"
"Oh, right" Jack said feeling stupid, "Sorry. I guess I haven't been thinking"
"Seems you haven't been thinking much at all lately, Jacky. You sure everything's okay?"
"Yeah, it's fine. I'm just putting more energy into filling Sandy's shoes"
"Ah, well, you're doing fine, mate"
"Thanks. So, did you have plans for Valentines orrr did you already know about this?" Jack said as he walked his fingers up Bunny's chest and up onto his face to tap him playfully on the nose. Bunny smirked.
"Let's say I don't think you'll be disappointed with what I've got planned for afterwards"
"Hmm. Well, I'll stay excited then"
"You'd better" he said before chuckling and leaning in to kiss him again.
For the rest of the day, Jack felt his bruising get worse and groaned as he climbed the same stairs he'd been tripped down earlier as he made his way back to Pitch's office. Trying to hide the gritting of his teeth, he pushed open the door and walked in as convincingly as he could manage.
"When are you going to learn to knock, you inconsiderate slut?"
"I don't know. I guess if I'm stupid enough to let you get away with this I'm stupid enough not to remember to knock"
"Don't get smart. You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"
"Not in here"
"It makes sense you'd be so pathetically moronic when dealing with something so sensitive" Pitch said airily as he spun his chair around and busied himself with something. It seemed he really was on a nasty streak today.
"Whatever you say"
"Exactly, Jack. Whatever I say, and don't you forget it. So, do you still think all this is worth it just to suck Aster's cock?"
Jack gulped uncomfortably. "Again, is that really your business?"
Pitch just tilted his head and gave him a warning look.
"Not jealous, are you Pitch?" Jack said knowing it wasn't the wisest thing to say. Surely enough, it only served to make his expression sourer.
"Jealous? Hardly. You really think I'd be interested in that stupid, happy-go-lucky oaf, who's no more use as a conductor than he is as a doorstop?"
Jack just chuckled breathily. It seemed Pitch was clutching at straws.
"Whatever you say, you know he's hot"
Pitch glared, "I don't need to sleep my way up the ladder, Frost. I can get there simply by talent. Tell me though, does it feel good to have to kneel down and open up every time you're told to? Does it feel good to bend over and spread your legs just to win approval? Then again, how does it feel to know that you have to prostitute yourself to get ahead since you're so lacking in any other skill?"
Jack just smirked, "You're not getting to me that way, Pitch. I know my playing is good and so do you. You just can't bear to admit it"
Pitch was silent for a moment and then slowly rose like a demon from hell. With a dark glare he began to move towards him and he had a hard time standing his ground as he felt Pitch's intimidating, looming stature weigh in on him.
"You're playing is extremely sub-par" he said slowly and with clear, damning enunciation. "It always will be and there is nothing you can do about it because you have no natural talent and are simply incapable of doing any better. You are a disgusting, trampy little faggot whore and will never be anything more. Beyond that, do you really think that jackaroo is that impressed with you? Of course he's not. He saw some gullible little slut the first day he got here who was stupid enough to believe what he said and give him a place to put his dick. He's doesn't think you're anything special, Jack! You are his fuck toy and nothing else! Before you know it he'll be out of the picture and you'll have nothing again just like before. You'll have nothing because you are nothing. You will NEVER be anything more than a cheap harlot and I think, Jack, you're more than aware of that. You've known it for a long time"
Wow. That had really been some speech. There were a lot of insults to process in such a small period of time although Jack had felt pretty okay up until when Pitch had said Bunny would leave. He hadn't thought of that before and he figured he was right. To top it off, to be called nothing and a harlot was hard to accept and all he could do as the silence became deafening was try not to look too affected.
Eventually Pitch spat at him again, "Now get out!"
Jack slowly turned and meekly made his way to the door. He didn't feel great, but as he replayed Pitch's words in his mind again he came across one in particular he'd taken issue with before. Turning around, he fixed himself with feigned confidence.
"Faggot, Pitch?" he said almost sarcastically. "I really expected something more intelligent. Running out of ways to insult me, huh?"
Jack flinched as Pitch suddenly raised a hand and he closed his eyes as he awaited the impact. Opening them again a second later he simply saw Pitch standing with his hand extended and an evil grin on his face.
"Consider that a warning, Jack"
With that he grabbed Jack, spun him and then threw him out the door before slamming it behind him. Jack was left alone and he didn't waste any time in running away. He simply hated being near that man and thankfully, as he ran, the further he got away from him the less his words seemed to jab at him. It was like running away from the darkness into the light and he only had one place he wanted to go.
Bunny was quietly packing away his things and getting ready to leave when he heard the door behind him open. Turning around with a pang of frustration at the prospect of being further delayed in going home, his bleak expectation was alleviated when he saw Jack step through. He was a little taken aback when his warm smile wasn't reciprocated and again began to wonder what was wrong when Jack didn't respond to his greeting. The boy simply ambled over to him and pressed himself against his man , intertwining his body into his arms and resting his head against his shoulder. The two simply stood there in silence for a moment as Bunny let Jack find comfort in his grasp and then began to rub his back gently before speaking.
"Jacky. I've had enough of you pretending you're okay. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Really" Jack responded rather quietly and unconvincingly. He didn't have the energy to feel worried about lying to Bunny today. He simply didn't want to feel any more emotionally overworked and he just couldn't bring himself to wonder whether or not to tell Bunny. No questioning, it was a simple no. Bunny, of course, was not satisfied and leant him back gently. Looking at his boyish face that clearly had strife hidden behind it, Bunny gave him the eye.
"Jacky" he simply said with an understanding sentiment.
Jack flicked his eyes down and sighed. "Just tell me this, Bunny. Are we a thing? Like, a real thing?"
"Of course we are" Bunny responded a little surprised at the question.
"What I mean is, are we going out? We're not just having fun? Basically, are you my boyfriend?"
Bunny smiled and shook his head amusedly, "Ah Jacky. Yes, I am. Of course we're going out. That is, if you're okay with it"
Jack just sighed feeling a little relief and pressed himself back against Bunny. "Good" he simply said before burying his face in Bunny's jacket.
Bunny decided not to press him anymore for an answer to the big question that night. After they parted, he walked with Jack to the Starbucks across the street and bought him something sugary to try and cheer him up. It seemed to help but Jack was generally quieter as he sipped at his sickly drink and Bunny had to put in a fair bit of effort to keep him talking. Later on, the pair found themselves snuggled up on Bunny's couch as they waited for Chinese food and Jack seemed to be feeling better as his mind was constantly occupied with tangents Bunny kept throwing at him. Bunny began to wonder if this was the real Jack instead of the bubbly, over-confident firework he thought he'd come to know. That surely can't have been put on though, could it? Jack's larger than life demeanour had seemed so natural and genuine it seemed strange to think that it might have been a front. Then again, if he went with his instincts and something genuinely was wrong with Jack, why wasn't he telling him? Could it be that he didn't trust him enough yet? It was conceivable. After all, they had only a few hours ago finally stamped themselves as boyfriends and had only been a thing for a little while. Maybe it was too early to expect Jack to be completely open with him. However, if they were boyfriends, then shouldn't that open the door to all emotional issues, good or bad?
Bunny didn't know. All he could tell was that his Jacky needed some comfort that evening and he was more than happy to give it to him. What's more he was pretty psyched that he now officially had a boyfriend and behaved much more excitedly than usual which seemed to rub onto Jack a little bit. They didn't have sex that night and it was nice just to lie in bed together knowing they didn't need to do it to validate anything. It was especially reassuring for Jack and as he drifted off, he began to feel genuinely alright once more. It was amazing what a simple embrace from Bunny could do to make him feel better. How nice it was to have a boyfriend to cuddle up to.
Jack remained pretty miserable for the next few days although he made sure to at least be chirpy for Bunny's sake. He was past caring about having to put on a brave face by now and the fact that he was constantly lying hardly seemed to bother him either. In some way it was nice to be able to make Bunny happy even though he himself wasn't on the inside and to see the effect he had on another almost translated to a good feeling somewhere deep within. Pitch didn't bother him much although in some ways that was worse. It made him feel as if he were building to something and it never usually held true that no news was good news with Pitch.
Things finally got to their lowest point on Thursday evening. Jack had been feeling pretty lousy all day. Usually he loved Valentine's Day and together with Tooth they'd usually make a big deal out of it despite not being with anyone respectively. This was Jack's first Valentine's Day in years when he was actually with someone and he tried his hardest to be brave for Bunny when the taller man pulled him aside in the morning and doted over him lovingly. It had been nice to be made feel special so early but it hadn't been long before he started to notice Pitch lurking and staring at him throughout the day. It made Jack terribly uncomfortable but he figured that was nothing out of the ordinary with the creepy man. His persistence was what really got to him though and it was certainly strange to be noticing him so much.
Oh well. All he had to do was get through the day and the evening and then he'd be away to enjoy whatever it was Bunny had planned. It would be nice to be purposely romantic with him instead of relying on spontaneity for a change and he even dared to become a little excited at the prospect.
At six o'clock, Jack left Tooth's front door with her clutching his arm and together they walked down to Bunny's waiting car. Upon opening the door, Jack stopped and had to catch his breath as he took in the sight of the unprecedentedly gorgeous tuxedoed Bunny waiting for them and the only thing that brought him back to reality was Tooth's giggle as she noticed his stupor.
"Come on, lover boy" she said as she dragged him down the steps and Jack genuinely felt nervous as they approached Bunny. Tooth did the talking and explained her dumbfounded friend's silence and Bunny simply chuckled before reaching for Jack.
"I take it you like?" Bunny asked before kissing him.
"Ha…" was all Jack could squeeze out as he was led to the passenger side door and helped in. As they waited for Bunny to come around to the other side, Tooth teased him cheerily and he couldn't help but laugh nervously as he realized how he was behaving.
The three of them drove jovially to the concert hall which was beautifully lit up like when they had a concert on and as they pulled up outside, it felt special to be treated like paying customers instead of employees for a change. With Bunny in the middle of his two companions, he escorted both Jack and Tooth on his arms up the steps of the old, stone building and simply said ,"Right guys, happy faces" as they made their way through the front door.
Immediately all eyes turned to them, or rather Bunny as North bellowed his name and marched over to him to greet him on behalf of the rich people they were there to impress. He was quickly whisked away and introduced to the hoity-toity crowd and Jack and Tooth made a beeline for the bar when all attention on them was dropped. If this was one of the few times the company was going to provide an open bar they weren't going to go lightly on it. Well, they would to begin but who knows what would happen over the course of the night.
"You look very dapper" Tooth said as they received their cocktails.
"Aw, thanks. You look beautiful as always"
"Really? Oh, thanks. I really shouldn't have bought this dress. It practically cleaned me out"
"Aw, come on. It's always fun getting a new dress"
"Speaking from experience there?"
"Sure. I recently bought myself this beautiful, backless black sequin number I've been dying to show off. I nearly wore it tonight"
"Well, I think you made the right choice with the tuxedo"
"I guess. But now I look like every other guy here"
"Hey. There's nothing like looking at a room full of men in tuxedos. Shame most of them are old"
"Yeah. But I guess it couldn't kill you to rub up to some rich old geezer. I bet you could be a great gold digger"
"Thanks"
"Don't mention it"
The two kept chatting away for a while before they were told to go and mingle and after a few instances of sucking up they managed to wind their way towards Bunny who was still being lead around by North.
"Ah! And here is our new concertmaster!" the big, bearded man bellowed as he stepped forward and pulled Jack forward for scrutiny. He smiled meekly around at the snooty faces that composed the little group and shook hands with as confident a grip as he could manage.
"Temporary concert master" he soon added, "I don't think I could ever fill Sandy's shoes"
"Yes, very unfortunate accident" North stated in a tone that sounded genuine but expressed sarcasm to Jack, Tooth and Bunny. "Still, he will return soon and all will be well again. Not that Jack needs quickly replacing. You will see at concert his playing and you will all be impressed. I guarantee it"
It felt nice to be shown off for once and it was even better due to him not having to do it himself. To be lauded in front of everyone as a top player felt really great and he tried his best to stay modest while being favoured above the others. Of course, it wouldn't help his current reputation but he didn't care. For once he was being noticed and he wasn't about to let it die before it naturally expired.
As he was ushered along with Bunny he felt increasingly more valued and he would have continued to build his good feeling had it not been time for the speeches. Trying to maintain modesty, he gracefully held back with Tooth as all attention turned to where the managers and patrons gathered along with Bunny and carefully the pair made their way to the back of the room so they could watch and chat at the same time. It was nice watching Bunny up there being praised and properly welcomed to the orchestra and to know that he was involved with him made it all the sweeter.
There was one little thing nagging at Jack though. Where was Pitch? He wasn't up front where he should have been and looking around the room, Jack realised he hadn't seen him all evening. He knew he must have been there, after all even he wouldn't risk being berated for missing a function like this. His absence was extremely noticeable all of a sudden though and it made Jack feel uneasy to know he must have been lurking somewhere.
That uneasiness was replaced with a sudden shock of queasiness when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and he spun around to see its owner was the very man he had been worrying about. Standing there, Pitch loomed as usual and instilled Jack with a terrible sense of fear. Something was different this evening though. It was in his glare and his smile that were slightly more crooked and over-eager than he was used to and Jack was not at all put at ease by the noticeable difference.
"I have a job for you, Frost" he said in a menacing but strangely mischievous tone that Jack hadn't heard before. No sooner than had he spoken did Jack see and smell that he had been drinking and he just knew that whatever was to come was going to be very unpleasant.
"Now?!" Jack shot in a low voice so as not to disturb the crowd.
"I will not ask twice" he responded with a half-hearted kind of his usual chilling tone. Turning his attention to Tooth, he simply sneered, "What are you looking at?"
"Just come on!" Jack said as he barged past the inebriate tyrant and marched off down a hallway. Tooth watched until they disappeared and knew something bad was up. She just didn't know what to do though and only succeeded in becoming more nervous as she tried to contain her worry and desperation to tell Bunny.
"What do you want now?" Jack said grumpily as he suddenly spun around when he was sure they were out of earshot. Pitch just pushed past him and opened a door a few steps further.
"In here" he said as he leaned over and noticeably had to steady himself. Jack just rolled his eyes and pushed past him into the dark storage room. As Pitch followed him in, he pushed the door until it was nearly closed and made Jack feel all the more nervous when he didn't turn on the light.
"What's this about?" Jack said as the man began to step towards him. He began to back up a little himself but quickly found he was cornered amongst the piles of boxes and stacked chairs.
"You like sucking his cock, don't you Jack?" Pitch slurred as he advanced whilst his eyes penetrated the darkness.
"Christ, Pitch! Just leave me and bunny the fuck alone!"
Pitch just chuckled menacingly. "I bet you'd bite any pillow he told you to, eh? You're a dirty fucking whore, aren't you?"
"Pitch, I've had enough of this! If you don't tell me what this is really about then I'm out of here!"
"Fine" Pitch said as he stopped and glared at him sickeningly, "Maybe I was wrong to pass on your talents so quickly, Jack"
"What?" Jack spat
"You're a revolting little slut, aren't you? Well, sluts are good for something"
Jack felt his heart sink and his eyes widen as Pitch reached for his zipper and began to unbutton his pants. He felt sick as he realized what Pitch intended to do and suddenly began to frantically search for any escape route with his eyes.
"You can't be fucking serious!" Jack bleated as he backed into a stack of boxes.
"Have I never not been serious, Jack? Pitch said as he dropped his pants and exposed himself to Jack. Jack felt himself begin to shudder with fear as he realized the magnitude of the situation and fought hard at the sting in the back of his eyes. "Now, be a good little whore and get on your knees"
Jack could hardly breathe. He was terrified and he just didn't know what to do. Immediately he felt adrenaline begin to surge around his body and he desperately felt the urge to run. If only he could.
"I'm not doing that, Pitch!" he said in a far less confident voice than he'd managed to produce before.
"I will not ask again, Jack. Get on your knees and open that pretty little mouth!"
Pitch was very close now and Jack felt himself shake with every shallow breath that he took. He was so scared of what was about to happen and he nearly burst into tears as Pitch cast his shadow over him from the beam of light pointed at them from the cracked door.
Jack suddenly flinched as he felt Pitch reach out and grip his shoulder. With a yelp he shouted "No!" and threw Pitch back making him stumble as he stepped backwards. A charged, ominous silence hung in the air as Pitch steadied himself and suddenly gained a livid, hellfire expression. With heavy, raging breaths, he stared Jack down and then stepped towards him again.
"Big mistake, Frost!" he growled before lurching towards him.
Jack yelped again as he felt Pitch's hand strike him hard across the face. It was so hard that it nearly knocked him over and as he stood bent at the waist, he clutched his stricken cheek as a burning, wrathful sting took hold. No sooner had he straightened up to look back at Pitch did he feel his hand connect with his other cheek and this time it came with such force it produced an almighty crack that reverberated around the room and sent him flying into a stack of chairs before crashing into the ground.
Jack writhed on the floor for a moment as he felt a tiny trickle of blood begin to roll down the second-struck cheek and then before he could look back up at Pitch who by now had stepped over him, he heard a sudden shout, "Hey!"
Jack knew that voice. It had an Australian accent and as he opened his eyes in time to see Pitch turn around, he looked past him to see Bunny standing in the doorway and looking charged up.
"Oh, look!" said Pitch as he pulled up his pants, "The jackaroo and his whore together as usual! I was wondering if you'd show up looking for him to turn a trick!"
"What the bloody hell is going on here?!" Bunny demanded as he stepped into to look around the things blocking Jack as he cowered on the ground. Bunny was shocked as he suddenly laid eyes on his beaten, shaking boy and then felt rage fill every corner of his body.
"You think it's funny just to come in here and start calling the shots, Aster?!" Pitch blathered angrily, "You think you can come in here and fuck around with things?! Well, I suppose it's no surprise you found somewhere to shoot your load as well"
"What. Are. You. Doing to him, Pitch?!" Bunny seethed as Jack sat up and looked at the pair.
"Little whores need to be used as little whores, Aster. Seems you're already aware of that. I was just following by example"
"Were you…Were trying to…?" Bunny said disbelievingly.
"Don't be greedy, Aster" Pitch spat. "If he is the orchestra bicycle then you should let everyone have a ride!"
Without sparing a second, Bunny shot his fist straight into Pitch's nose and sent him flying across the room to crash into some old music stands and onto the floor. The wicked man lay motionless as Bunny stood and caught his breath and then flew to Jack to cradle him in his terrified state. Jack suddenly let the tears roll down his face as he buried himself in Bunny's grasp and sobbed heavily as his man comforted him.
"It's okay now" Bunny said as he stroked his hair, "It's okay"
Jack didn't bother trying to say anything, he was just too upset. All he could do was obey as Bunny slowly picked him up and walked him away towards the darkened break room in the backstage area where they usually had lunch. Sitting him on a table, Bunny pulled him close and let him pull himself together before trying to ask him what happened. As he sat, sniffing and wiping away his tears as Bunny dabbed the cut on his cheek, he felt like a kid being tended to by mommy again. A strange thought indeed considering it was Bunny caring for him.
With a sigh Bunny began, "So, Jacky. Are you still gonna try to tell me that nothing's wrong?"
Jack tried to look up but just couldn't meet his eyes. He felt so ashamed for it all to have been revealed like this. What's more, he hated that he'd been lying to Bunny for so long and he felt positively dirty for having done it since Bunny now knew it.
"I'm sorry" he said quietly, "I never meant for you to find out"
"Find out what? That Pitch has been doing whatever he was doing just then?"
"No, he never tried that until tonight"
"So what? He's been sexually harassing you? Forcing you to do…well, things like that?"
"No, nothing sexual"
"Jacky" Bunny said as he lifted his chin with his fingers, "Please tell me"
With a sigh, Jack finally gave in. "Pitch saw us that Saturday afternoon when we were here. When we…you know"
"Oh…" Bunny said awkwardly, "Okay"
"And he's been threatening to tell the managers about what we did if I didn't do what he said"
"And what did he say?"
"He's been having me do things for him. Not sexual things, not until…well, when he tried to just now. Just menial things and busywork. Although they've been getting more outrageous…"
"Right. And he's never tried to rape you before?"
Jack felt that word sting as he heard it. It was such an ugly word and all the more ghastly since it so very realistically applied to him.
"No…no he's never tried to…". He couldn't finish the sentence.
"But he has been extorting you?"
"Yes. And…And I just can't take it anymore. But I don't know what to do"
"What do you mean, Jacky?"
"I mean that I can't let him take advantage of me anymore. But if I stop he'll get me fired"
"How?" Bunny asked disbelievingly.
"I guess it's the rules or something. If he tells them we did it here, I'm fired"
"Jack, he can't tell them now. It's been too long. And even if he did, who would care? They can't fire you for that"
"I just can't risk it. I can't lose this job"
"So you'd rather let him get away with degrading you?"
"No, I just…"
"What were you going to do, Jack? Were you going to let him do that to you if I hadn't come in?"
"No, I just…I don't know what I was going to do. It all happened so fast"
"Jack…" Bunny said as he pulled him close again making sure not to get his blood on his suit. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't. I knew you wouldn't stand for it"
"Got that right"
"And I couldn't risk you getting into trouble as well. I knew I could keep you from having to go through the same thing I was. It was just something I had to do"
"Jack, you didn't have to try and spare me any worry"
"But I did though. You've been so great, and you make me feel so…wonderful. I didn't want you to have to experience Pitch's poison as well."
"You were just trying to protect me?"
Jack breathed out into Bunny's collar, "…Yes"
"Oh, Jacky…" was once again all Bunny could respond with as he drew him closer.
The two just held each other for a while as Bunny stroked his back and as they remained in silence Jack slowly began to feel all the weight, all the pain that had built up in the past couple of weeks begin to float away. It was far from over, but somehow Bunny just seemed to make it feel alright. He'd shown him the light at the end of the tunnel and rescued him from his captor. He was his hero.
It wasn't too much longer before Tooth came looking for them and nearly had a heart attack when she saw Jack in the state he was in. As she began to flap around her friend, Bunny did his best to calm her and give Jack a little breathing space. When she did finally manage to calm her down, he directed their conversation to deciding what they were going to do from thereon. It didn't take long for them to convince Jack that he couldn't go on with keeping Pitch quiet and they both assured him they'd stand by his side after convincing him to tell North himself. Hopefully the man would take pity on him, after all he was understanding and a very worldly man. Still, the idea filled Jack with terror and he couldn't believe he had agreed to potentially give himself the boot.
Soon, Bunny made his excuses to the party and slipped Jack out the backdoor so he wouldn't have to face his colleagues looking like that. Delicately he placed him in his car and drove away promising Jack he'd take him home.
As Jack watched the lights of the city pass by his window, he remembered that Bunny had mentioned taking him somewhere afterwards to celebrate Valentine's Day. Feeling responsible for ruining his plans, he simply kept silent as he couldn't bear to apologize. He'd screwed Bunny over enough recently and he couldn't face admitting to it again.
As such, he was suddenly surprised when he saw them pull up at a hotel a few blocks down and began to wonder as Bunny led him inside. Not even stopping at the front desk, Bunny took him into the elevator and together they travelled up several floors and down the hall. Whipping out a white key card, Bunny opened the door and walked Jack slowly into the dark room. Stepping around him, Jack watched as he disappeared into the darkness with only his silhouette visible against the lights from the city that shone in through the window. Suddenly, he saw the tiny flame of a match strike and then watched as several candles were lit around the room. Gently, as the light grew and the room became clear, Jack looked around as he saw an elegant, modern hotel room appear before his eyes with rose petals scattered everywhere. Most were sprinkled heavily on the bed and nearby on a small stand sat a silver ice bucket with a bottle of champagne protruding from the top. His eyes were drawn back to Bunny as he walked towards him again and all he could do was stare in amazement as he fought the urge to cry once more rise in his throat. It had been such a horrible week and he couldn't believe Bunny had gone to all this trouble for him after he had been so dismissive and unreasonable.
With a heavy gulp, he simply pressed himself against his man as he approached and closed his eyes as he found his niche once again.
"Thank you" he whispered a few moments later. Bunny didn't respond. He just held him firmly in his arms and let him bathe in the moment he so clearly needed.
They didn't have sex again that night. Bunny knew Jack wasn't feeling at all in the mood and to be frank he was quite glad. He himself felt a little tired from the tension the evening had brought and saw Jack was exhausted, not only after that's night's ordeal but the whole charade he'd been through that was now nearly over. Tonight he would simply let Jack rest as he held him in his arms and in no time at all after getting into bed, his beautiful boyfriend was asleep. Feeling him lay there so peacefully was so beautiful to Bunny and he couldn't believe the poor boy had been hiding so much from him just to prevent him from worrying. How lucky he was to know he cared so much, even if he had shown it in such a messy way. Maybe in the future he could express his kindness in a more orthodox manner but for now, his silent sleeping form would be enough for Bunny to consider himself so fortunate.
I could just kill Pitch. We all knew he was a dick but he actually tried to rape Jack! If I were in there, that bitch would get cut! And now everything he did is splattered everywhere for Bunny to see. Oh, Jack… You need to get your sensibilities together young man! Well, at least it's over now.
THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS AND FOLLOWS! As I said, the next chapter might be a little delayed because I get my DVD on Monday. Still, don't give up hope. Next chapter will be along soon. See ya soon! x