A.N: Hayasami you couldn't be more right. Colt has got serious issues and it'll only get worse before it gets better. Thank you for reviewing, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Lighter. And sorry it took so long, major writers block!!

...................

December 18th

Rocky, Tum Tum, and Robbie exit the mall with a single bag in each other their hands; Rocky's carrying a remote controlled speed boat for Arc- the final of the four gifts he's bought for the child among a karate gi, a Gameboy with a very easy for a 4 year old to play Pokemon game, a stronger pair of nunchucks since Arc has gotten much more skilled and faster with the little plastic pair Rocky bought him months ago. The boy is practically a prodigy with how quickly he's soaking up the information from Rocky's DVDs and working on the moves everyday until he could do the entire routine within 3 minutes, and now a remote speed boat for the boy to play with at the beach when he visits over the summer next year as Edith had promised he could. Rocky was praying for next year to speed it along; it was going to be something else having his son for the entire summer, what would they do besides the beach? And Arc will be five by then, maybe he could up the boys' ninja training. Is he ready for that, though? Rocky also can't wait for Grampa to meet him since when he visited he wasn't able to come over, he'll love him.

Robbie came to the mall in order to buy a gift for Rocky- which the ninja knew nothing about, and one for his girlfriend Eureka. The girl is really quiet, its almost strange pretending to be with her in Robbie's case. He's used to talk, talk, talk in his life so being with someone who's a bit on the shy side kind of sucks the talk out of him returning him to that young boy that used to hide out because of his gift. The other kids knew about it but they wanted no part in knowing their futures and the ones that did bugged him constantly like he were some sort of fortune teller of everything they wanted to know about. They didn't seem to get that his visions only happen some of the time, not whenever he touches something. How messed up would that be to go through life knowing everything? He doesn't want to know the things he knows as it is, so why add on to that. He looks over at Rocky wondering if he should tell him what he's seen. Its pointless, sure, but sometimes people wanna know stuff, he just wasn't sure how to put it, in the meantime he's just been enjoying what he's got since Rocky and this girl Talisa talked to him about the proposition. 'Hn. Imagine me in a secret romance; I always thought songs like that were so rude, but now I think they were kind of written for people like us.... its nice to be understood.' Thinks the Canadian.

Tum Tum came to the mall not only to get one extra gift for Paige- which would make two in total, he wanted to ask Rocky about borrowing his car tomorrow. He's very nervous, not about asking for the car because he's sure Rocky will lend it to him, but because he has plans for him and Paige- BIG plans. He's going to pick her up, cook her dinner and dessert, then make sweet love to her for the first time since they got together at age 11, Michael 'Tum Tum' Douglas has decided to get intimate with his girlfriend. Its all thanks to Colt and that stupid conversation they had before he left for college life; he just began to wonder why he and Paige have never gone beyond kissing- they don't even grope each other! He just figured it hasn't come up so why force it to, not-to-mention, Tum always figured Paige was one of those girls that wouldn't do anything until she was married but that proved to be wrong around the end of November when he was watching a movie with her and sex scene came up. She laughed and said 'geez, don't stop- get it, get it.' then very casually she looked at him and said 'punk, you never try anything.' And that's when he got his great idea to woo her. If only his girlfriend was a girl this would be easier. Who knows when an opportunity like this will come up again; his parents are going to San Francisco to visit his grandmother before their grandfather comes over to stay for the rest of the month which meant he will be alone, good and alone to do as he pleases.

When they got to the car Rocky pressed the alarm to unlock the doors. "Tum, do you mind driving? I wanna sit with Robbie before we get back to school."

"Sure." He takes the keys.

Tum Tum knows about the arrangement because Rocky told him a week after it was made. He thought it was weird, at first, like any of the things he hears about his brother's secret life but in time he got used to it. They have the week off for winter break so Rocky wanted to get a few more things done and invited Tum along; he and a few others went to the amusement park and Colt went with him for that so why not take Tum shopping with him. Dropping their bags onto the seat they scoot into the backseat. Robbie took Rocky's hand then rested his head on his shoulder with a phony sigh of contentment chuckling over it afterwards.

"Get a room." Tum Tum says peeping at them from the rearview mirror while he backed out.

"Great idea, drop us off at a hotel." Robbie teases.

"Don't even think about it." Warns Rocky joking as well.

"Rocky," He maneuvers the car into traffic. "do you think I can borrow your car for tomorrow?"

"I don't care."

"Thanks."

"Can I ask why?" He cocks a dark blond brow.

Tum shrugs, driving the car with a very casual look about him before he finally says. "I wanna treat Paige to a romantic date."

"Aaawww." Robbie says.

"Get a room." Rocky comments playfully.

Snickering Tum says. "I'll leave you on the side of the road you know."

Smiling at their sibling bond, Robbie asks. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Whoa-ho! Is it that romantic date?" His brows wriggle up and down suggestively.

Tum Tum pales a bit keeping his eyes on the road. Last thing he wanted was to be backed down from his plan because of heckling.

"Oh brother, he's not answering," Robbie goes on to say. "you're really gonna do it, then? This is a big step, I wanna meet this girl- give her the drill session."

Smirking Rocky shakes his head. "She's great, you'd like Paige... although, she can be very... what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Manly." Tum throws out. He knew it was true. Paige could out eat him without even thinking about it, rough house like she's a pro wrestler, and yet, when she dances and sings on the television show she's on.... Tum can't even put it into words. Her hair is all done up and sometimes she wears dresses, but her face still tends to get a little mean but when she looks like that its adorable rather than 'crap, who did it this time'.

"That's so sweet." Robbie leans forward. "Good luck, man."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, good luck- you'll need it."

"Need it, how?"

Rocky shrugs. "I've seen you two together, you're like two monsters waiting to see who's gonna make the first move- you'll never be able to make love to her."

"Yeah, she's probably into the rough stuff." Tum says defeated.

As if listening to the conversation from outside of the conversation Robbie asks. "Should we be talking about this?"

"I really don't think we should, the image is gonna form and then I'll have to kill you Tum."

His brother only laughed. "So where am I taking you? Back to school, our house- where?"

"Hey, can we go to your house?" The Canadian addresses his secret lover.

"Why?"

"I don't know... because...." He shrugs.

That reply was usually the Canadians way of saying 'because I wanna make-out or because I wanna have sex' both options were tempting but undoable.

"My parents are probably home."

"Naah, mom and dad are visiting Gramma until the twentieth, I've got the whole place to myself." Assures his younger brother. "Aand since I do wanna see Corey for a while..." He trailed off.

Pulse racing, Rocky grins and says. "Tum, don't ever doubt that you're my favorite brother."

"Hey, if it were me you'd do the same." He shrugs, though, he can't help but feel eight kinds of cool from his brother telling him that. He honestly thought that Colt and Rocky were on some weird plane of understanding each other and he was light-years behind, never to catch up. So this is like a small Christmas present for him.

"I would." Rocky says to his unasked question.

"What are you gonna do while we're hanging out?" Robbie asks.

"You kidding? Black Christmas is out, we've been dying to see it- hope it doesn't suck."

They made it to the Douglas home, and to be honest, Rocky thought there would be some sick joke being played and their parents were gonna be there and Grandpa and Grandma but the house was, infact, empty. And as they made a mad dash upstairs they can hear Tum shout after them...

"Try not to kill each other."

before he closed the front door and took off. Sweet alone time.

................

"This isn't working out." Rocky says while staring at the ceiling; the hand that's clasped in Robbie's bounces off and on the bed beneath them.

"What isn't?"

"The arrangement, sneaking around- I don't like the whole thing."

"Yeah but, Rocky, we want to be together, unfortunately, this is the only way to do that." He turns his head to look at his lover, hair rustling against the pillow as he does so. "Sneaking and hiding, that's what its like to be gay."

Eyes narrowed, he sighs in agitation as- for the hundredth time, he has to say. "Yeah but I'm not gay."

Snickering Robbie then frowns releasing Rocky's hand so he can lean up on his elbow to look down at him. "Really, you are- in some way, but you're afraid to admit it. I love that its only me, but Rocky... when was the last time you were with a girl- I mean really with a girl? What happened?" He cocked his brow in question.

Rocky didn't want to think about it, last time he was with a girl was too long ago to count- sure there was Ellis, but he wasn't really with her it only appeared that way on the outside so technically he hadn't been with a girl since Carmen in the tenth grade even then they were only intimate once and it was without penatration. And as far as what happens when he's with women he could only think about Emily and how bad it was with her. He couldn't get hard, hell he could barely lose his breath when kissing her but its lucky that nothing happened Rocky would have felt guilty over it for the rest of the year. Even though they split on very bad terms Emily is a good person and deserves a good life.

"Are you homophobic?" Robbie asks.

"No."

"Of yourself, not other people."

"N-..." But he hesitated. "No. I mean, I don't know. I don't want to be but.... I just don't know. Maybe I've got too much moral code in me to admit to myself that I'm wrong." He sits up. "Maybe I'm just not ready to believe it yet- don't make me feel bad over it."

"I'm not," He leans over planting a kiss on the brooding blonds cheek. "I just hope you don't push me away when you come to your senses."

"What does that mean?"

"Its not like it isn't true what everyone whispers about me," Readjusting his self so that he's sitting up as well he touches Rocky's shoulder. "I curupted you and because of me you're gonna end up sad or hurt and that's gonna piss me off because those are the last things that I want for you to be."

"Everyone has to be sad some time, its a way of life." Rocky states absently.

"You're so gloomy now, what happened to the fire-starter I was with fifty minutes ago?"

"He realized he's been texting his boyfriend's phony girlfriend so she can set up meetings for him, that's what happened."

Twisting his mouth back and fourth thoughtfully, he scratches his cheek. "That is kind of weird," As if something dawned on him he looks about for his clothes. Climbing off the bed he grabs his pants padding the pockets he then does the same to his sweater pocket.

"What?" Rocky asks watching the search.

"I think I lost my phone."

Reaching for his own phone on the nightstand, he dials Robbie's number to see if it might have fallen out anywhere in the house but there is no ring.

"Do you remember if I brought it with me when we left for the mall?"

"No, what would I know about what you stuff in your pockets."

Boxers already on, Rocky drops his legs over the side of the bed then pulls his jeans on, then his shirt. "Did you bring it with you?"

That made Robbie stop turning his clothes inside out. "Now that you mention it, maybe I didn't. Come on, I wanna go back to the dorms and check."

"How are we gonna get there, Tum took my car and went to the movies. That's some walk, I mean, fine for me but you..." He trailed off with a playful smirk.

"Hey, I excersize." He's getting dressed.

"Not as much as you should."

"Bleh, bleh, bleh- leave it to me to date a fitness guru." Once done dressing he crawls across the bed wrapping his arms around Rocky's shoulders. "We are still going out aren't we?"

"I don't know, we'll see but.... I don't think its a good idea to sneak around. That's all I can say."

"Aaaw, you are a little in love with sorrow, but I don't mind, I have a real crush on avoidance, I hate dangerous situations and that guy always bails me out."

Rocky snickers. "I'll call a cab."

* * *

A few things happened over the course of time between Rocky's birthday and today. 1. being Colt found out about this Talisa girl Rocky is dating causing him to feel guilty about teaming up with Darren since his childhood nemesis did say that Rocky might get caught in the crossfire. But then again, Rocky can take care of himself not to mention the fact that Talisa said that she finds the rumors hilarious since she and Rocky are obviously together- they even kiss quite heavily in public, its almost sickening.

2. And this one even shocked Colt, but, he likes hanging out with Darren- at first when the male came around with his this and that prattle to get him away from some of his friends so they could talk opperation ruin Robbie's life they finished their planning over a pizza and ended up just talking like normal people afterwards. Darren's sort of... well... funny. He says vulgar things pointlessly but so what, what male their age doesn't half the time so Colt didn't mind too much. Not only that but he told him things about his buddies that he obviously couldn't say to them like how Baha goes to fat camp and only comes back a little heavier, or how Russle had his genius little sister doing his homework until he left for college he laughed wondering how Russle is fairing. Infact he talked so much Colt joined in saying this and that about his family and friends. Although the only reason Darren said anything about his family is because his little brother lost his leg last year in a car accident, he was with friends and next thing they know they get a call and have to rush to the hospital. Colt gave him a kind word of sympathy.

3. Rocky was right about Robbie being bi as lately he's been seen with this chick around campus and in his and Darren's opinion the girl is too hot for a wag-liking-fag, as Darren likes to call them, such as Robbie Ballerini. Colt wondered if she knew that Robbie is infected, bte she'd break up with him real quick if she ever found out.

And 4. Never ever, ever, ever, ever talk about Arc. He's still working on paying for the dental bill for that broken tooth Rocky gave him. Its not that Colt has it out for Arc or wants to pick on his nephew but he had a point to get across and well Arc just got caught in it. It wasn't intentional or even meant to say anything bad about the boy but it was said and rather painfully shown why it shall never be brought up again.

But now presently he inside Darrens room after they spent the morning ran-sacking Robbie's room for things to harrass the male over. It really was a wonder Rocky hasn't come after Darren or his friends which means that Robbie is keeping his mouth shut about all the weird things that have been happening to him over time. Such as, the word fag spray painted across his door- he must have asked the guy incharge of the building if he could paint over and did so, then there's the fact that all his jeans were cut into short-shorts they didn't stop laughing about that one especially when the male still had a pair of jeans to wear which meant he wasn't changing the one pair that he was wearing that day when it happened- oh but he's replaced them by now. Colt's favorite one was when they put a bag over his head and tied him up in the bathroom after stripping him down and in Maggie's lipstick pencil wrote 'male molestor' across his chest. But still, Robbie has said nothing, though, for days the campus has been calling him 'Robbie with a penis hobby'. So today they wrecked his room and took the doofus' phone. They aren't sure where he went but Rocky did say something about needing the male to ask what Arc likes while he buys the child another Christmas gift so they may still be at the mall, so he's most likely with him still giving them plenty of time to mess around.

"Here we go, Eureka. I wonder if that's the girl he's been seeing?" Colt looks over the number. "I'm gonna write her."

"What are you gonna say?"

Colt shrugs. "I don't know, maybe I can tell her he's gay so she'll break up with him- naah, I'll tell that he's gay and that he wants to see other people." He starts the text.

"I hope you're doing that with Ballerini in mind, she'll know someone took his phone and faked it."

"I'm no idiot, I know what I'm doing."

Flipping through the photos Darren comes across a very useful one. "Damn, I don't even need to doctor this. When did this happen?"

Colt glances up then returns his gaze to the phone. "September, he went to some wedding for Robbie's uncle and they danced together and kissed. Hn. My brother admitted to me that he tried it out but didn't like it, so he's back on chick but still.... I can't shake the feeling that I'm being lied to." Sighing he adds quietly. "And so for that Rocky must be punished; he's always told me that even if I chose to lie we can't lie to each other, but here he is sleeping with men and carrying on like its no big deal- I can't let that go or the fact that what he's doing is sick and wrong."

"Man, ice cold."

"Not really, I just know what ticks me off and have the unfortunate lifestyle of acting on impulse."

Darren scoffed. "Its not impulse if you know you're doing it."

Pressing send Colt looks up at the male. "Darren, I'm sitting in your dorm room and actually having a nice time with you sometimes- you think any of this processes with me at the end of the day? Well it doesn't- sorry to burst your bubble."

The male just shrugged. He didn't care either way, but watching Colt act so frazzled has always been hilarious to him its actually kind of fun seeing it up close and personal.

"So what are you gonna do with that picture?"

"Maybe blow it up," Darren shrugs. "Copy it and pass it around, hell maybe I'll fling the copies around like flyers in the quad. I'd like to see either of them explain that away."

"Hn. Yeah. Only problem is Talisa and that other chick."

"Not really, a lot of people- and trust me I have a hard time believing it myself, but they think he's attractive women will rage and anyone that likes your brother will come to believe that Robbie's a sicko that's using him."

"Perfect." Standing he walks over to the window looking out. "I can see Robbie on a bus back to Connecticut already."

"Did you notice this?"

"What?"

Holding Robbie's phone Darren tosses it to the corner of the bed for him. "I looked through the sent messages and deleted ones, most of them seem like they're talking to someone else."

Picking up the phone Colt asks. "What do you mean?"

"Look, one of them says tell him to meet at Super 8, why would Robbie's girlfriend call him by Him?"

Finding it strange as well, Colt says. "I don't know."

Message 1: Says she'll be there, woo hoo.

Message 2: We're going to the movies to see The Coven.

Message 3: That movie was interesting, but I barely saw it because Rocky looked too good in the dark.

Message 4: Tell me about it, I swear Tali' does it on purpose. Lol. Alright, enough of that I guess you'll sit by me in class later. Make sure you hold my hand or kiss me hello, do it with a little more passion, though.

Colt's hand begins to shake. He's not entirely sure but... if any of this is saying what he thinks it is then....

Laughing Darren says. "You're brothers been pulling wool over your eyes."

"Darren this isn't funny." Colt says in all seriousness. A very hard swallow passes down his throat; hand releasing the phone to the bed he lowers his gaze to the dirty thing. "My brother really has been lying to me, I mean, I thought it was strange that he started dating someone so right off the bat but then again,"

Cutting him off Darren says. "What? The Douglas charm strikes again? Puleeze."

"....I... I can't care about him anymore."

"What are saying?" He sounds hopeful.

"I'm saying whatever it takes, we get them apart and keep them that way." Colt's eyes water. "I wanna make them hurt, I want it so that whenever they see each other it becomes sick and painful. We're gonna make the entire school hate them, hurt them, and never let them forget how wrong they are for being together."

Nodding Darren stands. "Then let's get started printing this picture, by the time they get back from their little trip to the mall they won't know what hit 'em because every jock, nerd, and goth will have one of these."

..................

"Hey Corey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." The brunet tosses some popcorn down his throat munching it loudly.

"Have you ever been intimate with a girl?"

"Twice." Replies his best friend.

"Really!" He can't believe it, since when. "Who was it?"

"They. Tristen last December and Abbey over the summer."

"Wow..... and how was it?"

Corey shrugs. "I don't know, they didn't seem to hate it. Why? Are you thinking about doing it with Paige?"

"Yeah, I mean, if she wants to. But I don't know how to start it. What do I do? What did you do?" He opens the car door sliding into the drivers seat.

"I played music, girls are big on music." Corey nods to agree with himself. "Then you make the room sexy, candles and flowers, maybe chocolates."

"I wanna sleep with her not go out on a date."

"What's the difference?"

"Ugh, now you're starting to sound like Colt."

"That's not so bad, Colt's awesome."

Rolling his eyes, Tum starts the car. "You may be on to something with that music suggestion though. I'll give it a try."

..............

Have you ever sensed something bad happening before it happens? Have you ever felt like you were walking into a battlefield or a trap. That's what it felt like when Rocky and Robbie stepped out of the cab and onto the campus. The air is thick and silent; students some they knew others they did not seemed to be whispering to each other while their attention is on them, but the thing that stood out the most is the sea of white all over the place.

"What the-...?" Rocky starts to say as Talisa walks up to him. "Tali' what happened? What's going on?"

"This." She holds out the paper to him.

Blinking, Rocky takes it into shaking hands and with a single glance he notices what is on it.

"Jig is up." She says.

"I'm sorry." Robbie says knowing that Rocky's reputation is going to go to shit.

"No, they're sorry. Every last one of them." Scrunching the paper into a ball he tosses it to the ground. Turning to Robbie he puts his hands on his shoulders then pulls him in, kissing him. Right there, right in front of everyone. And if they didn't like it.... fuck 'em.