For the next couple of weeks Glen avoided Scott's calls, letting them straight to voice mail and then deleting them without listening to them. Something that pleased Mark to no end. Something else that pleased him was that Glen also quit spending time with Hunter and Shawn. Something that he rubbed in their noses every chance he got. Of course the one thing that bothered Mark was the even though Glen was with him physically he wasn't there mentally. It was like looking into a mirror. You seen the reflection but it was dull and lifeless compared to the real thing. And the thing with mirrors was that one could go insane from them. To always stare in but never touch what the cool glass reflected. It was the ultimate form of torture.

Glen had given Mark his body the night before, but it was like lying with a corpse. He was unresponsive and kept his head tilted to the right, staring off into something that only Glen could see. And even though his body released it seed automatically, there were no moans or sighs to let Mark know what was going on. Even then in the morning light Mark could swear that what was lying next to him wasn't his friend and lover, but a wax figure gifted with breath.

As gently as he could, Mark reached over and smoothed away the tangled mess of Glen's hair, his breath catching as Glen sighed and pushed his head against Mark's hand. His eye lashes fluttered and for a brief moment Mark thought that he was going to awaken. But he didn't, he let out a soft snort and turned his head away, his hair once more covering the features that Mark had come to depend on to keep his sanity.

Reluctantly he slid out of bed and walked silently to the shower. His body had the odor of spent passion, but unlike the fragrant bouquet that he come to associate as belonging to him and Glen alone, it smelled of only him. Of only him and the fear of losing the one person that could forever banish the darkness in him that was threatening to take complete control. With the water at its hottest temperature, Mark stepped under the spray and muffled hisses and moans as it scalded his flesh, driving thousands of needles into his skin.

But even as his body cried out in pain Mark was able to appreciate the simple harsh beauty of it. His skin would be raw, red, and no doubt tender to the touch but hadn't he always been told that if there was no pain then nothing was gained? His body soon acclimated itself to the water and he soaped his hair up, his mind wandering back to the living dead man that was still sleeping. He had thought that if he had initiated an intimate relationship with Glen then they would just pick up where they had left off as if nothing had ever happened.

Although it seemed to Mark that it had had the opposite effect on Glen, driving the younger man deeper into his mind and away from the outside world. In fact it seemed like the cold darkness that had taken root in Mark had transferred itself over to Glen. Just thinking about the cruel darkness that twisted his thoughts and feeling running rampant in Glen's body had Mark grinding his teeth in frustration. He had found no way to soothe the beast that the darkness fed other than causing pain to those around him. Whether it be by word or deed only the satisfaction of seeing someone else in pain freed him temporarily from its icy grip.

As he contemplated about what to do, the first blast of cold water rained down on him and the sudden change in temperature had him cringing and hurrying to shut the water off. As he stepped out of the shower his teeth clattered against on another so hard that he was sure that he was going to chip one. He grabbed a towel from the rack and wrapped it loosely around his waist, letting the warm steam that had collected envelope his body and relishing the warmth as it seemed to radiate from him. He heard movement from the room and he cracked the door, his heart breaking as Glen got up from the bed and woodenly went to his bag to gather clothing.


Scott's happy mood had spiraled down into the deepest depths of despair. He had tried to call Glen many times but each time it went straight to voice mail. Something was wrong, Scott could feel it. There was an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach and no matter what he did nothing could alleviate it. He had picked his phone up twice to call Shawn or Hunter to see if they knew what was going on. But twice he forced himself to put the phone down. He and Glen weren't in a relationship; they had mutually decided that it was a bad time to try that. And a call from him would only give those two the idea that something was going on.

Of course Scott still wondered if Shawn would tell him even if he knew. While he and Shawn had come to an uneasy 'friendship' Scott knew that Shawn didn't trust him. No that Scott blamed him. After what he had done to him Scott was surprised that Shawn even talked to him again. But that was Shawn, always giving someone a second chance, even if they didn't deserve one. He picked his phone up and turned it on, hoping against hope that Glen had called and left a message. He hadn't and Scott felt his eyes welling up with tears.

As he swiped them away he wondered briefly if this was his karmic payback for the wrong that he had dealt Shawn. It served him right if it was. To love someone and then to have them turn their back on you was among the most painful thing that a person could go through. And for the first time he understood what Shawn had felt when he had cut all ties with the blonde. He had known that Shawn loved him, but Scott had been young and he hadn't wanted to be tied down by anyone. And yet now he was in the exact same scenario that Shawn had been in.

The only thing that was different was that he couldn't be certain that Glen was with someone else. And the only way he was going to find out was if he picked up his phone and called Shawn. He scrolled through his contacts and when he finally found Shawn's number he sat and stared at it; trying to come up with the courage to hit the send button. His thumb was hovering over the green button and with a growl he pressed down. The phone rang three times before the bleary, sleep drunken voice of Shawn floated over the speaker.

"Hello?" It was said gruffly and Scott had the picture of Shawn lying on his stomach with the phone pressed to his ear.

"Hey Shawn." Scott said quietly even though there was no one he had to worry about bothering.

"Scott?" Shawn questioned and Scott bit back a smile as he heard Shawn growl. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"My clock says 10am."

"Mine says 8am. What in the hell do you want?"

"Shawn…." Scott stopped and took a deep breath. "Shawn I want to apologize about what happened between us. I was an idiot."

"Scott….."

"No Shawn, I've been doing some thinking. And-and I know now how you felt."

"You couldn't possible know…."

"You're wrong. I know. And I'm sorry for the pain that I put you through. I don't know how you found it in yourself to forgive, but I thank you for that." Scott's voice had gotten softer as he had spoke and he heard nothing on the other side. "Shawn?"

"You're in love with Glen aren't you Scott?"

"Yes."

"You know Scott, I had always thought that when this day came I would revel in the pain you felt. I had always imagined that I'd laugh as your heart shattered into a million pieces. But now that it's here, all I can think about is the blinding pain. The self doubt and the self hatred. And to know that you're facing that is almost like having to face it again myself." Shawn's voice wavered slightly and Scott knew that what he was going to say next was what he feared. "Scotty, Glen is back with Mark."

"Is he happy?" Those three words seemed to be ripped from Scott's chest and he winced at the lost sound his voice held.

"I don't know Scott."

"You don't know or you won't tell?" Anger crept into Scott's voice, coloring his words.

"Scott if I knew I would tell you. Truth is that neither Hunter or I have seen him. He travels with Mark and rooms with him. While we see Mark on a daily basis, Glen seems to have up and disappeared from the face of the earth. I've tried asking Mark, but all he says is that Glen isn't feeling well." Shawn let out a disbelieving snort before continuing. "But I'll let you know when I can."

"Thank you Shawn."

Scott couldn't think of anything else to say so he ended the call, his stomach twisting painfully as he stared blankly at the wall.


Shawn pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at it. Call Ended blinked across the screen and with a sigh he set it down on the nightstand. He rolled over onto his back and smiled when Hunter shifted in his sleep so that he was curled up next to him. Absentmindedly he ran his fingers through Hunter's blonde locks, the repetitive task acting like a soothing balm to his frazzled nerves. Part of him felt bad for lying to Scott. He had seen Glen, but it wasn't the Glen he knew. It was an empty shell that Shawn had seen standing next to Mark. Nothing remained of the man that Shawn had counted among his close friends, and he wondered if maybe Hunter was right after all.

Hunter shifted again and suddenly Shawn felt the presence of eyes on him. He looked down and seen that Hunter was regarding him silently, his eyes tracing Shawn's face as his fingers started to draw lazy circles on his abdomen. His fingers started to roam lower and Shawn smiled before biting back a moan as Hunter's warm hand engulfed him. The problem with Glen floated back to the very back of his mind and he fisted his hands in Hunter's hair as his mouth swallowed Shawn's girth. Expertly he worked his tongue around the head and gently massaged the shaft with his other hand as he teased the head.

Hunter pulled away and Shawn left his mouth with a soft 'pop'. The change from the burning warmth of Hunters mouth to the slightly chilled air caused Shawn to mewl softly. However the feel of Hunter filling him had him hissing in pleasure. He arched up off the bed and met Hunter's thrusts, moaning as he felt his sweet spot being hit time and time again. It didn't take long before he was sobbing Hunter's name as his essence splashed against Hunter's stomach and even less time for Hunter to howl his release as he spurt jet after jet deep inside Shawn.

They lay intertwined for a few moments afterwards just basking in the afterglow of their love making. Shawn's head was lying on Hunter's chest and Hunter was combing his fingers through Shawn's hair. The strand slipped silk like through his fingers and smiled when he heard Shawn emit a soft snore. Moving as little as possible, Hunter grabbed the sheet and pulled it up over them, tightening his arms around Shawn before he too drifted back off to sleep.