Jim woke up to what was going to be another hum drum day. He got up at his alarm, went to breakfast with the guys and headed to classes. He was so lonely without David.

Jim was beginning to feel that his entire life past this point was going to feel like this. Empty, boring, and lonely. If he could have David back in their dorm maybe he'd feel different, but right now he was downright depressed.

"So, do you wanna talk about it?" Warven offered at lunch.

"About what?" Jim didn't look up from his tray as he stirred his food.

"About whatever's going on." Warven leaned on his arms toward Jim. "You're barely talking. This is about David isn't it?"

"I just miss him."

"Yeah, we know. We miss him too." Vinny offered a shy smile. "He'll be back soon."

Heffren saw something out of the corner of his eye. He beamed and looked at Jim then gently shook his head. He nodded once then looked back at the group. "Well we should go back to Jim's dorm and study, come on." He got up excitedly.

"Might as well," Vinny patted Jim on the back before the boys all got up to go.

"I'll need to pick up my books before we go." Warven mentioned.

"Don't worry about it- borrow mine." Heffren smiled at his friend. "Let's go."

"What on Foltrain has gotten into you? You're acting like there's gonna be naps and cake while we study." Vinny gave him a puzzled look.

"I'm just ready for the weekend that's all." Heffren smiled to himself.

Killion and Jim walked side by side to their dorm in silence. The little alien hadn't known how to comfort anyone over the last few weeks and had resorted to giving little affectionate pats on various occasions. He watched Jim as they walked and had to hurry along to catch up to their friends.

When they reached the dorm door, Heffren grabbed the doorknob and leaned on it. "Ya know-" he said a bit louder than was needed. "I think Jim should go in first." The brunette in question moved forward and pulled out his key. "He looks like he could use a hug." Heffren beamed.

Vinny rolled his eyes. "Heffren, you're a smart guy and all but you really gotta learn to - Oh shit!"

Jim opened the door and saw David standing in the room. His duffle bag was at his feet and his arms were open wide. Jim ran into them and grabbed onto David as tight as he could. Jim moved his head from David's shoulder and kissed him, hard. David wrapped one arm around Jim and lifted him off the ground. Then swung him around and kissed his face all over.

"Okayy we're gonna let you two catch up and go study in Heffren's room." Vinny smiled and grabbed his books from his bag. He heard David moan into Jim's mouth before he closed the door. "Sweet Lord." He muttered to himself in Italian.

Once they were alone, they finally broke apart to speak. "Jim!" David breathed. "I missed you so much," they kissed again. Jim broke it off, breathless.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't come back to the dorm?"

"Eh I couldn't stay there another minute. I was going crazy there." He looked Jim up and down. "So, ya happy to see me?"

"Happy?" Jim huffed a breath. He pulled David's face down into a kiss and held him there. "Happy doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now."

David smiled and nuzzled Jim's nose with his. "Me too."

Jim rested his face against the crook of David's neck and just breathed. The two held each other for a while before Jim kissed David's neck and pulled away. "How's your shoulder?"

"Stiff. Nothing new."

"Can I see it?" Jim gently touched David's side.

"Not right now. It's hard to get shirts on and off. Before we go to bed though you can."

"Can we sleep together?"

"I sure as hell wanna try."

"Well that's not for a few hours." Jim took David's hands and kissed him. "Come on, let's go find everyone."

The two of them walked to the library together and found Heffren Warven and Vinny sitting in the lounge on their way. David decided to catch up with them before joining Jim.

Jim was almost to the library when Jernish stepped into his path. "Where do you think you're going?" He grabbed Jim by the collar and threw him against the wall. Jim hit his head.

Disoriented, he was easily dragged down the hallway. "What do you want?" Jim grunted at the alien. He stopped both of them in their tracks and started pulling against him. "Can't you guys take a hint? And leave me alone!?"

Jernish grabbed his wrists and threw him to the ground. "Can't you?" He smiled. "I figure, the way to get your boyfriend to come around is if he comes looking for you. Sure, your friends will start looking too, but I bet he's gonna be with 'em."

"What boyfriend?" Jim struggled to get free but Pline just wrapped an arm around his neck and hoisted him up. Pressed with his back against Jernish's shoulder, he was starting to lose consciousness.

"That boyfriend you mentioned months ago. Almrez is tired of waiting and frankly I was getting bored." Jim wheezed and huffed for breath, his feet barely scraping the floor.

They ran into a teacher who was looking down at some papers. Jernish just gave Jim a noogie and smiled before rushing him to a room near the library. He released the brunette who started coughing and gasping for air on the ground.

"Jeez, Pline." Almrez's voice came out of the dark. "You're one lucky man. Had him in a headlock this whole time?"

"Yep. Teacher didn't even stop me."

"Fantastic.." Almrez crouched and lifted Jim up by his shirt. "Now, are you gonna tell me who that boyfriend of yours is? Or am I going to need to rip it out of you?" Almrez smiled, his eyes gleamed with hatred and excitement. Before he could speak again, they heard a voice outside.

"Jim?" It was David. "Jim?"

"Ugh, your watchdog." Almrez dropped Jim and grabbed a rope from beside him. He threw it to Pline. The other alien quickly tied Jim's hands and gagged him.

Almrez opened the door to see David in the hall. The two of them met gazes and Almrez gestured to the closet. David's nostrils flared. He met the alien at the door. When he saw Jim in Pline's arms he walked inside. Almrez closed the door behind him.

"Your little buddy has a hard time fighting back these days." Almrez smiled.

"Let him go."

"Alright settle down. I just have some questions." He smiled and they both looked down at Jim. Jernish was brandishing a knife very close to Jim's eye, and was stroking his cheek with it. "Who's the boyfriend?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. You've been roommates for years. Jim's had a secret relationship right under the nose of the academy. But you know, don't you?"

"Jim hasn't had a relationship. He's been a good student and hard worker. And may I remind you that he out ranks you. When I report this-"

"You can report me all day long. I don't give a shit. Come on, Davey." He put a clawed hand on David's shoulder. "You can make a clean break with this. Just tell me who he is and you can go. Hell, Jim can go too!" He looked at Pline and grinned.

Pline nicked the skin by Jim's eye, causing both the human men to flinch. "Uriratha if you don't back off-"

Almrez slammed David into the closed door. Jim's cry was muffled by the gag over his mouth. He wrestled to get free. David just winced and held back a shout of pain. "How about you back off Mogtrevo? Some friend, spewing threats left and right but nothing lands. Tell me who the boyfriend is. And you can go."

David couldn't take the pain any longer. Almrez was pressing his fresh scar against the wood grain, making his skin scream in agony. "They broke up." He blurted. "He graduated already. He's gone."

Almrez frowned but backed up. He turned to Jim and clenched his fists. Without warning he kicked Jim right in the face.

"Stop!"

"Oh fuck off!" Almrez spat, and lifted his leg to kick Jim again. This time, David grabbed the alien from behind and pulled him backward. With all his might, he pulled Almrez to the ground. They wrestled for a bit before David's rage overpowered the alien. In his shock, Almrez didn't see David's elbow before it landed in the middle of his face. David did it again, and again before Pline shouted at him.

"Hey!" David looked up but pressed Almrez's face into the ground. "Back off, Mogtrevo." Pline had the knife right above Jim's eye. Jim was holding his breath. His eyes were watering from keeping them open in the face of the knife.

"Cut him," David's hand could feel Almrez's skull under his fingertips. "And I'll make you regret it." Almrez hissed from under David and tried to get up. But the weight was too much. And his body was positioned too awkwardly. He couldn't get up. "Put the knife down." David could barely breathe.

Jernish moved his hand but cut Jim's arm instead. David acted in kind and twisted Almrez's arm into an unnatural position. "I will break it if you don't put that down." Jernish obliged. David instead pulled Almrez's arm out of its socket, causing the alien to scream. "Back off." He warned. Pline stood up and backed into the corner. "More." Pline stepped over toward David and Almrez, giving David space to get to Jim.

Something clicked in David. He let go of Almrez and immediately tended to Jim.

"You motherfucker!" Almrez hissed. "My arm!"

Jim looked at David with awe. "Jim, are you alright?" He pulled the gag off and went behind him to untie his bindings.

"Are you?" Jim looked over his shoulder.

"My fucking arm!" Almrez screeched. "Don't touch it you idiot!"

Jim got to his feet and gave Almrez a wary look. David stepped to his side and they walked out together. "And take him to the nurse for Heaven's sake." David mentioned to Pline before shutting the door.

"Let's go."

"Day.."

"What?"

"I just- I've never-"

"Never what?" Vinny called from the hallway before them. His smile faltered as he looked behind him. "What the hell?"

Almrez and Pline were coming out of the room, making their way down to the nurse's station- swearing all the way.

"Don't worry about it." David ushered them into the library.

"Day- seriously what was that back there?" Jim put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"What happened?"

"Almrez again. Just brought me into it this time."

"Is that why his arm is fucked?" Vinny asked.

"Yep." David waved at Heffren and Warven before they all sat together.

"Guys you would not believe how fucked up Almrez looks right now." Vinny began recalling what he saw.

"Are you alright?" David looked around before staring at Jim. Jim nodded and took David's hand under the table.

"Seriously. What the hell happened back there."

"I was scared for you. Pline is an idiot at the best of times. And that knife was so close to your eye. Are you okay?"

"I don't know. I'm honestly just in shock. I've never seen you attack anyone before."

"You've seen me in training."

"This wasn't the same."

David looked down and frowned. "Jim you're bleeding." He reached for Jim and took his arm. The cut from Pline was bleeding and growing purple by the minute. "Come on let's get that cleaned up."

"What happened?" Warven looked over at the pair. "Jim! Your arm!"

"I'm okay. We are going to the nurse." The two of them got up and walked out. When they were done, they returned to the library to be with their friends.

"How does he keep getting away with this?" Warven shook his head.

"Some sort of immunity." Jim rubbed at his arm.

"But this is crazy! Did you tell the nurse who did this?"

"Yep."

"And what did she say?"

"Honestly? She just sighed and shook her head." Jim frowned. "Like it's the norm now."

"This fucking sucks." Vinny fiddled with a loose string on his book bag. "We should beat the shit out of him."

"If only it were that simple."

Jim's eye was starting to turn black and purple from the kick to the face and he looked downright exhausted. "I think I'm gonna call it." He got up and picked up the book he was reading.

Vinny and Warven followed suit and walked out of the library with him. David watched them go and shared a look with Heffren. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know."

"I'm at a complete loss. I don't go to school here anymore, I've reported Almrez a million and one times, Jim is suffering, what am I gonna do?" David sighed and rubbed the space between his eyes. "It's like there's no escape. There is literally nothing more I can do but fight back."

"Yeah it sounded like you held your own one on one."

"This time."

"It's just a few more months. Then he'll be out of your hair." Heffren thought for a moment. "Maybe you and Jim could like, I dunno, lay low for awhile. Spend some time together, away from it all and just chill."

"I'm not really the eloping type." David examined his hands.

"That's not what I'm saying. I mean just take a vacation." He paused. "Are you- you thinking about-" he lowered his voice. "marrying Jim?"

There was a contemplative silence. "I dunno." David looked at the Library exit.