Part Twenty-four
“Jesse.”
Jesse looked up from the homework that had been sent to him from the school. “Yes?”
“Did you try to break up with Lindsey today?” asked Vincent, with a malicious glint in his eyes.
Jesse gulped, but answered the question without hesitation, “Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want Lindsey to be hurt because of me.”
Vincent chuckled evilly. “Well, that’s a bit of a quandary, isn’t it, son? Seeing as how that’s one of the main reasons you were brought here.”
“What are the rest?” asked Jesse with trepidation.
“Why should I tell you that?”
“It’s my life, I deserve to know.”
“Oh, now where did you get a backbone, boy? It seems to me you’re not showing the proper respect here.”
Jesse looked down, hoping to show that he was being respectful.
“Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” snarled Vincent. Jesse jerked his head up, and Vincent smiled smugly before continuing, “Besides, you’re already in for punishment. Several times over.”
Jesse immediately looked panicked.
Vincent walked over to the table where Jesse was sitting. “Now, don’t look so frightened. You brought this on yourself, sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night, and then trying to break up with Lindsey. How many times do I have to tell you, you do as I say and you’ll be fine. If you wanted to spend the night with Lindsey, you could have asked.”
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again!”
“I know it won’t.”
“Wh-what are you going to do?” asked Jesse tremulously.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Hey, Iam, what’s going on?” asked Dru.
“Not much, Druci,” said Iam. “You?”
“Oh, I’ve got a new boyfriend!” she said excitedly.
Iam felt his hopes sink a little. He really like Dru, but new she was too old for him. Besides, he was confused enough about the whole kiss incident with Xander. He listened politely as the dark-haired beauty babbled on about Penn or whatever his name was.
“Try to talk with him, Xander. If you don’t, you won’t ever trust him.”
Xander knew Liam meant Giles, but he thought the advise would work equally well with Iam. “I’ll try,” he said, leaving the room.
As soon as Xander had left the room, Iam dashed into Liam’s office and shut the door.
“What’s wrong, Iam? Is there a monster on your tail?” asked Liam, a bit amused.
“No, bloody Druci wouldn’t stop going on about her new beau,” said Iam.
“Same thing sometimes,” laughed Liam. “So, how’s everything going?”
“Well, funny thing, that. I have a bit of a problem,” said Iam. “An’ Uncle Rupert wasn’t much help.”
“What’s the problem?” asked Liam, immediately thinking of what Xander had told him earlier.
Now that Iam was actually talking about it to someone who wasn’t a blood-relative, he felt a bit uncomfortable. “Well, see, the other night, after we left here, I was teasing Xander because he…” Iam stopped suddenly and looked down.
“Because he what?” prompted Liam.
“Thought you were hot,” mumbled Iam, embarrassed about what he had accidentally led himself into.
“I see.” Liam appeared unfazed by this information, so Iam kept going.
“And I already knew there was someone he liked that was his own age, so I told him he should tell them. And he said he couldn’t. And I kept pushing him and he kissed me!” Iam had been speeding up his words and he abruptly stopped. He bent his head, allowing his hair to cover his face and took a few deep breaths before continuing. “That’s not the worst part, though. I-I think I liked it,” he whispered. “And that’s bad.”
“That’s not a bad thing, Iam,” said Liam comfortingly. “Despite what many people think, it is fine for you to enjoy being with another man. Just because everyone doesn’t, certainly does not make it wrong.”
“But, it hurts,” came the nearly inaudible response. “Why would anyone want to do that?”
“Oh, Iam. It doesn’t have to hurt. What you experienced was brutal and violent, not at all how sex is supposed to be. And not only that, you were far too young for any type of experience, bad or good.”
Iam peered up at Liam through his hair. “How would you know?” he asked.
“Because I was date-raped during college,” explained Liam. “That’s when I changed my major to psychology.”
“What was your major before?”
“Criminology.”
Xander sighed and hope that Iam’s session didn’t last too long. Girls, aside from Willow, just seemed to irritate him. And it didn’t help that she was gushing about a boy and how he had given her the stars. How could the stars belong to one person? But he could tell she was in love, so he pretended to be interested in what she was saying.
“…blond hair is to die for…”
Xander started thinking of Iam and the way he had reacted to the kiss, and this morning the way he kept staring at Xander, like he was a big, nasty bug. He heaved a loud sigh.
“…and then he…” Druscilla stopped talking when she heard Xander sigh. She looked at the boy for a second. “Am I boring you?”
Xander blushed, “No. I’m sorry, I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing important,” mumbled Xander.
“Uh-uh,” she sing-songed. “It’s got to be important, that was a ‘world’s about to end and I’m the only one that knows’ sigh.” She thought for a second, reviewing everything she remembered about the boy. “Oh! I know, you were thinking about Iam weren’t you?”
Xander blushed again, and turned away a little, mumbling
negations to her question.
“C’mon, I know you were. Talk to me.”
“No way. You’re his friend and you’ll tell him. Then he’ll hate me even more.”
“Why would I do that? I want to help you.”
“Nope, no way.”
“Fine, be that way.”
“I will.”
Iam and Liam exited the office to the sight of a sulking Druscilla at the counter and a pouting Xander by the windows.
Jesse shivered slightly, as Vincent led him into the same warehouse as before. Were Iam and Xander in there, awaiting brutal rape by his adopted father’s lackeys?
“Come now, boy. Don’t lag,” snarled Vincent. “You were warned.” He led the shaking boy into the observation room. And shoved him into one of the chairs. “Stay there and keep your eyes on the window at all times, or you’ll be the one in that room.”
Jesse gulped, and rearranged himself in the chair. He watched in growing horror when he realized it was neither Xander nor Iam be dragged into the other room, but Willow.
Giles went to answer the phone, glancing in on the boys as he did. Iam was sprawled across his bed, snoring lightly. The boy moved a few times and Giles briefly wondered what the boy was dreaming about.
~~~~Iam’s Dream~~~~
'Iam kept glancing over at Xander. Finally, he sighed. "Xander?
"What?" Xander looked up, startled.
"I was thinking, about the other night."
"Yeah?" Xander was wary, ready to bolt if Iam got angry.
"I just, I mean, well... Oh, sod this!" He leaned over toward Xander and captured the other boy's lips with his own. He took complete control of the other boy, dominating the kiss and delving his tongue into every inch of Xander’s warm, wet mouth.
Xander moaned into the kiss, and Iam moaned when hands ran through his hair, freeing it from its loose tail. “I want you,” he whispered softly, breaking the kiss.
“I’m yours,” came the husky response.
Iam shifted fully onto Xander’s lap, rubbing against the dark-haired boy sensually.
~~~~ ~~~~
Giles looked into the room across the hall, as he picked up the phone. Xander had kicked everything off his bed and seemed to be in danger of sliding off onto the floor. He appeared to be mumbling in his sleep.
~~~*Xander’s Dream*~~~
“Do you love me?” asked Xander, pulling Iam into the clearing. “Do you want me? Do you need me?”
“Yes, forever,” moaned Iam, as Xander ran his hands through that beautiful honey hair. He lowered Iam and himself to the ground. The two boys began kissing and petting each other with their hands. Xander broke the kiss to pull his shirt off, and then helped Iam with his. He just stared at the gorgeous, pale body that was before him.
Then lust took over, and Xander was caressing every inch of exposed flesh with his lips and tongue. Iam moaned and writhed under him, causing their cocks to bump up against each other.
~~~* *~~~
“Hello?”
“Mr. Giles?!” came a frantic voice on the other end of the line. “This is Mrs. Rosenburg, Willow’s mother. Is Xander there?”
“Yes, he’s sleeping. What’s the problem?”
“It’s Willow!” cried the hysterical woman. “She’s just been found raped and murdered in LA!”
“How long was she missing?” asked Giles, extremely concerned.
“I’m not sure!” she wailed. “My husband and I were out of town until tonight. We pulled up to an officer waiting at the house! I need to speak with Xander! And Jesse! Can you find Jesse? Those three were inseperable!”
“Please, madam. Calm down. I’ll tell Xander. And we’ll,” he paused for a second, “certainly get a hold of Jesse for you.”
“My poor little baby! I never should have left!” Giles replaced the receiver, disconnecting from the hysterical woman.
Giles went into Xander’s room, worried how the boy was going to take this. “Xander,” he said, shaking the boy slightly. “Xander, wake up.”
“Mmm, whazat?” mumbled Xander. “G’back t’sleep, Iam. Too early.”
Giles stared at the boy shocked, before shaking him a little harder. “Xander, it’s Rupert. You need to wake up.”
Xander opened his eyes and yawned. Half-asleep, he said, “What is it? I was having a good dream.”
“So I gather,” Giles responded, a little dryly. Then his tone softened, “Xander…”
Xander woke fully at that. “What? What’s wrong? Did something happen to Jesse?”
Giles shook his head and started to tell the boy.
“Is it Iam?” interrupted Xander, before Giles could say a word.
“No, it’s… That is, Willow’s mother just called. I’m sorry, Xander. Willow’s dead.”
“What? No! I just saw here today! She’s fine!”
“The police found her in LA, she was…” Giles stopped himself, he did not want to have to tell Xander what had happened to the girl just yet.
“She was what? Rupert, please, I need to know,” begged Xander, tears in his eyes.
“She had been raped, Xander.”
“God, no!” cried Xander. He didn’t even bother to hide his tears, and latched onto Giles, who put his arms around him and tried to comfort the grieving boy.
After a few minutes, Giles looked up to see Iam standing sleepily in the doorway. “What’s going on?” yawned Iam. “Who died?”
Xander started sobbing harder and clutched tighter to Giles. Giles looked up at his nephew, and said, “Willow.”
Iam’s eyes widened, as he realized how callous his remark had been. ‘Dammit, he’ll definitely hate me now! She was his best friend, and I… completely put my foot in it.’