Lust and Chastity - 9. Chapter 9

Prom night. Finian couldn't believe that more than a year had already passed since he first came across his friends from another dimension. Quinton and Synan were doing great. The last he'd heard, Quin was close to graduating from the university and Synan was taking some college prep classes. Lee'en stuck close to Jack. The human teen was quite surprised that Jack had remained faithful to the Unicorn for so long without wandering. Granted, the way that Lee chased the humans off of Jack obviously contributed. The Unicorn's ability to get rid of anyone interested in Jack was impressive, since he couldn't even be seen. After four grueling years, Jack and Fin were but a month away from graduating High School. In another three months, Finian would be able to see Alistair in person instead of just in his dreams and Jack would finally be able to see Lee'en with his own eyes. Fin couldn't wait!

Finian looked at his own reflection in the mirror. He had grown out his hair back to its natural platinum hue. The hairstyle was still spiky in the back and sweeping to the front, but it suited him. His navy blue eyes appeared a shade lighter with his hair that way, but the beauty mark under his left eye stood out even more because of it. The suit he had chosen to wear for prom was slate gray with a white button up underneath and a navy blue tie that matched his eyes. His cufflinks were cobalt blue, in honor of Alistair, who couldn't be there with him.

Fin's father and Jack's parents collaborated to rent them a limo for the night. So, when the blue-eyed teen stepped outside, he wasn't surprised to see Jack and the limo waiting. Even Lee'en was dressed in formal clothing. Finian grinned and walked over to them.

"Oh crap," Lee'en groaned. "Looks like I'm going to have to keep an eye out for both of you tonight."

"Woo-woo," Jack cat-called as he walked down the sidewalk. "Don't you clean up nice?"

Finian turned to see his best friend walking toward him with an easy smile on his face. Jack's suit was gray with a cotton candy pink shirt underneath. His tie was deep red with tiny pink hearts all over it. For once, the teenager's hair was combed and slicked back into a neat style that seemed to make his hazel eyes look bigger.

"Yeah, says the one that cleans up even better!" Fin teased back. "You look great!"

"You both do." Lee'en grumbled. "Nothing makes me feel more uneasy."

Finian gave the Unicorn a sheepish smile as he relayed the message. "Lee's not happy about how good we look in our suits. Not one bit."

"He doesn't like it?" Jack slumped a little but his smile stayed in place. "The pink and the hearts are for him. Maybe the underpants I got were a bad idea..."

Lee'en slid his arms around Jack, sliding his hands in the back of the human's pockets as he gently nipped the side of his neck. "It's going to be quite a busy night keeping people away from you."

"...um, he said he's going to have to beat people off you with sticks all night long." Finian replied.

Jack smirked and tugged the Unicorn he couldn't see, but could feel, into his arms.

"Hey, if he's going to be beating anyone off, it should be me."

"On the contrary, I would rather have you to cling to me forever," Lee admitted.

"He said you could cling to him forever if you want," Fin responded.

Jack rested his chin on Lee'en's head and draped himself over the petite Unicorn. Anyone watching would think that the teen was doing a trick to stay upright when it appeared nothing was supporting him.

"You'll get sick of me eventually." Jack murmured. "I burp and forget to floss."

Lee'en rolled his eyes. "I know, I stalk you all day, every day. Trust me, that's not gonna stop me."

"...I'm not going to repeat that." Fin snickered. "The gist of it is, he'd still have your babies."

"I'm not sure that will work," Jack said with a laugh. "But I think he and I need to keep trying to get him pregnant. Never give up!" The brunet shook his fist at the sky before laughing again. "Shit, I forgot my overnight bag. I told mom that the hotel check-in info is in my phone, but she still printed me a sheet for it and I stuck it in there. Be right back."

Jack bussed Lee's cheek with a kiss and jogged back into his house. He returned almost immediately, old backpack in hand.

"We ready?" he asked.

Finian picked up his own messenger bag.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He responded.

The three teenagers boarded the limo and were on their way. Lee'en caught sight of the complementary champagne and poured himself a glass.

"Don't mind if I do." He said as he took a sip and then handed the bottle to Jack. "Want some?"

When the bottle floated in his direction, Jack got the idea and grabbed himself a glass. He held it out for the Unicorn to fill.

"I know Fin won't have any," Jack said with a smile and nothing but understanding in his voice. "So, it's up to me and Mr. Invisible to make sure this doesn't go to waste. Clinkies!"

The happy teen tapped his glass against Lee'en's.

"Cheers!" Lee'en reciprocated. "What gives, Fin? You won't drink even when the costs are covered?"

"The one time I will willingly drink will probably be after graduating. And even then, it would only be a small amount for the toast." Finian clarified.

"There is nothing wrong with sparkling grape juice," Jack commented after slugging back half his flute of champagne. "That shit's more delicious than champagne."

The seventeen-year-old let his best friend be. He knew of the allure of liquor, but he also feared it. He feared that once he started, the liquor would take a firm hold of him just like it did with his dad.

A short while later, the limo pulled up to the hotel that hosted their prom. As Finian stepped out, he immediately began to pick out classmates and people he knew. All of them looked amazing, even the ones that went out of their way to draw attention with their neon outfits.

"Wow, looks like everybody turned up and turned out." Jack waved back at someone who'd seen him. "Let's check in and drop off our junk in our rooms and then come back down." The hazel-eyed teen dropped a wink. "You know the party can't start until we show up."

The clerk didn't give them any trouble checking in and they were up the elevator to their rooms in no time.

"Oh my god, whirlpool tub!" Jack stuck his head through the door that joined their rooms. "Does yours have a giant tub in the corner? And there's a frigging espresso machine in here!"

"Yep! I'm really looking forward to trying it all out after the party," Finian agreed.

The pink-haired Unicorn let out a soft sigh as he watched the humans becoming excited about the night's events and their rooms. He had his work cut out for him. Lee'en fully intended to keep any overly grabby folk away from his Jack and to try to keep any grabby folk away from Finian, as well.

Jack dropped his backpack on the king-sized bed and zipped through the door adjoining to rooms to snag Finian, who was scoping out the bathroom.

"To the party!" Jack grinned boyishly. "I can't wait to see the theme. What was it again?" the brunet asked as they stepped into the hall and the door clicked shut behind them.

Finian snorted. "Hollywood Bonanza?" He mused out loud as they made their way down to the party.

"What does that even mean?" Jack asked as they walked.

"I have no clue!" Fin admitted. The two of them got in line to swap their tickets for their table number and gifts. They were forced to go through an archway for pictures, as well, before they were able to put their stuff down and get something to eat.

"You know my mom is going to frame our prom photo and put it on the wall." Jack shoved a little wheat roll in his mouth as they sat down. "Dad will shit. It's going to be hilarious. You are the bomb for letting me pose with you like that. I loved the look on the photographer's face when I laid my head on your shoulder."

"Yeah, that's going to be one moment I'll never forget," Fin agreed with a snicker. He had retrieved a plate full of appetizers and shared some with Jack. "Oh God," He mewled as he bit into one of them. "These are soooo good."

"Why aren't there tiny weenies?" Jack complained jokingly as he snatched a chocolate-frosted-something from Fin's plate. "The rule is that really big parties need tiny weenies and cream cheese mints." The brunet popped the round treat in his mouth. His hazel eyes widened. "Holy shit, Fin, these are filled with caramel pudding! Not butterscotch, caramel!"

Fin didn't know how many times he'd heard Jack rail against the evils of butterscotch. He called it Satan's caramel. The teen also called muffins Satan's cupcakes. Bagels were Satan's donuts. Jack really liked frosting, so the bagels and muffins kind of made sense in a weird way. Finian still hadn't figured out his hatred of butterscotch. The complaint was common when pudding was involved, since butterscotch pudding seemed to be commonplace but caramel pudding was relatively uncommon.

The blue-eyed teen reached for one of those caramel-filled chocolate appetizers and just about died. "Mmmmm," He moaned. "These are the best."

"I know, right?!" Jack licked his lips. "We need more of those. Oh my god, is that a tiny cheeseburger?"

The boys happily stuffed their faces, drawing a few looks when they happened to moan a bit too loud. Miraculously, their suits stayed clean, even when Jack started yanking pickles out of the tiny burgers because he decided they were gross.

"Okay, I'm done. If I eat one more cream poofy thing I'm going to pop." Jack wiped his mouth and fingers on a napkin. "You want to come dance, Fin?"

"Yeah, we definitely have to dance some of this off." Fin added as he stood up and walked with Jack to the ample dance floor. The two of them danced rather well and, together, they managed to rile others to join them on the dance floor as well.

They ended up in the middle of a small exuberant mob of happy teens. It was just another month until graduation for the seniors and the juniors were looking forward to summer. Finian and Jack got separated, but kept dancing. They could still see each other. The people would shift soon enough and the friends would be bumping the sides of their hips together again.

Surprisingly, Jack didn't have a single person grinding up against him. Usually, any excuse to get up close and personal with Jack was a good excuse for many of the lustier students. However, anyone groping, grinding, or fondling Jack quickly found themselves stumbling or jerking away from a sharp pain. When they looked around they didn't see anyone who appeared to have just tripped or pinched the victim. The same thing had happened at homecoming.

Lee'en had his hands full as he kept tabs on his two favorite humans. He really had to work at fending the friskier ones away from Jack. The naughty teens were drawn like a magnet to the hazel-eyed hunk. It grated on the Unicorn's nerves like nothing else.

Feeling thirsty after the fifth song or so, Finian made a beeline to the punch bowl in the back. The juice featured several layers of sweetness and a slight tang that he couldn't quite place on the spot. In any case, the punch was both refreshing and delicious.

Jack saw that Fin had left the gyrating throng under the flashing lights. Trying to use sign language above his head was sloppy and confusing, but he got his message across to Finian.

Done dancing?

Finian grinned, sending him a message of his own. Dancing? Soon! He gulped down another cup of punch and jumped right back into the dance floor, fully intending to continue celebrating with his graduating class.

Jack was into the little bottles of water placed in ice buckets around the room. He thought they were cute. Finian stayed with the yummy punch. They took a break and had some more snacks when the music stopped to announce the prom's king and queen. The winners were predictable. The girl who won queen wasn't too bad. Jack remembered her name was Kelly something. She was pretty and popular, but not a raging bitch. She was active in several sports and had a softball scholarship for college that fall.

Dale, the prom king, was a raging douche. He was popular and played football. Dale also was one of Finian's most active bullies. Apparently, the guy didn't need to be kind to win. Kelly didn't look very pleased to have to dance with him after the crowning, but she smiled politely and went along, keeping her body away from his. Jack made a face and turned away from the dance floor, turning his attention back to his plate. He had found a huge platter of cream cheese mints hiding on a side table. He threw several in his mouth and hummed happily.

Finian decided to grab some more of the caramel-stuffed chocolates. He wasn't surprised to see who won. After the king and queen danced, they began to announce the 'most likely to' winners. Jack got the 'most dateable' and 'best all-around' awards. Fin himself got the 'best eyes' and 'best smile' awards, the latter which surprised him more than the former.

Jack fist-bumped his blushing bestie when the spotlight swung to Gloria Samson who won 'best smile' for the girls. Jack headed off for a bathroom break when the music and dancing started back up.

"I'll be back to shake my ass in a minute, Fin." The brunet waved as he went to hunt down a restroom.

Finian decided to get some more of the addictive punch in the back. He was halfway into his third glass when he started to feel hot and giddy. Too hot and too giddy, in fact. The blue-eyed teen made his way around the dance floor and outside into the cooler air.

"Good grief..." He grumbled as he took a deep breath of the night air. "Someone must have spiked the punch..."

The air felt cool and sweet. It was a nice night for late April. Fin drew in a deep breath as he leaned against the side of the building. The blond's head tipped to the side lazily and he blinked at a little iron gate between two bushes. His steps were deceptively steady as he walked through the gate. There was a path of simple patio paving stones that made a circle around a cement fountain. There were a few benches in front of thick bushes with sleepy flowerbeds between them, mulched and waiting for May or June.

Dale was having quite a night. He was the prom king, against all odds. And one of his team mates had been able to spike the punch without getting caught. He took a few glass fulls of the punch himself as the night played on. His olive green eyes peered around the masses, his gaze drawn to Finian for the umpteenth time that night. Since he had been on a roll all night long, he decided to test out his luck even further.

The moment that Fin walked outside, Dale followed behind. The sight that greeted him was too good an opportunity to pass. The blue-eyed teen held onto a bench with both his hands, half hunched over it. Taking the position as an invitation, the prom king took hold of Finian's hips and grinded right against his fancy ass.

"Well, well...what a grand offering. Don't mind if I do, rosebuds."

Finian let out a gasp and took a mis-step before steadying himself again and shoving the hands away, turning around to glare at the taller teen.

"Leave me alone, Dale." Couldn't the jerk just give him one break? They were close to graduating!

"I wish I could," the redhead groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "I tried ignoring you and then I tried forcing you away. I'm not a fucking fag, like you. But, shit, you look good. And I think maybe I could do some of that experimenting stuff they talk about...do it with you."

Fin gaped at the redhead as if he had grown three heads. "Are you... serious ?" He accused. "I'm sorry, but you're way too late. I'm already with someone, Dale. And he's amazing."

"Don't lie to me." Dale's darker red eyebrows drew together over eyes bleary from too much spiked punch. "If you were with someone, you would have brought him with you to prom, not fucking Jack." He snatched Finian's wrist with one clammy hand. "So, why don't you stop playing hard to get and start playing along?"

The shorter teen tugged his wrist back, hard. "I'm not lying! Alistair is older, more mature, and all-around better than you."

"You're only saying that because you haven't tried me out." Dale growled as he forcefully tugged Finian flush against him, grinding against him and kissing him hard.

Finian was so shocked that he was slack-jawed, which gave Dale an opening. The redhead's tongue dove inside to dominate Fin's mouth.

The blue-eyed teenager tried to shove himself free, but the athlete's grip was too strong. With a deep frown, he bit down hard on Dale's tongue.

The football player swore and yanked his head back, but kept his bruising grip on Finian. Dale spat blood on the paving stones.

"You little shit!"

The smack across Fin's cheekbone caught him entirely by surprise. His body was jerked to the side and then the other way when Dale returned with a backhand.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The prom king hissed. "You think you can prance that little ass around and then when somebody shows some interest you get all fucking prissy?" The hard punch to Finian's gut made his stomach churn with pain and nausea. "And look at you! I'm the goddamned prom king! I don't give a fuck who you are, on prom night you put out for the king!"

Fin flinched when the hand that had just socked him in the gut approached again, but Dale used it to hold the blond's head still.

"Now, I'm going to kiss you again," Dale growled low and mean. "And this time you're going to take it like a good little bitch or I'm going to rearrange your fucking face, you hear me?"

By that point, Finian found it difficult to breathe and keep down the bile that threatened to spill over. He also had bitten his tongue sometime during the attack, and the taste of it kept pooling in his mouth, like liquid pennies. He was angry and hurt and frustrated. The shorter teen wasn't strong enough to fight back, not even if he was completely sober. His body began to tremble in a mixture of fear and loathing. He couldn't even bring himself to respond.

Satisfied with Finian's inactivity, Dale smirked and kissed him hard once again, ignoring the faint taste of copper as his tongue laid claim to the pliant mouth. Feeling emboldened, the redhead slid a hand down to squeeze Fin's package through his pants. He had seen the other teen naked a good few times in the showers and he knew that the shaft was similar to his own size. When he began to stroke it from the outside, Finian started to struggle once again. Dale bit Fin's lower lip enough to draw blood as he pinned him down against the bench. He nearly ripped the teenager's pants open as he freed the half-hard shaft as well as his own.

Dale draped his full weight down on Finian as he aligned their members and began to thrust against him with a grunt.

"Why do you always have to make everything so difficult ?" He hissed as he bit down hard on Fin's throat.

Tears began to well in Fin's eyes, but they weren't a result of the pain that wracked his body. He was fearful of Dale taking his virginity by force before Fin ever got the chance to see Alistair in person. He'd never even fully peaked before. Would this be how his first time would play out? His body betraying him to the rough handling of a brute? Finian took a shuddering breath when he felt another bite at his shoulder. It was enough to snap him out of it. In a swift move, he shifted and kneed Dale hard in the crotch.

When Dale curled in on himself in pain, Finian made a break for it. He was only able to run a few feet before he was tackled back into the ground from behind and flipped onto his back as a fist came down across his cheek, and then another just below his ribcage.

"God damn it, I didn't want to fuck up your face that badly, Fin!" Dale yelled right in his face.

In the near distance, Lee'en jogged out of the building, trying to find his other charge. When he saw the two teenagers on the floor, he took only a moment to assess what he was really seeing before rushing back inside, hastily shoving confused teenagers out of his way as he made a bee line straight to Jack.

"Jack! Finian!" He called out as he tugged roughly on the human's arm. "This is serious!" He insisted, continuing to tug him frantically away from the party. In a delayed reaction, he made the sign for Fin in Jack's hand. "Come on! Come on!"

"Oh, hey, you found him. Thank goodness." Jack shook his head. "I can't believe he drank so much of that spiked punch…I can't believe I missed the fact that it was boozed up. Is he puking his guts out up in the room?" He dug in his heels as Lee'en kept pulling. "He seriously hates people seeing him puke. Maybe we should give him a couple minutes."

"No, no, big guy!" Lee'en never stopped tugging. "Fuck, what's the creep's name again? Bale? Kale...Dale!" He pressed the letters into Jack's palm slow enough for him to feel them. "D-A-L-E! Dale!"

"Dale is with Fin?" Jack's eyes widened as he finally understood the Unicorn's antics. "That asshole is nothing but trouble. Lead the way, baby."

Jack ran, following the insistent tug on his arm, paying no attention to the strange looks he was getting as he flew past partiers. The teen started to get really worried when they went outside. Jack jumped the little gate in a rush and ended up ahead of Lee'en by the time he reached the little courtyard with the fountain. Jack looked around, not seeing anyone. He circled the bubbling fountain, stopping when he saw something dark and wet on the ground. He crouched, teeth clenching when he realized it was blood.

A noise to his side drew his attention. He turned and saw there was something behind the bushes, something moving. He shoved through the bushes, ignoring the branches that scratched at his cheeks and hands, horrified by what he found.

Finian was on the hard ground with his shirt ripped open and the jacket tangled around his arms, the fabric were pinned in place by a heavy rock. His own tie was stuffed in his mouth and his pants were pulled down. Another heavy stone was crushing the teenager's shaft and he appeared to be just about ready to pass out. Bruises and cuts littered his body and half his face was swollen.

Dale shuffled back into the bushes towards Finian with his car keys in one hand and a few packets of condoms in another. "Found them. Now, we can continue..." He said.

"Lee, get those rocks off him," Jack snapped blindly at Lee'en as he lunged for Dale.

The Unicorn rushed down to do just that. The rock that pinned Fin's hands down was quite heavy, but he didn't want to roll it off, lest he risk breaking the bones on the tips of the human's fingers. Thankfully, the rock that pinned down his privates wasn't as heavy. For the first time in a year and an half, Lee'en realized that Finian was not just a 'Maiden' to him. He was like a brother. He was kin. Performing magic in the human dimension was not only difficult, it was also draining. That night, Lee'en put his all into healing the human before him.

"Just, hold on Fin!" He hissed as he shifted into his equine form. He knelt down on all fours and pressed his horn against the side of Fin's chest, willing his healing magic to radiate from that spot and outwards. The Unicorn's eyes were shut tightly as he focused all of his concentration on Finian.

Meanwhile, Jack's smile had turned feral as his fist connected with Dale's nose with a satisfying crunch. Dale fought back sloppily. He managed to get one of Jack's eyes and his jaw, but not much else. The more he tried to coordinate himself, the harder it was to get his footing.

"You dirty son of a bitch!" Jack snarled as his next punch caught the red head's cheekbone, knocking the bastard to his knees.

Jack snatched the back of Dale's head and brought his knee up to meet the prom king's face. The football player toppled backwards. Jack took the golden opportunity to kick him in the gut. He got a good grip on Dale and slammed him into the cement fountain's base and held him there.

"Just what the fuck did you think you were doing, you sick bastard?" Jack demanded.

Dale coughed to clear his throat, but a vicious smile formed on his face. "Having at Finian's frigid ass, that's what." He retorted.

"I'll kill you," Jack growled in a voice that sounded too cold and harsh to be his own.

He punched Dale again and again. The football player tried to defend himself, but he was completely outmatched by the rage burning inside Jack, which spilled out with every strike. He grabbed Dale by the shoulders, intending to slam the back of his head against the concrete corner of the bubbling fountain.

"Jack, stop!" Lee'en wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders from behind and tugged back. When he was finally able to wrench a hand lose, he made the sign for Fin at the palm. "Help me get him back to his room. I can barely stand on my own two feet." The Unicorn had shifted back to his human form on the fly when he saw that Jack wasn't going to stop until Fin's attacker was reduced to a smear on the paving stones.

The brunet clenched his bleeding fists and his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. He stood unsteadily, giving Dale, who was slumped next to the fountain, a parting kick before stepping to his best friend's side. The cuts and bruises on Finian were gone. He was struggling to button and zip his pants with shaking hands.

"Let me help." Jack reached out, laying his hands over Finian's. He pulled them back when he saw they were crusted with blood, not all of it from his split knuckles. "Wait, let me get this off."

The brunet went back to the fountain and dunked his hands in, watching the blood wisp away in the cool water until it disappeared entirely. He shook off his hands then wiped them on his slacks before returning to Fin. The blond had managed to zip and button his pants, but he was just plucking at his tattered shirt. He seemed to be utterly at a loss as to what he should do.

"Come on," Jack said gently. "Can you stand? We can go around to the side entrance and take the smaller elevator over on that side up to our room. No one will be using that one."

Finian simply nodded. "Lee'en...he needs help getting back, too. He looks drained and dizzy." With a frown, he added. "Maybe you could carry him in his smaller form?"

"I'll carry you both if I have to," Jack said with conviction. "One little Unicorn I can definitely handle." The hazel-eyed teen stuck his hands out, feeling the air like a blind man. "Come here, baby. Are you okay?"

It took a lot of effort for Lee'en to shift back into his equine form. But, once he did, he leaned heavily against the side of Jack's leg. "So tired and sleepy, Jack." He mumbled.

"There you are." Jack patted Lee'en gently, getting a mental image of how he was oriented.

The olive-skinned teen leaned over and swept the soft little Unicorn into his arms. Lee'en tucked his head over his lover's shoulder and let out an exhausted sigh.

"I got you now," Jack soothed. "Is he okay Fin? Hell, are you okay? Shit, maybe you need an ambulance instead of going up to the room. I'm not fucking thinking. And we need to call the cops."

"He's fine, just exhausted. And I actually feel better now physically than when we even arrived, Lee'en can sure heal." Finian responded as he patted himself in disbelief. "The way I look right now? I don't think the cops would even believe that Dale tried anything with me." Another frown formed on his face. "I just...want to get back to the room." He insisted, rubbing his arms.

"Okay, then." Jack nodded toward the side of the building, away from where they'd come in through the gate. "I think the door is that way."

Jack ignored Dale's slumped form as they walked by. But, Fin couldn't help but cast a troubled glance towards him as he passed made it around the building without any problems, and then to the side entrance. Finian fumbled a bit as he hunted for his card key, but they made it inside and up the elevator without running into anyone. Luck continued to be with them when the hall to their room was empty as well. Jack's shoulders ached with tension when they finally were safely inside their adjoining rooms.

Jack gently set Lee'en in the middle of his bed before turning to Finian and pulling him into a hug.

"I'm so fucking sorry," Jack's voice cracked. "I should never have left you alone with so many bastards around. And then when I came back and you were gone...I still wasn't worried. I should have known something was wrong."

Finian hugged Jack back tightly, his eyes closing as he reveled in his warmth. "It's not your fault. How could you have even known? I mean, I only went outside for a little fresh air. Someone had spiked the punch. Dale was drunk, too." He explained. "He got really violent."

"Please, can you tell me what he did?" Jack asked softly. "The rocks..."

Finian's fingers dug a little too sharply into Jack's skin for a moment before he eased back a bit. "He tried to come onto me. I told him I was seeing Alistair but he wouldn't believe me and tried to kiss me. I bit his tongue and he became violent. Pinned me to the bench, but I kneed him in the crotch and tried to run, but he caught me again and kept beating me...I didn't feel the rock on my hands until Lee'en lifted it off. I did feel the one on my…my crotch, though." His voice fell to a whisper towards the end.

"Lee should have let me kill him." Jack hugged his best friend close. "You say the word and I'll go back and finish that fucker off."

Fin shook his head. "He's not worth it, Jack. He's just not worth it." He insisted as he did his best to control his shaking. "Besides...you stopped him before he could do any more damage."

"What can I do for you?" Jack's eyes were drawn to the big tub on one side of the room. "Do you want a bath in the fancy tub?"

Finian was still in a state of shock, though he tried not to show it. He sent Jack a strained smile, feeling guilty and sheepish about what he wanted.

"Yeah, I think I'll take a quick bath and go to bed." He said as he walked towards the door that connected both rooms. "I...I just want to see Alistair right now." He finished in a soft whisper.

"Can I run the water and take your messed up clothes?" Jack asked, looking for some way to help.

The teen took hold of his own elbows with a frown, his gaze falling briefly on the Unicorn that was passed out on Jack's bed, before conceding with a nod as he led the way to the tub. He would thank Lee'en at the first opportunity the following morning.

"Jack..." He said as he sought out the other teenager's hazel eyes. "...thank you."

"I love you, man." Jack gave Fin's shoulder a squeeze as he passed him to turn on the tub. "I'm always here for you, whatever you need."

The brunet sat on the edge of the tub with his back to Finian to give him a little privacy to change.

Fin felt a wave of sadness as he pulled his jacket off and saw the extent of the damage of his shirt. His father had worked long hours to buy him the matching suit. Finian tried to convince him to get a rental, but the older man insisted that a suit of his own would become a cherished memory. The fact that a part of the ensemble was now ruined made him feel awful. But, he pushed those feelings of sadness down and stepped in to the tub after disrobing. He knew that if he began to cry, he would not stop, and he didn't want to cry just yet.

When his friend had climbed carefully into the tub, Jack quietly gathered the suit Fin had been wearing and stepped to their adjoining door.

"If you need me for anything at all…" Jack hesitated in the doorway.

Finian nodded as he leaned back in the tub. "I'll get you. I promise."

"Okay. I'll be over here taking care of my invisible boyfriend." Jack smiled gently and let the door click shut behind him.

The tub filled fairly quickly. When it was deep enough, he pinched his nose and dipped his head back to wash his hair, as well. Bathing became a mechanical thing as he went through the motions quickly, and then stepped out to dry himself.

After he was dressed, Finian headed over to the hotel bed and climbed in. Flat on his back, he stared at the ceiling. The day's events were a clash of amazing and terrible, fun and fright. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to will himself to rest. However, it took him at least an hour or two before he finally was able to drift into sleep.

Alistair was there waiting for him. The tall nightmare swept the younger man into his arms with a smile.

"I thought you'd never get here." Alistair kissed Finian gently. "It must have been a wonderful party to keep you up so late. I missed you, but I'm glad you could have fun with your classmates."

The human felt a warmth fill him when he found himself in the Nightmare's arms. His eyes pooled with tears and he was only able to say one sentence before his throat closed up.

"I'm sorry, please don't ask me anything until I can speak again!" He mewled as he found himself clinging to the older man and sobbing.

Alistair's eyes widened. He held Fin tight as he summoned a gigantic soft beanbag chair, which was the young human's favorite furniture. The nightmare let himself fall backwards onto it. The velvety fabric was cool against them as it cocooned around them gently. Alistair wrapped himself protectively around his love, rubbing soothing circles on Finian's back.

The teenager cried and cried until he let it all out. By the end of it, he was hiccoughing and sucking in shuddering breaths as he wiped at his face.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" Fin hiccuped.

"You have nothing at all to apologize for." Alistair stroked platinum hair from Finian's face. "There is nothing I'd rather be doing than holding and comforting you right now." He was anxious to know what caused the teenager such turmoil, but he didn't want to cause Fin any more grief.

Finian took another shuddering breath as yet another hiccough fell from his lips. "P-Prom was going s-so well." He began explaining. "J-Jack and I danced and had fun and even received awards...b-but then, the prom king assaulted me. I f-fought him back the best I could, but he beat me up pretty bad..."

Alistair couldn't even speak for a moment, he was so horrified. He hadn't expected this kind of news. His hands and eyes raked over every inch of Finian. "Where are you hurt?" he asked urgently. "I can come through the portal and bring a healer."

Fin shook his head. "No, Lee'en healed me all up. H-He found me and brought Jack over before it was too late. Jack fought him off and Lee ended up pretty exhausted. I-I'm fine now." He continued to explain, his voice falling to a whisper. "But, it was too close for comfort. I thought he would take me before I could give myself to you..."

"Thank the gods for that Unicorn and your friend Jack." Alistair pulled Fin back into the circle of his arms. "Is Jack alright?"

The platinum haired teen nodded. "For the most part, he's fine. Very worried about me. But, all I could think about was seeing you." He dropped his forehead onto the Nightmare's shoulder. "That was very selfish of me..."

"I'm touched that in your moment of need you thought of me." Alistair pressed a soft kiss to Finian's temple. "I am so very sorry I wasn't there for you...I should have been there to protect you." Alistair's voice became low and deadly. "I'd have killed him before he ever touched you."

Finian shook his head frantically. "It's not worth it. H-He's not worth it." The teenager insisted as he snuggled back against Alistair. "Four more months...just four more months and I'll be able to see you in person."

"And then I can protect you myself." Alistair buried his face in Fin's soft blond hair.

The human let out a soft sigh as all the tension finally left his body. His eyes began to droop as he was lulled into a more peaceful sleep. "...love you, Alistair." He whispered just as his eyes shut completely.

"I love you, too," Alistair whispered as Finian drifted into a dreamless sleep. The teen didn't see when the nightmare's cobalt jewel eyes began to glow. "And I vow that the one who hurt you will suffer...tremendously."