17 comments/ 25177 views/ 33 favorites A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 01 By: LoveBird1929 Author's Note: Yay! A return to the world of Deviant Spawn! Finally, lol. Due to the length, I've broken this story up into 4 parts, each about 2 to 4 pages in length. Don't despair (I know I'm horrible about posting quick updates), the story is already completed in full and all chapters have been submitted. No long wait for parts 2, 3 & 4! If you guys enjoy reading about my boys, and if you haven't already done so, then check out WickedWendyDru's awesome series Dust & Ash. Dust & Ash is also about a band & my boys/Jazzy will feature in some of the later chapters. Just a few words of warning on A Deviant Spawn Betrayal. First, as if the name doesn't totally give this away, the tone of this story is completely different than Rory's. Completely. As you'll immediately see, everything is not peaches and cream with Shane & Rev. You've been warned... Second, I don't want my readers to be jarred unexpectedly, so you should know this story is told in 2 different tenses. I received an anonymous comment on A Deviant Spawn Christmas that I should write the story about what happened between Shane & Rev on Christmas Eve and I liked the suggestion so much I took it and expanded on it. Don't know who you are, Anon, but thanks for the idea! So, the flashbacks are told from a 1st person perspective while the rest of the story is told from a 3rd person perspective. Both perspectives are Shane's and, for the most part, they are at complete opposite ends of the emotion spectrum. In essence, this story is 2 stories rolled together into 1. Lastly, for all my music aficionados, I'll tell you upfront which songs Shane & Rev made me think of. Creep by Radiohead really puts me in the mind of Shane while Snuff by Slipknot makes me think of them both but more so Rev. If you know anything about these 2 songs, then I think you already know what the tone of part of this story is going to be. And I want to give a heartfelt thanks to avidreader_01 for being my Beta reader. As always, comments & suggestions are welcome. A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 01 "Hell no, that's not the best." Some of the tension that had plagued Shane nonstop for weeks melted away. He almost felt whole again. It felt that good to be in Rory's arms and to hold Rory in his. Rory, who had so often been Shane's anchor when his emotions threatened to consume and carry him away. "Orlando is dead without you, Rory. And when I say dead, I mean deceased, defunct, expired, lifeless. And why the hell didn't you tell me New York is synonymous for the tenth, unexplored, frozen level of hell?" "C'mon, Shane, you've only got a hoodie on, for crying out loud. Did you really expect to come up here and not be cold?" "We're Florida boys, Ror. If memory serves me correctly, up until two weeks ago, you didn't even own a winter coat. I still don't because it makes no sense for me to buy one just for a two-night trip. And since you brought up the issue of expectations, let me share mine with you. What I expected was not to have to deal with the retraction of my nuts inside of my body, dude. They said to inform you they're staying put until my return flight lands at OIA. And I also didn't expect that without you, Orlando would really, truly—" "Suck?" Rory dropped his arms and tried to step away. Shane held tight, threading his fingers together at the small of Rory's back as he stepped forward with him. He pressed his face more firmly into Rory's neck, not caring that his black cosmetics were in danger of being wiped off by Rory's light gray scarf. "What? Suck? Nah, that's not what I was going to say. I was going to say I didn't expect that without you, Orlando would really, truly, er, um...reek! That's it! Reeks! The city absolutely reeks without you. Like horse shit. Or elephant shit. Or cat and dog shit. All mixed together." "Did you really just say reeks?" Although Shane couldn't see Rory's face, he could still hear his amusement. "You already know the O sucks without you, man. Sucks donkey balls. Giant donkey balls." "Great, big, giant, hairy, sweaty donkey balls," Rory finished. "That's exactly how I feel about every place I've been so far with Taz. Wherever I go with him always feels right, like I'm living out a dream, because he's there with me, but, at the same time, it feels wrong, too, because you're not and we've always done everything together. Sounds corny, I know, but d'ya know what I mean, Shane?" "Yeah, Ror, I do. That feeling of wrongness is definitely all throughout Orlando without you around." They both stopped speaking, both silently acknowledging the fact that things didn't have to be the way they were. Shane could've come along on Deviant Spawn's tour. He'd been asked to. And not by Rory. Rory knew about the invitation extended by Revelin. Damn near each and every one of Rory's family members—as well as half the people who lived in Rory's parents' neighborhood—knew about the invitation extended by Revelin. The very public invitation extended by Revelin. The very public invitation extended by Revelin that Shane had also very publicly rejected. "Okay, 'nuff of this mushy stuff," Rory said after a few seconds. "Let go now so I can see you." "Nuh-uh." Shane held tighter. "Let go of me, Shane." Rory wedge his hands between their fused bodies, placing them flat on the center of Shane's chest. He tried to dislodge Shane with a push, but when that didn't work, he removed his hands and reached behind his back. Grasping Shane's wrists, he tugged ineffectually. "Sheesh, quit being a jackass, already, and let go. I want to see you." "No, you don't," Shane muttered under his breath. "What?" Rory asked. "What?" Shane repeated, all innocence. "Don't play stupid with me, Shane. What did you just say?" "Wha-huh? Say? I didn't say anything, man. You're hearing stuff." Figuring he better shift the conversation in a different direction, Shane added, "And, shit, Rory, it really has been too long since the last time we saw each other. By the way, where's Taz at? Since you guys are damn near attached at the hip all the time now, thought for sure he'd be here with you." "We are not attached at the hip...well, at least not all the time, but he is here. Last I saw, he was being mobbed by..." Rory stopped speaking, then suddenly went stiff in Shane's arms after another bid for his freedom resulted in failure. "Shane Matthew Wilkinson! Why, exactly, are you holding on to me so tightly? But, more importantly, why are you trying to distract me from the fact you're holding on to me so tightly?" Voice suspicious, he accused, "You're hiding something, aren't you?" "Have no idea what you're talking about, pretty boy." "What have I told you about calling me that? And you're not slick, Shane! I know that was nothing more than another one of your attempts to distract me!" Twisting and turning, Rory wiggled ferociously. He wedged his hands against Shane's chest a second time, pushing with all of his strength. In an attempt to keep his secrets hidden, and to stave off the confrontation with Rory as long as possible, Shane used his slightly bigger size to keep tenuous hold. But when Rory went slack, the cessation of movement shocked Shane so much he loosened his grip, fearing he'd caused harm to his friend. He only realized he'd been fooled when Rory pushed him away with a forceful shove. "Hiya, Ror!" Shane chirruped, the left side of his face turned away. He'd had to snap his head into position so quick he'd almost given himself whiplash. "Heya, jackass," Rory trilled, circling Shane. His chocolate browns were fixed on Shane's profile. "What's up? Anything new or interesting you want to tell me about? For example, how 'bout you go ahead and share whatever it is you're trying so damn hard to keep hidden from me." Shane turned in place, in sync with his friend. He kept pace, left side of his face always just out of Rory's view, even when Rory tried to trick him by slowing down followed by a sudden increase in speed. "Hidden? I'm not trying to hide anything from you. Nope, not at all. Whatever gave you that crazy idea?" They completed one full circuit and started in on a second. "Gosh, Rory, I really have missed you, dude. Like crazy. You have no idea how—" All further efforts to derail Rory's inspection were crushed when a sliding door a few feet away opened. A loud combination of screaming shouts and stampeding feet rolled out the airport onto the artificially brightened platform. Shocked by the commotion, Shane stopped moving so he could see what the excitement was all about. He watched as Broderick "Taz" Phelps swaggered out the door's opening followed by Nietz, his behemoth personal bodyguard. They were trailed by a huge throng of tittering fans. "Oh. My. God." Uh-oh. Shane's attention flew back to Rory. He immediately knew his secrets weren't quite so secret anymore. "You like? Fits my image, huh?" "Do I like? Fits your image? Are you kidding me?" Arms cocked at the elbows, Rory planted his fists on his hips. "No, I don't like! And what image were you going for, Shane? I'm depressed, kill me now? 'Cause if that's what you were aiming for, you nailed it, buddy!" "And that's why I tried to keep the piercings hidden from you, Rory, because I knew you would read too much into them." "Not with another person, I wouldn't. But with you, yes, I do. You, I know. Jesus, it was bad enough when you told me about the lip piercings, but why weren't they enough, Shane? Why the hell did you feel the need to go and do all that to the left side of your face?" "Technically, I didn't—" "We are so not playing word games right now." Shane opened his mouth wide to voice another protest. "Shane, please tell me that is not yet another piercing I am seeing in your tongue!" Closing his mouth, Shane looked around frantically for something he could use to divert Rory's attention. Over Rory's shoulder, he honed in on the trio. They were right on Nietz's heel, star struck expressions in place. Shane blurted through lips held stiffly in place, "Straight girls, Ror, three o'clock. Eyeing your bisexual fiancé lustfully." "Considering what he was doing to me just a few hours ago, I'm going to go ahead and put it out there that Taz isn't bisexual anymore," Rory countered, not missing a beat. "He's extremely gay." Eric walked a few feet behind his friends, his gaze fastened to the back of Taz's head, his face reflecting a strong, naked hunger. His beautiful, brandy hued orbs flicked forward, completing the path to Taz's end destination, and landed on Rory. Then moved on over to Shane. When he saw Shane, the blond's eyebrows drew together, his forehead knitting in a confused frown. Shane knew the exact moment Eric worked out in his head why Shane had looked so familiar to him. As recognition dawned, Eric's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "In that case," Shane said, "maybe you should be more worried about the cute twink—" "Quit trying to sidetrack me! And tell me—" Taz finally reached them. He wrapped a hand around one of Rory's arms and spun Rory towards him. Bowing his head, he slanted his lips over Rory's, cutting Rory off mid-shrieking question. Shane couldn't help but stare at the two as intently as the group of people crushed around them, who watched and captured the zealous presentation with a variety of devices capable of both taking pictures and recording videos. The kiss was no chaste peck on the lips between two lovers reuniting after a very brief separation. Regardless that Taz's long, unbound, platinum locks fell forward to mostly shield the two from prying eyes, it was clear the kiss was just barely fit for public viewing. It was driven by Taz and all the sensual singer's desire and love for his intended were evident as he buried his fingers in Rory's longish brown hair and consumed Rory's lips voraciously. "Missed you," Taz said, tenor guttural, when he broke contact several seconds later. "Thought I told you to wait for me." "And I thought I told you if you want something to order around, a lapdog is the way to go," Rory mumbled through swollen lips. White blond eyebrows canted, a suggestive smile formed on Taz's tanned face. "Why in the world would I want to own a hairy little mongrel when I've spent so much time and effort training a hairless little Rory on how to keep me happy for hours on end?" Rory's pale skin turned a very becoming shade of pink. "Broderick!" A throaty, seductive female voice declared from the mob Nietz was pushing back, "Train me, Taz. I'm more than happy to be his replacement." "Back off, sweetheart," Rory hissed even as Taz gave the busty bombshell an appreciative once over. "He's mine." "I'm definitely his," Taz concurred. He leaned in close to Rory and said, "And as for your idea, lovely, you're cuter than a lapdog, easier to take care of and much more satisfying to play with." The outrageous rocker may have been using the opportunity to entertain the surrounding, giggling crowd, but Shane could see the heat in his dark rimmed, silver eyes as he spoke the words. There was no doubt in Shane's mind Taz derived lots of pleasure "playing" with Rory. Lots. Shane's heart ached in longing. If things had gone differently, if his insecurities hadn't caused him to totally spazz out, he could've had a similar fairy tale romance with Revelin. But now Revelin hated him. With good reason. Unless Shane could make him understand. "Remind me to show you later exactly how much more, Rory," Taz said. He brushed his lips against Rory's mouth, which hung open in embarrassed shock, slung an arm around Rory's shoulders then straightened. He turned his attention to Shane and, after a thorough perusal, nodded. "Hey, witch boy, very cool piercings." Setting his melancholic thoughts aside, Shane grinned as Rory's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. Not only had Taz publicly flustered Rory's cool in a manner Shane would never be able to emulate, he'd also hand delivered to Shane a very useful platform to use against Rory in the argument he knew would be forthcoming. "See?" Shane said, smug. "Taz likes them." A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 01 I grinned, unabashed. "I've been called that word before. Well, maybe not that exact word, but Rory and a few others have referred to me as both chatty and talkative a time or two. I bet it means the same thing, doesn't it? Sounds like it does." "It does. And just a time or two?" "Give or take a couple thousand." "Now that sounds more accurate." With his hand, Revelin motioned to an empty spot on the chaise. "Sit. Make yourself comfortable." I took him up on his offer. But instead of sitting where he indicated, at the unoccupied foot of the chaise, I made myself right at home in a different location. One that just happened to be between his legs I'd nudged open. "Bold, too, I see," he commented. "I can also cook and clean," I remarked cheekily. Then, figuring I might as well go for the gold, I leaned back until my body mirrored Revelin's. The top of my spiked head was snuggled under his chin. My back was to his chest with its light mat of exposed dark hair, which trailed down his taut belly to disappear into his tight black jeans. And his hard, muscular legs outlined mine. He wrapped his right arm around my middle, pulling back on me until my bottom was nestled securely against his crotch. Warm, moist air ghosted across the shell of my ear as he asked, "Comfy?" Barely repressing a full body shiver, I squeaked, "Yes." "Yes?" he questioned, but when I didn't say anything more, he added, "That's it? That's all you have to say? Now you choose to be a miser with your words? You're a funny one, my gothic little twin." A seductive chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. "Well, I plan to have one more word from you, at least. I want your name, Blue." "Shane," I murmured. "Shane, Shane, Shane. What would you say, Shane," he breathed into my ear, "if I told you I like you?" "I would say I love you." My last three words were spoken so low, they were no more than a whisper. "You love me, baby? Is that what you just said?" "Totally. Completely. Have for six whole years." Revelin fell silent. Then cautioned, "Better be careful with those words of yours, because you do know what happens if you declare your love for me one more time, don't you?" "I'll turn into a prince and you'll transform into my knight-in-shining armor?" I asked hopefully. "I like the way you think," he responded, laughing, "but we need to get one thing straight. I ain't no goddamn knight. Not one in shining armor, at any rate." "I can live with that." "Can you?" There was a clear challenge in the question. "Can you honestly deal with belonging to me? Because if you make that third declaration, baby, that's what'll happen. I'll own you." "And I can live with that," I proclaimed, letting the shiver which had threatened earlier overtake me. "So you say. But I think you're in need of a distraction before you end up committing yourself to something you haven't taken the necessary time to think all the way through." Embarrassed, I closed my mouth. My mouth I'd just opened again so I could boldly make that third declaration. "Ahh, our friends. Look at them over there, Shane." Revelin's right hand snaked under my vest and stroked up and down my mesh covered left side. "They're the perfect distraction. Is it just me, or does it appear that the hater is in dire need of saving from the horny?" With extreme effort, I extracted my attention from our little corner of the room to focus on the two figures standing near the double doors. And couldn't believe what I saw. Taz, still naked from the waist up after stripping out of his shirt during his performance, had Rory hemmed up tight against his body. And it was obvious he was using his hand to guide Rory's in an intimate massage of a certain part of his body below the belt. "The hater is most definitely in dire need of saving," I observed, giggling. My giggles had nothing to do with Rory's abject helplessness, however, and all to do with my own giddiness. But what gay guy wouldn't giggle girlishly if they found themselves damn near sitting in Revelin St. James's lap with his solid, unmistakable bulge pressed up close against their ass? And with the very real possibility of being owned by the man? I wasn't into the dominate/submissive lifestyle, but I'd gladly let Revelin control me for a night. Right at that moment, Taz huskily said to Rory, "Now, you can clearly see what it is that I want from you, lovely. So, the question is, do we continue? Or do we stop?" "Stop, Taz. For the love of God, stop," Revelin called out, voice tinged with amusement, before Rory had a chance to answer for himself. Which was probably a good thing because I wasn't sure my normally unflappable best friend was capable of speech at the moment. "Can't you see you got that kid all shook up? Leave him alone." "Is that true, lovely? I got you all shook up?" Taz quizzed Rory. Rory gave the tiniest shake of his head in the negative. Yep, that settled it. Mr. Calm, Cool and Always Collected was totally incapable of forming coherent sentences. "The kid says he's cool," Taz asserted, all the while continuing to use Rory's fingers to stroke his erection through his black leather pants. "Then, for the love of God, lover boy, stop because you got me all shook up." "Never let it be said that Taz doesn't give his audience what his audience wants." Taz released Rory from his hold. "Even when those wants clearly don't coincide with his own." Rory stumbled backwards a step. Then spun towards the exit and fled the room. And Taz, appearing very much the proverbial cat who ate the canary, watched him. He held something squeezed tight in one of his fists. As the door swung shut behind Rory, everyone but me guffawed raucously. Even the two chicks wrapped around Angel removed their licking, sucking maws off the Hispanic drummer to join in on the mirth. Mind on other matters, I twisted around in Revelin's hold and, as his lively blue eyes flicked down to settle on mine, I reached up with one hand and plucked the toothpick from his mouth. Cover to mislead from what I was really doing. Flipping the toothpick to the ground, I stood up and rushed out the door, following after Rory. Just as I burst into the hallway, I heard Revelin's smooth baritone ask, "Think they'll come to the after party?" Followed a second later by his statement of, "I'm really digging the talkative goth, but I think you scared the quiet, girly one shitless, Taz." Taz's sure and confident response of—"They'll be there."—provided fuel for a second bout of snorts and snickers. Before the thick, steel door clicked shut behind me, Revelin gasped out a choked, "Fuck, Taz, you always have been a slick ass bastard." I had a strong feeling about the meaning behind the verbal bantering. Rory leaned against a wall of the hallway, trying to regulate his breathing and it was obvious he also puzzled it over. Hoping to facilitate another meeting between me and Revelin later in the night, I frantically thought of a way to prevent Rory from thinking too hard. It could only be to both of our advantages if he didn't straighten out his Taz baffled brain to discover the singer had probably somehow managed to confiscate his keys. Taz evidently had some type of grand plan in the works and I recognized it fell to me to keep Rory off kilter long enough for him to set that plan into motion. I thrust my hand at Rory. The hand I'd used to grab a quick, inconspicuous grope of Revelin's hardness. Confused, Rory stared down at it. "What, Shane?" "Just wanted to greet a fellow member of Club Fangirls, s'all," I replied, straight-faced. After a few hesitant moments, Rory grabbed my outstretched hand. I didn't fail to notice it was the same hand used in the feeling up of Taz. Vigorously, he shook our Deviant Spawn familiarized appendages up and down and said, "I'm not only a member, I'm also the founder and the president." A cheesy smile spread across his face. Mission accomplished, I let a similar one overtake mine. As we headed towards the building's exit, I enthused, "Did you hear Revelin? He actually said he digs me! He digs me! Not nearly as much as I dig him, of course, but still! Man, that is so beast! And, holy fuck, what the hell was that with you and Taz? Jesus, Rory, I think he likes you. Like, really, really likes you!" And I strongly suspected before the night was over and done with, Rory was going to find out exactly how much Taz liked him. Just as I hoped to find out exactly how much Revelin dug me. A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 02 "I should've just aborted you, you ungrateful little bastard." A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 02 "And there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it, fucker," Revelin responded, striding to the stage's stairs. Once up on the platform, he picked up his guitar and re-strapped it to his chest. Facial expression impassive, he stared down at Shane from his higher perch as he started playing the instrument again. This time the tempo was angry, passionate, fervent. It embodied every tempestuous emotion Shane felt for Revelin. And every contemptuous emotion Revelin felt for Shane. "Shane," Rory said as Taz stalked out the club, "don't bother lying to me again. I know all those piercings are because of Revelin. You needed the pain." "Yep." Shane's mono-syllable response was so quiet it was almost drowned out by Revelin's loud, intense solo. "Why? What happened between you and him? Because everyone has just sort of automatically assumed that whatever occurred, it was all Revelin's fault since neither of you will talk about it." "It's not." "I'm really starting to get that now. Crap, Shane," Rory said, eyes flicking from Shane to Revelin up on the stage to the open doors to the hotel lobby Taz had disappeared through, "I know you've had a lot on your mind lately, so I haven't said anything, but you should really know there's been tension between those two, tension between Revelin and everybody, ever since New Year's Day. And you just saw for yourself how volatile it's gotten between Revelin and Taz." Shane nodded. "It's so bad now it's threatening to destroy not only their friendship, but to also destroy Deviant Spawn." Rory's gaze focused on Shane again, the brown depths filled with concern. "So, unless you want our favorite band to self-destruct, I really need for you to start talking. Tell me what the hell happened the day Revelin came back for you, Shane. What the hell happened on New Year's Day?" To hide the tears slowly trickling down his cheeks, Shane lowered his eyes to the ground. He didn't bother to wipe the hot tracks away, the burn on his skin reminiscent of the blistering in his heart. "I happened." "What do you mean?" "I screwed up, Rory. Big time." Screwed up so bad it was more than evident there would be no chance for a reconciliation. Shane was not a prince. Revelin was not his knight-in-shining armor. And their story was not some fucking fairy tale romance. This was real life. Following the path set by Taz, Shane ran out the club. A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 03 "You wouldn't be here if I'd never let your useless father get me drunk the night I met him." A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 03 "Preferably asap!" Rory exploded. "Then I guess I better go," Angel said, laughing. "For my sake, I suspect, more than the skank's." His soulful, dark eyes focused on Shane and his lips turned up at the corners. "Real good to see you again." He strolled off towards Doux Rêves, remarking, "Because shit's started getting very interesting just since you've arrived." Once Shane was alone again with Rory, he grabbed his bristling best friend's hand. "Rory, it's not Taz Eric's after." "Good!" Rory visibly deflated, relief obvious. Then blanched. "Well, maybe not so good, because no matter who he's after, it's still...well, it's shitty. And you and Revelin..." The hand entwined with Shane's gave a gentle squeeze. "Are you going to be okay, Shane?" Not ever. "Yeah, eventually." "No more piercings?" "No, Rory, no more piercings. You know, I wasn't totally lying when I said part of the reason I got them was because I thought they'd look cool." "Yeah, uh-huh, right. Look, Shane, I'm really worried about you. Do you think talking about what happened might help?" "No, I don't. I just want to..." Take it all back. Erase the catalyst he'd set in motion on New Year's Day and start over clean with Revelin. "...I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget it. And move on. I'll be fine." "Then I'm going to trust you're telling me the truth and I won't ask you to speak about it again. And I'm so sorry about twisting your arm into coming up here." "I came because I wanted to, dude." "Do you want to go home? I mean, like, now? I'll call Jet Blue and pay the penalty and any rate increase to switch your flight from tomorrow to this afternoon." Shane contemplated the offer. Not even an hour before it's exactly what he'd thought he wanted to do. He'd thought he wanted to leave. To not torture himself any more with this hell of his own making. Yeah, he could still do that. Only, there was one very important difference between earlier and now. Eric. Like hell Shane was leaving. If Eric got his clutches into Revelin, which Shane feared would be the inevitable conclusion, it wasn't going to be because he had taken advantage of Shane's error. It was going to be because the slut had worked hard for what he wanted. "What?" Shane infused the single word with a generous amount of mock outrage. "Leave and let you have all the fun by yourself tonight? I don't think so, pretty boy. You're not getting rid of me that easy." A slow smile stretched across Rory's soft, pretty face. "You sure, jackass?" "Hell yeah, I'm sure. I'm very sure." Because, before Shane left New York City, there was a scheming blond he planned to have expelled from Doux Rêves and from The Huntington. And Shane suspected thwarting Eric would serve just as well as any release he would find through cutting himself open and watching the stark contrast of his red blood run down the pale skin of his inner arm. But there was no way he could oversee and reap the possible benefits of the ejection from the inside of a limo or the inside of an airport and definitely not from the belly of an airborne airplane. This required onsite, hands-on involvement. "Let's go watch our favorite band practice, Ror. But first, first we need to inform Nietz about a security issue that needs to be addressed. Immediately." A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 03 "Damn, you're tight." He stopped moving. "Jesus, Shane, you a virgin, baby?" "No, not a virgin," I breathed out through my nose. "You're just a whole lot bigger than Rory." "You and Rory, huh? I'm going to have to really watch you around Taz, then. Because if that slick ass bastard catches word you two used to be lovers, he'll find some type of way to finagle you into bed with them." Revelin's words made my heart soar. If he was worried about "watching" me around Taz, then that meant he and Taz were probably planning to spend Christmas Day with me and Rory. This really was shaping up to be the best Christmas ever. "Also," I explained, "I very seldom bottom because I mostly top." "Seldom bottom because you mostly—" Booming laughter was substituted as the last word of the sentence. Alrighty then. Apparently further clarification was required. "I prefer bottoming, but I'm versatile." "Baby, you are not versatile." He drug the calloused pad of his thumb across my lips. "What you are is a complete and total bottom. And I'm going to enjoy showing you just how much of one you are, Shane." He pushed forward while instructing me to, "Bear down." I followed his directions and soon he forced his way past my resistant sphincter and was buried all the way inside of me. He filled me up in ways Rory never had. And although I wasn't exactly in pain, I was very uncomfortable. Revelin pulled out a couple inches, then snapped his hips towards my ass. "Oh, fuck," was the response that flesh-smacking action elicited from me. He did it over and over again and I soon found myself adjusting to his intrusion. Somewhere along the way, the friction caused by his cock constantly rubbing against the walls of my ass, and over my prostate at uneven intervals, transformed into a pleasurable tingle. My soft cock thickened to full erection. "Yeah, that's what I was waiting for," Revelin growled. "Don't even think about touching it, baby. I'm going to make you cum. Hard. Only using my dick." That did it. The heels of my feet pressed down hard on his upper back as my back arched off the couch. Globs of viscous, white fluid erupted out of me, splattering my stomach and chest. I gasped and moaned and groaned. And writhed and wiggled and squirmed. Revelin allowed me a minimal amount of recovery time before pulling out and directing, "Turn around, then get on your knees up on the couch." I'd barely assumed the new position when he moved in behind me, in between my legs. He placed his forearm at my neck and with gentle, but unmistakable force, pressed down until I was bent over, my forearms folded on the couch's back. "Nothing else goes in this ass ever again but my tongue, my fingers, my dick. Got it?" His shaft was positioned at my hole, but he didn't go any further until I nodded assent. His second breach was accomplished through the exertion of slow, steady pressure. "Fuck, you are still so goddamn tight." He bottomed out, drawing a long, whining curse of—"Shiiit"—from me. "Can you cum for me again, Blue?" He retreated then rolled his hips, setting the sensual pattern for this less hurried penetration. "Can you do it for me one more time?" I wanted to—oh, how I wanted to. My ass was deliciously occupied by Revelin's rock hard intruder, but my spent flesh just wasn't responding. My dick was limp, my balls drained. "Can't." "Then that's one I'll owe you later." Revelin shoved in deep, the grunts escaping his throat as he orgasmed causing my ass to clench involuntarily, to clutch at his twitching shaft. "Versatile, my motherfucking ass," he grumbled when done. "Try again, little twin." "Multifaceted," I blurted. "I should have said that I'm multifaceted." "You think?" "I know." So Revelin took it upon himself to show me that multifaceted wasn't the correct word either and, a little later, that neither was flexible. It was about three thirty in the morning when I finally ended up admitting I was a complete and total bottom. A complete and total bottom who was experiencing true happiness. Revelin's personality was forceful, but tender. His embrace demanding, but giving. He made me feel protected like my mom had never bothered to do and safe and secure in ways Rory was just not able to manage. What he made me feel scared the shit out of me. I was glad tomorrow was going to be our last day with each other. A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 04 "Do me a great big favor. Go play in rush hour traffic." A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 04 Beneath the picture was printed, "Famed musician Taz of Deviant Spawn confirms on Christmas morning the identity of the inspiration behind Him...along with his plans to soon wed his male lover." Rory the inspiration behind our newest, fave Deviant Spawn song? That was too cool! And Taz? And Rory? Getting married? "Okay, right, ah...yeah, um, for reals?" I questioned, trying to wrap my mind around what I'd just read. "Apparently, Taz has been obsessed with the boy for years," Revelin revealed. "Years?" "According to the text he sent me this morning. Fucker didn't want to creep me out with his pedophilic inclinations, so he decided it best to keep his long running fascination with your friend on the low." "And you think he's telling the truth?" "He forwarded me the photo that jumpstarted his obsession. Rory looked like he might've been about fourteen or fifteen when it was taken." Revelin winked at me. "Know who else was in that photo looking all lost and lonely and in need of major loving? Hell, if I'd seen that photo all those years ago when Taz first saw it, I probably would've been infatuated, too. With you." That was when I decided Revelin must have overloaded my brain at some point during the night. "Going back to sleep now." "No, you're not. No time. Taz's text was mainly to gloat over that farce of a press conference he set up this morning, but he did also say he and Rory are leaving now to come pick us up for breakfast. And I just received a text from Angel. He and his two are already up and dressed." "K, I'll get up. Just give me a minute." "I'll give you two." Revelin got off the bed. My dick stood up all the way to say hello to the naked guitarist, but he was already in the bathroom, taking a piss. Exhaling heavily, I closed my eyes. Rory and Taz? Unbelievable, but awesome and fantastic. Me and Revelin? Electrifying, but disturbing and distressing. I felt at ease with Revelin. And that made me uneasy. It was like he'd slipped through cracks I hadn't been aware existed in my carefully constructed wall. I didn't like that. Not one bit. But I liked him. And why did my feelings even matter when Revelin would soon be out of my life just as quickly as he'd entered it? It mattered because he'd exposed a major weakness in my protective armor. More than that, it mattered because I didn't want him to go. I wanted to explore what could be between us. Which would only lead to disaster. As if he would even want me around on a long-term basis to begin with. And even if he did, it was almost guaranteed he would eventually tire of me. Then discard me. Leaving behind a broken, jumbled mass of Shane Matthew Wilkinson. And that brought me face-to-face with the beauty of a one-night stand. Or, as it were in our case, a one-night stand plus a day. At the end of our day together, Revelin would be gone. And I wouldn't have to worry about being emotionally demolished by him. I wouldn't have to worry about trying to hurt him before he hurt me. I could just focus on what was important: fortifying my wall so no one else ever got through. "Time's up, Blue," Revelin called from the bathroom. "Now get that sexy ass in here so we can take a shower." Lifting both arms, I stared at the faint lines crisscrossing the inner part of my forearms. The light in the bathroom would be bright and harsh, would highlight the remnants of my healed injuries. I may have been crazy on a level equivalent to that of Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen and the scarily skinny Olsen twin, but I was not nutty enough to let that secret out. "I'm already dressed," I lied, clambering out from under the sheets to make my fib a fact. My mesh shirt was see through and wouldn't hide my scars, but I knew it would instead double as a distraction with its inappropriateness. From the last time I'd worn this particular shirt during the daytime, I was aware that most people tended to look away when they realized they could see my pink nipples. Quick. But Revelin didn't fall into the category of most people. And, contrary as it sounded, that's exactly what I was counting on. I was counting on Revelin's forthright manner to assert itself about not giving a shit about what anybody else thought concerning what he said, did or how he acted. Revelin had made it known early on in Deviant Spawn's career that he was his own man, fuck what everybody else thought. A few years back, an entertainment reporter had put Revelin's no shit attitude to the test. He'd interrogated Revelin about how he felt on hearing the rumors that a well-known actor, who'd been linked to Revelin for quite some time, had recently started denying their acquaintance and vehemently rejecting any and all reports of their homosexual relationship. Revelin had replied, "I think he did mention something about not being a fag like me the last time we saw each other. Couldn't really understand him though. His mouth was too full of my nuts." So, in Revelin's case, the goal for my barely there shirt was for it to actually entice him into staring at my pebbly nubs. I was taking a huge risk in forgoing the vest, but my hope was that seeing the nipples he'd licked and sucked on all night long on clear public display would keep him from noticing other things that I truly didn't want to be seen. By the time Revelin, clad only in a towel slung low around his hips, reentered the bedroom, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands twisted together in my lap. I desperately clung to my plan upon which hinged the last of my cool...which I almost ended up losing regardless when he stopped right in front of me. And licked his lips. "Hi," I offered nervously. "Hi?" he questioned, eyebrows cocked. "That's it? That's all you have to say?" "Er, no...?" Christ, what did he want? For me to postulate on how our time together irrevocably changed my life forever? "Er, no...?" he repeated. O-kay, apparently he did. "Yeah, um, last night was—" "Whoa, stop right there, baby," he interrupted with a smile. "I don't like the idea of where that statement could end up. Besides, I was just fucking witcha. You don't have to say shit. I heard all I needed to hear last night." He moved past me to the closet and reached inside for a shirt and a pair of jeans. His phone vibrated just as he finished donning his outfit, sans underwear. "Taz and Rory are outside," he informed me after checking his cell. I was off the bed and across the room before he'd finished speaking. He caught hold of one of my arms right as I reached the bedroom's door. My teeth rattled when he slammed me against the jamb and my heart palpitated when he crowded my personal space. "Do you know how fucking hot it is," he growled, "knowing you're going to be wearing my scent all fucking day long today?" "Uh, uh, ah, oh, fuck," I moaned as he gave my growing hard-on several rough strokes. "Hot as those goddamn whimpers you're making right now. And those sexy ass whimpers are the same whimpers I heard you making all last night. They told me everything I need to know." He nipped my neck, then turned me loose. "Now we can leave." We departed the suite, rendezvousing a second time with the paparazzi who'd evidently stayed at the hotel too and who had already managed to waylay Angel and his girlfriends. That morphed into a full-blown question and answer session once the photographers realized Taz was outside. And Taz, being the consummate performer that he is, hopped out the limo and boldly announced his intention to wed his male lover for a second time. He tried to sweet talk Rory into leaving the vehicle for some pseudo-engagement photos, but Rory refused to budge. So Taz invited everyone to take all the pics they wanted of the two lovebirds from inside the limo. It took more than an hour for all the photographers to get their fill. And Rory was in such a snit over what he deemed as Taz's underhanded, over-the-top actions that our late morning breakfast was cancelled in favor of just heading on over to Rory's house for Christmas instead. Taz was not fazed by Rory's anger in the least. Just promised to up the size of the diamond in Rory's engagement ring from two carats to three. And I couldn't fucking believe what I was seeing and hearing! My best friend? Really engaged to Deviant Spawn's lead singer? That was so beast! The excitement I felt for Rory probably rivaled the exhilaration he was feeling himself under that artificial air of annoyance he'd adopted. Then I made the mistake of glancing up at the face of the man sitting beside me. Penetrating blues gazed back at me, making me remember every single detail of the night before. Every. Single. Detail. Heat suffused my face. Revelin smirked. I looked away, turning my mind to safer matters. Like Christmas. Yeah, Christmas. A harmless enough subject. Christmas. A time for fun. A time for love. A time for joy. None of which I had ever received from my mother. Well, maybe not so harmless a subject. But I was okay when it came to Christmas. Especially since my Christmases were now spent with Rory and his family. And this holiday was a big deal for them as it was the only time of year they could all manage to get together. They'd let it be known several years ago they had more than enough love to share with me. We pulled up in front of the Banks's house where there was a staggering amount of cars parked in the driveway, up and down the street and on the lawn. A huge amount of people milled around outside, waiting for the infamous Banks's cookout to begin. "Jesus, lovely," Taz said to Rory. "Exactly how big is your family?" "What you see right now is about a fifth. So get ready because you're going to spend your whole day, and a good portion of your night, explaining us to everyone's satisfaction." Rory opened the door, exited the vehicle and called out, "Reiko, go get Mom and Dad. I have someone I want them to meet." "Who?" Rory's older sister yelled back. "Who you got in that limo, Ror? Huh? Huh? Huh?" "Just go get them." Rory popped his head back inside and cheerily announced, "Jazzy's here." "Fucking great," Taz groaned. "Jazzy, love!" he exclaimed, climbing out the vehicle. "Let's talk." Angel and his two girlfriends were the next to exit, followed by Revelin, then me. Revelin wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. He pressed his lips to my temple. "Shane!" a scary, domineering voice bellowed. I damn near jumped a mile in the air on hearing that tone. I knew that tone. As a matter of fact, the last time I'd heard it, I'd been wearing this exact same shirt. Shit. "Yes, ma'am, Mama Banks?" my voice was meek and respectful. "Don't you yes, ma'am, Mama Banks me." The diminutive, aproned woman wiped her hands clean on the hand towel she held, eyes narrowed on me. "Didn't I tell you I never wanted to see that shirt on you ever again?" "Ye—I mean, maybe, probably, more than likely...? Why?" "Because I want to know why am I looking at it? On you? Again?" "And I have a very good answer for that." "Go on, I'm listening." "So, it's like this, I totally had every intention of taking it off before I came over here today. Totally. But, but then I got sidetracked. And—" "Shane?" "Yes?" "Upstairs. Right now. Put on some decent clothes. And you leave that piece of indecent scrap of fabric on my bed, do you understand me?" "Yes, ma'am, Mama Banks." "I'm going to burn it." "But I like it," I whined. "I get the impression," Revelin whispered in my ear, "that that woman is not one to fuck with, Blue. You better go do as she says." Shoulders stooped, I tromped towards the house. But Mama Banks wasn't quite done with her mommying of me yet. When I tried to stalk by her, both of her arms shot out and pulled me into a hug. I immediately melted into her nurturing embrace. "Merry Christmas, my baby. I'm glad to see you without all that horrid makeup hiding your beautiful face, but I'm not happy about you being dressed like a floozy right now." She sniffed loudly. And when she pulled away from me, I knew I had better make an immediate escape. Or— "Ouch," I cried, rubbing the spot on the side of my head she'd just smacked. "What was that for?" "Because you smell like one, too." Her gaze shifted to Revelin. "And I'm guessing that has something to do with you. I know you. Why do I know you? Who, exactly, are you?" "Not the one who publicly railroaded your son into an engagement." Revelin backed away, pointing over to where Taz stood speaking animatedly with Jazzy. "That would be him." "Engagement?" she repeated, shocked. "Who's engaged, Jennifer?" Papa Rick asked, walking up to his wife's side. "Our son." "Which one?" "The one I gave birth to." "Rory? Engaged? Since when?" "This morning. It's all over the internet," Revelin helpfully supplied. "His fiancé's name is Broderick." "But this man isn't innocent, Ricky." Motioning towards me, Mama Banks said, "Shane—" Was gone. I took off towards the house. To gain entrance, I had to push my way past Rory's family members who were all trying to get outside to get a look at Rory's fiancé. Then the shit hit the fan. "Deviant Spawn's here!" someone screamed. "This is so beast!" "Uh-uh, those guys aren't Deviant Spawn." "It is too Deviant Spawn. Can't you see, dummy?" "He doesn't have his glasses on. What has daddy told you about not wearing your glasses?" "That is so Taz standing right there with his head bowed next to Uncle Rick." "Is Unc lecturing him?" "Ohhh! And that's Revelin over there, running from that towel Auntie Jen is waving." "Oh, my God, somebody has to go save him!" "Won't be me. Auntie scares the hell out of me." "Awww, you just said hell. I'm telling." "Lauren just ran by with scissors. Why does Lauren have scissors?" "Jennifer! Don't hit that boy with that nasty ass dish towel!" "Hold up, I thought we were all coming outside to stare at Rory's fiancé and make him feel uncomfortable? Who the hell are these jokers?" "I bet that sexy ass Taz is Rory's fiancé. Hahaha, what did I tell ya? Rory just shoved Lauren to the ground." "I told you guys that article I read online this morning was about our Rory. But, nooo, no one wanted to believe me." "Let go of Lauren's hair, Rory!" "I still don't believe these guys are Deviant Spawn. If they really are my favorite rock band, then where's Angel?" "Over there, stupid. Don't you see Lauren running towards him?" "With her scissors? What's she going to cut? He doesn't have any ha—" "Ho-lee-hell, she's going for his pants. I bet he has hair down there." "Shit! Somebody get those scissors away from Lauren!" As the stampeding Banks continued their mass exodus, I dashed up the steps to Rory's room. Although I had my own one bedroom apartment, I spent more time at the Banks's house than at my own place so one whole half of Rory's closet had been designated as mine. I flipped through the shirts. Short-sleeved. Short-sleeved. Ugly. Polo—what the hell? Holey. Grungy—thought I got rid of all my grunge shit. Short-sleeved. Long-sleeved. Was going to be hot, but it was also going to be necessary. At least it was made out of white cotton. I changed shirts, deposited my mesh one on Mama Banks's bed as instructed, then snuck downstairs to discover the melee was still going strong. Actually, it looked like more than a few of the neighbors had gotten involved somehow. On my return to Rory's room I had to chase out a couple of his giggling, preteen cousins who stood in the window, peeping out through the blinds. Then, finding Rory's bed way too tempting to resist, I flung myself onto it on my back. The fan overhead spun round and round and I watched it, listening to the escalating ruckus outside. Physically and emotionally exhausted, I didn't try to fight the heaviness pulling at my eyelids. Quiet. That was the first thing I noticed when I awoke with a start. There was no yelling, no screaming; it was absolutely quiet. The second thing was the gentle caress on my cheek. Opening my eyes, I saw that Revelin was next to me. We were in much the same positions as we had been that very morning, him sitting with his back propped against the headboard, me laying next to him. The caressing I had felt, I discovered, was the result of his knuckles brushing down the side of my face. "How long I been out?" I asked. "A few hours. You've missed some very, ah, interesting developments regarding Taz and Rory." "Yeah, I'm not surprised." "His family is very protective of their own." "That they are." "Which is why it's time for you to come downstairs. We're up next." I didn't like the sound of that. But I got up off the bed regardless and accompanied him out to the back deck. There were kids running around all over the yard. A few adults were out there with them, monitoring the actions of the younger ones. A couple of Rory's beefy uncles manned the two enormous stainless steel grills, flipping the meat and tossing back bottles of beers like they were drinking mineral water. Everybody else either sat in a chair on the deck, sat on the planks of the deck itself or stood in the yard, clustered around the perimeter of the deck. All eyes were on Rory, who stood smack dab in the center. And Taz. Who was on one knee in front of Rory. He held in the fingers of his right hand a ring. White gold. With a huge black diamond. "You can get on with it now, lover boy," Revelin drawled as we joined the group. Taz took hold of Rory's left hand. "Lovely, will you—" "Yes!" Rory screamed, flinging himself at Taz and making a grab for the ring. "Gimme! Gimme, gimme, gimme!" But Taz was already on his feet, ring held high in the air above Rory's head. "Kiss first." "Fucker has truly been planning this for quite some time," Revelin murmured to me as Rory planted a big, wet, sloppy kiss on Taz's lips. "After his futures read the stories of Rory's supposed engagement, Mr. and Mrs. Banks advised Taz they expected him to make it happen. Today. But what they didn't know, what none of us knew, was that Taz was one step ahead of everybody. He'd already been in touch with the manager of a local jewelry store and had the guy bring over a ring Taz had specially designed for this very occasion...way back in October of o-nine." Rory's family hooted and hollered and catcalled as Taz finally managed to detangle himself from Rory's embrace and slip the ring onto Rory's finger. "Floor's all yours, Rev," Taz called when finished. He found an empty lawn chair off to the side to sit in, then tugged Rory down to his lap. And Revelin pulled me with him to the spot just vacated by Rory and Taz. The catcalls increased what seemed like tenfold in volume. No. "Alright, Blue," Revelin began, staring down into my eyes, holding my hands in his. "We just met last night so this ain't fucking marriage that I'm proposing." No. "Can't even say that I'm offering a relationship. At least not yet, I'm not." In a low growl, he added, "But like I said last night, I do own you, baby. I meant that." No. Voice normal again, he continued, "And I want to get to know you. So that's why I'm proposing that you come with me for the rest of Deviant Spawn's—" "No! No! I...can't." I yanked my hands out of Revelin's. "I just...can't." I turned back towards the house and raced to the sliding glass door. In my hurry to get it open, I knocked the door off the track, but not before I managed to make an opening just big enough for me to squeeze through. A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 04 Years of my mother's belittling comments of why I wasn't worthy of affection, of why no one would ever love me, ran through my mind as I ran from Revelin's proposition. Through the house. Out the front door. Up the street. Around the corner. I made it all the way to the development's entry gates before I found myself having to stop to catch my breath. Bent over, hands on my knees, I sucked in deep gulps of air. And when that stupid limo pulled up right next to me moments later, I was close to panicking because I knew I wasn't in any shape to escape. The driver's side window rolled down, revealing the friendly face of an older man. "I'm here to take you wherever you want to go." Wary, I straightened and eyed the tinted windows of the back of the vehicle. Was Revelin— "Don't worry," the man said. "Nobody's back there. But if it'll make you feel more comfortable, ride up here with me. That way you can more easily clarify the directions if I get lost." My options were limited. I could get in the limo. Or hoof it the twenty-five, thirty miles to my apartment. In the heat. Wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Crossing to the passenger side, I crawled in next to the driver and gave him clear, concise directions. Going by the obvious alarm in his eyes, the driver knew exactly where I was talking about. But he didn't say anything and I was thankful; thankful I didn't have to speak again until he parked lengthwise across several empty parking spots right in front of my apartment. "Thanks," I said, already halfway to my front door. Behind me, I heard the distinctive crack of a vehicle door opening. I turned to see— Oh, fuck. Revelin was leaning against the side of the limo, arms folded across his chest. He was too far away for me to see his blue eyes, so I couldn't tell if he was angry like I fully expected any man would be after a public rejection, much less a famous rock star with a forceful attitude who was used to getting everything he wanted. And then some. But he didn't say anything, nor did he try to follow me. He just inclined his head in acknowledgement, the wind whipping the black and blue strands of his hair over his high cheekbones. Then he reentered the limo. I watched as it pulled away along with a big group of my neighbors, of a very different caliber than Rory's neighbors, who were congregated out in the parking lot as per their usual. That night, I sat in a crumpled heap on my living room floor wondering exactly what the fuck I had done. And why. A Deviant Spawn Betrayal Ch. 04 "No! Goddamn it, little twin, open up your fucking eyes! Stay with me! C'mon, look at me, baby! Look at me, goddamn it, Shane. Please, please...please look at me. Let me see those pretty blue eyes." Deep, rumbling baritone again. Revelin's deep, rumbling baritone. "Revelin?" Shane tried to whisper. His lips moved to form the word, but no sound came out. He tried a second time, putting more force into his effort, "Revelin?" "Yes, baby, yes. It's me." Shane felt his body rock gently as Revelin said, "It's me. It's me. I'm here. I'm here with you." How? Revelin was supposed to still be in New York. Performing at a concert. And making love to Eric afterwards. So that meant there was no way possible the man could be in Florida. Shane forced his eyes open. He discovered, contrary to his assessment, that Revelin very much was in Florida. Furthermore, he was inside of Shane's apartment. Sitting with his back flat to the dingy, white refrigerator, swaying side to side. And holding Shane gently cradled against his chest. Incredulous, Shane stared up into Revelin's drawn, stressed face. Then at the microwave mounted above the stove on the opposite side of the kitchen. Three in the morning. "Concert...?" Shane croaked. "Fuck that goddamn concert," Revelin responded. Taz entered Shane's line of sight as he hunkered down beside Shane. "We played. Cut our set short a few songs because Rory really wanted to get down here to check on you once he discovered you'd left, and why you'd left, but we did play." "Ambulance is on the way," Rory said, reentering the kitchen. He stopped right inside the entrance, like he was afraid to come any closer. "Rory," Shane whispered, seeing his best friend's unease, feeling his apprehension, "I didn't try to kill myself, Ror. I promise I didn't. I would never do something like that." "I know, Shane. But you still need help." "And I'll get him that help, Rory," Revelin vowed. "I'll get him all the help he needs." "Has it ever occurred to you, asshole, that he wouldn't even be in need of medical help right now if it wasn't for you?" Taz growled. "I didn't know, Taz. Shane, I didn't know. I didn't know about you and your mother." The words were filled with such emotion that Shane's eyes were drawn to Revelin's cobalt blue orbs. They were filled with— Taz's fist...? Revelin's head snapped back, bouncing off the refrigerator door as Taz's fist connected solidly with his right eye. "Of course you didn't know," Taz raged. "You were too busy being a goddamn vindictive asshole to notice." "I'll let you have that one, Taz. I deserved it." "You deserve this one, too." Taz's fist connected with Revelin's face a second time, this time the target his mouth. Revelin's whole body jerked from the violent contact, jarring Shane. Shane moaned as crippling pains blasted up his lacerated arms. "Hit on me all you want, lover boy." Revelin's voice brimmed with barely controlled menace. "But cause pain to Shane again and I'm going to fuck you up. I'm not going to let anyone hurt what's mine ever again. Not you. Not me. Not Shane's fucked up bitch of a mother. Not even Shane himself." "Taz," Rory called from his spot just inside the entryway. "Put your aggression to better use, please. Go take that Radiohead cd out and break it into a million tiny pieces." "Do right by him, Rev," Taz warned. "Be the man I've grown to know and love as my brother and stop being the pussy ass bitch that I've come to hate." Next, he questioned Rory, "Why?" "Because this is the song Shane always plays whenever he-when he, when he—" Rory broke off in a sob. Taz strode out the kitchen, grabbing Rory's arm as he marched past and dragging the boy along with him into the living room. He muttered under his breath, "Next time I see him, I'm going to beat Thom Yorke's socially retarded ass for writing this stupid fucking song." Once they were alone, Shane murmured, "Revelin, I didn't mean to—" "Shhh, baby," Revelin interrupted, staring down into Shane's eyes, holding his gaze. "None of that shit matters anymore. None of it matters. Not what you did, not what I did. It's all behind us, Blue. All that matters from here on out is us." Us, Shane thought, closing his eyes, focusing on the faint sound of approaching sirens. They had a long way to go, but at least they had a second chance with each other. A new beginning. Another shot at that fairy tale romance. This was Shane's opportunity to be more than just his mother's mistake. To be more than what she had ever expected him to be. With Revelin's help and with Revelin by his side. Shane could live with that.