By: MissNine
Disclaimer: I do not own AFI or anyone associated with the band. I do not own the His Dark Materials collection as an author, as that belongs to Philip Pullman and no one else. I�m simply borrowing the idea.
In Dedication: I hereby dedicate this short story to Chainlinked who reminded me about Pullman and how much I liked those books. This is for you, honey. I hope you don�t mind me writing this.
The Story:
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PART ONE
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Davey drew his legs up to him while he sat in his chair. He hesitated, then reached over and tapped a few keys on the computer key board. He paused, waited for the screen to load up again, then typed some more. Behind him, a faint mewling whine came.
�Davey. . .� a delicate voice said, �why are you bothering? There isn�t any more stuff to buy! You bought it all!�
�That�s not true,� Davey said faintly, under his breathe, �there�s plenty left. How about this script for SleepyHollow? Bet we could put in an early bid for that.�
There came an exasperated sigh. �Davey, you already have one of those! And yours is signed! Don�t you remember??�
Davey glanced over his shoulder disdainfully, then went back to the computer. Yes, he remembered now. He also remembered buying at least one more before that, too. One that Eina had no idea about. As an embarrassing flush slowly crept along his cheeks, Davey went back to switching web pages just to do something. On the bed, Eina, Davey�s daemon, stretched luxuriously on his pillow. Her soft, brown ferret fur ruffling slightly the wrong way.
Feeling this, Davey reached over and straightened it back the right way. Eina gratefully flicked her tongue at his fingertips. �Think you�ll get out of bed today?� Davey asked her, smiling faintly.
�Just as soon as you get away from that evil contraption.� she answered, making a point not to open her eyes.
Davey grunted and turned away from her. It was then the door opened without so much as a knock. Davey looked up at Jade. �Hey, Dave,� he said, his haughty expression naturally finding its way to his face, �can I borrow some cream? I ran out and my face is feeling dry.�
�Sure.� Davey pointed to the dresser. He turned away again, realizing he�d forgotten to check one more site. Unbeknownst to him, Seraphina, Jade�s daemon, stalked quietly into the room behind Jade, eyes immediately narrowing on an oblivious Eina.
As the ferret continued to stretch about lazily, Sera watched with an almost ferally unguarded interest. The feline Daemon took a sniff of the little creature, making Eina�s eyes shoot open in surprise. The two creatures stared at one another for a minute or so, then Sera gently nuzzled Eina�s fur on her stomach. Eina had no idea she was doing it but gave a loud purr.
Through his link with her, Davey caught his breathe and snapped his head around just in time to see Sera giving Eina a tongue bath. Alarmed, Davey turned to look at Jade. The guitarist seemed totally unaware what his daemon was doing. Instead, he stood in front of the mirror, carefully massaging in the cream spots on his face. After that, he began rummaging through Davey�s make-up.
Davey gasped and turned back to the two daemons. Eina was becoming more and more responsive to Sera�s touches and was squirming temptingly about on the bed. �Eina!!� Davey scolded, bringing his daemon back to reality. Eina realized what she had been doing and hissed viciously at Seraphina. Not to be cowed, Sera caught Eina under her paw and went about nipping the smaller creature.
Davey panicked. He turned to Jade. �Jade! Jade! Tell her to stop! She�s going to hurt Eina!�
Jade turned from the dresser slowly and looked at Davey with contempt. Finally, after a minute or so, he looked at his daemon. �Come on Sera. Looks like Davey doesn�t want Eina to play today. Maybe they�ll change their minds later.� And with that, Jade turned and started out. His cat-daemon released Eina with disinterest and slowly stalked after her human half.
When he was sure Jade and Sera were safely away, Davey got up and closed his door. He looked back at Eina, glaring. �What the hell was that?� he demanded. �You and Sera never touched like that before!�
Eina shrugged slightly. �I don�t know. Sera just wanted to play, I guess. It wasn�t so much harm, Davey.� But her tone was unsure.
�But, why?� Davey asked, sitting back down. �Why would Jade let our daemons touch like that?�
He and Eina exchanged worried, unsure looks. Each felt exactly what the other was feeling so Davey didn�t even have to say anything as they both got up and headed downstairs. On the first floor, they found Adam sitting in front of the television eating a bowl of cheerios with soy milk. His daemon, Rhiannon, sat on his shoulder, occasionally accepting a peck from the spoonful Adam held up to her.
�Hey,� Davey said, taking the seat next to him and speaking softly, �can I talk to you?�
�Hmm, hmmph.� Adam looked away from the tv to look at Davey while he chewed his mouthful. Rhiannon gave a friendly sqwuak and ruffle of her gorgeous red feathers to Eina. Eina returned it from Davey�s lap with a brief two-paw wave.
�It�s about Jade.� Davey said, looking around to make sure they were still alone. They were. �He came into the room earlier and asked to use some cream. But Sera came up to Eina and. . .� he looked down at his daemon uncertainly. She blinked up at him with wide eyes.
Adam looked at both. �She. . .?�
Davey sighed and looked up at his friend again. �She was. . . she kinda started putting her face on Eina and. . . and touching her. . . yeah, like that.� He saw Adam�s upraised eyebrows and nodded knowingly.
�What?� Adam asked in disbelief. �Like. . .? And Jade let her?�
Davey nodded. �Yeah, and he acted like it was nothing to him. I think he even got mad that I said something. He just said maybe they�d play later or something, then left.�
Adam thought a moment. �Did. . .� he glanced at Davey carefully, �did Jade, uhm, I don�t know. . . Did Jade like, touch you? Like in that way? Did he seem like he wanted to. . .?�
Davey shook his head furiously, eyes wide and almost upsetting the bun his hair was held securely in. �No! He didn�t! He was just putting cream on his face and looking through my make-up! He�� Davey broke off, realizing Jade was just coming down the stairs.
It was hard to tell if Jade heard what they were talking about since he wore his usual disinterested expression. Sera held the almost exact same attitude as she followed behind him. But he did give Davey a long stare before smiling faintly at Adam. �Hey, Ad. How�s the cereal this morning?�
�Gone.� Adam noticed the look but pretended he didn�t. �Hunter�s outside with the rest of the box. He and Enzo are playing some kind of game with them. Maybe you can snatch a bowl before they�re all gone.�
Jade grunted and walked on to the kitchen. Davey waited until he was gone before looking at Adam. �See?� he mouthed silently.
Adam nodded, eyes making the expression, �I know, I know.�
Davey began to chew his nails in thought while Eina accepted a cheerio from Rhiannon. They sat in silence until there came a shouted curse from the kitchen. Before Adam and Davey could get up or even inquire what was wrong, Jade ran into the room, clutching a battered box of cheerios. Seraphina bounded alongside him, her mouth open wide in a feline smile. Jade himself was laughing, also.
�You jerk!!� came the shout again. A second later and Hunter rushed in, followed by an angry badger. They stopped, seeing they had backed Jade up to the front door. Adam and Davey watched with interest.
�Give those back!� Hunter demanded. Enzo the badger gave a growl and swiped menacingly at Sera.
Jade laughed. �Why? So the two of you can go back to playing hide-and-seek-the-cheerios in the backyard?�
Hunter straightened. �Enzo needs to keep up his tracking skills. I�ve entered him in a show next month. The cheerios help.�
Jade burst out laughing. �In a show?! How stupid is that? You can�t enter your daemon in a contest! They can�t go five feet from you!� Sera added her meow!
Enzo and Hunter exchanged a long, sad expression. After a moment, Hunter gathered Enzo up and they walked out to the backyard.
�You dumbass.� Adam told him, �You know they were really looking forward to that race!�
�Yeah,� Davey added, �how can you be so mean, Jade?�
Jade sneered. �Oh, come on! You think I�m mean? Think what would happen if he actually went to the race and they sent him away! You think it�d be any easier then?� he moved to sit in the armchair adjacent to the couch the other two sat on. Seraphina stalked around him once then laid her head on his knee, eyes watching Eina carefully. Davey and Eina shared a shudder. Jade seemed oblivious once again as he began rummaging in the box of cereal.
Davey picked up his daemon and held her close to his face. She in turn nuzzled into his neck. �I won�t let her hurt you.� Davey whispered faintly into her fur.
�And I won�t let him hurt you.� Eina said. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. His daemon simply stared back, eyes full of so much deep knowledge it was almost unsettling.
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PART TWO
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Davey handed Eina the last of the oranges from the box and watched as she rolled it with her paws, adjusting it on top of the pile.
�Looks great, E,� Davey said, smiling faintly at his daemon in pride, �now maybe the boss�ll let us out early.�
�Yeah, maybe.� Eina said, scrambling down the display of oranges and up Davey�s arm. She fiddled with his apron strings, making them neat, as Davey made his way to the back office. �Or you can say definitely this time by reminding him that beastly football game is on tonight.� Davey laughed softly to himself.
Ten minutes later and Eina scrambled onto the black pad that opened the front doors to Edmond�s Grocery Store. But the doors didn�t open. Eina was too small to have enough weight necessary to trigger the automatic mechanism. She growled faintly and stood on her hind legs, thinking it had something to do with being bi-ped. . .
Davey watched her in amusement as she started hopping. �It never opens, Eina. I don�t know why you try every time.�
�To prove,� she said breathlessly, �that. . . I. . . can!� Eina stopped jumping and angrily clawed at the black plastic. Davey�s heart swelled in his chest as he thought to himself that he had the cutest daemon in the history of the world.
Knowing this foolishness had to end sometime, Davey moved forward one step, placing his foot on the black pad. Immediately, the doors shwooshed open. Eina paused, looking up at the doors. She suddenly raised her paws up in the air. �Yes!!� she cried, then turned to Davey. She looked down and saw his foot, then looked up and saw his grin.
�Dammit!� she cried in disappointment. He chuckled and stepped around her. Eina scrambled up his leg to avoid the long journey home on all fours. She moved all the way up to sit on his shoulder and swiped at his ear.
�Ow!� he complained at the pin pricks.
�Why�d you do that, Davey?!� she scolded him. �I could have had it this time!�
Davey grinned. �I know you could have, but I had to.�
�Why?�
�Because,� Davey looked sideways at her, �because I had to show you that you still needed me. If you didn�t need me, Eina, there�d be no sense in my existence.�
The two stared into each other�s eyes for the longest three minutes either of them had ever known. At last, Davey turned his head to check the traffic before crossing the street. Eina stretched her little arms as wide as she could around the side of his face.
�Ditto, Davey, ditto.� She whispered into his ear.
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Later, they finally arrived at the house they were sharing with the guys. It was so much easier to co-habit than to try and make it on the meager wages from their part-time job at the market. Not to mention much more entertaining.
Davey and Eina stepped in, closing the door behind them. The living room was a mess. The recliner was toppled, the long couch pushed to the side, and both end tables looked like they had been tossed clear across the room. Davey was afraid to ask where the lamps that were supposed to be on said tables were.
�You�re not the only one.� Eina muttered, catching his thought.
The cause of the mess was clear. In the middle of the floor, the two figures of Adam and Hunter continued to tumble about, wrestling with fading strength but both still as enthusiastic as when they first started.
�Fuck you!� Hunter cried out breathlessly, Adam had him somehow pinned to the ground while trying to pull Hunter�s leg behind his back.
�Not. . . until. . . you. . . admit I. . . am right!!� Adam said.
Hunter paused, limbs going limp. �Wait, you said. . .� he cursed at Adam�s laughter and pushed him off to tumble with him again. Over on the couch, Enzo was running back and forth on the couch, swiping desperately up at Rhiannon as she fluttered back and forth.
�Er. . .� Davey said loudly, �can I ask what started this all?�
�NO!!� both men paused long enough to shout at Davey before going back to their wrestling. Davey laughed and edged carefully around the two.
�Go Rhi!!� Eina cried out to the beautiful red bird. But that proved to be the daemon�s undoing. As Rhiannon looked up at Eina, Enzo used this distraction to hurl himself up at the bird. The two landed with a crash on a couch cushion.
Enzo immediately pinned Rhi�s outspread wings before she could even shake her head clear. On the floor, Adam had Hunter in a headlock but because his daemon was attacked so abruptly, he felt stunned by the effects, also. His grip went loose and his eyes glazed over from the shock.
Hunter�s link with his own daemon brought him better news. He gave a triumphant laugh and threw Adam to the ground, straddling his mid-section. By the time Adam recovered from the blow and realized what had happened, it was too late. Now Hunter had the larger man pinned and there was no escape.
�You fucking. . .� Adam trailed off in some very inventive curses. Hunter merely laughed down at his friend, keeping his hold as tight as ever.
�Come on,� Davey whispered to Eina, �if we leave now, they�ll forget about us.�
�Agreed. Hurry.� Their shuffling led them to the kitchen. Once there Davey walked over to the refrigerator.
�You hungry?� Eina asked Davey. She didn�t need to ask him, since she knew every mood he was in at all times.
�No,� he said slowly, �but. . . ah hah! So I did leave some juice left!� he brought out the carton and pulled out the angled spout, already bringing it to his mouth.
�Stop!� Eina cried out. Davey paused and looked at her in surprise. �You can�t drink from the carton!! That�s so. . .� she shook her head, �unsanitary! And you haven�t used our cup today!�
�Oh, yeah!� Davey smiled, going to the cupboard. Their cup was a simple blue tinted glass they had won at the last carnival that came to town. It was Eina who tossed the dime and actually won it, but she christened it �their� cup. To go further into claiming it and making sure no one used it, Davey helped Eina decorate the outside of the cup.
Davey took down the glass, eyes going over the familiar marks made by Eina�s tiny paws. �This just makes the juice taste way better, E.� he told her, making her grin with satisfaction. While he poured the last of the juice, Eina turned around, sensing someone approach. Immediately, she snarled softly and made a blind swipe at Davey�s neck to get his attention, never taking her eyes from Seraphina.
The black, sleek cat strolled in languidly, followed by her human half, Jade. In the other room, the faint, tired curses of Hunter and Adam could still be heard.
Davey turned immediately at Eina�s warning. He watched Jade walk over to them. For four days they had kept their distance from both Jade and Sera, hoping vainly either of them wouldn�t notice them and attempt a second act of that first day. So far so good, at least, before right now.
Davey shuddered slightly as he saw Jade�s piercing eyes locked on his own. He said nothing as he walked over to Davey. Sera, however, circled the other way around the kitchen table, eyes glued to Eina. Jade didn�t stop until he was inches from Davey�s face. Davey was too shocked to move, even as he felt the glass as it was taken from his hand. Jade watched Davey through narrowed eyes as he took two long droughts from the sacred cup, emptying it of it�s contents.
Davey looked at the empty glass with wide eyes, suddenly fuming in anger. �Jade!! That was OUR glass! You never drink from OUR glass!! It�s Eina�s and mine!!�
�Says who?� Jade asked impassively, redepositing it back in Davey�s hand.
Davey huffed and sputtered briefly. The nerve of Jade! �Says the fucking glass!� Davey said as he managed speech again. He held up the glass and showed Jade the ferret marks dotted in intervals with human finger prints.
Jade gave it a contemptuous sniff. �How the hell am I supposed to read that? I don�t understand dork-speak, y�know.�
�Wha-?� Davey�s jaw dropped. He honestly thought Jade would understand. This was human/daemon business. Nothing messed with that. You just simply did not go between a man and his daemon. You just didn�t. It was unspeakable.
Jade turned and began walking out of the kitchen. Davey moved forward, about to follow. �Jade! Don�t you walk away from��
With a flash, Jade whirled around and did the most unspeakable thing Davey could think of. Jade grabbed Eina. He held her as she struggled in disbelieving panic for the most of four seconds, but to Davey and Eina it was an eternity. Jade tossed Eina to Sera, who caught her in her mouth and gently laid her down on the linoleum floor.
Davey was still gasping from the disgusted shock of another human touching his daemon, so it made it easier for Jade to approach him. He grabbed Davey�s wrist and painfully pulled it behind his back, making Davey�s back arch slightly. Jade brought his own body closer to his friend�s, his face a mere half-inch away.
�I didn�t want to do that, Davey, you�ve got to believe me.� he said this followed by a brief, hollow laugh. �But you made me, baby. You raise your voice at me again and you�re gonna wish all I did was hold your fucking daemon, got me?�
Frightened, Davey nodded. Jade twisted his arm sharply. Davey cried out but it only came as a dry whimper. �I can�t hear you.� Jade growled.
�Y-yes!� Davey managed. But instead of Jade letting go, he instead sneered.
�Yes, that�s right. You understand now, don�t you, Davey?� He shoved hard at Davey�s hands. Tears sprung up at the corners of his eyes but Davey bit his lips to stop from making a sound. Then something totally unexpected happened, testing Davey�s sanity to it�s limits.
He didn�t need to look, since his link with Eina caused him to feel everything she felt. But his head turned to the two daemon�s directions anyway. What Sera was doing was such a sharp contrast to what Jade was doing to Davey that the confusion between both feelings meshed between Eina and himself.
Seraphina lay on the kitchen floor, Sphinx-like, with Eina cradled between her paws. Her attention to the small creature was so gentle and loving that the image it provoked was that of a mother puss tending to her newborn kit. She nuzzled Eina this way and that, licking here and there as she did so, straightening Eina�s fur wherever it had ruffled.
Eina was at a complete loss. Her human was being tortured roughly only feet away, but yet. . . she was being handled with love. She was being torn apart by the two feelings. She wanted desperately to go help free Davey but Sera wasn�t letting her go. Whenever She managed to right herself, Sera would pull her back and re-administer her treatments.
Davey cried out in confusion. He was feeling pain from Jade, true, but he was also feeling Eina�s pleasure. . . feeling pleasure himself in-between the waves of pain.
Jade snickered into Davey�s face, reading the emotions fleeting across his eyes. �You like this, don�t you, Davey? This feel good?� He pushed Davey painfully back against the counter. �You feel like playing today, maybe?�
Davey was spared from answering by the two voices making their way closer to the kitchen.
�. . . all I�m saying, is that Halle Berry is a fuckin� babe!� Adam�s voice said tiredly.
�I agree!� Hunter�s said, �But. . . She�s. . . nothin� without. . . her super powers!� they laughed together.
Jade growled his disappointment, releasing his hold on Davey. �We�ll finish this later.� he swore in a low voice to Davey. He threw a look at Seraphina and the daemon immediately got up, leaving Eina sprawled on the floor. Jade and Sera exited just as Adam and Hunter entered, followed by their own daemons.
Hunter and Adam were laughing faintly in good moods so didn�t notice Jade�s scowl as he pushed past him. But Adam saw Davey�s expression and immediately put two and two together. He rushed over to his friend.
�Davey?� he asked quietly, �Are you okay? What happened?�
Davey felt as Eina shyly scurried to his side, taking hold of his pant leg and peering up at him apologetically. Davey didn�t look at her. He instead drew a breathe and gave a fake smile at Adam. �Nothing. Nothing happened. Just had a brief chat with Jade. Don�t worry, everything�s fine.�
Adam read the truth in Davey�s eyes, but while he battled whether to call Davey on it or not, his friend was already leaving out the kitchen.
Hunter sat down at the table, Enzo clawing at his leg until he pulled him up into his lap. �That�s was great teamwork, buddy.� Hunter grinned at him.
�Likewise.� Enzo growled happily. He raised a paw and high-fived Hunter.
�Hunter,� Adam said, still worried about Davey, �have you noticed a difference in Jade lately?�
�Hmm?� Hunter asked, looking up while he continued scratching Enzo�s ears. �What do you mean?�
Adam held out his hand and allowed Rhiannon to settle on his forearm, his skin used to her claws. �I mean. . . has Jade been acting mean lately? Meaner than usual?�
Hunter grunted. �Oh, I know what you mean. I�m surprised you haven�t noticed.�
Adam froze. �Noticed what?�
�The truth about Jade.�
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Davey nearly ran to his room, almost losing Eina on the stairs.
�Wait! Davey, slow down!� Eina cried out, barely making it between his legs before he could slam his bedroom door shut. Tiny tears coursed down her small face as she watched Davey fling himself onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. �Davey?� she asked, frightened.
�Go away!� he yelled, voice muffled by the pillow. But Eina could still hear the sobs clearly. �Leave me alone, you. . . you. . . traitor!�
Eina wailed. �No! No, Davey, please don�t! Don�t say that! I. . . I didn�t. . . I couldn�t stop her! Please! Davey. . .� she scrambled up the bed and pulled back the messy locks of his black hair to peer at the side of his face. �Davey, please don�t do this. You know I wanted to help you! You know it!! But. . . Sera. . . She. . . you know what she was doing! You felt it too!� She cried out and buried her face in the pillow beside him.
Because he was always comforted by her touch, and because when he blamed her, he was really blaming himself, Davey reached his arm over and pulled Eina against him.
They lay that way for an uncertain amount of time, cuddled together, crying their unspent tears freely. At last, when Eina felt Davey wiping her face with a tissue, she spoke. �Davey, what did all that mean?�
He suppressed a hiccough and sniffed. �I dunno. It could mean anything. I. . . I really don�t know, Eina.�
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Downstairs, Adam sat down at the table, opposite Hunter. �What do you mean, the truth about Jade?�
Hunter looked down at the table top�s dull, scarred surface while he spoke. �I mean, what Jade really is. I found out about a month ago, by accident. Me an� Enzo were in the bathroom. I was shaving, Enzo was combing his fur. I knicked myself with the razor. Jade walked in, he�d been knocking for me to hurry, see? Well, he got tired of waiting and he walked in. He saw my cut and offered to help. . . Only. . .� Hunter�s color darkened in embarrassment.
�Only what?� But Adam was already beginning to realize what had transpired that day. He was even remembering what day it must have been.
�Only. . .�
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Davey sighed. He was drifting off to sleep, exhausted from his sudden fit. Eina was already breathing evenly beside him, tiny paws twitching in her dream state. He was so tired, he didn�t even notice when the door opened.
Jade looked down at the two, silently slipping out of his shoes and leaving them on the floor. Behind him, Sera gently closed the door with a paw.
Just like innocent babes, Jade thought, smirking.
Not innocent for long, Sera sent him back, eyes glinting in greed as she looked over at Eina.
He smirked and stepped forward.
Davey felt the bed sink and snapped his eyes open when he felt the body straddling over his waist. He looked up into Jade�s serious expression, his heart leaping in his chest. Eina woke abruptly from her sleep and hissed as she saw Sera moving on the bed toward her.
�Jade,� Davey said slowly, but got no further as Jade dealt him a sharp slap across his face.
Davey kept his head turned to the side, finding tears he thought he got rid of earlier. Jade, meanwhile, leaned his entire body heavily along his friend�s. His mouth came to Davey�s neck and kissed tenderly.
�Davey,� Jade whispered, �do you love me?�
Davey was taken aback in shock. When he didn�t answer immediately, Jade pulled back slightly and threw a punch in his abdomen. As the air was knocked out of him, Davey distinctly felt another kind of perversion. Sera held Eina firmly down on the bed, but now Jade�s fingertips could be felt stroking the ferret�s fur.
Davey had had enough. He couldn�t take this reckless abandonment of natural laws any longer. With an angry cry, he bucked upward with his entire body, sending Jade to the floor with a crash. But instead of getting angry or even swearing as Davey expected, Jade merely chuckled.
�That�s it, Davey, honey, that�s it! Now you�re playing!� Jade grinned as he watched the manic look in Davey�s eyes as he launched himself at Jade, hands formed into claws. He scratched viciously at Jade, leaving angry red marks up and down his arms and face and neck. Some even opened slightly to bleed a drop or two.
At the same time, Jade stroked Davey�s body up and down, breath coming out ragged and fast. �That�s it, Davey. . .� he panted, �that�s it. . . let it all out. . .�
�Fucking pervert!!� Davey screamed at him, �Fucking jerk!! You don�t touch Eina!!! You don�t touch her ever again!! Keep your hands to yourself!� He paused, suddenly feeling Jade�s arousal underneath him. He looked down at who he had considered to be one of his best friends for years and suddenly he didn�t know who it was.
Jade lay, still breathing rapidly, but now trails of sweat ran down his face, making his hair dark and damp. He brought two shaking hands up along Davey�s sides lovingly. The more unsettling sight yet was the tears coursing out of the corners of his eyes.
�You�re right.� He whispered to Davey. �You�re right, I am a pervert, Davey. This is how I get my kicks.� he smiled but to Davey it was more of a grimace. He sat up in one smooth motion. When their bodies rubbed together slightly, Jade gave a shaky sigh before he went on.
�But I love it. I can�t stop. I don�t want to. I love it too much. You can fight me all you want, punch me, kick me, but Davey. . . just. . . let me. . .� he arched his body upward, pushing insistently against Davey�s.
�No. . .� Davey whispered angrily.
�Not like that!� Jade cried out in exasperation. �Just let me keep doing what I was already doing. What we were doing together. You can keep your clothes on, honest! Just. . . love me.� His expression was heart breaking and Davey finally saw where his friend Jade was, all along.
He was here, trying to get Davey�s attention through the pain he was in.
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Hunter finished his story, Enzo patting his arm in comfort.
Adam sat dumbstruck. �I. . . I had no idea.� he said simply. He looked up at Hunter. �That was why you had all those cuts on your face and neck?�
Hunter nodded. �But, you know. . . it�s Jade. He�s one of us. I mean. . . me an� Enzo talked about it afterward and we decided. . . Well, I mean, if Jade get�s satisfaction from hurting and getting hurt in return, who are we to tell him it�s wrong?�
Adam shook his head. �But. . . he humped you for Christ�s sake!�
�Yeah,� Hunter nodded, �but he had the razor in his hands. And if he wanted to, he could have raped me. But he didn�t. And after, he even helped me clean up the cuts. He�s still our friend Jade, Adam, but he also has an addiction. It�s Davey�s turn now. I don�t know if he�ll proposition you, Adam, but I know Jade�s going through a bad time right now. He needs his friends at his side.�
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Davey lay on his back on his own floor. Jade lay on top of him, rubbing against him rhythmically. Davey brought his arms up to encircle his friend. As he did so, Jade came, sinking his teeth into Davey�s collar bone.
Davey cried out weakly. On the bed, Sera lay motionless with her eyes closed, almost as if she were asleep. Eina watched the two men on the floor with interest, but didn�t interfere. She understood Davey�s reasoning�s for allowing such a thing to happen. She understood and kept silent.
As Jade came to a stop, he released Davey�s flesh from his mouth. He brought his head up to look at his friend, mouth stained with Davey�s blood.
�Davey,� he whispered. �Do you love me?�
�With all my heart.� Davey answered truthfully. Jade sighed and rested against Davey again. Davey kissed the side of Jade�s face and silently cried.
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