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Barely in time, too. Jakob wasn’t even given half a chance to tuck the corner in before the curtain was whisked away in a blast of cold air; the old rusty rings screeching a metallic protest as they were dragging across the cheap metal pipe.
"Ah, no wonder," Ricky smirked. "It's Jakob. Probably been in here washing his ass, getting all nice and ready to bend over for — "
"Fuck off," Jakob muttered; clutching the thin towel tightly in his white-knuckled fist and trying not to think about how close Ricky's jab came to the truth.
"Oh, ho! Someone's in a mood today, huh?" Ricky crowed. "You suck Ethan's cock with that mouth?
It's only talk. He's just being the same dipshit he always is,Jakob tried to tell himself as he yanked the curtain back in place.Doesn't mean anything. Doesn't mean heknows.
He ignored the sound of something ripping as he grabbed his jeans from the hook on the cubicle’s tile wall, not even bothering with his boxers as he roughly shoved his pants on. He wadded up the rest of his clothing and jammed the lot under one arm.
He took a deep breath, knowing Ricky was still waiting for him by the silhouette the shower room's central light was throwing against the plastic curtain of the shower.
Grimacing, Jakob threw the curtain back again to reveal the smirking intruder now standing between him and the door.
"Here," he grunted, shouldering his way past the lurking Ricky to shove a bottle of body wash at Greg.
"Sure walking funny there, Jakob," laughed Ricky from behind him, causing Jakob to stumble slightly as he was suddenly forced to think about his own feet. "What's the matter? Ethan too rough last night?"
Andthatbrought Jakob up short, vision going strangely dim at the edges as he twisted around to spear Ricky with a glare.
"Look, he's gone all pale!" Ricky cackled. "Wow, nice hickeys, Stone. Looks like Ethan worked you over good. Or do you prefer to call them 'love bites'? Does he lay you down all tender before he marks you up? Maybe calls you some pet name like 'honey' or 'darlin' or —HEY!"
"I am sosickof your bullshit," Jakob growled as he shoved Ricky up against the shower room tile. A red haze filled his vision, pulse thundering in his ears as —
Jakob blinked as he felt a hand grab onto his wrist and hold tight, halting the fist he had aimed at Ricky's grinning — and oh so punchable — face.
"Jakob," Greg hissed, his grip tightening on Jakob's arm. "I know he's an ass. But if you punch him, I have to report it. He's not worth having the cops breathing down your neck, is he?"
Jakob opened his mouth to protest, then shut it with a click when nothing came out.
"C'mon man, this isn't like you. You, uh — You feeling okay?" Greg asked, looking at Jakob with concern as he tugged at his still-cocked arm. "You're all flushed and stuff. Need me to get Ethan? Or…"
Greg trailed off for a moment. His eyes flicked to Ricky, then away just as quickly.
"I, um — I heard you… uh, shouting last night. If you guys are fighting or… or something — " And the way Greg's attention landed on the bruise marking Jakob's collarbone made the 'or something' echo loud in Jakob's ears — "Then I can call your stepdad instead, if you'd rather?"
And oh, oh fuck — hecould, Jakob realized with dawning horror as he lowered his fist. Greg's uncle owned the donut shop back home, where Frank and his buddies liked to meet up every Saturday morning. There they’d spend hours shooting the shit and solving all the world's ills together. Or at least the weekend crossword, which they claimed was just as tricky.
If Greg mentioned any of this to his uncle, then… Frank would know about it. Within a few days at most. Hell, as big a gossip as Greg's uncle was, the entiretownwould wax lyrical and long-winded in their opinions about Jakob and Ethan. Likely before the week was even out.
A metallic taste flooded his tongue as Jakob furiously shook his head no, unable to process the situation he’d put them both in over the thundering in his ears.
"What a queer," Ricky laughed. "Look, I think he's going to cry. Man, when I tell the whole team about this? It's gonna beepic."
"Shutup, asshole," Greg hissed, but Jakob hardly heard him.
Releasing his grip on Ricky, he stumbled past them both; focused only on the safety of the doorway, and the hallway beyond. Trying to ignore the way Ricky's, "Hey, wait. You don't think those two actually — " rang in Jakob's ears as he began torun.
Dripping and half-naked, shivering in the cold, recycled air of the dorms; Jakob found himself under the ping-pong table in the study lounge three floors up, with no memory of how he had gotten there.
He peeled away his arm where he'd wrapped both tightly around his knees; checking his watch, mind whirling.
In another hour, Ethan would be up and staggering towards the little coffeemaker on his dresser, humming tunelessly under his breath while it brewed its magic brew. Before heading blearily off to his own classes, along with most of the guys on their floor.
Their room would be empty, the way clear. Jakob could grab his stuff, free of questions. But then?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What had he done? If Greg didn't suspect something before, he sure had to know after Jakob had gone running off like a spooked horse.
