(log) Ky Sinclair & Ravel Hawksley //Difficult
Consequences for one's actions.
Hold my hand and run.
Confessing for the future.
Ky
Ravel
It had been a gloomy overcast afternoon but Ravel didn't mind. His class had been let out early, a trip to Dima sweetie's room had acquired him a new book for reading (it looked hard but Dima had recommended it as good reading), and he was now free to either wander about campus before going back to the dorms for dinner. Dima even said they could go spider hunting again tomorrow. So he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings much as he walked along the back side of the Physical Sciences. He reached up to pull loose his hair, shaking out the waves from where it'd been bound up. It felt nice to let it down once in a while.
"Hey babe. Hey!" It took him a few seconds to realize that he was the one being addressed and he turned his head. Three guys, two tall and one stockier, had wandered out from the buildings as well. One was smoking, but it was the blonder tall one that was addressing Ravel. He had perfect teeth, commercial teeth.
"You've got the time?" His eye followed the curve of Ravel's neck down to his bare shoulders peeking from beneath blonde hair in the loose scoop neck that Ravel had picked out that morning. Ravel gave a small shake of the head. He'd left his cell phone back in Cayden's room.
"Sorry, cutie~" He said with a small smile out of habit. The guy seemed distracted but his shorter friend starred at Ravel's face for a bit longer and stepped forward.
"Hey, you're that theatre dude. You're not really a girl, are you?" Flicking a thumb towards Ravel, he turned to his friend.
"This is a guy, man." He turned back with almost a leer. "Your name's something with an R, right? Ravel?" He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so Ravel nodded. The first guys stepped closer, Ravel taking a step back as politely as he could, bag still at his side.
"Coors. They're right. You really look just like a bird. That's sick." He was still looking at Ravel's chest, looking downwards and then back up again.
"Nice ass. You still have a dick right?" Ravel was caught off-guard by the comment and just blinked at him, lips open a little. He licked his lips a little before just smiling and replying more by instinct than thought.
"Wouldn't you like to know~" He regretted the reply when the second guy moved in closer, essentially boxing him in. He glanced over at the space between them and the wall.
"Oh? So it is true that you're a good fuck? Easy lay if we ignore the dick huh?" The second guy leaned in. "It true you shagged your profs for a good mark? Or you just suck them off?"
Ky had just left the garages, done with his work for the day, and had been heading back to the dorms when he caught sight of the group and Ravel.
He couldn't hear the words, but the tone he heard was familiar, the usual jeering kind. That didn't look good at all. Frowning, he turned and moved closer, listening in to make sure everything was all right before he intruded.
Ravel was used to bullying, used to stinging words and crude insults. It was understandable considering most of what they said was essentially true.
"Mm." He made a non-committal sound, turning his head away and trying to turn so he could just slip through the opening left by the silent one, with dark colored eyes.
"Oh don't do that, fag. We know you're easy so don't play virgin." A hand snaked out and grabbed his firmly by the upper arm. Thrown off by the sudden counter-weight, he stumbled to the side, right into the arms of the quiet ones. His bag slipped out of his hand and fell on the floor.
"Oh!" He tried to reach down to get it but the first guy still held him.
"So what ya think? Why don't you show us those tricks you turn for all those other blokes?" Ravel looked from him back to the quiet one holding him. The man's eyes weren't on his face but it was obvious what he was looking at. Ravel swallowed.
"I need to go. . ." He said hesitantly, trying to shrink away as the first guy stepped in closer and reached up to pull roughly at his loose top, peeking in at his chest as if Ravel weren't even there and smirking back at his friend.
"Man, I was really expecting some tits!" Ravel said nothing, just looking down as the guy's hands went to his chest, feeling and then his waist. The one holding him smelled like cologne as he adjusted his grip on Ravel and pulled him in closer.
Ravel gave a small noise as he tried to pull his arms back, half-heartedly.
Ky had seen enough.
"He's had enough of the lot of you," he pointed out from behind, dropping his bag before he hauled them away from Ravel.
He glanced over at Ravel. "Are you all right?"
Ravel stumbled back when Ky pulled hard at the one that was holding him. His eyes went big as he starred at Ky, shock at the interruption, mouth dry.
"Ah." His eyes were darting back to his attackers. They did not looked pleased at the intruder. Not pleased at all. The stockier one was scowling hard as he came up to Ky. .
"Now wait your turn, pal." His hand latched onto the shorter Ravel's arm tightly, pulling him back again
"Else you can bugger off. Sides, not like this one minds it, do ya?" His taller blonde friend stepped forward as well even as the first continued to paw at Ravel.
Ky shoved off the friend before punching the first guy straight in the face. "How about you step off and actually get back to work instead of futzing around here? Or are you all so useless that the teachers kicked you out?"
The receiver of the unexpected punch was holding his face and cursing. Blood was flowing out of his nose.
"You fucker-!" The fight was on. Ravel just stood there, unsure what to do, confusion and distress written plainly across his face. As Ky punched out the taller blonde, the quieter one was coming from behind.
Ravel's voice came out in a squeak. "K-ky, stop!"
He didn't like having to punch first, and he knew that was going to get him later, but at least it had done its job at transferring their attention to him. But now they were in the middle of a group he'd angered on purpose. He hated having his back open, and Ravel was standing there, stiff with shock.
What was it he had said? To stop? That was impossible now, he'd ensured that.
Ky grabbed Ravel and pulled him behind him as he moved out from the middle of the group. Moving back let him see the guy that had been coming from behind just enough to duck an incoming attempt to grab at him.
"I always hated how the pathetic ones come in groups," he muttered.
Ravel fell back as Ky pulled at him, watching as he ducked aside the blow. He just starred in muted terror as Ky moved in, tackling the guy in front. He landed a solid punch to the stomach but then his first victim, face still stained with wiped blood from a still bleeding nose was on his back. As Ky tried to throw that guy off him, he swung his fist and punched the second guy his way, making a grunt as the one on his back grappled with his face. Ravel stumbled back from him, tripping over his own legs as the guy fell right in front of him. He half fell, half sat hard, hand raised to his mouth.
Ky was fighting. Ky was fighting.
Ky grumbled as the guy on his back was rapidly pissing him off, weighing him down and covering his face. As soon as the guys in front of him were out of his way, he raised his arm, then swung it back as hard as he could, jamming his elbow right in the guy's stomach. The hands on his face loosened as he heard a pained grunt. Sensing an opportunity, Ky grabbed at him and dropped him off his back to the ground.
And then the third guy was right in his face just as he straightened up. Ky barely managed to dodge back far enough that the fist he saw coming up didn't hit his stomach at full force. And then there was the immediate side kick that he managed to grab onto and knock off. But this guy was faster and hitting harder than the other two. Trained, had to be. This was more trouble.
Ravel was out of the way, at least, and he could still see where the second guy was. But he had to concentrate on this one guy, and that he didn't like.
The quiet one with dark eyes was coming in hard, fists punching over and over, feinting and blocking. Ky managed to block a few, trying to move backwards to keep himself from just taking a beating. He managed a good solid punch back, clipping the guy but he seemed to shrug off the punch and just keep coming. The third guy, tall blonde was coming from behind and locking Ky's elbows in. Ky kicked back at him, catching him in the shin even as the one in front of him slugged him across the face, stunning him for a second.
Ravel couldn't take it anymore. He pushed himself up off the ground, grabbing at the pants leg of the last member of the trio who was standing there wiping off the blood from his finally stopped bleeding nose.
"S-stop. Tell them, stop. I'll do anything. Stop!" His words fell out babbling, his eyes terrified.
The other guy's punches and kicks hurt like hell. When Ky heard Ravel begging and saw him pause mid-swing, he pounced on the chance. Ky ducked down and swung his leg out, sweeping the guy's legs out from under him. Not waiting to see him land, Ky immediately grabbed for Ravel's arm, hauled him up, and pulled him away, grabbing at his bag. A precursory glance couldn't find Ravel's bag, though. He'd have to try and come back for that later.
Right now, he just half-dragged Ravel into the nearest department building for safety.
Ravel gave a small cry as Ky grabbed at him, pulling him off the ground and up. The stockier guy, the leader, seemed caught off-guard by the other's fall as they ran- him stumbling, Ky dragging- away. Ky weaved, hand clamped painfully tight around his arm to make sure he wouldn't get left behind. Ravel stumbled a few times but Ky dragged him up without a second's pause, pulling him up and along.
It was night and the building was empty. Ky grabbed and yanked open a door before depositing Ravel in and shutting it behind them. The lights were off but enough light filtered in from the lamp lit campus to reflect off the tables in the room. Ravel breathed hard, his top askew, falling completely off one shoulder.
Out of breath himself, Ky leaned back against the door, looking out to make sure they weren't followed before glancing at Ravel. "You okay?"
Ravel looked up at Ky, up at the door and then up at Ky again. He swallowed and gave the tiniest shake of his head.
"Your. . .face." He pressed up against Ky closer, hand reaching out with his sleeve to wipe at the cut there. His hand trembled.
"You should have left. Shouldn't have interrupted."
Ky shoot his head, letting Ravel wipe at the cut with a minor wince.
"It's fine. Not like I was just going to leave you like that. Hell no."
"You should have left." The cut was still bleeding a little so Ravel held his hand there, sleeve pressed against Ky's cheek.
"They would have left. It's not the first time."
"And not the last?" Ky replied dryly. "Just because it's happened before doesn't make it right. I wasn't going to just leave it at that."
Ravel looked down. No, it probably wouldn't. Ky fighting with them. . .He closed his eyes and then opened them.
"You shouldn't. Get hurt."
"You're starting to sound like a broken record." Ky lightly swatted Ravel's hand away from his cheek. "It's not like I would've done it any other way, or ever if it happens again."
He turned to look out the door again, making sure the coast was clear before he opened it. "You stay here, I'll go look for your bag."
Ravel grabbed at Ky's shirt, not as fast as the taller man at getting up.
"N-no. They'll have taken it and thrown it away. Don't go!"
Ky gave him an odd look. "What, there's nothing wrong with looking."
Ravel was still holding onto Ky's shirt but he seemed to shrink back a little at Ky's expression.
"What if they're still there?"
"Then I can't get your bag yet." Ky shrugged. "But you need that stuff for class, right?"
"I-" Dmitri's book. The book he'd taken for reading. Oh, what was he going to do. Ravel was torn between wanting to get the book back and knowing the probability that the three would probably have already trashed his things. His hand clenched Ky's shirt, face worried. What if they were still there? What if Ky got more hurt?
Ky watched the expressions cross Ravel's face and could see the dismay. He sighed.
"If you're that worried, I can just help you replace the stuff. You can at least buy new textbooks and supplies."
Looking up at Ky's face, he could see a bruise already starting to form on his cheekbone, above the cut. He couldn't let Ky go. Not for a book and a cute tote.
"I can buy. New things." Eyes looked down again, ashamed. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Ky ruffled Ravel's hair lightly. "I chose to get involved."
"I. . .What they say is true though. So next time, you shouldn't. . .for me." Ravel struggled to say what he wanted to express. He knew he was being punished for his indiscretions. But Ky had stepped in still. Was it out of obligation to Cayden? Pity?
Ky looked at him flatly, frowning, and flicked him. "If it happened again and I was there, I'd do it again anyhow."
Ky hadn't flicked him in a long time. Ravel blinked, face still caught in an expression as if he was confused or was going to cry, hand holding onto Ky's shirt tightly.
"Honey?"
Ky watched him quietly.
"What?"
"Are. . .you mad?" His left hand's fingers picked at Ky's shirt, eyes watching Ky's mouth and not his eyes.
"I'm. . .sorry" His right hand slipped forward slowly, hesitantly at first. His hand lowered towards Ky's belt buckle, stopping on it, intent clear.
"I'm not mad-" Ky cut off as he watched Ravel, struck suddenly with the realization of what Ravel was trying to do. He stopped both of Ravel's hands, shoving the one lower down away from where it was.
"Stop," he said clearly. "I just got you out of doing this, don't you dare try and pull it on me. I don't want your apology."
"Ah-" Ravel's hand pulled back as Ky pushed the one on his belt away. Nobody would have known.
He looked up, looking at Ky's face in eyes in mild confusion. Now he really wasn't sure if he was mad.
Ky sighed, then looked him in the eye. "I don't want you like that. Don't use me to try and punish yourself."
Ravel was the first to look away. He wanted to apologize again but he was afraid Ky would yell at him so he just stayed silent. Looking away, he leaned against the wall, sliding slowly back to the floor.
"Is it that obvious sometimes?" He said finally, quietly.
Ky glanced out the door, giving Ravel his private moment without physical scrutiny.
"I don't know about obvious. But whenever you head out on a date or for a night out, you come back more depressed than you did when you left. I don't think I've seen you come back like you enjoyed it before."
"It's a distraction?" He gave a little smile, hand reaching up to pull his top back up a bit.
"I never mean any harm, honey."
"To anyone other than yourself?" Ky asked lightly, then sighed and shook his head. "At least stop being reckless about it. It's not a good way to distract yourself, but seriously..."
"Ah. I'm careful. I always use protection." Ravel knew he wasn't really talking about that but he mumbled it anyways. Being tired and with Ky was making him more honest. Usually he would have changed the subject already.
"But I know. I just. . ."
"Can't help it, I guess." Ky ruffled Ravel's hair again. "You don't need to talk about it."
Ravel gave Ky a smile smile at the ruffling and leaned against Ky, pressing his head into the others shoulder, pulling his legs in closer to him. He was so tired now. He could feel his shields weakening, always a sign he was more tired than usual. His eyes began to close, growing heavier as he curled into Ky's side, the dark room and Ky's body heat making him feel sleepy. His breathing became slow and even, mouth open a little.
It was a long moment before Ky glanced back at Ravel, intending to say something. But seeing Ravel falling asleep, he shut his mouth and just sat there. At least he could offer a shoulder to sleep on, even if he himself was tired and sore from that fight. And he'd have to call Cayden for a hand to get Ravel back to the dorms in this state if Ravel were still asleep later.
But for now, this was okay.
Hold my hand and run.
Confessing for the future.
Ky
Ravel
It had been a gloomy overcast afternoon but Ravel didn't mind. His class had been let out early, a trip to Dima sweetie's room had acquired him a new book for reading (it looked hard but Dima had recommended it as good reading), and he was now free to either wander about campus before going back to the dorms for dinner. Dima even said they could go spider hunting again tomorrow. So he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings much as he walked along the back side of the Physical Sciences. He reached up to pull loose his hair, shaking out the waves from where it'd been bound up. It felt nice to let it down once in a while.
"Hey babe. Hey!" It took him a few seconds to realize that he was the one being addressed and he turned his head. Three guys, two tall and one stockier, had wandered out from the buildings as well. One was smoking, but it was the blonder tall one that was addressing Ravel. He had perfect teeth, commercial teeth.
"You've got the time?" His eye followed the curve of Ravel's neck down to his bare shoulders peeking from beneath blonde hair in the loose scoop neck that Ravel had picked out that morning. Ravel gave a small shake of the head. He'd left his cell phone back in Cayden's room.
"Sorry, cutie~" He said with a small smile out of habit. The guy seemed distracted but his shorter friend starred at Ravel's face for a bit longer and stepped forward.
"Hey, you're that theatre dude. You're not really a girl, are you?" Flicking a thumb towards Ravel, he turned to his friend.
"This is a guy, man." He turned back with almost a leer. "Your name's something with an R, right? Ravel?" He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so Ravel nodded. The first guys stepped closer, Ravel taking a step back as politely as he could, bag still at his side.
"Coors. They're right. You really look just like a bird. That's sick." He was still looking at Ravel's chest, looking downwards and then back up again.
"Nice ass. You still have a dick right?" Ravel was caught off-guard by the comment and just blinked at him, lips open a little. He licked his lips a little before just smiling and replying more by instinct than thought.
"Wouldn't you like to know~" He regretted the reply when the second guy moved in closer, essentially boxing him in. He glanced over at the space between them and the wall.
"Oh? So it is true that you're a good fuck? Easy lay if we ignore the dick huh?" The second guy leaned in. "It true you shagged your profs for a good mark? Or you just suck them off?"
Ky had just left the garages, done with his work for the day, and had been heading back to the dorms when he caught sight of the group and Ravel.
He couldn't hear the words, but the tone he heard was familiar, the usual jeering kind. That didn't look good at all. Frowning, he turned and moved closer, listening in to make sure everything was all right before he intruded.
Ravel was used to bullying, used to stinging words and crude insults. It was understandable considering most of what they said was essentially true.
"Mm." He made a non-committal sound, turning his head away and trying to turn so he could just slip through the opening left by the silent one, with dark colored eyes.
"Oh don't do that, fag. We know you're easy so don't play virgin." A hand snaked out and grabbed his firmly by the upper arm. Thrown off by the sudden counter-weight, he stumbled to the side, right into the arms of the quiet ones. His bag slipped out of his hand and fell on the floor.
"Oh!" He tried to reach down to get it but the first guy still held him.
"So what ya think? Why don't you show us those tricks you turn for all those other blokes?" Ravel looked from him back to the quiet one holding him. The man's eyes weren't on his face but it was obvious what he was looking at. Ravel swallowed.
"I need to go. . ." He said hesitantly, trying to shrink away as the first guy stepped in closer and reached up to pull roughly at his loose top, peeking in at his chest as if Ravel weren't even there and smirking back at his friend.
"Man, I was really expecting some tits!" Ravel said nothing, just looking down as the guy's hands went to his chest, feeling and then his waist. The one holding him smelled like cologne as he adjusted his grip on Ravel and pulled him in closer.
Ravel gave a small noise as he tried to pull his arms back, half-heartedly.
Ky had seen enough.
"He's had enough of the lot of you," he pointed out from behind, dropping his bag before he hauled them away from Ravel.
He glanced over at Ravel. "Are you all right?"
Ravel stumbled back when Ky pulled hard at the one that was holding him. His eyes went big as he starred at Ky, shock at the interruption, mouth dry.
"Ah." His eyes were darting back to his attackers. They did not looked pleased at the intruder. Not pleased at all. The stockier one was scowling hard as he came up to Ky. .
"Now wait your turn, pal." His hand latched onto the shorter Ravel's arm tightly, pulling him back again
"Else you can bugger off. Sides, not like this one minds it, do ya?" His taller blonde friend stepped forward as well even as the first continued to paw at Ravel.
Ky shoved off the friend before punching the first guy straight in the face. "How about you step off and actually get back to work instead of futzing around here? Or are you all so useless that the teachers kicked you out?"
The receiver of the unexpected punch was holding his face and cursing. Blood was flowing out of his nose.
"You fucker-!" The fight was on. Ravel just stood there, unsure what to do, confusion and distress written plainly across his face. As Ky punched out the taller blonde, the quieter one was coming from behind.
Ravel's voice came out in a squeak. "K-ky, stop!"
He didn't like having to punch first, and he knew that was going to get him later, but at least it had done its job at transferring their attention to him. But now they were in the middle of a group he'd angered on purpose. He hated having his back open, and Ravel was standing there, stiff with shock.
What was it he had said? To stop? That was impossible now, he'd ensured that.
Ky grabbed Ravel and pulled him behind him as he moved out from the middle of the group. Moving back let him see the guy that had been coming from behind just enough to duck an incoming attempt to grab at him.
"I always hated how the pathetic ones come in groups," he muttered.
Ravel fell back as Ky pulled at him, watching as he ducked aside the blow. He just starred in muted terror as Ky moved in, tackling the guy in front. He landed a solid punch to the stomach but then his first victim, face still stained with wiped blood from a still bleeding nose was on his back. As Ky tried to throw that guy off him, he swung his fist and punched the second guy his way, making a grunt as the one on his back grappled with his face. Ravel stumbled back from him, tripping over his own legs as the guy fell right in front of him. He half fell, half sat hard, hand raised to his mouth.
Ky was fighting. Ky was fighting.
Ky grumbled as the guy on his back was rapidly pissing him off, weighing him down and covering his face. As soon as the guys in front of him were out of his way, he raised his arm, then swung it back as hard as he could, jamming his elbow right in the guy's stomach. The hands on his face loosened as he heard a pained grunt. Sensing an opportunity, Ky grabbed at him and dropped him off his back to the ground.
And then the third guy was right in his face just as he straightened up. Ky barely managed to dodge back far enough that the fist he saw coming up didn't hit his stomach at full force. And then there was the immediate side kick that he managed to grab onto and knock off. But this guy was faster and hitting harder than the other two. Trained, had to be. This was more trouble.
Ravel was out of the way, at least, and he could still see where the second guy was. But he had to concentrate on this one guy, and that he didn't like.
The quiet one with dark eyes was coming in hard, fists punching over and over, feinting and blocking. Ky managed to block a few, trying to move backwards to keep himself from just taking a beating. He managed a good solid punch back, clipping the guy but he seemed to shrug off the punch and just keep coming. The third guy, tall blonde was coming from behind and locking Ky's elbows in. Ky kicked back at him, catching him in the shin even as the one in front of him slugged him across the face, stunning him for a second.
Ravel couldn't take it anymore. He pushed himself up off the ground, grabbing at the pants leg of the last member of the trio who was standing there wiping off the blood from his finally stopped bleeding nose.
"S-stop. Tell them, stop. I'll do anything. Stop!" His words fell out babbling, his eyes terrified.
The other guy's punches and kicks hurt like hell. When Ky heard Ravel begging and saw him pause mid-swing, he pounced on the chance. Ky ducked down and swung his leg out, sweeping the guy's legs out from under him. Not waiting to see him land, Ky immediately grabbed for Ravel's arm, hauled him up, and pulled him away, grabbing at his bag. A precursory glance couldn't find Ravel's bag, though. He'd have to try and come back for that later.
Right now, he just half-dragged Ravel into the nearest department building for safety.
Ravel gave a small cry as Ky grabbed at him, pulling him off the ground and up. The stockier guy, the leader, seemed caught off-guard by the other's fall as they ran- him stumbling, Ky dragging- away. Ky weaved, hand clamped painfully tight around his arm to make sure he wouldn't get left behind. Ravel stumbled a few times but Ky dragged him up without a second's pause, pulling him up and along.
It was night and the building was empty. Ky grabbed and yanked open a door before depositing Ravel in and shutting it behind them. The lights were off but enough light filtered in from the lamp lit campus to reflect off the tables in the room. Ravel breathed hard, his top askew, falling completely off one shoulder.
Out of breath himself, Ky leaned back against the door, looking out to make sure they weren't followed before glancing at Ravel. "You okay?"
Ravel looked up at Ky, up at the door and then up at Ky again. He swallowed and gave the tiniest shake of his head.
"Your. . .face." He pressed up against Ky closer, hand reaching out with his sleeve to wipe at the cut there. His hand trembled.
"You should have left. Shouldn't have interrupted."
Ky shoot his head, letting Ravel wipe at the cut with a minor wince.
"It's fine. Not like I was just going to leave you like that. Hell no."
"You should have left." The cut was still bleeding a little so Ravel held his hand there, sleeve pressed against Ky's cheek.
"They would have left. It's not the first time."
"And not the last?" Ky replied dryly. "Just because it's happened before doesn't make it right. I wasn't going to just leave it at that."
Ravel looked down. No, it probably wouldn't. Ky fighting with them. . .He closed his eyes and then opened them.
"You shouldn't. Get hurt."
"You're starting to sound like a broken record." Ky lightly swatted Ravel's hand away from his cheek. "It's not like I would've done it any other way, or ever if it happens again."
He turned to look out the door again, making sure the coast was clear before he opened it. "You stay here, I'll go look for your bag."
Ravel grabbed at Ky's shirt, not as fast as the taller man at getting up.
"N-no. They'll have taken it and thrown it away. Don't go!"
Ky gave him an odd look. "What, there's nothing wrong with looking."
Ravel was still holding onto Ky's shirt but he seemed to shrink back a little at Ky's expression.
"What if they're still there?"
"Then I can't get your bag yet." Ky shrugged. "But you need that stuff for class, right?"
"I-" Dmitri's book. The book he'd taken for reading. Oh, what was he going to do. Ravel was torn between wanting to get the book back and knowing the probability that the three would probably have already trashed his things. His hand clenched Ky's shirt, face worried. What if they were still there? What if Ky got more hurt?
Ky watched the expressions cross Ravel's face and could see the dismay. He sighed.
"If you're that worried, I can just help you replace the stuff. You can at least buy new textbooks and supplies."
Looking up at Ky's face, he could see a bruise already starting to form on his cheekbone, above the cut. He couldn't let Ky go. Not for a book and a cute tote.
"I can buy. New things." Eyes looked down again, ashamed. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Ky ruffled Ravel's hair lightly. "I chose to get involved."
"I. . .What they say is true though. So next time, you shouldn't. . .for me." Ravel struggled to say what he wanted to express. He knew he was being punished for his indiscretions. But Ky had stepped in still. Was it out of obligation to Cayden? Pity?
Ky looked at him flatly, frowning, and flicked him. "If it happened again and I was there, I'd do it again anyhow."
Ky hadn't flicked him in a long time. Ravel blinked, face still caught in an expression as if he was confused or was going to cry, hand holding onto Ky's shirt tightly.
"Honey?"
Ky watched him quietly.
"What?"
"Are. . .you mad?" His left hand's fingers picked at Ky's shirt, eyes watching Ky's mouth and not his eyes.
"I'm. . .sorry" His right hand slipped forward slowly, hesitantly at first. His hand lowered towards Ky's belt buckle, stopping on it, intent clear.
"I'm not mad-" Ky cut off as he watched Ravel, struck suddenly with the realization of what Ravel was trying to do. He stopped both of Ravel's hands, shoving the one lower down away from where it was.
"Stop," he said clearly. "I just got you out of doing this, don't you dare try and pull it on me. I don't want your apology."
"Ah-" Ravel's hand pulled back as Ky pushed the one on his belt away. Nobody would have known.
He looked up, looking at Ky's face in eyes in mild confusion. Now he really wasn't sure if he was mad.
Ky sighed, then looked him in the eye. "I don't want you like that. Don't use me to try and punish yourself."
Ravel was the first to look away. He wanted to apologize again but he was afraid Ky would yell at him so he just stayed silent. Looking away, he leaned against the wall, sliding slowly back to the floor.
"Is it that obvious sometimes?" He said finally, quietly.
Ky glanced out the door, giving Ravel his private moment without physical scrutiny.
"I don't know about obvious. But whenever you head out on a date or for a night out, you come back more depressed than you did when you left. I don't think I've seen you come back like you enjoyed it before."
"It's a distraction?" He gave a little smile, hand reaching up to pull his top back up a bit.
"I never mean any harm, honey."
"To anyone other than yourself?" Ky asked lightly, then sighed and shook his head. "At least stop being reckless about it. It's not a good way to distract yourself, but seriously..."
"Ah. I'm careful. I always use protection." Ravel knew he wasn't really talking about that but he mumbled it anyways. Being tired and with Ky was making him more honest. Usually he would have changed the subject already.
"But I know. I just. . ."
"Can't help it, I guess." Ky ruffled Ravel's hair again. "You don't need to talk about it."
Ravel gave Ky a smile smile at the ruffling and leaned against Ky, pressing his head into the others shoulder, pulling his legs in closer to him. He was so tired now. He could feel his shields weakening, always a sign he was more tired than usual. His eyes began to close, growing heavier as he curled into Ky's side, the dark room and Ky's body heat making him feel sleepy. His breathing became slow and even, mouth open a little.
It was a long moment before Ky glanced back at Ravel, intending to say something. But seeing Ravel falling asleep, he shut his mouth and just sat there. At least he could offer a shoulder to sleep on, even if he himself was tired and sore from that fight. And he'd have to call Cayden for a hand to get Ravel back to the dorms in this state if Ravel were still asleep later.
But for now, this was okay.