Because I had a laptop and a little time to kill before the dentist. Plus, I think I promised someone some horrorslash this weekend.
Title: Where Neither Will
Fandom: Brotherhood II: Young Warlocks
Pairing: Harlan/Marcus
Rating: soft R
Summary: He doesn't like being ignored.
Author's note: Follows "Hundred Foot Ceilings". Part twelve of that series-type thing.
They can't get the locker room to themselves every day. The new headmaster isn't as impressed with Harlan or his father's donations to the school as Grimes was, and even if he was he wouldn't be able to clear out the sports teams that use the locker room after practice. Today it's intramural lacrosse, so they're hanging out in Marcus' room. Only Harlan's starting to think they should have gone back to his place, because Marcus has been acting jumpy ever since they got to his room.
"Jesus, Marcus, would you relax?"
"I'm fine," Marcus says, but he glances at the door again like he just can't help it.
They're both still wearing all their clothes, but they're stretched out on Marcus' bed and if anybody walked in they'd know right away what was going on. Not that Harlan cares, but Marcus must, because he tenses again when a door slams somewhere down the hall. And he's starting to think he should just give up and go home, because his tie's loose around his neck and he's still wearing most of his uniform and he knows he looks good, but Marcus is too busy worrying about his roommate walking in to notice.
Someone laughs somewhere nearby and Marcus twitches against him, lifting his head to look at the door and Harlan rolls his eyes and pushes himself up on his elbows. "Look, I'm gonna take off."
"What? Why?" And that gets Marcus' attention - he's finally looking at Harlan, anyway, eyes wide with something like panic and Harlan would laugh if he wasn't so annoyed.
And it's not like he's expecting Marcus to tear off his clothes and beg Harlan to fuck him when his roommate could come back any second. He likes just hanging out with Marcus, talking about nothing or making out or even doing homework. He used to study with Randall and Alex, after all, and this isn't that different. Only it is, because Marcus is his in a way that Randall never was, and he doesn't like being ignored.
"I told you, Marcus, I don't care what anybody thinks. I thought you were cool with that, but you've been jumping at every fucking sound since we got here."
"It's not…I mean I don't care. But you don't have to live here," Marcus answers, looking guilty enough to stop Harlan before he actually gets off the bed.
"So what…people are giving you shit about us?" Harlan asks, frowning because it's the first time the thought's occurred to him. He's used to everyone at school thinking he can't do anything wrong, but it's different for Marcus. Until that Luc guy showed up he was considered the lowest class of loser - one of the freaks, and Harlan's not sure how much that's changed since they've been hanging out.
"Not to my face, but it's not like they're not talking. And Matt won't even look at me."
"So this is about Slayton," he interrupts, voice flat and he's not jealous, but he can't figure out why Marcus cares what Matt thinks. Because sure, they're supposed to be friends, but if Slayton wants to be a dick about Marcus and Harlan then he's not worth it.
"No," Marcus answers, but he's not really looking at Harlan and it's pretty obvious he's not telling the whole truth. "Not really. It's just…I don't even know what we're doing here."
That's a question Harlan hasn't spent a lot of time pondering, because he always figured it was pretty obvious what they're doing. Sure, there was a time when they didn't really like each other much, but now that he knows Marcus everything's different. Because it was never really personal back when he was fucking with Marcus' head just for fun, except that he still wanted Marcus even then, so maybe it was.
Instead of answering he reaches up, balancing himself on one elbow and pushing his other hand through Marcus' hair. He grips just hard enough to pull Marcus forward, tilting his head until their mouths fit together like they were made for this. And sometimes he thinks they were - sometimes he thinks he'll never get enough of Marcus, never stop wanting him so much that he can't think about anything else.
Marcus kisses him back like he's thinking the same thing, one hand on Harlan's hip to balance himself as he parts his lips to let Harlan's tongue slide inside. He shifts when Harlan tugs him closer, one knee sliding between Harlan's thighs and thrusting minutely against Harlan's hip. Harlan's fingers stroke through his hair, soothing or coaxing or maybe just to let Marcus know he's there, that this…whatever between them is real. Because sometimes it's hard to believe they're really doing this, even harder to believe that there was ever a time when they hated each other.
Long moments later Marcus pulls away to pant for breath, lips wet and swollen and Harlan wants to drag him right back in for another kiss. Instead he leans up, mouth pressed against Marcus' neck and nipping at the bruised skin there. "We're just having a good time, Marcus," he murmurs against the other boy's skin before he pulls back to meet Marcus' gaze. "Right?"
That gets him an enthusiastic nod, and Harlan grins and angles his thigh to push a little more insistently against Marcus' cock. He likes teasing Marcus, likes the way his eyes roll back when Harlan catches him by surprise. He likes the way Marcus' lips part on a moan, the way he kisses Harlan back like he needs Harlan to breathe. But most of all he likes Marcus, likes knowing how much he wants Harlan and how far he's willing to go to prove it.
Marcus is rocking hard against him now, making needy little noises in the back of his throat and he's finally managed to relax, because he doesn't flinch when Harlan's hand slides under his shirt. He traces patterns on Marcus' skin, his free hand on Marcus' hip to keep him from moving too fast. Because they're not in any hurry, and he kind of likes that Marcus needs him so much that he can't stop himself from riding Harlan's thigh.
It's hot in a way Harlan never would have expected, but there are a lot of things about Marcus he wasn't counting on, so there's not much that surprises Harlan anymore. Marcus is breathing hard against his neck, lips moving restlessly over his skin and Harlan wants to stop him, peel off all his clothes so he can watch Marcus flush all over. He knows Marcus wouldn't go for it, though, because he's hard and desperate but he's not that far gone, so he settles for hot, breathless kisses and slides his hand down Marcus' back to grip his ass.
"Come back to my house this weekend," he says, voice low and a little breathless and Marcus pulls back to stare at him with a vaguely unfocused expression.
"Really?"
"No, Marcus, I'm just fucking with you," Harlan answers, fingers pressing that spot at the base of Marcus' tailbone through his uniform pants. "Yeah, really. I want you where you don't have to worry about who's going to see us."
Marcus is still thrusting against him, frantic like he just can't help himself, and Harlan definitely knows that feeling. He leans forward and presses their lips together again, just breathing against the other boy and a few quick thrusts later Marcus stiffens and comes with a muffled gasp.
It's hotter than Harlan expected, and he's a second away from reaching down and unzipping his pants when he hears the doorknob rattle. And he didn't know Marcus locked the door, but it's probably a good thing because it gives Marcus time to pull himself together before his roommate walks in.
A key scrapes in the lock and Marcus scrambles backwards, red-faced and embarrassed and Harlan knows he's not as cool with all this as he wants Harlan to believe. But Harlan doesn't really mind, because he can still taste Marcus on his tongue and hear his voice whispering in Harlan's ear, broken and needy and just for him. And he's still hard, but he doesn’t bother trying to hide it. Instead he reaches for his discarded Calculus book and rolls onto one side, giving Marcus a perfect view of his ass.
He can't see Marcus' blush, but he can feel it, glances up to find Marcus' roommate staring like he didn't actually believe the rumors until right now. As soon as Harlan looks at him he flushes and looks away, mumbling something about the library before he grabs a stack of books off his desk and disappears again. And he has a feeling they'll be spending a lot more time at his house than they will in Marcus' room, but as long as they're together he doesn't really care where they are.