[Ryan + Gabriel + Luke] firelight in your eyes

[gil]

Gabriel's day had been less than good.

Ryan had been stressed out and irritable. Then, he met his new roommate, found he was attractive, and already bludgeoned any social opportunity to death. In fact, he'd done so poorly that the other boy literally left the room, obviously distressed. And what had poor Luke done besides getting a bit personal, and offering unwanted concern? He just had to go and open his mouth.

He'd been procrastinating on going to lunch. He didn't want to accidentally run into Luke and make him any more uncomfortable. Blue eyes fell on the clock, planning when exactly he'd creep downstairs. He felt so low, hiding like this, feeling guilty. He was curled up the same way that Luke found him, not willing to mess up the blankets yet, forehead pressing against his knees. This was a position of attempted reassurance. He remembered curling up like this in a closet when he was a child and he was scared that his mother's boyfriend was going to hurt him, or when he was scared of the other boys in the group home. He was trying to comfort himself, and failing miserably.

Ryan had been waiting in the dining hall for a while; he hadn't done anything besides drop his personal belongings in his dorm room. He didn't really want to deal with some idiotic roommate right now. Gold eyes wouldn't reveal much emotion to anyone he didn't know, but it would be obvious to anyone close to him that he wasn't happy. Idiotic as it was, he had a little premonition that whatever roommate Gabriel had was going to wind up being an issue. The weak-minded little second year would be so easy for one of these boys to take advantage of. The school felt much more sexual this year. He'd witnessed people having sex already, or rather intense make-out sessions. He doubted all these people had been lifelong companions, either. What would happen when someone lured Gabriel up to their bedroom?

Though he didn't love Gabriel or anything ridiculous like that, he still held a certain...fondness for the boy. Gabriel was his masterpiece, carefully sculpted to a thing of beauty. Were he to give Gabriel any order, he knew the boy would obey. He abused him, and the boy still seemed happiest right next to him. He gave Ryan as much sexual control as he wanted, never complaining. Next to all that, he was attractive. Small, too skinny for his own good, with gorgeous blue eyes. The boy just seemed to beg to be fucked with, to be someone's toy. Emotionally, he was extremely needy, and self-loathing. Ryan had messed with people, but never completely taken them over and rebuilt them to be what he pleased. What artist wouldn't be pissed with the idea of someone defiling their artwork?

He was standing, facing the cafeteria window. It was near where he and Gabriel had always eaten last year, off by themselves, away from the other students. Sometimes, if he was feeling especially sickened by people, he'd take Gabriel outside to eat, but he wanted to establish what was his by eating with the others, next to his boy.

Gabe made his way down the stairs carefully, each of his movements subdued. The boy almost seemed dwarfed by the empty hallway, seeming even smaller in his oversized hoodie. Guilt and fear wrenched at his stomach, over Luke and all the other people here and whether or not Ryan was still mad at him. Life seemed so complicated right now.

He opened the doors, eyes almost immediately falling on his usual dining spot, finding that Ryan was looking away from him, hands in jean pockets and poker-faced as usual. Having fixed on his target, Gabriel approached quietly, coming up alongside his older caretaker, brushing against his arm as he did so. It was a very feline gesture, like winding around his legs, Gabriel was requesting his attention. The small boy remained silent, afraid to anger Ryan, who gave him a sideways glance, little emotion expressed as usual.

"You're pale," He noted, observing the boy.

"I don't really feel well," He murmured. It was a half-truth, but he knew better than to discuss Luke with Ryan.

Those piercing, nearly gold eyes caught his, staring through him, before deciding to let it go. "Sit," he ordered, and the skinny little teenager immediately obeyed, casting his eyes down to the table and tracing its surface with his eyes. He couldn't help but recall the earlier interaction with Luke, and he did his best to show no reaction in his face. Ryan took a seat beside him, with a sense of unease.

Something wasn't right.

[kaytee]

He pressed a cool palm to his right eye, shifting the three-ton history books clutched in his left hand so they propped against his hip. The halls were streaming with people, all seeming to want to get somewhere opposite the direction Luke was heading at that moment, which made his walking forward the equivalent of swimming against a rapid. Really, all he wanted to do was drop his books off before they got the better of him. But seeing that the halls seemed to be filling rather than slowly emptying, it was time to change his tactic. Rolling his eyes as an unwary first year blundered head-first into his smooth stomach, reeling back with a horrified expression before scuttling quickly away, he readjusted his direction and pushed against the door leading outside.

He hadn't expected the courtyard to be quite so cold. Then again, maybe if he'd been wearing more than faded jeans and a blue shirt he would've been fine. He hated wearing heavy jackets or hoodies. If he hadn't had classes, he doubted he'd even have on the sand-worn converse shoes he was currently sporting. His bag flopped against his thigh, reminding him of where he'd set out for in the first place. Looking over his shoulder, however, he decided the walk to the dorms was too far for his lazy ass at the moment. Besides, there was a good chance he'd run into Gabriel there.

Even thinking about that boy made him feel guilty, defeated, determined, warm, and confused all at the same time. God, he'd gotten deep.

He sighed, Gabriel's irresistibly blue eyes overtaking his thoughts for the thousandth time that day. As hard as he tried to change it, the truth was that his roommate had made it impossible to get him off Luke's mind. He had gone into the school convinced that his roommate would be either unbearable to live with or all too easy to control, to bend to his will and use as he pleased. Because really, that's the kind of guy Tucker had made out of him. Perhaps that was one of the things he'd begun to slowly warm up to about being with Gabriel, he could be the soft, patient person he used to be. But really, how he felt around the boy was only a small reason at the most for his growing obsession. He knew the driving reason was undoubtedly everything about Gabriel. The way the fifteen year old could send shivers through his body just by looking at him, or how his quietly fearful voice always left him wrenched but wanting more.

But he'd gone and screwed the whole thing up. Luke Alexander, world-class botcher.

His stomach tightened recalling the end of their dorm scene, reliving the torturous terror in Gabriel's eyes as he struggled to even function beside Luke. If only he hadn't been such a dick and given Gabriel the space he desired.. He ran a hand frustratedly through his wind-tousled mess of hair, hiking his bag farther up his shoulder and wrenching the door to the cafeteria open with more force than he'd meant. He knew the truth was that he couldn't possibly stay away from Gabriel. Not if he tried.

The noise and turmoil of the cafeteria hit his ears, and for a moment he considered turning back and just escaping to the stillness of the Fine Arts Wing. He wasn't really hungry, and something told him Gabriel would show up sooner or later. Before he could even think about it, however, he was bustled in by a third year he had no recollection of knowing. The guy talked to him like they were old friends, taking hold of his tanned arm and directing Luke around the edge of the large room. His eyes automatically scanned the rows of tables, alighting on the oversized dark grey hoodie making it's way over to an undoubtedly good-looking, if solemn-faced, guy in the far corner. His throat tightened, and even as he took a seat beside the third year he was unable to break his gaze from Gabriel's wiry form as he meekly slumped down beside the older boy.

He wanted to be that boy.

Not wanted, he needed to be that boy. And that's what made him so uneasy.

He bit his lip, rolling the apple he didn't know had been placed in his hand under his fingers absently. At first he'd wanted to run again. Then he'd been tempted to try and resolve whatever shred of friendship he'd made with Gabriel. Now he was held to the spot, his blue gaze finding it difficult to tear away from the small boy on the other side of the room.

[gil]

Gabriel knew he should be eating, even if his stomach still felt queasy from his incident with Luke. He'd have to apologize, but that involved starting a conversation, and he was...bad at that. Hell, even without the difficult subject matter, it would be hard for him to just go up to someone and start talking. By this point, Luke probably didn't even want to be around him, considering how quickly he'd left the room, and chasing someone across the campus would be terribly awkward. And what would Ryan think if he caught Gabriel trying to find someone and trying to talk to them? He'd have to corner him in their room, which would still be awkward, even if Luke would then be clothed.

With a soft sigh, he rested his arms on the table and his head on top of them, peering up at his companion. "Have you been to your dorm yet? Did you meet your roommate?", spoken without breaking his words, but voice still soft and timid as usual. There was an unspoken question of what exactly, if he had met his roommate, he had done to him. Had Ryan found another toy in whatever boy he'd been paired with? There was always the concern, hidden in the back of his mind, that Ryan wouldn't want him anymore. Gabriel didn't expect to be Ryan's one and only, or anything like that, but he was always, subconsciously, worried that he would be abandoned for not being good enough.

"No..." Ryan replied, before stopping short. He could a curious prickling on the back of his neck, the sensation that someone was staring at him--or, worse, coveting his possession. A frown passing over his features, he glanced around at the population of the cafeteria, before his eyes landed on Luke, noticing the way that he stared at Gabriel. He looked like a flaky kid; blonde, tan, a pretty boy, but he was visibly upset, while taking a good long look at Gabriel.

A dark look passed over his face as he stared directly at Luke from across the room, not bothering to mask his dislike and displeasure at having something he owned be watched, like Gabriel was a piece of meat. Who was this kid, anyway? Ryan could find himself becoming more pissed with the second, glaring every bit of his anger toward the insolent child across the room. Something needed to be done, now, before some idiot--or, specifically, this idiot--got the impression that Gabe was at all available as a target for the sexual experimentation that seemed to be everywhere at this school. His gaze swiveled over to the pint-sized teenager next to him, planning his next move.

Without giving the skittish boy any kind of warning, he reached into his lap, caressing his leg though the blue jeans. Gabriel almost automatically tensed, color that had faded from his face after his few minutes with Luke returning again. He glanced up nervously to try to meet Ryan's eyes, not certain what was happening, but he was already looking back to Gabriel's admirer. His hand remained, giving a very well-placed, mid-thigh squeeze, making Gabriel inhale sharply, looking away suddenly. He hadn't the slightest why the older boy was doing this right now--having not spotted Luke, all it seemed was that Ryan had chosen to grope him. The thing was that doing this during lunch, in front of other people, teachers...he normally didn't do that. And just simple groping was rare. They couldn't exactly have overly rough sex in the middle of the cafeteria.

At least, Gabriel hoped that wasn't the plan. There had been no relenting yet.

As he teased his younger plaything, hand rubbing near his groin, Ryan figured it was only fair to give him some hint of what was happening. He looked so confused...and maybe then he could understand any later punishment that came from this, besides the humiliation of being fondled in the middle of a crowded room. "Would you like to tell me exactly who the blonde is, and why he's been staring at you for the last several minutes?" He questioned in a cold voice, barely disguising rage.

Startled, Gabriel lifted his gaze as a reflex, but Ryan almost immediately growled--all rather quiet--"Put your head down", a command that was responded to with a flinch and the lowering of his head, still clearly blushing.

"I--" He tried to defend himself, but another snarl interrupted him.

"Shut up."

[kaytee]

He didn't like to consider himself a very emotional person. Through everything he'd always done, he'd never been the guy to just bear his soul out for everyone to see. It was maddening at times to see others do it so easily. Like it was the most normal thing in the world to let others practically see right through you. Actually, the more he thought about it, he resigned himself to the fact that it probably was normal. No, he'd always been the guy who never let anything get under his skin, the type that would be more likely to chuckle and walk away from the issue instead of letting himself get dug deeper into whatever was going on, no matter how he really felt about whatever was happening. It was always just easier to pull out before he was unable to turn away. Before he could get attached.

Because really, no matter how fooled he had everyone at this school, Luke Alexander was a relationship coward.

He felt like a witless little girl, unable to institute anything beyond his pathetic attempt at spying on the blue-eyed fifteen year old across the room. Was it really spying, though? That made him feel as if he were shadier than he really was, like his intentions might be less concern and guilt and need if they were tied to the term. Besides, he wouldn't have even gone into the cafeteria if his arrival hadn't been courtesy of... of..

Whoever this guy was.

If he hadn't been so engulfed in everything and anything Gabriel, he might've taken the time to rip his fixed gaze from the small boy and at least find out what the tall third year's name was, or why he'd dragged Luke in here and practically forced him to take the seat on the left-hand side of the other. His brow furrowed as he rubbed a cheek with his hand frustratedly, the same small inkling pushing it's way through his conscience that had been showing up more and more often that day. Gabriel. The boy was constantly on his mind. He was pretty sure he'd even flunked a science test earlier because of it, the jury was still out on the results of his history exam. The whole thing was making his stomach knot queasily. He knew his thoughts were replaying like a broken record, he knew he really needed to get his mind off his roommate for at least a minute or two. But deciding it was one thing. Putting it into action? That was proving about as difficult as breathing underwater.

He felt the strange consciousness that he was being watched, half considering forgetting about finding who exactly was eyeing him as he watched Gabriel lean forward, propping his flawless face against curled fingers on the table. Wondered how those cute hands would feel against his face. He swallowed hard against the guilty tension under his ribcage, blue gaze finally flitting to the stormy amber eyes burning a hole in him from the seat next to Gabriel. Who was he? And a better question, why did he act as though he was trying to telepathically kill Luke from across the cafeteria? His jaw clenched as he returned the boy’s stare, not quite as loathingly as the other’s gaze but hardened in a “what the hell” way all the same. He felt his face growing hot when the boy’s hostile scrutiny abruptly ended, the other’s amber-colored eyes flickering quickly to Gabriel.

That hand that suddenly found Gabriel’s thigh, causing the boy to stiffen and retract inwardly, was enough to send a spark of indignation that sent him half-rising from the bench. He was still only half-sitting, the hand gripping the edge of the table beginning to turn white at the knuckles as he met the older boy’s eyes, hatred beginning to convey itself more clearly this time as he caught the slight jump from Gabriel, the boy’s hand delivering a questionably-placed squeeze to his terrified roommate’s upper thigh.

His eyes left Ryan’s for a moment, his gaze flickering towards realization as he quickly started putting together the pieces. It was clear Gabriel had known this guy previously, not only by the way he’d headed straight towards him upon entering the building but also by the way he so meekly put himself before the prick. It was starting to make sense. The bruises. The terrified demeanor. How the hell hadn’t he seen it before? He’d known Gabriel wasn’t giving him the truth back at their dorm, but he’d hoped that maybe he could be proven wrong.

Just goes to show, luck doesn’t always favor the prepared.

He wasn’t about to let this guy publicly humiliate the blue-eyed boy beside him. He stood up almost automatically, striding intently past the rows of boisterous tables, his eyes never leaving Ryan’s bright amber gaze. Without even considering the consequences, it was obvious the other boy was a head taller than him at the least, he softly wrapped a hand around Gabriel’s arm, tugging him away from the table. And Ryan.

“Get the fuck off of him, prick” he quietly growled, his voice not bothering to mask the malice. Who puts on a face when the war’s already here?

[gil]

Those pretty blue eyes were fixed to the surface of the cafeteria table, tracing every irregularity on it, hands folded in his lap and head bowed as his heart speed picked up again. Gabriel knew that he'd screwed up, majorly. Ryan was usually better at hiding this emotion, but his anger was undisguised at this point, even in his voice. It also involved someone who was staring at him. The wishful thinking was that his admirer was just some stranger, some horny guy who just happened to be blonde and staring at him. Realistically, he was well aware that the chances of this were slim. Who'd stare at him? He just looked like a sad twelve-year-old. Chances were that this was his roommate. From what he had seen of Luke, Ryan was not going to be at all pleased to meet him. He could still feel Luke's hand on his chin when he thought back to it, the warmth of his skin and the quiet, gentle way he'd started to speak after Gabriel had become upset. At this point, he could only hope it wouldn't be brought up--Ryan would be extremely angry with him.

He would rather take the humiliation of being groped like this than the pain of being punished for disobedience or insolence later. He knew that Ryan was already aggravated, and adding a catalyst to that anger was not going to be beneficial to any cause of his. Gabriel's relationship with Ryan hinged on being able to take the better route, even if both were uncomfortable, and never, ever to deny the other boy what belonged to him. Last year, when this little game first began, it was established that the small teenager was basically property. He was not to disobey or undermine his "owner", and, if he did so or caused someone to do so, then he was subject to the punishment that Ryan would undoubtably give him. Shockingly, he was contented with the situation, simply for what he got in return.

Ryan held his gaze steady as he approached, part of him curious to see what happened. He had an inkling that his little Gabriel was not entirely an innocent party in the creation of this little power play. The fact that Luke was coming to him was actually good; he could gauge how to punish Gabriel, as well as feel out exactly how big a problem the Aussie was. He'd called him out on this for a reason; he needed to know several things. The first was his relationship with Gabriel. He had a lurking suspicion that they were roommates, seeing that Gabriel wasn't one to be out socializing. The second was exactly how advanced whatever relationship they had was. If his boy was already screwing around with the first stranger he came into contact with, there would be hell to pay. The third was to see how useful this boy would be to his own cause--he didn't, of course, believe the boy would want his agenda, but he already knew that Gabriel was leverage against Luke.

The little blonde wasn't actually aware of Luke's presence until he was gripped by the arm, having had his gaze cast down as Ryan wanted. His whole body tensed up at being moved, stumbling and rather confused as to who was leading him and where he was going and why, seeming to get smaller again, like he just wanted to escape this awkward situation. He kept his head down still, trying his best not to offend his older companion in any more ways than he already had. It wasn't until Luke spoke that Gabriel actually knew who was holding onto him, recognizing the voice but surprised from the difference. He'd heard him speak casually, gently, and shamefully, but never this...anger. He didn't understand what was happening. It was, then, Luke who had been staring at him, but he couldn't really process what that meant right now. Ryan's gaze was still on him--and Luke--at it was extremely intimidating.

Ryan stood, his face steely, eyes somehow cold and burning with fury at the same time. Where did this idiot get off, acting like he had something to get pissed over. "Regardless of public perception, frequently using profanities doesn't make you sound any more intelligent." He advanced, glancing over at Gabriel, who looked frightened and confused, blue eyes pinned to the floor. "Since your mental capacity doesn't show signs of being all that great, I'll try to put this simply: take your hands off of my boy." A sneer passed across his lips. "There's plenty of sluts here; it shouldn't be too hard for you to find a way to amuse yourself."

[kaytee]

He wasn’t even sure how he’d made it across the cafeteria. Really, he knew he should’ve stayed out of it. He was a first-hand veteran of abusive situations, and he was aware that in most cases it was better to refrain from adding any extra incitement to the already fragile situation. As hard as it might seem to keep out of something that begged to be put to a stop, interfering usually just made it all the worse. But yet here he was, running his mouth off to a complete stranger, his hot-cold temper beginning to really flare for the first time since he’d left home. Why did he keep doing this? Getting himself into things when his overall plan had originally been to meld into the blur of classes and uniforms and faces. He really wasn’t looking for trouble, or trying to make any statements about himself. For so long he’d been a one-man show, his devotedness solely to himself and no one else. Now there was someone else.

Gabriel.

He’d never been in love, nor had he ever held that consecrated relationship between parents and son. He wasn’t the most religious person, and there were no siblings in his life. Through all of his seventeen years, he’d never cared too deeply for any one person or thing besides himself. Surfing, he supposed, in a completely different way. Self-serving? That was the Luke he knew. But his timid roommate, reduced to a terrified, trembling mass at the mere thought of instigating a casual conversation even, had somehow become a priority to him. Gabriel was beginning to have that recurring effect over the blonde boy, drawing him into a state of uneasy recognition as he began to rethink certain aspects of himself. He felt ridiculously overprotective, recalling they’d only met not even a day earlier, but he let it play out. He didn’t particularly care what anyone would think of him.

Some would find it disconcerting to have their antagonist hold their gaze steadily. It couldn’t have made less of a difference to Luke, his own cold blue regard meeting the other’s unflinchingly as he wound around the full tables. He held a new level of abhorrence for the taller boy that held Gabriel fast with whatever it was that he did. He had his suppositions, considering the severe bruises Luke was sure weren’t just over Gabriel’s thin shoulder. The amber-eyed boy seemed detached and unexpressive, yet the other’s features delivered a burning hatred towards him that seemed as if it would set him on fire if it lingered too long. The loose fabric of Gabriel’s oversized hoodie bunched beneath his fingers as he felt the small blue-eyed boy tense, stumbling over the bench with his gaze still wrenched to the floor. If he weren’t so indignant, he would’ve felt the same knotting guilt he’d felt all morning for confusing and terrifying his roommate once again.

He was unwavering when the older boy stood, defying gaze meeting the other’s burning fury easily as his hand automatically tightened slightly around Gabriel’s skinny upper arm. His jaw tensed at Ryan’s authoritative tone, and he withheld the overbearing compulsion to make a mark on Ryan’s flawless face as the boy’s malicious gaze flitted to Gabriel for a moment. So Ryan was concerned with Luke’s grammatical choices now? His blue gaze flashed dangerously as Ryan continued, features growing hostile towards the advancing boy before him. “Off your boy..?” he repeated acidly, his voice sternly quiet as he stepped towards Ryan, his hand sliding off the dark hoodie it’d been clutching.

“He’s not a dog, asshole. He has a name.” he retaliated, choosing to continue his current usage of profanities whether it was making him sound more intelligent or not. His voice had begun to rise slightly, earning a few bemused glances from the boys at the table nearest the trio. “And he’s not some object you can use.. god forbid you should see him as anything but your own personal sex toy.” The mere idea that Ryan thought that was all he wanted from Gabriel sent a pang of outrage through his nerves. He was different from the cold boy in front of him. He actually cared.

[gil]

Gabriel could practically feel Ryan's disapproval and anger, even though he couldn't see him. He was using the same tone he'd used when an adult man had tried to coerce his smaller companion outside of a supermarket while Gabriel had stayed with him over the summer, Ryan having gone inside to get his money out of the supermarket's bank. There had been hell to pay when he finally got outside, furious with both the man and Gabriel. Of course, he simultaneously destroyed his ability to communicate with other people or stand up for himself while expecting him to do the same for creepy old men.

Gabriel took a lot of bullshit from their relationship. Ryan's temper, so controlled in public, when it needed to be, often flared up around the blonde boy. He was yelled at and punished for doing things he didn't know would be upsetting for Ryan, or for things that other people did in his presence--things he had absolutely no control over. He tolerated punishments that would be enough to send his abuser to therapy, if not juvie. Sexually, he was expected to engage in activities that were uncomfortable for him, to pleasure Ryan when he himself got little reciprocation. One of the ultimate offenses he could commit would be to deny him sex. He had tried, once, when their relationship had been new. He had been subjected to verbal abuse, beatings, and rape. A lot of Gabriel's willingness was based off of loyalty to Ryan, and the rest was based off of fear, or knowing better than to piss him off. The other offense, the kind that he feared would make Ryan homicidal, would be to be attracted, at all, to another person, or, worse, to engage in romantic or sexual acts with them, despite the fact that Gabe obviously didn't receive much love from their relationship.

The average person would be completely befuddled as to why someone would stay in such a relationship. It wasn't immediately obvious what Gabriel got from this arrangement. He wasn't petty enough to stay for Ryan's (admittedly) good looks. No, it had more to do with his perception of his own inadequacy. There was a part of Gabriel that viewed himself as worthless, as a screw-up. He blamed himself for just about everything--all the people that had hurt him, or left him, or even Ryan's abuse. There was a part of him that was very indifferent to his own suffering. At times, his own inner voice played a cheerleader to Ryan's actions, giving a representative to the abuser directly inside the victim's mind. Still, there remained a part of Gabriel that wanted something better than this, someone to love him, to care about him, to want to stay with him, even if no one else had, a part of him that valued himself enough to imagine something better. This part of him, too, was warped by Ryan. By staying with Gabriel, by assuring him that he had no reason to leave him (and, really, he didn't), he had planted his roots into that tiny shred of idealism not yet killed. Once he had Gabe buying into it, he had done his best to drill into the boy's head that there was no one else who'd ever stay with him, that others would leave him. Though Gabe knew he was being abused, the fear of losing someone else stayed with him.

He wanted desperately to get away from the situation, but, ironically, he didn't know what to do with himself when Luke finally let go of him arm. He could feel where fingers pressed against bruises still; he hadn't complained for fear of making Ryan look even guiltier. Retreating behind Luke would make it look like he was seeking the boy's protection, and even more so the cause of this little scuffle, but to go to Ryan, he'd have to go past Luke, and there was a conceivable chance that Ryan would hit him in front of these people, seeing how upset he was. He wound up wandering back towards the window he had Ryan had been near, arms folding across his chest in a subconscious attempt to get away from this uncomfortable position.

In contrast to Luke's, Ryan's voice remained low but biting, somehow more effective than if he were yelling. Morbid dislike flashed in those eyes still. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was guys attempting to mess with his plaything. "You clearly have an intense understanding of our relationship." 'Relationship' wasn't a word he used frequently when talking about Gabriel, however, it was necessary in this situation to deter the boy's admirer. "Obviously, I use him only for sex, whereas your bond is one of deep understanding and trust that developed, well, today, wasn't it? You stormed over here after I touched his thigh. Naturally, this little power play has nothing to do with your interest in having sex with him." It was a low snarl, that of a predator fending off its prey. He moved in closer, wanting to exert his dominance over the smaller boy. "Gabriel knows exactly how well I've taken care of him, that I'm the only person in his life that hasn't treated him like an object." He raised his head, eyes finding the smaller boy cowering over by the window.

"Well, Gabe? You're clearly such good friends. Why not tell him about everyone else who's objectified you and mistreated you, since he seems to already have found me out." The sarcasm on the last part was evident, but the suggestion was obviously quite serious. He was ordering Gabriel to talk about painful memories as a form of punishment, likely only the beginning, the verbal punishment before the physical.

Gabriel could feel his heart jump into his throat at the suggestion. Actually disobeying an order out of pure shock, he lifted those blue eyes to Ryan's face with an expression of absolute terror. "No...please, Ryan..." He begged, voice still quiet as ever. He could feel himself start shivering again with distress, knowing that Ryan was going to make him talk.

[kaytee]

He wasn't the type of person one would normally expect to be any sort of force in an argument. His height didn't help the situation any, but his looks otherwise didn't exactly scream "aggressive" either. If anything, they illustrated quiet the opposite. This other boy, Ryan, had a darkly attractive appeal about him, his nearly emotionless face offset by strikingly amber eyes and dark hair that was perfectly in order. He was taller than Luke, not a hard feat to achieve, with a trim figure that fit him well. If he hadn't gotten involved in the less than pleasant way he had, didn't realize what this boy's mind must be like, he was sickened to think that he might've been more than the least bit intrigued by him. Just the words echoing in his head made his stomach flip uncomfortably now. But the fact was, Ryan was a daunting factor when he was angry. Then there was Luke. His tanned skin and unkempt blonde hair, paired with his vibrantly blue eyes and fit physique, gave off the impression of a spoiled flake. Which, coincidentally, he wasn't.

He didn't register the fact that his actions could prove painful in the future for Gabriel, didn't comprehend what Ryan could be led to do because he'd interrupted and gotten involved. The thought should've at least crossed his mind, but right now his focus was solely on the calmly furious boy in front of him. He didn't feel any sense of ownership over Gabriel like Ryan so obviously did, he wasn't one to dominate other people so oppressively. But he felt something towards the small boy, something that made the mere thought of the older boy forcing Gabriel into things he didn't want to do cause his nails to dig into his palms. He knew Gabriel probably wasn't free of his phobias before Ryan had gotten hold of him, but it was certainly this taut-faced boy's fault Gabriel was the trembling, helpless wreckage he was today. He couldn't understand how the boy had stayed with Ryan this long, Gabriel's dire need for a solid connection, no matter what it required enduring, lost on Luke. It just wasn't something he could comprehend, having never been in a situation where he would function that desperately.

He wanted to get Gabriel away from his situation. Not just momentarily, but in the long run as well. His first impression had been less than favorable, and a small part of him had already resigned to the fact that he'd blown whatever hopes he'd had of being the one Gabriel clung to. Shirtless and forward wasn't what he'd wanted to convey. But that was Luke, world-class screw-up of Eddingborough Academy.

The new kid came with a title.

He hated how Ryan remained cooly seething in stark contrast to his blatant, more clamorous indignation. Maybe the other's more quiet demeanor in this situation would've been less of an irritant if he hadn't already ignited, that short fuse finally dissolving. He stood rooted to the spot, cutting off his own advancements and keeping his flashing gaze on Ryan's provoked amber eyes. Anyone else would've probably cowered under the lethal wrath they held, but Luke was strangely undaunted. He wasn't sure if this meant he was a complete and utter fool or if he was more intrepid than he'd thought. More Likely he was a fool. He hated the cold taunting in Ryan's steadied voice, his gaze flitting to where Ryan's landed as the other lifted his head. His blood pumped deafeningly in his ears at Ryan's masked order, Gabriel's face rising to meet the boy's with a look of sheer terror, his words broken as he cowered pleadingly.

He hardly felt himself close the small distance between himself and Ryan in one lunging step before it'd already happened. At the same moment as he'd moved forward, his left hand flew to the neck of Ryan's shirt, clutching the fabric securely as it crumpled and bunched beneath his fingers. His right arm flew towards the taller boy's distinguished jawline, whitened knuckles impacting against the side of the other's face squarely, giving the boy a firm shove backwards as he let go of the front of the other's shirt. One had to admit, the force behind his well-placed punch was greater than what was to be expected from the smaller of the two. Whether it would greatly affect Ryan or not still remained to be seen.

"Leave Gabriel alone, dillhole." It was nearly a shout as his deep breaths began to ebb more shallowly from the set line of his lips, the boys at the table near them now careening around on the bench with expectant features. Luke, it had to be said, was the least bit surprised that there seemed to be a sudden lack of teachers.

Not that he minded. He wasn't particularly in the mood to be reprimanded for any of his actions.

[gil]

Ryan was too startled to react. He'd figured out already that Luke was a hot-headed loudmouth, but he hadn't expected that the boy would take his temper so far as actually doing more than bluffing and blowing off steam. Even more startling was being hit by a kid who was remarkably shorter than he was. It was a bad idea to underestimate the small kids; Luke threw a rather powerful punch, taken directly to his jaw. He could feel the sudden pain erupting in his jaw, a soft noise escaping his lips at the punch, but keeping his face straight to show no pain, only more anger, more hatred toward this little kid that was doing his very best to screw with some of the things that he cared about, specifically, his control over Gabriel. Gabe was his first successful takeover. He had manipulated people into sex or other things, but the little blonde boy was the first he'd managed to completely take over, the get him to give himself entirely. The last thing he was going to tolerate was some punk coming in and trying to 'protect' Gabe. Protect him? The boy was clearly scared shitless.

He moved forward, an automatic response to being shoved, putting himself right in the other boy's face. "Leave him? Have you asked Gabriel what he thinks about that?" His voice was still low, but the increase in the fury in his tone was obvious. "The more you talk, the more obvious it is that you don't know jack about him." It pissed him off, this little kid acting like he knew what was best for someone he obviously didn't understand. Ryan knew Gabriel inside and out, knew all of his worst fears, the traumas he'd experienced. Encouraging another person to leave him was like stabbing him in the back with helpfulness. The neurotic boy had confessed in him, early on in the game, that he was scared that Ryan would leave him. Obviously, Luke didn't know about these hidden paranoias. Pathetic, that he thought he somehow had a deep understanding of Gabriel from whatever minor interaction they had earlier on.

Gabriel watched on in his usual timid way. When Luke attacked Ryan, he seemed to grow smaller again, cringing away like he himself was the one who'd been hit--which wasn't too far off. Ryan was all riled up now, and obviously connecting this incident with him. A boy raising issues with his treatment? Getting riled when Ryan did anything to Gabriel? In Ryan's mind, that would be largely an issue of infidelity, and worth of a good beating. His roommate, however, had made this a personal insult by punching him--something he'd have to resolve, in other words. Gabe had been with Ryan long enough to know that he was already the largest weakness noticeable in Luke, and that he would be thus made into an example of what happened when you messed with his property. He didn't want to upset either boy. He just wanted to make things better, for this to go away, so he wouldn't have to suffer punishment for what he didn't do.

Gabriel was a small, timid boy, a mouse in the battlefield of horses, even more so when he was frightened and upset, which he definitely was at the moment. The boys in the cafeteria didn't really noticed, more interested in the idea of a fight than the real victim of these proceedings. There would be no upside for him, just pain any way. He would feel responsible if anything happened to Luke, and, as he deeply cared about Ryan, he would be upset if he was hurt, too. Any win in this argument would end with him being beaten as punishment.

Still shaking with distress, he forced himself to move forward, despite his legs feeling weak, like they couldn't support him. What the hell was he doing? He was only going to make Ryan angry. Still, he couldn't help but speak up, gaze reluctantly up. He just wanted to disappear inside of his sweatshirt. His throat felt dry, like his body was rebelling against the words he intended to speak. "Please--please, stop." Speaking almost startled himself; he hadn't been expecting himself to actually do it. He lowered his head quickly, heart beating faster. He was fully expecting a beating for speaking up.

[kaytee]

His hand stung from the force of his blow, falling tensely to his side as he kept the fist firmly curled, ignoring the fact that his knuckles were throbbing lightly. The boy's jaw had collided wholly with his clenched hand, though by the looks of the other's unchanging expression Luke's blow had been none too serious. So there was a battle won and a battle lost from his action. At least he'd hit Ryan, even if there was no real damages to speak of, from what he could see. It wasn't like Luke to strike with every intention of inflicting the other. He was all too aware that what goes around eventually comes around, and yet now he was all too comfortable with the idea of bruising the taller boy in front of him. He wasn't fighting for himself. He wanted Ryan to feel what it was like to hurt, sure enough he'd bet money that the dark-haired boy had never even felt the intense ache lingering days after a decent hit. Ryan was obviously always the puppeteer in his endeavors, so any injuries to the boy would be of his own accord anyway.

He moved forward slightly to meet Ryan as he stepped forward, close enough that their chests bumped against one another. He tilted his chin upward slightly, fixing his burning blue gaze on the other's amber eyes. The boy's breaths shifted through his unkempt hair, Luke's chin jutting tersely as the other's scathing voice hit his burning ears. "Look at him!" he angrily shouted at the other, his arm jerking upward in a quick movement as he thrust a pointed finger towards Gabriel. His loud voice reverberated off of the walls for a few moments before he continued, his voice low and mordant enough to match Ryan's. "I know how he'd feel. Terrified. That's all he ever is. The only reason he cares if you leave is because you've made it impossible for him to let anyone else in. He can't lose you because there's nobody to run to." His voice had grown tighter, the words sticking to his throat before they were spat forcefully off his tongue. "I might not know jack about him, but at least I care", his pointed finger came around, prodding Ryan's chest harshly to strengthen the last word, "It's all just some sick game to you, isn't it?"

He wasn't even aware that he'd probably just dug Gabriel into a deeper hole by admitting he cared about the boy. By giving Ryan that piece of information, though the other was smart enough he'd probably already figured out that Gabriel was a weakness in Luke, it allowed the taller boy a foot in the threshold. Gabriel was bound to pay for what was happening, for one reason or another. His hands rose to clench around the fabric of Ryan's shirt, again shoving the boy out of his face forcefully. He was unaware that Gabriel had begun to move forward, hesitantly shuffling closer to the two boys as the small blonde shrunk more and more back into the depths of his sweatshirt. Gabriel's frightened tone filled the sudden empty space hovering between Luke and Ryan, his struggled plead barely reaching Luke through the haze of rage blocking his rationality.

He swung around, his face flushed angrily as his hard gaze fell over the cowering fifteen year old. If he'd realized what he was doing, he'd have thoroughly died. His voice rose once again, not quite a shout but loud enough to be thoroughly daunting. "And why should I? This guy's practically killed who you are, Gabriel. You're so bent to his will that you don't even realize you're not alone. I don't understand why in hell you'd ever stay with him, it's willing homicide." His voice was heated and tight, the expression crossing his face conveying utter vexation even as his eyes briefly reflected the suddenly buried hurt he harbored for Gabriel.

He could see how every minute with Ryan was like poison in the smaller boy's veins, each retribution Gabriel received thoroughly killing a shred of who the blue-eyed boy was. He wanted to get his roommate out of the situation before it was far too late, before he hardly knew who he was anymore. He'd never felt so attached on so many levels, and the honest truth was that the idea that he'd already gotten so deep thoroughly scared him.

[gil]

Ryan looked down at Luke with such contempt, chest-to-chest as he grew more and more furious. He was a little kid, one that seemed flaky and immature, the kind that Ryan would scoff at mildly and then ignore, had they met in any other way. Now, though, he was completely pissed off with the younger boy's insolence, the way he was so certain he knew what was best for Gabriel. It was obvious that there was some sexual attraction in there, considering how riled he got over what had started out as anger over the way hands had slipped into the small blonde boy's lap. From a relatively harmless incident, this boy had managed to attract a crowd, and was screaming loud enough for his voice to echo and bounce off of cafeteria walls. There was no way that this was entirely based off of platonic concern for someone he'd met a few hours ago. Despite being hit in the face and having Luke yelling at him, Ryan responded by just smirking. It was silent mockery, deflecting all of the progress that Luke felt he'd made.

Ignoring the urge to hit the boy after being so prodded, he replied, "And you're under the impression that it's me who made him the way he is? This is why it's very useful to know what the hell you're talking about. I couldn't have made him like this if I tried." His eyes flickered back to the boy in question, considering making him speak about his problems, ,about everything tht had made him the neurotic, anxious mess that he was. "He's scared to be left because enough people have. I'm quite certain you'll 'care' for as long as you think you can get sex from him, thanks to this little stunt." Those beautiful golden eyes narrowed mockingly. "Anyone else who's tried to gets in only sees a pretty, vulnerable boy, like you. They'll use him for as long as it pleases them. I'm not exposing him to that." It was a deceptively woven half-lie. Few people actually valued Gabriel as a person, and the boy's timidness usually scared them off straight away. However, Ryan did his best to keep people away from his boy. In that, Luke's words had truth.

He would have kept going--addressed the accusations of playing a game--but he was distracted by Gabriel's approach. The skinny teenager seemed almost unwilling to say anything, fear already in his eyes before he spoke. Ryan was well aware that he had to be scared out of his mind right now. He didn't like loud noises, especially people shouting, or conflict at all, especially between people that he knew (if the word was really applicable to the foolish brat throwing a hissy hit in front of him). He watched on, curious to see if this would become usable, if Luke would have such a foolish response that it would give Ryan an even better way to encourage his boy to stay away from the Aussie. He'd already revealed quite blatantly that he 'cared' about Gabriel, despite the fact that he barely knew him. Ridiculous, truly.

Things only got better as Luke turned on the petrified boy, anger in his eyes still evident. He was going to yell at him, most definitely. Beautiful, really, when your enemy did your work for you. He watched on, face nearly blank. Gabriel visibly flinched away from his tone of voice. He was very sensitive to people's tone, to the way they spoke to him. Having someone direct their complete fury towards him was cause for more anxiety than normal. Though he never did make eye contact, Gabe's eyes would sometimes still move slightly when he was more at ease, glancing around on the floor, or sometimes looking indirectly to see what was going on around him. Now, his eyes were completely fixed on the floor, head turned a bit to the side, arms still about himself. It was timid, submissive body language, but still trying to escape, disliking being under Luke's wrath.

He wanted to speak. He wanted to speak badly. He wanted Luke to know that it wasn't like that. He really, genuinely, was alone. Though his roommate had the best of intentions, he had yet to prove that he was going to be there, that he was going to stay and support Gabriel, rather than just speaking of it. His reasons for staying with him were legitimate, but he couldn't speak of them, ever. It would be betraying Ryan to someone's question. Gabriel could think of his answers all he wanted, but he knew that, just from the way he was being spoken to, he was never going to repeat any of his thoughts. More than anything else, he seemed like he wanted to escape this, and seemed legitimately scared of Luke at this moment. He didn't know him at all, really. They'd had one incident upstairs, and though he'd spoken gently, Gabriel knew better than to simply trust him based on that. He couldn't see the concern for him, the emotions in matching blue eyes, because he was too scared to look. All he felt was the rage; a similar sensation, to be sure, but still painful.

Ryan stared for a few moments at his shaking, agitated little puppet, irritated that it had gotten to this point. "Leave him the fuck alone." It was suddenly snarled, using profanities that Ryan normally excused himself from for fear of the idiocy that seemed to surround people that overused them. "You care about him so much? You're yelling at him. He's scared. He has anxiety disorders and phobias; you might as well be beating up a kid with cerebral palsy." This was golden material for the tall, lean boy to use. He'd caught Luke in accidental hypocrisy, and planned to use this little incident against him for as long as he could.

ooc;; BLARGH BLARGH BLARGH BAD WRITER'S BLOCK IS BAD. :<

[kaytee]

He could feel the quiet loathing seething from the taller boy before him, the other's cool and collected persona somewhat contradicted by the untethered malice flashing dangerously in the dark-haired boy's amber colored eyes. Luke couldn't help but briefly wonder how many times Ryan had used the same look towards Gabriel, how many times before had the terrorized boy had been forced to cower beneath his scalding gaze. If he hadn't been more than the least bit blinded by his own indignation, Luke probably would've realized now what probably the time to back out, leave the fight like he'd done in so many other cases before anyone innocent could get hurt. But somehow he couldn't. He was physically bound to the spot, returning the amber-eyed boy's heated stare. It was all he could do to not haul off once again when his blatant anger was returned with an inhospitable smirk, his jaw tightening almost painfully as he tried to remain stationary.

"I'm damn sure he wasn't this bad before you got to him and fucked him over." he breathed mordantly, blue eyes narrowing between shallow breaths as he continued, "And why do you think people have left him, huh? Why do you think nobody's been able to stick around long enough to show Gabriel they won't leave him?" He wasn't going to deny that Gabriel had been a perfectly normal boy before Ryan had taken over. Luke Alexander was many things, but one thing he most definitely tried not to be was a dead-out liar. Sometimes it was called for, but in the long run he was more opt to speak his mind than lie for the sake of covering up. But there was hardly a doubt in his mind that it was Ryan's own doing that Gabriel was now wholly unable to reach out or let anyone other than Ryan in. Indignant heat flushed his cheeks at Ryan's accusation, the hands returning to the boy's shirt and gripping it even more tightly than before. He wanted to hit him. He wanted to make the boy pay for even thinking that'd been his intentions.

The truth was, he really did like Gabriel, in more ways than Ryan could know. Just being around the smaller boy, without his dark-haired puppeteer around to overtake his conscience, Gabriel was able to draw feelings from him that he'd never known he even possessed. He felt calm around the blonde boy, his usually overly sarcastic and high-strung personality deeply amiable in the other's presence. Whenever he came in contact with Gabriel, a new gradation of patience and softness overtook his hot-headedness. But there was also a side of him that thought Gabriel was incredibly cute, though the boy seemed determined to believe otherwise. Something about his unkempt blonde hair, his vividly blue eyes, even the slender build of his body, had Luke mesmerized. If it wasn't sex that this boy could bring to mind, it was surely something close. And he hated even admitting that to himself, admitting that Ryan was at least partially right. Then there was the part of him that wanted to reach out to the terrified boy, show him what it was like away from Ryan. He wanted to be able to have the other's trust.

So far, he was doing a great job of accomplishing that...

If he'd been the one watching as he turned on an already terrified Gabriel, there was no doubt that he would've done far more damage than what he'd done to Ryan. It had been purely out of reflex, whatever bit of self-control he still harbored snapping for a few instants as he began lashing into his innocent roommate. He was so exasperated with the idea that Gabriel was so warped into thinking what Ryan told him to believe, so incapable of thinking for himself through his fear and timidity, that the boy thought it was Ryan's right to abuse him. Like it was Gabriel's punishment for being the way he was.

If he hadn't yelled, he probably would've cried.

It was before he'd even finished his berating that he became aware of what it was he was doing. His distorted perspective faded, revealing the indrawn blonde boy timidly standing before him, arms wrapped about the boy's own skinny body with the other's blue gaze on the floor submissively. His stomach knotted painfully as a guilt-induced wave of nausea flooded over his entirety, his throat tight as he tried to swallow. God, he'd screwed up. He wanted to take it back, to undo what he'd just accidentally done, but he didn't know how. He stood there for a few still seconds, his jaw knitting as Ryan's irritated voice cut the empty space. What utterly sent him careening around in umbrage, his lips set into a thin line, was the fact that Ryan was right. He'd just undone everything he'd been defending.

Quickly making his way over to Ryan, he grabbed a taut forearm in each hand, quickly pushing Ryan across the floor until the taller boy was pinned against the wall. The boy's chiseled nose was just begging to be broken, but instead Luke merely tightened his fingers around the boy's arms, digging into Ryan's skin as he glared directly into those amber eyes. He didn't have a retaliation. What could he possibly say when he was the one caught at fault? "At least I regret my mistakes", he finally managed, his voice slightly shaking as he struggled to keep it low.

[gil]

Their bodies were close enough that it would take a mere twitch of the hand to brush against Luke's leg, close enough to bump foreheads against one another's. This was usually more how lovers would stand together, this sort of vicinity usually being reserved for intimacy, but it was quite evident that there was no affection between the two, aggression radiating from Ryan. It would be clear to anyone who didn't know the young man, but to Gabriel, it was more screamed than anything else, blatant and loud. This was especially upsetting to the boy. Normally, Ryan was so self-restrained, saving this variety of pure fury for the worst mistakes that Gabe could make; denying his "owner" what he wanted (usually some sort of sexual act) or complaining about his treatment. "When did you decide that I'm mistreating him, or that I'm exacerbating his illnesses?" His tone was so cold, so hateful. How much longer would he have to tolerate this preachy little brat? Likely, it would be for a long time, unless he could entirely scare him away. For whatever reasoning, Luke had decided that he needed to protect what Ryan viewed as mere property. Why bother with this pathetic 'rescue' attempt? The boy was clearly contented enough.

He brought them almost nose-to-nose as the boy's speech, animalistic snarl in his voice becoming even more prominent. "Tell me why, exactly, you believe this is all my fault. You have proof that I've done anything?" He questioned coldly. It was a winning challenge; the only way he could know even a small portion of what went on between Gabe and Ryan was if he saw the bruises on the smaller boy's body. However, the little blonde wouldn't be at all comfortable with revealing them, more conflict with Luke if the boy dared to try and force him. Gabriel would protect Ryan both intentionally and as a by-product of his own self-preservation. If Luke had seen enough bruises for this abuse to be 100% certain in his mind, then that meant Gabriel had allowed someone to watch him undress, which would basically ammount to a confession of infidelity to his master. Strategically, it was a well-tailored move.

Gabriel's eyes flickered for a brief moment to the door, reflective of a hopeless wish to get out of the situation. Luke was angry at him. It was a harsh reality for him, one that made a sharp dread stab at his stomach. He'd made yet another person upset with him. The thought floated by him that now Luke might try to hurt him like past roommates had, but, with a moment of hesitation, he set the idea aside. Angry though the boy was, he didn't seem like the kind who would beat Gabe up. He'd been gentle towards the end of their previous interaction, even if combined with a rough approach and insensitivity to the smaller kid's need for personal space. Ryan, on the other had, was going to beat the crap out of him as soon as this was over. He wished Luke could see the damage he was doing. Small hands still clutched at bony arms and baggy fabric, trying to reassure and protect himself as the older boys fought. It was odd that, though they were both fighting over him, neither seemed particularly concerned over how unhappy he was, about how alarming this whole situation was for him. Every day in Gabriel's life seemed to range from uncomfortable to painful to terrifying, and few people had ever even considered the way their actions seemed to someone so skittish.

Ryan's taunts finally drove Luke to shove him against a wall, seemingly more furious than before. Apparently what Ryan said had hit an extremely sensitive nerve. The displeasure in amber eyes was obvious, glancing down as the arms being used to restrain his own, muscled and toned from hard work. He wanted those hands off off him with a violent passion. Ryan was used to being the beater rather than the one getting grabbed. He viewed himself as being above others who might place their hands on him, above letting others touch him without permission. A scowl passed across that pretty face before a knee was jerked violently up, the hard bone of his kneecap striking firmly against the other boy's groin, powerful muscles using as much force as possible. Taking advantage of the moment, he yanked his arms out of the vise-like grip Luke had them in and shoved him back, positively glowering.

"First off, keep your filthy hands off me," He spat furiously. "Furthermore, keep your filthy hands off my boy." There was that phrase again, diminishing Gabe through his speech. "I don't know why you've decided that for some reason, Gabe's suffering. He doesn't need your help. I give him what he needs, and trust me, he could be a lot worse than this. All you're doing is complicating things for him." He advanced again, just like he'd so often advanced on his boy as he cowered away. "You're a hypocrite, and that's only going to hurt him." He looked over at Gabriel before bringing his attention back to the offending blonde. "More than you already have, that is." There was undisguised disgust radiating form him now. "You'll always regret it," He growled. "You'll regret using him like a cheap whore, but it won't matter to him, will it?" He had no missed the indignation at his previous suggestion. He intended to play off of that, Luke's little introduction to the game. "You'll find someone else who's more willing to have sex, and then you'll throw him out and leave him like everyone else," he hissed, eyes flashing cruelly before finding his small, frightened companion again. The boy was definitely contemplating what he was saying, though not necessarily believing it. It didn't matter; what he needed now was to set it in Gabriel's head. He could hammer his point in later. The boy, who hadn't looked so well before, was now sheet-white, soft lips a stark contrast to the current shade of his skin. Part of him feared the boy was going pass out from the stress he was being put under. "Look at wha you're doing to him," He ordered Luke. "Just leave him alone."

ooc;; Ryan went heavy on the italics here. x D ;;ooc

[kaytee]

He pressed the boy's lean body further against the wall, not oblivious but utterly uncaring towards the picture they might paint for anyone just entering, with no knowledge of the burning hostility radiating between the two. The force with which he'd pushed Ryan against the wall had left them closer than would usually be suspected, though love was farthest from what either boy exercised. He felt there was ground gained judging by the seething fury emanating strongly from Ryan, beginning to match his own level of blatancy. The taller boy opposite him no longer treated his advancements like a game, brushing off his indignation with a smirk or a haughty rebuttal. Now the amber-eyed boy seemed thoroughly infuriated with him. He was almost thankful for the change in Ryan's attitude, the boy's previously slight diversion vexing him ten times more than if Ryan had just gone ahead and hit him.

He dug his fingers deeper into the other's forearms, blue eyes reflecting his complete resentment for the dark-haired boy. "It was pretty obvious from the minute I met him", he spat, only admitting to half the truth. True, it had been apparent that there was something terribly wrong going on in Gabriel's life, nobody could be quite that paranoid on their own he determined. What he hadn't said was that it'd taken him until he walked into the cafeteria and watched the way Gabriel acted around Ryan to figure out exactly what, or in this case who, was the catalyst behind the smaller boy's trauma. His head stayed level as they drew even closer, his own unkempt blonde hair brushing against Ryan's as the gap closed to within an inch. Although he was far too hot-headed to ever had the same clear sight that Ryan had, his reasoning was less blunted by blind fury after his incidental flare on Gabriel. This time, he could see the corner he'd be putting not only himself, but even more so Gabriel, in if he answered with the sentence on his tongue. It was all he could do to keep his lips pressed in a thin line, jaw clenching almost painfully. Not answering would be letting Ryan win. But all the counters that came to mind would only worsen the situation for Gabriel. When it came to his blue-eyed roommate, his own pride was willingly pushed aside. "Fuck you", he snarled, glaring scathingly at Ryan, aggravated with his lack of any real answer. It was undeniable that Ryan would somehow be able to use this against him.

If he'd thought he would ever put aside his own adulation for the sake of anyone, he probably would've laughed. Before he'd come to Eddingborough, before he'd met Gabriel, he hadn't found a single person that seemed more important than himself. But now, even if he was incoherently causing more harm than help for the small blonde boy, he was pitting himself against a taller, more collected third year because he saw what was happening. Because he genuinely cared about Gabriel. Even if he'd murdered any chance of showing the small boy that. His head was spinning with rage and guilt, both towards Ryan and Gabriel but also towards himself. There was no way he would have sat and let Ryan torment Gabriel, but it was only now beginning to sink in that by interjecting, he'd only worsened things. He felt no remorse whatsoever for everything he'd done and said to Ryan, but lashing out at Gabriel had wounded him. More than anything, he'd wanted to show the boy that he wouldn't give up on him, that he'd always be there for his timid roommate. He wanted Gabriel to understand that what he'd done had been a mistake, that there was no possible way he could possibly be mad at the younger boy. But now wasn't the best time. Not when every other word out of his mouth was spat acidly and he ached to beat Ryan to within an inch of his life. He wasn't exactly in control of himself at the moment.

He was sure Ryan had never been pushed around, had never been the one pinned against the wall instead of administering the act himself. The irritation reflecting from the boy's hard gaze was intense enough to burn a hole in his skin, only urging Luke to press him more harshly against the cool white wall. More than anything, he wanted Ryan to know how it felt to be the one being pushed around. What Ryan had said struck a chord with Luke, a sore spot he'd reacted badly enough to that it was undoubtedly now a part of the taller boy's arsenal against him. With the way Ryan had been avoiding retaliating with any physical contact of his own, Luke was unprepared for the boy's sudden reaction to being slammed against the wall. He wasn't sure why, but he'd expected Ryan to continue being the mind over matter type. The force behind Ryan's knee was far greater than he'd presumed, finding it's target all too solidly with a blow that forced his body to double over painfully, his lungs seizing as all breath left him. His hands sunk from Ryan's forearms, not giving much defiance as the boy jerked away, returning Luke's shoves with a firm reciprocation of his own. He was knocked off balance, a sharp exhale torn from his clenched jaw as he fell backwards, head knocking solidly against the tile. Heavy lids closed as he tried to get his lungs to function again, his head reeling with the pain coursing from between his legs before he pushed himself upward slowly, taut arms propelling him into a standing position. His body was thoroughly throbbing in a few select points now, and he struggled to display himself as unscathed as Ryan had before.

His cheeks flushed with indignation as Ryan's voice rose, referring to Gabriel as if he were a mere object. His body tensed violently as Ryan advanced on him, his chin jutting defiantly as he kept himself rooted, vehemently refusing to give Ryan any leeway over him. He'd gotten the feeling not many people stood up to the taller boy, and he felt Ryan more than deserved to understand that Luke wasn't afraid of him. Perhaps he should've been, but consequences had never been able to sink in well with him. "You give him what he needs?" he shrieked, brow creasing as he stepped forward, foolishly letting himself within inches of Ryan's face again. But Ryan wasn't done, and he was quickly silenced as the boy continued. His words stung bitterly, their truth ringing all too clearly in his burning ears. Hypocrite. It had been accidental, but that was exactly what he was being. For the moment, he felt more anger towards himself than towards Ryan. But it was only momentarily, his resentment piquing to dangerous levels as Ryan prodded his sore spot, returning to the piece of information most valuable to the boy's armaments. His blue eyes followed Ryan's gaze as it alighted upon Gabriel, his vexation reaching critical mass at the look of consideration crossing the small boy's face. His eyes narrowed at Ryan's words before he pivoted quickly, a hand flying to wrap around the taller boy's throat viciously. "Here's a thought, why don't you leave him alone?" he breathed. If he hadn't been so vehement, he would've smirked about now. "It looks like I'm not the only one being hypocritical now."

(( sorry it took me so long to reply, I've been having to deal with my grandfather's funeral.. ;_; ))