The Sage Haze- Chapter Thirty-Two (2)
Title: The Sage Haze
Author: Windseeker2305
Rating: R, NC-17(in later chaps)
Summery: An ongoing series focusing on a group of friends who would literally do anything for each other. Tony and Sheera have been best friends since almost birth and Tony's world is about to be turned upside down when Sheera's cousin Shane moves to town to attend Allmsted University and every ones lives from then seem to get more complicated and little more thrilling.
Disclaimer: Characters within are of my own creation. Do not recreate or repost elsewhere without permission. M/M love and sexual situations as well as M/F love.
Chapter Thirty-Two (part2)
Caleb, Mai, and Sheera were already at the penthouse, spread about with their books and notes, when the three young men arrived. No one said anything as Damien slammed in and went to lock himself in his room with a bang that probably reverberated throughout the high rise building. In the next moment, the sound of Linkin Park’s Pushing Me Away drifted through the penthouse.
Caleb turned to Shane and Tony. “What the fuck is that about?”
“Has something to do with Jared,” Tony said with a shrug. Shane immediately extracted himself from his boyfriend and moved on to situate himself and his books at the kitchen table. Tony could literally see a glass bubble come down around the brat.
He hefted his own backpack, stopped to kiss Sheera’s cheek as she passed him to go have a smoke break, and joined his boyfriend at the table. He’d only just begun to go over his notes for his next exam when his phone went off. Tony leaned back in his chair when he saw who was calling and brought the cell to his ear, staring at Shane’s bent head. “What’s up?”
“Where is he? He’s not answering his phone.”
“Hello to you too, fucker.”
Tony watched Shane’s lips curve into an amused smirk at that greeting. Shane’s lips were just as perfect as his ass. The top lip was a flawless cupid’s bow and his bottom lip was full and pouty and so totally suckable.
“Seriously, Tony. Where is he?”
Tony shifted in his chair and it took great strength to drag his gaze away from Shane’s sexy mouth. “You’ve pissed him off. Where the hell do you think he is? Locked himself in his room again. Music’s blaring… Linkin Park this time. You must have said something really fucked up if he’s harassed to the point of Linkin Park.”
“Linkin Park’s the shit, Tony!” his boyfriend spat vehemently. Tony cocked a smirk. He knew he’d get a reaction from that. Shane was head over heels for that band.
“Least it’s not Eminem,” he went, grinning now as Shane was glaring. The brat didn’t like it when Tony insinuated things about his favorite artists. “That would have meant he’s in a humorous murdering mood,” Tony said to Jared. “It’s good for no one when he starts thinking murder is funny.”
“Keep an eye on him.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “When do I not? Are you swinging by?”
“That’s why he’s angry. I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“...”
“For real, dude. Why not?”
“I’ve got to pack.”
“Clothes? Shouldn’t take you that long. Still got two days.”
“Not clothes, Tony. I’m not going anywhere without the right equipment. I need clean it and then pack it up. Shrod’s taking it on the plane so we don’t have to drive with it. Speaking of driving, there will not be two vehicles. Shrod’s obtained a vehicle that will fit all seven of us. It’ll be safer if we travel together.”
Tony rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. “Jesus, you’re in a paranoid mood. What the fuck do you think is going to happen? It’s a ski trip, for fuck’s sake! Christmas time… you do know what Christmas is, don’t you?”
“I’m still alive because I’m always paranoid.”
“You’re fucked up.” And Tony was once again reminded that Jared had to be more than just IRA. There was a lot about Jared that they just didn’t know about yet.
“So I’ve been told. Watch him.”
“I’ll ask She if she’ll stay the night with him. But just so you know… it’s really pathetic that you’d rather sleep with scopes and bullets than with your lover.”
The voice on the other end was a low growl, “fuck you, Tony.”
Tony grinned at having pissed the Irish fucker off and ended the call without another word. He dropped the cell onto the table and moved away from the table to join Sheera out on the balcony. He stole a cig and told her about the conversation he’d just had with Jared.
“I’ll stay, but I think I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said with a laugh. Tony smiled. Sheera had been in a better mood the last couple of days. Probably because she didn’t have to go to work and hadn’t come into contact with her boss. And the fact that Sheera thought it had all been an elaborate joke about Jake coming on their trip. She was determined to believe it had all been a stupid joke of Damien’s. This thought had Tony’s smile slipping a bit. It was a given she was not going to take it well when Strathom showed up.
“It’s not like he’ll have an actual knife in his bed, She. He’s not going to stab you thinking you’re his nightmares.”
Sheera gave him a sardonic look. “He doesn’t need a knife, Tony. It only has to be semi pointy… when was the last time you were up in the loft? Lots of semi pointy things up there… Nope, I’ll settle for the couch, thanks.”
SHSHSHSHSH
The next day, Shane walked out of his last class a free man… or at least free for a few weeks until the next term started. Most freshmen were finished with their exams by Tuesday, but many upper classmen had exams till the end of Wednesday. That included all his friends with the exception of Damien, who was once again waiting for him at the gate as he ran a bit.
By the looks of it, Shane figured Damien was still ignoring Jared’s calls. The man was leaning against the fence, a morose expression on his face and most importantly, his phone tucked away.
“Dude! Stop looking so down! You’re graduating!” Shane exclaimed as he jogged over. Damien gave a half assed shrug. “Look, man, all you have to do is call him. It was just one night.”
“Why’s it got to be about Jared,” he returned sulkily. “My wonderful world does not revolve around that bastard prick.”
“Okay…” Shane conceded, though he knew he was right in his thinking. “What’s got you so down that you’re not celebrating the last of your school career? If it’s not Jared.”
Damien rolled his blue eyes and pushed away from the fence. “C’mon, cutie. Let’s get you showered and we’ll go grab some food. Sound good?”
“Yeah, cool.”
Once they left the school, Shane turned to Damien, biting his lip. “Hey, Damien…”
They were stopped at a red light and Damien turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “What is it, cutie?”
“Do you think… do you think we could grab takeaway and eat at the Sage?”
Damien stared at him hard before finally nodding. “Good idea,” he said softly. “You sure?”
“Yeah, man. I’m sure.”
And so the two grabbed a late lunch and soon Shane was sitting at the newly refurbished bar eating, staring out at the new dance floor, the area where he’d nearly lost his life, for the moment ignoring Damien’s worried stare. The place didn’t look much different. Just new wood on the dance floor, and most of the construction was taking place on the roof for the new level.
“I needed this,” he said after a time, turning to finally look at his friend.
Damien nodded slowly, a relieved smile on his face. “I brought Tony here a few weeks ago. That day you two got into that fight… your um,” cough, “breakdown.”
“Yeah, needed that too,” Shane replied, smiling.
Damien’s cell phone went off and by Damien’s stiffing shoulders and the ringtone that could kind of be considered sappy- Shane grinned widely- he figured it was Jared.
“Answer it.” Damien pouted and shook his head. “Man, what will it take for you to forgive him this time?”
“A diamond, onyx, and ruby bracelet; lots of chocolate, a bouquet of flowers- they have to be the right type of flowers- and an expensive bottle of wine,” Damien immediately spat as if he’d been thinking about it all day.
“You really are a girl!” Shane snickered and leaned over to snatch the ringing phone out of Damien’s death grip. He answered it and before Jared could say anything, Shane rattled off what Damien wanted, laughing while he did it. “Got it, dude? Great…. Yeah, later.”
Shane looked at Damien, and the artificial brunet was looking off across the room, fingernails tapping on the bar. Shane continued to smile as he went back to eating, knowing full well Damien was desperate to know what Jared had said.
Finally Damien huffed and speared him a look. “Well?”
“He didn’t say much of anything,” Shane replied, trying to hold back a smirk.
“Did he say he was coming over tonight? What about my presents?”
Shane shrugged and pretended not to notice Damien seething beside him. “Dude,” he started after a while, “our parents…”
Damien turned towards him, his eyes wide and Jared momentarily forgotten. “Daddy was whistling the other day! Whistling! He never does that!”
“Yeah. I caught Mom giggling with Aunt Rose when they were talking about your father. Did you find out why he didn’t take Mom to that Ball thing?”
Damien nodded, still looking awed. “Daddy said it was because Miss D wasn’t comfortable enough with him and “them” to attend something like that with him. Daddy said he was impressed with her bluntness.”
Shane’s eyes lit with comprehension and he slapped his forehead. “That does sound like Mom. Tony’s right, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”