Bad Luck: Miscommunication

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Oriel could understand Phoenix's worries. He wasn't sure himself if he could trust Kodi to not do anything, but at least Oriel knew he could take care of the other kid himself if something happened. He beat him once, he could do it again, though Oriel would really prefer not to.

Kodi seemed like he was doing Ok, like he had fully recovered after Oriel's beating and, despite how much Oriel still thought he deserved it, Oriel was strangely relieved to see him so energetic. Enough that he even smiled, though it was still a conceited one. "What? And leave myself open so you can get at my neck too? Ain't happening." He snorted out a lighthearted laugh. "A verbal greeting is good enough for you." For now.

"I'm sure you'll survive," he retorted, the smile still standing.

Though he wasn't expecting Kodi to offer him a place to sit, that was a surprise more than anything. "Of course not, right?" Oriel glanced to Phoenix so he could confirm it, giving him a leering smile as a bit of incentive along with a squeeze on his hand. "And by the way, I'm fine. I'll be kicking your ass again before you know it," he snarked, pulling another chair out for Phoenix while he took the one Kodi shoved and straddled over it, folding his arms over the backside of it. "Can I have my phone back already? Or are you holding it hostage for some reason?"

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Fuck... Oriel really was attractive. Kodi's kohl-lined eyes fell back on Phoenix, his brow furrowed a bit and a peek of a sharpened canine poking through. He would love to have Oriel all for himself; he could only imagine the romps they would have, trying to beat each other into submission. He quickly brought his attention back to the boy himself, smirking at his response. "Ach, guess my only trick is given away," he sighed, sliding a tongue over his teeth. "I'd love t'sink myself into that delicious throat of yours." His grin widened. "An' somewhere else."

As expected, Pheonix seemed to puff up even more, and Kodi spared him a lazy glance. Poor thing, so easily riled up. "You should put him on a leash an' collar," he drawled to Oriel.

Sure he'd survive. He had plenty of bedmates. He didn't need a stupid boyfriend.

He watched silently as Oriel sat, glancing between the two at the question. Phoenix, spurred by rage, answered it by darting in and giving him a long, deep kiss, pouring in all of his desire for his lover in the motion. Kodi watched with interest, feeling a tingle trail its way down his spine despite himself. "Gross," he lied, sneering. "I didn't need t'see that." He fell silent another moment as the boys took their seats, pulling out the phone and giving it a few taps. "No need t'kick my ass," he hummed,"Even if I'm gettin' all hot an' bothered just thinkin' 'bout it. What've ya got t'offer?" Oh no, he wasn't giving the phone back that easy.

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Oriel was actually quite proud of himself, how he'd been ignoring Kodi's taunts or just snapping back with something that dissolved them pretty well. It wasn't that he wasn't also thinking of what kind of potential excitement could be borne from an "interaction" between these two, but….Oriel had other things to worry about. More important things. Like Phoenix. And if Phoenix wanted him to be exclusive…well, Oriel supposed he could deal with that. Or at least he'd make sure the other party was someone Phoenix approved of.

Oriel really didn't want to fuck up what he had with Phoenix because of a stupid impulsive decision.

"You're going to have to find someone else to try that on, 'cause I ain't letting you anywhere near my ass."

Oriel's eyebrows perked up a slight. "Actually, that's a good idea," he said, looking to Phoenix, obviously imagining what the boy would look like in a collar. He shook his head and turned back to Kodi. "But since you suggested it, I'm going to have to veto it."

But Phoenix surprised him, acting so possessive of Oriel and blessing him with that long, tantalizing kiss that Oriel almost found himself lost in. It made his heart flutter, knowing that Phoenix was willing to go that far to claim him in front of potential competition. Oriel leaned in again as Phoenix parted himself, and pulled him in for another quick peck before letting Phen seat himself. Towards Kodi, Oriel smiled like sneaky feline. So he wanted to barter? Fine. "What do you want for it?" he shot back.

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Kodi wasn't desperate, really, but.... God, Oriel just hit all the right buttons on him. The only other person he had really connected to on a similar level was Erik, who fortunately was just as much of a slut as he was. Didn't mean Kodi couldn't dream about other people, though.

He did feel a little disgruntled at Oriel becoming so attached to one person, though. Could a guy like him really be content with just one partner? Maybe there was hope for all of them.

"You're no fun," he replied with a grunt. He'd have to take some of this pent-up desire out on the snake boy later.

He snickered at Oriel's response to his suggestion, especially when Phoenix gave his boyfriend a wide, desperate look that quickly turned to relief. "Suit yourself. I bet he'd look mighty fine in spikes an' leather." Phen let out a low growl, even taking a step towards Kodi before he backed off and tried to calm himself down. He knew Kodi was just trying to mess with him.

Phoenix distracted himself with the kiss, which he made sure to make loud and as hopefully irritating to Kodi as possible. It worked, especially that last little softer peck that Oriel placed on his lips, which the southerner saw as a bigger sign of their affection for each other than the initial one. His fists clenched under the table, a line of a vein popping up along his forearm as he smiled thinly. "You know what?" he drawled, an idea springing to his mind. He rubbed a hand along his jawline, which had been dark and bruised for a good long time. "I want you t'kiss all the fuckin' places you hit me." He stood, looking down at his own body as he recalled where he had been bruised the worst. "Starting here." He pointed to his side and around his back, where the hit that had knocked the fight out of him had been.

One by one, he slowly pointed to the other spots - along the left side of his rib cage, higher up on his collarbone, right above his v-line, and finally ending at his jaw. "Split my lip pretty bad too," he finished, quirking an eyebrow with a smirk. Phoenix was positively fuming by this time, but didn't say anything.

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Oriel had to admit that he really wanted to see Phoenix tied up in leather too. He would love to see it, to try it. But that shit was expensive, and if not for that, then it would have already happened. But Oriel tried to, at least, not let it show on his face. He'd bring it up to Phoenix on his own time……later.

Much later.

Oriel rose an eyebrow at Kodi's suggestion. Man, that was hot….but Phoenix….fuck, it was hard not saying yes. And the guilt, oh the guilt. Was Oriel really this much of a slut? (Yes) He knew it before, but Oriel didn't realize how bad it was. Or how hard it would be to hold back from these kind of advances. He tried to not imagine what Kodi looked like underneath those clothes of his, his skin all blue and bruised in patches where Oriel had beat him before.

His eyes flicked over to his lover. Phoenix did not look happy.

"You know," he started. "It's occurred to me that you've been taking a lot from me lately. First you attack my boyfriend. A great offense, you deserved every hit you got for that one. So I don't feel inclined to bring in your bruises at all into this transaction. However!" Oriel leaned forward on the table. "You also found my phone. The key phrase there being My phone. I shouldn't have to do anything to get it back from you. But finding it and notifying us so "courteously" does deserve some manner of "reward" if you're so insistent. But smothering you with a perverse quantity of kisses just does not seem like an equal exchange."

He sighed, looking up to the ceiling as he rolled his musing over his tongue. "After all, I value my kisses very much, they're worth quite a lot." And only one person was allowed to get them for free. "The cost of the phone itself was a heavy chunk of change, though. And my contacts list, many friends whom I hold dear to my heart, is worth quite a bit as well." Oriel looked at Phen again with a loving smile. "This is going to have to do," he decided.

Oriel reached across the table and pulled Kodi up by the collar of his shirt. When their lips met, Oriel immediately invaded the boy's mouth with his tongue, plunging it deep into his throat and ignoring the sears it might have gotten from Kodi's sharpened teeth. He kept it going, long and slow, like a lover's kiss, like the kind he shared with Phoenix regularly, only clearly more wanton. Oriel kept Kodi close with his grip on his shirt and, with his other hand, he took back his phone, slipping it back into his own pocket. It was only then that Oriel released the chinese boy, a devilish, domineering look smiling down on him. "Thank you very much," he spoke down to the other boy as he turned and wrapped his arms reassuringly around the waist of his lover. "Now, if you'll be excusing us….." A low cackle could be heard from the depths of his throat as he started to lead Phoenix away.

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Phoenix was not happy. In fact, he was positively fuming, his fists clenched and cheeks red from what Kodi was asking from his boyfriend. He stayed silent, trusting Oriel, knowing even if he did take up the offer that it wouldn't mean anything between them, but ooooh he wished he had muscles so he could beat the shit out of this sneering hick again.

Kodi was smug, very much expecting Oriel to take him up (because come on, he knew Oriel's type, the boy was surely imagining him in all the ways that Kodi was doing for him). But once Oriel started speaking, his smirk slowly faded, and his brow furrowed as he listened. So he wasn't going to do it? Kodi was surprised, and slowly sat back down, leaning in towards Oriel as he continued, keeping his lips firmly shut as his dark eyes smoldered fiercely at being denied his wishes. What kind of game was Oriel playing?

"Stop fuckin' around an' spit it out," he growled, tired of this useless chattering. Either he was going to do it or he wasn't, and he'd made it clear that he wasn't, so Kodi was going to have to think of another way to get something out of him.

He was about to ask just what 'this' was before Oriel jerked him in and gave it to him.

Kodi's eyes widened and he jolted as though to pull away, but he was firmly attached to Oriel's lips, feeling the slick muscle of his tongue worm its way past his teeth and take control, leaving him a fumbling, shocked mess. Had he expected it, Kodi would have enjoyed it even more; as it was, he knew what Oriel was doing and tried to fight it, but his desire for the dominant boy eventually caved him in and he took it, completely ignoring the phone as it was taken out of his limp grasp. His eyelids fluttered and his heart thudded dully in his chest, a low groan escaping his throat as Oriel finally pulled back. For a moment Kodi leaned in as if to chase for more, but at the last moment caught himself and flinched away, his expression for several moments that of uncertainty and disbelief.

Oriel had won this battle by a landslide.

He continued to gawk as the boy returned to Phoenix, who was obviously very upset and clung onto Oriel desperately, burying his face into his chest as he fingers clawed into his shirt. Phen knew why he had done what he did, but that didn't mean he liked it. "I hate him," he whined under his breath, his voice rough and brittle. Oriel was going to have to make up to him. Phen was distraught.

It was only as they began to walk away that Kodi seemed to find his voice again. "Welcome back, assfucker," he growled, his voice tinged with something a little softer, a little submissive at being owned so completely. He had no idea what he was going to do about this, but he did know what he needed now was to go to his room and get this out of his system.

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Oriel felt bad for that kiss if only because he knew Phoenix didn't like it. But Phoenix would have liked even worse for Oriel to accept Kodi's proposal. And knowing Phoenix, he would have felt equally worse if Oriel backed off and let Kodi "win" that verbal altercation just because of Phoenix. That kiss was…really the best course of action…other than simply going to a school official and complaining like a fucking wuss.

LIke, who would do that, really?

Oriel kept his arm around Phen's waist as they took their leave from the library and back into the hall. He was silent for a moment before asking, "You mad?" with an air of concern in his voice.

Of course he was. That was a stupid question. "I shouldn't've done that…" he mumbled.

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True, Phoenix would have been upset at any course of action, and the one Oriel chose had probably been the best, but... He was still mad, despite his best efforts to feel otherwise. It'd hurt to see Oriel kiss someone else so deeply, no matter how dominating he'd been. He only wanted his boyfriend to kiss him like that. Was that too much to ask for?

His shoulders were hunched and he kept a hand gripped tightly onto Oriel's shirt as they left, his eyes shiny and wet as he held back his hurt. At Oriel's question, he looked up at the boy before looking away again, coming to a stop as he pulled away slightly and wrapped his arms around himself.

"Yes," he admitted quietly. More at Kodi than Oriel himself, but still upset.

He glanced up as Oriel continued, his bangs covering a good portion of his face and his lips set into a pained pout. "I know why you did," he mumbled. "It just... I hated seeing you do that.... T'someone else..." His arms tensed, and a pathetic trickle of a tear slid down his cheek.

"He doesn't deserve you," he continued, voice cracking. Plowing on, he continued in a small whine,"Sometimes I don't think I deserve you..." His insecurities were raw and ragged right now, and he looked away, wiping at his face in shame. He was reminded of that night a week or so ago when he'd kissed Junpei.... Which he had yet to tell his lover about.

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Oriel didn't realize how much it could hurt to feel someone he'd come to care so much for pull away like Phoenix did just now. Sure, Oriel had been hurt before. He met people, he got close to them, they left and he suffered. He never got used to that emptiness he always felt once they did. He'd ached and agonized over it, shed tears and threw fits.

Maybe he'd gotten to content in this relationship he had going with Phoenix. Did he take him for granted too much? Was that why so easily made that decision, thinking that things would be Ok between them?

Shit…no. Oriel didn't want to lose Phoenix because of something like that. Obviously it meant more to Phoenix than Oriel realized.

"Phoenix, I don't…" What was he trying to say? Oriel didn't know how to respond. Honestly, it was a lot easier to reassure his lover before he'd gotten actual feelings involved.

"Phoenix,I didn't mean to…." Fuck, words were still hard, even though he'd clearly been getting better at them. "….I'm the one who gets to decide who deserves me," he said firmly. "And I chose you, Phoenix." Oriel stepped in closer to Phoenix, looking down at the boy who was cowering in on himself. "You are my boyfriend. It took something special for you to get that title. Something that only you have. Do you understand me?" Oriel tucked his finger underneath his lover's chin, lifting it to force Phen to look at him. "And I'm not about to throw that away so easily."

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Phoenix didn't mean to hurt Oriel. Hell, if he'd known how afraid his lover was right now about him pulling away, of the fact that he thought Phen was angry enough at him to want to break this amazing thing that they had over a stupid kiss, Phoenix would have straightened the situation out right there.

But he didn't know. And he was hurt. And insecure. And just downright emotional.

He glanced up through his lashes as Oriel began to speak, then looked down again. His lower lip was quivering, so he put the tips of his fingers over his mouth, gaze trained away from Oriel. What did he even want to hear? He didn't know. Phen just hoped Oriel would.

He could tell how difficult it was for Oriel, and his heart squeezed, breath catching in his throat at the sweet words coming from the boy's mouth. How had he doubted that Oriel would be able to make him melt all over again? "Oriel...." he breathed softly, arms falling limp at his sides as the boy stepped close. You are my boyfriend. Phoenix's heart skipped and his head snapped up, even as Oriel lifted it. His eyes shone with emotion. "I love you," he whispered, voice cracking. "Fuck, I love you so much..."

He swallowed hard and buried his face into Oriel's chest, a question perched at the end of his tongue that he couldn't help but spill. "Why... Me?" What made him special? He wasn't anything other than just another face at this school, destined to be normal and unknown to the world for the rest of his life. "Y-you could have.... So many people..." He wasn't blind. Phoenix saw how girls looked at him. Boys, even, too. How had he managed to catch someone like that?

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Oriel was just as insecure as Phoenix was. He may be shameless and be willing to fuck anything with a hole, but he was terribly insecure when it came to forming and maintaining emotional bonds, even those as simple as friendship. So for something as grand as what he had with Phoenix, his insecurities had no doubt multiplied.

He'd just been getting better lately at controlling them. Because he didn't want to fuck this up.

Obviously it wasn't enough.

To the casual observer the whole scene might have looked rather cliche and cheesy - those words that Oriel spouted out like he was in some sort of romance movie, Phoenix standing there crying like a jilted lover - but that was the furthest thing from Oriel's mind at the moment. He just…he just wanted to give Phoenix back his confidence. In Oriel. In himself. Especially since Oriel had snatched it away so insensitively like he had.

Oriel wrapped his arms around his distressed lover, holding his head down into his chest. "I know," he cooed softly. "I…I love you too…" Still weird, but that wasn't important right now.

"Why..?" Oriel wasn't sure exactly how to answer that, though it was a question he'd asked himself too…about himself. Why him? "I don't…really know how to answer that…." It had confused Oriel too. Why Phoenix? Phoenix wasn't even his type, how did this even happen? "I just know that being with you…makes me want to be a better person, and….and I like that person…I'm becoming." It sounded lame, like a cop-out, like he just couldn't find anything better to say. But it was true.

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Phoenix's tears quickly dried as he got in more control of his emotions, though his feelings were still a turmoil inside. He felt like he'd never cared so much for one person as he did for Oriel, never loved or wanted or need someone so much. He'd thought that about Rue, back years ago... But he'd been able to survive after him. Not well, and he was hardly a ghost of a person, but he'd survived.

Losing Oriel now... Even in the somewhat short time they'd known each other... He couldn't even think about it without panicking like he had when he thought his boyfriend was dying.

He would get over this. He knew he would. It just hurt in the moment.

And the embraces, the soft touches, those three little words spilling quietly off of Oriel's tongue had Phoenix breathing evenly again, his security slowly returning as he just stood there and let himself be held.

He nodded slowly to what Oriel was saying, recalling the night when they had first really, fully expressed their feelings for each other. Oriel wasn't going to leave him; he had to believe that. And... He did. Phen had just been scared, especially since... It had been Kodi.

But now... "I.... Need t'tell you somethin'..." he whispered, pulling his head back just enough so he could look up at Oriel. How could he say this? "When you... were in the hospital... Y'know, I wasn't sleepin'..." Phen looked away, biting his lip. "Junpei came over one night, an' I... I asked him t'stay so I wouldn't feel so alone." He couldn't look at Oriel, afraid of what he might see. "I didn't w-want t'do anything with him, I just wanted someone there t'help me sleep, but..." Phen swallowed. "I... Was dreamin' about you... Kissin' you... An'...." His grip around Oriel's shirt tightened. "I woke up an'... An'... I was kissin' Junpei." With the admission finally out, he jerked his gaze up, quickly continuing in a pleading voice,"I thought he was you! I thought..." His cheeks were flushed deeply, prepared for Oriel's outburst. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner..." he mumbled.

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Oriel could feel Phoenix's breathing calm and slow in his arms, and he only tightened his embrace. Good. Gooood. That's the way. Oriel couldn't stand to see his lover upset. Like really upset. Honestly upset, not in the adorable pouty way he did sometimes when Oriel was teasing him.

He felt Phen move in his arms and Oriel relaxed his grip, giving the boy room to look up. And he listened.

It looked like, sounded like Phoenix was having a hard time dealing with Oriel's injury. And for that Oriel felt a pang of guilt. But in hearing his words as they slowly, cautiously fell from his lips, Oriel first thought was, Shit, did he sleep with him? He felt his own heartbeat start to rise in panic as Junpei continued on.

When Phoenix finally finished….Oriel breathed out…and started to laugh.

Not so much laugh, but chuckle. A very relieved, nervous flurry of giggles. Oriel pulled him in close and pressed his face into his shoulder. "Oh, god…I'm not…laughing at you…ok, I am, but…"

Oriel cleared his throat and took a moment to collect himself. "I thought you were going to tell me you fucked him or something…." A kiss was nothing. Actually, the fact that it was just a kiss, and that it came from Junpei, was amusing as hell! "I didn't think that little jap had it in him."

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Phoenix didn't mean to make it sound like he had done more with Junpei than he had. He just remembered how Oriel had reacted to him messing around with Chester that one time, before they were even together, and was afraid he would get a similar reaction now. There was no way he would sleep with anyone - Oriel was more than enough to satisfy his wants and needs; the only time he considered other people now was when the idea of adding someone to their romps was mutual.

So the laughter that his boyfriend let out startled Phen at first, and he blinked, tilting his head back as his brow furrowed in confusion. His hand came up to rest on the back of Oriel's head as he leaned in, clinging obsessively into his thick, dark hair as the boy spoke. "What...?" he breathed, still confused by the reaction.

When Oriel managed to get out what he'd feared, Phoenix gasped, eyes wide, and shook his head furiously. "No, I would never-! Why would I-?" He let out a sharp giggle of his own, before covering his mouth and shaking with repressed mirth. "I'm not so good I can do that in my sleep," he retorted, tapping Oriel lightly, affectionately on the cheek. He was feeling much better now, his security returned and that admission now off of his shoulders and Oriel wasn't even mad at him.

"I actually... Need t'talk t'him..." he mumbled, his eyes going a bit sad. "I... I think he's been avoidin' me since then. We haven't really talked." He looked up with a pouty expression. "I think you scare him." Poor Junpei was probably afraid that Phen was going to tell Oriel like he just had, and Oriel would hunt him down.... And besides that fact, Phoenix really missed his friendship.

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There were definite differences between Junpei and Chester. Sure they were both rich bastards, but Junpei was actually a nice guy. And Oriel actually liked him. And Oriel knew he had a girlfriend. Though the idea of that innocent little face seducing anybody was laughable. But the biggest difference between this time and that was….Phoenix was definitely his this time.

It was weird, and didn't really make sense. With Chester, Oriel had no right to be jealous, Oriel and Phoenix were just fuck-mates. There was less keeping Phoenix tied to Oriel. Phoenix could have left anytime he wanted. Now, Oriel knew Phoenix loved him, and for that, he wouldn't leave so easily.

Though Oriel definitely would have been upset if Phoenix and Junpei had fucked.

Oriel enjoyed watching Phoenix's mood switch from sadness, to confusion, to shock, then to mirth. And that last one really suited him so much better.

"You haven't? Hmmph." Oriel grumped, scratching his head. "Want me to track him down and herd him into my room?" Oriel had done such a thing before with a particular Bunny.