standsonhigh | High school AU open post

At dinner the next day everything was deceptively normal. Eating at the various tables, people sitting next to each other as they tended to, Theta informing Koschei that tonight it wasn't raining and didn't he want to go stargazing with him, he was sure Rose didn't mind, because romance was mostly still a shiny but foreign concept to him.

Meanwhile Barty felt like in primary school, when secret friendships had been more of a norm. But this was different. Exhilarating and wonderful and, well, he had a crush and it felt pretty great. Even though he logically knew just how fucked up everything about them was, he couldn't quite bring himself to fret today.

That was until Tom suddenly reached for his hand and held it and he felt like a deer in the headlight. Tom didn't touch people, as a general rule. Not ever casually. Barty would know, he had been waiting for his touches for a long time. So he froze now, eyes a bit too wide. There was still the fact that this was Tom, brilliant, charismatic, beautiful, aloof Tom. But then there were the things he'd done and then, of course there was the fact that right at this moment Tom wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Koschei. Provoking him.

"No, for the last time, I don't want to go. We keep having this discussion and I don't know how many more times I can say no," Koschei protested, prodding his food. He'd made a pretty good recovery, considering everything, but he still looked rather pale and ill after everything. His home-room teacher had dragged him aside today to ask if he wanted to say anything, clearly having heard some 'rumours' off the other students. Koschei suspect Rose had told but she was damn lucky that he could lie well. Or try to lie well anyway.

He just claimed he had a bit of an upset stomach. And he'd tied his tie to tight thus cutting into his neck, leaving it bruised. And he walked into a wall. A barrage of useless excuses that no one brought but hell, his teacher didn't question him. She just looked disapproving and walked away.

Head in his hands as Theta continued, he looked over at Barty, chancing a look. Koschei didn't want to see them, he really didn't, but he couldn't help himself. He didn't think it'd be so bad but instead of catching Barty's eyes, he caught Tom's. The little bastard, he was holding Barty's hand. Gritting his teeth, Koschei didn't look away, he kept eye contact in a challenging manner. He wasn't going to just look away like a beaten down dog.

"I just don't want you to be alone all the time." Because apparently when he was, horrible things tended to happen. Theta might be pretty resistant to trauma, but he still didn't fancy finding a tied up Koschei in various states of undress again. "We can study together, too, if you want. Rose can help." How exactly Rose could help, he wasn't quite sure, but he was sure she'd not mind.

Tom smiled a lazy smile and tightened his hold on Barty's hand. Barty finally got over just freaking out and pulled away, even got up, but Tom put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him down so he could whisper in his ear.

"Do you want to repeat yesterday?" Barty glared at the ground, but he sat back down, rolling his eyes when Tom's hand ended up on his thigh this time.

"Rose is a year younger than us and in the lower sets. And she fails her last exams. We could help her, genius, not the other way around," Koschei muttered under his breath, eyes never leaving Tom. He knew Theta worried, of course he did, but he couldn't cope being smothered by an over-protective friend. "I'll be okay, they won't touch me again," Koschei reached out himself, putting a reassuring hand on Theta's arm. Not for show or make a statement, just because he could offer comfort because he actually had emotions.

And he actually cared for Theta, even if he was a giant moronic puppy dog of a human. That was what Tom lacked, emotions. Sad little bastard.

"Theet, don't worry," Koschei said, removing his hand and proceeding to cross his arms, tilting back in his chair. All the while, he looked at Tom. Then, finally, because he was feeling daring, he smirked slightly and waved coyishly at Tom, blowing a kiss in Barty's direction. Oh let the bastard sulk and lash out, he wouldn't live to see Christmas. Koschei had decided already.

"Well. She could hold books or something." There were some charms to Theta, but sometimes they were very well hidden. However, he did feel protective now, frowning at Koschei. "Are you sure?" Because while he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the concept that he apparently went to school with a punch of psychopaths, it was even harder to believe that they'd just stop for apparently no reason.

He watched how Koschei blew a kiss to Tom, well, that was what it looked like to him at least, and he raised his eyebrows, about to ask a question when Tom suddenly got up and headed for the hallway, still followed by Barty since he was grasping his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Barty hissed under his breath, jerking free once they were through the door. Tom waited a few moments to see whether Koschei or anyone was following them, then he shoved Barty against the wall and kissed him.

"You know, Theta, Rose is such a lucky girl," Koschei mocked as he slowly got to his feet, ruffling his hair playfully as he slid out of his seat and followed along after Tom. What? He knew there was something wrong with this picture. Hence why he picked up the pace as the two started to disappear from sight.

By the time he got through the door, he caught the tail end of the kiss. And he didn't know what happened, he truly didn't. Everything just went red.

And he leapt at Tom, unable to help himself, yanking the boy off Barty and throwing him into the wall. Then he attacked Tom, for the first time in his life, finally getting a punch in. Drawing blood from Tom's nose was a small achievement but it was an achievement he'd always wanted. "Get off him, you sad bastard!"

Tom hadn't grown up in an orphanage like some kind of Charles Dickens character without learning how to fight, so he took the punch about as manly as one could and did his best to catch Koschei's hands and hold him off him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The teacher's voice shrilled through the hallway and for just a second Tom allowed himself a smirk before turning to her with wide eyes, looking appropriately bloodied and shocked.

"I don't know, miss. He just started attacking me for no reason!"

"To the principal's office, now. Both of you."

Barty tried to interject, "He didn't..." Didn't what? Attack Tom like a rabid dog? But he had. He was bursting with everything he wanted to tell, because it wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair, but he knew Koschei wouldn't want him to.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me? Now you chose to turn up. Now. You really are a waste of a teacher," Koschei growled, unable to not be angry as he was grasped by his jacket and dragged off towards the office, Tom walking calmly behind them. That little shit, he knew this would happen, he baited him again.

"Koschei, I'm sure I don't have to remind you to watch your manners or I will call your parents."

With a loud sigh, he looked behind him at Barty, unable to muster a smile for him. What was happening lately? Why didn't he have any luck? Maybe -- Maybe he should try telling after all? Or transfer.

Anything to get Tom out of his life.

Barty trailed along behind them, actually unsure whether he was supposed to come or not. He tried a smile for Koschei, but he was still feeling overwhelmed by how fast everything had happened. He could have happily lived on not knowing what a kisser Tom was. And he didn't want Koschei to be punished for this.

"It's alright," Tom said to him while the teacher was watching, putting an arm over his shoulder, "It only hurts a little bit. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Fuck you," Barty snarled quietly while the teacher opened the door to the office and spoke with someone inside.

"You're mine," Tom replied, very matter of fact.

Koschei was made to come into the office first, sat down alone and spoken to rather harshly about how he can't just lash out like that. All the while, Koschei fidgeted, wanting to know what Tom was doing out there with Barty. It was driving him insane and he couldn't take it much longer.

"Tom got his friends to hang me yesterday," Koschei muttered finally, looking down at his shoes in annoyance. He knew they'd never believe him, not now, but if he tried then at least he could show Barty that it wasn't an option. "They tried to kill me."

"Koschei, this is a very serious allegation. You can't just --"

"Ask Theta, ask Rose. I was stuck out there half the night, on my tip toes, trying to prevent being hung," he interjected, pulling down his collar to present the wound around his neck. There was no denying that he'd had some considerable neck trauma. "I swear, on my life, that Tom tried to kill me."

Not that it'd help but he tried.

Not long after, Tom was called into the office and Barty ended up sitting next to a very sulky Koschei, while looking quite spooked himself. The things Tom had said to him weren't exactly the type to improve his mood. He stared at the door, licking his lips and wishing this would just be over already so he at least knew what would happen.

"Was hot, though," he finally muttered, keeping his voice down just in case, "Seeing you that angry."

"Of course I was angry, he was kissing you. Nothing gives him that right over you," Koschei insisted angrily, still feeling a certain amount of rage swirling around inside him. Because he knew something bad was going to happen, again, thanks to this fight. And he had detention for a week. And that asshole was kissing Barty.

Barty was his, Tom wasn't allowed to even touch him. "Still think we should kill the bastard?"

"If it helps you any, I'm pretty sure Tom's asexual." Not that he'd exactly put it above him to just have sex anyway, merely to prove a point. Which was kind of a scary thought. He'd never pictured himself as the type to be sexually assaulted, but he supposed the kiss kind of qualified for that. "And it wasn't a good kiss." Which was a bit of a lie, but Barty was pretty sure it counted as a white lie.

"I still think so. Because it would get us into trouble for the rest of our lives."

"That makes it worse, he's using you. You're just some tool to him, you can't let him do that to you," It was completely wrong and he wouldn't stand for it. He had some very odd affection for Barty and he didn't want someone else to be all over him. Sometimes he just really hated this situation, it was so much easier when he didn't have people to worry about.

"If we got away with it, it'd never be an issue again. But as it stands now? He will kill me. And no one will ever believe it was him."

"What do you want me to do? I won't let him... Fuck, you know I won't let him do any of that. I'd have pushed him away before, too, if you hadn't interrupted. Not that I mind that you interrupted, but you know." Barty rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, suddenly even more agitated. What was he doing here? Plotting murder? He didn't even think it would do any good.

"People will believe it was you. If you kill him. So. How?"

"Barty, do you actually think you have power here? You couldn't stop him if you tried," Koschei pointed out, he always said he wouldn't let things happen but there was no way to stop them. Where was he the night he'd gotten hung? Handcuffed to his bed and banned from leaving. The next time, he'd probably be drowned in a toilet or something.

If he was going to die, he wanted to die with dignity. And take Tom down with him. "I don't care if I get caught. Let them catch me. I won't care if he's dead, I'll have peace then. All I want in this world is to watch his eyes as I end his life, to see something akin to fear in them."

"Yeah, I do. I managed to protect you sometimes, didn't I? Tom wants to use me, you said it yourself, so he'd not risk alienating me completely and you know from personal experience how much it pisses me off when a bloke gets me off." Barty sighed and shook his head. "But I know I can't do much for you. Make it worse, maybe."

He looked down at the floor and listened to Koschei, feeling worse and worse with every word until he finally managed to make himself turn his head to look at him. "I'd have hoped there'd be a bit more you want in this world."

Koschei sighed and dropped his head into his hands, running his fingers through his hair. "You don't understand Barty, you never could. This level of hate, to want someone dead so much that you can't stop thinking about it endlessly. And every time you do, the guilt starts and you feel like you're slowly losing your mind? Because it hurts, it does, to know that he's made me this."

He used to be such a nice boy, capable of so much more. Then Tom started and here he was, an unhinged young man ready to throw his life away from murder. "I want you, Barty, I do. But I can't have you until he's gone."

"Right." Barty hid his face in his hands because he was starting to realize that even if they finished school, even if Tom was gone, hell, even if Tom was dead, there was this something in Koschei that he really wasn't sure about. It was Tom's fault, he supposed, but that didn't really help matters.

"I don't know how to help you, Koschei." He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to help him, either. Although. Maybe it would be alright if he... If Koschei wouldn't become a murderer. He could do it. He could.

"You like me, yeah?"

"You can't help me," Koschei confessed, knowing very well that he was a lost cause by this point but he wasn't afraid. He knew that all too well and he didn't care really. But if Tom was gone, it'd be better, he could make it better. He and Barty would be happy, they could start that little life of theirs. It'd be wonderful.

"Course I like you. That's why I did what I did."

"Jump Tom like that?" Barty chuckled, shaking his head. "It was very macho of you, I'll give you that." He reached over, because no one was watching right now and because he didn't think he'd get to again any time soon and grabbed Koschei's hand. "I'd help you, if I could. Help us. You know that, right?"

He frowned and shifted a little closer. "And it doesn't matter what he says or does. I'm not his. I don't want to be his. I'll never be his. Alright?"

"Oh please, have you met me, I'm super macho," he teased playfully, gripping Barty's hand tight. He was going to help him? That definitely made him grin. He seriously did love the idea of them mutually agreeing to destroy that bastard. Maybe that made him slightly disturbed but he didn't care. That was romantic to him.

"I get it, it's okay. We'll fix this, we will," Koschei insisted, holding on tight until the door open. Then he had to drop the hand, looking up at the teacher who had a rather fixed look on her face.

"Koschei, we've spoken to Tom and it seems you boys have been having a lot of issues. I suggest you start avoiding each other," Oh yes, genius solution to a problem from hell. Koschei resisted saying anything smart. "Now, go back to your rooms and I'll see you at detention tomorrow at four."

High school AU open post

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