A Coalition Story

It's About Time

"So," Torin started after Atticus and Ravyn whisked away in Ace's car, "what next?" Ravyn was saved, she got her happy ending, and they didn't have to worry about Lev hurting her long term anymore.

"We could go back to my room," Cal offered with a flirty smile, grabbing his boyfriend's hand. He earned a flat look.

"I meant in the plan. You know, the "protecting our girls" plan."

"We could go back to my room to plot," Cal amended. Torin rolled his eyes but gestured for Cal to lead the way.

The ride on Torin's motorcycle to Cal's dorm was thankfully a short one. Mainly because the streets were empty and they were able to go as fast as they wanted.

Once inside Cal's dorm, with the door shut, Cal pulled Torin in for a deep kiss. The smell of his woodsy cologne, his soft lips, his curly hair knotted in Cal's hands, it all intoxicated the taller man. And judging by Torin's reaction, he felt similarly to Cal.

It didn't take long for clothes to come off and other actions to follow. The two men had missed each other, both body and mind, and now they were getting that back.

////

Cal lay against Torin, smiling contentedly. He may not have been a smiler, but Torin always brought the grins out of him.

"Somebody's happy," his boyfriend commented, running a hand through Cal's messy hair. He shrugged.

"I've got you back. Ravyn is happy for once in her life and I don't have to worry about her too much anymore. I've got you. We're almost done with enacting our revenge and making sure the girls are safe. It's been a good day." Torin's own smile grew at Cal's happy explanation.

"You do have me back, and it has been a good day," Torin agreed with a chuckle. Leaning in to kiss Cal once again, someone banging on the door interrupted him.

"Come in," the blonde drawled, not caring that if Meg or his girlfriend found him that his father would cut him off and kick him out of the family. He was already planning on initiating that in a day or two.

Ksenia burst into the room, mascara and tears streaming down her face.

"What do you want?" Cal groaned, glaring her heartbroken face down. So the truth was coming out at last.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she breathed out, her accent thicker than usual.

"Put two and two together, Zima. You're a smart girl," he smirked in reply. Torin was, thankfully, smart enough to stay silent and get involved in this.

"You said you loved me!" Her whisper was now a shout.

"I lied. It's something I do. I thought you knew this."

"You are a horrible, horrible person, Excalibur."

"And so are you for supporting your brother, even after he raped and murdered your best friend. At least I don't try to pretend I'm better than I really am." Ksenia fell back a step, and she was about to leave, but a thought hit her. Cal wasn't out to his family, and they'd kick him out if they knew the truth. Maybe this was diabolical, but it was what he deserved.

She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture before spinning around and slamming the door on her way out.

"Finally, I'm done with her," Cal breathed out, incredibly relieved. He snuggled a little closer to his boyfriend. "Now I believe you were going to kiss me, Tor?"

"She ruined the mood, babe. And you didn't exactly help." Cal rolled his eyes at Torin's point.

"I've been leading her on since November or December. It was about time the truth came out and I faced reality." In other words, it was about time that Cal made peace with his love for his boyfriend. Torin sighed, pulling Cal snugly against him.

"Yeah. She took a picture of us. Do we need to get Alice to hack her phone and get it back?"

"No," Cal said after a few pensive moments. "I was planning on coming out in the next day or two anyways. If she sends the picture to Megaera, well, then Meg did my job for me. And if she tries to blackmail me with it, then I'll come out before she can out me herself." This time Torin was the one grinning.

"I'm proud of you, Excalibur."

"Yeah, I figured you would be," Cal smarted off in response.

"I do have one more question, though," Torin said. It had been bothering him ever since it happened, and especially since he and Cal had gotten back together.

"Shoot."

"What did you say to Ravyn that day, when you broke Meg's heart and then hers? It really messed her up."

Okay, Cal had hoped this would never be brought up. It wasn't his proudest moment. But at least Ravyn hadn't tattled on him.

"Cal," Torin prompted gently.

"I told her she deserved the same fate as her mother. I was pissed at myself and the world and my father. She was trying to get me to talk to her about anything at all, ended up threatening me, including getting Meg to out me. She wasn't serious, but it set me off, so I shot right back at her," he explained slowly. Torin stiffened beneath him, and he knew he was probably in the doghouse now.

"Excalibur..." Torin breathed out, equally slowly.

"She threw my roommate's paperweight at the wall above my head as revenge, and said there's more coming. That was over a month ago, and I like to think she's forgotten, or at least forgiven me, but who knows. It's Ravyn."

"You guys are horrible to each other." How could Ravyn threaten, even emptily, to out her cousin? How could Cal tell her she deserved her worst nightmare? And to think Cal was about to be outed and Ravyn had almost ended up with her worst nightmare.

"Yeah, but we always have been. It's how we work. We're best friends, worst enemies, and something in between. Depends on the day and how pissed we are at everybody else to begin with."

"I love you, babe, but you need to improve. Acting that way isn't fair to either of you," Torin chided.

"I know. And I think we have gotten better in the last few months, with the whole saving her from certain death and her constant support for us, but only time can tell."

Torin sighed again, kissing the top of Cal's head.

"Why don't we watch a movie and stay here all night," he suggested to the blonde.

"That sounds perfect." Sure, things would probably always be messy between Cal and Ravyn, but they loved each other deeply. And now she had Atticus legally, and she'd always have him and Torin on her side, too. She wasn't alone anymore, and that meant neither was Cal.