Chapter Twenty-four

Xavier intently studied the items he’d laid at his feet, glancing at the cross-legged boy a short distance from where he sat. A satisfied smile played upon the man’s face as the objects began to lift from the floor, slowly floating upwards as though carried by a rising volume of water.

“Keep going,” he encouraged, “As high as you can.”

The objects continued to elevate, and Xavier soon found himself needing to crane his neck to keep an eye on their progress. Eventually they hit the ceiling, and Xavier looked back at his student.

“Wonderful,” he grinned, “Now bring them back down, gently.”

The water trickled away, causing the objects in question to sink slowly back to the floor. Xavier watched proudly as barely a glimmer of concentration showed on Johnny’s face.

“I knew you had potential,” he remarked to himself, “Perhaps this is even too easy for you, eh?”

Buzz rested against the backrest of the bench, strangely calm as he watched the horizon. Below the seemingly serene shell, however, a storm was beginning to brew as he once more chastised himself on his previous behaviour, with Ripp in particular.

Okay, now remind me – what was your beef with Ripp kissing a boy again?

What’s brought this on?

Just answer the question.

Why?

Just do it...!

Oh alright. Let's see; because it’s disgusting?!

Why?

Because... ... I don’t know, just something that’d been rammed down my throat at school I guess.

So why did you listen? Ripp didn’t.

Yeah, and I bet he’s getting grief at school too.

Is that what you’re afraid of?

Afraid? I’m not afraid of anything...

Oh yes you are. Think really hard, back to that moment at home when you were his age…

The words had leapt from the pages to capture the interest of the passing teenager. After being told there was no place for homosexuals at his school, he was now reading about the unprovoked murder of an innocent man. A finger of ice ran up the length of his spine, causing him to shiver involuntarily as he swallowed a lump in his throat.

“What’s this you’re reading?”

Buzz didn’t hide the fear in his eyes as he looked up at his father, even though this time he seemed to be sober, and therefore harmless.

Chip tugged the pages at an angle to allow a better view of the headlines, and frowned as he plucked the paper from his son’s young fingers.

Buzz studied his father’s reaction intently as he read the corresponding story.

“Sweet Jesus,” the man remarked, “I can think of better reasons to kill a guy...”

Buzz heaved an inward sigh of relief, although just the thought that it happened at all was enough for him to curl up on the couch in fear.

Chip folded up the paper with an angry sigh and tossed it to the table, before his grey eyes rested on the seated muscular form. He frowned as he wondered whether or not to approach him.

“Buzz?”

The youth glanced up at the man, before returning his gaze to the arm of the sofa. Lost in his thoughts, he was only vaguely aware of the cushions giving way beside him.

“Come on, what’s up?”

“Nothin’,” came the vague reply.

“Are you gay?”

Buzz’s heart jumped into his throat at the abrupt nature of his father’s question. He was quick to shake his head as he leapt to his feet, tearing up the stairs to his room.

Liar.

Look, what is this?! Why are you bringing this up now?

You’ve been taking out your fears on Ripp, haven’t you? All this time you’ve been so afraid of the truth, and look what it’s done to you.

Yes, alright. Is this going anywhere?

Do you remember the way Stephan touched you at lunch? Remember when I said “Don’t blow it ‘cause it’s your last chance”? There was more in that than you may realise.

“Oh fucking hell...” he moaned, cradling his head in his hand. He gazed for a moment back at his arm, the fingers of his free hand lightly brushing the spot Stephan had touched him. He burst from his seat as his head was forced out of the sand into the harsh winds of reality, a hand clutched to his mouth as he began to pace and voice his thoughts.

“I knew something was up in that chat,” he muttered, “If I’d had a clearer head on my shoulders I’d have reacted very differently, and I’d have lost who seems like a good friend. Instead he gives me the slap in the face I’ve needed for decades...”

He paused for a moment as he checked his watch, his eyes widening as he sprinted back to base.

“Okay,” the army therapist began as the formalities ended, “Do you have any particular goals you’d like us to achieve?”

Buzz looked back at the woman facing him, all thoughts of Stephan and Ripp gone from his mind for now.

“Yes,” he replied, “There’s three things I can think of.”

“Which are?”

“First off, to be able to cry,” he told her, “Second, which I hope will tie in with the first, is to stop acting like my father and start acting like myself. Third, to find out what really happened when Dad tried to kill me...”

“I take it you approve?” Johnny checked with a cheeky grin. Ripp’s naturally playful manner was beginning to rub off on him.

“Certainly,” Xavier smiled in reply, “You’ve been doing incredibly well. I’m impressed!”

“Really?” Johnny checked, a happy grin spreading across his face.

“Sure,” Xavier assured, “I said you showed promise, didn’t I?”

The smile slowly slipped from Johnny’s lips as he gave a satisfied nod. He glanced back at Ripp, who was still curled up on the floor and sucking at the lonely digit of his right hand, and the euphoria evaporated as he looked with urgency at his teacher.

“I think I know why he’s suddenly suckin’ his thumb,” Johnny remarked as he confided in his friend, “This is the first time I’ve seen him do it...”

“What do you mean?” Xavier asked, growing serious, “What’s wrong?”

“Mom says he’s at breaking point,” Johnny uttered, the sadness brimming over into his eyes as they began to sting, “He’s been actin’ just like a little boy lately; I've had him snugglin’ into my arms like I was his mom or somethin’...”

“What is the situation with his mother?” Xavier checked, already coming to a conclusion.

“She walked out when he was little,” Johnny explained, “He said they were very close, but we found out she’s recently died.”

Xavier nodded as he studied the sleeping form.

“I’ll bet that’s where he is now,” he guessed, “It sounds like he’s living in the past, specifically that time when she was still in his life.”

“Yeah, good point,” Johnny agreed as he once more gazed back at his boyfriend. “There’s this girl at our school, we saw her earlier. He called her Mom and was clinging to her for dear life.”

“Mm,” Xavier mused, “Could just be that he’s grieving.”

“Huh,” Johnny considered, “Never thought of that. A lot’s happened though, maybe that’s somethin’ to do with it?”

“It all may be a factor, yes.”

Johnny tapped his thumbnail against his teeth as the cogs began to turn in his mind.

“You say I can learn to read minds,” he began, “Would I be able to help him that way?”

Xavier straightened nervously as he rubbed at the nape of his neck.

“You’re only now starting to move things, Johnny,” Xavier warned, “Telepathy’s a dangerous gift to have.”

“You said I had potential,” Johnny reminded, his voice beginning to quake in desperation, “Please Xavier, you don’t know how bad things are with this guy...”

Xavier eyed the blond youth before him with a grave expression, his black eyes flitting from half-alien to human as he tuned his mental ear, picking up his student’s thoughts as he spotted the first tears trickle from his green eyes.

“Please,” Johnny persisted, “Teach me to help him...”

An empathetic sadness gnawed at the man’s heart as he gave a gentle nod. He watched as the blond boy wiped away a tear, moving closer to him as he offered his hands.

“There’s a reason we don’t usually share body contact when we meditate,” Xavier explained after Johnny had taken the man’s hands. “Now, close your eyes, concentrate...”

“Whoa!” Johnny remarked, looking about himself in wonder, “Where are we?”

“In your mind,” Xavier told him.

Johnny looked up at his mentor in awe.

“You’re in my mind?”

“That’s one of the things telepathy lets you do,” Xavier explained, “This is how you can help him.”

“By walkin’ about in his mind?”

Xavier draped an arm round the boy’s shoulders as he led him away, into a mist of swirling images that Johnny recognised as his memories.

“By helping to explore ghosts he may have hidden,” Xavier told him, “Or to gain control over those that haunt him.”

Johnny nodded as he looked about himself, a smile tugging at his lips at some of his happier memories.

“Wow,” Xavier remarked as he also observed the images of his student’s past, “For all the persecution we face for our colour, you have led a privileged life so far haven’t you?”

The smile on Johnny’s face grew wider, but also took on a sad air as he considered what he was doing here in the first place.

“Yeah,” Johnny muttered, “Unlike some.”

Xavier looked sullenly at his student, before tapping his shoulder.

“Come on,” he coaxed him, “Let’s get this door open.”

Johnny looked with a frown at his tutor as they marched onward, noticing that the mist at first increased in density as the pictures faded.

“Door?” Johnny quizzed, “What door?”

The mist gradually dispersed as the pair entered a spectral hallway lined with doors. One of them was half open, but the rest were firmly closed. All were illuminated by a blazing torch, burning with supernatural flames of varying hues.

Xavier gestured at a door that glowed with the tinge of the purple light of its torch.

“That door,” came the eventual reply. Xavier then indicated the open door, its green torch flickering with the breeze that drifted from within. “That one there is what you’ve just been learning.”

“Movin’ stuff?”

“Telekinesis, yes,” Xavier agreed, before taking him to the purple lit door.

“So I need to open this baby?” Johnny checked, resting his hand upon the solid surface.

“You need to focus on the task at hand,” Xavier told him, “These aren’t any old doors, you know. This is the forgotten area of your mind, which you’re just starting to awaken.”

Johnny gave a little nod, seemingly knowing already what he had to do. Laying the other hand upon the door, his eyelids slid downwards like blinds as he allowed himself to drift into a trance, absent-mindedly advancing as he pushed, lightly at first, on the door that had been shut for so long.

Xavier watched with a raised eyebrow as the door started to give. It shook a little as the forces sealed inside began to stir, before suddenly the door flew open, releasing a strong gust of wind that, in turn, sent all the others in the hallway bursting open in unison. It was as if a chain reaction had been set off, and he watched with some alarm as Johnny remained rooted to the spot, transfixed as his hair rustled in the wind.

“Good grief,” Xavier remarked, “There is more to this boy than I dared to imagine.”

Xavier’s eyes slowly opened, the black orbs fixed upon the young man sat in front of him. He crawled across to Johnny’s side as he laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Johnny?” he checked, “Are you alright?”

Johnny’s eyes opened, but his head shook briskly as he struggled to regain his bearings. His body swayed a little as he looked back at Xavier, but frowned as he saw at least two of his tutor instead of one.

“Whoa,” he muttered, “What a rush...”

“Are you okay?” Xavier repeated, helping Johnny to his feet.

Johnny clutched his arm as he was aided to a standing position, teetering on his feet as he wearily clutched his head.

“I feel so weird,” Johnny slurred, “Is it me or the room spinnin’?”

Xavier smiled knowingly as he hooked Johnny’s arm over his shoulder. Ripp rose as he watched all that was taking place, thoroughly puzzled.

“What the hell...?” he asked as he advanced to take hold of Johnny’s other arm, “What’s happened?”

“Neither,” Xavier replied, ignoring Ripp for now, “I’m not a bit surprised you feel strange, a lot happened in there.”

The two males helped Johnny to the couch in the front room, unloading their burden and watching as the blond boy collapsed into the waiting embrace of the cushions. Almost as soon as he did so, Johnny hauled his feet off the floor as he shifted into a horizontal position, his head resting on the seat of the sofa. His eyes closed as he drifted into an unknown state of consciousness while the other two looked on.

“What happened?” Ripp asked again.

Xavier glanced at him, beckoning with his head as he moved off towards the bookcase.

“He wanted to open one door,” came the bewildering reply, “But ended up with more than he bargained for.”

“What do you mean about a door?”

Xavier smiled awkwardly as he browsed the shelves, studying the spines of the books as he elaborated.

“Your partner shows a lot of promise,” he explained, “I was going to teach him how to unlock it gradually; it would have taken about a month on average. Instead all that knowledge has flooded his mind at once; the reason he now feels so groggy is because he can’t handle it all.”

Ripp grew alarmed as he opened his mouth, about to ask a question that Xavier now was beginning to answer.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be alright,” he reassured him, “These books will help him control what he’s released, but it will take time.”

“How much time?” Ripp asked, “What’ll he be like ‘til then?”

“It would have taken a month to release all he’s capable of,” Xavier told him, “Therefore, it would be logical to assume it’ll take him a month to work through these. In the meantime he’ll be fine, perhaps acting a little strange in the view of outsiders who don’t understand his new talents.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, it could manifest in all manner of ways,” Xavier replied evasively, “He’s now telepathic like me, which means he can hear thoughts. Until he learns to control the extent of his mental hearing, he’ll pick up anything and everything – I know from experience that, in this preliminary state, he’ll need to stay away from places where there are likely to be many people. Otherwise the noise he’ll suffer will be unbearable.”

“I can imagine,” came the reply as they made their way back to the form slumped into the sofa.

Ripp looked down at his resting lover, before returning his gaze to the man who’d been training him.

“Look,” he began, “Johnny was telling me you really don’t trust humans...”

A dry smile took hold of Xavier's face as he looked back at the brunette boy.

“With men like your father, is it any wonder?”

“It may not seem like it,” Ripp hastily challenged, “But there’s not that many people like him. We’re not all that bad...”

“Sure,” Xavier remarked bitterly, tugging at the hem of his top and lifting it up to reveal the bare green skin below. His free hand tugged at the waistline of his trousers, pulling it down enough to unmask a nasty looking scar running underneath his navel.

“Wow,” Ripp muttered, tracing its length with a finger before Xavier reset his outfit.

“They nearly killed me,” the alien man explained, “Left me there in the street to die. It is fortunate that they missed the vital organs, even more so that I was able to crawl to the nearest telephone booth to call for help. That is why I studied in Japan for several years; I had no idea about self-defence back then. We’re not a fighting race, and on a world like this it is proving to be a major problem.”

“I noticed,” Ripp acknowledged softly, “Both Johnny and his dad got into fights, but they were never the ones who started it.”

Xavier smiled sadly as he continued to drift, his feet taking on a mind of their own as they carried him a little distance across the room.

“And you only live in a small town,” he pondered quietly, “The city is far, far worse.”

Ripp slowly crossed his arms as he looked across at the man.

“If that’s the case,” he shrugged, “Why do you stay here?”

Xavier's feet sprung into life again, this time sending a message to his brain as they decided on a destination. He looked back at Ripp as he gestured for him to follow, and took him to the kitchen. He gazed out of a window, nodding in an indicative fashion at the view outside.

“This is why,” he told him, his face becoming sad as both now studied the back yard of his abode.

Ripp squinted as he peered through the translucent glass.

“What am I looking at?”

“Do you see the traffic cones?”

“Yeah,” Ripp agreed, craning his neck, “Is that some kinda crater?”

“It is,” Xavier replied, “At the bottom of that is our ship.”

“Your ship?” Ripp echoed, turning back to him, “What happened?”

“You have no idea how much junk there is floating in space around your world,” Xavier explained, “A disused satellite collided with our craft as we approached, and sent us crashing to Earth.”

“How many of you were there?”

“Two,” Xavier replied, “My twin brother Udo and I.”

He brought Ripp along to a table in the kitchen, with an urn resting upon its surface.

“Udo was the pilot,” he continued sullenly, “He died on impact.”

“Oh damn,” Ripp uttered, looking back at him, “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” Xavier acknowledged, gazing sadly at the urn as he continued his story. “He doesn’t rest though; he has been keeping me company here ever since.”

Ripp gazed at him with a questioning manner.

“Huh?” he checked, “You can see ghosts or something?”

“We certainly can,” came the reply, “Johnny’s father may have lost some of his natural ability through age, although he might still be able to see them too; it's one of the easiest gifts for us to master. Johnny will, without a doubt.” He eyed Ripp carefully as he spoke again. “That’s another way he may act abnormally; if he appears to be talking to an imaginary friend, you can be sure that he’s in fact speaking with a ghost.”

“Like your brother?”

“Exactly,” came the reply, “And many others too; if any nearby ghosts discover someone able to see them, they will flock to him like moths to a lantern, so he needs to exercise caution.”

Chapter Twenty-three

“Now remember, Big Guy,” Johnny finished as they made for Luke’s house, “Let ‘im live, okay? There’s more to this than it seems.”

“So I gather,” Tank acknowledged dryly, “Although I’d love to hear his excuse.”

“Yeah, me too,” Johnny agreed, before turning his attention to Ripp, “You gonna be okay sweetie?”

“Yeah,” Ripp nodded, snuggling up to his partner as they continued to walk. Johnny ran a hand along his back as he pecked his head, before the house in question came into view.

“There it is,” Ripp nodded as they turned the corner, his eyes resting on a familiar looking building.

“Well, here we go,” Johnny observed as they approached the door. “Now let’s be good kitties an’ keep our claws in, huh? We ain’t aimin’ for a catfight.”

As Tank rapped his knuckles on the door, movement from a distance caught Ripp’s eye. The younger boy craned his neck in a bid to investigate further, and on doing so his face fell.

“What’s up?” Johnny asked as they awaited an answer.

“Thought this place looked familiar,” Ripp mused, gesturing to a man approaching a neighbouring house. “That’s the dad of my first boyfriend.”

The man spotted his audience, and recognition registered in his face as he returned Ripp’s stare. The youth in return gave a defiant wave as the front door to Luke’s house opened, and the teenagers turned to the sight of another fatherly figure that stood in the doorway.

“Hi guys,” he greeted simply, stepping aside to invite them into his dwelling. He led them to the front room, where Luke was seated in an armchair and nibbling on a fingernail. The sight reminded the boys of how Ripp had been earlier on.

It was Ripp who broke the silence, partly out of concern and partly to get Luke talking again.

“How’d it go?”

Luke gave a little smile as he held up a bag with the mark of a pharmacy logo.

“You were right,” he conceded, “Tested positive for both of them. Gotta stay on these for about a month.”

“Sounds about right,” Ripp acknowledged with a nod.

“I had no idea,” Luke admitted, “I didn’t mean to give you anything...”

Tank and Johnny bit hard on their tongues, but Ripp showed no such restraint as he gave a scathing reply.

“You gave me plenty!” Ripp snarled, tapping his temple, “You gave me scars, tore me so bad I couldn’t walk properly for two days!”

“I know,” Luke uttered, tears stinging his eyes, “I know just what you went through, I had it myself.”

Ripp paused for a moment as he studied the red head in the chair.

“What do you mean, ‘you had it yourself’?”

“I mean I was raped,” Luke explained with a hint of impatience, before softening his manner as he began to awaken his own ghosts. “Fuckin’ grown man, too. I’ve kept away from public restrooms ever since...”

“Whoa, whoa,” Johnny interrupted, “‘Old on a minute... you were raped, so you did it to others!? That don’t make any sense!”

“Actually, yeah,” Tank countered in a hushed tone, “It does.”

Johnny opened his mouth about to question his reasoning, but had only to remember events concerning Buzz for him to close it again. Luke’s parents studied the larger of the teenagers intently before Luke’s father decided to intervene.

“I couldn’t believe it when I found him,” the man explained, “That guy was lucky to get away, ‘cause I’d ‘ave killed him.”

“We tried to persuade Luke to get it reported,” his mother added, “But he wasn’t having any of it.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” Ripp defended.

“Why on earth not?!” Tank demanded, “It’s criminal offence after all!”

Ripp coolly eyed his brother as he replied with another question.

“Would you?!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tank retorted, “You get attacked, you have the right to report it, right?”

“That’s what we tried to explain,” the only female piped up.

Dismissing her for the time being, Ripp elaborated on the subject.

“You’ve already seen the kind of shit we face from others,” he explained, “Anything from Lilith Pleasant to General Grunt.” At this point he indicated his plastered wrist. “Now, you imagine some dude just fucked you up the ass without your consent, leaving you barely able to walk. How would you feel after something like that? An’ don’t tell me it won’t happen ‘cause you’re straight; these fuckers don’t give a shit which way you swing.”

“How about imagining you’re a gay virgin at the time?” Luke added, “I was in the closet for the very reason Ripp just mentioned; no way was I gonna add to the humiliation I was already feeling.”

“Look what happened instead,” his father reminded, “You stored it all inside, you wouldn’t even talk to us about it.”

“I couldn’t,” he mumbled, “I wanted to forget it, not relive it.”

“But you do anyways, don’t you?” Ripp acknowledged, “Or play it down as something else and live with it that way.”

“I didn’t mean it though,” Luke protested, “I told you…”

“The effect’s the same,” Tank protested, “You don’t live with him; you don’t know him like I do, and you didn’t see him when he got back home.”

Luke looked from tanned to paler youth, not making any connection between the two.

“You two live together?” he checked.

“I’m his brother,” Tank stated as he eyed the red head, “That’s why I was ready to kill you back there.”

“Right,” Luke mused as he studied the bulky teenager, before he told his story.

“As you might have gathered, it happened in a restroom while we were out one day – I won’t go into details, I’ll just say he had a knife on him that he ‘weren’t afraid to use’.”

Luke stirred in his seat as he continued, the bitterness rising in his voice as he spoke.

“That kinda thing tends to fuck you up,” he explained as he eyed the tanned boy, “I was in pain, I wouldn’t go out because I’d get paranoid about needin’ the bathroom in a public place – I wouldn’t even go to school for that reason. My life was in ruins ‘cause of an asshole I hadn’t even met and he was still walking the streets. I’d wake at night thinking he was comin’ back for me... and anyone else I tried to tell of this thought I was making it up. I just got so bitter and angry in the end, and it went inward – nothing I could do to make it go away.”

“So you took it out on others,” Tank uttered softly, nodding in acknowledgement. Regrets of his own once more rose to the surface as he saw a pattern emerging.

“It didn’t start out that way,” Luke explained, “But as me and this first guy were getting it on, something took me over – he liked it rough and encouraged me to hurt him; was probably into that pain shit anyways, but I weren’t complaining. It just felt good being the one in control for a change... it got dangerously addictive. We all need an outlet and that became mine.”

Ripp shuffled in his seat as his gaze lowered.

“What about Ripp?” Johnny asked quietly, “He ain’t into rough.”

“No, so I found out,” Luke uttered, his eyes clouding over with the onset of tears, “By that point I got so caught up in it I didn’t notice anything else, just needed to get it outta my system. The way he was yellin’ at me afterwards though, even shaking, especially the way he was limping to the cab, just brought back what I’d gone through myself. I spotted the blood on the bedclothes and saw it as my own... I’d sunk to their level without even realising it, hurt someone else just as I’d been, and it felt awful.”

Tears trickled down Ripp’s face at the reminder of the day it happened. Luke gazed at him with sorry eyes as he spoke of the events following the unpleasant encounter.

“I wanted to apologise then, Ripp,” he told him softly.

Ripp slowly lifted his head, peering mournfully back at him with glassy blue eyes, but allowed him to continue.

“In fact I went tearing out of the bedroom to try an’ catch up with you, but you’d already left in the cab,” Luke explained, “I was left feeling sick, even shaken… went back into my room, but couldn’t stay there five minutes before I threw up. Spent the rest of the day just locked away in my room, once I’d made it bearable to stay in, running over all that had happened in my mind – torturing myself with not only what happened with you, but also that time in the restroom with that jerk. Wouldn’t even come out for dinner.”

“Thankfully we did manage to coax him out in the end,” his mother added as she ran a hand along his shoulders, “It was obvious something was wrong, but at first we put it down to his own ordeal; he took the whole thing so badly.”

“Then we found out it was something else,” his father continued, “Managed to drag it all out of him, but the state he was in afterwards, it was obvious he hadn’t meant for that to happen.”

Ripp clamped his teeth upon his quivering bottom lip as he struggled to maintain his composure. Luke brushed away tears of his own as he gave a little sniff, and Tank took advantage of the break in words to give his own account of what he’d witnessed.

“I was trainin’ with Dad when he came back,” he said, “Ripp’s usually a total goofball and the loudest in the house, yet he came crawling up the stairs with not a word, just went straight to his room. It was plain even then that somethin’ was wrong, to say nothin’ of the days that followed. He was just too quiet, barely came outta his room. An’ then the itchin’ started, like he had ants in his shorts...”

“Yeah,” Ripp continued, “Was bad enough at breakfast, but it got me in class too. This guy Dustin pulled me into a cubicle during recess and started asking about my sex life – couldn’t understand it at first, until he told me I’d probably caught something. Sure enough, when I got checked out I tested positive.”

“So you an’ Dustin go back quite a way?” Tank checked.

“Yeah,” came the careful reply, “He knows some people who’ve been where I was. He recognised the symptoms and explained it to me.”

“Lucky you for having a friend like that,” Luke acknowledged.

“Yeah,” Ripp agreed, “He’s a nice enough guy.”

Luke nodded, before once more gazing apologetically at him as he rose from his seat.

“I’m sorry,” he uttered, “I didn’t mean…”

Ripp smiled sadly as he left his chair, pulling the red headed boy into his arms.

“Thanks,” he replied softly, feeling overcome with emotion as Luke’s story began to register in his mind.

Johnny anxiously checked his watch, before sharply rising to his feet.

“We gotta go,” he excused, “Ripp and I need to be somewhere.”

Tank was about to follow suit, but Luke called after him.

“Hey Tank,” Luke beckoned as he advanced, “Can I borrow you a sec? Sounds like you could do with a good talk.”

The couple once more approached the house of Ripp’s first boyfriend as they left, and the man they’d spotted before was busy washing his car.

“Hey there, Mr Lewis,” Ripp greeted cheerfully as they passed, “How’s Mike these days?”

Mike’s father arched an eyebrow as he decided to acknowledge the boy’s presence.

“No idea,” he replied nonchalantly, “Haven’t seen him for years.”

Ripp frowned, suddenly concerned as he drew closer to the man.

“How come?” he asked, “He’s not living here anymore?”

“He ran off,” came the dismissive reply, “He knows he’s welcome back if he changes his ways.”

Ripp snorted indignantly as he crossed his arms.

“You don’t just stop being gay, you know,” he growled, “I grow tired of saying this to people, but it ain’t a choice.”

Mike’s father eyed the youngster disapprovingly, but remained quiet.

“How about this?” Ripp pressed, holding up his plastered wrist, “I got this ‘cause someone couldn’t accept the fact I’m gay! You think we choose to get this shit from people?!”

Johnny stepped up behind Ripp, deciding things had gone far enough.

“Come on, sweets,” he urged, but Ripp wasn’t done.

“There’s much worse he could have done,” he continued, “Like rape, murder, dealing in drugs… What kind of son would you rather?!”

“Ripp,” Johnny urged, tugging him away.

“Some people’s kids get killed, you know,” Ripp told him as he left, “Some guys lose their parents through death… you guys are alive for fuck’s sake, just be grateful for that!”

“I’m sorry,” Ripp uttered as they walked, “I couldn’t help it – they make me so damn angry…”

“What happened with his parents?” Johnny asked, “There had to be a reason you lost it.”

“Yeah,” Ripp explained, “His family caught us making out on the sofa; not the best way for him to tell them he prefers guys. They grounded him for an insane period, and we kept in touch through that forum. When he was finally allowed out again, we started meeting up somewhere, before that guy caught us again,” he finished, thumbing back at Mike’s former residence.

“And, his family don’t like the fact that he’s gay?”

“You heard him,” Ripp reminded, “Welcome back if he changes? No wonder he upped and left.”

“Sheesh,” Johnny breathed, his head shaking in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Ripp agreed, “That’s why I lost it.”

“Can’t say I blame you,” Johnny nodded, “Although you still gotta remember, it’s someone else’s parents you’re dealing with here.”

“More chance of him listening than Dad, right?”

Johnny gave a little chuckle.

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “Guess so.”

“You gotta be very careful with this guy,” Johnny explained as they reached their destination, “He got attacked soon after arrivin’ here, an’ he’s been very paranoid about humans ever since. Nothin’ that happens in trainin’ leaves those four walls, got it?”

“Sure,” Ripp shrugged as they approached the building, frowning as his partner walked up to the front door. “I’m more concerned about us going into his house!”

“I know,” Johnny admitted as he rang the doorbell, “I found it all very odd to start with. Dunno why I trusted him in the first place, but I’m glad I did. He’ll be more afraid of you than you need be of him.”

Ripp arched an eyebrow as they awaited a reply to the sound of the doorbell that reverberated within.

“The house is very Eastern influenced,” Johnny explained, “Said he’d studied a great deal in Japan.”

“Cool,” Ripp acknowledged, before both frowned as the front door opened by itself.

“Come in Johnny!” a voice beckoned from within.

Johnny shrugged as he complied, gesturing with his head for Ripp to follow.

“Does he always do this?” Ripp quizzed with a playful smile.

Johnny looked back at him with a serious expression, which tugged the smile from his lover’s lips as the door closed behind them.

“No,” he replied simply, before calling ahead as they walked further into the house.

“Xavier?” he called out hesitantly, his eyes spotting a bundle on the nearby couch.

“Over here,” a voice replied, a head peeking from the depths of the cushions.

The two boys followed their ears as they traced the sound, and were left gazing upon the green figure stretched out along the sofa.

“Hey,” Johnny greeted, briefly introducing Ripp before looking back at his teacher. “You okay? You don’t look so good…”

Xavier smiled weakly as he pulled himself to a sitting position, looking distinctly uncomfortable as he did so.

“Oh, I’ll be fine thanks,” the man replied, “Once the codeine takes effect, at least.”

“Why, what’s up?”

It was an innocent enough question, but Johnny’s brow twitched into a frown at the expectant nature of Xavier’s stare, as though studying his manner.

“Ah, I see,” came the eventual observation, “I gather your father hasn’t yet explained this to you; although you are still quite young, maybe he is merely waiting a little while…”

“Explained what?” Johnny checked, resting a hand on his hip, “What’re you on about?”

After nursing his lower abdomen with a slightly pained expression, Xavier’s hand then rubbed at the base of his head as he wore a sheepish smile.

“I probably shouldn’t be the one to tell you this,” he began awkwardly as he slowly returned Johnny’s gaze, “But Gotzoian males menstruate fortnightly, or thereabouts.”

Johnny’s jaw slowly fell open as he struggled to comprehend what he was being told.

“I beg your pardon?!” he finally checked, scratching his head as he pondered which issue to address first.

“You’re on your period?” Ripp checked, making the decision for him.

“I am indeed,” Xavier confirmed, a smile playing upon his lips as he observed the baffled alien teenager. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry yourself just yet; they don’t begin until around the time of your eighteenth birthday.”

“But I’m gonna get ‘em?” Johnny checked.

“You have Gotzoian blood in your veins, so yes,” came the reply, “They last only two days, unlike a woman’s three or four.”

“Uh-huh,” Johnny acknowledged slowly, “How bad do they get? You’re waitin’ for somethin’ as strong as codeine to kick in, that ain’t soundin’ too good…!”

“It depends,” his tutor told him, “They do tend to be worse than for females, but then some women apparently suffer badly too.”

Johnny’s head dropped at the news, nursing his brow. Ripp meanwhile slowly turned back to the seated form as something else occurred to him.

“Hold on a minute,” Ripp checked hesitantly, “Does this mean he can grow babies inside him, like women can?”

“We can fall pregnant if that’s what you mean,” Xavier replied, a playful smile upon his face, “This is why the technicians only pollinate the males. They take the eggs from their own bodies, and use the man’s sperm to fertilise them.”

A bewildered whistle escaped Ripp’s lips, while Johnny straightened as he realised the true implication of his plight. The couple looked at each other, a smile slowly spreading across their faces as they looked back at Johnny’s mentor.

“We can have a real family?” Ripp checked, but Johnny was quick to intervene as Xavier rose to his feet.

“Hey, hold your horses,” Johnny chided, yet still unable to banish the delighted smile from his own lips. “Let’s get you back on your feet first, huh?”

The oldest alien chuckled as he led them out of the room.

“You are both still young,” he reminded them as he sensed the hope brewing inside the human teenager, “And Johnny hasn’t matured enough to be able to conceive yet.”

“I know,” Ripp conceded, before excitedly presenting his case, “But to someone who’d been resigned to having to adopt later on…!”

“Later, sweetie,” Johnny grinned, his face falling as he pondered the flip-side of his predicament, “If you find me in the school halls doubled up in agony, you’ll know why!” he finished with a scowl.

“Aww,” Ripp chuckled, slipping an arm round his waist, “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”

Xavier allowed a wry smile to tug at his lips as he beckoned them into his training room, not wishing for Johnny’s sake to let on how badly he had suffered earlier in the day.

“Johnny already knows this, but I’ll explain to you quickly,” the alien man said to Ripp, “His physical training is over. From now on we’ll be beginning with meditation, which I gather you could do with too.”

“Not a bad idea,” Johnny agreed, “It’ll help you relax, hopefully refresh you too.”

“Oh, cool,” Ripp shrugged, “Okay, what do I have to do?”

Xavier seemed to be lost in concentration for a moment, and soothing oriental style music drifted softly through the air. Inviting the other two to get comfortable, he began to speak dreamily as he rested his hands on his knees.

“You may become so relaxed you’ll fall asleep,” Xavier told him, “That’s perfectly fine if you wish to do so.”

Ripp’s head tilted briefly from his spot on the floor, resting a hand on his belly as the back of his head lay on his other arm.

“Sounds good to me,” came the cheeky reply. Johnny sniggered as he knowingly shook his head.

The man’s large black eyes closed as he began to talk all three of them into a meditative state.

“Imagine yourself in a place of your choosing, where you can relax…”

Ripp’s eyes closed, his breathing deepened as he felt himself drift. He saw his special place through fresh, innocent eyes, his young face wearing a happy smile as he looked among the greenery now surrounding him.

The faintest of breezes tickled his bare skin as he began to stroll through the thicket, the blades of grass gliding between his toes as he walked. Free from the cares of the world, and even from the restrictive nature of clothes, the feeling of delight in the young boy was immense. Reaching for the ground, his little fingers plucked a fibre from the green carpet and held it to his lips, playing his new mouth organ as he continued to amble through the forest. A rustling sound could be heard some way ahead, but the young boy was not afraid; he knew he was safe here. Upon seeing the figure in the distance, he gave a delighted gasp as he dropped the grassy leaf, making haste towards the form with a happy shriek.

“Mom!”

Lyla wore a warm smile as she advanced, stepping out of the foliage before invitingly opening her arms.

“Hello Ripp,” she grinned, wrapping her arms around the naked bundle and holding him close.

“Welcome back,” Xavier smiled as Johnny opened his eyes.

Johnny gave a little salute in reply, before turning inquisitively to his boyfriend. A loving smile played upon his lips as he noticed the curled up form next to him, his head dipping closer to investigate.

“Is he asleep?” Xavier asked with interest.

Johnny gave a little nod in reply, before frowning as he leaned closer still. Ripp’s plastered hand was obscuring part of his face, but there was something strange in the way it was held there.

“What the…?” he whispered to himself as he further studied the sleeping figure, before giving a small chuckle as he sat back up. He broke into quiet giggles as he continued to watch his partner's peaceful slumber.

“Awww!” he cooed, “That’s adorable!”

Xavier eyed his student with a puzzled frown.

“What is?”

Johnny turned back to his mentor with a soppy grin stretching his mouth from ear to ear.

“He’s sucking his thumb!”

Xavier at first cocked his head in mild amazement, before, with a knowing shake of his head, he brought them both back to earth.

“Come on, back to the lesson,” Xavier hinted with a smile, “He’s obviously happy wherever he is.”