Fuck ’em.
Ian walked the last couple feet into Tierney’s seething silence.About ten guys were standing around him, more coming up to circle them.Ian dropped his pack to the side, not looking away from Tierney’s glare.
Bring it.
“You motherfucking traitor,” Tierney snarled.
That surprised a sharp laugh out of Ian.“Traitor towhat?”
“Tomen.Straight men.”
That caused a few eyes to widen among their audience.Ian kept his breathing steady by force of will.“Why’s that, Tierney?’Cause I never told you?Maybe I thought you’d act just like this.”Well, not quite this over-the-top, unless he’d been drinking.Tierney could really tie one on, though.Maybe he’d been hitting the alcohol this morning?
Tierney’s face was nearly purple.“So it’s true?You’re fucking that fairy?”he choked out, spit flying.
Seriously?Ian’s face must have been answer enough.
Tierney blanched, and then took a step toward Ian.Ian stood his ground.Tierney stopped about five feet away.He looked so unhinged Ian thought his eyes might start spinning independently of each other any second.
“Just tell me one thing,” T said hoarsely.“Why him?”
Because he makes me feel good.“Why not?Me being with him should mean fuck-all to you.”
Tierney looked like Ian had gut-punched him, gasping for breath as his eyes went wide.It was almost as satisfying as the actual thing.But it was Tierney who first punched Ian in the gut, literally.Well, head-butted him, same thing.Lying on the ground with grass tickling the back of his neck, Ian could hear shouting over the ringing in his ears, but it was a distant concern, far behind his need to suck in some oxygen.
One voice came through loud and clear.“Get up, you fucking faggot!Bet you can’t fight a real man since that little nellie boy got you up his ass, can you?How is he, huh, Ian?Does he squeal like a pig when you—”
Ian hooked Tierney’s legs with his knee and yanked them out from under him.Then he wrenched Tierney’s sweatshirt in his hand, yanking him close enough for Ian’s fist to connect with his face.
After that it was all about rolling around on the ground, trying to punch T harder than he was getting it.By the time the guys finally separated them, Ian’s left eye was throbbing, and Tierney’s cheek was swelling, blood seeping out of his nose.Ian shrugged everyone off after a minute.The guys who held Tierney still had to restrain him—he was lunging for Ian.Ian grabbed his pack, breathing heavily with adrenaline and exhilaration, and backed off.Everyone was silent; the only sound was Tierney’s occasional grunt of exertion as he tried to break free.
“See you guys around,” Ian said, meeting as many eyes as he could.A couple nodded at him blankly.He turned and walked off, confident no one else would go after him.
In the truck, it took him a few tries to get his key in the ignition.Then he slumped back in his seat, closing his eyes.Tierney must have hit his lip, because it hurt when he suddenly smiled.
Sam didn’t leave Ian’s.He had everything he needed to get ready for tomorrow, and he could prep on Monday for his Tuesday morning class.Instead he ate toast and drank coffee, worrying about Ian.
He had a feeling Ian was going through something worse than the swirlies Sam had suffered in high school for being gay.
He’d just managed to settle down enough to start on his homework when his cell rang.He lunged for it, dumping his backpack upside-down to find it, digging through the pile of papers, pens, notebooks, and candy wrappers that had cascaded out (thank God he’d already taken out his laptop).He found it on the third ring and checked the display.
It was Ian.
“Are you all right?”Sam asked as soon as he hit the button to answer.
“I defended your honor,” Ian said.It sounded like he was driving, judging by the background noise.
“Are you in the pickup?”
“Yeah, I’m on my way home.Have you left yet?”
“It’s illegal to talk on the phone while you’re driving,” Sam pointed out.“It’s dangerous.”
“It’s not illegal if you have one of those headsets.”
“Do you have one?”
“No,” Ian said cheerfully.“Did you hear what I said?”
