Chapter 12: Revenge

Sera hadn't rung. Thomas didn't want the phrase to be repeating in his head, but it was, like a mantra in his brain. He hasn't rung, he hasn't rung. Thomas hadn't been back to Sera's flat, though he had thought about it, spent whole days playing with the key in his pocket. He refused to admit, even to himself, that the morning in the shower was to be the last time they were together. He dreamed of the other boy constantly, every thought ended up with some image of him. His face, the feel of his skin, the taste of his release. The wounds healed over to dark marks. Thomas lay on his bed, a week after that day and stroked himself in the same way Sera would, wanting the other boy so badly he cried real tears when he came, spending the night awake in an afterglow that seemed lonely and cold.

The last official day of classes arrived. It was the sort of day when everyone turned up, not expected to do any work, just have fun and talk to all their friends. Thomas sat through English depressed. Sera wasn't there. His set remained empty under Thomas's blue gaze. It was almost as though he could will the boy into being with force of mind. After the lesson he found himself in the art block. As if in a daze, he wandered into the art studio and located the smiling figure of Sera. The slim Latino was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt that lay open at the collar, and a pair of long denim shorts. He was chatting to his friends as they all sat about in a rough sort of circle, smoking and laughing. Thomas walked across the room silently to stand behind Sera's chair. The conversation stilled and Sera twisted to look up at the blond boy.

He scowled, excused himself and led Thomas out into the empty darkroom. He slammed the door, locked it, and turned to the smaller boy looking annoyed. He opened his mouth to speak but Thomas cut him off.

"What am I to you Sera?" He was surprised at how angry he sounded, his voice tight and harsh but low.

Sera sighed deeply, and Thomas could see all the muscles in his chest flew as he raised a hand to comb through his hair.

"Drop it Thomas," he said languidly, "Don't strain yourself theorizing."

"No," the blond boy stepped up to him, still managing to look him in the eye as he spoke, "I'm not taking that bullshit for an answer this time."

Sera pushed him back forcefully and Thomas fell into the black workbench. Chemicals in their bottles sloshed. Sera looked demonic under the dim red light.

"Take it!" he yelled, "It's the only answer you'll get! What do you want from me anyway?"

"Answers!" shot back Thomas angrily, standing up straight again, "What am I to you? Just a cheap fuck and a model for your art? Someone to suck you off between classes?" Thomas was right up against him now, holding the collar of Sera's shirt bunched in his fist. Sera didn't get a chance to reply as Thomas stopped being a smaller weaker boy and his anger turned him into a force of nature, turning Sera round and slamming him into the wall. The blond boy held him tight there, hands moving quickly across the front of his trousers, pushing away the fall of the open shirt. Sera bucked against his touch and tried to pull away. Thomas merely pushed him harder as the darker boy's trousers were pulled down around his knees.

"Thomas, stop it," Sera's voice was surprisingly calm, even though he shook terribly as he heard Thomas slip two fingers into his own mouth then draw them over his sex. Sera made one last attempt to get free, but Thomas was far more persistent than he expected and pushed at him roughly. The Latino had seconds to brace himself against the wall before Thomas pushed into him. He screamed in pain, muffling the cry by biting his lip. Blood trickled down his jaw. Thomas moaned low. It felt so fantastic, better than anything as he buried himself it the hot impossibly tight sheath of Sera's body. The other boy was shaking under his hands as he shifted still deeper inside him. Sera moaned again as Thomas prodded the dark spot inside him that caused white fire to fly along his veins, every nerve like a strike of lightning.

The smaller boy moved with a steady rhythm, marvelling at how easily the action came to him. Sera shook and groaned with each thrust, pressed flush to the wall. He turned his face sideways, his eyes closed, cheek pressed to the plasterboard. He was crying. Tears flowed down his face and the sight made Thomas gasp. Sera shivered and stilled as he flowed against the wall, not having been touched by either of them.

"I love you," Thomas whispered and he came on the wings of his admission, spilling into Sera with a moan. He collapsed against the taller boy and in an odd parody it was Sera who was supporting Thomas as the smaller boy pulled from him. Thomas looked up at the other as Sera pulled away from the wall and turned to look at him. His mouth was bloody and the tears had made tracks down his cheeks. Thomas thought he looked like an angel fallen from grace as he stood on his toes to kiss away the blood and the tears.

"I'll come see you tonight. Wait by the bridge," Thomas smiled as he pulled up his trousers and left the dark room.

Behind him Sera sunk to the floor, a hidden blush spreading under his skin as he put a hand to his abdomen and it came away sticky. He ached, a sharp-sweet pain deep inside him as he sat there. Exhausted he watched Thomas go with hooded dark eyes. The other boy's words ricocheted around his head. I love you. Sera didn't know quite how long he sat there before finally getting up with a wince and getting back into his clothes.

As promised, Thomas was waiting at five o'clock, leaning back against the metal railing of the bridge. Students swarmed everywhere, some nodding to Thomas as they left campus. Sera felt very separate from the noisy laughing crowd. Thomas looked through at the Latino boy and smiled to him. Sera felt his knees go weak. He walked, side by side, with the other boy over the bridge. They went to the Grange, neither having said a word, and Thomas sat down on the grass by the dry canal and beckoned Sera to do the same. The dark skinned boy sat with him and looked out across the brick lined gully to the grass on the other side. Thomas touched his shoulder gently. It was as if the motion un-corked Sera, who had spent the entire afternoon in dejected silence, and the words came out in a rush of sound.