Damned Paradise

He nodded and moved up next to me. Milo hit the light and almost instantly the bear sounds started up again. Sean and I were face to face and we both started laughing, softly this time so as not to wake Milo again. I could hear Sean breathing deeply and I decided to back up a bit, thinking he was asleep. When I felt his hand touch my face and his lips press softly against mine I couldn't help but kiss back. I stopped myself and backed up.

"Look," I whispered, "I was serious about what I told you. When we get to know each other better maybe something can start up between us but until then I really want to just stay friends."

I felt his hand drop from my face and he turned so his back was to me.

"I understand." He whispered back and I felt a pang of guilt in my stomach. I really need to learn to be sensitive. So to make him feel better I leaned over to him and whispered, "Night." In his ear and kissed him softly on the cheek before turning so we were back to back and drifting off to sleep, with my mind trying to process the days contents.

I awoke not but 2 hours later to the bear sounds of Milo and the deep breathing of Sean. Damn insomnia. I thought and I lay on my back, folding my hands underneath my head. Sean stirred in his sleep. He had turned around in his sleep and he was facing me. I noticed he had taken his piercings out and he was curled up into the fetal position. He breathed softly in and out and his face was just so innocent and cute. I pressed my lips to his forehead and to my surprise he pulled my face down to his lips. He breathed my name onto my mouth and kissed me hard. I didn't know what to do. He was obviously fully awake now because he was moving all about, pressing his body closer to mine. I took control of myself before we did something we'd both regret and I pushed him away, ever so lightly.

"I shouldn't've done that. You were just so cute sleeping I couldn't help myself." I whispered and Sean laughed, softly.

"It's okay. I was dreaming about you anyway. You may have to change your sheets in the morning if that dream continues." He said and it was my turn to laugh.

"That dream could become a reality in the near future you never know." I said, touching his nose to mine.

He suddenly got serious. "Don't say that unless you mean it."

Did I mean it? Did I want to date Sean? He was very cute and nice from what I could tell but like I said I wanted to get to know him first but judging from this little night of flirting, dating him didn't seem so bad.

"I do mean it." I said, 100 percent confident. I could hear him breathe in sharply.

"So we're together now?" he asked, sounding breathless.

He was so close that I could feel his heartbeat racing 1000 times a second.

"Yeah." I said, not believing what I was saying. I just agreed to date a man. Not only was Sean a man but he was a man that I'd known for about 1 hour while living in a house with a murderer. I must be losing my mind but hey, there's a first time for everything, right?

Suddenly I felt Sean's lips on mine and his hands groping just about everywhere on me. I was way turned on but once again I had to take control.

"Milo is 6 feet away. We've only just started dating. I don't want to rush things, you know?" I said and Sean muttered a small "Okay." In response. I did however lean down and kiss him softly and whisper, "Go back to bed." He obeyed and turned his back to me once again and rested his head on my arm to sleep. I turned my body so that my stomach was on his back and I wrapped the arm that he wasn't laying on around his waist and tried to force myself to sleep. I could feel something poking my hand and I asked him what it was. I could feel his face get hot against my arm as he apologized and then I understood. I laughed softly and said it was okay.

"It's just that you're so close to me and that dream I had. I can't really control myself." He said, sounding thoroughly embarrassed. I laughed. Then I got closer to his ear.

"Just promise me that if I get one that you'll help me take care of it." I was joking around but Sean's body didn't want to agree with my joke. He bit his lip and tightly gathered up the sheets in his fist.

"Please don't joke like that. It's hard containing myself as it is." He begged. I apologized and obliged. I came to the conclusion that it would be really interesting dating Sean. I'd never dated someone who was so into me as he was. I had one more joke in me that I couldn't hold in I just had to say it and then I would show him mercy.

"Should we really talking about how hard things are for you right now?" I said and Sean lightly punched my arm, biting his lip trying to control his body.

"Caaaiiinnnn. Don't say that!" he said, struggling to hold himself in.

I laughed and apologized, promising that that was the last joke. I let him go to sleep peacefully before I started to force myself to sleep. The next time I awoke there was actual light outside. Granted there was only a sliver over the horizon but there was light meaning I'd slept longer than 2 hours. Sean somehow ended up on his stomach and I noticed Milo's snores were non-existent. I looked over to his bed and he wasn't there. I heard shower water running and I deduced that he was in the shower. I'm not exactly the greatest Sherlock Holmes. I rose as stealthily from the bed as I could without disturbing Sean and went into the other bathroom to take a shower. I was in for about an hour and when I came back into the room, Sean was seated cross legged on my bed and Milo apparently was still in the shower. He must run up the water bill like crazy. I thought to myself. I felt eyes on me and I looked at Sean. He showed no shame in staring at my chest and I laughed at this.

"Do you want to touch it?" I asked sarcastically but the way Sean came over and indeed touched my chest showed he took the offer seriously.

"Let me get dressed." I said and Sean said okay but he made no effort to leave the room. Not wanting to sound rude, I politely suggested he go take a shower and he did, clearly taking no offense. I dried and changed into jean shorts and a t shirt and left a note telling both of the guys that I'd be down in the meadow, relaxing.

I picked out a bench that was facing a waterfall into a pond with several fish swimming around in the clear glass like water. I watched it for a while until my serenity was interrupted by a loud voice booming nearby.

"Hey pretty boy. Move." Well aren't they nice? Preparing a sarcastic quip in my mind for retaliation I looked around for the owner of the insult. I finally found him and the little perfected quip I had dissipated and I kept my mouth shut. In between two trees opposite me stood a man who looked like a body builder. No, he was much bigger than a body builder. He looked as if he ate steroids for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and every so often popping one as a snack.

"You must be Medic." I said as politely as I could. I could normally take just about anyone I set my mind to but to take him I'd need about 8 of me, 6 of Milo, and about 3 Sean's to equal about half of Medic's massive size.

"Who wants to know?" he said, or more like grunted, similar to a warthog.

"Cain Bronsen, good man." I said, hoping my British charm would send this massive beast on his way.

"That's a gay name. I'm going to call you rainbow. Okay Rainbow?" he said approaching me.

My body stiffened but I kept a poker face.

"Rainbow it is then. I never liked the name Cain anyway. You've done me a favor and for that I thank you." I said, my words rushing out of my mouth.

Medic came so close that his hand was inches away from head. I prayed he wouldn't get the urge to hurt me.

"You talk funny, Rainbow. Where you from?" he snarled.

"England." I said almost in a whimper. This man was gigantic and terrifying. I didn't want to say anything to make him mad.

Medic grunted in reply and seated himself next to me. He was 7 feet tall easy just sitting. My head seemed to be about half his bicep size. Scary. Medic stared into my face studying me and I studied him. He was olive skinned, almost Greek looking, and he had jet black hair that was cropped into an army type haircut. He had small beady eyes, a prominent nose, and a square jaw. He wasn't unattractive but he wasn't all that good looking either. He was average. His muscles on the other hand were beyond average and more. He was bulging out of his clothes all over his body. It was clear that wherever he went, he was the alpha male, here included.

"You're pretty." He said after a moment.

I didn't know how to reply so I nodded my head. He frowned.

"I thought yous was from England. Ain't they got manners there? Say thank you." He said, his southern drawl becoming more obvious.

"Thank you." I said, sheepishly.

Where the hell were Milo and Sean? I didn't want to be alone with this beast any longer and I was scared if I got up to move he would tackle me. I noticed he was still looking in my face and I got a little awkward and looked away.

"You got a boyfriend?" he asked, suddenly.

I snuck a glance over to the door leading to the dorms, hoping to see Sean. No luck.

"Yeah." I said and that upset Medic. A lot.

He rose from the bench so suddenly and swiftly it was a wonder he could move so fast with all that muscle. He roared, not groaned, or moaned. No. He roared. Why a grown man roared over something as trivial as a relationship status was beyond me but here he was, roaring away. He might as well have been beating on his chest wearing nothing but a loincloth, the animal. Anyway, this act startled me and I jump back and fell off of the bench. I watched as this massive creature practically embedded his knuckles into his temples, an act that was used to stop headaches but he was pressing so hard I thought he might either invoke a headache or kill himself. Concerned, I stood and reached out for him to make sure he was okay but he pushed me. Pushed was an understatement. I felt like he swung a sack full of bricks and hit me square in the chest. He knocked the wind out of me and I crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

"Cain!" and running footsteps was all I heard before I passed out.

I awoke lying on the ground with my head resting on someone's lap, staring straight into the sky. My eyes were out of focus so I blinked a few times and reached up to push my hair out of my face. Instant pain shot through my body and I almost passed out again from the shock.

"Don't move, Cain. When Medic hit you he bruised you terribly." Came the voice of my sweet angel Tara. My head was resting on her lap and turned my eyes to look at her. She was still in her pajamas. She was wearing a silk nightgown that clung to every inch of her curved body and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had my head propped up in her hands and she was bent over me with a concerned look on her face. I saw Sean and Milo standing nearby out of the corner of my eye and I smiled feebly.

"Sean." I said, and the pain made me flinched which in turn caused more pain.

He came over towards me and I could see his face was wet from crying but his face was angry. I felt a bit happy that someone else cried when they were angry besides me. Such a sweet boy, Sean is. He tried to make his voice sound less shaky but it wasn't working out.

"Yeah?" he asked, trying to pass off wiping his eyes as pushing his hair out of his face. I vowed to talk to him about a haircut later.

"He only hit me because I told him I was already seeing someone." I said, laughing a bit and even that hurt. God how it hurt. My chest felt on fire. I got the reaction I wanted. Sean smiled, weakly but a smile nonetheless, and he knelt down beside me.

"Who are you seeing, Cain?" Tara asked, sweetly or at least what she perceived to be sweetly. Her tone was about as sweet as a child molester asking a child to come in and watch some cartoons.

Judging by Sean's face, and Milo's which I could only see a sliver of, it was wise of me not to say 'Sean. That's who I'm seeing.' So I decided it best to say, "You, love. Who else would I be seeing here? I'm far from gay."

Tara laughed apparently satisfied with my answer. I heard more footsteps approaching us and I got scared, thinking it would be my attacker. I strained my eyes to see, the best I could without moving. I only caught the glimpse of a white coat and everyone could obviously see except me.

"Excuse me, son, could you please move?" the person's voice was not unlike something you'd hear on a commercial advertising something.

Sean, after glancing down at me one last time, and I could see fresh tears fill his eyes, rose and went back to stand next to Milo. Commercial Guy came over and took Sean's spot. He was a funny looking guy and not funny looking like 'Hey that guy looks like he would be a riot!' but funny looking as in 'Why does he look like that? He should be a cartoon character!'.

He had a giant nose that took up most of his face and huge comical glasses that magnified his tiny brown eyes. He was sporting a terrible comb over of graying black hair. He had mocha skin and strong features. Weird looking guy he was.

"Cain this is Mana. He's a doctor. He's just going to test your breathing to see if Medic bruised your lungs or not." Tara said, softly stroking my hair.

I could see Sean out of the corner of my eye and the look on his face told me he was not happy with her doing that. Tara softly told me that I was going to have to sit up. I dreaded this idea and I groaned to express this.

"Can he not just check me as is?" I asked, exasperated.

"I can get a better pulse if you are seated upright." Mana said.

I moaned but obliged. I positioned myself to sit up when the pain seared through my body and I cried out and collapsed back on the ground, my breath arriving in short bursts while my chest burned.

"Cain I need you to sit up." Mana pushed.

I couldn't speak yet so I just shook my head and I didn't stop. No matter what that doctor said, my back was not leaving this ground again.

"Cain, please listen to Mana." Tara said, trying to lift my head off of the ground.

I moved my head from her hands and rested it on the ground, struggling to catch my breath.

"Cain." Mana said, sounding frustrated.

"He can't fucking breathe. Every time he moves he's in pain. How the fuck do you think he's going to sit up?" Sean exclaimed, outraged.

Mana and Tara's heads shot to face him, shocked. Sean turned a little red.

"Just check his pulse." he said, not looking at them.

Mana mumbled something under his breath and got out his stethoscope from his medical bag. He checked my pulse and timed it on his watch. He seemed satisfied with it and put the stethoscope away, replacing it with a breathalyzer used for testing for asthma. I knew what to do with it, considering I had the respiratory disease, and breathed as hard as I could into it when he placed it to my mouth. The little ball went a ways up but obviously not far enough.

"Do you have asthma, Cain?" Mana speculated.

I managed a small nod and Mana nodded. He placed the instrument back into his bag and pulled out two different colored inhalers. One was blue and the other green.

"Which one?" he asked, holding them out in front of me.

"Blue." I rasped.

Mana handed me the blue, returning the green one back to his bag of wonders. I grabbed for the inhaler and the pain in my chest almost drove me crazy. Mana seemed to be growing upset with me and in turn I got pissed. How could he get angry with me for being injured? I didn't do anything to the beast that hit me. He just did. I wanted nothing more than to relax in the common room with Sean and Milo with a good movie or perhaps take a nice long nap.

Sean apparently shared my anger because he snatched the inhaler from Mana.

"Thanks." he said, angrily and knelt beside me.

I had managed to catch my breath for the most part and motioned for Milo and Sean to help me up. Sean looked skeptical but he obliged. They each grabbed an arm and pulled me to my feet. The pain was immediate but I toughed it out until I was standing, where I collapsed onto Milo after taking the inhaler from Sean. I puffed from it feeling the medicine rush through my body and steady my breathing.

I sighed gratefully but the act still sent pain riveting through my chest. I managed to stand on my own and thanked Milo and Sean.

"No problem." Milo said and he almost clapped me on the back but he thought better of it and he squeezed my shoulder instead.

Tara and Mana stood and faced us. Tara seemed happy but there was no telling with her.

"I'm glad you're okay, Cain. You had me worried." she said and came over and kissed me. Sean was the closest to me so when he muttered, "Whore." under his breath I think I was the only one who heard. I laughed and immediately regretted it. My chest throbbed and I vowed to check it out when we got back to the common room. Mana seemed to be growing uncomfortable as he looked at me.

Sean was shooting him dirty looks as was Milo and myself. He simply ignored them and said, "I'm sure you know the rules of when to use that."

"Yeah." I said, coolly.

"Super. Don't hesitate to come to me when you need a refill." he said, snapping his bag closed.

"I will." I commented and Mana shot me a dirty look before turning and walking away.

Tara looked after him for a moment before looking back to me.

"Medic has been punished for his actions as will Mana. He should know better than to act this way. I had a few activities planned for today but due to your injury they shall be postponed until further notice. Get well soon." she said and walked away.

Sean, Milo, and I waited until the door closed behind before speaking.

"I see you and Medic got on well." Milo said and we all laughed.

Sean hugged me and kissed me softly and said, "Why don't we go back to the common room?"

Milo whooped and pumped his fist in the air and started towards the common room door.

"I'll lead the parade." he said, beginning to march and chant.

Sean threw my arm over his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around my waist and we began to trudge along after Milo who had begun to dance instead of walking.

When we arrived in the common room Sean helped me sit down on the couch and he positioned himself behind me so that my head was resting on his chest. He unconsciously stroked my hair and watched, smiling, as Milo danced around the room, singing loudly and badly. I laughed a bit and that brought on coughing which hurt my chest which made me bolt upright to control my breathing. The suddenness of my upright position sent searing pain through my chest but at least I had stopped coughing. I groaned softly and Sean put his arm around my shoulder, looking at me concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worried.

I looked at him and nodded. Milo had stopped singing and flopped down on the couch on the other side of me.

"Take off your shirt." he said and Sean scoffed.

"Why should he?" he demanded.

Milo rolled his eyes.

"I'm not hitting on your little boy toy. I just want to see if he has a bruise." he said.

"I'm no one's boy toy." I said to Milo and then to Sean I said, "It's fine."

Sean was becoming a little too over protective but I knew it was because I was hurt but that didn't make it any less annoying. He went so far as to help me remove my shirt. Granted I needed the help because it hurt like shit but that's besides the point.

Just as Milo predicted, I had a huge purple and black bruise in the center of my chest directly over my left lung.

"Jesus." Sean murmured, gently touching the bruise.

Milo winced a bit and got up, making his way over to one of the many mini refrigerators in the common room. He produced an ice pack and made his way back to the couch, placing it over the bruise.