Part Twenty-Three

The burning rage hissed through his body like deathly poison, demanding a release in the form of unwanted violence. It was like a volcano erupting; fury sweeping off of the elf like ferocious waves. The wrath consumed his moralities and obliterated the boundaries of his loyalty. He shoved James off of him, making the taller boy stumble back.

There was a pause before James acted. He grabbed a hold of Oren's ear and shoved him backwards, causing the elf's head to hit the wall. Oren turned back before James pressed a hand to the side of his skull, slamming Oren's head to the wall. "You wanna go, bud? I'll rip you apart and don't you doubt me." the boy spat, his voice coming out hoarse.

With a pain running through his head, Oren kicked the boy in the gut and rubbed his face, pausing as James threw a blow to his nose. The elf snapped back with a whimper of pain, as cheers followed from the class. The elf knew something was damaged as he reached up to feel a thick, warm liquid dribbling down his nose and onto his lip.

"You're fucking disgusting." James shot forward and grabbed a fistful of Oren's hair, tugging back. The elf yelped at the sting, but found some sort of power in it as he twisted out of the boy's grip. He yanked his head away and tackled James as they toppled to the floor. Oren dug his knee into the boy's ribs, receiving whoops from bystanders. Oren raised his hand, ready to punch when a sting erupted at the palm of his hand.

He clenched his hand into a fist, trying to contain the plant that wanted to come out oh so badly. Instead, he threw one punch at the boy's jaw and soon one punch had turned into a fit of pounding at the boy. He heard a crack half way through but that's not what stopped him.

What made him come to a halt was the recognition of the large prickly plant that slipped from his grasp. It wrapped around James' neck quickly and squeezed tightly, thorns digging into the ruddy skin as it grew in length to wrap around his limbs and pin him to the floor.

The class was now silent.

Oren opened his palm and allowed the rest to let loose, causing the plants to shoot out like venom from a snake's fang. A flurry of vines had large multi-colored leaves and prickly sides as they engulfed wrapped around the human below him.

The other plants were a mixture of sharp muddy trifoliates, with a set of jagged canines in the center. The plants all latched onto James' body, deathly and poisonous toxins entering the human's bloodstream.

The brunet went from thrashing to laying completely still, his face bloody with nasty purple patches and a dislocated jaw. Oren was soon pulled back from the body and the prickly greens detached from his skin, leaving him with bruised knuckles and a battered bloody nose. The pain ebbed further as the sticky blood ran down his seething lips.

He turned to see who held him, only to relax when he saw the worried face of Clayton. Clayton's hands were wrapped around his shoulders from behind, dragging him away from the detestable scene. Still dazed and overtaken by adrenaline, Oren allowed the blond to lead him to an empty corner of the classroom.

"Oren, snap out of it. Come on, look at me." Clayton muttered hastily, tapping the side of the elf's face as he slid the boy down the wall. He crouched and rested a hand on the elf's shoulder. "Calm down. Breathe." Oren slowed his panicked breath to the voice, not even realizing he was hyperventilating until now.

Once he came to, Oren looked down to his knuckles and wiggled his fingers, wincing as he did so. The red blood that dripped down his chin fell onto the floor, leaving him confused as he wiped the blood from his lips. He looked up, eyes focused though petrified. "Clayton," he muttered, "what did I just do..?"

Clayton reached forward and gently stroked the boy's white hair, scooting closer. "You're okay." he opened his arms, and Oren recoiled in fear of hurting the human. The elf was shaking his head frightfully, trying to press himself further into the corner.

"I-I'm dangerous," Oren's voice came out with a shake, blood continuing to drip onto his clothing and the tiled floor. "Clayton, I'm a monster! I-I just hurt that boy, and- and I didn't-" Clayton crawled closer to wrap the boy in a reassuring hug, burying his forehead into his tense shoulder. Oren didn't return the hug, but that was expected, he was scared.

"You're not a monster, Oren." said Clayton, "You're just learning to protect yourself. I'm proud of you."

»»---------««

After cleaning up in the clinic, Oren fiddled with his bandages and turned his hand every which way to see how the cloth fit. His nose was neither broken nor fractured. Turns out, a small injury with the internals made all the blood rush, and the nurse told him it'll heal in two weeks with the proper care. Clayton stayed in the clinic with Oren, sitting next to him on the bed.

The elf avoided his gaze out of guilt. He felt too much of a threat to be around Clayton, but yet the human still insisted to sit less than an inch away from him. Not to mention they were holding hands as they sat in silence.

Clayton on the other hand, felt like he could've done more to prevent the fight from happening. The second he stood, he paused. He saw Oren's eyes flick over to him, almost as if sending him a silent message to stay away. He could've jumped in to Oren's dismay and broke it apart, but no. He stood there like a deer in the headlights of a car.

None of the two knew what Amber's reaction would be when she sees Oren tomorrow. Today though, Oren knew Clayton was right when he said that she was misleading. He was glad he ignored her. The elf was able to make her reveal her true colors, without having to do anything.

"Clayton," Oren blurted, "I'm sorry I'm such a bad boyfriend." The elf cast his gaze to the side, watching Clayton's reaction from his periphery. His ears were bent downwards in shame. He wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. Clayton turned his head towards the boy, eyebrows creased in mostly disbelief.

Clayton quickly came back from his racing thoughts and leaned to the side, growing closer to the elf who sat frozen. The pace in how he leaned in was painfully slow, and he stopped once his forehead rested against Oren's. Enjoying the peaceful moment, Oren closed his eyes and relaxed. "You're neither a bad boyfriend, nor a monster." he said in barely more than a whisper.

"Then what am I?" the other replied, his voice soft yet husky.

"You're perfect." Clayton's voice barely wavered from the exhilaration coursing through him. The human reached up and gently pressed his hand to the bottom of Oren's chin.

He pressed his lips against Oren's and he immediately felt powered with adrenaline and utter excitement. It was nothing like he's ever felt before, and he's kissed a few people before Oren even came into his life. It was thrilling to finally kiss the boy he's been wanting for so long.

Oren shivered from the sudden contact, ears perking up as he sighed into the warm lips. Clayton wondered if this was supposed to mean something, or not. He definitely felt it: the click, like two puzzle pieces, or Lego blocks. They were two peas in a pod, as corny as it sounds.

The two boys slowly pulled away, both equally affected by the shock running down their spines. Shaky, shallow breaths followed the empty room. Unable to contain himself any longer, Oren threw himself forward and held each side of Clayton's head in his hands, pulling him into a passionate kiss. His hands slowly worked their way around the human's body, feeling each ridge; each crevice along his fitter physique.

Clayton ran a hand up Oren's back, pressing his palm flat against the lower curve. He was suddenly engulfed in a hot flush that spread down to his neck and chest. He was blooming with happiness as the kiss grew longer, and he silently hoped Oren felt the same glee he did.

They soon pulled apart and opened their eyes, both boys equally shocked and pleased. They noticed every little detail in the other's eyes, even if just a few seconds passed. Oren's eyes full of wonder, and Clayton's full of curiosity. No words were spoken in that moment, and none were necessary. The human leaned in again and softly kissed patterns down the elf's neck. Nervous, Oren let out a whimper as he clawed at the blond's back. Clayton worked his way back to the elf's tender lips.

"Clayton we're still in school.. Oh," Oren arched his back into Clayton's chest and hummed as gentle teeth nipped at his bottom lip. The emotions mixing into needy passion drowned both of them. The two boys grinded in sync, trying to get more physical contact between one another.

"Ah," Oren wiggled, hips suddenly dragged forward to Clayton as the human's hands rubbed up along his sides. Clayton's breath was just as heavy as Oren's and the tension only grew the longer they touched. "Clay... I-I.." he stammered and trailed off, hands caressing Clayton's short hair.

"Who's in there?"

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Thanks for reading Part Twenty-Three!

They kissed waow :O