Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:44:45 -0400
From: Miss Meehan <lilliluthor@hotmail.com>
Subject: Playing for Keeps - Chapter 9

Warnings and Disclaimers: See chapter one.
A/N: Thanks again to my partner in crime Ryan E.


Lucas wasn't buying it. It was too much of a coincidence. Dan Scott showing up
and offering him proof that he's his father, threatening to expose Nathan if he
doesn't quit the relationship and then Nathan getting beat up by a mugger who
has only targeted women up until now. He knew as long as Dan was with Nathan,
he'd never get to see him. He convinced his mom, Haley and her friends that they
should leave Nathan and his father alone. He promised that tomorrow, they could
all come and see him. They all piled into him mom's car and she dropped them off
as far into the campus as she could.
"Call me as soon as your in," she said, concerned there was still a mugger on
the loose.
To be on the safe side, Lucas walked the girls to their dorms before returning
to his own. He was almost positive Dan was behind all of this. He lay awake on
the bed he and Nathan shared devising a scheme to get back into the hospital and
see his lover. He corrected his thought and substituted the word brother.
Lucas knew he was fighting a losing battle in his head. He couldn't just turn
off feelings he'd developed over the few months he and Nathan had been together.
Part of him hoped that when Nathan learned the truth, if he hadn't already, that
he'd feel the same way. As much as he tried to ignore it, his body was craving
for Nathan. He promised himself he wouldn't give in to temptation but found his
hand slowly creeping down the front of his trousers and caressing the burgeoning
flesh that longed for Nathan's touch.
Lucas closed his eyes and imagined it was Nathan's hand touching him, stroking
him firmly. He imagined his lover's mouth sliding down his torso and capturing
his cock between those thin pink lips of his.
"Nathan," Lucas sighed, freeing himself and slipping deeper into the fantasy.
He gathered the precum leaking from his tip onto the fingers of his free hand
and bent his knees, shoving his briefs to the side and sliding his fingers deep
inside himself. The image of Dan's smirking face suddenly loomed into his vision
interrupting the illusion. The face taunted him, making him ashamed for still
wanting his brother so much.
Lucas' eyes snapped open. The dream was ruined. He felt ashamed. He curled up
against Nathan's pillow and sobbed into it. "I still want you," he whispered in
the darkness.
Nathan pretended to sleep until he heard his father leave his bedside and give
instructions to a nurse at the station to allow no visitors but himself and that
he'd be back later in the morning. He heard one of the doctor's tell Dan earlier
that he would be kept in the ER overnight for observation and released in the
morning. Nathan had no intention of going with his father anywhere. He was happy
to find that he wasn't hooked up to any I.V.'s so he laid still and listened for
his opportunity. It came an hour later when a car wreck involving a truck and a
minivan pulled most of the ER staff to the trauma unit. Nathan slid out of bed
careful of his hand that was in a cast. Pain coursed through his entire body and
his head spun slightly.
He looked behind his bed to see the clear plastic bag with his clothes. His
jacket and shoes were there but his pants and shirt were missing. He vaguely
remembered them being cut away when he arrived at the hospital. Across from him
was an elderly man sleeping. Nathan hated to steal but it was his only hope of
getting out of the hospital without drawing suspicion. He crept over and took
the man's bag before slowly making his way back across to his station. Pulling
the curtain he fished through the bag and found a pair of dingy twill pants that
had a few dollars in them.
Nathan dressed as quick as he could trying to force his body to move through the
pain. He put his jacket over the crazy ensemble and eased his feet into his
sneakers. With the ER in an uproar, he managed to walk right past everyone and
out ambulance bay doors. Once on the street, he circled to the front of the ER
and walked in, stopping at the first bank of payphones he found. He wasn't even
sure if Lucas would want to hear from him after tonight but he remembered Lucas
being there briefly and his kiss.
`He kissed me,' Nathan marveled, momentarily touching the fingers of his good
hand to his lips. He dialed Lucas' cell phone hastily.
"Hello," the groggy voice on the other end answered.
"Lucas, it's me."
"Nathan?" Suddenly Lucas was wide awake. "Are you all right? Where are you
calling from?"
"A pay phone at the hospital. Lucas, I don't have much time. Get my things and
come and get me. I'll be waiting," Nathan looked around and saw a diner across
the street, "at the diner across from the front entrance of the emergency room.
Hurry!"
"Nathan, there's something you should know."
"Lucas, we'll talk later. This is important. Tell me you'll come for me."
"I will. What do you need?"
"A pair of pants, a shirt and a couple of Tylenol's. My car keys are on my
dresser. You know where I'm parked. Lucas, be careful."
The blond wanted to ask what that meant but he had a feeling he already knew. He
packed up Nathan's things as well as few of his own. He hastily scribbled a note
to Haley and stuffed it in an envelope. Grabbing the bag, his own wallet and the
car keys he snuck down to Haley's dorm room and slipped the note under her door.
He slipped past a sleeping security guard at the front desk. It angered him that
his lover had been beaten and security was so slack but it served his purposes
for now. The hike to the parking area seemed to take forever. Two guards stood
near the entrance chatting casually. Lucas used his cell to dial the security
booth and reported hearing a woman screaming on the quad. The two guards jogged
past Lucas' hiding spot and once they were out of sight, he scurried to Nathan's
car, tossing the things into the back seat and taking off as fast as he could.
He turned off onto a few streets just to make sure he wasn't being followed.
Nathan's warning had him paranoid and he half expected to be run off the road by
Nathan's father. `Your father,' Dan's voice whispered in his head. Satisfied
that he gave anyone who may be following the slip, he parked at the first spot
he could find. He was barely out the car when he saw Nathan hobbling down the
steps and limping over to him. He immediately came to the brunette's aid,
pulling his arm gently over his shoulder and helping him to the car.
"Thank god you came. I only had enough money for coffee and the waitress was
giving me the evil eye."
Something about hearing Nathan's voice sounding like his usual self broke
something in Lucas. He threw his arms around the jock and kissed his neck, happy
he was alive and well. Nathan comforted the man in his arms, using his undamaged
hand to trace soothing circles over his back. There was no way he could think of
the man sobbing silently against his neck as anything other than his lover. He
bent his head and kissed the side of the blonde's cheek.
"We've got to get out of here," Nathan whispered into his lover's ear.
Lucas forced himself to pull away and help Nathan into the car. After strapping
him in, he hurried to the driver's side and drove until he reached a convenience
store.
"Don't go anywhere," Lucas smiled before hurrying across the lot and into the
store.
Nathan watched Lucas trail up and down the aisles filling the red basket he'd
picked up at the entrance. Nathan was feeling his meds wear off and was
seriously wishing he had stayed for another round of pills. His head was
pounding and every part of his body was aching. Finally Lucas emerged from the
store with two plastic bags. He tossed them in the back handing Nathan a bottle
of water and some extra strength Tylenol.
"Thanks man. I really need these right now."
Lucas frowned as he watched Nathan down two pills and swallow a mouthful of
water.
"Maybe leaving the hospital wasn't such a good idea," he worried aloud.
"I'm fine. I just need some place to rest for a while."
"Get in the back seat. I'll put these things in the trunk."
Lucas helped Nathan out and into the back. He popped open the trunk and put all
of their belongings in. Taking off his jacket, he made a makeshift pillow for
the brunette and helped him stretch his legs out across the seat.
"Hold on," Lucas said, before disappearing in the back and rummaging through the
trunk. "Ice bag and some ice," Lucas said, handing Nathan the round gray pack
and directing him to hold it against his ribs.
"What else you got back there?" Nathan teased.
"Just my meds, some snacks and odds and ends we might need. I'll try to find a
motel where we can both rest for a while."
"Lucas?"
"Yeah?" The blond replied, climbing back in to start the car.
"Marry me?"
"You're delirious with pain. Get some rest."
Lucas drove for a while, checking his precious cargo through the rear view
mirror. He knew it wouldn't be long before Dan knew Nathan was missing and
although they hadn't talked about it, both teens knew they were on the run.