SOULBOUND
By Wes
Leigh
This is a work of fiction (or
is it?) intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to
any real people or places is purely coincidental. Readers who would like to chat are encouraged
to contact me at weston.leigh@protonmail.com.
This story is the property of
the author and is protected by copyright laws.
The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the
author's consent.
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please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/.
I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I
deserved my friends.
-- Walt Whitman
Daniel
was looking forward to third period, not because it was Algebra (which just
happened to be one of his best subjects), but because Diego Ruiz would be
there.
Why
was he so infatuated with the kid?
Diego
was certainly cute. Curly dark brown
hair. Chocolate brown eyes. Dimples that were even deeper than Connor's. And he was slightly shorter than Daniel, now
that Daniel had sprung up four unexpected inches over the summer, so Daniel
felt protective toward the smaller lad.
Diego
was also intelligent, which explained how a ninth-grader
ended up taking Algebra with tenth graders.
He was clever and witty, as Daniel had discovered the week before when
they were paired up by their teacher to work on exercises during class. The two had spent most of the time chatting
and getting to know each other, instead of working on the assignment. Then, with only five minutes left, they'd
divided the problems between them and finished with seconds to spare, giggling
and smiling at each other. Their teacher
had praised them the next day for getting all the answers correct, telling the
other students that Daniel and Diego had demonstrated what good teamwork was
all about. The two had been teased by
the other students after class, but they'd shrugged it off and had headed off
to lunch together, where they'd talked more.
Diego's
family had moved to Agony so his father could open a medical office, which
would make him the second family doctor in town. Agony was considered a medically under-served
community, so Dr. Ruiz was offered several low interest loans by the Federal
and state governments to open a new office in Agony. With thousands of dollars in student loan
debt, Dr. Ruiz was quick to accept the offers, perhaps too quick, because he
hadn't considered how the move would affect his family.
Diego,
for one, had been looking forward to taking advanced college prep classes at
the charter school he had been attending in Houston. Now he found himself in a very small town in
North Dakota with only one option for education: the public high school, which offered nothing
in the way of advanced coursework.
Still, Diego had a good attitude about it all, deciding that he would
simply take every class the school offered and then look into
on-line courses offered by universities.
Daniel
was impressed with Diego's intelligence and determination. Nothing seemed to faze him. He met every challenge with a shy smile and
stubborn grit. Even starting over at a
new school hadn't bothered Diego. That
inspired Daniel, because he recalled how tough his first few days at Agony High
School had been.
Yes,
Diego was on Daniel's mind a lot lately, and Daniel was struggling to decide
why he was so obsessed with the younger boy.
Daniel walked into Mr. Aaron's math class just as the bell rang. Daniel slid into his assigned seat next to
Diego, waving at Diego as he sat down.
Diego
turned and smiled at Daniel, nodding his head in greeting.
Mr.
Aaron checked attendance first, then stated, "We'll be pairing up again today
to work on factoring polynomials."
Groans met this announcement.
"Alright. Settle down, young
people. I realize this isn't your
favorite way to spend the morning, but I promised your parents I'd pound some
knowledge into your heads today, and I intend to do just that." This brought scattered chuckles from the
students. "Get back in the same groups
you were in last week. Susan, you were
partnered with Erica, right? Since she's
out sick today, work with Marty and Annette.
Here is the assignment sheet. The
instructions are at the top. Get as many
done as you can in the next thirty minutes."
Daniel
pushed his desk over next to Diego's.
When Mr. Aaron handed them the worksheet, they scanned it together.
"Factoring
polynomials," Diego said, grinning. "I
can do these in my sleep."
"Me,
too," Daniel admitted. "I'll do the odds? You do the
evens?"
"Sure,"
Diego replied. "Race you?"
"What
will I get when I beat you?" Daniel asked.
"Who
says you're gonna win?" Diego asked, his eyes twinkling.
"Loser
buys the winner a soda at lunch?"
Diego
stuck out his fist, bumping Daniel's to show he agreed.
They
bent over the worksheet, their faces inches away from each other. Daniel started at the top of the page,
scribbling out the answers to the odd numbered exercises. Diego started at the bottom, working on the
even problems. There was a brief moment of confusion when they both reached the
middle of the page at the same time, bumping each other and giggling as they
jostled for position. Then they continued on, racing for the end, with Diego putting his
pencil down just seconds before Daniel finished his last problem.
Daniel
squinted at Diego. "You better hope you
got them all correct, otherwise ... I win."
Diego
raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think
you got all yours right?"
They
checked each other's work and found that all the exercises had been done
correctly.
Diego
grinned and said, "Well ...?"
Daniel
rolled his eyes. "You win. Drinks are on me. You want Mountain Dew, right?"
Diego
nodded. "The drink of champions. Math champions, that is." And he giggled.
Daniel
bumped shoulders with Diego and they both laughed. "What did you do over the weekend?"
Diego
sighed. "Nothing much. Helped my dad clean up his new office. He's paying me to be his janitor on the
weekends. What about you?"
"A
full day of practice on Saturday. Coach
had some new plays he wanted to try."
"You
gonna be ready for Friday?"
Daniel
nodded. "Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be."
"Are
you nervous?"
"Of
course, I am. It's my first game. Ever.
And I'm starting at quarterback."
Diego
grinned broadly, his dimples showing.
"You'll be good. I know it."
"And
how do you know that?" Daniel asked.
"Come
on, Daniel. Look at how smart you
are. All the best quarterbacks are
incredibly intelligent. Anyone can throw
a ball around, but the good quarterbacks know where to throw it. I just know you'll be good. And then everyone will think you're the cutest
quarterback the school's ever had."
Daniel
stared at Diego until the younger boy looked down, embarrassed. Daniel couldn't be certain, but for just a
moment, it seemed that Diego was flirting with him. And now, with Diego's cheeks turning bright
red, Daniel was beginning to wonder if perhaps the younger teen was crushing on
him.
"With
fans like you cheering me on, I'll have to score at least two touchdowns."
Diego
looked up, smiled bashfully, and said, "Nah.
You'll throw three touchdowns.
Maybe four."
͠ ͠
͠
Diego
was wrong.
Daniel
threw six touchdowns and led the Cougars to a 47-0 victory over the Johnsonville
Jaguars. On the defensive side, Connor
and crew prevented the Jaguars from making a single first down, forced five
turnovers, and scored one safety. It was
a solid performance all around for the Cougars and left the fans anticipating
another undefeated season and a third state championship. It gave Daniel's dad a reason to scream
himself silly as he watched his son set new school records for points scored
and yards passing in a single game. It
drove Daniel's mom crazy every time Daniel was chased around the field, but no
matter how fast the pursuit, Daniel easily evaded it.
Coach
awarded Daniel MVP for the game, to no one's surprise.
Diego
watched from his place in the drum section of the marching band. When Diego wasn't pounding out a snappy beat
on his snare drum, he was cheering at the top of his lungs until he lost his
voice around the end of the third quarter.
Daniel noticed and waved his helmet over his head at Diego. The band members all around Diego cheered,
but Diego just knew that Daniel meant that wave for him and him alone.
͠ ͠
͠
There
were two college football scouts in the stands that night, dressed in the red
and black of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. They kept to themselves the entire game,
watching and taking notes. They didn't
talk to any of the players. During the
fourth quarter, they seemed to have seen everything they wanted to see, and
they left, climbing into a black SUV with dark tint on all the windows and U.S.
Government license plates on the front and back bumpers.
͠ ͠
͠
Saturday
night, the three lovers met in the cabin to quietly celebrate Daniel's first
game as quarterback. Good food
first. Tender loving second. Quiet snuggling last.
With
sweat cooling on their skin, they relaxed in a tangled pile on the bed. Xavier stroked Daniel's side, marveling at
how muscled his young lover had become.
Connor was on the other side, nuzzling Daniel's neck as he held Daniel's
limp cock in one hand. Daniel lay on his
back between them, eyes closed, breathing slowly and enjoying the gentle touches
on his neck, his side, his groin.
Your half-time trumpet solo
was beautiful, Xavier, Daniel thought.
Xavier
kissed Daniel's shoulder. Thank
you. As always, I dedicated it in my
heart to the two most special men in my life.
Connor
released Daniel's cock and slid his hand across to stroke Xavier's hip. We're not forgetting your terrific
performance, m'love.
That wouldn't be right.
Don't worry about it, Xavier replied with a
smile. It was Daniel's game
and his time to shine.
It wasn't MY game, Daniel objected. The rest of the guys deserve credit
too.
And they got it during the
team meeting this morning, Connor replied, chuckling. Coach singled out Ethan's play on
the offensive line, right? And Dillon's
great catches. But it's kinda hard to argue with six touchdowns, m'love. You were
fuckin' incredible!
Xavier
snuggled in closer to Daniel. He's
right, Daniel. Don't be ridiculously
humble.
Ridiculously humble? What the hell is that? Daniel asked.
You know what I mean,
Daniel, Xavier
persisted. I don't worry about
you being arrogant, but I sometimes worry that you don't give yourself enough
credit. You had an amazing game last
night.
Yes, Connor agreed, you
did. And you need to recognize that and
build on it for the next game and the next.
Fine, Daniel conceded, but
can we talk about something else now?
Something that's bothering me?
Connor
sat up, frowning. "Sounds serious."
Daniel
shook his head. "Not serious,
actually. But it's something I want to
ask you guys about before it becomes a problem."
"Ask
away," Xavier said.
"So. You guys know the new kid, Diego Ruiz?"
Daniel asked.
"Yes,"
Xavier replied. "He's in Drama with
me. I think he'll be a much better actor
than you." Xavier poked Daniel's ribs
with a finger.
Daniel
snickered. "The trees on this mountain
are better actors than me." He took a
deep breath and said, "Do ... ummm ... well, do you guys
think he's cute?"
Connor
looked over at Xavier, raising both his eyebrows. Then Connor looked back down at Daniel. "Sure he's
cute. What are you saying, Daniel?"
Daniel
blew out his breath in frustration. "I
don't want you guys to think I'm not happy with the way things are. I cherish you both so much! And I don't want anything, or anyone, to come
between us..." His voice trailed off, because he couldn't admit what he was
beginning to feel.
"Are
you attracted to him?" Xavier asked, quietly.
Daniel
nodded his head, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "I don't understand it, guys. I love YOU TWO, but when I'm with Diego, I
feel drawn to him for some reason."
Xavier
gently pushed Daniel's hair off his forehead.
Then he leaned down and kissed Daniel's lips. Don't you think we know how much
you love us? Haven't you made it clear
time after time?
Then why am I attracted to
Diego?
Daniel asked, tears now dripping down his cheeks.
Connor
wiped the tears away and said, Big D, you should know that I feel the
same attraction for Diego every time I see him in the hallways.
You do?
Connor
nodded.
Daniel
turned to Xavier and saw Xavier shrug. I
feel it too, Xavier thought, whenever we're together in Drama.
"I
don't understand," Daniel protested.
"What's going on?"
Connor
replied, "I don't understand, either, but I've felt this way once before." He touched Daniel's chest. "When I realized I was soulbound
to you."
Xavier
nodded. "It has that essence about
it. The hint of a soulbinding."
"How
is that possible?" Daniel asked.
Xavier
chuckled and thought, We're not experts on this by any stretch of the
imagination. Until you came along, I'd
never even heard of three souls binding together. Who knows?
If it's possible for three to bind, then why not four?
You worry too much, Big D, Connor added, falling
back down next to Daniel and hugging both him and Xavier. It will all sort itself out in the
end.
Let your heart lead you, Xavier suggested.
Daniel
closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, no longer concerned about Diego and the
curious attraction he was feeling for the lad.
And
in the air above the cabin, a drone, painted matte black underneath to defy
even a vampire's enhanced vision, hovered high up in the sky, far enough away
to prevent a werewolf's excellent hearing from detecting it. The drone continued spying on the cabin using
telephoto lenses and ultra-sensitive directional microphones to record audio.
͠ ͠
͠
Daniel's
sixteenth birthday was a wild blowout.
Connor and Xavier arranged everything, using the old abandoned mill as
the party location. With the help of
Agony merchants, the mill had been cleaned up, broken windows replaced, and the
leaky roof repaired. A few families had
donated ping pong and foosball tables.
Now the abandoned mill had become THE place to hang out for the youth of
Agony, who would often meet there after school, listening to music as they
chatted and played games.
For
the night of Daniel's birthday, his friends pulled out all the stops. Red and black streamers hung from the
rafters. Tables lined the southern wall,
covered in sub sandwiches, chips and dips, and plate after plate of homemade
cookies. The punch was delicious and
alcohol free, thanks to the watchful presence of Coach Simms. Regina was in charge of
music, so with Donny's help, she'd set up an incredible sound system near the
back wall, complete with massive speakers that filled the old mill and half the
county with booming tunes.
When
Daniel walked in, blindfolded, guided by Xavier on one side and Connor on the
other, he had no clue what to expect. As
they removed the blindfold, the room packed with kids cheered, making Daniel
shake his head in amazement. He moved
around the room, exchanging hugs and fist bumps with his classmates, receiving
slaps on the back from everyone. For the
humans present, it was a sweet sixteen celebration
with the school's star quarterback. For
the vampires and werewolves, it was a chance to honor the young man who was
becoming a respected leader of both their clans. Somehow, against all odds, Daniel was uniting
the town, and the young people were celebrating more than a birthday, more than
a great football game; they were celebrating freedom from the ancient feud that
had dominated their lives.
It
was strange moving around the room, seeing Wolves, Ravens, and Rabbits mixing together, sipping drinks, laughing and talking. Daniel had to smile. He couldn't have asked for a better birthday
present.
One
of the last kids he ran into was Diego Ruiz.
Diego smiled excitedly, leaning in to shout over the loud music, "I knew
you'd be a great quarterback. Anyone who
can factor polynomials on the fly has to be exceptional at reading defenses!"
Daniel
laughed. "Does that mean I'm also the
school's cutest quarterback?" he teased.
Diego
smiled even more, showing his dimples now.
Then he bashfully handed Daniel a small gift. "Happy Birthday, Daniel."
"Thanks,
Diego," Daniel said as he accepted the present.
"It's
sort of a special gift, so you might want to open it later, when you get home,"
Diego added, stumbling a bit over his own words.
Daniel
looked up from the gift to Diego's face and saw the young man blushing.
"So I can't open it here?" Daniel asked.
"You
can," Diego replied, "but ... well, do whatever you want, Daniel."
Daniel
smiled. Diego was so cute when he was
embarrassed like this. Daniel slid a
finger under the flap of paper wrapped around the present and ripped it
off. Inside he found a small box. He opened the box and found a bracelet of
polished wooden beads, made from several different types of wood, each polished
to a golden sheen.
"Wow,"
Daniel whispered. "It's beautiful."
"I
made it myself," Diego said.
Daniel
slid the bracelet on his wrist, admiring the way the beads reflected the
light. "I don't know what to say. Thanks, Diego."
Diego
smiled timidly and shrugged. "You're
welcome."
Daniel
hesitated a moment, then took Diego into his arms and hugged him gently. Looking over Diego's shoulder, he saw Xavier
and Connor watching, smiles on their faces.
Connor winked at him, then lifted his cup of punch and saluted Daniel.
Daniel
released Diego and said, "Diego, there are two very special friends of mine I
want you to talk to. I know you've met
them at school, but I think it's time you got to know us all better."
͠ ͠
͠
Classification: Secret
Source: Domestic surveillance
Priority: B1
Report: Agony ND situation remains stable but with
developing concerns. Vampire and
werewolf factions no longer in conflict but now showing indications of
cooperation. Analysts are concerned that
this cooperation could lead to destabilization of détente currently in place
between vampire/werewolf groups nationally.
Assets on site report cooperation is due to leadership of subject Daniel
Anderson, the vaewolf hybrid. Abilities of subject Anderson are being
catalogued for further analysis.
Preliminary data suggest subject Anderson is developing historically
documented powers of vaewolf cross-breed,
making him a person of extreme interest to Operation Snowthorn. Electronic and physical surveillance
continuing.
Classification:
Secret
The end of SOULBOUND, Chapter
Eighteen