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“Riko is going to kill us,” Jean insisted quietly, on high alert and keeping guard outside the not-quite-yet stolen car that Nathaniel was breaking into.
“We’re in,” the ginger whispered after he opened the door and slipped into the car. He unlocked Jean’s side and opened the door so they could still talk. “And no he won’t. He needs us. Remember? We’re the best players next to him and Kevin and with Kevin gone…” Nat left his sentence very open-ended while he attempted to hot-wire the car.
Jean moved and stood in the open door. “You are the star player. I’m second-best in comparison.”
“You play just as well as Kevin and I ever have,” Nathaniel asserted, his tone nothing short of a growl.
“Riko might not kill you, but he won’t hesitate to kill me,” the pessimistic Frenchman muttered under his breath.
A moment later the car—that belonged to neither of them—roared to life and Jean folded into the passenger’s seat. Nathaniel didn’t hesitate to grab his hand and squeeze. “I’d like to see him try,” Nathaniel told Jean, the tone forcing him to meet the cold blue eyes of his partner—in every sense of the word.
The possession in Nathaniel’s eyes and the cold confidence of his tone would have been enough to make Jean’s knees give out under him had he still been standing. He squeezed back and faced Nat, his other hand moving to Nat’s chin. Jean slotted their lips together, kissing him deeply.
Nat replied in kind, carding his fingers through Jean’s dark hair before breaking the kiss and pulling out of the student parking lot, hoping whoever owned the car wouldn’t miss it in the hours he and Jean would be gone. “Where to first?”
“Mailbox,” Jean told him, their fingers still intertwined. “I wrote a letter to Elodie and with any luck, I can find a gift for her while we’re out.”
& * - &* - & * -
The two returned by nightfall, gifts for the Ravens in hand. Nat parked in the athlete’s parking lot for the express reason of dropping the gifts off and storing them in the trunk of his own Yakuza gifted car.
After all of the gifts were transferred over, he took the car back to the student parking lot, leaving a note, hush money, and money for repairs.
He met Jean in the athlete parking lot and walked down to the Nest. Nat had Jean follow behind him in case they were met with Riko. He was expecting it and wasn’t expecting it to be pretty. He stopped on the bottom step and fished his pocket knife from his jeans, preparing it in case Riko did decide to wait for them.
Nat cautiously opened the door at the bottom of the stairs and was met with darkness and silence. The rest of the team was already on court. He and Jean dressed quickly before leaving for the court.
“You’re late,” Riko said flatly when Nathaniel and Jean entered the court. His expression was neutral but Nathaniel knew that was because he didn’t want to make a scene in front of the other Ravens. “Stick around after practice for laps, Wesninski. Moreau, I’ll have a talk with you after dinner.”
Nathaniel caught Jean’s eye. They both knew what that meant and it was nothing good.
& * - & * - & * -
Nathaniel received a backhanded smack across the face, signaling the end of practice. The sound reverberated around the court. “Dismissed,” he snarled, staring Nathaniel in the eye, daring him to move.
Nat wanted to punch Riko in his smart face, but he knew that would make Jean’s punishment far worse, so he stayed still, anger coursing through his veins.
Jean followed the rest of the Ravens off the court and into the locker room where he waited for Nat with the typical first aid kit. He was gonna need it.
Nat stayed on court with Riko, his back straight, bracing himself for what else was to come. He followed Riko out of his peripheral vision as the Number One paced around him like a vulture.
“Where were you?” he growled quietly, stalking behind Nat like a wildcat to its prey.
“Computer room working on school work. Lost track of time,” he lied, staring straight ahead.
Riko came to halt in front of him. “Liar,” he hissed, getting in Nathaniel’s face. “Where. Were. You?”
In the same tone, Nat replied back, “Computer. Room.”
Riko scoffed. “You think you’re funny?” he asked rhetorically.
Nathaniel wasn’t supposed to answer that, but he did anyway. He bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile. “Yes, actually.” His eyes flashed. “I think I’m a riot.”
Flesh met flesh when Riko punched Nat in the jaw. “Silence, brat!” He grabbed Nat by the hair and held him taut. “They should have silenced you when they silenced your bitch of a mother.”
Nathaniel’s grin widened and his eyes flashed darkly. “At least my would-be aunt wasn’t killed by my family.” He laughed and Riko punched him in the face, trying to shut him up, but Nat continued laughing as he spat blood. He was going to have black eye and a horribly bruised nose, but he didn’t give a shit. “And at least I knew my mother.”
Riko’s vision went black with rage. He needed to shut Nathaniel up but the bastard wouldn’t stop goading him, wouldn’t stop taunting him, and wouldn’t stop laughing in his ears. Only when Riko felt a warm, wet substance on his fingers did his vision come back. The ceaseless laughing had stopped so Riko stopped punching.
& * - & * - & * -
Jean watched Riko enter the locker room and noted the blood on Riko’s hands. Jean’s stomach sank. Smatterings of it were dry but most of it still looked very wet. He wanted to run to his lover but he knew he should be still as to not be seen.
He watched Riko wash his hands and watched as he checked for blood smatterings elsewhere as well. Jean watched as he changed out of his uniform. He watched as Riko left the locker room and then bolted back to the court, first aid kit in hand, heart racing in his chest.
Jean ran down the court, skidding and falling to his knees, coming to a halt near Nat, tears filling his eyes in panic as it looked like he wasn’t breathing. Jean quickly fumbled for his phone that he grabbed from his locker before Riko came into the locker room.
He took the phone in his trembling hands and snapped a quick photo of Nat to send to Kevin with a text reading, “Nous avons mis Riko en colère et je ne sais pas s'il est encore en vie.” Jean sent the text, tears blurring his vision. (“We angered Riko and idk if he’s alive.”)
Jean shakily checked Nat’s pulse and barely felt anything. Jean couldn’t breathe. He felt like his work was collapsing around him. “Ne me faites pas ça,” he sobbed. “N'ose même pas me quitter. J'ai besoin de toi.” He placed his hand in front of Nat’s mouth but didn’t feel his breath until his hand was almost touching Nat’s lips. (“Don’t do this to me. Don’t leave me. I need you.”)
Jean startled when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and answered it, not able to contain his sobs.
& * - & * - & * -
Kevin sat curled on a couch between Seth and the Foxes’ new teammate Zack Thornton, who Wymack recruited upon Seth’s request.
The Foxes needed somebody to replace Janie since she was locked up in a psych ward on suicide watch and Seth just so happened to meet him while he was in rehab at Allison’s behest.
She didn’t want to find him dead one day or hear that he died of an overdose. Her request led to Seth breaking up with her because he thought rehab was a stupid request and that’s how they left each other for the summer, but the more he thought about Allison’s request and the more he thought about what happened to Janie, he agreed, rehab was the best idea.
Once he got back home for summer break, Seth called Allison and apologized. He told her after a lot of thought, he finally agreed with her, and she was so happy she footed the bill.
While in rehab, he made a few friends and one of them happened to be Zack. During free time Seth noticed that Zack would always watch the recorded Exy games that the facility had on hand. After some reluctance, Seth finally approached him and they hit it off.
Seth told him about Janie and the reason why he was in rehab and Zack shared he was in rehab for drinking and some stints of violence. Seth laughed and told Zack that he’d fit in fine with the Foxes if he made the team and he did.
Now Zack was laying across Kevin’s legs with his head in Seth’s lap as Kevin studied Exy stats for upcoming games and Seth glanced over at them occasionally.
Seth was looking at the stats too when a new text came through. Kevin opened it up and Seth felt Kevin go rigid against his side. Seth snatched his phone to get a closer look at the pic and let out a low whistle. “Isn’t that one of the Ravens?” he asked, getting the attention of everyone in the room.
The male Foxes and Katelyn were all at Matt’s mom’s house for Christmas break. Randy had specifically invited Andrew, Aaron, and Nicky as a thank you for breaking Matt’s addiction issue, but the invitation extended to everyone who could join. Allison suggested Seth go and Seth dragged Zack along too since both boys had already visited their respective families during Thanksgiving. Andrew brought Kevin along and Aaron brought Katelyn.
Kevin appreciated the offer even though it took him away from the Exy court. Matt said there was a court near the house but Kevin was a bit salty that he wouldn’t be able to just “live there” as he would back at Palmetto—not that Seth, Zack, or Andrew would let him without supervision.
“It’s Nathaniel,” Kevin answered.
“Or what’s left of him,” Zack replied quietly, staring at the picture that Seth showed him. “His eye looks swelled shut and his jaw looks completely messed up.”
Kevin felt like he was gonna be sick. He shot off the couch and into the kitchen just in time to wretch in the sink. Thankfully there weren’t any dishes.
Andrew stood up from the game of chess Nicky was playing with Matt and snatched the phone from Seth. “He pissed off Riko.” Andrew followed Kevin to the kitchen and stood beside him. He rubbed Kevin’s back soothingly, digging his thumbs into Kevin’s lower back. “I need you to breathe,” he commanded quietly. “You won’t be of any help to anybody in a panic state.”
“What happened?” Matt asked, entering the kitchen, Nicky and Katelyn behind him. “Kevin, do you need something?”
“Ginger,” Andrew answered. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and shoved it into Kevin’s hand. “Call coach. I’ll talk with your Frenchman. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Using Kevin’s phone, Andrew called Jean while Kevin navigated Andrew’s phone to call Wymack.
& * - & * - & * -
When Jean picked up, he was nothing but a sobbing mess. Kevin gave him a moment of silence to recompose himself and then he began explaining what happened from the beginning in quick French.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!!” exclaimed a different voice from the other line. “I don’t speak French, Jean Valjean, and if I did, I definitely couldn’t keep up with that.”
“You’re the short goalie, aren’t you?” Jean recognized the nickname. How could he not? Snarky blond.
“Yes, but right now I need you to tell me what happened. In English.”
& * - & * - & * -
Andrew listened to Jean while Kevin spoke to Wymack. “Nathaniel is probably dead and Jean is most likely to be murdered by Riko too if something isn’t done. Can we buy them? Pay him off? Something??”
Jean stopped, trying to listen to what he was hearing. “Is he talking about Riko?”
“Asking if there’s some dollar amount Riko would trade you and Nathaniel for. How’s he looking? I saw the picture.”
Jean snorted. “Riko would trade one us for the amount of a small jet. For two of us, he’d likely double, if not triple, the amount.”
“We don’t have that kind of money.”
“I know, which is why we never asked. Kevin got off lucky with his hand injury.”
Andrew stopped and turned to stare at Kevin’s hand. “What do you mean?” he asked, still staring at Kevin’s injured hand, dangling at his side.
“Nathaniel’s cleaned up. It’s not as terrible as the picture makes it seem, but his jaw is not letting me set it.”
“What do you mean?” Andrew asked again, slower this time.
“His jaw keeps falling open like it’s more than broken.”
“Not his jaw. Call a nurse. Kevin’s hand. What? Do? You? Mean?”
Kevin caught the conversation about his hand and snatched the phone away from Andrew. He had finished up the conversation with Wymack and nothing could be done but Wymack was going to talk with the district to see what strings could be pulled. “I need to use the bathroom,” he said and then bolted.
After closing the bathroom door, he locked it behind himself. “Qu'est-ce que tu lui as dit?” (“What did you tell him?”)
“Ne leur as-tu pas raconté ce qui est arrivé à ta main?” Jean asked, shocked. (“Did you not tell them what happened to your hand?”)
“J'ai dit que c'était un accident de ski.” (“I said it was a skiing accident.”)
Jean wanted to exit his skin and slap Kevin. “Nous n'avons jamais fait de ski,” Jean hissed. Jean was exasperated. “Ce n'était qu'une histoire que nous avons racontée à la presse!” (“We never went skiing. That was just a story we told the press!”)
All this time, even the Foxes thought it was a skiing accident? Riko got jealous that Kevin was allowed to meet his father. Riko got jealous that Kevin had known his mother, regardless of her death. Riko got jealous that Kevin was getting better than him on court. Riko was jealous that Kevin was gaining Ichirou’s attention for it.
“You got punished for being better and having a good family and you’re not even opening up?” Jean was perplexed. “Does your father even know he’s your father?”
“Il n'est pas encore prudent de le lui dire.” Kevin switched back to English. “Call a campus nurse. They’re paid off and won’t ask questions. If he needs to be flown out, go with him.” (“It’s not safe to tell him yet.”)
& * - & * - & * -
Andrew tried to go after Kevin but Zack called him back. “What’s going on?” he asked. He knew something was up but he wasn’t sure about the details.
“You know about Kevin’s hand, the story behind it?”
“Yeah, skiing trip in…wherever because they’re elite and can afford anything and everything,” Zack answered. He knew it was from Moriyama money, but he left it unsaid.
“Well, it’s not the truth.” Andrew started pacing the kitchen. “I’ll bet they didn’t even make it to the resort before it happened.”
“And this is coming from where?” Zack asked. He’d known the team for a half a year but he’d already learned about some of them through Seth. “You don’t just spew assumptions, Andrew.” Zack hesitantly, slowly, and through prolonged eye contact, rested his hands on Andrew’s shoulders. “What is going on?”
Andrew reached up and placed his hands over Zack’s. “In order to get them out, Nathaniel and Jean will need to be bought.”
There came a few gasps from the other parts of the kitchen. One from Randy and one from Katelyn. “I’m sorry, what?” Katelyn gasped at the same time Randy stopped what she was doing and turned to the boys. “How much?” she asked, completely serious.
“More than I can ask from a stranger and more than Kevin is willing to ask from Coach.” Andrew sounded defeated and nobody could really blame him. Who could actually put a price in a human life. “Nathaniel is probably steps away from death and Jean is sitting in the same boat.”
Zack continued to hold Andrew’s gaze. “How much?” he asked. Despite being a very violent and alcoholic Fox, he was very generous with his family money and not in the same way Allison was. Allison wouldn’t even think about buying people but Zack was contemplating using a small fraction to trade for their lives.
Andrew held his gaze, searching Zack’s eyes. “We can’t ask that of you,” Andrew told him quietly, not sure where any of this was coming from. He knew of Zack’s family wealth. Zack had told him and Seth outright.
Zack hardened his gaze. “You’re not asking. I’m giving. How much?”
Andrew broke his gaze with a scoff. “Stubborn as usual,” he huffed out. He was silent for a moment before speaking. “About three private jets.”
A wicked smile broke through Zack’s gaze. “I’ll pay five just to make his while and if Ichirou doesn’t comply with the money, we make his life a living hell.”
“We should do that regardless,” Seth cut in.
& * - & * - & * -
Christmas Day
“Why are you being so secretive?” Kevin asked. His eyes were covered and he was feeling his way around. He understood he was in a building and judging by the scent alone, he guessed a hospital. Why? He didn’t know.
“It’s your gift from me,” Zack told him. “Now, come on.” Zack took Kevin by the hand and dragged him to the elevator. “Just a little bit further.”
“Why are we in a hospital?”
Zack chuckled. “You’ll see.” Zack led him the rest of the way, fingers entangled. “Uncover your eyes.”
Kevin did and almost cried at the sight. Nathaniel was in the bed with Jean snuggled against his side. He was okay. His jaw was wired shut, but he was okay.
Kevin honestly had no idea what was going on after that call with Jean. The nurses took Nathaniel and hours later, Jean called him again to tell him Nat was being transferred to a hospital. Kevin assumed it would be local, but there were hours of radio silence. Kevin assumed the worst had happened to Jean when he called Jean’s cell and it just rang and rang.
Kevin turned to Zack, to find him smiling. “What?”
“You look at them the same way you look at Andrew.” Zack chuckled. “I think it’s cute. You should go visit.”
Kevin walked up to the bed and gently shook Jean. He woke up sleepily and looked up at Kevin, a smile breaking out on his face. “We are okay,” he reassured Kevin. “In fact, we are free.” He slowly got out of the bed so as to not wake Nat and gave his friend a hug.
Kevin was flabbergasted. “You’re free?” He’d had the conversation with his father out of fear and panic. Did the district actually pool the money together to do this? There’s no way. It was a phenomenal price to pay. “How?”
“There was an anonymous donation on behalf of Nathaniel and I with the request that we walk free. It won’t be enough long term. The Master will want a portion of what we make when we sign on to a professional team.”
Kevin didn’t question it. “Where are you going now? Once Nat is able to leave, I mean.”
“A woman came in earlier, told me she’s a mom to one of your Foxes, and said if we ever need a place to go, she’ll let us in with open arms.” Jean seemed a bit befuddled, but appreciative. “Matt, I think she said.”
“Oh! Randy came by to visit?” Kevin turned to Zack. “Did you know about this?”
Zack nodded. “The donation was mine and—Don’t look at me like that.” Kevin looked like he could cry and was probably going to later, when he was alone. He enveloped Zack in a tight hug. “Randy said she’d keep them until Nathaniel can get his wire off. I okayed it with Coach. They’re unofficial Foxes until they come to Palmetto.” Kevin squeezed tighter. “Merry Christmas.”