Playing for Keeps

A/N: Just one or two more chapters and this story will veer off into a
Supernatural/OTH crossover called Fraternal.
And yes, Fraternal is another Ryan/Meehan Production.
Warnings and Disclaimers: See chapter one.
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It was relatively clean and more importantly cheap. Lucas and Nathan checked
into the Densmore Inn using Lucas’s credit card. The room had two double beds, a
desk and chair. A night stand complete with a small lamp and clock radio both
bolted to the table, separated the two twin beds. Across from the beds was a
moderate sized television also bolted to its stand.

Lucas helped Nathan strip down to his underwear and got him into the bed closest
to the bathroom and furthest from the door. It was already two in the morning.
Lucas set the alarm for six, placed a bottle of water and the pain medicine
close to Nathan’s side of the table and kissed him goodnight. The brunette’s
eyes were already half closed by the time his head hit the pillow. Nathan
stroked his lover’s face before checking that the door was locked and getting
undressed as well. He climbed into his bed, turned out the light and waited for
sleep to come.

Dan planned to check his son out of the hospital as soon as the doctor’s gave
the okay. He wanted to be back by his side no later than six in the a.m. Sure he
had the situation under control; he stripped down and climbed into bed, hoping
for a good nights sleep. He was awakened by his cell phone ringing around four
in the morning. It seemed his son had walked out of the hospital undetected for
several hours.

Dan knew that Nathan would probably run to his mistake of a son. He dressed
quickly and hurried down to the lobby and out to the hotel parking lot, ignoring
the concierge’s questions about his son. He rang Dean Durham and demanded that
he meet him on campus and personally escort him past security and up to his
son’s dorm. He had to wait impatiently for nearly half an hour before the dean
showed up and gave the okay to let Dan through.

A search of the room revealed nothing. As far as Dan could tell most of the
boy’s belongings were still there. Their laptops and books sat on their
respective desks. The only thing missing was one Lucas Roe. Dan searched his
jacket pocket for the number of one of the girls who had been concerned about
Nathan.

“Should we notify the police?” Whitey Durham asked sleepily.

“No. No authorities. Let me make some calls and I’ll meet you back at your
office.”

Dean Durham knew that meant he would have to wait for Dan in his office whether
he had planned to or not. Once alone in the room, Dan dialed the number of Haley
James and waited for an answer.

Haley answered on the fourth ring, her voice thick with sleep. “Mmm, Mr. Scott,
is everything okay.”

“Not exactly. Nathan has checked himself out of the hospital and I think Lucas
might be with him.”

Haley paused. She wondered how much Nathan’s dad knew about his son’s
relationship with her best friend. She pretended to be surprised by the turn of
events.

“Why would he do that? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well the authorities believed maybe the rival team was involved in my son’s
attack. Perhaps he felt unsafe and asked Lucas to come for him.”

“I’ve known Lucas for a long time. I think he would have told me something like
that.”

Dan was sure the girl didn’t know anything and decided not to waste any more of
his time with her.

“Listen, if you or any or your friends hear from Lucas or Nathan, please give me
a call. If he’s in trouble, I want to help him.”

Before she could agree, Dan had severed the connection. Haley looked across at
her roommate who had slept through the whole conversation. She decided to go
down the hall and get a soda from the machine since she was up. It was on her
way out that she saw the note that had been pushed under her door.

Dan wasn't sure where Karen was staying and didn't have the patience or the time
to call every hotel in the area. Instead he headed for Dean Durham's office. He
wanted all the contact numbers Lucas had included in his file and he wasn't
going to leave until the dean gave them to him.

By five in the morning, Dan had all he needed. He’d start with calling Karen’s
cell phone. If he got any sense that she was lying, he’d call in a few favors
and have her home watched just in case his sons showed up. Dan shivered at that
thought, his sons together. He was determined that a Roe wasn’t going to ruin
his son’s future. He’d rather see his son dead than in an unspeakable
relationship with Karen’s spawn.

Lucas didn’t hear when the alarm went off. Nathan sat up and turned off the
infernal thing himself. He sat on the side of his bed watching his rescuer
sleep. His back and legs were still sore so he took two more pills and chased
them down with the remaining water Lucas had left out for him. He stealthily
slipped into bed with his lover and lay with his bad hand on his own stomach
staring up at the ceiling. Lucas curled in to him resting against his injured
ribs.

“Aah,” Nathan moaned in pain.

Lucas sat up, putting more weight on his battered lover. “God Nate, I’m sorry,”
he said, rolling off the man.

“It’s okay,” Nathan answered between gritted teeth. “Not your fault. I just
couldn’t stand being apart from you.”

Lucas propped himself up on his elbow, casting his eyes down focusing on nothing
in particular.

“What are we doing?” he spoke quietly.

“What did you have in mind?” Nathan said with a waggle of his eyebrow.

“We need to talk. There’s something you should know.”

“Sssh.” Nathan put the tip of his finger to Lucas’ lips. “Kiss me.”

“I can’t.” Lucas shook his head but didn’t move.

“Yes you can,” Nathan smiled, running his thumb along the contours of Lucas’s
mouth.

Lucas grabbed his lover’s hand and held it still. “Why did you run? I want the
truth.”

“Why did you?”

Lucas could see the old Nathan simmering just below the surface.

“To be with you,” he answered frankly.

“Even knowing what you know?” Nathan asked, sounding more tired than angry.

Lucas let his hand wander over his bedmates chest. “What exactly is it that I
know?”

“Not saying it won’t make it go away Lucas.”

“I know. It’s just the longer we avoid it...”

“The longer this can last,” Nathan finished.

“Did your father do this to you...because of ...us?

“You mean our father? I guess...I don’t know.”

“Our father,” Lucas sighed. Now that it was out in the open, it didn’t seem as
scary to either boy as they first supposed it would.

“He’ll be looking for us. We need to ditch the car.”

“So he did this to you. He’s such a bastard. I should have warned you.” Lucas
sighed.

“Warned me?” Nathan struggled to sit up. “Did he...god Lucas, did he hurt you?”

Lucas quickly nodded no. The truth was he’d hurt him bad but not in the way his
lover was thinking. Lucas gathered his thoughts and quickly told Nathan all that
had transpired.

“I hate him,” Nathan said, his voice trembling. He touched his brother’s face
gently. “I’m sorry you went through that alone.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t come to you. I could have stopped this. I was just
afraid...afraid you wouldn’t...”

“Don’t! Don’t you ever think that again. No matter what happens, I still want
you. I don’t care Luke, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”

Lucas couldn’t believe his ears. The entire drive, while Nathan slept, he’d
tormented himself with the very real possibility that Nathan would shun him
after finding out who he really was. He carefully pulled Nathan into his arms
and wrapped his own around the brunette’s shoulders. Nathan rested the back of
his head against his brother’s chest, running the fingers of his right hand over
the arms the held him.

“I’m in love with my brother,” Lucas said, glad to finally say the words. He
placed a gentle kiss atop the dark thick locks of his lover.

“I’m in love with my brother too,” Nathan smiled sadly, tilting his head up to
look in his brother’s eyes.

A small weight was lifted with the confession but both boys knew there were
still plenty of obstacles to overcome.