An Unkindess of Ravens

Warning: This story deals with rape and incest.
Disclaimer: See chapter one
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The final phase of initiation was to kidnap Lucas, rough him up a bit and then welcome him to the team. Nathan had been looking forward to it. Not so much the rough stuff, but the end to it all. He actually liked Lucas. Lucas wasn’t a suck up like some of his younger team mates. He stood his ground and defied Nathan at every turn. He’d even had the guts to beat him down in class. Nathan thought he’d be a formidable ally on the court. Besides, he needed to rein Tim and the others in. Their ideas were getting wilder and though he was sure his father would be proud if he’d totally humiliated the boy, Nathan was slowly beginning to be his own man and not care what his father thought.

The night of the final phase of the hazing, Nathan had to back out and reschedule it for the following Friday. Tim insisted he could carry it off without him, but Nathan preferred to be there to keep things in control. He had tutoring with Haley and ordered Tim to cease and desist until the following week. It was during that session that Haley pleaded Lucas’ case. Nathan confided that he was planning to end the harassment and to welcome his brother with open arms. There was something else he nearly confessed but forced himself for once to keep his trap shut.

The truth was even since junior league, since before his father confirmed the whispers, even before the whispers reached his ears; he had been attracted to the skinny blond with the funny hair. He was a good player. He had an even temper that helped still some of the insanity that constantly raged inside of Nathan. He liked being close to him. Later, that like turned to something else, but by then he knew the truth and hated Lucas for making him feel the way he did, even though he knew the boy was unaware.

Nathan had a recurring dream. He supposed it began from the day they stole his brother's clothes and hid, watching him parade around the school with those two ridiculous basketballs to cover him. He couldn’t get the image of his slender blond half-brother out of his mind. He always seemed to wake just as one of the balls dropped and rolled to his feet.

Nathan took a detour home. He wanted to just drive and think. Accepting Lucas would mean seeing him everyday. He hoped he could deal. Carrying a torch for your brother was not something Dan Scott would approve of. Hell, he knew, carrying a torch for any guy would be a no no in his dad’s playbook. A car flew by him so fast that he almost had to veer off the narrow road just a bit to keep from getting side swiped. Nathan could have sworn the car belonged to his teammate Tim.

He smiled imagining the guys went somewhere to blow off steam. After next Friday, Nathan planned on inviting his brother to his dad's...no their dad’s beach house for a party he was planning. Part of him was excited at the prospect of Lucas being in that big house with him. Part of him knew it was wishful thinking. Lucas would most likely say no to him. His mind had wandered and when he finally focused on the road he let out a shrill scream. A pale figure partially covered in mud flung itself at his car. This time he did veer off the road and into the tall grass that lined the edges. By the time he calmed himself and managed to climb out the car, the figure was on the ground.

The first thing Nathan noticed was the person was male and they were naked. Pale patches of skin peeped out through the muck and mire they were covered in. Nathan approached carefully. The figure became skittish and tried to crawl away.

“It’s okay...it’s okay...I’m not going to hurt you.”

Nathan squatted and reached a hand out tentatively. He lifted the male by his chin and jerked back falling on his butt and scrambling away himself. “My god, Lucas, who did this to you?”

“You did,” the teen answered tearfully.

“No,” Nathan shook his head in disbelief.

Both boys sat in the middle of the road staring at each other. Nathan wasn’t sure which one of them was more shell-shocked. That’s when he saw his brother’s hands were bound behind his back. He crawled closer, stretching out a hand again.

“No no no...I’m just going to untie you,” he said, seeing the teen was attempting to back away.

Nathan held his hands out to show he had nothing up his sleeve. “Just want to untie you okay?”

Lucas didn’t respond, but he didn’t run away either. Nathan pulled his brother up into a kneeling position and leaned him against his chest. He reached around and untied the knot that bound the boy’s hands together and pulled them forward towards him. The moonlight and his headlights cutting through the blades of grass provided him enough light to see his brother was in bad shape. His wrists were red and bruised. There was bruising on his thighs, his back and when he finally convinced the teen to stand, he saw similar marks elsewhere and he knew what had happened.

“I need to take you to a hospital.”

Lucas panicked and began to pull away but Nathan was faster and stronger. He held on to the boy’s wrists but then his brother started screaming and Nathan panicked. He hit him once, knocking him out cold. He lifted the teen, placed him in the back seat and covered him as best he could with his jacket. Once in the driver’s seat, Nathan started the car and drove. He had every intention of taking the unconscious teen to the hospital but the old Scott need for self preservation kicked in. He drove and drove until he found himself at the beach house.
When he looked back, Lucas was awake and cowering in the corner of back seat. He pulled into the driveway and let out a sigh of relief, seeing the house dark and unoccupied.

“No,” Lucas said in a shaky voice. When Nathan opened the back door to pull him out, his brother kicked and flailed his arms, striking the brunette several times in the chin and chest.

“Dammit, I’m not trying to hurt you,” Nathan shouted. When his brother stilled, Nathan took a deep breath and calmed himself. He knew the teen was traumatized and yelling wouldn’t get him anywhere.

Nathan squatted down by the passenger door and peered in at his brother who had scrambled to the other end of the seat.

“I didn’t tell them to do this, I swear,” he said gently. “Please Lucas, come inside with me. You can get cleaned up and I’ll get you some clothes. I promise,” he finished, holding his hand to his heart, “I won’t hurt you.”

Nathan stood and backed away from the door and prayed his brother understood him and would come out. It seemed like forever before Nathan heard the rustle of movement against the leather seating.

“That’s it,” Nathan encouraged, stepping back a little further, “Let’s get you all cleaned up,” he spoke gently as if talking to a child.

Nathan almost had him up the driveway when his brother stopped, frozen with fear.

“They’re in there,” he said backing away.

“No Lucas, no one is in there.” Nathan held his hand out; ready to grab his brother is he suddenly chose to run.

“They’re waiting for me,” he said, a tear running down his cheek.

“I swear,” Nathan said again, both hands up in surrender, “no one is here. No one is going to hurt you.”

Lucas took a hesitant step forward. Nathan didn’t speak, didn’t encourage, just kept backing up, giving his brother as much space as he needed. By the time they made it to the door, Nathan was exhausted and was beginning to think self-preservation be damned, he should have taken his brother to the hospital.

Once inside, Nathan turned on every light on the ground floor to assure his brother they were alone. Lucas stayed pressed to the door and Nathan knew he was calculating a quick getaway if needs be.

“There’s a bathroom down this hall and to your right,” Nathan said from a distance. “I’ll get you a cloth and some towels and you can get cleaned up.

“Why?” Lucas asked puzzled.

“Why what?”

“Why did you do this to me?”

Nathan closed his eyes against the blue accusing ones staring back at him. The truth was he did do this to him. Not physically but he’d started it. He knew without a doubt that Tim and some of his teammates had taken it upon themselves to teach his brother a lesson. This was exactly the type of thing he was trying to avoid. ‘Damn you Tim,’ he thought.

“I’m sorry.” Nathan knew that sounded lame and like an admission of guilt. “I didn’t tell them to do this. I wasn’t even there.”

“I’m gonna be sick,” Lucas announced before holding his hand to his mouth.

Nathan grabbed him by the shoulders, jacket falling to the ground and raced him down the corridor to the restroom. He sat on the tubs edge running his hands through his hair, watching his brother heave and cough until nothing else would come up. He leaned over and flushed the toilet and then turned on the water for the shower.

“You should get cleaned up,” Nathan said solemnly. He placed a washcloth and towel on the edge of the tub, stood and left.

Once on the other side of the door he had a complete melt down. He slid down the closed door and sobbed quietly into his hands. When he finally composed himself he heard similar sounds coming from the other side of the door.