Get This

He hated Cal Rice. Ray believed that if Rice were to disappear, he'd be the happiest kid at Tower Prep. But why did he hate Cal Rice exactly? Because he seemed to be stealing away Ian's attention.

Ray hated how Ian would come into their little sparring matches (which, after a month, had frequented to three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays), fuming and distracted. Ian's fighting ability would be compromised by his angry emotions at how Cal had picked a fight with him again that day, or how he would treat him like trash as he cleaned up the Buffer team locker room. Ian's moves would become wild and erratic, as though he wasn't practicing anymore, but fighting Cal Rice himself.

This made Ray worried for his mutual companion, fearful that he might get hurt, yet furious at Rice.

One day, Ian came in, jaw tight. Ray could see the muscles in his neck flex with restrained anger as he dumped his backpack on a bench and quickly settled into a fighting stance. "Let's go."

Ray jumped up and down in place a bit. "Don't you want to warm up first?"

"You think I can't fight if I don't warm up?" Ian demanded, taking a menacing step forward. Before Ray could voice his denial, Ian threw a punch.

Ray suddenly found himself fighting to keep his head from being knocked off. Ian had an angry light in his eyes; he looked blood-thirsty, frustrated, distracted. Ray gritted his teeth as he spun past his sparring partner. Cal wasn't supposed to be occupying Archer's mind; Ray was.

Ray now found himself being distracted by thoughts of Ian being distracted by someone else, and that is why he missed the fist as it swung into his face. He fell to the floor and skidded back a few feet, blinking, stunned, and hurt.

Ian's scowl of frustration finally turned to a look of utter horror. "Crap! Snider, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking straight. I forgot…" He reached out a hand to help the dark-haired boy up, but it was promptly smacked away.

"I know," Ray said quietly, standing. "I know you forgot. You're thinking about Rice now. Not what's happening here." He swirled his tongue around his lips and grimaced at the iron taste of blood.

"Ray…" Now the other looked so apologetic that Ray almost gave into the urge to forgive him for not paying attention to him. But he didn't.

"Forget it, Archer. Forget this." Ray wiped a hand across his mouth in an attempt to get rid of most of the red. "I think Rice is a better challenge for you now. I can find another sparring partner. It's fine."

Ian stood there, mouth parted slightly. Ray, in all his bitterness, didn't even sneer at the boy. He sighed, packed up his things, and left.

-.-

"Stop it!" Don hissed over his tray. "Are you trying to pick a fight with him this early in the morning?"

Ray wasn't even listening to the boy. He was too busy glaring at Cal Rice, who had finally noticed him and scowled back in confusion.

"Don's right," Zack agreed, nudging his friend. "I understand that you're angry at him, but he doesn't even know what he's done. Stop before you start something."

"Oh, but I do want to start something." He wanted Cal Rice's blood for taking away the attention of the one person in Tower Prep who could distract him from the nightmare he was living in.

It was the pure venom in Ray's tone that made his friends flinch back as he rose. Rice approached with strong strides, clutching a carton of juice. He jerked his head. "What do you want, Snider?"

"Just wondering how a pathetic excuse of a man like you could possibly stand your ground against Archer."

At the mention of the boy's name, Rice's nostrils flared angrily. "What'd you say?"

"I'm saying you're probably just a fluke. Not a real challenge."

-.-

When Ian Archer and his friends walked into the cafeteria, it was like they walked into a cage match. Students were screaming wildly as if the fight of the century was going down right now. Ian looked through the ring of students and saw with horror that it indeed seemed like the fight of the century.

There was Ray facing off against Cal, both already bleeding. Their eyes were ablaze with hatred and determination. Then they launched at each other and the blows began. Each hit and kick was matched by each side equally. Some missed. Others found their mark. When they sprang apart again, their chests were heaving, fists still clenched. They tensed, making ready to spring again.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Ian shouted over the din of the crowd. Both boys turned to look at him and Ian saw something change in their eyes. As though guilt suddenly entered their conscious, they backed out of their stances quickly, mouths still twisted into scowls.

"Ray?" Ian asked as the people quieted. "Cal?"

Cal sneered at him. "I don't have to explain anything. He started it." He shoved his way through the crowd and past Ian, jostling him roughly as he went.

Ray, on the other hand, stood there, head raised defiantly. Ian asked, "What happened here?"

"Nothing." He stalked out of the cafeteria, snapping at anyone in his path. The students quickly resumed their normal routine of chatter and laughter, the fight practically old news now. It didn't seem to abnormal here at Tower Prep, as fights between opposing Buffer teams often started. But Ian knew that this one was completely different. He saw Don and Zack trying to sneak away.

"Guys!" he called. The boys stopped and waited for him to catch up, appearing quite peeved. "Can you tell me what happened?" At their wary looks, he pleaded, "Please? I know something's up with Ray."

Zack sighed. "A fight, Archer. Obviously they fought."

"But about what?"

"You," Don said. "Well, Ray was fighting for you, at least. He…he knows you've been distracted recently. Because of Cal. So he tried to tell Cal to leave you alone."

"Well, he didn't use those exact words," Zack added. "He basically told Cal that he wasn't worth your time, that he wasn't enough of a challenge. And then he said that he'd beat Cal just to prove it. He was trying to show Cal that if he could beat him, then Cal had no shot at taking you down."

Ian pursed his lips. "I have to go talk to him now." He started to move past them, but Don grabbed his arm.

"You do realize that you're the main cause of this," he said quietly. "You're the reason Ray's like this right now. It's your fault. You let yourself get so occupied with Rice that Ray thinks you don't need him anymore."

Ian's eyes softened. "I know."

-.-

"Ray!"

He blocked out the voice, the voice he had become so accustomed to hearing, to arguing with, to shouting at, even laughing with sometimes. He blocked it out because he didn't really have the person's attention anymore. He was like the afterthought.

A strong hand spun him around and he took an angry swipe at Archer, teeth clenched. "Get away from me!"

Ian fought back, trying to make the boy look him in the eye. "I can't do anything to help you if you won't let me!"

"I don't need your help! I don't need you!" Ray ducked down and tackled him, sending them both to the floor. He pinned Ian down and snarled at him. "You don't need me either."

"Ray," Ian hissed, "what the hell is wrong? Why'd you tell Cal those things? Why did you start a fight with him? What are you trying to prove?"

The raven-haired boy paled. He'd have to kill Don and Zack when this was all over. Couldn't they keep their mouths shut? Cautiously, Ian reached up and pushed Ray off of him. He sat up and they stayed there on the gym floor, silent, looking at anything in the room other than at each other.

He finally spoke. "You come into these sparring matches with your mind on other things. You're not thinking of fighting me. You're thinking of Rice. Of how you can beat him, shame him, sometimes make peace with him. You're thinking of him and not me."

Ian cast him a sideways glance. "Ray, I'm sorry."

"But I don't get it!" Snider growled, glaring at him. "Is it because he's a better fighter than me? Because I can tell you he's not. If you hadn't interfered, I'd have beaten him."

"Ray, are you jealous?"

That shut him up. And then he snapped, "What, you think I'm a little girl? Sure, let's call it that then. I'm jealous. But I'm angry too, Archer. Angry that he's the one distracting you. We said we'd distract each other, and now I'm being replaced by some idiot Buffer player."

"But you're not," Ian almost laughed.

"But it still seems like it!" Ray slammed his fist on the floor and Ian flinched. "You just don't get it! Don't get this! What we have." His voice dropped. "What we had. You don't get this…"

"Relationship?"

"Don't make me gag," Ray hissed, a bit flustered. "You make it sound like we're dating. Isn't there a different word to use?"

"Is this a friendship?"

"No, I think I still hate you, especially after this." Ray snorted and looked at the floor. "I don't like this. Just go away."

He was fervently praying that Ian would get up and leave quietly. If the boy stayed and tried to talk with him, he just might have to force him to go.

Had Ian's hands always been so soft? Ray realized with a jolt that he was touching him. He looked down and all but choked as he saw the other boy's hand clutching his. Deep brown eyes flashed to Ray's, apologetic, pleading.

"What?" Snider muttered, fingers twitching. He didn't try to pull away.

"Saying sorry won't be enough for this," Archer whispered. He reached for Ray, but the boy leaned back. "What? I'm trying to apologize here."

"Don't go all mushy on me now, Archer," Ray replied, wondering all the while, Why the hell me? "All you have to do is walk away."

"I don't want to walk away." Archer's voice deepened, grew unnervingly steady.

Ray recognized it. Ian would only do this when Ray wasn't fighting him seriously. When Ian wanted to focus. When he wanted to get something done. Ray leaned back a little further. Ian reached for him. "Stop it," Ray snapped irritably. "Quit being all…girly." As soon as he said that, he wondered why the hell he was still living. That was not what he meant to say.

And, he realized with a shiver, Ian was not supposed to be looking at him that way.

The other's face darkened. "So you don't want me to go soft? Is that it?"

Ray found himself pinned to the floor, Ian hovering over him dangerously. "How about you just try to get this," the boy breathed.

It was just a light brush, but Ray felt sparks go through his body when the other's lips touched his. And then the sparks turned to flames when he threaded his fingers through the other's golden hair and all but dragged him down to meet him fully.

"Oh, God."

And that's all it took to make Ray come to his senses and shove Archer off with a gasp. "What the hell?"

Ian grinned somewhat impishly and gripped Ray's hands. "So you do get this." It wasn't a question.

"Get what?" Ray felt like laughing because of what he just did, yet he scowled.

"This," Ian said softly. "Get this. What we have. A relationship." Ray opened his mouth but Ian interrupted him. "Yes, Ray Snider. I am officially calling this a relationship, whether you hate me or not."

Ray wondered whether he should kiss this boy back because he thought he was wonderful, or deck him because he was absolutely infuriating. Instead, he sighed and closed his eyes, reluctantly relaxing when Ian pressed his forehead to his. "So this is what you want? What about Cal?"

Ian chuckled. "Ray, if you're so worried about me becoming distracted with someone else, then just date me."

"Archer, this is no joke."

"You think I'm joking?"

Ray opened his eyes and took a good look at Ian. He finally saw the nervousness in his brown orbs, noticed the hesitation in his voice, recognized the pleading look scrawled across his face. Ray did the only reassuring thing he could think of. He smiled.

He could have sworn that Ian's returning grin nearly blinded him. "So you do get this?" This time, it was a question.

Ray rolled his eyes and cautiously leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the other's neck, inhaling the scent that could only belong to him. "Yes, I do. This is one of the few things I get."

Then he decked him.

Ian skidded across the floor, clutching his cheek, eyes wide with surprise and confusion. "What gives?" he cried, springing up. "I thought you said—"

"I said I get this," Ray hummed casually, circling Ian. "I never said I would date you. I never said that I would call this a relationship. I never said you could kiss me." His eyes narrowed. "As a matter of fact, I'm still angry at you."

Ray decided that while he was trying to grow used to this new…relationship, he'd let Archer suffer a bit. Just a bit.

"What do you want me to do then?" Ian asked, edging back from Ray in case he tried to hit him again.

"I've decided that you're going to have to work to earn my good graces," Snider said haughtily. "I'm not letting you kiss me anymore either." He ignored Ian's outraged squawk. "You don't deserve it, really." He slowly slid into a fighting stance. "Well? Come on. Show me that you deserve my affection." He grimaced at the feminine word, but he certainly wasn't going to say love. Well…not yet.

A shiver went up his spine as he saw Ian's eyelids droop seductively. Even as the boy spoke, an inexplicable feeling rippled through his body. "I hope you realize," Archer drawled, "that while you think you're being clever, I won't let you be dominant." He too went into a stance. "And just because I like you doesn't mean I'll be going easy on you now."

Ray was slightly disturbed when he thought that this menacing side of Ian was rather…sexy. Dammit, I think I'm losing my own battle. "Whatever, Archer. Just so long as you get this."

The other chuckled. "Don't worry, Snider. I get this. Believe me."

Ray suddenly realized what that feeling he had was. Anticipation. He couldn't wait for what was to come.

They both grinned, and as if a silent bell rang, they sprang at each other.