Prove It (Completed)

7. Thaddeus.

I followed my boys down the stairs and out into the snow again, Ivo pulling the building door shut and locking it and behind him we all exchanged looks.

"Do you think he is a risk to her?" 

"I don't think so but I just don't want to chance it" he replied and I saw Rupert lift his eyes up to where our dorm room windows reflected the darkening day. The worry clear on his face.

"You both like her" I blurt out and grin at both their flushed faces, but then my gaze catches Topper's and I can see the want in his eyes too. "You as well" I accused and was surprised when he nodded.

"She's different, I like her, I would love to get to know her better" he replied calmly, bring all out attention to him, Topper was the easy going friendly one but rarely showed any interest in girls like this. "And don't look at me like that" he points his finger at me "Admit it, you're  interested as well" he retorts.

"Fuck, yes I am, so what... We all like her?" 

"We do everything else together, so why not this?" Rupert replies and we all look at him, mouths hanging open, what the hell is he suggesting.

"Are you suggesting we share her?" I gasp out.

"Now I think about it... Yes" he replies with a smile.

I look at Ivo, I know he won't agree, he hates sharing anything, but I am shocked by the look of contemplation on his face, the he renders us all speechless "How would it work?  Like a harem?"

What the fuck!

"No, A Reverse Harem" Rupert nods, "Her and Us" he muses and I wonder if they are pulling my leg.

"Are you serious?"

"Its definitely something to think about" Topper agrees with them.

"Come on, let's find some wood and those stoves, soon er we are back the safer she will be" Ivo says with a laugh, and we all fall into silence as Ivo leads us round the dorm building but I know we are all thinking of what was just said.

We go for the stoves first, grabbing four of them and the camping pots that are stored on the shelf above them, I also grab all the candles I can find, knowing we would need them as darkness falls, then moving back through the kitchen, to pick up more food, now working about what we take, it will only spoil if we leave it there.

Two wheel barrows are leant against the shed side outside the kitchen door and we grab both of then, putting our current swag in one and pushing the other round the outbuildings till we find the log stack.

"Load them both up, we can carry back the stoves and food, we need to make sure we can stay warm" Ivo instructs and we do just that, laughing as we wobble the barrows now full back to the dorm.

"Look" Topper says as we get closer and we all see what he has... Footsteps in the snow around our building. Coming to the door then heading away.

"Fucker" Rupert growls out, checking the door is still locked

"Are we sure it's him?"

"He's the only member of staff we know is on site... We keep the door locked once we are in, just in case" Ivo bites out, unlocking the door and opening both sides, "Let's bring the barrows inside, we can unload behind locked doors"

"Agreed" we all work together to get the barrows up the couple of steps and into the lobby.

We work as a team to get everything up the stairs, Per coming to join us as we reach the dorm, she still looks wary but moves to take the food to the kitchen, Topper following with the stoves, as I grin as I see him setting one up and pulling out the makings for coffee.

"Lets get the fire lit" Ivo mutters from my side, his gaze looking into the kitchen as we pass, the tense lines around his eyes loosening as he see's her there.

"She's safe" I murmur and he sends me a brief nod in agreement.

It takes us a while but finally we get the fire going celebrating the warming flames which a roar that brings Topper and Per in from the kitchen.

They laugh at us as we start rearranging the furniture so we can all get the benefit of the warmth, and I glance there way "Hows that coffee coming" I call and with a squeak Per disappears back into the kitchen, Topper following her with a grin.

They return a few minutes later each carrying mugs that they pass to us, Topper then going back for his, as we all settle in to enjoy the now blazing fire.

"So tell us about yourself" Ivo asks Per and I see her face fall before she straightens up and glares at him, I hide a grin.

"What do you want to know?" she asks him bluntly.

"How long have you been a student here?" Rupert steps in and asks the first question and that is what this will be, I don't think she will share anything voluntarily.

"A Year... Well just over a year, I told you this before" she mutters out.

"And where were you before?"

We all saw the shutter fall and she tensed, "Where were you before?" Ivo repeats quietly.

"St Judes" she snaps out glaring at us again.

"Ohh fancy, my parents waned to send me there but we ended up at Bartholomew's instead" Topper laughs and I see some of her tension ease, until Ivo spoke again.

"Why did you leave, I thought their college was supposed to be one of the best?"

I watched the emotions chase across her face and she shivered, there was fear, angry and so much sadness.

"Leave it" I told Ivo and held his gaze as he got ready to argue, but I shook my head, tilting it silently back her way and he finally looked at her closed off figure, she had set aside her mug and wrapped her arms around her knees, hiding her face into her body and she protected herself.

I watched my friend assess the girl in front of him, Ivo was rude, blunt and didn't care for most social bullshit but he wasn't deliberately cruel.

"I'm sorry" he barked out at her, making her jump but she raised her head and it was our turn to freeze at the sight of the silent tears.

"Fuck" Ivo muttered scrambling to his feet and looming over her, then with a squeak she was being pulled up into his arms and he twisted, taking her seat and pulling her down with him onto his lap.

I could hear Rupert and Topper trying to hide their laughter and I bit my lip to control my own smile as I watched.  Per looking shocked and glaring at Ivo who was rocking Per in his arms like a baby and muttering at her, 'sorry' and 'please don't cry'