Love and War - (Book 1)

Chapter 2 (Part 1 - A Changed Life)

Lucas spent a whole night resting at Jordan's. Surprisingly, he was unable to get much sleep. Oughtn't it be easier sleeping in a place where you are safe? Unfortunately,  Lucas had planned for James to be by side this night. 'That blonde wanker's probably giving it to him good tonight,' Lucas said in his head in the night, despite James was usually a top, not bottom.

'James doesn't matter anymore. Stop thinking about James,' he continuously said to himself. 'Oh, but how could forget about him. My first true love. We'd been together for fourteen years and known each other for sixteen. How could he do this? Why? I'll kill him. No, I could never hurt him. Not since that event when we were sixteen and I ruined him. I didn't mean to change you like that, James. I'm sorry. No, don't be sorry, he hurt you. I need to get revenge on him in some way. There has to be something...'

Come the morning and Jordan awakes, to find Lucas in only his first hour of sleep after a long ramble in his head concerning his plan for James. "Hey, you awake, man?" No answer. "Stupid white motherfucker," Jordan chuckles to himself. Jordan quickly gets changed into his army clothes; wearing the yellow stripes on the top of his left shoulder to represent the Rebels. He is very proud to be a part of their army.

Jordan writes a note for Lucas and leaves on an arm on his tatty, demolished brown sofa. The Rebels don't get a great pay, though nor do the Military. His note reads:

Lucas,

I've got some training with recruits @base. Shan't be long. Food & drink in fridge.

Jordan.

It's another few hours before both Jordan returns and Lucas wakes up.

-Alexander-

Starting plans against the Rebels always get Alex exhilarated, and talking about defeating them to lead their victory closer, usually makes Alex filled with ecstasy. Although, this time around, he has an escaped prisoner on his mind: Lucas. 'How that dick got past us, beats me,' he says to himself.

The main generals surround the strategic map with either their muscular builds or smart minds for war. Alexander was a mixture of both. Some soldiers looked up to him as a great leader, albeit coarse. And all feared him for what he could do. Some days he could be rather aggravated; other days he may do nothing for them to be fearful of. 

"Take their bases across Asia, and we can rally up troops up there. With those new soldiers we take, we attack their British bases and forces. That way we have their numbers and bases to a minimum low and strike on them in the few places they'll have left scattered across the planet - which we know isn't a significantly large amount. What do you say to that, Sir?" One of Alex's most trusted and exceptional generals suggests to him. Such a detailed and mastered plan, especially coming from Mark, immediately piqued Alex's interest.

"If we have more than double of their twats for soldiers, then ultimately we ought to defeat them, " Alex responds. Alexander had picked up on a few neat words to use during the time of Lucas' stay. Lucas acted pleasant with them for them to gain his trust in his duration here, so in order to be pleasant, he thought it time Alex learned some more words and how to grammatically perfect his sentences. However, none of this stopped him from using vulgar terms to describe his opponents in the war. "I say we do strike on there bases outside of Europe; it makes it easier to close in on the Rebel wankers and destroy them here in Britain."

"So that's settled, aye?" The Scottish soldier - Alastair -  remarks. "We were thinking Middle-East, wasn't it, Alex - er, I mean Sir?"

"Right. We know they have control of the bases there, but if we take them out it will drastically lower their chances of victory. And rightfully so, in my opinion," Alex replies, filled with rage and hate in his speech, which the others can easily tell and also understand.

After they depart from the table, Alex is encountered by Jonathan, whom is looking hasty. "Alex, Sir, you must join me at once," he informs him and Alex follows, no questions asked; he trusts Jonathan with his life.

Jonathan takes him to the broadcast room where they record any new information on the three parties in the war. The electrical equipment take up most of the space in the fairly averaged sized room. This time, it is news concerning the Government. It usually always is. John is making another public speaking announcement, as he does whenever a new thought comes to his mind.

Alex, exasperated with the fact it is only another of John's speeches, prepares to exit. Jonathan stops him, "No, no. You have to watch this one. You missed the first half-hour, but we do always record these, so step into that room there, Sir. You know the one."

"Of course I bloody know which one; you're always taking me in here for this asshole. I don't think it's gonna be something relevant, y'know, "Alex protests.

"Please, Alex, it's important you watch these. You need to know what your enemies are up to. Stop being so fixated on the Rebels and start concentrating on them, too. We may have a pact not to attack each other, but you know you have to rid him of leadership eventually," Jonathan persuades Alex to go and watch the public announcement.

Alexander gives in to him, and enters the room. Putting the headphones on his curly black hair and sitting on the chair in front of the computer screen to watch it.

-James-

Feeling absolutely awful and appalled with himself, James takes a shower and tries to reconsider his choices since Lucas disappeared. After Jordan texted James (the first time he has done so in three months) the whole story, he has rough understanding of what Lucas had to endure for those long six months. 

The water spraying over his face and his slick body, he remembers their last night together: Lucas found that they were low on milk and other items to storage in the house and so he left quickly, in a hurry to return to his boyfriend. James remembers Lucas not giving him a kiss goodbye. 'Lucas was always the loving one, of course I'd think that was something wasn't right if he didn't kiss me bye,' James said to himself. 

When Lucas didn't return that night, James rushed to the shop that they use to see if he had turned up. When he was notified he hadn't, James went back to their home troubled. James also remembers not managing to get any sleep over it. When he didn't return that day either, he went to Jordan's to inform him, after texting Lucas himself so much that he had ran out of credit. The day after that, the two told the police and he was reported as missing. 

Lucas was known in the town and at the LGBT+ support centre, so they all tried to help find him. That's how James came across Scott. Now thinking about it makes James feel isolated. Scott was from the LGBT+ centre and didn't realise that Lucas and James were boyfriends; he was new to the place. Scott found James attractive, so he thought if he helped James every day they could elope.

It was a couple of weeks until Scott found out what James and Lucas had been. James remembers that being an awkward conversation. Unfortunately, Scott's feelings for James were left unchanged and so four months of Lucas missing, they engaged in intercourse.

James regretted his decision then and even more so now.

A couple of knocks on the door to the bathroom from Scott. James exited the bathroom, dripping. Scott was naked also and he purposefully brushed his crotch against James' as he entered. "No," James said. "It's gonna be a while before we can do anything sexual again."

"Oh, I see. Your ex-boyfriend shows up and already I'm yesterday's news," Scott moans.

"His disappearance is the only reason we got together. You should be grateful of him. It should be him you suck off instead!" James replies, agitated.

"Whatever," Scott says as he closes and locks the bathroom door. James gets a towel to dry himself, still concerned for Lucas...