Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

by N. J. Nielsen

  “Michael. Wil you let the others know how much you love

  him? Did you freak out when he cal ed you his boyfriend?

  Doyle told me what happened.” Charm’s grip tightened

  slightly on his arm as Christian flinched. “Did you enjoy it

  when he kissed you? When he lies beside you in bed? Do

  you wake up wrapped in his arms?” A girlish giggle slipped

  past her lips. “Because honestly, I think it would be kinda

  hot. I mean who wouldn’t find two guys getting it on kinda

  hot?”

  Staring at her in confusion Christian asked, “How did

  you… Michael’s not in love with me. He’s not gay,”

  Christian said quietly when he realised she was just being

  nosey. Michael would probably punch him rather than kiss

  him if he knew Christian had feelings for him. That was the

  main reason why Christian had never told Michael he’d

  kissed him while half asleep. If he did then Michael would

  leave their room, and there was no way he wanted that to

  happen. Christian liked sleeping next to Michael; he felt

  safe there. It wasn’t so lonely with Michael beside him. “The

  damn dreams are wrong.”

  “When he offers up his life for you, wil you try and save

  him? And the dreams aren’t wrong.”

  This was a crap conversation and Christian felt like he

  was starting to freak out. “What are you saying?”

  “Kerr dreamt Michael wil offer his life in trade for yours. If

  it comes to pass, wil you tel him no?”

  Christian stopped, grabbed her arm, and made her face

  him. “Are you tel ing me Michael’s going to die?” He

  wanted to make sure he had heard her correctly. “Why

  would he trade his life for mine? Why are you and Kerr not

  sharing the dreams with me and Doyle? Or does Doyle

  know?” This couldn’t be happening! He didn’t want this

  dream to be a prediction. Christian felt his chest tighten. He

  couldn’t lose Michael now — he had only just found him.

  Kerr had to be wrong. He had to be. Michael couldn’t die.

  Patting his cheek, Charm went on. “Wouldn’t you do

  anything to save the one you love?” She stared at him with

  knowing eyes. “I think you wil give yourself to him freely

  when he asks. If his destiny is to save you many times

  throughout your existence, and yours is to break his heart,

  then it must mean you two are together at some stage.”

  Dropping his eyes to the ground he couldn’t bring

  himself to look at her. “Michael doesn’t love me,” he said

  quietly, even as a memory resurfaced. Michael’s arms

  about him, his mouth softly joined with Christian’s. It was

  more likely Michael would break Christian’s heart and not

  the other way around.

  “He wil in time. Doyle thinks we wil number six for a very

  short period. He thinks one member of our family wil leave

  us, though not forever, and another wil die. Then within a

  year we wil number ten. Our family wil grow further stil in

  preparation for what is to come. Kerr dreamt somehow you

  wil find my lost children.

  “I have no clue what it actual y means.” Charm shook her

  head as if coming out of a daze. “I’ve changed my mind. I

  don’t want to go home. Come on Christian, I want to watch

  the sunrise.”

  That last comment froze Christian in place. “You can’t be

  serious. You want us to die?” Christian asked, not sure if

  she was joking or not. He could only fol ow as she led him

  through the park.

  Looking at him, Charm spoke softly, “It would be better

  than living wouldn’t it?” She let go of Christian’s hand and

  sat on a nearby park bench. She watched as the moon’s

  reflection danced across the surface of the pond.

  “Somewhere out there in the darkness other creatures of

  the night are going about their business. How I envy them.

  At least they wil live out their lives normal y, and then die.

  Come sit beside me, my angel; let us see what our limits

  are. Let’s just see what’s real and what’s myth about our

  kind.” She patted the bench beside her. “I have missed the

  sun on my face.”

  Christian was at a loss, but he couldn’t just go home and

  leave her here. So he sat beside her, holding her hand as

  she snuggled against him and silence fel between them.

  Her head came to rest on his shoulder. They stayed there

  until the darkness began to change into the first tinges of

  light before the approaching dawn. With growing

  desperation, Christian tried to think of how he was going to

  get her home. Knowing Kerr would kil him if he let Charm

  die. If worse came to worse, he would just have to knock

  her out and find shelter. They stil had about ten minutes

  before it was absolutely necessary. Closing his eyes,

  Christian just hoped that he didn’t have to do it at al . He

  thought about home, thought about Michael and about

  everything Charm had just said to him, and he knew

  Michael wouldn’t even have to ask he already owned his

  heart.

  § § § §

  Doyle knew something was wrong the moment he

  walked through the back door, Kerr was pacing the

  confines of the smal kitchen and Michael was sitting at the

  table drumming his fingers on the top in what could only be

  annoyance. Both glaring at him as they asked where

  Christian and Charm were. Doyle wasn’t prepared for the

  anger that fol owed when he said he didn’t have a clue

  where they were.

  “What do you mean, they just left?” Kerr had stopped

  pacing and was shouting at him.

  Anger flooded across Michael’s face and Doyle felt

  nervous. “Where the hel are they?” Michael demanded.

  Doyle didn’t know who was angrier. Kerr he could

  understand, but Michael had only been in the family for such

  a short time. Why was he so pissed off? It wasn’t as if

  Doyle had personal y done something to Christian and

  Charm.

  “I thought they would come straight home,” Doyle tried to

  explain. “They left the club around eleven and I needed to

  feed. So we agreed to split up and meet here at home.”

  “Explain to me again then why they aren’t here?” Kerr

  spat. “Explain to me how you just let them walk off when I

  gave you an order to stay with them?”

  “Kerr, I’m sorry,” Doyle said, “I didn’t see any danger in

  letting them come home. I mean they are both adults for

  crying out loud. It’s time you stopped treating us al like

  children — you are not our bloody father. We don’t know if

  anything bad has happened to them. For al we know they

  decided to sleep somewhere else. Maybe they got

  sidetracked having fun and lost track of time,” he ended

  lamely. “And you never gave me an order, you just told the

  three of us to go out. You decided that you were the boss

  and didn’t need us for whatever you and Michael thought

  only you two could handle.”

  “What if something has happened to them?” Kerr said.


  “What if they are hurt? What if someone has taken them?

  What if they are lost to us forever? What do you have to say

  about that?”

  “I said I was fucking sorry,” Doyle snapped as he

  stormed out of the kitchen not looking at either of them.

  § § § §

  Fear fil ed Christian as he sat in the smal shed with

  Charm cradled uncomfortably in his arms. She had final y

  fal en asleep, though tears stil ran down her face. This was

  a whole new side to Charm he was witnessing and he

  wasn’t sure he liked it. She had been scary before, but now

  she was downright terrifying. He was just glad she had

  final y seen sense and agreed to find some shelter. He

  real y hadn’t looked forward to having to try and knock her

  out, because in al honesty he would have been the one

  unconscious if they had a fight. It was no secret that Charm

  hit harder than he did. It had taken forever to find something

  suitable. It had been obvious the current residents of this

  premises were gone because of al the uncol ected mail,

  but it was best to remain quiet in case someone came

  home. God! How he wished he were home right now, in his

  own bed. The heat in the shed was stifling. Closing his

  eyes, he tried desperately to fal asleep, yet sleep wouldn’t

  come. Everything Charm had said earlier kept running

  through his head, and mixed with the heat, it was making

  him slightly nauseous.

  Sometimes his life just sucked!

  § § § §

  Sadness washed through Michael as he lay on the bed,

  his hand roaming restlessly across the other side. In al the

  time he had been here it had never been empty. He should

  have been there to protect him. Them, he corrected

  himself. What if Kerr was right and something bad had

  happened to them? His fingertips ran along the length of his

  scar. Why had it fascinated Christian so much? He had to

  find him — them — again with the mental correction. Why

  did he have to keep reminding himself that Charm was out

  there too, and they were now family? H i s family. Sleep

  came and went in turn until it was time to final y get up.

  When he got to the kitchen Kerr was already waiting

  there and he looked exactly like Michael felt: troubled and

  worried.

  “Where do we start?” Michael patted his pockets,

  searching for his cigarettes. Why where they never there

  when he needed them?

  “We should try and retrace their path home. We’l come

  across them somewhere along the way.” Kerr’s eyes

  pleaded for him to agree. “Should we wake Doyle?”

  “We’l find them.” Michael turned at the sound of the

  backdoor opening. “Or, they’l find us,” Michael said with

  relief. The smile that was forming on his lips faltered as he

  took in the dark and sombre look on Christian’s face.

  Michael just knew Christian was not happy and strangely it

  seemed to be aimed at him. Wondering why, Michael

  frowned. He just seemed to be pissing everyone off lately

  without even trying. What he had done to Christian to make

  him glare daggers as he was?

  With a wail, Charm threw her arms around Kerr’s neck

  and began crying again. “What happened?” Kerr asked as

  he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

  Darkness seemed to emanate from Christian as he

  shrugged, “We decided to watch the sun rise.” Michael

  thought maybe Christian just couldn’t find the right way to

  explain it. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” He left before anyone

  could object, ignoring Michael completely as he went past.

  For some strange reason, Michael felt hurt.

  “He is your soul. You know it’s true, don’t you?” Charm

  said to Michael. Her hand trailed along his arm as she let

  Kerr lead her out of the room. Making up two plates of food

  and grabbing a couple of drinks out of the fridge, he

  headed upstairs and gave one lot to Charm before taking

  the other to Christian. He real y was relieved they had both

  made it home safe. It seemed to Michael that over the past

  twenty-four hours Christian had aged beyond his years.

  With Christian acting as different as he had, Kerr would

  have noticed the same thing if he wasn’t so distracted by

  how upset Charm was. The only thing he was sure of was

  that Kerr would be forever grateful Christian had brought

  Charm home alive. At least he was kind of sure. It occurred

  to him Kerr and Charm were best friends, and it reminded

  him of his relationship with Gypsy. Hesitating at his and

  Christian’s bedroom door, Michael took a deep breath as

  he reached for the knob. Not real y sure what to expect on

  the other side.

  “Chris, are you asleep?” Michael asked as he

  shouldered the door open. “Holy hel !” He stopped in his

  tracks as he took Christian in lying sprawled across their

  bed in nothing but a pair of blue boxer briefs and his arm

  across his face. Fuck! He realised he was ogling

  Christian’s near nakedness he swal owed hard before he

  pushed the door closed and leaned on it just drinking in the

  stunning sight before him. Even covered in scars Christian

  was stil a sight to behold.

  “I’m awake,” Christian replied curtly. Michael couldn’t

  understand why Christian wouldn’t look at him. Why was

  Christian acting as if he was more than uncomfortable

  being so close to him? And why did Christian seemed

  pissed at him? What if Charm had talked to him about al

  the crazy dreams again? He knew Christian hated talking

  about those dreams. What if Christian thought he real y was

  gay now? What if he was gay and just didn’t know it? He

  remembered thinking Christian was spunky. Then the kiss,

  how could that possibly be normal? And why the hel

  couldn’t he stop staring at the practical y naked Christian

  before him.

  “Here, I thought you might be hungry.” Depositing the

  food and drink on the bedside table Michael took a step

  back from the bed, and waited for Christian to speak.

  While he stood there waiting Christian kept his arm

  across his eyes, refusing to look at him. “I’m real y tired,

  Michael.” Christian’s voice was cold, as if he was trying to

  cut short any further talk.

  “Okay then, I’l let you get some rest.” Again, Michael felt

  hurt over Christian’s rejection. Closing the door behind him,

  he left their room. It took al Michael’s wil power to walk

  away and not go back in and wrap himself around

  Christian’s body just so he could be sure Christian was

  real y safe.

  Michael just knew Christian had changed. The childlike

  awe he had first noticed when he joined the family would

  now be gone. Now Christian was distracted and was

  avoiding him as if a great weight played upon his mind.

  Heading into the kitchen he grabbed a drink from the

  fridge. He realised Christian was purposely being distant.

  Christian was pushing him a
way. Maybe, in a strange way,

  it was a good thing because then Michael didn’t have to

  question his own feelings, he didn’t know if he was ready

  for that. He didn’t know if he would ever be ready to

  acknowledge his feeling for Christian. Yeah, so maybe it

  was a good thing he didn’t have to choose a side in the war

  between his heart and head. Stil , he thought as he walked

  toward the stairs, rejection hurt like a bitch!

  Man, he wished he had Gypsy here to talk to. At least

  she would help him sort out everything he was feeling

  confused about. Biting his lip he sniggered, imagining what

  she would say. “Settle petal… Deep breaths, little steps. It

  is not the end of the world,” fol owed closely by, “You’re gay

  dumbarse! Get over it!”

  After having thoughts of his sister running through his

  head, Michael didn’t feel up to going out. Pushing his sense

  of hunger aside, he spent the rest of the night exploring. Not

  searching for signs of entry into the house, just exploring

  more thoroughly. From the outside, the house on Ambrose

  Street seemed ominous compared to the other houses in

  the street. It was based more on an American design as it

  had an attic and a basement. Michael was now headed

  toward the attic and al the chaos it held. Searching the

  house was better than searching inside himself. There were

  too many things he wanted to keep hidden in there.

  There seemed to be an endless supply of souvenirs from

  the past stacked in the jumble of what had become of the

  attic. Michael wondered who would even keep al this crap.

  It only provided a home for the numerous creepy crawlies

  who were hiding up there. There was even a bed. Not as

  big as the one he shared with Christian, but big enough so

  he could stretch out ful y in comfort, it would be a bit of

  squeeze if he had to share it. He made sure he checked for

  critters before he lay down, he sneezed as he disturbed the

  dust from years of non-use. Man that was just gross — he

  would need to bring some sheets the next time he came up

  here.

  Picking up a book Michael realised it was once

  someone’s journal. When he had been poking around he

  had found it placed high up on one of the rafters. At first he

  had nearly missed it but with a bit of creative climbing he

  now held it in his hands. A photograph fel from the pages

  as he began to flick through it. The photograph, done in