Here is the last chapter. I'm so glad people enjoyed this fic. I had a blast writing it and making up a whole new character (that I'm so glad people actually liked!). Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed; your comments were awesome and well received.

Just in case you were wondering, the title comes from the song Bother by Stone Sour. There's a line that goes: "Stones to throw at my creator. Masochists to which I cater," and I just really thought that fit, so thus I stole that and made it my title. ;-) Don't sue me, though. lol

Stones to Throw 4/4

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The smell of adolescence was a heavy condensed smell, a pain-riddled smell, a lonely smell, yet to some it was an exuberant exciting smell, hinting at promise and change, stirring greatness and tumultuous nights of self-discovery and innocence unleashed. It was the smell of dry ice and bonfires, underage drinking and illegal drugs. It was the hot odour of firsts and sexual experimentation, the luring breath of wants and needs, it was an addictive smell once it was recognized.

--

Seth followed Nate through crowds of half-dressed party boys with Ryan close behind. He found comfort in the alluring darkness of the woods with the coal-fire smell of wood burning in garbage cans. Figures danced against the glow, looking like mythic creatures participating in sacrificial ceremonies; celestial bodies seeking grace.

Seth turned to Ryan and gave him a small smile. Ryan returned it hesitantly.

Sound and light and so much skin was almost too much and Seth contemplated turning around and telling Nate he wasn't ready for all of this and Ryan most definitely wasn't, but he didn't. He persevered and let Nate drag him to a tent where kegs rested in tubs of ice and men were making out in the open against metal poles that held the tent together.

Seth watched in utter fascination, wondering if Ryan would ever take him like that; if he would ever be open enough to touch him in public and not care who watched. There was obviously more voyeur in Seth than he had acknowledged before.

Nate grabbed Seth's hand and dragged him close, leaning over his mouth brushed against his ear. "Come on, let's dance."

Seth held his hands out in front of him. "Uh, no. No way! I don't dance. Trust me it is not a pretty sight when I dance. People get hurt. You could lose an eye or a foot. It's just not a good idea."

Nate's grip tightened around Seth's waist. "You're dancing with me," he commanded and dancing sounding like something altogether sexy and fabulous the way Nate said it. Nate led Seth toward other moving bodies and he forgot to protest anymore.

Seth turned, waved and watched Ryan stand alone, his arms crossed and an emotion on his face he couldn't quite ascertain.

"What are you doing?" Seth asked when they were finally out of earshot.

Nate looked at him innocently. "What do you think?"

"I think you're confusing the hell out of me. I thought the whole point was to get Ryan to admit to his...you know, feelings."

"It is." The blank look on Seth's face prompted Nate to continue, "Jealousy, Seth. Plus, we can have some fun. Now shut up and dance."

"Ah, right. Gotcha." Seth moved to the trance beat to the best of his ability -and his ability was minimal at best.

"Ow! Shit," Nate complained teasingly when Seth collided hard against him, knocking his bony elbow into Nate's ribs.

"Sorry," Seth said, sheepishly, "I told you I suck at this." Nate surprised him by placing a chaste kiss on Seth's temple.

Seth pulled back at looked at Nate questioningly. Nate shrugged. "Why'd you stop dancing?"

Seth smiled. "I don't know."

Nate pulled Seth close and ran his hand down his back. Tingles of awareness began to filter through Seth's body. He watched over Nate's shoulder as Ryan gulped down a shot some random passerby offered him. Huh. "Do you think we should have left Ryan alone?"

Nate looked over his shoulder and spotted Ryan looking their way. His gaze was intense. "Stop worrying, he's fine."

"I know, but shouldn't we-"

"Seth," Nate warned, drawing the boy closer. His hand went to Seth's hip and he tugged slightly on his belt loop.

Seth let out a little noise and focussed back on Nate. "Shutting up now."

They were so close Seth could feel every contour and the perfect definition of muscle that resided under Nate's tight black t-shirt. It was a strange feeling. Foreign. To be so close to another guy with no worry about being called some harsh name or sucker punched in the stomach.

Seth was about to speak when he felt Nate's lips softly, tentatively on his. Nate pulled back and held Seth's face in his large hands.

"Uh...what...?"

"I just kinda felt like kissing you."

"Huh, you know that happens to me surprisingly less than one would think. Not that I minded, 'cause I didn't, but I feel I should tell you, you're so Anna right now."

"Who's Anna?"

"Anna was the girl I used to make another girl jealous a few months ago."

Nate nodded. "Ah, I see. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I had a Jacob once."

"Jacob?" Seth asked and for the first time noticed how well the eyeliner brought out Nate's eyes.

"The gay version of Anna," said Nate in explanation.

"Huh, interesting."

"Look Seth, you're adorable and if you were a little older and more experienced and not so in love with Ryan, we could have something together, but as it is, I'm just helping out a friend and having a little fun while I'm at it."

"Sounds fine to me." Seth scanned the crowd of grooving bodies having lost sight of Ryan. It wasn't until he felt a tap on his shoulder that he realized Ryan must have had more to drink and that drinking and Ryan didn't mix well.

It was Nate that felt the real proof of that statement, though. One minute they were all standing calm and the next Ryan's fist was connecting with Nate's face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Seth turned accusatory eyes on Ryan while he reached out to touch Nate's bloody lip. Nate hissed and pulled away, sticking out his tongue and licking off the blood.

Ryan looked shocked, like he didn't know he'd just punched Nate for no particular reason. The blow must have sobered him up pretty fast. Or maybe there was a reason that he didn't want to face and Seth was really not ready to think about that either. "I-I don't know. I'm sorry, man. Really," Ryan apologized.

"It's...okay," Nate said, readjusting his jaw. "Just don't do it again, because I will hit you back next time," he warned.

Ryan nodded and swiped his hand through his hair. "I don't know why-"

"Yes you do," Nate interjected. He grabbed Seth's shoulder and gave Ryan a pointed look. "I'll let you two talk. Think you can get home on your own?"

"Yeah, it's not that far," Seth assured him.

"All right. I'll call you tomorrow to see how everything went," he said lower so Ryan couldn't really hear.

"Okay." Seth gave Nate a little nod and started to move away but then thought better of it. "Hey Nate?"

"Yeah?"

Seth cocked his head to the side. "Thanks."

Nate smiled. "Yeah, no problem. Just tell your dad that I deserve a raise."

"Sure, I'll plead your case as soon as I get home...well, maybe it can wait until breakfast."

Seth watched Nate weave through the crowd until he couldn't see him anymore and then turned toward Ryan. He scratched his head, trying to find a tactful way to break the ice. "Soooo.... what was that, dude?" Seth wasn't into subtly.

Ryan shrugged, still not owning up to anything. "I don't know."

"Fine," Seth said, and turned to leave. He made his way through the crowd and headed out toward the highway.

Ryan caught up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. The heat burned through Seth's t-shirt.

"I lied. I know exactly why I hit him, but it changes everything, Seth."

"What does?"

"Admitting I was jealous," Ryan said, quietly.

Seth had a hard time suppressing his grin. "You were jealous?"

"I'm not good with words," Ryan confessed. "I'm sorry," Ryan apologized and before Seth got to ask him what for Ryan pushed Seth down into the dirt, his thigh between his legs and kissed him hard.

Ryan's tongue pushed past Seth's lips and entered his mouth and it was like fire and heat and breath. Their bodies were pressed impossibly tight and their telltale signs of arousal ground together in harmony and then in counter rhythm. Fingers wound their way into Seth's hair making him moan into Ryan's mouth.

Ryan's heavy weight was a reward he didn't know he had wanted so bad and now that he felt it, he didn't want to breathe again without it. It was electric and shocking and a thousand different shades of honest. Their lips connected brutally and then pulled apart with a tenderness that was a direct contradiction.

Everything was a contradiction.

The slowness of Ryan's hands on Seth's hips.

The roughness of his thrusts.

The shallowness of Seth's breathing.

The fullness of Ryan's lips.

The heat between their bodies.

The slight chill in the air and the cold of the ground.

Then they were rolling, over and over, grass and soil turning up and staining their clothes.

"Ow, fuck!"

Ryan pulled back, breathing hard. "I thought- I didn't mean-"

"No, I've got a rock under my shoulder. Just move a little to the left."

Ryan laughed and dropped his head to Seth's shoulder.

"Hey, you can laugh at me later, don't stop that kissing thing you were doing before."

Ryan's gaze was intense and his blue eyes were bright with desire. "I'm sorry if I made you feel like a freak... you know, before. It's just..."

"You don't have to explain." The hard pressure of Ryan against his thigh was completely foreign and decidedly awesome.

"Yeah, I do," he said, his hand finding its way under Seth's shirt and rubbing the soft skin he found just above the elastic of his boxers.

"Okay, you can explain, but I can't guarantee I'll hear everything. I'm a little distracted."

"What?" Ryan asked, then caught his subconscious ministrations on Seth's stomach and stopped. "Oh."

"It's all right, I can see how it would be hard to resist. I've been told I'm adorable, you know?"

Ryan smirked. "Yeah, your Mom says that all the time, doesn't she?"

Seth groaned. "Dude, so not a good time to bring up my mother."

"Sorry."

"Man, stop apologizing and let's do that kissing thing again, like, now." Seth angled his head and pressed his lips against Ryan's once again.

"Wait."

"Jesus, what now? Are you trying to torture me?"

Ryan let out a strangled no and moved off of Seth, laying on his side. "I thought I could ignore this thing between us, but then I saw you with him and I didn't care if I was being selfish anymore. I want to be with you Seth and I don't care anymore if your parents hate me."

"Wait a minute," Seth said, sitting up and hovering over Ryan. Ryan looked so scared and insecure, almost like a child, it made Seth's heart ache. "It's not selfish and they won't hate you. I-I think my dad knows... at least about me. I think he's even okay with it."

"But-" Seth's finger covered Ryan's lips to prevent him from speaking.

"Nuh-uh, stop whatever you're going to say. I promise you, no matter what, they're not going to disown you or do something stupid like that. They love you. We're they're sons, family... in some weird, mildly incestuous, way. Huh, you know if you think about it, my dad kinda facilitated this whole thing, so he really can't say much about us falling in love."

"Love?"

"No, yeah, or you know lust? Blind sexual desire? Animal attraction? Stop me anytime, dude."

Ryan did just that. Sitting up, he let his lips capture Seth's in a gentle kiss. His breath whispered over Seth's cheek to his ear as he whispered, "love."

Seth smiled and pulled Ryan close.

"You know, even though I felt bad for the guy, but when you hit Nate, that was so totally hot."

"Yeah?" Ryan asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Who would think stark brutality could be so sexy?"

"Seth?"

"Huh?"

"Shut up."

"Yeah, it's just when you stop and thi-" Seth didn't get to finish what he was saying because Ryan's lips were on him again and they were damn fine lips and he'd been too long without them to deny himself now.

Seth broke away for air and Ryan's hands began to explore under Seth's shirt. "You know Nate really knows what he's doing, he so totally set you up."

Ryan growled and took a nip at Seth's bottom lip.

Seth smiled into another heated kiss. "Right. So not going to talk ever again."

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The End.