Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The dreams started two months before Caleb turned thirteen. Not every night but most of them and they were always the same. There was a boy sitting in a bedroom, dark-haired and roughly Caleb's age. He could never see the boy's face – when it wasn't buried in his knees, he was usually staring out the window – but Caleb could hear him crying. Deep wracking sobs that echoed through the room and made his shoulders shake.

The other boy was always crying as though his world was ending and all Caleb wanted to do was make him stop. But when he tried to speak, he had no voice and when he tried to move, his feet stuck to the floor.

Caleb was a ghost in the dreams, present but unable to interact with anything. So he just tried not to listen, giving the other boy some small bit of privacy. He wouldn't want anyone else to see him crying and in the moment, he often forgot that this boy could not be real. Caleb only realized that he was dreaming once he woke up again, a hard knot of sorrow aching in his chest.

It was weird and it hurt and he hated it, but he didn't know how to make the visions stop. Caleb had never been able to control his dreams like some people and he didn’t feel like he could ask anyone else for advice.

His friends would probably just laugh at him for dreaming about another boy and Caleb didn’t want to bother his mother when she’d been acting strange since the beginning of the summer. Evelyn Danvers had always drunk a lot of alcohol, but now she'd started drinking herself to sleep most evenings, often falling unconscious right there on the couch. She had also started watching Caleb much more closely, staring at him like he might disappear if she dared to blink. She hadn't looked at him like that since the time he'd caught pneumonia but when he asked her what was wrong, she wouldn’t tell him. His mother kept saying that everything was fine even though he knew that was a lie.

Caleb worried but there was nothing he could do about it. He just tried to keep her happy, making sure that he did well in school and met his friends out of the house. His mother had never had a problem with the other boys before – she’s the one who made sure they hung out in the first place – but now her face twisted strangely whenever Caleb mentioned them.

So he kept his silence and after the first few weeks, his nightly visitor became almost comforting. Sure the dreams were weird but they were also regular. They were something he could count on and at least Caleb knew that one other person was more miserable than him. He needed that reassurance when his mother began drinking even more and he started to find her passed out with a bottle when he got home from school.

Indeed, Evelyn Danvers was far from sober when she summoned Caleb into her study and finally told him what was wrong. He didn't believe her at first. Everyone knew that witches and wizards weren't real; his mother might as well have told him that he was a unicorn. Why should he believe that magic was not only real, but dangerous, addictive, and scary as all hell? Why would he believe that his father had been a wizard and the power stole his life?

However, when his mother sobered up, she told him the same story and then she showed him proof. She drove Caleb to an old house far past the edge of town, the sort of place where people got murdered on dark and stormy nights.

Honestly, the place looked ready to fall down and Caleb could barely believe it when his mother went inside. She walked into the building as though it was physically painful, every step deepening the grimace on her face. But his mother kept going and Caleb could only follow. He wasn’t going to leave her in a place like this alone.

She led him up to the second floor via a narrow stairway and then took a deep breath before opening the closest door. When he walked inside, Caleb saw a small bedroom, as dusty and rundown as the rest of the house. But what caught his eye and made him shiver was the gnarled old man sitting by the fireplace.

“Caleb, it’s time for you to meet your father,” his mother said with a voice like broken glass. “The two of you have much to talk about.”

The words made no sense. Caleb's father had died when he was still a baby - that's what she’d always told him - and the man by the fire looked nothing like the picture on their mantelpiece back home. This man was old, older than anyone that he'd ever seen. His body was twisted and broken and all Caleb wanted to do was run away. But he couldn't; his mother's hand was gripping his shoulder and keeping him in place.

“I told you that magic broke your father,” she said bitterly. “This is all that's left of him.”

“She is right, my son,” the old man told Caleb softly, a dry rasp like dying leaves. “I was young and foolish and I threw my life away.”

“But magic is impossible; it's just a fairy tale,” he protested. Caleb didn't want to believe this. If he accepted that magic was real then he had to accept the rest of it and this man was not his dad. His dad was dead and his mother had simply lost touch with reality from drinking too much alcohol. Caleb found it easier to believe that she had paid some nutcase to pretend to be his father than in magic and the rest.

However, before he could say anything else, the old man's eyes turned black. Caleb stood frozen beneath that inky gaze as something wrapped around his waist. It felt like a rope but when he looked down there was nothing and he could only watch in shock as his feet slowly left the ground.

“What the hell?!” Caleb stuttered, his legs kicking wildly.

This was real. This was insane and impossible but somehow it was real. Caleb couldn't deny it any longer; how could he deny the truth when he was levitating off the ground? It only lasted for a moment, his feet hitting the floor as the old man fell back gasping and Caleb watched in horror as new wrinkles appeared on the wizard's face. Because the old man must be a wizard and if his mother was telling the truth about magic, maybe this really was his father after all.

So Caleb looked at him, trying to feel some sort of connection, some inner knowledge that called from blood to blood.

But he didn’t know this man. Whatever her faults, Caleb's mother was the one who'd raised him and he felt a growing anger toward the man sitting before him. If this unnatural aging was caused by using magic then his father must have decided that power was more important than his family and that made him a dick in Caleb's mind. His father might be old and helpless but he wasn't the one who had to watch his mother drink herself to sleep and Caleb was pretty sure that he'd never forgive the bastard for choosing as he did.

“What's the point in having magic if it turns me into that?” he bit out scornfully.

“Power,” his mother answered. “Power calls and a Danvers always answers; the need is in your blood. On your thirteenth birthday, you will receive a taste of magic and you must learn to Use in moderation before you turn eighteen. You must learn to resist temptation before coming into your full powers; the lesson that your father never mastered. He grew too fond of power, too used to tilting the balance in his favor when a challenge came his way. I asked him to stop for our sake but he didn't have the strength. However, you will do better, darling. I am sure of it.”

And what could Caleb do but promise he would try? His mother was so hopeful, so confident that he was better than his father, and Caleb wanted to prove that she was right. Even if he still thought that this whole thing seemed insane.

Chapter Text

Two weeks later, Caleb couldn't sleep. He didn’t know what was going to happen but his mother had promised something – some sign that he suddenly had magic powers like in the story books.

So far his birthday had been disappointing on that front – cake and presents but no magic – and Caleb was starting to wonder if he'd imagined the meeting with his father after all. He couldn’t go back there by himself – he wouldn’t – and when he’d tried asking his mother for more information, she’d just snorted bitterly.

Tonight hadn’t been much better. His mother had drunk a whole bottle of gin after dinner, looking at Caleb and crying the whole time. She hadn’t been sobbing loudly but the quiet tears were almost more disturbing and he'd honestly been grateful when she finally passed out.

Caleb had covered her with a blanket and then gone up to his room. He’d done some homework, read some comics, and gotten ready for bed, twitching every time the shadows moved in the corner of his eye. But now his birthday was almost over and he didn’t feel any different. The magic that his mother promised had not yet arrived.

I should have known she was just crazy, Caleb thought even as the clock ticked over to 11:12pm.

Between one breath and the next, the room lit up; a blinding flash of lightning slammed into his chest. Caleb's back arched in a silent scream as power arced through his body, a wild rushing wave that he could not control. The magic spilled out of him, shaking the house to its foundation and knocking books off of the shelves. It poured through Caleb until he felt like he was bursting, overwhelming all his senses until he thought that he must drown.

But then, as quickly as it came, the power in his blood began to dissipate. The magic trickled away, leaving behind only a small spark within his chest. A small spark but more than Caleb had before this and he knew that the power would answer if he called.

In this moment, Caleb understood why his father had thrown away his life. Because that small spark was just a shadow, a tiny ember when he had felt the fire and part of Caleb wanted that magic back again. Part of the teen wanted to shape the world without thought to consequence.

But he had promised his mother that he'd be careful. He had promised that he wouldn’t be like his father and the memory of that twisted visage would be his warning now.

Of course, Caleb’s mother hadn’t said that he couldn’t Use at all. All things in moderation as his PE teacher liked to say and while Mr. Franklin was usually talking about cross-training, the teen was pretty sure that the same principle applied. What was the point in having magic if he just ignored it? And he obviously needed to know what he could do in order to know what was out of bounds.

I’ll just test it out a bit, Caleb told himself and proceeded to spend the next several hours juggling his furniture. As it turned out, levitation was easy. It didn’t seem to matter whether he was floating chairs or his own body and when he realized that, Caleb spent a good twenty minutes flying around like Superman just because he could.

Indeed, the teen could suddenly do a lot of things that had never occurred to him before. Although he’d been worried that he wouldn't know how to use his magic, that didn’t seem to be a problem. All Caleb had to do was think of something to know whether it was possible or whether it would require more power than he had. Levitation? Easy. Explosions? Not a problem. Caleb could curse people six ways to Sunday but mind control was out. Not that he wanted to do that anyway.

Honestly, a lot of the things that he could do now didn't seem very nice. He didn’t want to hurt people or summon crazy spiders; he just wanted to move some shit around. So Caleb kept experimenting until he couldn’t keep his eyes open, whereupon he crashed and slept till 2pm in the afternoon.

Caleb dragged himself downstairs a little later to find his mother waiting at the kitchen table. For once, she was sober, her eyes clearer now than they'd been for weeks.

“So you've received your powers,” Evelyn said flatly. “I hope that I don't have to tell you to keep these gifts a secret. Your ancestors were burned as witches in this town and people still don't like things that they don't understand.”

“But-”

“You will have to tell your friends, of course. Reid, Pogue, and Tyler all carry the same magic in their blood and their mothers were never informed about the Covenant. Sometimes I envy them and sometimes I pity them for not knowing why their husbands disappeared. But that means it falls on you to warn them of what's coming and to keep those boys in line. Who knows what Pogue might do otherwise?”

Caleb wanted to protest. He just got his powers yesterday; he wasn't exactly an expert and Pogue's thirteenth birthday was only a few months away. Shouldn’t someone with more experience step in?

And yet, if the teen didn't take responsibility, who else would? His mother? Most of his friends couldn't stand her these days and there was no guarantee that she'd stay sober long enough to tell them anything. Even if she did, the other boys would probably just think that she was crazy. His mother would need Caleb or his father there as proof and the thought of anyone else seeing the old man made his stomach twist unpleasantly. His friends didn't need to see that, not when their own fathers had probably looked the same.

“All right, I'll do it,” the boy sighed. “But my friends really aren't that reckless. I don't know why you’ve decided that Pogue is some sort of troublemaker but he's smarter than you think.”

That's actually a lie. Over the last few weeks, Caleb had realized exactly why his mother didn’t like the other Sons of Ipswich; he just hadn’t wanted to believe it until now. The truth was very simple. Evelyn Danvers was a snob. She looked down her nose at anyone who wasn't one hundred percent blue-blooded aristocracy and while she’d given Caleb’s friends a pass when they were children, her new drinking habit seemed to have removed the leash off of her tongue.

Indeed, she had made it very clear that she hated Pogue's mother for being a grocer's daughter, one from Jersey of all places. As though being an alcoholic housewife was so much better just because her blood was pure.

His mother wasn’t even ashamed of her opinions and she answered Caleb’s protest with a graceful shrug. “Pogue will prove me right someday. Blood like that runs true. Just remember what you need to do.”

“Yeah, fine. I'll tell them now, all right?”

“Good. Take these,” Evelyn said, holding out her hand. There were four keys lying in her palm and Caleb picked them up curiously. “These keys will open the building on the north edge of our property. The old shed that was off limits. You will find everything that you need to train yourself inside.”

Caleb's mother left him sitting in the kitchen, his head spinning and his mind full of unanswered questions. But eventually he tucked the keys into his pockets and walked over to the phone. He might as well tell his friends everything at once so that they didn't get pissed at him for keeping secrets when they found out later on. Besides, Caleb really wanted to tell someone who would actually think this stuff was cool. Only his mother could suck the joy out of having magic powers and he wanted to enjoy himself a bit before he went back to being responsible again.

So he called his friends and told them to meet him at their usual spot in half an hour. Then Caleb grabbed his bicycle from the garage and headed into the woods behind his house. The ride usually took about twenty-five minutes but he did it in twenty with a few minor bits of magic to help him up the steepest parts.

Only a few to test whether or not the Use was possible and then Caleb went right back to peddling. He wasn't going to end up like his father and he wasn't going to allow any of his friends to end up like theirs either, not if he had a choice.

“There's something I need to tell you,” Caleb said when he reached the clearing and found the other boys already there. He had decided that bluntness was the better option – lay out the facts, prove his powers, and then explain the details afterward.

Of course, his friends would have to actually pay attention to him first and that part didn’t exactly happen like he'd planned. Pogue just waved at Caleb from his position on the grass while Reid and Tyler were busy arguing about who would win if Godzilla fought with dinosaurs. They ignored the other boy completely, their discussion growing more and more heated until Caleb finally snapped.

“Guys! Seriously!” he shouted. “Godzilla would totally win and I need to talk to you.”

“Okay, fine. So talk,” Reid said with a shrug, the other two boys looking up at their friend expectantly.

“Well...” Caleb started, already feeling awkward. “You know how we're descended from the guys who founded Ipswich? And our history teachers keep talking about the witch trials way back in history? Apparently those two things are connected. Because I'm a wizard. Actually, we're all wizards; you just don't have your powers yet.”

There was one moment of utter silence and then Reid burst into laughter, wrapping his arms around himself and cackling, “Don't you mean witches, Caleb?”

“Technically a male witch would be a warlock.”

“You are joking, right? Why do you even know that?”

“It's not that weird. You know I like to read.”

“Fine. Warlock, whatever. That does sound cooler than wizard. But this still seems like a bad joke.”

“Fucking witches, man!”

Caleb let his friends laugh. Once they got the mocking out of their systems, he could get back to the point. But Reid just kept on cackling and he only had so much patience for the blond right now.

“Yes, fucking witches!” he shouted, drawing on his magic to lift the others off the ground.

“Do you believe me now?” Caleb asked as he spun his friends around. He kept it up until they begged for mercy and Tyler looked about to puke, the other boy moaning pitifully when Caleb set them down. “I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. Apparently witches in Ipswich go back to the beginning and you guys will get powers like mine as soon as you turn thirteen. Speaking of which, my mother gave me keys to some kind of family spell chamber. Do you want to check it out?”

“Like a witch's lair? Hell, yeah!”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Will there be books?” Tyler asked, the question made him brighten though he still looked a little green.

“Well, yeah, probably. So let's go,” Caleb said, pulling the keys out of his pocket and handing them around. “Supposedly the chamber is inside that old shed on my family's property.”

So the boys mounted their bicycles and headed off again. The shed was... really not impressive when they got there, missing shingles and rotted boards making it seem like one strong breeze would knock it down. But the inside was sturdier than the outside and when Caleb found the door that their keys belonged to, well, witch's lair was pretty accurate.

Rough stone stairs led down to a large chamber in the earth, every flat space covered with candles and pentagrams. Caleb lit the candles with a touch of magic before he and his friends walked down the stairs and the light revealed packed bookshelves placed against each wall. There was a stone pedestal standing like a sentinel in the center of the chamber and tables covered with bunches of old herbs. Although the plants should have dried or rotted years ago, they looked completely fresh and when Caleb picked up one of the green sprigs, magic sizzled beneath his fingertips. Everything was coated with magic and maybe bringing his friends here before they got their powers hadn't been the greatest plan.

“Reid, wait!” Caleb warned, reaching out to stop the blond before he picked up a grinning skull. “Be careful. I think there are protections here.”

As though to prove his point, there was a cry behind them and Caleb spun around to see Tyler flying back across the room. The other boy landed in a heap on the floor and the warlock ran over to check on him immediately.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“Apparently witches don't like it when you try to touch their books,” Tyler replied, sitting up with a groan. “I just wanted some more information on these powers; what if they're dangerous or something? Or there are rules we shouldn't break?”

“You worry too much, baby boy,” Reid said, pulling Tyler to his feet. “It's magic; what could be bad about a thing like that?”

“Well, actually....”

“Oh, come on. Are you serious?”

“Nothing terrible,” Caleb reassured him. “We just have to use our gifts in moderation. Otherwise, we'll get crazy and addicted and turn into wrinkled old men by the time we're thirty-five.”

“That sounds pretty terrible to me,” Pogue said flatly.

“That's why we're going to be careful. As long as we only use magic now and then, my mother says we should be fine. In fact, let me try something...”

Caleb sent a thread of power toward the bookshelf and while the protections there had rejected Tyler's touch, they let his magic through. The warlock lifted up the largest book and then laid it open on the pedestal in the center of the room.

“Have at it, Tyler. Just let me know when you want to turn the page.”

The next five minutes were filled with Tyler's soft exclamations, ahs and wows and ewws, while the other three boys explored the chamber very carefully. Once Caleb got past the whole “witch's lair” idea, the room was actually kind of boring and he wasn't surprised when Reid threw up his hands.

“This is bullshit!” the blond exclaimed. “If I can't actually touch anything then I'd rather watch a movie or something. Can we please get out of here?”

“Tyler? Are you done?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess so. This book is mostly rules and history but it's interesting. You guys should probably read it for yourselves.”

“Later, sure. For now can we just get the Cliff Notes?”

“Well, for rules, secrecy seems to be the big one,” the younger boy explained. “It's all: do what you want but if you get caught you're on your own. Although, I hope no one would actually try to burn us anymore. Witch trials are so last century. Anyway, your mom was right. If we use too much magic, we'll end up dying young. So we should probably save the tricks for special occasions. Seriously, though, this book has stuff about our families that I've never heard before. It goes all the way back to the founding of Ipswich...”

Tyler trailed off, scanning the pages for more information. But he continued when Reid tapped his foot and growled impatiently.

“All right, fine. Here's the summary. Apparently there were five bloodlines in the beginning. They built this town and things were great until the witch trials. Then one guy got burned at the stake and the surviving four went underground.”

“Got it. Secrecy, stupid limits, and witch burning,” Reid said. “Let's get out of here.”

“Fine, fine,” the other boy replied. “I don't know how you get such good grades when you refuse to read a thing.”

“What can I say? My teachers love me and I'm great at taking tests,” the blond told him with a smirk. “Now come on. Being a warlock is all well and good but I've got better things to do.”

Reid had a point. This place wasn't much fun when none of Caleb's friends had their magic yet. So they left the chamber, the warlock careful to lock the door behind them even as he felt more protections snapping into place. The boys spent the rest of the day together – playing games and watching films and just talking shit. Caleb's friends kept him from thinking about school or magic until he went home that evening and even then it was only to reflect on how little his new powers changed his life.

Caleb couldn't magic his way through his classes and his didn't want to hurt people; he was rich enough that he didn't need more money and he wasn't old enough to gamble anyway. Magic definitely couldn't fix his family's problems, not when this power was the source of all their pain.

So Caleb would be fine. His mother had no reason to be worried. He wasn't going to end up like his father. He wasn't even going to consider the idea. This was just a weird genetic quirk, like dark hair or dimples, and it wasn't gonna change his life. Caleb felt much better now than he had when his mother first explained the situation and he fell asleep easily that night.

Chapter Text

At first Caleb didn't realize he was dreaming. Everything felt so much sharper than it ever had before. The light was brighter and the air felt thicker when Caleb took a breath.

But when the warlock looked around, he recognized his surroundings. Caleb was standing in the same room as usual and the same dark-haired boy was curled up on the bed. He wasn't crying this time but he still wasn't happy. No one sat like that when they were happy and Caleb was starting to get really fucking sick of this.

Sure the dreams were regular but why couldn't he dream of space ships instead? Or flying? Flying sounded way better than this depressing shit.

“Who the hell are you anyway?” Caleb muttered, fully expecting the other boy to ignore him just like he always had before. But instead his head shot up like a startled animal. He turned to look right at the warlock before scrambling backward until he was pressed against the wall.

“Who are you?” the boy asked, staring at Caleb with wide eyes. “How did you get here?”

That seemed like a weird question. The warlock couldn’t remember anyone in his more normal dreams ever being terrified. But this was his dream. Wasn't it? Why should he apologize?

“I've been here for months,” Caleb told the other boy with a shrug. “You've just never seen me. And honestly, I think my imagination kind of sucks.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, I'm dreaming, aren't I?” the warlock asked. “And it’s always just this same stupid room with you in the corner looking sad. Let me tell you, two months of this is getting old.”

“Yeah well, at least you're not stuck here all the time,” the guy retorted, his expression more annoyed than frightened now. “But seriously, you can't be here. This is my house, my room... Fuck, I’m going mad. I've finally gotten so lonely that I'm inventing visitors.”

“Hey! I am definitely real!” Caleb protested. “My name is Caleb Danvers and I live in Ipswich, Massachusetts. You're the one that only shows up when I’m asleep.”

“Look, I probably shouldn't be arguing with a hallucination, but that's ridiculous. If anyone is dreaming here, it's me,” the other boy replied. “In fact...”

He climbed off the bed and walked over to the bedroom door, grabbing the doorknob in one hand. He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and then yanking the door open in one move. Caleb saw a quick flash of empty hallway before the other boy shut the door and turned back to him again.

“I am definitely the one that's dreaming,” he told the warlock with a slightly twisted smirk. It was a triumphant expression but not a happy one; there was too much bitterness.

“How do you know?”

“In real life that door is locked.”

“Okay, what?” Caleb asked, looking at the guy in shock. “This has to be the weirdest dream I've ever had.”

“I told you... You're not dreaming!” the other boy suddenly shouted, flipping instantly from depression into rage. “So just LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”

He rounded on Caleb, his eyes gone black with fury. Or not with fury, but with magic as power built around his hands. The warlock didn’t have a chance to react before a blast of light slammed into his body and he snapped awake again.

For a second the teen just lay there panting, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Because his new powers were either giving him the strangest dreams ever or the other boy was right. Maybe he was a real person after all.

He could be like us, Caleb thought. Maybe that guy is another warlock and the magic somehow linked our dreams together. Though, fuck, I hope I don't start sharing dreams with everyone. That would get crowded really fast.

Of course, this was all just speculation and when Caleb finally managed to fall back asleep, he didn’t dream at all.

When the warlock woke up again, he decided to be proactive. He was going to make a plan for when the other guy came back. Maybe his dreams would return to normal now, but if not, there were some things that Caleb really wanted to find out. Even that brief conversation had given him a lot of questions and he’d like them answered as soon as possible. So he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and starting scribbling.

      Step 1: Figure out if the other boy is real. Ask his name and Google? Or his town?
      Step 2: Check the spell books in the shed? If my dreams are caused by magic, maybe one of my ancestors had something similar. A curse?
      Step 3: If the other guy is real, find out why he's locked inside his bedroom.
      Step 4: Try to help?

Caleb wasn't sure what he could do but he knew all about having a shitty home life and he could be a sympathetic ear if nothing else. So he wrote a whole list of questions and answers for the next time, trying to think of something that would make his dream guy trust him. It seemed important even though he didn't know this boy, not really. But the teen had watched him cry for months now and if he could make the other guy feel better, he felt like he should try.

Besides, this was Caleb's best chance to talk to another warlock until his friends had their birthdays. If the other boy already had his powers, maybe they could help each other practice. At the very least, Caleb should make sure that he knew about the consequences. The teen didn’t want anyone dying on his watch.

However, when the warlock found himself back in the same room a few days later, he didn't need any of his carefully planned out arguments.

The other boy seemed to be waiting for him and when Caleb appeared, he started talking on his own, “I looked up Ipswich, you know, and there is a Caleb Danvers at the middle school. So either I'm psychic as well as crazy or you're actually a person. Which means the real question is: what are you doing here?”

“Honestly? I have no fucking clue,” the warlock replied. “I've been having this dream on and off since July but you could never see me. I don’t know why they started – nothing special happened to me this summer – but I think I know why you can finally see me now.”

“Oh? And why is that?” the guy asked, eyeing Caleb warily. Something that the warlock said had made him tense again. Which, in turn, made Caleb hesitate. He didn't want the other boy to flip out and shove him from the dream like he had before. But then again, that proved he had some kind of power so maybe Caleb’s explanation wouldn't seem insane.

“Okay, it's like this,” Caleb said. “Apparently I'm a warlock, a male witch. It's some kind of family bloodline and I got my powers a few days ago. I think that's why we can talk now when you never seemed to notice me before.”

“This bloodline of yours... Are you the only one?”

“No. Supposedly three of my friends will get their magic soon,” the teen said, relieved that the other boy seemed willing to listen. “All of us are descended from the folks who founded Ipswich and I guess there's always one warlock in each family, that's what my mother says. We get our first taste of power at thirteen and that's how it was for me.”

The other guy didn't say anything for a long time, long enough that Caleb started to worry that he might have read him wrong. But then the boy ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “In that case, I think I know why you've been dreaming since July.”

“So you are a warlock!” Caleb said triumphantly.

“Maybe. I don't know. But my thirteenth birthday is when my life went straight to Hell,” the other boy told him. “There was some kind of explosion and I could do things afterward. Things that weren't normal. I don't mean to but sometimes I just can't help it and my parents freaked. They're religious, you know; I grew up going to church every Sunday and while I'm not sure if I believe in God, my folks believe in the Devil. They think that I'm possessed.”

“What?!”

Caleb couldn’t believe that. That sounded completely crazy, and yeah, he knew he didn’t have much room to judge. But as drunk as his mother got sometimes, she’d never claimed that he was evil and his mouth dropped open in shock as this guy laughed bitterly.

“I've seen more priests and exorcists in the last few months than I ever knew existed and for a while there I thought I was gonna die inside this room. I only convinced my parents to let me go back to school about a week ago and they still lock me in here whenever I'm at home.”

“But can't you just open the door? With magic, I mean,” the teen said. He hadn’t been expecting this and now he was floundering for words, wanting to make it better but with no idea how. “You don't have to stay trapped here if you don't want to be.”

“Right, and once I've run away from home and my family disowns me, what exactly do you expect me to do? I'm not old enough to work, I'm not a thief and I can't make money appear out of thin air,” the boy said and Caleb got the impression that he'd thought this through a lot. “Besides, how do I know for sure that I'm not possessed? Maybe my parents are right and you're the Devil come to tempt me into sin.”

“I am not!” Caleb protested. “I may be a warlock but that doesn't make me evil. This isn't some kind of Disney fairy tale. Look. What's your name? Maybe I can find something on your family in our records. It sounds like no one has told you anything and if you do share my powers, then that's actually dangerous. There are some things that you should know. Honestly, I don't know how your parents can think that you're a demon. Your father should have the same magic in his blood.”

“Yeah, well. I'm adopted,” the other guy told him. “I may be Chase Collins now but I have no idea what name I was born with. So I doubt you'll have much luck.”

“Oh. I guess that would explain it,” the warlock said, momentarily deflated. But he wasn't going to give up that easily. “Okay, look, we seem to be stuck together dreaming and there must be a reason. So why don't you let me help you? If you learn to control your powers then maybe you can convince your parents that you're not evil and they might let you out. My family has lots of books stashed away and at least one of them should have something useful.”

Chase still seemed skeptical but Caleb gave the other boy his best pleading smile and eventually he just sighed wearily. “Yeah, sure. Why not? You could still be the Devil but it's not like I have much to lose these days. If you can stop me from blowing things up when I'm angry then that would be a start.”

“Great! It’s a deal,” Caleb told him before reaching out to shake the other warlock’s hand. He expected to wake up after that but nothing happened, leaving the two boys staring at each other somewhat awkwardly.

“So, um, do you want me to go?” the teen asked after a moment, pointing at the door. “I can totally just wander around this dream till I wake up.”

“I’m not gonna kick you out. That’s up to you,” Chase shrugged before standing up suddenly. “Actually, screw that. I'm sick of this damn room and I might as well enjoy the freedom while I can. You can do whatever you want but I'm leaving now.”

The other boy was out of the room before Caleb could reply and the warlock just stared at the empty doorway in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting Chase to just run out on him and he wasn't sure what he should do now. Sitting in someone else’s room without him felt a little weird. But then Chase stuck his head back through the doorway and asked, “You wanna come along? No one deserves to spend their nights locked up in here.”

“Sure, of course,” the warlock agreed, jogging over quickly before Chase could change his mind. Caleb wasn't sure why he cared about the other boy's opinion – beyond the fact that they were stuck together – but he was glad that Chase seemed to be softening. He wouldn't mind another friend; as much as he liked Pogue, Reid, and Tyler, they were more like his younger brothers and sometimes he just wanted to smack them upside their heads.

So Caleb followed Chase through the doorway and down the stairs, blinking a little when he found himself outside. He looked around curiously; their surroundings seemed to be a strange mix of Ipswich and a town that the warlock didn't recognize.

Probably the place where Chase lived since he didn’t seem to have any trouble picking a direction. He just turned left and started walking, pointing out a few landmarks as Caleb trailed after him. The other teen didn’t say much else but the silence was oddly companionable and the warlock was smiling when he finally woke up.

Chapter Text

Caleb's life fell into a new rhythm after that. He still went to school, did his homework, and looked after his mother when she drank too much. But now the teen also spent hours poring through old manuscripts, looking for any mention of other bloodlines or shared dreaming in the past.

Although Caleb had never liked doing research, his family's history was far more interesting than he'd expected. It was full of scandals, secrets, and strange magic and while the warlock didn’t find what he was looking for, he learned a great deal about the gift running through his blood. Enough that he thought he could teach Chase how to control his magic better and then do the same for each of his friends in turn.

The other boy was volatile at first, throwing Caleb from the dreams as often as he actually listened to his instructions and the teen got used to waking up suddenly. But dealing with Chase wasn’t any worse than dealing with his mother; better actually since the other warlock always apologized to Caleb afterward.

So the teen learned to be patient with Chase when his doubts overtook him, the other boy sometimes wondering if his parents could be right. He obviously still cared about them and he struggled to reconcile his new gifts with their beliefs.

Caleb couldn’t help with that, not really. But the warlock discovered that telling Chase about his friends and his life often calmed him; sometimes he just needed a reminder that there were people just like him. And things got better. Chase learned to control the magic instead of allowing it to rule him and Caleb was glad for the company when his friends joined their Covenant.

First Pogue, then Reid, and finally Tyler received their powers one by one, the magic arriving on their thirteenth birthdays just as Caleb's mother promised. But the other Sons of Ipswich were all different individuals and none of them reacted to the magic quite the same. Pogue took his gifts in stride since he was far more interested in girls and motorcycles than in being any kind of warlock. Tyler treated his powers as one more way to be an overachiever – easily matching Caleb for time spent studying – and Reid went off the rails. He fluctuated between glee at having magic and fury at the consequences that came from over-Using and Caleb wasn't sure if he'd ever settle down.

“I just don't understand it,” the warlock told Chase one evening. They were dreaming again, their shared landscape having grown more wild and fantastical in the months since his birthday. Chase had a vivid imagination and he was rarely content to stay in Bakersfield or Ipswich anymore. “It's like Reid is trying to burn out before we even get to high school. He's gonna wreck his life and the magic isn’t worth that.”

“Come on, you can’t tell me that you've never been tempted,” the other teen replied. “The power is seductive, you know that, and it sucks that our magic is such a two-edged sword. Sometimes I still want to just cast a ton of spells and damn the consequences.”

“You wouldn't say that if you'd ever seen my father,” Caleb told him with a shudder. “I'd give up our powers in an instant to not end up like him.”

“So show them,” Chase said bluntly. “If seeing your father made the difference for you, then introduce him to your friends. Maybe solid proof of what could happen will make this Reid guy lay off Using. You're a damn good teacher so I know that's not the problem. In fact, I'm happy to say that my parents are finally easing up. Honestly, they seem to be going straight into denial now that I don't levitate when I'm distracted anymore.”

“Really? That’s great,” the teen said and he meant it. Caleb was happy to know that Chase’s life was getting better and even happier to let him change the subject. The other warlock probably had a point about introducing his friends to his father but Caleb didn’t feel prepared to think about that now. “I wasn’t sure if the lessons here would transfer over to the real world; you know changing our dreams doesn’t feel the same as Using when awake.”

“Apparently it’s close enough. And I definitely prefer denial to the exorcists.”

“I don’t blame you. Though I still think you should have let me call the cops. I mean, if you’d given me your address, I could have tipped them off.”

“I'll get my parents arrested the day you get your mother into rehab,” Chase retorted sharply. “Until then, leave it be. You’ve got no right to judge.”

Caleb winced at the other teen’s tone. He hadn’t meant to poke a sore spot and he knew that Chase was right. His mother was only getting worse, not better, and he probably should get help. But he didn’t know how and he didn’t want to lose what little family he had left. Truthfully, the warlock didn’t know why he'd told Chase about his mother's drinking problem in the first place. Somehow it was easier to talk about these things when they were dreaming. Caleb didn’t have to worry about any repercussions from his honesty and Chase's distance often gave him a more objective eye.

So the two of them talked about anything and everything, from Reid's issues to the latest movies to their family problems and even though they'd never met in person, Chase already felt like one of the best friends he’d ever had.

“Come on, Danvers. Don't look so serious,” the other warlock told him, throwing an arm across his shoulders. “Your friend Reid will sort himself out eventually. Hell, I'm practically the poster boy for bad reactions to our magic and you managed to turn my life around. Even just knowing what the hell was happening was a damn big relief.”

“I get that,” Caleb said. “I thought my mother was delusional but at least she warned me first.”

“Yeah, there's nothing worse than not knowing. I was fucking terrified,” Chase admitted. “My parents had me half convinced that I actually was possessed and I probably would have hurt someone if you hadn't come along. One day I would have just snapped and started Using constantly.”

“I don’t think so,” the teen replied. He honestly couldn't picture it. Although Chase had been a mess in the beginning, he’d still obeyed his parents and Caleb couldn’t see him hurting anyone. Not on purpose anyway. “You may be a jerk sometimes but you aren’t evil.”

“Thanks, I feel so reassured,” the other warlock snorted. “Seriously, though. Enough of this feelings shit. Let's go do something fun.”

Chase dragged Caleb off, the dream world shifting around them until they were standing on the deck of an old sailing ship. The other warlock pulled him into some kind of pirate battle, Chase running around and shouting orders like he was born to this. Of course, the other teen threw himself into everything with abandon; on his bad days he was sure the world was ending and his good moods made Caleb smile helplessly. Thankfully there were more good days than bad at this point. Chase’s mood had improved along with his ability to control his powers and Caleb definitely looked forward to his dreams these days.

Maybe that's why the warlock still hadn't told anyone else about Chase. So much of his life seemed to belong to other people; he wanted to keep this one thing for himself. Chase was his friend – just his – and if he told the others then Pogue would get protective, Reid would get jealous and Tyler would probably want to know about every single conversation that they had ever had.

Besides, none of the others had mentioned anything about shared dreaming and Caleb wasn't in the mood to be the freak. He was already the odd one out amongst the Sons of Ipswich, his responsibilities as the eldest sometimes weighing on him heavily.

Case in point, this mess with Reid. But Chase was probably right. If anything could put his friend back on the straight and narrow, it would be meeting Caleb's father and the warlock would consider setting up that meeting as soon as he woke up. Until then, well, he and Chase were in search of buried treasure and Caleb would be damned before he lost another game.

Chapter Text

“Where are we going? I’ve got things to do today,” Tyler said. More like whined actually and Caleb bit back a sigh.

“I know you do but this won’t take long and it’s important,” the teen told him. He’d finally decided to take Chase’s advice about his father, mostly because he didn’t know what else to do. If this didn’t make Reid stop then the warlock was out of ideas and he might have to start researching binding spells instead.

Speaking of Reid, the other teen looked thoroughly pissed off when Caleb glanced in the rearview mirror. The warlock had used a combination of threats, cajoling, and outright bribery to get him in the car and the blond still hadn’t done it gracefully.

“Who made you the boss anyway?” Reid growled when he realized that Caleb was looking at him. “You may be the oldest but that doesn’t mean that you can tell us what to do.”

“Sure, Reid. I’m the bad guy because I don’t want to just sit back and watch while you Use yourself to death,” the older teen retorted. “But you know what? Fine. If you still want to waste your life after our visit today, then maybe I’ll just let you. You can gorge yourself on magic till you choke because I’ll have tried absolutely everything.”

“So we’re visiting someone?” Pogue asked quietly. He put a hand on Reid’s arm and thankfully the blond subsided instead of arguing. “You have been a bit mysterious.”

“Not on purpose. It’s just complicated,” Caleb sighed. “Look, just stick with me for another fifteen minutes and things will make sense, all right? I need to introduce you to someone but you probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you who right now.”

“It’s not some kind of long-lost sibling, is it? Because that would just be weird,” Tyler said, his question close enough to the truth to make Caleb twitch a bit.

But he managed to keep his voice level when he replied, “No. It isn't that. Seriously, just be patient. It’s like another mile down the road.”

Right on cue, his family’s old mansion appeared in the distance, looking just as haunted as it had a year ago. In fact, Caleb was pretty sure that he heard Tyler mutter, “So you think he’s gonna kill us? Because that house screams axe murderer.”

However, the words were quiet enough that the warlock could ignore them and his friends piled out of the car without complaining once he pulled to a stop. The building loomed above them and the Sons of Ipswich huddled close instinctively. Even Reid looked more unsettled than irritated now and Caleb took a deep breath he walked inside. The teen led his friends to the top floor, waving off his family's servant, Gorman, when the old man tried to stop him at the stairs.

“You want to know why I keep harping on you for Using, Reid?” Caleb asked as he opened the door and walked into the room. “This is why. Meet William Danvers III, my father. He turned forty just this year.”

There was a moment of absolute silence and then all the warlock’s friends started to talk at the same time, Caleb only catching a few words here and there.

“What are you-?”

“Is this-”

“-- kidding me!”

“You must be-”

“-- a sick joke, man!”

“It’s not a joke, Reid. This is what happens when you Use too much magic. The power eats your life away and turns you old before your time,” Caleb said. “This is why I worry and why my mother drinks.”

“Shit,” Pogue replied and that seemed to sum up his friends’ reactions quite succinctly. Tyler looked both curious and horrified while Reid was staring at Caleb’s father like he’d just seen a ghost. His face was pale as death and the warlock could only hope that the lesson was finally sinking in.

“Is there a cure? A way to stop this?” Tyler asked quietly. “Shouldn't there be some kind of spell?”

"You think you are the first to fear the price? The first to think of fighting?" Caleb's father suddenly cackled. The teen had thought that the old man was sleeping and he wasn't the only one to jump. “There is no running from the curse that's in our blood. You are doomed children, doomed to Use and fall just like every firstborn son before you, and trying to cast spells to stop the price will only hasten your reckoni-"

The old man broke off as he started coughing, his ravaged voice unused to speaking. He coughed and coughed until Gorman rushed into the room with a glass of water. He helped Caleb's father drink before turning to the teens.

“You need to go," the servant said with a glare. “You should know better than to come here and rile up Mr. Danvers. He is not a sideshow for your entertainment. He's a man that’s suffering. Now get out."

Caleb didn't argue. He'd made his point and his friends looked shaken enough already; he didn't need to make it worse. So the teen waved the other warlocks toward the door, waiting until they had started down the stairs before following.

However, Caleb had only taken a few steps before he paused. The warlock couldn't let his father's last words stand.

"We're not going to end up like you," he said, turning back to the old man. "I won't allow it. You were weak, but we'll be better. Wait and see."

Then the teen went to join the others. His friends greeted him with loud cries of relief and a whole slew of questions so Caleb didn't hear his father's quiet whisper as it faded down the stairs.

"I truly hope so, son."

Chapter Text

“You've been distracted lately,” Pogue asked. “Is something going on?”

“Huh? What? What are you talking about?” Caleb asked, not looking up from his phone. Chase had mentioned seeing the new Lord of the Rings movie this weekend and the warlock needed to find a local showing so that he could see it too. “I don't think I'm acting weird.”

“Except when you smile at your phone like a total idiot,” Pogue replied, grabbing said phone from Caleb’s hands. “Honestly, I swear you never have time for your real friends anymore. Do you have a secret girl?”

The other teen started scrolling through Caleb's messages while the warlock tried to retrieve his phone fruitlessly. Pogue had had a growth spurt in the last few months and Caleb couldn't overpower him anymore without resorting to magic or trickery.

“Man, I'm almost insulted. You haven't even been ignoring us for a hot chick. I could have sworn you had a girl from those stupid grins of yours.”

“I've just been busy. Will you chill?” Caleb grumbled. “I haven't been trying to ignore you so will you just give me back my phone?”

The warlock didn't think that he'd been acting different lately. Maybe he hadn't seen as much of his friends as usual over the last few weeks but that's just because his teachers seemed to think that high school meant drowning every class in homework and he'd been studying constantly. He certainly wasn't pining over anyone.

“Seriously. I want my phone.”

“Fine, fine,” Pogue said, handing it back to Caleb. “You're the one who needs to chill. In fact, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Tyler plans to join the swim team this spring – he thinks it'll help give Reid something else to focus on – and I think that you should come along. You're going to turn into some kind of stuck up shut-in at this rate.”

“You know what? Fine. Why not?” the warlock agreed a touch sarcastically. “With a pitch like that, how could I resist?”

Caleb did like swimming and he didn't want to lose his friends through inattention. As much as he still wanted to punch Reid now and then – more like often – the warlock would do a lot worse than join the swim team in order to keep the other teen more focused on living than on the magic's call. Reid had gotten a lot better after meeting Caleb's father but the other warlock still slipped up more often than he’d like.

Besides, maybe swimming would help the teen lose that last bit of baby fat. Chase seemed to have grown five inches in the last few months and Caleb couldn't deny that he was a little jealous of the other warlock now.

Puberty had made Chase hot. That was just a fact and Caleb was tempted to ask if he'd ever kissed a girl. He wanted to know what it was like, if it was really as amazing as everyone seemed to think. But they'd never talked about their crushes or their love lives. For all their in-depth conversations, some things still felt off limits. That’s why Caleb had never broached the subject of meeting in real life. The teen could probably get the money from his mother to fly out to California and he knew where Chase lived more or less, but he wasn't quite brave enough to ask.

The dreams were safe and he didn't want to change that. What if the other warlock actually hated him in person or simply shot down the idea out of hand? Caleb didn't know if he could handle that. If nothing else, things would probably get awkward when he'd still have to see Chase almost every night.

So the warlock would stick to watching the same movies and bitching about his teachers. Complaining about his mother to someone who really got it was more than good enough.

Chapter Text

“Wait, you joined the swim team, too?” Caleb asked in surprise. “When?”

“About a week ago. I missed tryouts but I guess some people transferred so they let me jump in anyway," Chase told him with a shrug. “You know I've been looking for an excuse to be out of the house more often and even my parents can't object to exercise. I didn't think you'd mind that I sort of copied you; I admit, you and your friends gave me the idea but I would've joined any team that told me yes."

“No, that's great. Sorry. I don't mind," the teen said quickly. "You just surprised me since you've never talked about doing any sports before."

In truth, the other warlock's statement had just overloaded Caleb's brain. The thought of Chase wet and mostly naked made him shift a bit uncomfortably. Sensations weren't as intense when he was dreaming but the teen's body could still make its interest known and he was having trouble stringing words together properly.

However, Chase didn't need to deal with Caleb's bullshit; it wasn't his fault that the warlock was a little bit obsessed. So he dredged a smile up from somewhere and clapped the other teen on the back.

“You’ll have to race me in a dream sometime," Caleb said. “See which of us is faster. What's your favorite stroke?"

“Honestly, I don't know. Anything but butterfly?" Chase answered with a chuckle. “I do seem to have a knack for freestyle so I'll probably stick with that if my coach lets me have a say. Might as well do something that I'm good at."

“Makes sense to me. And, hey, I'm sure that you'll do great."

Their conversation moved on after that but Caleb didn't forget what the other boy had told him. And if he went to his coach at their next practice and said that he wanted to focus more on freestyle, well it really just made sense. The warlock liked the stroke well enough and since his friends preferred backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly respectively, he might as well fill out the IM relay.

If Caleb was also thinking that he might run into Chase at a meet someday, well, no one else needed to know about that part.

Chapter Text

Tonight had been a quiet dream so far. Caleb and Chase were sitting by the lakeshore – one that the other warlock had dreamed up from a travel brochure several weeks ago – and neither teen had much to say. Indeed, Chase seemed to be in one of his more pensive moods when Caleb glanced at him earlier and though the teen would usually have tried to cheer him up, he was feeling much the same.

Caleb had his own problems at the moment and this time his issues weren’t something that he could talk to Chase about. In fact, the other warlock was the problem because Caleb was increasingly sure that he was gay or at least bisexual and far more attracted to his friend than he wanted to admit.

He blamed it all on puberty – normal teens dreamed about sex, Caleb dreamed about Chase and woke up hard anyway. Chase swimming, Chase eating, Chase laughing – it didn't seem to matter - and while the teen thought several girls at school were pretty, none of them compared. Even the other boys on Caleb’s swim team couldn't make him blush as quickly, though all that naked skin had helped convince him that he really wasn’t straight.

Still, basic attraction aside, Chase was the only person that the warlock really wanted. In fact, Caleb wanted to kiss him rather desperately but the other teen was pretty much his best friend and he wasn't willing to risk jeopardizing that.

If Chase wasn’t interested – and the warlock honestly couldn't imagine why he would be – then these dreams would get so awkward. Caleb couldn't bear the thought of seeing the other teen most evenings and knowing for sure that he would never have him. He'd rather keep the fantasy. Caleb doubted he'd be brave enough to tell Chase how he felt as long as their minds were still connected and yet the warlock hadn't really looked for a way to stop the dreams in at least a year. Because the truth was that he wanted to keep Chase however he could have him and Caleb lived in dread of the day that the other teen got sick of him.

So when Chase broke the silence with a question, “Do you ever think about the future?” the warlock thought the worst immediately. He was sure that the other boy wanted to sever their connection so that he could finally live in peace.

“What do you mean?” Caleb asked warily. “Everyone thinks about the future sometimes but nothing specific comes to mind.”

“My parents want me to go to Stanford,” Chase explained. He wrapped his arms around his knees even as Caleb tried not to make his relief too obvious. “They have my entire life planned out from now until I'm forty. My mother is convinced that I'm going to be a famous doctor with a massive house, six children, and a wife who runs our church group with an iron hand.”

“Seriously?”

“Oh yeah. She's already picked out the patron saints for half my children. It's honestly kind of creepy but I'm afraid to tell her that.”

“Would your mother really flip? I thought that your parents had calmed down. You should have told me if they were getting worse again.”

“It's not that,” Chase reassured him before Caleb could really start panicking. “Other than making me go to church and confession every weekend, they seem to have forgotten about my little stint with 'possession.' But I'm still never going to be the perfect son they want.”

“I know what you mean,” the teen replied. “My mother keeps comparing me to my dad like that's a good thing. I'm not sure what I want but the last thing I need is to waste my life like that.”

“Exactly. It's my life, isn't it? I have the right to live it how I want,” Chase said before sighing heavily. “Only I don't know what I want either. I've been saving money from my part-time job and I should have enough to leave in a few years when I finally turn eighteen. But I'd rather have a plan. Maybe I should try to find my birth father. Or his grave, at least. My mother finally told me that his name was Aaron Pope. She said he died when I was still a baby but maybe seeing where he's buried would give me some kind of closure. I wish I knew why my birth parents gave me up. Honestly, you think my dad would have left some kind of explanation; if I hadn't met you, I probably would have ended up addicted before I knew what was going on.”

“Maybe he wanted to but died before he could,” Caleb offered. “If he was anything like my father, he probably wasn't functional. But I think that's a good idea and... actually, the name Pope sounds familiar. I'll go back through my family's records and see what I can find.”

“Appreciate it, but I doubt you'll be much help,” the other boy told him. “If I'm part of some forgotten bloodline, my ancestors must have lost touch years ago.”

“You're probably right,” the warlock agreed. “But I'll feel better if I'm doing something. And it would be good to find out if you're actually part of my same Covenant. If you are, you're going to get stronger on your eighteenth birthday, that's what my mother says. I think that's why she's getting twitchier again.”

“Shit, really? That's the last thing that I want. If I slip up again, my parents probably will disown me this time or hire another twenty exorcists. Eventually they might find someone who can actually lock me down,” Chase groaned, rubbing a hand across his face and then giving Caleb a wry grin. “You know, when I asked about the future, this wasn't how the conversation was supposed to go.”

“It wasn't?”

“No. I thought you'd just tell me where you planned to go to college so I could tell you that I've been looking at universities back east. I've been thinking about becoming a lawyer and there are some great programs out your way; I thought maybe I could visit if I get the chance.”

“Really? You want to meet me?” Caleb asked in disbelief.

“Well, yeah. It's been three years and you're my best friend. Why wouldn't I want to meet you in real life?” Chase replied with a shrug. “I mean, not in Bakersfield. You'd be too hard to explain to my parents and they seem to find out everything. But somewhere else for sure. Unless you don't want to?”

He looked a little hurt by the suggestion and the warlock couldn't let him think that. Indeed, he tripped over his words in his haste to get them out. “No, no, of course I do. I want... I'd love to meet you. I just wasn't sure if you did since you've never asked.”

“Then I'm glad I finally did. I don't know when exactly but someday definitely. Maybe my team will actually make nationals when they're holding it back east,” Chase told him with a blinding grin. “Or, hell, if I turn eighteen and my parents do disown me, you can bet that I'll be on the first plane here. You'd let me crash on your couch, wouldn't you? If I really needed to?”

The other teen threw an arm around Caleb's shoulders as the warlock stammered his assent, rationality blown out the window by the warmth against his side. He couldn't think when Chase was pressed that close to him.

In fact, Caleb didn't realize that meeting the other teen was a terrible idea until he woke up again. It wasn't that he didn't want to; the teen wanted to too much. If he could barely keep from kissing Chase while they were dreaming then how was he supposed to resist temptation with a living, breathing guy in front of him? The warlock might be able to hold back for a little while, but if he saw Chase awake and dreaming then he was bound to crack eventually. Caleb needed the time apart to regain his self-control.

So he couldn't meet Chase while their minds were still connected; he just couldn't. Caleb still didn't want to lose the other teen and that meant he had to end this; the warlock had to protect their friendship any way he could.

Chapter Text

It took Caleb three months to find an answer and he never would have managed it without Chase's family name. Because the answer wasn't in the books of spells or the endless genealogies hidden in the Danvers' spell chamber; Caleb found the solution in the Book of Damnation instead.

Despite its name, this book was actually a record of Ipswich's beginnings and the creation of the laws that governed the warlocks' actions now. Because there had been five founders, but only four had believed in secrecy. The fifth had believed in power and gotten himself burned in the witch trials; he was the reason that they'd made a Covenant.

While John Putnam hadn't left any children, a local widow, one Agnes Goodie Pope, claimed that his spirit had come to her for weeks after he'd died. She said that her son was of his bloodline but she had been driven from Ipswich for adultery before the other warlocks could verify her story and none of Putnam's descendants had ever come forth to claim his place.

However, Agnes Pope must have spoken the truth because her name had been passed down through the generations to Chase's father and it was in Putnam's life that Caleb finally found a mention of his dreams. The Book of Damnation said that William Danvers I and John Putnam had been the closest of the town's founders, brothers in spirit if not blood. The warlocks had been woven together by magic, their bloodlines linked so tightly that some considered them a single soul split between two forms.

William had been devastated when John Putnam was sentenced to burn for witchcraft but trying to save him would only have brought down the Inquisition on them all. The warlock's magic might have been limitless but his body was not and the witch hunters were a force to be reckoned with back then. William would have burned himself to ash trying to protect his brothers and so he had been forced to let Putnam die for the greater good. He had severed the link between them with a ritual so that the other warlock's death would not destroy him, though his magic had been much weaker from that moment on. William had been forced to sacrifice his dearest brother to save the rest and then the remaining warlocks had created their Covenant of secrecy in the hopes that no one would ever have to pay that price again.

The connection between William and John sounded exactly like the dreams that Chase and Caleb shared – or close enough to risk it – and the ritual was written plainly on the page. The spell was simple and it should free them but Caleb didn't feel relieved by his discovery.

Instead the warlock had to run outside as his guts protested, kneeling on the grass and retching until he throat burned painfully. Everything about this ritual felt wrong. It felt abhorrent deep down in his bones and even though Caleb was set on his course, it took him another month before he finally brought it up.

“Do you ever want to stop this?” the teen asked Chase during their next dream. He tried to keep his tone neutral but he still couldn't make himself look at the other warlock; he didn't think he'd be able to say this if he did. “I was researching your bloodline and I found a ritual that could do it. Do you want to dream like normal guys again?”

“What?! Why?!” Chase exclaimed, sounding completely horrified.

“I just thought that you might want your life back after three years of this,” Caleb muttered, keeping his eyes locked on the ground. “Maybe not immediately but it's an option now.”

“Is that what you want?” the other teen asked, his face twisting when the warlock didn't answer. “That's it, isn't it? You're finally sick of me.”

“No!” Caleb protested, finally looking up. Though he almost wished he hadn't when he saw the naked pain on Chase's face. “You're my best friend. You are! But once we meet in person, we won't need to keep on dreaming anymore.”

“Right, because you've hated every minute of it,” Chase bit out. “What's the real reason?”

“I told you-”

“No, you gave me a canned bullshit answer and I want to know the truth,” the other teen retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you're done with me, just say it; you don't have to lie.”

“I'm not lying!” Caleb growled. He was starting to get frustrated; why couldn't Chase just agree already without pushing him like this. He needed him to say yes before he ran out of the willpower to see this ritual through. “I'm trying to save our friendship!”

“This is you trying to save our friendship? I'd hate to see you ruin it,” Chase snorted. “What the hell do you think is gonna happen that could be worse than this?”

“I think I'm going to fuck it up, okay?” the warlock shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. “If we meet while we're still dreaming then you're going to find out.”

“Find out what?!” the other teen yelled back. He wasn't going to let this go, Caleb could tell, and with this realization, his control finally snapped.

“You'll find out this,” he growled, taking two steps forward and pulling Chase into a kiss. Caleb had one glimpse of the other teen's shocked expression before he closed his eyes; the warlock wanted to enjoy this kiss as much as possible since it was probably the only one he'd get. Although Chase was frozen stiff against him, Caleb fully expected to get punched or shoved or yelled at pretty soon.

But then the other boy relaxed, pulling Caleb closer instead of pushing him away. Chase backed the warlock up against the wall and returned his kiss with interest, their noses bumping until they found the right angle for their heads. Even with this touch of awkwardness, Caleb was pretty sure this kiss was perfect if only because Chase was kissing him. Caleb would have assumed that he was dreaming if he'd been a normal person and that still seemed like a more likely possibility.

“You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that,” Chase murmured when he finally pulled away. “We should have started making out years ago.”

The other warlock was smiling, his anger completely forgotten, and Caleb was gratified to see that he wasn't the only person breathing hard.

“Why didn't you say anything?” he asked.

“For the same reason you didn't, I assume,” Chase told him. “You're my only real friend, Caleb. No one else knows about the magic or my parents and I didn't want to lose you. So I hope we can shelve any more talk of rituals until we're actually in the same place in real life. Or maybe even later. I like the dreams we have.”

“Of course, of course,” Caleb agreed. He probably would have promised the other warlock anything. “I just... I can't believe.... Damn, I wish you had a phone. I don't want to wake up knowing that I can't talk to you for real. How will I know this really happened if it's only in my dreams?”

“Hey, this is real. This is as real to me as anything that I do when I'm awake,” Chase replied, wrapping his arms around Caleb. "Though I get it. I wish that we could talk more often too. But my parents won't pay for a cell phone and I can't afford it, not when I'm trying to save every penny just in case. And I can't have you call the house phone; if I suddenly had a friend in New England my parents wouldn't understand. That's the same problem with using Facebook or my standard email. Especially when my parents still run random checks on me. They may not think that I'm possessed but they don't trust me worth a damn.”

“Yeah, I know,” the warlock said. “It's not your fault. And this is plenty. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking with that stupid ritual. I was just worried that you didn't feel the same.”

“Well, I do. And this is better than email or a phone call. As much as I'd like to hear your voice in person, I can't do this from California,” Chase replied before pulling the teen into another heated kiss.

Chapter Text

The dream flickered around Caleb as he ground against his boyfriend, his fingers tight on Chase's hips. But the other teen just pulled him closer, throwing back his head and moaning loudly. He rocked up into the warlock and lightning crackled outside the windows as Caleb buried his face in Chase's neck and then came with a gasp.

“Fuck,” the teen groaned, flopping over onto his side when he could think again. “Fuck, I love you.”

Caleb didn't realize what he'd said at first. The warlock had thought these words often enough that he'd honestly forgotten that he hadn't said them yet. Because his relationship with Chase had only gotten better since his confession; the teens still talked for hours, Chase was still his best friend - they just also had sex too.

Indeed, Caleb had quickly decided that kissing the other warlock was one of his favorite things. He loved touching Chase, loved stripping him out of his clothes and finding every place that made his boyfriend arch or moan. The teen wanted to know everything and if he still woke hard and aching sometimes, jerking himself off didn't seem so lonely anymore.

Honestly, loving Chase felt as natural as breathing, and it was only a matter of time before the words slipped out. Caleb was in love, he was getting laid, and he was happier than he could remember being in a long, long time; it had never occurred to him that his boyfriend might not feel the same.

At least not until Chase stiffened sharply next to him.

“You love me?” the other warlock asked. “Like, 100% in love, full romance happy ending? Spending the rest of our lives together, full stop and wedding bells?”

“Well, I mean, I guess so. We're a little a young to get married but the rest of it sounds right,” Caleb told him. He didn't understand this reaction. Chase didn't look happy or angry; he just seemed baffled by the thought of love at all.

“So you... you love me?” Chase repeated and Caleb was starting to get really worried now.

“I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it,” the warlock replied. “But I don't... you don't... you don't have to feel the same.”

“Fuck, Caleb. I don't know. You're my best friend and I care about you. But... shit... I'm just, you know that I'm fucked up,” the other teen said, his face twisting painfully. “I think I might. I think I could, maybe?”

Chase's confusion only made Caleb feel worse, a cold chill washing over his body as a horde of doubts screamed awake inside his mind. Maybe Chase had only wanted to have sex with someone easy. Or worse, much worse, maybe Chase had only kissed him back to make him happy; their few fights had been awful and Chase often said that Caleb was the only real friend he'd ever had. Maybe that friendship had been worth the cost to him.

“We don't have to do this; you do know that, right?” the warlock asked, fighting down a wave of nausea. You could fake anything in dreams if you concentrated hard enough and the thought that Chase had been forcing himself to do this was enough to make him sick. “I can't say that I don't want you, you know I do, but I'd still be your friend, no matter what. I could... I could manage if I had to...”

Caleb started to pull away, trying to put some distance between them so that Chase wouldn't feel too crowded. The last thing he wanted was to make the other teen uncomfortable. But before he could move too far, Chase grabbed his arm.

“Shit, no. Caleb, that's not what I meant,” he said. “If I love anyone, it's you. I don't doubt that. And I definitely want to sleep with you; I do. You just surprised me. I mean... I always figured you'd have some fun and then go on to better things. I never thought that you might want to stay with me. I'm not even sure what love should feel like – I know that I don't want you hurt or sad or angry, but I don't know if that's the same. I don't want you to waste your life on someone who's never sure.”

“I'm not some kind of expert, Chase. I don't think that there's an answer,” Caleb told him softly. The teen wanted to believe Chase but now that his worries had been awakened, they weren't silenced easily. “I said I loved you because I do. Because I think you're smart and gorgeous and amazing and I want us to be together. But I want you to be happy more. Please don't do something that you don't want to for my sake.”

“I'm not, I promise. And if that's love then I guess I love you too,” Chase replied. “Because your happiness... our happiness together is all I want as well. I love you, Caleb, and if you're dumb enough to love me back then I'm dumb enough to mean it, okay?”

“I guess. Just, are you sure?” the warlock asked. “I need you to be sure.”

“I am. I really am,” the other boy replied. His expression was almost wondering and Caleb couldn't keep protesting after that. So he just let Chase tug him closer and wrap him in his arms. “Seriously, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out. I love you, okay? I love you and I want this. Please believe me now.”

And Caleb did. He didn't think that Chase was lying, not on purpose anyway. But every once in a while, the warlock would look at his boyfriend and wonder how long this dream could last.

Chapter Text

“Another school year, another party,” Caleb sighed. “Remind me why I'm here again?”

“Because parties are fun, Caleb. You know, fun, that thing you never have because you're old and boring,” Reid retorted. “Seriously, you're turning seventeen, not forty. Get that stick out of your ass. The Bonfire is a hallowed Spenser Academy tradition. We can't start the school year without attending and who doesn't love music, sand, and alcohol?”

“You know that I don't drink, Reid, and I have no plans to start. One drunken Danvers is all that Ipswich needs,” the teen said a little bitterly. His mother was still a sore point but Caleb knew that Reid hadn't meant to hurt him this time and he felt bad when the blond winced visibly. So he made an effort to soften his voice and added, “Mostly I get to stand around and watch you all be idiots. Which, while sometimes entertaining, is usually more trouble than it's worth. I'd rather not have to talk Tyler down off a roof again.”

“I still think I could have jumped,” the youngest warlock grumbled. “Even without Using, it wasn't all that far.”

“You once twisted your ankle walking down the stairs, kid,” Pogue interjected. “I'm with Caleb on this one. You're much safer on the ground.”

“Okay, right. Well, even without drinking, parties have other things,” Reid continued, warming to his topic once again. “I know you like music; don't even try to tell me otherwise. And where else are we going to see so many gorgeous girls without their uniforms? Skimpily dressed gorgeous girls, I might add, any one of whom would probably love to make out with Caleb Danvers in his car.”

“Maybe. But I'd rather get to know them first. I'm not really the type for one-night-stands,” Caleb replied before adding on a whim, “And I'm kind of gay as well.”

He hadn't been planning on coming out tonight but somehow this seemed like a good moment. He was tired of keeping secrets and while he still wasn't ready to tell his friends about Chase, this was one step along that road. Besides, Reid's face was hilarious and Caleb pulled out his phone to snap a quick picture before the other teen could shut his mouth again.

“I... are you fucking with me?”

“No, actually,” Caleb shrugged. “I might be a little bi, but I think I like guys better. So gay is good enough as far as labels go.”

There was a moment of silence as his friends digested that revelation. Then Reid shook himself free of his surprise and picked right back up again.

“Well, in that case, there are hot guys at parties too,” the blond said. “And I'm sure any gay ones would be just as happy as the girls to make out with Caleb Danvers. There must be gay guys at Spenser right? And they can't all be hideous. Come on, Tyler, back me up.”

“Statistically, our school should average about thirty if you go off last year's enrollment,” the other teen obliged him with a shrug. “Maybe more if you count the ones who are just curious. And by rights, their attractiveness should fall within a bell curve. So at least ten of them should be pleasing to the eye.”

“God, you're such a dork,” Reid muttered before turning back to Caleb triumphantly. “See, there's something for everyone. You're out of excuses so just get to the damn beach already. I want to be at least slightly tipsy before this night is done.”

“Fine,” the warlock sighed. He'd still prefer to be with Chase than standing on a cold beach while his classmates drank themselves stupid but he did like music and dancing could be nice. Besides, what else could Caleb possibly say to Reid's ridiculous speech? He deserved some points for effort and adaptability.

So the teen started walking toward the beach as ordered. His didn't hurry, letting Reid and Tyler run ahead of him. Pogue stayed back to match his pace and Caleb was a little surprised. He'd been expecting the other warlock to move faster considering that his girlfriend was probably at the Bonfire already. But apparently Pogue just wanted to talk to Caleb without the other two around.

“You all right?” he asked. “Do you want me to run some interference for you? Reid means well but you know he can be an idiot. Especially when he's drunk. I'm kind of worried that he'll start shoving guys at you in hopes that you'll make out.”

It was sweet of Pogue to offer but after thinking about it for a moment, Caleb simply shrugged. “Nah, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I don't care if people know and I'm perfectly capable of saying no if I want to. You might as well have fun.”

“Good man,” Pogue told him, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “But if it gets too bad, feel free to hide by Kate. She usually doesn't drink much either and she's good at cutting dumbasses back down to size. You guys can band together and make fun of us drunken idiots.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Caleb said with a chuckle. “And hey, man. Thanks. Seriously.”

“Don't worry about it,” the other teen replied. “Family is family even if you aren't my actual brother and we gotta stick together. Mess with one Son of Ipswich and you mess with us all. Isn't that the point of our silly Covenant?”

Chapter Text

The dream was dark when Caleb opened up his eyes, dark enough that he wondered if something had gone wrong. But as his eyes adjusted, the warlock realized that this was still a dream like usual. There simply was no sun when he looked up.

The sky above him was black with clouds, the only light from random streaks of lightning, and Caleb had barely taken one step forward when it began to rain. The water came down in a torrent, soaking through the warlock's clothes in an instant and sticking to his skin. The rain was so thick that Caleb could barely see two feet in front of him and the teen knew that something must be very wrong. Because only he and Chase could shape the dreams around them and this wasn't Caleb's doing; he needed to find his boyfriend now.

“Chase!” the warlock shouted, trying to be heard above the storm. “Chase, where are you?!”

But there was no response. Just the rumble of thunder and crack of lightning high above. Wherever Chase was, he wasn't answering.

So Caleb concentrated for a moment until a large umbrella appeared within his hands. The warlock raised it over his head before drying out his clothes – he might not be able to get pneumonia in a dream but the wet was still unpleasant – and then he took a look around. The teen still couldn't see much, but he thought he recognized Chase's favorite lake through the driving rain.

Which meant that his boyfriend was probably sitting on the dock like usual - that was Caleb's hope - and he set out determinedly. He didn't walk so much as skim across the ground, a little magic boosting up his speed, and it wasn't long before his saw his goal. Well, sort of. The rain had only gotten harder but Caleb was pretty sure that the dock should be over that way and when he let himself down, there was wood beneath his feet.

“Chase?” the warlock called quietly as he walked toward the end of the dock, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the figure huddled there. It was definitely his boyfriend, though Caleb hadn't seen him like this since the beginning, all curled up and crying hard.

He reached out to touch the other teen's shoulder and as soon as he did, the torrent of rain suddenly cut off. Caleb was left standing in silence, the calm only broken by Chase’s quiet sniffling.

“Jesus, babe, what's wrong?” Caleb asked as he let his umbrella dissipate. He knelt down by Chase and the other boy all but fell into his arms, burying his head in the teen’s chest. Chase was still crying a bit, his eyes red and his nose running as he clutched the warlock tightly, fingers digging into his shoulders almost painfully.

Caleb returned the hug far more gently, muttering soothing nonsense and stroking his hands over Chase's back until his shaking finally eased. It was nearly a minute before the other teen finally answered his boyfriend's question and even then his words were too muffled by Caleb's shirt to hear.

“Sorry, love. I didn’t catch that,” the warlock said and the other teen raised his head.

“You asked me what was wrong and I said I found my father,” Chase repeated, rubbing a hand across his eyes.

“You mean his grave?”

“No. I mean my father. My mother lied to me,” the other warlock said, the dream around them shaking suddenly. “He's still alive but, he's like yours, Caleb. He's old and wretched and full of bitterness. He hates you, did you know that? He doesn't even know you and he hates you. He told me that I should take his power and destroy those Ipswich bastards, steal all your magic so that the bloodlines finally end.”

“What? Why?” Caleb asked.

“Fuck if I know. I think... I think he wanted me to be his weapon, some kind of revenge for your ancestors letting mine be cast out years ago. I think he blames you for the fact that he ruined his life Using and wanted me to feel the same,” Chase explained, his expression desolate. “You know, he was surprised that I knew about the cost of Using. I think he left me hoping that I'd grow up mean and angry just like he was, addicted to the power and willing to get more at any price. Who looks at a baby and thinks: someday you'll kill my enemies?”

The warlock had no answer but his boyfriend didn't seem to need one. Chase continued before Caleb could say anything.

“He wanted me to kill him, Caleb. He said that giving up his magic would kill him and he was prepared to die in order to take you out. And I just... I just couldn't talk to him. I told him that I didn't want his power and I ran,” the other teen said. He pressed closer to Caleb, leaning into his touch as though to ground himself against bad memories. “You know, that wasn't even the worst part.”

“What was the worst part?” Caleb asked when Chase fell silent. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer but he was pretty sure that Chase needed to say it and some morbid impulse was actually curious.

“The worst part was that I could picture it,” his boyfriend told him. “I could imagine saying yes. Not in this life, not now, but if I'd never met you... If I'd been lost and addicted and suddenly told that I was killing myself by Using, blaming you would have been easy. I would have become the weapon that my father wanted, I'm sure of it. Hell, if he'd told me that stealing your gifts would somehow save me, I would have done anything. I would have killed you all to save my skin.”

“But you didn't, Chase. You told him no.”

“That doesn't make me a good person. I just don't want to hurt you,” Chase replied. “If I had the choice between saving you or a total stranger, I'd pick you every time.”

“Well, so would I. I wouldn't let you die,” Caleb said. “That doesn't make us evil. A little selfish, maybe, but I'm pretty sure that's human nature. No one would pick a stranger over the people that they love.”

“You really think so?” Chase asked and the warlock was relieved to see the clouds above them lightening.

“Yeah, I do. You're a decent person and your father had no right to lay that shit on you. It's not your fault that you won the crappy parent lottery.”

“I really did, didn't I?” his boyfriend said with a slightly shaky giggle. “Though I think you're runner-up.”

“We're a pair, all right,” Caleb replied with a smile of his own. “Are you feeling better? Because, seriously, I don't care about the guy you might have been. He doesn't matter. The only thing I care about is who you are right now. That's the guy that I'm in love with and he's no murderer.”

“Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry for freaking out. Seeing my dad alive just threw me and then things went downhill from there,” Chase told him. “But I know that I'm not him. You might have to remind me of that a few more times – maybe daily for a while – but I think I'll be all right.”

“As often as you want, babe,” the warlock promised and he meant it. No one got to say bad things about his boyfriend, not even Chase himself.

Chapter Text

Caleb honestly hadn't been expecting to make Nationals this year. Swimming was low on his list of priorities, far beneath school, his friends, his mother, and his relationship with Chase.

The teens were still going strong, though things had changed again on Chase's eighteenth birthday. The other warlock had Ascended then, gaining the full strength of his powers, and ever since, Caleb had woken from his dreams strangely unsatisfied. He still loved and wanted Chase, that was not the problem. But there was a growing need beneath his skin that the dreams just couldn't fill. Caleb wanted to see Chase in person; he felt like he had to see him as soon as possible.

Maybe the change was because their powers were unbalanced now just like they'd been in the beginning. Or maybe the magic had just decided that they'd waited long enough.

Whatever the reason, the warlock wasn't the only one feeling out of sorts. Chase had mentioned the same problem and he seemed to have it even worse than Caleb. The other teen had started kissing him more desperately, their nights together increasingly frantic as they tried to crawl inside each other hard enough to make the feeling stick. Caleb only felt complete now when they were dreaming, when Chase was buried deep inside him or vice versa, and he often found himself drifting into fantasy these days.

The teen would zone out in class or when talking to his friends, coming back to himself a few minutes later with no recollection of what anyone had said. So it was no surprise that the swim team barely registered.

Caleb only attended every practice because his friends made sure of it. He had thought his coach was joking when he made the warlock captain and while he'd won most of his races, that was just because he was bad at half-assing anything. Plus there was something about the exercise, the focus, that helped keep his mind off Chase for at least a little while. However, those had all been local races and the teen had seriously considered skipping Nationals when his coach made the announcement. Caleb had a paper to write and two tests to study for; he didn't have time to waste on traveling. What was the point of going all the way to southern California if he wasn't going to see Chase along the way?

So the teen honestly would have bailed out if his friends hadn't banded together and convinced him not to miss it. Reid, Pogue, and Tyler were so excited that Caleb couldn't bear to disappoint them and even Chase thought that he'd regret it if he stayed.

At the moment, I'm regretting that ridiculous bus ride and five hour flight much more, the warlock grumbled, his head aching after far too many hours traveling. Ipswich seriously needed a closer airport because it shouldn't take eight hours to get from Massachusetts to Irvine, California where Nationals were being held.

By the time his team checked in, Caleb was exhausted and the teen didn't bother to explore the hotel before he crashed. At least a mix-up with their rooms had given him a single so he didn't have to listen to Pogue bitching that it was only 8:33pm.

The warlock didn't dream that night – which usually meant that he and Chase went to bed at different times - but missing his boyfriend made him even testier when he woke up again. He growled at Pogue and snapped at Tyler and his captain's speech that morning was more along the lines of, “Let's go kill these bastards,” than something inspiring.

However, Caleb managed to blow through his heats without much trouble and he was feeling a lot better by the time that he was done. The warlock hadn't watched the other heats for his races – he never liked to think too much about the competition – but he stuck around the pool to cheer on all his friends. Indeed, Caleb was just sitting down to watch Pogue run the 100-meter Butterfly when a very familiar voice whispered in his ear.

“Hey, babe. That was some impressive swimming.”

“Chase?!” the warlock exclaimed, spinning around so fast that he almost fell out of his chair.

“In the flesh,” the other teen said with a wide grin. He looked exactly like he did in the dreams except more solid somehow, more real, and Caleb had to take a second just to drink him in. That same short dark hair framing blue eyes and a wicked smile, a sliver of pale skin visible where his swimming robe wasn't closed completely. It made the warlock's fingers itch to touch but before he could reach out, his boyfriend spoke again.

“We can't talk too long since my parents are in the stands but it's good to finally meet you,” Chase told him. “You look just the same.”

“So do you. But why didn't you tell me?” Caleb asked, doing his best to keep his expression blank in case Chase's folks were watching.

“I didn't want to get your hopes up. I wasn't sure if my parents would let me go at first. And then I figured that I might as well surprise you. It is a good surprise, isn't it?”

“The best,” the warlock reassured him.

“Good. I've got to go but I'll see you in the finals and hopefully afterward.”

They shook hands to keep up the illusion of two rivals being nice and even that small touch had Caleb grinning stupidly. He could barely believe that this was happening – that Chase was here - and if they could swing it somehow, he might actually get to kiss the other teen for real.

Caleb was still smiling a minute later when Pogue finished but his friend assumed that the warlock was just proud of his showing in the heat. At least, that's what Caleb thought he said; he wasn't really listening. How could he listen to anything when Chase was standing right over there? Still, he caught enough to know that all four Sons of Ipswich had made at least one final in their respective strokes and they would also be racing the 200 and 400-meter IM Relays later on. Several hours later since this was a major swim meet and that always meant lots of waiting. You could sit around for half a day and then have two finals back-to-back.

When he looked at the board, Caleb discovered that he and Chase would be in adjacent lanes in all three of his freestyle races, meaning that the other teen had won his heats as well. Though, of course, the warlock's mind was mostly just screaming: “Chase! Chase! Chase!” rather than worrying about his strategy.

Caleb was practically vibrating with anticipation by the time his first final was announced and he honestly wasn't sure whether he'd swim better or worse with Chase right next to him. However, when Caleb settled onto the starting block and looked over to see his boyfriend's quick flash of smile, the world snapped into place. He forgot about the rest of the competition, forgot how much he wanted to lick the sweat off Chase's neck. Because the warlock knew that smile. That smile said, “I bet that you can't beat me,” and Caleb had never passed up one of his boyfriend's challenges.

So he bent his head to focus and he was off the block the instant that the starting gun went off.

Caleb took the 50 Free by two hundredths of a second while Chase took the 100 Free by only one. With each race, the warlock felt more energized. He felt stronger and faster, like he and Chase were feeding off each other somehow and by the time the announcer called the 200-meter, the entire audience had realized that there was something special here.

The stadium was so quiet that Caleb could have heard a pin drop as they climbed back onto the starting blocks again. He couldn't resist giving Chase a short salute and his boyfriend returned the move in kind before getting into position. Both teens waited patiently for the starting signal and then, with a crack the race was on. Caleb put his entire focus into every stroke and he knew that he was swimming faster than he'd ever swum before. But whenever the warlock turned his head to breathe, he could see Chase matching him.

When Caleb began his final sprint, he should have been exhausted. However, the teen simply felt exhilarated as his burst of speed was matched. Chase kept pace until that final touch and the warlock wasn't surprised to learn it was a tie. Not only a tie but one that broke a record and at this news, Caleb just threw back his head and laughed. That was the best outcome that he could have hoped for, better even than winning outright would have been.

“Christ, man, you're on fire,” Pogue congratulated the teen once he'd climbed out of the pool.

“It was almost freaky,” Reid added as Tyler clapped Caleb on the shoulder. “By the last lap, I swear you and Collins there were almost swimming perfectly in sync.”

“Maybe we were; I can't explain it,” the warlock told them truthfully. “But I'll take the tie. He earned it. That was the best race I've ever swum.”

Caleb was still buzzing as he dried off and then settled in to watch a few more races before he had to swim again. First was Chase in the 400-meter Freestyle and watching him cut through the water made the warlock grateful for the thickness of his robe. Then the teen's friends earned another handful of medals between them, ranging from bronze to Pogue's gold in the 100-meter Butterfly.

Unfortunately, Caleb didn't manage to talk to Chase again before he had to swim his relays; both boys were surrounded by congratulatory crowds of teammates and shoving his way through them would have been too obvious. But hopefully they'd manage to talk during the medal ceremonies – they'd be sharing a podium in the 200 after all – and the teen needed to focus on the current race right now; he didn't want to let the other Sons of Ipswich down.

However, even though Caleb still wasn't as tired as he should be, the first relay didn't go their way. Pogue and Reid won a decent lead but Tyler slipped on the starting block and Caleb couldn't quite manage to scrape out a bronze medal after that. But the teens redeemed themselves in the 400-meter IM Relay, their lead widening with every lap until Caleb took it home for gold.

All told, it was a damn good day for Ipswich since several of the warlock's other teammates had managed to place as well. However, now that the last race was finally over, there was exactly one thing that Caleb cared about.

Admittedly, blurting out, “I've got a single,” while he and Chase were waiting for their medals wasn't the suavest thing he could have done. But the other teen just gave him a slow-lidded smile in return.

“That's good to know. My roommate said he'd cover for me tonight so I can meet you after dinner,” Chase whispered. “Whatever time you want.”

“8pm? Room 103?” Caleb said quickly as the officials called their names and then ushered the teens onto the podium. The warlock probably should have been happy about the medals that were wrapped around his neck but what made him beam for the cameras was Chase's quick nod of agreement; that was worth far more than any victory.

Chapter Text

The rest of the evening passed by in a blur. Caleb knew that people were talking to him and he managed to nod and smile for the most part, but whenever his friends asked him a direct question, he stammered like an idiot. However, Caleb didn't care about that or the weird looks he was getting. The teen just wanted to get back to his room as fast as possible. So as soon as dinner was over, the warlock excused himself from the celebration, telling his teammates that he was just gonna crash and then heading back upstairs.

Caleb rearranged his room five times while he was waiting, his face burning as he tried to decide where to casually stick the lube. Thankfully he'd brought some – the teen hadn't planned on going three days without masturbating, not with the way their dreams had been - but he didn't want to just leave it sitting out. Although he'd slept with Chase a thousand times, tonight felt different somehow and Caleb didn't want his boyfriend to think that he was assuming anything. This was not a booty call and the warlock eventually just shoved the tube inside the nightstand drawer.

Just in time too, Caleb jumping a little when there was a soft knock on the door. The warlock pulled it open to see Chase standing in the hallway and even dressed in jeans and an old t-shirt, the other teen was the best thing he'd ever seen.

“Hey. Come in. Come in,” Caleb said, pulling Chase inside while the hallway was still clear. “How was your trip? Did you drive? Or did you fly down? How far are we from Bakersfield anyway? This state is stupid large.”

The warlock was rambling and he knew it, but he couldn't seem to stop. He was nervous now that Chase was actually standing here in person. Caleb didn't want to just jump the other teen but sleeping with his boyfriend was the only thing that he could think about.

Thankfully Chase took the decision out of Caleb's hands before he could make a total fool of himself, shoving one hand across the warlock's mouth. “I could tell you all about the trip down if you're really interested. Or we could leave the talking for later and make good use of that giant bed right there. I know how I'd rather spend my evening and I'm thinking you'll agree.”

Then Chase wrapped his other hand around Caleb's neck and kissed him hungrily. He licked his way into the warlock's mouth, tongue tracing the edge of his lips before he pulled back again.

“You taste like the pool,” the other teen said with a laugh. “Did you forget to shower?”

“Uhhh, shit,” Caleb muttered, blushing furiously. In his excitement at seeing Chase, that had completely slipped his mind.

“That's all right, the other warlock said with a grin. “I've been wanting to see you wet and naked for a while now.”

Chase stepped back and stripped his t-shirt off with one quick move. He tossed it across a chair and the sight of all that bare skin made Caleb's mouth go dry. Everything was sharper than the dreams and the warlock let his eyes wander down his boyfriend's chest, down over pale skin and dusky nipples to a decent set of abs. The other teen had a swimmer's build, toned but not too bulky, and Caleb wanted to fit his hands into the groove of those slim hips.

However, before he could, Chase turned around and started walking toward the bathroom, kicking off his jeans along the way. His boxers followed quickly and well, Caleb's thoughts went a little hazy then. He stood frozen, his eyes glued to the curve of Chase's ass until the other teen looked back.

“Well? Are you going to join me or are you just going to stand there gaping?” he asked with a smirk before disappearing through the bathroom door.

There was only one answer to that question and Caleb scrambled after Chase, shedding his own clothes as quickly as he could. He tossed his shirt and pants haphazardly over his shoulder and then stripped off his socks, hopping along on one foot and nearly falling when the second one got stuck.

His entrance to the bathroom was less graceful than he would have liked but Chase just shoved him toward the shower without commenting. It was a tight fit for both warlocks since it was a standing shower and Caleb managed to bang his elbow hard against the wall. But the pain barely registered with Chase pressed up against him, their cocks sliding together as the other teen rolled his hips.

“Jesus,” Caleb groaned when his boyfriend began to scrub him down. Sure they'd done this before but there was always a hint of surrealism to the dreams and every touch felt so much better now. So Caleb ran his hands over Chase's back, stroking every bit of skin that he could reach as the other boy pressed kisses to his neck.

I'm glad I'm all done racing, the teen thought when Chase started sucking on his skin, a hint of teeth making his cock jump.

“Come here,” Caleb groaned, hands tugging at the other warlock's shoulders until he finally glanced up. The teen pushed Chase back against the other wall of the shower and kissed him again. It was his turn to take the lead, tongue exploring the inside of his boyfriend's mouth while his fingers dug marks into his hips.

Marks that would bruise and last for days instead of disappearing as soon as they woke up. This thought sent a rush of heat flooding through his body and Caleb's ground against the other warlock with a groan. Skin to skin, slick heat and wandering hands; the teen could probably cum just from this. He wanted to lose himself in Chase's body and never come up for air. So Caleb buried his face in the other teen's neck, breathing in his scent as he rolled his hips again. Then Chase worked one hand down between then to stroke both their cocks together, the rough pressure pushing him closer to release.

Caleb could only pant his boyfriend's name, his mind going blank as the pleasure built exponentially. Then Chase twisted his wrist and a flare of power rushed across his skin. A wave of magic rippled through him, lighting him on fire limb to limb, and the warlock couldn't take it. Caleb came with a single choked off gasp and he was only vaguely aware of Chase wrapping an arm around his waist as his knees gave out. The teens slid slowly down the wall together, ending up in a wet tangle of limbs on the shower floor.

“As much as I love you, I'm kind of dying here,” Chase said about a minute later. He nudged Caleb's shoulder until he was sitting up.

“Shit, sorry. I left you hanging, didn't I?” the warlock replied, looking down and realizing that his boyfriend was still hard.

“Eh. Don't worry about it,” the other teen told him with a shrug. “I could have finished things myself but I was too busy watching you. Only now my ass is going numb so I figure we should move this to the bed while I can still stand up.”

“Sounds good to me,” Caleb agreed, sitting back on his heels so that his boyfriend could get up. He meant it, really, but when Chase climbed to his feet, his cock was right at eye level and well, the teen couldn't resist one little taste. Caleb leaned forward and licked the head of Chase's dick, his boyfriend letting out a startled curse and freezing where he stood.

So of course Caleb had to do it again. He grabbed two handfuls of his boyfriend's ass and squeezed gently before wrapping his lips around his cock. The teen tongued the slit and then slid slowly down the shaft as far as he could go. Caleb could feel Chase shaking and he just wanted to see the other warlock fall apart.

Caleb started to bob his head, letting his boyfriend's cock push a little deeper every time. His technique was rougher than in their dreams, mental practice not entirely transferring into muscle memory. He also needed to breathe, something that had never truly been the case before.

But the discomfort was outweighed by the heady taste of Chase's pleasure and the moans that tumbled from his throat helplessly. So Caleb took the other warlock as deep as he could and then hummed, Chase slapping the shower wall with a loud cry. His boyfriend's hips jerked as he came and the teen pulled back to watch, letting the shower wash him clean.

In their dreams, Caleb had swallowed but in their dreams, the stuff wasn't so damn bitter and Chase let out a low chuckle at the expression on his face.

“Serves you right for being impatient,” the other teen told him. “You're lucky we don't have to swim tomorrow or I'd accuse you of sabotage. I'm pretty sure you were trying to suck my brain out through my dick.”

“Nah, you know I love you. If you died on me, I'd be pissed,” Caleb replied as he pushed himself to his feet. “Now, come on. My bed is calling and I still plan to get your cock shoved in me sometime soon.”

“So romantic; should I swoon?” Chase retorted, his eyes darkening despite his sarcastic tone.

Caleb slid past the other warlock to step out of the shower and he had to bite back a smirk when he looked back to see his boyfriend's eyes locked firmly on his ass. He was definitely getting exactly what he wanted tonight and he threw an extra little sway into his hips just because.

Chase only blinked when Caleb threw him a towel, the other teen shaking his head like he'd been bespelled. He dried off quickly and then followed Caleb into the bedroom where he pressed himself close against the warlock's back.

“You know, if you hadn't jumped the gun, I could have fucked you now,” Chase murmured, nuzzling his boyfriend's neck. “Could have just spread you open and slipped right in like you've been begging for.”

“Maybe, but tasting you was worth it,” Caleb replied, leaning into the other warlock's touch. “And I'm sure you'll think of some way to pass the time.”

“I may have a few ideas,” his boyfriend agreed and Caleb could hear the smirk in Chase's voice. “On the bed, if you please. And I hope you brought the – thank you.”

Caleb gave the lube to Chase before shoving the blankets off his bed and lying down on his stomach. He grabbed a pillow for his head and made himself comfortable with only slightly more than the necessary wriggling.

“Just like that,” the other warlock said, placing a warm hand on Caleb's back to stop him from moving anymore. The bed dipped slightly as Chase straddled him, his knees pressing against the warlock's sides. Soft lips ghosted kisses down the teen's spine before they paused to suck another bruise into Caleb's back. Each touch made the warlock shiver, a slow burn of arousal building in his gut.

Caleb moaned when Chase reached his ass, the other teen tracing gentle fingers down his crack. He spread the warlock open with his thumbs, Caleb's entrance fluttering beneath his boyfriend's scrutiny. The teen knew what was coming but his hips still jerked when a warm tongue lapped across his hole.

Chase's fingers tightened on his hips, holding the warlock still as he explored. The other teen licked around the rim of Caleb's entrance, teasing his hole but refusing to push inside, and he moaned loudly when that wet heat slid down to his balls. Chase tugged them lightly as his thumb pressed against Chase's hole, the tip slipping into him easily.

“Please,” Caleb moaned, pushing back into the touch and he nearly sobbed when the other warlock drew away instead.

“Patience,” Chase chided gently, though he sounded as wrecked as the teen felt. “I'll take care of you.”

He spread Caleb open wider and then thrust his tongue into his hole, working his way deeper while the warlock shuddered helplessly. He was on fire, his nerves singing with pleasure as Chase drove him ever higher. The teen could feel every breath, every tiny twitch as his boyfriend licked him open thoroughly.

Long strokes shoving deep and teasing touches at the rim, Chase flattening his tongue across Caleb's entrance and then humming low down in his throat. The vibration made the warlock writhe, his fingers digging into the sheets as he rubbed his dick against the mattress frantically.

But Chase pulled his hips up off the bed so that he was only humping air, his entire body aching for relief, and Caleb actually shrieked when two slick fingers finally pushed inside of him. They felt enormous and yet were nowhere near enough to satisfy his craving, the fire in his blood only burning higher as Chase thrust in and out.

“Fuck, you're tight,” the other warlock groaned. He added another finger, his tongue lapping at the rim of Caleb's entrance where it was stretched around him now.

“You're untouched and fucking gorgeous and all mine,” Chase continued, spreading his fingers even wider. “Say you're mine. Say that no one else will ever watch you fall apart like this.”

“Yours, just yours,” Caleb moaned in answer. “Yours forever if you just fuck me, please.”

The warlock cried out when Chase ripped his fingers free, his whole body protesting the sudden emptiness. But his boyfriend only left him empty for a moment before something larger was pressing against his ass. The other teen pushed his hips forward, his cock breaching Caleb and then sliding home in one long thrust.

Something inside the warlock clicked into place as Chase bottomed out, the magic in his blood roaring in satisfaction. The air around him seemed to crackle with electricity and when Chase started thrusting, Caleb could hardly breathe for the pleasure in his veins. This was where the dreams had led them; this was exactly where they were both supposed to be.

His boyfriend's pace was brutal, on the knife's edge of too much, and all the teen could do was hold on for the ride. He braced his hands against the headboard and let Chase use him as he wanted, every thrust pushing him farther up the bed. Then the other warlock yanked Caleb onto his knees and the next stroke slammed into his prostate, sparks dancing across his vision as he screamed.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” the teen babbled, trying to spread his legs even wider. “Please, yeah, just like that. Chase, fuck!”

He didn't know what he was saying, didn't care what he was saying as long as his boyfriend kept driving into him. Chase fucked Caleb until he couldn't think, could barely breathe, his cock throbbing as the magic beat within his chest. The teen was on fire, every place that the other warlock touched him burning with desire. The power arced between them, back and forth and back and forth in a never-ending rise.

But then Chase grabbed Caleb's by the hair and kissed him. The new angle made his boyfriend's cock seem even larger, filling the last few empty spaces that still lay between them. The other warlock sucked on Caleb's tongue as his cock ground into his prostate one more time and the pleasure crested in one long scorching wave. Lightning slammed through his body, white light bursting behind the warlock's eyes as he came shouting Chase's name. He was only vaguely aware of his boyfriend coming a few seconds later, the liquid heat inside him barely distinguishable from the magic still rippling through his body in minor aftershocks.

Caleb collapsed down on the bed, every nerve buzzing underneath his skin. When Chase dropped down on top of him, the warlock didn't protest. He just let his boyfriend's warmth surround him, falling fast asleep between one breath and the next.

Chapter Text

Caleb didn't dream that night. He didn't need to when Chase was wrapped around him skin to skin and the teen woke only a few hours later when his boyfriend started pulling out of him.

“What are you doing? Stay,” Caleb murmured, grabbing at the other teen.

“Don't worry, babe. I'm not going anywhere,” Chase replied before thrusting back into the warlock. A long, slow stroke this time and Caleb let out a low groan as the other boy sank home. He could feel every inch of his boyfriend's cock sliding along his inner walls, his strokes made smooth by a slick of lube and cum. The motion didn't hurt exactly, not when Caleb was still well-stretched from earlier. But the warlock's body wasn't used to this even though he loved it and he knew he would be sore when Chase was done.

However, for now there was only the sweet burn of pleasure as his boyfriend fucked him languidly. Chase was slow and gentle, a far cry from the frantic pace they'd had before, and each roll of his hips made Caleb sigh. He let himself float on the edge of sleep as a new wave of arousal built within him, embers slowly fanned into burning flames again.

“God, you're fucking gorgeous,” Chase murmured, his breath warm against the warlock's neck. The honest wonder in his voice ignited a bloom of warmth in Caleb's chest. Because this was proof that his boyfriend truly cared about him. He hadn't been faking anything or lying about his feelings and the last of Caleb's doubts slipped away. Chase couldn't be pretending just to save their friendship, not when his hands were stroking across the teen adoringly.

So the warlock let himself relax completely into his boyfriend's arms and when warm fingers wrapped around his cock, he fell easily. Chase thrust a few more times, pulling out just as he came to paint Caleb's back with his release. The teen was dripping now, cum seeping out of his hole to dribble down his thighs.

He was probably making a mess out of the sheets and he knew it, but he was too well-fucked to care. Caleb was already dozing off again by the time Chase got up to get washrag from the bathroom. The other warlock wiped him clean, shifting him over a bit so that he wasn't in the wet spot and then laying down again. Chase pulled him close, his arms warm and comfortable, and Caleb didn't wake again until the other boy gently shook his shoulder just after 6:15.

“Caleb, wake up.”

“Don' wanna,” the teen muttered, slapping at his boyfriend's hand.

“Come on. I've got to go and I want to say goodbye.”

Chase's words snapped Caleb awake and he sat up sharply, looking over to find his boyfriend fully dressed again. “You're leaving now?”

“None of our girls made Nationals so my team is driving back this morning,” the other teen explained apologetically. “And I need to be back in my room before coach comes to wake us up. George can only cover for me for so long before someone gets suspicious and I don't want to risk it. Not with my parents here; if they find out I went AWOL then I'm fucked.

Caleb wanted to protest. The other warlock couldn't run off after a single night together, that just wasn't fair. Honestly, the teen had barely been surviving their separation before this; now that he'd seen Chase in person, he couldn't imagine how he'd manage to go back to dreams alone.

“I know; I'm sorry. I wish we had more time,” his boyfriend said, reading Caleb's thoughts right off his face.

“Can't you stay a little longer? One for the road?” the warlock asked plaintively. But even though Chase looked sorely tempted, he just shook his head.

“We can't risk it. God knows I'd love to stay and fuck for hours but this is the home stretch, babe. I'm not gonna fumble now,” Chase told him and Caleb really did understand; at least the other teen wasn't leaving easily. “Hey, it's not that bad. I decided that I'm going to find a way to transfer. I won't make it till I graduate without seeing you in person and I know that you can't leave your friends. So whatever it takes, I swear; I'll be heading east as soon as possible.”

“You'd better,” Caleb replied fiercely before pulling Chase into a kiss. “Now get out of here. You don't want to get caught.”

“Yeah, I know,” the other warlock said. He stole one more kiss before walking reluctantly toward the door. Caleb managed to smile until Chase disappeared into the hallway and then he fell back onto the bed with a sigh.

Fuck, I miss him already, Caleb thought, throwing a hand across his face. If he doesn't manage to transfer soon, I don't know what I'll do. Go crazy, probably.

The teen didn't think he'd be able to fall back asleep but he was still exhausted and before he knew it, Pogue was pounding on his door. “Caleb! Are you asleep? It's time for breakfast. Let me in!”

“I'm coming. I'm coming. Give me a second,” the warlock called back as he scrambled out of bed. A quick glance at the clock told Caleb that Pogue was right and a quick glance around the room told him not to open up that door. Chase might have left but the teen's room was a disaster and what they'd been doing was really obvious. “You go on down without me.”

“You sure?”

“Very sure. Just save me a seat.”

His friend agreed with only a little grumbling. So Caleb threw on some clean clothes, cleaning himself with a quick Use since he didn't think that he had the time to shower. Then the warlock ran downstairs and into the breakfast room where his team had gathered, sliding into the empty seat between Pogue and Reid just as their breakfast plates were served.

“Thanks for the seat.”

“No problem. But why are you so late today? You're usually Mr. Punctual and you didn't stay out late...” Pogue trailed off, staring at Caleb's neck in obvious surprise. The warlock looked down to see what had distracted the other teen and realized that he probably should have glanced in a mirror before running from his room. Because three of Chase's marks were clearly visible above the collar of his shirt and given his boyfriend's propensity for biting, there were probably more he couldn't see.

As Pogue just sat and stared, Caleb had a fleeting impulse to pass the hickeys off as bug bites. But the teen knew that probably wouldn't work even before Reid looked over and exclaimed, “Holy shit, Caleb! You got laid! I thought you were the poster boy for purity.”

The cat was definitely out of the bag at that point and the warlock's entire team turned to stare at him in shock.

“Thanks a lot, man,” Caleb groaned, putting his face into his hands. This news would be all over Spenser Academy as soon as they got back, maybe earlier considering the way that some of his teammates gossiped, and he hadn't planned on announcing his relationship to everyone right now.

“Danvers!” the shout cut through the silence and Caleb looked up to see Coach Murray staring at him sternly.

“Sorry, man,” Reid whispered and the blond did look honestly contrite. But all the warlock could think was, Ah, hell. Now he's done it.

However, even if he got kicked off the swim team, last night had been worth it so Caleb just bit the bullet and asked, “Yes, Coach?” as calmly as he could.

“Walk with me,” the man ordered, jerking his head toward the door.

“Yes, sir,” Caleb replied, trying not to wince.

'Good luck,' Pogue mouthed as the warlock climbed out of his chair. Caleb followed his coach out of the room and down the hallway. The man waved him into a small office, waiting until he'd entered before closing the room's door.

“I don't want to know the details, Danvers,” his coach said. “What you were doing last night is pretty obvious. Just tell me – it wasn't anyone from our team, was it?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. I don't need any drama in my swimming pool, not when we've finally proved our worth at Nationals,” the man told him sternly. “And a captain doesn't take advantage of his team like that. This is a swim team not your personal harem and if your love life interferes with winning, I will boot you off like that. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Glad to hear it. Do we need to have a talk about protection?”

“No, sir!” Caleb replied. He definitely didn't want to have that conversation, not with his coach, and while Chase hadn't used a condom last night, neither of them ever planned to sleep with other people so he figured they were fine.

“Well, you're going to get it anyway,” the man said. “The short version: don't stick your dick in anything unless it's wrapped up tight, got it? I don't care what the chick tells you. The last thing you need is to get some girl pregnant when you're seventeen. That's how you end up wasting your potential, giving up Olympic dreams to coach high school brats instead. Sure I love my daughter but I had my whole life planned out and trust me, moving to fucking Ipswich was not choice number one.”

“Sir?” the teen asked when his coach trailed off into silence. This conversation was making him distinctly uncomfortable and he'd really like to go. “Is that all?”

“Not quite. Make sure you wear a turtleneck around your mother until those damn marks heal. I don't need her calling me.”

“Of course, sir. Can I go now?”

“Sure, kid. Get out of here. I already went over the schedule for today but your friends can fill you in. I'm sure they're standing right outside since you lot are pretty much joined at the hip.”

Coach Murray was correct; when the warlock slipped out of the office, he found Pogue, Reid, and Tyler waiting for him in the hall.

“How'd it go?”

“Are you in trouble?”

“Nah, I just got a warning. All Coach cares about is swimming anyway.”

“Good to know,” Tyler replied. “Here, I saved you a couple rolls. They kicked our team out of breakfast so that the next one could come in.”

“Thanks, Ty,” Caleb said, taking the bread from his friend. “Coach said something about a schedule. I assume there's somewhere that we're supposed to be?”

“Don't change the subject, bro,” Reid told him with a smirk. “What the hell were you doing last night? Or rather, who were you doing? Were they hot?”

“It's a long story,” the warlock sighed. Now that he'd finally met Chase in person, he knew he needed to tell his friends about the other teen. But this was hardly the right place or time to have that conversation. “Look, I'll tell you everything later, okay? Somewhere private. I have a lot to say.”

“Yeah, sure,” Reid and the others agreed reluctantly. “Though I doubt your dick did anything that will really blow our minds.”

After that, Caleb and his friends joined their teammates at the pool to watch the women's heats. The girls made several finals but the warlock was too distracted to pay them much attention. He was busy thinking about his boyfriend and how to tell his friends about him, the twinge of pain every time he shifted making him smile goofily. Last night was a very pleasant memory and Caleb would be sorely disappointed when the bruises went away.

“All right, seriously man. What's got into you?” Pogue asked. The other teens had finally dragged him off after lunch and they clearly weren't going to wait for an explanation any more.”

“Yeah, you've been sighing like my little sister does when she gets another crush,” Reid told him. “So spill already. I really didn't think you were the type for one-night-stands.”

“It wasn't and I'm not. It's complicated,” Caleb replied. “Look, you know Chase Collins? The guy that I tied with in the 200? He's the one I slept with but I've known him for years. Since we were both thirteen.”

While his friends were still gaping from this revelation, the warlock launched into his story. He told the other teens almost everything; Chase would explain about his parents if he wanted, Caleb wasn't going there. But Caleb told his friends about the dreams, his boyfriend's bloodline, and his feelings – glossing over the massive amount of sex that they'd been having to spare the other warlocks' sensibilities.

Even so, there was a lot of shouting after Caleb finished. Not because his friends thought that he was lying. In fact, they accepted the warlock's story rather easily – considering some of the things they could do, sharing dreams with someone really wasn't all that weird.

Caleb's friends weren't even angry about Chase. They didn't know the guy. Caleb's friends were mostly just furious that he'd kept such an important thing a secret for five years.

“He's another warlock! Didn't you think that we should know?!”

“What if he'd hurt you somehow?”

“You know we don't care that he's a guy, but what the hell? You somehow too good to tell us that you have a freaking boyfriend? You could have introduced us.”

“I only met him in person yesterday,” Caleb said. “And I don't think I could have shared our dreams with you. Trust me, you probably wouldn't have wanted to see that anyway.”

“How do you know? Now whose making assumptions?”

“Wait, you would?”

“No, probably not,” Reid admitted. “But I would have liked the option, damn it. Some kind of, 'Hey guys, I'm sharing dreams with this person that I'm totally in love with. You want to say hello?'”

“If it helps, I did tell Chase all about you,” Caleb offered and the other teen did seem slightly mollified. “He's going to try to transfer to Spenser if he can and I know he'd love to meet you guys. If nothing else, he'd be happy to know some other warlocks besides me.”

“You said he was the oldest, right?” Tyler asked. “That's he's already Ascended.”

“Yeah, you should see some of the things that he can do.”

“But that means he got his powers first. Before any of us. Who told him what was happening? Are his parents still around?”

“I told him, Ty. When I caught up. Chase was adopted and he didn't have a clue.”

“Shit,” Reid muttered. “That must have sucked.”

“Well then, I guess it's good he had you,” Pogue said firmly. “And he must be a nice person if you like him that much.”

The words felt like forgiveness and Caleb breathed a sigh of relief even as Pogue reached out and smacked right him upside the head.

“Next time you're having weird dreams about someone who might be dangerous then tell us, you idiot,” his friend ordered. “And you had better introduce us to this boyfriend of yours as soon as possible. He needs to know that he's in for a world of pain if he breaks your heart.”

“I will. I promise. Thanks.”

Chapter Text

“Will you please stop bouncing?” Reid groaned from the backseat. “The damn Bonfire has barely even started and we'll be there soon.”

“Sorry,” Caleb apologized, trying to stop his leg from jiggling. But he only managed to stay still for a few seconds before he started up again. The warlock couldn't help it. Chase had promised to meet him on the beach tonight and the anticipation had him ready to jump right out of his skin.

The other teen had gotten himself transferred to Spenser Academy for his Senior year through a combination of begging, pleading, and convincing his parents that going to Harvard was the path to all their dreams. They'd even let him go alone on assurances from Coach Murray that Chase would be staying in the dorms and not getting into trouble, the man willing to promise just about anything to have the top two high school freestyle swimmers in the US on his team.

To be fair, their coach meant his promises. It was Caleb who planned to break them and the thought of having Chase close enough to touch had left him half-hard all afternoon. His boyfriend's marks had faded weeks ago but Caleb swore that he could still feel the echoes of Chase's fingers and he planned to have a completely new set before the night was through.

Caleb probably wouldn't have survived the last few weeks of summer without the other Sons of Ipswich to distract him. Because he'd been right; the dreams really weren't enough now that he'd felt Chase sinking deep inside him and the need to see his boyfriend was a physical ache within his chest.

So the teen was out of Tyler's car before the wheels stopped turning, a quick Use letting him jump lightly to the ground.

“I'll meet you there,” Caleb called to his friends over his shoulder as he ran toward the beach. When he crested the hill, the warlock could see a mob of students down below him. The Bonfire was packed tonight and Caleb hesitated; he wanted to find Chase not get lost within the crowd.

But even as this thought crossed his mind, the teen saw his boyfriend. Chase was standing in the center of the Bonfire with a couple other newbies. The girls seemed to be talking to him but Chase clearly wasn't listening as his eyes scanned through the crowd. Caleb waved an arm and his boyfriend's gaze snapped toward the motion. Their eyes met and Chase gave the teen a blinding smile that warmed him from head to toe.

Caleb dove into the crowd then, making his way toward the other warlock as fast as possible. Chase did the same and soon his boyfriend was standing right in front of him. He was real and solid and fucking gorgeous and everything that Caleb had been planning to say disappeared.

“Fuck, I've missed you,” the warlock murmured instead before taking two steps forward and pulling Chase into a kiss. Caleb slid his hands into his boyfriend's hair and tugged him closer as the other teen returned his kiss a little desperately. Chase's arms wrapped around the warlock, holding him tightly as he moaned into his mouth.

The rest of the world didn't matter; the ripples of shock spreading through the Bonfire didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Chase was here.

“Ahem!”

“Seriously, man. Try to keep it in your pants.”

“Were you gonna introduce us? Or do I need to find a hose?”

Caleb pulled away from his boyfriend reluctantly, looking back over his shoulder to see the other Sons of Ipswich standing there. In fact, most of the students on the beach had stopped dancing by this point. They were all just staring at Chase and Caleb, their expressions ranging from disgusted to shocked to “oh my God, that was hot.”

As far as most people knew, Caleb had started kissing the new transfer student for no goddamn reason but the warlock didn't care. He just grinned widely at their astonished faces, turning around and wrapping his arm around Chase's waist even as his boyfriend muttered, “There goes my first impression,” in his ear.

“Don't worry. They're just jealous,” Caleb whispered back and he was rewarded with Chase's quiet laugh.

“Good to know. But I was talking about your friends. I think they're starting to get impatient now.”

“Yeah, all right,” the warlock murmured before waving at Pogue, Reid, and Tyler. “Hey, guys. Come here. This is Chase, as promised. It's time for you to meet.”

End