“Oh, for fuck's sake, quit being pussies." Montana leaned against the doorframe, Coke in hand."You hit me. I left. Billy got shot. You have this weird...brain thing." Those dark eyes met Jack's. "I don't know what's wrong with you, except that you got that ADD thing, and hey, that's not criminal. You are Billy's friends. I'm Billy's, period. I'm not leaving. You're not leaving. You hit me again, and I'll hit you back. Hard. Now, can we all stop being weird-assed people and eat some fucking potato chips from a bag?”

“Okay, back to business." Billy grins, leaning back against the cushions. "Give me two more characteristics of living things. I'll give you a hint: you left out the most fun one."Fun one? Im picturing the textbook, responsiveness, growth, complex organizations, metabolism, responsiveness... Oh!I hit Billy. "You are such a perv!""Who me? What are you talking about?""The most fun one? Reproduction?""Hey, even microorganisms gotta have fun, right?”

“Get the fuck out of my face, Jim." He pushed Rock backwards, fury filling him. "Don't you dare lecture me, you sorry son of a bitch! I have lived out here in this goddamned place without decent iced tea for years. Lived where I couldn't fucking touch you when I wanted to, where I can't even pretend to be your fuckbuddy, much less your lover. Then I'm out with fucking girls so that I could do the one thing I've never once done with you and MARINES jump me because I'm queer!”

“You want it, boy?" He pulled his prick out of his jeans."God, yes. That's why I'm here." "Good." He left his jeans open, left his prick hard and pushing out. "Come on. Shower.""Turn around." He wanted to see it. Griff went a deep red, but the man turned to show the weird, stylized whip branded into one ass cheek. Groaning, Brian reached out and touched it, traced it with his fingers. He'd done that. He'd marked his boy. "You still clean?" Brian kept rubbing his prick back and forth across Griff's hole. "I am. I couldn't... I couldn't get it up with anyone else.""Good." He grabbed the shampoo and poured it over his fingers. "Was not. You fucked me up""We fucked each other up." He was not in this alone. He couldn't wait to be inside Griff again. His wild, desperate baby boy. His fingers traced the brand on Griff's ass. His. All fucking his. Marked permanently. And Griff had let him do it. The man knew it was true.”

“Virginia," Billy said urgently. "Don't do this.""Shut up,Billy.""Think of the people in San Francisco.""I don't know any of the people in San Francisco," Virginia answered, then paused. "Well,actually I do,and I don't like them. But I do like you,Billy, and I'm not going to allow you to end up as lunch for some raggedy lion-monster-thingy.""A sphinx," Machiavelli corrected her. He was standing at the bars again. "Mistress Dare," the Italian said carefully. "I absolutely applaud you for what you want to do for your friend. But I urge you to think of the bigger picture.”

“John,be reasonable," Virginia said. "I've known Billy a very long time, and we have had some great adventures together. He's as close as I have to a friend.When he dies, which he will,sooner or later,because he can be so stupid," she added, glaring at the American immortal, "it should be with a degree of dignity,rather than being fed to this...this thing.""Thanks," Billy wheezed."You're welcome.And you owe me.""I'll remember."Virginia turned back to Dee. "I'll make a deal.""For what?" he demanded."For Billy's life," she said evenly."Do you forget who you're dealing with?" Dee snarled."Do you?" she asked softly.”

“Rig looked over at Dick for a long minute and then shook his head and sighed, pushing the cake away. "I can't do this. Dick was right. I'm tearing us all apart and I hoped that... I wanted you two to be happy enough together that I wouldn't. All I could think in that ambulance was that I was losing you and it happened anyway. I'm sorry.""No!" Dick shook his head and took Rigger's hand. "You only lose us if you keep pushing us away."Rock didn't know what to say, he just knew he was more scared now than he had been when Julie had first called that night so many months ago now. He took Rigger's other hand and squeezed. "I'm a stubborn son of a bitch, Rig. I'm not going anywhere.""I don't know if I can stay, Blue." Grey eyes landed on him, filled with tears. "I'm lost and can't seem to figure my way home." Rig's hand was trembling, holding him tight.Rock thought it probably would have hurt less if Rigger had picked up the knife and stabbed him with it.He slid from his chair and pulled Rig's so he could kneel between his lover's legs. His hands found their way into Rigger's shorn hair. "I will do anything, Rabbit. Anything. But I can't let you go. P-please don't ask me to let you go." His voice broke and he laid his head down against Rigger's belly, arms wrapping around the too-thin waist.”