Page 39 of We May Be Fractured

Landon’s Rules

[Now playing ? sex—EDEN]

T hat kiss with Landon replayed in Aaron’s mind all night, like a catchy song he couldn’t get out of his head.

Unlike his previous forgettable kisses, this one left him craving more.

He hadn’t thought a kiss would change much. He was still dead set on leaving once his community service was done, no intentions of coming back. Especially now that he’d secured a ticket and a job.

But the truth was that something had changed within him after that kiss.

A voice kept whispering that things were different now. But how different could they really be?

Aunt Olivia used to say the best things in life came when you least expect them. It made sense now. He hadn’t been looking for someone like Landon, but somehow, Landon had become one of the best surprises in his life.

Come morning, with a yawn, Aaron wandered into the kitchen. There was Landon, just as sleepy, fumbling with the coffee machine, pouring beans into the grinder, but as he looked up at Aaron, he spilled a few.

“Shit…” Landon muttered, quickly sweeping them up before Kat could pounce.

Awkward tension thickened the air as if their shared kiss had become an inconvenient third wheel.

“Tea?” Landon said, finally breaking the silence, reaching for some mugs.

“Actually, how about a cappuccino this time?”

“Really? Thought you weren’t a fan of coffee.”

“Well, seems there’s a lot I thought I didn’t like, but…you know.”

Landon didn’t say anything and grabbed the milk from the fridge.

As he was about to froth it, Aaron, wanting to ease the tension, stepped in to give it a try.

His first attempt was noisy and clumsy, and the steamer whistled loudly.

Landon leaned in to guide him, and their fingers brushed fleetingly, sending a shiver down Aaron’s spine.

Aaron flinched but managed to finish making the cappuccinos as well as he could.

Taking a deep breath, he faced Landon. “About yesterday…”

“What about yesterday?” Landon said, sniffing his cup.

“You kissed me.”

“Yeah, I was there. And if I remember correctly, you kissed me back.”

Aaron tried his cappuccino and winced as it burned his tongue. He tried to hide his reaction, but Landon chuckled and shook his head, enjoying another sip of his drink.

Holding Landon’s gaze, Aaron watched the steam gently curl away from those lips, a familiar pull of longing inside him. He set down his cup and closed the small gap between them.

“Can I kiss you?” he echoed Landon’s question from the night before.

Landon swirled his cup, his focus locked on Aaron. “I don’t know. Can you?” He kept his tone light but laced with an inviting challenge.

Accepting it, Aaron took the cup from Landon’s hand and placed it on the counter. He tiptoed slightly, reaching up to frame Landon’s face, his heart thumping. But just as his fingers were about to touch Landon’s cheeks, Landon caught his wrists in a gentle but firm hold.

Their eyes met, intense and searching as if Landon was asking a silent question, both a check and an invitation.

Landon inched closer, his breath ghosting over Aaron’s lips as he murmured, “Go on. You can kiss me now.”

That was all Aaron needed. He pressed his lips to Landon’s, and in an instant, they became a blend of mingled flavours—coffee and toothpaste—and panted breaths and accelerated heartbeats.

This time, their kiss was less of a mess and more intense, more urgent, as Landon’s tongue moved eagerly with Aaron’s.

As they continued, Aaron found himself backing up until he was against the kitchen island, his fingers intertwining with Landon’s on the cool countertop.

When they finally parted to catch their breath, Aaron felt as worn out and invigorated as after finishing one of his usual morning runs. A surge of dopamine flooded his system, but he was still keen to head out again, just for the thrill of it.

Landon leaned in close to Aaron’s ear and whispered, “How about we move this upstairs to my room?”

“Your room?” Aaron tried to make sense of the suggestion while Landon’s lips began a gentle exploration down his neck.

“If you’re not feeling it, it’s totally fine. We can just—”

“No, no, I’m in!” Aaron rushed out, maybe a little too enthusiastically. “I mean, yes, I’d like that.”

“All right,” Landon said softly, nipping just above Aaron’s collarbone.

He got lost in the sensation of Landon’s warm breath tickling against his skin until rapidly incoming footsteps interrupted them.

Aaron groaned, frustrated, which only made Landon smile a little as he quickly stepped back.

“Morniiiiing,” Nyle announced with a cheeky grin.

Aaron turned to the counter in a rush, grabbed his cappuccino, and took a big sip.

“So,” Nyle said, approaching with a mischievous look. “Don’t we already have enough bananas around here?”

Aaron almost spit out his coffee.

Landon, cool as ever, finished his. He casually took Aaron by the arm and led him out of the kitchen. Behind them, Nyle continued chuckling and making playful comments.

They jogged up the stairs and reached the top floor in record time. As Aaron stood in front of Landon’s door, the once intimidating Fuck Off warning on it suddenly seemed less daunting.

Landon pushed the door open, and Aaron paused at the threshold, taking in the sight—walls plastered with papers, photos, and drawings, shelves crammed with books, a desk positioned near the window with a view of the garden, and a double bed that looked inviting.

Aaron entered and slowly stepped to the centre of the room, scanning the walls.

He recognised Landon’s designs for tattoos next to snapshots of Landon with friends, including Ria, Nyle, and Fell, as well as various quotes.

One in particular grabbed his attention.

“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality” by Lewis Carroll.

But what struck Aaron even more, once he raised his head, was the starry ceiling.

“You painted this?” he asked, taking in the countless bright dots against the dark background. “It’s wicked!”

Landon hummed in agreement, coming to stand beside him.

“I always wanted to do something like this in my room,” Aaron said, still looking up. “But, you know, told you my parents were strict. They never allowed me to. I used to sneak posters up but had to rip them down before school.”

Landon’s eyes darkened as he looked at him. “I get it. Never had my own space as a kid. I was always moving.”

“Well, you’ve definitely compensated for it now. This room’s like a masterpiece. Should be on display at the Tate Modern or something.” He turned back to the ceiling. “Are the stars glow-in-the-dark?”

“I didn’t bring you up here for a room tour, you know.”

“No?”

Landon caught Aaron’s chin between his thumb and index finger, focusing his attention. He edged his face closer, letting Aaron feel his breath but stopped short of a kiss.

“If we keep this up”—Landon motioned between them—“there are some rules. Are you okay with that?”

“What sort of rules?”

Landon sighed, his hold firm. “First off, this is just for fun, a distraction. Handy since you’re staying here.”

Aaron’s heart sank at those words. He had thought their connection was something more than that.

The kiss they’d shared didn’t seem to imply a casual fling.

Yet, he masked his disappointment, understanding the difference in their emotional landscapes.

Landon was openly gay and not on the asexual spectrum like him.

It wasn’t fair to expect Landon to feel the same emotional intensity Aaron was experiencing.

“I’m not here for long, though,” Aaron managed to say, though it came out strained as he fought the lump forming in his throat.

“Exactly my point. So, shouldn’t be a problem for you, right?

” Landon waited for Aaron’s nod before carrying on.

“Rule number two. We gotta be honest with each other. If something’s not sitting right with you, I wanna know.

‘Yes’ means ‘yes’, and ‘no’ means ‘no’. Consent isn’t a one-time deal.

You good with being straight-up about that? ”

Aaron blinked. This sounded more like a caring ask than a rule. “Yeah, but that goes both ways, right? If I ever do something you’re not comfortable with—”

“That’s rule three,” Landon cut in, his finger shaking slightly under Aaron’s chin. “You can’t touch me until I give you the green light.”

Aaron hadn’t expected that, but it made him think about how he always felt jumpy when someone touched him, especially on his scars.

But with Landon, it was different; he trusted him.

The tremble in Landon’s grip and how he kept toying with his lip piercing told Aaron these rules must have their reasons.

So, instead of asking why, he simply said, “Okay.”

“Okay? You’re not going to question it?”

“I won’t,” Aaron answered. “I’m usually not great with rules, but I understand these are important to you. So, I’ll respect them. How did, um…others react to your rules?”

“I’m not sure.” Landon let go and turned towards the window. “Not many have respected the third one, to be honest.”

Aaron opened his mouth to speak several times, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Yes or no?” Landon asked, turning to face him.

“Yes,” Aaron whispered.

Landon closed the distance between them with a hungry kiss, nudging Aaron towards the edge of the bed. In a fluid motion, he removed his jumper, unveiling the tapestry of tattoos covering his torso, a blend of floral patterns, skulls, daggers, and words.

Aaron had pictured him just this way, a real piece of art.

The tattoo on Landon’s chest, drew him immediately, the only one clashing with the others, right over his heart—an ECG line interrupted by a semicolon. Its meaning piqued his curiosity, but then something else grabbed his attention—a glint of metal in Landon’s nipple.

“Did that hurt?” Aaron asked, pointing at the piercing.