Page 53 of We May Be Fractured

The Trial

[Now playing ? Can’t Break What’s Broken—The Hunna]

W hen Aaron woke up that morning, his heart fluttered at the sight of Landon asleep next to him—still comfortably naked, with his right cheek squished into the pillow. The duvet, a crumpled mess, barely covered them, exposing most of Landon’s skin.

Aaron followed the trail of ink across Landon’s body, pausing at words near his hip that read, This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine. He made a mental note to eventually learn the stories behind each tattoo.

Turning back to Landon’s face, Aaron smiled at the view; Landon looked so peaceful. It wasn’t often Aaron got to see beauty like this, not with all the tough stuff life had thrown at him. But right there, watching Landon sleep, one word summed it all up for Aaron: beautiful.

He shivered pleasantly at the memory of last night. It had been a big step for them. He hoped it was the start of something more.

Just then, Landon stirred, and directed a half-grumpy, half-sleepy glare at him with the one eye not buried in the pillow.

“Hey,” Aaron whispered, not wanting to break the quiet morning spell.

“Hey,” Landon grumbled back, still groggy.

“Sleep well?”

“Nah, not really. My mind was racing all night.”

“About what?” Aaron shifted to his side and inched a bit closer to Landon’s warmth.

“Just…us. We had sex.”

“I know,” Aaron said, deepening his tone to put on his best impression of Landon. “I was there.” He even added a touch of seriousness and a hint of posh accent.

Landon pinched him on the hip. “Okay, first off, I do not sound like that. And second, will you ever stop parroting? It’s not attractive.”

Aaron grinned. “But it was good, right?”

Landon paused, then nodded. “Sort of, yeah. It’s the first time I didn’t feel like throwing up halfway through, so…yeah, thanks for that.”

“Uh…you’re welcome?”

“It’s a good thing.” Landon caressed Aaron’s cheek, his knuckles brushing under his eye. “How about you?”

“It’s always good with you.”

“That’s cause your bar’s set pretty low, and you don’t have much to compare it against.”

“You know it’s not that.” Aaron placed his hand on Landon’s chest, his fingers tracing the tattoo of the ECG line with a semicolon. He’d been curious about it since the first time he’d seen it. “What’s the story behind this one?”

Landon glanced down, then up again to meet Aaron’s eyes. “It’s about my choice, to stop or go on. I chose to keep going, like a sentence that doesn’t end.”

A twist churned in Aaron’s stomach. Despite everything, Landon was still here, still pushing on. “You’re strong. That’s why I like you so much. You make me want to be better.”

Landon pulled a face. “I’m not strong. I’m still…broken.”

No, he was far from a broken thing, even if someone had clearly tried their best.

“You may be broken, but you’re still beautiful. And brave. And you’ll be brave today too. I know it.”

“That makes one of us. I’m scared as fuck. Having to stand up there, all those eyes on me, everyone knowing—”

“They’ll know that Green is a scumbag who deserves to go to prison.”

“It’s going to be hell.”

“No,” Aaron said firmly. “ We are going to give him hell. You can do this. You’re not on your own.”

Landon went silent, then placed his hand over Aaron’s, right atop the tattoo near his heart. “Aaron,” he started with some hesitation, “This…us…it might not always be like this. Last night was great, but next time, I might still push you away, or—”

“Hey,” Aaron cut in softly, easing his hand from Landon’s grasp to brush over the closely shaved hair at the back of his head.

The subtle prickliness tingled against his fingertips.

Landon leaned into the caress, almost kitten-like.

“Let’s take it step by step. We’ve got all the time we need to work through this.

Just focus on today, on what you’ve got to do. ”

Landon sighed deeply, then closed the distance between them with a tender kiss. In an instant, the world outside faded away, leaving only the intimate space they shared.

“How about breakfast?” Aaron suggested. As he attempted to swing his legs out from the tangle of sheets, Kat pounced onto the duvet to nibble at his toe. “When did she come in here?”

Landon reached out to pet her. “She’s sneaky.”

“Seems she takes after her dad ,” Aaron quipped, finally freeing himself from the bed’s grasp.

They dressed quickly and headed downstairs. In the kitchen, Nyle looked as if fresh out of a spa, with his bathrobe on and hair wrapped up in a towel. Busy chopping fruit for his yoghurt and granola, he brightened up when he spotted them.

“Morning, lovebirds ,” he greeted with a big smile. “Heard some interesting noises last night…though I must say, it was over pretty quick.”

Aaron coughed, feeling a bit hot, while Landon nonchalantly flipped Nyle off with his tattooed middle finger.

“Hey, I’m always here if you need some tips,” Nyle said, brandishing his knife with a grin. “As the resident gay guru, I’m offended you guys didn’t ask for advice. I could give you pointers on making it last longer, best positions, relaxation techniques…you name it.”

“We’ll pass, thanks,” Landon replied, heading straight for the coffee machine.

“Just offering my expertise,” Nyle called after him. “I’m all about helping the newbies to our rainbow club.”

“I’ve been part of that club since I was eight,” Landon shot back.

“Yeah, but he might not have.” Nyle nodded towards Aaron.

“I’m not gay,” Aaron stated firmly.

Nyle looked surprised for a second, then quipped, “Honey, even if you’re bi, that’s still part-time gay.”

Jean, popping in from around the corner with Luzanne, added, “I agree.”

Aaron and Landon shared a look that said they were both over this conversation as everyone gathered around the table.

Back to his fruit cutting, Nyle leaned over the counter towards Aaron. “So, how’s your fibre intake? It’s key for—”

He was cut off by the clank of the milk pitcher on the counter. Landon glared at Nyle in a way that said enough .

“Welcome home,” Nyle chuckled. “Welcome back, both of you.”

*

D uring the Tube ride on the way to court, Landon seemed lost in his bubble, headphones on, fingers often drifting to where his lip piercing used to be, or fidgeting with his suit jacket.

Getting him to swap his usual gear for a suit, lose the piercings and leave his Docs at home hadn’t been a walk in the park, but it was necessary for the court appearance.

Walking out of the station, Aaron and Landon strolled down the street together, close but not too close.

Aaron kept to himself, thinking his presence alone was what Landon needed for now.

Ria, Nyle, and Luzanne would be at the courthouse, too, but they’d agreed to meet there directly.

Landon wanted it to be just the two of them—their own little calm before the storm kicked in.

They’d almost reached the courthouse when Landon stopped suddenly in his tracks, his hand clutching at his chest, panic written all over his face. Aaron could practically feel the waves of anxiety coming off him.

“Landon, breathe,” he murmured, stepping closer but careful not to touch. He knew that even a small touch might be too much for Landon to handle right now.

“I’m trying,” Landon gasped, his fingers clumsily working at the top buttons of his shirt in a desperate bid to get more air.

“Hold on. I’ll be right back.” Aaron sprinted back the way they’d come.

He spotted a Japanese fast-food restaurant and bolted over. He scooped up a couple of wasabi sachets, not even stopping to catch his breath before racing back to Landon.

Aaron found him exactly where he’d left him, propped against the wall, his hand rubbing his chest, trying to ease his breaths.

“Close your eyes and open your mouth,” Aaron instructed with the wasabi sachets hidden in his fist. “Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“Landon…”

Reluctantly, Landon complied, and Aaron popped a bit of wasabi on his tongue.

Landon’s face scrunched up. “Should’ve known,” he muttered.

“It worked, didn’t it?”

Landon nodded, still grimacing.

“Okay, look for five things you can see.”

Landon’s eyes darted around before settling back on Aaron’s face.

“Four things you can touch.”

Landon fiddled with his tie, slid his fingers over the buttons of his jacket, then brushed his hand against the wall. For the fourth item, Aaron held out his pendant.

“You sure?” Landon asked.

“Tori would’ve liked you,” Aaron said, holding back the words because you’re my happy thought . “Now, three things you can hear.”

The everyday sounds of the city filled the air. So, Aaron was taken aback when Landon leaned in and rested his ear against Aaron’s chest.

“Two things you can smell.”

Almost doglike, Landon sniffed his way up Aaron’s shirt until the tip of his nose tickled behind Aaron’s ear. “You used my coconut shampoo.”

“Got curly hair, too, don’t I?”

“Not like mine.”

“One thing you can taste.”

Landon made a face. “Like I can taste anything after that wasabi,” he grumbled, but his breathing had evened out. He stepped back, a small smile on his lips. “Thanks for that.”

“Feeling better?”

Landon did up his shirt buttons and straightened. “Let’s do this.”

Together, they faced the courthouse building, squared their shoulders, and walked towards whatever awaited them.

*

T he courtroom felt as cramped and tense as a PE changing room before a big school match.

Aaron, wedged between Landon and Ria, found his shirt collar tightening into a noose around his neck. Behind them, Nyle and Luzanne offered silent support.

Landon fiddled with his tie, twirling the end around his fingers. Aaron had to stop himself from reaching out to hold his hand.