Two Broken Souls // Adam + Lawrence Fiction // Saw

VI - Part 1

Lawrence watched as the streets passed by and every so often, Adam's hand would gently grip his knee, offering Larry a small smile. Reassurance.

The officers spoke of nothing in particular, probably trying to keep them entertained or somewhat occupied from what just went on around them.

The car became warm as the midnoon sun soon turned dark and their breathes slowly fogged up the windows. Adam grew whiny, leaning into Larry as his cold fingers wrapped under Lawrence's arm.

They pulled up to a large house in the middle of...nowhere. Trees surrounded the place. Thick blackened tree trunks blocked any sky they could see and a single streetlamp offered some sort of dim light. Everything was still. Silent. Not even the creaking of grasshoppers or scuttling of beetles in the grass.

The roads were only a dirt track, they discovered, as they stepped out the car. Adam stayed as close as possible to Lawrence, "to stay warm" he tried to convince him.

Agent Perez stood shivering as she tried to wriggle the key into the keyhole, opening to reveal a wood interior with scarce furniture.

Grateful for the ramp, Lawrence entered the house with Adam close on his tail.

"Home, sweet home," Adam huffed, immediately stalking around the cabin, opening cupboards and every possible door he could see.
"At least its not my shithole apartment," he said, returning to the group still stood by the door.

After listing the rules to Adam (no smoking, no fires and no fireworks) the officers left only to go and sit in their car and watch the cabin in silence.

Lawrence and Adam stood awkwardly by the door.
Adam shuffled on his feet, "I'm going to take a shower," he said at last, almost running towards bathroom door. Larry didn't have much time to reply before the boy had already shut himself away. He was able to look at the cabin better now: a single red couch which had been worn with age, along with an armchair beside a fireplace which obviously hadn't been used in a long while. Curtains had been drawn, shutting out the forest beyond yet green leaves of an overgrown plant, that sat on the windowsill, could still be seen. Brown rugs with patterns of purple and red littered the floor and a lot of half burned candles were spread across almost every surface. The kitchen morphed onto the living room, creating an open space. Straight ahead was a bathroom and to the side was presumably a bedroom. A single bedroom. With presumably one bed.

Lawrence was interupted from his thoughts by a loud crash and a yell of distress echoed from the bathroom. He stood up quickly, grabbing his cane (gratefully left by Perez) and rushed to the bathroom, swinging open the door.

Adam sat in the middle of the tiled floor, t-shirt half off stuck over his head. The shower head hung over the side of the bath, spraying water over the floor. Lawrence turned off the shower before kneeling in front of the panting boy whose shoulders were shaking enough to assume he was crying.

"Adam, it's okay," Larry gently took the shirt off over his head to reveal Adam with red rimmed eyes and tears on his cheeks. Larry's heart wrenched and his stomach flipped, the boy in distress bringing him physical pain.

"I can't get my stupid fucking shirt off..." he sniffled, refusing to look Larry in the face. He didn't need to say his shoulder was in agony for Lawrence to know and to gently ease his shirt off his shoulder and help him get his arm out. He threw the shirt on the floor, watching the white material get darker in colour as it absorbed the water from the floor.

Lawrence embraced him, holding Adam's shaking body against his chest. Adam reluctantly bought his arms up to embrace Lawrence, leaning his head against his chest- right above his heart. Lawrence held him until his sobs turnt into normal breaths yet Adam was in no rush to let go as he gripped Lawrence's t-shirt.

"Would you like some help?" Larry asked, tracing patterns on Adam's bare back.

Adam seemed lean into Larry more, sighing through his nose, "yes but not yet. I just want to..."

"Stay like this?" Larry finished, smiling as he rested his head against Adam's hair. It was strange how they connected, considering their situation. Adam felt so safe with Lawrence, after being so alone, watching others fall in love behind the lense of his camera, he never imagined it would be like this. So easy and how right it felt for his feelings to grow towards him. However he couldn't help but feel scared. Lawrence surely couldn't ever feel the same way, he has a family after all. With a wife. And Adam was completely different, living a completely different life: cheap apartment that he couldn't even afford, not even a proper education, limited family, no friends who deserved the title and selfish. Unbelieveably selfish, when Larry devoted his lifes work to helping others.

It was the thoughts that made him question his worth. He was isolated, that's the only reason he craves the company of Lawrence.

He pulled away from Larry.

Larry looked at him with such longing, almost pity. Adam sniffled, smiling weakly before standing up, slightly wobbling on his feet.
"Are you okay?" Larry whispered, the space still feeling intimate.

Adam nodded, "I think so. Are you still okay to he-"

"Help you? Of course." Lawrence stood up quickly, with way too much enthusiasm. He seemed to be happy or joyful about everything.

Adam smiled.