Aiden [Book Two]

34

Constant tapping echoed through the restaurant as three boys sat around the table, waiting for the rest of their friends.

They'd been sitting there for twenty-five minutes already, and it wasn't getting easier for the mute boy who couldn't keep his eyes away from the door.

It was the first time he and Aiden spent any significant time apart since being off school and the one shopping trip, and surprisingly, it was the older boy who found it most difficult to manage.

The redhead had started running again two weeks ago, but had only been out four times in total, for only twenty minutes at a time. He was still anxious about leaving the house alone, and wasn't fit enough anymore to go very far, so he always returned home quickly.

Nathan could deal with twenty minutes, because that was long enough to eat breakfast, or take a shower and get dressed. He could distract himself until his boyfriend returned home.

But this time, Aiden had been gone for over an hour because he wasn't by himself.

When Matt found out that his vulnerable friend was previously a runner and he wanted to start again, the idea of having a running partner elated him. The other boys weren't interested in sport as much as him, so for years, Matt had been exercising alone.

He knew how difficult it was for Aiden to do anything after the second attack, so he immediately offered to act as a buddy, and arranged to meet that morning before they all headed to the restaurant.

Nathan trusted his friend implicitly and knew he would not let any harm come to him, but still worried about the smaller boy and his intense panic attacks.

"Hey," Jago said, breaking the quiet boy from his thoughts, patting his shoulder in reassurance. "He's going to be fine with Matt. And if there's a problem, we'll go and pick him up."

Nodding, the brunette ruffled his hair, reaching for his notebook and pen.

I know. But the last time I left him alone, he nearly died.

When Nathan walked away from Aiden on that day, he almost lost the love of his life to a violent thug.

The boys all understood his concerns because they all saw the video.

They saw the hands around Aiden's neck, witnessed his horrific injuries, and would never forget the threats of sexual violence. Those memories would never leave, so nobody could be mad at Nathan for being concerned.

"Matt will call us if they need help."

Aiden had to live his life again; finding independence was important. But letting him go again was scary.

Everybody knew how fragile the tangerine boy was and how easily triggered he was by seemingly trivial things. It would take only a minor inconvenience to set him off.

Nathan sighed as he thought back to earlier that morning when he caught his boyfriend in a new situation again.

The smaller boy woke hours earlier that necessary and couldn't stop fidgeting. He didn't want to disturb the elder who mumbled in his sleep, so the younger boy got out of bed and sit at his desk, blanket around his shoulders, watching old home movies.

Films from Croydon.

Most of the videos were of Aiden and Evan throughout the years when their families visited each other on holiday, playing around, running around on the beach, or exchanging gifts. The videos were playful and showed the adoring relationship the pair shared.

When the elder finally woke, feeling the cold mattress beside him, he realised what his lover was doing, and encouraged him to come closer with the laptop, sharing the videos that he'd kept hidden.