Silent Worlds || BOYxBOY ✔️

Twenty Two

Warning ‼️  some smut ‼️

~

Thomas was laying on his back in the middle of Nathan's bed, staring up at the ceiling as the events of the day replayed in his mind. His heart felt heavy, the weight of everything he'd told Detective Jacobs pressing down on him. He had managed to get through the police station visit, but it had drained him. His body ached, not just from the lingering bruises but from the emotional toll of it all.

Being in a room alone with a male and female police officer who had told him to get shirtless so they could take pictures had made Thomas shake. He hated every second of it... but he knew it was necessary.

Nathan was sitting on the floor beside the bed, his back resting against it, typing something on his phone. They had returned from the police station hours ago, but the silence between them had persisted since then. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; rather, it was a space that both of them seemed to need, one that allowed them to process everything that had happened without the pressure of speaking.

Thomas sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. The police had taken his statement, photos of his bruises, and promised to follow up. But the fear still lingered. What if Mathew found out? What if this made things worse? What had Mathew done with his phone? Would he ever get it back? Had he been to his apartment to check if he was there? Was he mad?

His thoughts spiralled out of control until Nathan tapped his knee gently. He looked down to see Nathan holding up his phone.

Wanna go to the cinema to see a movie? I want popcorn!

Thomas smiled faintly at the message, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Now?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Nathan nodded quickly.

"Uh, maybe. What do you wanna watch?" he asked, even though the idea of going outside was a nightmare to him.

There's a new horror film out right now. It looks super scary. Let's go!

"I'm not really a fan of scary movies," Thomas admitted quietly.

Nathan pursed his lips and stood up, crawling onto the bed and sitting on his knees next to Thomas. The smaller boy watched him carefully. Nathan looked down at his phone as he typed and then lifted it to show Thomas.

That's fine, we can stay here and watch something on my laptop instead?

"Sure," Thomas said, smiling weakly.

Nathan nodded his head, his eyes flickering across Thomas's face to try and gauge his reaction. He reached out and gently squeezed Thomas's hand, offering silent reassurance when he realised that Thomas's was definitely trying to hide his real emotions. For a moment, Thomas just let himself feel the warmth of Nathan's presence, the steady calm that he always brought into the room.

Nathan grabbed his laptop from his bedside drawer and switched it on as he lay down next to Thomas, his back against the headboard. Thomas was still laying on his back, not really wanting to move or sit up.

The smaller brown-haired boy shifted slightly on the bed. "I never really thought I'd end up here," he admitted, breaking the silence. Nathan's eyes were glued to the laptop screen so he didn't realise Thomas was speaking, but that was fine. Thomas didn't mind. He continued to speak to the air. "Like, I never thought i'd be telling the police about what happened. Actually saying it out loud feels... feels... weird."

Nathan didn't respond, obviously.

Thomas sighed again, this time more deeply. "I thought I could handle it. I thought... I don't know. That it would stop. Or that it wasn't that bad. But... I don't know. I'm tired of being weak. I'm tired of being scared and pathetic. I just wanna be like you, Nathan. Bold. Brave. Happy."