Stars Uncrossed (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 23

Trigger warning: References to prior child grooming and sexual assault.

Luca sat in his car silently as he wiped the tears off of his face. He wasn't sure why he was crying, really. Someone who had hurt him and so many like him was dead, but somehow he still felt unsettled by it. Unsettled by the how willing he was to take a life, unsettled by how relieved he felt that the man was dead. This wasn't who Luca was, this wasn't who he wanted to be; but this is whom he had become.

He wanted to leave Montréal immediately, but Pappou was fiercely against it. He wasn't about to let his dearest grandson drive six odd hours across an international border while crying his eyes out and shaking like an autumn leaf about to fall off the tree. Instead Luca left early in the morning. His Yiayia was furious that they took him there and made him witness those things. She lost brothers in their line of work, almost losing her father, husband, sons and grandsons many a time, she wasn't going to lose her Loukaki too.

Luca got out of his car and stalked up towards the door. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently, his mind not even fully present. He wasn't sure how he made the six hour drive back to Hilldale, he had no real recollection of it. He remembered leaving before sunrise, but nothing after that. He didn't remember crossing the border, nor driving at all; yet here he was, outside Aidan's door, the only person he wanted to see in that moment.

"Baby... Hey! I didn't think you were coming back home till tonight." Aidan's face brightened visibly as he pulled Luca in for a tight hug." Hey... What's wrong?" He asked, noticing Luca sobbing into his heather grey Hilldale Football t-shirt.

"We need to talk..." Luca said softly through the sobs as Aidan nodded with a confused look on his face, gazing deep into Luca's bloodshot eyes. He led Luca into the house and straight up to his bedroom without saying a single word, though he was internally shitting himself.

"Okay... What do you want to talk about." Aidan said as calmly as he possibly could.

"Give me your phone, laptop, everything that has internet connectivity." Luca said seriously, with sniffles escaping occasionally as he watched Aidan nod, handing over his phone, laptop and iPad without even hesitating. Luca turned each item off and handed them back to Aidan as the taller boy stared at Luca with the strangest look in his eyes.

"Babe... What's going on..." Aidan said concernedly as Luca took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"I love you, Aidan." Luca said strongly as he mustered every ounce of composure he had left in his body, which wasn't much. "I want you to try not to look at me different when I tell you this."

"Did you... Cheat on me?" Aidan said softly, with a look of heartbreak in his eyes.

"No! God no! That's not it... In a way I feel like it's worse. But.. I guess you'll be the judge of that." Luca said shaking his head profusely. "Aidan. When I was sixteen I was sexually assaulted."

"Who?! I'll fucking kill him!" Aidan's blue eyes flashed with anger, making Luca groan in irritation.

"Oh my God, just. You know what. Don't speak until I tell you to." Luca huffed, tugging at his dark hair frustratedly. "Do you know who Ryder Lark is?" He asked as Aidan glanced up at him blankly. "Right. My God! You can speak now." Luca rolled his eyes.

"You mean the USA Gymnastics coach who went on the run after he molested all those..." Aidan said, glancing up to see Luca staring at him with tears pooling in his eyes. "Oh God... You weren't... Were you?" Luca just nodded as he lowered his gaze in shame.

"I... I was sixteen. Yuri called Ryder Lark to Hilldale Gymnastics because he saw potential in me." Luca started quietly as he stared down at the floor. "He thought if anyone could get me to the Olympics, it was Ryder Lark. Ryder told me he wanted to see me in the locker room to work on my form and he... he touched me and he... kind of forced himself on me." By this time Luca was fully sobbing. "I guess it was kinda my fault. I wanted to make a good impression so I was super friendly and I guess he thought I was flirting, but I didn't mean to!" Luca cried out.