The Break

Landon wasn't sure why he felt so altered that the boy had found him with Scarlett in that café, if he was honest; he didn't even know his name and, besides, the girl was practically a sister, to him. Even as he thought about that, though, a blush formed on his cheeks, and he did the best that he could to ignore the other male.

"Uh, Landon, I reckon he is talking to you," chimed in the redhead, the blonde seeing a grin on her lips.

"Oh, so that's your name," said the other male, making the blonde's cheeks heat up a little more. "I'm Noah."

Landon couldn't help the way his lips stretched out into a shy smile as his eyes shot towards the brunet's face, whom he saw grinning kindly at him. He did his best at hiding his expression, despite knowing his best friend had seen him.
Being too busy concentrating on the increasingly faster pace of his irregular heartbeat, the blonde boy failed to notice the awkward that had grown around the three, coming mostly from Noah's part.

"So... I'm taking it that you're Landon's girlfriend?"

The other male's voice startled the mentioned boy, whose eyes widened, now trailed on his best friend's face. He saw Scarlett containing her laughter as she turned to look at Noah, probably going to answer his question, but he beat her to it; he was too nervous, for a reason unbeknownst to him, to control his words.

"No! I mean, I love her, but she's my sister-in-law! Well, not officially, yet, but the wedding is in two months..." Landon said, his voice coming out urgent, at first, but then losing its speed as he realised just how unnecessary that was. "She's my best friend," mumbled the blonde as he ducked his head, attempting to hide his blush.

When he heard a low chuckle, he looked up through his bleached bangs at his best friend, just in time to watch her as she started laughing loudly. It should have embarrassed him further on, but he knew that she was genuinely amused, which didn't happen often, so he endured it; that's what best friends do.
"Would you mind if Vic and I sat with you?," asked the dark-haired male, directly to Landon, while the girl attempted to control her laughter under the blonde's soft stare.
Having been too urgent to hide his face from the other male, when he first got in, the coffee shop worker had missed the little girl's entrance, and he wondered for a second where she could be. He let his intensely green eyes slowly move to the other boy's face as a smile that was barely there crossed his pink lips as he thought about the small girl.

"It's fine, for me," replied Landon, his voice gentle as a light blush covered his cheeks; he was well aware that Scarlett was looking at him with a knowing smirk on her lips. "Where is she?" He questioned, ignoring his best friend's now confused glance.

Before he could get a reply from the boy who had sat right beside him - maybe a tad bit too close, he thought -, Landon saw a bubbly small girl run in their direction, and his previously shy smile morphed into a genuine amused grin, as he watched her basically jump on Noah's lap.

"I knew you'd look prettier if you smiled!," were the girl's first words as she looked at the green-eyed boy, who chuckled slightly.

"I don't look as pretty as you, princess," replied Landon, tapping the girl's nose softly as he interacted with her, not caring that he was being observed.

"Daddy doesn't think so!" Vic was quick to reply, which made the blonde boy blush, his eyes flickering to a chuckling Noah before he looked at the table. "Isn't it right, daddy?"

For a second, Landon let his eyes glance at the other male, who seemed to be rolling his eyes at his daughter, amusedly. For some reason, he wanted to know what Noah's answer would be; his heart was beating quicker for it.

"You're making Landon uncomfortable, Vic," scolded the male, making the blonde's heart drop to his stomach; he looked out the window at that, so that the sudden disappointment on his face couldn't be seen. "But yes, it's true; you two are the prettiest people I've ever seen."

Landon couldn't recognise or control the emotion that ran through his body, in that moment; it was something completely new, burning through his veins like a beautiful fire, consuming him, lighting him into life. He could feel his hurt rush as his breath became slightly erratic; this thing, whatever it was, was very powerful on Landon's scrawny body, catching him off guard as it rapidly spread through his entire being, leaving in its trail a permanent fuzzy feeling that the boy could not really comprehend.

Out of habit, as he always did this when faced with something new, he shot a panicked look at his best friend, who had now engulfed in small conversation with the match that had ignited Landon's confusing fire, although her eyes were on the increasingly more bewildered boy. She spoke no word to him as she saw him start to freak out, but she didn't to, as her eyes said everything he needed to know; calm down, you're alright.

As he heard the girl's voice perfectly in his head, from the many times she had to use those words with him before, the blonde was finally able to relax, letting his thoughts drift onto a different matter, which was still related to his sudden emotion, however.
He knew now that he could not, in any case, let it be known; in fact, he shouldn't even feel it, but he was yet to learn how to tame such a strong feeling. For one, he didn't know if Noah was interested in him in such a way, as he could be just a hopeless flirt; then, he knew that Vic wouldn't have appeared out of thin air. This thought seemed tn awake his most irrational side, as he wondered.

"Vic, where's your mum?"

Landon hadn't meant to ask that out loud, if he was honest; he was horrified that he had let it slip, even. He had interrupted Noah and Scarlett's conversation, and now both of them looked at him in surprise, although something more shone in the male's eyes. The blonde was ready to take his question back, but, before he could, the small girl got his attention as she held onto his arm, smiling gently.

"She's with the angels, now," said Vic, and Landon's breath got caught up in his throat; he was a twat. "But daddy told me not to be sad about it, because she's looking over me, and she's happy, now."

The blonde wanted to cry, then and there. The smile on the child's face was so genuine, as if nothing had changed; as if her mother was still with her, reading her bedtime stories and taking her to play on the park. On the other hand, though, he could now understand the main emotion on Noah's eyes, and it physically hurt him to look; it was such a deep, heartbreaking sadness that it made Landon want to hold him and never let him go - take it all away with a kiss.

"I'm sure my mum and dad are making her company," commented Scarlett, and, although the coffee shop worker knew she only intended to soothe both Noah and Vic, it made him feel even more miserable about his question; he could hear in her slightly strained voice that she wanted to cry.

Vic seemed to understand that too, her childish innocence and compassion shinning, as she was quick to move to the older girl's side, hugging her in an awkward angle.

"Don't be sad, they wouldn't like that," she voiced, tenderly, as Landon's best friend hugged her back, a single tear running down her cheek.

This was the last that the blonde could handle, and so, even though he had to awkwardly move through Noah's lap to do it, he left the other three, a soft apology falling through his lips as he quickly walked away, unable to contain the tears that cascaded down his face.

He was fast to leave the small café they were in, his feet carrying him to a nearby alley that he knew to be abandoned, at that time of the day; it was too dirty, even for those who were homeless.
Thinking about the persons who had to live through every day without a stable place to call their home only contributed to Landon's sadness and anger towards himself; there he was, pathetically crying when he had a perfect life, while so many led a miserable life, and never once shed a tear. The frustration upset the boy even more, and instantly a sob wreck through his chest; in that moment, he felt as if he belonged in that rotten alley - he was only worth of degrading things, for being so stupid.

Having slid painfully to sit on the disgusting asphalt underneath him, he could not see who was approaching, since his view was blocked by a big dumpster. When he heard the steps, he did not move, as expected; he wasn't even scared. It's not that the boy was fearless and brave - far from it, actually -, but he expected his best friend to follow him; she always would, no matter what he did. And even if it was a burglar with the most twisted intentions, he knew he wouldn't even fight back; he didn't have the strength or the will to.

He was surprised when two strong arms were wrapped around is torso from behind, as he had trashed around until he was facing the wall closest to him, because that was most certainly not Scarlett; her arms weren't as strong.

"It's alright, Landon," came Noah's gentle voice, as he rocked their bodies back and forth in the best way he could; another sob ran past the blonde boy's lips, which received a kiss on the top of his head, in response, along with more soothing words. "You're alright, love. Shh..."

Landon ignored the petname that Noah had called him, sniffing along with his constant tears as he turned around in the other male's arms, his eyes wide and apologetic as he stared up at his face, grabbing a fistful of his black v-neck.

"I-I'm s-so sor-ry, No-oah," said the coffee shop worker, his voice weak and trembling as he stuttered due to his erratic breathing pattern. "If th-there's s-someth-thing I c-can do t-to fix it-t, tell m-me," he continued, his eyes - shinning like grass after a downpoor - gazing into Noah's, pleading and truthful. "I w-will do anyth-thing."

"Then stop crying, please," said the other male, but not in annoyed manner; it sounded more like a beg, in fact, as he leant his forehead on Landon's, staring right back at him. "You did nothing wrong, okay? Vic and I are alright," explained Noah, as one of his hands came up to the other boy's face, cleaning his tears.
The blonde stared at him baffled, his mouth slightly agape; they were alright? How could they, when he had brought up such a painful memory? How could they be fine, with what he did?

"But--"

"Don't say anything, love," interrupted the dark-haired male, calm and collected as he offered Landon a short, but tender, smile. "It's been three years, we both have moved on," he commented, before surprising the green-eyed boy by kissing him.

It hadn't been long or deep, nor did it start an insane explosion on the boy's stomach, but it had happened; a short-lived peck on his lips that caught him off guard and made him stop thinking about his mistake.

All too soon, Landon felt Noah's arms disappear from around him and, still surprised at what had just taken place, stood on the ground, watching him get up.

"Let's go back," said the standing male, reaching out a hand, that the confused boy held onto when he got up; when he was on his feet, he tried to let go, but the dark-haired male didn't allow him to, walking back to the café with their hands connected, instead. "Comforting you left me really hungry; I could just eat you!"