Page 52 of Spoonful

Jaylin blinked at him. “Touya… your sparring partner?”

“Yep,” Hiro said. “The school he teaches at sometimes sends their instructors out to do self-defense demonstrations, and he just happened to be assigned to our event.”

“Wow,” Jaylin said. “Small world.”

“No kidding.” Hiro tugged just a little, and that was all the invitation Jaylin needed to properly slide into his lap. “I’ll tell you a secret,” he murmured into Jaylin’s ear.

Jaylin couldn’t suppress his shiver. “Yeah?”

“There’s this guy from another firm—we kind of hate each other’s guts, okay? He’s a jerk and a dirty lawyer, and loves thinking he’s better than everyone else. And he was posturing, trying to show off—I think maybe because it was obvious Touya and I knew each other—and he tried to fake Touya out with a punch.” Hiro snickered. “Touya laid him out flat on the mat for it. Cited his reflexes and turned it into part of the lesson. Kingston was so red in the face he was practically purple.”

Kingston.BrentKingston?

“That’s–” Jaylin sucked in air and tried to be normal. “That’s pretty funny.”

Hiro frowned at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Jaylin said automatically. “Just tired.”

“You hung out with Aditi and Diego, right?” Hiro rubbed Jaylin’s back. “I imagine you’re tired.”

Hiro never pushed. He didn't ask nosy questions. He offered his hand to Jaylin over and over again, and Jaylin just wanted to stop being afraid to take it.

He was getting better at it though. Taking baby steps was still moving forward.

“I-I have something I want to tell you,” he heard himself say. Pulled away from Hiro to give himself some distance while he said it. Hiro knew a little bit about… what Jaylin had done to pay for school, but he didn’t knowdetails.

Jaylin wasn’t ready to tell him details. Didn’t think he’d ever be ready to tell anyone exactly what had happened, what he’d subjected himself to, but this… this he wanted to say.

“You can tell me anything,” Hiro said, giving Jaylin his full attention.

Jaylin took a deep breath, but it didn’t help the roiling, anxious feeling that had spun out inside of him. His chest felt tight, like he wasn’t able to get enough air. He didn’t think Hiro would care—everything Hiro had ever done for him had proven that Hiro wouldn’tcare.But still, it…

“I-I don’t know for sure if you’re talking about Brent Kingston being the jerk who thinks he’s better than everyone else, but I kind of think you might be, because I know—I know what he’s like,” Jaylin babbled in a rush. “Because he, um. He’s the one who—who I…”

Hiro’s expression was one of dawning horror. Jaylin didn’t know how to feel, in the face of it.

“I’m sorry,” Jaylin whispered, curling in on himself.

“No—” Hiro burst out. He reached out a hand and then pulled it back, and Jaylin ached at the new distance. Hiro didn’t want to touch him now, Jaylin thought miserably. Of course he didn’t.

“No,” Hiro said again, much softer. “Please, no, don’t be sorry, I…”

Jaylin twisted his hands together, staring down at them.

“Brent Kingston?” Hiro asked, sounding pained. “He’s the one you were… with?”

Jaylin bit his lip, nodding.

“Sweetheart—” and the endearment was so far from what Jaylin was expecting that it had him glancing up at Hiro in shock.

Hiro looked both heartbroken and furious. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t get you away from him sooner. I’m sorry you had to deal with him formonths.Fuck, I can’t even—I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you.”

Jaylin swallowed. “It wasn’t—I mean he didn’t. He didn’t hit me or anything.”

“That’s not the assurance you think it is,” Hiro said, scowling now. “I'm sorry Touya didn't hit him harder, but it's okay because I’m going to murder him.”

Jaylin laughed weakly. “Please don’t. I wouldn’t be able to represent you in court.”

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