Unbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 11: Small Steps in the Light

Unbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 11: Small Steps in the Light

The next few days unfolded like cautious breaths. The world outside hadn’t changed—Ethan’s father still hadn’t reached out, the rumors at school still floated like poisonous clouds—but inside Nathan’s apartment, something tender was growing.

A kind of fragile peace.

Every morning, Nathan would wake before Ethan, quietly making coffee while Ethan lay curled under the warm blankets. And every morning, Ethan would open his eyes to Nathan’s soft smile, always waiting, always steady.

Small gestures carried the weight of unspoken promises.

Nathan cooking breakfast.
Ethan folding Nathan’s laundry.
Nathan rubbing his back when anxiety crept into his chest like cold fingers.
Ethan softly kissing Nathan’s cheek when the world felt too heavy.

They were building something together—not loudly, not perfectly—but carefully, with trembling hands and open hearts.

But reality still had sharp teeth.

School had become unbearable. Ethan tried to avoid the worst of it, but some days the taunts were unavoidable.

“Faggot.”

“Stay away from me, freak.”

“You’re disgusting.”

And the worst part? The teachers turned a blind eye.

He started skipping classes more often, spending long afternoons at Nathan’s apartment instead, curled up under his hoodie, safe in the warmth of Nathan’s arms.

Nathan watched him carefully during these days, eyes full of quiet concern but never pushing. Until one evening, when the silence between them became too heavy to ignore.

“You’re not going to school tomorrow, are you?” Nathan asked softly as they sat on the couch.

Ethan bit his lip. “I don’t want to deal with them. It’s easier here.”

Nathan nodded, stroking his hand. “It is. But you deserve better than hiding, Ethan. You deserve to hold your head up.”

Ethan swallowed hard. “It’s not that easy.”

“I know,” Nathan whispered. “I know. And I won’t force you. But I also won’t let you believe that what they say about you is true. You’re not weak. You’re not wrong. You’re just… exhausted.”

Ethan let out a shaky breath. “I’m scared.”

Nathan pulled him closer. “Me too. But you have me. You always will.”

Ethan closed his eyes, resting against Nathan’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. Strong. Steady. A grounding force in the chaos.

Maybe that was enough—for now.

Later that night, they lay in bed, skin against skin, bathed in the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

Nathan traced lazy circles across Ethan’s bare back, his voice barely above a whisper. “You know, I used to dream about this.”

Ethan smiled faintly. “About what?”

“This. You. Us. Being able to fall asleep next to someone I love without hiding.”

Ethan turned his head, meeting Nathan’s gaze. “Do you think it’ll ever be… easier?”

Nathan kissed his forehead gently. “It already is. Because we’re not hiding from each other anymore. That’s where it starts.”

Ethan’s throat tightened with emotion. “I wish I’d met you sooner.”

Nathan smiled. “Me too. But maybe we found each other exactly when we were supposed to.”

Their lips met—slow and full of something deeper than desire. It was love now. Raw and powerful.

As they made love again that night, it wasn’t frantic or desperate. It was slow, intimate—a quiet affirmation that despite everything, despite the world trying to tear them apart, their hearts still belonged entirely to each other.

Afterward, wrapped together beneath the sheets, Ethan whispered into the soft darkness:

“I’m starting to believe you.”

Nathan smiled into his hair. “About what?”

“That we’re going to be okay.”

Nathan kissed him softly. “We will be, baby. We will be.”

And for the first time in weeks, Ethan finally drifted into sleep without fear curling in his stomach.

He was still scared.

But he wasn’t alone.

Not anymore.

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