Zavir stumbled back as the fist collided with his face, falling backwards onto the ground as he felt thick, hot blood run from his nose. Just as he heard Landon pleading for the man to stop the man kicked Zavir in his abdomen before giving him a disgusting look, walking away. Zavir clutched his stomach in pain, coughing up more blood as his eyes screwed shut. He was convinced that this was all a dream now – he would never go out by himself, get drunk, and confront someone like that. He wasn’t sure what had gotten to him but he regretted every moment of it. The ground was hard and cold as he curled himself into the fetal position, waiting for the the man to come back and finish.
Landon let out a worried sigh as the man walked away, Landon eyeing him as he disappeared into the darkness. He rushed to the boy, sitting himself down, with his legs crossed behind the boy’s head. He carefully slid his hands under the boy’s neck, lifting his head up into Landon’s lap. He moved his hands, lightly playing with Zavir’s hair as he began to speak in a quiet voice, leaning forward so it’d be easier for the other boy to hear. “Hey, hey, it’s gonna be okay. Just try and stay awake, if you have a concussion, I don’t want you falling asleep.” He bit his lip, a wave of anxiety flooding over him as he did his best to comfort the boy in his lap.

Landon started rubbing his thumb in a small circle on Zavir’s side, turning his head and smiling at the other boy. “It’s...