To Suffer Me- Ryan x Naim (Leviticus 2026) *SPOILERS*
What if Hunter found out?
The wind was whipping around Hunter and Ryan like a tornado, swirling the bedsheets hung on the clothing lines in every direction.
"I can't believe you." Hunter says, his eyes twitching with emotions he can't express verbally.
"Why does it even matter to you?" Ryan says with a sigh. "It's not like this would ever be somethin' anyway."
"You just had to seek out fresh meat, didn't you? Someone new to defile." Hunter says with disgust.
"Don't talk 'bout him like that." Ryan says as he points his finger at Hunter.
"Does he know, 'bout us?" Hunter says with a scoff. "Oh, right, you're keepin' him in the dark too, then."
"Don't tell him." Ryan says as he shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Why shouldn't I?" He says with a sigh, his face betraying his attempt at a nonchalant demeanor.
"It'll hurt 'em" Ryan says matter-of-factly. "I don't want Naim to get hurt."
Hunter shakes his head in disbelief. "You're whipped." he says as he looks Ryan up and down. "Didn't think you were capable of that sort of thing."
The hurt bleeding into Hunter's voice is undeniable, his eyes shaking with the force of him keeping down tears.
"I am, just... not with you."
"Why." Hunter says through clenched teeth.
"Because love isn't supposed to hurt, and I didn't know that until Naim!" Ryan shouts finally. "Now go home, I don't want my parents to see you here."
Hunter stands still for a moment before turning.
"And Hunter," Ryan starts, looking at the back of Hunter's head. "Don't tell Naim, I mean it."
Church was always uncomfortable for Naim, but especially today. His mum stood in front of the church pews, telling everyone the story of how his father died. After she finished talking, everyone clapped and prayed for her bravery and sacrifice, as if she’s the only person that had to live through his death.
Naim picked at his fingers as he sat in the corner, watching everyone else converse with one another.
"Hey." Hunter said as he approached Naim.
"Hi." Naim said awkwardly, unsure of why Hunter was approaching him.
"I'm sorry, for your loss." Hunter said as he moved to sit beside him.
"Nah, it's okay, it was a long time ago." he said as he brushed it off, shaking his head.
"It's hard, to lose someone you love."
"Yeah but you don't really have a say in the matter, so why dwell on it."
"Be weary of Ryan, Naim." Hunter says under his breath as he looked at him.
"What'd you mean?" Naim asked as he tilted his head.
“I don’t want you to be just another story.” Hunter says as he looks into Naim’s eyes.
Naim feels a cold sweat on his neck. Did Hunter know about him?
“You aren’t the first, and certainly not the last.” Hunter says before getting up off the bench and walking away.
Hunter walks down the hallway of the church, headed to the instrument room before he's grabbed and pushed against the wall.
"What'd you tell him?" Ryan says through his teeth. "I saw you talking to him, what'd you say?"
"Fuck off." Hunter said as he pushed Ryan off of him. "For someone who parades themself around as fearless you sure are acting like a sissy little cunt."
“You told ‘em, didn’t you?” Ryan said with a frustrated sigh. “You’re such a dickhead.”
“Yeah, it’s one of the things we’ve got in common then.”
“Why do you insist on ruinin’ this for me?” Ryan asked as he furrowed his brows.
“Because you ruined me.” Hunter says as he looks up at Ryan. “I was normal before you made me like this, lustful, sinful.”
Ryan scoffed before walking away, knocking shoulders with Hunter on his way out of the hall.
Ryan and Naim sat in the ‘ol mill while smoking spliff.
“Why’d you want to meet here?” Ryan asked as he looked at Naim, studying his expression.
“What’d Hunter mean by what he said, ‘bout you?” Naim asked, his eyes shifting over Ryan’s face as if trying to find the answer a different way.
Naim shook his head, looking down at his fingers. “Just some shit ‘bout you, like, making me another story.” He sighed. “Other stuff like that.”
Ryan sighed deeply as he looked away for a moment. “It was just supposed to be a physical release, way to deal with the feelings we had.”
“And now that I’m here, what then?” Naim whispers.
“You make me feel things I’ve never felt before, Naim.”
Ryan scrubs his hands down his face before reaching out and taking Naim’s hand. “I hate that you doubt me.”
“I just, don’t want to be hurt if I can help it.”
“It’s me and you, promise.” Ryan says as he squeezes Naim’s hand a bit firmer.
Naim nods, leaning in for a chaste kiss.
After school Naim walks to Ryan’s house, checking his reflection in the window before walking up the driveway.
In the backyard he sees Ryan, throwing rocks at something, the wind blows and reveals Hunter, who’s throwing rocks back at him.
Naim scoots closer to the side of the house to avoid being seen, watching Hunter and Ryan have it out. Naim shifted from confused and worried to upset as he watched them get closer, chest to chest. Their lips collided in a way that Naim’s never seen before, never done before.
The hurt and anger swirled around his body as he quickly turned to go home, tears falling freely down his face while the wind dried them swiftly.
