Chapter Text
Leo would be a liar if he said he wasn’t somewhat interested in the new guy. I mean could you blame him? The guy looked like he stepped off the runway to be here and not even the dark circles under his eyes could hide how handsome he was. Plus, he had impeccable manners and was respectful to the teachers, which only made Leo roll his eyes. Like, seriously? What a fucking kiss ass. Looking at him, Leo couldn’t find any glaring faults but he must have one if he was here. Everyone at the Wilderness School was sent there for a reason.
Leo was there for running away six times and honestly could you blame him? It was hard having to be moved around so much and it wasn’t like most of the people he stayed with actually cared about him. Most just wanted a nice little check and a quiet, obedient and grateful child that Leo was absolutely not. He didn’t mind the other foster kids, most of them were younger than him and looked up to him since he tended to be the oldest in the room. They reminded him of his cousins, with their wide eyes and need for attention. The thought tended to hurt more times than others. He liked being a source of comfort for them and well, it’s not like he expected to be adopted at fifteen anymore but it did suck seeing those hopeful faces start to realize they could end up like him. Unwanted and most likely aging out of the system. So, Leo ran. He ran and ran and no matter how many times they dragged him back, he wouldn’t stay put. Why should he? No one actually cared.
Apparently, the sixth time was one time too many and he had been shipped off to the stupid Wilderness School. Where kids are the animals. Huh, that was actually pretty good. He mentally patted his back, he would definitely have to use that sometime.
So, now here he was bored and curious about the new guy he was forced to bunk with.
They were currently in their room as Leo had been chosen to share his space despite his protests. He thought they would have realized after moving the other two guys in the span of two months that Leo was a terrible roommate but whatever. He was sitting on his bed with a book in his hand pretending to read and stealing glances at the new kid who was currently hunched over his desk. Leo tried not to stare too much but must have failed as the guy looked up and glared at him. Leo raised an eyebrow and the guy bared his teeth like some wolf.
Intrigued, Leo tossed his book to the side.
“What’s your name, new kid?”
The guy narrows his eyes, “They introduced us when I first got here.”
“Yea, I wasn’t paying attention, didn’t really care.” He shrugs, “Now, I’m curious.”
The guy glared, hand tightening around the pencil he was holding. He looked like he wanted to smack Leo upside the head. It made Leo want to laugh. He wasn’t afraid of getting hit.
“Fuck off, I don’t have time for your shit.”
“Oh, I see,” Leo drawls, “you’re only nice to adults huh? Being a kiss ass isn’t going to help you here. None of us are all that pleasant to be around.”
Leo catches the slight flinch that comment produces and grins.
“Can you shut the fuck up? You’re pissing me off.”
“I’ll be nice and quiet if you just tell me your name.”
The guy’s eye twitches.
"It's-"
Fuck, his ears are ringing. Leo feels like he's underwater.
"Sorry, could you repeat that?"
“It’s Jason.” He says gritting his teeth.
“Jason what?”
Deep breath.
“Jason-”
There’s the ringing again. He’s gonna have to play it off.
Leo snorts, “That’s a stupid name.”
Yup, nailed it.
Leo knows he’s probably pushing it but he can’t help it. There was a reason he had a room to himself. It was only after the teachers had broken up his fourth fight that they realized he was better off alone. He tended to pick fights even if he knew he couldn’t win and, well, it was fun.
Jason jumps up from the desk and turns murderously towards him. He crackles with energy, eyes angry and intense. Leo can’t help the shiver that runs down his spine as he’s pinned down by that stare. Jason has him pulled up by his shirt before he can react.
“Do you ever know when to shut the fuck up?”
Leo should stay quiet but he loves playing with fire, “No, it makes for interesting reactions like yours.”
Jason, once again, bares his teeth and Leo is entranced by what looks like a canine tooth. He glances back up at Jason.
“You’re not what I expected. You seemed so perfect at first but you’ve gotta be some type of fucked up to be here. Makes me wonder what you did.”
“That’s none of your fucking business,” He hissed.
“It’s everyone’s business now that you’re here.” Leo can’t help but grin, “Don’t worry, you get used to it.”
Jason glares at him but Leo can only feel a slight thrill at being stared down. He’s itching to throw a punch but holds back. He’s more than positive there’ll be other chances for that.
“You piss me off.”
“You’ll get used to that too.”
Jason shoves him away and goes back to his desk. Without glancing back, he gathers his things and walks out of the room. Leo feels slightly disappointed as he watches him walk away.
————————————————
The following week or so is mostly calm as Jason seems to avoid Leo. How he manages to do that when they share a room and have most classes together is a wonder to him but Jason manages and Leo barely sees him. It doesn’t do much to quench the curiosity Leo is bursting at the seams with to know literally anything about Jason.
Does he like the guy? No, he’s an asshole.
But, he’s always liked knowing the people he’s forced to be around with and it made it easier to know if he should be the one avoiding Jason instead of the other way around. As much as Leo loves to pick a fight, he also likes to know when he needs to run. He’s practically an expert at it.
It’s not until a few days later that they interact again. It shouldn’t be a surprise that it went as well as the first time.
He had just gotten back from his assigned therapy session and had felt too raw to go into the common area where he would be around other people. The people here weren’t exactly the nicest and they didn’t like Leo. He didn’t doubt they would jump at the chance to poke at any of his weaknesses or insecurities. Misery loves company and all of that.
Most of the time he made jokes during his sessions but today had left him reflecting more than usual and it made him uncomfortable.
“Do you think people like you?”
Leo knew they didn’t.
“Absolutely not,” he had responded cheerfully.
His therapist gazed at him thoughtfully, “Do you want to know what I think?”
No.
“Lay it on me, my dude.”
“I think you push people away because you’re scared of being left behind again. You’ve constructed this persona and purposely try to hide behind jokes and remarks so you won’t have to deal with the pain of knowing if they like the real you and whether they’re willing to stay.”
Fuck you.
Leo hadn’t known how to respond to that and the longer he reflected on it the more he realized that it might be true. He was aware people didn’t like him, not the adults and not people his age, but he had never bothered to care all that much. What did it matter what they thought? It’s not like anyone ever listened to Leo when he actually had something important to say. Did he talk out of his ass most days? Maybe, but who was supposed to show him how to be vulnerable? His dead mom? The dad that left before he was born? How about the family that chose to give him away because he was a diablo ? Or was it supposed to be the foster parents and the system that constantly told him to man up that was supposed to show him? The ones who told him not to cry or would take one look at him vibrating where he stood, too much energy to ever stay in one place, and decided that it wasn't worth the effort?
They would take one look at the hair he hardly brushed and the smile that never sat right on his face and would decide no, he had to leave as soon as possible. He would be picked on by the mean girls at school and the boys who were bigger than him and they would decide he was to blame for coming back with bruises and a split lip. They didn’t care what he said or thought, to them it was clear that Leo was the problem. So, yea, what did he care what they thought? They would leave, or make him leave, everyone always leaves and- wow okay so maybe his therapist isn’t all that wrong. If Leo’s being honest, he can’t really remember the last time he was open with someone. Probably when he was really young and naïve and believed the adults would help him and that family would always be there for each other. It’s no wonder he never lets people in.
So, he’s been reflecting and just sitting at his desk trying to do his assigned math homework when Jason bursts in through the door. He was dripping wet from head to toe and it startled Leo out of his thoughts.
His clothes clung to his body and his shoes made a sound every time he took a step. Jason’s hair was plastered flat against his head. He looked like a drowned rat. His glasses were in his hand and he was squinting around, trying to see the room. It took everything in Leo not to laugh.
Jason must have sensed it however as he scowled at Leo, “Shut up.”
“I didn’t even say anything!” But the grin breaking through his face said everything.
“I hate this place.”
“Wow, man, that didn’t take long. Me too though. What happened?”
“They wanted to do team bonding by having us lug water up from the stupid wells in order to fill a tub and fucking Dylan poured a bucket all over me.”
Leo grimaced at the mention of Dylan. Normally, Leo wouldn’t judge the other troubled kids he encountered. Most of them were a product of their environment but there was just something off about Dylan. He almost seemed to take joy in making everyone else’s life harder. He was the first to point out anything embarrassing and the first to laugh at someone getting picked on. The asshole was also somewhat handsome and he knew it which really only made it worse. It’s like he thought his presence was a gift or some shit and everyone was lucky to even be around him. It just left Leo wanting to punch him.
“Why’d he do that?”
“Fuck if I know,” Jason shakes himself like a dog, “I think it’s cause I’m new and he’s trying to ‘put me in my place’ or whatever. It had the other guys laughing, so.”
Leo cringes at the thought of being publicly humiliated but Jason doesn’t seem to care all that much.
“Did Coach say anything?”
“Told him to stop horseplaying and since I didn’t have any extra clothes in my locker I had to come here.”
Fucking Coach Hedge. Leo swears he never does anything to stop people from getting picked on. He’s more than positive that Coach believes it “builds character.”
“Damn, Dylan’s an ass.”
“That’s something you two have in common then.”
Leo scowled, “Don’t compare me to him.”
Jason rolls his eyes as he rummages his drawers for clothes, “Why not? You’re both pretty similar. Both annoying, arrogant, assholes, oh, that’s alliteration right there. You also like pissing everyone around you off.”
“I don’t piss off everyone,” Leo argues.
Liar.
Jason heads towards the bathroom, “Really? Is that why you have no friends? Ever wonder why you’re always on your own? It’s cause no one can fucking stand you.”
“You don’t fucking know me.”
Something flashes in his eyes, “I know you. I know that you’re full of shit, that you lie to everyone and yourself. That you’re so goddamn emotionally stunted you need to make a joke when things get too serious for your liking. That you run and you hide and you push everyone away and that makes you a shit friend. That you act like you don’t care about anyone else when the truth is that you’re so goddamn lonely you feel like you’re suffocating in it.”
“Been paying attention to me huh?”
Leo thanks whatever God there is that his voice doesn’t crack. Jesus, Jason was fucking laying it on him even worse than his therapist. This was definitely the worst day of his life. Scratch that, like the fifth worst day of his life.
Anger takes over his face, “That shit right there is the reason no one can stand you. You can’t hold a serious conversation-”
“You’ve literally been insulting me for the past-”
Leo might actually punch him for real.
“-or be honest about anything. You’re a liar in the worst possible way and no one likes feeling like they’re being played all the time. It’s why your so-called friends don’t stick around. It’s you man, you’re your own problem.”
A pair of brown eyes flashed through his mind, amused and annoyed at the same time.
A slight smile tugging at lips before throwing an insult at him.
“You don’t know shit.”
Jason glances at him, “I know what I see.”
A pause.
“And what people say.”
The bathroom door closes and Leo suddenly feels like crying. He doesn’t care what people think, he doesn’t.
But every now and then the loneliness creeps in and he can only blame himself for being so guarded and cynical about everyone around him. Can only blame himself for the way others view him and treat him and if he was just better then this wouldn’t be an issue. If he could just say the right thing and be honest and not in an asshole way maybe then he wouldn’t feel like curling up in his bed and pretending he didn’t exist.
Fuck Jason for pointing out all the things he knows about himself and for basically confirming everything he believed about himself. Fuck, this was the worst.
Leo hates feeling this way, hates himself for being so miserable. Hates the adults who keep trying to “fix him.” Hates the family who abandoned him. And right now, he hates Jason the most.
-------------------------------------------
Leo lay awake in his bed listening to Jason breathe softly. He had been struggling to sleep for the past two hours and was beginning to grow restless. He kicked his blankets off with a groan and hastily got up. If he couldn’t sleep then he might as well go for a walk. He just had to be careful not to get caught. With that in mind, Leo slipped on his shoes and quietly left the room.
He walked into the common room and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. He was careful to avoid the cameras that littered the halls as he made his way out of the building. He was surprised the doors weren’t locked but that was probably for safety reasons. Wouldn’t want them to be trapped in case the building caught fire, he thought darkly.
The air was cool out and Leo took in the vast expanse of desert in front of him. The Wilderness School had three buildings to it. The school, the dorms, and the detention center where they were isolated if they misbehaved. It seemed cruel to Leo, who had spent one too many days there, but no one really cared what he thought. It also doubled down as Therapist Headquarters™ so there was that too. The water tower stood out against the night sky and blocked out some of the stars. There was a decent sized field that had dry grass planted on top of it so that they could play sports and “bond” as a team.
Leo always found it stupid how hard they tried getting them to connect to each other.
He made his way to the field and sat down. He finally opens his water and takes a sip while he looks up at the stars. They shine so brightly here that Leo can’t help but take them in in wonder. He’s surrounded by sand and sky and he’s pretty sure it’s so none of them run away but he can’t quit complain about it. It’s been so long since he’s allowed himself the chance to relax and just be. Constantly being on guard and looking over his shoulder can be draining.
Looking at the stars now reminds him of his mom and he feels an ache in his chest that he tries to ignore. She had loved pointing out the constellations and making up her own name and stories for them before Leo would ask what they were actually called. She would hold him close and pet his hair and Leo would complain but be secretly pleased at the affection. He missed her so much.
He sits there for maybe fifteen minutes before he hears someone approaching. He really hopes it’s Mr. Gonzalez, out of all the teachers, he was semi-nice. Still an asshole but less than the others.
He looks over his shoulder and can’t hold back an annoyed groan.
“Fuck you.” Piper Mclean says plopping down next to him.
“No, go away.” Leo whines, “It was nice and peaceful without you here.”
Piper rolls her eyes but says nothing. Leo finds small comfort in the silence and watches her from the corner of his eye. She was the closest to a friend he had here. They had a really tentative friendship that was constantly breaking and building up over and over again. Leo thinks it’s cause they’re both too lonely to ever really stay away from each other. Leo also thinks he’s the reason they’ve kept each other at arms length so far.
“Why are you here?”
Piper lies down, “Couldn't sleep. You?”
Leo lies down next to her, “Same.”
More silence.
“Heard you got a new roommate, how’s that going?”
“That’s a stupid question.”
Piper laughs, “Yea, I guess it was. He seems pretentious, can’t imagine you getting along with someone like that.”
“I think you’re pretentious and we get along just fine.”
“Barely.”
Leo snorts at that but doesn’t argue.
“The stars are nice here. You can’t really see them too much in California. Air pollution, ya know?”
“Yea, stargazing is nice here, kinda romantic...”
Piper narrows her eyes at him like she knows he’s about to say something to annoy her.
“Wanna make out?” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“You’re disgusting,” she says, punching his arm.
He barks out a laugh and Piper giggles alongside him.
“Anyways, wanna get drunk?”
Leo turned to her, startled, “Where’d you get booze around here? Who’d you steal it from?”
She smirks, “I didn’t steal from anyone. I asked very nicely and was kindly given some alcohol that I am so graciously willing to share with you.”
“My, my, getting drunk while stargazing? You sure know how to woo a guy.”
“Shut up.”
She pulls out a flask from her jacket and hands it to him. Leo sits up and takes a large gulp. The liquid burns his throat and he ends up coughing.
“Don’t tell me Bad Boy Supreme over here can’t handle his liquor?” She laughs.
“Despite what my reputation may imply, I don’t actually drink that often, you?”
“No, I, uh, don’t actually like how it tastes that much. Also, if I get caught then it just makes me an easier target for Isabel and I really hate that.”
Leo feels anger at the thought of Isabel. Now that was someone he truly could not stand. It wasn’t fair that she would constantly pick on Piper for her heritage like she could just change that if she wanted. It also annoyed him that Piper couldn’t really let herself be a dumb teen the way everyone else could because of stereotypes like that. Isabel was literally caught drinking like two weeks ago!
"You know," he starts, "if you ever need me to-"
"I can fight my own battles."
"I know, I just mean, like, I got your back if you need it."
Piper relaxes a bit, "Thanks."
“We don’t have to drink. We can just sit here.”
She shakes her head, “I want just a little but you can keep drinking if you want.”
Leo hums in agreement and takes another swig from the flask. His face scrunches and he passes the flask back to Piper. She takes a sip. They go back and forth, Piper taking small sips and Leo taking larger gulps, until there’s about a third of it left.
At this point, Leo’s starting to feel nice and warm. He can feel his body relaxing and releasing the tension he’s been holding in. It was nice to not care for a bit and to giggle like stupid drunk teenagers do.
He’s not sure how long they lay there talking and giggling but he’s having fun and it’s a nice feeling. Piper tells a dumb joke and Leo’s shaking with laughter and maybe it’s the alcohol that numbs his mind or maybe it’s that he feels safe and warm for once that makes Leo curl into Piper. Piper says nothing, continuing to laugh as if they cuddled all the time, and gently began to stroke his hair. The laughter died quickly in his throat and tears pricked his eyes at the gesture. He was tempted to pull away. He was still feeling a bit tender tonight and he didn’t want Piper to see him like that. It was like admitting to a weakness and Leo hated himself for that thought.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
The alcohol loosened his tongue.
“I want to cry.”
Piper’s hand froze for a second but then resumed, “You can cry.”
“No, it’s dumb.” He sniffled, “Makes me feel weak.”
“It’s not.” She said fiercely, “It’s not weak, Leo. We all cry. We all need to cry.”
Leo tries to swallow the lump in his throat.
“I won’t judge you for it, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” she reassured him. “You’re only human and I know there are things you haven’t told me that make you want to cry.”
He laughs a little at that and hides his face on her shoulder.
“My therapist says I make myself unlikeable on purpose cause I’m scared to be seen and abandoned.”
Piper hums in acknowledgment.
“It’s the reason I push people away too.”
Another hum.
“It’s- like I guess a part of me knows that I do that but- I don’t know. It’s stupid.”
“It’s not, none of your feelings are stupid, Leo.”
“I also miss my mom a lot. She died when I was younger and she’s been gone for years but- it- it hasn’t gotten easier.”
“My mom left when I was a baby,” Piper says, “and my dad isn’t really around, I guess.”
“Same, my dad left too.” Leo looks at her, “We should start a club. The Abandoned and Neglected Kids Club.”
She huffs out a laugh, “Maybe we should.”
Leo stares at her. He had always thought she was beautiful. She had such nice hair and a sweet smile. Not that he saw it that often, but it was nice when he did. Her eyes constantly glowed with hidden mischief and amusement. She was like a painting, he had thought when he first saw her. Beautiful and untouchable. Somehow soft and sharp all at once and full of the same chaotic energy and loneliness as him, it was no wonder they were drawn to each other. She had tried to be kind at first, but Leo had been a grade A asshole in the beginning. Loud and insulting with no remorse towards anything he said. He was more than positive he made her cry a few times and he couldn’t help the guilt that gnawed at him.
“I really hope you’re not imagining kissing me cause I will punch you.” Piper said with raised eyebrows.
Leo’s nose crinkles at the thought, “Absolutely not. You’re great and all but not my type.”
“Fuck you.”
“Actually, I was,” he looks away, “thinking about how you’re really great and I’m… not.”
“Leo…”
“It’s just, you try, ya know? I’m the one who always picks a fight and annoys everyone. I push everyone away, including you. Even when you’re trying to be a friend to me, I-“
His voice cracks to his embarrassment.
Jason hadn’t been wrong about Leo being a shit friend. Maybe that’s why it had hurt so bad.
“Leo, I get it.” Piper holds him tightly, “I don’t hold it against you or anything.”
“You’re my best friend, Piper,” he admits quietly. “I don’t- I’m not used to having friends, as pathetic as that is, but I’ll try to be a better friend to you. You deserve that.”
Piper says nothing and Leo starts to worry that he’s said too much when a sniffle breaks the silence.
He looks at her in surprise.
“Dude, are you-“
She shoves his face away, “Don’t look at me! I’m an ugly crier.”
“Shut up, no you’re not. Literally nothing about you is ugly. It’s like you were fucking blessed by God or some shit,” he grumbles.
Piper lets out a shaky laugh, “Maybe.”
Tears flow down her face but she smiles at him. It makes Leo feel like he did something right for once.
“Pipes, stop crying or I’m going to cry.”
“Good! You were the one who wanted to cry in the beginning, so why am I the only one crying?”
“Cause you’re secretly a big softy.”
“Shut up, it’s cause I think that’s the first time you’ve been honest to me about something.”
“Oh.”
Leo smiles at Piper but it feels wobbly on his face. It’s nice, he thinks, to have someone in his corner. Even if it’s only for a few months, he won’t feel alone and maybe they’ll even keep in touch when they go their separate ways. The thought is enough to get the tears spilling out of his eyes and he buries his face back into Piper’s shoulder.
They hold each other close and comfort one another. It feels nice to cry.
Eventually, their tears run out and only soft sniffles remain. Leo hadn’t noticed that he was shaking but he lets Piper’s gentle touch soothe him.
“Thank you,” Piper says sincerely, “You’re my best friend too. It means a lot to know you care.”
“Well, us delinquents gotta stick together, am I right?”
“I don’t know about everyone else but yea, we’ll stick together.”
Leo sits back up, “As fun as that emotional moment was, let’s finish this night off with a bang!”
Piper eyes him curiously, “What do you have in mind?”
He grins, Coach Hedge was gonna freak out in the morning.
———————————————-
Piper and Leo giggled all the way back to their rooms, shoving and pushing each other along. Piper had insisted on walking Leo to his room since she had to walk past there anyway and Leo didn’t feel like arguing with her.
When they got to his door Piper pulled him into a hug. Surprised, it took Leo a second before hugging back. Piper smacked a kiss to his cheek before pulling away.
“Leo,” she said suddenly serious, “remember what the great Ke$ha said…”
A pause.
“Don't stop, make it pop
DJ, blow my speakers up
Tonight, I'ma fight
'Til we see the sunlight.”
Leo bursts out laughing.
Grinning Piper continues singing off pitch.
“Tick-tock on the clock
But the party don't stop, no
Oh, whoa, whoa-oh
Oh, whoa, whoa-oh”
Leo joins in with his own bad singing,
“Ain't got a care in the world, but got plenty of beer
Ain't got no money in my pocket, but I'm already here”
Piper spins and then dips him,
“And now the dudes are linin' up 'cause they hear we got swagger
But we kick 'em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger.”
“I'm talkin' 'bout everybody gettin'-“
The door swings open and an annoyed looking Jason stares down at them.
“It’s fucking two in the morning, shut the fuck up.”
Leo And Piper look at each seeing who will break first. Leo’s still being dipped and the ridiculousness of it makes him burst into laughter. Jason glares at him.
“Sorry, sorry, I just- Piper, let me up.”
Once Leo is standing normally he turns towards Jason, “Sorry, we were just-“
“I don’t care and I don’t want to know what you were doing sneaking around with your girlfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend-“
“We’re not together-“
Jason rolls his eyes, “Don’t care, just be quiet, some of us are trying to sleep.”
Piper let’s put a low whistle, “Yea, okay, sorry, you have fun dealing with that Leo.”
Leo scowls but gives her another hug before she goes.
“See ya in the morning. Can’t wait for that lovely serenade.”
She grins, “I do love a good serenade.”
Before she leaves, she hands him the flask.
“Keep it,” she glances over at Jason.” I got a feeling you might need it before the nights over.”
She walks away and Leo turns back to Jason, “Sorry, man, we didn’t mean to wake you up.”
Jason stares intently at the flask in his hand, “Is there anything in there?”
Leo pushes past him to get inside, “Uh, yea, just a bit though. Me and Pipes drank most of it. Well, more like I drank most of it. She swears she didn’t steal it but I don’t trust her.”
Jason follows him in and closes the door behind him. He sits on his bed and looks at Leo thoughtfully.
“Is she always able to get alcohol?”
“Hm? Oh no, we’re kinda isolated out here so there’s almost no alcohol she can pilfer. I’m telling you, I have no clue where she even got this from.”
“Can I have some?”
That makes Leo pause. Jason looks nonchalant, leaning back against his pillows, but it almost seems too relaxed. His hand twitches at his side and Leo notices the way he hungrily eyes the flask.
“No.”
Jason narrows his eyes, “Why not.”
“We’re not friends.”
Especially not after today, he thinks to himself.
“We could be if you gave me a sip?”
Was he serious? Leo couldn’t tell.
Leo tilts his head as a thought crosses his mind, “Tell me why you’re here and I’ll give you some.”
Jason looks away with a scowl.
Leo waits.
“I was caught stealing.”
“Nice, what’d you steal?”
“Nothing important, just things I could put in my pocket.”
Leo shakes his head, “You’re lying.”
Jason glares at him.
“You are. Petty theft can be taken care of at court but you’ve gotta be stealing something worse to end up here.”
Jason grits his teeth, “It wasn’t the first time, that’s why.”
“You’re still lying.”
Leo takes a good look at him. At his twitchy hand and shaking leg. He was avoiding looking Leo in the eyes. Once he was able to catch his gaze, Leo was startling reminded of a cornered animal, eyes wide and unblinking, waiting to see what would happen next.
“It was alcohol, right? That you stole?”
All his movements freeze and Jason lets out a slow breath. He says nothing but the silence is damning.
“I’m not giving you any,” Leo says firmly.
“Don’t be an asshole,” Jason snaps.
“I’m not. Look, I’m sorry, but I’m not gonna enable you. This isn’t good for you and it’s especially not good for you if you already have a problem with it.”
“I’m not a fucking alcoholic. I just- look I don’t drink every day or anything and I can go months without a drink but sometimes I need- this weeks been extra shitty and-“
“No.”
Jason seems to sag at the word.
“Shouldn't you be at a center for this?”
He glared at him, “I already said I’m not an alcoholic. Besides, the counseling here is supposed to help or something.”
Leo nods his head cause sure the counseling was supposed to help. He heads towards the bathroom and Jason watches him with furrowed brows. Leo makes direct eye contact as he uncaps the flask and pours the rest of it down the drain. Jason winces but says nothing.
“Now that that’s done, I’m gonna go to bed. You should too, sorry for waking you.”
Jason stays silent as he goes under his covers. Leo brushes his teeth to get the horrible taste of cinnamon out of his mouth. Once he’s done he turns the lights off and climbs into bed.
The room is quiet save for their breathing.
”Please don’t tell anyone.”
Leo looks over at Jason but he’s turned towards the wall.
“I won’t. It’s no one's business anyways.”
Jason snorts at that but says nothing else.
Leo’s tired and emotionally wrung out. He falls asleep quickly and that night he dreams of his Tia Callida. She smiles warmly at him as she kisses his forehead.
“Sleep well, my little hero. The adventure begins soon.”