Work Text:
For too long now, Legato’s dreams have been making him restless. He would do anything to dream of nothing rather than have these nightmares haunt him and twist his mind.
His dreaming hours had no colour or light in them, no happiness or respite. All the visions he was allowed to experience there were his past memories; changed and twisted into something unrecognisable.
He should have asked someone for help, any kind of help, but he never dared. If he was being honest, people usually either didn’t deserve to know those things about him, or he didn’t want to bother those that were worthy with his problems. Better to keep it to himself either way.
However, lately, there was someone that just might win the honour of hearing him ask for help for the first time ever.
They have been together for a while now, far longer than Legato was with anyone else. At least not like this. He was still sceptical about the whole thing, still unsure if this was a good idea, and pretty comfortable with the notion that Livio and Razlo don’t really want to be with him. It had to be some kind of silent agreement of mutual benefit; why else would anyone be with him?
He made sure to give them ample opportunities to leave him. He would scene out different things, made sure he did everything wrong, and disappoint their expectations. And yet, that never happened. Time and time again, both of them rose to the challenge, Livio a bit more so than Razlo.
Despite that, he was still waiting for them to break it all off. Much to his surprise, they are still very much dedicated to being with him.
The night silently crept into the room, and Legato found himself in a dark area, unable to see anything, but he felt something creeping around him. He is used to relying on his skills to manipulate things around him, but his powers were failing him this time.
Standing in one place while trying to understand things around him did not help in distinguishing anything. He became an easy target while the voices started to chitter and laugh, and shadows started to move closer to him, reaching out as they attempted to cling to his form.
That hopeless feeling was enveloping him once again, the same dreading sensation he had in the past, long before he learned how to manipulate people. He was that scared little thing that was left alone to fend for himself. He had no other choice but to try and run; no mercy awaited for him if he chose to stay.
There was no indication of what was in front of him, or what was chasing after him. There were things grabbing at his clothes, arms and legs, trying to slow him down, make him fall, be devoured by the darkness again.
In front of him, there were walls he could not see, but he sensed them before he collided into them. The area was filled with debris, rocks and crumbling walls, plants and vines with thorns that tore his clothes, and possibly his soul.
Soon he came to a clearing, with a glimmer of light shining through the darkness; a rare sight. Legato was not sure how to feel. It did seem like it was a beacon of hope, a sole spark in the middle of this sorrow. However, his life has taught him that being in the spotlight while surrounded with the unknown is not something he should seek out. So, he needed to make a decision–to reach towards the light, agree to follow the pull that it had on him, or stay in the uncertainty of the darkness.
Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the small sliver of light, still covered in shadows, and only observed while trying to make a decision. Something that was soon made for him.
A hand reached out from the other side of the light, stretched out and sought his. It was a silent question, an offer made with the hope that he would accept this leap of faith.
The choices were to stay in the dark, with looming threat around him, or accept the presented offer. He decided to leap.
As he took the hand, the light slowly expanded, showing more of both of them. The person who was so kindly holding on to him was someone he recognized instantly. The hand that pulled him out of the dark was Livio’s.
The light around them revealed the area that was concealed in darkness until now, revealing only empty space. There was no rubble, no ruins, and nothing that was reaching out to grab them. It was only him and Livio, standing opposite each other.
Legato was still surprised to see him there; he would usually be alone in this reoccurring nightmare. Livio was the one that moved first, stepped closer and then allowed Legato to do the same, or to step away. It was completely his choice. Once again, Legato decided to step closer, closing the distance between them.
Livio only smiled, adjusted his hold, and put his other hand on the small of his back. It seemed almost like he was ready to start dancing.
Even though Legato didn’t know what exactly was happening, he followed along, putting his hand on Livio’s shoulder, waiting to see what would happen next.
Sure enough, the dance slowly started. Only a few steps at first, Livio wanted to see how comfortable Legato felt, checking if he agreed to the dance. Seeing as he moved with him, followed in step, not objecting to anything, he continued.
The steps slowly grew, from a small, timid stride, to a wide and confident one. His hold was ever gentle, making sure to keep Legato there, close and safe, while also allowing him some room for freedom; whatever that meant for Legato.
It was strange at first, feeling this relaxed in a place that filled his thoughts with dread. He paid no attention to anything around them, all those voices and creepy things were far from his mind; he was only focused on Livio. It didn’t take him long to completely give in to this new sensation that was washing over him.
Legato no longer held a worried frown, he allowed himself to relax so he could follow Livio more easily, and he truly started to enjoy being there with him.
Before long, he was the one that decided to pick up the pace, make their movements more expressive, laugh as the sound of music started to accompany their little reprieve. It sounded very light, like a gentle flatter of butterfly’s wings, felt as warm as a summer’s breeze, and Legato felt like he never wanted to leave this place.
Even though Livio was there to hold him, his grip was never too strong, so Legato decided to make their dance even more expressive. He stepped away, one hand still holding Livio, the other reaching for the unseen sky, but his eyes firmly stayed on his partner, the one that allowed him to feel this free. Livio wasn’t there to lead him, he was there to support him.
Legato could choose whichever dance he liked, moved however he wished, and Livio would always be there to catch him.
Legato rarely allowed himself to be this unconstrained, to put all his trust in another, and not pay attention to his surroundings. At the time, it didn’t seem like he needed to be wary of the area around them, after all, the light was following each and every one of their movements. There was no reason not to give in to the moment.
But Legato should have known better. He was never allowed to be free. And the past caught up to him.
He let go of Livio’s hand, made a few steps away from him, focused on the moment of freedom and enjoyed it for a moment, before it was taken away.
The light that surrounded them retreated, making everything dark and void of any life once again. The music that was playing stopped. The voices started to come back. Of course, how could he have been that stupid. He is alone in this world. He always was. How could he have allowed himself to think even for a moment that someone else would be there for him. Maybe he should just let the shadows take him and be done with all of this.
He felt as something reached for him, something that extended around him, grabbing him from behind, and pulling further into darkness. He didn’t fight the sensation, after all, he decided to give up fighting.
He felt his back meet with something, an uneven surface, and then he heard a scoff behind him. It sounded somehow familiar. The voice that followed didn’t come from behind him as much as it echoed all around. He heard a familiar voice say, in a familiar tone, “Hello, kitten.”
Razlo was the one that was holding him close, making sure nothing else would be able to reach him. One hand held him while the other trailed down Legato’s arm, reaching his hand, and holding it once their fingers brushed. It was different from the way Livio took his hand, there was no gentle care in his hold. However, there was a sense of protection, a tight grasp that wanted to guard him from whatever would come.
Legato squeezed the hand in response, feeling relieved that it was Razlo that found him, and not something else.
He did not expect to feel like this, alleviated because of someone, because someone came to his rescue. Not only that, the person that was there for him seemed to genuinely care for his wellbeing.
As Legato turned to try and see him, to try and discern Razlo’s eyes in this darkness, once again there was a sound of music starting in the distance. This time, it did not sound like a gentle breeze; it consisted of deep and heavy notes. This sound was followed by a sense of determination and purpose.
Even though there was darkness all around them, the ever present night that didn’t allow Legato to see anything, he could still see all the lines that made Razlo’s face, and see the glisten of his eyes. He never expected anyone to be able to find him in this darkness, but Razlo was there, with him.
Once again, the way they were standing reminded Legato of the dancing stance. And the music picked up, becoming louder and more refined.
Razlo didn’t wait to see if Legato was ready for the dance, he simply started moving with the music, leading the other with him.
It seemed like everything about this dance was the complete opposite of what Livio gave him. Where once was freedom now stood a limit, a clear border which Legato was not allowed to cross. He could not move like he did before, while he was in the light.
The hold Razlo had on him was not gentle but restricting, keeping him close and in check, making sure he was there with him.
If anyone but Razlo attempted the same thing, Legato would have objected, but he did not feel like he was limited. In fact, he felt safe, protected, and cared for.
Every movement Razlo made seemed like it had purpose, and Legato managed to keep completely in sync with him, follow any move. And even though there was dark all around them, as they danced across the vast nothingness, they never encountered anything in their path.
As the sound of the music was starting to die out, signifying the end of their dance, Legato felt panic and worry starting to build up. He did not want the dance to end, he didn’t want to be left in this place alone once more.
With a held breath and a sudden jerk, Legato opened his eyes. Once again he was back in his room, in his bed, with a few lines of street lights peering through the blinds.
The nightmare was over. No, it could no longer be considered as such. A weird dream had ended and he was alone again.
Wait, that shouldn’t be true. He was not alone when he went to sleep last night.
He invited Livio over, he should still be there.
Legato shifted uneasily, just to check something before his mind could do anything else. And then he found it, a small weight around his waist; Livio was there, lying next to him.
Slowly, not intending to wake him up, Legato started to turn around, wanting to look at the person that he found comfort in, someone he felt safe with. He observed as Livio still slept, eyes closed and a smile appearing on his face as Legato brushed a few hairs from his face. His instincts took over and he pulled Livio closer, an arm that was around him tightening its hold.
A few small sounds escaped Legato’s lips as he smiled at his reaction. It was too sweet of a gesture, so pure, and so very Livio.
“Thank you,” Legato softly whispered as he carefully turned back around, finding comfort in knowing that Livio was there with him.
Suddenly, the arm moved again, bringing him closer, leaving no space between them, “We are here for you, kitten.”