In his desperation, Leo found himself crawling into Hunter’s window instead. He collapsed in his bed, wrapping Hunter’s thin covers around him as he breathed Hunter’s scent in, finding a calmness in the storm.
He felt violated, destroyed, dirty—
He wanted to weep into the pillow, but he couldn’t let go without Hunter there to ease him. He needed to tell him what he saw, to tell him that something strange was bubbling in the centre of him. It was alien and scary, and he didn’t know how to switch it off.
Hours passed and he lay like that, in a lull, barely asleep, but not totally conscious either. He found he hated the darkness. He hated the silence. He hated that he needed a familiar touch to ease him.
Then he felt his presence. He opened his eyes to the heavy footsteps around the room. A heavy weight dropped down next to him, and a large arm wrapped around him, tugging him into a hard chest. Hunter didn’t offer him words of comfort. He just held him as Leo finally let loose, tears streaming from his eyes as he choked on senseless words, flooding out of his lips.
I can’t fix this, Hunt.
I can’t fix myself.
They’re breaking me.
They want to do it, too.
They like it, Hunt.
Helikes to watch me break.
Hunter held him tightly, dropping his face to his so that Leo felt his cheek press against his. Hunter was reminding him with his touch that he was there, would always be there, no matter what. This affection split Leo open. He grasped Hunter’s arm, dug his nails into his skin and held him tightly to him.
“What more can he take?” he wheezed. “I have nothing left…”
“We’ll rebuild you,” Hunter promised. “We’ll put the pieces back together again.”
“But they’re gone, Hunt.”
“We’ll make new ones.”
We. Skye. Him.
They would never leave him.
“What is happening to me?” Leo asked. “I feel—”
“Like there’s something inside you? Something wicked and wanting?”
Leo didn’t respond, his heart hurting with every beat. But thatthinginside him, spawned from the dark pits of that Dungeon, flickered awake.
“Fight it,” Hunter urged, voice tight. “Fight thatthingback. Don’t become me, Leo. Fight it.”
*
“How much longer do you think she’s going to take?” Leo wondered as the sun came up, drenching Hunter’s room in light.
He hadn’t slept for a second, and neither had Hunter.
Hunter had his back against the headboard of his bed, arms crossed, looking tired. “I don’t know.”
“I want her so badly, Hunt,” Leo admitted, swallowing hard.
“Yeah,” was all Hunter uttered.
Leo ran a ragged hand through his hair. “Is she deciding between the two of us? Is that what’s going on?”
“No.” Hunter sounded certain. “She’d never choose one of us.”