LeoPika short stories and one shots!

Bad Family

{Trans!Leorio, middle school AU, part 2 of 'Hat' CW: panic attack and flashback of abuse}

A frantic knocking at the door got Kurapika's attention. He left his schoolwork at the table in favor of answering it. Waiting on the other side was a very rain-soaked, miserable looking Leorio.

"Leorio?" Kurapika asked, but before the name had even left his mouth, the kid in question pushed him back and shut the door, eyes wild with fright.

There was a breathless moment when Leorio just stared at Kurapika, back pressed against the door. He chest rose, then he lunged and hugged Kurapika so tight that he yelped in surprise.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't know where else to go. I won't stay for long, I just need to charge my phone and make a plan."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm running away." Leorio whispered. "My dad, he was going to hurt me because I told him- I told him I'm trans."

"You did?" Kurapika rubbed his friend's back. "Leorio, I'm so sorry."

"I just need an hour to charge my phone, and I'm sorry but you can't tell your-"

"Kurapika? Who's at the door?" A voice called from the stairway, causing Leorio to stiffen in panic.

Kurapika's foster mom came around the corner, holding a hand towel. She must've been doing the laundry. Seeing her made Leorio let go and step away from Kurapika, as if he was afraid of being seen touching him. Tainting him with your queerness.

"Irene, this is Leorio," Kurapika introduced. "He's my friend from school."

"This is the legendary Leorio that we've heard so much about? My, what a handsome young man."

While Kurapika whined about his mom being embarrassing, Leorio was imploding with anxiety. He's told her about me. Has he told her that I'm a girl? Does she know? Can she tell I ran away? Leorio looked into the woman's eyes, then quickly glanced away. Oh god, she knows. She knows everything.

He felt sick to his stomach, and dizzy. He was having a hard time breathing, despite not wearing his usual double sports bra makeshift binder- I'm not wearing my binder. Oh god. They can all see it. They can see me.

"Leorio?"

"Kurapika, catch him!"

Leorio fell forward into his friend's arms, nearly toppling them over as he fainted. He was struggling to stay conscious. He needed to get out of there. Kurapika's foster parents would call his dad. He'd be here any minute. He was probably already waiting outside. He could already feel the tight grip on his wrist as his dad dragged him down to the basement. His ears already hurt from all the yelling. His head heart from crying.

"Leorio?" A soft voice called, resounding through the walls and distorting the image of his father. My chosen name? Who said it?

"Leorio, please wake up, I'm scared." It was Kurapika's voice. So Leorio concentrated on taking a deep breath, pulling oxygen all the way into his lungs, filling them up and bringing himself back to reality.

He was laying on a bed in a small bedroom. There weren't many decorations, but there were Christmas lights around the corners of the walls, giving the room a muted multicolor glow.

Kurapika was sitting on the bed next to him, big eyes full of worry. Leorio tried to sit up, but the blond boy insisted he stay down.

"Leorio, I'm so glad you're here." Kurapika whispered, gently caressing his face. "You gave us quite the scare."