Blue

Drinks

Leo's Perspective
Casper tells me everything. Howling, the mansion, soulmates. I try to sit still while listen, but I get antsy. I can usually deal with it, the withdrawals. But I'm in an unfamiliar location, discovered my brother is here, and am now intaking a lot of information. So my leg starts bouncing and the fog is in the back of my skull.

"Are you okay?" Casper asks quietly.

I lie. "Yeah, this is just new."

The fog creeps ever closer to my eyes. "Hey, I'm sorry. But I want to talk to my brother. I'll be right back."

I don't know where Link is, so I find myself downstairs drinking. Hey, at least it's not pills. A big man slides in next to me. He's tan and about my size. "Hey."

"Hey." I respond.

"You're new. What's your name?" He asks me.

There's a kindness in his voice, but he could be lying. He could be a threat. I scan my surroundings and my body. I'm not far from the door. There's a lot of people here, they could all be threats. I can't take another beating. If shit goes south, I'll run. "I'm Leo. Who are you?"

"Paolo."

His green eyes scan me. "What's your poison?"

Definitely a threat. I make a break for it, and he doesn't chase me. Some other people do, though. Two people with peach eyes and two other people behind them take off after me. My legs hurt. I'm going to lose this fight. I stop and turn. Two of them are small and skinny, the others are tall and skinny. I got this. I assume my fighting stance and wait for them to come to me. "Stop!" One of them yells.

But he isn't yelling at me. He's yelling at his friends. Everyone stops. I ball my hands up into fists. He continues, and I faintly recognize the voice. "He'll hurt you if you get any closer. Go home. Casper and I will deal with this."

The tall men turn and leave. The man who spoke walks closer to me. It's Link. It's just Link. I drop my fists. Casper is next to him, looking afraid. He's afraid of me.

Link doesn't touch me as he gets closer. "Do you know who I am?"

"Link."

"Good. Let's go back."

"He was going to hit me."

"Who?"

"The man. He asked me... something. But I felt like he was going to hit me."

"No one in that mansion is going to hurt you."

"No, he was. He was asking me about drugs. I remember now."

"What did he look like?"

"Green eyes. Big."

"Paolo? No, he won't hit you. Come with me, we'll sort it out."

I look at him. My brain says he's lying. The fog creeps. But then I see Casper. He still looks afraid, but he steps closer to me. "Leo, come on. Please?"

The fog clears. "Yeah, okay."

We trudge back to the mansion, passing the peach-eyed security when we enter. They smile at me, even though I was going to hurt them. Paolo sits at the bar, but there's a woman and a man with him now. He immediately starts talking. "Hey, man. I am so sorry for asking that. I didn't think it would trigger you, but really I have no excuse."

I take a few steps forward. "Why did you ask me that?"

"I've been in that boat, too. I wanted to get to the point in the conversation where I tell you if you need someone that understands, I do."

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

He nodded at me, and I nodded back. I went upstairs with Casper and Link. Link hugged me goodnight and Casper led me back to our room. "You can have the bed if you want. I can take the couch." He said.

"No, no, I wouldn't want to make you switch. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Okay."

He grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom. When he came out, he was wearing an oversized shirt and loose pants. He looked adorable. I looked down at myself. I was covered in sweat. "Do you know of anywhere I can get some clothes?"

"Yeah, come with me."

He threw on some slippers and led me downstairs. We got to an office area, which led us to a supply closet full of clothes.

"So this happens often then?" I ask.

"Kinda. We're the island of lost toys, pretty much."

I nod and take some pajamas. We get back to the room, I change, and I fall asleep on the couch.