Under the Shining Lights

Fall Out

The ceiling fan spun slowly, pushing around languid air and making a barely felt breeze. It was cold in Leo's room. He had opened all the windows his sub-car had to offer, unable to stand in a stagnant environment. The blankets were pushed off his bed, laying in a crumpled mound on the floor next to the deflated duffel bag containing his stage outfit. His prized boots were knocked over, neglected, and forgotten, just like the makeup gifted to him by his friends from the club. The pole that once stood proudly in the corner of his room had been dismantled, as Leo could not stomach its existence.

Leo stared up at the fan, watching as it circled and circled. He hadn't left his room in days. He had hardly seen his family, fire-hot shame ripping through him whenever they came to check up on him. It frustrated him. What was all that about 'Anatawa hitori janai'? He knew better than to push them away, but he was scared. He knew he messed up big time, keeping such a big secret from them, and he wasn't ready to face that anger yet. Though, as fate would have it, the longer he avoided it, the worse it got in his mind. Funny how that works.

He didn't get out much either, not with a broken ankle and wrapped knee. Leo was back to his crutches, his old enemies. He opted not to go anywhere at all, just to avoid using them. Meaning, Leo was stuck alone in his room with his thoughts. He sat in the dark with only the fairy lights to keep him company.

Yuichi and others tried calling and texting, but Leo couldn't face them either. Especially his boyfriend. How could he? After everything that happened with Vittoriano.

Leo woke up with all the memories from those moments he blacked out, and he was horrified. He couldn't believe how touchy-feely he got with Vitto, how much he flirted with him! That bastard got Leo to drink, which explained the headaches, got him to the point where he was stumbling around, hardly able to stand, and then threw him to the crowd! It was a damn miracle he was more articulate than the fools around him, able to outmaneuver and fend off the drunks.

Vittoriano laughed at him. Leo was at his mercy and he laughed. Perhaps Vitto was generous, or he didn't want anyone else touching 'his property' when he pulled Leo from the crowd. Property. Vitto treated Leo a little better than a pet. It made Leo shudder, still feeling every touch, every sticky breath on his neck. Leo spent a lot of time in the bath.

Leo got so lucky that Vitto waited to try anything more with him, or...he didn't want to think about it.

Unfortunately, his poison had deeply affected Leo. He was going through a pretty rough withdrawal, his head pounding and muscles trembling. One night, when he couldn't sleep, he messaged someone he hadn't for a long time. Leo's plug greeted him happily, like an old friend. He joked about Leo's with him, asking if he needed something to take the edge off. Leo just nodded, taking his weed and thanking him. The ventilation in his room led directly outside, so he turned it all the way up and rolled his blunts, lighting them in his room to use.

This day wasn't going to be much different.

"I thought you were dry?" A familiar voice asked, sauntering into Leo's room like they owned it. Aurora walked over, nudging Leo to sit beside him on his bed.

"Was," Leo mumbled, lighting his last blunt and taking a puff, "I'm not happy about it either,"

Aurora held their hand out for the blunt, Leo reluctantly handing it over. Aurora stuck it in their mouth and dug around in their pocket. They placed a candy in Leo's hand.

"That'll ease the cravings a lot more," They said, taking a drag from the blunt. Leo looked at the candy, a pure ball of sugar and flavoring, colored pink and white. Deciding to listen, he popped it in his mouth, the sweet dissolving almost immediately. Surprisingly, the pain in Leo's head eased, making him relax for the first time in a while.