Re: When She Cries [ Spritz / R ]

[Spritz]

Eric watched her intently. His dark eyes were generally unreadable, but right now they seemed calm and happy, with a hint of... something else in their depths. He'd never done this kind of thing before. Eric's social life, well, it wasn't the greatest. After his mom had died, things had changed. He'd become a whole different person. But when that one person who you love with all of your heart is snatched away from you, things change. He lost friends due to his depressed behavior and sooner or later, the apologetic visits from neighbors and family had ceased. Eric had been an accident, his mom had gotten pregnant at 17. She didn't know who the father was. In that aspect, that was one of the many reason's that Eric had never fit in with his family. They treated him as an outcast, and he knew that he wasn't wanted. He hardly knew his grandparents, and the only time he'd seen any of the rest of them was on thanksgiving or Christmas- and at his mothers funeral, where he got nothing more then handshake from his grandfather. Eric still had to find out that bad things happen to good people, and that Leah, remarkably, knew what he felt like.

Eric's usually solemn face broke into yet another smile. Leah poked his cheek and he frowned at her curiously, running a hand through his messy black hair. Not sure how to respond, he just stayed quiet for a minute, eyes twinkling as watched her face intently. "I'm really glad I met you. Even if it wasn't the best introduction." The way Leah kept twirling her hair around her finger gave him the feeling that she was nervous about something. "I really had fun today, believe it or not. Being stuck in the storm wasn't quite as bad as it would have been without you. But if we're friends now, I want to know stuff." Eric grinned at her, his hair a ruffled mess and his long legs hanging off her bed. "You should tell me about what you like to do. Since that's what friends do."

[Greed]

Leah, needless to say, felt like an idiot. She had had a feeling from the very beginning that she was going to say something stupid like what she just did, but she’d decided she’d try her hardest not to. And of course, one of the first things she said was something she’d been thinking but not necessarily been wanting to say out loud. Sometimes, Leah cursed her brain. She’d just met him earlier that day. She shouldn’t be calling him cute! Of course, Leah supposed it could’ve been worse. She thought, personally, he looked a lot better than just ‘cute.’ At least she hadn’t said something that would’ve been more embarrassing, so Leah settled down and decided that it wasn’t worth getting all worked up over. She’d probably end up letting something else slip, too, and it probably be ten times more embarrassing. Oh, Leah had really bad luck. And really bad head-mouth coordination, if that even made any sense at all.

Leah smiled when Eric smiled. His smile seemed to be infectious, and every time he did it, Leah couldn’t help but smile right back at him, and it made her heart feel a hundred times lighter. He knew what she felt like, he understood, genuinely, and didn’t have to pretend like he cared. Leah knew he did, even if it was on a minor level. And that, honestly, was all she really needed. Someone to be there and to care, and someone who understood what she was going through, at least to a certain degree. And Leah was hoping she could be that person for Eric, as well. Who knows, maybe in time, they might even become more than friends. Leah couldn’t deny how she felt whenever they touched – whether it was accident or not. She had never really felt that way, not even with Micah, but she knew enough to know that it wasn’t what normal ‘friends’ felt when they touched. Definitely not. Leah chuckled at his comment, “It was fine. I mean… at least there was an introduction at all. I’m glad we met.” Leah rolled back over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, resting her hands behind her head, fingers locked together to form a net-like pillow for herself. Leah propped up one knee and rested her other leg on it, seemingly lost in thought as she listened quietly to what Eric had to say.

“What I like to do?” Leah asked quietly, narrowing her eyes at the ceiling, as if it’d insulted her. What did she like to do…? What…did she… Hmm. That was a fantastic question. Leah rarely did stuff at all, considering she was always cooped up inside. She remembered she always liked to go to the movies with Micah, but for some reason… Leah felt like everything she did with Micah would feel different doing it with Eric. Already, Eric’s relationship with her compared to Micah’s relationship with her was so drastically different that it seemed she’d have to rethink her entire life to figure out what she liked to do. Perhaps that was a bit dramatic, but it held little elements of truth bundled up in it. Leah didn’t really know what ‘friends’ did anyways, so what was appropriate to say? Leah turned her head, glancing past Eric and to the seemingly misplaced orange sofa just past him, pushed against the wall, still snuggled nicely in between the window and the television that no longer worked, and hadn’t worked for years.

Tears flooded out of Leah’s eyes, falling onto the soft white pillow that the ring rested in, and rolling down the sides of the leather box, collecting in a pool in the palm of her hand.
Suddenly, Leah heard familiar voices.
“Leah! Oh, my goodness, my dear!” The voice was choked with tears, and when Leah looked up, she saw she saw Micah’s mother, her hair flying around her, a frizzy mess, in her desperate attempt to reach Leah in record time. Leah immediately jumped off the back of the ambulance and ran into Micah’s mother’s embrace, sobbing onto her shoulder. Micah’s mother, Natalie, wrapped her arms around the younger woman and rubbed the small of her back gently, trying to comfort her. How could she tell Leah…that no one should have survived that wreck? The driver of the other vehicle was killed on impact, like Micah. And Leah got away without more than a few scratches. She shouldn’t be alive. She should be as dead as Micah. Natalie clung tighter to the teenager, kissing the top of her head gently.
“My poor baby,” she whispered. “My poor, poor baby. It’s all right.”
Leah wanted to scream at her that it wasn’t ‘all right.’ It was far from ‘all right!’ Leah wanted to be dead. She didn’t want to have seen what she had. Yet…Leah remained silent and allowed herself to drown in Natalie’s attempted comfort. After a few minutes of crying, Leah stepped back, wiping her eyes, her mascara and eyeliner coming off with it, onto her bare arm, and handed Natalie the little white box.
“Micah…” Leah whispered, her chest convulsing in attempt to keep tears from flowing from her eyes.

Leah turned her head abruptly to stare back at the ceiling as if she had suddenly become enraged. She didn’t like to do anything, because she didn’t have time to do anything. Ever since Micah had died, Leah had become little more than one of ‘Santa’s Helpers’ in her parents’ house, tending to her siblings’ ever whim. And she couldn’t hide it from Eric, either. After a couple minutes of silence, Leah murmured, “I don’t know. I never do stuff.” She shrugged halfheartedly, the bed covers moving lazily under her shoulders’ movements, “I never leave the house. Today was the first time that I got the chance to in a really long time.” Leah continued without really thinking about what she was saying, her brows furrowed slightly as she stared meaninglessly up at the ceiling, “Micah and I used to do a lot of things together, but…I don’t do them anymore. I just do chores.” Forcing herself to try and lighten up, Leah rolled onto her side once more and glanced over at Eric. “What do you like to do?”

[Spritz]

Eric's dark eyes were intently studying Leah, trying not to be too obvious about it but none the less, studying her. He was trying to figure her out. Sometimes, when they lapsed into a silence, her eyes seemed to cloud and her face lost its radiant happy energy that he realized he really liked about her. One minute she could be chatting happily with him and the next... it was like she'd look right at him, but see something totally different, something else. Eric wished that he could see what she was thinking... whatever it was, it wasn't something happy, judging by that look she'd get on her face. He'd had a feeling that she'd gone through some very rough times since he'd met her, and now it was bugging him, he wanted to help her. He didn't know her well enough to pry though, so Eric didn't say anything, pretending that he hadn't noticed. Her comment about how 'cute' he was, even if it was an accident to say, it boosted his confidence just a little. He felt comfortable with Leah, much more then he'd ever felt with any of his friends. It just seem that they... clicked. He understood everything she said and it seemed, for the most part, that it was the same for her, too.

"Never? That's pretty unfortunate." Eric smiled briefly, but his face clouded when Leah mentioned Micah. Who was he? Eric inwardly groaned. He should have known, a girl this amazing would never be single. He felt crushed inside, and even though he hardly knew her, wished he would have known in the beginning. There was something between them that he'd never felt before. Sure, he'd had a few flings before, but nothing had felt... real. It was hard to believe that what he felt was actually real, after all he'd only known her for such a little time... Maybe it was all in his imagination?

"Micah.." Eric's voice sounded dry and unemotional, even to him. He almost winced but didn't. "Your boyfriend. I should have known...." He trailed off, sitting up and running a hand through his hair, resting his forehead on his palm. "It's not good that I'm here. He wouldn't like it, I know I wouldn't... If i was your boyfriend.." Eric cleared his throat awkwardly, and stood up, heading towards the door and grabbing his sweatshirt. When his hand was resting on the handle, he turned around, managing a smile and a half wave. "Thank's for giving me.. this, back." Eric held up the sweatshirt and turned to go, his heart pounding. It was true, if he was any kind of a decent person he'd leave. It wasn't honest or right to be with Leah if she had a boyfriend already, and Eric knew that his intentions weren't just to be friends with her. It wasn't good. He had to go.

[Greed]

Leah liked Eric, to be honest. She felt something with him she hadn’t even felt with Micah, and she had the sudden urge to reach over and brush his bangs out of his eyes, if only a little bit. She knew Micah had used to do that to her whenever she’d hide her face behind them. He’d always told her not to hide her beautiful eyes. Leah smiled lightly and dropped her gaze to the covers she lie on, picking at a thread that was coming undone. She laughed quietly, “Yeah. Never. It’s pretty sad, really.” Leah looked over at Eric when he said Micah’s name, searching his eyes for any trace of emotion, any trace of…well, anything. But he sounded cold all of a sudden, and Leah felt her heart clench painfully in her chest. Had she said something wrong? What could she have… oh. The cold hand around Leah’s heart, instead of letting go, gripped even tighter, and for half a second Leah couldn’t breathe past the lump in her throat. Leah closed her eyes and listened to him speak, half wanting to lash out at him for being so rash, half wanting to explain everything to him. But his words had jogged her memory back to a time where things had been happy…and when things had violently swirled into an abyss of anger, hurt, and lost trust.

“Micah…” Leah whispered, her chest convulsing in attempt to keep tears from flowing from her eyes.
“Do you want it back?”
Natalie glanced at the little white box and smiled sadly. “No, baby. He got it for you.” She remembered when Micah had first shown it to her. His eyes had been so shiny, twinkling with the love that even Natalie hadn’t found with her husband. Was this what pure true love was? She’d wondered about that at the time, but she’d let it blow over. She hadn’t ever truly believed Micah and Leah would be together forever, but she would never say that to her precious baby boy. But he’d been serious…once she’d read what he’d gotten written on the inside of the box, Natalie somehow knew that Micah never planned on leaving Leah. Not intentionally, at least. Natalie watched with Micah’s striking blue eyes as Leah pulled her arm close to her chest, clutching the little white box there before nodding softly, murmuring what sounded like a halfhearted ‘okay.’
“LEAH!”
Leah turned around. Joseph and Marissa were striding over to their oldest daughter, and Natalie quickly retreated, deciding it best not to get tangled up in Leah’s family affairs. Leah reached out to her mother for comfort, but was immediately rejected the pleasure.
“YOU did this!” Marissa snapped, so nobody but the small trio would hear. “He died protecting you! It’s your fault he died. Do you know what the paramedics said!?”
“N…no… Mom… I wouldn’t…”
“You shouldn’t be alive,” Marissa hissed. “You should be dead. Every other person in the wreck is dead. And you should be among them!”
Leah’s eyes widened and Joseph clapped her harshly on the shoulders, steering her back towards their car. She felt numb.
I should be dead, Leah thought to herself. Dead.
And oh, how she wished she was.

Leah stayed on her side as Eric moved around her, off the bed. She’d lost her voice as her eyes were glued to the fading orange of the leather couch that still smelled of the perfume she rarely wore anymore. Too many sentiments were bottled up along with the spicy scent. Leah managed to catch her breath when she vaguely heard the near-silent rattle of the old brass handle of her door. “No…” Leah whispered, still not turning over to look at him. “No.” Leah took in a deep breath and sat herself upright, but couldn’t bring herself to look into the deep eyes Eric had, afraid she’d lose herself completely, and break down. Those eyes at a time like this…she felt, were just too understanding. It left her feeling vulnerable, for some reason. She knew if she’d known him for longer, that feeling would be security, not vulnerability. She’d have been able to put her trust in him, and hopefully he in her. Leah realized if she didn’t clear this up now, he might walk out, and never come back. Finally deciding to grow a backbone, Leah turned her head and looked at Eric, her eyes solemn and unreadable. “He wouldn’t mind. Not anymore, at least. Micah’s dead.” And I should be dead, too.

[Spritz]

She was the first thing in a long time he wanted. His life, a mess, seemed to be falling apart day by day and soon, Eric was sure he'd have broken completely. Nothing mattered any more. Nothing little bothered him like it once did, not friends, or girls, or seeing his family and being... happy. His life, his world felt bland and tasteless, and that anything that was once beautiful was gone. He felt useless and unwanted. There was a tiny string of hope left, that through out everything that happened something, someone would come along and change him. The only part about it that Eric didn't believe was that there really was somebody out there that could help him. Today, when he met her in the park, he felt it. But there wasn't any way he could stay with her when she was already taken. There was too much that he wanted, that he needed from her, if she really was the one. But this Micah... He already had her. It was just a little too late for Eric... He didn't have a chance.

"He wouldn't mind, not anymore, at least. Micah's dead."

Silence filled the room. Eric's back was towards Leah, his hand on the door. It slid off and hung by his side, and the teen rested his forehead against the smooth wood of the door. He felt so ashamed. Eric heard the pain in her voice, and suddenly felt afraid to turn around and to look at her. His heart clenched, and he felt like he couldn't speak. She had lost someone she loved, too. He turned around suddenly, dark hair hanging in his eyes, which were clouded with emotion. "Leah..." He murmured her name, striding quickly towards the bed and sitting down next to her. Right now, she looked fragile and ready to crack. Eric couldn't believe how stupid he had been!

"I'm so sorry... I didn't know." Leah reminded him of a child. Her bright eyes were wide, but it was hard to see exactly what she was thinking. Eric searched them frantically, trying to think of a way to make it all better. Instinctively he pulled her into an embrace, his strong arms wrapping around her smaller body and his hand resting on her back. "I'm so sorry." Eric repeated the words again, his voice hoarse and quiet, whispering it into her hair.

[Greed]

The words coming out of her mouth felt like a taboo. How long has it been since she’d uttered his name? How long had it been since she’d spoken it aloud…? How long…how long. Everything good in her life had come crashing down within minutes. Eric was silent for a little while before turning around and coming to sit down next to her, her name on his lips. Leah suddenly felt like she was going to throw up, and she tore her eyes away from Eric. She was right. They were too understanding. She felt stripped of all her defenses. She felt vulnerable, like she was a fragile porcelain doll that had been glued back together one too many times. She would break, she knew, if she let herself go too far. There was already that painfully gross feeling of something creeping up the back of her throat, and it took all her willpower to keep it down, even though she knew if anything, it would just be a dry retch. She hadn’t eaten anything to throw up, anyways. Leah couldn’t look at him.

Leah centered herself with a breath and whispered softly, “Don’t apologize, you didn’t know. It would have to be said one…one of these days. You can’t build a friendship, or any…relationship…off of lies and secrets.” Leah was surprised she’d managed to get out any words at all. She’d felt like her tongue had been cut out, and if she’d tried to speak she would’ve sounded like a buffoon…stuttering over her words and trying to make sense out of the mush that was swirling around in her heart and her head. Leah had managed to bite back tears, though it was making her throat constrict, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Was it healthy to hold in tears? She couldn’t break down now, not in front of Eric, not now. She’d not known him for a day and…and yet, she was ready to break down in tears and become a jumbled heap in front of him? That wasn’t attractive at all. But could she help it? He was open to her, for the most part, seemingly ready to help her carry the burden.

What happened next, Leah couldn’t believe. Eric pulled her into him, her smaller frame being pulled against his larger one in a comforting, yet completely unexpected, hug. The kindness shown after less than a day of knowing him was enough to let Leah let go. Instead of accepting his apology, Leah just clutched at his shirt and buried her face in the fabric and let herself cry. She no longer gave a damn if breaking down was going to make Eric think she was weak. After all, was she really that strong to begin with? How long would it take for one girl to break down? It’d been months since Micah’s death, and she’d been beating herself up over it internally, as well as wishing she was dead, and just the emptiness that came with knowing that she’d never see Micah again, that she’d never kiss him, hold him, tell him she loved him, hear him say he loved her. Leah had half the mind to apologize, too, for breaking down like this, but she was just trying to do her best to stop crying. She felt terrible putting all this on Eric so soon. She hadn’t even thought she was going to tell Eric… besides, when did an opportunity come up to talk about dead loved ones very often? Never, that’s how often. Leah had needed a shoulder to cry on for too long now, and now that she was being presented with it, she simply couldn’t stop letting the tears flow. She’d had them bottled inside her for so long, she was surprised she hadn’t imploded with the sorrow…or tried to take her own life, just so she could be with Micah again, even though she’d thought about it. She was too coward to carry the deed out, however.

After a few minutes of crying, stopping and sniffling, and then crying again, Leah had managed to reduce her tears to a silent trickle. “I-I’m sorry,” Leah whispered, “I…” Leah closed her eyes and bit her lip, waiting until the urge to cry had passed. “I…I didn’t want to dump this all on you.” Leah closed her eyes and rested against Eric’s chest for a second, reveling in his warmth, and tired enough from crying that she felt she could fall asleep in his arms. “I just thought,” Leah murmured quietly, “If I didn’t tell you, you’d walk out and you wouldn’t come back.” Leah sniffled, and even though she was fairly certain all chance of tears had gone, didn’t move from Eric’s embrace. She didn’t want to. She felt safe, for the first time in a very, very long time. Safe and cared about…safe and wanted. But she was a young woman with only half a heart. What could she possibly give him that he needed? What could she possibly say to him that would make him believe she’d try to be the best she could, to be happy, for him? And why did she care so much so suddenly? She couldn’t help it. Leah knew…the moment they’re eyes had first locked, that there was just too much similarity between the two of them for it to stay a friendship for long. He understood her, and even though she couldn’t say she fully understood him yet, she knew the gist of what he was going through. She wanted to help him, too…but right now, she was too beaten down to speak anymore.

[Spritz]

Eric missed the feeling of being wanted. He missed a lot. When Leah's arms tightened around him, he felt a nearly silent sigh escape his lips. He hadn't been rejected. Eric was beginning to feel that Leah wasn't the kind of person that would reject him. It seemed like she needed him as much as he needed her. They were both trying to find hope and maybe, just maybe they had finally found each other. The teen felt confused. Not even a day he'd known this girl and yet, even now, he felt that his world had been changed. Love at first sight was a rash term to use, but if it was real, Eric felt like this was a perfect example of it. He felt Leah's fingers clutch his t-shirt and her face bury against his strong chest, her body melting into his as she started to cry, her slender form shaking with the sobs. His embrace only tightened around her and he let her cry, her tears soaking the front of his shirt. Everyone needed to just cry sometimes. Everyone needed to let out all of those feelings that were trapped inside. Eric knew what it was like. He stroked her long hair gently, his chin resting on the top of her head. Who gave a damn anymore? He focused on only Leah, pushing all other thoughts out of his head and relying on his feelings to guide him. There was only him and her. She needed somebody, and he promised himself right there that no matter what happened, he wouldn't leave her, for anything.

This was all of the explanation he needed. Through this, Eric knew her. He wished he could tell her that he understood, that he cared, but now he let her cry, let her break down in his arms. His strong jaw clenched and his eyes closed. Seconds passed, minutes passed- Eric lost track of time as he held her, his embrace not wavering even once. The teenager found that he wasn't thinking about himself anymore, dwelling on his losses, but focusing on Leah and how he could help her, how he could be there for her. As she quieted down, Eric's eyes opened. She didn't let go of him. He didn't let go of her. They needed each other, and it was plain and obvious to see it.

The boy frowned when Leah apologized, immediately shushing her. He wouldn't stand to hear her apologize for crying, because there was nothing to be sorry for. He wanted to take care of her and protect her. Eric was determined that now that he was here, nothing could, would ever hurt her again. He wouldn't let it. "Don't apologize, Leah. There's nothing to be sorry for." He whispered the words softly, his voice quavering a bit. "You shouldn't ever be sorry. You shouldn't ever have to feel like this, Leah. I wont let it happen anymore." His embrace tightened a big and his face buried in the crook of her neck, the sweet smell of her shampoo calming his nerves. Eric gently let go of her and leaned back, his dark eyes filled with understanding. "I'm not going to go anywhere. I'm not ever going to walk out on you. Leah... you don't have to be afraid, not anymore. You're not alone."

"I know what it's like to loose somebody you love. My mother died two years ago. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. Nothing worked- It was too late to cure her. I watched her get worse and worse every day, and I tried... I tried so hard to help her, I pleaded with the doctors to save her." Eric swallowed, his mouth feeling dry. He blinked to keep tears from welling in his eyes. "The last few days she was alive... It was so hard to be with her. I knew that it was coming and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. I stayed with her in the hospital and didn't leave her side, until the day that she passed away." His dark eyes glimmered softly and he stared into Leah's, his larger, rougher hand touching hers. "That was the worst day in my life. No matter how much I told myself to be ready for her death, when it came, I felt... I felt so lost and so empty. Like I was hollow and nothing seemed real." Eric smiled gently and used his thumb to wipe away the smeared makeup caused by her tears. Even now, with a blotchy face and puffy eyes he thought she still looked gorgeous. "You're so beautiful, Leah."

[Greed]

Leah felt better. She felt…like even though she’d felt emptiness, she’d been filled. Somehow, letting go and letting herself cry like that, and not being rejected…not being pushed away, like she was so, so used to…it stirred something inside her heart that had been long dormant. She felt…warm. And daresay, happy. Leah felt happy. She wanted to tell Eric she felt happy, she felt cared for and needed and wanted, and it was all thanks to him, and just the few hours they’d spent together. No longer did Leah pay attention to how long they knew each other. Their relationship was something different. They hadn’t been meant to be strangers. No…they’d been meant to meet each other, they’d been meant to need each other, to be there for each other, to understand each other in ways nobody else could. Who cares… Leah had never doubted love at first sight. No, she thought it only happened to the rare and the lucky, and she’d tended to toss the idea aside. For her, it had been a fantasy. With Micah, she hadn’t fallen for him at first sight. No…not like this. It came with a rush, and with that rush brought a plethora of everything she needed from anyone. And it was all packaged into one person… Eric Foster.

Usually, being shushed would’ve ignited a sense of rebellion in her, like it always did. But this time, it was almost like a lullaby. A sweet, short lullaby that sang of protection and care. And she liked that lullaby…she liked it a lot. Leah couldn’t help but suddenly want something more, but what it was, she didn’t know, as Eric’s hug tightened and he nestled his head in the crook of her neck. But in all reality, she couldn’t want more, she didn’t need more. She just wanted to be held, to be cared for, to be protected. Leah finally brought herself out of her drowsy state, Leah allowed herself to be pulled slightly from Eric’s embrace, so the two could make eye contact. Leah was tempted to ask him if he promised…and to make him promise, if he didn’t answer the question. She didn’t want him to walk away. Leah didn’t know why, but she knew she wanted to hold on to him and make sure he never left, never took away the sense of protection she got from him. Even though at the moment, it seemed only Eric was the one being supportive, Leah promised herself that she would help him whenever he needed her, she’d be there by his side whenever he needed a shoulder to cry on or somebody to confide in. Just like…he said he wasn’t leaving. If it had been any other person, Leah knew she wouldn’t have believed them saying they wouldn’t go anywhere. She wouldn’t have believed them when they told her she didn’t need to be afraid. But Eric’s words sent a shock of belief through her system, as if his words had just created the universe itself…and they were the only two people that mattered.

And the shock settled into a calm, her heart’s aching falling into normality once again, beating slowly, even when faced with Eric, and their closeness. When Leah heard the story of Eric’s mother, her eyes widened slightly, “Eric…” she murmured, reaching up and gently pushing some of his hair out of his eyes. “Eric, I’m so sorry…that’s terrible.” Leah couldn’t say she knew what it felt like to love her mother. Perhaps, at one time, she did, but now she didn’t. Either way, Leah could still relate to that feeling of emptiness, and the feeling that you were lost beyond finding. It gave her a bit of hope that she could help him, knowing how he felt. Understand him, like he understood her. When Eric thumbed away some of what was undoubtedly her makeup, Leah blushed slightly. She probably looked like a raccoon. And on top of that, with his comment… Leah nestled herself against his chest again, closing her eyes and murmuring, “Thank you, Eric. Thank you so much.” And with that and tear-swollen eyes, Leah allowed herself to drift into a peaceful slumber, encased by Eric’s warmth, with a feeling of calm she hadn’t felt in too long.

[Spritz]

When Eric looked into Leah's eyes he felt like he could tell exactly what she was thinking. All of her emotions, her feelings, he could know everything just by looking at her. He felt peaceful inside, relieved, free of the heavy chains that had been wrapped and clenched tightly around his heart for so long. He'd broken free and he was going to stay free- he was determined to live again, like he once did, like everything was like it was a long time ago. "I promise, Leah." He repeated, seeing the question in her blue eyes. After he told her his story she looked horrified- not his intention, but he smiled gently as she reached up, brushing his shaggy black hair out of his eyes. "I didn't tell you this so that you'd be sorry. Remember," He squeezed her gently, "There's nothing to be sorry about, not with me. I just wanted you to know that I really mean it when I say that I understand."

Leah nestled close to him and Eric smiled. He really did love that feeling of being wanted. His arms wrapped around her again, and he glanced down at her as she murmured a quiet, content, happy 'thank you'. His stomach twisted a little when she said his name, and his chin dropped to rest on the top of her head again. There was so much to think about, and so much to do. Eric felt like he actually belonged here, right now, with Leah. This was where he was supposed to be and Leah was who he was supposed to be with. Maybe it was fate, and maybe, right now, his mother was looking down and smiling down on him, realizing that her son had finally found somebody to make him happy. The thought made Eric smile. This had been a good day, a great day.

He glanced at the alarm clock on Leah's bedside table- it was past midnight. The time had gone flying by. "Hey Leah... I should probably get home-" She was sleeping, her head resting on his chest and her eyes closed, her breathing shallow. For the first time ever, Eric saw her face happy. A little smile was on her lips and he gently shifted his position, reaching out and snagging the blanket at the bottom of her bed. He laid her back on the pillows and gently slipped the blanket over her, being as gentle and as quiet as possible, then swung his legs up onto the bed and sat beside her, his back leaning against the headboard of her bed. He said he wouldn't leave her- and so he wasn't moving until she woke up. Eric brushed a strand of colorful hair out of her eyes, realizing how tired he really felt. His eyes slowly fell closed and his head nodded, his chin resting on his chest and his hand gently holding Leah's, as the teenager finally slipped into the first peaceful slumber he'd had in months.

[Greed]

Leah smiled. He promised he’d stay with her, not leave her behind. The thought made Leah smile gently as he continued to speak. Slowly, she nodded. Nothing to be sorry about…not with him. Nothing to regret. For some odd reason. Leah believed him. She believed she wouldn’t have anything to be sorry about. Even though, with him, there was no reason to be sorry…with everyone else, there was. Her parents had told her she should’ve died. Leah didn’t doubt they meant it. Leah didn’t doubt they wanted it. ‘One less mouth to feed,’ or something along those lines. One less body to clothe. One less child to keep track of. One less thing to regret. Leah forced herself to push the thoughts aside and just drown in the comfort he was providing her. And Leah believed he understood. For once, Leah believed.

- * - * - * -

Leah didn’t dream that night; no, fantasies, yet no nightmares; no happiness, yet no pain. It was simply…peaceful. Relaxing. Rejuvenating. Wonderful. But, all good things must come to an end.

When Leah’s eyes opened, she found herself tucked away under her covers, Eric beside her, his hand loosely gripping her own. When had she fallen asleep? When had Eric fallen asleep? All Leah could remember was falling asleep in Eric’s arms the night before, after their ‘discussion.’ Leah’s eyes travelled down to her hand, which was encased in the warmth of Eric’s. She felt…good. For the first time in a long time, Leah felt good. Taken care of. Needed, wanted, protected. However, Leah jerked her hand away when her door was kicked open. Leah immediately turned over and pushed herself upright to see who – or what – it was. And what she saw was not welcome at all. Leah’s eyes wandered to the digital clock by her bedside. Ten thirty!? She was supposed to be up at ten and already downstairs fixing breakfast! Leah warily turned her head back to the figure at her door.

“L-Liam,” Leah stuttered. “Shit. I’m sorry, I’ll get downstairs and…” Leah hopped out of bed, but Liam wasn’t moving. “And fix breakfast…” Leah finished, with less gusto. She was honestly terrified of the look in his eyes. I was not friendly whatsoever. “Liam…?”

“You dirty little…” Liam didn’t have to finish his sentence. Leah heard him loud and clear, and the implied meaning of his words made her cringe. “I’d never have put it against you to sleep around behind Ma and Pa’s backs, but I’d at least thought you’d have some taste. Where’d you get this street rat? Off the side of the road? God, I can’t wait to see the look on Ma’s face when I tell her. Oh, and I can just imagine how Pa will react. He’s going to be pissed. You’re dead, Leah,” Liam added the last part with a chuckled before turning and walking away.

Leah was seething, her hands clenched into fists at her side, but she knew better than to say anything. But right now, she couldn’t afford her brother’s ‘loose tongue.’ He’d go around spreading rumors to everyone, not just their parents. With an angry huff, Leah went after Liam. “Liam, stop! It’s not like that!” Leah grabbed Liam’s arm, and was rewarded with a harsh smack to her hand, brushing her off. However, she’d succeeded in getting Liam’s attention. “Liam, it’s not like that. Nothing happened, I swear! Don’t tell Ma and Pa, please! Damn it, Liam, you can’t!”

Liam narrowed his eyes as he looked down at his little sister. There was a desperate look in her eyes, written all over her face, that made Liam want to slap her. How could she be so weak? So easily…manipulated? He hated being related to her. He pretended not to be. He pretended she was nothing but a tool, and in no way irreplaceable. If she was gone, his life wouldn’t change much. Letting out an angry sigh through his teeth, Liam said, “I do something for you, you do something for me.”

Leah frowned. She knew where this was going.

“Ma and Pa don’t make you clean up rooms, just make beds. So,” Liam hooked his thumbs in his jean pockets before continuing, “Clean mine. Sometime before I get home from school on weekdays. Make sure y desk is clean with sharpened pencils and whatnot ready for me when I come to do my homework. On weekend, I want it done by eleven A.M. And I can’t be so selfish. Clean up the girls’ toys every day after dinner, too. You do this, I’ll keep quiet. But…what you said earlier is also a good idea. I’m starving.” With that, Liam turned and walked down the stairs.

Leah paused, stood where she was, for a second before turning and walking to her room, her walk noticeably rigid. When she got into her room, Leah plopped down on the bed and rubbed her eyes with her palms. Her life was already a balancing act, so what was a few more chores? What was an extra few hours of labor? But she wasn’t angry at Liam. No, she was angry at herself for not doing what she was ‘supposed’ to do. For getting herself into a situation that called for more manual labor, for slave-like treatment. But, in a sense, she was angry at Liam, too. He had been so quick to judge Eric, who was most certainly not a “hood rat.” Getting up and going to her closet, Leah shrugged on a faded purple robe and glanced sorrowfully at Eric.

“I’m sorry about this,” Leah said. Wasn’t it just last night he’d said there was nothing to apologize about? Not with him? Leah brushed the thoughts aside. Her brother’s speech had been acceptable, to Eric and to herself. But she dealt with it on a daily basis, so the original pain had numbed to a dull throbbing, and Leah knew it shouldn’t be like that. At the very least, she knew that much. Tying her robe shut, Leah shuffled barefoot to her door and rested her hand on the doorframe. “You can wait here if you want. Otherwise… I can show you out through the back door.” Leah looked over her shoulder at Eric, offering him a sheepish, if not somewhat apologetic, smile. “Either way, I have to get downstairs before Liam decides to come back up.”

[Spritz]

Eric was roused from his quiet sleep by a loud bang and a harsh voice. He immediately scrambled into a sitting position, his dark black hair rumpled on top of his head and his eyes squinting to get used to the light that poured in the window. Shit! What was going on? The door was wide open and a guy, probably a few years older then Eric was yelling at Leah, who looked terrified of him. The boy didn't know who we was, but he looked pissed- especially when he saw Eric still sitting in Leah's bed. The teenager was wide awake now, his heart pounding as he pushed himself off of the bed and made his way towards Leah, but she darted out of the room, following the guy down the stairs and yelling in frantic tones. Eric was confused and angry- and most of all, he didn't understand what was going on. Was that her brother? Who else could it be? He knew that it probably had looked... bad, he and Leah sleeping together, but what made that any of his business!? Voices from out in the hallway drew his attention. "Oh, and I can just imagine how Pa will react. He’s going to be pissed. You’re dead, Leah! ” A bit more shouting and then, “Liam, it’s not like that. Nothing happened, I swear! Don’t tell Ma and Pa, please! Damn it, Liam, you can’t!”

The door handle turned and the door was pushed inwards, and Leah quietly slipped back into the room. Her face looked pale and her blue eyes were wide- she looked scared. "Leah, who was that? What's going on?" Eric was immediately by her side, touching her arm gently. She plopped down onto her bed, the covers crumpled from where they had slept, but before he had a chance to stop her, she was up again and shrugging on a light purple robe. Eric's eyes narrowed, and before she had a chance to leave the room, he darted in front of the door, placing his hands on her shoulders. "What's going on Leah? Who was that? Calm down, it's okay~"

What was wrong with them? Leah had told him that her parents, her family really didn't like her, but Eric had definitely been surprised. She just let that guy, Liam, walk all over her. He felt guilty, too. This really was his fault, if he wouldn't have been here, she wouldn't have gotten into trouble. "Listen, whatever's going on, I don't want you going anywhere, not downstairs- You cant let him treat you like that!"

[Greed]

Leah didn’t want to answer his questions. She just wanted to get downstairs and fix breakfast as soon as possible, so she wouldn’t have to deal with her brother again. One interruption from him was enough for one morning. And she couldn’t do anything about it, either. Leah was somewhat comforted, however, that Eric was trying to be there for her. But she didn’t have time to waste. When she reached the door, she slumped slightly under Eric’s hands. “It’s nothing, Eric,” Leah murmured, “He’s my brother, and I have to go downstairs and fix breakfast.” Leah soon realized, however, that Eric wasn’t going to let her go downstairs. He’d even told her so. When Eric proclaimed that she couldn’t let Liam treat her like that, she dropped her gaze and chuckled grimly, “Yes, I can. I don’t have a say in the matter. My parents don’t care what Liam says to me. If he makes me get the job done, as far as they’re concerned he could’ve used a baseball bat to get me to work, and they wouldn’t care.” Leah let out a sigh, but she didn’t want to just brush of Eric’s hands and push him away. She was still afraid that if she pushed him out now, it’d be pushing him out in the long run, too. “Listen, I’ve dealt with it ever since Micah died. Long story short, they blamed me for Micah’s death. Maybe if he hadn’t died the way he had, it would be easier. But he didn’t, and it’s not. I have to get downstairs before…” Leah trailed off and cursed vividly under her breath when she heard feet coming up the stairs.

“Leah, damn it, where the hell are you? What’s taking you so long!?” Liam’s voice rang out. He was about ready to strangle the girl. Who the hell did she think she was, anyways? He doubted their parents cared about her, and everyone in the family was hungry. All other six family members. “Leah!” Liam made his way to Leah’s room, only to hear Leah talking about needed to get downstairs. Liam smirked. The girl knew her place, but apparently, that boy she was with didn’t. Standing behind the dark-haired teenager, Liam crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot. “Leah’s right, you know. She doesn’t have time for another round right now, so maybe you should just leave. If you’re expecting to be invited to breakfast, you’re not. So you’re pretty much useless around here right now.” Liam’s eyes moved from Eric to Leah, “And so are you if you keep standing there like a dead fish!”

Leah snapped. “Liam, I said it wasn’t like that. Nothing happened, so get the sick fantasies of getting me in trouble for ‘sleeping around’ out of your head!” Leah clenched her fists by her side. “And don’t you go dragging him into this. None of it’s his fault! God, Liam! I was about to come downstairs anyways, can’t you just wait a minute or two? I wasn’t about to come down in—”

“Whatever you had on before, yes, I know,” Liam snarled back. “Because Ma would’ve had a heart attack if she’d known you had a strange boy in your room, and you were wearing what you were wearing. Now, really, I don’t have time to waste down here. Ma and Pa are hungry, and so are the other three. So let’s get this show on the road before I have to drag you down there by the ear!”

[Spritz]

"What, Leah? You have to get downstairs, or what?" Eric narrowed his eyes, and tried to keep himself from bursting out in anger. He wasn't mad at Leah, he doubted he would ever be able to be mad at her, but angered by the situation and angry from feeling so clueless. Eric didn't budge from the doorway and he could sense Leah's frustration at him, but it didn't make him move a step. After what had just happened, he didn't feel that it was a good idea to let her go downstairs, whatever was going on with her family. Especially her brother, Liam. Eric hadn't liked him the first time he'd laid eyes on him, and now, after the way he had treated Leah and what she had told him about her brother, the teen didn't want her going anywhere near him. An angry voice split through the air and the heavy thunking of footsteps on the wooden stairs made Leah cuss. Obviously, it was Liam coming up the stairs, and he didn't sound happy. Eric's eyes narrowed even further and he clenched his jaw, the muscles in his neck tightening as he heard the deep voice behind him insult Leah.

Eric whirled around and faced Liam. He didn't look like Leah at all. He was big- as tall as Eric but not as thin, but he still looked damn strong and angry. Eric's jaw tightened further and his dark eyes sparkled with hatred. "Don't. Don't you dare talk to her like that." He hissed out the words, hands tightening into fists by his sides. "You have no business with her- or with me, and you have no right to treat her like that. She's not your slave."

Liam's thin pale lips curled into a smile. The kid had some guts, but that didn't mean a thing. In fact, it only pissed him off even further. "You can mess around with Leah all you want. She's just a little slut, all she wants is Micah back," He sneered, glancing at Leah. His smiled turned into a wicked grin as he went further, attacking her verbally. "Oh yeah, you should have seen her with Micah. They were all over each other, all the time. She's not worth anything, but for some reason, he stuck around with her for awhile. Beat's me. She wants him back, but he's dead. The little whore killed him." He shook his head, ripping his eyes away from Leah's to gaze straight into the younger teenager's, trying to intimidate him.

Eric suddenly shoved Liam backwards with all the force he could, his dark eyes sparkling furiously. "Don't you dare talk about her like that." Liam stumbled back a few steps, almost tripping down the stairs, but regaining his balance at the last minute. His face was enraged and infuriated, cussing under his breath and grabbing the rail, pulling himself up and heading straight for Eric. "You little shit, I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

[Greed]

Leah could feel everything spiraling downhill the moment Eric turned around. She could already feel her heartbeat speeding up, just waiting for the worst to break out between the two males. Leah didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know if she could do anything. “Eric, please,” Leah whispered. She appreciated him standing up for her, but Liam had an insatiable desire to make Leah’s life miserable, and Leah knew that this would end up in an all-out blood-bath (or something like it) if thing continued on like this. Leah put her hand on Eric’s arm gently, “Eric, it’s no use, he won’t listen.” Leah turned and fired daggers at her brother with her eyes, opening her mouth to tell her brother to fuck off and that she’d be down in a minute when it all started. Perhaps earlier, Leah had felt like she couldn’t breathe. But this time, she really couldn’t. Her eyes widened as she stared in complete shock and utter horror at what her brother was saying. And she couldn’t simply deflect his words. Each one was like a bullet to her heart.

She’s just a little slut, all she wants is Micah back.

Leah felt her knees going weak. She didn’t know what to do. It felt like someone was strangling her with cold hands, especially as her brother continued his barrage of hatred on her. Not worth anything… Leah couldn’t hold herself up any further, and her knees gave way underneath her, and she crumpled to the floor, head down, eyes wide and staring at the floor. She felt the tears coming, but they hadn’t come just yet. Her stomach twisted painfully in her stomach, and she was forced to take shallow breaths that only came every now and again. The little whore killed him. Leah wanted to die. Leah wished someone would just come, put a gun to her head, and pull the trigger. “I…” Leah whispered, choking on every word, “I didn’t…” Leah could feel everything breaking down around her. She…she couldn’t breathe. It’s like she’d forgotten how. And the tears hit. Leah slumped over, one hand gripping at her chest, over her heart, as if she was trying to find it, the other on the floor, bracing her from falling down completely. Her hair fell into her face, hiding her tears from the rest of the world, but it was evident they were there. Leah couldn’t take it. It would be an understatement for her to say it hurt, to say it killed her. Oh, what an understatement that was. She felt like she was going to throw up, like she was just going to die from lack of air, die from an invisible bullet that had shot right through her heart. I should be dead, I should have died… I should have…fucking…died… Leah couldn’t catch her breath. She couldn’t stop the tears. She couldn’t stop this feeling of longing for death she’d long since buried within her heart. She didn’t know how easy it would be for someone to bring it out again.

Leah was shaking, only brought back to reality by the sound of her brother’s angry voice shouting. Leah looked up to see a look of pure rage on her brother’s face. She hadn’t a doubt in her mind that he was ready to kill Eric. “No…” Leah murmured, loud enough only for her to hear. Leah grabbed the doorframe, pulling herself upright. “No!” Leah shouted, managing to stumble forward. She grabbed the corner of Liam’s shirt as her knees gave out again, and she fell in a crumpled heap at her brother’s feet, her hand clutching the hem of his shirt so tightly her knuckles were paper-white. “No…Don’t…” Leah took in a deep breath again, trying to stop the tears, but they wouldn’t stop flowing. They didn’t stop coming. Her heart wouldn’t start beating again. The air wasn’t coming fast enough… She preferred feeling numb to everything over this…this pain. “I… didn’t…” Leah murmured, “I didn’t kill him…” Leah shook her head, “I didn’t…I didn’t do it. It wasn’t my fault.” Leah was saying this mainly just to convince herself that Liam was wrong, that she hadn’t killed him, but it was hard. She’d been told since the day Micah had died that she’d been meant to die in that car accident. Leah gripped tighter to Liam’s shirt, her free hand bracing her from falling down completely to the floor. “Stop…God damn it, stop.”

[Spritz]

"No!" Leah stumbled forward, her slender fingers weakly grasping the bottom of Liam's t-shirt, trying desperately to hold him back from Eric. Eric's eyes widened. Leah looked... she looked terrible. Her blue eyes were wide with shock and tears were streaming down her cheeks, her face was pale and she was gasping like she couldn't breathe, crumpled on the floor in a broken, ruined heap. Liam grinned, then tore her hand off of him without any difficulty at all, harshly kicking his weak and completely heartbroken sister away from him, satisfied at the result of his words. He wanted them to hurt. He wanted them to tear her apart from the inside out, he wanted her to snap and maybe finally, he'd be rid of her nuisance. "Get the fuck off me Leah! I'm so fucking tired of your shit- I'm gonna teach this guy of yours a lesson, and he wont ever be back again for you! You should have died, and you fucking know it!"

Eric was furious, his hands tightly balled into fists. His eyes glimmered with pure and utter hatred and in a second, he had jumped forward, his right arm swinging out and his trained fist smashing into the side of Liam's face. The blow was enough to make the bigger guy stagger, but then he was up in no time, spitting blood out of his mouth, the red liquid sprayed onto Eric's face and burning his eyes. In a minute they were at each other like dogs, punching and kicking, fighting like mad animals. Liam caught Eric, shoving him as hard as he could into the wall- the boy crashed into the plaster, sprawled on the floor and trying to scramble back onto his feet but Liam was right there, pinning him down and delivering blow after blow to his ribs. Eric cried out in pain, twisting out of Liam's grip and rolling on top of him, pummeling his face and attempting to smash his teeth in. Liam managed to reach an arm up and snag the cord of the bedside lamp with his fingers, and it came crashing down onto the floor, the thick glass shattering everywhere and creating a dangerous battlefield of sharp glass. Leah's older brother reached and grabbed a chunk, not even noticing as it cut into his hand and as his own blood came pouring out, spilling down his arm and dripping into the carpet.

Eric saw what was happening and luckily dodged out of the way as Liam tried to stab him with the glass. It barely missed him, and as Eric tried to get away and defend himself, Liam quickly gained the upper hand, grabbing his ankle and hauling him back. The boy gasped as Liam's death like grip closed around his throat, pressing him up against the broken plaster wall and slowly trying to squeeze the life out of him, with Eric choking and struggling, his face growing pale, his lungs burning with the absence of oxygen. It was a good number of seconds before the struggling started to cease, Eric's dark and usually bright eyes starting to glaze over, his face almost blue in color. It was only then that Liam let him go, watching as Eric's form crumpled to the ground and he choked, gasping and coughing.

Suddenly, the door to Leah's bedroom burst open, and what must be Leah's mom and her dad ran into the room. They hardly gave Leah a glance, immediately flocking to where Liam was standing up, his nose and mouth dripping with bright red blood that stained the front of his shirt. "What's going on here!?" The man roared the words, pointing a toe at Eric. "Who's this!?" Eric's vision was splotchy and he could feel his head pounding, unable to stand or even move yet. Liam grabbed the nearest piece of clothing(Eric's hoodie) and used it to hold it to his nose, then wiped the blood off of his chin, standing tall. "Pa, This little shit is fucking around with Leah! I caught them this morning and decided not to make a big deal about it, but he didn't listen and I had to teach him a lesson. He came at me first, Pa, with this." Liam stooped down and grabbed the chunk of glass off the ground, showing the man. Leah's mother gasped, clinging to Joseph's arm. Liam dropped the glass, turning to Leah. As soon as his back was towards their parents, he sneered at her, then grabbed a handful of her long hair and dragged her to her feet. Eric was slowly and painfully making his way to his feet, leaning against the wall and holding his rib cage as he tried to regain his focus. Liam grabbed Leah, dragging her across the room and shoving her towards Eric, who did his best to catch her."Here, you little slut. Look what your boy had to go through just for your worthless self." They both crumpled to the ground and Joseph's eyes narrowed.

"Liam, I'm calling the police. Come with me and lock the door." He turned, striding out of the room without a word to Leah or Eric. Liam turned around and grinned, spitting blood out onto Leah's carpet. "See you, lovebirds. Don't try anything stupid.. Or I wont be so gentle next time, boy." He slammed the door and Eric heard the distinct click of the lock. All he could do was pull Leah close to him and embrace her tightly, his body heaving painfully.

[Greed]

Everything went from slow motion to happening in a blink of an eye. Leah couldn’t hold onto Liam’s shirt any longer, so when he tore her away, it took little to no effort on his part. Leah couldn’t say she’d been expecting what happened next. She cried out as Liam’s foot connected with her body, succeeding in kicking her away from him. Leah clutched her stomach as she lie there on the floor. She listened to his words, and she couldn’t help but wonder why Liam didn’t just beat her to death right then and there. It would’ve been merciful. And that…that’s probably why he didn’t do it. He wanted her to suffer, that twisted bastard. Leah had exhausted herself, and the tears were still coming. She felt frail. She felt broken. Even if she wasn’t physically dead…she felt like it. And as much as Leah wanted to stop the boys from fighting, she’d lost the energy, and the will, to move. All she could do was lie there and yearn for death, and listen. Each time she heard Eric’s voice, she cringed, and cried a little bit more. She couldn’t…she just couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t say anything, she couldn’t even breathe. She should be dead, she wanted to be dead, she needed to be dead. Leah suffered just as much as Eric did, trying to… Leah didn’t even know what she was trying to do anymore. What was she attempting to do? What was she going to do when this was all over? Would it all end soon, or was Liam determined to make it drag out as long as he possibly could? To put both her and Leah into more pain?

Leah was dragged out of her painful thoughts when she heard her father speaking. Liam’s words about Eric were enough to make Leah drag herself to a half-upright position, turning her head to shoot the death glare towards Liam. She wanted to speak up, she wanted to speak out, she wanted to tell her father that Eric hadn’t done a damn thing wrong. They hadn’t been ‘fucking around.’ They hadn’t been doing anything. A single night just lying in the same bed did not equal sleeping around! “No,” Leah murmured. Leah was about to talk more when she saw Liam walking over, and just as her arms gave out underneath her, she felt Liam grab her by her hair and drag her to her feet. Leah sucked in a harsh breath in pain, trying to push Liam away from her, without success. “Let…” Leah muttered between gritted teeth, “Let me go, Liam…” Leah cringed, “Ouch, fuck, let go!” Leah couldn’t do much but let herself be dragged across the room and practically hurled into Eric. The moment Liam’s words left his mouth, she felt the tears come rushing back. She was worthless. She had no purpose in life, did she? She only made everyone miserable. She only ever got people hurt. But right now, Leah couldn’t do anything but cry. She didn’t even have the energy to cling to Eric like she wanted to, like she had done the night before.

But when Eric pulled her close, Leah closed her eyes and allowed herself to be held in by his warmth. “I’m…I’m so sorry, this is all,” Leah paused, biting back tears, “I’m so sorry…this is my fault…it’s all my fault…everything…everything’s always my fault…You’re hurt…aren’t you? And it’s all…my fault.” Leah didn’t open her eyes, just lie in Eric’s arms like a lifeless doll, and fell silent, her breath unusually calm for someone who had just gone through what she’d gone through. All she wanted to do was die, however. She just wanted to die, to breathe that final breath, and to leave this world forever. Was that too much to ask for? “Eric…I should be dead…” Leah murmured, before finally falling silent once more, no more energy to even breathe softly, but she knew she had to.

[Spritz]

"No... Leah, no.." Eric whispered, his arms wrapped around Leah's body as he held her close to him. His heart felt like it was broken, but it wasn't from Liam's repeated painful blows. No, seeing Leah the way she was right now was plenty enough to crack him, she just laid there in his arms, quietly murmuring under her breath, her eyes closed tight as if she could escape everything that was going on around her, as if she imagined it hard enough, wanted it hard enough, everything would suddenly be better. That wasn't the case. Eric didn't know what he was supposed to do, or how he was supposed to explain to the police what had happened. He didn't care about anything except for Leah. Looking at her and holding her actually made him feel physically better, like she was his medicine and his body healed every time they touched. His shaking fingers quietly stroked her hair, his back pressed against the broken wall as glass littered the floor around them, blood smears and drips staining the furniture and the walls. Eric's nose dripped with the red liquid and his lip was split open, his eyes threatened to close with the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, mentally and physically. In these last two days he'd experienced more love and more pain then he had in years, and he had no regrets. His grip tightened on Leah, as if assuring her he wouldn't let her go, and he held her head to his chest. "No Leah, this isn't your fault. I'm not hurt, I'm fine.."

He was interrupted, though, by the lock on the door clicking and the door creaking open. Leah's mom stepped into the room. She was by herself, but she didn't look happy at all. Her narrow eye'd gaze fell onto Leah and Eric, still sitting where Liam had left them. She cleared her throat, then opened the door all the way, unblinking. "I'm so ashamed of you Leah. After all we've done for you this is how you thank us? I've gotten your father to calm down, he decided to let your boyfriend here go, he's not calling the police." Her gaze turned to Eric. "But may I suggest that next time, you think carefully about who you want to bring into this house. Leah you're not welcome here, at least not for the time being. I'm sure that you and this.. boy, of yours will be able to work something out. I want you to go. I cannot have you in my house any longer. This cannot be the example that you set for your younger sisters, can it?" She pursed her lips and turned to go, but paused. "Take what you want, I don't want to see your face in this house again Leah, do you understand? Not until your father and I work something out. You're out of control.'

She turned and left the room, leaving the door open. "I'm going to take care of you Leah... I'm not leaving you, remember?"

[Greed]

Leah listened quietly, and for the first time, she didn’t believe him. “You’re a liar,” she whispered. “You’re hurt. I heard everything. There’s no way you’re not hurt.” Leah finally opened her eyes slightly and looked up at his face, gently wiping some of the blood away. “And…as much as I hate to admit it, Liam was right. Micah’s death is all my fault… we were in a car accident, and he shielded me. That’s the only reason why I survived. Nobody else lived through that car crash, Eric. Nobody. I really should be dead.” Leah closed her eyes again and just laid there. She didn’t have enough energy to do anything. Her tears had finally dried, but her heart hadn’t stopped breaking. “It is my fault. I…should’ve given you your jacket today, instead of last night. Then…none of this…none of it would’ve happened. You’d be fine, I’d be fine.” However, she was broken off when the door was opened again. Leah opened her eyes halfway, turning her head (more like letting it loll to the side) to see who it was. Leah tensed up when she saw who it was.

Her mother’s words stung, but that sensation didn’t last long. How could she feel remorse, or guilt, for a mother who’d never acted like a mother to her, except when Micah had been around? Leah didn’t speak until her mother left. Even if she hated it here, she’d lost her home. She had nowhere to go. She was lost. She had no idea what she was going to do, or how Eric was going to keep his promise, and it worried her. Leah let her head fall against Eric’s chest again, and murmured, “I just lost everything. Even if it was something barely worth keeping, I lost it. I don’t…I don’t have anything anymore. I don’t know where I’m going to go… I’ve never really been outside my home before, so I can’t go stay with a friend…I…” Leah closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. “I feel broken, Eric.” Leah paused for a second. “I feel broken, and empty and…I just want to lie down and die.” Leah knew what she was saying was probably a horrible thing to say, but she wasn’t going to lie to Eric, and it was more than obvious that she was far from ‘okay.’ How…how… Leah had known her brother had been an ass. He’d always been an ass, ever since she’d been old enough to do his chores. But never in her lifetime would she have even expected him to say the things that he did. Leah…she wasn’t as slut. She wasn’t a whore. She knew she wasn’t. Micah was the only lover she’d ever had, and they’d never gone farther than a hug or a kiss. Micah and Leah had boundaries, and they respected each other’s boundaries.

Leah didn’t know what to do. Should she simply look around and decide what to take with her? Did she stay curled up in Eric’s warmth? Did she go and beg her mother to let her stay? No…definitely not that. Definitely not. Leah didn’t have anyone except for Eric now. But she wouldn’t impose on him and his household. Definitely not. Leah made a discomforted face for a second as she shifted, pulling herself up more, and turning to Eric. “I…I have to pack…some stuff…and just…leave. I don’t know where I’ll go, but it’s obviously not here.” Leah sighed and opened her eyes fully this time, examining Eric’s face. “Shit, Eric…I knew…you were lying to me. I’ll clean you up, hold on a second. Don’t move.” Leah managed to get up, her knees still obviously shaky, and disappear into her bathroom. She grabbed a few supplies: antibiotics, and a dark washcloth so blood wouldn’t show. She took another dark-colored washcloth as well, and left this one dry, before coming out and dropping to her knees, inspecting Eric’s face for a second. “You’re a really bad liar,” Leah murmured before lifting the wet washrag, “It might sting a bit when I put antibiotics on, but it’ll be better than getting an infection. So hold still.” With that, Leah began to address his facial wounds, wash them, dry them, and apply antibiotics. After that, she turned to any other wounds visible on his body and tended to them as well. When she was finished, she sat back and looked him over. He looked much better without blood on his face. Smiling lightly, despite the horrid situation she currently found herself in, Leah brushed away some of Eric’s dark, shaggy hair from his eyes. “Blood doesn’t suit you very well. You look much more handsome now,” Leah muttered with a smile.

[Spritz]

"No." Eric's mouth curved into a smile and his eyes gleamed. "I'm not lying. I'm alright. Stuff like this heals fast, I'm used to it." He squeezed her hand gently, wincing slightly as she wiped blood off of his face, even though she was gentle about it. "As awful as that is, there is a reason that you survived, Leah. I know it's hard to believe- and I know that it's going to take a long time for you to get that in your head, but if you had been supposed to die, you would have. There are no should be's anymore, Leah, you are alive and you are going to stay alive. Don't be silly and talk like that." He ran a thumb over her cheek, frowning at her. "This has been the best 24 hours of my life in two years. Remember what I told you last night?" Eric paused and smiled a little wider, but it wasn't much due to the painful cut on his lip. "You don't ever need to be sorry around me.."

As Leah talked, Eric's mood became more and more serious. He couldn't stand hearing Leah blame herself. Ultimately, it was HIS fault, not hers. He'd been the one who had chosen to stay the night. She hadn't asked him to, he'd done it on his own, whether he was wanted or not. And he'd paid for it. But that didn't mean that Leah had to as well. Because of him she'd lost everything she had left. She wasn't even welcome in her own family, her own house anymore, just because of the nasty ugly lie that Liam had spread about them. He had to take care of her. But... he couldn't bring her home. There was too much of a risk that his step dad might do something horrible to the both of them. Eric tried to clear his head, pushing away the troubling thoughts and focusing only on Leah. Her head fell onto his chest and he gently twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, silently thanking god, or whoever was up there, that she hadn't been physically hurt.

"I know Leah... I'm so sorry. I wish I could make everything better in the blink of an eye but I cant. I can try, but I just cant. I promise you right now though, that I'm going to do everything it takes to make it better, no matter how long it takes. I promise." Eric closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. "You have me... I'm not going anywhere- I'll take care of you. I'l take care of you if you promise not to give up on me, Leah." Leah suddenly lifted her head, frowning at his bloody face then swearing softly under her breath. She clamored off of Eric's lap and headed towards the bathroom, emerging with some towels and antibiotics. Eric couldn't help but smile at her, and murmured a thank you as she started to wipe the blood from his face. It hurt, and whatever she put on the cuts stung like hell, but in a few minutes he was patched up and relatively free of blood.

"Thank you, Leah." He smiled faintly, but his eyes were troubled. There was too much to think about, too much on his mind. Where were they supposed to go? Where? His eyes lit up for a second as she brushed his hair away from his eyes, and lifted them to meet hers. "Really? Maybe blood's the new style." He grinned.
"I have an idea. I want to take you somewhere. I think it'll make you feel better. Will you come with me?"

[Greed]

Leah didn’t believe him when he said he was fine. When he said he was used to it, she stiffened slightly, and spoke in a tone that came out harsher than she’d intended, “You shouldn’t be. You shouldn’t have to be used to it. Nobody should.” Leah calmed herself slightly when he continued talking. She couldn’t believe what he was saying…she just couldn’t bring herself to believe that she was meant to be alive, that she had some purpose out there, somewhere. She wanted to say she really should be dead. If Micah…if Micah hadn’t loved her so much, she would be dead. But Leah had loved Micah just as much as Micah had loved her. And losing him had been the biggest defeat of her life. She’d never felt more broken in her life. But… today was a pretty close match in the brokenness department. The words her brother said would never leave her, she knew, but she hoped that with Eric’s help, and her own determination (once she mustered it up), she would be able to live a life free of concern that she would ever be hurt like that again. And she hoped she wouldn’t have to worry about Micah anymore. The connection she felt with Eric, she realized, was real. It wasn’t some fling that lasted a night. He’d stood up for her and practically got beaten to a pulp by her older brother, just because he believed she wasn’t being treated right. Most young men would’ve backed out before they got hurt, or would have simply encouraged her from the sidelines to break free of her oppression. But, no, Eric was different. He’d stood up for her, and taken blows for her, much like a husband would for a wife, and it gave Leah the best feeling, the warmest feeling, in her heart. Leah would be happy, would be protected, with Eric, she knew. He’d proved himself.

Leah let him talk. He apologized, he wished, he promised. And Leah believed his promises. She wanted to, she needed to believe in them. They were all she had left. Smiling, Leah look up at him. “I know… I know I have you.” Leah nodded, “I won’t, Eric. I promise I won’t give up on you.”

With Eric cleaned up and ready to roll, he began to talk a bit more lightheartedly, and his grin returned. That made Leah happy, and she smiled as well. “Oh, don’t you even joke about that,” Leah teased. “But…” Leah frowned, “Shouldn’t…I get my stuff first? I doubt once I leave this house I’ll get the chance to come back in. Anyways…I need to change out of this.” Leah pointed at the faded purple robe that she still wore. “I’ll just put some stuff in my backpack and get changed and…then we can leave.” Leah smiled and pushed herself to her feet. “And that’s a stupid question. Of course I’ll come with you.” Leah said, smiling. With that, Leah walked to her closet, grabbed some grey marble skinny jeans, a purple tank top, and some socks before grabbing a backpack and disappearing into the bathroom. It didn’t take her long to change. She put on just a small amount of makeup, deciding she didn’t really give a damn, and then packed it all away in her backpack before coming out, putting her favorite, rather tattered, black Converse on and packing the rest of what she could fit in her bag, grabbing her phone last and sliding it into her back pocket, shouldering her backpack. “All right…well…that’s everything I can take, and need. Ready? I’m curious as to where you’re taking me.” Leah smiled and held out her hand for Eric to take.

[Spritz]

Eric felt a little bit like a king. It was silly to think that way but he really, honestly did. Leah was there for him every step he took, she cleaned him up and she made him feel really, really happy for the first time in such a long, long time, even though he'd just gotten beaten up pretty bad. The defeat wasn't even that bad. Eric knew when he got involved in the fight with Liam that he'd probably end up with a lot of bruises and he wouldn't beat him, but he'd gotten some good hits and Liam's ugly face was messed up even more. The thought of Liam's bruised and battered face seemed to make Eric feel a little bit better. He'd gotten his wits again and slowly stood up, regaining his balance and trying not to wince to much as the movement jarred his ribs. Something didn't feel awful good down there, but he ignored the pain and smiled gently at Leah as she grabbed some clothes to change into.

She disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him, and Eric listened to the voices downstairs. It was impossible to tell what they were saying, but he could hear the deep tones of Liam and Leah's father conversing, and occasionally, a feminine voice piping in, but quickly being hushed and ignored. Eric didn't like either of Leah's parents. The way they treated her, talked to her, ignored her, it all just drove him crazy. He didn't understand how anyone could treat their own daughter like a slave. She was their own flesh and blood and yet, for some reason, she was treated differently from the rest of the family. It was definitely a puzzle, but Eric didn't have enough time(or energy) right now to figure it out. He wanted to ask Leah about it later on, but now wasn't the right time.

Eric bent down to retrieve his hoodie, but Liam had tossed it to the floor and it was stained with his nose blood. Eric frowned at it, then decided it wasn't worth keeping. As he straightened back up he hissed in pain, pressing a hand over his ribs. Yep.. something definitely didn't feel good. Carefully, Eric worked his white, blood stained t-shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor next to his equally bloody hoodie. He glanced down, carefully pressing his fingers over his rib cage, wincing slightly and noticed that already, his tan skin was starting to become a light bruised color. He could hear Leah inside the bathroom and briefly wished that he was in there with her- but caught himself before his thoughts got much farther then that. He convinced himself it was just his protective nature and let it be at that, determined not to get distracted right now.
He looked around the room, the way it was decorated, the stuff that covered the walls and how even though it was messy, everything just seemed to fit together. This was the one place that Leah called her own... and thanks to him, she didn't even have this anymore.

[Greed]

When Leah had finished changing and packing, she really hadn’t expected to see what she saw next. Not that it bugged her or anything, but walking back into her room to see Eric wasn’t wearing a shirt… Well, that was quite a sight to behold. She blushed slightly, and was thankful that there was a bruise on his side that she could pretend she’d been looking at the entire time, and nothing else. A worried expression crossed her face as she walked over to him and examined the bruise. “He got you pretty good, didn’t he…” Leah murmured. She cursed at herself quietly, angry that at the time she couldn’t have at least gotten the strength to get up and try and stop her brother. At least, then, she would’ve had the pride to say she tried, and put effort into it. But she hadn’t, and therefore she couldn’t. But in that moment Leah had been frozen with pain and heartache and brokenness. And for God’s sake, her own brother had kicked her! That was the first time she’d ever been physically abused by anyone in her family, even if it was just a kick. She hadn’t been hurt like Eric had been. She hadn’t known Liam’s wrath was capable of doing this to someone. She hadn’t had a clue. If she had known…she would’ve tried ten times harder to stop the fight before someone got killed. Come to think of it, Leah wouldn’t be all too surprised if she got a bruise where Liam kicked her. But it wouldn’t be as bad as this was. Leah was only glad now that she hadn’t turned around and watched what was happening to Eric. If she had, she never would’ve been able to live with herself. “I’m sorry, Eric. If I’d known he could get so…violent, I’d have tried harder to help. He’s never shown aggressive tendencies before. He’s never tried to lay a finger on me or anyone else. I didn’t know what he was capable of.”

Leah straightened and sighed, noting the look in his eyes. He looked…disappointed in a sense, and Leah couldn’t help but feel it was disappointment in himself. She would’ve hugged him, but without a shirt on, Leah knew she’d blush like hell if she hugged him now. Leah’s eyes dropped to the bloody clothing on the floor and she grimaced. “He’s an asshole.” With that, Leah snatched up Eric’s bloodied clothes and shouldered her backpack. “Follow me.” Leah walked out of her bedroom, making sure that Liam wasn’t in his room – no, his voice could be heard downstairs, somewhere in the kitchen, Leah guessed – before she headed in. Putting her hands on her hips, Leah looked around. It didn’t take her long to make up her mind. She went over to Liam’s closet and opened the door, grabbing two hangers and hanging Eric’s clothes up on them before turning around to look at Eric. “His shirts might be just a size bigger than you, I don’t know. But take your pick.” Leah smiled and waved her hand in the direction of his closet. “I hung up your clothes so Liam will get a nice little surprise when he comes looking for a hoodie or shirt.” Leah smiled. “Then we can go to this mystery place you were talking about earlier.”

Leah backed away from the closet so Eric could reach all the clothes, and plopped down on Liam’s bed. It was a lot more fluffy than hers, she noticed right away. Stupid Liam. Stupid Ma. Stupid Pa. They were all stupid. But Leah knew why they hated her. In their eyes, she was a cold-blooded murderer. It wouldn’t have made a difference if Micah had killed himself, or Leah had stabbed him to death, she killed him either way. To them, at least. And she couldn’t change their minds. Oh, how she’d tried, for the first few months. She’d given everything she had into trying to make them believe it wasn’t her fault. But she was given the same answer every time. “Murderer.” Leah didn’t want that brand. She didn’t want that label. She didn’t want to be known as a murderer, especially not in her own family. Realizing she was drowning herself in negative thoughts, Leah cleared her throat and shook her head, running her hand through her brightly colored hair, waiting for Eric.

[Spritz]

"Come on, I didn't really think I was gonna win that one anyway." Eric's lazily grinned at Leah and shook his head, raising an eyebrow, but his face quickly became more serious. "I couldn't let him treat you like that. I was so angry..." His body stiffened slightly as Leah examined his bruise, feeling that familiar spark when his skin touched hers. He gently elbowed her away from him, turning and looking into her eyes. "You did fine, Leah, don't beat yourself up over anything. I'm fine, but more importantly you're fine too, and I got to mess up Liam's face a little bit." Leah bent down and snatched his bloody clothes from the floor, and he winced, realizing how rude that probably was. He started to apologize but she told him to follow her, then quickly walked towards the door and disappeared around the corner. Eric quickly went after her, holding his ribs slightly, and followed her down the narrow hallway, to a semi open door that Leah quickly pushed open.

Eric frowned as he entered the room, looking around and realizing that it was probably Liam's. He put his hand out to touch Leah's shoulder, confused as why she wanted to be here in case they were caught, but then realized that she probably knew what she was doing much better then he did. She looked determined, her face was drawn into a thoughtful frown and she honestly looked like she was ready to kick some ass. Eric couldn't help but smile, even though his body ached and they were in a particularly dangerous situation if Liam decided to come back any time soon. Leah waved a hanger around and directed him towards her brother's closet, stopping and turning around with a grin on his face when she hung up his bloody clothes. "You... you really are something, Leah." He shook his head, still grinning, and opened opened Liam's closet.

Immedietly, a cardboard box that was barely balanced on the top shelf tumbled off of its perch, and Eric dove out of the way as it hit the floor with a crash, playboy magazines spilling out all over the floor. The teenager cursed under his breath, taking a few steps back, realizing that the noise would probably bring Liam up here at any moment. In his clumsiness, his foot landed on one of the glossy magazines covers, making him suddenly slip and land squarely on his rear on the box, crushing it. Eric's face was shocked, but suddenly, he started to chuckle, gasping and holding his ribs as he silently shook with laughter. The situation, after what had happened, was just too humorous."Sh-Shit, Leah, we gotta go!" He scrambled up, grabbed a t-shirt out of Liam's closet, grabbed Leah's hand, then took off down the hallway, pulling her behind him. When they reached the stairs he turned around, his dark eyes glimmering as he smiled, squeezing her hand. "You got everything you need? Let's go."

[Greed]

Leah shook her head. He was probably right. Liam was older and stronger, but the fact that he’d tried to help had been enough for her. She was sorry that he’d been hurt, though, and the bruise on his side spoke of internal injury, to a minor degree. Leah sighed thinly, “I’m sorry. I can’t do anything about your ribs…they’ll have to heal on their own.” Leah let herself be elbowed away, rolling her eyes lightly and stepping back. She didn’t know the extent of the damage, but hopefully they wouldn’t remain broken for more than a week. She couldn’t be sure, however. One, she wasn’t a doctor, and two, she didn’t know how many times or how much force Liam had used when he’d hit him. She seethed inside to think that Liam had planned on killing Eric – she had no doubt he wanted to kill, not just maim – to spite her. To make sure Eric didn’t come back. To make Leah feel worthless again. To make Leah feel like she wasn’t worth coming back to. Leah forced herself to push the thoughts aside. She couldn’t afford to feel remorse over what her brother had already said and tried to do. But no matter how hard Leah tried, she couldn’t remain completely focused. All the things…her brother had said. He’d meant them, hadn’t he? Or was he just mean enough to try and beat Leah down into nothing? Leah still felt that sharp stab that was penetrating her heart. She hated it. She wanted it to go away. But she knew it wouldn’t. She knew it’d stay with her for a long time, if not forever.

Leah couldn’t help but smile at Eric when he said she was something else. She wasn’t usually like this, doing something to spite another person just because she could. No, that really wasn’t usually her style. She’d always been the obedient daughter, doing what she was told when she was told to do it. But she realized now that she wasn’t allowed in this house, she didn’t have to do anything anyone told her. She supposed she’d never had to have done what her parents and brother told her anyways, but she had. She’d been dying to avoid a confrontation like this… She was still rather horrified that someone would physically hurt another being, especially when they were related. Stealing a sideways glance at Eric, she hated that he was ‘used’ to the feeling. She hated it. And she knew, personally, if it ever happened to her, she’d be terrified. As she thought upon it, Leah had no idea what she’d do if she was ever put in a harmful situation. She wasn’t exactly physically strong, and… Leah hated it. One kick from her brother had hurt enough. She never want to have that happen to her again. Ever.

Leah was brought away from her thoughts when she heard something fall, followed shortly by another thing falling, which just so happened to be Eric. Leah stuck out her tongue at the magazines. Her brother was such a pervert. But most teenage boys like him were. However, looking at Eric on the floor laughing made Leah laugh too, though she bit her tongue to keep quiet. “Klutz,” she joked before grabbing the strap of her backpack as Eric pulled her down the hallway. His hand was rough, rougher than hers at least. But it was nice. She liked it. The difference in their hands complimented each other, she thought. Leah nearly ran into Eric when he stopped at the stairs, turning around to speak to her, his hand squeezing hers gently. “Yeah…I have everything.” Leah smiled, following behind Eric as they made their way out of the house. “Hey, when are you gonna tell me where we’re going, anyways?”

[Spritz]

Eric wasn't sure what had happened. After last night, they had gotten… so much closer. In the space of a few hours, she’d gained his trust completely. He realized, that he’d go through anything to keep her. Yes, Eric felt horrible about what had happened this morning, but now, he had Leah all to himself. He’d promised to take care of her and no matter what happened, he’d hold up his end of the bargain. She wouldn't give up, and neither would he. A smile touched his lips and he felt her hand in his, his rougher, larger one closing around her's, reassuringly holding it tight and shaking his head. His eyes glimmered mischievously, like he was a small boy bringing someone to his hideout. "Nope, I'm not telling you! It's a secret. I promise you'll like it, though. Trust me." His hand slipped out of hers momentarily as he shrugged the t-shirt he'd taken from Liam over his head, the black material covering his bruised side. Eric grabbed her hand again and walked her down with him.

He didn't care what Liam thought, what Leah's parents or anyone in her family thought when they saw them come down the stairs. Liam was still bloody and the sight of his ugly beaten face made Eric want to grin. He'd definitely thrown a few good punches. Even though he'd been defeated, his pride upped a bit and he had the nerve to fiercely glance into Liam's eyes as he moved past, coaxing Leah softly past her parents, who were both watching them without saying a word. "Don't worry about her, she's much better off with me, anyway." Eric spat angrily, and Leah's father's face was red with anger and his jaw clenched. Nobody made an effort to stop the young couple though as Eric hurriedly led her past them.

Once they were outside, Eric bumped his shoulder into Leah's, smiling down at her. She was a few inches shorter then him, but then again he was already tall to begin with. To him, she was the perfect height. Everything about her was perfect just the way it was. He wasn't bashful about holding her hand but he felt that maybe, it was just going a little too far... Maybe she didn't feel comfortable with it. The last thing he wanted to do was throw more emotions onto her plate, so he gently let it slip out of his, sliding his own hand into his jean's pocket. "Don't worry, Leah. It's all gonna be okay."

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