Kare ni Suki shimatta (( |WW| & CesareB )) 18+

[|WW|]

 

+++++++++++++++++++

+ Private RP +

+++++++++++++++++++

 

 

It was taking too long. He'd probably melt long before anyone managed to pass by the alley's mouth. Sweat dribbled down his face beneath the medical mask which obscured his face from nose to chin. He wore red contacts so his appearance in the dark was more frightening. The impact often helped people hand over the goods easier when a beast stared back at them. Pulling the black ball cap lower over his face he waited; crouched uncomfortably against the row of large brown trash cans.

 

"Damn," he muttered softly, peeking out as two large males passed by the opening. They were far too big. And most likely a heap of trouble to boot. Not worth the effort. Inching back in place he waited, listening. The city around him let off so many sounds in the night; yet he knew most of them by heart. The sputter of a taxi exhaust. The deep base thumping just a block away at the Cat Call Club. The very place those two big fella's had just come from most likely. Even of the crackle of the nearby blinking and tired street lights was no bother to his nerves.

 

Jumping slightly when something brushed against his tattered jeans, his gaze dropped to find another familiar sound. The filthy rat squeaked up at him and skittered by, not bothered by the human who'd got in his way. Noah frowned after the creature, leaning back until his head thumped against the brick wall of the building at his back. It looked like it was going to be a very long night. He was so hungry his stomach might have started eating it's own fluids.

[CesareB]

Leone dragged his heavy legs around the streets. His cheap, black suit looked a tad worn out. He carried his jacket, exposing his wet back. It must have been wet from sweat. Leone wore his white button down shirt and his tie, but after work, he took it off. After a few wrong turns, the man in his mid twenties found himself tired. He almost never found himself away from home around that time of night. Usually, he would be sleeping. That, or working a night job. He ruffled his own chocolate colored, short hair and yawned. Work that day… it had been annoying. But that was only because the person that he had been guarding was constantly being attacked.

 

Yes, Leone had been working as a body guard. Despite looking like a regular man (despite his scar that ran along his stomach), he carried a heavy punch. As the blue eyed brunette passed the Cat Call Club, he let out a sigh. How long again had he worked there as a doorman? Leone hated his drifter life and his career as a "jack of all trades". He hated that he didn't have a steady income, or that he had no family. He lived in an old apartment next to a couple of hoodlums.

 

"Ugh…" he groaned, taking out a box of cigarettes. Night life was never his ideal style, but recently, that's where his life had been headed.

 

Leone knew a lot about the area he was in. After all, he had worked there for a couple of weeks. He knew full as well as the next person that people lurked in dark corners. Yet Leone neared an alley on guard, well aware of that.

[|WW|]

Yup. He was pretty sure his stomach had officially started devouring itself. It growled loudly and with that came the hunger pains. He pressed a palm to his black shirt, creasing the material as he rubbed at the angered abdomen. He'd eaten earlier that morning after having lifted a wallet at the nearby park. Business men were so damn careless with their suit pockets. You could bump into anyone these days and have them totally fooled with a sincere apology. Sincere? Pftt. Right. He just wanted whatever he could fetch for a nice price.

 

He'd waited long enough. The bar would be closing soon and all the stragglers left would have their keys taken away and their friends to cart them home safely. Which meant groups of people. He didn't hit groups. That was just asking for trouble, and big trouble at that. Shifting, he inched up from kneeling; standing up to his full five feet eleven inches. He'd been robbed of 6 feet. But he was 19, so perhaps all this lack of eating could be stunting his growth? How the hell should he know?

 

Sliding the mask down both his nose and lips, he was able to take his first gulp of somewhat fresh air. The night felt cooler because the moisture on his face. Sighing heavily he shuffled towards the alley's mouth, planning on heading home for the night. At least he'd managed to secure somewhere to stay for a bit. That was until the cops found out that the abandoned building was not quite so, well, empty. It always happened eventually.

 

Having dropped his guard he turned the corner that lead him out of the dark shadows, and ran head-on into someone. "Shit man," he exclaimed and then went quiet. CRAP. CRAP CRAP STUPID SON OF A-- he'd missed his chance to grab someone's wallet. This guy had just wandered here out of the blue. Was he walking on clouds? Noah hadn't even heard the mans approach. If he was thinking correctly he could have bumped into the guy, grabbed the package and hot-footed out of there. Now he had to improvise.

 

Trying to recover he tipped his head down and tugged the mask quickly up over his mouth, bumping again into the man as if he'd had one too many drinks. He purposely slurred his speech. "Haha, maaaan you sscared me," he spoke, using a nice hiccup at the end of his sentence. His swift hand carefully whispered over the man's pockets as he invaded the space of the other, making it look as though he was trying to hold himself up from being dizzy. Finding a few bills in a back pocket he lifted them and slid them up his sleeve so fast even a magician would have been impressed with the slight-of-hand.

[CesareB]

He hadn't been focused that much. Despite being on guard, he found himself thinking about his job again. That annoying boss of his… That boss lazed around all day, despite being a CEO of a prominent business. But that CEO had done some bad things and taken a few wrong turns… now someone was after his no-good life. And to pay Leone for his hard work, the CEO just gave him more work!

 

Leone felt the need to rush past the alley, making sure that he wouldn't run into any trouble. Well… that didn't work out too well. As soon as he crossed the opening of the alley, he bumped into someone. The impact caused him to jump backwards, but the fool that had bumped into him… Leone watched as the person in the black cap stumbled around and grabbed onto his sweaty shirt for leverage. Was he… drunk? When the stranger began getting too close, Leone felt uncomfortable. But the stranger's closeness made Leone think.

 

Wait, he thought. This guy doesn't smell like alcohol at all!

 

Immediately, he knew that something was up. Working as a guard at the Cat Call Club as a doorman had given him experience with bars. Because of that, he knew that the guy he had suddenly bumped into was not drunk. As fast as possible, Leone shoved the stranger away and thrust his already ready fist into his stomach. Leone was always prominent in martial arts. Despite looking average when it came to power, he had immense power. So that punch… it was not a light one.

[|WW|]

Sweet. A few bills secured up his sleeve, and now the exit. He was just about to release the guy and go wobble off for some grub when he was met with a heavy push. He stumbled back and nearly toppled right over from the offset balance. "Whoaaa, what a-," the rest wasn't possible. The fist that met his belly was in no way letting him finish that sentence. Already having been stumbling to and fro; he found himself crashing down onto his rear.

 

The landing had been enough to make his teeth chatter, and that freaking hurt. He coughed, saliva dribbling over his lips at the force in which air had been forced from his lungs. He couldn't have talked even if he'd wanted too. It'd been a while since he'd had such a well delivered punch to the gut. Thank God it missed his ribs. He could afford the belly which already was running on empty.

 

Seeing the jig was up he stumbled to get to his feet again. He accidentally stepped on the hem of his ragged jeans and tore them a touch further. Aw, crap, these were his favorite ones. This jerk. Steamed he suddenly sprung forward, burying his head of all things into the guys stomach as payback. It made his neck ache, but he was sure it felt awful for the other guy. That's what he got for being so rough with a supposed drunk guy.

 

His plan was to dip under the guys arm and start running away, but lights began to flicker in front of his eyes. He blinked a few times trying to clear it, but it was close to the static that flashed over your tv screen when you hit those weird channels.

 

"What the-," he started to grunt out, but instead toppled right over for a second time. A telephone pole had been his savior; keeping him from landing face-first on the pavement below. The breath rushed out and his awareness slid to pitch black. That's the consequences of not eating, sitting in 90 degree heat, then scuffling with a body guard. Instant exhaustion KO. The black cap tipped off his head as he lay motionless, the long ponytail hidden beneath spilled out in soft blue, nearly gray silky waves. Apparently it -had- been a deeper blue, but the coloring had long faded.

[CesareB]

Leone watched as the faker stumbled backwards onto the pavement. He began coughing disgustingly, bringing up saliva and whatnot. He got in a ready position as the young fool stood up and rushed at him, head first. As soon as his head crashed onto Leone's stomach, things became clear to Leone.

 

This guy… he's trying to get away! he thought, reaching out to catch him from running.

 

Leone watched in confusion as the guy toppled over again, but was saved by a lamp post. The older brunette moved in to snag the guy, but he stopped when he noticed something. After a few seconds, the guy in the black cap fell on the ground. Leone moved closer and watched from afar. A few moments passed and he inched closer. The brunette waved his right hand in front of the delinquent's closed eyes to catch a reaction, but he got nothing.

 

Leone stood up and grabbed the jacket that he dropped, but he stopped and looked at the delinquent. His black cap had fallen off, reviewing his perfectly concealed ponytail of blue, silken hair. Leon's sighed. He wasn't going to leave the brat. After all, he had been in the kid's shoes. Knowing that he was going to regret his actions, Leone picked the delinquent up and tossed him over his shoulder.

 

That kid was surprisingly light. Why? Was it because he was hungry? Leone frowned.

 

"Damned brat… ruining my night. Now I won't get any sleep…!" he muttered as he carried the delinquent to his apartment.

 

Leone's apartment was downright dingy. When Leone bought it a year ago, it was still run down. The doors where made of rotting wood, most of the windows were broken and shattered, the stairs were creaky, and the hallways had no lights. Prevent the front yard was messy and unkempt!He hated how he lived next to no-good hoodlums that only stayed there to drink and smoke, then hang out. He trudged to his door and unlocked it, then walked inside with the delinquent on his shoulder. After getting inside, he shut his front door and locked it.

 

Next, he tossed the delinquent onto his bed like a rag doll and went into the back to take off his suit and up change I to comfortable clothes. After doing so, he walked into the kitchen and made a meal… enough for a whole family. Leone sucked at cooking, but it made do. He couldn't afford cooking lessons, so he had to go with what he already had. After all, money was tight.

 

After finishing that, he sat at the corner of his bed and waited for the blue haired brat to wake up.

[|WW|]

It was black. Everything. He was merely floating among it like a specter lazing down an oil slick river. He hated the feeling of rocking, like he were aboard a ship at sea being tossed back and forth. God he wanted to puke so badly. There just wasn't anything to release. Time went by slowly as he rocked back and forth in the eerily silent blackness. It seemed like hours. But was it?

 

Thick lashed lids fluttered slowly, the first beams of a soft light penetrated his vision. The rocking had just suddenly stopped. Compared to the waves he'd endured, he now felt as though he were nestled in the softness of a cloud. His body felt like it were sinking into the pillowy softness below. It felt pretty damn good. Anything was better than the rocking motion. "Hmnn..," his throat felt dry and his tongue stuck to his cheek as he cleared his throat a few times.

 

Once things slowly merged into full view, he laid blinking multi-colored eyes with a look of confusion shifting his youthful features. He realized that at some point one of his contacts had fallen out; leaving him with only one left. They'd cost quite a bit, and that was just bad luck. Lifting a hand he wiped his face lightly and pushed at the softness below, sitting up slowly. A hand dropped to hold his stomach as it cried in pain. "Ouch," he hissed quietly, rubbing the muscles as if to soothe them the best he could.

 

"Where the hell am I?" He blurted out, his surprisingly sing-song voice rusty from his brief sleep. The realization hit him moments after. He grabbed at his shirt sleeve, checking beneath the cuff. Nothing. The money was gone. His little bubble of happiness deflated and popped in a single second. Little did he know it had actually fallen on the bed when he'd been tossed there; and the owner had taken it back.

 

Noah looked a complete mess. His long hair was all over the place. His face that hadn't been hidden under the mask was somewhat dirt-stained. A red and blue eye adorned that dirty face, along with a small scar just above his left eyebrow from where a piercing had been torn out at one point. His shirt was wrinkled badly, and littered in questionable stains. And the jeans, well, they were holed here and there and the part near his gym-shoed feet was in shreds and black from walking on them. Never mind the smell of the streets that wafted off him. This poor punk matched the scenery oddly enough.

[CesareB]

Leone sighed and stood up from his seat when he heard the delinquent's raspy voice.

 

"Looks like you're up. But you're at my place. Dingy, I know, but it's better than nothing," he said with his gruff voice. His voice sent off a vibe that said "stay away, or I will break your bones".

 

Leone didn't like rude or inconsiderate people. And this brat in front of him… he pissed the brunette off to his very core. After standing up all the way, he walked to his window and looked out for a few seconds. In those seconds, he saw the dark street that sat in front of his apartments. Next, he slowly trudged back to his bed and glared at Noah. The delinquent had one red eye and one blue eye. He was dingy and dirty, causing Leone to sigh again. What a cruel world, if that kid was homeless, or if he couldn't pay for anything that he needed.

 

"Well, I'll keep it short. I don't like brats that try to steal. Especially when they try to rob me of my hard earned cash." Leone tussled his chocolate hair and sighed yet again. "But I'm not evil or inconsiderate, kid. Tell me what's up, and then maybe I can help you. How old are you, anyways? I remember when I was your age, I was tight in money as well."

 

Next, Leone went to his small and broken-down kitchen and took a bag of ice out to the delinquent.

[|WW|]

Noah was greeted with the brunette he'd scuffled with back at the alley. The mans age was questionable, but he was certainly older than his mere 19 years. His eyes narrowed and his lips peeled back into what might have been considered a snarl. Just what was this guy up to? He could have easily left the dirty little shit on the streets, or better yet hand him to the authorities. But instead he'd been brought to some dingy apartment. This guys home at that.

 

"Looks like you're up. But you're at my place. Dingy, I know, but it's better than nothing."

 

"Are you stupid? Like I care about your dirty place," he spoke annoyed, his hackles rising, "and why would you bring a stranger to your home? Aren't you the least bit aware of your choices?" Obviously this guy hadn't been raised with a lick of sense. Like the chance that maybe Noah would get away and come back one day with some buddies for some payback? Pshh, like he had buddies anyways, but still. It could happen.

 

He'd tensed up quite a bit, realizing he was on a bed of all places. The sheets had actually smelled clean too. Well, at least he'd changed them after doing whatever it was he did on it. He didn't trust any man that just hauled someone off to their place without so much as asking permission or even discussing the topic. Okay, well, he -had- been out like a light. Hard to ask the KO'd. Listening to the man talk he frowned slowly, trying to read the air.

 

"Well, I'll keep it short. I don't like brats that try to steal. Especially when they try to rob me of my hard earned cash. But I'm not evil or inconsiderate, kid. Tell me what's up, and then maybe I can help you. How old are you, anyways? I remember when I was your age, I was tight in money as well."

 

Noah frowned deeper, his brain trying to work over the words of the man before him. Was this some sort of trick or was the guy actually attempting to be kind? Not evil? That wasn't something people usually said after getting robbed. Well, almost robbed. He hesitated as his odd gaze followed the man towards the kitchen, still watching as he returned holding what appeared to be an ice pack of some sort.

 

"What's the catch?" It seems he didn't understand the offered assistance. Nothing was free. Everything came with a price. He'd learned that the hard way. "You one of those guys that has some shady job where you need some fresh faces?" He'd met tons of those pervs. Offered to help him out and then said the debt for helping was doing something disgusting. He wasn't into that shit.

 

 

 

 

[CesareB]

"Well, you asked where you were. And I told you what you wanted to know. Now how is that stupid, eh?"

 

The brunette didn't enjoy annoying brats that went on and on about things. He should have accepted that he was in the wrong. Leone sighed. "Catch? Is that all you think of? Don't think a total stranger can be nice? Well, you're both intelligent and naive."

 

He threw the ice pack at the delinquent and sat back down at the corner of the bed. Catch, huh? Well, that always happened. People in the world… they never really knew who to trust and who not to trust. After all, people where always scheming. But Leone wasn't scheming. There was no catch, actually. All Leone wanted was an explanation. Plus, how could he leave an unconscious person out in the cold streets? Leone wasn't that cruel.

 

Sitting his feet up on a wooden chair, he stretched out. "Kid, all I want to know is why you wanted to rob me. Because you were hungry?"

 

He watched the teenage delinquent carefully. His blue long hair looked unkempt and messy, along with the clothes he wore. His jeans were ripped… the delinquent looked almost pitiable.

[|WW|]

"Well, you asked where you were. And I told you what you wanted to know. Now how is that stupid, eh?"

Well, that's true. Noah had asked where he was. But he'd been talking to himself. Wasn't his fault the guy took it upon himself to answer and assume he was being spoken too.

 

"Catch? Is that all you think of? Don't think a total stranger can be nice? Well, you're both intelligent and naive."

"Total strangers aren't nice," he answered in a tone that was almost sulking. "Not that I've seen anyway. And I'm not.. naive." He sniffed a few times, as if something had tickled his nose. Reaching up he gathered the long messy mass of hair and tossed it over his shoulder; tired of almost eating the strands while he talked.

 

His hands abandoned the strands as the ice bag flew to him, his fingers grabbing at it clumsily before having a secure hold on it. It was freezing. Biting his lip he eye'd the bag then his shirt. Lifting it a touch he shoved the bag on his stomach and nearly went pale as the cold touched his bruised belly. "Ouch, jesus you hit hard." The words weren't so much in anger as pain.

 

Okay, so maybe the guy wasn't too bad. Minus the punch to the gut. If so wouldn't he have jumped Noah while he'd been passed out? So the sex-trade he could at least cross off the list. For the most part. His hand trembled the slightest as he pressed the bag to his belly, the cold seeping into his hand and abdomen chilling both to the bone. But even if it hurt, the cold would surely help ease the swelling and yellow-purple bruising somewhat.

 

"Kid, all I want to know is why you wanted to rob me. Because you were hungry?"

 

"Look, I'm not a kid okay. I'm a man. And yeah. I'm freaking starving, okay? Is that what you want to know? I ate some stupid greasy mush for breakfast and after that the guy that promised me the scraps from the restaurant bailed on me. So dinner was nil." He sighed, multi-colored eyes closing a few seconds before setting their stare on Leone. "I just wanted some food. My stomach really hurt. Even before you punched it."

[CesareB]

Hearing Noah's borderline complaints, Leone had enough. "I understand… but it's still not… never mind. It's useless to lecture you. How about I feed you, and then we'll part ways. You can rest up a little as well."

 

Leone combed his short hair with his fingers and whistled a tune. It was something that he'd always known since he was a child. After all, his mother had taught him it. His whistling brought memories from long ago back to the present. Leone hated that fact, but he still enjoyed picturing his young mother as she sang the song that he had learned to whistle. His mother had died when she was still young. At that time, poor Leone was ten years old. Well, never mind that… Leone had more pressing matters at that moment. For instance, the failure of a robber in front of him. That sad kid was hungry. He didn't have the proper housing or money, did he?

 

When he heard Noah's comment about his hard hitting, he stopped whistling and tsked. "How else would I defend myself? You never know when you'd be attacked." Leone had learned martial arts as a teenager and studied and worked out for years to come. After practicing and working his hardest, he was one of the most unbeatable men around that town.

 

As he studied the kid, he noticed the scar. Leone decided not to ask about it, but instead pointed out the red eye contact. "You're looking creepy. Take out that contact, will you?"

 

It seemed smartest, since sleeping with contacts was bad for a person's eyes. Leone sighed, yet again. This kid… ahem, man… seemed to not know that. Leone was unsure if he knew, but if he didn't, then it would have been smartest to inform him. The street kid was adamant about being called a man. Leone found it rather amusing. After all, a brat that looked no older than twenty years of age was still a brat to Leone. Well, Leone wasn't hay old either. He was about 25 or 26 years old.

[|WW|]

"I understand… but it's still not… never mind. It's useless to lecture you. How about I feed you, and then we'll part ways. You can rest up a little as well."

 

Part ways? "Really? Your going to... give me free food?" His question was cautious, and an underlining interest might have shown on his face for the first time. Food. He'd smelled something since he'd woken up, but what it was he hadn't a clue. Or maybe he couldn't smell much because he was so used to horrific stenches to begin with. Well, who knew?

 

Noah watched with renewed attention as Leone combed through short chocolate-colored hair. It reminded him of his favorite candy bar for some reason. Not edible obviously, but the coloring. His own hair had been a dirty-blonde at one point in his life. Now it was this faded gray-blue, not even close to an actual color. More like faded glory. The electric blue had really been beautiful when he'd first got it done. He remembered that day clearly. He'd stolen roughly $300 bucks that day and felt like a king for nearly half the month. Food every day, and even a cheap hotel room one night. Getting his hair dyed by an actual salon where a beautiful girl scrubbed his hair and scalp; even flirty conversation. Yeah, he'd felt great.

 

"You're looking creepy. Take out that contact, will you?"

 

He blinked and then for the first time, cracked what appeared to be the smallest of smiles. "Guess it looks kind of silly, huh?" Removing his now frozen hand from the ice pack below, he reached up and lightly tugged the bottom lid down with one finger while the other poked the red lens out of place. It balanced on his finger as he blinked a few times, the eye now watering slightly from being prodded. Matching eyes the color of a summer sky looked back up, seeming less awkward now. The single lens was fisted and shoved in his pocket, figuring he'd throw it away now that it lost it's partner.

 

"So what's your name Mr Nice guy?" He asked, having slightly let his guard down. "And what's for dinner?"

 

[CesareB]

"My name? Oh, it's Leone. Nice to meet you. And you? What's your name?" Leone asked, picking up a lone shoe from the ground.

 

Leone could see that the delinquent was much, much calmer. He wasn't on edge and he didn't look like he'd attack at any moment.

 

"Oh," Leone added, "and dinner isn't anything special. I just made some hot soup."

 

He had been right… the kid was hungry. He didn't live in a place that supported him. Despite being… how old had he said he was…? Oh, Leone remembered… he had called himself a "man". Whatever that meant… Leone took the ice pack from Noah and took it back into the kitchen where he got a new one and put the old one back in the freezer. After replacing it, he brought it back to Noah.

 

After handing it to the brat… ahem, "man", Leone looked at his finger tips. They were a burning red. He let out a sigh and waved them in the air. He combed through his hair again, which was a habit of his, and sat back down at the corner of the bed. He wondered more about Noah. For instance, where did he usually sleep? Or what did he usually eat? Was he used to dangerous situations? And what about his parents? Where they dead? Did they abandon him? Or did Noah runaway? Even Leone knew that living without parents was very hard, especially in one's teenage years. He understood that very well. Maybe because he understood that, he could easily forgive the idiot robber's foolish actions. But he wondered if he was being duped by the kid. Why did he undoubtedly believe him? Leone looked at the palm of the delinquent's left hand when he noticed the red contacts again.

 

Leone was about to go looking for a place to store Noah's contacts when he noticed his cell phone ringing. He turned to the delinquent and said, "Wait a second, it's work."

 

He walked into the kitchen and answered. "Hello?"

 

"Leone, get here early tomorrow morning, okay? Around… Hm… five in the morning?" It was the boss's assistant, Leroy.

 

"Sure, will, Leroy," Leone answered.

 

As soon as he hung up, his mind went back to his current situation. One, where was he going to sleep? Two, where would the brat go if Leone had to get to work early? Leone sighed and demonstrated his comical face palm.

[|WW|]

"My name? Oh, it's Leone. Nice to meet you. And you? What's your name?"

 

"Noah," he answered, leaving it at that. He never liked his name. Named after some biblical mumbo-jumbo about a huge boat carrying 2 pairs of everything on earth? Sounded like a fairytale to him. And people believed that crap? Frowning down at his hand for a moment, he perked up at the next piece of information.

 

"Oh," Leone added, "and dinner isn't anything special. I just made some hot soup."

 

"Soup huh? Well it's free soup so that's better than no soup." He admitted quietly, as if to himself more than to the other guy. He jumped slightly when Leone reached for the ice pack. The partially melted package still nestled under his shirt. When he realized that it had been the ice pack that was being reached for, his nerves calmed a bit and he handed it over without much fuss.

 

Having people reach out to him wasn't something he was used too; unless they meant to hit him or something else entirely. He took the new pack and held it in his already chilled hands, not really wanting to place it against his skin again. The first frostbite like attack had been quite enough. Instead he laid back and placed it behind his head where he'd managed to bean-pole the... well, pole.

 

He could tell Leone was thinking up a storm as he checked the youth out. His eyes spoke without his lips having too. Did he see worry there? Pity? Curiosity? Dozens of things were flowing through that mind. Any person would want to toss out questions at this point. He opened his mouth to tell the man to spill the beans; or questions. The phone interrupted that process and Leone went wandering off to the kitchen. After a moments hesitation he slid off the bed and padded after the man. He caught the last bits of the conversation.

 

"Five in the morning huh? Screw that," he commented distastefully. Getting up that early was impossible without coffee. Coffee costed money. Seeing Leone look suddenly flustered by something, Noah sighed. "So out with it then. You got questions and I'm feeling a bit more charitable. Plus if it gets me that soup faster I might answer anything at this point." His stomach growled loudly as if solidifying his point.

[CesareB]

Leone heard Noah's muttering. He seemed a tad bit sarcastic though it might have been Leone's biased interpretation of the blue haired young man. As soon as he closed his phone, he turned to the door to see Noah standing behind him. In response, he backed up a bit. Backing up was a defense tactic that had been drilled into Leone's body since his training.

 

Hearing Noah's words, he sighed. "Questions? Well, I'm not going to pry into your business. But, I want to know where you'll be staying after you leave here."

 

Before hearing the answer, Leone walked to the stove and made a bowl of tomato soup. It was the perfect meal. After all, it wasn't that hard to make, nor was it expensive. Plus, it warmed a person up. All Leone had to do was pick one of the tomatoes that a friend grew, smash the tomatoes, then heated it up and wala~! He had tomato soup. Leone carried the hot bowl to the kid and abruptly handed it to him.

 

Next, he backed up and viewed Noah again.

 

"Also," Leone added, "what do you plan on doing when I leave for work early tomorrow? I don't want you roaming these streets. You could seriously get killed…"

 

With that, he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for an answer. As he waited, he thought for a while. Who exactly was Noah? He clearly had a lot of problems that he seems to not have resolved. Leone truthfully wished for Noah's safety. Maybe it was because of pity?

 

Or or was it because he had experienced something similar?

[|WW|]

"Questions? Well, I'm not going to pry into your business. But, I want to know where you'll be staying after you leave here."

Well, Noah didn't exactly know that himself. Depending on where they were, he could somehow make his way back to abandoned building. Not that he had anything there stashed. It was just a roof over his head and 4 walls; that's really all he required. "Eh, well..," he paused, lightly nibbling at his lower lip in thought. Should he trust the guy enough to tell him? What if the nice streak ended and the man decided to call the cops? Maybe he was being to quick to judge, but again something like this didn't often come to pass. "I don't know...I guess."

 

Curious he watched the man awkwardly work at making homemade soup. Noah frowned deeply watching the tomato's being smashed and then heated. What in the world was that? Mush? That wasn't soup at all. He kept quiet wondering if Leone would add more to it, but once the bowl was handed to him he finally understood the situation he'd been put in. He was thankful to a point, but the obvious lack of cooking skills prickled some inner pride button. He attempted to school his face into a neutral state.

 

"Also," Leone added, "what do you plan on doing when I leave for work early tomorrow? I don't want you roaming these streets. You could seriously get killed…"

 

"You must be tired Leone. You do realize the bars closed at 1am. Do you mean you're going to work in but a few hours, or do you mean the next day?" Sighing out he looked down at the sad bowl and finally carried it to the bed, sitting opposite from Leone. Using the spoon to scoop up the mixture, he took a small taste. Hungry as he was, he then just tipped the bowl against his lips and started gulping the contents down. Screw the manners and the contents; his stomach needed it. He barely came up for air till the bowl was empty and he was lapping the remains off his lips with his pink tongue. Some color dappled his cheeks from the liquids warmth.

 

"I'll make you a deal if you're so worried," he spoke cautiously unsure of the answer; but some part of him hoping. "I promise not to rob you blind if you let me stay for a bit. I won't be a bother. I'll even cook for you, uh, if you buy the ingredients." He needed to cook. This man proved his skills were not so impressive. "I can sleep anywhere really."

[CesareB]

"Wait… it's 1 am?! That's in four hours!" Leone exclaimed.

 

He shook his head and delved onto the bed, head first. He wondered how he would have managed to guard a man on absolutely no sleep.

 

Hearing Noah's words, he sat back up.

 

"A deal?" Leone repeated.

 

It sounded… like a good deal. He could have a cook for him while he was at work. Well… that was if he was going to keep that job. He looked at the clock and thought, Sleep for four hours or go and protect a no-good CEO? I'll take the sleep.

 

Leone turned to Noah. "I'll take up your offer. I just hope you can cook, or I'll kick you out faster than you can say your own name. Also, I'll just be sleeping… I've decided not to go to work. You can cook around nine o'clock, or whenever. And I can't promise that I'll buy the right ingredients. Maybe if you write a list…"

 

"The not going to work" thing… well, as a jack-of-all-trades, Leone never kept one job. He had no permanent occupation and he almost never kept a job for more than a year. He was practically quitting his high paying job, but he didn't care that much. All he needed to do was find another job later on in the day. For him, finding small jobs was easy. It was just like finding a penny on a sidewalk. All Leone had to do was roam around town for a while and tada! He found a new job whenever he needed to.

 

It wasn't like he got bad jobs, but he just had the luck.

[|WW|]

"I'll take up your offer. I just hope you can cook, or I'll kick you out faster than you can say your own name. Also, I'll just be sleeping… I've decided not to go to work. You can cook around nine o'clock, or whenever. And I can't promise that I'll buy the right ingredients. Maybe if you write a list…"

 

Noah watched Leone quietly, a small frown playing over his lips. "Kick me out? Kick ME out? You realize that's not much of a threat to someone who already lives "out" there to begin with?" The brat had a point after all. He snorted to the comment about being able to cook and crossed his arms over his chest in a stubborn gesture.

 

"Geez," he sighed. He was beginning to wonder how this guy had managed by himself all these years. Maybe something had happened, and Leone had not always been this scatter brained. It's not as if Noah had the picture-perfect life or anything, but he at least had some semblance of order. "Just get some sleep, we'll figure this out in the morning." Not like they could do anything without stores being open yet.

 

Looking around he discovered a pen and notepad on a small desk and went to retrieve them. Sinking into the chair he scribbled out a small list of ingredients that would make decent meals. They were easy on the wallet too, and that was his specialty. He also made sure to poke through the fridge and cabinets in the kitchen, checking to see what was already available. Not much sadly.

 

Doubting blues peered over at the man half asleep in his own bed. He'd never thought he'd be shacked up with some guy he didn't even know. Usually he had some knowledge of the other person. It made him somewhat uneasy, even if the guy wasn't half bad. Curious too.

 

After Leone had fallen asleep he took it upon himself to use the shower. Taking an extra long one at that. It felt heavenly, and his skin was red from all the scrubbing. Frowning at the pile of dirty and ruined clothes he wrapped a towel around his waist and rooted through a random pile of clothes he'd found in the closet; pulling out a big t-shirt to borrow. As for pants, well, he could always toss those back on when he woke up. Dirty as they were.

 

By morning he was curled up on the couch. Slightly-damp but clean long hair spilling over the arm. Clad in a t-shirt too big and the towel secured at his waist. It must have looked uncomfortable without a pillow or blanket, but just being on a couch was certainly enough for Noah. It showed by how deeply he slept. The note he'd written was laying on the table next to the bed.

[CesareB]

Leone woke up, bright and early. He was always used to waking up early in the morning to get ready for work. He sighed and combed his fingers through his chocolate hair, then stretched out. He walked to the table next to the bed and saw a note on it. He picked it up and read it. It was a simple list of groceries that he should have bought long ago, but he was always to busy to go to the store.

 

Leone let out a sigh and walked into his small living room to see Noah sound asleep on the couch. He looked comfortable despite being on such a raggedy couch. Leone moved closer and studied the brat. He was clean and a little damp. It was clear that he must have taken a shower last night. He wore a huge shirt and a towel around his waste, making Leone feel a tad bad.

 

He looked around for the boy's pants (and underwear) and picked them up. Leone decided to bring his clothes to the dry cleaners. He threw the pants and underwear into a bag (along with some other clothes of his) and changed into some clean clothes. Before he walked out, he took the grocery list and wrote a new note, saying:

 

I've decided to bring your clothes to the dry cleaners. If you look in the back of my closet, you'll find clothes from when I was younger. Whatever fits you, you can have. While I'm out, do you mind making breakfast with what we have (or lunch depending on the time I come back)? Oh, I'll also do the grocery shopping while I'm out.

 

-Leone

 

He put on his shoes and walked out of his rundown apartment. He crossed the street and went to the dry cleaners. The local neighborhood dry cleaning business was run by an old man that Leone had known for years. Because Leone's apartment did not have one washing machine or dryer, the cleaning business across the street was booming with business.

As Leone entered the dry cleaners, the door jingled and the old owner shuffled to the front to greet him.

 

"Welcome, welcome, Leo…!" he exclaimed, opening his arms to Leone.

 

"It's not Leo…" Leone sighed. "My name's Leone, remember?"

 

The old owner laughed. "Oh! Leone! What's brought you by here?"

 

Leone chuckled to himself. The old man had become a bit senile in the past few years.

 

"I'm here to do the usual… to wash and dry some clothes," Leone answered.

 

That was his answer all the time. He handed a few coins to the old owner and then walked to an empty washing machine and put in the clothes. Next, he turned it on and left to the store. The next destination, the grocery store, was also another local business. It was owned by a local club and business owner (this man owned a lot of businesses in the area). Leone went down the list and bought what Noah had asked for. Once that was done, he went by the dry cleaners and got the clothes (that the old owner had helpfully put in the dryer) then went back to his apartment.

[|WW|]

Noah woke after what had been a pretty decent bout of sleep. Though the couch left much to be desired, it sure beat a hard floor or an old mattress where springs dug into your ribs every way you turned. Luckily the towel had stayed put also, as he tended to roll around out of habit. Wiping sleep from his eyes he wandered slowly into the bedroom, finding it empty.

 

Looking around the room he discovered the note that had been left for him. He read it and then his cheeks suddenly burned. He hurried into the bathroom where his pants had last been and discovered they had indeed been taken for a cleaning. Oh God, even his underwear. That was just embarrassing. As much as it appealed to him to have clean clothes; he did not like the idea of some stranger playing with his under clothes. "Ah, geez," he sighed, flustered. He really didn't know how to handle that situation.

 

Trying to work past the embarrassment he looked for the clothes that Leone had mentioned, attempting to find something that decently fit his lean body. Without underwear it was plain awkward to free-ball inside some others guys pants; but that couldn't be helped at this point. Using a belt to hold up the baggy jeans and switching out the large t-shirt for a smaller size; he actually looked half decent. Pursing his lips as he looked in the mirror, he used a small rubberband to lazily tie up the mass of hair into a comfortable ponytail mid-skull. Not too high, not too low.

 

When he was settled, he found himself in the kitchen rooting around for something to make a meal with. He found a few eggs, some milk, some medium salsa which smelled within the safe range. A half eaten block of pepper-jack cheese was also available, and plenty of tomato's. Well, there was only one thing he could think of when these things were put together. Locating a medium frying pan he began to warm it over a low flame while chopping up all the things he'd found into fine pieces. Using a separate bowl he broke the eggs into it and added milk, salt, pepper and a small touch of hot sauce. Very little, just enough to give it a small bite. He managed to pick through a bag of potato's and salvage enough to peel, cut up and fry in another pan for some home fries.

 

By the time Leone reached the apartment door he could probably smell the aroma already. Laid out on the table was two plates, both containing omelette's and fried potato's. Each one was stuffed with cheese, tomato's and a bit of salsa smeared on the top. Glasses of milk finished the deal. Noah was already half-way through his plate and had a bottle of ketchup next to him which he'd obviously used on his own breakfast or brunch. "Yo," he managed with a mouth full. It seems the brat had a talent, and that talent was obvious. His skills were actually much more impressive given the chance; which he didn't obviously have often.

[CesareB]

As soon as Leone walked inside of his shabby apartment, he smelled a surprising aroma. It was… weird. What was that smell? Was it…? Food? Leone headed into the kitchen and looked at the table to see a plate for him. He neared it when he heard Noah's simple "Yo".

 

"Good morning," he said back, moving to the food.

 

It smelled really good. He sat down and inched the chair closer to the table. A little suspicious, he sniffed it. It smelled delicious. Leone took a fork and bit it. It was delicious as well.

 

"You made this? It's delicious!" he exclaimed, taking more bites.

 

The hungry and surprised man inhaled half of the large omelet down in one gulp. Next, he reached for the milk and gulped that down. Leone looked like a hungry man that had never eaten before. Well, he hadn't eaten anything so good before. After all, he had no mother to cook delicious meals for him. After finishing most of the omelette, he looked at Noah with a nervous grin and scratched his chocolate hair.

 

"Sorry 'bout that, kid… I mean Noah. It's just that I haven't eaten anything that good," he apologized, a bit embarrassed.

 

He gulped down the rest of the milk and got up, giving an uncharacteristically bright smile. "Thanks for the meal!"

 

As he went back into his living room, he sat down and laid the bags on the sofa. Next, he plopped down next to it and stared at a wall.

[|WW|]

"You made this? It's delicious!"

Noah forked up a few more small bites, taking his time. He learned eating too fast just made him either sick or even more hungry later. Which the bowl of mush last night indeed did. The compliments made his cheeks burn again. Oh damn it man, it's just an omelette. He was trying to hide his embarrassment by looking at his plate, but those curious blues peeked up somehow enjoying the way the food he'd made so easily was being shoveled away.

 

He wondered briefly if this was the sort of thing families did; then shook his head for even fantasizing such silly things. Watching Leone play with his hair in that strange gesture made him wonder if it was simply a reflex. He seemed to do it a lot when he talked or was perhaps flustered?

 

"Sorry 'bout that, kid… I mean Noah. It's just that I haven't eaten anything that good."

 

Noah nodded, slowly finishing off the rest of his potato's before taking a nice cooling swig of milk to wash it down. When he was met with the man's dazzling smile he almost dropped his glass. Hey, hey, that sort of unguarded look just wasn't playing fair. Was he trying to get Noah to like him? He'd actually thought it was somewhat charming. Ugh, he must still be tired.

 

"Thanks for the meal!"

 

"Y-yeah no problem.. I mean it was your food to begin with, " he answered. Finishing up his own meal, he carried the plates back into the kitchen and laid them in the sink. Finding Leone in the livingroom he leaned against the doorway, arms crossing loosely over his chest. What was he doing? He stared at Leone in obvious concern and then the wall. He didn't see anything there. "Uh.. I'll go put the groceries away," he said quietly and backed out of the room.

 

He busied himself with putting away the things Leone had bought, not exactly sure where everything really belonged according to the owners wishes. He just put them where he would remember, considering he was the one who was cooking. It felt strange being in someone's home. The motions of doing these normal every day things was also a bit nostalgic. Memories were cloudy for him, but sometimes something would flicker enough for him to remember. There had been a large kitchen once, and a woman who sand while she cooked. He never remembered what she looked like; but her voice was soothing.

 

[CesareB]

Leone had been staring blankly at the wall. Why? Because he had just experienced a first class brain fart. He stood up when he realized that he was staring blankly at the wall. Feeling a tad stupid, he walked to his half broken desk and looked through the only drawer that was left. He took out a small package and pulled out its contents.

 

At least ten pictures of a happy family slipped out onto the floor. Leone bent down to pick them up. As he picked them up one by one, he sighed at the last photo. It was a picture of a woman and a child. That child was Leone and the woman was his mother. The poor woman died young, along with his father. They had been killed in a car accident long ago.

 

The memories of them was a bit hazy. After all, Leone was a tad old. He gave a loud sigh and walked into the kitchen where Noah had been sorting and putting away the groceries.

 

"Oh, you don't have to put away the groceries," Leone said, reaching to some of the left over groceries and putting them in their respective places. "This my home after all."

[|WW|]

Yes her voice had been very soothing. He could have listened for hours. In fact, he probably did. How else could the voice seem so achingly familiar and comforting. A small pain though came with it, not understanding the magnitude of just who that person was. he just...couldn't remember. It was frustrating.

 

"Oh, you don't have to put away the groceries. This my home after all."

 

Noah was almost finished by the time Leone joined him. He'd been so lost in thought that when the man grabbed the box of pancake mix and reached up over him to put it away; he snapped out of his daze. He jerked being so close and rammed his knee into the cabinet below. "Ah, shit," he exclaimed, wobbling before he thumped face first into Leone's chest. He froze, his heart nearly stopping. God please don't hit me, he thought. This was almost a repeat of that time on the street where he'd attacked his prey just to get away.