Chapter 27 | Leo

You'd think that after a few days filled with crying and sobbing and shouting, Leo would've calmed down. Not quite. The fear had eased, but now he was one-hundred percent ready to be a spiteful brat.

Strapped in a chair opposite to the mirror, Leo helplessly fought to free himself. He frowned and stared at Cara through his lashes, ocean blue eyes raging. His aggression had become noticeable.

Cara cleaned a pair of scissors whilst nonchalantly saying, "Baby, you'll love the haircut. I promise I'll only trim the tips. It won't hurt."

Dom came in with Lou dragged behind. Lou had been trying to stay in his room, a separate dimension, convincing himself he owed no one and was part of nothing. Cara wasn't buying the game. And neither was he, really.

"There you are, Lou," Cara said, voice deceitfully sweet. Their gazes aligning was water touching lava. "Come on, you hold my baby's legs and I'll cut."

Dom watched Lou's tense hesitance. "Nah, I'll hold down his—"

"No. I said Lou. He needs to understand his responsibility as an uncle, doesn't he?"

Lou didn't say anything, which had become a standard response when it came to Cara. He purposely avoided looking at Leo as he passed by her and knelt in front of him, hands gripping his shins. His fingers circled sickeningly perfectly around Leo's flesh, fingertip touching fingertips.

"Lou, you might want to be careful. He kicks in places... you don't wanna be kicked in."

Lou snorted. "Should I care? It's not like I'm gonna be having kids anytime soon. I'm probably gonna die in this house."

Leo stared down at Lou. He intrigued him in the weirdest way, possibly because he barely saw him. So now, strapped, looking at the top of his head, Leo remained oddly still. He reached a hand down and tugged Lou's hair.

"Ow." Lou frowned and lifted his chin, immediately regretting the action when he clashed with Leo's eyes. Wide and curious. Weird. He'd thought he'd see fear and anger. Lou quickly averted his gaze. Looking at Leo was something else and he didn't want to let it affect him.

Leo noticed Lou's disinterest so he felt disinterested as well. A brush combed through his hair, then water sprayed over, droplets splashing on the edge of his cheeks. He squinted. He'd thrash, only at this point he'd gotten used to Dominic's notorious glare and it was taunting him through the mirror.

So he stayed still. The frown persisted along his brows, ruby lips straight and grim. His eyes wandered until they caught sight of the scissors, two metal blades departing. Closer. Leo held his breath.

Dominic watched him. "I feel like he's gonna—"

"He won't." Cara narrowed her eyes as she held a strand of Leo's hair between two fingers, free hand bringing the scissors to the tips.

"No," Leo finally mumbled, raising one shoulder as he hunched forwards and away from the scissors. "No!"

Before Leo could cause a mess, Dominic caught his arms and forced him back in the chair. He glanced at Cara urgently. "Finish this quick."

"Alright." Cara snipped off the rough tips, swift yet careful. Leo couldn't move with the force of Dom's grip, but he could scowl and attempt to twist his torso.

That went to waste. Leo stoped moving and stared straight into Dominic's eyes. He scoffed at him. "Hate you."

This hurt. Dominic frowned softly. He extended a hand out, fingertips caressing Leo's cheek. "Why, baby? Trust me I only want the best for you. We won't cut a lot from you hair, I promise. Just a little."

Leo didn't react for a second. His eyes flitted past Lou and back to Dominic. "Love Lou."

Cara almost choked. "What!" She stopped cutting and stared at Leo. "I mean, what?" she repeated, voice lower. "Why would you love—"

"He doesn't love me," Lou said, carefully observing the sly look in Leo's eyes. "He's a little shit and he wants to hurt you. Gotta appreciate his tactics."

"Don't call him that." Cara snarled at Lou, mother cat ready to pounce. She settled again, eyes lingering resentfully at Lou, and finally gestured Dom to hold Leo down tightly. Cutting off all the split ends took around five minutes but by the end of it Leo's hair looked substantially healthier.

Cara smiled as she combed her fingers through Leo's hair, fluffing them up. "There you go. That didn't hurt, did it?" Bending over from her place behind him, she raised a brow but Leo returned her with a scowl.

Dominic stared at Leo's bare neck and shoulders. "Now he's got little hairs all over him, though."

"It's fine." Cara tried dusting them off but Leo didn't like the contact, so he let her finger on his shoulder, eyeing her subtly, then suddenly jerked forwards and bit her. Cara hissed and pulled back. "You can't do that, baby. You're the one who wouldn't let me tie the cloth around your neck. It's your fault your hair is all over you."

"Don't touch!" Leo screamed when she stubbornly insisted on dusting the hairs herself.

Lou watched them wrestle for two minutes until he finally spoke, "Stop touching him." He grabbed Cara's wrist and tugged her back. "Clearly, he doesn't like the touching. It's freaking him out. Just get a makeup brush and dust the hairs off. It'll make him laugh on top."

Cara stared at him for a second, then relaxed. "Right. We can do that." She twisted so she'd fetch the brush but turned back mid-movement, smiling at Lou. "Good boy, Lou. I love that you want to make him laugh."

Lou sighed and looked away. Dominic had already gotten the brush himself. Cara watched him approach Leo, one hand holding the joint connecting his arm and shoulder, other dusting his neck off with the brush.

It felt weird at first. Leo froze. But then, then, for the first time, his lips parted without the intention to bite or curse or shout. He laughed, giggled more like. Soft but hearty.

Leo's laugh implicitly resembled a child's and the mental comparison made Lou want to bang his head into the wall. Don't think like that, don't think like that—

"There's the beautiful smile." The edge of Dominic's eyes crinkled. Seeing his baby laugh gave him the type of satisfaction that lasted. And he'd thought marrying Cara had made him happy.

Leo stopped laughing and looked at Dominic, remnant of a smile hanging onto his lips. He didn't do anything else. Didn't suddenly scowl or shout. Just stared.

Cara noticed this. She frowned. How come her baby wasn't lashing out on Dominic?

Dominic took advantage of the serene moment. He quickly unstrapped Leo and lifted him. Leo's smile dropped then. Dominic asked, "Do you want a shirt on, baby?"

Leo fisted his hand but Dominic quickly held it down, before he could attack. He coaxed, "It's fine if you don't want a shirt on, baby. Daddy won't force you. You don't one? Cool, you can stay like that."

Choice. The idea vaguely calmed Leo. The smile didn't return, but he didn't fight.

*_*_*_*_*_*

Just when Dominic thought he'd begun the foundation of a proper father-son relationship that excluded biting with his baby, Leo decided to return to his older habits.

There was mischief in Leo's eyes and mischief in his stiff posture. His hands hid beneath the tray. He listened to the clattering of platters and utensils, both annoying and intriguing.

Dominic finally turned to Leo with a bowl of oatmeal. They'd been feeding him milk, but now they decided it was time for proper food. He placed the bowl on the tray and twisted just enough to drag a chair over.

Leo was faster. In the fifty seconds Dominic was distracted, he'd observed the food, given a verdict, and tilted the bowl over the edge of the tray until the oatmeal spilled out.

Dominic quickly spun around. His jaw unhinged, though at the thought of having to clean up more than surprise. He'd be dumb to be surprised. It wasn't like Leo wouldn't do that. He sighed. "Why did you do that, baby?"

Leo shrugged. He stopped letting the oatmeal spill but he kept the bowl precariously close to the edge.

"Baby, don't. Put the bowl back."

Leo smiled. He tilted the bowl.

"Baby."

The spite in Leo's eyes became more apparent, the need to rebel. He spilled more of the oatmeal but kept his eyes on Dominic.

Dominic rubbed a hand over his face. He figured that wouldn't work so he snatched the bowl from Leo's hand then set it on the tray again. He sat beside him. Barely enough oatmeal was left.

"Don't punish him," Cara said. "He doesn't know better."

"I won't," Dominic said, gaze hard and steady on Leo. "My baby wants to mess around? Good. We'll see how that goes."

Cara frowned. "What are you gonna do?"

"Watch." Dominic caught Leo's head, old habit, and forced a spoonful in his mouth. He pulled back, giving Leo the freedom to taste.

Leo wanted to spit it out, but it was surprisingly palatable. He frowned. His jaw worked. When he swallowed, the hungry, food-deprived part of him craved for more. He looked at Dominic, then at the bowl.

Dominic smiled. "Tastes good?"

Leo nodded slowly. He'd say, more? but the spite in him didn't allow him. So he stared expectantly, anticipating the soft part of Dominic to feed him.

Except Dominic had another plan. "You want more?"

Leo nodded again.

"No. You can't have more."

Leo tilted his head. Cara gasped inaudibly. "Don't do that to him. Give him more."

"He threw half of them on the floor. Doesn't look to me like he wanted more."

Leo reached for the bowl but Dominic pulled back, making him whimper quietly. Leo stared at Dominic, this time with a frown. "More," he finally said.

"Say please."

Leo didn't respond.

"Say it."

"No."

"Then you're not getting more." Dominic leant back in his seat, bowl in his lap. "Either you say please, or you're gonna stay hungry."

"More!" Leo's bare shoulders tensed, voice loud and desperate. "Hungry."

Cara couldn't stand the idea that her baby was hungry but Dominic wouldn't feed him. "Just give him, for God's sake. Please."

Dominic shook his head. "Look, I know it's not his fault he's disrespectful like that, I really do, but I'm about to teach him manners. He's gonna suffer a bit but he'll learn." He looked back at Leo. "You gonna say please?"

"No!"

"Okay. Stay hungry. I'll eat them." Dominic spitefully brought a spoonful to his lips. "I'm just gonna chill here and eat this since you, baby, don't wanna say please."

When Leo remained hurtfully still, Dominic ate a spoonful. Leo seemed scandalized, confused like he'd claimed the oatmeal his own and Dominic wasn't allowed a single bit. "No! I want now! You can't!"

Dominic raised an amused brow. "Wanna fight?"

Leo suddenly stilled and frowned, narrowing his eyes. He leant forwards, a clear challenge, then said, "Yeah, wanna fight."

Lou was slightly surprised at the attitude even though he knew he shouldn't be. He chuckled. "Well. We love us a little bitch—"

"Lou!" Cara turned to Lou, lunging at him with a hand gripping his clothes. She pulled him closer. "What's up with your language? He's my baby."

Lou jerked free. "I was joking. Calm down. I like his attitude as long as it makes you suffer."

Cara turned back just in time to find Leo on the verge of surrender. Her eyes trailed down; Leo's toes were curled, ankles rubbing against each other with frustration.

Leo finally said, "Please," and slumped helplessly in his seat. "I'm hungry."

Dominic felt something in his chest. Sadness, or admiration, or both. He leant forwards and placed the bowl on the tray, but before Leo could reach, he pulled it back. "Now say sorry for spilling it in the first place."

Leo made a face for a second. "Sorry."

"There we go. Now you can eat."

Leo didn't protest the slightest bit when Dominic fed him. He'd rather eat himself but he wouldn't risk losing the food again, not when he was starving.

When he finished eating, Dominic got up and washed the dishes. Cara stared at Leo in his high-chair as she brought a wet cloth.

How come he willingly touched Lou's hair and willingly let Dominic feed him? Why was he still so aggressive with her?

When she cleaned his mouth, she tried her luck, letting one finger meander down Leo's back. Leo straightened first, glaring at her, preparing to fight. Her fingernail trailed along his flesh whilst skillfully avoiding his scars, as if she'd memorized the map.

Leo reached a hand back and tried to push hers off, but Cara quickly said, voice soft like talc, "Don't worry, baby. I won't hurt you. I won't touch the scars. Let me."

Leo stared at her, as if conjuring a verdict, then sighed and leant against the tray. Fist into his cheek, yawning, he seemed almost bored.

Cara smiled. When she looked past Leo, hand still on him, she caught Lou standing by the threshold and staring at both of them. "He's getting used to me," she said.

Lou remained quiet for what felt like a long while. His lips were straight. He said, "Is he? I think he's just using you because he likes the feeling."

"No. I think he's okay with me touching him."

"I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't put acting past him. Would you?" There was something sophisticatedly spiting about Lou's leveled voice. "He said he loved me just to spite you. So, I'm not sure how much you can trust him."

Cara glared at Lou. She noticed his purpose. He was helpless, armor-less, his only defense degrading her because she'd degraded him. The rebellion in him was dying, though, even if he didn't notice.

This subtle defiance, it'd backfire on Lou. Of course it would. He was mindlessly accepting Leo as a baby whilst thinking he was hurting her. Cara smiled. Hard in the beginning, easier towards the end. Like diamonds under stone.

She knew how to test him. When she snapped out of her thoughts, Lou was gone.

*_*_*_*_*

"Lou, you silly idiot." Cara playfully shoved Lou in the chest. "You think I don't notice? Come up, get yourself ready."

Lou was half awake and half dead. He bounded back with the force of her shove but quickly steadied his feet against the floor. "The hell do you want?"

"You'll see." She linked her arm with his and guided him along to Leo's playroom.

There, she pushed him, making fall down on the beanbag. "I have a task for you," she said, hands on his shoulders. "I need you—"

"Hold on." Lou roughly shoved her hands off him. "First off, I'm not your husband, Dom is. Careful with how you touch me." The hostility in his eyes would scare Cara if she wasn't sure of her trick. "Second thing, don't ever wake me up from a nap, alright? Ever. I'll fight."

Cara rolled her eyes and sighed, blowing a strand of hair off her cheek. "Fine. Listen, Dom and I are going out. We need to restock some stuff, so guess what?" She only offered a second before continuing, "You're gonna stay here and watch over my baby!"

Lou frowned. Then he shook his head. "No way. I'm not gonna do that. I'll get you whatever you want but don't leave me—"

"Here's my baby," Cara cut him off, turning to look at Dom as he came in with Leo in his arms. He seemed drained, leaning on Dom's shoulder. "How about you spend some time with Uncle Lou, huh, baby?"

Lou caught the bridge of his nose and avoided looking at Leo. "God, no. Keep him away—"

"What do you mean keep him away, Lou? He's your little nephew. Why do you want to push him off? Is it so hard to love him? Is it so hard to love anyone other than yourself, Lou?"

Lou was squinting. As he glanced forwards again, he found Dominic bending so he'd put Leo on his lap. "No," Lou mumbled. "No, no, no. Don't put him on my lap. Don't!"

Dominic put Leo down on Lou's lap, chest to chest. Lou stiffened. He didn't curl his arms around him. Silence. He finally said, "This is making me uncomfortable—"

"It shouldn't. He's not any boy. He's our baby boy. Your nephew."

Just like Lou, Leo was barely awake. He'd been woken from a nap as well. He watched Lou's face up close, the stubble riddling his jawline. He reached a hand there and touched it, then he gripped Lou's cheek and forced it the other way so he'd align their gazes.

Leo stared into Lou's eyes, one finger close to poking his left. Lou tried turning away but Leo stubbornly steadied his face again. When he spoke, it was a mindless afterthought, a broken branch, "Ugly eyes."

Lou didn't respond. He watched Leo lean forwards until his head rested on his shoulder. His hair tickled his neck, so Lou lifted his chin, eyes finding the ceiling. He refused to touch Leo.

Cara leant toward Lou's ear, hand daintily reaching for his and guiding it around Leo's waist. "Hold him," she whispered. "Give him the love he needs. What's he ever done for you to hate him? How hard it is to love him?"

I don't hate him, Lou wanted to say, but he couldn't. Not now, not when he was trying so hard to fight back the instinct in him. The instinct riddled with insanity, the insanity he'd inherited. He couldn't be like them. He was sane. He knew. He knew—

"Love him, Lou. That's all he wants. Put yourself aside for once."

Leo moved his head, just enough for him to glance at Lou. Lashes shading large blue eyes, fading freckles concealing sickly pale flesh. The tragedy in Leo's face was like a violin's melody: sad but beautiful. Pleasant for the sight, painful to the heart.

"Don't do this to me," Lou mumbled, mirroring Leo's expression. "Don't do this to me, please."

In the serenity of the moment, Cara gestured Dom with her and quietly left the room.

Lou only realized they'd disappeared when he heard the click of the door. He frowned then pushed Leo off him, subconsciously gentle, like he learnt a jab too hard and he'd break a bone in him.

Lou set Leo down by the mini-table. He gestured at the coloring books and crayons. "Color," he mumbled and quickly turned back to throw himself onto the beanbag.

Chin angled up, Lou's eyes traced the ceiling. He mindlessly registered the sound of crayons scratching against paper. When he looked down, his gaze was directly cast at Leo's back.

Like drops of paint left to trickle, scars cut left and right into his flesh, some intersecting and overlapping. Lou tried to look away but he couldn't. On the back of Leo's shoulder was a group of scars, close and messy and—

A word?

Lou jerked forwards, shoulders tilted, hands on his knees. He frowned, squinted harder but the distance made recognition impossible. He sprang up and knelt right behind Leo, palm pressed against the floor.

He focused on the scars. The curves and dips and sharp slants. Letters. B, and A, and—

BAD.

"Oh my shit," Lou said, finger subconsciously tracing the word. He hadn't realized muscle tension was an actual physical thing until he felt Leo's shoulder stiffen beneath his fingertip. Gasping, he pulled back and glanced at Leo.

Leo was squeezing the crayon in his hand so hard it could break any moment. A single droplet of blood hung on his lip. Lou realized he'd made him bite his lip until he'd bled.

"Oh, oh no. No no no. Leo, stop biting your lip. You're bleeding." Lou quickly stepped out from behind until he was by his side. He frantically looked around him but found no tissue paper. "Uh, I- hold on, alright? I'm- I'm gonna go get tissues to wipe off the blood. Stay still, yeah?"

Leo didn't respond but Lou quickly raced out to fetch some. He stood for a minute, brain so hazy he couldn't even figure out where in the world the damn tissues were.

It was a bit late when Lou burst into the playroom again with the entire pack of tissues in his hand. His jaw dropped.

A new wound cut into Leo's arm, soaked in blood. And worst of all, Leo wasn't even crying; he was watching it, saying nothing, doing nothing.

"Shit. Shit. This is not good." Lou threw himself on his knees again and gripped Leo's wrist, extending his arm so he'd inspect the wound. "You know what, I need to get a disinfectant—" Lou paused for a second, this time noticing the bloodied tip of the ruler. "—actually, I'm not leaving you alone. Come with me."

He tugged Leo's wrist, tried making him move, but Leo didn't move. "Come. Leave the crayon," Lou said, only Leo seemed to grip the crayon tighter. "Leo, I know you like coloring but you need to come with me— wait, no, no don't cry."

Seeing Leo's tears trickle down his cheek broke Lou's heart. He closed his eyes for a second, then breathed out and gripped Leo's underarms, fighting his own self and sanity. He lifted him.

Leo kept crying. Lou hurried with him outside the room and stood in the corridor, looking around him, trying to figure out how he'd sort this. "Let's clean the wound, yeah?"

Leo sniffled and shook his head. "No."

"Come on, please." Lou knew that if Leo said no, it meant no. He wouldn't let him. Lou tried, "I have an idea. You like water? I'll show you the pool."

Leo looked at Lou, this time curious. Lou smiled and hurried to fetch the disinfectant and cottons with his free hand.

He carried Leo to the backyard. The moment they stepped outside, cool air hit them both, mid-day sun casting warm light along their skin. Leo didn't complain. Lou walked along the cobblestone pavers and set him down by the edge of the pool. He watched him for a second.

"Wanna put your feet in the water while I clean the wound?" Lou watched Leo's confused expression. Tears on his cheeks but curiosity in his eyes. He smiled and pulled Leo's socks off. "Come on."

He caught Leo's ankles and forced them in the water. He anticipated the reaction. Leo only stared down at his feet, blinking at it, fast and confused. He looked up.

"Blue?"

Lou nodded. "Yeah, blue. Like your eyes." He poured disinfectant onto the cotton and carefully pressed it on the wound. "Like it?"

Leo ignored Lou, eyes set on the water. It was confusing—the color. The water he'd seen inside was gray. Now blue. He frowned, tilting his head. How many colors did water have?

"Water?"

Lou noticed Leo's questioning expression. "Yeah, this is water."

"No."

Where did Leo get his confidence from? Lou frowned, almost offended. "It's water, I promise."

"Why blue?"

Only now did Lou realize why Leo was confused. Except he didn't know how he'd explain reflection to him. He said, "Outside water is blue. Inside water has no color."

Lou covered the wound, and the moment he finished, he heard footsteps echo from behind. He glanced back. Cara and Dom were there, staring, watching, wide-eyed. Suddenly, Lou's face twisted, revulsion creeping in the downward tug of his mouth. He hooked an arm around Leo and pulled him away from the water. He stood.

From afar, Lou glared at Cara then finally stomped over. "You bitch," he said, shoving her back. "You selfish bitch. Go to hell."

The tiny out-of-nowhere outburst startled both Cara and Dom. They remained put, partly shocked, as Lou entered the house, never glancing back.

Dom's jaw was half agape. He hadn't even had the time to process what in the world happened and why Lou suddenly said that after he'd been taking care of Leo. "The hell is wrong with him? Lou—"

Cara put a hand on Dom's chest, pushing him back. "Don't. Let him. I know what he's going through." She peeked at Leo, still safe on the lawn, then spoke, brow arched by triumph, "He's pissed because he realizes he cares about my baby. He knows he loves Leo and he knows he can't hate him. And of course his ego is hurt because we're right."

Dom ignored her. He walked over to Leo and bent beside him, staring at the covered wound. "Oh my God, baby, what happened?"

Cara stepped closer as well. "Did Uncle Lou clean that?" When Leo nodded, she smiled and continued, fingers brushing through caramel hair, "He's a good uncle, isn't he? I told you we're gonna teach him how to be a good uncle, and look, he already is."