[It's been a few weeks of this - of Leo coming over to do his homework (once he knows Huvrye will order food if he both stays and focuses) but leaving before he falls asleep completely. It's good to have someone in his apartment again, if only for a few hours a day; there's still a hole in Huvrye's life where Yin should be that nobody can quite fill, but he's gotten to be very fond of Leo, and he looks forward to the teen coming by in the afternoons. It gives him a bit of routine as well, and he hadn't realized how helpful it was to have one until it fell into place.]
[Leo never stays the night, though, despite Huvrye's offering. It's fine with Huvrye - for a while, his nights were occupied by stakeouts with the Red Hood, though that's over with now.]
[It had been pho for dinner tonight - Huvrye was due for a meal, and it's become comfort food for him by this point. Still, it looks like hot soup was enough to push Leo over the line and into passing out on his couch. Huvrye smiles and spends the next few minutes taking care of things: putting a blanket over Leo; gathering Leo's school things into his backpack; turning the TV off and the radio on low, tuned to a classical station he'd found a few weeks ago; and settling into a chair with a book - Frankenstein, like Mark had recommended (or assigned, really - Leo wasn't the only one doing homework these evenings). He'd normally be on a nighttime flyover by now, but it doesn't feel right to leave Leo alone here. He can relax for a night. It'll be fine.]
[The minutes pass, and he looks up whenever Leo shifts in his sleep, but so far it's been uneventful and the book is interesting. It turns out this Frankenstein guy is terrible and the monster has a point. No wonder Mark wanted him to read this.]
[And then Leo sits bolt upright and screams-]
Leo!
[The book drops to the floor, the chair overturns in the wake of Huvrye's speed-augmented movement, and in the blink of an eye he's in front of Leo, hands up but not touching him in case that makes things worse. Is Leo hurt? Is he awake? What happened?]
[(He thinks he knows what happened - he thinks this looks familiar - but no kid should ever go through what he went through- the things that cause that kind of nightmare-)]
[(He can't think about that now. Priorities.)]
Leo, it's okay. You're safe. Look at me. You're safe.
[Please, please, please let this work. Let him get through to Leo.]
let's goooooo
[Leo never stays the night, though, despite Huvrye's offering. It's fine with Huvrye - for a while, his nights were occupied by stakeouts with the Red Hood, though that's over with now.]
[It had been pho for dinner tonight - Huvrye was due for a meal, and it's become comfort food for him by this point. Still, it looks like hot soup was enough to push Leo over the line and into passing out on his couch. Huvrye smiles and spends the next few minutes taking care of things: putting a blanket over Leo; gathering Leo's school things into his backpack; turning the TV off and the radio on low, tuned to a classical station he'd found a few weeks ago; and settling into a chair with a book - Frankenstein, like Mark had recommended (or assigned, really - Leo wasn't the only one doing homework these evenings). He'd normally be on a nighttime flyover by now, but it doesn't feel right to leave Leo alone here. He can relax for a night. It'll be fine.]
[The minutes pass, and he looks up whenever Leo shifts in his sleep, but so far it's been uneventful and the book is interesting. It turns out this Frankenstein guy is terrible and the monster has a point. No wonder Mark wanted him to read this.]
[And then Leo sits bolt upright and screams-]
Leo!
[The book drops to the floor, the chair overturns in the wake of Huvrye's speed-augmented movement, and in the blink of an eye he's in front of Leo, hands up but not touching him in case that makes things worse. Is Leo hurt? Is he awake? What happened?]
[(He thinks he knows what happened - he thinks this looks familiar - but no kid should ever go through what he went through- the things that cause that kind of nightmare-)]
[(He can't think about that now. Priorities.)]
Leo, it's okay. You're safe. Look at me. You're safe.
[Please, please, please let this work. Let him get through to Leo.]