safe || leo valdez x oc

500 READ SPECIAL!!!

OH MY GODS!!! YAYYYYYYY!!

I HAVE NEVER HAD A STORY REACH 500 READS WHILE IT WAS ONGOING THIS IS CRAZY!!!!

seriously, all of your comments and votes mean literally everything to me. they've been really inspiring me to keep writing, and it actually got me out of this last spell of writers block i had! i am now over halfway through HoH!

so, for this special, we have a non-canon chapter. for this AU, i did aruna and leo meeting each other when they were younger. in this oneshot, they're fourth graders.

STRAP IN EHEHEHHHEHEEHHE

~•♡•~

aruna kicked the rock she always did on her way to school. it was rounded out now, eroded from so long of doing so. she kicked it as she walked in the middle of the street, ignorant of anyone else that may need to use the road.

the winter air stung her cheeks, tinting what was white to pink. her hands were stuffed in the pockets of her too-thin hoodie, her black hair dropping to her waist, with inches of dead ends. old sneakers kicked the rock too far to the side, and she outwardly groaned, her breath turning to mist in the winter air.

she walked to pick it up. it rolled under a ford explorer, and she groaned loudly again as she heard it stop against the curb on the other side of the vehicle.

when she went around the car, she froze.

a boy was crouching down to pick it up. he wore a green army jacket that was all too big for him, with an untamed main of dark, curly hair. his hands bore no mittens nor gloves, but rather several scratches. he picked up the rock and stood straight up.

aruna considered leaving. she didn't really like talking to others, especially boys. she frowned a little, and watched as the boy investigating the unique roundness of the rock.

she took a step back, and the frosted grass crunched.

the boy finally seemed to notice her. he turned to look at her with a small gasp, his lips parting slightly to let steamy breath out. aruna zeroed in on his rustic eyes, colored like an antique mahogany table. his skin was warm, like caramel, contrasting with the cold, dead winter around him.

he held out the rock. the tips of his fingers with bright red, shaking from the cold.

"is this yours?" he asked softly. aruna stared at him a moment, still contemplating leaving. if she really cared, she'd just find a new rock and start kicking that.

she continued to stare. the boy's cheeks turned a darker shade than they were before, and he refused to meet her eyes fully. something about him seemed innocent, kind, almost afraid. she felt like he was nicer than some other boys she'd met before. he seemed gentle and warm, almost.

"yes." she replied. she didn't bother taking the rock, still gauging the boy's reaction.

"oh." he didn't seem to know what to do. he continued holding out his hand, waiting.

"what's your name?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly. aruna continued to stare at him, waiting.

"i-i'm leo." he said. he took a step forward, prompting aruna to take a step back. she pursed her lips and glared at him. the boy froze, clearly confused, almost offended, aruna thought.