In Love With A Stranger

Carry You Down To Sleep(er)

Leah fell to the ground. She huffed, pushing herself back to her feet. She tried to throw herself back into the fight.

Latshaw blocked her. He pushed her back. Leah stumbled, barely keeping herself from falling again. She glared at him. Latshaw glared right back. "Bench! Now!"

Leah huffed. She marched off, angry. Once she sat down she went about throwing off all the workout gear she wore. She was done. It didn't matter that Latshaw would probably call her back up to practice, Leah wanted to go home. Or take a walk, angrily march in the streets of Cardiff. That would calm her down.

When she was doing this, Garfield walked over to her side.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Leah snapped.

Garfield nodded. He leaned against the wall, looking down at her with a blank expression.

"I won't." She tossed all her workout gear into her workout bag.

Garfield reached a hand to his hair, ruffling it.

Leah hated how nonchalant he could be. She wanted to stew in peace, in silence, to hide away from the world. Garfield did this whole thing whenever she got like this, not letting her rage in peace. Even in the Year, Garfield worked to keep her out of it. In that time it was a comfort to know a friend like that. Now it was the greatest injustice known to man.

She stood up from the bench, walking to the exit.

"Hey!" Latshaw called out from the mat. He was working with Anthony and Owen. So many reminders of things that Leah didn't want to deal with right now. "Get back here!"

"Fuck off!" Leah shouted back. Why did she do that? Now she felt bad. When she calmed down, she would apologize.

Without looking behind her, Leah left Latshaw's flat.

She heard footsteps behind her. Garfield just wouldn't let her have this space!

"Leave me alone, Garfield!" Leah demanded.

"Make me, Leah." Garfield replied. Leah wanted to grunt and growl- frustration flaring up inside.

She just wanted the world to be quiet so she could be angry. She wanted to rage, to let out her aggression. Training wasn't helping this time. Being around stupid humans rarely helped. Why should it? None of them understood what Leah was going through. They were alien to her, she to them. Her feelings were more complex than their tiny minds could fucking handle.

Being angry with her life was a given. She wanted to be angry sometimes. She was allowed to let it all go, to just feel her feelings.

Garfield walked behind her. Following her, around corners and over crosswalks. He was always just behind. Almost like he was taking care not to walk alongside her. He definitely knew that Leah was going to hit him if he tried.

Leah wanted to hit him anyway. Hit him, hit Latshaw, hit Jack, hit everyone on this damned planet.

She stopped in front of an all night coffee shop. Leah and Garfield hung out at places like this- he was in the human demographic of staying up until 3 for the fuck of it. Leah didn't sleep like humans (she didn't sleep like anything lately, too stressed from Jack and Quill and life). This place felt safe- helpful.

Now it felt like a showdown.

Leah whirled around at him. Her hair flaring out from her workout bun as she turned. Garfield stood there- chilled and relaxed. Like a cobra hiding before a strike. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to know what happened to you." Garfield asked. "Whenever you want to tell me."

You know what? Leah hated that Garfield was understanding like that. "Really? You really want that?"