As June followed Syd into the bathroom upstairs she wondered if she was truly going soft .
If a strange guy had tried to get her into a room with him before she would have no quarrels , and certainly no hesitation, in telling him to go fuck himself .
Instead she was pliable and relaxed as he locked the door behind them , the music downstairs barely audible from behind the door as her ears finally popped .
Watching him tiredly as he leant down to search through one of the cupboard under the sink for the first aid box , jumping up on top of the counter , grimacing as the cold marble struck her bare legs .
Things were going weirdly well . She realised . She had a nice shy friend who thought she was some hero of her world . Hanging onto her every word and idolising her every movement .
It was strange . She had never had a friend before , hadn't wanted one . Yet she couldn't deny that warmth in her chest that disgusted her .
She had , for the first time in her life , hesitated at the thought of leaving Cora alone with some guy.
She shouldn't care . She was only using her for her own gain wasn't she ? Yet she had meant every word .
She would pluck his eyes from his head with her fingernails if Lennon even touched a hair on her head .
June didn't make empty threats.
Things with Jett were okay too she supposed.
Although she still felt a need to put him in his place , maybe hurt him a little just to remind him she wasn't someone to be messed with .
But she liked him . She liked it when he kissed her and held her close like he didn't want to let go.
She had never been held so much before . Affection was rare in her childhood and she would be lying to say that she wasn't bathing in the feelings that lit her body everyone someone touched her . Or even held her hand . She liked it.
And then there was her father who had finally told her he was proud of her , all because she had made a friend and got a job just like he had asked .
He had been so kind lately , even buying her favourite snacks and leaving them in the fruit bowl that would never host any fruit .
He had even texted her to get home safe tonight . Something he had never once done in her life before .
Sometimes there had been days where she hadn't come home all weekend and not one word had been said about it . He had never cared. So what had changed .
Why was he suddenly trying so hard to be a father to her now ? Why couldn't he have tried so many years before she needed him .
She had always been so alone . Now she had people who wanted to be around her . People who cared .
Even a strange guy she had just met wanted to clean up her knees and look after her . What was her life coming to ? She felt like she was floating far , far away from here.
Syd's voice snapped her out of her trance, her glossy eyes sliding over to him.
"Sorry ?" She sat up slowly from where she had been slouched against the mirror .
He frowned back at her concerned.
"I said are you okay? You look a bit spacey ." He stated. Eyeing her glazed over eyes and flushed chest .
He felt like he was intruding on something that he shouldn't be seeing almost .
Yet he couldn't look away.
Humming , she managed to smile back at him softly.
"I'm okay . Just thinking . You ready to patch me up doc?" She teased . Kicking her leg out and hitting his hip gently with it .
Grabbing her ankle in one hand he bent up her leg so it was resting on the counter , grabbing a flannel from the sink and rubbing it under the water .
Goosebumps spreading over her pale skin as he carefully wiped away any blood and dirt from the cuts , cringing as he pressed over a particularly sore bruise .
Jett had really pushed her down hard onto his wooden floor . She hadn't realised how much it actually hurt until she was high enough to forget about her stone cold armour for a moment.
"Bloody fuck." She whined as he rubbed some cream over the cuts , it stung like hell.
"I don't like that."
He looked up at her as he blew a strand of hair from his eyesight , cocking a brow at her sarcastically.
"Oh really ? I thought you would love it ." He muttered , smirking when she hit his shoulder weakly with her fist .
When he was done he threw the flannel in the sink and stepped back with a sniff.
"Done ." He told her simply . Finally noticing the dark circles under eyes that seemed to be even deeper in the yellow bathroom lighting .
She was a hot mess .
Watching him silently as he put the box back where it originally was.
She thought about how a stranger had offered her more kindness than her own family and felt something crack deep in her mind .
Inhaling shakily as she cleared her throat , pushing down the sudden crazy need to just sob into her legs like a child . She wasn't .
She was just tired and high and needed to get the hell home and go to sleep , no doubt she would be paying for gulping away at the bottle of vodka like it was water in the morning .
She briefly wondered if Jett would consider cooking her a full English fry up if she asked him nicely .
Then she mentally scowled and reminded herself that she didn't need him to do everything for her , she was perfectly capable of cooking her own food .
(That was a lie . She couldn't even do toast properly . And she didn't think her dad would be too happy if she burned down there house .) But whatever .
"How old are you syd?" She asked him suddenly , to break the intrusive thoughts from her head .
She was just just tired . She would be okay .She always had been . She had to be.
Pausing , he glanced over at her.
"twenty one." He told her before frowning.
"Please tell me you're over eighteen." He muttered worriedly .
Having to wait a long second of painful silence before she burst into loud giggles.
Reaching her arms out, she grabbed ahold of his forearms and pulled him between her legs , his startled expression causing her to grin widely.
"I am ." She told him happily. "I'm nineteen ."
He considered her a long moment.
"Still a baby" he teased her . Chuckling at her look of immediate outrage .
"Why does everyone keep comparing me to a child lately ?!" She exclaimed, more than annoyed.
"I'll have you know that I'm a strong woman that's capable of kicking your ass!" She promised him , chin raised proudly in the air .
Still snickering as he nodded along unable to take her seriously.
"Oh I bet." He didn't doubt her in the slightest .
It was always the small ones that you had to watch your back with after all.
Huffing, she decided to let this one go for once knowing that he didn't mean anything cruel by it.
"Can you drive me home syd? I'm tired." She admitted , yawning loudly just to prove her point.
Smiling at her , he easily agreed but not before typing his number in her phone and helping her down off the counter .
It hadn't been such a bad night after all.
As she wobbled up the stairs to her home , she found herself squinting against the bright lights that shone from the front rooms fake chandelier.
Her fathers smiling face greeting her at the door with a air of happiness that clung to him so strongly that even June found herself faltering .
Through her hazy and foggy mind even she knew that something wasn't quite right .
Her father didn't smile at where when she stumbled through the door , drunk and clearly smelling of weed.
She was waiting for the shouting and the usual "who did she think she was" to be flung at her face but instead all she got was a smile .
She wondered if he was on drugs. There was no other reason for him to be smiling so brightly at her at one in the morning like this.
"You have a good time at the party honey?" He asked her kindly , gripping her shoulders gently to stop her from swaying and carefully helping her take off her leather jacket .
Red , glassy eyes refused to focus on his bright eyes as the room spun twice , her body light like air.
"Yeah." She breathed out after a minute , nodding her head softly.
"yeah I did . Wasn't so bad." She mumbled , genuinely surprised herself by how much much she had enjoyed herself.
Recalling the way that Syd had waited in his car till she had gotten safely to her doorway before pulling away .
That was nice of him . She thought . She didn't peg him for a gentleman and yet here she was .
Safe at home and he hadn't even expected anything from her , just like she had told him not to.
She decided then that she liked syd. He was pretty cool.
Leon sighed , pleased , before leading her into the kitchen where a plate of freshly baked cookies were sat on one of the finer plates that her grandma had owned.
"I'm glad . Really I am . I must admit I was a bit worried ." He admitted .
Frowning lightly as he steadied her again , deciding to keep his hand firmly on her shoulder so she wouldn't face plant the table .
Licking her lips as she eyed the cookies happily , deciding to go with one of the biggest ones and quickly shoving it into her mouth .
"Why were you worried?" It was barely heard over the sound of her chewing, as she nearly moaned at the taste of the big chunky chocolate chips he had used .
Since when did her father bake ? She hadn't thought that he even knew how to turn on the oven , never mind use it.
Wiping the crumbs from her mouth with a quiet 'tut' , he shrugged his shoulders casually .
"Last time you went to a 'party' you were escorted home by the police for knocking out some boy ." He reminded her .
A short laugh escaped her as she leaned her head gently on his shoulder , letting her eyes flutter close as the dizziness become too much .
"He wouldn't keep his hands to himself ." She told him simply and her father nodded his head in acceptance .
"I should have done more than hit him." She mumbled through a yawn , feeling her body relax as Leon's hand rubbed gently up and down her side
"He got lucky ." She tiredly muttered.
It was hard to hold back a smile as she snuggled into his chest , his heart softening as he realised that he hadn't held him own daughter in so long .
Not that he didn't want to but he didn't think that she would have appreciated him touching her before , she could barely stand to be in the same room as him .
However things were changing and he was hoping that this new affectionate and less violent June was going to be a regular thing .
Grazing his fingertips over her shoulder he carefully moved away and guided her over to the stairs , not wanting to risk her climbing them on her own .
Inhaling deeply as he turned her around and placed his hand on her lower back , the smell of sweat , smoke and a sweet vanilla perfume raiding his senses as he fought back the urge to close his eyes and inhale some more .
Memories hitting his mind before he could stop them .
His wife had always smelled like smoke and some cheap perfume that she had stolen from one of her friends .
He would beg her to let him buy her a bottle that was sweeter , that didn't stick to the sheets so badly . But his wife had always been stubborn and had never cared for what he thought .
She had screamed and fought with him just as much as June did . He realised . Exhaling shakily as he slid his hand further up her back and helped her into her bedroom.
"It looks like someone's burgled your room June ." He said disapprovingly as he looked around her messy room that seemed to have everything on the bottom shelf .
He didn't know how she could even move in this tip .
Frowning at one of suitcases which was still packed and leant against the closet door .
Groaning loudly , she rolled her eyes , nearly falling over a heel that was strung out on the floor .
Giggling as Leon darted forward and held onto her elbow tightly to stop her from eating shit .
"Bloody hell!" He exclaimed eyeing her judgementally.
"How much did you drink tonight?"
Letting her hold onto him as she squinted her eyes up at him in thought.
"I dunno . How many cups are in a bottle ?" She mused .
Frowning as he shook his head fighting back the urge to scold her , she wasn't a kid anymore . It was time to let her grow up and make her own mistakes to learn from .
He was sure her hangover tomorrow would help her along with that.
"Where are your pyjamas ?" He asked her instead once she had flopped down backwards onto her bed , moaning miserably as the room tipped upside down from her abrupt movements .
Kicking her feet up in the air.
"I just wear a shirt . Pass me one from the floor." She mumbled to him .
"-and get me a wipe . I want it off." She gestured lazily to her makeup painted face .
Rolling his eyes at her demands.
"Yes your highness . Would you like me to plump your pillows while I'm at it?" He snipped .
June only laughed and gazed up at him cheekily.
"I wouldn't say no." Was all she replied .
Walking back over to her with a baggy shirt in hand , he looked at her pointedly.
"Sit up and arms up." He instructed her firmly .
Huffing , she did as he said , arms held high in the air as he pulled off her shirt . Wrinkling his nose at the smell of vodka and sweat that was pouring off it .
He would recommend her to burn it but he didn't think she would take too kindly to that comment .
Putting his hands through the head hole of the shirt he eyed the humming drunk girl on her bed , swaying her feet as she sat there in her shorts and black lace bra .
Kneeling down beside her feet so his face was levelled with her own, he sighed.
"Not much of a kid anymore are ya?" He muttered with a frown .
Not giving her a chance to reply before he shoved the shirt over her head , muffling her noisy protests .
Breathing heavily as her head popped back through , she attempted to glare at him , though it looked more like she was pulling a funny face.
"You're annoying ." She complained as he roughly grabbed her face and began to wipe away at her makeup carelessly.
"You have to it gently ! My skin will be bright red if you're not careful ." She whined attempting to move her face back .
Leon only let out a breath of exasperation and held onto her chin tighter , being more gentle as he carefully wiped the red lipstick from her lips .
Even with it gone her lips seemed to still be stained with the colour . He didn't like it.
His eyes darting between her own as he stroked his thumb over her flushed cheeks.
"You know I'm really proud of you." He told her quietly unable to help himself .
Sniffling as she looked up at him with wide hopeful eyes , her heart squeezing in her chest.
"You are?" She sounded like a little kid just wanting to know that her daddy cared .
He nodded once with a soft smile "I am."
Breathing out slowly as he let his hand slide down to her neck , eyeing the fluttering pulse there and the soft paleness in the light . She was just so small and delicate .
A facade he knew .
He had been on the receiving end of her misery and he knew that she was so much more than she seemed .
He had made the great mistake of undermining her and had payed for it with her cruel words , and even crueler actions .
She wasn't normal . But then again the apple never fell far from the tree did it ? Her mother was exactly the same .
Yet somehow his daughter was much worse . She was silent and crafty , and thought over her every step before she would strike.
It was like living with a gun pointed to your back , with the promise that one of the bullets were real and the others were just a warning . A game .
He wasn't as oblivious to her ways as she thought he was .
But he wasn't a big enough of a fool to try to stop her either .
You can't reason with hate after all. And he felt it from her every look.
"You've got a job and a new friend . Something I never thought was possible." He chuckled pleased with this new , social lead she seemed to be turning .
Ignoring her subtle frown he sighed lowly , admiring the freckles that dotted over her nose . His wife didn't have a single freckle and neither did he .
Cupping her jaw in his hand he stoked the skin there lightly before leaning forward till the distance closed between them .
June left out a shaky breath as he gently kissed her cheek before pulling away . Squeezing her hand one last time before pulling away .
"I like this new you June." He told her simply as he walked to the door , eyeing the glossy and confused look that flashed over her face .
As she realised that she didn't have as much control as she thought she did .
The door closing behind him with a soft click , his deep chuckle filed the air as he walked back into his own room .
Leaving June to curl up under the covers herself , wrapping her arms tightly around her knees as her lower lip trembled and the tears started to soak her pillow .
Her fingertips twitching with a sudden need to scratch off the skin from her cheek .
The lump in her throat growing bigger and bigger till it took all she had not to sob . Her hand cupping her mouth to muffle the noise .
Her father had finally told her he was proud of her .
She felt sick to her stomach .