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Two years ago..
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! DAMMIT, SHUT UP—!"
The student did as they were told, watching the rage of Leo Tsukinaga. That student, you, remained in place. In silence, you reached out a hand towards him. His behavior didn't startle you. You would not leave, as everyone else had. They all would scamper off upon hearing Leo's intense fury.
However, you were not them. Izumi and Ruka are far different from you, with Izumi being far too carefree for such things; and Ruka being far too afraid to face her brother. The orange haired boy had ripped something..
You crouched down to scoop the parts into your hands. It was a lamb plushies, ripped as though it'd been put through a guillotine. You felt your heart sink upon seeing Leo's reaction to such a break. He staggered backwards, exhausted eyes widening. Gazing down at his own hands, it seems he startled himself.
You assumed it meant quite a bit to him. Standing in the messy room, you placed the plush onto the bedside. Lifting a hand to signal a pause, you quickly fled the bedroom.
Upon returning, sewing kit in hands, you beamed at him. Leo had seated himself on the floor, hugging onto the destroyed lamb. It seemed to have held special memories, the only memories he could turn to. At the time, music had done nothing but betray him. Even at a single note of song, he would want to rip his own hair out.
Shutting the bedroom door behind yourself, you placed the sewing kit on the floor. You then gathered your items, involving black fabric and a round, tomato plush for the needles you own.
"Can I have this?" You questioned.
Leo hesitantly handed you the plush, eyes reddened. He remained silent, observing you through empty, green hues.
"Look," your soothing voice said, tone gentle as cloud. You began to prod the stuffing downwards, placing the plush upon the floor before yourself. With your legs crossed to form a pretzel, you dutifully slipped the thread through the needle. "It'll be okay." You told Leo, a soft smile on your face as you stuck the needle through the lamb's fabric body.
You dutifully sewed for however long it took, eventually attaching the plushies body to it's head once more. Tying the thread into a knot to secure the stitching, you ran a gentle fingertip along it's neck area. "Good," you gave it's soft, although scruffy, wool a ginger stroke. "Here. See? It's okay now."
Leo swept the lamb into his arms, gazing lovingly at it. You wondered what it was that made it so special. "Thank you.." he uttered.
He wavered with exhaustion, swaying even in a seated position.
Sniff..
"I'm so cold.. Name, I'm sorry—" he shuttered. "I d-don't want to be alone.." he grimaced against bitter tears.
Frozen with shock, you watched as THE Leo began softly crying to himself. You put your sewing supplies away, afterwards shutting the container. Inching across the carpet, you slowly placed a hand on Leo's head. "It's alright," you reassured him. "I'll keep you warm."
You embraced him, stroking his head. It was true, he was cold to the touch, even though clothed. Your protective embrace shielded him. Leo breathed heavily, gasping for oxygen between sobs.
"I ruined your future..! Any chance you had—!" He whined, afterwards crying out a somber wail.
"Oh, my sunshine," you stroked his head. "Shhh, you haven't done anything wrong."
Your nickname undid him, causing the composer to begin sobbing into your clothes. He held the small lamb plush close to his chest, clinging to it as though it were his final puzzle piece. You slinked your arm around him, rubbing his back a tad. "Ahh—! Name, I'm so sorry! I ruined everything..!"
Heaving a sigh, you drew him closer to yourself. Gentle as one can be, you placed your hand to the back of his head. You sat in place, listening to his pleads through watery sobs as you held him. "You haven't ruined anything," you leaned forth. "It's not your fault."
He pressed his forehead into yours, bawling audibly. "I'm so sorry! Name— N-Name!"
It was true. He'd never stopped to realize how much you love him. Your affection overflowed, practically bursting out at the seams. Like an adorable, overstuffed teddy bear. You gingerly stroked his back; slowly, comfortingly. You maneuvered him to sit comfortably upright in your lap, hugging onto the lamb sill. He leaned on your chest, face buried there.
"Shh, stop your crying," you gently commanded. "It's alright."
Sniff.. hic!
The sounds of sorrow Leo made drew your expression from concerned to gentle and understanding. You brushed his hair back using your digits, running your fingers through his hair of orange.
"I yelled at everyone," Leo exhaled tears into the lamb's soft wool, caging the plush to his chest. "I'm such a terrible person..!"
You shook your head, placing a hand on his cheek. The other arm resumed cradling him close. "You're not defined as a person by flaws. You may have made a mistake, but you can learn from it," your words sent him recoiling into a small ball, wailing at the top of his lungs. "It's going to be okay, Leo. I'm here."
"Waah..! Name, I'm so stupid—! I hurt everyone!" Whined Leo.
You were at a loss for words. He was so shattered over the situation, it seemed as though no matter what you said, it wouldn't make a difference.
You curled around his head, snaking your arm around him. With your free hand, you placed it to the back of his head. He was devastated, and frankly, so were you. He'd practically destroyed his social life in this process, and not only that, he destroyed himself. He scarred himself beyond repair emotionally, leaving wounds that you would need to stitch to allow them to leave. You rocked back and forth a tad, hand protectively secured to the back of his head. You began to pet his hair, breathing a soft sigh. Leo, hyperventilating, grasped onto the plush he held. It seemed that was the only thing he could do, tears streaming down his face. As he tried to face you with open eyes, they quickly shut in favor of tears.
You dried his tears with your sleeve, a ginger smile upon your features. "It's okay," you told him.
"I'm here. You're going to be okay."