Leo sighed tiredly, looking at the painfully long contracts that sat on his desk in front of him.
Running his hand through his dark in defeat, he called his assistant and handed over the completed documents.
"Thank you, Jeremy," Leo mumbled, moving on to the next thick set of documents.
"Will that be all, Mr. Deluca?" The young assistant gulped anxiously.
Leo gave the assistant a brief nod without looking up from his document and waved him off, hearing the shy assistant scurry out of the large office.
The twenty-five-year-old loosened his tie, moving onto the next stack of papers.
Before Leo knew it, hours had passed as he got more and more work done.
The sudden ringing of his phone broke him out of his concentrated haze.
"Hello?" Leo growled in slight irritation at the sudden interruption.
"Mr. Deluca?" An older woman's voice squeaked across the line, causing Leo to wince a little, pulling the phone slightly away from his ear.
"Yes, speaking?"
"I am calling from St. Andrew's Kindergarten. I'm afraid you're half an hour late to pick up young Charlie."
Leo stood up straight away, cursing himself mentally.
"I am sorry I'll be there in twenty minutes. Please tell Charlie I am on my way."
The lady on the phone let out an unimpressed grumble, hanging up on the young man.
Leo rushed down to his car, immediately telling the driver the address of the school.
The whole ride, Leo sat uncomfortably, guilt taking over him for being late to pick up his little sister on her first day of school.
"We're here, sir." The driver informed as they pulled to a stop in front of the posh school.
Leo rushed out of the car, quickly walking into the building.
The tall man looked around frantically in search of his baby sister.
"Leo," Her tiny voice echoed, causing Leo to turn around to find the small thing finally.
His soft smile soon turned into a frown as he noticed the dry paint that was smeared across her rosy cheeks and uniform.
"H-hey, baby girl." Leo cooed, kneeling as he opened his arms.
Charlie immediately ran into them.
The older brother placed a firm kiss on top of her head, standing up with her tiny body secured in his strong arms.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, sweet girl. I was caught up in some work." Leo mumbled, stroking her chubby cheek with his thumb soothingly.
Charlie nodded in understanding, placing her head tiredly to rest on his shoulder.
It had been an extremely long day for the five-year-old.
"Come on then, baby girl. Let's get you home."
•
Leo walked through the door of their home with a sleeping five-year-old in his arms.
Making his way through the apartment, he suddenly came to a halt at the sight of this youngest brother in front of him.
There on the sofa, laid Atlas, asleep. Judging by his state, Leo could tell he'd started drinking.
Again.
Frowning with both sadness and disappointment, Leo walked past his unconscious younger brother, heading up to his room.
"Charlie, baby. Wake up." Leo spoke gently, bouncing her a little in his arms.
He needed to bathe the little one before she completely conked out.
And her being awake was sort of imperative for that.
Charlie let out a weary grumble, burying her head further into his chest, making Leo chuckle.
"Charlie." He cooed, placing her down on the bed, shaking her once again.
"Darling, you need a bath. You're covered in paint." He chuckled, walking over to his ensuite.
Leo started the bath, making sure the temperature was just right and added bubbles with the little duck toys they had bought for the little one the other day.
He then went back out to check on the little one.
Leo let out a loud chuckle as soon as he saw his sister bury herself underneath the covers and plopped a pillow over her head.
"Cheeky little brat." He spoke, walking over.
"Alright, little miss. I'm going to give you the count of three to come out." Leo warned, sitting on the bed next to the little bump.
"One."
"Two."
"Thre-"
"Charlie's not here right now. She's currently taking a nap. Please come back later." A mischievous little muffled voice came from under the duvet, making the older brother chuckle.
"Last chance, princess."
Silence.
"Okay, three. Right, come here."
Leo reached under the covers and snatched her little frame from beneath the blankets, dropping her onto the bed.
He then pulled up her paint-stained jumper and blew ticklish raspberries on to her tiny tummy.
Charlie burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter as her evil older brother tortured her with tickles.
"L-Leo! Stop!" Was all Charlie could get out as he nibbled at her little belly, pretending to eat her up.
"Don't say I didn't warn you, pretty girl." Leo grinned playfully, grabbing Charlie's little arms and holding them above her head.
Before Charlie could protest, Leo began to tickle her little underarms, grinning as she laughed her little heart out.
"Are you going to cooperate now?" Leo smiled down, innocently as Charlie's laughter grew.
"I-I don't know w-what that m-means," The toddler giggled, squirming madly.
Leo let out a fond chuckle, shaking his head.
"It means you have to work with me. Are you going to work with me here, cheeky girl?" Leo asked.
Charlie nodded frantically, shrieking out a "yes," and Leo's torturous tickles finally stopped much to Charlie's relief.
The five-year-old laid on the bed, her cheeks now bright red from laughing too much.
Charlie looked up at her older brother with the most menacing glare she could conceive.
"You're a big, fat meany."
"You love it."
•
Surrounded by bubbles, Charlie played with the little yellow ducks, pretending they were at war.
"How dare you threaten to take my throne?" One duck spoke through Charlie.
"Yours? It belongs to me, you silly billy." The other responded with rage.
Leo watched his little sister, amused by her weird imagination while adding a handful of shampoo to her wild hair.
"So, sweet girl. How was school today?" The brother finally asked, grabbing a beaker of water to rinse her hair.
Charlie looked up at her brother nervously, not knowing what to say.
The day had been all over the place.
Sure, she'd been attacked by paint and had received a not-so-nice welcome from her teacher, but she'd also met two rather lovely classmates.
One wild and one kind.
Shrugging her shoulders, Charlie looked back down at the toy ducks, now making them dance on the bubbly water.
"Baby," Leo spoke, now a little more sternly.
"I would really like to know how you're feeling about school. If something's wrong, you can tell me. You know that, right?"
Deciding to give him a proper answer, Charlie grabbed a duck and once again spoke through it, putting on a funny voice.
"Charlie's day was g-good. She met two new friends and did some painting." Charlie explained, moving the toy as if it was talking.
"Her teacher was a-a bit of a meany, though, and one girl was a little unkind." The duck carried on, but this time in a sadder tone.
Leo nodded, smiling at her cuteness.
"Well, I'm glad you made some friends, sweetheart. And I'm sorry about the mean girl and your teacher. You want me to call the school?" Leo offered.
Charlie immediately shook her head, not wanting to take such drastic measures this early.
"N-no, s'okay. I'm sure they were just having a b-bad day."
Leo leaned down to place a kiss on Charlie's forehead at her response as she carried on playing with the ducks.
"Never change."
•
Oscar couldn't take his eyes away from the strange sight in front of him.
He was back at the club after dropping his wasted brother home.
The club was in full swing. People dancing everywhere and drinks were disappearing as soon as they had been poured.
But there in the corner of the club stood a small young man.
He looked around twenty at the very most and was really quite tiny.
Oscar wondered why an innocent little thing like him was doing at his not-so-innocent club.
There was no denying the young man's beauty.
His eyes were a gorgeous blue that soon became addictive to a curious Oscar.
The boy couldn't have been taller than 5'4 and just screamed innocence.
But it wasn't just Oscar who noticed the boy too.
Soon, a group of rough-looking men surrounded the poor boy like a pack of wolves, salivating for their prey.
Oscar wanted to ignore it. He really did, but something about this boy drew him in.
"I'm so-sorry. I-I don't d-drink." Oscar heard his little voice stutter in panic.
"Oh, it's not alcohol, baby." One of the men purred, leaning into the little thing.
"Oh, well i-in that case." Oscar couldn't watch anymore.
Storming over, Oscar snatched the spiked drink from the perverted man and threw it to the ground, bits of glass spraying everywhere.
"What the fuck, mate?" One of the men sneered angrily, looking to Oscar in utter confusion.
"What the fuck were you trying to do to him, huh? Get him fucked up and then take him back to yours?" Oscar growled intimidatingly, approaching the man, causing him to gulp visibly.
"P-pretty much." The guy tried to smirk but failed, his confidence slowly dripping away.
Oscar let out a dry chuckle, towering over the fucker and leaned in close. "If I ever see you or your little group here again, well." Oscar paused to let out a haunting laugh.
"I. Will. Kill. You."
The man and his friends sheepishly nodded, scurrying away like little mice.
Oscar let out a breath, calming down a little before turning to the frightened little thing.
"What's your name?" Oscar spoke softly, giving the shaking thing a sympathetic look.
"A-august."
Oscar smiled.
It suited him.
"You don't belong here, do you, August?" He cooed gently, not wanting to startle the scared boy.
August shook his head, blushing a little. "M-my friends p-persuaded me to c-come." He whispered.
"And where are your friends now, hmm?" Oscar asked, frowning with confusion.
"T-they l-left." Embarrassment flooded Augusts's cheeks as he realised that he probably looked pathetic in front of the handsome stranger.
"Well, let me call you a cab. I think it would be best if we got you home."
And with that, Oscar grabbed August's small hand, enveloping it with his large ones.
The sudden contact sent tingles up August's spine.
Soon a cab was called, Oscar led the small boy out of the club, taking him to the waiting car. "What's your address, love?"
August's cheeks turned bright pink at the use of the term of endearment, giving Oscar the address to tell the driver.
Oscar then handed the man some money, telling him sternly to drive safely.
"Get home safe, love. I don't want to see you here alone again. It's not safe." Oscar warned him kindly, opening the door of the cab for August to get in.
"Th-thank you, umm?"
"Oscar."
"O-oh. Well, thank you, Oscar. Very much." August smiled shyly.
Oscar nodded in acceptance, watching as the cab drove away.
"Hey, babe." Oscar turned to see Tiffany, one of the club's regulars come up to him and pressed her body up onto his, close.
"Want to dance?"
Oscar nodded unenthusiastically, letting the eager woman lead him inside the pulsing club.
She danced, placing rough, wet kisses on his neck and her body grinding impossibly close to his.
Oscar's hands trailed up and down the woman's body in pleasure. However, his mind remained elsewhere.
"What are you doing to me August?"
•
Charlie was in a state of panic.
Paul was missing.
The stuffy had been MIA for a while now, and Charlie was really starting to worry.
Did he run away? Or did he do something stupid? What if he went to where Mumma went, then he would never return!
As stuffed toys came, Paul was really one of the best. He was given to the little girl by her Mumma, and he held an essential place in her heart.
Walking up to her room, she believed Paul must have stayed in Atlas' place for a sleepover and quickly ran over to her brother's room.
She quietly snuck in, knowing he was still asleep on the sofa in the living room.
He must have desperately needed a nap.
"Paul?" Charlie whispered, walking into the dark room.
"Paul? Are you in here?"
Charlie began her search, going straight to the messy bed in hopes of finding the stuffy.
A few minutes more of searching, Charlie went over to the side table. Maybe Paul climbed in there.
He always liked dark places.
Slowly opening the drawer, she looked down in disappointment as Paul was not there.
But there was something else that caught her eye.
There, a photo frame sat, dust layering over the glass.
Charlie reached down, carefully picking up the object.
She used her pajama sleeve to wipe away the thick layer of dust to reveal the photo.
It was Atlas and a beautiful girl, the girl, pulled into his arms as Atlas placed a kiss on her forehead, the moment frozen in time by the photograph.
Charlie looked at the girl in awe.
She had long golden hair, like a princess and a beautiful smile. Charlie then looked over to Atlas, grinning at how happy he looked.
She'd never seen him so happy before.
"Charlie?"
Charlie gasped in shock at the deep voice, her little fingers accidentally letting go of the frame.
The loud shattering of glass filled the room as fragments flew everywhere, nearly hitting Charlie as well.
Charlie turned around to see a raging Atlas standing by the door.
Atlas stormed over to the little girl and roughly grabbed her, yanking her away from the broken glass.
"Look what you've done, you stupid girl! Do you have any idea of the damage you've caused?!" Atlas roared bitterly, causing Charlie to tremble and cower away.
"Get the fuck out! God! You're such a fucking brat! And you wonder why we haven't bothered speaking to you in two fucking years!" Charlie gasped at his hurtful words, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.
Charlie whimpered a "s-sorry" and ran out of the room, not wanting to believe that what Atlas said was true.
"Fuck!" Atlas's voice exploded in both anger and regret.
He looked down at the picture, sadness, and pain overcoming him.
"Oh, Isla."
-Edited 15/04/2020 with the help of the lovely MsFishyLee