don't wake me if I'm dreaming, tag: leo

[Emma Nicole Black]

SOMETIMES I FIND IT HARD
• to believe there's someone else who could be •
JUST AS MESSED UP AS ME

The bright neon lights wavered in Emma’s vision as her hips moved to rhythms that she could no longer recognize. The drugs were deep in her veins now, swimming quickly past each nerve and fiber until she felt numb and lost. It was a good feeling – something that she needed, something she yearned for. In a sober state, she might realize she had a problem to desire this feeling so much, but it filled the emptiness in her just exactly so that she no longer had to feel the pain of wanting or regretting any longer. Things she could not admit in her right mind had found her dreams. The last few nights she’d waken from nightmares she couldn’t remember. Only flashes of blood and Leo filled them. Other thoughts of Leo plagued her even when she tried to push them down. When she escaped them, thoughts of her daughter filled the empty slots. Neither thought was comforting, so in a moment of desperation, she went out clubbing with some friends.

She hadn’t intended to take the drugs and drink as much as she had, but somehow every time her head was screaming no, her mouth was saying yes and taking in the next poison that would make all the confusing and hurtful feelings go away.

The lights twisted and dulled in her vision and she felt her stomach pulling at every angle. She needed to escape the loud dance floor quickly. The heat, the people, the bodies – it was all too much. She could feel herself fall to the ground as people all around danced into her, some even groping at her in her drugged state. It took her a few minutes, but all of a sudden she was in the bathroom and splashing cold water on her face. She couldn’t smell the stench or hear the moans from the stalls, and even as she looked at herself in the mirror, she saw a distorted mess looking back at her. What had she done?
She cupped some of the water in her hands and brought it to her mouth quickly and repeatedly until she felt the soothing swish of relief in her stomach. She might be able to keep ahold of its contents yet. But she wasn’t going to do herself any good trying to get home from here. She needed to think but her head was too fogged.

Her fingers searched her pockets sloppily, and after dropping and retrieving her phone at least twice, she managed to punch in one of the speed dials and could hear the ringing through the receiver. “Pick up. Please pick up.” It was only one ring before a voice on the other end answered with a ‘hello?’ She managed to tangle together some form of words to let them know where she was and after only a few more seconds heard a click on the other end signaling that the conversation had ended. She could only hope now that they understood her and were on their way. She wasn’t sure who she’d managed to get a hold of, having been unable to see as she punched in the speed dial. The voice was male but the distortion caused by the drugs in her system left her with no clue as to which of the 4 males from her speed dial it could be. Her thought process was too weak to decide rationally between which one it was.

She only had one mission now – to get out of the club safely and wait by the entrance for her savior to rescue her.

Making it through the throngs of people proved more challenging as she attempted to leave than it had in getting to the bathroom. It seemed that in the few short minutes since she’d went to refresh and make her call, the population of the club had seemed to double. People’s elbows hit her sides and shoulders as she pushed past, desperate to get out. She could still feel hands grope her as she shoved through the dense sea of bodies. She didn’t have the ability to tell anyone off and could only hope that groping was as far as their thoughts went. If someone tried to take her, she’d be in no position to defend herself.

Finally, by some miracle, the slightly chilly air of the night hit her square in her face and she took her first fresh breath before putting her back to the brick wall and sliding down it to sit haphazardly on the uneven gravel and asphalt. She took deep breaths, trying to regain any composure possible before she was rescued. She didn’t want to look like an out of control druggie, which was almost exactly the image anyone would see if they walked by.

A few seconds later and a voice directed towards her interrupted her mangled thoughts.

Leo.

She’d managed to call the one person she was ashamed to have to see her like this. And the one person she couldn’t stop thinking about. Those thoughts had driven her to do the reckless events of the evening and she was certainly not proud. “H-hi. Sorry.” She couldn’t manage to explain her apology because she felt like she was about to vomit. She clenched an arm over her stomach as she stood up quickly and bent over to the side, releasing the contents of her stomach on the ground next to her – small drops splattering on her shoes. She wiped away what was left on her mouth with her sleeve and grumbled.

Now she was really embarrassed and she could feel her cheeks filling with blood.

She unsteadily kept herself standing as she quickly retrieved a mint out of her pocket and popped it in her mouth – making careful motions to get rid of the disgusting taste and smell in her mouth and throat.

“Can you get me away from here?” She surprised herself at being able to speak coherently, but for her, she’d always been able to speak when under the influence – it was the walking that was typically the problem.

TAGGED ! Tally with Leo!
WORDS ! 1015
OUTFIT ! CLICKEH!
LYRICS ! sometimes by skillet
TEMPLATE ! PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION
NOTES ! I'm so freaking excited

[Leonard Julius Ricard]

It wasn't like he really was doing anything that night, he wasn't on at work he wasn't taking any classes on this particular day. Instead he found himself sitting around the home he'd had for the last couple of years and clicking at the remote that had lazily sat in front of him for quite some time. Leo never really understood the whole...impressiveness that was the television, or the whole point of blasting music. Maybe it was the whole generation of differences or something, either way Leo had yet to really click with any of the things that had become so successful over the last twenty years or so. But, Leo had found himself rather intrigued by this whole sort of world as he's watched it change and form to what it is today in this 21st century.

There were only a few reasons why Leo didn't regret still being alive so long after all the ones he had cared about had passed away. And that was just being able to see things come to life, to meet people like himself, and then of course that one particular girl that had managed to capture his heart. It was still a weird sort of feeling for him, something which Leo couldn't place ever really having felt before. Even in his many years of life, hell, for the majority of it he found himself hiding from people rather than trying to get to know them. Leo had always been frightened of the strength he had, both physically and when it came to the actual blood lust that would hit him from time to time, it was one of those reasons why he saw himself as such a monster.

He couldn't bare the thought of getting close to someone and then end up killing them in a moment where he lost control of himself. So for him, Emma was the first real exception. It still unnerved him a little bit when the two would get close, or those rare times when they were around each other and she fell asleep. Leo was lucky he had yet to ever feel like he wanted to bite her, to change her into the thing he was or to simply drain her dry. It was probably one of those reasons why Leo let her get so close to him, though honestly the first time she found out Leo she didn't run off scared. So that little factor probably helped out quite a bit as well.

Pulling his eyes away from the flashing television screen he sighed a bit and ran a hand through his hair. I really need to get myself a roommate or something... It was something that Leo found himself thinking more recently, of course the only sort of person he would keep as a Roommate would be of course another Vampire. Maybe a human wouldn't be bad, as long as they didn't go into his room in the middle of the day or anything like that. But really, the list of humans that he knew that knew his secret was rather slim, plus with all the whispers of their existance going around town due to the new sheriff he wanted to avoid any sort of extra attention.

However Leo's mind was pulled from that trail of thoughts as his cell phone lit up and vibrated next to him. Glancing to the clock that hung on the wall he shook his head and saw the name 'Emma' flash up on the screen and that only caused him to raise his brow even more than he had before. "Oh Ems.." He murmured under his breath before shifting his weight and picking up the cell phone. Leo let it ring a couple more times before he then picked up the device and heard a fair amount of slurring words and knew right away that this would be one of those nights. One of those nights when he would have his Emma all jumbled and mixed up, not the sort of thing he favored but he would never leave her be in this sort of mind set either. Not when she was likely to wander off with someone who showed her some sort of kindness, no, Leo would make sure to get there and keep her safe. Fend off any sort of creature that would try and take her away, keep him from being able to find her.

"Yes Emma, I'll be there soon, don't move." He said into the phone, and while the words seemed to continue he hung up the phone and moved to the front door. Clicking off the Television he pulled on one of the coats he had resting by the door and rather swiftly slipped from the house and onto the main street. This place was all too familiar to him, the smells of lingering humans, and then the occasional fae other other Vampire. The quiet town that Leo lived in the last couple of years would soon, he was sure, hardly be quiet as the tension would build and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of impact this new sheriff would have on those around here. Leo knew very well that the wolfs were having trouble trying to pursue this new Sheriff, which worried him even more so than he thought it really would have. However, he didn't have much time to really think about that, seeing as how as he approached the entrance to Club Illusions his scent immediately picked up on the familiar scent that Emma had.

It was mixed with the scent of alcohol and other substances that he didn't want to think of her ever really being on. "Ems." he said as he moved up to her and took a half step back as he watched the fluids from that night leave her stomach. The stench was not something that was very welcoming to him, be as she remained hunched over he placed a gentle hand on her back and pulled a couple dark strands of hair from her face before watching as she stood back up. He nodded and offered a slight smile as he heard her request. "I'm going to carry you though," Leo didn't wait for any sort of protest before gently picking her up and studying her face for a moment before starting forward once more. He'd decided against the burst of speed, seeing as how he wasn't looking to have her throw up any more than she had already done. "I'll get you home," Leo assured her.

word count. 1096 tag. emma <3 notes. lemaaa <3 <3 <3

[Emma Nicole Black]

SOMETIMES I FIND IT HARD
• to believe there's someone else who could be •
JUST AS MESSED UP AS ME

As much as Emma was ashamed to have Leo see her this way, she could think of no one else she really wanted to take care of her. She needed him even if she couldn’t admit such things out loud. She needed him in the worst of ways – ways that could threaten their perfect friendship. She didn’t want to lose what she had with him now. How many times had he talked with her for hours until she fell asleep in his apartment? How many times had he rescued her when she believed she was beyond such help? How many times had he made her feel like she was worthy of more in this life? He gave her too much through his friendship for her to risk that on something that never worked for her.

The dull ache of the drugs was wearing off enough to be replaced by a fierce pounding that rattled around in her skull and clenched at her brain. She made small moans and gasps and the sudden pain of it, but managed to keep a firm grasp of her hands around Leo’s neck. Despite the pain and the embarrassment, it was comforting to be in his arms. She felt safe and warm there, better than any medicine could do for her right now. “Thank you.” She couldn’t believe all he did for her. He gave so much for her and did so much that at times, she swore he might feel something more than friendship. Whenever she thought this though, she quickly deflected the possibility by running over her list of reasons that was impossible. He was a vampire, she was a human. He’d almost certainly met much more interesting women in his time and she was fooling herself to believe that she could compete. She knew she was stunning in her own way and she was confident in that, but even that confidence wavered when her eyes set on his stunning face. An image of perfection such as him could never have feelings for someone like her.

As he insisted on carrying her, she didn’t refuse. He picked her up like she weighed nothing and she put effort in wrapping her arms around his neck and intertwining her fingers on the nape of his neck. She knew he wouldn’t drop her, but holding onto him gave her a kind of comfort she couldn’t explain. She wondered how many girls he’d ever carried this way. She shook her head slightly, tossing the thought out of her mind. She couldn’t start thinking like that. He wasn’t hers and he never was going to be. Just because she was drugged didn’t mean she could allow these feelings to take hold and let loose in her mind.

Even if he had feelings for her, she couldn’t let herself return them. She couldn’t let him have all of her – have that kind of power of her. She’d been broken too many times before. Even though Leo was the kindest and most sincere person she’d ever met, it was those qualities that would make it all too easy for her to lose herself in him. Even if he never left her or hurt her, something would happen to prevent them from being together. It didn’t matter that deep inside of her, she certainly felt things for him that she’d never felt before. It couldn’t happen. They could lose everything if they ever tried to explore that area of their relationship. She needed him to be there more than anything and if keeping her emotional distance accomplished that, then she would just have to deal with the emptiness of never exploring her deep unspoken feelings.

“You’re always rescuing me.” The statement was full of appreciation but allowed an undertone of pure shame. She was so sure she was strong that she hadn’t seen how weak she’d become. Things had gotten to her more than she could have ever thought. She was a mess and in the morning, she would have to deal with herself. Right now, her head was spinning and she could barely breath.

She shook her head as he said he would get her home. “No. Please. Can I go to your place tonight?” She didn’t think she’d be able to face her brother, if he was even home. What she wouldn’t admit to herself was that she would want to stay with him regardless. Being with him was the only place she could feel completely safe. She knew that as long as she was with him, he would always protect her even if she didn’t exactly deserve it.

It was amazing that even though he was a vampire, he was safer to her than any human she’d ever met. He may have done things in his past that he wasn’t proud of, but she knew that he hadn’t asked to become a vampire. He was too kind to want to be evil. “I’m so sorry, Leo.” She felt like the tears would start spilling from her eyes at any second. She couldn’t believe that she had yet again managed to tear herself to pieces and get herself into a horrible situation. What Emma hated even more was that he had to witness herself destruction in this moment. “I don’t deserve your help.” She covered her eyes with her palms as they made it to his house and walked across the threshold. A few tears slipped from her lids. The sensation made her guilt and shame feel so much worse. The floodgates seemed to open as she silently sobbed. She was upset because she was ashamed and then she was embarrassed that she was now becoming an emotional mess in front of him. ( Great job. You couldn’t even hold it together until you got a moment alone. Way to go. ) She kept her hands cupped over her eyes to hide the tears and muffle the sobs. She really needed to get a handle on herself. If not for her, then she at least owed it to him.

TAGGED ! Tally with Leo!
WORDS ! 1005
OUTFIT ! CLICKEH!
LYRICS ! sometimes by skillet
TEMPLATE ! PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION
NOTES ! Emma, stop breaking my heart!

[Leonard Julius Ricard]

It wasn't the first time that Leo had ever dealt with this sort of thing, from his years on this earth and the amount of people that seem to stumble around drunk at night. But, it wasn't only because of his simple night wandering over the years it also had a lot to do with the fact that his career choice was one that had him constantly making sure people got home safe. Or at least took their car keys away from them in order to make sure that they wouldn't do something stupid and just drive off. But that, he felt, was different than seeing Emma stumbling around like she'd done in the past. Leo simply didn't like the idea of her one day getting to the state she was in and then getting in a car with someone. Or if they fought and then she went out and got into trouble but wouldn't call him.

All of that was something that Leo greatly feared, as idiotic as that might be or what others might think is stupid, he can't help it. Then again, Leo wasn't sure he would change it even if he had a real choice in the matter, because for him thats just another thing that makes him feel normal. And that alone, is one of the biggest reasons why he clings to these feelings that pump through him, him, a would be ruthless killer and hunter of humans and creatures alike. The monster within himself snickered at him, and constantly challenged him when it came to being around humans. These feelings that haunted him would be the things that Leo would change if he could, without much of a second thought he would change the darkness that was inside him.

Shaking his head, his eyes moved downwards to the brunette female resting in his arms and tried to ignore the smell that came from her. Leo could smell the other people on her, and he wasn't sure if it was that smell that disgusted him or if it was the mixture of alcohol and drugs. Either way he wanted nothing more than to take her back to a place where she would be safe, and wash these memories from her mind. Sighing softly Leo shook his head as he heard yet another apology coming from her and offered yet another smile. "But of course, I'll come anytime." He cooed and shifted her weight just slightly as he continued down the dark streets. His eyes adjusting each time they passed under one of the street lights and then back into the darkness as the light faded behind them.

Even in this sort of situation Leo couldn't help but feel at least a little bit of happiness, this sort of thing was simply an excuse to remain close to her. Sure, it wasn't the best of the possible situations but it was often the only time that he was ever allowed to be that close. Though, he was worried that the coldness of his skin was something that may make her cold, or sick. So Leo rushed himself a bit more and glanced downwards once more when he heard her start to speak once more more, and Leo shook his head once more. "You can always count on me to be there for you," It was true too, Leo would never just leave because of something she might have done. He would do whatever he could to make sure she got out of a bad situation and back into a good one. "Think of me as your personal prince charming," He joked and grinned down at her.

Leo blinked a moment as he heard her request and paused for a moment, he did think that the apartment he owned was closer than her home. And he did think that there would be some serious lecturing from her older brother if he brought her home and woke him up. Lord knew that Leo had been on the end of one of those lectures once or twice before, and he couldn't say that it was something he was looking to go through a third or forth time. So as he paused a moment longer he turned from one side and crossed the street before continuing down the new direction and towards his own home. "Yeah, it'll probably be better if you just spend the night," Leo had an extra room in the apartment, which was just another reason as to why he should seriously consider getting a roommate. But now wasn't the time he would focus on that seeing as how he had managed to make it back to the place he called his home.

As he reached for his key from his pocket Leo found himself blinking once more, surprised as the tears suddenly flowed down the cheeks of the girl in her arms. "Hey, hey..." he cooed and let that hand in his pocket come to stroke the wet cheeks and Leo shook his head. "Calm down little bird." He said in a hushed tone, where the nickname had come from Leo wasn't even sure. But for a while now he'd referred to her as his little bird, sometimes a dove but for some reason Leo had always liked bird better. "You have no reason to apologize to me," He said gently caressing the cheek now and placed a tender kiss upon her forehead before pulling the key out once more and opening the door to the apartment, moving himself and Emma. "I'll take you to the bedroom." He figured it would be better to let her sleep in a place she knew rather than the spare bedroom, and so as he moved from the hall way, passed the dimly lit family room of sorts and into his room. He turned on the lights with his free hand and leaned down, making sure to gently place Emma down onto the large bed.

"I'll get you some water,"

word count. 1000 tag. emma <3 notes. baaaaaw <3

[Emma Nicole Black]

SOMETIMES I FIND IT HARD
• to believe there's someone else who could be •
JUST AS MESSED UP AS ME

She had no response as he confirmed the he would always be there for her. She pressed her head into his chest and let out a small smile grace her features. She’d never had any doubts of his loyalty to her. He was by far her greatest friend and was always there for her even when she didn’t know she needed him. “I hope you don’t ever have to again.” She didn’t want to be this person that relied on him because she’d been unable to handle herself out at the clubs. It was her own fault and she hated to think that it would be necessary to require his help ever again. The reality was only too clear that she might have to. She was fooling herself if she thought she didn’t have a problem. “I know.” Of course she did. She knew all too well that he’d be there for her. He never had to reassure her of something that she knew in the deepest depths of her gut to be true. Even her own brother had never gained a spot in her stomach. It was different. Her brother had to protect her because they were family and they would always do that. Leo protected her because he’d met her and then become close to her. She’d been born into the protection of her brother while she’d somehow earned it from Leo. She couldn’t really believe how, though. Every step she made was the wrong one. She’d never given Leo anything besides friendship for her to be worth as much trouble as she put him through. A few laughs and some good memories didn’t mean she deserved to have his immortal super-strength protection. She was just a human, fragile and even quite a bit reckless.

She let out a low chuckle at his adorable fairy tale reference. “I don’t think Prince Charming was a vampire, but that sure would change the story a lot.” She smiled at him, glad to be in his arms. His cold body didn’t bother her. There was comfort in it and in the oddest way it made her feel warmth that went deeper than any heat could. “Besides, Prince Charming is usually more interested in the heroine of the store and then marries her. I’m definitely no heroine, even in my own story. I’m a self-made villain, it seems.” She frowned and tried to ignore the other nagging aspect of his simple statement. Prince Charming, while often saving the damsel in distress from the evils that plagued her, usually fell madly in love with her in the process. That couldn’t be possible for them, even if she knew that some part of her, maybe even a very large part, wanted that more than anything.

She was grateful that he didn’t refuse her idea to stay over even though she’d practically invited herself over without concern for his own plans. He could have been entertaining a lady when she called and only dropped everything to be a good friend. If that was the case, then he was yet again being too redeemable and allowing Emma to overstep her bounds. “You weren’t busy when I… called, right? I don’t want to ruin your night.” As her emotions got the better of her, she was thankful for his reassurance and gentle coos for her to calm down. The sensation of his voice trying to sooth her in that way made an electric pulse glide over her spine. His soft name for her made her feel much more fragile but also highly appreciated by him. The mixture of feelings was odd but welcome. It meant that she was worth of his help in his eyes, and that despite her antics and self-destruction, he still cared about her.

She wasn’t at all sure how she’d come to deserve someone like him in her life, but she knew if he ever left, she’d be heartbroken to lose their friendship. She didn’t argue as he took her to his bedroom. This wasn’t the first time she’d sleep in his apartment, much less his bed. She’d fallen asleep many times in the late hours just talking to him in the living room or on this same bed and he’d always made sure that she woke up in that bed, alone, while he made different arrangements for himself in order to cater to her needs. He was always more thoughtful about her humans needs than he probably realized. She could imagine how hard it was to adjust to her friendship – having to remember that she eats, breaths, sleeps, and all of the other small human things. Even now he remembered that as a human who wasn’t in her best state of being might need some water. She smiled and nodded as she settled into the bed. When he disappeared from the room and she heard the faucet turn on in his kitchen, she realized how filthy she smelled. When he’d been carrying her, all she could smell was his comforting scent that she wished she could bottle up and take with her everywhere. Now that she was only for a second, the overwhelming smell of clubbing was making her eyes water. She needed a shower.

When he reentered the room with her water in hand, she took it from him and mumbled a very grateful thanks. She took the glass to her lips and quickly emptied it of its contents. “Thanks.” The water had cleared out the roughness in her throat and she’d been able to properly thank him. Her smile had a hint of a blush. She felt spoiled that he was forced to take care of her like this, but she was extremely pleased and appreciative that he would. “I really need a shower, if you don’t mind. I’ll be really quick even. I just want to get this smell off of me.” She stood up, but very slowly as she tested her ability to be upright. When she was sure that she wouldn’t fall, she slowly made her way to his bathroom. “I swear I’ll only be a few minutes and then I’ll be a good girl and go to bed so you don’t have to deal with me for the rest of the night.”

TAGGED ! Tally with Leo!
WORDS ! 1046
OUTFIT ! CLICKEH!
LYRICS ! sometimes by skillet
TEMPLATE ! PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION
NOTES ! Emma, stop breaking my heart!

[Leonard Julius Ricard]

She was delicate. On so many different levels to him, delicate in the sense that he could crush her in a matter of seconds, and delicate in the sense that she could crumble at any given moment. It wasn't that desire to monopolize her, or to drive her to do or believe in one thing, and Leo knew that it certainly wasn't because she was someone who could be manipulated. There was just something about Emma that had drawn him in since the day he had met her, even if it had been somewhat of an accident. It didn't matter to him either, that she was this human girl that had her problems and seemed to be trapped within herself. Leo wanted to help her, even if he was a monster himself, felt that he wanted, no needed, to be the person to help Emma save herself from herself. Shaking his head as Leo listened to her, he made a point to make sure his number was one of the first when it came to speed dialing.

"Emma, don't worry about it."

[/b] Simple enough, stern enough he was sure. But he hoped that it wasn't so stern that she would think that he was scolding her, because really, scolding wasn't something that Leo liked to do. Nor was it something that Leo made a habit of doing, all too often scolding made him think of being a father figure. It was something that Leo didn't want to be looked at as, especially when it came to Emma. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about which role he would be, could be, or should be when it came to the human girl that he held in his arms. It was a silly time to let such things run through his mind and as he listened to what Emma said about the Fairy Tale he couldn't help but chuckle slightly. She was right, he certainly wasn't the typical prince, and she not the Princess. "Who said the villain couldn't get the prince in the end?"[/b] He questioned tugging ever so slightly at one of the brunette strands of hair.

"I think we should rewrite those fairy tales and make them our own, the Prince and the Self Proclaimed Villain. I like the sound of it."[/b] While in truth Leo just liked the sound of anything if it meant that in the end he would remain by her side. Girly? Perhaps, but Leo was alright with that, he'd been alive on this earth for too many years to not be secure with his own sexuality. "Don't worry, we'll figure the whole marriage thing out."[/b] He said with a sort of playful wink of sorts and Leo turned his attention back towards the path before them. While Leo worked in a club, the path he took home he found, was so automatic he didn't even have to think about it anymore. Leo was so used to having to figure out new ways, and ways to avoid people that knowing something as little as having an automatic path set was something that could easily bring a sort of happiness to him. Yes, Leo in all his years of life would only chuckle softly to himself as he realized this each time he would make his way back to the apartment.

Leo found himself shaking his head once more as she brought up the first of her concerns. "Nope, don't worry about it Em."[/b] It was true, all he had been doing that night was sitting around in the apartment. It wasn't like him to have others over, and that had a lot to do with the fact that the only other people he really knew were Vampires. And more often than not at night was when they took the time to find their meals, feast, and then go out for the night. While Leo would rather sit at home on his nights off, and relax, bring out a book or try to figure out how or why so many humans were attached to their TV Screens and the shows that flash upon them. "I was just watching the T.V. you know how I am with that box everybody is so in love with," It was meant as a joke, and he chuckled just slightly to himself and shook his head. There really was no reason for her to be so apologetic or worrisome about her being here, or having him go out. He knew that, it would just be a matter of time before Leo drilled the same sort of thought into her head as well.

As far as Leo was concerned he would always do his best to make sure he was there when he needed her. Especially since he couldn't really be there for her during the day, seeing as how he had to stay within the safety of his home, protected from the sun. It was one of those reasons why Leo often stayed away from people, he never once wanted to be the reason someone was dragged away from the sun. To live in a world that was quite literally filled with darkness, it simply wasn't the place for a human to be. But Emma had been the one person who had managed to break past that sort of border that he had put up between himself and all the other humans he had come across throughout his years. Nodding his head as he watched her drink the glass of water and then go on about needing to take a shower, "Its fine." He assured her once more, it wasn't like it was the first time he had her over, or she had used the shower before. So it wasn't like he was worried about her knowing what to use and all of that good stuff. "Take your shower, be careful not to fall, and I'll wait out here for you, alright?"[/b] Leo said eyeing her carefully as she rose herself from the bed. He knew well enough just how dizzy one's head could get from a night of drinking, and he half expected Emma to collapse right then and there.

word count. 1033 tag. emma <3 notes. overprotective leo is overprotective.

[/blockquote][/justify][/size][/blockquote]

[Emma Nicole Black]

SOMETIMES I FIND IT HARD
• to believe there's someone else who could be •
JUST AS MESSED UP AS ME

Emma laughed. She couldn’t help herself. He was right. She had proclaimed herself a villain and she was living up to it all too easily. “Maybe if stories could be rewritten so easily then I would write myself as the heroine and not the villain.” She chuckled, never surprised at how easy it was to be happy or light even in a dark situation. Leo brightened everything in her life, he was the light in the hopelessness that she often felt. She knew that in many ways he saw himself as a villain or a monster. She could understand that to a degree. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was to be turned into something you weren’t. Leo was the kindest soul she’s ever known and she knew that he didn’t relish in being a monster that hurt people so easily and for only personal gain. She couldn’t imagine how difficult the weight on his shoulders was to bear and she hoped she never had to know the feeling. “Figure it out? How so? I mean of course I’d never want to be married to a Prince! Not if I’m a villain. Especially you. You’d be far too good for my evil heart.” She loved that she could joke with him, even though parts of what she said seemed to ring true. He was too good for her in many ways. He would probably say otherwise since he was supposed to be the monster, but he was much better than she was.

“It’s really not that interesting. Most of the time I don’t get it either and I’m from this day and age.” She chuckled. Leo and her had many things in common and their weak understanding of society’s current treasures was one of them. She’d much rather go out and live her life than waste it trying to live vicariously through fictional characters on a television screen. The outdoors held more beauty and yet people seemed more interested in a box with pictures than the beautiful stars and flowers right outside their door – something free and wondrous for anyone to enjoy. She sighed a little but nodded when he told her to be careful but to take her shower. It was comforting that he would wait on her an take care of her. She owed him so much. “I’ll be right out and I promise I won’t fall. Don’t wait on me, Leo.” She kissed his forehead in a friendly gesture and then turned towards the bathroom, taking a deep breath and testing her legs briefly. When she found that they were strong enough, she proceeded.

She made her way to the bathroom very carefully and closed the door behind her. She didn’t lock it, afraid that if she fell, he’d have to break it down to get to her. Emma walked the few steps to his shower and turned the heat all the way up. As the water took its time to heat, she slowly discarded her clothing as neatly as possible onto the bathroom floor. She had to hold herself up as she did so. By the time she was done getting undressed, the water was hot and steam had filled every inch of the bathroom. When the first drops hit her cold flesh she moaned and gasped. It was hot; much hotter than she was used to. Emma knew that in order for some of the alcohol and drugs to seep out of her skin and for her to smell like herself again, the heat was necessary. When she finally got used to it, it soothed her and made her head seem that much clearer. She was still foggy and teetering on the edge of waking tomorrow with no recollection of details from the evening. After several minutes, she started feeling much more like herself. And while she was not near sober, she did seem to feel less under the influence of the toxins in her blood than she had earlier in the evening. Really, in comparison, she felt much better.

When she was done, she got out of the shower, brushed her hair several times but left it wet yet parted. She found his robe on the hook behind the closed bathroom door and put it on. It was dark blue and she knew it was his because she’d seen him in it before. She loved it because it had his smell. That was comforting to have while the drugs still tried to keep hold of her. She didn’t have any clean clothes at his apartment and decided that she’d just sleep in his robe if he was alright with it. She did have a few personal items that had found themselves in his apartment over countless times of her visiting and forgetting things (even toiletries she usually kept in her bag). He didn’t seem to mind though and never asked for her to remove them and so she didn’t. She liked the idea of any piece of her being in his apartment – it made her feel that much closer to him. She took a few more minutes to brush her teeth, knowing her breath was probably horrible and the gum had done little to help. When she finally felt refreshed, she exited the bathroom and saw him sitting there on the bed, still waiting. “You stayed.” She smiled and went over to sit next to him. When she sat, she didn’t realize the robe caught just a little on her knee showing skin from the top of her hip to her toes. “Thanks. I really needed that.” She settled into the bed a little better and let her feet dangle off of them partly crossed.

She looked at him and wished very suddenly that she could kiss him. Had she always wanted to do that? The answer was something she’d never let herself bring to the front of her mind, but in the honesty from the drugs, she knew how she felt – she loved Leo. He was there for her when no one else was, but more than that, everything about him invited her in and made her feel safe. She knew his kind heart and many days she wanted to know more. In this moment, she knew that was certainly true. “Can I..?” She couldn’t finish. She looked into his eyes and just knew that for this one moment, she had to stop asking what she could do or thinking what she couldn’t – she had to simply do. And so she did. Her lips pressed against his before she had time to think and she didn’t make a move away from him – letting him choose to move away, because right now, she wouldn’t break this moment for the world, even if it wouldn’t last.

TAGGED ! Tally with Leo!
WORDS ! 1131
OUTFIT ! CLICKEH!
LYRICS ! sometimes by skillet
TEMPLATE ! PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION
NOTES ! Emma, stop breaking my heart!

[Leonard Julius Ricard]

“I still think we could come up with a fairytale where the villain is simply misunderstood and that the prince understands such a thing.” Leo stated with a serious nod as he was brushed aside. Sure, he knew that Emma had her things in the past that made her believe that she wasn’t meant for many things, true happiness being one of them. But Leo was determined to make sure he could be the one to show her that those sorts of thoughts that she had were absolutely ridiculous. “Besides, just because you think of yourself as the villain in this case, hardly means you need to be alone through everything.” Leo stated with a firm nod and let himself stretch out his body ever so much, “Doesn’t sound like the worst thing, now does it?”

He knew very well that he loved any sort of contact that he could in fact get from Emma, and so the kiss on the forehead, even in a friendly manner was something that he enjoyed quite a bit. “You know I will anyway,” Leo answered back shaking his head as he made a point to carefully watch her wobbly legs. It was only in his nature at this point that he would be looking after her, and making sure that she wasn’t getting herself into trouble. At least with himself around, anyway. Leo knew well enough that to be this worried about the whole thing was something that was rather silly, that there were other things that he could do or focus on, but instead he would remain on the matter in hand, which was of course the stumbling Emma that was now in his shower. “Shit…” He grumbled under his breath as he rand a hand through his hair, this definitely wasn’t the sort of thing that he wanted to have himself doing. He felt too much like the sort of person who would cling too much and then in the end would lose the person that was important to him.

Leo paced back and forth for a moment as he listened to the water turn on and finally no sound of her collapsing allowed him self to sit down on the bed. He knew that Emma would be fine, but it was still the whole situation that made him rather nervous. He in general didn't like it when Emma was out of his sight or during those times when he would have to remain hidden from the sun in his apartment. But when Leo knew that she wasn't in the best mindset and there was some reason or another that she had even gone out drinking in the first place? It only made the vampire even more nervous, not that Leo had really allowed himself to go around showing that anyway. Maybe he was too controlling, or someone who simply like to know too much about the other person in his life. Or maybe he should simply try to push himself away from Emma in order to make himself sort of the feelings that he had.

Because for Leo, this sort of thing was completely new to him. Sure, when he was still human himself there had been a girl or two, but he had never allowed himself to become to serious for the reason that he was holding himself back from anyone was because Leo had always believed there was just one person for everyone. There was no reason to go through person to person in order to find them, and for Leo, Emma was that person just for him. Sure, she had her issues and things that he could tell that she battled with when it came to her own past, but the things he knew was never anything that had bothered him. It never gave Leo a reason to push away from her, even if from time to time it seemed like it was something that she wanted herself, to be able to escape from him. Not that Leo could really blame her, seeing as how he was a monster, he had been for quite some time now, and was something he was used to. However, he knew that a fragile human girl wouldn’t have such an easy time truly accepting all o the creature that he was, that he could become.

"Can you?" Was the thing that came from his lips, and he raised a brow slightly before he paused. It only took a few more seconds before Leo got the answer to his own question, and it really wasn't something that Leo had really been expecting. If his heart was still able to beat, Leo was pretty sure that it would be going crazy right about now.

The sensation against his lips was something that was the last thing that Leo ever really considered he would feel. At least, when it came to Emma anyway, but it was something that he wanted. Something, which Leo wasn’t going to simply brush away because of the voices in the back of his head saying that she was still under the influence of whatever, she had taken that night. So after he spent that second or so processing what was happening he had made a point to lean into the kiss and then gently place his hand onto her cheek for a moment. His mind was telling him to stop; Leo knew very well that the changes of really being able to control him were rather slim. So he allowed this to last for a moment longer before then slowly pulling back and carefully looking her over before placing another soft kiss on her forehead. "Time for a rest, alright Emma?" Though really resting was the last thing that Leo really wanted to do.

word count. 965 notes. I'll prettify it later, I've gotta get to class but at least here is your long overdue post. <3

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