Klaus couldn't breathe. All the blood drained from his face, and his fingertips went numb. His heart sped up to such a fast pace that he was worried it might crawl up his throat. The panic that filled him was not entirely foreign to him, as there were always dangers thrown at him and his team. The information he had just received from his underground network, though, was a different matter altogether.
Someone put a hit out…on Leo.
It wasn't so surprising. The young man was a great asset, nearly their best asset in Libra's fight against the Blood Breeds. Without his all-seeing eyes, they could never discover a Vamp's true name and seal them away. If a Blood Breed had found out who Leo truly was, and hired an assassin to kill him, it would be a devastating blow for Libra to lose him.
Klaus wiped nervously at his mouth, trying not to give himself away to the few other team members who were in the office. They all had their own tasks they were handling, or they were just lounging and waiting for the call to duty. Leo was sitting across the coffee table from Zapp, both of them playing on their hand-held consoles. They would occasionally swear at each other and accuse each other of cheating or just generally cause a ruckus.
He gave a small little gulp. If Leo died…it would be a devastating blow to him personally, too. He'd come to care very much for Leo since he'd joined the team. The deep affection had crept up on Klaus without him realizing it, and when he had, it was too late. His heart was already Leo's. When he had tried to put his finger on why exactly he found Leo so appealing, it came to him that Leo was the representation of normalcy in Libra's crazy, messed-up world. Yes, he was endowed with god-like vision, but you'd never guess by looking at him or watching him for a while, like Klaus had done inadvertently over the months that Leo had been with them.
The first time he'd felt the little flutter through his heart had been Leo's first important case. When he'd stared into the briefcase containing that charred, twitching Blood Breed hand. As he read the scrawl on the madly rustling scrap of paper, Leo had cried out and recoiled, falling to the floor. Klaus had a soft spot for people in need of him, so when Leo looked confused and helpless and spoke his name, his heart had done a little skip. Shortly after, when he'd stared into the void and then thrown back his head, the scream that had left him turned Klaus' blood cold. When he'd run to the young man's side, and saw the blood pouring from his eyes…oddly enough, that was when he fell for him. Leo had obviously been in such pain, suffering through the worst of an affliction he barely understood just because they had asked for his help, and he never once complained. Not when he'd almost been dissected, or kidnapped multiple times, mugged on a near-daily basis, used his eyes to the point of searing pain and dripping blood.
That was why Klaus loved him.
No one forced Leo to help them, he wanted to; he put himself in harm's way for the sake of other's without worrying about what would happen to him. His combat skills were zilch, meaning he was no good in a fight and always ended up taking beating after beating. Leo's best and only defense, the all-seeing eyes of the gods, he rarely used except to help people, and assist Libra. He would let himself be beat unconscious before using his power to skirt a bad situation on the street. Sometimes it worried Klaus greatly, seeing Leo come into the office week after week with a new set of bruises and brush off the story of his latest oppression. The casualness Leo portrayed when it came to the violence dealt him was unnerving at times. As though no human could endure so much and still be so light-hearted.
Leo was so selfless and kind most of the time, that when he broke down sobbing after the showdown with the King of Despair, Klaus had been glad to see it. Granted, the very first day he met Leo he'd seen him shed tears over his situation, but that had been more grief over what had happened to his sister, and the blame he unjustly carried for it. When it came to the stress of Leo's life in general, he tended to suppress his emotions. So when he wept that day, it hadn't been the sniffling grief Klaus had witnessed before. It had been raw, loud, and painful. Though in the choking sobs and heart-wrenching sounds of sorrow that had been torn from Leo's lungs, there had also been an intense relief at finally letting out all the emotions he'd kept locked inside him, hidden away for the sake of others. The young man had barely been able to stand, the force of his weeping had bent him over under the weight of such pain even as he had tried wiping at his gushing tears in a desperate attempt to reel his feelings back in.
That was when Klaus knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he loved Leo.
He'd been half-delirious from his injuries, unable to move, and nearly every inch of him soaked in blood, but he'd managed to tell the young man how proud he was of him. While true, the words he really wanted to speak were 'I love you, so much. I'm so glad you're safe.' It hadn't been the right time, at all, to make such a confession, but that was how he felt, to the core of his being.
Since that day, Klaus had been biding his time, waiting for the right way to express what he felt, and trying to gauge Leo's own feelings. And the more time passed, the deeper he fell in love with Leo.
Leo was the sweetest, most caring, and funniest person Klaus had ever met before. He was just a normal guy; he wore street clothes, played video games, and loved delicious fast food with such a passion that Klaus had to wonder where he put it all. Leo was thin and fit beneath those baggy clothes he always wore, despite all the unhealthy food Klaus saw him eat. His voice broke whenever he was angry or scared, which in their line of work was often. But he was resilient, and bounced back with a speed that astonished Klaus.
And now, someone was trying to snuff out the brilliant, joyful light that was Leonardo Watch's life. Klaus clenched his fists so hard that his nails nearly broke the skin of this palms.
"I'll never let that happen." Klaus whispered very softly to himself. Gilbert was nearby, and heard the whisper, though he was not able to catch the words. He stepped closer, and bent down to ask,
"Young sir? What is wrong?"
Klaus rose from his chair.
"I'm going to see Arlelelle. Tell the team to keep Leo under house protection until further notice. Make sure there's someone in the apartment with him at all times, don't let him step one foot out the door. I don't care if he has to quit his job, but he's not to leave his apartment. I'll inform you when it's clear for him to move freely again."
Gilbert hid the concern he felt with his perfected neutrally pleased expression.
"Master Leo will no doubt question your reasoning for basically locking him up. What should I tell him?"
Klaus rolled his chair into place beneath his desk and then stood tapping the top of it with his fingers a moment. He took a deep, slow breath, and then released it just as slowly. Then he tilted his head down as he spoke,
"Just tell him to trust me. I will explain everything when I can."
))((
"I give up!" Leo moaned, slumping over as he ignored the hand of cards he held limply in one hand. "I'm just going to lose again, anyway!"
Chain, across from him, respectfully ignored the fact that she could easily see his cards, and instead studied her own.
"And no one knows why Klaus up and disappeared and left you to do this?" He asked Chain, as they played cards on his floor. "No one has any idea where he even is?"
Chain shrugged and laid down her next move.
"You know what we know; no one's heard from him since he vanished yesterday."
Leo dropped his forehead to the coffee table and huffed.
"That's very concerning, don't you think? What if something happens to him? How would we find out?"
"We're Libra, we have our ways. Besides," Chain looked at him and her expression softened, "Klaus said to trust him. That's good enough for me."
"I know," Leo sighed, "I'll always trust Klaus. That doesn't mean that I won't go nuts trying to figure out what he has up his sleeve."
Leo tossed his cards down and collapsed back onto his floor, groaning.
"Uuuuugn! I wanna get outta here…"
This time, Chain glanced unashamedly at his unguarded cards.
"I win."
Leo didn't even respond beyond a grunt.
He was more than a little frustrated, bored of the inside of his little apartment to the point where he was sorely tempted to use his eyes to get out of it all. They'd all taken turns keeping him under what was basically house arrest for the last two days, and Leo had no idea why. Worse of all, neither did they. It was obvious from Klaus' instructions that Leo was in danger, but to have him be protected to this extent seemed silly. He was in danger just walking out his door on a daily basis, hell, there was nowhere in Helsalems Lot that wasn't apt to blow up at any second, that so what had changed? Leo couldn't deny that it made him nervous. Klaus rarely acted to mysterious.
The only high point of the situation was that Leo's boss from his day job actually let him have the time off rather than firing him for the late notice like some of his previous jobs would have. He tried to take Zapp's advice, and treat it like a vacation, but when he was stuck in his little one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, it felt more like solitary confinement. Well, not solitary. Someone was nearly always there with him. They took it in shifts to spend time either with him or just out of sight guarding the place.
K.K. had been the first one on shift with him, and they'd talked, mostly. If Leo felt unnerved that Klaus hadn't told him anything, K.K. was even worse for wear on that front. She had wailed about how Klaus always informed her when there was something especially shady going on, that she usually provided backup for him, and how she couldn't believe she was being left in the dark just like everyone else. From there the conversation had shifted to Leo's sister, K.K.'s sons and husband, then to about every other member of the team and what was going on in their lives. By the end of K.K's shift Leo felt like he'd been party to a gossip ring.
Patrick had come next, bringing a load of defensive equipment and trying to outfit Leo's apartment with all kinds of weaponry. Leo had to do everything short of getting on his knees and begging for Patrick not to install motion-sensing tazors at his window. On the heels of that stressful visit Leo then had to deal with Zapp, but to his surprise that hadn't been as bad as he'd anticipated. They'd quipped a bit with Zapp complaining about having to babysit him, but when he discovered Leo's gaming station he sang a different tune. Thankfully, the station had come with two controllers, so they both ended up playing and eating pizza that evening. When Zapp left, Leo reveled in the peace and quiet. Overnight no one would physically be in the apartment with him, but he had been told there would be a team watching the door discreetly.
Even so, Leo couldn't sleep that night. Not because he felt unsafe, but because he couldn't stop worrying about Klaus. He couldn't claim to know the man to the extent that he could predict what he might be doing, but he knew enough to determine that this recent behavior was out-of-character for the man. Normally, he let everyone in on his plan. Or at the very least he never charged into a situation alone. To just up and leave, after hasty but specific instructions to keep Leo safe…it worried the young man.
Leo grunted and flopped over on his back in bed, spreading out all his limbs. He nearly felt feverish with how hot and worried he was. What if even Klaus had bitten off more than he could chew? What if he'd charged into a fight all on his own and gotten himself hurt or…
Leo shook his head to shake that thought right out of his brain. Klaus was smart, strong, and capable. He seemed like nothing would defeat him. However, he was still human. Well, mostly human, with a little Blood Breed thrown in to aide his chances of survival. Still, Leo had seen what a single something had done to him before, and that had scared him. The King of Despair had nearly killed Klaus. Seeing Klaus so helpless, soaked in his own blood in the aftermath and unable to stand up… Leo teared up just at the memory of that terrible day. He still cried about White sometimes, when he was by himself. He'd cried that day too, standing there in the rubble, with the sun shining down on the glorious destruction and Klaus' blood-drenched face. In the aftermath of all that had happened, Klaus tried to joke to set his nerves at ease and then…Leo felt his warm face go hot at the memory; "I'm so very proud of you."
He'd kept those words close to his heart, and at the time they'd caused the dam inside him to break apart, and release his pent-up emotions and stress in the form of tears.
Leo had developed a liking for his boss very quickly after joining Libra. He was gentle, but had the force of a mountain. He seemed shy sometimes, but could boldly stride into the unknown with confidence. He forged ahead into dangerous situations while guiding and instructing them all.
But Leo remembered the exact moment where his friendly like for Klaus had changed into affection of a different sort. It had been such a simple gesture, so very Klaus, the more he thought about it: Leo had been agonizing over what to write to Michella, if he even should after all the time he'd been away without writing her. How could he explain that he'd failed to find any solution to their problem yet, after all the time he'd been away from home? He'd just been sitting there, all night and into the morning, a dozen false starts scattered in crumpled balls of paper on the table and floor. Klaus had come in and asked what was troubling him. When Leo told him, he hadn't tried to give Leo advice or tell him what he thought he should write.
He hadn't said anything. Just offered Leo a doughnut. It had been perfect. No empty, consoling words or speeches. Just a sugary pick-me-up and an encouraging smile. So simple, but so powerful. And it showed how deep into him that Klaus could see. He had known, at that moment, what Leo needed. That is to say, he had followed up the silent gesture with one sentence: "Leonardo, it was not just your eyes that we welcomed here. You know that, don't you?"
Something inside Leo that had been beaten down time and time again had roared to life and burned bright once more. Self-esteem. It had been hanging near the bottom of a cold well, but Klaus' comment drew it back up out of the darkness to bask in the warm sunshine. He'd been so shocked by how happy that made him that he had never answered. Just sat there, dumb look on his face, doughnut in hand, staring.
Leo smacked his forehead at the memory. Klaus had not demanded a response, just gone about his work and let the silence stretch comfortably.
"I should have told him 'thank you'."
Leo whispered to himself, rolling right off the bed and onto the much cooler floor, dragging a pillow with him. He regretted not telling Klaus how much that meant to him. But he especially felt that way now. If the worst should happen, he'd never told Klaus just how happy that one comment had made him feel. Or what it had done to his heart.
"Where the hell are you, Klaus? Where did you go?"
))((
The next morning, Zed woke Leo up by ringing the doorbell. Leo had been a bit embarrassed to be so disheveled and weary, so he'd taken a shower and put on fresh clothes to set him right. When he'd come back out he'd found Zed flipping through a comic book that he'd had stacked on the bottom of his coffee table. The fish man loved reading books, and given that was one of the only books Leo had, he went through it quickly. Leo ended up giving him the rest of the comics to read while he was there, all the while answering questions as he read a different volume. Chain came by a little after midday to take over, and brought her cards with her. At that point Leo was going a bit stir-crazy.
All things considered, it wasn't horrible to spend time with all the members of Libra one-on-one, as they were all doing their best to keep him safe and pass the time with something fun. That still didn't change the undercurrent of tension and uncertainty that Leo felt about the entire situation. He couldn't be sure of the others were feeling it or not, as they'd all had to deal with this city and Klaus' orders far more than he had, with the exception of Zed.
The only time it got awkward was when it was Steven's turn.
Steven was not unkind to Leo, per se, but in the almost two years that Leo had been a part of their team, he hadn't used his name once. He always referred to Leo as 'young man', or 'kid'. Leo could never figure out if it was a sign of fondness or because Steven didn't care enough to remember his name. Leo respected the man for his abilities and the fact that he was his superior, but he hadn't ever decided if he liked him or not. Steven had never done anything to make Leo dislike him, but he also hadn't done anything to particularly endear Leo to him either.
Consequently, when he arrived the evening of the second day, Leo instantly felt uncomfortable. The tall, dark-haired man had walked in, relieved Chain, and then they stood there staring at each other for a moment. It was unnerving to be sure, with Leo in his typical baggy sweats and wild hair facing Steven in his pressed suit, dress shoes, and combed hair.
"You have any chairs in here?" Steven asked finally, his voice nearly making Leo jump even though it was conversational.
"Yea! Sorry, just the one, over there." Leo pointed to the small armchair in the corner, beside the gaming console. "It's a little stiff, so we've all just kinda been sitting on the floor."
Steven smiled and strode over to the chair, sitting down carefully and crossing his long legs.
"It's better than a soft chair; this one is stiff enough to make you keep good posture."
"I'm glad you think so." Leo said with a nervous chuckle. Steven's hands patted the arms of the chair for a few seconds while their eyes danced around each other.
"This apartment looks nicer than your other one." Steven commented finally, taking in the small space with a few glances. "No kitchen, though."
"Oh, I've got a convenience kitchen!" Leo said, jumping at the chance to have something to talk about. He stepped over to the opposite corner and opened what looked like a closet door. Inside was a little counter and a small oven and microwave set into the wall above it, along with a small fridge. Below the counter was a waste bin and small cupboard.
"Ahhh," Steven said, taking in the construction of the convenience kitchen, "that explains why you have all those food supplies sitting on the floor there next to the door."
"Yeah, there's not a lot of storage space in here, and I have to wash my dishes in the bathroom sink, but I can at least make one or two meals for myself at a time." Leo explained. "It's an upgrade from the last place, even if it's not much, it's all I really need. I'm at the office most of the time, anyway, and when I'm here I'm usually sleeping, eating, or gaming."
"Sounds like all your needs are met." Steven observed. Something about that comment seemed odd to Leo, though he couldn't pinpoint why.
"Would you, maybe, like a cup of coffee?" Leo offered, tapping fingers on the little coffee maker. "I don't have the most expensive brand or anything, but it's still coffee."
"I wouldn't want to eat into your supply," Steven replied, holding up a politely dismissive hand, "but thank you."
Leo rocked on his feet a few times, then tried,
"How about dinner? Have you eaten already?"
"No, I thought we could order something and have one of the others pick it up."
Thankfully the topic of food gave them something to discuss for a while, as they went over options and their personal preferences. Leo, of course, protesting billing it to Libra the whole way, and Steven insisting since they were the ones keeping him here. While they were waiting for the food to arrive they talked about their own experiences cooking different things, and Steven talked about his housekeeper and what an amazing cook she was. Leo was glad to see the kindness in Steven's brown eyes as he spoke her. It showed him that the man was still human, however cold he may seem at times.
Eating dinner got them through another stretch of time, though Leo still couldn't entirely relax with Steven there. He felt that the man was studying him intensely for some reason, whether judging him or just trying to determine something, Leo didn't know. His suspicion was confirmed when they had pitched their disposable dinner dishes and Steven actually sat on the floor opposite Leo at the coffee table to play the one board game Leo had. Steven had taken off his jacket and tie, and rolled up his sleeves, so he seemed more relaxed and that helped to put Leo slightly more at ease. A few minutes into the board game, and Steven asked, in a casual voice,
"You must be pretty ticked at Klaus, running off and locking you up here without a word."
Leo stiffened, and his game piece rattled a little on the board as he moved it.
"Um, well, I'm sure he has good reasons. But, I can't deny I'm confused about it all."
Steven leaned his head on one hand and carefully flicked his eyes up to study Leo's expression.
"I've known Klaus for a very long time, but I've never seen him react this way before."
That gave Leo pause. He shakily met Steven's gaze.
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"Normally he'll tell at least me and K.K. if there's something particularly serious that needs dealing with. Especially something that requires this level of security around a particular Libra member. That's a big deal, and it's odd that he hasn't given details to anyone. Not even Gilbert."
Leo swallowed.
"But, he's disappeared before for days at a time, right?"
Steven gave a small grin that didn't stay with him long.
"Yes, but like I said, normally K.K. or I go with him for those missions. We know what they're about. This one…no one has a clue. And it's concerning."
Leo bit his lip nervously.
"I…I thought it was just me. All the rest of the team seem so…calm about it all."
Steven slid his half-full soda towards him on the table top and took a swig from the straw. Then he swirled the contents around like it was some alcoholic beverage.
"I think most of the team blindly think that someone higher up is informed, when the reality is that we've been left reeling. They trust Klaus to know what's best, which he does, mostly. I'm his closest friend and I have no clue what he's thinking right now. But I have some deductions, given the situation. Care to hear?"
"Please!" Leo said eagerly, forgetting his game piece and leaning forward on the table, listening keenly.
Steven tipped his head back to take a quick look at Leo down his nose, before placing the cup down again and sitting up straighter at the table.
"He wiped any data on his computer so none of us know what information he received, or from where. What we do know is that he expressly ordered you to be kept under constant protection until he, and only he, tells us otherwise. Other than that, he's just vanished. With this information, even you can come to the conclusion that some threat must have been made on you."
Leo nodded, but said nothing, wanting to hear what else Steven had to say on the matter.
"Your eyes have made you known to some, to the point where in a group at least a few beings would know you on sight. The fact that you're with Libra, however, is less well-known. I trust that you are careful enough not to let that information slip. It's a long shot, to say the least, but one of our enemies may have broken down our strategy to bind the Blood Breeds. It would take an immense amount of time and observation, studying each one of the team carefully in each battle to determine how we succeed. Meaning that eventually, if they were looking carefully enough, they would see you as the pivotal piece."
Leo felt his blood running cold in his veins, as though Steven's words were as chilly as the ice he produced just in speaking to him. He was beginning to see where Steven was going with this, but stayed quiet.
"Since Klaus is always at the center of the fight, and the one who does the sealing, most would study him alone to break down what he does to win. That would lead them to wonder where he gets the Blood Breeds names, and when they noticed him looking at his phone, they would begin to search for the one texting him. That would lead them to see you, off on the sidelines, phone in hand. From there it would only take a little research to find out who you are, and what power you possess."
"And then try to kill me." Leo finished quietly, letting his eyes slide open with the gravity of that thought.
He felt an odd sense of pride when he realized that Steven was admiring his eyes while trying to make it look like he wasn't. There was even, perhaps, a touch of jealousy in his voice as he said,
"No one else can see the Blood Breed's true weakness. Klaus and I have been fighting them for years, but never managed to seal away so many until you joined the team. I know we haven't gushed over you very much, but you've truly been a godsend to us. Every one of us feels that way, and we are fiercely protective of you."
A small blush crept over Leo's cheeks at those words, and he couldn't help but give a small, thankful smile. His eyes closed, and he muttered a weak 'thank you'. Steven's face slid into a neutral expression as he spoke again,
"Klaus is especially fond of you, whether you know it or not."
The light blush on his cheeks darkened instantly to where Leo thought his whole face must be beet red. Rather than incriminate himself and try saying a few bumbling words, he continued his routine of not responding. He assumed this was the right choice when something in Steven's face turned a bit wry. Probably from spotting Leo's blush.
"I've seen Klaus mentor other Libra members before. He'd give his left leg for a stranger in need if he could, he's just a kind guy that way. With you, it's different, though. He's not very expressive with words, but I've heard him worry about you a lot. Whether you're being paid enough to live safely, or have enough to eat, or whether you're warm enough in the cold. I'm the one he worries to, if he ever does, and over the past eight months he mostly worries about you, even over our various cases."
"R-really?" Leo asked, unable to stop himself. He felt like he could float a few feet in the air hearing this.
"Really. I've never seen him express so much concern about one specific person before. Not even me. Do you see what I'm getting at?"
Steven's face had shifted from neutral, to wry, and now to dark seriousness. Leo flexed his hands in discomfort under that intense gaze. Those eyes pinned him down and demanded an answer.
"Um…I'm not sure…" He answered lamely, never would he voice his true wishes at to why he hoped Klaus apparently thought of him differently. Steven leaned forward ever so slightly, but that tiny movement was enough to make Leo feel intimidated.
"It means he favors you, Leo. I believe he cares for you to a degree that would cause him to take irrational risks to ensure your safety."
"But, he does that anyway, doesn't he?" Leo squeaked out, feeling happiness and defensiveness duking it out inside him.
"In the field, everything is a risk," Steven specified, "during a battle it's different. This, I believe, was a conscious reaction to a threat on your life. I'm not sure what he's planning or doing, but you can be sure that somehow, right now, he's fighting for you."
Leo's mouth fell open and little breaths came out as he tried to decide whether he felt horrified, guilty, or happy beyond belief. In the midst of his confusion, Steven took advantage to say,
"I'm not saying you're not worth it, kid, because you are; you're a damn important member of our team and I don't know how we'd work without you now. I just want you to understand your own value to Klaus, personally as well as professionally. You need to know how important you are to him, and what he's risking to save you."
Steven leaned even further over the table, the lowering of his voice sounding more like a threat than anything he'd ever said to Leo before,
"And I need to know that you're not going to break his heart."
Leo's eyes flew open at those words, and he let out a huff of air in his surprise. He sat there, nonplussed, for a handful of seconds, breathing shallowly and trying to recover from all that Steven's statement implied. The older man just waited, patiently staring at him and letting him collect his wits. Finally, Leo said, in a thin voice,
"I won't."
Steven studied his shiny, blue eyes for another long moment, before giving a short nod, and literally backing off. He sat back and took a long drawl from his soda again.
"You'd better not, young man." He added in a much more casual but no less threatening tone. "You may be vital to Libra, but hurt Klaus and I'll freeze you over and break you into ice cubes."
Leo shuddered, already imagining a cold trickle down his spine.
))((
TBC