Author's Note: Official chapter 1. Be warned, its unedited.

Disturbia
Chapter 1


A day of being his sister's personal chauffeur was one Leon could write off in the books as a day he'd rather forget. Long, drab, and heavy with the scent of flowers, as the flower section of any department store was always a must-see spot.

Homemart was their place, and for a Friday, it was exceptionally crowded. Wall to wall with people, the use of a cart would have been futile, and so Leon was stuck with a flower vase in one hand, and a a bag of mulch in the other.

"Are we almost done here?" He asked, feeling a tickle on his nose, and what cruel fate that his hands were too occupied to scratch it. He tried wiggling his nose around, but it wasn't enough to get rid of that uncomfortable feeling.

"Almost," Aerith said as she walked over with a smile and reached her hand up to give the bridge of his nose some relief. "One more thing, and then we can go pay."

"Finally," he muttered, and he didn't want to admit it, but his arms were beginning to go a bit numb from the vase. "Just hurry up, will you?"

No sooner that Aerith disappeared into the crowd once again, someone bumped into his shoulder, rough and discourteous, and walked right past as if nothing happened.

"Watch where you're going next time," Leon muttered, but it was a lost cause as the man was already looking at the deals on begonias.

God, it was unnerving being around this many people, he could hardly move his arms. But there was something odd about the brush he felt against his ass, that could have easily been a woman trying to get a handful. But he turned around, and saw someone short, or crouching, with a crown of mussed up hair, pulling his hand back and in that hand, carrying a wallet. But not just any wallet; that was his wallet.

The boy glanced up, eyes widening when he saw that he had been caught by his victim. Leon could see the chord of fear that struck in his eyes, and he quickly stumbled backwards, tripping clumsily and nearly falling into the crowd of people behind him. Leon quickly lunged forward, grabbing at the boy's wrist before he could fall back and become lost in the crowd.

"What the hell do you think you're doing you little-"

"Leon. What are you doing?"

"This little shit was trying to steal my wallet," Leon said as he ripped his said item from the boy's trembling hands. He didn't care that the boy's face was that of a lost boy, with dark rings under his eyes and dirt streaking his cheek. His hair was matted, knotted even.

It was clear the boy didn't have a place to call home, and Leon knew there were quite a few homeless people in this town, among other things that weren't as simple to handle. And even though Leon had had many run ins with the homeless, he couldn't say that he had ever seen this one's face.

"Calm down," Aerith said as she grabbed Leon's arm, attempting to pry it from the boy's gaunt wrists, but there was a solidity there. Leon's eyes bore into the boy's, and beside them, a crowd was beginning to form, which Aerith alerted Leon of. "Just let him go, he didn't steal your wallet, isn't that what matters?" She added.

That cold gaze turned on his sister, and he seemed shocked at her passivity. "I will not let him go. I should put him behind bars for attempted theft."

At that, the boy's eyes widened exceptionally, and Leon could practically see the nervous sweat that broke on his forehead.

Leon had a smug smirk on his face, and said, "That's right. Probably wasn't a good idea to try to steal from a cop. You won't like jail, but at least you'll have a home." He reached for the belt around his waist to pull out the badge and handcuffs he had on hand, when he noticed Aerith fuming.

"Ow," the boy said with a wince. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Leon scoffed and rolled his eyes. Sure he was apologizing. He didn't want to get in trouble. It wasn't like he was actually sorry or anything, and he hoped his sister didn't fall for his big blue puppy dog eyes he was trying to throw at them.

But Aerith's eyes showed concern, and she walked over to the boy with that motherly look she always had. His sister was always the compassionate one in the family, She loved to help people, especially children and teens, given she was a social worker. And she loved animals. Aerith would dive into oncoming traffic in order to save a bird if Leon or Zack weren't there to hold her back.

Leon had picked up compassionate traits from Aerith. Leon liked kids, Leon liked animals, but he could not have sympathy for a kid who tried to steal from him. He didn't trust others at first, and rightfully so, when there were people out there only looking for their selves in this world. Besides, Leon didn't want to be too trusting of anyone and end up putting his family and the ones he cared about in dangerous situations. He wanted to protect his sister, who he thought was a bit too trusting, and he felt he couldn't let his guard down for just anyone.

"Let him go," Aerith said to Leon with a stern look in her eyes. Although Aerith was sweet, Leon knew what that look meant. The same look she gave Zack that made the former marine shake in his boots.

"Please, I'm so sorry," the boy as he clasped his hands together. "Please don't call the police." His big eyes teared up as he looked from Leon and Aerith to the group of people huddled around them. His cheeks flared up, and he bit his lip and looked down, ashamed.

"Give me on good reason not to," Leon said, demanding, as he let go of the boy's wrist. His arms crossed over his broad chest and beside him, Aerith stared at the boy with a scrutinizing face. Probably examining him. He looked young, maybe around fourteen or fifteen. But still old enough to know right from wrong, in Leon's opinion. He looked homeless. His clothes were dirt-covered and grungy. His hair was matted and messy. And he had a couple of small cuts on the cheek around his eye. He knew already that Aerith was probably predicting his whole sad life story, and how she could probably fix it.

"I just can't go to jail. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm I just-"

"You had no other choice," Aerith filled in for him, and the boy nodded, ashamed. Leon glanced over at Aerith with a glare and pinched the bridge of his nose. No, no, she is not feeling sorry for him. "You have no family? No parents?"

The boy didn't say anything, but continued to stare at the ground with a small shrug of his shoulders. The crowd began to die out, seeing that nothing exciting was going on anymore ever since Aerith diffused the situation Leon had started.

"I just wanted to buy food. I do what I can to eat," he said after a moment, and Leon could see Aerith's heart breaking in her eyes. He let out a deep, aggravated sigh and shook his head at his sister. Maybe this kid was just playing the sympathy act to get out of trouble. Maybe Aerith was falling right into his trap.

"Don't even think about letting him get away, Aerith. He's probably lying," Leon said, and Aerith leaned forward to talk to Leon quietly, so the boy couldn't hear. Leon still kept his eyes on the kid though, aware that he might take this oppurtunity to run if they let him.

"Look at him," she began with a frown on her sweet face. "He obviously doesn't have access to clean clothes. He looks like he hasn't washed up in days." Leon said nothing, but let out another aggravated growl, to which Aerith responded by turning back to the boy and smiling that sweet smile of hers.

"I'm Aerith. This is my high-strung brother, Leon." The boy looked on with wary eyes, but his body visibly relaxed. "Would you like to come out to lunch with us? You don't have to try to steal. I'll gladly buy you something to eat."

"No-no," the boy answered with an uncertain shake of his head. He looked shocked and confused, and unsure of what Aerith's real intentions were. "I don't want any sympathy, especially from someone that I don't deserve it from."

"I insist," Aerith said before glancing back to look at Leon. "Right, Leon?"

"Hey! What happened here? I heard this boy tried to steal something from you," The store owner said as he walked over to the scene, fire brimming his eyes when he looked at the boy, who flinched under his gaze. The man rubbed his thick mustache and glanced at Leon. "Shall I call the police?"

Leon had half a mind to tell him to throw the kid into prison and walk away without a second though. But he knew Aerith would be mad at him for the rest of the day, if not longer. He glanced over towards Aerith's, whose face was pleading for him to do the right thing. He glanced over at the boy, who was shaking in his tore-up dingy sneakers. He looked on the verge of crying, and Leon knew he had no choice in this matter.

"No, it's alright.


"You still haven't told us your name," Aerith said in a gentle and coaxing voice before lifting her fork full of lettuce and fruit into her mouth.

After leaving the store, they had brought Sora to a café to get some food in him. Maybe the first time had he eaten in days.

The boy wasted no time in digging into the Panini he had ordered. He took bites too big for his mouth, and slid a handful of fries into his ranch dressing with great ferocity. The kid had obviously been starved, and Leon, for a brief second, may have felt bad for the kid.

"Oh..." the kid said as he swallowed a huge mouthfull before answering, "Um...I'm Sora."

"Sora, huh," Aerith mused as she nodded her head. "How's the food, Sora? This is me and my fiance's favorite little cafe," she said, smiling at the mention of her boyfriend, Zack.

"It's really good," Sora said, and is if to prove his point, he took another large bite of his meatball and cheese sandwich. "I haven't had food this good in a long time."

"Looks like you haven't had food in a long time, period," Leon said quietly, and Sora smiled in embarrassment.

"I guess," he said under his breath and around a mouthful of food. He was timid in the way he responded to Aerith and Leon. He was a lot more polite than Leon had imagined he'd be, being appreciative of the lunch Aerith had bought, and answering every question she had asked of him with a small smile. It was hard to look past the boy's smudged face, and dirty hair, but the kid did have an endearing quality about him. He had a young face, and big eyes, and a nice smile to match. He looked like he'd be a good kid, if he wasn't in the situation he was in. Out on the streets and doing whatever he thought he had to to get through the day. Leon could see why Aerith had felt bad for him. But Leon was still finding it hard to warm up to his thief.

"Not surprising. You couldn't even steal my wallet without getting caught," Leon muttered with a bit of a bite to his words, and beside him, Aerith sighed in frustration. "So tell me, do you ever eat? Since pick pocketing doesn't seem to be your thing, I'm wondering how you get money for food."

"Leon," Aerith said with a warning tone.

"I don't enjoy doing it," Sora answered as he stared at his lap. He scratched his head, running his fingers through his matted hair, and Leon could practically see the dirt flakes falling from the limp spikes. "I'm not good at it because I don't want to do it."

"Then how do you eat?" Aerith asked innocently enough. She propped her elbows on the table and interlaced her fingers as she looked at Sora, her face still as sad and sympathetic as ever.

"I find a way," Sora answered quietly, folding his napkin to distract himself as he talked. "Sometimes I find ways to steal it from the grocery store. Sometimes I'm able to get wallets and loose cash from womens' purses. Sometimes someone is nice enough to give me their leftovers. But," he looked up, a warmth in his eyes. Leon noticed the heavy bags under his eyes that framed his gaunt cheekbones. "No one's ever took me out to lunch."

"Well, I don't want to see a boy your age having to steal just to get food. It's no trouble at all to buy you food. It's not much, though, I know."

"It's more I could have ever expected out of anyone," he replied, offering her a sad smile.

"How old are you anyway?" Leon asked with a quirked brow. It shouldn't have mattered that the kid was still a teenager, he must have been at the age where he could have found himself a job to support himself. And Leon couldn't help but wonder why this kid didn't have anywhere he could call home. How could he have no friends or family? What had he done that made his family not want anything to do with him.

"I'm seventeen."

"Wow, you do look a lot younger," Aerith said, her brows raising. "I would have guessed fourteen or fifteen."

"Being underweight might have something to do with it," Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders that were, indeed, quite frail. He was pretty skinny, and the clothes he wore were draping off his body.

"Breaking news: Another horrific killing here in Traverse Town has left everyone shaken up. The monsters that have been responsible for all of Traverse's Town recent killings have struck yet again. Officials aren't sure what they are exactly yet, but three people, ranging in age and gender, became victims late last night."

Leon noticed the way Sora immediately perked up when the news began on the television. I wonder if he even knows what's going on in this town. He surely doesn't have access to the news. Of course, anyone first hearing about the horrific killings would be shocked, he knew he and Aerith sure were, and every time another news story about a new number of victims began to broadcast, Leon couldn't fight the bile that rose in his throat, the anger that surged into his knuckles that began to grow white as his hands tensed and formed to fists. He despised those monsters.

So far, there have been no correlations between victims, and it seems these monsters have only one thing in mind. Blood. The victims' bodies were left in the same condition as all other victims. Puncture wounds in various parts of the body, and a great loss of blood detected. Though officials aren't sure whether the deaths are caused by the loss of blood, or the violent act itself, there is one thing we know for sure: these monsters' are rising in numbers, and sadly, so are the number of victims.

"Not again," Aerith breathed as she held her hand to her mouth and watched as a crying woman appeared on the television set to tearfully, angrily mourn the loss of someone dear to her.

"Vampires," Sora murmured almost so quietly Leon barely heard him, but he had caught what he had said, and turned to Sora with an almost disbelieving look.

"What?" he asked as he leaned forward, and narrowed his eyes at the younger boy.

"I—I said those aren't just monsters. They're vampires," he said, his eyes growing dark, his face growing even more sullen if that were even possible.

"Vampires?" Aerith asked, her eyes widening as she glanced from the television screen towards Sora. "Why do you say they're-"

"I've seen them," Sora said as he ran his hand over his face and let out a long, shuddering sigh.

"No one has been able to see them. Those that have were always killed," said Leon, always the one to be questioning, scrutinizing. He seemed to be fond of playing roles such as Devil's Advocate.

"What happened?" Aerith asked him, not questioning him once, but believing him. Why she was so trusting, Leon would never be sure, but he had always guessed she had inherited that trait from their mother.

"I've been so lucky my entire life. I don't know how, or why, but I have been," he began as he idly poked at the table with his fork that he hadn't touched before, for his food hadn't had use for it. "But I saw them. I know they're vampires, they have to be. They have fangs, sunk in black eyes, white skin. And they attacked us Like all the others." He seemed to be in a trance as he spoke, like he was mentally checked out, maybe like it hurt too much to think about what he was saying.

Leon found himself able to relate to sad stories like this.

"And I survived. I don't know how. I just ran. I ran away." His voice grew shaky, his eyes tightly shutting as he tried not to cry. "But they killed my friend. My best friend."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," Aerith spoke as she leaned forward, taking his hand that was holding the fork into her hand. He flinched at the contact, looking up surprised at the gesture, but didn't pull away.

Leon took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, steadily. His story struck a chord within him, and he was almost angry that he felt sympathy for this kid. And he hated that his story was making him feel angry, upset in ways that he tried so hard to block off. If he didn't resent the kid before, he certainly did now, for making him feel.

"No, no, it's okay," Sora said as he wiped at his eyes before anything could fall.

"You ran...and they didn't chase you?" Leon asked, glancing up at the kid, who had nothing to say. He looked as surprised as Leon was. Sure, that didn't quite add up to the recent stories of attacks, but Leon believed him.

"May I ask you something?" Aerith asked, polite as ever, to which Sora nodded. "You don't have anywhere to go? At all?"

"Not anymore..." he said quietly, but didn't elaborate.

"Leon," Aerith whispered as she grabbed her brother's hand, and led him away from the table after excusing herself. "I can't just let this boy walk out of our lives without something."

"You bought him lunch," Leon said as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "His story is sad, Aerith, but what else do you want to do for him? You can't save everyone, no matter how badly you want to."

"I can't believe you, Leon. Out of everyone, you should have the most sympathy for that poor kid."

"He's not even a kid, he's nearly an adult."

"Leon." Aerith said as she crossed her arms over her chest, her brows turned upward as she stared at Leon in a way that reminded him so much of his mother. He hated for his sister to give him that look. The look that mean above anything else she was disappointed in him.

"What do you want to do then, huh?" Leon said, turning his fixed gaze to the boy who was staring at the television with a dazed, zombie-like expression.

"I can't just let him live on the streets. He already had one run in with those monsters. What if-"

"Aerith, he isn't you're responsibility," Leon said with a curt shake of his head. He was ready to end this conversation. He did feel bad, it wasn't like he didn't have a heart, but Leon had the suspicion that Aerith wanted to help this kid by giving him a roof over his head. Their roof. His roof. And he wasn't sure he wanted to extend that much help towards a stranger. A stranger that had tried to steal his wallet.

"I know. I never should have invited him out because now I feel some sort of bond with him." She shook her head, resting her cheek in her hand as she gazed down sadly towards the ground. "I just knew when I saw him that he had a sad story to tell. I never knew it'd touch me that much. I just...I can't let him go back onto the streets. What if he's next?"

Leon stared at Aerith, gaze cold and stern as usual, but after a long moment of silence, he shook his head, and knew that he had been defeated.

"You want to invite him to stay in our house?"

"I know it's going to put us out, but-"

"Fine."

"What?"

"Fine, I said, fine, fine, fine."

"Oh, thank you, Leon. Just one or two weeks tops."