Leo P.O.V
I ran to the door and forced it shut, hearing that satisfying click of safety that I had become accustomed to. I breathed, such a simple thing to do but my chest and throat burned with tears that I refused to shed. In. Out. I sat down and counted my injuries, careful to think how I could cover them. A black eye. 3 maybe 4 new bruises on my arms. A cut on the side of my chest. A scrape on my knee. The usual I call it, to others abuse. A familiar buzz stung my thigh and with aching arms, I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

Hey, are you okay?

I placed a hand on my head and sighed knowing that I would have to answer him eventually.

Ye.

I typed back. A reply shot back onto my screen faster than I could protest.

Be honest

I don't know anymore.

I can't believe you didn't tell me. I could have helped

How? And anyway it doesn't matter now

You could have moved out, lived with me. And it matters to me

Nico, stop

I sighed, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. I breathed in deeply and they began to fall. Too fast, too heavy for me to stop them and soon, I was a shaking mess. My breaths erratic. My heart beating too fast, too hard for me to care. My phone vibrated rapidly and I picked it up to see his name with a carefully placed blue heart beside it. Reluctantly, I answered./

"Hey." I rasped, my throat still raw.

"Don't you fucking dare say that it doesn't matter cause I can fucking tell you that it matters to me. How long has this been going on? How long have you been hiding?" I could hear his sadness ringing through his voice as he screamed down the phone.

"I don't know, a few years. It used to be really bad but it's okay now."

"How could it have been worse? What did-"

"Nico. You don't understand. This is my life. You need to stay out of it. I know you want to help. I know you want everything to be better but it just doesn't work like that. I've tried everything but when he gets mad, he gets mad and there is fuck all I can do. He is mine to deal with. Just like how my bruises are mine to poke at."

"It just upsets me that's all." He went silent for a while. "I know what its like. When my dad was here he used to hit me too."

"What about your sister?" I regretted the words as soon as they had slipped out of my mouth.

"How did you know about my sister?"

"I saw the pictures in your house. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything-"

"No, it's fine." He said before clearing his throat, "Her name was Bianca. She died a few years ago trying to save me. I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." I said before resting my head back on my pillow, "Do you even realise what time it is?"

"ye, god its stupid. Do you want to sleep or are you okay to keep talking?"

"Yeah, its only midnight."

Nico sighed.

"I don't want to sleep. Sleep gets scary sometimes."

"I know the feeling." I said.

"I wish I was there with you so you didn't have to scared of him. I'd wrap you up in my arms and we'd sit together and try to forget about him. We'd look at the stars and only focus on the sweet symphony that out heartbeats made."/

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"You somehow captured my attention. And you cared enough to ask if I was okay. No-one ever cared about me that much before."

"Thanks for calling me."

"It's what I'm here for." He said with a laugh.

I sighed again and turned to my side.

"Whats up." He said again.

"I don't want to wake up to him tomorrow. I want to sleep forever and just forget everything. I want to sleep in your arms and just forget. I want to sleep and sleep and sleep and listen to music with you at midnight while we wonder about the universe. I want you to sing me to sleep while I breathe in everything about you. Where would I be without you Nico? I don't know."

"Probably stuck in a tree somewhere."

"I'm being serious."

"I know. It'll be okay. And just think, after high school, you can move in with me and you'll be safe and happy."

"I'd…really like that."

"I need to go to sleep now okay?"

"Yeah" I yawned, "Same."

"Okay."

"And Nico."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

The line went silent before he replied, scared and timid./

"I love you too." And the line clicked dead.

With my head swimming, I climbed under the blankets, the harsh bruises that formed along my arms rumbled my bones with a deep aching pain but I didn't mind. My heart felt light, my veins ignited. The darkness didn't bother so much as it did before. And for the first time since she died and he left bruises on my bones, I wasn't so scared of going to sleep. /span/p