so_far_fallen | For clichecodename

Leo,

Thank you so much for everything that you've done for me. You've given me hope in a dark place and reminded me that there's goodness in the world after all. I've come to love you more than I think I can say.
This is why I had to leave. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt again because of me.
Don't worry about me, I'll be alright.
Please look after yourself.
I won't ever forget you,

All my love,

- Aria

It was about six in the morning when Aria folded the letter and pushed it under Leo's bedroom door.
He crept out of the house and half an hour later was on the first bus out of town.

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It wasn't Leo who found the note. Instead, it was the nurse on her way in to give Leo his medications at 8 who found it, placing it down on the bedside table for him when she was done.

As soon as he read it, he was on the pone, contacting whoever he thought stood a chance of finding the boy first. It wasn't overly hard to track him down really. Not for some of Leo's contacts.

No, it was getting there that was the problem. He had had to unhook his drip and all the other equipment as quickly as possible, so he had time to get out before anyone noticed. It was hours later that they pulled up outside the hotel room and Leo ripped the taxi driver extra.

He knocked on the door and waited.

One of the first things Aria had done once he was out of town was to buy a sharp kitchen knife he would be able to keep on him at all times in case he was attacked. He grabbed for it and held it behind his back as he went to cautiously open the door. He wasn't expecting anyone and it was too late to be house keeping...

He gasped when he saw Leo.
"What are you doing here?!"

Leo's leaning heavily against the door frame, body already protesting the movements he's made in the last few hours. It takes him a long moment to answer, too busy taking in the blonde and his very alive state.

"I could ask you the same thing. You left."

"You shouldn't have come after me," Aria said, despite how pleased to see him he realised he was. "I left the note so that you wouldn't. Besides, you're in no state to be walking around, you should be in bed."

"You really think a note is enough to keep me from coming after you? Of course I was going to come." He wrinkled his nose, regretting it instantly. "No. I'm really not. You gunna let me in? Or stand there telling me I'm a fool?"

Aria nodded and let him in. He gently took his shoulder and helped him to the bed.
"You shouldn't have come. I told you I'll be fine. It's too dangerous for you to be getting involved."

Leo let Aria guide him to the bed and he sat down gingerly. "Danger is what I do. I can handle a man like your ex. Better than you can, so let me." He laced his fingers with those of the younger man and squeezed gently. "We're in this together, okay?"

"I don't want you getting hurt any more than you already are. I feel responsible for this happening to you."
He put his hand to Leo's cheek and bit his lip.

"This wasn't your fault. This was him. Not you." He leans forward and brushes his lips over Aria's sighing softly. "Okay?"

Aria nodded uncertainly and gave him a gentle kiss.
"I'm sorry I ran away. I thought it was the right thing to do... Shall we go home?" But as soon as he said it he changed his mind, "No. I've paid for the night here and you need to rest before you move again. You should stay here until morning and then we can go."

"Sounds like a plan." Each movement was stiff and laced with pain as he gently kicked his shoes off and moved to lie down on the couch slowly and gingerly. "You eaten? Or can we order in? Something soft, preferably."

"I haven't eaten yet. What do you fancy?"
Aria offered him a shoulder to lean on and helped him with his shoes, he took one of the pillows from the bed and placed it behind him to make him more comfortable.
"Wouldn't you rather we propped you up on the bed? Wouldn't you be more comfortable?"

"Something that I can chew slowly." Shaking his head slightly, he settles back onto the couch, hand still squeezing Aria's gently. "Here's fine."

"Pizza?" Aria suggested. He figured it would be soft and wouldn't take much effort for Leo to get into his mouth. It was the fanciest of choices but it was probably practical.

Nodding slowly, Leo tugs his phone out of his pocket and hands it to the other man. "Just a basic cheese for me , please." He honestly didn't think he could handle anything more than that.

"Okay."
Aria made the call, placed their order, and then moved to curl up beside Leo on the settee. "Are you okay? Do you want me to go out and get you some painkillers?"

"No. I'm okay. Just stay here with me for now." He leaned heavily into the couch, resting his head against Arias shoulder.

"We'll have something to eat, get some sleep, then be out of here and home again by morning. And I'll stay this time, I promise." Aria murmured, stroking Leo's hair affectionately. "We'll think of something."

"You'd better. I'll hold you to that." Leo sighed softly, the stress of the day catching up to him. His eyes fell closed and he started to doze softly.

Aria let him doze until the pizza arrived, and then he woke him gently.
"Do you want me to help you eat?"

Leo was more than a little exhausted and it took him a moment to drag himself to full consciousness. "No. But can you pass me a slice?"

Aria kissed his cheek and then pulled one of the pizza slices out of the box and held it out to him, making sure he didn't drip cheese on him.
"Here. And I'll make sure you get something a little more nutritious tomorrow."

"Thanks mum." He offered a small smile, swollen face looking even more swollen like that. "This is why you can't run away. I need you to look after me as much as I need to be able to look after you."

"I like looking after you. Now stop talking and eat before you fall asleep again."
He smiled and leaned in to kiss his forehead.

"And I like looking after you." He does as he's told, taking a bite of the pizza, small and easy to chew and not at all how he'd like to be eating with the way his stomach grumbles and rolls painfully with hunger.

Aria slowly nibbles through a slice of his own and feels bad as he watches Leo eat.
"Are you sure I can't get you some painkillers?..."

"I'm sure. I'm okay, Aria. Sore. But okay." He places his hand on Aria's knee and squeezes gently.

Once Leo has finished eating, Aria helps him take his shoes off and supports him as best he can to the bed.

The bed isn't as comfortable as his at home is, but it's better than sitting upright. Breathing comes minutely easier like this and he feels himself relaxing slightly.

ooc: I was going to put up a new post and link it to continue elsewhere.