Page 285 of Light Leech

“What?” Boyband scoffed.

“Think you can do that?” Naoma asked.

Kuni giggled, then nodded.

Boyband groaned and rolled his eyes. “I guess I’ll watch the kid.”

“Kun,” Ralia said, “I’ll make sure you keep BB in line. I think you can handle him.”

Boyband glared at everyone, earning only laughs where he sought respect.

“Are you done with David for the night?” Denji asked.

“No,” Boyband said, while everyone pleaded the opposite.

“Do you want to help me put him away?” Denji asked. “I’ll show you how to relax him.”

“Sure!” He perked up.

“Come on, David,” Denji bid. “Time for your heroin.”

No one breathed for a second.

“The zeg did you say?” Boyband asked.

“Oh yeah.” Denji laughed, scratching his head. “David, as you know, is struggling with his existential dread and physical pain, though I doubt the validity of most of it, seeing that he’s pretty much just an and,“ he whispered and checked to see that David did not hear him.

The meat pillar had waddled back down the hall without any reaction to Denji.

“Good,” Denji sighed. “Like I was saying, he needs something to keep him going. We’ve tried just about everything, including fixes–”

“So you went to heroin?“ Boyband’s voice was stern.

“Souteern Indigo light-infusen heroin, yeah. It’s the only thing that’ll keep him going.”

“Zeg, du. You’re supposed to be the moral monk and all.” He looked at us over his shoulder, glaring then sighed. “Good thing I’m hanging back here while you go to work. Sure, I’ll help you, Ral, but I need to make sure David is no longer abused.”

Denji’s shoulders were tense as Boyband marched him back down the hall towards David.

Naoma stepped closer to me while the others engaged in their own conversation. “Can’t say I expected him to go all dad on David.”

I stood with my left shoulder touching hers and eyed her, but only long enough for her to acknowledge it. I couldn’t keep my smile down. “He’s maturing, at least it looks like it.”

“A lot of thanks to you, right?”

I shrugged. “The world kinda forced him into maturation. I’m just trying my best to be the brother he wants me to be.”

“I think you’re doing a pretty good job.”

“Thanks.”

Silence hung between us for a moment, but it was far from uncomfortable.

“I’m excited for some time together,” I said. No need to hide anymore. We had met in heated attraction, realized that we were rushing, grew distant when we each feared the weight of the world against Gongtide, but now… Now, we could be sincere. Now, we could like each other and see what came of it.

She looked at me, keeping her eyes on me and waiting for me to lock mine with hers. She rubbed the back of her hand against mine and I felt the soft touch of her polished nail rub across. “Me, too. Last week was nice.”

“I thought so, too.”