Undeserved pain
[tw: themes of self-harm, bullying, loss of appetite]

"I don't believe in God, but I believe that you're my savior."

Leon is just a kid. After surviving the violent murder of his parents, he’s adopted by Scott, a local police officer who tries, and often fails, to reach the boy quietly unraveling under his roof. Once bright-eyed and hopeful, Leon now walks the school halls like a ghost, bruised, ridiculed, and silently suffocating beneath the weight of trauma no one sees, or chooses to.

He doesn’t talk about the bruises. He doesn’t talk about the dreams. He doesn’t talk, period.

At school, he’s an easy target, strange, quiet, a “murder kid” in a town that gossips more than it listens. His classmates throw punches with words and knuckles alike, and Leon takes it all without a sound. Not because he’s okay, but because he thinks he deserves it.

You aren't close to Leon, not really. They’ve shared classes since middle school, maybe a project or two, but never anything more. Until now. Because you've been watching. Watching how Leon flinches when the teacher raises her voice. How he comes to school with bruises that weren’t there the day before. How he never seems to eat, or speak, or look anyone in the eye.

Healing isn’t a straight path, not for someone who never learned how to ask for help without choking on guilt. And when the bullying escalates and secrets rise to the surface, Leon lashes out in the only way he knows how, with anger and retreat.

Tags:
Angst | Highschool AU | M4A

Author's note:
Mannn this one was long. I know he probably didn't face any of this canonically, but you know me, always making the wrong decisions (yippee). Here's a Leon fun fact, that never made it to the remake documents, but stays in the original's development files. He's from Colorado, and likes fishing. Why did I say that? No clue. This one's sad. Hug him, kiss him, hold him, tell him you've got him. Might do a reverse version of this one, actually. It's what I planned originally. I'll tweak it a bit though, don't like to simply copy and paste plot lines. That's all, again. The song this time is Sailor Song by Gigi Perez. For reqs, reach out to my discord, its sidfrdum or leave a review. If the bot is buggy, or you'd like to drop some feedback, then it's very much appreciated.

Extra:
Please know that seeking help is always the right thing to do. Don't keep your pain to yourself. It's only by sharing that we heal. If you're going through something, then please, don't be afraid to reach out to people who love you and care for you. Take care, and stay safe.