#nomnomnomnomnomnom

Whew! Here's that little dribble for ya Mz. Laundry. Sorry its taken such a hot minute. Hope you enjoy!

Addiction

It was supposed to be a simple check in. 

Nothing more. Nothing less. 

They hadn't heard from you in a couple days. Not a text. No phone call. Not even a reaction in the group chat. 

Which was…normal… more or less considering your busy schedule and whatnot, but after everything with the Kraang, Leo couldn't be too sure. So he thought he'd just drop in, you know, just to say hello.

Not that he had worried or anything. The Faceman didn't worry. He just missed you. Not anything like that at alllll…

Still…something in his gut told him something was off. And he had learned time and time again to trust said gut. So he had portaled unceremoniously as he so often did, directly to your fire escape window. Where he proceeded to knock rapidly against the glass like an impatient woodpecker on crack. 

The sight that met his eyes as you all but yanked the window open was…unexpected to say the least. It wasn't your usual bright smile or exasperated smirk. Not even a familiar short quip or returned-fire pun had greeted him. 

No, it was you, looking like you had just rolled out of bed, or just finished fighting your own share of demons. With bloodshot eyes, circles so dark under your eyes that black looked like a cheery color, and a mane full of frizzy bedhead, you had obviously seen better days. Or nights for that matter. If the way you somewhat swayed with your hand against the window seal was any indicator.

Needless to say, you looked worse for wear, and Leo almost panicked. Almost. He totally didn't rush forward, holding onto your arms to keep you steady. Or not so subtly looked directly into your eyes to check for any abnormalities that could indicate a physical struggle or anything. Nope. He totally did not low-key sniff you to check if there was a scent of sickness of some kind. None of those things. Nada.

No, all he did was let out a soft chuckle and very suavely asked “Look at what the cat dragged in. What happened to you?” Because he totally did not care and was not worried, for like even a second. 

What took him by the most surprise was the way you somewhat pulled out of his grip, looking away to sheepishly scratch your cheek as you mumbled out that you had started a new book series. 

Leo could only blink at your response. A…what?

You had let out a little nervous laugh, and he watched with complete befuddlement as your cheeks started to heat up in embarrassment as you repeated yourself. Pulling even further away from Leo, not that he may or may not have held you still for a beat longer than necessary before letting you go, you started to wave your hands animatedly as you did when you got passionate about something.

It was nothing, you had told him. Just a really good book series that you had gotten hooked on earlier in the week that may have been taking up a little bit more of your time than you were expecting.

Leo’s eyebrows (if he had any) would have arched as he folded his arms with a cock of his hip. He had laughed, laughed incredulously actually, at the thought that a mere book series is what had kept your attention long enough to make you go MIA for an entire week. 

He had snickered and leaned in close with that cursed cat-like smirk of his and had asked if you were reading something nAuGhTy. And if you were, maybe he should steal them once you were done, just to see what had captivated you so. 

He then proceeded to watch with undisguised glee at the way your face positively flamed scarlet as you sputtered out indignant defenses on behalf of your beloved series.  

No! It wasn't anything like that at all! You swore up and down. You just had a terrible habit of getting addicted to good literature way too fast, no matter the genre of novel. The tunnel vision when it came to books was something you had struggled with since you were barely a tween, a nearly inescapable pull of a siren’s call. 

Leo had just laughed again, shaking his head with barely concealed mirth as he playfully took you by the shoulders and turned you around, not so subtly directing you towards the bathroom. Telling you that there was no book so interesting that it would  take you away from the coolest attraction here in NYC. AKA him. 

Aaaaaaand maybe his brothers. You know. If you turned your head and squinted long enough. Maybe. But that was just his ego and need for attention talking.

AnYhOo, it was only fair that he as THE hero of said city, should rescue you from a sad book-filled fate, and introduce you back into the world of the living. As such you needed to get ready to go out.

You had squawked at his more or less relentless shoving, clearly taking the hint that maybe some sprucing up was in order, before laughing yourself. With an exasperated but amused shake of your head, you tried to warn him that it was serious. Tried to warn him that addictions shouldn't be taken lightly, that they could be dangerous. 

But Leo of course, took your warning like a speed limit sign, nothing but a friendly recommendation. “Pffft” He had laughed. He had laughed. “Sure. Whatever you say. How bad could an addiction be?” 

How bad could an addiction be?

That conversation was weeks ago. So tell him why he was staring up at the ceiling in the wee hours of the morning with your words echoing around him like a bad dream. 

“It’s the worst, Leo! It’s set my sleep schedule completely out of whack!”  

Well, he was no stranger to weird sleep schedules. Heck, he would even go as far to say that “Insomnia” was his middle name. Leo was no stranger to ghosts eithers. He’s had plenty of nightmarish visions to last him 2 lifetimes over. 

But this was the first time, that you had come to haunt his scared midnight thoughts. Flashes of faces, tendrils of touches, snippets of scents and mere presses of presences snapping through his mind like an old picture show, all with the ever-growing echo of you, you, you in ever fiber.  

Leo didn't wait for anyone, but more often than not he found himself waiting up later or waking up earlier for just one more text, one more moment, one more touch with you before he had to let you go for what ever reason.

“It’s constantly on my mind. I can't even think straight.”

It was with annoying frequency that Leo realized that you were now constantly on his mind to the point that he was struggling to think straight. 

Do you know how many times he'd have to hold back a wandering hand that on instinct reached out to pull you closer? How many times he's bit back a compliment that may have come across a little more serious and vulnerable than he was ready to share? How many times he's had to wrangle back thoughts that had strayed a bit too far to ever be considered innocent? 

He can't deny it even though he is desperately trying to that he thinks about you.

Thinks about trying to unravel the ever-intriguing mystery that is you. Which jokes makes you laugh to the point your eyes crinkle, which pick-up lines make your nose wrinkle, which foods make you hum(could he somehow get you to make that sound again?) which shows make your heart drum, what silly antics make you smile, what kind of clothes make up your style. 

Thinks about how he could convince you match with him one day, maybe get you to casually wear something a little more blue. Thinks about not so casually, intentionally, marking you and painting you in his color too. 

You, You, You.

“It’s like the weirdest rush ever, like I can't get enough.”

Enough. Enough. Enough. You were right. It was never enough. He never has enough of his fill of you. 

Rush was a good word for it too, the way his heart would pick up pace when he would see you. No matter the moment or occasion, his blood thrummed a little warmer in his veins at the sound of your laughter. His breath would catch like he'd been running for too long when you would sit just a little bit closer than before. He would feel strangely empty, cold, and even slow when you weren't around.

It was a completely unnameable feeling… aching? A yearning perhaps? A craving growing need… to see you again just…just be near you for a moment more. 

That would be enough, should be enough, to get himself together again, to get his heart back to a normal rhythm, right? 

Right?

You. You. YOU.

“And like, its the dumbest thing ever right? But I feel like I can't tell anybody. I feel weirdly ashamed? Because nobody would understand.” 

Ohhhhh, Leo was beginning to understand more than you probably know. He knows a thing or two about shame. Because he ashamed about the way he's started to think of you. 

Starting to enter territory that he should never, ever, have entertained. How his hands twitch with the urge to slide up the curves of your body, to carress the warm skin of your ever-flushed cheeks, to explore you and your mysteries in ways he's never wanted to before. To go places with you he's never dared to dream of doing before. To steal back the breath that you had so unknowingly taken away from him everytime he sees you. 

Yes, he's ashamed. Because friends don't think about friends the way he’s starting to think about you.

YOU. YOU. YOU. 

“And you know what the worst part is, is that I can't stop. I-I don't think I even want to.” 

Yeah. That was probably the worst part of it all.  Leo knew, he knew, that he should stop. This wasn't good for him. This...this obsession. It wasn't going to be good for you either. You were his best friend. He couldn't ruin this. He couldn't ruin you. 

It was getting to the point it was dangerous. 

But just like a speedlimit was just a mere suggestion, he was ever the daredevil. And so Leo’s foot remained firmly on the gas. 

Because he didn't want to stop. 

Addiction is the poison that we drink unto ourselves.

So yeah, he had laughed at you, not taking the warning serious in the slightest. 

But how could he laugh now? How could he continue the growing charade when the truth was now staring him directly in the face when he looked into the mirror.

He had laughed. But he could no longer deny.

Leo was addicted to you.

~AnOnYmOuS

*SCREAMING INTO THE ABYSS*

AnOnYmOuS??!!!

*shakes you lovingly*

THIS WAS EXCELLENT

And exactly what I needed after a long ass day of doing homework and going to class.

WOWOWOWOWOWOW

Obsessed and addicted Leo my beloved

I must know... Is there more 👀

No pressure of course.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS WITH ME!!!

but no, I don't do that

i eat skin

typically my own

like the skin by my nails or from my dry ahh lips