An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
leoniles, wc 2525, rated M for violence
"Niles spent his whole life convinced he must avoid people getting too close to him, driving away their affections and purposely rankling their hatred for him so they can never hurt him again. He never had family to speak of, not when he was too young to remember his mother's face when she dumped him in the gutter – and even the gang he ran with stabbed him in the back, quite literally. Staying alone was how he survived.
But Leo, stripped of his armor and the cruel persona he performs for the public, is surprisingly gentle. Leo's fingers stroke through his hair, soothing Niles like he would his horse. Just like a dumb animal himself, Niles leans into the touch to wordlessly demand more. He likes to be touched. He craves it now, when he never knew what he was missing out on before Leo.
Niles can still scarcely believe it himself – that someone would ever hold him this tenderly, care for him like he matters, or – that he wants it, too.
He never knew a twisted, broken thing like himself was capable of trust. But Niles trusts Leo with his everything."
a short thing for #nilesweek2023, and intended to be the niles side of 'the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun'. all my niles works are collected here. happy birthday niles!!
