Leon Orcot (under_arrest) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2019-02-01 17:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, leon orcot, ozma |
Who: Leon and Ozma
What: Ozma finds Chris and Leon goes to pick him up
When: Immediately after this log.
Where: Ozma's house
Rating/Warning: Low/none
Status: Complete
Leon had never felt relief he like had when he received Ozma’s text that she’d found Chris. It had flooded his entire body, and Veronica could not drive fast enough to get him to Ozma’s house. He left both her and Back-up in the car while he hurtled up the front walkway to Ozma’s place, though the closer he got to the door, the more uncertain he felt about all of this. He wasn’t sure if he was going to yell at or kiss Chris when he saw him, and he definitely wasn’t sure how to feel about Ozma, who he only knew, barely, through Alex, who had left Leon only a couple of days earlier.
He took a breath. He’d never been one to think things through before they happened, and there was no reason to start now. He took a deep breath, and pounded on her door.
***
Ozma had been waiting for the knock on her door ever since Leon had responded to her text so she only jumped a little bit when he pounded on the door, giving Chris a smile where he was sitting quietly with the Sawhorse moving around him in that weird waddle way the animal (?) had. “That’s probably your brother. I’ll be right back. Lampey - don’t let the Sawhorse break anything.” She said, glancing at the glass topped coffee table meaningfully as she went to answer the door, barefeet sinking into the thick carpet as she walked.
She looked through the peephole, checking that it was Leon before opening the door and ushering him inside. “Come on in. We were just hanging out in the living room with Lampey and the Sawhorse. I think they liked having someone other than me to show all their little tricks off to.” She said, leading him toward the living room.
***
Leon pushed himself into Ozma’s house, absent-mindedly knocking the snow off his boots by tapping his toes against the floor. He didn’t answer Ozma until he located Chris, sitting on top of what looked like a living rocking horse. He blanched.
“Chris, get down from there. That doesn’t look safe,” then to Ozma, “Is that safe?” and back to Chris, “Are you okay?”
I’m okay, Chris said, a little sullenly, in Leon’s mind. He seemed, well, not disappointed to see Leon, but Leon had the feeling that he wasn’t entirely pleased by his big brother’s appearance.
Only then did he turn his attention to Ozma. “Thanks for finding him,” he said, realizing belatedly that that probably should have been the first thing he said.
***
“The Sawhorse is perfectly safe. I ride on his back all the time,” Ozma said in answer to his question about if it was safe, trying not to let her slight annoyance at his asking that show. Like she’d really have let Chris be on his back if it wasn’t safe. But as she reminded herself, if she’d been in Leon’s shoes she’d probably have asked the same question. “Chris, why don’t you go get your things from the dining room darling.” She said giving the quiet boy a bright smile.
“You’re welcome. It was nice having someone around the house although circumstances could have been a lot better. I hope you don’t mind that I told him it wasn’t right for him to run off from you like that.”
***
There was a clear reluctance on Chris’s part to slide down off the back of the Sawhorse, and he shuffled into the dining room. Leon frowned after him. He wondered just how badly he had screwed up the night before; maybe Chris wasn’t going to forgive him for it.
“Huh?” Leon asked, forcing his attention back at the girl who was talking at him. It took him a moment to remember what it was that she had just said. “No, that’s fine. I appreciate it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry about all this.” Then he took a breath. “It’s just that Alex left the other day, and I don’t think either of us are taking it very well.”
***
“Oh Leon. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Ozma said honestly, stepping slightly to the side as Lampey went hopping past her into the dining room. “Did he give any clue why? I thought the two of you were so good together.” She said lowering her voice to keep Chris from overhearing her questions.
***
Leon stared, open-mouthed, at the lamp that just hopped past them toward Chris. At some point, maybe, he would get used to this. That wasn’t now, but maybe someday.
Ozma had asked him a question,and he frowned. He wanted a cigarette, but he had the feeling Ozma wouldn’t appreciate him lighting up in her living room. “He didn’t say,” he said. “But I’ve got a feeling. Who’d wantto keep living in this place?” Especially with all Alex had been through - being accused of murder, getting locked up, the dreams that had, for a long time, seemed hellbent on killing him.
***
Ozma frowned a little bit and then walked over towards the window cracking it a bit. “I vaguely remember something about you smoking. If you want to smoke a cigarette and talk for a little bit about what’s going on with Chris or anything -all I ask is that you do it over here. So that the smoke goes out the window. ...I have to ask though - why didn’t you and Chris move with him? I mean surely you could get employed at another police department.”
***
“I can’t stay long. Veronica’s waiting in the car,” he said, though he still went over to the cracked window and lit a cigarette. He’d needed one all day, and hadn’t had the chance yet. He sat silently for a while, thinking over Ozma’s question. “This is my home,” he said after a moment, frowning. “Even with all the weird shit here, I’ve never really liked leaving.” He took another drag of the cigarette, and then added, more quietly, “Besides, he never asked.”
***
There was space on the couch for Ozma to sit beside him but she still perched on the end of the table facing him, feet resting on the couch and her arms resting on her upper legs. She cursed under her breath when he said that Alex had never asked, frowning briefly. “This place does have a way of getting it’s hooks in you doesn’t it?” She said, choosing to latch on to that thought path instead of bringing up Alex again.
***
“Yeah,” Leon muttered, looking off in the direction that Chris had disappeared off to. It did have that. Leon almost wondered if he shouldn’t pack up and leave, for Chris’ sake. No doubt nearly anywhere would be safer for the kid than here. But, well, he wasn’t sure if he’d still be able to hear Chris’ thoughts if they moved away. Not to mention the fact that anywhere else definitely wouldn’t have people like Veronica’s dad or Ozma who would be willing to help out Chris like this.
“What about you? Ever think of taking off?” he asked after a long silence.
***
“Sometimes. But everytime I think about just packing it in I think about all the friends I’ve made here, the people I’d be leaving behind. And the fact that I’m not sure Sawhorse and Lampey would still be alive if we moved. And after having lived with them...I couldn’t take that chance with them. Turn them into inanimate objects. Plus this is where the contracts are.” Ozma told him with a slight shrug.
***
“Yeah, you wouldn’t want your inanimate objects to stop moving,” Leon muttered to himself, realizing even as he said it that that was unfair. “Sorry,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
***
Ozma raised one brow at his comment. “They’re animate objects as long as we’re here. And Sawhorse is a little sassy and I’d miss it. Even if he is annoying at times.” She said, forcing her tone to stay even as footsteps behind her making her realize that they weren’t alone in the room anymore. She turned to look at Chris, giving him a smile. “You ready to go darling? Leon and I were just talking about Sawhorse and Lampey. Who would probably like it if you came over again. I think they’re bored of my company all the time. Maybe that’s something we could work out if you wanted,” it wasn’t a lie so much as a half truth. She didn’t believe in lying to children but she also didn’t think they necessarily needed to know everything that was going on with adults.
***
Chris looked up at Leon, and then at Ozma, uncertainly clutching the bag he’d hastily packed before running away, to his chest, as though he wanted to go with Leon and wasn’t sure if he should.
“Listen, Chris,” Leon said, rubbing the side of his head. “I’m sorry about last night. I was,” well, drunk, for one, but that didn’t seem like a good excuse, “upset, and I wasn’t really thinking about what I was saying. I’m not going to leave you, alright,” he said.
Chris hesitated for only another moment, before he ran into Leon’s arms. Leon lifted him up, Chris’s arms wrapped around his neck, and Chris shot a smile at Ozma that seemed to say that he’d like to come visit again quite a lot.
***
Ozma gave Chris what she hoped was a reassuring smile when she saw the look he gave her, moving to stand up beside the seat she’d been perched on. She shot Leon a mix between a dirty look and a shocked one over Chris’ head when she heard what he’d said to the little boy the night before. No wonder Chris had been upset and run away. She forced the look off her face though before Chris looked back at her with that smile.
“Leon and I will work it out. And maybe we can go to the petting zoo together next time you want to see it. And maybe Leon will let you use his phone to text me when you want to do something.” She suggested, looking between the two brothers.
***
Leon didn’t have any response to Ozma’s look, other than to sheepishly turn away, and he was relieved that she didn’t say anything. When he had said it, he had meant that there was that his job always came with risks, the kind of risks that might prevent him from coming home to Chris someday. But now in the light of a new day he knew that that reasoning wasn’t any better.
“I don’t know about using my phone,” Leon said slowly. He usually kept crime scene photos on it for him to study once he was at home. “But if you ever wanna text her, just tell me and I can do it.” He smiled, and adjusted his grip on his brother. “Thanks again, Ozma. If you ever need anything…”
***
“I’ll let you know if I do. And if you ever need any help with Chris, or you with Leon, let me know.” Ozma said giving both of them a bright smile as she walked with them to the door, leaning in to kiss Chris’ cheek softly as she opened the door for them.