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favourite.chapter.ever

"don't think about them, baby, hmm?" leo murmured into guang-hong's hair,
cuddling him closer. the smaller boy nodded, pressing his eyes shut so as to block out the shouting and the banging he could hear from inside a bathroom stall.

"i won't let them touch you again, you hear me?" leo said fiercely, and guang-hong rolled over on the bed so that his head lay on leo's shoulder.

"but you already got hurt, leo, look," he mumbled, pointing up to the dark bruise framing leo's eye. the older boy sighed, and let guang-hong play with his hair.

"i know," he said, stroking guang-hong's arm absentmindedly whilst he twirled leo's dark caramel hair around his fingers. "but they were trying to hurt you, baby. i couldn't let them hurt my squishie, could i?"

guang-hung giggled gently, and leo couldn't resist poking one of his cheeks.

"squish!"

guang-hong yelped, before his eyes shone and he poked leo's cheek, giggling again.

"squish!"

guang-hong was lying so that he faced leo de la iglesia on his pastel pink bedsheets, and leo propped himself up on one arm so that guang-gong could see him pouting.

"is my squish squishing me?"

guang-hong laughed again, and reached up to poke leo's cheek once more.

"squish!"

leo looked down at guang-hong, giggling until his cheeks flushed pink, and leo found himself in awe at how adorable and yet so beautiful the boy lying next to him in a long blue sweater was.

"god, you're so cute," he said allowed in disbelief, and guang-hong's cheeks sprung red flowers.

"l-leo, b-blushing," he squirmed, pulling strands of hair back behind his ears. and leo felt his chest tighten at the realisation that there were people roaming the school halls who wanted to hurt this adorable, beautiful boy.

"i'm so sorry i wasn't there sooner, squish," leo muttered, feeling a lump grow in his throat. he hid his eyes so that guang-hung wouldn't see the tears, but the smaller boy sat up on the bed and knelt next to leo de la iglesia.

"don't be sad," he said in a small voice, cupping leo's face in his hands. "i don't want you to be sad. i don't like to think of you being sad, leo. don't be sad because of me."

"because of you?" leo said in confusion, taking guang-hong's hands in his. "what do you mean? this wasn't your fault, guang-hong!"

the smaller boy bit his lip and looked down at the bedsheets he was kneeling on, yellow socks poking out from behind.

"yes it is," he mumbled, and leo gripped his small hands a little tighter. "i-i shouldn't have been so w-weak, leo...then...you wouldn't have gotten...hurt..."

"you did nothing wrong, you hear me?" leo said firmly, but guang-hong didn't seem convinced, teary-eyed and bottom lip quivering.

"you're not weak, baby," leo said softly, pressing guang-hong's hand to his lips. he rubbed his cheek against his hand, and smiled at the blush that had reappeared on the smaller boy's face.