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Part Twelve

           ^ A sketch I made of Leo, Sam is probably (definitely) hidden inside the pocket of the sweatshirt         pictured ^

                As it turned out, Leo lied to Sam.

   He wanted so badly to fall asleep that night, letting all of his immediate thoughts rest for the time being, but the repetitive images of complete terror and pain on Sam's little face was too much for him. He kept closing his eyes to fall asleep, only to watch the scene of Sam screaming into his palm replay on the same loop every time. It was like a nightmare just sitting there, waiting to happen the moment Leo went unconscious.
   After explaining what he could to Elijah, the fake ginger sent him to the guest room to slap Skip awake with only two powerful hits on the shoulder. Leo had never seen such ferocity in such a small being before, but it did the job, because Skip grunted himself awake and sat up in the makeshift bed to rub at his eyes.
   Eli explained what Leo told him in half as much detail, mostly just to get the point across that it was Sam all along, and that the information was too great to let Skip sleep through it.
   Skip, for the most part, yawned it off until the knowledge filed through the inner workings of his brain, and then went on to startle himself awake to ask Leo countless questions about the interaction, all while mumbling about how he knew something suspicious was going on with Sam from the start.
   Eli hit him again and told him to be respectful. He, of all people, knew what it was to be the smallest in the group, and could only imagine how terrifying the whole ordeal was for Sam all along. He wanted to slap himself for not giving Sam the best treatment possible, and for not realizing it sooner.
   The three boys remained in the guest room for an hour after the revelation, declaring it a good time to at least try to fall asleep to figure everything out in the morning. Who knew, maybe Sam would come back and give the explanation himself.
   But as Leo sauntered off to his bed, closing the door only a bit louder than he intended, he found that attempting to sleep was not doing him any good. Even after rolling around on his bed for the perfect position, or scrolling through his phone for any distractions he could find, it was obvious the rest would only come in the form of eye bags to show the world when morning came in only a few short hours.

   Sam paced his room for the hundredth time that night, apparently incapable of doing anything except thinking about the events that occurred.
   Sam wanted to believe that everything he was taught had been a lie, and that all humans would be as accepting as his friends, but the death of his parents told him otherwise. Sure, he met three humans capable of understanding that he was worthy of a life to live, but that didn't speak for the whole race. However, that also didn't erase how extraordinary such a feat was, because finding three of the most dangerous predators willing to talk with him and show mercy was something out of his wildest fantasies.
   He got to touch them, and be touched in return. That alone was enough to get his mind reeling, desperate for the soft hold he found himself in only hours prior. Now that he had been held by the warm palms of two kind humans, he couldn't get enough of it. Even with his tail wrapped around his waist to mimic the sensation, it wouldn't be enough for his touch deprivation. The only problem now was being able to ask for it again, because just the thought of requesting to be held sent a wave of red onto Sam's cheeks. It was embarrassing that he went so long without being given so much as a hug, let alone being pressed against a soft chest and allowed to sob out his feelings.
   Sam missed it already.
   But despite how eager he was to go back out, he knew the moment he saw the giants towering over him, he would lose all sense of rationality and bolt for the closest exit. It wasn't his fault in the slightest; the instincts installed in him since birth only broke through at the sight of a human being. Still, the relief that washed over Sam's frame when he realized he was free to go at all times, not to be killed at a later date, was enough to improve his outlook on the bigger species altogether. He was left wondering how his parents might feel about that.
   Sam pressed the button of his phone to check the time again, only letting out a deep sigh at the bold 3:14 AM listed out before him. No sleep tonight, it would seem, and none for a very long time if he kept overthinking as per usual.
   Outside the walls, Sam could just begin to register the sound of the springs in the bed creak for the millionth time that night. Normally, Leo slept with quiet movements throughout the early morning, only curling up further into his blankets every hour or so. This, however, proved that he was sleeping with a much rougher night than normal, and Sam felt an echo of guilt for being the sole cause of his distress. For all he knew, Leo could've been suffering through nightmares at the moment.
   And then Sam's ears picked up on a sigh far too deep to be asleep from the bedroom, and he rushed to his phone to check if what he was thinking was correct.
   It was; the activity on Sam's account told him that Leo had been active for the past two hours, and that any chance of nightmares flew out the window for the time being. He felt like a horrible person, being the reason for Leo's troubles, but the only thing he could do was wait it out.
   Unless...