This chapter was actually supposed to come with the last chapter, but it didn't because logic. So anyways, accept this fast update as a Happy Friday.

Leo didn't like to admit to Ken's and Ravi's talents, but there were moments when he had to, and now was one.

Ravi had written a duet for him and Ken to submit to an arts contest, and they let Leo sit in as they recorded. Ken's soaring voice and emotions that showed with every word, Ravi's rough voice that the others usually made fun of serving him well while he rapped over the dips in voice--they were unmistakably talented.

The song finished with a soft, pleasantly surprising piano chord progression, and Ken took off his headphones with a look of smug pride.

"I'm good, huh?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Ravi.

Ravi gave him a blank stare.

In an attempt to prevent a full-on fistfight from happening, Leo clapped softly, and Ken swelled up, pleased.

"There's a reason why Director likes me best," he said, patting himself on the shoulder.

"He likes Leo. Leo knows when to shut the f up."

"Leo doesn't talk!" Ken cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'm getting water. Singing takes a lot out of you. Unlike rapping." He shot Ravi a dirty look, which Leo guessed was part of an ongoing argument. 

Ravi celebrated Ken's exit with two certain fingers in the air. 

"G-d, I hate him," Ravi said, his tone indicating that he didn't really. "Pisses me the f off, except when he's quiet."

Leo shrugged. 

"But then there's you, and you're too quiet," Ravi continued, and Leo sighed. "Legit, you don't...talk. At all. Except to N, apparently. Lucky b-stard."

Leo thought about the two words he said in Hongbin's presence and flushed bright red.

Ravi either didn't notice or chose not to, unlike Ken and his constant vigilance for ual references. "Well, I guess you're a lucky b-stard, too."

Leo shook the red away from his cheeks, and a sly grin crept across Ravi's face.

"Right, I wasn't supposed to tell you this," he said in a hushed voice. "But there's a special someone in school who wants your quiet a ...wanna know who it is?"

Leo blinked.

"Dammit, I wanted you to respond." Ravi rubbed his temples. "I'm not as good at being annoying as Ken is."

Good.

"But yeah, someone in this school told me he really likes you...and yeah, it's a he, so I hope you, uh...swing that way." Ravi gave Leo an awkward thumbs up, sighing when Leo just sat there. "Never thought I'd say this, but I kinda wish Ken was here."

Both boys glanced at the door, afraid that the person in question would burst in at that moment.

Ravi pulled up a chair to sit across from Leo. "I'm not good at this. Yeah. But there's someone I'm real tight with...wants me to hook you two together."

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"He's a good guy. I promise. You know him, too."

Hongbin?

Leo in a breath and opened his mouth, ready to talk for the first time to Ravi (who was getting worryingly excited). At that exact moment, Ken burst in, panting.

"N's--outside--he's hurt--wants to--ack!"

Leo was on his feet in a second and pushed past Ken roughly, looking both ways down the hallway. Down the west end, N was standing by the door, holding an umbrella at his side.

"Leo!" he shouted, waving his arm.

The boy in question relaxed. Ken had said N was hurt. He didn't look--

Oh.

N hurried down the hall, hurrying to tug his jacket sleeve over his hand, which--from the brief glimpse Leo got--was bloodied. "Hey, Leo, I just need to ask a--"

Before N could finish his sentence, Leo grabbed his hand and pulled him into the restroom.

"Hand," Leo said, trying to yank the sleeve up. N ripped his hand away.

"Nothing's wrong," N said, suddenly hostile. He rubbed his wrist through the fabric of his jacket. "I just wanted you to grab the first aid kit from the music room."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Show me your hand."

N grimaced. "You're being mean." He sighed and tried to step around. "I'll just get it myself."

Leo stuck out an arm, looping N around and pushing him against the sinks, ignoring his roommate's yelp of pain before pulling the sleeve up.

N's left hand was battered and covered in fresh blood, cut up like he had been juggling knives. One spot was dripping, and as Leo watched, a small red blot fell onto the sink counter.

"I had an accident," N said, anticipating the question.

"What...what kind of fing accident was this?" Leo demanded, voice much louder than he had expected, startling both him and N.

He instantly regretted it, seeing the fear on N's face. "Sorry," he muttered, letting N go from his pin against the counter. "I'm...worried."

N didn't say anything, just turned around to wash his hand under the faucet. 

Leo stood still, watching N's shoulders move with his hands, then start to heave. N steadied himself against the counter, knuckles turning white from gripping the edge of the sink.

"I hate this," N said quietly. "All of this."

Leo wanted to ask why, but the words failed to come out.

"I'm just...sick of everything," N choked out. He sat down hard, one hand lingering on the linoleum counter. "I don't...I want to go home, but where would I go? I hate my foster family. I've got a murderer for a dad, and my mom's probably burning in--" 

"Murderer?"

N looked up in horror. "F . I never told you this.

Leo shook his head slowly.

N closed his eyes and banged the back of his head against the sink, stopped by Leo sticking his hand between the two.

"Don't do that," Leo said, sitting down next to his roommate with his hand still blocking the edge of the counter.

N looked two seconds away from crying. "I fing hate all of this," he spat, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve.

Leo sighed, his only response to something he didn't know how to solve.

"My foster parents probably don't even want me," N said quietly. "And I know my sister hates me."

There was a moment of quiet. Leo shifted to sit a little taller, then gently moved N's head to rest on his shoulder, letting his own head fall on top.

"I punched a wall," he admitted, holding his hand up limply. "That's why it's like that."

Leo pulled the sleeve up again. "Let it...air out." He held N's thumb, the only finger without any blood, loosely in his hands. "You'll be okay," he added.

N closed his eyes. "Hearing you say that really helps. By the way, I might get snot on you. Sorry."

"F the snot."

N laughed weakly.