"Lucas... where are you going?"
He turned slowly, looking Leon in the eyes, Lucas knew his expression must have given him away because Leon stare back at him surprised. He grabbed him by the arm.
"What's wrong with you?"
A grumble sounded behind his back, it was Manon's voice
"I missed the show, didn't I? Why didn't you call me?"
Lucas let go of Leon's hand.
"Manon, I'm leaving, I don't feel well."
The young woman didn't understand anything at all, she wanted to ask him but she knew that in front of others he would never talk. Leon excused himself for a few moments and disappeared.
It was Manon's chance.
"What's wrong with you?"
He remained silent.
"Lucas I know you, what's wrong with you?"
" I shouldn't have come. I don't like these kinds of places and you know it very well. I don't feel comfortable."
Manon was sure that something happened. His sister replied in a reassuring tone.
"I don't know how to get back. Let's call a cab..." she turned around looking for Leon, "when he gets back, we'll say goodbye and leave."
Manon watched him nodding nervously, looking around as if he was expecting to see someone at any moment. For an instant she thought about the possibility that he had recognized someone from Italy, but it wasn't possible.
Lucas leaned against the bar with a blank stare and suddenly turned to his sister.
"Manon, I will head...." he stopped talking, his stare fixed.
Manon looked at him, and followed her brother's gaze.
Leon was near the stage and seemed to be chatting intimately with Numa. The young guy with green eyes was laughing apparently amused, oblivious to everything that was going on around him. What surprised Manon the most, was the way the Numa was dressed. He was wearing leather pants and had a naked torso, only a pendant decorated his chest. It didn't take much to realize that those two had something, Leon spoke to him very closely, smiling, letting his lips brush the young guys' lips occasionally, he tried to kiss him but Numa pushed him amused and disappeared for a few moments behind the scene. Leon turned around, smiled at them and walked towards them.
"Manon, don't say anything," whispered Lucas.
Lucas felt a fire inside that almost prevented him from speaking, Leon approached them smiling and he seemed more of an idiot than usual. He did not only feel hurt deep inside, but he was furious, he hated that asshole and he would have loved to punch his face at that moment.
"We're leaving." announced Manon
That seemed to unhinge him for a while.
"Still at it?"
Lucas looked at him sideways if he answered him at that moment they would end up very badly, his sister did it for him.
"We're a little tired, and I am not feeling very well" explained Manon
"It's all right, next time, I just... I have to stay," he winked smiling.
"Leooooooo" it was a somewhat shrill voice, the group headed towards where the sound was coming from. Lucas recognized him instantly, it was the guy who performed the show together with Numa, although now he was dressed in tight white pants and a transparent T-shirt of the same color.
Behind him and trying to make some balance, there was Numa still wearing his leather pants and naked torso. The young man with the squeaky voice threw himself practically into Leon's arms, while Numa met Lucas' gaze with surprise. Manon watched the scene with some concern. Lucas averted his gaze, apparently concentrating on a distant spot on the dance floor. Numa opened his mouth for a few seconds, he felt his face burning and although he couldn't help it, he felt ashamed as if he had been caught doing something wrong and was going to be punished for it.
"Guurl" was the shrill voice " how many people have you brought today Leo.!"
His eyes went first to Lucas, apparently satisfied with what he was seeing and then to his sister, whom you could say he observed with envy.
"Aren't you going to introduce us, Leo?"
Lucas looked at Numa again, smiling sideways, this was gonna be interesting.
"Well, this is Lucas and this is his sister Manon," began Leon, pointing to the young men, adding, "and they are the best dancers in the whole of city: Zeus and Saz.
Manon had to make a supreme effort not to burst into laughter, the blonde young man looked at her with a certain reproach, adding with malice
"Honey, you can laugh all you want, I chose that nick on purpose. After all, who can say for sure that Zeus was straight and not a Queen like me?"
Manon began to laugh, tempting the rest, only Numa and Lucas remained silent.
Numa looked up from the floor looking for Lucas' eyes, but he was looking at a lost point, apparently far away from everything that was happening.
Manon did not know how to escape from that situation, for Leon it had not gone unnoticed the fact that both were silent, too much, he approached Numa from behind to hug him but he rejected him gently. Lucas looked at him again sideways.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to say anything at school" words slipped out of his mouth, his own temper betraying him and the jealousy that was eating him up inside.
Leon watched the scene more than interested. Zeus was the first to speak.
"Of course, how can you possibly say anything, if you are here yourself hun? "he winked at him, to which Lucas answered with a subtle smile and a murderous gaze.
"That's a different thing," he added, accentuating the words.
Numa's breath caught, surely he had seen him dance with Zeus, he didn't like the idea at all. This is not how he planned it.
"Whatever, we're leaving..." added Lucas.
Leon, taking advantage of the carelessness and the situation, put his arms around Numa's body hugging him from behind, hiding his head in his neck. Lucas looked at him with a dry throat and trying to keep a cool posture. Leon seemed to have noticed that Lucas was interested in Numa because he held him tightly in his arms with a smile of pleasure.
Zeus said goodbye to slip into one of the dance floors where a group of people seemed to have been waiting for him.
A group of 3 boys approached them at that moment, cutting them off. Leon immediately let go of Numa, as his eyes focused on the first person, a young man of medium height with brown eyes and blonde hair. He looked like a model, his eyes were shining and he was smiling like someone who feels knowledgeable about a situation.
"Leo, it's been a long time," he looked at Numa with a certain contempt, "I can tell you've been very busy lately, I've heard a few things from my brother,"
Leon stood in front of Numa.
"Your brother and I are done. Now you better go away."
The young blonde stepped forward, with a furious stare, getting close enough to start pushing him.
"You better shut up, you little whore, or I'm going to bust your mouth right now, faggot." said in a dry and deep voice.
Leon didn't let himself be pushed.
"fa..? I'm the faggot? And then, what do you call the one you have for a brother?"
The blonde guy went straight at him, Numa tried to stop them but it was too late, the fight already started, one of the companions grabbed Numa's arm by force to remove him.
"Do not touch me, asshole," shouted trying to free himself.
The companion did not have a great physical build, however squeezed Numa's arm with force, preventing him from moving, Numa, worried about getting rid of the guy and not making a scene, did not see the boy's fist coming and it hit him full in the jaw. Lucas looked at him furious and without thinking about what he was doing he went towards him pushing him hard, Numa took advantage of that movement to get rid of the other guy, and tried to make a move but Lucas pushed him aside.
"Go away," his voice sounded deep and strong.
The companion stared at him, Lucas didn't like it at all, he wasn't used to fighting but his was tall enough to impose some respect. At least he will try something, the attacker went at him, hitting him in the chest, with the intention to throw him to the ground.
Lucas heard around him murmurs, shouts, he looked out of the corner of his eye for a second, the people had crowded around them, excited by the tumult. A little late he discovered the tactics of his opponent who turned to hit him this time on the side.
Before he could react, a big hand grabbed him by the shirt, and he was literally dragged out of the club. Far away his sister's voice sounded but among all the noise he could not understand what she was saying. He landed on the asphalt, followed by the group of the fight and some onlookers who tried not to miss details of the fight that broke out outside the club.
"What's wrong with you, pussy?"
It was the voice of the guy with whom he had been fighting, it sounded behind his back and he sensed that it was going to get ugly. After all they were not only thugs but also from the neighborhood, remembering the fame they had. Before he could sit up he felt a blow to the back of his head, an intense pain ran through his head and for a few seconds he was plunged into complete darkness. He forced himself to get up, ignoring the dizziness and threw himself blindly against the aggressor.
"LUCAS, WATCH OUT!"
It was Numa's voice, he looked for him but before he could find him he felt his hands push him roughly. He looked a little confused. The other attacker looked at him smiling, ignoring Numa completely.
"What's the matter, does your little whore have to come to save your ass?"
Lucas approached him at once. But Numa blocked his way.
"Go away " this time it was Numa who was kicking him out "Get the fuck out of here!"
Lucas opened his mouth to speak but then his blood froze, the aggressor had an object in his hand which under the light gave off bright flashes: a knife.
Unlike him, Numa not only did not look shocked, but by his movements and his posture he seemed to know very well how to defend himself. His sister was not there, and Leon was still fighting with the other young man. Lucas tried to approach from behind, but the boy with the knife instinctively turned around, making quick movements with his hand, threatening him.
Numa's voice sounded irritated this time.
"Lucas go away now... this is MY problem."
Lucas could not believe his ears. Numa risked a blow looking for the side of the attacker while dodging the young man's knife, seeing the defensive movement of Numa and the position of the attacker, Lucas' body reacted faster than his mind and threw himself towards the young man with all the weight of his body, he staggered and both fell to the ground, Lucas rushed to immobilize him with his body. Numa approached quickly kicking away the knife that the aggressor had dropped. A trickle of blood gushed out near his shoulder where a red line was drawn. Numa looked at him for a few moments, he was furious, his green eyes seemed to want to kill him.
He turned around nervously, breathing deeply, he was shaking, he looked at him again,
"How can you possible do such a thing! You can't do something like that when someone is holding a knife. It not the time to play hero shit."
Lucas gave him back a hateful look, he was an idiot, he should have left when he had the opportunity.
The police sirens sounded in the street, Lucas sat up and moved away from the young man, the police were already there, his sister came running from somewhere while the officers, dressed in navy blue. He distinguished Leo in the back on one of the police cars, who had an ugly cut on his left cheek and was evidently getting into the police car. Manon looked at him from afar, winking at him and gesturing him to be quiet. Everything sucked.