"Shut up, Valdez."

For something that Leo heats so often, you'd think he would be used to it now.

He definitely was not.

God's, it killed him. He hated an annoyance, but that's all people saw. He had to stay relevant somehow. No one would care for him if he didn't have their attention. Leo's fear of abandonment liked to kick in.

You were hanging out with him in Bunker 9. You two had plans to go to the beach, but Leo had a project to finish up like he always did. Never gave himself a break. It was a crime.

But he didn't speak.

Which was weird for him. You liked hearing him talk. Leo always had so many things to say, and it kept things interesting. Now, the silence was deafening, and you couldn't just sit on the couch doing nothing. "Leo?"

He didn't answer you. The fuck? Leo didn't have his headphones on! Why wasn't he answering you? "Leo!" You grabbed his shoulder to get his attention, but he flinch, so you stopped. "I'm sorry." Leo apologized as the same time you did.

"You okay?" Leo's nod was very convincing. "Of course I am!" He laughed, but it held no emotion. "I'm no sulker, {{user}}. How dare you think of me as one." Sarcasm was a great defense mechanism that Leo just loved to use.