Page 1312

((The Saturday donation bonus: page 2 of 5))
“Oh, come on, there has to be someone,” said Roman. “You honestly can’t think of anyone? When was the last time you left this place, anyway? Maybe you need to get out more.”

Leo merely looked at him--but what a look it was. The twinge of irritation in the middle of his brow. The hint of disgust in his stiffened mouth. And that glare. That sharpness in the man’s black eyes had most certainly not been there a second ago.

Roman felt the air shift again, turbulent this time instead of simply oppressive.

Alright.

Perhaps he’d gotten a bit careless with his words there. He decided to shut up and concentrate on not shitting himself.

“Even you are trying to make me leave?” growled Leo.

“It was just a suggestion,” Roman said with raised hands. “A bad one, I now see. You do you, my friend. Forget I said anything.”

A tense silence arrived.

Roman waited.

At length, Roman came to the conclusion that Leo wasn’t going to kill or capture him. But the man wasn’t going back to his previously relaxed self, either.

It seemed like nothing was going to happen unless he did something, so Roman decided to take his chance. “Welp, uh... Guess I’ll leave you to it, then...” He started backing up and gave a small wave. “Nice meeting you and everything.”

“Stop.”

Roman stopped.

“Tell me,” said Leo. “...Why am I angry, right now?”

“Uh... excuse me?”

Leo put a hand to his own forehead, and his eyes went to the charcoal floor. “I haven’t gotten angry in... in years, man...” He sounded genuinely confused.

Which made Roman genuinely confused.

Leo looked up at him another time, as if seeing him in a new light. “...How did you make me angry?”

Roman was still lost. But he was beginning to think that this guy wasn’t just being weird again.