I Ain't Your Dog

------------------------------------------------

It was several hours later that Elliot Rosencroft returned and flopped onto the couch. Leolin was still asleep and Donovan was watching television in a chair nearby. The red haired ring leader of the gang looked the brunette over.
“You look a lot like my pet, you realize. I do mean exact.” His eyes traveled over the small form of the teenager.
“Hm. Interesting, sir.”
“Interesting, indeed.” Donovan tensed. He saw out of the corner of his eye a wicked smile on the man. It was a little scary. It was weird to look at too.
“I need you to help me with something. Call it...a test.”
“A-A test, sir?”
“Yes. A test. You see...I haven't fully made Leolin my own.” He wasn't sure what that meant. His eyes met the venomous eyes of Elliot's.
“What'dya mean?”
“Oh you know, he's not apart of the business. There is no proof of ownership.” The redhead tapped the top of his hand and then pointed at Donovan's. It clicked. Oh hell...the branding. The scar.
“You want to put it on Leolin?”
“Of course I do! It proves he's mine, after all.” This made him sick. What kind of test would this be? It's not the best thing to listen to the only brother he had scream.
“Sir, I-.”
“And of course, his bodyguard will like to be able to PROVE where he belongs, right? No matter the risk.” So, it was that. It was a proof of loyalty over blood. He must have figured it out. Great. The small teen gritted a smile.
“What is it that I need to do for you, sir?” He was going to regret this.
“Why hold him down, of course. It'll only be a minute or two.” Hold him down? Like that would be easy. Donovan's hesitance to answer could have been noted as he thought about it. Anything to go against the leader would bring him down to the point of being shot in the head execution style.
“All right, sir.” He had to suck it up as Rosencroft called for Leolin. Donovan watched as the yawning 'pet' crawled out and onto the man's lap to nuzzle. He chuckled and ran a hand down the blind boy's back.
“I have something for you, my baby.” Oh, this was sick. 'Baby' is a name reserved for someone one would love right? Not...not an abused teenager. Donovan saw his brother smile with innocent excitement. It made his stomach churn to think it would be twisted into pain.
“Come here, Donovan. I need you to take him now. Be nice to your new guard, please.” Elliot talked down to Leolin like he was a child or an animal. It was disgusting. Donovan could do nothing else but come over and hug his brother as the leader of Aquarius got to his feet to walk out of the room.
The smaller one licked his face. Donovan sighed and hugged him tighter. It was going to hurt like hell how it would be done.
He watched as Rosencroft came out with the symbol at the end of an iron rod and handle. Dreading what would happen next, he held Leolin down. His twin...his only brother was confused as to what was happening.
“Hold his legs down please.”
“Yes, sir.” Donovan muttered as he held Leolin down entirely. He saw the face written with confusion and finally there was a sound that escaped him. It sounded like a yelp of pain, even if it was soft for any normal person. It was loud for the abused 'pet.' His face turned into a twist grimace of pain and fear.
“AH! NGH!” The brand was pushed against the arch of his foot. The abused boy started to kick away and curl his toes. Donovan had a hell of a time keeping him still. There were tears in his twin's unseeing eyes. Rosencroft let it go. The smell of burnt and sizzled flesh was a sickening scent. Breathing could be heard from the struggling and pinned teenager as he tried to crawl away and get away from Donovan's hands and grip.
“Good boy. You didn't move too much. That's a good Leolin.” Elliot petted Leolin's head and put the piping hot rod in the sink.
“Take care of him, Donovan. Now I know you are aligned with me.” There was a suave wave from the red haired bastard as he slammed the door closed, leaving the brothers in the gigantic space of a living room.
Donovan let Leolin go. His smaller brother scrambled away and towards Rosencroft's door. He could tell his foot was going to be an issue. It looked too angry for words.
“Hey...hey...Leolin. Come here. I've gotta take care of you.” He walked after the other. Leolin darted for a corner and curled up there, shaking. The blind boy was in pain. It broke Donovan's heart.
“Come here...I'm sorry.” He whispered, holding out a hand to touch Leolin's cheek. There were tears on his skin and with only a gentle brush of a hand, his brother started to tremble. Donovan could tell he wanted to turn away, it was written on his face, but he didn't. There was no explanation as to why that natural instinct to turn away and scream and hide did not kick in further, other than the fact that Leolin was trained not to.
“I'm sorry, Leolin.” Donovan whispered with such intensity as his arms wrapped around the other to grip him and hold him protectively. Leolin never heard that sort of sincerity before. It was pretty freaking rare for both of them to hear. There was a lick on the young hitman's cheek. The significance of it was to show that the apology was accepted. Or, that is how Donovan took it.
With a sigh, he lifted Leolin off the ground and into his arms. It was easy to do, he weighed more than that of the twin. “I gotta make it up to you.”
Yeah right, like the pet would know what that was. Donovan carried his brother to his bed to lay him down. “Sleep here, all right? I'll get some first aid er whateva.” Leolin popped his head up and sat. His foot really was a sight to behold. It was a horrible burn. Donovan cringed at the sight of it as he walked out of the room and out of the hotel suite. There had to be somewhere to get ointment and a bandage.
He wandered down the hall and to the elevator. Maybe a store or something was close? He was in thought as he walked into it and waited to go down entirely to the waiting room and basement level. Donovan stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked past the now scared clerk behind the desk. A smirk rose on the teen's face, served the bastard right. He started to whistle and head out the door in his sharp clothes. If he could look past his brother's sufferings, it would have been a sweet ride. But that wasn't happening. His brother was in pain. That was a horrible thought.
Looking up at the signs of the neon lights of the city, he tried to think of what was what. It would have helped if he could read. Donovan looked through the windows of major department stores and finally saw somewhere where bandages and first aid was sold. Good. Finally. The streets were crowded this time of day. It was definitely the bustling New York he grew up in.
The teenager ducked in to grab a pack of bandages and stopped when it came to the antiseptic. “HEY! Need help ova here!” A girl, younger than Donovan by a couple years, came hurrying up to him.
“Yes...sir?” She smiled. God, this girl was cuuuute. She had the biggest blue eyes and prettiest blonde hair. The teenager blinked and shook it off.
“Uh...yeah. Can ya tell me what's the best for burns that won't hurt too bad?” He watched her hands move to a certain brand and handed it to him.
“There you go. Hopefully it wasn't too bad, right?”
“Yeah, ain't too bad.” He hoped. Donovan sighed and went to pay. He handed the woman behind the cash register a twenty dollar bill. He got back whatever the amount was and the contents thereof. The teenager never learned numbers, either. It was a strange feeling to just rely on someone else to not rob him blind. Well, whatever, he got what he needed.
He gave the blond girl that was stocking the aisles another glance to check her out. Damn it would have been nice to at least hold her hand...like it would ever happen. The brunette huffed and stormed out into the street and back to the hotel. On the way inside, he passed a gift shop. Blinking, he looked in and saw a bunch of teddy bears. That would be perfect to give Leolin! A smile crept onto his face once more. He told his twin that he'd make it up to him. This would show it.
Donovan darted in and bought one immediately. It was cute. It was soft. It was brown. It was cuddly. Leolin would love it. He tucked it under his arm and went up the elevator and into the room. He opened the door and felt a tug on his pantleg.
“Eh...hey? I told you to sleep.” Green eyes stared down at a small teenager wrapping himself around his legs. Donovan noticed the foot was still giving him fits. Leolin didn't move it properly to crawl. With a sigh, he walked in and flopped on the couch. “Come 'ere.” Bags were right by his hand as he reached down to make the blind one follow.
Leolin sucked on his fingers and licked them as he crawled onto the sofa. “Ah?”
“Yeah can ya sit still? I'm gonna make your foot feel strange, but it'll get better, honest.” He saw his twin look very apprehensive but still stick his foot out like it was an order. Donovan spread over the medicine and put a bandage over the top of it. He grinned.
“And fer makin' it up to you...here.” He presented the twin with a brown teddy bear. He saw hands move over it and poke it. Donovan heard excited breathing and saw frantic finger movements like a child would upon getting a new toy. He chuckled and placed it on Leolin's lap. He watched as those arms wrapped around the stuffed animal and nuzzled it. That chuckle turned into a laugh as his brother gnawed on the ear of the brown bear.
It soon stopped after a few minutes. Leolin crawled to Donovan and started to push him down with a kiss.
“Mn! Hey...hey wait! What'reyadoin!” He said fast as licks were placed on his throat and neck. His hands gripped Leolin's shoulders and pulled him up and away from him. “Look don't do that, I don't like it. Okay? I just got it for ya to show I ain't a bad person...you don't gotta pay me back. Okay?” He saw his twin shrink back and hug the teddy bear, royally confused. How he wished he could hear what his brother would have to say.
With a sigh, he saw the sunset out the large windows. It was beautiful...it was bittersweet. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day. Rosencroft started to call Leolin into the bedroom. He watched the 'pet' crawl off the couch, leaving the teddy there and to the door to bat at it.
“...nah?” It was soon opened with the small whisper of the sound. Donovan sighed and trudged out onto the balcony. He knew he wasn't gonna be needed for the rest of the night. The gang member lit a cigarette and attempted to smoke with the breeze running through his hair. The blends of orange and red were spectacular as the sun went down. Donovan hated it. It meant another day as a dog and it meant another day that his twin was made INTO a dog.


------------------------------------------------


Author's Note: Wow...it's been so long since I updated. I feel rather bad about it, but I'm back and the Zodiac muses are sitting on my shoulder. So, expect more from this story. Thank you for any review left and for the support. It IS appreciated.