Scars

Leo staggered through the door, his steps uneven, his body screaming for rest. The air inside the house felt heavier than usual, a stale mix of burnt plastic, metallic tang, and dust. Dropping onto the couch, he let out a groan, the sound half pain, half frustration. His muscles burned with the reminder of every mistake he’d made that day.

The late afternoon light seeped through the blinds, streaking the cluttered room with amber bands. Lucy’s workspace dominated the corner, a chaotic shrine to invention. Tools hung haphazardly on pegboards, their silhouettes stark against the dim glow of a dormant welding torch. Spools of copper wire spilled over a half-finished contraption on the bench, the purpose of which only Lucy could fathom. It was a mess, but it wasn’t lifeless. Everything in the room hummed with potential, like her ideas were alive, waiting for the right moment to spring to life.

Leo leaned back, the couch swallowing him, and stared at the ceiling fan. The blades whirred in their endless cycle, a hypnotic blur that mimicked the loop of his own thoughts. His mind drifted to Lucy. She had always been the stronger one. The fixer. The one who turned adversity into something workable. Where he stumbled, she innovated. Where he hesitated, she charged ahead.

A sharp throb in his shoulder brought him crashing back to the present. He winced and dragged himself upstairs, gripping the railing to steady his aching body. In the bathroom, the mirror offered a reflection he barely recognized: swollen eyes, purple bruises staining his cheek, and dried blood painting a grim map across his skin. The sight made him grimace, not just from pain, but from something deeper—a mix of shame and self-reproach.

The shower hissed to life, steam rising to blur the mirror. The hot water stung his wounds but numbed the deeper ache. As the grime and blood swirled down the drain, Leo closed his eyes.

He pressed his palm against the cold wall, the ache in his muscles dulling with each breath. But no amount of air could scrub away the weight that coiled around his chest, nor the sting that burned hotter than any wound.

After cleaning up, he returned to the couch, draping a blanket over himself like armor against the world. The house was quiet, the kind of silence that amplified his exhaustion. He closed his eyes, letting the rhythmic hum of the fan lull him into a daze until the front door creaked open.

“Leo! I’m home!” Lucy’s voice broke through the stillness, light and familiar. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had. My brain feels like it’s been fried and rewired twice over.”

She stepped into the room, the energy of her words trailing off as her eyes locked onto him. Her bag dropped to the floor. “What the hell happened to you?”

“It’s nothing,” Leo muttered, forcing a weak smile. “Bad day, that’s all.”

Lucy was already at her workbench, rummaging through a pile of devices. “Bad day? You look like you lost a fight with a freight train!” She pulled out a small drone and a spray can with a faintly glowing green label.

The drone came to life with a gentle hum, hovering near Leo as it scanned his injuries. He sat still, his face flushing with embarrassment under Lucy’s concerned gaze.

“Care to explain?” she asked, her tone sharp but not unkind.

Leo hesitated, running a hand through his damp hair. “Some guys stole a package. I... thought I could stop them.”

“And instead, you got yourself beat to a pulp.” Lucy sighed, shaking her head as she sprayed a healing gel over a scratch on his arm. The liquid cooled instantly, forming a faintly luminous barrier over the wound. “Why didn’t you just let it go?”

“I wasn’t thinking. It just felt like... like the right thing to do in the moment.”

Lucy paused, her hand lingering near his shoulder. “You always do this,” she said softly, her voice tinged with both exasperation and something like admiration. “Throw yourself into situations you can’t handle because you can’t stand watching something wrong happen.”

Her words stung, not because they were harsh, but because they were true. Leo looked away, his jaw tightening. Lucy’s expression softened as she crouched beside him, her voice gentler now.

“It’s not about fixing everything, Leo. You don’t have to keep throwing yourself into the fire to make up for what’s already been done.”

Leo’s eyes flashed with frustration. “But I’ve failed, Lucy. So many times. You don’t even know how many times I’ve just done nothing when I should have. And you...” He stopped himself, his throat tightening. “You’ve always been there for me. Even when I didn’t deserve it. I don’t get why you keep helping me. I’m just... a mess.”

Lucy’s gaze softened, but there was a firmness in her voice as she gave him a gentle shove on the shoulder. “It’s because you’re my brother, Leo. And because, no matter what, you always try to do the right thing. Even if it means hurting yourself. You might not see it, but that’s why I’m here. You’re not the mess you think you are.”

Her words lingered in the air, both comforting and heavy. She returned to her work, the drone humming as it applied a final scan to his shoulder. “This’ll numb the pain for now, but you need to rest. And no more chasing after thieves solo.”

Leo managed a faint chuckle. “Yes, ma’am.”

The tension in the room eased as Lucy packed away her tools. “You know,” she said, her tone lighter, “you remind me of how you used to come home as a kid, covered in scrapes and bruises. Mom would scold you for getting into fights, but she always ended up patching you up with that same look of worry.”

Leo’s smile faded at the mention of their mother. “I barely remember her.”

Lucy paused, her fingers tracing the edge of the workbench. “She was... amazing. Kind, but tough. I think she saw the same stubbornness in you that she had in herself.”

Silence fell between them, the weight of memories pressing down like a physical force. Leo broke it with a quiet promise, his voice steady despite the ache in his chest. “I’ll make it up to you, Lucy. For everything. One day, I’ll figure things out. I’ll give you the life you deserve.”

Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch warm and grounding. “Just... stay safe. That’s all I want.”

The moment passed, and Lucy stood, stretching. “Now, how about we order something to eat? Mom always said a good meal can fix anything.”

Leo hesitated but nodded. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”

As Lucy went to make the order, Leo stared at the window, where the first stars had begun to dot the darkening sky. The world outside felt impossibly large, full of obstacles he didn’t know how to overcome. But at that moment, with Lucy nearby and the faint buzz of life returning to the house, he allowed himself a sliver of hope.