The house opposite Leonardo's was one that he always admired. From his balcony he could see the side the far end of the house and into the window of his neighbor's kitchen. Above the window hung a white wisteria, clinging to the gaps in the stones of the building. Its cylindrical clusters of flowers hung so perfectly that Leonardo itched to draw them. In his mind he could see his hands sketching each of the individual flowers above the modern grey and white kitchen.
Grasping the sketchpad and worn nub of a pencil that constantly rested on his coffee table, he moved to his floor length window. There he seated himself, on the ground, and opened the book up to the one of the few unused pages. A damp nose nuzzled the underside of Leonardo's forearm. When Missy went ignored, the little Pomeranian huffed at him then pranced away.
Leonardo was so entranced with his sketching it took him a moment to realize something had changed. There was a figure in the kitchen now, one that caused Leonardo's hand to still and his eyes to widen. The olive-skinned man was rubbing his stubby cheek and yawning as he walked casually into his kitchen. This would not have phased Leonardo if the man had not been so completely naked. His wet hair clung to his neck and caused drips of water to travel down his skin. He went to a cupboard, took a glass and filled it with water from the tap. The entire time he did not notice Leonardo staring from the window almost directly opposite. But when he lifted his glass to his mouth, his eyes finally darted to Leonardo. He held eye-contact as he drank, then tried to suppress a smile as he lowered his glass. Leonardo did not realize how he was gawking until the other man lifted his hand and gave the smallest of waves. Returning the wave, his cheeks red, Leonardo forced himself to look back down at his sketchbook. A few moments later he looked up again, seeing the man strutting confidently away.
Credit for the cover image art goes to my lovely, talented friend who somehow puts up with me asking her to draw things for me.