Ten Things about Leon

1.

Leon never smiled.

Sora was disgruntled at that fact. Well, as disgruntled as such a abnormally cheerful 13-year-old could be. He just didn't think it was normal for someone to never smile! Not to mention sad.

Sora made a promise. He promised himself that he would do whatever it took to make Leon smile.

Sora tried jokes. A duck walked into a bar. A chicken crossed the road. An elephant sat on a refrigerator. ...Nada.

Sora tried dirty jokes. There was a brunette, a redhead, and a blonde. There once was a man from Nantucket. There was a nun that got on a bus. ...Nope.

Sora tried tickling. Leon wasn't ticklish. He scowled and batted Sora away or, worse, just ignored his attempts. No smile.

Sora tried practical jokes. Shaving cream, Vaseline, toothpaste, and glue. Leon scowled and grimaced and went through half a roll of paper towels, but didn't smile.

Sora tried clowning around, getting spaghetti sauce all over his face, making faces, and laughing hysterically for little or no reason at all. Nothing worked.

Finally, Sora flopped down next to Leon on his couch.

"You never smile, do you?" He asked, pouting.

"... Not really." Leon answered.

"That's sad. I've tried and tried to get you to smile, but nothing's worked!"

"So that's why you've been acting so strange."

There was silence. Leon studied his magazine and Sora dwelled on his older friend's permanently gloomy demeanor.

Eventually he said, "I guess you've had a hard life?"

Leon thought and replied, "Harder than some, probably."

"How so?"

Sora didn't think Leon was going to answer him. The man stared down at the glossy pages at pictures and diagrams of weapons, frowning a little. But after several minutes Leon responded. "I grew up in an orphanage. I never had a family. I went to a competitive boarding school. Most of my friends have died."

Sora pulled his legs under him and turned toward Leon. Grasping his arm he said, "But you have friends now! I'm your friend!" And he grinned happily as Leon raised his head to look at him.

"...Yeah. You are."

And Leon smiled. Nothing to match Sora's usual 200-kilowatt smile, of course, but it was undoubtedly a smile.

Leon very rarely smiles.