A/N: YES, I AM TOTALLY WEIRD. XD Anyway, hopefully I'll be spared for being attacked with a stick for a weird pairing--but I can totally see it. (HIT) I don't own Kyo, Leona, or KOF--don't sue me, please. You won't get anything anyway. XDD
Spaghetti
She thought he was joking.
It'd been one thing to accept Kyo Kusanagi's offer for a date on Saturday night, but for him to expect her to follow through...was another case entirely. Honestly, she only agreed to go with him due to Ralf's persistent discouragement and cocky refusal for her--Leona could make her own decisions, and thought that would be a prime opportunity to show him that.
While it did help her get her point across, it also ended with her searching her closet for something to wear. Leona didn't go "out"--she completed her missions, went home, rested it off, and then went back for more. Her apartment wasn't particularly decorated either--she started moving in over a month ago, yet never really finished unpacking. All that really stood out was her couch (which was necessary in case of company) and her bed (which nobody saw but her, she made sure of it). Other than that, she hadn't dug into the multitude of boxes since her arrival. Both Ralf and Clark had offered to just do it for her, but she refused. Again, Leona could make her own decisions.
...But she was horrible at deciding what to wear. Half-tempted to go with her original idea and just wear her uniform, she finally found an old dress she hadn't ever worn--actually, she only bought it for a party Whip was throwing--the party was canceled due to her brother's persistent refusal to even have it, and she packed the dress away. Pulling it out for the first time in months, Leona looked it over--she'd lost a little weight since the last time she tried it on; wondering if it'd still fit, she decided to experiment and put it on.
It fit perfectly. Brushing off the last of the dust, Leona dug for and found the shoes she'd bought to polish off her outfit--someone wouldn't know by just looking at her, but she actually had a rather keen fashion sense. After quickly fixing her hair (and deciding to wear it down, something she never did), Leona was ready to go...two hours early. He told her he'd pick her up at seven--the clock just rang five. Clueless to what she was going to do for the remainder of the time left, Leona had a seat on the couch--then decided to head downtown and take a walk. Heading back to her room for a quick change into her day clothes, Leona grabbed her keys and left her rather unremarkable apartment; it was how she liked it.
Still moderately confused on why Kyo Kusanagi, heir to the Kusanagi clan, had asked her out, Leona headed to her favorite thinking spot--across from the fountain in town. Granted, it wasn't the most private of places--but the sounds and scents seemed to calm her. Sitting at one of the picnic tables, Leona propped her elbow up on the table, then rested her chin in her open palm. Didn't he have a girlfriend or something? I know his personal life wasn't exactly in our mission objectives, but sometimes it's necessary to know the basics about someone...
"Am I interrupting?" A male voice asked, and Leona turned around quickly to meet the inquisitive brown eyes of the man who had just invaded her thoughts.
"...No," she answered, turning back around to face the fountain. "I'm just a bit confused."
"Ah," Kyo spoke, then walked over to the opposite side of the table. "Mind if I sit down?"
"...No," Leona repeated. ...He's blocking my view of the fountain. Dammit. Deciding that asking him to scoot over would probably make her seem insane, Leona merely looked at the brunette boy and tilted her head. "What exactly...do you want with me?"
Kyo seemed confused by her question. "Rephrase that?" He offered, shifting so his ankle crossed his knee.
"Why did you ask me to dinner earlier?" Leona asked, relieved that his shift in position allowed her to see the fountain again.
"Because I'd like to get to know you better?" He answered, even though it sounded more like a question. "Really."
"Why are you interested in that?" She asked, causing her companion to raise one eyebrow.
"Has anyone ever told you that you ask a lot of questions?" Kyo asked, then chuckled lightly as Leona shook her head.
"Actually, I'm told I don't speak enough," she responded, crossing her arms. "I only...want to know what I'm getting myself into."
"...Maybe a big plate of spaghetti? We could do the whole Lady and the Tramp fiasco if you want..." Kyo joked, then flattened his features as the reference went completely over her head. "Or, I could just buy you a burrito. Whatever works."
"You are aware that I only accepted due to Ralf's belligerence?" Leona revealed, uncrossing her arms.
"Yeah," Kyo answered, looking at his hand. "Is he always like that?"
"...Yes," she answered, scowling. "I appreciate his friendship, but that's...as far as it goes. It doesn't seem he understands that."
"So you're just going out to dinner with me to get rid of him, right?" Kyo asked, and Leona nodded.
"I'm sorry it sounds so...," she started, then stopped as he waved her off mid-sentence. "You do know that Ralf will likely join us?"
"Didn't doubt it," Kyo joked, leaning in. "Does this mean I have to act like I'm head-over-heels crazy about you? I mean, I can if you want," he insisted, smirking.
"...I hate to be rude, but don't you have a girlfriend already?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not anymore," Kyo answered, looking slightly off-guard for the first time in their short conversation. "She uh...dumped me. Said she was sick of me being gone all the time, and that a phonecall every now and then wouldn't be too much to ask. I said it would, she said it was over. The end."
"I'm...sorry to hear that?" Leona offered, aware she was hardly an expert in relationships.
"Don't worry about it," he insisted, shaking his head. "The past is the past."
"...You can really put things behind you so quickly?" She asked, moderately interested.
"Yeah, I can. Everyone makes a big deal about my history, but well, I don't even care. I've even got an Orochi out to kill me, yet I just wanna live life like a normal guy, you know?" Kyo spoke, then looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "...And why am I telling you this?"
"I cannot read your mind," Leona spoke, confused herself. "I suppose--"
"You're just easy to talk to, I guess. I don't know if you actually are, but it seems to me that you're a pretty good listener," he cut her off. Moving his position, Kyo put both of his feet on the ground. "Now, I've told you a little bit about myself. How about...you tell me about yourself?"
"I like factories," Leona spoke, looking at the table. "I don't like decorating, cooking, or doing domestic things like that. Yesterday, a child called me a robot."
"A...robot?" Kyo asked, chuckling despite himself. "That's ridiculous."
"Not to mention rude," she added. "Not like it matters, but there's nothing like walking down to get the paper and having a three-year-old staring at you as if you're from another planet, then professing their belief that you are."
"...You said a robot, not an alien," he corrected, and Leona shook her head.
"Space robot."
Kyo covered his face in a futile attempt not to burst out in a laughing fit. When he was finished, he uncovered his eyes with intentions of apologizing--only to see his cerulean haired friend flashing a confused but content smile. "Sorry about that," he apologized anyway.
"Don't worry," Leona answered. "Even though I don't understand why it's so amusing, you shouldn't apologize. Most people don't laugh when I speak; they're either too scared of me, or just...don't think I'm funny."
"They don't get you," Kyo insisted, sitting up straight.
"And you think you do?" Leona asked, turning her head slightly to the right with a mild frown. "I don't think--"
"LEONA!" A voice called, causing the two at the table to look. Two overly-muscular men were approaching them quickly; one looked amused, and the other...was flaming pissed.
"What the hell are you doing with this guy?" Ralf Jones asked, crossing his arms and glaring at Kyo. "I thought you weren't gonna go with him until later or something!"
"...You know, that look isn't really flattering," Kyo teased, looking up at the man who had likely proclaimed himself a rival. "You're ugly enough as it is."
Ralf looked like someone slapped him. "Oh, so you wanna go? I'll show you what it's like to be a real man!"
"Hmph, sounds like someone's jealous," Kyo insisted, stroking his chin. "Don't you have something better to do?"
"NO!" Ralf snapped, then turned towards Leona. "Anyway, I was thinkin', how about you go with me instead? We can go to that iHop over there? Clark swears it's good."
"...I'd rather do the Lady and the Tramp with spaghetti," Leona answered, repeating Kyo's remark that she hadn't really understood. "Kyo likes Italian food."
Unfortunately, Ralf understood it perfectly.
FIN