After the tiring day, the hot water felt amazing. Every drop left a trail of warmth and relaxation that set Lucy's mind in a state of perpetual bliss. She sighed with contentment and reached for the shampoo bottle - and froze. On the front of the bottle, a grand, decorative lion stared at her. She stared back. She didn't know why this set her on edge so much, this was the shampoo she always used and she had seen the brand's lion logo on many an occasion, except this time she saw it and could only think of Leo. He really was just like a lion, when she thought about it. Looking past the unkempt, auburn hair and the fact he was leader of the zodiac, it was written in his personality. He was grand, proud, exceptionally brave and very strong. He held himself with self-assured confidence, and even though his duty was to fight, he was loyal and caring. Lucy caught herself smiling a little as the notion skipped through her mind, and she pushed it away irritably as she had earlier that day. This time when she reached for the shampoo, she didn't hesitate before she grabbed it and poured it into her hand, continuing her shower a little less at peace than previously.
Lucy stepped out of the tub when the water began to run cold. She dried herself off with a soft, white towel before wrapping it around herself and exiting the bathroom. She padded sleepily into the living area - and screamed. As if by magic, there, slumped on the coach in front of the tv, was Leo. He turned his golden head to look at her amused.
''Well, hello to you too, beautiful. Nice outfit.'' He mused, eyeing the little towel with a smirk. Lucy's cheeks turned a brilliant red as she squeaked and ran into the bedroom, slamming the doors. She ignored his call of, ''Are we heading to bed already?'' as she threw on the first things she could find - some soft shorts and a vest top - and stalked back into the living area, fury emanating from her every pore. So much for the relaxing properties of the shower. She thought dryly. She marched up to Leo, who looked up at her expectantly. She noted that he had done away with his suit and shades tonight and instead had opted for a plain, long sleeved burgundy top and grey combat trousers.
''What are you doing here, Leo?'' She asked through gritted teeth, biting back the urge to shout. She waited not too patiently for a sarcastic one-liner or a pick up line, but it never came. Instead, he looked earnestly into her eyes and simply said,
''I wanted to see you.'' Lucy was taken aback by this answer, her anger morphing into confusion and nervousness as she racked her brain for an adequate reply.
''I...Er..Me?'' She stuttered, unsure of herself. Leo put his fingers to the bridge of his nose and shook his head, grinning, as if saying, 'Such a silly girl.' What he actually said was,
''Yes, you, oh master of the obvious.'' Lucy crossed her arms and glared at him. He winked at her again, eyes wide and sparkling. ''So,'' the boy continued. ''Are you going to send me back to the spirit world and spend the remainder of the evening bored and alone, or are you going to get your arse on this sofa, direct me to the popcorn and watch a movie with me?'' His grin was wider than ever and his left eyebrow was raised questioningly. Gorgeous, thought Lucy, fervently praying that Leo didn't have some secret mind reading ability he had kept from her. She felt her cheeks grow hot as she imagined that scenario and cringed. Deciding that he had won, Leo jumped off the sofa and sprang at her with excitement and playfulness shining in his eyes. She squealed as he scooped her from the ground in one graceful motion and into his arms. Lucy had mere seconds to register his warmth and the strength of his torso under his shirt before she was flying through the air and landing with a muffled thump! on the soft sofa. She turned to glare at him but his back was already turned as he made his way to the kitchen, laughing. The sound was light, happy and musical, and Lucy found herself unable to keep from joining in. He called in asking about the popcorn again to which Lucy replied with its general location while she scanned her DVD rack under the tv for a movie for them to watch. Her eyes settled on a Disney classic and she smirked as she removed it from the rack. She settled back into the sofa, brimming with pleasure over her sense of humour. It was then that Leo returned, a large bowl of steaming popcorn in one hand and a small, satisfied smile resting on his lips. He jumped onto the sofa next to her and offered her some popcorn, which she took gratefully.
''Did you choose a movie?'' He asked her, stretching out like a cat. Lucy could barely contain her glee as she held up the case. Leo eyed the film dubiously, one eyebrow raised again. Then his face cracked into the grin he had been trying to hold back and he laughed heartily. '' 'The Lion King', ay?'' He enquired humorously. ''Wow, Lucy. Very funny. Right, you asked for it.'' He flicked a piece of popcorn at her nose, inserted the film into the DVD drive and dimmed the lights, before slumping back on the sofa, a little closer to Lucy than he had been before. The two friends sat in compatible silence as the opening song came on. Their arms were centimetres away from touching, the proximity giving Lucy goosebumps that she couldn't quite explain, though Leo didn't seem to notice. She concentrated on the movie, and tried to ignore the crazed butterflies that were itching to break free of her stomach.
Leo hadn't noticed that Lucy had fallen asleep until she lightly fell against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed down at her, surprised. Her features were delicate and lovely, apart from any emotion. True, Leo had found himself marvelling at the beauty of his friend and master on multiple occasions, but never whilst she slept, nor from this close. He slowly and carefully reached up to her face with the arm the sleeping girl wasn't resting on, and brushed her fair hair feather lightly away from her face. The spirit could feel his heart pick up the pace as he stared longingly at his friend. All he'd have to do was lean down, just a few inches, and his mouth would be on hers... He checked himself, and turned his head away, disheartened. Lucy wasn't like the girls he had dated previously. She had a thousand times the heart and kindness and brilliance of any girl he had met, and he would treat her accordingly, not like some petty fling. Leo sighed quietly, standing up carefully so as not to disturb her, and pulled her delicately into his arms. She mumbled something unintelligible that sounded, to Leo's delight, like his name. He carried Lucy to her bedroom and set her down gently onto her bed, pulling her thick feather duvet up to cover her. The leader of the zodiac allowed himself one final glance at her pristine sleeping form, before tearing his eyes away and returning to the celestial spirit realm.
