Disclaimer: Vocaloids featured in this story obviously do not belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners which includes Zero-G.

Notes: This part is rated "VC" for very cheesy and should be read with extreme caution.

Snip!

More snips were heard from the left of Leon. The blonde looked over to where the source of the sound was and saw Tonio still trimming and tending to his dear rose bushes quietly, his gloved hands daintily cupping the red flowers as he did so. He looked so concentrated and yet so calm, a sight which was rare in some cases. He didn't look annoyed, sad, or upset at himself or others, but instead seemed to be enjoying his time doing such a task as this.

Tonio felt Leon's eyes staring directly at him, eventually, so the opera singer glanced back at him with furrowed brows. "What?" he spoke up with a flustered tone in his voice once he took notice of how the blonde was smiling.

"Nothing, nothing," Leon responded with a shake of his head and the smile still present.

"There's a reason why you've been watching me for quite some time and it's, quite frankly, bothering me that you refuse to acknowledge your reason as to why that is."
"Nothing~…"

"Leon…" Tonio narrowed his eyes.

"You look nice standing there!" he told him truthfully, shrugging. "I've only seen you so relaxed once in a while, you know…"

"Relaxed?"
"Yeah! You know, something you don't seem to really do much of."

"I'm relaxed at times," Tonio objected, "it's just—"

"You worry a lot instead of thinking positive for once," Leon finished his sentence, although he had a feeling that wasn't what Tonio was trying to say.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that reply of yours…" the opera singer slipped the pair of trimmers into his jean trouser pocket, having now finishing his flower care for the day. "I mean…yes, I understand what you're talking about, but I don't worry that much."

Leon's eyes focused on Tonio whilst the mentioned Vocaloid strolled over to one of the small outdoor tables and took a seat, gracefully doing so even in the less-than-casual attire he wore. "Anyway," the blonde continued, "I like enjoy you being like this. When you first came here, your eyes were a little wider and your attitude about everything, along with yourself, was higher…but…"

He paused, making a small and weak smile at Tonio.

"…you know."

Tonio looked back at him quietly with bored eyes, then he sighed through his nose and placed his chin into the palm of his right hand. "If you're mentioning the time when I realized that my purpose as a Vocaloid was a waste of money, time, and resources…then yes, of course that's why I started developing a disdain for certain things."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," he replied. "I saw you with a frown most of the time, or a neutral expression, but never one that looked at peace. I felt bad once I took notice of it, Tonio."

"And why would that be?"
"You don't look cute when you're sad."

A blush crept on Tonio's cheeks as he huffed loudly at that comment. His eyes darted away, grumbling, "That's…a stupid reason. Then again…this is coming from you, so I shouldn't be surprised."

"Excuse you…"
"…"

"Well, I mean that more than saying: You don't look attractive frowning…" Leon explained himself as he quickly took a seat beside him, "I'm saying that I love seeing you not feeling and looking upset, love."

"Why would you feel that way, though?" Tonio questioned without turning to look at Leon. "Please elaborate a bit further."

The blonde thought for a moment or two, however he was struck with the perfect answer to give him. "Well," Leon started out saying in reply, "you're my boyfriend, for one thing—"

"That's a perfect answer—"
"Hold on a few minutes, I'm not done yet…!"
"…fine…"

"You're right about that not being a great answer, but," he continued, "in general, seeing you without looking upset makes my day a lot brighter! I love seeing you like that instead of what you're usually like nowadays…" he paused, then he tried giving a better explanation, "like how your eyes are wider, and your face isn't full of gloom and doom."

Tonio held in a gasp from the sudden touch of Leon's hand brush against the left side of his face, his fingers also going through his hair. Leon pulled his own chair closer to his and pressed a kiss to his neck.

"And it makes me feel so warm inside; it reminds me of when you first moved here."
"G—God, Leon…you're such a bloody dork sometimes."

Ignoring the 'dork' comment, Leon continued talking to him while he wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Did I ever tell you what my thoughts about you were when you moved in with us?"

"I'll bite. What were they?" he chose to ask him.

"At first, I thought," Leon quickly added, "and still do think, that you were very handsome. So defined, surrounded with a small air of calmness. Honestly," he admitted with a chuckle, grinning at Tonio, "I was worried that you wouldn't like me at all. But then, as the day and following weeks went on, I realized how cute some of the things you did were, and how cute you were."

Good Lord, what did any of that had to do with how he frowned more and relaxed less? Tonio was beginning to feel embarrassed upon hearing Leon telling him these…these cheesy words and memories of when he was still a hopeful Vocaloid with self-esteem.

"When we talked for the first time and eventually got into a long conversation," Leon told him, "you were holding back from laughing a few times when I accidentally had too many drinks with you out here." He paused once again, this time, to let out a gentle sigh. "You stopped smiling or even laughing much a year or so afterwards. You kept saying how much you were a worthless Vocaloid and would have been better off as discontinued or a failure. Granted though, you did smile, and you were in better moods, but not as much as back then."

Tonio kept silent, but he finally chose to glance back at Leon whilst he remained still in his seat. The blush was fading away and his eyes softened as he listened to whatever else the blonde had to say.

And talked on was what Leon did. "What I'm saying is…whenever I see you looking happy or peaceful, it makes me so happy to see that side of you again. It's wonderful to see you like this, love!"

The blush immediately returned.

"D—do you have to embarrass me so much?" Tonio demanded, although his words came out in a whisper instead of in his normal tone.

Leon reached over and cupped his cheeks, then he stared into his eyes. "See? This is how I realized how cute you were when I first saw you make that face."

Tonio's heart began to race faster as Leon pressed his forehead against his and the opera singer's ears rung from the fluttering sensation which swelled in his chest.

"I'm hoping that maybe you'll feel better about some things, so I can see you like this more," he said, a smile now gracing his lips. "I'll make sure to help out any way I can, Tonio."

"S—s—…" Tonio obviously, and hilariously so, struggled with a snappy reply to use, however he was able to spit it out, "s—stop it, you cheesy, old man."

"Sorry~…" he whispered, "you cute, grumpy boy."

Feeling oh-so flustered to care at the moment, Tonio let Leon close in the small space between the two of them and began to brush his lips against his whilst Leon's hands remained holding onto his cheeks. This stupid, stupid bloke. He couldn't resist him, no matter how much he tried, nor could he when Leon didn't make sense to him.

So, he wanted him to relax? To revert back to, at least, half of what he used to be before reality and the Vocaloid fans smacked him across the face? Could he honestly try? Leon admitted he loved seem him like this, and a part of Tonio did want to make Leon happy…as much as he would never confess out loud about that. He could, at least, try for Leon's sake. After all, why keep something from Leon which he seemed to love a lot about him?

end