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Sora looked around the dining area for Yuri.
The blonde waved a hand over in the corner where there was the least amount of people. She tilted her head at the change in seating, but thought nothing else of it.
"Good morning Yuri."
He gave a distracted response back. She frowned at the agitated manner in which he ran his hand through his hair.
"Sora," he finally said after their drinks had been delivered, "would you mind if I just cut to the chase?"
She blinked at that. "Yuri, you're the one that called me over." She lifted her hands up in a shrug. "I have no idea what you have to say to me, so if that's what you want to do, go ahead."
He nodded absentmindedly. "I've been thinking about what Mute and Alice said and did, what with the Angel's Maneuver and Leon; I don't think I can keep quiet anymore about it."
He folded his hands and leaned forward. "I lied about where I got the maneuver."
"So then where…?" she trailed off.
"Well, I did hear about it, but that's not how I knew how to do it." He pressed on, needing to continue with the confession, "When I had passed by their practice room, the competing pair from three years ago and rising stars from France, I had initially been intrigued, but I noticed the potential it had, should they fine tune it in time for the festival. Based on their level of skill, it seemed very probable that they could..."
Her eyes widened as she caught on to what he was talking about, having gone through the festival filled with its tricks and pettiness.
"You…somehow, you sabotaged Leon and Sophie?"
His violet eyes looked straight at her. "I caused his sister's death."
She froze, her blood chilling and her heart slowing down.
His…sister?
IN
Sora knew not how long she sat by herself at the table.
Her hot tea had gone cold before she could drink it; she refused ordering some food, knowing that she probably couldn't stomach anything at the moment.
Yuri's words ran through her mind over and over again: The Boss's warning that he'd kick Yuri and Layla out should they lose, Yuri's meeting Sophie from time to time without Leon knowing except for the one time he caught Yuri kissing his sister's hand, and then the final act…the meet up at the park before the sibling's performing slot…
"Leon had called me from the hospital, his voice broken and pleading," Yuri numbly recalled, too lost in his memories to see the tears going down Sora's face, "Sophie was dying; she only had so much time left, what with the fatality of the accident. The doctors couldn't do anything more."
Yuri's eyes were unfocused as he mused, "I don't think I've heard a man sound as wretched as Leon did in that phone call."
Sora covered her mouth as a sound of misery escaped her.
Water went over her hand as her crying renewed. Her breath was shaky as she tried to be silent all the while trying to get some air into her lungs. She couldn't find any relief, not even in the fact that Layla was ignorant of what Yuri had done, meaning that she had no part in the young woman's death.
Leon…
How his anger and chilling words to Yuri finally made sense now. Her head bent over as she cried for his pain, having lost her own parents in an accident as well.
Why would so much misery come from so heavenly a maneuver?
A choked gasp came out of her as she realized something dreadful. I…I attempted the maneuver…the one he was going to do with his sister, I did it with Yuri…Her face distorted. And then I had feebly clung onto him, trying to find comfort in Leon while he was suffering through the memories of the past…
"Kami!" she strangled out of her tight throat.
How stupid could she be to not have questioned Yuri about the maneuver or even connected the dots herself?
Her shoulders shook as she recalled the tender way Leon held her and made love to her last night, the ecstasy from then now filling her with shame for having been blind to his pain. She had even seen the wounds in his eyes when he dropped his barriers for her.
She had not considered what the pain was, had not bothered to think beyond her small worries and concerns to wonder why he was not healing.
Another wracking sob went through her body. How selfish could I be?
She was disgusted with herself.
IN
Hours later, Leon entered his car at the airport.
He had left his vehicle in the parking lot for convenience's sake, finding it unnecessary to take a cab when he could just pay some money to leave his car here. The inside of the car smelled a little funny and the outside was dusty. He resigned himself to the fact that he was going to have to clean it before coming back to pick up Sora.
He simply sat in the car, thoughts of the redhead from the morning dancing in his mind. They had "cuddled," as she had called it, in bed for a while until he looked at the time and had to get up. The phone had rung while he was occupied. She had told him that she had to leave while he was in the shower, yet she still left him not only breakfast, but an endearing note.
I cannot recall the last time someone wrote me a note. It had been simple with very little written, but he had still felt his heart beat faster. Her displays of affection left him feeling lighter; he tentatively took her behavior has a good sign.
He turned on the engine and reversed out of the parking space.
IN
He had washed his car, gotten some food, and was now going through the process of unpacking.
He tossed his costume into the dirty laundry hamper along with the other clothes. He was setting his toothbrush and other bathroom items away when he recalled his cell phone in the side pocket.
He had been waiting for her call, but he forgot that it was turned off.
With a soft curse to himself, he strode back into his room. That's what happens when a lone wolf gives out his rarely used cell phone number. He waited as he turned it back on.
He cursed again upon seeing that he missed her call.
Sighing in irritation at his own forgetfulness, he went into his voice mail. He just hoped she didn't have any difficulties at the airport, whether it was the one in France or here.
Her voice sounded over the phone. He frowned at the shakiness of her words.
"…wanted to call you about the change. I've already cleared it with the Boss," she cleared her throat, "So there's nothing to worry about in that matter. Take care, Leon. Sorry about the suddenness."
The message ended. He hung up the mail box and numbly put his phone on the bed.
"A visit to Japan?" he murmured.
Granted, she has family there, but why now of all times?
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AN: Oh, these two...Things just can't go smoothly, can they?
We are entering the last stretch of chapters; I'm not sure how many, but I would like to keep the total chapters of this story under 100...or at 100. XP I'll let you know when the last chapter is up, if you would like me to.