AN: Sorry for the long wait!
IN
IN
IN
Sora knocked on Kalos' door.
When she heard him say, "Enter," she took a breath in and then opened the door. She had heard about the termination of May's contract a few days ago—it was rather big news around here considering that May used to be the leading lady. She'd admit to being a little relieved with the news. May and her butted heads ever since the teen first appeared at the stage. But deep down, the thought of not being able to perform on the Kaleido Stage ever again weighted heavily upon her.
"I heard about May."
Kalos' eyes continued to look at the e-mail on the screen. She swallowed a little, still unsure if she was being too sympathetic and the impending request will later come and bite her in the tush, but she didn't want this stage to have that sort of history. The dream stage she had in mind…there was no room for that sort of strife.
"Boss, can you change the termination to a prolonged suspension?"
Those words caught his attention.
IN
Nearly a week after being kicked out, May received a phone call from Kalos.
She went outside so that she could actually hear the man. Her siblings were playing the wii in the living room and didn't care about using their 'inside voice' while playing.
"You're on suspension."
May's jaw slacked. What? Of all the things Kalos had to say to her, a suspension was the last thing she had expected to hear. So that means…
"I can come back?" she murmured with tentative hope in her voice.
There was a pause on the line and then Kalos sighed.
"Ultimately, yes, but after a few months and you demonstrate the ability to function with the stage."
May was not one to cry, but she felt her eyes watering up. "Thank you, Kalos! You won't regret it!"
"…You should thank Sora."
The line cut off with that. May nearly dropped the phone in astonishment. Little Miss Sunshine vouched for me? She couldn't fathom why the teen she had been trying to overcome had spoken up on her behalf.
The wind rustled her hair and the dial tone continued to sound.
Neither registered to her as she mulled over the information she received.
IN
A few weeks later…
Leon's hospital room was quiet.
Sora carefully closed the door with the new hydrangeas in her other hand. She'd been coming every so often. If he was awake, she'd ask how he was doing or tell him whatever popped in her head. He responded sometimes, but for the most part he remained silent.
She quietly walked over to the flower pot and pulled the wilted ones out. She inwardly winced when the trash bag made some noise when she tossed out the old flowers. The bed creaked a little, signaling his state of consciousness.
Shoot.
She turned towards him with an apologetic smile. "I was just switching these out."
His grey eyes darted to the white flowers in her hands and then back on her face. She continued her task, making some small talk about the weather and then her short talk with his doctor in the hallway.
"..said that it typically takes 6 to 8 weeks for broken legs to heal, but with the rate you're healing, it might be a little shorter."
He watched her adjust the arrangement for a while longer. He had noticed that when she came to see him, she kept some distance between them. Except for the first night when I woke up, she has yet to come into contact with me. It was strange, considering that she had even slept on the bed with him. He had thought that the issue would come up sometime, but he was starting to wonder if he would have to say something directly.
He pressed a button that controlled the angle of his bed.
The whirring sound brought her attention back to him as the top part of the bed brought him to a sitting up position. He frowned a little when she returned to the flowers.
"That arrangement is good now," he lowly murmured.
Her hands paused. "…I guess so."
She stayed standing by the bed instead of sitting down. Her hands were folded in front of her as she added in some inconsequential comment she heard from a nurse.
"How are you doing?" he quietly interrupted.
She started a little, but then she settled down. "I'm good. How about you?"
"Fine, all things considered." He paused and then, "Though I wonder about your behavior."
"My behavior?"
He gave a short nod. "Your…distancing."
The room was filled with the sounds of his heart monitor as well as the voice on the PA system paging a certain doctor out in the hallway. Her hands had loosened from each other and one ventured to touch his hair along the white blanket, but stopped a few centimeters from reaching its goal.
"It's not distancing," she murmured.
Her hand withdrew and she walked over to the window. He stared at her back as she opened the blinds halfway.
"Mr. Kenneth wants some performers for the new line of cars at the dealership he owns…"
Leon listened, though he frowned a little at the vague explanation she had given him. She's obviously not ready to say. He inwardly sighed.
He would wait for now…
IN
Ken frowned at Sora's absence in the cafeteria, yet again.
"What's got your focus, Mr. Distracted?" Anna idly questioned as she sprinkled some bacon bits into her bowl of mac and cheese.
Mia put her glass down. "Yeah Ken. You've been pretty absentminded for three weeks now."
Marion licked her chocolate ice cream cone she had gotten from the soft serve machine. "Going on four weeks," she added before she gave her treat another lick.
Ken looked over at the faces of his friends. Would they be able to answer my question? He knew Sarah had said her assessment of the situation between Leon and Sora, but he really would like another opinion. It just isn't possible…right?
"…Have any of you noticed anything," He floundered around for the right word, "particular…with Sora and Leon?"
Anna tilted her head in confusion.
Mia and Marion shared a look.
"Particular how?" Anna asked, scooping up some of her cheesy meal.
Ken kept his focus on the other two girls. "Something that would suggest that Sora was interested in Leon or the other way around?"
Anna blinked with the spoon in her mouth. "Interested? Like…a crush or something?"
Ken nodded his head as he watched Mia shift uncomfortably in her seat.
"Yeah right!" Anna chortled. "Sora and Leon together is as likely as me and Chris Hemsworth ending up a couple!"
Mia's lips were tightly pressed together. Ken's eyes narrowed upon seeing that.
"What do you think Mia?"
Marion licked her ice cream, recognizing that Mia wasn't going to last another second.
"Maybe," Mia squeaked out.
Marion perked up. She spoke up first, so that means it's safe to talk now…
"They're totally a couple," Marion nonchalantly said. "They've kissed and everything." She turned her head towards Mia, not noticing the slacked jaws of Ken and Anna. "What was it you said that one time? Something about them being warm or—oh!" She beamed as she recalled Mia's phrase she heard.
"They've got the hots for each other," Marion proclaimed and then returned to eating her ice cream.
"Whaaaat?!"
"Holy cheese and crackers!"
"Marion! Don't repeat that in front of your father!" Mia exclaimed in embarrassment.
IN
Like the doctor had predicted, Leon was released from the hospital after four and a half weeks instead of the 6-8 weeks that was the norm.
However, he was still undergoing physical therapy.
The beginning had been difficult, seeing as he had been immobile for weeks. While he had been able to keep his arms in decent condition with some dumbbells, it would be a while until he regained his complete strength in his legs. He pushed himself hard, training outside of the therapy sessions on the treadmill and some other exercises at the Kaleido Stage gym.
He was there now, jogging at a moderate speed in order to cool down from the sprint he had been doing. When he was slowing down to a walking pace, Sora had walked in wearing her practice clothes. She saw his familiar silver hair and came over to him.
"Didn't you just come out of a therapy session?"
He continued walking as he uncapped his water bottle. "They're not enough to rebuild muscle."
"You mean they're not fast enough," she wiry said. She crossed her arms as she peered at the calories burned and other stats on the machine. "You don't need to push yourself so hard."
"The stage is no longer on probation. It is necessary for me to be in performing condition as soon as possible."
"Yeah, but seeing as Mia's still working on the next production script, you have more time than you think." When he pushed some buttons and started to jog, she grabbed his arm. "Leon, please. Take it slower."
Her touch and her plea had his attention.
He noted the light frown on her face. She released his arm when his gaze stayed on her for a while.
"I just don't want you getting hurt," she murmured, her eyes looking off to the side.
The time he spent in the hospital had been long enough. She didn't want to see him in that state of helplessness again. Her shoulders relaxed when she heard the machine powered down and his steps stopped sounding on the treadmill. However, when he stepped off of the machine to stand in front of her, she was surprised.
"That was the first time you've touched me since the accident occurred," he mused aloud.
Her eyes involuntarily turned back to him. Just as quickly, though, she averted her gaze. She didn't want him to see what came into her eyes; it was not her right to feel that way especially after what he had done for her and what she had yet to accomplish.
She gave a half shrug. "You were hospitalized. I didn't want to cause any pain accidently."
"Hm."
He picked up his sweat towel and wiped his face. I have the feeling that is not the sole reason. The towel went around his neck as he recalled her hand reaching to touch his hair, but then she stopped before her fingers felt it. She's not disgusted with me anymore. Though, he wasn't certain if the issue was something that dealt with the accident or not. Is she feeling guilty for what happened? He could see that occurring now that he had a better idea of how she thinks.
Was the guilt preventing her from touching him?
He lightly turned her face towards him. She blinked at the sudden action and then her eyes widened when his face came very close to hers. He looked for her reactions to him, finding the familiar red on her cheeks spreading and noticing her swallow hard.
He had a few hypotheses regarding her behavior and a few possible ways to figure it out and lead to a solution, most dealing with word probing and such. However, seeing her soft lips and her doe eyes fixed on him, he realized that there was another way that he would very much like to do if she was willing.
His fingers touched the corner of her mouth. She swallowed again.
"Would you like me to come over?" he murmured.
He watched as her emotions swirled in her eyes. She conflicted and he didn't want her to be. It is probably over what she thinks she should do and what she thinks is an issue. If it was fear of hurting him, she did not need to worry about that.
He leaned forward to bump his nose against her cheek. The action pulled her from her thoughts and had her focused on him. An emotion started to color her eyes, but she lowered her lashes before he could see what she had settled on.
"Only if you want to," she quietly replied.
IN
IN
IN
AN: REALLY close to the end...