Chapter VI: Love, Lock, Bridge

AN: First off, many thanks for all the wonderful reviews/follows/favorites! I get excited whenever I hear a feedback from all of you, and so please know that I take all of your reviews seriously. Secondly, (I usually don't like to make my ANs long, but make exceptions when we reach milestones) we are roughly about 1/3 of the way into this story. Yes, I do have a general idea where I want this story to go, it's been the same since I wrote the first chapter, and all that's left to do is to actually write it out, which as you can see, definitely takes some time. I'll try to update more frequently, but I can't really make a promise on that, so for now, I will try. And finally, this story follows the CL universe up until 1x06, so other factors that showed up in later episodes (i.e. Leo's surgery) may or may not be incorporated into the story. Other than that, thank you for all your support and I hope you enjoy this installment!

If art is beautiful, then he was looking at the most exquisite piece.

Though he doesn't consider himself much of an art enthusiast, Leo had been to the Louvre a few times in the past. Sure, he could appreciate the marvelous works of art displayed along the walls of the world-renowned museum, but in that moment in time, no one was more beautiful than the woman standing by his side. She was a rare element, something that only came along once in a lifetime; a diamond in the rough. In his eyes she was stunning, dazzling, and astonishing. No one will convince him otherwise.

The woman in the elevator may have been striking, but April was incomparable. She was in a league of her own. Even when she's all dressed up or dressed down—like the way she looked sleeping next to him last night, a face seared forever in his memory—she was just as beautiful and timeless. He couldn't believe that she would even think that he was interested in someone else—were his efforts not that noticeable, were they not enough? Yes, Jenny or Genie or Vivian or whatever her name was may very well be every man's dream girl, but he would trade hundreds even thousands of them if it meant he could live long enough to be with the girl situated next to him. After all, time was a luxury he no longer had.

As they finished roaming the spectacle that was the Louvre, April asked Leo if they could take a quick stroll around the area before meeting up with Gaston. Naturally he agreed, and as they walked, Leo couldn't help but notice at how quiet April was during the entire time.

"How'd you like the Louvre?"

"Oh, it was um, yeah it was great. What'd you think?"

"Oh yeah. I mean there's nothing better than looking at naked people made out of stones, right?"

"Huh? Oh, mhm. Yeah, they were great."

A little surprised at her remarks, Leo stopped dead in his tracks as he took a good look at his companion.

"Okay, tell me. What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing. Why would you think that?"

He looked at April with mild disbelief.

"…Maybe because you just agreed to something I said that was completely bogus?"

"Did I?"

"Clearly you've been paying great attention," he said with a sarcastic hint in his voice.

April thought back to what Leo said just moments before. Zip. Nothing came to mind. All that occupied her thoughts now were the incredible antics she pulled earlier that day, and how she felt this overwhelming rush of guilt and shame immediately after. If anything, Leo was probably over it, considering the genuine gesture of affection he displayed as he held her hand on that sidewalk, but still, she felt bad. Yes, she felt this undeniable connection to him—probably more so than she ever did before—and all she wanted to do now was to give him a proper apology and to feel his hands intertwined with hers once again.

They continued to walk down the courtyard in silence.

"Hey Leo…"

"Well would you look at that, we're talking again," he joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Look, I just want to apologize for what happened earlier, back at the hotel. Like you said, I don't want this looming over our heads either…because you're right. I really do need this trip. I need it to be memorable."

"Oh come on, you don't need to apo-"

She held her hand up to stop him from speaking.

"No, I do. I was way out of line. I just..I don't know what got into me. You didn't deserve any of that, especially after everything you've done. I was a jerk and for that, I'm really sorry."

His entire body shifted towards her as he removed the black wayfarers covering his eyes. April faced him too, tucking strands of hair behind her ear as she waited for his response.

"So we're good then?"

"Yes, we're more than good," she replied, nodding her head.

"Well alrighty then."

He broke off their quick eye contact as he started to walk once again, leaving April watching him from behind.

"Oh, and one more thing, Leo."

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad that you're here with me too."

"So you and Rosita…care to elaborate more on that?"

As they continued walking, soaking in the warmness of the sun, April thought it would be fun to dig a little into Leo's past. While she knew a few things about the Hendries—through work and whatnot—she wanted to know things about them that the media doesn't get to cover.

"Ah, Rosita. Yeah, I know what you're getting at. No, we never dated, and no, the baby's not mine."

She rolled her eyes as she gave him a soft slap in the arm.

"You know what I mean."

"Well what do you want to know?"

"I don't know…anything, really. She said that you've grown so much, so I'm guessing you've known her since you were little. How did that happen?"

"Are you sure you really want to hear it? I mean, why waste time hearing me talk about my life? I'm just another spoiled rich brat..pretty sure you can find my life story printed in a small bookshop somewhere."

"Come on, we both know that's not true. And for you Leo, I have all the time in the world. So let's hear it."

"Aw, well aren't you sweet."

Leo took a deep breath before he began.

"When I was a kid, Bruce's idea of an awesome father-son bonding time was to take his beloved son halfway around the world and lock him up in a hotel suite, while he congregated with his network of powerful wannabes. He would always take me to the same hotel, book the same suite, and leave me there by myself as he would meet with these people who, clearly, have their heads up their narcissistic asses. I was alone most of the time, waiting for him until he came back from his meetings. That's how I spent most of my time. Every year, he would promise that things would change, that we would spend more time together, but just like any other politician, of course it was nothing but a bunch of false promises."

"That's horrible," April replied, feeling sympathetic.

"Don't feel too bad. He might not win the Father of the Year award, but the man did give me everything money could buy. Hence the whole 'spoiled-rich-kid' persona."

"But materialistic gratifications are not the same as-"

"Eh, I'm used to it. But anyway, that's how I got to know Rosita. I befriended the hotel staff while he played the pissing contest with his colleagues."

April didn't know what to say. She felt bad for Leo, for growing up in such an environment, even with the insurmountable amount of assets his family owned. Sure, her family may not be as wealthy as the Hendries, but one thing April could proudly say was that her father was nothing like Leo's dad.

"Oh, and here's a kicker: when I was twelve, five days before Christmas, he told my mom that he had an important meeting that he couldn't cancel. So we flew to Paris, and what really happened was that he went here to see his mistress."

"What? Oh my God."

"Yeah, he thought I was dumb enough to not figure it out. But I'm neither blind nor stupid," he added.

"But why would Bruce take you with him in the first place?"

"Let's just say my mother had her ways…she wanted us to spend more time together. And voilà."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. For someone to go through such a traumatic childhood, Leo sure didn't look like he was affected much by it. But truth is, he was. She could see it in his actions. Like the way he spoke about his father. Or how he never took any conversation seriously, as if he's avoiding so hard to talk about matters of the heart. And, how, every time he met someone new, he always wondered about their true intentions. It pained April to see him that way, how this small event during his childhood shaped the way he saw the world, and for some reason, every single nerve in her body just wanted to spring at him and provide any means of comfort.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Leo."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

She nodded to this as they kept their pace. They walked silently, side-by-side, as strong gusts of wind propelled right through them. Call it perfect timing, but as Leo looked to his side, he caught April's hair blow through the breeze, and he swore that for a split second, he felt what he could only describe was a natural stirring from within.

"Wait a minute...is this what I think it is?"

He was finally brought back to reality as he heard sounds of excitement coming from April's lips. He looked around the area, registering every frame in memory, and it wasn't long until he figured out exactly where they were.

"Oh wow, look at this! This is amazing!"

April's heels clicked on the wooden pavement as she extended her right arm, her hand rifling through every piece of cold metallic lock that it touched. After a few more strides, she stopped midway and set her hands on what seemed to be a rusty heart-shaped padlock.

"Matthew & Grace. 051312," April said as she read the surface of the lock. "Whoa, this is kinda recent!"

Leo casually walked past the other bystanders as he finally caught up to April. Just like every other place in Paris, he's certainly been to this one before, but still, the way he saw April's eyes light up brought a grin upon his face.

"Welcome to Pont des Arts," Leo said as he stretched his arms out.

For locals, the famous Parisian bridge was known as Pont des Arts, or Passerelle des Arts. However, for the rest of the world, this was better known as the love bridge. Tens and thousands of locks covered every surface of the railings and the grates, each engraved with two of the lover's names committed in a relationship. Some locks also had dates carved out on them, publishing the moment when they participated in the romantic gesture.

"Wow, look at every single one of these, Leo. It does make you wonder, are they still together after all this time?"

"I bet with all my money that half of these people probably wish they could go down the river right now and find the key."

"You're so mean!" she exclaimed as she let out a small giggle. He was probably right for the most part, though.

"What? Tell me you don't agree with me."

"Either way," she said as she snapped a quick photo with her phone, "it's still romantic. I've always wanted to do one of these, but now.."

He saw the way how, in less than a split of a second, April's face which was full of smiles and joy, immediately turned sad and disappointed. It was obvious, she still thought about Dominic, the guy who decided to leave her once he found out about the cancer. Of course this was normal, considering they just broke up recently, but it still baffled him how someone as smart and as thoughtful as Dominic would let a good girl go just because she decided to keep her condition secret from him. But then again, it wasn't any of his business.

"Let's do it," he offered, hoping to cheer April up.

"Uh, what?"

"The lock thing. Come on, let's find an open spot."

"Ha, no thanks."

"Why not? I thought you said you've always wanted to do this."

"Yeah, I do. But we're not…" she couldn't bring herself to say the next word.

"We're not what? Dating?"

Oh God. Now it sounded even sillier to hear out loud. Well yes, the main reason why people flock to Pont des Arts and throw keys over the bridge was to cement their relationship. Not over a family relationship or even a friendly relationship, but over a romantic relationship. It's true, she and Leo weren't dating, but then again, what kind of relationship did they have? From the looks of it, it had gone way past the friendship line, and yet, hasn't crossed the borders of what could be defined as a romantic one. Leo was more than a friend, he meant more to her now, and while being more than friends has crossed her mind a few times, the thought of actually being with Leo also scared her. For one, he was a ticking time bomb, ready to detonate at any minute.

"Look, April. There are no rules that say we can't make one just because we're not dating. The only rules that do exist are the ones that you create in your head. So what's it going to be?"

How could a simple act of putting a lock on a bridge and throwing a key over it be so complicated? The act itself wasn't so hard to comprehend, so what was it that was stopping her? Was it the meaning behind the act? Was it the purpose, or the intention of it? Of course it was. It always led back to that. If someone were to tell her to grab a lock, place it on a railing and throw the keys afterward, April would have no problem doing that. Easy peasy. But this—this was different. This had a whole other meaning to it.

"Alright, fine. Let's do it," she finally agreed.

"Attagirl."

"You know what? You have a knack for always making me do things that I normally wouldn't do."

"Like what? Breaking the law? I told you, the only rules that exist-"

"-are the ones you create in your head," she finished, her eyes playfully looking up at him.

"You can't tell me you're not having fun, though. Admit it. You like being around me, don't you?"

Yes, yes, and yes. She liked—no, loved—being in Leo's company, more than she would like to admit. She loved the way he made her feel, this liberating feeling that she's never felt before, almost as if she was a bird who'd finally gotten her wings and was ready to fly. She loved the way he challenged her, how he would make her question everything that she once knew, and yet, he would let her make her own decisions without influencing them. But most of all, she loved how thoughtful and endearing he was, not just to her, but to others too. She could see it in the way he treated Rosita, how grateful he was to have her in his life and his in hers. If someone had told her that Leo was capable of all these things after the first time they met, she would probably think they were insane. The Leo Hendrie she met then wasn't capable of that. But she could see it now. His actions speak louder than his words ever will. And she loved him for that.

Instead of gratifying him with an answer, she took a few steps forward as she looked for an open slot.

"This looks good," she said as she gestured for him to come closer.

"Great, let's do this."

"Uh, there's only one problem now."

"What now?"

"We have no lock…and key."

Leo's head moved left to right as he thought of a solution. With such a popular cultural following, he thought that there would at least be some vendors around willing to make some quick cash by selling padlocks, but to his surprise, not a single soul was selling. He moved his gaze back towards April as he found the answer to his problem. It was there all along.

"What's that," he said dryly as his eyes pointed towards her purse.

"Huh?"

Confused, April followed his eyes as she spotted a gold lock latched on to her purse.

"Oh no, no, no. My purse is off-limits."

"Well unless you can make a padlock magically appear in the next five seconds, you're going to have to depart with your dearly beloved."

Before the next few seconds even arrived, April got herself into a staring contest with Leo. Although it was just a purse, it was her favorite bag—which was exactly the reason why she brought it with her to Paris—and no one, not even Leo, could force her to deface such a valuable thing.

"You really want to play this game? You're no match for me, April Carver."

He kept his eyes fixated on April's as he let out a huge grin. He was definitely going to win this. She was no match for him, and he even felt sorry for her for thinking she had a chance. Then, as they continued with their silly little game, he noticed April's eyes change from a stern look into one filled with pity. Not even the puppy dog eyes were enough to break his competitiveness.

As a minute passed, to no avail, April finally gave in.

"Fine, you win."

To separate the lock from the purse, April rummaged inside her bag to look for the matching key. She knew it was stored there somewhere; she never removed it since she bought the purse, a present she gave to herself after landing the job at The Boston Post. As she felt around a few more times, she finally found the key and pulled it out.

"Here," she handed Leo the lock as she finished unlocking it.

"Okay, good. Now all we need is a-"

"There," she said, handing Leo a permanent marker as she interrupted him mid-sentence.

"Wow. Do you come with a house too? You just have everything, don't you?"

"A good reporter never goes without her tools of the trade."

Leo let out a soft chuckle as he penned April's name on the golden lock. While the surface was small to write on, he was able to write her name on it with no problem. April's brows now weaved into confusion.

"Wait, why did you write my name?"

"So you could write mine's," he said, handing her the marker and the metallic lock. "I just want to make sure you know how to spell my name. Extra points if you could also spell my last name."

She scoffed at him as she penned his name directly underneath hers. Then, instead of adding an ampersand in between, she drew a heart and colored in the filling.

"Whoa. April…loves Leo? Never knew you felt that way about me."

"Oh, shut up." She finished coloring in the rest of heart as she marked the date on the opposite side. "We're friends after all. I think the heart is appropriate."

"Oh, so we're friends now? Sorry, I must not have received the memo."

"Is everything always a joke to you?"

She gave him back the lock as she watched him place it around the open grate. Now there was really no way around it, and the meaning of the signed lock said it all: she and Leo were forever intertwined.

"Okay, your turn. Drop that key into the river."

As Leo watched her next move, April looked out into the Seine just before letting go of the key. She placed the key between her hands, bringing it up to her face, as she then closed her eyes and stood in silence. From the looks of it, it seemed that she was making one last wish, just like what people would usually do before they drop a penny into a wishing well. He wondered what it was that she had wished for.

Opening her eyes, April looked out into the river once again, feeling the cool wind brush past her skin. In one swift move, she threw the key over the bridge, her eyes following the trail up until the key disappeared into the water. She then turned around as she saw Leo standing there, looking at little confused.

"You do know this isn't a wishing well, right?"

"I know," she shrugged. "But like you said, there are no rules. So I'm treating it like one."

They started walking back towards the museum. All of a sudden, Leo felt April take his left arm and wrapped it around hers, resting her head on his bicep. He didn't seem to mind her sudden and unexpected public display of affection.

"You learn quickly, young grasshopper. So, what'd you wish for?"

"You don't really think I'm going to tell you that, right? It is a wish after all."

"Alright, fine. Well, whatever it is, I hope it comes true for your sake."

She smiled at him before she gave him an answer.

"I have a feeling that it will."

"Well okay then. I don't know about you, but it's time for lunch. I'm starving."

"Me too. And no protesting, but, it's my treat."

"No need to be a saint, I got it."

"What did I just say? No protesting!"

"Wait, seriously?"

She now looked up at him, her arms still intertwined with his.

"I'm serious, Leo. Let me do this."

"Okay, I won't protest. But be careful April, because a few more of these and I might just think that you're starting to fall for me."

Only half the day has passed and yet the morning has already proven itself to be a roller coaster of emotions. First with the sudden strike of panic after Leo went 'missing', to great admiration as his thoughtfulness shone through with the breakfast and flowers, to jealousy during that disturbing elevator ride, to guilt and shame, and now to joy and happiness. Leo was right, she definitely needed this trip, and it felt even better knowing that he was there with her. Everything seemed to be going well, and for now, April was just going to let the chips fall where they may.

And fall they will.