Chapter 3

Leodore looked himself over in the mirror for a brief moment before heading downstairs. It was Saturday, and he'd texted Dawn to coordinate a pickup time.

He caught his father heading out the door. "Where you going, dad?"

"I need to head in to the office, I just got a call."

Leodore made a face. "But it's Saturday."

"I know, but it's urgent - Terrance told me it couldn't wait." He checked his phone, slipped it into his pocket, and paused to regard his son. "What time are you going to pick up that girl?"

"Twelve-thirty, and her name is Dawn, dad."

Alastair straightened his tie, a light frown plastered over his noble features. "We'll talk about this later, Leodore."

Leodore paused at the mention of his name. His dad never called him that unless he was upset about something. "What, I'm not 'Leo' today?" He couldn't help calling out as his dad headed to the car. "What is it this time, dad?"

Alastair only waved a paw. "We'll talk about it later, son." He shut the car door and started the engine.

Leodore backed into the house and shut the door as well, a little harder than he meant to. Tanya, his mother, walked into the foyer. "Who slammed the door?"

"I did, mom." He turned to her. "Do you know what dad's all upset about?"

Tanya pursed her mouth. "I have an idea…"

He spread his paws out. "Well what is it?"

"I think he might be a little upset about your date with Dawn."

The confusion on his face thickened. "Why would he be upset about that?"

She sighed; this wasn't an easy thing to break to her son. "Leo, your father's a good lion. But you know how he is...sometimes he gets a little fixated on his standards."

"So he doesn't think Dawn is good enough for me?" He tried keeping his temper in check, but it was all he could do not to tear his growing mane right out of his head.

"Your father's always wanted you to do well in life, and…" She faltered, searching for the right words. "Well, that happens to include your choice in who you date, but -"

"That's so stupid! Why should who I date matter at all to him? What does me going out with Dawn have to do with my success?"

"Calm down, Leo. I've had a talk with your father about this." She kept her voice calm, but put on the all-dreaded "I'm the parent, here" look.

Before she could continue, he asked, "Do you have a problem with me dating her?"

"I don't have a problem with it at all. Leo, it's your choice who you decide to take out on dates - not your father's. He's just always hoped that you'd stick to dating girls who are more...well off."

His shoulders sagged. "Mom, I know Dawn isn't from a rich family or anything, but I still don't see why it's bothering dad!"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Leo, like I said, I had a talk with him, but he can be a stubborn guy."

"What am I supposed to do? I don't want dad upset with me, but I'm not gonna back out on my date with Dawn just 'cause dad's got some crazy idea that I can only date rich girls."

"He can't pick your girlfriends for you, but...understand that he just might not be too happy about it." She put a paw on his shoulder. "He may come around eventually. Tell you what - if you really like this girl, why not invite her over for dinner? It'll give him a chance to get to know her and attach some character to her, instead of just focusing on her financial situation."

Leodore mulled this over, a thoughtful frown plastered over his face. Then he nodded. "Yeah, alright. But it's only my first date with this girl - I don't wanna scare her away by introducing her to you guys too fast."

She raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, sweetie."

"I didn't mean it like that." He checked the time on his phone. "K, I have fifteen minutes - might as well go get her."

"Don't worry about your father," she said as he headed out the door. "You just enjoy your time out with this girl!"

"I will mom - thanks!" He hopped into his car and started off.

XXX

It was a beautiful spring day in Zootopia, refreshingly warm with a light breeze. Leodore leaned back in his convertible, enjoying the feel of the fresh air. It wasn't a long drive to Dawn's house, but Saturday afternoon traffic made it feel like ages. When you lived in the heart of the city, even a five minute drive could feel like forever. After turning down a few roads that led away from the hustle and bustle and into the milder neighborhood vicinity, he felt his heart beat fast as he drew nearer to her house.

She'd told him over text that her parents insisted on meeting him before he took her out, and he'd agreed to it. He wasn't aware of how nerve-racking a situation it would be, however, as he pulled up by the curb in front of her house. He was five minutes early, and so took a moment to observe her abode.

She lived in a quaint apartment building in an average-nice neighborhood. It had four windows, two on the upper floor and two on the first. The two on the first floor boasted an array of vibrant daisies, probably planted by Dawn's mother. Their lawn was well-kept and adorned with a few decorations - a rabbit statue here, a lamb figurine there. His nerves settled somewhat at the sight of the sweet-looking home. Surely her parents had to be nice people to dress up a home like this.

'Well, here goes,' he thought, taking a deep breath and opening the door to his car.

He walked down the short path to the front door and rang the bell. A moment later, he was greeted by Dawn's smiling face. "Hi!"

"Hi," he said, admiring her attire. She was wearing a pale lavender blouse and white skirt. She'd even put on a pale gold necklace and a bracelet. He'd never seen her wear jewelry before, and was momentarily stunned. "You look really nice," he stammered.

"Thank you," she smiled shyly, and then stepped aside. "Please, come in!"

He stepped inside, and she closed the door. Before he could think of anything to say, she beckoned him to follow her. "My parents are in the kitchen."

As she led the way, he casually observed the inside of her house, a bit taken aback by how small it was.

Leodore had never known poverty. He grew up in a very well-to-do home, with plenty of spacious rooms, long hallways, huge kitchens, and maids that came and cleaned the house once a week. A few of his close friends, including William, lived in more humble homes, but he'd never been inside a house as small as Dawn's. It was well-lit for being that it only had four windows, and the walls were plastered with pale yellow and blue striped wallpaper. The furniture was humble and scant, their television set small. He wasn't sure what to make of such a huge difference between his world and hers, and was uncomfortably aware of the difference between his house and hers.

"Mom, dad...I'd like you to meet Leodore." Her voice snapped him back to attention.

Mr. and Mrs. Bellwether sat at the kitchen table, Mr. Bellwether with a newspaper in hand, and Mrs. Bellwether looking through a garden magazine.

"Leodore, these are my parents," Dawn introduced them.

Mr. Bellwether got up from his chair and extended his hoof out to Leodore. "So this is the famous Leodore - Dawn's told us a lot about you."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Bellwether." He shook his hoof and smiled politely, then turned to Mrs. Bellwether.

"We're so glad you could stop by," she said, shaking his hand as well. "It's wonderful that Dawn's made a new friend. We're hoping you can encourage her to get out more often," she said with a hopeful smile.

"Mom!" Dawn said under her breath.

"So which restaurant are you two hitting?" Mr. Bellwether asked.

"We were thinking of Paulie's Pantry," Leodore said.

"Good choice - they make great salads."

"Well, we won't take up your afternoon," Mrs. Bellwether said. "We just wanted to say hi, and thank you for taking our daughter out. You two go off and have a great time. It was nice meeting you, Leodore!"

"Nice meeting you too, Mr. and Mrs. Bellwether. Thanks for letting me take her out." He and Dawn waved, and they left after saying their quick goodbyes.

As they made their way to his car, Dawn looked up at him. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Not at all - your parents are really nice." He opened the car door for her, and she hopped in, resting her small purse in her lap.

"Nice car," she marveled, observing the interior.

"Thanks. I had to beg my dad for nearly a month before he'd let me get it!"

"Oh it's a beauty, to be sure."

He started the car. "You ever been to Paulie's?"

She smiled. "Only once."

Paulie's Pantry was a little out of her family's budget. The only time they'd ever gone was for Father's Day one year, when Abigail had come into a little more money than usual cleaning a friend's house. Her friend insisted on paying Abigail a seasonal bonus, and when she refused the first time, she'd slipped it into Abigail's coat without Abigail noticing. She'd saved the money until she felt the right time to use it came along.

Dawn remembered that day. Her father had worked a particularly hard shift, and had been treated none-too-kindly. She'd made him a Father's Day card, had even made him breakfast in bed before he'd headed off to work. While he was gone, her mother asked her if she'd like to surprise her father with an outing to Paulie's Pantry, and that's what they ended up doing that Father's Day evening years ago.

Dawn never forgot the experience, sitting in a restaurant as nice as that one, eating the delicious food, having animals wait on you. It had been a wonderful treat for her father, too, who had soon been distracted from his hard day at work.

Leodore's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Is Paulie's ok? We can go somewhere else if you want?"

"Oh, Paulie's is fine," she looked at him with wide-eyes. "If you're sure it won't be too expensive?" She knew he was well off, but wasn't too comfortable taking advantage of his wealth. She always did find it hard to ask people for things.

"Not at all!" He smiled. "Alright, Paulie's it is! They have this new pizza on the menu I've been wanting to try."

It didn't take them long to reach the restaurant. Parking was a hassle, but soon remedied, and they made their way inside.

"Two please," Leodore told the hippo at the front desk, and they followed him to a booth for two in the corner of the restaurant.

"Oh, sir," Dawn addressed the hippo. "May I ask for a seat, please?"

"Of course, ma'am." The hippo disappeared and then promptly returned with a booster seat.

She thanked him and lifted herself onto the seat. "Much better." She smiled, a little embarrassed at needing the assistance of a booster seat in order to see Leodore over the table.

He sensed her embarrassment, and in an attempt to dispel any discomfort on her part, said, "I'm sure glad they have seats like those. It'd be a waste not to see that pretty face of yours."

She smiled and nervously smoothed out her blouse. "Well that's...that's very kind of you to say, Leodore."

"You can call me Leo. It's what all my friends call me."

"Alright...Leo." She paused. "Um, listen...I want to thank you for inviting me here with you, it's...it's very kind."

He smiled nervously, and rubbed the back of his mane. "Well...truth be told, I've been trying to find the courage to ask you out for some time."

She blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting this. "You have?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I wasn't sure you'd want to go out with me. But I'm sure glad I ended up asking."

Her ears lowered in humble thanks. "Yeah...me too, Leo."

The rest of the day was spent in casual conversation.

Leodore told Dawn about his parents (refraining from telling her about his father's opinion on what kind of girls he dated), about his rough times in junior high. He told her about William, about how he considered the Leopard his only true friend.

"He's a great guy," Leodore mused. "He likes me for who I am - not what I have."

Dawn set her fork down, regarding him with compassion. "That must be tough, Leo."

"It is," he acknowledged. There was a pause before he said, "People think it's so great to be rich, but they don't really know what it's like. Yeah, you can eat whatever you want, and buy just about anything your heart desires, but when it comes to people, and friends…" He shook his head. "I don't know. It just seems like most of the time, all they wanna do is use you."

Dawn looked down at her fork, unsure of what to say. Naturally, she couldn't really relate to his problems, because she didn't come from a family with a ton of money. She hesitated, then ventured, carefully, "I...I hope that some day you can consider me a true friend, Leo."

She wasn't sure why she said it. She still hardly knew this lion, and they'd only spent one day getting to know one another - not even technically a full day. But she felt that he was a good animal, with a good heart, and had compassion on him, even if she couldn't relate to his problems. Maybe she just wanted to offer comforting words...let him know that he wasn't alone in the world.

He looked at her, and smiled. "I already do."

She blinked. "You do?"

"Yeah. I mean I know we just started hanging out, but for some reason I feel like I can tell you things. Things I can't tell anyone else."

She was flattered, but a bit nervous as well. She'd never had a guy say things like this to her before, and it was a little out of her element. "Well, I'm...flattered you feel that way." She returned his smile.

He glanced down, aware that she still wasn't completely at ease yet. He knew that she was the type of girl who probably spent more time at home reading and studying than she did out and about with people. And, maybe her financial situation was partly the cause. She wasn't like him that she could just go out and treat friends to a smoothie, or to pizza. He wondered, too, if maybe she was ashamed of her inability to treat friends whenever she wanted...maybe she avoided going out for that reason.

He shifted a bit uneasily as he searched for something to say. Then an idea struck him. "Hey, when we're done here, do you wanna go to Fountain Square?"

"Sure, that sounds nice."

"Do you ever go there?"

"Sometimes, but not too often." She looked down sheepishly, "I went there to study a few times, but gave that up, because it's too noisy."

He chuckled. Then, feeling like it was safe to ask more personal questions, "Do you ever hang out with anyone?"

"Sure I do. I just don't have a ton of friends...but the few I do have are one in a million."

"They must be, if they're friends of yours."

She regarded him silently, then smiled.

He grew a little uncomfortable under her gaze, and said, "Well, should we head to the square?"

She nodded, and they headed out.

XXX

Fountain Square was only a few blocks away from Paulie's Pantry. It was a popular hangout, especially for high school and college students during weekdays. It was comprised of four fountains at each corner of the square, and in its exact middle was a lovely statue at the center of the main fountain. It was carved in the image of a lion and a stag in ancient garments, both figures holding up a large basin from which the water poured forth.

Children played by the fountain's edge, aiming pennies at the basin above their heads.

"Wanna sit down?" Leodore asked.

"Sure," she said with a smile.

They aimed for a bench partly shaded by a tree, and sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere.

"I forgot how nice this place is. I haven't been here in a while." Dawn smoothed her hooves over her white skirt.

He opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words. He supposed nothing really need be said. Just being with her made him happy.

More than once during their outing, he found himself checking the questions he was asking her. He didn't want to get too personal on their first date, but neither did he want her to think he was disinterested. She was a meek girl, and he was aware of the fact that she wasn't like any girl he'd dated before. Not that he'd dated many. Sure, he was a senior in high school, and had had loads of girls interested in him - and certainly he'd dated some. But he was no Catsanova.

She was different. She had above average smarts, was immensely sweet, adorably quirky. She seemed real, genuine and unpretentious.

And still there was something about her - something he could neither put a finger on nor put into words - that drew him to her.

He glanced at her, admired the way her fleece shone in the sun, the way her lavender blouse matched her pale wool. He'd never seen anything sweeter in his entire life.

Almost without thinking, his paw moved to touch her hoof - but he caught himself and drew it back just as she looked to him.

"It's been a wonderful day, Leo. Thanks so much for asking me out."

He let out a slight breath he didn't even know he'd been holding, and returned her smile. "Thanks for letting me take you out. I've been having a great day, too."

She looked so happy to be there, and turned her gaze back to the fountain, the playing children and passers-by.

His eyes lingered on her for a second, then turned wistfully to her hooves gently clasped together.

Maybe it was too soon to try holding her hand, but he vowed to try next time.