Chapter Eight:
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The flight from New York City to Tokyo was only three-quarters full. Leon had wanted to upgrade them to first class, but after Sora's reaction to the necklace the day before, he thought it best to settle for coach. Sora spent the majority of the trip sleeping with her legs outstretched on the empty seats of their row, her head pillowed in Leon's lap.
Absently, Leon played with Sora's rose-red hair, halfway dozing himself. While they had waited at the airport, he'd started to create a ridiculous poem of apology for Sora. When he did an internet search to figure out the name for the shade of Sora's hair — amaranth, he decided to scrap the project. He couldn't think of anything to rhyme with the word.
They'd not said much to each other that morning, but he still hated himself for his cruel words the night before. What kind of an intolerant jerk brings up a girl's sexual experience, especially if they aren't dating? The answer was — only a stupid one! Earlier during the flight, when Sora asked if she could rest her head on his thigh, he'd breathed a sigh of relief. She'd forgiven him for his cruelty and he hadn't needed to recite a contrite poem. As much as he berated her for being immature and inexperienced, he was the one that seemed eager as a schoolboy to please his crush.
The pilot announced that they would be landing soon. With regret, Leon gently shook Sora's shoulders.
She stirred and stared up at him with her warm, caramel eyes.
"We're landing," Leon murmured.
Sora unwound her body, returning to her upright position in the seat beside him. She snapped her seatbelt in place and then stared straight ahead, watching the airplane's trajectory map display on the seat in front of her. "We'll use the Narita Express and take the rail to Tokyo Station," Sora said. "It takes about an hour, so I'll text my parents and have them meet us there."
Leon nodded. His fate was completely in Sora's hands. He'd never been to Japan, nor knew anything about the transportation system of the country. Growing up in Europe, he'd been spoiled by the European Railway, though he'd heard that the rails in Japan were quite efficient. He'd never met the parents of a woman he was interested in romantically. He closed his eyes to meditate and keep calm. Leon had always done well with competition, so he'd simply consider meeting Sora's parents like a performance.
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OoO
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Sora stepped off the Narita Express with a duffle-bag slung over her shoulder. Leon followed just behind her with their rolling luggage bags and a duffle of his own. She could see her parents, Chikara and Midori standing side-by-side. Her little sister Yume slept in her mother's arms.
Her adoptive father, Chikara, hurried towards her and Leon with long strides. "Sora!" He caught up to Sora and engulfed her in a hug, lifting her from the ground and swinging her in his powerful arms. "Yume has spent the last three days babbling about how excited she is to see you!" He looked past Sora and nodded his head at Leon. "Oswald-san," he greeted coolly, speaking in English the entire while.
Sora smiled, grateful that her father worked hard to not exclude Leon from the conversation.
"Sir," Leon answered. "Thank you for allowing me to stay with your family."
"Any friend of Sora's is welcome," Chikara answered.
Midori woke up Yume and the little girl squirmed eagerly out of her mother's arms. She started toddling towards Sora as fast as her chubby legs would allow.
Sora crouched and wrapped her baby sister into a fierce hug, enjoying the clean scent of Yume's wispy hair. She picked Yume up, her sister's hands clenched the front of Sora's shirt. "Yume, I want you to meet my friend. His name is Leon." Sora watched her partner's pupils dilate. Was he afraid of her little sister? "Leon, this is Yume."
Leon smiled beautifully. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Yume. I hope we can be friends."
Yume smiled shyly and hid her face against Sora's shoulder. "Takai," Yume murmured.
Leon's gaze softened as he met Sora's eyes and her heart flip-flopped at the rare treat of a genuine smile from her cankerous friend. She feared after their blow-up at the hotel, she might never see that side of him. "She doesn't speak English yet," Sora apologized.
"That's more motivation for me to work on my Japanese," Leon answered. "What did she say? Takai?"
Sora smiled. "She called you tall."
Leon chuckled. "She's an observant little one." He gestured towards Sora's bag. "Why don't you let me get that?"
"You have enough to carry, young man," Chikara interjected. He took the bag off Sora's shoulders and placed it around his own.
They weaved through the crowd at the train station until they reached the metro-rail. Forty minutes later, they stood outside the Naegino household. It wasn't a big house, but it was a happy one.
"You'll have my old room," Sora explained, leading Leon down the hall.
"Where will you sleep?" Leon asked.
"I'll roll a bed out onto Yume's floor." Sora didn't mind sharing with her younger sister. She was actually looking forward to it. She planned to read Yume bedtime stories every evening while she was home.
Leon frowned. "I don't like putting you out."
"I'm sure you'll make it up to me when we go to Europe for the showcase," Sora said, flashing him an easy smile. "Then I'll be the one putting you out!"
She opened the door to her old bedroom and gestured for Leon to follow her inside. It was a spartan room with a simple twin sized bed, a white wooden desk in the corner, a shelf above the desk with an assortment of books and a silver furred teddy bear.
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OoO
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Leon set his bags by the side of the bed and watched as Sora snatched the bear and started to hide it in the closet. "You can leave the bear, Sora," Leon said, puzzled by her actions.
"You don't need a child's toy in your room," Sora murmured, her back towards him.
Leon rubbed his palm over his face. He should have known better than to have thought she'd forgotten his hurtful words the night before. He stepped towards her and laid his hand gently upon her shoulder. She stiffened under his touch. "Sora, this is your childhood room. It's acceptable that there are traces of your youth here. I'm honored that you would consider sharing something this precious with me."
Sora turned towards him slowly, and Leon felt like a real wretch when he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes. "This was the last thing my parents gave to me before they died," she whispered.
Leon hugged Sora against him, the bear pressed between their bodies. He knew that Sora had lost her parents when she was young and was raised by these relatives as their own daughter. "Then it's settled, the bear stays." Leon pressed his lips against the crown of Sora's head. "I don't have anything of my parents," he murmured against her. "They died in a house fire. Sophie and I had been away at camp, training for the trapeze when it happened."
Sora wrapped one arm around Leon's waist and hugged him in return. "Let me put the bear back. I'll give you a few minutes to get settled." She stepped out of his reach and replaced the stuffed animal on the shelf. "Dinner won't be ready for another three hours. I was planning to visit my parents' memorial."
"I'll go with you, if you don't mind," Leon said. His gaze strayed towards the small twin sized bed. He already missed the hotel in New York. He might end up sleeping on the floor as well.
They left the house for the market to pick up fresh flowers and incense. Then, they walked about two kilometers to a Buddhist temple. They passed under a tall, wooden, vermillion painted entranceway.
"This is a Shinto gate, called a torii," Sora explained, pointing towards the structure. "Shintoism is the original religion of Japan. Though, for several hundreds of years, a blend of Buddhism and Shintoism have become dominant." She looked up at him, her eyes bright with emotion. "If you would like, I can explain them both to you."
"I would like that," Leon answered. He shifted the tote bag on his shoulder filled with the incense and flowers Sora had bought earlier.
Sora started to enter the shrine, but Leon lingered by the gate. Sora noticed his hesitancy and turned back towards him. She held out her hand. "Come with me, while I pray, please."
Leon took her hand and allowed her to lead him into the shrine. He waited while she clasped her hands in front of her chest and bowed her head to pray. When she was done, she reached for his hand again and led him towards the cemetery. It was a serene place with countless stone markers.
Sora led him to a family grave with a row of kanji chiseled into the stone.
"This is the Naegino family grave," Sora explained. "Almost everyone is cremated. Even the emperor and his wife will be cremated when they pass, forgoing the usual custom of burial. Land is a very precious commodity in Japan."
Leon kneeled beside Sora as she started to light a stick of incense at the grave. Land was also highly coveted in France. One day he would take her to the Paris Catacombs.
Sora began to speak quietly in Japanese, tracing her fingers over the kanji on the stone. She turned towards Leon and smiled at him. "I told my parents about joining Kaleido Stage and about our partnership."
She turned back towards the marker. "The last time I saw them, we saw the Alice in Wonderland circus and they gave me that silver teddy bear." She reached inside the tote bag and retrieved the flowers. She arranged them in the empty vase next to the marker. "The next day, they died in a car accident and Uncle Chikara and Aunt Midori took me into their home."
Leon laid his hand upon Sora's shoulder and squeezed lightly. Sora turned towards Leon, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. He rubbed his hands gently over her back. "I cannot remember their faces," she whispered.
"I think they would be glad to know all you have accomplished," Leon said quietly. "It doesn't matter if you remember what they looked like. You are the accumulation of their love. They live because you live. Remember, that they loved you."
Sora nodded against him and then pulled back, her eyes averted in embarrassment. "Sorry about that. I shouldn't have hugged you like that."
Leon smiled. "I didn't mind, Sora. You are precious to me." He started to panic. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable around him. "You are my precious partner," he added, tugging on her forelock playfully, hoping to dispel any awkwardness.
Sora knocked his hand away and stood abruptly. "We should head back. I don't want to be late for dinner."
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OoO
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Sora hugged her pillow against her chest. Yume was sound asleep on the other side of the room. They had read three books together, before Yume finally nodded off.
Now, if only Sora could follow suit, but sleep eluded her. She shouldn't have hugged Leon at her parents' grave. She shouldn't have brought him at all. He was her partner and friend, not her betrothed.
Dinner had gone well enough. Her adoptive parents kept the conversation light. Leon told them about the autumn exhibition they would participate in. Midori suggested that they visit Yoyogi Park the next day so they could practice.
Sora wanted to ask if they could travel to Kyoto. The Gion Matsuri took place every year during the month of July. They missed the first parade, but there was still time to see the second.
She should be focusing on spending time with Yume and her parents, but what Sora really wanted to do was show off her homeland to Leon. She wanted him to love Japan as much as she did. She smiled, imagining him wearing a traditional yukata, walking hand in hand with her outside the Golden Temple. They would stand over one of the many bridges and watch the koi together.
She turned towards the wall, knowing that Leon was in the next room.
With a frustrated breath, Sora tossed back her covers and ventured into the hallway. She stepped outside onto the porch and sat at the top of the stone steps. She had missed the sounds of summer — the nocturnal birds singing, frogs croaking, and cicada chirping.
She heard him before she saw him.
Leon sat next to Sora on the stone steps. "You're feeling restless too?"
"It's probably jet lag," Sora explained. She didn't want him to think she was restless because of his proximity.
"I know I already apologized for what I said in New York, but I want to do so again, without a door between us." Leon turned towards her, his knee knocked against hers. His silvery hair was loose about his shoulders and the gentle night breeze caused it to flutter beautifully. "I am sorry for saying such cruel things to you, Sora."
"It was true," Sora said, looking away. She stared hard at a spiderweb within the bush lining the porch. She wanted to run away into the house, avoid this conversation, but like the insect trapped within the spider's web, she was trapped by Leon's magnetic presence.
Leon's strong, calloused palm cupped the side of Sora's face and turned her towards him. "I care for you, Sora. I've not cared about anyone, other than myself, since Sophie. I'm blind with jealously when I think about who will be the one to touch you."
Sora jerked out of his hand. She wasn't Leon's sister. She didn't need him protecting her.
"I'll take you to Yoyogi Park tomorrow. We can practice some of our dancing moves for the showcase," Sora said, desperate to change the topic.
"We can message the Beaucamps later, see about new choreography moves," Leon said, his face an emotionless mask.
"And maybe we could practice on silks," Sora suggested. "I was thinking it might be an interesting routine option — dancing, trapeze, and silks."
"Do you know of a studio?"
"No," Sora admitted.
"We can work on silks when we go to France, after our time in Japan," Leon decided. "For now, we'll focus on the dance. We still have three months."
Sora didn't want to think about leaving Japan. "There is a festival in Kyoto. It takes place during the entire month of July. I'd like to take you there next week." She smiled brightly. "There will be a parade!"
"I would be happy to accompany you anywhere, Sora." Leon stood and offered Sora his hand. "Come back inside. We should at least try to get some sleep."
Sora took his hand and smoothly rose to her feet. She tried not to think much of it, but Leon kept a firm hold on her hand as he walked Sora to her bedroom door.
Leon leaned down, his lips brushed near her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "Good night, Sora. I'll see you in the morning."
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