"A romantic evening in a field of flowers or cherry blossom trees." I like the way you think, Galmanous! Set after the events of S3, or perhaps in an alternate timeline...
It was a rare evening when Lion-O could get Leopara completely to himself, with no responsibilities or, worse, unwanted guests to entertain.
But… every once in a blue moon, it happened.
Beside him, Leopara sighed happily. It was a nice evening; a beautiful orange and pink sky with a few wispy clouds. A gentle breeze carried the chill promise of autumn and rustled the field of wildflowers, like waves of myriad colors. Birds still sung at this hour, although softer and more sporadic than midday.
It was beautiful.
Not, Lion-O thought, as beautiful as Leopara.
When they first met, he immediately thought she was pretty. It was like an epiphany, the day he realised just how beautiful he found her to be- and every day since then, she'd just grown even more so.
Especially right now, when she looked so relaxed. Make no mistake, she looked breathtaking in her queenly regalia, but there was something special when she was dressed simpler, like this. When she took out the ornaments from her hair and just gathered it in a loose braid, and traded her intricate gown, with all its tassels and shawls- in favor of a simple blue dress.
This, Lion-O felt, was special because she wasn't projecting an image. He loved their people and he was honored to serve them- but as King, he was expected to project strength and wisdom every waking moment. While Leopara preferred power and grace, she was expected to do the same. If either of them faltered, rumors and speculation spread like wildfire.
But this…
This was just them, just Lion-O and Leopara.
A smile tugged at her lips. "You're feeling nostalgic~" she remarked with a hint of playfulness in her golden eyes.
The way a silly grin plastered itself immediately on his expression the moment she spoke, Lion-O could do nothing about and wouldn't want to, even if he could. She just had that effect on him.
"Yeah~"
Leopara's brow quirked upwards. "What about?" she asked.
"Us." he admitted. Quickly, he reassured her, "It's just nice to have the evening completely to ourselves like this~"
She hummed. "It has been a while…" Leopara smiled at him. "It's nice~"
Returning her smile, he reached out and found her hand easily. She intertwined her fingers with his and lightly swung their arms as they walked. Lion-O gently squeezed her hand.
For a while, they just walked like that, hand-in-hand and making chit-chat. It was a nice way to spend the evening.
Hope you guys like this one! Another short one, but that's what Intermission is for! Short little snippets~ Thanks for the idea ^_^ And there's new artwork on my tumblr! Check it out, this one is seriously gorgeous!