Chapter 29: A Little Off the Beaten Path

The house was in a rare state of quietness.

Serra was off running around with Damian. His parents were spending their time off on a date in town.

Everyone in Uncle Riku's house was busy with one thing or another.

Leo had all the space and silence he needed to do whatever he wanted. But that felt boring today.

After responsibly making sure the house was secure and the alarms were active, he gathered a few things into a small carry around bag and left for the bus stop.

He took it into town, and had only a few passengers accompanying him.

His skills with the harmonica helped soothe a rowdy child, much to the thanks of his parents.

He gave an extra tip to the bus driver. Not like he needed the spare change.

He was dropped off on the outskirts of town. His first thought was to drop by and see how his big sister was doing, but it turned out her shop was closed today.

There was a little note written on the bottom carrying a whimsy that only Alura could've produced.

It was good to see her up and active after recent events. The family had offered her their condolences.

But this made it tough for Leo to decide what to do next.

With a feathery shrug he wandered into town and decided to enjoy the scenery of this simple but lively area.

It was midway into November and the air was mildly damp and autumn was in full bloom. Well, wilt would be more apt.

Kids were straying from their parents to kick the fallen leaves into the sewer grates.

At one point Leo jumped into the street and helped pick a kid up and get them to safety before he was hit.

The parents thanked him, though with the caveat that they worried about him getting hit too.

Leo shook his head and accepted his decision humbly. He then spared a couple bucks for the parents to treat the kid to a candy bar.

After this he carefully crossed a few streets in search for some inspiration on what to do.

Music stores were full of experiences yet untouched but it felt too…expected of him.

His mind itched with a will to do something a little different today to spice up his routine.

A certain blind girl full of life was in his thoughts as he looked around.

But a great reluctance built in his head like fog veiling boats on the early morning shore.

Obviously, rejecting bold options like tattoo parlors and video game stores was as easy as whistling a mid 2040s tune.

But surely there'd be no harm in venturing into a new clothes store and style out his wardrobe a bit.

He's always walked around with some shade of red on his person. Maybe now it was time to see what…orange would feel like.

"Orange and…blue?" He looked at himself with those colors and shook his head with a chuckle at his expense, "I'd look like a Home Depot employee."

There were brand shirts too, but very few for the kind of music he liked.

The more he tried to rationalize not going, the easier it was to…not go.

So he'd wander off to another district and take a moment to sit on a bench, rest his legs, and play his harmonica for the benefit of himself and a few passersby.

And as it always happens, he's mistaken for someone down on his luck and offered dollars, but he rejects the gesture.

And right now, encountering this makes him look at his hair and think, "Maybe a new haircut is in order."

But nothing felt right. This style was him. His whole heart was in agreement not to budge here.

It wasn't too stressful thinking about change because it was balanced by the life of the city, the social interactions always fun to take in from a distance.

There were a few people with mean spirits and a few people legitimately struggling to make it by.

There were people laughing as they walked together on the streets, living vicariously in their tiny bubbles.

And that was something he knew he wanted to change. He's never been opposed to having friends, but he's never kept any outside of his family save for Damian.

But he is working on that, little by little. Even if one of them sort of forced their way into the role.

He picked up his feet and upon checking his bag, realized he forgot to bring a drink.

So that was priority one. He made his way across the street and looked around. Just around the corner, beside a building under construction, was a place called "Coal and Chars: Deli and Drinks".

Judging by the name it probably served coffee, but maybe they'd have juice as well. He had seen this place a few times over the last few years. It always seemed busy.

Indeed, he went inside just to hit a the road with a large line leading up to the counter.

One man in his early forties with a small fluffy light brown beard and mullet hair ran the counter. Wearing a perfectly fit barista apron made to evoke firefighter overalls, he used a defunct grill as the countertop and a refurbished fire hydrant as a coffee dispenser.

The white walls had a bit of charcoal burnt into it and there were firepoles going into the ceiling that slid trays down with people's food orders.

Leo pulled up a menu on his phone to make sure he was ready once he got to the counter.

He wasn't very hungry, so he decided on a light vegetable bagel with ham and onions. For the drink, he had to think about it much longer…

They served an incredibly diverse selection of coffees. He was getting to that age where it was socially accepted that he would try drinking it.

Despite loving the roasted, earthy aroma he never thought he'd like it…

In a snap decision though, overwriting the incoming fog, he closed the phone and told himself, "I'll try a coffee."

And just like that, he was up front with the tough but kind looking man. His tag said his name was "Anthony".

"Haven't seen you here before. Need any recommendations?" He said, with a hint of Scottish in his tone.

Leo lightly shook his head, "One vegetable bagel with ham and a hazelnut coffee is all I need."

Anthony smiled and flicked a finger up from his arms, "You look like a coffee novice. I'll make it light so you don't get turned off."

Leo smiled back, "I would appreciate that."

The man typed in the order for the people up top to handle, pausing for a quick assurance on something, "For here or to go?"

"For here."

"You got it. I'll have you pay once the coffee is done." He then stepped aside to work his special coffee machine by hand.

Leo got his card out and turned to check for any free seats.

And a few tables away there was no mistaking that lovely blue curly hair of Lyra's sitting down with a few notebooks out, and presumably an audio book in her ears.

She had discarded the vest for a jacket and put on a black shirt with a deep crimson upside down cross surrounded by flying bats.

With a welcoming smile he figured to try and be friendly, "Afternoon, Lyra."

Her concentration stirred away from her books and then turned to the counter, "Leo? What are you doing here?"

Leo was a little timid telling her, "I thought I'd try something new."

She turned and lightly clapped her hands, furthering his feelings of timidness.

"Are you in a rush? Come on! I got a free seat." She said, trying to pat the chair at her side.

Leo wondered, "If I'm not inconveniencing your studies-"

"You're not." She said, a little pushy but in her polite way.

"I just need to finish paying." Leo then turned on the smell of coffee getting closer and slid his card across the counter.

Only for Anthony's hand to come down like a stone. His expression retained that powerful customer helping vibe, but his smile was straining his cheeks.

"We got straws if you need one. And plenty of free seats open on the right side of the store."

Leo hadn't experienced an aura spike like this in forever. It was like he was growing a lion's mane.

Only one thing had changed between then and now, and now that he was caught in the den he REALLY didn't want to jump to conclusions but…

"You must be Ly-"

"Dad," Lyra spoke up quicker than expected, being a little disappointed in him, "I told you about Leo already. "

Anthony turned to Leo, squinted, and then took all but two fingers off, gliding them along his finger bones until he took the card away.

He then pointed at his eyes and back at Leo, silently finishing the transaction so he could give him his coffee and the order number for the bagel.

Then he ended on a slow, warning farewell, "Be very, very careful out there, son."

Leo's hand was shaking carrying the coffee over to Lyra's table, only finding the relief to breathe when he sat down.

"Sorry about that," Lyra apologized, "He probably thought you were Mr. Quarterback?"

Leo was still a little frazzled enough that his manners slipped him a bit, "Bang? But I'm not black."

Lyra's eyes remained stunned for a little while, "Bang is black?"

Leo nodded, and Lyra took a deep breath and looked nervous, "Oooooh, boy…then I think I committed a hate crime when I hit him before."

"You didn't know. It's fine," Leo then cautiously turned his head back to see Anthony make occasional check ups while serving his customers, "Say, is your dad-"

"Racist? No way." Lyra said, taking offense.

Leo paused and let them get a much needed breather to get their moods back to normal, "I was going to say overprotective."

"Naaah, he's just the right amount of protective." Lyra said with a smile.

Her tone was true enough to her judge of character. But it was a poor defense against her dad staring daggers into the back of Leo's neck.

"Ahem…" He coughed nervously, "I wouldn't have expected this place to be THIS popular."

"Dad earned a lot of goodwill during his time as a firefighter. Turns out he's as good at making things hot as he is keeping them from getting hot."

Leo looked at his coffee and gave it a short lift in her direction, "Speaking of hot."

Lyra playfully remarked, "Aw, thank you."

Leo notably did not try to correct her, and blushed.

She then giggled and told him, "You got hazelnut? Good choice. I like getting pumpkin spice lattes around this time of year."

"It'll be my first time trying coffee." Leo pointed out, nervously holding the cup to his lips.

"Well I'll stop slowing you down. Today's a momentous occasion." She said, gesturing the back of her s at at him.

He took a sip without a pause and immediately put the cup down to let the flavor settle in.

"Hmmm…"

"You don't sound impressed." Lyra pointed out.

"It's…not a bad flavor. Like having toast with peanut butter, but in liquid form. And there's a hint of smokiness too. I wouldn't mind drinking this again, if offered." Leo ended that on a dull shrug, and Lyra smiled.

"See, now was that so bad?" She said in a polite but partially teasing tone.

Leo looked at her for a moment and then heard the number clock announce his order. So he headed over to grab his tray and then sat back down. The bagel was lightly toasted and they chose alfalfa sprouts, cucumber and lettuce to go inside, along with a thin layer of cream cheese.

While slowly chipping away at his order, he continued his delightful conversation with Lyra on a question, "So are you always here outside of school?"

"Only on weekends, when it's busiest," Lyra picked up her pen and pointed it around the building, "You get to meet a lot of people here. I've had a lot of fun conversations."

"I can tell this is a sort of…social nexus," Leo remarked happily, "What about the rest of the week?"

"High schoolers are the biggest demographic, so it's quiet on the other days."

"I see…Your dad seems to have something good going on here."

"He got used to this really fast. I wish he remained a firefighter though," She sighed and then dropped the pen, folding her hands over her notebook, "But enough about my issues. Soooo, now that you've tried coffee, what's next Mr. Brave Leo? Going to put on shorts in the fall?"

Leo chuckled, "I appreciate that you want me to try new things, Lyra, but what's wrong with having a routine? Being comfortable with your likes and dislikes is a sign of maturity."

"True," She nodded, "But how DO you know everything you like and dislike? We're only 16, and I haven't left this city, let alone the state. Have you?"

Leo thought back for a moment, and had fond memories of trips with his mom and sister to watch their dad go racing early on in his career, "A little bit."

"But you get my point, yeah?" She insisted.

Leo nodded, "I just think I know myself well enough already."

She closed her eyes partly and put her hands up against her cheeks, "Uh huh. Speaking of which…You know, you've been managing to dodge my rock music recommendations for a few weeks now. And I'm not going to let this rare moment of you trying new things pass me by."

As she was starting to take her earbuds out, Leo held his hand up and whispered, "I think if your dad caught this, he'd do something about it."

"...Maybe. But doesn't that make your heart go 'thump thump'?"

Leo paused for a few moments, closed his eyes, and gently kept her hands from advancing by guiding them to the table, "You're my friend, Lyra, and I don't want to ruin this by giving a bad first impression to your dad."

Lyra sighed, "You're so kind, Leo. But I got punk in my blood, so I'll keep trying as many times as it takes."

For now, she accepted defeat with a slight pout.

After putting the earbuds back in she stopped and stared at him for a while, holding her hand near her hair, "Oh yeah…"

She gently pulled her hair back and revealed an ear piercing with a small diamond on it, "Like it? I also tried something new recently."

Leo's heart rate beat a little louder and she perked up with a smile, "Aha! That made your heart go 'thump thump'!"

She pinched the piercing and it came off, "It's just a clip on. Sorry if I got your expectations up."

Leo closed his eyes and murmured, "Well, I learned something new about myself today…"

After she put it back on she remarked, "So earrings are ok? What about tattoos?"

Leo opened his eyes with a synchronous raise of his brow, "I respect the art that goes behind it, but I think you're just damaging your body in the long term."

"...Huh," She said, a little sour in tone, "...I'll keep that in mind."

Now he wanted to know what she meant by that.

After he finished his bagel he wasn't compelled to really leave the place anytime soon, but didn't find the courage to ask her more.

Instead, she started the conversation anew by saying to him, "Just a few more weeks until winter break. Got any plans?"

"Not yet. You?"

"Hmmm, me and dad are probably going to visit the grandparents, marathon some old Christmas movies, and try to do rock covers of old Christmas jingles," Lyra raised her finger briefly, "Oh yeah! And gorge on candy canes, can't forget that!"

"Sounds like fun. A shame we won't get to hang out as much for a month."

"Well why don't we exchange numbers?" Lyra blushed, "I…really should've asked you sooner."

"Oh yeah, we could." Leo pulled out his phone and she slid hers over.

"Once you register yours, all I have to do is say your name and it'll dial it for me. Technology is SO handy."

Leo waited until her dad was looking elsewhere to put their numbers in. Fortunately he seemed to be preoccupied talking with an off-duty officer in a beige trench coat.

As he handed the phone back to Lyra, she seemed to be focusing on the sound of her dad talking with this guy.

Curious, Leo closed his eyes and used his aura to make the sound bounce his way.

"I can't tell you much. But I've come across a new lead." Said the man in the coat.

"You always say that, Mark." Anthony replied, more annoyed than excited.

"No. This time's for real."

"Mark, buddy, you see what I've built here?" Anthony murmured, a hint of sympathy in his voice, "Don't dangle hope in front of me. Stop investigating. Retire. I can hire you here. Our daughters can hang out again."

Mark replied, "I…can't. This is bigger than us now."

"No Mark, it's always only been about your pain…" Anthony immediately doubled down on that remark by murmuring, "...Maybe you shouldn't even come here anymore."

Nevertheless, for now, Anthony treated this man like a customer and fulfilled his order for a coffee.

Leo now felt like he had been snooping around where he shouldn't have.

But he wanted to ask Lyra one thing. An innocent enough question at that, "Do you know the man talking with your dad?"

Lyra nodded, seeming to hold no grievances to whom she spoke about, "Yep. He's my old friend's father, and a police officer here in town."

Said man walked in their general direction, and stopped by their table. Sounding exhausted and friendly, he said, "...Hey Lyra. You seem to be doing well."

"Good afternoon, Mark. Still on the wrong side of the law?" Lyra said in a slightly biting tone.

Mark rubbed the back of his head and mumbled, "Honestly…I'm not sure these days. But I swear to you, I am getting close to getting peace for your mom."

"Well you keep at it, I guess. If you find the time to go home, could you tell Violet I'm doing super?"

Mark nodded, "I'll do that. Take care."

He then only now seemed to notice Leo's presence and stumbled back in embarrassment, "O-Oh, I didn't know you were on a date."

"We're just friends from school." The two said in sync.

"My bad." Mark then left the shop with his coffee.

Leo blinked a few times and then turned to Lyra, who sounded very disappointed, "Nothing gets through to him. He's obsessed with his work."

"In fact, my dad said it's gotten so bad that his partner checks up on his daughter more than him."

Leo remarked, "He's trying to solve the incident that took your eyesight?"

"It's also where Violet's mom died. I didn't mention this before, but the reason we don't hang out anymore is because my dad wants nothing to do with that day."

Leo remarked, "But your dad's are still friendly, just as long as the case doesn't come up? Sounds like a rough deal."

"Aaaand, a good reason why I don't want to grow up too fast."

Leo then asked, "Do you want to talk about something else?"

Lyra nodded, "Yeah. Actually, how about we get out of here and do something else?"

Before Leo questioned the viability of that, Lyra was gathering up her things and trying to put them into her bag, all while raising her voice, "Hey dad! Leo and I are heading into town."

He turned towards them and said, "Hold on Lyra, I should at least learn about this guy for two months before approving."

Lyra got out her cane, put the bag on the table, and laid a hand on Leo's shoulder, "I have known him for two months. He's fine."

Her tone then got playful, "He got the shakes just from seeing my earring."

"...Stay within half a mile. And make sure-"

"I got my pepper spray. Dad…" She was starting to get firm with him, but he put his hands up part way in defeat.

Leo then got up and handed Lyra's bag over to him, telling him calmly, "I'll keep her safe."

"Heh…" Anthony scoffed.

After the two had left, Leo held his arm out for her to hold on to, wondering aloud, "Where do you want to go?"

"I'd be ok with walking for a bit…?" She said, poking at him to decide for her.

"Ok." He said calmly, and he helped guide her along the sidewalks while she restarted their conversation from a familiar topic.

"Leo, sometimes I think you hate it when I try and make you try new things out." She said with some mild concern.

"I've never thought that…though, I wish you understood where I'm coming from just a little. A routine is comfortable, easy to maintain, and when you know what you like it's easier to leverage your expectations."

Lyra bobbed her head, "I get it. I do. But on the other hand, what if you get bored out of the blue? Then you've got nothing to fall back on."

"...Hmmm…" Leo didn't have an answer to that.

"Maaaaaybe I've been too pushy trying to convert you to rock and roll." Lyra admitted with a lofty sigh.

"I have NEVER thought that." Leo repeated.

Lyra tried looking at him with a hint of a glare, "Leo, I know you're just being polite, but I don't need anyone to put kid gloves on around me."

To think that someone could be bothered by receiving too much politeness. But there was genuine praise for Leo to add to his remark, "Honestly, I think it's wonderful how hard you want to get someone to try out new experiences."

Lyra blushed a little and turned the other way, closing her eyes and breathing out gently, "Well thank you…"

"..." Feeling a little bit like the guilty party in this conversation, Leo reached out and said, "Earlier, I was debating about updating my wardrobe. I'm usually wearing something red and blue with a hint of musical flair wherever I go."

She tugged his arm a little closer to her chest and remarked, "Yeah, you're always wearing a jacket too. Maybe that oughta be the first change you make?"

Leo quietly pointed out, "I have to stick to a budget. How about…just a shirt?"

"Ok, deal! There's a nice clothing store just conveniently in dad's perimeter. You describe the shirts to me, and I'll tell you if they'd be a good fit."

Now that they were in agreement, it was just a couple blocks walk for them to reach the clothing store, which was divided into multiple floors.

She knew these streets like the back of her hand.

Upon entering, Leo got a little stage fright because there were so many clothes across multiple racks and shelves, and the customers primarily consisted of other girls and women with a few men sprinkled in-between.

He took a deep breath, and braved the plunge into new territory with Lyra at his side.

As they got near the men's clothing section, however, he barely made out a tough and familiar voice calling out to another person, "C'mon, Moons! Go for something a little more…bold and festive this time!"

Lyra was the one to comment though, "Oh hey I recognize that voice. It's Samantha."

Leo's eyes flicked wide open for a moment, "You know her?"

"Yeah, she comes around for a coffee every now and then. She's a real sweetheart, despite her crass tongue."

"'Sweetheart'...that's a new one." Leo murmured.

Lyra turned to him and blinked twice, "Wait, do YOU know her?"

"She's a long-time friend of the family. In fact…" Leo looked up and saw both her and Lunis were hanging around, "My aunt's with her."

"Want to say 'Hi'?" Lyra wondered.

"Sure." In his mind, it was a good excuse to stall on checking out clothes for a bit. Little did he know the trouble he'd soon invite upon himself…

He brought her over and started off with an easy greeting, "Hello, Aunt Lunis. Samantha."

The two stopped whatever conversation they were having, with Samantha putting a spicy looking dress back onto the shelves.

"Well howdy, Music Meister! And look who's got their squeeze on you, heh heh," Samantha then nudged Lunis in the hip, "I told you about that former firefighter who opened shop downtown, yeah?"

Lunis fanned her hand in front of her mouth, "Oh! You must be his daughter, Lyra. Pleased to meet you! My name is Lunis."

She reached out to take Lyra's hand and shake it, with Lyra's face blushing, "Oh wow…you're very tall."

Lunis retracted her hand with a gentle sigh, "Haaa, why is that always the first topic people jump to, heh heh heh…The world record for the tallest girl is over eight feet, if anything I'm short!"

"Bah, don't be humble, moons," Samantha said before crossing her arms and cracking a smirk at the two kids, "So lemme guess, Leo, she roped you into clothes shopping?"

"Actually…" Lyra said with a bit of pride in her voice as she patted Leo on the arm, "We're here to get something for him!"

"No shit? Did I miss the Doomsday Clock announcement or something?" After cracking that joke, Samantha had a laugh and then said calmly, "We're here doing some shopping ourselves. We're gonna take our husbands out for our yearly double date."

"And leave it to Sam to try and make me go bolder with every date." Lunis said in a carefree manner.

"Riku'll love you in anything, so why not try and push the boundaries a little?" Samantha retorted.

Lunis turned to Leo and threw her hands up while mouthing "No thank you" quietly.

"Haaa…" Samantha then turned her sights to Leo and suddenly, his danger senses as an Aurian were tingling as she grinned, "Alright. How about we take a break and help you pick out some clothing?"

Leo shook his head, "Oh that's alright. Lyra's already offered her-"

Lyra started tugging at his jacket, "Hang on, Leo. I know I agreed to your terms, but maybe it'll be a little easier if we have two working pairs of eyes helping us out?"

Leo looked at her and mentioned, "I don't want to inconvenience them."

Samantha patted him on the shoulder and held him in place, "Not like we're sitting on a full schedule here, buddy. We'd be glad to help."

Leo was now trapped in a cage between the beautiful, the bold, and the brave, all of them capable of doing whatever it took to keep him stuck in this building until he decided upon a new shirt.

With a deep and terrible sigh, Leo accepted his fate and just had one request, "Promise you'll go easy on me, ok?"

Lyra and Samantha smiled at each other, while Lunis wagged a finger at the side of her face and chuckled dryly.

It didn't take very long for them to drag him back over to the men's clothing section and Samantha to start flicking through the shirt rack.

"You still a medium, buddy?" She asked.

Lyra playfully squeezed his arm, "Feels that way!"

Leo blushed and said, "She's right."

Samantha nodded, "Alright, we're gonna avoid anything red or blue. Lyra, got any suggestions?"

"Hmmm…it should be something with long sleeves since Winter's coming up."

Samantha then snapped back to Lunis standing around bobbing her body back and forth, "Moons! Your turn!"

Lunis laid an arm under her chest and tapped her cheek with the other hand, "Hmmm, I bet something with an album cover on it would be perfect!"

Samantha hung her jaw and remarked, "Naaaah, we're trying to AVOID being perfect."

Lyra interjected, "Maybe aim for…75% perfect?"

Lunis blinked a few times and then went back to tapping her cheek, "How about…something with a pattern on it? You know, like the shirts Zelene wears when she does art?"

Samantha nodded along, "Yeah, yeah. Unique enough to stand out! There should be plenty of those shirts here."

She laser focused on sliding shirts away to find him the right one, with Leo starting to realize, "I think I lost input on this the moment I stepped foot inside."

With a shrug, he decided to just let this run its course. It was only one shirt after all.

Then Lyra spoke up quietly, "Got something to say, Leo?"

"Nothing comes to mind." Leo remarked.

"Hmmm…" Lyra let go of him and used her cane to walk over to Samantha, "Don't go running off now."

Leo wondered if he had messed up somehow.

"Everything alright, Leo?" Lunis said, her soft voice the balance he needed among these free spirited women.

He turned to her and wondered, "These last few months have been a major learning experience. It's starting to stress me out a bit."

Lunis smiled, "Well, I think it's really sweet what you're doing for her."

Leo gave her a blank look, "What I'm doing?"

"This is probably the first time she's gotten to go out in town with a friend in years."

"...I hadn't considered that," Leo said, feeling a little shame towards himself, "Between this, and not playing the right music for her, I wonder if I HAVE gotten too used to my routine and lost touch with my heart…"

Lunis shook her head, her smile as saintly as her silver hair, "That's not true. You're having to get used to something different. Mistakes are bound to happen. But you'll adapt."

She raised her fist and tried to smile with some fire in her eyes, "You've got my support, Leo!"

Short but poignant, her pep talk was a demonstration of her years of accumulated wisdom, and with an appreciative bow Leo said, "No wonder Lunalei turned out so smart."

Lunis scratched the side of her face and her cheeks turned pink, "Awww, I had very little to do with THAT."

He turned around, and walked back over by Lyra's side, willing to put a little more engagement into this trip of theirs, "How about something…purple?"

Lyra turned towards him and wondered, "Combining your favorite colors?"

Leo nodded, "That…and I'm starting to really like purple as of late."

Lyra's eyes slowly widened with a blush on her face as she stroked the side of her hair.

Samantha smiled and then kept going through the shirts, "Long sleeve, patterned, purple…"

"Hmmm, ain't seein' one of those on this rack. Let's try another."

It took a few goes, but eventually, Samantha plucked something off that fit the bill. The pattern of choice simply consisted of three dimensional cubes emerging from a pin-shaped void at the center of the shirt.

"What do you think, Leo?"

Leo took the shirt into his hands and upon further examination, noticed that it came with a pocket perfect for his music player.

He closed his eyes and accepted this new change with a smile, "I think it's just the change I need."

Samantha had to get some more opinions, "Moons, do you approve?"

Lunis gave a firm thumbs-up.

"Lyra?" Samantha added.

Lyra went and copped a feel of the shirt for herself, "The material's different, and Leo seems to genuinely like it. I got no complaints!"

Samantha crossed her arms and had a beaming smile, "Then my work here's done. I'll leave ya two lovebirds alone then. Tell your dad I said hi, Lyra."

She then marched on over to Lunis and grabbed her by the arm, "As for YOU, now you're gonna take my clothing suggestions to heart!"

Lunis went along with her while having a gentle laugh at what she was being dragged into, "I was hoping you'd forget about this."

"Heh heh, no way, sister!" Samantha declared.

Before she was gone, Lunis whispered, "Good luck" to Leo.

The two then went to the cashier, and a few minutes later left with Leo holding his new shirt in a paper bag. A light rain had started to fall, but Leo brought an umbrella with him…just to be safe.

"Anywhere else you want to go?" He asked.

"Hmmm, I'm good for today. Did you walk to town, Leo? Then you probably should get home before the rain kicks in. Wouldn't want your new shirt to spoil."

"Alright." He said, patiently taking her back to her dad's work, and only letting her go once she was close enough to the door.

She stopped before opening it and put both her hands atop her cane, bowing her head slightly with a smile, "I had a great time today, Leo. Sorry for being so pushy."

"Lyra…" Leo reached out to put her hand on top of hers and looked her straight in the eyes, and for a moment it felt like she could actually see how firm but gentle his smile was, as her gaze froze with curiosity.

"I have never thought that about you. And I'm not saying that to make you happy."

"If we can keep having as much fun as we did today getting me to try out new things, then I want you to keep pushing me."

"..." Lyra blushed, and closed her eyes, "Keep being this smooth, Leo, and next time it really will be a date."

"...Huh?" Leo was taken aback, but before he could question her she smiled and opened the door.

"I'll see you back at school. Take care, alright?" The door shut behind her, his chance was lost.

But he smiled with admiration at her free-spirit, untethered from the pain of her past.

And with lighter feet, he would march back home with that smile still on him, happy to know she'll be in his life another day.

Next Time: No Longer the Hero