Leon and Zara were on his couch, and she was half asleep with her head against his shoulder. They'd returned to his place together after finishing work at the studio, and it had been a long day of recording. After dinner, they sat on the lounge to kill some time until it was late enough to sleep. Both of them were far too tired to do much else. She vaguely registered the sound of the TV on and Leon's phone getting notifications. He laughed softly, and she made a noise to indicate interest in whatever had made him laugh, cracking her eyes open.

He looked at her with a shade of concern. "Don't freak out."

"Worst way to start a conversation ever." She groaned and sat back up to glare at him.

"I was going to surprise you because Meatball is coming over, but Calli just asked if they can drop him off tonight so they can get errands done on the Friday before they leave and get an earlier start. He also gets excited coming here and won't be so mopey." Leon explained, and Zara blinked as his words settled in her mind.

"I don't expect you to feel comfortable meeting my sister yet, so I just wanted to see what you wanted to do. If you'd prefer not to be here…" Leon trailed off, and she shrugged calmly.

"Nah, it's cool. I'm fine with it. Calli sounds lovely. Thanks for asking, though. You know you're stuck with me, right?" She nudged him with her elbow, digging it into his ribs playfully, making him wince.

"Good. Well, they're going to be here in about 25 minutes." He retorted with a cheeky smirk.

"Shit, I'll tidy myself up then!" Zara panicked and got up, not expecting them to be here so soon.

Zara dashed to his bathroom and redid her hair in a tidy ponytail since she'd thrown it up in a ridiculous messy bun. She then changed into her spare pair of pants and shirt rather than Leon's shirt, which she was currently getting around in. It was half of her outfit for work tomorrow, but it wouldn't be an issue since she wasn't exactly planning to work up a sweat.

While they waited, Zara's calm demeanour disappeared, and she frantically ran around his kitchen, getting out mugs to prepare tea or coffee for Calli and Phoebe while Leon watched in amusement. He poked fun at her for being so casual earlier and then became so panicked. She told him to piss off and flipped him the bird, making him laugh even more.

The apartment door swung open, and Zara melted into a puddle when she saw Meatball, a large mutt with an adorably giant head, short tan fur, and floppy ears. He excitedly bounded over to Leon, who called his name cheerily and knelt down to scratch his head affectionately. Meatball turned to look at her, and she grinned as she held her hand out for him to sniff for approval. Almost immediately, his tongue ran along her knuckles, and she whimpered happily. Dropping to her knees, she was at eye level with him as he lapped up her attention, groaning as she scratched behind his ear in just the right way.

"Oh my god, you are such a handsome boy. Surely, you must get told this all the time. You're so sweet! Can we be best friends?" Zara cooed to Meatball while she patted him and burst out laughing when he tried to sit in her lap, causing her to fall back on her butt.

While this was happening, Zara hadn't noticed that Calli, Phoebe and Leon were watching with smiles on their faces. She was far too busy enjoying Meatball's loving nature. Leon had told her that he was a rescue and that he was affectionate, but he usually took some time to warm up to new people. Zara was overjoyed that he'd liked her instantly and looked over to Leon with a beaming smile.

"Shit, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you both. He's just so sweet!" Zara's humour usually endeared her to most people, and from how Leon talked about Calli, she would greatly appreciate anyone who Meatball liked.

"Do not apologise. We totally understand and would do the same." Calli said, and Phoebe nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm Phoebe, and this is Calli." Phoebe smiled and held out her hand to shake Zara's.

"Zara Hargreaves. Nice to meet you both and this handsome gentleman, of course." Zara shook their hands and then went back to patting Meatball, who sat beside her and started nuzzling her hand so she would continue patting him. "I know we've only just met Meatball, but I would die for you."

Calli put down a duffel bag on the coffee table, and Zara could see that it had dog-related items inside, such as dog food, while laughing melodically at her and Meatball's interactions. Phoebe moved to sit on the couch while Leon made them all a cup of tea in the kitchen, which gave Zara a chance to talk to Calli and Phoebe. The ice was already broken, thanks to Meatball, who plonked himself before her as she sat on the couch and put a paw on her lap to indicate he wanted her attention.

"Oh my goodness, you are so sweet." She scratched him under the chin, which he seemed to enjoy, judging by how he almost appeared to smile.

"I've been replaced, apparently," Leon whined as he brought over two cups and put them in front of Cally and Phoebe. Then, he retrieved the other two for himself and Zara.

"Maybe he's identified me as the soft touch," Zara admitted with a smile, not caring if that was the case since it was true.

"Thank you for letting us drop him off early. It will just mean we can get an earlier start since we've got a two-hour drive, and we can avoid Meatball being mopey when he sees us packing our bags." Phoebe directed her words at Meatball, who didn't even look at her, continuing to lavish Zara's attention.

"He knows that he gets to come here whenever we go anywhere, so I don't know why he gets so depressed. He loves visiting you." Calli rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I distinctly remember that he didn't want to get in the car last time we came to pick him up." Phoebe looked at Calli, who nodded at Meatball with an unimpressed expression, then rolled her eyes at Zara, making her laugh.

Leon's phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket. Zara saw that it was Rhys calling. He raised an eyebrow in confusion and glanced at her.

"Grab it. It's probably important." Calli gave Leon a pointed look, shooing him with her hand.

He answered the call and then stepped into his bedroom to take the call. Zara briefly panicked because she was now alone with Phoebe and Calli. Calli immediately leaned over and grabbed Zara's hand on the armrest, squeezing it tightly.

"Thank you. Just thank you." Calli's voice was low and serious, and Zara blinked at her in surprise.

"What?" Zara said, well aware that she probably looked like an idiot.

Calli didn't break eye contact, but sighed slowly before she spoke.

"Before Leon's accident, he was…fine. Fine, as in he wasn't great, but he wasn't bad. Afterwards, he was a fucking mess, to put it simply. It's not in his nature to be alone, even though he's not overly social. Leon is happy when he's making someone he loves happy, so it tends to chip away at him when he's alone for a long time. Before the accident, I think he was feeling quite lonely so that obviously ratcheted up a thousand times after the coma dream." Calli's voice was full of concern for her younger sibling.

"I noticed when you were video chatting with him once that he barely changed his expression the whole time. I know he's usually a bit stoic, but that was strange. Even for him." Phoebe interjected, and Calli nodded in agreement.

"I did notice, though, after he got back to the studio that something had already started to change once he'd settled in. He's always loved his work, but it was just…different somehow. He would talk about how funny you and Aaron were and the constant banter between you two, and it seemed to be making him feel more lively." Calli explained, still holding onto Zara's hand tightly.

Zara stayed silent and continued nodding to show her engagement with what they were saying. She was too nervous to reply, and it seemed important for Calli to say her piece, so she didn't want to interrupt. Phoebe was quieter, but her expressions matched Calli's. They looked at her with profound appreciation.

"Even his voice sounded different. It was more engaged and animated. He started smiling and laughing more." Phoebe mentioned as she smiled.

"More than before the accident, too." Calli concurred.

"Definitely. He's not the sunshine sibling," Phoebe gestured to Calli, who smirked knowingly.

"No, he's the serious goth sibling." Calli laughed along with Phoebe, and Zara chuckled, too.

"I almost fell off the bed when he called Cal to tell her about what happened at the album release party. We were not expecting that. We didn't even know if you were single or interested in men or relationships at all." Phoebe gestured towards Zara as she spoke.

"Our information was only what Leon told us, and he was too chicken shit to have any. He told us he thought you were interested in becoming an item after you left the party with him. I did cry a little bit, just hearing how happy he sounded while he was telling me." Calli's eyes did become a little glassy, true to her word, and Zara squeezed her hand comfortingly, making Calli smile at her.

"I suppose what my dear wife is trying to say is thank you for making Leon happy. Despite our biased opinion, he's a good catch, and we're so pleased for you both." Phoebe patted Calli's knee and smiled at Zara as she spoke.

Zara nodded again and smiled back at the two women, stunned that this conversation had no clichés along the 'If you hurt him' kind of line. That was what she had expected, so this was a pleasant surprise. It was sweet to hear about these things from an external perspective and know Zara already had their approval, even though they'd only met for the first time. Calli and Phoebe were lovely, just as she'd expected.

"Well, that was not where I expected this conversation to go," Zara admitted out loud, figuring that honesty was the best policy here. Both Phoebe and Calli seemed to have a great sense of humour, from what Leon had told her and their brief interaction thus far.

"I don't think we need to have that kind of conversation. It's not necessary, from the impression that we've gotten." Phoebe offered with a reassuring smile, and Calli beamed at her, too, before finally releasing her hand, almost as if she had just realised how long she'd held it.

Zara felt her cheeks flush, and she smiled happily. "I don't plan on going anywhere, so I appreciate that. Both my closest friends have echoed similar sentiments about me since all of this has happened, funnily enough."

"Yes! I remember that you already knew Aaron from uni, and you're Abi's best friend!" Calli threw her hands up excitedly.

"Talk about six degrees of separation. You met Aaron not long before Leon did, right?" Phoebe asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, if Aaron remembers correctly, it was about three or four months before he met Leon. I dropped out of uni shortly before Leon and Aaron met, but I was already great friends with Aaron and Abi by that point." Zara explained.

With suspiciously good timing, the door to the bedroom opened, and Leon could clearly be heard saying thank you and goodbye to Rhys as he walked back out, then sat down once more. If he knew what had just happened, he did it very well, his expression perfectly composed.

"We were discussing how ridiculously small the world is." Calli actively included Leon in the conversation before she finally sipped her tea, which she'd ignored thus far.

"What did Rhys want?" Zara asked with a curious tone.

"He's referred someone to us. An old bandmate of his. They will likely get in touch next week to book a meeting about recording and production." Leon explained and Zara made an excited face at him.

"I'm very proud of you, little brother." Calli sang melodically, and Phoebe chuckled softly.

"So, are you going to that place you got the voucher for from Mum and Dad?" Leon asked, changing the subject after a pointed glare at his sister.

"Yeah, that's right. It's called the Midas Hotel. It's a two-night stay with all the inclusions." Calli explained excitedly, and Leon nodded in recognition.

"We'll get an earlier start tomorrow, and I have to drop off something at work before we leave the city, too. We'll pack our bags when we get home tonight." Phoebe offered and stood up.

"Meaty will be happier here too." Calli turned to Zara. "We were going to drop him off at the studio since Leon said he wanted to surprise you, but this worked out better anyway." Calli's smile was similar to Leon's, and Zara couldn't help but smile back.

Calli stood up from the couch, too, and Leon quickly looked in the duffel bag to ensure everything was there. While he did that, Calli and Phoebe patted Meatball and said goodbye before they were ready to leave. Leon hugged Phoebe and Calli, and Zara waited with a smile, unsure what to expect until Calli stood before her and put her arms out. Zara's eyes widened in surprise, and she grinned and hugged Calli. Phoebe embraced her and whispered a thank you in her ear.

"Travel safe. Message me when you get there." Leon reached around Zara's shoulders and held Meatball's collar so he wouldn't run after his parents.

"Later, kids. Love you both!" Calli said affectionately as she and Phoebe headed out the front door.

Zara was in shock, and it took Leon's gentle shake and Meatball's licking of her hand for her to snap out of it.

"Are you all right?" Leon asked, looking down at her with a puzzled expression.

"Uh...yeah. I'm just..." She trailed off, not quite sure what he wanted to say.

"Surprised you've been so readily accepted?" Leon offered and stunned her with his pinpoint accuracy. "I knew Calli would love you," he smiled.

"How did you know that?" Zara asked and blinked up at him in question.

"Because she's fierce and stubborn and would never let anyone she didn't deem worthy of me stick around long." He grinned and laughed at Meatball nuzzling into his hand.

"And that means..." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"That you're perfect." Leon stared at her with adoration and veneration.

Zara held his gaze momentarily and smiled as she shook her head bashfully. It was just like him to be profound so abruptly. She was incredibly pleased to hear that she had Calli's approval since it meant a lot to her. Although it was a rather impromptu meeting, it was a relief that it had gone so well.

Leon smiled at her for a long moment before picking up the duffel bag and organising Meatballs' things. Zara kept his attention, patting and cuddling him.

"What did you three talk about?" He asked knowingly, turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

"To be honest, I was kind of expecting the 'If you hurt him, we hurt you' conversation. But they just told me about how happy they were to see you happy. Calli was...great. I like her." Zara added with a smile.

Leon didn't respond but just nodded with that same knowing smile on his face. He got Meatballs' bowls out and filled one with water and the other with dry food from a ziplock bag. Zara snapped out of her trance and looked to see if there was something for Meatball to sleep on.

"He only likes sleeping on the towels packed in there. Never bothered sleeping on beds and always got these out of the laundry basket to sleep on." He explained with a soft laugh.

As soon as Zara pulled the towels out of the bag, Meatball excitedly grabbed one and carried it around, growling and grunting, happily wagging his tail. She laughed at him and laid one of the towels in the living room for him to sleep on.

"We'll pack some stuff to take him to the studio tomorrow. He loves hanging out there, although I always worry it gets too loud for him, but he doesn't seem to mind," Leon said as he scratched under Meatball's chin.

"Let me know what I can do to help." Zara offered instinctively and came to crouch next to Leon to pat Meatball.

"You know, you must let me take care of you sometimes. Right?" He said, nudging her with his elbow to force her to lose her balance.

Leon clambered on top of her as they both laughed and caged her in his arms while Meatball tried to lick their faces and nudge his head between them so he was part of the fun. Zara giggled as Leon kissed her cheeks and forehead affectionately. Meatball flopped down, lying next to them after giving up, trying to get between them and resting his head on his paws. He sighed dramatically, and Leon and Zara cracked up laughing again. Zara grabbed his shirt and kissed him before allowing him to get up. He held a hand out for her to help her.

"I'll take him for a quick walk outside, then we can do whatever you want," he said, grabbing Meatball's lead and giving her a suggestive smirk.

"Okay." Zara chewed her bottom lip and watched him walk out the front door.

For the rest of the night, they snuggled on the couch with their furry guest before heading to bed...