Reunion of the (used-to-be) Partners

Leo: It's okay, I'm not that sleep deprived that I'll die from it, Luci.

He patted Luci's back, trying to comfort the poor girl.

Leo: Now let's go home, and how about a change of subject. You didn't come all this way to just talk about dying.

Luci shook her head, dropping her arms from around Leo. She wiped her cheeks dry of tears and looked back up at him. 

"S-sorry...I just worry about you." She shrugged, glancing at the floor.

Leo patted her head, then knelt down next to her.

Leo: Thanks for worrying. Some times, it's not about actually helping, it's that you want to.

He took off his sweater, and put it around her.

Leo: Maybe we should take a detour and get something to eat. I'm not much of a cook at home, still.

Luci shivered, realizing for the first time how cold she was. She held onto the sweater, pulling it tighter to keep her warm. She sniffed, blinking away fresh tears. Even though she'd been gone for a year, she was still a bit of a crybaby. 

"O-okay." She mumbled, teeth chattering.

Leo adjusted his scarf, being a bit cold. He lifted Luci up, and threw her over her back to give her a piggy back ride.

Leo: Well, Luci, this is your home coming party. Where shall we go to eat?

Luci squealed in surprise when Leo picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She giggled and held onto him, resting her head on his shoulder, yawning. 

"I don't know" she mumbled, "I haven't been here in a while, I may have forgotten all the places to eat."

Leo: Well, think of a food you want, I'll find it for you. Of course, we'll make it quick since you sound a bit tired, Luci. Now, what kind of food would you like to eat?

Luci paused, chewing on her lip as she thought silently. It had been awhile since she'd been allowed to choose what she wanted to eat. Skyler had always been cooking something up in Europe, Luci would walk in on delicious smells, or sometimes not-so-delicious smells. And when she'd arrived back home, well, she hadn't had much choice either. It was usually go to bed hungry or whatever she could find in the trash as she didn't have any money on her. 

"Um...I could go for some pasta..." She muttered, blinking tiredly. Skyler's Italian pasta had been her favorite since they moved in together.

Leo: Alright, I know what to do.

He started down the road, pulling out a cellphone. He turned on the phone, then started dialing a number into it.

Leo: Now, I'm going to order it so that when we get home, we don't have to wait as long. So, what kind of pasta do you wish to have, then?

Luci smiled wide, grateful for her amazing friend. 

"Um....do you like mac & cheese?" She asked him softly, not wanting him to order something that he wouldn't like.

Leo laughed, then patted Luci with the back of his hand.

Leo: I'm going to order Ravioli, Luci. Don't worry, it's your food that you need, not mine. Now come on, Luci, what are you having, because I'm not sharing mine.

"Oh." Luci giggled, her cheeks flushing red. She felt silly now, of course he wouldn't be sharing with her. What was she thinking? "Um well then I'd like mac & cheese with Parmesan, if that's all right." She smiled loosely, letting her hair fall in her face and hide her blush.

Leo: Alright then.

He ordered the food at the shop, then put his phone away.

Leo: It's nothing personal, Sky. It's just that I need all of the energy that I can get. If you wanted to have one a Disney moment where we share a meal together and kiss, I'm sorry to disappoint. But, Sky will probably have my head first before I even think of that.

Luci's mouth formed an 'o' in surprise at what Leo had said. What? Disney moment? Kissing? The thought hadn't even occurred to her. Well, that and she'd never actually seen a Disney movie. 

"W-well I didn't mean that!" She said quickly, again feeling heat rush to her cheeks, "I-I just assumed that....I don't know...but I didn't even think..of..that.." Her voice trailed off quietly, embarrassment filling her from head to toe.

Leo: You just meant that you wanted to share. I know, I'm just teasing you, Luci. Now, the pack mule will carry you back home before you nod off.

He patted her head, then continued walking until they reached home.

Leo: I'm sorry if I am teasing you a bit, I am really glad you are here, Luci.

Luci smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. Her heavy eyelids slowly fluttered closed, and she was soon sound asleep. It wasn't till they arrived home until that she woke up at the sound of Leo's words. A small grin touched her lips, pulling it up at the corners. 

"Thanks, Leo. I'm glad to be back." She blinked, lifting her head up.

Leo patted her head, then opened the door to his home. He walked inside and headed over to the couch, then sat her down. The house seemed to be neater then before, but the organization is still not the best, with papers laying about.

Leo: Alright, welcome home, Luci.

Luci yawned and stretched upon being set on the couch. She peeled open her eyes and looked around. It seemed neater than she remembered, but otherwise it seemed the same. Especially the shotty organization, that she remembered. 

"Thank you, Leo." She mumbled, followed by another yawn.

Leo: Your welcome, Luci. Why don't you take a nap for now, I'll wake you up when the food arrives.

He sat down next to her, leaning backwards on the couch, relaxing.

"Okay." She said, though it ended with a yawn. She really was very tired. She actually hadn't been getting as much sleep as usual lately, mostly due to jetlag, but all those hours of staying up were finally catching up with her, and she was okay with that. Maybe she'd actually be able to sleep this time. She nodded and closed her eyes, curling up on the couch with her head resting on the arm and her toes just a little ways away from where Leo sat. It wasn't long till she was fast asleep. She didn't dream as she normally did. This was peaceful, whereas she was normally terrified of someone attacking her in her sleep, here she felt safe.

Leo grabbed a book, and cracked it open to read. In the manner of ten minutes, the food was delivered. He thought about waking Luci, but decided not to, and ate his food happily. If he couldn't sleep, then why should he prevent Luci from sleeping.

Luci, who was normally a very light sleeper, and who had nightmares a lot, slept soundly. She didn't move around or twitch, which she also did often. Her eyelids held softly above her eyes, and her lashes gently brushed against her cheeks. Her shoulders were relaxed and she was even snoring quietly, with not a care in the world. 

A little bit after the food arrived, the little girl awoke. She blinked her eyes open slowly, and rubbed them with the palm of her hand. Little stars exploded in her eyes, and she smiled a small smile at the light show behind her lids. She yawned, stretched, and looked around. 

"You said you would wake me when the food arrived." She complained lightly, moving around into a sitting position.

Leo looked over at her, giving her a small grin.

Leo: I didn't want to awake you from your slumber, Luci. You just looked so peaceful, that I thought you deserved a bit more sleep then that. Your food is still relatively warm, so you should still have a nice meal.

Luci blinked, rubbing one eye with her fist again. She yawned once more, before reaching over to pick up her mac & cheese. She took the fork, opened the package, and began to pick at the pasta. She munched on it slowly, still unused to eating large amounts of food despite spending a year getting better. 

"Thank you," She mumbled around the food in her mouth.

Leo: Your welcome, Luci. . . I am sorry for not waking for you earlier though. I really couldn't just wake you though. Anyway, you enjoying your meal, then, Luci?