A bed lay across the window in a room, with multiple flowers below it. The Sun's rays seeped through as the birds chirped in harmony, and people went on and about.
Leo winced his eyes as he woke up. Blinded by the sun, he shielded his eyes and looked around in confusion. Beside him were fruits and food with some water.
"Where am I this time?"
He got out of bed and tried to stand up but his legs gave in. Without any strength, he pulled himself back up to the bed and lay there.
"Is there anyone there? " he shouted. After some time without a reply, Leo gave up and decided to munch on the food beside him, not caring whether it was for him or not as his stomach growled in hunger.
Finishing the food, he wiped his face and looked outside the window where a thin layer of snow and blooming trees waves in the wind.
This is still Fontaine, right?
He looked around and observed his surroundings in detail. On the table where the food and water were, lay a letter with intricate patterns embroidered on it. The windows were decorated with black curtains and a few golden laces. The door was familiar to him; its smooth-looking surface made of oak and the golden doorknob made of fine metal stayed with him throughout his short life.
This is... why am I back home? What about Peruere, Clervie, and Polochko?!
The urgency of his sudden realization took him out of his thoughts. His blood started to run fast, and his mind swirled with panic. Once again, he tried to stand up and reached for the door, only to fall once again.
He crawled his way towards the door, dragging his body towards it. Suddenly, the door opened and his eyes widened in surprise.
In the door stood Leon munching on sweets, his face messy and in his pockets are candies.
Their eyes met and together they looked at each other in confusion. Leon raised an eyebrow as Leo's mouth hung loose.
"Why are you crawling?"
"..."
Leo looked at Leon and noticed the dirty clothes and his messy hair that seemed to have made him look better than what he would usually look when there were occasions.
He wanted to berate him but remembered the reason why he got out and asked him where Peruere, Clervie, and, Polochko were.
"Eh? Arent they on the orphanage?"
Leon took Leo back to the bed, took a chair from across the room and sat on his side. Leo looked at him dumbfounded.
How could they be at the orphanage? We just burned the place down...
"Leon, please tell me if they're safe. I-I need to make sure."
In response, Leon gave him a knowing look as he munched on his sweets. "Brother, I think you've been dreaming, so let me tell you about what happened." Leon offered the sweets to him and clapped his hands together and looked at Leo in seriousness. "You've been... asleep for years now and the doctor said you will wake up some time soon so I stayed by your side since then."
"Asleep? But I was just with them the last time I remembered! We fought Crucabena and won! Are you saying it was all just a dream, and I was in a coma all this time?!"
Leo shook his shoulders as if begging him. His eyes were moist and his hands trembled.
"Yeah, that's what happened... remember the time when we fought that Lawachurchur or something? You never woke up since then. It made me and dad quite sad."
Leo's looked at him in disbelief. All this time, everything they've been through, is everything just a dream?
Leon watched as Leo's eyes were as wide as a sinkhole and could not help but raised a smirk. He held Leo's hands and looked at him in the eye. "I know you're confused brother, but me and dad are here for you."
Leon hugged him tightly. Leo's eyes moisten as his hands trembled. Disbelief and confusion still remain in his mind as he struggles to accept the reality.
Suddenly, a clicking sound was heard, it took their attention and watched as the door burst open. In there, two girls entered. Upon landing his gaze on the two figures, question marks appeared on leo's mind as he looked at Leon.
"Looks like you're awake." Peruere said as she and Clervie approached them.
"Wh-what is happening?" Leo's gaze shifted towards Leon who was holding his laughter. "Leon... You MOTHER FU-"
Leon burst into tears as his heartly laughter echoed across the room. "You should have seen yourself," He struggled to speak as he held his stomach. "you looked like you just lost all your mora."
Leon, in a fit of rage threw a pillow at Leon. "Get out!"
Going towards the door, Leon sneaked out the sweets that he gave Leo and dashed out of the room. "See you later, brother, don't get fooled again." He said as his laugther reverberated from the corridor.
"Don't come back you Bastard!"
Leo's breathing grew hoarsed as he drank the water beside him. "I can't believe that guy just did that to me."
"What was that about?" Clervie asked in confusion.
"It was nothing, that guy just made a fool of me."
"But you look like you enjoyed it though?"
Leo's gaze shifted towards Clervie with a frown and pointed at his face.. "Do I look like a enjoy it?"
She gave a strained smile as she shrugged her shoulders. Peruere on the side were silent as she peeled off the fruits and offered it to them.
As Leo accepted it, he can't help but look at her in the eyes. He remembered that time when she killed Crucabena, her face that didn't show any reaction, the aura she had that night when she burned her to ashes.
"Peruere... are you alright?"
She gave a cold look at Leo. She sat at the table as there were only one chair in the room and didn't respond.
"Perrie, don't be like that," Clervie said. Her hands holding both of theirs. "It all worked out in the end so it's alright, okay?"
Looking at Leo once more, she asked. "Why didn't you use it?"
His gaze lowered as his fingers moved restlessly. "I.. I have no excuse."
Peruere clicked her tougue as she took her gaze away from him.
"Hey, it's alright okay. I'm sure Leo had his reasons."
"No," Leo said, his voice low. "I was..." he bit his lip. "I didn't know why I didn't use it," his hands clenched into fists. "I guess it was my arrogance that I expected everything to go well,"
No one uttered a word as the room grew still. In his mind, he raised this question, why didn't I use it? Am I afraid of losing control?
Clervie silently sat beside him, he back facing Leo. She looked outside the window as her legs kicked the air. "You know, Leo, there's many things I thought while you were with us in the orphanage," she began. "Why are you helping us, why did you hide it, what will you gain by doing this?" she turned around, raised Leo's head and held his hand. "But you know, when I remembered that time you when you were carrying us, there's only one thing on my mind," A slight blush appeared on her face. "How great it is to have a friend like him."
"Even though you're rich and have all the things that we wished we had, you were never blinded by it, you looked at us, expendables made to be discarded. So, whatever reason you have, I don't care about it," she stood up, took Peruere's hand and dragged her towards Leo. "So, Let's be friends again, right? Perrie?"
A endearing smile appeared on her face as she held both their hands. Peruere sighed as her looked Leo. "Promise us, that you won't do it again,"
Leo looked at her, inside him, he could feel a warm feeling. Unlike the one fe felt when he has accomplished something, or was complimented by Pantalone, this time, the warmth was something he never felt before.
"I-I promise,"
"No more hiding secrets like that."
"Yes! I promise not to hide anything."
Clervie with a smile, pulled the two of them together and hugged them.
***
A/N: Made in a hurry