Disclaimer: The Vocaloids featured in this story obviously (oh-so obviously) do not belong to me. They belong to their rightful companies which includes Zero-G
Note/Comment: The basic plot was actually done by someone else that I had a conversation with months ago, so I guess most of the credit goes to them for this story. All I did was put it into story form. Also, if you want, the relationship between Clara and Maika can be seen as either platonic or romantic. Totally up to you!
Anyway, yes, I'm a sucker for dorky Leon and "tsundere" Tonio. It's a long story.
Good morning, sleepyhead~
Whenever you get this message, could you meet me somewhere? I want you to come with me to this place that just opened! Clara's supposed to go shopping for something today and she said she could drop you off on the way downtown. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance. Make sure you dress well since it's mild out today.
Love you
Leon
This was the letter left taped on the front of his bedroom door as soon as Tonio awoke around ten in the morning on a warm Friday in August. He scanned the letter a few times as he carefully stepped down the stairs, not noticing Clara was casually leaning against the wall beside the kitchen entrance, donning her red helmet and wrist length gloves and an amused smile.
"Hey there, Elder! You're finally up!" Clara's mature voice caught Tonio's attention with ease. "Our old man's been waiting for you for an hour."
"Did he even tell you were he wanted me to meet him?" Tonio questioned the Spanish Vocaloid as soon as he reached the bottom of the steps.
She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. He might have told me that he wanted me to keep it surprise…"
"…I see."
"So, what's it going to be? Did you want to get dressed and go to where he is, or do you wanna have breakfast?"
Tonio glanced down at the bathrobe he wore over his pyjamas, then to the letter that Leon left him nearly an hour and a half ago. "I guess I can eat something small and then leave afterwards…"
Getting onto Clara's Vespa an hour later, Tonio was led from the house and down the road to the right, where downtown could be located if one were to drive even further. Minutes passed, about ten to seventeen, until the scent of something sweet filled the air and was immediately noticed by the opera singer and Clara.
"Whoa, the air smells nice!" Clara said with a grin as she turned left down a small road path. "I think that's…that's funnel cake! I've heard about it, but I've never tried it out. Fried stuff that's topped with sugar."
Tonio shifted in his seat behind her, making sure his arms didn't slip from his hold around her while Clara's speed down the path began to slow. His eyes glanced ahead, and then that was when he realized where the two of them were heading.
Up the road was the sight of many people gathering at stands, wandering around, or sitting at specific areas as they ate. The scent of that sweet item that Clara mentioned became stronger and mingled with other scents unknown to him. There was a ferries wheel which sat further up ahead, and before that were various rides including a moderate sized roller coaster.
…Leon invited him to a fair…?
Alright, granted, he's been wanting to come to one of these in a while after he heard how much fun Sonika and Oliver had when they went a few years back, and even before then had he never went to one of these places of fun. It was a secret desire of his, one that he probably would never admit since his pride had a hold on him.
Next thing he knew, Tonio and Clara parked by a black Volkswagen which had cute, white cat stickers on its sides and the Spanish woman announcing, "We're here, Elder!"
"I thought you were going shopping," Tonio said as he and Clara left the parking lot of the city fair and made their way to one of the gate entrances.
"Changed my mind," she replied. "This place looks too fun to leave and go shopping! I'll be meeting up with someone else who's here."
"Who?"
"Maika. She asked me this morning, jumpin' on my bed like an excited little kid and everything."
"Hm…"
"Anyway!" she spoke up, suddenly turning right to another entrance of the fair grounds as she waved at Tonio. "Have fun on your date with Leon, Elder!"
Did she just say the 'd' word?
Tonio's face turned hot and his eyes widened. He shouted at her, "This isn't going to be a date, ragazza!"
"Ciao, Nonna~!" ("Bye, Grandma!")
"Nonno!" ("Grandpa!")
"Whatever~"
Tonio sighed with annoyance whilst Clara walked out of his sight. Blimey, this wasn't going to be a date. Leon was simply asking him out while they were currently in a romantic relationship…oh.
…damn it.
He walked to the entrance in silence, but he paused when he saw Leon waving at him from behind the entrance's gate, beaming a bright smile at him. Considering his smile, the way his hair was set up in a ponytail, and he wore a short sleeved flannel top over a black tank top…he looked like a dork as usual. Nice to see him like this on their outing…okay okay, fine. Date.
Oh good god he's wearing glasses? Either he owned a pair that he never wore, or he bought some for the sake of looking good.
When he saw Tonio making his way towards the entrance once Clara split from him, Leon couldn't stop himself from smiling at the befuddled look that the opera singer had on his face, which became even more confused as soon as Tonio saw him. Although he thought he would look nice for this date of theirs, Leon had a feeling that Tonio was going to think about how huge of a dork he looked. The blonde adjusted the black, square frames on his face by pressing a finger to the right of the frame and pressing up on them, then he took in a breath of fresh air.
"Oh my God, what are you wearing?" Tonio blurted out as Leon got closer to the gate's door and held it open for him.
"I decided to wear something different today," was Leon's reply, smiling at him. "You look nice, too."
Tonio self-consciously tugged the hem of his grey shirt which was partly covered by a lightweight jacket of a dark shade of grey when Leon said that. "If you say so." He glanced from his jean trousers then up to Leon, asking him, "Why did you want to meet here?"
"A date, of course!"
"…but why here?"
"I thought you would've liked coming here!" he answered as his smile widened. "You've never been to a fair, right?" Leon paused, his brows scrunching together, questioning, "Or was it a theme park you've never been to? They're practically the same…"
"I've been to neither of those things." Tonio stepped through the gate entrance, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "But I never bothered trying to come to one. They're for kids."
"Wha…" Leon faltered. "No they aren't! What made you think that?"
"Leon, look around us."
"Erm, okay?"
Leon turned his head left to right and up and down at the rides, the stands, and every other place he possibly could locate. Yes, he took what Tonio said literally, but he still decided to look around the fair grounds. With a shrug, he said, "All I see is fun all around us. Come on, love! People older than both of us are even here having fun! What makes you think that fairs are only for kids, anyway?"
"They're a waste of time, then," Tonio responded with a soft huff to accompany it. Again, he wasn't going to tell Leon or anybody else any time soon that he had been curious about coming to one…scratch that, not "curious", he wanted to come to one.
"Don't be suck a stick in the mud."
"I'm not. I'm just saying…"
"Anyway…" The blonde held out a hand to him, offering it while his smile returned to his face. "Let's go, shall we?"
Tonio felt a blush creep to his cheeks, his eyes glancing at Leon's hand, then to his face, and then the scenery behind him. Should he really agree to go along with him regardless of what he told Leon about fairs being childish and a waste? Damn it, this was starting to feel awkward to the opera singer. He focused his gaze to his hand once more before he grasped it with his right hand. "Might as well while we're here…" he paused and quickly added, "but…i—it wasn't like I wanted to go on a 'date' somewhere like this."
However, Leon didn't seem to hear that conjunction of his, for he was far too busy leading Tonio off as his heart raced from the joy he felt that Tonio agreed to this date instead of refusing to participate in fair-related activities. Yes! Maybe things will go well for the two of them! They were going to be together, alone at a lively place! Considering how he blushed, perhaps Tonio did want to come to a fair or go to one as a date but refused to acknowledge it verbally. Knowing Tonio for so many years, that was possibly the case.
"…do we have to be holding hands?" Tonio questioned, just now realizing that Leon was still holding his hand. "We're in public, Leon…"
Leon smiled over at him, a cheeky grin rather, and a blush laid on his cheeks. "We're dating aren't we? We should be hanging out here like a couple usually does!"
"But it's embarrassing…!"
"No it's not!"
"Y—yes it is!" he slightly stammered. "Leon, for the love of God…can we not hold hands the entire time?"
Passing by one of the fried food stands along the way, Leon let out a small sigh as he removed his hand from Tonio. "Okay, but…" The blonde moved to Tonio's left side and quickly linked his right arm with the opera singer's arm, earning a yelp from the swift movement. "Better now?"
Tonio could have sworn he had the feeling that the duo was being watched by other fair-goers, and for that reason did he turn redder. Damn you, Leon. His arms stiffened, leaving him unable to pull his arm away and simply tried walking on to whatever destination Leon had in mind while he glanced anywhere but up ahead.
Either Leon was purposely trying to embarrass him or he really wanted them to go through this day like a "perfect" couple would do out in the public eye.
…probably the second.
"A water-based roller coaster?"
Leon beamed a smile and nodded at Tonio as they joined the moderately sized line to the ride. "I thought we should go on here instead of the regular ones since it's warm today," he explained. "I hope you don't mind, love."
Tonio glanced to his right, where the platform to exit and enter the multi-coloured carts were set. A minute after one departed with its passengers, another one would return with people who were drenched by water, possibly cold by how some of them shivered and commented how cold it was once they were splashed. This event continued whilst Tonio glanced over at Leon and then back to the ride. He couldn't tell from where he stood on how high this ride would go, but considering how he heard a few squeals, he had a guess that it was possibly had a very high peak and a speedy drop below. Basically, what a roller coaster should be…sort of.
"There's water surrounding the rails that the carts on," Leon spoke up, catching Tonio's attention for a moment, "and then there's a huge drop and a sharp turn on the way back to the front. It's basic, but I heard it's still fun." As though he was using it as another effect, Leon pushed his glasses up when they began to slip down the bridge of his nose. "No worries about my glasses. They should be fine on the ride!"
"If you say so," Tonio mumbled.
Eventually, the two made it to the front of the line and found themselves sitting in the front row. The handle bars were set and locked tightly. Leon looked at Tonio, his smile not fading away any time soon whilst Tonio placed a hand on the cool, white metal bar in front of them as his eyes avoided looking at Leon. Honestly, this was a ride he had hoped to get one sometime during this day here; and again, he wasn't going to tell Leon that.
The cart jolted to life and was pulled forward. Turning carefully, the duo and the fellow six passengers were led into a dark tunnel. They were met, suddenly, with very dimmed lights and the sound of water splashing against their cart. Tonio glanced briefly at Leon, but averted his eyes again when Leon looked back at him with a friendly grin.
"This tunnel is a bit long, but it's worth it," the blonde said softly to him whilst some of the other passengers began to talk to one another.
"If you say so," Tonio repeated himself from earlier, his voice echoing in the hollow tube. He nearly jumped when he felt Leon clasp a hand over his hand on the handle bar, but he made certain to compose himself, especially since he was in the presence of other people.
As the journey through the tunnel resumed, the position of the cart became slanted, the front lifting up against the inclining railing. Higher and higher it went and the more the everyone's body pressed against the back of their seat. The sound of the water now made a "fwoosh" as it poured down from every side of the cart while they got higher. How high would they go, anyway? Twenty feet? Twenty-five? As mentioned, Tonio was unable to tell when he and Leon waited in line. Light practically blinded everyone as soon as the cart emerged from the end of the tunnel. The cart stopped.
Tonio, along with anyone who was able to, leaned forward in his seat to see how high they were. This was the "peak", the suspension, Leon mentioned, so…
A-ha. That was a rather huge plunge they were about to take. At the very bottom, Tonio noticed the large body of water, and that there gave him the answer as to how anyone would have gotten wet on this ride…
…well, bloody obviously. It wasn't as though they'd used all of their water for that lingering drive through the tube, that would've been a waste for more than one reason.
Leon sat back against his seat, saying, "You know, I was actually going to take you to a tunnel-of-love, but they don't have one here. I hope this will make up for it~…"
As soon as Leon said those words, Tonio shouted, burning red in embarrassment, "Are you bloody seriou—?!"
But before he could complete saying "serious", the cart took the plunge down the twenty-three foot drop as water surrounded everyone as some of them squealed once the cold water hit them.
Tonio finished drying his hair and face with a towel which Leon bought from one of the gift shoppes as soon as they got off the roller coaster. He looked over his shoulder at the ride from his seat at a picnic table, then he went back to what he was doing by drying his face next.
Leon came up to the table and sat beside him, placing a plate of an odd looking item in front of them. "Feeling better, love?" he asked him.
"I do, but…" Tonio gestured to the food, questioning as he placed the blue towel in his lap, "what is that thing? It smells familiar." Oh wait, now he knows where he had smelled that scent before. It was the same one in which he and Clara smelled when they were pulling up to the parking lot. "That's funnel cake, right…?"
"It is! For us to share!"
"…share…?"
"Yeah! You don't mind, do you?"
Oh God, this is what a couple would do. Share food. What next? They were going to offer food to each other?
Leon scooped a piece of the powdered sugar covered dessert and held it over to Tonio with a smile. "Here. Did you want to try the first piece?"
Damn it, how did he know that was going to happen?
"Leon, please."
"What?" he blinked.
Feeling rather flustered at the somewhat-affectionate suggestion, well it was to him anyway, Tonio murmured, "You really want to do that? Why?"
"Well, why not?" Leon shrugged lightly. "We're on a date, even though it's 'just' a fair. So, what do you say?"
Oh God, he's giving him a cute smile. Bleedin' ragazzo and his dorky face and silly glasses while offering him this fried…stuff. A glance to the left, a glance to the right, ahead, and behind was what Tonio did to make sure no one would see this awkward sight. "You're lucky that no one will see this," he grumbled to him. Most of the people were on the rides now, so this was a plus for Tonio…but also a minus since he was still going to do this.
As he watched Tonio lean in, Leon spotted him reaching a hand to grab the plastic fork but ended grabbing his hand. With closed eyes, the opera singer took the bite, chewed it calmly, and then swallowed it.
Leon immediately asked, "How is it?"
Tonio grabbed a napkin from off the table and wiped his mouth as he sat up straight. Through the paper napkin, he answered in a muffle, "It's…alright. A little sweet, but it isn't an issue."
"That's good to hear."
Leon handed him the fork he used and then picked up the second one that was on the plate of funnel cake. With the air of awkwardness and embarrassment still around him, Tonio began to eat small pieces of the cake since he had a feeling he would get sick if he ate more than he could handle.
To Leon, things were going pretty fine. Tonio didn't refuse any offerings like he usually would if they were at home, and the way how he blushed at almost everything was really cute witnessing. Leon whipped his touch screen mobile and checked the time. Wow, almost two in the afternoon already! Although there was still enough hours until it began to turn dark, Leon had a feeling that they were only going to be able to ride five or six rides due to it being crowded near the rides and games. Speaking of games, he didn't think Tonio would be interested in that, which was okay. The games could be rigged.
Hmm, now, what else could they ride on together? A merry-go-round? No, maybe not that. How about the swings which raise into the air? Maybe…
It was hard to figure out which rides Tonio may like, and it didn't help that he held onto his pride and didn't tell Leon what he'd like to go on next. Oh well, maybe they'll find out once they were finished eating.
"Okay, I admit…" Leon spoke up as he nervously held onto the chain handles in front of him, "I didn't think we'd go this high and this fast…!"
Leon had decided to take Tonio to the fair's chair swing ride, or swing carousel, but the blonde Vocaloid was beginning to regret this decision of his. Granted, he thought it looked fun to be high in the air in a chair and circling higher and higher into the air with Tonio beside him in another seat, but paranoia about falling out somehow or the chains being rusty and broken which could also make him plummet to possible doom…was too much for him.
Tonio quirked a brow over from his seat, and called out, "Leon, what's going on with you? You're as pale as a ghost."
Leon, who had his eyes closed as a way to calm his nerves, took a quick peak over at Tonio. The opera singer seemed confused, or even a bit worried for him. He made a small smile at him and then called back, "It's nothing! Don't worry about me, love! How's the ride so far?"
Tonio looked down at the scenery, seeing everything as nearly specks and dots, then he glanced to Leon. "It's fine. What's the point of this ride again?"
"E—erm…f—for fun, I guess!"
"Oh. I guess I can see why…"
'Well, at least he's okay on this,' Leon thought, then shut his eyes, 'unlike me. Damn, this is freaking me out!'
After Leon successfully shook off the fear of falling from the swinging ride thanks to Tonio carefully shaking him by his shoulders, the blonde chose to lead Tonio to where one of the two "pendulum" rides were, this one being in the form of a pirate ship.
Tonio felt his stomach flutter wildly when the side he and Leon were on swung into the air, staying suspended for a moment before gliding back down. There was another time he felt that tingling sensation in his stomach, but again…he refused to admit what that was openly. The only hint was the glance he made to his date to see how he was handling on this ride. Seeing him almost panic on that previous ride made him wonder if Leon couldn't stand rides which went high like that.
Leon couldn't stop grinning as the ride swung back and forth in such a manner and the tickling in his belly. He looked to Tonio, just as the other one looked away and at some other rides, and his grin calmed. It was nice seeing the opera singer look so casual, so calm. His black hair, whenever they swung forward on the ride, would brush away and give a perfect view of his brown eyes that were wide and bright…well, from what he could tell anyway. Maybe he liked this one?
Eventually, the swings weakened every time they came back down until they stopped and got off the ride with no problems.
"So, I'm guessing you really liked that one."
"What makes you assume that?"
"You didn't look tense!"
"I don't look tense usually," Tonio protested, almost taking personal offense at the 'tense' comment, assuming that he thought Leon believed him to be stuffy and serious.
…alright, so perhaps a lot of the other Vocaloids would have agreed with Leon. Not his damn fault that he felt like a failure half of the time which would ruin his enthusiasm and the other time refuses to give into any pleasure or fun that he wants to experience.
Not even bothering to grumble at Leon for linking their arms again, Tonio was led off to the next ride around three or four in the afternoon.
One hour was dedicated to waiting in line for a ride down a "fun slide", the large, inflatable ones which could stretch out an incredibly long length. Tonio was wondering why Leon took him to this one until he spotted some people slid with another at their side instead of by themselves.
…bloody couples.
Leon eyed him with a cheeky grin as he adjusted his glasses and tugged him over to the very right of the huge slide. They watched a few people go down the slide to see how it went. Nothing to worry about, honestly, but it was just to make sure. Leon pulled Tonio down to the "seat" of the slide and with a push from the blonde, they slid down at tremendous speed. Tonio yelped when Leon held onto him tightly as the blonde Vocaloid laughed all the way to the end of the slide.
It was now five in the evening hours, and the two came to an idea that they should stop to eat and use the toilet if needed. While Leon was fine with eating anything, Tonio complained that he wanted to eat actual food and not something sweet like funnel cake. They stop at a regular food stand and ate at the tables owned by the place.
"How about we go on a 'round up' ride next?"
"Shouldn't we wait a while before we go on another ride?"
"If you want, I guess we could let our stomachs rest," Leon replied, then he took a sip of his soda through a straw. "By the way, Tonio? I was actually planning on taking you to a theme park but…erm…" he paused to scratch at the back of his neck, then he continued, "money is a huge thing for those places. Something that our 'family' lacks severely."
After he bit into his chicken sandwich and swallowed the piece, Tonio said, "Leon."
"Yeah?"
"Please don't mention our shitty Vocaloid life while we're out."
"Oh right, sure. Sorry."
"…it's okay."
And so, one hour and a half passed as they ate. Thankfully for Tonio, Leon didn't suggest something like getting a milk shake and sharing it. The following thirty minutes were spent in the toilets which even had their own small lines. At least the restrooms were clean and not messy.
Leon was about to take Tonio away to another fun ride, but that was when he saw the lines getting longer to one special ride he was saving for last. Crap! What time is it? Leon stopped walking to dig out his phone and check the time. Ten minutes past seven! He took a deep breath, stuffing his mobile into his left trouser pocket as his green eyes looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set.
"What's wrong with you?" Tonio questioned him, raising an eyebrow at Leon.
"I…changed my mind about the Round Up, Tonio."
"What for?"
"The grand finale," Leon simply answered, breaking into a bright, determined smile. "The line's getting longer by the second," he explained his reason to him, "so we need to get over there so we can get on the ride just in time. Is that okay with you, Tonio?"
"Considering how you're saying my name instead of 'love', I'm pondering that you're serious about this," Tonio assumed. "Which ride is it?"
"You'll see~…"
"…why are you staring at me like that?"
The Ferris wheel, a couple's favourite ride to look at the gorgeous view of the many lights shining at night while being high in the calm air. He should have known there was a reason why Leon called this the finale…
The line was, indeed, long as Leon said it was; and further proof was given when it was already dark outside as soon as he and Leon got inside one of the large, circular passenger car.
"Are you excited to ride this one, love?" Leon asked, grinning as he took a seat beside Tonio.
The opera singer sighed through his nose and glanced at the window beside him. "I should've known better. I should've known that you were going to take me here."
"…you know that still didn't answer my questio—"
"Shush, Leon."
There was a small jolt, and then the two were slowly lifted into the air. Leon adjusted his glasses yet again as the two of them watched the scenery in front of them begin to change with every millisecond that went by, the outside also turning darker. Lights at rides, stands, and booths turned on, and the stars in the sky soon became visible to Leon and Tonio once they got higher into the air. This particular Ferris wheel went one hundred and thirty feet into the air, which might sound frightening to some but for others its rather the average level for this kind of ride.
Leon leaned against the back of his seat and looked over at Tonio, who was probably admiring the sight underneath them, considering the fact he was still looking out the window. "Erm, so…" he spoke up, "did you have fun today, love?"
"…"
"Oh come on. Why aren't you answering me? Is it because you're too embarrassed to be in here with me? Is it because I'm a guy? Or did you realize that you're actually straight? You suck…"
Tonio immediately shot a small glare at him. "I—I'm not str—I mean…I'm sort of…I'm somewhat…" he paused, not knowing what to say, "…I don't bloody know nor care anymore about that," he grumbled. "Anyway, that's not why I didn't say anything to you. I just…have a feeling that something's off."
He blinked. "Off?"
"Something like that, yes. I can't place my finger on it, though."
"Oh."
Silence.
The car rose even higher, and as it came close to the top, Tonio stretched in his seat and caught Leon's attention in the process. "Sleepy?" he asked him.
"No, I feel a bit relaxed up here after going on those hyper rides."
"Really?"
"It's a nice change, yes…although…"
"Yeah?"
"It's a shame this fair only has beer to serve as anything remotely alcoholic," the opera singer said with a slight frown. "I'll have to wait until we get home to have a martini, I guess. Damn beer. Watered down rubbish and certainly tastes like it."
Leon made a small smile from amusement. "I had a feeling you were going to say that sooner or later."
Silence filled the car one more time, that was until the car came to a stop at the very top of the Ferris wheel. Leon looked out his window on the side and caught a glimpse of all the lights and people at the very bottom. What a view! How high were the two? He was going to speak up again, but when he turned back to look at Tonio, he fell silent and lost the words he wanted to say. He saw the opera singer looking out the front window, a hand pressing the small wall underneath it. The lights, both from the stars and moon and the lights from the fair, gave him a soft glow around his face and front of his body. Leon could have sworn, and he's still not sure to this day, he saw a tiny smile. Aw, how cute. Tonio did want to come here, didn't he? That must be the case! Was this entire date a success? Ah, but wait…there was one more thing left.
A loud cough snapped Tonio out of a trance which he was falling into by the peace and silence. He quirked a brow over at Leon. "Yes?"
"I think I know why something feels off, Tonio," Leon said to him.
Sitting back in his seat, he questioned, "Really? What would that be, then?"
"This."
Leon leaned in carefully and pressed a soft kiss on his lips, wrapping an arm around his shoulder while his free hand clasped over Tonio's hand that rested on his lap. For extra measure, the blonde placed a kiss on his left cheek, then he sat back in his seat without removing his hand and arm from him.
Repressing the growing blush on his cheeks, ears, and neck, Tonio demanded, "What was that for?"
And as soon as their car began to lower down, Leon chucked out, "Silly, don't you know? Couples do that all the time here~!"
Well, he was right about that.
It was now nine in the evening, and the two chose to go home, especially for Tonio's sake due to the lack of martinis in sight. Leon was about to offer to take him to a bar, but he realized that he was starting to show signs of sleepiness. Guess he didn't want to admit that he was tired so soon.
"Hey, Tonio?"
"Yes?"
As they walked pass a roller coaster ride, Leon admitted, "I may or may not have watched a few movies before I asked you out on a date."
"What kind of movies?" he questioned, an eye squinting at him.
"…romantic."
"…damn it Leon, are you serious?"
"…dead serious."
"Oh my God." He almost smacked his forehead upon hearing that. "Leon, those movies are cheesy."
"I don't think they are!" Leon cried, frowning. "They gave me a few good ideas! Plus…" he added, wrapping his arms around Tonio and pulling him close which earned him a yelp of surprise, "you had a nice time today, didn't you? Be honest…"
Tonio stayed quiet for a second, but then he replied, "To be honest, you would've done cheesy things on our date, regardless if you had help or not since you're a bloody dork."
"Excuse you…!"
"It's true."
Leon huffed and nuzzled his head into the crook of Tonio's neck, murmuring out loud, "You suck…"
"And you're embarrassing me, still…" Tonio huffed.
"Leon? Tony?" a young child's voice broke their conversation.
Leon lifted his head up and saw Oliver staring up at the two of them. The thirteen-year old was wearing a pair of regular clothes, shorts and a t-shirt, and shoes for once. James managed to come along and was sitting on top of his ruffled blonde hair. Behind him was Yohioloid, known to everyone as Hio, with two stuffed bears in one arm and bags of cotton candy, scones, and caramel apples bundled together for the other arm.
"Are you guys hanging out today too?" Oliver asked, tilting his head a bit to one side. "I didn't know you were coming."
Hio grinned widely at the arms wrapped around Tonio and said to Oliver, "I think they're doing more than jus' hanging out, Ollie. Leon has his paws around Tony."
Tonio shot a glare at the red-eyed Engloid as he, feeling embarrassed even more, tried prying Leon's arms off. "Hio, don't you dare start."
"But I was just saying that you two are da—"
"Hio."
"What's wrong with saying that you and Leon are dati—?"
"Hio!"
Oliver and Leon glanced at each other while that one-on-one occurred. James chirped a single chirp, if that makes sense. Oliver, as if he actually understood what the bird said, nodded and reached up to pat his head with a finger.
"Say, by the way," Hio said as he tilted his head in a similar fashion to what Oliver did, "are you guys sticking around or heading home? This place closes in two hours."
"It's home for us," Tonio answered his question. "I would have stayed longer, but the only alcoholic drink in sight is beer, so I don't care anymore."
"Oh…" He blinked. "Anyways~…Ollie and I are going to eat a bit and then finish off some rides until the place closes, so I guess we'll be seeing you two later!" With a nod, since he couldn't wave without the fear of dropping everything, Hio walked pass them.
Oliver beamed a smile at the two. "Have fun with your date!" he said and ran off after Hio.
Leon broke into a grin. "Were we that obvious?"
"Sh…shut up…" Tonio whispered whilst he turned a deep shade of red.
"Heeeey~! Elder!"
"Eldeeeeer~!"
While Leon unlocked the doors to his black Volkswagen, Tonio glanced over the hood of the short car to see Clara on her Vespa whilst Maika was in the backseat, her arms securely around the older Vocaloid. Leon turned his head around to see the girls.
"How was your date?" Clara asked the two as she grinned at them.
"It was great!" Leon answered before Tonio had a chance to say something.
Maika grinned as well. "Did he spoil you, Tonio~?"
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned her.
"Did he treat you like a princess, I mean!"
"…I don't have to answer that, at all."
"Boo, you suck."
"Stai zitto, ragazza." ("Shut up, girl.")
Apparently, how Maika was even here was simple. She came with Oliver and Hio hours ago, but as soon as she saw Clara, she joined her and refused to leave her side. It was a mystery if Maika had a crush on her or she merely liked Clara…a lot. Either way, she was going with her and not with the people she came with.
After saying their "meet you there", there as in 'home', Clara drove off with Maika cheering at how fun riding the Vespa was.
Leon watched Tonio gulp down the entire glass of martini as the two relaxed in the living room. The duo had changed out of their clothes and into their pyjamas upon suggestion by Leon. The blonde finally took the small scrunchie out of his hair and removed the glasses from his face, saying, "I hope you had a nice time tonight, Tonio. I mean it. I'm sorry if it was cheesy…"
"…" Tonio looked down at his now-empty glass, and then over to Leon. "No, no…actually I, erm…" he paused. He let loose a gentle sigh and said, "Even though you're a dork and the fact that you referenced romance films…I enjoyed myself today," however, he quickly added, "b—but I don't mean that I enjoyed going to a fair at all…!"
Not buying the add-on to his sentence, Leon smiled over at him, his eyes giving a twinkle. "Sure you didn't, love. I believe you."
end