A New Dream

Summary: Sora and Leon have finished their performance of Swan Lake and take a break from the circus. They search for a new dream on a journey to Sora's homeland of Japan. Will their partnership on the stage translate to love off stage as they continue training for an exhibition? Will there still be a place for them at Kaleido Star when they return? Is there a future for Layla on Broadway?

Pairings: Sora x Leon, Layla x Yuri

Beta: Shotgunhero

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Chapter One:

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It was the final weekend for Swan Lake and another wave of sold out shows. Kaleido Stage was busier than ever and while Leon Oswald and Sora Naegino had performed the show flawlessly time and time again, they still practiced regularly. However, it was their talent with improvisation that made the two of them such a strong team. Their moves flowed seamlessly between each other, as if not only their bodies, but their minds were connected.

Leon rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he watched Sora perform her latest idea. The height on her jump was impressive and her balance upon her spinning landing was perfect. "Okay, but if you do that, you're relying on the timing of the trapeze to be swinging at just the right spot. If there is even the slightest delay, I won't be able to reach you in time to catch you," Leon pointed out.

Sora shrugged. "I have faith that Ken will make sure the trapeze is there." She jumped off the balance beam and stretched her hands high above her head before arching her back before doing a slow back flip. "There might not be room for it in Swan Lake, but I'm sure we can find a place for it in one of our future shows."

Leon watched his partner's lithe motions and ignored the annoyance at her complete faith in Ken. He often butted heads with the stage manager. Ken seemed to think that Leon's training methods were torture routines meant to break Sora. That wasn't true at all.

Leon simply wanted Sora to be the best that she could be. He wouldn't make her do anything that he wasn't willing to do himself. She lacked a foundation in the basics and he did everything in his power to help her overcome that hurdle. Not many people, regardless of how talented and athletic, could do pirouettes in the air and land on a kayak hauled by a boat on choppy Pacific Ocean water.

He did worry about Ken's devotion to Sora wavering whenever the foolhardy boy realized that Sora didn't return his feelings. For now, Sora was content being oblivious in her ability to steal hearts. One day, she'd figure out just how she affected others. Leon worried the stress would hurt and distract her, so he was content to foster her ignorance in that regard. She was still young, and like Sophie thought the best of others.

At this point, there didn't seem to be much for Leon to teach Sora in regard to acrobatics and dance. When he and Yuri had watched Sora and Layla perform the Angel's Maneuver, both men had realized that their partners were the ones who performed miracles. The men had merely been there for support.

With Sophie, Leon had been the weaker half of the team. With Sora, he wanted them to be equal.

There was a lot Sora still had to learn about the real world and he didn't want her to face those heartbreaking challenges alone anymore. They both knew the gut-wrenching tragedy of losing parents at a young age. Sora was raised by loving relatives and he and his sister had their Parisian trainer.

Leon moved to Sora's side and slid his hands under the arch of her back before she could plant her hands. He lifted her into the air, balanced her above his head, and spun in a slow circle. Then he shifted her weight in a figure-eight around him, her red-rose colored hair flying.

The rubber gymnastic mat under his foot slipped and they both fell to the floor. Leon rolled so that Sora would land on top of his body and he let out a soft oomph of air from the impact. Sora started to laugh softly, her rasping chuckle made his heart ache. He slowly slid his hand over the back of her head and ran his fingers absently through her silky hair, slick with sweat.

What would she do indeed when she realized the impact she had on the men in her life?

"What happened?" Sora asked, bracing her hands on either side of his face and looking down at him with her rich, caramel colored eyes. "Are you okay?"

Leon nodded and sat up with a slight groan, Sora still balanced on his lap, wound her arms around his neck on instinct. "The mat became loose," he said gesturing towards the uprooted cushion. "I think it's time to call it a day."

Sora leaned against his chest. "We hardly practiced at all though!" Her warm breath fanned across his neck.

Leon's mouth went dry and he tried to ignore the wave of attraction that rushed through him with Sora so close. "A wise athlete knows when to turn in the towel," Leon sagely responded, patting her between the shoulder blades.

Sora sighed. "I can't believe it's almost over."

Leon stood and settled Sora on her feet. He kept his hands on her forearms, happy to create some distance between them, but loath to relinquish touching her. "One hundred and ninety eight performances down, two more to go," he said forcing his hands drop to his sides.

He was glad that they'd performed so well together. Coming to Kaleido Stage had been the best decision of his life. He thought back to the episode when Sora performed both her and his role in the act when he first came to Los Angeles. Looking back, he was embarrassed by his behavior. He'd stormed off the stage like a petulant child and she'd been determined not to disappoint the audience. He still didn't care much about what the audience thought, but he did care very much about what Sora thought.

He wasn't sure what the next show would be at Kaleido Stage. Technically, his and Sora's contracts were up at the end of Swan Lake. Kalos was eager to resign them, but Leon's interest wasn't in his continued employment at the circus, so much as his partnership with Sora.

Sora's stomach growled angrily. Her eyes grew wide as she clutched her belly in embarrassment. "Excuse me."

Leon arched a silvery eyebrow. "You did eat breakfast, didn't you?"

Sora smiled sheepishly. "I had an apple."

He closed his eyes and waited for his anger to pass. "We planned for a two-hour workout and all you ate was an apple?"

"What did you eat?" Sora snapped back defensively.

Leon opened his eyes in surprise at her tone. "Protein shake, banana, and french toast."

"Oh," Sora said. She rubbed at her belly absently. "I meant to eat more, but I was distracted by a couple of letters — one from back home and another from Layla."

"Come, we'll eat," Leon said. He slipped his arm companionably over her shoulder and led her out of their practice gym. "There is a Pho restaurant that just opened a few blocks away. Are you interested?"

Sora smiled. "I would like that."

"Good, let's go change out of these sweaty clothes and then sit down for a real meal. And you can tell me about these letters that distracted you so much," Leon said. "An apple," he scoffed.

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OoO

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After reading the letter from her adoptive parents back home, Sora felt homesick. While the place Leon escorted her to wasn't Japanese food, she thought the Vietnamese restaurant was quite nice. It was charming with its distinctly Asian design. They sat in a booth at the back corner near a partitioned wall with large, colorful fish swimming in a gigantic aquarium. She'd spent most of their meal watching the fish, lost in thought of home, while Leon worked on his tablet computer. He was trying to explain to her a routine he'd choreographed using an app over the past couple of weeks.

Sora turned her attention away from the fish and focused on her partner. His lavender eyes were bright with excitement and he spoke quickly and enthusiastically about the routine. She smiled at him as she slurped more of her pho. "It's nice to see you so animated."

Leon glanced up, his pale eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Aside from the time you almost stabbed Yuri with a sword, I've never seen you so excited." Sora set down her spoon and tapped her finger on the edge of the tablet's screen. "This looks like a fairly simple stage compared to what we've been using at Kaleido Stage."

"It is," Leon answered. "I want to participate in the European Showcase in the fall." He cleared his throat. "As the winner of the ICF, I'm automatically granted admission."

"Then shouldn't you be planning this with May?" Sora asked. She reached for the fortune cookie that came with her meal. American restaurants often included the gimmick of the fun dessert. It didn't matter if it was a Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, or Japanese restaurant.

"May is free to participate if she wishes," Leon answered. He shut off his tablet. "However, I will only perform with you as my partner."

Sora opened her mouth to protest.

Leon held up his hand and she paused to let him speak his peace. "I have a new dream, Sora. I want to perform internationally with you. Only the top ranked athletes are invited to participate and the showcase only happens every four years — kind of like the Olympics. All the acrobatic schools are invited to watch and the showcase is shown live on television."

Sora bit down on her bottom lip. Leon knew how she felt about competition. She snapped open her fortune cookie. "A new opportunity will present itself to help a friend. Seize the moment and help them achieve their dream." She snorted in disbelief at the coincidence of the words.

"I know you don't enjoy competitions, but I want to train with you and show the world the feats we can achieve together," Leon continued quietly. "And showcases are different from normal competitions. There are no winners and it's for the audience — young gymnasts and acrobats from various schools."

"Is that your dream, Leon?" Sora asked. She handed him the slip of paper with her fortune.

He nodded. "Sophie's dream was to perfect the Angel's Maneuver and like you, create an atmosphere of non-competition at the circus." He scanned the paper and the hint of a smile tilted the corner of his mouth. "My dream is to show the world what you and I can do ensemble."

Sora stared down at her nearly empty soup bowl. "My parents requested that I return home to Japan for a few weeks this summer. Yume is nearly two years old and they want me to be home for her birthday in August."

"Yume is your sister?" Leon asked.

Sora nodded. "Yes." Technically, Yume was more of a second cousin, as her adoptive father was her dad's cousin.

Leon reached across the table and took Sora's hand in his. It was an innocent gesture. They'd held hands hundreds of times in performances and practices. "Family is important," he said.

Sora glanced up from their joined hands and met his steady, lavender gaze.

"If you will allow me, I would like to go to Japan with you. It will be up to you whether we participate in the showcase," Leon said. "I have no desire to participate without you. It would be an empty experience for me."

"You want to go with me to Japan?" Sora asked. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be honest, before befriending you, I didn't have any desire to visit Japan. However, now I would be honored if you would let me accompany you and see where you come from," Leon admitted. "Perhaps we can train there. From what I understand, Japan lacks a circus school, which is why you came to America."

A thousand thoughts and ideas swam in Sora's mind at the possibility. What if Leon would help her start a circus school in Japan? Maybe she should focus on helping other children from her home learn the magic that warmed her heart on a daily basis. Sora nodded eagerly. "Okay! I've seen where you grew up in France, it's only fair that you can see Japan." She pulled her hand out of his grip and tugged on her hair anxiously. "I hope Kalos will give us a few weeks off."

"With the schedule we've had, we'll both need more than a few weeks off, Sora," Leon said. "At our current rate, we're at risk for over-use syndrome and could seriously injure ourselves." Currently, they were performing their show up to eight times each week, not including their practice sessions.

"Oh. That happened to Layla when we worked on perfecting the Legendary Great Maneuver." Sora chewed on her bottom lip and stared at the fish aquarium again. Her eyes were unfocused as she was lost in thought. "Perhaps this will be a chance for May and Rosetta to shine in our absence," she mused, looking back at Leon.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across his lips. "I shall speak with Kalos and inform him that you and I will be taking at least a three month absence from the show, possibly longer if you agree to perform with me in the European Showcase."

"Three months is a long time. This showcase is in the fall?" Sora asked.

"Yes, Sora. If you'll agree, the soonest we could return to Kaleido Stage would be early November," Leon said.

"But it's only June!" Sora protested. "The last week of June, but still! You're talking about five months, that's almost half a year! What about our fans? Won't they miss us?"

Leon leaned towards Sora with his elbows on the table and his fingers laced together under his chin. "Yes, they will miss us. There is a phrase, absence makes the heart grow fonder. If you want something to be a special experience it cannot be repeated over and over indefinitely. The audience needs to crave what they've been missing. What do you say, Sora? Are you up for an adventure?"

Sora stared into Leon's eyes and enjoyed the passion dancing within his pale irises. It was so rare to see him excited by anything and his life had been ruled by disappointment and sadness. And the way he spoke about the audience, it felt as if he finally came to understand the importance of them in their shows. She nodded. "Okay, Leon."

She held out her hand. Leon shifted his elbows off the table and clasped her hand in the cool, solid grip they'd shared so many times on the trapezes.

"Partners," Leon said.

"Partners," Sora agreed breathily.

"So, what did Layla have to say?" Leon asked, releasing her hand and leaning back casually against the vinyl booth.

"She's working on a new Broadway show," Sora said. She felt oddly off balance with Leon so at ease and friendly. Usually, the only time he relaxed was when they were in the flow of a performance. "It's due to open sometime this summer."

"Perhaps we can go see it," Leon suggested.

Sora shook her head. "That would be nice, but it's going to be expensive enough flying to Japan." She didn't mention how tight things would be financially with the possibility of taking five months off from the circus. She smiled. "I'm sure Layla will do great, whether I'm there to see her or not. Yuri will most likely be there to support her."

"Hm," Leon hummed. He still had his reservations when it came to Yuri. His carelessness was the reason Sophie was killed. He had also been Sora's partner in the ICF where they performed a move that was impossible to perfect in such a short amount of practice. He didn't hate Yuri anymore, but he certainly didn't like the man. Leon picked up his soup bowl and then nodded his head at Sora. "Your food is getting cold."

"Oh! Right!" Sora picked up her pho and started slurping it again, there were only a few mouthfuls left. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the blend of flavors exploding on her tongue. "This is a really good restaurant," she said, setting her empty bowl on the table.

Leon stared at her for a moment, his bowl still half-full. "I think that might be the starvation talking."

Sora chuckled. "You'd be done too if you didn't spend so much time on your computer working on impressing me with your routine."