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“Leo! D-do you have a moment?”
Leo smiled upon hearing her voice, and he opened his eyes to see Sakura by the bedside, hovering hesitantly beside him, an arm behind her back.
“Oh,” Sakura mumbled, “s-sorry…am I disturbing you?”
“Not at all,” Leo replied, sitting up.
“Are you sure?” Sakura asked, swaying shyly on her feet. “Y-you look pretty tired.”
“I am,” Leo admitted. “That’s to be expected after a whole day of festivities. But I’ll always have time for you, Sakura.” He put his hand over her fist on the bedside in a reassuring manner. He angled his head. “More importantly”—he smirked—“is there something behind your back that you’d like to show me?”
Sakura’s eyes widened in surprise. “H-how did you know?”
Leo chuckled. “What sort of partner would I be if I didn’t?”
Sakura’s cheeks glowed as bright as her hair. “Well, i-it was supposed to be a surprise,” she said as she brought out a small black box from behind her back, wrapped up in a purple ribbon. His heart warmed at the gesture.
“This is certainly still a surprise,” he said as he shifted himself over so Sakura could sit next to him on the edge of the bed. “I thought all of my birthday gifts were already given today.”
“I thought about g-giving this to you earlier,” Sakura explained. “B-but this g-gift…um…”—she flashed him a meek smile—“I thought it would be better i-if I gave it to you with—with just t-the two of us.”
“Oh?” Leo said as he tilted his head. Sakura held the box out, signaling for him to take it. Curiosity budding inside him, Leo took the box from her and began to unwrap the gift. He opened the lid, and his breath hitched.
Inside the box laid a rendition of him, in the form of a doll.
Tentatively, Leo took the doll into his hands. Two dark, beady eyes stared back at him, the face framed by sheets of golden felt, topped by a thin black string, to represent his headband. This mini version of him was wearing a black kimono, decorated with pink cherry blossoms and tied back with a purple sash. In the doll’s tiny hands held a cherry blossom tree branch.
Something inside him cracked.
“I-I w-wanted to m-make a doll of you!” Sakura squeaked out quickly. “B-because I-I have d-dolls made of e-everyone in m-my family and…now you’re a p-part of my family and—” She stopped, instead threading her hands together and chewed her lip, eyes flickering back and forth before they landed hesitantly on him again. “Is…it okay?”
A warm sensation began to bloom inside Leo, making his chest feel heavy and his vision lightheaded. A choked noise escaped from him, and he put a hand over his mouth to prevent the worst of it from spilling out. His vision blurred and he knew then he could not stop the tears from leaking out of his eyes.
“L-Leo?!” Sakura blurted out, clearly startled. She touched his arms, fingers curling against it firmly, almost panicked. “W-what’s wrong?” She frowned, her lips trembling. “Oh no…I’m s-so sorry…d-do you not like it…?”
“No, th-that's not—that’s not it at all,” Leo managed to say, his voice coming out heavy. He blinked as more tears streamed down his face. He wiped his cheeks and sniffled. “O-on the contrary…this…” Leo forced himself to look at Sakura through his tears, as he took her hand and leaned his cheek into her palm.
“S-Sakura,” Leo said through sniffles, a smile breaking on his face, “this—this is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
Her eyes widened. “It…it is?” she asked. Her thumb caressed his cheek gently, wiping away the wet trails down his face.
Leo nodded, bringing the doll in between them. He took a deep breath before he continued. “I…I never really had much of a childhood,” he explained, his voice soft. “My m-mother…she was one of Garon’s mistresses, as you know. They were constantly vying for his attention and fighting to be at his rightful side. And, as part of their schemes, they…they weaponized their children…against each other. A-and so, for years, I thought that I didn't need anyone else’s care, or love. After all, if my own mother didn't love me…why should I expect anyone else to?
“Of course, I learned that wasn't the case. When it was just my remaining siblings left, we stuck by each other once the concubine wars finally subsided. But still…I think a part of me was—is—still angry that I never truly had those experiences growing up. Playing with toys without a care in the world, getting the gifts I loved, a hug or kiss on the forehead before getting tucked into bed, having things made for me, anything to let me know I was safe or protected…or that I was loved for in the slightest…I-I didn’t have that.”
“Leo…” Sakura’s lips wobbled in that way Leo knew she was experiencing his pain as her own. Her fingers pressed against his cheek a little more firmly.
Leo brushed her hand reassuringly. He took her hand again and moved it so that they were both holding the doll in their hands. “Seeing this doll, made by you…I just”—he let out a breathy laugh—“I just—something inside me broke. It reminded me of all those little things I thought I didn’t need, but I secretly still yearn for after all this time…and now, years later, I have it. Right here.”
“Oh, Leo,” Sakura murmured. Her eyes shined with tears of her own. “When I made this, I j-just thought it would be a fun l-little thing to give you f-for your birthday, but to think…it would a-actually affect you this strongly…”
Leo chuckled weakly. “It’s a little silly of me, I admit,” he continued, “to be this sentimental from a doll. But that is the truth of my feelings now, and I don’t intend to hide that from you.” He smiled, rubbing his fingers along the doll’s kimono. “You put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you? The hair, the accessories, the black and purple colors to represent Nohr, the cherry blossoms scattered throughout to represent you…”
Sakura looked away bashfully for a moment.. “I-I almost didn’t add the flowers, b-because I thought it would be c-conceited of me…but your siblings convinced me otherwise,” she said. “And Miss Oboro i-insisted I use this fabric for the gift, too, so…”
“I’m glad you kept it in,” Leo said as he continued to admire the doll. “Thank you, Sakura…this means more to me than you could possibly imagine.”
The blush in Sakura’s cheeks strengthened, but she didn’t shy away this time, her eyes crinkling with warmth. Instead, she shifted closer to him, leaning in close.
“Leo?” she asked, her voice so quiet that his ears strained to hear.
“Yes?” he replied, his heart racing as he realized how close Sakura’s face was to his.
Sakura said nothing; instead, her hands went to cup his face as she pressed a soft kiss on his lips. Another warm sensation washed over Leo. His own hands went to support her back as he pulled her in close so that she was sitting on his lap, and he could hold her safely in his arms to deepen the kiss.
“Happy birthday, Leo,” Sakura said once they parted. “I love you. And…I hope I can give you l-lots of gifts like this in the future, so—so that you’ll n-never feel the same way you did g-growing up.”
His heart cracked again at her gentle yet firm resolve, and this time Leo cupped her face in his hands.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “But I already have the greatest gift here…you. You’re the constant reminder in my life that even through all the hardship and cruelty of life, of the world…there will always be kindness, someone to care about you no matter what. That there is strength behind trust, behind kindness, behind empathy. I’m so blessed to stand by your side, Sakura.”
Sakura’s eyes brightened with tears once more, a lovely smile breaking across her lips, and Leo took the opportunity to bring them into another warm kiss.