Rating: I give everything a "T" for caution. I… have a naturally dirty mind and a tongue that would make a sailor jealous…
Disclaimer: Nada moolah being made from this and I own the big fat nothing.
Lacoco: Wait, I belong to you!
…. I own Lacoco. Who still counts as nothing.
Lacoco: Hey, now just wait a second! I'm a something.
Yes, a something that gives me a headache. Now shush so I can get some use out of you.
Personal Authors note: Be prepared to see another Lacoco around. I'm going to be writing another fiction with her. I've finally caved and decided to just recycle the name since I change my avatar based on these O.c's of mine. ^^
Chapter start
Some people were just naturally born to stand in the Sun. Others were meant to stand in the Moon.
If Leigh had to put it into words he would say Rosalya was the sun itself. It was as though a piece of it had broken off and into her, becoming her, making her blinding to look at. To touch her was to risk being burned. Yet he couldn't help but reach out.
Leigh himself was a piece of the Moon. He seemed muted compared to her, near dull. He was meant for the night when all things were sleeping. He felt more at ease then. It was when he could think. And it was where these odd fancies developed in him, his mind thinking of these odd things.
He had no doubt that if he were Lysander this would sound more poetic. Lysander was another piece of the moon. He was bathed in its glow when he wrote those poetic things; he was soft and gentle yet ever so mysterious. Just like Leigh himself. Just like the moon.
If he thought about it, really thought about it… and he often did on his late night walks that soothed him… Leigh wondered why a piece of the sun would ever deign to mix with a sliver of the muted Moon. Why was Rosalya with him? Why had he dared to try and bind a piece of the sun to him?
When Leigh was younger he recalled vaguely telling Lysander a story before bed about the Moon being jealous of the sun, because the Sun got all the attention. So the Sun snuck to where the Sun was and poisoned the Suns Daughter. The sun was so distraught that she refused to come up.
The world was plunged into the darkness. The Moon had its chance to shine. But it was not the Moons job to warm the earth and it never could be. That job always had and always would be doable only by the Sun. The Moon saw the people slowly freezing and became worried.
The Moon went and apologized to the Sun and even tried to resurrect the Daughter. But again sadly the Moon had not these gifts. Still the Sun was forgiving up to a point…. Leigh couldn't recall the rest of the tale.
Leigh sighed and forced himself from his depressed thoughts. He dropped the pen he held with a muffled groan. It was never meant to be, a sliver of the Moon with a sliver of Sun.
He and Rosalya had a fight. She told him he was not affectionate, that he was cold. She complained that she could never tell his feelings. And he had stood still and listened to her rant, wondering what to say. It wasn't in him to be verbal about these things.
Leigh was more of the kind who busied himself in work. When he was with Rosalya he held her and he gifted her things. That was how he showed his affection. He did not voice things.
"I'm sick of this! I'm done, Leigh, really! I never know how you feel and if this isn't serious for you than it is over."
The words had been the final nail, he felt, in the coffin. All he need do now was lie in it. She had stormed from the shop and he looked at the one customer who had been trying to sneak out the door before Rosalya had paused right in front of it to deliver the final bullet. The customer had ducked into the corner.
Really, what was he to even say to the old woman who coughed rather obviously? This was what came from him not seeking out another Moon sliver like him. He had played with the fire of the sun and got deservedly burned.
Leigh shook his head again. He needed to stop these Sun and Moon analogies. He would leave the poems and lyrics to his baby Brother.
However he couldn't leave it at that. Somehow he found himself standing at the high school the next morning. He had been miserable. All he could think about was Rosalya.
Was she okay?
Did she miss him?
Would she even bother to ever warm him with her inner flame again?
It was rather hopeless. He turned to leave. His chest collided with something… someone, and sent them sprawling to the ground with a muffled yelp.
"Ah, I'm sorry." He murmured listlessly as he offered a hand to help the young teen to her feet.
He found a pair of curious silver eyes blinking at him from a face surrounded by a curtain of inky black hair that seemed almost blue in certain light. And behind her was that a… jester hat?
"Oh aren't you the guy from the clothes shop?" She asked curiously as she plopped the hat back onto her head.
"Yes I am." Leigh said as he took in her outfit, he recognized the different materials. The jester hat and yellow green oriental belt and mismatched yellow and green lace tights. A pair of green and yellow Victorian fashioned boots. He sold them all at his store, minus the revealing emerald green top she wore.
"Oh cool. I'm Lacoco by the way. What are you doing here?" She smiled nicely, seemingly unconcerned with the fact the school hours were about to be starting.
Leigh figured, what could it hurt? Maybe this girl knew Rosalya. So he told her of the fight with Rosalya, sparing the details and keeping his words to the bare minimum. He was surprised when at the end she looked concerned, chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully with a look of concentrated speculation. Then she seemed to relax and gave him a beaming smile that gave him pause.
"Oh well since you can't go in I'll go get her for you. Just wait right here!"
Without waiting for a reply from him she darted off. Leigh blinked at the suddenly empty but him courtyard and glanced back at the now shut doors.
Another one… he had found another person like Rosalya, but not really like Rosalya. Another sliver of the Sun to be admired and forever out of reach. He hoped she was lucky and stuck to her own kind of light filled people to be spared the torture he was putting Rosalya through.
She came back ten minutes later without the bounce. She apologized and seemed genuinely put down that Rosalya wouldn't come with her.
"You have to show her your feelings more." Lacoco commented with a small and encouraging smile. "Just tell her how you feel."
It was easier said than done.
"Hmm… okay. I don't really know about romantic stuff but I'll ask around. Maybe someone will have an idea of what to do."
It continued for three days. Lacoco didn't know why she was driven to help the man out. Leigh was his name. She was surprised to learn that he was the elder Brother of Lysander. But she supposed it made sense in a way. A fashion sense like theirs creeping up in two separate families? Like she was one to talk but… she took after Auntie she guessed.
Lysander had written a beautiful poem. It had even made Lacoco a bit weak to read it. She had hated the near blush that had almost stained her cheeks. The poem had been about the Moon finding the Sun. it was very poetic and made her realize how much talent Lysander had.
But his different colored eyes had been on her and she refused to blush. She covered it by turning to put the poem carefully into her binder.
"It's nice." She murmured, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. She was never really the silent sort. "That you want to help your Brother I mean."
"It is natural isn't it?" He commented in his gentle and soft monotone. "I just hope it works."
Lacoco sighed and excused herself. Again… she had come against the brick wall of mystery and intrigue again. It made her deflate. Sure she hadn't known him long, just a few weeks in fact. He was a year older than her and therefore in none of her classes.
It was in her nature to "collect" people, as Iris put it, but he wasn't cooperating. She felt like with all the running around she did that made her bump into him he could be a bit more open. But if wishes were possible to make happen than there wouldn't be any reason for hard work.
Rosalya took the poem and read it over. Lacoco thought for a moment she saw a bit of thawing around the reddened eyes until the silver haired girl sighed and handed it back.
"It is a nice poem… but he didn't write this."
"Uh…"
Rosalya smiled. "I know Leigh. He doesn't write poems and if he did write one just for me it would not be so well because he has never done so before. He either had help or didn't write it at all."
"Maybe he just poured all his soul into it?"
Rosalya blinked back more tears. At the sight of them Lacoco reached out and grabbed the darker toned girl by the hand and put her other hand against her cheek. It was a forward move considering she had spoken to Rosalya exactly once before this mess. But it was just how Lacoco was. She melted in the face of tears.
"Rosalya I really think he is trying…"
"I don't know. I can just never be sure about him…" she clenched the hand holding hers for a split second before yanking away. "Excuse me."
Lacoco sighed and leaned against the railing for a moment, her face a mask of concern. She was unaware of the tall red head coming down the stairs. Wasn't aware that is until her jester hat was swept from her head.
Lacoco glanced up and immediately growled at the grinning Castiel.
"Really, again? Castiel give it back."
"You were just standing there spacing out. You were practically begging for it!" Castiel smirked.
He didn't resist when Lacoco yanked the hat back and plopped it on her head again. The two acted like they hated each other with all their teasing and taunting. But they were in fact good friends. As good as one could be with Castiel that is.
"So what has you running around this time?" he asked as he sat down on the steps.
"Not the usual. For once I'm not running around for Nathaniel."
"Why don't you just tell Golden boy no once in a while?" He smirked.
"… I feel literally incapable of telling anyone in this school no." She responded dryly.
"You'll have to get used to saying it sometimes." Castiel cocked a brow.
"Anyway since you asked… did you know Rosalya was dating the clothing store owner?"
"And this would interest me because…?"
"I don't know; maybe cause your best friends with his Little Brother. Anyway they got into a fight. What would you do if you got in a fight with your girlfriend?"
"Move on to the next one." He said it so promptly Lacoco found herself torn between believing him and brushing it aside as another sarcastic comment.
"Tch, I'm so sure. Do you even have a girlfriend?"
Lysander heard the voices and paused. From his view point he had a good shot at Lacoco's face.
"Why do you ask little girl? Do you maybe want to apply for the position of my girlfriend?"
A blush blossomed along her cheeks and her eyes widened before narrowing. Her arms tightened around herself a bit. Then she seemed to rally herself for the verbal battle.
"Yeah sure, if it'll help you sleep at night to believe that."
Castiel chuckled before standing up to pull her forward, blocking Lysander from seeing anything clearly. He didn't see her hands come up to halt Castiel's chest, her back arching away. To him it looked almost like a kiss, could have been from the way they were bent. He abruptly turned on his heel and walked calmly away, inside feeling a small pain he didn't care to identify.
"Sorry little girl. But I don't take on girls with the trembles." He chuckled.
"Trembling… with irritation you dolt!" Lacoco shoved him away irritably. "When you have something serious to say let me know."
Lacoco left the hall irritably and went on her way to the courtyard. Leigh wasn't there. Of course not. Just what she needed to not feel as annoyed with the whole population of men… not.
But Lysander was there, writing away in his notebook. Lacoco was tempted to go over there. He had a calming presence that she liked to have envelope her softly. But she knew also with how private he was he'd probably hate her more if she went over there.
She thought for a moment on the poem he'd written. Whoever was able to thaw him… was a lucky girl. She doubted it would be her… not that she wanted to!
Leigh left the shop at around nine for his customary walk. Lysander was up in his room. He had been in an even more taciturn mood after school.
His wanderings drew him to the park where he saw a fastly becoming familiar jester hat. Lacoco sat on the swings staring at the moon with a bit of melancholy. He debated about not going over but…
She was like Rosalya. And he was feeling miserable and self pity washed over him.
When Lacoco heard the steps she glanced up curiously. Leigh couldn't help but smile at the lack of fear in her eyes. She was a young, fairly attractive by anyone's standards, girl. She shouldn't be so openly curious about any footsteps. In fact she shouldn't be out so late at all.
When she recognized him the melancholy vanished behind a smile, the trace of sadness hiding behind it. Leigh frowned a bit to see how swiftly she hid behind it but let it go.
"Hi Leigh! Cop a swing. I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier. Rosalya knew you didn't write the poem. But I'll think of something else, promise."
Leigh sat on the swing beside her and sighed. It was no more than he expected. After Lacoco had skipped away so happy about the poem he had realized that Rosalya knew him too well to fall for it. He had left the school in shame.
Rosalya hadn't called him once. He had been vaguely hopeful she would be annoyed at the gesture and come storming in. That was the Rosalya he knew. That was his sun.
"It's alright." He said. "Maybe I need to let her go."
Lacoco looked at him in surprise. "But I thought you love her." She said.
Leigh smiled and Lacoco was struck with how gentle it was and accepting, just like… she refocused on Leigh.
"I do. But maybe that's why I need to let her go."
"I don't get that at all." Lacoco said in some annoyance.
Leigh glanced at her. She was tense now and not looking at him.
"In my head I've always thought of Rosalya as my sun. If I could I'd want to bathe her in the same love and light that she does me. But I can't. The Moon can't ever shine with the Sun. I need to let her go to find another Sun for herself. Someone who can shine with her." Leigh muttered, surprised he was saying these things, churning out the inner most secret musing he'd been having.
Lacoco blinked at him and relaxed again. She wanted to open her mouth and say he was an idiot for saying something like that. It wasn't what Rosalya wanted at all! She wanted to shout at him. Rosalya didn't want another Sun. She seemed to want the Moon she'd left behind.
"But… two suns wouldn't be able to shine together either. They'd both be in the spotlight. I think… what a sun needs is a moon. I mean really think about it. The sun is out there all day, never really in the cool shadows. But at night the Moon takes over. The Sun gets to rest and be taken care of for a change by her moon. Even if she is being praised to high heaven it's the moon that is always there to catch her when she is weak and tired, lets her sleep… I think that's… all she really wants… is that connection."
Lacoco trailed off and trained her eyes on the ground, not seeing it. Leigh looked at her for a moment and made a conclusion. She was not like Rosalya, not for him at least. Rosalya was a hot burn he couldn't resist but to try and hold on to.
But Lacoco was a different sliver of the sun. If Rosalya was a hot temptress than Lacoco was the steady warmth that wouldn't fluctuate. She was always there when you needed her and ready to give her warmth and guidance, even to a stranger. Her smiles, the genuine ones, were precious because he had a feeling real smiles were like a drop of rain from her.
A part of him wanted to reach out and capture this new sliver of sun that had inadvertently given him some warmth. He wondered if he did, if he had the steady warmth of her there would he cease to yearn for the burning presence. He rather doubted it but… he really did want to reach out and grasp it. He very nearly did.
Just as his hand twitched though she suddenly shot up with a warm smile.
"I've got it! Flowers."
"… Flowers?"
"Yes, flowers. What girl doesn't love flowers? If we make a bouquet for Rosalya then that should tell her how you feel."
Leigh stood to. Unable to resist he pulled her into a hug. Though she gasped she didn't resist in any way. If he could still see her face he would note the look of curiosity on her face, would find it adorable but lacking. Lacking because it wasn't the face he normally saw when he hugged a woman body…. Rosalya.
Instead he did not see the face and sighed when her hands rested against his shoulders. He thought for a moment as he studied the feel of her against him. He thought he could keep her. That he could trap this ray of sunlight, that this innocently warm girl could be his if he reached a bit more.
Human nature he supposed. One sliver of the sun had abandoned him, broken him. So now he sought out the closest warmth he could find. Or perhaps it was that the Moon couldn't live without a sliver of sun. Maybe it was as she had said. He wanted that connection as well.
"Leigh are you alright?"
"Thank you for this." He murmured.
Lacoco blinked and smiled. "No problem."
The next day Lacoco took Rosalya the flowers. By the end of first period Rosalya had skipped her classes to be in his arms. Lacoco slept through hers. When she had been yelled at the third time she grumbled and decided to skip as well… to the courtyard. Where she saw Lysander. She smiled at him.
Normally she would have stayed to chat but on that day she was too tired and to raw from realizing a few things last night. She wanted a connection with him. And from what she could see he wasn't reciprocating that. So she continued on to the garden and lay down against the warm grass. She fell asleep looking at the clouds.
After about half an hour Lysander shut his notebook and went into the gardening club. He needed to talk to Lacoco after witnessing Castiel all over the new boy named Alexy. Yes, it had been a shock to him but he didn't care if Castiel was gay, bi, whatever. What he cared about was if Lacoco was aware and if she was…
He found her sleeping and froze. He knelt beside her, very aware of how he was disturbing her privacy and how it wasn't proper for him to be there in that instant. But for the life of him he could not tear himself away.
He instead flipped his notebook open again and let the artistic flow she often stirred within him go. As clichéd as it was she had become a muse to him, and like a moth to the flame, the moon to the sun, he was being drawn to her.
It would be for naught if she was in love with Castiel. She had known him longer after all so naturally she was more comfortable around him. And he was not as vibrant as Castiel. He thought before he leapt. Despite his forgetfulness on little things he preferred a routine order to the major things. A neatness.
He would never randomly steal the set of school keys, would never randomly flirt outrageously. These were the things Lacoco seemed to respond to however. She was always laughing with Castiel. She always seemed to be at a loss with him.
When Lacoco awoke she found a scrawled notebook paper and flower blossom being held by a smooth rock to the ground. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and yawned.
She had been tight. A little nap undisturbed by teachers and noisy classmates had been just what the doctor ordered.
Her hand reached for the unexpected items and first smelled the flower before glancing at the paper. She blushed lightly as she read, feeling a tad weak and warm all over. But by the time she got to the end she was torn between two things…
Years later Leigh held Rosalya close to him as they swayed on the dance floor. The ring Leigh had given her years ago winked on her finger still but the meaning had changed from engagement to "married." However that had happened two years earlier.
Rosalya declared herself tired and they went back to their table for the wedding party. Leigh looked around. It didn't take him long to spot his little Brother holding close his bride and gently guiding her along the floor in a slow rhythm.
They were totally lost in each others eyes. Rosalya was sighing as she too watched them.
"Who knew this would happen hmm?"
"But I'm not surprised it did." Leigh commented.
"Me neither." Rosalya agreed.
Leigh clasped her hand gently and thought back. He recalled very well how he had very nearly made a play for that sliver of sun. He was relieved he hadn't now for multiple reasons.
It would have been short lived anyway for one thing. And that would have caused an unnecessary lash on all their hearts. Especially Lysander's. Leigh had once thought that Lacoco was just a peaceful warmth, safe. But to Lysander, though she was that, she was also that irresistible burn that every sliver of moon craved for, longed to form a connection to.
He supposed she had been right back then. It was very normal for the other to seek the opposite out. He had sought Rosalya just as surely as Lysander sought her. Leigh had caught Rosalya just as surely as Lysander had caught Lacoco. But it wasn't really "catching" them.
They were there with them because they loved them. Yes Leigh thought he could have taken that innocent piece of sun and held onto that warmth until he couldn't bear the lack of burn. But he was glad he hadn't done so. Very glad indeed.
For if he had Lysander wouldn't be standing there with her, happy and madly in love like he and Rosalya. Lacoco might have shattered. And Lysander would never have found that sliver of sun that made him complete.
Yes, things were right. They were the way they should be.
End
Author note: Meh. I started this at three in the morning. It is now past five. I feel accomplished. I know I haven't updated "Awakening" in a bit. I have an excuse if any of my readers from this read this as well. The flash drive I had all my chapters saved on… I stepped on it in my heavy boots… I know… but the good news is my cousin is good with that stuff so he may be able to fix it. If not he'll try and download them to a new one. Fingers crossed it works!
Now for this. I don't really know what to say. For awhile now the whole "Leigh probably sees Rosalya as the sun" thing was bouncing in my head like a football but I've been ignoring it. I know it isn't the best but I'm proud of it since it is my creation.
If you want leave a review! I do enjoy knowing others liked the mess I jumble out.
Also if you do leave a review let me know how the characters are. If Lysander, Leigh, Rosalya were in character. Yes, I made Castiel gay or bi, I didn't feel like establishing. But… well I'm sure you guys have a crack pairing of your own. Mine happens to be AlexyXCastiel. Will I inflict my crack pairing in a long fiction? Possibly yes, but not for awhile.