1.2 | Je T'aime Encore ✓

13 | rooftops

13

r o o f t o p s

Anita and Leon were on his loft's rooftop, a box of strawberry ice-cream between them, as they sat and stared at the view. Or, at least, Anita was staring at the view, awestruck. Leon was staring at Anita.

"Stop it," Anita said to Leon, not taking her eyes off of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. 

"Stop what?" Leon said, taking a spoon to eat the ice-cream. 

"Staring at me. It's creepy." Anita said, matter-of-factly, also taking a spoon before smiling at Leon. 

"Way to make a guy feel good, Anita," Leon laughed, happy that they were back on speaking terms. He'd missed the sarcastic, Indian girl, and was happy she was back. 

Anita looked at the Eiffel Tower sadly one more time, before turning to Leon. "I've missed hanging out like this," She said, putting her head on his shoulder. "I've missed us talking,"

"Am I speaking to a drunk Anita or a sober Anita?" Leon joked, knowing Anita didn't like showing emotion easily. As she pondered the question, he started playing with her hair. 

"I don't know," She answered truthfully. "Maybe both," 

"Hm," Leon said, starting to braid Anita's hair. 

"Are you going to mess it up?" Anita asked, touching her hair, and Leon remembered the one time he tried to give her a flower braid and tangled her hair for days. 

"No, I'm doing a princess braid." Leon said, continuing to braid Anita's hair, smiling now.

"Why is it a princess braid? Why not a queen braid? Is there a queen braid?" Anita asked, looking at Leon and expecting an answer.

Leon smirked down at her. "You think I have an answer to that?" Anita nodded smiling. "Why am I the resident hair expert? You're the girl!"

"Hey," Anita said, smiling up at him. "Don't be stereotypical." 

Leon hummed softly to himself, as he continued to braid, and after a while, Anita's breathing slowed, and Leon thought she fell asleep. 

"Leon?" Anita said suddenly, almost scaring Leon. 

"Yeah?" He asked, stopping halfway through the braid. 

"Why are you so good at everything?" Anita asked suddenly. "Like, I can barely do half the things you do, and you can do everything, but you still like me. Why?" 

"Anita," Leon said, titling up her head and forcing her to look up at him. "I like you because you're amazing. You're funny, you're smart, you're clever, your sarcasm never fails to brighten my day, and when I see you, my heart lightens, and I feel happier when I'm around you. Why do you like me?" Leon asked, wondering about her answer. 

She smiled softly up at him. "I like you because," she motioned for him to bend his head down so she could whisper to him, and he did. "I like you because you do my hair better than me, and you get me strawberry ice-cream." She whispered, before smiling innocently.

Leon blinked, surprised before he started laughing. Anita was quiet for a second, probably confused too, before she started laughing with them, and they were both laughing together for a second, doubled over. 

"No, but seriously," Anita said, staring straight at Leon. "I like you because of other reasons too." 

Leon's lips lifted up into a smirk. "I know." 

Anita kept staring at him, and he stared back. 

"Are we having a staring competition?" Anita joked, before turning away and putting her head back in Leon's lap. "Can you finish my hair?"

"Yes, Princess Anita," Leon joked, making a half bow at the waist before Anita hit him. 

"Hey, I'm a queen, excuse you?" Anita sassed, smiling up at him. 

"Okay, fine, Queen Anita." Leon said, continuing to braid her hair. 

Right before he finished, Anita opened her mouth, half-asleep. "Leon?" 

"Yeah?" Leon asked again, wondering where it was going this time.

"I missed you a lot," She said.

He smiled sadly off into the distance. "I missed you too," He said softly, but by then, Anita was already asleep.