Leonardo

Bliss. After my mission went wrong, I never considered using that word in my life. Neither did I consider the woman I love would bring those blissful days back.

Things were falling back to their place in my mundane life. 

After what I had undergone, mundane was blissful. Meh days was what I craved for. 

People who never experienced a kiss of death would crave for an exciting and vibrant life. They wouldn't know how underrated a mundane, ordinary day was for a veteran.

"I'm telling you everything is going as per the schedule. So don't worry." Talking on a call, Zemira walked into the bedroom.

She eyed Romeo, who laid at my feet and wagged his tail. She smiled, ruffled his fur and used the same hand to ruffle my hair.

"Don't worry, Haley." She walked back towards the hallway. "You just take care of what we discussed."

I lay on the bed, eying the corner of my room where Zem left to finish her conversation. 

Romeo stirred, huffing a soft, whiny blast of air and leaned over his paws. His eyes, like mine, were trained on the door to the shadow cast by the setting sun hindered by Zemira's body.

"Come on buddy..." I grabbed Romeo's leash from the bedside table. "Let's have an early walk."

Hopping out of the bed, he wagged his tail, vigorously slapping it on both sides of his body. Woof 

Like the good boy that he was, he sat still while I clasped his leash in place.

Woof Woof

Restlessness was second nature to Romeo and he never disappointed revealing his happiness for our walks.

I got off the bed and moved ahead, eying my happy, fluffy friend when my leg slipped on something wet. My right leg stabilized but my prosthetic leg dragged me ahead. 

The grip of my artificial limb was still wobbly. I landed on my knees. 

Pain, a mixture of heat and bone clattering pricks coursed up my body and braided into my spine.

"Leo..." Zem's voice, piqued with worry and concern streamed through the door. "Fuck, what happened." 

She entered the room, eying me kneel in a painful position.

"I'm okay." I wasn't. 

My face felt like swelling up, my eyes burned from the inside. Those subsided surgical pricks I felt over my left stump now appeared more than real, hammering into what remained of it. 

"Just... gimme a second."

If pain was a human, it was grappling my throat, my chest and even clasping my heart from pumping blood. My insides felt the swell, of throbbing pinpricks that turned into a crushing force.

"Leo..." Zemira's warm palms cradled my sweaty face. "I'll call someone... okay."

I looked at her -- my girl. Seeing her twitching forehead or when she bit into her cuticles, I knew she was worried. 

"No..." My mouth dried. "Don't call anyone. Just..." My vision blurred. The heat and pain was melting my face. "Gimme a minute."

With an apprehensive head nod, Zemira curled her legs and sat on the floor. 

Not working. This isn't working.

"Love, can you please go to another room?" I asked, trying my best to curl my twisted leg.

It had stretched out and wouldn't curl back with the prosthetic leg on, unless I sat and recoiled it with hand support. In the bent position I sat, it wasn't hard. 

What seemed harder than that was explaining to Zem, why I wanted her to leave.

Weak

I felt it in my bones and every cell. I wasn't stronger like before.

"I'm not going anywhere," Zemira murmured. When I looked up, her tear-filled eyes answered the rest - She would stay.

Without saying anything, she moved up from her earlier position, dragging Romeo's concerned, barking body away from me. 

She didn't leave. She stood near the window, giving me space. Creating distance yet watching over.

Thud

I sat on the creaking wooden floor, curling my legs near my chest. My head stooped over my chest. Shame burnt me. 

Any minute now, she would pacify me. I knew she would rub my weak body and soothe me to calm. Any minute now, she'd begin acting as my caretaker. She would balm me with encouraging words.

Nothing

I turned around to witness Zemira's back. 

She stood eying the sun settling skyline outside and sighed. Her fingers wiped her face, ran over my dog's head and into his silky coat. She didn't move from her position while I grabbed the base of the bed to steady my legs. 

Inches by inches, my grip grew stronger. My arms grabbed the mattress from above, the wooden base of the bed from below and hoisted my body up.

Romeo trotted back and nuzzled his wet, cold nose over my legs. His soft whines disappeared into the silence of the room. 

Zemira turned around, concern swirling in her wide eyes.

"Are you doing okay?" She asked, moving closer. "Now should I call someone? Do we need to go and see a doctor?"

I peered into her ocean blues, searching for a reason for her sudden aloofness. 

My Zem would not leave me to suffer. She would always come for my rescue. 

Then why didn't she help me stand? 

"You can go home," I said. "...if you want."

I didn't want pity, for sure, but I always needed someone to show empathy. Maybe, I was venting my frustration.

"I'll take Rome for a walk," she said, wrapping his leash around her palm. Moving out, she looked over her shoulder as if she wanted to say something but refused at the last minute.

When the doors closed shut, I realized what I did. 

I appeared weak. I was vulnerable. 

Zemira had never seen that side of me. The only two people who saw this state and even worse was my mother and Amara.

Zem must not have liked what she saw. She must be contemplating on how broken I was. On why I hid my body from her. 

She must have even contemplated leaving me. 

Who would want to be with someone like me?

As soon as that thought entered my mind, my feet moved me. Dragging my pain-stricken body, I walked into the washroom. 

Eying the translucent glass cabinet that nested the remedy, I pulled it open and moved medicine bottles till I grabbed what was hidden behind.

My name - Brenton, Leonardo - on the bottle mocked me. I wasn't a Brenton by any stretch of imagination. 

After today, I wasn't sure to be Leonardo either. 

The instructions - take one or two tablets per four hours or as per pain - didn't help me much.

I was in pain. I was in pain before too. Before meeting Zemira and leaving Miami. All those times, I endured it. 

Today, after seeing Zemira watch me with a silent demeanor, rattled me.

Four. Four pills landed on my palm and traced a trajectory into my dry mouth. Tap water accompanied them further down. 

I bent over the sink, then stood up. The mirror displayed my reddened face. It reflected a pitiful version of me. 

I waited. 

And waited. 

I stood in the same back-arched position, feeling the wait for an eternity to get over. 

The door in the hall rattled. Keys chimed. Soft paw taps emerged. Then, a loud exhale.

"Buddy...Wait..." A soft, hushed laugh. "You all the cudest doggie evaa..."

Back to silence.

I moved away from the sink. Away from the pale faced reflection in the mirror. 

Walking back into the hallway, I saw Zemira knelt on the floor, patting Romeo who drank water from his bowl like he was parched for days.

When I cleared my throat, she looked up, smiling. 

"How are you feeling now?" She moved closer to hold my fallen hands into hers. "Should we see a doctor? Should I call Amara?"

I slid my hand into the back of her neck, grabbing her wavy locks. Her eyes widened. 

I pulled her over my lips, feeling her supple lips. She reciprocated almost immediately, running her hand over my shoulder and inside my t-shirt, feeling the ridges of my abs.

"Wait..." she spoke in my mouth, smiling and kissing my lips. "What had happened before? You seemed very..."

"Agitated?" I tipped her face up. "Anyone would be if they twisted their ankle."

I could see the tsunami of concern on Zem's face fading. Her natural pink hue - my favorite color on her, returned. 

Zemira sighed. Her tear-filled eyes spilled as she embraced me and coddled me with her gentle touch.

"I thought something bad had happened. I didn't know how to help and also wanted to give you space." She broke contact and looked up. "Wait, you twisted your ankle. Aren't you in pain?"

Her question formed a loop over my neck, tightening its grip with each passing minute. 

Don't do it. Don't be vulnerable.

"You know," I began, knowing where to steer the story. "We are taught a lot of things in the military. One of them is setting a twist to avoid damage." 

Jargons. Lies.

"Are you sure we don't need a doctor?"

She was still worried. I didn't want that.

"All I need is you... naked, sprawled... moaning..."

"Okay, okay," Zemira's cheeks turned to the vibrant color of pink. "I get it. You are fine now."

"Oh, I'm more than fine." I nuzzled my way into her shoulder, sliding the curve of her t-shirt. "I'm on top of the world."

"Really," she said as she intertwined our fingers and walked me into the bedroom. 

She smiled like all other times, untouched by worried, unaffected by my pain. I wanted that for her all along. Always. 

"Then let's test some on top of the world theories, shall we?" Her crooked smile challenged further.

Zemira tossed a soft, chewed up bone, outside the door which I was sure would satiate Romeo for at least an hour. Even more, if he was distracted by something else.

She locked the door and fell into the bed, tossing her t-shirt off her perfect, curvy body. 

I felt invigorated. Blood drummed inside each vessel, readying me for a night where I'd ensure she'd scream my name and chant her prayers to Gods.

~

He's still hiding...

Still living a lie and letting her believe things are fine.

Do you think this would end well for Leo?

Or will he face the repercussions?

Let me know if you liked this chapter :)