You dragged him around the rest of the day, even though you felt pretty bad. It was passing, just a little over reactionary fever, and you had to go to work the following day anyway; that project was still waiting for you, loads of undone paperwork sitting to ambush. You pushed the thought away.

You had stopped briefly for a late lunch, though it was to appease Leo more than anything. Then you went over to a department store, having a specific item in mind that Leo needed to get. You pulled him over the the men’s section, hand holding his in a way that had simply become natural over the past few hours. Leo appreciated the connection, it seemed, seeking it out when you broke contact, but you wouldn’t lie either. The feeling of his skin against yours set you at ease, feeling loved an protected. You squirmed at the feeling.

“Alright,” you said, leading him past the button ups and ties to the display of wallets. There were countless there, some small and some large, of varying simple colors. “Pick one.”

Leo looked at them for a moment, then back at you. “But I have nothing to put in it.” His brow was furrowed, and he seemed honestly confused. You let his hand drop momentarily you you could dig through your purse, pulling out a few bills and stuffing them into his empty palm.

“You do now,” you said matter-of-factly, squinting a little as you fought off a bout of dizziness. “So pick one. Take it as a gift for all the meals you’ve cooked… Speaking of, we should stop at the grocery store…” You picked up a wallet thoughtlessly as you mused mentally through what you needed, flipping it around in your hands before choosing a different one. Leo said nothing, just watched you for a moment.

“Thank you.”

He looked over the rack and picked one up, simple and clean-cut black leather. He opened it up, peaked at the inside and the price tag, and held it out to you. “After we get this,” he said, watching you carefully, “let’s go sit down for a bit.”

You sighed. He was right, of course, you should probably rest a little. Leo didn’t miss a thing. You gave him a little rueful smile and accepted the wallet. “Fair enough. But don’t rush your choice because of that; your sure this is the one you want?”

He nodded once, full of certainty, and you took his hand once again, pulling him towards the cashier. You waved her away when she asked if you wanted a bag. Instead, you handed the wallet to Leo and pointed to the crumpled bills in his hand.

“Thanks, have a nice day.”

As you existed the store and searched for a place to sit, you linked your arm through Leo’s.

“Just so you know,” you said, “there’s more that goes with that present. I’ve gotten you a credit card, linked to a secondary account of mine. It should come in the mail in a few days.” You looked up at his shocked expression as smiled; it was a risk, you felt, giving him that power, letting him into your life more and more. You squeezed his arm tighter.

“Are you sure about that?”

He was surprised that you would do such a thing for him; you slid your arm down to instead cradle his hand in yours.

“Yeah, definitely. Besides, what if I need you to go get groceries?” You joked, and the mood began to lighten. You leaned a little into the support of his weight. “And let’s go sit over there, it looks like a nice cafe, we can get a snack.” You pointed to a small coffee shop that you had been in once or twice before, though it had recently been renovated.

“It looks cozy,” Leo said, admiring from a distance. “Let’s go, you should sit down.”

“I’m hardly tired,” you lied; if he caught you he didn’t say anything. He looked down the empty street, making sure it was empty, and then pulled you across with him. You were a few steps behind, looking at the broad shoulders and steady back, feeling the heat of his palm travel through to you. For a moment, you couldn’t help but stand in awe of what a beautiful being he was, of how sweet and gentle he was. You weren’t even there for a second, just admiring him in all of his glory.

The other curb came far too quickly; you were knocked out of your revere.

“You look a little red,” Leo said, eyeing you carefully. You opened your mouth to refute as he pushed open the door, a bell jingling, but said nothing. You couldn’t tell him that you were blushing because you were thinking about him. “Get a cold drink.”

He choose a seat by the window while you went up and ordered, getting and iced coffee. He picked two plush leather seats in the sun, a perfect spot to hang out for the afternoon. The shop was mostly empty, with only one or two people scattered in various corners with coffee cups. You took a sip of your own, enjoying the rich flavor.

“Does that actually taste good?” Leo said after a moment, eyeing the cup with mild disgust. “I know people like it, but it just looks so unappetizing.”

You held the cup out to him, straw in his face. “Here,” you said amusedly, “have a sip.”

Leo paused, then leaned forward and took the straw between his lips. His face brightened as the liquid spilled over his taste buds. He pushed back the cup to you, eyes wide with admiration.

“That… Is really good,” he finally said after a moment, staring down your cup. You were too, but for a slightly different reason. You thought you were too old to be worried about an indirect kiss, but as you put the straw back in your mouth it was the only thing you could think of.

Leo, meanwhile, was moving around in his seat, unable to settle. He kept looking from your cup to the menu on the wall to the barista and back to your cup. You watched him happily.

“Leo, would you like a coffee?”

He jumped a little in his seat, startled at being called out. You could have swore he blushed a little. “Erm, if it’s not a problem…”

You laughed a little; he was absolutely adorable. You handed his some money and he scrambled to the counter to order. A minute later he returned, cup held carefully in both hands.

“The server recommended it,” he said, staring at it. “She called it a ‘latte’.”

You couldn’t help but giggle.