InsaneJournal

Who: Whitney L and Leo D.
When: Last Wednesday night
Where: Leo and Whit's Apartment
What: Roomie bonding
Warnings: None



It was rare that there was an evening that Whitney had both time to cook, and she and Leo were home at the same time. Her band was becoming more and more in demand, and Leo’s job was always requiring extra time and energy. So it usually worked out that they would go days without seeing one another. To be honest, Whit didn’t like that very much. She adored Leo, as both a roommate and a friend. He filled a void she had in her life - someone who she was able to care for. She had spent practically her entire life taking care of her mother, who never appreciated that she gave up most of her childhood to take care of her.

The roast was already finished in the crock pot. She had been awake enough to put it in before she went to work her shift at the Wynn to wait tables for the morning for a poker tournament. Being a popular band in Las Vegas didn’t mean she got enough gigs to always pay her bills and have enough money to pay for the extras like new stage clothes and makeup. So waiting tables helped bridge the gap.

Whitney turned on her music and started working on cutting up the various vegetables for the salad. She wanted to make enough she could pack Leo a salad for lunch tomorrow. She bounced along to the music, listening for songs that might sound good in their shows, feeling good about the evening to come.

Leonard had been very busy as of late, prepping and planning for the concierge contest for Mother’s Day that had been his idea to begin with. He was certainly excited about it, quite pleased with how things were turning out already. It would be an interesting week, that much he already knew.

He came into their shared suite at the hotel from a busy day of preparing, knowing it might be beneficial to take a nap, even if for a few hours. It would be a quick evening. He was due back on call around midnight to assist with the opening of the contest. Setting his keys down on the counter top, Leonard sniffed as he entered the room. The smell was delicious. It almost reminded him easily of back home in England, and when he saw Whitney cutting up the vegetables, he smiled in greeting. “Good evening,” he spoke in his British accent, “something smells wonderful.”

When she heard Leo, Whit put down the knife down and ran over to him, wrapping him up in a warm hug. She was very happy he was home. She pressed a kiss to his cheek. She found his accent to be attractive, and it always made her feel very warm and fuzzy on the inside. “Did you have a good day? Get a lot of entries for your contest?” She was talking a mile a minute, as she was want to do.

“I made salad, and there is roast and potatoes, and I rented a movie from Redbox, okay?” She still had not let go of him. This was really the first time she had talked to anyone she liked all day, and she tended to be a bit clingy sometimes.

Leonard was far too much a gentleman to tell her to let go, so he allowed the hug, content for the moment. He did have the decency to flush a bit when she kissed his cheek like she did. “Yes, yes,” he returned simply. “So far, things are going well it seems.”

He glanced around the room, quite amused at everything that she’d produced and everything that she’d been doing while he’d still been at work. “That sounds fantastic. I’ve a few hours before I have to be back, so a movie will be an excellent idea.” It wasn’t important which one. Being in the company of someone who wasn’t a direct contact at The Wynn was a nice way to end a day, and he was glad he’d accepted her invitation to share a suite with her.

“You go get comfortable, and I’ll get everything ready,” she said with another squeeze before she went back to the kitchen. She was very big on making things perfect, and tonight was no exception. She’d never been really raised with social graces, but she did the best she could to mimic what she read on the internet, saw on TV or picked up from Martha Stewart. The table was set, and she took the food out of the pots and pans and into real serving bowls.

It didn’t look up to Martha Stewart standards, but for two broke kids in their 20’s, it didn’t look half bad. One day, when her band got their recording contract, she’d spring for matching dishes and flowers every night. Maybe even cloth napkins. She sat down at the small table to wait for Leo, excited to have a proper dinner.

Leo was amused at her efforts, so he was going to indulge her in this. Maybe it wouldn’t be half bad and he could really enjoy it. Whatever the case was, Leo was sure that it would be a decent meal before what oculd probably be a very long evening. He was certain that the concierge contest would start off with a bang, and having one of the main performers at The Wynn living with him definitely had an advantage.

He sat down as she requested, sliding off his shoes and leaning back in the chair comfortably with a sigh .However much this job was busy, he thoroughly enjoyed it. He got to speak all the languages he’d learned as a child, got to put to use his ability to connect with people, and furthermore, he wasn’t married to some stiff, uptight fiancee back home in England. He was sure his parents wouldn’t be happy with his choices, but they didn’t have to know.

“How was your day,” Whit asked eagerly, once she got the food all on the table. She knew that his big contest was coming up and it was incredibly important for Leo. He was incredibly popular at the hotel, and with good reason. He was kind, spoke a ton of languages and was so good looking and funny. She sat down and started fixing her plate. The food was simple, but it was hearty and filling.

If Leo was asked to describe himself, he probably wouldn’t have used those words. He’d never been incredibly popular at Devon School, nor had he been well liked during his primary years. His best friend had been his nanny Elizabeth, but even she had fled that life the first chance she’d gotten to come to America. So Leo had followed when the opportunity had been presented to him.

And now he found himself in the company of someone who clearly appreciated who he was, and it felt strange. Most of the time he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. When the food was prepared and on the table, however, it was simple. He smiled fondly, starting to serve his own portions and found the food to be delicious. “Mmm,” he stated in compliment. “This is wonderful. And it was a typical day. What about yours?”

Digging into her food, she listened to every word he said with care. She was always interested in what he was doing, and most importantly, she liked to show she was listening. She read it was kind and she really wanted to be a better person, not like her mother. It was hard, sometimes, but in the end, she knew she’d make something of herself. Besides, it was easy with Leo, who was kind and compassionate.

“I worked on some new music, had rehearsal,” she said with a shrug. “Then did a shift at the Wynn for tips. I can’t keep wearing the same things if I am doing that close after Garth Brooks. Those are high class folks, Leo.” She was in awe her band had come that far, and now she knew she had a lot of work to do to keep up.

“You know,” Leo commented thoughtfully, “I probably could use some extra assistance with this concierge contest. If you’d like, I could arrange a short shift or two for you to work as a concierge. It’d be good practice, and I think you’d be good at it. You know quite a bit about the local stars and such, more so than I do.” He wasn’t being modest, just honest.

Leo’s expertise lay with the classical artists and the languages. If someone didn’t speak English natively, he switched to their language, excited for the chance to practice whatever language he could. It was part of why many guests enjoyed speaking to him.

Whitney chewed over his offer while she ate. She’d never done concierge work, but it had to pay better than waitressing. She certainly had a sunny disposition, and people tended to like her face to face. She also had an incredible knowledge of drinks and pop culture, so she would be able to help find shows and concerts. She’d even met Wayne Newton once, and Garth Brooks had smiled at her a few times.

“I could do that,” she said with a smile. “And if you ever need help with that stuff, you can always text me. I know all about the shows, the clubs, and well...” She paused for a second and then nodded, “You KNOW I love helping people.” It was true. Whitney loved to entertain, make people smile. She did love the attention, but she also loved to see people smile and enjoy themselves.

Leo smiled charmingly as he continued to enjoy the meal prepared for him. It was rather delicious. “That would seem, then, like we have a plan. I’ll inform Mr. Winters that you’re interested in picking up a shift or two. I’ll train you, and there’s no way he could refuse.” Leo sipped at his drink contentedly, sitting back in his chair confidently.

Excellent. With this contest underway, and with Whitney’s help, there was no way that he couldn’t meet a guest’s request.

“You know, I have an idea for when, like, this is over? Maybe we can make up some sort of cheat book for bands for you. I could like, put it online so you could use your phone to access it.” She didn’t know much about websites, but her band had one, so how hard could it be? She would do whatever she could to help Leo, though. It would make his job easier.

She sipped her soda and leaned back against the chair. With the extra money, she might even try to get some studio time, so she could get some stuff on iTunes. “So how is the contest going? Any crazy requests?”

He couldn’t help but be pleased with how this was turning out. Leo nodded his appreciation, finishing off her excellent dinner and setting it to the side carefully. “Yes, that sounds fantastic,” he returned with another proud smile.

“As for the contest, so far, we’ve not many requests, but I’ve a feeling that it will start right at midnight tonight. Most guests wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to try to take advantage of a concierge like this one is allowing us to do,” Leo commented lightly. “And what about yourself? Prepared for the dinner in a week?”

“I’m doing a lot of writing, trying to add new stuff. Since we have a lot of guests, and they’ve all mostly seen one of my shows, I want something different. Still my style, but new, awesome stuff.” Whit was fairly comfortable in her own skin when it came to her music, but she still liked to vary it up and play to her audience. One of her few skills was she was an accomplished entertainer.

“And we have a sweet 16 coming up,” she said, trying not to roll her eyes. “But it might be on that TV show on MTV. So that would be awesome.” She’d never been on TV before, and really wanted to be. Truthfully, she wanted to be on everything - magazines, billboards, maybe even TMZ one day.

It was fascinating for Leo to watch her grow as a musician, and it almost made him wish that he was a musician too. However, that was not the case. Although...he turned his attention to her with curiosity. “If you ever find yourself in need of a violinist,” he offered softly, “I suppose I could start practicing again. It is a trend currently in Europe to add violins to pop or rock music.”

He knew that his parents would never approve of such a feat, but it would be an interesting experiment. They could probably pull something like that off.

The offer made Whit’s ears perk up. She was dying to add something new, and well, what better for her band than violin, or well more specifically, fiddle? After all, they did a bluegrass-country style, and that would be an amazing addition. Besides, Leo was good looking, and he would certainly draw a crowd.

“That would be amazing!” Whit exclaimed, her face practically exploding into a full grin. “I’d love to have you with us!” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek again. Yes, she was probably a wee bit too affectionate sometimes, but it was genuine.

If Leo was any less civilized he probably would have turned around at her excited kiss. However, he did have the decency to flush in embarrassment at her enthuaiastic greeting. “I...all right then,” he returned softly, his lips turning upwards into a small smile in response. “I must admit that I’m not entirely familiar with your genre of music; however, I am classically trained so I can reason something out.”

He wasn’t trying to brag. He was just slightly embarrassed at the moment and sometimes reciting things that he knew or rattling off information was the best way to ocpe with those awkward moments of embarrassment.

“Well, you wanted to learn America? Nothing is more American than country music!” That was completely true, at least in her mind. Music was important to the culture of well, everywhere, so it only seemed fitting that he would also learn this music. It would work amazingly, and things would be perfect, she could feel it.

After they finished dinner, she cleaned off the table and loaded the dishwasher, carefully put away the leftovers so there would be lunches for the week. She then made some popcorn in the microwave, and plopped down on the sofa next to Leo, a bit closer than most people would be comfortable with, but Whit never was very good with personal space. She had rented some horrible romantic comedy, but she was a sucker for romance.

He let out a small laugh at her suggestion, went to try to help her with the dishes, only to find that she was already well on her way. With a smile on his lips still, Leo changed out of his suit into comfortable pajama pants and a shirt, knowing that around midnight he’d have to be expected to be back in the suit in a moment’s notice.

The movie was a decent one and Leo found himself easily paying attention to it. He was far more interested, however, in relaxing contentedly, especially now that he was completely full and satisfied for the moment. Her closeness didn’t bother him much. After all, his father’s relatives were Japanese, and closeness in Japan had a different sense than closeness in America.

As the movie progressed, Whit was getting more and more engrossed. The producers easily mainpulated her emotions, and she found herself crying and laughing in all the right places. She found herself by the end of the movie snuggled into the side of Leo, her arm draped over his waist. She hadn't done it on purpose, but something about him made her feel safe. Her fingers twisted into his shirt a bit even during a especially tense moment.

After the movie was over, she really didn't move, even though she knew that Leo was probably going to have to get up and leave soon. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Leo. Tonight was fun."

He watched the movie in mostly silence, enjoying it for what it was and taking it in. It wasn’t that spectacular, but he did enjoy the company. And Leo found, oddly enough, that he didn’t mind Whit’s lack of personal space tonight. The extra warmth was welcomed, though he knew if he didn’t move soon he’d probably wind up falling asleep, and that wouldn’t be good on the first night of his contest.

“You don’t to thank me. You did all the hard work, silly,” he acknowledge quietly, laughing softly. “But yes, it was fun. I’ll have to get my violin out and practice again soon.”

She blushed slightly. He really was the first person in her her life she felt like really appreciated her. That was a difficult thing for her sometimes, because she got far more attached than she should have been. She tended to care for the wrong people, people who hurt her, took advantage of her. All she really wanted was someone to care about her and want her company. It was simple, but Whit could be simple.

She finally pulled back and smiled at Leo. "So, I don't have to be anywhere during the day tomorrow. Want me to make some coffee and keep you company?" She knew he was in for a long night.

He didn’t mind the company. Really, Leo had been alone most of his life, and the one person who had been there for most of it just up and left at their first opportunity. Now, however, Leo had gladly accepted Whit’s offer to move in with her. It felt nice, to have someone to talk to who actually seemed to understand him the way that she did.

“If you’d like. Make sure to get one for yourself too though, okay?” teased Leo softly. “I’d hardly want to be the only one drinking coffee. If you can pull yourself out of bed around eight or so, that would be fantastic. I imagine the first bit of the contest will be busy.”

Whit got up and fussed around for a bit in the kitchen, opening the dishwasher so the dishes would dry and she could unload it later. She started the coffee, getting out the good stuff she got from a friend who works at Starbucks, and started the pot. She figured that Leo would likely drink the coffee. When it was finally done, she poured two cups, and then got out milk and sugar, and put them on a tray, taking it into the living room.

"I can be anywhere you need me, Leo," she said with a smile, fixing her own coffee sweet and light. She also had brought a box of cookies and grabbed a few. She was overly fond of sweets, and would pay for it at the gym tomorrow.

Well, that comment of hers brought another flush to Leo’s cheeks. He watched as she fixed her own coffee and prepared the cookies, trying to reason things out in his head as he fixed his own coffee. He was lucky with a high metabolism and didn’t have to worry much about going to the gym. Usually, a nice walk or two would do the trick for Leo.

“Well, if you say so,” he commented, sipping his coffee to hide his embarrassment. He was looking anywhere but at her, and really he felt like quite the idiot not knowing what to say to his roommate all of a sudden.

After she was settled with her coffee, Whit picked up the remote and flipped over to the news. It wasn’t really that she cared too much about the news, but it was comfortable noise. She didn’t know what to say to Leo right now, because he seemed uncomfortable and she hated making him uncomfortable so she just watched some news story about kittens being rescued from a drainage ditch. Her face always betrayed her emotions, and she grinned by the end of the story.

“I wish I had a cat,” she said softly. Animals had never been a big part of her life, and she missed out on that experience as a child. Now that she lived here, she had no idea if they could even have animals.

Cats were about the worst thing that Whit could have mentioned or watched. Sebastian was positively beaming in his head, going on and on about the gorgeous, majestic creatures. He turned a deadpan expression towards Whit, and admitted in a soft voice, “Apparently, the idiot in my head thinks cats are just like gods. If you got a cat, I don’t think he’d ever shut up.” He was being entirely honest, but Sebastian’s rambling was worse than ever when cats were involved.

Leo couldn’t stand another headache like the last time the idiot had gone on about cats. No matter how powerful or strong Sebastian seemed, there were still far too many times when he got on Leo’s nerves, and this definitely topped them all.

And Whit managed to make it worse. She winced and gave Leo an apologetic smile. “I had no idea.” She didn’t like the idea that Leo had some sort of battle with his voice inside. She liked hers, she was kind and sweet, a bit like Lizzy herself. She just wanted to make people happy, especially some poor boy named Ciel. She wished she loved someone like that.

“Well, then that is okay. Maybe we can get some fish?” She hoped fish were okay. Fish seemed to be something very few people got crazy about, right? Plus fish wouldn’t smell bad.

“That’s fine. Just no cats. Sebastian’s...ridiculously bloody fond of them,” he muttered, shaking his head in amusement. How could such a grown man be so fond of those creatures. “Fond enough that he’s quite happy inside my head. Apparently my name excites him.” He sighed, leaning back against the sofa comfortably.

Leo rarely spoke so openly about Sebastian. There was something off about him, something that Leo couldn’t quite place. He didn’t feel exactly...normal. He wasn’t sure how to explain it, but he felt as though he couldn’t really trust the man inside his head. And Sebastian certainly didn’t make things easy.

She nodded and then turned her attention back to the television for a moment. She had never heard him be so open about the voice in his head. Hers was different, quieter. She wasn’t sure what to say about it, to be honest. The woman was sad sometimes, like Whitney. But she seemed to have someone to love. Love was something Whit wanted more than anything.

She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder again. She wanted to ask him more about his life. It seemed so brilliant compared to hers. “So, what was England like, when you lived there?” Maybe one day she’d get to visit a place like that.

Ah. Small talk. He did have an hour or two before he was expected to be back at the concierge desk, and he supposed he owed this much to his friend. He smiled softly. “The countryside was beautiful,” commented Leo lightly. “I went to school in the south of England, where we could almost see the ocean from the school yard. But my home was in London.”

He glanced down at her lightly. “Perhaps later this summer, we can take a holiday and venture there. I don’t really miss it, but I’m certain by now my parents have tracked me down and are quite livid with me.”

“I would love that. I’ve never been anywhere, really, but Nevada.” Being poor usually meant no vacations. She’d only been to Las Vegas a handful of times on school trips, and it always seemed to glamorous. She was enthralled with the bright lights and promises that Las Vegas seemed to have. Here, she could practically see the whole world, though she wanted to get a recording contract and see everything.

“So what do your parents think about this? About coming to America and being on your own?” She knew her own mother thought she was hopeless, and didn’t think she could ever make it anywhere, let alone Las Vegas.

He smiled gently at her question, knowing that he owed her a response of some kind. But really, what would his parents think? He was certain that after they were done being upset at him, they might appreciate everything he’d gone and done for himself. Maybe.

“I honestly haven’t a clue,” he returned quietly. “To be honest, I don’t even know if they’re aware of where I am. I planned this on my own, made my way here. The only person who I’ve ever really cared about is here, somewhere. I’ll find her one day.” His voice was soft at the end as he spoke. “I owe her so much.”

“That is so sweet,” she said softly. She was jealous a tiny bit. She hoped that Leo was able to find this person. After all, she believed in love and knew that it was worth finding, someday. She just knew that someone would adore her and make her feel like a princess.

“Who was she?” Was it a girlfriend? Was he married? There were so many questions!

He glanced across at her, sighing softly. “She was...my nanny, is the proper term. But really, she’s more like my mother than my real parents, and she was my teacher for many years, as well. She’s the one who taught me to play the violin,” Leo admitted gently.

So, this person wasn’t someone he loved in a romantic way. In a platonic way? Most definitely. Elizabeth was certainly family to Leo, family that he’d never forget.

“Well, then I guess we can find her!” she said with hopeful excitement. She had no idea how to find someone, but she could at least google the woman, maybe even search Facebook. After all, everyone was on Facebook, right? And if not Facebook, there were plenty of other places that she could search. She hugged him tightly, just sure of it.

“Do you think she is in Vegas? Maybe somewhere else?” Maybe she had fallen in love with a man, ran off to America. She could write a song about this, she mused dreamily.

“It is why I’ve come here to begin with,” he remarked, shrugging. “I’m not even sure what her full name is now. She came here to marry someone, left as soon as I was old enough to be on my own.”

In truth, he did wonder where Elizabeth was now, but he wasn’t about to go hunt her down on only a first name. She’d wanted out of that life for a reason, a reason that he was sure was a very qualified reason.

It was a romantic story! Whit was excited about it, and knew that it surely had a happy ending. After all, her only knowledge of these things came from movies, where everything had a happy ending. The guy always got the girl, and everything was wine and roses. She grinned and looked over at him. “I bet she would be happy to see you, and probably even meet her new husband!”

She was so hopeful and optimistic. She had to be in her childhood, or face crushing depression. “It’s kind of romantic, really, to leave your home, run off to marry the man you love.” She glanced over at Leo. “Can you imagine loving anyone that much?”

There was a small, almost sad smile on his features. He could tell she was excited about this, but Leo had his doubts. Even though Elizabeth had been wonderful while she’d been with him, he wondered if she had another reason for leaving the country so suddenly as she had. Did she not like him like she pretended? The one person who’d really cared a lot for him.

He glanced over at Whit gently, then shook his head. “No, I guess I can’t imagine it,” he admitted softly, checking the time. It was already eleven, and he supposed he should get ready for the day. Rising to his feet with a stretch, Leo managed a small smile and turned his attention back towards Whit. “Well, thank you. Supper was lovely. I should be getting ready for this evening, though.”

Whit was a bit perplexed and decided once Leo got up, the best thing to do was to pack him something for the night. She went into the kitchen while he was getting ready and poured the rest of the pot of coffee into a thermos, then packed a few of his favorite cookies into a zip top bag. It wasn’t really much, but the extra sugar and caffeine would help him stay awake. She packed it all into Wynn reusable grocery sack.

When he emerged dressed, she handed him sack and smiled. “Good luck tonight, Leo. I thought you could use a bit extra fuel.” She was proud of herself for being a good friend and a good roommate.

He took perhaps half an hour getting ready for the evening, and he was grateful for her cooking and the conversation. But talking about Elizabeth was a bit of a sore spot for Leo. The one person who had really cared about his life just decided to leave on a moment’s notice. Why? Was life in England so bad? He supposed that maybe for her, having to look after him all the time, it may have been.

However, when he emerged from his room, fully dressed in his suit again, Leo offered Whit his usual cheerful smile. “Thanks, Whit.” He had to do something to let her know that he really appreciated her, so he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss to her cheek.

Whit flushed a bit when he kissed her cheek. He was so sweet. She really didn’t feel like she did enough for him. She was excited, however, he was off to do his contest, and knew that it would be a spectacular event, one that the Wynn would be proud of. She reached out her hand and held his briefly, knowing he would need the support tonight, and the rest of the week.

“We’ll have to do this again, once your contest is over,” she said with a grin.

“You bet we will,” commented Leo softly. He sent her a cheerful smile, held up the bag of food and nodded his thanks. “Well. See you in the morning then!” He knew that he was off for a long, busy night, and even though he now face memories of Elizabeth, he had to face his job and be the best concierge that he could possibly be. Because who would expect anything less from a concierge at The Wynn?