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∘₊✧──────✧₊∘Leonardo was completely drained as soon as he got home.
His neck was sore and his shoulders felt as though they had been carrying a heavy loads all day. He stretched, his back clicking as he entered his home and blinking tiredly as Leonardo rubbed his eyes, desperate for sleep.
Kicking off his shoes, he yawned in fatigue as he took off his coat. It took him a moment to process the sounds he was hearing coming from the kitchen.
A familiar child's giggle ran through the entire house which caused him to furrow his eyebrows in confusion as he placed his coat away. Tugging his tight, black tie away from his neck, he slowly ambled his way to the kitchen where the sound of music filled his ears. Disney music specifically. The smell of what seemed to be risotto was apparent, mixed with a slight scent of burn, as though food had been overcooked.
Reaching the room, his eyes landed on Maria spinning Amalia around, his child's small, chunky body being twirled in the air as she giggled cheerfully. Leonardo was surprised to see his daughter in the house but felt slightly worried at the fact that she was dancing with Maria in the kitchen, a field of hazards waiting for them. The overly happy Disney music was loud, too loud for his throbbing head. He took his phone out his pocket and quickly read the message he hadn't seen earlier. It seemed his mother had an evening birthday party to attend.
What caught his attention was the mess of the place; the sticky counter, the sink filled with various dirty cutlery and soggy food, the stove with different pots boiling, with what he perceived to be mush, the splashes and specks of sauce on the wall and tiles and random table cloths laying around, one far too close to the cooker, stained with sauce or wet with water.
His nose scrunched up a little at the sight. It was difficult living with an untidy person.
Leonardo's mind instantly gave him a break down of what needed to be done; he would have to scrub the stove, mop the floor with antibacterial soap to get rid of all the oil, wipe the tiles down with spray, open the window and get rid of the scent, wash all those unhygienic dishes then dry them -
"Papa!"
The loud cry of joy broke through the plan forming in his head.
Maria and Amalia were finally still. Amalia's big, round eyes were full of excitement as she gazed at her father intently, her face bright with a wide smile showing her little gums with barely any teeth. Leonardo's face immediately softened at her delight.
Upon noticing Leonardo in the house, Maria avoided eye contact as she walked over to him, the smile that she was giving Amalia disappearing, as she passed the wriggling infant to her father. Her chest tightened as she glanced over at him while he wasn't looking. Since the night before, the two had been separated, and she felt quite awkward around him.
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𝐍𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄
Romance𝐧𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞 (𝐧.) that which chases sorrow away. In their painful past, they were childhood sweethearts that sought comfort with each other. Years later, the two broken souls are pulled back together by fate in an alliance that will save their...