Tempestuous

5.

Angel was sitting on the sofa, reading an important article. Leo poked his head in, asking him if he wanted to eat Chinese today. He gave a silent nod.

But something strange, abnormal happened before he walked off. The black in Leo's eyes...that black that was always a bit darker than his. It seemed, lighter. But it wasn't a lighter shade of black, meaning it'd be gray. It was...something quite difficult to explain.

So, that same afternoon, he asked him. He was at his desk, doing some paperwork. He didn't want to be rude or interrupt, but it had been bothering him.

"Leo, what do you know about dark colors?"

He looked up from his work, unphased that Angel had barged in only to interrupt.

"Well, most colors have dark hues. But naturally dark colors? Eh, I'd say the only color that's really naturally dark is brown."

As Angel listened, he looked into his eyes. There it was again. That unique black, whatever it was. But it was only there for a fraction of a second, a flicker perhaps.

"Brown. What's that one like?"

"Brown is dirty. It's...riding a bicycle down a dirt path and a messy work table. Much like the one I'm working on right now."

His words always left Angel in awe. "You were talking about dark and light colors...what's that about?"

Leo fully turned around to face him. There it was again. That shade that he couldn't pinpoint...maybe he was feeling lightheaded. Yes. He probably hadn't drank enough water today and would go drink a glass after his conversation with Leo.

"Well, colors have hues. And you mix shades with them, which is what you-" he mysteriously stopped for a minute. "Which is what we see. That makes them darker or lighter. But for brown, it's naturally a dark color. Yes, you can make it lighter, but it's generally seen as dark. You know, here's a fact: People's skin come in variations of brown, a bit of orange, a bit of yellow. Some are lighter and some are darker."

"Really? Whoa. That's cool. That makes a lot of sense too. You're really wise, Leo."

Leo nodded, and turned around again, back to his work. Angel figured he didn't want to be bothered.

He took one last look, and he saw the gray tinge of Leo's skin and hair flicker, like his eyes. But only for a moment. Coincidentally enough, it resembled the color of his eyes, only...a lot lighter. He shook his head. Better get that water.