Feeling about 3 inches tall, Jo sat up and folded her hands in her lap as she listened to Isabelle. "What was I supposed to think? He had be pinned to the bed unable to move and whispered that he had 'defiled a goddess'!" She shook her head and sighed. Her reaction had been far to off the deep end and she knew it. She had probably kicked him below the belt. "Can I go through, Isabelle?" She stood and came up beside Isabelle in front of the darkness.

Isabelle seemed to step to the side, and Jo walked sheepishly through the black hole. It seemed to go on forever. After a few more feet or inches she wasn't sure, she came to the light and blinked furiously as the sunlight nearly blinded her. Once her eyes adjusted, she spotted a figure in white just beside the water. "Leon," she called to him from a distance. She didn't want to startle him or intrude. "I'm sorry I over reacted just a little bit." She took a few steps toward him. "I can go, Isabelle." She stopped and pointed slightly over her shoulder. "Isabelle showed me."

"I feel that I owe you an explanation. I wasn't judging you, you have to understand that. But what you did...What I feel." She stopped, her voice shaking slightly. "I feel something for you that I know I shouldn't. It scares me. I know that it will only lead to heartache, but I can't seem to stop myself." She ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "Do you remember what you did when we first met? How you tried to seduce me? I was afraid you were trying to do that again."

She took a few more steps toward him as she continued, bringing her so close that she could reach out and touch his shoulder, but she didn't. She twisted her hands together in front of her. Staring at her hands, she continued, "I know you all need my help to get back. I understand that. It just seemed that you made me feel this way for you and had me help you and like you just to get to heaven again." A single tear slide down her cheek.

"I know I cannot love you. I know that, and I'm trying," She said forcefully. "I talked to Isabelle, and she told me that I kind of over reacted just a little." her fingers itched to touch his shoulder, but she stood still just behind him. "Please forgive me. I am so very sorry to come up short of your expectations. I would like to hear the rest of your story please," She added softly, still looking down at her hands.

Leon’s head leaned back and he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath of fresh air to calm his nerves. This was bad, this was very bad… he couldn’t get this goldfish out of his head. It was like some twisted spell and being away from her was pulling at his heart like never before. The king and his sick games. The man knows everything that had happened and what was going to happen. He knew this would be the feelings that Leon would have to deal with and now Leon was suffering because of it. He missed her, and now she hated him… And now he was hearing her voice… her voice calling his name…

Hearing Isabelle shut the door, his eyes popped open. Oh, he wasn’t dreaming, she was actually here. Listening to what she had to say he didn’t turn around. He couldn’t face her just yet. Her words struck a chord with him and his hands clenched in his pockets. She felt the same way… oh this was painful. Turning around he saw just how close she actually was and there was a moment of silence between the two of them as she stared down at her hands.

Stepping to her, he placed a large hand on her cheek; his thumb gently wiping away the tear. He hated to see her cry, but at least she wasn’t crying alone. “I’ll show you…” He said softly, “I’ll show you everything.” He brought up his other hand and placed it gently on her cheek and leaned down, resting his forward in hers. Her vision went blank and soon his memory transferred to her.

The heavens were bright and sunny; he walked through the streets of a small town looking at local items when a beautiful red-headed goddess approached him.

“Lord Leon.” She said in a giddy voice. “My love for you burns with the passion of the sun. Please let me take you out on a date.”

“No.” He said simply before turning and beginning to walk away.

“Lord Leon please!” The woman cried in desperation, she grabbed ahold of his arm with a force strong enough to cause him to stumble. “We would be perfect together. I am the goddess of power, and you are the second strongest god in the heavens. I could make you great, we could be the best couple in the heavens. I love you; please give me a chance!”

“For the last time I said no.” Leon said shortly shaking her off of him, “I know your status has fallen and you seek to regain what you’ve lost but gaining the love of someone by forcing yourself upon them is no way to do so. Leave me be.”

Again the woman snatched at him, ripping his Department of Wishes armband from his bicep and digging her clothing painfully into his arm. “We are meant to be, don’t you see! I love you! What more do you need?”

“I need to return your love, but your love is nothing more than mere words seeking what you have lost.” He said sharply shaking her off roughly. “You have said the same thing to Lord Hue, to Lord Alexander and even to Lord Axel, is there no end to you lustful desire for power?” At that he stormed off.

The next memory that came to pass was Leon standing in front of the king.

“Little Lion.” The king said standing in front of his throne radiating in gold and silver lights, “You denied a goddess love, love that can be honest and true and now she has fallen from grace.”

“She threw herself from grace because my denial to her advances.” Leon spat back. “I cannot be held accountable for the actions of someone who is not in my department. She chose the path of self-destruction because she was attracted to anyone with power who might be able to get her higher.” The group of banished gods behind him, some were branded already, others were not. This was the moment when the king was branding them. And even Alexander and Axel nodded in agreement to Leon’s statement about the woman.

“You have denied the possibility of love, you do not love Little Lion; and I question your ability to do so. You have defiled a goddess and drove her to madness without attempting to love her.”

Leon scoffed at this, his internal voice thinking Why would I attempt to love her if I felt nothing in the first place? (of course Jo was able to hear his internal thoughts.)

“For the sin of defiling a goddess you are here by branded and banished until you have seen the error of your ways.”

The vision faded, leaving the screams of pain the marking caused him before Leon pulled back completely from her and dropped his hands to his sides. “Words are meaningless; she spent weeks chasing me, professing her love every chance she had but never once did her actions towards me prove any love. Gifts are meaningless, they are devices of manipulation that expire over time; words are something anyone can say and can be used to trick feeble minded fools and I am no fool. I knew what she wanted, and I wasn’t going to give it to her.”

Leon let out a shaky sigh. “Despite how I treated you when we met, you still agreed to help us and have followed through with your word. You could have left me on that beach to suffer and faint but you didn’t, you got me to the mansion. And when I asked you to stay… you did. And now here you are, willing to listen to my story. My sin is because I didn’t love. I refused to love anything. Not even the humans I help, I didn’t hold any love or respect for… until I spent time with you.”

“Our first encounter is the last that I use my powers with you. But if you feel desire, know it’s of your own accord and not mine though…” Turning his face away, his cheeks showed a small shade of pink and he spoke in a whisper nearly lost to the winds, “The feeling would be mutual.” At that he turned his amber-golden gaze back to her and extended out his hand. “Jo…” He asked softly, “Do you love me in return?”

The world seemed to tilt on its axis as Leon pressed his forehead to Jo's, showing her the memories of his sin. I was nothing like she was afraid of at all. When he pulled away she felt a sudden chill, like a hard, cold wind was blowing, despite the warm and sunny weather. Her mind was reeling, but then he was talking again. Jo continued to stare blankly up at him and blinked occasionally, not fully processing everything that he was saying at the time. Noting the slight color to his face, she cocked her head to the side and blinked again, finally coming back to the present.

"In return?" She asked confused. 'Leon I hardly know you. I met you not even a week ago and you introduced me to a while new world that I had no idea even existed. I have experienced so many different things this past week. I don't even know what to say or how to process any of this." She reached up and touched his cheek, drawing a line down his jaw with her fingers.

"And yet," She added as his eyes betrayed his feelings. "And yet...my answer is yes. Completely. Irrevocably. Undeniably." She smiled, showing her teeth. "I could go on." Her cheeks heated with a blush, but she knew this would only end painfully. "Leon." She stopped suddenly. "You said my name." Her grin grew wider. "You called me Jo." That simple act actually meant more to her than he could possibly know. She enjoyed the name goldfish though, but her name on his lips sounded heavenly.

"Leon. We can't. Once you're forgiven... Once your mark is gone, you're gone. You'll go where I can't follow. We can't." Her eyes dropped but she kept her hand on his cheek.

Her words began to sting him, stinging him to the point that the pain he felt earlier was nothing compared to hearing her question the feeling she might have. Was this going to be Leon’s first rejection? Was this going to be something he’d have to experience? The last thing on his mind was removing his sin, in fact the thought of it being removed wasn’t something he had even processed for some time. He was, dare he say, enjoying his time on earth and with this little goldfish.

Her answer was yes. He thought his heart was going to explode out of his chest as she took his hand and came to him. Her fingers against his cheek felt electrifying and he felt like he could conquer the world by just her gentle touch. A shiver shook his whole body as her fingers danced along his strong jawline.

Of course, she mentioned the end all of everything. He would have to return to the heavens at some point. Reaching out he pulled her to him, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other resting gently on his back. “Let me deal with that.” He said in a reassured fashion. “There may be some time that we are apart but I will be back. We will be together.”

His hand traveled slowly up her back and to the back of her head. Gently he brought her head to his chest, resting her ear over his heart. “Listen, each god has their own beat. It is unique to every single god. It is our hearts that set us apart; memorize the melody my little goldfish. Only you are allowed here. Only you are allowed to know the sound of my heart beat. Memorize it; know that when I am not around it beats only for you. For you are the only person in heaven or on earth who has ever heard it.” His heartbeat was a song in itself, as if playing over and over again for her own enjoyment. His hand gently played with her hair, he would allow her to stay against him for all eternity but for now, they would have times apart and it was important for her to know the melody his heart plays and only plays for her.

Her eyes closed as she breathing in the smell of him. How could it come to this. Listening to his heartbeat she took a deep breath. His words tugged at her heartstrings and made her stomach dip. She had never heard anything quite like what he had just said to her. Slowly, she pulled her head away from his chest and looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Without thinking anymore, she just acted. She stretched up on her tiptoes and touched her lips quickly to his. Just a touch.

"You won't get in trouble will you? I mean, Isn't this what he wanted? You to actually accept and give love." Her voice was quiet. She was still processing everything. His words echoed through her head once more. "I wish I could have met you in a previous life. you know," She smiled a small smile. "When i was actually a goddess and could leave earth. That would be easier."

Taking a deep breath, She looked around her and took in the beautiful view. She was preoccupied when she first arrived and hadn't paid much attention. "Where are we?" She asked Leon and took a step back, looking in every direction. "It's beautiful here."

She kissed him… she kissed him. His mind went blank for a moment. It was just a simple brush of her lips against his but it was enough to send an electronic pulse through his whole body. The poor guy didn’t fully register what she was saying but that shouldn’t be too big of a surprise… this was his first kiss after all.

When she stepped back from him, he slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around the front of her and resting his head gently on her shoulder looking out upon the scenery as well. “This is a little place somewhere on earth. I come here to get away from everything, not as beautiful as what is in the heavens but its close.”

He hoped she didn’t expect him to ‘change’ because that’s not who he was. He was straight forward, blunt and quite arrogant but if she fell for him like that there was no reason for him to change. She was, however, the only one allowed to see his soft side, allowed to see him ‘weak’. “That is what he wanted. However it’s against heavenly decree to love one human more than another. The worry of the abuse of the loving god’s power is the main concern, outside of that no one has ever expressed any other reason.”

“I will take care of it. In exchange I request two things from you goldfish.” This time, his wording of goldfish seemed playful, as if it went from a label to her nickname. “One, no one else grants your wishes but me. And two, you never cry alone.”

Silence. She waited and pondered the two conditions that he had named off to her and sighed. Of course she could easily agree to both without a second thought. Especial the wish one. She did have one wish in particular that she wanted him to grant, mainly because she was too chicken to actually do it herself, despite all that had just happened between then. This was a wish that she had been thinking about since the moment he opened his eyes on the beach. A real kiss.

Jo seemed to sigh as she stood for what seemed like an eternity wrapped in his embrace, taking in the sight of everything. This place was great and beautiful, and she had no doubt in her mind that they would be back. But for now they needed to go back and face reality. "Well, my little lion, I guess we need to go back and face the others. I can only imagine the lectures that Curt and Hue will give you one we return." Smiling, she pulled herself out of his embrace.

She turned to face him. "I agree to both of your terms, but I do have a few of my own as well. First, no using your powers to manipulate me. I don't have any inclination that you will. I'm just laying it out there. I trust you though, I do." She paused for a moment, thinking. "The second condition.... Is that you have to promise me that you will never grow bored with a mere mortal and run back to some frothy goddess." Jo laughed out loud and tucked her hair behind her eyes. Her terms were ridiculous, and she knew it.

extending out her right hand, she looked up and her eyes met the cool amber gaze of Leon. He was smiling. Her heart nearly skipped a beat. "So...Do we shake on it? Or...what?" She cocked her head to the side and a small giggle escaped her lips. She could not have been more happy than she was in that moment.

Of course he heard her wish, silly goldfish should be careful with what she wishes for in the presence of the director of the Department of Wishes. When she called him a little lion, he gave her a small dark look. No one has called him little lion to his face in a long time. Though his dark look was nothing more than a natural reaction, even she could tell that he didn’t mean it in a negative fashion.

His gaze turned down to her as she pulled away. Her terms made him smirk. A devilish look across his face as he took her hand and pulled her to him; leaning down he whispered in her, “My little goldfish, I do not need to use my powers to make you weak-kneed. No one else will ever receive my love. The question is, are you ready to handle the love of a god?”

At that he dripped her gently down and pressed his lips against hers. The vibrant intensity of the kiss sent a shiver through his spine and he gripped onto her as if never wanting to let her go. He slowly pulled away from her, a rare soft expression came across his stern face as he gazed lovingly down at her. “And now I shall grant your wish.” At that he leaned down, placing another kiss upon her lips. This one was softer, and much more gentle compared to his last passion filled kiss but there was emotion behind it none-the-less.

Breaking the kiss he pulled her upright and turned towards the exit. “You will continue to help the others but before you leave you will find me to say good bye.” He said in a matter of fact tone as he laced his fingers in with hers and began to walk towards the hallway leading back to the mansion, “Staying is always an option.”

Her eyes popped open as he dipped her down and his lips met hers. He held her to him like he never wanted to let go, and frankly she didn't want him to. She could feel the rhythm of his heart against her chest as he poured his passion into their embrace. she felt him shiver against her and tightened her hold on him. Slowly, her eyes fluttered closed and she laced her fingers through his golden hair as she kissed him back. She let her emotions show as she met his lips and sighed. This was better than what she had ever wished for. When he finally pulled away and stood her back up, his eyes betrayed him again. This was the only time she ever saw him like this. Not arrogant, but happy.

"Of course I can handle it. How hard can it be to love a god," She said jokingly and walked through the doorway and into the darkness leading back to the mansion. She gave his fingers a gently squeeze as they walked in silence for a few moments. "Of course I will stay and continue to help everyone else. I think it would be rude to just help you and then leave everyone else hanging to fend for themselves!" Laughing, she pushed open the door and reentered Leon's bedroom.

Once the door was closed behind her his last comment finally registered with her. Stay? Here? At the mansion? With all the gods? And Leon? She turned to face Leon, wide eyed. "Stay...? Here...?" She managed to squeak and bit her lip. Boy did she want to say yes. Every minute that she was awake she wanted to be with Leon and the others. The time she spent with them seemed much more meaningful than the times she was with her friends. Maybe it was because she knew the time with them was limited.

The lease to her apartment had two more months before she had to leave. "Leon, I don't think I can stay here. I have a cat and my lease is still in term. I would love to, don't get me wrong. But all of my things are there and I don't want to clutter this beautiful mansion with my crappy photos and paintings."

She jumped as the door burst open and Isabelle came barreling through, followed by the other gods. She didn't know if she was ready for this. Most of them looked from Jo's face, to Leon's face, to their hand still entwined between them. Jo blushed, feeling like a teenager caught making out with a boy in her parents basement. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't seem to find the words she wanted.

When she began to stumble over her words and squeak his head jerked back in surprise. His eyebrow rose in confusion as he looked down at her and he rejected him. “Uh, I didn’t realize cat were so dependent you had to be with it each night. Nor did I know you paid rent on a night to night basis but then again the human world is weird.” That being said he shrugged his large shoulders. He had only meant a night or two continuously but apparently her human life required more than he was expecting; his face dropped to a frown of dislike for a moment before returning to his natural cool demeanor.

Of course Isabelle was the first inside the room and the first to react. “Aaaahhhh!” she squealed, her little hands shaking left and right in excitement. “Lord Leon has finally chosen a mate!” Dashing to him, she wrapped her little arms around his thighs and gave him a hug squeeze. “Yay! I’m so happy!!” The blonde instantly let go of Leon and jumped to Jo, wrapping her arms around her waist and pressing her head against her stomach, grinning from ear to ear. “And it’s Lady Jo of all people! Hurrah!” Her giggly giddy excitement certainly didn’t match those of the other members of the Department of Wishes, in fact even Curt looked uncomfortable as he rubbed his hand against the back of his neck.

The joyful silence didn’t last very long before the Department of Punishments gods arrived, Axel looked confused, Scorpio looked annoyed and Alexander looked mad. “Leon, you know what you’re doing is against heavenly law.” He barked causing little Isabelle to cling to Jo, not for joy but for fright.

Pulling Jo by the hand, he guided her behind in a protective manner and to Alexander he scuffed with a chuckle. “Director Stick-In-The-Mud doesn’t understand anything. Do you know what my sin is?” Watching Alexander’s face curl into rage he continued to speak. “My sin is not being able to love. I didn’t love humans, I didn’t love my job and I didn’t have someone to love. Now I love it all but, I love this human the most.”

“You cannot love one human more than the other.”

“They say the same for Gods.” Leon snapped. “How many times have I pulled you out of the gutter despite our disagreements and our positions?” Alexander shut up before he continued, his gaze turning to the floor. It wasn’t long before he drilled into each one of them, the room filling with intensity as he reminded each of them what he had personally done for them and what that would have broken in the heavenly law. Each one of them, even Scorpio, found themselves staring at the floor. “Now I break heavenly law for myself. For my happiness and to show the woman I love how much she means to me. She even knows the sound of my heartbeat!” Realizing he said that a little too loudly and he had been rather cold to the other gods, he gave her hand a small squeeze as an apology.

“You know the sound of his heartbeat?!” Isabelle asked excitedly through the silence. “What does it s…” Her words were cut off as he shot the little girl a cold glare causing her to eep and bury her face back into Jo’s stomach. It was obvious that the sound of his heartbeat was important enough to him that he didn’t even share it with his god-daughter.

His gaze darted back towards the other gods. “Whatever the consequences for breaking this law lays I will take upon myself. I don’t expect your support nor do I require it, the goldfish will still do her job to help the rest of you but as you all know, Jo is mine.” With that he rose his fingers into the air, “Now if you don’t mind, I need to be alone with my goldfish for a while.” At that and using her power because he was holding his hand, he snapped his fingers.

Everyone, including Isabelle vanished. A small voice could be heard echoing with joy outside. Something about all of them being outside and they should play. He had transported everyone outside and left them to entertain Isabelle. Slowly turning, he faced Jo with a smirk on her face. “Tell me goldfish…” He said softly as he began to walk towards her, forcing her to walk back. “Are you ready to love a god? Unconditionally… until… I… am… content.” When he said the word content, they were at the bed and he gave her a push backwards. “You said ‘How hard could it be to love a god?’ Some times can be harder than others… and this, this is an easy time.” With that he climbed onto the bed and placed his head in her lap. Taking up one of her hands he wrapped his fingers in hers and let out a content sigh. “Those loudmouths…” He muttered as a small smile moved across his face and he closed his eyes.

Blinking quickly, she gathered her thoughts. Confused, she said, "I don't pay night by night...What are you...Oh..." She dropped her eyes to the floor. blushing. "When you said stay I thought you meant permanently. I can stay a few nights at a time." She met his dark look with a small smirk. "Sometimes you need to be more specific," She managed to say before the others burst into the room. Isabelle was squealing, Axel was scowling, Alexander looked like he had eaten a bushel of lemons, and Scorpio looked, well, like she always looked. Angry.

With her free hand, she gently stroked Isabelle's hair as she hugged her waist in joy. Jo flinched visibly as Alexander lit into Leon and Leon bit right back. She knew that Leon had a cold side, but this was a little frightening. A gentle pressure on her hand reassured her that Leon was still Mr. Cool Calm and Collected. Hugging the small girl tightly to her stomach, she closed her eyes as she listened to the caustic banter back and forth between the gods. She was getting a little uncomfortable, and she felt like it was her fault that they were arguing in the first place.

"I'm sorry, guys, I still plan on..." She started to say quietly but Leon cut her off. He snapped his fingers and then they were alone again. Jo smiled as she heard Isabelle squealing outside and thought she heard a male voice mutter something about not thinking with the right brain but she wasn't sure. When Leon said her name, she looked up at him and took a few steps back playfully as he approached her. A small smirk danced across her face. "Well, my little lion," She joked back and laughed and squealed as she fell back onto the bed. His body was warm against hers as he laid his head on her lap. His golden hair slightly tousled and falling across his forehead. Her fingers itched to stroke it, just a small touch. Just once.

She reached down and gently ran her free hand through his hair, still smiling. "I still think that I can handle it. I will admit that I do like the easy times." Her eyes danced with humor. "What could be so hard about loving an arrogant, blunt, egotistical, wish granting god?" Her lips gently touched his forehead. "Surely it couldn't be as hard as loving a stubborn, outspoken, know it all human," Jo scoffed and puffed out her chest a little bit. This was the first time that she felt that she could be this playful with Leon and he would play back. "So tell me, Lion, will you ever be...content?" Her fingers played gently with his hair. It was so soft to the touch.

Jo closed her eyes. "I feel like that was a very warm welcome," she said after a few minutes of silence. She knew that the reception when the others found out would be less than graceful, but she wasn't expecting it to be so cold and angry.

It was strange having someone play with your hair for the first time. It was a comfortable and surprisingly relaxing sensation and Leon let out a gentle sigh as his lips curled into a smile. “You’re brave to call me ‘little lion’.” His tone wasn’t threatening but teasing , and his smile returned to his lips as he settled into her gentle touch. Never had his experienced such a tender and comfortable action. Her warmth as the most relaxing thing he had ever had happen to him and he felt more blessed than any other god. Bringing her hand he was holding to his lips, he dropped a tender kiss on the back of it before nuzzling his face into her palm.

Her description of him made him open a single amber-golden eye to stare up at her before she began to explain herself in the same tone. Scoffing a little into her hand he rolled over to open his eyes and looked directly up at her. “I am a god. If I was ever content, things wouldn’t function. I will never be content… for there will never be a time where I feel like I have given you enough love.” An honest claim closed lipped smile moved across his face as he gazed up at her.

When she closed her eyes and mentioned about the warm welcome he snuffed at the topic. “There’s been no reason other than the worry of a human taken advantage of the love of a god as to why a human and god cannot be together. Outside of that, the trickster king had to know this was going to happen. He knows everything and I doubt he would set anyone up for failure. There is a reason for everything and our reason…” Bringing up the hand he was holding he kissed it again, “Is obvious.”

After laying in her lap for a few more minutes he slowly pulled himself back from her lap and let out a sigh. “Goldfish we much work for the day.” He pointed towards the documents sitting on a small end table next to the pool of water. “Come.” Getting up off the bed, he pulled her gently by her hand to the pool.

At the pool he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped one arm around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. “Hold the documents for me so I can hold you.” His free hand went over the pool and activated the golden color as the magic rolled from his open palm and into the waters. All and all… today wasn’t a bad day.

Work. She had work to do. Her eyes popped open as he climbed off the bed and moved to the pool in the corner of the room. Shit. Jo sat down in front of him and held the papers up for him to read and work. She had to call into the lab and see what tomorrow would hold. She was supposed to be at the aquarium rehabilitating manatees, but her schedule changed constantly. Jo watched the water in the pool ripple and morph into a clear image.

"Who are we granting first?" She leaned forward eagerly. Wish granting was far more fun than Karma granting. The smiles and joy that the people showed made Jo feel all warm and fuzzy inside, even if she wasn't the one that was doing it. Leon rested his chin on her shoulder and snapped his fingers. The image changed again and showed a small boy sitting in the floor of his room crying over a baseball glove. A brief image of his father flashed across his mind. His wish was clear as day. He just wanted to play catch with his dad.

Jo looked over her shoulder at Leon with a puppy dog look on her face. "Do you like doing it from here most of the time? Or do you like doing it in person? Curt took me on a field trip when I tagged along with him, But then I had to help Alexander and he preferred the pool downstairs." She watched as Leon waved his hand across the pool and the boys father walked in and offered to take the boy to the park. It was so sweet. Jo couldn't help but smile.

"I think this whole wish granting thing is pretty interesting." Her phone started vibrating. She looked down and Carla's name flashed across the screen. OH NO! She hadn't texted Carla back. She looked at Leon apologetically and stood up. "Give me two seconds. It's Carla," She explained and pressed accept.

Carla's high pitched voice cracked across the phone. "JO! WHAT IN THE WORLD? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CALL ME 2 DAYS AGO!" She yelled. "Anyway, I forgive you because you have obviously been busy! Listen, Steve told me that you haven't gotten back to him about the fundraiser thing yet. I'm taking Paul, the guy I had coffee with the other day when I ditched you. You need to come! It'll be fun!"

Jo slapped her palm to her face and groaned. "I totally forgot about it! I don't know if I can even go. You know I don't do the whole fancy thing. I'm more of a behind the scenes kind of girl." She looked back at Leon, who was patiently waiting and staring at her. "Look. I will think about it and get back to you soon. Or Steve. Or someone. I promise," She added and shook her head. "I have to go, C. I will call you later, Promise!" She ended the call and sat back down in front of Leon.

"That was Carla. The aquarium is having its annual fundraiser next Friday and she was making a friendly and somewhat threatening reminder for me to RSVP." Jo frowned and stared at the water as Leon granted another wish and marked it off of his list. "I don't know if I even want to go. Carla is bringing some random guy she probably met on the internet and it's a fancy ball like event with fancy dresses and tuxedos and money and rich people and high end champagne and tiny finger sandwiches and white table clothes," she stopped when she realized that she was rambling and her cheeks turned a bright red. "Do you want to go?" she asked quietly, bravely.

She was asking him out on a date. Her first real date beside a crappy movie or dinner. A fancy date. Her eyes stayed glued to the floor as she waited quietly for his reply. She usually didn't do dates. She didn't usually do the whole fall for a guy thing, until she met Leon that is. Tentatively, she raised her eyes to his, her cheeks still burning from a dark blush.

When she asked how he preferred to grant wishes and his face scrunched into one of thought. How did he prefer to grant wishes? If she had asked him that in the heavens he would say the reflecting pool and he never see reason to come to earth. Now his opinion of earth was changing and he had an important reason to come to earth. His grip tightened slightly around her waist as he thought of his lonely and sad past. Now he was with her, now he had his precious goldfish, and he could care less where he did his work so long as he was with her. His silent action of tightening his grip and moving his face gently against her neck was his silent way of communicating how he felt. A man of few words but many actions.

He continued to grant the wishes but found more joy in watching her reaction. He would normally just flick through all of them and be on his merry way but this time he was taking a moment to not only enjoy her reaction but the reaction of the goldfish he was helping. When she got out of his arm, he grabbed the nearby pen and began to write on the documents that they had completed with a skilled and practice hand in his elegant handwriting.

Finishing his writing he waited for her, observing her actions. She was so beautiful and elegant despite her stumbling clumsy waves. But that didn’t bother him, he truly enjoys her and nothing was going to change that. His own cold heart had melted and he felt at peace even as he stared at her. When she settled back down she began to ramble on about going to a fancy formal party and Leon knew what was coming.

Watching her closely, her face was bright red; she was embarrassed. Apparently going out on a date was a big deal to her. Tilting his head to one side, he watched her for a moment in silence as he continued to snap his fingers and filter through the wishes. When she finally looked up a smirk moved across his face and he tilted his head back, “Asking me, a god, out on a date? You’re brave for a goldfish ---- when is it? What time would I need to pick you up?”

He was smirking at her. And teasing her! Jo bit her lip to hide her smile and rolled her eyes. "Well, Mr. high and mighty god, it is this coming Friday at 7pm at the aquarium. So, are you going to grant me the honor of your company? Or will you be too busy doing wish granting things to be bothered by such an earthly task?" a small giggle escaped her lips as she settled back into her spot in front of him. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke he still managed to make her smile.

Leon still had a small stack of papers to go through. It seems that he has been slacking a little bit on his job. Jo smirked. "You seem to have gotten a little behind with your work load. I can't image what you have been doing!" She joked. "I hope I haven't been too distracting to you." She paused and looked over to the window where Isabelle could be heard giggling and squealing. "Who else do I need to help today? I don't want anyone getting behind because I am staying locked up in your ivory tower.

With the back of her head resting against his chest, she closed her eyes and listened to the rhythm of his breathing. It was slow and steady and nearly put her to sleep. She looked out the window at the setting sun. No wonder she was tired! It was nearly nightfall. "I don't think I ever thanked you, Leon." Jo said quietly. "For showing me and giving me a chance," She added as he looked at her curiously. Stretching her arms above her head, she tilted her head first to the right and then the left, loosening her muscles. "How many more wishes do you have to grant?"

A small thought passed through her mind. She remembered the first wish that he had granted for her, when he had taken her flying over the ocean. A small, knowing smile danced across her lips as she remembered that entire night. That had probably been once of the best nights of her life. One day they would have to do that again.

When she sat down from front of him he pulled her to him once more, resting her back against his chest. Leaning down he let a deep growl echo in his throat at her playful comment before he gently kissed her neck, such a softer action compared to his rough attitude. He was showing signs of softness and kindness towards her compared to anyone else. He could feel his blood rushing and his head spinning, man… he really did love this goldfish.

Hearing her talk as he snapped his fingers, he stopped when she said thank you for giving her a chance. His brow flared as his hand stayed over the water. That wasn’t something he was expecting and it fazed him more than he thought. The hand that was over the water moved through the air and placed against her cheek and turned her head to look at him. His amber-golden eyes stared at her as his expression dropped into a soft and gentle face, a small moved across his fine lips; without giving much of a verbal response, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a tender fashion. It wasn’t a lust-filled response, nor a greedy ‘you’re mine’ action as he had given her recently but it embodied the gentleness of his actions and the soft side of his feelings for her.

He finished up his work rather quickly before sending Jo to work with Hue to finish up his works. At the end of day he picked her up from working with Hue and walked her out to her car. “See you at 7.” He said softly as he ran a large hand through her hair softly before pulling her to him and smirking down. “Don’t drive.” With a firm nod he placed a kiss on her lips before watching her drive away.

----

Friday arrived and the aquarium was bubbling and buzzing full of people at the black tie affair. Inside the aquarium was set up for chairs, tables and drinks along with food that would be served during the dining portion of the event.

A sandy blonde haired man stood outside of the party dressed in a crisp black suit with a white undershirt and a black tie. His amber-golden eyes scanning the people as they walked into the aquarium and whenever he would move, the black clothing seemed to glisten with hints of gold; he wouldn’t be caught dead in all black so he did his own touch on his suit. Adjusting his cuffs he waited patiently for his date.

"I can't believe you spent almost the entire day helping set up for this dinner instead of getting ready! I started getting ready last night!" Carla droned on and on about her endless beauty routine as Jo stood in front of the bathroom mirror applying her eyeliner. "Paul said he would meet me there. Who did you say you were bringing again? You have a date right? I hope so because the last time you looked more like a waitress than an actual employee enjoying themselves," Carla stated as she pinned another piece of hair up with a bobby pin.

Jo rolled her eyes. Yes she had helped set up the aquarium. She had agreed to that task several months ago, but she didn't mind because she always spent some time in the lab with the animals before and after setting up. She blinked her eyes in the mirror and wiped a black smudge from under her right eye.

"Yes, I have a date. Yes I know I helped set up and no it doesn't take me anywhere near as long to get ready as you." She adjusted the waistline of her dress and walked back into the bedroom, a little wobbly in her 2 inch heels. Jo tugged at the dress a little more, trying to make the lines fall just right. "Well?" she asked, twirling in a slow circle and showing off her dress.

Carla squealed and clapped her hands together in delight. "You look fantastic! Where on earth did you find that dress? That color totally suits you! You look so hot!" She gushed and hugged her shoulders. "Are you ready to go? It's nearly 6:45." Carla grabbed her keys and her clutch to match her emerald green dress and headed out the door.

Jo climbed into the passenger seat of Carla's Chevy Cruze and listened to her ramble on and on about how great Paul was and who Jo's mysterious date was. The 10 minutes ride felt more like 30 minutes. Finally, the parked in the parking garage next door , thankfully on the lower level and walked toward the front entrance. Jo craned her neck to try and find her sandy haired date in the crowd.

Carla grabbed Jo's wrist and pulled her back. "Is that the guy from the beach that we saved? Jo, he is HOT! You brought him tonight?! GO GIRL!" She squealed quietly and tugged her arm a few more times. Carla was a great friend, but she had no filter and no off switch. She let go of Jo's arm and looked over her shoulder. "I'm going to go find Paul! Have fun!" She called as she strutted away.

Jo stopped just in front of Leon and smiled up at him. He was a sight indeed in his black suit and tie that seemed to glisten with golden flecks. He would be the one to add a touch of gold. Her golden lion. Her smile grew wider as she looked up at Leon. "Hi," she whispered quietly. "You look nice."

So many goldfish, they all seemed to swim into the aquarium which he had to silence a chuckle because of it. Soon he found himself leaning up against the building, feeling casual and calm as people walked by. Not too surprising, he drew some attention from the people walking in. Some men seemed to be angry and others seem to cringe when he looked in their direction. Some women attempted to leave their dates and come towards him while others just stared from a distance. This was going to get even more awkward if he and Jo stayed too close to the glass in the aquarium.

Before she could even find him, his eyes found her and everything else seemed to disappear as he drunk in the drink of water that she was. Oh she looked beautiful and his face softened into a tender smile as he watched her stumble through the people looking for him. She looked beautiful and there was no doubt about that. His body shivered slightly as he watched her push through the crowd attempting to reach him before anyone else.

Upon her arrival to him the softness stayed on his face as he reached down and took her left hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. It was obvious that Leon wasn’t one for words but at this moment he couldn’t put any together, in fact he was just lucky he could think straight and not sweep her away from the crowd right now. He ran his other hand gently along her cheek, his soft happy expression stayed on his face as he gave her a nod before offering her his arm.

Entering inside, Leon drew all the attention to them, as his power always does but he walked with his head held high in an authoritarian manner. He knew how to common a room even when he wasn’t trying. The attention didn’t stay long but there was no doubt that his presence was recognized by the crowd. A passing wait staff hand a tray of champagne on it and he grabbed two glasses with a single hand and offered the beauty on his arm a glass.

The inside of the aquarium was teeming with people all dressed in black ties and colorful evening gowns. The room was buzzing with conversations and laughter. Jo took a deep breath and could smell the food cooking in the other room; chicken, pasta, potatoes, greens, and the cakes that were already sitting on a round table in the corner. There were 3 of them, all 3 layered and covered in pastel white icing. Smiling, she accepted the glass from Leon and took a small sip. Carla was standing in the far right corner talking with Steve with a tall, black haired man that must have been Paul.

Carla gave a small wave when she noticed Jo was looking her direction and started walking their way with Paul in tow. "Hi, Leon," Carla said and smiled. "Do anymore sailing lately? This is Paul." She gestured to the man at her side and they all exchanged pleasantries. "I hope you guys have a great night! I hope I do too," She leaned over and whispered to Jo, wagging her eyebrows. "Steve said that we have raised nearly $3,000.00 already and this hasn't even been going on for an hour!" Carla's smile grew wider as she eyed Leon one more time. "Take care of her," she said in a low voice. "Or I will hunt you down and feed you to the sharks," she added and then the smile returned to her face. "Bye, guys! Have a blast!" She turned on her heels and tugged Paul out onto the dance floor where people were beginning the waltz.

"Don't mind her," Jo said with a small laugh. "She is a few french fries short of a happy meal." Jo look a step closer to Leon as she noticed that several other women were coming closer and brushing against him. "Thank you for coming tonight. You really do look awesome. I love the gold." She smiled and finished her glass of champagne. "Come on." She pulled his hand and tugged him forward. Jo pushed through the people and found Steve. "Steve! Carla said that we're doing great so far!" She called to him as the music grew louder.

Steve nodded and ran his right hand through his hair, eyeing Leon uncomfortably. "Leon, nice to see you again," Steve said quietly and shook his hand politely. "Carla really likes to run her mouth, doesn't she?" He paused and looked around the dance floor as more and more people flooded in. "We are doing very well so far." Was all he said. "Go enjoy yourselves. Jo, call me if you need me," he added quietly.

Jo took a small step back and furrowed her brow. "um..okay, Steve...Thanks." She looked up at Leon and shrugged her shoulders. "You make people act very strange, did you know that?" With a smile she tugged him toward the dance floor. "Come on. I want to see if my little lion knows how to dance," she joked with a wide smile, flashing her white teeth.

The room was comfortable; much less tense then the parties in the heavens. In the heavens they were strictly formal and only the gods of the highest caliber were allowed to attend, so the lower class would not be in attendance. People were snuffy, rude and desperate for his attention. Instead, here in the human world, there were people from all levels of society joining together to enjoy company, food and helping a cause and even though he was drawing some attention to him, they weren’t climbing over each other to get to him. Surprisingly the goldfish parties seemed a lot more relaxed.

At Carla’s approach he gave her a small smile before shaking his head. “Not lately, I’ve been busy with work.” He responded with a nod before shaking Paul’s hand. Paul seemed to sink slightly as Leon towered over him despite his pleasantries. He was used to this and it didn’t surprise him that Paul was being a bit reluctant to talk to him. However, Leon didn’t really care; he’d rather spend time with his goldfish then befriend more humans. His goldfish was all that mattered to him.

Carla grabbed his attention as she spoke her warning. A smirk moved across his face as he leaned forward, his overwhelming presence seemed to be enough to make the girl visibly shiver. “She is a goddess to me, I will take care of her; you have my word.” With that he stood upright and took a drink of his champagne as the two left. Jo’s comment made him shrug his broad shoulders as he looked down at her. “She cares and is protective of what she cares about. I respect that.” Something brushed against the back of him over and over again and it wasn’t until Jo scooted closer to him that he realized it was other women. Blah. His face scrunched in dislike before he let go of her arm and wrapped his arm around her waist and closed the gap between them. At this, he gave her a smirk saying ‘That’s better’ down to his beloved goldfish before gently running his large hand along her waist in a tender manner. Despite his rough actions and his harsh words, he was a relatively soft man. “I compliment you.” He said simply as he gave her a small smirk. “It suits you despite that I didn’t get to pick it.”

Leon wasn’t surprised to see that Steve was uncomfortable, especially as he held Jo so close to him. Leon placed his empty glass on a nearby traveling waiter’s tray before shaking Steve’s had with a bit more force than he had done originally. He smirked at the man who seemed to uncomfortable around him and he could feel his power pulsating around him which obviously made Steve even more uncomfortable and made Leon chuckle inside. When they were done talking to Steve and she made her comment about making people at strange. “Even goldfish can sense power. Plus, he is understandably jealous.” Leaning down he whispered in her ear, “I have you and he does not. When he starts wishing for love instead of your love his wish will be easier to grant. For in the heavens or on earth no one can alter anyone’s feelings. Your love will always be your choice.”

She began to pull him towards the dance floor; the smile on her face caused him to smile; a bright smile showing his straight white teeth before he followed her out onto the dance floor. “The parties in the heavens require that I dance at least twice. But with you goldfish…” Upon their arrival on the dance floor he picked up instantly with the waltz by spinning her and getting straight into the dance. “I will dance as many times as you desire.” He pulled her closer than the other couples and took off dancing elegantly and perfectly along the floor.