Cinnamon Spice || Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 2: Silent Snowflakes

It was nearing bedtime as I paced the kitchen, tiredly glancing at the clock that already read 10 at night. I still wanted to shower and freshen up before turning in, so I began ascending the staircase, not bothering Leo. He was busy mindlessly watching television in the beautifully decorated living room. I went ahead and fully bathed myself, never feeling happier being in this nice house. When I finally got dressed into my dark green pajamas that resembled a suit, I couldn't help but gaze at myself in the mirror. I chewed my lower lip as I opened the door to glance outside of it. I then jokingly put my hands up against my cheeks, yelling out, "ah," as softly as I could. I reluctantly turned my head when I felt someone staring, Leo standing there in his socks and clothes from earlier.

"Haven't you always wanted to do that," I shyly asked, feeling embarrassed as I felt my skin heat up.

"I thought something was wrong. I was just heading to my bedroom and I heard you yelling," he simply stated.

"I thought I was being quiet enough. I'm sorry." I brushed past him, my wet hair going a little past my shoulders.

"I'm going to bed." He seemed to sigh in annoyance as my shoulders sagged. I wanted Leo to like me more than anything in the world, even as just friends. I tip toed out of the master bedroom when I heard his footsteps going down the stairs, wondering what he was up to when I heard the front door open and close. I cautiously went outside, finding him illuminated by the square of light streaming from a window. He was smoking a cigarette, expertly keeping it between his lips without constantly holding on.

"Are you okay," I checked, pulling my dark green hoodie snuggly over my head, so I wouldn't catch cold. It was getting chillier as a few snowflakes floated from the sky, street lamps lining the street.

He shrugged as he took another drag, partly turning from me as the peaceful atmosphere greeted me.

"You said you were going to bed. I didn't know you were planning on sleeping out here," I faintly joked to lighten the mood, but my weak smile quickly disappeared.

"I needed something to relax me," he confessed, exhaling a decent cloud of smoke.

"All I did was make a noise in front of a mirror. That stressed you out that bad?" I hugged myself as I dug my hands between my arms to find warmth.

"No, I've just been struggling to relax lately. That's part of why I thought this trip would be so good for me."

"I understand that. I was hoping to get some relaxation too. I feel like I'm more anxious than calm the majority of the time."

He nearly smiled before tilting his head up towards the night sky. "It looks like it's starting to snow."

"Yeah, I wonder if we'll get a blizzard like when they filmed the movie."

He snorted softly, but I could tell it was to cover up any trace of a laugh. "That would be pretty fucking surreal."

"Yeah, they lucked out on that, since I'm not sure if they had snow in the budget."

"Are you an expert on movies or just this one?" He looked over at me as I laughed a tiny bit.

"That's the only fact I know from this movie, honestly. I've heard you know a lot about nature and animals."

"Yeah, I try to learn as much as I can about the possible extinction of our wildlife, and also the issues concerning global warming." I found it so cute how he nearly said all of that in one breath, his blue eyes already shining from his favorite topic.

"Every time I'm inside that house, all I can think about is the music album from it. You know, all the background music, some of the classic Christmas songs. I love Carol of the Bells. I think it might be my favorite Christmas song, or at least definitely up there."

"Yeah, it's a really good song."

The wind picked up a little as the snow kept falling faster, threatening to snuff out Leo's cigarette.

"You want to go back inside," I suggested, him deciding to follow my lead. It was cozy in the grand home, the thermostat at a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I was impressed by how well the upstairs and downstairs were kept warm. "Are you still going to bed now?"

"Yeah, I'm tired from the flight here," he confirmed.

"Oh. I thought I would be tired, since it's nearly midnight, but I feel wide awake. I mean, it's not surprising since I'm a night owl back home."

"Yeah, usually I'm going to parties, so I stay out late too. I'm really fucking tired tonight though," he yawned, going up the steps as I lingered on the first floor.

"I think I might watch some t.v. downstairs," I decided.

"Do whatever you want," he reacted, his ocean eyes drooping from how exhausted he was.

I kept flipping through the channels after lounging in the chair, unable to settle on anything even with it being cable. I sighed through my nose as I observed the rapidly falling snowflakes that didn't make a sound. I knew it was a relief that Leo was finally acting civil towards me, but I wished he had decided to stay up with me. It was odd how I was glad to not be spending the holidays alone, while he was the opposite. I drifted to the stockings hanging above the fireplace, smiling subtly at how our names were embroidered in gold, cursive letters on two of them. Mine was a deep red while Leo's was a dark green, me wondering if they would somehow be filled on Christmas morning. This place had really thought of everything as I took in the twinkling decorations. I decided to sneak into the basement to see if it was as creepy as in the film. I hated to say it, but I think it was scarier with the soft glow of light and the noises the furnace made. I almost screamed when I saw a figure on the stairs, my heart thudding as Leo stood there.

"If you hate me, then why do you keep showing up like that," I inquired, clutching my heart.

"I just wanted to let you know I invited someone to visit. I couldn't find you anywhere else in the house and the basement door was open, so I checked here," he explained.

"Are we allowed to invite people?"

"I don't know. We weren't allowed to have two people staying here before, so I think the rules have already been broken. They should be here around 8 in the morning, so don't be surprised if you hear someone knocking at the door." He was already jogging up to the less scary floor, me feeling a pang. He must really hate me if he was willing to invite someone else to stay over. I figured having the extra person in the house would just make tensions worse.

I assumed I wouldn't sleep well that night, but the minute my head hit the pillow I zonked out like a baby. I swear that I was in the most comfortable bed of my life, reluctantly opening my eyes to the blinding white from the window. I was confused why it was so vivid, figuring it must be an overcast day with the sun directly behind the clouds. I was shocked to discover inches of snow though, my mouth gaping open at how it covered walkways and any remaining grass on the ground. I changed into a black, short, tight skirt with a long sleeved red and white striped sweater, going downstairs still in my Rudolph slippers. I felt that I needed to see Leo to confirm that meeting him hadn't been a dream. I hoped that somehow the whole rude fiasco had been fiction though. I heard loud knocking at the front door, skidding to a stop as I cautiously checked the peephole. I couldn't believe who I thought I saw, swinging open the entrance as he gave me a polite smile.

"Hi, I'm Tobey. Leo's friend." I wasn't sure how I grasped his hand in my trance, but I had high hopes this might not be a disaster anyway. It might even enhance this vacation.

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I thought of adding Tobey last minute, but I'm really looking forward to writing about him now. :) Please remember to comment, vote, and follow. Thank you so much! <3