What It Means To Be King

Chapter 54: First Time's A Charm

Sometimes Leo stilled blamed Shao Long for introducing him to Anubis. 

The first day they met, Lei had a startling thought that maybe the atomic theories about soulmates do exist, because at that time, he was in Italy being perfectly normal for once, not touching a hospital or any medical devices with a ten foot pole, he even left his scalpel back at the hotel he stayed in. 

He was not supposed to meet Shao Long that day. 

Not ever, actually, but here they were. In Italy. Meeting on a random street. Leo saw him first, which was not a real competition there. He was watching his surrounding like a normal person would on the streets, minding pickpockets, the traffic, poles and such. It was Shao Long who wasn't being aware. He was the one about to fall off a tree he was sleeping in, and honestly, Leo would've just ignored the sight of a human almost falling headfirst onto concrete walkway if the said person wasn't someone he knew. 

Not that he knew him well. 

It was just that Shao Long was very hard to miss among the crowd, much less a very green tree, and that he looked so pitiful one step away from death. So Leo stayed to watch from the side, one arm crossed over his chest and another holding a cup of Starbucks. He did not move to help. He did not call for help. 

He really wanted to see the ending. 

"You know him?" A husky voice spoke from beside him. Leo would've startled, he really would when he didn't realize a person was standing next to him, for a questionable period, but one look at the person told him that he wasn't the one being careless. This person was obviously just used to hiding his presence, so much that everyone wouldn't realize he was there. The kid next to him had the appearance of an anime character, he had to admit. With the heavy contrast between his hair and skin colour, alongside his very golden eyes, Leo understood that some people are just born to be....hmm.... beloved by destiny? 

He didn't really know. 

Not that Leo was complaining, he himself had the traits his father liked to associate with a lion, hence his name. Plus, he wasn't normal either. 

"No." Leo denied having any relationship with the freak sleeping in the tree. He may not care much about his pride but he did have standards. 

The kid, probably Arabic or Egyptian, side-eyed him long and hard before joining him watch the little shit that was Shao Long. 

"Do you?" Leo suddenly felt like the other was suspicious. "Know him, I mean?" 

A pause. 

"Nope." 

Leo understood then that they were both liars.