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The first time it had happened, Leon had been so tired he couldn’t see straight, eyes unfocusing without his consent in random intervals and jaw aching from the sheer amount of yawns he had let out. And the worst part, the day wasn’t even close to over; Chairman Rose had planned a gala, or sponsorship event, Leon couldn’t care less at the time, and the event stretched from the break of dawn until the late hours of the night.
Being awake for that period of time wasn’t the issue; it was the non-stop schedule that had him literally running back and forth, hopping from battle to meeting to sponsorship interviews that had his head spinning. He would scarcely leave one task to be whisked away by league employees to another, not even a moment's rest between. Even his lunch had been tossed to him mid transit, a sandwich and bag of chips that he had inhaled.
It’s hours past dusk, Rose’s gala going strong, when he gets the news that he’s not needed at the moment.
Embarrassingly enough, he nearly cries in joy. Finally, he could take a break; he doesn’t think he’s sat down since breakfast, and that isn’t even an exaggeration. He takes off immediately, straining his mind to remember the route through the winding halls of the stadium to get outside, and greets the cool night are with a grin. A slight breeze ruffles his hair, and he shuts his eyes against it, enjoying the peace for the first time all day.
And then his phone buzzes.
Oh come on-
He quickly scans the message, mood plummeting at the request to return immediately, the Chairman would like to introduce him to more sponsors.
Leon doesn’t get angry much, but even he was at his limit, pressing his lips together to suppress the scowl wanting to show itself. This- this was too much. He stands, but sways when his head pulses again with pain, headache roaring back. His vision swims, and Leon realizes he is at a crossroads.
He should go back to the party, tell a league employee or Oleana that he’s probably dehydrated or something. They’d bring him to a side room, shove a bottle of electrolyte mix into his hands, and let him rest his eyes for ten minutes before sending him back out to finish his tasks.
Or-
He could… leave.
Leon looks around, spying the decorative vegetation lining the building. The bushes go up to his shoulders, and have wide, flat leaves, densely packed and a perfect barrier for anything that happened to be hiding underneath. He’d blame it on how utterly out of sorts he feels if anyone asks, but for now, the sight seems like salvation.
He staggers towards it, falling to his knees once close enough, and studies the space. It looks like he could fit, if he was careful, but the sturdy branches could potentially tear his suit and he would hate to disappoint the chairman by ruining it.
But, he’s already ditching the chairman’s event, he realizes with a snort. It’s not like this would be a worse offense.
Whatever. He can’t bring himself to care at the moment.
Gingerly, he crawls into the bush, ducking under the more prickly branches into the low space beneath that just fits him. He rolls enough to be situated on his side, and tugs his cape over the rest of himself, repositioning the leaves around him to recover the entrance.
It’s blissfully dark here, and Leon takes a deep breath. The faint smell of dirt and leaves surround him, and though the ground is cold below him, his cape serves its purpose as a makeshift blanket well enough. Almost immediately, he is seized by the urge to fall asleep right then and there, and after only a split second hesitation, he leans into it, shutting his eyes with a sigh.
He’ll deal with the mess his departure will surely bring in the morning. Right now, he just wants to rest.