Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own KH or Leon. If I owned Leon (Squall Leonhart) I would be one happy girl.
Author's Note: More seaonal fiction. This time with Leon! Yay!
The snow fell from the heavens gracefully, covering the cobblestone walk that the young woman was standing in front of, in little white frozen water pillows. The brunette stared off into the distance, her eyes scanning the city scape for any sign of him, as she stood below the mistletoe hanging under the stone bridge that led to a part of the city that still needed renovations.
The man she was waiting for was late, very late in fact and, had she been an impatient girl, she would have left hours ago. Fortunately, she was patient and she wanted to hear what he had to say. Despite what the others told her, she knew he would come eventually. He just had a hard time making decisions, and she had asked him to make a particularly challenging choice. A choice, he had said, that wasn't fair. If he cared about her at all, he would make the choice eventually. It was inevitable, and if he didn't show up, she would know his decision.
His lack of appearance might bruise her heart some, might even fracture the delicate muscle a bit, but she would live. Besides, anything would be better than what he had been putting her through. She hated being strung along like some – foolish little girl.
She yawned for the fifth time that hour and re-situated the package that was under her left arm to under her right one. It's turquoise wrapping paper crinkled under her wool-covered arm. When she looked up, she couldn't help but grin. Finally, he was in sight. Now, all he had to do was answer her with the affirmative. That would make this, her first Christmas in Radiant Garden, the perfect experience.
Slowly, he approached her. His shaggy hair blowing in the gentle breeze as he moved against it. He nearly turned back when he saw her standing there still, but couldn't help but admire her perseverance. She had to have been out there for four hours, maybe more, and while it wasn't freezing it was cold enough to snow. Barely over the latter half of the twenty-degree range, he could bet.
He saw that her hair was curled, damp but still curled, and that there was a ungodly bright package under one arm. He knew his name was after the word marked 'To:' and could guess that if he told her that he was disinclined to acquiesce to her request (boy, he had certainly been spending a lot of time in Port Royal lately) that she would throw the package at him and walk away in a fury.
He didn't like the thought of that, but wasn't exactly happy about the ultimatum she had given him. Almost a month ago she had told him that either he would give up the hope, the ghost of Rinoa as she had called it, that she might come back, or live in the present with her. He had feelings for her, of course, but Rinoa was his first love, a love that he had previously refused to give up. The love that had cost him countless nights at the end of a bar, listening to Jack Sparrow or Barbossa, or even Cid, blab on and on about the effects or causes of such and such events, and sucking down a strong alcohol-laden beverage.
Leon had put off the decision until today, and that was what had taken him so long to get to this point. Standing only a few feet in front of her, snow flakes falling into his brown hair and mixing in with the white fur lining of his coat.
"Have you decided then?" She asked him, coolly.
He knew she was much more nervous than she put off. She could hide her anxiety when he was around her well enough to fool the rest of the world, but he saw every flaw in her. He could ignore those though, and he had decided he would. He was on her side of the ultimatum albeit, a tad stubbornly; Cloud and Cid had ganged up on him and told him, dare he hurt that girl, he would be in a world of hurt. Not that threats on his life really swayed him any, they just convinced him of the good he could have if he finally, after more than six years, could let Rinoa, and his past with her, go.
He nodded curtly, and glanced up at the mistletoe. She was clever when she wanted to be, and this was one of those times. He walked up to her, placing his arms around her which caused her to drop his present onto the wet cobblestone below with a hollow thud out of surprise. She looked up at him questioningly, and he pressed his lips to hers.
A few moments later, "So you noticed the mistle toe?"
He smiled softly at her, "I want you to know." There was a pause that lasted only a few seconds, but felt much longer to the brunette girl standing below the mistle toe, before he spoke again. "I want you to know that I do want a future that's worthwhile. I want to feel as useful as I once did."
"With me?" She asked, "Do you want that future to be with me?"
He nodded, and pulled a small box out from his coat pocked that was wrapped in brown mailing paper. She smiled softly as he handed it to her. She ran her fingers over the paper for a few seconds before his impatience got the best of him.
"Open it."
She tore off the paper and opened the silver box. A thin silver chain with a outline replica of his griever charm at the end was inside. She looked up at him with teary, golden eyes. "I- I don't know what to say." A short pause, "Thank you."
He lifted the chain from the box as she pulled her lengthy brown locks over her shoulder. Leon latched the silver chain around her neck before kissing the exposed skin. "So I'll always be as close to your heart as you are to mine," He whispered into her ear.
She smiled again and turned around to face him, "I love you, Leon."
He nodded once, and picked her up to kiss her again. The turquoise package lay discarded next to them as they heard crunching snow approaching. Neither cared as they enjoyed another lengthy kiss.
"Hey! Hey you guys! You guys!" Yuffie began, "It's Christmas, you should come to Merlin's so-"
"Yuffie, can't you see they're busy," Cid chuckled, "Come back to the house. I have a feeling that they'll join us soon."