If I could see myself from someone else's eyes, what would I see? I wonder…

Once the excitement of sharing Oracle's powers settled down, they both sat back near the warmth of the fire. While Luna was exhausted, Leon was excited like a kid who had too much candy. Little did Leon know that giving blessing takes a heavy toll on Luna.

"Can we go to sleep now? It's past midnight already," she proposed.

"Can we stay up a little longer, please?" he requested.

"It's past your bedtime young man. You need to go to sleep," she scolded playfully like a mother scolding her child.

Leon looked at the watch and they still had 15 minutes to go before the meteor shower started. "Just a few more minutes, please."

"But I am tired," she complained, with a sigh.

Not wanting to force her Leon proposed, "How about we lay down and talk for a few minutes?"

"Leon wants to talk?" she asked, taken aback. "Are you okay? Do you have a fever?" she asked rhetorically, while touching his forehead to check his temperature.

"Yes, I want to talk. Why is it so strange?" he asked.

"It is strange because this is unlike you. Maybe my essence has changed you and now you are behaving like me," she added while laughing.

"I don't know if I should be happy or scared to hear that," he admitted with a facepalm.

Luna sat on her sleeping bag and gently laid back on her makeshift bed. Leon followed the suit as well and lay comfortably on his sleeping bag.

While staring at the stars Leon couldn't help but notice, "The stars here are so different from my world."

"Really?" This topic had piqued her interest.

"Yeah, the moon seems similar but the cluster of stars is all different. What is that constellation called?" he asked, knowing fully that it would engage Luna.

"That one is called Andromeda - the chained maiden. The legend says that she was a beautiful and pious maiden who was chained and left at the sea as a sacrifice but was saved by a brave warrior."

Pointing at a different cluster she described, "that one is Leonis – The lion."

"What is the story behind that one?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing. It just looks like a lion," she shrugged while looking at him. He immediately facepalmed earning laughter from Luna.

Once her laughter died down, she continued her tour of the galaxy. "That one is called Scutum - The shield."

They stargazed together for a few minutes while making ideal chit-chat. Suddenly, a streak of light ran across the sky. "A shooting star!" she exclaimed, with childlike joy. "Quick. Make a wish."

'You are here with me. What more can I wish for?' he thought. But he refrained from saying it because it sounded too cheesy. So, he settled for his default answer, "Whatever."

"You are so boring. Forget it. I'll make a wish. I wish that..." as she was pondering what to wish for, another star fell brightening up the sky. Before she could react to that, another star followed the suit. One after another, the stars seem to be falling from the sky. Leon's much-anticipated meteor storm was finally here.

It looked like the stars were raining from the sky. She sat up on her sleeping bag, her eyes still glued to the sky. "Wow. This is amazing."

Leon sat up too, still looking at the sky above. He was about to say something, so he looked at Luna and he froze. Her eyes were lit by the falling stars. An innocent smile played on her face. A light-blue glow was cast on her face from the illuminated sky. He wondered what was more beautiful, stars in the sky above or the star sitting next to him. He snapped out of his momentary stupor and fixated his gaze above.

The meteor rate picked up, and it looked as if the entire sky was falling down. "Is this why you were trying to keep me up?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Thank you. This is so wonderful."

"You are welcome."

At the peak intensity of the meteor storm, it felt as if they were traveling through the stars. "This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"Ya, me too. A cosmic firework," he remarked, looking at the endless cosmos. He laid back on his sleeping bag and tucked his arms under his head and watched this divine display. Luna too laid back after a while, still mesmerized by the spectacle in the sky.

Neither of them realized when they fell asleep. The temperature fell as the night progressed. The wood in the fire burned out as well. Unconsciously, they snuggled together for warmth. It was as if the blanket of the night brought them together and daylight tore them apart.

Luna was the first one to stir awake. With her eyes still closed, she noticed a rhythmic beating of a heart close to her ears. The next thing to register in her mind was something heavy draped across her shoulder and her legs. She noticed that her left arm was tucked underneath her while her right arm was encompassing something. Overall, she felt the warmth the likes of which she had never experienced before.

Her sleepy mind eventually pieced everything together and realizing what it was, her eyes shot open. Her heartbeat picked up as an irrational fear and an untamed desired dominated her thoughts. She loved his warmth, and that's why she hated it. She tried to squirm out as quietly as possible as not to wake up Leon, but it was as if their bodies were tangled together.

Leon noticed slight movements next to him and woke up too. It took him a few seconds to register the situation they were in. He immediately retracted his arm and legs as if he had touched a live wire. "I am sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay," she whispered, avoiding any eye contact.

They both got up and went their separate ways to do their morning rituals. The normalcy to their routine returned quickly as it was not the first time they had woken up like this.

Carrying all her essentials, Luna asked Leon, "I am going for a bath, are you coming?"

"Coming," he replied, flinging a towel across his shoulders.

After concluding their morning rituals, they started packing everything one last time.

Leon was back to his default white undershirt and his short-sleeved jacket. His jacket had a red lion symbol on his left shoulder. He wore three brown belts on his left forearm and had three buckles on his right and left thigh. His black pants sport a vertical zipper going down the side of each leg. He wore two brown belts and two black ones around his hips, all of which were quite loose except for one. He had black gloves with belts on them and wore black zipper-lined shoes.

Luna wore a pink dress with magenta lining and buttons going down the front; all of which were buttoned except for the last two. She had a loose, lilac belt around her waist with a black string tied into a bow on it. She had a black string tied in the same fashion as the one on her belt around her neck and had brown boots.

"I am going to miss this," she confessed, taking a break from packing.

"Miss what exactly?" he inquired, while removing tent pegs from the ground.

"I am going to miss camping," she clarified.

"I thought you hated camping," he commented as he dislodged another peg.

"I've grown to like it," she admitted, folding clothes. "I think more than the camping I am going to miss our car."

"Our car?" he repeated her words looking at her.

"Okay, technically it is not our car, but you know what I mean."

"Ya, I will miss it too. But sadly, we have to return it at Wiz Chocobo today, Cindy has arranged for someone to pick it up from there," he reminded her.

"Wait, where are we going to sleep tonight?" Asked Luna as their situation dawned on her.

Leon took a pause from what he was doing to address her concerns. "From now on we will be staying in a trailer at the outpost."

"Yuck, those things are nasty," she remarked, making a disgusting face just to annoy Leon.

"Sorry, Your Highness, I cannot afford anything beyond that," he mockingly apologizes.

"Traveling with a princess and making her sleep in a trailer. You have no class," she chided playfully.

"I am sorry, but I am broke," he said, sounding almost hurt.

"Geez, lighten up. I was just kidding. I will stay anywhere you are. Your company is the only comfort I seek," she said with a gentle smile.

Leon smiled back in response.

"Besides, last night we slept on the ground, so sleeping in a trailer might actually be an upgrade," she suggested.

They continued their cleaning up of Haven and packing for the next few minutes. Once everything was packed and placed in the car Leon asked, "Ready to go?"

"Yes, let's do this," she affirmed, giving a thumbs up.

"Do you want to drive or should I?" he asked.

"You drive, I will enjoy the luxuries of passenger seat one last time," she stated, walking towards the passenger side.

"What luxuries?" he asked, taking the driver seat.

"To sit next to you and annoy you while you drive is my luxury," she added, buckling up.

Leon just rolled his eyes and started the car.

"It's a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. Do you mind if I open the roof?" she asked, buckling herself in the passenger seat.

"Go ahead," he replied, reversing the car.

The roof of the car retracted, exposing them to direct sunlight and wind. As the car picked up speed, cool breeze washed over them.

"Leon?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me about your world."

"What do you want to know about it?"

"It's a whole new world. Completely different from this one. I wonder how it looks, what kind of technologies and magic you have there. Does the sky, water, terrain, and the mountains look the same? What kind of animals do you have there? What kind of vegetation and flowers do you have there? Do you guys have Chocobo and Moogles over there? So many questions," her excitement and childlike curiosity was evident in her voice.

"Calm down my curious cat. Let's see, my home is a giant mobile building magically hovering over the ground. It can fly or float anywhere we want," he took a brief pause, trying to recollect all other places. "There are a couple of very beautiful beach towns. There are scattered peaceful villages, untouched by the chaos of city life. Speaking of cities, there are cities just like here, full of people and a lot of tall buildings. There is one nation that is very futuristic and feels like it is straight out of science fiction. So overall it's a lot similar to how it's here."

"Interesting."

"One particular thing odd about my world is that we have a moon, which harbors all the monsters and it sends them hurtling towards our planet after every few years causing major destruction."

"Monsters flying down from the moon?" she could not believe what she was hearing.

"Yes, it even wiped out an entire civilization once."

"That sounds scary," she confessed.

"We have Chocobos there, but Moogles are very rare. Caves, mountains, ocean, sky, vegetation, terrain, and animals are all very similar to here. From what I have seen so far, I think your world is a lot more beautiful than mine."

"Really?"

"Yes, this world is very scenic compared to ours. But I guess, my world had its own charm so we can't really compare the two."

"You know, you are really lucky that you got to see two different worlds. I wish I had that kind of opportunity."

"I never thought about it that way. I guess it is nice to be able to see two different worlds," he admitted.

"Leon, take me with you when you go back. I want to see another world and experience its nature, learn about their culture and customs, and go into outer space. It would be so much fun," she said with childlike innocence.

"Would you come with me?" he asked, playing along with her fantasy. "I can show you a whole new world."

She nodded with childlike excitement.

After a few minutes of idle chit-chat Luna suddenly realized something, "Before we return the car there is one last thing to do."

"What would that be?" Leon asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Finish that list of 36 questions. We still have one more set to go," she announced while getting the book from the front compartment. She had used that paper cutout as a bookmark.

"Not that again," Leon complained, under his breath. Thanks to the gushing wind, Luna did not hear it.

"Here we go. Set III. Question #25 - Make three true "we" statements each. For instance, "We are both in this room feeling ..." Luna reads.

"I'll start. We like coffee," she went first.

"We like ice cream," Leon followed.

"We like this road trip," she contributed.

"We like sleeping with the stars," he chimed.

"We like helping others," she shared.

"We like to live in a fantasy," he added, running his hand through his hair.

That one sentence was enough to instantly change the mood. Leon saw her expression change and immediately regretted saying it.

Luna brushed it off and continued, "26. Complete this sentence: "I wish I had someone with whom I could share ..."

"I wish I had someone with whom I could share my joys," Luna admitted with a smile.

"I wish I had someone with whom I could share my fears," he confessed, which took Luna by surprise.

"Your fears? I did not know you feared anything."

"I do. I fear losing the people I love. I fear being forgotten. I fear that I will die alone. I fear that I will never be able to go back home. I fear many things. I try not to talk or think about it."

"I might not be able to quench your fears, but I can cry with you if it helps," she offered innocently.

He smiled and shook his head. "Thank you."

After a brief pause, she continued reading the list, "27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know."

"I think we are close friends already, right?" he asked.

"Yes, we are more than close friends, so we can skip this one," she suggested.

"28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met."

"Where do I even start? You are altruistic, beautiful, courageous, determined, energetic, faithful, graceful, heroic, idealistic, joyful, kind, lovely, modest, naughty, optimistic, perfect, queenly, resilient, smart, talented, uplifting, virtuous, witty, xenial, yern, zesty, and many more," he listed. With every word, Luna's blush seemed to get intense.

"You are too kind. I am nowhere close to that description," she suggested, downplaying the compliment.

"I guess you don't know yourself well enough then," he countered.

"My turn," she began. "You are alluring, brave, creative, discipline, efficient, forgiving, gracious, handsome, intelligent, judicious, knightly, loyal, mature, noble, objective, patient, quiet, resourceful, simple, tactful, understanding, valiant, wise, xaern, youthful, zen and many more," she highlighted his traits avidly. It was Leon's turn to blush furiously now.

"Are you sure you were talking about me? I am nowhere close to that," he doubted.

"I guess you have never seen yourself from my eyes," she said, fondly looking at him.

Their eyes meet and feelings they tried to suppress resurfaced. Not wanting to fan those flames further, Luna turned her attention to the next question, "29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life."

"When I found out that you heard what I said to you while I thought you were in a coma, that was very embarrassing for me," he spoke, after thinking. She laughed upon hearing that, which added more to Leon's embarrassment.

"For me, it was outside of Lestallum when you almost kissed me in trying to hide my face from the Empire troops," she mumbled, hoping Leon did not hear it.

"That bad, huh?" he asked with a smile, looking at her. She was blushing furiously.

To avoid any further embarrassment, she quickly read the next question, "30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?"

"The last time I cried in front of someone was when I had that nightmare," she recalled that chilling image. "The last time I cried by myself was after our last fight."

"Sorry," he apologized immediately.

"It's okay. Your turn now."

"Last time I cried in front of anyone was probably when I was a child. Last time I cried by myself was when I realized that there was no way out of time compression. I thought I was going to die there."

It seemed like the mood in the car swung between joy and pain with each question.

"31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already." She was glad this was a more upbeat question.

"I love your laughter," Leon replied instantly.

"I love your shy smile," she added looking at him.

"Next question," Leon requested, as he felt her eyes on him.

"32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?"

"Not sure. Maybe my duty?" he offered, sounding unsure.

"For me, it would be my faith. It is very sacred to me."

Leon made a mental note never to joke about it.

"33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?"

"One thing I would regret is not saying to her that I love her more than anything in this world. Why haven't I done it? Because I don't know how she would react."

'Is he talking about her? Or me?' she wondered.

"Same for me. Never telling him that I love him with all my heart and soul. I have never said it because I am afraid of what might happen after that." She took a leaf from Leon's playbook and kept it equally vague.

'Him? Noctis? Or me?' he wondered.

"34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?"

"My gunblade and Griever pendent," he stated.

She suddenly realized that she hadn't seen his pendent or ring today. She wondered why he was not wearing it anymore. 'Maybe I'll ask him later.'

"For me, it would have to be my staff."

"35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?"

"Ravus. He is the only family I have," she said, looking down.

"Not applicable. No family here."

"Am I not part of your family?" she asked, slightly getting offended.

"You. You are very important to me, but I don't know how to classify you. It's complicated."

"Fair enough," she acknowledged with a nod.

"36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner's advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen."

"What would you do if you were stuck in an unknown world with no memories?"

"Create a new one," she replied instantly. "Sometimes, you seemed to get stuck in the past to the point you can no longer enjoy the present moment."

"I see," he contemplated on her answer.

"What would you do if you knew your fate, but couldn't change it?"

"If you cannot change the situation, then change yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"The only difference between a problem and a challenge is the mindset. The situation doesn't change, your attitude towards it can change your perspective. If you have no power to change something, then change your mindset towards it. How you can make the best out of a given situation? Instead of succumbing to fate, thinking about alternative ways to accomplish it."

"Alternative ways to accomplish it, now that's an interesting thought," she wondered.

"I feel, sometimes, your single-minded approach stifles your creativity."

"Interesting," she said, thinking about his advice.

She looked at the cutout of paper and ordered, "Leon, pullover."

"What happened?" he asked, getting alarmed.

"I'll tell you. Pullover first."

Once the car was pulled over on the should of the road, she narrated, "that last activity requires us to stare into each other's eyes silently for four minutes."

"What? You had me pull over for that?" he said, with disappointment.

"Yes, we have to do this."

"No, we don't. This is silly."

"Oh, come on, you did 36 questions. What is one more? This will complete this activity."

"Fine. Whatever," he succumbed, not wanting to argue about it. He retracted the roof of the car.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Giving us some privacy. People would think we are crazy if they saw us like that."

She just laughed in response.

"I am starting the timer. 3…2…1… go."

They felt like they were isolated from the world as they started into each other's eyes. It was uncomfortable at first, but they settled in quickly. Their shyness was quickly replaced by a feeling they were not familiar with. It was a thrilling and terrifying experience for both. Seeing softness, compassion. and love in the eyes was the thrilling part. The terrifying part was being observed by someone so intently. Unable to glance away, there was nowhere to hide. It felt like being exposed and vulnerable. Perhaps being vulnerable together was what made this effective.

'I could keep staring into his dreamy blue eyes forever. It's like looking into an endless ocean.'

'I never noticed how beautiful her eyes are. In my defense, I never stared at her like that. It would be creepy if I randomly go up to people and stare into their eyes.'

'They say that the eyes are the windows to your soul. I wonder what he sees in mine?'

'Her eyes feel so warm, carrying, and full of life. Just looking at her eyes makes me feel calm. I wonder what she sees in mine.'

'His eyes seem to carry a storm of emotions. Love, fear, rage, all mixed together, making it for a wonderful viewing.'

As the timer went off, a wave of relief washed over them. They were equally happy and sad that it was over. It was a strange, exquisite, and intimate experience.

"That was weird. In a good way. You have beautiful eyes," Luna was the first one to speak.

"Thank you. I was born with it," he said, without thinking. She started laughing.

"Sorry. That was a surreal experience. I am still getting back to my senses," he admitted.

"It's alright. I think it was fun."

"It was scary at first, but I felt comfortable after the first minute."

"Same for me."

She folded the paper and kept in her pocket. "Thank you, Arthur Aron, for this wonderful list."

"Who is that?" he inquired, starting the car.

"He is the scientist who made this list."

Their last car ride together was peaceful and enjoyable. They made small talks and recollected some of their fond memories in this car. Before they realized they were already by the Wiz Chocobo outpost.

Author's Notes:

In case you didn't know, psychologist Dr. Arthur Aron and his colleagues had published a study called 'The experimental generation of interpersonal closeness: A procedure and some preliminary findings' with these 36 questions. It is commonly refereed to as 36 Questions That Lead to Love. I thought it would be a great tool to develop these two characters (Leon and Luna) and understand their complex relationship.

Please leave a comment if you have enjoyed the story so far. Would love to chat with some of my readers. Or at least say 'Hi' so I know someone is readying this. Thanks :)