Author's note: Thanks, Ryan, for the wonderful reviews! Not too much going on in this chapter, I'm afraid, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway!
Wishing For Snow by Shelly
CHAPTER EIGHT
By the time morning dawned, most of the snow had melted except in places where the trees cast shadows upon the ground, and Morgan faced the new day with a happiness she hadn't felt in a long time. She was pleased that she had gotten to see it snow, but the greater part of her joy came from her love for Leon, and she knew that as long as she held that love close to her heart there was nothing she couldn't face.
Except one thing. The small matter of her past, which perhaps wasn't so small considering she had lied to him about where the Blade Liger had come from, and she knew that she had to tell him soon before things progressed to a deeper level.
She felt a pair of strong arms pull her close against his chest, and she readily melted into his embrace as she laid her arms across his. "I see most of the snow's gone," he pointed out.
"I hate to see it go," she sighed. "But I have you here to keep me happy now, don't I?"
"Mm-hmm," he replied, pulling her hair aside and kissing the back of her neck.
She laughed as a shiver raced down her spine. "So what brought you out here so early this morning?"
"Besides you?" he asked, releasing her and bringing his hands up to massage her neck and shoulders. She nodded, her head drooping forward as she relaxed. "Isn't that enough?"
Stepping away from him, she turned to plant a finger on his chest. "You are such a sweet talker, Leon," she teased.
He laughed. "I can't help it if it's true," he replied, pulling her close for a kiss. "Actually, I thought we might take a walk together to get out of the house for a bit."
She arched one auburn eyebrow over one hazel eye. "Cabin fever, hmm?"
He smiled sheepishly. "I guess so. Not that I'm saying that I don't enjoy spending that time with you," he hastily explained after seeing the other eyebrow join its twin. "What I meant was...oh, brother, why do I get myself into these situations?"
Not wanting him to suffer any longer than he deserved, she laughed and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Leon!" she cried, drawing back in surprise when she realized what she had just said, her hands covering her mouth.
He was just as surprised as he had wanted to tell her that since last night, and was happy that she felt the same way, allowing them both to share in a laugh as an awkward silence descended between them. "I love you, too, Morgan," he finally said.
Her eyes widened, and she giggled nervously before leaning forward to kiss him. "I think I've got a better idea to cure your cabin fever. Follow me!" she said as she took his hand and led him over to the Blade Liger, watching as she saw his eyes widen in appreciation of the zoid.
It seemed to sense Leon's presence as it turned towards him with a low roar that rolled over them and gave them both an idea of its power. "It's unbelievable!" he exclaimed. "No, it's awesome!" he cried, seeming for all the world like a little boy with a new toy.
She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she watched him walk around the zoid. "It's yours if you want it," she called out to him.
He stopped his inspection and looked towards her, his face belying his astonishment. "No, I couldn't," he replied, although his eyes fell once more on the red zoid. This was the type of zoid he had always dreamed of piloting, and it was here within his grasp, being offered to him by someone who he loved very much. Strangely, he felt as if he didn't deserve such a powerful zoid, but he knew that with the Blade Liger he could realize his full potential as a zoid warrior.
Feeling a hand on his arm, he looked to see her standing beside him. "Leon, please. I want you to have it. As I said, what use have I for a zoid like this one when I'm not even planning to fight in any battles? Besides, it seems to like you."
A grin spread across his face, and it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds as he picked her up off her feet and swung her around a few times, laughing as he heard her squeal of surprise. Before he met her, he had rarely found a reason to laugh, and it was just another reason among a long list of why he loved her so much. "And what about you?" he asked once he set her back down.
Breathless, she waited a moment before answering, and then she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "You'll do," she replied, smiling when she heard his exclamation of protest. "How about you take it out for a run?" she suggested.
He smiled and looked up at the zoid. "How about it, Blade Liger?" he asked.
The zoid responded with a loud roar that chased away every single bird and squirrel nearby.
Morgan sat on the porch steps waiting for Leon to return from his test run with his new zoid, wondering if he was hungry as it was past lunchtime and trying not to worry since he was gone so long. But then she heard their return and rose to her feet as they came into view and stopped, Leon getting out carefully as his ankle was still tender. "So what did you think?" she asked him.
"He's awesome!" he exclaimed. "His speed is unreal, and his blades are the ultimate weapon to have in a battle!"
She laughed. "I'm glad you like him. Now, I imagine you're hungry. I've fixed us something to eat for lunch--Leon!" she cried out in surprise when he pulled her up against him for a passionate kiss, his lips devouring hers before pulling away to allow them both to catch their breath. "What was that for?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining."
He smiled. "I missed you," he said, holding her face in his hands as he kissed her again, this time more softly. "What would you say to meeting my family along with the Blitz team?"
She became nervous as she had never thought that she would be meeting his family one day. "I guess so," she answered uncertainly.
His smile faded as the last thing he wanted to do was to push her into something she didn't want to do. He was just excited after thinking about introducing her to his father and Leena and didn't stop to think about how she would feel. "If you'd rather not go..." he prompted.
She saw the disappointed light in his eyes, and she could've kicked herself for putting it there. "No! I mean, yes! I'd love to! I guess that I'd gotten so used to having it be just us two together, I never thought about meeting your family one day. Do you think they'll like me?" she asked.
He laughed at her nervousness. "I think they'll love you," he replied. "Let me go call them and see if they're there first. I can't wait to introduce you to my father," he said as he disappeared inside.
She followed him, shaking her head as she knew she couldn't refuse him anything.
******************
Oh, boy, is she in for a treat! Who knows what will happen once they arrive! Thanks for reading and please review!
Wishing For Snow by Shelly
CHAPTER EIGHT
By the time morning dawned, most of the snow had melted except in places where the trees cast shadows upon the ground, and Morgan faced the new day with a happiness she hadn't felt in a long time. She was pleased that she had gotten to see it snow, but the greater part of her joy came from her love for Leon, and she knew that as long as she held that love close to her heart there was nothing she couldn't face.
Except one thing. The small matter of her past, which perhaps wasn't so small considering she had lied to him about where the Blade Liger had come from, and she knew that she had to tell him soon before things progressed to a deeper level.
She felt a pair of strong arms pull her close against his chest, and she readily melted into his embrace as she laid her arms across his. "I see most of the snow's gone," he pointed out.
"I hate to see it go," she sighed. "But I have you here to keep me happy now, don't I?"
"Mm-hmm," he replied, pulling her hair aside and kissing the back of her neck.
She laughed as a shiver raced down her spine. "So what brought you out here so early this morning?"
"Besides you?" he asked, releasing her and bringing his hands up to massage her neck and shoulders. She nodded, her head drooping forward as she relaxed. "Isn't that enough?"
Stepping away from him, she turned to plant a finger on his chest. "You are such a sweet talker, Leon," she teased.
He laughed. "I can't help it if it's true," he replied, pulling her close for a kiss. "Actually, I thought we might take a walk together to get out of the house for a bit."
She arched one auburn eyebrow over one hazel eye. "Cabin fever, hmm?"
He smiled sheepishly. "I guess so. Not that I'm saying that I don't enjoy spending that time with you," he hastily explained after seeing the other eyebrow join its twin. "What I meant was...oh, brother, why do I get myself into these situations?"
Not wanting him to suffer any longer than he deserved, she laughed and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Leon!" she cried, drawing back in surprise when she realized what she had just said, her hands covering her mouth.
He was just as surprised as he had wanted to tell her that since last night, and was happy that she felt the same way, allowing them both to share in a laugh as an awkward silence descended between them. "I love you, too, Morgan," he finally said.
Her eyes widened, and she giggled nervously before leaning forward to kiss him. "I think I've got a better idea to cure your cabin fever. Follow me!" she said as she took his hand and led him over to the Blade Liger, watching as she saw his eyes widen in appreciation of the zoid.
It seemed to sense Leon's presence as it turned towards him with a low roar that rolled over them and gave them both an idea of its power. "It's unbelievable!" he exclaimed. "No, it's awesome!" he cried, seeming for all the world like a little boy with a new toy.
She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she watched him walk around the zoid. "It's yours if you want it," she called out to him.
He stopped his inspection and looked towards her, his face belying his astonishment. "No, I couldn't," he replied, although his eyes fell once more on the red zoid. This was the type of zoid he had always dreamed of piloting, and it was here within his grasp, being offered to him by someone who he loved very much. Strangely, he felt as if he didn't deserve such a powerful zoid, but he knew that with the Blade Liger he could realize his full potential as a zoid warrior.
Feeling a hand on his arm, he looked to see her standing beside him. "Leon, please. I want you to have it. As I said, what use have I for a zoid like this one when I'm not even planning to fight in any battles? Besides, it seems to like you."
A grin spread across his face, and it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds as he picked her up off her feet and swung her around a few times, laughing as he heard her squeal of surprise. Before he met her, he had rarely found a reason to laugh, and it was just another reason among a long list of why he loved her so much. "And what about you?" he asked once he set her back down.
Breathless, she waited a moment before answering, and then she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "You'll do," she replied, smiling when she heard his exclamation of protest. "How about you take it out for a run?" she suggested.
He smiled and looked up at the zoid. "How about it, Blade Liger?" he asked.
The zoid responded with a loud roar that chased away every single bird and squirrel nearby.
Morgan sat on the porch steps waiting for Leon to return from his test run with his new zoid, wondering if he was hungry as it was past lunchtime and trying not to worry since he was gone so long. But then she heard their return and rose to her feet as they came into view and stopped, Leon getting out carefully as his ankle was still tender. "So what did you think?" she asked him.
"He's awesome!" he exclaimed. "His speed is unreal, and his blades are the ultimate weapon to have in a battle!"
She laughed. "I'm glad you like him. Now, I imagine you're hungry. I've fixed us something to eat for lunch--Leon!" she cried out in surprise when he pulled her up against him for a passionate kiss, his lips devouring hers before pulling away to allow them both to catch their breath. "What was that for?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining."
He smiled. "I missed you," he said, holding her face in his hands as he kissed her again, this time more softly. "What would you say to meeting my family along with the Blitz team?"
She became nervous as she had never thought that she would be meeting his family one day. "I guess so," she answered uncertainly.
His smile faded as the last thing he wanted to do was to push her into something she didn't want to do. He was just excited after thinking about introducing her to his father and Leena and didn't stop to think about how she would feel. "If you'd rather not go..." he prompted.
She saw the disappointed light in his eyes, and she could've kicked herself for putting it there. "No! I mean, yes! I'd love to! I guess that I'd gotten so used to having it be just us two together, I never thought about meeting your family one day. Do you think they'll like me?" she asked.
He laughed at her nervousness. "I think they'll love you," he replied. "Let me go call them and see if they're there first. I can't wait to introduce you to my father," he said as he disappeared inside.
She followed him, shaking her head as she knew she couldn't refuse him anything.
******************
Oh, boy, is she in for a treat! Who knows what will happen once they arrive! Thanks for reading and please review!