Finally I have another chapter. Well so here go the warnings for this chapter. Angst and slight citrus not anything worth controversy. It's more like cotton candy.
Shining Things

Part III

There shines a light
Leon awoke with the pain of stiffness in his whole back and neck. He turned his head to the side expecting that satisfied pop, but it never came. The Gunblade master stood and stretched. His attention fell on the still sleeping girl. She was a pretty little thing. A microscopic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth but was gone before it reached a visible smile. Aeris sighed in her sleep. She seemed peaceful. A pinch in his back reminded him that he had just fallen asleep over a wooden chair. He frowned slightly and tried to stretch out on the cherry floor of the hotel. That didn't do anything for his back. Finally after much arguing with himself he decided to stretch out on the bed. Leon sunk into the downy bed and almost purred in delight of its softness. His body sank unceremoniously and almost instantly welcomed sleep. Aeris instinctively curled closer to the warmth that had suddenly made its presence on the bed. Leon was not exactly coherent enough to notice what had happened and simply sighed at the feeling. The peace did not last but a few minutes when a loud squeal interrupted the sleeping pair causing both to jump.
"Leon you were supposed to be working not picking up women." A dark haired teen whined not noticing who the said female was.
Aeris blushed and bolted from the bed realizing how compromising the previous position with Leon had been. She hid her face behind her hands mainly to hide her rosy cheeks, but also to stifle a small giggle at how distraught Leon looked. Her eyes shifted to catch a glimpse of the girl currently nagging Leon and a shock of déjà vu went through her.

"Yuffie?" she questioned quite unsure if it really was the same ninja girl from the journeys with Avalanche.

The person in question turned slowly to gape at Aeris. "You, you survived?" Yuffie almost started to well up with tears. "Aeris! You survived the heartless!" She ran to hug the older woman.

After the brief reunion with Yuffie and then Cid their plan of action about the heartless was discussed. All during the conference though Aeris and Leon's minds were not tuned into the subject at hand. Aeris wandered through memories from her first life. She remembered Cloud and smiled thinking about their silly little date. She sighed. I let Leon kiss me. I could have pushed him away, but I didn't. I'm so unfaithful. Her mind beat on her nagging about how cloud most likely would be hurt, if she ever found him again. She sighed. It was hopeless. Aeris found it hard to believe that Cloud would wait for her. He only kissed my hand, and here I let Leon kiss me. This thought pounded into her head making the guilt weigh down on her like an anvil.
Across the table Leon's mind was running a similar track. His thoughts were dwelling on his sweet Rinoa. He knew she had passed away, but still he had the small glimmer of hope that she was still alive. He tentatively was rubbing at his lower lip as if he could still feel the sensation of her soft lips against his. God what had possessed him to kiss her? He had procrastinated and waited and did every sort of delay with Rinoa, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of her and then this mysterious girl happened by and Just as Ansem had fallen to her spell so had he. She was undeniably gorgeous and very unnaturally charismatic. He looked across the table at her observing her form. She seemed as if she was in thought about the events from earlier.
"Leon are you listening? What's wrong did you hurt your lip?" Yuffie turned to the Gunblade warrior.
Leon shook his head to clear his mind. "I didn't catch the last thing you said." Yuffie just sighed and repeated what her and cid had previously been talking about.
Leon was watching Aeris again. It was a few days after their little "incident" and it annoyed him that she was acting aloof to it. It had originally been her fault hadn't it? He watched her from the corner of his eye as she arranged flowers for the local shops. Flowers seemed to be somewhat of a passion to her, so he thought. His eyes followed her every movement. She leaned over to give a lost child a flower while patting him on the head. This scene reminded him of the orphanage in his dreams. Something he was sure was a memory but couldn't quite place. Aeris turned to him and smiled her candy sweet smile while waving. Such a delicate wrist. He briefly remembered how it felt in his grasp. He wondered how someone that was so delicate could have such immense power to disintegrate the shadows. He walked back inside the small house that he shared with Aeris and Yuffie. Sometimes he wished, well, most of the time he wished he had his own place. Aeris and Yuffie stayed up late every night reminiscing about the good times and the battle against Sephiroth and Shinra and Meteor. Their incessant giggling allowed him little to no sleep.
He was greeted by the sound of the door swishing open. The flower girl walked in and set her earnings down on the table in front of him. She smirked a little at him giving him the hint that she still remembered, but before he could ask she turned to go into the small kitchen to cook.
"Are you hungry?" She called.
He could hear the movement of pots and pans echoing about. He simply answered with and affirmative and went to shining his blade. Normally he would pamper his weapon to get his mind off of things, but currently his mind was tuned into Aeris' little song(1). Her voice was soft and melodious as she hummed the tune he recognized to be the same one she used to sing while cataloging things for Ansem. The more he tried to push the melody away the more it caused him to ponder about this enigmatic woman. Her eyes. The thing that stuck out the most to him was her eyes. They seemed to glow with a sacred light. He was so lost in thought that he did not realize that his polishing rag had ripped and caused the blade to slice his hand open. Acknowledging a burn in his hand he looked down to find his hand gushing of the life giving flow.

"Shit.." Leon Abruptly dropped the weapon and ran into the kitchen cursing all the while about being absent minded.
"Let me see your wound." Aeris softly commanded. "I can heal it for you." Without his permission she took the injured part between her palms and whispered a few words in the native tongue. Leon's hand stitched itself back together leaving only a small scar. "There." She stated while kissing the palm lightly. "There was no need for that profane language." She scolded humorously.
Leon's other hand came up to stroke away a stray lock of hair and tuck it behind Aeris' ear while whispering a soft gratification and apology. Aeris' cheeks flushed crimson as his finger brushed against the back of her ear. Instinctively she leaned into the touch. They stood there face to face for what seemed like eternity and a day before moving to speak. His face inched dangerously close to hers trapping her against the counter.
"I can use profanity if I damn well want to." He growled sensuously against her neck causing her to gasp.
Some how their lips met again, but this time was different, because Leon knew the action well. They kissed pulling closely needing the comfort in each other for unspoken pain. There seemed to shine a glimmer of hope in this single act. The kiss was deepened by the lion as her own lips molded to his in a wonderful many allowing him to be the best.........

A/N: Yeah this is kinda cheesy, but I need the fluff before the sex. They need to know each other before they go off like horny bunnies. Oh Number one, is Aeris' theme if you can imagine her humming it. Anyway, thanks for your time. Read and review please.