For A Moment

Author's Ramble: Hey guys! I'm sorry for shirking things so much, but I hope you won't hate me too much. I'm working on getting one more chapter up for this (FAM) for a Christmas gift to all my readers, along with a CCS (SakuraxSyaoran) Christmas gift, and hopefully another chapter on One Week. Please R&R, and I know the ending sticks utterly, so any pointers would be accepted and appreciated. This is my first KiraxLacus fic, and I'm quite proud of it, besides the ending, so I hope you like it. Thanks for any and all comments (besides flames, of course).

Arigato gosaimas! Thank you all so much! And Merry (early) Christmas! (And Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, or whatever you do this time of year.)

Now I'll stop bothering you and let you read on!

Chapter 6: Falling in Leaves

Lacus sighed as she breathed in the sweet smell of fallen leaves. "It's autumn!" she said to herself, and spun around in a happy twirl. Autumn was one of Lacus' favorite times of the year. The leaves always turned to most extraordinary colors, and it told of exciting times to come. For one, it meant that Christmas was right around the corner! "Oh! I'll have to start asking everyone what they want!" Lacus began to hum to herself as she walked down the street to the cafe where she and Kira were going to meet. Something told her that today was going to be an incredible day.

"Kira!" Lacus ran forward into the arms of her boyfriend and was greeted by the lovely smile that not only graced his lips, but shown in each of his beautiful lavender eyes.

"How have you been, Lacus?" Kira asked, pulling out a chair for her.

"Good. Good. It smells like autumn, Kira!" Lacus smiled, and it was infectious.

Kira laughed as he sat down across from his pink haired princess. "Yes it does! I'm guessing you love the colors of the leaves."

Lacus nodded. "Definitely! This is one of my favorite times of the year!" A conspiratorial look crossed her face. "You know autumn also means?" She asked, leaning forward across the table.

"What?" Kira asked, leaning forward as well, a smile still gracing his face.

"It's almost Christmas!" Lacus laughed, and Kira laughed with her. "It's just so wonderful! I can't wait to see everyone again."

"Neither can I," Kira said, smiling to himself. Then he looked at Lacus, deep in thought about something. "Lacus, I..."

"Yes, Kira?" The way he said her name made her stomach do flips. Well, it did every time, but there was something... different. "What is it?"

"I... wanted... to know... if..."

This was strange. Kira was almost never this nervous. He looked around, like he was judging the scenery and the place. Nodding to himself, Kira took her hand.

"Will you come with me Lacus?"

She nodded and Kira began to lead her away. Neither of them worried about paying for anything, seeing as they hadn't ordered anything at all. Lacus' mind buzzed with ideas about what could possibly make Kira act like this.

Moments later Lacus found herself in the backyard of a lovely house. Kira had led her in through the gate and sat her down on a bench nearby.

"Why are we at your house, Kira?" she asked.

"I wanted to show you the leaves," he smiled.

Lacus looked around and gaped as she saw all the leaves in piles around the yard. "You raked all these up?" She asked, giving Kira a playful look.

Kira laughed and nodded, "Go ahead." He knew exactly what she wanted to do.

He smiled, watching as his songstress launched herself into pile after pile of leaves. Like a nymph or fairy, he thought, watching as she ran around, the gold and crimson leaves hugging onto the strands of her pink hair. Suddenly she disappeared into a pile, and didn't reemerge.

"Lacus?" Kira hurried over, wanting to make sure that she wasn't hurt. He sighed in relief when he saw her laying there in a pile, eyes closed, breathing in the smell of autumn.

"Lacus, I..."

Her beautiful blue eyes met his lavender ones, and the words caught in his throat.

Lacus reached out a hand, and Kira moved to help her up, but was surprised to find himself falling into the leaves next to her. They laughed together, and Lacus snuggled closer to the one who held her heart.

"Kira?"

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you."

Their eyes met again, and it was then that she noticed that he was digging into his pocket for something.

"Lacus Clyne," he said, pulling Lacus into a sitting position while he kneeled next to her. He took a breath and began again, pulling out the small box that had lain hidden in his pocket. Lacus only had moments to blush before she heard the words, in one form or another, she had always imagined coming from this young man's mouth.

"Lacus Clyne, the woman of my dreams, will you marry me?"

Lacus' eyes widened in surprise, and then she threw herself onto him. "Yes! Of course, Kira!" she exclaimed, kissing him with such passion that they fell into the leaves together.

Lacus continued to blush and smile as Kira slipped the ring onto the finger of her left hand, and he smiled as well.

"I love you, Lacus," he whispered.

"And I you, Kira."

It wasn't then that she realized it, but it reaffirmed the truth that she had known. As easy as it had been to fall into piles of leaves, Lacus Clyne had fallen in love, and she knew there was nothing better.