Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.

A/N: The story once again returns to Leon as everything starts coming to a close. Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter by the way!

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09. It's Alright

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It was empty in the marketplace that night. No one was there except for Leon sitting against a wall in a dark corner, hidden away by the shadows. He looked down in the dumps, but he was really just trying to relax. That is, relax his mind from all the unnecessary thoughts and emotions.

"…I'm such an idiot." He muttered, putting a hand to his face. "How am I going to face her again?"

He heard footsteps, and held still. They were soft and quiet as the person walked down the stairs. Leon didn't make a sound when he sensed that the person was standing above him on the wall that he leaned his back on.

"Have you given up?" It was Tifa. Her voice resonated sadness and a bit of sympathy. Though it was hard to tell.

Leon leaned his head against the cold surface of the wall and sighed. "No."

"I haven't either." Her footsteps retraced themselves as she walked away. "But… I'll wait for him." Then all was quiet.

"Wait…?" Leon repeated to himself. "Maybe I really have given up."

The golden sun was setting in the distance already. Leon stood to leave, but when he turned to walk up the stairs, he found himself looking straight into Aerith's green eyes. For a second, he almost felt like turning around and running. But his legs remained still and calm without moving an inch. Though he had to admit to himself that he was surprised, his words caught at his throat.

"Leon… I need to talk to you." Aerith said.

"What's there to talk about?" Leon looked away.

"Please! We have to talk!" Aerith desperately walked down the steps, paying attention only to Leon and nothing else. Just when she got halfway down, she accidentally skipped a step and ended up falling. But Leon was ready for anything clumsy she might do and caught her before she injured herself.

"Be careful. You don't want to break your leg now, do you?"

Aerith was still in a bit of a shock, as anyone would if they had almost fallen off a flight of stairs made of stone. When she realized that Leon was still holding onto her, she blushed, unable to move. "I-I'm fine."

Leon set her down on the stairs and sat next to her. After what happened he felt a bit like laughing, but it didn't seem like the right time for laughs. Aerith sat with her hands on her lap clenched tightly. Though it was uncomfortable to Leon too, he had to say something to break the ice.

"What is it?"

"Um, I…" For a rare time, Aerith didn't look at Leon in the eye. Usually, it was Leon who always looked at his hands or at the ground.

"You can tell me anything." Leon assured, putting his hands over hers. "Is it… about Cloud?"

Aerith shook her head and blurted, "No! It's not!" Her face was completely pink.

"Then… what?"

"I have something to tell you!" Aerith said, managing to say a full sentence.

"Oh…?"

Aerith's pink face faded a bit, but her cheeks remained red. Her embarrassed face turned sad as she thought about Cloud. Feeling the warmth of Leon's hand on hers, she muttered, "Leon… do you remember when you asked me… if it was alright if you loved me?"

Leon's eyes softened. "How could I forget?"

"I never got to answer your question, did I?"

"What about Cloud?"

"…He let me go."

Leon blinked, shocked. "He did…?"

Aerith nodded. "He told me… to be happy. But I don't know if I can be if I don't do anything. So, I came to you, hoping for something that I'm not sure I'll get." She turned to Leon, her eyes sparkling. "I want to ask you something." Leon's attention was all on her. Hesitantly, she asked, "Is it alright… if I love you?"

Leon's breath was taken away. He felt his heart beat faster.

"I just need to know if it's alright with you." She spoke carefully. "Because if you don't feel the same way, then it'll be fine with me. I just need to know."

Each word she spoke were the words that Leon said that night under the colored lit sky. Hearing her repeat the same words he said to her the night before made Leon see things through her point of view. And his heart ached hearing her pour herself out to him.

Aerith wiped a tear from her face. "That's what you said to me too… I remember every word… just saying it makes me understand how you feel." Her tears fell uncontrollably now, she continued wiping them as if they would stop. "When you asked me if it was alright if you loved me, I never gave you an answer. But deep in my heart, I was crying out to you, crying out that it was alright! It's alright for you to love me because I love you too!"

A sudden relief spread through Leon when Aerith said those words, and his body suddenly felt weak. He couldn't help but smile… and cry. He put a hand to his eyes and felt his wet face. He wasn't crying out of sadness, but happiness. Through her blurry eyes, Aerith could see tears streaming down Leon's face. Putting her arms around him, she pulled him to her chest and holds him as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"It's alright…" Aerith soothed through sniffles. "It's alright, Leon."

"I know." Leon said, trying to control his shaking voice. "It's alright being loved by you… everything's alright now."

Though the sun had gone down, they stayed there together. Once the full moon was bright enough to light the darkness of Radiant Garden's streets, Leon and Aerith walked together through the pale night in silence. Just the presence of the other made either one feel safe and secure. They couldn't possibly ask for more.

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A/N: It's not the end! Not yet! One more chapter to go! One more and that's it! About Tifa, to clarify things, she simply means she's going to wait for Cloud to come to her. Sorry if that sounds like bad news for any of you.