a/n: fill for a tumblr prompt
Aerith noticed quickly into their time living together that Zack liked to kiss her forehead when he left for work in the morning and then her cheek when he got home at night. It's not that it bothered her, in fact being able to tilt her head in specific ways at those times because of the predictability was funny to her. Zack was such a spontaneous person, yet even those kinds of people have habits and routines.
"Alright I gotta go, bye!" is how he bids goodbye in the morning and Aerith makes sure her bangs are out of her face when she raises her head to make it easier for him to swoop down lips-first.
"I'm home! I missed you all day," is what he says every night and Aerith will always turn her head at just the right angle for Zack's lips to land square in the middle of her cheek and then twice after that.
Zack doesn't seem to have noticed either of these habits and Aerith doesn't mind too much; she loves the regular attention and his dedication to kissing her at every opportunity. He never misses one and considers it a crime to do so. When Aerith thinks he's charmed her more than before he one-ups himself.
Just for fun Aerith decides to ask Zack about it one night. Since he was able to come home early he grabbed dinner for both of them on the way back, which he announces as soon as he gives her his daily kiss on the cheek.
"Why do you only kiss my cheek when you come home?" Aerith inquires when they're seated, feigning a little disappointment. Zack looks up from stuffing his face with take-out and then rolls his eyes up in thought. He takes his time chewing and swallowing before he says anything.
"I dunno...never thought about it," he admits. "My guess would be that I rush in the morning—"
"Because you wake up late?"
"—Yeah, and I can't just kiss you once on the cheek! Maybe I just don't have time to kiss you more than once before I head out."
Aerith hums and turns her head to hide her wide smile. "Oh, I suppose that's true," she giggles.
Zack grins and, noticing that Aerith turned her cheek and left the other open, leans over and smushes his lips into her. Aerith giggles at first and expects the next two kisses as usual. But Zack keeps kissing her all over the side of her face, too fast for Aerith to count, leaving her only able to laugh out all the joy and affection bubbling within her.
"Zack!" she squeals, erupting into giggles. Zack's barrage of kisses is briefly interrupted by his own chuckling, after which he places one more big, dramatically loud kiss on her cheek as the grand finale.
Aerith puts her hand on her cheek and beams at him with a big smile.
"Oh you," she teases and gives him a light push that Zack sways from to amuse her.
"Was that a satisfactory explanation?" Zack asks. Aerith nods.
"Very!"
They chuckle with each other and continue on with their night. As they crawl into bed hours later Zack rolls over to hover over Aerith. She looks up at him.
"Yes, Zack?" she prompts.
Zack grins and kisses her. Aerith hums with delight and Zack leads them into deeper kisses, kisses that go on too long for quick ones before bed. Aerith sighs when he stops to kiss her ear, then her cheek, and leaving a trail of kisses down to the neckline of her camisole. He kisses where her heart lies; Aerith wonders if he can feel it beating.
Then Zack pulls up and lingers just barely above her. "Any complaints if I do that every night?"
Aerith touches his bare chest and lightly runs her hands up over his shoulders, up his neck and finally resting on his face. Zack tucks his hand under her shoulder and slides it down to the small of her back, slipping under her silk shirt to get to her skin. They gaze into each other's eyes, silent except for light breathing.
"I'll only complain if you forget," Aerith whispers. "Do you need me to write it down?"
Zack smiles. "I don't think I'll ever need a reminder to kiss you."
"If you're sure," Aerith teases and gasps as Zack strokes down her spine, going lower than before.
"I'm sure."
Aerith pulls Zack down and passionately kisses him, claiming every movement and breath. When he moans into her mouth she's there to soak it in and give it back softly. Zack sits fully up and out of Aerith's reach so he can throw the covers off of them. He settles in between Aerith's legs, guiding her soft thighs to rest on his. Aerith's heart is racing with adrenaline, her hands are desperate to grab and hold on to Zack. She gasps as Zack curls over her, presses into her pelvis just so, and covers her range of vision with himself. It's not a bad view. She can finally get his hair between her fingers and takes that chance instantly. Zack chuckles and puts both of his hands under the front of her camisole, moving them up slowly.
"We doing this?" he asks in a husky tone that gives Aerith delighted chills.
Aerith sighs as Zack's hands officially leave her stomach on their journey up her body. "Yeah," she breathes, pulls his head down closer to her and kisses up his jaw. "You know what to do right?" she teases, breathing in his ear.
She yelps when one of Zack's hands leaves her chest and dips under her underwear. Zack chuckles. "I have an idea, I think."
Zack wakes up the next morning so late that he has to call work about it. He still, of course, spares time to leave a kiss on Aerith's forehead. Aerith is so sleepy that she forgets to remind him to cover the kisses she left on him.