The man called Leon was indeed a tough one. Seymour grudgingly admitted as he watched the shackled man hanging on the wall being struck by quick bursts of lightning summoned by his personal black mages. Leon screamed in pain, but even with that torture he underwent for the past four days (being used as target practice only to be healed with the necessary potions and then being aimed at with magic again) could never break him. Even his mind was defiant, not revealing information on Yuna's whereabouts.
But Leon was used to pain; in fact one can say he has the ability to embrace it, and amazing endurance not to be affected by it. It was something he developed ever since he joined the cause; he knew the harshness of the road he had taken. And even now, when he knew that his chances of survival was slim, he would still prefer going down without being broken… especially towards that man.
And besides, he already gave his word not to die… he had no intention to do otherwise.
Seymour suddenly felt bored, "Stubborn fool." He said, casting his most powerful lightning magic at the man. Leon's body wracked in pain, but he didn't pass out. Leon would not allow himself to fall unconscious.
"What of the girl?" Seymour asked to his assistant.
The young man tried not to look at their tortured prisoner. "Our guest is looking into her."
"I see."
In the Healing Room Seymour's guest, who arrived a day prior, frowned as the images disappeared, opening more questions than any feasible answers. She was certain, though, that the female ninja and her friend were uninvolved with Yuna's abduction, the songs that confirmed it for her.
It helped that the girl was unconscious and the magical properties on the slow process of healing her broken arms and ribs intensify her pain. This allowed her mind to cope with the hurt as a first priority, and not putting up a defense against her probes.
She saw darkness… and quick visions of a tree, the ocean, and hands clasped… and beyond…
A long haired woman standing on a cliff. Her facial features made the woman identify her immediately.
"Lady Edea." She murmured, surprised to see the dead Sorceress after so long a time. The last time they met… she looked at the sleeping girl. "So… she was one of them..."
For a moment, she had seriously considered taking Edea's offer and dismantling the girl's mind to satisfy her curiosity, but doing such a thing may lead to the girl's death… and she certainly didn't want her to die yet.
And so she began her healing song as well as her own personal incantations.
The first thing Yuffie thought as soon as she woke up was the bloody face of the man whom she last seen, and that was enough to bolt her from her bed, and fell onto the stony floor with a loud thud.
She just woke up and she hurt herself first thing, damn it. Cursing everything she could think of as the pains from her backside subsided, it took her a moment to realize that she could not identify where she is at the moment.
Many emotions recalled from recent memory stirred in her that her head began to hurt: relief that she was still alive, worry for her other two friends who were taken by that ship, disbelief on Leon's betrayal, less disbelief and slightly angered when he stupidly jumped off that ship for her… and... concern, a feeling she cannot replicate ever since….
Leon, where the heck is he?
"I see you're awake." Yuffie raised her head and saw a woman wearing the white robes of a high class songstress. "I will inform Lord Seymour of your recovery."
Yuffie winced at the mention of the name. Wonderful.
"By Spiran law, you are disgraced as a songstress guardian." Seymour said, without bothering for introductions or inquiring for her health, as soon as he entered the room, "failing to protect her from harm."
"Your personal guards didn't seem to do things well for her either." Yuffie replied dryly, "Nice seeing you too, by the way."
Seymour didn't seem to mind the thinly veiled insult as he continued. "As such, you are not allowed to return to your homeland until you find her again and safely presented in Queen Yunalesca's court."
"I know my duties, Head Mage," Yuffie replied her voice dripping with sarcasm. "So what do you want from me?"
"The safe return of my fiancée. And let her accept what Fate has brought her in her rightful place in Spira's grand design."
It was a fancy way of telling that he wants to marry her as quickly as possible, and they both knew that, "And how do I suppose to do that?"
"The man that is with you. He knows where she is."
"That man…?" Yuffie frowned, not liking where this was going.
"And he is quite persistent." He continued, as though he hadn't just heard her. "So I suggest you would take the necessary items before mounting a rescue."
It took Yuffie a couple of seconds before she could swallow what he was implying. "You want me to take him out of this place hoping that he'd lead me straight to her?"
"What other idea would you conclude from it?"
She knew she was treading dangerous ground, but somehow, she managed to form her voice in a defiant tone. "If you value your love for Yuna so much, then how come you're not going after her?"
Again Seymour smiled his grim smile, but for the first time they talked, he seemed he was actually listening to her. "You are clever, aren't you?" he whispered, as he produced a familiar weapon from his belt and placed in her hand: Leon's weapon. "You have ten minutes before the guards exchange their posts. The dungeon he's in is a few levels below, but I'm sure you'll find him… follow the burnt flesh."
Yuffie frowned at him, trying not to show how that Guado was freaking her out with the way he said those last words with such relish.
"There is also an escape passage at the dead end my dungeons, where that man is being held. But make sure you're ready to fight off the monsters there. I won't guarantee your safety, but I'm sure it'll work out somehow." The Head Mage walked away in the corridor, laughing, and for a moment Yuffie had seriously considered attacking the freak by sniping his back with her weapon. In doing so Yuna can be finally free to love Tidus without the sacred promises their parents made in that damn bethrothal. But she reluctantly allowed her anger and annoyance to fade away. Not now. Not in the middle of his own castle with the guards, not with Leon here probably dying… or worse.
Cursing, she grabbed her pack that was nicely stuffed at the chair near her bed as she pocketed the potion Seymour gave her. She then began a silent run along the stony corridors, trying to use the shadows to hide herself from the patrolling guards lazily strolling the premises. She tried not to sigh when she realized that she has little to no weapons. It seemed that when she fell from the sky, she lost most of her shurikens in the process, and Yuffie was forced not to get involved in any necessary encounters with the guards.
Seymour that jackass…he was certainly making work cut out for her.
Finally, the guard at the entrance of the dungeon left to get his replacement, and Yuffie took the opportunity to run as fast as she could towards the entrance.
And promptly run into the guard who was standing near the torture chamber. Before he could call out in warning, Yuffie whipped out the object that she always wanted to use. She was glad she took the liberty back then in Timble to have it identified to finally figure out how Lulu activates the damn thing.
Without hesitation, she threw the Cactuar doll on the guard. The doll immediately landed on the floor… and danced.
Well, at least it looked like it was waving its arms and moving its legs in a funny manner than an actual dance, but she knew the true properties of the item. It was in fact attacking the soldier with 1000 needles from its body. Though the needles disappear as soon as it comes in contact with the target, it produces a pain similar as being pricked by 1000 needles at once.
Only when the guard fell on the floor, unconscious, did Yuffie's brain finally come to a realization. She found herself saying at the empty corridor out loud to Lulu, "Are you telling me I'm violent?" she asked, feeling slightly offended.
But knowing her friend cannot answer for that, she grabbed the Cactuar carefully from the ground and made a not so gentle nudge on the soldier's side to grab his keys strapped on his belt. Satisfied that Seymour was correct with his assessment, she quickly opened the door, went in, and gape in horror on what she saw inside.
"Leon!"
She racked her head, trying to recall from memory the tips her friend Aerith taught her about healing magic… "Crap! If I knew this would happen, I should have taken it more seriously!" she hissed.
Leon was propped against a wall, and even though he was conscious enough to manage to walk a few meters away with her as support, she realized that he was bleeding. Specifically from the scar on his forehead, and that he was barely trying hard to stay awake. But definitely too much in pain to be even moving.
Worst of all she has no healing potions, no doctor to run to, and she was sure as hell she wasn't going back and ask a favor to Seymour, and seeing that the Head Mage was capable of such cruelty made her more desperate to leave. And even though she had the necessary skills for a basic healer, she really showed little to no interest on the ability that she didn't practice it as she promised to her friend.
Clearing her head again from any unnecessary distractions, she tried to get herself into a tranquil state like her friend taught, trying hard not to let panic get the better of her. Then she felt a tingling sensation in her hand, and she concentrated with all her might on that sensation, willing it to heal her friend. She felt a slight energy loss from her part, but it was a sign that the magic worked.
Leon felt slightly rejuvenated… it did not stop the ache from his muscles, but at least his eyesight cleared and he did not feel faint. "I didn't know you can do that." He said, glad that he also got the necessary strength to even talk.
Yuffie grunted, "Me neither. Clear Tranquil my butt, it's giving me a headache." She then gave him a tentative smile, "Good to see you too." she amended quickly. "Can you stand?"
"Just give me a moment." He said, willing his legs to move. He had been shackled against that wall for almost a week, and his protesting muscles were suffering the consequences. But his will proved to be stronger than his own body, as he did manage to stand up, stumble a bit then regained his balance by leaning against the wall. Yuffie looked around, hoping the extra guard wouldn't decide to come down and inspect the premises.
"Here," Yuffie said, handing him his weapon. "The watchamacallit."
"Gunblade," he corrected her. But having the weapon in his hand again apparently gave him a little more strength as he sat down next to her, willing his muscles and mentally preparing himself to walk.
Guns… evil weapons of the Corrupted Ones from tales. But another image of him literally jumping off the ship for her flashed in her mind. And it worried her…
"Why did you do that?" she asked him quietly.
"What?" Leon asked her, surprised.
"Why did you jump after me?"
The man closed his eyes, and even though his face was red by his drying blood from the scar that was now closing by the healing spell. And somehow Yuffie got the distinct feeling he was avoiding the question when he simply replied. "This isn't the proper time and place for that."
She let it go at that. His excuse had merits. But she felt an impulse she could not understand, nor control… she was, in fact, surprised by this as well.
Leon felt something warm pressed against his forehead, and he looked on in shock as Yuffie carefully kissed him in the temple, as if she was a grown woman giving a kiss to a little boy who managed to scrap his knee from a bad fall and cheerfully tell him that the wound was magically gone.
Yuffie looked away in obvious embarrassment. "For helping me back then, is all."
"…" Leon certainly revealed no reaction to that gesture, though he had his eyes closed for a moment or two… and that whatever he was feeling was somehow kept at bay, for he looked determined when he stood up. All calm and businesslike again, "Any idea where we should go?" he asked.
"There's an escape route here." Yuffie said, standing up as well, and didn't bother to dust herself off. "But I heard there were monsters there. We'll go only if you're ok with it."
"I'm ok with it." Leon answered grimly. "Let's go."
He still looked determined, even when the hidden door opened, revealing an old route that was obviously forgotten and unused for so long that both immediately knew would be an ideal lair for underground monsters.
Leon was indeed a tough man. He still managed to do so well against the random encounters so far… giant moles, ants and roaches… but nothing too terrible. Yuffie's lack of weapons was a problem, and so Leon took the brunt of the battles, with the ninja reluctantly supporting him as a healer. She didn't like the idea of him making do the physical attacks, considering his injuries that she knew her minor healing never mend properly. She wished Yuna was here; her healing abilities were more potent. And Tidus, to keep her occupied from thinking too much on her current companion. Still, she did manage to use her stealing ability to nab a couple of healing potions from the undead soldier they fought in the fork of the underground tunnel, in which she immediately forced Leon to drink it all.
Finally they emerged from the dark, dirty underground tunnel to a lush forest. Both of them coughing out the dust from their lungs, and both looking like they dove headfirst into a well full of cobwebs.
"Yuck." Yuffie said, removing the sticky substance from her hair in futility. Leon had it worse, especially since his hair was longer. He looked so silly being covered in cobwebs that he began to look like the Dust Man that that she bit her lip and tried not to laugh. They're still in danger; there were wild animals in the forest too.
Leon was looking at the sky worriedly. And Yuffie knew why… it's getting dark. They had better find a town soon or they're both be done for.
"Let's find a road and follow it." Leon said tiredly. "If we're lucky, we could hitch a ride."
"Maybe we should rest for a bit." She suggested, frowning as he slightly bent over to catch his breath. He was pushing himself too hard for her liking.
Surprisingly he agreed, but quickly added. "Until we find a road."
They did find a road quite fast, and it was mostly because of Leon's good sense of direction (since she had never been in this area before), but because around this time of the day, it seems the living monsters wouldn't even dream to hang around either.
Leon sat on the stump, finally getting the chance to catch his breath, as Yuffie scanned the road for any traveler that would pass their way…
"By the way." Yuffie said, looking at her companion, "You still haven't answered my question back then."
"What?"
She knew he needed rest, but she knew that she wanted the answer that was bothering her. "Why did you do that? You have no obligation to come after me, and I may have ended alright from the fall."
"…"
"Leon."
The man looked up to her, "I just don't want you to die. Is that so hard to believe?"
She frowned, she didn't like that kind of thinking, "Even if it gets you killed in the end? I don't think I'll appreciate that."
A shake of his head, he would have looked impressive if he wasn't covered in dust, "It doesn't matter."
"Yes it does!"
"Someone's coming…" Leon said, and sure enough they heard a wagon coming up from behind them.
"I don't give a damn, let him pass for all I care." Yuffie said, determined not to let him change the subject again. "You know something that you don't want to tell me, aren't you?"
A scoff, "You're being ridiculous."
"Am I?" Yuffie said.
Leon looked at her in such seriousness that she began to feel slightly foolish, but she glared at him, as though doing this may actually change his mind and tell her the truth now, but another voice interrupted their "merry conversation". "Yuffie?" the voice said.
Yuffie looked at the cloaked figure sat on a wagon being pulled by a couple of green chocobos. She hasn't heard that familiar voice for years now, "Cloud?"
"I knew you're there under all that dirt," Cloud said. "What are you doing here?" a frown towards Leon who was also covered in dirt. "Is that Tidus you keep mentioning about?"
"Huh? Oh, no. No." Yuffie said, she was smiling widely, glad to see him again. "This is Leon. Leon, this is Cloud… the guy who helped me back then when I was in the forest…"
Leon nodded that he remembered.
"How's your wife?" Yuffie said, motioning for Leon to ride on the wagon with her without asking permission. Cloud didn't seem to mind the least, he wasn't planning on leaving them on the road anyway.
"She's doing fine. She missed you." Cloud said. "And since she's always alone in the house except for the patients most of the day, she gets lonely."
"Oh," Yuffie felt a slight tinge of guilt for that.
"Don't worry about it." Cloud said. "We kind of understand why you left after all."
"Are you a woodcutter?" Leon asked, surprised to see a rather huge axe lying on the floor of the wagon.
"It's one of my jobs, yeah." Cloud replied.
"He's more of a jack-of-all-trades." Yuffie said, she turned her attention to Cloud. "By the way, can you make me another batch of shurikens?"
A deadpan expression, "You lost them again?" he sounded so serious it was almost funny.
Yuffie huffed in indignation. "I've kept them with me up till now, but something happened beyond my control… I didn't lose them."
Cloud shrugged under his red cloak. "Whatever you say."
When she looked back, she saw that Leon had already drifted off in a light slumber, and she left it at that, and continued her conversation with Cloud, only now under a hush whisper. "Cloud?"
"Yeah…" he whispered back.
"I know you've served your term in the War, you told me."
For a moment, Yuffie thought that her friend would deny he even said it. But after a lengthy silence he continued. "What of it?"
"Can you tell me the route that brought you and the others back? I want to use it."
"To the Outside?"
A nod. Cloud sighed, "I suppose there's no use to tell you 'forget it and it's too dangerous', huh?"
"It can't be helped. It's important."
Cloud stared, "Well, you'll have to spend the night in our place, and then we'll talk properly."
Yuffie threw a sidelong look at Leon, "I heard that before…" she muttered.
Leon looked as Cloud took the giant axe across easily against his shoulders as if he was carrying something much lighter… which betrayed his own strength as he went to the shed across the house, telling Yuffie to go ahead and say her hellos to his wife.
The house was small and modest looking but sturdy. But what grabbed Leon's attention was the very nice flower garden adorning the lawn, filling the small space with the colors of yellow and white…
Yuffie was embracing an older woman at the porch, whom Leon assumed as Cloud's wife. "Hi, Aerith."
"Hi, Yuffie." The young woman, Aerith, said warmly, her beautiful green eyes were full of tears, and yet somehow they looked so empty and distant, not focusing on Yuffie's face. Only when Leon saw her pick up a small staff leaning against the wall did he realize that the woman was blind.
Aerith paused, then turned her head towards his direction, which made him doubt his assessment. "And who's your friend?" she asked.
"Leon." Yuffie answered helpfully.
"You came back after all this time and brought a man along, you really have grown up." Aerith teased. Yuffie rolled her eyes in exasperation, but was smiling despite of herself, impressed. "How did you know he's a guy? I may have brought along a girl carrying a man's name."
"His spirit told me." Aerith answered mysteriously. "Very masculine. What's he like?"
"Well, he's prettier than me, if that helps." Was her immediate frank answer that Aerith laughed appreciatively.
"Yuffie." Leon said in strained patience. He felt slightly out of place and discomfort by the girlish banter… something he did not see between Yuffie and the songstress, oddly enough.
"Oh, all right." Yuffie replied, slightly disgruntled, "Look, I know this is asking too much in such short notice, Aerith, but we both need a good bath and a change of clothes."
Yuffie looked in dread at the familiar clothes lying on the extra space in the house that was served as a guest room, she had just finished her bath, and Leon was using it next. But their clothes would need to be cleaned so extra clothes were indeed handed out. Cloud had to surrender an old shirt of his to Leon, who would most likely wear it tight, since he was even taller than the woodcutter. As for her own change of clothes…
"No!"
Aerith sighed. She knew this was going to happen. Still she will not be swayed by this, besides those were the only clothes she could spare, really. "What, you prefer walking around the house naked?"
"I will not wear a skirt!" Yuffie knew she was acting childish, but she couldn't help herself. The one thing she never liked at all was to be uncomfortable. And in her opinion, making her wear a dress… makes Yuffie wearing a dress. She felt stupid in it.
"Oh, for goodness sake… you're a girl too!" Aerith said in exasperation. "Stop being so stubborn!"
"I am not being stubborn. This is ridiculous!" Yuffie almost shouted. "You can't force me!"
"Are you sure about that?" And Yuffie saw traces of mischief in the older woman's face, as well as a rather sinister looking smile that in some way outdoes her own. The staring lasted for quite sometime until the ninja relented. With a sigh, Yuffie despondently picked up her clothes… Aerith can be so scary sometimes. Under her angelic looking face, she can be pretty tough when she wants to. Cloud should get merits for even marrying her.
She glared at her friend. "I can't believe you kept more of these…" tugging at a very pretty silk skirt uncomfortably around her waist. But to the ninja it was like wearing pants full of fire ants. "This is one of the reasons I ran off in the first place."
This time, Aerith was smiling happily, "I somehow knew you'd come back, so I took the liberty to buy more, even though Cloud asked me not to. Do they fit?"
Yuffie was surprised that they did… almost. "My top is a little loose." She admitted.
Aerith frowned. "Oh, I miscalculated that part." She can almost feel her friend looking at her with a raised eyebrow by that but she quickly added, "Cloud should finish cooking soon… let's go at the table."
A groan of disbelief, "I can't believe you still make him cook." Yuffie said. "Do you have a deathwish or something?"
Aerith laughed. "He's not that bad. He just likes curry very much."
"Which was saltier than the ocean?" Yuffie looked at her friend, as if she expected that she would deny throwing said dish out of the window as soon as her husband turned his back. Because that's what she also did on the days she spends her time here.
Aerith did not even blink. "He's gotten better."
"Don't say anything." Aerith warned her husband under her breath as soon as they reached the kitchen. Leon was already clean and wearing, and was sitting at the table.
"What?" Upon seeing Yuffie, though, he immediately understood. He nodded at her direction, but not saying anything.
Leon took notice immediately. "Your top is too big."
Yuffie sat on her chair without even bothering to fix her skirt. "What gave you that idea?" she asked him sarcastically.
"It reminded me the time Aerith made me wear a dress." Cloud said out of the blue, "Brings back memories…" and even though that was his first time he met his wife in that undercover mission and recalled that in fondness, that meaning was apparently lost to their guests.
Leon and Yuffie, who happened to be drinking water at the time, choked in unison… though the older man managed to hide it gracefully by coughing politely, Yuffie felt the water coming out from her nose, and was hastily rubbing her face with her sleeve, throwing death glares at Cloud for causing it in the first place.
Aerith, however, looked offended. "It was a good idea at the time." She defended.
Cloud smiled, "Yeah. At the time."
Leon looked up. "So you two used to be in the war?"
Yuffie tried not to look surprised when he said that, so Leon was awake back then when she and Cloud were talking quietly. He was pretty sharp.
Cloud looked at his hands. "Is it that obvious?" when Leon nodded it was Aerith who replied next, seating beside her husband. "Yes, we went to battle against the Corrupted Ones under Yunalesca's name years ago."
"What happened?"
"I got blinded in a skirmish… and so my usefulness as a healer came to a permanent halt," Aerith said. "Cloud gave up his sword, so he can accompany me back to Spira."
"…" Yuffie already knew that was the usual answer they'd give to strangers regarding their roles on the war. Leon will learn the real story some other day then.
If Leon guessed the lie, he certainly didn't show it. And so the four of them quietly ate their dinner.
Aerith was right, Yuffie thought, chewing her curry thoughtfully. He did got better.
Leon knew why the bed was offered to him… considering Yuffie's sleeping disorder, which no doubt the married couple also knew, he was the only person who could utilize the spare room.
But try as he might, he couldn't sleep.
And so he left the guest room and quietly walked along the corridor. His sharp eyes scanning for any object that he might bump to along the way, but his ears caught a faint voice… Aerith, he realized… humming quietly from the privacy of their bedroom.
He was near the stairs when he saw the front door being opened, and closed. For a moment there, he thought someone had just infiltrated the house, before he recognized that silhouette.
Yuffie always liked the Strifes' porch. It was cool and comfortable… and even though the malignant spirits were still up there, deflected by the town's song barrier, it could not deter her from enjoying the view.
She realized she always missed this place. One of her many regrets and wishful hopes that eventually disappear as she grew older. In a way, she was slightly disappointed she had grown so cynical… the boy would probably yell at her for being so selfish.
She chuckled, now she was being silly.
Incidentally though, the front door creaked and she felt heavy footsteps approaching her. She didn't even need to look behind her shoulder to identify him. "I thought Aerith told you to go to sleep?" she said out loud.
"That's my line." Leon replied, eyebrow raised.
"Well, I have an excuse." Yuffie said, "And I don't want 'mom' to go freaking out on me if you don't get your rest." Mrs. Strife indeed frowned upon knowing that the younger woman did neglect practicing her healing ability as she asked her to. Her impromptu patchwork on Leon's body had been unsatisfactory, to say the least. And Aerith had to heal him again with her own ability to close his wounds properly.
He sat beside her, looking at the vicinity of the garden. "I'll live." In which the girl sighed. "What are you doing?"
He half-expected a sarcastic remark. But she simply nodded her head towards the garden. And soon enough, he realized that the yellow and white flowers were glowing.
"Neat, huh?" Yuffie said. "They do that every midnight. Aerith never told me what kind of flowers they were, but they're so beautiful."
Almost magical even… and the man could not help it but also admire the mysterious light the garden was illuminating.
Leon realized that the young woman was studying him intently. "What?" he asked her, breaking the silence first, a new record.
"You're a beautiful man." She said matter of factly.
The girl never cease to surprise him… and this was the topic he was not expecting either, "What?" he asked, shocked to see her openly hitting on him.
"Not good at listening, though." Yuffie teased. "You must have had a lot of admirers."
Leon shrugged, "Whatever." Yuffie inwardly smiled to see he was actually embarrassed, hiding it under a look of indifference.
"Something tells me that was a yes." Just when Leon was about to tell her that topic was not something he'd want to talk about Yuffie added. "I'm sure they're worried about you… your friends from the Outside, I mean."
Leon frowned. The instrument that he hid in his ear used to communicate Cid and the others was broken when Seymour used that lightning magic… "They'll make do without me."
"I see…" Yuffie said, in a tone she wasn't convinced.
"I know you're going with me to get Yuna back," Leon said, knowing that this was something that they need to clarify.
"Of course."
"Yuna will only be used by the Queen. She'll never allow her to live as a simple songstress." He wanted to tell more, but one of his objectives was not to give away too much information.
She didn't know why he would say it with such conviction, "And you think your world, away from her family and friends, would give her that peace?" Yuffie countered. "Besides, I made a promise to the people in her village for her safe return. I intend to keep that promise."
"You're just saying that because you're being ignorant."
"You're just saying that because you know I'm right. One way or the other, Yuna herself will want to come back."
Leon knew she was correct on that statement. Especially if Yuna embraces the fate that was awaiting her…
But that sort of thinking would have to wait for now. They would have to concentrate on leaving Spira to his own world… Centra.
He noticed that Yuffie was nodding off. "Hey." He said.
"This is the only place that makes me want to sleep." She murmured to herself but loud enough for him to hear. "I don't see them in my dreams here."
Sleeping on a sitting position was not the most comfortable, but Yuffie learned to do that regardless. She felt Leon's arm gently draped over her shoulders and forced her head to lean on his right shoulder. She wanted to shrug him off, but a small part of her rebelled at the thought, and she was too tired to make a fuss on it.
And as she settled against Leon's side, she suddenly realized that this was very nice indeed, as she drifted off to sleep almost immediately.
But Leon could only stare at the flowers with an empty look on his face. Wondering how on earth will this last…