Berry Kiss

"Your room," Leon repeated in surprise. A slight heat rushed to his cheeks as multiple situations ran through his head, some more naughty than nice. Frey nodded, face betraying no ulterior motive. He held back a chuckle. If she thought of half the things he had, she wouldn't be inviting him to her room. "Does she even know what she's asking for," he thought, then agreed and asked to meet her at the usual spot. In any case, his adorable fool would be in for a world of hurt tomorrow by time he finished teasing her.

Frey busied herself cleaning her room. It wasn't really messy, but between the farming and crafting and cooking, she left it looking pretty unorganized. It suited her needs perfectly, but if company came over they would wonder how exactly she lived in the wreck. There weren't enough hours in the day to complete everything she needed. Sometimes she would run in, do something, run out, and shrug off the chaos she left.

Okay, the room was really messy and not in a state for anyone to come over, let alone her boyfriend. But the usual date spots were becoming a little boring and he hadn't come to visit her in her home yet, despite her going up to his room multiple times for quick talks.

She picked up things, placed them down, picked up other things, placed them, over and over until she realized absolutely nothing would make it work outside of destroying everything. A long sigh released the last bit of her optimism. She still had to go to the summer pond south of the Water Temple and catch a Rainbow Trout for his meal too. That could take hours. She glanced at the clock. "Oh, I'll just shove all of them in this room and block it with my wardrobe!"

Satisfied with her solution, Frey skipped over to the seamstress just outside of town. Going inside the store was always a treat. The outside seemed like a normal cabin, but inside there were rainbows upon rainbows of cloths strewn everywhere, with various mannequins showing works in progress. In the back corner were her dyes and a giant loom where she wove an elaborate geometric pattern. Oddly, she dressed rather plainly, in a simple blue dress, despite living in a world of color.

"Frey," she greeted as she entered the shop. "Come for your dress?"

"Is it ready?"

"Of course! Take a look!" She walked behind a table piled with dyed cloths and dragged a dressform clad in a persian inspired pink dress. Her jaw dropped. The dress was richly embroidered with glass beads in a floral design and flowed loosely to the floor. "Try it on," she urged, shoving her to the dressing corner and pushing the screen dividers into place.

The dress was actually two separate pieces, despite looking as one. The top looked a solid piece in the front, but in the back it was a series of ties similar to a corset, but not woven together. The skirt reached down to her ankles and had several layers of sheer fabric in varying shades of pink and peach that flowed like water with each step. The hem of the skirt had glass beads woven into a series of moondrop flowers, while the top's glass beads were a field of fireflowers and moondrops.

But most astonishing was how the clothes looked on her. She looked foreign, yet familiar. "Like Leon," she whispered aloud. His attire stood out among everyone else. He was a man displaced through time, but compared to Amber, Dylas, or even Dolce, he seemed out of place. Not that she minded, after all, seeing his bare chest played a huge part in her initial attraction to him, but even among the others, he seemed to feel lonely. Something was still missing inside him, and it may be something she would not be able to fill, no matter how hard she tried.

A short sigh left her mouth. She carefully removed the dress and put a cheerful smile on her face. "I love it," she gushed as she exited. "It's my favorite!"

"You say every new dress is your favorite," she laughed.

Frey pouted, "But each dress I get is even prettier than the last! Of course it would be my favorite!"

She smiled warmly, "That is true. How did you like the design? I tried to model it after your lover."

"It reminded me of him as soon as I put it on. It's beautiful. Thank you."

"Let me wrap it for you. Are you doing anything else today?"

Frey grinned, "Tomorrow's special. I'm making lunch for us."

She giggled, "A nice lunch, hmm? And what are you cooking?"

"His favorite meal is salted rainbow trout, and Meg told me about this really good drink called Prelude to Love-"

"Prelude to love," she repeated with arched eyebrows.

Frey blushed. "Well, she said it would go really well with the rainbow trout, and," she paused and covered her face in embarrassment. "I don't think I'm going to tell him the name of it."

She laughed, "I'm sure he won't mind it."

"No, you don't understand, he'll tease me for sure! He's always like that! Saying things to make me blush, then saying something like 'I like that face' and making it worse!"

"Sounds like the drink is perfect to me. What else are you having?"

"Just some fried vegetables and rice, and for dessert we're going to split a slice of strawberry cake."

"How lovely! I'm sure he'll enjoy your little date."

Frey blushed, "Is it too much?"

She shook her head. "It's perfect, don't worry. Here's your packet, and take care not to get it wet at the pond!"

"I won't! Thanks again!"

"It's time to get up," Vishnal greeted cheerfully.

Frey groaned. It took nearly five hours to catch the fish yesterday and it left her getting home late. She stretched and rolled out of bed. "Morning Vishnal," she mumbled.

"Your room looks different today."

"Yeah, did a little spring cleaning."

He chuckled, "In the summer?"

Heat rose up her cheeks. "I just now had the time!" Her voice pitched higher than normal. The heat cranked up several notches.

Vishanl, ever the professional (or ever clueless), acted oblivious to her embarrassment. "It looks good in here. Have a good day!"

After he left she let out a relieved sigh. At the very least her room looked nice. "Time to hustle," she announced out loud.

At five minutes to ten she finished everything. She straightened her dress out and walked outside to see Leon leaning against the entrance pillar, lazily staring at the clouds. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," he started and trailed off. His jaw dropped . He stared at her, wordless.

She poked his cheek. "Leon?"

He blinked a few times and returned to his usual guise. "You're cuter than usual today. New dress?"

She twirled, "Like it?"

He smiled, "Yeah, I do. It looks almost like something from home. Threw me off for a second."

She giggled and grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's go."

"Ah, so this is where our Princess sleeps," he commented upon entering. "Not quite what I imagined."

"What did you imagine?"

"A chaotic array of tools, materials, and items."

"I...see." How did he always see through her?

He chuckled. "Ah, is this a stuffed Silver?"

"It looks just like him, doesn't it?"

"Indeed." He walked over to the vase beside her bed and cupped the flower, "Is this?"

"The flower you bought me?"

"Yeah."

"It is." He glanced at her and said nothing. She wrinkled her brow in confusion. He normally would tease her about that. "Umm, do you want to eat?"

He cocked his head to the side, "What are you afraid of me finding?"

"Nothing in particular," she replied, "But the food will be cold..."

He glanced toward the wardrobe and back to her, and commented, "I could have sworn you ordered an expansion several m"onths ago. What happened to that room?"

Her eyes widened in horror. "I-I don't know what you're talking about?"

He chuckled and walked toward her, placing his hand on the small of her back. "My memory must be wrong then. Let's go."

"Wow," he said as they entered her kitchen and dining area. "You went all out, didn't you? Thanks." He kissed the top of her head and walked ahead to pull out her chair. "Ah, and it's rainbow trout too. You're spoiling me now."

She grinned from ear to ear.

"And fried vegetables, rice, and what is the drink?"

"Err, I forgot the name of it. Meg told me the recipe. Prelude something or other."

His eyes lit up. "Prelude? Prelude to what?"

She bit her lip, "Well, I think it's just called Prelude..."

"I see," he replied and lifted his chin in thought, "As I recall, Margaret enjoys drinking Prelude to Love. Is it that?"

A mixture of embarrassment and nervousness churned in her stomach. "M-Maybe."

The corners of his mouth lifted to a smirk, "Maybe? What else could it be, I wonder?"

"I don't know," she trailed off.

He laughed. "I have to admit, I love watching you squirm. It's very cute."

"I raise my flag," she grumbled in defeat.

"So soon?"

"Leon!"

His deep laugh echoed in the room. "Let's eat, my love."

As they ate, he sighed in happiness. "You make the best salted fish."

She cocked her head to the side, "Even better than Porcoline?"

He chuckled, "I don't think I've ever eaten his food. Better than Dylas, and I'm positive he's the one that does most of the cooking."

Her lips jutted out in a pout, "Of course I'm better than that grumpy horse."

"Neigh, neigh," he replied dryly. They laughed. While eating dessert, they took turns feeding each other bites of cake. What was once something she found flustering, became normal and rather sweet. Even if he enjoyed taking extra bites by denying hers at the last second.

After the lunch she walked back to the bed and sat down. He stood at the entryway, staring at her with that lost look he had sometimes. She put on a smile and patted beside her.

"You seem like you float in that dress," he complimented, "I feel like I watch you walk all day."

"Hmm," she paused, "Why don't I haunt you like Pico?"

He smirked, "After this I plan on going to the bath. I look forward to seeing my ghost. " Her expression sent him into laughter. "I wonder what sort of tricks my ghost will pull in the bath?"

"I won't haunt you in the bath," she grumbled.

He sat next to her and poked her cheek. "Then why don't I haunt you?"

She glanced at him and pursed her lips. "I think I know how Dolce feels now."

He leaned back and hit the wall before he was halfway down. "This bed is tiny," he commented, "You should get a bigger one."

"Why? It suits me fine."

He shook his head, "Ah, my sweet dense petite turnip."

She wrinkled her brow and said nothing. He seemed to be having a little too much fun teasing her today. It would be nice to pay him back. Gathering all her courage, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. He blinked in shock as a faint hint of rose tinted his cheekbones. Yet he quickly regained composure and that mischievous smile she both dreaded and adored appeared. "You missed."

"I missed?"

"My lips are right here." In a quick movement, he pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. For a split second, lightning struck her body and paralyzed her into numbness. Searing heat spread from her lips down her body, chilling her spine. He gently broke away and grinned. "It's not often I see a life sized pink turnip."

She pursed her lips and playfully glared. "You're awfully pink too, you know."

His eyes slightly widened, the expression she knew as the brink of lost control. He cleared his throat and nonchalantly replied, "You're going to get me into trouble."

"W-why," she stammered.

"Now that I've tasted you once, I don't want to stop until I've had my fill."

Her heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes and retaliated in the only way she knew how. Leon's laughter fill the room as she scratched behind his ears. "Stop," he gasped. Frey gleefully giggled and continued her assault. He squirmed and tried to hold her arms still, but all those hours exploring, mining, and farming gave her quite a punch despite her petite frame.

He grunted and threw her onto her back, pinning her arms above her head. His long hair tickled her breastbone. His crystal ocean eyes stared down at her. Her skin prickled under his gaze. When he had that look in his eyes, it seemed as though he could see through to her innermost secrets.

As though reading her mind, he commented, "I like seeing this face of yours. You put up a strong face for everyone, but I'm the only witness to your vulnerable side." He leaned forward until their noses touched and playfully rubbed it against hers. "After all, you're my little pink turnip."

Frey puffed her cheeks in mock anger. He chuckled, "Now you're more like a pink melon." She huffed and smiled warmly. Her fingers ran through his sky colored hair, enjoying the cool silky feel. He leaned his head to the side and kissed the top of her hand gently. "I look forward to the day I can properly savor you," he whispered. A warm haze flowed through fingertips through her body. His large hand cupped her chin and caressed her cheek with his thumb. He gazed at her warmly. As though he were the sun, soothing warmth spread over her body. She reached up and ran her fingers along his jaw line and slowly continued down the grooves of his earth colored chest.

He chuckled softly, a deep rumble akin to a rolling thunder, and lovingly teased, "Love, you're inching your way to dangerous lands." A long sigh left him as he rose away from her. His ears and tails twitched in frustration. She embraced him from the side, leaning her head against his forearm.

He reached over and stroked her hair. Cool tingles coursed down to her toes, relaxing her nerves until she became a molten blob of electricity. In the silence, those small gestures reinforced their love in ways words did not. She stared up into his azure eyes and lost herself into their oceanic depths. These eyes weren't sparkling with mischief, they held the cusp of a storm, chaotic brewing of past regrets and future worries. The skies were dark with heavy gray clouds.

"Hey you," he said.

She knew those words. Her eyes softened and she leaned forward and touched her lips to his, briefly, like a whisper of their lips, and replied, "I'm here."