A/N: Ahh, so um, this was inspired by the idea of the pocky game. I just figured...y'know, I really REALLY love seeing Leon's blushy face and hearing Matt Mercer sound all flustered, so...how's about combining them (but Matt's only in my head, sadly) in a fic?

This is my first RF4 fic, but it probably won't be my last. I have lots more, but unfortunately they're not all Leon/Frey like this one. WHY ARE YOU SO ADORABLE LEON WHY. He gets OOC about halfway through, but imagining him saying all that stuff is just O_O be with meeeeeee. I decided to change the story so that [spoiler] he didn't actually propose to Frey at Karnak, he hesitated, so instead he's been ignoring her because he's been thinking of ways to propose to her, along with whatever else crap he said down there [/spoiler].

Anywho, thanks for reading! Expect more from me for this series in the future :)

~CGA

The Game of Love

Yeesh! Why was Leon so infuriating?! One minute he was absolutely fine, they were in love and everything was all right, and then the next he acted distant and cold and she just wanted to strangle him.

She really didn't understand him at all.

Frey huffed loudly, wandering the town aimlessly. It was midday so she didn't go unnoticed, but at this point she was too fed up with Leon to care about anyone else she may have crossed paths with.

Honestly! They'd been dating for over a year already, so that should have meant that they didn't have these stupid little fights anymore, right? After the two got that whole Maria situation sorted out, Frey thought everything was fine...

But no! Leon just had to go pulling his mood swings again like he did at least once a week now. It was so frustrating. She just wanted to sneak up behind him and tackle him to the ground sometimes.

Wait, where did that come from? She just meant to tackle him to have an advantage over him - yeah, but an advantage of what? Frey blushed but then sighed, wishing she could be more direct with him.

On several occasions during their dates she had been more forward, even being able to tease him right back, but she was running out of fuel for the fire, and what made matters worse (for her, anyway) was that Leon had seemingly endless energy for teasing her. It was hard for her! She wasn't that kind of person - she had learned a little bit from dating the jackal-like man, but she didn't quite know enough yet to make him blush like he did her.

After she skulked and huffed a bit more, she came to the conclusion that Leon must have been bored with her. That was why he started acting distant and cold, much like he did when they first started dating and the problems of his past were still causing trouble.

He was bored because she never fought back, right? She never really put any effort into making him go weak in the knees, or giving him butterflies. She had no way of knowing this for certain, but from what she could gather herself, it seemed to be the only logical explanation. So...how could she spice things up or make herself more like him?

"Ahaha... Maybe this relationship is just doomed. There's no way I could ever become better at stuff like that," she mumbled to herself, mainly thinking aloud.

"Hmm? What's this?"

She turned around in surprise, coming face-to-face with Arthur, presumably out on a stroll.

"Frey, what's the matter?"

"A-ah... It's nothing, don't worry about it."

The blond frowned. "Your expression tells me otherwise."

Frey rubbed the back of her neck. "Well..."

"Did you and Leon have a disagreement?"

She froze in her place and just stared at him. "You could tell? Is it that obvious?"

Arthur smiled slightly. "Not really. It's just that I never see you unhappy unless it's something about your lover. It's very unlike you to sulk like this."

Her face dropped. "Do I really look...sulky?"

"Not exactly," he quickly replied, attempting to fix whatever he said wrong. "I only meant that you seem upset, and I was wondering if there was anything I could do."

Frey scoffed. "Unless you have some self-confidence-boosting medicine in with your trade collection, I don't think that's possible."

He perked up. "Hmm? Are you telling me you lack self-confidence?"

"Well..."

"Frey, you have absolutely no reason to feel a low sense of self-worth. You're really very cute, charming, and kind."

She returned his smile after hearing that, appreciating his friendly bluntness. "Th-thank you, Arthur. Though I don't really agree with any of those, aha..."

"Well, that just simply won't do. Doesn't Leon ever tell you these things?"

She nodded slightly. "Quite often, really." Her expression turned sad shortly afterwards. "But lately he's just been...avoiding me or something. I don't know why."

"Ah, perhaps you two just need something to bring the excitement back?"

Frey instantly blushed, thinking she misheard him. "Wh-what?"

Arthur laughed. "No, nothing like that. I assure you, I do not deal in that sort of industry." Frey's blush didn't go away, especially after realizing she really didn't mishear him at all. "However, I have received some new items from overseas which are quite popular with young lovers."

"Um... What kind of...items are you talking about?"

It was his cheeks which were dusted pink now. "Frey, I do not... I do no business with that sort of thing. Please believe me." He coughed into his hand, partly to hide his face for a few moments. "Anyway, please follow me. I have some samples in my office."

Frey reluctantly followed him from Melody Street to his office next to Porco's restaurant, wondering just what he had in stock (literally) for her.

Arthur fumbled with the items on his shelves, looking for whatever he wanted to find for her. His eyes lit up when he made his way over to a shelf in the far corner. "Ah, here it is!"

He returned to her side with a small box in his hand. It had strange lettering on it, and she was about to tell him to just forget about it, but he started first.

"It is a very popular item in the Eastern world, but when it is imported its package remains the same, so you probably cannot read it. Truthfully, I cannot either, but I do know the name of this particular item."

Was he going to keep her in suspense? "What's its name?"

He smiled. "It's called pocky."

"...Pocky?" It kind of sounded like -

"Yes. It sounds rather strange...especially to the gutter-minded, but I assure you it is not what you're thinking of."

Frey glanced away quickly but soon realized she was quite interested in whatever it was, so she redirected her attention to the young trader.

"All it is is a group of sticks coated in chocolate; this package in particular has five sticks since it is only a sample size. I could order more for you if you decide you like it, however."

She was confused. "It's just a bunch of chocolate covered sticks? What's so special about it?"

Arthur chuckled, slightly wishing he hadn't said anything about this at all. It was rather awkward to discuss, especially with someone he had had a crush on at one point. "From the source who gave me these, I heard that it's popular among young couples because you can use them in a game. A game of... well, a game of love, for lack of better terms."

"That still doesn't really tell me anything, Arthur," Frey said, still confused and lost in wonder.

"W-well, perhaps it would be best to take them directly to Leon and have him explain what it is. I am sure this type of thing existed in his era."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Are you okay, Arthur? You don't normally stutter like this..."

"I am fine," he replied nonchalantly, smiling. Frey could tell something was up, though... What were these things?

"Do you really think it's okay for me to just bring these to him?"

"Yes, of course. I'm sure Leon will be thrilled."

Frey sighed, hand on the back of her neck again. "All right, all right." She reached into her pocket and counted some loose change. "So, how much do I owe you for this?"

"Ah, this one's on me. I received it for free as well, since it is such a small package. If you decide you want to purchase more, though, I will have to charge you a small fee for merchant's cut, along with shipping."

She smiled. "Okay, thanks. I'll let you know how it goes!" She took the package from Arthur and began walking out, still wondering just exactly what these things were. She had to admit, though, she was intrigued, and Arthur said himself that Leon probably knew what they were. But would he want to see her right now?

...She guessed she just had to take that chance.

"Leon?"

She tried knocking again another three times. Still no answer.

"Leon, can I come in?"

There was assumed silence from the other side of the door, so Frey decided to press her luck. She opened the door to his room slowly and cautiously, instantly blushing like mad when she realized just why there was silence.

Leon was napping in his bed, seemingly fast asleep. Frey inched closer, curiosity getting the best of her, and she couldn't help but just stare at her boyfriend's face. He looked so adorable when he was sleeping, and she was happy she got another chance to see it. She'd only caught him sleeping once before, when he'd overstayed his welcome in her room and they both just ended up falling asleep on her bed. It was the night after he'd found all of Maria's letters and told Frey all about her, and neither one had realized the time. She blushed, just remembering waking up the next morning in Leon's embrace.

She shook her head, focused on the Leon now. Why was he being so difficult? She knew there was a reason, and she was determined as ever to find out what it was.

The light green-haired girl kept getting closer and closer to his sleeping form, just entranced by how good he looked. I'm being weird, but forgive me just this once, Leon, she thought to herself guiltily.

When she approached his bed she suddenly felt more nervous than ever. They'd shared her bed before - by accident - but this was his bed. It was where he slept and where she would sometimes joke about sleeping as well just to see his reaction.

She tucked the small box into one of her pockets, deciding to test her luck once more. She extended her pointer finger, moving it closer and closer to Leon's sleeping face. When it made contact she abruptly pulled it back, giggling softly when she saw his nose crinkle.

"I'm so attracted to you, Leon..." she trailed in whispers, knowing he couldn't hear her. She tilted her head to the side and just stared at him for a few moments, suddenly feeling sleepy herself. Her eyelids fluttered several times until she finally let them shut. She felt her head sink down towards him and she allowed it to rest on the mattress next to his, feeling his breath escape from his mouth and tickle her forehead.

Frey furrowed her eyebrows, not disliking the sensation but not exactly treasuring it. She wondered what his face would look like at this proximity... She opened her eyes back up, expecting to meet his closed ones, but instead -

"There's a stalker in my bed," Leon said, that same teasing smile playing tricks with her mind.

"Ack! Leon!"

Frey instantly jumped back a few feet, almost knocking heads with him. She clutched her chest, her heart pounding a mile a minute. "D-don't scare me like that..." she trailed.

Leon let her catch her breath, stretching his tired and worn out body. It was still closer to midday than evening so he was clad in his everyday clothes. He straightened them when he sat up in the bed, yawning. "Y'know, I was actually sleeping until I heard you knocking on the door."

The girl wore her angry face. "Why did you pretend to be asleep?"

He turned towards her and smiled, chuckling. "I wanted to see what you would do. And how cute you would be while doing it."

"You couldn't even see me!" she retorted, though she blushed nonetheless.

"I don't have to see my cute girlfriend's face to know she's cute."

"Jeez!"

Leon laughed wholeheartedly, missing this kind of interaction with her. He got up off of the bed and made his way towards her, grabbing her wrist.

"Wh-what are you doing, Le - "

"I'm actually kind of sad I missed your blushing face during that scene. You're so adorable when you blush, Love."

Frey's face changed from pink to cherry red, and she glanced away hurriedly. "S-stop saying things you don't mean..."

His expression turned somber. "What? Why don't you think I mean it?"

She shook her head. "No, never mind. Forget I said anything."

"No," he told her. He took her chin in his hand and turned her face towards his, making her look into his eyes. "I always mean what I say when I'm with you. Tell me why you think I don't."

Frey bit her lip and closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. "It's just... If you really mean that, then why - why do we fight so much?"

His mouth opened slightly and his eyes searched her face for anything he could use. "Wait, what? Are you saying our arguments are because I don't think you're cute? That really doesn't make any sen - "

"I know it doesn't make any sense!" she half-shouted. Her head tilted down; she didn't want Leon to see her cry again. "I don't know what I'm saying," she admitted, bringing a finger up to her eyes and wiping the tears from them. "I know... I know we argue a lot because you're disappointed in me, that I'm not the girl you really want to be with."

Leon's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What on earth are you talking about, Frey?"

Her heart fluttered after hearing his voice say her name, but she ignored everything else, resorting to quietly weeping.

"Look, that's not true in the slightest." He sighed, putting a hand to his forehead and squeezing it, berating himself for not talking to her about it sooner. "We fight because I'm an idiot."

Frey kept shaking her head in attempts to tell him he wasn't the idiot, but Leon ignored it and instead grabbed her by the shoulders. He lifted her chin up again, not caring that her eyes were red and puffy; he was more concerned on making them the bright and beautiful green that he loved to see everyday.

"Frey, you're the most adorable thing I've ever laid my eyes on. If you think that I'm lying, please forget it. Sometimes, I... I actually get scared," he admitted, pulling her close and hugging her tightly. "I see the way the other guys in town often look at you, and it worries me, knowing that one of them might take you away from me someday. You think I'm calm and kind and caring, but...

"I'm actually rather selfish," he whispered into her hair, running his fingers through it. "I would give anything just to know that you'll always stay with me and only me. To be completely honest, that's what I've been trying to do."

Her face was red from all the direct contact, but she didn't quite understand. "What do you mean?"

He sighed, ruffling her hair. "I've been ignoring you deliberately."

"What? You've been meaning to ignore me? Why - "

"Love, just listen," he interrupted with a chuckle. "You didn't let me finish."

She calmed down and just stayed in his embrace, waiting for his explanation. She took in his scent, realizing just how much she'd missed it since they were last like this.

"I've been trying to ignore you to see if I could live without you," he explained somewhat quietly. Was he embarrassed?

"Should someone ever steal you away, I should prepare myself for the worst, right?" he continued, laughing halfheartedly. "But the mistake I made was that I didn't consult you about any of this. I didn't ask how you felt, and I didn't even tell you I was going to ignore you. Really... I'm just an idiot."

"Leon..."

"I understand why you're so upset and confused, and you're probably scared. I'm scared, too."

Her eyes shot open suddenly. "Leon - "

"Hahaha, if I don't say this now, I know I'll never do it. This isn't like me at all, but what the hell, you get to see all sides of me today."

"Leon, what are you - "

"Just listen for a second longer," he told her, holding her to him, not letting her go even though she was starting to wriggle away. He sighed. "Frey... After I got out of the Forest and the Karnak, you were the first person I experienced in my new life, the first one I saw. Now, you're the last person I ever want to see. You helped me experience so much more than I ever did back when I was younger. I didn't know anybody could ever do that for me."

He gave her just a little bit off leeway, reaching into his pocket, but he quickly resumed the position as he continued. "I don't normally say this - and after seeing you like this, I guess I don't say it enough - but let me say it now.

"I love you."

Frey's face was on fire. "H-hey, Leon - "

"I'm in love with you."

She squirmed. "Wh-what are you - "

"I've never loved anybody else as much as I love you. Honestly, Frey, I don't want anyone but you."

"L-Leon - "

"Marry me."

"What?!"

He gently pushed her back and slipped a delicate ring over her finger. He scanned her face for anything at all that would tell him how she was feeling, but all he saw was a blank expression.

The wind was knocked out of her. She stared down at the ring on her finger, the perfect blend of silver and emerald as the respective band and gem. Yesterday they were fighting, this morning he was ignoring her, and now...he was proposing? She'd thought something similar happened at the Karnak after Leon said his final goodbye to Maria, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Was he just as scared as she was, then? Did that mean they were really just the same? He really...?

She tackled him with her full might, meaning they both stumbled back onto his bed, Frey on top. She squeezed the daylights out of him, sobbing into his chest, grateful that this was actually happening. She'd wanted this for so long but Leon didn't make any moves whatsoever so she thought he was as disinterested as when she tried pursuing him the first time about a week after they'd met.

"I love you. I love you, Leon, I love you."

Leon's cheeks were dusted a light pink because of their position and what she said to him, but he ignored it for the moment and hugged her back, not caring that she was practically choking his torso. He just made sure he did the same to her.

She coughed. "Leon, it's too t-tight."

"Not tight enough," he replied softly, not loosening his grip at all. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant red but she made no move to try and escape. Leon took advantage of this and began giving her a few love bites along her neck, leaving a trail of kisses leading up to her jawline.

"Ha... Leon, don't - mmph!" Frey cried out, still unable to move away.

"Don't 'mmph'? I'm sorry, Love, but I don't quite understand what that means."

She wanted so badly to hit him but she couldn't, not only because of her position but also because she was glad that they were back to normal. Leon continued with his trail of kisses while she squirmed and tried to get away, fearing the outcome, but in the process her hand found something she wasn't expecting to.

"Is that - "

"Hmm?" he asked, only half-interested, his primary interest being Frey and all her interesting noises.

"No, never mind," she answered. She grabbed the box and tried to stuff it into her pocket again without him noticing. It didn't quite go as she planned, though.

"What's this?"

He grabbed the box from her hand, stopping his previous ministrations, and his eyes widened. "Where did you get this?"

Frey swallowed, somewhat nervous. "I-I got it from Arthur."

"What?"

"Ah, no...you sound mad. He said that I should take it to you, and that maybe it would solve our...problems."

Leon sighed, a bit dejected. "You went to other people for help?" He smiled sadly at her. "Well, I guess I can't blame you. I was being an idiot, after all."

"An idiot I'm going to marry," Frey teased.

He flushed, not used to hearing those words from anybody, especially not her. He'd have to get used to it, he guessed. "Anyway... Do you know what these are?"

She shook her head slowly. "He tried to explain it to me, but then he just kind of...stopped. Then he told me to just bring it to you because he thought you'd know what they are."

Leon's eyes widened. "That's a bit amazing, actually." Frey was confused but she let it slide, figuring he'd explain. "Well, I'm just amazed that these things are still around. They're called pocky sticks, right?"

The Earthmate nodded. "That's what Arthur called them, yeah."

She just then realized their position - she was basically straddling Leon - and made a move to get up, but Leon grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to him.

"Do you want to try these out?" he whispered seductively into her ear, his voice sending chills down her spine.

"I-I don't really know what they are. Arthur said they're sticks, so they're not like cond - "

"Ah, don't...don't say that word." Leon covered her mouth with his hand and glanced away. She could tell he was embarrassed because of the red plaguing his cheeks.

She flushed as well, realizing what she'd just said. "S-sorry."

He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "The people I used to live with in my old town liked these - well, the young people, anyway. They said that these sticks are really fun to play with. Apparently they are, but I've never tried it."

"What do you do with them?" she asked, curiosity finally getting the best of her.

Leon coughed, not really anticipating that question. "Hmm... How about I just show you instead? It'll be more fun that way."

"O-okay."

Leon decided "the hell with it" and figured it'd be best if he were just to describe it as it comes - the risk of getting flustered was less likely that way. He opened the box and pulled one stick out, feelings its texture and recollecting the days when he actually knew people that did this. He chuckled to himself; a game like this seemed rather stupid now.

"All right, so this is called the pocky game. It's between two people. Each person starts biting from either end... and the first to stop biting loses while the other person wins. Seems simple, right?"

Frey nodded, though she did blush as she realized what it entailed. Sooner or later, they would probably kiss...right? She gulped, not even remembering when their last kiss was. Sure, Leon teased her a lot...but they rarely ever actually kissed or did any of that stuff.

She'd just have to make sure that she didn't lose, and maybe they wouldn't have to. But she really did want to -

He laughed. "You look like you're having an argument with yourself, Love."

"I'm fine! Jeez!" She looked away, face flushed. She calmed herself and faced him again. "I'm not going to lose."

"Ahaha! You've got some pretty strong self-confidence, there." He narrowed his eyes playfully. "We'll just have to see about that."

With that, he put one end of the pocky stick into his mouth and left the other one protruding forth, waiting for her to bite down. She did so very slowly, watching Leon's every move to make sure he wasn't going to pull anything weird. She never knew with him...

He bit down first, the short sensation surprising her, and she quickly followed suit. Soon there was little more than three inches between them and as they got closer Frey could feel her self-control melting. There was just something about being so close and yet not doing anything that enticed her.

She looked straight into his eyes, him staring back, as he bit down another time, her copying him. She could feel his hot breath tickle her face and she closed her eyes, scrunching up her face in an attempt to escape the tickling sensation, but Leon sensed it and decided to play dirty. He exhaled slowly but also more forcefully, chuckling when he heard her whimper, her face heating up and matching the color of a tomato. Her insides were going crazy and all she wanted to do was attack him, but whatever was left of her pride wouldn't let her. She couldn't help but wonder how Leon was doing.

Her inquiry was answered when he grunted, signaling that they were now as close as possible without their lips meeting. There may have been just half a centimeter left between the two, but that boundary was daring to be crossed by the man, whose self-control was almost nonexistent at this point. His hand reached up and caressed her face, trailing down to her chin and jawline where he had just previously placed several intense kisses.

It was impossible to not want to kiss her at this point, he reasoned with himself. To do something like this and not expect that to happen was foolish. So why had she remained so calm...? It was eating at him inside, so much that he decided to screw his pride and take the next leap.

He curled his lips back and showed his teeth, wanting to talk but not wanting to let go of the stick. When he moved his lips he could almost feel hers against them; he moaned. "Frey, I'm going to kiss you."

She made a questioning noise in protest but it was too late. He had already advanced forward and claimed her lips for himself, holding her face in between his hands, running his fingers through her hair. Feeling hungry for more, he pushed his tongue inside her mouth, playing around with the almost-gone pocky stick, savoring both its taste and the noises Frey was making.

Leon wasn't entirely sure of the last time he'd kissed her, but he knew it'd been far too long since that time. Kissing her was the best feeling in the world - until they'd moved forward, anyway, but that wasn't bound to happen for a while yet, he guessed. Though...judging by her moaning and going along with whatever he was doing, maybe they weren't too far off. They were going to be married soon, anyway -

He pushed her away gently, noticing he was starting to get ahead of himself. "Ah, sorry. I guess I went too far." He sat back on the bed, her still on top, with his arm over his face. He looked away to the side, trying to hide the color tinting his cheeks.

Frey colored at his blush, glancing the other way toward his books and desk. "No, it's okay. I, uh... I didn't mind at all," she admitted in a small voice. Without realizing it, she gripped his vest, biting her lip.

"Honestly, you're too naive," he said, his hand atop hers, attempting to get her to relinquish her grip. Though he didn't particularly mind, the situation could have easily gotten worse. "You should keep your guard up a little more, otherwise I'll get myself into trouble."

She turned her head back towards him when she felt the pressure on her hand. "Ah, um...okay."

They stayed in the awkward silence for a while, but Leon decided to break it with awkward words. "Listen, Frey."

Her ears perked up as she listened to him intently. Whenever he said her name, she noticed, it was always something important.

"There will be times when I will be unable to control myself around you..." They both flushed but he kept looking away. "In those cases, I'm going to need you to push me away. Can you do that for me, Love?" He looked at her now.

She nodded. "Unless I want it to happen, right?"

Leon coughed. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" he whispered, facing the other way once more.

"What?"

He turned back towards her. "Never mind." He grabbed her hand. "In any case... When do you want to become mine?"

"H-hey, I didn't really mean it like - "

"Hahaha! I'm talking about the wedding, Love, nothing else. I promise."

She bit the inside of her cheek. "You only asked it like that to tease me!"

"Ah, there's that face I love so much. You're so adorable." He brought her closer to him, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I love you."

"Mm," she replied weakly. Did that mean she'd have to get used to hearing him say that from now on? "I love you too."

"I'll always love you."

adorable little shits