The pale morning light of Upper Midgar filtered through the gap in the heavy curtains of the Highliner Hotel, landing directly across Johnny's face.
Johnny groaned softly as consciousness slowly returned. The first thing he registered was numbness. His left arm was tingling violently—completely asleep.
He tried to shift, but a heavy, warm weight pinned him to the mattress.
Johnny cracked one eye open, blinking against the glare.
The first thing he saw was a messy cascade of soft brown hair. His nose was filled with the scent of lily shampoo and the comforting warmth of a woman.
Aerith.
She was clinging to him like a koala. Her head was pillowed on his numb left arm, one leg was tangled with his beneath the duvet, and her face was buried deep in the crook of his neck.
Okay, stay calm, Johnny thought. We just slept. Nothing happened. If anything did, Elmyra would kill me.
Then Johnny realized where his right hand was.
It hadn't stayed by his side. Instinctively, his massive hand had wrapped tightly around Aerith's waist, and his palm was currently gripping something... soft.
Very soft.
Johnny's eyes widened in horror as he realized he was absentmindedly squeezing Aerith's bottom.
I'm dead, panic flooded his system. If she wakes up now, I'm getting smacked.
He tried to retract his hand. Slowly. Very slowly.
However, that tiny movement was exactly what woke the Cetra.
"Mmngh..." Aerith moaned softly, shifting. Instead of pulling away, she nuzzled deeper into Johnny's broad chest, seeking warmth.
Johnny froze solid.
Aerith's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she focused on was Johnny's Adam's apple, bobbing nervously.
Slowly, she looked up. Their green eyes met. Their faces were inches apart, sharing the same morning air.
For three seconds, neither spoke. Their brains frantically processed the situation:
Their tangled legs. Johnny's hand still resting on her bottom. The memory of the heated kiss and ragged breathing from the night before.
Aerith's face turned a deep shade of crimson. Johnny flushed all the way to his ears. He had experienced intimacy with Casca in his past life, but in this new body, in this moment, it felt like falling in love for the very first time.
Their hearts pounded in sync.
"Morning..." Aerith squeaked, her voice raspy with sleep.
"Mor... Morning..." Johnny replied stiffly.
"Your hand..." Aerith glanced under the blanket.
"Sorry!"
Johnny panicked. He tried to scramble back. But he forgot he was lying on the very edge of the bed.
THUD!
Johnny tumbled onto the floor, taking the thick duvet with him and leaving Aerith shivering on the mattress, her sleepwear disheveled.
"Ouch..." Johnny groaned from the floor, rubbing his back. "Dammit..."
Aerith hurriedly grabbed a pillow to hide her burning face. Her heart raced, not from fear, but from sheer mortification.
Suddenly, a crunching sound came from the direction of the sofa.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Johnny and Aerith turned their heads in unison.
There, sitting casually atop a pile of cushions, were Puck and Ivalera. Puck was snacking on leftover almonds from room service, while Ivalera sat with her legs crossed, holding a potato chip.
They both stared at Johnny and Aerith with flat expressions, like judges at a competition.
"Aww... why'd you stop?" Puck chirped with a mouthful of nuts. "It was just getting good. I've been waiting for Season 2 since last night."
"Puck!" Ivalera whacked him on the head with the potato chip. "So rude! Your holy eyes shouldn't be watching lewd things!"
Ivalera then turned to Johnny, still sprawled on the floor, and shook her head with feigned maturity. "But Master Johnny... you have naughty hands."
"SHUT UP, YOU TWO!" Johnny barked, hurling a bolster pillow at the pixies. His face was beet red.
Puck flew out of the way, cackling. "Bwahaha! Boss is blushing! Boss is blushing! The Princess too! Oooooh!"
Aerith peeked out from behind her pillow, and finally, she couldn't hold it in. She laughed—a light, happy sound that washed away the lingering trauma of the previous night.
Seeing Aerith laugh, Johnny, still sitting on the floor, cracked a goofy grin and scratched his head.
"Do you... want to walk around a bit before we head home, Aerith?" Johnny asked, trying to regain his dignity and find some peace for the day. "We need a break after yesterday's battle."
Aerith Smiled "Absolutely, I'd love to go shopping!"
Puck and Ivalera nodded in agreement
"Aye, Boss!" Puck saluted, then whispered to Ivalera. "They're definitely getting married next year. 50 Gil says I'm right."
"Make it 100," Ivalera replied.