For Mimza, for all your support and all-around awesomeness. And yes, I'll still do your request, whenever you get one to me. This doesn't count. XD
Disclaimer: dood, fanfiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act.
The attraction between them is undeniable. It's not the overwhelming heat of a sudden, sharp flame; more like a slow, heavy burn, something that has, over the past several months, fanned itself into something neither of them can ignore, though they haven't exactly come to terms with it yet, either.
Leon's tongue slips forward just a little to taste the seam of Cloud's lips, and there's a tiny hitch of breath, just enough of a sign that Leon proceeds, pushing further with his own responding sigh. Their tongues meet inside Cloud's mouth, warm and almost sweet and completely right, slowly stroking over one another and seeking out every part of each other's mouths in turn, as if somewhere within might lie the answers they desire.
The greater part of their search is in regards to why. Neither has ever considered interest in another man, so why, then, does every little move the other makes take his breath away? What changed? When did it change? How did their camaraderie morph into something neither of them recognizes? It's a mystery to them both; a challenge they're equally determined to solve.
Gloved hands move past Cloud's waist to cup his backside, kneading the firm muscles in evaluation, and one of the blond's hands leaves Leon's nape to slip down his stomach, tangling into the belts slung dangerously low over narrow hips, fingertips reaching between them to graze so teasingly over warming leather. It feels good, so good, but it's too soon for that, and so they both back down a little. They're not ready to ask that particular question just yet.
Cloud's gloved fingers linger at the other's waist, hooked into the one functional belt in order to keep their bodies close, and Leon's now-bare hands slide up beneath Cloud's shirt to whisper over tightened stomach and chest muscles, drawing a fine shudder from the younger man. Every carefully orchestrated movement is a silent question; every little response, the means to an answer, and all the while, they're still kissing, still tasting and searching and asking and listening. They may not have the solution yet, but they're making progress. And so what if a tentative friendship is lost in the process, if what they're building is so much stronger?
It might take a while, if not forever, to figure out exactly what it is that they have, but somewhere along the line, among the soft, wet sounds of their kisses and the quiet rustle of fabric as hands explore and bodies shift in muted pleasure and subtle encouragement—silent replies to unspoken queries—they both decide that the journey, itself, might not be so bad.
They have youth and maturity and light and darkness on their sides. They have wit and calm and strength and heart. They have determination, and they have equality, and they have balance, and they'll get there, someday.