WARNINGS: Cloud/Leon yaoi. It gets a bit silly towards the end.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters.
"Think you can handle this many?"
There was a slight pause, a draw of breath, before the boy behind him replied quietly, "Well... Might be tough if one more shows up."
"Hm. Then that'll have to be the one I take care of."
Another pause, then a reply. "What, you're fighting too?"
If it hadn't been for the severity of the situation and the need to keep himself focussed on the enemies pouring down the mountain towards them, Leon would have spun around to look into Cloud's eyes and judge whether it was with complete seriousness or a teasing nature that the blond had made such a cocky, offhand remark. As it was though, there was no time. With a scream, he launched himself towards the heartless, and felt the boy at his back do the same.
Swords flashed. Bodies fell. Voice cried.
Leon could feel his adrenaline waning - it was a long battle. The enemy just seemed to keep coming and coming endlessly. He wondered if Cloud was also feeling the strain; the desperation and fatigue slowly creeping through his muscles. His body was so much more slight and slender. Leon couldn't imagine Cloud having more endurance than him. If he was losing his drive, then his companion must already be spent...
"Cloud, how you holding out?" he called out, with a quick glance over his shoulder. He could barely see the boy- only a tiny flash of silver and the flutter of shining blonde hair over the mass of darkness.
It looked as though Cloud was being swallowed up by emptiness.
"Cloud?!"
"Leon."
It was a dull, emotionless reply, but at least it was something.
The brunette began to let the heartless drive him back, being careful not to be attacked from behind as he did so. He suspected Cloud, despite his undoubted weakness and desire for help, would rebuke an open offer of assistance. If Leon just happened to have been driven back far enough, though, there was really no way for him to -not- inadvertantly help!
Leon smirked at his own wit and gallantry, as he took another glance over his shoulder and saw Cloud was backed up against the rocky face of the mountain where it reached down to the path they were trapped on. With a grunt of exertion, Leon knocked aside the small, wirey beast that had pounced towards his face in his moment of blond-related distraction, and took two quick strides through the throng of enemies to 'casually' fall back against the wall beside Cloud. "Phew... they're really pushing us back, huh?"
The blonde looked over at him and frowned. "Not really... unless you just mean yourself."
Leon snapped his head to the side. "What?!" Lowering his guard, he took a step away from the wall to stand in front of the other boy, and stare at him incredulously. "What do you mean? I came over here because it looked like you needed help!" he blurted out.
Cloud's pale eyebrows disappeared behind his bangs. "Why would I need help? I only moved over here so I could keep an eye on you without having to divert my attention too much from the battle."
"WHAT?!"
Cloud sighed, about to repeat himself more slowly and with smaller, dumber words so hopefully the brunette could understand him, but a sudden flash of movement behind his companion distracted him. Losing his 'cool' composure, he pointed behind the other boy and gasped, "Look out!" while he pulled his sword up across his chest defensively.
Leon turned, but it was too late. A heavy weight slammed into his lower back, and, with a yelp, he fell. A stab of pain shot through his upper thigh, then another 2 inches higher, as he twisted on the ground, trying to dislodge his attacker. A dark blur moved past his head and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Was this really it? Was he going to die like--
"Huh?" Leon blinked, surprised to see Cloud hovering over him with an unusually expressive look on his face. The blonde was worried. "What happened? What's wrong?"
"You're alright? Thank the Aeons!" he sighed, relaxing visibly, and falling out of Leon's line of vision. With a groan, the brunette rolled onto his side, then gasped as a surge of pain passed through him. "Uh... why does my ass hurt?"
"Because you let a heartless -bite- it, you idiot! Then you passed out and almost sent me into a berserk limit break!" Cloud snapped, his face flushing slightly across his cheekbones.
"oh..." Leon sat up slowly, keeping his gaze lowered to his his own red face. God, he felt pathetic! So much for playing the gallant hero when he, apparently, was the one who ended up needing rescuing! He sighed and shook his head. "Damnit... that's so embarassing..." he muttered under his breath.
Cloud patted his shoulder. "Definitely."
Leon looked up, ready for a fight, but was surprised to see a very rare smile on the blonde's face. "But sort of cute too," Cloud added.
Leon sputtered, stunned. While he struggled for words, his companion reached over for a roll of gauze, then smiled again before looking pointedly down at Lionheart's thighs. Leon looked as well.
"Where are my pants?!" he gasped, blushing a deep crimson.
Cloud snorted. "How could I bandage you with your pants on? It bit your -ass-, remember?"
"But, but..."
"Now roll over so I can check to see if the bandages need changing."
"Are you serious!?"
"Of course I am. Roll over and lift your hips up. Now," Cloud commanded in an emotionless, deadpan voice, with laughing, amused eyes.
The battle was still raging along the pathway. Most of the others had fallen back as Cloud and Leon had, seeking what shelter they could find to regroup and plan their second line of defense. Barrett had found the same small opening in the rock wall of the mountain that cloud had when he had fled the heartless' pursuit with Leon unconscious and weighing heavily over his shoulder.
The large fighter slipped inside, huffing and panting from the exertion of his own desperate escape from the heartless, and squeezed into the small opening at the back that the other two fighters were resting in just as Cloud began to roughly examine the bite marks that had broken through the skin on Leon's posterior. Barrett's eyes flickered from Leon's injured backside to Cloud's dark expression, before he sat down with a grunt, a laugh, and a shake of his head.
Cloud and Leon both jumped at the intruding voice, and looked over as Barrett leaned back against the wall and called over, "Damn, you white kids are kinky! Couldn't you have at least waited until -after- the fight, Cloud?! HAAAHAAHAA!"
Cloud chuckled, and shrugged, his hands still firmly gripping Leon's hips. Leon imagined he even felt the fingers tighten slightly, but he couldn't honestly trust his own senses right now, what with his mind slowly cracking under the strain of so much humiliation and shock in one short period of time.
Mortifying. Leon couldn't think of a better word to describe it. He was lying bare-assed on the ground, with Cloud kneeling behind him, holding his hips in place and paying -way- too much attention to two swollen bite marks on his lower ass, while another man looked on.
"This is the worst day ever," he groaned, hiding his face in his arms.
Behind him, Cloud heard and smirked. "Oh?" the blonde asked. "I don't know if I agree with that. It certainly had it's -"Leon yelped as a hand suddenly slapped his backside, making his whole body jerk. "- perks."
As the boy behind him began to laugh, Leon shuddered. He had the sinking, dreadful feeling that he had definitely misjudged Cloud Strife.