Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts
Author's note: Enjoy! Critiques are very welcome! :)
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Leon roamed the winter streets of Radiant Garden, a soured sort of look on his face.
Earlier that day, as per usual to most days, he and the rest of the Restoration Committee set themselves to clearing out the refuge from the path to the castle. With so much heavy lifting and such needed (especially the kind that required far more than human strength), some heavy machinery was in need for their goal's completion.
Leon grunted irritatedly in remembrance of what happened with said equipment.
Yuffie, deciding it was her sole duty to "inspect" the machines during their break to make sure they were running correctly did more damage to their restoration than the original amount before they started. She single handedly took them two metaphorical steps backward.
Leon, as the unofficial leader of their group, was outraged. Of course, he could never take out his anger on his friends. Even if they behaved like a toddler with a new toy. It was then that he decided he needed to take a walk. Mostly to blow off some steam, but he also wanted to survey other areas around Radiant Garden to see what needed to be worked on next (that was if they ever finished with their current project).
Thunder rolled in the distance, shaking Leon from his thoughts and back to the present.
The skies above Radiant Garden were a deep purple-grey, heavy with its still unreleased weight of water.
A cool breeze blew from the South-East carrying the taste and smell of damp earth.
Leon looked around him, discovering that the many pedestrians that were strolling the streets like he was moments before had now scurried away in search of shelter from the oncoming torrent of the storm.
There was a great flash and another great clap of thunder, much louder this time, and the last of the civilians disappeared.
Leon glanced at his surroundings before judging which would be the quickest way to get to Merlin's study and set off, his pace barely a brisk walk.
It was then that the first drop of rain hit the pavement just a short distance in front of him, followed by another, and another, filling the streets with a soft pitter-patter as more drops followed suit.
Leon had just made a turn onto another street when the rain began to come down even harder, the previous "pitter-patter" melding into a harsh mixture between the crackling of the thunder and the large multitude of raindrops splashing against the pavement. The wind picked up as well and started howling in his ears.
With the air outside already having been cool enough to need a jacket, the coldness of the rain only made it worse, the not quite frozen drops stinging with their frigid temperatures.
Leon squinted through wet eyelashes down the street, but only saw the rain, now coming down in sheets, and the white haze that always seemed to appear during any typical rain storm, causing the area in front of him seem as though he was looking at it through a sheer white veil.
Leon leaned into the wind and ducked his head, determined to make it back to Merlin's before he ended up catching a cold from the onslaught of elements that seemed content in doing just that.
Glancing up for a moment, he saw someone else standing in the middle of the street some distance away.
He blinked to make sure it wasn't just his eyes playing tricks on him. After all, who, besides him, would have been crazy enough to be caught up in a storm of this caliber?
His eyes had not deceived him as the figure was standing in the very same place as Leon had seen them just a moment ago.
Cautiously, he approached them.
As he drew nearer, he discovered that it was not some unknown stranger, but Cloud, a man he had only recently felt comfortable enough to call a friend.
He was standing, leaning, rather, against a wall of some building, his usual spikes damp and clinging to his face and scalp.
"Hey" Leon called out over the rain which seemed to swallow up all other sounds but its own.
It was loud enough for Cloud to hear, though, as Leon could see him visibly jump slightly at his words.
Cloud met Leon's gaze and gave him a nod of greeting "Welcome back".
Leon smiled slightly, and nodded.
Walking a bit faster now, both of them headed for the same destination, Leon did not feel the same weight on his shoulders as he did before. He didn't know why, but the blond seemed to have that effect on him.
Briefly, Leon wondered why Cloud was even out there in the first place, simply standing there even though the skies had opened up all around him, but he wanted to respect the other man's privacy, so he decided not to ask.
Upon their eventual arrival at Merlin's they were greeted with a busy Aerith bustling about, demanding that they immediately go and change before they caught pneumonia.
Leon chuckled and agreed. "Come on" he urged Cloud, jerking his head in the direction of the stairs.
Cloud coughed lightly into a balled up fist and shuddered again.
"Are you alright?" Leon asked softly.
Cloud nodded slightly, offering a small smile in return. A smile that did nothing to ease Leon's concern.
"Come on! Up you go!" Aerith demanded once more "You need to get changed of of those cold, wet clothes!"
Both men agreed and began to make their way to the stairs.
Cloud paused at the foot of the stairs, bracing himself up against the wall for support.
"Cloud..?" Leon began, reaching to grasp the other man's arm.
He almost recoiled as soon as he touched the other man, his skin as cold as ice.
The only thought in his mind echoed itself over and over again: 'How long was he out there?'
It was only then that Leon noticed the other man's labored breathing and hale pale his skin had become as compared to usual. The other man's entire frame shivered, not violently, but visibly enough to make him seem... frail.
Cloud turned more towards Leon, his eyes closed tightly as if he were in pain and his breathing coming out in harsh rasps.
His eyes, opening only for a moment, seemed dull, their usual sparkle diminished.
Then he collapsed.
"Cloud!" Leon cried out, more than a little surprised at the sudden turn of events.
There were sounds of chairs scraping against the floor in the kitchen nearby and the heavy thumps of what could only be Cid's boots as, as well as everyone else in the study, rushed to see what could cause so much distress in their leader's voice.
Aerith knelt beside the blond and placed a gentle hand on his forehead.
Her eyes widened momentarily at the temperature.
Leon saw that she was speaking to him, but he couldn't hear anything over the sound of his heart beat in his ears.
"-ermia"
Leon shook his head and glanced back down to the blond for a moment before looking back at her "what?"
Aerith placed a firm hold on Leon's shoulder as if to keep him in the present rather than have his mind wander due to the sheer shock of the events unfolding.
"It's severe hypothermia" she repeated, her voice level, yet still unsteady at the same time.
Leon's eyebrows knitted together as he turned back to Cloud. The other man's face looked as if he were in pain and his breathing ragged.
"Leon" Aerith said softly, prompting him to do what he knew he had to do.
Leon nodded and leaned over the blond, scooping the man into his arms and slinging one of his limp arms around his shoulders.
He had to warm the other man's body... using his own.
It was a job that really only Leon could do, what with most of the other tenants of the house being women and Cid.
When Leon finally managed to carry Cloud's dead weight up the stairs and down the hall, he kicked the door open to their shared room where a large king sized bed-the room being to small to fit two smaller beds- sat amongst the rest of their things.
With everyone from the Restoration Committee all living under the same roof, even with the use of Merlin's magic, most of them had to make sacrifices and double up when it came to rooms: Areith roomed with Yuffie, Leon roomed with Cloud, Cid slept in his "workshop" (otherwise known as the garage) and Merlin slept in the tower. With Tifa only recently having come back to Radiant Garden, she was leasing a house until they either made more room in the burrow or they cleared space in the castle.
Leon laid the other man down gently, propping him up slightly against the headboard before he began to strip the man out of his cold, wet clothes. He undressed himself immediately after.
He would never admit it to anyone but at that moment, standing nearly naked in the same room as the blond (unconscious or not)... he felt vulnerable. He pushed his brief feeling of vulnerability to the back of his mind for later contemplation in favor of saving his friend.
Feeling the other man's skin directly on his own, he felt a shiver run down his spine. He had to warm him up, and quick.
It took some rearranging on his part, but he eventually managed to get them both under the blankets and wrapped his arms tightly around the other, their bodies melding together curiously well.
Leon resisted his reflex to repel the source of the cold and lay gazing out the only window in their room, watching the rain drops dance down the window pain.
It was in that position that he slipped into a peaceful slumber: With his chin resting atop the blond's head and with a hint of a smile playing his lips