Title gleaned from the song by Kenny Loggins. I like it. It fits them.
I'm nervous that they may seem terribly out of character, but I had this thought and really wanted to make it work. (Believe me, the story fought back, especially the dialogue. I has scars.) This is my first time writing something like this, so if it goes over well, I may do others.
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.
Neither man knew when it had started. It may have been the snarky, playful exchange that took place during the great battle past the Fissure. It may have been one of many brief encounters in the Marketplace. It may have even been upon the blond's first arrival at Hollow Bastion itself. Neither knew, and really, it didn't matter all that much to either of them anyway.
It was an odd bond the two had, these two like-minded, battle-hardened soldiers who would in an instant give their lives to protect their ragtag family, and it was something neither was willing to sacrifice. It wasn't much of anything to the outside world; sometimes one would discreetly brush a shoulder or the back of a hand against the other in passing, or they might share a silent, supportive look across the room. It wasn't much to anyone else, but it was enough for them.
One warm, overcast evening found the two walking side by side along the mountain trail after checking on things at the Heartless Manufactory. Halfway down the hill, the brown-haired man slowed his pace, then stopped, looking up.
"It's going to rain..."
Cloud paused beside him, eyes moving skyward and nostrils flaring just a bit as he took in the inviting, wet smell permeating the air. "Mm."
Time slowed as they stared at the darkening clouds, and they stood there quietly for a few moments until a cold, fat raindrop plunked right onto the tip of the blond's nose. He jerked his head a bit and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.
One corner of Leon's mouth turned up in a wry smile. "We should be able to make it to the Bailey before it really hits," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets and tilting his head in the direction of said shelter.
Cloud made a soft, non-committal sound, but started walking. Leon fell into step beside him.
Leon's conjecture turned out to be quite inaccurate, but his optimism was appreciated nonetheless. After a few minutes, the clouds grew too heavy to contain themselves, and the light spattering of precipitation that followed them down the hill turned to large, angry raindrops that thoroughly drenched both men by the time they reached shelter. Leon moved to one of the deep windows, leaning against the wall with a shiver and a sigh. He raked his fingers through his hair and attempted to squeeze out some of the moisture. The other simply stood there, unobtrusively watching Leon before turning his bright eyes to the sheets of rain falling just beyond.
"You should dry off some," Leon said quietly, folding his arms over his chest. "You'll catch a hell of a cold standing there all wet."
"There are worse things..." Cloud lifted one shoulder in a bit of a shrug. "The cold doesn't bother me so much anymore." He shook some of the water out of his hair to humor his friend, then hauled up onto the window ledge and drew his knees to his chest. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he spoke again.
"It smells nice."
"Hm."
"The rain," he added weakly.
Cloud caught the tiniest smile pulling on the corner of Leon's mouth, and a warmth crept through his chest as their eyes met. The curve to Leon's lips grew a bit, and Cloud, suddenly gun-shy, quickly averted his gaze to the storm. He lightly drummed his fingertips on his arms. Dark eyes moved slowly over the blond's profile, following the lines of his throat and settling on the faint movement of the pulse point just below his jaw.
"Your heart's beating fast," Leon commented, one eyebrow raising slightly. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Uh...yeah, just...just thinking, I guess."
"About...?"
Silence.
"I'll listen, you know," he said slowly after a moment, extending a hand to rest on Cloud's armored shoulder in what he hoped would be a reassuring gesture. "Anything you want to tell me..."
Cloud didn't move at first, and Leon retracted his hand only to find calloused fingers slipping between his own. The blond slid off the ledge and turned to face him.
"It's just..." Intense eyes stared into the slightly taller man's. "I've been wondering...this thing...we...I mean...fuck, I'm no good at this." He sighed and looked away, frustrated.
Between the torn expression and the fact that he still hadn't relinquished the grip on his hand, it didn't take long for Leon to figure out what Cloud was struggling to say.
"Look...whatever this is," Leon murmured as he reached for Cloud's free hand, sliding his fingers up the palm and holding that position briefly before mirroring the blond's grasp on his own. "You and me...whatever we are..." He paused, gathering a measure of courage. "I know that...neither of us are terribly good at communication. We're used to acting, not thinking. We're good at hiding things. But...I'm glad you tried to tell me, and...I want you to know it's okay...to act."
To prove this point, Leon slowly pulled his arms back, allowing time for Cloud to free himself should he so choose, and pressed himself against the stone wall, elbows bent so that their clasped hands were on each side of his head.
Cloud found himself closing the distance between them, heart thundering in his chest, until he felt the material of the other's jacket chilling him through his damp wool sweater. He finally lifted his face to meet Leon's gaze, swallowing hard at the raw emotion he saw openly displayed in those dark eyes. He wondered if his own eyes betrayed him so. "I've wanted to do this for...some time now," he whispered against the side of Leon's mouth.
The other man moaned softly in response, breath ghosting against Cloud's cheek, and his fingers flexed against his self-induced captor's. He brushed his mouth tentatively against the corner of Cloud's once, twice...then angled his head to meet the blond's lips directly. The touch was brief, chaste but powerful. Several gentle, questing kisses were shared before Cloud squeezed Leon's hands firmly against the wall and deepened their connection, sliding his tongue against the the brunet's. He barely suppressed a shudder as Leon responded in kind, relishing the soft, wet sounds barely audible above the heavy roar of the rain.
After a few minutes they broke apart, both quite deprived of air and shivering. Their foreheads touched as they fought to stabilize their breathing, and Leon nuzzled the side of Cloud's nose with his own briefly; Cloud smiled. Leon grinned. The next several minutes were spent exchanging light, exploratory touches and small, open-mouthed kisses against any exposed area of damp skin, more out of the mutual need to feel close to the other than out of lust. Eventually, they just stood there against the wall, the blond breathing quietly against Leon's clavicle and the brunet's forehead resting against the curve of Cloud's shoulder, hands settled on the firm line of the swordsman's waist.
"The rain's let up," Cloud mused as his senses slowly expanded to encompass more of their environment. The other man lifted his head to gaze beyond the Bailey's broad window at what was now no more than a desperate drizzle.
"Hm...so it has." Leon's forehead returned to Cloud's shoulder.
"...To the Borough?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Dry clothes?" Cloud tried again.
"Mm."
Cloud laughed at the vaguely affirmative mumble, threading his fingers through Leon's and pulling him away from the wall. "C'mon."
It wasn't much of anything to the outside world; sometimes one would brush a shoulder or the back of a hand against the other in passing, or they might share a fond, appreciative look across the room.
Neither man knew when it had started, and really, it didn't matter all that much to either of them anyway.