Title: Ready for It

Author: comeandgetmebabe

Disclaimer: I own that song from SNAKES ON A PLANE! WHOOO!

Summary: Cloud and Leon get stuck in an elevator. Confessions ensue.

-NOTE- I love this couple. Like so much.

However, I've noticed that, at least in the stories I used to read (I read stories from like, three years ago, so it's probably different now) that Cloud is always, like, the light to shine in Leon's face, when in fact he's an emo bastard.

And the way they interact either makes me giggle madly or roll my eyes. SO HERE'S MY TAKE ON THEM!

GETTING STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR!

For the record, this story is basically me trying to write as pretentiously as the writers of Kingdom Hearts (The crackling…of DARKNESS!)

Also, I forget the name of that thing in FF7 that let's you call other members to your party, so sorry. I just call it a cell phone here.

/o/O/o/

"Why do we have to do this?"

"Do you want me to take Aerith to the Heartless Manufactory?"

"You could have brought Cid!"

"He's too busy fighting Merlin," said Leon disdainfully. Both he and Cloud stalked through Ansem's study, by Tron's computer, and Leon pushed the button for the elevator to take them down to the Heartless Manufactory.

"It's not like you were doing anything important when I asked you to come," said Leon, waiting patiently for the elevator to come. "You were just slinking around the Market, feeling sorry for yourself."

"I wasn't slinking and I wasn't feeling sorry for myself. I was thinking of ways to defeat Sephiroth."

"It's not like you don't know where he is!" said Leon, exasperated. "He's in the Dark Depths. Everyone knows that. If you want to fight him then go fight him. Just don't die."

Cloud snorted and looked out to the view of the Heartless Manufactory. "Who would care if I did?"

"Aerith, for one. Yuffie and Cid. And Tifa, even if you don't want to admit she exists. And Sora would be devastated. Do you really want to make the Keyblade Master that upset?"

"Would you care?" asked Cloud snidely, giving Leon a little smirk. Leon just snorted and walked into the elevator, which had just opened.

Of course I would miss you, thought Leon, Sora's devastation would be nothing compared to mine. But he didn't say it because he was Leon and he wasn't supposed to care about anyone. And besides, what would Cloud say to that?

Cloud rolled his eyes at Leon's silence but felt a pang inside him. Of course he wouldn't care. Why would he care? Cloud was just Cloud. He held no importance to anyone. He was too consumed by the darkness to truly be cared for. Especially by Leon.

Not that he wanted to be cared for by Leon, of course.

Leon pushed the down button and the elevator doors slid close. They both stood in silence, waiting to be taken down to the floor below. The elevator ride was inexplicably long and caused a lot of time for thought, which was not something Cloud needed. Whenever he thought, his head filled with images of Sephiroth standing over him, smug, having finally won the battle for his heart. Or he would, for some reason see Leon, could feel his back pressed against his like it had been when they had stood off against the thousand Heartless. And then his heart would hurt again and he'd have to stop thinking.

"Why are we going here? Really."

"We got a message from Tron saying some of the Heartless in his world were messing with the controls to the Heartless Manufactory. He just wants us to make sure that the machines are still off."

Cloud nodded. That was understandable. It wasn't like Tron could jump out of the computer and check himself. But he couldn't help but ask…

"What if they are acting up again?"

"Then we call Sora and have him deal with it. Only the Keyblade Master can defeat the Heartless in end."

"You place a lot of faith in that kid."

Leon let a smirked against his will. "No, unlike you, I still have faith to put in someone."

Cloud said nothing, just turned away.

They waited in silence; the quiet whooshing of the elevator as it went lower being the only sound they heard. Then they heard a different sound. A cranking and a crunching and then they felt a bump, which sprawled Cloud and Leon on the elevator floor.

"What was that!" exclaimed Leon, pushing Cloud's leg off his chest.

"I think the elevator is broken…" murmured Cloud, gingerly climbing to his feet and brushing his coat off.

"Broken! How could it break!" yelled Leon, rushing to the control board on the wall and examining it. "This is Ansem's elevator! He wouldn't make an elevator that could break…"

"Heartless…" murmured Cloud, looking around, eyes narrowed.

"That must be it…" said Leon. He sighed and took the elevator phone off its hook. There was no sound on the other end, no dial tone, nothing. Just crackling. The crackling of Darkness.

"Do you have a phone?" asked Leon, slamming the phone back on its hook. He didn't want to deal with that right now.

Cloud reached into his coat and brought out a small cell phone. He handed it to Leon, who quickly called up Aerith. "Aerith? It's me. We're stuck in the elevator between Ansem's study and the Heartless Manufactory. Yeah. Yes. We think the Heartless did it. Right. Could you get someone over here to get us out? Get Cid, he knows how to deal with electronics. No, not Merlin, he'd probably have the elevator fly through the castle. Yes. Okay. Thanks Aerith. Oh, and Aerith?" he glanced over at Cloud. "Hurry." He shut the phone with an audible click and handed it back to the blonde haired man.

Leon began pacing around the elevator, which offered him only three steps front and back. Though now it was two, since Cloud had slumped against the wall and was now sitting on the floor, looking bored. Leon glared daggers at him. "What're you gonna do, just sit there!"

"There's no much else I can do. I mean," he added in a sarcastic tone of voice, "I could always run around the elevator, adding excessive weight and making it more likely to fall, but you seem to have that covered."

Leon glowered at the ex-SOLDIER and sat with his back against the opposite wall. There was more silence after this, both men lost in their own thoughts. Leon sighed and stretched his legs out. He was bored and irritable. He could have been helping to stop the Heartless who were on a never ending quest to take over Hollow Bastion, but no, he was stuck in an elevator with the most depressed, self-deprecating man he'd ever met. Yes, Leon liked Cloud. He could even call him a friend—they'd fought together on numerous occasions and had even been out in the market together as friends. But Cloud's obsession with his own personal Darkness…with Sephiroth…it was grating on Leon's nerves. And a very small part of him that he really wanted to ignore said he was jealous. Because he wanted Cloud to think of him all the time.

He screamed at himself that he didn't think that and kicked his leg in annoyance. In the process, he kicked Cloud.

"Hey!" cried the blonde haired man, snapping out of his thoughts (about Sephiroth, most likely) and scowling at Leon. "What was that for!"

"I didn't mean to kick you," said Leon, just as irritated, though he was irritated at himself. "I just…I'm bored."

"Hmmph," said Cloud, rolling his eyes. "I thought you were stoic."

"Shut up," growled Leon.

"Squall Leonhart," sighed Cloud mockingly. "What a nice young boy he was! Then he became a mess and changed his name and now he's bored."

"Well you'd know something about a self-absorbed mess, oh master of Darkness," Leon shot back. "Found Sephiroth yet? Or still running over how many ways you'll lose in your head?"

"I thought you wanted me to find Sephiroth!"

"Only so you'd shut up about him!" yelled Leon, losing his temper. He usually never did, but the combined affect with being stuck in a small, cramped space with Cloud Strife (even his last name was self-deprecating) and knowing there were Heartless swarming in their absence made him lose his cool. So was the fact that he was so, so close to Cloud and he couldn't do anything about it. "That's all you EVER talk about! Even when we were fighting with each other at the Coliseum, you never said 'Great, we won!' you just said 'Now I'll be stronger when I face Sephiroth!' I mean, jeez, Cloud!"

"Oh forgive me," growled Cloud, now also angry. "What would you prefer I talk about? You? Would that make it better?"

"If you stopped ranting about Sephiroth, yes, it would!" yelled Leon, standing.

Cloud stood too. "Well let me tell you something, Leon, you think I'm self-centered? You think I'm too worried about what the Darkness has done to me! At least I'm not selfish enough to think it was all my fault! I know what was my fault! You, meanwhile, say 'Oh, well, I couldn't save EVERY PERSON IN RADIENT GARDEN! I must change my name and hide my face'!"

"Like you didn't! At least I stayed to help rebuild!"

"You don't have a crazy silver haired EMBODIMENT OF DARKNESS AFTER YOU!"

"What if you didn't have Sephiroth after you! You'd still be just as self-absorbed! All anyone wants is to help you, Cloud, and you keep pushing them away!"

"You don't want to help me!"

"Yes I do! I want to help everyone!"

"Prove it!"

"Prove I want to help you! How can I prove it! And even if I did, you'd be too wrapped up in your own personal crisis to realize it!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!" Cloud exploded, making Leon stumble back against the wall of the elevator. Cloud advanced upon him, shaking with rage. Leon could see the Darkness swarming around him. "You don't know what it's like to know that if you try to help someone, he will be there, laughing at you, mocking your every move! You don't know what it's like to not be able to stay with anyone because you might be overcome by the darkness at any moment! YOU DON'T KNOW!" Cloud screamed, grabbing Leon's collar and pulling their faces only centimeters apart. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW I FEEL! How it feels to watch the one person you love…" Cloud's head slumped foreword and he pressed it against Leon's hard chest. "To have to watch them…try to help you and…and know you have to say no because…you might hurt them…oh no…" his whole body collapsed on Leon's chest and he began to shake with silent sobs. Leon felt no moisture through his shirt; Cloud couldn't even cry anymore.

Leon delicately wrapped his arms around Cloud and held him gently to his chest. This was the most awkward position he'd ever been in, but he knew that he had made Cloud so upset, so now he had to bring him back. He rubbed a small circle on Cloud's back and made comforting noises, or as comforting as Leon could manage.

"It's alright, Cloud, I…I'm sorry I said all that. Listen, don't get so upset, you're a great guy…and I'm sure the person who loves you understands…" I understand…I wish it weren't true, but I understand why you have to push us all away…I just wish you could hold onto me.

Cloud sniffed and looked up into Leon's blue eyes with his mako green ones. Leon could feel himself falling into those eyes. "Sorry…" Cloud murmured, not moving from Leon's arms. "I just…I needed to get that out."

"It's alright…" said Leon, not letting go of the smaller man. "Everyone…everyone needs to vent. Especially you."

"Yeah," said Cloud. His face was moving towards Leon's.

"Yeah…" murmured Leon. Their lips were nearly touching.

And then they did.

When his lips touched Cloud's petal soft, rosy lips Leon thought he had died and gone to heaven. And when Cloud moved his arms to wrap them around his neck, Leon could have fainted with happiness. He'd been dreaming of this kiss, lightly joking with Cloud to hide his true feelings, fighting with him only moments ago so he didn't accidentally scream out that he cared about him and ruin their already precarious friendship. But all that was forgotten as he tightened his grip around the blondes back and pulled him closer. He stuck his tongue out and licked Cloud's lips, silently asking for entrance. Cloud opened his mouth and their tongues engaged in a battle for dominance which Leon won. He kissed Cloud with all the intensity he felt for him, meshing their mouths together and running his hands up and down the leathery material of Cloud's jacket. When Cloud finally pulled away, his eyes were half lidded and their was a string of saliva connecting their lips. Leon wiped it away and began kissing Cloud's neck. The blonde gasped and arched his neck towards him.

Cloud began to pant. Leon just continued sucking at one spot on his neck, leaving a mark. His kissed up and down his neck and made his way back to that succulent mouth. They kissed again, even deeper than before. This time Cloud pulled back and reached a hand up to run his fingers through Leon's hair. They gazed at each other for a moment longer, not talking, not needing to. Leon buried his face in Cloud's shoulder. "I don't know what that was."

"I liked it. I feel…lighter."

Leon looked up and into Cloud's eyes, surprised. "R-Really?"

"Yeah…" murmured Cloud. "Usually when I'm faced with the light I can't…I can't even deal with it. But with you…" he stopped and looked down. "This…I…I don't know. But…" he looked up, a devilish gleam in his eyes, much like the one he'd had when they'd fought all the Heartless on the Ravine Trail. "I wouldn't mind kissing you again."

Leon grinned and leaned down…

And the elevator started up again.

"What the—"

"How—"

"I told them to hurry, but…" murmured Leon.

Cloud pulled himself out of the brunet's arms and smiled a real smile. "Wish you didn't tell them to hurry now, huh?"

"I didn't know that was going to happen," Leon smiled as well.

They were both quiet as the elevator ascended back up to Ansem's study. As they got closer, Leon said, "So what now?"

"I'm going to fight Sephiroth."

Leon's head whipped around and he stared at Cloud in shock. "What?"

"I'm going to fight him. I don't know if I'll win," Cloud stared at the door, not meeting Leon's eyes. "But if I do, I'll be free." He didn't say what he was thinking, that if he was free he could continue to explore what had just happened with Leon. But he was pretty sure Leon got the message when the brunet leaned over and kissed his temple.

"I'll be waiting."

The elevator doors opened.

/o/O/o/

SO!

What'd ya think?

Think I should make it into a chapter thing or is it good as a one shot? I don't know, so you'll have to tell me.

Regardless, I'm going on vacation for two weeks, so it won't be updated for a while, but tell me what you think of it!

REVIEW, OR THE SNAKES ON THE PLANE WILL EAT YOU MOTHERFUCKER!