Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all related characters are property of Square Enix. I claim no ownership to them.
Warning(s): minimal shonen-ai, serious!crack, fluff-ish
Note(s): This was written for archy the cockroach. I really love the way it turned out. :D
Shatter
By Oblivion Sky
The bailey's a wreck. The Heartless passing through had destroyed it, and all that's left is a makeshift staircase of rubble, and the end of the hall leading back to the borough is nothing but a drop-off. The gates to the reconstruction site are bent and chipped, and the site itself is no better off.
And all Leon can do is stare.
It's one more thing to fix, one more thing to repair, one more thing that's been ruined by the Heartless. And as much as Leon wants to restore Hollow Bastion to what it once was, he can't help but wonder if it's even worth it. It wasn't like the citizens had treated him kindly as a child, shunning him for the taboo relationship he had with Laguna, so he's not exactly sure why he's protecting them and rebuilding their homes.
Maybe it's just something to do, something to keep his mind occupied so he's not dwelling on the past or worrying himself sick over Sora. But whatever it is, he has nothing else to do, so he'll keep on doing it.
Running a hand through his hair, Leon moves forward towards the mountain of rubble, picking up the pieces that he can. He figures it's better to start somewhere than nowhere at all, and he could probably use a spell to make it easier but he doesn't want to, because then he'll finish sooner and he'll go back to dwelling and worrying.
An hour later, his arms are full of those tiny little pieces, and there's someone standing behind him and watching him but he doesn't care. When they walk closer, he doesn't turn around, but that proves to be a mistake because that person suddenly hugs him from behind and he jumps and the pieces scatter everywhere as he's pulled back against that someone.
His first reaction is to elbow the stranger and free himself, but when he looks down at the arms encircling his waist, he dimly recognizes the shabby sleeves and it's not a stranger holding him anymore. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Hyuck, you looked like you needed a hug!"
Leon grimaces, pushing the dog off of him none-too-gently. Without a word, he turns his back to Goofy and crouches down, starting to pick up the pieces again. Goofy has other ideas, though, because he keeps talking, and he doesn't seem to mind that he's carrying on the conversation by himself.
"Y'know, why dun' you just ask Merlin to fix this up, Leon? I'm sure he'd do it if you wan'ed 'im to!" Goofy says, and Leon just scowls and does his best to ignore him, but it's harder to do that when a gloved hand-paw appears in his line of vision, helping him to pick up the pieces that he dropped.
Leon wrinkles his nose in distaste, keeping his own hand carefully away from the dog's. When Goofy doesn't show any sign of leaving or ceasing his rambling, the brunet exhales heavily, glowering at him through the fringe of his bangs. "Is there something you need?"
Goofy shakes his head, not caring that he was interrupted. "Nope! I just wan'ed to help you, a-hyuck!" he exclaims, that inane grin of his in full-force as he looks over at Leon.
Leon scoffs in annoyance. "I don't need help."
"Every'un needs help sometimes, Leon!" the dog replies, and Leon almost growls when their hands inadvertently brush against each other as they aim for the same piece, and he's about to pull away but Goofy's next comment paralyzes him. "An' I think you need lotsa' help!"
Trying to keep from snarling, the brunet looks up at his companion, glaring at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?" he bites out, and a bit of the snarl escapes as he continues to pick up the pieces.
Goofy laughs, larger hand brushing against Leon's again. "Well, shucks! Ya' just look so lonely all a'time! Ya' never smile or nuthin'! Oh, I'unno, maybe you should just cheer up some, hyuck!"
And Leon can't help but lift a brow, wondering what exactly Sora sees in this bumbling idiot to keep him around. "There's a difference between serious and lonely," he replies, trying not to notice that their hands are touching more frequently as the pieces disappear into their arms.
The dog shrugs, still grinning that ridiculous grin. "Then maybe you should just try ta' be a lil' bit goofy!" he says, and then guffaws loudly at his own pun, apparently finding it hilarious.
Leon just rubs his forehead and doesn't say anything, and thankfully, neither does Goofy. The bailey's quiet and Leon concentrates solely on the pieces, going from one to the next and putting each into his arms with meticulous caution, because they can fall if one piece is out of place, and shatter into smaller pieces if they fall far enough.
But eventually, the work is done, and Leon stands up, legs aching after holding the crouching position for so long. He casts a sideways glance at Goofy, watching as the dog walks over and returns the pieces that Leon had dropped. He gives Leon another hug, and Leon stiffens but doesn't jump again, and that makes Goofy grin in obvious satisfaction.
He pulls away, stepping backwards and abruptly tapping the brunet on the nose in an almost affectionate way. "Cheer up, a-hyuck! You'd be even cuter if you smiled s'more!"
And Goofy walks away, leaving Leon standing in the middle of the destroyed bailey, holding countless pieces of what may or may not be his life, and wearing an absolutely horrified expression before he shakes his head in disbelief.
'...Whatever.'
- fin.