Cleon emerges when I cross the coasts, huh? This time it isn't crack, but it made me smile. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Kingdom Hearts.
-o-
"You're going to kill yourself if you keep drinking that stuff at that rate."
He watched as Leon looked up from the coffee pot to see him standing in the kitchen doorway with his bag still slung over his shoulder.
"Cloud... You're back." Leon eyed him with an almost wary expression. "It's been a while."
Are you only back to collect supplies?
Cloud walked over to the kitchen table, shrugging off his bag before dropping into a chair. "I meant what I said, you know."
No, I'm here to stay. At least for a while.
Some of the visible tension in Leon's expression eased as he sent the blond a skeptical look. "No one has ever died from drinking too much coffee."
Okay.
"I didn't mean it literally," Cloud retorted, eyes drifting to the blue prints that were keeping Leon awake until the wee hours of the morning. Some of them were completely new to the blond. They didn't look like buildings, though.
Leon joined him at the table. "Then what did you mean?"
He followed Cloud's gaze to the papers in question and quickly reshuffled them to the bottom, as though he'd been doing that before he had run out of coffee.
"You know how people say that if you eat too much of something, you'll turn into what you eat?" Cloud ignored the raised eyebrow directed his way and averted his eyes to the window. "I think turning into coffee would be worse than death."
"... So you meant it literally, then?"
"Maybe," Cloud said, trying to stifle a yawn that snuck up on him.
"You going to bed, or do you want some coffee when it's ready?"
You're not hurt, right?
Cloud shook his head. "I'll stay up to enjoy the quiet, but no coffee for me. I've sworn off the stuff."
Not really. No scars this time.
"Since when?"
You sure?
"Since I realized that someone has to be around to keep you together when you turn into coffee."
I'm fine, Leon. Tifa doesn't know I'm home yet, after all.
Any tension left between the two warriors evaporated as they ducked their heads to hide the grins tugging at their lips. Neither man would ever admit it, but the stupid humor they shared was something they would never give up willingly.
Once composures were regained, Cloud dared to eye the blueprints again. Leon was hiding something, and Cloud couldn't pass up the opportunity to find out what while the brunet was at ease. "What are you working on?"
Leon shrugged. "Buildings, housing complexes... the usual construction," he said, bumping the top of page aside to reveal a basic drawing of what could one day be a school or meeting hall.
"Really?" Before Leon could stop him, Cloud reached across the table and snatched the papers away.
"Really, there's nothing there you haven't seen..."
"Then what're these?" Cloud flipped to the last few pages and laid them on the table. Poorly drawn rectangles at bizarre angles stared back at him. Was this supposed to be some part of the city? A courtyard...?
"They're just concepts, ideas," Leon filled in, a little too quickly. "They are not a part of the plan..."
Between the rectangles were clumps of vertical lines, all seeming to spout from designated points. Wait... he'd seen this place. "These are the fountains," he said, eyes lighting up with realization as he scanned the sketches more closely. "We all used to play here as kids." He raised his head to meet Leon's gaze. "You drew these, didn't you?"
Leon refused to raise his head, however. "They serve no functional purpose to the city. They just waste water and resources. I was just remembering, I shouldn't have bothered-"
"Stop that," Cloud cut him off. "Why haven't you talked to Cid about this?"
Leon shook his head. "I told you, it's stupid."
The blond huffed in frustration. "You wouldn't have tried to draw them if you didn't want to see them built, and if they're something you want to see built, then it's not stupid. It must be worth something to you, if you tried this hard to pretend that you don't suck at drawing. Radiant Garden used to be a beautiful city, I'm sure people would appreciate the reminder."
Leon pulled the sketches across the table and turned them, thoughtfully. "... These are pretty awful, huh?"
You really think so?
Cloud smirked. "Stick to your day job, and leave the blueprints to Cid."
Yeah.
Leon didn't try to hide the small grin this time. "I probably should."
"I mean it, though. Talk to Cid, draw up some real plans. You don't have to start on them until you think the city's functional enough, but you can still plan." He pushed his chair away from the table and stood. "I'm going to bed."
"Night," Leon responded, still looking at his drawings thoughtfully.
Cloud picked up his bag and watched him for a moment before setting a firm hand on the brunet's shoulder.
And I'm not going anywhere until I know you're doing something about it.
... Thanks Cloud.
No problem.
The blond was halfway out of the kitchen when he suddenly turned around and returned to the counter.
"... What are you doing?" Leon asked in a suspicious tone as Cloud shut off of the coffee maker and detached the pot.
"Saving you," Cloud replied lightly as he dumped the contents of the pot down the sink.
"Wait Cloud!"
"Go to bed, Leon. You need it." And in an almost childish manner, Cloud strolled out of the kitchen, flicking off the light switch as he passed. "Night."
-o-
Oh how I wish I could keep the comments my dear Mitsuru made on this story as she edited. Yes, my dear, Leon is a brat. And Cloud is a complete CHU. ;D
Thank you for reading!
P.S. How the heck does Fanfiction know I'm in Spain right now? Ugh. Stupid internet.