This, my friends, is the second chemistry tutor fic. Leon and Cloud seem to enjoy chemistry tutor. In fact... they help me remember a chemistry term: Crystal Lattice! See, you take the C and the L...

Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Kingdom Hearts.

Promises

He knew it was coming. Cloud has asked Sora to tell him if he saw Him, after all. If that kid was able to find one hundred and one Dalmatians in scattered worlds, then of course he would find the one man who had enough darkness to destroy a world with a single blow.

Cloud was the only one who could defeat Him. He was a darkness that plagued the blonde's mind with shadows of a past full of guilt. Cloud would defeat Him; there was no doubt.

But what would that bring? It was something he didn't want to think about. Maybe something would go wrong. Maybe he'd lose and have to fight again. Maybe he would be wounded and could never heal. Maybe worse...

But it was too late to try to form any plan now. He'd seen Sora talking to Cloud. He'd seen that determined look in Cloud's eyes. Cloud was going to fight, and all he could do was stand and watch.

A hand shot out to grab the arm of a man who could never be stopped. A mouth moved silently to say words that could never be spoken. All Cloud could do was watch with surprisingly patient eyes.

"Come back." They weren't the words that had failed to be voiced, but they were the only thing he could say, the only thing he could ask for.

Mako blue eyes softened, if only a little, if only for a fraction of a second. "I will Leon. I promise."

Cloud went and fought his battle. Tifa was the one who followed him, who witnessed the terrible clash. She was the one who informed the Committee that Cloud had vanished in the midst of battle with Sephiroth. He didn't react. He hardly even blinked. Cloud had made a promise; Cloud didn't break promises.

Time continued to pass. Xemnas and the Organization were defeated, much to everyone's relief. Sora was finally home with his friends again. Little was mentioned about Cloud, though. Still, his place at the table stayed vacant and the light in his room remained off. No one had given up, but hopes weren't high either. They chose to assume that Cloud was still locked in battle or was stuck taking up residence in another world. He never joined in on such conversations.

A month later a letter arrived for him, bearing the King's seal. It was news, updates on the goings on, and a thank you to the Committee. But what caught his eye was the very out-of-place scrawl at the bottom of the page.

I won. The King offered to help me, but I said I'd do it myself. I'm coming home Leon. I promise.

-Cloud

-o-

Thank you, dear beta, for pointing out that a litter, not a letter, had arrived for Leon. As much as he would love more dalmations, I'm not sure he could handle them right now.

Thank you so much for reading!