Title: Crucible
Author: Elkica
Fandom: Kingdom Heart with a crossover from FF
Disclaimer: Don't own
Pairings: Leon/Cloud, Axel/Riku
Summary: Leon meets Cloud and Axel has to find out what's bothering Riku.
Warnings: Lemon, fluff and a kiss; and no plot whatsoever and I can't forget the grammar mistakes (no-beta-ed).
A.N.: This is a little something that I wrote for exercise (been reading books on writing lately); so I thought why not post it Valentine day. Even thought it's not Valentine related, it's about love and it gives me a chance to say: HAPPY LOVE'S DAY.
Hello
Leon opened the door of the wardrobe and sighed from relief when the room was empty. He put the bag he was carrying across his shoulder down on the wooden bench that was stationed approximately a meter away from the wall, where the row of cabinets were; opposite to the exit doors and right to the doors that leaded into the shower room and into the bathroom.
He started with removing his shoes and clothes, which he replaced with a freshly washed kimono and a hatakama from his bag. He usually kept his things in the locker that was appointed to him when he became the trainer and as such gain the access into the sensei's locker/changing room.
He opened the locker/cabinet, took out the bokken he had stored in it and stuffed the bag in it. After that he paddled out of the room in his flip-flops and down the corridor into a main hall.
In the main hall he left his flip-flops by the wall near the entrance, gave his respect with a slight bow to the shallow niche that was in the middle of the wall opposite to the entrance door, went over wooden floor that covered the half of the room toward the padded half, put his bokken down, leaning it on the wall and knelt down.
He then with his hand on his knees and with straight spine closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. He loved the smell of the sandalwood that still lingered from the zenzen class and the peace and quiet before the others came.
The door opened and closed and the sound of hurried steps nearing was heard.
There goes peace and quiet.
A body has thrown itself on Leon, two hands wrapped around Leon's neck, two legs around Leon's waist and a head found its place on Leon's shoulder. "I knew I would found you here."
Leon opened his eyes and lifted his hand, starting to stroke the long silver locks. "Hey."
"Hey."
Leon wrapped his other hand around Riku's waist.
"Why aren't we together?" Riku snuggled closer.
"Cause we didn't work well together."
"Why?"
"Cause you are a high maintenance and I'm a cold bastard as you called me."
"O, yea. I remember now."
"And besides you are with Axel now."
"Am I?"
"Last time I checked you were."
"Ok. What did I do now?" Both Leon and Riku looked into direction of the voice.
"Axel." Leon greeted the red head that was coming toward them, while Riku just flipped the bird in his direction.
"What did I do?" Axel kneeled before Leon.
"Don't know, he didn't tell me." Leon said.
"Riku get off Leon. And stop running to him every time something's bothering you. You two broke up years ago."
Riku looked toward the entrance, where his older version was standing. "It none of your business."
"O yes it is. I am the one Axel come to whine to."
"That's not true." Axel tried to savage his image.
"Axel comes whine to me, Seph." The man with short, little past the ears long straight red hair said. "You just often end up listening to him."
"Because you blow him away. I don't know why. He's your brother." Sephiroth said.
"Who is complaining about your brother. And that he's my brother… I still suspected that they switched him in the hospital."
"Ok. G. The way you talk about me somebody might think that you don't like me. " Axel looked his brother.
"Who said that I did." Genesis stepped forward into the room.
"If you two are done with bickering, I would like to introduce the new member of our little flock." Sephiroth pushed forward the fragile looking blonde that was until now hiding behind his back. "Everybody say hello to Cloud Strife who is going to be Zack's replacement, maybe even permanent one."
Leon for the second or two forgot how to breath. He knew that blonde, when he was still studying he saw him here and there around his campus and thought that the blonde was the most gorgeous thing he ever seen; but he never had a chance to met him and also had a girlfriend at that time; and after his student life ended… the blonde beauty slowly slipped out of his mind.
"Hello." The blonde waved, his gaze travelling over the Sephiroth's little flock until it lingered on Leon.
Sephiroth pushed Cloud closer to the group that was on the cushioned floor. "Let's start."
They went through the warm ups.
Ichi, ni, san, shi. (One, two, three, four.)
Ichi, ni san, shi. (One, two, three, four.)
Go, roku, shichi, hachi. (Five, six, seven, eight.) …
Then they moved on the wooden floor, everybody picking theirs wooden swords and started with the exercises.
On Guard.
Right Step forward, Half Cut.
Bring the sword back above the head; make a Right Lunge and the Full Cut.
Bring the sword back above the head, Left Step forward, Half Cut.
Bring the sword back above your head, a Left Lunge, a Full Cut.
Moving in to a Right Squat, perform a Diagonal 2 Low Cut from left to right.
Moving in to a Left Squat, perform a Diagonal 1 Low Cut from right to left.
Rise in a Right Step, perform a Twirl with Half Cut. Return to the On Guard, Feet Together.
Leon could perform those routines with his eyes closed that's how many times he allready went through them. He didn't really know why Sephiroth, who was a dojo master insisted for a last couple of years that at least once a week all the sensei/teachers had a class together doing Kendo under Sephiroth supervision. Well… he knew why Kendo, because Sephiroth excelled at it, but why doing a class together. Sephiroth's excuse that this was something that gave his flock a reason to hang out together was so out of the ordinary, because since when did Sephiroth cared about the social aspect of life, of his life. It was probably G's idea, because except for the time spend together in dojo he and Axel never hang out together. Oh, whatever. Let's go back to the Leon could perform those routines with his eyes closed, so he had time to with the corner of his eyes observe the blonde's graceful movements and the nice view of the little blonde's ass, whishing for this class to never to end.
But like all the good things the class came to a quick end too, at least for Leon, he had to literally to tear his eyes away from the object of his future fantasies and wet dreams. He preformed the usual ritual of leaving the main hall, before he slipped on his flip-flop and left the dojo.
Leon/Cloud
Leon was enjoying the warm water of the shower. He stretched his body, appreciating the way the water was raining down on his aching muscles.
"Hello."
Leon turned. Cloud Strife. In all his naked glory.
"Hey." Leon removed the hair that fell over his face and was sticking on his forehead.
"I know you."
"Yeah?" Leon as much as he appreciated the fact that he just got enough of material for his nightly fantasies last him a year, he was a little disturbed by the fact that he was bare himself.
"Yeah. I saw you around when I was studying. Squall, right?" Blue eyes were staring at Leon, swallowing him up.
"It's Leon now."
"Ooo." Cloud pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and started to chew on it.
"I remember you too." Leon wanted to reach out, pull that poor, abused lip out between Cloud's teeth and then get it between his lips, to cares it, suck on it. He could imagine it, the kiss, like he could imagine caressing that fine body that stood before hi… He felt the hot desire travelling in to his south parts. And he was naked. Shit.
"Look. I'm in the middle of the shower. Could we continue this some other time?"
"Hmm. Yes. Sorry." The pink dusted the bridge of Cloud's nose; he turned and went in his own cubicle.
Leon leaned for the moment with his forehead on the tiles before him. Great Leon, just great.
It didn't take long for Leon to finish with the shower and wrapped in the towel, he cast the discreet look toward the blonde before he left the room. He discarded the towel and started with putting on his clothes. He was sitting down and putting on his shoes, when Cloud came into the room.
Leon tried not to look at him, but it was hard. All that moving around that Cloud did when he was dressing and that pale skin. Thank god that they were alone in the room, because somebody with a weaker will then Leon, which meant almost everybody would likely jumped on the blonde.
Leon gaze lingered on Cloud's back; he was captivated with the play of muscles under the silken skin when the blonde reached with his hands above his head, stretching. Was he doing that on purpose? Leon looked down on his shoes. He made a mess of shoelaces. Damn. He should put on the boots.
"Leon."
"Huh?" Leon looked up.
Cloud was standing before him dressed in the black cargo pants that hung low on his hips and in the light blue sweater that highlighted the blue of his eyes even more and was chewing his lip again. "Listen. I don't want to bother you, but I'm new here. Would you show me around? You know… all the practical places. Where the best groceries are and things like that."
"Sure." Leon was all for that not that it showed on his blank face, but somewhere inside Leon's head a mini version of him was dancing and jumping the happy dance. He had a daaaaaate. Sort of. What is he going to wear?
Axel/Riku
Riku opened the door of the changing room; he just ended with his class and groaned. Axel was leaned on the wall, with his arms crossed and with a big smirk on his face.
Axel glued himself from the wall. "Hey babe."
"Don't babe me." Riku entered into the room, closed the door behind him and went toward his locker. "What are you doing here?"
"Come to take you home." Axel closed the distance between them. "You haven't been home for a week."
Riku turned toward his locker, opening it. He could feel the heat of Axel's body behind him and he chose to ignore it. "So what?"
Axel's arms wove themselves around Riku's body, trapping him with his arms at his sides in at tight embrace. "I miss you babe. Just tell me what's wrong, so I can fix it."
Riku could feel warm puffs of Axel's breath at the back of his head. "Get off me Axel."
"C'mon babe, just tell me what's wrong."
"Get off Axel." Riku tried to kick back with his leg.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong."
"You called me Roxas."
"What?"
"You called me Roxas."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did." Riku squirmed in Axel hold.
"Ok. When?"
"The last time we were in bed together. You reached toward me and called me Roxas."
"In my sleep?"
"You looked awake."
"I must have been sleeping."
"Who cares? Awake. Sleeping."
"It's not the same."
"Yes it is."
"I must have been sleeping, Riku. I said it in my sleep."
"The point is you still want Roxas." Riku cried.
"How can I want Roxas if I have you?"
"You tell me."
"Look, me and Roxas never dated and we do."
"That's makes it all the worst. How can I compete with the perfect image in your head?" Riku stopped with his squirming and looked down, the silver bangs falling over his aqua eyes.
"Oh, babe." Axel leaned with his chin on Riku's shoulder; his hands slide on Riku's abdomen. "You don't have to compete with anybody. I love you. You."
"And how should I know that. You never said that to me before." Riku voice was quiet.
"Maybe if would come to me first so we could talk things over and not run to Leon, you would hear it sooner."
"Oh." Riku said.
"Yeah, oh."
"Sorry about that."
"It ok. Just don't do that anymore."
Riku turned in Axel's now loose embrace and clasped his hands around Axel's neck, a gentle smile on his face. "I'll try."
Axel grinned "That's all I ask. Now, lets go home and have hot make up sex."
Leon/Cloud
It was great walking around on a sunny Saturday morning with Cloud, with their shoulder and arm brushing with every step. Leon would grab Cloud by his hand, entangle their fingers together, if he would dare, but… Making the first step… Leon sucked at those. The only time he did that, he ended stammering, fidgeting and blushing and the worst part. The person on whom Leon made advances didn't even liked him. The horror. So, Leon didn't make first steps.
Leon showed Cloud around the town, not that he know it that well. He had some places he went, but they were few and it only took a few hours to show them all to Cloud. They had been in the library one of Leon's favourite places, where Cloud signed in too; Leon had show him the small grocery store where he did most of his shopping; they even went in one of the smaller department store, but the noise and the horde of people chase them away. It seems that Cloud similar to Leon wasn't fond of the crowds either. Just another thing to add at the things Leon and Cloud had in common. So they just walked around in some sort of comradeship, just enjoying in each other's company.
Now they were here in a cosy bistro, where the waitress knew Leon by name and knew what he likes, where bread was baked, not bought and where tablecloths were thickly woven and had a few rend edges, having lunch in Leon's favourite boot that was in the far corner of the room, hidden from the view behind row of very realistic plastic greenery.
"So, Leon … are you and that silver haired boy that was in your lap dating?" Cloud asked after some small chitchat and after their waiters brought them drinks and leaved.
"No." Leon's fingers played with the edge of the glass. "We used to and now he's just using me for pissing off his boyfriend."
"I see. So you're single." Cloud leaned with his elbows on the desk, his blue eyes holding Leon's and he was chewing his lip again when he wasn't talking.
"Yes."
So how long have you been living here?" Cloud changed the subject, right about when Leon was to asking if Cloud is single too.
Leon leaned back in the booth. "All my life, except the time when I was on collage. And you? Why did you move here?"
"Change of scenery and because somebody who's very important to me lives here."
"Relative?"
"No." Cloud with apparent redness blooming on his face leaned with his chin on his palms and gazed in the distance. "When I was in collage there was this man I had really big crush on. But he had a girl at that time and I thought he was strait, so I never did anything. Didn't even know him personally, even though I did know everything about him at that time. So then a couple of months ago I met this friend, who by some weird coincidence knows this person, I found out that that person is bi and probably single. So what was there to do then to pack my bags and move."
"Ah." Cloud likes somebody and it's apparently not him. Leon felt like somebody grabbed his heart and violently squeezed it. "Never had you for the stalker type."
"I'm not, not really." Cloud shyly smiled at Leon and stammered: "I hope that that's not going to bother you."
"Why should it?" Leon with a blank face shrugged his shoulders and took a glass of water from the table taking a sip.
"Well… some people would be bothered …" Cloud swallowed. "…knowing they were stalked." His fingers were playing with the edge of the tablecloth.
Leon spited out the water, spraying Cloud and the table with it. "You are kidding?"
"No." Cloud took the cloth and wiped out the small droplets from his face, the redness on his face reaching the critical point, the colour of the well-grown tomato. "I just thought… that you should know before I ask you out on the date. You… You would go on a date with me, wouldn't you?"
A big mega watt smile just for the moment appeared on Leon's face, before he remembered that he has an image to uphold. "But I thought this was a date."
"It can be if you want to."
Leon leaned toward the table, reached out with his hand and grabbed with his palms Cloud's face, pulling him toward himself. He closed the distance between them, pressed a soft kiss on Cloud's lips, which divided and Leon's tongue darted between them.
The kiss was deep, gentle; it was like rain over the dry land, like a hot shower after the cold walk and after it ended, it only made Leon wish for more.
"Maybe you should move on my side of the boot." Cloud smiled.
"Maybe I should." Leon said "Or maybe you should come to me."
"Maybe." Cloud didn't showed any indication of moving, so Leon stood up and moved on the other side of the table, sitting beside the shyly smiling blonde.
"Where were we?" Cloud hooked his hand around Leon's neck and pulled him down. Now he was the one that entangled them in another one of those breathe taking and mind blowing kisses that turned Leon's knees into jelly.
Leon's hands went toward Cloud's sides, pulling the blonde in his lap; his fingertips slide on Cloud's back drawing the delicate patterns.
The cough interrupted the kiss. The waitress smiled down on them and put the plates with food down on the table.
"Ermm," Leon cleared his throat, fingers splayed on Cloud's back, holding him close. He looked at the food that the waitress brought and then the waitress. "Could we have this for to go?"
The end