Disclaimer: dood, fanfiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act.
It was on quiet nights like these that Cloud suddenly appeared, falling into step beside him as if he'd been there all along. He couldn't really recall when it was, exactly, that the other man began tagging along, but Leon had to admit, it did make the time go by faster. They'd continue patrolling the town in silence, each secretly glad for the other's company, just checking on things around town and staving off the occasional heartless (though they were few and far between, and only the small shadow variety still remained). It was mundane work, really, but it had to be done. Leon wasn't much for sleeping these days anyway, so he took it upon himself to keep the townsfolk safe each night. He supposed spending that time with the withdrawn swordsman was just a bonus.
They frequently paused in the bailey on their way back to Merlin's house, spending a few quiet minutes staring out at the slowly-recovering terrain. After a time, one might eventually garner the courage to move a little closer to the other, maybe even to stand nearly shoulder to shoulder. Sometimes they might share a brief, uncertain smile before turning their gazes back to the dark sky. Sometimes gloved fingers might find themselves tentatively resting upon the other's hand on the flat rock of the window sill. It was subtle, it was comforting, and though they would never speak of it to anyone, the contact clearly wasn't unwelcome.
One warm evening in late summer, something changed.
They stopped at the first window in the bailey near the end of their patrol, per their now familiar and comfortable routine. After several minutes, Cloud's hand found its way over to Leon's and they both smiled faintly, eyes fixed on some point out on the horizon. They stayed that way for a while longer, then Leon exhaled and turned a little, covering Cloud's hand with his other and watching as the blond's gaze was drawn to the movement. He shifted his fingers to grasp Cloud's wrist, lifting it and curling his previously trapped hand around the loose fist. Stormy blue eyes looked askance into guarded yet curious blue-green ones for a moment before Leon guided the hand to his mouth, pressing a slow kiss to the knuckle, then, with no resistance from the other man, to the warm, leather-covered palm.
Cloud stared for a moment as Leon straightened, then very slowly, very hesitantly, curved his captive fingers along the gunblader's lips and cheek. "What are we doing?" he whispered, luminous eyes taking in the way Leon leaned just so into the touch.
"Honestly? I...don't know," the taller man acknowledged, his voice low and a little rough. "But...not knowing...it's not so bad, is it?"
Cloud slid his thumb over the camber of Leon's mouth thoughtfully, unable to come up with a decent verbal reply. He moved a little closer and angled his head slightly, watching the brunet's eyes carefully as he was the one asking permission this time. He nudged his lips against Leon's once, twice before the other man made a soft sound and responded, tracing the tip of his tongue along the blond's upper lip and then meeting him in a full-fledged kiss.
They pulled apart after a long moment, eyes low-lidded and both breathing a little harder than either would have liked to admit. Leon licked his lips briefly, then ran a gloved hand lightly down Cloud's unclad bicep, eliciting a shiver from the swordsman. He stepped back again, then pivoted reluctantly towards the gate leading into town to finish his patrol.
"I'll...see you tomorrow, then?" Cloud asked quietly, leaning on the abandoned sill.
There was a pause, then the other man turned back to face him once more, offering a small smile. "You know where to find me."