Drowning

The brunet looked absolutely miserable, even when cuddled between their two friends, who were doing everything they could to cheer him up. Cloud tutted as he snapped the door shut behind him, instantly drawing their attention. He didn't bother to quell the surge of pride that came with the way Squall's entire being seemed to light up upon seeing him. Aerith giggled as she stood up gracefully, smoothing out the frills of her pink and white dress and gesturing for Tifa to follow as she gave her farewells. Nodding at the pair Cloud scampered onto the bed and looked over the coughing brunet with concern.

"Jeez, you're always sick lately. That's gotta suck."

Squall nodded, eyes darting down to his lap as he wrung his hands together. "I-I'm no fun am I?" He flinched when Cloud snorted and startled when insistent hands pushed him back down into a lying position. He watched curiously as the other boy reached over to the bowl with a flannel cloth.

The blonde smiled as he rung out the cloth and placed it on the brunet's forehead with a gentle pat. "Idiot, earlier I was thinking of the fact that you get to miss school and have everyone fuss over you. I mean, mum got you a king-sized block of chocolate. King-sized! When I'm sick, all I get is medi." He sighed, burying his face in the blankets. "My mother likes you over me!"

Cloud almost laughed at the timidly spoken response. "…if I could, I think I'd hit you."

"Nuh-uh, you would not." The younger looked up with a smirk that would have had Squall pouting had he not started sneezing again. Cloud sighed and reached for a tissue, giving Squall's nose a gentle squeeze he raised an eyebrow as the boy's face reddened. "Blow."

Squall looked unhappy as he watched the blonde deposit the used tissue into the overflowing waste-bucket. "It's not fair." He sniffled. "You're littler; shouldn't I be looking after you?"

"Maybe, but you're hopeless." Cloud rolled his eyes as the other boy winced and leant forward to press their foreheads together. "Idiot, I like looking after you. 'member? It's my job."

Squall's face flushed again. "C-cloud…"

"See? Hopeless." The blonde sighed, flicking his forehead fondly. He pulled back with a grin, jumping off the bed and darting over to the pile of sweets and cards on the desk. "Now let's eat candy till we throw up!"

"C-cloud!"

--

A pool…

Okay.

Cautiously Leon leant over the pool's edge, peering curiously down into the water at the deep end with mild distaste as the smell of chloride assaulted his nose. Miraculously they had finished the town's restoration at the beginning of summer, sparing them from yet another season of working in unbearable heat. Yuffie had decided that this was fate's way of telling them to celebrate the committee's success by having a pool party and promptly started nagging the rest of them about it. No one had the energy to oppose her, even in the early, mild summer heat; so she was granted her pool party.

Leon didn't do pools. So for the better part of an hour he'd sat beneath the shade of an umbrella enjoying a jug of Aerith's iced tea, treating the girls to glares whenever they tried to coax him into the water or to take off his T-shirt. It wasn't until Yuffie jumped out of the water and stood beside him –dripping over him- that he moved, deciding to at least look at the water and hope that would satisfy the pouting women.

From the corner of his eye he saw Aerith smiling approvingly at him from where she had stretched out on the concrete and allowed himself to relax a little. Folding his arms, he shifted his weight onto one foot as he watched Tifa splashing around. Cid muttered something under his breath as he lounged on an inflated chair in the middle of the pool, occasionally exerting himself to yell at Yuffie for throwing the ball into the water near him, splashing him. Merlin was waving his wand about, streams of water spiralling around him, garnering attention from the small group of children playing in the kiddie pool. Cloud…

Leon frowned.

Cloud was being Cloud. Fully clothed, under an umbrella, eyes closed and arms folded, making no effort at all.

He shook his head and turned back to the pool again. He was here to celebrate; not get upset over Cloud's idiocy again. That happened more often than not though; Cloud hadn't changed a bit with the defeat of Sephiroth, he spent all day training and perhaps helped the committee by delivering a small load of supplies once a month or so. In general, the same things he'd done while wallowing in darkness-induced angst, only it irked Leon more than ever. Even if it was only because the old Cloud tried to make the best of everything…Leon closed his eyes, allowing himself to remember a Cloud who always cheered him up when he was ill or hurt. Why couldn't they have that Cloud back? Why couldn't Cloud at least try to lighten up?

Why couldn't he have the Cloud that cared back?

Leon twitched as his heart gave a sharp pang and pulled himself away from his thoughts, silently berating himself for letting think about Cloud in the first place. Cloud wasn't worth thinking about. Really. Besides, it was a happy occasion, he should be relaxing. With that thought in mind, he opened his eyes again, in time to hear a cheeky giggle and feel a sharp shove before he was more closely acquainted with the water in a loud splash. Rather vaguely he realised Yuffie had pushed him in before panic set in as he began to sink.

Aerith looked up at the noise to see Yuffie bouncing on the spot where Leon had stood, her mischievous grin etched across her face as Leon disappeared under the water. Her eyes widened almost painfully as her face blanched.

Leon…

Water…

"Yuffie!" She yelped, the ninja startled; almost toppling into the pool herself. "Leon can't swim!" She sprang to her feet alongside Tifa. But the girls hadn't even taken a step when a black blur shot past them and dove into the water.

Aerith blinked, a hand over her chest trying to still her thundering heart as she turned questioning eyes towards Tifa who tried to offer a smile and failed.

"Was that…was that?"

"Cloud!" Yuffie nearly cried in relief as the blonde surfaced, holding up a sputtering Leon.

The blonde barely acknowledged the girls as they called out, adjusting his grip on the brunet clinging to him and slowly swimming for the shallow end. Leon was gulping in large mouthfuls of air, arms wound painfully tight around Cloud's neck as he trembled faintly in shock. Cloud closed his eyes briefly as their feet finally touched the pool's bottom and released the other man.

"You were going to learn to swim." He muttered sharply, ignoring the splashes of the girls running into the pool towards them.

Leon shivered, turning towards the girls before pausing and looking over his shoulder with wide, solemn eyes.

"You weren't there to teach me."

Cloud stood in the water, staring at the spot Leon had stood, long after the man had been whisked indoors by the trio of frantic females.

From the first moment he'd seen the older boy, pale and delicate, trying not to cry as the other boys bullied him, Cloud had been captivated. Seeing the shy, grateful smile Squall had awarded him after saving him from the boys only sealed it. Cloud had never met a boy so… pure; girls like Aerith but never a boy. It didn't take long to discover that Squall was hopelessly timid and hesitant to defend himself. Squall had looked so miserable when Cloud pointed it out to him, seemingly convinced that Cloud was going to abandon him. But Cloud's response was different, oddly mature for a boy a few months shy of five, and it absolutely floored the brunet.

"If I leave, who will look after all? I gotta stay until you can look after yourself."

Twenty years later and Squall, under the guise of Leon, could do just that. Cloud just refused to neither see nor accept it.

tbc…

A/N: I know it's short and long overdue but I'm currently studying Japanese and learning a language takes up a lot of time. It also doesn't help that this fic keeps trying to turn itself into humour when I want it relatively angsty…I swear Yuffie's corrupting it…somehow…(good gawd I'm lame!)