A/N: I'd say that I'm definitely out of my writing slump everyone :) Let's see if this run of great luck continues!
Thank you to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, favourite, watching and just generally supporting the story :) It's a huge motivation for me to see others getting enjoyment from my hard work.
WARNING: Untranslated (bad) German ahead. Though one line is intentional!
Cloud was still gaping uselessly like a fish out of water as he stared up at Leon helplessly. No words even came close to tumbling out of his mouth, his brain in too much shock to act. How… how in the world did he end up being under the Rex Pirata?! How could he be so carefree?! Goddamn it he didn't even have a knife with him to keep the damn pirate at bay! He was vulnerable! And the blackguard knew that! Oh Hyne he's going to rape me!
Leon laughed. "I never knew you were such a talented mimic, my silent friend." He leaned back onto his knees; they were pressed into the sand on either side of Cloud's hips. "Come on. Stop looking so terrified. Do you really think I was even going to indulge myself when you're unwilling?"
Cloud was scarpering backwards as fast as he damn well could, but this only earned more amusement from Leon. He felt like such a fool, but at least Leon seemed to have a shred of civility in him. For now. "Y-You beast!"
"Thank you for the compliment," Leon countered, slowly getting to his feet. "Enjoying your exploration of the island then?"
"No!" Cloud exclaimed emphatically. How could anyone enjoy walking through dense jungle?! Leon's eyebrow arched. "If you are going to punish me for something, at least make sure the damn crime fits the punishment!"
"You think I was punishing you by making Zexion take you with him and Demyx?"
"You must have been!"
"May I ask you for what because I don't remember you doing anything out of line," Leon requested; his amused face had fallen into an annoyed frown. Cloud paused to think… it appeared that the only thing that might have been punishable was trespassing in Leon's secreted study and even that had been greeted with dry amusement by the pirate king. In that case the pirate must have just wanted to be cruel, which on ignited the fire in Cloud's chest even more.
"Bloody pirate," Cloud admonished, wishing to Hyne or any deity that was worshipped in the world to strike the pirate where he knelt. No such luck, but at least Leon wasn't pursuing him across the sand.
"Could you please desist with the accusations while you're at it? I'm getting tired of being suspected of things I haven't done."
"Do you think I'm just going to trust you just like that?! Of course I'm going to suspect you of anything! Especially now knowing that-" Cloud barely had a chance to finish his sentence because, faster than he could ever had hope to anticipate, Cloud was sprawled on his back on the sand, Leon hovering over him while gripping onto his wrists. His face was unreadable, but that in itself caused terror to dwell in his breast.
"Keep this up, Cloud Strife, and so help me I'll drown you myself since you seem to want death so much," Leon warned. Cloud fell silent at that. He needed to tread carefully; Leon's patience only went so far and it wouldn't serve him to bring about his own death at his hands. That… and he should have remembered by now just how strong the pirate was. The man could easily kill him if he wanted to.
Did he really, truly want death? He was starting to wonder that himself now. They continued to stare at each other –flashing silver clashing against brilliant blue– and no other word was shared between them. It seemed that words were failing them again. Until Cloud's nerve returned meekly. "…could you please get off me…"
Leon continued to stare, but he did as he was asked and released Cloud. He stood up, brushed the sand off his breeches and then walked over to where his belongings were, acting as if nothing had happened at all. Cloud sat up slowly, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.
In Hollow Bastion, some older men who married their wives in order to save face would try to seduce or force themselves into Cloud's favours. Since that one time with a man whose face Cloud barely remembered in the scuffle, back when he was just a youth of sixteen, he always carried a knife with him for protection. No one could be trusted; no one but his younger siblings. Especially no one who was of the belief that he looked too much like his courtesan-turned-lady mother.
He hated feeling this vulnerable, even though Leon had not gone further than he had feared he would. "I'm not trying to make you miserable Cloud," Leon said. Cloud dared to look over his shoulder. Leon was pulling his shirt on, tucking the ends into his breeches. "If anything, I'm trying to give you some freedom. As repentance for what I might be forced to do."
"Why would you?"
"Because, despite what you think, I'm not your run-off-the-mill pirate." Leon turned around, leaning against the rock where his boots were standing proudly upon. "Your average pirate captain would give little to no care about you unless you were in danger of dying, and even then there would have been no assurance that you would have survived out at sea. I gave you a significantly better chance of survival." He then sighed. "Though I admit there's every chance I might fail you."
I guess… at the very least he's being honest. I'll give him that. Begrudgingly. Cloud still didn't trust Leon though. "…what made you change your mind?" he asked Leon.
"…you did."
"What?"
"If Terra hadn't … persuaded me to go talk to you that night, I might have gone through with the trade without a second thought." Leon gave him a strange lopsided smile. Well, Cloud wasn't sure he'd call it a smile because it was so ghostly that a person could have missed it if they blinked. "That night was the start of my resolve's collapse." He then smirked; there was the pirate Cloud was wary of. "Not to mention I find your reactions entertaining and I'd be sad to miss them."
"You-!" Cloud was on his feet but he stopped himself from attacking Leon with fists flying. He forced himself to swallow back his pride, glaring at the pirate.
"What? Not going to try and kill me for that?" Leon smirked. The damn pirate knew that he was in complete control of the situation, and it made Cloud sick to his stomach acknowledging that he was powerless. "Have you eaten?"
"Not since breakfast," Cloud grumbled.
"We'll grab something from the village then." Leon finished putting his boots back on. "Unless you want to go straight back to the town if you're desperate for civilisation."
"Of course I-!" Cloud's stomach now decided to turn traitor by loudly growling, causing his face to go bright red. Leon just snickered.
"In that case, we'll go to the village."
Honestly… we're just doing what he wants regardless of my feelings. He could only watch as Leon started walking towards the smoothed out path that he himself had descended upon, knowing that he had to follow. Which he did resentfully, glaring at the pirate's back the entire time. Leon looked over his shoulder once to make sure his guest was following, his eyes flashing in satisfaction.
"Hallo. Mein Name ist Ventus. Nett, Sie zu treffen." Ven looked at Terra expectantly after managing to make through the sentence without stumbling over his words for once. The pirate doctor's smile reassured him that he had got it right, causing the youngster's chest to puff up with pride.
"Well done," Terra praised. They were both sitting at the doctor's desk, paper with Gardenian phrases, vocabulary and grammar notes scribbled onto them scattered about. Ven had indeed proven himself a good student, determined to get basic Gardenian mastered as quickly as possible. "You weren't lying when you said you were of quick study."
"My tutors' biggest hobby back when my father was alive was praising how academic I was," Ven grinned. "I suppose if he hadn't died he might have allowed me to go to one of the universities. Maybe."
"What would you have studied?" Terra asked curiously.
"Hmm…" Ven thought about it. "I guess the sciences." His blue eyes lit up at a memory. "I was once taken to this live autopsy of a criminal and it was shown what electricity can do! The body looked like it was about to come to life right there on the table!"
Terra cringed visibly, causing Ven's expression to falter. "How… interesting."
"You don't agree with that?"
"Oh no, nothing like that," Terra started. "Studying the human body is a must for progression, but it just feels a little macabre to have people watching it, even more so when a child is looking upon it. I'm assuming right that this memory isn't too recent, yes?"
"It was about two years ago so I was fourteen at the time."
"Fourteen!" Ven noticed that Terra seemed a little unsure of what to make of this, yet there was also a feeling of impression in his surprised cry. "My… you are remarkable."
"Would ever go to one of those things?" Ven asked, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.
"I'd have to read the studies written by those doctors. I wouldn't be able to go in." Terra weakly laughed. "I don't feel comfortable dissecting a human body after its expired. It feels like desecration on the dead to me. That-" He pointed to the symbol of his faith in the centre of his chest. "-and my faith prohibits it."
Ven nodded his head in understanding; there was still so much he didn't know about Terra and his faith. Speaking of which… his eyes fell back to Terra's wrist bandages. He still knew nothing about why Terra wore them religiously. Terra seemed to know that Ven was looking at them. "You really want to know?"
Ven jolted in his spot, looking away quickly. "Sorry. You don't have to show or tell me."
Terra sighed a little bit, murmuring something in that foreign language of his before reaching over for Ven's chin and twisting his head back to look at him. "Soon Ven," he said. "Maybe on a rainy day." Ven wondered if that 'rainy day' would ever appear, given the expanse of blue that blanketed over the island. The door opened just then. Terra turned in his seat. "Oh! Aqua, wie waren die Runden?"
"Jeder scheint fein, obwohl wir ein Auge auf Frau Wehn halten sollten. Sie ist wieder schwanger," Aqua answered.
"Schwanger?! Wieder?! Guter Lord…"
"Ich denke, nächstes Mal wenn der Ragnarok mich sollte für sie hinten bleiben auslöste. Ich kann Aerith an der Kneipe erhalten, um mir heraus zu helfen auch," Aqua suggested.
"Klingt wie ein Plan."
Ven managed to pick out that someone on Aqua's rounds – a Frau Wehn he presumed – was pregnant and that Aqua wanted to stay behind if the Ragnarok left the island again. Terra had agreed to this. Aqua smiled at him. "Hey Ven. Taking up lessons?"
Ven nodded his head. "Ja. Terra trainieren mich."
"Close. You mean 'unterrichtet' rather than 'trainieren'," Terra laughed, causing Ven's face to go a little pink. Aqua beamed at them.
"At least you didn't accidentally say something rude."
"Yes, I suppose," Ven mumbled, still feeling a bit bashful for getting his vocabulary wrong. He felt Terra's big hand ruffle his hair a little bit.
"Don't worry about it. Me and Aqua struggled with Gardenian and Bastionite when we were taught. We made mistakes all the time."
Aqua laughed. "You should have seen the time Terra accidentally mixed up the word for 'sexual organ' for 'dish cloth'. The poor patient looked absolutely confused!"
Not knowing the words for either of them, he looked over to Terra; the doctor looked annoyed. "It's an easy enough mistake to make…"
"What? Getting 'Geschlechtsorgan' mixed up with 'Geschirrtuch'?" Aqua tittered. "Only you could have made that mistake!" Ven couldn't help but join in with the laughter too; this caused Terra to grimace.
"Ehrlich… werden Sie mich wie solch ein Dummkopf vor Ventus aussehen lassen…"
"Ich weiß!" Aqua said cheerfully. They then continued to discuss something in their Departurian tongue; Ven supposed this was something he should not be privy to. He noticed though that Terra's face had fallen into worry.
"… ist wahres das?"
"Ja. Die Seeleute schwören, dass ein Sturm kommt."
Terra nodded his head, and turned his attention to Ven. "Looks like I might have to do my evening rounds earlier than I had expected. I should take you back to the manor too."
"By the time you do either of those, the storm might be here," Aqua interjected. "You're going to have to choose one over the other."
"Can't you take Ven back to-"
"Wait!" The two Departurians looked to Ven, surprised to hear him speak up suddenly. "What if I stayed behind to help? I'm sure the Rex Pirata won't mind if I'm with you two since he trusts you and I'm not going to do something stupid like Roxas did yesterday."
They looked at each other again… then nodded their heads; it seemed as though they had communicated solely with their eyes, understanding each other completely. "Alright Ven, but you have to go back to the manor either as soon as the storm ends or tomorrow as early as possible," Terra stated. "Leon might start thinking I'm trying to keep you for myself."
"I'll do my best," Ven beamed, though he stored away Terra's throwaway comment in his memory for later. That was something to mull over later in private.
Cloud watched Leon's back as he stared off into the distance, his posture taut like some silent statue. Around him, the heathen villagers were in the middle of their work after having a communal meal. Zexion was talking to the village leader, Demyx as his translator. Believing that Leon was not going to be looking to him any moment in the near future, Cloud turned his attention to the work.
It came as a surprise to him that as well as fishing for their living, the villagers also took upon pearl diving. Armed with knives and baskets, the pearl divers cut open each oyster with elegant skill, revealing the soft flesh inside. The pearls, if any were to be found inside, would then be carefully taken out and placed in a basket, while the plundered oyster was thrown into the other. These oysters were cleaned by any of the young girls, revealing an iridescent shine in the sunlight.
Zexion told him that these pearls –which would be then sorted again by size and shape later by the divers– and the 'mother of pearl' iridescence would be taken to trade in the town for further goods that the village could use. These treasures of the deep would then be taken to Radiant Garden's coastline to be sold to the highest bidder. It surprised Cloud that there seemed to be such a relationship between this village and the most powerful of nations in the world, making him wonder if Radiant Garden would not dare touch this island for fear of the man who ruled over it. He looked back to Leon.
Yes… the Rex Pirata was something of a marvel in that sense. Maybe the only man to ever strike fear into the heart of an entire empire!
"…do you feel it?" he suddenly asked, not turning to Cloud.
"Feel… what?" Cloud questioned, slowly standing up.
"The wind."
"What do you mean by…" Cloud paused. He realised that there was barely a wind at all. It was still. Far too still. The villagers continued their tasks.
"It's the calm," Leon stated. Cloud now stood to the side of him, and he could see now what Leon was watching.
Moody, dark clouds were looming slowly towards the island, threatening it with its stored bounty of natural fury. Leon turned. "We're leaving. I need to get back to the manor before the storm hits." Cloud wasn't keen on the idea of staying behind in this village during a storm either, though his reasons were most likely more selfish than that of Leon's.
There was only so much adventure a person could have in one day. He couldn't have walked any faster towards the Rex Pirata's horse.
"Zexion, Ich gehe zurück zu der Stadt voran. Ich kann nicht in diesem Sturm gefasst warden," Leon called over to Zexion, gripping his black stallion's saddle. Zexion turned over to him and nodded.
"Verstanden. Mach's gut," he called back. Leon pulled himself up, shifting his weight forward a little so that Cloud had some room to sit behind him. He held a hand out to Cloud.
"Come on. Don't dawdle," Leon said. Cloud looked at the hand and then back at Leon, still a little mistrustful. "It's alright Cloud. I'd rather I got you back to the manor safe than you try to get through the jungle on your own." Once again Cloud tried to find lies in Leon's words, only to find none at all. He swallowed down his pride and grabbed Leon's hand, jumping up just as Leon pulled hard. "Gute. Hang on tight." Leon made clicking sounds with his mouth, coaxing the horse to turn back the way he came. With a sharp dig, the horse briskly trotted down the pathway to the beach.
"I thought horses couldn't go through the jungle," Cloud mused.
"They can't," Leon explained. "But they can gallop on the beach easily." He continued to urge the horse forward. "Griever is the fastest around on this island. We'll be back home before you know it."
"…your manor is not my home," Cloud couldn't help but point out. There was a very long pause after that. This was followed by a small sound from Leon as soon as hooves made contact with sand.
"I stand corrected. We'll be back at the manor before you know it." Leon's head turned to face the horizon; Cloud could see his neutral face grimace slightly. "Though I'll be eating those words soon if I don't hurry us along." He kicked Griever hard. "Schnell!"
Upon that cue, Cloud suddenly wrapped his arms around Leon's middle and sand started to fly under Griever's hooves.
Naminé felt a little impish as she came back from playing in the surf, sand sticking to her wet feet and sea water making the hems of her skirt and petticoat feel heavy and cumbersome. Goodness… if Cloud saw her now, or even any of those society ladies that she looked up to and admired so much, they'd be absolutely aghast at the state of her, all wild hair and sodden dress. But this was the most free she had ever felt in her entire lifetime, and it was all thanks to one person.
That person was leaning against a palm tree, watching over her like a guardian angel. A guardian angel that was still holding onto her stockings, garters and slippers, causing the young girl to blush in awkwardness. She forgot about that fact; her eyes were downcast as she trudged back to him. He pushed himself off the tree and walked over to her. "All finished for now?" he asked her gently.
She nodded her head. "Yes. I think so."
"Good," Riku replied, looking up over her head and into the distance. "Storm clouds are moving in. It'd be best to get you back to the manor before then."
Naminé looked behind her, only now seeing the great billowing black clouds looming ever closer in the horizon. "…it's a good thing we're not out at sea with that storm."
"Absolutely," Riku said. "The Ragnarok is a hardy ship but only she can take so much. Same for the crew." He pursed his lips tightly. "It looks like a violent one…"
"Are you worried about her? Your mistress?"
"I am," Riku said. "I mean… I don't doubt that she can take care of herself and that she's a lot stronger than she appears. But even so… if she's out there…"
Naminé watched his face; there was a real fondness in his concerns for his mistress. It made her wonder if any of the maids or manservants back in Hollow Bastion were worried for her… had news reached them that the Ifrit had been destroyed by a pirate ship, and not just by any pirate crew? Would they be praying for their safety? Did they even miss her? She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be fine. She's smart. She could bring an entire pirate crew to heel if she had to," Riku said. "Right now, my main priority is your wellbeing."
She smiled faintly. She still felt though that she was just a pretender to a mistress that was clearly cherished and respected by her servant. She felt herself being shepherded along back towards where the coach was waiting for them. "What will happen when she is found again?" Naminé asked timidly.
Riku was silent for a moment, but he found his answer. "I'm sure the Rex Pirata will be able to hire another servant for you. After all… you're under his protection here."
But what then? What will become of me? He can't possibly hope to keep me here forever… She clambered up into the coach, taking her discarded footwear and her parasol back from Riku. He went to sit with the driver who had been napping while they were gone. He kidnapped us for ransom. That much can be certain. But for how long are we to be trapped here? Until… until that woman comes back? Pulling the curtains of the coach windows so that she had privacy, she carefully pulled her day dress back up and slid her stockings back on. If that's true… then I should accept that Riku's words are kind because he pities me. Nothing more than that.
Her chest pinged just as she tightened the bow of her garters. Somehow the thought troubled her; maybe because Riku already made such a deep impression upon her. It had to be that. After all, she had only just met the servant yesterday, when Luxord had announced to her that Riku would be her escort and servant during her stay.
But she supposed she could admit to be developing a sort of fondness for Riku.
Axel had not been in the best of moods he would admit. With the mounting stress put upon him and the thought of the impending inevitability still struggle to settle within him, he had found himself here at the Seventh Paradise. He nursed a tankard of rum in one hand and smoked profusely through his treasured pipe, pensively thinking over what he had been told yesterday.
She didn't have any time left. His mother was going to die sooner rather than later. None of Terra's treatments had worked; it had already been too late by the time he tried to treat her consumption.
"Stupid woman…" he grumbled under his breath. "Why'd you act so tough and brush it off…"
"You look like you could do with some company."
Axel turned his eyes up, smiling weakly as a friendly face appeared before him. "If it's you, then by all means darlin'."
The woman smiled, taking a seat across from him. She was the other owner of the Seventh Heaven, sometimes known as 'The Angel of the Inn'; Aerith Gainsborough. Distinctive with her liquid green eyes and red hair bow, Aerith was often a comforting presence for people with troubles. As far as he was concerned, she was a welcome relief. "Tifa told me about what happened yesterday," she said softly.
"…Well, that's not what's bothering me."
"Your mother is." Axel nodded his head. "Have you… arranged anything for her?"
"Not yet," Axel murmured. "I… I haven't been finding it easy. In comparison, Kairi's been like a damn saint for once in her life. She arranged for the priest to go over there and give Mother the last rites. Heck, I bet she could do a better job arranging for the funeral compared to me." He puffed hard on his pipe to calm the emotions swelling up. He couldn't cry. Pirates did not cry. Aerith looked at him sadly, reaching over and taking his hand gently in hers.
"You should really be with her. You might miss her passing being here."
"Trying to get rid of me already?" Axel weakly teased.
"Axel… I'm serious. This is your mother we're talking about. Not some floozy you bed and leave."
"Kairi's been telling tales on me," Axel drily commented.
"Axel," Aerith started. "Don't make me get tough on you."
"You? Tough? Never!" Axel then started to laugh at the thought; Aerith might have been the angel to Tifa's devil, but that didn't mean that Aerith wasn't capable of protecting herself. The woman had been living amongst pirates since she was just a little girl after all! He soon calmed down and smiled, wrapping his long fingers around her small hand and squeezing gently. "Thanks… really."
"Anytime," Aerith said with a smile, squeezing back. "If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me."
"Yes… 'talk'," Axel chuckled, waggling his eyebrows at her. This caused Aerith's cheeks to go a pretty pink that contrasted against her green eyes. Axel shook his head. "Relax. You know as well as I do that if I tried that I'd be saying goodbye to my cock and balls. Tifa isn't referred to as a devil for nothing."
"I know but honestly…" Aerith's face was still red. "I'd really appreciate it if you weren't so… so suggestive."
"Those born as hellions very rarely become reformed in later life," he wisely remarked, slinging back the remains of his drink and gasping with relief. "After all, I'm the bastard son of a whore who became the first mate of the king of pirate's ship. Might as well stay in the realms of depravity." He then stood up. "I better get back to them. Keep hearing about this storm coming like it's the coming of the Rapture."
"Alright. Be careful, just in case it comes upon us suddenly." Aerith weakly smiled. "You know how the weather here loves to be malicious with us every so often."
"Lady, I laugh in its face and spit in its general direction," Axel smirked, taking his leave. When he exited the building, he was assailed by the scent of the port town and the stillness in the air. He hummed lightly. The air was feeling heavier; it was due fairly soon. Poor bastard who gets stuck in this. He put his pipe back into his mouth and started walking, puffing along as he went; he had to finish this on his way home. Kairi would have a fit if he was smoking in the house.
He walked briskly, paying no mind to the bustling and hurrying of people preparing to get their wares and belongings out of the impending storm. Maybe I should get a new tattoo…
It was a habit of his. Maybe a form of punishment since he never did it drunk like it was recommended. For every loss, for every important part of his life that he did not want to forget good and bad, he had one of the grizzled pirates tattoo him. His nautical compass on his hip was when he became Leon's most trusted crew member and friend. The spiked chakram around his navel came to represent his first successful voyage as a pirate; finding his proficiency for the chakrams had been the making of him on that journey. The flames that started from his wrists and climbed up his arm… those were for every man he lost on a voyage since he became the first mate, dead or crippled for life. He looked up at the sky.
The first of the storm clouds, grey and diminutive, greatly reminded him a little of a certain angry kitten that he had the 'pleasure' of caring for. He smirked a little bit at the image. He wondered how he was doing… and if he was going to be okay considering his fear of the dark.
"…Urgh, like I actually care," he muttered, denying any such thought. He continued his walk home.
A mermaid for his mother's memory, he finally decided. After all, even wenches who did everything they could during their motherhood deserved to be deified in death. His, stubborn and proud as she was, was no less deserving than that.
Shame he and Kairi were pirates of the lowest class. At least they could, Hyne forbid it that the day be soon, give her a decent send off.
His foot treaded the first stone step that lead to the Brandt threshold. As soon as he did, the door flew open and Axel looked up straight in the tearful lavender eyes of his younger sister. He felt his world crash around him in that moment. "Shit…!" He stormed up, pushing Kairi back inside and slamming the door shut behind him, severing the outside world from the house.
Leon uttered a curse as he dared to look up at the sky. The dark clouds that had seemed so far away only an hour ago had closed in swiftly on the island and the wind was starting to pick up ferocity from its benign calmness earlier. He urged Griever again, encouraging him to pick up his pace. Comfort had to go out of the window at this stage of the race against the weather. Which was mostly unfortunate for his passenger behind him.
More fortunate for him though considering Cloud had to cling to him all the more tighter. Though of course, that did mean he was battling that insistent voice goading him to be a pirate and partake in claiming what was his. Never mind. He supposed he'd get a chance to 'claim' something much later. Preferably not with someone who might murder him when they got the chance.
"How much longer?!" Cloud yelled over the now high-pitched whistling of the winds.
"We should have another hour at least!" Leon answered back. "Griever's going as fast as he is capable of with two people on him!"
He knew that Cloud would, if he felt safe to, have commented that it wasn't fast enough. Leon would have been willing to let him comment; he'd be prepared to show him wrong. He cursed loudly in his mother tongue when he felt the first drop fall on his cheek, followed by a few more and even more after that. It looked like they'd be lucky to avoid the sky's tearful torrent at this rate. It'd be even worse if…
"Oh for the love of…" There was the unmistakeable rumble of thunder. Tropical storm. Perfect… He clucked for Griever to not lag in his pace. Terra is going to have my head for riding in this weather with a valuable guest. Cloud's grip had tightened again. "Cloud! Hang on! I'll get us back there before the storm sets in!"
"Just hurry already!"
The storm had come into full force as Axel kept his vigil, the thundering of irate raindrops breaking the otherwise still silence that settled in that small room. He couldn't take his eyes off the pale, withering creature dwarfed by the bed she lay in, too weak to move a limb and yet her coughs were violent and bloody. Every time she lurched forward to cough, Axel was straight there with the cloth to her mouth to catch the blood.
This was his mother. His stubborn, proud, fiery mother who used to boast with relish about her conquest of some Gardenian lord, the supposed father that the Brandt siblings had lacked for years. The same woman who he himself often despaired of since she was adamant about supporting them by herself rather than have her two 'precious rubies' going out into the world to make any money for them, even if it meant…
This.
At least it wasn't syphilis, he had tried to reason with himself, but consumption really was no better. Even if she had avoided the most common disease women of easy virtue were vulnerable to, dying from her weakened lungs was not a way he'd imagine his mother would go.
"Axel," she weakly croaked, forcing her hand to lift up and take his. He took it without a shred of hesitation. "Looks like – this is it…"
"Come on Ma… don't talk like that," he pleaded quietly. He wished she didn't talk at all; her wheezing made the prospect of her expiration all too real for him. "What happened to all the fighting talk? The woman who brought a duke to heel until she got found out?"
She weakly smiled at Axel. "Dead – and buried – Axel…" She weakly squeezed his fingers. "Though... it is – a shame that – you never got to meet him."
"I can live without a father," Axel murmured; he had done without one for a very long time. Without her though… "Why you? Why did you have to die?" he asked mournfully.
"Easy – target," his mother whispered, closing her eyes. They had been the brightest of lavenders, but now they had grown dull and weary through her sickness. "Hyne – doesn't like – a sinner." She hacked another coughing fit; Axel's cloth was immediately ready for her. Once that was over, she struggled again. "I lived – a full life. It – might not have – been a holy one – but I'm so – glad that I – came to have – two irreplaceable – treasures."
Axel felt his eyes sting. It wasn't fair… it wasn't fair…
"Axel…"
"Yes?"
"Remember – to live a – full and – happy life," she wheezed. "Don't – let the – bastards get – you down."
He knew it was her attempt to cheer him up and toughen up for Kairi's sake as well as his own. Besides, it was their 'family motto' as it were. She didn't want them to forget it. "Mother…"
"Aye?"
"Are you afraid?"
"Not – in the – least bit," she whispered between wheezing breaths, a smile plastered on her face. "I – intend to really – cause trouble – wherever I – end up."
This only caused Axel to laugh weakly; there was that fiery harlot he knew and loved. A single wicked smile like the one she had now always signalled that she was up to no good. Either Kingdom Hearts or the Abyss was going to have their hands full with his wildcat dame. He hoped it would be Kingdom Hearts reluctantly welcoming her in though. She did have a good heart despite her sinful business.
He felt her grip loosen and he knew… he knew that she was close to travelling to either place. He tried not to cry, but he couldn't help but shed a few as he felt the very life fade away from his once vivacious mother. "Goodbye," he whispered softly. He barely heard her reply.
The storm thundered on, uncaring for the death of a harlot mother.
Naminé watched as the rain poured heavily, the drops hitting the window pane. Cloud and Leon had yet to return. So did Ventus, but she prayed that Terra would see sense and not even attempt to try to brave this weather. It shocked her just how quickly the weather had changed today; she had been soaked so thoroughly as soon as she stepped out of the coach, causing her to have a need to change clothes and sit by the hearth that Luxord had seen to being fired. Now warm and dry, and with only books and Riku's attentions to occupy her, she had taken to vigilantly waiting for her brother and the Rex Pirata to return.
"My lady," Riku's voice cut in, approaching her with a glass in hand. It was filled with what appeared to be… claret? "Some wine. I'd suggest rum to keep the cold away but I fear it's a little too strong for your tastes."
"Thank you," she said, taking it carefully and sipping slowly. While it wasn't unusual for her to drink wine, she was something of a laughing stock back in Hollow Bastion because she would not drink large quantities of the stuff. It made her feel sick after a while, and vomiting in public was a worse shame in her opinion. Riku stood a little apart from her, as expected of a servant.
"Anything more I can do for you?"
"…unless you're able to scare off storms, I suppose there is nothing more."
This earned a small laugh from Riku; a soft, almost shrewd laugh. "Would I if I could, milady."
"…do you think this storm will last the night?"
"Possibly," Riku replied. "It could be over sooner than we think just as equally. The weather can be a little unpredictable here." He seemed to know that she was worried for her brothers. "Please don't be worried. I'm sure your brothers are safe."
"I hope so," she murmured. "Ven I'm not worried about because he adores Terra… and Terra would never do anything to hurt him." She looked down into the dark, swirling depths of the claret. "It's Cloud I worry about… sometimes I think he has too much anger in his heart…" Anger that he had to hold back for so long. As if he had suffered a personal slight and was determined to not let anyone find out of it. Maybe he had; he never confided with his younger siblings, much less with their older brother.
And even less so with her. It made her wonder if he was trying to protect her from something. "Sometimes… sometimes I really fear him as well as fear for him."
"Fear him? Why?"
"That one day it might be too much… and he'll lash out without thinking," Naminé admitted. "He's a good brother, please make no mistake of that. But I worry that he allows that anger to bubble within him without any intention of quelling it."
"Every person has their own story or complexities, my lady," Riku murmured. He sounded like he knew all too well what Naminé had confided in him with. "I'm sure… I'm sure you'll find that some people here will be willing to open up to you about those stories in time."
"What about yours?" Naminé asked softly.
Riku tensed a little. He looked down at his feet, unable to meet her in the eye. Like he was ashamed. "One day… maybe… if I scarce have the courage to even tell it."
She looked at him with her sapphire hued eyes, curious as to what sort of story this silver-haired man had that he was scared of telling.
Her gothic novel fed mind created dramatic scenarios fit for a brooding male lead of these flights of fancy. Yet none of them seemed to fit the Departurian with silver hair. It left her thinking… wondering…
At this point, a black horse with two very wet riders cantered up the driveway to the manor, disappearing around the corner to the stables.
Cloud now understood what a drowned rat felt like. He was absolutely sodden to the skin and his hair was now flat against his head and face. His clothes stuck to him even more than they had done in the clammy jungle, making every movement uncomfortable. He was going to take Leon's earlier advice of taking a bath. I just hope he doesn't make some comment like 'sharing a bath saves water'. I am in no mood to share a small space with him. If he were honest, Cloud had his fill of Leon and being physically close to him. It was beginning to unnerve him just how well acquainted with the pirate's form he was becoming… and definitely vice versa for Leon, though he himself did not have the chance to enjoy the pleasure of seeing his captive bare.
Barely caring for himself, Leon was taking all of the horse's tack off, putting it to the side to find a horse blanket to wrap Griever in. The horse whinnied in response, then strode off to where new straw had been laid down freshly for him in his stable. Cloud was surprised that Leon was doing all this when he clearly must at least have a groomsman for these tasks. "If you want to get back into the manor, go now. I'll catch up," Leon told him. "You could also tell the help to get two baths prepared post-haste. Can't have Lord Strife and the Rex Pirata getting the sniffles now after all."
Cloud walked towards the stable exit, frowning heavily at the heavy downpour and thunderclaps echoing across the island. He was hesitant to leave the dry. Leon sidled up behind him; he must have tried to do it quietly but Cloud had grown so accustomed to his presence that he could sense the pirate was close. "Cloud. Go." He could feel Leon's breath on the back of his neck.
"…don't come closer," he murmured, closing his eyes. Hyne damn it all… all he could think of was Leon's chest and those flashing, all-knowing eyes. His heart was thumping hard; thrill and fear. That was all it was, though the thrill of having the pirate king so close alarmed him.
Leon was silent. Then Cloud felt his hands, calloused and rough from the years he had been at sea, take his arms. Cloud flinched but did not fight out of Leon's hold. "You still think of me as some monster, don't you?"
"Aren't you?"
"I'd like to think I wasn't," Leon responded, his hands slowly lowering down the noble's arms. "I'm not asking you to like me. I'm asking you to trust me. I mean it when I said I'd do everything I can to set you free."
Free… Cloud wasn't sure what that 'freedom' entitled. Where would he go? What would he do? All he knew was comfortable living and a little politics. What if the pirate's idea of freedom was being trapped on this island, never to set foot into society ever again? Leon turned him around slowly; Cloud half expected flashing greedy silver but instead he was greeted by concerned blue-grey eyes. The silver was hidden in the storm. "Trust me," he said again. It wasn't an order. It wasn't a demand. It was a plead to the noble. He remembered what Leon had told him.
His resolve to go through with the trade had started to unravel as soon as Leon had laid eyes on him.
Surely he could use this to his advantage. "…how do I know you're not just feeding me honeyed words to get my cooperation?"
Leon frowned and loosened his hold. "Why? Do you think I'm up to something?"
"Well, you certainly seem keen to assert your dominance over me," Cloud said very impudently. He's just like all those others back home anyway at the end of the day. A brazen smile appeared on his face. "After all, forcing me to share a bed with you and then this morning when you were only an article away from nude. My, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were-"
Cloud yelped in surprise as he suddenly felt himself being forced against the stable wall. Leon's eyes were starting to flash again; this time, he was annoyed. Very annoyed. "If you think I'm saying pretty words in order to get you crawling to my bed, then you're very much mistaken," he hissed. "Besides, I'm a pirate, remember? I just take what I want!"
"Get off me!" Cloud yelled, trying to free himself. Damn it Cloud… you're going to get yourself killed, an insolent voice screeched at him.
"Why? Why should I listen when you can't even grant me a chance to prove myself?" Leon demanded.
"Get off of me!" Cloud yelled again, this time violently struggling. "You're just as bad as the rest of those fucking oversexed vultures back home!"
At once, Leon understood. He finally understood why Cloud had carried that knife wherever he went – until he had confiscated it of course. He understood why he was deeply uncomfortable with the idea of two men sharing a bed. He finally understood why there was an underlying flinch with every touch Cloud received from him. Cloud was familiar with these situations. Too familiar with them. He was terrified of them.
He let go carefully, watching as the noble calmed down slowly, taking deep shaky breaths. Leon was still reeling over the realisation he just had, but he couldn't be sure. He had to hear it from the offended party himself before confirming what he had thought. "Cloud…" he started carefully. "Were you forced upon back in your home?"
Cloud's shaking intensified. Fear, yes, but also fury was in the trembling. He didn't answer Leon's question, but Leon felt this was confirmation enough. Regardless of whether the attempt –or attempts– were successful or not, Leon felt absolutely ashamed of himself for his actions. No wonder it's been such a struggle to gain Cloud's trust. "I'm sorry," Leon murmured. Cloud's eyes snapped open and looked at him in confusion, as if he didn't understand what the pirate king had just said. "I should have been more considerate to you rather than lose my temper."
"I-It's fine," Cloud stammered, looking away stubbornly. He must've felt humiliated to have revealed that secret by his silence.
"I want you to know this. I have no intention to hurt you. Never have, never will," Leon said. And this definitely means, Squall Leonhart, that Cloud is indefinitely off limits. "You might not like me, and I won't go out of my way to make you do that. But I want you to trust me." Even he knew how much of a tall order that was; Cloud said nothing in response. He just nodded his head. Leon supposed that was better than nothing. He needed to tread carefully around Cloud from now on. "We need to get inside the manor." He started moving; he didn't offer his hand to Cloud or take a hold of his wrist or arm this time.
So it surprised him when Cloud had searched out for his wrist instead, grabbing hold of it tightly. Leon looked to him; Cloud seemed to have found something more interesting on the floor because he didn't dare look up. He didn't know what the blond noble was thinking… maybe that he had to prevent the pirate king in some way from escaping to the manor and possibly revealing what had transpired between them.
He didn't think it would be best to ask why. So he just stayed with him. He leant against the wall, next to Cloud, just letting him grip his wrist as tight as he could. Cloud needed this. He needed this moment to regain control of himself and rebuild the wall he had so desperately built around his most inner self. This probably was the biggest humiliation the poor man had suffered to date. They didn't speak to each other, and Leon would have been happy if they had just left the situation at that.
But Cloud had to whisper mournfully, "Why…" Leon said nothing. He only slightly tilted his head to Cloud, who still would not look at him. "Why now…? Why did I have to…?"
"Calmed down?" Leon asked carefully.
Cloud nodded his head slowly. "Don't… ever mention this to the triplets."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Leon murmured. "I promise."
Cloud looked up; the proud sapphire eyes that once looked at the pirate with such disgust, anger and distrust now were broken. Leon knew he had accidentally slipped through a crack in the façade that was never meant to be there. He knew Cloud expected him to take advantage.
He was not going to. Only a coward does that. "Let's get you back inside. You could do with something to warm you up."
Cloud reluctantly let go of the pirate king. The rain was still pounding hard against the earth, and distant thunder still growled angrily like caged beasts. Both ran as fast as they could to the front entrance of the manor, still not saying a word to each other.
Leon wondered what this was going to mean in future now that he had an inkling of what Cloud's past was like. All he knew was… it was going to make it even more difficult to keep his end of the bargain to get his cousin back.
For all I know… that man might actually have even simpler designs upon Cloud than I first thought…
There was a very heavy weight settling on his chest at the very thought of someone else touching Cloud. Someone else other than me, the piratical voice in his head seethed.
…He was going to need a cold bath after all.
