AN: Another chapter of drama and bonding. :3 Though, I did put this under "drama," along with "fantasy."
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Leon's head thudded all too loudly.
When he felt Sora shake his shoulder, he attempted to say something along the lines of "I'm fine," but all he got out was a groan. Soon, he felt comforting warmth surrounding him, protecting him.
'Sora's magic,' he vaguely noted.
It surely wasn't the witch's.
Leon was just a toy for her, he knew—the witch had even told him so. If he broke, she'd just go on to the next unfortunate soul. Sadly, he just couldn't fathom why she persisted with him.
'I think I have an idea why she was kicked out of her home country.'
He took another breath in, his lungs expanding with a twinge. 'Insufferable dragon. I should have killed it when I had the chance.'
He must have blanked out for a few moments, for when he was somewhat aware of his surroundings, Sora and the witch were yelling at each other.
Distractedly, he noticed the state Sora was in, what with her muddy legs and dirty under-tunic. Some red was seeping into the tunic, which made him worried. 'She agitated her wounds.'
Leon's shaky gaze traveled up. Her face was flushed and a light sheen of sweat shined on her skin, making its tanned color look appealing to him. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear it. 'That thought was really not appropriate for this dire situation.'
Leon's head cleared some more—it was enough for him to notice the suddenly tense silence.
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Sora's face lost some color. 'Attached to…Yuri? What about Layla? Was it before they met?'
"Y-Yuri? When did he meet with Sophie?"
The witch watched Sora intently, her gaze filled with a slight unstableness to it.
"'Yuri,' you say? What's this, no title in front of his name? Such a bold move for a little fairy, to refer to her betters' names without the proper respect."
Sora's eyes widened at her blunder.
"Yes," the witch hissed out, spotting something she can exploit, "what boldness…it almost suggests a certain amount of, what do you call it…ah yes," she paused for a bit too long, "intimacy."
"What?! N-No!"
"And of course you try to deny it! Hahaha! I can't imagine what Leon would think if he heard that yet another harmless, little fairy he knows is involved with Prince Yuri! What delicious fury would overcome his countenance!"
The witch's eyes momentarily looked away from Sora before she brought her gaze back to the fairy, malicious glee evident in her face.
"Then again, I may not have to imagine at all."
In the corner of her eye, Sora caught movement. She froze, knowing that it could be only one person—Leon.
'He heard us! I thought he was out!'
Distraught, she gripped her knees in order to anchor her for the storm that was to come. She knew that she would need to face him, but she couldn't bear the thought of seeing disgust on his face.
Gathering her courage, she turned her head to look at him. Leon was steadying himself onto his knees, fingers digging into the soft earth beneath him.
When Sora found his gaze, she willed her eyes to convey her thoughts, begging him to understand that she wasn't involved with Yuri in the manner the witch made it out to be.
His eyes were like a stone wall, and behind that wall was a terrible flood threatening to come through.
Leon barely felt the old feelings of betrayal. 'I already know of the Prince and Sora being connected somehow.' There was a flicker of some dark, burning emotion at the thought of the two being…friendly acquaintances, close confidantes, in courtship...That was the main feeling hidden in his eyes.
When Sora's pleading eyes met his, the wall quivered.
Leon held her gaze, softening his stone eyes for a moment. Sora was about to speak when he shook his head subtly. 'Not right now.'
She bit her lower lip, not saying a word.
Satisfied that Sora got his message, Leon began his own interrogation, "I think I would like to know another way to end the curse."
The witch frowned, deeply disappointed by the lack of yelling and physical harm she envisioned Leon dealing out to Sora.
"It doesn't bother you that she," she tried to gesture with her hand, forgetting that she was under a stillness spell, but the lack of motion didn't deter her from continuing, "actually knows Prince Yuri when I had only seen him a few times?! You were rage incarnate when you found out!"
Leon's eyes alit with fury, "Spare me your tales, witch. I know you set up Sophie. How else would she have met Prince Yuri so many times, if not for your intervention?"
"She should have thanked me for giving her the chance to be with royalty!"
"Royalty," Leon repeated with a look that twisted his features.
She ignored his reaction, her lips pursed in thought, "The plan would have worked. How was I to know that Prince Yuri wouldn't stay with your sister?" She gave an exaggerated sigh, "Men. Never can tell what they'll do. You throw them a bone and they bury it without chewing it."
"My sister is not an object at your petty disposal."
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While the witch missed Leon's reaction to "royalty," Sora did not.
'What made him contort his face so? And what was the witch hoping to achieve by setting Sophie up with Yuri—and cursing her, for that matter. It only made Leon even angrier at her!'
Her mind paused on a side thought.
Impulsively, Sora asked, "What is your name? It can't just be 'witch.'"
At the sound of her voice, the two looked at Sora, one in baffled amusement and the other in indignation.
"What kind of an idiot gives their name to a stranger?! Don't you know the power a magical being can have on you if you tell them your name?! I'm unstable, and even I know better than to tell someone my name! You're dumber than I thought you were!"
Incensed, Sora retorted, "I just thought you'd be tired of everyone calling you a witch all the time! Sorry for trying to be considerate, even to a mean old gremlin like you!"
They went back and forth, yelling at each other and finding faults with every little thing.
Leon's voice broke through the bickering, "May Wong."
Sora turned to look at him, missing the appalled look on the witch's face, "What did you say?"
With an up tilt of his mouth, he restated, "May Wong. That is the witch's name."
"Leon!" May shouted in dismay, "How could you?!"
"Easily. You have been pestering me…though perhaps, 'pestering' doesn't convey my mood properly." His eyes narrowed.
The air thickened uncomfortably.
May glowered, her irises bleeding a dark purple, "That was the wrong thing to do, Leon."
The serpent, which had been watching his mistress this entire time, picked up on her rage.
Responding to it, it lunged out towards Leon and Sora with its claws and fangs out.
Fear moving her, Sora threw herself over Leon—he had leaned back in order to avoid the serpent's attack. Her arms wrapped around his waist and her head buried itself into his hair.
The serpent crashed into an invisible force, causing a glimmering of yellow magic to appear around the two.
After waiting a few more seconds, Sora lifted her head to see her barrier in place—there were a few thinned out places from the serpent's talons and fangs, but it stayed up. She relaxed. 'Good. My barrier withheld the attack.'
Though, she did notice that May and the serpent were long gone. Shimmering dark purple magic from a spell was the only thing they left behind.
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Leon stayed motionless.
He was still a bit shocked that she jumped at him like that. 'She was protecting me, yet again. Once, with her magic, and then again with her own body.'
Leon had mixed feelings about the situation.
The masculine part of his mind was upset that he failed to do something to protect Sora, yet the rest of him was touched by the gesture. 'Even though we argued and still haven't resolved much, she's willing to put those aside and worry about me.' Just earlier, he had worried about her as well.
'There is something here between the two of us that is not to be ignored.'
His arms wrapped themselves around her in a loose embrace at that thought.
He felt Sora stiffen temporarily before she leaned into his chest. She timidly rested her head beneath his chin, closing her eyes in contentment. Leon's hands slowly ran down her back.
He peered down to catch a glimpse of her face. 'There's a faint pink in her cheeks.'
Leon smiled and did the motion again, this time going up her back. Her cheeks darkened in color, her mouth pursed in embarrassment. She hid her face in his shoulder. 'Simply lovely.'
Seeing as she did not stop him, Leon continued.
Soon, his hands found new territory along her sides. She flinched a little bit. Thinking that she was ticklish, he ran his hand over the same area, expecting a playful smack to his hands or some kind of giggle.
What he got was an abrupt withdrawal from his hands and a small whimper.
He frowned at the action until he noticed that his right fingers were slightly wet. His eyes widened in alarm.
'Her injuries!'
Quickly, he pulled away to get a better look at her. The blood had seeped through the bandages and was staining her under-tunic. Leon reproached himself for forgetting that she had agitated her wounds.
"Sora, forgive me."
She gave a tired smile, the adrenaline from earlier wearing off, "It's alright. I should have told you."
He hooked one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders. "I should have remembered. I'll need to check on your injuries."
She nodded, her head falling along his arm.
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They sat by the fire, Leon applying an herbal mixture to her side wounds.
Earlier, Leon gave Sora another cloth and warm water to clean herself. He gave her privacy, which she was thankful for. While she couldn't get completely clean, she did manage to get most of the dirt off from crawling around. Unfortunately, her under-tunic would need to be washed and mended.
Along with the wash cloth was a light grey under-tunic, one of Leon's. She was grateful for the loan, although it did drape on her loosely and covered her legs more. 'Leon is a tall man, after all.'
Currently, she had the left side of the tunic pulled up for Leon to treat the lacerations. She understood the need to do so and knew that he was trying to make this as uncomfortable as possible, but she couldn't help the blush that was permanently painted on her face.
The fur blanket from before covered her lower half, as the tunic was raised up; and while it was raised in a way that her chest was still covered, she felt very exposed. Her middle was in Leon's sights and that was more than what she has shown any male.
Ken only saw below her knees when she would hitch up her skirts around the castle—even then, she had been used to having her legs and arms uncovered from pre-castle days.
Her tummy, on the other hand, never.
'It sounds ridiculous, but it just seems so strange! If you think about it, the middle is a huge expanse of skin and flesh. It's where your ribcage is protecting so much, like your stomach, your lungs, your heart…it's a very vulnerable area to leave open.'
She bit back a squeak when she felt the side of his palm graze her side.
"I just need to wrap the cuts. Could you lift the right side up as well? I will be quick."
She nodded her head fervently, not trusting her voice at the moment.
True to his word, he finished rather quickly, efficiently wrapping the bandages not too tightly and tying off the end where the small knot would not aggravate her.
Seeing that he was done, she inwardly sighed in relief. She dropped her tunic down.
Moving on, Leon scooted down to examine her legs. There were only a few scrapes, so it wouldn't take so long. Once Sora repositioned the tunic, he pulled back the blanket.
The atmosphere was easier with Sora much more relaxed.
After a few more moments of silence, Leon's voice filled the air, "We have much to discuss."
Those simple words made Sora nervous. "I guess we do," she intoned softly.
His hands spread some healing balm over her legs. Her toes curled at the sensation.
Wrapping some light bandages, he watched her from the corner of his eye. Leon saw her hands playing with the edge of the tunic, biting her lip lightly. He faintly smiled at that.
However, when he saw the tired drooping of her eyes, he changed his plans. Finished with replacing the bandages, he stood up.
"It can wait for tomorrow."
Her head lifted up, a weary smile on her lips, "That would be a good idea, if you want me to actually speak in full sentences."
Leon couldn't help it; he threw his head back and laughed.
Sora's laughter soon joined his.
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AN: Just a side note, I actually do like May in the show. I just thought crazy May would work better for my story. Haha! Good job for those who guessed the witch's identity!
