Author: Ponderosa (ponderosa@dragonworld.com)
Fandom: Final Fantasy 6
Pairing: LeoxKefka
Archived at: Destiny Interrupted (My site. URL in profile)
Warning: [PG-13] Yaoi. Angst.
Spoilers: All over the place.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Square. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to me.
Notes: Chocobos! *pets* :D
-=*=-
A Taste of Tears (Part 3)
The battle proved to be swift and clean, with very few casualties. Needless to say, Corporal Leo was pleased. The castle had been built over the ruins of a large, private estate with little thought to strategy, and had fallen easily to his small force. The dark-skinned man smiled and planted his gloved hands on the stones and cast his gaze across the waves of wheat that stretched for miles.
Leo knew that they had won themselves something better than a military outpost here. In a few years, with their flagging trade bolstered by Imperial gil, the citizens living in this valley would find themselves kindly disposed towards the Empire.
At the sound of approaching footsteps on the stone, Leo craned his neck around. "You've been avoiding me these past few weeks," said Kefka, joining him on the rampart. "I'm beginning to think you don't like me anymore." The wind tugged at his cloak, and the dark, hunter green fabric flowed out behind him. Pulled back in its high ponytail, his hair was similarly affected by the breeze; rippling like the Imperial banners that had been raised on the castle turrets.
"I wasn't avoiding you, Kefka. You were busy," Leo said. He drummed his fingers against the wall. "What are you doing here?"
"What? Can't a guy come visit his friend?" Kefka replied.
"I thought the Emperor was keeping you behind to demonstrate your new 'skills' to those who opposed his pet project," Leo said. His own commander had been one of those in opposition. The man was one of the highest decorated officers in all of the Imperial Army, and serving up one contrary opinion was already proving detrimental to his career.
"Gestahl felt that lending my spells here would make for a better demonstration," Kefka said. He waved a hand around. "You know, fry a few archers off the roof, that sort of thing."
"You traveled all this way for nothing, then," Leo said, bristling a bit at the thought that anyone had felt he needed assistance for such a simple offensive. "We've taken the castle."
"Obviously," Kefka drawled. He closed the distance between them to peer over the edge of the rampart. His irritation evaporating, Leo felt a quick flash of panic, fearing the other man would have one of his dizzy spells and go tumbling over, but Kefka straightened and jerked his chin towards the wheat fields. "What about all those dirt worshipping farmers?" he asked. "Have they sworn their allegiance?"
"Not yet," Leo answered.
A thin smile crept onto Kefka's face. "Then they are still Emperor Gestahl's enemies," the mage said, raising a hand out before him as a suitor might offer a rose to his beloved.
It took a moment for Leo to realise what Kefka was planning, and he made a frantic grab for the other man's arm. "Kefka! No!"
Cold anger flashed in Kefka's eyes as he rounded them on the taller officer. "You fool," he hissed. "Do you have a death wish? Never, ever, ever, ever, interrupt me when I'm about to cast a spell!"
"Are you mad?" Leo said, clutching Kefka's thin arm just above the wrist and giving him a rough shake. "If you raze the fields, we will have nothing to show for our efforts!" Concern mapping the lines on his face, he willed the other man to see reason.
Something swirled in Kefka's ice-blue eyes and the blonde's delicate features twisted into a grimace. He turned his head away and wrenched his arm from Leo's grip. Frowning, he pressed his fingers against his temples. "I..."
It pained Leo to see his friend like this. The man had always had his dark moments, but they were a hundred times more frequent - and intense - since he had gone into that infernal machine.
"Burn the fields..." Leo forced a laugh. "That was a good one, Kefka. You had me going for a second there." He placed a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "I'm honored you came to see me."
Feather light, Kefka laid his fingers over Leo's. "It was lonely at the capital," he said softly. "I had no one to talk to.... And, as entertaining as I am, chatting with myself swiftly lost its novelty." The wind pulled bits of his hair loose from its ponytail, and the light blonde strands caught the sunlight; crowning him with a softly glowing halo.
"Yeah?" Leo replied, unsure what else to say. A tingle ran up his arm as Kefka's well-manicured fingertips stroked the top of his hand.
Kefka tilted his head, pressing his cheek against the buttery leather of Leo's glove. "Do you hate me for what I've done?" he asked in a pained whisper.
"No, of course not," Leo answered. If anyone deserved his hatred, it was the Chief Engineer, Cid. However, Leo wasn't the sort to truly hate anyone, and the big man sighed softly.
"If you don't hate me," Kefka said, inching backwards until he felt the firmness of the other man's broad chest against his back, "why did you lie about avoiding me? I went looking for you several times between my appointments with Cid."
Because I am terrified of you, the warrior thought.
"You're afraid of me, aren't you?" Kefka's question echoed the other officer's thoughts. He pulled Leo's arm to wrap across his chest and leaned against the tall warrior.
The faint scent of lavender reached his nose and Leo closed his eyes. Kefka had smelled much the same when he had rocked the blonde to sleep that first nightmarish day when he had been infused with magic. "Yes, I am," he whispered, letting his chin press again the soft strands of Kefka's hair.
-=*=-
Leaving the castle in the capable hands of his seniormost Leiutenant, Leo had risen early to escort Kefka back to the capital.
The blonde was already waiting in the courtyard when he led his mount from the stables. Sitting high atop the back of a fine black-feathered bird and shrouded in dark attire, Kefka's face seemed all the more pale. He brightened when Leo approached, and tossed back his cloak to greet the officer with a wave.
Leo eyed the gilded tack of Kefka's black chocobo. Birds of that colour were extremely rare, and most were hoarded by breeders. When the chocobo adjusted its dark wings, Leo spotted swirls of gold-threaded embroidery running up the seam of Kefka's trousers. He knew the Palazzo name meant money, but this was the first time he'd ever seen Kefka flaunt it so openly. He supposed that, with all the time the blonde was having to spend in the Emperor's court to show off his fancy new tricks, dressing well for the aristocrats was important.
"Been waiting long?" Leo asked, hooking a foot in the stirrup. He swung up easily onto the broad back of his mount. Chirruping softly, the great bird folded its wings obediantly around his legs.
"Why? Do I look like a waiter?" Kefka said. He giggled strangely and touched heels to his mount, bringing it up beside Leo's large, golden warbird. "I'll have to remember that one," he murmured to himself, then draped an arm on the pommel and leaned over to smile at the other man. "You said dawn, Leo. It's at least a half hour past."
"I had a few more orders to issue," Leo explained. He wound the reins around his fist and patted his trusty steed fondly on her feathered neck.
"Ugh," Kefka rolled his eyes and sat back in the saddle. "You are so miserably predictable. Always putting your precious duty before more important things."
Leo snorted. "Enlighten me, Kefka, what's more important than serving my Emperor?"
Kefka flung back the other half of his cloak to reveal a slim black riding crop. "Me," he said, and his chocobo surged forward with a piercing squawk.
TBC