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: Getting towards the good parts. *chuckle*
-=*=-
A Taste of Tears (Part 4)
"It's an invitation to dine at the Emperor's table," Kefka said, passing the heavy piece of folded paper to Leo. His hair was still slightly damp from his bath and it felt cool against the back of his neck.
Leo struggled to decipher the fancifully sweeping calligraphy. "For this evening?" They had ridden into Vector earlier in the afternoon and he only just returned from reporting to his commander.
"That's what it says." Kefka snatched the paper back. He brushed the silver-dipped edge of it against his lower lip thoughtfully. "There's a seat reserved for a guest of my choosing," he said slowly. "Come with me, Leo."
"I think they mean for you to bring a woman on your arm," Leo said.
Kefka shrugged eloquently and ran an eye up and down Leo's tall frame. The other officer had showered and changed after their return and was wearing his dress uniform. "You're in suitable enough attire," Kefka said. "And who'll dare to say anything? I'm in the Emperor's favor."
Unable to think of a good enough reason to decline the honor, Leo pressed his lips together and nodded. "All right," he agreed.
"Just give me a moment," Kefka said, tossing the invitation onto his bed. He stretched his neck out and worked to undo the laces at his throat. "I'll put on something a little more appropriate."
Kefka stood between him and the door, and Leo knew the other man had no intention of letting him pass to wait outside. Throat gone dry, he did his best to keep his eyes on the wall and not the smooth, pale skin revealed as Kefka slipped the shirt over his head.
"Red," Kefka said, sliding open the closet to his left, "or black?" He dragged two shirts off their hangers and stood with one on each arm.
Leo was forced to look at his friend to offer an opinion. "Black," he answered, and snapped his eyes back to the wall.
But, it was too late. He had gotten a good eyeful of Kefka's trim upper body. His face may be as pretty as a woman's, but the blonde's slender figure was all sleek muscles and unquestionably male. The squareness of the man's shoulders narrowed to a waist that was slim enough that Leo guessed he might be able to wrap his hands around Kefka's hips and have his fingers touch. Taking a deep breath, Leo folded his arms across his chest.
It was going to be a long night.
-=*=-
Seated at Kefka's left, only three chairs away from Emperor Gestahl himself, Leo ate his food slowly. He was painfully out of his element and he knew it. He was just a soldier, accustomed to eating with only a fork and knife. Here, laid out on either side of his plate, was an assortment of gleaming silver cutlery -- half of which he had no idea what he had been supposed to use them for.
Kefka virtually ignored him. The blonde had long since chosen to divest all his attention to trading gossip and wicked repartee with the woman sitting to his right. Leo suffered through course after course, and, save for the Emperor directly praising him on his unit's success in the field, he felt that the evening was a complete waste of time. By the time the dessert course rolled around, he was ready to commit suicide - with what he thought was his butter knife - to get out of there.
"Don't be such a brute," was suddenly whispered into his ear.
Leo nearly dropped his fork and turned to find Kefka with his chin propped on the back of his hand and an infuriating smirk on his face. "You're not actually supposed to finish anything," the blonde said, uncurling his index finger to point lazily at the few bites of rich, chocolate cake left on Leo's dish. "That included."
Leo set his fork down with exaggerated care and was about to snarl an unpleasant and anatomically impossible suggestion under his breath when the Chancellor announced Gestahl was retiring for the night. Following the example of the other guests, Leo stood from his chair and waited patiently until the Emperor had left the room.
"Don't want to stay, do you?" Kefka said, as Leo made a move to retake his napkin.
"Not really," Leo muttered.
"Then put on a smile, bow to the man behind you, and we can blow this joint," Kefka said quietly.
Leo did as told, exchanging a polite farewell with the elderly man that had been sitting to his left, and followed Kefka out of the banquet hall. Any relief he may have felt at the ordeal being over with was eclipsed by his frustration at Kefka's behavior throughout the meal.
"What was the point of that?" Leo growled, when they were out of the palace main and well on their way back to officer housing.
When Kefka ignored him, he grabbed the shorter man and stopped him forcefully. His grip on Kefka's upper arm was harsh enough to bruise, but Leo didn't even notice. "You spent all your time talking to that woman. Why invite me if all you were going to do was ignore me?"
"The honor of meeting the Emperor wasn't good enough for you?" Kefka asked calmly, as he reached up a hand to peel Leo's fingers off him.
"No!" Leo snapped, spinning the other man around to glare at him.
"And why not?" Kefka said. He hung limp in the bigger man's grip and looked up through a veil of loose, golden strands.
Leo opened his mouth to answer, but he had no explanation. Kefka moved a step closer to him.
"Were you... jealous?" Kefka said. He placed his free hand on Leo's chest and tapped his fingernail against the shiny, silver button securing the uniformed officer's left breast pocket.
Strangling a curse, Leo realised the other man was right.
The entire torturous evening had gone exactly as Kefka had hoped, and it was sweet music to his ears when Leo had no choice but to snarl a quiet "Yes."
"Just look at you," Kefka said softly, cocking his head to the side. He plucked at the button, then flattened his hand and spread his thin fingers across the taller man's chest. "So angry..." He slid his hand up to Leo's shoulder. "Now perhaps you understand how I felt when you kept me waiting in that cold, lonely courtyard."
His blood still running hot, Leo caught Kefka's wrist and pulled the man's hand away before it could stroke against his jaw. "Is that what this was, Kefka? Some petty little game of revenge?"
Hysterical laughter bubbled up in Kefka's throat. He looked down to hide his face with his hair as it burst from his lips.
"Gods above!" Leo cried. He swung the blonde around and pushed him against the wall. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"
The giggling paused for a brief moment as Kefka murmured something to himself, then his shoulders shook as his laughter began anew.
Exasperated, Leo released Kefka's arms and took hold of the blonde's face instead. He forced Kefka's head up and stared intently into his ice-blue eyes. "I don't know what to do with you," he hissed.
The laughter was fading, slowly being replaced by a strange smile. "Isn't it obvious, you half-wit?" Kefka snickered. He slithered his arms around Leo's waist and tugged the man closer to him. "Kiss me."
'Kiss me...' The words echoed in Leo's head. With a low growl, he crushed his lips against Kefka's and forced his tongue inside. The blonde's mouth was hot and slick, tasting of the spiced wine that had been served with dessert. The skin of Kefka's jaw, freshly shaved earlier that evening, was satin between Leo's palms, and the big man slid his fingers beneath the fine hair that fell softly against the mage's neck. Leo held the slender man in a fierce grip and pinned him against the wall with his bulk. He plundered Kefka's beautiful mouth ruthlessly, working his tongue as deep as he could and feeling the other man's thin lips crushed beneath the fullness of his own.
An eternity later, Leo pulled away. Kefka's lips were reddened and the slender man's breathing was erratic.
"Satisfied?" Leo asked gruffly. Anger having given way to lust, he struggled to calm the blood that roared in his ears.
"Never," Kefka whispered.
TBC