When we last saw our sorry little pair of heroes, The Runaway had just met The Washed-Up-Bounty-Hunter as he fled Destati in a rather desperate attempt at getting his freedom. Though an awkward and bumbling duo, they seemed to get along. Until now.
(x) (x) (x)
Lucky Thirteen
'Players Push Air'
Dew clung to grass, holding on for dear life and preening in the early morning sun. Somehow it managed to do both at the same time. Who knows. Go figure. There were your typical chirping birds, rustling forest animals, and buzzing insects. There was a distant laughter that bubbled up from the creek which would become a river which would become an ocean, but which still began from a mountain stream.
And then there was Cloud.
"I am so fucking cold." The blonde whined plaintively, wrapping his arms securely around himself and dancing from foot to foot, squeezing his eyes shut. Had Leon allowed himself such an action, he probably would've burst out laughing. As it was, the brunette simply rolled his eyes, resting one hand on his hip and running the other through choppy locks of hair.
"If we don't get a move on, those guards are going to catch up to you."
"Hey, I'm not the one who was wasting time and insisted on taking a bath in that cold as hell excuse for water!"
Leon smirked shaking his head as he brushed past Cloud, drawing a scowl from the other man as he said, "For all that you're supposed to be escaping a 'horrible' life, it must not be that bad if you're not used to living under such conditions."
"Okay, you know what? You don't even--"
A hand suddenly flew out towards Cloud, clamping down over his mouth as Leon narrowed his eyes and promptly dragged the other man behind the nearest crop of shrubbery. Sure enough, a distant crackle of leaves was heard, soon accompanied by gruff voices jabbering back and forth.
"You saw 'im last noight, Bub. What'd 'ee look loike?"
"Hurr. Um... Spoikey hair. Loss'o it."
"An'? What else?"
"Girly. Hurr, hurr!"
Cloud made a face at this, though Leon sent him an icy glare that dared him to breathe even one word in his own defense. Oddly enough, Cloud was too busy wondering what on earth Hades' cronies were doing out looking for him this early. Part of him couldn't help but snicker and remind the other part of himself that he'd never made it this far before.
They'd probably have much better luck keeping everyone back home under control if escape looked impossible.
"I'nu find any tracks or nuttin."
"Me either."
"Hrmmm..."
"Take the
Highroad, then. Up ter Djose... have a look around, m'kay?"
"A'ight."
The fading sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs dwindled away into silence, Cloud and Leon still standing statue-still, pinned up next to a large oak. After several moments of the eerie calm, Leon finally released his hold on Cloud and stepped away, not looking back as he quietly started off on his way through the woods, knowing Cloud was bound to follow.
"We'd do best to avoid Djose for the time being, then," Leon stated, though the fact was more than clear. Still. Cloud had seemed to be the slightly dense one when it came to such things. There was absolutely no harm in just stating the obvious, was there?
"Great, wonderful. Fabulous. So what now?" With a dramatic sigh, Cloud fell into step next to Leon, arms crossed behind his head, a bored expression making itself at home on his face. It just figures this would happen. Damn.
"Cut straight through to Olympus. We'll stay outside there... Tomorrow we can start towards Traverse--"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a second! I said I wanted to go to the shore! It'd be way safer out there than it would be mucking around in the center of the kingdom." Cloud didn't stop walking beside the taller man, but he shot the other a look that would've killed sheep. ...Mostly it just would've killed sheep because there wasn't anything else it could kill. And Leon wasn't exactly a type of sheep, but-- "We should be headed towards Atlantica."
"No." Not even bothering to spare a glance at Cloud, Leon continued walking, continued talking. "We're going to Olympus. I have business to take care of there."
There was no room for arguments with the tone Leon chose to use, but Cloud was obviously driven to make room. Narrowing his eyes and drawing himself up to his full height, he took wide strides forward to catch up with the brunette in front of him, grabbing hold of Leon's arm and tugging, shaking, pulling the other man to a rough halt.
"Well sorry to bust your bubble, buddy, but this spiky blonde ass is not planning on getting kicked back into Destati! If you wanna prance off to go run errands, that's fine by me, but I'm not going." So there.
Blonde and brunette regarded each other for the quickest of moments, gone in the blink of an eye, but there nonetheless. There, gone, and back again as Leon chose his words carefully, his voice coming out slowly, yet pinched with agitation.
"There's nothing for you in Atlantis."
"It's safer than Olympus."
"Once you get to the ocean. ...What then?"
Caught off guard, Cloud blinked and had to avert his gaze, eyes seeking the forest floor for comfort. Oh leaves, only you love me. "...I don't know. I'll think of something then. I can get on a boat and get out of this kingdom for good. Come back in a year, go back to Destati and rub in their sorry faces! ...I don't know." It was a plan, which was more that Cloud had had only a few hours ago. It was something that was different, something that might possibly hold a future for him...
There's the ocean, you can kiss it. Lean down, boy, it won't bite. The only thing the water holds is sirens and the only thing the sirens hold is--
"--the docks."
Furrowing his eyebrows together, Cloud shook his head slightly, drawing a somewhat puzzled glance from Leon. What was that about?
There's the ocean, you can kiss it. Lean down, boy, it won't bite. The only thing the water holds is sirens and the only thing the sirens hold is you. Let's go together, boy. You can follow me. I will lead you.
"Uh... S-sorry, what was that?" Cloud asked, trying to conceal his own bafflement.
"...I said Hades will have already alerted the docks."
"Yeah right. I'm just one serf out of millions. My freedom isn't worth as much to him as it is to me."
Oww... my head hurts... It wasn't so much a 'hurt' as it was a weird and indescribable feeling. Weird and indescribable somehow managed to translate to pain in Cloud's mind, but he forced himself to push aside the buzzing feeling behind his eyes as he blinked and focused on the words and on the person standing in front of him. ...What's his name again?
"Did you take anything precious with you?"
"Huh?"
"When you left, you didn't steal anything or loot someone's house before running away, did you?"
"Hell no! I'm not a crim--"
"We've crossed the river. Technically we're out of Destati borderlines. But those guards that came after you were sent by Hades."
Leaves crunched beneath leather soles of boots that padded across their surface. --Cloooud! We were your only friiiiends!!-- Cloud was aware that he was following Leon, but he didn't care. He felt sick, dizzy, and just plain gross. Something was wrong and he'd rather stay by the stony jackass' side and feel at least somewhat safe and protected than go bumbling around the woods all by his sad little lonesome. Besides. This was the sort of thing people told stories about.
Two brave adventurers from opposite walks of life, sharing bread beneath the stars, defeating evil overlords, ridding the known world of all evil, and solving world hunger! That's what life's really about!
"I already told you, Hades doesn't care. Those guys from earlier probably just wanted to save their own pride or something. They'll give up and head home within the hour!"
But there was something... not right. Leon's mouth stayed firmly drawn into a thin line, his gaze locked dead ahead, his pace unwavering and unrelenting. And then there was silence. A whole big abundance of the stuff really, hanging down from the trees and tickling Cloud's nose in little bitty spider-web threads. They pulled at Cloud's lips, worming their way into his mouth, these nymph-like silence spirits. And there they laughed, drank, and had quite a merry old time while Cloud glared heatedly at the moody-as-all-hell idiot he'd gotten himself stuck with.
The moody-as-all-hell idiot... who was definitely hiding something.
"...There's something you're not telling me, huh?" Cloud raised a questioning eyebrow, but got no response. That's it. I'm done with this. "Whatever. I really don't care. Thanks for helping me out earlier, man, but I've gotta get a move on."
"Come with me. You're safer that way."
Pause.
Pivot.
Blink.
No, Leon was still walking his own direction. Didn't even turn back around to see if Cloud had even heard him in the first place, just crunch, crunch, crunch as his boots moved over the fallen leaves.
"Why are you so insistent on that?" Cloud exclaimed, his arms flying up in the air and waving around frantically, almost as though he were trying to make a point or something.
"You're safer that way."
"Gah! Stop caring already! You're a bounty hunter! You're supposed to be a ruthless murderer out to fill your own pocket and cut down anyone that-- that.... Hoo, can we pretend I didn't say that?" Oh powers that be, please let me not have given him an idea. Just please. I'll do anything for you. I'll worship you, clean your shoes, and make my bed three times a day. ...Seeing as I don't have a bed, this shouldn't be much of a problem...
Sadly, Cloud's insistent pleas weren't heard by any higher being. But if Leon could read minds, than certainly Cloud's thoughts amused him for at that moment a wicked smirk stretched slowly across Leon's face. Really, if Cloud hadn't been so worried, he would've been proud of the brown-haired stranger. That had been the most emotion the other guy had shown yet.
...Well, any chance of Cloud being proud of Leon was shot down the drain in the span of two seconds.
"If you choose to go on your own, I'll kill you."
"What?!"
"Come with me and you won't get hurt. Head to Atlantis and I will 'cut you down.'" To prove his point, Leon's hand leisurely rested on the pommel of his sword that was slung at his waist, a devious glint in his eye as he asked for clarification in one simple mocking word. "Understand?"
"You bastard...!"
"It's a decent offer, I'd say."
"What the hell, man! You're working with them, aren't--"
"Would you shut up already?" "Let's get a move on. We've already wasted too much time."
"..."
"Or would you rather try and hack it out on your own against Hades' men... and me?"
"Well fuck. Either way I'm screwed, aren't I? Give me one good reason not to just let you shoot me down with that stupid gunblade of yours..." "And yes, I do know what a gunblade is. I'm not that much of a country bumpkin you asshole."
"...You're interesting." "Tell you what. Come with me and I'll explain everything along the way."
"Explain what?"
"All those questions you have pinging around inside your rather empty skull."
"Hey!"
"Honestly... What they're doing with the paopu fruit? Why I'm not a bounty hunter anymore? Why everyone is so intent on bringing you back to Destati?"
"For the millionth time, Le-on, they're not that intent on bringing me back. I'm nobody to them, I'm just--"
"A very important pawn in their game. Yes."
"...That's not what I was going to say."
"Shut up. Come on. Stop slowing me down."
"I hate you."
"..."
x x x
"Here's the charts you asked for Aerith." Rinoa grinned, wiping her forehead with the back of her wrist as she let a large stack of papers land squarely on the large table sprawled in the middle of the room. Aerith was seated somewhere behind it... Or at least, so Rinoa hoped. She couldn't even see the other girl through the towers of paper holding drawings, blueprints, gathered data, and tens upon thousands of astrological charts.
Thankfully, Rinoa's hopes were confirmed as Aerith's soft voice flew shakily over the looming paper city.
"Thanks, Rinoa... Hey, have you heard from Rikku or Paine today?"
Rinoa shook her head, but quickly vocalized the statement. There was no way in the seven hells that Aerith had seen her gesture in the first place. "Nope. Don't worry though! Leon won't bail out on 'em, you'll see."
"...How can you be so sure? After all, he did try to--"
"Hey, you trust me, right Aerith?"
"Well of course, but Leon--"
"Then trust me!"
"...Rinoa, that didn't even--"
"It wasn't supposed to! Just chill out and leave the worrying to those who really need to be worrying, hon."
"...Well who needs to be doing the worrying then?"
At this Rinoa smirked before giggling and moving towards the door she'd entered only moments ago. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she simply responded, "Maleficent and her goons. Duh."
And then the door closed and Rinoa was off once again. Doing what, you ask? Well, that's not important. Not right now, at any rate.
x x x
Within the hustle and bustle of Olympus stood the main square, just inside the city gates. It was an enormous space, usually filled with vendors from all reaches of the kingdom shouting their sales out to hungry consumers, eager to sell, sell, sell anything for a profit. However, that very square, even though teeming with activity, was having what the citizen's of Olympus would refer to as a quiet day.
Which was all for the better, as far as Paine was concerned.
"Heya Dr. P," a female voice cooed. Raising an eyebrow, Paine's eyes cracked open just wide enough to see a head mopped with radiant blonde hair pop into the small door of the caravan.
"Rikku."
"Still under the weather, huh?" Her voice forced Paine into a small smile as Riku clambered up into the caravan, creating a rather tight squeeze, what with two girls and enough equipment and luggage for three others in their traveling crew. A tight squeeze, yes, but somehow cozy nonetheless.
"Mm. I guess so." Paine leant her head against the wooden sides of the caravan, her eyes closing once again. She didn't need them open to see the other girl. She already knew what Rikku looked like at every moment of every day. There was no sense in destroying a treat by having too much of it, she figured. "Leon isn't here yet."
"He'll be here, don't you worry! Rinoa promised and she always keeps her promises!" Rikku responded lightheartedly. After a moment though, she blinked confusedly and cocked her head to the side as she said, "Though there was this one time that--"
"I don't even wanna know."
"Aww, you big meanie. You're no fun! ...Especially when you're sick."
"I'm not sick. I don't get sick."
"Everyone gets sick sometimes."
"Yeah. Everyone. Everyone except me, got it?"
Rikku rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated little sigh. Cute, Paine thought.
"Of course, Paine-ie-waine-ie."
...Yeah. That's not so cute.
"What have I told you about--"
"Paine!!!"
"...What now...?"
"They're here!!"
Eyes open, senses alert and raring to go... or... do whatever it is senses do, Paine jolted upright and swung her legs out the entrance of the small caravan, brushing aside a gauzy red curtain and peering out at Olympus. Rikku had already leapt onto the group and was sprinting towards the bouncing brunette (more commonly referred to as 'Selphie') and the two other figures she stood beside.
Eyes locked, Paine and Leon connected in a way that people of few words have a tendency to connect. And in just the few split seconds that passed between them, there was a waterfall of questions, a tidal wave of accusations, and a small stream of a little thing called doubt.
There's no way that's the right kid.
Yes. Yes it is. You better believe it.
I don't.
And I don't care.
"Leon..."
Eyebrows raised, Leon broke away from the locked gaze and glanced down at his spiky-haired companion, who, at that moment, seemed to be attempting to will the ground to open up and swallow him whole. "What is it?"
"Look..."
A piece of paper was the object that Cloud's eyes were riveted on. A lone piece of paper posted on the high stone walls of the city. A lone piece of paper... that wasn't really alone at all. In fact... there were tons of them. And they all shared one little tiny thing in common.
"Whoa, look at that. Cloud's a wanted criminal?" Selphie asked, eyes wide, head cocked to the side. Overall looking like a confused puppy, really.
"I didn't do anything! What the...?! 'Wanted for theft, rape, and... and...'" Cloud choked, his voice dying away completely as he just gaped at the wanted signs adorning the walls. Theft, rape, and...
"Murder," Leon murmured.
"I never did any of that..." But Cloud's protests were quiet and no matter how hard he tried, the plain and simple fact was that he was petrified. For 'theft, rape, and murder' were certainly crimes. And they were certainly crimes that, when stacked up one on top of the other, would add up to a very severe punishment.
Doing a little mental math here, let's have a look. That's a twenty-five percent chance of losing what little I have left in the way of personal rights and, oh, probably a seventy-five percent chance of losing what little I have left in the way of a head. This is just fucking wonderful.
"Don't panic just yet."
"What the fuck do you mean, 'Don't panic'?!" Cloud hissed, wheeling on Leon and glaring icily. "My fucking life is at stake here, buddy! Not just freedom anymore!"
"And if you make a scene, you'll die."
Blinking, Cloud turned to see a rather peeved looking girl stroll over towards them. Unlike the other two who'd rushed to meet them, this one seemed cool, collected, and... almost unnervingly similar to Leon.
"You're
Cloud then?" she asked.
Cloud simply nodded numbly.
"Paine. I have to say I wasn't expecting someone so..." With another glance at Leon, Paine smirked and adjusted her words before she bothered uttering them. "...Someone so young. Doesn't matter. Get into the caravan before someone bothers to put your face with the ones on the posters."
"Now wait just a minute, I have no idea who--!"
"Leon will explain everything along the way because I'm certain he's done no such thing up to this point. ...I'm right, am I not?"
Again, all Cloud could do was nod.
Satisfied, Paine turned back towards the caravan and snapped her fingers just once. No sooner had one finger brushed past the other, four mismatched silhouettes leapt into light and became a grinning quartet. Two of them Cloud had already seen, both of them the girls who'd first grabbed hold of Leon and him. The other two were just boys, blonde and cheerful and... Obnoxious looking.
"You've already met Selphie and Rikku. There's Zidane and Tidus. And that's all for introductions. You can talk later. After we've ditched the peasants armed with torches and pitchforks who are out to hunt you down."
"What?! Where?!"
Not another word leaving her mouth, Paine turned and strode back towards the caravan where her four assembled crew members scattered about like mad, throwing strewn luggage back into and on top of the tiny wooden caravan, Rikku prancing over towards a nearby fencepost where a chocobo stood lazily, relaxing in the warm Olympus sun. But sure enough, Cloud was drawing some pretty strange looks... and not of the good kind, either.
Suddenly, a warm hand dropped onto his shoulder and Cloud was jerked back into the present as Leon forcefully steered him towards the curtain entrance of the caravan where Cloud clambered in and promptly scrunched himself into a little ball and tucked himself in a corner. Bags, boxes, bottles, crates, colors scarves and flags... all of it was scattered about the caravan, leaving little room for Cloud, let alone Leon. What had been a tight squeeze for Rikku and Paine was undoubtedly a suffocating vacuum-seal for Leon and Cloud.
While each stared the other down in a deadly silent contest of some sort or another, noise from outside trickled into the caravan through the closed curtain.
"Come on Rikku, we don't have all day..."
"I'm trying!"
"Kweh, kweh!"
"Tidus, lend her hand already, would you?!"
"Alright, alright! Calm down already!"
"Hey, watch it!"
"Outta the way, mister!"
Wheels shuddering beneath the wooden frame surrounding them, Leon and Cloud felt the caravan jolt forward and bump steadily alone the uneven dirt square of Olympus. Still, they remained silent and still more noise filtered through.
"I said move out of--"
"Cool it, would you??"
"I just wanted to--"
There's the ocean, you can kiss it. Lean down, boy, it won't bite. The only thing the water holds is sirens and the only thing the sirens hold is you. Let's go to--
"Someone wants me to go there."
Startled out of the silence, Leon blinked for a moment before staring blankly at Cloud. "Excuse me?"
"The voices. ...Someone wants me to go to the ocean."
Studying Cloud with a careful gaze, Leon nodded slowly. There was a mutual understanding between the two of them that overall, Leon was the one with all the information. He was the one who would be doing the giving and taking and... well, the thought somewhat annoyed Cloud. Somewhat. But for some crazy bizarre-o reason, I'd rather just put up with the jackass and find out what the hell's going on... instead of...
You don't want to have to listen to his orders. You don't have to.
"How much do you know about the queen's Militia?" Leon questioned, leaning back against the wooden wall surrounding them. If the close quarters bothered him in the slightest, he didn't show it.
"Umm... Well... Maleficent set 'em up when she was Duchess of Bastion. ...But... that was ten years ago. They're a bunch of really good fighters. At first they were nominated by the people and served as a sort of goal for kids who didn't have much of a future. But Maleficent changed it into a training program after a couple years of that... she overthrew the king..." Cloud trailed off, his brows furrowing as he concentrated on remembering the general information he'd overheard as a kid.
"Is that all?"
With a shrug, Cloud lamely added, "It's not as though serfs are taught about this sorta stuff in school or anything."
Leon paused a moment then nodded just once. "You're right. Sorry."
Did he just say he was...?
Silence. And then Leon began to talk...
"The paopu fields have been around for a long time. You know that. Mostly the fruit was used for manufacturing medicine, tea, and food. About a century ago, a scientist published a theory about using the fruit juice as a sort of... fuel. He said it would replace manual labor and coal that was used to operate machines like ships and factories. At first everyone mocked him and thought it was some huge joke... But obviously he was correct in his thoughts.
"So once people saw that the fruit could be used for more than just simple homey pleasures, more and more of the fields kept--"
"I know this stuff," Cloud interrupted, his voice short and his eyes narrowed. "I grew up on the fields, man. I think I at least know the basic history of it all."
"Do you know where all the fruit is going now? Why it's being harvested and carted off five times as rapidly as it has been in the past years?"
Cloud's gaze dropped to the floor and he fell silent. Taking it as his cue to continue, Leon let out a small sigh and started off again, though his voice was already becoming quieter and rougher, not quite accustomed to being used so much in one sitting, probably.
"With the paopu fruit to make every sort of work easier, there was a sort of... industrial revolution, I guess. Everyone doesn't have to worry as much about getting work done now as they used to..." With one short glance at Cloud's slouched figure, Leon quietly added, "Everyone except the serfs, that is.
"Art, writing, alchemy... it's all being revolutionized right now. But Maleficent doesn't care about petty things like that. She's sent out a team of archeologists to a dig site about five miles from her old home at the Hollow Bastion Citadel. No one really knows what she thinks is there, but no one complains either. With the paopu juice making life easier for everyone, they're all happy and oblivious to everything."
"How does this tie in with me?" Cloud grumbled.
"Astrology."
"Never studied it. Nothing to do with me."
"That's where you're wrong. Swarms of scientists that aren't dedicating themselves to more accepted and believable practices are involved in astrology...." What do I want to tell him..? ...What can I tell him that he'll believe? "Do you remember that story you told me about the paopu fruit? How every two people m-meant to be with each other s-share a star?"
Cloud stole a look at Leon, though his gaze wasn't met. Leon's eyes were focused on the curtain of the caravan, billowing slightly in a light breeze coming in from outside. Did Leon not notice his stutter? Sure seemed a little--
"They believe it."
"Who does?"
"The astrologers. Or most of them at any rate. And by certain patterns in the constellations, they say they can determine a person's destiny."
"That's bullshit."
"Maleficent doesn't think so. It's why she's sent out this whole expedition. She's told it's her destiny."
That did it.
"What the fuck are you talking about?! What expedition?? What does any of this have to do with me??" Frustrated and sore from being jostled around the tiny wooden prison, Cloud leapt to his feet and promptly cracked the back of his skull against the roof. And with a small little whine, Cloud crumpled right back down to the floor, cradling his head between his two arms, his face hidden from view.
Now look what he's made you do, boy. Feel the pain? See how it ties into all this? Why don't you just leave? Why are you staying with him? He tells you nothing. What he does tell you comes out in riddles. He will never be capable of telling you a truly plain and simple fact. You don't have to--
Stop... Leave me alone...
Why do you stay with him, boy?
I don't know... I don't know...
"Cloud..." The voice pulled him away from himself and it was then that Cloud realized he was crying. What a stupid little kid... I don't even... know... why... "...Are you okay?" Leon's hand gently brushed against his shoulder and had Cloud not seen and heard all the things he had that day, he wouldn't pulled away from the incredibly out of character act. ...But then again, what did Cloud really know about Leon? Perhaps it wasn't as strange as he made it out to be after all...
"What does any of it have to do with me..?"
"..."
"Why am I hearing these things?"
There were no words and there was no sound. But Leon didn't move his hand and Cloud didn't raise his head.
"...You know, don't you?"
They had reached a stalemate, it seemed.
"...Why can't you just tell me?"
Why can't I leave?!
And it looked as though Leon didn't have all the answers and all the power. It looked as though he was almost as confused as Cloud himself. Because really, the only difference between the confused and the knowledgeable is how well they can act.
x x x
"Seifer."
"Yes, Highness?"
"I need you to do something for me... There's a book. An old man has it... a wizard. Get it. Bring it to me."
"Right away, Highness."
The orb in the center of the room flared to life, a hazy image appearing in its very center, its glow casting across the sharp plains of a woman's face, mouth twisted into an amused grin as she watched on.
One blonde, one brunette, locked away in the tiny confines of a little wagon. How quaint.
"Mm... you hear him, don't you, boy? Now what will you do when your darkness takes its form?... I wonder..."
x x x
"You better not be leading us on, Lionheart."
"...Hn."
"I'm serious. You do that and you won't wake up. Understand?"
"Of course."
"And you're sure he's the one?"
"...Yes."
"You'd better hope so. Not just for your sake either."
"I know."
The first thing Cloud's sleep-fogged mind noticed was that the caravan had stopped moving. Through eyes half open, he could see moonlight seeping through the delicate curtain, shadows moving back and forth across his vision as figures from outside moved around, their actions muffled and their voices distant.
The second thing Cloud noticed was that Leon was gone. And it was cold.
You see? He will not stay with you. Not like you stay with him. He will leave you, boy. He will leave you cold and alone. He will leave you to die.
Stop...
He is not worth your time. He is not worth you, boy.
Go away...
Somewhere between the focus he put on banishing the voice and the tired mist that covered his brain, Cloud was aware of another shadow dancing just beneath his closed eyelids, the creaking of the floorboards of the caravan as someone entered.
It's Leon
How can you be so sure, boy?
I just am. Now stop it. Go away.
"Cloud, are you awake?" The deep whisper pulled at Cloud's heartstrings, but he kept quiet and he kept his eyes shut tight, intent on slowing his breathing down to make all appear as though he were still fast asleep. Sure enough, it seemed to work. Leon fell silent and the only noise Cloud could hear within the caravan was the quiet rustle of fabric. From outside, quiet voices conversed back and forth with one another, but who they belonged to Cloud couldn't tell.
It was the sudden feeling of warmth that slammed against his back that nearly sent Cloud flying smack against the wall of the dinky caravan. Is that Leon? But what--??
No contact. No nothing. Just simply heat radiating. It was what heat did. So why am I so freaked out about it?
But whatever obnoxious little voice had been pestering him had no answer.
Warm...
Leon smiled slightly as Cloud's body relaxed and finally drifted off into slumber once more. He wouldn't push his luck and he wouldn't reach out and ask for more. Leon was content just lying there and knowing that the other was safe only a few inches away. Lying there and breathing in this crazy-addictive aroma... Was it Cloud? The smaller boy smelled quite lovely, actually. Something close to fruity, mixed with sweetness, just a dash of tartness. Like a paopu fruit?
Leon didn't know.
He'd have to ask Cloud what a paopu fruit smelled like.
And what it felt like and what it tasted like...
Later. Sleep now.
(x) (x) (x)
Aww. Wasn't that just warm and fuzzy all over? I hope you have a lot of questions from this chapter. I hope you're confused as hell, too. Nyahaha. ...Ha. Right. Um. I haven't forgotten this fic, obviously. It's just second on my list of priorities now. But what can I say? Angsty Cloud wanted attention. So he got it.
--Ori
