Wychcraft

AUTHOR'S NOTE: First time writing both Kingdom Hearts and dealing with the Leon x Cloud pairing. This is an obsession no doubt borne out of being denied the next Kingdom Hearts game until August (it sucks to be a Brit sometimes). I am mainly having fun here and I hope you enjoy reading it. Bizarrely there is another part to this detailing how the pair met, but I thought this served better as an introduction. Plus this one has the smut and it's been way too long since I got to write smut.

WARNINGS: This is a work of fanfiction and I own utterly nothing to do with Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts. The terms of Wych, Wychkin and Wych-Hunter are a nod to the fabulously talented Chris Wooding and The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray, though I've done my own thing with what those terms mean. This WILL contain full on boy x boy smut though I've tried to refrain from making it graphic. If the idea of two men in a sexual relationship isn't something you're comfortable with then I'd like to think you're mature and sensible enough to click the back button and find something that is to your tastes.

"Squall Leonheart, you stand formally accused of unlawful use of magic in the practice known as wychcraft. We have no choice but to hold you in the cells until we are able to hold your trial tomorrow morning. Should you be proven as a wych, you shall be taken hence and hung by the neck until dead."

Leon's blue-grey eyes narrowed at the use of his full name, but he remained silent. Mostly because he was unable to speak even if he wanted to. His mouth had been gagged to prevent the speaking of any spells or curses, his hands were tied so that they were completely immobile and therefore incapable of writing any spells or curses and finally, he was currently sat in a windowless cell surrounded by three walls of unbroken stone and a fourth wall consisting of the bars that blocked him off from where the black-robed man stood.

The man in black's face was hidden within the folds of the cloak that marked him as a member of Organisation XIII, the legion of dedicated wych-hunters that had appeared after the Sorceress Wars. However he obviously had no trouble seeing the expression on Leon's face, for the man chuckled in a low voice. "Oh, and I'd like to see your familiar get through these walls without being shot." There was a pause as the man tilted his head to study Leon. "And I wonder what sort of familiar you have? Got a Wychkin, Leonheart? Most of your kind do these days. Cat, perhaps. Maybe a bird?"

Even bound and unable to speak as he was, Leon was clearly expected by the man to make some sort of response to this questioning. For precisely for that reason, he didn't. His completely impassive face and unblinking stare must have eventually unnerved the Organisation XIII member, for he turned and left the room. Now genuinely alone, Leon slumped against the wall and wondered not for the first time just how he managed to get himself into this situation.

Five years ago there had been no such thing as wyches. Or perhaps there had been, but no one had paid them any attention. It wouldn't have surprised Leon if that had been the case; Guardian Forces and Sorceresses had been more than capable of distracting people. But after Adel and Ultimecia had been defeated and the war had come to an end, the Guardian Forces had gone with them. The last remaining Sorceress, Rinoa, had placed herself in self-imposed exile not long after and gone somewhere off-world. Without such powerful magic, people began to notice how certain individuals had retained specific talents. In earlier times, skills attributed to junctioned GFs were now revealed for what they truly were, rogue magic or wychcraft, generated not by a Guardian Force, but by the individual himself. That being the other main difference, most wyches were male; perhaps because females displaying these abilities were labelled Sorceresses and sealed away.

Leon had always assumed his skill with ice spells was a result of his affinity to Shiva. People used to joke that he was always cold, always freezing people out of his life, but Leon had never paid them any heed. Until, of course, Shiva had left and Leon had discovered that he could still work magic. After that, even doing all he could to keep his talent hidden, it had just been a matter of time under he ended up in a cell just like this one.

With his head resting against the back wall of his cell, Leon could faintly hear the noise of Hollow Bastion as life continued on as normal for everyone outside. He closed his eyes to better focus on those distant sounds only to snap them open again when loud footsteps and the clanging of steel-plated doors indicated his peace and quiet was once again being disturbed.

Two figures entered the room, both smaller than the previous Organisation XIII member, and probably younger too if the amount of banter between the pair was any indication. On seeing Leon, both abruptly fell into silence.

The one on the left tugged at his companion's sleeve. "So that's a wych?"

His companion pulled his sleeve free from the grip it was held in and shook it to ensure there would be no lasting wrinkles. "I told you already! Yes! Ro … uh, Robed Colleague of Mine!"

"Eh?"

Dropping his voice into what he thought was a whisper, but was still more than audible to Leon, the right-hand boy continued. "You can't say your name in front of a wych, stupid! Then he'll be able to cast all sorts of hideous, disfiguring curses on you."

Personally, Leon reflected, he'd prefer to be unbound and able to smack both these idiots unconscious.

The left-hand figure shuddered. "Ooooh. Nasty." A thought occurred to him. "So just why did the boss send us in?"

His companion moved further into the room and began to rummage in a pocket under his robes. "We're to see if we can get a confession of wychcraft." A pen and paper emerged under the black folds of fabric. "Right then, Mr Leonheart. Want to confess to being a wych?"

Leon rolled his eyes, wondering if either of the pair had bothered to notice the numerous ropes and gag. And it was people like this that had managed to drag him here. Or perhaps the utter incompetence was simply a way of breaking his spirit. His personal pride was certainly taking a battering.

"Well he's not denying it, is he?"

"Hmmm, think that'll count?"

"Dunno. Right then, Mr Leonheart. Shall I just take your silence for a yes?"

Any further questions were abruptly halted by a loud racket outside the doors to the room. The figure on the right let out a noise suspiciously close to a squeak as he ran to crack the door open. "We're in the middle of extracting a confession here!"

The door was immediately thrown open, knocking the figure back to sprawl on the floor. The movement knocked his hood off, granting Leon a brief glimpse of a young teenager with shockingly messy honey coloured hair that spiked off in all directions. The kid scrambled to his feet, hastily pulling the hood back up. "What is the meaning…"

"I'm his lawyer. Let me in. Now."

Leon's head jerked upright at the sound of that soft voice, whose tone clearly brooked no disagreement. The two wych-hunters backed away from the door, allowing the newcomer to enter and seemingly unable to do anything other than stare at the man who approached. Leon didn't blame them.

The man was slender, yet what could be seen of his form under the dark clothes was very toned and muscular. Although not incredibly tall, he was still more than capable of looming over the pair in robes, though a good deal of that was no doubt due to the man's aura. Pale blond hair was worn in spikes like the young wych-hunter, but on this man, it looked ordered. A pair of dark glasses rested over his eyes, but even with the coloured glass between them, it was still possible for Leon to feel the force of the man's gaze as he took in Leon's predicament. Leon tried to keep his face neutral, but he could feel the hint of momentary amusement that quickly faded. Cloud was not impressed.

The robed kid who'd temporarily lost his hood approached Cloud with great caution, as though scared to do anything that might upset a man who all but radiated power. "Um, when precisely did Mr Leonheart call you in to act as his lawyer? I didn't think he'd had a phone-call yet."

Cloud snorted, though he never broke eye contact with Leon. "He didn't have to phone me."

"Eh?"

Cloud's hand moved towards his back and with an audible hum of magic, a gigantic sword was abruptly held in his hands. He used the flat of the blade to knock the first of the robed kids into the wall, where he slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap. His colleague made as if to go for a weapon of his own, but with a snap of Cloud's wrist, the blade extended until it was gently pressed under the other kid's chin.

With his spare hand, Cloud slowly pulled the dark glasses away from his face to reveal a pair of blue eyes that actually glowed. "Bad luck boys."

The member of Organisation XIII who was still conscious, swallowed carefully around the pressure of the blade on his throat. "What the hell are you?" he whispered.

Cloud didn't reply, extending his spare hand to reach in Leon's direction. With a serpentine rustle, the bonds holding Leon untied themselves and dropped to the floor. Once his hands were free, Leon yanked the gag away from his mouth and rose to his feet. Understanding dawned for the robed kid as he hissed in his breath. "You're the wychkin? But you're human!"

Cloud's eyes abruptly narrowed and the sword held in his grip was moved that fraction closer to the kid than safety permitted. The young male quickly raised both hands in a gesture of helplessness, but the pressure Cloud was putting on his throat did not relent.

Moving to the bars of his cell, Leon shot a warning look at Cloud. "That's enough. Can we worry about getting me out?"

Immediately moving away from the boy and sheathing the sword, Cloud stepped up to the bars that separated him from Leon as he studied them. "I might need help," Cloud said in a low voice. "I think I used a little too much."

Leon rolled his eyes as he reached out a hand. "Really. Aside from the flashy stuff, how much power did you expend getting here?"

Cloud looked hurt. "I couldn't find you. I was worried." As Leon's hand finally made contact with Cloud's cheek, the blue eyes slid closed. "Rightly too," the blond couldn't help but add.

Leon refrained from comment, focusing instead on the warm sensation gathering on his fingertips as he sent more power to replenish Cloud's reserves. Cloud sighed before opening his eyes again, his eyes glowing even more strongly than before. "Thanks," he said as he stepped back and raised his hands to grab two of the bars. "Stand back," Cloud informed Leon as his face fell into a frown of concentration. Leon could feel the build-up of power gathering in Cloud's hands and hurriedly moved away from the bars to the far side of his cell.

The bars Cloud held began to glow as blue sparks of power ran up and down their length. Cloud's frown deepened and with a loud snapping noise, the two pieces of metal broke apart in his grip. As the fragments fell to the floor, Cloud opened his eyes again and smiled slightly at Leon before freezing at the noise behind him. Cloud spun around as Leon stepped through the new gap in his cell to stand by the blond's side.

The still conscious robed Organisation XIII member had scrambled back to press his back against the wall, next to the slumped figure of his unconscious colleague. He was staring at Cloud with an expression that was a mix of horror and incomprehension. "Wychkin can't be human," the kid was saying, his voice and pitch steadily rising. "You'd die from power overload the minute a wych tried to use you as a familiar. So what the hell are you? You look human, but you're not."

Gently taking hold of Cloud's elbow, Leon gave it a comforting squeeze as he moved past to drop into a crouch in front of the young male. "Watch what you're saying," Leon said in a low voice.

The kid was too far into panic to really hear him. "But he's not human! He's some sort of freak! A monster…"

With a snarl, Leon pulled enough power to form a mid-level ice spell that he flung at the boy and sent the kid slumping to the ground to join his companion. Rising to his feet, Leon turned to see Cloud looking at him somewhat reproachfully. Leon looked away with a snort and moved over to the main door that led out. "How many guards between us and the outside?" he asked Cloud.

The blond moved up behind him with his usual stealth. "He was just a kid," Cloud muttered. "You didn't need to knock him out."

"He was getting on my nerves," Leon snapped. "And you're a fine one to talk; look what you did to his companion." He reached for the door handle before glancing over at Cloud.

Cloud looked away. "Mass sleep spells. It should be fine for another five minutes or so. Just don't hit anyone."

Leon rolled his eyes, deciding not to mention that he wasn't the one with an oversized weapon strapped to his back. "Whatever."

They made their way through the series of corridors that would take them outside the Organisation XIII compound. Leon let Cloud take the lead, the blond after all would merely be retracing his steps from earlier. Leon on the other hand had been knocked unconscious when he'd been captured and therefore had next to no idea where he was. The long, straight hallways that stretched on ahead of them were filled with far more sleeping bodies than Leon had been expecting. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Cloud's back even though the blond refused to turn and acknowledge Leon's disapproval. Cloud's reserves, while impressive, were obviously a lot lower than he'd been letting on. Leon decided to wait until they were somewhere a little more secure before taking Cloud to task on this. No point in waking up the guards when he really started yelling at the blond.

Instead, Leon kept his voice pitched low as he asked Cloud "How did you get here?"

Cloud glanced over his shoulder. "I took the bike," he replied.

Leon fought the urge to wince. Cloud loved that oversized black piece of machinery, but he seemed incapable of riding the damn thing in a sensible fashion. And while all the jumps, speeding and frantic weaving through traffic were no doubt very effective when being chased or in an urgent rush, the style of riding was a little attention-grabbing when they were no doubt going to have to make a low key exit. "Give me the keys."

This time the look Cloud sent over his shoulder was definitely closer to a glare. Leon paid it no mind and nimbly caught the keys that were flung at him moments later. The pair swiftly ascended a wide flight of stairs and stepped outside into a paved courtyard. It had been early afternoon when Leon had been taken and the sunshine had given way into a light mist of drizzle with the onset of night. The cobblestones gleamed faintly with their coating of moisture as did Cloud's bike which was abandoned in the middle of the courtyard. Cloud had a similar disregard for parking restrictions as he did for traffic regulations. Leon raised an eyebrow as he looked across at Cloud.

The blond dropped his gaze as he fumbled in his clothes for the glasses he'd been wearing earlier. "I was worried," Cloud muttered. He covered his still-glowing eyes and moved towards the bike.

Leon got there first, making sure there was enough room for Cloud to sit behind him. He felt the blond move into place before a pair of slender arms wrapped themselves around Leon's waist and Cloud pressed himself against Leon's back. Cloud's nose brushed against the nape of Leon's neck before the blond turned his face to the side and rested his cheek on Leon's shoulder with a sigh that brushed through the overlong strands of Leon's hair. The tingling, warm sensation that began only moments later reassured Leon that Cloud was once again replenishing the energy he lost earlier in the night.

Rather than return to the apartment that Leon had been abducted from, Leon steered the bike downtown to where the Seventh Heaven bar was located. With his home compromised, Leon was going to have to find somewhere else where he could stay for a couple of days and Tifa was a good friend of Cloud's. And seeing as it was nothing less than a conspiracy between Tifa and Cloud that had led to Leon having to face the fact that he was a wych, it was fair to say the woman owed him.

There was a narrow alleyway that ran alongside the left wall of Seventh Heaven that was perfect for concealing the bike. Leon switched the engine off and jerked one shoulder experimentally. Cloud, still pressed closely against Leon's back, mumbled something vaguely but gave no indication of moving. Leon sighed. He wasn't sure just how the blond managed to fall asleep in such bizarre and dangerous places, but at least he hadn't fallen off en route. It was mainly the knowledge that the reason Cloud was currently dead to the world was due to the amount of magic he must have used in the course of rescuing Leon that stopped him from roughly shaking the blond awake. Instead, he somehow managed to both get himself off the bike and manoeuvre Cloud into his arms before kicking at the side door to the bar.

The door was slammed open, narrowly missing Leon's face, moments later. An irate Yuffie stood on the other side, taking in their appearance with a critical eye. "Finally! Cid and Tifa have been throwing shit-fits ever since Cloud came running in here to announce you were missing. I see Spikey found you."

Leon grunted as he shouldered Yuffie to one side and entered the bar. The teenaged girl bounced along behind him. "Look at you both! You're soaking wet. Are you trying to send those two into fits of mothering?"

Rapid footsteps approached from Leon's left and moments later a young woman with long dark hair came hurrying into view. "Yuffie? Who was at the door?" Seeing Leon carrying Cloud, the young woman came to a halt. "Leon! What's wrong with Cloud?"

"He's fine Tifa," Leon reassured her. "Just used a bit too much energy. He's recharging at the moment."

Tifa gave a relieved sigh before placing her hands on her hips and eyeing the pair appraisingly. "You'll be needing somewhere to stay while he rests then. There's a spare room upstairs. Come on." She spun and began to head down the hallway without waiting for so much as a thank you. Leon silently followed her, grateful for the young woman's amazing ability to stay focused on her priorities as opposed to running around fussing or questioning like the younger Yuffie.

Tifa took them up to a reasonably sized room furnished with a large bed that Leon immediately made his way over to as Tifa went back to her barwork. He lowered Cloud down carefully before straightening and looking around. There was an adjoining bathroom and with a glance back at the soundly sleeping Cloud, Leon made his way in there, dropping his leather jacket into a chair as he passed. A hot shower would be just what he needed.

With brisk efficiency, Leon stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. A small adjustment of the temperature, and then Leon closed his eyes in relaxation as he let the warm water soak through his hair. He stretched and turned under the flow of water to better let the pressure work at muscles that were feeling the ache of having been restrained for so long. He shrugged his shoulder firmly a couple of times before tilting his head and letting the water fall directly onto his face.

There was a faint sound behind him, almost inaudible with the pounding hiss of the shower. Leon began to turn but a pair of hands began to massage his shoulders. "Feeling better?" Leon asked instead.

Behind him Cloud hummed, pausing in his kneading of Leon's shoulders to lean in and place a soft kiss between his shoulder blades. It was followed by a slow succession up and across Leon's shoulder and neck until Cloud finally reached Leon's earlobe. Cloud tugged on the lobe with his teeth before pressing his lips against that piece of skin as well. Leon felt the other man's slender body press against his back as Cloud leaned up to reply into Leon's ear. "Much."

That softly whispered word caused distracting air currents to play across a very sensitive part of Leon's skin and the effect combined with the sensation of a naked Cloud behind him caused Leon to bite back a moan as he turned around to face the blond. Cloud blinked up at him, those incredible blue eyes glowing with power and not just a little lust. Wrapping one arm firmly about the blond's waist, Leon pulled Cloud against him as his other hand trailed across the man's cheek. Cloud's eyes slipped closed at the contact, his head tilting to follow the motion and placing his lips at the perfect angle for Leon to lean down and brush against them with his own.

Cloud responded almost immediately, parting his lips to allow Leon access to his mouth even as Cloud's teeth hooked onto Leon's lower lip to playfully tug. Leon's hand continued its path across Cloud's face until it encountered those soft blond spikes where it stilled and instead brought Cloud even closer as Leon began to explore Cloud's mouth with his tongue.

Cloud moaned, using his own tongue to draw Leon's further into his mouth as he ran one hand lightly across Leon's side to where it could brush against an increasingly sensitive nipple. Feeling Leon's response pressing firmly into his thigh only served to encourage the blond as he dragged his nails across the nub, a smile forming on his face that Leon could sense through the kiss.

Breaking away from Cloud's mouth, Leon gently ran his tongue down the blond's throat, following the trail with lips and teeth. He settled on a spot just above Cloud's left collarbone, biting and lathing the spot with attention while Cloud's movements seemed to lose their coordination.

"Squall…" The words were barely a whisper from Cloud's mouth, but they were more than adequate to inform Leon of the effect he was having on the other man. Cloud only ever slipped and called Leon by his former name when he was half out of his mind.

Pressing one final kiss to Cloud's skin, Leon finally allowed his hand to wander downwards and firmly grasp the blond's arousal. A low groan immediately followed his action, turning breathless as Leon expertly guided Cloud to climax. The blond slumped against the wall of the shower, reaching out his hands to draw Leon in for another long, leisurely kiss.

The water was being to turn cold when they separated and as they stepped from the water, Cloud's eyes were quick to focus on the fact that Leon had yet to reach his own completion. The blond smiled and reached out a hand to Leon, drawing the dark-haired man close as he accepted it and murmuring a word that saw both their bodies engulfed in a brief burst of warm, drying air.

Leon opened his mouth to protest against such frivolous use of power from Cloud so soon after nearly completely depleting his reserves, but Cloud was quick to cut him off with another firm press of his lips to Leon's opening mouth that turned into a gentle exploration with the blond's tongue. Moving back again, Cloud tugged on their still interlinked hands to pull Leon back into the bedroom.

Leon was far from averse to following the blond into the other room, letting Cloud fall casually across the bed before crawling on after him to straddle the other man. Cloud smiled up at him, arching his body up for another kiss as his hands moved purposefully down Leon's chest, leaving the tingling sensation of magic in their wake.

The contact made Leon groan deep in the back of his throat which he did his best to hide by intensifying the kiss between him and Cloud. Managing to spare one hands from his current exploration of every inch of Cloud's body, Leon groped towards the small cabinet that sat beside the bed. Tifa had no doubt expected their arrival from the moment Cloud went running off and from past experience alone, the brunette could have no doubt as to what would occur the moment Cloud and Leon were left to their own devices. Leon's hand closed around a small tube and he mentally thanked Tifa before turning his thoughts back to the task of preparing Cloud.

Cloud was warm, tight and sending enough casual magic into the air to envelop the pair in a shower of light blue sparks across their exposed skin. The sensation of power flowing across his skin combined with the feel of Cloud around him was more than enough to challenge Leon's usual stamina. Sheer pride kept him hanging on until Cloud gasped and moaned Leon's name as his back arched and a single, black wing exploded from the blond's left shoulder as Cloud lost control over the magic he used to keep the appendage hidden. Leon was quick to follow him, taking care not to crush the blond or his wing as he fell to one side, sliding a possessive arm over Cloud's stomach.

The blond turned to face him, smiling as he reached out to play with the chocolate strands of Leon's hair. "I'm glad you're safe," Cloud said quietly.

Leon snorted, his eyes falling closed at the gentle tugging sensation on his scalp. "I never doubted you," Leon murmured. A thought occurred to him as he pulled the blond closer, pressing a kiss to Cloud's temple. "They found the apartment though. We'll need somewhere else to stay."

Cloud paused in his toying with Leon's hair, earning a sleepy grunt of protest. "What's wrong with here?"

If Leon's eyes had been open, he'd have rolled them. "Yuffie," he said instead.

"Ahh." Leon could feel the smile on Cloud's face. The blond was always far too agreeable after sex, if he so desired, Leon could have Cloud wrapped completely around his finger by now.

Cloud rolled onto his side, draping himself across Leon's chest and allowing Leon's fingers to run across the soft membrane of the single wing extending from the blond's back. Resting his cheek above Leon's heart, Cloud spoke again. "How did they find you anyway?"

"I was careless," Leon confessed. "I lost my temper and they must have followed me back to the apartment."

It was Cloud's turn to snort, albeit sleepily. "Can't leave you on your own for a moment."

Leon felt the hand seeking his own out and interlinked their fingers before smiling into the darkness. "Seems that way."