Title: 100 Steps To Somewhere

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Claim: Cloud/Riku

Theme: 028. Fire

Word Count: 2,178

Rating: M

Summary: Tifa's got some ideas up her sleeve for the Hollow Bastion Restoration, and Cloud wished Leon wouldn't get in on it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Kingdom Hearts series. I am not affiliated with Disney or Square Enix in any way. I have nothing to do with anyone who is affiliated with Disney or Square Enix. I do not infringe copyright. I just like to play.

Author's Note: It took me almost ten hours to write this prompt because as I tried to write it, I was sitting in the living room, watching my dad build Gummi ships and start playing KH2. If it seems disjointed, that would be why. Oh, well. His Gummi ship was pretty sweet. Looked like it came out of Star Wars. Anyway, the story continues . . .

Step Twenty-Eight: Ideas

"How long will you be staying?" said Aerith.

Cloud glanced up and followed Aerith's gaze to Tifa. The entire group sat in the living room of the house Cloud and Leon shared. Leon and Aerith made dinner for everyone, and Cloud ate most of it in a rush. Working on rooftops all day took a lot out of him. Conversation picked up as the food dwindled. A small portion of uneaten rice remained on his plate, and Cloud took to pushing it around instead of cleaning up.

"I don't know," said Tifa. "I don't want to be away from Marlene and Denzel for too long. Vincent's watching them while I'm gone, but . . ."

Yuffie burst out laughing. Cloud smiled.

"I'd almost pay to see that," said Cloud.

"He's very good with them. He just isn't . . ."

"Kid-friendly?"

"He's very loving."

"Vincent doesn't talk much," said Cid. "Doesn't mean he don't care."

Tifa nodded.

"Exactly. And you're one to talk, Cloud. No one would expect you to love kids so much, either."

"At least I play with them," said Cloud. "I can't imagine Vincent Valentine at a playground. Actually, I can, but it's really ridiculous."

"Almost as ridiculous as the thought of Cid at a playground, but that used to happen a lot, anyway," said Yuffie.

"The kids adore him. Really."

"They adore Cloud, too," said Leon. "To be honest, it's always concerned me."

"What's wrong with me?"

"Let's just say you aren't 'kid-friendly'."

Cloud glared at Leon and went back to pushing his food around his plate.

"Cloud, are you up to more roofing tomorrow?" said Aerith. "Cid is making tons of progress, and he could use your help."

Cloud grunted.

"Poor baby," said Tifa, laughing.

"Is there a problem?" said Aerith.

"When I found Cloud today he was having a fight with the hammer."

"Let me guess," said Leon. "The hammer won?"

"You could say that," said Cloud. He held out his bruised fingers, cracked, and brushed with dried blood. Aerith smiled and shook her head.

"Leon, could you bring me a potion and a first-aid kit?"

"Is that a no, then?" said Cid.

"I'll help tomorrow. My fingers just hurt," said Cloud.

"That's what the potion is for," said Aerith. "They need cleaned up, though."

"Can't you clean up your own injuries?" said Leon.

"I can't hit a nail with a hammer without mutilating my fingers. Why are you surprised?"

"I'll help tomorrow," said Leon. He handed Aerith a potion bottle and the first aid kid before sitting next to Cloud. "Cloud can shovel gravel or help organize the townspeople or something . . ."

"I can do the roofing. Tifa can help organize the townspeople."

"Tifa does need a job to do, doesn't she?"

"I said I came to help out. Any job you want to pass my way is welcome," said Tifa. "Except, of course, if you wanted me to hold the nail while Cloud hammers."

"I don't think Aerith will let anyone except Cloud take that job."

"Thanks, Aerith," said Cloud.

She smiled, shook her head, and uncorked the potion bottle.

"Drink."

----------0----------

Most of the morning was spent on roofing. Cid and some of the other townsfolk got the frames up for many stores and homes in the town's borough and marketplace areas over the past few days. Houses extended past the marketplace toward where Cloud used to park his Gummi. Now Cloud and Leon had to finish them off.

When the plans for the Hollow Bastion Restoration were first drawn up, Cid went to work on providing power to the town. With the power grid outlined and built, all that needed to be done was connect the power to shops and houses once built. Everything worked out just as intended until today. If it weren't for Leon's good-intentioned yet wholly unpopular maneuver to take the first house for him and Cloud, they might not have got to work on fixing the problem in the early hours of the morning.

Leon was an early-riser. Cloud liked to sleep in, and while Cloud was content in his warm bed during the hazy hours of dawn, Leon was content to try and make breakfast. When the lights didn't turn on, the power in the refrigerator was off, and the stove wouldn't start, Leon woke everyone to share the news. Without breakfast, Cid stumbled outside to look over his blueprints and start making corrections.

Cloud was cranky. He had no breakfast, his knuckles were black and blue, and lunch consisted of an apple with a peanut butter sandwich. That's right. A peanut butter sandwich, jelly not included. Leon worked twice as fast as Cloud, and before he got started, managed to round up five members of the town that didn't seem to completely hate him for help.

Aerith handed out lunches to the workers, while Yuffie made sure the people in homes had food and were settled. Tifa helped homeless families plan for which houses they moved into, and took it upon herself to smooth things out between them and Leon. She didn't have much success at first (someone even dared to throw gravel at her), but by the afternoon, they adored her. One of them now called her "doll."

Cloud walked out of the marketplace in the opposite direction of the castle—in the direction he used to park his Gummi. Once upon a time, there were many homes out this way. People who preferred a quieter life than the hustle and bustle the marketplace and borough had to offer settled here. There was more land and space between homes, and not many tourists ventured this way.

Leon and two other men Cloud didn't know worked on the houses in the borough and marketplace. In the distance, the other three men Leon recruited worked on houses, finishing the roofs or adding the finishing touches to the interior. Cloud bent over, kneeled next to Cid's beaten, red toolbox, and grabbed a box of nails. His eyes drifted across the land, past the rebuilt homes to a large hill in the distance. Allowing his eyelids to drift closed, Cloud's thoughts returned to what lay beyond the hill and the little river that brought him comfort. Thoughts of Riku returned.

His face, his eyes, his skin, his hair, his voice . . .

"Daydreaming again? Aren't you supposed to be working? Lunch is over, y'know."

The illusion shattered, and Cloud glanced up at the figure casting a shadow over him.

"Hey, Cid. How's the power grid coming along?"

"Just about got it all fixed. Your fingers doing okay?"

Cloud grunted and held up his hands. Bruises ornamented his swollen knuckles, and three of his fingernails were cracked. Cid laughed.

"You know you're supposed to hit the nail and not your fingers, right?"

"I don't know! Maybe I'm so used to aiming for human body parts that my aim doesn't apply to inanimate objects. Wish it were someone else's fingers, though."

"I bet you do."

"So does this mean we'll have power tonight?"

"Should. Hope it lasts. I want to get this finished before it gets cold."

"Cold? It's been hot lately. At least as far as this place gets, anyway."

"Summer's last revenge before winter hits. It's already October, and you'll be freezing when November comes. Mark my words."

"Duly marked."

"Anyway, Aerith just sent me over here to let you know we're having a bonfire tonight."

"A bonfire?"

"Tifa's idea. Don't ask me. I have to get back to work, and so do you. Watch those fingers."

"I'm trying."

Cid nodded and turned away, walking back in the direction of town. Cloud watched his departure, but thoughts remained on the news Cid brought. A bonfire? Tifa's idea? What was she up to?

----------0----------

Cloud popped open the potion bottle and poured the contents down his throat. He winced. The stuff tasted liked acid, but it helped the pain in his hands.

"Give it, here," said Aerith. Cloud passed her the bottle, and she dropped it in the trash can. "Hand."

Cloud held his arm out and dropped his head, staring at the carpet.

"Are you ready to go yet?" said Tifa. "Leon, Cid, and Yuffie are already at the campsite. Leon's working on the fire, and Yuffie's already got the food."

"Did Cid get everything straightened out?" said Aerith. Tifa nodded.

"What do you mean by campsite?" said Cloud.

"Didn't Cid tell you?" said Tifa. "We're camping."

"I thought it was just a bonfire."

"What's a bonfire without camping?"

"And Leon agreed to this."

"Yep."

"I find this hard to believe."

"Leon isn't as cold as you think."

"I know Leon isn't cold. He's my best friend."

Tifa cocked an eyebrow, smiled, and looked to Aerith.

"Okay."

"All done," said Aerith. She patted the bandages wrapped around his knuckles. "Is the campsite all set up, or should Cloud and I bring something along?"

"No, don't worry about it. Leon, Yuffie, and I took care of everything."

"You mean Leon was in on it?" said Cloud.

"I don't know what you're so crabby about. You used to love camping. Now let's go before the sun rises, okay?"

Cloud wasn't crabby. He wasn't crabby as he followed Aerith and Tifa out of the house, through the marketplace, past Cid's new Gummi Garage, or over the hill to the river. No, he wasn't crabby at all.

"I can't believe you actually got him to come," said Leon.

"Isn't this great?" said Yuffie. "It's just like when we were kids."

"Yeah," said Cloud. "Great."

"He's crabby," said Tifa.

"No, I'm not."

"Come on," said Leon. "You had to expect it. I know I did."

"You expected me to be crabby?"

"I knew you were crabby," said Tifa.

"Let's all just have a good time, okay?" said Aerith.

Cloud looked at the raging fire by the river. When they were young, the matron of the orphanage held a bonfire for the children once a month. Cid was often there, living so close by and spending so much time with the kids. Leon, Zack, and Cloud used to race around the fire playing swordfight while Aerith, Tifa, and Yuffie danced with the other little girls. Sometimes they told ghost stories, even though Mrs. Kramer sometimes thought it wasn't wise for children to be scared before bed.

"Look," said Leon, walking up to Cloud. He held out a skewer with a hot dog pierced to its end. "I know the last you were here was with you boyfriend. Tifa really wanted to do this, though. I mean, really, how long has it been since we've all been in the same place at the same time?"

"Long time. It's not all of us, though."

"No, but it's not Zack that's bothering you."

Cloud noticed Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, and Cid watching them.

"It's everything that's bothering me."

"Yeah, okay, you have a point there. You were warming up, though. Just relax and have fun."

He shoved the skewer toward Cloud again and pointed to the fire.

"Go roast a hot dog and make Tifa happy."

Cloud looked from the skewer to Leon and burst into laughter.

"Is everyone so simple to please?"

"Not you."

Cloud smiled, grabbed the skewer, and walked over to his friends. He sat on one of the logs circling the fire, and Leon sat beside him. Tifa grinned.

"Decided to join us?"

"I guess I can put aside my crabby attitude for one night."

"It's going to be great," said Yuffie. "We'll tell ghost stories, and dance, and you and Leon can kick the crap out of each other."

"I'll tell ghost stories, but the dancing is up to you. And I'm not up for kicking the crap out of anyone."

"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that, too," said Leon. "It's not as fun to play when you're doing it for real."

"So how do you like hanging around here?" said Cloud.

"It's fun," said Tifa. "I like seeing everyone again, and helping with the restoration is really . . . I don't know. Brings back memories. Good ones. Bad ones. Mostly good ones."

"How is going with the homeless families?" said Leon.

"Since you can't go near them without risking life and limb," said Cloud.

"It's going great. I got invited to dinner at six of the families' homes once they move in."

"Leon got bruises from their excellent gravel-throwing skills."

Leon grunted.

"At least they have better aim than you."

"Doesn't work to your benefit, though."

"I like this," said Tifa, looking around at the group. "Everyone in the same place. Everyone working together. I was just wondering . . . Was anyone planning on rebuilding the orphanage?"

"I thought about it," said Aerith.

"I just think it'd be a great idea," said Tifa. "I mean, it did so much for us. With the Heartless . . . I bet there's a lot of kids looking for a home."

Cloud looked to the ground.

"You know," he said, "I think that's a great idea."

Double post. Continue, please.