Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. These ditties are mine, as are Duke and McCallister. Now that I finally have time to write, I'm pumping these things out like water. I hope they're at least half-decent. Enjoy round three!
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007 - Formal Attire
Tifa checked the clock on the wall, tapping her high heeled shoe on the floor impatiently.
"Seriously? We're supposed to be there in five minutes." She called out, folding her arms and checking her hair in the mirror for the umpteenth time.
"Go solo if you're so impatient." Leon grumbled from his room.
"Oh no." She said, smoothing her dress. "I'm not going to this ridiculous thing by myself. The Council wants all the big guns to show up."
Leon grumbled something along the lines of: "This is stupid."
Tifa fixed the shoulder strap of her dress, "Stop being a baby. At least YOU don't have to wear heels. I swear, these things were invented to torture women."
"—like a friggin' penguin—" He mumbled.
She snorted and checked her watch again. "It's a charity banquet. They're all going to be staring at the yacht that's being auctioned. I'm hiding out at the open bar; I don't know about you."
His door opened and, with all the reluctance of a two year old, Leon stepped out, glaring daggers at Tifa, threatening her not to say anything about the tux he was being forced to wear. Tifa covered her mouth to hide her grin and stifle the giggles.
Leon pointed at her. "Not a word."
She shook her head shortly, "I didn't say anything."
"Yeah, keep it that way." He grunted sourly, shouldering past her to leave.
Tifa snickered and followed him out. "Lead the way, Mr. Bond."
He cast her a dangerous look and she just laughed at his expense.
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008 - Charley Horse
"Oh, shit, shit, shit." Tifa yelped, followed by a thud in the break room of the Allied headquarters.
McCallister looked up in alarm, but Leon just sighed and waved her off, going into the break room to investigate what was going on for himself. He walked into the break room to find Tifa on the floor, one knee curled up to her chin, hugging her leg to herself.
Alarm shot up his spine for a brief moment.
"What happened?" He asked.
She looked up at him. "Cramp. Charley Horse. Bad one." She hissed through gritted teeth.
"Easy." He said laxly.
"Ow, geez." She drew a deep breath. "Feels like it's in knots."
"Try straightening your leg out." He advised.
"I don't want to. It hurts." She said, almost whining.
"Okay, calm down." He said, deadpan expression in place, helping her get upright and onto the couch.
Tifa sat awkwardly, leaving her leg curled up. Leon perched on the edge of the coffee table in front of the couch.
"Try to rub it out." He suggested.
Tifa was already massaging one hand around her thigh, trying to work the coiled, constricted muscle loose. By the painful way she was biting her lip, it wasn't working very well.
With a tentative sigh, he lifted a hand, offering to help. She complied, granting permission by shifting her leg slightly. She ran a hand over her face in exasperation. He prodded at her leg until he found the worst spot of the contorting muscle.
Forcing all discomfort aside, he made a fist and started kneading his knuckles over the spot on the side of her thigh, unconsciously sliding his other hand under her knee to stop her squirming. Tifa kept her head tilted back and her eyes closed as Leon worked the cramp loose. After a while, her knee gained some slack and he carefully stretched it out, propping her foot on the coffee table.
"Is everything ok—Oh, sorry." McCallister walked in, immediately looking away upon seeing Leon's hand on Tifa's thigh.
He rolled his eyes. "It was a charley horse, McCallister. Bring an ice pack over here."
"No, no," Tifa waved a hand, "I'm fine. It just caught me off guard."
Leon dismissed that statement with a look to McCallister, who quickly fetched an ice pack, handing it over. He took the cold bag and shooed the soldier. She looked embarrassed and hastily left. Shaking his head at her weird behavior, he propped the ice pack against the offending area on Tifa's thigh and then sat back.
"Better?" He said, standing.
Tifa wordlessly flashed him an 'okay' handsign. Satisfied that she was all right, he made to leave the room and let her pull herself together.
"Now we're even." He remarked and went back to his office.
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009 - Giggles
Tifa was either in pain or…or Leon had no idea. She was standing with her back to him, one hand against the side of the Gummi Ship, steadying herself, like she was having trouble standing. Squinting one eye, he looked to a nearby pilot, who shrugged and walked away.
"Are you all right?" He asked dryly.
Her shoulders trembled and she lifted her other hand to her face, dropping her head and shaking.
"F-F-Fine." She choked out, along with a weird, sputtering noise.
Giving a long-suffering sigh, he closed the door of the Gummi and walked around toward her, unable to discern what was going on since her hair had fallen in a curtain, shielding her face. He was about to ask again what was going on when she let loose an explosive noise like a gasp and a cry at the same time.
Losing herself to the laughter, Tifa doubled over, holding her sides and leaning against the Gummi as the giggles practically took over her body.
Thoroughly confused, Leon stared at her in bewilderment.
"I'm sor-sor-I'm sor-ry." Tifa gasped, snorting loudly. This only caused her to laugh harder.
"What could possibly be that funny?" He asked flatly.
Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she nearly fell over laughing.
"I c—The oth—With the big—You tried—But then it—"
She was too far gone to even speak.
Lips flat, he just lifted an eyebrow until the giggles subsided. Tifa wiped her eyes and looked at him, catching her breath and offering a shit-eating grin.
"How could you NOT think that was funny?" She choked, shoulders jumping with the chuckles.
Leon's face was deadpan. "I'm laughing on the inside."
Tifa blinked, her face crinkled, and she roared laughing again, this time really going down to the floor. Rolling his eyes, Leon turned and walked out of the hangar.
"Like a friggin' two year old." He murmured.
"Why is Tifa being weird?" One of the hangar regulars asked.
"She's a woman. Who knows." Leon shook his head, leaving.
It was a perfectly good explanation to him.
