I live! I'm terribly sorry to have dropped off the face of the planet for the past three years. Had some pretty major life events happen, but I'm hoping to poke around here more often now. I appreciate so much all of the wonderful reviews and faves that I've received throughout my absence, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. (And rest easy, the next one isn't too far away.) Love you guys!

Journeys is a series of 100-word drabbles, completely random and unrelated except for every tenth one (the last of each chapter). A couple of these contain mature themes, mentions of sex, violence, etc., but nothing explicit. "Predatory" might seem familiar to those who saw a version of it on Livejournal or Dreamwidth long ago.

Part five of six.

Disclaimer: dood, fanfiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act.

Part 5

Wall

Leon planted one hand firmly on the top of the girl's head to hold her still and keep her sticky fingers at arm's length. "Why do you keep following me around?"

"'Cause you remind me of someone I used to know a long, long time ago. He was all tall, dark and sexy like you...but you know, he had a much better attitude about things. Always smiling. You should totally lighten up and crack a smile sometime. You know, I bet if you just–"

"Yuffie."

"Squall." Huge eyes, innocent smile.

Leon grimaced. "Go talk to a wall, would you?"

Heart

It started with a smile. A small, shy, accidental one that Cloud erased off his face the instant he noticed Leon was looking at him, but by then it was too late. The damage was done, and that fleeting, honest expression was burned into Leon's mind for weeks. He knew he had no right to feel this way, no right to think of Cloud as anything more than a friend. But his heart rallied fiercely against his common sense, telling him without a doubt that that shy smile and the quiet, steely soul that hid behind it should be his.

Plethora

It came as no surprise that Leon knew the names of every single Dalmatian in the family. Cloud watched in stoic awe from behind the safety of his cowl as Leon greeted the yipping, writhing black and white swarm one by one, offering each a pat on the head or scratch behind the ear. Cloud was relatively sure that one squirmy, round puppy, overeager for Leon's attention, came back around for seconds.

A quieter pup came to sit beside Cloud's foot. He looked to Leon questioningly.

"Pepper," Leon told him, smiling as if the pup somehow reminded him of Cloud.

Shine

More often than not, if Cloud wasn't roaming aimlessly around Hollow Bastion, he could be found somewhere quiet with his sword across his knees, tin of polish beside him and a cloth in his hand. Leon would sometimes watch from a distance, mesmerized by the firm, careful swipes from the blade's spine to its razor-sharp edge, over and over and over.

Cloud never told anyone why he was so determined to keep the blade so damned clean, and his melancholy kept Leon from ever broaching the subject. Whatever the reason was for his fastidiousness, it was a deeply personal one.

Desert

Sora jogs away to talk to a merchant, leaving Cloud and Leon alone in Agrabah's busy marketplace. Neither is comfortable with the native garb—billowy white pants belted low around their waists and...well, not much else—but it's not in their nature to complain.

Cloud glances at the scimitar at his hip, feeling even more naked without the Buster. He shifts his weight, testing the feel of the unfamiliar weapon, then catches an amused glint in Leon's eyes.

"Can't handle it, Strife?"

"Well, it is smaller... Quicker strikes, I imagine," Cloud murmurs. "Nice, subtle curve..." He smirks. "I'll manage."

Grease

Cloud reached past Leon's shoulder to grab a relatively clean rag, and he used it to clean up his hands and Leon's stomach and chest. Leon glared at him as grease smeared across his skin, but Cloud only smirked.

"What, you'd rather go home with that all over you?" he asked, looking pointedly at the mess they'd made. "I'm giving you an alibi."

"We need to cover up the fact that we've been together?"

"Leon, in case it escaped your attention, we just had sex in Cid's garage. Cid's. Garage. Plus, you broke his creeper."

"...Fuck. Fine. Give me that."

Predatory

Cloud sits on the bed and leans back so he's propped on his elbows, knees spread and off the edge of the mattress in unspoken invitation, all laid out for his lover's enjoyment. And he does enjoy it, too, Cloud can tell. Leon's posture is straight, stiff, and predatory, silver-blue eyes smoldering with dark, sensual promise. Cloud's gaze drops to the outline of his snug leather pants, helpless, and that makes Leon smile dangerously. He knows exactly how much he affects him, and that's probably dangerous in and of itself, but right now Cloud can't really bring himself to care.

Sephiroth

"Eight through-and-through stab wounds. Eight, Cloud." The gruff male voice paused long enough for its owner to push out a heavy sigh, then the world blurred and heaved and spun and he could no longer tell up from down. "I really don't know why you keep putting yourself in these kinds of situations..."

Cloud only vaguely realized who was speaking, who was carrying him, whose hard chest he was cradled against and whose leather jacket he was gushing blood all over before a stronger wave of nauseating darkness flooded through him, and he was lost to blessed unconsciousness once more.

Shave

Leon smears shaving cream on his cheeks, jaw, and throat, checking the mirror above the sink to make sure he didn't miss any spots. Cloud watches him quietly, leaning on the doorframe. It's a small part of their routine every morning. Leon shaves. Cloud never does.

"Do you ever miss it?" Leon asks, carefully dragging the razor through the thin layer of fluff.

"Sometimes," Cloud admits. "I didn't get much practice in before the mako..."

Moments later, Leon nicks a spot under his jaw despite the cream. He swears, pressing a finger firmly on the sting.

Cloud smirks. "And yet..."

Hope

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah," Cloud murmured, though he didn't look away from the view beyond the bailey's broad window until Leon had moved within arm's reach. He turned to face the brunet then, ocean-bright eyes lifting to meet starlit gray. "I've been thinking...a lot," he admitted. "And...I'm sorry."

Leon stared at him a moment, then lowered his gaze and nodded, as if he'd expected as much. He started to turn away, only to be halted by a hand on his arm.

"Sorry I didn't see it sooner," Cloud persisted softly. "Can you give me another chance?"