(no subject)

[leatheredlion.livejournal.com]

Who: Squall & Sora
When: A short while after Squall’s meeting with Zell, Tifa and Yuna
Where: Destiny Islands and Balamb Garden
What: Squall asks Sora for aid
Rating: PG-13



The sun was bright in the sky and the waves were gentle. The sand was warm on his skin and the wind was tender to his face. With a long, deep sigh, Sora crossed his arms under his head, smiling. It was nice to just relax. It was nice to have nothing to do. He wasn't sure where Riku or Kairi were but it didn't matter. All that was important was the sun kissing his skin and the breeze toying with his hair. His shirts were piled beside him and his eyes were shut but Sora did not stir. The Islands had him relaxed.

Squall had travelled to the Islands with a heavy heart. He really didn't want to drag the boy into another war. It was a selfish act. But he didn't know what else he could do. He had to admit to himself that he, alone, could not cure the Heartless problem. He had changed on the airship into baggy jeans and a plain t-shirt. The heat was just making the leather stick to his skin, and that was before he was even out in the sun. He opened the doors of the airship and jumped to the sandy ground below, looking around at his surroundings, shielding his eyes from the sun.

The noise of the airship made the boy open his eyes. Blinking at the sun, he shifted to sit up and looked for the source of the noises. As soon as his eyes focused on the airship, he let out a squeak. Sora yanked on his shirt, leaving it open, and began a run towards the ship. "LEON!!!!" His voice was as loud as it could've been when he ran, diving at the older man and grinning excitedly as he hugged him around his waist.

Squall stumbled back a little, digging his heels into the sand to steady himself. He chuckled a little before trying to free himself from the younger brunette's arms. "It's good to see you, Sora."

Beaming widely, Sora let go, laughing a little. "It's been so long! How are you? How's everyone? How's things with Yuffie and everyone?!" His eyes shone with innocence despite the things he'd seen and done.

Squall frowned a little, running his hand through his hair, before folding his arms across his chest. "To be honest... I haven't really seen that much of them lately. After the war. After Hollow Bastion was restored. I went home. I'm a Commander of a training academy."

"Oh... oh right. Well, how's that going? It must be hard work!" Sora folded his arms behind his head, grinning still. "Things are the same as ever here. Boring but peaceful." He chuckled.

Squall turned his gaze to the hot sands burning his feet. "Sora... I... I'm not sure how to say this. My reason for coming here... It is not a leisure trip..."

A frow shoved that smile away and his fingers twitched, small sparkles coming from them as the the Keyblade itched to appear. "What is it, Leon?"

"... The Heartless... They are appearing all over Gaia. Nobodies as well." He gritted his teeth. "I've tried to deal with it myself, but there are just too many of them..."

"Give me two minutes to go get my stuff. We'll head for Gaia right away." He replied, not giving Leon a chance to speak before he turned to run towards his home.

Squall sighed and sat on the steps on his airship as he waited for Sora. He felt like a real asshole. Sora was happy here. He had put his life back together. It wasn't fair of Squall to rip all that away from him.

As soon as he had his things, all stuffed in a duffle bag, Sora came running back. He brushed back his spiked brown hair and looked to Leon with determination. "Let's go."

Squall frowned a little, looking up at the younger male. "You don't have to do this, you know? You can say 'no'."

"Say 'no', huh? Since when did you become such a downer?" He nudged Leon playfully as he stepped onto the airship. "I can't say no, Leon. This is why I have the Keyblade. It's not right or fair of me to say no."

Squall stood and followed Sora on board. It was a small airship. A Garden owned ship, designed for missions. It was enough to get the job done. "Not a downer, just do not want you to feel pressured." He murmured, moving to the captain's seat.

"If I felt pressured, I'd tell you where you could go, Leon. I'm not about to turn my back on you guys." He sat in the second seat, kicking his feet up on the console and folding his arms behind his head. "Say... where's King Mickey?"

Squall's hand tensed on the controls. His jaw clenching a little. He knew the question was bound to come up eventually, he just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. "He... has fallen." Squall replied, trying to keep his face neutral.

Sora stayed still, not really taking it in at first. "Oh, right, yeah I... wait... fallen? As in... he's dead?" His hands came to rest on his lap as his feet dropped to the floor. "H-how? The Heartless?"

Squall kept his eyes locked on the console, teeth gritting loudly. "He... has fallen to darkness. He is one with the Heartless..."

"No..." His voice was but a whisper but his hands tensed into fists. "Why?! Why didn't he fight it?! Why didn't he stand up against them? Why didn't you do something, Leon?!"

Squall closed his eyes, fighting back the hurt tears that threatened to fall. He slammed his fists against the console, shoving himself to his feet. "It was my fault, okay?! He was saving me!! It was all my fault!!!"

Sora looked up at the older man, his eyes wet but wide. "...I... I'm sorry. I didn't m-mean to blame you... I..." He frowned intensely, sniffling like the child he was.

Squall rested an arm over his eyes, wiping them on his skin. "I can still see it. I can still see that Heartless ripping his heart from his chest. I can still see the inky blackness covering him, taking over him. I can still hear the screeching cry of his nobody as he strangled it, mutilating it into a mock keyblade..."

Sora choked slightly on his breath, hands coming to cover his mouth. "Nn... L-Leon... stop... don't keep blaming yourself... ngh... it's not your fault." He spoke through weak sobs.

Squall sat back in his seat. "It is my fault. If I had just been more alert. If I had just seen that Heartless try to attack me... Then the King..." He let out a heavy sigh. "He blames me. He comes to my dreams. Plagues my sleep."

"That's not him, Leon. That's a Heartless. That's not the King." He shook his head, wiping away some tears. Drawing his knees to his chest, he hugged them, watching the older male.

Squall wiped his own tears away, running a hand through his hair to calm himself. "I didn't want to drag you into this mess. But I cannot fight it alone."

"It's okay. It's my job. I'm supposed to help you." Sora rubbed his eyes a bit more then sighed. "How bad is it down there?"

"The problem is pretty wide spread. The Heartless wiped out a complex in a matter of hours. Some areas of the world are still Heartless-free. But not many." He pressed the controls, getting the airship into the sky.

"Then we set up base in the least affected area. We'll be safe then, while we work on ways to get them cleared out quickly." Sora looked out to the sky.

"Balamb Garden is clear at the moment. It is also where all the research I have collected is being stored. I got my hands on the Ansem reports."

"Hmm... Ansem's reports might be useful. We'll be able to figure out how the Heartless are born and how to counter them." Sora chewed the inside of his cheek in thought before looking to Leon. "Have any other Keyblade weilders emerged? Or is it just me...?"

"No. Only you. Mickey sought me out to discuss the problem in secret. Then after his defeat, I've been trying to deal with it as best I can alone. But after Gold Saucer fell. I knew I couldn't do it without help." Squall replied, pilotting the airship back towards Balamb Garden.

"Is it just you? There's no one else trying to help at all?" He frowned openly, looking at the older brunette. "There's at least someone, right? You've got friends to help... right?"

"I... there are a few people willing to help. But I am afraid. Afraid they will fall the same way the King did."

"...sometimes... Fear is our only weapon. We're scared of the Heartless... but that gives us the strength to fight them. Fear is our second strongest weapon." He nodded once, in determination.

Squall offered a half-smile. "I wish I had your optimism. It'd make things a lot easier."

"Well, that's what our strongest weapon is! Friendship! That's why you need me. Not because I'm 'Sora the Keyblade Weilder'. Because I'm 'Sora, your friend'." He smiled.

Squall flipped the airship into autopilot and settled back in his seat. "I suppose that is true. Friends do make the battle easier. But sometimes they complicate things too."

"Complicate things... how? I mean, sure, you worry for friends in battle but... that keeps us alert. Right?" He tilted his head.

Squall shook his head. "It's nothing. Forget it." He gave Sora another smile, resting his feet up on the console. "When we get to Balamb Garden, I'll let you get settled in before bombarding you with information."

Sora frowned in confusion but just settled into his seat more. "Okay." He chewed his lower lip lightly. "I don't know how strong I'll be, Leon. I haven't fought the Heartless in a long time. And... without Donald or Goofy..." He pouted slightly.

Squall tilted his head to look at the boy. "You will be stronger than you remember. You're heart is pure. You have a good sense of justice. Besides, you have me to stand beside you."

Nodding with a smile, Sora turned his head to watch the sky as they headed for this new place he'd never seen. Ahh... life was always an adventure.

Squall turned his attention to the skies, watching the clouds fly by in silence. As they came closer to Balamb Garden to took over the controls, lowering the airship a little.

As they dipped in the sky, Sora sat up more, eyes wide at new, exciting place. "This is... Balamb Garden?" His bright blue eyes sparked.

Squall gave a nod. "This is it. My home." He landed the airship in the docking station, switching off the power to the engine.

He rose from his chair, pulling his bag over his shoulder again. "Well, lead the way, Commander!!" He beamed at Leon how he always did but his face was more mature; that of a teenager whose eyes had seen far too much.

Squall reached over, ruffling Sora's hair. "Right." He picked up the ag containing his leathers and threw it over his shoulder, walking off the airship into the Garden Complex. He pulled a phone from his pocket and called reception, asking them to arrange a room and a keycard for his guest. "The room will be ready soon. You hungry?"

"Yeah! I was waiting for my mom to make dinner when you came..." He chuckled, scratching the back of his head with an awkward grin as he followed Leon.

. Squall totally forgot that Sora had a family. Now he felt even worse. "You... did tell her you were leaving, didn't you?" He asked, walking along the corridor towards the cafeteria.

"Of course!! I'm not completely stupid!" He grumbled, following Leon more like a little puppy than a little boy. His eyes were wide at all the men and women walking around. Especially when they would salute their commander.

Squall nodded in acknowledgement of the cadets and moved to a far corner of the cafeteria, setting his bag down. "Sorry, just checking." He offered Sora a smile and pointed to the counter. "Help yourself."

Sora set his own bag down and soon rushed off towards the counter. A moment or so later, the boy returned to the table with a tray stacked high with food. He beamed at Leon before beginning to eat rather quickly.

Squall rose an eyebrow and moved to get himself a mug of coffee and a single slice of toast. "Healthy appetite, I see." He teased.

"Huh? Oh... heh... yeah..." He blushed, slowing himself down a bit to breathe, if anything. The boy still ate pretty damn quickly and soon enough, he'd demolished all of the food.

Squall chuckled and curled his hands around his mug, sipping at the thick, black contents slowly.

As soon as he'd finished, Sora let out a little burp then nudged the tray aside, folding his arms on the table then soon resting his head on his hand. "You still look the same." He muttered, watching the older brunette. "But you seem different."

Squall looked down at Sora, tilting his head a little. "Different? How?"

"I dunno... you're... not as grumpy. And you seem kinda... comfortable? I dunno..." He shrugged before stretching his arms up, humming as his eyes closed.

Squall rose an eyebrow. "Grumpy?" He huffed a little, staring into his coffee. "I wasn't in a happy place back then. I ran away from here. From this."

"So... you're in a happy place, now? You're happy?" He smiled a little, resting on his hand again to watch Leon.

"Perhaps. I have a good job, a nice home, people who care about me." He smiled a little, sipping his coffee. "I still miss Hollow Bastion sometimes though, and the friends I made there."

"Why don't you go visit them? Or did everyone split up there?" He scrunched his nose before pouting a little. "I missed you guys. It might've been a hard time back then but... but I had fun when we laughed."

"I'm not sure. I imagine they all went their own ways. But I do not know." Squall took a bit of his toast. "Maybe once the Heartless are gone I shall go visiting people."

"Well, we'll have to get rid of them, soon! I want to go with you to see everyone!" He grinned. "I want to meet all of your friends here and wherever else, too!"

Squall chuckled a little and cut his toast in half, offering half to Sora. "Well, that'll taken about five minutes then. I don't have very many friends."

Sora took the toast and bit into it. "Sure you do! I bet you have loads, a likeable guy like you!" He beamed at Leon, trying to hint at his playful sarcasm.

Squall rose an eyebrow. "Behave, or I'll lock you in the training center overnight."

"Ha, like I'm scared of you." He stuffed the toast in his mouth and chuckled.

"It's not me you should be scared of. It's the large, hungry fiends in there." Squall replied, drinking his coffee.

"Hey, I defeat Heartless. Your Garden variety fiends are no match for me!" Sora grinned, bouncing in his seat slightly. "So! Where now??"

A young lady crossed the room and laid a keycard on the table in front of Squall. "The keycard you requested, Mr Leonhart." She murmured. "Room 23." She smiled, gave a nod and turned to leave.

Squall scooped up the card. "Thank you." He held it out to Sora. "This is for you. I'll show you to your room."

Sora took the card and looked it over before shifting out of his seat and beaming at Leon still. "Show the way!"

Squall smiled and picked up his bag. He walked out of the cafeteria and along the corridor towards the dorm. He retrieved his own keycard, swiping it through the card reader outside Sora's room. His card was a master card. It could unlock any room in Garden. "This is it."

Taking his own bag along, Sora followed Leon. The young teen poked his head into his new room. With a smile, he stepped inside and tossed his bag on his new bed. "It's great!" He instantly began to remove his clothes, in need of a shower after being laid in the sea-dampened sand.

Squall leaned against the wall. "They're not the best rooms in the world, but they do. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Unless the room hasn't got towels?" He chuckled, opening a door to find a small bathroom. The boy kicked his shoes off and dropped his pants. As he turned his back on Leon, a numerous amount of cuts and scrapes were visible down his back and all over his legs. He'd had a lot of fun but fighting the native beasts of his Islands was a bad idea.

"There are fresh towels laid out..." He frowned, looking at Sora's body. He moved over to him and touched the cuts lightly. "Sora?"

Hissing slightly as his back was touched, Sora turned his head, looking at Leon. He was sixteen now, barely a child but still not an adult, yet his eyes seemed to carry a look far too intense for his age. "Hm?"

Squall tugged his glove off and ran bare fingertips over those cuts. "What happened?" He asked, murmuring a Cure spell under his breath.

Sora shivered slightly at the feeling of that curative magic and those fingers on his skin. "Training. I was fighting the creatures of my Island. I got ganged up on." He half-smiled, leaning into Leon's touch a little.

Squall pulled his hand away and replaced his glove. "Be more careful. I don't want to see you injured." He smiled a little. "I'll leave you to shower."

Sora nodded a little. "D-don't go far. I still want to catch up. I... don't know my round, yet. Remember?" He smiled up at his friend who wasn't really that much taller than him now.

Squall gave a nod. "Very well. I'll wait on the bed for you."

Sora openly blushed at that but forced himself to head inside the bathroom. The young teen showered, singing a song at the top of his voice, barely caring that it was out of tune and slightly screechy because of puberty.

Squall sat on the bed, drawing his knees to his chest, chuckling against them as he listened to the younger teen sing.

As soon as he was clean, Sora came springing from the bathroom. His towel was around his waist and the Kingdom Hearts chain remained around his neck. Finishing his song, he brightly grinned at Leon before flopping beside him on the bed.

Squall was still laughing softly against his knees, hiding his face from view. "You are tone deaf."

"And you are laughing." He smirked at Leon before leaning to get his bag, rummaging inside and retrieving some clothes, tilting his head at them.

Squall lifted his head to look at Sora, watching the half-naked Keyblader. "Yes, I am." He smiled, before burying his head again, adverting his gaze while the boy changed.

"It's weird to hear you laugh. You rarely did when we used to spend time together." He pulled his pants on but left himself shirtless, now digging through his things for a potion.

Squall rested his chin on his knees, smiling a little. "I'm not as much of an emotionless bastard as people seem to think." Once Sora got hold of the potion, he held his hand out. "Want me to rub it on your back?"

Sora nodded slightly, almost squeaking at Leon's swearing. He handed the older man the potion then moved to get another and proceeded the rub it into the cuts on his legs and the tiny few on his chest and arms.

Squall removed his gloves and shifted a little, pouring some of the potion onto his palms, before rubbing his hands over the boy's back.

Sora hissed a little but as the potion seeped into the wounds, some of which were infected and weeping after laying on the sand, he calmed slightly, resting into Leon's touch.

Squall dug a hand into his jeans pocket and pulled out an antidote, opening it with his teeth, pouring some onto the worst cuts.

"Ahh... Leon..." He pouted a little, trembling at the feeling of the antidote. That always seemed to sting worse than potions. He looked over his shoulder at his older friend.

Squall smiled apologetically. "Sorry. It'll draw the infection out of the cuts so they heal quicker."

"Coulda warned me... it stings, y'know." He rested back on his hands, his head hanging forward as he left his back exposed to Leon.

"Sorry. I didn't realise you weren't used to it. It's almost natural for me to reach for such supplies." He poured the rest of the potion onto his hands and rubbed them over those cuts.

"Yeah, well... I'm not much of a battler anymore. It's been a while since I fought anything that wasn't just a native animal." He murmured, almost purring the words at the feel of Leon's hands on his back. "Mm... everyone from the Island who came from somewhere else has just gone back to where they came from. Riku and Kairi aren't as fun as they used to be. We don't have time for games now we have so much school..."

Squall chuckled a little. "Yeah well, we've all been there. School is never any fun. I hated it."

"It's so boring!! I mean... when you've saved the world, learning about science is kinda dull." He pouted a little, flopping back on Leon's lap.

Squall chuckled a little and looked down at him. "Mm. A bit like the stacks of paperwork I get stuck doing."

"Huuuuh?? You're a pen-pusher? Aw, that's so uncool." He chuckled, closing his eyes.

"I'm a Commander." He corrected. "It's not all fun, games and missions. There are reports upon reports to write."

"Boring." He replied, rubbing one eye. "I don't want to be an adult if that's the rubbish you have to do!"

Squall smiled and petted Sora's hair. "It's not all bad. There are good parts too."

"Yeah? Like what, hm?" He purred openly, like a little kitty, thoroughly enjoying the petting he was recieving.

"Well... There's the chance to go where we want, meet who we want, be who we want." Squall replied, carrying on his petting.

"I do that now anyway." He smiled up at Leon, opening his eyes just a little to see the man he was speaking to. "What's so special about growing up?"

"When I find the answer... I'll tell you."