(no subject)

[leatheredlion.livejournal.com]

Who: Squall and Sora
When: After This
Where: Squall’s office, Sora’s dorm
What: Fixing Sora
Rating: PG-13



Sora had woken outside, bleeding, shaking and covered in sweat and injuries. His chest burned when that Heartless Emblem had began forming and he had managed to make his way inside, pushing off any SeeD members that offered any kind of help. The teen staggered his way to Leon's office, his eyes almost closed as he shoved open the door, dropping his Keyblade as he moved across the room. "Leon..." He dropped to his knees.

Squall had been sat at his desk, reading through reports on the latest Heartless sightings, marking them on a map of Gaia, to see how far the problem was spreading. His eyes shot to Sora, and the instant the boy fell to his knees, S2quall was beside him, crouched on the ground. "Sora!?! What happened?!"

His hands came to grip Leon's shirt and Sora looked to the older teen with eyes the colour of gil. Golden. "I... met... the King..." He choked out, shaking all over.

Squall blinked. His hands came to rest on Sora's cheeks, holding the boy's head in place. "Where?! Where is he?! Tell me what happened?!" He half demanded, keeping his eyes on those of Sora.

His skin was greyish, and his eyes were shining like a Heartless. "He... was in... a corridor. I wanted to... relax. I go into corridors sometimes... but he..." His hands fell from Leon's shirt and he whimpered.

Squall held onto the boy's face firmer, shaking him slightly. "Sora!! Look at me! Stay focused!! Tell me what happened!!" His own hands were trembling. He wasn't about to lose Sora to the darkness. No fucking way.

The shaking was working a little. His eyes flickered blue for a brief second. His chest heaved as he breathed but he kept his eyes on Leon's. "King Mickey and I... we fought... he almost... got me..." He still wasn't sure what had happened to save him.

Squall pulled Sora aginst him, holding him in a tight hug. "You're safe now... We'll get you cleaned up and tend to your injuries..." He frowned and pulled back slightly to look at Sora's face once more. "I'm sorry..."

Sora squealed, hissing like a Heartless as he was hugged. As soon as Leon pulled back, he snarled at him, eyes glowing and skin getting greyer. He seemed in pain as he tugged at his own shirt, looking as though it was choking him.

Squall started to pull off Sora's shirt, afraid of what might lie beneath. "Come on Sora... snap out of this..."

Sora panted and squirmed and once his shirt was removed, he looked to Leon with eyes as blank as stone. On his chest, there were gaping wounds and a Heartless Emblem was desperately trying to form. "L-Leon... save... me..."

"Goddamn it Sora! I am not going to let you fall to darkness! Not now! Not ever!" The usual stoic teen shook Sora by his shoulders, almost violently, his own hands trembling in fear.

The boy's skin began to flush, like life was being breathed into him. His wounds began bleeding properly and his eyes went greenish then changed to blue. "Leon..." He looked up to him, panting.

Squall all but cradled Sora in his lap, rocking him a little. He kept his eyes locked on Sora's. "Is that you or is it the darkness?"

"It's... me..." He clawed at his own chest, feeling the Heartless symbol stinging as it bled in places. "It almost got me... Leon, how can I defeat the Heartless if Mickey almost got me?"

Squall pressed his hand against Sora's chest, whispering a Cure spell over the boy. "We'll defeat the Heartless together. Side by side. No more running into the darkness where I can't protect you, okay?"

Sora gave a nod, gasping slightly as the curative magic washed over him. "I was... so scared, Leon. King Mickey... he... he said so much and my heart and will were weakening..."

Squall continued to cradle Sora. "Shh, it's okay, I understand. He is strong... and because we still want to believe that he is the Mickey we love... it is harder to fight it."

Sora nodded slightly, trying to shift away now. "I'm covering you in blood..." He managed to at least sit up in Leon's arms, hooking an arm around the older teen's neck for support.

Squall kept hold of Sora. "It'll wash away..." He frowned a little. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you..."

"Don't be sorry. We couldn't have predicted it... besides... I was stupid enough to try fighting him alone." Sora huffed and nuzzled into Leon's neck.

Squall drummed his gloved fingers over Sora's spine. "It wasn't stupid. It was brave."

"It was stupid, Leon. He knew I wasn't as strong as I used to be... he said I was weak and that I'd gotten sloppy. He's right." He scrunched his nose up, but he did remember that Mickey had complemented him on his skill, too.

"He's just trying to get to you, to mess with your mind. You may be a little bit out of practise, but your strength comes from inside of you."

"Yeah... yeah, you're right." Sora stretched a little in Leon's grip. "...can you help me get to the showers? I'll be fine once I'm there, I think..."

"Want me to carry you?" Squall smiled a little, shifting to get to his feet, pulling Sora up with him.

"Just keep me on my feet." He smiled at Leon, scooping up his shirt and holding his hand out. The Keyblade jumped obeyingly into his hand and he looked at the substance on it. Pure darkness he'd cut from the mouse's side. "I got a few shots in, it seems."

Squall wrapped an arm around Sora, supporting his weight. "See? It wasn't a total loss then..." He offered the boy a warm smile. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Sora nodded, making the Keyblade vanish, and following Leon off out of the office. He barely even recalled getting there. His mind had been completely away from him. He had been on the verge of becoming a Heartless. Again.

Squall kept a firm hold of him. He took the boy back to his room, at least his clothes and such would be there, maybe he'd feel better around his own things.

Sora smiled as he saw some of his things, and soon moved to just sit on his bed. "Maybe... I'll just... sleep." He flopped onto his side, eyes falling shut. If he hadn't been injured it would've been best to let him sleep.

Squall sat on the bed, resting his hand on Sora's arm. "Sora... Let's get you washed up and dress your wounds first..."

Sora squirmed a little, pouting and opening his eyes. "I'm tired, Leon..." He wasn't willing to get up now he'd gotten to his bed.

Squall frowned and slid his arms under Sora, scooping him up. He carried him to the en suite bathroom, sitting him on the floor of the shower, turning the water on.

Sora squealed a little, wriggling. "Leon..." He whined, looking up at him with a sleepy pout. "I'm dressed and you just soaked me..." He looked at him childishly.

"Well... If you'd got up when I asked, you could have striped first."

Sora pouted then flicked water at Leon. He grabbed the older teen and pulled him, dragging him into the shower, too. "Now we're even."

Squall stumbled forward, catching himself with the wall to stop himself falling on Sora. "Hey! You have dry clothes here. Mine are all the way back at my room!"

Sora grinned at Leon, shifting to his feet and pushing Leon right back against the wall, under the stream of water. "Oh dear. What a shame." His tone was full of mischief.

Squall shook his head, draping his arms over Soras shoulders. Even though he was soaked from head to toe and this leather would take ages to dry, he couldn't be mad, since Sora seemed his old cheery self.

Sora's smirk was almost an adult one; he wasn't that much of a child after all. He poked Leon in the chest. "Now what, Commander? You gonna kick my butt for soaking you?"

Squall kept his gaze on Sora's. It was little strange that they were almost the same height now. He drummed gloved fingertips against Sora's shoulderblades. "No."

"What then, huh?" He ran a hand over the soaked fur trim on Leon's jacket. It was still as soft as before it got wet, not feeling tangled under his touch.

"I'll think of something." Squall murmured, leaning in as if to kiss to Sora, but pausing at the last second to bite the boy's nose instead. "Get cleaned up, okay?"

"Help me?" He flinched at the nip to his nose but didn't back off. The blood was still slowly trickling from the wounds on his chest and back but the worst one was the burnt in symbol.

Squall gave a nod and started to strip Sora.

Sora gripped onto the older man's shoulders. "Squ... Leon..." He wasn't allowed to use that name he'd heard Leon be called so much over the past few days. Stepping out of his shoes and pants, he shivered.

Squall pulled his wet gloves off, tossing them out of the shower, to run bare fingertips over the symbol, tracing it lightly.

Sora shuddered a little. "It's horrible, huh? I could feel it burning there... like my heart had grown claws and was trying to dig its way out of my chest."

Squall continued to trace his fingers over the mark. "When Mickey haunted my dreams... I felt as though my heart would burst out of my chest."

Sora leaned against Leon, his fingers running down the man's chest in reply. "It's like that when you turn into a Heartless. It's the most painful thing I've ever felt... physically. The worst emotional thing was leaving Riku and King Mickey... behind that door..."

Squall reached for a washcloth, starting to wash the younger teen carefully, being gentle around his wounds. "I can imagine."

"Nghh..." His eyes shut tightly and he gritted his teeth. No matter how gentle Leon was, it still damn well stung to be touched on those wounds.

"All clean." Squall murmured. "Let's get you dried and dress these wounds, then you can sleep."

Sora nodded, eyes watering a little at how much it had hurt. Shakily, he stepped out of the shower, shivering at the cold.

Squall turned the water off and stepped out after Sora. He threw a towel to the boy, before peeling out of his own wet leather, wrapping a towel around himself.

Sora tied the towel around his waist and staggered out of the room, soon collapsing on his bed. "Leon? ...Stay a while?"

Squall gave a nod, his hair dripping down his back. He brought the first aid box over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Let's dress those wounds..."

Sora sat up, yawning widely. He lifted both arms, resting his hands on his head and leaving his body open for Leon to treat him.

Squall dressed the wounds with a swift, practised ease, before pulling the blanket up for Sora. "Here... get some rest."

Sora wriggled under the blanket then tossed his towel out, toying with his Kingdom Chain. "You'll stay a while, right? At least until I sleep?" He didn't think of the fact that Mickey could probably get him in his sleep now.

Squall gave a nod. "Of course I will." He shifted to sit back more on the bed.

Sora pulled the blankets up to his jaw and frowned, laying on his side, eyes staring across the room. "How close was I?" He meant to becoming a Heartless. He knew it'd almost happened but not how deep he'd gotten.

Squall frowned and reached over to pet Sora's hair. "Rest now."

"Leon... tell me. How close was I to becoming one of them?" His blue eyes shone with sadness at the older teen.

Squall turned his gaze away from Sora. "Close..."

Sora nodded slightly and frowned, closing his eyes. "If I did anything to you, I'm sorry." He murmured.

"You didn't. Only worry me. I was afraid. If you had become a Heartless... I may... I may have killed you..." Squall frowned, turning his head away more.

"You should've. If I ever become a Heartless again... you put your gunblade to good use and blow my brains out." Sora opened his eyes to look down at Leon.

Squall sighed and ruffled Sora's hair. "It won't come to that."

"If it does. Kill me. Promise?" He leaned up on his elbow, looking at the other teenager.

Squall nodded, but said nothing. "Now sleep."

Sora frowned but just curled up in his blankets, sleep soon finding him.

Squall shifted to lay down beside Sora for a short while, to ensure the boy was truly asleep.

Laying there, he was certainly having nightmares about his encounter with the mouse he had so trusted and idolised.

Squall wrapped an arm around the huddle of blanket, holding Sora against himself.

Feeling and smelling the scent of Leon close to him soon relaxed him and eased him away from nightmares, into gentler dreams.

Squall continued to hold Sora, once the boy was settled, he shifted, attempting to get up off the bed.

Sora whimpered and made a grab for him, stirring from his sleep and looking up to his with tears in his eyes.

Squall settled back down. "Shh, I'm here, go back to sleep."

"D-don't leave... I..." He didn't want to admit he was scared to be alone right now. He was terrified that Mickey would come.

Squall gave a soft sigh. It didn't look like he was getting dry clothes any time soon. He pulled back the blanket a little and climbed in with Sora.

Sora pouted slightly. "I shouldn't force you... you go get dressed... I'll be fine a-alone." He frowned at Leon, having noted the sigh.

"It's fine. I'm in now." Squall murmured, pulling the blanket around them both.

"You don't want to be, though." He yawned, burying his face in the pillow as his eyes slipped closed.

Squall slipped an arm around Sora. "I never said that. Now get some sleep, okay? And no nightmares."

"You sighed." He huffed a little, wriggling closer at the arm coming around him.

Squall chuckled a little. "Only because I'm naked under this towel. My clothes are wet, and my other clothes are in my room." He smiled. "I'll have to borrow yours."

"You're short enough." He teased, nuzzling into Leon's neck and ignoring the fact that he was entirely naked. Not even a towel to cover him.

Squall gasped. "Hey! I'm not short... I'm... just... not tall." He frowned, holding Sora close.

Sora laughed. "Yeah, the same way I'm just not tall." The teen nuzzled a little more, yawning with a smile settling afterwards.

Squall shifted a little. It was hard to ignore the fact his towel was the only thing between them right now. He flushed a little, petting Sora's hair.

Sora smiled lightly, wriggling closer. "You and me... we'll defeat the Heartless, right? We... we'll save everyone, right?"

Squall flushed more, nodding. "Of course. We'll save everyone, even the King. You and me."

"Yeah... you and me." He nodded once, yawning and curling his arms around Leon to use the man as a teddy.

Squall chuckled and held Sora, stroking his spine tenderly. "Get some sleep."

"Mmkay..." The boy yawned a little, nuzzling his older friend and gradually drifting off in the embrace.

Squall continued to stroke Sora's back, until the boy drifted to sleep.