Working for the Summer
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts
Rating: PG, but if it'll escalate REAL fast
Pairings: LeonxSora
Warnings: AU; MANxBOY! might be ooc-ness
Summary: Sora gets a job but damages Leon's car and ends up being indebted to him. :3
Importante Noto: Leon's not a perverted old man or anything. Sora's actually the perverted little imp!
Prologue: Dude, you hit my car
Like any teen during the summer – bored and broke – Sora wanted a job. He wasn't particular. He had just finished his junior year, so it wasn't like he could get anything above minimum wage or which required high education. Working at a fast food joint was too cliché, plus he was real clumsy in the kitchen. Taking orders required good memory. Busing tables didn't sound too hard, but Sora didn't feel like standing and running around all day. He could take a job at the local candy store, but he had had bad experiences with bratty little kids.
So maybe he was particular. But that made him even more desperate. One morning, while watching his mother frown at the newspaper, he thought, 'Hey, I could deliver those!'
"Honestly! They need to replace that new kid," his mother said from the island in the middle of the kitchen. She fanned the top left corner where it was soaked with water. It hadn't rained the night before, so Sora could only guess what had happened.
"Aren't they usually wrapped with plastic?" he asked, standing across from her and studying the paper. There were also other blotches of water here and there.
"Yeah." She nodded to the trash. Sora peaked around the counter and saw a ripped wrapper covered in brown dirt. "It landed in my orchids."
Sora looked at her. "Do you think I could deliver newspapers?"
His mother gave him somewhat of a dubious look, but she didn't want to disappoint her son. Sora was smart, but sort of lacking in anything physical. "Ah well, you have to wake up early."
"I know."
"And dogs love paper boys."
Sora grinned. "I love dogs, too!"
"Erm… and you have to have impeccable aim."
"I do! Remember when I was in softball?"
Sora's mother didn't want to remind him that that was in the fifth grade, and he had been too cute to shoo off the pitcher's mound, no matter how much he sucked. She supposed it was good that he had been friends with the coach and the parents whose kids were on the team.
"Alright, dear. Just be careful."
Sora rushed to Bad Burgers for some late lunch and an opportunity to speak to his best friend, Riku, who worked as a cashier. Riku was a year older than him and hella good looking. He was confident, charming, and could at least see a foot over the cash register; the same could not be said of tiny, petite, 10-year-old-looking Sora. The two best friends had handed in their resumes at the same time, and even had their interviews on the same day. Riku had gotten a, "You're hired!" and Sora got a, "Are you sure you're 16?"
"Riku! Riku!" cried the small brunet, rushing up to the counter. The girls in the long line glared at him.
"Hey, buddy," Riku said as he pulled out the customer's change from the register. "What are you so excited about that couldn't wait? I get a break in ten minutes."
Sora paused, blinking his big, cerulean colored eyes. "Oh. Haha. That's right. I'll be at our usual spot."
Riku watched Sora run off and smiled. "Silly."
"I got one! I finally got a job!"
The silver haired heart-throb made his way over to the booth in the back, resisting the urge to shake his head. Half the establishment had probably heard Sora's shout. Riku slid into the seat across from him with a smirk. "About time, you bum."
Sora gave a pout much too cute for a teen his age. "Hey! Don't tease me. It's not my fault if I look too young," he said defensively, crossing his arms.
Riku considered telling Sora where he could work for his boyish looks and get ten times what Bad Burger paid in a day, but that wouldn't be too appropriate. "So… What is it?"
"A delivery boy!"
Had Riku been drinking he would have choked and died. "What? As in, 'lunch time service'?" Damn. It turns out Riku didn't have to tell him that job at Satisfy Your --
"What's that?" Sora asked, tilting his head. "Is it another name for the newspaper brigade?"
Riku laughed, startling the clueless brunet. "Nothing. Nothing," he said as soon as he had calmed down. "So, when do you start? I hate the current paper boy we have."
"Yeah. Destiny News agreed, too. I start next week." The job required no experience; just a bike and a decent arm (should one choose to throw).
"Have you eaten yet?"
Sora shook his head. "Nope. I was gonna get something here."
"Well, it's my treat in celebration of your new job. Get a Master Combo on anything you want!"
"I love you, Riku!"
Riku was suddenly flooded with spiky, cinnamon colored hair and the scent of vanilla on a warm, tiny body. "Not so loud," he muttered in feigned annoyance, embracing his friend tightly. Although he was truly happy for Sora, he couldn't help but worry. Their neighborhood had dogs that loved chewable legs and, worst of all, jerks with expensive cars.
Messenger bag strapped, helmet fastened, gloves on, chains oiled, shin guards protecting (by whim of his mother and Riku alike), and high on caffeine, Sora was ready to take on the rolls of thick newspaper in plastic wraps. The 5 a.m. air never smelt so good and fresh.
He lived in the stereotypical rich suburbs with large lawns and flowerbeds. There were nice cars on the side of the road for convenience for some people. Some homes had white picket fences or tall metal ones, which dogs liked to jump over or had secret holes under which they could crawl through. Sora sat on his bike, one foot on the ground, while he mentally and physically prepared himself.
This was no sweat, right? Peddle, throw the paper, peddle. Easy enough. If there are dogs, don't panic; just stop. Remember, animals can sense fear. Aim for the door; properties of timing and physics. Whatever you do: don't hit people or windows. If either of those happen, apologize or peddle like no tomorrow.
Sora smiled to himself. He was glad Riku had sat down and talked to him about this. Riku even had him practice at their houses. Sora had two houses between them to give himself a run-through, so he had rode back and forth, pitching a paper on his mountain bike. Yep. He would dedicate his first paycheck to buying Riku a "Thank You" card, and then some.
At the first house, Sora perfectly aimed for his target, and the paper landed right at the door step. He was sure old Mr. and Mrs. Tsunabe would appreciate that.
And the house after that and the house after and the house after that were total successes as well. No dogs had come out after him, so far, but he still had twenty more houses (ten on either side of the circular street). Sora knew better than to think the coast was clear, but he was having a great time riding around and throwing rolled-up papers.
Several people who came out to meet the paper boy were overjoyed when they saw that it was the neighborhood sweetheart, Aino Sora, instead of the horrible teen who aimed to shatter windows and make a bulls-eye on foreheads. Sora tossed the paper to them while giving a cheerful morning greeting.
Then his first dog came out. Mrs. Kisimiasa had a Rotweiler named 'Fluffy', which nearly came up to Sora's waist in height. Sora forgot all of Riku's advice as he sprinted as fast as he could on the side of the road, his focus on the big dog currently threatening to bite off what little bit of leg he had. He screamed, peddling faster.
He didn't see the man getting out of a brand new Z9 BMW sports car, or that he was barreling right for him. But the man saw the screaming boy and watched with wide eyes as said screaming boy ran right into the trunk of his car, scratching the beautiful red paint and cracking the glass of his back windshield with his helmet.
Sora woke up a few minutes later. His body was sore, but he figured he still had his primary motor abilities intact. He felt the grass beneath him as he blinked up at Riku.
"Sora, are you okay?" he asked in concern. "How many good looking people do you see?"
The brunet made a face. "None."
Riku practically jumped at his best friend, hugging his petite friend closely by the neck. "You're alright!" he exclaimed, nuzzling Sora's helmet-hair. "I thought you'd die."
Sora struggled uncomfortably. "R-Riku. I… I can't…" he rasped, windpipe getting crushed. Riku immediately let go, watching with affection as Sora glared at him. "I'm okay, but…" His eyes widened, remembering the dog and the thing he crashed into. "Oh no!" He quickly looked around, and noticed a man with longish brown hair and a leather jacket standing on the sidewalk, facing his car. Ignoring the ache in his muscles, he rushed to the man who obviously owned said thing that he had crashed into. "Mister! I'm really, really sorry about –"
"It's fine," the man replied without turning around, but Sora could tell he was pissed and irritated. "Just watch where you're going next time. You're lucky you weren't hurt."
Sora felt his eyes watering as he looked at the rear end of the car. The windshield had several nice zigzag lines sprouting from the center. There were scrapes on the trunk where his knee and elbow pads had skid across, and a dent in the trunk where his bike had collided. Said bike was laying the sidewalk beside the man, front wheel bent. His messenger bag with newspapers was beside it, looking as if someone had reorganized it that way.
The man gave a heavy sigh, got in his car, and drove off, probably to the body shop. Sora's bottom lip trembled.
"Hey, he's an ass, anyway," Riku said softly, rubbing Sora's shoulders. "I don't know his name, but he just moved in two days ago, I think." He had complimented the guy on his car and his ass, and the man flipped him off without a second glance.
"He… he didn't… even look at me!" Sora mumbled, sniffling. God, he felt like such an idiot. Why couldn't he do anything right? On his first day, he managed to fuck up the job. He embraced Riku and started sobbing onto his friend's broad shoulder, quickly wetting the thin material of his shirt. Riku held him with his free arm; the other had Sora's protective gear that he had removed earlier.
"Come on. Let's deliver the rest of these newspapers."
Sora nodded and picked up his bike and bag. As he and Riku continued delivering the morning papers, he promised himself he would earn every cent of the cost of damage and pay the man back -- with interest.
The next morning, Sora woke up extra early to make his mother's famous cinnamon buns and placed a letter made of icing on each one, so that if you put it together, it would read, 'I am sorry.' Sora didn't know if the man even liked pastries, but it was most he could cook without burning down the whole house. His mother even helped him, surprised yet grateful the man hadn't pressed charges. She had berated her son the night before, but she hadn't gone too far, as Sora was doing most of his own punishment in the form of guilt (he had also quit his job). So they placed the fresh rolls in a nice, glass platter and wrapped it with blue saran wrap.
The brunet made his way along the sidewalk at seven in the morning, hoping the man would be awake. He remembered where the man lived by the neighboring houses. He came across a big, stone two story house that was his destination and idly wondered if the man lived alone. There was no car on the side of the road nor in the driveway, and Sora's heart sank. He was too late…
Just then, a black SUV pulled up, and the man came out of his house, dressed in a business suit. Sora immediately recognized the layered, long chocolate colored hair and rushed up in front of him. Sora looked up and his heart literally stopped, stilled by hardened grey eyes, a strong jaw, soft lips, powerful frame, and the heady scent of expensive cologne. The man couldn't have been older than 26. Sora blinked, plate in his hands, suddenly forgetting what he was supposed to do.
"Yes?" the elder prompted curtly, startling Sora out of his trance. The pitiful boy remained silent for a moment, furiously wracking his brain for a response but instead activated the part of his brain that told him the very epitome of sexy maleness was in front of him, causing him to blush.
"My name's Aino Sora," he said, looking up into those grey eyes. "I crashed into your car, remember?" The man simply nodded. Sora swallowed and pushed his plate upwards. "These are for you. I know these won't make up for anything, but it's a start. I plan to give you whatever I get paid this summer, or if you need any sort of help, I'll be glad to do it. I wasn't sure if you like cinnamon rolls, but I wanted to make you something from my heart, and –"
"Hey Leon! We're going to be late!" a blond man called from the black Navigator. Sora turned around. "Sorry, kid."
Sora gave the blond a weak smile and jumped when the plate was taken from his hands.
"Thanks," the man – Leon – said, brushing passed him. Sora stood awkwardly after him, feeling better since his present had been accepted.
Cloud glanced at the plate in his friend's lap, the smell of its contents permeating the air of his car. "Are those cinnamon buns?" he asked. "Who was that boy, anyway?"
"The one that totaled my car," Leon grumbled in response, looking out the window. The plate began to warm his thighs uncomfortably.
"Haha. That's the famous kid? He's kinda cute, and he didn't total it," Cloud said, stopping at a traffic light. Leon grunted. "So, open it up. I'm hungry."
The brunet did so slowly. He unwrapped the plate and noticed the first three rolls, which were organized like a 2-D pyramid. " I – A – M…" Cloud took the 'I' on top, and Leon took the other two to read the next five buns. "S – O – R – R – Y."
Cloud stepped on the gas as the cars began to move. "If that's not fuckin' adorable, I don't know what is." He bit into the roll and moaned after the first two chews. "Mm… thith ish the shit," he said around the pastry.
Leon made a face. "Don't talk with your mouth full." He put the 'M' bun down and took a bite out of the 'A', munching thoughtfully, then took another bite once he swallowed, then another bite.
Cloud smiled to himself. His best friend detested pastries.
"Hm… how about being a bagger at Dah Market?" Riku suggested, sipping at his soda. He and Sora were eating the usual 'late lunch' at his work.
Sora considered it. "I guess. I mean, how hard could it be?" he asked with a smile. He dipped a fry in his ketchup and stuffed it in his mouth.
The older boy cringed. Throwing papers wasn't supposed to be hard, either. "So, how do you plan on paying that guy back?"
"I'll get a job to pay him back, and I'll also help him with stuff," Sora replied easily. "Like mow his lawn or clean his house."
"And how long were you going to do that?"
Sora shrugged. "For as long as it takes, I guess. I know the damage cost is pretty high."
"It shouldn't be that much, maybe 1500 or something." Riku honestly didn't like the idea of being burdened by paying a guy back, who clearly had the money to take care of it himself, but Sora wouldn't know a free ride even if it were naked and grinding against his ass.
The brunet just hoped he wouldn't screw up anymore.
Early the next day Sora had dropped his application off at Dah Market and was walking back home when he noticed the huge mover's truck at Leon's house. He figured it would be a perfect opportunity to help the man by moving boxes and unpacking.
Leon was dressed in a wife-beater and baggy jeans as he helped carry the boxes into his home. Sora wondered again if the guy had a family, or at least a wife. He noticed the blond man from the black Navigator the other day, who grumbled as he followed Leon in and out of the house, with and without a box. Leon didn't seem to notice him, as he'd just continue walking.
Sora had caught sight of Leon's muscles as the man stopped by the truck and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. Sora blushed again. He had never considered sweat very appealing (he was extra hygienic and hated perspiring) but it made Leon's arms glisten so nicely…
"Hey, kid!" the blond called out to Sora from the lawn. "Make yourself useful." Leon looked up and finally noticed said windshield breaker. Sora walked up to him almost shyly.
"It seems like you could use some help," he said cheerfully, trying hard not to stare anywhere below the collarbone (which was nicely defined, by the way). "What do you want me to do?"
Leon gave him a once-over. "You certainly can't carry boxes." He went into the truck and reappeared with a medium sized one labeled 'bed sheets'. Since it was light, he gave it to Sora and led him into the house. Sora followed precariously, as he could barely see above the top. He nearly tripped on the door step, but Leon caught his bicep in time, giving him an amused look. "I'd hate to see you drive."
Sora pouted, but the effect of Leon's sarcasm was affected by the warmth emanating from their one point of contact. Leon immediately let go and walked further into the foyer. Sora walked into what seemed like the living room, since there were some couches among the piles of boxes. There was a kitchen on the left, separated from the den by a large, curving island of grey marble. Beside it was a glass dining table with four chairs. There were smaller boxes with 'FRAGILE' on them. Men from the moving company were coming down the stairs on the far right.
"Unpack the kitchen appliances and containers. The boxes are labeled separately. Can you do that?"
By the last question Leon didn't mean to make Sora out to be a total dummy, or at least Sora hoped not.
"Yes. I put them in the cabinets?"
"That's right."
Sora nodded, looking at the boxes that were beside the island. The ones Leon had mentioned were already there. He could do this! As the man brushed passed him Sora caught a whiff of some spicy deodorant and a hint of 100 percent pure masculinity. He blushed again and made his way to the 'appliances' box, ripping off the tape and wondering why the heat was spreading from his face to the rest of his body.
Leon owned a blender, waffle-maker, toaster, coffee-maker, juicer, a sandwich-griller, slow-cooker, and pots and pans. Sora laid all these out on the kitchen counter and put the 'cookers' together and the 'drink-related' on the other side of the sink. He put the slow-cooker and griller, pots and pans in a nice pile in one of the lower cabinets. Next came the annoying food containers. He stacked the bottoms from biggest to smallest and put them in the last, top cabinet, then put the lids in a drawer underneath it.
The young brunet waited by the island as he waited for Leon to bring in the last of the boxes. He heard the truck leave and Leon and the blond enter.
"Break time," the latter announced, heading for Leon's fridge through the other gap of the island. "What do you want kid?" he asked, opened the right, metal door. "There's milk, oj, soda, water, and beer."
"Orange juice, please," Sora replied.
"Leon?"
"Water," said the stoic brunet. The blond gathered the orange juice carton and two bottles of water. "Cups are in the top right cabinet."
Sora dutifully got one, a large, plastic cup with a football team on it. He poured until the level was a little more than half and put the carton back into the fridge.
"My name's Cloud," said the blonde, leaning against the other side of the island. He had given Leon his water, which was being emptied steadily. "And you're Sora?"
Sora nodded. "Nice to meet you." Had Leon spoken about him to his friends? Who else knew about him other than Cloud? Cloud probably thought he was a huge idiot, despite how nice he seemed. He was shorter than Leon, but taller than Sora, and wore a dark blue sleeveless shirt and white basketball shorts. His short, blonde hair stuck out in odd angles, but his bangs feel over the right side of his face nicely, bringing out his blue eyes.
"You make the best cinnamon rolls ever. Doesn't he, Leon?" Cloud asked, winking in Sora's direction. Leon probably didn't catch the look, as he was leaning against a stack of boxes and now staring at the plastic bottle in his hands.
"Thanks," Sora said, completely confused by the wink Cloud had sent him. Riku usually gave him those when he was hinting something, joking, or had made a suggestive comment. He drained his cup, rinsed it, and found a towel hanging from the handle of the oven so that he could dry it and put it back in the cabinet.
Leon gave him more boxes to unpack as he unwrapped the furniture and shelves. Cloud moved some of the boxes upstairs. Sora put more plates in the cabinet, then helped Leon organize his office, which was across the house and by the staircase. The man obviously liked to read. He had novels, encyclopedias, and texts on home designing and corporate architecture. Leon was anal with those, too. Each type of books had their own shelves.
It was six by the time Leon suggested he go home. Sora's mother called a moment later.
"My mom's asking if you would like to come over," the teen said, crouched by the encyclopedia section. Leon was at his desk, hooking up his desktop. "She made fettuccini with caesar salad. Cloud can come, too."
"I'm still pretty busy here," Leon replied, from over his PC, plugging in the wires. "I'll just grab something later."
Sora looked crestfallen. "Please? It's the least I can do."
Leon glanced up at him. "You've been helping me here. That's enough."
"But I promised I'd make it up to you," Sora said vehemently, standing up. "I'm a real klutz, and I can't seem to hold a job." His voice fell. "So I'm just trying to pay you back with my body."
He watched as Leon colored slightly, running a hand through his hair. "You shouldn't say things like that, Sora," he murmured.
Sora blinked. Did he say something wrong? It was the truth. "Well, please come to dinner. My mom wants to meet you."
"Fine," the older man said, looking away. "Let me shower first."
Sora nodded, smiling broadly. "I'll tell Cloud!" And he ran off in search of said blond, who was raiding the fridge.
Leon let out a shaky breath, wondering just what the hell he had gotten himself into.
I should be working on Naruto fics, but I just love LeonxSoraxLeon wayyyy too much not to write a fic for it.