Blue-Chan: urgh… I really need to stop starting more than one story at one time… I am currently writing 6.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters… I'll clean them up and put them back when I am done.

Warnings: um… a LOT of Yuffie bashing… don't like? Then leave… coz I don't like her and nobody is going to change my judgement of her.

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Leon stretched tired muscles, feeling a few of his joints cracking in the process. He had been researching heartless on Ansem's computer for a good three hours now and it was starting to get to him. To say he was bored was an understatement and Cloud had been away on one of his little trips to "be alone" for five days now. So, Leon was at loss for a sparring partner to keep him entertained after long hours staring at a screen and words that stopped meaning anything after about an hour of reading.

He shut the large machine down and stood up, picking up his neglected gunblade to find some heartless to kill. Hopefully that will at least mildly entertain him. He shouldered his large blade, walking briskly out into the postern. Once he reached the higher part of the area, he stopped dead and swore quietly.

Cloud was lying in a particularly deep crater in the middle of the ground. He looked like he'd seen better days; he was covered in gashes, bruises and grazes and by the looks of it he'd been trying to fight Sephiroth. Again. Without his light. Again. Leon swore once more, Cloud was defiantly living up to his hair colour by saying that he didn't need his light to defeat his darkness. He kneeled beside the blonde and cast a Cura to keep Cloud alive for a small while longer, before taking out his almost unused mobile phone and called Aerith to the area. He would never admit it but he was genuinely scared for Cloud's life.

Aerith came running as soon as she got the call. Cloud had done this many times before but it never made it any less worrying. She kneeled beside him and cast a few healing spells to cure the smaller wounds. The larger had healed a little but it needed time to close up properly on its own.

"How long has he been like this?" Aerith asked, worry shining in her emerald gaze.

"I'm not sure, I found him out here when I left the computer. But his blood hasn't reached the floor yet so it can't be that long." Leon replied, frowning slightly. Aerith nodded and stroked a few blood stained, blonde spikes.

"We need to get him back to Merlin's, or his house, can you find the key?" Aerith asked innocently, knowing full well that Cloud kept his house key in his back pocket.

"Why can't you get it?" Aerith glared at him disappointedly. Leon sighed, the last thing he needed was Aerith to get mad at him. It was a rare occurrence but it was also very scary and often very painful. 'Never piss Aerith off with a spatula in her hand' Leon told himself, shuddering at the memory.

Leon carefully turned the deadweight of Cloud's body over and reached into his back pocket, blushing slightly, he pulled out the blonde's house keys and turned Cloud back over again. Handing Aerith the keys he picked Cloud up and carried him to his home.

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Cloud awoke feeling like, for lack of other words, shit. He had a pounding headache and his body stung. He tried to move, flinched and immediately stopped again. His body was so stiff it hurt. He heard the door open and turned his head to the side and regretted his choice of movement, clenching his eyes shut and hissing as pain shot through his neck and made his head pound more. He groaned pitifully and lay limp on the mattress he only just realised he was on.

Aerith sat on the edge of Cloud's bed with a cloth and a bowl of cold water, sympathy shining in her eyes as she looked at Cloud. He must have been in a lot of pain. She soaked the cloth and wrung some of the water out before gently wiping the sweat from Cloud's brow. The blonde unconsciously nuzzled up to the cloth, the icy water soothing his migraine a little. Aerith smiled and wet the cloth again as Leon came through and sat beside the bed.

"Is he awake yet?" he asked, masking his worry professionally. Cloud wanted to answer for himself but when he opened his mouth all that came out was a few hacking coughs, his body curling with the force of them. Aerith's eyes widened in surprise but she just pushed gently at Cloud's chest to lie him down again and turned her gaze on Leon.

"I think so. Could you just nip down and get a glass of water for him?" she asked. Leon nodded and left the room again. Cloud felt fingers running through his unruly spikes and tried to open his eyes. He shut them again, the light stinging his retinas. He tried again, three times unsuccessfully, but the fourth time he managed to flutter his eyelids up slightly. Just enough to show Aerith that he was, indeed, awake. "Hey silly" she whispered gently, wiping the icy water across Cloud's forehead again.

"Hi" Cloud flinched at how raspy his voice was. How long had he been out? Aerith wiped his head again and he shut up, choosing instead to enjoy the chilling cloth on his burning skin.

"Do you think you can sit up Cloud?" he heard the brunette's gentle voice ask him and he shifted, frowning with the effort of trying to get his neglected muscles to work. When he eventually managed a position that could be passed as sitting he heard the almost inaudible click of the door opening and Leon entering the room, holding a glass of water and two pills, setting them on the table next to Cloud's bed. The blonde nodded his thanks and took them. His hands were shaking as he popped the pills into his mouth and washed them down with the water, almost groaning at the sensation of liquid sliding down his dry throat.

Aerith patted his knee with a fond smile on her face. "Do you need anything else?" she asked. Cloud shook his head no and tried to lie down again his eyes widening when he heard footsteps bounding up the stairs. The last thing he wanted was Yuffie bugging him. Leon stepped up and sprinted out the door, closing it before the overly hyperactive ninja managed to get through it.

"Aww! Leon move! I wanna see Cloud!" Yuffie's voice yelled, muffled from the closed door.

"No, he needs rest. The last thing he needs is you hovering over him like last time" Leon's stern voice said quietly.

"He needs a lecture-"

"You've already given him several… I think you need to get the message that he isn't listening to you" Leon reasoned. There was a huff and loud stomps going back down the stairs. Cloud sighed quietly in relief. Leon was right; he wasn't going to listen to a hyper teen that annoyed the hell out of him.

Leon walked back in, a slight frown creasing the scar between his eyes.

"I think you should get some more sleep Cloud" he said, completely masking the concern he felt for the blonde. Cloud shook his head, his spikes swaying with the movement.

"Not tired" he said, his voice still weak but not as raspy.

"Then what are you going to do? I know how irritated you get when you're bored" Aerith said with a giggle. Cloud mock glared at her, letting a smirk tug at his lips. She smiled and patted his leg again. "Don't worry, Leon will keep you entertained" she quickly got up and left the room, leaving Cloud and Leon to stare after her. They stayed silent, just staring at the door before the brunette spoke up.

"What the hell did she mean by that?"

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Oky then… I've just about had enough of writing this already… and I really don't feel like writing anymore… but if I get enough positive feedback… I may just reconsider.