A/N: Aaaaaaaand it's another AU – of course! My multi chapters always seem to get me this way. I've no idea how long this one will be, but knowing my dedication to multi chapters in general, I'm not planning on this being too ambitious. This idea came to me, non-too surprisingly, after watching The Bodyguard. Not being much of a girly girl, and despising most chick flicks, I've managed to avoid seeing this film until recently. But boy, did my muse go into overdrive when I did. (I'm placing the blame squarely and surely on Kevin Costner's lovely shoulders here, as I've been a squiggly puddle of school girl mess for him since I was knee high to a grasshopper!)

Any which way, I've rejigged some basic facts and figures to make this work: Squall's name and age being the most obvious, and I'm hoping that these little facts won't mean I have to post this under the FFVIII crossover section, as it does have some Kingdom Hearts places and peoples in it.

As always, I hope you enjoy and please, don't hesitate to get in touch and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: All characters and places belong to Square Enix and/or Disney. No infringement intended, no profit made.

Warnings: None much to speak of. Bad language (Of course) some moderate violence and some dodgy English phrasing and spelling. However, this will remain an M for some planned Yaoi in later chapters.

Sonata quasi una Fantasia: Italian for 'Sonata in the manner of a fantasy' (Directly translated "Sonata almost a fantasy.") – The original title for Ludwig van Beethoven's 1801 Piano Sonata No. 14 in C – sharp minor, more commonly known as, Moonlight Sonata.

"I'd hate to see the other guy."

Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia

Chapter One

The blow was aimed at Cloud's left flank but with a swift up stroke of his arm, the blond hooked his elbow under his opponent's and twisted, snapping the appendage at the joint. With a few short sharp jabs of his own into the others ribs, cracking two of them, he pushed down, bringing the older man to his knees and ended the bout. Blowing a fine spray of sweat from his upper lip, Cloud stepped back and felt the slapping, congratulating hands of the crowd that formed the impromptu, ululating circle around the two fighters. Hands gripped his shoulders in celebration and the deafening ring of the drunken spectators fought to be heard over the blood pounding in his ears and a high pitched humming pierced his skull from where the other man had landed a few well aimed punches; his head would be sore in the morning. Not bothering to wait for the slow and ancient referee to announce his victory, which had been an unsure thing to begin with, Cloud turned and pushed his way through the throng of men and scanned the crowed for one in particular. Spotting Cid smoking the dog end of an old cigar, supported by an empty barrel that served as a crude table, he made his way over and sat down on an empty stool, accepting the towel the older man offered him to wipe the sweat from his body. The sour faced man curled his top lip and spat out the chewed cigar, reaching a hand into his back pocket to fish out a handful of notes. Thrusting them in Cloud's direction with a disgusted look on his face he sucked in a hiss through his yellowing front teeth.

'Ya got lucky.' He commented gruffly as Cloud snatched his winnings. With a harsh curse he spat onto the dirt floor and stood on decrepit, inebriated legs and staggered away to find his next drink.

Cloud didn't bother to stay and watch the next fight begin. He picked his shirt up from where he had dropped it next to his stool, slipping it on over his heated, clammy body, and shoved the wad of cash into the back pocket of his jeans. Draining the last of his whiskey he stood and pushed his way to the basement stairs, making his way up into Seventh Heaven and the busy but more civilised, kind of crowd of his friend's bar.

Though more civilised meant no organised bare knuckle boxing, illegal gambling or bootleg whiskey, Seventh Heaven was far from a respectable place and Cloud found himself breaking up two fights and throwing one drunken asshat out just on his way through the shifting crowd as he fought to get behind the bar and through the service door that led to his own small apartment. But before he could disappear completely for the night, however, Tifa caught his arm. With a sharp look over his shoulder, he let himself relax as the petite brunette woman shouted into his ear above the clamour. 'Xemnas called; needs you at HQ.'

'Did he say what it was about?' Cloud managed to shout back.

'I'm not your secretary, Cloud.' Was Tifa's only response before turning back to the bar and the next customer.

With a frustrated sigh, Cloud tossed the forgotten towel over his shoulder and made his way up the old, creaking stairs to his apartment and let himself in. If he was to return to Radiant Gardens tonight, he'd need a shower and a change of clothes.

Eight weeks. Eight weeks, three days, fourteen hours and twenty six minutes. When Cloud counted it out like that, it seemed like a long, torturous, tedious, fucking miserable length of time. He looked at the digital clock on the dash of his car: twenty seven minutes and fifteen seconds. He didn't know why he had kept count. He'd figured maybe it was the job; maybe it was the endless, empty, mind numbing hours that now filled his life. Maybe it wasn't. Either way, Cloud knew he had to find himself another way to pass the time; counting it was doing his fucking head in.

Pulling up to the gates he flashed his security card over the sensor and rolled his window up. As the large wooden panels rolled back to reveal Radiant Gardens, ground lit by flood lights against the inky blackness of night, Cloud toed the gas pedal and drove up the short driveway to the back of the mansion. With one last check of the time he huffed an exasperated sigh and got out of the car.

Xemnas was waiting for him as the service elevator doors slid open and Cloud stepped out with his tie only just slung around his neck, the top two buttons of his white shirt still open and his suit jacket slung over the crook of his arm. Cloud hesitantly blew out the lung full of smoke he had just inhaled and tried none too discreetly to dispose of the lit cigarette behind him before his superior coughed once, raised an eyebrow and slowly looked him up and down.

A brief summary of his newest employee completed, Xemnas' raised eyebrow turned into a frown. 'No smoking in the building, Strife.' He drawled before his serious gaze settled on the younger man's face. 'Is that a bruise?' he asked almost board.

Cloud reached up, cigarette still balanced between his fingers, and probed at the contusion forming around his left eye. 'A souvenir,' he replied. 'You should have seen the other guy.'

Unamused, Xemnas turned on his heel. 'Follow me,' he ordered. 'And put that fucking cigarette out.' With one last drag, Cloud threw it away and ground it out.

Shrugging into his jacket and fixing his collar as they entered the security hub of the mansion, Cloud followed Xemnas through the rows of computer monitors and security CCTV screens to his own small desk, which he had only vacated less than five hours ago. He had been looking forward to his weekend off, but well, it looked like that idea was fast disappearing down the shitter. Xemnas turned to him, causing Cloud to pull up sharply, and slapped down an envelope onto Cloud's untidy desk.

'New assignment.' He cut out simply, folding his hands behind his back. He waited for Cloud to straighten his tie, pulling the knot up close to his adams apple and noted that the blond's top button was still undone, but nevertheless decided to let it slide. 'You'll be required to be on site for the foreseeable, senator Ansem was quite explicit.'

Cloud picked up the envelope and flipped through it, his curiosity piqued and then smashed to tiny smithereens once he caught sight of his main objective. 'I'm babysitting?' it was almost a whine.

'You're a bodyguard, are you not?' Xemnas asked without missing a beat.

'Security persone-'

'And so you are required to guard the senator's son's body. I suggest you get to it.' Xemnas interrupted Cloud's rather pedantic distinction with raised eyebrows before turning sharply once again and left without another word.

Cursing his luck, Cloud sat himself in his seat and flipped open his brief. Scanning the important information – like why the hell he had been called back in on his time off to babysit the senator's son – he noted that there had been a terror threat in the last four hours, raising the security status of the whole compound. Annoyed that he hadn't been given the slightly more exciting detail of guarding the actual senator, Cloud slammed the folder shut and ran his hands through his hair, wincing as he caught the spot that had been smashed into the floor of Tifa's basement not two hours ago.

Reckless, Zack had called him. The memory caused a caustic sting in the back of his head and suddenly his chest felt too heavy. He shook the feeling aside and flipped open his phone, thumbing through the contacts until he came to Reno's.

'Yo.' Came a laid back reply after a few rings.

'Reno, its Cloud. Listen, I'm back on duty.'

'Yeah, Xemnas called everyone in. We're on code five, or some shit; Organisation Thirteen been playing their usual tricks or something like that, again.' Cloud could tell the redhead was on the move, the sound of passing cars slipping by in the distance.

'I need a spot on the kid, you know where he is?' Cloud's eyes scanned the back wall, panel after panel of security cameras showing near enough every angle of the house brought no sign of the elusive teen.

'Yeah, we're bringing him back from Twilight Town now. ETA fifteen minutes.'

Cloud looked at his watch. That gave him just enough time to sort his room out before he took the handover. 'Okay, see you in fifteen.'

Flipping his phone shut, he pulled out a small duffle bag from under his desk and checked through his emergency supply for clean clothes. With everything in order he made his way back down the corridor and up the elevator to the ground floor service rooms, where, according to his brief, he'd be spending the next few weeks.

After more like something close to thirty minutes, Cloud made his way back up the elevator and waited for the doors to slide open onto the lavishly decorated corridors that would take him into the mansion proper. Before he'd even stepped out into the grand entrance, a soft pattering of musical notes drifted through from the library, filling the hall with a quiet, melodious sound. Stood at the entrance to the room, hidden behind the large sweeping staircase, were Reno and his partner Rude. They stood at post like two opposite bookends, the redhead lent up against the doorframe with his shirt untucked and Rude with his arms folded neatly across his immaculate chest.

'Yo, Strife.' Reno greeted him as he approached. Nodding his head to both in return he craned his neck into the library.

'He in there?' Cloud asked, knowing from the gentle plinking of piano keys that he was correct.

'Yup. He's all yours.' Reno replied, standing up straight now and placing a mocking hand on Cloud's shoulder. 'Have fun.'

The blond shot Reno a withering look over his shoulder as he left and waited until they were out of sight before heaving one last consolatory sigh and stepped into the room.

The beautiful music grew louder as he entered; filling the lofty, wood panelled archive with the sad notes of some classical piece that Cloud had never heard of before. The sound resonated in the mostly empty space, making the room feel larger and more bereft than it usually did. Before him, sat at the grand piano in the corner was a teenage boy. His back to Cloud, the bodyguard could only see the way his hands moved along the milky keys, barely alighting on each one before skimming across to another. The young man's back was straight and broad, his shoulders square as he swayed only slightly back and forth as he extended his reach up the piano. Dark brown, almost coffee rich hair cut across the young man's face in messy bangs that swayed as he watched his hands work the notes and chords, utterly lost in the music and completely oblivious to the fact that Cloud was behind him, watching him.

As the music stopped and the vast room fell silent, Cloud's presence must have become obvious. The boy turned, glancing over his shoulder to acknowledge his audience before immediately turning back, his shoulders hunching slightly.

'Am I needed somewhere?' a rich deep voice asked. It struck Cloud then that he'd only just realised he'd never actually heard Ansem's adopted son speak. For the briefest of moments, he thought that fact odd, before he swept it away.

'No, I've been assigned to you, for the time being at least; your father's orders.' Cloud replied, wondering if this kid found their shared situation just as onerous as he did. In the eight weeks and however many days, minutes and seconds it was now that he'd been working for the senator, he'd had only very limited interaction with his one and only son. Brief glimpses here and there, general information drifting through co-workers and house staff had filled in some of the blanks and as for the rest of it, Cloud had merely presumed to know. He'd figured that he couldn't have been far wrong in his speculations; how many rich kids did you have to know before you'd met them all? Cloud was under no illusions that his opinions were going to be proven wrong any time soon.

'Has something happened then?' that rich, low voice cut through Cloud's thoughts again. He watched as those long, slender fingers reached up and pulled down the piano lid that covered the immaculate keys, the tips of those fingers caressing the wood ever so slightly before his hands returned to his lap again and he sat, back bowed and shoulders slouched as if he'd been reprimanded.

'Just a precaution.' Cloud replied as diplomatically as he could. He watched the boy nod his head as if confirming something to himself, and then he looked up, catching the boy's reflection and realised that he was being watched in the mirror-like quality of the window. Bright blue/grey eyes were studying him with keen interest, secreted away under choppy bangs as if the young man didn't want him to know he was being calculated. Upon being discovered, the young man cut his eyes away and after an awkward few seconds of indecision, he stood; finally turning to allow Cloud a decent look at him and instantly, the older man felt his mouth go uncomfortably dry. With a deliberate cough that punctuated the uneasy silence, Cloud shook himself.

'I'm tired.' The boy announced all of a sudden, his face almost apologetic. 'I think I'll go to bed.' He started to make his way across the hall, his expensive tailored shoes clicking against the hardwood floor. He stopped a few paces from Cloud, his face once again impassive and serious. 'It was good to finally meet you…' he trailed off at a loss for a name.

'Cloud.' The blond man offered, extending his hand self-consciously as the boy did.

'Cloud.' The young man rolled the name off his tongue, testing it out for the first time and Cloud found himself having to cough again. 'You too, Mr Leonhart.' He replied, trying his very best to remain as professional as he knew how.

'Just Squall.' The boy replied, a slight frown creasing his eyebrows.

'Squall.' Cloud corrected, the unfamiliar name feeling pleasant in his mouth.

'What happened to your eye?' the boy enquired, his gaze softening and his features relaxing into gentle concern. Letting go of Squall's hand that Cloud hadn't realised he was still holding, he reached up to poke cautiously at his bruised face. He winced and tried his best to look contrite.

'A difference of opinion.' He replied, a small wry smile on his lips.

'I'd hate to see the other guy.' Squall commented dryly, a spark of humour in his eyes. Quite unintentionally, and in the shifting of a few fleeting moments, Cloud found himself liking him almost instantly.

With a soft nod goodnight, the boy left, and Cloud was free to return to his own room.