kh_drabble | In this bastion

Title: In this bastion
Wordcount: 261
Rating: G
Notes: Nine girls, Leon, and a Beast.

After the removal of Maleficent and Ansem, the princesses of heart and the three from Traverse Town remain in Hollow Bastion.

With little else to do, and in an effort to relieve their nerves, Cinderella and Snow White spent their first days in the Hollow Bastion's vast kitchens, cleaning up a corner of it for their own use with an unyielding determination that seemed a stark contrast to their delicate appearances.

Clearly, the ten of them were not going to live off of the rations that Leon and the others had brought on their gummi ship.

It seemed to help. People were inclined towards better moods with good, hot food in their stomachs, and afterwards the castle smelt nice. Homey-like. Yuffie would go in to filch cookies before dinner.

Aurora and Aerith knitted scarves for everyone, enjoying girl-talk about home and boys. Yuffie taught Jasmine cartwheels and other simple acrobatics on the balcony above the Rising Falls. Alice and Belle spent their days in the library.

Leon found himself in a castle with far too many girls than he liked comfortably. The only other male was Beast and frankly it was difficult enough getting chummy with a Beast without already being a Leon.

When Belle saw Leon and Beast sitting by the windows, grim-faced and cranky-looking, she had suddenly burst out into laughter. The pair had looked at each other then, and for a brief moment both had almost looked sheepish. Leon raised a hand to his forehead, but didn’t hide the smile twitching at his lip.

“You know--I think I like her,” he said to Beast.

They went together after that, down into the basement to weed out the Heartless.