Title: Catch Me When I Fall

Pairing: LeonxCloud, slight ZackxCloud

Summary: There are many things they'd do for each other. In the end, through all the hardships, all that matters is that their feelings remain the same.

A/N: *ehem* Hello there everyone, this would be the first time I ever write fanfic for FF7 fandom, which is currently the fandom that I've been sticking with. Anyways, just sit back, read, enjoy, and don't forget to review^^

Cloud = It means that it happen in the present times

Cloud = It means that it happen in the past

Flowers. Soft petals brushed against his cheek and his eyes opened to see the gently colored flowers in front of him. He drew in his breath and sat up, the scene in front of him now familiar to his eyes. Scatterings of flower petals were the only thing he could see – softly tinted petals that looked blinding on the dark stone ground beneath him. Blocks of chipped white stones could barely be seen under the flowers slowly and gently layered on top of the stone ground.

His head was throbbing, but that was nothing new – he always put the cause of the pain in his head to waking up on that stone ground scattered with flowers. He had nothing else to lie on when the fearsome darkness of sleep and nightmares came to claim him – there was nothing around except stone and flowers.

He rubbed the ache that had started in his back some time during his sleep, a grimace crossing his face. A look around told him that nothing had changed; nothing that would give him something to look at, other than flowers and stone, had miraculously showed up in the middle of the darkness of his sleep. Nothing came to give him the answers he was desperately hoping for.

He let out a heavy sigh as he looked around the familiar sights that he was growing sick of. The initial confusion that he had felt had long ago been replaced with annoyance. He didn't know where he was – he didn't even know which way to go to get out.

Dragging himself to his feet, he began to wander around again, hand brushing against the remains of the stone columns that stood like a reminder of his crumbled memories of himself. A deep sigh escaped his lips, coming out in a visible puff of air in the crisp cold air.

The harsh bite of cold poked at his skin, and he didn't even bother to try to warm himself up anymore. What good would that do? His whole body was constantly shivering and cold – any warmth he could find was short-lived and would disappear.

At times, however, he would manage to feel warm and he cherished those rare moments. Trailing a hand across cold stone, he shuddered just a little, right as he drew his hand away from the stone. He didn't know why, but since he had been here, he always felt that these broken columns contained something sinister, something frightening.

Shaking his head, he quickly continued to walk, taking little slow steps as his gaze searched the much too familiar surroundings for something, anything that was different from how it had been yesterday.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he gazed at the chipped stone arches that led into an unknown. He had never ventured through there, the cold feeling of dread when he approached it was enough to make him turn away – turn away and look back only in curiosity. He would be lying to himself if he tried to deny the fear he felt at that feeling of dread that always came over him.

Much worse than the feeling that made him shudder when he touched the columns, much worse than the darkness that claimed him while he slept in this stone and flower garden…

It was like a darkness of its own…

But there was no denying it was there, and his gaze travelled curiously with a bit of fright at the almost hollow-like darkness. The curiosity grew day by day; the need to be somewhere other than in the darkness of his dreams and the monotone flower-filled courtyard increased…

And even though he shook with fright at the cold dread that filled him like a disease when he approached the archway that seemed nothing but forbidden to him, his gaze wandered to it…

Day by day…

His hands were shaking as he held the jacket closer to himself, unable to do anything but stand there like an idiot waiting for the rain to go away. He cursed himself for not thinking of bringing an umbrella – if he even tried to walk through the rain like this, he would definitely catch a cold. His fingers were starting to turn numb and the rain only seemed to be coming down harder.

Sighing, he leaned against the wall, staying put under the small cover that hung over the front of the store. He only hoped the owner had enough heart not to chase him away from his makeshift shelter.

With a sigh, he glanced down at his watch. He really should have brought an umbrella – now he was going to be late as well as wet when he got there.

And no doubt Leon would have something to say about his slightly drenched appearance, he thought sourly. He could just imagine what he would say to him.

Probably something like I look like a drowned cat or something like that; whatever it is, it'll be insulting, he thought with a barely concealed sigh. Why did he have friends that insulted him?

Cloud looked down at his pocket when he felt his hand phone vibrate. He dug it out and groaned, seeing the name – speak of the devil.

"Hello?" he asked warily, prepared for an insult already.

There was a pause, "Did you forget how to read the caller ID?" Leon's voice sounded over the phone. Cloud glared at nothing in particular.

"Shut up. I knew it was you." he muttered.

"Right…I – whatever, anyways, you're late and since everyone else is – " he paused as though looking at something, wherever he was, "Well, you're just late." he finally announced as though it was the greatest injustice in the world and that Cloud had better had a good reason, like being kidnapped, to make it okay. Although, Cloud had a feeling that if he did use the kidnapping excuse, he would just be called an idiot for being unable to outsmart the kidnappers and escape.

"I know I'm late." Cloud chose to glare up at the rain. It was the rain's fault anyways, "I'm stuck in the rain without an umbrella."

There was a pause, "What? You're –"

"Yes, yes, I know, I'm an idiot and should have brought an umbrella – or at least looked at the weather forecast." Cloud mimicked Leon's voice from the last time he had gotten caught in the rain.

"I wasn't going to say that." Leon retorted.

"Of course not." he said in a sarcasm voice while he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Leon said, and then with a grumpy sort of voice, "Fine. I'll leave you to your…rain." he muttered as he hung up abruptly.

Cloudstared at the phone after he drew it away from his ear. Then he looked out at the rain again and let out a heavy sigh. Damn his lack of umbrella.

He looked around the crowded building. Stares were directed at him because of the sunglasses he wore on his face – but he didn't care. He didn't want anyone to know he was here; he knew, just knew, how many people would panic seeing him here, panic because he had found out.

His eyes stopped, halfway to his destination, at a little shop not too far from the elevators and, with a small, sad smile on his face at the memories that filled him, memories that he cherished even now, he ventured into the shop and came out with a single flower, a thin red ribbon trailing down the stem.

"I wonder…" he murmured to himself, earning strange looks as he walked into the elevator. He didn't need to look at the piece of paper in his pocket to know what level and what room he needed to go to – he had memorized it all on the trip there, memorized it the moment the four numbers were written on the paper, the moment he realized he had finally done it.

He didn't need to search anymore.

He had found him again.

The room was quiet when he entered. But that was expected – he had come at a time that he expected the regular visitors would be out for lunch.

He lowered his sunglasses, grey eyes staring at the unconscious figure on the bed – this was so familiar, but brought so much sadness to him. Wordlessly, he lowered the flower to the bed, and his fingers reached for the man's hands, helping the fingers clench around the stem of the flower.

"It's been too long…Cloud."

Cloud was still drenched by the time he made it to the restaurant where he was supposed to have met everyone else an hour and a half ago. Cursing under his breath, he tried not to look too uncomfortable in his wet clothes, but it was hard considering both his jeans and his shirt were clinging tightly to his skin.

And, to his utter annoyance, Leon was standing there with a small but amused smirk, apparently the only one who was sent to wait for Cloud to get there.

"You look like a drowned cat." Leon remarked as soon as Cloud approached him. Cloud shot him a baleful glare, "I don't need to hear this from you, Leonheart."

"Oh, but you do – you also need to hear that the others were tired of waiting for you and decided to go to a club somewhere."

Cloud nodded, preoccupying himself with trying to wring his shirt out.

"So why are you here?"

"I was sent to wait for you." Leon said, "By your precious soon-to-be-dead boyfriend."

Cloud's head snapped up at that, before lowering itself again, but the action did not escape Leon's notice. Leon's eyes were calculating, scrutinizing as Cloud avoided them.

"Well, he should have fun." Cloud said with false cheer, "At least he made sure I knew where he was, instead of having me go around the restaurant looking for him like a world-class idiot."

He didn't mention that the fact that he still made his way here after being drenched in the rain only to find Zack already gone was what was making him feel like a world-class idiot.

"He's not a complete idiot." Leon agreed after a long moment. Then, turning on his heel, he began to walk back into the restaurant. Cloud blinked, wondering where he was going now.

Then Leon sent him one of his 'are you going to be an idiot and just stand there?' looks and he quickly followed. He had no idea what was going through the man's mind until they reached a table that still had empty and half-eaten dishes on it. Leon sat down and looked at Cloud with a pointed look, "You came here to eat didn't you?" he asked, waving down a server to get a menu for him.

Cloud blinked at Leon again, surprised by the consideration, and a smile crossed his face, "Thanks."

"I just don't want to take responsibility for when you starve to death" Leon simply said, "So if anyone asks, I can honestly say I fed you."

Cloud continued to smile though as he looked through the menu.

Apparently, Leon could be nice and considerate when he wanted to.

Sometimes, he could see things that weren't real. As he sat there, day after day, in this endless prison of stone and flowers, he could see things that seemed like a dream – but not. It was like he was imagining a dream – a dream of a dream. Those times that he saw things, he could forget about the forbidden, inviting, dark hollow archway that remained at the corner of his mind.

The things he saw were so dream-like that he was sure it was a dream – like it had happened to someone else, and he was a mere spectator that was graced with such an image.

But the images weren't always clear.

The only things about these dreams that were clear were the dark eyes that bore into him, and he could see just a hint of a smile tugging at seemingly perfect lips, as well as feel a sense of somethingrush through him – like he knew that smile, like that smile was the most important thing in his world.

And there was always a name on his lips.

He lay there again, trying to think, trying to remember that name. He heard it when he was lost in the images, he knew it while he was in that dream-like state, but once he opened his eyes and he saw the crumbled courtyard of stones and flowers again, there was nothing.

And it frustrated him to no end.

He wanted to know, he wanted to know more than anything.

Do you? That voice in his head asked snidely. He glared at nothing in particular. He did…didn't he?

He did.

It was just that…sometimes, he wasn't sure knowing would be a good thing.

It seemed that Cloud never learned.

"This is so not fair." Cloud said aloud, drawing strange stares from people around him. He stared up at the sky accusingly. It was raining again, and yesterday, yesterday, when Cloud had his umbrella with him, not a single drop of rain had shown up, and now, today, instead of the sun they were supposed to get, there was rain. Not just rain – rain that was frigid to the touch and making him, dressed in only a sleeveless shirt and jeans, absolutely freezing.

"This isn't fair." he said again, his voice becoming close to a whine. It really wasn't – why didn't it rain yesterday instead? He sighed, digging through his pockets for his cell phone. He looked around for some sort of shelter to take refuge until it stopped raining, and quickly found a canopy cover of a small shop nearby.

He was definitely going to be late again.

Leon was definitely going to call him a drowned cat again.

And most likely, by the time he got there, Zack would have already left or something – again. Cloud thought that last part bitterly, remembering how Zack hadn't even tried to apologize for leaving Cloud without a word from his own mouth. Zack was his boyfriend, not Leon – it shouldn't have been Leon that waited.

Not that Cloud minded that it was Leon – the man had been surprisingly nice and not condescending that day. But still – it was the principle of the matter.

He paused when, while scrolling through his contact numbers, Leon's number popped up. Then, with a shake of his head, he scrolled up further until he got to Zack's.

The phone call, as far as Cloud was concerned, was short, concise and felt as though Zack was too busy to talk to his boyfriend trapped somewhere in the rain. A sense of bitterness filled Cloud but he quickly shook it off, deciding to play a game on his phone while he waited for the rain to stop.

Cloud cursed as his game was suddenly interrupted by an incoming call. Frowning and inwardly hoping that it was Zack, perhaps offering a ride, his hopes were dashed when he saw Leon's number.

"Leon?"

"Where the hell are you?"

"I – uh, didn't Zack mention I'd be late?" Cloud asked, hoping not to have to explain his lack of umbrella again.

"Yeah, he did, but that's not what I meant…oh…never mind." he trailed off suddenly.

Cloud blinked, and looked in confusion ahead, "Never mind what?"

One could say he was very confused right about now.

"Found you." a voice sounded from both the phone…and to his right.

Cloud jumped at the sight of Leon standing there, holding an umbrella in one hand and his hand phone in the other. Cloud's eyes were wide, "What – you – I'm so confused." he finished lamely.

"Well, Zack decided, if someone with an umbrella and a car came to pick you up from the general area in which you were trapped, you wouldn't be late this time." Leon shrugged, "And I got kicked out, and locked out of Riku's apartment by Zack until I agreed to come to get you."

"I'm sorry I'm such an inconvenience." Cloud said dryly, although there was a hint of bitterness in his voice. He really was just an inconvenience for everyone wasn't he? Zack didn't want to come get him, so he had to make Leon come. Just like those other times when Leon was the one waiting for him if Zack suddenly decided to leave before Cloud got there, or while Cloud went to buy a drink. It was as though Leon was the replacement sent in when Zack didn't want to bother with him.

Leon looked at him, as though sensing the lack of jesting in Cloud's voice, "I blame Zack, he's the inconvenience." he said finally, hoping to make the younger man smile. He succeeded a little as the corners of Cloud's lips twitched.

Leon smirked, "C'mon, before they eat all the food."

Cloud looked dubiously at the umbrella, "Are you sure that'll cover both of us?"

"Yes." Leon rolled his eyes, "Unless you want this." he pointed to an object behind Cloud. Cloud turned and saw that the older man was pointing to a cheap poncho sold in the store Cloud had been hiding under the canopy of.

"That's for children!"

"It'll keep you dry." Leon remarked, "Other option, of course, is to stop doubting the prowess of my umbrella and get under here."

Cloud gave a half-hearted glare as he scooted under the umbrella with Leon. If he stood close enough, the umbrella covered them both.

They walked in silence to Leon's car. Once inside, the first thing Leon did was to grab something from the back and hand it to Cloud, "I managed to blackmail this out of the apartment before I was sent off on this rescue mission." he smirked. Leon blinked at the towel, and smiled brightly at the older man.

"You know what, Leon, if you didn't insult me so much, I'd think you were actually concerned, and even caredabout my health."

"Shut up."

Cloud grinned, "Thanks."

"Shut up. I didn't say I did care." Leon retorted, a look of embarrassment on his face.

"Of course not." Cloud said consolingly, a smirk on his face. If anything, Squall Leonheart was good at distracting him from thinking about Zack.

"Shut up or I won't come pick you up next time."

"Next time?"

"Well, I'm assuming this is a habit of yours – this forgetting your umbrella during storms thing."

Cloud flushed and opened his mouth to protest –

"And since I'm sure next time Zack will make me come again, why don't you save us all the trouble and just call my phone so that I can get actual directions instead of these useless directions Zack gave me!" Leon said glaring pointedly at the crumbled up piece of paper lying on the dashboard.

Cloud was strangely touched that Zack actually offered to do something nice. Or more like, something nice forhim.

"Thanks." he said quietly, distracting Leon from detailing his plans for Zack's death.

"You tell anyone I offered and I'll maim you."

"Duly noted." Cloud laughed.

It was only after what seemed like an eternity that he let go of the lukewarm hand, his eyes going around the private hospital room he was in. In all honesty, the man looked like he was sleeping – as though he could wake up any moment, as though he didn't need to be in the hospital at all.

His hands found their way to the folder at in the little clear box that was on the wall of the room – obviously a medical progress report. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know – if he wanted to know whether all this time had made Cloud better…or the same as when he had last seen him.

He clenched his eyes shut before opening them again, glancing at the paper on top. His hands couldn't stop shaking as he read the report from the doctor in charge of Cloud.

Patient continues to show signs of –

And he couldn't read anymore. He snapped the folder shut with a loud noise that made the man on the hospital bed shift just a little. His eyes closed for a moment and when they opened again, they were filled with a suppressed yearning. Not bothering to try to hide those emotions in his eyes, he stood up and went back to Cloud's side, holding his hand tightly once more.

"I'm sorry." he murmured, his head lowered so that he could whisper it into the unconscious Cloud's ear. He stayed there for a long moment, before standing up, slipping his sunglasses back on, and, with a tight squeeze on Cloud's hand, he began to leave.

It was only after his hand left the younger man's, that the lukewarm hand moved, forming a fist as it found itself only able to attempt a futile effort to grasp a hand that was no longer there.

It should never be this easy.

It shouldn't be like this.

This…this –

It shouldn't be this easy, was the one thought going through his mind. Cloud couldn't seem to move, couldn't seem to do anything but sit there. He didn't try to remove Leon's arms that were wrapped tightly around him, didn't try to push the older man away.

It shouldn't be this easy to accept Leon's comfort.

"Don't get the wrong idea." he heard Leon say aloud in his ear, a whisper that only Cloud could hear, "This is only so I don't have to look at you cry."

Cloud offered a suppressed sob as a reply. Why was it that it was always Leon who was nearby? Why was it always Leon who was there when he needed someone? Why was it never Zack anymore?

And at the thought of the taller man, Cloud's resolve not to show that he was upset broke down and he wrapped his arms around Leon, fingers digging into the older man's sleeve, gripping it as tightly as he could. He curled up into a ball against Leon, trying to hold back the tears as best as he could.

If he was thinking straight, he would have been appalled at showing so much weakness to someone else; he would have pulled away from the comfort long ago, trying not to show that he was that upset. But he was upset, and he wasn't thinking straight.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, only that by the time he let go, his arms felt numb, there was a wet patch on Leon's shoulder from tears that he hadn't managed to hold back, and Leon had been silent through the whole thing, not offering up a single insult about his tears.

Cloud reluctantly let go of Leon as he wiped his tears, but those warm, strong arms didn't let go of him, and Cloud was almost sure that Leon was afraid Cloud would start crying again if he did let go.

Just to confirm that thought, he intoned softly, "You can let go now."

There came a quiet retort of, "Are you going to cry again if I do?"

Sometimes, Cloud thought that he either knew Leon too well by now, or Leon was just predictable.

Cloud didn't answer, he knew he wasn't going to cry again, but perhaps….he just wanted that comfort, perhaps he wanted that warm embrace, something he hadn't been granted in so long. Nevertheless, he slowly shook his head but found himself dreading the cold feeling that would come when Leon finally removed his arms.

Leon seemed to understand for, after stretching for a moment, he wrapped one arm around Cloud's shoulders.

"Don't get so upset over him." he advised.

Cloud smiled sadly, looking over at Leon, "Sometimes I wonder why he does the things he does." he said softly. This hadn't been the first time Zack had found something or someone more important than Cloud, this wasn't the first time Leon was the one to tell Cloud instead of Zack that Zack wasn't going to be coming. Cloud wondered if Leon was sick of him too like Zack was – he had certainly been inconvenienced enough by Cloud.

"I'm not." Leon said sharply. Cloud blinked and then realized with a jolt of horror that he must have accidentally said his thoughts aloud, "Believe it or not, the only problem I have with you is that you keep forgiving him and you get upset and disappointed every time."

Cloud let out a hesitant laugh, "You almost sound like you care."

Leon didn't answer and Cloud assumed this was one of those 'touchy-feely-too-feminine-for-me-to-get-into' topics Leon would never say anything about.

"I sound like someone who thinks you should find someone who appreciates you."

Cloud closed his eyes as he leaned on Leon's shoulder, taking all the comfort Leon wasn't against giving him for now, "If only…if only you liked guys, Leon…" he murmured.

The unspoken words of 'you appreciate me' hung in the air between them, filling the silence.

He could see those eyes again – those eyes that haunted him –, and there was a name, a name on his lips. It was a name that was so natural to say, so familiar, and yet…

He was unable to do anything but open and close his mouth, attempting to say it. The word wouldn't form.

And he felt like crying – each failure to remember the name, place the name to the eyes, put those pieces of a face together, felt like a betrayal.

He should know this.

He should know.

The name on the tip of his tongue; the eyes that, if he squinted a little more, he could perhaps see the face they belonged to; the voice blurred by the rest of the voices that filled his mind.

But the voice was clearer than the rest – he could almost make out the words.

Just a little bit more.

Cloud sometimes wished he could understand Leon, especially now. For nearly a week, he had only seen Leon briefly, whenever Zack brought his friends over. Other than a few words and more than the occasional glance at each other from across the room, they hadn't had any time together, unlike before. Cloud had wondered if Leon had simply gotten tired of babysitting him all the time – the sort-of confession from himself last week when Leon was comforting him probably made the older man uncomfortable.

Cloud knew he could be needy – he wanted, no, he craved love. When he and Zack had gotten together, Zack had been so caring and so wonderful. And more importantly, back then, he lovedCloud, paid attention to him and was every part of the concerned, loving boyfriend he should've been. But now, perhaps they had been together too long, and Zack no longer cared, Zack no longer tried and Cloud had felt himself get more and more disappointed, more and more crushed each day.

And then Leon had come along, Leon with his strange sense of showing that he cared, Leon who didn't say 'don't make me so worried' out loud, but still managed to convey to Cloud that he cared, Leon who made him risk this painful, but safe shell of a life with Zack, by saying things he shouldn't, by hoping for things he shouldn't. He had ruined everything by confessing his true feelings out loud.

He probably hates me now, Cloud thought sadly. For some reason, the thought hurt much more than Zack's indifferent gaze this morning.

He blinked as somebody grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled on it roughly. Cloud let out a startled yelp as he fell backwards, right into someone.

"Watch where you're going."

Cloud blinked up at Leon, who was frowning at him. There was very heavily veiled concern in the man's eyes.

"Huh?" was Cloud's so very eloquent answer.

"If you stepped in that." Leon pointed with an 'are you an idiot?' look at a small hole in the ground of the park that some animal had probably dug, "You would have tripped, then you would have probably bashed your head on that cement path right there. And then you'd be dead."

This was all said flatly, but Cloud didn't miss the way Leon's eyes swept over him as though making sure he hadn't gotten hurt somehow.

"I'm fine." he said quickly.

Leon raised an eyebrow, but nodded, "Good, try not to maim yourself on your way home." he said.

Cloud couldn't help a smile at the familiar concern conveyed through seemingly harsh words. Then he sobered as he looked at Leon who was starting to turn with a wave.

"Leon." he called, pulling on the man's wrist. Leon turned around after a moment's pause.

"Yeah?"

"…I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I was too needy, or I said something too strange, whatever it is that you're annoyed at me for, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know I'm just really annoying, and you always have to come help me and comfort me because – because I'm not brave enough to try to be on my own, without someone there for me, but – I'm sorry! Don't hate me! Whatever it was I did, I can – I'm sorry."

Leon had frozen where he was.

Cloud looked nervously at Leon, until Leon pulled his wrist out of Cloud's grasp. Then, with a small attempt at a reassuring smile, the older man took a step closer.

He paused briefly when he was in front of Cloud, before putting his hand lingeringly on Cloud's arm, reassuringly. As he froze and then turned to walk away again, Cloud managed to catch the words Leon had been unable to keep to himself.

"I don't hate you."

He had come back again. Always with the same sunglasses hiding his face, the same nervousness of getting seen by someone who would recognize him, he went to visit Cloud every day. He wasn't going to stop seeing him now that he had finally found him again.

Stopping in front of the now familiar numbered door of the hospital room, he peered inside, checking for any other visitors before taking a step inside the room. As always, the sight of the prone figure made him shake just a little. He pulled the usual flower bought from the florist in the lobby downstairs out from inside of his jacket, carefully placing it in Cloud's hands.

His fingers, touching that soft skin, lingered there for a long moment. He stood there, staring down at the nearly lifeless form of the man before him. He was so still that, if not for the constant beeping of the multiple monitors in the room, he would have thought that Cloud had slipped through his fingers once more, just when he had found him again.

His gaze wandered to the folder detailing Cloud's last check-up from his doctor and he flipped through the papers, his eyes widening at the latest page.

"They're taking you off the treatment." he mumbled softly to the unconscious man. Of course, as usual, silence met his words.

Cloud's eyes were closed now but he could just imagine them open again, gazing at him with that look reserved only for him.

His fingers gripped the folder tightly – too tightly. The flimsy material that made up the folder bent and crumpled a little in his fist.

"I wonder if you'll know me…"

Cloud rubbed his eyes as he heard the doorbell. He didn't even have to look in the direction of the bedroom to know that the door wasn't closed, which meant Zack was still out. Cloud had spent the last few nights on the sofa bed, trying to work up the courage to break it off with Zack, so that he could try to move on and stop living in a relationship that neither of them wanted anymore. He winced, remembering when Zack had nearly broken the door when he slammed it after Cloud had finally managed to tell him exactly what he didn't feel for Zack anymore.

It had been inevitable. As much as he had tried to hang onto something familiar like their relationship, he couldn't continue living like this.

He wanted to have the courage and strength to live without clinging to what he was used to and what was safe.

"Leon?" he blinked when he saw the older man standing in the doorway, "Um…come in?" he let Leon in, and then cursed. The apartment wasn't exactly fit for guests right now, what with the argument he had had with earlier that had things being thrown and getting broken.

Apparently, that didn't matter to Leon, because the older man ignored the mess, and his eyes swept over him, a frown starting on his lips.

"What?" Cloud asked self-consciously in panic. Oh no, what had he done nowto get Leon irritated? It wasn't enough that he had made things awkward between himself and Leon – despite the fact that Leon said he didn't hate him, Leon still seemed to be avoiding him – but now he had made things worse somehow?

Leon glared at him, "I need to tell you something and you absolutely cannot cry or get upset or whatever at what I'm going to say." he said, pointing almost accusingly at Cloud's face. Cloud blinked, wiping suspiciously at his cheeks. To his horror, his tears of frustration from earlier that day and from the argument with Zack had dried into obvious tear tracks on his face.

Cloud nodded numbly in agreement.

"I'm a horrible person." Leon stated out loud, fiercely, and was looking challengingly at Cloud, "I'm a horrible person, and you shouldn't like me."

Cloud stared, "I…shouldn't? But –"

"Don't interrupt me. I need to say this, and then you have to say that you hate me and I can leave with a clear conscience and everything will be alright."

Cloud blinked again – what was Leon talking about?

"I'm a horrible person, because he's my friend, and I shouldn't be doing this. This shouldn't be happening and it's mostly your fault – why couldn't you be like his past lovers, all flaky and stupid? Then this wouldn't be happening and I - "

Leon faltered at the confused and slightly hurt expression on Cloud's face.

"Screw it. I can't do this –" Leon muttered as he turned to walk away, "Sorry for waking you up."

Cloud blinked. Reaching out, he grabbed Leon's wrist before the older man could leave.

"Leon! What're you talking about? You can't just say all this, confuse me and then leave!" Cloud demanded indignantly, "Leon!"

The older man was silent. Then, he turned, stared at him for a moment and then took the few steps back to Cloud. There was a look in Leon's eyes that made Cloud draw in his breath – he had seen that look before. Many times over the past few weeks, Leon had had that look in his eyes, disguised but still there, and now it was no longer half-hidden from Cloud. With that look never leaving his face, Leon wrenched his wrist out of Cloud's grasp. Then, he lowered his lips to Cloud's in what was unmistakably a kiss. Slight chapped lips were warm against his – warm and silently speaking more than a thousand words; it also conveyed what felt like more than a thousand feelings. Warm and surprisingly caressing were the lips that were on his. Cloud's eyes were wide when Leon drew away.

With a determined look, Leon stared at Cloud, "Now, go break my heart and say you hate me. It's for the best." he said but even though he said it with a light voice and a smile, Cloud could see the effort behind keeping that smile, and the dread in Leon's eyes at possibly hearing what he told Cloud to say.

"But –"

"If you don't, I'll be the most despicable person on earth, do you want that to happen?"

"You'll never be despicable." Cloud returned forcefully, his fingers resting on his lips, almost unable to believe what just happened, "And what – you…you kissed me"

Leon was silent.

"You like me? ...or was that just something to confuse me even more?" he asked accusingly.

Leon looked shocked at the last question, "No!"

"Then you like me? Unless there's another reason you kiss people…"

"You're supposed to be saying you hate me." Leon retorted, avoiding the question.

Cloud tried to be calm and not show how hopeful he was feeling right now, how happy he was from one kiss – if Leon did like him, if Leon returned his feelings…

"I can't hate you." Cloud said slowly, "Leon, do you like me?" he repeated. He had to know – he needed to know.

"Just say it – three words, not that ha –" Leon was cut off mid-sentence.

Cloud's lips were pressing against Leon's, arms wrapping around his neck, pulling Leon closer to him. The brown haired man's eyes filled with shock at the sudden kiss. Logic and his feelings battled for a long moment until finally, logic lost and he kissed back, his arms circling Cloud's thin waist.

"You like me." was what Cloud said as soon as they parted, breathlessly.

"Shut up." Leon murmured even as his arms tightened around Cloud's waist, putting his head on Cloud's shoulder, "You're turning me into the most horrible person on earth."

Cliffhanger! *killed* Okay, that's for Chapter One
Was it any good? Do you like it? Are you curious? Want me to continue?
Reviews would be appreciated!