A/N: A bonus chapter for all of you awesome readers. Not on a Monday or a Wednesday like I usually spring them on you guys, so I hope a Tuesday update surprises you. This is an awesome chapter.

Cloud - A week or so later

Glad to see I was done for the day, I got off my chair, quickly stuffing the things I needed to bring back with me into my backpack, sighing when I noticed Cid appear in the corner of my eye. I think out of everyone in this place, he was taking the many changes the wrong way. Or at least, he didn't know the truth about my situation with Leon and since Seymour didn't allow me to set the record straight, I was forced to just sit back and take it when Cid had a comment to make.

"Sleeping your way up the scale? Classy, Cloud. I thought you were better than that." He grimaced my way, "Gotta say, those fights you two were having? Very convincing material, I didn't suspect a thing until it was said you were fucking the boss." He understood that if I wasn't fired, it's because I was the victim in a sexual harassment case, but I guess he thought me slutty enough to be able to pull a stunt like that. "Guess it didn't work out the way you wanted, huh?" And now he was referring to my demotion.

To be able to say nothing? It had been bringing me down... I already had to lie to Leon every single day after work, but I was forced to just agree with whatever my co-workers believed. The urge to put Cid back in place, and Seymour for that matter, was killer, but I'd risk a lot if I did.

"Knock it off, Cid." Seifer growled out, coming to stand beside me, "We all know you got your panties in a twist because you once again weren't chosen for the promotion. Get over yourself and deal with the fact that you gotta answer to two little girls now." Tugging me away, Seifer patted my shoulder, giving me a quick smile before letting go of me so he could rejoin Hayner, who gave me a sympathetic look and wave, which I nodded at. Yuffie and Fuu had taken mine and Leon's job. It wasn't a bad fit. Yuffie was excellent in concept and people talking, while Fuu's serious and steady mind kept Yuffie from falling off the edge. They made a good pair and ran the place nicely, there was no denying that.

Turning once in the elevator, I waved over at Seifer and Hayner in thanks, really appreciating their support through all of this even if I still felt like crap. They'd cornered me several times, trying to make me tell them why I got demoted, and when I didn't answer that, why I hadn't just quit. I wanted too... So badly. After this week? I didn't even want to look for a way to fight Seymour and regain my rightful position. I just wanted to leave here...

It's while I'd been drawing out concept sketches that I'd realized, had we not gotten caught? The situation would have gotten to myself and Leon at one point or another. Having to keep our relationship in the closet at work? It would have strained on us sometime in the future. I wished it wouldn't have gotten out like this though... Not where everything was now on the line.

Getting into my car once I reached it, I started the engine and drove off to go back to the house. Leon had applied at several other firms here in Hollow Bastion, but... Although Seymour would definitely make it even worse, it was already very hard for Leon to land a job just with how things were right now. I hoped someone would overlook his records and just hire him as he was great at what he did. He had too because otherwise why should I keep lying?

If I had settled to let Seymour manipulate me it's because I hadn't been able to find a way around it. I'd asked Larxene to look into it, avoiding answering her questions about it, telling her she just needed to find something, anything that could help Leon. But nothing. Seymour had done the job well and made sure there weren't any loop holes. I was stuck and sinking. Leon was trying to stay strong, kept looking at the positive side of things, reassuring my mute stares and his most likely worried mind. I knew he didn't like not doing anything... He couldn't stay in the house forever. Soon he'd be running out of things to do.

He needed a job, and that's why I kept lying to him. Because while his situation was bad, Seymour could make it ten times worse, and I had no doubt he had the power to make it so Leon would never be hired again. But having to lie to him? It was really messing me up... I could barely look him in the eye, let alone spend some good moments with him because the guilt was eating away at me. I wanted to tell him everything, but if I did? Ugh. I just needed everything to go back to normal, the way things used to be...

I'd been so desperate yesterday, I'd run out of the house, telling Leon that I needed to run some errands. It had blind-sided him and I could tell he was starting to feel something was off about me... I'd gone to see Larxene, asking her if by any chance she had some... rewind time coffee beans beside that body switching tea of hers. She didn't, of course. I guess all that had come out of that is that it led me to realize that my lying might save Leon a possible job in the future, but it might destroy my relationship with him too.

I wanted to be selfish, tell him everything and then be able to pour my heart without guilt into every kiss I gave him like I used too. Unfortunately I just couldn't seem to figure out what it is I needed to do anymore.

Parking the car in front of the house, I got out, kicking the door closed, letting out a heavy sigh before I walked up to the front door. And here we go again... the beginning of yet another tense evening where I'd try to avoid him and when I couldn't? I was forced to lie to his face most of the time.

"Leon, I'm home." I called out, closing the door behind me, kicking off my shoes and hanging up my jacket.

"I'm in the living room." He answered, his voice subdued. Pressing my lips tightly together at the tone of it, I walked into the room, seeing him sitting on the couch, staring at the tv that wasn't turned on.

"Hey..." I murmured, making my way over, but not sitting down and pulling him into my arms like I really wanted too. "You okay?" I asked hesitantly, knowing it was a risky question, but... I had nothing else. I took it as a sign that he wasn't when he ran a hand through his hair and took a giant swig of the beer set on the end table next to him.

He turned to me and I was happy to see no signs of crying or drunkedness just a general sense of disquiet. "Well, I'm just not sure what I'm going to do. Nothing new there. But more importantly," His eyes locked on mine and I saw worry there. For me. "I feel like I've made this big mess and you're having a harder time than I am with it. I'm trying not to be worried about it too much, but I find myself worrying about the both of us, even though you still have your job. So, the question is, are you okay?"

I licked my lips, darting my eyes away before looking back at him, "Ehm, yeah, of course? Why wouldn't I be?" Giving him a quick and very fake smile I hoped he'd just buy, I detached my gaze from his and decided to go an hide out in the kitchen for a moment to compose myself.

As I walked towards it, I heard him get up and start to follow me. "Cloud, I'm really not getting the 'you're okay' vibe from you at this point. If you're worried about the house, I'm not going to lose it anytime soon. So there won't be any kicking out from it. And I'm not going to expect you to pay anything. Especially since you got demoted." His voice was hard, and I could tell he still felt like I'd been screwed over.

Turning, I opened the door with my hip, walking into the kitchen backwards so I could look at him, "It's not that, really. I'm not worried. I know you wouldn't kick me out." Turning back around, I quickly walked away from him before he could catch me and pull me closer to him. It was harder to lie when he held or kissed me. It made me feel worse about it. "I'm okay." I repeated, wincing down at the sink as that didn't sound believable to my own ears. Would he let this go?

"You're not okay!" He snapped, stepping closer, gripping my bicep. Checking his temper, he quickly released me, but didn't step away. "Cloud. Are you...regretting us getting together? Because I haven't kissed you in three days and I don't get the feeling that you even want to be around me." His voice was back to being subdued. "Listen, I don't want you thinking that you have to date me if you don't want to. Okay? So can you just tell me what the hell is bothering you?"

"No!" I shouted, shocked when I realized that I must have planted that idea there with the distance I'd forced on us. "I don't regret us." I said clearly, stepping closer to him, placing a hand on his chest. "I just-" A hiccup surprised it's way out of me because of the sudden stress that bubbled up. "Leon..." Sending him a pained look, I wrapped my arms around him, hiding my face in his neck as I breathed him in. I didn't want him to think I didn't want to be with him... Because that was the only real clear thing in my mind right now.

His arms didn't immediately wrap around me, but he did rest his head against my own and I felt him sigh. "Cloud, what the hell is going on? I can't help you if you won't tell me."

Tightening my arms around him, I cringed and shut my eyes, "Seymour is black-mailing me." I whispered. I wasn't going to loose him. That I couldn't allow to happen, no matter the consequences, apparently.

"How the fuck is he blackmailing you?" He sputtered out, and I felt his arms come around my back to hold me against his chest.

"His position was threatened because you caught his boss' eye. When he saw us together he used it to cancel out your promotion that would effectively render him jobless." I muttered against his skin, "He could only fire you, but not me, and apparently I'm a threat to his job as much as you were. I tried to quit right there in his office after you left and he called me inside, but he said that if I left, he'd make sure you would never be able to land another job."

I breathed in sharply, my voice sounding a bit panicked at this point, "He said that if I quit anyway, the firm would fear I may consider suing, and well, basically? Whatever I do? He'll make sure both our reputations are ruined." I pulled back to look at him, "He made sure I couldn't say a thing to anyone... Using the same threat against anything I could find to retaliate." Wincing, I shut my eyes, "I've been lying to you and I feel really horrible and that's why I've been avoiding you."

Leon

I thought I'd been shocked when Seymour had fired me, but I was beyond floored by what Cloud had just told me. Basically, in order for Seymour to fire me and be justified, Cloud had to play the victim in the sexual harassment filing. But if Cloud and I had come out dating instead, we both would have been let go or transferred at the least. You cannot have a relationship in subordinate and boss.

Seymour had jumped at the chance apparently, to rid the place of me, but also control Cloud, who if he claimed that it hadn't been sexual harassment, could have almost or at least questioned the sexual harassment suit against me. I may not have lost my job under that clause. I may have lost it under something else, but Seymour had wanted the most reputation damaging charge against me.

"I...I'm going to make a phone call, and then you are going to quit." I was going to tell the partners in the firm the truth, regardless of what it was going to do to my reputation. Architecture was my career, but I knew enough about construction to do well there not to mention I had contacts that knew me personally. Fucking hell, between me and Cloud we could start our own firm!

"Leon!" Cloud exclaimed, grabbing my hand to keep me from walking away to get the phone, "He'll make sure all your hard years of work will become useless. You can't do that..." Using my other hand, I gripped his chin and brought my mouth down to cover his, stilling anymore protests that he had. I could feel myself almost grinning now. I hadn't had any luck getting a new job anyways, and I'd been forced to think about alternatives. This was just making it more of a reality, which was fine with me.

Pressing hard against him now, I poured my determination into that kiss, trying to reassure Cloud that everything would be okay. When I pulled back, I smiled. "Relax. Let's face it. I'm not going to find a job anyways, but Seymour isn't going to hold that over my head anymore. I'm going above his head with the truth about our relationship and his blackmail attempt. And even if they don't take my word for it, when you quit, they'll be forced to examine his actions. Either way, we aren't going to let that prick make your life miserable." Moving my hand up into his hair, I fluffed his spikes. "Things aren't as bad as you think they are."

I saw him wince, looking pained. "I lied to you, Leon. It's something I've never done and I hate that someone forced me to do that, especially to you because you're-" Inhaling sharply, he stepped against me, stealing a soft kiss that told me he wasn't forgiving himself for that as easily as I was. "I trust you to make things right, I'm just really sorry I didn't before and couldn't tell you right away..." He said against my mouth, pulling away from me completely then.

He wasn't going to be forgiving himself anytime soon, I realized suddenly. As much as I wanted to only kiss him right now, he needed to actually hear me say that I forgave him. Then maybe he would have an easier time forgiving himself. Holding his shoulders with my hands, I held him at arms length so I could look into his eyes.

"Cloud. I forgive you for lying and I will not hold you responsible for any of this. You have to believe me. You are more important to me than anything right now, and I am just happy that you told me. Can you trust me on that?"

I was surprised when he nodded before quickly closing the distance, his hands framing my face as he pulled me down to catch my lips in a desperate kiss. "I really missed you..." He squeaked out, his eyes closed as he continued to peck my lips.

I couldn't help but smile at that as I finally felt like things weren't only going downhill for us. "Missed you too." Kissing him back for a few moments, I reluctantly pulled away. "Let me make this phone call really quick, and then you have my permission to do absolutely nothing for the rest of the night. And you can pick whatever you want for dinner, okay?" And, because I could, I ran my fingers through his spikes again.

He smiled, and I was glad to see that it was a genuine one, the one I hadn't seen in days now. "Okay." Sighing heavily first, he chuckled after, "I really need alcohol." And then he pulled the fridge open, pulling out a beer, opening it and gulping down a few greedy swallows.

"Eat something too, or you'll have a hangover tomorrow." I warned as I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Larxene's number. She should have the contact info for all the major employees of the entire firm and I figured she owed us after all of this.

Later that night

It was nice not to set my alarm clock for anything lately and I felt somewhat superior to it as I crawled in between my sheets, loving the coolness of them against my skin. The rest of the evening had been relaxing and I'd set the record straight to the firm. I still wasn't sure if they believed me, but I'd been a model employee with nothing else on my record before this, and that would count for something. Larxene had been awesome about giving me a good contact in Human Resources that Cloud would need to talk to in the morning, and hopefully we could clear this whole mess up.

Even if they offered me my position back, I knew at this point that I would decline. I was actually a lot more stable money wise than I'd actually thought, seeing as how I'd basically never had a life these past few years. I could afford to go almost a year without needing some source of income. And the idea of starting my own firm had been playing in the back of my mind for awhile. I'd best sleep on it. Shifting once more, I felt myself start to drift off, something I hadn't done this quickly since I'd been fired.

My near slumber was interrupted when I heard the door creak open though and by the time I propped myself up on my shoulders to see, Cloud had shut the door already and was darting across the room. "Hi..." He whispered very simply before moving the blanket and crawling underneath it. "I forgot to wash my pajamas, and I'm cold..." I could hear the amusement in his voice, telling me that he most likely had lots of clean pajamas in his closet. "You'll be my heater, right?" He asked softly, shuffling closer to snake his arms around me, sighing when he pressed his face against my chest.

I chuckled as I wrapped my arms around his body, loving the skin on skin contact even though his was colder than mine at first. "You bet. But I do not tolerate people who steal covers, so be warned." Using my hand, I cupped his chin and pulled his face to meet mine so I could kiss him goodnight. I wasn't always one for lots of physical contact, but I'd been sorely missing him these past few days, and just having him here with me was quite relaxing. I tried to keep the kiss light, as we weren't exactly on the couch anymore, but I did tease my tongue out to lick along his bottom lip, sighing at the taste of him.

"I'll be good." He said, all the while contradicting his words by pushing me onto my back, moving so he could straddle my waist, fisting the pillow in his hands beside my face as he leaned down to deepen the kiss I'd tried to keep light. "Are you very tired?" He breathed against my mouth, letting his lips drag across my cheek, landing on my neck so he could suck the skin there.

"Not even a little now, you sneak." I moaned, cupping his head against my neck while my other hand massaged his back. If he was looking for something more, then I had no objections. It may have been only a few weeks that we'd been together, but I'd known him longer than anyone else besides my family. I'm pretty sure we weren't moving that fast.

While his teeth nipped my skin gently, followed by his tongue to ease the slight sting, one of his hands traveled its way down my bare chest slowly. "Seifer was wrong, you know." I heard him say, almost leading me to frown as I didn't understand why he'd bring that guy up now, in this moment. That was until his hips lifted, making space so his hand could palm my crotch firmly, his fingers finding their way underneath the elastic band of my boxers, allowing him to grasp me in his hand. His index finger slid with a light teasing pressure on the underside of my rapidly growing erection. "I don't suck in bed." He finished, grinning against my jaw before he dipped down again, sucking on the skin hard enough to most likely leave a mark.

"F-fuck." I gasped, my hand gripping his hair, while the other gripped the bedsheets. His hand was wrecking my concentration but I managed to gasp out my thoughts on that. "When will you learn, that Seifer is almost always wrong." Parting my legs, I managed to have him settle partly between then and then lay on his side somewhat. Which meant it was easier for me to lay us side by side, my hand quickly making it's way into his boxers. Without any warning, I gripped him in my fist, loving the slight moan that he let out as I slowly memorized what he felt like.

"I wonder how God must feel, or Jesus... Their names are often shouted out during sex." He panted through a soft chuckle, his mouth finding it's way back to mine and his kiss was searing, his free hand placing itself over my heart. His other hand released my length for a moment and before I could ask why he was stopping, he'd ended the kiss momentarily as well, using his tongue to wet the palm of his hand before returning it on my dick, the rubbing he performed slicker now. I quickly followed his example and soon both of us were panting, teasing and kissing frantically in the dark. Most of the moans were swallowed between the two of us, but I'd managed to hear my name fall past those lips, almost sending me over the edge at the time. I was determined to last as long as possible, but the need to release was becoming over powering.

"Cloud, you are really good at this." I mumbled as I kissed and breathed against his neck. If he'd given me a hickey, I was eager to return the favor as every other moan of his, I nipped his skin lightly.

His fingers found their way in my hair, encouraging me to continue sucking on his skin, and I felt his body tensing up quickly. "Leon." He panted out, "Come for me, yes?" His lips pressed against the top of my head as he started working me faster now.

"Always you." I bit my lip, moaning quietly as I followed his command, tensing and releasing into his moving fist, my vision going white. My hand around him had stopped moving as I rode out my orgasm, the first one I'd had with someone in almost two years. As I finally could process my surroundings again, I shivered as Cloud gently squeezed me again and I remembered I was still holding him in my hand.

"Er, sorry." I whispered, feeling my face heat up. Fucking hell, I was so out of practice it was embarrassing. Renewing my movements, I focused on pleasing him now, kissing along his neck, knowing he was sensitive there. His breathing picked up, going faster than it had been before, and while his body had momentarily relaxed when I'd stopped moving, luckily I felt him starting to tense again. He released me, his hand shooting up so he could settle that in my hair like the other one, gripping it tightly as he pulled my head up so he could kiss me. It was sloppy, and often interrupted by his moans as he let the build up of the upcoming orgasm take toll over him.

He tried to press himself as close to me as possible, his slightly desperate kiss suddenly ending when he simply wasn't able to focus on my lips anymore, but they stayed there. And they were still there when he moaned out my name, spilling in my hand, a shiver rushing through his body as I slowed the pace down bit by bit. Panting still, it was only when my hand stilled completely that his grip in my hair loosened and his body relaxed.

Deep down in my heart of hearts, I'd been almost intimidated to be intimate with Cloud. I hadn't had any sort of sexual encounters within a couple years and he was fresh out of that horrible relationship with Seifer. I'd never be willing to admit it, but I'd feared that I'd make a mistake of some kind. As our breathing returned to normal, I placed several soft kisses against Cloud's skin, anywhere and everywhere I could. The covers had been kicked off, and I tried to remember if I had tissue in here.

"You okay?" I murmured feeling hopeful as I'd managed to get him off in the end.

His hands slipped down to my face, framing it like he liked to do and I felt him smile against my mouth when he pressed a kiss there. "I love you..." He whispered. "It's okay if you aren't ready to say it back yet, but I need you to know that I do."

"Wh-what?" I hadn't been expecting that one little bit, and my eyes widened in fear. There was no way I could say that now. My longest relationship so far had been six months, and I'd never uttered that phrase and here we were, barely over a harsh problem, and I was unprepared. "Cloud, um, I-" How did I explain that? I wasn't even sure I could.

I wasn't sure if the chuckle he let out was supposed to make me feel better or not. "Leon, hey, I just told you that it's okay if you aren't ready to say it. I don't mind and I know it's soon. I just wanted to share." He murmured, "I'd rather you tell me when you're ready, be that in months or even years, than having you tell me now, and it being forced." He shrugged, "Or ever. Who knows what'll happen. Just know that right now? I love you. And I'll be more than happy if you just kiss me in response."

I just nodded, using my hand to pull him back down to my lips, feeling the slight tension his statement had given me melting away. I was going to take his words as face value as I had no other option at this point and I was quickly losing interest in anything that wasn't related to his lips against mine.