Chapter 10

Leon groaned and whimpered softly as he turned over to face the wall, only to feel his head thump against a firm but not terribly hard surface. Lifting his head slowly in confusion, he was surprised to find Cloud's face just a few inches away from his face. He frowned a little and tilted his head. Why was Cloud in bed with him?

When he tried to sit up, a short but loud, high-pitched squeak escaped his lips before he fell back down. "Owiiie!"

Cloud groaned and wrapped an arm around his waist, then blinked his eyes open slowly, frowning. "Why so early...?"

"I..." Leon whimpered as his eyes began to fill with tears. "It... it hurts...!"

The blond sat up quickly, eyes darkening in concern as he began to rub the small of his boyfriend's back. "Did I go too hard last night, Leon? I'm sorry!"

"I... I... I don't... Uhn..." Leon shut his eyes tightly, whimpering again, before opening them again and looking up at him with big, watery eyes. "I don't think I can get up by myself. I want to take a bath. Maybe the warm water will make it feel better?"

"Okay. I'll go get your bath ready. You just rest here."

The brunet blushed and nodded a little. "Okay. I like my water really hot!"

Cloud smiled at him and nodded. "Okay. Don't move, babe. I'll be back to help you to the bathroom in a minute."

-x-x-x-

Sora and Roxas stumbled down the stairs tiredly, rubbing their eyes and yawning much like they always did now that they had their own room. As they trudged into the kitchen, they were surprised to find Cloud standing at the stove. Hadn't Nanaki proved that he couldn't cook? Why was he at the stove and making good smells float to their noses?

Cloud turned in surprise as he heard a surprised squeak, then smiled and nodded. "Good morning, guys. How'd you sleep?"

Leon, upon hearing his boyfriend's greeting, leaned out, turned a little to face his brothers, and smiled. "Good morning. How does French toast with strawberries and whipped cream sound?"

"...Like badly needed nourishment," Roxas replied and continued to the table.

Sora frowned and sat at the table as well. "Why is Cloud holding you up, Leon?"

"Because I made him sore. Sorry," Cloud answered, smiling innocently as Leon blushed. He looked back at the brunet and tilted his head. "I'm going to start putting things on the table. Will you be able to stand by yourself?"

Leon nodded slightly, blush still in place. "Yes. Go ahead."

"'kay babe." He pressed a quick kiss to the brunet's cheek and smiled before grabbing the bowls of strawberries and whipped cream. Soon after that five plates joined the bowls, along with silverware and glasses, and a pitcher of orange juice.

"Sora, call Dad down. Breakfast is ready," Leon stated, bringing over a platter of French toast with minimal flinching. "Then after that Roxas has a date with Axel, you promised to go shopping with Kairi and Riku, and Dad has to go to work."

"And what are you and Cloud going to do?" Roxas asked, raising an eyebrow as Sora went to go do as he was told.

Cloud rested his hands on the eldest Leonhart's shoulders and smiled. "We're going to stay here and I'm going to answer his every beck and call until he feels no more pain."

The brunet scowled. "I'm not helpless!"

"I know, sweetie," the taller teen answered, then began to nuzzle his neck lovingly. "I just don't want you to strain yourself."

-x-x-x-

"Mm..." Leon turned his head and placed a few timid kisses to his boyfriend's shoulder, then blushed a little as Cloud leaned down and pulled him into a quick kiss. When the kiss ended, the brunet smiled innocently. "I love you, Cloud."

"I love you too, babe," the blond replied, smiling as well, before kissing down the smaller teen's scar. His smile slowly faded into a frown. "Leon, how did you get this scar?"

Leon flinched, then turned his head away quickly, biting his bottom lip. "...I... don't like to talk about it."

Cloud sighed sadly. "That just intrigues me more, Leon. I'm sorry."

The brunet flinched again, then sighed and turned, snuggling up to the taller teen's chest. "I'll tell you, but you have to hold me while I'm talking, okay?"

"Okay," the blond answered quietly, kissing his eyelids lovingly.

Leon took a slow, shaky breath, then opened his mouth to explain.

When I was younger-- about sixth or seventh grade-- I was walking home from the Book Bin all by myself. It was dark out, but I was used to it by that time, because sometimes I worked really late in order to help my dad with the bills. I mean, sure, most kids wouldn't dare to be out at that time, but--

"Leon, you're babbling..."

Oh. Sorry.

Anyway, I was walking home alone while it was getting dark. I didn't realize anyone was behind me until about halfway home. It was then I realized that there were three guys following me. God, they couldn't have been more then nineteen.

Anyway, they were following me, and I realized that they kept getting closer and closer--

"Ow! Leon, you're hurting me. Loosen your grip on my shirt please."

Right! Sorry! I didn't mean to!

As I was saying, I soon realized that they were getting closer and closer to me, then all of a sudden, two of them grabbed me and dragged me down the alley nearby, and the third one, he-- ...He...

"...Take your time, baby..."

Leon sobbed quietly and clenched the blond's shirt in his hands tightly. "They grabbed me and they touched me and they made me touch them and I didn't like it but they wouldn't let me go! When they finally finished with me one of them bent down and cut my face and told me they'd always know who I was if they saw me again!"

Cloud frowned. "...And Seifer... his scar--"

"That's the reason we don't get into so many fights anymore," the brunet whispered, tears staining his cheeks. "He knows what I went through and I know what he went through. We try to forget, but..."

"Shhh..." The taller teen put a finger to his lips quickly, smiling reassuringly. "I'm... sorry I made you share your story. You obviously weren't ready. Shhh... I'm sorry, baby..."

"No! I want to talk about it!" Leon hid his face in the blond's chest and sobbed. "I just want all of the pain to go away, and the only way it will is if I talk about it!"

Cloud sighed, then forced a smile. "Then talk, Leon. I'll listen to you."

"...Seifer and I... we started going to therapy together," the brunet whispered, calming himself enough to talk. "It was easier to talk to the therapist when we were together. He'd walk me home afterward, because... because I was too afraid to walk home alone, and Reno... Reno and Rude were always too busy with work to give me a ride. One night, when we were walking home--" He cut himself off with another sob.

The blond sighed and rubbed the small of his back soothingly. "Take your time, babe. I've got all the time for you in the world."

Leon shuddered slightly. "...There was crying... They were going to do it to someone else..." He blushed as Cloud pulled him closer and looked up in confusion. "Cloud?"

Cloud frowned and held him as close as possible. "I love you. How could someone do that to someone as good and sweet as you...?"

"...I..." The brunet blushed a little more and bit his bottom lip. "I wasn't always... You... Eh...?"

"Are they still out there?" the blond asked softly, leaning his forehead against the smaller teen's.

Leon shook his head slightly, unable to tear his eyes away. "No. Seifer beat them to a pulp when we found them again and I called the police on his cell phone."

"Well. Lucky for them." Cloud cuddled the brunet closer and sighed, happy that his boyfriend was unable to read his mind, because he was currently picturing some rather grotesque scenes. "I'd hate to come across them on the streets. I'd have to kill them."

The smaller teen squeaked and looked up at him quickly. "Cloud! You can't possibly mean that!"

"They touched what is mine. I don't like to share."

Leon bit his bottom lip and lowered his gaze, finding that he was unable to see the blond's serious expression. "...Cloud... Don't say that..." When the taller teen merely blinked at him in response, he sighed. "I don't like thinking about them. And I hate the idea of you hurting anyone! Can't you just... let it go? ...I have..."

"Why would you let something like that go?" Cloud asked sharply. "They raped you and you just want to forget about it?!"

"I'm not forgetting about it!" the brunet answered, glaring at him. "I'm getting over it!"

"You shouldn't have to get over it, though! They should have never touched you!"

"But they did! They did, and now I'm getting past it! Cloud--"

"How could you forgive them?!"

"I haven't forgiven-- Cloud, you need to leave," Leon stated, pulling away from him angrily.

Cloud stood up quickly, glaring at the brunet, and answered, "Yeah, I do. Goodbye."

The smaller teen watched him go, flinching slightly as the front door slammed shut, then covered his face, sobbing quietly.

Cloud leaned his head back against the door and sighed as he heard him burst into tears. "...I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispered, standing up straight. "I just didn't know you'd been hurt before."

-x-x-x-

Knock knock.

Zack turned his head and frowned, tilting his head. "Hmm? Sephiroth, let me get that." The silver-haired man scowled but let him get up, mentally swearing to hurt whoever had interrupted his fun. As he opened the door, Zack smiled. "Cloud! What's brings you here?"

The teenager looked up at him and scowled. "Had nowhere else to go to talk to someone. I need to talk to you."

"Oh? Well, come on in," the raven-haired man replied, opening the door further to allow him in.

Cloud couldn't help but smile as Valley ran up to him, barking and bouncing, and began nipping at his hands. "Hey, puppy. ...Sephiroth." He nodded to the college student, then looked back at the man he'd called upon. "Zack, when Leon was..."

Zack frowned, immediately interpreting the expression on the blond's face (correctly), and shoved him onto the couch. "Sit. You'll need to."

"...Okaaay..."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Is this about--"

"Yes, Sephy, it is."

"...I'm taking a shower."

"Good."

As soon as Sephiroth was out of the room, Zack sighed and turned his gaze back to Cloud. "Leon was raped. He's done a good job of getting past it, though, if only for his brothers."

"But it seems as if he's forgiven them!" Cloud exclaimed, confused.

The older man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Cloud... He hasn't forgiven them. In fact, he'll probably never forgive him. And that's okay; what they did to him was unforgivable. What's important is that he's moving on. You need to help him. Support him. Be there for him. That's all he needs; and in truth, it's probably all he wants."

The blond frowned in thought, sighing, then scowled and tugged on one of his spikes. "Craaap."

Zack raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What?"

"I need to apologize to him nooow..." Cloud growled and tugged harder at his hair. "I got into an... argument with him about it. So I'm basically in the doghouse."

"...Well that's certainly a good way to ruin your relationship, Cloud."

"GAH! Just shut up and help me fix this!"

-x-x-x-

"...Shiva, I love you. If Cloud ever comes back, I want you to bite him. Okay?" Leon asked, petting the sleeping puppy in his lap. "Just bite him and make him go away..."

"You know he's going to try and make it up to you, right?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow. "He's probably very sorry."