. author's note .

The only excuse for why this chapter is so, so, SO late is because of an intense family issue (that has been dealt with, fortunately). That had to come first, so for once I don't feel entirely guilty about the delay. I do wish it hadn't taken so long for me to write this, though. For the most part, my updates will still be sporadic, but I'll try to be better about them. So thank you for bearing with me! Also, I owe BrittChick oodles of love for being my new beta! (Sorry for updating without you! I got a bit impatient. Forgive moi!)

On another unrelated note, I officially want to have Jesse McCartney's babies. Why? YOUNG JUSTICE. 'Nough said. If you're unaware, go educate yourself.

On with the story!

. leon .

There had been a spark between them from the very first moment they met. It was like some sort of invisible pull between them that Leon noticed right away but never said anything about. In fact, he had done his best to ignore it. They were nothing more than coworkers at that time. Leon had been commissioned to help design an upscale hotel building on Luma. The commissioner, a business tycoon by the name Sean Strife, wanted everything to be perfect, wanted the latest addition to his successful chain of hotels to be perfect. To ensure this, he had put his own son in charge of the design team. To make sure that "the vision" would come true. Of course, Leon had no problem with that. At first.

Strife's son had been a bit different than he had expected. He gave orders to the team like any good leader, gave suggestions where necessary, but he was usually quiet. Kept to himself, always reserved and watching as the rest of the team went about their work. He was nothing like his attention commanding father, not the boisterous and flashy type that Leon had assumed someone coming from new money would be. They got along well. They could bounce ideas off one another with such an ease that others wondered if they had been separated at birth. There was a spark, Leon noticed, but he had been quick to try and ignore it.

It hadn't been a problem.

Somehow they had gone from a handful of months of working on the project to a number of months meeting up after work for drinks or lunch. From friendly meetings during work breaks to dinner with friends. To private dinners for two. From that, to sneaking away for nights off to Cloud's home—yes, right behind his parents' backs. The innocent spark had quickly become a mutual acknowledgment of attraction on both their parts. As bad as it could have turned out—especially for Cloud—they didn't care.

It hadn't been a problem.

The problems started when both he and Cloud acknowledged that this was more than a passing fling or a bout of rebelliousness on the blonde's part. The problems started when Leon came to terms with the fact that he couldn't make Cloud abandon the bride his parents had chose, when he understood that even though he couldn't force things he couldn't not feel what he felt. The problems only grew when Leon met Tifa for the first time, one day while visiting at Cloud's. When the woman had found out the truth—and accepted it wholeheartedly. When Leon felt the weight of their relationship in his heart, heavily, because Tifa was a good woman. The problems only grew when Cloud constantly started worrying about his parents finding out, about the consequences behind them doing so. The problems grew when Cloud said enough was enough and that it was best to end it.

So, after close to a year of under the radar, on-again and off-again dating, they called it quits. Three months later the building project had been completed. A celebratory party had been held during the hotel's grand opening, to which Leon had been invited by Mr. Strife. But he refused and went back to his home planet S'Idar to continue his work in architecture. Hoping Cloud would keep contact, but not wanting to initiate that contact himself.

So, two years of silence passed.

That had been a problem.

The only reason he had found out that Cloud had moved to Eden was because of Tifa. In spite of the circumstances, she had always called, always kept Leon updated. She'd say how she could tell that the blonde missed him. She'd say that he got stubborn and silent whenever the brunette was mentioned. She'd ask, always, why they wouldn't just talk to each other instead of making her the middle man.

Leon would always reply that she had made herself the middle man, so she shouldn't complain.

One day she had mentioned that Cloud and his family would make their new home on Eden, closer to the Lockhart's. "You should come to visit. He'd want that. He won't say it—"

Leon had given a shake of the head and simply replied, "If he asks me, I'll come." Otherwise, he was just a thorn in the blonde's side.

There had been a long silence on the other end of the phone. Then, quietly, Tifa had brought up something that made Leon's heart stop for a split second. "The wedding's in a month."

A pause. "Is that so?"

"You should come. Consider it an official invitation from the Lockhart family."

"What would be the point of that?"

Another pause. "I'm breaking off the engagement. As soon as he gets here, Leon."

"Don't do this for us."

"It's not just for you—" And Leon could see the matter-of-fact, I-know-best expression on the woman's face at that moment in his mind's eye, could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm doing it for me."

"Your parents—"

"Will get over it. I'm a big girl; I can make my own decisions. So can you."

That was all she'd left the man with before hanging up. He hadn't heard from her after that, but had kept her words in mind. He'd thought on the invitation, but hadn't made any move to accept or reject it. It wasn't until one of the Lockhart maids had called him, asking for his reservation on the guest list, that he confirmed, packed his things, bought himself a ticket, booked himself a temporary home on Eden, and set out with determination in his heart.

He hadn't been aware of Tifa's sickness at that time. He hadn't known that, just a day after his arrival on Eden, the woman would no longer be in this world. At that time, it hadn't mattered.

At that time, the only thing that mattered was Cloud.

It was going on four by the time Cloud showed up by his apartment that afternoon. He had decided to wait for the blonde on the curb in front of the waist high gate around the complex, bundled up in a loose leather jacket and a woolen scarf. (It wasn't that cold out, but the weather in Sector Seven got schizophrenic later on in the night from what he'd heard, so it didn't hurt to be too careful.) The blonde cruised his way next to the curb before putting the car in park and leaning over to push the passenger door open. There was a tired look on his face, but Leon had expected as much. He slipped into the hovering vehicle, flashing a small smile. "Took you long enough."

Cloud returned the smile, stiff as it was, and replied, "I had to drop off the boys. They wanted to go hover boarding."

"What time do you have to pick them up?"

"Won't have to. I told them to call my parents when they're done, so we have the night to ourselves."

Leon stretched an arm around Cloud's shoulders, pulling him in and planting a tender kiss on the blonde's cheek while whispering, "Sounds like a plan."

Cloud merely gave a consenting hum, turning to return the kiss on the brunette's lips. Then he sighed, averted his gaze, and shrugged himself out of the man's grip. "We should go."

Leon eyed him for a moment, scowling. Why did he sound so cold? "We don't have to go today if you don't want to, you know."

To which Cloud promptly shook his head and replied, "No. You wanted to give a proper goodbye, so…" His grip on the gear shift tightened, causing Leon to place a hand over his partner's fingers. Cloud aimed his crystalline gaze at the man, expression softening.

"It's gonna be okay, Cloud."

"Yeah."

Leon kissed him again before the blonde cleared his throat and started the car back up.

"Okay, let's go."

Eves Grand Cemetery wasn't necessarily a cemetery in the traditional sense. It was a large structure, rivaling the likes of the Celestrian Palaces on Luma—or, say, two of the Sistine Chapels stacked on top of each other, though most people were more familiar with the palaces. It almost, but not quite, hit the one hundred-thirty foot mark in terms of height, with a golden cross perched on the very top. That cross, along with the building's sleek marble walls, seemed to shine at all times of the day. In fact, there were moments where those passing by thought that the building truly lit up on its own. There were thirteen stories in total. Each floor had been designed to constantly change shape to accommodate new additions. The system was simple.

Whenever anyone in Sector Seven died, Eves was called in. The body was taken and preserved until the day of the funeral—which could be held anywhere at anytime, but was usually held in Eves' Grand Hall for those living close by. Then, afterwards, the body was sealed away in a glass capsule-like coffin which was then put into one of the numerous Reserve Rooms found on each floor of the building. It would be kept frozen for the next five years. Five years, and nothing more. That was all the time the system allowed. Once those five years were up, bodies were cleared out, cremated, and buried.

It was a very efficient system, though some argued it was somewhat cruel, considering these were people's remains that were being handled. The one saving grace was the fact that, at any time before the five years were up, one could have a private viewing for their loved one. That was the reason Cloud and Leon had planned the trip to Eves in the first place.

However, as they approached the building's main entrance, Leon found himself struggling to keep his feet moving. The brunette came to a stop just feet from the sliding glass doors, which in turn caused Cloud to pause and eye him carefully. "Leon?"

"Hold… Hold on."

It was sinking in, now. The entire time during the drive, the thought that he would be seeing Tifa for the last time circled around in the back of his mind, but the weight of that thought, that feeling, hadn't hit him until now. He hadn't been particularly close to the woman, not like Cloud. He hadn't disliked her, either. If anything, she was the kind of friend you made and talked to every once in a while, but made no effort to get to know more than necessary. Not a loved one, but not a stranger either. The reason Leon was here now was because it seemed proper to pay his respects, if only for a brief moment.

But he couldn't make himself move.

Cloud had been watching his partner carefully as all these thoughts swam through Leon's head. Without a word, he gripped the brunette's hand and led him into the building. Leon allowed himself to be pulled along.

The entire place was uncomfortably depressing, in spite of the pristine silver walls and the wide open space that greeted them in the lobby. It was decorated with neat rows of sofas and coffee tables, television screens that faced them, statues and other works of art spanning the walls. There were six sets of elevators, along with lengthy hallways between each one that led to bathrooms, faculty only rooms, and who knew where else. Then there were the check in counters directly to the right of the entrance. The rest was empty space where people paced circles or stood as if waiting for something.

Cloud and Leon headed straight for the check in counters, approaching the ginger haired woman closest to the end. An elderly man and what looked to be his son had just finished talking to woman, eyes downcast as they headed for the elevators. Leon watched them absently as Cloud spoke to the woman.

"Welcome to Eves Grand Cemetery. How may I help you?"

"We're here for a private viewing."

The red head gave a nod, already typing something on the computer screen in front of her. There was a soothing demeanor about her, Leon couldn't help but note. He found himself eyeballing her fingers as she spoke. "What's the name of your loved one?"

"Tifa Lockhart. H-A-R-T, no E."

More typing. Leon's eyes wandered. It was chilly in here…

"—hart… Mm. Huh."

"What?"

The edge in Cloud's voice was enough to snap Leon out of his mini-trance and cause him to look to the blonde. The man's brows were furrowed, a scowl on his face. The red head at the counter was eyeing her computer screen, amber eyes narrowed. "We don't have a Tifa Lockhart in our system, sir."

Cloud blinked at that. "We held her funeral here last week."

The woman ran the name through the system again, but continued to shake her head. "She's not listed…"

"The hell do you mean she's not listed?"

It was then that Leon felt something wasn't right in the slightest. They didn't make mistakes like this. They couldn't have, not like this… This was a body. A person. Unless something was amiss with their computer systems—

The woman turned her attention away from the computer and to the speaker phone by her arm. Her fingers were quick to dial a number and switch the speaker on. A raspy voice on the other end answered. "Yeah, Areole?"

"Mike, I have two gentlemen here for a private viewing for a Tifa Lockhart. She's not coming up in the system."

"Did you check the Red List? It was updated this morning."

Red List?

The woman, Areole, seemed to be thinking the same thing. She wore an odd expression, like she wasn't grasping his words. She opened up another program on her computer, tick-tacking away at the keys for a good minute before her eyes widened a bit and her mouth formed an "O" or realization. Both men were staring at her warily at this point.

"Okay… Thank you, Mike."

"No prob."

Then she clicked the speaker off, eyeing the screen for a bit until Leon cleared his throat and asked, "Well?"

"Miss Lockhart… She was cremated last week, right after the funeral. Her ashes are in storage."

The moment the word "cremated" left her mouth, though, Cloud flipped. "WHAT?"

Leon could feel the sudden stares of the other people in the lobby, but was too shocked to really be bothered by it. Areole had to shush Cloud, waving her hand at him fervently. "Shh! Please—"

"What do you mean she was cremated? No one asked for her to be fucking cremated."

"It's a government order, sir."

"Why? What purpose, what right do they have?"

And here the woman grew silent before briefly biting her lip and lowering her voice. "Did Miss Lockhart die from the flu?"

And there must have been something about her question, because Cloud grew incredibly stiff. There was a painful ache in Leon's chest for some reason. This isn't making any sense…

Somehow Cloud managed to keep his voice even—it sounded distant, almost. "Why does it matter?"

"There have been a number of deaths because of a certain strain of…flu. So I've been told. Anyone reported to have died from it is to be cremated as soon as possible."

Leon made a noise in the back of his throat. "From flu? What, is there an epidemic or something?"

"No, no." She didn't look quite so sure. "It's just… I haven't been told much, I'm sorry. They didn't give us much of an explanation other than that, so—"

"So, what?" Cloud cut her off, balling his hand into a fist. "If someone wants to see their family member again, they can't do that. You don't even notify families beforehand, ask for permission?"

"Orders from the High Council, sir. I'm sorry," she said, and she truly looked it. "We don't have a say; we're just supposed to follow those orders."

Cloud didn't even respond, instead turning from the counter and staring angrily into the air in front of him. Leon couldn't even move, just stayed where he was staring at the counter and the woman's now fidgeting fingers. It was a moment before Cloud turned back towards Areole more composed.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "If you want, we can arrange for the ashes to be sent to your home."

"…Yes. I'll do that."

"I'll get the paperwork for you."

He already knew that Cloud would set it up so that the Lockhart's would have their daughter back. They probably wouldn't be too happy about it, but it would be for the best. He didn't know what to think about the whole situation, to be honest, or even what he was supposed to be feeling.

He didn't know what to think at all.

The night was young, and they had nowhere else to go. They didn't feel like it, really. So Leon suggested they go find some food and some drinks and just get piss drunk for the rest of the night. Cloud didn't think that was a bad idea.

They ended up at some obscure bar and grill in a cozy corner of Area Five where the music was way too loud but the food was good enough to make you stay put. A server with pretty green eyes and a toothy smile had seated them in a booth near the back, and after they had sat down they ordered drink after drink for the next hour without really caring that they would have to drive back home later on.

A heavy silence had settled over them, and without saying a word both men agreed to focus on anything but the shock of their visit. A hard feat, but for an hour they had managed to get by with a table cluttered with shot glasses, a bottle of scotch, and fingers inconspicuously brushing against each other's arms every now and then.

The steadiness Leon was used to seeing in Cloud's eyes was nowhere near present. He was sullen and moody and staring anywhere but at the scrutinizing gray gaze aimed his way.

Leon decided to break the silence. "You're not going to cry, are you?"

"No." Cloud took another shot, tilting his head back until the glass was drained. He slammed it back down on the table with a thud, blue eyes unfocused. "I don't cry."

It was the truth. Not once had Leon ever seen a tear fall down the man's perfect face, but he couldn't keep a tired frown from crossing his lips as he stared at Cloud right then and concluded that there was a first for everything. "Liar."

Something wet, something burning and wet and heartbreaking, started sliding down the blonde's cheeks, causing him to sniff and bury his face in his arms, right on the table's surface. His shoulders shook and the table with them, but he was silent with his sobs. Leon just shook his head and took another shot.

"You're a damn liar, Cloud."

There were times when the two were gentle with each other. Hands running carefully down every dip, curve, and bulge in their bodies, kisses slow and sensual, with a steady rhythm that they had become accustomed to. Then there were times where taking it slow, being gentle, was completely disregarded and they went at it with all the passion of a fire storm, with whatever pent up emotions they had flowing to the brim and pouring out with a vengeance. Times like now. Leon found he actually preferred these moments.

There was a hungry way about them by the time they made it back to Leon's place. (Somehow the brunette had managed to get them there without crashing into anything.) Cloud hadn't said one word after his scene at the bar, but the moment they had made it through the door he spun Leon around, gripped the man's shaggy hair, and choked out, "Kiss me."

Leon obliged.

The blonde was rough with the kiss, crushing their lips together. It wasn't love that drove him, though the love was there. No, it was need. Raw, adrenaline fueled need. Stormy gray eyes slid shut as their owner let out a low moan and wrapped both arms around the other man's waist. Their lips smacked together, then pulled back, then together again in hungry pecks as they stumbled towards the living room.

Leon could feel the fingers in his hair move their way down to his face. Cloud planted both hands on his cheeks. He traced his thumb along Leon's scar, and the brunette let him, liked the cool of Cloud's skin against his own and the way his finger smoothed along the blemish on his face. ("I think it's unique," the blonde had told him once, long ago. He didn't know why that thought crossed his mind now.)

All thoughts abandoned him when Cloud shoved him onto the couch.

"Make me forget," the man whispered, blue eyes still unfocused, peering directly into Leon's. He dove in for another kiss, breathing heavily. "Just help me forget, please…"

Then Leon sat up with the blonde straddling his lap, tanned hands slipping underneath the man's shirt as he told Cloud to just shut up. Then the words stopped and they were yanking of each other's jackets and shirts and slipping off belts and struggling with zippers. Then they were dragging their hands across every inch of each toned and sweating body, relishing in the heat and the friction and the sense of urgency that had taken over their bodies.

Cloud had taken control, had gripped his lover's arms and pinned them on either side of his head. All the while his tongue was tracing down, down, dipping into navel and pelvis while Leon's breathing hitched and his head cocked back into the sofa pillow. And before he knew it Cloud had moved his hands to Leon's waist and started teasing the inside of the brunette's thighs with a hot, wet tongue. Before he could even gather himself, that tongue was dancing circles on his hardened need. Then Cloud took him whole in his mouth, sending a shudder through his spine.

All Leon could do was close his eyes and flex his fingers over the blonde's back, dig fingers in his flaxen spikes. He let out a deep, almost wounded moan as Cloud went to town, sucking fervently. He didn't end it there. He took Leon where he wanted to be, but it wasn't enough. He needed more.

Then he was the straddling the brunette once more, not even bothering with the wait or the preparation, and slid down full force with a sharp cry. Then Leon couldn't take it anymore and started rocking his hips with Cloud riding him fast and hard and—

"Fuck, Cloud!"

Leon was lost by then. He just let his head press into the fabric of the couch and let his eyes stay clamped tight and his mouth hang open as he panted, breathed for more while Cloud gave him what they both wanted. It was raw. It was messy.

It was an escape for the night.

But they wouldn't be able to forget.