Tears streamed down the blondes face as he sobbed in horror.
Cloud liked humiliation. He did. From time to time.
But only on his own terms. When he was in control. He was not in control of this.
Zack had no business seeing him like this. Why was this happening?
Zack's lip trembled as he spoke.
"Cloud?" The blonde had never heard his friends voice sound so weak.
The boy in question was paralysed with shock. He needed to say something. Anything to explain... explain this.
Zack moved slowly, fighting to keep calm, trying desperately not to startle his little friend. His voice came almost in a whisper "Cloud, it's ok, it's all gona be ok, just... I need you to trust me alright? I'm not going to hurt you"
Cloud pulled a face in confusion 'What? oh...oh!' realisation hit him like a ton of bricks. How he looked. How Zack's mind was likely to connect those dots. Oh shit.
This was worse than he thought. Not only was Zack about to learn about his kinks, Cloud was going to have to explain it.
"Zack" Cloud began. Forcing back the tears in the face of bigger problems. "It's not what it looks like"
...
After a thorough search of the garage Leon found that Cloud was right and they did in fact have one bottle of water left. That bottle was now clenched in the SOLDIERs left hand as he jogged back towards where he had left his younger lover, towel and clothes slung over one shoulder and a cure in his pocket.
The attack came out of nowhere. A solid form materialising out of shadow as he passed an alleyway, Leon had enough time to note his assailant must have jumped from a fire escape before he was rolling himself away and preparing for a fight, bottle and clothes scattering on the muddy ground. He was back on his feet in a blink, arm raised in defence and his vision sharp and alert.
Leon blinked. His eyebrows drew together in confusion.
"Kunsel?"
The other SOLDIER looked calm, leaning casually against the wall behind him with one ankle crossed over the other. His signature helmet uncharacteristically absent. He appeared completely at ease, not at all like he had just randomly attacked a fellow SOLDIER.
"What the hell man?" Leon demanded "What are you doing?"
"Oh nothing" The relaxed Second replied nonchalantly "Just saving your life"
"What?"
Kunsel snorted at Leon's confusion.
"I'm gona be blunt because we don't really have time for anything else" He stood up straight moving away from the wall and continued before Leon could interrupt "You're dating Cadet Strife"
The brown haired SOLDIERs mouth dropped open in surprise stuttering as he tried to give a response, a denial. Kunsel didn't give him the opportunity.
"You've been together since before you joined the army, tonight you had sex behind the Howling Stars nightclub. He is still there. Unfortunately for you he is no longer alone there."
Leon's eyes flashed in panic and he moved to run to Cloud before Kunsel blocked his path, voice raising in volume keeping him in place. "Zack Fair stumbled on him five minutes ago."
Leon was only marginally calmed at learning who was with his boyfriend. His eyes kept darting in the direction he was meant to be heading, desperate to get back to the blonde Cadet.
"You really messed that kid up tonight hu?" There was a smirk on the other man's face. Leon couldn't quite figure out if Kunsel knew about his and Clouds tastes or if he had just revealed that he was actually a vicious prick.
"What do you know?"
A smile pulled at Kunsels lips. "What do I know? Everything"
Leon was not impressed and trained a cold glare at the man.
Kunsel scoffed "I know you like to hurt him, I know he likes to be hurt, I know he's the one in charge"
Leon released the breath he'd been holding.
"I know Zack doesn't know that" Kunsel continued. "I know he's freaking out right now"
Leon grit his teeth in irritation. Why did all of his problems lately seem to always come back to Zack fucking Fair?!
"I need to get to Cloud" He muttered, moving to collect his fallen items. Goddess knows how stressed his lover would be right now if Zack really had found him in that state.
"Woah" The other Second cried out grabbing his arm. "Didn't you hear me? Zack is freaked. You go running in there with all this shit you are gona be all but confessing to what he currently believes is a violent and sickening assault on someone I'm sure you know he is already wildly overprotective of. I wasn't kidding about saving your life! Unless you want your little lover to see you get beat to death I suggest you stop and think about your next move"
It irked Leon to hear it so bluntly stated that Zack would beat him in a fight. Not one year ago they had been evenly matched. One year. A lot had changed. Zack was Commander Hewleys student, the SOLDIER golden boy on the brink of qualifying for First. Leon...wasn't.
Kunsel was right, he wouldn't stand a chance. Especially if Zack was in a rage.
The brown haired man clenched his fist in anger, cursing Zack's name. Cloud needed him damn it!
"What the hell do I do then?"
The other SOLDIER stooped to pick up the items Leon had been reaching for.
"Easy, you follow my lead"
He uncapped the bottle and tipped a third of it onto the ground.
"Hey!" Leon shouted. How was that helping?
Kunsel silenced him with a glare. "Trust me"
Next he took the clothes and towel and threw then up onto a rung of the ladder to the fire escape he had jumped from earlier.
Lastly he asked Leon to pass over the cure from his pocket and placed instead it in the bracer on his own arm.
"Ok, let's go"
Leon followed obediently, too confused to argue.
...
"Zack..hic...You aren't...hic... lis...hic...listening." Cloud hiccupped uncontrollably as he fought back his own frustrated tears whilst trying to talk reason into his friend. "I'm fine"
Zack carried on fussing, disregarding the blondes words in his own desperate attempts to offer help "Yeah, yeah Cloud you're fine, everything will be fine, it's going to be ok Cloudy I swear it's...I'm gona fix this ok sweet heart? I swear I'll help you through this."
"No Zack that's not what I mean. I...this isn't what it looks like ok? I.." Cloud braced himself, forcing the words out and preparing for his friends disgust. Blue eyes closed tight. "I asked for this"
There. He said it. The truth was out.
Silence.
'Fuck, he must really think I'm sick' Cloud thought, keeping his eyes squeezed shut. 'Please don't hate me!'
The breath left the Cadets lungs in a woosh as Zack suddenly grabbed him in a hug crushing the smaller form to his chest.
"No no no no no no Cloud, don't you say that don't you ever say that!" Cloud could feel Zacks tears on his neck "Whatever that bastard told you is a lie you hear me?! This is not your fault!"
Just as quickly as it started the hug was over and Zack pulled back again eyes rimmed with red as he held Clouds face in his hands and met his eyes head on. "This is not your fault" He said again forcefully.
Cloud was too shocked to respond.
He blinked. Fuck!
Before he could protest again the sound of nearing footsteps drew both men's attention to the mouth of the alley. Cloud stepped back in panic, Zack moved in front of him protectively.
No! Clouds mind screamed. Don't be Leon, please don't let it be Leon. Not yet. Zack doesn't understand. I need to make him understand! Please baby, stay away.
It was Leon. But he wasn't alone.
There was another SOLDIER with him. A tall man Cloud couldn't place.
Whoever he was Zack relaxed at the sight of him. That was a good sign at least wasn't it?
...
"Zack" Kunsel called out. "What are you doing out here?" He sounded appropriately surprised. Leon was impressed. Playing along he added in his own exclamations earning a quick glare from Zack which was easily ignored.
"What's going on?" Kunsel asked his frantic friend, eyes flicking across to the dishevelled Cadet for just a second.
From his position behind Zack Clouds blue eyes latched onto his lover with desperate relief.
'you ok?' Leon mouthed silently whilst Zack was distracted talking to Kunsel. Cloud looked sadly towards Zack before nodding slightly. He was as ok as he could be given the circumstances.
"I found him like this" Zack was explaining to Kunsel in hushed tones "I don't...I can't... Kuns what do I do?" he pleaded, his voice cracking at the end.
Kunsel placed a calming hand on the dark haired teens arm then finally directed his full attention to Cloud shifting closer to the blonde. "Hey kid. You ok?"
"I'm fine" Cloud insisted firmly.
Zack went to protest but Kunsel raised his hand to cut the other man off.
"Ok, you're fine. Looking a little dishevelled but we can deal with that, here..." The calm SOLDIER said, reaching into his jacket pocket and bringing it back out with the bottle of water grasped in his fingers. "You look like you need this, sorry I don't have a full one"
Leon raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
Cloud took the bottle with a resigned 'thanks' and gulped the cool liquid down. He hadn't realised how thirsty he was until he pulled the bottle away to find he had nearly finished it off. Bashfully he offered it back but Kunsel waved for him to keep it.
"Now" The SOLDIER continued, easily taking charge "I think I passed some clothes on a washing line on the way here, I'll run back and get them. Zack?" Zack perked up as Kunsel removed his bracer, handing it across to him "while I'm gone, you get this kid fixed up" with that he turned and ran off.
Leon felt a knot appear in his stomach.
Zack was going to cure Cloud.
His Cloud.
Of injuries Leon had given him no less.
After all their time together the act of curing his lover after a session had become an intimate part of their love making. His own personal redemption for the dark desires he had tried so long to repress. The desires Cloud had taught him find joy and freedom in. It was in a way his favourite indulgence, fixing the hurt, knowing he could find joy in taking the pain away just as he found joy in causing it. It proved to him that he wasn't a danger, wasn't a monster, it proved he was good.
The thought of Zack being the one to clear away Leon's damage was just so...intrusive.
Leon felt sick.
Cloud watched the emotions play across his lover face, wishing he could think of anything to fix this.
"I'm going to cure you now ok Cloud?" Zack sounded like he was coaxing a frightened kitten to take a bath.
The blonde kept his face angled down as though looking at the ground but shifted his eyes to look up through his lashes discretely watching Leon's face. The brown haired man had a fiery expression trained on the back of Zack's head. With great reluctance Cloud nodded.
The cure washed over him like a wave, wounds healing together, grazes easing away. The pain he had been mostly oblivious to for the last half hour was suddenly gone and he had never been so disappointed by it before.
Once again Zack's sudden embrace was a shock and Cloud could do nothing but hold on as strong arms wrapped around his small frame pressing him close. He felt warm breath on his cheek as Zack spoke softly "Its gona be ok Cloudy, I swear. We'll get through this"
Over Zack's shoulder Cloud watched Leon roll his eyes. Sky blue eyes locked onto Mako bright ones, he tried to offer a reassuring smile. The blondes heart clenched painfully when Leon tore his gaze away, face stormy.
Kunsels return was a welcome distraction.
Accepting the handful of clothes with a soft thank you Cloud was surprised to note they were his own. He looked up at the strange SOLDIER in silent question and the other man discretely gestured to him to stay quiet. He followed the instruction and began towelling off his hair making a mental note to ask Leon later how much this guy knew.
For now at least it seemed like the stranger was calling the shots and that was fine by Cloud as long as it got him and Leon both safely out of here.
For the first time since Leon and Kunsels arrival Zack actually acknowledged the brown haired SOLDIER; moving to confront him whilst Cloud was busy redressing. "Look Leonheart, this is kind of a delicate situation and I'm sure Cloud would prefer a bit of privacy, maybe you should go"
Leon felt a rush of fury. How dare he?
"I have as much right as you to be here Fair. Cloud's my friend too!"
"Hardly. I'm his best friend" Zack stated curtly.
'I'm his boyfriend' Leon screamed silently in his own mind.
"He needs space and care right now ok?" Zack continued "I just don't know if you being here is much help right now"
"It is" Cloud cut in urgently as he stepped close enough to hear the exchange. "I want him to stay"
Leon smirked at the irritation on Zack's face.
"He can walk with us back to Shinra" The dark haired Second conceded finally "But then you're coming back to my apartment with me, I'll make up the spare room for you. I don't think you should be sleeping in the barracks tonight."
'I wasn't planning to be' Cloud thought bitterly.
Cloud and Leon both wanted to argue but knew there was nothing they could say, not without revealing the truth and Zack was definitely not ready for that.
With a sad smile towards his lover, pleading for the older mans forgiveness Cloud nodded his agreement before letting Zack rest his arm around his shoulders in support as they began to walk.
Leon grit his teeth and followed behind them with Kunsel.
The other SOLDIER remained silent as he fell in with the rest of the group. Well this was a fine mess he had gotten caught up in. Should be entertaining at the very least.
Hope you're still with me. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Luv ya. x