Author's Notes: Damn. I asked for a couple of reviews and got nine. That makes me so happy, you realize? You guys so rock my world. I mean, I get so happy when I see that I've gotten a review or two, but nine? That has to be the best I've ever done. And this story is definitely my best one, which is kind of sad, but whatever. Considering that I'm not exactly old and wise, I think I'm doing fairly well.

This chapter is dedicated to:

ria-baalinda, bladegryphon, PyroFirePower, Schu, Lain of the Weird, angie, Mahon, Hoobastank3003, and hikari-enzeru.

Warnings: Mild themes and swearing.

-

How is it that one minute you can have total control of your own actions, and the next you find yourself at the mercy of another's? The thought itself is one that should be discarded on the fly, and yet, at the same time, it happens incredibly often, more so than it should.

Cloud shuddered, finding that the positions had switched and he was the one against the wall. Leon had his wrists pinned and was staring at him dangerously. His eyes flickered with malice, enough to make the blond attempt to free himself out of fear.

"You want a damn apology?" the brunet asked him, both roughly and breathlessly. "I didn't do anything. You were the fucking moron who brought me here and took care of me. I didn't ask for your help."

"I could have left you there," Cloud offered, his eyes straying to the floor as he did his best to avoid eye contact. "But I didn't. I thought that--"

"You didn't think anything," Leon interrupted, his tone dropping temperature as his emotions died on command. "You have no idea what you're doing."

There was no response from the blond as he lowered his head, attempting to pull his wrists back from the other man's tight grasp. He had thought that by helping the man, he would have been doing him a favor. If that was so, then why did he feel as though he had hurt him in some way? Sure, Leon did not ask for help, but he had the strange suspicion that even if he needed it, he would not have asked.

The gray eyes of the other man were still locked on Cloud, despite the fact that he was not looking at him in return. He would have forced him to, but he did not feel as though it was his job to make the blond do anything at all.

"Let go," the younger finally breathed out, struggling no longer. "I'm sorry that I helped you. It was a fucking waste of my time."

Leon released him, taking a few steps back to give him a slow nod, "Yes, it was."

"Get out." Cloud pointed at the door, his glowing eyes once more meeting the gaze of the brunet. They flashed vehemently, daring the man to question him. Fortunately, the other man complied and brushed passed him, not contributing another word to the heavy tension.

Right as he was heading out of the door, he heard the blond give him final words. "I hope you die." And with that, the door was slammed behind him, leaving him in the hallway of the complex.

Unable to figure out why, Leon felt a pang of guilt course through him. Surely what he had done was rude, but did he really have to find himself caring whether or not he may have done the wrong thing? It was not his problem that the blond did not like him. For all he cared, he could go die as well. And yet, for some reason unknown to him, he knew that he was lying to himself.

With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and left the building, leaving Cloud behind. No matter what regret he felt, he was not going to turn back and apologize. He was done with the blond.

-

"Oh, that looked painful."

"One strike."

Cloud stood stalk still, saying absolutely nothing in response to what he knew was coming. His eyes were narrowed perilously, waiting for the two minions of Hades to continue demeaning him. He deserved it.

"I don't remember the boss telling us to watch him fail miserably, do you?"

"No."

His wing unfolded, flaring out to make him look dangerous as he swiftly turned around. Two demons stared up at him, grinning their sharp grins as they tactfully continued to talk about him in the middle of his living room.

"Hades is not going to like this at all." Pain turned his eyes back to his companion, looking thrilled by this information. Cloud had messed up big time, and there was not any way around it. "I wonder if he's in a good mood?"

"Even if he was," started Panic, "he wouldn't be when we came back and told him how Spiky's doing." He chuckled mischievously, ignoring the shadow of the man as it drew ever closer.

"True, true." Pain put his fingertips together and side-glanced the blond man, watching as he literally flashed with anger. This pleased him; the plump demon basked in the fact that Cloud was aware of what he had done.

"Why am I not surprised to see you two?" Finally, Cloud had spoken. His tone was lacking enthusiasm, sounding incredibly bored by the situation. "Is Hades really that impatient?"

"Think he told you that we'd be coming," Pain said with another devious look, nudging his green partner. This made the other nod in agreement, which made Pain continue. "He said that you should really be working on your project and he didn't want you to slack off."

"I don't 'slack off'," Cloud explained slowly, giving them an accusing look.

"He also said," Panic stuttered out, "that you were likely to bother Leon and make him hate you."

"Looks like you accomplished that," Pain added with a curt smile.

The blond puffed out his chest indignantly, unable to stand for what they were attempting to do to him. "So then tell him that. It's not over yet. I still have time. It isn't over yet."

"Oh, isn't it?" The purple imp gave him a knowing look, "Because it sure looks like it is to me."

"It shouldn't look that way," Cloud hissed at him. "I have everything under control."

"Because you showed so much control just now?"

"Isn't everything the antonym to nothing?" Panic laughed, "They don't mean the same thing."

"Whatever," the warrior sighed out, sitting down on his couch and kicking up his feet on the damaged coffee table, "Just go away. I know what I'm doing."

"Whatever you say, Blondie," Pain smirked, grabbing Panic by the arm. By doing this, he startled the other, causing him to jump nervously and skitter around the room. "Panic! Come on. We're leaving."

"Coming," the green minion cried back uneasily, coming to a halt beside his colleague and nodding shortly, "Okay, okay. Let's go!"

Both of the demons disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving the blond to brood silently. They really did get on his nerves, and they never failed to piss him off. It was almost as they they thrived in his absolute annoyance as they rubbed everything in his face, and this alone was enough to loathe their very existence.

One thought about what they had said stuck out in his mind. How did he plan on fixing the problem that had just recently been created? He prayed that he was not supposed to go and apologize to Leon, especially when the brunet was the one who had made a fuss in the first place. It was not like Cloud had just went and started something, because after all, he had been the one who helped him when his leg was hurt, and he was the one who let him stay. But at the same time, Leon was not a freeloader. It was not like he was begging to stay or eating his food without it being offered. And when Cloud thought more about it, he did not even seem like he wanted to be there at all.

A frustrated sigh came from him as he brought his hands to his head, rubbing his temples to calm the headache that was threatening to ensue. Everything just seemed so hard to understand about that man. He truly was a mystery in every way possible, and Cloud found himself unable to thoroughly identify with him. He was cold, he did not seem like he appreciated anything that the blond had done for him and worse yet, Cloud realized that he enthralled by the other.

Cloud was screwed.

Perhaps it was the fact that they had kissed that ignited his fascination. The way that he had him pinned to the wall and the way that his eyes glinted, his lips on his own, forceful and demanding, all the while hungry and wanting answers.

Fuck. Why me? Cloud groaned in all of his frustration, collapsing on his side and into the cushions of the couch.

-

"He did what?" Hades roared, listening as his two best minions babbled about Cloud's progress, or the lack thereof.

"They kissed and everything! But then Leon stormed out and Cloud told him to die and--"

"Enough!" The god's fires flared, turning a harsh red with his anger. It was then he seemed to hear all that had been said, and a demonic smile wrapped on his face. "They kissed?"

"If you could call it that," Pain told him apprehensively, wringing his hands together as Panic cowered behind him. "It was more like they were trying to bite each other to death."

"But they kissed?" Hades asked again, his golden eyes flickering.

"Yeah, they kissed. But Hades--"

The god held up a hand and promptly stopped the demon's sentence. This was perfect, exactly what was needed to make this all the more fun. It was a heartfelt love story in the making, and still Cloud would betray the lion as the fates had predicted. They had given him a warning, but he brushed it aside. Everything would go as planned.

"Let the games begin."

-

Author's Notes: Well, thank you all for the reviews. I already said how I feel about them. I get that big, stupid grin on my face when I read them. I mean, if you've never written a story on here then you don't know how important getting reviews is. So, you all got a dedication. For some of you, that's two whole dedications. Wow. I'm such a nice person. Rofl.

Until next time!