Once upon a time, there was a Godly valley with mountains that could touch the sky and trees that cast long shadows. The people who live in the small mountain town are hardworking and happy, so long as they never stray into the forest where the wolves lurk in the darkness. Adults brave the trees in groups to hunt the vicious pack as they have for decades, the conflict is deep with no sign of victory for either side. But wolves are not the only threat, nor the village's only secret - and the link connecting them is a simple cloak of Red ...

Every night, from the highest peak of the uninhabited mountains, a single Wolf howls to the good folk of the valley – as a warning, as a message, and as a reminder of what they did:
"Beware, beware, the Path where the Witch once stood. Beware, beware, of the Wolf in the Wood."

Cover art: thequalityrunaway DOT tumblr DOT COMpany/ post/138570607597/for-confessions-of-the-red-cloak-au-once-upon-a

The mountains looked even more intimidating up close, Leon decided as he took in their towering peaks and sharp climbs. He looked up at the impossible stretch of terrain and sighed to himself, rubbing at his forehead with a soft mutter of "What am I doing?"

The steep climbs looked like fortress walls, impassable for anything without wings. Any trails were surely hidden to all but Cloud and his people, they must have been experienced climbers … or maybe they could only be reached by four legs?

Oh, there was that. Leon looked down at the charm bracelet, still unable to believe what his own memories were telling him. Cloud's a wolf. He's a wolf.

The memory was in no way clear, remembered through a child's eyes were everything was recalled selfishly – what he liked, what he didn't like, what made him smile, all self-centred and confusing to analyse. Even with the memories, time had eroded them significantly and, as a result, each one shadowy and dreamlike.

But it made so much sense, the silent presence that had followed him for years, watching just as Cloud said he had been. No human could have do it that silently, that skilfully, or remained hidden for so long. Then there was Cloud's hunting skills, pure and utter instinct. Leon remembered with slight envy how graceful and effortless Cloud's kill had been, he deserved the howl of victory that had followed. Then there was the way he howled, he was a wolf in human skin …

But how was that possible?

Leon wracked his old memories time and again and yet he recalled nothing of meeting a wolf or Wolf-Cloud. There had only been a little boy with him when he was young, a wild child who could appear and disappear like a wisp in the trees but who never failed to brighten his day. When had he become a fierce predator?

Regardless, he decided, looking at the direction that Cloud had taken that faithful day only a few week ago, he had to find Cloud to get those answers. He started down the trail and tried not to dwell on how impossible both finding Cloud would be and then explaining him.

The trees thinned dramatically, becoming twisted, tough and old as they clung to the rocky earth at the base of the mountain, there was a small stretch of cleared land now and then, but Leon rejected these paths. He thought of the wolves, how they would hunt – drawing knowledge from the way a pack of dogs operated to understand how they would hide their existence from hunters. If the answer had been as simple as scaling to a higher plane of the mountain, then they would have been caught years ago. His investigation into the animal tracks supported this and he moved on.

After attempting several climbs and finding no evidence of human or wolf occupation he returned home, rethought his route and held the dagger and the charm close to him.

The next day wielded no better luck. His climb caused him a few scrapes and he fell at one point, earning him a cut to his elbow that he determinedly ignored throughout the day. It caused Edea some concern when she saw it, but she didn't dare tell him to stop, not with the fire in his eyes. Leon saw her hesitate many times, but all he had to do was meet her gaze and she would silence herself. Whatever she wanted to say was not going to stop him, they both knew it, and Leon was glad that she'd saved them an argument.

At last, he found the right spot. He spied a scale of rocks, not absurdly steep but beyond human capabilities for at least half the climb, then it was humanly possible for the other half. There was no easy way up, but the way down was easy. No doubt practice had helped them, his keen eyes spied a few sharp rocks that had snagged strands of rope and other cloth.

He imagined Cloud climbing up this steep slope with the grace of a wolf and nodded to himself, this was the place. He attempted several climbs, each one a little more progressive, but the final stretch was impossible alone or with only two legs.

However, as he made his sixth attempt he sensed someone watching him. Spotting them was useless though he did try, and it didn't seem like Cloud. He found a place to sit and took a small breather while he judged the silent eyes watching him.

"This view is really something," he said, at last, letting his voice carry to where he assumed he was being watched. "No wonder you live up here." He sipped from his waterskin and tried not to react when a small stone was knocked out of place and bounced down the drop before him, the object's original resting place was from many feet above him.

He must have startled them.

Now that he had their attention he pulled the dagger out from his pack and held it up without looking behind him, he had wrapped it in leather and tied it securely for lack of suitable sheath. "I think I'm causing you some distress, I apologise. If you could deliver this to Cloud then I'll go wait somewhere else, tell him to wait where I gave him his gift. Hopefully, he'll know where I mean."

After a long pause, another rock was sent skittering down the mountain and Leon chuckled "I hope that means 'yes'," he muttered, placing the package on a flat surface and beginning his descent quickly, finding climbing down was a lot easier than going up.

To his satisfaction, the parcel was gone when he reached the bottom.

"Angeal!"

Cloud looked up as Zack ran towards their leader. Angeal sat behind Cloud, the older man finally giving Tifa a break from watch duty, but he stood when Zack called out to him. Cloud had been moved directly under the Alpha's watch when scouting reports of a lone hunter wearing red started to come in. Angeal didn't trust Cloud not to attempt an escape, and, reluctantly, Cloud didn't trust himself either.

Their leader was a tall and powerful looking man, his broad shoulders forcing him to wear sleeveless shirts and breeches that were a few inches above his ankles. Despite there being no direct relation his hair was wild like Zack's down his back and just as black.

"What is it, Zack?" he asked once Zack had pulled to a stop before him.

The raven haired teen glanced at Cloud a few times before giving his report between catching his breath, "He's back again, damn human won't take a hint and leave, he's at the southern climb."

Cloud jumped to his feet so fast he saw dark spots "Leon's here?"

Angeal swiftly put a stop to his elation "Get your weapon, Zack, he can't keep on his hunt any longer."

Cloud grabbed his arm "No!" he pulled Angeal around with his lesser strength and gasped "Let me talk to him, I'll tell him to go-"

Angeal shook his head "There's no guarantee he'll listen. A show of force will tell him we're not to be trifled with. I know you care for him, but he can't be allowed to find us if he does then others may follow."

Stomping a foot Cloud hissed "There's no way he'll back off for you! He won't be tricked or led away, he's better than that."

Angeal pushed him till he was sat back down on the cave floor, Cloud resisted at first but whimpered and froze at Angeal's promise: "He'll either stop, or I'll make him."

"Don't you dare lay a paw on him or I'll-"

A few barks caught their attention and Yuffie, in wolf form, their youngest member of the pack at eleven years old skidded to a graceful stop before them with excitement in her eyes. She was mostly black with grey tipped ears and tail and a stripe of dark brown down her spine. Her brown eyes were excited and she broke up the tension faster than a pin could drop.

Zack frowned at her "Weren't you meant to be watching him?"

Their leader sent him a sharp look, quietly scolding him for leaving Yuffie out on her own, but Yuffie stepped up to Cloud and pressed an item into his hands with her snout. She sat down and wiggled with youthful energy. "He's gone now. He's asking for Cloud. He said he was going to wait in the clearing where he gave you your gift."

Cloud looked down at the item and gasped when he saw the knife, the handle unravelled and charms in a mess, but the bracelet at the core now wrapped around the leather covering like a ribbon. He pulled it loose and held it reverently in his palm. "Leon …"

Beside him, Angeal questioned the young female, "He told you that? Did you reveal yourself?"

Yuffie whimpered at his anger. "No, he got tired of climbing and was still. I watched him, he was listening for a long time. Then he spoke to me and said sorry for getting too close and making me nervous, and could I give a message. Then he left the parcel and went away." She nosed at his knee, "I'm not dumb, Angeal, why do you always get mad at me?"

Angeal apologised as he petted her head were tufts of fur stood upright and messy, "Forgive me, I was only worried. It's dangerous to reveal ourselves."

Cloud clenched a hand around the charm bracelet, knife discarded at his feet and his brain working overtime as he repeated the message over and over in his mind. The clearing where he gave me my gift … "But he forgot …" he murmured to himself, eyes widening. He forgot! There's no way he knows.

Zack put a hand on his shoulder "Cloud?"

Cloud looked at his friend but wasn't truly seeing him, he knows! He knows! "He-! I need to go."

He barely took three steps before Angeal's voice, more a growl than a voice commanded otherwise "Stay where you are!"

Cloud tensed, still at once at the direct command. He looked over his shoulder and growled "No! I'm going. I have to go."

"You will stay here," the older man ordered explicitly.

Cloud shuddered, the urge to obey tugging at his resolve like hands on rope. He grabbed his head when his feet began to turn to follow, cursing loudly both inside his head and with his mouth. When he pulled a hand across his face, his cheek stung sharply. With a gasp of pain and surprise, he stopped moving and he touched the cut with a small wince as Angeal began to order more wolves to stage a fierce attack.

Cloud's fingers pulled away with a stain of blood. He frowned, Blood? But what cut me? He looked at his hand and spotted a sharp edge on one of the charms that belonged on Squall's bracelet. The side of the stone was one he had puzzled meant a fight for life, fighting spirit against sickness and life's dark days. He fondly looked at the broken circle, broken only when he regained his human body and larger wrists. The clearing where you gave this to me, huh? What could you have to say to me, Squall?

Cloud's smile grew, this changes everything, and without another word he took off at a run for the treeline, he shucked his clothes and all four legs hit the ground in less than a minute.

Behind him, growing distant, he heard Angeal's voice, closely followed by Zack's, Tifa's and Yuffie's barks, yelling after him. Elated, Cloud's joy doubled when he realised that the pressure on his spirit to obey the Alpha was gone so long as he kept Squall's image in his mind. He ducked and leapt over the terrain and plants of the upper mountain, aware that Angeal and his friends were likely following him and forcing himself to run faster.

He was already the fastest in the pack, he'd reach Leon long before they did. He also knew the location; he didn't need to track at a slow pace like they needed to. Cloud let out a small yip of excitement and skidded down the mountainside and disappeared into the trees like a ghost.

Leon knew something was happening when several long howls echoed down from the mountain. The howls weren't like the ones from the lake before Cloud vanished, these were unsynchronised and clashed horribly and suddenly they fell into deep silence.

Unnerved, Leon almost wished he had his gun with him. He's left it behind as a gesture of trust, or so he hoped it would seem, should he meet another of Cloud's clan. He got up from his slouched position by an upturned tree and began to pace in a small circle at the edge of the clearing, thinking hard. Something was coming and it may not be Cloud, it may not even be friendly and so with that in mind, he kept on his toes and kept his eyes open.

After walking off his doze for several minutes he heard something approaching, crashing through the undergrowth most ungracefully and his hand jumped to the steel knife at his hip.

His wariness was for nought in the end. Cloud appeared like a ghost, a very noisy ghost, out of breath and in his regular baggy clothes from the treeline. In the clearing, he slowed to a stop, put a hand on his chest and breathed deeply several times before addressing him.

"G-got your message."

It was good that he broke the silence as Leon was unable to speak. Everything he had thought over the past few days had come back in the space of half a minute and in all the rawness of their origins. Clearing his throat, but not his head he replied, slightly clipped "Wouldn't have needed to leave one if you'd stuck around."

Cloud winced and looked down "Sorry, something came up … I wish I could have said more."

Raising an eyebrow, Leon shot back "Wish you had said something."

The blond glared "I couldn't!" he ran a hand through his hair and groaned "My hands were tied, I couldn't tell you anything without breaking my people's code. I wished I could have said something, I wish I could now but every time I try nothing comes out!"

While Cloud hissed and stuttered with words in his sentence Leon's childish anger began to ebb. He had bitten his tongue the moment he'd spat out his immature comment, as right as it was this was not what he wanted for this reunion.

He took a few steps closer and said "What if you didn't need to tell me? What then?"

Cloud looked up, eyes wide. He licked his lips and his voice had a few grains of hope "That would change everything," he admitted.

"No more secrets?"

The blond shrugged "I'll do my best," he promised. He closed the distance between them and raised a hand to Leon's temple. His eyes were intense and Leon felt his heart jump into his throat "Don't drag out a kill, Red. Did you remember me?"

Leon swallowed and his voice was unintentionally husky. "Yes."

Cloud's eyes widened "Yes?" he exclaimed, "You know that I'm a … a …" his words began to trip again, he pawed at his throat in frustration but Leon just smiled.

"Wolf." He met Cloud's surprised eyes "You're a wolf. I remember," he smiled a little wider and chuckled "They're not complete memories, but they're all of you. Wolfe boy who threw pinecones and played hide and seek, and then the Wolf who saved my life. But still you."

Cloud interrupted with a thick gasp of "You do remember!"

Leon nodded "Thank you." When Cloud tilted his head, Leon clarified "I owe you my life, if you hadn't of found me I'd probably be dead."

The blond gave him a patient smile and pulled him into a warm hug, arms and chest solid around him "Shut up, as if I'd leave you." His fist pounded on Leon's shoulder half-heartedly "You're not nearly that lucky."

Leon snorted "I see. My luck must have run out after a ten-year period."

Cloud pulled back sharply at the banter, apparently taking it more personally that Leon intended. "Hey, that wasn't … ugh," he rubbed at his eyes "I can explain. It wasn't exactly an option … and probably for the best since the fever made you forget about me," his face fell a little at the end of his sentence, Leon wondered if he had been hurt that badly by fate's sick twist.

Before he could comment, Cloud spoke on "I think I'd better start at the beginning, probably all your questions are about my origins anyway …"

Pleased that Cloud was back by his side, Leon thought he'd agree to just about anything so long as they would stick together. Of course, while Cloud was so forthcoming with information he'd take advantage as best he could. "Sounds good."

Cloud took his hand, glancing up and about quickly before tugging him towards the village "Better talk somewhere else, I think I just started an infight."

"A what?" Leon asked, walking at Cloud's quick pace.

Cloud scratched the back of his head, a few nervous chuckles escaping his lips before he admitted "I'm not supposed to be here. Angeal, our Alpha and village leader, said I should stay put and away from you. But, clearly, I've not listened." He sighed "It's not easy to disobey him, my wolf spirit follows the Alpha, and Angeal's a good man." He rubbed at the bridge of his nose and shuddered "I'm going to be put on a leash, I just know it."

"You disobeyed him for me?" utterly stunned, Leon almost stopped walking.

Cloud looked back at him, half a pace ahead "Always."

His warm smile warmed Leon from the inside out, he held Cloud's hand tighter and stepped up to match his stride again. Walking through the trees like this brought the peace that Leon had been craving for the past week, the woods and the blond against him had him tranquil almost like a dream.

The blond guided their trip, turning randomly and doubling back occasionally for a few paces, "If they do find my scent I'm making it as hard as possible for them to catch me." He grinned at last "I think I know where to start my story now, ready?"

Leon nodded.

Humming thoughtfully, Cloud began his tale, "My people have always lived alongside the wolves of these mountains. Long before armies bringing mass civilisations ever set foot in the valley, and maybe even before the mountains grew here my people and the wolves were dear friends. We protected them when others would hunt them for food, and they protected us in turn."

"Wolfe was a nickname given to us by our neighbouring tribes, and it stuck."

They circled a pond as Cloud spoke, their feet slowing unconsciously as they neared and paralleled the invisible line in the trees where hunters roamed without fear. "The Wolves were the traditional guardians of the land and the Wolfe tribe joined their cause, our lifeblood, and our natural strengths came from this forest, just like theirs did. We cared for the land and it cared for us, our own paths of magic through nature and the animals. It made our tribe strong."

"But then the sickness came."

Leon watched his face fall into something shadowy and uncertain and pained. He quietly voiced a dim memory "I think I remember you telling me that your people were ill … your Mother …"

Cloud sent him a sly look out of the corner of his eye "And me."

"Yes," Leon raised a hand and mimicked rolling grass between his fingers on the bare air "I made you a charm to make you better."

"It's my most prized possession," Cloud admitted, blushing brilliantly when Leon's eyes fixed him with a shocked look. While he went red, Leon marvelled that he had left such a valuable gift behind – he truly meant to come back to him.

Cloud coughed "The sickness wasn't a routine ailment. It didn't strike suddenly, but when it did the effects were rapid and unstoppable."

"The life went out behind their eyes, they didn't care for life or death, or warmth or love. Many died because they refused to eat, their apathy for life had drained them and they didn't care or realise they were starving to death." Cloud shuddered slightly and a hand gripped at the front of his shirt "It was overwhelming. Our healer's had seen nothing like it and they were some of the first to get sick, we had no chance."

The idea sounded horrifying, Leon softly asked: "What caused it?"

Cloud shrugged, "When the winters began to last longer, the new trees didn't take root, food became scarce and life itself struggled in this valley. It was so widespread that even outside the valley we could feel the animals, the life chilling and dying. The stronger the life of the forest the stronger we were as a people. When it suddenly drained away, our spirits did too. Our land was suffering and it manifested in us."

"But … no infection? No wound?" Leon couldn't wrap his head around the idea that just the chain of life weakening in the forest could cause Cloud and his people to simply lay down and die too.

Cloud smirked, "You're Catholic raised, you wouldn't understand."

He changed direction again and moved back towards the mountains "There never was a physical wound, it was a sickness of spirit, a sorrow and pain for our homeland so strong that we reflected its strength or lack of. It's a bond our tribe built over centuries, each generation building upon the last and getting stronger as we learnt how to strengthen the forest, and our wolf friends. When it was suddenly taken from us, we couldn't cope. We were too dependent on the life-force in our lands so our own strength wasn't enough anymore, and so we began to die."

Leon didn't want to speak of it anymore, he tried to forward the plot "But you didn't die …"

Unexpectedly, Cloud's face fell at that "At a cost," he agreed. "But not all of it was ours to pay." He sighed, halting in the middle of a natural path of young trees and addressed the dark subject. "Our wolf friends were devastated that we were dying, they loved us so much that they devised a plan to save all they could …" he pressed a hand to his heart "They gave up their hearts to save us."

"Their hearts?"

Cloud elaborated after Leon expressed his confusion "Their spirits and their magic as guardians. Through ancient magic, they offered the last of us a contract, and so the wolves died and my tribe absorbed their animal spirits." His face crumpled as if he would cry "Our friends died to save us … they were gone forever, there're no actual wolves on this mountain anymore."

"I'm sorry," Leon whispered haltingly, unable to comprehend the idea of someone dear to him dying for his sake. But the idea sounded awful, hollowing, and he was impressed that Cloud had managed to live through it.

The blond chuckled slightly "Thanks …"

"So you weren't always … is that why you can turn into a wolf?" the hunter probed. Cloud nodded again "What else can you do?"

"Well, we became the new guardians of the forest, tasked with keeping the prey strong and the forest healthy. I can become a wolf at will, I can see the life of the forest through the animals in it, I know where the threats are and where the safe spots are too. I can move without sound or a sharp eye catching me, in either body, and I have the instincts and desires of a wolf."

Leon smirked, "Sounds like a good contract, you keep your life and you became stronger."

Cloud sighed "It's not without a price, the cost was heavier than just losing our friends. True, they gave us their spirits, but we had to pay too. We had to give ten years of our lives. Ten years with the body of a wolf, and sometimes the minds of wolves as well. And we were powerless against it."

Leon's eyes widened "Ten years …"

"I knew you were smart," Cloud beamed "I was a wolf for ten years, stuck as one …"

"That's why you never met me afterwards," Leon realised aloud "That's why you only watched me."

"Watching you reminded me of being human," Cloud admitted, reaching out to brush away some of Leon's bangs "I longed for my human form again, and every time I watched you, admired you, I felt a little closer to what I used to be." His eyes became forlorn "I had no idea how long I'd stay that way, or if I'd ever go back to what I was … I missed you. I truly did."

Leon smiled gently "And I you … though my miss has only lasted these recent weeks, I think I know the feeling." Cloud chuckled and shook his head, he leaned closer as Leon wondered "Did you really never realise I'd forgotten?"

"I was advised to keep my distance," Cloud admitted, "When you were old enough to wield a gun I was definitely more timid, you understand." He smirked at Leon when he snorted, amused. "I had hoped to pick up where we'd left off, I had looked forwards to it for ten years … it was very inconvenient of you."

Leon mockingly bowed "My deepest apologies."

"Shut up," Cloud shoved at him, grinning "Not only did I have to lie to my pack, but I also couldn't tell you a thing! Not even about our childhoods just in case I give something away. If you had remembered then we wouldn't be in this situation. I wouldn't need to live a double life and Angeal wouldn't be trying to separate us."

"Your leader?" Leon checked, Cloud confirmed it with a firm nod. "Would I be able to change his mind?"

His friend's frustrated look had answered his question before Cloud's voice did "Not likely … I had hoped that you had remained silent about me for ten years in the presence of the hunters, that you had been loyal to me and proven yourself a worthy secret keeper. But the amnesia did that instead and so you were basically a stranger again," he rubbed at his eyes in exasperation. "If you had only remembered you would have appeared trustworthy and Angeal wouldn't have a problem with you, but-" he threw his hands up "Now we've got nothing but our words against his, and he's got a lot of harsh truths on his side …"

"Harsh truths?" Leon asked as Cloud sighed.

He waved a hand "Oh, you know, that you're a hunter, you've been trained to hunt wolves, there's no actual proof that you can keep a secret this large- ba!" he cut himself off with a glare at the sky and a sharp clack of his teeth as they snapped shut. "Can't argue with logic."

Leon tried not to feel defensive but couldn't help objecting softly "I'd never tell."

Cloud sent him a tender look "I know, Red. But it's still our word against his." He rubbed the back of his neck "We're basically a new tribe, our hold on the land isn't what it used to be and so we've got to be careful until our village is secure again. I can see why Angeal does what he does, he's just concerned with protecting us and I can't find a way to prove to him that you're not a threat."

With nearly nothing left to say, the two stewed in the hopelessness of their situation, unable to fully face the truth that they'd have to part again. Leon looked Cloud up and down, his human body looked normal and real, and yet he was a wolf too. Cautiously, he asked "Can I see it? Your wolf body?"

Cloud blinked like an owl for a long time "Y-you actually want to see that?" he sounded amazed and not so slightly shocked by the request.

Trying to show he was sincere, Leon blushed and admitted: "I want to see all of you, it's not fair that you have to restrict yourself around me."

Cloud was clearly touched by the declaration and his face held a new, captivating light that Leon never wanted to see dim or go out, "I … okay." Cloud reached for the hem of his shirt and paused for a second, "I have to get undressed …"

Leon hesitated "Should I turn around?"

The blond snorted "Only if I make you uncomfortable," he pulled the shirt off with a fluid motion and the oversized item piled on the floor with a thump. "Getting naked isn't something my people are ashamed of, we're still newly human and we only just have enough clothes to go around, besides, turning wolf in clothes is just awkward," the blond spoke in soft rambles and only stopped when Leon's hand reached towards his left breast.

Leon's fingertip hovered over an old scar, one that hadn't been there when he was a child and must have been a mark left by magic as it was a perfect heart with the paw of a wolf overlapping the lower right lines. "This …"

Cloud took his hand and pressed it to the scar "My contract," he murmured "All my tribe has one over their hearts, to remind us that we have the spirits of wolves in us."

Leon wondered, both aloud and in his mind "Are you still a man?" Cloud was so different. He was freer than any human he'd ever met, unashamed of his wildness and guided so entirely through instincts it was like he lived more like a wolf than a man.

Cloud's fingers tightened over Leon's and the brunet felt the heart beneath the scar beat faster against his palm before Cloud answered him. "I am."

Trying not to dwell on it, Leon averted his eyes as Cloud reached for his shoes and breeches. "Oh now you're shy," the blond chuckled, he touched Leon's shoulder after several rustling noises from undressing sounded "You want to watch this, right?"

Leon looked at Cloud, keeping his eyes firmly on his face and trying not to blush at the openly teasing look his companion was sending him. Cloud took a small step back and his smile turned nervous before he made a move to change. He half crouched and launched himself in a fast leap just to Leon's right, when he hands met the forest floor they were no longer hands.

Like a bubble popping into the air, the change was done. It was too fast for Leon to describe, but the change did leave a faint trace of heat in the air.

As a wolf, Cloud was very different. His pelt was silvery and grey with dark patches down his spine and along the long fur of his limbs and tail, with distinct looking black marks around his eyes and snout too. His ears were perky and he stood tall, roughly eye level with Leon's naval with a large head and muzzle. The long tail swayed, betraying the nervousness the wolf felt.

Leon also felt nervous facing the predator he'd been taught all his life to be wary of, yet he was still overcome with wonder.

He reached out a hand uncertainly, palm facing upwards and relaxed until the wolf leaned into it. Leon breathed out in awe "Your …" Cloud looked up at him sharply from nuzzling his palm, wondering what the end of his sentence would be and whining when the hunter made no move to keep speaking. Leon smiled, studying the eyes of the animal quietly; Cloud's eyes hadn't changed.

At last, he put a hand on the wolf's back and said: "Nice to see you again."

The wolf's paws all shifted excitedly on the ground, the animal pressed his head into Leon's stomach with great force, at the unexpected push Leon fell backwards and laughed when the Wolf leered over him. Cloud sniffed at his face and collar and Leon was still as he was investigated though he gave in to temptation and began to scratch at those pointed ears and fluffy ruff.

With an animalistic groan of pleasure, Cloud leaned into his hands with eyes half closed, Leon raised an eyebrow. "You're remarkably tame for a wolf." He knew dogs with more personal boundaries than this.

Cloud huffed and settled by his side, leaning heavily on his arm to pin him down and nipping at Leon's ear in reprimand. Leon turned his face away "Ugh, your breath stinks." The wolf snorted and curled around him as he sat up. Leon gently ran a hand over the grey pelt, admiring the soft strands and how the hairs were lighter at the base and darker at the tips. "I guess this explains the howling," he teased. "Do you prefer this form or your human one?"

The wolf appeared to grin for a second, but then there was no wolf and Cloud was back leaving only a wave of heat to show he's changed at all. He put a palm against Leon's cheek kept smiling "I like it," he admitted "I can run faster, I feel closer to the life-force of the forest, I can smell more," he leaned in and inhaled by Leon's throat, Leon gulped uncertainly. "You've got a distinct smell, Red."

Leon chuckled "I'll take that as a compliment. Is that a wolf thing, smelling my neck?"

The blond laughed "I have a good nose," one hand reached for his elbow "You were bleeding recently," his eyebrows creased as he pulled Leon's sleeve back to examine it "Does it hurt?"

"No, Edea's a skilled healer."

Cloud moved back so Leon could see him "I like this form too because I can be with you and you can understand me. Because I was born in this body and waited ten years for it, I like having hands and standing tall- Hey!" he snapped and pushed at Leon when he laughed. "Taller than a wolf!"

Still laughing slightly, Leon nudged him "Still short."

"Shut up." Cloud pouted a blush on his cheeks again. He glanced at Leon a few times and said "You really accept me? All of me?"

Leon nodded "I'm not scared of your Wolf, you're the closest person to me and your other form isn't enough to turn me away," he kept his eyes on Cloud's face, well aware that the rest of his naked body was sprawled behind his back. "Sorry, you're not that lucky."

Cloud laughed, one hand pressed to the nape of Leon's neck and pulled him forwards and then Cloud's lips were pressed against his own. His lips were warm and moist and soft, but all Leon could feel was utter surprise.

Pulling sharply away he blinked owlishly with one hand hovering near his lips as if unsure what to do with them now. Cloud watched him with a puzzled look and then he rapidly paled as his face fell, "Too far?"

"You kissed me."

Cloud nodded and quickly turned away to tug his discarded breeches back on "Yeah. I did."

"Why?" Leon inched away and faced the blond, the wolf he had been prepared for, and now it was the man he was struggling to deal with.

Cloud pulled himself closer and reached out hesitantly to Leon, looking sad when the other leaned further away. Leon regretted it a bit, but he was reeling and had nothing to ground him or advise him on how to react when you were unexpectedly kissed by someone you never expected.

Cloud drew his attention by placing a hand on his knee "Because I like you …" he sat back, hands in his lap and head down. "I always liked you."

Confused, Leon frowned "I'm not a woman."

The blond sighed "I know, Red. I don't love you as a woman, I love you as a man."

"L-love?" trying to ignore the undignified squawk in his voice, Leon asked, "You're not a woman are you?"

Cloud glared "After you saw me naked you feel the need to ask that?" Leon looked away, feeling stupid.

The blond sighed and moved closer "I guess I'll have to spell it out to you," he caught Leon's shoulders and held him still "I admire you, I feel at peace with you, and I want to be with you as much as possible. I love you because you're a man, because you accepted me and because you're different from the others. I feel lonely and empty when you're gone, and happy when you're here. I waited ten years to be with you, Red. I want you and no one else."

Leon's mouth was dry, he stared into Cloud's honest eyes, each one intensely blue-green like the sky and was lost for words. The blond's face was turning a dark red and his breathing was a little too fast for simple conversations, but he was still and sure and had bared his soul bravely. After traces of fear began to seep into Cloud's expression Leon finally gathered enough wits to attempt a reply "I … I had no idea."

Cloud's expression fell flat and his head fell onto Leon's shoulder with an exasperated groan "The others have been calling me a lovesick puppy and you had no idea?"

"Yes?" Leon tried meekly.

"Great."

Leon winced at the tone of Cloud's voice, he hated seeing how downhearted Cloud was acting. He put a hand on his back and gave a few soothing pats to try and ease him, "Sorry, it really never occurred to me."

Cloud nodded but kept his head pressed to Leon's shoulder "I remember Catholics were weird about who was allowed to love who … guess it was wishful thinking that you'd be an exception there too ..." he sounded more down with every word "Do you hate me for it?"

Leon shook his head "No! No, I … I think I just need to think …"

Cloud raised his head a little and yet wouldn't meet Leon's eyes "You'll still spend time with me even if it just as friends, right?"

That was the easiest question yet. "Always."

There was a ghost of a smile when they met eyes again, and Leon was relieved that the air had finally stopped being too warm and too brittle, it felt like a typical day again save for his pounding heart.

Cloud pushed himself off and up, still shirtless and holding himself awkwardly but he looked brighter now as he made plans, "I'd better go back and explain things to the others before they get here. No telling what Angeal's going to think of me now," he groaned.

Leon stood too, a little worried about him facing his elder's wrath. He touched his shoulder and tried not to insist he run back with him for a while. Instead, he asked: "Will you be back?"

Cloud sighed "Eventually … I'll let you know when I can meet you again." He pointed upwards "I'll howl to you at sunset, it'll be solo and strange because we like howling at the moon at night. Should be unique enough … keep an ear out, Red."

"I will."

Cloud turned to leave, his shirt on his arm but hesitated. He looked over his shoulder and nervously asked "Can I kiss you goodbye?"

Leon tensed "Er … I guess …"

Cloud laughed slightly "Too bold of me?"

Hefting a big sigh Leon caught Cloud's arm before he moved out of reach and held him tight in an embrace, he felt Cloud jump and felt his heart race under his hands. Leaving his stewing, turmoil thoughts for another day he just focused on having his dear friend and wolf back with him. He hoped this gesture was enough, "Will this do for now?"

Cloud hummed happily and breathed deeply in the hollow of Leon's throat "Yeah … I won't be gone long, I promise." He pulled away, smiled and swiftly disappeared as he always did, throwing glances over his shoulder as he went.

Once he had been gone for several long minutes, Leon leaned back against the nearest tree and breathed deeply.

He had a lot to think about.

Thanks for your comments, please leave another. No double update this week - hope you all had a good easter xx.

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