Next chap, new developments. The more reviews the more motivated to update cause it's kind of a pain to do right now.

Next will be the confrontation between Leon and Riku so stay tuned.

Love you all.

Rain continued to run down the brick walls but Cloud's tears had finally ceased. Leon refused to release him however and after the first attempt, Cloud didn't try to pull away. He simply let the younger man hold him as he continued to shake a bit.

He knew he had to say something, give some explanation for his behavior but he had no words. It was as if all language had left him. Honestly, at the moment he never wanted to speak again. He was content to simply fade away right there in Leon's arms.

"Sorry." He finally murmured into Leon's shirt.

"Don't be." Leon assured him. "We all have a breaking point. You just reached yours."

Cloud sniffled. "I don't do this."

"Neither do I." Leon snorted. "You think I'd sit drenched in an alley, holding just any old guy? Any one else and I'd of either ignored them or told them to get over it."

Cloud lifted his head to look into stormy eyes. He spent a minute searching before a sad smile crossed his face. "Leon, I-"

"Don't." He was cut off. Leon dropped his arms, allowing Cloud to move if he wanted. "I get it."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do." Leon shifted, forcing Cloud from his lap and stood. "You're in love with Riku."

He took a few steps forward and waited to see if Cloud would deny it. After a wrenching period of time, Leon turned back to face the blonde. Cloud was hunched down on the balls of his feet, staring at his hands between his knees.

"I'm so completely pathetic, aren't I?" Cloud muttered, almost to himself. "He's clearly moved on, is with the one he's really loved from the beginning and I'm still desperately hoping he'll come running back to me."

Leon didn't have a reply for that. Despite his leading statement, he hadn't been quite prepared for this open of an admission. He knew Riku had been the cause of Cloud's recent wave of depression and angst but to have him come out and say he was in love with the teenager was unexpected.

"Sora will hate me for this." Cloud let out a bitter laugh. "I hate me for this."

"Shut up." Leon suddenly snapped out.

Cloud stared at him.

"Riku knows how you feel about him, doesn't he?"

The blonde nodded.

"That self-centered bastard." Leon fumed. "I knew there was something I didn't like about that kid."

"Leon-"

"That arrogant little prick, going around with his new boyfriend and acting as if you meant nothing. Not even able to acknowledge there ever was something between you."

"Leon!" Cloud finally got his attention. "This isn't Riku's fault."

"Don't defend him, Cloud."

"I'm not. This is my own fault. I left him." Cloud explained softly. "I, I just want Riku to be happy."

"At your expense?" Leon ground out. "You really do have esteem issues."

Cloud didn't bother replying. He simply sat on the cold street letting water drip down his face from limp spikes of hair. He felt it somehow suited him.

"Come on." The younger man suddenly gently kicked him.

Cloud looked up.

"We're getting out of the rain." Leon explained.

The blonde slowly stood and followed. They ended up at the bailey. It was still cold but at least they were out of the rain. Cloud felt like he was in a daze and watched in a detached manner as Leon located a few stray pieces of two by four and odd ends of wood. He threw them together in the center of the floor and used a fire spell on them.

The heat felt good on his cold skin but he didn't move closer. Leon studied him a long moment before sighing. He did sit before the fire and gazed into the flames. "I'm really not too good with this emotional stuff."

Cloud managed a smirk. "Duh."

"Rinoa always said I'd regret not learning to open up. I tried. I tried so hard for her but, well it doesn't matter now." Leon blew out a sharp laugh. "And here I am trying to do it again for someone who's worse at this stuff than I am."

Cloud focused on Leon. He could see the slight lines around his mouth and the tension at his eyes that tugged ever so lightly at his scar. And somehow, he knew what was coming. "No, Leon. Please don't do this. I can't handle it."

"What's it going to take, Cloud?" Leon questioned harshly. "Why can't you see the positive things around you? There's so much good surrounding you but you don't notice it. There are people who care so much about you and you push them away. Now here you are focusing all your energy on some little prick who doesn't love you and probably never did."

"Don't say that." Cloud's voice was steel. "Do not ever speak of Riku like that. You don't know him and you know nothing about us."

"There is no us!" Leon raised his volume. "You left him, he moved on! It's over, Cloud."

"I know." The near whisper was back. "And I'm sorry that I'm hurting you too."

The brunette paused.

"I'm sorry you fell in love with someone as messed up as I am."

Without thinking, Leon was up and coming over to Cloud. He got on his knees before him and gently brushed his cheek. Cloud met his eyes easily, the pain and sadness clearly revealed. Leon leaned forward and kissed him. Cloud returned it. It was simple and sweet and both knew would likely never happen again.

Leon drew away, again meeting those intense blue eyes. "I don't regret loving you."

Cloud gave the barest of nods.

"You really love that brat."

Again the brief nod.

"Gods, I hate him." Leon muttered. "When did you last really talk to him?"

"The other night. A few hours after I left to train he came and found me."

"I knew that was a lie. Where did you go?"

"The river. That was our place. I was holed up in one of the shacks out there and it isn't too far from the castle. We always met up there." Cloud threw his head back. "It was only a few months but it feels like it was so much longer."

"When did you end it?"

"Shortly after Sora woke up. I knew a little about the whole Roxas thing and Riku still kind of remembered Sora so I knew of him even though I didn't actually have any memory of him. After Riku changed, I started realizing how much Sora had to mean to him. Once Sora was awake and everything came back I knew that Sora was the one Riku truly loved.

"Look at everything he willingly sacrificed for him. I can't compete with something that strong. They have an unbreakable bond and I won't place myself in the middle of it." Cloud choked out.

Leon didn't want to hear any of this but still he listened. It hurt terribly to see Cloud's pain and he wanted to somehow make it go away. The only way to do that it seemed was to bring Cloud and Riku back together. He didn't want to do that.

"It's all right. It has to be." Cloud concluded. "Like he said, we agreed."

This conversation was not endearing the silver haired teen to Leon at all. It was taking a great deal of restraint to not go find him and beat the ship out of him right now. It wouldn't help but Leon figured it would feel pretty damn nice.

Cloud had calmed down considerably over the past few hours and it was likely their houseguests would be asleep by now. The morning was going to suck but it was their house. Leon really liked saying that. Regardless of his and Cloud's relationship status, it would always be their house. He really was a closet sap.

He stood and held a hand out to Cloud. The blonde stared for a moment before taking it and also getting up. They wordlessly headed home walking side by side each lost in their own thoughts.

"I'm sorry about all this, Leon."

"It's not your fault."

They approached Aerith's and Cloud slowed down a bit. He studied the front of the house for a moment, focusing on the one lit room upstairs.

"Maybe you should stay with her tonight." Leon suggested.

"No. I want to be with you." Cloud said firmly. "Aerith is great for advice and a sympathetic ear but I don't want that right now. I need you."

Leon couldn't name the odd stirring of hope and anguish that rose in his chest. Cloud needed him but it wasn't the way he wanted. Maybe someday but he couldn't bring himself to hope. He nodded and they walked on.

Upon reaching home, Cloud went in first Leon trailing slightly behind. Everything was dark so it was clear Riku and Sora were asleep. Leon toyed with the idea of simply sleeping on the couch but dismissed it. It would likely raise too many questions in the morning and he really didn't want things to become awkward with Cloud. He'd been fine sleeping with him before.

Even if most of those nights had lead to unusally long cold showers in the morning. Gods, Cloud had to have known Leon was at least attracted to him. He'd done his absolute best to behave lying beside the blonde but sometimes his body just hadn't cooperated.

In Cloud's room, they stripped down their damp clothes tossing them near the door. Both were too worn to care about neatness. Then Cloud climbed into bed with a slight shudder. "It's cold."

Leon hestitated but eventually got in on the other side. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling while Cloud shivered beside him. "Come here."

Cloud raised an eye as Leon shifted his position. He scooched closer and found himself pulled into a warm chest, wrapped by strong arms. The chill almost imedieately faded. He mumbled a thanks.

Leon only grunted. "Go to sleep."