Disclaimer: All characters, most places things etc. belong to Square-Enix and Disney…or whatever, I don't own anything…so…don't sue me ok?

Chapter Nine
And the Past is not the Past

Cloud gulped, shoving his shaking hands in his pockets in an attempt to hide the tremor in his heart. He felt as if he had woken from a dream to find the star of his nightmares sitting casually a few feet away. His thoughts automatically drifted toward Leon and his friends and his heartbeat sped in panic.

As if he had read his mind Sephiroth smiled, raising a hand in peace.

"I simply wish to talk with you," he said, smiling that dark false smile that made him look like a lion honing in on its prey.

Cloud walked so he was standing directly in front of the other man. "What are you doing here?" he asked, glaring down at the other man.

"Like I said," smile, "I only wish to talk. I assume you've spoken to Ms. Gainsborough? This is simply business."

Cloud glared suspiciously at the other man.

Sephiroth motioned towards the bench, "Don't be rude. I'm a guest in your world; sit, let's catch up." He cocked his eyebrow, smirking at the blonde.

Cloud sighed and sat down. "What's your business here?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Sephiroth's face turned serious, "The elders are not happy with the outcome of your punishment."

Cloud shrugged, "So things didn't go as they planned. That's not my fault or my problem. If that's what you're here for, you're just going to have to deal with it." He got up, stern face glaring at the man who was the cause of all his troubles, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a job to get to."

Sephiroth hissed, grabbing the blondes arm in a grip that was sure to leave a mark, "Don't get cocky Cloud. I will have my way. You think I'll let you live happily after betraying me?"

Cloud snatched his arm away, inwardly wincing at the sting, "Get over yourself Sephiroth. No one betrayed you; if anything, you've betrayed everyone who's ever put their trust in you."

He turned and walked away swiftly, not sparing a backwards glance to the man who was most surely glaring at his retreating back. He felt proud of himself for standing up to the other man, but at the same time the other mans words echoed in his head throughout the day.

You think I'll let you live happily…

Cloud sighed as he restocked the shelf of newly returned books, 'When will this be over?'

Leon left the house, absently twirling his keys as he locked the door and walked to the edge of the drive way. He stopped at the gate, furrowing his furrowing his eyebrows as he stopped humming and looked around. There was no one on either side of the street but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he was being watched.

He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he continued on his way. 'I must need sleep or something' he thought, crossing the street so he emerged from suburbia into the outskirts of Hollow Bastion.

It was a nice day winter day and the shops and restaurants were decorating for the holidays, stringing lights above lampposts and street lights to hang wreaths and light up 'Happy Holidays' signs.

Two blocks from the video store the light was red and he waited with the other travelers on the edge of the sidewalk for the change that would allow them to continue. He turned to watch two waiters from a nearby café attempt to hang lights that looked like icicles from the too tall roof of the establishment. The next thing he knew he was falling, face first into the busy intersection. Leon put out his hands to steady himself as he fell, and there was a loud screech and the resonating beep of a powerful horn as the approaching 18 wheeler lurched to a halt.

"Thank God for good breaks you fucking psycho!" the driver exclaimed angrily as he drove around Leon honking.

A woman from the crowd dashed forward, putting a hand on his shoulder as he slowly got up, dazed. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked frantically, clearly shook by the near death experience he had just had.

Leon didn't register the woman's concerned questions as he turned back, looking at the sidewalk in suspicion. There were three or four other people there, all lined along the front edge of the sidewalk waiting for the light to change, standing side by side not one person behind the other. They looked at him with shock and accusation as if he had impulsively thrown himself into the oncoming traffic in some sort of young adult angst attack. It was impossible for any of them to have pushed him, but as Leon stared back into their accusatory stares he couldn't help but remember the feel of a strong hand on his lower back, shoving him forward.

He couldn't help but feel he had been pushed.

Kairi and Larxene stood at the head of the aisle, watching as Cloud put away the cart of books. He had put all the books on the same shelf and it was full, yet he stood there staring into space as he absentmindedly tried to fit another book onto the packed shelf. Both girls looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"What is wrong with you today Cloud?" Kairi asked grabbing the book out of his hand.

"Trouble in paradise?" Larxene asked with a wink, surveying the shelf before them, she 'tsked', "These are all wrong. Quistis would freak if she saw this." She said, pulling all the books from the shelves and throwing them back onto the cart.

Cloud blinked, "Oh…I'm sorry. My mind is elsewhere." He picked up a book, carefully looking at the side this time before putting it away.

"Are you and Leon alright?" Kairi asked her and Larxene helping the blonde with his immense workload.

Cloud nodded, smiling, "We're more than alright actually," he said, a dreamy look taking over his face as recalled recent events, "We're perfect."

"Yay!" Kairi exclaimed, pinching Larxene as she proceeded to make gagging noises. "But," she said, as she shelved another book, "I'm not trying to pry or anything but if things are so good with Leon, what's bothering you so much?"

Cloud sighed, he turned the book over in his hand, "Well…there are people out there who don't want to see me happy. It never bothered me before, but now that I have so much to lose…"

"You're scared?" Kairi said in understanding.

"Terrified," Cloud said, laughing awkwardly.

Kairi shrugged, reaching back into the dwindling pile, "Well, it's natural for you to feel that way. It's human nature to be pessimistic."

"Pessimistic?" Cloud asked, cocking his head to the side slightly.

Larxene nodded, "Pessimistic. You're so happy you feel something bad just has to happen."

"You shouldn't let that get in the way of your happiness though. Just enjoy the good thing you have no matter what. You guys deserve each other." Kairi added, smiling.

Cloud smiled, straightening his shoulders as he shelved another book, "Our situation…is a little more complicated," he said, "But thanks."

"Anytime spike, anytime." Larxene said, punching him on the shoulder lightly, "Now let's hurry up so we can go to lunch! I'm starving."

"Leon, could you vacuum the main floor please? I don't know what these girls are stepping in but they're tracking all kinds of weird stuff in here." Riku said, emerging from the back, a disgusted look on his face.

Leon nodded, grabbing the small dirt devil from underneath the register and leaving the counter.

"And Yuffie, could you restock these?" Riku said, dropping the box of returns onto the counter.

"Aye Aye Captain!" she said, saluting as she picked up the box and followed Leon onto the floor.

Leon grabbed the plug, bending forward to insert it into the outlet, before he could even come within an inch of the wall a loud buzzing sounded and flash of electricity seemed to shoot from the two small holes in the wall. Leon quickly jumped back, falling onto his back with the plug still in his hands.

"Oh my Gosh! Leon are you alright!?" Sora exclaimed, all three coworkers rushing over to where Leon was currently propping himself up on his elbows.

"I'm fine…" he said, staring at the outlet charily.

"That was so weird! I saw it with my own eyes; he didn't even get close to the outlet!" Yuffie exclaimed, dropping the box to check her friend for any wounds. "Just like the truck this morning!"

Leon rolled his eyes at her, but the more paranoid part of his subconscious connected the two events together also.

"Truck?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was almost hit by a truck this morning."

Sora's eyes widened, "A truck!? Geez Leon today is not your day."

Leon scoffed, examining the now charred carpet that would have been his charred face if his reflexes hadn't kicked in.

Riku shook his head, calming the frayed nerves of the fan girls browsing throughout the store with a dazzling smile. "Look, just to be safe why don't you work in the back today? We have a lot of holds to be stocked on the shelves back there anyway."

Leon nodded, getting up and heading to the back. He hadn't placed but one video on the shelf when the entire metal casing came loose from the wall, crashing towards him at a deadly speed, he stumbled away, tripping over the crates of film to find himself once again sprawled out on the floor with the wind knocked out of him.

"What is going on?" Riku exclaimed, rushing into the back. "Are you alright Leon?"

"Oh, no! Leon you're cursed!" Sora exclaimed at the sight before him.

Leon sat up, berating himself for momentarily agreeing with Sora.

'Something is not right.' He thought.

"These are probably the sturdiest thing in the entire shop," Yuffie said, walking over to a casing that was still connected to the wall and pushing all his weight on it, "An elephant could probably have sit on here and it wouldn't have come loose."

"You seem to be having a really off day Leon." Riku said, sighing in exasperation, "Maybe you should take the afternoon off. Go home, sleep off this bad luck streak and come back tomorrow, accident free."

Leon nodded, never once taking his eyes off of the casing. "Maybe that's best."

He grabbed his coat, heading back out into the frigid town once more. He thought about visiting Cloud, or going to the supermarket but his subconscious was practically screaming at him to just go back home. 'Things are so weird today…' he thought, looking both ways repeatedly before crossing the street.

He shuddered as he walked swiftly down the street, pulling his coat tighter around him as he felt eyes following his every move. 'Nonsense Leon,' he scolded himself, 'You're just being paranoid.'

"Leon I presume?"

Leon looked around at the sound of the voice, eyes resting on the figure before him he could have sworn was not there before. "Who're you?" he asked, frowning at the mysterious stranger before him. Long silver hair that seemed to reflect the light around them clashed attractively with his long black coat.

"How rude of me, Allow my to introduce myself" the man said, smiling as he held out his hand, "My name is Sephiroth. I'm sure you've heard of me."

"I hope you will carefully consider the information as well as the proposition I have presented you with." Aerith said, her soft voice echoing through the empty hall as she walked side by side with the very angel Namine herself.

"Fairness is a priority of mine Ms. Gainsborough." Namine said, smoothing out a wrinkle in her white dress as they turned a corner into the more busy streets of the kingdom. "If Mr. Strife really is innocent then there is much to be corrected."

"I am as sure of his innocence as I am of your sense of Justice your honor." Aerith said, turning to look at the blonde angel directly in the eyes, "I know what I am suggesting is unheard of at the very least, but if it can correct such a dire wrong I think it is the least we could do."

Namine said nothing for what seemed like an eternity. She simply looked at the other woman, searching her face as if it held the answer to some internal question.

"Very well then," she said finally, smiling at Aerith, "I'll consider the course of action I will take and bring it up at the elder meeting tonight."

Cloud unlocked the door to the home he and Leon shared, closing it behind him as flipped on a switch, instantly flooding the foyer with light. "I'm home," he called into the hall as he removed his scarf and jacket, walking into the living room.

He found Leon curled on the sofa; nose buried in one of the books Cloud had left lying on the coffee table. He stood in the door way for a moment, watching the brunette before shaking his head and moving to sit beside him on the sofa.

"I'm home" he repeated, a second attempt at recognition from his roommate.

Leon looked up, "I didn't even hear you come in." he said, gracing Cloud with a rare astounding smile that never ceased to set his heart in motion. If the blonde ever needed validation that he was indeed alive all the other would have to do was smile and Cloud would never doubt his heart beat again. "How was work?"

"Oh, same old; same old." Cloud said with a shrug, "What about you? I thought you didn't get out for another hour?"

Leon sighed, closing his book as if he was preparing for a long and taxing discussion, "I went home early. I…met Sephiroth today."

Cloud's eyes widened, breath hitching in his throat. "...What?" he croaked, mouth suddenly dry.

"I left work early because I seemed to have been having a streak of bad luck. First I was almost hit by a truck, then electrocuted, then crushed beneath a shelf."

Cloud felt himself sway, the panic rising steadily throughout his body. Noticing this Leon reached up, grabbing his boyfriend's arms and gently bringing him down to sit on the couch beside him.

"Don't worry." the brunette said softly, "I'm fine."

"What did he want?" Cloud implored, eyes roaming Leon searchingly as if he didn't quite believe that the other was one hundred percent.

"I can see you're a man who doesn't like to draw things out so I'll get right to the chase." said Sephiroth, smirking in an all knowing, condescending way that made Leon's blood boil. "Leave Cloud."

Leon scoffed, "Fuck you." he said without missing a beat, standing up as straight as possible so he was seeing eye to eye with the angel.

"Cloud Strife is a criminal," the silverette continued, unaffected by Leon's hostile outburst, "His time on earth is intended not as a learning experience or a second chance or whatever he's cooked up for you. It is his punishment. You are getting in the way of exacting this and I, as well as several of my colleagues, are personally and deeply offended by this."

Leon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"I believe you'll trust me when I say it is in your best interest to remove yourself from the situation now."

"Are you finished?" Leon said.

Sephiroth merely smirked, motioning gracefully towards the unblocked road before him.

Leon gave the angel one final glare before continuing on his way.

"You'll regret it." Sephiroth called after him.

"I doubt that." Leon mumbled.

"With all the accidents you've been having lately, who knows what could come next."

Leon stopped walking; turning slowly so his accusatory glance fell sharply on the other man.

Sephiroth smiled then, a smooth, toothy grin that showed no mirth or laughter, but only pure and unyielding malice. "You'll regret it".

Cloud listened patiently to Leon's story, trying in vain to keep a poker face. Deep down inside he'd known it would come to this. That Sephiroth was here for a reason.

"He won't stop." Cloud said quietly, "You'll regret it."

"I won't." Leon said scowling, "Why the hell is everyone trying to tell me my own feelings?!"

Cloud flinched at the outburst, but recovered quickly, surveying Leon as if looking for a sign that he wasn't telling the truth.

Leon sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair, "Listen. I wouldn't do or put up with anything I didn't want to. If I don't want to bother with something, I won't bother with it. I don't give a damn about keeping appearances or conforming or whatever else it is keeping people in situations they have no stake in." He offered the blonde a reassuring smile, "I thought you'd have known this by now."

"I just don't want you to suffer for my mistakes." Cloud said quietly, "Who knows what Sephiroth and the counsel are capable of."

"Don't worry." Leon said, "No matter what happens from here on out, my only concern is that it was worth it."

Cloud smiled, "And is this worth it?"

Leon's response was to lean in and seal the distance between them with a kiss. For a short moment both of their worries were forgotten, tossed to the side along with every other care and thought in the world, save for those concerning the feel of the others lips.

When they finally parted Cloud smiled, patting the brunettes hand softly, "I'm going to start dinner." He said, his worries suddenly lifted and transported somewhere far away for at least a little while.

Leon nodded, returning to the novel he'd spent the last 4 hours trying to get into. "How you continuously read this stuff I'll never understand." He said, loud to allow his voice to carry into the kitchen.

"Reading is fun Leon," Cloud called back, removing the ingredients from the pantry, "You just have to find the genre best suited to you. It's like watching a movie…only not."

Leon laughed, shaking his head, "only not."

He gave it five more pages before accepting the fact that Ernest Hemmingway did not have anything interesting to say and dropping the book onto the couch. He head into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around the blonde at the stove. "What are you making?" he asked, speaking into the blonde's neck as he rested his head on Clouds shoulder.

"Hmm, spaghetti. It's all we have the ingredients for at the moment since no one bothered to go to the super market." The blonde laughed, stirring the sauce in the pot.

"Yea, I meant to do that." Leon said, placing a small kiss on the blonde's neck before removing himself to get started on the salad. 'If Yuffie could see me now.' He found himself thinking as he removed the vegetables from the fridge.

Never in a million years would he have thought he was capable of being the type of person he was now. He hadn't changed much on the outside, but the people who knew him noticed subtle differences in the ways he walked, talked and carried himself. He himself was almost scared by the amount of change he saw. Six months ago it was just him and a dead end job, now, business was booming and he had totally and completely put his faith and trust in another human being. He never thought he would be able to care for anyone this much, and he couldn't figure out if he was pleasantly surprised to discover that he could so quickly.

Leon was drawn out of his thoughts by the steady vibration of his cell phone. He sighed, shoving his hand in his pocket to bring out the device and see who it was that was bothering him.

"Sora?" he read, confused as to why the other man would be calling him at this hour.

"Hm?" Cloud answered, looking up from his work. He eyed the clock, noticing the late hour as well, "It must be important."

Leon nodded, flipping open the phone and pressing it to his ear.

Cloud watched the brunettes eyes get wider as he quickly dropped the vegetables, leaving the kitchen before the call was even over.

"I'll be right there." Cloud heard him say as the closet door opened.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked, watching the brunette frantically grab his coat and keys.

Leon looked at Cloud in shock, as if the weight of the news Sora had brought him had just begun to settle. He grabbed the blonde's coat, tossing it to him,

"The video store is on fire!"

a|n: edit finally finished! It's a little different (especially the end) from the first posting, mainly to make the final chapter make more sense.

Thanks for reading!!