Amethy is very giddy as she's received some very nice reviews. Therefore, Amethy has deemed it necessary to warn the regular reviewers who leave such kind offerings to her humble piece of fanfiction that if she ever met them in person she'd probably glomp them silly and refuse to let go while babbling about the Cloud/Leon love. You know you all feel the love.

A/N: Tried something a little different with this chapter so feedback would be appreciated…pweety pwease?

It's also shorter than previous chapters but please be nice okay? I'll make the next one longer and updates should be more regular now cause I've actually set a schedule for everything and I'm not allowed coffee or on online if I break it. Very good incentive.

Hold your head down now
Just let me pass by
Don't feed my fear
If you don't want it out
I fear who I am becoming
I feel that I'm losing all beauty within
I can no longer restrain it
My strength it is fading
I have to give in
-It's the Fear, Within Temptation

Chapter Four

Cloud tapped his watch as he caught Cid's eye and jerked his head back towards the city. When the older blond nodded he raised a hand in farewell and climbed over the equipment back into the bailey and started towards Tifa's.

As he walked past Merlin's the man popped his head out the door and waved jovially before darting back inside at the sound of a loud bang. Cloud closed his eyes briefly in amusement, shaking his head as he turned down the alley and headed towards the marketplace, enjoying the peaceful walk, eyes soft as children darted past laughingly in the midst of a game of tag or something similar.

Even though it'd been nearly four years since Sora had expelled Maleficent and Xehanort's Heartless from Radiant Garden, Cloud still found himself stopping to look at the content and peace that existing within the city walls, the bright smiles of people he passed, so full of hope, as though darkness had never set foot on their world.

He shook his head in amazement. Humans. They could be so fragile, so dark and so selfish yet they could also be so strong and full of light. Contradictions whatever they did.

Like Leon.

Cloud sighed as he leant against a cottage wall, one hand lightly slapping against his cheek as he raised his eyes to clear sky above. It seemed that lately the brunet was never too far from his thoughts.

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Golden eyes gleamed in a mockery of fatherly indulgence. "It's time Squall." The child startled, eyes glazing over as he quivered in trepidation. A tanned hand reached for him, he cried out, a sob choking his wordless plea.
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Thick curtains blocked the sun from the homely looking bedroom, a few small rays of golden light peeking in through the tiny gaps to lap at the thick dark carpet and freshly painted walls. A king-sized bed, situated against the centre of the door opposite a freshly varnished door, held a shifting figure beneath its thick plaid duvet and off white sheets which slowly curled around the twisting body. In the stillness of the room each toss and turn the figure made became more pronounced. The tiny shifts produced soft rustles that seemed to echo across the silent room. A pale hand rested on the dark pillow beside Leon's head, soft brown hair spilled over the pillow and closed eyelids. Thin brows furrowed in agitation as a small gasp was unconsciously let out, a hint of white teeth gleaming between the slightly parted lips. Turning onto his back, a long white neck suddenly became bared to the ceiling as the head tossed back into an arch.

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A tainted heart encrusted in ice; warmth will never touch it, can never aspire to melt the glacier because of that Light can never touch the darkness which still lingers.
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Cloud's nose twitched and his stomach gave a little gurgle as the tantalising smells of cooking wafted from the open windows of the surrounding cottages, the content singing of wives as they flittered about indoors waltzed soothingly into his ears accompanied by the animated yells of children still playing outside in the slowly setting sun. Closing his eyes again he relaxed visibly for a moment before he pushed off from the wall and slowly began to climb the stairs leading to the market place.

Scourge McDuck greeted him politely as he reached the top, the nephews waving energetically from their shop before turning back to their conversation, voices high and excitable. Cloud paused, eyeing the large freezer thoughtfully for a moment before stepping up to Scourge and pressing some munny into his hands, pointing to a container of vanilla ice cream. The duck nodded, fervently pocketing the munny before sliding the ice cream into a plastic bag and handing it to the blonde with a chirpy farewell. Cloud nodded a reply, curling his fingers more tightly around the bag as he crossed the square, casually rounding the accessories store and strolling down the alleyway behind it to a side door. A sign painted onto the heavy wooden door proudly proclaiming it to be 'The Seventh Heaven' above the black ring of the door handle which Cloud grasped firmly and gave a sharp yank, the door opening with the faintest of creaks.

Inside Cloud gave the bar a quick curious scan, shaking his head softly when he saw the wall behind the bar already littered with photographs. On his way to the stairs he paused as the phone rang once then switched to the answering machine, Yuffie's cheerful voice echoing in the quiet tavern as she announced the results of 'Leon-sitting' which were, in her words, "Sleep, Yuffie went to play video games, still sleeping, oooh he rolled over twice! Played more games, Leon still sleeping, snore, whimper, sleep…did I mention all the sleeping he did, Cloudy?". Cloud frowned for a moment, the news of Leon's unchanged condition producing an odd sinking feeling inside before he stalked into the kitchen to store the ice cream in the freezer, making a mental note to inform Aerith that Yuffie was to never look after Leon again.

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I must get away. I must. His lungs burned and his breath came in short frightened gasps. Squall looked forward again and choked back a horror-filled sob as he dashed past the lifeless carcass of his beloved Dalmatian, Shiva. The hallway narrowed as a thick oak door suddenly loomed ahead. His face was flushed with exertion as he forced his aching legs to move faster.
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The sheets were now wrapped tightly around Leon's legs, trapping them and halting their movements, his arms broke free of his burrow, grasping fistfuls of the duvet as his head thrashed from side to side on the pillow. Sweat glistened on pale skin, plastering dark hair across his forehead, the silent whimpers slowly rising, transfiguring into screams.

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That darkness comes from your own dark memories… Because the light…is too much!
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Cloud sat at the kitchen table, his chin resting on his palm as he stared blankly out the window. Trying to unravel the tangle life had suddenly twisted into as he drummed his fingers on the varnished wood loudly.

Leon.

Aerith's question last night had caught him by surprise. He still wasn't sure just what he felt. Leon had been on his mind a lot lately but he still didn't know why, still wondered if he had the courage to ask himself why. He'd told her told that he didn't know and she responded with a knowing smile before leaving. Cloud frowned, stilling his fingers, pondering over Leon. He'd always known from the way it was so painless to look at the man that Leon wasn't untouched by darkness and it had been confirmed recently by the spate of nightmares but now he had to wonder; did that same darkness still dwell in the brunet?

At that point his tangling thoughts were interrupted by a familiar soul-piercing scream sending him sprinting up the stairs three at a time.

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The door remained closed.
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Cloud didn't pause to take in the scene that greeted him before trying to pull Leon out of his sleep, lifting him up slightly as he shook the brunet by his shoulders.

"Oh god…no, please! Not the knife! Someone! Please! Help!"

Cloud nearly dropped him in shock. His heart suddenly felt like it had dropped down into his stomach which churned sickeningly. His hands tightened on Leon's shoulders as he gritted his teeth, bright blue eyes flashing like lightning as another piece of Leon's puzzle fell into place.

Someone had clearly hurt Leon, either with intention to kill or over an extended period of time.

And it had to have been when the man was still a kid. His teeth clenched tightly as he returned to waking Leon up with renewed vigour, one had rising to slap his face. "Leon, snap out of it damnit!"

Grey eyes snapped open, dark with fear and bright with tears in a fear-flushed face as Leon struggled to breath. Something in Cloud broke at the broken aura surrounding the brunet as Leon reached out blindly with trembling hands. The blonde quickly gathered him close, resting a cheek on the sweat drenched hair, hands darting up and down the tense spine in a soothing rub as Leon tried to pull himself back together, shaking violently.

"Let it out Leon."

As Leon slowly sobbed himself back to sleep, Cloud patiently continued his ministrations; murmurs of comfort softly brushing Leon's ear as he resolved to drill Aerith for more information. Leon needed help and he needed it now. Gently tucking the other back under the sheets Cloud decided not to worry over Aerith's question; he'd simply follow the river for now, if he needed to, he could swim against the current later.

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…The ice is cracking…
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