A/N: This is something that has been sitting in my drafts for a while now, but I was told it was worth finishing and posting. So here you go. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I'm in the middle of a crazy, stressful, kind-of last minute move so I probably won't be posting anything else for a bit. For any of you that have been reading my fic "Sweet and Simple", as soon as I've got the time the first thing I will do is sit down and write the next chapter. Sorry to leave you all hanging.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Leon's grip tightened on the wheel, his knuckles turning white as skin stretched over bone. It was supposed to have been a nice dinner celebrating their one year anniversary, and instead Cloud spent the whole meal flirting with their waiter; as well as the voluptuous hostess who kept making up any excuse to be near their table.
The whole evening, Cloud's cerulean eyes danced around the restaurant focusing on everyone but Leon. Leon had tried to ignore the obvious flirtations being thrown back and forth until the main course was served and the waiter's hand lingered on Cloud's arm too long to have been an accident. He shot the waiter an icy glare -cold enough to freeze even the most courageous man's heart- before scowling at the obtuse blond. His hands were curled in fists under the table as he fought the urge to cause a scene. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly as the blond turned to smile at him before launching into some story about a drunk he dealt with the other night.
When the waiter arrived with the bill, he handed it directly to the blond accompanied by a small slip of paper with a phone number in a tidy scrawl. Cloud accepted the bill and number with a flagrant wink and one last flirtatious smirk. Leon's scowl deepened before he ripped the bill from Cloud's hand and threw enough cash down to just cover the total. Cloud glanced at him with a raised eyebrow before standing from the table and heading for the door.
The ride home had been a somber affair. Leon staring directly ahead with a clenched jaw while Cloud fiddled with the radio. Cloud found a classic rock station before turning up the volume and leaning back in his seat; drumming fingers on the door in time with the beat. Leon glanced at the blond out of the corner of his eye and had to swallow a growl as a booted foot was propped up on the dashboard.
Cloud was a flirt. Leon had known this going in. It was through Cloud's flirtatious nature that they had been originally introduced. Cloud worked part-time at a local bar while paying his way through school. Leon had been dragged there after work by a couple of his female coworkers who kept gushing over the cute blond who worked behind the bar. That same cute blond caught Leon's eye the moment he walked in the door and he found himself enamoured.
By the time the blond had turned his charm on Leon, the brunet had several drinks in him and found himself flirting back. They ended up conversing for hours as the bar slowly emptied. Leon could still remember how Cloud turned shy as he attempted to invite the brunet back to his place. Leon had told him maybe another time as he had to work in the morning, before scribbling his number on a napkin and sliding it across the bar top. Cloud accepted it with his trademark smirk before bidding the brunet a goodnight.
Cloud had called Leon the next day and they agreed to go on a proper date as soon as Cloud was done finals for the semester. Until then Leon would come to the bar for a couple of hours after work and they'd continue to talk and flirt; feeling like they had known each other their whole lives.
When Leon had first broached the subject of Cloud's incessant flirting, the blond had claimed it was only for tips. The more he flirted with a customer, the more they coughed up. Leon couldn't argue with that but still confronted Cloud on the flirting he did outside of work. Cloud simply scoffed at the implication and told Leon to stop worrying. Even if he was flirting, it was harmless. It wasn't like he had any intention of cheating.
Hardly comforted by Cloud's words, Leon dropped the subject anyway. But that didn't stop the nagging feeling in his gut every time Cloud went out on his own. A feeling that only increased to a violent churning when the blond came home in the early morning hours smelling of beer and cigarettes when he hadn't been at work.
Cloud was still young and brash and Leon, being four years his senior, was tired of trying to keep up. At twenty-six Leon wasn't interested in drinking all weekend and had no intention of attending frat parties on Friday nights. He'd been working at his firm for over a year now and was ready to settle down. He wanted a family. He wanted to get married and adopt a kid or two. He wanted to pay off his student loan, buy a house, save for retirement. And none of that was happening with Cloud.
Cloud had yet to finish his degree and seemed content to continue with his job at the bar when he did complete it. He enjoyed his freedom. Being able to do what he wanted when he wanted; making up for his penniless childhood when his mother struggled to feed him and all the years spent following orders in a strict group home during his adolescence. He had gotten used to the feeling of his tips weighing him down between nights out with his friends. And being able to go out knowing Leon would be at home when he got back. Life was good for Cloud Strife and he didn't seem eager to change it anytime soon.
Leon had barely pulled into the parking spot at their apartment before Cloud had bounded out of the car. Without so much as a glance at Leon, Cloud disappeared behind the door leading to the stairs up to the apartments. Leon sighed as he slowly exited the car and made his way to the elevator. He was about to have the last conversation he ever wanted.
By the time Leon had entered the apartment, Cloud was already sprawled out on the couch. He had the TV on, turned to a channel showing highlights of the days sporting events. The sight of the same boots that had soiled his dash sticking up over the armrest was the last straw. Blood boiling, Leon slammed the door before marching over to stand between Cloud and the TV.
"What?" Cloud quickly glanced up at Leon. His tone laced with annoyance as he strained to look past the brunet.
"I can't do this anymore."
"What?" Cloud repeated irreverently as he shifted up-right on the couch, leaning over the armrest so he could make out half of the television.
"Us, Cloud. I can't do us anymore."
Cloud's eyes snapped back to Leon's face, taking in the serious expression adorning the brunet's features. "Why?"
"I'm tired, Cloud. I'm tired of trying to keep up with you. I'm tired of feeling jealous when we do go out, watching you flirt with anything that moves. Of waiting for you to find someone else."
"I don't!" Cloud protested, angrily interrupting Leon.
"You do Cloud. And I'm sick of it! I shouldn't have to be your second choice."
"You're not." Cloud insisted, growing more defensive with each word. "Is this about dinner?"
"You took his number Cloud."
"I'm not going to do anything with it."
"You shouldn't have taken it! We were out for our anniversary." Leon pleaded, his heart breaking with each word. He had hoped Cloud would change his mind about breaking up, but instead the blond's cavalier attitude was hurting him even more. "You shouldn't have flirted and you sure as hell shouldn't have taken the number." Leon pinched the bridge of his nose as he settled his breathing, "But that's not the only problem. I'm tired of feeling used by you too. Feeling like I'm just someone who makes you food, cleans up after you, and pays the rent. I want more than that. I deserve more than that."
"Lee-"
"Don't, Cloud. I'm done. I'm going to go out for a couple of hours and I want you gone by the time I get back. Consider yourself free."
"Leon wait!" Cloud scrambled off the couch as he rushed to the door, trying to stop Leon from leaving. But Leon had already exited the apartment, slamming the door shut once more.
Twenty minutes later and Leon was still sitting in his car in the parking lot. He'd been going back and forth between going back upstairs to apologize and driving away. The brunet slumped forward resting his head on his arms crossed over the steering wheel. What the hell was he doing? One bad date and he was throwing his relationship away? But it wasn't just the one night, it was so much more. He moved a hand out from under his head to grope for his phone in his jacket. He fumbled with the keys before hitting speed dial and raising the phone to his ear. One ring. Two rings. In the middle of the third ring, the other line picked up.
"Squall? Is everything okay?" A soft voice broke through the receiver bringing Leon back from his dark musings.
"No." he pouted. The concern in his sister's voice bringing him back to his childhood where she'd fuss over him after a fall in the playground.
"You want to talk about it?" Aerith's voice grew clearer as she adjusted her phone, giving Leon her undivided attention.
"Can I come over?"
"Of course."
"Okay. See you in a couple of minutes."
Ten minutes later Leon pulled up in front of a cozy two-story house. It was a buttercup yellow with white trim and overflowing flower boxes on each window. The yard was always well-kept with a large oak tree with a tire-swing and wind chime hanging from it and flowers that lined the brick path to the door. The image of a perfect family home was capped off with a clean white-picket fence enclosing the property.
Leon exited his car and made his way up the path. He was almost at the door when it swung open revealing a petite woman framed by the warm glow of light filtering outside. She was wearing a pink housecoat that draped nicely over her swollen, seven-months pregnant, belly. Her long brown hair was cleanly kept in a braid that fell over one shoulder. Aerith and Leon shared the same almond-shaped eyes inherited from their father, but her soft smile was all their mother's.
"Tea?"
Leon nodded, following her back into the house as she made her way into the kitchen where a boiled kettle was waiting.
"Marlene asleep?"
"Mmhmm."
"And Zack?"
"He's working the night-shift this week."
"Oh." Leon settled himself down at the kitchen table as Aerith busied herself making tea. As much as he adored his niece and got on with his brother-in-law, he was happy to have Aerith all to himself.
Aerith placed a steaming cup of tea in front of Leon before taking her seat across from him. She took a sip of her tea before putting it down and folding her hands together. Aerith looked Leon over in such a way he was sure she knew what was on his mind before he told her.
"Alright baby-brother, what's going on in that head of yours?"
Leon scowled as he averted his gaze to his hands clasped on the table. "I broke up with Cloud."
"And?" Aerith pushed, knowing there was something more on Leon's mind.
"I'm not sure if I should have."
Aerith sat back in her chair, raising her cup to take another sip as she waited for Leon to continue.
"I love him. I've been in love with him since the first time we talked. But-" Leon sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face in frustration. "You should have seen it tonight. Flirting with the damn waiter and- Dammit! I can't keep this up. I don't trust him anymore, Aer."
Aerith leaned forward, taking one of Leon's calloused hands between her smaller, softer ones. "Do you truly believe he'd betray you like that?"
"Not intentionally. But Aer, he doesn't seem to realize what he's doing is wrong. He's going to find someone younger and completely forget about me."
"You're only twenty-six Squall. It's not time to put yourself out to pasture just yet."
"But he's only twenty-two. He wants to go out and party, pick up strangers at a bar. I want to get married, have kids. I want what you have."
"You've got plenty of time for that. Don't throw your relationship away because of that." She pulled her hands back so she could once more sip at her tea as she studied her brother. "So what are you going to do?"
"I really don't know."
The two siblings fell into companionable silence as they drank their tea. Both were lost in thought as they tried to come up with a solution to the current predicament. Aerith could see that the breakup was tearing her brother apart, and it happened less than an hour ago. She would support her brother no matter what, but she hoped he didn't make a rash decision for the wrong reasons.
They finished their tea with some idle chitchat about nothing. Enjoying the chance to catch up. When Aerith stifled a yawn, Leon pulled out his phone to check the time only to find a dozen missed calls and texts from Cloud. With a groan, he scrolled through the messages. The last was a snarky comment about the coast being clear and Leon was free to go home.
Leon wished his sister goodnight before giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek and heading for his car. In less time than he wanted, Leon found himself standing in the doorway of his silent apartment. It didn't look any different, but it felt so empty. The only signs that anything was missing were no combat boots in the hallway and one less toothbrush in the bathroom. For the umpteenth time that night, Leon sighed in defeat as he got himself ready for bed.
Leon frowned as he once more turned over in bed. He was starting to believe he hadn't thought this through. While Cloud was off doing who knows what -that likely included his delinquent friends and alcohol- Leon was left to try and sleep in the suddenly too big bed. He shifted over to the centre of the bed attempting to take up as much space as possible. Staring into the empty darkness of the room, the brunet thought back on his first date with Cloud.
It had been a year ago today, and while they had already known each other for two weeks they had both agreed their first proper date was the start of their relationship. Leon had taken Cloud to a fancy French restaurant that only opened several months prior. The exquisite décor and high-class atmosphere was in stark contrast to that of the neighbourhood bar where they met. Leon could remember the slight tremor in Cloud's hands giving away his discomfort with the foreign environment.
They had barely exchanged a word as both looked over their menus. Cloud's brow was furrowed in concentration as he mumbled his attempts at the French words under his breath. He didn't know how to pronounce 'foie gras' let alone what it was. By the time the waiter came his murmurings had turned silent as he nervously nibbled his bottom lip. Avoiding the judgmental eyes of the waiter, Cloud ordered a side of fries and two desserts; a chocolate mousse and crème brûlée.
Leon had to hold back a laugh as the stern waiter's face pinched like he just swallowed a lemon. He closed his menu offering it to the waiter with a smile, ordering the same as Cloud. The blond's head snapped up as a smile spread across his face; the pink tint of embarrassment fading. Leon returned his smile, ignoring the comical expression of the waiter whose eyebrows had shot up to his hairline. He left their table muttering something about the pair being uncultured.
After the rocky start, their date improved immensely. They quickly reverted back to their familiar, casual conversations and before long forgot they were surrounded by people. Leon spent most of the night gently running fingers along the back of one of Cloud's hands that had been resting on the table, watching the blond enjoy his desserts.
The night ended with Leon dropping Cloud off outside his rundown apartment. Being ever the gentleman, he walked Cloud to the door and giving him one last goodnight kiss before watching the blond go inside. It couldn't have been more perfect. Leon hadn't realized he was smiling at the remembrance until he burrowed his face into his pillow, willing more happy memories to surface.
It had been a month later -when Leon suggested they go back and give the food a try- that Cloud admitted he hadn't a clue what any of the dishes were. Leon let out a bark of a laugh as he admitted the same. The restaurant had been recommended to him by his sister, and he was never going to listen to her advice on food again. Cloud had instead suggested a casual diner for burgers. It suited the two of them much better.
Cloud spent that whole weekend at Leon's apartment where they alternated between lounging on the couch watching movies and putting the brunet's queen-sized bed to good use. A week later, and Cloud had officially moved in. Sure it was fast, but when something felt right there was no point in fighting it. And nothing felt more right than waking up with Cloud snuggled against his side.
The wistful smile fell off Leon's face as the memories turned to splinters stabbing into his heart. What had happened to them? What happened to the Cloud that was so easy to get along with that they talked for hours when they first met and were living together less than two months later? What happened to the Cloud that looked at Leon like he was the centre of the blond's world, instead of like he was nothing more than a placeholder? When had they ended up on two such different paths?
Leon screwed his eyes shut in an attempt to keep his warm tears at bay. The first night would be the hardest. If he could make it through this, the rest would come easy. Or so he hoped.
When Leon slammed the door behind him, Cloud had just stared at it for several minutes. He was attempting to process the earlier conversation with the slamming door still ringing in his ears. When he broke from his reverie, Cloud moved around the apartment like a robot. Autopilot manipulating him forward as he packed a bag small enough to fit on the back of his motorcycle. In between his packing, Cloud would call Leon or send him a quick text. All were ignored.
Anger now flaring up in Cloud's chest, he contemplated breaking something before leaving. With a cooler head prevailing, Cloud sent Leon a text to tell him it was safe to come home before he cast one last look around the apartment.
Cloud had called his childhood friend and boss, Tifa, from his bike looking for a place to stay.
"Leon broke up with me. He kicked me out." Cloud's voice cracked as he tried to keep his emotions in check.
"What?" Tifa growled through the phone. She had definitely not been Leon's biggest fan when they started dating. She had tried to talk Cloud out of dating the older man and nearly threw a fit when Cloud announced he had moved in with him.
"I don't want to talk about it." Cloud mumbled. "I just need somewhere to stay for a bit."
Tifa sighed into the phone, biting back her 'I told you so'. "I'll get the couch made up. See you in a couple minutes."
Cloud arrived at Tifa's apartment in record time thanks to his reckless driving. He pulled Fenrir into one of the visitor spots out front, grabbed his bag, and slowly walked up to the front door. He hadn't reached the intercom to page Tifa before the doorman buzzed him in. Tifa must have told him Cloud was coming.
Shoulders curled inward and head hung in defeat, Cloud pushed the door open. He acknowledged the greying doorman with a small wave before trudging up the stairs to Tifa's third floor apartment. His knuckles had barely grazed the door before it was yanked open and he was pulled into a tight hug.
Tifa had grown up with Cloud in the same small, mountain village. She was two years older than the blond and even as a small child felt the strong urge to protect the little boy. Before she died, Cloud's mum was all he had, and many of the conservative villagers looked down on the young mother and her bastard child. This same contempt was passed down to their children, ostracizing the young blond who could never understand why.
Tifa doted on him like a mother hen and would protect him with the ferocity of a mother bear. After his mother died and Cloud was sent away to live in a boys' home in a neighbouring city, Tifa swore she'd protect the boy as his mother would. And that is why, as she held him in her arms, she was fighting the impulse to literally knock some sense into the scarred lawyer who just broke her best friend's heart.
Cloud was shaking in Tifa's arms as he fought back his sobs. Tifa kissed the side of his head before gently pulling him inside and closing the door. Not ready to lose the physical contact, Cloud returned her hug burrowing his face against the side of her neck and tangling his fingers in the back of her shirt. Tifa let him cling to her as she traced soothing circles along his back.
When he was sure he wouldn't break down, Cloud pulled back to give Tifa a small smile of thanks. The broken look in his blue eyes tore at Tifa's heart. If she could get her hands on that Leon, she'd wring his neck. She returned the smile before nodding at the couch that was made up with several blankets and a pillow. Without a word they headed for their respective sleeping quarters; Tifa to her room and Cloud over to the couch. Cloud kicked off his boots and curled up on the couch fully dressed, too tired to do anything else.
Early the next morning, Cloud received a phone call from Aerith. She bombarded him with questions about how he was coping and if he had a place to stay. Cloud had never been much of a morning person and could only manage grunts as replies.
While Aerith was Leon's older sister, it had taken her all of thirty seconds of meeting the blond to take him under her wing. Aerith and Zack had taken Cloud in and treated him like family. He was welcome in their home at any time and both would alternate calling him every couple of days. They'd ask about school and work, and when Leon was working late on Cloud's night off, he'd spend it watching Disney movies with their daughter. They, along with Tifa, were Cloud's family and Cloud let out a strangled sob as the realization hit that breaking up with Leon meant losing them too.
"Oh, Honey. It's going to be alright. Squall just needs some time to clear his head. Give him a couple of days, he says he'll call you when he's ready to talk. Okay?"
Cloud nodded as he clutched the phone closer to his ear before remembering she couldn't see him. He let out a barely audible "Yeah" before falling silent again.
"Keep your chin up Sunshine, and I'll call you later." Aerith ended the phone call with as much cheeriness she could muster; hanging up after hearing Cloud's mumbled "Bye."
Without hearing from Leon two days after the breakup, Tifa had to suspend Cloud from work when he nearly broke a patron's arm. The man was a regular, used to Cloud's normal teasing nature, and when Cloud had leaned over to wipe down a table he groped the blond's ass. Without a moment's hesitation, Cloud had grabbed the offending appendage and twisted it behind the man's back. The more the man struggled to free his arm, the further Cloud twisted it.
Tifa had been in the back switching out a keg when an eerie silence descended on her usually lively bar. She stuck her head around the corner, not sure what to expect. What she found was all eyes on one of her bartenders has he snarled at a terrified customer. The man's arm was twisted behind his back as Cloud leaned into him, applying more and more pressure.
"Cloud!"
All heads swivelled towards Tifa as she moved around the bar, slowly approaching the blond as she struggled to keep her anger in check. The blue eyes that looked up, meeting hers, were alight with a burning rage. Cloud released the man's arm shoving him forward into the table.
Leaning down, Cloud growled in the man's ear, "Touch me again and I will break your arm."
With one last shove, Cloud straightened. He grabbed his jacket and a bottle of Jack Daniel's from behind the bar before storming out. Tifa let out an exasperated sigh as lively chatter picked back up and she returned to her spot behind the bar after comping the man's drink.
Cloud was likely within his right to do what he did, but it was still bad for business, an employee attacking a patron like that. The customer was known to get handsy, but in the past Cloud would brush it off with a casual shrug. Tifa leaned against the bar rubbing her temples, fighting back a headache. It looked like the rest of her night would be spent reining in an ill-tempered, drunk Cloud.
Two weeks later and Cloud still hadn't heard from Leon. Aerith or Zack called every day to check in on Cloud and reassure him that Leon would call. Soon. Cloud was starting to not believe them.
The two weeks of radio silence was time enough for Cloud to look back on his relationship with Leon. And everything Leon accused him of was right. Cloud took advantage of Leon. He barely covered a third of the rent, spending most of his money on going out. Since he couldn't boil water without screwing it up, Leon did all the cooking. And he was a slob who left his things lying all over the apartment. His laundry tended to pile up in various corners until he ran out of pants. Then he'd ask Leon to clean it. And no day was complete until someone tripped over the boots that he left in the middle of the hallway.
He had been spending less and less time with the brunet. When he wanted to go out but Leon was exhausted from a long work week, Cloud would tell him it was alright and he'd just call Reno. Leaving Leon sitting home alone all night. And when they did go out together, Leon had been dead on about Cloud's incessant flirting. He hardly paid the brunet any attention, focusing instead on whatever stranger caught his eye.
It was fairly early on in their relationship that Cloud decided that Leon was the one. The one he was going to spend the rest of his life with. The one he was going to have a family with. The one that filled that empty hole he hadn't realized needed filling before they met. He'd always believed that at the end of it all, Leon would be at his side. And that's where he went wrong.
He stopped trying with Leon. He stopped putting in the effort, stopped looking to the future because he had time for that later. He had found his soul mate at only twenty-one and figured he could put their relationship on the back burner. Come back to it when he was older and done playing at rebellious youth. He hadn't given Leon's feelings on the matter a second thought.
The sound of his cell vibrating against the coffee table tore Cloud from his reflections. He turned his head, glaring at the phone from where he lay sprawled out on Tifa's couch. He wasn't in the mood to listen to Aerith's cheerful prattling as she attempted to lift his mood, or Zach's endless tales of work; most of which Cloud was sure were works of fiction. As quickly as it had started, the vibrations stopped. Cloud settled back on the couch, content to spend another day wallowing in self-pity.
The vibrations started again almost immediately after they stopped. Cloud scowled, reaching out for the phone with every intention of throwing it across the room. As he pulled his arm back, Cloud caught a glimpse of the name lit up on the screen.
Leon
Cloud shot up on the couch, one hand smoothing his hair while the other flipped open the phone pulling it close to his ear.
"Leon?"
"We need to talk."
Cloud's heart was beating hard inside his chest, his stomach twisting in knots at the sound of the older man's voice. "We do. Lee I'm sorry-"
"Not over the phone, Cloud."
"Oh."
"Are you busy tomorrow evening?"
Cloud shook his head, "No. I'm not busy." He quickly answered, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Okay. Meet me five o'clock tomorrow at the park."
"Okay. See you th-" Leon hung up the phone with a dull click, leaving Cloud listening to dial tone.
Once the conversation sunk in, Cloud shot off the couch and into the shower. He had just over twenty-four hours to come up with everything he wanted to say to Leon.
The next day, Cloud arrived at the park over an hour early for his meeting with Leon. Over the past year, he'd spent a lot of time walking through the park; with Leon's arm wrapped around his waist or Leon's fingers threaded through his own. The park was only several blocks away from their- Leon's apartment, and had been their go-to place for a casual stroll.
Upon arrival, Cloud had made a beeline for the bench. Their bench. They often took a break from walking to settle on their bench and look at out the small, man-made lake that took up the center of the park. They'd watch the ducks who nested on the side of the lake and on occasion could spot a family of turtles in the shallows. Their bench also had the perfect view of the setting sun as its rays dipped below the rippling water.
This had been where they were seated when Leon first asked Cloud to move in with him and it was where they'd talk about plans for their future early on in the relationship. Their bench was part of many happy memories and Cloud hoped it would be part of one more.
He settled on the bench after the previous occupants, a mother with her young daughter, vacated it. He wrapped his jacket tighter around him as he shivered slightly at the cooling evening air. Cloud slouched forward with his shoulder's bowed; elbows rested carefully on his thighs. He spent the next forty-five minutes alternating between staring out at the lake and scanning the other park-goers for any sign of his scarred boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend? The blond shook his head slightly before scanning the park once more.
"Leon!" Cloud jumped off the bench as soon as he saw the brunet approaching. He smiled nervously at Leon, only to be met with a blank stare.
"Cloud." Leon gave a small nod in greeting as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Leon, I'm sorry. You were right. I-"
"Stop, Cloud. I didn't ask you to meet me for an apology."
"Oh?" Cloud stared at Leon uncertainly. If Leon didn't want an apology, what were they doing there?
"I've been thinking about it for two weeks, and- I'm sorry Cloud, but we're done."
"No Leon. P-please. I can change." Cloud was near begging as he stared at Leon in shock.
"I love you Cloud."
"I love you too." Cloud murmured. Voice barely above a whisper.
The only indication the brunet had heard Cloud was a slight twitch of his lips before he continued. "-but I don't trust you. And I can't sit around waiting for someone I don't trust to decide if he really wants to be with me."
"But I do want to be with you. I don't need to decide anything."
"I don't trust you, Cloud. Were you not listening?" Leon fought to keep his anger reined in. This was a typical conversation between them. Him talking, and Cloud only hearing what he wanted.
"I was listening." Cloud hissed through clenched teeth. He knew starting a fight in the middle of the park would do little to help his case. "Were you listening to me? I do want you. And I know I was an ass. But please just give me a second chance."
"How many second chances am I supposed to give you?" Leon had a point. Cloud dropped his eyes to the ground, giving a small shrug. Leon ran fingers through his hair in frustration. "I just can't do it anymore Cloud. And it's not fair of you to expect me to."
"Please." Cloud hated how weak he sounded, his voice getting caught in his throat as he swallowed his sobs.
"It's time we both moved on. You're free to do whatever it is you're doing, and I- I can find someone who wants what I do. Goodbye Cloud." Without waiting for a response, Leon turned around and left the park in the direction he arrived.
Cloud waited until he had made his way back to Tifa's one bedroom apartment before he finally broke down. Two weeks' worth of pent-up emotions were released; cascading from his weary body with the force of a hurricane ripping up everything in its path. He slid down the wall, curling up on the floor as he hugged his knees to his chest.
Tears were freely running down his face leaving a clear path from his bloodshot eyes. Great, heaving sobs echoed throughout the empty apartment as he struggled for breath. He dug his fingers into his legs, burrowing his face into his knees in an effort to muffle his cries as his body shook violently and everything ached.
It wasn't supposed to end like this. Leon was supposed to accept his apology and give him a second chance. The brunet was supposed to wrap his arms around him, then they'd kiss, and Cloud would be invited back home. They were supposed to be together.