Disclaimer: Absolutely nothing belongs to us. The song is: Eli Young Band - Uncertain
Beta: Azrax (Thank you, once again.)
A/N (Anae): Finally, a chapter that's about boys and how they act around each other. They take their time, but you can't blame them, after all that's happened, it's not that easy to form a relationship of some sort.
(And Tifa. The more I write her, the more I'm starting to like her. Scary.)
And huge thankyous for anyone reading this! And thank you for your patience, since boys have to take it slow, and hope to see you in next chapter! :
A/N (QttQ): A chapter that takes Leon and Cloud back to the basics. You can laugh at me all you want, but I find the boys so very adorable like this. They can be excellent fighters and self-secure on the battle field all they want, but when it comes to understanding relationships, they're as clueless as ever.
So, we bring you the boys, back in square one. Enjoy!

Chapter XVI: One way ticket

He was so uncertain if he was making the right choice
He bought a one way ticket to a place he'd never been
He was so uncertain

It was like starting from the beginning all over again. They were treading on thin ice and had to watch their every step, but as days went by, they grew more confident. To meet up on the battle ground again after so many conflicts was relaxing and familiar. It took both Cloud and Leon back to the first time they'd battled against one another, to the time when no bonds had been either built or broken, to the time when they'd been nothing but strangers. And yet, even if they were back in square one now, there was something already brewing beneath the surface.

It didn't bother Leon as much as it made him ponder. The situation was complicated and that was the understatement of the century. He didn't know what the relationship between Cloud and him was at this point, or if there even was a relationship to begin with. Aeris' presence was enough to keep Leon from bringing up the subject, and even if the serene woman hadn't been around, Tifa's watchful eye seemed to be following him everywhere. It just didn't seem appropriate to do anything that might shatter the balance that had slowly settled into the household, especially when even Cloud seemed to be calming down, as well.

The moments of heated battle were the things Leon escaped to. No one ever followed the fighters when they headed out for a good sparring, and both men seemed to need it as much. The weight of a weapon and the surge of adrenaline was what took their thoughts away from the rest of the world, and to Leon, that was the best part of the day.

It was no wonder that the gunblader felt so satisfied, panting roughly in the evening sun. He had just blocked a harsh blow of the Buster Sword and was staring into Cloud's eyes, his lips twisted into a determined little curve. Even if they had done this daily throughout the week, he never got tired of it.

"Is that all you've got? " Leon switched the gunblade into his left hand, wiping the sweat off his brow before he regained his stance. "I hope not." He aimed, fired and immediately leapt forward, knowing that Cloud would be there to counter the swing of his blade.

When a heavier blade and lighter blade met in the air, swallowing the space between the two fighters, the sound - a clash to normal person's ears, but a melody to warrior - made Leon feel alive. Seeing the vivid burn in those sky blue eyes, he could tell Cloud felt like that too.

On the first second, their blades were entwined, and on the next, Cloud pulled backwards, putting space between them, only to swing his sword again, making Leon drop on one knee to avoid the powerful attack. When another swing came, he dodged it,

and wasted no time attacking again.

That's how it went on. Attack, parry, dodge, retreat, attack again. The goal was simple: Form a pattern that the other can't keep up with.

They both were formidable, experienced warriors. But the uneven ground gave it's tricks and treats - usually to other's favour. And this time, after Cloud's slippery dodge it decided on Leon's favour, he wasted no time using this gift that had been given.

With a powerful shove and a well-placed slide, Leon gained the upper hand. Cloud's dodge turned into stumbling and when the gunblade forced the blonde further backwards, the man ended up on the ground. Victory belonged to Leon.

What he hadn't counted on was the lack of footwork the thrill could cause. The brunette had the time to feel like an utter fool until he lost his balance, the weight of his gunblade pulling him down. He managed to keep the weapon from clattering down too violently, ending up on all fours in the sand. And yet, even if such a situation usually would've made Leon stamp himself as a failure, the joy of his victory was far too strong right now. He'd brought Cloud down.

That joy didn't last for long. It was wiped away by the realization of just where he'd ended up. His concentration had been on the gunblade, which he'd managed to save from a rough meeting with the ground, but the process had gotten him a petite ten inches from Cloud. Leon could've counted his fair eyelashes.

The men stared each other for a good while. Without asking his opinion, Leon's mind wandered to those times they had ended up in this same position.

You couldn't count those times with just your fingers.

Before Leon's body betrayed him completely, he pushed himself up from the ground, collecting the gunblade as he rose up. His back was presented on Cloud and he was mentally cursing himself.

There was no way Cloud couldn't have noticed the all-too-familiar burn that had started to spread across his body.

It had been a passing moment, but it had been enough to throw Leon into a mindset that wasn't proper for this situation. Not here, not now. Not when things were still uncertain. Not when Cloud was only beginning to settle down. Leon owed him some peace.

He hoisted his gunblade onto his shoulder; a clear signal of that this battle was over. Leon needed to get away from Cloud. The moment of closeness was too fresh in his memory, the look of surprise in Cloud's eyes too strongly painted into his mind.

"I have something to do." It was the worst excuse and Leon congratulated himself for the worst choice of words. Why couldn't he have come up with something actually believable? "I'll see you later."

Not even a look back. He couldn't afford a single glance, because he feared he wouldn't be able to walk away. With every step, Leon's regret grew, but his determination was strong enough to keep him going.

Leon had no clear destination when he walked away from Cloud. His legs took him where ever they wanted to go and Leon's mind allowed them to do the work. He was too busy organizing his scrambled thoughts to care where he ended up.

Fear had lifted its head now that Leon was alone. What if he had done a grand mistake? It was awkward enough to share a room – and a bed – with Cloud when intimacy was but a huge, silent question mark between the two of them. If this made everything that much more complicated, if that one moment of accidental closeness forced the men to take yet another step away from one another, then things could turn tough. It wasn't that Leon wouldn't be able to do such a thing; he simply didn't know whether he wanted to.

Cloud was a mystery, even after all the answers Leon had gotten after their arrival. Cloud's intentions were unclear. He didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave now that Tifa and the rest had welcomed him back, but Leon had learned that restlessness was always present within Cloud. Not only did this make a knot hard enough to open, but Leon also had to find his own place in the picture. And that, especially after what had just happened, was the tricky part.

Leon couldn't deny his attraction to Cloud. Now, however, he was beginning to understand that physical interest was only one side of the coin he and Cloud were tossing back and forth. No matter how hard it was to admit, Leon had become attached to Cloud. All in all, he cared.

None of it mattered, however. Cloud had the right to personal space, especially now that Aerith had appeared out of nowhere. Leon still didn't know what the relationship between her and Cloud had once been, but her existence alone was enough to give Cloud a lot to think about. And then there was Zack – a name Leon kept hearing, yet a man he'd never get to know fully.

A frustrated sigh escaped the gunblader and he halted in his steps. He was in the middle of town, having aimlessly paced the streets back and forth. This was ridiculous. Cloud was driving him up the walls by just being there. Leon couldn't avoid the blonde for all eternity, no matter how awkward it might've been. He had to return.

The sun was long gone, evening having turned into night. Leon didn't bother to check their battle ground, knowing that Cloud would already be back at the house. Tifa was very precise with him, after all, watching over him like a protective mother. And that, no matter how amusing, Leon was grateful for.

What he didn't expect was Tifa standing at the front door when he finally approached the house, still carrying his weapon on his shoulder. Never having been a man of many words, Leon merely nodded as he closed in, pausing at the door step, waiting to be allowed in.

Tifa, leaning on door frame, eyed Leon from head to toes and back - making the gunblader feel rather uncomfortable. Then she let out a deep sigh. "I know Cloud needs a curfew, but do you need one too?"

Tifa's question came out of nowhere, catching Leon totally off guard. As he tried to think of an answer, the dark-haired woman only shook her head somewhat amusedly, pushing the door open.

Leon followed her to the quiet house, and was surprised when she disappeared into kitchen, only to come back with a plate. "We thought you might want to eat something", she merely offered.

Tifa managed to surprise him with her hospitality every single time. She had never been rude, but Leon wasn't sure what she thought of him. He was someone who'd spent time with Cloud when noneof his friends had been there. That alone could've been a reason to make her dislike him at least a little.

And yet, here she was, offering him a full meal and clearly having waited for him to show up. Everyone else seemed to be in bed, already, judging by the silence that ruled in the calm house. She had stayed up to make sure Leon would return.

"I appreciate this." Leon stated quietly, accepting the plate. He gave the woman a long look – a look that didn't need any words to accompany it. Tifa had a good head on her shoulders; she seemed to understand Leon almost as well as Cloud did.

Tifa shook her head again, probably noting once again how much Leon reminded Cloud - and still how different the two were. "You're welcome", she answered to an unspoken thank you.

She waited for a while before speaking again. "Cloud's already upstairs", she told him, giving a look. "My guess is that he's standing by the window." Then she gave him a small, somewhat sorrowful smile and turned her back on Leon, heading towards the stairs. "Put the dishes on the sink when you're finished. I'll see to it in the morning." Giving him a final look above her shoulder, she wished goodnight and headed upstairs.

It left Leon staring his half-finished meal for a while. Clearly, Tifa was aware that something had happened between the two warriors - how much she could count, Leon didn't know.

Deciding not to dwell on it any further, Leon simply finished his meal and did as Tifa had told him to do – left the dishes in the sink. Once he was done, he felt at least a little more certain about facing Cloud. If Tifa was right, the blonde would still be awake. Of course, one could never be certain that she was correct, but Leon had a feeling her suspicions matched the truth. It would be impossible to just sneak in without Cloud noticing.

The stairs seemed to be louder beneath Leon's steps than usual. He was sure that Cloud heard him long before he even reached the second floor. He halted for a moment when he reached the door, but – knowing that he would soon lose the courage he had gathered – pushed it open without a second thought.

The blonde was - as Tifa had correctly guessed - standing by the window, staring into to the dead of night. Leon pushed the door behind him closed as silently as possible. A moment passed as Leon gathered his courage again, but still he wasn't sure what to say. That he was sorry? Because that he was, but in the end, he had never been good at apologising.

Leon managed to take a couple of steps closer before Cloud turned to face him, expression as unreadable as ever, if not the slight glint of his eyes, reflected by light of the rising moon.

"I can sleep on the floor."

So the moment hadn't gone unnoticed by Cloud, either. The blonde's reaction wasn't positive at all, in Leon's opinion. Perhaps Cloud had found the few seconds of closeness uncomfortable? Disgusting, even?

No. Leon knew Cloud better than that.

"You won't." It wasn't a suggestion, but neither was it an order. It was just a way of signaling that this matter didn't need to be discussed. Leon's eyes flashed with the smallest hint of something that might've been called affection. "There's no need."

There were no words offered as an answer, but the slight relaxation on the tense shoulders didn't go unnoticed by Leon. So as Cloud moved sit on the bed, clear blue eyes asking the gunblader to follow, he did.

Leon had feared that sharing a bed would become an uncomfortable thing since the earlier incident. However, as the men settled down and prepared for sleep, Leon felt no discomfort whatsoever. He might've been a tad more aware of Cloud's wrist brushing against his back, a bit more alert about the familiar scent he caught a whiff of every time Cloud moved, but that was all. Judging by the way Cloud fell asleep in record time, his breathing growing slow and heavy next to Leon, the blonde wasn't finding the situation unpleasant, either.

They both slept better than they had in a long time.