I am not a happy camper right now. I have been going nonstop since 7 this morning, and when I could be going to bed, I am updating this frigging story. Why? Because I wrote my own you see, but no one is reviewing, so apparently only ideas that aren't my own matter.

Seriously, if it wasn't my idea I'd make Questions Later a chapter in this story. And if I don't get any reviews for it, don't expect me to update this. I'm that bitchy right now :p (there's no bitch smile face lol)

So this chapter's going to be a bit angsty because I could be SLEEPING RIGHT NOW.

AND unless there are no objections, I'm going to up this rating to M and make me some raunchy oneshots in the near future

That's if you review.

Ahem. I know nothing about Cloud and Sephiroth's canon relationship, so this is all me.

What If…

Leon found Cloud collapsed outside his front door in the middle of the night

after another fight with Sephiroth?

((as suggested by the dear Rita))

AND

Cloud and Leon were together but Sephiroth (Cloud's past lover) showed up?

((as suggested by the one, the only Gryphon icefire 98))

THUMP.

Leon looked up from his book as he looked over at the front door from his position in the living room. Am I hearing things? He heard another halfhearted thump and put his book down. Here we go again…

Leon walked to the front door and opened it; sprawled on the steps outside his front door lay a prone Cloud, who looked worse for wear but was grinning from ear to ear. He sported a bright black and blue bruise on his left cheek.

"Going at it again with Sephiroth, huh?" Leon asked sardonically as he helped Cloud stand up and walk into the house. Cloud continued to smile.

"It's different this time, Leon, I swear," he stated enthusiastically as Leon sat him down on the couch.

"How so?" Leon asked sarcastically, "he threw you into the table instead of the wall?"

"No…" Cloud said, looking away. Then, he regained his earlier fervor. "This time, I'm done. I'm not going back!"

"You say that every time I find you sprawled on my front steps," Leon replied.

"No, I really am!" Cloud persisted, "I finally broke it off with him!"

"As in you actually said words in which the point 'our relationship is over' was made?" Leon asked. Cloud nodded. "Not, 'I hate you' or 'I never want to see you again'?" Leon continued, "You tried those already."

Cloud shook his head but then regretted it as he held his temple. "No, I really broke up with him! I won't go back," he said with determination in his eyes.

"We'll see how you feel about that in a few days," Leon muttered to himself as he went to get Cloud some ice for his cheek.

-((a week later))-

"Thanks for letting me stay here," Cloud said as he sipped his coffee at the breakfast table.

Leon looked up from the newspaper. "You can stay as long as you like," he said, smiling. You can stay forever if you want, Leon thought. Careful Leon, we don't want to scare the already damaged love interest.

"How about we celebrate a week of freedom by getting out of the house?" Leon suggested.

Cloud looked troubled. "I don't know, Leon…"

"I know what you're thinking. He won't find us because we won't stay out very long," Leon explained. "We'll just go pick up some breakfast at the coffee shop; sound like a good plan?"

Cloud thought for a moment before smiling happily. "Let's do it."

-((to the coffee shop!))-

This is nice,Leon thought as he and Cloud waited in line to place their order, I could get used to this. He glanced over at Cloud, who was perusing the menu. I mean, nothing too serious of course, nothing would happen for a while, but just being with him is nice-

"Cloud."

Fuck.

Cloud's entire body froze at the sound of that voice. Leon mentally braced for the worst.

Cloud and Leon slowly turned to face Cloud's ex-boyfriend Sephiroth, who now stood in line behind them. "Squall," he greeted cooly, before turning back to matters at hand.

"Where have you been?" Sephiroth asked quietly, trying to look Cloud in the eye. Cloud avoided his gaze. "You haven't come home, I miss you," he continued in a cool voice.

Cloud still would not look at Sephiroth. "I-I told you, I'm not coming back," he said, voice cracking slightly before he looked Sephiroth in the eye. "It's over," he said forcefully and with confidence. Anger sparked in Sephiroth's eyes.

"Why, you—" Leon stepped in front of Cloud, preventing Sephiroth from striking him and causing even more of a scene.

"You heard the man," Leon said, taking Cloud's hand as he urged him towards the door. "He isn't coming back."

-((fast forward))-

Cloud practically broke down the door to enter the house. "That was, I mean, Sephiroth was, and then you were, but, Sephiroth-"

Leon put his hands on Cloud's shoulders and walked him to the couch. Sitting next to him, he said reassuringly, "You're okay Cloud, we're home now. You're safe; you never have to see him again." He pulled Cloud in for a hug. Cloud gripped him tightly.

"Thank you Leon," he whispered, pulling back slightly to look in Leon's eyes. "You've always known exactly what to say…"

"It's what I'm best at," Leon stuttered out, mesmerized by Cloud's proximity.

"Leon," Cloud began, "I know you must think I'm insane, and that I have terrible issues with myself and control, but…" he looked up into Leon's eyes and couldn't continue. He tried again. "I mean, I….Hell with this," he gave up and closed the distance between them.

Leon's eyes widened as Cloud kissed him, slowly moving his lips over Leon's. He responded for a second before pushing back on Cloud's shoulders. "Cloud, Sephiroth is still-"

"I know, I know I still have a shitload of issues to deal with Sephiroth," Cloud finished for him, "but I've known that you were the one for a long time," he whispered. "I've just never had the courage to actually do it." He sighed. "I'm so fucked up…can we just do this, and skip the thinking?" he said only half-jokingly.

Leon pushed Cloud back flat on the couch in response. "I'm in if you're in," Leon murmured before closing his lips once again over Cloud's.

-((the next morning))-

Leon smiled to himself as he awoke in his bed the next morning. That was…perfect, he thought to himself as he rolled over, but nothing is more perfect than waking up next to…huh? He rolled over, but instead of seeing Cloud's sleeping visage he saw an empty bed with a note bearing a single word:

Sorry.

Leon screamed in frustration and hurt.

-((saw that coming, ne? A week later))-

Leon stood in the same line at the same coffeehouse one afternoon, waiting to order. At least some things never change, he brooded to himself. Then, he looked over to the door at the sound of its welcoming jingle to see Sephiroth entering with his arm slung over Cloud's shoulders.

Yep, Leon thought ironically, Some things definitely never change. Cloud immediately noticed Leon and looked away.

"Squall," Sephiroth greeted in the same cool tone. Leon skipped the small talk.

"Is the sex really that good?" Leon asked, looking directly at Cloud, who still wouldn't look at him, "because I can see no other reason that you'd go back. There is absolutely nothing healthy about your relationship!" Seeing that Cloud still wouldn't look at him, he turned to leave before he was asked to leave by a manager.

"So it really is the sex, then?" he stopped at the door without turning around and continued, "It must be; that's the only important thing to you in a relationship."

He stepped out the door onto the busy street.

-((a couple days later))-

THUMP.

Leon looked up yet again from his book. That isn't what I think it is, he thought to himself before returning to his book.

THUMP.

He looked over at the door. Still not what I think it is.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP-

"Oh for the love of god, Cloud, would you-" he stopped after opening the door, seeing Cloud standing on the front steps, just barely.

"Leon….sorry…left…really…" Cloud let out, swaying on the spot, clearly about to pass out from abuse. Bruises marked his arms and face, as well as his neck.

"Sorry," he muttered before he started to fall backwards. Leon caught him and dragged him to the sofa, laying him down.

After putting a few cold compresses on Cloud, he started to stir. "Leon…?" he murmured, trying to sit up. Leon held him down on the couch.

"Shhhh," he said, "Stay still or you'll get dizzy again." Cloud gave up moving, but continued to speak.

"Leon, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—" he trailed off with a few more 'I'm sorry's before passing out again. Leon then decided to make him some soup.

When Leon came back with the soup, Cloud was sitting up on the couch, holding the compress to his forehead.

"Cloud, lay back down or you'll—" Leon protested.

"No," Cloud cut him off, "I need to say this. What I did was wrong, and I don't even deserve to be in this house," he said, "let alone talking to you and eating your soup."

"Cloud—"

"He always knew what to say!" he interrupted, looking Leon in the eye, "in answer to your earlier question…he always knew the exact thing that would get me to come back," he whispered before he trailed off and looked down. He took a deep breath before looking up again, "But so do you. You know everything to say and more; you're smart, kind, funny, caring-"

Leon put down the soup and placed a kiss on Cloud's lips. Cloud smiled.

"We'll get you through this," he said as he sat next to Cloud on the couch, "together."

-((End!))-

YES! You have no idea how much it cost me to make time to write this.

Just review something.

Still love, of course.

Last one: Date Night!

Cloud chuckled. "Wow, Leon, I didn't know your taste in underwear was so…risqué."

~freaky-hanyou