Squall felt a warm hand claw at his back as heat began to rise rapidly inside him. His erection was throbbing madly now. They were both naked, slicked with sweat, panting violently. Clothes were strewn uncaringly on the bedroom floor. Cloud's eyes were threatening to flutter closed, a sensual smile on his face. He moaned with a deep, unrestrained yearning, pulling the brunette even closer so that their erections would rub against each others'. Squall smirked, dipping low to nip at the crook of his neck. He sank his teeth in a sensitive spot, enjoying how the blond shuddered underneath him; the small stretch of skin slowly turning an angry shade of red. He felt the metallic tang of blood, and lapped at it.

A stray hand was brushing the smaller man's body, stroking slowly across Cloud's smooth stomach before moving a little lower. Squall had begun trailing light kisses down his throat, licking opulently at his chest. His fingers were firmly wrapped around Cloud, giving it a tight squeeze and producing a breathy gasp from the blond.

He rubbed at its head a little, making Cloud writhe underneath him. Squall smiled, catching his lips in his own and crushing his mouth against the older man's. His tongue was probing him uncontrollably, taking in the smooth flavour of something saccharine. Cloud moaned pleasurably, thrusting his hips upwards into Squall's grip. The brunette's hand was busy sliding up and down, working him furiously. Cloud groaned, sucking a little as his own tongue began to push insistently against Squall's. The blond gripped fistfuls of dark brown hair, pulling him away a little roughly so that he could breathe.

Cloud grabbed Squall's busy hand, his face red and his entire body burning up with every touch. The brunette raised his eyebrows enquiringly, still a little heady from the kiss. It seemed as though Cloud was hitting his peak, too. . .

"I want to reach it together," he whispered breathily, his voice low. Cloud pulled Squall down for another deep kiss, the younger man shifting his position slightly so that they were more comfortable. They abruptly pulled away again, their lungs burning for air. Squall raised his hand to Cloud's mouth, the blond gripping his wrist and sucking at his fingers in such a dirty manner, it Squall want to just take him at that exact moment.

Cloud's lips were parted, revealing pearly white teeth and allowing a trail of saliva to dribble down his mouth and onto Squall's hand.

After a brief moment, Squall pulled away and pushed one of Cloud's leg up, propping it onto his shoulder. He inserted one slick finger into Cloud's entrance, feeling the blond stiffen a little. He inserted a second one, and a third, and then spread them a little, for good measure.

"Hurry," Cloud pleaded, squirming a little. Squall smirked, inserting a fourth finger, making the blond throw his head back and groan.

"Goddammit, put it in now, Squall!"

Apparently just as needy as Cloud, Squall straightened up, pulling out his fingers. The blond whimpered a little – shivered a little in anticipation – but remained still nonetheless. Squall carefully aimed for Cloud's entrance, smearing whatever was left on his hand onto his gathered heat before going in with a sharp thrust.

Cloud shouted.

Squall had been ready to melt from sheer pleasure at the simply delicious sounds Cloud was making, and at how sweet and tight and hot he was. He pulled it out slowly, driving in again and again, with more force and getting into a frenzied rhythm. Cloud began to writhe, began to scream out his name. Thrice, he noted, but Squall had stopped counting altogether when the blond told him to 'just ram it in'. He felt his entire body shudder at how good it felt, sure that they would come together after two or three more thrus-

Squall's eyes fluttered open, his boxers feeling a little too restricted for his tastes. There was a warm, wet spot at his groin, slowly spreading across the flimsy fabric. He blinked a little, a small voice in the back of his mind telling him not to forget to wash up later.

His arm was wrapped around something warm and soft. He squinted, eyes already getting used to the dimness. Squall eyed the gentle rising and falling of Cloud's chest, his hair mussed up a great deal from sleep.

'So I hadn't kicked him,' he mused automatically, a hand rising to push away a few strands that were covering his eyes. He looked so gentle and young when asleep, immediately vanquishing any provocative thoughts Squall had harboured moments earlier. He gratefully noticed that he hadn't moved around in his sleep this time; only the blond had shifted so that his head was nuzzled at the crook of his neck instead of with his back facing Squall.

Cloud was curled up in a slight foetal position, a warm hand draped loosely around Squall's waist.

It had been a good dream. A good dream courtesy of last night's curtailed romp, to be exact, but Squall decided not to pick at any details this time. Cloud had looked so desirous and needy. . . an expression of complete deference and longing for him. Squall sighed a little, closing his eyes so that the image would be imprinted into his mind for a little later on.

It had been one of the more normal dreams. There had been times when Squall had, surprisingly enough, imagined Cloud as a young woman. He was bisexual, after all. Sometimes a change was in order when it came to fantasizing, just because. But, for the sake of argument, Cloud's features were soft and feminine, and the presence and absence of certain parts on his body made him a pretty convincing – not to mention sexy – woman.

Then, there had been dreams about Squall ravishing Cloud in the bathroom, on the counter at the bookshop, and interestingly enough, on Cid's work table in his garage. Not to mention Cloud was wearing positively kinky apparel, but Squall decided to dismiss his train of thought when he heard Cloud stirring,

Blue irises peeked out from under long, blond lashes, sleepily adjusting his eyes to the light. Patches of faint sunlight were streaming in through the curtains, illuminating the room in a soft, orange glow. Cloud pried an eye open, noticing the deep grey eyes that were on him, and muttered something incorrigible before squeezing them shut and squirming under the covers.

Quirking an amused brow, Squall shifted a little, prodding the blond in the shoulder.

He was dutifully ignored.

Squall raised himself, crawling on top of Cloud and resting his chin on his chest, a hand creeping up and pinching the older man's nose lightly. Cloud merely wrinkled his nose in response, his brows knitting together in mild irritation. He mumbled something curt before turning away very slightly. Squall smirked a little, bringing his face up to Cloud's for a kiss.

Cloud felt a little stuffy, noticing that his personal space getting invaded very much so by the brunette. He felt his warm breath tickling at his skin and groaned a little in protest, his hands pushing the younger man away lightly.

"Squall. . . Not now. . ."

Bemused, Squall swatted his hand away and was on all fours, effectively trapping the blond beneath him. Cloud's had reluctantly opened his eyes, still a little groggy. His gaze wandered, taking in Squall's sleep mussed hair and uncannily twinkling eyes, to the smooth scar that ran through his eyebrows, down to the smirk that was playing across his lips.

Suddenly, Cloud felt a little vulnerable.

A cool hand was stroking his cheek lightly, moving up to part his tender lips. Squall began to stroke his lower lips gently, continuously. "Morning," the brunette whispered huskily, enjoying how the blond swallowed a little. He wasn't going to do anything that Cloud wouldn't like, not after-

Last night. Last night. He still remembered the horror that tinged Cloud's voice. He hadn't cried or anything, but he was just. . . terrified.

Squall smiled easily, trying to relax the blond. Cloud eyed him hesitantly before deciding that he wasn't going to try anything and leaned back into the soft mattress. The brunette was still stroking his lips with his thumb, stopping for a moment to cup his chin. He gazed deep into those blue eyes, unblinking, causing the older man to swallow yet again at the intensity of the look. Squall gently raised his face so that he'd have better access.

And pinched Cloud's nose; this time without relinquishing his grip.

"Let me try that again," he smiled, amused. "Morning."

Cloud's eyes narrowed to a degree, glaring at the brunette. With an annoyed sigh, Cloud rolled his eyes, his mouth open and ready to reply. . .

. . . when suddenly, those blue irises widened, Cloud hastily kicking the brunette off of him.

Squall scrambled up from the floor, scowling. He blinked at the disgusted look on Cloud's face, but the blond wasn't looking directly at him. Squall followed his line of sight.

His own eyes widened at the wet spot that was very prominent on his boxers.

"Hey, it's not what you think," Squall quipped hastily, swiftly crawling back onto the bed towards Cloud. The blond was already sitting upright, his arms crossed as he glared coldly into Squall's grey eyes. He was prevented from moving any closer, and resolutely sat on Cloud's knees.

"I'm serious," Squall insisted, his brows knitting together. He was. He really was. He hadn't planned on trying anything at all. The blond was silent for a moment, his lips pressed firmly together in a thin line. After a brief instance, Cloud sighed in irritation, shoving Squall off as he made for the shower stiffly. The brunette sat upright, his eyes widening by a margin. Cloud, not a morning person, never took the shower first. Never.

"Forget it. I don't want to care," Cloud said through gritted teeth.

Squall couldn't help but feel a little hurt at his coldness, unable to stop from retorting, "I wasn't going to do anything, for God's sake!" Cloud paused, his eyebrows raised sardonically. He pointed at Squall's groin.

"It wasn't there last night."

Squall scowled.

"It's because of last night. This means it's your fault too."

Cloud pursed his lips, apparently caught. After a while, he exhaled sharply and stepped towards the bathroom.

"Whatever. I just don't want to hear you jerking yourself off in the shower."

"Goddammit, I sure as hell won't be screaming your name! You obviously don't scream out mine!" Squall snapped angrily in response as the door slammed shut. Irritably, he ran a hand through his hair, smoothening out the messy brown locks as he regulated his breathing.

Damn, this wasn't going to be a good day.

He looked up thoughtfully into those stormy grey eyes, narrowed to a degree. Vincent pursed his lips in response, merely arching a brow as he leaned back into his seat.

"Please tell me you'll at least be civil to me throughout the day."

A grunt.

Vincent sighed, shaking his head condescendingly.

"Fine. But I want to know exactly what happened the first time you two met."

Squall knitted his brows, scowling.

"I'm not the one desperate for information here. And besides, it's something that interests me. If I know what happened to him all those years ago, I might be able to paint a clearer picture for you and me, Leon."

He had a point. Squall absolutely hated that Vincent was right, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.

He just grunted.

Vincent rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. He exhaled sharply, impatiently.

"Sometime this century would be good, Leon."

The brunette merely narrowed his eyes, but complied; deciding that the answers Vincent had was far more important than any left over anger that had carried on from this morning.

"I was drunk. He found me outside the bar. He brought me back home, to Cid's place. They patched me up," he said dully, his expression that of mild irritation.

"That is what I already know. Of all the people Cloud chose to be with. . . he just had to pick someone as closed off as he is," Vincent said derisively, snorting. Squall scowled.

Usually, they were on friendlier terms. This awkward stand-offish-ness only popped up when the younger man had had a fight or something of the sort with the blond. Vincent had realized long ago that Squall had the tendency to become a little jealous of him when he and Cloud were on bitter terms, supposedly because of how deep-rooted their friendship was. Of course they had never been like that. Heavens, no. Cloud had been as straight as a line, though Vincent was a little more open when it came to his sexual tendencies. . .

"Fine."

Vincent forced himself away from his musings, blinking at Squall.

"Really?"

Squall pressed his lips together in a thin line. Vincent caught the hint, quickly settling himself in for something that would undoubtedly prove to be an interesting story.

"I was drunk. He found me outside a bar. . ."

"You okay there, buddy?"

There was a quiet groan as the young man shifted in his position, slumping over. He felt like a few hundred thousand watermelons were being thrown from 50 meter high buildings, smashing continuously into his head. He attempted to say something along the lines of 'Leave me alone,' but somehow seemed unable to string together any coherent form of speech.

He squinted at the figure over him, hoping to be able to shove him off or something along those lines. Perhaps the man would be able to take a hint and just let a drunken guy be.

Blue eyes. Soft, bright blue eyes. Bluer than any sky; deeper than any ocean. Aquamarine, azure, sapphire. . . No, something else. Something more beautiful. Golden hair. Golden hair illuminated by the street lamps overhead, casting the illusion of a glowing halo bouncing off the light. A crown of gold. A tender smile. Beautiful and demure. Small, but sweet. Gently tugging at the corner of his lips. It was there but. . . almost wasn't. Like a ghost smile.

He blinked up at those unnaturally blue eyes, feeling himself melt at the man's gentle touch. It was undeniably comforting. . . so warm and secure his touch was.

I killed someone.

Wait, what?

It's all my fault. I was so scared. I was so helpless. I didn't really mean to, but I couldn't help it. It's all my fault.

Hang on one bloody second.

Kind. Always kind. Right before my eyes, but I couldn't do anything. I killed someone. I feel so dirty. Had a gun to the head, was crying; smiling. Always had a kind smile. Couldn't reach for the gun in time. I killed someone. The blood won't go, no matter how hard I scrub at it. It won't ever go. I was right there. I was right there. Never will wash away. I killed someone. Never coming back. Never will smile or laugh or cry. I despise myself. I killed. . .

All of it had rippled out unintentionally. He looked up to see that those blue eyes were widened. Disgust, no doubt. Maybe even fear. The brunette had wanted to scoff at that. Fear of a miserable drunk? What a laugh. He felt the man's gaze drop, his hand running across his wrinkled shirt.

". . . geroff. . ."

A chuckle. A genuine one.

His voice was lovely, too. It was deep, commanding. . . but. . . gentle. As though he was saying every word with caution; as though speaking with some sort of smooth air of calmness and honesty.

He shook his head mentally.

The beer was definitely getting to him.

"Let's get you outta this place," the voice said this time, gently hoisting the brunette up onto his feet. The younger man felt his arms get pulled over a mess of soft hair, slinging around a warm neck. A hand gripped his side firmly, dragging his feet along the ground as he took steady strides. The drunk didn't even bother to resist, simply allowing himself to melt at the warmth this kind Samaritan provided.

His mind, meanwhile, was wandering. Therefore, he hadn't realized it when the man had stopped walking and was knocking at a door.

"What type of shit you draggin' 'ere, Cloud?"

He had wanted to scowl at the disagreeable blond blur standing in the doorway, but the light from the room was glaring his eyes and so he decided to bury his head into the man's shoulder instead. He heard someone snort, but only vaguely. The kind man didn't move, rather, he tightened his grip around the younger man so that he'd feel more comfortable.

Hushed voices. They spoke in quiet tones before the crude old man in the doorway relented and allowed the man – what was his name, Cloud? – to bring him into the warm building. He felt something soft beneath him, and crumpled in a heap on top of it.

He faintly recalled slapping away someone's hand, receiving a string of curses in response. He heard that soft chuckle once more, and some exchanged words that he couldn't really make out. He heard a door close. A warm hand cupped his chin, parting his lips gingerly to allow something cool to pass through his throat.

Another hand caressed his forehead smoothly, continuously. The younger man felt a finger brush his face.

"Shh. . . don't cry. Everything's all right. Don't you cry. . ."

He had never felt so serene before, allowing himself to slowly drift to sleep at the man's – Cloud's – warm touch.

What's your name?

. . . Squall.

By the time he opened his eyes, the sun had already risen.

Squall groggily pried an eye open, a patch of sunlight on his face, streaming in through the curtains. For a moment, he felt a little lost. He vaguely recollected stumbling into a bar and drinking himself to death. Blood. There had been lots of blood. He thought harder, delving deeper into his memories. A smile. . . and a gunshot.

There really wasn't much else, but he did remember. . .

Blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes. And soft, golden hair. And a gentle, yet deep voice.

"I see you're awake. Up for any breakfast?"

Squall forced himself to sit up, but felt a warm hand push him back onto the mattress. He had been tucked carefully into a thick blanket. From the corner of his eye, he noted a bucket sitting by him.

"Don't push yourself. You were wasted real bad last night. How do you feel?"

Willing his head to work, Squall found himself staring up at the man who had sat on the bed, by him.

Concerned blue eyes. Cherubic golden hair.

"Y-y-you-"

"It's fine. You can tell me in your own time," he allowed the corners of his lips to tug reassuringly. ". . . Squall."

What's your name?

. . . Cloud.

Days passed by as the brunette recovered. He had refused to speak to anyone else but Cloud. Needless to say, Cloud became his caretaker; helping him get back to his feet without ever pushing the issue of his past or identity.

Squall often wondered why.

The brunette wasn't much of a talker. Very similar to Cloud. It somehow made them a little closer, one able to understand the other without having to say much to get anything across. Which was fine, really, since it appeared that Squall disliked having to talk to anyone else.

Aside from Cloud.

". . . I killed someone."

The blond man looked up from his book, a little surprised. Squall hesitated, wondering if it was wise to bring up such a subject. The younger man looked into those cool blue eyes, his resolve wavering a little. Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned it at all.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Cloud told him reassuringly, walking over to Squall. The younger slowly shook his head, his gaze downcast.

". . . I need to. I. . . I want to," he muttered, shifting in his seat so that Cloud could join him on the couch. The blond nodded silently, motioning for him to continue. Glancing at him gratefully, Squall chewed on his lip a little before telling him all that had happened; all that he recalled. The blood, and the smell of gunpowder, and the screams. And then the body that fell heavily into his arms, a graceful smile that was frozen in death. His inability to prevent someone he cared for so deeply from death. He had been standing right there, but was still too weak to stop the trigger from being pulled.

Pent up emotions that had been swirling inside him had been threatening to explode, but when he suddenly felt a warm hand squeeze his own, he felt everything just diffuse. Everything was washed away. No more frustration. No more pain. No more confusion. He glanced into those gentle blue eyes. Cloud gave him a small smile.

All he felt was comfort, security.

Maybe that was the reason he and Cloud had been so close. That understanding. He never was able to put a finger on it, but he found that he didn't really care. Cloud somehow coaxed him into reliving life again, daring him to step outside the comfort of the house and bask under the sunshine.

Squall had been terrified; afraid that everyone would view as some sort of monster.

He had killed someone.

He remembered Cloud telling him that a monster couldn't possibly feel remorse. A monster would shy away from the sun, and shy away from other people. He had constantly reaffirmed that Squall was a normal person – not a monster – and that when he stepped out and bathed in the sunshine, he would truly understand what it meant to be human.

Forget, he said. Forget and start all over again.

Squall remembered looking up to Cloud for being someone so strong and confident; for not pushing him away. And so, for Cloud's sake, he promised to try.

Perhaps, most importantly, because Cloud was leaving, and his work wouldn't let him bring anyone else along.

Squall had to remain with Cid.

Cid had, with some degree of reluctance, accepted Squall as an employee at the bookshop after Cloud left. He taught the man various skills with an unanticipated amount of patience; as though understanding all the frustration the young brunette was facing. He said that he was tired of seeing him mope around, wasting his life – and Cid's money – away, hidden in an old house.

"For starters, if ya wanna start new, change your appearance or your name or some shit like that," the old man had told him gruffly one day, chewing on a cigarette.

Change. Something to live by, something to do. Change wasn't something that he enjoyed entirely, no, but he felt like it was a way to live properly. He felt like he wouldn't be so tainted. A change of person. Maybe, with this change, he'd be able to be free

"From now on. . . call me Leon."

Vincent nodded thoughtfully, though he abruptly spoke up a moment later.

"I don't see how you switched his sexual preference from any of your memoirs, Leon."

Squall narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"That's personal."

Vincent pursed his lips, his red eyes flashing dangerously.

"I think I can understand that. I was hoping that you could perhaps give me a rough overview, Leon," he remarked dryly, raising a brow.

The brunette frowned slightly, a little hesitant in his explanation. After a silent moment, he decided that the safest way was to be very roundabout. Right. That would do neatly.

"Two days before he left, we went to the bar and had a couple of drinks; not enough to get a hangover the next day, but just enough. About one or two. Then, we went back and had sex."

Okay. So much for being roundabout.

Vincent didn't seem too put-off, and Squall wondered uneasily if it were normal for him. The dark-haired man had averted his gaze, evidently deep in thought.

". . . I never thought Cloud would be the type of person to. . . try anything out, especially since he wasn't all that drunk," Vincent said after a moment, an acerbic look on his face. Squall fought off a blush that was threatening to mar his complexion. Like he had said; it was something personal, and he wasn't going to tell the whole world about. Especially not Vincent.

But he still had the all answers.

"He didn't. I kind of. . . forced him along the way until he gave in," Squall replied very quietly. Vincent nodded a little in response.

"How did he act afterwards?"

Caught a little off guard, Squall paused momentarily, thinking back.

"We were. . . we didn't talk much after. But the next day, he sort of. . . accepted it," he said awkwardly, looking at the other man with a somewhat hesitant expression. Clearly he had nothing else to say. Vincent apparently had had enough information to begin telling Cloud's story.

"Right, then. I suppose it's time I keep my end of the bargain," he nodded slightly at Squall's accepting silence. Vincent cleared his throat, straightening in his seat.

"He went back to the city and struck up a relationship with an interesting fellow," he paused, looking thoughtfully in Squall's direction. "Maybe you've heard of him? His name's Sephiroth."

Sephiroth. . .

Squall furrowed his brows slightly.

"No, never have."

"I suppose not. Cloud probably doesn't talk about much, I gather. Theirs was quite serious a relationship; about 2 years. Lots of things popped up in between, but to keep a long story short, they broke up and Cloud had to file for a restraining order."

Squall's eyes widened marginally.

What!

"Like I said, Cloud probably doesn't talk about much," Vincent remarked distastefully. He looked up from his cup to see the critical expression on the younger man's face, frowning in response.

"I'm afraid there isn't much I can tell you. He didn't say a lot; only enough for the court to convict Sephiroth. He sure as hell didn't tell me a thing," he continued, running a hand through his hair with a little aggravation. Squall remained quiet, unsure of what to say or think. A restraining order? But what for?

Seemingly able to read his mind, Vincent quickly answered his silent question. "Sexual harassment. That Sephiroth was an obsessive character; that I can tell you. Cloud decided to return to this town here, to start fresh. He met you, and well, you probably know the rest. But what I can say is," he paused, giving the young brunette a reassuring look. "It's not your fault. All his problems – all of it – the source is Sephiroth. None of these things happened after he returned; only after he hooked up with that man. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but Cloud has kept everyone in the dark regarding what really happened."

Squall frowned, exhaling sharply.

"All right. I've got to go," he said after a brief moment, giving Vincent a curt nod and walking off to the bookshop.

The raven-haired man looked on quietly as Squall disappeared in the crowd, sighing softly as he brought his cup to his lips.

'What on earth are you playing at, Cloud?'

"You're back early. Again."

Cloud blinked at the man at the kitchenette, pausing momentarily before kicking off his shoes and closing the door firmly behind him. Rain clouds had begun to gather in the sky, and he had decided to end his services for the day. It was barely 6, but the day was already dark and gloomy. And personally, Cloud didn't like getting caught in the rain, especially after he had just waxed his precious Fenrir.

"I've finished my work," he replied quietly, throwing his coat onto a sofa. Squall didn't reply, stirring some sugar into his tea. He had had a shower earlier and his hair stuck to his face limply in wet clumps. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling back the locks and wiping away some of the water that clung to his cheeks.

Cloud eyed him in silence, wearily taking in the cool nonchalance of the brunette. He immediately felt a little regretful of what had happened earlier that morning. He hadn't been feeling too well, and. . . he couldn't exactly blame Squall now, could he? After all, both of them had been pretty worked up, right before. . .

He shook his head mentally.

No. . . he didn't want to remember. He just wanted to have a quiet evening at home with. . . with Squall.

Swallowing his pride, he clenched his fists and resolutely made his way towards the younger man. Squall noticed him coming from the corner of his eye but simply ignored Cloud. He set the jar of sugar back into a cabinet before feeling a firm hand grip his arm and pull him backwards.

Squall had trained his eyes for an icy glare, but he couldn't help but feel his bad mood get a little off-put, especially when he was currently lip locked in an insistent, yet tender kiss from a man he had constantly fantasized about for the past 3 years. Giving in, he allowed his eyes to flutter close before pulling the smaller man towards him, engaging a deeper, more forceful kiss. His tongue pushed against Cloud's dominantly, sighing softly as the image of a flushed and panting Cloud filled his head.

Sensing the simple display of affection gradually turning into something a little too raw for his tastes, Cloud gently broke this kiss, still savouring the rich taste of something he couldn't quite recall. He licked his lips, his half-lidded eyes slowly looking up to meet Squall's warm gaze. The brunette dropped his arms so that it hung loosely around the older man's waist, leaning his forehead against Cloud's.

He closed his eyes, listening to nothing else but the blonde's breathing, feeling at peace. Cloud relaxed in his arms, leaning into his embrace. They were silent for a moment, with nothing else but their breathing and their heartbeats resonating in unison.

"Hey," Squall said softly, somewhat timidly.

"Hey," Cloud replied, his ghost smile tugging at his lips.

Squall was silent for a moment, a little hesitant before he eventually spoke up.

"I, uh, I met Vincent today."

"You did?" Cloud asked, his tone tinged with mild surprise. He pulled away a little to get a better view of the brunette. Another moment of silence lingered between them before Squall decided to speak again.

"He told me. . . about Sephiroth."

Sharply, Cloud pulled away, his eyes narrowing dangerously. His lips had twisted into an angry frown, breath ragged.

"You. . . How dare you!"

Taken aback, Squall felt a little anger – and perhaps desperation – rise inside him as he defended himself.

"I have the right to know! The least you could do is tell me about what hap-"

"It's none of your business!" he snapped furiously, his glare hardening. "You don't have the right to go delving into my past." Squall glowered at that, taking a step towards the blond.

"You know so goddamn much about me, I thought it would only be fair if I knew at least a little about you!"

"I never forced you to tell me anything!"

"Yeah? Well I know you talked to Zell and Seifer about what happened to me. Surprised? I found out, Cloud. But I didn't hunt you down or-or even confront you about it, did I? I let it be because, God forbid, I felt flattered that you cared!"

Cloud stiffened, biting back his retort.

"I mean- shit," Squall spat, inhaling deeply as he looked away. He never was one to talk that much, and he didn't even know what he really wanted to say. Squall looked up, his grey eyes homing into Cloud's blue ones. Swayed by the intensity of the gaze, Cloud felt his resolution crumble and averted his gaze.

Squall took a step towards him. Cloud staggered backwards.

"Look at me."

He refused to.

Forwards.

Backwards.

"Look at me, Cloud."

He shook his head.

Forwards.

Backwards.

"I'm asking you to look at me."

He shook his head again, this time a little more desperately. Cloud had clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles were white.

Forwards.

"Cloud."

A warning tone.

Backwards.

He felt limp, without even the energy to shake his head.

Forwards.

Backw-oof.

He had been backed into a wall, Squall's arms trapping him. Cloud felt a little panic tug at the pit of his stomach, but the heartbeat that was pounding in his ears was drowning all else out. The smaller man shook a little, his lips trembling in anticipation.

A hand shot out, cupping his chin and in the next instant, Squall's mouth was crushing his own. The kiss was forceful and raw; unlike anything they had ever shared before. Pent up emotions were leaking through, and when Cloud attempted to push Squall away, the taller man took the opportunity to slide his tongue into Cloud's mouth, completely draining the blond of any ability to think, let alone act upon his thoughts.

Cloud wanted to protest but all that came out was a throaty moan.

'No,' he thought, panicked. 'God, no.'

Another part of his body was groaning 'Yes,' wanting the heat and the sensuality and the-the- everything that exuded the dark-haired man. Cloud gasped once they pulled away, a strong hand already slipped into his boxers and squeezing firmly. Cloud felt flushed, attempting to push away the brunette once more, but only weakly – strangely enough, half heartedly – still very much heady from the kiss.

His breath hitched as warm fingers brushed at his balls, shuddering under the brunette. Cloud had grasped the front of Squall's shirt into a tight fist and was pushing away insistently, desperately.

Squall paused, leaning forwards so that his lips were right beside Cloud's right ear. His hot, ragged breath was making the hair on the back of Cloud's neck stand on its ends.

"Is this really so bad, Cloud?" he asked, his voice husky. Squall squeezed firmly. Cloud shuddered in response, his grip on the shirt only tightening.

Squall's other hand was gripping the side of the blonde's head, a thumb gently stroking his flushed cheeks.

"All I have is you," he whispered breathily. "All I want is you. All of you."

He pulled away slightly so that they were nose to nose, looking each straight in the eye.

"I love you."

Cloud opened his mouth to say something, but gasped yet again, bucking over when the brunette stroked the underside with a slender finger.

". . . Is it so bad. . . with me? Is sex really that disgusting?"

This time however, Cloud somehow managed to pull himself together, gripping Squall's wrist tightly and pulling his hand out of his pants. His other arm was pushing away at the brunette's chest. His gaze was raised so that they were looking straight into each other eyes once again.

". . .Yes."

Cloud stood there for a moment, feeling completely vulnerable and fragile, sure that his skin would be prickling with heat and pain soon enough. He braced himself in anticipation, awaiting the hit or the punch that was sure to follow.

But all he saw was the hurt and the betrayal that flashed through Squall's deep grey eyes, his brows brought together in dejection. In a brief instance, all the emotions were replaced with anger and rage before he roughly pushed past the blond and stormed away.

Cloud felt that it had hurt much worse than if Squall had hit him instead.

The younger man appeared moments later, his arms piled with pillows and blankets. He threw them forcefully onto the couch, spinning on his heel and glaring at the blond.

"Go. Just go," he spat, a finger pointing angrily at the bedroom door.

Cloud was broken, unsure of what to do. Part of him wanted to stay there and somehow talk Squall out of this. . . this. . . this nonsense. But. . . he looked so angry; angrier than Cloud had ever known. He took a shaky step towards Squall, only to be met with a glare that was more forceful and furious than the last. Those stormy grey eyes had narrowed beyond dangerousness, and Cloud swallowed, casting his gaze to the floor.

Obediently, he stumbled towards the bedroom. And as he closed the door, he clearly heard the angry roar of the lion as various things crashed to the floor.

A/N: Yo! Sorry for the late update! Meant to be up on Sunday but... curfews. (Sweats) Haha, anyways, I decided to pay back by adding twice the original intended amount of smut, hence making this chapter exceptionally longer than the last few. I must say that I'm shocked to find that this fic has gotten even more popular than Rebirth that is older and longer. (Laughs) At least now I know that readers like stories that just jump straight into the action. Will do that for my next one-shot. ;)

Ah, a note: My CLC (Cloud x Leon x Cloud) C2 has flourished an triumphed! (Pumps fist in the air) We've got the biggest CLC collection in FFnet! Wheee! And - check this out - we're in the top 5 Kingdom Hearts community in terms of archive size. I am making this chapter extra smutty in conjunction with fic number 69 on the Collection of Strife and Leonheart Yaoi community! (Parties)

Anyways, time to shamelessly raise my word count (further) by answering some questions and reviews!

Q: ... Are Yuffie and Vincent together?
A: Hell no. Are you mad? They are former neighbours and in this fic, she's roughly about 7, 8 years younger than him. Makes their relationship along the lines of brother-sister.

Q: I find Sephiroth's role highly unsurprising.
A: Meh, don't start with me. He's the bad boy everyone loves to hate/bonk. I have another fic where he won't be a bad guy, but not right now... my exams are next week.

Q: Who died?
A: Not telling. You'll just have to find out. (Ducks as random objects fly through the air.)

Okaaay... not too many questions! Great! Now onto my review answers!

dimonhyo-anghel, awesome! First reviewer! Thank you so much for your kind reviews!
PyroFirePower, really? I mean; really, really? (Jumps for joy) (Glomples) Kyaaah, thank yoouuu! Ah, and you added FM to Cold Attraction! (Lol, random trivia: I'm going to an FM (Fort Minor) concert next week.)
AlchemistBlaze, lol, hehe.
Dysfunctional Space Angel, haha, thanks so much. And as for you, good luck with part two of your fic!
xXxchiixXx, wow, umm, really? (Nibbles on cookies) Thankies! And if they'll work things out? Hmm... depends on my mood. I write chapters on the spot, so if I feel particularly angsty, I might just kill someone off, hyuk hyuk. But since I lurve this pairing so much... hmm, we'll see.
Water-Gem, I'm told that I don't write my chapters long enough (sweat) But thank you so much!
Uzumaki-sama, (Squeals) Ah! Ah! I love your fics! I'm so happy you read and (gasps happily) liked this! Woohoooo! Lol, but I tell ya, I suck at RS. I suppose I make up for it by making my CLC extra 'in-character' in my fics. I might as well ask someone to write the RS for me when I plan my next fic, lol. Yes, I suck. But I'm sooo happy that you reviewed! (Squeals somemore) (Runs off to check for Uzu-sama updates)
Sorceress Fantasia, Sor-chan! (Coughs) Err, I meant, SF! More you say? More cometh your way!
bladegryphon, Ngahaha, well, enjoy the next (long) fic I churn out because I promise you, he ain't gonna be a baddie.
Sunshine Pie, Thanks so much!
Aya Kurayami, Yeah! I'm keeping at it!
mercuryrose, Erk, nooo... Hmm... maybe your lives are just too similar to my train of thought.
Manders1953, Heehee. Thanks so so much!
Claws, Claws! (Glomples) Yeah, well, I wanted something unconventional for Vincent. Wanted something different, but true to his personality. Hence the psychiatrist Vincent. XD
Ayeshagirl, No, he won't! (Spirited) But he's not gonna force too much... not yet at least, hehehehe... (winkwink nudgenudge)
Sacredfirelight, oookay. Adorable? Err... I'll get back to you on that. But, thanks sooo much yo!
Kyme, Kyaaaa! Sam-chan! (power glomples) You must not let out the secrets of this chapter... or I won't let you pre-read my fics anymore...
yarda101, Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you too. (Hearts)

Whoaa... (ogles) That's a lot of readers! Thanks so much everyone! I will work harder!

Oh, and review! X33