Control

A/N Much love to noezel7 for reviewing. You keep me going.x.x.x.x.

Chapter Six

....And It Was You.

‘Pride can stand, a thousand trials,
The strong will never fall
But watching stars without you,
My soul cried...

-Des’ree (Kissing You)

Sephiroth sat behind his desk in a contemplative mood. Considering he had only been back in his office for half an hour things had taken an interesting turn indeed. His fingers were arched underneath his chin as he rested his elbows on the arms of his chair, his eyes scanning the report in front of him over and over, just in case he had missed anything. Just moments earlier he had his Third Lieutenant standing in front of him, giving his de-brief.

*****Flashback*****

“Well Lieutenant, make it quick.” Sephiroth said as he lowered himself into his chair. He seemed for the most part uninterested.

“Sir, in regards to the target you asked us to track in your absence. The Commander has displayed some unusual activity concerning his daily movements and bank account.” The Lieutenant stepped forward and placed a folder in front of the General who looked at it for a few seconds before picking it up. He gave nothing away of his surprise as he flipped through the folder.

“The Commander has been working from home these past few weeks, only making brief stops at his office. His interaction with his fellow officers has been limited too.” The Lieutenant went on. “With regards the Commanders account, there has been very limited activity. That is until this morning when a large amount of Gill was wired to the joint account of Mr and Mrs Reese. The transaction was for a one Tifa, last name unknown. She is believed to be a slave owned by the couple.

Sephiroth’s eyebrow was raised at this last bit. The name, Tifa; It rang a bell.

“Not any more it would seem.” Sephiroth looked up at the Lieutenant and gestured for him to continue.

“We have surmised that the Commander has purchased this slave, but we are still unsure as to why. She has not yet been moved and we are also puzzled as to where the Commander intends to keep her. In an attempt to gather more information we tapped the Commanders private phone line, however all we were able to retrieve was a conversation between himself and First Class Lieutenant Fair, sir. The conversation was seemingly unrelated.”

“Anything else?” the General asked, almost as if he was bored.

“Yes Sir, one more thing. The telephone conversation itself did not appear to be linked to the slave girl but it was in itself somewhat suspicious. I have included a transcript in with the report.”

The General flipped through the report now with a renewed interest. Wondering what Leon and Lieutenant Fair could possibly have to say to each other that could be construed as suspicious. Quickly scanning through the transcript the General soon discovered why.

“Hum, yes a little suspicious. Very well Lieutenant Almasy you are dismissed. I will take over these investigations from now on.”

With one final solute Third Class Lieutenant Almasy left the General’s office. His heart didn’t stop pounding until he was back in his own office. He wouldn’t like to admit it to any one because that was the sort of man that Seifer prided himself to be, but the General was one scary son- of-a-bitch.

*****End Flashback*****

Sephiroth supposed that he should have been more surprised. At least a little bit angrier than he was. After all, it looked as though the Commander was up to something, something that he clearly didn’t want to be made public and that in Sephiroth’s mind could only mean one thing, betrayal. His thoughts switched then to his other spy. His slave did not know it but he had unwittingly been a part of Sephiroth’s plan to keep tabs on the Commander, maybe he could tell him something about what Leon had been up to?

Sephiroth knew that he could be a man of patience if he had to, but his patience with his Commander was all but run out. Ever since his near Mutiny eight years ago, the General had kept it in mind that Leon could become a loose cannon. He was good at his job, and that was his only saving grace, but Sephiroth was more than aware that other than that he had made a bad choice in Commander Leon and he had made no secret in letting the young man know that he was being watched.

“Now we will see if you have created your own rope to hang yourself with.” Sephiroth muttered to himself as he picked up a picture of the Commander leaving the apartment complex. Sephiroth squinted a bit harder at the picture, clearly seeing what was tucked under Leon’s arm. A bundle of clothes and a pair of shoes poked out and Sephiroth’s mind turned to the telephone transcript.

Commander Leon: 'I’ll leave the package outside the compound, by the old Toll house.'

Lieutenant Fair: 'Sure, I know where. I’ll find it don’t worry Leon.'

Sephiroth was in two minds. He was half certain that he should go now and intercept this ‘package’, but then it always had been more fun to sit back and wait for your enemy to come to you. An ambush was always guaranteed to entertain.

Rising from his desk he decided that it was a decision that could be made after a hot bath and a meal. Plus he did have his slave waiting for him.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Cloud knew the meaning of the word torture. He had lived it every day for the past...how long had it been? Cloud didn’t even know anymore, his time in Radiant Garden split between before Leon and now after Leon. He thoughts flicked through the last six weeks with the Commander as he knelt, head bowed his eyes tightly closed, trying to remember, trying to comfort himself. He could hear the General finishing his meal, the light scrapping of his fork over the plate, the clinking of his wine glass on the expensive mahogany table, and he knew he was being tortured. This waiting game that the General loved to play, this drawn out agony of not if but when. The anticipation filled the room with a stifling heat that pressed around Cloud like smog. This was the worst torture of all. Cloud’s shoulders ached with the tension that was wound up in them, his hands held firmly behind his back in an attempt to stop the trembling in them. He licked his lips, trying to remember the feel of the kiss that Leon pressed to them just hours before, his last goodbye. For now at least, Cloud told himself.

Cloud felt more than heard the General stand from the table, his movements soft and threatening as the rustle of fabric alerted Cloud to his approach.

“Stand.” The General commanded in his silken voice.

With an inward sigh, Cloud bolstered himself and stood, his eyes cracking open to stare at the patch of carpet between himself and his captor. Just a few inches, that’s all there was but to Cloud it felt like a no-man’s-land of space.

“I wonder” the General spoke again “I wonder if you have missed me at all?” He taunted as he reached out a hand to stroke the skin of Cloud’s jaw lightly. “But I doubt it.”

Cloud fought to suppress a shudder that ran through him at the unwelcome touch, hating the mockery of such an action, especially after Leon.

“How did you enjoy your time with our Commander then?” Sephiroth asked as he continued to track his hand up into Cloud’s hairline, his thumb ghosting over the shell of his ear.

Cloud was unsure how he should answer such a question. Did the General even want an answer or was he just taunting him further?

“Was he an agreeable Master?”

There was a short silence before Cloud decided that he had better answer.

“He was fine, Master. We barely spoke.” He lied, hoping this answer would suffice.

“You barely spoke?” The General sounded surprised at this. “What, no midnight chats and pyjama parties?” he chucked as Cloud knew he was goading him. The General’s mirth faded as he dropped his hand to his side again.

“Tomorrow, you must tell me everything that happened while you were with the Commander, his every movement, understand?” Cloud nodded, fear flaring up in his chest at what that could mean. He would have to think up a convincing lie. Or else the General already knew what had happened between them and he was merely testing Cloud? But Cloud doubted that. If the General knew, he would surely be dead by now.

“Good. Now, follow me.”

Cloud had to try his hardest not to bolt for the door at this command, knowing that as soon as the General closed the door to his bedroom, his physical torture would begin.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

“Well, I think you’re crazy, but if you’ve gotta do it, then you’ve gotta do it.” Zack was a little baffled as to why now, of all times the Commander was planning on doing a runner. He had known Leon for a long time. He had seen him through his worst times with the General and had never gotten a suspicion that Leon would run away. But now, all of this over a slave?

“I’ve been putting this off for far too long.” Leon said as he sat perched on the window sill overlooking the city, much like Cloud had done just yesterday before Leon had left for work. His right knee was raised up, his elbow resting on it as he worried his bottom lip with his fingers. Fingers that were twitchy and restless.

“Yeah but you do realise that if you get caught, its suicide?” Zack felt like he had to make that point, even if it was obvious. Leon just nodded.

“I gotta ask though...” Zack wasn’t sure whether he should put this delicately or not. He had never been one for beating around the bush, though he could be tactful if he wanted to. “All of this, over a slave?” he asked as gently as he could. He may have been Leon’s closest friend, but Leon was still the Commander.

“He’s not just a slave.” Leon replied quietly. He would have gotten angry with that term if it had been anyone else, but this was Zack.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Zack said suddenly and without embarrassment. Leon turned to look at his friend and realised for the first time exactly what he would be leaving behind.

“I’ll miss you too.” He said with a warm sad smile. They held each other’s gaze for a moment longer before Leon turned his distracted thoughts back to Cloud. Thinking about him with the General was enough to make him want to break out right there and then. Knowing what the bastard would be doing, knowing how Cloud would be suffering right at that moment. Leon clenched his fists, wanting nothing more than to punch something.

“Hey, try to stay calm yeah. It’s only for tonight. This time tomorrow you’ll be scot-free.” Zack said noting the tension in Leon’s shoulders and the way he balled his fists.

“Yeah, I know.” Leon said with a heavy sigh as he forced himself to relax before he broke something.

“Where are you gonna go anyway?” Zack asked as he stood up from the couch ready to leave.
“I don’t know. Anywhere I guess. Anywhere that isn’t here.” Leon said as he eyed the stuffed brown envelope on the table that Zack had dropped round for him.

“Huh, well then I guess this is good luck.” Zack said as he stepped forward and extended a hand for Leon to shake.

“Don’t you mean Goodbye?” Leon asked as he slid of the sill and took the offered hand.

“I don’t do Goodbyes.” Zack replied with a twinkle in his eye the corner of his mouth raised in an affectionate grin.

Leon’s heart gave a little ache. Knowing that he would probably never see his best friend again, his statement made it all too poignant.

Deciding that words would just not do, Leon pulled Zack into a hug, holding him there for a few minutes before letting him go. “Thank you, for everything.”

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

“Take them off.” It was the command that Cloud had been dreading. But hearing it now made his memories of it seem like images from a distant dream. Nothing could compare to the terrible foreboding that he felt as he forced himself to comply. Taking his clothes off felt like such a horrible betrayal, never mind what would happen afterwards.

“I’m impatient tonight slave.” The General said with a heavy tone of anger at Cloud’s dilly dallying.

‘Just one more night, that’s all. It’s just for one more night.’

Eventually Cloud stood naked, his hands itching to cover himself but knowing better than to do that. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the General’s smirk, making him shiver despite himself.

Sephiroth moved in front of the boy, loving how his size easily covered and towered over the younger’s. He was dominating in all ways.

“It’s been too long.” He said simply as he ran his hands out over Cloud’s shoulders and down his arms, possessing him. He ran his glare over Cloud’s face, noting the tension in the set of his mouth and the glazed stare of his eyes. The boy was trying to block it all out, Sephiroth knew, but he would not be able to hide from him for very long. Replacing his stare with his hands he cupped his slave’s face, funning his thumb over those inviting lips.

“Kneel.” He commanded. “I want to fuck that beautiful mouth of yours.” He continued with a smile.

With trembling legs, Cloud lowered himself to the floor his face now level with the leather covered groin of the General. Raising his hands to undo the buttons and zipper he pulled into himself, his brain switching to auto pilot, steadying him for the task at hand.

Sephiroth was already half hard. His excitement growing with the feel of the boy’s hands on him, and then eventually his delicate breath misting over him. Grabbing a fistful of blond hair he urged the young slave faster, almost unable to wait for the soft moist heat of his mouth.

When it came, the General let out a soft sigh of contentment, the tip of his cock resting just inside the beautiful youth’s mouth, the base held firmly by practiced fingers.

Sephiroth began to pump softly into the slave’s mouth, his fingers flexing and grasping tightly in the blond spikes as Cloud fought not to gag. Cloud’s eyes were tightly closed, his concentration on drowning out the sickening noises and soft grunts of the man standing above him. Heat flooded his cheeks, shame and anger washing over him with each thrust, but he didn’t waver. Just get this over with. Don’t think about it, just don’t think about it.

The agonising minutes seemed like hours to Cloud as he continued sucking harder in an attempt to make the General come faster, his jaw ached with the pressure. After a few moments more the General pulled away.

“On your feet.” He ordered as he tugged on Cloud’s hair.

Cloud obeyed, rising shakily and heading instinctively to the bed. He heard the General chuckle behind him at his predictability, but Cloud couldn’t bring himself to care. He wanted this done with.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Leon wandered from room to room hating the emptiness that his apartment seemed to exude. It wasn’t the noise he missed, Cloud having never been very rowdy but it was just his presence. A large void that Leon didn’t even know Cloud could create was left when he had walked out the door this morning. Leon absentmindedly picked up the white tee shirt that Cloud had been wearing the day before and held it loosely in his hands. He contemplated sniffing it to comfort himself before he scoffed and threw the offending article away across the room.

“This is going to be a really long night if you keep that up.” He said to himself before exiting to the living room.

He sat down at the table; a glass of whiskey already poured as he broke open the seal of the envelope that Zack had brought him. Looking at the contents he was amazed to find that his whole life’s work, his entire savings could fit into such an average sized envelope.
Leon just hoped that it would be enough.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sephiroth tracked his mouth along Cloud’s jaw, loving the feeling of silky soft skin against his lips, his hips firmly rocking against Cloud. Raising himself up on his hands he looked down at his slave, not surprised to find his eyes tightly closed his face angled away.

And there on his neck was a faint mark. The milky colour of his delicate neck was marred with a small bruise that could not have come from him; not tonight.

Sephiroth ceased his rocking motion, only slightly frustrated with the lack of friction against his cock his puzzlement and his suspicion taking precedence in his mind now. ‘Who had marked his slave?’

Taking the boy’s neck in his hands roughly he turned his face this way and that, looking for more signs of damage. For the first time he scanned the boy’s body from head to toe, really looking this time for anything that could give him more clues. On the boy’s hips the General found two more bruises, ones that looked like finger marks. The General looked back to the boy’s face, noticing how he had his eyes open now and they were staring at him with a mixture of uncertainty and fear.

“Where did these come from?” he asked, his voice deadly calm.

Cloud’s heart was racing. His left hand automatically moving to his neck to cover up the teeth marks left by Leon that he had completely forgotten about.

Sephiroth saw the realization and the panic flash through the slave’s eyes and his anger exploded through his chest. Still embedded in the young man he reached a hand up to his neck and gripped him with a ferocity that made Cloud choke.

“Where did it come from?” Sephiroth growled his grip on his neck getting tighter. Even as he asked the realisation dawned on him. His slave had been with the Commander, he could not have gotten them from anyone else. Suddenly everything fell into place and Sephiroth was taken aback for a moment as he couldn’t quite believe the extent of the betrayal.

The Commander’s bank account; the money that had been wired. The slave girl...what was her name? Tifa...the phone conversation....the ‘package’....

Leon had been planning to run away... with his slave.

Cloud could see in the General’s eyes as piece by piece their plan became all too obvious. Cloud had never been so afraid. Just as suddenly as the look of bewilderment had entered the General’s eyes it was gone again and it was pure anger that replaced it.

“You let him fuck you!” it wasn’t a question; the grip on his neck grew tighter still.
Even if Cloud could have defended himself, the chocking grip around his throat prevented any sound from escaping. He felt the General pull out of him, his other hand swinging back as he prepared to back hand the prone form on the bed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw the hand as it came down. He knew he should have felt the sting of it as it made contact with his cheek, but all he felt was the force of it snap his head to the side. At least the General had let go of his neck.

Cloud gulped in a huge lungful of air, his throat burning his head reeling from the blow. Before he could recover he felt his body being pulled from the bed. Unable to find his balance his body was sent crashing to the ground as he came off the side.

Sephiroth was standing above him; his shadow loomed over the slave as Cloud felt the dread in his heart seep out into his body. His only thought was of Leon; he had failed him.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Lieutenant Almasy marched to the Generals quarters with urgency. He didn’t know whether he had any right to interrupt him at this hour but he felt sure that the information he had would pacify any rage that might be sent his way.

Standing outside the General’s door he waited for a few moments to collect his nerve before knocking loudly. There was a few seconds of silence that followed before Seifer knocked again.
Whatever Seifer had been expecting when the General opened the door in a flurry of anger, it was certainly not the image that was stood in front of him now.

The General was stood completely naked, his pale skin splattered with blood, drops of it clinging to his long silvery hair as his stuck to his face and neck. His eyes were blazing green and on his cheek a set of scratch marks could be seem underneath all of the gore.

“...” Seifer had to think fast to make his mouth work.

“What is it Lieutenant?” the General barked.

“S...Sir I...I have...Sir is everything alright?” he felt he had to ask.

“What do you want Almasy?” the General’s voice was low and inferred impatience.

“Sir I have new and important information regarding the Commander that I thought you might want to know about.” He said in a rush, wishing that he had saving this for tomorrow morning.

“...” the General waited for him to continue.

“T...the Commander has withdrawn all of his savings from his account. It’s completely empty. I suspect that he is planning to abscond.”

The ferocity in Sephiroth’s eyes seemed to dim a little at this, almost as if he was being brought back from some crazed world in his own mind and he was remembering something that he had been distracted from

“Bring him to me. Now!” he said, his voice smooth and like silk once again.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Leon felt slightly giddy from the whiskey he had just finished. His head was rested in his hands as he sat at the table, waiting. He felt like he had never waited so much in all of his life. A loud urgent knocking at the door startled him and he jumped slightly. A feeling of uncertainty stabbed at him then; wondering who could need to speak to him at this hour, but his curiosity got the better of him.

Standing a little unsteady to his feet he walked over to the door and pulled it open a fraction. Peering through the small gap he saw Lieutenant Almasy stood in the hallway. He looked...flustered?

“What is it Lieutenant?” he asked wearily.

“Commander, the General wishes to see you.” He said curtly.

A flutter of fear spread in Leon’s chest.

“Why?” He asked; not wanting to give anything away.

“I don’t know Sir. But he wants to see you in his quarters immediately. I’m to escort you.” He finished with a look of authority that irked Leon more than he would care to admit.

The fluttering of fear spread to a dull panic as his mind began to scour possible reasons why the General would want to see him in his private quarters.

“Fine; lead the way.” Leon said in a mocking gesture. Closing the door behind him he set off following Seifer back to the General’s apartment.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Leon felt like it wasn’t himself watching as Seifer knocked on the door. He felt displaced, like he was watching someone else through his own eyes. He didn’t know why though. Surely nothing could have gone wrong just yet? Surly they still had a chance. But still Leon couldn’t shake off the terrible feeling of foreboding in his mind.

The General opened his door and to all intents and purposes he looked much unchanged from the last time Leon had seen him; apart from a set of scratch marks on his right cheek, the General was immaculate.

“Thank you Lieutenant, you may leave now.”

Seifer gave a small solute before turning to Leon. He gave Leon a look that for some reason unnerved the Commander further. It was a look that warned him to be careful and something else which Leon couldn’t even begin to place.

“Come in Commander.” He heard the General say. He turned from watching Lieutenant Almasy walk away and kept his eyes carefully downcast as he walked past Sephiroth into the living room.

The atmosphere was too quiet. Leon cast his eyes about briefly in the hopes of spotting Cloud somewhere but he was nowhere to be seen. Choosing to stand some way off from the General as he prowled round the Commander he hoped that this would be a short visit.

The silence was beginning to irritate and unnerve Leon and as he stood in a loose stance, his hands behind his back waiting for the General to speak first he was keenly aware that the General was circling him and somehow weighing him up. The silence stretched on until Sephiroth was stood directly in front of the Commander, their two gazes never wavering from each other. Leon had begun to realize that this was a challenge and he would not back down.

Leon thought that the silence would never end and that the General intended to stare at him all night. But if anyone was good at stony silences and unwavering glares then it was Leon.

“You’ve been fucking him, haven’t you?”

Leon’s heart stopped beating. He felt the hot tingling in his face as the fear drained all colour from his cheeks. He felt the loosening in his body as his wound up nerves sprang free and a dead weight come over him.

His face remained impassive, he would not let on. He didn’t know how Sephiroth knew, but if this was a trick to get him to confess, then Leon would not play into his hands.

“What?” he asked, his voice level and deadly calm.

The smile that spread over the General’s face was a smile that told Leon all he needed to know.

Sephiroth knew.

“You have been fucking him. I can tell.” Sephiroth said a note of amusement entering his voice. “And you’ve been up to a lot more than that as well.”

Leon’s heart was pounding against his ribcage now, the thud of it making his chest ache.

“I don’t know what...” Leon didn’t get to finish his sentence.

Sephiroth moved so fast that he was knocked to the floor within seconds. Leon lay there stunned, holding his stinging cheek with bewilderment. Raising himself up on his elbow he looked at the General incredulously.

“Do not waste your time lying to me.” Sephiroth said his voice still low and calm and everything that it shouldn’t have been. He knelt down next to the sprawled out Commander reaching out to take a clump of hair in his hand wrenching Leon’s head back.

“I know everything.” He all but whispered.

Discarding Leon like a rag doll he stood up and walked across the room, picking up a small blade from the table that he had eaten at not two hours ago.

“So, tell me. Did you enjoy him?” Sephiroth asked as he cleaned under his nails with the point of the knife. “You must have seeing as though you plan to run away with him.” he mocked as his eyes turned a darker shade of green at this statement.

“He must have been good for you to go to all this trouble.”

Leon was still stunned into silence. He couldn’t believe that it was over. He had everything planned, how could it be over?

“After all this time, you still don’t seem to understand.” The General went on; his voice taking on a deadlier tone. “I would have thought that you would have learnt all those years ago, when your disobedience killed all of those helpless people.”

Leon’s mind flashed back to that day with the burning village, countless people dead and dying all around him and it was entirely his fault.

*****“...Never cross me.”*****

“No...” Leon tried to defend, but no matter which way he looked at it, it was all still his fault.

Sephiroth smiled, loving how his words were obviously tearing the Commander’s mind, making him doubt his self, making him weak.

“You killed those people, and now you have sealed that whore’s fate as well.”

Leon’s heart gave a leap of panic. He could cope with anything that the General had to throw at him; he had lived with it almost his entire life, but Cloud...

“Where is he?” he asked with an air of authority he didn’t feel.

The General’s smile was gone now; his face stony and impassive, but his eyes held the light of a manic.

“You’d better go to him.” he said nodding his head towards the bedroom door. “He doesn’t have much time left.”

Leon’s heart fluttered at those words, choosing to ignore them and tell his self that Cloud was alright, that this wasn’t happening. He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping himself up as he hurried to the bedroom door, knocking it open so that it crashed against the wall and flew back nearly hitting Leon in the face. His desperate eyes scanned the room almost missing the prone form on the floor behind the bed. All Leon could see were feet, but he knew it was Cloud.

Rushing over to him he didn’t stop, not even when he caught full sight of him. Not even the image of Cloud so bloody and bruised and obviously beaten could make him stop and he threw himself down at Cloud’s side.

Cloud’s eyes were closed in pain, his face covered in bruises and cuts, blood resting in thick droplets on his lips and eyelashes. His breathing was stuttered and heavy and laced with groans of effort and agony. As Leon scanned his disbelieving eyes over his lover he noticed the many other wounds. He couldn’t even begin to take it all in.

“C...Cloud?” he asked tentatively, not daring to reach out his hand and brush some of the bangs that had stuck to the blonds’ face. Cloud’s eyes opened, but for a few moments they remained unseeing.

“Cloud...I...” Leon didn’t know what to do.

Reaching out he placed a hand over Cloud’s left one, gripping his fingers tightly; his other hand went to stroke the soft but matted hair, trying his best not to startle his younger lover.
Cloud’s eyes slid over Leon’s face, recognition slowly dawning in them.

“L...Leo...Leon...” he stuttered, a small smile gracing his lips. Leon didn’t know how Cloud could smile at a time like this, but he never had been able to deny Cloud anything and he smiled back.

Slowly the smile faded from Cloud’s lips. “I’m...s...sorry.” he whispered as Leon could see tears pooling in the corner of his eyes.

Leon shook his head, not understanding.

“I...I’m sorry.” Cloud repeated closing his eyes against the pain and the tears.

Leon watched as one traced its way down Cloud’s face, collecting blood as it went and staining Cloud’s hairline a faint pink.

“Don’t be sorry...what have you got to be sorry for?” Leon asked as he continued to stroke the hair away from Cloud’s face.

A spasm of pain took both of their attention and it was only then that Leon noticed the knife wound in Cloud’s stomach and his heart sank. Placing his hand back over Cloud’s where he tried to staunch the bleeding he knew it was hopeless, but he couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

“You’re gonna be fine okay...just...just hang on.” Leon couldn’t think of a way to make this okay. He knew he was lying.

Cloud knew too, he shook his head and scrunched his eyes at another spasm of pain.

More minutes passed as Leon watched his lover die, he didn’t even notice as tears of his own began to spring free. Taking Cloud into his arms he pulled him as close as he could, holding him as near to his chest as he could, wanting to protect him even if it was a useless gesture now. He felt Cloud’s breathing begin to slow and even out, his shuddering gasps becoming less urgent and Leon couldn’t stand it.

“Please Cloud...Don’t....” he sobbed into his lover’s hair. “Please don’t leave me here.”

Leon clutched at Cloud harder, rocking him back and forth as if the movement would help.

Moments later Cloud stopped breathing, his hand falling limply to his side.

The silence was so deafening, it hurt Leon’s ears, his own sobs so quiet that they were almost inaudible and his whole body shook with the effort of grief.

“Do you understand now?” Sephiroth’s poisonous voice broke through the agony and it reached Leon with a frightening clarity, almost as if he was hovering over his shoulder.

“I control you.” He all but whispered as he stood triumphant over the Commander.

Leon struggled to regain his breathing, pulling back his tears so that he could stand and face the General. As he let go of Cloud, softly placing him back to the carpet he took one last look, hating the lifelessness he found in those dead blue eyes.

He stood now, as an eerie calm enveloped him the feelings of helplessness and loss too overwhelming to fight. He had no fight left now.

“Yes Father, I understand.” He whispered quietly as he continued to look down at his fallen lover.

Sephiroth walked towards him, knowing that the fight in Leon had finally gone out. He reached out and tugged at the Commander’s chin, silently ordering him to look at him.

“You had such promise.” He said; his fatherly disappointment well misplaced. “That was why I saved you. And look at how you repay me.” He said as he snapped Leon’s face away.

“I’m sorry.” Leon said his gaze back on the dead body of his lover. Sephiroth didn’t know but he thought the pathetic apology was mean for the slave as much for him.

“Get out.” He snarled. “You are dismissed.”

‘Where are you now?
Where are you now?
'Cause I'm kissing you.
I'm kissing you.’

A/N There will be an epilogue to this story, and an explanation if some people want it. I hope you all enjoyed.
Much love.x.x.x.