Skywalkers

6: Ready or Not …

Two days later, Leon's entire world was overturned in a single brief moment.

Again.

They were browsing through online stores together, choosing a new wardrobe for Cloud. He had been wearing Leon's clothes ever since he had been well enough to get out of bed, but they both agreed that if he was going to stay, he should get his own stuff. So Leon had introduced him to the wonders of the internet and credit cards, and they were sorting through some new shirts when …

CRACK! - ACK!

Leon nearly lost his balance from the shock of the dual noises. They had been deafening - and directly outside.

"What the hell was -" His voice cut off abruptly upon seeing Cloud's face. The blond looked sick with fear. His breathing was fast and shallow, and his darting eyes wouldn't stay in one place for more than a couple of seconds. Suddenly, he leapt from his seat and dashed to the kitchen. Somehow understanding what was happening, Leon followed hot on his heels and managed to grab him before he could plunge the knife he had snatched up into his throat.

"Cloud, no!"

"Let me go!" he sobbed wildly. The knife shook dangerously between them as they struggled. "I'd rather die! I'd rather die!"

Determined, Leon twisted Cloud's wrists until he dropped the weapon to the floor. "Stop it," he ordered. "You don't even know who they are." Now he was trying to keep the blond from fleeing somewhere else, probably to his sword in the bedroom from the direction he had faced. Cloud was utterly hysterical, making constant incoherent noises and fighting like a wild animal. Leon was drawing on patience and strength he didn't even know he had in order to keep him in place. Somehow, he managed to get a bit of height on the other and used gravity to push them both to the ground.

"Yo, man, what are we doing here anyway?"

The voice had floated in from outside, and for some reason, Cloud froze immediately at the sound of it. He lay there on the floor, halfway underneath Leon, and listened to the voice with wide eyes.

"That print is a week old," it continued. "He's moved on by now. There's no way he's still around."

"It's the only lead we have," a second voice replied, "so I'm following it. There's no way I'm letting Seph get to him first."

Slowly, Cloud's eyes closed, and his face relaxed. His shoulders began to shake in a kind of silent laughter that worried Leon greatly. It looked like the way someone laughed before others put the white jacket on him. A sharp knock rang out from his front door, but Leon ignored it. Making sure that Cloud was okay was more important. And he had the feeling he didn't want to talk to these people anyway.

"No one home!" the first voice announced cheerily. "Let's move on."

"Blessed Leviathan," the other sighed tiredly. "If you hate it this much, just leave. I can find him on my own."

"Yeah right. You're helpless with print tracing. The only reason we found this one is because I'm a genius."

"This is true. Otherwise I wouldn't put up with you for a second."

"Love you, too. Why are we still standing here?"

"Because there are two life signs inside."

Leon's head shot up. They could tell that they were inside? Uncertain what to do, he looked to Cloud for guidance, but the other man was completely still.

"Could be cats. Or dogs. Except then they'd be barking."

Very slowly, Leon stood and began moving to the door. He wasn't even sure why. On the way, he picked up the knife and placed it on the counter. He supposed he could have taken it with him for protection, but it didn't seem likely that a simple knife would be able to help him much.

"Ah, here comes one. Straighten your shirt. You look a mess."

"I always look a mess. It's my style."

He was right in front of the door. His hand reached out and grasped the knob.

"And try to be polite for once in your life."

"What are you, my wife? Back off, man."

He turned the knob and pulled.

Standing on his doorstep was a young man with wild black hair and a warm, friendly smile. A little further back in the yard stood another man, this one a red-head with a ponytail that went all the way down his back. They were both drop-dead gorgeous. Just like Cloud. Idly, Leon wondered if all Skywalkers looked like movie stars. Each also had a massive sword strapped to his back that looked too heavy to be real. Just like Cloud.

"Hi!" the closer man said, showing all of his perfect teeth in a wide grin. "We're looking for a friend of ours. Blond, blue eyes, quiet type. Name's Cloud Strife. Have you seen him by any chance?"

Leon hesitated. These two didn't look particularly threatening, but that didn't mean he trusted them. Cloud had calmed down at the sound of their voices, but he hadn't moved or said anything positive either. Leon could lie and say he hadn't seen him, but then he'd have to explain the second life sign in his house. And his hydrangeas. The red-head had found them and was inspecting the damage with a thoughtful look on his face. But he sure wasn't going to invite them in for tea either.

"What do you want with him?" he demanded, partly as a way to gain time.

"We just want to find him," the dark-haired one answered. "Make sure he's okay. Last time we saw him, he was having some problems, so …" He trailed off and waved a hand as if to say that the rest was obvious.

A sudden idea occurred to Leon. If he threw in their faces that he knew their secrets, they might be shocked enough to reveal something important. And although he didn't know everything, he knew enough to pretend that he knew it all. "Are you Skywalkers?" he asked the man in front of him harshly. "Did he send you?"

Both men jumped in shock. "Yes," the one he had addressed answered. Then, he corrected himself, "I mean, no. I mean, yes, we're Skywalkers, but we're not working for him. We're trying to find Cloud before he does, actually. You've met him then?"

"I've met him," Leon replied. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave the other his best glare. "And you two don't seem the type to be his friends."

"And yet, they are," a quiet voice commented from behind him. Leon moved aside to find Cloud standing there.

The dark-haired man in front of him paled at the sight of him, and the red-head cried, "Whoa! You are here!"

"That's right," Cloud replied dully. He pushed past Leon to stand before the closer man. "Hello, Zack. Reno."

Zack had recovered from his shock quickly, and as Cloud walked up to him, he narrowed his eyes, all of the friendliness in his face gone. "Why?" he asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you still here? Why haven't you moved on?"

In response, Cloud moved farther away from the house, closer to Reno. Understanding what the blond was about to do, Leon decided to come outside as well; he shut the door behind him and took a few steps into the yard. When Cloud judged he had gone far enough, he turned and looked pointedly at Zack. Leon could tell that, while Reno may have been a friend as well, Zack was the one with whom he had history. The way their eyes locked together confirmed it without a single word.

This time, Cloud didn't bother to close his eyes. They simply blazed green, and a moment later, the single wing had appeared. The other two didn't even blink.

"Well, hells, Spike," Reno drawled, "that's easily fixed." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a PHS, this one a bit more battered-looking than Cloud's. "Hold on a minute," he called, pushing buttons. "I'll pull it up."

"Reno." Zack's voice was ice, and it swallowed everything else in its intensity. His eyes had not left Cloud's. "Put it away." Surprised, Reno did as he was told. Zack closed the distance between the blond and himself with strong, deliberate steps; Cloud did not flinch.

"Intentionally?" he asked after a moment.

"Accident," Cloud answered.

Zack finally broke eye contact by closing his lids and sighing. When he spoke again, his tone had thawed somewhat. "Cloud, you know I love you like a brother."

"I know."

"Good. Then, please take this in the manner in which it's intended."

His eyes flashed open, his arm pulled back, and then his fist smashed into Cloud's jaw. The blond's head snapped violently to the side, but to his credit, he didn't fall or even stumble. He simply shifted his feet to catch himself. Leon had a sudden sickening feeling that perhaps Cloud was used to being struck.

"Uh-oh, Zack's mad. Better run," Reno commented from beside Leon's elbow, making him jump. When had the red-head moved?

"Are you a complete idiot?" Zack was screaming at Cloud. "He's ripping the path to shreds looking for you, and you're just sitting? Still on the fucking fingerprint?"

Leon took a step forward, intending to go to Cloud's defense, but he found he couldn't move. Reno had placed a single hand on his upper arm, and he was keeping him there without seeming to use any more force than one would to hold the string of a balloon. When Leon stared at him in disbelief, Reno flashed him a quick grin before returning his attention to the other two.

"Well excuse me for not wanting to bleed to death!" Cloud had shouted back, apparently more than able to defend himself. "I'd like to see you run after your wing had been torn out. I couldn't walk for two days!"

"But you can walk now," Zack argued. "And yet you're still here. Why?"

Cloud fell silent, and Leon watched in wonder as the two seemed to continue their conversation with their eyes alone. Once, he saw Cloud throw a quick glance to him, but his eyes fled again before Leon could try to send him a message of any kind. Soon after that look, Zack dipped his head and ran a tired hand through his hair.

"Shit," he commented. "Why is nothing easy when it comes to you?"

Before Leon knew what was happening, Zack had broken away from Cloud and was approaching him. Thankfully, the dark-haired man had resumed his friendly expression, not that Leon could have run from him if he hadn't.

"So, you're the one who took Spike in and patched him up?"

Leon assumed that "Spike" was Cloud's nickname, although really, it could have applied to any of the three currently in front of him. He had never seen such wild locks outside of a hair gel advertisement before.

"Yes, that's right."

"And he told you about Sephiroth?"

"Is that the guy chasing him?" A quick glance to Cloud confirmed that question. "He didn't tell me his name, but yes, I've heard a fair amount."

"Have you figured out what you're going to do when he shows up to drag Cloud back?"

Leon blinked in surprise. Zack still smiled, but there was a seriousness there as well and he had crossed his arms as if in appraisal.

"To be honest," he answered slowly, "I had thought it almost impossible that he would be found. But with you two here, it seems much more likely."

"Damn straight," Reno commented. "The print's faint, but it's there. He'll find it. Lucky for you, I found it first."

"Because you're a genius," Cloud said, rolling his eyes.

"You'd better believe it."

"Anyway," Zack cut in, reclaiming Leon's attention, "the issue of Seph showing up isn't so much an 'if' as a 'when'. So, when that happens are you going to run and leave Cloud behind, or are you going to stand by him?"

Cloud visibly jumped. Clearly he had not expected Zack to ask Leon that question. It didn't take Leon long to answer, however. He didn't even have to think about it.

"Stand by him."

"Good man. You have a weapon? A sword or guns?"

"I have a handgun."

Zack shook his head, disappointed by that response. "Not good enough. Any martial arts training?"

"No."

Next to him, Reno laughed. "Nice knowing ya, pal."

But Zack clearly had a plan. Leon could see it in the way the other man kept his eyes trained to his face, watching Leon's every expression. "Reno," he said thoughtfully. "Give him your Gunblade."

Reno balked. "Are you nuts? Give him Buster instead."

"I use the Buster. You use the EMR, not the sword. I don't think I've seen you draw it once."

"This thing has sentimental value!"

Zack sighed and gave Reno a look that clearly said he was not amused. "That girl is long dead, and you never bothered to get her name anyway. You can't tell me the sex was so amazing that you don't want to give up the sword."

"Of course it was amazing. I was involved."

"Reno," Zack growled, and the ice had returned in full force. "The Gunblade. Now."

Muttering curses fiercely under his breath, Reno detached the huge weapon from his back and stuck it, end first, into the ground.

"Take it," Zack ordered Leon.

But Leon just shook his head. "I can't. Not if it's anything like Cloud's sword. I could barely lift his."

Zack watched him for a moment, his brow slightly creased in thought. The look on his face made Leon nervous. Zack seemed to be the type of person who would not take "no" for an answer.

"Cloud," he called after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"Where's First Tsurugi?"

"In the house."

He fell silent again, but only for a few seconds. "Reno."

"What?"

"Cage Cloud please."

"You got it!" Reno laughed as Cloud let out a startled, "What?"

Before Leon could open his mouth to ask what that meant, Reno had left his side and was running towards Cloud, a long metal rod in his right hand. Two beautiful black wings unfurled from his back as he ran, and then he was in the air. Cloud, sensing what was coming, had taken a defensive stance, and when the red-head fired something electrical out of the rod, he reacted immediately by leaping away. Leon's jaw dropped as he watched Cloud jump. The blond positively soared, even without his second wing, much farther than any human could. He had aimed for one of Leon's taller trees, and when his feet touched it, he quickly spun around and launched himself at Reno. The two collided in a spinning mess of feathers.

"Hasn't lost his touch, I see," Zack commented idly as the combatants hit the ground and rolled apart.

Leon couldn't believe what he was seeing. Now Cloud and Reno were fist-fighting, although Reno took occasional swings with the rod and used his wings more than once to give him a short aerial advantage before Cloud leapt up and brought him down again. Their hands and feet moved so fast that Leon could barely keep track of them; he could see enough, however, to know that Cloud was slowly beating Reno into submission.

"Zack? A little help please?" the red-head called when one of Cloud's kicks knocked the rod from his hand. He had it attached to his wrist by a leather strap so it didn't fly away, but he couldn't regrip it while attempting to defend himself.

"He's not even armed, Reno," Zack called back, obviously amused by the whole thing. "And he has a busted wing. Are you telling me you still can't handle him by yourself?"

"Zaaack!" Reno cried. Cloud had gripped the rod in his own hand and was now using the fact that Reno couldn't get away to shower blows to his head and stomach.

"Oh fine." Showing no inclination to hurry, Zack shrugged off his own sword and stuck it in the ground next to Reno's. He cracked his knuckles, stretched his neck from side to side a bit, and rolled his shoulders. Once all that was accomplished, he announced, "Here I come!" and ran full-speed into the fray.

Zack was clearly more skilled than Reno, and suddenly Cloud was in trouble. Leon got the impression that Cloud could have held his own against the other man were it one on one, but with Reno in the mix, it was only a matter of time before he lost. Zack didn't even bother to unfurl his wings, choosing instead to fight the injured Cloud as an equal. Reno had his rod back, and he and Zack had started a series of attacks where the dark-haired man would throw Cloud in some way and Reno would fire that electricity at him again once Zack was in the clear. Somehow, Cloud had managed to roll or leap away time and again, but Leon could see him tiring. Soon, he wouldn't be able to get away in time.

Leon felt completely helpless. He hadn't moved from his place beside the two swords because he knew he could do nothing. Even if he had trained to fight in some way, these men would still be on a totally different level than he was. He began to shake slightly. He hated this feeling so much. It was just like five years ago. Staring at that smoking skyscraper, knowing that his wife cowered next to a broken window on a floor somewhere above that gaping hole, and able to do nothing to help her. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.

"Reno!" Zack called as he finished the follow-through of a particularly hard throw. Reno cried, "Gotcha!" triumphantly as the lightning came down. And this time, Cloud could not move away fast enough. But instead of hitting him, as Leon expected, the shot exploded directly over his head, sending out a dozen smaller bolts that arced to the ground and created an electric cage with Cloud trapped inside.

"Dammit!" the blond swore fiercely as the other two caught their breath. "What the hell are you playing at, Zack?"

"Just a precaution," Zack replied easily with that happy smile. "I know you, and I know the way you tend to overreact."

Cloud's eyes widened and his face paled as Zack pulled his own PHS from his pocket and began to fiddle with it.

"What are you going to do?" he whispered fearfully.

"Reno," Zack said, ignoring Cloud's question, "grab Spike's new friend, will ya?"

"No!" Cloud yelled, and the horrified cry tore through Leon's chest like a knife. "Leon! Run!"

But Leon didn't have time even to turn around. Again, the red-head had moved so quickly that he had not seen him. Instead, he felt hands gripping both his wrists from behind and felt breath on his neck as Reno whispered in his ear, "Don't bother. I gotcha already."

"You touch Leon and I'll kill you!" Cloud screamed through the sizzling bars of his prison. "You hear me, Zack? I'll fucking kill you!"

"Calm down!" Zack replied, sparing Cloud a look of disbelief. "I'm not going to hurt him. Trust me."

"Trust you? You put me in an electro-cage! And you expect me to trust you?"

"Yes, actually, I do." He turned a hard gaze to Cloud, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt. "I know what you're thinking, and I can't believe you'd think that of me. I don't forget my vows that easily."

This seemed to subdue Cloud, for he dropped his eyes and murmured, "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Zack replied, although his voice had softened. "Anyway, you heard what he said. He wants to stand by you. That's his choice. All I'm doing is giving him the ability to do what he wants."

"But no. Not Leon. Please, Zack."

The smile Zack turned on him at that was sad and affectionate. "Sorry, kid. I care for you too much to let you choose someone who can't protect you." With that, he must have considered the conversation over, for he turned his back on Cloud and walked briskly over to Leon. "Reno, hold his head still."

"Right."

To say that Leon was scared would have been an understatement. He was petrified. They were about to give him this "treatment" that Cloud had talked about with such terror in his voice. In a few seconds, he would be experiencing soul-screaming pain, and then he would be one of them - against his will, just like Cloud. That phrase echoed in his head a few times. If Leon became a Skywalker by force, Cloud would no longer be the only one. He would have someone with whom to sympathize, someone to truly stand by him no matter where he went. If anyone was going to fill that void in the blond's life, Leon suddenly realized, he wanted it to be him.

So, as Zack opened up a compartment on the back of the PHS and pulled out an attachment that looked a bit like earphones, Leon just looked at Cloud with a small smile. On his knees inside that cage, Cloud looked back, anguished. It's okay, Cloud. Really. Zack placed the ends of the cords, not on his ears, but on each of his temples. Don't look so sad. Please.

"Leon?"

He tore his eyes away from Cloud to look into another set of blue, this pair more purple-gray than the blond's heart-stoppingly pure color.

Zack smiled at him softly. "This may hurt a bit." He pushed a button.

A shock like a giant bolt of static electricity shot through him from his head to his toes. It knocked his head back and scrambled his sense of balance. He stumbled back against Reno and then fell to his knees when the other released him. Strangely, it didn't hurt nearly as much as Leon thought it would. It just had knocked him for a massive loop.

"You could have held him up, you know."

"He cracked my nose with his hard head."

"Poor baby."

"Damn straight."

The world was slowly turning right-side up again. Leon risked opening his eyes and found Zack crouched down in front of him, still smiling. As Leon peered at him, the dark-haired man reached out with one hand and snapped his fingers next to Leon's ear.

"Hear that?"

"Yeah."

"Good." The other hand reached out and snapped next to the other ear. "And that one?"

"Yeah."

"Great!" The smile widened, and Leon had the unsettling feeling that he was a kid again at the pediatrician. Zack was sweet-talking his way through an examination; if he promised a sticker afterwards, Leon wouldn't have been surprised.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two."

"And now?"

"Four."

"Perfect. Any nausea? Is the dizziness going away?"

Leon took a moment to consider and then nodded. "Yeah, it's fading. No nausea."

"Excellent." Zack rose from his feet, smiled down at Leon for a few heartbeats, and then announced cheerily, "Now for the reflex test."

His hand shot out and grabbed the hilt of his sword. With a single movement, he had pulled it out, raised it over his head, and begun a swing directly for Leon's face. Leon's eyes widened as his heart stopped. Death was coming for him, and he didn't have time for one last breath.

"Leon!" Cloud screamed desperately, unable to do anything but watch.

Dear God, I'm going to die. Rinoa … Cloud …

And then, Leon's body flared into life. He rolled away from Zack's swing, leapt to his own feet, and, like King Arthur claiming Excalibur as his own, pulled the Gunblade from the ground in an easy, fluid movement. When Zack swung again, the two blades clanged together loudly.

Zack's face was alight with surprise and joy. "Sweet Shiva! Cloud, he's got talent!"

"Way to pick 'em, Spike," Reno added.

But Leon ignored them. Things were happening to him that he didn't understand. Foreign instincts were exploding into existence within his brain, and muscles he didn't know he had were pinging with anticipation. The weapon in his hands that had been too massive to move now felt no heavier than a common kitchen knife. It almost felt like a natural extension of his own arms. And he knew exactly how to hold it, knew the feel of the hilt, knew where the trigger was and how to move his right index finger so that he could press it at the exact second he wanted. There was nothing new or awkward about any of it. He just knew.

Hardly registering what he was doing, Leon attacked. The blades clanged again as Zack moved to defend himself, and the two began to battle in earnest. Leon's body knew exactly what to do, and he let it have control. He had never felt so serious and focused in his life. It was all about the fight; no distractions remained.

"Shit!" Zack cried as one of Leon's thrusts nearly pierced him. Leon took advantage of the close contact and pulled the gun trigger, shooting a spray of bullets into Zack's midsection. Or where his midsection had been a second ago. The other man had anticipated the attack and used the top of the Gunblade to flip himself over, one-handed, to Leon's rear. Quickly, Leon spun and blocked the swing that he had not seen, only felt approaching.

"Talent, my ass!" Reno cried as another of Leon's swings forced Zack to back-flip out of the way. "He's a fucking natural! He's better than you!"

"Nah," Zack called back, dodging a swing easily and offering one of his own. "I'm going easy on him. But he's better than you."

"Fuck you, Fair."

"Is that an offer? Thought you were a pussy-man."

"Damn straight. Like I'd ever let you suck my cock."

"Like I'd ever want to. You want in on this?" he asked as another of Leon's thrusts forced him into a quick roll.

"Seriously?" Reno's voice positively dripped with excitement.

"Yeah, sure. Come on in."

"What?" Cloud yelled. "Both of you?"

But Leon couldn't care less. He'd take them both on at once. Hell, he'd take on every mother fucking Skywalker in the whole damn universe. Someone was going to pay for hurting Cloud.

Again, he felt rather than saw Reno as the other launched himself at him. Quickly, he locked Zack's blade in place with his own, pushing all of his weight onto one foot, and lifted the other to strike out in a kick at the spot where he knew Reno would appear. Sure enough, his foot connected, and he heard a pained wheezing just as Zack overpowered his compromised balance and forced him to retreat. Via a one-handed back-flip - something he had never done in his life.

The shock lasted only a second. Both men were coming at him at the same time. His instincts roared into overdrive as he blocked their attacks. His blade seemed magnetically drawn to Zack's with the way it connected each time, not allowing a single scratch to reach Leon's body, and his hands and feet seemed to summon Reno rather than defend against him with the way he was always where they thought he would be. Once, he managed to grab Reno's rod and take a swing at Zack with it before the red-head reclaimed it. The feat shocked Reno so much that, the next time Leon swung his sword down, he saw dark fabric tear and the brief flash of red blood.

"Fuck!" Reno cried, falling back, a hand to his arm. "He got me. I'm pulling out, Zack."

"Not a problem," Zack replied cheerfully.

With only one opponent now and a mountain of newly-found confidence, Leon stepped up his offensive dramatically. Zack soon found himself doing nothing but defending. He still smiled, though, even when Leon knocked his sword out of his hands, snagged him around the ankle as Zack tried to flip after it, and threw him onto the ground, unarmed, with the tip of the Gunblade against his throat.

"Sweet Shiva's frozen tits," Reno mumbled from somewhere near the house.

Leon's lungs were taking great gasping breaths; his body was trembling with the force of his anger and his need for battle. That smile was infuriating him. He pressed the sword tip a little harder against Zack's skin, trying to make it go away. It didn't.

"Amazing," he breathed, grinning up at Leon like a madman. "I have absolutely no qualms about leaving Cloud with you now."

Cloud. The name snapped Leon's blind rage, and he found himself in control again. But he was still pissed. "Let Cloud go," he ordered. "Now."

"You heard the man, Reno. Release Spike."

"Roger that."

A moment later, Cloud stood next to him, one hand on his shoulder and the other gently trying to get him to move the sword away from Zack's neck. "It's okay, Leon," he was murmuring, somehow understanding that Leon was still mildly drunk with battle-lust. "It's over now. You can let it go."

Slowly, the trembling in Leon's body ceased. He turned his head to Cloud and saw the relief and the pride reflected in his eyes. And suddenly, he was exhausted. The sword slipped from his hand into Cloud's as his knees gave out and his body slumped against the blond's. Cloud caught him without comment and slowly eased him to the ground.

Lying there with his head against Cloud's chest, Leon was vaguely aware of conversation happening above his head. He had trouble understanding the words, however. He was just so tired and drained. His brain didn't seem to be working right anymore, and he knew he wouldn't be able to get his body to move again for hours.

"Gods, I should gut the both of you for doing this to him."

"Yeah, but I wanted to make sure he'd be of some use to you. And now I'm sure."

A sigh ruffled Leon's hair slightly. He turned his face a bit more into Cloud's neck. The blond was warm. And soft.

"So who exactly is after me?"

"The brothers. All of them."

"What about the Organization?"

"No. Xemnas told Seph that he wasn't about to send his precious hand-picked army out just to look for a runaway boyfriend."

Cloud was Sephiroth's boyfriend? Cloud was gay? Leon wrinkled his forehead a bit, considering whether that piece of information mattered to him. … No, he decided, it didn't.

"That's a blessing, at least. I'm pretty sure I can handle Seph's brothers, once I've recovered completely."

"Yeah." That voice was Reno's. "And it'll be a lot easier now that you have the new boyfriend to help you beat up the old one."

"Leon's not my boyfriend," Cloud answered. Was that sadness in his voice? Don't be sad, Cloud.

"Taking it slow? Not a bad idea."

"He's straight. And he's taken."

"Where's the girl?"

"Dead."

"Pfft. Then he's not taken."

Cloud stiffened, and his voice had hardened. "You know, Reno, some people actually allow a bit of love into their lives. The kind of love that lasts beyond death."

"Some people, sure. But not us."

"Let it go, Reno." Zack again. "We should get going, but I'll need some blood first if you want us to make some false prints for you."

"Yeah, that would be really helpful."

"Okay. Give me your not-boyfriend."

The hand that held Leon against Cloud tightened, and Leon agreed. No. Don't wanna be anywhere else.

"No. That's okay. I don't have anything to cut with anyway. Take my hand and you do it."

"All right then."

Curious as to what was happening, Leon forced his eyes open a crack. He could just barely see Cloud's hand and the fresh cut on the palm that was dripping a bit of blood into a small glass vial that Zack held. He shut his eyes again a moment later; they wouldn't stay open.

"That should be plenty," Zack commented, his voice now coming from much higher up. "But do me a favor and move somewhere else, okay? Get out from under the fingerprint. This guy has family, right? Go visit them or something."

"I will," Cloud replied. "I promise I will. Now both of you get the hell out of here. I don't want to see either of your faces ever again."

Zack chuckled softly and commented, "With luck, you never will. Take care, Spike."

Cloud didn't answer, but Leon felt a pressure against the top of his head, as if the blond had buried his face in Leon's hair. A moment later, the double CRACK! made him jump, but Cloud's arms held him in place and his hands soothed away the shock.

"I'm sorry, Leon," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

'S okay, Cloud … Don' be sad … Don' wan' you ta be sad …

Leon wanted to say something. He wanted to comfort Cloud with reassurances. But he couldn't do anything except relax even further into the other's arms. The fatigue was taking him, and he couldn't fight it any longer. Finally admitting defeat, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.