Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I never thought there would be the day this finally gets finished. I'm so happy and fairly proud of what I did even if some of it is cringe-worthy re-reading old chapters. I hope you've enjoyed it nonetheless and thank you for all the people reading, watching, reviewing, and enjoying this. I've had a recent explosion of people faving and watching my KH stuff so perhaps it's a sign they knew what was coming. Oh, I also apologize for the tone because I'm aware it doesn't match the rest of the story. It's been a couple years so I think I did a pretty decent job. Let me know what you think in reviews and enjoy. :)

Warnings: OOC, fluff, m/m relationships, pretty much the usual

Chapter 15: New Beginnings

Cloud opened the back door while trying to make as little sound as possible. It was late, well past the hour when everyone went to bed, and he didn't want to disturb anyone. He'd already get an earful from the women in the morning for having been gone all week, but he needed the time to himself. Seeing Leon revert back to his usual stoic self had hurt, but he'd understood how the brunet coped when he felt vulnerable. Cloud had wanted to take Leon in his arms and soothe him like he had done with Squall except the brunet needed his space. Their relationship had changed and Cloud didn't want to push anything onto the other male.

He pulled off his muddy boots and left them by the kitchen door. He had spent time off world staying in run down hotels and participating in underground sparring matches while he waited. It had been a good way to blow off steam and work out his frustrations about his unknown relationship with Leon. Cloud sighed and ran a tired hand through his hair as he stood up. There would be no more running from his problems. He would face them head on tomorrow with Leon to see if there was anything to their relationship anymore. He knew he loved Leon but he wasn't sure how the other man felt. He wondered how much his bond with Squall had affected Leon or if it did anything at all.

Cloud made his way down the unlit hallway and up the stairs, making sure to step over the creaky fifth step that had given him away countless times before. He smiled in the darkness wondering how many times he had snuck into Aerith's house late at night. During those times Leon had always left their bedroom light on even though they both knew Cloud could see perfectly well in the dark. It was a gesture between them that meant Cloud would never have to come home to darkness anymore. And as much as the brunet complained the light made it hard for him to sleep, he faithfully left it on whenever Cloud came home late.

There was no light seeping under his doorway at the end of the hall. The blond wondered if there ever would be again. Leon's room was the first one down the hallway and he hesitated on his way by. He was tempted to just peek in on the sleeping man to make sure he was okay just like he had done every night for Squall. His hand hovered over the doorknob in his indecisiveness but in the end he let it drop to his side and continued on towards his room. If he peeked in he knew he'd want to touch and to hold and Cloud wanted to give Leon his space.

The blond opened his own bedroom door and paused right at the threshold. Leon was sprawled out in his bed reminiscent of what he used to do before they started sleeping together. One hand was curled up under the pillow and the other flung out with his hand nearly hanging off the bed. The sheets were more of a twisted rope around his legs that did little against the slight chill coming in from the cracked open window. Cloud felt a surge of affection go through him when he noticed the tiny candle on the bedside table giving off a weak, flickering flame that had nearly sputtered out.

"You did remember," Cloud said softly. Leon snored slightly in response and turned over on his side with a tired little coo. A small smile tugged on Cloud's mouth as he sat down on the edge of the bed. The dip in weight caused an immediate, instinctive reaction from Leon born out of years as a gunblader. Cloud easily intercepted the arm that swung out in response to a perceived attack with a slight chuckle. "As quick as always, Leon."

Leon came awake a second later ready to defend himself before he noticed who was holding his fist. Hair mussed and nose scrunched up in confusion, the brunet relaxed his fist while he blinked owlishly to get the blond in focus. The bars of moonlight filtering in through the blinds cast an almost ethereal glow against the man's pale skin. "You came back," he managed to croak out with a voice hoarse from sleep.

Cloud nodded and let go of Leon's fist. "You can go back to sleep, Leon." His fingers itched to reach out and brush away choppy bangs from sleepy steel blue eyes in an affectionate caress. Instead he ran them through his own spiked blond hair in a habitual nervous gesture. "I didn't mean to wake you." If Leon was sleeping in his bed then he would take the brunet's old room for the night.

The man made to get up off the bed and Leon surged forward with his mind only focused on one thing. "Wait." He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the blonde's wrist to keep him from leaving. Faintly glowing blue eyes looked at him with an expression he couldn't read, and Leon struggled to find the right words to say. He had meant to stay up late like he had done the previous nights instead of falling asleep, but now that Cloud was finally here he didn't know where to begin. "Aerith…gave me a scrapbook," he said haltingly after the silence stretched out between them for too long. "Filled with pictures." He nodded towards the desk in the far corner of the room where the book was lying open.

Cloud was at a loss for what to say as he looked over towards the desk. He had no idea that the woman was taking pictures to collect into a scrapbook despite the amount of time Yuffie had managed to snap a picture or two of he and Squall together. He had thought it was just the girl being her exasperating self. "That's…good…" the man responded stiltedly, feeling as unsure of himself as when he had first met Squall and not knowing what to do. He wanted to have hope that the pictures would jog Leon's memory and the other man would remember at least a little something. He tamped down on that hope with Merlin's words still echoing inside of him, refusing to believe in something that was not possible.

The sheets of the bed rustled when Leon sat up to rest his back against the headboard, leaving enough space for Cloud to slide into bed next to him. "I looked over them for days when you were gone," Leon continued quietly. "I saw Squall interact with Aerith and Tifa and even Cid shining with love and laughter and care. Most of all I saw the love you had for me."

Cloud hesitantly sat down on the edge of the bed. It took an effort of will not to have his hands tremble by the unnamed emotion rising inside of him that threatened to set ablaze the tiny flame of hope he carried. "You could tell that from just looking at the pictures?" he tried to ask casually. It was hard to be this close to Leon without touching the other male. He forced himself to sit still while watching the brunet out of the corner of his eye taking in all the subtle body language and fleeting emotions that crossed his face, waiting for a sign. For something that told him it was all right to just hold Leon.

"Some of it I could," Leon answered. It was hard not to with the way Cloud always seemed to light up whenever he was around Squall. The pictures captured more than just the images of them together but the emotions that were so strong it almost hurt to look at the images. "And I found the sketch you made too." He looked at it often and usually carried it around with him. "It fell out of the back of the scrapbook."

Cloud immediately recognized what Leon was talking about. It was the sketches he had done of Leon, Squall, and the changed Leon when the brunet wasn't looking. He had lost the paper weeks ago and had assumed it had accidentally been thrown away by someone. He was more than a little embarrassment that it had found its way to Leon. Cloud had never meant for the gunblader to see the sketches that were his own private confession.

"Did you mean it?" Leon wasn't looking at him, jaw clenched and a faint scowl on his face that he always got when he was anxious and tried not to show it.

"Of course I did." He leaned in and cupped Leon's jaw, running his thumb along his bottom lip. "It just took a child to make me realize something so simple." Giving into temptation he pressed his lips against Leon's in a soft kiss.

Something fragile inside Leon unfurled and spread throughout his body in a warm rush at the contact. It terrified Leon, these strong emotions he had, but not as much as the stronger feelings that told him this was right. Hands not quite calloused from years of fighting as they had been slid up to clutch onto Cloud's shirt and pulled the other man closer. Immediately strong arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace that ached with familiarity. This was what he wanted.

Cloud pressed light kisses along the brunet's jaw line, holding onto him tightly as if afraid Leon would disappear if he let go. He knew his eyes were nearly glowing with energy when he pulled back, his whole body vibrating with having Leon finally in his arms again where he hoped the other male would want to stay. The younger man's body seemed to melt against his and Leon dropped his head onto the blonde's shoulder. It wasn't something he would have done prior to the accident, but Cloud was starting to grow to the subtle changes in Leon now.

They spent the next few minutes quietly wrapped up in each other trying to adjust to the new shift in the relationship. After awhile Cloud stirred and paused from stroking up and down Leon's arms in an absent gesture. "Do you remember?" he asked, eyes straying over towards the scrapbook again.

Leon gave a tired sigh. "No," he responded quietly Cloud tried to hide the mournful look that flashed across his face and it cut at Leon. He had tried so hard to remember more than bits and fragments until he'd given himself headaches with nothing forthcoming. "But I remember this." He grasped Cloud's hand and pressed it over his beating heart. "I remember how you make me feel and what that means. And," he bit his lip, suddenly so shy as he looked at Cloud, "I remember that I love you."

Nothing could describe the happy, tender joy coursing through him and Cloud simply held onto Leon. "I love you too," he whispered into long, chocolate hair. They stayed like that until the brunet was nearly nodding off to sleep again and Cloud quickly changed out of his clothes and slipped back into bed. It was the first time in awhile he was able to sleep with Leon held in his arms and he noted the minute changes in the other male. He was leaner and shorter than him that was a different fit, but not unpleasant that Cloud would come to grow used to. It was something new and growing just like their relationship.

"It's all right if you don't remember everything," Cloud whispered against the soft skin on the back of Leon's neck before planting a kiss there. "We'll just have to make new happy memories." Leon gave a tired sigh already fast asleep in his arms and Cloud squeezed him tight.

There was an 'aww' followed by a blinding flash of light and Cloud whipped his head around just in time to see the bedroom door closed. "Yuffie!" he hissed but made no move to get up as the girl's delighted cackle floated down the hallway more than likely clutching her camera in glee. He growled and shook his head before settling down, deciding to deal with that girl tomorrow. For now he was glad that all the chaos from the past month was finally over. There was another small cackle of laughter coming from down the hallway.

Mostly, at any rate.