Chapter Text
"Something's the matter?" Leon asked quietly one evening as Cloud slid in bed next to him, eyebrows furrowed. He set his book on his night table with a small thud.
Cloud turned away from Leon, pulling his pillow over his head and rolling onto his side facing away from his husband. "Nothing's wrong."
Leon sighed softly before moving closer and putting a hand on Cloud's shoulder, turning him back towards him.
"Tell me," Leon said gently. “I can tell you’re in a mood.”
Cloud looked up at Leon, trying to hold back a sigh of exasperation. Why couldn't Leon just leave well enough alone? He was so damn persistent. He really didn't want to talk about it, but Leon wouldn't back down until he got an answer.
He let out another frustrated noise when he realised he'd started breathing heavily. "You're going to have to do better than that," he grumbled, looking down again.
Leon chuckled and wrapped an arm around Cloud's waist to pull him closer, kissing the top of his head. "You'd rather I punched you or something?"
"So romantic," Cloud replied, shifting away from Leon slightly. "And no."
"Well," Leon teased, "I can think of plenty of other things to do. You only shut up when there’s a dick in your ass."
"First: fuck off. And stop trying to convince yourself there is anything else we could possibly do," Cloud said with a huff, rolling back until he was facing Leon again. "You said it yourself: I’m in a mood."
Leon shrugged playfully and pulled Cloud back into his arms once more. "What if I found a way to break through it?"
Cloud snorted but didn't object further, leaning in to kiss Leon lightly. It was always like this though—whenever Cloud would shut down, Leon would try and change it. And Cloud couldn't say that he didn't like Leon's warm body pressed against him or how cute it was that he was kissing the side of his neck. But Cloud had a point to make, even if he wasn't sure exactly where it came from yet.
"If you want to be such a tease..." Cloud trailed off, reaching up to grab Leon's collar and pull him down for a deep, heated kiss. Leon moaned as he fell back, wrapping his arms tightly around Cloud and pulling him close until he felt like his entire torso was melting into Leon's.
When they finally broke apart, Cloud ran his fingers through Leon's hair, smiling, until Leon arched an eyebrow.
"You're changing the subject," he said.
Cloud groaned, throwing his arms up in the air as he straightened up.
"Fucking cockblock," Cloud muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Way to ruin the goddamn mood, Leonhart."
"You started it with your stupid face, I'd have you know," Leon countered dryly, looking smugly amused.
Cloud rolled his eyes and leaned forward again to brush Leon's lips with his own. "I know what you're doing."
"Mmm," Leon hummed approvingly, kissing him briefly. "Is it about Roxas?" he asked after breaking the kiss.
"Maybe a little bit," Cloud admitted with a shrug, his face turning serious. "I just don't think it's a good idea to encourage him with Axel."
Leon shrugged, resting his back against the bedframe. Ah. Of course. Cloud’s mood suddenly made a lot more sense.
"You didn't mind me being older than you, though," he retorted. "It's not like Axel is a sex offender. He's barely 20."
"He's almost old enough to drink. Roxas is finishing high school."
"I don't see why that matters."
Cloud gave his husband a look. "Leon."
"C'mon, Cloud. You were 16 when we started dating."
Leon raised his eyebrows, trying to think of a reason why Cloud was getting so worked up about Roxas potentially dating. He had always been protective over their children—and the same was true for Leon—so he assumed that meant this wasn't anything new or concerning, but it did sound like Cloud was more than just a little bit worried about something.
"It's just… what happens when he turns 21, uh?" Cloud asked seriously, folding his arms across his chest. "Do you really want him coming home every day with hickeys and worse?"
"We'll give him limits."
Cloud scowled, sitting tighter in his spot. The sound of Leon's voice was so irritating right now, even though Cloud knew he was being unfair to him. "He could break them! We’re talking about Roxas!"
"I might not have waited for you to turn 18 but I'll definitely make sure Roxas does," Leon pointed out. "We knew what we were getting ourselves into. I'm sure he does, too. He takes after you, after all."
"Oh, and that makes everything okay because it happened before then?" Cloud retorted, giving Leon a dark look. "It's still not right. I want Roxas to be happy, and that means not being with someone who's going to hurt him."
"What do you know about that?" Leon groaned. "You've never even met Axel."
"Yeah? Well, I just want my kid safe," Cloud shot back, scowling. "That dude looks like a fucking sex offender. Have you seen his hair?"
Leon's expression darkened further and he shook his head. "Wow, judgmental much today? Why are you even bothered anyway?"
"Because it doesn't seem like it'll end well," Cloud replied bluntly. He crossed his arms over his chest, his scowl deepening.
"We can't predict that, Cloud. If you don't let him experience life, he's never gonna know."
"Experiencing life, yes. Fucking around with a dude much older than him, no."
Leon rolled his eyes as Cloud spoke—god, his husband was being such an ass.
"Cloud. That's a bit of an overreaction, isn't it?"
"No," Cloud said firmly. He shrugged, leaning back against the bedframe. "I trust you, Leon. But I also thought Roxas would make better decisions than to get involved with Axel in the first place."
Leon raised an eyebrow. “Do you know something about Axel that I don’t?”
Cloud was worked up about something he wasn't telling Leon, that was certain. They had started dating when Cloud was 16 and Leon 18, just fresh out of high school and heading for college. Things grew serious fast between them, and he could understand his husband's fears regarding the safety of their children. The thing was, Roxas had his head screwed on tight and Leon felt like he knew what he was doing. Reprimanding him for seeking relationships wasn't the way to go—what they needed to do was to implement limits. It seemed so simple, but it was hard work, especially for horny teenagers. They were still working on it, too.
They'd been married for ten years now— fifteen together—and while Cloud had mellowed considerably over that time, Leon still found himself handling Cloud's mood swings and perpetual anxiety about the twins. He tried to be sympathetic, but there was only so much patience any man could give, no matter how understanding he thought he was being.
It made sense, though. As an adult, the responsibility that came with raising children would be lessened somewhat. And as they got older, they'd have more control over their own lives, so they wouldn't be under the same kind of parental pressure as they had been at the beginning. So long as they stuck together, they should have a pretty easy ride—
If only Cloud would stop being so fucking stubborn.
"So what's your solution?" Leon asked with a hint of frustration in his voice, showing that he was clearly at the end of his rope with his husband's stupid reasoning.
"I'll make Roxas break up with him," Cloud retorted with a frown. "It's as simple as that."
Leon stopped in his tracks abruptly. He looked over at Cloud sharply, his mouth hanging open a little as he stared at him in stunned silence.
The other man’s words echoed in his brain. It took him a moment to realize that Cloud had actually said that. He was silent for a moment, digesting the information that had come to him so suddenly.
"No you won't," Leon spat back, things getting back in motion inside his body like waves at the shores. "Act like a goddamn adult for once in your life, Strife. You settle this with your son tomorrow morning—"
"—by telling him to break up with Ax—"
"—by having a real conversation with him," Leon finished, grabbing Cloud's cheek and pinching it. "Otherwise, be ready for the divorce papers."
Cloud let out a groan and batted Leon's hand away from his face. "You're taking it too far, asshole."
Leon chuckled. "And you're not?"
Cloud scowled at him. "You don't understand."
"Oh? Because I'm just a poor sap who doesn't realize that you know everything?" Leon teased. "Is that what you're trying to say?"
"Shut up," Cloud muttered.
Leon rolled his eyes and flopped back down onto the mattress. His husband looked so damn cute when he pouted like that, but he wasn't about to give in. "Roxas is as stubborn as you are. You know he'll do the exact opposite of what you tell him to do, so might as well save ourselves some anxiety by allowing him to date Axel. With rules."
Cloud was silent and stared at him for a moment, then slowly leaned closer, pressing (annoyed, but) soft kisses along Leon's jawline. The sudden intimacy sent a thrill through Leon's body, and at that, he knew that he had won Cloud over. Rules were Cloud’s favourite things. "I wanna talk to his parents."
"Old fashioned, as usual," Leon said with a chuckle, reaching up to touch the spot where Cloud had kissed him. "Alright. I guess we're meeting Axel's parents at some point, then."