Title: The Ex-SOLDIER

Fandom: Super Smash Bros.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance

Summary: When Cloud and Reflet's two children asked to retell the poem of The Highwayman, the two decided to do so, but with a few twists added to them. Based on The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. Cloud x Male Robin. Rated for blood, death, and violence.

Pairings: Cloud x Male Robin

A/N: Yup, another bondage fanfic. I have to admit: it's one of the reasons why I want to write something that is based on one of my favorite poems, The Highwayman, by Alfred Noyes (I admittedly didn't read it when we were reading it in 7th grade due to me being absent that day. I managed to read it last year online). However, I really don't like how some things played out, particularly the ending, so I'll add in a few twists and such here and there. What are they? You'll see :)

Disclamier: I don't own anyone in the Super Smash Bros. series. I only own Erion, Altair, and Bobo.

ENJOY!

The Ex-SOLDIER

"Daddy!"

"Father!"

The moment he heard his adopted sons' voices, Cloud smiled. He left home for a week to do one of his deliveries, and seeing his family when he returned made him feel like he was the happiest man alive. As soon as he entered his warm and cozy house, his two children, Erion and Altair, charged towards him to hug him tightly. Their baby golden Chocobo, Bobo, joined in the family hug by rubbing his head on Cloud's leg.

"Hey there, Erion and Altair," Cloud greeted, laughing as his children showered him with kisses. "How did everything go with you two and Dad while I was gone?"

"Great!" Altair nodded vigorously, his smile growing bigger by the second. "We've been very good with Dad."

"Good," Cloud chuckled as he ruffled Altair's brown hair before turning to Erion. "And what about you, Erion? Read any good books lately?"

"Oh, I read a lot, Father," Erion said with his grin still on his face. "Dad bought me more books for me to read!"

"Oh really?" Cloud asked. "And do you have any new favorites?"

"Yeah!" Erion cried, hopping up and down like a bunny with sugar in its system. "Dad showed me this neat poem called 'The Highwayman', and it's so sad and full of death, but it's so cool!"

Cloud frowned slightly. Even though Erion loved reading anything he could get his hands on, letting him read something that had death in it would cause the boy to get upset, especially after what he had gone through before being adopted. To Cloud's surprise, however, he didn't hear the sadness in Erion's voice when he spoke of the poem. Perhaps he should thank Reflet later tonight with a surprise.

"'The Highwayman' sounds like a good poem," Cloud commented, his grin returning to his face. "What was it about?"

"It's where a thief goes to meet a girl at an inn, and they fell in love. Then, a bunch of soldiers came in and held the girl captive to get the highwayman. But the girl decided to shoot herself to warn her lover, but he was also killed later."

Cloud cringed when Erion described the poem. It surprised the blond that Erion wasn't traumatized from reading it, let alone sounding so happy that he gave it a try. "And your dad let you read it? All of it? By yourself?"

"Yeah! Dad said that I could handle a bit of death. Why? Am I in trouble?"

Cloud shook his head, chuckling. "No, but I'm sure Dad is."

"I HEARD THAT!"

Cloud looked up to see his husband, Reflet, standing in front of the gathered family. The white-haired man had his hands on his hips, glaring at Cloud. Despite Reflet's pouting, Cloud laughed out loud.

"I'm just joking, Reflet," Cloud said, gesturing Reflet to join in the family hug.

Reflet shook his head towards Cloud's teasing, and he joined the children in the embrace. He kissed Cloud on the cheek as he greeted, "Welcome home, Cloud. How was the delivery?"

"The usual," Cloud replied as he kissed Reflet on the forehead. "Fighting monsters, delivering supplies to the clients, sleeping in the Inns. It's hard work, you know?"

"Of course," Reflet chuckled as he and the children let Cloud go. Reflet patted his husband on the shoulder. "And you're doing great with your work, Cloud. Keep it up."

"Thanks, Reflet," the blond man thanked his lover as he looked down. Bobo chirped loudly, his wings up in the air as if asking to be picked up. Cloud chuckled as he scooped Bobo off the ground. The golden baby Chocobo cooed as he nuzzled his head on Cloud's chest. "Bobo misses me too, huh?"

"Yup!" Erion cried. "I made sure he wasn't lonely, so I played with him every day."

Cloud beamed at how kindhearted Erion was. Despite the boy's fear of birds, he loved Bobo like he was a part of the family, and Bobo returned that love by staying by his side all day and night.

"Anyway…" Cloud changed the subject. "Who wants to hear a bedtime story?"

"WE DO!" Erion and Altair cried simultaneously. Bobo chirped alongside the two boys as his way of agreeing with them.

Cloud and Reflet laughed at how enthusiastic their children were. "All right," Cloud spoke. "Get ready for bed. Dad and I will find a book to read to you."

"Actually," Erion spoke up. "We were wondering if you could retell us 'The Highwayman' tonight?"

Cloud stared at Erion before he turned his head to face Reflet, gritting his teeth at the idea. He knew that Erion doesn't have a problem with the poem, but Altair was too young to hear such a gruesome tale. He stared at Reflet's brown eyes, begging in his mind to Reflet to refuse the offer for Altair's sake. He hoped that his husband would see it and understand the look.

However, Reflet didn't heed the pleading look in Cloud's eyes, and he nodded to his children. "Of course!"

Cloud stared at Reflet, his eyes widened and his eyebrows raised in shock. Had Reflet even thought about this idea carefully before agreeing?

"YAY!" Erion and Altair cried. "Thank you, Dad!" With that, the two boys ran to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Once he made sure that the two men were alone, Cloud chided Reflet, his eyes narrowing down at the younger man. "Why did you agree to retell that horrible poem?"

Reflet raised his hands slightly in defense, not expecting to see Cloud so upset with this idea. "Cloud, they're old enough to know what death is—"

"Erion's old enough, but Altair is too young to hear something like that!"

Reflet sighed, rolling his eyes at Cloud's protectiveness. "Cloud, they want to hear it. Why should we even refuse their offer?"

"You spoil them too much, Reflet…" Cloud remarked, shaking his head at Reflet's insistence.

Reflet frowned, hurt when he saw Cloud upset over something like this. Whenever the older man got this way, Reflet's heart broke and he tried to do what he could to get his husband to feel better. Seeing the anger in Cloud's eyes made the Tactician gulp. He wanted to set this right, but he also didn't want to refuse his children's idea; it would hurt their feelings, and no parent wanted that.

Then, an idea hit him. He grinned from ear to ear as he faced Cloud.

"Cloud," Reflet spoke up.

"What?"

"I have an idea. It's a win-win solution. Want to hear it?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at his husband's offer. He always counted on Reflet's tactics and ways to get out of any situation, so hearing Reflet saying he had a solution put the blond at ease.

"Yeah? Tell me."

The children tucked themselves into bed, with Erion leaving his Chocobo night light on near their beds. The two waited, both of them shaking and bouncing in excitement for their fathers to come in and tell them a bedtime story. Erion turned to his younger brother and smiled, noticing that the younger boy was also bouncing, waiting eagerly to hear the tale of The Highwayman.

After a few minutes, the children heard their fathers come in, with Bobo in Cloud's arms. Cloud placed the baby Chocobo on Erion's bed, and the bird chirped before it waddled up to Erion's chest.

"Hey, Bobo," Erion greeted before petting the Chocobo. Bobo peeped as he nuzzled his head on Erion's hand, happy to see his best friend.

"Now," Cloud spoke up. "Are you ready for the bedtime story?"

"Yeah!" Erion and Altair cried out, their smiles wide as Bobo jumped on Erion's chest, chirping. Cloud couldn't help but laugh as he faced Reflet, giving him a look of "you can start first".

Reflet understood the look as he nodded, and he turned to their children.

"Now, this is how it began…"

Long ago...

The moon illuminated the midnight sky, and there wasn't a peep in the small town of Ylisse. The stores were closed tightly, and the villagers were at home, fast asleep. There was not a single light on...except for one small building—an inn.

Upstairs, Reflet, the innkeeper's son, smiled brightly as he combed his hair in front of the bathroom mirror, humming a tune. As he was getting ready, he couldn't stop thinking of one man he fell in love with. Ever since the man, who visited here for rest and food disguised as a villager, came here, Reflet fell in love. That man was named Cloud Strife.

When Cloud laid his eyes on Reflet, it was love at first sight. Reflet was polite and friendly towards the man, despite Cloud's past as an ex-SOLDIER. Cloud felt that Reflet was perfect, both personality and appearance wise.

Ever since then, Cloud visited Reflet through the casement of the white-haired man's upstairs room, but for only a precious few minutes. Cloud was being chased by Shinra, since he apparently betrayed them upon finding out what they were actually doing that wasn't protecting and serving the country. If anyone—anyone—saw him, he'd be shot dead on the spot, so Cloud only visited Reflet at midnight, where no one could see them interacting. Reflet always waited for Cloud by the casement patiently. He even snuck in one or two cups of coffee from the bar room to keep himself awake as he waited for Cloud.

Once Reflet finished his hair, he heard a distant wrrrr. A large smile appeared on his face, recognizing Cloud's motorcycle, Fenrir.

He quietly but quickly ran towards his casement, opening it. On the hill from far away, he saw Cloud driving straight to the inn Reflet lived in.

Reflet's heart began to beat, waiting in anticipation for Cloud to come. When the motorcycle and its rider were close enough to the building, the sound of the engine went down to only a purr, and Cloud took off his helmet, smiling upon seeing Reflet standing in front of the casement.

"Reflet," Cloud whispered as he got off his motorcycle. He climbed the lattice full of vines, and he grabbed the edge of the casement. Pulling himself up, he was face-to-face with Reflet.

"Cloud!" Reflet gasped, hugging Cloud while making sure that his lover doesn't lose his balance from the lattice. "It's so good to see you."

"How are you doing, love?" Cloud asked, kissing Reflet on the cheek.

"I've been doing better, my love," Reflet answered, chuckling when he felt Cloud's lips meeting his soft skin. "Do you need anything? Perhaps a cup of coffee?"

Cloud shook his head in declination. "No thank you. I'm still on the run, and I can't relax until Shinra was finally stopped."

Reflet frowned, but he nodded in understanding. "I see…"

"Reflet," Cloud whispered. "I'm not sure if I'll live to see another day, but you know that I'll always love you, right?"

"Cloud…" Reflet's frown intensified when his lover spoke of possibly not living to see another day. Why would he say that? He knew that he was being chased, but he had confidence in Cloud's skills. "Please don't say that. Promise me you'll return to me every night. I couldn't bear to hear the news of your death…"

Cloud chuckled as he spoke in a soft voice. "I promise, Reflet. I promise I will return to you. I will come tomorrow by midnight, though hell may bar the way."

With that, the two passionately kissed, neither of them wanting to stop. Cloud placed his hand on Reflet's chest, as Reflet held Cloud's head as they continued to kiss. After a few precious seconds, their lips parted.

"Be careful, love," Reflet spoke.

"I will, Reflet," Cloud said as he climbed down the lattice and jumped on his motorcycle. "I will…"

He started the engine, and off he went, both of them unaware that the ostler in the small inn barn had listened in their conversation…

Cloud didn't come at dawn, and he also didn't come at noon. Reflet frowned as he stared out the window, waiting for his lover to return. His gut clenched into a tight knot as he tried to gulp down the lump in his throat. He interlocked his fingers as he tried to push away worse-case scenarios of what had happened to the ex-SOLDIER from his racing mind. Was he caught by Shinra? Was he killed and left for dead somewhere? Or, as he had said, "hell had barred his way"?

He hoped that it was the last scenario and that he had survived whatever he had to go through. Reflet sighed, wiping off the sweat from his forehead and took in a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Come on, Reflet. You know that he could take care of himself! Have a little faith in him! He tried to tell himself over and over to no avail.

The moment he heard a revving sound of a motorcycle, Reflet looked up at the window, a smile forming on his face.

However, he realized something.

There wasn't just one sound of the motorcycle. There were, in fact, multiple, and they grew louder as if they were coming closer.

When he looked down from his window and he saw around ten motorcycles pulling up to the front of the inn, his heart raced even faster than before, his breathing hitched as his palms sweat. He'd recognize those symbols on the motorcycles anywhere.

Shinra soldiers are here…they knew that Cloud was here.

The Shinra soldiers barged into the inn, each of them holding a rifle in their hands. Smirks formed on their faces as they ordered the innkeeper to bring them ale.

Frightened from their demands and their weapons, the innkeeper scrambled to get the ale, pouring it in each glass for all the men.

The soldiers drank their ale, laughing and discussing about what they were planning to do. When the innkeeper overheard his son's name, his heart almost stopped. What did they want from Reflet?

"Wh-what do you want from my son?" he asked as he refilled their glasses with more ale. Whatever they were planning, he'd hoped that they wouldn't harm his son. The young man did nothing wrong, for Gods' sake!

"Don't worry, old-timer," one of them replied. "We're just gonna borrow him for our catch." After he said that, he drank up his ale before slamming the glass down on the counter. "MORE ALE!"

"Y-yes sir!" the innkeeper nodded as he refilled the man's glass once more.

After all the Shinra soldiers had their share of ale, they immediately started towards the stairs to Reflet's room, despite the innkeeper's protests. Annoyed by the old man trying to stop them, one of them hit him over the head with the butt of his rifle, knocking him out and possibly killing him. The men snickered as one took out a burlap sack while they climbed the stairs.

"Got everything in here? Rope? Cloth? Guns?" one of them, the leader, asked.

"Yes sir!" another answered as he opened the sack to show the leader the supplies for their plan.

"Good. Let's get in. That ex-SOLDIER will be mine, and Sir Sephiroth will pay me a nice penny for his head!"

Reflet jumped when the door was kicked down, and he backed up against a wall, his heart pounding in his chest and his mouth drying up. Shinra soldiers stood in the doorway, their rifles out and ready.

"I-is there something you need, sirs?" Reflet tried to stay calm as possible. He shouldn't be nervous around these men; if they were only there for questioning, he had to remain polite and calm towards them. For Cloud's sake.

"Shut up," the leader growled as he took the sack containing the items from his comrade. "We need ya for somethin'."

"A-and what is it?" Reflet asked, his shaking uncontrollable at this point.

"Live bait..." the leader hissed as the soldiers approached Reflet, pulling out thick coils of rope.

Reflet's eyes widened upon realizing what these men wanted with him. He was only bait to lure Cloud into an ambush. They knew that Cloud was here all along, and they were going to hold the white-haired man hostage just to get to the ex-SOLDIER. Reflet felt it was his fault somehow that Cloud was going to be shot dead when he finally returned to see him.

"S-sirs!" he tried to convince them. "I-isn't this illegal? Holding someone against their will?"

The men chortled at Reflet's reminder as the leader grabbed him by the shirt. "Is it legal to betray Shinra and to fall in love with another man?"

Reflet's eyes widened at the last statement. How did these men know that Reflet was in love with Cloud? Did someone overheard and saw Cloud last night?

"L-let me go!" Reflet cried as he tried to struggle against the man's grip. "Please! You're supposed to protect and serve us, not harm us! Why are you doing this?!"

The leader's smirk grew wider as he pushed him to the foot of his bed and into one of the bedposts. "We make the laws around here. If we don't like someone, they're shot dead. If we want someone in prison, we want them now. It's all for the money, kid."

Just as when Reflet got back up from the ground, the men began to work on him, tying his hands behind the bed post tightly. Reflet cried out in pain, struggling against the men binding him to the bedpost to make it more difficult for them. He couldn't just sit there and let the men do what they wanted; he had to get himself out of there for Cloud, or else Cloud would be dead.

He received a slap to the face, and he felt cold steel up to his forehead—the leader's rifle pointed at him, having full intention of shooting Reflet if he doesn't cooperate.

"Struggle, and your brains are gonna be splattered all over your nice, clean bed," he threatened with gritted teeth.

Reflet's heart pounded that he swore that it would burst out of his chest any minute, and he nodded. The leader removed the rifle from Reflet's forehead as the men did more work on Reflet. They bound his legs and body to the bedpost, testing the ropes to make sure they were tight enough to disable any escape, but to also make sure they didn't kill their victim by accident. Reflet knew that he'd be dead anyway once Cloud was killed by them.

"Now," the leader snickered as he pulled out a dirty cloth. "Open wide."

Reflet didn't think twice. He opened his mouth as the man shoved the cloth between his teeth, tying it around his head. Reflet nearly gagged at the taste of the cloth, and it began to dry up his already dried mouth.

Bound, gagged, and frightened, Reflet whimpered as he tried to test his bonds, despite knowing that he wouldn't be able to get himself free that way. Tears sprung in his eyes as thoughts of Cloud flooded his mind. The men, in order to make sure that Reflet doesn't do anything to warn Cloud of their well-laid trap, tied a musket beside him, scaring the white-haired man more than needed.

"Now, keep good watch," the leader laughed as he ordered his men to stand by both sides of the casement, their rifles ready as they waited for Cloud to come visit his lover.

Warm tears spilled down Reflet's face as he tried to hold in a sob. His mind raced of Cloud on the road, dead and bleeding from a gunshot wound, as the men celebrated the traitor's death. He remembered the words Cloud had told him all too clearly:

"I promise I will return to you. I will come tomorrow by midnight, though hell may bar the way."

The more he thought of what could be Cloud's last words to Reflet, the more tears fell from his eyes. He had to find a way to warn his lover that it was a trap somehow!

The first thing he thought of was to struggle against his bonds. However, he realized that these men were experts in tying knots; the ropes held firmly that he couldn't tell whether the wetness on his wrists were sweat or blood. He hoped it was just sweat from both nervousness and from trying to get himself free.

Despite his best efforts, he realized he couldn't escape at all. There was absolutely nothing he could do to save Cloud's life from death.

The thought of being helpless caused Reflet to sob through the gag, closing his eyes tightly as he hoped and prayed to the Gods that Cloud wouldn't come.

The leader gritted his teeth in annoyance as he slapped Reflet again, eliciting a cry of pain from the man. "Shut up!" he growled as he kept watch from his place.

Reflet had no choice but to pray—to pray hard that Cloud doesn't come for him.

Hours had passed, though Reflet felt like it had been years since he was tied and gagged to the bedpost. The men were still, as if they were statues, still keeping watch for the man they wanted dead. Reflet's mouth had been dried up completely long ago, and the ropes were so tight that Reflet swore that he lost circulation from his wrists.

Reflet had lost all hope. He sniffled, his eyes red and puffy from crying silently. He wished that Cloud's life didn't end this way: shot to death while visiting his lover as promised. He blamed himself for letting these men take him captive in order to kill Cloud. All of this was his fault, and Cloud would pay the price for his mistake.

Whrrrr…

Reflet's head shot up upon hearing the unmistakable sound of a motorcycle's engine. His eyes widened, his heart pounding harder as sweat formed on his forehead.

Cloud. Cloud was coming. And he was driving right into the Shinra soldiers' trap.

He saw, at a distance, a figure on a motorcycle approaching the inn. The figure's black overcoat swayed in the wind as he continued to ride up to the inn, oblivious to what was going on inside.

Reflet wanted to warn him, to shake his head desperately and to scream through the gag for Cloud to stay away, but he couldn't. If he even tried to do anything to warn Cloud, he would be dead as well thanks to the musket tied beside him.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Cloud approached to his doom.

The moment Cloud saw the inn, he smiled. It had been a long day for him to steal more of Shinra's explosions, and seeing the casement wide opened made him relax. He couldn't wait to see his lover again. He couldn't wait to spend a few precious minutes with him. As he was closer to the inn, he saw Reflet standing in front of the casement, apparently waiting for Cloud to come.

But he felt something was...off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was off with Reflet. When he squinted hard to clearly see Reflet's face, his eyes widened with realization.

Reflet had been gagged, his face stained with tears. The blond noticed that his arms were arched behind him, possibly bound behind the bedpost.

However, as soon as he realized this, it was too late.

Two Shinra soldiers popped out of their hiding spots, and they shot at the blond. Cloud gasped, stepping on the brakes in order to avoid any incoming bullets. He swerved from one side to the other as he avoided certain death, gritting his teeth upon realization.

These men were using Reflet as bait in order to kill Cloud.

The thought of Reflet being harmed angered the older man. With his face red and his eyes narrowing down, he stepped on the gas and drove faster to the inn.

He saw Reflet's eyes widening at Cloud's foolishness. Cloud knew what he was thinking—he was driving straight into a trap. But Cloud didn't care. If these men wanted Cloud, he couldn't just leave Reflet. They would hurt his lover if he fled from the scene.

Just as when he was close to the inn, he felt a sharp pain on his left arm, and he cried out. In that intense moment, his motorcycle tipped over as he lost control, and Cloud's body fell to the ground, sliding along with his vehicle. He laid on the ground, motionless and bleeding.

"CLOUD!" Reflet screamed, though it was muffled by the gag. More tears sprang his eyes, his heart breaking in two upon seeing Cloud's lifeless body on the ground.

Cloud was dead. The men had killed him. Cloud died just to rescue Reflet.

It can't be happening...Cloud…

Reflet wanted to scream in sorrow the more he stared at Cloud bleeding out on the road. The younger man let out a heart-wrenching sob as he heard the men hollering in victory.

"WE GOT HIM! WE KILLED CLOUD STRIFE!" they hooted, ignoring Reflet completely. The white-haired male felt his gut tightening. These men were monsters—monsters who killed a man for doing what he thought was right.

He was so preoccupied with his feelings that he didn't notice the men approaching him, their rifles ready. "What're we gonna do with this one?" one of them asked. Reflet looked up at them, his heart beating faster and faster as his body shook.

"Kill him. Make sure he doesn't tell anyone what had happened here. Once he's dead, make sure that it looked like the traitor did it." The leader ordered.

Reflet's eyes widened, his heart pounding so hard that he swore these men could hear it. They chortled as they cocked their rifles, pointing them at Reflet's chest and head.

"Don't worry, kiddo," the leader snickered, a smirk on his face that would be forever embedded in Reflet's mind. "You'll meet your lover pretty soon."

Reflet shut his eyes tightly, knowing that this was it for him. He hoped that his death was a quick and painless one, though he doubted it since his soon-to-be killers had no mercy on him before.

Cloud...I'm sorry.

He heard a gunshot. Yet...he felt no pain.

Instead, he heard a cry of pain from one of the men, and he slowly opened his eyes, wondering how he wasn't dead.

To his shock, one of the men fell to the floor, dead. A gunshot wound was deep inside his chest, blood pooling around his body.

"What the—" the leader gasped before they all turned.

Behind them, Cloud held his pistol, holding his left arm as he tried to stop the bleeding.

Reflet felt his heart jump for joy, relief going through him upon realizing that Cloud was okay.

"KILL HIM!" the leader commanded, and immediately, the men pointed their rifles at Cloud.

Cloud's survival instincts kicked in, and he rolled to the side to avoid the bullets. Pulling out his Buster Sword, he dashed towards the leader, who pulled out his rifle in order to shoot Cloud down. However, Cloud acted quickly and slashed at the man's legs. The leader cried out in pain as he dropped his rifle and fell to the ground, incapacitated for the rest of the fight.

He turned to face the other men, his glare intense and his teeth grinding together, ready to kill the men for even touching Reflet. Before the soldiers could react, Cloud rushed forward, slicing the men down one by one, staying close to Reflet so that none of his enemies could use his lover against him.

Once the lackeys were killed, he turned to see the leader reaching for his rifle. Running forward, he kicked the gun out of the man's reach, and he pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the man.

The leader's body shook as he stared up at Cloud, his eyes wide and sweat beading on his forehead upon realizing that he was going to die.

"P-please!" he begged. "Don't kill me! I have a family to feed! I have a wife! A kid!"

Cloud's expression didn't change despite the man's pleading. His glare intensified, and he cocked the pistol, ready to shoot the man down.

"You will not be forgiven for harming Reflet," was all the leader could hear before Cloud shot him to death. Cloud leered down at the dead man, making sure he wasn't faking death in order to murder him. He then turned his attention towards Reflet, who was shaking and weeping silently.

Walking towards Reflet, he then saw the musket tied beside his lover. Anger coursed through Cloud, now knowing that these monsters even threatened to kill Reflet if he tried anything to warn Cloud. Cutting the rope that tied the musket and carefully moving it away from Reflet, he then began to work on his lover's gag. Once the gag was finally removed from his mouth, Reflet gasped and coughed for air before licking his chapped lips to wet them.

"Cl-Cloud..." Reflet spoke in a hoarse voice.

Cloud smiled in a comforting manner as he worked on the ropes tying Reflet to the bedpost. Soon enough, Reflet was finally free from his bonds and from his plight. He immediately embraced his savior, sobbing in his chest as he tightened his grip on Cloud's shirt.

"Cloud! I'm so sorry! I-I..." Reflet cried. He could sense Cloud's smile as he wrapped his arms around Reflet's shaking body.

"Are you okay? Did they harm you?" Cloud asked in a serious and concerned tone.

Reflet looked up at Cloud, and he shook his head to answer his second question. "I-I'm okay...but your arm...are you okay? Do you need medical attention?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow before he remembered; he was shot in the arm. Briefly turning to his arm, he looked at Reflet and shook his head. "I'll be okay, Reflet. I was shot in worse places than this. You need the attention more than I do."

"But you're bleeding! There's a bullet lodged in there! Cloud, I'm so sorry...if I hadn't—"

"No, Reflet. None of this was your fault. I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have visited you...you wouldn't be put in such a situation in the first place if I hadn't visited you that night."

Reflet felt tears still falling down his face. Cloud smiled slightly as he wiped them away with his hand. "I won't let anyone harm you again, Reflet...that's a promise."

He then had an idea. Although the men who had held Reflet hostage were dead, concern flooded in him. What if more of Shinra's soldiers heard of their comrades' deaths? What if they were after Reflet again just to get to Cloud? He couldn't bear to see Reflet put in danger again.

He decided: "You should come with me."

Reflet looked up at Cloud, his mouth gaping open in shock as his eyes widened. "Cloud…?"

"More of Shinra's men could be after you again. I don't want to put you in even more danger because of me. You should live with me from now on."

"But Cloud...do you have a place to stay?"

Cloud nodded to answer his question. "I live in a homely cave for years since I quit Shinra. You'll be safe there. Trust me."

Reflet's smile grew wider at the idea, and he hugged him. "Of course, Cloud. I'll be happy to live with you."

Cloud wrapped his arms around Reflet, his smile also wide. "Get ready for the trip now. Shinra could be here any moment."

Reflet nodded, and he immediately went to grab his bag. As Reflet packed up his things, Cloud kept an eye outside and from downstairs in case more of the soldiers came here.

Once Reflet was done packing, Cloud helped him down from the opened casement and onto his motorcycle before he too jumped out. Starting the motor, he turned to Reflet and smiled. "Hang on tight, Reflet. It's going to be a fast ride to your new home."

Reflet nodded as he wrapped his arms around Cloud's waist, holding his bag full of his things close by in case it fell out of his grip during the ride.

Cloud then rode away from the inn and towards the sunrise with Reflet in tow. For once, Cloud's mission was a success.

"...And they lived happily ever after. The end." Cloud finished. He turned his head to see Altair already asleep, holding his teddy bear close to his body as he snored.

When he faced Erion, he saw the boy's eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Is something wrong, Erion?" Cloud asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's...not how the story goes," Erion said in an honest tone.

Cloud turned to face Reflet, who shrugged before answering, "You want to be a writer, right? A writer could add twists to an existing story as they wish."

Erion stared at his white-haired father. Like always, his dad had a point. "But you know..." Erion spoke. "I like your and Father's version more than the original."

Reflet raised an eyebrow, surprised that Erion actually liked the twists the two added to "The Highwayman". He and Cloud knew that he'd always stuck to an original book, and was usually insistent that the original is the best. This time, however, Erion fully enjoyed Cloud and Reflet's version of the poem.

"Thank you, Erion," Reflet thanked his son. "I'm glad you enjoy it. Now, it's getting late. Your brother is already asleep."

Erion nodded as he grabbed his golden Chocobo plush, and he tucked himself to bed. Bobo jumped right beside Erion's head, plopping itself to a position for him to sleep.

"Good night, Dad and Father," Erion whispered.

"Good night, Erion," Cloud whispered before he kissed his child on the head. "Sweet dreams."

Once the two men were sure that their children were fast asleep, they left the room. Cloud faced Reflet, a smile on his face.

"Good job," Cloud spoke in a low voice. "I would've been in a pickle if you weren't there to help dummy it down for them."

Reflet chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulders. "Hey, you helped out a lot. I shouldn't be taking all the credit for the idea."

"But you thought of it in the first place," Cloud chuckled along with his husband. As they walked down the hallway to their room, Cloud faced Reflet, his smile still on.

"You know..." he began. "If you were in danger, I'll always be there to save you."

Reflet grinned before nodding. "Of course. And I'll do the same for you if you were in danger as well. That's what lovers do, right?"

"Of course." Cloud chuckled. Before Reflet knew it, Cloud picked him up bridal style, and the Tactician kicked his legs slightly.

"Hey, come on, Cloud," Reflet laughed softly enough so he wouldn't wake the children. "I can get there by myself."

"You don't like me to hold you like this?" Cloud teased.

Reflet shook his head, his goofy grin still on his face. "Not really. I enjoy it actually."

"Good," was all Cloud said as he kissed his husband on the cheek.

As the two entered their room, they both knew that their family was a perfect one, and they were happy they were together. And neither of them wanted it any other way.

Constructive criticism is welcomed