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NOTE: This Shounen-Ai fanfic has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the true outcome of the great Playstation game, Star Ocean. Just as a mental note, anything written in Italics is the thoughts running through that person's mind. Hope you enjoy! ^^ "Well, maybe just for a moment…." Claude looked back around the side of the restaurant, exchanging glances with Rena before bouncing his eyes away and out of the window. He twitched a little, letting his medium length Blonde hair slip in front of his eyes. The human boy, roughly 19 years old, sat and looked across the table. Rena was an Expelian, and had long elf- like ears, her blue hair was kept back by a crescent shaped comb. Rena scrunched her nose up and tried to meet Claude's eyes. "So you do like Celine then…?" Rena seemed disappointed and a little angry as well. Claude sighed, seeing this coming a mile away. "Of course I like Celine… Were good friends… But I dont think any more or less of her than I do you…." Claude leaned against the table, knowing full well another question was going to follow this up. Rena's ears pulled back a little, and she looked down a bit. "So were good friends, huh?" "Of course!", Claude responded. He looked around the restaurant nervously. In the back of his mind he knew exactly what she would ask next… Rena looked at Claude, hoping to look into his eyes, but only saw him fidgeting nervously. "Claude… Claude… are you alright?" Claude almost jumped as he caught glimpse of Ashton and Precis outside. He squeamishly looked back to Rena. "Uh…" His eyes got huge, and he blushed bright red. "Yeah, I'm fine Rena! Never felt better!" He laughed half heartidly and looked back out the window. Rena followed his gaze and saw the pair outside as well. She folded her arms and returned to look at Claude, a slightly disgusted look on her face. "Oh.. I see… so It's you and Precis then… huh? Claude nearly doubled over in his chair, his face redder than an apple. "I'm not seeing ANYONE!. Dont you get it?" Rena looked from him to Precis and back. "Then why are you watching her while she's with Ashton? You jealous or something?" Claude looked sick. Jealous is right. If you only knew…… He sat up straight and looked her square in the eyes. "Rena, I assure you I'm not going out with Precis, Celine or Chisato." He stood up from his chair and straightened his jacket. "Nor am I pursuing any of them." Rena's eyes lit up with hearts. "Really, Claude?" She stood up as well, and started to approach him. Claude pulled his chair out a bit to put a wall between himself and Rena. Oh my God here she comes again…… "Look Rena…. I'm running short on time… I told Leon I would go shopping with him…… Rena smiled and leaned against the chair, pushing her face closer to his. "Oh really? Can I tag along too…?" Claude wanted to die on the spot. DAMN! WILL SHE NOT GET A CLUE? I guess I have no choice….. "Actually Rena….. I m not going anywhere with Leon. I'm going to go back to the Inn and pine over how I have a HUGE crush on Ashton and how Ill brake it to him!!!" Rena got a seriously pissed off look on her face as she crossed her arms. "If you dont want to do anything with me; you dont have to blow me off with some stupid comment about being gay!" Claude drooped, completely loosing any desire to be in this situation….. "Think what you will…" Rena stormed to the door. "See if I ever ask you out again!" Claude sighed heavily, and rubbed his hand against his head. "Head …… Hurts……. Oooowwww…..Rena…. I didn't want to piss you off…. But I'm not interested in you that way…. I'm sorry…. " Claude sat back down at the table as the waitress came to collect the plates. "Bad Date?", she looked down to him and asked. IT WASNT A DATE! "REAL BAD…" Claude sighed as he waved his hand limply above his head…"How much is the total?" The Waitress smiled, "No charge for you, you've had a bad enough day as it is…." Claude smiled and sat up sharply, arising from his seat… "Thanks… you dont know the half of it either" Claude left the restaurant in post- haste and walked to the streets of the town. The gentle fall breeze kicked in and blew his blonde hair in his eyes a bit. He smiled a little as he pulled it away. He pressed twords the Inn that the group had decided to stay at. Here's the Inn. Rena has probably already told half the people here about her horrible date…. I guess she thought I was kidding about Ashton. Oh well… all the better for me I suppose…. He walked up to the doorway of the Inn and started to open the door, when a Black and Purple haze rammed into him. Trying to regain his stature after being knocked back, Claude looked up to see his fellow team mate, Ashton Anchors, doing the same. Claude turned bright red as there eyes met, and he looked down just a bit. "Ashton! I'm sorry! I didn't see you coming out!" He kicked the dirt at his shoe as he looked to Ashton for a response. The Expelian boy looked every bit as human as Claude, though an unfortunate accident had fused a pair of dragons to the boy's back. His long Black jacket and purple overcoat gave him a very overall depressed looked, which, oddly enough, the boy never was. Ashton smiled as he rubbed the back of his head, his medium length oak colored hair bouncing as he does. "Oh, no worries. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been in such a rush!" The pairs eyes met as they both laughed for a second. "Anyway," Ashton prompted, "I need to get going before THEY find me!" He looked down with a sarcastic look of anguish on his face. "They?" Claude responded. Ashton looked around as he stepped closer to Claude, moving in to whisper in his ear. "Rena… Celine…Precis…. Chisato… I think I'm either going to have to hang myself or leave the group before they leave me alone!" He laughed and stood back to an upright stature, his eyes closed. Claude was beet red from having Ashton's lips so close to his ear lobe, and was thanking multiple gods that Ashton couldn't see him right now. "But Ill see you later, alright?" Ashton said as he darted down the street, the pair of dragons on his shoulder making funny noises as he ran. "Right!" Claude said, loud enough for Ashton to hear him as he left. Maybe when you come back ill have the guts to talk to you….. Claude walked into the Inn, which he soon saw to be full of the people on his team…… "So here I am…… Ive turned down three girls for dates….. Dont they get it..?" Claude looked into the mirror of the public restroom, were he eventually hid to hide from the pursuing females. He paced back and forth, careful not to speak out loud when the occasional person would wander in. "And were did Ashton run off to…? Claude leaned against the wall. The Inn's bathroom was nice… even though it was just a bathroom… The door opened as Leon walked into the bathroom. "Hey, Big Brother Claude!" The twelve year old Blue Haired Cat- Boy looked over to Claude as there sentences merged. Leon laughed a little and started to follow up behind Claude. "What'cha doin??" Claude was Leon's "Big Brother" in the respects that other than his parents, Leon seemed only to trust Claude. Claude blushed just a little but continued pacing. "I'm hiding from the girls." Leon smiled and poked his "Big Brother" in the back. "I know that much…. They had sent me in here to find out if you were planning on coming out anytime soon!" Leon smiled and giggled, stepping back away from Claude. Claude turned to look at him. "You came in to try to get me to come out!????" Leon nodded and giggled. "Traitor!" Leon laughed as Claude came down on him to sweep him up in a tickle attack. "Siding with the girls and not your- "Big Brother"!" Claude picked up the younger boy and started to tickle him, Leon laughing loudly and trying to worm free. The door to the public restroom opened up and in a slam, Ashton stood on the inside, pressed up against the door, using his weight to keep it shut. He looked flustered and was red - faced. "Whew…." Claude looked to Ashton and slowly put Leon back down, who was still giggling incisively. Oh my god….. here he is…. Should I…? Claude put his hand behind his head, and leaned up against the counter. "Hey Ashton, what's up?" Ashton looked over to them, still breathing a little heavy. "I went ……. Shopping…… and when I came…… back…… You'd think…. The girls ….on our team had….. never seen a guy before….." The pair of Dragons on his shoulders swayed a little, almost looking like they were in some kind of trance. Leon laughed and walked twords Ashton. "Why do your Dragons look drunk!??" He laughed as he tried to get ones attention. Ashton sighed and looked down to Leon. "Those girls… bought some kind of weird perfume… supposed to make guys attracted to them…." Claude put his head in his hand and laughed. "Did it work?" Ashton laughed loudly and knocked one of the dragons on the side of the head. "If they wanted to turn my Dragons on they did a splendid job dont you think?" All three started laughing. Leon shifted about and wormed behind Ashton, trying to pry the door free. "Well guys… I need to get going….. Ill be your willing sacrifice to the girls…..!" A big smile grew on Leon's face as he wandered out. "Later!" Ashton pulled away from the door and walked over to the counter, turning on a faucet and pulling off his gloves. "That boy will be in heaven when he gets a little older." Claude nodded. "The girls will finally have someone to keep for themselves." Ashton ran his hands under the water, looking back to his friend. "I'm suprised you dont take advantage of the situation, Claude….." Claude lit red and choked a bit. "Huh?" Ashton laughed at the response he got, but continued. "Here we are, two fiendishly handsome guys surrounded by pretty girls and all we ever do Is elude them and try to get away. I'm suprised you haven't gone for one of them." Claude looked down a bit, not knowing what to say. Ashton smiled and continued. "When we fist met, I thought you were going with Rena… But you seemed to do much more with Celine. And when we met Precis, you two were nearly inseparable ninety percent of the time. And everyone knows Chisato has something for both of us, she's so obvious." Claude laughed a bit. "To tell you the truth… I do like someone on the team…." Claude wavered a bit.. Oh god… here I go… It's now or never….. Ashton's eyes got bigger….. "Oohh… a secret, huh? Tell me!" Claude looked up, glowing red, and tried to meet Ashton's eyes. It was very easy to do, Ashton was looking right at him waiting for his answer. They locked eyes…. Claude choked…. "Uhh… Noel!" Ashton looked at him queerly before bursting into laughter. "Thats the funniest thing Ive ever heard! Hahahahaha! Does he know about this!??" Ashton laughed, being sarcastic. "Maybe I should hook you guys up, huh?" Cloud looked foolishly back at Ashton. "Pretty…. Funny… yeah…. " Claude wasn't acting half as entertained by this a Ashton was. And Ashton saw this. "huh? What's up…..?" His eyes grew bigger. "You weren't serious, were you?" Claude looked amazed at what seemed to be the stupidest question he'd ever been asked. "Of course I DONT like NOEL! What kind of guy do you think I am?" Oh geez…. That was a mistake in wording….. Ashton laughed a little, seeming relived that he didn't piss off his friend. He turned and started for the bathroom's exit. " I dont know, your always running away from the girls!" Claude laughed, "And what about you?!!" Ashton blushed brightly and quickly exited the bathroom. Claude lay on his bed at the inn, his hair trickling down the sides of his face. The room was quite, and he found this time of silence to be something he desperately had needed. Man…… everything is so hectic these days… ever since we came to Nede… Claude shook his head. DONT need to be thinking about this right now…… Well discuss or plan of action when we regroup. Just Relax……. Claude rolled to his stomach and moaned slightly, relaxing all the muscles in his body. Feels so good…. A scuttling noise was coming from beyond the door, and he could hear a familiar voice talking. The voice belonged to Rena. I Wonder whats going on out there? Not good to be eavesdropping… but…. Claude stood up from his bed and stretched out. He lazily walked to his door and leaned up against the wall beside it. I wonder what she's up to…. From the other side of the door, he could easily place the voices of both Rena and Celine. They were talking in the doorway of the room next to Claude's. It seemed like Rena was doing most of the talking… "…and tell him that. What do you think, Celine?" Claude sighed as heard Rena speak these words. Doesn't that girl ever learn? I'm NOT interested in DATES with her or ANY other girl…. Celine's voice arose…. "I dont know… Its a pain even getting the boys to respond. But I say if it works.. go for it!" Claude kicked up from the wall and staggered half dead to the door, waiting for the impending knock. "Go get him, Rena!" Celine cheered as Rena's footsteps approached Claude's door. Sigh. Well, here we go again….. But the footsteps didn't stop at Claude's door. They moved right on past and to the next door down. Huh? That was unexpected! Sigh. I wonder though….. Claude moved to the other wall, laying an ear against it. A knocking came from the next room over's door. She's going to try for Ashton, huh? Well, he'll run like a bat out of hell to get away from a date…. I guess I'm lucky there… As long as he's not interested in them, I can use this time to buy myself a way to tell him… sigh… The door to Ashton's room opened, and Ashton's voice could barely be heard. "Oh, hello there, Rena, whats up?", Ashton asked as he opened the door. It took Rena moment to respond, and her voice sounded quite and weak. "Oh.. Ashton… do you have a few minutes…. I need to some advice……" Her voice sounded very meek. "Yes, of course, Rena… Come on in….." "Thank you…" Claude returned to sitting on his bed and leaned up against it, as to listen in on what was about to happen. What does she have planned? I know she's not really depressed, just a minute ago she was hyping up with Celine….. He cleared his mind and continued to listen. "So whats wrong, Rena?" asked Ashton, there were two creaks, and it sounded like they both took seats. Rena remained silent for a second. "Well, Ashton…. I need some advice….. on…" , Again she paused. "On trying to tell someone my true feelings for them…" She huffed loudly. So she's going to try to get Ashton to help her get me to go out with her…? Sheesh. Ashton's not a traitor… He smiled warmly at the thought of Ashton… Ashton's voice arose again.. "Telling someone your true feelings?" Ashton's voice had that "why me?" squeak to it as he spoke, and Claude could imagine the sweatdrop rolling off of his head. "Well, what kind of advice were you looking for, Rena?" Rena breathed slowly and took a moment to respond. "Well… I dont know how to tell a certain someone in our group… that I'm in love with them…" Claude jerked forward at that, looking back to the wall he had been listening through. LOVE? LOVE? YOU CANT BE IN LOVE WITH ME!!!! Ashton responded rather quickly. "Well, you can't not tell someone that you love them… If you dont tell them… what If someone else comes along and tells them before you get the chance?" Claude listened to Ashton's words and melted into the bed. No wonder I feel so strongly for him… he's so wise.. and handsome…. I should take that bit advice…. Sigh… I need to act before someone else does… A "Thump" rung up against the wall Claude had been up against. Huh? He looked queerly at the wall and leaned up against it again. Silence. A soft voice spoke, but Claude couldn't make it out. Still Silence. Another voice, again indecipherable. Huh? Why'd she not respond to him? However, in the other room, Ashton's head was pressed gently against the wall, his face bright red, with his and Rena's lips locked together. He had struggled only for a second, and now was lost in the sensation. Rena pulled away, red in the face, and faced Ashton again. "I'm sorry… but I needed to let you know…." "Dont be…." "Your not mad…?" Ashton shook his head sheepishly, still blushing. Rena smiled. "Thank you for understanding… and for the advice…" She approached him and kissed him again. "I am in love with you Ashton….." she pulled away and put her hand on her face, moving twords the door… "Ill talk to you later?" Ashton just nodded, still looking caught off guard. Claude on the other hand, had jumped from his bed, his heart racing. OHMYGODOHMYGODRENATOLD ASHTONSHELOVEDHIM…… She told him…oh my god… and he didn't run… and that thumping noise… WHAT IF SHE KISSED HIM!??? A knock came at Claude's door. Claude nearly jumped when he heard it, it having caught him completely off guard. "Aye! Uh.. Its not locked, come in! " He tried not to look panicked, but he wasn't sure if he was succeeding or not… Ashton walked in, beat red in the face and looking flustered and lost…. "Claude…..can I talk to you for a minute?" Claude nearly jumped. "Of course!" Claude sat on the bed and patted the area on the foot of the bed… "Come on in…."
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