Balancing Act
Pairing: LC
A/N: Oneshot. For Dualism, The Writer You Fools, and Sorceress Fantasia. As it always will be.
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I've worked too hard for righteousness to put my faith in something not concrete.- Cloud
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"Axel, I'm sorry. But this is a gift I just can't accept. Really, I do appreciate the sentiment, but-"
"Don't even finish that sentence. If Leon ever caught word that I didn't get you a birthday present, he'd not only shoot me in the face with hydroshocks, but you'd have to hear him bitch about how crappy a friend I was." The redhead's lopsided grin spread all over his face, and he shoved his black-manicure hands in his pockets. "'Sides, I knew you'd like it."
Cloud really didn't know how to respond to that- the subject of Leon had a peculiar way of befuddling him instantaneously. No matter what anyone else said, he always had this nagging suspicion that Leon didn't really like him. That he just pretended to. Because the guy just never talked to him outside of class, and even then only when neccessary. So it just mildly (ish) irked him whenever someone would make a reference to how Leon would 'react' if something offensive were to happen to Cloud.
In this case, not getting him a birthday present. But still, it made little to no sense why someone who didn't talk to him would care so much about his birthday. Or his wellbeing in general, as much as the others liked to talk about him doing so. And Cloud did like the gift, very much.
"Whatever, about Leon. Thanks for the perfect gift, Axel." He allowed a rare smile to burst forth, essentially showering his friend in sunbeams. Even a small chuckle escaped at Axel's mock antics of putting up blinders.
"Geez sunshine boy, turn down the wattage and save it for Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody over there. He's been waitin' over an hour for you to get out of class." Ah. Why did he have to mention that frustrating piece of Greek perfection on his birthday for crying out loud? The little blonde made a pout, crossed his arms, and clamped the stack of Virtuoso Pianist technique books to his heart. At this, Axel only saluted once, stuck out his tongue, and kicked up black-converse feet back to his green Honda. Where, sweetly enough, a younger spiky-headed dusky-blonde was curled up in the passenger seat.
In under three seconds, the black converses had floored the gas, the owner had flipped the sunroof, and MSI could be heard quite clearly from a distance.
So much for a happy birthday. Even studious Roxas was having a night on the town with his hot-headed boyfriend. Worse yet, Axel was right. Leaning passively against the south iron-wrought gate was Sir Stuffy-Pants himself, who Cloud could tell even from this distance was having the unmitigated gall to look peeved. The guy simply did not talk to him, so why was he here?
And why had Axel grinned so secretively? Things were really starting to frustrate the little blonde, what with the nonsense that seemed to drench every formerly-sensible person he knew. Having decided that he may as well get the encounter with Leon over with, he shifted Axel's gift under his left arm and snuffled the other hand into his leather blazer's pocket.
Nevermind the fact it was only early fall. All thoughts pushed aside, Cloud aimed his walk for Leon and was surprised to find the brunette was already halfway to meet him. There was a tight smile, seemingly painful, painted on his lips. But there was a softness behind the deep chocolate eyes, ringed in black.
At least, Cloud hoped so.
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"Um... Axel told me you wanted to talk with me?"
"I guess you could say that." Alright, so maybe that aforementioned gentleness wasn't present. Leonhart's voice even sounded strained, as if someone were pulling his fingernails out one at a time. The rigid smile had dissolved into a wry smirk, pulling darkly tanned skin over a rugged jawline. Cloud's confidence drained through the sole of his shoes, his hand nervously twitching with the red ribbon tying the stack of piano books together.
"But it was more of a desire, to wish you a happy seventeenth birthday."
And suddenly, Cloud was finding himself a whole lot closer to someone he quite frankly was terrified of. He couldn't quite quash the sqeak that emitted involuntarily from his lips, or ignore the yelp of indignation that quickly followed. The cashmere clad chest his head was currently resting against was rumbling with seductive chuckles, causing a furious blush to cross the blonde's face.
"Eh? Thank... you?" Not sure if he should be struggling (and possibly offend the college freshman) or returning the hug, he just stood there- allowing the strong embrace to continue. Leon simply ran his deft fingers through the voluminous strands of gold, his left arm wrapped around the smaller one's waist.
Until ten minutes passed, Cloud did not nothing.
Then, there was struggling. And wiggling, twisting, and just slightly panicked, slightly frantic, pushing away of Leon's person. "I n-need to g-go now! Thanks, but p-please. Must leave!" Delicate white hands shoved fiercely against the chest he'd previously been practically cuddled up to, and his shoulders tried to wriggle free from the leather blazer.
Leon had, apparently, managed to tie it around Cloud's back- effectively trapping the two in the brunette's blazer. "Are you even listening to me, you- you stuck-up jerk?!"
Glittering cocoa eyes met stubborn blues. And another damnable chuckle escaped. "Nope."
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"You suck. At all things to do with life."
"And you said that precisely twenty-three minutes ago."
"So? I haven't changed my position."
"You really ought to watch what you say. Might give me some naughty ideas."
"...shut up!"
"And besides, I don't suck at all things associated with life. Just your life. Specifically-"
"I don't want to hear it!"
It had been three hours since Leon had first kissed him, thirty minutes since he'd been officially dating him, ten since Leon had tried bluntly to get in his pants, and less than two that he'd been dirty-talking him. Cloud wasn't quite sure how to cope with it all.
Though, in his defense, it was one thing to never date someone before. And quite another to have your first significant other be one of the fellow gender. Not to mention someone nearly three years older than you, and in college vs. highschool.
Starbucks did however, make everything slightly easier. He could sit there, sip a cup of raspberry mocha, and make faces at Leon. The leather blazer somehow was still being worn by said brunette- and Cloud blushed hotly in remembrance at his first kiss. Those full lips had swept down and captured his in a crushing kiss, laving in sweet adoration Cloud's innocence.
Of course, Cloud realized in that second he was no match for this. Leon wasn't the dispassionate bastard he'd always assumed him to be. That he'd simply misjudged a shy (though not so shy at the moment) handsome man. But that left Cloud's feelings in a sort of turmoil, now didn't it?
Stupid him. It only now made sense... why all of his friends had been constantly referring to Leonhart whenever was Cloud was around. Why it was such a large issue to wrong Cloud when Leon could hear of it. And more importantly, why everyone had been subtly enlightening the blonde of his own attractions.
Leon's hand came down, onto the one Cloud held in his lap. "I love you, Cloud."
Here was the moment that those beautiful brown eyes would look soulfully into his own, imploring him to say some sweet nothing in return. But Leon knew better.
So he simply smiled, cupping the blonde's jaw and slipping him a piece of paper into his right hand.
And I'm willing to wait.
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Undoubtedly, knowing me, I'll write some sort of Leon-point-of-view on this. Sorry about the waits on Up Or Down. Class overload at the moment. I love you all, darling reviewers. Much thanks.
-Nescentia