Exception in life

Cloud x Squall

I own nothing but the storyline and get nothing else out of this than the rubbing of my own ego. A good mix of KH, FFVII+VIII.

Chapter 1

Cloud

"No! You listen to me this time, you arrogant little piece of self-destructive shit! I am NOT going to stand this crap any longer and if you wish to stay here you WILL learn to respect me and my authority! END OF DISCUSSION." A sound of smashing porcelain, obviously thrown towards someone.

"But.. What the hell do you want me to say? I can't change who I am, now can I? You knew well enough what kind of person I was –still AM!- when you decided to let me stay here in the first place!"

"My fault obviously, wasn't it!" She scoffed and threw her long hair off from her face that was livid with suffocated rage. She drew herself together and stood there in her all might, facing the scowling man before her. "Well.." She took a deep, calming breath. "At least I can admit that to myself. That there is some fault in me, for falling into the depths of your pretty blue eyes." Sneering, Tifa snorted and turned her back at Cloud who was now staring out of the window.

"I'm just saying, you knew exactly what I was even before we started this whole.. thing." Cloud had lowered his tone and was almost whispering.

"I did. But I hoped you would change if I cared enough." She made a terrible effort to keep her anger at bay. "Look, it's over. I tried and you.. well, I don't really know did you -don't interrupt me!- do anything for us, but now it is very clear; we are through."

"Are you saying you're going to kick me out?" There was a hint of fear in Clouds tone and Tifa pondered for one moment seriously before answering.

"No. Out of the house? No. Out of the bedroom? Yes. You can move your stuff. Tonight. I don't care if it takes all night but just do it." Then she stormed off from the room and left Cloud standing there, feeling more lost and abandoned he had felt when the row started. And he knew his face was still emotionless, although he felt a great deal of pain. Cloud sighed and wished he had never been born.

Cloud flipped thru the papers on his night table drawers, idly scanning them. Bills, never finished contracts, some doodles left by Denzel and Marlene.. The blond sighed and let the papers fall from his hands to the floor and hung his head. He would never admit it to any living soul, but he did miss the sound of the children.

Although he had not been around much, the kids seemed to have taken a liking in him and trusted him to put things right. To put things right, huh..

Ever since he had left the army –ran away more likely- he had been wandering aimlessly around. After meeting a certain group of people Cloud had tried harder to stay focused on the life around them and not dwelling into the darkness inside him.

They had moved in together with Tifa. A big mistake. Cloud could never tell her without pissing her off, how much it had suffocated him. Thus, he had fled. The easiest way to survive in a situation like this and in the end, forcing Tifa to be the one to suffer more than Cloud had. She had been the one to end this. Cloud knew it was for the best, but it still hurt.

A soft creaking of the floor board woke Cloud from his misery and he turned around to see who was entering his privacy.

"Why the long face, Spiky?" A wide smile and a flash of flaming red hair. Cloud sighed again and knelt on the floor to pick up his papers and stuffing them into a box.

"What do you want, Reno?"

"Whoa, no need to be polite or anything, I just came to check up on you. You know half the street heard your little argument with the missus…" Reno grinned even more widely.

"Yeah, so what." Cloud didn't really care if the whole fucking world had heard.

"Well….. I just thought to come by and cheer up my precious little neighbour." The redhead flopped on the bed and stared at Cloud's back, his cat like eyes following him. "Did she break up with you for real this time? I mean, you do look like you're trying to get all your stuff together here and since the stuff is obviously going into boxes…." He left the question hanging in the air.

"Yeah. She did."

"Good for her. You know it took a bit longer than I anticipated. Tifa has more patience than it seems." Cloud remained silent and kept packing up. "You know, Spiky.. I think I'm gonna take you out. Tonight. Right now." Reno hopped back on his feet and yawned. Cloud turned to face him.

"Why?" He had no intention to get out of here. He just wanted to pack up and go to the empty room to sulk the rest of his miserable life. Reno blinked at him, the green eyes confused for a second.

"Why? Well.. You are the friend in need and that's what people do when they get dumped! Let's get pissed and see if we can get you some action to wipe the hurt and misery from your mind." Reno made a rude hand gesture and Cloud felt his ears burning.

"I'm not-"

"Oh shut up, you stupid." Reno's hand was gripping Cloud's arm tightly. "You'll come or you'll cry and come." Then he smiled at Cloud and patted the blonds head tenderly. "Now, let's get this shit cleared and head out for some fun!"

The night was warm and the streets silent as Reno dragged his unwilling companion towards his favourite club in down town. Cloud felt almost like a petulant child but went along anyway. He didn't like this part of the town and wasn't familiar with the blinking neon lights ahead. It looked like it was already crowded.

"Yo, Rude! Anyone I know still in?" Reno waved at the bald man who was doing his job as the security guy at the club door. Cloud didn't hear what Rude said but it made Reno grin happily and to drag Cloud further in to the noise and suffocating air. Cloud felt himself being hauled thru the mass of moving bodies and wanted to yank his hand free. He was about to do that when the air became clearer and he was able to breathe again.

"Haha, it's always so hard to push thru there, but we're familiar with nasty crowds aren't we, blondie." Reno winked at Cloud who stood there stupefied and tried to digest his surroundings. The lights flashed and blinked, people yelled over the pumping music and the throb of the bass thudded thru Cloud's body with every beat so hard his breathing seemed to stop.

Unable to say anything, Cloud simply sat down to a couch he spotted nearby without paying attention to Reno. Too bad he seemed to have sat on something that made a low, yet very audible growl close to his ear.

"Do you mind? I am not a chair." Cloud sprang up and saw that it wasn't a couch who spoke but a young man, perhaps a little older than he was, with long dark hair and.. Was that fur around the neck? Cloud could only stare. Reno on the other hand didn't just stare, he burst out laughing.

"Ahahah! Oh man, dude.. You should see your face!" With a grin so wide it went from one ear to the other Reno sat down and pointed at Cloud.

"Leon, I want you to meet Cloud. Cloud, this is your couch; Leon."

"..." Cloud was again speechless. He simply nodded and sat down, making sure there was no one under this time. The dark haired man called Leon sat down as well, looking bored and ignorant. Cloud turned to Reno. "If this is supposed to make me feel better, you thought wrong." Reno waved his hand and shook his head.

"No no, my dear blondie. You got it all wrong! All we need is some alcohol and good little, wiggling, not too covered up ass to cheer the night." He winked and grinned. "So, I'll just go and fetch drinks and you can figure what sort of ass you'd like to have dancing on your lap tonight." Laughing at the expression of pure disgust on Clouds face, Reno took off and disappeared into the crowd.

"I hope he wasn't serious about that.." Cloud murmured to himself. He should escape right now, when he still had the chance. Cloud was already starting to rise from the couch when he saw Leon looking at him. "What?"

"If you leave now, he will just make a scene, call the police –or his thug friends- and run after you crying like a little girl." Leon had a low, pleasant voice and even in the noisy club it wasn't hard to hear what he said. Cloud sighed and settled down, shaking his head and running a hand thru his spikes.

"I don't particularly wish getting drunk or having girls undressing on my lap.."

"Who says it's a girl." Leon almost spat and Cloud realized that it was not a question at all. "Maybe he hired me to be your stripper and the stress reliever for the night." Leon's face was steady and there was nothing that would suggest him not being serious. Cloud could only stare.

"Please.. Tell me you are joking." Cloud coughed, frozen in the middle of massaging his face tiredly. The silence was more awkward than ever in his life as Cloud stared into Leon's eyes thru his fingers, thinking this day had definitely been his awful so far and it was about to go even worse.

"I am. Calm down, no one is going to climb on your lap." Leon's mouth was a thin line and he had folded his arms to his chest.

"Not very funny. I would rather die than let a guy shake their ass at my face." Cloud let his hand fall from his face and unconsciously mimicked Leon's position and sat there in silence, watching the passing people with mounting dislike until Reno reappeared with an armful of drinks. Cloud groaned inwardly. He had never been good with alcohol.

"Oh my god, guys you should see yourself!" Reno grinned at the pair sitting next to each other. Reno sat opposite them and pointed at the glasses. "Please stop looking like you're twins and have a beer." Reno lifted his and waited until the two other had done the same. "To the end of unhealthy relationships!" He gulped half his beer down and belched.

Cloud drank slowly a mouthful, his mind on other matters. He was too distracted to feel anything and kept staring down to his lap. He heard Leon speaking to Reno next to him.

"Why unhealthy?" Cloud could hear the leather pants creaking as the brunet moved on the plastic surface to lean his elbows on his knees.

"Well, Cloud here just got kicked out of the bedroom by the missus." Reno's smile was nothing even close to empathy. "Honestly, he's been begging her to do so. Always off from home, hiding in the countryside where no one can reach him and when coming home not even touching her... That's Cloud for you, man!" Raising his glass again Reno drained it empty. Cloud's ears were burning slightly. He could feel Leon staring at him.

"What?" He snarled finally and turned to face the brunet man.

"Nothing. Just reminded me of something." Leon scoffed and turned his face away.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you're an ass too when it comes to dealing with girls. Or anyone actually." Reno leaned to the back of his chair, one leg over the other and looked satisfied. "I think you two make a lovely duo. Maybe you guys are just gay 'cuz you can't make a girl happy." He snickered.

"Sometimes I don't even know why you bother to call yourself my friend." Cloud growled, his eyes narrowing. To claim something like that was a bit too much, even for Reno.

"Would it matter much if I were gay Reno?" Cloud snapped his eyes to Leon who had spoken. How could the man be so calm all the time, even when accused to be a fag? Reno was watching Leon with interest.

"It wouldn't really. I don't care who you shag. Just stop moping and steal a kiss from someone you fancy. Maybe the world isn't going to end if you get happy!" Reno looked straight at Leon and for once wasn't smiling.

Cloud was only half heartedly following the conversation. He felt a sudden movement next to him as Leon changed his position but didn't pay too much attention to it. Only when a pair of hands grabbed his shirt and forced him to turn did he realize he was staring straight into Leon's eyes. Cloud couldn't react in time to prevent the next move.

Leon kissed Cloud softly right on lips.

Cloud was stunned. He couldn't do anything. He barely heard Reno bursting into laughter and jumping up from his chair to do a weird sort of dance around Cloud and Leon, who still was holding his lips against Cloud's.

Something hot started to boil in Cloud's stomach. It made him want to jump up and run. Run faster he had run ever in his life. And on the other hand, he wanted to do something with this man, something he had only done with women before. The idea shocked Cloud to his core and he jerked his head free from the pressing lips.

"You.. What.. Why.. Fuck!" Cloud retreated when he felt Leon's hands loosen their hold. The man was looking at him with a queer look on his serious face. Maybe it was something in his eyes that flashed dark gray in these disco lights, maybe it was the hint of arrogance on the handsome features that made Cloud fire up completely and he acted on his instinct; He punched Leon straight to his face, knocking the brunet off the couch.

"CLOUD!" Reno shouted and the people around them yelling something about a fight breaking out and then Cloud felt his own nose nearly break from the blow it received from Leon who had bolted up from the floor.

Cloud had fell on his back and was seeing stars for a while. Then a hand grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Cloud blinked, shook his head and looked up to see Leon standing there with a peculiar expression on his face. But before either of them could speak a rough hand was grabbing Cloud's neck from behind and he felt himself being hauled thru the crowd that had gathered to watch him and Leon fight.

Cloud soon found himself outside of the bar, Leon being thrown out next to him. Cloud turned just in time to see Rude and his co-worker shaking their heads and disappearing back inside. He snorted and straightened his clothes.

"Hey, Cloud?" He could hear Leon much better now without the noise around them and noticed he liked the man's voice even more. Cloud turned to see Leon better, rubbing his aching nose gingerly. It seemed to be bleeding too.

"Yeah?" Cloud managed to growl almost anticipating a second blow. Leon didn't look too good too either. There was blood trickling from his lower lip and it was swelling rapidly.

"You're ok." A smile radiated suddenly Leon's face. Cloud could see now the man had blue eyes like he had, only a paler shade than his. The dark brown hair framed the handsome face and the clothes Leon wore clung definitely on all the right places. His mouth was unwillingly starting to water slightly. Cloud coughed and shooed the unwanted images from his mind.

"Yeah?" He repeated feeling flustered. "I guess you're ok too, Leon. Nice punching." Cloud saw Leon's smile turning to a grin.

"Please, call me Squall. Leon is just an old alias from few years back and Reno uses it just to annoy me." Squall smiled. "We should exchange numbers. I might want to call you sometime." Cloud frowned, suspicion lifting its head inside him. He didn't really want more sexual harassment. "Oh, don't worry. I won't go kissing you again. Unless you demand it." Squall ran away from Cloud grinning who was reaching out to punch the brunet again.