A/N: Ah, here we are again, everyone! It feels so weird… rewriting a story I already have plotted out. But, it feels good to give this story another chance! I'm really excited to pump out as many chapters as I can for you guys! With school starting back up soon, though, I'll have to do the best as I can! Ah, if you are wondering, I did indeed insert some dialog from the original chapter into here because I felt that it fit perfectly in and didn't need too much editing. You're probably getting tired of hearing this… but I am, again, so immensely sorry that I've been so on-off with this story. I'm going to stick it out! So, for a second time around, oy vey, please enjoy The Sky Above Our Heads!

The Sky Above Our Heads Chapter One (Rewrite)

Chapter One- A Welcoming Sky

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The sun shone brightly against the flaxen-haired boy leaning against Zack's side, warming the slighter of the two. There was a soft summer breeze, much like the one Cloud had felt on a daily basis back in his hometown, but this gentle wind carried the vibe of the city. The air seemed to buzz with the life and energy that seemed to glow within every pedestrian; Cloud even noticed that Zack was glancing around the outside of the train station with a slight jittery smile. I guess even people who go away to the country miss the thriving city after a while.

"Are we waiting for someone, Zack?" Cloud asked, gently tugging on his boyfriend's sleeve. The dark haired boy smiled down at Cloud and ruffled his hair cutely.

"Actually, we are. Do you remember the person I was on the phone with earlier? My roommate?" Zack asked. Cloud nodded.

"His name was…Reno?"

"Yeah! That one. He texted me while we were on the train and said that he managed to get on a rail from Hokkaido to here, how exactly he managed to do so with no money in his pocket is beyond me, and I thought that since I kinda left him there stranded, we should wait up for him so that he doesn't do something reckless when we get home," Zack explained. Cloud blinked. He suddenly felt bad for Zack's roommate. The blond looked up at his boyfriend, worry written on his face.

"I feel bad for leaving him there…Do you think he'll be mad at me?" The high school student asked. Zack pondered the statement for a moment and smiled, giving a one-shouldered shrug.

"I don't think so. Reno usually doesn't get mad unnecessarily. If he's gonna be angry at anyone, it'll probably be me."

"Zackary Caelum Fair!" Cloud visibly jumped almost two feet in the air as a fiery redhead maneuvered his way through the throng of people walking up and down the stairs of the train station's platform. The boy immediately realized that the person scowling and walking towards the couple was none other than Reno himself. Zack had mentioned that Reno had red hair, but nothing of this magnitude!

Cloud couldn't help but notice the vibrant teal of the man's eyes as he stomped over to Zack, a snarl almost escaping the redhead's throat. "You left me stranded, moneyless, in Hokkaido! What kind of friend is that, yo?!" Reno cried, all but hiding his outrage. Zack smiled sheepishly and held up his hands in defeat.

"I know, I know! I'm a jerk, but you have to believe me when I say that I'm really sorry!" Zack retorted. Reno's scowl didn't falter.

"You'd better hope I forget this later, yo, or else I am going to be pissed beyond belief." Reno dropped the suitcase in his hands to the uneven cement ground below and ran a hand through his crimson locks that was held back by a rubber band, trailed down the middle of his back. The man extended his hand to Cloud who, moments ago, had desperately tried to hide behind Zack. "I'm Reno, and you're…Sky?" The blond blushed heavily and shook Reno's hand.

"I-It's Cloud. Nice to meet you," Cloud answered, "I'm really sorry that you were left in Hokkaido," he apologized. Reno gave a smile and shrugged simply.

"Eh, I guess I can sorta understand. But, if it happens again, yo, we might have to talk. I can't pick-pocket every politician I see in the train station again." The tall redhead gave a loud chortle as the color in Cloud's face drained. "I'm only kidding! I only took what I needed to get a ticket. Jeez, Zack, your boyfriend's got some major anxiety," Reno slapped Cloud's shoulder playfully, "Loosen up, blondie! You're in good hands here, yo."

"T-thanks." Cloud murmured. Zack rolled his eyes and took hold of Cloud's smaller hand.

"Don't scare him, Reno. Let's all go to the apartment; it's been a long day." Zack suggested. Reno nodded, giving his approval, and stepped out toward street. He stood on the curb and held his hand out, signaling for a taxi.

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Reno shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for his best friend and his best friend's boyfriend to arrive. The door to Zack and Reno's apartment was white, but hanging along the majority of the wooden entrance was a slab of whiteboard decorated in a colorful frenzy of dry erase marker messages. Some were rather old, their faint remains still legible on the board due to the fact that neither Zack nor Reno had the heart to erase such memories. Things like First day of First Year- Finally here! And Call Reno 345-6894 for a good time 2nite! Were closer clustered near a smudge of blue marker that could've possibly read College is Expensive. Please slip money under door to donate to the Fair Fund.

It was a refreshing sight for Cloud to see as he stepped upon the last step of the staircase and glanced at Reno smiling at the board.

"W-who ever decided to break the elevator, I'm gonna kill them!" Zack groaned as he slid against the railing and panted heavily.

"I…don't think that they meant to do it on purpose, Zack," Cloud suggested before holding out a helpful hand. The dark haired boy grasped his boyfriend's hand and pulled himself up. Reno glanced over his shoulder, shooting his friend a pitiful look.

"Why the hell are you so out of shape, yo?" He shot.

"Cause we live on the god-forsaken fourth floor and we had to walk all the way up those four god-forsaken floors! And, if you hadn't decided to make it a race half way through the second floor, I wouldn't be so tired!" Zack shouted. Reno fished a key out of his jacket pocket and inserted it into the door before the raven-haired boy could spiral into another fit.

"All right, I'm sorry, yo! Just get inside before Vincent hears you and comes out to complain again." The redhead grabbed Zack and Cloud by the shoulder and hauled them into the room. Cloud stumbled, grabbing Zack's sleeve before he could fall and blushed lightly when Zack's large hand covered his own. The boy glanced around, taking in the new environment that surrounded him. The apartment was much nicer than Cloud's Kyoto one had been. The floors were a polished, lightwood that caught the light from the broad windows well. Upon entering, Cloud was greeted by a small sitting room to the right, housing a rather large flat screen TV and a comfy looking black leather couch. The kitchen was straight ahead, appearing to have stainless steel appliances, followed by a hallway on the left hand side- all the walls painted a subtle white. Cloud made a mental note to further examine the kitchen later.

"Vincent…?" He questioned after a moment of scanning the small entryway the couple and Reno were currently occupying. The taller boy's deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Vincent is in the same sociology class that Reno and I take on Thursdays. He's studying to be a psychologist, and just so happens to sit two rows behind Reno and I. The man is hopeless infatuated! Vincent actually lives," Zack poked his head out into the hallway, pushing past Reno, "Right over there." The boy pointed to a room two doors diagonally from where they currently were.

"Ah, that explains things. So, Vincent is Reno's…boyfriend?" Cloud watched as Reno pulled Zack back in by the collar and slammed the door shut, the tall man's face as red as his hair.

"Don't I wish, yo," Reno scoffed, obviously having heard the conversation. He shrugged his jacket off and threw it haphazardly onto a coat hanger. "Anyway, would you like a tour of place? It would be such a pain to have you wandering around early in the morning looking for the bathroom. I am not dragging my ass out of bed to hold your hand and guide you." Cloud frowned. He wasn't sure if Reno was putting on an 'I'm-The-Shit-Around-Here' attitude just because he wanted to make sure that Cloud knew 'his place', or if this was just the fiery man's disposition.

Cloud really hoped it was the first of the two.

"You won't have to worry about a thing, Reno! I'm more than willing to gold Cloud's hand and guide him around," Zack chirped nervously. He quickly entwined his fingers with Cloud's and led the boy down a quiet hallway. Zack sighed heavily once they were out of sight of the redhead. He smiled warily up at Cloud. "I'm really sorry about that, Cloudo. Reno doesn't usually act so…aggressive. I guess he's just got his guard up cause he's not used to having another person in his space, ya know? But, give him a day or two and I promise you he'll come around." Zack reassured. Cloud gave a hopeful smile in return.

"I hope you're right. Reno seems like an interesting guy. I don't want him to feel like I'm invading in his bubble."

"You two will be good friends in no time, I know it!" Zack squeezed Cloud's warm hand lightly before guiding the younger boy further down the corridor. "C'mon, I'll give you the tour myself while Reno cools off."

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"This is the bathroom, the only bathroom." Zack held open the door of the nearest room for Cloud to examine. The blond glanced inside the washroom, wondering if it was going to be like the other areas Zack had just shown him. Stainless steel and newly renovated appliances had shown brightly at the boy in every room Cloud had entered. The apartment, while having a very cozy atmosphere, had an appearance that screamed MINIMALIST. Ah, a stainless steel basin! How much stainless steel can two people have in an apartment?? Cloud squeezed Zack's hand and pulled his head out, a curious look on his face as he smiled.

"It's lovely, and I don't take very long showers anyway, so there's nothing to worry about. But… everything looks so new."

"Six months isn't exactly new, but hey, I'm just going by my book, yo." Reno waltzed up to the couple with his hands in his pockets.

"What happened six months ago?" Cloud asked.

"Eh, do I have ta tell the story?" The redhead groaned. Zack chuckled and wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulder.

"Reno hates to tell this story. When people ask, sometimes he'll tell them that he found all of it on the street just to get them to buzz off."

"That's cause all of them are just bimbos who want to date me for my money! They're so dense they don't even know that I'm not interested in their gender." Reno scoffed. He leaned against the wall adjacent to the bathroom and folded his arms across his chest. Cloud glanced at Zack in a confused manner before the redhead continued. "My grandfather owned a little café that was famous for their fountain drinks. When I was little, my friends and I would always go to Grandpa's café after school. And when I was about twelve the fountain drinks became so popular that he finally decided to paten the soda that he had created and began selling them through out Japan. The company is now called Soda Nikka Co., and when Gramps passed away, I inherited the position of Vice-President, and along with an infinite supply of soda whenever I'm craving it, I also got a large sum of money bequeathed in Grandpa's will for me. That's what happened six months ago." Cloud's eyes grew wide.

"Ah, I know Soda Nikka Co.! They're in competition with Nippon Soda, right?" The boy asked with eagerness in his voice. Reno raised a red eyebrow.

"Yeah, we are. How'd ya know?"

"I work for a tea house back in Kyoto, and we serve products from Soda Nikka Co. during the summer." Cloud smiled softly to Reno, trying to ease the tension, "I like your sodas a lot. They're really delicious, and I think that the customers like them a lot more than Nippon's."

"Really? Well…thanks, yo, I guess," Reno rubbed the back of his head at the base of his ponytail and glanced to the side. Zack smacked the blond boy's back with a large grin plastered on his face.

"See! I told you Reno would warm up to you!" Reno glared at his friend and smacked his roommate across the head.

"Ow!" Zack frantically rubbed the top of his head, whining and leaning against Cloud as he tried to stop the throbbing of the bump.

"If you talk about me behind my back, yo, there's gonna be problems," Reno warned. He gave Zack a shove down the hallway before the man could retort. "Show your arm candy the rest of the house. I'm gonna call Grandma to see how she's doing."

"Sure, sure. I'm not sure how Vincent will like you using the 'Grandma' excuse when you call him." Zack shouted playfully as he opened a door a few paces left of the bathroom. Reno flipped the black-haired boy the finger as he stomped off into the kitchen. Cloud watched the redhead leave and turned to Zack who was having a very difficult time containing his laughter.

"Do you two always act like this?" He asked, chuckling as Zack lead him to the end of the hallway.

"You bet! It'll be really fun with you, though," The raven-haired said. He stopped at the end of the corridor, smiling at his beloved as the boy stood beside him, staring at the door in curiosity.

"What room is this?" Cloud asked.

"This, Cloud, is our room." A wave of warmth ran its way from the top of Cloud's head to the soles of his feet. Our room. My room with Zack…together. Zack took Cloud's hand in his, placing it over the doorknob so that they turned the handle at the same time.

Cloud's heart leapt when he saw the room. There was a grand window on the front wall, flooding the large bed with warm light. The covers were a soft, faded black, cool and welcoming. The walls were a blue, a light blue that reminded Cloud so much of the sky. A closet was behind him, but the blond barely noticed as he plopped himself onto the bed.

"It's so…perfect," Cloud said, his speech muffled by the blankets. Zack came to sit beside the boy, rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades.

"Is it? I'm glad you think so." They sat in a moments silence, just listening to one another breathe. "We can redecorate it, or paint it a different color if you like."

"Mm… I actually think I love it now." Cloud flipped onto his back, staring up at the white ceiling. Zack came to lie on his own back aside of Cloud, hands folded behind his head.

"I was hoping that you would." Zack smiled at his boyfriend, a pleasantly warm action. Cloud gently placed a kiss onto the other's lips, returning the smile. Cloud hummed in reply before glancing back around the room. I can't believe I have the honor of living in this room with Zack! Ah, but when I move all my stuff in… it's gonna be a mess! I'll have to find somewhere to put all my textbooks for class.

"…What are we going to do about high schools?" Cloud turned on his side so that he was facing Zack, looking at him in the eyes as if it would automatically answer his question. Zack quirked the side of his mouth up in thought.

"Hmm. Well, I can think of more than one school that would be glad to accept you, but since we don't want any of your wonderful talent to go to waste, Reno and I will do some searching- with your say, of course- how does that sound?"

"Mm, that sounds great." Cloud beamed, wrapping an arm around Zack's waist. He buried his face into the elder's shoulder, taking in the scent that he had come to love so much. "You know…you kind of seem like a guardian figure when you take care of me like this."

"Guardian? Heh, I'm gonna take that as a compliment."

Cloud nodded into the crook of Zack's neck.

"My parents, guardians, were always very kind to me. So, I guess it is a compliment then."

"Mm." Cloud lifted his head so that he could lock his blue eyes with bright green ones.

"But you're not a parent figure in my eyes Zack, you're the love of my life." Zack chuckled lightly, not use to Cloud saying something so deeply sweet, a small blush apparent on his cheeks.

"Thank you, Cloud. That means the world to me." They kissed gently, like a tender moment waiting to be locked away in time, soft lips pressed against soft lips.

"Hey, are you two gonna lock lips all day, or are we gonna go do something, yo?" Cloud and Zack froze, not even aware that the redhead had entered the room.

"It's called knocking, Reno." Zack said, ruffling Cloud's hair and chuckling at the bright blush spreading across his face.

"Knocking? Never heard of it. You'll have to teach me," Reno sat him self on the corner of Zack's dresser, looking at the couple with his livid teal eyes.

"Did you finish talking to Vincent so soon?" Zack teased, sitting up. Reno rolled his eyes.

"My Grandma is doing well, thank you. She was very happy to hear that people in Kyoto at Cloud's tea house like our products."

"That's good," Zack said, winking. Cloud nodded and sat up beside his boyfriend.

"Um, do you mind if I borrow the phone?" The blond asked.

"You mean our phone?" Zack pressed. Cloud rolled his eyes playfully.

"Yes, our phone," Cloud stood up as Reno hitched a thumb over his shoulder.

"In the kitchen to the left, yo." The high school student exited the room, all the while silently hoping that Zack and Reno wouldn't tear each other to shreds while he was gone. I honestly have no idea how these two have lived together all these years! Bromance was something Cloud had never been able to fathom. Except, maybe with the person the boy was about to call.

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"Kunsel here."

"Kunsel? Hey, it's Cloud."

"Cloud?! Man, where have you been lately? I've been looking all over town for you. What, did you just up and leave me?" Kunsel asked, humor in his voice.

"Ah, actually, I did leave," Cloud said, laughing lightheartedly, rubbing the back of his head.

There was a moment's pause.

"…Really? So you're like…not in Kyoto?"

"Ah… pretty much.

"So…where are you at right now? You haven't been kidnapped, right?"

A laugh was heard from Kunsel's side of the headset.

"No, I haven't been kidnapped. I um…suddenly found someone that I…fell madly in love with, and they asked me to move in with him, and I obliged right away." Cloud froze, his blue eyes widening. Oh shit, I just said 'him'!

"Him?"

"Ah…well…" Cloud sighed, knowing that trying to cover up his situation now would do no good for anyone. Maybe if I have the confidence to tell Kunsel, I'll be able to tell other then, too. "It just kind of happened, Y'know? But I don't regret it at all. He's an amazing guy Kunsel, really."

"Wow! That's so cool man; I didn't know you had it in you! A boyfriend? Jeez Cloud, you're beating me in the love game." Cloud laughed, inwardly thanking the gods that the hardest part was over.

"Ah, but you always beat me in Calculus."

"And I always will! Don't you forget it!" Cloud and said best friend shared a momentary chuckle before clearing their minds.

"Yeah. We're in Tokyo right now, but I had a small favor to ask you before I came back to get my stuff."

"Whoa, wait! Tokyo? Man, you have nice city boy under your arm! Of that, I am honorably jealous."

"Hah, thanks."

"No problem. Now what was that favor?"

"I was wondering if it would be any trouble to go over to my place and start boxing up. I'll be over on Monday hopefully to help with the rest, but it would mean the world to me."

"It would be my honor!"

"Really? Just like that?"

"You bet. Hey, think of this as me paying you back from…when you fished my pants out of the pond near the middle school. Remember that?"

"How could I not? It was that group of jocks on the day before Golden Week."


"Ah, good times."

"Something of the sort." Cloud smiled, leaning against the countertop. He cringed suddenly when the sound of someone tackling another to the floor was heard.

"Right-o then. I'll start packing stuff up tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Yeah. You know how to box, right?"

"By rooms."

"At least someone paid attention in Home Ec."

"But at least you never burned the food." Cloud laughed lightly before jumping two feet in the air at the sound of Reno shouting 'FOR SPARTA!'.

"Ah…it seems my services are needed elsewhere."

A chuckle was heard in Cloud's ear.

"Alright then, go save your boyfriend."

"Take care Kunsel."

"Alright man, you too. Give my regards to your significant other and the Spartan."

"Will do." Cloud sighed a content sigh, placing the phone back on the cradle.

"GET OFFFFFF!" Zack cried from the other room, signaling for Cloud to come and save him. He walked slowly into the room to see his boyfriend pinned on the ground by Reno's foot, the redhead currently hitting Zack over the head with a pillow.

"Reno, could you refrain from tormenting my boyfriend?" Cloud asked, humor in his voice as he seated himself in the cool, black leather couch.

"He was askin' for it, yo," Reno argued, unwillingly stepping off the dark haired boy.

"Cloud! Reno stepped on me!" Zack whined, crawling over and setting his head in Cloud's lap. The blonde smiled, running his fingers through Zack's hair.

"Did you deserve it?"

"No."

"Well Zack, what did you do to make him angry?" Cloud asked, feeling as though he was trying to talk calmly to a child.

"I dunno." Zack looked up at Cloud with big, sad puppy eyes.

"'Teasing me 'bout Vincent, yo." Reno mumbled under his breath.

"Alright. Zack, no teasing Reno. Reno, no torturing Zack. Yeah?" Two solemn nods followed by Reno throwing the pillow onto the couch.

"So, what now?" Reno asked, his attention span having already reached its limit.

"Let's show Cloud around the neighborhood!" Zack suggested. He looked at Cloud and smiled, "You know, in case you wanna walk around if Reno and I have a late class one day."

"Oh, that'd be cool! I've actually been wondering what exactly there is to do around here," Cloud admitted. Zack laughed momentarily, wiping his eyes as he gave his boyfriend an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but that was just so cute!" The raven-haired apologized.

"It's Tokyo, yo. There're more things to do than fathomable," Reno added. Cloud ran a hand through his blond hair and smiled sheepishly.

"Ah, is there really? What if I get lost when I'm here? It would be so embarrassing to get a call from me halfway through a class saying that I was lost in the middle of Tokyo."

"Well, that's why we're gonna show you around now, so that something like that won't happen!" Zack explained.

"Ah, let's go then!" Cloud's statement was unnecessary, though. Zack and Reno were already zipping out of the apartment before Cloud had a chance to grab his jacket.

"Last one outside buys the other beer, yo!"

"Oh!" Zack's voice could be heard from the very top of the stairwell. "It is SO on!"

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A/N: Ah, thank you so much for reading! I hope that I didn't butcher it from the original too much! But, this is a fresh start, so I hope you guys like it! Reviews are loved, and so are you! If you have any questions, concerns, etc, you can Private Message me or find me on deviantart under Chocobo-Cloud. Thank you, again! Take care!

There is a poll on my profile concerning the future events of this story! If you have a second to spare, please vote!

It's good to be back!

--Chocobo-Cloud