Chapter Two: First Impressions
Hello again! Hope you like.
Disclaiming – I own two PS3s and a shitload of awesome games … but I don't own FFVII or the characters, etc etc etc.
Cloud straightened and turned to his right as the door opened. He could only assume this was his roommate. He was short, roughly Cloud's height, with straight black shoulder-length hair and big brown eyes. He looked Cloud over, head to toe, with a sharp appraising glance, and then smiled with what appeared to be mild relief.
"Hello, roommate-kun!" He shut the door behind him and walked right up to Cloud, his gaze on Cloud's face searchingly. He seemed satisfied with what he saw there, as his smile grew even wider.
For his part, Cloud frowned as he looked at his new roomie. He could only be described as cute. "Heh," he said. "Cloud Strife."
Midori giggled and covered his mouth with a small manicured hand. "Cloud … really? I'm Midori. Hajimemashite!"
"Uh, yeah," Cloud said.
"Well … it's obvious why they put us together, ne? You're just my size!" Midori kicked off his wooden sandals and scampered to his bed, where he flopped down and grabbed a pillow, hugging it at his mid-section.
"What?" Cloud asked, a frown visible between his eyebrows.
"They try to put people together who are similarly built," Midori said with a little smile.
"Ah."
"Oh! Your stuff from home is outside the door, in our little hallway."
"Huh?" Cloud turned and looked at the strange teen. This kid changed topics faster than a cactuar on a date.
"They drop your bags off outside and knock. Guess you didn't hear them, ne? What were you doing? Busy?" He made the last word sound like something naughty, just with his tone of voice.
"No. I … fell asleep." Cloud turned and walked to the door, opening it and grabbing up his two suitcases and two boxes of stuff he'd brought from home. He brought everything inside and placed them on the floor by his bed, then opened up the largest box and began unpacking. Midori watched with interest.
"Cloud is a cute name," the dark-haired kid said.
"Isn't Midori a girl's name?" Cloud responded with an air of I-don't-care.
"Hai, hai," Midori replied. "But it's better for me than my /real/ first name. I'll tell you a secret. It's James! Isn't that hideous? It doesn't suit me at all, right?" Midori was bouncing on his bed.
"Hnh," Cloud grunted in response. He freed all his bathroom stuff from the box and took it into the small bathroom that stood on one side of the room door. Sink, toilet, shower. Basic and functional.
"You can have the right sides, just like out here, ne?" he heard Midori say behind him.
"Thanks." He unloaded everything – and there wasn't much – then returned to the main room.
"That door," Midori said, pointing to the one on the other side of the room door, "is the closet. Again, right side, yeah?"
"Thanks."
It didn't take Cloud long to unpack. His uniforms were hung carefully up in the closet, his civilian clothes were split between there and the dresser, and his laptop and chargers were the only things on his desk. He had more personal things to place, but he just didn't want to do it under Midori's watchful eyes.
"That's a cute hat," Midori said when Cloud finished putting the empty suitcases and boxes in the closet – on his side. "I like how it sticks out from the back of your head. Will you let me borrow it sometime?"
"I'm usually wearing it."
"But you won't be able to wear it in uniform! We have to wear the helmets or the berets!"
"I … don't like sharing my clothes, man. Sorry." Cloud sat down on his bed and looked at his roommate. Midori looked back with a pout.
"I'm second year … on the Admin track. What about you?" Midori asked, watching Cloud's face.
"First year, of course … SOLDIER track."
"Wow." Midori looked impressed, then doubtful. "Well … um … most SOLDIERs are, you know, big."
"I know."
"Well," Midori giggled. "Good luck, Cloud-kun!"
Cloud sighed. This … cuteness … was slightly irritating. There was a moment's silence, wherein the two boys appraised each other. Midori was looking rather smug, Cloud thought. Cutting through the bullshit, he said, "So. What are the rules?"
"Rules?" Innocently.
"Yeah. Spill. You've been here longer, so this is your room. Apparently we're stuck together, so … what are the rules." The sun was sinking outside, Cloud noted, turning the sky a brilliant panorama of peaches and pinks.
"Well … there is one thing …" Midori began, looking down and drawing on the tatami with a stockinged toe.
Cloud looked at him, waiting.
"I … I have a boyfriend." He looked back up at Cloud and spoke rapidly now. "And we can't meet up sometimes unless he comes here. So … I guess you can leave and go to the lounge or the gym or something? Is … is that okay?" Although Midori's face appeared to be anxious to please, his eyes were sharp.
Cloud reined in his desire to make a disgusted face. His roommate was gay. Great. But he'd known about this kind of thing, his mom and his uncle had talked with him about it. There weren't many women in the ShinRa army, and the barracks were not co-ed. Men tossed in together like that, sometimes things happened. But if he was careful and mindful of his surroundings, he should be okay, they said. Cloud still didn't know what to think about it all.
He sighed. "Yeah, whatever. You want to leave me some kind of sign when you're in here with him? On the door or somethin'? I don't want to walk in on anything."
"Hmm," Midori tilted his head prettily and tapped his lips with a finger. "How about … I'll hang this on the door." He rummaged through his nightstand drawer and came out with a phone strap. A little Hamtaro hung from it. "Okay?"
"Fine." Cloud was getting irritated. "But I don't want to be spending the night out in the hallway, shit like that. I know it was your room first but it's mine, too, and –"
"Oh no, Cloud-chan! No no no, he can't spend the night!" Midori giggled. "Don't worry, ne? You won't be locked out for long."
Silence fell. Midori kicked his feet and hummed a little tune, looking around the room. Cloud sighed and picked up his iPod from where he'd tossed it on the bed, grabbing up the earphones in the same motion. "Well, I'm going to go try to find something to eat."
"Wait! I'll come with you! I can show you around!" Midori excitedly jumped off his bed and slipped his feet back into his sandals. It was at this moment that Cloud realized that the other boy was wearing a yukata.
"Man … you, uh, don't wanna change?"
"I'm part Wutaian, Cloud-kohei … I always wear stuff like this!" He spun in place, the white robe-like garment fanning out slightly.
"Fine. I don't care. Let's go." Cloud slipped his arms back into his gray hoodie and zipped it partway up, then slid his feet back into his banged-up Converse shoes. Grabbing his ID/key card lanyard, he slipped it around his neck and felt for his wallet. "Ready?"
"Let me check my hair!" Midori squeaked, running for the bathroom. The door slammed behind him. Cloud waited impatiently, his stomach growling now, finally realizing he'd not had anything to eat since early that morning.
Ten long minutes later, the door opened. "I'm ready!" Midori exited, his hair shining, a dab of what appeared to be lip gloss on his lower lip, and smelling like flowers.
Cloud frowned, then shrugged. "Lead the way."
XXX
"… and over here is the laundry. You don't have to do it, you just have to drop your stuff off. Although, to be honest, I do most of my own clothes. But they'll do your uniforms and deliver them back up to our hallway, just like they did with your bags." Midori had turned out to be a running font of information. He'd shown Cloud where the mailboxes were, where the lounge was, and where to go to get sodas or snacks. After leaving the Deusericus Building, he'd pointed out the main mailroom, the gym, the track, and the training center – where Cloud would report in the morning for the first day of "classes".
Now they were on their way into the Chow Hall, and Cloud slowed. It looked busy. He adjusted his glasses and his hat, pressed his lips together in a straight line, and chuffed a breath out through his nose.
"Oh, don't be shy, Cloud-kun," Midori said, coming in close and taking Cloud's arm. "It'll be fine … I'll introduce you!"
Cloud wanted to pull away, but he was going to have to live with this guy for at least a year. To keep the peace, he just nodded and let himself be propelled along.
Entering the Chow Hall meant leaving the relative quiet of the complex and entering mayhem. It seemed that everyone was talking, the chatter setting up a buzzing in Cloud's head. He looked around … the Hall was filled with men and boys, with a few women and girls scattered here and there. A few looked up at the two when they entered.
Midori began working the room. Honestly, Cloud had to admit to being impressed. The little guy flirted, chatted, winked, blushed, and fluttered like a butterfly from table to table, Cloud in tow. He was introduced to people, he must have said "heh" a hundred times, his hand was shaken or his back was slapped. One who stuck out was Reno … the redhead with the ponytail Cloud had noticed when he'd first arrived. FINALLY they arrived at the end of the tables, near the start of the chow line – and Cloud had had more than enough.
"Midori, this has been … cool, but if I don't get something to eat, like, NOW I'm going to chew my own arm off."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Cloud-chan! Come on!" His little face beamed as he pulled Cloud over to place their food order, after, of course, introducing him to the people who worked in the kitchen. One man smiled at Midori in a slightly predatory fashion and gave him a free dessert.
When they had their trays and were heading back to sit down, Midori leaned over close and whispered, "Treat the workers well and they'll treat you well, right?" Which gave Cloud a little insight into Midori's character. But he'd withhold judgment for now. He'd try, anyway.
They were eating – Cloud had gotten something that vaguely resembled a roast beef sandwich and Midori was picking at a plate of fruit – when Midori's gaze sharpened. He was staring at one of the entrances into the Chow Hall with a glint of … something in his eyes. Cloud was reminded of the predatory gaze of the kitchen line worker. "Mmm," he mused. "Commander Rhapsodos." He licked his lips and gave a little 'lookie there' gesture with his eyes and head.
Cloud turned his head and knew immediately who Midori was talking about. A tall redheaded man was standing at the doors, chatting animatedly with … Zack Fair. As Cloud watched, another man joined them. Not quite as tall, with dark brown hair brushed back from his face, muscular and powerful-looking where Rhapsodos was more long and lean. Both wore leather uniforms, Rhapsodos in red and the other man in more subdued tones of brown and blue. Cloud turned back around, sipped his drink, then asked who it was with the Commander.
"Well, you met Zack, ne?" Midori asked. At Cloud's nod he continued, "The other is Commander Hewley." Midori's face looked hungry, his eyes intent on the three SOLDIERs. When he noticed that Cloud was watching, he picked up a peach slice and sucked on it.
Cloud put down his drink and finished his sandwich in two huge bites. "'M done," he muttered, standing. "Meetcha back at the room later." He stood up with his tray, ignoring Midori's frantic motions for him to sit back down. He turned and ran smack into Zack.
The tray went flying, the empty plate and drink did, too … but Zack was faster. He caught the tray and the drink, then held the tray under the plate as it floated back down. "Whoa, watch it there, Cloud!" he said laughingly. The Chow Hall erupted with applause and catcalls. Zack bowed with a flourish, handing the drink back to a blushing Cloud.
GOD, why was he so fucking clumsy all the time? It just attracted attention!
He turned to go when he was caught in a half-nelson, suddenly enveloped in the warmth and musky-sweet scent of Zack Fair. "Hey, where ya goin' so fast, Cloud? C'mere, wantcha to meet some—"
But Cloud slid out of the hold like quicksilver, and Zack looked surprised to find himself holding nothing but air. "Sorry, SOLDIER Second Fair … I, uh … I gotta go." Cloud turned and headed for the door at a quick walk.
"Hehhh," Genesis Rhapsodos said as he walked up behind Zack. "Who was that?"
"One of the new cadets in my building," Zack said. "He's in the SOLDIER program, Cloud Strife."
"He's little," Angeal Hewley said as he joined his friends. His face displayed doubt.
"Well, c'mon, let's go catch him and we can talk to him, find out what's what," Zack said, smiling his ever-present brilliant grin. "He can't've gotten far." Zack ran to the doors, followed by the ambling Commanders. They stepped outside.
"Where … what the fuck?" Zack said. He was staring across the quad, watching Cloud's figure disappear around the corner of the Marzan Building. It was approximately 100 meters away.
"Holy shit," Angeal muttered. "He ran that in, what … five seconds?"
"That kid's fast," Genesis drawled.
XXX
Hope you like it so far. Yes, I'm a slow starter! Don't worry, the M rating will definitely be earned, I just like to build up to stuff.
As always, if you'd like to review, that would be lovely. Thanks for reading!
