Chapter Three- One Big Distraction (Rewritten)

Okay, here we go again. I rewrote it to make it longer and to include Oktoberfest. It was bugging me. The Faded Guardian wanted to see the Oktoberfest part and so did I, actually.

Disclaimer: Me still no ownie

Leon wanted to tell Cloud the truth. He really did. The problem was that it was never easy to tell someone you liked them.

Leon had promised himself he'd tell Cloud today. After all, what was the worst that could happen if Cloud rejected him the day before a three day weekend? Leon knew he wouldn't see Cloud over the weekend, so things would have time to rest before they had to look at each other again.

Pulling himself out of thoughts about Cloud, Leon realized he had spun the lock a little too far and missed the last number. He sighed, beginning the whole process again.

Once he succeeded in getting the numbers right, he had to fight against his locker. It became quickly necessary to actually place a foot against the locker on his left as he pulled. He knew the stupid thing had come undone, but it wasn't coming out, and that was the problem.

"Leon. Stop. Hold on. Fine."

Riku, standing at his locker next to Leon's, planted a well placed kick against the bottom of the door.

The door swung open instantly and Leon lost his footing. People let out a yell at the sudden detour they had to take to avoid Leon on the floor. Laying there, Leon groaned. This day was not going as easily as he had planned. And the hardest part was yet to come.

Actually, the hardest part of it all was now standing above him with an amused grin on his face.

"You know there are easier ways to look at the ceiling, Leon,'' Cloud said, holding a hand out to help Leon up.

Leon wanted to laugh aloud, and yet strangle Cloud at the same time. He guessed, in a way, that was part of liking someone. You could have the urge to kill them, yet you knew you'd never lay a hand on them.

"Ha ha, Cloud."

Leon turned back to his locker, bending over to get the books off the bottom. Cloud stood beside him, looking in the locker, a look of amazement on his face.

"Wow, Leon, don't you think you should clean that? I bet you if I looked I could find a moldy sandwich or something."

"No, there's nothing that bad in there, geez."

"That bad? What do you have in there that is bad? Do I even want to know?"

Oh, yes, Cloud was in a bit of a giddy mood, Leon could tell. Must be the three day weekend. Three day weekends simply were awesome.

"Come on, let's get going,'' Leon said, shutting his locker. "We don't want to get caught up in hall traffic and miss the bus."

Walking side by side with Cloud, Leon knew he ought to be telling him the truth now. Before they got outside, and while he still had half the nerve to.

But yet he knew it'd be better to do it outside, where less people would hear this confession. He didn't want it all over school Monday either. Yeah, outside was better.

He was stalling, and he knew it. Somehow TV made confessing look so much easier.

The stairwell proved to be as much chaos as it normally was. The turns in that hallway was tight and you could never see if anybody was on the other side. Leon considered it a safety hazard, and most people agreed with him, including Cloud, which always made him feel happy.

The lobby of the school was a mess of bodies, as usual. Every couple steps Leon would take a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Cloud was still behind him. He knew from past experience that you really could lose someone in crowds of people like this.

Once outside and into more open area, the two fell into even pace with each other and were side by side. Leon was aware that he had to tell Cloud before they reached his bus, near the back of the line of buses at the sidewalk.

Here we go, Leon thought. Just say it.

"Cloud, I-"

Leon found himself cut off by a scream from the duo walking ahead of them.

"Evil monkeys are taking over the world!"

Leon glared at Axel, only slightly questioning the evil monkeys. He was too angry to really think about evil primates taking over the world.

He had opened his mouth, ready to say something about it, but was cut off yet again.

"And the evil masks too!"

Leon clenched his fists, because he knew if he didn't he'd strangle both Axel and Roxas. He was strained a bit about the whole confession thing, he didn't need help from two hyper teens shouting about the world being taken over.

"You were saying something?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to kill them,'' Leon muttered, still staring the duo.

"Have they been like this all day?"

"Doubt it. Probably only after the last bell rang."

Cloud nodded, understanding the reasoning.

"Cloud, I-"

"Yeah, the evil masks! And the crab people!"

"I forgot about the crab people!" Roxas shouted. "They're coming too!"

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Cloud asked.

"No, but if it's coming from them, most people won't."

Cloud laughed and it made Leon smile. He liked that laugh.

And it also reminded him yet again of what he ought to be doing. He had to ignore Axel and Roxas being insane. The end of the line of buses was coming quickly and he had to say it today, before he had the three day weekend to convince himself not to.

"Hey, Cloud,'' Leon began again. "I-"

"We need to go to Mars!" Axel shouted.

"Mars is the only safe place!" Roxas yelled in agreement.

"What were you going to say?"

"I'm going to send them to Mars, I swear."

Cloud laughed hard.

Leon's bus was last in line, and he could see the side of it now. He realized the one advantage to getting close to the end of the line. Roxas and Axel would have to get on their bus.

The duo in the back, consisting of Leon and Cloud, were silent and listened to the duo in front of them shout. Leon kept trying to tell his mouth to open, but it refused. He wanted to tell Cloud, but he just didn't know how.

"What if the monkeys, the masks, and the crab people try taking over the world together? What if they're in a bunker doing it now?"'

Leon couldn't ever remember being so happy to see bus nineteen.

Roxas had to turn around to get on the bus, having almost passed it up. When he turned around he saw Leon.

"You need to go to Mars!" Roxas shouted, poking Leon square in the head.

Roxas was gone into the bus before Leon could grab him.

They're taking over the world!" Axel screamed, poking Leon in the head, and avoiding Leon's grip long enough to get on the bus.

When Leon looked back over at Cloud, Cloud looked like he might just die from laughing. For the first second Leon wanted to strangle him, but then changed his mind. Seeing Cloud laughing made him feel better.

Now only if the boy would stop laughing.

It took a minute for Cloud to gather himself again and Leon knew better than to try to say it before.

And when Cloud stopped laughing they were standing in front of Leon's bus.

There was no proper time to tell Cloud, like Leon had thought whenever he imagined it. The bus would be moving soon and the driver would be shouting at him any second.

Not caring what the boy's reaction would be, Leon kissed him.

Without looking behind him, Leon jumped onto the bus.

If Leon had looked, he would have seen Cloud standing there blushing, a small smile on his face.

At least, Leon thought, he wouldn't have to see him for about seventy-two hours. He wouldn't really have to face what he had just done until Monday.

And then, while he sat with his head rested against the window as the bus began to drive away, he remembered Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest that lasted all weekend. Oktoberfest that everyone loved going to.

Like Cloud and Leon.

Now, just not going to Oktoberfest wasn't an option for Leon. He would have considered it, but when you lived close enough to hear it with every door shut in the house and smell it if one window was open a crack, you had no choice but to go.

Leon was pretty sure Cloud would be coming too, as much as he hated to admit it. Cloud lived only a few houses down from Leon, and shared the same predicaments about hearing and smelling Oktoberfest.

While Leon ate his funnel cake, he saw just about everybody from school except Cloud. He didn't know whether to be relieved at this or disappointed. Heck, for the last couple years the two of them had walked around for most of Oktoberfest together.

Yeah, but that was before you randomly kissed him, he reminded himself. You probably freaked him out.

After he threw the plate away, he went off to roam the two blocks it covered. He found it odd to be walking alone. Most people went with friends, family, or dates. He swore he must have been the only one walking alone there.

Trying to pull himself away from those thoughts, he ducked into the first tent he found.

It was a new one he hadn't seen last year, but decided he liked, even under the circumstances. Rows upon rows of sunglasses laid out before him. Sure, it was night out and he couldn't use daylight to test them, but there were light bulbs lit up that he could use.

Some of the glasses looked rather cool and durable, which was what Leon needed after he sat on five different pairs and made them crooked, which made them useless. The others were little dinky ones that could neither block any light or withstand getting beat up.

The vendor talked to him and Leon gave simple answers back, having no desire to be talking to the guy half the night.

After about ten pairs Leon thought he had found one that might manage to last him a month. He tried it on, resisting the urge to pull off that annoying tag that hung down onto your nose.

"Hey, Leon."

Leon jumped and knew he did. He thought it sounded like Cloud, but he would have seen Cloud by now.

When he turned around he was staring, and thankful that he had glasses on. Standing there was indeed Cloud.

"Do you realize how hard you made it to find you? Gad I to ask Axel and Roxas if they saw you. And then I had to deal with a fifteen minute talk about how I need to go to Mars because it's the only safe place from the evil masks and evil monkeys, and that crab people can transform and look like anyone!"

Leon started laughing, he couldn't help it. He could image Axel and Roxas shouting about it again and could very well picture Cloud there listening to it all.

"Leon, that's not funny."

"Yes, it is,'' Leon argued, grinning wide.

"No, it isn't. They're both even more hyper now because they've had funnel cake. At least three each. I am not going anywhere around them for the rest of the night. And it isn't funny!"

The vendor was casting an odd look their way.

"Yes, it is,'' Leon repeated.

"And it was funny when Axel and Roxas poked you square in the head before getting on the bus."

Just as Cloud had predicted, that made Leon stop laughing immediately.

"Hey, that wasn't funny."

"Yes, it was,'' Cloud said, grinning.

They let out a laugh together.

"Listen, about what happened today, I didn't mean-"

"To wait so long,'' Cloud finished, a smile on his face.

Leon was in shock, his mouth hung open a bit. It hadn't been what he had meant to say at all, but it was something he did feel.

Cloud took advantage of it and kissed him.

When Cloud pulled away, he rubbed a hand over his nose.

"That tag itches."

Okay, so how was that? Let me know what you think please!

To let you all know, if you're wondering where the evil masks, monkeys, and crab people came from that Axel and Roxas were talking about, it came from LarsJr who sometimes reviews my stuff. That conversation actually happened between me and her. In full view of buses and everyone leaving for the three day weekend that included Oktoberfest. I was screaming about evil monkeys and that. XD I have no idea how that whole conversation happened.

So let me know what you think about how I changed it. Any ideas for what you want to see would be cool too.

Thanks goes here to my reviewers of this story- Lonleykitsune, The Wandering Gambler, LarsJr, The Faded Guardian, Saphireyes15, Firey-Moonlight! Thanks all, you make it all worthwhile!