Chapter 4: The Friendship Between Boys
It almost makes me jealous ~ Aqua, KH: BBS
Shit, the blond thought. Cloud had discovered a scene he wished he could erase from his memory. It wasn't quite explicit compared to his actual thoughts, but it had impacted him a great deal.
He'd never experienced making-out with anyone—save for the pretend make-out session he and Tifa convinced everyone about during a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven in a closet at a party a few years ago—but he was sure that the way Zack kissed Aerith had an intent to go far further...
He looks too into it to stop… Cloud thought. When he saw Zack's hand start unbuttoning Aerith's blouse, he rolled his eyes.
"You're going to get caught one day," he blurted out. He looked uncomfortable from where he stood in Ms. Gainsborough's blue office, and he shifted the left strap of his backpack while he glanced at his disheveled best friend. "Doors have locks for a reason."
Aerith fixed the silver buttons on her pink blouse, a slight blush creeping on her cheeks as Cloud refused to meet her disconcerted gaze. "I'm sorry about that," she apologized softly. She had a voice that could ease anyone's troubles, if only for a moment. It radiated a calm mystique, but even Cloud was in no mood to relent to her gentle demeanor today. He had enough on his mind already, and they were adding to his anxiety. He certainly didn't want Zack to lose everything he worked so hard for over a teacher who probably didn't see him as anything more than a lovesick puppy who was willing and eager.
In truth, the idea repulsed him, but he'd bite his tongue for the sake of his friend... or at least, he thought he would.
Amazing, isn't it? What stress could do a person—what it could make them say…?
It was actually Zack who decided to try and break the tension. "Don't worry about it." He was smiling down at her, eyes appreciative. "No harm, no foul."
Cloud rolled his eyes for the second time that morning, and his quiet voice emitted a scathing undertone. "This isn't something to just brush off so easily, Zack. Be serious for once." Cloud had always used a passive voice when it came to his best friend, but today the low, irritable, edginess Zack heard was enough to make him recoil his head back in sheer surprise. The older teen blinked in amazement while he tried to recover from his newfound shock, and once his brain had finally registered that Cloud was angry with him, he felt his own anger rising in retaliation.
This was the first time they'd ever had a reason to truly argue. Gaia help them that their spat was over a woman, something they promised to never quarrel about.
"Cloud," Zack warned, his eyes seeming cautious. "Look, I'm sorry; let it go, man. It won't happen again."
"That's what you said last time." Cloud gestured around the room. "And look where we are."
The malice flooding the room was enough to make Aerith step between the two in a wary manner. "You two—"
Zack stepped around her, pushing her behind him protectively. "You were fine with this when it started." The accusation wasn't true, but it was all Zack could say to defend himself in the sudden situation. He wasn't sure what to say to Cloud at a time like this. They'd never been in this scenario—and they were as close as brothers.
Both sets of blue eyes looked a bit confused, and apprehensive, about what they were quarrelling about.
Was it really worth losing their friendship over?
In a bit of panic, Aerith fixed some stray strands of her long—now disheveled—spiral ponytail, her green eyes darting between Zack and Cloud. "Boys…"
A flinch…
Zack had cringed upon hearing the name. I'm not a child. The action was barely noticeable, barely a twitch, but Cloud knew the title had hurt his pride, so much that he almost reached for him in a sense of protection.
Zack didn't miss the small action either, and for a moment, he thought Cloud to be a hell of class act for even bothering to worry about his feelings while they went through their first argument… but when they both met eyes again, all sympathy was gone.
Their faces hardened.
I'm still mad at you, they both childishly thought.
Cloud was still giving his best friend a pensive stare, but after further pondering, after knowing Aerith had unintentionally hurt his best friend's feelings, he knew his glare was meant more for her above all else.
The blond sighed, eyes lowering to the floor at this revelation, and his tense shoulders relaxed. His anger was lost, along with what he assumed the reality of his life to be. "Maybe I don't want to keep your secret anymore…" he whispered. "Maybe I just want to forget it all…" He looked utterly defeated with no traces of contentment on his disturbed features.
"Cloud," Aerith whispered. Her head began to shake slowly. "I—"
"We need to head to class, Zack," Cloud warned quietly, giving her a dismissive wave. "We're already late as it is."
Zack felt a little guilty, but also entirely grateful, after hearing this. After all that, he still doesn't want me to get into trouble… He'd picked a genuine person to have a friendship with, lasting even.
Aerith was nodding in agreement with Cloud as she watched him turn. "I'll write you both passes…" Cloud didn't stick around long enough for her to do so, opting to leave with rushed steps. Clearly, he'd had enough.
"Cloud," Zack called. He turned to Aerith and said, "See you later," before rushing after his friend.
"What about the passes?!" Aerith called out, but the teen had already left.
Zack closed the door behind him and saw a flash of blond round the corner. "Cloud…?!" Cloud had already made it towards the end of the next hall by the time the raven-haired teen had managed to catch up to him. "Cloud!" He skidded to a halt behind him as Cloud turned around and spared him a glance, eyes furrowing at the lonely sight. "I'm sorry," was the first thing he blurted out. "Aerith and I didn't mean to—"
"You never 'mean to,'" Cloud retorted. "That's how it all happened. You never meant to go there, but you did Zack. You both did." Cloud rubbed his temples, pacing back and forth. "And now I'm stuck in the middle of this—of everything..." I'm always in the middle of everything!
It didn't seem fair on his end. He felt like Nick Carraway from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby—the one soul who knew the secrets of everyone linked to him. He was the lock that sealed them away, and not once had he ever asked for anything in return, or spread their gossip.
All Cloud longed for now was to get away from his life here, to find something that made sense… if he didn't lose his mind first.
Zack's worried expression mirrored Cloud's as he felt the weight of his friend's words. It was a double meaning, and he knew his friend was suffering from more than just keeping his reputation under wraps. "So… are your folks actually going through with the div…?" Realization hit him, and he swore under his breath, smacking his forehead. "Damn it. Cloud, I'm really—"
"It's not your fault," the blond said. There was slight agitation in his quiet voice. "It was bound to happen, but you and her… I just…" He shrugged, shaking his head. "I just don't want you two getting caught, Zack. If anyone found out about this, you'd lose your blitzball scholarship. You know the scouts will drop you after hearing about something like that." The raven-haired teen had been offered a full ride to three of the top universities in the country, courtesy of his blitzball skills.
Zack regarded this with a slow, uneasy nod. "I get it, Cloud."
"Do you?" he challenged. "Because if you did then this wouldn't be happening."
Spare me the lecture… "I love her," Zack stated proudly.
Love isn't going to pay for your education. Cloud groaned when he realized how parental he sounded, but he'd been forced to grow up a long time ago. Fuming, he rubbed his temples again. "Zack—"
"And she loves me," the raven-haired teen finished.
Again, Cloud felt at his wits end. "Then you two can wait for each other. She should love you enough to do that, right?" Why does it seem like there's no reasoning with him?
Zack was frowning. "It's not that simple."
"It is that simple."
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is…"
Zack scoffed at the notion, shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand. You've never been in love. You won't even make a move on Tifa because you're afraid she might actually like you back—and you know you can't actually handle her liking you."
Too far…
Cloud had never been so pissed off before, and his eyes narrowed at the accusation. "And you have?" He tilted his head. "Really Zack? You're in love? You're in high school. What you're feeling is puppy love at best." He almost chuckled at his own pun, knowing everyone referred to Zack as a "puppy" on most days.
Neither were too keen to yell at each other, but the rage was their in their loathsome tones, their scowling eyes.
"…Ya know, I've never wanted to punch you before," Zack admitted, practically pouting at the idea. "Until now…" He'd uttered the last part out quietly, like he knew he'd regret saying them.
He had.
"Same," Cloud stated with a curt nod.
Zack stared at the blond, debating on what they should do next… I don't wanna fight you spikes, he thought. He knew Cloud was thinking the same.
Eventually, they both sighed and paced down the hall, side by side. The tension was leaving them with each step.
"…Sorry," Zack murmured. "For what I said, and for everything else. You're right about it all, but…" Guilt had crept through his soul, reminding him not to take his life for granted—especially not his best friend. Some people struggled their entire lives finding a friend so true, and low and behold, Zack had found his in preschool.
It all started with a cookie and a bottle of glue, he thought. They ate both that day, together and proudly so until the teacher called their parents.
Cloud gave him a dismissive wave. "Don't bring it up again."
"Do you mean Aerith, or your parents…?"
Cloud paused mid-step, giving his best friend a guarded gaze. "Both."
It took Zack a moment to reply, but the look on Cloud's sullen face gave him more than enough information needed not to push his friend any further. Cloud was tired; he was emotionally diminished of any sense of happiness he'd ever had, all thanks to his parents—and, more importantly, to Zack. As his best friend, he felt guilty for placing such a burden on Cloud, knowing that there was only so much drama one person could take. So, instead of protesting, or finding another topic to discuss, he playfully bumped Cloud's left shoulder with his elbow and said, "Okay."
With an appreciative smile, Cloud whispered, "Thanks."
As they paced, Zack threw an arm around his best friend's shoulder, giving him a lazy hug. "I say we skip today and go grab some grub from that local burger joint."
Cloud actually chuckled at the idea. "For once, I say you're right."
It had only taken them a few minutes to head to the front of the school, all teachers and monitors gone, and as they opened the double doors, Cloud felt another headache from all of his combined woes forming. He saw two, familiar blonds jumping into the car with a troublesome red-haired teen.
Both seniors paused.
Zack was the first to formulate a thought, although he sounded unsure of himself. "Was that…?"
Cloud was nodding. "Uh-huh…"
"…Do we—?"
"Follow them?" Cloud guessed. He blinked. "You know… I'd rather not." He didn't want to know where they were headed.
He'd enough of being everyone's secret keeper, so he just pretended that he didn't see it.
Cloud Strife had enough bullshit to last him a lifetime.
"Will you two tell me what's going on already?!" Hayner asked in the backseat of Axel's black 2013 DDD. Roxas was in the passenger's seat—tears still threatening to fall from his eyes—and it seemed that he was stuck in… well, he appeared to be—
"He's still in shock," Axel stated, reaching over to pat his head. He didn't even receive a warning glare in response, and Axel tossed him an exhausted glance. "He'll bounce back in a bit." I hope… He felt uneasy seeing the way Roxas was clutching his cellphone, occasionally breathing while he stared straight ahead in deep thought. "His parents are—"
"Don't say it!" Roxas finally shouted, making Axel jerk the wheel in surprise. He glared at his best friend. "Don't…" So much hurt lingered in his voice as he shook his head. "Please, don't…"
Hayner raised a curious brow. It was out of character for Roxas to be so dodgy—and teary eyed. "Don't say what?"
A small grin crept across Axel's face, but it wasn't out of ridicule, more so uneasiness. He'd never seen Roxas like this. "You know he's going to find out anyway, Rox."
"Find out what?" Hayner asked.
Roxas lowered his head, using his bangs to shield the humiliation that displayed in his eyes. "It's embarrassing," was the timid whisper.
Axel had never seen Roxas look so vulnerable before, and it almost baffled him… almost. Instead he said, "Okay, then you tell him." He knew Roxas would feel better if he did. Hayner was his best friend, too. It only made sense to tell him.
"Tell me what?!" Hayner asked, voice rising. He was done with them talking as if he weren't there. "What the heck's going on?!" When the occupants of the car quieted, he shouted, "Well, say something!"
"…My dad might be cheating on my mom," Roxas answered, sounding a bit awkward.
Axel scoffed. "'Might be?'" You can't even admit it…
"Shut up!" Roxas demanded, his voice high.
Axel lifted his right hand dismissively. "Fine. Shutting up." He knew Roxas didn't mean to yell at him, that he just didn't want to believe the truth… but he'd have to make him believe.
The car ride grew silent for at least ten minutes while Hayner parted his lips several times to formulate the proper words for the situation. However, after much consideration, he wasn't sure what to actually say to rectify the situation. A 'sorry to hear that' didn't seem appropriate, given the thick tension in the car…
"Where are we headed?" he asked instead.
Axel smirked at him in the rearview mirror. "Roxas says he wants to see actual proof, not a picture."
"You could be wrong," Roxas challenged with a grumble. "It might've just been a bad angle."
Axel nodded cautiously, not wanting to upset his friend. "I could've been wrong, yeah…"
But he hadn't been, not with the pictures he'd sent.
"Hey Riku?" Sora asked during sixth period. The duo had gym as their last class, and they were pacing around the track field instead of racing each other like Tidus and Wakka. "Have you seen, Roxas?"
"No," he answered.
"I haven't seen him since school started," Sora stated absently. He tilted his head, tossing a quick glance at his friend. "He wasn't at lunch with Namine and Kairi either… I'm kind of worried." He'd missed his opportunity to talk to the red-haired beauty again in favor of trying to find both of his siblings. He'd never seen them both skip at once, and even if Roxas skipped class before, he'd always make it back to school to eat with Hayner, Pence, and Olette at lunch…
But Hayner wasn't there either…
Sora was frowning.
When Riku felt his bangs sticking to his forehead, he realized that perhaps he was in need of a haircut—at least, during the summer. It's no wonder that majority of the girls always kept their hair in ponytails whenever they exercised. It just wasn't his thing to try the style out, though. However, it had taken him two years to grow his hair that particular length and cutting it would be counterproductive to all that waiting…
Maybe in another year, he'd give it a go. "You shouldn't be, Sora. Roxas can take care of himself."
It wouldn't have been the first time that Roxas decided to skip class; however, he usually informed his other half before doing so to avoid Sora's worrying.
Riku gave the younger a simple shrug of his shoulders. "He's probably ditching with Axel again."
Sora placed his hands behind his head as they walked. "Probably…"
Riku sensed some sullenness in Sora's tone, one that made him ask, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing…"
"It's not 'nothing,' Sora."
"Ri-ku," Sora whined, frowning at him.
Aqua eyes rolled, feeling a bit of nostalgia. It reminded of him of a time Sora was a toddler, the pout he used to make over the littlest things. "I can read you as well as Cloud and Roxas can. I know you're upset."
Sora already knew this, having had the conversation with the boy before, which is exactly why a loud groan echoed around them. "Yeah, yeah…" He lowered his head as they walked, dropping his arms at his sides. "My… My parents are arguing, is all." It sounded childish to voice at loud; at least, it had in Sora's mind. The reality of the situation was that it hadn't, and Riku wouldn't have picked on him for a family issue, even if he might have thought the statement was juvenile. All Riku knew was that Sora needed someone to talk to.
He'd be there, like always, to listen.
Sora couldn't refrain from frowning at the thought of his family troubles. "I've never seen them so mad before, Riku." Or maybe I've just been oblivious to it all this time…
Riku took a moment to choose his words carefully. This subject was sensitive for both of them, in more ways than one of them was letting on. "Have you tried talking to them?"
"They were gone before I woke up," Sora explained. "Roxas told me what happened and I told him about what happened between them last night."
"What did Cloud say?"
Sora scoffed. "He never tells me anything…" He couldn't stop himself from sounding so irritated. "I guess he thinks I can't handle it."
Riku spared him a curious glance. "Can you…?"
Both boys paced in silence for a while. "I… I don't know," Sora finally admitted. "I've never really taken the time to see my parents in a negative light, if that makes sense…"
"It does," Riku said. "Sometimes your mind doesn't want to believe the negatives—"
"And it paints false positives," Sora murmured. He slowly peered up at the clouds, smiling at the sight. All too quickly, his smile faded and there was a troubled look in his eyes. "…What was it like when your parents divorced?"
It was Riku's turn to frown, and he paused mid-step. Sora…
Sora caught on to his discomfort and he waved his hands defensively. "Ah! Sorry!" He gestured his head from side to side. "I know that's a touchy subject—!"
"I don't know," Riku answered quietly.
"You…" Sora's brows were furrowing. "Don't know…?"
Riku shrugged, lifting his right hand with the movement. "When they were divorcing, I didn't have time to feel anything," Riku stated. He slowly began walking again, and Sora followed after him. "It was finalized before any of my brothers and I even knew about it. So, the day my dad moved out was the same day we all got separated." Sora couldn't even remember what Riku's brothers looked like because there were no pictures of them at Riku's house, but he did recall that whenever he'd visit before the divorce, they were rarely seen, and so was Riku's father…
Aqua eyes met blue ones. "They came home," Riku explained. "They sat us down, explained what happened, and then my dad made my brothers pack. We didn't have time to react, Sora. We just went with it and never looked back." Until today…
"Riku…" Sora couldn't find the correct sympathies to voice.
Riku chuckled spitefully, scratching the back of his neck. "You know? They didn't even worry about a custody battle; they just agreed that dad was taking my brothers and my mom was taking me…"
The news baffled Sora, and he wondered why his best friend was just now telling him about the minor, heartbreaking details. "W-why not?"
"I was always my mom's favorite," Riku answered absently. "And I could tell that my dad preferred Sephiroth and my other brothers." He pretended to shrug off how much the statement affected him. "I think it was because they were older and he didn't really have to filter anything around them like he did me. He was always the type of man that just preferred older children rather than younger ones." Makes me wonder why he bothered to have any if he knew he'd have to wait it out…
"Makes sense I guess," Sora mused. In a twisted way… "You were only six… you never told me how it really happened back then." The younger teen was giving Riku a serious gaze. "You just said they were getting divorced." He shook his head slowly. "You never said it all happened in one day, Riku. Why'd you leave that part out?" Sora was such an oblivious child that he hadn't fully questioned Riku that day at school after the boy had told him.
"I didn't want to tell you all the details," Riku admitted. "Or anyone… It was my business."
Sora detected his best friend's embarrassment, frowning at the feeling. "You know I'd never judge you, or your family, Riku... I've known you since we were two. I might not be able to read you as good as you can read me, but I've always been able to tell when you're felling uncomfortable and annoyed."
Riku almost chuckled, flicking the younger in the forehead. "That's because growing up you were usually the reason behind those emotions. You worried me a lot—and Cloud, too." He recalled an incident when Sora was three and he'd just learned how to battle the stairs by himself. He almost would've fallen if it hadn't been for the silver-haired child, who'd caught him, and was quick to scold him afterwards for trying to hop his way down. There was also the time when they were seven that Sora was learning how to swim and nearly drowned trying to jump into the deeper end, and Cloud had to perform CPR…
Sora was the poster child for being rescued back then, the little duckling of his family and friends, until Ven had come along.
He didn't miss the title.
Upon hearing Riku's words, Sora cast him an indebted glance. "Oh yeah…" He chortled, using his index finger to scratch his chin. "Almost forgot about all my near death experiences." Riku certainly hadn't, secretly thinking about several more.
"…Hey, Riku?"
"Yeah?"
"Now that I'm thinking about it," Sora spoke up. "I don't think I've seen your father since you were six." There were times when he'd come over to Riku's house after the divorce and see him speaking to the man over the phone, but never in person.
Riku scoffed at the statement. "You and me both."
Sora felt more curious about the situation now. "Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz and Sephiroth… do they visit you?" He'd never seen them visit either, and he was over nearly every day now.
"…No." He'd said it with such a pessimistic tone, alerting Sora of a long contained grudge that was just now being displayed.
Riku never talked about his parent's divorce.
You'd think I would've caught on by now… Does this make me a terrible friend or an oblivious one—or maybe it's both? "…You okay?"
Aqua eyes glanced at the ground, and quiet steps slowly declined until they came to a slow halt. Eventually Riku gazed at his best friend, and Sora saw a peculiar form of abandonment lingering in his expression. "Sure," the older teen whispered softly.
Sora pressed his lips together as he scrutinized Riku's face. It would've been foolish to speak any further on the subject—to give his condolences, knowing Riku wouldn't want to hear it. He asked, "Wanna go get some ice cream after school?"
Riku flashed him a grateful smile. "Sea Salt?"
Sora's grin matched his while he gestured with his head for reassurance. "Of course."
"All right." Once they'd been called back into the locker rooms by Coach Cid, and after they'd changed back into their regular clothes, they headed down the busy school hall, bypassing their classmates.
"Man, I love it when school ends but geez!" Sora groaned. "It's like we need a traffic light in the hall just to make it out alive!" He carefully grabbed Riku's arm and inched closer to him in order to sidestep some giggling schoolgirls. "Look-look, Riku! The Porsches just went by!" He was definitely pouting. "They deserve speeding tickets," he murmured to himself.
Riku couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "You look at people as cars," he said in amusement. "You're so weird, Sora."
Am not... Sora fought the urge to stick his tongue out. "You look at them as nobodies."
"They are to me," Riku stated, shrugging. He brushed past some people who were chatting at their lockers. "Because I don't know their names."
"That's because you don't bother to remember," Sora reminded. He carefully tugged the silver hook on the back of Riku's backpack as the silver-haired boy paced ahead. It was the only safe way to navigate the hectic halls and Riku never seemed to mind.
No one was dumb enough to bump into him.
After they finally managed to exit the building, Sora noticed that Cloud's car was gone. "Huh…" He sounded perplexed. "That's weird."
Farther off, he saw Tifa conversing with Leon and Yuffie, but he didn't see Zack at his usual either.
"Guess Cloud's not taking us to the ice cream parlor," Sora stated. He followed beside Riku down the stairs and over the school lawn.
"It's only a few blocks," Riku stated. Both of them gone? He knew something was off. Wonder if it's about their parent's fight…
Sora's eyes scanned the area on last time before he nodded and shrugged. "Yeah…" Roxas, Cloud… where are you?
On the other side of town, Axel had pulled over, debating on what to do next. Roxas hadn't quite gathered enough evidence to solidify his father being a cheater, even after following him around all day. "…He never kissed her." Again… His father had his lips latched onto the woman's neck in the photo Axel had sent him.
Hayner released a low sigh, rolling his eyes at the announcement. "He still went around town with her." They've definitely got a thing going on…
"But they didn't kiss," Roxas stated. Again… There was a petulant look in his eyes, like he was either angered by Hayner for siding against him, or upset with himself for not wanting to call his father a 'cheater.' "They just hugged is all…"
"Eh…" Axel face-palmed. "Look, I get that you want this to be a dream, Rox—I really do… but I need you to think logically for a sec, alright?"
"Logically, this isn't real," Roxas replied. "None of it is."
"Roxas—"
"It doesn't seem fair," Roxas argued. "I…" He combed his hand through his hair, shaking his head. "I need more proof."
Axel stared at his best friend long and hard, knowing there was only one way to convince him of the life changing news. "…I have an idea." He clicked his teeth, driving away. "But you guys won't like it."
They'd get a real photo all right… but Roxas might be scarred for life.
Seeing is believing, Axel thought bitterly as he started the car. Time for a show…
…
A/N: Of course you all know where this is going. :] There's no lemon scene, if that's what you're thinking. This fic isn't rated M because of those. It's rated M because of other situations so bear that in mind. I was playing birth by sleep and the line that Aqua said after Zack spoke to her about Terra had me thinking "You know what? It almost makes me jealous, too." I wanted this chapter to be strictly about the male friendships and link it back to the actual cheating scandal. It's a calm before the storm type for thing. There's plenty of Sora and Kairi scenes in the next chapter, but just remember it's slow romance. Don't expect kisses and 'Nyya! I love yo!. We're soul mates; let's bone and get married!' I hate those type of fics lol
Feel free to press a button below if you'd like or review or whatever else suits you. Thanks to those who waited on an update and who've been reading!
-AJ
Reply to guest review: Hey there! No, you don't sound pushy at all. I know it takes me a while to update. ;[ Thanks for reading this and no, I haven't given up on it.