Ventus sighed dreamily as he leaned against the wall while holding the books against his chest. As girly as he knew he looked, he argued that his bag couldn't fit any more of what was in his arms. Still, it didn't bother him; he just stood there as people passed him.
"Hey…Ven? Ven…"
A hand waved itself before said-person but it didn't seem to work very well, "Ventus!"
The blonde slightly jumped with a light squeak and quickly tried to regain a proper posture. He calmed, but still lightly blushed from embarrassment when he saw it was only Riku.
"Something on your mind?"
"Uh…no, no! Nothing! I was just…thinking about…nothing…important?" Even Ventus questioned his ability to lie at this point.
"Hn, I see," Riku smirked, obviously to tease only to receive a glare from Ven, "In all seriousness, you sure it's nothing?"
"I-Its nothing! Really!"
"Well alright," Riku lightly shrugged and let it drop since Ventus didn't seem like he was in any sort of real distress, "Anyway, I was passing by and was just making sure you didn't fall asleep with your eyes open or anything."
"Oh…thanks for stopping and snapping me out of it then! Oh, um…have you seen Roxy? I think my cell phone was in the pocket of one of my clothes he borrowed."
Riku glanced to the side and glared at anything by Ven. He folded his arms and let out an angry sigh which told Ventus that the man did know but he just regretted knowing.
"Last I checked…he's with Sora. I think they're hanging out together in their room…" the silverette practically gritted his teeth and murmured the whole thing.
"Oh, okay, thank you!" Ven flashed a smile and was about take off to find his twin if he wasn't stop by another voice.
"Ventus!"
Except this voice made him tense up and swallow nervously. He took in a deep breath before turning his body to face the source of who was calling him.
"Y-Yes?"
Riku silently glanced through his bangs at the older man approaching the two to see the cause of Ven's unusual reaction.
"Ventus, I'm glad at least one student is around. For the project, it's due the week after the next week."
"O-Oh! Okay, thanks for the info!"
"Yeah, I just hope most of the class actually checks the mail. Hopefully I remember to tell everyone again next class. Well, sorry to interrupt; you enjoy your weekend, Ventus."
Ven felt his hair being lightly ruffled before he looked up to see the short but spiky perfect brown haired man continue on his way. And Ventus repeated that daydream sigh he let out before and slowly found himself leaning back against that wall while staring down the hallway…and completely forgetting Riku's presence.
"…You have a crush on the History teacher?" Riku questioned and Ven let out a small cry in panic,
"NO! I mean…no wait, yes, no I don't! No!"
"…"
Oh the power of Riku's silent answers…
"…P-Please don't tell anyone, Riku!" Ventus pleaded with almost teary-eyes which set off an alarm in Riku's head that usually only happens with Sora…
"Whoa! It's okay! I won't say anything. Although…you might want to learn how to hide it better…"
"I know…" Ven whimpered as he held up the books closer to his face.
"And um…not to be mean but…you do realize he's married right? To the P.E. teacher and I heard she might be taking over the sword's club."
Ven's moaning of distress while sinking to his knees told Riku he probably could've worded that better…
"So then Rinoa and I broke up for the 50th time except this time…for sure not getting back together," Leon took a sip from his soda to indicate he finally finished his story. Cloud on the other hand slowly chewed the French Fry as he observed the other man.
"And you're sure how?"
"Well for one, I rather not kiss someone whose mouth also touched my rival's…2nd; I'm not that straight either."
The statement caused Cloud to lightly chuckle which made Leon raise his brow for a moment at how…abnormal that looked. As he thought to himself, he was about to take a bite of his burger but paused when his eye started watching Cloud eat his own meal. The ketchup started oozing out of the blonde's own burger and dripping down the pale hand yet Cloud just simply ignored it and kept eating, "No offense but has anyone ever told you how un-feminine you are?"
"You'd be surprised when I say no," Cloud responded between chews. How do you call a man who has a very feminine face and pull of cross-dressing, with lingerie before, un-feminine?
"Well I am surprised."
"Honestly…lots of my friends think one of my girlfriends is more masculine than I am," Cloud confessed without thinking it through and only mentally kicked himself for digging himself deeper and deeper into this hole made of lies even when he's spurting out truths.
"Really now?"
"Yes…mostly because she can actually punch someone's lights out if she wishes and that's probably the only reason why I dare not to cross with her as she's not afraid to hold back just because we're friends…"
"You have interesting friends…"
"Yeah I get that a lot," Cloud nodded with a shrug. Leon took that time to figure out the next thing to say. His mind was boggled by Cloud but at the same time, interested in the unusual blonde. Cloud on the other hand had an internal battle with every mini-break that happens. When the brunette first brought Cloud here, the man's heart was pounding. The nervousness and guilt of still masquerading to Leon practically overwhelmed Cloud…until the two started talking to each other. Cloud didn't realize how natural it became but once it started happening, he didn't even think about it. Yet the guilt came back every time he had to lie and every time he remembered he's not exactly male before the other. And every time he tried to bring the confession up…he either chickens out or Leon brings up another topic.
"Hey, wanna go somewhere after this?"
"…Sure."
"Movie?"
"Oh, sure, what do you feel like watching?"
And once again, that guilty side of him took a stroll when they both discussed another common interest in the film genre.
"Don't judge me but what's your thought on chick flicks?"
"…Did you really just ask me that?"
"Hey, I had Tifa and Aerith ruling my social life for a while!" Cloud defended, "…And some are actually pretty good!"
Okay, almost common interest…
Ven scanned the doorways to look for Roxas and Sora's room…with a very guilt-tripped Riku following. The blonde was in an obvious-sulking mood as he looked for his brother. Riku tried to say things to cheer the boy up, not that he was particularly skilled in that department, but he learned and thus stayed quiet while merely keeping the boy company until he's put in good hands…not that Riku expected that from Roxas…
After some few slow knocks on the door, it opened with…oh speak of the devil…
"What is, Ventus?" Roxas asked with a tired sigh.
"Do you…happen to have my phone in one of the jackets you…took…?" Ven asked in an even more tiring tone while staring at the ground. The unusual response only caused to Roxas to raise a brow.
"I might…?"
"…Well? Are you going to look for it?" Riku asked with an impatient tone and Roxas only shot the man a glare.
"What are you even doing here?" Roxas challenged by crossing his arms,
"In case you've forgotten, I think I'm considered your brother's friend. Is it a crime that I can be seen with him?"
"Unless Ventus says so, I'm going to go with yes!" Roxas exclaimed and Riku was almost ready to thrown down his belongings and roll up his sleeves.
"Roxas…just please look for my phone," Ven pleaded with a sense of annoyance and frustration in his voice.
"Fine," he responded while giving Riku a glare. The boy took out his own phone and started calling Ven's to see if it can be located. In a moment, the boy's ringtone could be heard in the room and Roxas closed the door on his twin to look for it.
"When you walk away, you don't hear me say: Pleeeaaasee oh baby…don't go…"
"Is that my phone?" Sora exclaimed from the inside,
"No, it's Ven's," Roxas responded as he looked through the buried clothes
"Oh is Venny here? Does he want to come in?"
Upon hearing Sora's question, a hint of hope rose from inside Ventus as he stood there waiting.
"Nah…I think he has to do something."
And that hope fell once more…
The door opened once more and Roxas came back to hand the black phone, ironically the opposite color of Roxas's, to his brother before saying bye(and to stay away from Riku) and then closing the door on him once more.
"Bye…" Ven whispered at the wooden door before him and then sighed as he turned to the side to find his own room.
"Sora uses that song as a ringtone too."
Ven jumped a little upon remembering that the older male is still here.
"Oh…?" Ven looked over his shoulder until Riku came up beside him.
"Yeah; you two really are a lot alike."
"I guess so…"
"…hey," Riku stopped the other in his walk and turned him so they faced each other, "I'm sneaking out towards the forest tonight, at 11, do you want to come?"
"S-Sneak out? We can't do that, Riku!" Ven hissed in whisper and then looked around in case someone heard.
"Yes we can…not like security is very strong," Riku murmured the second part, "But…come on, I want to show you a place."
"But…we're breaking rules that could get us in trouble!"
"I won't make you of course, but…try it once at least. And if we get caught, I'll take the blame," Riku offered though the look on Ven's face told him he was still uneasy about the idea.
"I don't know…I mean, how do you take the blame unless you were kidnapping me or something?" Ven pointed out.
"Well…you could I say I did it for an initiation."
"But…I won't want you in trouble…"
"Ven, it was my idea and I'm trying to convince you to go, it really IS my fault if we get caught," Riku pointed out.
"I guess…still…"
"Again, I'm not making you go…we can even go some other time. I just hope one day you'd be willing to come."
After a short pause, the blonde murmured something that didn't quite reach Riku's ears.
"Sorry, what?"
"…I'll go," Ven whispered, barely audible. The answer didn't sound confident enough for Riku who now felt the need to repeat the 'do not HAVE to go' part for the boy but stopped himself when he saw Ven pull off a smile and said to the silverette: "Thank you…"
"So…"
"So…"
The awkwardness continued between the scarred man and the…uh…cross-dresser. The two spent the entire night together, learning about the other, talk about random things, and time just flew away from them. So Leon offered the other a ride home when they realized just how late it got…which is where the two now stand in a situation when the two aren't sure if they're supposed to confide or say goodbye.
The two stood, leaning against the brunette's car as the awkwardness surrounded the two. Cloud wasn't sure if he was supposed to go inside his house and leave after a 'bye' and 'thanks' or if he was supposed to confess the truth. The other man was just as torn as the blonde…though most of it was him not even knowing what he was torn on.
"Leon/Hey you..."
They both mentally cursed at their 'amazing' timing.
"You first."
"No you first."
"…"
"…"
After looking at each other and neither saying a word, Leon decided to take control.
"Alright then: rock, paper, scissors. Winner goes first."
"Done."
"Rock, paper, scissors."
Leon won with his paper.
"Alright, so…you and I…"
Cloud now started wishing he won.
"Wait, wait..." Cloud waved his hand, trying to indicate he wanted the other stop, "Actually…I think its best that I go first…"
"…okay I guess? Go ahead?"
"…"
Cloud worried Leon was going to say something involving the words "trust" and "friends" and anything that goes against his lie at the moment. To avoid guilting himself more, Cloud forced himself into the spotlight.
"Leon…I…I'm not who you think I am."
"…Why do I suddenly feel I was sucked into a drama movie?"
"Leon, I'm serious."
"So was I."
With a small glare, Cloud continued.
"Okay, your small humor aside. I…I personally never thought I'd come back to this school after our first meeting. But…I ended up enjoying the time I spent training with you…but I didn't think I'd end up…liking you…and uh…I totally mean that in a friendship way."
Cloud wanted to slap himself at his inability to do this. His heart thumped widely yet it also fell…knowing he might lose someone he considered a friend after this moment. No more training, no more confessions of things he never told anyone else, and just no more…Leon. The thought tugged on his heart the more he tried to continue.
"Uh huh…should I be worried that our relationship was based on a lie?"
"…yeeees…" Cloud groaned in misery as his body hit the car when he went from facing Leon to facing away.
"Oh sweet Shiva…" Leon shook his head in disbelief, "You know, I honestly thought I was done with all the lies after my break-up with Rinoa."
"I know! I'm sorry! I just…I didn't think we'd keep doing this for so long…and again…I didn't think I'd end up liking you either. And…everything we've talked about and discussed from the bottom of our hearts were true. I swear they were...as cheesy as that sounded, I mean it!"
"..." Leon's hand met his face, his finger rubbing his template, "How bad exactly is this lie that apparently our entire relationship was based upon?"
"I…Leon, please understand that…who I am as a person hasn't changed. And I feel horrible for keeping this up for so long. Believe that at least?"
"Why should I?" Leon challenged, looking into those blue eyes that looked glowing to the brunette…
Cloud wasn't sure how Leon was going to react or what he was going to do if he's already upset about it.
"Well…for one if our relationship wasn't important to me…I would've just kept on lying," Cloud stated and was impressed at himself for thinking of that on the spot.
"…Fine, I guess that's a decent point. But…I can't promise you I'm going to end up forgiving you if this is as big you say it is."
"That's fine…all I ask is for you to believe that everything was real. Except for the lie obviously but the lie itself really doesn't change in what we've exchanged."
"…fine, I'll keep that in mind."
"…Thanks…well…throughout this whole time I…"
"…"
"…"
"…I'm still waiting," Leon commented after that pause.
"I know but this isn't exactly easy!" Cloud felt so much inside himself that he knew he was overwhelmed. He knew he had to speak the truth but…he didn't want to lose the new friendship he had, "I really wished…we met under different circumstances…"
With a deep and regretful sigh, Cloud slid his hand under the wig and lifted it a bit off his head to show it's not his real hair,
"I'm…not a girl…" he spoke, back with his original voice, "And…while I'm on confessing things…I've also been exposed to mako some years ago…and the crush I had on was Zack so yes I'm gay as well."
He looked away, looking at anything but Leon, as he carefully put the wig back on. The man felt his face heat up…though there were many reasons to the cause of it. He felt a sense of relief…but many other emotions replaced it. Fear. Sadness. Regret…
The two stood there for a decent amount of obvious time going by. Still Cloud couldn't bring himself to say anything or explain himself further. He'll patiently wait until Leon took it all in at his own pace.
"Firstly…explain why you're in a dress…"
The tone didn't sound too pleasant and Cloud didn't dare look up in case the face was just as unpleasant to see.
"Well you see...I have a sister who was supposed to room with 2 of my girlfriends. But they can't get the room unless my sister was there. The girl kinda…ditched school for a bit. So out of favor, or force, they reminded me that I have cross-dressed once before in my life and they did it again. I posed as my sister so they can get their room. But…before I headed home and put the thing behind me, I…stopped by to see my younger brothers and thus…me and Ven ran into you…"
He knew Leon knew the rest of the story and thus stopped there.
"Okay…okay…anything else you want to tell me while we're doing this?"
"…My name is Cloud."
"…Are you sure?"
Cloud could feel those eyes on him…and with that tone, he assumed Leon probably raised a brow.
"Yes…I know…my name is stupid…" Cloud murmured and now he had a reason to have his head lowered, "My name is Cloud. Cloud Strife. That's…the true me."
"…I need to go."
Cloud lifted his head to see Leon go around the car to get to the driver seat.
"You need to go?" he repeated in from both being appalled at the man's choice in reaction and in disappointment.
"I have nothing to say…" Leon stated as he opened the door and looking away from the other.
"…Fine," Cloud whispered, "I'm sorry…"
"…I'll see you around," Leon said just above a whisper back before he got in and started to leave. As the car drove off into the night, Cloud felt a sense of hope…hope that he wished wasn't there because it didn't help with the mixed messages that Leon sent him. At the same time…the mixed messages was why that hopeful feeling was even there. After the car was completely out of sight, Cloud let out a tired sigh, and strolled back into his home while slowly undressing himself on the way to his room. This may have been the longest day of his life…but he knew that at least now he can go to sleep without waking up and knowing he had to lie to Leon. It may be the best feeling he's felt for the past few weeks…
The radio played softly in the silent car. The lion-man replayed his memories in his head and then replaying Cloud's confessions each time. His insides made twist and turns about what he should be feeling about the whole thing. He knew that his problem was simply that he was confused and didn't know what he was even supposed to feel…
"Cloud…"
"Cloud…" he repeated out loud, "Cloud…Strife."
The man took note of how nice that rolled off his tongue. Before long, he was back to his own place…well the dorms but close enough. With every step towards his room, he kept thinking in silence. In his mind he repeated the words Cloud had said, trying to understand the other and consider what's fair. Now the man was worried he won't get any sleep tonight if he kept thinking about this…
The scarred man felt relief when he saw his roommate was out. After tossing his belongings onto the floor, he plopped onto his bed with a heavy sigh he didn't realize he was holding. Staring at the ceiling or wall wasn't the most entertaining thing he's done in his life but he knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything if he tried to entertain himself with an activity. The boredom and the repeating thought he kept running through his mind made him bored enough to slowly fall into slumber…
"…ii-…an!"
Sleep…
"N..-Ch…n!"
Cloud…dress…
"Nii-Chan!"
Leon scowled at the annoying noise but eventually got out of bed to stop the loud knocking and his brother's repetitive call for him.
"Nii-Chan! Nii-Chan! Nii-Chan! Nii-Chan!"
"What is he even doing up at this time calling for me? I swear, if it's for me to check under the bed for monsters…"
"What is it?" he asked in the calmest way possible the moment he opened the door, restraining himself from yelling at the younger person in annoyance. But his annoyance grew to concern when he saw Sora's worried expression and behind the boy, at the wall, Roxas looked like he was about to have a panic attack while yelling into the phone in distraught…a sight he didn't think he'd ever see in his life...
"Nii-Chan! Turn on your frickin phone on sometime!" Sora exclaimed though Leon didn't even get the chance to check if he even had it on when Sora continued, "Please Nii-Chan! We need a ride to the hospital! Now! Ven's being taken there!"
Yesh, another chapter done!
Please read and review! Thank you!
