Title: Vanilla part 9
Author: Sorceress Fantasia
Pairings: LxC
Warnings: AU, romance, sap, fluff, humour, OOC-ness
Word count: 10745
Rating: R
Disclaimer: As much as I would love to lay claim to Cloud, I'm kinda scared of Leon's gunblade. So well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and its character, and neither do I own the various Final Fantasies and their characters.
Note: This fic is inspired by the Japanese manga Eerie Queerie. And this fic's theme song is Gackt's Vanilla. /sniggers/
Summary: Cloud's only friend, Yuffie, had just died a few weeks ago. However, Yuffie can't move on to the next world and so she follows Cloud around in his daily life. And she just can't resist the opportunity to play the finest prank on Cloud by possessing his body and confessing to someone… LxC
Vanilla ice cream. The king of all food. The heaven of all desserts.
It was water to a man stranded in the desert for days. It was air to someone who had nearly drowned. It was freedom to those trapped and caged up for years.
Therefore, it was pure insanity to share the king and heaven with someone else, especially despicable boyfriends who had intentionally left a love bite on his neck just because he was in the throes of passion and ecstasy and so couldn't help himself.
Hmph. Excuses, and such a lame one at that. Couldn't his boyfriend at least be a little more creative if he wanted to leave a mark on him?
Cloud pouted as he shoved more vanilla ice cream into his mouth, shielding his bowl and keeping a firm grip on his spoon lest said despicable boyfriend tried to snag it away again. He shifted his body when the other reached for his hand, quite literally giving the other the cold shoulders. Despite knowing how ridiculous he probably looked like to the others, all of whom were shaking their heads and snickering across the table, Cloud honestly couldn't care any less.
Just yesterday, he had been kidnapped to Leon's house for the entire afternoon, and after a bit of talking, proceeded to get pinned onto the couch and kissed all over. And because he did not protest, Leon had taken his silence to be the green lights for extra fondling and groping and kissing, which Cloud didn't mind much. Really. Even when Leon had divested him of his vest and unbuttoned at least half of the buttons on his shirt, he still accepted it and even let Leon suck and nibble on his neck.
Unfortunately, the brunet took his acceptance as a huge flashcard that read, "Kiss me! Bite me! Eat me!" and promptly left a huge love bite on him, lavishing all his attention and efforts at the branding. It made Cloud feel like a cattle, and he was already half-expecting Leon to turn up with a collar, a tag, and bells to complete the ensemble. What was with Leon's constant need to parade him as his boyfriend when it was already so damn obvious!?
Worst of all, Leon –and for that matter, Yuffie too- never told him about the spectacular hickey on the juncture of his neck and shoulder that stood out on his pale skin like a crane standing amongst a herd of chickens. No, neither of them had the courtesy of informing Cloud of that impressive, magnificent and stunning mark on his body, and so the blond went around his house flashing the damn thing around in a t-shirt after the couple went over to his house for the butter cake.
He only found out about it when his mother squealed and interrogated him on his new girlfriend.
Thank god she still didn't find out about Leon because when said brunet wanted to step out and own up to being the kind and generous giver of that hickey, Cloud had given him the evil eye and forced him to back down. Leon, being the kind, sensitive and most importantly, flexible boyfriend that he was, quickly stepped back and just ate his butter cake obediently.
Cloud still fumed when he thought about it, really. He shoved another spoon of vanilla ice cream into his mouth to hopefully cool his temper down.
"Cloud?"
He snorted and turned further away. The action earned him another round of giggles from their friends, an amused sigh from Yuffie and a pleading hand on his shoulder. He shook it off and concentrated on eating his favourite dessert.
"Cloud…"
Seriously, why was Cloud still sitting beside his wayward boyfriend? Then his mind informed him: it was a habit. Lately, Cloud's body had the habit of sliding into the seat beside Leon's whenever they were together, so even though he was still mad at Leon, he hadn't protested when Leon took the seat beside his own after arriving at the ice cream parlor some time ago.
And it was too late to change his seat by now. Not that any of their friends would have the guts to switch with him anyway. Despite acting like an apologetic puppy with Cloud, Leon was still a formidable lion to those who attempted to help Cloud get away from him. Still, it was that same possessiveness that was making Cloud mad at him, wasn't it? That dumb hickey… if only his mother hadn't noticed it! Now she was going to ask, coax, cajole, wheedle, prod, and trick it out of him every chance she got, which was almost every day. Cloud got a headache just thinking about it.
Vaguely, he wondered if that was the reason why he was so mad at Leon. Maybe if his mother hadn't noticed the hickey and squealed, then he wouldn't have minded? Was he really /that/ opposed to Leon leaving love bites on him?
He frowned, his spoon stilling.
Before he could really think about it, however, he felt someone drape himself all over his body, hugging him close and nuzzling his neck. It was a warmth and loving embrace so familiar that Cloud did not even need to turn to know who it was.
"Squall Leonhart, either you let go, right now, or I'm going to…"
"Gut him?" Tidus supplied helpfully, only to receive a punch in the head, courtesy of his girlfriend. He yelped when someone kicked his shin under the table, and he glared at Aeris who just blinked innocently at him.
Cloud was too busy to notice the drama across the table when he already had his hands full with his own. "Right. You let go of me right now, Leon, or I'm going to gut you."
Yuffie just giggled at the threat. "Aw, of course you're not serious about that, Cloudster! You love Leon too much to gut him!"
An annoying warm blush invaded his face again, and even Cloud's valiant attempts at quelling the rebellion didn't have much of an effect. It was like his entire body was working against him. Probably a side effect of having his body, heart, and brain all happily rolling in the gutter right now. He sighed softly, but he was careful not to show Leon any signs of himself giving in. The hands wrapped around his stomach was a little difficult to resist though, just like how Cloud did not object to his boyfriend's chin resting on his shoulder because he truly enjoyed having Leon's voice tickle his ears.
"Cloud, you've been ignoring me for the whole day already. Stop this now," Leon mumbled softly, arms tightening around Cloud's middle. When there was no response, he added, voice even lower than before, "Please."
With a sigh, Cloud shoved his bowl of ice cream further into the table center and slowly extracted himself out of his boyfriend's arms so he could turn around. Leon's anxious grey eyes were gazing a hole into him, pleading wordlessly to stop the angry charade. Cloud ignored Yuffie's smugness that was almost overbearing, and he crossed his arms.
"What did you promise me? That morning after I threw you out of my room?"
Leon barely winced at the reminder, even though he could see the barely veiled looks of surprises and amusement their friends were all wearing out of the corner of his eyes. He answered truthfully, "That I wouldn't push you again."
"And what did you do yesterday?" Cloud demanded, but his eyes gleamed with a warning that Leon would really get it if he actually answered out loud. No matter how much the blond wanted Leon to apologize, he definitely wasn't ready to let the whole world know about the love bite on his neck right now. Cloud had a deadly allergy to being teased about that mark, a fact he recently discovered only after his mother's endless squealing and prodding.
Luckily, Leon got his unspoken message, and he only laughed sheepishly while scratching his head.
"Don't do it again, alright?"
Cloud had half a mind to rewind and go through what he just said again when he noticed the bundle of friskiness staring back at him, eyes twinkling with mischief and lips curled in an unruly grin. His breath still hitched when Leon leaned in, as many times as that had happened already, and his throat suddenly felt so parched at the light, almost non-existent lick at the shell of his ear.
"Don't mark you again, or don't forget to tell you after I've marked you?"
That husky voice was soft, so soft Cloud wasn't even sure he had heard correctly. It caressed his insides in whispery, wispy trails, like a swirl of disappearing smoke. And then the message registered in his mind, and he blushed, a faint pink stardust dusting his cheeks. Looking down at their entwined fingers, he stuttered, "Bo-both."
He wasn't surprised when he heard the guffaw from his right.
"Cloudster, you know full well that's not possible! How can Squally remember to tell you about a love bite if you don't allow him to give you one in the first place? You are such a bubble of contradictions, you know?" Yuffie giggled. With a mock gasp, she lowered her voice slyly, "Or are you actually fine with Leon giving you love bites? That does seem to be it, huh?" She laughed again, clapping her hands at the sight of Cloud's blush deepening beautifully.
Apparently, Leon came to the same conclusion. He smiled indulgently, placed one revering hand on Cloud's warm cheek, and leaned forward for an innocent peck. It merely led to a series of short, sweet kisses of which his boyfriend participated shyly but actively. Leon grinned inwardly; usually it took a bit more time for Cloud to warm up to making out, but recently, it seemed that he had finally taught Cloud to let go more. His arms pulled Cloud closer, slowing burning a trail down the other's back, unhindered by the uncomfortable school uniform.
Those hands would have traveled further south had a voice –a very dry one, in fact- not interrupted.
"If you two need a room, I recommend the motel two streets down. They have cheap rooms and a condom machine in the lobby."
Cloud sprung away from his boyfriend like a startled antelope, almost appalled that they had just made out again in public. And what was that about needing a motel room and condoms!? Had he been clawing at Leon's shirt again? His face heated up like a neon tomato as he mentally berated his disobedient hands. And his mind that was throwing a party inside the warm and comfortable gutter. And his heart and body that were toasting the mind for a nifty party.
While Cloud was occupied with beating himself up inside the head, Leon was busy glaring at the interrupter who had single-handedly ruined his chances of leaving another love bite on his boyfriend. Never mind the fact that they were in a public place. Or the fact that another busybody would just hoot or catcall and jerk Cloud out of his stupor anyway.
"Roxas…" he growled.
The blond returned his glare with a bored look. His arms were crossed over his chest, his beloved weapon dangling between his fingers unthreateningly. "It was either that or pull you two apart forcefully, and I still want my arms intact, thank you very much. We can't have you two making out right here and scare off our customers."
Selphie twirled her sundae spoon thoughtfully. "But Leon and Cloud are so hot when they make out! They could attract new customers!"
Tidus laughed. "Yeah, fangirls. Loads of them. And then they'll squeal and shatter all the windows here, and-!" He was made to shut up when his girlfriend stuffed a spoonful of mango ice cream –his least favourite flavour- into his mouth, and he quickly got the message. It was safer for his health to just eat and leave the talking to his girl, even if it made him the latest joke between Riku and Aeris, who were chuckling softly between themselves.
"We're an ice cream parlor, not a sex exhibition," Roxas replied wryly. He smirked, however, when he caught sight of the flustered expression on Cloud. "Not that you were going to let Leon, of course. I can tell you're more intelligent than that."
Cloud and Yuffie both hid their sniggers and silent agreements, one more so than the other. Leon, on the other hand, gaped indignantly. He was about to retort and defend his honour when Riku cleverly cut in, wary of someone blowing up and breaking something in the process.
"So… I haven't seen Sora since arriving fifteen minutes ago. Where is he?" Riku asked offhandedly, and he thought he heard someone –Tidus, maybe- groaning and slapping his forehead. Of all the things to ask Roxas, that boy was probably thinking. But honestly, there was nobody else to ask. Axel and Demyx were both not around, and Riku didn't like the idea of talking to the other employees. Vexen, Marluxia and Larxene made his hair stand on their ends most of the time. And Zexion was a huge bubble of depression and angst when Demyx wasn't within one hundred meters of his internal Demyx-radar.
True to Tidus' expectation and worries, Roxas arched an annoyed eyebrow, his tray no longer dangling loosely from his fingers but poised for a swift strike. Luckily, he remained civil –barely, but still civil- when he replied, "Sora's not coming in for work today. He's got other commitments."
"What other commitments?"
"I don't want to tell you." The tray was starting to look extremely menacing, almost like a monster by itself that was raving to go and kick some butts. "If my little brother gets a boyfriend, I'll personally make sure that he's someone like Cloud and nothing like you."
Cloud blinked. He pointed to himself, question marks bouncing like rabid bunnies above his head. He hardly registered the possessive embrace Leon had pulled him into, though his heart, mind and body all sighed contentedly at the tender touch.
"If you can tame Leon into the puppy he's being today, then I'm sure you'll make a wonderful other half to anybody."
Leon's eyes narrowed, and in an instant, his chair was so close to Cloud's that they were almost glued together. "He's mine." His ears probably didn't even hear the first half of Roxas' comment.
"I wouldn't dream of taking him away. I'm not interested anyway. And I'm just making a comparison here. Between Riku and Cloud, who would you choose as your other half?" Roxas asked nonchalantly, his stance relatively relaxed. Even his tray seemed to have settled down from the raving monster earlier to become a sweet little obedient puppy that had rolled over and waiting for its master to rub its belly.
Nobody missed a beat.
"Cloud, of course."
"Cloud 'cause he's sweeter!"
"That's easy. Cloud beats Riku hands down any day!"
The silver-haired teenager rolled his eyes at his friends. Traitors, all of them. Aeris, Selphie, Tidus… all traitors. Just because Cloud was cuter and sweeter, they all picked him despite having known Riku for so much longer. Riku felt like an abandoned puppy, howling and whining in the rain for his beloved Sora to cheer him up. With his luck though, Riku wouldn't be surprised if Roxas turned up instead and called the pound to come pick up the noisy annoyance. Not fair…
He might have felt better about himself if he had heard Yuffie's thoughtful mumble that she'd probably choose him over Cloud because dating Cloud was like dating her brother.
…Yeah, he'd feel better.
Cloud grinned sheepishly as he scratched his nose, almost embarrassed and apologetic for winning the straw poll. But there was no denying the tiny bit of happiness bubbling inside him. It felt good to be picked over someone else after being mostly alone for so many years. He was further pleased when Leon pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and whispered his answer, meant only for his ears.
"I would pick you over anybody."
The trace of sweetness welled up inside him again, and despite himself, Cloud managed a little smile for his boyfriend.
Much later, Roxas had finally gotten his kick out of gloating at Riku and left their table, leaving the silver-haired boy grumbling under his breath and shoving his sundae into his mouth while wondering where the hell Sora was. Tidus, Selphie and Aeris had gotten into an engaging conversation about the many ways Cloud would make a better boyfriend over Riku, which sort of gave Riku second thoughts whenever he looked at his sundae spoon: could he get away with the much-used 'it slipped out of my hand' excuse if his spoon somehow found its way into their friend's bodies?
Or at least, that was what Cloud thought Riku was thinking, the way the silver-haired boy's eyes kept darting between his friends and his spoon. And despite the possible casualties, Cloud found himself unable to blame Riku (if he were indeed, thinking of stabbing someone with his spoon). After all, there was Riku, without Sora, getting teased endlessly and with a road block more intimidating than the Himalayas that came in the form of Roxas. On the other hand, there was Cloud with Leon, sharing their vanilla ice cream with just one spoon, and with a cupid more helpful than a hundred girl guides put together in the form of Yuffie. Really, Cloud couldn't blame Riku.
And so when Leon playfully tapped his fingers, asking for another spoonful of ice cream, Cloud had been half-tempted to refuse.
Unfortunately, his attempt at being kind towards Riku was utterly undermined by the sudden appearance of someone, whom, without invitation, plopped himself carelessly over a spare chair at their table.
"I see you two are still as lovey-dovey as ever," the newcomer drawled, raising a bony finger at Cloud and Leon, to which Cloud found his face burning up. With a sideway glance at Riku, he added dryly, "And in contrast, by the look of your shit-face, you've still not gotten Roxas' permission to date Sora."
That effectively riled Riku up.
"What's that got to do with you, Axel?"
Axel rolled his eyes. Jabbing Riku's shoulder, he replied, "Everything. Roxas doesn't pay enough attention to me because he's too worried over Sora, and why, pray tell, is he worried over Sora?"
"Because of Riku!" Selphie supplied eagerly, her hand high up in the air like she was asking for a teacher's permission to answer a question that had been posed in class. Aeris and Tidus nodded sagely. Cloud winced, as did Leon, who gathered him closer as though trying to protect him. Yuffie just sniggered.
Axel snapped his fingers. "Bingo!"
"Don't blame me for your own incompetence. If you managed to score with Roxas, he wouldn't even remember he has a younger brother to worry about," Riku barked heatedly, his spoon nearly strangled in his rapidly tightening grip. Then, as though a stray thought had hit him, his lips curled into a nasty smirk. "Then again, I really shouldn't be surprised. I mean, why would Roxas fall for a scrawny jerk like you? Especially when there's someone like say… Demyx around? So much better and more cheerful than you, even on your good days. Or someone like Cloud, whom Roxas just said was the ideal choice for a boyfriend. Someone who is your exact opposite, fortunately."
Cloud could almost see the insults piercing through Axel's body like arrows, and absently, he felt his hands itching to pull out the stray arrow that Riku had shot at him too. It seemed that Riku was the type to bear grudges, especially if it concerned Sora and Roxas' opinion of him. He peered at Leon, willing for his boyfriend to do something to ease the suffocating tension.
Thankfully, Leon got the hint. He cleared his throat.
"Don't you have work to do, Axel, instead of hanging around us? Xenmas doesn't strike me as the type who'd tolerate his workers slacking on the job."
The red-haired smirked. "He's not, but the big ol' boss isn't around today. And before you ask, nope, our dear manager Xigbar is not around either, and the supervisor for today…" he trailed off, peering around for a moment before his eyes lit up and he added, "is Xaldin, who doesn't really care. Especially since it's my day off."
"Even if it's his day off, I kind of get the feeling that this Ice Cream Parlor That Never Was –what the hell was the guy thinking when he came up with such a name anyway?- is not the place for people who need work to keep themselves busy…" Yuffie interjected, lingering around Cloud. "Why didn't I ever apply for a summer job here?"
Cloud resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was about to suggest that maybe Roxas would like a helping hand when Riku beat him to him, with pretty much the same idea, only a whole lot meaner.
"Oh, so /that's/ why poor ol' Axel is here, hanging around our table like a lost puppy, waiting for Roxas," the silver-haired teen sneered, his lips curled up in a specious smirk. He shook his head as though in pity, but the façade was easily seen through. Even so, he did not lose his smirk one bit even when he delivered a well-aimed stomp on Tidus' foot for the blond's offhand comment that Riku was /also/ hanging around the ice cream parlor like a lost puppy. Neither did his smirk waver for one second when Selphie glared at him for hurting her 'Tidy-Widy'.
"But you know – which I'm sure you don't, actually – Roxas' probably going to go out with someone else later. The person who had introduced him to the condom machine in the motel two streets down, perhaps?" Riku added, never missing a beat.
Cloud suddenly felt pretty guilty at the sight of Axel's emerald eyes widening. However, to his surprise, that was the extent of Axel's surprise. Or maybe not, upon further observations. The lopsided grin on Axel's face was stiff, and so was the teen's posture. And was his brow twitching?
Yuffie did not help ease Cloud's imagination of the things to follow when she whispered dazedly, "Woah. That was like… the hadoken (1) of words!"
And the blond couldn't find it in himself to disagree. In fact, he thought those words weren't /just/ akin to a normal hadoken; it was the special hadoken attack that expended all three bars of the character's special attack charge bar. Vaguely, he wondered if the place was going to get torn down in the fight of the century. He resisted the urge to swipe at his best friend when she pointed out the lamentable lack of popcorn.
Axel's stiff grin was still present on his face. "And how do you know I'm not the one who brought him to the motel?" he said slickly, and if his voice had not cracked, perhaps it would have convinced someone.
Nobody answered, but the way they were all looking away with a hand over their mouths was answer enough.
It was at this precious moment that the glass doors of the ice cream parlor slid open with a soft 'swoosh', and Cloud, eager for some distraction from the mounting tension at his table, looked over. It was a young girl, looking not a day older than fourteen or fifteen though her choice in clothes – a clean white dress- was misleading, and she stepped inside, her steps light and dainty. A smile played upon her thin lips as the sunlight bounced off her blond locks, and it was little wonder why everyone's eyes seemed to be pulled to her by invisible strings.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Axel, and she ambled over, careful not to drop the sketchbook and pencils in her arms as she did so.
"Axel, I thought this is your day off?" she asked, voice soft and gentle.
The red-head glanced over his shoulder to look at her, his face marred by what Cloud thought was a carefully executed pout.
"Naminé," he said simply.
She cocked her head in confusion at the lackluster response, and then Aeris mouthed something to her. With a shake of her head, she smiled sweetly, but there was no ignoring the twinkle of fond exasperation in her blue eyes. Putting her things down on an unoccupied part of the table, she nudged Axel's shoulder. When he gave no response apart from a sulk and a shake of his shoulders, she chuckled again, as did the other girls at the table.
Cloud leaned into Leon and tugged lightly on his boyfriend's shirt.
"Who is she?" he whispered, curiosity getting the better of him. He had never seen Axel, the only person who took pride in wearing cockiness like it was a designer garment, let someone push him around. Well, apart from Roxas, that is, but Roxas was another matter altogether; he was the person Axel liked, and so he obviously was in a league on his own in Axel's heart. But this girl…
"Oh, that's right, you've never met Naminé," Leon noted, scooting closer to Cloud's. "She's Xenmas' younger daughter, and Xenmas is the owner of this ice cream parlor. Apparently, she's an artist, so she comes over sometimes to get inspiration for her next art piece."
Realization dawned on Cloud. And Yuffie, who upon hearing Leon's explanation, quipped, "So that's why Axel's demure like a fur ball with her around. Rule number one of being an employee: never antagonize your boss, daughters included." She guffawed loudly, not caring if her laughter shattered the tension around everyone else because honestly, no one could hear her except Cloud. She laughed louder when Cloud agreed with her in his own subtle way, evident only in how he tried to look everywhere but Axel's direction.
Suddenly, Cloud noticed someone staring at him intently in the corner of his eyes and warily, he gazed up. Naminé. The girl was squinting, her brows knitted in a frown, and her lips cast in a downward curl. But strangely enough, she didn't seem to be looking at him. She was looking /behind/ him. Cloud fought off the urge to turn around, but still, he couldn't stop his eyes from roving to the side, where he could see Yuffie freezing in action, only occasionally fidgeting uncomfortably.
"Oh, this is the first time you've met Cloud," Axel interrupted, much to Cloud's relief. "That blond over there," –he pointed towards him- "is Cloud. He's Leon's new boyfriend. Pretty, isn't he? You can probably ask him to model for you."
"Model?" Cloud parroted, surprise lacing his voice.
"Right, Naminé's an artist, and she's always on the lookout for models. While you're not as attractive as Roxas –which is not surprising because nobody is - I'm guessing you're still suitable. Right, Naminé?"
Riku snorted and mumbled something about Sora being the cuter twin.
She nodded. "Oh, definitely. I was just checking out his features before you introduced us," she commented with a light giggle, and Cloud and Yuffie both heaved a sigh of relief. But Cloud's relief was only momentary, for Naminé turned to him and added, "You wouldn't mind, would you? I think… Hmm…" she trailed off, this time staring openly. "I think… I think you and Leon would look great together. Can I?"
Yuffie whistled. "Oh boy, I think you just got yourself another fangirl." She snickered.
Before Cloud or Leon could reply, Naminé was already gathering her art materials in her hands.
"Well, I'll be at the counter. And Axel? I know it's your day off, but do you think you could, well, maybe help out for a while? Roxas looks like he's going to topple over with that many sundaes on his tray," she hinted, nodding to where the blond server was balancing at least seven bowls of ice cream on top of his poor tray. If that tray had been a puppy growling at Riku earlier, it had now been reduced to a panting puppy whining for some rest.
Axel's eyes positively lit up. While Naminé gingerly and slowly made her way over to the counter, the red-head had already slapped an apron on and rushed over to help Roxas unload the sundaes. Despite his vehement protests, it was quite clear that Roxas appreciated the help, if the half-hearted slap to Axel's upper arm as they walked into the kitchen was any indication.
Cloud thought there was a new link in the food chain, though he wasn't quite sure if Roxas was the prey or the predator. As the younger blond snapped at Axel for ruffling his hair, Cloud thought it was probably both. A little closer to the predator's side, but still both. And Axel was the happy prey who would let Roxas have a bite any day.
Selphie, Aeris, Yuffie and even Tidus all swooned, quickly dissolving into fits of chuckles and giggles. Even Riku's repeated utters of 'traitors' did not dampen their moods. With one final glance and a fond shake of his head, Cloud turned back to their table, hoping that his vanilla ice cream had not melted completely into a puddle of water. He was surprised to find the spoon held firmly in Leon's hand, a bit of half-melted ice cream dripping off. Leon's gaze was hopeful.
Without hesitation, Cloud ate the ice cream offered. Flicking Leon's forehead, he said, "Forgiven."
The brunet smiled so beautifully it made Cloud wonder how he had even gotten angry at his boyfriend at all. With a smile of his own, he returned the favour, offering some ice cream. Leon ate the spoonful in one gulp, and before Cloud could react, pressed a short kiss to his lips.
Amidst their friends' catcalls and cheers, the blond only ducked his head and blushed. But he did not protest when Leon asked for more ice cream. Instead, he smiled, as though accepting this as how their relationship was.
"Hey Cloud? Naminé wants you to have these."
Cloud looked up from where he had been feeding his boyfriend, only to see Axel standing beside him and dangling some sheets of folded paper off his fingertips, looking bored. Quickly, he stuck the spoon back into the huge vanilla sundae –their second- and took the papers, unfolding them as he asked, "What are these? Naminé gave me all of these?"
"Drawings, I think. She did say she wanted to draw you."
"Oh…" Cloud muttered absently, his attention taken up by the sketches upon sketches doodled on the many sheets of paper. It seemed that Naminé was a highly prolific artist, for in the short hour since she'd arrived and taken out her pencils, she had already filled up every single sheet of paper she gave him. Ah, there was one of him offering Leon some ice cream. And then there was one of Leon returning the favour. Cloud felt a blush erupting on his face when he saw the next sketch, where he was kissing Leon full on the lips.
"Ooooh! This is a really nice one!" Yuffie chirped. "Think I can have it? It'd be the perfect cover for the doujinshi I've been thinking about!"
Cloud really applauded his self-control for not swiping at her.
He almost squeaked –however unmanly that was- when Selphie made to grab that picture. Oh no, Cloud was never going to let his friends see /that/ one. He quickly stuffed it into his pants pocket, ignoring Leon's chuckles and how Leon had already seen that image as well as every single one before, since he was sitting right beside himself.
God, whoever said it wasn't a good idea to judge a book by the cover was so right it wasn't even funny. If Naminé wasn't sitting by the counter, beaming and waving at him, Cloud would have believed that the sketches were Axel's prank.
Soon, the less-decent sketches had gone into Cloud's pockets (and Leon's, when Cloud could find no more space in his own to stuff anymore) and the others made their way round the table, attracting much cooing and dreamy sighing from the girls, some admiration from Tidus, and some grudging green eyes from Riku. And Cloud was down to the last sketch. By then, he had already angled his chair away from his boyfriend, who had the tendency to describe the sketch to a curious Selphie, even if the sketch had been one of him making out with Cloud. It was only with a lot of placating words from Yuffie that Cloud didn't get up from his chair to find a shovel and dig himself a hole to hide.
Hence, his chair was now angled away from Leon.
Good thing too, for the next sketch wasn't anything anybody should see. Blood drained out of Cloud's face. And if it was at all possible, Yuffie's face turned ashen as well. Her lips trembled as her hand shook.
"Cloud?" Leon prodded softly after a moment of silence.
There was a screech from the tiles where Cloud's chair had scraped against, a hasty thanks to Axel, a promise to Leon to return in a minute and demand that he just sit down and not follow, and the next thing everyone knew, Cloud was gone.
Whilst the gang speculated and guessed, and whilst Axel had taken Cloud's seat and shoved Leon back into his chair when the brunet made to follow Cloud, Cloud's mind was in a frenzy as his legs moved of their own accord. He had never imagined that a slip of paper was all that was needed to… to push him off his axis? To make the ground disappear from under his feet? To throw a sledgehammer into his stable life?
No, that slip of paper wasn't all that life-changing. But as he made a beeline to the counter where Naminé was no doubt waiting for him, Cloud thought that the seemingly innocent slip of paper had indeed changed something. And to think it had been something so normal that no one had even batted an eyelid when Naminé asked Axel to pass her latest drawings over to Cloud.
The sketches had been innocuous enough, and Cloud had hardly suspected a thing.
Until the final sketch.
"Cloud! Do you think…? Is it really…?" Yuffie asked, but she quickly bit her lip to stop herself.
Cloud did not answer, for they both knew the answer; it was pointless to ask the obvious. That girl in the sketch beside Cloud was surely Yuffie. Her short, black hair, her wide toothy grin, her clothes… all of that had been captured, accurate to a fault, in that final sketch.
Naminé was still by the counter, still gazing at him –no/them/- with a sweet smile. When Cloud and Yuffie got closer enough, her smile widened and she clapped her hands together.
"Do you like the sketches? You and Leon are such wonderful muses; I've not drawn so much in just one afternoon for the longest time already!"
"Naminé," Cloud tested her name. It sounded foreign to him.
She nodded. "Is this about the last sketch? If it is, come with me to the staff lounge. We can talk there. And I think we'll need the privacy for a while," she said, leading the way down a corridor as she did so. Cloud shuffled behind her, wary but left without a choice. They soon arrived at a tightly shut door, and Naminé knocked on it very cautiously.
"Hello? Is anybody inside? This is Naminé!"
No response.
"If nobody's inside, then I'm coming in!" she yelled, hand moving towards the knob. Before that, however, she turned to Cloud and offered a sheepish smile. "The last time I barged in without knocking, I walked into a yaoi fangirl's fantasy land. And as kinky as it was to see Demyx and Zexion do the vertical tango, it was so embarrassing you wouldn't believe it too. I couldn't look at either of them straight in the eye for weeks after that!"
Despite his nerves, Cloud snickered. And so did Yuffie, whose eyes gained a sudden calculative gleam at the mention of 'yaoi fangirl's fantasy land'.
"Those two are together? I would never have thought," Cloud mumbled. "Demyx seems too loud and boisterous for Zexion." And that wasn't just an offhanded comment. In all the weeks since his first visit here, Cloud had met both servers several times. While Demyx was a bundle of precious energy very much adored by the female patrons for his chattiness and friendly nature, Zexion had the reputation of being too quiet and reserved. They were, in simple terms, as different as the sky and earth.
Then again… Cloud was reminded of how alike those two were, compared to himself and Leon. Both polar opposites, and yet they were together.
Naminé seemed to sense what he was thinking. She replied, "Well, I guess loving each other helps."
Cloud's eyes widened before they softened, a faint smile spreading across his face. "…I guess so."
She nodded her approval with a smile as bright as her sun-kissed locks, a twinkle of joy dancing in her clear blue eyes. And then she turned back to the closed door to give it one final knock. "Nobody's in there? One last chance! Okay, I'm coming in!"
Despite all the knocking and yelling, Naminé was still wary of opening the door. If Cloud didn't know better, he would have believed that there were creatures lingering within the dark shadows of the room. There were none, of course, but he was still grateful when Naminé chased away the darkness by flipping on the lights in a swift motion. Prancing inside, the young girl made herself comfortable on the room's huge leather sofa, its size big enough to almost swallow her up. It was also the biggest piece of furniture inside the barely furbished room, a stark contrast to the classy décor outside.
Cloud took the couch opposite hers, wincing when it squeaked in protest. Yuffie just settled down somewhere on a stray couch that stood out like a bamboo in a grassland with its fabric already a shade closer to the colour of dust and dirt rather than its original colour. A wooden table separated them.
"So…" Naminé started, "I guess you're wondering why there's a girl in that final sketch?"
He nodded guardedly, wondering how clearly she could see Yuffie or if she could see her in the room now at all. Yuffie held her breath.
"Well, to be quite honest with you, I've always…" Naminé paused, frowning deeply as she bit on her bottom lip. It took her a while to continue. "…been able to see things. But nobody would believe me, and while my family truly wanted to, they just couldn't see what I did. So I took to drawing everything I saw. Like the girl lounging on that couch" –she pointed at where Yuffie was squatting on- "over there."
Cloud drew a sharp breath, his eyes widening. But his reaction was nothing compared to the slack jaws and popped eyes of Yuffie's, who had very nearly fallen over the couch when Naminé pointed directly at her. Without warning, she shot right to Naminé's heel, waving her arms frantically like a man shipwrecked and marooned on an island seeing a ship passing by for the first time in weeks.
"You can see me? You can /really/ see me?"
"Not clear enough to make out /all/ of your features –parts of the sketch were just guesswork, actually- but yes, I can see you."
There was a moment of silence, but as the adage goes, it was only the calm before the storm named Yuffie went out of control, yelling and jumping around as though she were on one of those inflated castles for children to bounce around.
Cloud smiled at her obvious jubilation wistfully. Yuffie was, despite everything, someone who thrived on social contact, and unlike himself who was content with just his best friend, she needed people other than himself. It was almost one of the pre-requisites for her survival. Of course, things had changed since her death, but old habits just die hard, no puns intended.
While she continued to frolic around and for the first time since her death, actually care about how she looked like now that someone other than her best friend could see her, Cloud turned back to Naminé, who seemed to take everything in stride pretty well. She was seated demurely in a lady-like manner, legs kept together and slanted a good 45 degrees against the floor, her fingers locked and set gently on her thighs. A faint smile accentuated her face. If Cloud had never seen that sketch of himself making out with Leon, he would have still believed the girl to be one of those rare souls who had not one rebellious bone in their bodies.
The girl was certainly more than a caricature of the perfect lady.
Especially if she could see Yuffie.
Especially that.
"So… we've gotten that thrashed out. You can see Yuffie. But… why would you tell me, like that? With a sketch?"
"Yuffie?" It took a second for her eyes to light up in realization. "Oh, is that her name? Well, hi Yuffie! Nice to… meet you, I guess," she said with a giggle.
The sound of her own name got Yuffie's attention, and she quickly floated back to her couch, though she could still barely conceal the bounce on her feet and the pseudo-whistle hanging on her lips.
"Oh, definitely nice!" She was almost breathless in her excitement, the glimmer in her eyes so bright like stars in the night sky.
Naminé nodded, equally excited. "If you don't mind me asking… how…" she trailed off, hands gesturing for someone to continue.
"Bah. Freak car accident. I hate thinking about it, so I'd prefer if you don't ask for the details. Anyway," -Yuffie's voice increased in volume as her eyes regained their bright twinkle- "are there others out there like me? Where are they? In the cemeteries?"
Cloud blanched, mentally reminding himself to stop taking that shortcut across the cemetery.
"Well… I haven't exactly 'seen' anyone recently. In fact, I think you're the first in quite a long time," Naminé replied, tapping her fingers as she tried to count and recall just how long it had been. "Probably… the first in what? Five, six months? And I've not spoken to one in an even longer time. The last time I spoke to one of you guys was a few years ago, when this little girl couldn't understand why her mother couldn't see her anymore. I had to spend a whole afternoon explaining why before she found her way to the afterlife. Anyway, how long have you been hanging around Cloud? A couple days? A week?"
The two best friends exchanged a long, surprised stare.
"More like… a couple weeks?"
Naminé frowned. "That's a little… long, don't you think? Most of the ones I've seen, especially the ones lingering in the hospital, they move on really fast. I get the feeling that they're not supposed to hang around too long. They have somewhere they have to be, after all, and it's…" she trailed off wistfully, shaking her head gently before continuing, "not here with us."
Neither Cloud nor Yuffie could find a response to that. The issue of Yuffie's next move had been only a passing thought, both of them too caught up in staying together, in carrying on with the lives as though their friendship had never changed. It had been only a passing thought neither wanted to acknowledge. They stared at each other blankly.
For the longest while, as Naminé waited for something she knew would not come so easily, the two friends fell into deep silence.
The car ride home was quiet again.
Yuffie had chosen to stay behind with Naminé for some time, her mood subdued and voice quiet when she asked Cloud to go on ahead without her, that she'd find him later on. But her absence wasn't the only reason why the car ride was so quiet, for when Yuffie wasn't around to tease and goad, Leon would strike some sort of small talk to get rid of the silence. He did nothing of that sort this time round, however, and it suited Cloud just fine. His heart just wouldn't be in it, anyway.
Vaguely, Cloud wondered what the girls were going to talk about. Was Naminé going to tell Yuffie about her past experiences with others of her kind? About those who had overstayed their welcome in this world that no longer wanted them? Or maybe even teach her how to move on?
That thought made his heart clench painfully.
Oh, it wasn't that the thought had never crossed his mind before. It had, in fact, plagued his mind so many times but not once had he willingly acknowledged it. He was selfish, he admitted, to hope that Yuffie would never leave.
But what would await her if she continued to stay? Nobody but he and Naminé could see her, and surely, Yuffie wouldn't want to spend the rest of what time she had looking after Cloud. And her parents had already moved away, back to Wutai, a few weeks after her death. Even if she went over to find them, they couldn't see her. Everyone else had since moved on from her death. What other reason did she have that would merit her stay here?
Nothing. Not a thing at all.
Not after she had given Cloud one final 'gift', giving him someone who would take care of him in her stead.
There was nothing else that should tie Yuffie down anymore.
So, she should… move on?
Move on?
Move… on…?
He had to lose Yuffie all over again?
All that excruciating heartache, the unbearable loss of a part of himself, the waves upon waves of tears everytime he saw something that reminded him of the exuberant girl, now lying cold in her grave… he had to go through that all over again?
But…
…it was for the best, right?
Yuffie was already…
…dead.
Cloud's vision started to feel a little blurry, and he quickly turned his head away to stare out of the window, unwilling to let the other person in the car see his vulnerability. When he sniffed to stop the tears from falling, he gave his collar a tug, pretending to be cold. He was not surprised to hear Leon turn the air-conditioner down after that.
"Cloud? Are you alright?"
The blond sniffed again, his face heating up suddenly at the realization that he had very nearly cried in front of Leon, and he turned back around with an embarrassed smile.
"I'm…I'm fine. Just a little cold. But I'll be okay." He sniffed once more for emphasis. When Leon looked unconvinced, Cloud quickly pointed out of the window, just behind his concerned boyfriend. "Oh, look! We're at my house already! I honestly hadn't noticed. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye!" And he made to get out, his hand already on the door's handle.
A sharp 'swoosh' followed immediately, and Cloud turned back warily. Just as he had expected, Leon's hand was still resting on the car's main lock button. When Leon finally moved his hand away, Cloud's eyes couldn't help but track the movement, sighing as it came into contact with his cool cheek.
"Cloud, what's wrong? You've been acting weird since talking with Naminé. What did you two talk about? And why won't you let me see that last sketch?"
"It's just… she just drew something I didn't want to see. Nothing much. Just… I didn't expect her to be so perceptive." Sensing an oncoming retort, he quickly added, "Not now, Leon. Maybe I'll show it to you another time. But not now."
Leon sighed, but from the way he was leaning back into his seat, Cloud knew he'd won this time. But that didn't mean Leon liked it, and his body language showed as much. The little crease in his brows, the downward-pointing lips, the frustrated look in his eyes… Oh no, Leon was far from liking it. The good thing about Leon was, however, he knew when to stop prodding, and Cloud was immensely glad for that. He didn't think his boyfriend was ready to find out that his dead best friend was actually still lingering around them and that she was the reason why he had 'confessed' to him in the first place.
Before Leon had a chance to mull and get frustrated over this even more, Cloud seized the opportunity to disrupt his boyfriend's train of thought with a simple but extremely effective technique: a chaste kiss pressed against Leon's cheek. And when Leon turned around in surprise, Cloud cupped his face gently with his hands, leaning in once more to press his lips against Leon's other cheek.
The blond backed away a moment later, a faint smile on his lips and a hot blush on his face. The combination was one that was sweeter than honey.
Leon blinked for a long while before a feral smirk tugged intently on his lips. To think, just a few days ago Cloud had been so incredibly shy to even initiate anything intimate. No, now was not the time to cajole and press on for the reason of his boyfriend's distress. But it wouldn't be forgotten. If Cloud thought that a few kisses would make Leon forget about the issue, then he was dead wrong. A change of tactic was required, and Leon would get his answers, albeit later. So instead of pressing on with his questions, he reached out to brush Cloud's chin with a teasing finger.
"You're smiling now. So hmm… kissing cheers you up? Then I imagine we'll be kissing a lot more in the future," he said, half in jest and half in all seriousness.
Cloud chuckled. The way and tone Leon had said that with tickled his throat. "It's not that. Kissing doesn't cheer me up. It's…" –he chuckled again at Leon's hopeful gaze, and he nudged his wayward boyfriend in the shoulders - "I don't know how to describe or explain this. I just feel better now."
And it was true, he realized. In the days since Yuffie's death, there had been so little to smile about. School had become more of a dreary dungeon in the day that he had to go alone, and home was even quieter without the girl's noisy antics when his mother was away at work. Yuffie's parents had tried to carry on with their lives, continued to care for him and asked him over for dinner on the nights when Eleanor was busy, but the neighbourhood brought back too many unwanted memories and they eventually moved away. His world had grown so silent and cold.
Then, in a strange twist of events, Yuffie was back, and true to her words of giving him the best present ever, she gave him Leon.
Another shy smile blossomed across Cloud's lips, just as a rather fetching pink blush invaded his face again.
The brunet nodded sagely, a twinkle of mischief appearing in his eyes. That twinkle should have set off all the warning lights and red alerts in Cloud, but somehow, one way or another, he had gotten used to Leon's teasing ways. Therefore, he was not really surprised when Leon added, "You know, in cases like this, you should say, 'Being with you makes me happy, Leon.' And you follow that up with a kiss, just for emphasis."
Cloud supposed anybody else would have rolled their eyes at this lame attempt to cheer him up. But if the normally cool and composed Squall Leonhart was trying his best to cheer him up, then who was he to complain?
"Being with you makes me really happy, Leon. Thank you." Taking advantage of Leon's –who probably wasn't expecting him to comply so easily- momentary stunned stillness, he pulled Leon down, shyly kissing the corner of his mouth. A little closer now, but still not quite close enough.
In the short moment of the chaste kiss, however, Leon had already gathered his wits about him again, so before Cloud could even think of backing away, he found himself trapped in the strongholds of Leon's arms. Expectant blues met and locked with stormy greys, their warm breaths mixing in the still cold air as Leon leaned in, bringing their lips so close there was barely an inch separating them. Cloud's heart hammered in anticipation.
"Being with you, everyday, like this, makes me really happy too," Leon whispered.
It was a softly uttered statement, but somehow, in the quiet confines of the car and the breath-tickling distance between them, the words gained strength and volume, echoing faintly in their minds time and time again. With the steady power of the meaning behind each and every of those words, Cloud found himself lured closer and closer to Leon, much like the sun's glorious rays beckoning for the flower to lean closer. As his eyes fluttered shut, unconsciously, he felt his lips touching Leon's.
So warm, so sweet.
So powerful.
Vaguely, he thought he felt Leon smile into their kiss. A bubbling affection welled up within him, warming him, and suddenly, the chill he felt earlier had all but disappeared like it had never existed at all. Unbothered by those mindless thoughts, Cloud just pulled Leon nearer.
Five hours later, as Cloud was expertly twirling his pen while frowning at his assignment, Yuffie finally floated back inside his room through the window together with a particularly cool breeze. He shivered at the sudden draft, lifting his head with a little confusion. When the girl waved at him awkwardly, he blinked for a moment before raising a hand and waved back just as awkwardly.
"Oh, you're back…"
Yuffie's smile was stiff and unnatural. "Yeah…"
"So…" –Cloud spun his seat around to face the girl, who had just floated down to rest on his bed- "had a good chat with Naminé?"
"Yeah, it was good."
Silence immediately filled the void, the moment Yuffie's voice trailed off. More silence followed as they just stared down at the floor, unsure of what else to say. And then there was even more silence.
Finally, Yuffie, always the less patient one of the two, sighed tiredly. "Naminé and I… we talked about a lot of stuff, but mostly we talked about the afterlife and what comes after death. And as much as I hate to admit it, she's right about me needing to move on, you know? I mean, I can't stay here forever. This is the land of the living, and for guys like me, we belong in another place. I'm still not sure where I'm supposed to go, but…" –she shrugged helplessly- "I'll have to go there one day."
Cloud swallowed the lump in his throat, looking up with what he hoped was a smile on his face. Or at least what were not teary eyes. "Ye-yeah. So… when will you be… leaving?" It was easier to say the words than he'd believed, but that didn't ease his dejection. The mere thought of seeing his best friend leave again… it killed him.
Yuffie seemed to realize this, or maybe the thought of leaving Cloud again tore her apart as well, and she attempted to laugh. What came out of her lips was choked, and subdued. "Don't worry! I'm not going to be leaving so soon! I still need to find my way there, you know? And… I've no idea how to get there now, but I think…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I'll find out when it's time to go. In the meantime, I think I'll just stay here and bug you a bit more. You need my help, after all. How else would you handle your wayward but very kissable boyfriend?" She teased, the grin dancing on her lips bright and truly happy.
As though her grin was infectious, the blond felt himself grinning as well. He shook his head with fond exasperation.
"I can handle Leon just fine, alright?"
"Famous last words, kid. Famous last words."
They stared at each other, trying to glare the other down with mock-fury in their eyes that were sparkling with a shared understanding. It lasted for only a minute before both dissolved into fits of giggles, just like how they had always been with each other. In just the span of a few moments, Cloud had already very nearly fallen out of his chair as he hugged his aching stomach, and Yuffie was kicking her legs futilely to shake away the last vestiges of laughter.
"Heh, I don't think Leon will be happy if he hears us talk about him like this."
Cloud only nodded, too out of breath to agree aloud.
"But I'm sure he's happy that you talk about him at all. After all, he's been after you for so long."
This time, he did not agree. Instead, he took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving the figure lounging on his bed.
"Yuffie… is this why you couldn't leave? After you died? Is it because of me and Leon?" Cloud wished his eyes had deceived him when Yuffie stilled, hoped that his ears had tricked him when she sighed, slowly sitting up.
The crease between her brows was like a punch to his guts. Suddenly, the whole thing felt so disgusting and he thought he could feel bile in his throat, threatening to come up.
"Cloud, I was worried about you."
He wanted to bolt and empty his stomach.
"But don't think for one second that this is your fault. It's not that easy to leave this world without a care, alright? And you're not the only reason I stayed."
His throat was so dry, so parched. "But…"
She sighed. "I've visited my parents a couple times, at night, when you're asleep. Wutai isn't that far away. And… they're doing fine. I mean, of course they're bored without me messing things around," –she chuckled weakly- "but they're moving on. They started a laundry business there, you know?"
Cloud shook his head.
"And… now you're with Leon, and I know for sure that he'd sooner cut off his own arm than hurt you intentionally, so… I'm not worried."
"Is… is there someone else?"
Yuffie blinked, cocking her head to the side. Then realization dawned on her at the look of discomfort on Cloud's face, and her confusion gave way to an amused smile.
"Aww! Is widdle Cloudster jealous?" she cooed with a pout, batting her long lashes like an adorable puppy. She held her fisted arms just under her chin, invoking the image of a Lolita doll, complete with an imaginary frilly dress that bordered on a French maid costume. "Don't be jealous! Yuffie will always love widdle Cloudster the most!"
Escaping Yuffie's sickly sweet clutches, the burden on Cloud's mind never went away. After all, Yuffie had never said 'no' outright to his final question.
Cloud thought his day couldn't get any worse.
It had been a few days since their meeting with Naminé, and all talk about moving on had died down between him and Yuffie. Leon had apologized again with more tubs of vanilla ice cream during another visit to his house, and his mum had all but pulled the brunet in for dinner, where he had a hell of a time fending off questions about the hickey the other day. Life was well.
Or life was /supposed/ to be well, except for a few days when one's patron planet clashed with one's horoscope or the likes. Simply put, those were called bad days.
Today was one of those days.
Breakfast had been a half-burnt toast thanks to Leon's touchy-feely distraction, school had been more of a chore than usual, Mr. Highwind had picked on him in class for forgetting his textbook, he'd lost his favourite notepad, (Yuffie had cheekily chalked up another proof for his bad day when Leon mentioned that he had an emergency meeting with his kendo club that afternoon), and worst of all, Naminé had called during lunch time to ask him for his address.
And for what?
So she could mail him a sample of the cover she was planning for her latest doujinshi, she said. She had been inspired by Leon and Cloud together, she said. Yuffie had very helpfully provided her with lots of ideas for the best doujinshi ever, she said. She was going to sell the doujinshi at the next anime convention, she said. And the doujinshi was going to be a major hit with fangirls, she said.
Cloud wanted to kill Yuffie and then commit suicide.
No, he wanted to burn all of Naminé's drawing materials, revive Yuffie, kill Yuffie, and then commit suicide.
Yuffie, on the other hand, had been beaming the whole day ever since the phone call, proud and gleeful that she'd finally found the perfect candidate to help her draw the doujinshi of the century.
Cloud really thought his day couldn't get any worse.
After parting ways with Leon, who had dashed off with Riku in tow for their meeting after an apology, Cloud trudged down to his locker, feeling more than a little off. Leon usually drove him home, but it seemed that today would be an exception. It was a weird feeling, to know that he wouldn't be able to see Leon if he just turned to his side at the red lights, or that if he was silent on the ride home, there would be no Leon to tease him gently and kiss him.
One kiss to activate his ability to talk, Leon always jested.
A trace of sweetness bubbled inside Cloud at the memory, and he smiled softly.
"What are you laughing at? Don't tell me just a few minutes away from your precious boyfriend has broken your mind!" Yuffie poked him, conceding to fold her arms as she pouted, irked when her fingers passed through Cloud again.
Cloud glanced up at her, a reply already hanging on his lips, but he quickly swallowed them all when he spied someone leaning against his locker again. A few more steps confirmed that the person was indeed Seifer. Cloud winced internally, as did Yuffie. It wasn't that he hated Seifer. Oh no, not that. But after his last conversation with the blond, Cloud didn't think he could face Seifer normally.
"Hi, Hi Seifer. Looking for me?"
The cool blond nodded, pushing himself off the locker, unfolding his arms in the process. He was a suave man who had his fair share of charmed ladies and fans, and he was certainly a good friend who'd helped Cloud before, but there was still a deadly aura to him that was akin to a cobra ready to lunge at one second's notice.
"Just brought you the book. I figured it'd be difficult for us to meet in the corridors," he said simply, his copy of The Virgin and the Gypsy' held loosely in his hand.
Cloud's eyes lit up. "Oh! Thank you!" He stepped forward and stretched out his arm to take the offered item, feeling guilty all of a sudden. Seifer had only been here to lend him his book, after all.
But as he stepped closer, there was an abrupt pull on his arm, causing him to plunge forward. Before he could register anything else, there was already something warm covering his mouth and a strong arm wound around his waist, keeping him in place. Vaguely, Cloud thought he heard Yuffie's choke. And then the world all but muted.
It was over what felt like an eternity later, and Seifer pulled away, a strange look in his eyes. Clutching Cloud's hand over the book, he looked as if he wanted to say something. But then he gave up and left, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he rounded the corner and disappeared.
Cloud remained rooted to where he was, the book dangling loosely in his fingers before it fell onto the ground.
-tbc-
(1): Hadoken – If you don't know what this word means, you've obviously never played 'Street Fighter'. XD
Teaser for next chapter: In which Cloud is still in shock, Yuffie is flustered to no ends, Eleanor proves that mothers always know more than they let on, Leon thinks that Cloud hasn't yet gotten over Yuffie's death, and a newcomer in town shakes things up a bit.
A/N: My first update in 2008! Did everyone have a Merry Christmas and a good New Year? Hope you all did!
In any case, please remember to review if you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews equals motivation, and I'd love it very much if you would take a moment to tell me what you like about this chapter. Ha ha, I did take a considerably shorter time to update this chapter than the previous chapter. So please review and comment!
And if you haven't read it yet, I recently updated Vanilla Souffle, so go and read and review too! I was slightly disappointed when both the view and review counts were down by half for that new chapter. Kinda makes me think something was off with it when I actually like the chapter so much.
