Title: Expectations
Summary: Society thinks you're a freak. But me? I don't know what to think.
Warnings: boy/boy, bullying
Pairings: Leon/Cloud, a little bit of Riku/Vanitus in later chapters
Disclaimer: Characters and settings are not mine
The only people besides each other we've really talked to in nearly a week are Raasch and Aerith, because either the rest of the school really is over us or they're trying to hatch some scheme about eliminating us with the perfect murder. It's Thursday the twentieth and we're having our usual lunch-time ritual, today's session with you on the counter in the back of the room, legs wrapped tightly around my waist, so tight in fact, my movement is constricted as we delve into one another's mouths and clothes. I'm not even sure I'll be able to wait one more week without one of us getting dominated completely (not even caring which one of us it is at this point), when a knock at the door startles us apart with not quite enough time for you to relinquish your hold on me, nearly resulting to a rather painful collision between you and the concrete floor, but ending up with both of us in an extremely awkward position rather close to falling over.
Then the door opens, which I'd somehow forgot about in the process of trying to keep you off the floor, the reminder causing both of us crash into it, like fallen Dominos.
"I'm telling you, Yuffie, they're not going to be in...here."
"Of course they're in here, I watched them come in yesterday. They probably didn't answer 'cause they're shy. Huh? What's wrong, Tifa?" She follows her friends gaze.
"Yup, shy, Yuffs. Totally where I'd pin my money," the long haired girl says, looking away with a face of rose.
"Told you they'd be here," the Kisaragi girl says, smugly, not seeming to notice our compromising position.
I only notice my hand at the back of your thigh when I'm helping you up. Probably from when I almost succeeded in keeping you from the ground. We brush ourselves off awkwardly, even though there's almost no dirt or dust on the floor, as Raasch makes a point of sweeping and moping it the last thirty minutes of Friday's seventh period. But they don't know that. And they don't need to.
You clear your throat awkwardly. "Tifa..." you acknowledge.
"Yuffie..." I say at the same time.
"You know them?" we chorus.
"Tifa was my friend a long time ago."
"Yuffie comes to the games."
"What?"
"Relax, boys," Yuffie cuts in. "We all know each other. Leonhart, Lockhart. Strife, Kisaragi. We cool? Good," she says without awaiting a response. "Now that's out of the way, my girlfriend and I came to invite you two to our Night of the Rainbow Halloween party next Friday."
"Why are you inviting us?"
"Leon, 'Night of the Rainbow?' It's a party exclusively for the gay couples of Prynne High, and you two are pretty much heroes to us."
"Heroes? We're just boys!" you object, speaking my mind perfectly.
Enter Tifa: "Boys who liberated the rest of us by saying there's something wrong with how we're treated, and doing something it. And then when those nasty rumors started up about you two: you just ignored them, like there was nothing wrong until they went away. Because of you two, couples like us can say 'I love you' to each other in public without getting any noticeable backlash over it. We're being recognized as equal to the straight couples. You are heroes, to the minorities of this school at the very least." She closes your hands around a glittery pink invitation. "Just think about it, okay?" she looks at me. "It would mean a lot. To all of us."
The real truth about the rumors is: we never heard them. We didn't listen to them. We didn't know there were any rumors, because we don't connect to the world of high-school. The rest of the world doesn't exist to us, right now.
And suddenly we're alone at lunch time and touching you isn't even on the top ten list of things on my mind.
We share a look over the glittering pamphlet.
Some heroes.
"So, what does it say?" I ask, sipping vanilla almond milk.
"'Couple: Squall U. Leonhart and Cloud F. Strife-' only Strife is crossed out and it says 'Undefined' above it '-This is your official welcoming to the Children of the Rainbow. It is your ticket to all CotR events occurring within the next month, which are listed in order on the back. On the first of every month, you will be contacted and given a new one. It is important not to lose this form, as replacements are not made and you will only be given one each month unless you have separated from your previous mate, then will be given a temporary slip with an expiration of the next month's first and only well distinguished couples such as the leaders, DJs, and well-known regulars will be allowed into events without a pass. Subscribing to the high lighted email at the bottom of this form will stream information about upcoming events and their requirements.'"
"I guess we could at least see what the events are like."
"Already done," you say, opening a tab on your phone. "The next available event is next Friday, October 28th, just like they said.
'House opens doors on the 28th at 11 A.M., close on the 30th at 12 P.M.
Costumes are optional, but highly encouraged.
Living room one hosts drinking games, Two: Kissing games and romantics, Three: fair game for anything within reason and non-violent.
Both kitchens are off limits to everyone but the designated staff: Luxord Dulor, Dilan Xaldin, and Even Vexen. If you don't have a name-tag with those names, you'll be redirected and unwelcomed to the escapades of the next three months
All bedrooms are available for personal use, but hang something on the door if it doesn't have a lock, so everyone knows.
The three separate bathrooms are not to be blocked off, and are for standard bodily needs, only- nothing else.
Twenty-one and older encouraged to partake in at least one round of a drinking game unless attending groups or therapy for alcoholism or if it is against personal or religious beliefs.
Twenty and younger will remain overnight, if any alcohol is detected by breathalyzer, IDs are checked at all exits and keys with be confiscated if the breathalyzer test shows any trace of alcohol.
DJs for the venue: first quarter- DJ Midnight (Myde Demyx) second quarter- DJ Twilight (Axel Lea) and the last half spit between the bands: Kingdom's Broken Hearts, The Nobodies, and The Electro-Poison Fag-hags. Any questions should be directed to this FAQ where the Children's leaders will do their best to answer.' Did you get all that?"
"They party hard."
"But somewhat responsibly. I kind of want to go, since we haven't made any plans for Halloween..." you say, mildly embarrassed.
"Sure, then, let's go. It could be fun."
"Somehow, I didn't think you would get on board so easily. It makes me think you're up to something."
I lay halfway on your lap, with a sigh. "It's not exactly that I'm up to something. Just that... Well, remember when they were talking about looking up to us? Calling us heroes? Neither one of us want that. I just want to show them that we're like them, that we're not heroes. The best people to look up to a the fictional ones, because they have the best skills at handling themselves," I say, coaxing your lips to mine. "Not hormonal teenage boys who think about jumping each other in art rooms and any other place they deem private enough all day," I finish after finally pulling away.
Author's Note: So, the foreshadowing from the last chapter wasn't really pointing to anything bad, it just sounded like it. Had you going, eh? If anything, it was pointing towards their world opening up to other people.
Sis, there's a new follower! Two of them, since last night, and one of them added both the story and my profile to their favorites. You're not alone anymore! Neo, Lord, I'd love to give shout outs to your profiles. Thank you, everyone supporting this fic, now or whenever you get to it. It makes me feel as warm and fuzzy, even more than reading someone else's Cleon fic (:
Bless your face, if you sneezed while reading this chapter, bless you. I am not Toby 'Tobuscus' Tuner, but I totally encourage you to check him out on Youtube if you don't know about his channel, which is highly unlikely, but it does happen. Peace off! (Would never be able to pull that off in real life)