Chapter 11
It had been lonely the last few days without Cloud. Leon sighed and glanced at Kairi. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"
The redhead scowled at him. "Why would he need to forgive you? After all, he's the one that hurt your feelings. If anything, he owes you a bouquet of roses and a heartfelt apology. You owe him nothing. You opened up to him and he hurt you."
"He was just upset someone had hurt me," the brunet argued, frowning. "He had every right to be angry—"
"Yes, but to turn that anger on you was unfair."
"…But Kairi—"
"Leon, I have won this argument. Go back to baking your pastries."
He sighed but turned to do as he was told; he was in no mood to argue. "Okay."
Kairi frowned and watched him silently, then turned back around when she heard the door open. She began to greet the person, then saw who it was. "Good afternoon—Oh, it's you." She rolled her eyes. "Never mind."
Cloud sighed and tilted his head, frowning. "I want to talk to Leon. Is he here?"
"Perhaps," she answered, turning away from him. "Let me check."
"…Okay…" the blond answered, looking down at his feet.
She ducked into the back room that Leon had disappeared into and tilted her head. "Leon, Cloud's here. He wants to talk to you."
Leon looked up at her, then sighed and turned to trudge out to the counter. He looked up at the blond like a wounded puppy. "Yes?"
Cloud smiled weakly, stepping up to the counter. "Hey. I… I wanted to see you. …I'm sorry I yelled at you." He reached out and gently brushed the back of his fingers against the brunet's cheek. "I had no right to say those things, and I deserve a tongue lashing for it. I'm sorry, sweetie."
"…Cloud, I…"
"You don't have to forgive me right away. I know some of the things I said were cruel, considering what you'd gone through." He leaned forward to press a kiss to the younger teen's cheek. "Sorry, sweetie. I'll go now."
Leon gasped softly, blushing, and reached out to grab his arm. "Cloud, wait!"
The blond turned and tilted his head. "Hmm?"
"I… I don't want you to go yet!" He reached over the counter and wrapped his arms around the taller boy's neck. "Please don't go yet!"
Cloud let out a soft yelp and wrapped his arms around him as well. "Leon-! Babe, what are you-?" He sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance with their uncomfortable position, then gently pulled the brunet over the counter to rest comfortably against him. "Leon, don't get upset…"
"I thought you were so mad at me…" The brunet hid his face in the taller boy's chest. "You were so angry, I—"
"Oh, Leon, I wasn't mad at you," the blond whispered, pulling him closer. "I was mad at what happened to you. …I was mad that I couldn't help you while you were in pain."
"But you weren't there," Leon whispered back, leaning back to look up at him. "Please don't be angry that you weren't there to help. I'm fine now and I just want you to love me. Is that okay? Can you do that?"
Cloud smiled sweetly and nodded. "Of course I can. Oh! I got something for you," he added, pulling away and pulling a small velvet box.
The brunet blinked at him. "…That's not an engagement ring, is it? Because we're only seventeen—"
"Shh," the taller teen ordered, putting a finger to his lips. He smiled and opened the box to show him a silver band with a dark blue sapphire set into it. "It's not an engagement ring, silly. I don't have enough money for that yet."
"What do you mean yet-?" Leon began, but blushed when the blond lifted his left hand and slipped the silver band onto his ring finger. "Oh, Cloud, how much did you spend on this? I can't—"
"I promise I will always love you," Cloud cut in, turning his intense gaze from the pale hand held in his own to the brunet's own gray one. "And I promise to never get upset with you like that again."
The smaller teen blushed even more and brought his free hand to his chest, eyes widening as the blond lifted his hand to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. "C-Cloud, this must have cost so much-! I can't accept this, I—"
"I'll be more hurt if you don't accept this, Leon. I love you and I've made a promise to you, and I'll keep it on pain of death. Please?"
Leon sighed and tilted his head, frowning a little, before lunging forward and throwing his arms around the blond, hiding his face in his neck. "Okay. I… I love you too. Please forgive me."
"There's nothing to forgive. I'm the one that was a jerk." Cloud smiled as the brunet nuzzled his neck, pressing closer to him and trying to hide his embarrassment. "Now be a good boy and go back to work before someone comes in and accuses me of molesting you during your working hours."
The brunet groaned softly and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down for a sloppy kiss. The taller teen squeaked in surprise, then growled and shoved him up against the counter, taking his chance to absolutely ravish him without embarrassing him. He moaned as the brunet lifted his leg and hooked it around his waist, then smirked as he heard the smaller teen whimper quietly in need.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Cloud yelped as he was ripped away from his boyfriend and thrown toward the door, then turned to find Tifa scowling at him, her hands placed on her hips. "It's one thing to grope your boyfriend at school, but then you come to disrupt his work and practically rape him against the counter?!"
"What?" the blond exclaimed indignantly.
Leon blushed and grabbed her sleeve. "No, I started it, Tifa! It wasn't his fault! I—"
Tifa waved his statement away. "Don't be silly, Leon. You wouldn't start anything unless your life depended on it. Cloud, get out. Come back after you take a long, cold shower."
"This is totally unfair and—" Cloud began, but the martial artist cracked her knuckles threateningly. "…I'm going to go take a long, cold shower."
"But… Tifa… I really did!" Leon exclaimed, frowning.
She patted him on the head and strode over to walk behind the counter. "Of course you did, Leon."
"But… but I did!"
-x-x-x-
Roxas raised an eyebrow and frowned, pulling his brother's hand closer to his face. "Is this real?"
Leon scowled and pulled his hand away. "It doesn't matter if it's real or not! It's the promise behind it!"
"Tch, even if it was and you didn't want to accept it, he would've made you keep it," Sora muttered, yanking the hand over so he could see the ring.
"Ow-! My hand is attached to me, you little brats!"
"What are we looking at?" Laguna asked, leaning over both boys' heads. "Oh, nice ring. …Wait, you're not engaged, are you?"
The oldest teen blushed and yanked his hand back, covering the ring with his other hand. "Of course I'm not engaged! I'm more responsible than that!"
His father laughed and patted him on the head before reaching past him to get at the bowl of whipped cream he was making. "I know you are, Squall. I'm just making sure."
"Get out of that!" Leon exclaimed, smacking his hand with a spoon. "That's for dessert!"
"Ow! Hey, I'm your father!"
"And I'm the one who feeds you! Will you keep out of my kitchen until I'm finished!"
"Did I come in at a bad time?"
Sora grinned. "Hey, Cloud! Nah, Leon's just being all 'defensive cook' on us. Oh! How much did you pay for his ring?"
The blond raised an eyebrow and patted him on the head as he made his way over to his boyfriend. "Enough to be worthy of him."
Leon frowned as he slid his arms around his waist. "Must not have been much."
"Stop doing that," Cloud ordered, scowling, before leaning down and biting his neck gently. "You're worth the world to me."
Roxas sighed and rolled his eyes. "Leon's always been like that, Cloud. We've been trying to tell him different for years."
"…Whatever. I'll change your opinion of yourself yet," the blond whispered, latching onto his boyfriend's earlobe.
Leon blushed and closed his eyes, whimpering softly, then scowled and elbowed him in the stomach. "I am trying to make whipped cream! Stop bugging me about my ring and trying to sneak some and molesting me—Get out of my kitchen or so help me I'll get Shiva to bite you!"
"Ow-! Oh, it's on," Cloud answered, grabbing the spoon out of the brunet's hand and shoving him up against the counter. He smirked as the smaller teen let out a yelp, then leaned in and crushed his mouth in a rough kiss.
The brunet whimpered softly, reaching behind him for something to help him, then grimaced when he shoved his hand right into the bowl of whipped cream. He paused in thought, then took the handful of whipped cream and threw it right into the blond's face. Cloud let out a yelp and yanked back in surprise, only to find the smaller teen's hand doing a follow-up and rubbing the whipped cream into his face.
"Hey! Leon-! What are you—Ack!"
"Jerk! Hey, don't do that! Stop! No!" Leon let out a squeal as the blond took the bowl and poured it over his head. "Cloud!"
Laguna watched them for a few seconds, then grabbed both Sora and Roxas by the shoulders and steered them out of the kitchen. "I think I'll take you two out to eat."
"Sounds good to me! Don't want to be here when Leon goes ballistic!" Sora answered cheerfully.
Roxas nodded his agreement. "When he sees what they've done to the kitchen…"
"Precisely why we're going out to eat!"
"Oh God it's all in my hair-!"
"It's all over my face!"
"It's on my entire head, Cloud!"
Once the two tired themselves out, Leon smacked his boyfriend on the shoulder weakly. "You jerk. I was going to use that."
Cloud smiled and reached out to yank on a lock of the brunet's sticky hair. "You can still use it. Just… maybe not the way you intended."
"Huh?" The smaller teen frowned and tilted his head. "How? Eep!" He blushed as the blond leaned in and licked some of the whipped cream from his cheek. "Cloud! I'm not having kitchen sex! Hey! Ah!" He let out a yelp as he was tackled backward, then shoved on the blond's shoulders quickly. "Get off, you jerk! I just said no kitchen sex!"
"Okay." The larger teen grinned and stood up, throwing the brunet over his shoulder. "We'll have shower sex instead!"
Leon let out a squawk. "Eek! Wait! Cloud, look at the mess we made! We need to—Hey, get your hand off my butt!" He began kicking slightly, not enough to hurt him but definitely enough to try and convince him to put him down. "I need to clean my kitchen-! Oh! God, Cloud, why do you have to be so horny?!"
"Why do you have to be so damn cute?"
"Don't answer my questions with more questions! Cloud, wait, are you serious?! Hey! Don't touch me there!" The brunet whimpered softly and began to squirm as he was set on his feet. "Don't touch such an embarrassing place— Hey! Listen to me!"
-x-x-x-
"So." Cloud grinned and leaned his head in his hand, trailing his fingers over the brunet's chest lightly. "Was it good, or was it good?"
Leon put his hands behind his head and sighed. "Which time? In the shower, on my floor, or on my bed?"
"Mm… All of them," the blond replied, leaning down to press a kiss to his collarbone. "I'm not picky."
"I know. …Because we did it in the shower, on my floor, and on my bed." The smaller teen smiled sweetly. "They were all good, Cloud. You're a real stud."
He chuckled and leaned back, running a hand through his boyfriend's chocolate locks. "Don't say that. You make me sound like a horse."
"Hmm." Leon glanced down at the sheet covering them, then raised his gaze to the blond's again. "I think you can give a horse a run for his money. I don't see how you can get that to fit in me sometimes."
The larger teen laughed and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm not that big. …But I do appreciate your kind opinion."
The brunet sighed and turned onto his side, snuggling up to the larger teen and wrapping his arms around his waist. "My kitchen is going to be such a pain to clean tomorrow… It's all your fault," he muttered, shivering slightly when the blond ran a hand up his spine before pulling him closer.
"I'll help you clean up. After all, it's my fault," he agreed, nuzzling the top of his boyfriend's head. "I love you, Leon."
"Mm… Love you too, Cloud…"
"Promise me something, okay?"
"Hmm…?"
Cloud leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Promise me that you'll always love me."
Leon laughed softly. "Cloud, I've loved you for years. I'm not just going to stop loving you now."
"Will you promise me, then?"
The brunet frowned and looked up at his face in confusion. When he found the older teen's eyes closed but his body tensed, he closed his eyes as well. "I promise. You're my first boyfriend, Cloud. I want you to be my last, too."
"Mm… I'm going to marry you someday, you sweet little thing. I'll get a job that pays well, and you can be my cute little housewife. We'll have a nice house with a big yard."
Leon blushed and bit his bottom lip. "Y-you want all of that with me?"
"Why not you? A sexy little minx like you is quite the catch. And if you don't want to be a housewife, I'll support anything you do, because it's what you want," Cloud answered, placing a chaste kiss on his lips "I can see a life with you, Leon. Can you see a life with me?"
"…Yeah," the brunet answered softly. "But… Cloud? We're only seventeen. We've got our whole lives ahead of us. How do you know you'll want to keep me?"
"Because I've had life without you and I've had life with you, and I must say, I prefer life with you." He smiled. "And if it makes you feel better, when we're… say, twenty, twenty-two, we'll get married. Okay?"
"…I guess…" Leon snuggled closer and tangled their legs together. "We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"
"Indeed we will, gorgeous." Cloud bit his neck softly, giving one of the hickeys a soft lick before pulling the comforter up over them. "Indeed we will."