A/N: Okay, so that last chapter took a little bit of a darker turn than I had thought it would. But like I tell my friends all the time, writing for me is a journey. I set about a couple of paths and options I have if I take those, than just let my mind run and see which way it leads me. I always reach my destination, but sometimes there are new concepts that have joined me. It's kind of like playing a movie in my mind and working with it to make different scenes.

Anywho…What I'm leading to will hopefully be a little more juicy! Thanks to all my readers and enjoy the next installment of 'Dream'

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the KH or FF characters mentioned. Nor do I own any of the meals, bands or establishments mentioned.

Chapter 21: Strange Comments

Emily was reaching the final stretch of the track when she noticed that her husband was standing off to the side and waving at her. She sucked in a sharp breath and pushed herself forward, her feet pounding the gravel lain pavement with each step. Coming to a stop, she pulled the red earbuds out and let them hang around her neck, the distant sound of an upbeat Fall Out Boy song still playing. She watched as Logan held out a blue plastic water bottle towards her.

"Thanks" she said breathlessly as she took the bottle from his hand and flipped the top off the bottle before chugging the cold water.

The condensation of the bottle was dripping and she felt the cold hit her bare stomach as she pulled the bottle from her mouth and wiped a few of the drops from her dark sports bra. She ran the back of her hand across her forehead and wiped the line of sweat.

"What's up?" Emily asked her husband as she flipped her strawberry blonde ponytail over her shoulder and closed the top of her water bottle.

Logan pulled her phone from his front pocket of his basketball shorts and handed it to her "You got a text message from Willow" he said as she reached for the phone.

"Oh?" Emily said as she gripped the phone "How was your session?" she asked before looking down and scrolling her finger over her keyboard.

"Good" Logan nodded. "I found one of Angeal's old roommates to spot for me" he said referring to having a bystander as he bench pressed weights.

"Really?" Emily asked not looking up from her phone "Who?"

"Genesis" Logan responded

Emily glanced up at her husband with a slight look of shock on her face. "Gen spotted for you? Wow, I didn't even know the guy went into the gym" she laughed to herself.

Logan just shook his head a few times at his wife "Be nice" he grinned as he bent to pick up her duffel bag she'd set next to one of the wooden benches.

"I am nice" Emily said with a smile as she looked up at her husband, her fingers already busily typing in her response to Willow. "I like Genesis, really. But he's a little, well…odd"

"That's strange coming from you" Logan chuckled as he tossed her bag over his shoulder "So, what did Willow want?" he asked as Emily moved to keep instep with him.

"Oh, she wants to talk to me about something and asked if we're free for lunch" Emily said as she walked

"And your response?" Logan asked

"When and where" Emily smiled up at Logan with loving eyes as he stopped and leaned down for a kiss. Emily smiled as she pulled her face from his "But first, I need a shower"

She laced her hand through Logan's as they headed towards one of the buildings near the training grounds.

~XO~

Willow jumped slightly as she felt her clutch start to vibrate in her lap. She was sitting on the edge of Cloud's bunk and watched as he moved around the room and tossed clothes into a small duffel bag near where she was sitting. Willow would occasionally try and fold whatever he tossed her way, but now she was busily trying to pull her phone from her clutch.

"Why do I need so many outfits if I'm only staying the night?" Cloud asked as he tossed a pair of socks towards her.

"In case I want to kidnap you longer, this makes it more convenient" Willow chuckled as she scrolled over her message.

"Sounds like a great plan to me. Just let me know when and where, and we'll see you there. Em."

Cloud huffed from where he was standing and Willow looked up from her phone. "What is it?"

"I need my toothbrush from the bathroom and Jason is in the shower" he said as he pointed towards the door, the sounds of running water and heavy metal rock music coming from behind it.

Willow set her phone down on the bed as she got up and walked over to Cloud. "It's fine, you have one at my place already. Remember?"

Cloud nodded as he felt her arms wrap around his waist. "Yeah, one night there and I already have a toothbrush. That's gotta be some kind of new record" he chuckled and slipped his arms around her hips

She just chuckled a few times and nodded her head with a smile. She closed her eyes and leaned in and pressed her lips light over his as her fingers clasped together behind his back. Willow held her mouth over his, not pressing hard, but just waiting. As she pulled her face back and smiled soft at him, she couldn't help but ask the question that was bugging her ever since she walked into the room and set eyes on Cloud. She hated to admit it, but he looked rough.

"Are you feeling alright Cloud?" she asked him just inches from his nose, her voice just above a whisper.

Cloud sighed and looked down at the floor once before lifting his face to look her in the eyes. "It's that bad, huh?" he asked in a gruff voice.

Willow only shook her head a few times. "No, it's not that. Just…well you've looked better" she said jokingly as she reached a hand up and ran it through his messy golden locks.

Cloud chuckled a bit as he felt her hand slide down to his neck and rest there. He closed his eyes and leaned his head forward to rest it on her shoulder, feeling the light push from Willow as she moved his head towards her.

She rubbed her hand over his neck as she said softly close to his ear "Like I already told you last night, I always think you look hot" she giggled lightly.

Cloud smiled and placed a kiss on the side of her neck as he hugged her tighter to his chest. In that moment, he felt like the luckiest guy on campus. "So, who were you texting?" He asked, trying to distract himself as he pulled his face back, feeling her hand slip from his neck to his chest.

"Oh, Emily and Logan" Willow said with a smile before she turned and grabbed her phone from Cloud's bed to send her response. "They're going to meet us for lunch" she said as her fingers slid over the flat surface.

"Lunch?" Cloud asked questionably, not sounding too enthused, before tossing a shirt on top of the duffel bag and bending to retrieve his boots from the foot of his bunk.

Willow hit send on her phone and looked up towards Cloud. She watched him move to sit on the edge of the bed and lace his boots up. "Yeah. My treat" She slipped her phone into her clutch and zipped up Cloud's duffel bag before sitting down next to him on the squeaky mattress. "Man I forgot how noisy these beds are!" She chuckled and bounced a few times.

It was only a short moment before she noticed that Cloud was staring down at the floor, having finished putting his boots on. He was unusually quiet and in Willow's mind, it was a little unnerving. Yeah sure, anybody that knew him knew that Cloud Strife was a pretty quiet guy, but not around her. Even from the start, he would spark up some casual form of conversation just so he could talk to her. Willow had always loved the way his cheeks would turn a shade of cerise when they made eye contact. Secretly, butterflies were exploding in her stomach as well and she couldn't stop smiling. But something was off with him today.

Willow leaned over and placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder, shocked by the fact that he actually jumped slightly. It was if he forgot she was there or something. "Cloud?" She asked in a soft voice. "What're you thinking about?"

Cloud turned his face towards Willow, surprised by the mixed emotions that her eyes held. He opened his mouth to blurt out what it was that was troubling him so much; that damned dream, but decided instead to wait. "Uh, I just…" he paused and searched for the right words. "I'm just not that hungry right now is all"

Willow nodded with understanding and smiled soft at him as her hand rubbed down his arm. "Okay. I can cancel lunch and just meet up with Emily later, it's no problem"

As Willow turned and reached for her phone, Cloud felt a wave of guilt wash over him. "No, wait" He reached a hand out a grabbed Willow's elbow before she extracted her phone.

"Yeah?" Willow kept her hand still as it hovered over her clutch and she turned her attention back to Cloud.

He sighed once before replying. "Don't cancel your plans with Emily and Logan because of me"

Willow pulled her hand from over her clutch and turned her body towards Cloud, placing a hand on either side of his face and turning his head towards her. "Seriously Cloud, is something wrong?" She asked him in a low voice. Maybe he couldn't handle the party life her group had every now and then. They didn't have get-togethers too often anymore, so when they did…they partied hard!

Cloud had seemed just fine the night before. But he did have that breakdown in the bathroom. Willow realized that maybe too much was happening too fast for Cloud. They had sort of rushed into this relationship. Call it a bit of a spur of the moment. True, there was strong chemistry and a few years of friendship to back it up on, but Cloud had a lot on his plate at the moment.

Willow, let go of his cheeks and placed her hands in her lap instead "Look, if this is all too much for you, I can leave and we'll just…"

"What?!" Cloud asked with a shocked tone. "No. It's not you I swear" He reached down a grabbed both of her hands and held them in his, as if he was afraid she'd get up a walk out of the room. "I want to tell you what's bothering me, and I will. I just…I can't right at the moment"

Willow smiled and leaned towards him pleased when he copied her and placed his lips over hers in a chaste kiss. As they slowly began to pull apart, Willow spoke softly with her lips still light on his "I'm here when you're ready"

She was happy to see that Cloud had a smile on his face and was looking into her eyes, a little more color returning to his cheeks. "Thanks. This is all pretty new to me" he said with a shrug and pulled one of his hands through his hair.

"What's new?" Willow asked in confusion.

"Well…" Cloud chuckled and looked away in embarrassment. "Truth be told, I've only been with one other girl before, and that was a few years ago. I guess I'm out of practice"

Willow began to laugh at these words and Cloud turned his head towards her with surprised eyes and mouth agape. "Oh, I'm not laughing at what you might think!" Willow held up a hand before placing it on her chest to try and suppress her laughter.

"Then what's so funny?" Cloud asked her.

"It's just that," Willow paused and reached for Cloud's hands once more "I'm in the same boat, so to speak. I haven't been with anyone since I transferred from Serillia"

"Really?" Cloud sounded both a little surprised and relieved.

Willow shook her head a few times, her long brunette hair falling over her shoulders. "Nope. Just Zack" She smiled and placed her nose on Cloud's "And now you"

"Wow. That's some pretty big boots to try and fill" Cloud said with a chuckle.

Willow pulled her face back from Cloud's. "Hey, you're doing an amazing job at just being who you are, so you don't have to compare yourself to anybody. But I semi agree with you and now I understand why no other guys have wanted to ask me out" she responded and then tilted her head to the side as if she were thinking.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked with some confusion in his voice.

"Zack." Willow put it simply as she stood and pulled Cloud up with her. "I think most guys on campus are intimidated by him, so I don't really get many date requests"

"Oh. I see" Cloud said with understanding. "But with me…?" he asked.

"Zack likes you Cloud" Willow said with a smile before she picked up her clutch and waited for Cloud to retrieve his duffel from the bed.

Cloud raised both his eyebrows at Willow with a question instantly on his mind. "Likes…how?" He asked hesitantly.

"Well, you're friends, right?" Willow said with a shrug.

Cloud nodded once. "Yeah"

"We've all hung out for a few years now, and you've always been around Zack and Angeal" Willow spoke and moved towards the door, waiting for Cloud to follow her.

Again, he nodded. "Mmm hmm. That's true"

Willow stopped with her hand on the door knob and turned towards Cloud "Plus, he trusts you"

Cloud smiled and looked at the floor. "Well that's good to know"

"He probably likes your cute ass too!"

Cloud gasped and watched as Willow covered her mouth to hold back her laughter as she pointed towards the bathroom door. Cloud's roommate walked out with just a towel wrapped around his waist, white steam poured out and floated above his head as he stood with a smirk on his face.

"Jason! What the hell?" Cloud practically shrieked turning his body so he could send him a glare.

"What?" Jason asked nonchalant with a shrug. "Man, everyone knows you got a nice ass Cloud"

"So, you've been staring at my ass?"

"Every chance I get" Jason said with a grin plastered to his face. "Especially when you sleep in just your undies, gives a better view of those perfect cheeks"

"Jason! Shut up!" Cloud yelled across the room. "Dude, you're freaking me out!"

Jason walked towards Cloud and Willow, reaching a hand up and playfully ruffling Cloud's golden locks before Cloud had a chance to swat it away. "Oh, don't be so upset chocobo-head. Steve likes your ass too"

Cloud slapped away Jason's hand and fixed his hair with a disgruntled huff. "That's it, I'm switching to a new room!"

"Oh, don't be such a sore sport Cloud. You know that you'd miss us too much" Jason said looking at Cloud and running his fingers through his damp hair.

Cloud wasn't sure how to respond to that comment. It was true; he rather liked the bunkmates he had. He'd heard horror stories from some of the other cadets that were his age talking about how they had been pranked and humiliated by their roommates. Hazing was frowned upon on the campus, but regardless, it still happened. He had gotten lucky with the roommates he had. Jason and Steve were actually really cool guys and occasionally there was Luke, but he was in a different Class and spent more time off campus than anything else.

"I completely agree with Cadet Brody"

Cloud was relieved that Willow had spoken up and released the strange quiet that was building around them.

"Thank you Willow" Jason said with a smile and began to loosen the towel around his waist.

Cloud's eyes noticed this familiar action of his roommate stripping in the middle of the room. "Hey, hey, hey! Not in front of my girlfriend…or me anymore"

"You sure?" Jason grinned and grabbed a side of the towel in each hand. "Free show!"

"Hey, show some respect here!" Cloud lifted a hand as if to shield Willow's eyes like she was a small child. Willow couldn't help but giggle at the display in front of her.

Jason fixed the towel back around his waist and proceeded to mock salute in the direction of the door. "Aye. Pardon me ma'am for my stupidity on how to address my nudity in the presence of an officer and sweet ass roommate"

Cloud swore under his breath and turned Willow towards the door listening to her laugh as he reached for the knob and yanked it open. Willow sidestepped to avoid to door and moved to stand in the hallway. She waved a hand over her shoulder and said with a laugh "Talk to you later Jason"

"See ya around Willow, make sure you take good care of that sweet bottom there"

Before Willow could respond, Cloud slammed the door shut behind them, shaking his head in disbelief. He started stomping down the hall towards the exit, unaware that he was mumbling to himself.

"He's right you know"

"Huh?" Cloud stopped walking and turned towards Willow who was following a few steps behind him.

"Jason. He's right about your ass" Willow said with a smile.

"Oh, not you too!" Cloud said in a flustered tone.

Willow couldn't help but giggle as she reached for one of Cloud's hands. "Easy Cloud, I'm just repeating what you yourself told me the other night"

Cloud furrowed his brows in confusion.

Willow sighed with a smile and shook her head once. "Have you already forgotten? The other night…on my couch…in the living room…of my apartment?..."

She waited and watched the blush rise up his cheeks. "Did I really comment on my own ass?" Cloud asked.

"Yup, and I plan on taking full advantage of that comment later" Willow grinned and leaned closer to Cloud's face, locking her lips over his before sucking on his bottom lip briefly. She heard him gasp as she began to pull away.

Cloud looked at Willow and felt his heart drum in his chest. "I'm in trouble"

Willow laughed at this "You bet. Now, let's head out or we'll be late"

"Where're we going?" Cloud asked as he linked his fingers through Willow's, flinging his duffel over the other shoulder as they strode towards the stairs near the end of the hall.

"How does Italian sound?" Willow asked. "Oh, wait. I forgot that you're not hungry"

Cloud had to smile at Willow for her thoughtfulness. "No, it's alright. I'm actually feeling a little hungrier now"

With a quick nod and smile, Willow and Cloud descended down the stairwell and towards the parking lot to Willow's waiting Trailblazer. The sun was still shining brightly and life on the campus was becoming much more active. Life at Shinra seemed to be moving as if on a schedule of some sort, and Cloud was happy to be stepping away from it for a few days. Little did he know that what Willow had in store for them would take the both of them far from the campus halls of the academy for a short period of time.