Leon closed the novel he was reading after deciding dejectedly that it was hopeless

Leon closed the novel he was reading after deciding dejectedly that it was hopeless. He had gotten considerably far along, but couldn't retain a single word of what he was reading.

A frigid post-autumn zephyr blew at his hair, whipping it teasingly into his face. He knew how long he had been sitting out there—far too long—and it was getting late.

Slipping the book into his bag and scooting himself off the cement bench and table he was sitting at, he slowly walked down the leaf-doted path. Only a few people were walking down there this afternoon.

Looking skyward, birds flew over head attempting to reach the rest of the flock for the long migration. Across the street, dogs barked from the neighboring houses, and somewhere some little kid was having the utmost merriment exploding from a heap of freshly piled leaves.

It was while he was absently noting the existence of these things around him that he realized he had stopped walking and was standing in front of the housing complex. The gum stains from when he had first arrived still clung relentlessly on the concrete but he was so detached, he hardly noticed it.

He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be in this complex. He didn't want to go into the room and see Cloud, though he didn't exactly understand why. It was the thought of facing Cloud that bothered him the most. All he knew was he didn't want to talk to him, think about him, or even argue with him. All he really wanted...

Looking down at his shoes, Leon noticed and a single, crinkled, mahogany leaf scrape by.

All he really wanted was to cry.

He could feel the warm tears welling over his eyelids and spilling down his cheeks. He bit his lip. Now wasn't the time to do this, not when he was about to meet Cloud in the dorm room. Balling his fists, he wiped the tears away and walked briskly past the receptionist's desk and into the elevator.

XxX

"...and that should do it." Cloud said whipping his notebook closed. Upon getting home, he had spent the better part of half an hour scribbling down what fragments of the lesson he remembered from that morning. Needless to say, it wasn't much.

Just then, the door creaked quietly open, paused, then opened all the way when Leon slipped in. Stopping suddenly, the disapproval of the room's order was plainly evident on his face, yet surprise wasn't present at all. He sighed indifferently and hung his coat on the rack built on the wall neighboring the door.

"Leon, where have you been?" Cloud asked, sitting up.

"Nowhere." Leon stated flatly. He crossed the room readied himself to straighten the clutter Cloud had left that morning. The drawers were open, the bed askew, and that lamp ...

"Um ... are you...okay?" Cloud started to back up to watch all this from a safer distance, but he didn't need to worry. Leon had no intention of starting any fights at all.

"Yep."

"Yep?"

"Yep."

Well, Leon may not have felt like starting anything, but Cloud sure had every intention to, primarily with Leon's tardiness earlier that morning. He had been itching to put Leon in his place once and for all and his curtness reminded him.

"So...um, Leon," Cloud said leaning against the chest of drawers Leon was placing clothing into. "You were...kinda late this morning."

"Yep." He stiffly filed more clothing away.

"Kinda strange, don't you think? I mean...you of all people..." He leaned further onto the dresser, his smirk garnished with a hint of curiosity.

"Yep."

"How come? What could prince prompt possibly have been doing to delay him from schedule?" It would be a while before he felt shame for being so giddy about something so childish.

Leon gently picked up the lamp that had been knocked over the night before and turned it over in his hands.

"Hello? I'm speaking to you! Why were you late?" Cloud insisted.

"...Because."

"Because why?"

"Because." Leon set the lamp down, and fiddled with it for a few moments. The shade was broken as was the bulb. He ran his fingertips over the broken shards of the ceramic base and again felt the pressing intensity of warm liquid in back of his eyes.

He blinked back the forming tears. Leon was not about to have something so serious thrown back in his face and he knew that was precisely what would happen if he said anything.

"...I'm kind of busy in case you haven't noticed."

"You know, no one asked you to pick up my clothes." Cloud tipped his head to get a better look at Leon's hidden face. He had been hiding it ever since he walked into the room...

"I wouldn't have to if you'd do it yourself." he folded up a shirt and placed it in the drawer.

"Yeah, well I was running late this morning...not unlike you. That was a pretty killer party last night, I couldn't get up for anything." he shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't want to know." He felt a piercing sting in his chest.

Cloud snorted. "Yeah, whatever. You're just mad 'cos I was invited and you weren't."

"Shut up."

"You know it's true." Cloud smiled. He felt the shift of conversation; Leon was getting angry.

"I said shut up."

"Seifer and I got pretty hopped up," He pressed, "I however wasn't nearly as drunk as he was...no matter what he says."

Leon hissed angrily. "Don't you believe that for a second. You were just as drunk if not more."

Slightly apprehensive by the bitterness of Leon's reply, Cloud scoffed. "Hah, What would you know about it?"

"Plenty. I had to let you in." He muttered.

"Really?"

"Really." Leon really didn't want to talk about this.

Cloud scratched his head absently. Then, it occurred to him. "But Seifer was here when I woke up. I mean, I thought you didn't like him, so it's kinda weird that you'd let him in too..."

"I didn't. Your stupid friend let himself in." He clenched his teeth.

"Eh...?" He was drawing blanks, and figured Leon didn't appreciate it.

Leon sighed wearily, "You don't remember a thing."

"No, afraid I don't.

"You passed out as soon as you hit the door, and Seifer..." Leon eyed the door. "Never mind." He closed the drawer and stormed toward it.

"Hey, what's the matter? Where are you going?"

"Out..." he muttered.

--And Cloud was left standing alone in the dorm.

"Humph, fine." He hadn't really gotten what he wanted, but he'd drag it out of him one way or another. Yawning loudly, he flopped backwards onto his bed. Leon would just have to get over himself. He always acted like the world was his affliction (actually, it kind of was) and no one was perfect enough to satisfy him. It wasn't Cloud's job to make sure he was always content; in fact, it should have been the least of his worries.

It should have been.

But it wasn't.

Cloud sat up. He couldn't just let him storm off like that, especially, when he was so upset.

Groaning, he slipped off the bed and decided to finish tidying up what Leon had left. He had to do something to quell his thoughts. He folded the remaining clothing, picked up the pillows, and tucked in the sheets. The whole process actually wasn't as painful as he had expected it to be, but he never did get his mind off of Leon. He couldn't help the curiosity tugging at his brain, the anger at Leon's curtness that welled up inside him. Most of all, he couldn't help the worry that struck his heart. It was decided then.

Cloud rolled his eyes at himself. It was not his job to be Leon's caretaker. It was cold, and dark, tonight, and he wasn't exactly happy with Leon anyway, but he already knew precisely what he was going to end up doing.

Scratching his head in frustration at himself, he slowly slipped on his shoes and sluggishly approached the door. However, as soon as he touched the knob, there came a loud rapping.

"Um...hello?" He opened the door, feeling slightly confused.

"Hey!" Seifer grinned "What's up?"