Chapter Eight--- Without you

Dedicated to 13loves

Cloud sat in his bedroom, staring out his window into the gray afternoon sky. It had been two days since he'd seen Zack and even though he refused to admit it, he was worried. Axel had stopped in, grabbed a bag of clothes and left again without telling Cloud what was going on. Sighing heavily, Cloud let his head fall into his hands as the silence crushed him with its weighty accusations.

It hadn't always been like this at the Fair house. Once they had been a happy, complete family. Now they were just broken and it didn't take a genius to see they were falling apart. Cloud fell back on his bed, anger and misery coursing through his veins as he tried to figure out just when in the hell he'd become such a jerk. He didn't know when but he knew why...

" No…no, I'm done with you…I want to forget you…" He whispered harshly into the dark of his room as unwanted memories came flooding back, threatening to break Cloud with their old caress of comfort and agony. Silver and jade flashed through his mind over and over until Cloud finally did break into sobs. It had hurt so much but he had to be strong for his family because he was all they had left. But Cloud had nothing somehow and in an effort to regain some semblance of control, he'd become everything he'd never been. He'd become someone Sephiroth wouldn't have loved.

Sephiroth Arden had been Cloud Fair's world. They'd meet freshman year when Cloud and his family had moved from Hollow Bastion. Even Cloud's enormous family had failed to phase the sophisticated, albeit stoic, teen. Instead, Sephiroth had accepted them all with a smirk and for almost 7 years they had been the perfect couple. Then it all came crashing down.

Leon awoke on Monday morning to find that Friday's guests had yet to vacate his home. Somehow, he didn't mind. All the teasing and yelling and simplicity of having people around, comforted Leon. So, stepping over bodies and plates, Leon reached the door and slammed it shut, enjoying the indignant shrieks of the boys as they were rudely awakened from their slumber.

The grey morning was cool and Leon enjoyed the walk to campus. He loved 'grey days' as Yuffie called them. They were peaceful and slow, holding the promise of sunshine behind their fluffy clouds. The campus was nearly empty as Leon entered the A building with hopes that the classroom would be empty so he could work on the sketch he'd been planning. If he could get it on to paper like he saw it in his head, it would be amazing. As Leon set his things down and began to draw, a song popped into his head, one that he had not sang for a very long time.

If shame had face I think it would kind of look like mineIf it had a home would it be my eyes? Would you believe me if I said I was tired of this?Well here we go now one more time…

Leon trailed off into silence as the sounds of his pencil on his sketch pad overtook the room. He was so absorbed in the lines and shades his pencil was creating that he didn't notice a certain blond enter the room, cobalt eyes weary and sad. Instead he coontinued singing.

Will this end? It goes on and on, over and over and over again. Keep spinning around, I know that this won't stop till I step down from this for goodSick cycle carousel.

Cloud listen to Leon's smooth voice with something akin to rapture. The brunet's voice was raspy and earthy; warm and distant at the same time. Now that the stormy eyed man wasn't being a complete face, Cloud took a moment to observe him and actually enjoyed the easy silence they maintained by means of Leon's obliviousness to Cloud's presence.

Long locks of chocolate fell into Leon's eyes as he focused on his sketch. A broad pale hand gripped his pencil loosely as it glided over the paper, no doubt creating a masterpiece. Though here and now, calm and maybe even happy, Cloud couldn't help but think the real masterpiece was Leon himself.

Well I never thought I'd end up here, never thought I'd be standing where I am
I guess I kind of thought it would be easier than this, I guess I was wrong, now one more time
Well, I tried to grab your steps, I tried to chase you down, I tried to see how low I could get down to the ground,
You better believe I have tried to beat this…

Cloud listened with intent to Leon's song, wondering if it was a song he wrote or just one on the radio. The voice sounded familiar…

" You shouldn't sneak in on people." The brunet muttered as Cloud turned to face him, hiding his surprise.

"Eager to start a argument this early in the morning?" Cloud asked, the tiredness in his voice forcing Leon to raise his head, stormy grey meeting sorrowful sapphire.

"No. That would be Kadaj. He's the fighter in the family." Cloud nodded and turned back to his paper work, Leon's song wrapping itself around his brain and refusing to let go, making him think of Sephiroth again, wishing things had turned out different.

It had been a Sunday, a perfectly wonderful, sunny, once in a lifetime kind of Sunday. Sephiroth had been out of town looking at apartments in Destiny. He'd called Cloud on his way back saying he'd found the perfect place and that Cloud would love it. The sun shone all the time and the sky matched his eyes. Cloud remembered blushing. Sephiroth loved making him blush.

Then, as he waited beside the window, searching for Sephiroth's old black truck to come into view, he noticed the sky turn dark. It was strange for the weather to change so suddenly in Twilight Town but the really strange thing was it had started to rain and when it did, Cloud's heart began to sink farther into his chest. Panic clawed at him as he continued waiting. Sephiroth should have been home---

"I suggest you stop staring at the wall now." Leon cut into Cloud's thought softly. Much softer than Cloud thought the man could have been.

"Class is going to be starting and I don't think you want questions." With that, Leon put his sketch away as Cloud wondered just how Leon had figured him out.

a.n: woooo update!!!!! heheh

Dedicated to 13loves

Thanks to Jedi, Elli-chan and 13loves for reviewing every chapter and kicking my butt into gear for NOT updating .O i heart you guys!!

Reviews are loved!

Ulti!