Author's notes: This makes up for not updating. Right? RIGHT??
Summary: Frogs and biscuits. ... wait.
Warnings: Swears, violence, gore, lime (possible, it's in debate), graphic scenes, yaoi (boyxboy love), CRACK, stupid humor, emo!angst
Pairings: RenoxRude(MAIN), AxelxRoxas(MAIN), SoraxRiku, Axelx?, Demyxx?, SeiferxLeon, as well as multiple random and short CRACK pairings. Subject to change.
Disclaimer: Soooo.
Jean: ...
Me: ... you're doing it wrong.
Jean: I am?
Me: Yes, you're supposed to try and make me write a disclaimer.
Jean: Why on Earth would I do that?
Me: ... I want Riu back.
Chapter 7
"Okay, I may have deserved that." He began, voice cautious as if afraid of upsetting his companion any further.
"May have? MAY HAVE? Damn right you deserved it! The hell were you thinking!?"
"I wasn't… exactly."
"Big shocker!" The sarcastic bite of the comment was not missed and Rude, appropriately, winced. Reno though, for all his loud vocalized protestation of the kiss seemed oddly… relaxed. The kiss in the storage room had ended with a sharp slap, something completely and utterly girlish and so… out of character that it had stunned Rude long enough for Reno to escape into the class. The lab had been finished up with no further incident, or conversation, and now they were walking to their next class which was math. Joy oh joy.
"I'm sorry, I panicked! I just…" Rude trailed off frowning. He wasn't one for words usually, preferring to let Reno do all the talking when they interacted with others, sometimes Reno could even carry the conversation by himself between them, that was just how deep their connection went, but right now…
"You just what?" Reno prompted, slowing his steps to let the crowd mill around them. Turning to look at Rude, the hand that gripped his backpack's strap tightened till his knuckles shone white.
"Just… thought I was losing you."
"Laaaaaame." Rude resisted the urge to sock Seifer in the face as he came down the hallway with a cocky smirk on his lips.
"Beat it yo, I'm not in the mood to deal with your shit so I will knock your ass down, Axel's friend or not." Reno warned in dark tones. In response the blonde's smirk widened and he looped both of them under arm, since he was tall enough to do it, and brought them both in close.
"You're overthinkin' it sweeties, he's hot for you and you want in his pants. Get to it, chop chop." He laughed as Reno shoved him away, catching himself before he knocked someone over.
"Last warning Seifer!" Reno growled catching the stares of the students around them, but fortunately the crowd was beginning to thin out.
"Careful sparks, your uniqueness is showing." Seifer replied, tone still that of a jerk's but his eyes took on a serious note. Blinking in confusion, it wasn't until Rude put a hand over his and winced in pain that Reno glanced down and realized his hands were sparking bolts of tiny lightning. Cursing he turned away and shoved his hands into his pockets before counting to twenty. Ten wasn't counting it right now. With that tiny problem taken care of, Seifer shrugged a little haplessly.
"Your warning's noted, now here's mine. You've got something special and you're throwing it away pretending it's not there. I thought A class was supposed to be smart," he commented lightly, noting their school's unique system. That is, every grade had four tiers, A the smartest, D the dumbest. Seifer himself, along with Axel was in 12-B. "Stop dancing around each other, you've got clocks ticking away in your body, and that time might've just been halved with this wonderful development in our lives." He added motioning to Reno's hands. "Get a move on will you?"
"You've got to lay off those dirty books dumbass, true love doesn't exist." Reno snapped back, irritated but strangely appearing vulnerable.
"Says who?"
"Says reality."
"Reality's word ain't worth shit idiot, or has was yesterday just a dream?" When Reno didn't reply Seifer smirked in triumph, the scent of a fully caught prey in the air for him. "Think about this, you guys are college students in the A tier, you trounce every idiot stupid enough to get in your way in gym and one of you is socialite of the year while the other is a poster boy for tall, dark and studly."
Rude blushed at that and coughed into his hand, grateful that his shades hid whatever emotions could show in his eyes. "Get to your point." He muttered to cover his embarrassment.
"Point, retards, is this: why hasn't anyone ever asked either of you out?"
A long, pregnant silence, broken only by Seifer humming the jeopardy music.
"How the hell would I know!?" Reno finally snapped, not liking the way this conversation was going.
"You wouldn't. You and Rudey there are as blind as a politician is to the rules of congress. By the time anyone thought about dating you guys, you were already attached at the hip and more. Looks like Rude took a step forward today, good for him his balls dropped. Yours on the other hand still seem to be nestled right up to your throat. Elsewise you might have noticed he's been goo-goo eyeing you for at least a year now."
"Butt out asshole!" Reno finally snapped, hands going to his head. He didn't want to think about this. Not now. His parents were dead, he was man of the house, his best friend who was a brother to him had feelings for him, he was a superhuman, an organization was hunting him. It was a bit of an overload, while Axel might be able to deal by not thinking about it or taking it one at a time, Reno was… a little less lucky in that aspect.
It wasn't until a slam broke through his reverie that he realized something had changed while he'd turned his back on the situation. Looking up, his eyes were wide as he took in Rude who had Seifer shoved up against a wall and his throat in his hand as he quite literally held him a good few inches above the floor.
"Shut up." Rude snarled, literally snarled. Seifer's nails digging into his forearm seemed to have no impact whatsoever as his face rapidly changed from red to purple. Reno hadn't seen him this angry since... well, the day they'd met honestly, in the middle of that gunfight.
"Rude, Rude you're choking him!" The redhead finally got out past numb lips as he started forward.
"I could kill him and nothing would happen. DiZ would protect me, and there would be one less witness to the situation." Rude informed Reno icily, his tone nothing short of a murderer's apathy. Reno froze. What the hell had set this off!? This was one side of Rude he didn't know, how did he fix it!?
"Why the hell would you want to kill him?" He finally got out, thinking furiously, Seifer's grip was starting to go slack and it was a wonder his throat hadn't been crushed yet.
"He's sticking his nose into places he shouldn't. It doesn't matter if what he says is true, truth can hurt."
Hurt? Rude's mad because I'm being hurt? You've gotta be kidding me! Reno thought blankly. Then something else clicked.
"Truth can hurt? … what he said is true?"
"What?"
"The year thing, it's true?"
"I…" Rude faltered, not sure how to cover this.
"You never said anything!?" Reno demanded, looking stunned.
"I was waiting for the right time!" He began defensively, blushing like mad now. "And when your parents died, and all this I…"
"So it wasn't just today?"
"Well, no. But…"
"… air… need…"
The two stopped and looked back at Seifer. Rude immediately dropped him. Hitting the floor and crumpling onto all fours, Seifer held a hand to his abused throat and coughed while trying to suck in air. "Jesus fucking Christ you guys… lover spat is cool but not while you've got your fingers wrapped around a guy's throat!" He got out in breathless tones staggering to his feet.
"… sorry."
"Hey, back on topic!" Reno interrupted. "You've been in love with me for a year!?"
"Sure guys, don't mind the half dead man over here."
"I-"
"And let me guess, you decided to keep quiet out of respect for my feelings."
"Well-"
"And probably also because you weren't sure of my reaction and wanted to keep our friendship secure."
"It's not like it hurt or anything…"
"Shut the hell up Seifer!"
"…"
"Well Rude?"
"But there-"
"But nothing, a year!? You didn't try confessing once!?" Suddenly, Rude wasn't appreciative of the fact that Reno could carry on a conversation between them all by himself. "And maybe, maybe I would have realized a little sooner and…"
"And fallen back in love with him?" Seifer got out in a hoarse voice still rubbing his throat. One fist clench from Rude shut him up.
"…"
"You wouldn't have." Rude finally began quietly, certain in his reasoning. Reno whom he thought was talented, attractive and chaotic couldn't possibly think of accepting Rude's request. About to explain this, he opened his mouth but Reno's abrupt laughter cut him off.
"What the fuck yo?" Reno demanded in the midst of his chuckles as he clutched his side and shook his head before finally looking back up at the other man. "I thought you knew me."
"Huh?"
"I… well I would've given it a shot at least. I don't knock it till I've tried it."
"You… would've?"
"I didn't say no after you kissed me did I?"
"Well. No…"
"There, you see?"
"… I… yeah. Yeah I do."
"And all it took was one jackass, his romanticism and a death grip. Hurrah." That was Seifer again making sarcastic "yay" motions with his hands.
"I'm warning you Almasy." Rude growled but the blonde smirked at him.
"Bite me." And with that, Seifer whirled like a dervish and did a backspin kick planting his foot into Rude's back lightly and sending him flying forward. Predictably, he connected with Reno in a crash of a kiss. Blinking, stunned, they barely managed to catch each other on the wall and drew back, slightly poleaxed, before Reno shrugged and yanked Rude down by his collar to try again.
"Seifer Almasy strikes again." Seifer muttered triumphantly and watched, yes watched, for a good 40 seconds before clearing his throat. "You guys are insanely late for class by the way."
"SHIT."
As soon as they were gone and Seifer was done watching them go, he turned and jammed his hands into his pockets. "Thanks for leaving me to rot there by the way." He remarked seemingly to thin air.
"Whatever." Leon came out from behind a corner and leaned against the wall before folding his arms and glancing at Seifer calmly. "You were fine."
"Says you, that's twice you assholes have left me to die now." Seifer muttered rubbing his throat lightly knowing it would bruise and sighing.
"Your teacher's looking for you. Sent me since class A has a study period right now." Leon commented as he stood and moved to leave, presumably to get back to his class.
"What's the rush? You said you've got a study period and no point in me going to class now." Seifer remarked as he caught up with the brunette grinning.
"Why are you obsessed with love?" Leon asked instead, ignoring his statement but not protesting as they walked side by side.
"Easy, I want everything my piece of shit old man doesn't have. Love's one of 'em." Leon nodded at that, the story of Seifer's parents was pretty infamous in this town, being that his mother gave birth to Seifer and ran, leaving him and his father. His father unfortunately wasn't much in the way of parenthood when he decided to blame the kid for the wife leaving him. So Seifer wanting to spite his old man was a reasonable motivation. "Of course, that's probably the only reason you'd believe." Seifer added mischievously. Leon twitched at that. Fuck, did this man ever stop playing around?
"I like you. That's all there is to it." He commented as they neared their respective classrooms.
"Hm."
"See you at lunch?" Seifer added a bit hopefully, hand on the classroom handle. Leon paused at that. A request, not an order. That was… unusual.
"… whatever." Leon muttered before opening his door and walking into the quiet classroom before shutting the door with a soft click.
Seifer smiled.
"So, what's your excuse for your tardiness?" The teacher began quietly, arms crossed and pointer stick held threateningly in one hand.
"The locker was stuck-" Rude began.
"-there was a fire." Reno interrupted.
A pause.
"… my locker was stuck because it was on fire?" Reno tried haphazardly.
One punishment of reciting the "I'm Very Sorry Professor" poem later, Reno sat in his desk with Rude next to him and grumbled darkly. "I'm gonna set my locker on fire just to thwart that bastard."
"That would hardly be safe now would it?" A calm voice interrupted Reno's ramblings. A distinctly cool, composed and familiar voice. Feeling an inkling of dread settle on his shoulders, confirmed only by Rude's fist tightening as he stared at who spoke, Reno finally glanced at who sat next to him on his other side and blanched.
"Nice to see you again Reno." Saix remarked with a tiny little smirk playing on his lips.
Without thought, Reno decked him square in the face.
End chapter 7.