First update of the new year!!
Hope everyone has a good year this year!
A frantic knock. That has to be Sora. Cloud just finished washing the dishes, it's the weekend, and now he's getting a nice visit from Sora.
He admits it, he likes it when Sora visits. The boy always does brighten everyone's day up. Not only that, he really made an impact on Roxas's life, and Cloud couldn't ask for anything more.
Opening the door, he thought his eyes would pop out of his sockets if it weren't for reality.
"With love! From Leon!" Sora announced but it was only his voice that confirmed it was Sora. The first and only thing visible to Cloud at the doorway was an overly large bouquet of flowers, mostly roses. How Sora carried that thing, he'll never know.
"Erm…thank you?" Cloud tried to take it from him but wasn't sure how without dropping the flowers near the top.
"He wrote a card too I think!" Sora added and just helped him carry the flowers into the kitchen after Cloud closed the door.
"How did you get this?" Cloud asked as he dug around for a vase…or a lot of vases if he has any more, to put the flowers in.
"Oh, Leon sent some money over and asked specifically to get this for you!"
"…Really?"
The way Cloud sounded surprised but touched made Sora go numb in his legs.
Instead of searching for things to put flowers in, the two just set the large bouquet down onto their coffee table.
"Thank you, Sora."
"No problem!" he answered a little too quickly but Cloud didn't seem to care or notice as he sat down on the couch to read the card that came with the flowers.
Sora, out of habit, sat next to Cloud and waited for the man to react…however, he did not expect a frown or a face a confusion that followed.
"…What's wrong, Cl-Mr. Strife?"
"Hm? Nothing," he shook his head, "I'm just…a bit surprised that Leon is the one that wrote this."
"Surprised?! I spent a frickin hour on that stupid thing! Saying the right thing is harder than you think!"
He also had to spend a second hour cleaning the room filled with crumpled pieces of paper. Obviously, Vincent ordered him to.
"But this is definitely his handwriting so…I guess I'm just a bit confused…" Cloud sighed and folded the card again, holding it close to him.
"Confused?" Sora questioned as innocently as possible.
"Heh, it's nothing," Cloud chuckled and patted Sora's head as if he was Roxas, which Sora didn't exactly like, "Don't worry about it. Thanks again for delivering it though."
"Would you like me to mail Leon another letter???" Sora asked with hope.
"Hmm…maybe. I'll let you know," Cloud smiled and continued playing with Sora's hair for a couple more seconds. It took that same amount of time for Sora to realize Cloud left the couch and thus he got up to follow the man.
"So uh…may ask if you're going on another date with that…um…man?" Sora asked as he innocently tailed Cloud out to the garden where he picked up his watering can.
"Reno? Hell no!" Cloud replied, shaking his head and Sora mentally cheered, "And now Yuffie is trying to set me up with someone else…"
"Damn you, Yuffie!"
"Wh-What? Wait! Don't you have a right to say no!?" Sora nearly exclaimed and hoped Cloud didn't get mad at him for raising his voice.
"Yeah but...I know she means well. So the least I could do is accept her help. Well I did until her list of dates included Vincent. That would've been beyond awkward…"
"You have no idea how much more awkward it would be…" Sora thought as he scrambled around the backyard, looking for another watering can so he can help Cloud water the garden.
"So she promised she'll be more reasonable in the people she chooses. But that didn't go too well because she went to my good friend, Zack…whom she somehow completely forgot was married to Aerith already!" Cloud shook his head at the reminder of Yuffie's behavior, "Oh sorry, didn't mean to bore you with my stories."
"No, no! Not at all! They're very interesting! And uh, funny!" Sora replied and gave up on looking for an extra the watering can, so instead he headed for the hose.
"Wow, I'm just surprised. Usually Roxas or Naminé would try to make excuses to leave if I'm talking about my life. This is very nice of you, Sora," Cloud commented before he turned his body to see what Sora was doing only to catch him fumbling with the hose.
"Is it on…?" Sora asked himself but he answered his own questioned when he decided to test the hose and accidentally sent a strong spray of water at Cloud, "Oh my…I am so, so SORRY!"
Now dripping wet, Cloud slowly looked at Sora who was practically pleading for forgiveness at this point. With no word, Cloud approached Sora and swiftly dunked the remaining water in his watering can on him.
"There, now we're even," Cloud lightly smirked.
Relief and humor fell upon Sora who let out a small laugh.
"I'm so sorry, I swear it was an accident," Sora apologized again as he wiped his face and messed with his hair to get the spikes back up.
"I know, it's okay," Cloud placed the watering can back down and ushered Sora back into the house, "You know, Leon used to do those things to me on purpose all the time."
"Really now?" Sora asked, trying to hide his amusement at the reminder of the memories as Cloud tossed him a towel.
"Yeah…but I always got mad at him. Then he'd tell me to lighten up and take a joke every now and then. I guess over time I learned to…especially living with him for so long!"
"Yeah I know…" Sora nodded as he tried to dry his hair with the towel.
"You know?"
"I what? Ooh! No! I don't mean like, I KNOW what you're talking about. I mean I do but…oh never mind!" Sora thought it was pointless to try and sound more stupid…
"Dad!" Down came Roxas from the stairs and ruined Sora's moments with Cloud…
"Dad! I saw something happen…oh…never mind."
"Roxas, why don't you let Sora borrow some of your clothes? You done with homework?"
"Yeah, that's why I came down. I mean besides to check on you," Roxas replied.
"Then go ahead and play with Sora today," Cloud waved, as if telling them to get out, much to Sora's disappointment. Treading up the stairs, Sora halted when his father-senses started to kick in.
"Sora?" Roxas stopped as well when he noticed he wasn't being followed.
"…Where's Naminé?"
"Um…Riku was over earlier today so maybe she left with him?" Roxas replied but Sora heard a hint of fear in Roxas's voice.
"I think she's here…" Sora stated and headed down the opposite direction of Roxas's bedroom to reach Naminé's.
"What? Sora wait!" Following Sora, the two stopped before Naminé's door and both heard muffled sounds coming from the other side,
"Naminé?" Sora called out and knocked on the door.
"Go away!"
"Naminé! Open this door!"
"No!"
"…Roxas, why don't you wait for me?" Sora suggested, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder,
"…What?"
"Go wait for me in your room, I want to talk to Naminé."
"But Sora…"
"Roxas, go to your room…I mean please," he corrected, remembering to stop using his father-tone.
"…fine…" Roxas muttered before turning around and headed for his room. Sora took in a breath and let it out before he faced Naminé's door again.
"Hey Naminé…can I come in?" he asked in a gentler tone.
"No…"
"Naminé, I promise that whatever is said in your room will stay in your room. I swear I will not tell Roxas or your dad. Just let me in. I want to help. I also promise I won't say anything bad about Riku…" He gritted his teeth through the last part but he had to think of something to convince Naminé to let him in!
To his surprise, the door slowly opened and Sora was let it. That's when Sora realized he hasn't been in his daughter's bedroom for a loooooong time! Yet it hasn't changed much…her walls and furniture were still mostly white and her bookshelves were filled with more sketchbooks than actual books.
Naminé closed her door and went to her bed by the window, sitting down and wiping away tears with Sora slowly joining her side.
"Er, sorry, I got in a fight with a watering can downstairs," he apologized before he sat down, "Tell me what's wrong. Why are you upset?"
Naminé only sniffed as some more tears fell down her face some more.
"Riku…"
"Oh god if he hurt you, I'm gonna-"
"No…" Naminé shook her head and wiped her face some more, "He didn't *sniff* hurt me…but…he hurt Roxy and…might've hurt me too…"
"That's just as bad!" Sora exclaimed in anger, "Tell me what he was going to do so I can kick his ass!"
Naminé only shook her head again before lifting her head to look at Sora,
"He broke up with me…because I d-defended Roxy and refused to…go all the way with him…"
"…Oh Nami," Sora's anger suddenly disappeared only to be replaced by something else as he found himself putting an arm around her and pulling her close for a hug, "I'm sorry…"
"It wasn't just that…" he whimpered into his shoulder, "This m-morning…*sniff* when he was here…I told him to…"
"…To?" Sora asked, trying to get her to continue without being too forceful,
"I-I…told him to s-stop…bullying Roxy…" Naminé slowly pulled herself away from Sora and wiped her face with her hands once more, "Just that one time…and they were out in the yard. Roxy h-heard him *sniff* ask for sex and, well, I said no but he…he kept pushing it and Roxy…th-they got into a fight…where you, Roxy, and Dad worked hard on that garden…I didn't want him to ruin it!" Naminé cried as Sora listened intensively.
"He ruined some flowers anyway…"
"That jacka-"
"When R-Roxy ran back inside…Riku and I fought…"
"Naminé…" Sora reached out and gently caressed her back in hopes to ease the crying.
"He left, saying it was over if I…sided with my brother…saying he was nobody and a loser…" Naminé sighed before finding herself leaning onto Sora's shoulder, "So I went out a bit after Riku left…to buy flowers to replace the ones Riku ruined when he was trying to hurt Roxy…"
"Naminé…does your Dad know about this?" Sora asked with concern and Naminé shook her head.
"I don't want to worry him…he's got enough to worry about already. Mainly with the divorce…"
"Oh…what about Roxas?"
"Roxy? I…I don't even know what to say to him…"
"Well…you can start with an apology? And maybe a 'thank you' too? He cares about you and you know he's afraid of Riku but he stepped in anyway, for you," Sora suggested and gave a small smile for her. Naminé only nodded a bit before lifting her head from his shoulder,
"I know…Sora, may I ask you something?"
"Of course! Anything!"
"Why do you care so much about my family?"
"Huh? Uh…"
"You're always around and ever since you came along…both Dad and Roxy seem so much happier. And now…you even helped me…"
"Well I…well we're practically already family! I mean…Uncle Vincent is a family friend so…I guess I am too!" Sora was surprised he thought of that on the spot but he was glad he did. After Naminé wiped another tear away, she gave him her warm sweet smile.
"That's my Nami…"
"Thank you…Sora."
"Of course, Nami…Ne! Naminé! Hehe…" He forgot that 'Sora' shouldn't go around calling her by her nickname.
"May I ask you something else?"
"Yeah go ahead," Sora repositioned himself in a better sitting position after he stopped rubbing Naminé's back.
"…Do you like my brother?"
"Of course I like him! He's like my best buddy!"
"No…do you…like-like him…"
"…What?" Sora just found himself trapped between a rock and a monster situation by that one question alone.
"Well…do you?"
"…No! Trust me! No! No way!" Sora immediately denied, almost to the point of freaking out, "What gave you that idea?!"
"Nothing…" Naminé shook her head, "N-Nothing at all…forget I asked!"
"No…" Sora reached a hand out to her shoulder, "Tell me. Are there rumors or something? What's going on?"
"No, not rumors…it's just…my brother has a huge crush on you!"
"Wait, what?!"
"Lord please say I'm dreaming…"
"You…never noticed?"
"No!" the brunette shook his head frantically, "I thought he was crushing on Axel!"
"Oh! He definitely was…until you came along at least. A lot of times during dinner, you're all he talks about. And whenever either myself or Dad asks him about it, he flushes and stutters until he calms down again."
"Well that might explain the whole arm-latching thing…" Sora thought as he mentally slapped himself.
"You two are so close so…I thought you liked him too…I even thought you two were already secretly together! I'm sorry I asked. Please don't tell him I told you!"
"N-No it's okay…and I won't, I promise…" Sora sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "That might explain his behavior a bit though…"
"My life is just getting better and better!"
Sora was knocked out of his thoughts when Naminé suddenly hugged him.
"What the?"
"I just want to thank you again, Sora…you're a true friend," she slowly released him before giving him a friendly peck on the cheek, "Please be gentle with my brother…whether you're going to turn him down or accept it."
"Yeah…I will."
Please R and R!!