Disclaimer: All characters, most places things etc. belong to Square-Enix and Disney…or whatever, I don't own anything…so…don't sue me ok?

Chapter Five
JUST Roommates

There was fire. Bright and angry as it ravaged through the town, destroying everything with its touch; the smell of ash and blood enveloped him as he stood in the middle, gazing in shock and confusion at the scene before him. Bodies, homes, business, all broken and misplaced among the crumbling town…

'This can't be...' he thought.

He caught a glimpse of silver hair before he felt the pressure of another body pressed into his back, large elegant hands planted themselves on his shoulders as black feathers fell slowly to the ground.

"This is your last chance. All you have to do is say yes, and I can make this all go away."

He pulled away; his hands shook as he turned to face him.

The other smiled softly shaking his head.

"Suit yourself," he said before turning to look over his shoulder, throwing one last smirk at the other before crying, "I found him! He's over here."

Cloud sat up violently, clutching a hand to his sweat soaked chest. After regulating his breathing, he sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. How many nights had passed since he had last gotten a peaceful night's sleep? He tossed his messy blankets to the side, getting up and stretching while glancing at his clock. It was nearly eleven. 'Missed again," he thought, straightening up and heading toward the bathroom. For the past month it seemed the two boys had been playing a game of hide-and-go seek. Their schedules were rarely ever the same, and it was near miraculous when they got a day off simultaneously. The constant running around had left them time for no more than five words to each other a day.

Cloud turned off the water, placing his tooth brush away. 'Work is good but...it's kind of lonely,' he thought to himself. And just like that he got an idea.

----

Leon attempted to pull his shirt closed only to have his hands slapped away by Yuffie.

"Ugh, Yuffie, is this really necessary? I mean, we're already getting more than enough customers." Leon said, gesturing to the line of women standing outside of the video store, waiting for it to open. There was something about the way that they pressed their faces to the glass that made Leon feel very uneasy, and the looks in their eyes did not say 'we love movies'.

Yuffie rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her chin as she stepped back to give him a once over, shook her head and unbuttoned another button on his already dangerously revealing white, button down shirt. "Yea, alright, we have their interest. Now we just have to keep it."

"And this is supposed to keep their interest? These clothes don't even fit right!" Leon exclaimed, grabbing at the belt loops of his jeans in a vain attempt to pull up his pants.

"They're called low rise for a reason, Leon." Yuffie said, stepping back to look at him once more. "Perfect! Sora, Riku; please stop whatever it is you're doing back there, without telling me what it is, and come out here for final inspection."

Several moments passed before a very disgruntled Riku emerged from the back, followed by a very pink Sora. They were all dressed in similar outfits, although Riku seemed the most comfortable, even volunteering to leave his shirt completely open.

Yuffie smiled, clapping her hands together. "Perfect!"

Riku smiled, nodding to her before flipping the 'closed' sign to open and opening the glass door. He moved to the side just in time to avoid being trampled by the group of women as they rushed to enter the store. His chest swelled with pride as he recognized several regulars.

'Regulars,' he thought with a smile. 'Who would have thought?'

----

Cloud hummed as packed away the simple lunch he prepared. He checked the clock: 12:01. There was just enough time for him to make it to the video store in time for Leon's lunch break. He placed the few dishes he'd used in the sink and turned on the water. He reached in to grab the sponge only to pull his hand back with a hiss. The water was boiling hot, leaving his hand red and burning.

Burning hot…just like that time. Fragments of his dream fought their way to the front of his mind, dragging memories of unpleasant times with them. The temperature was the same then, wasn't it? Boiling hot, leaving him red and burning with no voice at all.

He shook his head, turning the water off with more force then necessary. 'That's over now Cloud,' he thought to himself. 'This is a brand new life.'

He abandoned the dishes in the sink, grabbing the bag and leaving the house swiftly.

----

"He's so cute!" the girl whispered to her friend.

"I know!" she responded. "I've been coming here every day just to see him. I've rented so many movies it's not even funny."

"Does he have a girlfriend?" the first girl asked.

"I don't think so."

"Then go for it!" she exclaimed pushing her friend towards the spiky haired employee with the bright blue eyes.

Sora looked up from the movie in his hand, turning toward the customer. "May I help you?"

The girl grabbed his hand in a moment of excitement. "You don't know me and I don't know you, but I think you're really cute and maybe we can go out sometime?" she said nervously, in one breath.

Sora rubbed the back of his head, cringing a bit. "Uh...sorry, but..."

Riku rushed over, grabbing Sora closer to him protectively. "MINE!" he growled, glaring at the girl. Her and her friend exchanged looks before rushing out the store, embarrassed.

"YUFFIE!" Riku whined. "Your plan sucks!"

"Ah, pipe down," she said, taking a sip of a can of soda. "So a few girls hit on your boyfriend; you're getting customers, aren't you?"

"Yea, but..."

"Have a nice day," Leon said handing the customer her video.

Yuffie spat out her drink, choking on her shock, and the other two merely stared at Leon, dumbfounded.

Leon's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "What?"

Yuffie grabbed Leon's face, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. "Are you sick? Who are you and what have you done with Leon?!"

"Seriously," Riku said, wide eyes never leaving his employees face. "I know I said customer service was key, but...I've grown to not expect it from you."

Leon rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit.

Sora grabbed Yuffie's arm. "H-h-he's even laughing now, Yuffie!" he stuttered, frightened at the sudden good mood.

Riku narrowed his eyes. "If I didn't know better…" he said, crossing his arms over his chest and eyeing the other man suspiciously.

"I'd say you'd found a bright spot!" Sora exclaimed, remembering their shopping trip from a few weeks back.

"What?" Leon exclaimed, glaring at Sora.

The ding of the stores doorbell alerted the workers to a new customer. Cloud entered, looking around, slightly lost, before his eyes rested on the group at the register.

"Leon!" he called, letting the door close behind him.

"Eh?" Yuffie exclaimed, glancing from the approaching blonde to Leon and back. "Who's that?"

Sora smirked, "Leon's roommate. Just his roommate."

Yuffie smiled, nodding as she understood Sora's smirk as him not believing it for a second. "Roommate," she said winking. "Gotcha."

Cloud reached the desk, opening his mouth to say something to Leon but was interrupted by Yuffie grabbing his hand.

"Hiya! I'm Yuffie, greatest ninja ever and oldest friend of Leon. Pleased to meet you," she said, ignoring Leon's snort.

Cloud smiled back, shaking her hand, "I'm Leon's roommate, Cloud. It's very nice to meet you too."

"So," Yuffie said, nudging him, "what exactly is your relation-ow!" Yuffie exclaimed, grabbing her head where Leon's elbow has "accidentally" hit it on his way past.

"I'm taking lunch." he said, glaring at his three coworkers.

He grabbed his jacket from the door and Cloud by the elbow, practically running out of the store.

"They seem fun," Cloud said with a smile as he unpacked their lunch onto the wooden table in the park.

Leon grunted in response, pulling his jacket tighter around him as the wind picked up a bit. "You know, Cloud," he said taking a seat across from the other boy. "As much as I enjoy, and appreciate, your cooking, I'm beginning to think it's getting a little too cold for us to keep eating outside."

Cloud shrugged with a smile, sliding a thermos filled with tea over to him. "You're probably right. I just figured we haven't seen each other in a while so I might as well surprise you."

Leon found himself smiling back at the other boy, despite his attempts to suppress the gentle tugging. He took a sip in an attempt to hide it.

"So, how long have you been hiding your smiles, Leon?"

Leon nearly choked at the blonde's sudden question.

Cloud laughed, "Humans are funny. They want to be happy, they spend their lives trying to become happy, but they'd sooner show indifference to laughter." He un-wrapped their meal, taking his time unfolding the corners of the tinfoil. "Personally," he said, eyes alternating between meeting Leon's and focusing on the task in front of him, "I prefer you happy."

Leon shook his head, lifting the thermos to his lips again, but thinking better of it, allowing the blonde to see a shadow of a smirk on his face. He hadn't realized how much he missed spending time with the other.

Cloud cheered mentally; they were getting somewhere. 'Hopefully, by the end of this lifetime I'll have him laughing out loud,' he thought with a smile.

"In regards to the problem of weather, we should probably start eating in actual restaurants now," Leon said as he took another drink of the tea.

"Like going on dates?"

Leon spit the tea out in shock, succumbing to a coughing fit that prevented him from talking.

"I'm sorry!" Cloud exclaimed, handing Leon a napkin and patting him on his back. "That's what Kairi and Larxene called it whenever I told them about us going out together. I just figured that's what they were. Should I not have said that? Is it wrong?"

Leon's eyebrow twitched. 'I'm going to kill those girls' he thought, annoyed.

"I wouldn't call it a date," Leon said, feeling quite awkward. "More like two friends, uhm...hanging out."

Cloud frowned. "Is there that much of a difference?"

Leon sighed; this was difficult. "A date is when two people who are interested in each other romantically go out to better know one another. Hanging out is when friends simply have fun together with no romantic feelings involved at all."

Cloud nodded. "So, when we go out for lunch like this, it's 'hanging out'?" he stated, looking to Leon for confirmation.

The brunette nodded, glad the other was getting it.

"Can they be dates instead?" the blonde asked.

Leon's eyes widened in shock as the blonde steadily turned different shades of pink.

'This…can't be happening.'

----

a|n: edited May 25, 2009

I am so on a roll! ha ha