Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. I don't own Squaresoft ( Square Enix ). As much as I wish I owned them, I don't. I don't own the characters in this story, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here writing. Though! The story is based on true events.

Warnings: Cloud's a nerd, think we established that in the last chapter. Oi, and Axel has a screw loose.

Side note: I know I explained this in the last chapter, but incase anyone forgot, lol.Anything that has an "apostrophe" at the beginning and end of it is something that is actually in game, or is a game itself, or movie, or is being used for gaming...You get it. And of course anything in italic is being spoken by another person, either over the microphone, on the phone, chat servers, anything. If I want it to be a thought it'll be bold and italic. P Okay, now that we all know what to expect, or what not, onward to the story!

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The pitter-patter of rain against the roof of the car was almost calming, in a way. Leaning his head back, Cloud enjoyed the sounds for a few moments, closing his eyes and trying to relax. Aeris had been giving him hell that morning, just for wanting to go over to Axel's house to set up their game and play together. She made it seem like Cloud wasn't meant to have friends. She also threw it in his face that he paid more attention to the game than her, and needed to stop playing all together.

"Women," Cloud said, rolling his eyes and turning the car off. He reached into the backseat, grabbing his two bags, one being filled with his big computer screen and wires, the other with his laptop and headset. He looked out through the windshield, sighing at how hard the rain was coming down now. He was going to have to book it from the car to Axel's door step to not get completely drenched.

Pushing the car door open, Cloud got out, kicking it closed and quickly making his way to Axel's door. He cursed, completely forgetting to pull the key he had to Axel's house, out of his pocket. Cursing again, he moved the bags that were hooked onto his shoulders aside slightly so he could reach into his pocket. Once he retrieved the key, he unlocked the door, turning the knob and using his shoulder to push it open.

Axel sat on the couch, clad in his 'Scooby doo' boxers, his hair sticking up in every direction, holding a hand held game console in his hands. Smiling at Cloud, Axel tilted the game console towards his chest so he could get a better look at the man dripping wet at his front door.

"Looking hot, Spiky." The red head laughed, tipping the game console back up so he could see it. Biting down on his lip, he stared down at the screen trying to concentrate.

"Thanks for the help, Axel." Cloud huffed out, pulling his bags off his shoulders and setting them down.

"No problem. How come I didn't hear 'Fenrir'?" Axel looked up for a second to glance at Cloud, before looking back down at the game in his hands.

"Because you dipshit, it's raining out and I couldn't ride on Fenrir with all this stuff. It would've been ruined." Sighing, Cloud began unpacking his bags, setting everything up where Axel's stuff was.

"Good point. Damn it!" Axel cursed at his game, gripping it tighter and growling at it.

Cloud raised his eyebrow, listening as the pokemon tune came from the speakers of the hand held console. "Please tell me you aren't playing pokemon.."

"I am not playing pokemon." Grinning, Axel cut the game off, setting it down on the table. "At least, not anymore."

Cloud rolled his eyes, laughing at his friend and placing his screen on one of the higher tables that were pushed back against the wall, in front of the couch. He put his laptop in front of where he and Axel would be sitting, grabbing a wire from the bag and hooking it into the back of the computer. He hummed as he walked over to the other screen, hooking the other end of the wire into it.

"So, when I called you earlier, it sounded like Aeris was giving you shit." Axel cocked his head to the side, standing from his place on the couch and moving over to where Cloud was. He began setting up his screens, plugging all the various wires into different out puts.

"When is she ever not," The blond sighed out, glancing over at Axel. "She thinks I should stop playing WoW, spend more time with her. She said that we need more communication, more romance. All the works."

Axel walked up behind Cloud, wrapping his arms around his friends shoulders, in a small hug. He kissed Cloud's jaw, smiling and then ruffling up his hair. "It'll be alright, Spiky. Now, let's gear up and play some fucking World of Warcraft!"

Axel stepped away from Cloud, disappearing down the hall and into his bedroom. Cloud stood up, walking over to the couch and sitting down. He plugged in his headset, sliding it over his head and leaning forward, he pressed the button to turn on his laptop, watching as the screen loaded up. Axel reappeared, this time with a black wifebeater on, still in his Scooby doo boxers, and a wrist brace on his left hand.

"You look so dorky when you wear that." Axel shrugged, walking into the kitchen and grabbing two mountain dews from inside the refrigerator.

"I have to wear it, doctors orders! Especially when I'm playing, you know I have a bad tendon in my wrist." He said, setting the drinks down in front of both him and Cloud, before taking his spot on the couch.

"Because you play video games too much." Cloud said, twisting the cap off his drink and taking a swig.

"I do not." The red head said, booting up his computer and grinning at Cloud.

"Axel, where do you work?"

"..Gamestop," He mumbled, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"And why?"

"So I can get discounts on games, and know when each game is being released. And this way I get them sooner than the public!" He said, pumping his fist into the air and smiling.

"Nerd."

"I resent that." They both laughed, pulling up their WoW screens, and moving them so they would be seen on the bigger screens. Axel reached under his couch, retrieving two wireless keyboards. Cloud took one of the keyboards, as well as one of the receivers and plugged it into his laptop. Axel did the same and then both logged into the game server.

"So, battlegrounds? Or questing today?"

"Let's try to get some questing done, Axel."

The red head scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Fine."

Cloud blinked when he heard a 'bing' noise, alerting him that he had a whisper.

[Leonhart242 whispers: Hey there, Blondie.

"Who is that?" Axel said, moving his head into Cloud's view, trying to look at the others screen.

"Axel, move your fat head!"

"Is that Mr. Pally?"

"Well gee, I don't know, I can't fucking see!"

"It is! Hey, how does he know you're blond?"

"Wait, what?" Cloud asked in surprise, trying to peak over Axel's head to see the screen.

"Oh, wait, he probably got that picture I sent him. Damn it, move Axel." He pushed Axel to the side, growling at him and frowning.

Axel blinked at Cloud and crossed his arms over his chest. "What have we talked about? Rule number 1, never send your pictures to old men over the net!"

"He's only 26, Axel."

"He's still older than you." Axel nodded, poking at Cloud's arm.

[Leonhart242 whispers: Are you there?

To [Leonhart242: Yes, I'm here. Sorry. So I take it you got my picture?

[Leonhart242 whispers: Okay, and yeah I did. I sent one of me to your email.

Cloud minimized the WoW screen, pulling up his Internet browser and typing in the link to check his email.

"We went to ST with him almost two weeks ago, why are you guys still talking?"

Cloud waved his hand at Axel, typing in his email address and password. "We did some questing together and another instance. And we've been talking and stuff, he's pretty cool."

Clicking the email from Squall, he waited for it to open, groaning when Axel moved his head into view.

"Apparently pretty hot, too." Axel grinned, looking back at Cloud, "Does he like red heads?"

Cloud rolled his eyes, shoving Axel away, yet again. "I don't know, why would I ask him that?"

"So I'll know if he'll like me." Axel raised his eyebrows, smirking at Cloud and sticking his tongue out.

"Axel, he's married."

"But not dead."

Rolling his eyes, Cloud looked over the picture, smiling softly and then saving it to his computer. He closed out of the Internet browser, bringing the WoW screen back up. Pressing 'R' on the wireless keyboard, he began to type his response to Squall.

To [Leonhart242: I got it, my friend thinks you're hot. 'Lmao'

[Leonhart242 whispers: Which friend? And what about you, what do you think?

Cloud smirked, glancing over at Axel who was glued to his screen, too enwrapped with WoW to even notice what he was typing.

To [Leonhart242: Well, I thought you looked good. I like a man in a suit. What do you do for a living? And it was Axel.

[Leonhart242 whispers: I'm a lawyer. And to think, I thought you only liked women. You were pretty cute. Now, what do you do for a living? And oh boy, the mage.

To [Leonhart242: A lawyer, that's hot. I like women more than I like men, usually. I dated Axel on and off, before, during our high school years. I model part time, and work in a bar.

[Leonhart242 whispers: You slept with that weirdo? And yeah, I've been with guys before, but after I met Rinoa, my wife, things changed. And that's cool, what state do you live in?

To [Leonhart242: No! God no, I've never slept with a man. Gah, I just made it sound like a bad thing, but no, I've never been with a man, sexually. I live in New York, where are you located?

[Leonhart242 whispers: You're missing out winks 'lol'. And I actually live in Jersey, I come into New York a lot for some of the cases I do.

Cloud blushed, turning his head slightly and rubbing his cheek against his shoulder, in an attempt to make the red in his cheeks disappear.

To [Leonhart242: Maybe I am. And that's pretty rad, maybe one of these days I'll see you around.

[Leonhart242 whispers: Who knows, maybe you will.

Smiling the blond, glanced over at Axel, whose eyes were wide as he pounded the keys on his keyboard, trying to kill one of the mobs surrounding him.

"Give up, your as good as dead, your health is below 20."

"Never! I will kill this stupid human, if it's the last thing I do."

"You scare me sometimes, Axel."

After a few more poundings of the keys, the other man cursed throwing the keyboard down and crossing his arms over his chest. He pouted and stared at the screen, watching the little box come up and say 'Release spirit.'

"Told you, your health was below 20, and the humans was still above 40. You were as good as dead."

"Oh shut up, Cloud."

Smirking Cloud leaned his head on Axel's shoulder, his fingertips running up and down the red head's arm. "Aww, poor Axel. It'll be alright, you'll get that stupid human some other time." Nodding, Cloud pressed his lips to his friends shoulder, before sitting upright again.

Shivering from the lips that were previously on his shoulder, Axel smiled at Cloud, "Don't sound so sympathetic; I'll start thinking you care."

Cloud chuckled, shaking his head and glancing back at his screen.

[Leonhart242 whispers: So, what do you do for fun?

XXX

Axel now fully dressed emerged from his kitchen, muttering a few curses under his breath as he searched for his car keys.

"Come on, Cloud, log off the game."

"Alright, just one more second." Cloud said, still typing to Squall in game.

To [Leonhart242: I have to go, my friends and I are meeting up at a club. Umm, how about I give you my cell number?

Cloud swallowed hard, just realizing what he had said to the other man in game. He didn't know why he said it, or, why he had wanted to, but something felt right about doing it. And so he did, he gave Squall his cell phone number once he had replied with a simple 'okay.'

To [Leonhart242: If you can, you should give me a call tonight. Or one of these days. Bye Squall.

Logging off the game before the other could reply, Cloud stood from his spot on the couch, starting to walk out the door with Axel.Now, Cloud didn't want to set his hopes too high, but he had to admit, he was really hoping Squall would call him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this guy made him feel warm inside, a feeling him and Aeris shared when they first met. Maybe it was the feeling of meeting, and getting to know, somebody new. Maybe the feeling would soon pass and Cloud would be over it. However long this 'feeling' would last, Cloud was just happy it was there.

Settling himself into passenger seat in Axel's car, Cloud buckled his seat belt and smiled at the red head in the drivers seat. "So, was this your idea or Demyx?"

"Mine, I figured we all needed to get out, have a couple of drinks, you know?" Axel draped his arm over the back of Cloud's seat, peering out his back window to see where he was going as he reversed the car out of the drive way.

"Well, I'll have to stay the night at your place, you know how Aeris gets when she finds out I've been drinking. I'll give her a call when we get there."

Axel nodded, taking the car out of reverse and putting it into drive. "Hold on, kiddo."

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Axel, your only three years older than me."

Grinning, the red head speeded off down the road, jerking Cloud back against his seat. He growled, smacking Axel on his arm, "Damn it, can't you ever behave?"

"Nah, then life wouldn't be any fun."

"I suppose you're right there."

Axel turned up the radio, grinning and raising his eyebrows as a song he liked started playing. He started drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, bobbing his head along with the beat.

"Please don't start singing Axel, every time you do, you get carried away. The last time you almost ended up with a speeding ticket."

"This song is worth it!"

"Even so you shou-" Cloud was cut off by Axel singing along with Mike Shinoda.

"Yeah, here we go for the hundredth time, hand grenade pins in every line, throw 'em up and let something shine. Going out of my fucking mind. Filthy mouth, no excuse. Find a new place to hang this noose. String me up from atop these roofs. Knot it tight so I won't get loose. Truth is you can stop and stare, bled myself out and no one cares. Dug a trench out, laid down there with a shovel up out to reach somewhere. Yeah someone pour it in, make it a dirt dance floor again. Say your prayers and stomp it out, when they bring that chorus in."

Axel foot had pressed down hard on the pedal, making the car leap forward and accelerate. "Sing with me, Cloud," he said, yelling over to music and glancing at the blond next to him.

Cloud rolled his eyes, laughing softly and singing along with, Axel. "I bleed it out, digging deeper just to throw it away."

He did love the speed, the music, the wind blowing against his face in the late evening. He tried to ignore the fact that Axel was going way over the speed limit, and was possibly going to be pulled over. No, instead he just enjoyed the ride, enjoyed the company of one of his best friends.

XXX

Worrying his lip, Cloud sat inside a booth at the club, staring down at his cell phone. He didn't know why, but he was a little upset Squall hadn't called him.

"Cloud, why do you keep looking at your cell phone, drink your drink." Demyx said, pushing Cloud's margarita closer to him.

"I thought you already talked to Aeris, Cloud?" Axel raised his eyebrow, draping his arm around Sora's shoulders.

"I did."

"God, Axel, get off me." Sora said, trying to wiggle away from Axel's reach.

"Then why do you keep looking at your cell?"

"No reason," The blond sighed, picking up his drink and sipping at it.

"Okay man, if you say so. You feel up to dancing?" Axel said, standing up and holding his hand out to Cloud.

The other man nodded, taking Axel's hand and sliding out of the booth and walking with him to the dance floor. As the walked towards the dance floor, Cloud's pocket vibrated and he bit down on his lip, and stopped walking. He waited for the vibrations to stop before he reached into his pocket. He blinked down at his phone, which was alerting him he had a new text message. Flipping it open, he pressed view message, the small smile that had been on his face slowly growing as he read the message.

"Why are you grinning like that?"

"Yeah, Cloud, why?" Demyx said, stepping up behind Cloud and Axel. He stood up on his tip toes, peering over Cloud's shoulder, "I hope you're having a nice time, Blondie." Demyx read aloud, tilting his head slightly.

"Who is that, Cloud?" Sora asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's that pally! You gave him your fucking phone number? What in the hell is wrong with you?"

Cloud quickly responded to the message, shoving his cell back into his pocket. He glanced around his friends, who were now in a circle around him.

"I don't know why I did it, Axel. I just, it, well it felt right to do. It's not like he can trace a cell phone."

"He's a lawyer, Cloud, if he wants to, he could pay people to do it."

"Exactly so, whoa, wait, he's a lawyer? Hey, never mind, he has money I'm staying out of this one." Demyx said, putting his hands up in the air.

"Demyx, shut up." Sora laughed, shoving at his friends arm.

Cloud's pocket started to vibrate again and Axel just rolled his eyes, waving his hand at the blond and walking away. Demyx gave him a sympathetic smile and patted him on the shoulder, before following Axel.

"Ah, fuck him, he's just jealous. So, is this lawyer guy hot?"

Cloud couldn't help smiling at Sora, nodding a bit and walking back to their table to sit down. Sora followed, ordering two more drinks for him and Cloud before sitting down at the table.

"Do you like him or something?"

"I've only known him like three weeks, Sora. And it's just a friendship thing, you know? We exchanged pictures, then numbers, nothing special. Besides, he's married and I'm getting married. I'm in a heterosexual relationship, unless some part of Aeris is a man I don't know about."

Both him and Sora busted out laughing, taking their drinks from the waiter and sipping lightly at them.

"I just thought it would be nice to meet someone new, you know?"

Sora just nodded, not bothering to interrupt Cloud, just wanting to be a friend and listen. Cloud sighed, glancing off and chewing on his nails, and bouncing his leg under the table. Damn anxiety, Cloud thought, running his fingers through his hair.

"I just wish Axel would understand."

Sora took another sip of his drinking, reaching his hand out and touching Cloud's. Shivering from Sora's cold fingers touching his Cloud glanced over at his friend.

"He's just worried about you, Cloud. Doesn't want you getting your hopes up again. You know how he is when someone hurts one of us." Sora said, making a few hand motions and then glancing at Axel and Demyx on the dance floor.

"He's a good friend, just worries a lot. I think that he favors you more because of your "disorder"." Cloud had to laugh as Sora did the little air quotations.

"I love Axel, don't get me wrong, Sora...And yeah I'm bipolar and I'm a little off my rocker sometimes. I've shaped up though, I'm taking my medicine. Aeris has stabilized my life, she's really lit it up."

"Sometimes I think Axel is jealous of that. Maybe he wishes he didn't fuck up with you, or maybe he wants what you have. Just give him time, he'll come around." Sora patted Cloud's hand, smiling at him.

Nodding, Cloud just sipped his drink, watching Axel and Demyx out on the dance floor. He really hoped Axel would understand that all Cloud wanted to do was meet someone new. He wanted to have another friend, someone else to get to talk to, get to know. Still, Cloud couldn't get past the feeling that he was attracted to this guy, much more then friendship wise. His phone vibrated again, and Cloud's heart jumped a bit, out of excitement, he hoped. He swallowed, trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach, the damn butterflies fluttering around. He loved Aeris, and he barely knew this guy; hell he had just met him three weeks ago! That was that, he was in love with Aeris, and only Aeris. Though, the sad thing about all this, is that he has to keep reminding himself that he loves her.

Sora rose from the seat, leaning over and pecking Cloud's cheek. "The heart works in mysterious ways, just be careful." Satisfied, Sora walked away, going off to find Axel and Demyx who had disappeared into the bathroom.

Staring down at his phone, he pulled up Aeris's number, texting her and sighing. "I love you, Aeris." Was that a bad thing, that he had to text her to reassure himself? Cloud just sighed, agreeing with what Sora had said, you can't fight fate. He'll see how the cards are dealt and let things happen as they happen. It's not like he was cheating on her by talking to someone new. So again, he'd just let everything go with the flow, see how things turned out. Maybe the odds would be on his side and everything would work out for the best. One could only hope.

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Authors note: Okay, so I apologize for the last chapter being entirely centered, I don't know what was up with that. I fixed it though! And yes, for the people who play WoW, I know Squall's name can't have numbers, I'm well aware of that, it was just the only thing that came to mind rather than just Leonhart. So, don't jump my case about it. And yes, I made Cloud "bipolar", I told one of the reviwers that I'm trying to put as much emotion into this as possible. Like I said, a lot of this is based on true events, and so I'm trying to make it as 'real' as I can. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was A LITTTLE rushed, considering I'm bouncing back and forth from being at my apartment, to being at my friends apartment. Anyway, do enjoy! If anyone wants to see something in later chapters, please let me know. Send me an email, or whatever. ENJOY!