Cloud's POV:
"Do you guys have a problem?" I shouted, charging for the group. I knew it was foolish considering that I was outnumbered thirteen to one, but I wasn't about to let them hurt Seifer anymore. Besides, I may have been a lot smaller than them but I could take them out with very few problems. There were two reasons behind that last thought: Firstly, I was faster than any of them and secondly, I knew how to fight quite well. Still they had an advantage as well due to their number and their sizes
In terms of skill I was far above them. My reflexes were incredible, and coupled with their sheer bulk they made for rather large targets. As if to prove this point, I managed to break through their ranks and seconds later, I stood beside Seifer. Tidus was first to receive a blow from me. I gave him an uppercut to the jaw as he leapt at me and I heard the crack of bone against bone as his teeth collided causing him to crumple in a heap. Kimahri was in front of me now and before he had time to think, I kicked his knee hard from behind, sending him crashing down after Tidus.
Nooj and Gippal let go of Seifer who slid down the wall, into a huddled position, his head resting on his knees. Nooj took a swing at me and I caught his fist, twisting his arm so fast that I thought I'd dislocated his shoulder and used him as a shield as Gippal tried to throw a punch at me. In retaliation, I almost threw Nooj at Gippal and this time I could almost swear I heard a crunch of a joint coming loose. I cringed a little at the sound though immediately after, I must have imagined it as he stood up, shaking his arm and turned to stand next to Auron. The pair of them stood before me and looked at me almost appraisingly.
Baralai dashed forward, pushing Auron out of the way and tried to throw a punch at me. I proved to be faster and his fist connected with the wall of the building as I elbowed him as hard as I could in the ribs, my free hand punching the side of his head and he went down. The playing field was evening itself out as the odds were now seven to one.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Roxas and Axel heave an injured Seifer to his feet and walk him out of the fray. I glared at the remaining assailants as they watched their victim get taken away. I was almost daring them to try and make a move. Inside I knew I wasn't going to last much longer if I kept this up, even now the injured members of the team were crawling to their feet.
I was also surprised that the idiots cheering the fight on hadn't already attracted the attention of any teachers but at the same time, relieved since I didn't wish to be caught brawling. A streak of Silver caught my eye and I turned to see Sephiroth standing beside me. I turned my attention back on my opponents and saw them cower as Sephiroth took a step toward them. The crowds surrounding us seemed to have stopped breathing; the silence was absolute for those few moments.
Sephiroth however continued to walk toward Seifer's assailants and those able to do so, ran. "Hmph" he scoffed at them as the ones I'd injured tried to scrabble away as well. "My my… Cloud, I thought you were above such menial brutality" a friendly jeer though I smiled all the same. "Thanks Sephiroth. You know I am, but even I couldn't stand by and watch a thirteen on one fight. What would you do if it had of been Kadaj, Loz or Yazoo?"
His expression softened almost to a smile, "probably the same as you." He said before he turned and walked away, one hand waving idly after him. Those who were still standing around after the fight let out one loud sigh of relief as Sephiroth walked back to his usual haunt. "You really get along with him don't you" Selphie asked, almost awed.
"Yeah… We do I guess" I smiled before walking away from the scene with Selphie at my heels.
Quistis' POV:
When Roxas and Axel pushed their way into the clearing with Seifer in between them, I let out a small scream. My brother looked very much worse for wear. Shortly afterwards, Cloud and Selphie arrived. "What happened to him?!" I asked in a panic. Selphie ran to me and put her arm around my shoulder in a bracing gesture as I resisted the urge to cry. Cloud sat down and began explaining what happened after lunch began.
I was amazed that he had emerged from an unfair fight completely unscathed, while my brother was bruised and bleeding. I watched and it seemed that his right eye began to swell in front of me. I knew that it'd be black within an hour, but was offered a brief distraction as Cloud began to tell me what had happened. By the time he had finished, I had slumped against the hedge sobbing. After all, I couldn't help but feel like this was almost what happened in Galbadia all over again.
Selphie had detached herself from me a while ago and I hadn't noticed when she removed a small first aid kit from her bag and began to examine Seifer's wounds, cleaning them up if she could. For the most part, Seifer had been sitting in silence, listening to the others talking his face showing humility, however once Selphie had started to clean him up, he raised his head and smiled. I couldn't believe that he was able to smile then and the tears I refused to shed almost began again when he whispered a soft and heartfelt "thank-you" to everyone.
Selphie had done all she could but his swollen eye was becoming increasingly noticeable as was the cut on his cheek and the bruises on his arms. "I'm sorry I can't do any more for you" Selphie whispered, a tear running down her cheek. Seifer leant forward and hugged her gently, wincing slightly from the pain of his bruised ribs. "Don't worry about it. Selphie, honestly you, Quissy, Cloud, Roxas and Axel have already done more for me than anyone else in the world so I'm grateful".
I was once more, amazed at how much my brother had matured and changed since being here. Even without Squall by his side, he still managed to take the last few days with a grace and self control far beyond anything he had ever shown before. I also realised that what he'd said was truer than I ever thought it could be. The four of them really had done more for us than anyone else we knew.
I hugged my brother gently and he smiled. Cloud had sat against the hedge on Seifer's other side, an arm around Seifer's shoulder in a reassuring gesture. Selphie sat on my other side, her arm around my shoulder while Axel sat opposite us, with Roxas' head nestled in his lap.
We didn't need to say anything but the six of us decided to spend the rest of the day sitting there enjoying each others company.
Seifer's POV:
Roxas and Axel had dragged me to Garden. Quissy was already there waiting for me and Selphie and Cloud were on their way… I didn't feel so hot that's for sure. I could tell I had bruised a few ribs, my lip was still bleeding steadily and I was still seeing stars from where Wakka had knocked me in the face and sent my head crashing into the wall. As I tried to stand on my own, I came to realise that in my present state it wasn't going to be possible since I was shaking violently now.
Without wanting to, I was reminded of what happened in Galbadia… When everyone found out about me… and in particular, what my "friends" did to me once they knew. It went far beyond scathing remarks and petty jokes. After the last match of the season, they cornered me in the locker and proceeded to beat me until I was a bleeding wretch, cowering in a corner. My only comfort was that I ended up being knocked out though I still got chills thinking of what they may have done after that…
Today reminded me of why I was here in the first place. I thought I'd buried my pride by now, but even still, I couldn't help thinking that I was still the same old Seifer. "No," I told myself "This place is different from Galbadia. Here you actually have real friends. Who cares what a bunch of dickheads like Wakka think" and I realised that I was right, this place was different. Sure I'd been in a fight and sure I'd been called a fag, but the situation and causes behind it were so incredibly different. Still I thanked the Gods themselves that Wakka didn't have the brains to put 1 and 2 together and realise how close to the truth he'd come.
I only came to my senses when I noticed Selphie was using a first aid kit and was dressing the wounds I'd sustained. Despite her best efforts, I still winced every now and then when she'd applied pressure to a bruise or a cut. Still, I sat in silence, bearing the pain of it all and let her work. Before long she had come to a stop, her head lowered and she whispered "Sorry I can't do any more for you…" her voice tinged with regret and I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. It finally sank in that she honestly cared about me and was actually sad she'd done all she could.
I spared a moments thought on it but I leaned forward and hugged her gently, ignoring the searing pain in my ribs "Don't worry about it. Selphie, honestly you, Quissy, Cloud, Roxas and Axel have already done more for me than anyone else in the world so I'm grateful" I said to her, resting my chin on the top of her head and gave her a slight squeeze. I meant those words and I felt tears well up as I said them.
Selphie smiled and stood up to let Quissy hug me. Once she'd almost suffocated me, Quissy sat down on my left side and Cloud sat on my right side. It took a moment for me to realise that Cloud had snaked an arm around my shoulder and I leant in to him slightly. I don't know why but despite the pain I was in, I felt so completely at ease sitting here with my friends that I didn't want to move ever again.
Looking across at Axel, I saw that Roxas' head was in his lap and he was playing with the dark blonde hair of his lover. I only then realised that it was strange that I felt so safe in Cloud's arms…
Cloud's POV:
The six of us sat there for the rest of the day, talking softly amongst ourselves and making a few jokes and Wakka's expense. Despite what had happened that day, the atmosphere was calm. We didn't leave the school grounds until well after 3:30, thinking it safer to make sure that Wakka and the other toxic-jocks weren't waiting for us. By now, Seifer had bruised fairly badly but he had already thought of what to tell his parents.
Not wanting to spend a night alone to think about today's events, I turned to the others and asked the group at large "Come over to my place for dinner and stay the night if you want". Roxas and Axel smiled broadly at the offer, Selphie nodded with her usual smile in place and Quistis and Seifer said they'd be there. "Alrighty, make it 7:30 my place" I said smiling. I wrote my address on two separate pieces of paper and gave a copy each to Roxas and Axel, along with my phone numbers.
We parted ways in the school parking lot as I got a lift home with Selphie. I knew that she wouldn't have bothered going back to her place. I knew what her home was like so it wasn't uncommon for her to stay away from there for days at a time, usually opting for Squall's home or mine. I think she put it best when she said, "I wouldn't be missed too much". Besides, if Squall was like the brother I never had, then Selphie was surely like the sister I'd never had.
She helped me to start dinner and before we knew it, 7:30 had rolled around. Seifer and Quistis were first to arrive though as Seifer put it they were "fashionably late". It wasn't until almost 8:00 that Roxas and Axel turned up. "About time guys! Did you walk or what? How come you didn't get your parent's to drive you?" Seifer asked in quick succession.
The pair of them looked slightly uncomfortable in that moment and sensing this I changed the subject. "Dinner's ready guys… well actually, it was ready half an hour ago but it'll be fine" luckily for them, Seifer's attention was swiftly changed to the prospects of food. The evening passed in relative comfort. Seifer's eye by now was definitely black but he didn't mind. Turns out he told his parent's it had been an accident in P.E. so they were quite relieved.
After we'd eaten we decided to sit in the lounge and talk for a while before going to bed. The conversation was mostly about the day's events and what we should expect tomorrow but at that time, none of us really minded, saying that whatever comes, we'll take it together. After a long silence, Quistis asked me a question which made me squirm a little. "Cloud, I've been meaning to ask you… How come we haven't seen Lenne for a while?"
It was a simple enough question with a rather complicated answer. "I guess, we decided that we were better off without each other…" I said lamely. Truth was we had barely spoken to each other in almost a fortnight. "How come you didn't tell us?" Seifer asked, disbelief lacing his words. The only thing I could do was shrug, "It didn't really seem important at the time… At least, not compared to what's been happening to Squall. Besides, I didn't want any of you guys to be upset by it. Selphie figured it out but then she is one of our closest friends…" I knew I was blushing but I couldn't help it.
Seifer made to ask another question but Selphie stopped him gently, and I was glad. I didn't mind giving them the answers they wanted, but I was ashamed that my relationship with Lenne had ended and seemingly, our friendship along with it.
Seifer's POV:
"Gods he was cute when he was blushing. Wait a sec…What am I thinking!?" I thought alarmingly. Cloud was one of the best friends I'd ever had. I was in love with Squall I told myself so where were these thoughts coming from. First today when he was comforting me when I leant into him almost suggestively and now this?! I really needed to cool off my jets. I wasn't about to consider using him as a rebound because he meant too much for me to simply use him like that…
Seeing my impending danger if the conversation continued as it was, I remembered something which was a convenient change of topic. "So where are you guys living? How are your parents anyway?" I turned and asked Roxas and Axel. For a moment I thought they looked uncomfortable but then they braced themselves to give me the answer I wanted. "We're living together…" Roxas said and Axel continued "Remember what happened to you back in Galbadia. Well our parents eventually found out about the two of us and instead of being nice about it like yours were… well… you remember what my dad was like so maybe that'd give you an indication"
Truth was Axel's dad had always intimidated me for some reason. I was about the same size as he was, but he had a rather explosive temper and to make matters worse, was an alcoholic to boot. "So he…" I began but Axel interrupted me "He beat his 'fag' son and kicked me out, swearing I was no child of his. Yeah" for one brief moment, he looked a little put out but seemed to be coping fairly well. "You know I always hated that place. I mean my mother was no better than he was…" He was right about that. For as long as I could remember, he'd always wanted to leave his family so maybe that's why he was coping.
"And what about Roxas?" I asked turning to my other friend. "Well my dad's reaction was sorta the same as Axel's, though without the physical abuse. I did get told that I was disowned and that I he was ashamed of me for being a sick perverted freak, blah, blah, blah. My mom on the other hand understood the pain of being a gay teen better than my father. She gave me some money and told me to move here, so that I could start over. She owns a small apartment in Balamb, down near the beach so Axel and I went there. It's nice but at the same time lonely without my mom"
Roxas was lucky that his mother was that understanding. I guess she would be considering that she was a clinical psychiatrist. I felt a pang of guilt knowing that in comparison to Axel's parents and Roxas' father's reactions, my parents had accepted us both and had actually put themselves out by uprooting their lives to move to a different place, just to make sure that the two of us were safe. I realised how lucky Quistis and I were. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing flashy but we're getting by. I've been looking for jobs so that we don't have to rely on his mother" Axel said at a brave attempt at indifference though I still heard the slight pain he felt.
Throughout this entire exchange, Selphie, Quistis and Cloud had sat in silence, though Cloud spoke first. "It may be kind of presumptuous asking this considering I've only known you for a week, but if you guys ever want to, you can stay with me no problems. If it's for a night or even a week, it's fine!" he said and they looked at him and positively beamed. Even I felt a squirm of delight at his offer. On second thought, it was significantly more than a squirm…
Oh Gods I can't believe this is happening…