Signed Sealed Delivered - Chapter 10

Main Pairing: Leon x Cloud

Warning: Male x Male Relationships, harsh language, AU, major OOC, characters from other games, OC

A/N: I called the moment I got the outline for this chapter "The Slim Shady Moment" ^^a uuhh… You must be understand if you know where and when Mr. Eminem got the name Slim Shady. Ahaha, don't think about it too much, please.

Don't flame me, please. It won't get me anywhere. Critiques and advices are much more appreciated.

The dessert tasted amazing. Cloud had never eaten anything that great before. The chocolate melted sweetly in his mouth and the blueberry sauce inside it balanced the sweetness with a bit of a fresh sourness.

Did he taste mint?

Cloud tried to concentrate all of his senses to the exquisite thing on his plate, but every time he flicked a glance at the brunet, he lost the taste. Unfortunately, well, actually fortunately, Leon apparently took the sign the wrong way. He thought that Cloud wanted a second serving and he offered his untouched dessert to the blond when he saw Cloud eat his last spoonful of the chocolate mousse. Cloud happily accepted without further question. Especially if it could divert his attention from Leon's mouth even for just a little bit.

Cloud finished his jobs that day as usual, although every time he passed the train station he felt wariness. He'd confirmed with his mother last night about which train she would ride today and he peeked at his wrist watch. There was still about ten minutes until the train arrived. He peered to his right side through his bangs to see Leon with his hands inside the pockets of his jacket, observing the crowd at the busy train station.

When Cloud came out of the office at four, Leon was already there waiting for him in front of the building. The brunet had insisted that because his mother would probably bring some luggage with her, it was better to use a car to pick her up than to ride the blond's motorcycle. It made sense though. His mother had visited him in Radiant Town a few times already, and each time she always brought many bags with her. Not only her own clothes, but also things that she thought would be necessary for Cloud in the near future, such as winter garments or the local brand star-fruit flavored toothpaste Cloud usually used in Nibelheim. Actually he thought about asking Zack to accompany him to pick his mom up instead, but Zack had to finish repairing a car for one of his customers, and quickly. He'd promised he would join the dinner with Aerith a little later on though. A taxi had never crossed his mind, it was too expensive. So with a little bit of reluctance, Cloud had accepted Leon's offer and left his bike parked in the office's parking lot. He tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of his head, warning him about Leon doing something outrageous again. But well, what if for once, Leon actually toned it down and did or said nothing that would be the beginning of another unpleasant event, this time in his mother's presence? Either way, he was actually quite grateful for Leon's offer. He didn't want to have to manage so many suitcases (and probably some boxes too) with his mother on his motorbike, that was dangerous and broke the law.

"I'm sure she is an amazing mother," Leon said suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

"Well, yeah," Cloud answered shortly.

Leon chuckled lightly and said, "Don't worry. I'll be a perfect gentleman in front of your mother."

Cloud didn't respond for a few minutes, until the real meaning behind his words sunk into his head. He looked up to see Leon who had an easy smile on his face like it was his natural expression. "In front of my… mom?"

The brunet leaned in and murmured suggestively near his ear. "Well, there will be times when your mother is not around you, right?!"

"Huh? St-stop joking around!" Cloud snapped, turning away from the other's face and staring hard at his shoes. Cloud swore he could feel the heat creeping up his face to his ears. He clenched his hands tightly inside his jeans' pockets.

Leon laughed softly and straightened up, sparing the blond from turning his face as red and as hot as a chili. He turned his attention to the crowd flooding out of a newly arrived train. They must not have heard the attention call of the train's arrival bellowing from the loudspeaker earlier. The brunet caught sight of a small attractive blond woman coming out of the train's entrance, struggling to manage three big suitcases around her. He patted Cloud's shoulder lightly to get his attention and nodded at the train.

"Cloud, is that her?"

Cloud jolted slightly at the touch, following the direction of Leon's eyes to the far crowd. That really was his mother! He promptly ran towards her, Leon following a few steps behind.

"Mom!" He called. His mother directly recognized her son's voice through the station's loud noises.

"Cloud!" Her suitcases were temporarily forgotten, one even dropping flat on the station's orange tile floor. She pulled her son tightly into her embrace, caressing Cloud's back soothingly with both hands before she held Cloud's face and kissed his cheeks and forehead in turn affectionately. Cloud smiled in mutual affection, tears welling up in his eyes. They'd clearly missed each other very much.

Since Cloud had gotten a job, she only worked for one household now and it meant more time for her to rest. Since she was also quite close with the family she worked for, she could ask for a day off anytime, especially if it was related to her only son, except, of course, if the family needed her urgently.

"You look less different than the last time I saw you." She said after a while, clasping her hands around Cloud's upper arms, looking satisfied with her son's healthy condition. Then she frowned in question towards him. "So, what's this about you being sick? Are you not eating right, or are you out playing all night?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "No, of course not; let's go home first, okay, you must be tired after a long trip."

"Alright then, but you owe me an explanation." She said, pinching his nose and assuming a stern expression.

That entire time Leon just watched how they interacted with each other. Cloud's mother looked like a feminine version of Cloud. She had similar bright blond hair just like her son, pulled neatly into a bun behind her skull, and a pair of impressive big blue eyes with the gleaming of motherly love in them. She stood to Cloud's jaw in height; her body, which was clad in a well-worn ankle length brown coat, was small but not skinny, with the signs of a hardworking and diligent person. She looked past Cloud's shoulder, finally aware of Leon's presence. "Is this your friend, Cloud? Why don't you introduce us?"

Cloud turned his body, looking a bit doubtful. "Well, he…" He ended up stuttering, gesturing at the brunet man standing not far from him, but Cloud kept his eyes down. Leon saved him the trouble. He stepped forward with his most charming smile and gave a light bow, offering his right hand to Cloud's mother. She put her hand out to his tentatively.

"Good afternoon. I am Squall Leonhart. I've been Cloud's friend for a while. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Strife." Leon greeted politely, shaking her hand.

Mrs. Strife seemed very enraptured by Leon's manner. She cupped her chin with her free hand and giggled in amusement. "My, who would have thought that Cloud has a nice friend like you? You look like a prince from my childhood stories. But please, just call me Claudia."

"As you wish, Claudia," he said, releasing her hand gently. "Then you can call me Leon. All my friends do."

"Alright then, Leon."

Cloud was dumbfounded; his eyes went wide as saucers and his eyebrows arched highly, lips parted slightly in bewilderment. He hadn't even realize that he'd been holding his breath the entire time. What's with him? He thought to himself. Leon looked totally different from earlier. Well, actually he was grateful that Leon didn't suddenly propose to him with his mother right there like he had worried about before. It would surely send his mother straight to the hospital from cardiac arrest if he did that.

But what the hell? It was like he had a switch somewhere behind his neck that could automatically change his personality a hundred and eighty degrees.

Cloud stared at the brunet's face like he was a blue-skinned alien prince that had just descended from the dark sky.

Ugh, this feels so wrong, Cloud thought, shivering at his own absurd imagination. Then Leon tilted his head very slightly to catch a glance of the blond man and blinked his eyes meaningfully at him. His smile kicked up a notch at both corners to reveal the wickedness behind his polite smile aimed at his mother. Cloud jolted. This alien prince had a pair of sharp fangs behind his lips. That was all an act!

Leon called a porter to bring the suitcases and gave the young man a generous tip after he finished loaded them into the baggage room at the back of his car. The porter gave a slight bow and a brief thank you to the brunet before leaving them, dolly in tow with a wide smile on his face.

Cloud sat in the passenger seat beside Leon and his mother was in the back seat behind him. Cloud remained silent during the trip, while Leon seemed to becoming a fast friend with his mother although not even an hour had passed since they'd met.

They kept chatting even as they arrived at Cloud's apartment, and of course, as to be expected(or maybe Leon had planned it all along) Cloud's mother invited him for dinner to thank him for his help. Cloud didn't say anything about his mother's invitation. Leon had helped and had been nothing but polite towards her.

Cloud made a noncommittal sound when his mother asked him if he agreed with the idea, which she took as a 'yes'.

She did observe Cloud's reactions, as she was filing away Leon's occasional glances towards the blond man every time he got the chance. She'd also noticed the intimate whisper as she'd stepped down from the train at the station. She guessed something more than a mere friendship was happening between them, and her son was the more troubling one than the other.

Was it all one-sided? She filed this question away and promised herself she would find out later.

Like any experienced house-mom, Claudia made a dinner with whatever was in Cloud's fridge. Zack came with Aerith just before it was served and he introduced his girlfriend to Leon as promised. Leon immediately caught her heart just as he did with Cloud's mother. Then the five of them rounded the dining table for a wonderful meal.

After dinner Aerith helped Cloud wash the dishes. Zack was in the living room, switching around the channels on the television, and decided on a Cactuar documentary. He'd always thought that Cactuar were cute. Prickly yes, but still cute; especially the one that had a flower-like thing on its head.

Unknown to Cloud, his mother beckoned Leon to follow her to the balcony. She would ask Cloud later, but she wanted to know Leon's side first.

"It's been just the two of us in Nibelheim since his father's death. They were so close. When he was little, he would follow his father everywhere with his tricycle. He cried all night after the funeral, but the next day he acted like nothing major had happened." She smiled bitterly before continuing. "He doesn't want to see me worry because of him, so he always acts strong even though actually he's a very sensitive boy. Well, he made me worry when he suddenly decided to live alone and move to this town."

Leon smiled at the reminiscence. It wasn't that he didn't love his father. He was still alive somewhere, and that was fine enough. But his mother died giving birth to him, and he only knew a mother's love from his governess who'd loved him like her own child. His father… well, sometimes he would come home for a while, then go off somewhere he didn't know again afterwards without really interacting with him at home.

"He never told me his problems. It was always Tifa who'd tell me. Ah, Tifa is his childhood friend by the way. One day he got home late with bruises on his face. When I asked him what happened, he just said that he tripped over the stairs. Who would believe that?" Claudia scoffed.

She continued her story. "I went into Cloud's bedroom when he was in the bathroom and found the inside of his school bag was a mess. His books and bag were ripped and full of squiggles everywhere. His pencil was broken in two. I was really shocked. Then Tifa called me that night and told me that a few kids in school were bullying him and Cloud had fought back. She said that Cloud told her not to tell me, but she couldn't keep quite after all. I thanked her for that. I decided to go to his school the next day to report this to the principal, but you know what he said?" She turned to Leon.

"What did he say?" asked Leon, swallowing his fury. If this had not been about Cloud's childhood, Leon would have blown the kids' heads to pieces. Certainly they were not a kid anymore now, but if he met them, he wouldn't let them go without tasting a piece of what they'd done to his Cloud.

She sighed deeply in a mixture of disappointment and anger. "He said that it was just a kids' fight! And I just had to let it go. Can you believe it?!" She clenched her hands tightly. "So, I reported it to the other parents instead. Luckily they agreed to pursue it and we pushed the school to give the bullies a harsh punishment." She sighed smugly. Claudia ended her story and turned to examine the brunet's face. "How about you, Leon, you seem… close to my son."

"Close? Yes." He jested as he pointed to his apartment's balcony with his thumb.

She laughed. "No, silly. I mean…"

Cloud slid the balcony door open, stopping her words. "Mom, I've changed the bed sheet for you to use. I'll sleep on the sofa in the living room."

"Alright, dear."

Suddenly Cloud felt that he was interrupting something important. Something about… him. He narrowed his eyes towards the other two in question. "What are you two doing out here?"

It was his mother who answered, giggling. "We're just talking about how you're stuck with your name, Cloud." She said with a meaningful wink to the brunet.

He understood it and said, "Yes."

"Hah? You don't have to tell him about that!" Cloud retorted.

"Why not?"

"Yeah, Claude!" Zack exclaimed with a snicker from the living room.

"Shut the hell up!" Cloud yelled back.

His mother hit his head lightly with her palm as a warning and stepped back inside the room. Cloud closed the glass door after Leon came in too. His mother sat on the sofa with Zack and Aerith in the middle. Cloud had to take two dining chairs from the kitchen for him and Leon to sit on. Aerith made jasmine tea for all of them and they sipped into their cups silently for a couple of minutes before Claudia resumed her story.

"So, Leon. Actually when Cloud was born, his father gave him another name, not Cloud, as you know."

Cloud rolled his eyes and groaned loudly. "Mom! You don't have to-"

"Yes, yes, dear," she cut in, but still went on with her story. "His father actually named him Claude, after my name. Oh, he loved me so much." She giggled and Cloud rolled his eyes again.

"If he loved you, he wouldn't have left you." Cloud grated cynically. But Leon also felt loneliness behind his harsh words, something he understood very well.

"It wasn't our decision to make, Cloud. And he did love me. You too." She said with a stern expression. "So his father named him Claude and we were going to register it at the local church, but as new parents we were too busy to do that and he asked his older brother to go to the church instead him. Remember uncle Xigbar, dear?!" She turned to her son. Cloud nodded.

"But it turned out he'd listed his name as Cloud instead of Claude, and when we finally got the birth certificate we were confused. His father went to ask his brother about it but he just answered with 'Cloud suits the kid better than Claude.' And they almost got into a fist fight." She laughed heartily at the remembrance. "Just like when they were kids. But well, what's done is done. I told him the name was cute so we decided to keep the name as it was."

"Yeah, the reason why I got into trouble." Cloud muttered.

"But I agree," Leon said, turning his head from Cloud to Claudia in turn, and to Cloud again. "It's cute." He amended. Cloud scowled at Leon's smile as he obviously struggling to control the redness that so persistent at staining his fair cheeks.

Zack nudged Claudia's hand with his finger, wriggling his eyebrows meaningfully as his eyes indicating at the other two men sitting on the chairs across of them. Aerith halted her giggles and whispered low in Claudia's ear, "You know, Zack told me that…"

She nodded in understanding.

End Note: Introducing Cloud's beloved mother! Mrs. Claudia Strife. ufufufu….

Star-fruit flavored toothpaste (?) Why do I always think of the most absurd things?! ^^; Well, it's better than wasabi flavored toothpaste, right?! It surely would spice up your smile. Hahahaha.

As red and hot as a chili… … … Red Hot Chili Peppers! Kakakakakak. #Oh, crap! Now I'm imagining Cloud singing Californication… while showering. o/o

Anyway, I've got the outline for the next chapter, but I don't know when it will be finished. So, see you next time ^^