Cloud and Leon were at the beach preparing the pit sight for the bon fire that evening, Leon dumped an armload of dry driftwood in the dugout pit then drew his arm across his forehead to wipe the sweat from it "How're you doing Cloud?" he called.
"Just about done." The blonde responded as he finished tying the Twilight Town High Summer Bon Fire banner over the DJ stage.
Leon walked over to where he was and judged his work "Looks great! This is gonna be the best celebration out of the whole year."
Cloud got down from the ladder he used to hang the banner and looked up to make sure Leon wasn't lying "The end of school bon fire is always the best out of the year. No one gives a damn what we do as long as the cops don't come." He said.
They sat on the stage and looked out at the ocean "So what do you think college life will be like?" Leon asked.
The blonde shrugged "Can't really judge for sure. Angeal told me that Midgar University is one of the best schools to be accepted into."
"He would know, he graduated at the top of all his classes from there. And it's because of him you're going there with me. Being Zack's friend sure has its perks." The scared brunette said.
"Don't joke like that, he was your friend too." Cloud said sadly as he took a locket from under his shirt.
The pendent was silver with an engraving of a Chocobo on it that was inlaid with gold. Opening it he looked at a picture of him between Leon and another boy with black hair and a cross on his left cheek. They were all smiling like they had been laughing.
"Hard to believe that was all four years ago, when we were freshmen. The day we took that picture we thought we'd be inseparable, then on the same night…" Leon didn't want to finish, he knew how Cloud felt about that memory.
When Cloud and his brothers first moved in Zack Fair was the first one to welcome them, from that day on Cloud and Zack had been the best of friends. If one was in a fight the other was there in a flash to back him up, if one had trouble with homework the other was there with any answers needed.
Zack was also the one who started the friendship with Leon when he and Sora move in from Destiny Island, Zack had a way of making friends in two seconds with anyone he met. All he had to do was smile and introduce himself and they would be friends for years. The day he died Leon and Cloud took turn sleeping over at each other's houses until they were over it; that also led up to them confessing to the hidden feelings they had for one another.
"Yeah, that drunk driver. Let's cry about it later though, we don't wanna be all depressed tonight right?" Cloud said with a small smile.
Leon couldn't help but return the smile in the same manner, and he kissed the blond on his lips "Yeah, especially if we're dousing Angeal with ocean water." The comment made them both laugh until their sides felt as if they would tear them in half.
"Yo Axel! Let's go! We gotta beat Rod and Lea to the beach!" Reno called from down stairs.
Axel came out of his room with an annoyed expression "Reno, ya gotta get it through your thick head that you'll never beat Rod."
"How much ya wanna bet I do beat him this time?" Reno challenged.
"$250 says you're already smoked. It's 6:30 now, we'll see how long Rod and Lea's been there when we get there." Axel said with a smirk.
" You're on. Dad! We're bailing!" Reno said.
"No police trouble!" Genesis called from the living room, where he was reading Loveless and eating dumb apples.
Roxas and Ventus we playing volleyball with Sora and Lea when they heard the loud screeching of a car and looked to see Reno's Impala stop right in a parking space "I'm serious, he needs to be a stunt driver when he gets out of college." Lea commented.
"No arguments here, he has the skills." Ventus agreed.
Reno got out of the car fast and immediately spotted Lea "Hey where's Rod?" he asked.
"Out racing jet ski's with Riku." Lea answered.
"When'd you guys get here?" Reno asked, already feeling defeated.
"6:30." Lea answered.
"Dammit!" Reno shouted.
"Pay up, $250 as we agreed." Axel said, a triumphant grin gracing his features.
"Hey Pyro I get half of that right?" Roxas asked as they all laughed at the older redhead's defeat.
Axel walked over to Roxas and ruffled his hair "For sure dude. C'mon, we gotta talk." He said and they walked over to a tide pool away from the bon fire sight.
They settled onto the rocks and for a few moments neither of them said anything. The silence made Roxas' heart pound like a drum and he was about to speak to end it but Axel beat him to the punch.
"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"
Roxas bit his bottom lip "I wanted to tell you, but I thought you would feel like I was abandoning you. I was gonna tell you two days before we left." He said.
"Roxas, I know you're considerate of other's feelings but that's just selfish in a stupid way. Whether you told me now or later it would still hurt to know, didn't you think about that?" Axel said harshly making the other flinch.
But he knew his friend was right, it was selfish to keep that secret "I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you, I swear. But if you're mad I understand, I'll just leave you alone." He said and he left his friend to sit alone.