Kalli's Journal

Staff Information!
Hit Banners & Awards!

Contact Info

"You lost someone too."

"Yeah," Cloud replied, removing his hand as they kept walking. "But I barely remember. It's almost like I fell from their arms and have been falling ever since."

"And you landed here," Leon finished.

Cloud nodded. He'd misunderstood some of Leon's anger from the beginning - some of his insecurities. Maybe the two of them could get along after all. "I'm trying to make the best of it. Why waste time being alone when you can't remember who you're supposed to be going home to?"

"...Whatever," Leon replied as they turned the corner into the main area of Second District. Neither said a word as they crossed to the alleyway entrance.

"What are you thinking?" Cloud asked suddenly, watching as Leon pushed the wooden doors open.

"Nothing."

"You're lying," Cloud replied, his voice echoing a bit.

"I'm thinking you talk too much," Leon said as he walked along the edge of the water.

"It's better to talk than to let it eat you inside," Cloud shot back. The slight urge to push Leon into the water flickered through his mind, just because.

"...Whatever."

"No, honestly, you mentioned someone. What do you remember..." Cloud trailed off, eyes caught on the hotel balconies, devoid of occupants, looking almost lonely. The hotel... An inn... Somewhere?

He put a hand to his head and stood there, searching for more.

"Cloud?" Ice blue eyes were watching him.

"I... I just had a thought..."

"About what?"

Cloud brushed his hand upward through his spikes. "The hotel."

"Oh yeah, you move too fast," Leon said, making a face and turning to go.

"That's not how I meant it," Cloud replied, sighing. "I meant that I had part of a memory come back. Something about a hotel, somewhere."

Leon turned back. "How much of your memory is missing?"

"Just people, events... I can't remember who I know, but seeing them... I can't remember how I met Yuffie, yet I know she'd steal my breakfast from under my nose." Cloud managed a smile. He was having a hard time talking about all of this. Especially since he seemed to be affected more than either of the women or Cid. Yet there was some big event that none of them could recall.

Or maybe they didn't want to? Had they repressed everything that was too painful, too complicated, and too close to their hearts?

"Cloud!"

He blinked, realizing Leon was suddenly in his face.

"What?"

"Oh, you are still in there. I've been calling your name for the last five minutes," Leon replied, looking both irritated and bored.

"I could turn that into a good thing," Cloud shot back.

Leon looked half ready to kill when suddenly there was a crash from above as Sora burst out onto a balcony and quickly destroying the small herd of shadows he'd chased there.

Cloud winced as he watched their slaughter, not noticing one that got away and leapt down beside him, peering up with large yellow eyes for a moment. Then, after cocking its head, it disappeared into the cool air of the alleyway, unnoticed.

"Hi Leon! Hi Cloud!" Sora yelled down to the pair as he waved his keyblade triumphantly.

"Sora..." Leon began, but stopped when Sora gave a toothy grin and leapt down to where they stood.

"Did you see that? All by myself, too!" Sora said. He slung the keyblade back to sit over his shoulder.

"Nice," Leon replied quickly as he glanced over at Cloud. Cloud was looking down at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing ever. Clearly he didn't want to be a part of the conversation.

Thankfully Sora bounced off quickly, perhaps thinking he was still hiding his true relationship with Leon somehow. Neither man said a word until they were inside the hidden cave.

"That looks ridiculous," Leon said from the across the cavern. He was sitting on one of the crates watching Cloud twirl his buster sword as if it were weightless.

"Jealous you can't do it?" Cloud slung the weapon onto his back and walked over to Leon.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were compensating." Leon glared up at the blond for a moment before focusing back on the stones at his feet.

"Sure, like a gunblade is less of a phallic symbol. Maybe we both have sex on the brain." Cloud stopped with his feet just inside Leon's line of sight.

"You're the one who moves too fast."

Cloud smirked before moving to the wall. He leaned back, crossed his arms, and stared at the ground. "...Whatever."

Leon groaned. They'd sparred both physically and verbally for over an hour. And it felt good. Besides the physical exertion, Leon had learned a few more things about his new companion.

First off, Cloud actually did have a sense of humour once he felt comfortable around someone. Leon had actually ended up laughing for a few seconds as Cloud had told him about a play he and Aerith had been in. It had been disastrous, but in a good way.

Secondly, Cloud had confessed to honestly having no idea why he had a wing or how it had come to be a part of him. He had woken up with it, bruised and bleeding outside the Coliseum with huge gaps in his memory.

And third... He was starting to consider Cloud as a friend. Maybe. Still, Cloud was a heartless first, someone to be watched over should he become as crazy as Cid had mentioned him once being. Leon sighed. He almost regretted that conversation with Cid, but for all of their safety, he needed to know what Cloud was up to at all times, and since Cloud was to be working around possible means of escape...

Their eyes met a moment before their stomachs grumbled in unison. Both of them had been acting a bit silly.

Right?

"The cafe ladies?" Leon looked over at Cloud as they entered Third District.

"Gave me spiked lemonade to give you," Cloud finished. "You didn't notice the taste?"

"I wasn't paying any attention."

"So..."

Leon opened the door to Aerith and Yuffie's house without knocking. Before either he or Cloud could say another word, Yuffie had practically jumped on Leon. Pulling him inside, she started with a battery of questions about just where he'd been and where Cloud was.

"I'm right here, Yuffie," Cloud said from the doorway.

"Oh!" Yuffie grinned as she let go of Leon's jacket. "Sora stopped by to say goodbye..."

"Goodbye?" Leon asked, not waiting for the rest of Yuffie's statement.

"Yeah. He and Donald and Goofy are out plotting where to search next and he won't be back before he leaves in the morning." Yuffie paused for a moment like she was forgetting something. "There was one more thing. I'm sure I'll think of it!"

"Yuffie," Leon warned.

"Dinner!" Aerith announced from across the room, trying to prevent a fight.

"That's it!" Yuffie announced halfway to the table.

"Dinner?" Cloud asked, setting his weapon near the door.

"No, silly. There's going to be a tournament at the Coliseum, um, soon. Sora wants us all to go." Yuffie grinned.

"What did that have to do with dinner?" Leon asked as he sat down at the table.

"Because we're going to spar with Cloud after dinner!" The ninja grinned again as she helped Aerith carry a couple of dishes from the top of their small stove.

Leon sighed, wondering what combination of noodles, vegetables, and baked beans they were probably going to be stuck with tonight. He had considered offering to cook, since he did have some experience after all. But his instincts had kicked in just before he'd opened his mouth. If he'd mentioned he could cook, he would have become the cook from then on. And Yuffie would have probably bought him some ridiculous apron like the 'Kiss the Cook' one Aerith was currently wearing.

Dinner itself was as awkward as ever. For the most part, everyone was content to let Aerith talk about her day and occasionally smile and nod until well after they were done eating.

With dishes piled high in the sink, Aerith grinned and announced that it was now time for the twin attack of Yuffie Kisaragi and Aerith Gainsborough.

Cloud kept from commenting on the inaccuracy of Aerith's last name. He still didn't know why he remembered the most trivial of information yet had forgotten major events.

"Aerith?" Cloud asked once they were out in the open area. Aerith stopped, staff in hand as she brushed her hair back. She smiled, green eyes sparkling in the odd light of the courtyard.

Green eyes. Green eyes? There had been something about Riku's eyes too. Was that why he'd so eagerly claimed Riku as his own?

"What is it?" She carefully positioned herself, guarding. Maybe it was coming back to her after all, Cloud thought. It was about time.

"What were we doing, anyway?" He pulled his sword, purposely leaving himself wide open for attack. "Cid said we were fighting some evil company, but I don't know if that was it at all."

"We were looking for magic," Aerith replied. "But I don't remember the rest."

Because she'd been dead, Cloud reminded himself. Sure, he and Cid had talked about it a couple times, but since Aerith herself seemed oblivious, it seemed best not to bring it up again.

"We've talked about this," Yuffie broke in from nearby. "We were on a treasure hunt."

"There was something else," Cloud said under his breath as the green-eyed woman attacked.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Cid flicked cigarette ash on the ground as he walked over to where Bradey was pouring over a pile of papers.

"I'm looking at these!" Bradey said, holding up some of what appeared to be Sora's hand-drawn maps. "They're maps of everything Sora has found. I want to go see it all too."

"You barely fucking managed to fly that damned ship back tonight." Cid took another drag on his cigarette as he watched Bradey's face go through a myriad of emotions.

"But... I did! And I want to fly farther next time - away from this world!" Bradey tried to smile, but Cid's disapproval was too obvious on his face.

"Is the ship you brought back fucking clean, flawless, and fueled?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"It will be." Bradey mock saluted before quickly turning to go. Before she took more than two steps she looked back at Cid. "If I become your best test pilot, can I maybe go off, um, a little bit?"

"You're my only fucking test pilot," Cid replied, exhaling smoke away from the woman.

"Then I have an advantage!" Bradey exclaimed before bounding off.

"Make sure that ship is perfect - Sora paid both you and Spike's wages for the next month when he bought it!" Cid wasn't sure Bradey had heard him though. It didn't matter. He'd check it over later anyway. Before leaving to find himself something to eat, he did glance over at the maps, curious himself about what lay beyond.

Aerith was doing amazingly well. She'd actually managed to come close to hitting Cloud during that last attack. He'd felt her staff move the air directly beside his wing. And that, after all, was a part of him.

Leon was sitting the entire thing out, leaning against the nearby stone wall and doing his best to not watch Cloud's body as he moved across the open area. Leon even missed Yuffie bounding over. There was something about Cloud's slim hips that was downright hypnotizing.

"Leon? Leon? Squall!" The ninja was up on her tiptoes, waving a hand in front of his face.

"What?" It was sharp, annoyed. He didn't want to take his eyes from Cloud. Not when he's just pulled out an entirely new move, leaping over Aerith's head to land in a semi-crouched position, wing out, about twenty feet away.

"Get your gunblade so we can practice too." Yuffie grinned as she swayed a bit on her feet, every bit the expectant teenager.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm watching Cloud. He's... He's a heartless. I'm watching him so I know how to defeat him." Leon turned his eyes back to where the mock battle had ended and Cloud now had his arm over Aerith's shoulder. The woman was absolutely glowing as she gazed up at Cloud's face.

"Yuck."

Leon looked back to Yuffie, one eyebrow raising in a question. "Yuck?"

"Those two," Yuffie said. "They're too cuddly. I need to get them apart."

Without another word, she had Conformer in hand and was tearing towards the pair.

Leon just watched, confused. Now Yuffie wanted Cloud? Had the other night been a complete fluke? Cloud had admitted to not being the most stable person out there.

He was just a heartless... Probably just messing with them all. And doing a good job.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Leon ascending the stairs to his house. And then he narrowly missed getting Conformer upside his head.

Cloud woke up from a particularly erotic dream, blinking his eyes in the dark as he tried to figure out what woke him. Then he heard voices somewhere in the room talking about a light switch.

Suppressing a groan, Cloud informed Sora and company just where the elusive object was to be found before quickly shielding his eyes from the impending brightness.

"Thanks, Cloud!" Sora called as he started towards the back of the shop and his ship. Before he could follow his traveling partners through the doorway though, he stopped. "What are you doing here?"

"Sleeping," Cloud replied, blinking a few times until the light wasn't as painful. He sat up to look at Sora.

"I thought, well... I thought you and Leon were..." Sora trailed off again. At first Cloud had thought it was nervousness, but one glance told him that Sora was instead entranced by his wing.

"No."

Sora set down the bag he was holding and walked across the room to look straight into Cloud's eyes. "I think you should go for it. It's worth it." Sora winked before turning to go.

Cloud mumbled under his breath, happy Sora didn't say another word as he picked up his bag and walked towards the back of the shop.

Closing his eyes, Cloud lay back down to face a sudden image from his dream flashing in his mind. Riku.

He and Riku had ended up with their bodies entwined after a particularly engaging training session. By the time he'd left the first dark bruise on Riku's neck, Riku was pleading for more.

Despite his original intentions, he'd taken Riku back to his room before divesting the youth of his clothing. There was something about the look in Riku's clear green eyes - both lust and innocence. Riku had known what came next but had never actually done it.

Cloud had tried to go slowly, gently with Riku but halfway through ravishing Riku it all came down to his need to be buried in his body.

Every thrust had wrung delicious strings of praises and moans from the body beneath his. And the instant those green eyes had met his and Riku had demanded that he move both faster and harder...

They'd stopped only to eat and sleep, ignoring their normal routine for three days. The last day had been mainly sleep and kisses though, as both were too tired and sore for much else.

There had been something flickering in the back of his mind the first time he'd let Riku claim him.

Silver hair and green eyes...

But he hadn't remembered. And then it hadn't mattered.

Exhausted, sore, and slightly sticky, they'd fallen asleep together that last night with Riku laying partially on top of him.

With a sigh, Cloud pulled himself from his reverie to realize he was still laying on the floor of Cid's shop and now he was more aroused than he had been.

Of course, the last thing Cloud wanted was Cid walking in on him, but still... It wouldn't take long at this point. He slipped his hands under the blankets to push down his sweatpants.

A moment later the hands he'd started stroking himself with were no longer his hands. They were Riku's mouth, warm and moist. And then Leon's mouth, those ice blue eyes watching intently as Cloud writhed beneath him. But the image that flashed into his mind as Cloud reached orgasm was most unexpected. As his own hot seed spilled over his hands and stomach, it seemed to no longer be a fantasy but instead a memory.

Drenched in sweat, he numbly wiped himself clean on the blankets, lost in his mind again.

That image... That man...

The orgasm he was still shaking from...

Silver hair and green eyes...

But not Riku.

The door slammed and Cloud quickly looked up to see Cid.

"You look like you've seen a fucking ghost." Cid was holding a steaming mug of tea in one hand and was fumbling for his lighter with the other.

"Yeah," Cloud replied as he pulled a blanket over his head. "Yeah..."