Just Business

Just Business



Chapter 4





Gliding boldly through the crowd, sin tempted everyone in the room. From the teen in the corner cramming for his test to the old man at the bar, her strong perfume pulled them together. But as all lovers, she’d leave them soon enough, upset and craving more. It really was a bitter sweet romance.



“Hey, Shino! Quit standing around and get your ass over here!” Shouting above the noise, Kiba waved frantically. Aerith and Tidus were already sitting at the UKEs’ usual table with their own hot loves. Carefully weaving, he managed to take his seat without losing his first love, only to have his second steal it away with a smirk. Ignoring his boyfriend’s glare (that he somehow ALWAYS noticed even with those damn shades on), Kiba gulped the ecstasy known as TRUE coffee. “So. Who do you think’ll make it?”



Soft brown liquid slip past across her evenly soft lips. Her sigh soon followed. “We’ve been through this already, Kiba. “ Aerith was sorely tempted to throttle the brunette where he bounced.



Whining, he hung his head. “ I know, but I’m booored! We’ve been here for almost three hours and still nothing from the others. What is something’s happened? What if those rumors are true?” His eyes widened as various images raced by. “What if they’re worse?! The guys could be strung up and raped by those heartless bastards!”



Roughly sighing, Shino could see the sick porno running through his beloved’s head. Each guy shackled to the tables or hung from the ceiling in the lobby as each employee took their turns. One after the other... or more. Before his drool could defile the heavenly brew, Shino snagged the cup. “You are such a dork.” Tidus’s snicker brought Kiba’s glare away from his boyfriend.



“Well, what do you think is taking them so long?” His snarl died at the gruff chuckle behind.



“How about we actually got the jobs and had paperwork to fill out, moron.”



Twirling around, the small group greeted their comrades. “Hey, Seiffer. Glad to see you’re still kicking.” Kiba’s grin vanished with the slap to the back of his head., Leon’s eyes met the ceiling briefly as the three sauntered to their spots. “Where’s the goof squad?” His loud voice prodded the silent blonde on his left. Taking pity on his fuming friend, Leon nodded to the bouncing brunette energizer bunny bounding towards them with red head in tow. At least they carried more of the precious treasure.



“Heyguys!You’llneverbelievethatplace.It’shugeandsooomanyuyummypeopleAndsofarallofthemarearesonice,exceptformaybemyboss’sdirector,buthe’sactuallykindalikeRikuandLeonmixed.Ewwwyuck!Badmentalimageofthosekids!Poorkids....” Yeah. Obviously Sora’s already been courting the Java Goddess pretty hard. Snagging the full cups from his hands, Leon saved them all from a death worse than fate. Everyone ignored the pout settling across his lips as they continued.



Blinking around, Kiba’s eyes sought his partner in crime. “Is Demyx still in line or what?”



“Naw. The unlucky dork’s been put to work already.” Axel rescued his cup from Cloud’s murderous gaze. Sipping gently, he leaned his chair back on two legs. “We got off pretty lightly. Doing the general meet-n-greet, getting our reading material, exchanging phone numbers... you know all that fun stuff.”



“Fun stuff?!!! FUN STUFF???!!!!! You call being harassed by a pervert FUN STUFF>>>!!!” The table trembled from the sheer force behind Cloud’s strike. Several wide eyes stared into his lightening stuck blue.



Leon’s sigh battled Seiffer’s laughter over the silence. The blonde’s tense form shouted that this was far from over. “Cloud.”



“DON’T ‘CLOUD’ ME!!!! You were THERE! You SAW! If you’d not stopped me, he’d be in orbit as we speak!” It wasn’t helping that the crowd stared at the corner table. Shifting uncomfortably, the group tried to shush the seething man. “What right does that.. That.. MAN have to disrespect not only me but the other applicants as well?!” In full rant, Cloud’s voice soared to levels only a few had heard before.



Unfortunately, Kiba’s curiosity only fueled him more. “What’d he do?”



“He...HE ... GRRRRRRR!!!” Tongue tying in his rage, Seiffer snickered and helped the poor blond.



“He drew interesting pictures about the applicants on their files with comments.”



“It wasn’t JUST the pictures or even the commentaries! It was the fact that he sat there and.-“



”Wait. Wait. You mean to tell me that this guy drew sexual pictures on the files and added some colorful comments. And that’s IT?” Kiba’s laughter echoed his boyfriend’s thoughts. “What tha FUCK, dude? Jiraya does worse than that and you just ignore him.”



Before the blonde could wack the doglover, Seiffer’s big mouth cut in. “He’s just upset that wacko actually conned him into a date with all his innuendos.” He couldn’t have planned a better waterworks show. Coffee in various quantities anointed the table and blond.



Chocking on her own tea, Aerith’s wide eyes settled on her now blushing friend. “What?” She couldn’t believe her ears. Cloud. Big, bad ass Cloud. Emo ass Cloud. ACTUALLY got a DATE! Barely able to stop herself from glomping him, she settled for a soft smile. It’d do him some good to finally go out. Heck the last date he’d gone on had been a complete disaster that Axel had set up with poor Zexion. The two couldn’t walk past the other without the temperature dropping, but neither would elaborate just WHAT had happened.



Thinking back, Aerith couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a relationship. The only one that sprang to mind was back in high school. It’d lasted only a week, but seemed to have effected him greatly. Ever since then, Cloud had been his silent emo self. No one knew what transpired that week save Aerith, and she only discovered the truth by accident on eh fifth day.



*FLASHBACK*



“Bye, Mrs. Rogers. I’ll come by on Monday to see how the operation went.”



“Thank you, dear. You are so sweet.”



Waving gently, Aerith slipped out the door. Her soft humming echoed down the hospital halls. It was always nice to stop by and visit the elderly. They really liked it when she came in. And that warm feeling always stayed with her. Entering the elevator, her smile flashed as her thoughts settled on everything that had happened to her friends that day. Leon had managed to lay Seiffer low during practice. Now THAT was a cash paying event. Sora, Riku, and Roxas had SOMEHOW organized a flock of Chokobos to stampede through the school halls. Aerith was sure the principle still hadn’t figured out they’d done it, but that’d last til lunch tomorrow when Sora’s big mouth got them caught. Her long ponytail bobbed as her head shook. They’d give her gray hair before school’s end.



Dinging open, the elevator doors released her unto the crowded lower level. Her sigh was lost among the cries and shouts of the emergency room. So many people needing help. Entering this hall always renewed her dreams of becoming a doctor. Turning toward the exit, a shock of gravity defying blonde hair caught her gaze. Only two people could achieve that and given the height it could only be Cloud. Changing her path, Aerith’s calls vanished in the chaos. Her dress fluttered against her legs frantically as she fought to catch up.



Finally, her target stopped beside the reception desk. Catching her chance, she reached her goal in a burst of speed. “Cloud? What are y-“ Gasping, she quickly grabbed the suddenly falling blonde. Unfortunately, she forgot exactly HOW much heavier he was as his weight pulled them steadily tot he ground. The sight of her friend’s state momentarily robbed her of her voice. At least until the deep crimson freely flowing from a gash in his hairline and back caught her eye. Gaining her voice, she screamed for the orderlies’ help.



Jacob easily got the young man in a room only a few moments later. Aerith watched helpless as doctors and nurses scurried in and out. An eternity later, or so it seemed, Dr. Foust pulled her aside.”Your friend is beat up pretty bad. We’ve stitched the gash in his forehead and put healing salve on the others on his back. The bruises are pretty deep, but not dire. What concerns me is his concussion. I want to keep him overnight, but he refuses to let us call his mother. Is there any way you can talk some sense into him?”



“I can try, doctor, but Cloud’s really stubborn at times.” Starting towards the door, a gentle hand caught her shoulder.



A kind look touched his tired, worried eyes. “It may be difficult, but can you also ask who did this to him?”



Nodding quickly, Aerith glided through the door thinking of a attack plan. And froze. She knew the doctor had said there were marks on his back, but she wasn’t prepared for this. Laying on his stomach, Cloud’s tired form stretched across the stark bed showing off the angry marks. Slice after slice decorated every millimeter... none was left untouched. True they were not deep, but with so many it was a wonder he hadn’t bled to death.



“It’s rude to stare you know.” The exhaustedly quiet voice woke her from the horror. His eyes were still closed, but his head turned slightly. Mumbling an apology, she barely got her feet working enough to reach the chair. For the longest time, only their breathing held the silence at bay. “You want to know how and why don’t you?”



Startled, Aerith’s eyes jerked to his own. “H...how?”



Chuckling, Cloud turned to his side, biting back the wince of pain. “I’ve known you since we were three. Every time there’s something on your mind, but are afraid to ask, you start twisting your rings and biting your lower lip. And since you’re refusing to look at me, it stands to reason that I’m the cause. So the logical questions would be ‘how’, ‘who’, and ‘why’. Not necessarily in that order.”



Slowly, her own smile peeked. “Alright, Mr. Smartypants. Do you have the answers?”



Smirking, his eyebrow rose. “I have several answers. Doesn’t mean they match the questions.”



Growling playfully, she gently swatted his arm. “Jerk. Just answer the ‘how’, ‘why’, and ‘who’.”



The shift of emotion was swift. Closing his eyes, Cloud turned away back to his stomach. His voice barely drifted to her. “Those are not available at this time.”



Her eyes narrowed. She was not one to get upset easily, but her friend... no her BEST friend was lying hurt not three feet from her and refused to tell her why. Standing, Aerith stormed those two and a half feet over to the bed and slapped his back. HARD. She ignored the painful screech as she hissed in his ear. “Don’t give me that crap, Cloud. Spill it or you’ll NOT like the results.”



Swallowing, Cloud withered. It was best to fold when THAT look crossed her face. At first his dry mouth only opened until the increased flashing of narrowed eyes loosened it up. “Kisame. “ The name rushed past his lips. Oh man, he was going to die.



Confusion wrinkled her brow. “Kisame? Was he the one that did this?” Her anger flared.



Ah, hell. He was going to die and not peacefully. “Y...yes.”



“Whhhyyy?” Freezing the room with that word, Aerith’s voice crept forth from clenched teeth.



“I... really.. don’t know. It started innocently enough. Kissing, petting, you know. Things usually done with boyfriends.” Lost in his thoughts, he missed the creeping crimson on her face. “Next thing I know, I’m handcuffed to a bed being whipped. After he finally let me up, I called him a freak and to leave. I didn’t see the marble bookend coming until it hit. Before I blacked out, he was standing over me saying something ‘No bitch of mine calls me a freak.’ I don’t remember anything after that til I awoke on the floor in pain. I managed to clean the mess up before Sora and Roxas got back from the movies, got myself here, and you know the rest.” His voice hardened as his tale continued. Aerith’s tears flowed freely as her friend changed before her eyes. Gone was the happy, loveable Cloud she knew and in his place remained the torn and almost broken man. No.. Not broken. He was still there, only hidden behind the walls crafted to keep his wounds from being reopened.. But also from ever healing.



*end flashback*



And she’d been right too. He needed someone to help bring those walls down. Lord and Lady knew SHE hadn’t been able to, but maybe this ‘pervert’ could.



Sighing, she shoved those thoughts away. They couldn’t help now. Especially since she was vowed to silence on the subject of Kisame by not only Cloud, but Demyx as well. Her shudder went unnoticed as everyone focused on the poor blonde yelling to high heavens. She’d known since Demyx first started dating the sharkman what was happening. But, like his cousin, he swore her to secrecy. Unlike Cloud, he stayed with the lout. Her pleas and disapproving looks were brushed off as the poor boy went back for more. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be found dead one of these nights.



Her tresses swayed with her shaking head. She couldn’t fathom why he stayed. As close as she could figure, he must think no one else would want him. Which was hogwash if you asked her. Demyx was so nice, energetic, and sweet. Who WOULDN’T love him? But, knowing his parents, she had a clue where that poisoned idea came from.



Payne and Pein had always tried controlling their ‘free-born’ son. Dissuading him from music (his very LIFE) and his ‘lifestyle’ as they put it. Heck, they went so far as to force him to get that blasted corporate law degree. Not to mention dating those idiotic bimbos his mother called ‘girls’. But in the end, his Aunt Yuffie stepped in and took the boy away. Seeing him flourish under the love and freedom of the Strife household, Aerith was certain he’d grow into a real person instead of the puppet his parents wanted. Yet here he was, letting their brainwashing color his relationships.



Sipping her tea, she could only hope he’d learn his lesson before it was too late. Because if anyone deserved happiness it was Cloud and Demyx.



“Will you two SHUT UP already?!” A quick silence settled over the table as pristine pink locks took a seat. Glowering at the group, Marluxia took out his notes. “Now that we’re civil again, let’s get this report out of the way.” His glance studied each member taking note of a certain missing blonde, a pissed blonde, and a now sporting black-eye blonde. Deciding on the safest route, he sighed. “Where’s Demyx? He didn’t run over to Sun Coast again did he?”



“Nope.” Axel snickered into his third cup. “He’s been put to work already.”



“Good. So I assume he’s made it in. Who else?”



“OH!ohohohohohohhohohohohohohohohhoh!!!”



Marluxia sighed. His fingers found the bridge of his nose. Closing his eyes in frustration or just asking what he’d ever done to deserve this, his voice wavered. “Sora.”



Happily bouncing, the caffeine overdose squealed. “Me and Axel have been accepted with Demyx to the top levels as their assistants. Cloud’s landed the H.R. Director’s assistant position.” Ignoring Cloud’s growl and Seiffer’s snicker at the ‘position’ of choice, he continued counting down on his fingers. “Leon and Seiffer got the security positions. Kiba, Shino, Tidus, and Aerith got kicked out on their cans. Oohhhh and Axel’s got a hot date tomorrow.”



Axel’s grin widened at the groups rolling eyes. “And no, he doesn’t mean with my lighter. I’ve asked Kyuubi’s head director’s assistant to join us out at Valentine’s. I figured it’d be an easy way to get information without being obvious.”



Sora’s smile grew. “YEAH! Haku’s GREAT! He’s so talkative and sweet, but quiet too. And he’s got the coolest hair! You’ll all love him. Maybe after all this is over we can convince him to come work for us!”



Chuckling, Marluxia put his notebook away. “Perhaps, Sora. It seems everything’s going as planned. Keep it up.” His glare settled on Seiffer’s snicker. “And DON’T let them catch on. I don’t need to remind you of the importance of this mission. Keep it professional. We don’t need any broken hearts.” Gaining sober nods, he left as quickly as he came.



“SO. I guess we’re going to Valentine’s tomorrow night.” Seiffer chuckled into his lover’s ear. Which switched everyone onto tomorrow’s plans.