When Distant Hearts Beat As One

Author’s Notes:
This chapter was originally a lot shorter than it is now and still is shorter than I originally intended but I decided it would be better to save the rest for the next chapter instead of dragging this one out if I didn’t need to. In any case, please enjoy!

When Distant Hearts Beat as One
Chapter Six: Confusion of the Heart

“So what, you guys are gonna keep the kid?” Axel asked curiously as he, Roxas, and now Demyx all looked curiously at Sora’s stomach, the small framed brunette still sitting right next to Riku with his head laying on his shoulder, both watching the three with mild humor.

Demyx gently touched Sora’s stomach, rubbing it lightly with his index finger and Sora snorted softly--he’d always been ticklish--before the blond poked it again and recoiled his hand slowly, still staring at the stomach as if it were a alien.

“We’ve decided to keep the baby, yeah,” Riku announced and at once, the trio looked up at him as if he were crazy.

“How are you gonna explain this to everybody?” Roxas asked.

“When the hell did you trick yourself into believing you could raise anything?” Axel snorted.

“Um…don’t you have a girlfriend?” insisted Demyx, staring directly at Sora.

“We really don’t care to explain anything to everyone since it’s none of their business,” Riku replied coolly, rolling his eyes slightly at the thought. “And Axel, stop comparing my skills to yours, I can actually take care of stuff!”

“The hell you--remember that cat?” Axel snapped and Riku looked dumbfounded. “What cat?”

“Exactly,” the red head smirked smugly, crossing his arms over his chest and Sora immediately looked at Riku, who seemed to be in heavy thought and staring at his feet in bewilderment before the brunette looked back up at Axel with wide eyes of alarm. “What cat?!”

“After you lot ditched him, Riku got the trademark ‘lonely man cat’,” Axel replied casually, his smirk widening while Sora looked away with guilt at the beginning part of his explanation. “I’d say three months into having it--and this includes nearly crushing it by rolling over on it while sleeping and nearly flushing the thing down the toilet, don’t ask--the thing just disappeared and Riku just acted like the thing didn’t--”

“Oh I remember now!” Riku announced loudly, cutting into Axel’s explanation and causing the group to look at him. “After I tried giving the flea rat a bath, it jumped through my bedroom window and fell in the bush. I just…never saw a reason to go after it.”

There was a moment of silence before Sora finally spoke. “You weren’t trying to drown the poor thing Riku…were you?”

“Nah, I was just trying to give it a flea bath, that’s all,” Riku insisted and Axel snorted. “He filled up the bath tub and just dumped ‘the poor thing’ in there. Of course it thought he was finally trying to drown it. And the way he hit the bush wasn‘t too pleasant either.”

“Well no one told me you don’t put cats in tubs filled with water, I thought those things could swim! And is it my fault it cleared the window and jumped into the bush?” Riku snapped and the group was silent again, simply staring at him before once again, Sora spoke. “Riku? You won’t do stuff like that to…the baby…will you?”

Riku glared at Sora who refused to back down, glaring at him in concern and stern determination before Riku narrowed his eyes at him in a fashion that screamed ‘Are you serious?’ before sighing and shaking his head and replying sarcastically. “No Sora, I’m not gonna roll over on the baby. Or flush it down toilets. Or give it baths…”

Sora glared at him before announcing firmly. “You just look at the baby Ku. Don’t touch it. Don’t even make faces at it--no interacting what so ever. Actually, don’t even look at the baby if you can help it, just you know, stand there in the room so it will know your there.”

“…That’s cold Sora,” Riku replied in a soft, toneless voice and the brunette only put his nose in the air. “That’s what you get for drowning kittens.”

“I didn’t try to drown a kitten, it was a cat!” Riku snapped and Sora glared at him and he quickly added. “And I was giving it a bath!”

“See? You want someone like that raising your kid?” Axel snorted and Riku glared at the red head. “Axel, both Roxas’ goldfish and Demyx’s hamster--”

“Hammy,” Demyx muttered in a soft, sad tone, looking out the window.

“--has died in your care, so you have no room to talk!”

“Hey! I told you people I don’t care for animals,” Axel snapped. “Anything that happened after that was the owner’s fault for trusting me with them!”

“I don’t even want to know,” Sora muttered and Riku nodded. “See? Never babysitting our kid.”

“Wasn’t offering to,” Axel announced with a shrug before pulling out a pack of cigarettes and pulling one out before Roxas slapped the entire thing out of his hand, glaring. “You can’t smoke around Sora you idiot! Go outside!”

“Outsi--this is my house, I smoke where I want!” Axel snapped and Sora held his stomach protectively, pouting a little while the other three young men glared at Axel as if they might remove him by force, making the red head roll his eyes and snatching up his cigarettes and with a roll of his eyes, stormed out of the room.

“No one answered my question,” Demyx announced as they continued to watch him leave the room before looking back at Sora. “What about your girlfriend?”

“Yeah, what about the stuck up bitch?” Axel asked with a mischievous excitement, sticking his head back into the room, the unlit cigarette dangling in the corner of his mouth.

Sora scowled at him before he closed his eyes and sighed, shrugging a little. “I don’t know to be honest. I’ll tell her eventually but--”

“Wait, you have no intention of telling her what going on right now?” Demyx asked in concern and Sora shook his head while Riku spoke up, rubbing small circles in his back. “He’s not ready to do that yet…doesn’t want to deal with Kairi flipping out on him.”

“Hell, she’ll do it regardless so why not just get it the hell out of the way?” Axel asked dully and it was actually Roxas that answered. “Because we all know how Kairi flips out Ax. It’s dangerous to stress any pregnant woma--person out, but more so in the early stages. And since Sora is like, the only guy in existence--or that we know anyway--that is pregnant, it might be worse for him. He’s already so emotional.”

There was a pause and Axel arched his brow. “You sure know a hell of a lot about babies.”

Roxas hunched. “I read stuff.”

“And Roxas, I am not emotional,” Sora snapped irate as if what he’d said just dawned on him and this made the blond look back at Axel who only smirked and shook his head while mouthing ‘denial’. “I just don’t want to deal with her screaming at Riku…and hating me…and slapping me--I mean really, would any of you want to deal with that under any circumstance?”

“For me to answer that, I’d have to agree to want to deal with that bi--Kairi in the first place and since we all know how I feel about that, I guess that rules me out, sorry,” Axel announced grandly, waving his hand about and finally disappearing down the hall. Roxas rolled his eyes while Demyx gave the brunette a sympathetic smile. “I understand Sora. Tell her when your ready…but know that eventually, you will have to say something: your stomach will be a dead give away in a few months. But don’t worry: if you need any support, I’ll be here for you along with Riku.” Then he winked. “And I’m a wonderful chef, so any cravings you have, I can cater to your needs.”

“I’ll help too,” Roxas announced, smiling a bit but looking unsure. “I mean…I’m pretty good at like, stuff so I can help do something.”

“I can teach it to beat the shit out of stuff!” they heard Axel yell from somewhere in the house, making the lot look around. “After you spit it out and it grows and crap. Just as long as I’m not responsible for it or anything!”

Silence.

“…He’s not coming near our baby,” Riku and Sora muttered softly, in unison.

“Oh fuck that and fuck you! I’ll do what I want, when I want, with whomever’s baby I want!” Axel screamed loudly and Roxas just sighed while Demyx slowly shook his head before without warning, Axel screamed the following: “Hey! If Sora doesn’t have a vagina, where the hell is the baby gonna come out anyway? His ass?!”

Riku opened his mouth to retort but Sora cut him off but muttering a soft “Good question.”, causing the former to simply stare at him blankly and wonder just exactly what he’d really gotten himself into.

Though he had to admit: it was a good question…

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“Don’t you care that me might find out?”

“No. I don’t. And that’s what bother’s me.”

And it still was.

Leon walked a slow, deliberate walk back to the home he shared with his current boyfriend Cloud, hands in pocket and absent of any sort of oriental cuisine.

He didn’t understand why he felt the way he did: there really wasn’t a reason to. Cloud, when they’d met, had been lively and bright, though, admittedly amusing and slightly annoying at the time, ranted on and on about his bastard of an ex that’d abandoned him.

He’d, in a sense, melted Leon’s rather cold demeanor and heart so to speak and had been able to tear down every wall and shield he’d placed for himself with little to no trouble with a simple smile or peck to his lips in only a couple of months.

He was one of the few people that the brunette found easy to talk to, always willing to listen to any problem he had and offer--admittedly sometimes questionable--advice. They had no qualms living together, never really fought (which Leon admitted he thought was a bit odd) about anything, and had one of the best sex lives he’d ever had.

The blond, as Yuffie had referred to him once, seemed to be his soul mate and made him happy. Completed him.

So why the hell did he keep coming back to him?

What was it about him that he just couldn’t shake…that he just couldn’t seem to live without and jeopardize having a relationship with Cloud for? And why the hell did he just not care if the entire thing did go to hell in a hand basket and blew up in his face?

It’s not like he was bad looking--he never thought he was. But what they’d gone through--what he’d put him through--the mind games, the lying and cheating, the scar he now bore on his face because of what he did. But he’d changed over the years--matured--and he said he needed him.

That he couldn’t actually live without him. That he infact, was his soul mate--and one he’d wanted for the past few months all to himself.

And maybe, that was exactly what Leon wanted…but then why did he continue to cling to Cloud as if the blond was his lifeline? Almost as if he was saving him from. . .

“Leo?”

He mentally sighed and pausing in his steps, turned to see a beautiful red head staring at him with worry, her hands clasped together behind her back.

“Hey...um, I’m really sorry to bother you but I can’t seem to get anyone to answer the house phone and Sora is down right refusing to answer his cell,” Kairi announced gravely. “I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

This only made Leon narrow his eyes at her in anger--while Sora, with his upbeat attitude and gentle heart had made up with Kairi after her discretions, the brunette had yet to be so forgiving. If it hadn’t been for her, Sora wouldn’t be wrapped up in the mess he was in now.

“He’s fine and with friends,” he snapped coldly, turning away from her and continuing to walk.

“But I was with Selphie and everyone and none of them has seen him,” Kairi insisted. “And he won’t answer his phone so--”

“Maybe he just doesn’t want to bother with you today, did you ever think of that?” he snapped, cutting her off and the girl said nothing more, not that Leon cared nor did he turn around to see her staring at him in disbelief and hurt.

He’d never really liked her that much--he’d never liked bossy women and Kairi seemed to annoy him more than most. Not so much as Yuffie and her antics, but she was annoying all the same.

“Yo! Squall!”

Oh yes. And then there was Reno.

“It’s Leon moron,” Ri warned as the pair jogged across the street to catch up with him, neither noticing Kairi’s existence a few feet away either.

“I know,” he heard Reno reply amused. “I just like calling him that.”

“And when he beats the shit out of you, I’m sure I’ll like that too,” she teased and without warning, she leapt up and jumped on Leon’s back, making him grunt as he tumbled forward but caught his balance, scowling at the wide toothy grin on Ri’s face. “Why the hell do you insist on doing that?”

“Come on Leo, everyone has a ‘thing’. Aerith pecks you on the cheek Zack and Cid do the handshake. . .thing. Yuffie tries to tackle you with her hug and I simply try killing you while jumping on your back and letting you bask in the glory that is Rikku. And it all comes full circle.”

“Get off me,” Leon snapped, unamused and arching his back outward and bucking a bit, she jumped down, making a face at him that he ignored as he began to walk again.

“Where’s the food?” Reno questioned.

“What food.” Leon asked in a toneless, cold tone.

“Did you tell us you were getting Chinese?” Reno asked, looking instantly deflated and Leon scowled at him. “I never said I was getting you anything, freeloader.”

“You never specified who you were getting food for, just that you were,” Reno replied matter of factly, returning the glare before flicking a wild strand of fiery red hair out of his eye just as Ri leaned over and ruffled it up, making him groan and glare at her. “Watch the sunglass.”

“Because we know your such a loser without them,” she replied sarcastically and he flicked his tongue at her in a suggestive way. “Don’t think I won’t punish you in front of grandpa here.”

“Do you two not have anyone else to annoying and irate?” Leon snapped loudly and both simply stared at him. “We’re going to the same place, why not go together?” Ri asked matter of factly and Leon rolled his eyes and sped up.

“Because some of us want peace,” he grumbled, breaking into a light jog when he realized the pair sped up as well.

Really now…this was just…sad.
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“How curious.”

“That’s not exactly what reaction I had but yeah…it’s something,” Cloud grumbled as he picked up the few scattered books that Leon had been reading the night before off the coffee table and placed them back in their bookcase.

The pair had finally come into the house after their…meeting on the porch and Cloud had once again reverted back into his bitter, cold husk toward his (and he was insisting) ex lover, trying as he might not to get near him or even look at him for too long so that he might not be ‘tempted’ again.

After, he had a live in boyfriend now and Leon finding him making out with any guy, let alone his ex to which he spent nearly an entire year ranting and bitching about to the understandable brunette, would not be a good thing.

He placed another book in place and instantly became annoyed as he saw Sephiroth putting the books back in their proper, alphabetical places right behind him.

‘Annoying, orderly bastard that mocks me with his efficiency.’ he thought grumpily to himself and that inner voice of his snickered.

…Now you’re just ranting to rant.

‘Maybe. But shut up anyway,’ he thought miserably before continuing on his conversation with the platinum blond. “Sora freaked a little but I think he’s good now. He’s with your brother, doing whatever.”

Sephiroth smirked in ridicule. “Interesting, how certain aspects of life seem to work themselves out, isn’t Strife.”

“Depends on the aspect,” Cloud snapped, slamming the final book back in place rather loudly before glaring at Sephiroth as his fingers grazed the spine. “Leave the damn thing alone and stop trying to change the subject. What the hell are we going to do about them?”

“We will do nothing but assist as we can,” Sephiroth announced coldly, slowly taking the book out of it’s spot and putting it in it’s proper place, watching Cloud with unwavering, deep Mako green eyes the entire time, a hint of mirth to them watching Cloud take in a deep, forced breath as he tried not to growl openly at him. “And it is not I that is trying to change subjects Strife. We were speaking about ourselves before you abruptly began your rant about your brother’s odd predicament.”

“There’s nothing else to fucking talk about,” Cloud snapped angrily, turning away from him quickly and storming out of the room and toward the kitchen, Sephiroth simply watching him a moment before slowly following him at his leisure.

“You left, I moved on, there’s nothing more to say,” Cloud snapped as Sephiroth finally entered the room, making the taller male laugh in a soft, unnerving way. “We’ve already had such a discussion regarding such things when I arrived Strife.”

“Then we really don’t need to talk,” the blond insisted angrily but Sephiroth only laughed softly again before appearing right before the blond, the latter not paying attention to the fact that the older man had been coming toward him that entire time, too wrapped in his own troubled thoughts and anger.

He really does smell nice, don’t you agree?

‘Shut uuuup.’ Cloud thought bitterly as he refused to look at Sephiroth, turning his face away and looking at the counter, the microwave, anything but the towering beauty before him.

“Why do you continue to resist the inevitable,” Sephiroth asked softly, in a curious, rhetorical manner as he placed his hand gently under Cloud’s chin and forced him to look at him. “What could you possibly hope to accomplish by rebellion and stubbornness?”

That’s it, just lean your face in a little closer--damn he really does smell good!

Cloud refused to say anything, to Sephiroth or that little asshole inner voice of his. There really wasn’t much he could say…because he didn’t really know what he wanted to do. He was still angry, he was still bitter, and he knew he really liked Leon and wanted to stay faithful to him.

But he also knew that he’d missed Sephiroth--his Sephiroth. And he knew his feelings for the latter ran much deeper than they ever did--and probably ever would--for the stormy eyed brunette. He wanted this…he needed this.

But he was afraid.

“What Cloud,” Sephiroth asked in a cold tone barley above a whisper. “What do you want. What do you truly want.”

There was a long moment of silence, with ocean blue eyes simply staring into Mako green ones as Sephiroth simply waited patiently for him to answer him, no emotion riddling his face or giving any hints to what he might be thinking or feeling.

“What’s going on in here.”

Cloud quickly turned to the doorway, snatching his face away from Sephiroth, the latter simply looking annoyed as he slowly turned to look at the intrusion, both seeing Leon standing there with Rikku and Reno bringing up the rear, the two latter smirking and making suggestive faces at the pair behind Leon’s back.

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Author's Notes:
Hooray for another chapter done! Oh there are so many ways I could go with the next chapter, what to do...what to do...hmmm.
Anywho, thank you so much for reading the story thus far and as always: Happy Reading!
~Kamirine