Exquisite Dysfunction

Warning: This chapter will be short, and I'm sorry if it sucks.

Side note: I've never explained what Jiro looks like, so you all can put your own faces to his, but I always thought him to look like a taller. A little bit more muscular, Kadaj. ^.^

Cloud didn't remember much from the few nights ago that he went to the bar with Jiro. And to him, that was a good thing, not to remember. Cloud made his way to his and Jiro's

room, running his fingers through his golden locks. He pushed the door open, raising his eyebrow when he saw Jiro on his bed, waving around a letter.


"You got a letter!" Jiro exclaimed, getting off the bed and walking over to Cloud, handing him the letter.

Cloud sat down on his bed, figuring it was just a letter from his mom. He sighed, slowly opening the envelope and pulling the letter out. Cloud's eyes widened as he realized the letter wasn't from his mother, but from Tifa. He smiled softly, reading over the letter, making sure not to miss anything important she might have said. Cloud folded up the letter, sliding it back into the envelope and placing it inside the drawer of the nightstand.

"So, who was it from?" Jiro asked, stretching himself out across Cloud's bed.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "Just from someone back home."

Jiro raised his eyebrow, prodding at boy's leg with the pencil he had in his hand. "Tell me who this someone is."

Cloud sighed, rising from the bed. "Just a girl, okay?"

Jiro grinned, sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed. "Just a girl?

The blond boy nodded, "Yes, just a girl. I'm going to go get some practice in at the gym, I'll be back later."

Jiro gasped, moving to his feet and wrapping his arms around Cloud's waist.

"No, don't leave me here." The taller man whined, tightening his hold on Cloud's waist.

Cloud frowned, grabbing Jiro's hands and removing his arms from around his waist.

"I'll be back." With that said, Cloud left the room, his eyes fixed to the floor as he made his way towards the gym.

XX

Inside the gym, Cloud picked up one of the practice swords, sighing as he weighed it in his hand.

"The real ones are probably so much heavier."

Zack had just entered the gym, moments after Cloud had, he was leant against the wall, watching the younger boy play with the practice sword.

"They are, like ten times heavier." Zack said, pushing himself away from the wall.

Cloud jumped at the sound of someone else's voice, slowly turning around to be met face to face with Zack. Cloud sighed, relaxing now that he knew it was only him.
Zack smiled at Cloud, picking up another practice sword and twirling it around.

"What are you doing here?" The boy tilted his head, watching the raven haired man twirl the sword.

"I was going to come here and work out, but now I think, I'll help you."

Cloud raised his eyebrow, "help me how?"

The SOLDIER placed the sword down on the mat, smiling at the blond haired boy.

"I'm going to give you some tips. Help you with your practicing for the night."

Cloud blinked a few times, a small smile appearing on his lips.

"You'd do that?"

"What are friends for, right?" Zack placed his hand on the smaller boy's shoulder.

Cloud looked down at his feet, biting down on his lower lip.

"I've never had any friends." Cloud slowly lifted his head, looking at Zack.

"What is a friend?"

"A single soul dwelling in two bodies," Zack shrugged.

"At least that's what Aristotle says," he smiled at the younger boy.

"So, we share the same soul?"

"Basically, but we also share it with Jiro too, in a way. He is our friend as well, you know?"

Cloud nodded, a grin spreading across his face.

"Yeah, I have two friends. Two good friends."

Zack's smile grew wider. "Damn right, now let's practice."

Cloud got into fight stance when Zack told him to, raising the practice sword. The older man just smirked, telling Cloud to go a head and make his move. The boy lifted the sword just a bit more, running straight towards Zack and bringing the sword down against, what he thought was the other man.

"Good try, let's do it again." Zack said from the other side of the mat.

Cloud ran towards Zack again, gasping as he lost his footage and went crashing down on the other man. Cloud laid on top of Zack for a moment, swallowing hard and slowly lifting his chest off Zack's.

"I'm so sor-" Cloud stopped mid-sentence, looking down at Zack's eyes.

"Your eyes, they glow." He said, while lifting his hand and running his fingertips
underneath Zack's eye. Zack closed his eyes for a brief second, enjoying the feel of Cloud's fingers on his skin. Zack lifted one of his hands, cupping Cloud's cheek and smiling up at him.

"It's the mako."

"How come I never noticed them before?"

Zack laughed softly, stroking his fingers against Cloud's cheek.

"You can just see them better at night, in the dark."

Cloud nodded and Zack bit down on his lower lip, slowly tilting his head upwards.

"Don't hate me for this."

Cloud blinked as Zack's head moved closer to his. He could feel the older man's breath against his lips, his hand slowly moving down to Cloud's jaw.

"I-I have to go." Cloud pushed Zack away, quickly rising to his feet. He glanced back at Zack, who was propped up on his elbows, still on the ground.

"I'm sorry." Cloud shouted as he ran out of the gym, making his way back to his room as fast as he could.

XXX

The next day Cloud carried his books into the class room, chewing on the inside his lip, trying to forget what happened last night. How could he have been so stupid as to fall on top of Zack? The boy shook his head, sliding into his seat, frowning when a paper ball was thrown at him from across the room. Cloud put his books on the desk, pulling a pencil out of his pocket.

"Here you are, Cloudykins." Jiro giggled, dropping the picture he had taken of Zack and
Cloud when they went to Vincent's and Nero's, onto the desk.

"Don't call me that, you weirdo." Cloud said, picking up the picture and smiling softly.

"Yeah, it's a nice picture," The taller man said, sitting down in his seat.

"But I like the one I have of you two dancing together."

Cloud looked over at Jiro, his eyebrow slowly raising. "We were dancing?"

The snow white blond laughed, nodding his head. "Yes, quite well. I'll print the pictures out for you later."

Cloud nodded at Jiro, going to say something else, but stopping when the teacher walked into the room. He sighed, leaning over his desk slightly and tapping on Jiro shoulder.

"Can we talk after class?" Cloud whisper, sitting back in his seat when Jiro nodded his head.

Everyone in the class opened their books to the page their teacher told them to. Cloud hated the fact that while he was in boot camp, he still had to do regular class work, and attend regular classes.

The teacher glanced around the room, smiling and calling on Cloud to read out loud what was in the chapter of the book. The boy shook his head, a blush creeping up into his cheeks.

"Oh, come now Mr. Strife, please read for us."

A boy across the class room started laughing, chunking a ball of paper at Cloud's head.

"Like I told you on the first day, you aren't fit to be here. He can't even read a fucking page in a book! How are you ever going to be a SOLDIER?"

Jiro growled at the other boy and the teacher slammed her hand down on his desk.

"Aiko, I don't think that was very nice, apologize to Cloud."

The boy shook his head, turning in his seat, holding his nose up in the air.

"What a fucking prick," Jiro mumbled.

Cloud just sank down in his seat, wanting to be anywhere but in that class room. The teacher called on someone else to read, which made Cloud a bit happy, he really didn't want to stand up and read to everyone.

XX

After class, Cloud and Jiro walked back to their room, dropping their books down on the bed.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Zack," Cloud said, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"What about him?" Jiro plopped down on his bed, stretching out and yawning.

"He kissed me."

Jiro sat up straight, turning slightly and staring at Cloud. "He what?!"

The boy jumped from one bed to the other, sitting up on his hands and knees, looking into Cloud's eyes.

"How was it? Did you like it?"

Cloud blinked a few times, before putting his hand out and pushing Jiro away from him.

"Well, he didn't exactly kiss me."

"What do you mean by that?"

Cloud ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "He, well he, tried kissing me. I pushed him away before he could."

"And why in the hell did you do that?"

Looking up at Jiro, Cloud frowned. "I don't know. I got scared, and it wouldn't be right, he has a girlfriend."

"Obviously he doesn't like her that much if he is trying to suck face with you."

Cloud punched Jiro in the arm. "Oh, God, shut up! Do you have to put it like that?"

Jiro rolled his eyes, rubbing his arm where Cloud punched him, and chuckling softly.

"Oh damn, Cloud, didn't know you could be so rough. Now as for Zack, go find him, talk to him about it."

Cloud nodded, moving off the bed and making his way to the door.

"Oh, and let me know how it goes!" Jiro winked at Cloud, who shook his head and left the room.

XX

Cloud ran down the hall, deciding the best place to look for Zack would be across base, at his apartment. He pushed the doors open, leading out into the courtyard, shivering when he was met with a cold breeze. Cloud just ran out the door and across the courtyard, squealing when he bumped into someone. Slowly, Cloud lifted his head, smiling when he saw Zack looking down at him.

"Zack, oh, I'm sorry for bumping into, but, we need to ta-" Cloud stopped talking as a
girl stepped from behind Zack, a huge smile plastered on her face.

She waved at Cloud, holding her hand out. "Hi, I'm Aerith!"

Cloud blinked, watching Zack wrap his arm around Aerith's waist.

"Cloud." He shook her hand, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"What is it you wanted to talk about, Cloud?" Zack tilted his head slightly and moved away from Zack.

"I'll leave you two boys alone for right now." She kissed the raven haired man's cheek, waving to Cloud and walking off.

"Well?"

"Nothing, Zack, it's nothing. I was stupid. Jiro was wrong, and I was stupid. I'm sorry."

Zack frowned, reaching out to touch Cloud's shoulder. "About last night, Cloud, I'm sorry."

Cloud swallowed dryly, nodding. "Y-yeah, it shouldn't have happened."

Zack watched as the younger boy looked towards the ground, his body twitching.

"I should go." Cloud turned to leave, slowly making his way back across the courtyard, blinking back tears.

"Cloud, wait, I didn't mean for what I said to come out like that. Cloud!"
Zack jogged across the courtyard, grabbing Cloud's arm and turning him around.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Whatever Zack, let's pretend it didn't happen, okay?"

Cloud pushed Zack away, frowning and walking back inside the building. Dragging his feet along the floor, Cloud slowly made his way into his and Jiro's room. Cloud had never felt jealous, he wasn't even sure why he was jealous. Zack had a girlfriend, and Cloud was trying to be with Tifa, that was the way it was supposed to be. However still, it upset, Cloud to see Zack with another person, when just 24 hours ago, he was trying to kiss Cloud.

Cloud laid down on his bed, burying his face into the pillow.

Jiro looked up from the book he was reading when Cloud walked into the room. He lowered the book, watching as Cloud sunk down on the bed and buried his face in the pillow.

"Well, how did it go?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Jiro." Cloud mumbled.
Jiro sighed, rising from the bed. "I'll leave you be for now, don't give up though."

Jiro dropped a picture down on Cloud's bed, before leaving the room. Cloud picked the picture up, a small frown forming on his lips. It was a picture of him and Zack dancing. He kept looking at the picture, letting a few tears fall from his eyes, rubbing his face against the now damp pillow. He just stared at the wall, his eyes growing heavy. Cloud blinked a few times, slowly closing his eyes and falling asleep, holding the picture against his chest, and just trying to forget what has happened to him over the time he has been here.


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Authors Note: Sorry the chapter was short, and I'm sorry it was rather lame. My co-writer and I have both been sick this week, ugh. The next chapter should be better, and I promise a lovely scene for all of you. =^.^= And a surprise, so wooo, expect it, ha ha.