Locked In the Closet

Yuffie had always known that Cloud was different. It wasn't that he wasn't a boy, he just didn't act like one.

Flash back

Yuffie was crouching behind a bush in the backyard, spying on the grown-ups. She didn't know what they were talking about, but it sure sounded important.

"Cloud has really turned into a cute little boy!" said one of the mothers of the children at Cloud's 5th birthday party.

"Yeah, and he does seem to love those markers you got him," another said.

"Well, Cloud is always drawing," said his mother. "Before I got him his own, he would find the permanent ones and draw on the walls. I'm a little worried. When he doesn't have a something that actually writes, he uses anything he can find—a stick in the sand, his fork in his mashed potatoes, his tooth brush in the bubbles in the bath…he just never stops!"

"He's just artistic then! No need to worry. By the time he's in highschool he'll probably be accepted into an art college and become a famous artist!" The first mother encouraged.

"But he doesn't do anything else. He won't play with his trucks, or his basketball or play catch with his father. I mean, look," she gestured over to the children. "All of the boys are playing catch, or chasing each other or something—something rambunctious! And where's Cloud?" They didn't have to look far. He was sitting at the little table, next to all the girls, coloring with crayons.

End Flashback

Cloud hadn't changed much. He wouldn't even watch TV. Maybe he'd sit with his best friend Yuffie for a few minutes and watch a movie, but without a book or drawing materials, he couldn't stay for longer than 20 minutes.

"I just got an idea!" or "What if I think of something?" or "This doesn't inspire me, why waste my time?"

Class wasn't any different either. He was constantly handing in papers with doodles and sketches in the margins. Most of his teachers didn't mind, some even enjoyed them, but other teachers tried to discourage him. They saw him drawing on every piece of paper and shook their heads. It was more than just talent to them-it was an obsession.

Most of the students, except for Yuffie, who had grown up next store to him, ignored Cloud because he was so quiet and unassuming. Most of the teachers respected him because he didn't cause trouble and did his work, so they didn't bring too much attention to him, and that's how Cloud liked it.

But Cloud had a secret: he liked to draw nude males. Being a 16 year old adolescent boy, he didn't put a lot of thought into why, he just did. And when Yuffie discovered it, she was 14 and absolutely rolling with laughter.

"Cloud draws penises!"

"Yuffie!" He was so embarased that he ran from the room, crashing into his fellow Junior who was over to do a school project with him: Leon.

Cloud would have fallen if Leon didn't reach out and grab him.

"You okay?"

Cloud blushed and blushed and blushed. Leon's arms were still holding him up when Yuffie came into the hallway.

With a look of terror, Cloud jumped out of Leon's grip and locked himself behind the closest door: the hall closet.

Leon raised and eyebrow at Yuffie.

"What happened?"

Yuffie was trying to hold back her fits of giggles, and she would have been able if Leon wasn't so intuitive.

"Come on Cloud, come out of the closet."

Yuffie fell back to the floor.

"What's so funny? We have work to do."

"He—Cloud—he—he—"

"YUFFIE NO!" Cloud scrambled out, tripping on the writhing girl. Leon looked down at the two curiously.

"Are you going to show me your half of the drawing project or are you gonna keep tripping all day?"

That made it worse. Leon was just too ignorant.

Yuffie pipped in. "OH Cloud's already started drawing! Quite a work of art! You would really like it! It bears quite a—" Cloud clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into his room.

"Yuffie don't you dare say anything to anyone! TO ANYONE! Especially not him!"

"But—"

"NO!" Cloud was so enraged, tears were filling his eyes.

Yuffie looked at him with a serious face. "Cloud, you're my best friend. I don't care if you're gay—"

"I AM NOT GAY!"

"Then why did you draw me naked?" Leon was holding the drawings that were scattered and forgotten on the floor. He furrowed his brow. "They're quite good."

Cloud's eyes widened and he turned a deeper red as he ran, once again, into a closet; this time it was his own.

Leon sighed. "It's okay, Cloud, come out of the closet," this pushed Yuffie back onto the floor. He stepped right up to the shutter door and said softly: "I did."

Leon could sense Cloud's stiffening disappear, so he opened the door slowly. Cloud's head was bowed and his cheeks were tear stained. Yuffie had stopped laughing. She was looking up from her position on the floor, jaw agape, gawking.

Cloud was shocked with indecision and began to shake, so Leon stepped into the closet and wrapped his arms around the blond, stroking and petting his head.

"Le—Leon—"

"Shh, it's okay."

"Were you—what…are you ga—gay?"

Leon simply nodded, nuzzling Cloud's neck. "I like the pictures you drew of me," he whispered.

"But I'm not—" Leon placed a finger on Cloud's lips before he could finish his sentence.

"Why did you draw them then?"

Silence.

Leon felt Cloud's face heat up, making him smirk. "Sometimes silence says more than words, Cloud." Cloud chuckled nervously. Leon was glad he was relaxing; the blond just looked too tense before.

Leon laced his fingers with Cloud's and with the other hand brushed a few strands of hair away from the blond's ear.

"Are you ready to come out now?"

Cloud nodded timidly, taking a deep breath, clutching Leon's hand.

When they came out of the closet, hand in hand, Yuffie was no longer on the floor. She had a camera.

Flash

AN 2017: As a writer, you grow the more you write. I wrote this TEN YEARS AGO. I'm going through my stuff here...and there is SO much I could change. But I've decided to leave the completed fics as a time capsule of the themes and images from my youth. So, while reading this from an adult's perspective, I cringe. But from my 16 year old self, this was a big deal, and to those at the time who read my works, it was the same. So in homage to that I am leaving all of the plot/character/thematic/realism errors alone. I am fixing spelling errors, and context errors, and some perspective errors. Anyway, if this is your first time reading this, bare all that in mind :)

Picture credit: 1375887#full