Author's Notes: Finally! Last chapter!!! This makes me so happy! Sorry for the delay, thanks to everyone who's stuck by and review. Sorry about the Axel/Mickey thing. I don't hate Disney or anything!!! Special thanks of course, goes to Lapse Raevn for being all around support/dictionary/thesaurus/stress reliever. And Rosalynian, for continually shouting at me to update… Though she could've been nicer about it. 

Also, if anybody's interested, I'm doing a bit of shameless self promotion here: my fictionpress account name is blueberrysundae, so come read my work if you have time!!! I actually don't have anything up right now, but I will in a few days.

Dislcaimer: No, still don't own it.

So, without further adieu…

"Hey Leon," Yuffie looked down at the ground, a stray foot rubbing a hole in the carpet. Leon stilled in the motion of drinking his coffee, and turned, looking somewhere past Yuffie, perhaps at the room around her.

It had been almost a week. 3 nightmarish days were spent waiting by the door, hoping that Riku would pick the lock. The next 4 delusional ones Leon had spent with the door unlocked, figuring that perhaps he wouldn't be able to get in otherwise.

"Your car is done," Yuffie announced, and Leon nodded.

"You told yourself you wanted my car, but you didn't. It was never that. If you wanted the car that badly you would have just come to me with your money."

"You wanted me."

Yuffie stared at Leon with buggy eyes, waving her arms in the air. "God Leon, I know you miss him, but it's not your fault! Just because he has some serious issues with his mother that you had to go and---…"

Yuffie froze, slightly leaned over, mouth opened so wide it almost seemed that her jaw was unhinged. A wicked fly buzzed towards the orifice and Yuffie jerked backwards, falling flat on her butt.

"His mother?"

"But don't bring it up in font of the kid. It's a sensitive subject, to say the least."

Leon's eyes, ringed in red, widened slightly.

"Yuffie, what about his mother?"

"Oh, would you look at that, it's 9:53 already! I really have to be going to the shop like the responsible mechanic I am!"

A leather garbed arm grabbed said mechanic by the arm, destroying any chance of escape.

"Yuffie…" He trailed off warningly.

"I'm not allowed to tell!" The ninja protested.

"Five dollars," Leon offered.

"No!"

"Ten."

"Do you think I'm some sort of cheap whore?"

"Twenty."

"Higher!"

"Fifty."

Yuffie paused to consider the opportunity, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"Look, it's Paine wearing a pretty pink princess dress and spreading around the spirit of girly-ness!"

Leon, eyes wide, froze in shock, if only from the absurdity of the statement. By the time he had come to, his door was already wide open, the ninja nowhere in sight, and his car keys in hand.

Leon blinked. He looked down at his car keys. He ran a hand through his hair. He sighed.

God, was he a mess.

………………

"Aeris, I'm sorry!" Cloud sat outside her door, the perfect image of angst. Aeris hadn't believed him when he'd explained Yuffie's prank, and now he had been exiled to the couch.

God… He couldn't live without Aeris: her warm smile, her bright eyes, her kind patience, her sweetness, her garden… Cloud's stomach growled.

She also knew how to cook, and he wanted some pancakes!

………………

Riku sighed as he beat Sora at yet another video game. Usually he would smirk and tease the kid, but today he just didn't feel like it. Still, he was beyond grateful that Kairi had wired him the money for a plane ticket. He didn't know what he would've done if he'd been forced to stay in Florida with no money or food.

How had everything gotten so messed up?

……………

Kairi glared at Sora's bright yellow tennis shoes. If there was ONE THING she couldn't stand about the boy it was those god forsaken shoes.

They were the most OBNOXIOUS things she had ever seen.

Giggling evilly (as only teenage girls and sociopaths can do), she grabbed her black spray paint, shook the bottle, and sprayed.

MWA. HA. HA.

………………

Sora did not like loosing at video games. Actually, he didn't like loosing at anything, but, being friends with Riku, one got used to it.

Back to the point, Sora didn't like loosing at video games. Especially to Riku. Especially to an angsty, depressed Riku.

Because Sora and Riku are best friends, and when one friend gets hurt, the other one feels it like a kick to the groin; therefore, Sora carefully set down his controller and turned to his friend in an attempt to sooth his pain.

"Hey Riku," he began carefully. He had to think this through… He had to be smooth.

"Hn…" Riku replied, gazing with blank eyes at the flashing screen.

This would have to be subtle, very subtle.

"Um… Well… What I'm meaning to say is… Whydidyoubreakupwithleon?ShouldIgokickhisass?"

Smooth Sora… Smooth.

"None of your business, no," Riku replied, messing with his controller.

Sora pouted.

Riku sighed.

Sora sighed.

Evil laughter was heard from the entry way.

Sora raised an eyebrow.

Riku raised an eyebrow.

Kairi ran into the room holding Sora's tennis shoes…IN BLACK.

Sora screamed.

Riku smiled.

Kairi laughed insanely.

Sora turned to his friend in shock.

"It's because, if he wanted me he would have stopped me."

Silence entered the room, and Riku smiled, a sad smile. Sora snapped out of his shock and nervously held up his controller. "What do you say to best two out of three?"

Riku grinned, replying, "Wouldn't it be best 6 out of eight right now?"

Kairi sat back and watched the two boys play, figuring they could give Riku a little more time. After all, even though she'd never be able to share the pain of being kicked in the groin, she could imagine what it would feel like and sympathize.

……………

With trembling fingers, Leon opened the last project to be graded. Riku hadn't been in class, but Kairi had brought it in for him, with out a word of explanation. Reaching into the bag, Leon pulled out two plushies, of figures far too familiar.

One plushies was preserved in the image of him, right down to the scar. The other was of Riku, a wide smile on his face. The plushies had magnets under their lips, so that when they were held up next to each other, they kissed.

How could he have left Riku in Florida? Why didn't he stop him?

He couldn't blame Rinoa, or Riku, only himself.

Riku had chased after him plenty of times, and never let him go, so why couldn't he…?

Leon held up the plushies, so close that their mouths snapped together in a kiss, and his eyes widened with realization.

Wouldn't it be horrible to reach the end of your life and find out you've never lived?

………………

Yuffie was awesome. No, she was the epitome of awesomeness. Smiling gleefully at the trick that Sephiroth was about to walk into, evil thoughts crossed her mind.

She had pulled a string across the hall at ankle level. When Sephiroth tripped the string, it would jerk the piece of wood holding a bucket of slime down onto Sephiroth's head.

Mwahahahahahahahaha!

Yes, she was a genius. Now she could only sit back and watch the fruits of her labor.

Sephiroth was getting closer….

And closer…

And closer…

There was his foot!

WTF??? How the heck did he step OVER her brilliant trap?!?!?!?!

Vanishing around the corner, the General left Yuffie to gape like a fish out of water.

Carrying her laundry and humming happily, Aeris strolled down the hallway. Yuffie stared in terror, reaching out an arm in vain.

Just as Aeris tripped the string, a mighty "Noooooooooo!!!!!!" sounded from the couch, and Cloud, moving faster than the speed of slime, valiantly pushed Aeris out of the way, the wood breaking over his back, the bucket hitting him in the head, and the slime covering his hair, face, and shoulders.

Turning to Cloud, Aeris's eyes opened in new found wonder. Upon seeing her loved ones injuries tears filled her eyes.

"Cloud…"

"Aeris, are you okay?" Cloud asked weakly, before the head trauma got to him and he finally passed out.

………………

Rinoa sighed. She hated being alone, but at the same time she had to do the right thing. She had been the one to chase after Leon, to start the relationship, to make it grow, and to end it. If she had stayed with him, it would have been one horrible lie.

Clutching her bag and racing across the crowded streets of Balamb, she smiled. At least she had had a fun time.

………………

Rikku sighed. Ever since Yuna left, it felt like their threesome was a twosome…

Sometimes she even felt like crying, it got so bad. Even though she loved Paine more than anything, there would always be a special bond of cousinly love that she could only share with Yuna.

Ring Ring!

Startled, Rikku stared at the yellow phone. So many times she had hoped, only to be let down.

Ring Ring!

"Rikku! Pick up the phone!" Paine's screams echoed from the study.

Ring-"Hello?" Rikku asked.

"Yunie!!!! PAINE!!!! Guess what, it's Yuna!"

………………

Ding dong… Ding dong. Ding dong, ding dong, dingdongdingdongdingdongdingdong!!!!!

Riku's eyes widened. That sounded rather familiar.

But it couldn't be, not when he was such a mess. He had split ends and his skin was oily and he had morning breath and dark circles underneath his eyes and he was wearing one of Kairi's dad's old white t-shirts and some worn down yellow sweatpants and and and and and!!!! God, he would know something was most definitely wrong.

"I've got it!" Kairi jumped out of her seat and raced towards the door, flinging it open (she was probably hoping that it'd be Selphie.) A gasp escaped her lips as she realized who it was, and before he could take a step inside, Riku was over the rail, up the stairs, out the window, and on Kairi's roof.

Sitting up on the warm roof, staring up at the midmorning sun in the cloudless sky, Riku felt himself relax slightly. His mother used to love days like this, days when heaven smiled, she used to call them.

There were a few scraping sounds and a thump, and someone far heavier and less graceful that Riku scrambled up the roof.

Riku didn't look, didn't acknowledge the second presence, just stared at the peaceful beach on the horizon, waiting for the other to speak.

"Riku, I'm sorry."

Riku snorted, angling his head away and scowling. He couldn't have come all the way here just to say that.

"Listen, I know it was wrong, what I did, but you have to understand my position…" It was said in a defeated tone.

"You're supposed to care for me," Riku told him, scooting away slightly.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't-"

Riku turned and looked into blue-green eyes, just like his, on the slightly wrinkled face of a middle aged man.

"I'm your son!" He glared, a venomous glare that he'd practiced for years.

"I was looking through our old photographs, trying to figure out what I'd done wrong."

Riku opened his mouth to speak, but his father cut him off.

"I looked through all your sports pictures, the films from your birthday parties, the photos of you with your mother," a pause and a sigh, "and I realized that your mother and I never did anything wrong. We wanted a strong, healthy boy, and would have done anything for that, and with luck we raised him."

His father's eyes were watering with tears, and Riku averted his gaze.

"Nothing else really matters." Riku's father gulped, opening his mouth and closing it before starting again.

"What I'm trying to say is that I've been stupid, there's nothing wrong with you, and I hope you can forgive me."

Riku turned his head away and didn't respond. He didn't want to see his father crying, didn't want his father to know that he was near tears.

His father patted his knee and started clambering down off the roof. "I know your going through some hard times, Riku, and if you need to, you can come back home."

…………

Yuffie sat, head lowered in shame, as Sephiroth laid Cloud across the master bed.

"He gonna be alright?" Yuffie asked, trying to pretend that she didn't really care. After all, she needed to get her revenge on Cloud as well.

Sephiroth stared at her with glowing green eyes.

Yuffie stared defiantly back, swallowing her tears valiantly.

An awkward silence enveloped the room.

"Sephy!" And Yuffie leapt at him with such great speed that even the General was unable to escape, wrapping her arms around his waist and crying.

"This is all my fault! Cloud was… All he ever wanted were a few lousy pancakes!"

Sephiroth twitched slightly, uncertain of what he should do. While violently pushing her away seemed like the more rewarding option at the moment, according to Zack that was a major societal no-no.

Slowly and awkwardly patting her head, Sephiroth stared into the kitchen, wishing he could change placed with Aeris.

Honestly, this whole emotion thing was over rated. If it was up to Sephiroth, he'd be back in the barracks, continuing on with his job, but that persistent idiot Zack just had to insist that he take a vacation to "find himself."

Oh well. At least all of this was rather entertaining.

………………

Riku sighed as he sat on Kairi's front porch, staring out at the sand. Tidus sat next to him, bouncing a blitz ball against the ground over and over again. Under normal circumstances, Riku would have hit the ball, sending it spiraling out of the blonde's hands, but today he just couldn't bring himself to muster up the energy.

He was starting to regret walking away from Leon at the airport, but at the same time, if he didn't, then he would always have to live not knowing whether or not Leon truly cared for him.

Suddenly, Tidus caught his blitzball, his eyes wide in shock. Picking up his cell phone he cried, "what's that Wakka, a blitzball game far away from Riku? Okay, I'll be right there!"

Pocketing the phone and grabbing his blitzball, Tidus raced away just as Riku heard the distinctive sound of a very familiar engine stopping and a door opening and slamming shut.

Looking up, he found a familiar leather clad form leaning casually against the side of a sleek black car.

As always, Leon was gorgeous. The only thing that seemed wrong with him that Riku could see were slight black circles under his eyes.

Then those grey eyes locked onto him, and Riku felt as if her were caught in the middle of a storm.

"Hey," Leon said, his voice oddly hoarse. A lump formed in Riku's throat and he couldn't move as Leon walked up to him and sat down next to him on Kairi's front porch.

"You look like shit," Leon said conversationally, and Riku nodded, still focusing on the green green grass in front of him.

He wanted to get up and run, needed to, and his legs and arms managed to respond, for once, to his brain, and before either he or Leon knew it, he was hopping Kairi's fence and running far far away.

……………

"Woohoo! Eat that Wakka!" Tidus cheered, punching his friend on the arm. As Wakka rubbed his now bruising appendage, the blonde smirked. He had just beaten his friend 5 to 4 in their last Blitzball game. This was cause for celebration!

Therefore, he was dragging the loser aka Wakka, to his favorite restaurant, The Luca Café. It was one of those Japanese stir fry places, where you sat around a table and watched a chef flip very sharp and dangerous knives everywhere. Tidus really admired those chefs. After "Star Blitzball Player," his second favorite career would have to be "Japanese chef…OF DOOM."

A nice and very pretty waitress led them to their table, and Tidus sat down, barely paying attention to who he was sitting next to until they bumped arms reaching for the fried rice.

"Oh sorry," and Tidus turned and stared as he heard the voice of an angel.

"It's… Um… It's no problem," he managed to get out, and the angel giggled.

"My name's Yuna," she told him. Tidus rubbed his hand of on his pants and held it out for her.

"Tidus."

…………….

Given that Riku was a track star, and that Leon wasn't an idiot, he knew he wasn't going to be able to catch the young boy on foot. His first thought was to just let him go. Obviously, Riku didn't want to be caught, but at the same time something in him was begging for him to run after the boy, even though he wouldn't catch him.

So, picking himself up off the porch, he ran after the disappearing shadow in the distance that was Riku. He chased him until his legs felt strained and his heart was beating a mile a minute. He chased him until it felt like he shouldn't physically be able to move.

The neighboring houses passed by too quickly, until he was at a part of the island he was unfamiliar with. A bridge rocked under his feet, and he was on another island, miled away from his home.

His heart pulsed in his ears, his head pounded, the pavement underneath his feet seemed determined to destroy his feet, but he kept on running after that shadow in the distance.

The logical part of his mind was arguing that if he could barely make it this far, how was he supposed to make it back? Still, his heart was pulsing in his head, his leather jacket had been thrown down on the lawn of some unsuspecting citizen a while ago, and his pride was still sitting on Kairi's porch.

And finally, finally, after it seemed like his heart was going to explode—either from fear of loosing Riku or overexertion he did not know—that shadow grew larger, until Leon could see the light gleaming off Riku's hair. His form came into view, piece by piece as the boy slowed down, until he was at a fast walk.

Leon continued to run, not wanting to give up until he had given his all.

So when his hot, sweaty arms finally wrapped around Riku's shoulders and both their legs gave out, leaving them lying in some stranger's yard, Leon could breath again.

He bode farewell to the spots as they left his vision, and thanked his heart for keeping up as it died down, returning to his chest. Eventually, his ragged breathing started to even out, and he was able to speak.

"I'm not…" He paused for a breath, "letting go."

He wasn't letting go. Riku might have been the one to start this all, to bother and annoy Leon until he had turned indifference into something else, something more, something with potential, but now that he didn't seem to value what he had, it was up to Leon to show him what he struggled for.

an

And so, there were no captivating stories of traumatic events, or wild, passionate proclamations of love. Leon only sat there clinging to Riku until the teenager stopped trying to pull him off and instead leaned back into his embrace.

"So, how're we going to get back home?" Riku asked, once all was good, and they both were realizing that they were hot, sweaty, and needed showers.

"I have no idea." Leon answered.

This caused Riku to laugh, until he was blue in the face and panting for breath.

Leon watched with a smile until he collected himself.

"Thanks, Leon."

And that was that.

………………

6 Days Later

"Pancakes for everyone!" Aeris cheered, in an incredibly happy mood. And why not? Leon had gotten Riku in the end, even though they still argued a lot.

Holding up his fork and knife, mouth watering, a bandage wrapped around his head, Cloud waited patiently for his pancakes.

Next to him, Sephiroth smiled into his cell phone before shutting it off, telling Zack that yes, he was having a good time, and no, he hadn't killed anybody… yet.

Yuffie was chatting excitedly with Kairi as Sora played with his gameboy, and Rikku sat on Paine's lap, watching as Tidus shamelessly flirted with Yuna.

Leon and Riku were discussing the finer points of art, lost in their own little world.

All was happy as Aeris laid out the pancakes… That is until…

"Where are my pancakes?" Cloud asked.

"Oh! Well… That is…" Aeris giggled, "I ran out!"

Cloud looked like someone had just told him that Christmas had been cancelled.

Everybody else tried to stifle their giggles.

The oven timer went off.

"Aeris, what's that?" Cloud asked.

"The second batch of pancakes, silly!"

And so, Cloud was finally served pancakes, and all was good.