Zack hummed to himself as he and Genesis sat in front of the NES, playing one of the rare games that Genesis could tolerate. Bomberman II.
"I can't get over how cute these little guys are!" Zack squealed as he bounced on the sofa eagerly.
He then stared at the screen in horror as Genesis's bomb hit him.
"Wait, how did that happen?!"
"You get distracted on how cute these 'little guys' are and leave yourself open to attacks."
Zack pouted as Genesis was declared the winner. The door closed and Zack perked up.
"Spiky's back!"
He hopped over the sofa and darted towards the hallway, screeching to a halt to observe the blonde converse over the phone.
"There really isn't that much room," he was arguing to the other person "It'll be really uncomfortable."
Zack tilted his head.
"I know this is the first time for a long while but can't you find a hotel?"
Cloud held up a finger to Zack who was inching closer by the minute.
"Then you can swing round for an hour or two then be on your way. No, I didn't realise it had been that long."
"Clooouuud?"
Cloud placed his hand over Zack's prying face and struggled to push him away as he became more and more eager to eavesdrop.
"Yes, that's Zack. You can meet him when you visit."
"Who's visiting?! I wanna talk, I wanna talk!"
"Zack, down!"
Zack crouched with a whine and Cloud petted his head.
"We'll figure something out but I can guarantee you won't want to stay the night."
"Who's staying?!"
"Bad puppy!"
Genesis had wandered in as Zack snatched Cloud's phone and was perched on Cloud's back.
"This is Zack Fair, who is speaking?" he asked in the calmest tone either of them had heard.
"This is Claudia Strife, Cloud's mother."
Zack held back his excitement as Cloud struggled to shake him off.
"Oh, Mrs Strife!" he exclaimed and winked at Genesis who had straightened up "How wonderful to meet you!"
"Zack, get off the phone!" Cloud barked as he spun around to try and get him off.
Zack heard a simper on the other end as Angeal poked his head round from the kitchen.
"It's wonderful to meet you too, Zack."
"So, you're visiting?" Zack kept a loud, clear voice and Angeal straightened up "When are you coming? We'd love to play host to our favourite Chocobo's family!"
"ZACK!"
Sephiroth came downstairs to see the chaotic scene as Cloud spun round and round to try and shake Zack off but with little luck.
"Well I'll be in town next week, I was hoping to stay round for a day or two."
"We'd love to-whoa!"
Cloud managed to throw him off and Zack went flying. The phone went flying too and Angeal was quick to catch it.
"Hello, Mrs Strife?" he began talking whilst retreating into the kitchen "This is Angeal, how lovely to hear from you."
"ANGEAL!"
Sephiroth tackled and pinned Cloud to the floor as Zack sat up from hitting the door.
"I see Chocobobobo-bo bo-bobos…" he said as he swayed with a dazed smile.
"I think he might have gotten concussion," Genesis frowned as he rushed to his side to check his head.
"Sephiroth, get off," Cloud mumbled into the carpet.
"No, you look so perfect like this," Sephiroth purred whilst licking his lips.
Cloud tried to flail around but only succeeded in kicking his legs into the floor, screaming into the carpet.
"Seph, he'll suffocate," Genesis said.
Sephiroth lifted Cloud's face and the blonde took a deep breath.
"Angeal!"
"I'm sure Sephiroth would love to pick you up from the station!"
Sephiroth grinned happily as Angeal gave a thumbs up to him.
"Genesis makes the most wonderful strawberry cheesecakes, I'm sure he'll be happy to set some time aside to make one just for you."
Genesis perked up eagerly.
"Are we going to have beef wellington then?" he asked.
Angeal nodded and Genesis nearly jumped for joy.
"Lovely, we'll see you next week then. Goodbye."
Cloud glowered at the grinning nurse.
"Why?"
"Oh Cloud, were you planning for us to never ever meet your mother?!" Genesis squealed as Angeal checked Zack's head and pranced over to hug Sephiroth "Can you believe it? We get to see our spiky little Chocobo's mother~!"
Sephiroth let Cloud go and stood with a smirk.
"I wonder how many embarrassing stories we'll hear."
"And what about your mothers?" Cloud glowered at them all.
"My mother is in Banora if you want to see her," Angeal offered.
"My mother passed away when I was young," Genesis looked a little forlorn.
"Never knew mine," Sephiroth grimaced.
"Zack's parents are all the way in Gongaga," Genesis shrugged.
Cloud sighed tiredly.
"I hate you all."
Cloud was pacing around in agitation, Sephiroth was due to arrive any moment with his mother and it was driving him nuts. What will she think of his boyfriends? What will they think of her? And most importantly, to what degree will she embarrass him during this weekend?
"And then he came running round the corner, completely covered in my makeup!"
Oh boy, that's not a good start. Cloud sprung up to a straight up position as Sephiroth opened the door and allowed Claudia Strife into the house. Sephiroth was grinning from ear to ear after hearing the end of the makeup incident and just smirked up at Cloud. Cloud felt his face go red. How many stories had she told him already?
"There's my baby!"
"Mo-om!"
Sephiroth could very well turn into the Cheshire Cat at this point as Claudia sauntered over and gave him a big hug.
"Look at you, you have dirt on your nose!"
"MO-OM!"
Cloud spluttered as she produced her handkerchief and began scrubbing at his nose for this imaginary dirt. He swore he had completely checked his face when he was washing this morning.
"Just like a Chocobo mother, oh my Gaia, so cute!" Zack squealed as he came thundering down the stairs.
"And you must be Zack," Claudia was pulled away from Cloud as she looked Zack up and down "Just how I pictured you."
"It's so good to meet you," Zack grinned as he ignored her hand and gave her a big hug.
"Careful, pup," Angeal said as he came out of the kitchen.
Claudia looked a little staggered after Zack released her and chuckled, adjusting her appearance as Zack gave her a sheepish look.
"Sorry," he pouted as Cloud took her coat for her and hung it up as Sephiroth carried her bags upstairs.
"Is that Mrs Strife?"
Genesis came sauntering in, still in his apron and he smiled.
"Genesis," he introduced, taking his oven mitts off and extending a hand.
"Nice to meet you," Claudia smiled widely as she shook his hand firmly.
"I have to ask," Genesis said after fidgeting for a moment "Those trousers…"
"Oh, are they on too tight?" Claudia worried as she looked down, turning in them "Cloud's always been telling me to be careful with what I wear."
"How dare you question your mother's style!" Genesis snapped at Cloud who jumped a little "You should follow her example because she looks perfect!"
"Really?" Claudia gasped as she covered her cheeks to conceal her humbled blush.
"Absolutely, we should go shopping together one day, I would love to help you fill your wardrobe if necessary."
"Oh aren't you sweet?"
"Angeal," Angeal introduced himself next as Genesis zipped back into the kitchen to check the beef wellington.
"A pleasure to meet you," Claudia smiled as they shook hands next "You must be the Big Boss of the house."
"I do what I can to keep order," Angeal sighed a little as he glanced at Zack who just grinned.
"So, Mrs Strife," Zack linked arms with Claudia and directed her to the sitting room "What was Cloud like as a little boy?"
"Oh he was adorable!"
Cloud just covered his face as they left him alone, groaning.
"I don't know what you were worried about, Cloud," Sephiroth smirked as he came downstairs after putting her bags in the guest room "She is just a delight."
"I hate you all," Cloud mumbled.
"And I was really, really worried!" Claudia chattered on and on as Angeal and Cloud began clearing the plates away after finishing the beef wellington "There was a warning in the area that a kidnapper was prowling around looking for young boys his age and I couldn't find him anywhere!"
"Oh, that is not a good feeling," Genesis hissed.
"Oh, it's happened to you?" Claudia perked up.
Genesis only had to jab a thumb in Zack's direction.
"Disappeared at the Golden Saucer for a whole twelve hours."
Zack blushed and ducked his head.
"I said I was sorry," he whined.
"Sorry doesn't take back the heart attack I nearly had!" Genesis snapped.
"Hey, hey, we found him in the end," Sephiroth soothed as Genesis was pacified by his petting.
"I was really worried," Genesis nearly sobbed as he got up and ran round to hug Zack tightly "You stupid puppy."
"We found him sleeping in the cable car station," Sephiroth finished the story "Turns out he can get drunk to the point where he passes out but is still functioning well enough to sleep walk."
"Twelve hours," Claudia whispered in shock "My baby Cloud was only missing for about half an hour but it certainly felt longer."
"Where did you find him?" Zack asked as he petted Genesis's hand.
"Oh this is cute!"
Cloud winced as he came in with the cheesecake as Angeal came in with dessert spoons and plates.
"So I was pacing up and down the breakwater for half an hour, asking around if anyone had seen my baby boy."
Cloud sighed softly at the nickname.
"And then someone said that they had seen a cute little boy with blonde hair up in a ponytail, he was at the park where they were holding a summer fete. Now, how he got there from the coast, I have no idea but I rushed over, hoping that my poor darling wasn't hurt…"
"Mo-om," Cloud muttered as he sat down.
"And it was very crowded, I was panicking like it was the end of the world! I was still asking around for my baby until I found him almost straight away. He had crawled into the petting zoo and was hiding amongst the Chocobos."
"Awwwww!" Zack squealed as Cloud dropped his head into his hands "That must have been so cuuute!"
"I took a picture."
"MOM!"
Zack pounced as Claudia pulled a little photo out of her purse and Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal crowded around to look at the photo of Cloud surrounded by Chocobos. Cloud buried his face into the table cloth as Genesis cooed.
"Aw, I totally would have kidnapped him myself right then and there!"
"He's blending in almost too perfectly," Angeal commented.
"I believe Cloud has officially reached a new level of endearing," Sephiroth smiled as he handed the photo back to Claudia.
"I know," Claudia sighed as she gazed at the photo fondly "He's grown up so much, where does the time go?"
She sighed wistfully again, putting the photo back in her purse…then taking another one out.
"Oh, if you thought the Chocobo pen was cute, then how about the time when he fell asleep in the Moogle exhibit in the Natural History Museum here in Midgar?"
"OH!"
Zack once again pounced for the photo and Cloud groaned.
"I sense another story~!" Genesis sung as he leaned across the table to listen.
"Well, it was just before we were getting kicked out for spending the night at a heritage site and when we were going to leave for Junon."
Cloud almost slid under the table to hide whilst Angeal began cutting slices of cheesecake for everyone.
"I hate you all," he muttered into the tablecloth.
"I've never been disappointed about Cloud's orientation," Claudia shook her head as she and Genesis rifled through clothes that Genesis was willing to let her have "I've always had a feeling he didn't like girls and was either gay or just had eyes for Tifa."
"Oh, yes, they were childhood friends weren't they?" Genesis perked up.
"Yes and sweethearts," Claudia chuckled as she admired one of Genesis's shirts "Oh, when she and Cloud went to their first Kalm festival, he kissed her under the fireworks. It was the cutest thing, but my camera had run out of battery."
"I brought tea," Cloud mumbled as he shuffled into Genesis's room with a tray of two mugs of tea.
"Oh, thank you, darling," Claudia smiled as she kissed Cloud's cheek.
"Yes, thank you," Genesis kissed the other cheek.
Cloud went bright red as they took their mugs.
"Did Cloud mention that we had met him at that same festival?" Genesis asked.
"He wouldn't shut up," Claudia simpered as they sat down to sip their tea.
"I would love to see your photo albums," Genesis grinned.
"Genesis!" Cloud hissed.
"But Cloud, I want to see more of your baby face!" Genesis whined.
Cloud went redder and turned sharply to walk out of the room whilst Genesis and Claudia chattered on and on.
"I hate you all," he grumbled softly.
"Cloud?"
"Mn?"
Cloud opened his eyes blearily as Zack poked him.
"I think we all like your mom and she likes us too," he grinned.
"You had to tell me that at half past two in the morning?"
"Well you know, I couldn't stop thinking about it."
Cloud sighed as he turned onto his front to bury his face into his pillow.
"I'll never live this down," he muttered.
"Aw but you were so adorable in those photos!"
"That's it, I'm going to be making a delivery to Gongaga tomorrow, to Mr and Mrs Fair."
"Go right ahead, I was a sweet kid."
Cloud sighed as Zack just grinned wider and brought Cloud in closer for a cuddle.
"I hate you all," he mumbled sleepily.
"You must come again," Genesis grinned as Sephiroth picked Claudia's bags up, getting ready to take her back to the train station.
"Yes, you are very welcome here," Angeal smiled as he fiddled with his watch.
"Well I had a lovely time," Claudia smiled as Angeal bade farewell whilst rushing to get to the hospital.
"We should go out around town," Genesis proposed "Take Zack for a walk."
"Yes, please!" Zack bounced.
Cloud sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. Claudia turned to him and smiled widely.
"I really miss you, Cloud," she said as she reached up and pulled her only son into a hug.
Cloud hugged her back, looking a little like a wolf nursing his wounded pride. He was then assaulted by her handkerchief again.
"I spent half an hour cleaning this face, there is no dirt!"
"You should spend more time than that to maintain your looks, young man!"
"She is not wrong," Genesis smirked.
Cloud sighed as Claudia finally withdrew and he kissed her forehead.
"Safe journey," he mumbled.
"And you take care," Claudia adjusted his clothes next and began fluffing his hair up "You have four wonderful boyfriends but that doesn't mean you should slack off in looking after yourself properly."
Cloud shifted uncomfortably as Claudia took her coat from Zack.
"Be seeing you," she smiled brightly as Sephiroth opened the door for her.
"Be sure to call more often," Genesis said as he and Zack flanked Cloud to wave goodbye.
"I will, bye-bye!"
Zack grinned, even when the door closed and Cloud was pinching his cheek harshly.
"I hate you all," he hissed as Genesis just simpered.